#otherwise it looks like they are witnessing serious gossip

[leclercskiesahead]

Was this the moment Carlos noticed the person fainting in the crowd?

from autodromoimola

[robotsrawesome64]

Idk if your still accepting match ups for COD but here you go.

I’m a Gemini, ENFJ, trans Masc, He/Him, I’m a bit mouthy with a lot of different hobbies. I cuss a lot and pick at the skin around my thumbs as a nervous habit. I have a hard time opening up to people and tend to flinch when I get touched by someone for the first time. But once I do get friendly with you I tend to make more sexual jokes and crasser humor.

I wear glasses and usually long pants with sweater or tank tops with open button ups.

I’m Aromantic but Allosexual which means I have a hard time forming romantic attachment with people, but I wouldn’t find physical intimacy or affection.

I’m a cuddler, I love blankets and stuffed animals. I like music and writing. My favorite animal is a bunny.

I love cooking for people and others. So in the COD universe I would probably be just a civilian who works at a restaurant or something.

I’m fine with light angst and I prefer someone from task force 141.

Thank you so much for this!

S-S-S-S-SIMON

TWS: Implication of abusive home life, physical abuse scar, anxiety, picking, smoking(tobacco and weed), light drinking, aro dread (worry of being romantically liked), work stress (+reader shouts in kitchen), customer service, anger for shitty higher up, sudden snappy rejection to joke-brief mention, momentary disassociation+heat descriptive, gossip mention, momentary suggestiveness, depressivey thinking (PURP=SIMON) + Cuddly/platonic touchy Simon, aro4aro, hope this is ok and doesn't read too romantic, was thinking close squish vibes 😭💕 (im slowly learning; education welcome) Realistically sexual attraction would probz be a huge part but I cannae write it so feel free to mind blast the gaps

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Young adult Simon begrudgingly picking up a kitchen porter job. A role in your kitchen- well, as far as anybody was concerned. You'd been promoted to sous chef fast in this crappy bar/restaurant hybrid joint, which would be surprising if not for the paint peeling off the walls and constant inconsistencies of management.

Such as: yet again, you are left understaffed on a peak day and YOU had to lead ship because your shitass head chef didn't show up. Whoop de doo. What's more, you're tasked with training the fucking new guy, who- when you first had to come find him- seemed to have an attitude with an entitled cocky sway and his hands in his pockets. But that wasn't important right now; you had shit to prep and fast.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Safe to say the day was a blur. You muttering rushedly and guiding him in and around, barely getting a chance to meet him and take the sight of him in; just cringing as you try to squeeze past the big guy without touching, to and from your station.

The most you got was your anxious glances over your shoulder to check everything was running; that he was doing his job. A flash of his tatted arm flexing to press down the pass-through dish washer, suggesting the patchy art went up further when his crusty spare uniform's sleeve would move slightly in the motion. Oh, uh- good for him. Focus up.

What you hadn't gotten the space to witness was how Simon's personal too-good-for-this ambiance had quickly flattened into his tall frame curling over the sinks uncomfortably. His head down, diligent and thorough, only daring to give you morbidly interested side-glances when you weren't looking. He was otherwise very tuned in to the sound of you barking arguably obscenely worded orders at the junior chefs, daze only broken when one was suddenly directed at him- in which he whipped his head up to obey with a croaked out "Yes, chef."

Which made you double-take; this wasn't that kinda snooty establishment. He almost made your stressed scowl turn to a laugh from the shock, but no, he seemed dead serious as he effectively completed your request.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Before you knew it you had survived the reckoning of unprecedented big tables and last-minute front-of-house promised function food, leaving your eyes glazed in the direction of the finally unmoving ticket machine after allowing your chefs break. The uncomfortable wet trickle down the back of your neck expanded your awareness back into your body: the warm flush from the kitchen's humidity; the sore realization of your fingers on your thumb; the..gaze on the back of you? Sure enough, Simon 'casually' turned his head back around to totally (/s) focus on his piled-up workload. The hums of machinery, radio and distant chatter all seemed tensely faint in the silence of you two mandatorily alone.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ But hey, he definitely wasn't so bad. His gloomy, blunt countenance entertaining no-one (except maybe you, and a couple front-of-house girlies) when he barely bothered to stay after work for group drinks, etcetera. Don't get me wrong, he certainly had his own dry spark, but more often than not he'd seem to small-talk folks into a corner so he could back out and leave (especially with the girls). Sigh. Destined to never bond with the weird dude on a night out.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Or so that was your estimate, until mid adrenaline-filled panic from a work mistake, you see him over there reservedly wiggling to your music from the kitchen speaker as he worked. Or the first time he talked back to you in the kitchen, loud deadpan delivery as he teased you (to your co-workers' bafflement)- which just resulted in a loop of increasingly sweary quarreling, to Simon's probably-shouldn't-be growing smile to himself.

Thankfully, despite his words, he didn't fuck around. You could trust him with his role plenty fine. Or just trust him at work in general.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ When your head chef finally decided to clock in and had the nerve to start talking you out on this and that- oh my god. You did your best, but come break your hand was already exasperatedly dragging across your face as you walked to your spot. Simon roughly there too, mid smoke. Probably due back soon.

He nodded up in recognition, letting you settle before potentially opening the floodgates.

"He's a twat."

If you wanted to just sit, he'd sit. Plenty same if you needed to talk, allowing you good, deep time to vent whilst ad-libbing in agreement at your head's absolute expense.

None would go unnoticed, nor the way how your nails kinda fucked up your thumb as you spoke. It's not like he'd be on your ass about picking, just...details. Conclusively, your strife had successfully absorbed over to him, and now he was just bubbling in sympathetic frustration at the unfairness at his teammates energy being wholly undermined, disrespected and taken.

One thing was sure, full seriousness, if you wanted to go to HR/etc. about it, he'd absolutely have your back.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Second thing: the next day when he clocked in, he pulled something fluffy out his bag. What's tha- aww. A fuzzy little plush white rabbit, how cute is that? Conveniently pocket size. You tease him, because that didn't usually seem to be his style, before he's casually plopped it in your hands.

How did he..? I guess a lot of public conversations happen on the clock, and that he was listening to yours.

It was..nice..but..? It wasn't a nice feeling in your stomach, anxiously fiddling with Pocket Bunny instead with an thousand yard stare as you processed your emotions. You liked him, definitely, but the thoughtful gesture planted that worry that he was romantically interested. To say the least, it's always such a headache feeling forced to put out a 'disclaimer' on your existence. Co-worker gossip wasn't helping.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ So, you were brave. The pit in your gut uncomfortably hollowing further when he enthusiastically agreed to join for after-work drinks (because you asked), something he still barely does.

What seemed like excruciating filler time later, you're finally mostly alone, squeezed into some semi-sticky booth-table-thing. Simon leant over to you, squinting through the erratic dim, dark purple lights and shouting conversation over rumbly generic club music with his other hand on his drink.

Eventually you blurt out back the topic of your worries. Kind of. Not exactly confessing, but making the questions of orientation inescapable. Your heart just pounds faster when he pronounces back a, "WHAT?", leaning closer, 'cause he can't hear for shit in here- making you double down and repeat yourself until he's looking at you a little dumbfounded. How the dancing lights reflected pure off his wide dark ones was stressful until he burst out into a ramble, that piece by piece, seemed to resemble your own thoughts. Like a description for aromanticism by someone who didn't know the term. Your tension relievedly, gradually breaking and melting off. Adrenaline, however, still there as you bounce back in educational agreement.

It was like a weight had been lifted, truly. For him too apparently. The hypocrisy of the head chef being back wasn't as bad as previously thought if it meant more time slacking off with him. Sarcastic, bawdy back-and-forths in the kitchen that actually got him to crack into a proper chuckle (and got you both told off). Just shit that shouldn't be said that Simon was unblinking at, just returning that attentive amused look that got you through the day.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ So much so that Simon actually picked up more shifts. Something he was hesitant about from the workplace itself, but he needed the money, and being out the house was very welcome and having a friendly face there made it not-so-bad.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Or-finally- someone to side-eye at their peers and heads weird shit. Better yet to back you up, when Simon spoke out for you a couple of times. Someone to babble, pace and rant to outside in their own little break spot whilst he smoked.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ More shifts meant seeing each-other more, all of them. So when you eventually crack, from just life in general, or the last straw from the kitchen, he'd meet with you as soon as he could, offering a presence, a hug.. anything you want.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ His hugs are really fucking good. Cozy as hell. You can bury your face in the crook of his neck or his chest and he wouldn't flinch, just hugging you tighter, patting your head and stroking it. He's warm. Especially if it's after work and he's wearing that black thick hoodie he always does- omigod it's so soft. Well, not the most expensive fabric ever, but his presence makes it comfortable. Plus a lil' kiss on the top of your head if that's your thing.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ If that's something you both fall into, he jumps at the opportunity; touch-starved as fuck.

Leaning arms crossed over the bar to hover next to you, lurking over you; hugging your waist while he's waiting to go post-close; holding your waist for a sec to brush past you in the kitchen. From what was meant to be a simple break and hug, one time they found you straight-up conked out laying in the drystore in eachothers arms.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ He always waits for you until you're ready to leave together. Which might mean Simon with his hands in his pockets, having to sneakily get probed for the nature of your relationship by gossip-ier coworkers. To which he shrugs and deflects something or other. It wasn't any of their business (nor was he sure). Boys will be boys, they guess.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ But yeah. In pitch black night, almost every night, he escorts you home if you let him. Holding hands if you want. Sometimes smoking a joint. A stupidly lengthy journey (for him) to your doorstep and back to his, whether you drive, do public transport or whatever. He disguised it as casual good companionship. He didn't want to be creepy, its just.. that flicker of reluctance in his eyes when you got to your destination gave you the impression he was purposefully putting off having to face his home.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ Days pass. Weeks become months. New people rotating in and out of the team. The days get longer, welcome spring breeze stilling to more humid heatwaves. But he's always there.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ One new thing about Simon: he was off sick for a few weeks, and now he's back. But he's almost always wearing a surgical mask? He didn't seem sick anymore, I mean..maybe a little more mellow, then snappy, not as into your banter as usual.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ So one night he's walking you back, sweating through that dumb mask- which he switched out to a black one he keeps using- you invite him in. Sleepover, or something?

He's surprised maybe, but after using the last of his energy for a subdued cautious sweep of the place, he's exhausted. He double-bounces backwards back on your bed, still adjusting his mask back up from the movement, looking up to find an adorable welcome menagerie of stuffed animals.

It almost makes him smile. First proper one in a while as he looks over to you and takes in the sight of your room, hand subconsciously stretching out to reach for your knee and rub circles. Oh, and to snatch that little bunny out of your pocket, hugging it to him instead with a smirk. Bonus points if he pisses you off.

With the blankets soft against his head and side, he got an idea. Unraveling them, gesturing you closer to properly wrap you in his arms and nuzzle down into the cozy bed situation. With bunny, him and the whole gang. Maybe you could go to sleep like this. But, come on, surely without the mask-?

He caught your wrist at even an indication of the thought of it, gently holding it back down against his chest. From your close proximity you could finally see the beginnings of a big healing scar at the the top of his cheek where the mask moved slightly in his vague refusal. Ah.

₊ ⊹₍ᐢᐢ₎ There was a lot of unkind things in this world, but Simon was not. (Uh, to you at least.) You could only give his hand a reassuring squeeze in the hopes that life would lighten for you both. And if not? At least you'd always have each-others back.

B-B-B-BONUS ROUND:

Steals your glasses and looks stupid in them.

Performs elaborate yet half-hearted puppet shows with your stuffed toys.

Periodically asks what you're writing now, squinting over your shoulder. His tones dry but he needs to be updated of the drama, damn it.

Exchanges the most would-be-an-eyeroll sideye of solidarity over at you when he seems to get flirted with romantically. Or fems in general. They just don't seem to get the hint.

Subtly acts like a space-making service dog for you in crowded places or if it looks like someone's gonna touch you.

photo cred~ @yumethefrostypanda

[rainbowsky]

Hallo Rainbowsky,

About the two of them visiting each other on their respective sets: Though I've read sth about that topic before I still ask myself how it's possible that so many people who might witness them together stay loyal and silent, given how huge the crowd on these sets is. It always amazes me looking at the pics and vids of the wrapping ceremonies. I mean, among all those crazy rumours of other celebrities (pregnancy, cheating, tax evasion etc) no leak concerning our boys. So I wonder what's your take on how they manage it? (This is not meant to rise insecurities among fellow turtles, this suppression of gossiping just seems a phenomenon to me)

Thanks in advance!

Hi Isilaie! 😊

Fake, fan fiction, CPN.

I'm always a bit confused by questions like this, because they seem to assume that nothing is getting out about them. Reports, leaks, rumors and even photos and video have come out about them many times over the years.

I guess I don't really have much more to say about it than that.

There are plenty of reasons why things like this don't make the huge waves some western fans seem to expect:

The biggest reason is that turtles are by far the largest target audience for such things, and turtles are very serious about suppressing, deleting, burying and otherwise getting rid of incriminating content about them. (Solos are also dedicated to burying this material, for slightly different reasons.)

There isn't much of a market for such things in China, because queer stories are censored in most media.

Photos or rumors of two guys who are known to be friends being seen together... this just isn't an exciting story. The vast majority of people are deeply heteronormative and would never believe gay rumors, especially rumors about stars who have worked together and are part of a popular CP. CP fans are widely believed to be crazy and deluded, and their CPs fake. A photo of two guys hanging out just isn't interesting to most people.

Such material is frequently intended as black material aimed at harming a star, and because gay rumors - especially rumors from stars who have worked together as a CP - aren't as credible to most people as a completely invented story about a woman, they aren't nearly as harmful as a completely invented story about a woman, and aren't as likely to get publicized.

Film sets are mostly pretty locked down, and it's difficult to get good quality photos and videos out of those locations. GG and DD are cautious and understated and they wear masks and hats when going from point A to point B. Even when photos do leak there's not much to see or verify.

Contrary to popular belief, film sets are pretty discreet for the most part. Photos and video of stars with their spouses, children, etc. aren't getting leaked very often either, but they do visit sets as well. Most people respect privacy.

GG and DD's security teams take major precautions to protect them and their privacy.

GG and DD can and likely do pay to suppress some things.

This kind of thing isn't seen because it's not meant to be seen. It's an invasion of their privacy, and anyone who loves and respects them and has their interests at heart has the good sense to bury it.

[xoteajays]

in the center of recurrence is this: me catching you.

ship: wednesday addams x female!oc. fandom: wednesday (2022). word count: ~4400. ao3: link.

Nevermore had been growing boring. Niya already knew too much of their current student body, knew of the dull ‘secret society’ passed the Poe statue and down the stairs, any gossip that folks babbled on about was posted up on Enid’s little blog that Niya could only stand in short bursts.

Then Wednesday Addams showed up.

If nothing more, she was a pretty new treat to follow, sure to carry some fun secrets Niya could lock away. But Wednesday was proving to be more than simply that. She was dark and focused and serious with hints of dry wit spilling from her lips. She was pretty too. That dark kind of pretty. A monochrome in an otherwise colourful world.

She was a ‘special case’, her aunt had told her.

Aunty Anzhela had been rather close with Miss Weems as of late, no wonder she had a direct line to whatever newness was coming to Nevermore Academy. And Wednesday Addams was a most interesting case of ‘newness’.

The Havesting Festival is boring this year, a mere repeat of the year before and the year before that. Niya has more than enough cheap festival plushes, won from the familiar games of popping balloons and throwing beanbags into targets or rings over bottlenecks. So instead, she focuses in on her latest gothic interest.

She watches as Wednesday attempts an escape with some normie boy - it was a shame she was running away, she was the kind of outcast Nevermore hadn’t had in a while - but then she’s suddenly dashing towards the woods after that Rowan boy. Cautious of anyone else’s watching eyes, Niya strolls seemingly-casually towards the woods’ edge, quickly puffing up in smoke and leaving a butterfly in her wake.

The little holly blue flutters along, catching stray moonlight on her blue-and-black wings. It’s not hard to find Wednesday and Rowan. She can smell them even in this form. Though the woods had smelt distractingly of human blood recently. ‘Bear attacks’, the news had called them. Strange how Niya had seen no bears.

Flitting around a trunk, she lands on its front, her antennae twitching curiously. If she’d had brows, they would have furrowed now at the sight before her.

Telekinesis, it’s a nasty power.

Wednesday, she’s thrown up against a tree trunk, her feet dangling high above the ground. Rowan, he’s staring, raggedly breathing, rambling about something. Kill her? Some drawing on paper? Prophecy? She creeps closer, unnoticed as usual.

She catches the smell of something strange approaching before she sees it. Some monster - a real one, not like the students of the school - crashes into view. Huge and wild-eyed and ripping Rowan to shreds. Niya’s wings tremble. Then, it’s gone, running off, seemingly without a thought of killing Wednesday. It had just … looked at her.

Speaking of, Wednesday drops, drawing Niya’s attention back to her. Internally, she’s chewing her lip, she can’t reveal herself so quickly. She’d kept this secret for so long. So instead, she just watches as the other fumbles forward towards Rowan and pluck up that odd drawing of his. That same drawing is quickly tucked away into her pocket.

Wednesday is shaky on her feet when she stands. She turns, apparently heading back towards the festival. Niya turns-wing too.

She’s faster.

When she nears the festival, Niya passes behind a tree, a plume and then, Niya’s back to herself. Vampire but human-looking enough. She steps back towards the festival just in time to catch Wednesday rushing up the woods’ path.

“Wednesday?” she calls, her voice innocently concerned. Her nose twitches. She can smell Rowan’s blood on her. Wednesday stumbles up to her, dark gaze serious despite herself.

“Rowan’s dead. There’s a monster in the woods. We have to tell someone,” she says quickly. There’s a hint of concern that breaks through her classic monotonous tone.

“Dead?” Niya says, brows creasing. Wednesday’s mouth is a thin line, she nudges passed the vampire, towards the festival were students and faculty awaited. Niya follows after.

The first person they run into is Bianca, who can’t even get some snide comment out before Wednesday is trying to explain what had happened. She jams a finger in the direction of the woods with short quick commentary. Niya can play the ‘unknowing’ part. She’s attentive. Concerned. Nodding and brow creasing at all the right times.

Wednesday barely finishes her explanation before she’s swaying on her feet, mentally and physically worn thin. Bianca isn’t paying attention to that, but Niya is. And luckily so, since Wednesday quickly passes out, caught swiftly by Niya before she can hit the ground. She crouches her knees to the ground and steadies Wednesday’s head against her shoulder carefully.

“Go find a teacher,” she says quickly, turning her own inhuman eyes up to Bianca’s.

 —xx—

Thornhill’s greenhouse, it was one of Niya’s favourite places at the school. It shortly won out over the library, because at least there wasn’t students making out in the dark corners of the greenhouse. Likely because of the carnivorous plants.

Niya liked it though. She could parse out each and every flora by scent alone. She knew where the newest blooms were, which plants needed more sunlight or less water. Often, she was alone in the greenhouse, humming to herself or playing old records on a vintage gramophone. Her father had gifted her the records; Niya had, in turn, gifted them to Miss Thornhill to play in the greenhouse or during quiet time in class.

She’s sat up atop a desk, tending to a slightly-wilting bat orchid when the door opens, familiar footsteps follow. Wednesday has an interesting stride, Niya’s found, kind of like a marionette being carefully manipulated to walk along the ground in purposeful steps. An almost gliding gait. Niya sits up a little straighter and smiles, lifting a hand in a small wave of wiggling fingers.

“I was told I’d have a guest today,” she muses, looking back to the plant and reaching the same hand to thumb carefully at the orchid flower’s long tendrils.

“I’m told I have to join a ‘club’.”

Niya can’t hold back the smile. Wednesday says the word with such disdain, the lilt of it entering her tone. The vampire drops her legs over the side of the table, crossing her loafer-clad feet at the ankles. She focuses her gaze on Wednesday. Most would shift under her purple vampiric gaze. The monochrome girl doesn’t so much as flinch.

“Aren’t you going to give me the spiel?”

“You don’t want to join the gardening club,” Niya drawls back. Wednesday quirks a brow, a silent questioning. As she continues, Niya lifts a finger with each point, “Firstly, if you really wanted to join, you wouldn’t need the ‘spiel’. Secondly, you want the beekeeping club.”

The once-quirked brow now slightly furrows, the very smallest hint of confusion to break her expression.

“Why’s that?”

Niya smiles, teeth pointy: “It’s only got one member. Little dorky kid. Eugene, I think his name is. You want a club where you can actually disappear to do whatever little investigation you’re doing while the teachers - and Miss Weems especially - are being told you’re actually participating in a school club.” Niya drags a hand over the fabric of her skirt, plucks off a leaf that had gotten stuck to it, and tosses it aside. Then she re-sets her eyes on Wednesday. “I bet Eugene could be manipulated to lie to the faculty by such a pretty girl.”

Wednesday’s mouth is still flat, but she hums in consideration.

As she continues to consider, she strolls the greenhouse, seemingly favourable of the darker toned flowers and straying far from the more classically ‘floral’ ones unless they were of the poisonous variety. Niya watches her, swinging her legs from her perch.

Her eye catches sight of the approaching vine before Wednesday does. The other is looking at a blooming hellebore - onyx odyssey, Niya noted - when the vine reaches out and grasps her ankle. It yanks and Niya is there in a blink to catch Wednesday by the elbows, planting the toe of her shoe on the vine until it wriggles back off to it’s host plant. Wednesday stares at her. Her hands are cool against the skin of Niya’s forearms.

“Man-eating plant. It’s getting a bit too big for the greenhouse. Miss Thornhill says she’s going to have it transferred out, but it’s still here for another week so … watch your step,” Niya explains, babbling a little, her thumb gently - thoughtlessly - stroking Wednesday’s elbow. The girl pulls from Niya’s grip, straightening her blazer. Then she just hums quietly.

“Thank you,” she says curtly before turning to leave.

Niya watches her go, then, when she’s alone again, she traces her fingertips over the space on her arm where Wednesday’s hand had been. She smiles, swinging her arms out as she heads back to the waiting bat orchid.

 —xx—

She knows it’s bad. She knows she shouldn’t spy on people, but she couldn’t help herself. She was a ‘curious soul’, as her father would say, just like her mother. He’d always get a sad look in his eyes when he said stuff like that. He’d try to hide it from her, he’d pat her hair and distract her with something trivial. She’d allow it.

That was when she was young though. Now she was off at the academy and she didn’t have her father around to keep her company … or to stop her from sneaking around and following people to discover the things they hid from everyone.

Wednesday had been investigating this ‘monster’ for a little while now and Niya has been following along like she was reading a detective novel. Wednesday was far prettier than any of those detective men in the old novels and movies Niya had consumed in her even-younger youth. And this investigation was far more intriguing. It truly was something else to experience it in reality.

The holly blue butterfly stays out of view of Wednesday. Most people wouldn’t give the small creature a second glance, but Wednesday was smarter than ‘most people’. Plus, Niya wouldn’t put it passed Wednesday to have an expansive pinned insect collection and perhaps a holly blue butterfly was just what she was missing.

In short, she keeps her distance, flitting on the other side of the trees from Wednesday, a few steps behind.

The founder’s crypt. Crackstone’s. It’s a creepy place, it even sends a shiver down Niya’s spine despite herself. Wednesday appears completely unfazed though, stepping into the place and dropping her bag to the ground behind her. Out of it clambers a disembodied sewn-up hand. ‘Thing’, she had heard Wednesday call it. It was a kooky thing, though curiosity spiking. How exactly did it work? Some Frankenstein thing? Perhaps she’d ask one day.

Niya flies closer, through a crack in one of the walls. She lands, crawling across the wall. Thing quickly disperses of a homeless man before Niya can even jump in to snap at him for yelling at Wednesday.

It seemed they could communicate, through taps and finger-signing, and somehow the hand could hear Wednesday speaking to it. The girl snaps back at the hand, then starts pressing her own hand to different objects in the crumbling crypt. Each touch is accompanied by a repetition of ‘no’ until she reaches the door.

Her body jerks, head thrown back, eyes skyward. Her knees go out from under her. In a puff of smoke, Niya is at her back, catching her around the hips before she can hit the ground. The vampire slowly lowers her to the ground on her side, heaving out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d held.

Glancing to her side, she notices Thing there, who - somehow Niya can tell - is surprised.

“I’m a friend. Well, friendly. Promise,” she says, hoping to not get taken out like the homeless man. When she doesn’t end up throttled, she turns her attention back to Wednesday.

Carefully, she lifts the girl back into the crypt, lying her down on her back on the man’s blanket. It looked clean enough and was better than the half-damp ground. Thing plants itself down at Wednesday’s shoulder and Niya sits on her other side. Gently, she reaches a hand out to brush Wednesday’s fringe back into place, brushing the specks of dirt off her cheek.

The rain starts shortly after and it’s cold against her skin as she tries to keep Wednesday out of it as best she can.

She jerks awake just as violently as she’d gone into the vision. She snaps up and Niya holds her hands up in a hopefully calming gesture, ‘woah’ing her in caution to take it slowly. Wednesday’s eyes clear as she realises who’s she’s looking at.

“Khioniya,” she says, half confused, mostly accusing, “You’re following me.”

“No!” Niya says, then pauses, frowns, “Well, yes, but -“

“You’re the butterfly.”

Niya blinks in surprise, mouth opening and then closing, trying to pull up some excuse, that it’s an ‘unbelievable accusation’.

“How…”

“Celastrina argiolus are palearctic. It’s - you’re an unsubtle creature.” She’s breathing heavy, but her gaze is intensely focused despite the fact that she looked like a drowned cat from the rain. Niya drops her head, then her shoulders tremor with a laugh. She looks back up, jamming a hand to her disbelieving giggly mouth to settle herself. Rain droplets shake out of her hair with her motions.

“You’re the first one to figure that out. Eugene thought he was just seeing things or that they were being introduced to America. People don’t usually recognise butterflies by species.”

“I didn’t know vampires could do that. Turn into butterflies.”

“Most can’t. It depends on the type of vampire. None of the other vampires at school know, they assume I’m like them, that I’m whichever type they are. And I don’t correct them.”

“Why are you fol-“ Wednesday cuts herself off, staring beyond Niya to a gap in the wall. A large eye stares back at her. At them. There’s a snarl, then the scrambling of beastly feet as it hurries away. Wednesday is quick to her feet, rushing off out the crypt door after the monster.

“Wednesday, wait!” Niya calls after her, gathering to her own feet and scooping up Thing and Wednesday’s bag in the process of chasing after her classmate.

 —xx—

The Rave’n. Niya didn’t mind it really. She did like to show off the pretty dresses and jewellery her father would get her from his travels, nearly always the best dressed at school dances like these. Besides, her Aunt Anzhela was usually the chaperone, but this year, it was Miss Thornhill. How could she not attend Miss Thornhill’s first Rave’n when she’d been so kind to Niya?

Well, she would’ve skipped it if Wednesday had asked. Then Wednesday asks Xavier to the Rave’n, even if only to not get caught snooping around his shed. The way Xavier smiles about it though makes Niya’s stomach twist. He hadn’t been deserving of Bianca’s attention and neither should he have Wednesday’s beyond the beastly mystery. She prickles about it for the rest of the day, quiet and only half-attentive as Wednesday continues searching around Jericho.

When Thing calls for her aid in getting Wednesday to go with Tyler, it takes a lot of convincing until she relents. At the very least, perhaps Wednesday could have some fun at the Rave’n. Maybe Niya could even steal her away from the normie for at least one dance.

It’s all worth it to see her in the dress. It’s so completely Wednesday. She’s dead lovely and stands out in such dark lacing between the ice whites of everyone else’s outfits.

Tyler had brought some corsage for her, but he discards it as Wednesday heads into the party. It’s a dull thing, boring, and Niya curls her nose at it. It belonged on the trash where it lay. The flowers were even fake.

She manages to catch Wednesday alone when Tyler goes off to grab the ‘couple’ some drinks.

“You look beautiful,” she says. Wednesday fixes her with a pointed, knowing look.

“You helped Thing. With this obnoxious plan.”

“Hey, he asked me. It wasn’t my idea. I bet he would’ve done it without my help anyway.”

Wednesday breathes out, something between understanding and annoyance. Niya smiles lightly, then reaches for her own wrist. She tugs her corsage off. She’d brought it - made it - for Wednesday anyway. A stretchy decorative faux lace around the wrist and a pretty black-purple flower in the center with a few smaller ones around it; it matched the dress perfectly. She takes Wednesday’s hand, lifting it, and sliding the corsage on.

“There. Now you’re perfect,” she says, still holding the girl’s hand. Wednesday looks at it, her brows draw together in recognition, then looking back up to meet Niya’s gaze.

“It’s the -“

“The hellebore. From the greenhouse. Yes.”

Wednesday opens her mouth to say something more, but Niya cuts her off.

“You’re date is back. Do try and enjoy yourself, even just a little,” she says, though her smile is tighter now. Tyler steps up to Wednesday’s side and Niya turns heel, disappearing into the crowd of white-donning students. She can feel Wednesday’s eyes on her back, but she doesn’t turn back around.

The dress is not the only thing that stands out about her. Wednesday had such a way of dancing. There’s an open space on the dance floor and Wednesday comes alive on it. Shortly after, other students join her, Niya finds herself following suit. Tyler can’t keep up with Wednesday, but Niya can.

Wednesday doesn’t even smile as she dances, but Niya can see a kind of light on her eyes as she moves.

The song slows and Wednesday walks off the dance floor, excusing herself from Tyler. Niya is giggly, dance-exhausted as she walks along beside her. They step into a small hall between the main room and the smaller, quieter ones.

“You’re a riot, Wednesday,” Niya says.

“My feet are killing me, and not on the fun way,” Wednesday says, monotone.

Niya laughs, the back of her hand comes up to her mouth, stifling the noise. Wednesday glances sideways at her. The very slightest ghost of a smile twists on her lips, but it disappears just as quick when Niya glances at her, lavender gaze warm.

“You’re really quite funny, you know?“

Wednesday just hums, steadying her hand on the wall as she walks along, careful steps to try and stop the ache from her heels. It’s obvious she doesn’t wear them often, at least not as often as Niya, who walks astride her with ease.

One misstep turns her ankle and almost sends her crashing into Niya’s side, but the vampire’s reflexes kick in quickly to catch her. One arm around Wednesday’s back, the other holding her arm to keep her upright. They’re very close together now. Wednesday can even see the slight ring of red in Niya’s eyes around her purple irises, a clue beyond her fangs of vampiric heritage. Niya can see the pinkish healing scar of the cut on Wednesday’s forehead behind her bangs.

“Do you need me to carry you, Miss Addams?” Niya teases, her hand a cool weight on the side of Wednesday’s ribs. She huffs lightly, rolling her eye as she pulled from Niya’s grip. Niya keeps her hand on Wednesday’s arm, steadying her back to her feet.

“Suit yourself,” she continues, slipping her arm through Wednesday’s to link them at the elbows as they continued down the hall. At it’s end, Niya releases her to sit her down beside Bianca.

 —xx—

Niya would say she likes the woods. Any other night, this would be a fun time, walking through a blue-hued wonderland. Not tonight. Not while Wednesday is missing and very likely in danger if not dead already. Definitely not when the moon above is full and blood red and casting it’s eerie red glow around that bounces off branches and puddles.

She’s walking fast, Thing in her slightly shaking hands. Enid is at her side, smelling like candy perfume and hound. She’s sure she doesn’t smell all that nice to Enid either, maybe like harsh florals and the underlying copper of blood, but they didn’t have time for arguing right now. Wednesday needed them. Enid falls behind. Literally.

Niya turns back towards her, half glowering, lavender eyes glinting in the scarlet light.

“Are you okay?” She forces out, trying to be calm, nice even. Enid shakes all over, attempting to push up onto her hands. Her body seizes, pastel claws spiking out. “Enid?”

The blonde’s head jerks up, her face more wolfy. Niya tenses, swallowing thickly.

“You’re …”

“I’m wolfing out,” Enid finishes for her.

Well, this was happening now. Fuck. Niya turns, puts Thing down and crouches in front of it.

“Go find Xavier. Get him out and back to Nevermore to help the Nightshades get people out of there. Enid and I will find Wednesday,” Niya says, focusing more on the hand than the jerky cracking of Enid’s shift. She hears the tear of fabric. That’s not good.

Thing hurries off and Niya takes a breath, standing up. The perky blonde human Enid is gone, replaced by a pink-crowned yellow-furred gangly werewolf with glinting inhuman eyes.

“Wednesday, Enid. Find Wednesday,” she says, voice steady despite standing face to face with the creature. Vampires and werewolves had been enemies once upon a time after all, who’s to say what a newly turned werewolf’s mind would make them do. She watches the wolf huff and sniff, head turning this way and that before her body twisted to turn and rush off through the woods.

Niya shakes her limbs out, preparing to run after her. She gathers Enid’s thick pink jacket under her arm and runs, vampire-quick. Luckily, it’s easier to track the smell of wolf than it is to pick out the most recent Wednesday scent.

The beast - the hyde, Tyler, whatever - is as gangly and disconcerting as the first time Niya saw it. Unlike the first time though, it’s trying to kill Wednesday instead of running away from her. It’s claws are getting closer and closer to the girl’s throat when Enid slams into it’s side, full force. While it was distracted with Enid, Niya rushed to Wednesday, dumping the jacket on the ground as she does.

Wednesday slumps down off the broken tree trunk, right into Niya’s waiting arms that steady her. Her nose twitches at the smell of the blood. It’s all over Wednesday. The side of her head, her gut and the torn fabric of her shirt, her hand. She wants to ask if Wednesday’s okay, what happened, but they don’t have the time.

So she steels herself, squeezes Wednesday’s arms.

“You have to go. We’ll deal with Tyler.”

Wednesday nods, squeezes Niya’s forearms back, a silent kind of ‘be careful’ though neither would say it out loud or even use the words at all; then the pair parts.

Wednesday heads in the direction of the academy.

Niya turns towards the beast fight.

Niya with her claws curled and fangs out, Enid wolfed out and anger-spurned, Tyler stands no chance against the both of them. Or the gun of his own father.

Niya leaves the sheriff to his mourning, heading instead to Enid’s side as she comes down from her shift. She’s covered in blood. Niya is too. Luckily, most of it was Tyler’s and not their own. She plucks the jacket up of the ground, shaking the dead leaves off it, and wraps it around Enid’s bare shoulders.

“I guess your mother will get off your back now,” Niya drawls, surprisingly lax despite the situation. She stand, holding a hand out to the other. “Come on, we have to get back. They might still need our help.”

Enid takes her hand, a little shaky on her feet. There’s blood in her hair and on her face. It’s the most Niya and Enid have ever matched. Niya takes the lead, lets Enid steady herself on her arm. They walk as quick as Enid can manage. They don’t talk, but not in the way they usually didn’t talk. There’s a difference in the air. A difference that smells like Tyler’s blood. Evil as he might’ve been, it doesn’t make the smell any sweeter.

The woods eventually part and give way to a small opening close to the school. The moon isn’t red anymore and the woods look more familiar. Across the way, Niya can smell the familiarity of her fellow students. Enid looks up just as Ajax rushes over to them.

Niya releases her arm to let Ajax take over as she instead takes the lead, parting the sea of students. Her eyes keep flickering around, worried even as she tries to keep her composure. She can’t see Wednesday. Enid asks it before Niya can.

“Where’s Wednesday?”

There’s a sinking feeling in her stomach, her growing worry flickering more noticeably in her eyes. She keeps walking forward through the crowd. If she had to go to the school to find a body and an undead pilgrim, so be it.

Instead, she finds her steps stuttering to a stop. In the distance, through the blue night fog, figures appear. One walks with a familiar gait can’t be anybody else.

Enid rushes passed her, excitably quick off the starting line. Niya follows quickly after her, just a step behind, too tired to force that vampiric speed. Enid flings herself at Wednesday. For a moment, it seems like Wednesday would push her away, until she doesn’t and pulls Enid in tighter.

Everyone sighs, breathing relief. Enid and Wednesday part, the blonde sniffles wetly but Niya can see the smile on her face in the corner of her eye. Wednesday turns her gaze to Niya now, and Niya just smiles lightly, toying with the bloody edge of her sleeve.

Wednesday steps towards her, grabbing her by the shoulders, staring her in the face and then dragging her into a crushingly tight hug. Niya blinks, surprised, before wrapping her own arms around Wednesday, who relaxes when she does.

[bb-editing]

ROXANA (Chapter 75)

Sunlight fell over the frozen lake, making the film of ice sparkle like a star.

Orca looked over the landscape again, wrapping a shawl of silver fox fur over his blue hair. The fur coat over his body was made of the shiny, golden fur from a Silope beast, and he was draped from head to toe in the most luxurious jewelry.

This unorthodox outfit, however, only worked to suit his attractive appearance. The metallic accessories swung in the wind, occasionally colliding to produce the sound of bells.

Orca Hyperion, otherwise known as the ‘White Marshal,’ was observing the view of the monster habitat bordering the Frederika Plateau and the Emerald Lake. His gaze was quiet and unblinking, unbothered by the snowflakes settling on his long lashes.

After an extended wait, the demon Gyrote finally appeared in front of Orca- a thick, large mass of black fur staining the pure white scenery. Its blood-red eyes glowed with an eerie sheen, and wits horns stood high above his head.

Orca watched the Gyrote’s sharp fangs protrude out of its mouth as it flexed its face and muscular limbs. “Beautiful…” Orca was enraptured; by being under a masking spell, he was able to admire these beasts in their natural habitat, without either party being disturbed.

Gyrotes moved in groups, and there were currently about a hundred Gyrotes occupying the lake.

Orca considered capturing and taming the Gyrote leader, but having already waited for fifteen days… ‘I suppose I can spare another,’ the thought. He wanted to appreciate the natural scenery just a little more.

Suddenly, a loud cry erupted.

“Huh?” Orca’s vision turned completely red. A huge shadow smothered his view of the lake like an eclipse; he stared blankly as a swarm of butterflies appeared and swept over the gyrates.

The sound of bones being crushed thundered through his ears. “What the hell is going on?” He cried dumbly. He couldn’t understand.

After a while, the butterflies left, leaving no trace of the gyrates- no blood, no bones. Orca thought he had just experienced the most potent of hallucinations. “Are you fucking serious?” A bleak laugh escaped his mouth; his fifteen days had been wasted.

He felt defeated; butterflies in winter? What kind of butterflies ate beasts?

… “A poison butterfly…” He said, though he struggled to think of a potential poison butterfly habitat in the area.

Then he watched them fly in the direction of the Pedelian estate.

“I see…”

Orca’s next destination had been decided.

* * *

“Didn’t he propose yesterday?” Olin headed towards the tent where all her colleagues had gathered to rest.

“Well, I think it’s possible, but the situation also felt a little strange for that to have occurred.”

“What’s different? It was an clear confession!”

 “Right? ‘I want you to give me the rest of your life,’ or something like that. Isn’t that like saying you want to be married?”

Everyone was contributing to the commotion. “The atmosphere was strange from the beginning.”

“I know, right? She’s not a prisoner of war.”

Everyone was contributing to the commotion, theorizing about Cassis’ relationship history and preferences. Before opening the tent door, Olin hesitated and eventually turned back- it was evident that they would keep pestering her about her interactions with Roxana.

Then, Isidor approached, walking straight past her and into the tent.

“Do you all think you’re being covert? I can hear your nonsense from outside.”

“Sir Winston!”

“Get back to work. I don't recall giving you a gossip break.”

“Understood, sir. We’re very sorry.”

Olin huffed. Thank God she hadn’t gone in there. The thought of being caught by Isidor made her heart palpitate, though she could also understand the appeal of her colleagues’ gossip.

* * *

(*E/N: This is essentially a flashback to when Cassis saved Roxana on the day of the coup, just from his soldiers’ POV.)

Cassis had sent Isidor away first, and they were all wondering why their master had to return to Agriche.  

Then Cassis emerged from the blizzard. But he wasn’t alone- the body in his arms had is face and body covered in a dark cloak. However, the appearance of long, golden hair fluttering over Cassis’ shoulder was etched into everyone’s minds.

Cassis reclaimed his position at the front of the army. “Let’s depart.”

When they eventually stopped for maintenance, the door of the carriage, which had been firmly closed before, opened, and the person Cassis had brought made an appearance. She was a young woman with a slender figure and fluttering hair.

However, as soon as she took her first step outside, she fell, helpless, onto the snow field. The soldiers were startled, and ran over to help her.

“Are you alright? Have you been hurt anywhere?”

The first soldier to reach her, however, made contact with her body while attempting to provide support. He stumbled and fell.

[shining-m00nlight]

The sound of the Quiet Wolf

Three-year-old Eddard Stark never talked. Not one word came from his lips. His Lord father is at a loss but Lyarra Stark tries not to worry. The Quiet Wolf didn't get his name from nothing.

..........................................................................

"He should talk by now, why doesn't he talk?" Rickard Stark's voice boomed through the corridors of Winterfell as his wife stood next to him, their 3 year old in her arms.

At hearing his fathers loud voice, the little boy hid his face in the crook of his mother's neck. Lyarra Stark stroked her baby boy's head carefully to comfort him. Her precious boy didn't like loud noises. Maybe that was the reason he wasn't talking. He didn't want to add noise to a world that was already too loud for him.

Of course she heard the whispers around her. The voices that wondered why her son did not seem to not have one. She wasn't bothered by it though. She always knew what her son needed and understood him well enough. But all around them people worried, judged and gossiped. Lyarra didn't care. Her boy was sweet and perfect. No one could tell her otherwise.

"As I said before, my Lord. I can find no reason why little Eddard shouldn't be able to talk. His body is completely healthy. Mayhaps there is some other reason?" the maester told her husband and seemed rather uncomfortable.

"Are you saying my son is a halfwit? Are you saying he does not talk because he is stupid?" her husband yelled, making the maester take a step back and stutter like he himself had lost his wits at being confronted with Lord Rickards anger.

While Lord Stark continued to berate their maester, Lady Stark walked towards the nursery, taking her son away from the yelling. Lyarra didn't need to listen to his words. She knew that Ned was a smart boy. While he didn't talk he did observe other people. He did it a lot. She could see his intelligence in the way he perked up everytime someone talked, in the way his eyes followed his brother when Brandon was running around playing with his wooden knights and in the way Ned studied his own wooden figures as if he could learn their life story from just looking at them. 

Her little boy didn't just notice when people talked but he definitely understood what was being said. She once had talked to a maid about flower decorations and two days later half of Winterfell was in a state of panic because Ned had wandered off, away from old Nan's care. His mother had found him in the godswood sitting in a field of her favorite flowers, plugging them from the ground with determination and a serious face no 3 year old should possess. 

No boy without intelligence would have managed to remember the right flowers, sneak away from their caregiver, move down the stony stairs and wander through the woods unskaved. Even so, Lyarra thanked the gods everyday that nothing had happened to Ned that day because she knew they had been very lucky that no injuries were to be found on the child after such an adventure.

When she had found him, she had broken down in tears. Having spent the whole day imagining all the horrible things that could have happened to her child. Her child, who didn't scream when he was hurt or angry. Her child, that might easily be taken by someone or get trampled by a horse and fall to the side and no one would know because he wouldn't make a sound.

So when she had finally found him she couldn't help but let her tears fall. When her sweet boy then noticed her, he was shocked and probably scared, seeing his mother like this. He had grabbed the bundle of flowers and toddled towards his mama, waving the flowers at her and almost tripping over his little feet. 

Lyarra had opened her arms and stepped towards Ned's until she finally had him back in her arms, safe and unhurt. Her little Wolf had pushed the flowers into her arms and then carefully patted his mothers head and tried to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. He pointed at the flowers and then smiled at her. He had such a beautiful smile and she wished he would wear it more often but then again it probably wouldn't be her baby anymore if he would.

She should have told him that he was in trouble. She should have punished him for running away and scarring her but how could she when her sweet baby went to such lengths just to make her smile and bring her flowers.

So instead she had cuddled and kissed him, told him thank you for the flowers and what a perfect boy he was. She would tell him not to run away ever again later when she was not filled with fear and relief at the same time anymore.

No one would ever be able to tell Lyarra Stark her boy was lacking intelligence just because he didn't use any words to communicate. He did communicate with her, other people were just to stupid or to unobserved to see it. She knew what he needed at all times, she knew when he was sad, she knew when he was happy and she knew when he was angry. Her own husband had more trouble than her understanding their son. 

Rickard Stark loved his son but with his many responsibilities he sometimes lacked the patience to take the time to unravel Ned's subtle communication with the world. It was different with Brandon who would smile from ear to ear as soon as his father entered the room.

Her sons father wasn't a man who expressed his emotions strongly either. So with Ned being a mute child it was a quiet place when father and son got together. She knew Rickard sometimes thought of his son's silence and lack of expression as a rejection but Lyarra could see what it actually was, Ned was copying his father. Even though Ned was always silent when Rickard entered a room, wearing a serious face, her little toddler would try to emulate his father and his face again showed the seriousness no toddler should possess because it was the expression the Lord of the castle most often wore as well. This was something that actually worried her about her baby boy. How so much of him showed an age he had not reached yet. While she thought it was quite endearing when Ned got very determined and serious about a task, it still worried her more than his silence did. She worried he would grow up too fast, too seriously, too focused and he would forget to feel the joys of life. 

When she arrived in the nursery, the Stark woman sat down in one of the big, comfortable chairs and carefully laid a hand on her swelling belly where her third child was growing. She was really curious about this new child. Her first boy was loud and wild and her second boy was quiet and sweet. If she was being honest with herself she wished for a girl this time. A little sister to her boys. A little daughter for herself. 

One of her maids had asked her if she wished for a sweet little girl and she had almost laughed. For whatever this child was, it was not sweet. Her whole pregnancy this child had tumbled around in her making her feel nauseous and irritated. It reminded her a lot of Brandon. This child would probably be just as adventurous and wild as her firstborn no matter their sex. Having Ned had really shown Lyarra that a childs sex really didn’t determin their behaviour or deminor.

A small hand was placed next to hers, touching her belly. Suddenly the babe kicked her from the inside against their brother's hand giving him quite the scare. Ned looked very surprised at what just happened and he looked at the place where the babes foot had been just a moment ago nervously as if he could get attacked at any moment.

“Don't worry sweet one. It is just your little sibling saying hello. And it does not hurt me one bit.” She added when she noticed Ned stroking her belly as if he was trying to take away pain that wasn't there.

“What do you think, little one? Will you get a little brother?” she asked the little boy. Ned looked at her belly then at her face. He tilted his head to the side a bit, trying to process such a big question but eventually he slowly shook his head.

“Oh? So you think you will get a little sister.” she asked him and she couldn't help but smile.

Ned nodded more enthusiastically than she had seen him do in a long time and smiled at her face.

“You would be such a good big brother to a little sister. Now we are only missing a name for her.”

Lyarra stroked Ned's hair abstandly while trying to think of a good name for a girl. Ned laid his head on her stomach as if he was trying to listen to the baby.

“Lya” a voice whispered. At first Lyarra was confused who had spoken and looked around the nursery but there was no one there. Finally she realized it had been the little boy in her lab that had spoken.

“What did you just say?” she asked after she had stared at him for a good time.

Ned pointed to her baby bump and spoke again “Lya”

“Oh my god, Ned. You talked! I can’t believe it. How did you do that? Did you want to choose a name for your little sister?”

Ned nodded against her stomach while hiding his face in her dress, shying away from his mother's loud outburst and strong emotions but not willing to let go of her. Lyarra lifted him up and pressed her nose to his cheek.

"You are such a wonderful boy. I love you like no one else in the world does." She whispered in his little ear. 

Her little boy had said his first word. Choosing a name for his little sister. The mother of the quiet wolf did not know what the future might hold for her son but she knew she was lucky to have such a wonderful son and the babe inside her would be lucky to have Ned in her life as well.

I think this is one of my favorite thinks I have ever written. So I really wanna here what you guys think.

[justcourttee]

Trigger warning: After posting one too many of Lila’s lies, the ladyblog faces severe backlash and lawsuits. One of the recent is from a respected journalist that Lila lied about being friends with their kid. Alya is facing defamation and the journalists Child had recently passed away further upsetting the latter. Alya tried to explain, but Lila quickly throws her under the bus. This is not Bashing, except actions have consequences and have to live with them. Lila salt is welcome though

I hope this is kind of what you were thinking about. I did my best to keep it as accurate as I could with French Law :)

Here

Alya couldn’t believe she was here.

As she stared at the multitude of cameras, all vying for her attention, she felt the sudden need to make herself smaller. Nino’s strong hand on her back, urging her forward gave her the strength she needed to make it up the courthouse steps. Her eyes scanned the crowd looking for one person in particular but alas, they were nowhere to be seen.

Instead, she found two people she had hoped would miss this little event. Front row stood Marinette and Adrien, they’re eyes feigned with concern as she took the last step before the entrance. If only she could reach them, get them to testify on her behalf, but why would they change their minds now? It’s not like she hadn’t begged them too at the beginning of the month before everything had gone south so quickly.

As the doors were opened, the blinding light subsided as she was quickly ushered to a small room away from her adversaries that had lined the hallways, all ready to testify against her. She couldn’t believe how many there were.

“We should be safe here Miss Césaire, you didn’t talk to anybody on your way in, right? Journalists are like sharks, one small taste of blood and they’ll turn it into a frenzy.”

Alya scoffed at her attorney. She knew how journalism worked. You needed to make the story big and eye-catching otherwise nobody would bother to read it. It’s why she loved Lila so much. With her, the LadyBlog never had a dull moment.

“We have thirty minuted to prepare. Normally, they would not allow this public prosecution, but you and your friend have managed to upset a lot of people, Miss Césaire.”

Alya bit her tongue as she sunk lower in her seat. Where was her friend now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “All rise for the honorable Judge Bethany Abadie.”

Alya stood slowly, trying not to let her stance waver as the sound of dozens of cameras sounded through the room.

“You may be seated.”

She felt a small hand lightly press down on her shoulder as her attorney tried to get her to sit, but she couldn’t. She felt frozen in place. Seeing the judge made everything feel so real and not seeing her made Alya see red.

“Miss Césaire, I suggest you sit down. Your charges today are quite serious under the eyes of French law and with the number of people attempting to sue your website, you better hope your defense team has an ace up their sleeve.”

It was like something snapped inside of her as she curled in on herself, trying her best to disappear in front of the courtroom.

“Now, let’s get started. In the case of the people of France vs. Alya Césaire, the defendant is charged with defamation of character and defamation of the deceased. How does the defendant plead?”

“Not guilty, your honor.”

Her eyes wandered over to her defense attorney who looked no better than she did when the words came out of his mouth.

“I see, you were given an option to accept the price that the collective individuals offered you in addition to taking down your blog, instead you chose to fight their lawsuits. You do realize Miss Césaire that if the jury finds you guilty on these charges, that could mean up to a year in jail in addition to €12.000 per assailant?”

Alya mustered enough strength to nod much to the judge's dismay.

“Very well then, the prosecution team may lead with their first witness.”

One by one, every scoop she had posted unfolded and crumbled before her eyes. Jagged Stone denying writing a song for her friend, denying ever having a ‘filthy feline’. Clara Nightingale denying her friend’s involvement in any of her choreography, claiming it would be child labor. And worse of all, Nadja Chamack and her claim that her friend never knew her daughter, that Alya saying her child was brash and rude and an overall unpleasant kid was defamation.

“And what proof do you have that my client isn’t telling lies about your daughter, you do know that every child is different when they’re away from their parents.”

Alya breathed a sigh of relief as her attorney laid into the reporter. Just maybe, she had a chance of walking out of here unscathed.

“Because she’s dead.”

An eerie silence fell over the courtroom as Alya’s face ashened. No. That couldn’t be true. She had seen Manon the other day. She just knew she had. She went over to Marinette’s and the girl was there, as bratty as ever. But now she couldn’t remember the last time she had been to Marinette’s.

“How long has she been dead?”

“Councilman, I object!” The judge’s hammer slammed down, echoing throughout the room.

“No, no, it’s alright. Those two monsters need to hear what they put me through.”

Nadja met Alya’s eyes, not even bothering to wipe the tears that streamed down her face as righteous anger poured into her stare.

“My daughter died five months ago, a terrible car accident. I begged my team to leave it out of the report and only told my closest friends and family. The funeral was a week later and my heart remained shattered at the thought that some reckless driver hadn’t paid attention to her crossing the crosswalk, just like I had taught her.”

Nadja took a breath, trying to level her voice as the lump in Alya’s throat grew bigger.

“Three months ago, I ran across the Ladyblog. While it had mostly turned into a gossip column for this Lila Rossi person, I used to check it all the time when it had just started out. I honestly considered Alya as the next big reporter as she was always at the scene throwing herself into danger to get the scoop. It was admirable.”

Her praises caused the girl to flinch as if she had been struck.

“But as I clicked on the newest video labeled ‘Angel or Devil?: Is Manon Chamack really as everyone believes her to be?’, my heart immediately sank. Both girls sat on-screen as Lila Rossi went on for ten whole minutes about the time she babysat Manon during my interview with Prince Ali. She said my baby was a horror show and Alya agreed saying the few times she had helped Marinette were nightmares.”

Nadja lost her composure as the final word fell out of her mouth. Her tears were ugly as she barely managed an audible ‘could I be excused?’. The judge nodded calling for a recess before allowing the defense team to call their testimonies on character, but Alya couldn’t move. Nadja’s face was burned into her mind. She waited until the courtroom was cleared before standing, trying her best to swallow the lump in her throat but to no avail.

As her feet trudged behind her attorney, she kept replaying Marinette’s words from the beginning of the month.

‘You don’t want me to be expert testimony to your character because I’ll tell them the truth. And I’d doubt you’d like that very much at all.’

She couldn’t understand where all that anger had come from, all that pain, but now she did. Alya didn’t even want to know what her attorney had up his sleeve because honestly? She felt like she didn’t deserve a defense at all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Only one testimony?”

Her attorney nodded weakly as the judge sighed, probably already having determined Alya’s fate. She knew if it was her up there looking down on someone else, she would have given the maximum punishment the court allowed.

“The defense calls to the stand Lila Rossi.”

Alya sat up straight in her seat, her blood running cold as the sly fox breezily took the stand. Her smirk was brief and directed toward the auburn-haired girl, but it dropped into fake sympathy, a single forced tear rolling down her face.

“What can you tell us about Alya Césaire?”

“Oh goodness, where do I start?” Lila brought a tissue up to her eyes, lightly dabbing at the nonexistent tears.

“She coerced me into telling all those terrible lies about the good people of Paris. Every single one of my interviews was typed up and rehearsed several times before we even shot the tape. Here’s the proof,” With a fake sob, she handed the judge several transcripts, all seemingly printed from Lila’s email.

Alya clenched her fists underneath the table. She was lying. Straight through her teeth. Alya was wondering how Lila managed to evade the charges that were on both of them, but here it was lying in front of her. Lila was going to throw her under the bus.

“She’s a monster. She ditched her own best friend because she wouldn’t lie for her on the stand. She threatened to make everyone hate me if I didn’t keep up the lies. She knew about my disease and took advantage of it.”

Alya gritted her teeth as her attorney tried his best to get the girl off the stand, but it was too late. The damage had been done. One look at the jury and Alya knew. She was done for. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …

The jury took a whole thirty minutes before they returned with her verdict.

Guilty.

€48.000 to settle each lawsuit, the permanent closure of her LadyBlog, and 300 hours of community service. Lila received none of it.

“That’s not fair!”

Alya’s head whipped around to where the voice came from, her eyes landing on her former best friend.

“Young lady, I advise that you sit down and allow this court to adjourn peacefully. The verdict has been decided.”

“But Lila was just as much a part of this as Alya. In fact, if you even bothered to look at the interviews, Lila egged her on, there’s no way it was all scripted. Scrub Alya’s computer, I bet you won’t find a single email.”

“Young lady, I’ll give you one more chance, Sit down.”

Marinette opened her mouth, but she abruptly closed it when she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. Her gaze shifted down to where Alya stood, a small smile peeking through her tears.

“Thank you Marinette, I really do appreciate it, but it’s time I took responsibility. I should have never trusted her too good to be true stories in the first place. I should have never hurt my best friend in the first place.”

Marinette hesitated, but as she stared into the auburn-haired girls glassy eyes, she understood as well. With a nod, she returned to her spot between Adrien and Nino, her own eyes glazing over as she watched her former best friend escorted out by her attorney and a few cops.

Once more, Alya was blinded by the flashing lights as she was ushered to her attorney’s car. As the doors shut firmly, her attorney released a sigh before jumbling his keys around, trying to find the ignition.

“Well, it could’ve gone worse if we’re honest here.”

Alya didn’t bother to respond. She simply stared out the window, her mind racing at a thousand miles a minute. Only one thought stood prominent above the rest.

Alya couldn’t believe she was here.

[astrognossienne]

scandalous star: gary cooper -an analysis

“I don’t like to see exaggerated airs and exploding egos in people who are already established. No player ever rises to prominence solely on talent. They’re molded by forces other than themselves. They should remember this – and at least twice a week drop to their knees and thank Providence for elevating them from cow ranches, dime store ribbon counters and bookkeeping desks. ” - Gary Cooper

He didn’t say much, but when he did, it carried a lot of weight. He was the archetypal hero of the Old West; the quintessential masculine ideal of the stoic and “strong silent type” that most Taurus men are. But for famously laconic Gary Cooper, his good looks and earnest, haunted eyes for decades made him the quintessential lonely American of motion pictures.He was a more equanimous, human protagonist versus boisterous, bigger-than-life Hollywood supermen. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his individualistic, emotionally restrained, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made. He was a man’s man...as well as a ladies’ man. Cooper became a hero to many, even as he developed a reputation as one of the most notorious philanderers in Hollywood. Privately a debonair ladykiller with a taste for high society, he crafted an image as just the opposite from his prototype cowboy image he materfully portrayed on the silver screen. He was insatiable, before and during his marriage. How did he reconcile his moral righteousness onscreen (Taurus sun) with his philandering offscreen (Sagittarius moon)? That was the work of the fixers, gossip magazines, and the studio system at large, which ensured that Cooper was never caught, never denounced, and held up as a paragon of American values.

Gary Cooper, according to astrotheme, was a Taurus sun and Sagittarius moon. He was born Frank James Cooper in Helena, Montana, the second son of an English farmer from Bedfordshire, who later became an American lawyer and judge, Charles Henry Cooper (1865-1946), and Kent-born Alice (née Brazier) Cooper (1873-1967). As a child, he met a freed slave woman named Mary Fields, otherwise known as Stagecoach Mary, and so awed by her was she that he later wrote an account of his memories of her in Ebony magazine. His mother hoped for their two sons to receive a better education than that available in Montana and arranged for the boys to attend Dunstable Grammar School in Bedfordshire, England between 1910 and 1913. Upon the outbreak of World War I, Cooper’s mother brought her sons home and enrolled them in a Bozeman, Montana, high school. Upon graduation, he eventually matriculated at Grinnell College in Grinnell, IA, where he attempted to nurture a passion for drawing - until a serious car accident ended his college days in the summer of 1920. He would recover from his severely injured hip through an odd but painful therapy, horseback riding.

When his father retired from the bench and moved his mother to Los Angeles, Cooper gave up agriculture classes to try his hand as a Hollywood extra. Cooper played an extra in a handful of silent films before arriving on the set of The Winning of Barbara Worth in 1926. The actor cast as the second male lead didn’t show, and someone shoved Cooper into the part. He appeared with Clara Bow (who soon became one of his conquests) in her star-making film It, but it was his appearance in another Bow vehicle Wings, released later that same year, truly launched his career. He plays a World War I flying cadet, and although his screentime was still relatively short, there was one scene — an extended close-up shot, the light streaming in from outside — in which he looked gorgeous. In 1929, he filmed The Wolf Song with Lupe Vélez. He soon had an affair with Velez, who purportedly claimed that Cooper “has the biggest organ in Hollywood but not the ass to push it in well.” For more on their relationship, read my star analysis on Lupe.

Cooper filmed The Virginian — his first real “talkie,” and the film was a major hit and cemented the foundation of Cooper’s image. His ability to project elements of his own personality onto the characters he portrayed, to appear natural and authentic in his roles, and to underplay and deliver restrained performances calibrated for the camera and the screen helped make him a cinematic success, often lauded by those he worked with. However, his good looks and charisma made him a success with women, whether he worked with them or not. Over the next few years, Cooper was paired with the most gorgeous and promising female stars in Hollywood —with Carole Lombard in I Take This Woman (whom he slept with), Claudette Colbert in His Woman (whom he allegedly slept with), Marlene Dietrich in Morocco and Desire (who he famously slept with more than once), and Joan Blondell in Make Me a Star (who he allegedly slept with). In 1932, Cooper and his Paramount “rival,” Cary Grant, were cast against Tallulah Bankhead in Devil and the Deep (1932). Like Lupe Velez, Bankhead was a loose cannon, with most famous quote being:

“The only reason I went to Hollywood was to fuck that divine Gary Cooper.”

Amidst all his public and private action, Cooper began courting Veronica “Rocky” Balfe, a starlet who went by the stage name of Sandra Shaw. She was also best known as the blonde dropped by King Kong. The two were wed in late 1933. Balfe retired from the screen to become a wife and mother, with her giving birth to their only child, Maria, in 1937. Cooper portrayed a new type of hero—a champion of the common man—in films like Mr. Deeds Goes To Washington and 1941′s Sergeant York (which won him his first of two Best Actor Oscars). Cooper met Ernest Hemingway at Sun Valley in October 1940 and they were friends for the rest of his life. He co-starred with Ingrid Bergman (with whom he had a year-long affair with) in a the film adaptation of Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. He kept starring in more films and bedding his female co-stars until he got more than he bargained for when he made The Fountainhead. Naturally, the 47-year-old Cooper had an affair with his co-star, the 21-year-old Patricia Neal. However, this time things got crazy: Neal wound up pregnant with Cooper’s child. He insisted she have an abortion. When Cooper’s long-suffering wife found out about the relationship, she sent a telegram demanding he end it. This didn’t work; he also confessed that he was in love with Neal, and continued to see her. Cooper and his wife legally separated in May of 1951. Cooper’s daughter Maria, by then in her early teens, famously spat on Neal in public. Neal later claimed that Cooper hit her after she went on a date with Kirk Douglas. Neal ended their relationship in late December 1951. Amid all this drama, Cooper starred in what is now regarded as his defining role: the beleaguered sheriff in High Noon, which won him his second Best Actor Oscar. In later life, he became involved in a relationship with the costume designer Irene, and was, according to Irene, "the only man she ever loved".

Maybe all his previous actions had an affect on him because Cooper converted to Catholicism in 1958, and reconciled with his wife and daughter. Also, he began starring in films that centered around searching for redemption, such as Friendly Persuasion (1956) and Man of the West (1958). In 1960, Cooper fell ill with prostate cancer, which quickly spread to his colon, lungs, and bones; he died of it shortly after his 60th birthday in 1961. A year after his death, Irene committed suicide by jumping from the 11th floor of the Knickerbocker Hotel, after telling Doris Day of her grief over Cooper's death. Regardless of his philandering, regardless of the arduous work of his studio’s publicity departments, there was something plaintive, almost childlike, maybe even innocent about Cooper, so he can easily be forgiven his sins. He acted out what mattered to millions of people, and that act made him a star beyond measure.

Next, I’ll focus on his former paramour Lupe Velez’s arch nemesis. A woman who happened to be wife of MGM art director Cedric Gibbons (Gary Cooper’s wife Rocky’s uncle). She was another pioneer of Mexican cinema who was arguably the first Latina to successfully crossover to Anglo audiences: Leo Dolores del Río.

Stats

birthdate: May 7, 1901

major planets:

Sun: Taurus

Moon: Sagittarius

Rising: Taurus

Mercury: Taurus

Venus: Taurus

Mars: Leo

Midheaven: Aquarius

Jupiter: Capricorn

Saturn: Capricorn

Uranus: Sagittarius

Neptune: Gemini

Pluto: Gemini

Overall personality snapshot: He was torn between an instinct to roam free and a determination to find security and make a solid, lasting contribution to the world. As he repeatedly changed horses in search of both ultimate certainties and high-spirited adventure at the same time, he could find himself deeply divided and uncertain. He sought to earth the fire from heaven and put it to work, but he found all too often that it would not let him rest. In his search for stability and security, he became a farmer and was immediately confronted with the changing seasons. He embraced the solid certainties of geology and are hit by an earthquake. He liked to feel the solid earth move. He sought certitude and permanence, yet his endless inquiries constantly confounded yesterday’s certainties. When he got his own uncertainties together (by accepting he wanted the best of both the changing and the unchanging worlds), he could have been a brilliant teacher, conversationalist, counselor, entertainer, wit, creative artist or entrepreneur – in fact he could have been anything he wanted. Once focused, he could be a human dynamo, and wonderfully humorous, witty and entertaining with it. As he discovered, his quest for solid material certainties did not make a happy bedfellow for his yearning for excitement and larger religious and spiritual understanding. In one way or another, be it through philosophy and the spiritual quest or through writing, music or art, he needed to put together and formulate a total vision of the universe which is based on unassailable facts yet satisfying to his idealism.

Constantly seeking, he was a natural agnostic, applying the criteria of science to counter woolly speculations, yet at the same time highly skeptical of the limited and statistical pronouncements of unthinking science. The danger, if he did not marry these elements within him, is that he would swing from one to the other and undermine the virtues of both. A restless changing of jobs, careers, partners, visions or aspirations left him drunk with his own spinning. When he deliberately tried to remain sober and commonsensical, it seemed to make matters worse for there was something of the gambler in him. This all-or-nothing streak can temporarily overcome your natural caution and enable you to burn your bridges (though you will usually ensure there is something tucked away for a rainy day). He felt an impulsive need to do things on a grand scale, to live with commitment, to feast on the world, and to understand what it was to be alive in all possible ways. He seemed to be called both to explore the reaches of the imagination and to build secure foundations. He brought far-reaching visions into manifestation, and these visions injected his conservative desire for stability and security with flair and colour. His vision of tomorrow and the larger world gave spice to any project he undertook. He saw endless possibilities and wanted to make them real. In this he could be the natural entrepreneur who saw economic opportunities at every turn, an inspiring counselor and teacher, and a stimulating companion whatever he did.

His well-shaped body displayed a warm attractiveness and ripeness. In his later years, he may have needed to watch the tendency to gain weight too easily. His strong broad shoulders supported a very large neck size. His most outstanding feature was his eyes and his gentle smile and voice. He was big-boned. He enjoyed dressing well, preferring soft colours. He was practical, steady and patient, but he could  be inflexible in his views. One thing he did have was plenty of common sense and good powers of concentration, although he tended to think that purely abstract thought was a waste of time. His thought processes weren’t as quick as others, but his decisions were made with a lot of thought behind them. He also had the welcome ability to bring people together. He needed to be able to show his originality and independence in any job for complete satisfaction. His work should also satisfy his scientific bent and humanitarian leanings. He needed scope for his inventiveness, because he was able to bring a fresh view to any job. Ideally, his work should permit him to express the idealistic side to him character and allow him to help as many people as possible. He could be extremely efficient in the way that he tried to get maximum result out of minimum effort. He didn’t like extravagance and waste. He was a thoughtful and resourceful person, who was well-informed on many subjects. Success came gradually and as a result of hard work. Success and growth, for him, were expressed by material and financial achievements, bringing status and prestige.Worldly success was well within his reach, because he possessed all the necessary talents to gain power, influence and status. He was practical, determined and patient. When there were hitches in his plans, he simply worked around them. He knew where he was heading to, and had already figured out the best way to use his talents to reach his goals.

Although he could be fairly pessimistic about life in general, it didn’t put him off aiming for the top. He could be very single-minded about reaching his goals, and was prepared to put his career interests above his personal happiness. He was extremely aware of his own worth. He was prepared to work beyond the call of duty. His strong sense of ambition gave him a certain rigidity, arrogance and selfishness in the eyes of others. He belonged to a generation with fiery enthusiasm for new and innovative ideas and concepts. Rejecting the past and its mistakes, he sought new ideals and people to believe in. As a member of this generation, he felt restless and adventurous, and was attracted towards foreign people, places and cultures. As a member of the Gemini Neptune generation, his restless mind pushed him to explore new intellectual fields. He loved communication and the occult and was likely also fascinated by metaphysical phenomena and astrology. As a Gemini Plutonian, he was mentally restless and willing to examine and change old doctrines, ideas and ways of thinking. As a member of this generation, he showed an enormous amount of mental vitality, originality and perception. Traditional customs and taboos were examined and rejected for newer and more original ways of doing things. As opportunities with education expanded, he questioned more and learned more. As a member of this generation, having more than one occupation at a time would not have been unusual to him.

Love/sex life: His sexuality was a wonderful combination of sensuality and basic laziness. He let himself be carried along by his pleasure-seeking instincts, greeting every new experience with fresh eagerness and then slowly draining from that encounter all the joy it has to offer. This passive, easy-going approach to sex not only made for good technique, it also conceals the egocentric strength and stubbornness that was at the core of his erotic nature. People don’t realize that beneath all that luxurious hedonism he was always the person in control. He was a conservative lover for whom appearances were always important. There may have been occasions when his sensuality lured him into indiscretions but he was quick to cover his tracks and hide the evidence. The quiet practicality of his sexual nature served as a handy antidote for his Martian braggadocio. He knew that he was the best there is but he was willing to sit back and let the world find out the good news on its own. In his youth Cooper was endorsed by several female “experts” of the time (such as Clara Bow, Marlene Dietrich and Tallulah Bankhead) as Hollywood’s sexiest man. His soft spoken and manly sex appeal projected just as well on the screen. After marrying at age 32, Cooper’s sex life became somewhat more sedate though he never lost his ability to attract women.

minor asteroids and points:

North Node: Scorpio

Lilith: Scorpio

Vertex: Libra

Fortune: Capricorn

East Point: Taurus

His North Node in Scorpio dictated that he needed to be careful not to let the more emotional side of his personality overwhelm him. Instead, he should have set out to consciously develop his more practical abilities. His Lilith in Scorpio ensured that he was dangerously attracted to those women who seduced and conquered on a daily basis; who liked life intense and was judged for her sexuality and general vibe and learned early on how to deflect moral judgments. His type of women may have been tried in the court of public opinion but no way were they going to show up for the sentencing. His Vertex in Libra, 6th house dictated that he llonged for a union of souls that was based on a model of pure peace and justice. Images come to mind of a mythical life on Venus, the planet of love, where there is never a discordant beat between lovers, but rather, continual harmony even if played in the minor chords. Physical lust was certainly a necessary aspect of two beings eternally intertwined, but the platonic component far outweighed it in importance for him. He had an attitude of duty, obligation and sacrifice when it came to heartfelt interactions. The negative side was the tendency to become hypochondriacal or martyristic to get the love he so desperately wanted. There was a need for others to appreciate the sincerity of his intentions, to the daily tasks he executed in a conscientious and caring way and for others to know that his actions, no matter how routine they may seem, were based on devoted love. His Part of Fortune in Capricorn and Part of Spirit in Cancer dictated that his destiny lay in creating practical and long-lasting achievements. Success came through hard work, determination, responsibility and perseverance. Fulfillment came from observing his progress through life and seeing it take a form and structure that will outlive him. His soul’s purpose guided him towards building security in his life, both emotional and material. He felt spiritual connections and the spark of the divine within his home and family. East Point in Taurus dictated that he was more likely to identify with the need for pleasure (including the potential of liking himself) and comfort.  

elemental dominance:

earth

fire

He was a practical, reliable man and could provide structure and protection. He was oriented toward practical experience and thought in terms of doing rather than thinking, feeling, or imagining. Could be materialistic, unimaginative, and resistant to change. But at his best, he provided the practical resources, analysis, and leadership to make dreams come true. He was dynamic and passionate, with strong leadership ability. He generated enormous warmth and vibrancy. He was exciting to be around, because he was genuinely enthusiastic and usually friendly. However, he could either be harnessed into helpful energy or flame up and cause destruction. Ultimately, he chose the latter. Confident and opinionated, he was fond of declarative statements such as “I will do this” or “It’s this way.” When out of control—usually because he was bored, or hadn’t been acknowledged—he was bossy, demanding, and even tyrannical. But at his best, his confidence and vision inspired others to conquer new territory in the world, in society, and in themselves.

modality dominance:

fixed

He liked the challenge of managing existing routines with ever more efficiency, rather than starting new enterprises or finding new ways of doing things. He likely had trouble delegating duties and had a very hard time seeing other points of view; he tried to implement the human need to create stability and order in the wake of change.

house dominants:

12th

9th

8th

He had great interest in the unconscious, and indulged in a lot of hidden and secret affairs. His life was defined by seclusion and escapism. He had a certain mysticism and hidden sensitivity, as well as an intense need for privacy. Traveling, whether physically across the globe, on a mental plane or expanding through study was a major theme in his life. He was not only concerned with learning facts, but also wanted to understand the connections formed between them and the philosophies and concepts they stood for. His conscience, as well as foreign travel, people and places was also of paramount importance in his life. He loved the totality of the human experience and embraced the whole cycle of human life, including birth, sex and death. His darker side, and the complexes and emotions that he preferred to keep hidden, even from himself was a theme throughout his life. His ability to undergo deep personal transformations and spiritual regeneration was also highlighted.

planet dominants:

Venus

Saturn

Sun

He was romantic, attractive and valued beauty, had an artistic instinct, and was sociable. He had an easy ability to create close personal relationships, for better or worse, and to form business partnerships. He believed in the fact that lessons in life were sometimes harsh, that structure and foundation was a great issue in his life, and he had to be taught through through experience what he needed in order to grow. He paid attention to limitations he had and had to learn the rules of the game in this physical reality. He tended to have a practical, prudent outlook. He also likely held rigid beliefs. He had vitality and creativity, as well as a strong ego and was authoritarian and powerful. He likely had strong leadership qualities, he definitely knew who he was, and he had tremendous will. He met challenges and believed in expanding his life.

sign dominants:

Taurus

Sagittarius

Capricorn

His stubbornness and determination kept his around for the long haul on any project or endeavour. He was incredibly patient, singular in his pursuit of goals, and determined to attain what he wanted. Although he lacked versatility, he compensated for it by enduring whatever he had to in order to get what he wanted. He enjoyed being surrounded by nice things. He liked fine art and music, and may have had considerable musical ability. He also had a talent for working with his hands—gardening, woodworking, and sculpting. He sought the truth, expressed it as he saw it—and didn’t care if anyone else agreed with him. He saw the large picture of any issue and couldn’t be bothered with the mundane details. He was always outspoken and likely couldn’t understand why other people weren’t as candid. After all, what was there to hide? He loved his freedom and chafed at any restrictions. He was a serious-minded person who often seemed aloof and tightly in control of his emotions and her personal domain. Even as a youngster, there was a mature air about him, as if he was born with a profound core that few outsiders ever see. He was easily impressed by outward signs of success, but was interested less in money than in the power that money represents. He was a true worker—industrious, efficient, and disciplined. His innate common sense gave her the ability to plan ahead and to work out practical ways of approaching goals. More often than not, he succeeded at whatever he set out to do. He possessed a quiet dignity that was unmistakable.

Read more about him under the cut.

Actor Gary Cooper was born on May 7, 1901, in Helena, Montana. Spanning from the silent film era to the early 1960s, Academy Award-winning actor Gary Cooper built much of his career by playing strong, manly, distinctly American roles. The son of English parents who had settled in Montana, he was educated in England for a time. He also studied at Grinnell College in Iowa before heading to Los Angeles to work as an illustrator. When he had a hard time finding a job, Cooper worked as a film extra and landed some small parts. After his appearance in

The Winning of Barbara Worth

(1926), a western, Cooper's career began to take off. He starred opposite silent movie star Clara Bow in Children of Divorce (1927). Cooper also earned praise as the ranch foreman in

The Virginian

(1929), one of his early films with sound. Throughout the 1930s, he turned in a number of strong performances in such films as A Farewell to Arms (1934) with Helen Hayes and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) directed by Frank Capra. Cooper received an Academy Award nomination for his work on the film. Cooper continued to excel on the big screen, tackling several real-life dramas. In Sergeant York (1941), the played a World War I hero and sharpshooter, which was based on the life story of Alvin York. Cooper earned a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of York.

The next year, Cooper played one of baseball's greats, Lou Gehrig, in The Pride of the Yankees (1942). Again, he scored another Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Appearing in a film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls,  Cooper starred opposite Ingrid Bergman in a drama set during the Spanish Civil War. This role garnered him a third Academy Award nomination. In 1952, Cooper took on what is known considered his signature role as Will Kane in High Noon. He appeared as a lawman who must face a deadly foe without any help from his own townspeople. The film won four Academy Awards, including a Best Actor win for Cooper. In addition to his excellent on-screen performances, Cooper became  known for his alleged romances with several of his leading ladies, including Clara Bow and Patricia Neal. The affair with Neal, his co-star in 1949's The Fountainhead, reportedly occurred during his  marriage to socialite Veronica Balfe with whom he had a daughter. Their marriage seemed to survive the scandal. By the late 1950s, Cooper's health was in decline. He made a few more films, such as Man of the West (1958), before dying of cancer on May 13, 1961. (x)

[schrijverr]

'Till Death Do Us Part

Part 10 out 13

When Alex has to bring Philip to work, he and Thomas discover that they both have something in common: they lost their love. They form an unexpected bond and connection about this that grows into something more.

A medium burn with parental feelings about Philip and flowers.

On AO3.

Ships: Jamilton

Warnings: mentions of death and loss.

~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 10: Virgin’s Bower Means ‘Filial Love’

The three of them were sitting around the dinner table eating, when Philip asked: “Are you my dad now too?”

Both paused and Alex looked at Thomas with wide eyes, clearlynot sure how to explain that question while Thomas was frozen in shock. After a moment of finding his wits he choked: “Why are you asking, Pip?”

“When I was talking to Theo about how you guys love each other now and then she says her cousins have parents who don’t love each other anymore, but they have new people they love and they are her cousins parents now too, so since you two love each other now does that mean your my dad too?” Pip explained his thought process.

“Well, uh- I- Thomas?” Alex said, not wanting to make decisions for him.

“What do you-” Thomas started to ask Alex why the fuck he was shoving this conversation on him, before cutting himself off and taking a calming breath. This was not how he had imagined his evening to go when he said yes to dinner.

Philip just watched the two of them with a confused expression, not sure why they were being so weird about his question.

“I don’t know, Pip,” Thomas finally answered calmly, “I can never replace your Daddy, John, and I can never tell you how you should feel about me. It’s honestly up to you.”

Alex mentally thanked Thomas so hard for coming up with that answer, which saved them both from answering.

Sure, he would love to not be the lone parent for Pip, but he would never ask that of Thomas. He knew the other loved his son and Thomas had assured him often enough that he enjoyed taking care of him, but being a dad was a whole other step.

A step that was more commitment, both to Philip and Alex. So Alex could never ask it, Pip however…

“Up to me?” Philip asked.

“Yeah, kiddo,” Thomas nodded, “If you’re more comfortable with me being your Uncle that is totally fine, but if you want me to be your dad, then I’m up for that.”

Alex hadn’t known that, it seemed like Thomas had thought about it a bit more than him. He had suppressed the thought every time it came up, not wanting to get his hopes up only to be disappointed.

Thomas, on the other hand, had had the thought in the back of his mind ever since it had gotten serious. He knew that if this was long term, one day this decision would come. The only reason he’d never brought it up was because he didn’t want Alex to think he wanted to replace John and because it would make them that much more serious.

And he didn’t want to scare Alex off bybeing more intense, so since Alex hadn’t said anything, neither had he. Until Philip had brought it up.

Both watched Philip as he thought about Thomas’s words. Alex was glad that Philip seemed to take this serious and was actually contemplating it, instead of just rushing into making a decision. A skill he had picked up more from Eliza than him if he was honest.

“I’d like for you to be my dad,” Philip finally broke the silence.

Alex was both relieved and tense at the revelation. Would Thomas really be okay with it? Was he just pretending and was it now going to be awkward? But- but what if Thomas meant it? What if he wasn’t going to leave?

Thomas smiled and held out his hand for Philip to shake: “Then I’m honored to be your dad. Here, we’ll shake on it.”

Philip shook his hand enthusiastically, then said: “But I can’t call you Papa or Daddy, I already have those, but dad sounds boring.”

“Well,” Thomas offered, “I call my mom, Ma, so you could call me Da, if you want.”

“Da,” Philip tried it out, then grinned toothily, “Da is good.”

And with that it was apparently settled for Philip, who went back to eating his dinner as if he hadn’t just made a big change in their life.

Alex eyes searched for Thomas and when they met, he frowned concerned, then quirked a brow to ask: ‘You okay with this?’

In return Thomas did the smile that made his eyes crinkle and nodded, even doing a small thumbs up. Alex received the message: ‘Yes.’

With the confirmation Alex allowed himself to smile back. Though he had hoped, a small cynical part of his brain had never believed Thomas would agree to this, had never believed he wouldn’t be alone.

He knew he was selling his friends short, God knows he wouldn’t have been able to raise Philip the way he had if they hadn’t stepped up the way they did. All the times they picked up Philip, watched him, took him out for fun days, had saved him so many times, but they would never be John.

Not that Thomas could be.

It was just that Thomas came close, he was so different from John, yet in all the places Alex needed him, wanted him. He fit.

When Alex was tired, Thomas got up. When Alex was busy, Thomas made time. When Alex couldn't handle it, Thomas stepped up.

The dynamic was vastly different to what he and John had and Alex didn’t think he would ever find something like that. But that didn’t matter. Thomas wasn’t the same, but Alex wasn’t the same as he was back then either.

They worked well together and Alex would never want a new John, because no one could be a new John. Alex wanted a new chance at living the life, they wanted and he could see himself living it with Thomas.

Philip might be oblivious to how much he just did, but neither mind as their – their– son happily ate his dinner while telling them about the haunted slide at his school.

Later that evening, when Philip was tucked into bed, Alex checked in again: “Hey, I don’t wanna make things awkward and I am totally on board if you are, but I do have to ask. Are you truly okay with being a dad to Pip?”

Thomas paused to think. This calmed Alex more than he would think, but Alex appreciated it when people actually thought about his words before responding that way he knew they actually meant it when they replied, which was great when it was about emotional things. Which he was bad at.

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to be a dad, honestly. And Philip is the best kid I could hope for,” he responded finally, “I also meant it when I said I don’t want to replace John. I’m gonna be me and I’m gonna try to do my best for Pip, if you let me.”

“God, every time I think I can’t love you more, asshole.”

“The insult and statement are really messing with me, du-” he got cut off by a kiss and when Alex broke he said: “I’m going to ignore that you tried to call me dude there, bro.”

“I hate you.”

“And I live to please,” Alex smirked, a smirk that fell ashe sincerely said, “I’m very grateful for what you do. With Pip.”

“I do it with love and I mean that,” Thomas dropped a kiss on his head, beforechangingthe subject, “Now Angie told me during lunch that you once claimed Money, Money, Moneywas ABBA’s best song and I’m going to need you to defend that statement, because that is clearly incorrect.”

“Oh and what do you think it is then?” Alex challenged.

“Waterloo, duh.”

“The historical bullshittery in that song alone is enough to disqualify your position, try again.”

“And your opinion is so great because…? Eh, riddle me that.”

“Money, Money, Moneyradicalized every young queer person who watched Mamma Miaand you cannot convince me otherwise.”

“Says nothing about the quality of the song, baby. Waterloois and remains superior.”

They squabbled while they cleaned up the kitchen, finally ending up in playing the songs, which then developed into a karaoke and dance party, but they will never speak of that again.

When they got to the office the next time, Alex stopped by Angelica’s office and leaned against the door. She looked up, unimpressed, and said: “What?”

“You know, if you gossip about my relationship behind my back, you really gotta learn how to pick your dates,” he told her condescendingly.

“What?”

“Developments happen when you’re away, sweetheart,” he started to walk away with a smirk.

“Alexander come back here and tell me,” she flew out her chair and hurried after him, “Alexander Hamilton, don’t you dare set another step without telling me everything.”

Thomas heard the ruckus and poked his head out of the door: “Are you terrorizing Angie again, Alex?”

“Nah, just extorting a cookie and free dinner out of her,” Alex smiled sweetly.

“Are those your demands?” Angelica asked sharply.

“Yeah, Philip’s eating at Eliza’s tonight, hope you have time,” Alex blew her a kiss before sashaying down the hall, when he passed by Thomas’s office the man rolled his eyes: “Menace.”

“Come get your cookie at coffee time,” Angelica called after him.

Alex saluted, before settling down in his office with a satisfied look on his face as he got to work.

The day passed by as Alex typed his documents, went to his meeting, ate lunch with Thomas, before driving to Angelica’s place where he told her everything that had happened yesterday.

At the end of the night he bid her goodbye: “Bye, Angie. It was nice to catch up again.”

“Yeah, the same, ‘Lex, don’t be a stranger,” Angelica hugged him and kissed his cheeks, before telling him to say hi to Eliza and Maria from her and to tell Eliza she’s rude.

The drive to Eliza and Maria’s home was uneventful, but when he pulled up to their house, Eliza was already waiting for him in the doorway. She had her arms crossed and when Alex was close enough to hear, she said: “Why did I get a text from Angie reading: ‘One of Pip’s dads is coming your way’ winky face, she typed a winky face, Alex.”

“And you really think I’m not here to tell you and pick up Pip, you think so lowly of me, ‘Liza,” he grinned.

“Oh thank God, thought I was going to force you to tell me,” she sighed with relief, Eliza was never one for forcing people. Though she could be scary if she wanted to.

“Didn’t Pip say anything? I’m surprised, he’s usually a talker,” Alex said, stepping inside.

As if on cue, Philip came running. He threw himself into Alex’s arms and said: “Papa! We had dino nuggets for dinner and I drew everyone, wanna see?”

“Of course I wanna see, buddy,” Alex smiled.

Philip bounded away to get the drawing and Eliza asked: “So what could he have said?”

“I think he will already tell you, did you ask about the drawing yet?” Alex replied.

“No, not yet. He’s been working on it ever since he got here, but he wanted to finish it first,” she said as she led him to the kitchen table.

“Ah, how are you and Maria, by the way?”

“Good, Maria is at the orphanage today, so it’s just me here. We’re doing a drama program in the weekends currently, so that’s a lot of fun,” she told him.

“Oh, wow, sounds fun. Are the kids enjoying it?”

“I think so. We got a few actors running around, that’s for sure,” Eliza smiled.

“Well, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on movies in the future,” Alex grinned back, “Angelica says hi to you both, by the way, and I had to tell you you’re rude. She’ll kill me if I forget.”

Eliza’s smile turned exasperated and she replied: “I’ll call her tonight, haven’t spoken to her in a while, you know how she gets.”

Alex chuckled at that, but didn’t get to reply, because Philip came back with the drawing. He put it on the table and climbed into the chair next to Alex, so that he could show his Papa the figures. It weren’t stick figures anymore and most of them were pretty recognizable.

Pip pointed at first figure and began to explain: “This is Grandpa George and Grandma Martha and they’re holding hands and next to them is Uncle Laf, he’s annoying Grandpa George, but he doesn’t mind.”

Alex saw that the drawn Lafayette had a speech bubble with senseless scribbles in it.

“And then on the other side you have Uncle Herc and then Auntie Maria and Auntie Eliza, Auntie Maria is giving Auntie Eliza a kiss, like she does whenever she leaves.”

“Is she going then?” Alex asked.

“Maybe, I don’t know yet, maybe I’ll add a portal behind her,” Philip answered, “Next to Auntie Eliza is Auntie Peggy, she’s poking you. You see Papa?”

Alex studied the figure that was meant to represent him. It was a green blob with his beard and long hair in a messy bun, who was holding hands with the figure he assumed was Thomas. The Peggy figure was indeed poking his cheek. He smirked: “I can see that, Pip. Very well done.”

“Thank you, I was gonna make Auntie Angelica next to you, but she is now standing next to Uncle Laf and being tired about his actions,” Pip explained, making the both of them laugh.

“Who is that?” Alex asked, spotting a figure in the sky.

“That’s Auntie Martha, Da said she’s dancing with the stars, so I drew her with the stars and here is Daddy with angels,” Pip told him.

Alex now recognized the colors as one of the dresses Martha wore in the pictures in Thomas’s house, then also the outfit John wore in the picture on the mantle piece.

He was a bit chocked up about it and was luckily saved from replying by Eliza, who repeated in a questioning tone: “Da?”

“Yeah, Da’s here,” Pip pointed to the magenta figure with big hair holding Alex’s hand, “He’s holding Papa’s hand and I’m in between them.”

“Do you mean Thomas?” Eliza asked, giving Alex a look that meant ‘you could have at least given me a bit of information’. She was piecing it together along with Angelica’s text.

“Yeah, he’s my dad now too, isn’t that cool, Auntie Eliza?” Pip answered excitedly.

“Very cool,” Eliza smiled, “When did that happen?”

“Yesterday,” Philip informed her with a smile, “I asked if he was my dad now too during dinner and he said I got to pick and I said yes, so now he’s my Da.”

“Oh wow,” Eliza glared at Alex. The message was received: ‘We’ll talk about this later.’

Alex just rolled his eyes and just focused on letting Philip explain the drawing in more detail, before getting them home.

While that was all happening, Thomas ate dinner by himself for the first time in a while. The house didn’t feel that much like home anymore and Thomas didn’t really want to acknowledge it, so when he had finished his dinner, he decided to call his Ma.

“Hello, this is Jane Jefferson speaking,” she picked up.

“Hi, Ma, how are you?” Thomas greeted her warmly, ever since his call after his birthday they’d been calling more and Thomas found their relationship improving despite the distance.

“Ah, Tommy, I’m good, I’m good, how are you?” she replied, then cheekily added, “How’s your loverboy?”

“Ma,” Thomas whined.

“What you never tell me anything, I can ask.”

“I do tell you almost everything,” Thomas refuted, “I’m actually currently calling you to tell you things.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I- uhm, I guess, I’m a dad now,” Thomas decided to start there.

“What?”

Thomas expanded: “Philip calls me Da, so that happened.”

“Oh my God, I officially have agrandson, how exciting,” his Ma gushed.

“I guess so,” Thomas chuckled.

“Am I meeting my grandson and my future son-in-law anytime soon or are you still not asking them?” she inquired.

“They’re also coming to Monticello this summer,” Thomas was glad he could answer that question this time, “And can you please not refer to Alex like that when we’re there.”

“And why not, is it not true?” Thomas could practically see his mother’s amused look.

“It’s embarrassing, Ma,” he was also not above pleading and whining.

“I’m not embarrassing.”

“You are very embarrassing.”

“We’ll see that when you get here, will you and Alex be sharing a room?”

“Yeah.”

“No funny business under my roof.”

“Ma!”

And they talked like that for a bit more. Thomas was both excited and extremely nervous to go home again that summer. He didn’t know if Alex and Philip being there made his nerves better or worse.

A while had passed between that call and the summer break. Thomas and Alex had worked a bit longer and Pip had spend a good chunk of time at the orphanage and his other Uncles and Aunties until it was time to go.

When the day came to drive down, Philip was brimming with excitement. It was a six hour drive, so they left in the morning, but that didn’t stop Philip from pointing out everything he saw that he rarely saw otherwise.

Thomas thought it was kind of adorable and listening to his kid’s rambling calmed him as did Alex’s even breaths from where he was napping in the passenger seat.

About an hour and a half into the drive Alex woke up with a small yawn: “H’w lon’ was I out?”

“Not that long,” Thomas assured him, while Pip said: “It was soooo long Papa, you missed so much by being boring. We drove past horses a while ago.”

“Ah, maybe we’ll see more horses later and I can see them too,” Alex smiled, “Want a snack?”

“You have snacks?” both asked in a different tone, Thomas curious and Pip excited.

“Of course I have snacks,” Alex got boxes with sliced apples out the bag by his feet as well as juice boxes and a water bottle. He handed Philip a few slices, twisted the cap off the water and handed that to Thomas, before giving Philip a juice box once his hands were empty.

They switched two hours into the drive, then again two hours after that, so that Thomas was the one driving the last part. As they drove they played word games with Pip and sang music.

It felt a bit like a road trip movie and Thomas cheeks hurt a bit from the smiling by the time they pulled into the driveway.

Alex gaped at the building and said: “I knew your family was loaded, but holy fuck.”

Thomas snorted, he was kind of used to that with the mansion they lived in. It was built in colonial style and old, he didn’t even know how it had gotten into the family, but it had. The sides were covered in small white flowers and on the porch an older lady sat in a rocking chair, waiting for them.

“Da does your Ma live in a castle with a dragon?” Philip asked as Thomas unbuckled him, while Alex grabbed their bags.

“No dragon, I’m afraid,” Thomas chuckled. Then turned to his Ma, who was coming to meet them, he pulled her into a hug: “Hi Ma.”

“Tommy,” his Ma replied, holding him tight, before letting him go and saying, “Aren’t you going to help your boyfriend unpack. I didn’t raise you like that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Thomas rolled his eyes, taking a few bags from the back, smiling comforting at Alex. He knew that if he had unpacked first, she would have scolded him for letting her stand there. His Ma showed affection through toughness, it had taken a long while for him to see that.

Philip stared at this new lady with interest. She was older and darker than his Da, but she had the same eyes and grace to her. When she saw Philip staring she smiled: “And who is this young gentleman here?”

“I’m Philip, Philip Hamilton, it’s nice to meet you, Ma’am,” he stuck out his hand.

“How polite,” the lady smiled, “I’m Jane Jefferson, but you can just call me Mawmaw.”

“Mawmaw Jane,” Philip nodded to himself, “It’s nice to meet you. Do you own the house? Da says it doesn’t have a dragon, but it looks like it has a dragon.”

She chuckled: “No dragon, no. The most fierce beast you’ll find in there is Sir Poof, the cat.”

Philip pouted while Thomas grinned: “I take it none of my sisters are home, then.”

“Don’t get cocky, young man. Mary’s coming later. Now, I think there is someone you have to introduce me to, hm?” she replied.

Alex had been keeping himself on the background. No matter what he had said to Thomas, he was pretty nervous and wanted Thomas’s mother to like him, to like Pip. So he startled slightly when Thomas said: “Yes, Ma, this is Alex. Alex, this is my mother.”

“Hi, Ma’am,” he greeted, voice a bit higher than normal, “I’m Alexander, Alexander Hamilton, it’s an honor to meet you.”

“Jane Jefferson, same to you,” she smiled, she could see that the man was nervous meeting her, but she noted with amusement how both father and son had introduced themselves the same. It was clear who had taught the boy that.

“We got you these, Mrs. Jefferson,” Alex handed her the bonbons they had gotten her. Alex had wanted to buy flowers, but those would have gotten ruined during the ride, so instead they had gotten bonbons.

“How sweet, but none of that Mrs. Jefferson stuff. Call me Ma or Jane, alright?” she told him, taking the bonbons, “These are nice, thank you.”

“It- I- Thank you for your hospitality, Jane” Alex rubbed the back of his head.

Thomas watched quite amazed at this Alex. He had never seen this version of his boyfriend before. This Alex was awkward and unsure of what to do next, while also painfully polite. He decided to step in and save him: “We really appreciate the invitation, Ma.”

“Of course, of course it’s good to see you again, here I’ll show you where Philip can sleep, you two will share your old room,” Jane picked up on Thomas’s action.

They gathered their stuff and brought it to their rooms. Thomas’s old room was at the end of the right hall and Philip was staying in the guest room opposite of it, which Alex was grateful for as they set down their bags.

“You okay?” Thomas checked.

“Yeah, just more nervous than expected,” Alex admitted, “What if she doesn’t like me?”

“She will, I promise. You’re great and Pip is a sweetheart, she’s been excited about you two ever since she heard about you,” Thomas assured him.

“You think so?” Alex asked.

“I know so,” Thomas replied, hoping he wouldn’t have to come back on that, “Come, I’m sure you’d like something to drink.”

“Lord help me through this,” Alex sighed taking Thomas’s hand and allowing the soft squeeze Thomas gave to calm him.

“It’s gonna be fine.”

“Sorry, I know, I know, just scared it will go wrong, but I’ll be fine, really,” Alex said, unsure of who he was trying to convince, “Let’s just go drink something.”

Thomas held his hand all the way to the front porch, where Jane was sitting with Philip, cat on her lap. Alex could see from the way he sat that Philip was telling one of his many fantasy tales, while also trying to drink from a huge glass of lemonade with a straw in it.

Alex nodded a greeting to Jane when she noticed him, then ruffled Philip’s hair: “Hey, buddy, have you been nice?”

“Yes, Papa, I’ve been telling Mawmaw Jane about the Ranger Apprenticethat me and Da have been reading and aboutGeorge the Glitter Glue Man,” Philip told him with a grin.

“How nice Pip, have you thanked your Mawmaw for the lemonade?” he asked.

“I have,” Philip assured him.

Jane confirmed: “He has, you’ve raised such a polite young man.”

“Thank you, it helps that he’s a sweet kid,” Alex smiled, talking about Pip was easy, he could do that in his sleep.

“He sure is, ain’t you, Philly,” she smiled to the boy, “Really, I’m afraid what Francie and Kitty’ll do to him.”

“Francie and Kitty?” Philip asked.

“My nieces, my second oldest sister’s twins,” Thomas explained, “She’s the only one of my siblings who had kids and they have been spoiled into oblivion by all their Aunts and Uncles.”

“They’re lovely ladies, don’t let Tommy get into your head,” Jane assured him, “They just have active imaginations.”

Alex didn’t want to blame two little girls for how Philip would act, but he also didn’t want to paint Philip to be a bad kid, so he just said: “Well, Pip has a very active imagination himself, so they’ll probably get along.”

“Am I going to meet them?” Philip asked.

“Probably, Mary said she’d come,” Jane assured him, “Now while my son gives our guest something to drink,” it was a bit pointed, “why don’t you tell me more about this Glitter Glue Man. What was his name again?”

“George,” Philip supplied helpfully, before retelling his heroic death by glitter bullet and his subsequent confetti revival by Theo.

Thomas took Alex to the kitchen and poured him a glass of lemonade as well with a small: “Homemade, Ma’s famous for it.”

Alex took an appreciative sip and said: “It’s delicious.”

“Ma’s lemonade is the best,” Thomas told him proudly.

“I get why,” Alex smiled, relaxing somewhat.

They returned to the porch and sat with them, Alex softly complimenting the lemonade, before listening to Philip talk. Alex felt slightly bad about clinging to Philip’s charms, but he cut himself a bit of slack.

When Philip had finished his story, he took a pause to drink some more and Thomas took that opportunity to ask: “Who’s coming?”

“Well, Mary and her girls are coming, her husband couldn't make it,” Jane said, then she went down the list, “Small Jane said maybe, but she had business,Martha, Peter probably not, Abby said no, Lucy maybe, Anna most likely, Randolph yes.”

“So only Randy and Mary are coming?” Thomas summarized.

“Yeah.”

“Wait, is there another Jane? Why is she called Small Jane?” Philip spoke up.

“It’s a family name, we call her Small Jane to keep track of which Jane we’re talking about,” Jane explained.

“That’s funny,” Philip said.

Alex was about to say something about the commentwhen Jane chuckled: “Ain’t it, Philly. Don’t you know someone who’s been named after someone else. Family does that from time to time, so that they can point and say; ‘hey that’s your namesake, ain’t that cool?’”

Philip thought for a second, then said: “Auntie Angie says Theo’s mom is also called Theo, but when I asked Theo, she says her name’s just mom. It’s confusing, but she can push really well on the swings.”

That made Jane laugh and she ruffled his hair and said: “We have a swing in the tree there.”

She pointed at a big tree and Philip’s eyes lit up and he looked back to Alex with big eyes. Alex smiled and said: “You can go swing if you want, just be careful. Want me to walk with you there?”

“I’m big, I can do that on my own,” Philip protested, but as he got off the bench, he did say, “Thank you, Papa.”

“Stay in sight?” Alex asked.

“I will,” Philip promised.

The three adults watched Philip bound over to the swings, then Jane turned her focus to Alex: “So, has my Tommy been treating you right?”

“Ma!” Thomas exclaimed, he had told her not to be embarrassing, not that he had expected her to listen, but still.

“Uh,” she shushed him with a finger, “I asked Alex a question, Tommy. I wanna know if you’re treating him right. So, Alex.”

Alex had expected a lot of questions, but not that one, so he floundered for a moment, before he found his words: “Yeah, yeah, it’s- it’s been good, he’s been good.”

“Yeah?” Jane nodded along with sharp eyes.

“Yeah,” Alex confirmed, “He’s a huge help with Pip and a great cook, actually. He also gets me flowers,” he couldn't have helped the smile on his face if he tried, “And I feel like we have great conversations.”

“Ahw, you love me,” Thomas grinned draping himself over Alex, it might have been an embarrassing question, but having Alex list off his good qualities in front of his Ma was an ego boost if he ever saw one.

“Like you didn’t know that, dork,” Alex attempted to push him off, but the push was light enough for Thomas to know that he didn’t mean it.

During the exchange Jane got an approving and pleased look on her face, before she moved on to the big hitters: “And what are your intentions with my son?”

Thomas gave her big ‘what are you doing?’- eyes.

However, Alex had gotten over his initial awkwardness and his usual way of words came back: “If I am honest, I would say grow old at some point. Though currently I am just enjoying spending time with him, figuring out what makes him smile, where I can step in like he does for me. Mostly, I just want to have the time to give him all flowers he deserves.”

It was quiet for a moment as Jane sized him up, then she grinned: “I can see why Tommy likes you, he’s also the wordy one around here.”

Alex chuckled, feeling a bit more at ease with that response: “The amount of wordy we both are has made our boss very tired on numerous occasions.”

“You can’t admit you’re wrong, that’s different, darlin’,” Thomas felt the need to point out.

Did Alex know he was sitting in front of his maybe one day mother-in-law? Yes. Could he let Thomas win this argument even though responding would prove his point? No.

“I know when to admit defeat, you just don’t have sound arguments. There’s a difference, okay?” he shot back, “And no, I will not side with you on the chicken-egg debate, picking chicken is stupid and you’re just saying it because I think it’s egg.”

“It’s chicken, cause it lays the egg, Alex, it’s just nature.”

“Other animals lay eggs. Fish lay eggs and fish were the first living beings almost ever,” Alex told him, unable to let it go, “Dinosaurs laid eggs too, they were before chickens.”

“But we’re talking about chicken eggs, only chickens can lay those, therefore there has to be a chicken to lay it.”

“One, saying therefore doesn’t make your argument better. Two, you never clarified we were talking about chicken eggs, therefore you can not suddenly introduce that as a rule for the discussion and your argument falls away.”

“What was that about therefore?” Thomas grinned.

“Okay, gentlemen, chicken, eggs, interesting,” Jane cut them both off, she’d had to sit to too many Christmases when Martha was still around for her to know that Thomas wasn’t going to stop.

“Sorry, Ma’a- Ma,” Alex corrected himself last minute.

“Which side are you on?” Thomas had never not involved everyone to get on his side and he wasn’t letting his Ma off the hook.

“Alex’s, your argument is stupid,” she deadpanned, noting Alex’s shit eating grin to Thomas as she did, “What I’m more interested in is how you’ve been. The last time I saw you was last year during the summer and I appreciate the calls, but face to face, talk to me. How have you been? Your job okay? DoI need to have words with Washington?”

“No, Ma, Washington is still a good boss,” Thomas assured her, “And I’ve been doing great, I picked up reading poetry again and I have just been enjoying the small things, they make life great, you know?”

Jane smiled at the last part: “Good to see you finally having a bit of joy in your life. You always had that weight on your shoulders, it’s nice to see it gone for a change.”

“It’s nice to have it gone, Ma,” Thomas agreed, while Alex contended himself with listening, “But how have you been Ma? Not lonely out here?”

“Nah, Mary and the kids visit often, they at least do,” she said, “It’s good to have some life in this house, you know. Keeps me young. And I’ve been going to the market. Joe from the farm down by the church says hi along with Father Adam.”

“And the knitting club?” he asked.

“You know how that is. Though last time Janet brought store bought cookies, so we don’t know if anything’s going on there, but we’re keeping our eyes on her.”

“Nothing too bad, I hope.”

Jane leaned in conspiratorially and said: “Nah, Dixie saw her in the park with a handsome looking man. We think she’s having an affair.”

“Oh no, really? Janet?” Thomas gasped and Jane nodded in return: “Uh-huh, let me tell you,” then she caught up the both of them on the local gossip with names Thomas nodded at and Alex had never heard before. After that they moved on to just daily life stuff.

At some point Philip came back from the swings, confidently stating: “I think there are fairies living in the tree, the leaves speak.”

“Really, buddy?” Alex asked, hoping Jane wouldn’t judge him for indulging his son’s imagination, since he said other – weirder –stuff like this.

“Yeah, just like in that book Auntie Eliza always reads to me,” Philip explained.

“Well, I never noticed them, but maybe you can tell me more about them while we cook,” Jane told him, getting up, “We’re making fried chicken and I hear from your Papa that you’ve been helping him out in the kitchen. Would you like to learn a bit more?”

“I would love that!” Philip exclaimed, clapping his hands, before taking Jane’s and following her into the house.

Thomas turned to Alex with a big grin and sparkling eyes. Alex looked confused and asked: “What? What does that look mean?”

“She likes Pip,” he explained, “Her asking help with cooking is the number one compliment or acknowledgment you can get from her. We’re killing this.”

“Really?” relief flooded through his system.

“Yeah, welcome to the family, darling.”

~~~~~~~~~

A/N:

I made up the nieces, bc I’m not researching family trees for a fic that has gotten too far out of hand already, okay, not doing it.

As for the others I didn’t try and figure out any of the family’s personalities or actual lives, if you’re looking for accuracy a fanfic is not the place to find it. Same forin the next chapter, have no expectations on that front.

Also, yes, I am passionate about the chicken-egg discussion and I am pro egg, you can fight me.

[engenuity]

voldy minime and the gryffindor golden boy

A gryffindor!jay and slytherin!reader fic

word count: 2450 words

genre: fantasy

Your teachers and probably anyone who looks at you longer than a second think that you are the next Voldemort.

Well, you can’t really blame them because you have a lot of similarities with the former Dark Lord

A half-blood who was left with the muggles, sorted into Slytherin, full of charms and wit that is both astounding and terrifying

You put all the blame on Tom Riddle on why he had to be a Dark Lord out of all the possible career choices because now, even with all your charm and no matter how much you smile, everyone is just hesitant when it comes to you

It makes manipulating a lot more difficult than it should be and it sucks

You can remember how disbelieving you were when one man suddenly came before you and told you that you are a wizard and apparently, magic really does exist

It’s a prank — probably made by your friends who decided that it was a good time to make you look dumb and dreamy just because you’re way too serious, and “having fun won’t hurt you”

Turned out that the man wasn’t a fraud, and he is a professor in an institution called Hogwarts which you’ll now attend. Congratulations!

You still can’t believe that you get to have free magic education

If you were the next Voldy as everyone lowkey believes, you’ll also hold Hogwarts in a high regard like he did

But sorry to disappoint them, you don’t really want to conquer the world nor annihilate the muggles and muggleborns

Your mother is a muggle and you grew up in the muggle world for god’s sake

I mean, yeah, to live in the streets after your mother died wasn’t easy and some people really deserve to be avada kedavra’d but dark lord isn’t on the top of your career choices list right now or like ever

And you’re so not going to make horcruxes. You don’t fear death, you accept the whole concept of living and then dying wholeheartedly. What you fear is commitment.

So how do we make one Nishimura Riki to go away and pester someone else?

First year, after the sorting, this guy with aristocratic features immediately befriended you. Good thing you’re on the same house. He was the one to teach you most of the things that you needed in order to survive inside the house of the snakes. Apparently everyone knew that you are an illegitimate child, and your father came from a line of a highly regarded pureblood family, so you were a big scandal when you came into the wizarding world.

At first you were really suspicious of Ni-ki, but it turned out that he just really wanted to help you and he’s a big softie under all those piercing gazes

The hat sorted him into slytherin because he asked it to

He’s a vain to your existence because your greatest fear is to get attached but the boy is such a precious bean so you always have an internal conflict on whether to keep him or make him go away

But to think about your bestfriend having other friends kinda hurt

Except that’s exactly what happened when Taki from Hufflepuff easily passed through all the walls around Ni-ki and then he was adopted into K and Seon’s friend group

It’s comprised of wizards and witches from different houses so you really weren’t that worried that Ni-ki will face discrimination

Honestly, ever since Harry Potter ended the last wizarding war everyone’s putting more effort to treat all students equally regardless of their house

You were happy for Ni-ki, of course, because you see him having fun setting pranks among other things with them

Merlin, he even plays quidditch with them when you both already established that he can’t ride a broom even if his life depended on it

You tried teaching him, because, well, you’re one of slytherin’s beater and you’re good at quidditch

(Another point on why you can’t be a Voldemort wannabe)

Then one day, Ni-ki suddenly approached you after you exited the library and you can see his new friend group meters away from where you both stand

He invited you to a quidditch match, and who are you to say no?

You highkey want to prove that, well, you’re better than Ni-ki’s new friends and yes, you’re petty and jealous like that

Pretty sure you glared at everyone included in K and Seon’s little (big) friend group but they just look amused and it’s irritating

It’s not like Ni-ki comments or anything so it’s fine

Quidditch happened, and your team (aka you, sungchul, daniel, ej, heeseung, k and taeyong) won the game so you can’t help but wear a huge ass grin

You definitely proved the point you’re just proving to yourself, and well, you enjoyed aggressively hitting the bludgers to Jay from Gryffindor  

You enjoy the quiet yet the guy is just so LOUD every single time

And he clings to Ni-ki so much

You despise him, lowkey, just lowkey

Jake of Hufflepuff commented that you were out for Jay’s blood but is he wrong though

You didn’t miss the way Jungwon of Gryffindor glared at you though

After the match, you sorta also kind of got adopted to their friend group

You didn’t really notice it at first, but when you’re in classes without having Ni-ki with you, one of the guys sit beside you instead.

You find yourself gossiping with Jaebeom of Gryffindor and Sunoo of Ravenclaw in the library instead of doing your essays weeks in advance

That summer, Heeseung of Hufflepuff invited you to stay with them and you accepted the invitation. You didn’t regret it.

You also met with the other guys when you go shopping in the muggle or wizarding world, or when you go for dinner together, and  —

Going to the arcade was fun especially seeing Sunghoon, your housemate, who’s mostly calm and poised, lose his voice because of all the shouting he made while playing the vr

Jay also got mad scared but it’s the normal. He’s Jay after all.

You also went to an ice skating rink and Sunghoon is just so majestic

When Jungwon said that he’s better at skating than walking, he wasn’t lying

Sunghoon and Heeseung taught you how to skate. You suck at it, but well you can’t be good at everything. Can You-Know-Who even skate?

It was fun, they’re fun, you enjoy being with them so so much.

Now what happened to not getting attached?

The most unexpected was your friendship with Jay. How did it even happen?

You’re a hundred percent sure you wanted him dead during your first quidditch match. Now you found yourself running and throwing yourself to him when their team won the quidditch cup this year. The fact that they defeated your usually undefeated team went ignored.

A loud cough pulled you away from Jay (it was definitely Sunghoon’s) but you proceeded to ruffle Jeongseong’s sweaty hair anyway while giving him a very very bright smile you didn’t know you can do.

Why are you so proud of him anyway? He was that annoyingly loud guy within the friend group, a pureblooded gryffindor who acts first before thinking, thinks he’s funny when he’s not, had the patience to listen to your nonsensical existentialist ramblings, comforted you when you were having a breakdown about your grades, always shares his plans for the future and all of those plans include you, he includes you?

You still can’t remove Ni-ki’s affronted face matching Jay’s proud one when you helplessly giggle because of a joke the gryffindor made.

In your defense the joke is actually funny (other people says otherwise)

You find it easier to have fun, be happy, when you’re around them, especially when you’re around Jay.

It wasn’t your observation, you see, it was Ni-ki’s. He confronted you about it and that’s how you became more aware of your feelings. It’s all good though, Jay’s just your friend, or best friend? depends on how you categorize or think of the people within the group

Besides, the fear is still there

Except the observation wasn’t solely noted by your first best friend. Sunoo and Jaebeom can tease you with just using Jeongseong’s name. K and Seon sometimes give you advice about love and courting at random times. Taki and Ni-ki literally pushes you to him whenever you meet. Jake and Sunghoon give subtle hints around that you think you’re supposed to remember such as Jay likes sweet things — He likes watching anime, you know what that is right? It’s really weird for a pureblood to know about those muggle things but his aunt is a muggleborn so I think that’s the reason why —Jay’s like a puppy isn’t he? — That Park Jeongseong is still angry at Heesung hyung because he gets to have you the whole summer last year —

Are you crushing on him? Or is this just an attraction you can easily recover from? Or are you feeling this way because of how your friends always tease you?

You have no idea, lol.

And as much as those romance novels you borrowed from Hanbin shows that whenever the main character gets confused, they avoid the other person, you didn’t avoid Jay because well, that would be stupid

But if he ever really do confess to you just like what Jungwon suspects, you’re gonna ride a broom and zoom out of the castle real quick, and probably build a following and actually just be the next dark lord because that’s easier than dealing with feelings

Especially if those feelings involve absolute pure softness to a guy who just used only his arms to crawl on the floor

“That’s the dance step, he’s not high or anything”  — Seon, explaining, because he probably feared the way you see Jay will change after what he did

But again those feelings involve absolute pure softness and you didn’t really think before saying “aww, he’s cute”  as a reply

Seon looked at you surprised. K, Ni-ki, Daniel, and Nicholas wear huge grins on their faces. Geonu looks so horrified by the statement. Sunghoon snorted, Sunoo rolled his eyes while wearing a knowing smirk, and Jake patted your shoulders. You’re still processing what really happened.

Jay, now walking, came closer to the group and asked why you look so horrified

Of course, you composed yourself aka wore the resting face Ni-ki and Sunghoon taught you, and said “nothing” while the rest of the group snickers

Jay just snorted and put his arms around your shoulders. It’s time for dinner after all.

The thing is, a lot of people are already asking around whether you and the golden boy of Gryffindor are dating. That includes the group and most of all Jay, who just answers those type of question with a bright smile.

They can’t ask you directly because most students and professors are still scared of you. If not scared, intimidated then.

But if ever anyone dares to ask you, you’ll say that no, you’re not dating Jeongseong. It’s the truth anyway. You’re close, and you’re most fond of him ( sorry Ni-ki, I still love you ) but you’re just friends, nothing more.

Then the Hogsmeade incident happened

It’s already a tradition that the whole group visits the village together. Sometimes you separate into groups, but most of the time the whole 24 of you go together. And isn’t that a sight?

Except this time a certain group of slytherins by the looks of their tie, decided that it’s fun to go back to their nasty old ways and insult other people just because of their blood status.

According to them, K’s embarrassing the whole pureblood community by allowing mudbloods to join the group

But to you, they’re just jealous because the group’s quiet really popular, hah

Unfortunately things got really heated and suddenly there’s a whole lot of shouting and shoving around

Thank Merlin, they confiscate your wands before allowing you to venture outside the school property

Jay, no mater how loud and crazy he gets, isn’t really one to fight. So as he was trying to reach out to the opposite and probably suggest peace, someone pushed him in his chest hard enough that he collided with Jake behind him.

You didn’t see red, no, you’re not that kind of person

You were a hundred percent sane when you stepped forward and faced the senior who just pushed jay, gave him the most lethal smile you can give that could have certainly make him pee in his pants, only that he didn’t even have the time for that as you punched him square in the face

Years as a street dweller and as a thief ought to teach you skills.

The fight quietened and your pretty sure your friends are staring at you in disbelief. The accomplices of the guy you just punched look so red with either embarrassment or anger, you really can’t tell.

Your memory failed you this time. You can’t really recall everything you said and did but you’re pretty sure you said a lot of insults, and threw a whole lot of punches and kicks, and what else did you do?

But now you found yourself sitting in the Slytherin common room surrounded by everyone with Jay kneeling in front of you and dressing your wounds.

You didn’t even notice how your hands are hurting, or that they’re bleeding. However, you’re a hundred-percent sure those guys from a while ago have bleeding faces or something which is fun

No one spoke for a while.

Until Jay went on an hour long rant about how you’re so reckless, that you should’ve kept your cool and didn’t physically fight the bigots, then it went on how you’re so amazing, and where did you learn how to fight like that?

Yes, you did notice how you’re sitting there facing the ranting guy while wearing a foolish and fond smile even though the said guy’s one half ranting and another half insulting you. You didn’t stop smiling anyway.

The fear of committing, of loving, of being attached is still there. You decided to be brave anyway. After all, if it’s for your friends, then you can dare.

And if said fear runs deeper when it comes to a certain Gryffindor, you decide to even be braver everyday then.

If it means you get to keep him.

The definite line separating romantic from platonic love is already way too blurry between the both of you, and if Jay won’t ask you out first, then it is also practical to do it first for the both of you.

[mythgirlimagines]

Time for this Tuesday’s Talentswap! Here’s an original talent this time! Introducing Myth, the Former Ultimate Architect!

—————————————————————- BACKSTORY AND TALENT

Ever since Architect!Myth was young, she had two major passions in life: art and aesthetics. While she also has a penchant for fashion and watercolour painting, it’s the art of buildings that really called to her. Due to her wealthy family travelling a lot during vacations, she saw buildings of many different styles and seeks to replicate them all in her sketchbook. She found her true calling when she was asked to sketch a new design for her town’s new daycare. Many of the town’s citizens loved her designs and soon, more and more people came to ask her to design buildings for their various businesses. Her popularity soon spread across the globe, reigniting her interest in traveling. With all the traveling that comes with her popularity, she views her time at Hope’s Peak as a rare chance to stay on solid ground for once. She is now settling down in a self-designed penthouse and trying her best to interact with the colorful denizens of the town.

——————————————————————

RELATIONSHIPS

Wyre Anon, Former Ultimate Comic Book Artist

Myth and Wyre have been best friends ever since grade school, having bonded over their shared love of art. But because of their different career paths and Myth’s regular travels, they’ve grown apart over the years. But ever since they have reunited in Hope’s Peak and are now sharing a penthouse, their friendship has slowly, but surely been revived. 

Anon Scar, Ultimate Historian

Anon Scar, or as she likes to call herself, “The Demon of Time”, hasn’t exactly captivated Myth, or as Scar christened her “The Demon of Shelter”, with her constant spiels of time spells and demonic contracts. But they have bonded over their travels, and Scar was definitely impressed by the amount of travels that Myth undertook.

Fusion Anon, Ultimate Storm Chaser

Because of Fusion’s weather-based talent, he regularly warns Myth of upcoming storms and has saved many soon-to-be-built buildings from being demolished by a tornado. He also loves giving Myth rides on his biplane to give her a bird’s eye view of the town’s buildings. But Myth still wonders to this day how Fusion manages to tame his wild mane of hair.

Fusion Anon II, Ultimate Journalist

Myth is still wondering to this day how two unrelated Anons manage to have the same name. This sassy muckraker manages to get some giggles out of the otherwise serious architect with her sardonic social commentary and amusing town gossip. What Fusion II doesn’t know though, is that Myth has some dirt on her too. (Note: She has accidentally called Fusion ”dad” a couple of times!)

Just Anon, Ultimate Train Engineer

Myth’s attempts at socialising with Janon have, quite frankly, been fruitless. This foul-mouthed and listless conductor doesn’t seem to be a fan of socialising with anyone, let alone Myth. But if Fusion II’s testimony is true, he seems to have a bit of a soft side around the Jr. Ultimates.

Sparkle Anon, Former Ultimate Organiser

The normally serious Myth was shook when she saw the state of Sparkle’s penthouse. It’s very clear that Sparkle takes great care in making everything as immaculate as humanly possible. Sparkle is also a great party organiser, making great, if over-the-top, opening ceremonies for Myth’s buildings.

Egg Anon, Former Ultimate Oceanographer and Wet Sock Anon, Former Ultimate Groundskeeper

“The Freak Twins“, as some Anons have coined, aren’t particularly known for their social skills, and it’s not hard to see why. Neither of them understand the concept of thinking before your speak, and they have some really disgusting and cursed thoughts, to which Myth had to have witnessed first hand. At least Wet Sock is good at maintaining the town’s expansive park.

Curious Anon, Jr. Ultimate Carpenter

To say that Myth was surprised when this small and svelte middle schooler made a majority of the wooden buildings and sculptures, would be the understatement of the century. Curious is hospitable and easy to get along with, allowing Myth to socialise with Curious easily. Myth definitely understands why Fusion II thinks Janon has a crush on them.

Anon Nerd, Former Ultimate Golf Pro

Myth found it very hard to socialise with this explosive and confrontational athletic prodigy. For some reason, Nerd’s  face tends to turn bright red when around the architect. He claims that it‘s just his scouter, but Fusion II and Wyre think otherwise.

Eldritch Anon, Ultimate Biochemist

Because Eldritch never leaves his penthouse and his distrusting and paranoid nature towards anyone other than his girlfriend, Myth wasn’t given many opportunities to socialise with him. Most of Myth’s info on Eldritch comes from either his girlfriend or Fusion II’s testimonials.

Dream Anon, Ultimate Ghost Hunter

Functioning as a bit of a conduit between Eldritch and Myth, Myth wonders how someone dealing with the dead on a daily basis manages to be this chipper. Myth recognised Dream from one of Wyre’s favorite reality shows: “NRG: Spirit Busters”. Myth managed to get an autograph from Dream and Wyre‘s happiness skyrocketed through the roof!

Iris Anon, Jr. Ultimate Police Officer

With her optimistic and exuberant attitude, this cheery cop-in-training managed to charm Myth with her clumsy and justice-seeking antics. Myth, in a way, is a bit like a mother figure to Iris, making sure that Iris remains safe and in one piece. Because Iris is a major fan of Wyre’s comic series, Myth managed to get Wyre‘s autograph for her, securing the Myth-Riri friendship for life.

Purple Anon, Ultimate Chess Grandmaster

Because of Purple’s timorous nature, Myth doesn’t socialise much with her. She loves Purple’s gothic lolita ensemble though; it makes Purple look like a little chess piece! Myth is surprised that someone this timid could not only stand up to real chess champions, but to also be this fashion-foward.

————————————————————- APPEARANCE

This professional and serious architect has to also look the part. Architect!Myth wears a maroon overcoat with golden buttons and cuff links, over a white button-up shirt and a red tie with a building design on it. Architect!Myth also wears a matching maroon pencil skirt, black stockings and red Mary Janes. Her pencil skirt is held up by a black tool belt with a golden buckle. Architect!Myth’s hair is up in her signature ponytail, but her pink hair tie contains backup pencils, in case the pencil behind her ear runs out of graphite.  ———————————————————- PERSONALITY

Because creating buildings is such a precise craft, Architect!Myth is more of a seriously-minded perfectionist, obsessively checking and double-checking if she made any mistakes. But because her line of work means that she travels regularly, she doesn’t really get to make or keep many friends. This resulted in Architect!Myth not exactly having the best social skills or awareness of romantic attraction (much to the dismay of Nerd), very much unlike Romantic!Myth. Her more socially-versed drawing buddy, Wyre usually does the talking for her. She’s trying her best to socialise with the town’s denizens though, and this is where her secret dorky side shines through. She also has an odd passion for fashion, and she can be a bit like the Fashion Police when it comes to the more fashionably-challenged citizens of town.

———————————————————-

How do you like Architect!Myth? What do you think of the talents that the other Anons have in this AU? Could you picture Architect!Myth’s friend-making adventures as a full-blown series? See you next Tuesday with a brand-new talentswapped Myth!

-Fusion Anon

—

I very much like this one! I can definitely picture Architect!Myth’s friendship adventures as a series, haha, you’re really great with those

[golbrocklovely]

i'm gonna rant about my job for a hot minute, so don't mind me.

the one manager that i work with the most went off on us today bc she got in trouble. the reason why she got in trouble was bc one of my coworkers reported her to the DM bc of her behavior towards all of us, but specifically stuff that happened on saturday.

i didn't realize how long this was gonna be, so i'm gonna put a divider.

that being said, if you wanna know the hot gossip about my work environment, come on in and read lol

i realize i need to name everyone, otherwise this might get confusing.

terrible manager: A

coworker #1: X

coworker #2: J

coworker #3: K

we got it? cool beans.

first off, i need you to understand why A is so terrible. it's not dumb stuff like 'she works us too hard' or whatever. there are legitimate reasons i, and everyone else at my store, dislike her.

here are some of the things my manager has done:

- made J have a panic attack and had to clock out early for break bc of it

- said to me 'oh, you must be in a better mood than yesterday. you're not as much of a smartass today.' (also, i literally wasn't a smartass to her at all the day before. i was in a pissed off mood bc i didn't want to be at work and i complained about the customers. i literally never spoke to her that day.)

- called K a bitch to her face

- has talked to all of my younger coworkers (most of which are only 20 max and younger than her oldest daughter) about her bf who is on the sex offender list

- she also sees no problem with it bc it happened back when he was in his 20s and she plays off why he's on the list as if it's not serious

- has also told us that cps has been called on her multiple times and she sees nothing wrong with that weirdly

- talks terribly about her own children. like, it's like she hates them the way she speaks of them.

- gave me corona (she got it first and we work the same shifts all the time)

- did not go thru the proper channels to tell corporate about her getting covid, and then on top of that came back earlier than suggested

- constantly undermines us by asking us if what we have as backstock can go out, as if we haven't spent our whole 8 hr shift doing just that

- now, since knowing J has anxiety, will constantly patronize him by saying 'i don't want to give you too much, i don't want to upset you'

- during the holidays when our new staff that came in, she never learned their names and called them all 'you' and when was called out about it shrugged it off

- sent one of them home bc they wanted to eat their noodles first (he was hungry bc he came from a different 8 hr shift) while being clocked in, even tho there are plenty of times i've eaten at the beginning of my shift and so have other managers as well

there's probably about a hundred other things i could tell you, but this is just some of the complaints i've heard or witnessed myself.

on saturday, the reason why X reported A to the DM was bc she told J to take out the trash instead of helping us with the palettes (we work freight in case you didn't know). when X complained about it, and questioned why J couldn't just do it later after the palettes, A wouldn't listen. eventually, when i stepped away, A came up to X and ripped the scanner away from her and told her 'i'll do the palettes since you won't stop bitching.' (and mind you, she should have been helping with the palettes, but she never really does unless direly necessary)

that was enough for X, who decided to leave and then report A to the DM. A got in trouble with our GM too.

now that you're caught up, let me tell you what A is now going to start enforcing (she claims these are corporate policies that we need to start following):

- no more headphones in before the store is open. if we listen to music it has to be all the same music and it must bc PG (bc we work at a toy store basically)

- no leggings, ripped jeans, sweatshirts, or anything that covers the logo on our uniforms.

- if we take out trash, we all collectively go out together

- we will go together and do each section in our store instead of being separated and doing each section on our own

- if we are going to have a phone convo, if it is longer than 5 mins, we must clock out and take our break

and if we don't listen to what she says, we will get written up.

now, the only reason she is laying into these """rules""" now is bc she got in trouble and she's being spiteful.

do you wanna know what that got her? K and J left at the same time this morning and then K quit. i and X stayed bc we want the hours.

she's gonna make everyone leave a store that we've all been working at for years. the other managers have heard our complaints and have even complained along with us and... they don't care. they just want us to keep the peace, even at our own expense of dignity and respect.

so... i'm gonna be looking for a new job (with benefits) asap bc... fuck this place. i've had my own problems before with here but decided to stick them out, but i'm not gonna deal with a women who literally has a sexual offender as a bf degrade me bc she likes a power trip for whatever reason. i'm not her child and i will not handle her like i am one, if you know what i'm saying.

okay, sorry how long this was. hope this was an enjoyable read lol

[vera-simik]

Wanted: The Witcher. Status: Urgent

Ok. I did it. I finally translated it all. So there it is - my super weird multi-crossover crack-fic, because honestly? Almost everything I ever wrote is more or less crack-fic 😅

Proceed on your own risk  😅

(early morning)

(OK, fine, let’s be honest – NOT so early)

(Vědmi and Erik are sitting in the kitchen, both have a mug of a hot beverage in front of them; Vědmi is also messing around with a small pile of papers)

(Andy comes in)

Andy: “I bid you good morning.”

Erik: (waves sort of disinterestedly) “Mornin’.”

Vědmi: (mumbles something, doesn’t glance up from her work)

Andy: “Judging by her expression, Geralt hasn’t shown up yet.”

Erik: “What a pity you didn’t place a bet. You’d win.”

Andy: “Ah… So, she’s creating WHAT exactly?”

Erik: “Do you remember when she said that if the witcher wouldn’t show up in two days, she’d have to act?”

Andy: “… yes?”

Erik: “She started to create wanted posters.”

Vědmi: “Alright, you two. (puts papers aside) You can stop talking about me as if I weren’t here, and tell me instead – how does this sound? (clears her throat) Have you seen this witcher? Responds to the name Geralt of Rivia. If you find him, be so kind and punch him in the face. (looks at her companions) So? What do you think?”

(both men remain silent)

Erik: “Well…”

Andy: “Perhaps I would word it in less emotive w-“

(suddenly, a portal opens in the kitchen, and Geralt stumbles out of it, slightly green in the face)

Vědmi: (with a mischievous grin on her face) “Aaa, look who FINALLY decided to join us! And as I see, unspeakably wasted!”

Geralt: (mutters) “Be so kind and stop screeching. You’re worse than an echidna, and I, moreover, have a feeling like I could even hear the colours.”

Vědmi: “And why are you acting so surprised, with such a hangover? Shame on you! What am I supposed to tell your wife when she comes here and sees you like this?”

Geralt: (takes a seat at the table) (in puzzlement) “Why would Yen come here? Are you two planning on doing something here or what?”

Vědmi: (facepalm) “And he’s asking! You said yourself that your anniversary is approaching, and then you asked me if I could do you a favor and write it down to the calendar in case you’d forget! You wanted to take her out tonight, and you were pretty damn secretive about it. That’s why we wanted to launch a hunt for you! (points at the pile of wanted posters)”

Geralt: (looks a bit uncertain) “Tonight? Are you sure? How long was I gone?”

Erik: “Longer than you think, mon ami. Did Regis make a new brew of his mandrake moonshine again?”

Andy: „Whatever it was, I suppose it was quite impressive. A witcher with a mild alcohol poisoning… I don’t think it’s something you can see every day.“

Geralt: (waves hand in a dismissive manner) „Eh… it’s not… I don’t wanna talk about it, it’s not very int-“

Vědmi: „Oh no, no, no, keep talking, we’re all ears.“

Geralt: „Ugh, as you wish. Dandelion had the – you know – bachelor party, and – I admit – maybe, just MAYBE it took a bit longer than we planned, and…“

(everyone’s silent for a moment)

Erik: „P-perhaps I did not understand correctly? WHAT happened to Dandelion?“

Vědmi: (shrieks out) „The oaf’s gonna get married?!“

Geralt: (slightly tormented expression) „I begged you to stop screeching…“

Vědmi: (ignoring witcher’s headache) „So he really wants to get hitched… That’s impossible…“

Andy: „And who’s the poor unfortunate soul he talked into it?“

Vědmi: „Crystal clear it’s Priscilla. Am I right? (pokes Geralt) Don’t sleep, and tell him I’m right!“

Geralt: „Does it look to you like anyone could fall asleep here when SOMEONE’s still shouting? (to Andy) And of course, it’s Priscilla. Or did you think he managed to smooth Annarietta’s ruffled feathers?“

Erik: (laughs in his sleeve) „Or worse – Vespula’s?“

Vědmi: “My, my! Someone’s very well versed in latest gossips, am I right, monsieur le phantôm?”

Erik: “Oh please. I know the details just because this shrew and my María know each other. As for me, I could live even without this knowledge.”

Andy: “María indeed knows almost everyone. No offense, of course.”

Geralt: “Could we PLEASE get back to much more serious matter than why and from where do whose partners know each other? Mine will skin me alive when she sees me in this state! (more or less to himself) Damn, Vesemir was right once again, when he said we shouldn’t drink so much because we would regret it later. But is it my fault Zoltan fetched that archival Mahakam spirit immediately after that?”

Vědmi: “Can’t you just, I don’t know, brew yourself the Wives’ Tears of something like that?”

Geralt: “Look… the fact I’m sitting here, talking to you in a way that somehow makes sense, doesn’t mean a thing. I haven’t felt this sick as long as I can remember. And I’m not entirely sure what will happen the moment I’ll try to get up. I’d throw up into the pot before I could even try to brew something in it, most likely.”

Erik: (to Vědmi) “I’d LOVE to know how the rest of the participants ended up.”

Andy: (gets up) “I can’t stand by any longer, Geralt. Come on, I think I have something that would help you down in the laboratory.” (leaves the room)

(Geralt slowly and carefully follows him, Vědmi and Erik remain in the kitchen)

(they’re sitting in silence for a while)

Erik: “Don’t look at me like that. We should have figured out sooner that Dandelion and Zoltan were involved in this.”

Vědmi: “Meh, I don’t give a hoot about who wrecked him like this. He could be drinking with every single one of those dum-dums of the Wild Hunt for all I care, he’s an adult, and as such, he should know that excessive drinking equals headache. I agree with Vesemir almost every time, and I don’t intend to make any exceptions this time. Don’t drink, don’t regret it afterward. But that’s not what’s on my mind.”

Erik: “Then what… Wait, let me guess. Is it because you had an itch for Dandelion?”

Vědmi: (deadly serious) “Tell me this was just a weak attempt to make a remarkably stupid joke because otherwise, I’m giving you a ten-second head start. Drogo helped me retrieve all of the knives which fell behind the stove about a week ago.”

Erik: (raises hands in a defensive gesture) “Keep calm. As you say, it’s just a stupid joke. But it HAS something to do with the bard, non?”

Vědmi: “I’m mostly nice to that fool, in bounds of possibility, and I haven’t told him he’s a nitwit and a skirt chaser to his face for more than a year! For fun nor seriously! And he doesn’t even send me an invitation!”

Erik: “So, is this the only thing that’s troubling you?”

Vědmi: “Tsk. ‘The only thing,’ he says. Hm…  Do you think it could be due to that one time three years ago when we stole his lute, and then we sent it back to him one string at a time?”

Erik: “To our – and your especially – defence, I need to add that he was flirting with you in a very indiscreet way. And this was quite adequate retribution. I think he didn’t invite you more likely because he remembers very well when we tied him up with those strings for a similar offence, and that Nuada and NoName sang an intentionally off-key version of Dornishman’s Wife to torture him a bit more. I can’t help it, but I think you didn’t even try to stop them.”

Vědmi: (considers it) “Maybe you’re right… Oh! Or is it because of that other time when I dashed the leftovers of the disgusting old soup at him because he was serenading me underneath the window?”

Erik: “When I’m thinking of it now… We’re giving him fairly hard time, aren’t we?”

Vědmi: (theatrically) “Living amongst the group of fictional villains is corrupting me!”

Erik: “I see myself more like an antihero, and I could argue over this too. And don’t make yourself look like a victim, because you’re not innocent either. Should I remind to you some of these ideas came from your head?”

Vědmi: “Ha! Such an insult! If Andy were here, he’d stand up for me for sure!”

Erik: “But Anderien is out of question. To tell the truth, I’m not entirely sure he could…”

Vědmi: (with a bit of “Creator’s Sense of Guilt” in her voice) “Mind what you’re saying, you could be in for a nasty surprise. He had certain moments in life where you wouldn’t want to get into his ha-“

(once again, another portal opens in the kitchen)

Vědmi: (bangs the table with her fist) “Oh come on now! What kind of manners is this, turning my kitchen into interchange…”

(out of the portal comes Yennefer; it doesn’t look like she’s in a good mood)

Vědmi: “… station. Mornin’?”

Erik: “Eeh… bonjour, madame Yennefer?”

Yennefer: “Where is he?!”

Vědmi: (immediately turns the posters blank side up and quickly tries to gloss over Geralt’s absence) “Honestly? We weren’t expecting you to come here so soon! I thought you were meant to arrive in the evening! And I’d take a guess Gery didn’t expect you so soon either… He went to… went to…”

Yennefer: “Well?!”

Erik: “To take a shower.”

Vědmi: “To get the flowers. (looks at Erik) (kind of desperately) Wait for a second, he said he’s going to take a shower right after the afternoon coffee!”

Erik: “You wait! He wanted to get the flowers when he’s done showering!”

Vědmi: “Uh-oh…”

Yennefer: “If only you weren’t driveling… I know very well what he’s been doing. When it comes to that half-witted bard, what else could they be up to? Invoking the djinn?!”

Vědmi: (snickers) “Yeah, gin was probably involved too.” (discreetly puts the pile of posters out of sorceress’ sight)

Yennefer: “What do you have here?”

Vědmi: “Eee… nothing. I was drawing… a bit…”

Yennefer: (takes a seat) “He was supposed to let me know after he’d left that party. Don’t look at me like this. After the pogrom in Rivia, I tend to worry about Geralt a lot more.”

Erik: “Our dear witcher didn’t think this through, I agree completely. But why didn’t you go to look for him – let’s say – at Kaer Morhen?”

Yennefer: “Do you suppose I didn’t already go there? At the first go! Wait, no. At the second go, actually. At first, I went to look for him at that Dandelion’s tavern in Novigrad. I almost caused Zoltan a heart attack. Nevertheless, they told me Geralt already left and sent me right to Kaer Morhen.”

Vědmi: “Now this is picking up speed. Do you want some coffee? Why am I asking, you do for sure. Black with milk, am I right?”

Yennefer: (curtly nods and continues) “When I saw how Eskel and Lambert came out of this event, I knew it wouldn’t be realistic to expect Geralt would be better off no matter how. There are only three places he tends to spend a lot of time at, and since your house is the last one I didn’t already check out, it would be a huge coincidence if he didn't come back here, either. (sighs) I’m going to lose my mind because of him one day.”

Erik: “I think you're a bit too severe on him.”

Vědmi: “Yeah, that poor fellow doesn’t really deserve this… today. I don’t want to defend him, he sure has a lot of imperfections, but I’m ready to vouch for him right now.”

Erik: “He probably just forgot to let you know, it happens even to the best of us… ehm…”

Vědmi: (pokes the phantom to the ribs) (under her voice) “Don’t overdo it, I bet there’s a lot of things you don’t want María to find out…”

Erik: (ignores Vědmi) “She’s babbling again, it happens a lot, don’t listen to her, it’s not worth it. But what did I want to say before she interrupted me? Ah, oui. Geralt forgot to let you know. And as I mentioned, it happens. See, a lot going on – I mean, there’s this anniversary of yours, his best friend is going to get married… And I admit, he did drink, indeed.  But only a bit, and then he got back here quite early.”

Vědmi: (latches on Erik’s improvisation) “Masked weirdo over here’s right. You have not only one, but three witnesses of Geralt’s arrival!”

Yennefer: (slightly ironically) “It's not like I didn't believe what you two are saying, but where do you have the third one?”

Erik: “It’s Anderien Ettreasil, you must have heard of him.”

Yennefer: “That half-elven alchemist? Well, I sometimes do trade with him. Sure, he’s quite trustworthy, but..”

Vědmi: “Exactly! Right now, he and Gery are doing something down in the lab. (ostentatiously pretends to be offended) And they didn’t even let ME to join them! It’s gotta be some sort of surprise, believe me!"

(sound of the opened door can be heard; in a moment, Andy and Geralt are coming in the kitchen) (Geralt’s in a significantly better and more sober state than he was in after he got out of the portal)

Vědmi: “Great! And now there are all of us this situation applies to!”

Geralt: (expectably surprised) “Yen! What are you doing here? We weren’t expecting you to come here so soon…”

Erik: (gives Vědmi a wink) “Where did I hear this today?”

Yennefer: (stands up from the table, folds her arms) (surprisingly calmly) “Geralt of Rivia.”

Vědmi: (to Erik and Andy) (half seriously) “Uh-oh, she called him by his full name! All hell’s going to break loose!”

Yennefer: “I always thought you’re a self-dependent grown man. And that you know what does it mean when we agree on something.”

Geralt: (you can tell from his look that he wishes to be somewhere else)

Andy: “Well… I’d better be going, I’m not sure if I put the burner out…” (prepares to beat a retreat in a very diplomatic way)

Erik: “No, no, stay here. This is going to get interesting.”

Yennefer: (ignores all of the distractions and continues) “After all, I even believed you could even be responsible. And meanwhile, you're even worse than our daughter. She at least lets me know whenever she gets held up somewhere and knows when she's getting back home.”

Geralt: “But Yen…”

Yennefer: “Do I look like I finished speaking?! This one’s for disappearing and not letting me know about your whereabouts, leaving me worried sick!” (slaps Geralt)

(Geralt, because he knows he “earned” it, handles the slap with at least some dignity)

(two thirds of the onlookers, on the other hand, react greatly exaggerated)

Vědmi: (overacts covering her eyes) “Holy shiP!”

Erik: (with extremely false concern in his voice) “Oww, this might HURT!”

Yennefer: “And this one…”

(everyone’s getting for the worst – Vědmi even above her usual “fondness” towards other people’s misfortune)

Yennefer: (no one’s expecting her kissing Geralt on the same cheek where she slapped him before) “… is for your effort after all these years we’re together. I’m glad you didn’t forget our anniversary, and I greatly appreciate it. However (critically examines her dearest from tip to toe) that vomit stain on your shirt kind of ruins this moment.”

Andy: (to Geralt) “I was preparing to let you know.”

Yennefer: “It doesn’t matter right now. But I’m hoping you’ll smarten up until the evening. If not, Triss still owes me a bottle of wine, so I have an alternative program. (opens a new portal) See you later, Geralt. (steps into the portal and disappears)

(nothing much happens for a while)

Geralt: “Alright, I admit it, I tend to make mistakes. You can stop laughing, Vědmi.”

Vědmi: (wipes off tears from the previous fit of laughing) “Sorry. I… pfffhehe… I’m okay, yeah…”

Geralt: “So… first I’ll go to throw this (takes off the filthy shirt) into the laundry basket, and then…”

Erik: “Watch that fanservice, you’re going to kill our landlady.”

Vědmi: (blushes) “Tssk!”

Geralt: (chuckles and leaves the room with the shirt thrown over his shoulder)

(the not-so-early morning quickly regains its previous calmness; lonely trio goes back to their not-so-hot-anymore beverages)

(ANOTHER portal opens, and random young Nilfgaardian soldier falls out of it)

Vědmi: (swiftly stands up) “Oh, come on! Are you fookin’ kiddin’?!”

Random Nilfgaardian soldier: (glances around) “T-this isn’t Wyzima…?”

Erik: (sarcastically) “No way! How did you notice?”

RNS: (at the beginning of a panic attack) “By the Great Sun, this can’t be happening! What am I going to do now?! I don’t even know how and why that portal opened up right in front of me! General Voorhis is going to kill me once I got back! I…”

Andy: “Calm down, boy. I suppose we know general Voorhis. He’s about this tall, kinda ginger, likes horses…?”

Erik: “Oh wait, isn’t it the same ginger Nilfgaardian who tried to hit on our Vědmi?”

Andy: “But of course he is! (to RNS) Don’t worry, young friend, Vědmi will help you with your trouble. She and general Voorhis know each other VERY WELL! (unsuccessfully tries to hide a grin; Erik already gave up trying)”

Vědmi: (annoyed) “Cut it out, you two! I agreed to go out with him once for a glass of wine in Novigrad. ONCE! And you’re immediately making a mountain out of a molehill! And I wish I didn’t go there. He looked like he’s hoping we could repeat it some other time…”

Erik: (mockingly) “Exactly.”

RNS: (observes the conversation considerably confused)

Vědmi: (dramatically) “OK! Fine! I’ll do it! I’ll put myself out for greater good and explain it wasn’t a desertion nor treason! But the moment he starts to hit on me again, I’ll bite your heads off! (to RNS) And you – sit down for a moment, I still need to make myself look like at least half decent human being, and it’s going to take a while. Do you want some coffee?”

  THE END

[krowfics]

A Spider’s Shadow Chapter 3

Fandom: Warrior cats/Sander Sides

Ships: Prinxiety, Logicality, Dukeceit, (Probably eventual) Remile, otherwise platonic LAMP, familial Creativitwins+Thomas

Plot: Spiderpaw is the sole witness to a murder, due to this, he is no longer safe in Shadowclan. He soon finds himself amongst a group of secret rebels who disagree with the Warrior Code.

Words this chapter: 2244

Notes: Mentions of death and blood, self deprecation, unsympathetic/morally gray Janus and Remus, flashbacks, discussion of hunting and dead animals (fresh kill), one mention of almost vomiting, Remus is Remus but it isn’t that bad, be prepared to meet Too Many Background Cats™

Chapter 1  Chapter 2

~~~

At once, Spiderpaw was in front of a large, mostly white tom nearly twice the size of him. Golden spots of tabby fur showed over his pelt, angry yellow eyes scowled at the small cat. He must’ve been guarding the entrance for the night.

Spiderpaw had hardly noticed that Lionbright had gone ahead to put his catch in the fresh kill pile and was now returning, “Tallsong!” He said cheerily, “This is Spiderpaw, he needs our help.”

Spiderpaw swallowed, trying and failing to not puff up out of fear. An achingly long moment passed, “I see.” He glanced at Lionbright, “Then I’d better get Redstar.” He turned to walk toward a trail of rocks a short distance away.

They were in a ravine, he’d heard that Thunderclan’s camp was in a ravine but it still shocked him to see massive rocks surrounding the camp.

Lionbirght led him toward the rock trail as well, stopping short so they could stare up at the ledge leading into a small cave. A few cats were awake and staring at the newcomer, eyes wide and suspicious despite the fact that they’d only just woken up. He remembered his mentor’s warnings then; all the clans hated Shadowclan, thinking that they were aggressive and sneaky, willing to steal prey at any opportunity. Though now the Shadowclan warriors were saying that about Skyclan, so maybe all the clans just thought badly of each other.

Still, he couldn’t shake the fact that he was being seen as an enemy standing in the heart of their camp. “Who’s the new kit?” A voice meowed, Spiderpaw turned to see a gray cat approaching them, a recognizable streak of white along his upper lip along with messy and ruffled fur, this was their medicine cat apprentice, “Lionbright! Did you have a half clan kit and not tell me?”

Spiderpaw nearly choked on nothing but air at the accusation, “Of course not.” Lionbright said with an exasperated sigh, “This is Ratpaw, anything he says or does can be ignored.”

“That hurts, Lionbright!” Ratpaw gasped, “Not only do you wish to ignore a medicine cat but also your own littermate! Oh, how cruel can a warrior be?” He wallowed.

“Ignore him.” Lionbright reiterated to Spiderpaw, the small tom nodded.

Ratpaw made an audible sniff and then froze, “You’re Shadowclan?” he said, suddenly serious but was cut off by a movement in their peripherals. 

Two cats stepped out of the cave. Tallsong walked down the rocky path and sat at the bottom, turning his muzzle to the other cat, Shadowpaw recognized him from the gathering. 

Redstar stared down at him from the ledge, “Lionbright, explain.” His meow boomed the command.

“Redstar,” Lionbright said, “This is Spiderpaw from Shadowclan, I found him wandering near the lakeshore covered in fear scent during my morning hunt.”

“I didn’t see you leave camp.” Tallsong said pointedly.

“I went out through the dirt place tunnel.” He said it like it was obvious.

“You’re Nightstar’s kit, right?” The leader said. Spiderpaw nodded, swallowing heavily at the reminder. Redstar shifted, “Come to my den you two,” He said, “Ratpaw, wake Fernstorm and Frostpool and then join us.”

Lionbright nodded and walked up the stone, Spiderpaw followed behind him. They stepped into the cave along with the leader. They sat, waiting for the others. Spiderpaw was scared to say the least, he didn’t want to think about what would happen if they didn’t believe him. What if the brought him back to Shadowclan or sent a warrior to inform Snakeface that they had a traitorous cat spewing lies about murder? Lionbright sat close to him, seeming to sense his worries.

“Why are you here?” Redstar asked Spiderpaw once his deputy and medicine cats had arrived.

The runt tried not to shake as he stared at the leader, he opened his mouth, only to shut it as he suddenly remembered the event again. Visions of blood covered his eyes and he slammed them shut. Lionbright laid his tail on Spiderpaw’s shoulders, his eyes worried and questioning. “I’m fine.” Spiderpaw whispered, grateful for the concern nonetheless, he turned his gaze back to the Thunderclan leader once again and took a breath.

“I woke up at moonhigh and saw Snakeface,” his claws slipped out instinctively and he forced them back in as to not look threatening, if he even could look threatening with his size, “He took Nightstar’s last two lives.” Spiderpaw’s voice cracked. Redstar’s eyes widened but stayed quiet, waiting for the apprentice to continue, “He smelled my fear scent, so I ran. It didn’t know where to go so I…” He glanced to his friend beside him, “I just... wandered around the lake until Lionbright found me.”

“Why would Snakeface want to kill his leader?” Fernstorm, Redstar’s deputy, shifted uncomfortably, “Surly, Starclan wouldn’t accept him as the new leader if he did.” She looked at Frostpool for confirmation.

“They wouldn’t.” Ratpaw stated.

“I’d like to think not either, Ratpaw,” The other she cat said, “But it has happened before.”

“And how do we trust that he isn’t just here to steal prey?” Ratpaw asked.

Lionbright glared at his brother, “Just because that’s what you would do doesn’t mean that’s what he would do.” He practically hissed.

Redstar had a thoughtful frown, “He’s right to be suspicious, though.” He said. Lionbright said nothing, thinking of a way to defend Spiderpaw.

Spiderpaw, however, defended himself, “You’ll know I’m not lying when Nightstar doesn’t go to the next gathering.”

“We’ll know sooner, actually.” Fernstorm spoke, “If he does try to gain his lives then he’ll have to pass through our territory to get to Moonpool.”

Redstar nodded, “Then Spiderpaw will stay with us for a quarter moon, if Snakeface never shows then he will go back to Shadowclan.”

There were mews of agreement from most of the cats, “Thank you.” Spiderpaw said, his voice full of relief, earning him a smile from the leader.

“This information doesn’t leave this den.” Redstar said, “I don’t want gossip to spread before we can confirm what Spiderpaw said.”

Redstar turned and stepped out of his den, the others following behind. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!” Redstar called as the warrior and apprentice made her way down the rock path. Tallsong still stood at the bottom, glaring at the Shadowclan cat.

Once enough cats awoke, stepping out of their nests and making their way to Highledge, Redstar spoke again, “We have a Shadowclan apprentice with us, Spiderpaw will stay with us for a quarter moon.” There were gasps and whispers around the ravine, “I ask that none of you tell cats outside Thunderclan of our guest, not even Shadowclan warriors, I swear to explain my reasoning within the quarter moon.” He promised. His gaze turned to Spiderpaw once again, “I trust that you will be willing to help out around the camp during your stay.” 

Spiderpaw nodded, “Yes, of course.”

“Good, that is all,” He said, dismissing his clan, “Fernstorm will now organize the patrols.” 

Fernstorm nodded and stepped down the stones with the medicine cats. The deputy stopped and sat as cats began gathering around her while the medicine cats continued to approach Spiderpaw and Lionbright, but some other cats were already swarming around the guest.

“Are you really from Shadowclan?” A brown tabby cat stepped towards the pair.

“Uhm, ye-”

“He’s the tinypaw that Starkpaw and Talonpaw were telling us about!” A white tom cut in loudly.

Spiderpaw’s ears fell back, of course all the apprentices knew about him, he hadn’t gone to the last gathering but Starkpaw and Talonpaw certainly had.

“And if you’ll recall,” Lionbright stood from Spiderpaw’s side to glare at his old denmate, “Those two spout nothing but lies.”

Something flared in Spiderpaw’s chest at the way his friend defended it but he chose to ignore it. The white tom snorted, “Yeah, whatever, they are Shadowclan after all, but it’s not like ‘tinypaw’ isn’t accurate.”

“What’s Shadowclan territory like?” The brown cat asked excitedly before Spiderpaw could defend himself from the tom, their bright green eyes alight with curiosity, “Is it scary?”

“No..?” He said, shifting his weight between his forepaws. Lionbright turned to sit next to him again as he spoke, “It’s nice, it’s just dark enough to have plenty of shadows to hide in, but there aren’t two many trees that you have to worry about tripping on roots.”

“But fresh kill hides in roots.” Another brown cat, looking near identical to the first except for her blue eyes, “Isn’t it harder to hunt?”

Spiderpaw shrugged, “I never really had a problem with hunting,” It was true, it was the one thing he seemed to be a decent apprentice at, “Lizards usually sit on rock and trunks, snakes coil around anything, rocks mostly, toads and frogs are easy to find if the area’s wet,” All of the apprentices’ faces screwed up at his words, even Lionbright looked grossed out, “What?” Spiderpaw asked.

“Ooh! Toads, delicious.” Ratpaw mewed as he and his mentor strolled up to the group.

“Of course, you’d think toads taste good.” One of the brown cats rolled her eyes.

“Don’t knock ‘em to you try ‘em!” He purred.

“What does that even mean?” The white tom mewed, but the only answer he got from Ratpaw was a shrug.

Frostpool shook her head with a laugh, her apprentice must say strange things often, “I’m sure Spiderpaw would be willing to talk about Shadowclan later, but I think he might want to actually have some fresh kill instead of just talking about it.” She said, receiving a nod from the tom, “And then have one of the other ‘paws help you make a nest in their den, I assume you’re tired after everything.”

Before Spiderpaw could confirm that he did indeed feel like he could sleep for a moon, a gray cat spoke up, “I don’t think we can fit another cat in there.” she stated.

“We’ll figure something out if that’s the case.” The medicine cat said, turning toward her den and flicking her tail to indicate Ratpaw should go there, “I’ll be back from herb gathering soon enough.” She said. Ratpaw stared at Spiderpaw for a long moment before he stood to follow his mentor. His suspicious look was enough to make Spiderpaw’s skin crawl.

“He’s small though,” A gray tom with large patches of white said, “It’s still going to be packed, hopefully he doesn’t mind cuddling.” He did.

“I don’t want to cuddle with a Shadowclan cat!” The first gray cat practically hissed, and he didn’t want to cuddle with Thunderclan.

The brown she cat nodded, “No offense, but you smell like crowfood.”

“You don’t exactly smell like catmint yourself.” Spiderpaw said before he could stop himself, causing Lionbright to snicker beside him.

“Lionbright, Whitepaw!” A black cat stepped towards them, “Oh, and Spiderpaw, was it?” she said, he nodded, “I’m Crowclaw, I’m sorry if my apprentice has said anything rude.”

“Hey! I didn’t!” The white tom huffed.

She rolled her eyes at him, “You and Lionbright are on hunting patrol with me.” 

“Hunting?” The curious brown tabby spoke, “I wanna go! Can I go?”

Crowclaw smiled at them, “That depends, ask your mentor.” Within a moment, the apprentice was running up to Fernstorm, their apparent mentor, to ask.

“I’ll see you later,” Lionbright said, giving a lick to Spiderpaw’s ear.

“I- yeah, see you.” He couldn’t explain the sudden tightness in his chest and just watched as the hunting patrol, joined by the excited brown tabby, exited camp.

“That was Nettlepaw.” The other brown tabby said, “And yes, they always have that much energy. I’m Softpaw.” She mewed, “That’s Cloudpaw,” She pointed her tail at the gray and white tom, “And Skypaw,” She pointed at the other one.

“Softpaw, Skypaw, we’re on border patrol.” A fluffy white and silver cat called from a distance.

“And that’s my mentor, Sheepbelly, and we got to go.” Softpaw said quickly, “Cloudpaw will have to be on bedding duty.” She stood to leave, leaving just Cloudpaw and Spiderpaw alone.

The other apprentice’s muzzle was twisted into a scowl as he watched the patrol leave, he glanced over to Spiderpaw, “The fresh kill pile’s over there,” he gestured his tail at the pile of prey that Spiderpaw had seen Lionbright put the robin in earlier, “And that’s the apprentice’s den.” He nodded at the den before standing and walking towards it. This cat didn’t like Spiderpaw very much, that was clear, but none of the apprentices seemed to like him. He supposed it wasn’t that much different to Shadowclan, there were just much more ‘paws here.

Spiderpaw watched for a moment before he stood and stepped towards the pile, a part of him really wanted to take the robin but it was one of the biggest fresh kill in the pile, so he’d best leave it to the elders and queens. His belly felt strange, like he’d swallowed a rock, he doubted that he’d be able to eat the entire bird anyway. Instead he found a small wren and took it a short distance away from the rest.

It’d been a while since he’d had wren, it tasted good from what he remembered. He settled himself down and held the bird between his forepaws. He leaned down and sank his teeth into its neck, almost immediately hurling at the taste.

~~~

Ah yes, Remus the medicine cat. Remus the doctor nun. Remus in the one role where he isn’t allowed to hurt anyone or take a mate. This was the only logical role I could give him.

And Redstar = Thomas

Chapter 4

Tags~ @perfectly-princely-emo-nightmare

[nad-zeta]

Match up ｡◕‿◕｡

Hello, not exactly sure what to do so I’ll just try to explain to the best of my abilities. I’m an intp and kinda short (5'2). I get angry real quick when I’m stressed otherwise I’m not aggressive. I like learning new things and talking about things like the ocean and creatures living in it. I really like animals and have recently adopted two cats. I avoid most people. I’m easily moved by sob stories and will help if someone’s really in need. I also speak up for what I think is right and against injustice. I’m also really funny and frequently ‘roast’ people. When I’m comfortable with someone I show them my various facial expressions (which is hilarious), I get startled easily and scream too. I like ghost stories around the campfire but then I’m scared to go to the washroom alone. I tell my friends about the new tea (drama/gossip) but if my friends fight, I try to ease out the situation😳 Basically I am cute and so are you

Hi, there love!🌈 Thank you so much for the request! You are such a cutie😆! Sorry for making ya wait soooo long! I hope you enjoy it, dear and I hope you have a good day!  ｡◕‿◕｡

So I match you with………….. Masamune

Hehehe I was thinking Mitsunari at first, but as I kept reading the one-eyed dragon just popped into my head and I just think the two of you cuties would be perfect together and here is why!

You are so cute and smol the first time Masamune picked you up onto his hose while you were trying to run for your life, all he could think was damn what a cute little kitten. He brought you to the audience hall, where you were faced with the very man you had saved earlier that evening and a group of unknown strangers. Honestly, your patience was starting to wear thin, and you were feeling exhausted, which just made you feel more grumpy. Nobunaga is his usual demanding voice proclaimed that you were to be the new Oda princess, as a reward for saving his life. 

You were pretty chilled with that until Nobunaga had traced the curve of your cheek with his fingertips. You legit smacked his hand away, and before you knew it, you had pissed of Hideyoshi by “Striking” his lord. “Oh, please, I barely even touched him.” It was now a stand off, between you and Hideyoshi, and you were ready to fight. Luckily before anything serious could happen Masamune picked you up by the waist to pull you away from Hideyoshi, while Mitushide and Ieyasu held Hideyoshi back before he could send you to an early grave. Finally, Nobunaga spoke up to calm Hideyoshi down. He was smirking while the whole affair unfolded, you truly were the most amusing woman.

Masamune carried you out of the audience hall over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Hey put me down, I’m calm, I’m calm.” “hmmm, I don’t know you still sound pretty angry to me kitten.” He carried you all the way to his manor garden, where he made the two of you some tea and snacks. You were a little quiet at first, but you found your self-opening up slowly to Masamune in no time. This boi literally talked non stop to fill the silence, asking you all sorts of random questions. He loved the way various expressions flashed across your face with each random question asked. The two of you spent the afternoon quietly chatting and laughing, and Masa found himself wanting to get to know you even better

He made a point of coming by to pester you every day. He would take you to tea houses, on market trips, and on random horse rides to his favourite restaurants. You low key loved spending time with the one-eyed dragon, and his jokes were hilarious. You always found yourself laughing at his goofy jokes and boy oh boy was it the best day of Masamune’s life when he found out you liked roasting people. The two of you would often get into roasting battles, flinging the funniest comments at each other and then bursting out in laughter. The two of you especially loved teaming up to roast Mitsuhide. Alone sneki boy could destroy you with his quick wit, but together you and Masamune gave sneki boi a run for his money. The two of you would also gang up on the snarky porcupine just to get a few laughs, especially when he is bullying the sweet angel Mitsunari. You honestly can’t stand injustice, and you love sweet Mitsunari so much, so whenever anyone speaks badly of the cutie, you are there to fight for his honour. It is something that actually really draws Masamune toward you. Your willingness to fight for what’s right and for justice.

Masamune being the spontaneous person he is would often whisk you off with him to random cool new places. The two of you would usually go hiking up mountains to enjoy a picnic for two, explore caves and tell each other scary stories by the campfire which you always low key regretted, cause you would then get creeped out by every and any sound you hear. Luckily for you, Masa is there to make jokes and soothe the fear and anxiety. Usually, after the campfire stories, you are too scared to fall asleep alone. Masamune will wake up to your tossing and turning in the middle of the night, and pull you into a big bear hug holding you tight. “Go to sleep kitten, I promise ill protect you from the invisible monster.” You felt so warm and safe in his arms and sleep instantly found you. You couldn’t help but feel like you belonged in his safe warm arms and little did you know Masamune felt the exact same way. He had long ago fallen in love with you, he just wasn’t sure how to tell you

Until finally, the day came when he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He knew you loved the ocean and ocean animals, so he took you on a trip to one of the most beautiful beaches you have ever seen. The water was crystal clear. He told you that he loved playing in this spot as a child because of the clear water and all the different marine life that lived within. He dragged you into the water and told you to look closely. You were amazed at all the different coloured fish swimming all around you. Masamune handed you some homemade snorkels, and the two of you went snorkelling. Afterwards, he set up a little picnic on the beach for the two of you. You told him all about the fun facts you had picked up from your studies of the ocean and the animals within. He loved the way your eyes sparkled in delight whenever you would talk about the things you loved.

The two of you sat on the beach and watched the sunset, it was honestly the perfect day. As the sunset it started to get a little chilly, so Masamune shrugged of his hoari and draped it over your shoulders. He pulled you closer and put his arm around you to protect you from the cold wind. You looked up to smile at him and thank him, not realizing how close you were. Your noses accidentally brushed together and honestly Masamune couldn’t hold it back any more. He gently cupped your cheeks and whispered that he loved you against your lips before giving you the sweetest of kisses. 

Of course, Masamune being Masamune, the second he felt you kissing him back, it grew more wild and passionate. Honestly, at that moment, you felt like the happiest person alive. The two of you walked back home hand in hand in the last rays of the setting sun. If you could, the two of you would stay there longer, but both of you knew the consequences for making mother dearest worry.

You and Masamune made the cutest couple. You would make all the maid super jealous whenever the two of you were together. Especially when the two of you played with the tiger cub in the garden, you were the only one that ever got to see the real Masamune. As the two of you played with the cub, you would always, playfully roast each other, this usually leads to a bit of a tickle fight. Which would leave both of you breathless from all the laughter. In those moments, Shogetsu would always take advantage of the lack of defences and lick your face causing you to break out into laughter all over again, while trying to get the playful cub off you. This, of course, gave his owner enough time to catch his breath and start the tickle match anew. 

Masamune was honestly the perfect man. He would always take you out for tea to make sure you don’t overwork yourself. During these tea dates, he would always have fresh new piping hot tea to spill. Which you absolutely loved, the two of you would usually sit and gossip about all the castle drama, over sweets and tea. The two of you just always seemed to be on the same wavelength, as when someone said or did something while the two of you were together, you would give each other “the look”, which meant that you were totally gonna talk about that later.

Cause Masamune knew you loved animals so much, he actually got you a little tiger cub of your own. He knew you were missing your two adopted cats from the future, so he hoped that he could ease the loss with a new little cat. He had found the little cub much like his brother abandoned in the woods. His mother had been killed by a hunter, and he was left to die. When Masa saw him, he knew you would want him to take him in and care for it, and that’s how Shogetsu got a new little brother.

Masamune honestly loved everything about you. He loved the way you squeaked in surprise every time he would surprise you in the hallway. He loved the hilariously funny facial expressions you made, like seriously he lives for them. His favourite, however, is the flustered look you give him after he pulls away from giving you the most scandalously passionate kiss right in the middle of the hallway.

The two of you cuties can often be found playing in the garden together with your two lil tiger cubs or cuddled up in Masamune’s arms. Not many know this, but Masamune is actually just one big teddy bear that loves to cuddle and snuggle. He will often pull you into his arms and cuddle you while he does his paperwork. When he is done, he will usually nuzzle his nose in your neck and enjoy the quiet moment of peace the two of you share

Other potential matches……………… Mitsunari 

Hope you enjoyed it dear!❤❤@juststalkingsstuff

[retvenkos]

Okay so I’m personally offended with myself for not having found you earlier? Like, YOURE AMAZING! Your writing is super awesome and I’m glad I finally did find you. Anyways, I was hoping I could request a 🔥 ship/HCs? For BBC Merlin, PJO/HOO, and ATLA (or LOK, whichever you’d prefer or is easier for you). I am bisexual so I’m down to be shipped with whatever gender (although I am kinda leaning towards men rn). I’m a Ravenclaw and my Myers-Brigg personality type is INFP-T. I’m kind of a nerd and I love learning new things. I tried to learn Latin at one point but it was while I was in school and I didn’t finish before the school year was up. I love reading, writing, singing, listening to music, watching movies and watching musicals. I also really love physical affection (both giving and receiving). I love any and all animals SO MUCH. I can be kinda silly sometimes but I know when to get serious. I love having fun with my friends but I also just love the days that I can just sit with them and relax. I’m pretty protective of the people I’m close to. I’m also kind of stubborn. I have a small obsession with dragons and kind of just mythical beings in general. I feel happy when I make others happy. I like helping people when I can. My main love languages are physical touch and words of affirmation. If I were a bender in the ATLA/LOK universe, I would be an earth bender. I’m also a sucker for soulmate AUs, which you might have noticed when I was reblogging your stuff earlier. I think that’s all?? If you need anything else, just let me know! And thank you so much!!

PS: CONGRATS ON 2.5k

thank you for your kind words about my blog! i’m glad you like it here, lol. and, as always, disclaimer that it’s been a while since i’ve read pjo and so the headcanons might not be the best. bear with me.

Merlin:

I ship you with Gwen!

alright, i was debating between gwen and sir leon, but i 100% believe gwen is the perfect match-up for you - both of you are sweet and kind yet clever with the potential to be teasing, annoying idiots.

the two of you would get along famously, and you would be the sweetest, most supportive couple - literally everyone wants what you have, and i can’t blame them.

both of you are caring and love your friends dearly, you are the ultimate mom friends. you love to make everyone happy, and so both of you are always looking out for the other. 

furthermore, gwen would love to hear all about interests - she loves to hear you talk about your reading and writing, and she loves how you learn with such a fervor. learning something new is a great way to increase the quality of your life, and gwen loves to hear about what you’ve discovered - so much of her day is spent in routine, being a servant and all, so when you can tell her something good - something other than castle gossip, she loves it.

also, i have this headcanon that gwen can sing really well, so you know she loves music. she’ll sing in the early mornings, when the two of you are getting up before the sun itself, and it never fails to make you smile.

i think that both you and gwen have great versatility to your personality - you both can get very excited and giddy but then come back down to earth and be stable and strong. this is good because both of you can support the other in whatever situation you may be up against. 

furthermore, you are both witty and teasing. the two of you have a lot of ongoing banter that makes your otherwise monotonous days exciting and fun. you’re upbeat personalities bring joy to your lives, and that’s important.

also, the two of you would be very affectionate toward each other - gwen has no qualms with hugging you or holding your hand, so she is able to accept your affection and return it in a similar manner. and gwen is very good at giving sincere compliments! whenever she praises you, you can’t help but think it’s true.

also, modern! au gwen is an avid movie watcher, so the two of you have marathons together. gwen always brings the popcorn.

PJO/HOO:

I ship you with Travis Stoll!

okay, you cannot tell me that this pairing isn’t chaotic as hell.

you are the smarts to travis’ mischievousness, and the two of you bring a lot of fun to camp half-blood. you help travis and connor with their pranks, but you are also there to make sure that no one gets hurt, because a good prank is one that makes people laugh, but has minimal casualties. (ngl, chb is kind of glad that you and travis got together because the pranks are a lot safer now.)

i definitely think that travis would be the one to bring you out of your comfort zone, but he does it so earnestly, with only the best of intentions, so it’s hard to say no. the two of you go on adventures together and you have a lot of laughs.

the good thing is that you also bring a lot of calm and stability to the relationship - you are one of like two (2) people who can  get travis to just,,, chill with you. he likes to play videogames with you, so you hang out a lot in the hermes cabin, legs tangled together as you chill out. 

at your core, i think both of you are very determined people, and that’s what initially drew the two of you close together. you both have a fire in your hearts, and while that comes out in different ways, you’re both very ambitious and goal oriented people.

and you know that travis has the greatest taste in music - you are going to be introduced to some very interesting and cool songs. maybe he’ll nick a cd or two for both of you to listen to. and what’s cool about his music taste is that it’s adventurous and all over - he loves everything and so do you.

you both explore and learn about the world in different ways, and you are both incredibly knowledgeable in opposite ways, so when you put your heads together, the genius that comes forth is insane.

i imagine that the two of you hang out in the strawberry fields a lot. you listen to music or talk while walking through the fields, and then travis ends up stealing some of your strawberries and you end up chasing after him (damn his tall legs)

LOK:

I ship you with Mako!

this is the complete opposite of your previous ships, but stick with me for a minute

you are perfect for mako because you can be serious and stable, but at the same time, you can bring out his silly side. mako needs someone who can get down to the core of his being and pull out that happy, childish side of himself that he hasn’t found in a long time. he’s had to grow up fast, and he needs someone who is serious and sincere, but is also lighthearted and oh-so caring.

the two of you are so protective and caring about the ones you love - you’re like the parents of the group who are trying to wrangle your unruly children, and it’s a dynamic i am here for.

and when you encourage some of korra or asami’s wild plans, mako sighs, like “disappointed by not surprised.” but then you bring him to the side with a plan on how to make their optimistic plans more secure, and he’s like,,,, alright.

also, the banter the two of you would have is legendary. mako is known as the #done, sarcastic one, and he was not expecting you to come out with amazing wit, but here you are. the two of you have the best side commentary, and it’s almost a competition now. you’ve yet to get mako to laugh at your well-timed jokes (some of which are terribly corny), but he does crack a wry smile almost every time, so you know it’s only a matter of time.

also, convince me otherwise, but mako is a reader. he likes a lot of historical fiction, but also stories based off of legends, and the two of you will often spend your weekends inside, reading on the couch. he’ll make you lunch and then the two of you will talk about what you’ve read, sitting cross legged with your knees touching. mako is usually a little vague with the details on what he is reading, but what often happens is that he’ll have recommended the book you’re reading, so he’ll listen to you ramble about your favorite parts with a lovestruck smile on his face.

you definitely introduce mako to more music - he’s never been super into music, it was always more bolin’s thing, but he’ll listen with you. he has a few favorites, and you have to coax him into telling you what they are, but he’ll tell you anyway because he’s very much in love.

also! the two of you go to see bolin’s movers, and you whisper to each other throughout the show, making jokes and funny comments, and ngl, bolin gets a little concerned. mako should never enjoy himself so thoroughly, that only ever leads to disaster.

anyway, you would be great for mako because when you two hang out, you bring mako out of his shell, and he is always there to support and protect you, should anything go awry. 

i get big vibes of “the serious one is soft for the fluffy one” except both of you are the serious one and the fluffy one, depending on the moment, and you wildly fluctuate between the two.