#so he could've very much so actually had a family and been able to happily be with them

[sarilolla]

I was just thinking about how indecisiveness is one of my biggest enemies (after boredom) and that immediately made me think how bad that would be in a life or death situation, coincidentally like Branch with either memory loss or death. But there's something that is so much worse and that is being presented a choice but then immediately getting the chosen option ripped away.

So just imagine Branch, sitting there with the potion, deciding, rationalising if the memory of his brothers is actually worth losing all of his new friends, his chosen family. And he realises that no, he can most likely live without the memory of his brothers and still be happy. They're probably not coming back either way and after all, they weren't in his life for long. At least not as long as everyone else he cares about. So he chooses to drink the potion. He leaves the empty bottle and goes to find Poppy to tell about his desicion... Only to collapse on his knees and start coughing up bloody flower buds. The potion wasn't effective anymore. He made his desicion too late. Barely, it could've been just a few hours too late. But now he doesn't have the choice anymore. Literally just as he was completely ready for the other option, had completely accepted it, it was removed. He has the realisation that he's actually going to die in a short time and now, there is actually nothing to do about it. He doesn't believe his brothers are coming back. Technically he knew that his time is very limited, knew it his whole life. But during that brief moment when he drank the potion, he thought he was gonna live, he had the moment of acceptance and relief of being able to survive and live happily with everyone that's currently there for him. That ain't possible no more. Cue mental breakdance

(that one dream I had has permanently implanted hanahaki branch to my head I ain't getting rid as well so might as well join the brainrot fully)

OMG YES

Just took the words straight out of my mouth huh-

This is so good, I'm just not gonna add anything, just bravo, I love this

Just... thank you for sharing this, the Hanahaki Branch brainrot will eventually effect us all

[everyyoojoonghyuk]

Spoilers for orv. Idk up to where cause I can't remember just don't continue if you haven't finished the novel

Anyway another day another thinking about YJH and how S O F T he is

Especially how 999th regression YJH fits into it

He basically did everything like how KDJ did, except without all the cheats that KDJ was able to nab and literally lost whole parts of his body and couldn't even reach the end himself because he made sure his companions could instead

And it's not like he even particularly tried to reach the end himself that run, it was more of a throwaway. A big whoop-dee-doo for living 1000 lives. Every other life he was selfish and cruel and violent (especially as he goes through more and more regressions). The goal here was to get to the end no matter what - which included seeing his friends die constantly

Despite that, we know that he genuinely cares for the companions that he makes throughout the regressions, he just gets more and more hurt seeing them die and subsequently cheer him on life after life that he detaches himself as much as possible to avoid the hurt. It's like getting a wound over a scar over and over - eventually the re-scarred tissue becomes very tough and unable to move much

I mean. It's a testament on how much he cared for them that he gave up an entire regression just to see them succeed. Even being 1000 lives in, he continued to care for them

And the 999th YJH that we see is the kkoma version. And he's just. So nice. He takes care of KDJ, makes sure he's fed with things he likes, protects him from the outer gods, gives him his coat, goes with him on his journey, and even teaches him how to make murim dumplings! Of course, he's still YJH, being blunt and sorta deadpanned all the time, but the rest of his personality stands out so much because of its uniqueness

But is it really so unique? Again, he's still a part of YJH. This isn't out of the ordinary for YJH wholely, it's just that the guy distanced himself because he knows that no matter what, either his companions will die and he will reach the end, or he will die so they can reach the end, so he doesn't show those parts of himself often. We can see it a LOT more in the regression that KDJ shows up in though because of how much he helps and how he takes the lead in taking care of their companions. He even goes full dad mode on the grill when they go on vacation which is adorable

And not to make everything about joondok but KDJ truly does bring out the softness in him. And that's true for every YJH that meets him. 999 is very nice to him, 666 is tsundere but still helps, 81 (I think) cooks for him, Secretive Plotter, although through kidnapping, still wants him to learn the truth ("and if he can't then ig he should stay here with me UwU 🥺" like we get it buddy this is a small foreshadow to how you will cherish Oldest Dream and spend the rest of your existence caring for him, every YJH loves every KDJ and vice versa WE GET IT) and let's him leave, 1863 YJH is ridiculously soft for KDJ after he learns of his journey thus far and literally dies for him after knowing him for I think 3 days. Of course the top contenders for "I AM SOFT FOR KDJ" is 0th regression and 1864th regression YJH

Like. "If I regress will I ever be able to see you again?" He literally had his happily ever after and choOSE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO MEET KIM DOKJA INSTEAD. He KNEW what was in store for him but he didn't care!!!!!!! He loves him too much to care!!!!! Though honestly I don't think it was a romantic love at that point or he wouldn't have gotten with Seolhwa because he is a very genuine guy and wouldn't get with someone he wasn't in love with. I think there was a different love though. The best friend kind. The kind that can only come from someone who was by your side no matter what. Yoo Joonghyuk loved that the Demon King of Salvation adored his story and wanted to end the guy's solitude no matter what

Which brings me to 1864 YJH!!!! AKA the one we all know nearest and dearest

It does not take long for YJH to get attacked to KDJ once they finally meet (again). He is so different that by the 6th scenario, when he's fighting adult SYS, she notes that he is acting strange. KDJ himself notes several times during the entirety of ORV that his actions are "unlike him." And almost - if not entirely - every time this is mentioned, it has something to do with how well he treats KDJ

One of my favourite, yet overlooked, aspects of YJH bring soft for KDJ is that he is the only person he will eat food from. He usually only eats meals that he prepares himself because he's stuck up about cooking, but but KDJ! It doesn't happen often, but several times he eats what KDJ makes, including murim dumplings that were made so well he forgot to be stuck up

I'm rambling by now, but my point is that KDJ brings out the best in YJH and the latter is so deeply in love so early on that it's embarrassing and shows to literally everyone everywhere to the point that many people think that they're an item

[softsebnbuckystan]

Soul ties - Part 6 (Bucky Barnes au)

"Hold, hold on, hold onto me

'Cause I'm a little unsteady"

Word count : 2061

Sleep didn't seem to come to you that night, and you didn't know whether the reason was the pizza you'd had for dinner, your husband's obvious neglect or your supposed soulmate sleeping in the same building. After tossing and turning in your bed for over three hours, you grabbed a pillow and a plaid, put on your slippers and went into the main kitchen. A herbal tea under the stars should  be a good way to help you sleep, right? You tried to stay as silent as you  could despite the boiling water in the kettle – you always refused to microwave water – and picked some chamomile infusion Wanda had chosen. With your cup in one  hand, you opened the picture window. One thing you liked about the compound was the few balconies it had : they weren't too big, but they were large enough for you to sit on a pillow and look at the stars, your back against the wall. You were once again trying to spot constellations,  the August sky being perfect for this kind of exercise.

"Can't sleep?"

You almost spilled your tea on your plaid.

"Sorry I scared you."

You smiled weakly at the man who'd just joined you. "It's fine. Wanna sit here with a fellow insomniac?"

Bucky ran a hand through his hair before sitting on your left. His right arm brushed against your exposed skin and you tried to hide your shivers.

"What's keeping you up?" You ask. "I mean,  you obviously don't have to tell me."

"Nothing much. Some nightmares."

"Are they ones about...about the war?"  Your question startled him ; he shot you a  confused look as you lowered yours. "Sorry. Steve told me a few times about his best friend Bucky and I... I made the connection."

"I thought Steve avoided talking about those things."

"What? The way he lost you?"

"Yeah."

"Sorry, that was tactless."

"Don't worry about that." He looked at the sky, leaning his head against the wall. "Wanna tell me what's keeping you up?"

"Well, it's quite ridiculous really," you eluded.

"Steve told me why you're spending time here. Is it him that keeps you up at night?"

You sipped on your tea for a few seconds. "I guess so. It's just that I keep thinking about what I'm doing wrong, you know? I must be doing something wrong."

You heard him take a breath, his shoulders raising with his chest. His arm against yours felt strange, in a good kind of way. You'd never felt so close to anyone in such a short amount  of time, and you wondered what made him so special aside from the meaningful tattoo you shared.

"I don't think you're to blame. Can I be honest?"

"Sure."

"I'm sorry if I seem out of place, because we only met a week ago but..."

"You feel like I get you, right? Just  like I feel that you get me."

He nodded calmly. "He doesn't seem to realise who he was lucky enough to marry."

"Lucky, huh?"

You looked at him with a smile and had it not been so dark, you could've sworn a red tint had reached his cheeks. "You're hella smart," he explained. "And from what I've seen, you're kind."

"And you think that after two days with me?"

He shrugged and allowed himself a quiet laugh. "You let Sam get the last piece of pizza earlier. I would have never done that."

"True. That is my most selfless act ever." Jumping on his joke felt natural and as it turned out, he had a communicative laugh.

"Why  don't you laugh more often? I like it."

Bucky looked you  in the eyes, paralysing you with his blue pupils again. It seemed as if he was searching for what to say.

"There aren't a lot of things that make me laugh. You do, though."  This one didn't sound like a joke, and you placed your hand on his forearm, instantly sending a funny feeling down to your stomach.

"Consider me flattered," you said. "Can I ask you a question? Don't feel like you're forced to answer, though."

"Sure."

"I'm just curious, working in biochem and stuff... I'm basically the school nurse for theses guys," you explained. "So how does it feel, the metal arm? Do you...feel things the way you do with your right arm?"

He stopped for a moment. "I did not expect that question. That's a good surprise." He raised his left hand in front of him. "It's weird, actually. This one is really advanced. Shuri did an amazing job with it, but... sometimes I'll touch something and think I feel something. I know it's my brain playing tricks on me, but it's not that sentient. I feel pressure, tension...but not actual human sensations." He let his hand fall down on his knees.

"Do you miss it?"

"I got used to it. But yeah."

"Okay, close your eyes."

"What?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Y/n, we met last week."

"I know! But like, it's not a 'do you trust me with your life' situation. Think of it as 'do you trust me with basic skills' kind of thing." You chuckled. "Now close your eyes."

Bucky gave in and you gently grabbed his metal hand. "What do you feel now?" you asked,  stroking the back of his hand.

"I know there's something on my hand. And I know it's harmless. But...nothing more, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's part of you."

"And you don't mind that?"

"Why would I?" you shrugged. "It's you."

"Even if I were to do this?" He slowly raised his hand, approaching your face. You let him place his hand on your cheek. It didn't feel like flesh and bone, but it still felt right.

"Yes, even then." You held up his gaze, searching those blue eyes for any sign. Signs of what exactly, you didn't know yet. All you wanted was to stare into them forever, never leave this state of mind.

When Bucky's hand fell down your shoulder and kept running down your arm,  a thousand shivers ran down your spine. You couldn't – shouldn't – feel this way. You were married now, and doing this... To prevent  you from doing anything stupid, you looked away and leaned back against the wall. Getting away from him still was out of your league, though ; you settled for resting your head on his shoulder and spread your plaid over both your bodies. It might've been because nights were fresh, even in August, but it was mostly to make sure you were as close to him as you could be. Before falling asleep, the last thing you felt was Bucky's head letting itself fall on top of yours.

---

"Hey, you need to wake up."

The morning sun made you blink and you felt something on your thigh. Lowering your gaze, you noticed Bucky's hand. You tried not to freak out and looked up at whoever had spoken : Steve. Bucky shifted next to you, woken up by Steve's words  as well.

"What's going on?" you asked. Steve might have been the best at hiding concern, he couldn't always hide it from you.

He sighed. "Darren's here."

"Shit." You got up more abruptly than you should've, causing you to lean on Steve's shoulder for a second. "Where is he?"

"Right here."

You turned around, seeing Darren standing in the doorframe. Well, that was unfortunate. You thought you should've been feeling some sort of guilt after being found in another man's arms – technically ; all you felt was anger. You were angry that he'd showed up after standing you  up last night, you were angry about the neglect and his overall lack of care.

"What are you doing here?" you asked sharply.

"Bringing you home. Why didn't you come back?" His arms were crossed over his chest and he shot Bucky a furious look. "And why were you sleeping outside with this guy?"

Rubbing your forehead, you gestured towards Steve and Bucky.  "Could you guys leave us a minute, please?"

Even though Steve nodded and walked back inside, Bucky seemed unsure about  leaving you alone with your husband. You gave him a brief smile and he took the hint.  As you closed the door behind him to have some privacy – the door was made of glass, but oh well –, Darren started pacing.

"Did you cheat on me last night?"

"What the hell?" You  couldn't believe your ears. "You're kidding, right? You stood. Me. Up. You didn't even bother telling me in advance that you'd go at Brad's, and you didn't even come home. Didn't you think I was tired of being alone every night?"

"You're never alone."

"Damn it, Darren,  you came home past dinner every day since we got married! We should be on our honeymoon right now, and yet you don't even bother kissing me goodnight."

"That's all this is about? I work a little too much and you go away to your so-called family?" He'd stopped pacing and raised an eyebrow, proud of his innuendo. His insinuating Steve and the gang weren't your family made your blood boil.

"So-called? So-called, Darren? I love these people. They are my family and they've been more present for me today than you have in a week. What did you expect? That I would happily ask to be invited at Brad's, when I clearly am not welcome there?"

"You are welcome, what the hell are you talking about?"

"They don't like me, and you know that very well." You looked at the ground. You might've been angry, but never being able to fit in within Darren's social circle had always hurt you.

"Maybe you're not trying hard enough."

No words came out of your mouth. How could you say anything to that? This was the ultimate insult. You had given so much to this relationship that you'd never even thought that 'not trying hard enough' could've been  the reason they  disliked you. First dinner with them, Brad's wife had made fun of what was left of your Sokovian accent, asking Darren if he wanted you to help you get a green card. Of course you'd called her out on her racism. She got upset, but was it your fault? No. During a night out, Brad had been too handsy with you and when telling Darren about it, he'd told you that you were reading too into it, that he was just being friendly. They weren't good people, and you'd always wondered why Darren bothered hanging out with them.

"That's it, go away." You let out an exasperated sigh, opening the door. "You're going to leave the compound to go home and calm down. Maybe I'll be back in a few days."

"I'm not going anywhere without you." That could've sounded romantic. In his mouth, it sounded more like a threat.

"Hell yeah, you are. Now go. My birthday is in three days, and I don't want you to be like this then."

"Right, your birthday. Don't count on me to celebrate it if you don't bother coming home."

You closed your eyes for a moment before gesturing him to leave. He ultimately walked through the glass door and you saw him make eye-contact with Wanda on his way out. You knew she was trying hard not to throw him against a wall or something. You ran your hand through your hair, taking in what had just occurred. You knew Darren would feel better the next day and that it would be like nothing ever happened. You just weren't sure anymore whether it was a good thing or not.

"Don't worry, you can stay here longer," you heard Steve say.

"You're better off with us anyway," Wanda told you.

"You know he's-"

"Please, don't defend him," your sister pleaded. "He's not treating you right and you know it. He hasn't for years. Why are you-"

"Wanda, please. Not here."

You looked at Bucky out of the corner of your eye ; you didn't want to have that conversation in front of him, for some reason. Maybe deep down, you knew he'd side with Wanda. Having your sister call you out was hard enough ; you didn't need your soulmate to start doing it as well.

--- I just finished part 9 so I'm posting part 6 because I can't wait to have your opinion on this one!! Don't forget you can message me anytime to be added to the tag list :)

Tag list :

@ginger-swag-rapunzel @joscelyn02

[whattodowithace]

It's Basically The Lion King [Chapter 5] (Seyoon)

Title: It's Basically The Lion King

Pairing: Seyoon x Reader

Genre: Angst; Fluff; Spice

Word count: 15,072 [All Chapters]

Writer: Kpopmadness & Whattodowithkpop

Warnings: Mentions of death

The pair hadn't talked much more after the whole bandits incident. The Princess was even more angry with Seyoon and she had decided to give him the silent treatment. She dragged her feet as much as she could, but they were still making great time considering all their setbacks. Seyoon had released her restraints, them just adding an extra weight that he realized she didn't need, seeing as she was not as strong as everyone had first expected.

The desert sun beat down on them heavily during the early afternoons. Because of this, they always stopped for a couple hours to preserve water, cause at the rate they were drinking it, they may not have enough to reach their destination. Seyoon would set up a couple of sticks, draping a large clothe over the sticks to create a makeshift tent to shield them from the sun.

They sat in the shade, sitting as far as they could from each other and refused to give the other even a glance.

The Princess laid on her side, looking out towards the horizon as she felt relief from being sheltered from the heat waves that the giant ball of gas produced.

Seyoon felt tired, not having slept much so he could keep a lookout not only to keep the Princess from escaping, but also to keep a lookout for bandits and other harmful beings they could encounter.

His eyelids were heavy as he struggled to keep them open, shaking his head to try to keep his wits about him.

It didn't take too long for him to fall asleep. His little snores alerting the princess of his current condition. She sighs out as she wishes to escape, but knows she won't get far in the sun. She sits up as she looks to the soldier that was escorting her. His blonde hair was resting over his eyes as he slept peacefully. The Princess was caught off guard, wondering how such a peaceful, adorable man could be so ruthless when awake.

The Princess's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a movement from the corner of her eye. She whipped her head, fear suddenly filling her as she worried the bandits had come back. She almost woke Seyoon up before two large ears suddenly peaked over a sand dune.

Two big brown eyes looked back at her as she watched a small fennec fox emerge above the sand. She squealed quietly, careful not to wake the sleeping soldier as she turned her body towards the small creature.

"Hi Baby." She coos as her bottom lip sticks out from the cuteness of the fox.

A few more pop up over the dune, making her heart swell from cuteness.

"You're all so cute." She whines as she watches the smallest fox approach her cautiously, making small steps towards her before stopping for a second to survey the situation.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." She tells the small fox as he steps closer to her.

The rest of the family following behind the small one at a safe distant, not as brave as the first one.

"Your ears are the cutest!" She laughs, the small animal finally reaching her shaded area, quickly resting its body against the cool sand from the shaded covering.

The rest of the family finally approach doing the same as the rested against the cool sand.

"Your just as miserable as us." The Princess frowns as she reaches her hand for the smallest fox, rubbing his ears gently.

"Your brave, like a goblin." She tells him with a wink, her situation forgotten as she rests with the family of foxes, all sleeping around her and Seyoon, making her laugh as one made their home on his stomach.

"You guys sure are brave for being so small." She comments as the one she deemed Goblin settles in her lap, huffing a huge breath as he closes his eyes.

"Rest well." She whispers as she continues to pet the small animals around her.

.......

Seyoon's eyes open slowly, confusion filling his cloudy mind as he sits up, the sun beginning to shift the shade from the covering as it lowered in the sky. Seyoon quickly jerked his head to his right, not seeing the princess. He groans in frustration as panic fills him. He had lost the prisoner that he had been instructed to escort. What would he tell the king.

His thoughts were interrupted by a giggle, one that traveled with the wind and reached his ears pleasantly. He whipped his head towards the sounds, seeing the princess rolling in the sand, a family of fennec foxes jumping on and around her as she played with them happily.

Seyoon's cold heart towards the princess suddenly cracked. Like an ice that had frozen over a warm summer lake that the sun beat down upon, his heart began to warm. He felt time slow in that moment, his concerns about the escorting and the murder suddenly pushed to the background as he observed her.

This woman was supposed to be sentenced to life in exile for the murder of her brother. Seyoon wasn't an expert on any of this, but he trusted his heart's instinct. The woman he watched didn't seem like one who could murder a family member she was once very close to. She should've been concerned about escaping, but she decided to stop to spend some moments with a family of fennec foxes, creatures that many deemed insignificant given their stature. She could've taken the time to run away, but her heart compelled her to spend her chance for escape to enjoy her company with these small creatures.

Guilt washed over him as he truly began to believe she wasn't responsible, all signs point to her being innocent. He felt even worse as he thought of his late friend, the king. The King always spoke highly of his sister and expressed sadness for not being able to see her much due to his new responsibilities. Seyoon had pushed all those words away, blinded by grief he accused her of killing someone who cared for her deeply.

Another laugh broke him from his trance, his attention returning to the sight in front of him. The Princess looked up, seeing his gaze on her. Her smile and laughter faded as she looked at him. Seyoon's heart twinged slightly at her cold glare. The Princess began walking back to him, the small army following after her as she took a seat next to Seyoon.

She said nothing to him as she crossed her arms over her chest, Goblin climbing up on her lap making Seyoon smile at the cute gesture. His smile disappeared when she looked into his eyes, he cleared his throat, feeling embarrassment rise in his body.

"We should get moving." His voice speaks up, it being hoarse from the many days it went without use in the silent strike with each other.

The Princess said nothing as she scooted away from the sticks and clothe, giving Seyoon room to collapse it and pack it for their journey. The Foxes understood the situation, all but Goblin scurrying off to their sand dune. Goblin stayed on The Princess's lap, watching as his family disappeared over the mountain of sand.

"You need to go too, Goblin." The Princess says as tears fill her eyes. She grabs Goblin's small face in her hands, his head resting in her hands like a flower as he blinked up at her.

Goblin made no move to leave, his face seeming as though it was smiling as he watched her, blinking slowly at her. Seyoon watched, a smile reappearing when he realized the fox didn't want to leave her, opting to stay with her instead of leaving with his family.

"Goblin, you need to go follow them." The Princess sniffs as she holds tears from falling, already having cried many times on the trip.

"Looks like we have another travel buddy, Mouse." The soldier speaks up, catching the princess off guard. Not only because of him actually speaking, but because the word mouse came out of his mouth in a non threatening way. Almost in a endearing way.

The Princess glares up at him before returning back to Goblin. She picks him up gently and lays him on the sand, giving her a chance to stand fully.

"Be a good boy." The Princess tells the small fox as she turns to follow her dreaded escort.

Seyoon watches in amusement as the fox follows the princess as she continues her path towards exile island. He lets out a small chuckle, making the princess turn around to see the small fox right behind her.

"Goblin, no." She whines. "They'll leave you."

The fox sits as he waits for the princess to continue her movements, not leaving her side even for a second.

"Welcome to the group, Goblin." Seyoon mumbles as he walks past the princess, tugging at her tank top to get her to walk behind him.

She huffs in annoyance just at his presence, walking behind him and behind her, Goblin following closely.

She watches the soldier's back in confusion. His words held a nicer tone than it did days ago with the bandit situation. He also seemed to walk in a happier step, making her even more confused. Her confusion was quickly replaced with sadness as she remembered where they were traveling to, her shoulders slumping as she continued to follow the Savage Solider.

previous chapter - next chapter

It's Basically The Lion King Masterlist

[doof-doofblog]

"You Could've Killed Yourself!"

Full Week Catch Up

Monday 12th April 2021 (Part Two) - Monday 19th April 2021

Hello again folks, hope you've had a good week! I am finally back after a whole week away! I've just binged watched almost 2 hours worth of EastEnders and blimey what an action packed roller-coaster, my hands are shaking with the amount of adrenaline that's buzzing through me after seeing that ending of last night's episode! I truly cannot believe what I've just seen!!! Plus we have the excitement of having three characters return! But my God, there is so much I need to mention and I'm going to break it down into slots the best I can!

So to begin with I'm going to start with The Taylors. After Karen has been made redundant from the laundrette, it looks as if the family are falling on hard times, they're pretty much almost broke. Even Bernadette is beginning to notice how much her Mum may be struggling, offering to start paying her way now she has a proper job. But Karen seems too proud to take money from her daughter, claiming that she's never asked her children for anything and never would if she thought she couldn't cope.

But even when she has another meeting with Mr. P, poor Karen gets the wrong end of the stick. He made a small comment mentioning that he could find a way to help her with money whilst she found a new job, from the looks of it, Karen assumes that he means something sleazy, dirty - sleeping with him for money. But as she turns up to the restaurant all dolled up, making a show of how unprofessional Mr. P is, it's plain to see that that was never his intentions. Soon as he's completely humiliated he shows Karen an envelope claiming that there's about 3 months wages in there for her to get by until she finds something else. Understandably, Karen is completely embarrassed and apologetic as soon as she realises her mistake, but Mr. P declines her apology, leaving her feeling absolutely devastated. I know the Taylor's have become a firm favourite of the soap so it'll be horrible to see them fall on hard times, but this has happened to many different families in the Square, hopefully in time Karen will be able to find a new job before things get out of control.

--

The next thing I have to mention is Keegan, Tiffany and Dotty. At the beginning of the week, Keegan is eager to progress his business, as he and Tiffany throw ideas back and forth, Tiffany comes up the idea of making a name for himself online. She creates a profile for her husband's business and suggests making posts about all sorts of sandwiches he could create, he could do live streams, build a following of some kind. Keegan is more than pleased with idea, but unfortunately without him knowing, Tiffany leaves the device on live stream - and it's only later we find out what actually went down!

Later in the day as Keegan is happily attending to his stall, he appears to be getting quite a lot of female attention, with customers gossiping, pointing and giggling it seems Keegan is suspicious about the attention he's receiving. It's only when Tiffany and Keegan mention about the live stream, Keegan realises that he has been caught naked on live stream, as there was a slight disaster with some mayonnaise! I have to admit, this whole section, I did find pretty funny and can I say how nice it was to see Keegan in a more happy and positive mood, it's been a long time I think since we've seen happy Keegan, it was about time!

Of course he still holds concerns for his wife having to do her hostessing job, to which he is still wanting her to pack in once his business takes off. As the week goes on, the episodes seem to focus on Tiffany and Dotty still fleecing their customers out of money. But at Tiffany's horror, as she leaves her husband to see to his sandwich customers, she gets approached by an unknown gentleman claiming that she scammed him for paying for alcohol he never had! Fortunately Dotty is there to fight her corner and the man leaves, but gives a brutal warning that he hasn't let the matter lie.

It's clear to see that Tiffany is visibly shaken up, considering the man had her backed into a corner, but it's interesting to know that she hasn't told Keegan exactly what she and Dotty have been up to at the club, in a way she is putting herself in more danger. It was only a matter of time before they were going to be found out. Later on in the evening, Dotty and Tiffany appear to be getting ready for their shift, but it looks as if Tiffany is having second thoughts after her horrible encounter with the old gentleman. As she wipes her lipstick off, Ruby enters the room and voices her concerns on whether Dotty and Tiffany can actually carry on fleecing their customers. She, interestingly, informs them that she's not going to sack them but she wants to in on how much extra they make from their customers. It seems that if Dotty and Tiffany continue to do this, Ruby wants to make sure they can handle it. It's really interesting I find, considering the fact that what they're doing is illegal, with Ruby being the manager of the club, having full knowledge of what her employers are doing and allowing them to do it, there must be some kind of sackable offence or even a fine or some kind if she was also to be found out? I'm intrigued to see what will happen if Keegan and/or Martin find out! What do you guys think?!

As Tiffany carries on with her shift, see eyes up a potential group of customers to approach, but as she slowly gets closer towards them, she overhears the conversation they're having about Keegan and his sandwich business, but then their conversation topic turns to Tiffany as they reveal that they've dived into social media and found out the Tiffany is the wife of the "Sandwich Maker" and end up insulting her, her clothes and the way she looks and how she even ended up with Keegan in the first place. Of course this deeply hurts Tiffany and as she looks around the room for another customer, she sees a young lad sat on his own who waves her across, so she decides to take her business elsewhere.

Unfortunately as the night goes on, the young man gets incredibly drunk - almost to the stage where he can't hand over his wallet. He's slumped across the table with countless amounts of bottles and glasses in front of him. Tiffany admits that she feels a little guilty for making him drink himself into an oblivion. But as it comes to him paying his fee, Dotty manages to get his wallet, but as she reaches in for his bank card, they also discover his student card. As the customer they've managed to fleece is a student they realise that he's not going to have the funds to be able to pay what he owes them. 

As Ruby enters the room, she notices the young student hauled over the table and acknowledges that maybe Dotty and Tiffany needs to focus on other types of customer's, not the ones with baggy jeans, but the ones who have name branded suits etc etc. She instructs her employees to take care of the drunken student and to make sure they pay for his cab home! As Tiffany and Dotty wait outside with the student for his cab, Tiffany questions whether Dotty ever feels guilty for what they do. Even though Dotty admits that they got it wrong with the male student, she doesn't feel any guilt for older and wealthy customers who can clearly afford it and sometimes seem to drunk to even care. Something is telling me deep down that Tiffany really doesn't want to do this any more, whether she fears for her safety or whether she fears Keegan finding out - who knows? 

But, without their knowledge, the man who approached Tiffany early in the day is hiding down a back alley listening to their conversation, but the most terrifying that happens next is that he actually follows them home! Now I have to admit, I found that part very creepy. I thought for a moment he was going to attack them or sexually assault them in their own home. Dotty tries her best to hold her ground claiming that they don't have his money and if he doesn't leave she will call the police, even informing that Keegan will be returning to the house at any minute! 

Tiffany is clearly more frightened than Dotty is, her eyes are slowly tearing up, scared of what the man is going to. He claims that if they haven't got his money there can be other ways in which they can repay him. Deep down, in the pit of my stomach I thought that he was meaning that they'd have to sleep with him to pay him back. I have to admit I feared for Tiffany at this point, but out of no where the man gets whacked in the back of the head and falls to the floor. Thankfully Sonia arrived home from Ireland just in time to save the day! I have to be honest, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Sonia! It's nice to have Sonia back, even though she's only been gone for a few months, it's nice to have her back at Dot's where she belongs! Oh speaking of which, as Dotty and Tiffany inform Sonia about what's been happening in her absence, Sonia reveals to Dotty that Dot has pretty much made Sonia the one in charge of the house, regarding who stays and who doesn't and who pays what etc, and from the look of Dotty's face it looks as if she isn't best pleased about it, especially considering she was going to get some kind of inheritance, but after what Sonia has witnessed, it's clear to Sonia that she isn't ready yet for her inheritance money. 

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Elsewhere on the Square, it's Frankie's birthday and Mick is gathering everything together to throw his daughter a special birthday celebration in the Vic for her, the funny thing is though is that he has no idea what to buy for his daughter, he stills feels as though he doesn't know her well enough to get her something she'd really like. As he arrives home he admits to Linda that he's gone bit crazy, buying this such as a bazooka - but then who doesn't love a huge water gun, right?! 

But the moment that got me super excited when everyone was gathered in the living room, was when Shirley walked in!!! Everyone was so happy to see her! I was happy to see her return, but unfortunately she returns with the devastating news that she's been able to track down Tina, which of course was her full intention was to go away and find their missing sister. But of course we know that Gray murdered her - it's truly going to be devastating for the Carter family when they learn the truth. The one thing I did notice though was that Shirley didn't even seem phased by the fact that Frankie was now living with them - was Shirley informed that Frankie is Mick's daughter? If so, when?! I simply cannot remember that conversation between Shirley and Mick before she left, if anyone else can recall then please remind me! 

One other part which I loved too, when Shirley, Mick and Linda had all gathered around together to surprise Frankie by singing "Happy Birthday" to her in sign language! A very touching and thoughtful thing to do, but it was quite funny how they were all struggling to get the right signs and keep in sync with each other. A very touching moment, but brilliantly funny also! As the birthday celebrations continue, everyone gathers in the Vic to wish Frankie a huge Happy Birthday, Mick even happens to propose a toast to his daughter and finally opening up to the community that Frankie is his daughter and he's thrilled to have her in his life, but just as everyone is about to click their glasses, another member of the Carter family returns - Nancy!!!!

I have to be honest, I am so happy to see Nancy back - is it just me or has she changed? Only ever so slightly? I can't make out what it is though, her image? Her personality? I'm not so sure but something has slightly changed, maybe I'm looking at something that isn't there. I admit I was expecting Nancy to be really cold towards Frankie, but it seems that she's not as cold as I expected her to be. Instead she actually seems to welcome her new sister into the family, even sticking up for after hearing Sharon and Honey gossiping about her Dad and her sister. 

But as much as I'm enjoying this sisterly-bonding, I have to admit, for a brief moment I was speculating whether it's all just a front. Is Nancy really happy to have a new sister? Bare in mind, whilst she was left alone to settle after travelling back from New Zealand, we happen to see her on the phone to Tamwar. Now my questions from that scene are - is she still married to Tamwar?! And what does she need money for?! Is Nancy up to something? As much as I'm thrilled to see her back on the Square, I'm intrigued to see what brings her back and whether we'll learn more about her time in New Zealand with Tamwar, what do you guys think?! 

Unfortunately, the happily family reunion doesn't last for very long - as for reasons I'll go into shortly, Shirley ends up being arrested for her involvement in the robbery. Understandably, all the Carter clan are shocked to hear of the news, but I just found it quite disappointing, as soon as Shirley arrives back on the Square, she's taken into the nick! It's yet unknown whether Shirley is going to be charged with her involvement in the robberies, plus it's interesting to see what's going to happen with Ben and Phil also - but again, I'll get into that shortly. 

As Mick frets about his Mum being at the police station, he tries to find every bit of information that he ca, but to no avail. The only thing he knows for certain is that it has something to do with Phil Mitchell! As a way to take his mind of his Mum, Nancy and Frankie offer to stay up with him, but they all end up staying up and Mick attempts to gather the family together with a game of Monopoly. As everyone is assigned their little token, Mick is baffled to realise that his "Lucky Token" is missing (The Top Hat). On his hands and knees he begins to search the floor of the pub as Frankie and Nancy watch on - watching their Dad scramble for the Monopoly piece. They decide that they would take it upon themselves to search for the piece instead and instruct Mick to head upstairs and get comfortable. 

As Mick agrees and exits, the two sisters then decide to get more acquainted over a bottle of wine. Only later on and everyone turns in for the night, Frankie seems to have a gotten a little tipsy, much to Mick and Linda's amusement. They inform their Dad that they couldn't find his Monopoly token but they decided to make him one instead. As Nancy escorts her sister to get a cup of tea, much to her reluctance, Mick reveals that he had hold of the Top Hat token all along and it was his whole plan of getting Nancy and Frankie to start bonding! - One word - Brilliant! I have to be honest, I loved the whole sisterly bonding between Frankie and Nancy and I really hope we'll continue to see more of the sisters together in scenes to come! 

--

So, the big one, the big emotional SHOCKING one! Kush's trail is quickly approaching and it looks as if his main concern is how long he'll be locked up inside, how long he'll be away from Whitney and his son for if he was to plead guilty for not just his crime, but for all the other crimes he's taking the rap for for the Mitchells. He decides to take a visit to Mitchell's, wanting to speak to Phil, but instead comes face-to-face with Ben and admits that he doesn't want to go ahead with their plan. But somehow, Ben manages to change his mind, trying to explain that the money they're paying him will set him and Whitney for life once he's out of prison. 

Realising that there really is no other way, he agrees to continue with his plans with the Mitchell's. But in the meantime, after having a confrontation with Whitney, Kat goes round to see Whitney apologising about the way she's been acting recently. She tries to reassure her that she still cares deeply about Kush, regardless of being distant over the past few months. Unfortunately, Kat drops the bombshell to Whitney that Kush has a good deal with Phil - much to her shock, even though she lies and informs Kat that Kush tells her everything, it's clear to see that Whitney is deeply hurt about hearing that Kush could be locked away for longer than she expected. 

But whilst this conversation is happening between Kat and Whitney, Kush is gathering Martin, Keegan and Tiffany together in an attempt to throw a quick marriage ceremony for himself and Whitney. He wants to try and prove to her that no matter how long he'll be put in prison for, they will marry once he's released, and who knows, he could be let out sooner for good behaviour! As everyone gets dressed up their smart and gorgeous gear, Kush prepares to get married to Whitney. 

After finding each other in the gardens, Whitney confronts her boyfriend/fiancé' demanding an explanation regarding what she's just been told by Kat. Kush is completely apologetic and admits that he should've told her the truth sooner, but he wanted to make sure that they would be set for life once he was released, but in Whitney's mind, he would be leaving her for a lot longer than he actually really needs to, which I guess I can understand her point. Why the hell should he take the rap for something he hasn't done?! Why does he need their money? As long as he has Whitney and his son, nothing else matters! Kush once again apologises and claims that they should get married before he goes to prison, he gets down on one knee and proposes to her. But poor Whitney is so devastated about being lied to again that all she can do is tearfully shake her head, much to Kush's disappointment and embarrassment, without another word between them, Kush walks off slowly and then speeds off into a run and just runs and runs as fast as his legs can take him!!

The following day, both Whitney and Martin are concerned about Kush's whereabouts, after running away no one appears to have heard from him. Through out the day, Whitney tries her absolute best to get in touch with Kush, leaving him plenty of voicemails but hearing nothing back. She begins to fret whether he has done something stupid and done a runner without her or maybe even done something even more stupid. As the day goes on and it gets darker and darker, Whitney is seen sitting alone on Arthur's bench in the garden's and of course, trying to be her knight in shining armour, Gray once again tries to worm his way in, informing her that Kush might be looking at a long time in prison and she needs to know for sure whether marrying him is the right thing to do, he even tries to get her inside to have a drink, in an attempt to console her. But Whitney is adamant she doesn't want a drink and that Kush is really good man. In hindsight, Gray's advice completely backfires as Whitney thanks him for making her realise what she has to do. Gray is obviously quite confused, but as Whitney returns home she attempts to call Kush one last time, pleading him to come home and softly informing him that she really does love him. 

As she ends the call, to her shock Kush is sat in the living room waiting patiently for her, announcing his love for her, he apologises for springing their surprise wedding on her, but Whitney admits that it was a beautiful gesture. As they softly kiss, they agree that they are both in this for the long haul, no matter what happens, and they agree to marry. The following day is the big day for Kush, it's his first day at trial and even though Whitney and Martin want to be there for him, he respectfully asks them to stay away as it's not going to be happy to witness. 

I have to admit, the whole thing that kicked off during Kush's trial I was not expecting! Kush heads to court alone after receiving a gorgeous Good Luck card from his son, but even in the waiting room, Gray once again can't help but make a comment, informing Kush he'll look after Whitney while he's away. As much as it seems innocent to Kush, we know completely what Gray's intentions are! But it's when Kush gets into the courtroom that things begin to kick off, as Ben and Gray watch from the stalls, Kush pleads guilty to the robbery of cars. But as soon as the judge asks him whether he has anything else he'd like to add - Kush reveals everything to the judge, that he in fact wasn't the only one who took part in the burglary and to Ben's absolutely horror, Kush names both him, Phil and Shirley amongst the ones who were involved in the robbery and reveals that the Mitchell's also need to pay for what they have done! Both Gray and Ben are completely gobsmacked by Kush's actions - even Ben almost lashes out in the courtroom claiming Kush to be liar! Watching this scene I thought it was absolutely brilliant, such an amazing atmosphere and the tension was certainly rising! It was as if Kush came to the decision that he's not going to take the rap for something he hasn't done and the Mitchell's need to be held responsible for what they've done! For Kush, he doesn't care about the money, all he cares about is Whitey and his son! 

As things appear to be escalating in court, back on the Square both Shirley and Phil are arrested. Of course the Carter family are stunned to see Shirley being arrested, and Kat watches with dismay as Phil is put in handcuffs and taken away. Everyone can't seem to understand what is happening. Whitney is completely stunned to see Kush return home from court in a rushed manor. He informs her that he's not going to be going to be prison, BUT he's been asked to help with another investigation regarding the Mitchell's and if he agrees to co-operate with the police, he won't go to prison! 

However now the Mitchell's know that Kush has grassed them up, they are going to be hot on his trail, he informs Whitney that for them to be safe, they need to leave the Square immediately! Meanwhile as Phil and Ben are being held at the police station, they both are asking Gray what can be done to get them out of prison, they are both completely and utterly fuming with regards to Kush grassing them up and they are demanding Gray to come up with a way of sorting it out and getting them out of prison! But Gray seems to have his hands tied, unless Kush changes his statement then there is nothing that he can do, much to their anger and frustration. As Kat, Callum and Gray gather outside the police station waiting to hear news, they begin to question why Kush would throw the Mitchell's into the frame when he was offered a good deal from them, but then Kat realises that the only reason he would do this would be for Whitney, she would be the only reason why he'd do this, for a chance to have a proper life with her. 

Realising that their only option to be together is to run away, both Whitney and Kush gather their belongings and head to the Fowler's to inform Martin about their plans. Even though Martin completely understands and agrees with them, when they ask whether they could take Arthur with them, Martin is a little bit hesitant. Kush fears that if the Mitchell's don't get hold of him, they'll go for his son instead. He promises that they will keep Arthur safe and they would return when things with the Mitchell's has cooled off. Kush is really just being a Dad, he wants to keep his son safe and of course he's going to want to have him with him. 

Eventually Martin agrees to let Arthur go with them, as much as it deeply upsets him, he understands that they're doing the right thing. Martin goes upstairs and wakes the little boy up from his sleep, informing him that he'll be going on holiday with Daddy Kush. I have to admit, Martin's goodbye to Arthur was incredibly emotional - especially when the young boy voices that he wants Daddy Martin to go with them. Poor Martin gets teary and telling his son that he wants to hear everything about his holiday.

Another certain emotional goodbye was between Kush and Martin. For years they have been like brother's, they've been through so much together and little do they know that this will be the last time they see each other. Before they both break down into tears, Kush thanks Martin and voices that Martin has been the best friend he's ever had. Gosh I have to say I was almost choked up myself watching all these emotional goodbyes. But what's even more harrowing was that Gray was watching them leave whilst being on the phone to Whitney, Whitney lied to him claiming she was going to bed early - but little did she know that she was being watched leaving the Square with Kush and Arthur. 

Eventually they all get to the train station, waiting patiently for their train. But little Arthur lets them know that he needs to go to the bathroom, of course it's very bad timing but Whitney volunteers to take the youngster to the bathroom, leaving Kush alone on the platform. Unbeknown to them, Gray has followed them all the way to the station and is lurking in the shadows of the tube. 

As Kush waits patiently for his fiancé' and son, Gray makes himself known, much to Kush's shock. It's plain to see that Gray isn't acting rationally, he has been drinking? He begins to lash out at Kush, claiming that he think he's won, taking Whitney from him. Kush is completely taken back by Gray's accusations, claiming he's going to ruin Whitney's life. Kush tries everything he can to calm Gray down and claim that everything he's thinking and possibly feeling is fantasy - the only thing Whitney has ever been to him is a childminder, nothing more! But Gray is adamant that he loves Whitney, she is in fact his future!

Suddenly Gray goes for Kush, they scuffle and Gray ends up falling onto the rail way lines! (OH MY GOSH!) My heart was absolutely pumping ten to the dozen watching this, for a very small brief moment, it looked as if Gray was finally going to get his comeuppance. In this distance you could clearly see the lights of the train coming ahead. Of course Kush, being the decent man that he is, even after being insulted and assaulted by Gray helps to drag him up back onto the platform. 

Tensions are high, the train is fast approaching, but Gray makes it back to platform just in time, however things take a very very nasty and horrific turn when Kush stands up, claims that Gray could've nearly died. Hearing the train is quickly approaching, Gray quickly gets up and pushes Kush back onto the railway line as the train passes. Oh my goodness!!!!!! As much I was fretting this was going to happen, I also never expected it to end this way!!! Gray has killed ANOTHER Walford resident in the most horrific circumstances. I had every hope that Kush's role would remain open for Davood Ghadami to return one day! Kush's final scenes where incredible but yet really sad and such a shocker!!

I have to ask a few questions though, surely there would be some kind of CCTV on the platform?! How are people going to learn about Kush's death? Being killed on railway line is no accident, not unless Gray comes up with some stupid story claiming that it was an accident and he fell? What's going to happen when Whitney returns from taking Arthur the bathroom? Will we even see that?! What's going to happen for the Mitchell's and Shirley now? I'm assuming with Kush not being able to co-operate with the police and give them evidence, there'll be no reason for the police to charge the Mitchell's and Shirley, right?! 

Will they think that Kush has just upped and ran? Will they even learn about his death?! Oh my gosh so many questions!!! Please feel free to let me know what you thought of last night's episode! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Surely Gray has to be found out soon, right? How many more people can he get away with killing?! The Carter's WILL eventually find out what happened to Tina - her body is still missing, but will it end up being discovered? We still don't know what Gray did with her body?! 

I have to say though I can't applaud Davood Ghadami and Toby-Alexander Smith loud enough for their performances as Gray Atkins and Kush Kazemi - this week these two have absolutely shone, truly incredible actors!! I'm so glad I've been able to sit down today and write out this blog, I cannot wait to see what happens next and I will certainly follow up tomorrow! Thank you all for your on-going support, it truly means the world! Love you all xXx