#plus what you guys have said that he may have rejected her connections to a fault

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

I know it’s been said so many times before by people more experienced and insightful than me, but I don’t think it’s inherently taking jobs last minute that was the issue, because that’s the nature of jobs in their respective industries and they both understood that. Like, it sucks to have your partner leave for months at a time but you can’t begrudge them that especially when they’re still establishing themselves.

But it’s what happened at home that I would bet was ultimately their undoing. Because it’s one thing to take a job last minute and be like “sorry babe I’m going to miss x” but then still show up in other ways (communicative eg on the phone, showing up at home when you’re there, supporting your partner’s dreams and ambitions, etc.). But it’s another to a) keep chasing your own ambitions (fair, needed, healthy) but b) resent your partner for chasing theirs or belittle the things they find important.

I doubt Taylor expected Joe to follow her around everywhere and it wasn’t (just) the physical absence that hurt. It was the emotional absence that stung and made things untenable. (Based off songs like YLM and even Hits Different and just, you know, ~vibes~.) It’s the whole making time to make things work thing — it just seems like one person was making all the time and the other wasn’t in recent years. There could be a million reasons why and we may find out in TTPD.

Seeing how supportive Taylor is in general, I have no doubt she empathized with his need to work and encouraged him to do so. I just feel like what we’re seeing and going to learn about is that when the roles were reversed, that same support wasn’t extended (or not as unconditionally) and that was what started to make her feel smaller and smaller. And I have a feeling that same lack of support may have extended to personal plans as well.

[navalcriminalimagines]

I just love your fics so much & wanted to see if I could also request one when Parker & y/n are undercover as a married age gap couple & they realize how attracted to each other they are 😊

I hope this is what you were looking for 🥰❤️

Warnings: murder case talk, age difference

Undercover

“So, let’s recap: this guy targets married couple in which the husband is older than the wife, because when he was younger, he got rejected by his young stepmother.” You summed up, quite disturbed about this case.

“That’s the theory.” Nick said.

“And considering the violence towards the husbands, we’re pretty sure that his father was abusive.” Tim added.

“But we don’t have any evidence to charge him.” Alden ended.

That was the big issue with this case. You had the theory and the suspect, but no real evidences. Everything you had was circonstanciel, and you couldn’t risk a mistrial. The guy hit three times before you made the connection, after he tortured and killed a couple on Navy base, the husband being a Gunnery Sergeant.

“So, where do we go from here?” You asked.

“Actually, I have an idea, but— two of you may not like it.” Everyone looked at Jess, waiting for her to tell her idea. “Parker and Y/N go undercover as a married couple.” She smiled at the shock on your’s and Alden’s faces. “Parker is older and even though he doesn’t select the women for their looks, you do look like the stepmother.” You looked at the screen where the stepmother’s picture was and Jess had a point. “Plus, you look good together. Very plausible.”

Alden didn’t say a word, he just looked at you, like the choice was yours. “Would you be okay with this?” You asked him.

“Well, it’s not like we have another option.”

True.

“So, what? We’d live together? How do we get him to notice us?”

“We can come up with something. But I guess, yes, we’d live together for a moment. Acting like a married couple.”

You laughed, and Alden raised an eyebrow at you. “You may have experience in that, but I don’t.” His mouth turned into a thin line, and he looked at you like ‘that’s not funny’ but you just grinned.

McGee, who had been on his computer for a moment, punched something on the screen. “What do Mr and Mrs think of their new house?” He asked. You all looked at him, waiting for more. “It’s in his street. You’ll have to make sure you run into him and befriend him, since he likes to get know his victims first.” That sent a chill down your spine.

Theoretically, it could work. So, you looked at Alden, and you both nodded to each other. It was on.

Two days later, you were moving in your new house. Luckily, it was fully furnish. You had a wedding band at your finger and it felt really weird. You and Alden changed your name, having the same surname. If needed, your husband Richard was a professor and you [undercover name] were a librarian. You met two years ago, when Richard was your professor.

“Alden?” You knocked at the door of ‘his’ bedroom.

“I’m Richard.” He smiled and you rolled your eyes.

“We need to set some boundaries.”

“I’m listening.” You couldn’t help but to take a look at his clothes. He prepared two or three of his suits, but he selected most clothes that would make him look like a professor. While looking around, you saw a pair of glasses on the dresser.

“Glasses, seriously?”

“Kasie’s idea.” He grabbed them from your hands and put them on. They did look really good on him.

“Great idea.” You just said, avoiding what you were really thinking.

“So, those boundaries?”

“First, there’s only one bathroom so we need a schedule for that. Second, clothes on, always.”

“Aw, can’t I walk around my house naked?”

“Nor in your underwear for that matter.”

He chuckled. “Fine. Clothes on, 24/7.”

“I’m a terrible cook, so if you can take care of the food, that’d be nice.”

“I have no intention to die from poisoning so you got it.”

You punched his shoulder.

“And lastly, from the moment, we’ll—befriend him,” you struggled to say those words. “Let’s keep the PDA to—none.”

“I can’t even hold your hand?”

You sighed. “Fine. Okay from the hand holding.”

“Little kisses, here and there?”

“Alden.” You warned him and he laughed.

“Y/N, I promise I’ll keep my hands and my—mouth to myself.”

“Thank you.”

You started to walk out of the room. “But if he asks—what’s your favorite position?” You turned around to grab a pillow and threw it at him.

You could still hear him laugh when you left the bedroom. “Reverse missionary.”

This may not have been a good idea.

A routine quickly caught on. You woke up at the same time, you used the bathroom first while Alden drank his coffee and you switched. You went to work together, did what you had to do at the office, but made sure to get home early. You took walks outside, looking for the suspect but he was no where to be seen.

In evenings, Alden cooked for the two of you, you ate together while talking about nothing and everything. You watched stuff together and then went to bed to your separate bedrooms.

You tried to be as casual as possible but the truth was that you never lived with a man before. It was weird but also nice. Alden was really easy to be around, he was sweet and caring. A really great cook. And terribly handsome.

“I was thinking,” you said, as you set the table. “You’re not seeing anybody, are you?” Alden, who was finishing cooking, looked at you, surprised by that question. “No, I mean—if you are, I hope this situation isn’t causing any issue.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, there’s no one. What about you?”

“Same. No one.”

“How is that possible?” He asked, putting the plate in the middle of the table.

“Park, you’re a federal agent too, you know how it is.”

“Yes, but you’re a catch.”

You didn’t know what to answer. You knew he was just being honest, but you didn’t believe it. If someone was a catch in this, Alden was it.

Understanding that he made you uncomfortable, Alden changed the subject to something meaningless.

“I stopped by that French bakery earlier, and bought those macarons you like.”

As he handed you the package, all you wanted to do was to kiss him. You’ve been living with Alden with almost a week already and you were seeing differently. You were definitely attracted to him and you didn’t know how to deal with it. “Raspberries and chocolat, that’s your favorite, right?” Right, you’ve been silent for a moment.

“It is. Thank you, Alden.”

You did kiss him but just on the cheek. You lingered a little and he didn’t pull away at all. “You’re welcome, wife.” He whispered.

That night, you shared those macarons with him.

Finally, you ran into your suspect two days later. Alden was the first to spot him and he immediately grabbed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. You hadn’t seen the man yet, but still you didn’t pull away. You just looked at Alden, “Our killer, at 5.” Oh.

You purposely walked towards the man. Still holding your hand, Alden wrapped his arm around neck and kissed your temple. “Show off, Richard.” You smiled.

The man clearly spotted you and Alden and he was staring. At this moment, those boundaries you set were completely gone.

You stopped walking, so did Alden. You let go of his hand, in order to hold his face. Tiptoeing, you brought your lips to his. Alden didn’t need to be ask twice, his arms instantly circled your middle, bringing you closer to him and he intensify the kiss.

Was if you and Alden or [your undercover name] and Richard? You couldn’t tell.

You both greeted the man as you walked past him, but he was the one to engage the conversation. “Hi! Are you new in the neighborhood?” He asked.

Holding you close to him, Alden answered, “yes, we moved in this house over there,” he pointed at it, “a little more than a week ago.” He extended his hand to the man, “I’m Richard and this is my wife, [undercover name],” you shook hands with him and felt sick. But you had to stay professional.

“Very nice to meet you! You two look great together! Newly weds?”

“It’ll be our first anniversary next month,” you said. “We just moved to DC, actually.”

The conversation went on for a moment, until the man got what he wanted: an invitation at your place.

Through the entire time, Alden kept you next to him like a guard dog.

Or maybe you were overthinking.

“God I need a shower.” You growled as soon as you got home.

“Same. But I’m a gentleman so you go first.”

“Thanks!” You started to rush upstairs and Alden’s voice stopped you on your tracks.

“No PDA, huh?” He smiled.

“You started it, Richard!”

“Clearly wasn’t Richard who kissed you.” He called out.

In the rush you were, you forgot to grab some clothes before going to the bathroom. Wrapped in a tiny towel, you got out and walked to your room. “Y/N, I was thinking—“ Alden had appeared from his room and froze when he saw you. But you clearly saw him checking you out. Up and down.

Somehow, you didn’t feel uncomfortable. “Yes?” You asked.

“I was thinking that—you need to put some clothes on.” He licked his bottom lip. “Boundaries—and all.”

“Right. Be there in a minute,”

When you closed the door behind you, Alden leaned against the wall and tried to remember how to breath. You were so gorgeous, it was killing him to be 24/7 with you, especially after that kiss.

He looked at his fake wedding band.

After his divorce, he told himself he’d never get married again.

But maybe he could do it one more time.

With you?

“So, what were you thinking about?” You reappeared with clothes on.

So many things.

“We should share a room.” He stated. “I—I don’t like the idea that this guy can break in any night now, and that you’re not—next to me.” He was ready for your refusal so he prepared a few arguments.

“Okay,”

“Okay?”

“Yes. I mean—you’re right. We can’t take unnecessary risks, right?”

“Right. Totally.”

“So, we’ll sleep together tonight. In the same room.”

“Same bed.”

“Clothes on.”

You both laughed and he approved. Because it was for the best.

Again, he made dinner that night. You exchanged some texts with Jess and Kasie while you and Alden were watching the tv. A couple of weeks ago, you were one side of the couch and Alden was on the other. That night, you were sitting next to each other, shoulder against shoulder. You could even feel the back of his hand brushing your thigh.

“If I was your husband, I’d ask you who it is.”

“Aw, are you the jealous type, Alden?”

He turned his head to the side and locked eyes with you. “With you? I would. I’m an old man, I’d ask myself what the hell you’re doing with me. Every single day.”

You didn’t have any answer.

You threw your phone away and kissed him. It was more intense than the one in the park, and you were sure that this kiss was between you and Alden, not your alias.

He wrapped his arms around you and brought you onto his lap, kissing you all teeth and tongue.

It got hot very fast in the living room. His hands roomed over your body, he started to palm your breasts and you arched your back, giving him full access.

But instead of playing with them like you thought he would, he buried his head in your neck and inhaled sharply. “Something wrong?” You asked.

“Let’s wait until this is over, yes?” You reluctantly nodded. “I want to take on a date, to treat you right. And I want us to be just Y/N and Alden.”

“I like the sound of that.”

You kissed him again but kept it gentle. Then you went to bed—together. Both with your guns under your pillows, but you weren’t worried. You were in his arms and it felt so right. Nothing ever felt so right.

The day after, your suspect came to dinner like it was plan. Pretending to be a married couple wasn’t hard at all, it actually felt very natural for both of you. Those boundaries you set at first were completely forgotten.

The suspect broke in the same night. Alden took a few hits, but you took none and it was all that mattered to him.

A week later, Alden Parker took you on a date.

[daisymydaisy]

Elain seer predictions

(This post will include all the visions elain had in acowar)

Idk a lot about seer abilities but based on what we saw of elain’s powers, it shows that:

They’re able to see the future: “Twin ravens are coming, one white and one black.”

They’re able to see the unknown (something that already happened): “I saw a box of black stone. I saw a feather of fire land on snow and melt it.”

All the visions elain talked about might help predict next book’s plot (or just small mentions that might take place)

I will add some of my thoughts with each vision (my thoughts are not always right cuz apparently some people don’t get it)

Vision 1: The sea & heartbeats

“I can see so very far now. All the way to the sea.”

“I can hear your heartbeat—if I listen carefully. I can hear her heartbeat, too.”

Now elain said this while looking at the “sea beyond Sidra” so you might think she’s just trying her fae abilities but feyre knew that was not the case in the next line:

“I can hear the sea. Even at night. Even in my dreams. The crashing sea—and the screams of a bird made of fire.”

“Will I hear the earthworms writhing through the soil? Or the stretching of roots? Will the bird of fire come to sit in the trees and watch me?”

We all thought she went mad but well..it was just her seer abilities and that led the IC to find vassa.

Now with elain having visions about vassa and hearing her heartbeats...are they connected somehow? Because yes vassa helped in the war but I don’t think that was the only reason for the visions.

Vision 2: Through the stone

The very uncomfortable conversation between Lucien and elain led to some visions about a possible journey

While reading the quotes below i want you to notice how when elain is facing Lucien, she talks normally about things that already happened, like how he betrayed them, or how she remembers him from feyre’s stories (in case anyone wants to read it: it’s acowar chapter 24 may god be with you)

But when she faces the windows again she starts talking about all the stuff that doesn’t make sense.

“She looked away—toward the windows. “I can hear your heart,” she said quietly.”

“When I sleep,” she murmured, “I can hear your heart beating through the stone.” She angled her head, as if the city view held some answer. “Can you hear mine?”

I don’t think she was talking to lucien, especially since in the previous chapters she was talking about heatbeats.

Some elucien stans use the quotes above to support their ship, but knowing that previously elain heard vassa’s heartbeat....plus even lucien doubted elain was addressing him:

“He wasn’t sure if she truly meant to address him, but he said, “No, lady. I cannot.”

She just stared somewhere far through the window and mentioned how she could hear heartbeats through the stone, which reminds me of ACOSF when nesta was in the prison:

“She stared into the darkness above. “I think they used it to … to trap their enemies and their enemies’ children into the stone itself.”

Again she isn’t trying her new fae abilities, she saw something no one can, and we now know that some people are trapped in stone (honestly i was waiting for nesta to free them but i guess sjm is saving it for later)

Vision 3: He saw me

“No one ever does. No one ever looked—not really.” A bramble of words. Her voice strained to a whisper. “He did. He saw me. He will not now.”

Whenever i read this I’m like elain, honey—you mean to tell me the man who rejected you? the man who didn’t accept your new self? Something you couldn’t control.....He saw you? How in the living hel-

But then i read this post and it made sense, especially since no one guessed the suriel was talking about a different highlord, so why are we sure that elain was talking about graysen?

Considering elain is a seer, she either saw the future or the unknown. Now who is the only character who saw her?

“It made sense, I supposed, that Azriel alone had listened to her. The male who heard things others could not … Perhaps he, too, had suffered as Elain had before he understood what gift he possessed.”

This makes me think elain was shown the future, and saw herself with someone who understood her, but something happened he disappeared / died and he no longer sees her.

Vision 4: cassian dying

“He snapped your wings, broke your bones.” “It’ll take more than that to kill me,” “Elain only said to Cassian, “No, it will not.”

“Not twenty feet away, Cassian was on the ground. Wings—snapped in spots. Blood leaking from them. Bone jutted from his thigh. His Siphons were dull. Empty.”

Looking back, elain’s vision came true. That might’ve been the scene she saw and as a result she saved the day by killing the king.

But i added this just in case it wasn’t the scene she was talking about.....and to give you more anxiety :)

Vision 5: koschei

“They sold her—to … to some darkness, to some … sorcerer-lord …” She shook her head. “I can never see him. What he is. There is an onyx box that he possesses, more vital than anything … save for them. The girls. He keeps other girls—others so like her—but she … By day, she is one form, by night, human again.”

“Mor leaned forward. “Do you know why the other queens cursed her—sold her to him?”

“Elain studied the table. “No. No—that is all mist and shadow.”

Well, there are many theories about koschei (don’t know how you guys do it) and I’m not going to come up with more theories about my dude, but based on my quick research that onyx box contains his soul (or not? Please he’s so complicated) and the fact that elain saw it...

Here are also few questions:

Why was vassa sold and cursed? What did the queens gain from that? And why was this truth unknown to elain?

Vision 6: Vassa and Lucien

Right when Lucien said that he’ll bring vassa back, this happened:

“Elain now watched Lucien warily. Blinking every now and then. She revealed no hint of whatever she might be seeing—sensing. None.”

Elain saw something, and it wasn’t him dying because he came back unharmed. So what did she see?

This whole scene screams “goodbye” to me, because after this scene Lucien found his band of exiles. This was their last chance, and elain saw it all.

Even feyre—our baddest bish—saw it:

“A bird of flame … and a lord of fire. I wondered if they’d found each other yet.”

A bonus vlucien moment cuz why not (this scene was the last Lucien scene in acowar):

“Vassa still remained inside, chatting with Lucien animatedly. I supposed that if she only had until dawn before turning back into that firebird, she wanted to make every minute count. Lucien, surprisingly, was chuckling, his shoulders loose and his head angled while he listened.”

Also how did papa Archeron convince koschei to free vassa (temporary)?

Anyway like miss Morrigan said “There is a reason why Elain is seeing these things.”

[jemmo]

ok i never fell down the gramblack void (thank god) but even im mad. the handling of this situation was just so messy. bc the thing is, they were trying to pull that classic ‘oooh you think the guy is in love with his best friends girlfriend but sike hes gay hes in love with the best friend’ thing and what, reverse it??? pull a ‘oooooh you think hes gay but sike nope straight as can be’???? nope, im sorry, but that doesnt work for me. narratively yes, sure, white mistook the note and the letters on the figures and thought gram liked black, and that in itself was supposed to be a whole ‘sike you thought gram was stealing black’s girlfriend and that could be something to do with black getting attacked, but actually gram likes black so nope, couldnt have been him’, like early on they were going with this storyline to fit with the whole todd telling white to be suspicious of the gang bc one of them could’ve hurt black. but nope, turns out gram actually was trying to steal black’s girlfriend this entire time. and this whole gay sike nope thing not only feels kinda queerbait-ey, but its also just not a trope i feel that can be applied the other way around. the sike im gay thing works bc its always been established that gay people have to hide their feelings, especially gay people pining after straight friends. but that just doesnt make sense the other way around, straight people dont have to hide their straightness. you could argue gram had to hide his feelings bc of being blacks friend but hes more than happy to get involved with eugene while her relationship with black is still rocky so i dont see how thats a problem. but more so, straightness being narratively hidden by gayness just doesnt sit right with me. and im not sure if its better or worse that it happened in this show, where queerness is so present. bc yes you can say oh there’s already 2 gay couples, you dont need another, not everyones gay, but when you’re being presented with two characters and the idea of them being together, or one of them having a thing for the other, you’re gonna believe it so easily and simply bc gayness is not an impossibility in the show. plus this isnt me being mad about gramblack not happening just bc i liked them and shipped them. as i said, i never fell into the void, gramblack and the whole thing with eugene has always been the part of the show i cared about the least, but i still dont like this bc it just didnt work right for me. you build up gramblack with all these hints, gram being touchy and flirty with black, the whole conversation with yok, the bit on the bike, gram helping out black after the fire and when he was strangled by sean, all of the protest stuff, and for what?? bc in this ep not only do you say sike no gramblack, but you’ve slowly been removing gram from the gang in scenes he should be in for no reason, now that black is back you dont show us any connection between them even tho yeah he may not have feelings for him but all that relationship build up at least implies theyre friends and he cares. when black walked in that room, or when he found out it was white not black this entire time, he couldnt have gave less than a shit, he was just... fine. yok made sense, yok we’ve seen has very little connection with black and its very in yok’s character to just go with it. but gram??? he is black’s best friend, they go to class together, theyre close, at least thats what i thought. but now gram’s either mia or just hanging out like nothing happening outside of group scenes has any effect on whats happening. you’d think he’d try to talk to black about his feelings for eugene, or act weird around him, but no we got none of that build up either. and worst of all, gram has gone from what couldve been a loveable, kind character to someone stripped of all personality that just pursues a girl who has already rejected his advances. there was no build up to their relationship, no chemistry, he’s trying to be the whole knight in shining armour that treats eugene better than black, but what she actually deserves is to not be messed around with these boys and live her life. fine, if gramblack was just a sike, thats fine. gram already wasnt acting like he cared about black was doing that much bc he wasnt fucking there, so i already kinda stopped believing. but when gram kept on going after eugene, what would’ve been better si for black to walk into that room then, and for eugene to be worried and hug him and kiss him and for gram to see that black may be shitty, but eugenes always gonna care about him and love him more than gram. hes always gonna be second best, and so he lets go, moves on. no one gets together, there is no mess, eugene lives her life, black burns society down and gram goes back to being in the gang where he always shouldve been. not me has done so so much right that im fine just ignoring this whole thing bc ultimately it doesnt rlly affet anything, but the unnecessary mess its caused is just... its such a miss. sorry.  

[shadow-assassin-blix]

How do you like me now

William ‘Ironhead’ Miller x reader

Another song fic. Warnings: dumb ex, shitty parents. 

So, I’ve had this one on my mind for a long while, and I may actually write more about this one, like a mini series maybe. I also just like the thought of Will having a kid and the shenanigans. 

Everything: @mikeisthricedeceased 

Triple Frontier Boys: @artsymaddie @mcrmarvelloki​ 

Yeah, I was always the crazy one broke into the stadium

And I wrote your number on the 50-yard line

Will wouldn’t have admitted openly but when he was younger, he was a lot like Santi in that he slept around a lot. Broke many hearts when he was a teenager. To put it simply? He was an ass.

Time in the army changed that, especially when he met the men who would become his brothers. Between Pope, Catfish, and Redfly he was nowhere near the same person he was when he left high school. Benny liked to tease him a lot, whenever they came home to visit their parents.

In fact, that was what he was currently doing. He, and Benny, were driving home with Santi and Frankie in the back. His parents needed furniture moved out; they were downsizing to a smaller home.  So, the four of them were going to be their muscles for it.

Benny was exaggerating many parts of several stories, that caused Will to roll his eyes constantly before correcting him.

He pulled into the driveway of his parent’s home, quietly wondering whose car was parked in front of their house. He shrugged it off not thinking too hard on it. The four of them walked up to the door and knocked.

Their mother, Winnie Miller, opened the door with a smile, “My boys! You’re early!”

She greeted Santi and Frankie as they all came inside with hugs and cheek kisses.

“Figured we may as well get here as soon as possible to start moving stuff out,” Will explained as his mother fretted over him and Benny, stating ‘we were too skinny.’

“Well, I do have some company but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Come into the kitchen, we just made some cookies,” Winnie said as she led them forward.

Benny bounded forward excitedly rushing past their mother to the kitchen. As they caught up to him, Will noticed he had stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the person sitting at the island.

“Benny, what the hell are y-…” Will started to ask but stopped as he took her in as well.

He muttered her name as he watched her straightened up.

You were always the perfect one and a valedictorian

So under your number I wrote "Call for a good time"

“You mean She-Devil?” Benny grumbled glaring at her.

She waved awkwardly, and said, “Benny. Hey, Will.”

“What are you doing here, Venus?” Will asked her, using her old nickname from high school.

“Just uh… talking…” She answered biting her lip, looking uncomfortable at the attention she was receiving.

“Hm. Talking? Planning on running someone else over?” Benny asked mockingly.

“It was an accident,” She mumbled shaking her head.

“Is that another exaggeration?” Santi asked as he and Frankie moved to stand to the side.

“Nope. She jumped the curb and broke Will’s leg in 3 places!” Benny exclaimed, waving his arms.

Will winced slightly at that and scratched the back of his neck.

“Can you not?” Venus threw back crossing her arms.

“Benny. Chill. Just… go outside with the guys, please,” Will commanded him gently not wanting a fight to start.

Just then a small voice could be heard behind him, “Mommy?”

Venus tensed, taking a deep breath, before passing by him to walk into the living room. On the couch was a little girl, who had been taking a nap.

Will gazed at the girl noting she was about 3 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Blue eyes that looked eerily similar to his own.

“Benny. Seriously, go outside. Calm down,” Will called over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving Venus and her daughter.

He heard Benny huff and storm outside.

“I’ll go… talk to him,” Came Santi’s voice as he followed Benny.

Frankie looked at the two people in the living room, and then at Will. He could very easily connect the dots that was going on within Will’s brain.

Will stepped forward and glanced between her and the child.

“Something you want to tell me?” Will questioned her softly.

She sighed, picking her daughter up, who immediately clung to her neck.

“Her name is Charlotte,” She said quietly.

“…. After my grandmother?” Will murmured lowly.

She nodded once, not making eye contact.

Will nodded, rubbing his hand over his face, exasperated.

He walked back into the kitchen, giving his mother a pointed look.

“Give her a chance to explain,” Winnie pleaded.

He sighed heavily, before turning back around. However, she wasn’t there. He could hear doors closing and the sound of an engine starting up.

“Seems you got some splainin’ to do, brother,” Frankie stated as he snagged a cookie.

Will turned to his mother, and inquired, “How long have you known?”

“A couple of months. She… she was going through some things and came home to deal with some shit with her parents. I saw her at the grocery store with Lottie and knew immediately. Course, she tried to deny it at first, but Lottie looks exactly like you. Can’t fool me,” Winnie explained as Benny and Santi came back in.

“What are we talking about?” Benny was confused as to what he just walked into.

“Nothing,” Will said shortly, turning and walking out of the house.

He knew where she was heading. Same place she always did when she was stressed.

I only wanted to get your attention

But you overlooked me somehow

It was a 15-minute drive to the nearby park, and another 10 minutes following an old hiking path that led to a beautiful pond.

That was where she was, with her… their… daughter who was happily chasing after butterflies.

“Figured you’d be here,” He announced his arrival as he stood near her.

“You always did know me best,” She replied, not looking at him.

Will sat next to her on the worn bench that had been there since they were in high school. He fondly watched their daughter as she began to make flower crowns.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He softly asked her.

“Because it was a one-night stand, after far too many shots. Figured you didn’t want to see me ever again. When I found out I was pregnant… I wanted to tell you but…” She started but her voice faltered at the end.

“But you thought I would reject you?” He supplied as he stared at her, noting her teary eyes.

She nodded in response, “Yeah. Plus, there was… a lot of drama with my parents and I didn’t want to involve you.”

“My mother mentioned that. What happened?” Will wanted answers.

“You remember how I told you about my last ex, when we… were last together?” She began, waiting for his nod. “Imagine their reaction when they found out I was pregnant.”

He rolled his eyes up to the high heavens, “Let me guess? They threw a conniption?”

“…Sorta…” She said softly. “They disowned me.”

Will raised an eyebrow at that, “They what? Seriously?’

“Yep. No inheritance for me. We don’t even really talk anymore. They keep trying to say they’ll forgive me and give it back if I marry someone that they approve. Too bad I am not 16 anymore, desperate for their attention,” She said bitterly.

He snorted at that, “So, my mom discovered your secret. What’s been happening there?”

“She keeps insisting that I come over to eat. Says I’m too skinny. I think she also just likes being a grandma,” She replied with a shake of her head. “I have my own place, I just… go over there to keep her company. Don’t… don’t exactly have any friends here. At least not anymore.”

“Mh. She says that about everyone,” Will smiled. “You still have me.”

She looked over at him surprised, but appreciative. She gently scooted closer to him, giving him a side hug. He returned it, kissing the top of her head.

“Mommy? Who this?” Came Lottie’s voice.

They parted, and looked toward her, and her handful of flowers.

“Lottie. This is Will…your daddy,” She introduced her pulling her in close.

She looked at Will with wide eyes, before making grabby hands toward him. Will chuckled as he picked her up, letting her stand on his legs.

“Hi sweetheart,” He said sweetly to her.

She smiled shyly, looking down at her feet for a moment.

“May I hug you?” Her voice softly asked.

Will nodded with a smile, holding his arms out accepting the hug that she gave him. Her grip tightened after a moment and she collapsed against him. He held her in his arms, glancing over at Venus who was watching them fondly.

Besides you had too many boyfriends to mention

And I played my guitar too loud

An hour later, he was returning home alone. Venus took Charlotte home to finish her nap; they had made plans to have dinner together tonight.

He stepped inside the house with a heavy sigh, tossing his keys onto the side table near the door. He made his way back into the kitchen, where the guys and his parents were gathered drinking lemonade and eating cookies.

He snatched a glass from the cabinet and poured out some lemonade. He took a drink from it as his parents excused themselves to the living room.

“What the hell is going on Will?” Benny asked crossing his arms.

“Better question, who was the babe that apparently ran you over?” Santi chimed in looking at the two of them.

Will walked over to the table, taking a seat, waiting for the guys to join him.

“Venus… was the head cheerleader who I dated for several months. I broke up with her…. a week after we finally slept together… Needless to say…. She didn’t take it well,” Will began to explain.

“‘Didn’t take it well.’ Sure. That’s putting it lightly,” Benny rolled his eyes.

“She really ran you over?” Santi asked incredulously.

Will nodded once, wincing at the memory.

“So, yeah. She did that. Then we never really spoke to one another…until about 4 years ago,” Will continued.

“You saw her 4 years ago? Why? What the hell prompted you to talk to the She-Devil?” Benny questioned angrily.

“Hey, enough with the ‘She devil’ stuff alright? It…. Was some time after Jessica called off our engagement. Was at a bar… so was she… we talked,” Will explained vaguely.

“You mean the two of you got shit faced and slept together?” Santi laughed.

Will shrugged somewhat, avoiding eye contact with Benny.

“She had been engaged herself… and… the guy was killed in a hit and run incident… 3 days before their wedding. Apparently, her parents didn’t approve of him because he was an artist, not something fancy like a lawyer. Her parents had no sympathy for her,” Will cleared his throat briefly. “So, yeah. We drank. We slept together….”

“…made a kid…” Frankie coughed quietly.

Benny’s face became one of pure disbelief before he stood up, shaking his head, and leaving the room.

“The little tyke we saw earlier?” Santi clarified.

Will and Frankie both nodded, with Frankie adding with a tease, “Looked just like Will too. Frown and all.”

Will rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face as he thought about how much Charlotte looked like him.

When I took off to Tennessee

I heard that you made fun of me

Approximately 2 hours later, Will had cleaned up and stood in front of Venus’ apartment. He knocked firmly and heard a small set of feet run to the door. He heard the doorknob jiggle a few times before it finally turned, and the door swung open.

He looked down, spotting his mini me, shyly looking around the door.

“Hi,” She quietly said, opening the door a little wider for him.

“Hey sweetie,” Will greeted her with a smile, stepping inside. “Where’s your mom at?”

“In here!” Came Venus’ voice from further in the apartment.

Charlotte grabbed his pants leg, tugging on it slightly. Will squatted down near her, closing and locking the door as he did.

“Mommy’s trying to impress you, but she’s not the best cook,” Charlotte whispered to him.

Will snorted softly, nodding his head, “She wasn’t a good cook when we were younger either. Let me go see if I can save dinner yeah?”

Charlotte giggled at that, and the two of them made their way toward the kitchen.

Will came up beside Venus and asked, “So, what are you making?”

“It… it was supposed to be chicken alfredo but… apparently the kitchen still hates me when I try to cook because nothing turned out right,” She answered biting her lip, looking dejected as she tried turned off the stove.

Will looked at it and noted that she had burned a great deal of it, and not much could be rescued.

“So… Pizza?” Will suggested looking back at her.

She shrugged, grabbing the takeout menus and setting them out. Will watched as she walked down the hallway, mumbling she was going to clean up a bit. Will ordered the food, and then cleaned the pans, tossing out the inedible food. When the pans were clean, he told Charlotte to go clean up as well, while he checked on Venus.

He walked toward her bedroom, noting the light coming from it. He took a step knocking lightly on the door looking around for her. She wasn’t in the bedroom, so he moved over to the ensuite bathroom.

“Venus? You okay?” He quietly asked her.

He didn’t hear a response, so he gently pushed open the door. She was standing at the sink, glaring down at it. He leaned against the counter, his hand gently resting on top of hers.

She glanced at it, her gaze slowly moving up to meet his.

“Sorry for ruining dinner. Guess I should stick to baking, never have a problem there,” She said to him with a small shrug.

“Sweetie… I knew the second we decided to have dinner, that it would probably be takeout. I don’t mind. Maybe, I need to teach you how to cook…or at least see where you keep going wrong,” Will lightly teased her.

She weakly chuckled, “I might take you up on that. Does… does that mean you may stick around?”

“Probably… We’ll talk more later,” Will promised. “Now, let’s go watch a movie while we wait for pizza.”

She nodded, and without letting go of her hand, he walked with her back to the living room. Charlotte was on the floor in front of the movie case, trying to pick out a movie.

She eventually chose Big Hero Six, the three of them settling onto the couch to watch it. Will got up about 30 mins in to grab and pay for the pizza. Once everyone had a slice, and drinks, they resumed. Charlotte fell asleep after a slice and a half, toward the end of the movie.

Will easily picked her up, following Venus to her room. He tucked her into bed, Venus placing a large polka dot elephant in with her.

When they stepped back out, Venus whispered, “That elephant is her favorite, she will not sleep through the night if it’s not with her.”

“Good to know,” Will whispered back, looking down at her fondly.

Venus could feel her face warm at the look Will was giving her, and felt her breath hitch slightly, as Will leaned down. He paused, waiting to see if she objected to him making a move. When he saw none, he continued, pressing his lips lightly to hers.

Venus froze for a moment, before responding, kissing back more firmly. Will’s hand came to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing against it softly. His other arm, wrapped around her waist, pulling her in close. Her hands clenched at the fabric of his shirt, wrinkling it.

They kissed for what felt like hours but was really only minutes. When they parted, they were breathless.

“Think we should have that talk,” Venus murmured her head resting against his chest.

She felt him nod and the two of them walked back into the living room, sitting on the couch.

For a moment it was quiet, as both of them worked up the courage to speak.

“I want the both of you in my life,” Will started eventually.

“You do?” Venus was surprised.

“Yeah… Not going to lie… seeing you 4 years ago… made me realize just how much I regretted what I did in high school…” Will admitted.

“….Why did you break up with me? Because… you said it was for a bet, but… Andrew didn’t recall such a bet when we dated,” Venus said with a raised eyebrow.

“Can’t believe you dated him. Andrew was such a dick…” Will shook his head. “I broke up with you… because… I was terrified. It was our senior year… I had no plans for college, but you did… Felt like I was going to… hold you back or disappoint you.”

Venus stare at him with wide eyes before smacking him on the arm.

When she heard the satisfying ‘ow’ in response, she spoke, “You were never a disappointment… nor did I think you would hold me back. When I heard you left for the army, I was extremely proud of you. Worried as hell, but proud.”

Never imagined I'd make it this far

Then you married into the money girl

“You were worried for me?” Will asked curiously.

“Yeah. I was. Just because we weren’t together didn’t mean I stopped caring about you. I always wanted to ask your mom about you, but I figured she hated me for the whole… broken leg thing,” she said with a wince.

He laughed at that, “No. She told me I had it coming. Was surprised you didn’t try to hit me twice.”

Venus giggled a little at that.

“Can I ask you something? Why the hell are you still here, in this town with your shit parents?” Will asked her seriously.

“Rent agreement is 6 months. I have another month to get through. Don’t know what I’ll do after that,” Venus said simply.

Will thought for a few minutes, before proposing, “There’s… there’s several houses for rent in Castle Rock… in my neighborhood. You… you and Charlotte could come live near me?”

“Think you could handle us being that close to you? You know Lottie will want to come see you a lot. She… She gets attached quickly. Please don’t break her heart,” Venus requested firmly.

“I understand. I have no plans of hurting either of you, but you and I both know you need to get out of this town. It’s not good for you nor her to be around your parents,” Will said concerned, his hand brushing against her cheek.

“I know… You’re right. I only came back because apparently my grandparents left me everything, and my parents… were not happy. Tough shit,” Venus scoffed. “They keep dragging in lawyers to try and dispute the will. It’s been such a pain in the ass.”

“What exactly is there to dispute? Didn’t your grandparents change their will when we graduated high school?” Will questioned.

She nodded, “Though… most people assumed it was them trying to spoil me. In reality, my parents didn’t approve of me going into architecture. So, they put limits on my accounts, thinking that if they made it difficult for me to pay for things that I would suddenly change my major and do something I had no interest in.”

Will rolled his eyes, thinking back to when they had dated, how her parents never approved him. He wasn’t on the football team, with straight A’s or a plan for college. He played lacrosse, made decent grades and the only thing he look forward to was riding his Harley.

“I guess… the next thing we should talk about is us,” Venus said after a moment.

“Yeah… when… when we last saw each other we were both going through some intense shit. However, I don’t regret it. Or the result of it. Maybe we could… try dating again, not... start over necessarily but…” Will said with a sigh.

“Fresh page sort of thing?” Venus supplied biting her lip for a moment.

“Yeah. That sounds good. Um. So, I going to be here for a few days helping my parent’s move…” Will began.

“Yeah. Your mother has roped me into helping pack up the glassware and such. So… we will be seeing each other a lot… How pissed is Benny?” She asked with a small wince.

“He’ll get over it. But I figured you could meet my best friends and we could go out on more relaxed dates for a time?” Will offered reaching over to take her hand in his.

She smiled and nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion.

Ain't it a cruel and funny world?

He took your dreams, and he tore them apart

The next day rolled around, and as he woke up at 5am exactly like the others, he figured he and Benny needed to talk. He motioned for Benny to step outside with him, and with a frown, he does so.

“Look… I know you don’t like her for the shit she did when we were in high school. However, we were both just as bad. I forgave her for that shit years ago and so did she. I’m going to need you to try and tolerate her. Especially when her daughter is also your niece. Please, do not start a fight,” Will begged him.

Benny stared at him for a few minutes, before finally looking away, mumbling something under his breath.

He sighed heavily, turning to look back at Will who stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure. I’ll…try…I make no promises,” Benny grumbled after a moment.

“I’ll take it. She should be here in a bit, to help mom pack up,” He warned Benny.

“Why does this matter so much to you? I get wanting to be civil for the kid’s sake, but you always said that you didn’t care about her after y’all broke up,” Benny was trying to understand what was going through his brother’s head.

“… I lied. I… I never her told her this but her parents made sure to let me know that I was just going to hold her back and be a disappointment to her. Well. She knows the latter half… she doesn’t know it came from her parents. I let them get into my head and I broke her heart to make it easier,” Will explained as he tucked his hands into pants pockets.

“Shit… You let those freaks into your head? Explains why you were so miserable for so long,” Benny replied, scoffing.

Will did a half shrug as they walked back inside to see Frankie serving breakfast, waffles and bacon. The four of them ate making plans on which rooms they should work on first. After creating a plan of attack, it was almost 7am and there was a quiet knock at the door.

Benny was the one who went and answered it. Will closed his eyes, tensing, expecting raised voices and fists landing.

Benny answered the door, finding Venus standing there with Charlotte in her arms. Venus straightened up as she realized who stood there.

“Morning,” Benny greeted first.

“Mornin’. Lottie. This is Benny, he’s your uncle. He’s a bit silly,” Venus introduced Charlotte to him, softly.

Charlotte looked at him, shyly waving at him.

“Hi,” She said with a small wave.

“Hey. C’mon in. Frankie made waffles if you’re hungry?” Benny offered waving them in.

“Oooh. Waffles? Waffles are your favorite, isn’t that right sweetie?” Venus cooed to her.

Lottie nodded with a small yawn.

Benny escorted them back into the kitchen where Frankie was cleaning up the mess he made after serving breakfast, and Santi & Will were sitting at the table still. Lottie upon seeing Will, wiggled down in her Venus’ arms, wanting to be set down. Venus placed her on the ground, straightening out her clothes for a moment before letting Lottie run over to Will.

When she stood near him, he immediately picked her up and placed her in his lap, and she curled up into his arms.

Frankie quietly called for Venus’ attention, asking her, “Would she like a full waffle or half?”

“Half. She never finishes a full. Thank you,” Venus said appreciating him as he took a waffle and cut it in half.

He cut a slice of bacon in half as well, before coming over to Will with the food and syrup. Venus quietly grabbed from the fridge a small container of fresh mixed fruit, grabbing a small plastic bowl to scoop some into it. She served the fruit alongside the waffles that Lottie was currently devouring.

“Slow down sweetie, the food isnt going anywhere. You are going to make yourself sick eating that fast,” Venus lightly warned her.

Charlotte slowed down after that, mumbling a quiet sorry.

She finished eating about 20 minutes later, and thanked Frankie for the food, stating, “It was really good.”

Frankie smiled brightly and told her, “You are very welcome, honey.”

By then Will’s parents had woken up and were dressed for the day. They made their own plates and were eating as Benny told them the plan.

Will noticed Venus hadn’t made herself anything and was simply leaning against one of the counters in the kitchen, waiting.

Will stood up, placing Charlotte in his seat with a quick kiss on the head.

Will stood next to her, and said lowly, “There’s plenty of food for you to eat as well.”

Venus sighed softly, “I know. Not really hungry. Never am when my parents call.”

“What did they say this time?” Will asked looking at her with slight concern.

“The usual. I’m a disappointment. We didn’t raise you to be like this. If you just did what we asked, things would be easier for the both of you. We want to know our granddaughter and you are depriving us. Blah Blah Blah,” Venus said in a monotoned voice.

“Tch. They had plenty of opportunities to get to know her. Don’t let them ruin your day, simply because they want to be manipulative and guilt trip you,” Will stated matter-of-factly.

Venus nodded, understanding him, but it was still difficult to do. She had heard the same lines long before she left high school. In fact, she started hearing them when she dated Will because he wasn’t on their approved list of suitors. Honestly, that fact alone made her like Will even more, because it meant she didn’t have to put on a façade.

They didn’t get to say much more as his parents finished up, and his mother wandered over to her to start wrapping and packing up the fragile items. It was quiet work as the guys moved out furniture onto a truck, some furniture was going to their new place in Denver, but many others were being donated to other families in town who needed them.

Charlotte helped by dispensing tape for a while before growing bored and running to go supervise the guys. Venus shook her head, chuckling.

“It seems things are going pretty well with you and Will…” Winnie’s teased her. “I notice he didn’t come home until late last night.”

Venus cleared her throat, as she felt her face warm up.  After their talk, they had spent a great deal of time… getting reacquainted with one another.

“I have no idea what you are talking about Winnie,” She replied her voice cracking halfway through.

“I haven’t seen him happy in a long time. Or that relaxed. He is usually always tense when he comes home, no matter who is with him or what is going on. I assume he knows what’s going on?” Winnie asked her as they taped up some boxes.

“Yeah. He knows. Told me that uhh… there are some houses up for rent around his neighborhood. I might… see into that,” She informed Winnie, her movements slowing down as she thought about it.

“What’s that big ol’ brain of yours thinking now? I can see you getting lost in your thoughts. Or should I say your insecurities,” Winnie was always able to see right through her.

“Just… worried he’s going to change his mind… about us… about Charlotte. I don’t want to live closer to him just to have my heart broken again,” Venus confessed quietly.

“I understand. You cannot tell him I ever told you this but… when you were teenagers your father said a lot of things to him. Made him feel like this relationship was only going to end in misery. He left because he thought it was best despite the fact that he was miserable without you,” Winnie’s voice dropped as well.

Venus stared at her surprised. Everything made so much more sense now. She never understood why the breakup and even though Will had told her last night that he felt like he would be disappointment, she still didn’t understand where that came from. Now she did. Her father planted seeds of doubt and the both of them suffered because of it.

He never comes home, and you're always alone

And your kids hear you cry down the hall

A few hours had passed, and they had moved furniture out of at least 3 rooms and moved them to their new homes. Will chuckled as he watched Charlotte, or Charlie as Benny has taken to calling her, played with Benny in the front yard.

Benny and Frankie had stripped off their over shirts, Benny in a tank and Frankie in a simple white tee. Will and Santi had taken their shirts off completely, all four of them trying to cool off as they rested.

Venus stepped outside at that point with an armful of water bottles. She passed one out to everyone, checking on Charlotte.

“Sweetie, why don’t you come sit in the shade for a bit,” She said bringing her over to the porch.

Charlotte got onto the porch swing, drinking from her small water bottle, with a sigh. Venus quietly looked her over, noting she looked like she had a bit of sunburn on her shoulders.

Venus looked over at the guys who were sprawled out all over the yard.

“Ya know… there’s this thing called air conditioning inside the house. If ya’ll want to crawl back inside. Drink your water… there’s also cold beer,” She tempted the four of them.

At the mention of cold beer, Benny and Santi popped up immediately, making their way inside. Frankie got up as well, but not as quickly. He chugged down his water, muttering a thanks to Venus as he joined the guys inside. Charlotte after a moment, followed them in as well, wanting to cool off.

Will, who was sitting on the steps, simply patted the spot next to him. Venus joined him with a smile, leaning against him lightly.

“So, your mom doesn’t want the four of you to strain yourselves. She wants you to take it easy tomorrow. I was thinking… maybe… we could go check out those rent houses if you were up for it,” Venus proposed, her chin resting against his bicep as she stared at him.

“Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. Charlotte can come with or she can stay here and be doted on by her grandparents,” Will said with a small chuckle.

“Oh, I’m sure she’ll want to stay here since Grandma Winnie plans to make more cookies tomorrow,” Venus said a smile on her face.

They spoke a little while longer, making plans for tomorrow, when a car pulled up to the house. A very nice and expensive car.

Venus stared at it with narrow eyes as she watched Andrew McIntosh step out.

“What are you doing here Andrew?” She asked him not bothering to stand up.

“Well. Your dear ole mother said you were refusing to answer her calls and wanted to know if you were okay. So, she asked me to come check on you,” Andrew answered looing at the house with disinterest.

“Well. I’m fine as you can see. Now leave. I don’t want to see or speak to you ever again,” Venus growled her body tensing with anger.

Will quietly placed his hand on her shoulder, before standing up.

He squared up in front of Andrew and said, “You’ve done your task, now get off my property.”

Andrew scoffed at him, “Can’t believe you. You were so desperate to get away from her. Kept claiming she was so damn clingy and needy.”

“No. That was you. I vaguely remember knocking you on your ass for it too. Seriously, get off my property before I remind you of all the times I kicked your ass when we were younger,” Will promised him.

Andrew shook his head, but even Venus could see that he was nervous, as he backed away. Andrew walked away and got back into his car, driving away.

Venus stood up as Will turned around, he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

“You really need to block your parents,” Will said after a moment.

“I know. She called once and then sent that shithead to come “check on me.” Most likely he’s going to go back to my mother and tell her I’m here and then I’ll get yet another phone call today. Such fun for me,” Venus said with a roll of her eyes.

Venus stared at him for a moment, before slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms went to her waist, instinctively.

“Thank you for defending my honor. I appreciate it. I regret ever dating him,” She muttered to him.

She stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. He kissed her back, deepening the kiss. They kissed for a good minute before parting. The two of them smiled at each other before heading inside, holding hands.

As the guys drank and cooled off, Venus took the opportunity to bring Charlotte to the spare bedroom and apply some soothing lotion to her shoulders before putting her down for a nap. Once she was asleep, which didn’t take long, Venus stepped back out into the living room, and took a seat next to Will as they all talked.

About 30 minutes had passed when her phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen noticing the name was Horrid Woman aka her mother. Will noticed it and motioned for her to answer it. She does so, staring at him curiously. When it connected, he hit the speaker button.

“Young lady. You have so much explaining to do. Why in the world are you with that… that… hoodlum? You are going to send me to an early grave I swear. Enough is enough. It is time for you to come home and stop this nonsense. We’ve allowed you to have your rebellious phase, but it is now time for you to grow up and act like an adult. I swear I don’t know where I went wrong with you,” Her mother’s shrill voice ranted.

“‘That hoodlum?’ Seriously mom? Can you sound more like an 80s sitcom? I am not coming home. I am not going through a phase. Stop calling. Stop sending people to check on me. I don’t want anything to do with you, or dad,” Venus spoke calmly but her rage was stirring.

“Why I never… He is no good for you. All he will do is disappoint you and break your heart again. He’s done it once before,” Her mother continued.

“Yeah. about that… tell me mother… how much shit were you and dad spewing to him when we were together? Hmm? The way I see it, I was happy, and you couldn’t control me anymore. So, you two did what you do best: destroyed everything. Got me back under your thumb for a time. Sadly, for you, I am not a teenager desperate for your love and attention. I’m blocking this number, do not call me ever again,” Venus ended the call, blocking it immediately.

Venus tossed her phone onto the coffee table, standing up and walking down the hallway needing to be alone for a minute.

Benny was the first to react, “How are her parents still that much of a nightmare?”

Will shrugged, standing up as well, searching for her. He eventually found her in the laundry room, small sniffles filling the room. He gently pulled her into his arms, holding her as she cried quietly. He often found her in a similar state when they were younger, hidden away somewhere to cry in private after an argument with her parents. He knew from past experiences, to just be there for her and let her cry.

Alarm clock starts ringin' who could that be singin'

It's me baby, with your wake up call

The rest of the evening went smoother, the guys crashed in the bedroom they had been in last night. Will and Venus crashed on the couch, curled around each other. They fell asleep together, enjoying one another’s company.

Venus woke up, with her back to Will’s chest. She opened her eyes, feeling something nudging her. She looked down to see Lottie trying to join them. She checked the time, noting it was still early morning. She repositioned herself to lie on her back and pulled Lottie onto her chest, tossing the blanket over her.

“Bad dream sweetie?” Venus quietly asked her.

Charlotte nodded once, burying her face into her chest. Will, who woke up slightly, wrapped his arms around the both of them. The 3 of them fell back to sleep for a few more hours.

Winnie woke up a bit early, getting dressed, and making her way downstairs. She stopped short when she spotted the scene that was before her on the couch. She pulled out her phone to take a photo of it. Some time in the night they had shifted to where Will was on his back, Venus tucked under one arm, and Charlotte sprawled out on his chest.

Winnie made her way into the kitchen, finding the boys in the kitchen making breakfast.

“Good morning my boys. Ready to be my packing helpers today?” Winnie asked them, making herself a cup of coffee.

“Yes ma’am,” Santi answered, handing her a plate of food.

“One second, let me go and get my grandbaby. She’s an inch away from rolling off them and onto to the floor,” Winnie said setting her cup down next to the plate.

Winnie made her way over to them, gently waking Charlotte up as she picked her up off of Will’s chest. Charlotte grumbled a moment before rubbing at her eyes, slowly waking up.

“Good morning my sweet. Let’s go get dressed and have breakfast, hmm” Winnie cooed to her taking her to the spare bedroom.

Will woke up when he heard his mother, opening his eyes eventually. He looked down at Venus, gently waking her up too. Venus stretched gently, slowly sitting up. The two of them quietly got up and got ready for the day, parting briefly to go to separate rooms.

Will stepped out, watching with some surprise as Venus and Benny talked at the island, and were actually being civil with one another. Charlotte was with his mom, eating quietly, and his dad was talking to Santi and Frankie over coffee. He took in the moment, sighing softly.

How do like me now? Yeah

How do you like me now?

Eventually, later on that morning, Venus and Will were in his neighborhood meeting with the realtor that had been working with his parents. The realtor was an older woman named Susan, who gave off mom vibes.

Susan had about 4 houses for Venus to look at. The first two were no’s due to the amount of work that they needed to be done for both of them. The third one was small and not in the best location. The fourth one was alright, not too terrible and was down two streets from his.

“This one has 3 beds, 2 baths. Open floor space for the kitchen and living room. And of course, a nice backyard for any little ones,” Susan said as she showed them the house.

Then one appeared to be the winner; an hour later she had signed all of the necessary documents and was given the key to her new home. By the time everything was said and done, it was late in the afternoon. Will had a small idea, and instead of driving out of the neighborhood, drove her to his place.

He parked the car, and led her inside telling her, “Figured you and I could have dinner together. Catch up. Have… have some alone time.”

She smiled brightly at that, nodding her head.

Now that I'm on my way

Do you still think I'm crazy

They spent the evening together, enjoying one another’s presence. That night they slept together, exploring each other’s bodies. Since they were alone, they could be as loud as they wanted to. They fell asleep in each other’s arm, content.

When they woke up, Venus felt oddly on edge. It took her a few minutes to fully realize why she felt strange.

“As much as I like this… can we head back to your parent’s? I’m not used to being away from Charlotte for so long,” Venus requested once she thought about it.

Will nodded, understanding, “I get it. Let’s get dressed and we can head back to the house.”

They do just that, and when they pull up to the house, and make their way up to the door, Will threw his arm around her shoulders, kissing her cheek.

They stepped inside, and immediately were ambushed by a small child who rapidly spoke about her day.

“Honey, you gotta slow down a bit there,” Venus laughed picking her up.

“Uncle Benny let me watch movies until midnight and we ate popcorn and candy. Uncle Santi and Frankie went to bed early, but they helped me build a blanket fort in the living room,” She repeated going slightly slower.

“Oh? Uncle Benny gave you sugar after 10pm? Oh no. That means my little gremlin will appear soon, doesn’t it?” Venus said somewhat joking but also with a hint of dread.

Charlotte had a tendency to have a sugar rush and crash, but she gets extremely grumpy when she is about to crash.

“Well. You are about to experience a potential temper tantrum,” She warned Will as Lottie wanted to go back to Benny, running.

“I’m sure I can handle it, doll. Dealt with these 3 children for the past 10 years. Trust me, nothing she does will compare to them,” Will said softly.

An hour into moving more furniture out, the dreaded crash began to take hold. Charlotte was refusing to do anything that she was asked. She would either ignore the person talking to her or she would stomp away. Venus sighed heavily as she walked after her, after Venus told her to go sit somewhere safe while the guys were lifting heavy furniture.

She finds her on the staircases, arms crossed, frowning, and staring at the floor.

“Lottie. C’mon. Let’s go sit somewhere,” Venus held out her hand for her to take.

Charlotte just shakes her head, pushing her hand away.

“Charlotte,” Venus said more firmly.

“NO!” Came her voice loudly.

Will, who was helping clear out a nearby room, heard the shout. Will walked toward the sound, spotting Venus standing there with her eyes closed as she tried to calm herself down. Venus knew it was because Charlotte was tired, but her refusing to listen to her was frustrating.

“Lottie. Can you come here sweetie?” Will asked squatting down.

Charlotte slowly walked over to him, frown still in place.

“What’s the matter? Hm? Are you tired?” Will questioned, his voice soft.

Lottie, after a moment, nodded.

“Then why don’t we go take a nap hm?” Will proposed, moving to pick her up.

“But I don’t wanna nap!” She said as she squirmed in his grip.

“Then how about we just lay down for a moment?” Will countered as they stepped into her room.

He laid her down, and even joined her on the tiny bed.

“Sweetie. You can’t be yelling at your mom, okay? She was just wanting to keep you safe. We are moving a lot of really heavy stuff. If we didn’t see you or if we lost our grip on something and you were nearby, it would really hurt you, okay?” His voice stayed soft as he spoke to her.

She nodded her head, “I’m sorry daddy.”

Will still wasn’t used to hearing her call him that. Hell, he doubted he ever will. Hearing her call him ‘dad/daddy’ made his heart swell with so much emotion.

“It’s not me you need to say that to,” He tells her.

Lottie yawned loudly, her eyes drifting she shut as she mumbled an ‘okay.’

He waited a few minutes, to make sure she was asleep, before standing up. He tucked her polka dot elephant in with her, before closing the door behind as he stepped out.

He made his way back to Venus who stared at him with wide eyes.

“Magic. You are magic. I’ve… I’ve never been able to get her to go down for a nap that easily when she’s upset,” Venus stated in disbelief.

“Told you. Dealt with grumpier children. And all 3 of them are my brothers,” Will said with a shrug.

A chorus of “hey’s” came from the other room, causing them to laugh.

Standing here today?

I couldn't make you love me

That had been about 5 months ago. In that time, Venus and Charlotte had moved into the new house and Will practically lived there. They had gone on several dates, some with Charlotte and some without.  On those dates, Grandma Winnie was more than happy to spoil her “favorite grandchild.”

When Will wasn’t with them, he was still doing his lectures and meets at the VA offices. Or working with Benny during his tournaments. It felt strange to say it, but Will found himself enjoying life more. It didn’t feel like a monotonous routine; it wasn’t boring anymore.

Will was currently on his way back from a tournament that Benny came in second place. Benny was bummed out and had planned to meet up with Santiago to go drinking. Will was tired, having been up since 3 am and wanting nothing more than to just collapse into a bed. He had planned on going to his home but found himself turning onto Venus’ street.

He pulled up to the house, parking with a heavy sigh. He got out of his car, walking up to the door and knocking twice. A minute passed and the door swung opened revealing Venus who was in just a silk nightgown.

“Hey, I heard about the tournament. How’s Benny doing?” She asked as she let him inside.

“Upset but that’s nothing new. He’ll be fine by morning. Is Lottie asleep?” Will questioned noting how quiet the house was despite it being 8pm.

“Grandma Winnie decided she wanted to steal her for the night. Something about a Disney movie marathon? So… It’s just us,” She explained softly, biting her lip.

“Oh… is that so?” Will smirked as he slid his hands around her waist.

He swiftly picked her up and carried her to her room, wanting to take advantage of this time. Her giggles sounded down the hallway before turning into moans as they landed on her bed.

Despite the fact that they’ve been dating almost 5 months, they haven’t been able to do anything too salacious without something interrupting them.

Tonight, apparently would be no different. Will had just tossed off his shirt and was working her nightgown off when a phone rang. Will collapsed with a groan, Venus growling loudly in annoyance.

Venus reached over to grab her phone and answered it with a sigh, “Hello?”

“Hey honey, I am so sorry to interrupt but I wanted you to know that Charlotte is running a fever. I gave her some children’s Tylenol, but she keeps asking for you and Will. He wouldn’t happen to be there with you, would he?” Came Winnie’s worried voice.

“Shit. Yeah. He’s with me. We’ll be over in a little bit,” Venus replied sitting up with Will.

“No need. I am on my way already. She was very adamant that only your chicken noodle soup would help,” Winnie said with a weak laugh.

“Okay. We’ll be here,” Venus said as she hung up. “Lottie has a fever. Your mom is bringing her back.”

“Was she feeling bad when she left?” Will asked as he threw his shirt back on.

“She had said she felt like her nose was stuffed but I figured it was just allergies. She didn’t say anything else was wrong,” Venus answered, concern lacing her features.

“Well, we will make her some soup and go from there. C’mon,” Will nodded, kissing her cheek trying to assure her.

The two of them got up, and made their way into the kitchen, fixing themselves up as they moved. It didn’t take long for a knock to sound on the door. Will, leaving Venus to heat up soup, answered it.

“Hey ma,” He greeted before turning his attention to Lottie in her arms. “Hey lil bug. What’s wrong my sweet girl?”

He gently took her from his mother’s arms and held her close as she sniffled.

“Don’t feel good,” Charlotte whispered, her voice sounding scratchy.

“Ohno. Well. Momma’s making soup and then you are going to bed,” Will told her as he walked into the kitchen.

His mother came in and told Venus when she gave Charlotte medicine and symptoms and such. Once she was done with that, she made her way back home.

Charlotte quietly ate her soup when it was done, coughing once or twice. She finished about 20 minutes later before turning to Venus, holding her arms out to her. Venus, with a soft smile, picked her up and carried her to Lottie’s room, tucking her in softly.  

Will was waiting for Venus in her room when she stepped inside.

“You know she’s going to be in here in like 20 minutes, right?” Will joked as the both of them crawled under the covers.

“I know. Habit to just tuck her into her own bed. Plus, she might not, she was practically asleep when I laid her down,” Venus said as she laid down on her side, curling up to Will who was on his back.

Will hummed quietly in response as the two of them laid there in comfortable silence.

15 minutes later, Venus was asleep, and Will was almost there too when he felt a small tug on his side of the blanket. He looked down to see Charlotte quietly staring up at him. He leaned down slightly, picking her up and letting her crawl under the covers. She collapsed onto his chest, one arm firmly holding her polka dot elephant.

She was out in seconds, and as Will wrapped his other arm around her, he looked at the both of them. His beautiful daughter and the woman he was falling back in love with.

He never imagined this. He never thought he would have this: a family to call his own. He loved it far more than he would ever admit.

But I always dreamed about living in your radio

How do you like me now?

It has been a year since Venus re-entered his life with Charlotte. Since then, Will had moved into her house and sold his old place.

The three of them were currently getting ready to go out to dinner with the guys. It didn’t take very long for them to get dressed and on the road.

They arrived at the restaurant, joining the guys with smiles. Frankie had Isabella with him, who was giggling happily when she saw Charlotte. The two of them became fast friends and had play dates often.

Charlotte sat in Will’s lap and gently played with Isabella who was in a highchair. Venus and Will ordered their drinks before looking over the menu.

The guys chatted happily with them, ordering their meals as they talked.

Lottie gently tugged at Venus’s hand, quietly telling her she needed to go potty. Venus took Lottie to the bathroom, swiftly.

“So… when you going to propose to her?” Frankie asked casually as he took a sip of his beer.

“Soon. I got the ring earlier today,” Will said with a small smile.

“Real question is which one of us is going to be the best man?” Benny asked with a smirk.

“She’s gotta say yes, first, dumbass. Then I’ll decide which of you asses will be my best man,” Will laughed.

Charlotte popped up next to him a second later.

“Daddy. Mommy looks mad,” Charlotte tells him, looking over at her.

Will’s head whipped over to look at Venus who had been stopped by Andrew McIntosh, his hand gripping her arm tightly. Will sat Charlotte on Benny’s lap, muttering for her to stay there.

Will strolled over to them, his fists clenching.

“Andrew. Get your hands off of her,” Will commanded him, his rage brewing.

Venus held a hand up to him, gently telling him to stop.

Venus looked at Andrew and said, “Stop bothering me. Stop reporting to my mother. Leave me alone.”

Venus ripped his hand off of her arm. When Andrew tried to reach for her again, Venus threw a punch out at him, a sickening crack sounding as she broke his nose. Andrew groaned as he held his nose, blood oozing from it. Andrew glared at her, moving to go after her, but Will stepped in between them.

“You put your hands on her again and a broken nose will be the least of your concerns,” Will warned him.

Andrew huffed, walking away with a glare.

Will turned to her and checked her over really quickly.

“You okay?” He asked her, his eyes examining her arm.

“Yeah. I’m good. Been wanting to do that since we were 7,” Venus said with a laugh as they walked back over to the table.

Will shook his head, smirking.

Dinner went without any further incident and they made their way back home. Charlotte wanted to watch a movie, so Will put on Beauty and the Beast for her.

As she watched it, Will and Venus stood in the kitchen quietly talking.

“What did he say to you?” Will asked her.

“Same old bullshit. I’ve learned to not care about it anymore. I have you and Lottie. That’s all I want and need,” Venus answered with an eyeroll.

Will looked at her for a moment before reaching into his pocket, pulling out the small velvet box he had hidden in there.

He gently opened it, presenting the ring inside.

“I was planning on doing this more romantically but… I don’t want to wait any longer. I want to call the both of you mine. That is… if you’re up for that,” He began, hesitating.

Venus stared at him in surprise, not expecting this.

She gently pulled the ring out of its box, looking at it for a moment, before slipping it onto her left hand.

“Yeah. I’m up for that. Shall we go tell our daughter?” Venus asked smiling brightly.

“In a moment,” Will muttered pulling her in close, kissing her softly.

If someone had told him a few years ago that he would be proposing to the girl he was in love with from high school, he would’ve thought they were insane. However, he wouldn’t have traded this for the world. He had his daughter and the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Tell me, baby

I will preach on

[inosukeslefttoe]

SO i just finished wonder egg priority and i think that with confidence i can say it has been one of my favorite animes like... ever ?? and not even from hyperfixation or obsession over it just... its so fucking real yet so simple in a way that i havent rlly seen shown in any other shows you feel ??

but first i wanna talk about how sexy the art and animation is real quick... HOMIE ITS SO GOOD LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT JUST... serotonin... the characters are all so unique and iconic and fun but not over the top in their designs yknow ??? they seem like regular every day girls but they stand out and theyre all sO CUTE !!!! also i love how the style is like this soft bubbly slice of life lookin stuff with bright happy colors and the most beautiful scenes you could find but they also have the SICKEST fight scenes complete with whimsical animal helpers and terrifying villains and crazy weapons unique to each character. and the animation. god DAMN shawty i am obsessed with everything in this show. i might make a post solely about the art later lol bc i wanna get into the other stuff.

so the themes in the show right ?? it starts just as this cute lil magical girl kinda deal but within the first episode we see that like.. oh damn... thats kinda heavy... tbh i was a little shocked and thought about stopping bc yknow bad mental health BUT i was so intrigued that i had to keep going and i am SO GLAD that i did. because this show just so beautifully discusses all these heavy topics in such an eloquent and artistically expressive way. and also like, , the juxtaposition of the charming childlike vibe with bright colors and 14 yr old girl protagonists against the dark themes of suicide and so much else,, i think is just perfect. bc a lot of heavy animes are more of the seinen genre and have some middle aged dude as a protag or make the entire color palette dim or offer little relief to the pain of these heavy themes right ?? but NO not wonder egg bitches B) because these problems arent just things that ppl face later in life or just problems that need to be talked about among adults or the edgy seinen watching squad,, these are REAL problems that face people of every age, gender etc and i think its awesome that wonder egg addresses that. some may cringe at the thought of their high schooler watching animes that discuss sexual harassment, suicide, abuse, self harm, eating disorders etc,, but in reality it is the most comforting thing i have ever come across and is basically jsut free anime therapy. because not only does wonder egg present these themes to the viewers as something real that happens to all kinds of people (making said people feel heard in a way that maybe they hadnt before), but it also makes sure to vanquish all of these forms of trauma. and the way the trauma is vanquished isnt always beautiful and it isnt always just magically gone with a poof. the struggles of overcoming or living with that sort of thing are shown in such a real and relatable way that addresses every hardship trauma survivors have to go through. and i just. god i cry bro. 

oh m y GOD and the lgbtq+ rep in this show ?? like shawty... as soon as i saw episode one i was picking up on some gay/lesbian themes but then again im sapphic and project that a lot so i tend to see that sort of stuff like... everywhere... but NE WAYS... episode ten made me FUKCING CRY BRO LIke i cant believe there was a whole trans character with a whole trans pride hoodie like LKGHKDGH my heart is just so.. so fucking full thinking about him. bc like yeah i know there are trans characters in anime but i feel like theyre always very ambiguous about actually being trans or not or erased or portrayed as a harmful stereotype or theyre constantly misgendered and still refered to as their assigned gender at birth and i hate it. HOWEVEr... Kaoru.. *chefs kiss* it was so amazing to see a character straight up say “yeah im trans” in such a casual yet powerful way bc i personally have never seen that before. and i love love loved how he went into his backstory and talked to momoe about gender bc i think thats what she rlly needed and that it helped her find herself and it makes me so happy oh my god,, and the way they talked about it never seemed forced or like it was the focal point of his existence yknow ?? like yeah he existed to help momoe overcome some of her trauma but he also just existed to be HIM yknow ?? also... personally, i headcanon momoe as a trans girl even though i dont remember it being explicitly stated plus the school scenes of her and stuff would seem like they suggest otherwise ??but,,, SHAWTY THE AMOUNT OF SUBTEXT and her complicated relationship w gender is... something i feel like a cis girl would not go through so harshly yknow ?? with all of the questioning and feeling detached from femininity or feeling like ppl dont see her as an actual girl and only like her as a guy or for her masculine traits,,, but dont take my word on this bc i myself am a cis girl but that was just my take on it as someone in the lgbtq+ community trying to educate myself on the transgender community :) either way,, wonder eggs portrayal of momoe and kaoru and the way that momoe becomes so passionate about expressing herself the way she wants to as a girl is just... good lord im gonna cry its so perfect,,,.so ... i just love this show way too much. i also am honestly super lost about the relationship btwn acca and ura-acca ?? bc i was gonna mention ura-acca as a canonically gay guy bc when i was watching i interpreted ep 11 as him being in love with acca and being jealous of Azusa (bc i mean,, they lived together (i swear to god there was only one bed in that apartment) and had a daughter together and def loved each other and also when Frill said they were husbands and then when ura-acca said he wasnt attracted to azusa but he was def jealous of their relationship ??) but then i saw somewhere that theyre brothers ?? which would make sense ig since they look kinda similar and accas daughter called ura-acca “uncle”.. but at the same time its ANIME SO THEY ALL LOOK SIMILAR and referring to gay couples as siblings is an EXTREMELY common euphemism soooo... IM JUST LOST HERE... but yeah i tried doing research and found different things so i cant say anything for sure >:( however,,, if they are canonically a lil fruity for each other... when frill refered to acca as ura-accas husband i imploded dude you never hear that sort of wording in anime.. but if theyre related i am so sorry. 

god this is so much longer than i planned it to be oops but i also love the theme about like.. relying on friends to help carry your weight but at the same time not becoming completely dependent on those friends and using their support to learn how to love yourself and rely on yourself yknow ?? bc that is exactly what healthy friendships look like. bc i think ai sort of had a codependency thing goin on with koito maybe ?? but now she has a whole squad of funky friends that are so so different but all struggle with different kinds of trauma and although they fight over it, they always get through it with each other together. and they push each other no matter what to be the best versions of themselves and they teach other that getting hurt is okay because theyre always gonna be there to pick up the pieces no matter what happens. they can give each other space when they need and adapt to meet each others needs but theyre always able to balance it out with their own needs and thats such a beautiful thing in friendships especially at their age like damn i wish i had that maturity when i was 14 but no all i had was depression. another thing is that through these friendships you get to see all the different sides of each girl; you get to see them being strong or a shining light to their friends when theyre hurting but you also get to see them being hurt and weak and allowing themselves to be on the receiving end of the comfort. their friendships allows them to have weaknesses but it also allows them to highlight their strengths and thrive off of each others. I LOVE FRIENDSHIP DUDE

next i wanna briefly mention some of the themes connected to suicide that ive noticed. a big one is the survivors guilt that ai feels once koito is dead. several times she screams that she wishes she couldve gone with koito and she dreams of a “perfect world” where they committed a double suicide. one of the main reasons for her troubles is that she blames herself for koitos death and feels like it should be her thats dead... but at the same time she feels like too much of a coward to do anything now that koito is gone. she just has all these complex and contradicting feelings that wear away at her in ways that ppl that havent gone through the suicide of a loved one could never imagine. a lot of the times when things like this are portrayed in media i feel like its more in a way thats meant to guilt trip those that have taken their own lives and paint suicide as this selfish sin thats unforgivable but... not only does wonder egg reject that idea and instead portray it as a heartbreaking tragedy with,,, so so many terrible reasons, but it focuses on the feelings of ai separate from koito without blaming her in any way. not once did i feel like the show antagonized koito or that ai blamed koito for doing any of this, but they simply mourned her loss and touched on ais reaction towards the event but separate from koito herself if that makes sense. and i think that discussing survivors guilt without painting koito as the bad guy is something so beautifully done in wonder egg that can really resonate with those that have lost a loved one to suicide and have struggled with these same things.

okay i think this is the last thing ill mention,,, but HOMIE THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE BIT AT THE END. I AM. OBSESSED. i am such a whore for anything about the multiverse okay n e ways...,, not only did this make a super epic trippy ending of season one and add a little bit more magical girl whimsy to the show,, but it had such a powerful message. from the perspective of og ai,, finding out that you killed yourself in another world is... i mean its definitely not a surprise but at the same time it rlly makes you think how close og ai herself couldve been to that point and what decisions led her out of that dark place in her life. if i were in her shoes i would be terrified and id cry bc the thought of going back to such a dark place and actually going through with something like that is my worst fear and probably something that ai fears too. but at the same time,,, think from the perspective of ai two !!! like yeah its true that theres this awful terrible version of ai that dies but theres also a whole version of ai that is a superhero magical girl fighting off monsters to save countless ppls lives !! and she has a badass lizard and a gang of awesome friends !!! at first i was worried that ai two would be jealous of og ai and compare herself to her and feel inferior but like.. THEYRE LITERALLY THE SAME PERSON AND CAPABLE OF THE SAME THINGS !!! and ai two realized that !! just within the span of one episode, she went from the version of ai who took her life,, to the version of ai jumping in front of a friend to take a bullet for them and save their life. and that just inspired THE SHIT OUT OF ME. i think that ai was sent another version of herself to sort of beat her own worst enemy yknow ?? those doubts and fears that shes no good or that shes that same bystander from episode one and that she hasnt changed at all. but getting to interact with her parallel self and see her grow was just what she needed to realize that while yeah sometimes the worst thing can happen and things can be terrible but on the other hand sometimes the most wonderful thing imaginable can happen because she has the power to do either. 

so im gonna go ahead and stop rambling bc i got all my thoughts out that i wanted to for this post :D but yeah lol i might make another if i feel like it sometime. long story short: this show is perfect and it is going on my favorite of all times.

[miraculousmarifan]

Felinette Month 2020 - Day 19: Fallen Angel

Happy @felinettenovember! Can you guys guess what prompts I spend more than one day writing? I almost decided to try drawing the akumatized Felix before remembering that I haven’t drawn in nearly 10 years (maybe I would be better off painting it?) and wasn’t really good at people before that point... So I did this instead!

Almost 1900 words and if requested, this could have a continuation for some resolution later this year or early next year and/or potentially a piece of art to try showing Felix as an akuma and/or the object that inspired his form

Felix was close to flipping tables. Marinette had to be an angel from above with how she was handling being bullied by this Lila girl. How was it that even after the school was notified that Lila supposedly had a disease that made her compulsively lie but wasn’t antisocial personality disorder (?), the teacher refused to step in and help one of her star pupils? He shouldn’t be surprised. This was the same teacher that condoned Chloe’s defacing of Marinette’s present to count as them working together on it, even though Marinette had put actual effort into it. This was the same teacher that tried to convince Marinette to be a doormat, in the name of “setting a good example,” as though that has truly changed people that benefit from wronging others.

What he really couldn’t understand was how her friends weren’t more cautious about the liar. She had temporarily gotten Marinette expelled by claiming that she had not only cheated on a mock test, but also stolen the liar’s necklace, AND pushing the witch down the stairs. The class didn’t believe that it sounded like Marinette and YET after Marinette is returned due to the supposed uncontrollable lying diagnosis, they don’t question Lila's integrity? He couldn’t quite fathom why they wouldn’t take the things she said with a grain of salt after that very public and obvious set of lies, especially about Marinette.

And yet, here he was. Standing outside the classroom, waiting for a phone call from his driver, when he overhears the liar whispering to a few girls from the class. Marinette had been gone for an appointment the last period of school and apparently that wasn’t enough for Lila. He heard Alya exclaim, “That doesn’t really sound like Marinette…” and then a sad reply along the lines of how she knew Marinette was friends with all them but she couldn’t believe Marinette said that to her and just wanted to understand why by asking their closest friends. So on so on. Even with her verbalized doubt, it was clear from the tone she used that Alya believed it possible that Marinette had something to Lila, even if it wasn’t as severe as the liar had made it out to be. Felix didn’t need to be any closer to smell the fake crap Lila was spreading. He was sure it would have smelled over a mile away.

Rose exclaimed how she couldn’t believe how much Marinette was starting to act like Chloe and how they really needed to shake Marinette out of this. Alya volunteered to talk to her about it and encouraged them not to do anything crazy before then. It was the first time Felix felt a decent amount of respect towards Alya. Apparently she is starting to learn not to jump immediately to conclusions when it comes to Lila and Marinette. Unfortunately their other friends hadn’t gotten that much insight from the previous incidents and believed that Lila wouldn’t possibly exaggerate or make up anything and cause drama unnecessarily. Alya told the group that she had texted the girl and was going to head over to their place to hang out later that night.

Alya left, muttering how it sounded too extreme to be what Marinette had actually said. Felix had to give it to her, even if she had too much faith in the Italian, it was nice to see she wouldn’t fully discount her friend without any true evidence. Unfortunately with Alya’s departure, the voice of reason had left these girls and they were left with a snake. Felix decided to move slightly closer, just to keep an ear out for danger.

“I don’t think having a talk with her is really going to change Marinette’s mind. I mean she already knows about my health conditions and she’d rather discriminate against me than admit that I’m just trying to be friends. I reached out in good faith, painting her a picture, and she destroyed it and told me we could never be friends. It was just shockingly mean! She’s so nice to you guys so I thought this would help, especially since we like so much of the same stuff! I can’t help it if Adrien rejected her for me!”

Felix wanted to gag at that reasoning again. Marinette had worked to move on from Adrien long ago and especially hard when he had started dating Kagami over a year ago. She even started having tea and snacks with his girlfriend at least once a month, since Kagami didn’t get out much and Marinette didn’t want her to feel left out. As far as Felix knew, Marinette had long since given up on Adrien and was more focused on her personal projects than on boys, something her friends should have known by now.

“We know it’s not your fault and she should realize that too!” Rose tried to cheer up Lila.

“It’s so hard to imagine her destroying someone else’s art when she preaches about how people shouldn’t touch other’s work! Plus she has to know how much that sucks, after Chloe ruined her present for Ms. Bustier a few years ago…” Alix sounded angry enough to act impulsively and it didn’t sit well with Felix.

“To me, it just doesn’t seem like talking to her is going to be enough for her to really think about her actions, but you guys know her the best!” Lila managed to get a small amount of wavering into her voice, to convey hesitant worry and unsuccessfully attempted optimism through her small shrug. Felix may have thought that some of her lies should be relatively easy to dismiss but he had to admit that sometimes she could be a good actress.

“If we left her a message along with doing something, she wouldn’t ignore it right? Especially if she knows that if she ever does something like that again, we won’t stay friends with her…” Alix suggested. Felix felt his stomach sink. This was going bad but he couldn’t just walk in there right? He waited a moment longer to hear them start planning how they were going to ruin Marinette’s personal art project that she had been working on during her study hall, as it was sitting in a drying area of the art room. He had enough information to go talk to Damocles about what he had heard.

After hearing Felix’s concerns and hearing his stern insistence that this was actually at risk of happening, not just girl’s venting, Damocles accompanied him to the art room to check into the security of the projects inside. By the time the pair arrived though, they were too late. Nobody was in the room anymore, however Marinette’s project was beyond repair. 

She had sculpted a human-like angel with arms raised with peace and joy captured remarkably on its face, an orb in its hands being presented to the sky like a holy gift. The wings had been formed into individual feathers and Marinette had just put the first layer of paint on it that day. The base color of the wings was a lovely shade of light pink, her dress had the first layer of white, the skin left a gray tone, with a small amount of darker gray and lighter gray added to certain areas to imitate how light would fall if emitted from the orb. The orb had a strange tone of light blue-green for the base. He had been enthusiastically anticipating her final painting work since she had finished the sculpting step.

Now the angel was missing a wing, the orb that had barely rested on the carved palms was separated from the hands, and the arms were no longer connected. He picked up the body of the statue gently before looking up at Damocles sadly.

“It’s too bad we didn’t get here sooner. I guess we will just have to check the school’s cameras to figure out who did this.” Damocles took a step towards the stand that the statue had previously been set on, picked up the note left on it, and read it out loud.

“‘This is for ruining Lila’s painting. You should’ve accepted her peace offering rather than blaming her for Adrien’s rejection and if you keep acting like this, you won’t have any more friends here.’--” he cleared his throat in displeased surprise, “-- I will need to take this note as evidence in this. Also, we should probably take some pictures of the damages before getting this cleaned up.”

Felix helped set the pieces of the statue on the table next to each other before the principal took out his cell phone and snapped a quick picture of that and of the note. Before the man could leave, Felix volunteered to clean up the classroom as he was sure Marinette would still want the pieces. He was also sure that Damocles would actually proceed with this investigation due to his involvement and firmness regarding the need to supply a punishment. While the punishment would not be sufficient, there would at least be some record of this incident.

Before sweeping up the tiny pieces that he didn’t expect her to care about, he sat down in a chair and held the body of the statue. His fingers ran over the one remaining wing despite the paint smearing on his skin, feeling the texture his classmate had managed for the feathers. It was an amazing work that would be difficult to replicate, if Marinette even decided it was worth doing again. Part of him hoped she would redo the remarkable piece. He felt anger bubbling just below the surface of his sadness, anger that the girls that were supposedly her friends would do this. Anger that their school was not secure for her. Anger that he wasn’t able to protect her, even having heard the plans. Grief over being too slow to protect her. Crushing sadness that she couldn’t trust her classmates, her supposed friends, to even ask her about a situation before trusting another’s words about her. Someone that had very publicly lied to get her suspended just the last school year. He was so busy with his thoughts and the statue that he missed the purple butterfly coming towards him until it settled into the statue.

“Hello Ange Déchu. I am Hawk Moth. The people around you pass judgement on the innocent and work on behalf of the wicked. It must be frustrating to watch them work to break the people you care about. I will give you the power to understand people’s intentions and apply your chosen consequences on them so you can protect the ones you love. In exchange you would give me Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous.”

In this akumatized form, he could not only protect Marinette but also help her get revenge on the manipulative witch. She would be his queen, his direction, and she would be able to decide how she wanted to apply justice.

“Yes Hawk Moth. I will deal out Marinette’s justice and get the miraculous for you.” The akumatized Felix, called Fallen Angel, unfurled his black wings and pushed off the ground to fly to Marinette’s side. He would protect her first and foremost. Then they would deal with the witch and her flying monkeys however she saw fit.

[inseongsfoxybae]

Now and forever

Pairing: Boyfriend Yoo Taeyang + Female Reader x Best Friend Hwiyoung

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Warnings: Amnesia, mentions of drunkenness, break up

Words: 6,5k

Requested: Hi sunshine! First of all, congratulations on starting your blog and I can’t wait for what you’re going to write😚 Second, if it’s not a bother, as a fellow Fantasy, can I make a request for Hwiyoung? Like where the reader and Taeyang are dating, but the reader had an accident which caused her Amnesia, and then she starts remembering Hwiyoung? And whatever ending you feel is right you can do it🥰 Hope that wasn’t too much to ask for.. Although if that doesn’t bother you can I be🐣 anon? Thanks💖

Author's message: Dear 🐣 anon, I'm so sorry I took that long to deliver your request, but I want to say that it's finally here and I really enjoyed writing it. Hope you like it and feel free to send in a new request when you want. Thank you 😊❤️

P.S: As english is not my mother language, it may contain misspelled. Plus, sorry if there’s any other mistakes :)

Synopsis: Blurry memories and an old friend entered in your life again and now you have to decide where your heart lives: in an beautiful past or in an uncertain future.

A car accident has changed your life forever. Apparently, it was nothing too serious, but the strong impact on your head made you lost your memory completely and the doctors said it could last forever. Since then, the cute boy who has introduced himself as your boyfriend never left your side and, with your parents not being able to take care of you, he was the one responsible for you.

You tried to drive Taeyang away so many times for the past months, but now you finally starting to trust him and accepting his feelings, even if you’re not sure about your own feelings yet. Of course, he never pressured you about anything on your relationship, he just stayed with you and took care of your fragile being. He talks about your favorite things, shows some pictures and videos of your parents, friends and, of course, you too together, so you can know your beloved ones again little by little. 

After several months struggling to back to your normal life, Taeyang finally succeeds in getting you out of the house. On a pleasant saturday morning, he was helping you to prepare some of your favorite dishes for a picnic while hummed sweetly a song he knows you used to love. After all the food is ready, you packed everything and leave your flat to the park right in front your building.

Taeyang found a nice place near the little lake of the park for you to have your first date after a long time, so you both set everything on the blanket and finally were able to spend some quality time together. Taeyang sat down next to you, your knees touching, but he knew he couldn't get closer than this yet, with you still assimilating your feelings and new life. You talked about that beautiful day while eating - the birds singing on the trees, the calm waters of the lake, the sound of children laughing. A little cherry blossom got stuck on your hair and Taeyang took it off delicately and put it on your small hands, using this chance to intertwine your fingers together. You looked up at thim with curious eyes and he whispered a soft “I love you”. 

At that moment, a flash crossed your mind and you suddenly saw a strange face. Startled, you pulled your hands abruptly and your face got pale, your heart pounding hard on your chest. “Y/N, are you okay?”, Taeyang asked worried. “I-I’m okay… I just… I don’t know…”, you looked nervous all of a sudden and Taeyang thought it was about his confession, feeling a little upset. “Don’t worry, Tae. Something weird just passed through my mind, but I’m okay now”, you tried to comfort him. “Did you remember anything?”. “No, it was just a random optical illusion”. ”Are you sure? Wanna go home now?”, he asked started to packed the rest of the food you left. “No, Tae. Seriously, I’m fine. And you promised to take me to a walk on the beach, remember? I still want to go there”, you said holding his hands again. He gave you a little smile and you got all your things and took his car on your way to the beach.

When you get there, the summer breeze blew in your face and you couldn’t suppress a large smile at the feeling of the warm sand underneath your bare feet. Taeyang stared at you fondly and was caught out of guard when you looked at him, his cheeks blushing hard as you laugh at this cuteness. You then pushed him and stuck out your tongue, starting to run away from him. “Catch me if you can, silly!”, you screamed as he started to run behind you. “If I catch you, will you kiss me?”, he screamed back. “Maybe…”, you answered giggling. It gave him strength and, in a blink of a eye, he caught you, hugging you from behind. You both couldn’t stop laughing when he spun you around before turning your body to face him and cupping your cheeks. Your eyes met and he connected your lips in a slow soft kiss but still able to take your breath away while you melt between his arms. 

As soon as you broke away for air and opened your eyes, another image flashed through your eyes with the same strange guy occupying Taeyang’s place in front of you. You suddenly felt dizzy and your vision blurred, almost falling if your boyfriend’s arms weren’t holding you strong. “Baby, what happened?”, Taeyang asked lifting your head. “Tae, I wanna go home now”, you answered breaking his embrace around you. Once you got in your apartment, you told Taeyang to leave you alone. He knew you needed some space and time to process everything, so he just obliged and went home tough he were too worried. You were not rejecting Taeyang, you were just too scared of what’s going on with your mind. “Who is that guy?”, “Why does he insist on appearing right in front of my eyes when I’m with Tae?”. 

When you finally calmed down, hours later, you realized you didn’t say anything about the kiss to Taeyang and immediately text him. 

Y/N: Hi, Tae. I’m sorry for what happened earlier. I think I still need some time to myself. But, please, don’’t worry. It’s not your fault. Hope you understand TT

He answered back right away.

T: Don’t worry with me, Y/N. Are you fine now?

Y/N: Yes, I’m feeling a little better and going to bed now.

T: Okay. You know you can call me anytime if you need something, right?

Y/N: I know, Tae. Thank you <3 Have a good night!

T: Sleep well, Y/N. See you again tomorrow?

Y/N: Sure. Bye :*

Y/N: P.S: I enjoyed the kiss, so don’t give on me yet, okay? ^.^

T: I definitely won’t ;)

~~~~

As days passing by, your strange visions seemed to be even more frequent and clear, like flashbacks of your life before the accident. Although you tried to disguise the discomfort they caused, Taeyang always noticed something was wrong with you and though he was the problem. “Y/N”, he called you one night when you were walking on the park. “Hm…”, you looked at him. “Won’t you tell me what’s wrong?”, he asked serious. You froze and your mind went blank. “I mean, we’re always together but it seems like you are so far away from me. You’re super affectionate at times, but change completely one minute later… Tell me what’s wrong so I can help you”, he continued. “Please, Y/N”, he insisted when you didn’t speak a word. 

You couldn’t move a single muscle, your heart bit fast, your breath was heavy and you couldn't manage to say a single phrase. All you could that time was crying, sobbing, falling on your knees in a despair your boyfriend couldn't understand. You felt his strong arms embracing you and leaned in on his warm body, your sobbs causing you to shake hard against him. He guided you to sit on a bench and soothed you with small rubs on your back. When you recovered your breath, you managed to whisper a little “I’m sorry” for him. He just kissed your forehead and stayed quiet. Some minutes later, you start to talk again. “I’m having some flashbacks, Tae. Another guy that I don’t know appears on my mind everytime I’m with you and it scares me a lot”. “Why does it scare you?”, Taeyang tried to be strong and stable, but he was scared too. “I don’t even know... I’m just afraid of who he can be or mean to me”. Taeyang tensed around you, but still managed to hold you tighter. “Don’t think about it too much, okay? And I’m always here with you, so don’t worry”, he said trying to comforting you and himself.

Next morning, you were talking to your mom about these visions trying to get some help or advices.

Y/M: What’s he like?

Y/N: He’s a little shorter than Tae, with a long hair and a gummy smile. Do you know someone like this, mom? 

Y/M: Of course I do, Y/N. His name is Kim Hwiyoung and he used to be your best friend when you were kids. But he just disappeared when you graduated on college. 

Y/N: Why did he go away? And why I never saw a picture of him? 

Y/M: No one know why he ran away nor where he lives now. And he never liked to take pictures, that’s right you probably have nothing with him. But maybe Taeyang can help you to find him now. Ask him.

Y/N: Mom, I can’t ask Tae to look for another guy for me.

Y/M: Why not? It’s not like you’re cheating on him. Go and ask him some help.

Y/N: Fine. I’ll try it.

When your boyfriend arrived at your house later that day, you decided to try it out. “Tae, I need you to take me to someone”, you speak in a nervous whisper. “Of course, baby. Who?”, he answered with a sweet smile. “Kim Hwiyoung”, you revealed and Taeyang froze. “Why him?”, he asked with a dark look after a few seconds. “He’s the one on my flashbacks and my mother said he was my best friend but ran away when we graduated. I need to see him now and try to discover why I’ve been having these visions. Do you know where he lives, right?”. Taeyang couldn’t answer, he barely couldn’t breath. He was nervous and lost in thoughts. Why him? Why now?. “Tae, do you know where Hwiyoung lives?”, you insisted catching his attention again. “No, not anymore”, he finally answered. “Does some of the guys know?”. “I don’t know, Y/N. We don’t talk with him in ages”. “Can you ask them? Please…”, you held his cold hands. 

Taeyang reach out for his phone and called someone. After three lost calls, Chani finally answered. “What, hyung?”. “I need you to do me a favor. Now”, Taeyang talked serious. “What favor?”, Chani asked worried. “You know where Hwiyoung lives, right? Send me his address as fast as you can. I’m waiting for your message”, then he ended the call before Chani could speak anything. A couple of minutes later, Chani sent Hwiyoung’s address and added “Hope you won’t do any shit, hyung”. “Don’t worry. It’s for Y/N”, Taeyang simply answered and turned to you. “I got his address. Let’s go there now and back before nightfall”, he grabbed your hand and pulled you to the door. “Wait, Tae! Give me a time to get ready”, you whined. “Don’t worry, Y/N. I’m going with you and nothing bad will happen”, your boyfriend squeezed your hand. “I know, I’m just… nervous”, you whisper. “C'mon. Let’s get this over, huh?”, you nodded and he opened the door. 

About an hour later, you arrived at a small building and got out of the car. “It’s here”, Taeyang said as you left out a nervous “yes”. He held your hand tight and knocked the door. Some seconds passed till a strange guy open it. “Hello, how can I help you?”, he asked a little surprised. “Hi, we’re looking for Kim Hwiyoung. Is he here?”, Taeyang said politely. “He is. What’s your name?”, at his answer you froze and your heart skipped a beat. “Tell him Yoo Taeyang wants to talk, please”, your boyfriend gave a small friendly smile at the guy. “Okay. You can wait at the lobby. I’ll tell him you’re here”. “Thank you”, Taeyang said and both of you entered the building. The room had a minimalist decoration with some instruments and polaroids hanging on the wall, and some soft music resonated through the doors. “It’s a studio”, you whispered to Taeyang. “Yes, he studied music on college and always wanted his own business. I think he got it”, he answered quietly. “Tae, why do you never talk about him?”, you asked suddenly curious. “I thought he was past. But seems he’s still a threat for us…”, Taeyang was cautious with his words. “Threat? What do you mean?”. Before he could answer, the guy appeared once again. “He’s a little busy now and asked what do you want”, he shyly said. “YAH, KIM HWIYOUNG! DO YOU REALLY THINK I’M THE ONE WHO WANTS TO TALK TO YOU? IT’S Y/N, YOU FOOL! Y/N IS HERE!”, Taeyang yelled high enough to any person on that building to hear, making you surprised and even more nervous. 

At the mention of your name, on the other side of the closed studio room, Hwiyoung’s heart raced like he just woke up of a nightmare. He immediately got up of his seat and opened the door wide, only to see you standing in front of him after three years, more beautiful than ever. You both were froze, just staring at each other, hearts beating fast and bodies shaking. “I think it’s better if you have some time alone to talk. I’m waiting for you in the car, Y/N”, Taeyang broke the silence and left the building, the tension and old memories being too much for him to bear. “H-hi…”, you tried to start the conversation, but the shocked Hwiyoung just blinked his eyes still not believing it was really you. “Sunbae, won’t you invite this lady to your room?”, the other guy talked for him. “Huh? Ah, okay… Please, ju-just come in…”, Hwiyoung finally spoke, his low voice making you shiver. 

You entered his studio and sat on a small couch on the corner. “Wanna something to drink, lady?”, the guy asked you. “Oh, no… thank you”, you answered and he left, now only you and a standing Hwiyoung in the room. You were feeling very uncomfortable as he didn’t talk anything. “So…”. “Is it really you, Y/N?”, Hwiyoung interrupted you. “Ye-yes, I guess…”, you tried to look fine with that awkward situation. “I knew you had an accident and lost your memory, but do you remember me?”. “I don’t”, you looked at him nervous. “So, why are you here? I know Taeyang would never bring you here for nothing”, Hwiyoung asked finally sitting down on his chair. “I’m… Well... I don’t know exactly what’s going on with me, but...I-I’ve been having flashbacks with you. I mean, I don’t even remember you or our past, but you insist on appear on my mind everytime I’m with Tae...”, you spoke hastily. “So…?”, Hwiyoung seemed to be lost at your words. “So, I’m here to try to figure out what happened. I mean with us, with our friendship. I think it could be the reason of these flashes”, you stared at him waiting for some answers, but nothing came. “I think I can’t help you with that, Y/N. We don’t have anything in common anymore. I’m glad you’re alive and fine, but you shouldn’t see me anymore. I’m sorry”. 

His words hurt you, more than you can expect from a stranger, but you wouldn’t give up so easily. You took a deep breath and started to talk again after some minutes of heavy silence. “Why are you like this? First, you were my best friend and left me and know you don’t even want to tell me why you acted like this?”, you tried to say calmly, but your shaking voice betrayed you. “Past is past, Y/N. You must move on and not remember me”, Hwiyoung words were sharp, and you could see his fists clenching with anger. “Did you do it? Did you forget me?, you asked looking right into his eyes. He sustained the look for some seconds, still quiet, unable to move a single muscle. “No, I didn’t. I tried it in every ways possible, but I never could forget you”, he simply asked an eternity later, sadness waving through his body as the pain of the old memories washed over him. “So why?”, tears now gathering in your eyes. “There was no more space in your life for me, Y/N”, he tried to hold back his tears too. “Why don’t you tell me what really happened?”, you whispered facing your lap. “Do you mind if you talk somewhere else? I need some fresh air.”, Hwiyoung asked cautiously. “No, since you tell me everything I need to know about our past”, you answered and both of you left the building. 

Taeyang was still waiting for you on the street. As soon as he saw you leaving, he came closer and you smiled shyly at him. “Tae, I’m sorry, but I need some time to talk to Hwiyoung. You can go home, I’ll get a taxi when we’re over”, you said reaching for his hands. “I can’t leave you alone with him, Y/N. Let me go with you or let’s go home now”, Taeyang talked serious. “Tae, please. I really need to do this. Now”, you looked deep in his eyes and he simply nodded, his hands moving to the sides of your head. “Call me if you need, okay?”, he pecked your lips and turned to his car, barely locking eyes with Hwiyoung on the way. 

~~~~

You were in a small cozy café near his studio, the smell of coffee and cakes filling the whole place. “Do you know this place?”, Hwiyoung asked you after ordering two cappuccinos. “No. Is it a important place?”, you asked back. “Yeah, we used to come here after our classes and your official first date with Taeyang was here too. Didn’t he tell you this?", Hwi questioned curious. “Oh, really? He never mentioned this place. I wonder why…”, you looked at Hwiyoung who seemed to be a little awkward. “So… Were you and Taeyang friends too? I mean, before you left?”, you encouraged him to talk. “Actually, not. But he was your boyfriend, so he was always around”, he said with a bothered tone. “You never liked him, right?”, you wondered not exactly waiting for an answer. Hwiyoung kept quiet for a moment, only staring at you not knowing what to say. “You love him and that’s all the matter, Y/N”, he finally said and drank his coffee. 

You both continued your conversation for some hours, Hwiyoung patiently trying to answer all your questions, feeling a little comfortable with you after so many years - he talked about your childhood and teenage, but you still couldn't remember a single thing. 

It was already night when you entered your home only to take a quick shower and plopped down on your bed, immediately falling asleep. When you woke up next morning and walked into the kitchen to make your breakfast, there was a small note on your table: “I had to go home earlier. Call me when you got home. YTY”. Holy shit, Tae! You ran back to your bedroom and reached for your phone - 8 missed calls from your boyfriend. You called him, but he didn’t answer, then you sent a message.

Y/N: I’m so sorry, Tae! I got home late yesterday and just fell asleep. Please, don’t be mad at me TT

Some minutes later, Taeyang answers:

TY: It’s okay, bb. I’m relieved you’re safe. Have free time later? We could have dinner together…

Your heart ached a little with his message, but you had to be sincere.

Y/N: Sorry again, but I already have a commitment tonight x.x

TY: Hwiyoung again?

Y/N: Yes… I like to hear him to talk about our youth and I still have to find out why he left… Are you fine with this?

TY: Not really. But I trust you, so I think it’s okay…

Y/N: Thank you, Tae! Now, focus on your work, I don’t want to bother you.

TY: You don’t bother me at all. And meet me in the park when you come back tonight. I’ll wait for you there. 

Y/N; Okay. See you later :*

~~~~

You did had dinner with Hwiyoung that night and spent hours talking and laughing with him. And Taeyang did waited for you in the park, but you didn’t meet him nor even called him. After two hours waiting, he decided to go home, but as soon as he got up, he saw you getting off a taxi with a drunk Hwiyoung holding onto your shoulders. It broke his heart and he couldn’t stand this view anymore, so he turned around and walked home into the cold night. 

Early in the next morning, you woke up with someone knocking at your door. You were surprised when you opened it and saw Taeyang standing there, his features looking tired and upset. “Tae, what are you doing out there? You have the keys!”, you asked pulling him in. “Am I still free to simply enter your house?”, he answered not looking at you, a dark expression on his face. “What do you mean?”, as soon as you closed your mouth, Hwiyoung appears on your living room, still rubbing sleepness off his eyes, freezing when he sees you two at the door. 

Your boyfriend stared at you and you could read anger in his look. “Tae, I can explain…”, you reached for his hands. “You don’t have to do it. I see you had fun last night. He got drunk and you brought him home. You lay him down on your guest room and went to your own bed. I know that you’d never cheat on me. I told you I trust you, Y/N”, he interrupted you moving out your grip on him. “So…?”, you cautiously asked. “A simple call… was everything I needed yesterday. But you didn’t care… No, you just don’t care anymore”, he said moving his gaze to Hwiyoung, his voice full with pain and bitterness. “I… I think it’s my time to go”, your friend spoke nervously. “Please, have a talk and make up your problems”, he grabbed his jacket and shoes and passed over Taeyang who was still standing next the door. “I‘m sorry”, Hwiyoung whispered as Taeyang only clenched his fists. “Bye, Y/N. Thanks for letting me sleep here”. You just nodded and he left. 

You turned to your boyfriend again, his body trembling with anger. “Tae, let’s sit on the couch and talk, okay?”, you said only above a whisper. He walked with you, but sat on the opposite side of the couch. Taeyang stared at his lap, feeling unable to look at you when he was so angry. “Tae, I’m so sorry for letting you down”, you quietly said, but he didn’t respond. “Tae… Please, talk to me”, you whined trying to make him look at you, but he didn’t move a single muscle. You reached out for his hand to slightly touch it. “Say something”, you whispered as he sighed deeply and let go of your hand. “You don’t love me, right?”, he murmured. 

He finally lift his head and looked at you, his eyes full of pain and sadness. You didn’t know what to say and froze while tears started to form in your eyes.”You don’t know it, do you? Don’t know what you feel for me, don’t know if you love me”, his words were like knives striking your heart. “Tae…”, you tried to talk, but he cut you off. “You don’t try to love me, you don’t even care about my feelings for you”, he yelled the last part. At this point, tears were falling freely down your face, but why couldn’t you say anything to deny his accusations? Why didn’t you know how you feel about him? Why was only Hwiyoung on your mind for the past few weeks? “Tae…”, you called out for him, “I… I think I just need sometime…”, you couldn’t say much more as Taeyang only stared at you. “I like you, I want you to be happy, but I just don’t know what to do now”, you cried out. “I’m sorry, Tae… I’m really sorry”, you couldn’t control your tears anymore and sobbed right in front of him. He just nodded painfully, got up off the couch and left, leaving you alone there with your crying. 

You sank into misery and stayed at home all day, trying to control your suddenly sadness and confused feelings. Hwiyoung called you several times, but you just ignored him till you hear a slow knock at your door. It was him, a worried expression on his face. “Why didn’t you answer my calls and messages, Y/N?”, he asked entering your house. You didn’t respond, just staring at him as tears tried to back to your eyes. Seeing your messy state of mind, he put his hands on your shoulders and whispered a sweet “What happened? Where’s Taeyang?”. At the mention of his name, you cried again, holding onto him to not fall. “Y/N…”, he hugged you back. “It’s over, Hwi… I told him I need sometime, but he just left and I know he won’t come back”, you yelled in pain against his chest. “Why am I like this, Hwi? Why is it so painful?”, you desperately asked. “Because you love him, Y/N. You love him now as much as you loved him before. You just don’t know it yet.”, he calmly answered, running his fingers through your hair. 

You broke the embrace and look at him. “How… how do you know that?”. “Because I was there before and saw how you were perfect together. He could be himself next to you and was able to do anything for you. I can say the same from you. You were always happy when you were together, even in the most difficult times. That’s love, Y/N”, he told you with a painful look. “Why do you always talk about him this way if you don’t even like him?”, you were confused. “Only him, Y/N. Because only him can take you away from me”, Hwiyoung couldn’t look into your eyes anymore. “What?”, your hands were shaking. “I love you, Y/N. Since we were teenagers. I love you. But I always knew your heart would never be mine. And when you found Taeyang, I immediately knew I had lost you forever. That’s right I left you”. 

Hwiyoung’s eyes were glued at his lap, fists clenched, shaky voice. You stared at him in disbelief, mouth opened on a little “o”, teary eyes trying to control themselves as your head spun with the truth. “Why?”, you finally asked after some minutes of a deafening silence. “Look at me and say it, Hwiyoung! Why?”, your whole body trembling. He raised his head and talked “Your heart was his, Y/N. It was and it still is. Don’t you see that?”. Now, his eyes were fixed on yours, like looking into your soul. “I don’t... I can’t”, you didn’t even know what else you were talking. “Don’t you love him anymore?, he asked serious this time. “I don’t know, right? I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, I don’t know who I am anymore!”, you screamed at the top of your lungs as tears fell down your face again. “If you don’t love him, then kiss me!”, he screamed back and you froze. “What?”, you nervously asked. “Kiss me. If you can’t, then you truly love him”, he replied to your shocked being. “Just try it. Only like this, you’ll know if you love him for real”, he assured you. You nodded unconsciously and cautiously came to Hwiyoung, your bodies getting closer, your faces just inches from each other, your eyes closing slightly. But, suddenly, you stopped, you couldn’t do that. You leaned back swiftly and Hwiyoung just nodded already expected it. You stared at the floor. “Hwiyoung, please… Please, leave me alone. This is so much for me”, you now whispered as he placed a little kiss on the top of your head. “I’ll text you later, okay? Call me anytime if you need”, you didn’t move or talk and he left. Once again that day, you were left alone with your own feelings.

~~~~

Two days had passed and you were going to meet Hwiyoung at a restaurant to clarify some things. “I’m sorry for yelling at you that day”, you sincerely say when you met him. “It’s okay. And I’m sorry for telling the truth like that and for asking for a kiss. I shouldn’t have done that”, he apologized. “No, it’s okay. I would have to know that somehow one day, so… And don’t worry about it”, you answered with a lost look. “Y/N”, Hwiyoung called you. “Did Taeyang contact you?”, he asked carefully, your lost look now sad. “No. He didn’t answer my texts or calls. I guess he really doesn’t want me anymore, right?”, you tried to force a smile, but only tears formed in your eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that, but you shouldn't give up yet. Give yourselves some time and I'm sure everything will be fine", Hwiyoung tried to comfort you and you just hummed in response, but your heart was swallowed in pain. 

You both ate quietly and talked a little more about your past, when your phone buzzed - it was Chani calling you. "Hi, Chani!", you answered trying to look happy. "Hey, noonan! Can you come to the address I'm sending you right now?", he replied worried. "I'm with Hwiyoung now. What happened?". Chani sighed on the other side of the call. "That's right he's like this, then…", he mumbled more to himself that for you. "What's wrong, Chani?", you were getting nervous. "Taeyang hyung is drunk and is making a mess on the pub. He's crying and begging for you. Can you come get him or not? I'm losing my patience with him", he answered visibly annoyed. "Oh my God. Okay, I'm coming. Send me the address and wait till I get there", you rushily replied gathering your purse. "What happened?", Hwiyoung asked when he saw your despair. "Taeyang is drunk and needs me right now", your breathless said. "Okay, calm down. I'll take you there", you nodded and you both paid the bill and left the restaurant. 

When you arrived at the pub, Chani had finally controlled Taeyang, who was (almost) sleeping on the counter. You approached him and softly touched his shoulder. "Tae, let's go home, huh? It's late and you need to rest", you whispered. "I'm not going anywhere without my girl", he messily murmured as tears were forming in the corner of your eyes. "Tae, it's me. Y/N. I'm your girl", you replied trying to hold back your crying. Taeyang opened his eyes and raised his heard when heard your name. "Y/N? Why are you here? You don't want me anymore. Leave!", he was almost screaming but his eyes were full of despair and tears. "I'm here to take you home, Tae. Please, let me take care of you tonight, huh?", you insisted, your tears starting to fall. Your boyfriend continued protesting and struggling to stay on his feet, but after some minutes you and Chani could finally support him on your shoulders and dragged him for his car. Meanwhile, Hwiyoung observed everything from a distance, going unnoticed when you left. 

On the way home, Taeyang fell into a heavy sleep and you and Chani could talk. “Why did you left him? It’s not because of Hwiyoung, is it?”, Chani asked looking at you. “Not exactly. I needed sometime to think and understand what I feel for him. Hwiyoung only was there at the wrong time, I think”, you replied looking away from him. “And did you come to any conclusion now?”, he insisted. “Yes”, you simply answered and faced him. He could read the truth in your eyes and understood you. “I’m glad you already know it, ‘cuz I can’t stand him crying on my ears every time saying he loves you and wants you back”, Chani laughed a little. “Did he tell you that?”, you asked curious. “Of course, every single time since you broke up. He came to my place and cried all day long”, he continued. “Why?”, you wonder. “He loves you, noona. He really loves you. And I think you should tell him the same now that you know how you feel”, he looked at you again waiting for an answer, but you were lost in thoughts, your hands shanking and tears slipping through your face. Then, you stayed quiet till you got your home. Chani helped you to take Taeyang to your apartment and lay him on your bed. “Tell him, noona”, it was his last words before he left you alone with a drunk sleepy Taeyang. 

You looked at your worn out boyfriend with guilty eyes, took off his jacket and lay beside him on bed. You snuggled to him and reached out his face with one of your hands, caressing his still wet cheeks and beautiful features. You could feel your heartbeat increased and all the love you’ve felt for him finally showed up, coaxing you to softly kiss his cheek and hold his hand on his chest. “I love you, Tae… I'm sorry for taking so long to realize this”, you whispered. You didn’t know if he heard you or not, but he squeezed your hand a little and let out a small sigh fall from his ips. You smiled a little and got even closer to his body, both of you calm heartbeats lulling you to sleep. 

When Taeyang woke up in the morning, the space beside him on bed was empty, but he still could feel your warmth and your sweet scent on your sheets, pillows and on his shirt. A small note was on the blanket next to him and he read your little message: Meet me at the park tonight. I’ll be waiting for you. On the nightstand beside him, there was another note: I made you breakfast - it’s on the kitchen table. Don’t forget to eat it ^.^. He got up and walked to the kitchen where his favorite food was resting. On top of it, there was one more note: I have to resolve some things now. Hope to see you tonight. 

~~~~

You met Hwiyoung at the park that afternoon, the same place where you had your first flashback. You both walked for a while before you stopped near the little lake. “It was here where I saw you for the first time after the accidente. I mean, on my mind”, you told him and sighed. “And now? Are you feeling something different?”, he asked looking at the water. “No. I just see two friends admiring a lake”, you simply said and he chuckled. “What?”, you asked. “Nothing… What’s the next place you want to take me?”, he inquired. Your next destination was the beach, where you saw him for the second time. “And here? Is something different?”, he wondered. “Yes”, you murmured. “My first kiss with Taeyang after the accident was here, but you appeared on my mind right after it”, you chuckled slightly. “Oh, no. I’m sorry”, he laughed too. 

“Hwiyoung”, you called out for him. “Yeah?”. “I understand everything now. I mean, I still don’t know the reason of those flashbacks, but I know it brought you to me one more time, it gave us a second chance…”, you stopped and he hummed for you to continue. “... but also this time it’s Taeyang. As you said, I love him, I always loved him, and he’s my choice now just like he was then”, you stared at him with hopeful eyes as he stayed quiet. “But there’s a difference now”. He looked at you. “What?”. “Taeyang knows you like me, right? That’s right he doesn’t like you either”, you asked. “Yes, I told him before I left. But where’s the difference?”. “The difference is that I know that now too. And it means you don’t have to leave this time”. “I don’t understand, Y/N”. “We finally know what we feel for each other and it’s time for us to learn how to live with that and move on. We still can be friends now that we understand ourselves and we don’t have to say goodbye anymore. You’re my best friend, Hwi, and I love you. Please, stay”, you were looking deeply into his eyes as you can read a sparkling light shining on them. “I’m staying. I promise”, you both smile with his anwer and hugged to seal up your promise.

~~~~

Later that day, you were back to the park in front of your home, waiting for Taeyang this time. You hadn’t spoken all day and you were not sure if he would show up. Even so, there was you, patiently waiting for your boyfriend to come. One hour has passed. Two hours. And you were still there, already thinking he was mad and didn’t want to see you. You were walking through the park to keep warm when you saw a familiar figure next the lake, looking directly at you. You took some steps in his direction as he did the same in yours. “Tae! I thought you wouldn’t come”, you said when you were close enough from each other. “I wouldn't. But a certain threat told me you were here waiting for hours. And I had to see this beautiful image with my own eyes”, he told you and you both smiled. “I guess we have to thank this great threat, huh?”. “Nah…”, you laughed. “So, why do you bring me here?”, Taeyang asked. “I have something to tell you”, you said -  and it took by surprise how confident you were. “Well, tell me then. I’m all ears”. “Can I hold your hands before I talked?”, your words were careful this time, but he nodded and you could feel his warm hands on your again. 

You took a deep breath and start. “After all this time, I didn’t remember a single thing about my past, Tae, and it somehow scares me. But now, more than ever, I know I have you by my side. And I’m sorry for not realizing it before, but I do now. Yoo Taeyang, my Tae, I love you. I loved you then, I love you now and I’ll love you forever. So, please, I hope you still want me and still love me, ‘cuz I finally realize I can’t live without you anymore”, you told him with teary eyes and heart beating strong against your chest. Taeyang only stared at you for some moments, processing all what you had said, till he tightens his grasp on your hands and brings them to his chest, where his heart was pounding as hard as yours, and opens the brightest smile you’ve even seen. “I love you too, baby. Then, now and forever”, he finally spoke and pulled you closer to kiss you passionately. 

After that, you both went home to cuddle together till sleep in each other’s arms. 

~~~~

Y/N never recovered her memory, but she learned how to live the present without fearing the future. She and Hwiyoung remained friends. And Y/N and Taeyang built their family and stayed together till their last breath. 

[purplebass]

The maturity of The Last Hours characters

I really don’t know how to name this, lmao. But yeah. In this post I will try to rate (?) the level of maturity of the characters from The Last Hours. I’m only analyzing the young people, if you want a post about The Infernal Devices characters or The Mortal Instruments characters (since I still have to read TDA to this day), I can also do that. But this post will focus on the “children”.

I don’t like using the word children for these characters because they are not children so to speak, but there are some characters which are more childish than the others. I tried to outline some characters to also show how they are mirroring each other. You’ll see how funny that most of the characters who share similar storylines may not like each other too much and may also not have the same maturity, but some of them are also each other’s love interests.

I apologize for the length of this essay, but I tried to cover every character.

First, a disclaimer: I don’t consider these groups I made as strict, because of course, you can’t rate a person’s maturity. This is just a way to show you the careful planning behind the characters and I’m just trying to organize them based on logic and observation. 

The first “group” I’ll analyze is the one with the character I believe are the most mature, that we can also divide in “denied childhood” and “happy childhood”. In my opinion, in this group we have Alastair, Ariadne, Anna, Thomas and Jesse. They aren’t just the oldest, they are also the ones who have always acted maturely throughout CoG. What differs between the characters I cited above is their upbringing.

Rejected Children

Alastair and Ariadne always had to fight for their parents’ approval and Alastair also had to take his father’s place whenever he was “sick”. Alastair couldn’t live his childhood the way a normal child usually does. To add fuel to the fire we also have to consider the moment when Cortana rejects Alastair when Elias is also present: that’s the metaphor of Elias rejection of Alastair as his son. This also connects with the theory of Alastair not being Elias’ son and I already think Alastair has found out about this. Ariadne also has similarities with Alastair’s situation and mirrors his situation in the opposite way. Her parents were killed when she was young. She was adopted, yes, but I reckon that the Bridgestock family has also a lot of prejudices? And they also disapprove of Ariadne seeing Anna.

Alastair and Ariadne are the “rejected children” because despite they do everything in order to keep the harmony in their households (Alastair by cleaning after Elias and Ariadne by being a perfect smart lady), they always feel like they do not deserve to be loved, because their parents never make them feel truly loved or if they do, they don’t see it (because it’s evident to me that Cordelia loves Alastair very much and Sona does too, even if she doesn’t openly show it). On the other hand, they did so much as to agree to their family’s requests even if they didn’t want to, because that’s how what they believed they had to do in order to be loved.

Alastair’s first infatuation was Charles, with whom he fell in love but that he also idealized like he probably idealized his father. Alastair, who wanted to get Elias’ attention the most but also protect Cordelia and Sona from his father’s issues, fell for another man with a problematic ego like Charles. Ariadne’s first love was Anna, but Ariadne’s parents don’t approve of her. She is naturally well-liked by shadowhunters and downworlders alike because of her personality, her confidence. Ironic, but also not ironic, that Charles is the “link” between Alastair and Ariadne. Unlike Alastair who continued seeing Charles, Anna refused to keep seeing Ariadne after her engagement with Charles.

Both Alastair and Ariadne are mature people but they also have trust issues. They often see things in a negative way because that’s what they’ve been taught: no matter what you do, you are not valuable. You could know 30 languages but you’d still be useless. In Alastair’s case, I think we’ll soon see how Thomas, who is his love interest, will show him that he is worthy of love but he will also realize that is worthy of love, or he won’t be able to love 360°. In Ariadne’s, we saw at the end of CoG how she is going to show Anna that she’s going to win her back.

Anna and Thomas are the mature characters who had a happy childhood more or less. They grew up in a peaceful environment, with parents who always tried to do their best for them and who also showed them a lot of love. And their brothers and sisters as well are also very protective of both. Plus, they are cousins, which means that they are also protective with each other. But don’t think that they have it easier compared to Alastair and Ariadne, because they also had issues.

When Anna first realized that she didn’t like men and she also didn’t like to dress like a woman, and stole Christopher’s clothes, she tried to hide it. Why? Because as much as your parents seem lovely people and they also accept your wishes (like when Anna didn’t want to go to the Academy and she said she would become a mundane bullfighter if they forced her to go lmao), you never know what they would think about this. Anna, who loved her parents very much, preferred to keep her double life hidden from them. When her parents discovered she was genderqueer, they accepted her. I hope people realize how great this is, because at the beginning of the XX century many people had to lie to their family because they would never accept their daughter or their son going against the “respectability” of the time. Like I wrote on another post, you were considered devious if you were not straight. Anna didn’t want to burden her parents with the fact that she didn’t like men or wear pretty women dresses like society expected her to, but her parents were proud of her regardless. When Cecily discovers Anna’s orientation and gives her a suit as a gift, it’s the moment when Anna can truly be herself and she doesn’t care what the other people think, because that is herself. They either accept it, or they stay away from her. Anna is a very mature also because it’s hard to hear people whisper about you and spread rumors about the life you chose to live. She’s very brave.

Thomas is the last of three children, and his oldest sisters have always tried to protect him because he’s always been a sickly child. Remember that CC posted a cute Christmas story with Gideon and Thomas and Will and James where Gideon is concerned because his son didn’t seem to grow up like a normal child. This is why for years his family tried to protect him. They feared he could die, so Thomas was always under the watchful eyes of someone and he grew tired of this. He appreciated the attention but he also wanted to be alone, and after he got better and went to Spain after the Academy, he became stronger, more mature, and independent. Thomas is quite fatherly in my opinion, as that he is wise and kind, he always tries to see the positive in every situation.

Then we have Jesse. Like Thomas, Jesse was also protected by Tatiana and was a sickly child. In the Christmas story I mentioned above, we see how when Gideon sees Jesse, he reminds him of Thomas. Jesse is Charles’ age, but since he’s technically dead, he still has the body of a 17-year-old. From what we saw, it was evident that Jesse is a respectful person and that he is also selfless. He spent a lot of years in solitude and is a person with manners. Remember what Lucie says? “A ghost with a sense of property.” He also enters in the denied childhood group in my opinion, because as much as Tatiana seemed to have taken care of him and we see how she clings on his body to the point of trying to perform necromancy to bring him back, he also didn’t live a normal childhood. His mother never let him become a shadowhunter, she never let him meet his uncles, aunts and cousins. She never let him meet other shadowhunters. She probably never gave him proper education and all that Jesse knows he learnt it by reading books. Jesse is on the opposite side of the spectrum where Alastair and Ariadne are, but he’s also divided between his life (where he was very innocent and sheltered) and his death (where he matured because he could finally explore the world his mother denied him to see).

You see, aside from Jesse, it is no wonder Alastair, Thomas, Ariadne and Anna were paired together. Not only they are the mature characters, they are also mirroring each other’s journey: Alastair had a difficult childhood while Thomas was too protected. Anna had nice parents while Ariadne lost hers when she was little and her adoptive parents are probably racists and homophobes.

In the second “group”, which I called in the middle, there are characters I consider mature but also not. These characters have acted maturely in some occasions, while they were childish during other occasions. I’ll analyze the ones with happy childhoods first.

Unfiltered Childhood, Sheltered Childhood

James is often described as a responsible and shy guy. James hit the jackpot with his parents too, because we see how close he is with them and how they always support him whatever he does and try to protect him at the same time, when they can. But even James has issues, especially after he turned into a shadow in front of everyone when he was 13. This made him not only believe he is damned (“my father was cursed, whereas I am damned”). He was also bullied because he is part-demon, and he didn’t take this lightly, as we see every time, he risks to turn into a shadow he has a sort of panic attack. James is the older son and has the tendency to cover up for Lucie and all of his closest friends. Despite everything, we can say James had a happy childhood. He was wanted, he was loved, he was protected, but his parents also treated him as an adult and let him and Lucie into the rough stuff of their pasts, hence he had un unfiltered childhood. He knew about the gory details of life early on. In a short story Will gives James, who is 1-2 years old, a damn knife in his hands! If this isn’t someone who doesn’t use a filter with his kids, I don’t know what that is. I think that it was Jesse who was shocked to hear from Lucie that she knew about his grandfather turning into a worm. He didn’t think it was a story fit for kids. I believe that James is mature but he still has some things to face to really be mature, that’s why I put him in this group. But among the Merry Thieves, he is the second most mature, imo. He is the big wise brother. You could argue: and Christopher? I’ll explain later why Christopher is on another level of maturity, wait. Lol.

Cordelia is the second mature character from this group and she is opposed to James. Why? Unlike James who was exposed to reality from a young age and knew about things that a teenager probably shouldn’t know; Cordelia was filled with lies because her family wanted to protect her childhood and didn’t think she should know the harshness of life early on. We see when CoG starts how she’s still innocent and how she had a sheltered childhood. Not only because it will be the first time in years that she will be around other guys her age, but also because until Alastair tells her what he had to cover so that she would have a childhood, she was clueless. Literally. She had been treated like a little girl by Alastair and Sona, when Cordelia was probably able to handle the truth. Cordelia didn’t grow up in a bad environment – besides her father’s problems, which Cordelia was mostly left out because Sona and Alastair kept the secret – but we may discover more things in CoI. Anyway, Cordelia is mature for her age, and she stands up for herself even if it hurts, which isn’t an easy feat.

Denied Childhood

The last of this group is Matthew. Alastair gave him the nickname “Mother Hen Fairchild”. You guys don’t know much Alastair understood about Matthew by giving him this nickname. Matthew is wealthy, wealthier than the others, but this doesn’t mean he had a happy life. On the other hand, Matthew’s only lifeline was his father Henry. You can tell Matthew loves his father, tried to protect him, which is a cute thing to do, but at what expense? For one, his childhood. Matthew is a sociable person, loves to be around people, but when he grew up in Idris, the main thing he did was take care of Henry. I don’t think Henry asked him to do it, nor did Charlotte, but he took it upon himself to do so. After all, Henry is disabled, he really needs help and Matthew just wanted to show his father he appreciated him, but I don’t think he or Charlotte understood that as a natural helper, Matthew would also be drained by this activity. He also didn’t want to leave Henry alone when he left for the Academy, which is also a sign he thinks that one of the things he has to do in order to keep his family intact (especially after the rumor about Charlotte and Gideon) is to take care of Henry. He is indeed a “motherly” figure in the Merry Thieves and to his own father, to some degree. Because of this upbringing, it’s like Matthew never truly lived his childhood like a normal child. And now that he is 17 and is using alcohol as a copying mechanism, it’s like he’s already become metaphorically old, because at that time alcohol abuse was something you’d expect from a middle-aged man.

As you see, these three characters are also expected to be in a sort of triangle, even if we don’t know the extents of this relationship yet. But we’ll surely have a lot to see.

Partially Mature (Still Innocent to Some Degree)

I’m finally at the last group!!! YAY me. I hope you read so far. These are the characters I still consider innocent and that in CoI will have a bigger storyline and we’ll also see them become more mature and face more harsh reality.

Happy Childhood

The first person from this group is Lucie. Lucie is 16, just one year younger than her brother and her best friend Cordelia. Like James, Lucie has been exposed to the harshness of life from a young age, since her parents didn’t keep many secrets with her. But Lucie is still innocent to some degree, and adventurous like a child, but we see that she isn’t able to stay calm whenever things get out of hand and people (including herself) get hurt, because one thing is hearing stories, another is actually being part of those gory stories. First, she has never been in love. I know this sounds silly, but a lot of teenagers start seeing the world differently after they fall in love with someone, truly in love. I’m not talking about infatuation here. It’s also the first time after years of dead calm that London is plagued by a new enemy, which means it’s also the very first time for Lucie – unlike James and the Merry Thieves – to finally face the stories she’s heard from her parents and the fantasy stories she’s invented as a writer. Getting to know Jesse has helped, because he is a very mature character who is opposed to her because he had a very sheltered childhood and he learnt about life just when he turned into a ghost. Since Lucie is on the cover of CoI, she’ll definitely mature more in that book.

Christopher is also innocent. He is smart, he is way more intelligent than everyone imo, but he lives in his own world sometimes. He, like Lucie, had a happy childhood and was very protected by his older sister Anna and of course his parents. But he was also let on in the secrets of the Lightwood family (like the Benedict Lightworm story), so we can say to this point that he is innocent but he also is mature because he uses his logic to make decisions. Of the Merry Thieves he's surely the youngest son, because the other guys always look after him – especially Thomas. In CoI we will probably also see his maturity journey, because so far, he appeared very absent-minded, lost in his thoughts, always trying to come up with solutions to save other people, which is admirable. I think that besides as a plot device, the fact that Belial/Tatiana hurt him with demonic poison was also a way to make Christopher aware that he should also be ready to fight as a shadowhunter other than cultivate his passion for science. I mean, he’ll probably have moments where he could use (like Henry in TID) what he invents as a useful tool in battle.

Denied Childhood

Last but not last, we have Grace. Grace is in this part of the spectrum because she is still very innocent, since she’s lived most of her life brainwashed by Tatiana/Belial. The person we see is not probably the real Grace, but a mannequin. She is also smart because her engagement to Charles was a way to escape her mother’s manipulation, but until she came to London, her whole life has been sheltered, Tatiana has told her lies, has molded her the way she wanted Grace to act as a mean to her revenge. Grace has suffered the same gaslighting Tatiana suffered from Benedict Lightwood, except Grace is aware of this and is trying to find ways to escape. Spending time with Ariadne and Lucie will only make her more conscious of who she really is, but it will be a long way because she still seems like a frail flower sometimes. She also seems not to have received training, so she’s even more in danger. CoI will probably feature a new side of Grace, and we’ll see her throw her innocence away (well, not literally, guys) and be more self-aware.

If we were to follow the logic I used so far, we’d see that Christopher and Grace might become love interests. If we look at the structure of the plot and of the couples we have so far, they are opposites but also similar. I know that many people don’t like Grace, but I believe that if she gets an arc where we see how she can give as a character, she may grow on us. Anyway, mine is just an assumption, I can be wrong. As for Lucie and Jesse, it’s only fitting the that the partially mature character and the character who wasn’t mature when he was alive and who became mature when he died, are going to be each other’s love interests. They are half-away. It’s only fitting because Lucie can also “call” ghosts who are still stuck in the living world (in the middle between life and death): understand what I mean?

Ok, I think I can close this essay by saying thank you for reading so far! But also, if you have ideas or comments etc, you can write in my ask box. As you see, I like to discuss about characters and plots, so I’m happy if you shot me a message, even in anon.

[calpalirwin]

Hush, Hush

Request: Could you please write a Michael x Reader based on the song Hush Hush by The Band CAMINO? Where they have a secret relationship. Maybe include a scene where the guys find out because read accidentally LEFT THEIR FRIGGIN UNDERWEAR

Content: Heavily implied smut

Word Count: 3.6k

And away, and away we go!

__

Y/N spotted Calum easily as he tried to look as inconspicuous as possible in a plain black t-shirt, blue jeans, a hat covering his head of curls, and sunglasses pushed up on his face. “Hey, you! How was your flight?” he greeted as he wrapped his cousin in a hug.

“Long, but worth it to be here,” she grinned, returning the embrace with the same amount of warmth as the bright LA sun outside. “You fuckin’ take a page from the Avengers? You know this disguise is shit, right?”

“If I learned one thing from all the covid nonsense, it’s actually that this shit disguise works surprisingly well.”

“In covid we covered the lower half of our faces, ya dingus.”

“Works the same either way. Half the face covered is half the face covered. You check any bags?”

“Nah, I crammed as much shit as I could in my carry on and backpack.”

“Sweet, let’s roll.”

“So, you like living here in LA?” she asked as they made their way to his car.

“Yeah. Kinda hard not to. Nice weather. Good people. So, I know you’re here to look at houses and stuff, but Mum didn’t explain to me why you’re moving here. She was just like ‘pick up your cousin from the airport and be good’ like I was just gonna leave you to fend for yourself or some shit.”

Y/N laughed. “While I definitely appreciate you picking me up, and letting me stay with you this week, I’ll kick your ass if you start babying me. You may be taller, but I’m still older than you.”

Calum laughed along. “That’s what I told Mum but, she wouldn’t listen. I was like Y/N’s a big girl, she doesn’t need a chaperone.”

“That’s Aunt Joy for ya though. She misses you. We all do. Well except me, of course.”

Calum snorted as he clicked the unlock button on his car. “Yeah, I miss everyone but you too, so I guess we’re even. But what was it that sent you here?”

“Job relocation. Well… sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of?” he asked as he placed her suitcase in the backseat, the backpack following. 

“So I’ve been doing a lot more freelance work since my job’s been fucking me around since day one. And I finally said fuck it, I’m gonna make my own business. So while I’m here to look at apartments and shit, I’m also here to scout out business locations looking to rent out space.”

“Well shit, why didn’t you tell me before now?” he asked as they got in the front seat. “Moving’s expensive. Starting your own business is expensive. Living here is expensive. Doing all that shit at once? Geez, you a secret millionaire?”

“You’re not the only successful one, Cal. I make good money.”

“You know I don’t mean it like that. I just meant that you could’ve told me what was really going on. So that way I could’ve put you in contact with Andy and Sarah already, cuz they probably know some people who can help you out. Hell you can help them out by freelancing for them. They work too damn hard, they could definitely use the extra help. Plus you’re fuckin good at what you do. And I could’ve also told you that you don’t need to bother looking for a place cuz you could just stay with me.”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you, Cal. I wanna do this on my own.”

“I’m not saying you gotta live with me forever, Y/N. I’m just saying you can while you focus all your energy and resources on what really matters which is getting your business up and running. Plus, I know you’re gonna pick like the most cheapass, run-down studio apartment anyway because you’re gonna justify it by saying you’re just there to sleep anyway. So why spend any money on some shitty apartment when you can just stay at my nice, nonshitty house for free instead? I mean, you’re only there to sleep basically right?”

Y/N’s eyes narrowed. She hated that he knew her so well. “There’s no way you’re letting this go until I agree to move in with you, is there?”

“Not a one.”

“Fine. But only until I get my business off the ground. Once that’s up and running, I’m getting my own place.”

“A decent place,” Calum pushed.

“A decent place,” she agreed with an eye roll. “I’ll even splurge for an actual bedroom.”

“You got yourself a deal.”

“You got yourself a roommate.”

~~~

Michael couldn’t keep his eyes off Y/N. He knew he wasn’t supposed to stare. A.) Staring was rude, and he wasn’t a rude person. And B.) Calum was his best and longest friend, and Y/N was his cousin which made her inexplicably off-limits. But there was something so tempting about wanting someone you knew you couldn’t have. And it didn’t help matters that every time he caught himself looking her way, she was already watching him.

“I’m Michael,” he introduced stupidly when they both ended up in Calum’s kitchen by themselves. 

“I know,” she grinned. “We already did introductions, remember?”

His cheeks flushed pink, and one of his hands rubbed at the back of his neck. “Right. Yeah. H-how long did you say you’re staying with Cal for?”

“Well originally I was only gonna be here for a week while I sorted things out. But Cal’s… strong-willed about things. So I’m staying with him indefinitely while I get sorted instead.”

“Mmm, right. With your new business and everything. So you’ll be around quite a bit, huh?”

“Loads,” she nodded with a flirtatious smile. “And I’ll probably be lonely. I don’t really know anyone here besides Cal. His friends seem nice though. And one of them’s really cute.”

Michael breathed deeply, and even from the small distance between them she could feel his hot exhale on her skin. “We can’t,” he sighed in defeat.

“Says who?”

“Says like every bro code.”

“Are you saying you don’t want this as badly as I do?”

“Want it so bad,” Michael admitted, his voice a low whimper. His green eyes looked around. While nobody from outside was peering in, they were still in everyone’s line of sight if someone happened to glance their way. Which meant that they only had two options, neither of which led to what they really wanted which was to slink away from the party without raising suspicion. “But we can’t. Not now, anyway. Not here.”

“Right. I don’t want to make anything weird between you and Cal. Or between me and him. And we don’t even know what we are. Maybe this is just an infatuation that’ll run its course if we don’t play into it.”

“Maybe it’s not,” Michael countered. “God, I hope it’s not, cuz I really want to play into this.”

“Me too. God, I hope you’re right.”

“Hope he’s right about what?” Calum asked, as he came in through the sliding glass door. 

“Uh, my business!” she blurted. “Mike was just telling me that he thinks it’s gonna do really well here cuz I’ll be able to get more connections with your help and stuff.”

Calum hummed in response. “Mike’s right ya know. Like you already did the scary part of moving out here. The rest is just doing your job. Which you already know how to do, and you do it very well I might add.”

Michael let out the breath he’d been holding as Calum disappeared off to the bathroom. “Fuck, that was close. You think pretty good on your feet.”

Y/N chuckled nervously. “Thanks. God, he scared the shit out of me, and we weren’t even doing anything.”

“Backing out?” Michael asked with a twinge of a challenge to mask the underlying brace for rejection.

“We’re fucked if we get caught.”

“So fucked.”

“Guess we better not get caught then.”

Michael grinned.

~~~

She smirked at the message. A painful month of sneaking behind her cousin’s back, and she only wanted the man with wild trouble in those piercing green eyes more with each hidden touch. Needed him the same way Michael needed her. From the doorway, Calum wolf-whistled at the outfit lying on the bed: a slinky black dress with a slit in the thigh, and a matching black lace bra and panty set. “Going somewhere?” he questioned in amusement.

“Yes!” Y/N said with indignation. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

Calum chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. It’s good that you’re going out. You going out with friends, or a guy?”

“Friends,” she lied.

“That’s a hell of a dress for a girls’ night out,” he chuckled again. “You could tell me if it was a guy, ya know. We’re not little kids. I’m not gonna be shocked if you’re getting laid. Be a little worried if you weren’t in all honesty.”

She bit into her lower lip, wondering briefly if it was better to come clean now. Y/N decided on half-admittance. “Alright, it’s a guy. But we’re still in that figuring it out stage. Enjoying each other’s company.”

“Yeah, I bet you are,” Calum smirked.

“Shut up,” she laughed. “And get out so I can finish getting ready.”

“He picking you up?”

She shook her head. “No, we’re meeting up at the bar.”

“So, you’re driving?”

“Relax, spazz. I’m taking an Uber. No drinking and driving here.”

“Good. And hey, do me one small favor?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Go back to his place. Don’t bring him here. Rather spare myself the mental image.”

“I wouldn’t dream of bringing him here, you’re good.”

“Good, good. And hey, if he ends up not enjoying your time anymore A.) he’s an idiot, especially if you’re meeting him dressed in that. And B.) Call me, and I’ll come get ya. No matter the time.”

“Thanks, Cal. Now seriously leave.”

20 minutes after Michael asked to meet in 15 minutes, she was climbing into his car. “Geez, what took you so long?” he questioned, leaning across the seat to press a heated and bruising kiss to Y/N’s lips.

“Cal walked by when I was getting ready. You know for the quiet one, he really doesn’t ever shut up.”

“Shit, think he’s getting suspicious?”

“Nah. I mean I told him I was sort of seeing somebody. But I don’t think he thinks it’s you.”

“Sort of seeing somebody, huh?” Under a passing streetlight, she could see the corner of his lips pull up in a smirk. “You can call me your boyfriend if you want.”

“Oh, is that what you are?” she teased.

Michael chuckled. “I mean not to be heavy, but we’ve been seeing each other a while now. I think this is becoming something more than passing infatuation. I’m not seeing anyone else besides you. I don’t want to see anyone besides you. But if you don’t want to label this because of Cal or whatever, I can respect that.”

“No, no,” she said, softly, fingers tracing across the thick tattooed band on his arm. “I’d like that. Plus, might make telling Cal easier? So we can stop sneaking around? Not that I haven’t loved this. But, I’d really like to not act like we don’t know each other around company.”

His hand brought hers to his lips to stamp kisses over it as he pulled into his driveway. “We’ll tell him soon. Until then, I’m gonna enjoy keeping you to myself.” His gaze turned to take her in, his next breath catching in his throat. “Fuck… Did I tell you how stunning you look, yet? Or was I too busy griping about Cal holding you up like an ass?”

Her cheeks blushed. “Too busy griping. But that’s okay.”

“I think I can think of a way or two to make it up to you.”

“Oh, is that so? Do tell.”

“I think showing you might be more appropriate.”

She shuddered at his words. “Humor me anyway?”

“Let’s just say if my neighbors don’t know me already, they certainly will by tomorrow, because I am going to thoroughly enjoy familiarizing myself with every inch of your skin. And listening to how good my name sounds rolling off your tongue, and how good yours tastes on mine.”

How they managed to make their way inside the house was a mystery to them both as hands tangled in hair, and tongues explored mouths and the column of the other’s throat. Teeth nipped skin, as Y/N’s fell back onto the couch, and Michael marked a path down her body. “Pretty,” his voice taunted from underneath the skirt of her dress as he snapped the waistband of her panties, before pulling them down and off her legs, spitting the lace fabric out of his mouth.

“M-Mike,” she panted, her back arching, searching for him.

“Aw,” he taunted more, his face inches from hers. “You can do better than that. C’mon, I’m sure I got a few neighbors who don’t know who I am yet. Don’t you want to tell them my name, pretty girl?”

“Mike!” The repetition of his name was louder, the desperation in her voice stronger as her fingers wrapped around his wrist and guided him towards where she needed him.

As they surrendered themselves to each other, their names mingled together in the air like the most profanity-riddled melody, each of them certain that by the time daylight broke through the curtains, the neighborhood not only knew his name, but hers as well. 

~~~

Michael tiptoed around the clothes scattered on the floor as he made his way to the dresser, a wide smile plastered on his face. Their first bout that had shook the foundation of the house had led to them curled up on the couch, whispering the sweet promises of budding love against each other’s skin, before retiring to the bedroom. Which then led to a much slower love making of hot moans panted against heated skin, fingers intertwined, and locked gazes swirling with desire, love, lust, and passion. Afterwards exhaustion set in, and they fell asleep in a tangled web of limbs and bedsheets. 

He’d woken up, sure that this had all been a dream, but much to his delight, she was still sleeping soundly in his arms. And after waking her up, he was grabbing her some clothes to put on before joining her in the shower. Or he would have if someone wasn’t banging on his front door.

Confused, he made his way to the front of the house, pulling the front door open to find Ashton, Calum, and Luke on the other side. “See? I told you guys we should’ve waited until he responded,” Luke said with a shake of his head.

“Aw, who gives a shit?” Calum asked rhetorically, shouldering his way past a still confused Michael to get inside the house.

“Uh? What are you guys doing here?” Michael asked, stepping out of the way as Ashton and Luke followed Calum inside.

“Saturdays are for the boys, remember?” Ashton grinned.

“Yeah, but like… did we have actual plans? I- sorry… still waking up.”

“Long night?” Calum teased with a smirk.

“I’ll say,” Luke answered, blue eyes zeroed in on a pair of panties half-wedged between a couch cushion. “You got a girlfriend, Mikey?”

“Holy shit!” Ashton choked, giggling at the sight of Michael with his face frozen in terror. “Is she still here? Is that why you’re so jumpy, mate? Ya got your girlfriend hidden somewhere in your mini mansion?”

“I- What? Pffft, no!” Michael sputtered, grabbing the panties and balling them up in his fist, his green eyes looking wildly at Calum for any indication that his friend might be on to him.

Calum misinterpreted the look as a plea to step in on Michael’s defense. “Aw, leave him be guys. We should be celebrating that he’s finally getting back out there, not giving him shit for it. So when are we gonna meet the girl? When she comes back to claim her lost panties? Or should we leave to not embarrass the poor girl, and meet her some other time?”

“That,” Michael chimed in, “is a great idea, Cal. You guys should leave, because this is part of a matching set, so I’m sure she’ll be by the moment she realizes, and she’ll probably be embarrassed enough as is. So it might be best if you guys aren’t around when that happens. No offense.”

“Matching set?” Calum asked with a raised eyebrow and Michael gulped. “Damn, that girl knew what she was doing.”

The green-eyed blonde chuckled nervously. “Heh, yeah. She’s really cool. I like spending time with her. We’re still kinda figuring some stuff out, but I’ll be sure to bring her around s-”

“Hey, Mike? Have you seen my pa- oh fuck!”

“Y/N!” Calum thundered, jumping to his feet, while Ashton and Luke sucked in their breath and Michael and Y/N looked like a couple of deer trapped in headlights. “The guy you’re seeing is Mike?! You’re fucking my cousin?! And I’m finding this out now?! How long has this been happening?!”

“Maybe now’s not the time to ask questions,” Y/N hissed, trying to make herself as small as possible as she clutched the large towel around her like a lifeline.

“GET DRESSED!” Calum barked, his mind racing.

Michael and Y/N bolted to his bedroom, Ashton’s and Luke’s unrestrained laughter finally breaking free in the background while Calum screeched at them that “IT’S NOT FUNNY!”

“It’s a little funny,” was the barely audible response between wheezes and gasps for air.

Behind the closed door in the safety of the bedroom, Michael and Y/N shared a frantic look. “Well… that wasn’t the way I pictured that going in my head,” Y/N mumbled as she pulled the shirt Michael offered her on over her bra.

“Luke found your underwear,” he mumbled back, handing her the wadded up lace. “Sorry, I wrinkled it.”

“It’s fine,” she told him, stepping into them and then taking the offered gym shorts and stepping into those as well while he pulled on a pair of grey sweats over his boxers. “Hey,” she said softly, reaching up to cup his face and focus his frazzled mind on her. “We’re fine. Right?”

He gave her a small smile, relaxing at her touch. “We’re more than fine,” he nodded, kissing her forehead, each of her cheeks, her nose, and then finally her lips. “I still want you. And if Cal can’t deal with that… well… I…”

“Shh, don’t think about it. Cal’s not gonna care. Just gotta let the shock wear off, first.”

He nodded, his forehead resting against hers, green eyes searching for any kind of hope that they weren’t about to self-destruct; that if it really came down to it, they’d at least hesitate to choose Calum over the other. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, a tear sliding down his cheek despite his best efforts at self control. “This is all my fault. I- I just need you to know that this wasn’t a fleeting moment of infatuation for me. That I-“

“Ssssshhhhh,” she soothed, her thumb rubbing across his cheekbone. “Don’t do this. Don’t say goodbye before we have to.”

They slowly crept their way back to the living room, finding Calum in full interrogation mode. “Did you two know?” he was asking Ashton and Luke, whose bodies were still shaking from barely controlled laughter.

“Hand to God, we didn’t know,” Ashton swore.

“Honest,” Luke agreed before both men sputtered into a new fit of giggles.

Calum’s eyes narrowed, not sure what to believe as he turned on his heel, coming face-to-face with Michael. “Did they know?” he demanded.

“No. Nobody knew,” Michael told him.

“So what? Are you embarrassed to be with her, or something? Are you embarrassed to be with him?” The brown eyes shifted back and forth between the couple.

“No,” it was Y/N’s turn to answer. “We just didn’t want to come to you guys with the news before we figured out what we were to each other first.”

“And what are you to each other?”

“We’re dating.”

“And how long has this been going on?”

“About a month.”

“So, the whole time? Great… You’re a real pal, Mike.”

“Oh, leave him alone,” Y/N defended. “Like you go blabbing to the world whenever you start to get to know someone? No. You wait until you’re sure it’s not just a fleeting moment. Gimme a break, Cal.”

“So… this is like… for real then? You actually like like each other, and shit?”

“We really do,” Michael nodded.

“I see… Hey, Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

“Remember what I told you last night about not bringing the guy you were seeing home because I’d rather not have that mental image?”

“Yeah. What about it? Change your mind?” she teased.

Calum gagged. “Fuckin’ God, no! If you’re gonna insist on fucking Mike, do it as far away from me as possible. Also if you want to move out sooner, totally fine with that.”

Michael blinked in confusion. “Wait? You’re cool with this? With us?”

Calum shrugged. “If you make each other happy, you make each other happy. Not my place to tell you who you can and can’t date. But,” Calum’s tone changed to be as menacing as possible as he glowered at Michael, “break her heart, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”

“What if she breaks mine?” Michael countered.

Calum laughed. “Then I’ll help you pick up the pieces, while secretly wondering what she ever saw in you because let’s face it, she’s too good for you.”

“I’d be more offended if you weren’t totally right.”

__

Tag List

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[newsies-of-corona]

Okay I’ve been on one heck of an analysis high so let’s get into it!

Team Awesome Analysis

Part 1: Season 1 Relationship

In season 1, Varian and Eugene’s relationship isn’t much. In “What the Hair,” obviously the two just met, but Varian spends the episode idolizing Eugene for being “Flynn Rider” and trying to impress him, and Eugene tries to get Rapunzel’s secret out of Varian, and later tries to get him to turn off his dangerous hot water machines.

When they first meet, Eugene is flattered that Varian says “Flynn Rider is his hero,” but then immediately feels very awkward around him because Varian doesn’t listen when Eugene explains that he only adopted the name from the book, and the stories aren’t actually about him. It also doesn’t help matters that Varian keeps calling him “Flynn,” even though Eugene has told him multiple times that it isn’t his name anymore.

Right off the bat, you get the vibe that Eugene doesn’t trust this kid and is frankly frustrated with him. Varian is unintentionally putting everyone in danger through his hot water machines, and he won’t listen to Eugene when he tells him that it isn’t safe. To make matters worse, Eugene has also seen a glimpse of the destruction that Varian’s machines and experiments can cause because of the lazer sword, the explosives, and the tremors caused by the hot water machines. Seeing his girlfriend actually inside of one of Varian’s contraptions is probably adding to his anxiety, and he wants to get everyone as far away from this dangerous kid as possible. Eugene still cares about Varian however, but it’s only in a “he’s a kid who needs protection” kind of way.

When Varian shows up for the expo in “Great Expotations,” Eugene definitely isn’t too happy to see him (“...since your last invention almost killed us! So glad you’re here. With what looks like another invention.”). The explosion at Varian’s lab could have killed both Rapunzel and Eugene, if it wasn’t for Raps’ hair, and it was probably very traumatizing for Eugene as well. When Varian’s invention for the expo goes off the rails, (even though it isn’t his fault) Eugene is probably on even higher alert in regards to Varian.

Jumping all the way to “The Quest For Varian,” when Rapunzel talks about her dream, Eugene is very quick to say “stay here where you’re safe.” And when Rapunzel gets a note from Varian asking for her help, Eugene is very suspicious. (“It’s always something with that guy.”) He has no right to be suspicious, even though he may have heard the rumors from Nigel, because he heard from Rapunzel that Varian only wanted her help during the storm. Eugene also has no idea about Varian’s turn to villainy. Even when Eugene sees Varian’s father trapped in the amber, he’s still very critical.

In “The Alchemist Returns” when Eugene finds out that Varian is with Rapunzel, he’s just quick to think that “Rapunzel could be in trouble,” and he doesn’t seem surprised at Varian’s turn either since he already didn’t trust him.

Another thing to note is that whenever Eugene talks about or mentions Varian, it’s usually to criticize him even when he’s on the right side.

Part 2: Season 3 Relationship

In season 3, when we see Varian come back as a full fledged villain, Eugene is obviously defensive when Rapunzel says that they have to work with him. (“After everything hairstripe here has done you are going to trust him?”).

But after that, something changes. Eugene seems to be way more trusting of Varian after his redemption, when in reality it seems more natural for him to be even more suspicious because of what happened before.

In “Be Very Afraid,” for example, Eugene doesn’t warn Rapunzel about how dangerous it would be if she went into the tunnels with Varian, but instead he seems completely chill with them going and isn’t suspicious of him at all.

In “Cassandra’s Revenge,” Eugene seems pretty comfortable around Varian, even enough to even touch his alchemy that Eugene probably would have stayed far away from back in season 1. Varian actually has to tell Eugene to be careful (oh the irony). Later on, when Varian is trapped in the rock cage, Eugene basically risks his life to help Varian by walking over to the cage that’s suspended in mid air. Varian also looks to Eugene as a source of comfort when the cage gets pulled in, and Eugene obliges, being very protective over him now.

In “Race to the Spire,” Eugene and Varian are acting more like friends, pranking each other and laughing with each other.

In “Flynnposter,” when Eugene is talking over him, Varian doesn’t hesitate to sass him, because he considers him as a friend instead of his “idol” who he needs to impress.

In “Once A Handmaiden” Eugene trusts Varian enough to ask/let him make a dangerous weapon because he knows Varian will be careful with it. They’re shown to be acting more like best friends, and they even have a handshake! Even when Varian is using the bazooka somewhat haphazardly, Eugene doesn’t get frustrated with him, he smiles and thinks it’s funny. He even teams up with Varian during the fight against Cassandra which shows that he trusts him enough to protect Corona.

In “Plus est en Vous,” we really get to see how far Eugene and Varian’s relationship has come when Eugene jokes about Varian’s villainy and Varian laughs along with him. This topic is very sensitive to Varian, but he’s chill enough with Eugene to joke with him about it which shows massive growth. When Eugene is concerned about Varian’s father being in the brotherhood, he warns Varian about him possibly being under the mind control. Though Varian is angry at first, he respects Eugene enough to listen to what he said and takes “precautions.” Eugene is so proud of Varian and we can see that he really values their friendship when he tries to cheer him up after Quirin gets knocked out.

Instead of criticizing him, Eugene compliments and encourages Varian throughout season 3, and really seems to connect with him now. These two really became an inseparable “team awesome.”

Part 3: What changed?

So how did Varian and Eugene become so close? Well the simplest solution would be to say that “Rapunzel trusts Varian now and Eugene trusts Rapunzel,” but technically Rapunzel trusted Varian in season 1, and we all know Eugene certainly did not. Another reason could be that Varian is older and more responsible, but I think the biggest reason that Eugene is suddenly so trusting of Varian is because he can relate to what Varian has been through.

As a kid, Eugene was already in a life of crime and thievery and it lasted all the way up into his adult life. He probably got thrown in jail multiple times too. When he met Rapunzel, he was still a theif until she gave him a second chance. Rapunzel didn’t necessarily change him, but it was Eugene’s time with her that made him truly “see the light” (pun intended.) When Eugene brings Rapunzel back to the kingdom, he doesn’t get accepted right away. Cassandra still doesn’t trust him (in season 1) and he’s still regarded as a theif in many areas, but he’s able to show them all, in time, that he’s a changed man and that he will do anything to protect his friends, Rapunzel, and all of Corona.

In Varian’s situation, he’s done a lot more than just petty thievery, but Rapunzel is willing to give him a second chance as well. Again, she didn’t change him, but she made Varian see what was the right thing to do even if it was hard. Eugene had every right to reject Varian and blame him for all of the horrible things he had done, like everyone else in Corona. But when he sees that the kid really does want to change and that Rapunzel wants to help Varian just like she helped Eugene, he gives him the benefit of the doubt.

Eugene knows first hand what Varian is going through, over the course of season 3, and how hard it is to come back from a life of crime. The least that he can do is give Varian one more friend that he can trust on his path to redemption, and encourage and help Varian to step back into the light. Because of all of this encouragement and trust from Rapunzel and Eugene, Varian is able to rise up and do amazing things to help Corona.

Eugene and Varian have a lot more in common now, both being redeemed, and they can also relate to being decended from members of the Brotherhood of the Dark Kingdom. (I bet they had a nice long talk about that 😂😂)

So in short: Varian and Eugene’s relationship has come so, so far and I’m so glad that they both trust each other now and that they became such amazing and close friends. “Alright Team Awesome!!”

Woah that was a lot!!! I’m so mad at myself for deleting it before, but the beauty of rewriting it was being able to make a more thorough analysis and find more things that I missed before! I really hope y’all enjoyed it!!

[randomrichards]

BEST MOVIES OF 2020

10)          BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM

It’s a miracle Sacha Baron Cohen could pull off his guerilla comedy style considering how iconic his character is (especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic). Just as surprising is how uncompromising it is with its political commentary and how it never backs away from its deliciously inappropriate humour.

As everyone’s favourite anti-Semitic, misogynist dim bulb reporter (Sacha Baron Cohen) becomes a pariah in his home country, Borat tries to sell his daughter Tutar (Maria Bakalova) to Michael Pence (then later Rudy Giuliani). The result is an endless array of side splitting, cringy moments from convincing a baker to write an anti-Semitic slogan on a cake to Borat attempted disguises to avoid detection.

Not since Buster Keaton has a comic actor pulled such dangerous stunts for a laugh. Cohen puts himself in such risky situations for the sake of his comedy when he hangs around with Qanon nutjobs or barges into a Republican convention dressed as “McDonald Trump.” [1] Well, it’s not just for laughs. As with his earlier works, Cohen uses his guerilla comedy style to expose the ugly side of humanity and America’s complicity in said ugly behavior. A notable theme is the consequences of misinformation. Borat is an instigator and willful idiot for his home country’s propaganda, which makes him an easy target for conspiracy theories. It all comes to a hilarious head when his daughter becomes a rightwing pundit and breaks his heart with holocaust denial.

Maria Bakalova is the film’s breakout star. An unknown actress from Bulgaria, Bakalova matches him every step of the way as the gullible, degraded young woman. She shines in her own hilarious moments when she’s ballroom dancing with a bloody dress or cheering about the joys of masturbating in front of a Republican Meeting.  She also gives the movie a heart as Borat bonds with his daughter and forces him to reevaluate his beliefs.

It’s impossible for the film to reach the same level of impact as the first Borat considering what a surprise phenomenon the original was. But it’s still surprising the sequel was as good as it was without sacrificing its inappropriate humour.

9)            HIS HOUSE

Writer/Director Remi Weekes brings another great addition to the metaphorror genre with His House; a creepy horror flick about a Sudanese refugee couple who find their lives in Britain threatened by the literal demons of their past.

Dilapidated rooms with peeling wallpaper, decaying floors, and malfunctioning lights are a perfect atmosphere for horror, Weekes and his cinematographer Jo Willems takes full advantage of this environment to unsettle the audience. Bol Majur (Sope Dirisu) and his wife Rial Majur (Wunmi Mosaku) find themselves tormented by voices in the walls, and mysterious figures peaking through the crawl spaces. It’s clear these supernatural figures are the manifestations of their trauma.

Weeks contrast the supernatural horror with the real horror they face, which takes the form of an uncaring bureaucracy that sticks them in a dilapidated home in a crumbling neighbourhood with some hostile, indifferent neighbours. It shows how finding a doctor’s office in an unfamiliar land can be as scary as facing ghosts.

You care a lot about these two thanks to Dirisu and Mosaku, who bring a lot of quiet humanity and heart to their characters. You pray for them as they fight for their right to live with dignity after what they’ve been put through.

8)            WOLFWALKERS

British girl/wannabee warrior) Robyn (voiced by Honor Kneafsey) joins her father (Sean Bean) on a trip to a remote Irish village where she encounters Mebh (Evan Whittaker), a wild red-haired girl with the ability to control a pack of wolves. With her father tasked with killing Mebh’s pack, Robyn must find Mebh’s mother and protect the pack from the tyrannical religious fanatic Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) in Tomm Moore’s conclusion to his Irish Folklore trilogy.

The animation is just as gorgeous as Moore’s earlier films The Secret of Kells and The Song of the Sea with his trademark storybook-like animation style. A noticeable difference between the earlier is how deliberately rough the animation looks. There are moments you can see lines and circles that are usually erased when drawing characters. It fits with the wild energy of the characters.

There’re the clear environmental themes of humans encroaching on animal lives and the need to respect nature. Lord Protector believes he needs to dominate the wilderness and the wolves. The villagers in contrast have more respect for the environment but can’t do much under Protector’s rule. So, the wolves are forced to find a new home.

Another theme of this film is the importance of questioning authority and not blindly conforming to social norms. Robyn’s father expects her to train to be a chambermaid while he’s blindly follows Lord Protector’s orders. They keep saying it’s “for the greater good,” but that “greater good” involves the destruction of a wilderness and a denial of one’s true self. It just leaves everyone miserable. And all for a religious fanatic.

It’s a shame Moore’s films don’t get more attention because they have that rare sense of wonder.

7)            NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS & UNPREGNANT (tie)

I’m putting these two films together on the list because they have the same premise of two teen girls travelling across state lines so one of them can get an abortion. What sets them apart is how different they are in styles.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a grounded drama about Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) a teenage girl from Pennsylvania who secretly travels with her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) to New York to get an abortion without their parents knowing. Writer/director Eliza Hittman avoids melodrama in favour of grounded realism. Flanigan and Ryder keep their performances at a lowkey level to reinforce the realism. Hittman also avoids political moralizing in favour of just presenting a slice of life showcase as the cousins travel to New York, try to find the appropriate procedure for her circumstance, then tries to find the money to get back home. In a way, it makes the little moments more meaningful when Autumn is forced to watch anti-abortion propaganda or when she and Skylar plays at an arcade.

While the former goes for grounded drama, Haley Lu Richardson’s Unpregnant bears a closer resemblance to comedic road movies like National Lampoon’s Vacation and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. This time, popular teen Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson) enlists the help (and the car) of social outcast/former friend Bailey (Barbie Ferreira) to drive from Missouri to Albuquerque to get the procedure without her parents knowing. The result is a chaotic road trip with the two crashing a few cars and meeting a few colourful characters along the way. This film has quite a set of cameos including Breckin Meyer, Betty Who and Giancarlo Esposito. This film has the John Hughes blend of broad humour and recognizable heart. This film gets its point across by showcasing the absurdity of how teen girls are treated. One notable example is Veronica’s boyfriend; a stage 5 clinger who lives under the “nice guy” mindset.

Both films celebrate teen girls helping each other out.

6)            THE VAST OF NIGHT

Switchboard operator (Sierra McCormick) and DJ Everett Sloan (Jake Horowitz) search for the source of a mysterious sound in The Vast of Night; a gripping and visual dazzling sci fi flick that captures the feel of the Twilight Zone.

Director Andrew Patterson and co-writer Craig W. Sanger wrote a tightly knit story the follows our heroes over the course of a night as they play detective in a 1950s New Mexico town. Never does a second feel wasted. Plus, it’s fun to see stereotypical 1950s nerds being the heroes in a story like this.

What truly makes this film stand out is its visual styles. From the Twilight Zone-esque opens plays on an old tv, cinematographer M.I. Littin-Menz has you under his spell. His camerawork is always gorgeous in both the way he is zooming into a 1950s high school basketball game and shining omniscient light from the night sky. There are also some unusual moments when the film will suddenly play on 1950s tv. This may either further the intrigue or take some viewers out of the movie.

The result is a unique experience for sci-fi fans.

5)            KAJILLIONNAIRE

Emotionally distant young woman Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) and her small-time con artist parents (Debra Winger and Richard Jenkins) find their lives turned upside down when a perky stranger named Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) joins in their schemes.

Some audiences may be put off by July’s stylized approach to filmmaking, especially Wood’s unusual deep voice. But for those into lighthearted, quirky comedies will be enchanted by the little visual oddities of the family stooping (or in Old Dolio’s case, leaning back) to avoid their landlord or the pink suds always flowing down their apartment walls.

Kajillionnaire fits into July’s celebration of the timid and the outsiders. But July surprises us with a dark side to the outsider. The parents reject the unfulfilling, debt filled conventional life, but they aren’t particularly good at their cons and struggle to make ends meet. It has also made their daughter emotionally distant and with severe trust issues. It takes Melanie to give Old Dolio the human connection she never had.

I can’t say much beyond that because it takes many unexpected twists and turns. What I can say is this colourful dramedy offers an assurance of human connection.

4)             SMALL AXE

Ok, I may be cheating on this one since it’s five films (two of them just barely over an hour), but director Steve McQueen’s anthology complement each other perfectly with their unflinching examinations of systemic racism inflicted on lives of West Indie Brits during 1960s and the 1980s. The films are also connected by their celebration of people who celebrate life despite overwhelming odds stacked against them.

MANGROVE centers on the title Caribbean restaurant in Notting Hill. Owner Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes) just wants to serve customers and be left alone, but his business is a constant target of harassment by racist cops. It all comes to a head with a 1970 protest, which leads to Frank and 8 others falsely accused of inciting a riot.

The trial demonstrates how Police can brutalize protesters, then turn around and accuse the protesters of inciting violence. It also shows how the justice system is complicity by blindly taking the word of the police over civilians. Not helping is a prosecuting attorney who peddles in racist dog whistles, a defense attorney naïve about the justice system’s treatment of black people and an indifferent judge. But the defendants stand strong as they use the trial as a platform to expose racial profiling while poking holes in cop’s testimony.

The two standouts in the film are Parkes and Letitia Wright as British Black Panther Co-Founder Altheia Jones. Parkes brings a lot of sympathy as a desperate man who just wants to live his life but grows to become an activist due to circumstances outside of his control. In contrast, Wright is a powerhouse of righteous anger as she fights for dignity.

LOVERS ROCK takes us through a night at a house party, where two strangers (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn and Micheal Ward) fall in love. There’s isn’t much plot in this one, its mostly just people dancing and playing music. But as the camera lingers on the DJ playing records and the guests dancing and enjoying each other’s company, this film enchants you with its celebration of music, dancing, and the joy of company. It feels like a much-needed break from the uncomfortable racism we see in the other movies.

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE Is probably the most heartbreaking. John Boyega portrays Leroy Logan, a young man who enrolls in the Metropolitan Police in hopes of reforming it from the inside. He underestimates the racism he’ll face during training or how the system enables the racism. What makes it worst is how his own community would turn against him, especially his father (Steve Toussaint).

Boyega gives a powerful performance as a determined and smart guy who fails to understand how in over his head he is. You feel his fury when Leroy berates his fellow officers for putting his life in danger by not answering his call for backup. Toussaint is just as powerful as a man who feels betrayed when his son joins the very people who have brutalized him for years.

ALEX WHEATIE tells the true-life story of a young man (Sheyi Cole) who would go on to become an award-winning writer after being jailed during the Brixton Uprising of 1981. We follow him from his childhood growing up in uncaring white institutional care homes to finding a sense of community in Brixton, where he develops a passion for music. Through his attempts to pursue a DJing career and his run ins with the law that he confronts his past and begins a journey to healing.

We conclude with Education, a coming-of-age story of Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy), a 12-year-old boy who was singled out as “disruptive” and sent to special classes for the “subnormal”. This film looks at an unofficial segregated system that dismissed black kids and discarded them in classes for people with mental disability. It’s clear Kingsley is a smart kid with interest in rockets and space, but he shows signs of dyslexia. But neither his headmaster nor are the special classes helpful, especially when the teacher cares more about play his guitar and teaching the kids anything useful. His parents are even less helpful when they dismiss his concerns (when they’re not working two jobs.) It leads to a sad moment when Kingsley hides inside a bus to avoid seeing his friends.

This film also shows the power of black women. You see it through Kingsley’s sister Stephanie (Tamara Lawrence) whose empathy makes her realize somethings up. You see through Lydia Thomas (Josette Simon) activism as she investigates these school conditions. You especially see it through Kingsley’s mom (Sharlene Whyte), not just from working to jobs to provide for her family but her ability to grow and learn. She goes through a journey as Lydia teaches her about the systemic racism in the education system, forcing her to realize how she’s dismissed her son’s concerns. Near the end, we see how children like Kingsley can be helped by those willing to understand his problem.

3)            FIRST COW

Timid forager Cookie (John Magaro) feels out of place among the hunters and fur traders in the Oregon Territory. Then along comes King-Lu (Orion Lee), a Chinese immigrant with big dreams. Together, they swipe milk from the only cow in the area to cook and sell pastries to the locals in the area. As their little business grows, so does the bond between these outsiders. But their success comes under threat when they attract the attention of a wealthy landowner (Toby Jones) who owns the cow.

A premise like this does not sound like the type of film that attracts major audience attention, especially with Co-writer/Director Kelly Reichart’s minimalist style. But when it comes to Reichart, less is more. Reichart takes her time to take in the muted colours and natural beauty of Christopher Blauvelt’s cinematography and allow the relationships to develop naturally. It’s helped by the low-key yet engaging performances. Lee showcased the enthusiastic determination of a born entrepreneur. But it’s Magaro who shines brightest with the most nuanced performance of the year, revealing Cookie’s humanity through the subtlest gestures.

Reichart’s subtle, patient storytelling isn’t for everyone, but through her gentlest touch she enchants the audience with a haunting tale of unlikely friendships and the achievements of outsiders.

2)            UNCUT GEMS

I know this is a film was released in 2019, but It didn’t come to our theatre until 2020 and It’s too damn good not to talk about.

This film is a cinematic panic attack. Never once do the Safdie brothers give you a moment to relax as fast-talking Jeweler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) dodges pissed off debt collectors while plotting for the biggest bet he can get. The result is an experience that keeps you on edge from opening credits to end credits. In lesser hands this would be an unpleasant experience, but the Safdie brothers uses this to create a compelling, intense portrayal of a man who gets off on standing on the edge of a cliff.

One reason it works is because beauty and ugliness make strange bedfellows in their movies. Nowhere is this more perfectly summed up than in the opening scenes where cinematographer Darius Khondji travels through an inside of a gem. The colours and lights make you feel like you’ve ascended to a magical world, but this scene happens in between scenes of African Miners being exploited and the inside of Howard’s colon. Just as beautiful is Daniel Lopatin’s new wave musical score. On its own, the music lulls you into a beautiful sense of peace. But this music often plays over uncomfortable scenes of characters screaming over each other. Somehow these two elevate the cinematic experience.

But the true strength of the film is Howard himself, which is astounding considering how unlikeable the character is. Throughout the film, he keeps digging himself into a deeper hole as he gambles even more recklessly, which makes it worst when he starts putting other’s people lives at risk. But he’s too complicated to hate. He shares a close bond with his kids and his coworkers. The film makes it clear he’s excellent at predicting Basketball games with near perfect accuracy, which gives you hope he will win. But then again, you don’t end up with over a hundred thousand dollars in debt without making terrible life decisions. He would be impossible to watch without Adam Sandler’s performance. He blends a smooth-talking charm and panic desperation to his character every time he tries to fast talk his way out of his circumstance. You can see why people like having him around.

When the credits roll, you’re relieved it’s over and were glad to experience the thrill.

1)            THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO SEVEN

The real-life trial of seven protesters and Black Panther co-founder Bobby Seale feels more like an SNL skit than a courtroom drama. From the Merry Prankster duo Abby Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong)’s tweaking the nose at the buffoon judge Hoffman (Frank Langella) to the Judge bounding and gagging Seale, this trial was so contrived it can only come from real life. And writer/director Aaron Sorkin exposes the absurdity of this story in The Trial of the Chicago Seven.

It’s funny how a film about a trial from the late 60s can capture the mood of 2020. But with brutal images of Police attacking protesters and Judge Hoffman’s horrific treatment of Seale, this film feels like it came at the perfect time.[2] The trial itself showcases how the Justice system works to silence discourse and smears protestors. Sorkin further emphasizes how the system attacks anyone by showcasing the contrasting beliefs of the protestors from the radical anarchism of Hoffman and quiet dignity of Seale to the moderate ideals of student protestor Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and the unapologetic pacifism of suburban dad David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch).

Sorkin does all this while keeping the film gripping and entertaining from start to finish. He brings his sharp wit to his dialogue whether it’s Hoffman’s political speeches or the Marx-brother’s esque exchanges between the Judge and the increasingly frustrated defense attorney William Kunstler. Matching his writing are the endless great performances from the actors including Joseph Gordon-Levitt as reluctant prosecuting attorney Richard Schultz and Strong bringing out his inner Tommy Chong. But it’s Cohen who steals the whole film bringing out the uncompromising radicalism of Hoffman, who seems to have a better understanding of the situation than most of the protestors.

The result is a film that perfectly captures the political feel of 2020.

[1] At one point, he was almost attacked by protesters.

[2] Which is ironic considering it took Sorkin over a decade to get the film made.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Before It’s Too Late

Characters: Spencer Reid x Reader, the BAU, Tobias Hankel

Word Count: 1.8k

Warnings: angst, fluff, tobias hankel angst, s2 spencer reid

Request by @eideticprettyboydrreid: Can I request a story where I (or the reader) are Penelope’s assistant, and I (or the reader have a crush on Spencer? But before I/reader can say anything he gets kidnapped by Hankel? And have to sit at the BAU and watch the livestream, but once he “dies” I/they run out. I/they beg Hotch to come with to what I/they assume is a body retrieval. But Spencer is actually alive, so everything comes tumbling out in the relief of seeing him standing there. Idk if you want to put anything about his addiction too that’s up to you.

Summary: You’re not part of the BAU in the way you would like to be. You’re Penelope’s assistant, and you have a major crush on Spencer. He goes missing before you can tell him how you feel, and when you do find him, can you even tell him now when he’s already in so much pain?

Squares Filled: ambulance ride @badthingshappenbingo​ // unsub @cmbingo​ // friendship fic @trope-bingo // hurt/comfort @genprompt-bingo

Author’s Note: If you have any requests, please send them in! this is unbeta’d and every mistake is all on me.

“Where is Spencer? Tell me that he’s okay!” I yell, clearly in distress. Penelope works to get the system back online, but she’s coming up on all the dead ends. “Tell me I didn’t just watch Spencer get killed by that man!”

“Y/N, you need to calm down,” Derek warns, but it goes over my head.

“Please don’t tell me he’s gone,” I cry, my voice cracking at the end.

One Week Earlier

Ever since I started working here as Penelope’s assistant, Spencer is the one I truly connected with. Whenever the team is at the office working on files instead of traveling around the country, Spencer likes to visit Penelope a lot. Derek does too, but not as much as Spencer. He’d bring lunch for me and Penelope, and we’d sit and talk with him until he decided to get back to his files.

He’d tell us everything from what he did last week to something he read to a funny moment stored away in his memories. It didn’t matter the kind of story Spencer was telling because I’d be into it all. His voice is so soothing to listen to, and his energy can captivate anyone who is listening.

He used to come into that office to talk to Penelope, but now he comes to see me. Well, I think he does. She’s not usually in the office when he comes in, so why else would he? I’m the only thing that could entertain him besides a computer game, and I don’t think that would blow over well with Penelope.

I see what she does, and I hope to be that good. I am not meant for the field at all, but I do wish to help in any other way possible. Penelope had put a listing online for an assistant, I immediately took that opportunity. I wanted to know how to become a hacker like her. I wanted to be able to see what people are doing and uncover their dirty secrets to get justice for the people that needed it.

I wanted to be a rockstar just like her, and she’s helping me become that.

Everyone is so nice and welcoming, but I really like Spencer. He just stands out over all the rest, and I really like that in a man.

“Aren’t you scared every time you go out on these cases?” I ask, walking into the BAU with my best friend.

“Not really. I know I have a team to back me up when I need it.”

“I’d be terrified to go out there,” you chuckle and immediately head to the break room with him.

Should I tell him or should I not? What would he think of me if I did? Would he like me back? Would he reject me? Would I have to quit? There are a lot of unanswered questions here, but I’m only going to know if I come out and say it. I’m just having a hard time figuring out when and where, and what exactly I’m supposed to say. He’s the least intimidating person I know, yet, he’s the most intimidating to talk to when it comes to this kind of stuff.

“It’s not that scary. Don’t let anything Penelope says influence your decision.”

He pours himself some coffee and grabs the bottle of sugar since he likes to add a pound of it in there.

“Spencer, can I tell you something with the promise that you won’t laugh at me?”

“I would never do that. You know this. What is it?” he asks, suddenly serious and curious.

Here I go. This is the scariest thing I have ever faced, but I am going to do it. I am going to tell him how I feel about him. I am going to--why is Penelope speed walking over here? Oh no, I know that look on her face… we have a case. Shit, I guess this is going to have to wait. It’s probably for the best so I can practice what I am going to say to him.

“Hey sugar, we got a case coming in,”

“Okay, I’ll be there,” I say and then turn to Spencer. “To be continued, I guess. Just please make sure you’re safe. I don’t need my best friend coming back in a body bag.”

“I won’t. You have a question to ask me,” he grins.

“I’m holding you to that, Reid,” I joke and completely leave his line of sight.

It’s been six days, and I haven’t heard from Spencer once. I get that he’s busy and all, but I wish he would send me a text message saying everything is fine. I don’t know if he’s okay or if he’s injured, but all I can do now is wait. The last thing I heard is that the team is coming back, but it’s weird that I hadn’t heard anything from Spencer.

The most concerning thing is when they came back without Spencer. Like, they walked through the doors of the BAU without Spencer with them.

“Where the hell is Spencer?” I ask, but they don’t answer.

They all have grim looks on their faces, and my heart immediately sinks. Are my worst fears coming true? Is he really not coming home?

“Briefing room, stat,” Hotch orders.

I practically have to drag Penelope out of her office and into the briefing room because I need to know what is going on. The rest of the team don’t seem to care if I’m there or not. Spencer is gone, and they need to go out looking for him. No, gone is the wrong word--kidnapped. He has been kidnapped by the unsub, and who knows what he is doing to him right now. I have to hold in all my tears as to not interrupt them when Penelope gets a video chat request from an unknown person.

What’s on the screen breaks my heart into two. Spencer is tied to a chair and the unsub, Tobias Hankel, is sticking him with a needle. I know instantly that the needle isn’t filled with something good. Spencer is pleading that he doesn’t want it, but Tobias doesn’t listen. Tears are streaming down my face as I continue to watch on.

Tobais visibly shutters, and he takes on a new personality--his father. I may have read the case before they left; I just didn’t know how dangerous this could be. Tobias starts to beat Spencer, and I think he’s going to beat him to death, but the camera feed shuts off.

That’s when I lose my cool, and that’s everything. Now you know why I am freaking out about where Spencer is and if he’s okay. I just can’t seem to grasp the concept of him never coming home. To never see his smile or hear his voice again. It’s hard to keep me under control, but I need to know where he is. Penelope is already tracking the feed so I know she is going to get his coordinates.

“I got it,” she exclaims.

“Please let me go. I need to be there,” I beg Hotch.

He doesn’t really have time to argue with me about the dangers of bringing me along, so he says yes just to get the show on the road. The entire car ride over to where he could possibly be is excruciating, but I have to hold on. He may not be dead, he may just be injured. But whatever was in that needle could kill him if medical attention isn’t prominent.

“I need you to stay here and call 911. You’re not ready to be in the field, and we don’t know what could be waiting for us. We will call you over the radio when we find him,” Hotch says as he gets to the run-down farm where Spencer is said to be.

“Okay,” I whisper.

Everyone abandons me from the car to find the secret love of my life. Maybe if I’d told him how I felt, this wouldn’t have happened. I don’t really know how he got kidnapped, but maybe if he wasn’t thinking about last week, then maybe he could have focused on the case. The last thing I told him was that I needed to tell him something and that he shouldn’t laugh. What if he got kidnapped because of me?

“Guys, did you find him?” I ask over the radio.

They’ve been radio silence for twenty minutes, and I’m starting to get really worried.

“Come in. Did you find him? Over,” I try to be more professional, but I still get no answer. “I’m coming back there.”

I don’t give any more warning before booking it into the deserted farm. I have already called 911, and they are sending a team to assist as I run. They’ll see the cars and the footprints leading to the back of the property, so they will know where to go. Plus, I told them that they needed to kind of head back until they see a barn. When Penelope pulled up the map, there was only one bard on the entire property, and I know that is where Spencer is.

“Spencer!” I call out as I get closer to the barn.

I hear some shuffling and some kind of commotion coming from the back, and I wrap around the barn until I see him. Spencer is on his feet, and Tobias is on the ground. Spencer shot him dead when he had the chance, but I am just so relieved to see Spencer is alive.

“Spencer!” I yell and basically run into his arms.

He’s clearly hurt because when I make contact with his skin, he whimpers in pain and pulls away from me.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay? The ambulance is on its way,” I inform.

The ambulance gets back there at exactly ten minutes from the moment you saw him. Spencer is given medical care as soon as possible, but I need to stay to make sure he is okay emotionally and mentally. I don’t know what he went through here, but I know it’s going to mess with his mind. He’s been given Dilaudid which can do a number of things to the body.

Hotch allows me to ride in the back of the ambulance with Spencer, and I am so grateful he sees how worried I am for him. Spencer rolls his head to the side so he’s looking at you just as the back of the ambulance closes.

“Hi, Spencer,” I whisper.

“I’m sorry,” he croaks.

“For what?”

“For not calling you back.”

“Don’t be sorry, Spencer. Just focus on getting better, okay?” I chuckle tearfully.

“What was it that you wanted to tell me?” he asks, getting sleepier.

“It can wait. Please get better.”

I can’t possibly tell him I love him now, not when he’s been through so much already. I’ll always love him, and that will never change. So I can tell him now or in a week, and it’ll be the same three words that will pop out of my mouth. May as well do it when he understands what’s happening because then he will be lucid enough to tell me if he loves me back.

I have a feeling he might, but that’s for another day.

wanna be tagged? add yourself to this document! if your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

@adlerorzel-blog​ @kendall-michele​ @megsyrae​ @bitchwhytho​ @kt-bug3​ @broimjustvibin​ @practicallylivesonline​ @cynbx​ @cobrakai1967​ @reid-187​ @mbmrocks​ @idkbutspencer​ @yellowbadgergirl​ @onceuponthenightmares​ @yeet-the-nugget​ @izzythefanfreak​ @sammy-jo1977​ @nomajdetective​ @neutralwiener​ @miraclesoflove​ @countrygal17a​ @ev13lovescriminalminds​ @gothglamonenightstand​ @xxdanyellexx​ @pinkdiamond1016​ @andreasworlsboring101​ @gublergirls​ @addie5264​ @rumplebutterbaby​ @fanficscuziranout​ @destiny21​ @violet-amxthyst​ @andreasworlsboring101​

[thelatelockdownlist]

A Series on Series 04: Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy: A Discovery of Witches/Season 1

Hi! I’m Alex, a YouTube Newbie and this is The Late Lockdown List where I talk about the list of things I’ve got on my mind since the lockdown started. 

Today, on the fourth episode of A Series on Series, I’ll be talking about Deborah Harkness’ All Souls Trilogy, starting with the first book,  A Discovery of Witches

and the basis of the season 1 of the TV series. 

Let’s dive a little bit into it. 

Why is it called the ‘All Souls Trilogy’?

I could do research, but having read the entire series, I think it’s because the male lead, Matthew Clairmont or Matthew de Clermont, in the book belongs to the All Souls College at Oxford University.  

A bit of trivia: All Souls College does not have undergraduate members, and it’s unique in the sense that all members automatically become fellows -- full members of the college’s governing body. The examination for the fellowship has once been described as ‘the hardest exam in the world.” 

If you’re not familiar with the book or the TV series, just know that there are going to be a lot of spoilers. With that out of the way, first a primer:

The two main characters here are Diana Bishop 

-- a Yale historian, visiting scholar at Oxford (where she also got her PhD) and reluctant witch. 

She’s the daughter of two very powerful witches, 

but due to the tragic death of her parents she’s shied away from witchcraft and very seldom uses her power, if at all. After her parents’ death, she was raised by her maternal aunt Sarah and her partner Emily who are both witches. 

They tried to teach her, but Diana’s grief at her parents’ death caused her to all but reject magic. 

Then we have Matthew Clairmont (aka Matthew de Clermont of the powerful vampire de Clermont family, aka Matthew Roydon), a geneticist, All Souls College fellow and 1,500-year-old vampire.

There are creatures in this series: daemons, vampires and witches. They’re not HUMAN. That’s why they call themselves ‘creatures’ -- to differentiate themselves from us. Daemons 

are blessed with creativity and cursed with madness. 

Vampires

are -- well, the usual kind that we’re familiar with. Here, though, they mate for life, like wolves. 

Witches

have magic -- different kinds like time walking, precognition, flight, transmogrification, telekinesis, witchwind, witchfire, witchwater, and manipulation of the elements.

Basically, if you’re familiar with Harry Potter and Twilight, then you know what witches and vampires are. Speaking of the whole Harry Potter and Twilight thing, The New York Times calls this the ‘Harry Potter for grownups’ 

and NPR calls it ‘Twilight for the intellectually restless.’ 

Make of that what you will.

For me, I don’t compare this with the other two. I think it stands very separately from those. Since this is written by an historian, the approach is markedly different. It’s well-researched -- as are most historical romance novels -- because it does deal with a certain time period.  

What I love about this -- and you’ll be hearing this from me a lot -- is the world building. I judge a book by the world it creates for me. I have to be able to LIVE in that world. And in most cases, I have to WANT to live in that world.

This is a world inhabited by creatures I’ve been fascinated with my entire life -- except for daemons. I did my first thesis on vampires -- let’s not talk about why it didn’t get accepted. It’s still a sore point for me even after so many years later. And as for witches, well… family tradition has it that my maternal great grandmother was a witch. In fact, growing up, I’d heard

whispers of her supplementing her income by being a ‘healer.’ I’m not sure how much of that is true but I like to believe that it is.

So vampires and witches, I’m sold. I can tolerate the daemons.

Another thing I love about this are the well-written characters. While I can’t actually relate to Diana Bishop, I don’t have to for me to like her. She just needs to be alive for me in the book. And she is very much so. I envy her graduate degrees -- I wish I had the discipline to obtain a PhD. And spending time at the Bodleian. *sigh*

Anyway, I can understand her rejection of magic. After all, in a way it’s what took her parents away from her. But I like how she was able to adjust when she realizes that she’s got this power -- which is far stronger than anyone thought it would be. 

As for Matthew -- *sigh* -- I’m a sucker for vampires. Yes, I went there. I love him. He’s a scientist and he’s good with his hands. By that, I mean he used to be a stone mason so he can build things. What? I like a guy who’s handy.

I also like the love story. Matthew and Diana are equals -- in the sense that they are partners in the relationship. Of course, with Matthew having been alive for more than a millennia -- plus vampire, plus a guy, he has a tendency to be domineering, convinced that he’s doing all things to protect Diana. However, Diana is a POWERFUL witch. She’s a scholar, too. She can take care of herself. Matthew may be physically stronger, but Diana is a POWER. And as she grows into that, Matthew struggles to keep up as well curb his tendency to be overprotective. For the most part, they do keep this balance. 

On to the differences of the book from the show:

Overall, the TV series was faithful to the book. Most of the scenes in TV series are in the book. The show is gorgeous. I love the architecture and just the overall mood. I think Teresa Palmer makes a good Diana, but I love Matthew Goode. Period. But he is very, very good as Matthew Clairmont. 

I know Teresa Palmer is Australian and Diana Bishop is American so I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I do hear Teresa’s native accent here and there. It’s not distracting, but since I know that the one she uses for her character is not her original accent, I can’t help but hear the Australian one. Matthew Goode, on the other hand, is British, and Matthew Clairmont is as well. Well, for the last couple of centuries he is, but he’s originally French. But overall, I have no problem believing they’re really Diana and Matthew. 

As for Gillian Chamberlain,

the other witch at Oxford who in the TV series is sort of Diana’s friend… in the book, they’re merely acquaintances. She’s played by Louise Brealey aka Molly Hooper in Sherlock. 

I love the actress and I love that I found Gillian both slightly annoying and a bit pathetic. Because in the book, she is. So I love that that’s how she’s also played in the series.

Then we have Aunt Sarah. When I saw Alex Kingston, my first thought was, “River!” If you don’t know, Alex Kingston played ‘River Song’ in Doctor Who. 

And I loved her in that. So I knew I’d love her here, too. I do have the same ‘thing’ with her as with Teresa. Alex Kingston is British and here she plays an American. I can hear the accent. It’s not distracting, but it’s there.

And then there’s Peter Knox. 

In the book, I found him arrogant, condescending and just a generally irritating person. In the series, he is more so. And the actor who plays him played Ser Alliser Thorne in ‘Game of Thrones.’ 

He was one of the Night’s Watch who tormented and had a hand, literally, in killing Jon Snow. But he got his comeuppance when he was hanged with the rest of the traitors. He was very convincing as a conniving SOB in GOT. And he is here, as well. In fact, he’s equal parts menacing and irritating. Which is a terrifying combination because if he’s just irritating, you can swat him away like a gnat. But because he’s menacing, you know you have to watch your back.

Satu Jarvinen 

in the show is exactly how I thought she would look like when I read her in the book. In fact, the actress Malin Buska, infuses her with a somewhat edgy, emo attitude that really works. You can see why Satu and Peter work well because they seem to have something missing inside them that they think the other one has. It’s not a romantic connection -- more that of villains who don’t think they’re bad people.

And Ysabeau de Clermont. 

Lindsay Duncan plays her, who also played Lady Smallwood in Sherlock. 

She does have the whole ‘lady of the manor’ aura -- both regal and frightening. I really liked how she snobbishly said how modern day witches are so uneducated -- all because Diana even with her post graduate degrees didn’t speak Occitan.

FAVORITE SCENES:

The rowing scenes: 

This is very self-serving because I like rowing. I haven’t had a lot of chances to row in the water. I bought a rowing machine at the start of the pandemic and actually did a few months of rowing for 20 minutes three times a week. Then I stopped. I can’t remember why. But I love the scenes of Diana rowing -- which she does to rid herself of excess energy caused by her power -- because I imagine rowing along the Thames myself. 

Any time they’re in the Bodleian: I love libraries. I’ve loved them since I was a child. I loved them when I was in college. I was actually really excited that my university decided to extend the library hours on Fridays just so I could stay there and read to my heart’s content. Also, whenever I go to a foreign country, I always go to the national library.

This isn’t in the show, but in the book, but I love how everyone at the Bodleian scrambled to cater to Matthew when he went to the library. I liked how irritated Diana was that this guy took her spot… that they gave it to him solely on the basis of his being an All Souls fellow. In the TV series, they don’t really emphasize how much of a big shot Matthew is at Oxford. 

I like how Matthew, when he was talking to his daemon friend, Hamish Osborne, was self-aware enough not to immediately think that Diana had the same feelings for him as he did for her. Since he’s a 1,500-year-old vampire who knew Charles Darwin, of course he’s a great resource for a history of science researcher. 

I love that part when Diana was trying to guess how old Matthew was and she asked, “Survived the fall of Carthage?” and he says, “Which fall of Carthage?” It was a playful exchange, and you can see that he was showing off a bit.

Sept-Tours: 

literally ‘Seven Towers’ and is the current family home of the de Clermonts. It must be hell to heat, but as most of the residents are vampires, it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s beautiful and like Matthew, I would probably claim my own tower as well. 

While it’s not my favorite scene, I think they did the part of Satu torturing Diana 

-- in the pretext of trying to ‘open her up’ to see what her power is -- was done well. When I read that scene, I was wondering how much of it they were going to put in the book. So it was heartening to see that ‘horrifying’ scene there.

I’m not sure how I feel about the ‘instalove.’ You know that thing that sometimes happens where the leads just fall in love at first sight? In the series, it feels like it’s instalove. Diana and Matthew first meet at the Bodleian -- the day after Diana experiences the magic in Ashmole 782. It’s a book all creatures have been trying to find. Matthew, in particular, has been searching for it for more than a century. It’s thought to explain the origins of all creatures. Matthew is initially drawn to Diana because she is able to “call” the book. 

Anyway, going back to the idea of ‘instalove,’ I mean, sure there was chemistry… but...  In the books, their connection was fostered both by the time they spent with each other and their curiosity about Ashmole 782. I was more convinced in the book about that part than in the TV series. Or maybe it’s my deep-seated and sometimes difficult to conceal bias FOR the book versus its live action adaptation.

~

The Congregation: Secret island! 

It’s actually on an island in Venice, concealed from humans. It has nine members, 3 from each supernatural race. And since the de Clermont patriarch established it, one of the rules is to always have a de Clermont on the Congregation. It was created during the Crusades as a self-regulating body for the creatures. Because most of the creatures abused their powers and abilities to influence outcomes during the Crusades, they attracted unwanted attention from humans. Ostensibly to keep the creatures safe from humans, the congregation agreed to several covenants: the main ones being that they must not interfere in human politics and religion and for creatures not to mix together, especially in terms of romantic relationships. 

This is the covenant Diana and Matthew break. In fairness to Diana, she had no idea. She didn’t even know about the existence of The Congregation, much less the covenant. And so Matthew does this whole ‘noble idiot’ thing where he denies his feelings for her… but of course, in the end, they end up together.

Moving on, the first book ends with Diana and Matthew going back to New York to Aunt Sarah’s and Aunt Em’s house. The original plan was for Diana to learn more about her magic from her witch aunts. The problem is that Diana’s magic isn’t the same as theirs. And they need someone to teach her so she can call the book again -- this time intentionally.

They’re joined by married daemons, Sophie and Nathaniel; two vampires: Marcus, Matthew’s vampire son, and Miriam, an ally of the de Clermonts and Matthew’s  colleague at the lab, and Hamish. As there are now 3 witches (Sarah, Em and Diana), 3 vampires (including Matthew) and 3 demons, this is in effect a ‘coventicle’ -- this will be important later in the books.

They’re all gathered there for different reasons: Sophie, because she’s meant to give Diana something that has been passed down in her family for generations (and one that’s needed for the timewalk, the vampires to update Matthew regarding their research (and I guess for moral support as well), and Hamish both because he’s Matthew’s best friend and lawyer (real world legalities must be observed before one undertakes a timewalk). 

They leave for Sept Tour, which Matthew volunteered as their HQ of sorts, on Halloween. That night, Matthew and Diana are going to timewalk. And seconds before they could do so, Gerbert de Aurillac, Peter Knox and Satu Jarvinen arrive to stop them. 

Of course, they don’t and we see our couple land somewhat shakily in 1590 London…

And the season ends there, setting us up for the next one and The Book of Shadows.

FINAL NOTE:

I LOVE IT!

Like I said earlier, it’s faithful to the book in the sense that I didn’t find anything that was off.

If you loved the books, I’m sure you’ll love the TV adaptation as well.

I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t love it as much. I’d been burned before, you see. (I’m looking at you, American Gods. Even Ian McShane and Orlando Jones’ Mr. Nancy couldn’t keep me hooked.)

However, I wasn’t disappointed in this one. There’s a lot to love here and I’m glad that there’s a second season -- and now they’re even done filming the third.

So that’s it for the first book and Season 1. Catch you in the next episode for The Book of Shadows and Season 2. Bye!

[justcallmenikki7]

BTS Reaction To: You Are the Lead Singer in a Rock Band

Summary: you’re the lead singer in a rock band

Warnings: fluff, the appearance of All Time Low and Pierce the Veil, fluff, slight mention of Jungkook getting turned on, crack, Namjoon breaking readers guitar and reader wanting to kill him (lmao), understanding bts.

Request:

Hello, can u do a bts reaction to the reader (their gf) being the lead singer in a rock /metal band?

W.C.: 2.5k

Notes: ooof, my life has been freaking hectic.

Jin:

You were upset.

You always became upset when it was the last leg of your tour. Touring was a huge part of your life – seeing your fans who have supported you since the beginning, meeting them, and connecting with them. You knew that you always will see them again and be on that tour bus with your band members, but it still did not make you feel any better.

The sounds of your fans screaming could be heard from your dressing room, a sound that you will forever love. You were putting on your eye make up when your boyfriend, Seokjin, walked in with your stage outfit, holding a shocked look on his face.

“Why do you have that look on your face?” You asked with a small smile, only to be given a ‘what the fuck’ look in return.

“You’re really asking me that question?” Jin asked, “You’re wearing this outfit? What are you going for? A dead bride?” He asked, not knowing that he hit the jackpot.

“Actually, yes.” You answered, laughing at the confused look. “Remember? The last leg of the tour is all about the first album ‘The Dead Bride’?”

Making an ‘oh’ face at your explanation, your boyfriend sat the outfit down on the couch, walking up to you. He could sense your mood, a frown showing on his face. “You’re upset.” He stated, smirking at your face. “You know that I can sense whenever you’re upset. And I am assuming its because of the last leg of the tour.”

“How do you know me so well?” You sarcastically asked but sinking into his touch. “I just hate the thought of the tour being almost over. I just wish it could last forever.”

“I feel the exact same way, sweetheart.” He stated, only to chuckle a few seconds later, “You are exactly like Kook, he always becomes upset when tour is almost over.” Pausing, “Just remember, you have only three more months before Warped Tour starts, and you’ll be able to see All Time Low!”

“Two Minutes!” Your manager yelled.

“Yeah, you’re right…” You trailed off.

“I’m always right. I am Worldwide Smart Guy,” Seokjin said proudly, smiling at you through the mirror. “Now, go out there in your dead bride dress, and scream your lungs off. But not all of the way cause you need to save your voice for later tonight. Good luck, sweetheart!” He finished quickly, not giving you a chance to reply.

Yoongi:

Yoongi’s arms are crossed over his chest, body leant against the wall, eyes watching you intensely as you practice. He could not deny that you looked so beautiful in your casual, laid back – but dressed up outfit you were in. He knew that you loved looking presentable, but being comfortable, which is your beanie, ripped skinny jeans, black and white converse, black tank-top topped with a black and white flannel.

Every now and then you would glance to look at your boyfriend, always blushing when you notice that he is staring at you. To make you more flustered, Yoongi would wink at you, smirking at how you would try to hide your face with your hair. Once you were done speaking to your band members, you made your way to Yoongi. Smiling up at your boyfriend once you got to him, you allowed him to pull you in for a quick peck on the lips.

“What did you think?” You asked curiously, resting your head on his chest.

“I think you are badass.” Your boyfriend stated, bringing a blush to your cheeks.

“You think so?” You asked, insecure laced in your tone.

Looking down at you with a blank face, “You’re really an idiot sometimes.” Yoongi commented, earning a glare from you. “You have sold out three stadiums, performed at the Wembley stadium, and you’re questioning your ability to perform, play both guitar and drums, and sing like an angel? Damn, I am doing terrible as a boyfriend…” Yoongi trailed off, shaking his head.

Tears pricked your eyes, emotions overwhelming your senses, which led to you crashing your lips on Yoongis. Yoongi chuckled into the kiss, his smile having you pull away because his smile is rarely shown, so whenever he does smile, you cherish it.

“What?” Yoongi dragged out the ‘a,’ a whine gracing his voice. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Cause you’re beautiful when you smile,” you cheekily said, earning an eyeroll from the silver haired male.

“Okay you love birds,” your manager spoke, scaring the two of you. “Enough with the lovey dovy stuff, Y/N has to finish vocal warmups.”

Hoseok:

The first time you met Hoseok was when BTS was touring in the United States, the same time you were on tour – ironically in the same state. You were at a bar with your band, getting a drink after a concert. As you were heading to the bathroom, you bumped into a smiling man who was a little drunk off of whiskey. The sum it up, he pulled a terrible pick-up-line that he knew in English and you could not help but fall for him.

So, five months later, the both of you are dating.

Truthfully, Hoseok was shocked to learn that you were in an Alternative band, especially being the lead singer. When he found out that you could scream several lines without hurting your vocal cords, he somehow fell more in love with you. But he could not deny that he sometimes worried about you.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Hoseok asked, wanting to make sure that you are up for this song. He knew that you struggle with this particular song since it has more aggression than your usual mellow, upbeat songs.

“Yes, Hobi, I am sure about this.” You chuckled, giving him a weird look.

“I know, but I worry about you hurting yourself by overdoing it.” He sighed, giving you his puppy dog eyes.

Smiling wide up at him, heart beating just a little quicker by how loved and cared for you are by this man. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Don’t worry, I know my limits, like you know yours when it comes to dancing. So, if it doesn’t feel right during the performance, I’ll tone it down and give you our hand signal to let you know.”

“You promise?”

“Promise.”

Namjoon:

“Namjoon!” You screeched, heart stopping for just a quick second due to scene that is appearing right in front of you.

Your boyfriend, Namjoon, the clumsiest man you know, is handling your precious baby, Lydia. Turning around with an innocent look on his face, Namjoon watched you run up towards him like a mad woman. “What? What’s wrong?” He asked, oblivious to what is happening.

Grabbing Lydia, ever so gently but quickly, you took your pride and joy in your hands, holding her to your chest to protect her. “Are you okay, my precious little one.”

Realizing what is going on, Namjoon’s faced morphed into a rejected look. “Did you seriously think I was going to break your guitar?”

“Her name is Lydia.”

Scoffing, “You name your guitars?” He asked incredulously.

“Are you calling me crazy?”

“What? What – are you serious?”

“Are you?”

“No? I am just offended that you would think I’d break your guitar by just holding it—”

“-Her name is Lydia. And yes, you broke a glass floor, Namjoon.”

“You know what, I am ending this conversation and going to go and get me a pop.”

Looking at him with wide eyes, you could tell that you made him feel bad. So, quickly putting away Lydia, you grabbed your other guitar, Leo, and chased after your boyfriend. Jumping in front of him, you realized that you surprised him by your sudden appearance. A wide grin was on your face, now becoming skeptical by your actions.

“Are you okay, baby?”

“Yes! I’m sorry for making you feel bad – no, don’t try and deny it – so I wanted to apologize by giving, well, not giving, letting you play with Leo!” You said excitedly, handing Leo over to Namjoon, who hesitantly took into his hold. “Go ahead!” You encouraged your boyfriend to play your guitar. With one strum, two out of the six strings snapped, causing a yelp to escape from Namjoon.

Your face was blank whereas Namjoon’s held a scared look. “Uh, baby?” He asked after two minutes of silence.

“You have five seconds to start running before I kill you.” You stated in a mono tone.

Turning around, Namjoon took off into a full sprint, wanting to get away from you as quick as he could, not wanting to be taking on your wrath.

Jimin:

“So, you’re the Park Jimin that our Y/N talks about.” Alex Gaskarth assumed, walking up to Jimin with Jack Barakat and Vic Feuentes behind him.

Internally, Jimin felt intimidated, but on the outside,  he tried to stay calm. Jimin knows that Alex is a sweetheart, but he always knew that the man was never afraid to approach someone and tell them how he feels. With that, he knew that All Time Low and everyone on Warped Tour were protective of you because of how young and likeable you are. Plus, everyone viewed you as their little sister – the little sister with her first boyfriend.

“Yes, I am.” Jimin smiled, bowing at the group of men.

“How long have you known Y/N?” Jack asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“We met in May of 2019, have been dating since August of 2019. So, a year and two months now.”

The group of three men looked at each other, silently communicating with each other. “So,” Vic started, “What are your intentions with Y/N?” He asked, trying to not laugh at the blush on Jimin’s face.

“Well, I really do like her, love her actually. And, if things go as planned, I see myself with her for the rest of my life.”

The three men tried to not ‘awe’ at the orange haired man’s admission. As Alex was going to ask his next question, your voice cut him off, now having the four men attention.

“Guys! Do not scare Jimin away!” You exclaimed, running to your boyfriends’ side.

Even with the crazy hair and dark eye makeup, Jimin still thought you looked so beautiful.

“Oh, that’d be impossible.” Jack commented, smirk on his face.

“Very impossible.” Alex added, giving Jack and Vic a knowing look, a look that confused you greatly, but a look that Jimin knew which had him blushing.

“Okaaay,” you replied awkwardly. Looking up at Jimin, you smiled to him. “In This Moment is about to start! I want you to watch them live cause they are so good!” You stated before dragging your boyfriend away.

“He’s so going to propose to her soon.” Alex stated, earning a nod from the other two men.

Taehyung:

“I’m confused.” Taehyung admitted, catching your attention from on the stage.

“About what?” You asked, jumping off of the stage and walking over to your boyfriend who was seated in the first row.

“How are you able to scream and not lose your voice? Like, one time I yelled, and I lost it instantly! Do you have some sort of voodoo stuff to help you with that? What is your secret?!” Your boyfriend burst, catching you off guard.

“Uh, I guess it’s just from practice? Chris from Motionless in White and Maria Brink from In This Moment have been my mentors ever since I have begun my career.” You commented, laughing at Taehyung’s face morph into an understanding look.

“Wait. The scary guy and girl that I have seen you in pictures with?” He asked, causing you to laugh.

“Yes, those two.” You answered, “And they are not scary, it’s just their makeup and how they seem on stage and in music videos. I used to think the same thing until I talked to them.”

Taehyung was quiet for a moment. “So, would you teach me how to scream?” He asked in all seriousness. “I want to learn how you do it and maybe we can be the power screaming couple.”

You choked on your spit. “Are you serious?”

“Does it look like I am not serious?”

“I mean it does, but I just want to be sure. Plus, you’ll have to talk to Bang PD and see what he thinks.”

At your comment, Taehyung reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Clicking a few buttons, he put the phone to his answer. After a few words and silent moments, he hung up and put the phone in his pocket. “Bang agreed. But he wants me to have professional help and a lot of vocal coaches.”

Smirking to yourself, “Okay, I’ll give Chris and Maria a call and we can set up a day to begin!” You said excitedly, laughing at your boyfriends scared look.

“Wait! I didn’t say them!”

Jungkook:

Jungkook and the rest of BTS were seated in a VIP section while they waited for you to perform. Jungkook was antsy, this being the first time watching you perform live and seeing you in your, and in your joking words, ‘Emo clothes.’

“Are you nervous, Kookie?” Taehyung asked, noticing how antsy Jungkook was due to his constant need to be bouncing on the top of his toes. Taehyung’s question caught the other members attention.

“You okay, Kook?” Namjoon asked, giving a once over Jungkook, automatically noticing his younger brother’s nervousness.

“Yeah, I’m just a little nervous I guess.”

“Awe, how cute!” Seokjin exclaimed, making a baby face at his Maknae, earning a glare from the younger one.

“Now! Dear Me is on!” The announcer yelled into the microphone, earning cheers from the stadium and BTS.

Jungkook’s jaw dropped as he saw you walk onto stage in your performing clothes, clothes that made Jungkook sweat at his brow. He could not deny that you looked both innocent and sexy at the same time, the aura that you carried making you look unstoppable. Gulping, Jungkook tried to get his mind out of the gutter, wanting to focus on your performance. The other members could not help but chuckle at Jungkook’s reaction.

Once the concert was over, Jungkook was blushing severely when you walked up to him, a huge grin on your face, a grin only he and performers knew when they had the best concert ever.

“So!” You began, “What’d you think?”

Before Jungkook answered, Taehyung walked up with Hoseok on behind, the two men throwing their arms over Jungkook’s shoulders. “Oh, Y/N, Jungkook loved the concert.” Taehyung began, smirk on his face.

“A little too much.” Hoseok finished, a smirk on his face also.

Realizing what they meant, your face heated up, earning laughs and cheers from everyone around you besides Jungkook who was feeling the exact same way.

[courtneystriker]

My Thoughts on the HG Prequel

I just finished reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and I got to say, my feelings are mixed. Below I have an entire review  for the story which included how I felt, the expectations, the biases I had going into the new book, and how I felt after reading. Please note there will be spoilers. Also this review isn’t meant to hurt anyone and if you absolutely love the book so far...good! Enjoy it fully! As an aspiring writer myself and someone who studied in college/loves creative writing I’m well aware that people just have different takes on writing. Glad you are enjoying it :)

Anyways, here it goes…

The Expectations

As the Hunger Games series is one of my favorites of all time, I had a strong bias to like this book. Since it was first announced, without knowing any details, I was extremely excited and optimistic. I re-read the entire Hunger Games series twice beforehand in preparation; once with my fiancé and once on my own. The only thing I really wanted, knowing that it took place during the tenth hunger games, was that the arena reflected how new the hunger games were. Then, when we learned what the series was about, people started voicing some concerns or were disappointed by the plot, instead wanting it to be something like Finnick’s arena, Haymitch’s, Mags’, etc. etc. I was not among this group. However, I understand where they were coming from, because I always thought the idea of the first Quarter Quell (the one where the districts voted for the tributes) was an extremely interesting concept. 

Yet I think these things are best left explored in fanfiction as they add nothing to the series and Suzanne Collins did an excellent job just giving us enough information to get the idea. At that point it’d just be a book on details, which could fall short or be a gimmicky, cheap way to keep people reading the series and keep her name relevant. And wasn’t that part of the message in her series, the thing Katniss so heavily criticized that gave a great irony to the books? Who would watch children killing each other for entertainment? Meanwhile, we as the reader are reading these books as a form of entertainment. Plus, Suzanne Collins so skillfully painted the illusion of knowing but not fully knowing their stories that it’s haunting, and I think that is one of the many reasons (along with the battle royale trope being naturally compelling, liking the characters, etc.) that a lot of us are more drawn towards these stories rather than (at least for me)  a book on Snow. 

That being said, I was not against the idea of a book on Snow because I find villain characters, especially grey ones, to be very interesting to read about, and I was pretty certain Suzanne was going to handle this beautifully, especially since you could already feel this atmosphere coming off of Snow in the Hunger Games series. I know some were really concerned about a Snow redemption arc, but to me it felt very obvious that it couldn’t be and it would be more of him sliding into evil.

I did have other concerns when I read the description for the first time. I could not believe they went with the whole tribute from District Twelve thing again. I loved Katniss and District Twelve, but I did not want Katniss 2.0. I said right from the beginning to my fiancé that she’d have to make the tribute from District Twelve extremely different for me to get on board (though I was holding on faith that Collins would). It just felt cheap and gimmicky to rehash the District Twelve thing, it sort of made me feel the same way I would have if she had written about one of the games I mentioned above. Sure, it’d sell, but it wouldn’t add anything to the series. I was thinking she better not hunt, sing, or have any qualities resembling Katniss really.  

Another thing I worried about was the love story they hinted at in the description. It just didn’t make sense to me. Because how was Snow going to ever support the games if from an earlier age he fell in love with a tribute and vowed to protect her? Then later he’s all like pro-hunger games? Just this itself could weaken the entire series if done poorly, because it would weaken the main antagonist’s motives for not only the prequel but also the Hunger Games series as well. I kept thinking either the girl has to die in the arena betraying Snow somehow (which is what I was hoping for), Snow will have to betray her, or perhaps he would have been faking love for her for some sort of personal gain I couldn’t imagine. Either way, I thought it weakened the story's appeal to me. Yet overall I was still excited, desperately waiting for the book’s release. 

And now that I have read it, I have to say it felt forced at a lot of parts and lackluster overall…

*Spoilers start here*

My Review:

Suszanne Collins’ writing style is one I’ve always loved and has consistently appealed to me. Even though this book is written in 3rd person (which some may like less if you don’t particularly like third person) it holds up well against the original series. So I really had no complaints in this regard besides the excessive use of songs (felt like fanfiction a bit). I think if you liked the original series and don’t mind third person you’ll feel right at home with her style.

The concerns others had about Snow’s redemption are completely dismissed in this book. Like I had predicted, she writes about his fall into evil, and although it’s not black and white evil (as I don’t like anyways) you can very much tell he’s a bad guy and that the hardships he faced in life only further pushed him towards obtaining status and power. Overall, he feels true to the character when we end up seeing him in the Hunger Games series, and his journey to power fits the images Finnick painted in Mockingjay. He is very well characterized in the book and perfectly unlikable while maintaining an intriguing internal dialogue (although it does occasionally feel tedious, but not enough to bother me; others may feel differently).

 The way he is written is very much in line with Collin’s great characterization, one of the reasons I always loved The Hunger Games. All the characters felt like real people. They all had an extreme depth to them and I felt they all resembled people I had actually met in real life. There were little to no characters that relied solely on gimmicky personalities to get by. Even very minor characters that seemed depthless and swallow at first--like Katniss’s prep team--had more to them. So I thought going into this book I had nothing to worry about in that regard. I didn’t even really spare it a thought, but boy was I wrong. 

I think Snow and Lucy Grey were the only characters that had (at least partly) the depth that the original Hunger Games cast had. I’ll discuss Lucy Grey later but first let me talk about some side characters. Where to even begin really? There’s a LOT of characters in this book. Frankly, way too many, which I think contributes heavily to the lack of depth in the characters. Honestly there’s so many that the names of characters were hard to keep track of while listening to the audiobook (my hard copy of the book was still in the mail and I didn’t want to wait). Things got a bit clustered in my mind quickly. There were twenty-four tributes, twenty-four mentors,  Snow’s family, The Dean and Drs at the university, Snow’s Peacekeeper crew, and the Covey, and those are just the groups that I can cluster together. At least, the ones I remember having names and getting introduced, but I think that’s everyone really important. There was no real time to develop or get to know them really, which made the tributes’ deaths more meaningless as I could barely recall their names. It caused impactful scenes to weaken significantly overall and it made characters serve only to characterize and amplify Snow’s fall into evil. 

Here’s what I mean by that. The head Gamemaker, Dr. Gaul, really was the character I hated the most while reading this. She was just evil without reason (one of the weakest villain types with little to no personality besides being evil). She even made creepy rhymes as if she was in some sort of horror movie, and the entire point of her character was to contribute a lot to some of the forced plot points driving Snow’s moral decline. For example, there were all her tests, which seemed contrived and all directly connected to getting Snow to think the Hunger Games was a good idea. She was seemingly supposed to be a Dr. Mengele type character, as this book has a lot of Holocaust-esqe imagery. I’m fine with irredeemably evil villains, but instead of getting the depth that a Dr. Mengele character could offer (as some may know, many children that were part of his experiments actually said he was kind and gave them candy, and I find that deeply haunting to this day.) She is a flat, one-dimensional character whose entire personality could be described with one word: sociopath. Evil people are master manipulators, which is how they get away with evil things. I think at one of the funerals she puts on a good public face, and she seems to have power, money and influence. Yet the book doesn’t show this seemingly present quality nearly enough to make her a haunting character. Instead we get nursery rhythms and clearly driven lessons towards evil at are contrived. Like “Write about what you most liked about the war” or the assignment to improve the hunger games? Like what class is this? Why are they taking it? And why are the young kids of the influential deciding this instead of the influential people themselves?

Another character I feel was just there for Snow’s development and to represent an opposite viewpoint but lacked Collin’s usual depth is Sejanus Plinth. As a District 2 citizen whose family got rich off the war and moved to the Capitol, he is the main opposing viewpoint of the book, presenting Snow with a chance to do the right thing. I’ve seen people say he’s a Peeta-like character, but I completely reject that idea. He lacks in the charm Peeta has, relishes in self-pity (although he’s completely justified in his sadness and has a right to be upset), and while he has a heart like Peeta, he ultimately doesn’t know how to use it. Instead of working within his position to get influence like Peeta so masterfully does, he’s hot-headed and continuously makes poor decisions that ultimately don’t help anyone. It’s like he wants to help but doesn’t know how as he’s driven completely by emotion without reason. He too contributes to some forced scenes, particularly my least favorite in the book; when they sneak into the arena. Overall, he just falls flat for me. Again, I feel I don’t know anything about him beyond what he contributes to Snow’s story line and he doesn’t come across as realistic. It’s like Collins just wrote how someone would normally react to the hunger games, slapped a district number on him and went on her merry way. 

I just wasn’t prepared for these sort of characters when the Hunger Games series made even the smallest of characters stand out dramatically. I feel neutral to annoyed by most characters in this novel. I could expand this portion, and maybe if people inquire I’ll elaborate on some of the other characters as I have strong opinions on them, but this post is already getting long, so I’ll move on to Lucy Grey.

Lucy Grey is by far my favorite character even though she is bordering towards being a character from a fanfiction. Not quite a Mary Sue in my opinion but there is a certain connection to fanfiction I made with her. You may have guessed some issues I had with her by reading my expectations earlier in the post, but that has not displaced my love for her. Her personality is very different from Katniss’s, or even Peeta’s or Haymitch’s. She had a different type of charm than all of them, is a natural performer, and seemed more extroverted. Also, the whole idea of the Covey and her “not really” being district was intriguing. It really highlighted the displacement that war can cause and how people can just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Although I was confused on how much mobility between the districts there were….and did District Twelve have a fence or no?) It really emphasizes one of the main themes of the book, extreme prejudice against both Capitol and District. Her spot sort of in between really drives home the point that there's literally no difference except extreme poverty, and even then there was poverty in the Capitol, only better hidden. Her bright mood (and clothes), her poised attitude, and her optimism made her endearing. She was confident in her skin yet still held the fear of a sixteen year old going into the hunger games.

There were only two main things that bothered me about her, which was of course the direct connections made to Katniss (which I’ll elaborate on) and the forced “love” story between her and Snow. I suppose that has less to do with her and rather more to do with my dislike of that subplot. And I'm a sucker for some good romantic subplots, but yikes!

I think having one strong connection to Katniss was all that was really needed in this book. I really liked the idea of that connection being the Hanging Tree Song, as I can only imagine how it made Snow feel watching “The Mockingjay” sing it in the propo. Despite me not liking that fact that Lucy Grey is also an enchanting singer as that felt like directly stepping in Katniss’s territory, I did enjoy the little twist of Lucy Grey writing the song. Yet the connections between the two when the plot took us to District Twelve went too far. It felt like it took away all of Katniss’s special places and things. The lake, her katniss roots, her gift towards music, her fondness for the meadow, sneaking into the woods, etc. I think one solid connection would have solidified their bond beautifully. Having so many seemed like it was really trying to force the reader to make the connection when it was already painfully clear I guess? Plus, having Lucy stand out at her reaping ( the whole song part read like a bad, contrived fanfiction bit to me) and having people care about her in the Capitol while moral questions of the hunger games were still surfacing made me start to think...isn’t this how the rebellion for Katniss got started? At least partly. I get it’s a different time. Too close to the war. It just felt way too similar. I guess Collins was going for the idea of a lost rebellion that in a way Lucy Grey started that Katniss later revives. Yet it feels like that invalidates the specialness of what Katniss does in the original series as it’s already happened; it just got erased. I guess history repeats itself, but I really just didn’t like it. I could see the appeal to some extent, and it could be a beautiful connection, but it just wasn’t for me.

Now on to the plot, which is the last thing I’ll talk about as this post is getting ridiculously long. A lot of the plot felt very forced or contrived, which was another shocker coming from Collins because her pacing and plot was done really well in the original series. Of course, a lot of this was driven by Dr. Gaul and Sejanus Plinth as the entire plot hinged on the moral debate of the hunger games these two represent. Other plot points just hinged on what happened to establish the games. I mean the rebel bomb explosion seemingly only happened to change the terrain so Dr. Gaul can then bring up the idea of the different arena and how that made the tributes act differently, thus creating the crazy arenas we see later in the series. I do have some praise for how Collins established the disparities between the earlier hunger games and the ones we see in Katniss day. From the way they lock the tributes up, don’t feed them, the spotty coverage of the arena, etc. All of that was exceptionally well done. The only complaint I have was that so many tributes died before they even got to the arena (though not because I wanted to see them fight). I had been expecting one to escape or something to further establish that this was new territory and was waiting to see how they handled it in earlier times, but I wasn’t expecting that many to die before the arena got started. It just seemed like a huge Capitol failure that they advertised loudly. I really wasn’t expecting that level of incompetence, just an escaped tribute that threatened to embarrass or harm the fragile beginnings of post-war Panem. Instead, most of the pre-arena stuff felt disastrous. A lot of the mentors' deaths felt forced, and it was weird that the academy never really came under fire at all from all the rich and powerful parents whose children were getting killed because of the mentor experiment. Like it seemed there should have been some interaction there, but there wasn’t. Maybe some was passively mentioned but still, it could have been a whole subplot that further established the debate of the hunger games.

While the pre-arena up to the break-in to the arena felt like the most forced part of the book and certainly I felt it needed more workshopping plot wise, it also harbored some great and powerful scenes, like Arachne pulling the sandwich away from the tribute while she was starving and laughing about it. Basically, all those interactions of poverty and captivity meeting the citizens of the Capitol were done well, but nothing spectacular (unlike the scene of Katniss screaming at Buttercup at the end of Mockingjay which is heart wrenching.)

The last plot point I’ll talk about is the “love” story. I wasn’t a fan, but it was sort of what a lot of the plot hinged on and led to the great scene at the lake between Snow and Lucy Grey. How easy it was for him to betray his “love” for status. This led to some of the most interesting and evil internal monologue Snow had in the entire book. I honestly feel the ending scene, the interaction Snow had with the jabberjays and Mockingjays in District Twelve, and the lynching scenes were among the strongest and most memorable.

The love story again felt forced (sorry I’m using that word so much it’s just so accurate) into the story. This hindered the book from having a strong plot in the same way the weaker characters caused forced interactions and plot points to move things along. Yet at the same time the kind of abusive and lackluster nature of their relationship throughout the book fit perfectly with the ending. Unfortunately, it didn’t really make it very compelling for the reader. Luckily Lucy’s  personality kept my interested during these parts. I wouldn’t say their relationship was poorly written at all; in fact the way it was written makes perfect sense. I just think the plot relied too heavily on their “love”, which was gross because of the way Snow is, and the reader knew it had to inevitably end in some kind of betrayal or reveal that there was no love at all. This creates tension for the reader, but I kept wondering: if the love plot had been ditched could we have gotten a stronger plot altogether?

So overall, like I’ve said I’m really conflicted. I know I focused heavily on things I didn’t like, but honestly the book was well written in some regards, plot bouncing between really compelling and a little contrived, the two main characters being written well enough but other characters not so much. Some connections between Lucy Grey and Katniss made at the end were powerful, I loved the Covey, Collins still excelled at writing a lot of the social issues/scenes in the book, and honestly the idea of Lucy Grey being completely forgotten in the Districts that hurts my soul a little. Nothing compared to the feelings I got in any of the Hunger Games books but there’s still something there.

I really hope someone made it through this long ass post. The book was entertaining. I mean I listened to all 16 hours of the audiobook in like a day. I can’t wait until my hardcover comes so I can look through it. Maybe once I know what I’m getting into I can enjoy the book a little more than I did, because right now it’s sitting at very average for me. Maybe I went in with my expectations too high? I certainly like the Hunger Games a lot more and probably always will. Honestly, I love new content, but I’m also the type that likes firm, planned endings to stories (even though it hurts to let things end and the fandoms can suffer from lack of content). I think fans can oftentimes get caught up in what they want and pressure the writer into writing more, which ends up a disappointment since it wasn’t originally planned in the series from the beginning. While I don’t think this is by any means the case with Suzanna Collins or that Lionsgate even pressured her to write this book (I don’t like conspiracies of that sort of thing as a writer myself that plans to have a series in which a book comes out many years after the original part of the series is released), I do wonder if this is the end of the Hunger Games for good. I sure hope so, especially if she would be writing about the other victors. I love them too much and really don’t want to feel similarly about their books, and like I said at the beginning, it wouldn’t add to the series just to my guilty pleasure lol.

Hope you all have enjoyed your reading of the book more than I did :) Again sorry if I wrote anything to upset you! Please if you loved this book ENJOY IT! I’m actually kind of jealous if you did. Feels like missing out on something special.