#so i complained to my aunt t

[labradorite-princess]

I bitched so much I got what I wanted!

[brokebonewritings]

The Courage to Try

Peter Parker x reader

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, High School Crush, Friends to Lovers

Summary: After years of swooning over Peter, you finally have the courage to ask him on a date. You would have never thought that going on a date with your best friend would turn out so well.

Word Count: 3k

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Lunch period at Midtown High was always chaotic. The hallways are filled with smelly, hangry teenagers who don’t know how to say “excuse me”. It never bothered you though, not really anyways. You had your friends to keep you company, even in class. MJ always made Honors Calculus more enjoyable, and Ned kept you occupied in Spanish. Peter on the other hand, it was hard to focus whenever you were in class with him.

It started out with small things. Little touches while handing you vials in Chemistry, or the smiles he would give you in Honors Calc. Lunch period was where you started to zone out the most. Even though there were no teachers to notice, your friends definitely could tell.

Peter always seemed to find a way to sit beside you during lunch, casually striking up conversations about anything and everything. Not that you complained about it. MJ would exchange knowing glances with Ned, who would tease you endlessly about your obvious crush on Peter.

“Hey!” You turn as you hear your name being called. It was MJ, trying to catch up with you from her last class. “How was Film Lit?”

“Hey, Ah, y’know, Mr. Micucci never really shows anything interesting so…” You trail off after seeing Peter and Ned up ahead. 

“You’re such a film snob,” MJ teased, nudging you playfully but you weren’t listening. “Uhm hello? Anyone in there?”

You’re brought back to reality as your friend waves her hand in front of your face. “Huh, sorry?”

“Dude, you totally were staring at Peter.” She said as you both stopped in the middle of the hallway.

You can feel the blush rising to your cheeks at her words, but you play it off with a laugh. "What? No way, I was just...” MJ raises an eyebrow at you, clearly not buying it. “Besides, Peter is just a friend.”

"Sure, just a friend who you can't take your eyes off of," she teases, bumping your shoulder as you start walking again. You roll your eyes, but there's a small part of you that can't deny the truth in her words.

As you approach Peter and Ned, you see them deep in conversation. Ned is animatedly telling a story while Peter listens, a small smile playing on his lips. You can't help but smile at the sight, feeling lucky to have such good friends by your side.

“Hey nerds,” MJ greets, “What is it this time? Star Wars or?”

Peter looks up with a grin as you and MJ approach, his eyes lighting up as he sees you. "Hey guys! Actually, we were just talking about the new Captain America musical on broadway!”

"Really? That sounds... interesting," you reply, trying to hide your amusement at the thought of a musical about Captain America. Ned launches into an excited explanation about the show.

As you all make your way to the cafeteria, Peter falls into step beside you, his shoulder lightly brushing yours. You feel a jolt of electricity at the contact, making it difficult to focus on the conversation.

Once you reach an empty table, you all sit down and start unpacking your lunches. MJ pulls out a sandwich while Ned eagerly unwraps a burrito. Peter, as usual, has brought a homemade lunch complete with a note from Aunt May.

"So, are you guys coming over tonight to work on the history project?" Ned asks between bites of his burrito.

"I wish I could, but I have to cover a shift at the bookstore," MJ replies apologetically.

You glance over at Peter, waiting for his reply. "Yeah, I'll be there. Maybe we can order some pizza while we work?" Peter suggests with a smile.

“I’ll be there!” You smile at both Ned and Peter. “Only if we can listen to my playlist.” 

Peter's eyes light up "Deal! As long as we get to listen to my playlist after," he teases, nudging you playfully. You roll your eyes but can't help the smile that tugs at your lips.

Ned groans, “Oh no, not your playlist again. We don’t need a repeat of the incident from last time.”

The rest of lunch is spent in easy conversation and laughter, the usual banter flowing effortlessly between the four of you. Despite the chaotic surroundings, there's a sense of calm whenever you're with your friends, especially when Peter is beside you.

As the bell signaling the end of lunch period rings, you all gather up your belongings and start making your way to your next classes. Peter falls into step beside you once again, and this time, he reaches out to lightly bump his shoulder against yours.

"See you after school for the project?" Peter asks, a hopeful glint in his eyes. You nod, feeling a flush of excitement at the thought of spending more time with him outside of school.

“I’ll meet you on the steps.” You grin as he walks away.

Your last class seemed to drone on for hours. None of your friends were in it so you seemed exhausted by the end of it. You can't help but replay the small moments with Peter over and over in your head, his laughter, his smile, the way he always seemed to find a reason to be near you.

Not realizing the bell had rung, you looked around to see your classmates were all packed up and leaving. You hurriedly packed your bag, eager to meet Peter outside to walk to Ned’s house together.

Once you get outside, you notice him standing at the bottom of the steps looking for you. You notice him turn to see you as you walk by down the stairs. Peter flashed you a bright smile as you approached, and your heart skipped a beat at the sight.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Peter asked as you joined him at the bottom of the steps. You nodded, feeling a rush of excitement. The two of you started walking towards Ned's house, the familiar route feeling different somehow with Peter by your side.

As you chatted about random things like the latest Spider-Man sightings in the city and your upcoming history project, you couldn't shake off the nervous energy bubbling inside you. There was something about Peter's presence that made you feel at ease.

“Pete?” You start, “You know you’re one of my best friends right?”

He smiles, “Of course!”

“Good," you continued, feeling a rush of courage. "Because lately, I've been thinking...” 

You both stop walking as your sentence trails off. Staring at the ground you can’t bring yourself to say the next set of words.

“Hey.” You hear Peter say softly. Looking up you see his round eyes staring back at you with a soft smile spreading across his lips. “I know you can say whatever it is you’re trying to tell me.”

Taking a deep breath you finally continue, “Peter Parker, I would really like to take you on a date.”

Peter's smile widens at your words, his eyes lighting up with surprise and joy. "I would love that," he says, his voice filled with warmth. The nervous energy inside you dissipates, replaced by a sense of relief and happiness at his response.

The two of you continue walking towards Ned's house, the weight of unspoken words now lifted from your shoulders. You can't help but steal glances at Peter, a smile tugging at your lips as you think about the possibility of going on a date with him.

When you reach Ned's house, he greets you both enthusiastically at the door and leads you to his room where you'll be working on the history project. As you settle in with your laptops and textbooks, Peter shifts closer to you, his shoulder brushing yours in a silent gesture of comfort and support.

You feel a rush of warmth at the simple touch, grateful for Peter's presence beside you. The three of you dive into the project, discussing ideas and sharing laughs as the afternoon turns into evening. Peter's eyes meet yours from across the table, a silent understanding passing between you.

Ned excused himself to use the restroom halfway through the study session, leaving you and Peter alone in his room. The silence wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t comforting either.

Peter cleared his throat, breaking the quiet. "So... about that date," he started, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

You turned to face him, a smile playing on your lips. "Yes, about that date," you echoed.

He smiled back, “I was thinking about taking you to a museum or maybe Central Park?”

“Central Park is perfect!” 

“I also wanted to take you to this cafe near the park too.”

“I would really love that, Peter.” 

As Ned returns to the room, you both continue on with your work. When it was finally time for you both to go home, you hugged and said your goodbye to Ned, and thanked his Lola for the food. Peter said his goodbyes, and you both started walking towards the train.

The train ride was filled with a comfortable silence, the occasional glances and smiles shared between you and Peter speaking volumes. As the train pulled into your stop, you both stepped out onto the bustling platform and started walking towards your respective homes.

"Tonight was great," Peter said, breaking the silence. "I can't wait for our date at Central Park."

You smiled back at him,"Me too. Thanks for saying yes."

"Of course I said yes. I've been wanting to ask you out for a while now."

“What?” you say surprised.

“Yeah,” he says rubbing the back of his neck “I just was really nervous you would say no.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his confession, realizing that your feelings were reciprocated all this time. The walk to your apartment felt shorter than usual, because in no time you reached your building.

“Well, it looks like this is me.” You say, stalling. “So, tomorrow? For our Date? Since it is Saturday and all.”

"Absolutely," Peter replies with a warm smile. "I'll meet you at Central Park tomorrow afternoon."

You nod, and run up the stairs to your apartment. Your older brother takes note first on how giddy you are as you run inside. Then your mom notices.

“There’s no way you’re this excited about a project.” he says unamused. “Wait. Did he?”

You drop your bag and smile at your brother. “Mhm!” 

“Did who what?” Your mom asks from the kitchen table.

“Peter totally asked her out finally!”

Your mom stands up, taking her glasses off excitedly. “He did!”

You giggle at the excitement your family was portraying. “Well actually, I asked him. But, he did most of the planning!”

The three of you chat for a while before you decide to go to bed.

The night felt like forever as you tossed and turned in bed, your thoughts consumed by your date with Peter. Every nerve in your body seemed to be tingling with excitement and a touch of nervousness, but deep down, you felt a sense of contentment knowing that you would be spending the day with him.

Waking up the next day, you went through your usual routine with a little more excitement. Your brother helped you with your outfit, since he was going to the most prestigious fashion college in New York City.

As you got ready for your date, your mind raced with possibilities. Would he let you hold his hand? What would you talk about? Would Peter still make your heart skip a beat like he always did?

With one last look in the mirror, and approval from both your mom and brother you grab your small backpack and head out the door to meet Peter.

The sun was shining brightly as you walked towards Central Park. You spot Peter waiting for you near the entrance, a bright smile on his face. As you approach him, he greets you and hugs you tightly.

"Hey," Peter says, his eyes filled with warmth. "You look amazing."

You feel a blush creep up your cheeks at his compliment. "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself."

Peter chuckles, a grin playing on his lips. "Shall we?" he asks, gesturing towards the park.

You nod, and the two of you enter Central Park, the bustling city noises fading into the background as you walk along the winding pathways. The air is filled with laughter and chatter of families enjoying the weekend, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

As you walked further into the park, a sense of serenity washed over you. The sun peeked through the trees, casting a warm glow over everything around you. Peter led you to a quiet spot by a tranquil pond, where a gentle breeze rustled the leaves above you. You sat down on a bench together, the sound of chirping birds providing a soothing soundtrack to your date.

Peter turned to you, his gaze soft yet full of excitement. "I'm really glad we're here together," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Me too," you replied, reaching out to take his hand in yours.

His fingers intertwined with yours, fitting perfectly as if they were always meant to be together.

“How long have you liked me, y’know, more than friends?” he asks curiously.

“A while,” you giggle, “probably when you were mixing random chemicals together in Chem class.”

He groans at this admission. “You don’t mean when I made that drawer explode right?”

“Yep exactly then, I think.” You look down at your hands interlaced together. “What about you?”

He smiles and looks up at the sky for a moment. “Probably when you went on that rant about how Capybaras would make better pets than Dogs.”

You both burst into laughter. Your laughter echoed through the park, blending with the rustling leaves and chirping birds around you. As your laughter subsided, a comfortable silence settled between you, filled with unspoken words and shared emotions.

Peter turned to you, his eyes meeting yours. “I really am glad you got the courage to ask me out.”

“I’m just really glad you didn’t turn me down.” You sigh.

Peter's warm smile never wavered as he reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "I could never turn you down," he said softly, his gaze unwavering. "I've always known there was something special between us, even before we realized it ourselves."

"I've never felt this way about anyone before," you confessed, your heart pounding in your chest.

"Me neither," he admitted, “Is it okay if I kiss you now?”

Without another word, you leaned in towards Peter, closing the gap between you. His lips met yours in a gentle, tender kiss, sending a jolt of electricity through your entire being.

As you pull away, you can hear Peter sigh softly before opening his eyes. You both smile brightly at each other, while exchanging awkward giggles.

"Wow," he whispered, his breath mingling with yours.

"Wow indeed," you replied softly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking hand in hand through Central Park, sharing stories, dreams, and stolen kisses.

The sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the park. Peter decides that heading to the cafe before It closes was the best thing to do. The two of you found a cozy table by the window, the soft golden light illuminating your faces as you talked and laughed over cups of coffee.

“How did you even find this place?” You ask.

After taking a long sip of his coffee, he sets down his mug, “I was in the neighborhood and saw it one day. I just wanted to try it.” 

“How do you think Ned and MJ will react?”

“I think they’ll be relieved they won’t have to deal with us hiding our crushes.” He laughs, followed by your own.

“They’re really good at keeping secrets,” you begin.”Which is kind of scary.”

As the evening wore on, Peter walked you back to your apartment, hand in hand under the starlit sky. The familiar streets seemed transformed by the magic of the night, each moment etching itself into your memory as if trying to make it last forever.

“I had an amazing time today.” Peter says as you guys reach your building.

“Me too, Peter.” You smile. “Thank you for the coffee.”

Peter took a step closer, his hand reaching up to gently cup your cheek. “I wish the night went on longer.”

“This doesn’t have to be our only date if you don’t want it to be.”

His eyes sparkled with hope and affection. "I definitely want more than just one date with you," he said softly, his thumb brushing against your cheek. 

With a smile tugging at the corners of your lips, you leaned closer to him, closing the gap between you once again in a sweet and lingering kiss.

Pulling away, you look up to see your mom and brother watching from the fire escape. “I should probably get inside.” you announce.

“Wait!” he starts, “Uh, I was just wondering if you wanted to make it official?”

“Official?” you echo

“Yeah, like will you officially go out with me?”

You smile wide and nod to his question. “Yes, Peter, Of course!”

He returns the smile and wraps you in a warm hug. “I’m so glad.”

Pulling away from him once again, “Goodnight, Peter!” you say before climbing the steps to your building.

“Good night!”

As Peter begins to walk home, you can’t help but look back at him and watch as he looks back at you. He waves once more before disappearing around the corner, leaving you standing on the steps with a contented smile on your face.

You really were glad you got the courage to finally ask him on a real date. Maybe you would have the courage to ask him if he was actually Spider-Man in the future, or decide if MJ made that up.

taglist: @guacam011y @alexxavicry @emma23 @moncherriis

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[byunpum]

Something cute!

I remember one time when one of my cousin was little she asked me to teach her some ballet, or the basic, and wondering since the boys have their bonding time with their Auntie

What about the girls, like Kiri and Tuk, learning some ballet from their auntie and a folk song that she and Jake share as children

Together in a moonlit forest from Bayonetta origin song is what auntie singing

Pair: Nephews sully x Aunt human reader x Big brother jake

Warning: None, just in love with aunt reader...is just literally me <3

AVATAR MASTERLIST

"Run…kiri!!!" says tuk running as fast as she can. She had to ask her aunt something, she was the only one who could help them. "I'm coming…just calm down" says kiri trying to follow her younger sister's footsteps. About 20 minutes ago they had found some kind of box, which made a strange noise-the one they assumed was music from the people in the sky. And there was someone walking around, but it was someone very small. Tuk was so worried, and if that girl needed help. The girls went to look for the only person they knew who could help them, their aunt Y/N. Compared to their father, Y/N always had the best answers. According to Norm, Y/N was near the river that was close to the village. She had to hurry, tuk was sure you would finish taking samples and go hide in the lab.

You were so busy looking at the aquatic plant that you didn't notice tuk's noisy footsteps. "Y/N!!! AUNT Y/N!!!" the girl is screaming, she is desperate. And she was also followed by an agitated kiri, trying to follow her sister's footsteps. "Wait for me!!!" kiri gets to where tuk is. Kiri didn't usually run or be very active. So you assume it's something very serious. "Girls…what happened? Are you all right?" you ask worriedly. Tuk takes a breath. "We found a girl…and she needs our help" the girl shouts. You look at your niece in surprise, what is she talking about? "Tuk, are you okay?" you ask her, putting your hand on her forehead. "Yes…she's spinning around. And it's making a weird noise?" says Kiri, taking the strange box from her sister's hands. Kiri shows you the strange object and you just laugh. The girls look at you with concern.

"Girls…this isn't real" you take the box in your hands, and turn the key that was on the back. Causing it to produce music. "This is a musical box…and this is just an ornament, like a replication of a ballerina. And that's ballet music you hear," you speak, and watch as the two girls' mouths drop open. Of course… they didn't understand you. "How about if I show you how to dance ballet?" you look at them and see how they both get excited. "But what is bal…balle…?" says tuk, you laugh a little. "Ballet…it's a kind of human dance, I'm not very good but I'll show you something." You speak. Getting up from the floor, you wipe your thighs a bit. And you lead the girls to a more comfortable area.

"Ok…do you hear that music? That's your father's and my song. We used to listen to it before bedtime. Mom always used to sing it and dance to it…she'd spin around like this" you raise your arms to the sky, and try to stand on your tiptoes. You take a gentle turn, on one foot, and then stumble a little. "I'm sorry…I lost my touch" you laugh, but you can see the girls' faces light up, they are so impressed. Tuk gets up quickly and starts to spin around. You walk over to Kiri and take her hand. "No…it's okay aunt Y/N" Kiri complains, but you force her to stand up. Kiri lifts her hand and starts to spin around. You correct a few steps. "Look…I'm a ballet" laughs tuk. "Tuk…they are called ballerinas" you laugh, they look so adorable. The music stops, and so does the laughter. Tuk takes the music box and hands it to you. "Aunt I think this is yours" says the little girl, you caress her face and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"By the way, where did you find this?" you ask her, you were so busy that you forgot to ask. "Ahhh in some old boxes. Norm is cleaning up, and we were helping. And we found this…the music box" says Kiri. You stare at the object, feeling a giant nostalgia. Sometimes you can miss the old times, and this was one of them. "Thank you…this is it" before you could finish, tuk takes another turn. You laugh and imitate her. "Hey it's getting late…why don't you go to your mother's, I'll catch up with you later" you wanted to be alone, the homesickness you felt was something you didn't want to share with the girls. The girls said goodbye to you and left you alone in your memories.

You look at the music box again, and you turn the key. And you let the music play… you put the box in a place on the floor. And you start to dance like you used to do, you close your eyes and you think you are in your room. Which you shared with your siblings, you imagine your mother smiling and clapping. Once again you were so lost in your thoughts that you didn't notice your older brother's presence. Jake had heard the melody and came over to where you were dancing, and found you dancing. The man sat down on a rock that was right in front of you. And he watched as you twirled around and smiled. "You've got crooked feet," says Jake. You open your eyes a little startled, and laugh at the sight of your brother. "Oh…I don't think so. You're worse" you walk up to him and take his hand. "Come…dance" you invite him.

Jake laughs a little, takes a quick look around. No one could see Toruk Makto dance the way he was going to dance. Jake began to twirl around and do a few little jumps. You, for your part, couldn't stop laughing. "What is that?" your cackles were loud and tears were threatening to come out. "I'm dancing" Jake laughs with you, sitting down on the floor, taking your hand. To hug you. "Far from my family, In the woods I will be left alone. Lost within my heart. The tears fall " sings jake as you hug him and close your eyes.

"You still remember the lyrics" you lay your head on his chest. "Why wouldn't I?" jake kisses you on the top of your head. After all you were still his little sister.

[nocasdatsgay]

The Price You Pay For Power Ch. 6

Pairing: Neris | Word Count: 2996 | Chapter Rating: T

Masterlist | Previous Chapter| Read here on ao3

Chapter Summary: Reception and an unexpected early morning guest

Warnings: none

A/N: dearest readers, I apologize for how long this took. I hope it lives up to wait. First divider is mine, scene dividers are by @tsunami-of-tears

Gen Tag list @mybestfriendmademe @hieragalbatorixdottir

Eris and Nesta walked out of the temple together, his arm looped tight around her own. 

“We’re going to a room outside the throne room. We wait for everyone to settle and then will be introduced to the court as a married couple.” He said in a low tone. She looked over at him but his eyes were straight ahead. “Then we have a week to ourselves.”

“Lovely,” she replied, frowning. “Now that we are wed, will I be sharing your bed chamber?” 

“Lucky for you, we won’t be forced to consummate the marriage until the next equinox. As is per my first born privileges.”

“So I won’t even be staying in your rooms? What about tonight?” 

She didn’t want to complain but her confusion was evident. It did not make sense for her to marry but wait for consummation. She expected a ploy or at worst to be forced. He didn’t answer her. He pushed past the door and remained quiet until they entered a small room down a hall that looked like the one she saw the day before. Once the door shut, he waved his hand and a spell fell over the room. 

He turned to her. “We will leave in the morning for my aunt’s cabin. It’s warded heavily and will prevent unwanted guests. We have a week to train you on your powers before we return.” 

“You didn’t answer me. Will we not have to consummate the marriage tonight?” 

“No. I told you my first born privilege allows me to wait.” He smirked at her, as if her ignorance was humorous. 

“They checked your brother’s wife. The marriage is not binding unless you fuck me.” She said, blunt in her tone. 

He looked off for a moment, thinking. His gaze returned to her own. 

“There were extenuating circumstances I can’t divulge at the moment, involving my brother and his bride. I assure you that’s not the norm. Still, I convinced Rhys to sign a contract to spare you that humiliation.” He said softly. 

“A marriage contract?” She whispered. Something about that made her stomach churn. “Is there anything else you have yet to tell me?”

“There isn’t enough time in the world to tell you everything that needs to be said.” He muttered, more so to himself. “But yes. A marriage contract. He signed you over to me, promising that the marriage alone would be binding no matter how long it took to officially confirm it was consummated. For what it’s worth, he didn’t hesitate to sign it.” He added that as if it made it better. 

“And your father was fine with that?” She didn’t see the advantage for Beron; and he was a man after any advantage he could get. 

He shrugged, hands clasped behind his back. “I promised we would participate in the Autumn Rite. It’s sacred and if performed without contraception in one’s system, it all but guarantees a pregnancy. In his mind, a grandchild with your power is far more worth the wait.”

She went to ask what the hells the Autumn Rite was but there was a knock at the door. Eris dismantled the ward and called out for them to come in. His brother’s wife, dressed in a bright green that didn’t fit Autumn’s coloring, came in. Nesta’s eyes went to her stomach, noting how flat it was compared to her sister’s. She wondered how far the female was along in her pregnancy. 

“They’re ready,” she smiled. 

As if she could read Nesta’s mind, she placed a hand on her stomach in a way that pressed the dress in. A small bump appeared, accentuated by how the dress was cut. 

“Thank you, Celeste.” Eris nodded. 

She smiled at Nesta. “You look beautiful, Nesta.” Her kind eyes were also out of place in this house rumored to be filled with horrors. 

Nesta smiled back. “Thank you.”

“Will you be dancing?” Celeste’s eyes cut to Eris, humor evident in them. “I heard in passing that your performance on the dance floor was a sight to see.” 

Nesta studied Eris. That was the second time someone she didn’t know mentioned her dancing. He seemed to be aloof, straightening the cuff of his sleeve.

“Have you been gossiping about me with the court, husband?” She asked.

Eris raised a brow, looking her in her eyes. “Whatever do you mean, wife?”

She shoved down the reaction to being called ‘wife’ when he was looking at her like that. Celeste laughed, drawing her gaze back to her. 

“He was very talkative when he came back from his trip to the Night Court. I’m shocked he didn’t warn you that your reputation precedes you.” 

Nesta looked back over quick enough to see him glare at her for just a moment. That glare turned to a smirk when he looked at Nesta. 

“Why do you think I asked to marry you, Nesta? It’s hard to find a good dance partner in Autumn. All the good ones are unavailable.” He cut his eyes to his sister-in-law. 

“Flirt,” Celeste teased. “Come along before they send Ash to get us. He’s getting grumpy because he hasn’t eaten; I told him not to skip breakfast but he never listens.”

Nesta could hear outside the door the bustle of people inside. She nervously straightened her gown as she waited silently by Eris. She wondered if more came for the reception than was present for the ceremony, or if she had been too dazed to realize how many were actually present in that temple. 

She also wondered if Elain and Rhys stayed. She wouldn’t begrudge them if they didn’t. She’d leave immediately if she had the option. The door handle brought her out of her thoughts as it twisted. Her heart pounded in her ears. Then she felt a very warm hand clasp her own. She looked down as Eris laced his fingers between her own. There was something soothing about the motion. 

He leaned down close to her face and whispered softly, “You may be a Vanserra now, but you’re still Nesta Archeron. Make sure everyone knows it.” 

She swore for a moment there was fire in his eyes. Then it was gone. She squeezed his hand tighter and nodded slightly. Then she faced the door, back stiff as a rod. She heard him chuckle beside her. The bustle on the other side of the door quieted. She could feel her heart quicken, blood roaring in her ears. Why this felt worse than walking down the aisle of the temple, she was uncertain. 

Time moved like the syrup from the trees in summertime. 

The door opened. Her gaze unfocused as someone, a guard, made introductions. A round of applause erupted in the room. Eris kept his warm grip on her and she was hyper aware of the way his thumbs ran along her knuckles. It was soothing in a way. She finally focused, looking at the sea of faces and eyes boring into her soul. Her sister and Rhysand were nowhere to be seen. She buried her disappointment. 

“May I have a dance first?” Eris smirked as the band started up on the other end of the room. “Since everyone knows your reputation?” 

“I don’t know Autumn dances,” she hissed, frowning at him. 

“I would not embarrass you like that; it’s the one we danced to in Hewn City.” 

Nesta blinked and indeed recognized the song. She nodded and took his hand. She almost believed his smile to be genuine as he led her to the center of the room. 

The next few minutes were some of the best of her life. 

She got lost in the steps, grinning as they both flowed along the dance floor together. He added a few lifts during some of their turns together, making her laugh for the first time since she came to Autumn. And just like in Hewn City, she did her spins, just as many as she dared then. He caught her as the song ended, grabbing her waist and twirling her one last time as her feet and dress glided on the floor. 

The entire room was silent when the orchestra ended. Eris was smiling at her- a true smile and she grinned back, catching her breath. Then the room erupted into applause. She glanced around the room, shock and awe on some of the faces in the crowd. A glance over to the family, they were grinning- even the brothers. 

Then her gaze met Beron’s.

Pure will power kept her grin from not faltering. A chill went down her spine. She knew that look he gave her. Too well. Her mind flashed to Tomas, the wild look he had in his eyes when he tried to- she blinked and Beron was no longer looking at her. If Eris noticed her stiffness, he didn’t comment. He led them to that table at the head of the room. 

“Nesta, your performance was breathtaking!” Áine stood and reached over the table to take her hand. “Eris did not under sell your talent.” 

“Indeed,” Beron stood beside his wife. Nesta was weary but didn’t show it. He looked bored now- she wondered if she imagined his gaze earlier. “We may require you to teach a class for the courtiers. The cauldron knows some of them need it.” 

“I would not be opposed,” Nesta laughed softly. 

Beron hummed and looked at Eris. “You’re free to take your seats. I’m sure your wife would like a respite after that performance.” 

Eris nodded and without a word to the others, tugged Nesta over to a separate small table. The table was already set, the food still hot. She eyed the glass of wine wearily as she took a bite of food off her plate.

“Is there a reason you avoid wine?” She turned her head sharply to Eris, who was staring at his plate. “You can request water, you know. No one will begrudge you for it.” 

She thought for a moment then replied, “I'm not allowed to have alcohol.”

Eris stilled and turned to her. Those sharp amber eyes narrowed. 

“While here, you may do as you wish.” He then went back to eating. “If you wish to have water, simply request it.” 

She bristled. “May I have water then, husband?” 

“Of course, wife.” He snapped his fingers. A servant brought a goblet over. He sat it in front of her. “There.” 

“Thank you.” She didn’t have it in her to be sarcastic. She drank a sip of water, relieved he didn’t pressure her to take the wine. 

“You’re welcome.” A lapse of silence passed. He added dryly, “Courtiers will start coming over to congratulate us. Brace yourself for the most mundane small talk you’ll ever partaken in.” 

Nesta giggled which made his mouth tick up slightly. Sure enough as they ate, others made their way over to offer their congratulations. Each time one would leave, Eris would lean over and whisper to her. 

“That was Lord Silas, he’s from the northern end of the court bordering winter. He had three girls in a row until his wife finally had a boy. The boy looks like his brother, Lord Granton, but they don’t talk about it.” 

Nesta covered her mouth and snorted. Another male came up, one who Eris seemed genuinely pleased to see. She looked at him when he walked away. 

“That was Mikel, the son of Lord Tristan. He’s trustworthy. His father, however, stays up my father’s ass as if it will grant him some favor.”

After the meal and learning about each of the courtiers, the Eris’s brothers came up to give their congratulations. Piran seemed less meek than at the temple, possibly from wine with how his cheeks were tinted pink. Cillian did not smile, going as far as to glare at Nesta. Eris hissed a threat to which he apologized and bowed. 

Asher and Celeste came up, Celeste’s arm wrapped tightly around her husband’s. Asher didn’t appear thrilled to be in his wife’s presence. Nesta glanced over at Eris. Is that what they would look like to others? While they played this game? She glanced back and her eyes dropped to the hand Celeste had placed on her stomach. 

“When are you due?” Nesta asked, completely derailing whatever small talk Eris and his brother were making. 

“When am I due?” Celeste’s face etched with confusion.

“In seven months time, correct?” Eris asked. 

“Nearly six,” Asher gave his brother a pointed look. “We married four months ago. The baby was a sudden but pleasant surprise.” 

“Yes, six and half months to go.” Celeste replied softly. “I apologize. Edith warned me that my mind may be foggy during the pregnancy. Happens more often than I care to admit.”

Nesta nodded. “Do you know what you’re having?” 

“A Vanserra,” she laughed.

“A boy,” Asher smiled and looked over to her. “My wife likes to think she’s clever.” 

“I am clever,” Celeste retorted. 

“I didn’t say you weren’t.” He cleared his throat. “Congratulations to you both. We will turn in for the night.”

“I told him he could stay but he doesn’t listen,” Celeste half whispered to Nesta. “I tire so easily now.” 

Nesta smiled back politely, bidding them good night. She looked over to see Eris take a swing of his wine. 

“Another dance?” He looked at her with a soft smile. “I’ll teach you an Autumn one if it means I don’t have to greet another courtier.”

“I suppose that would be acceptable,” she feigned indifference. 

“There will be cake after,” Eris added. 

She went to protest but remembered what he told her earlier. “Cake sounds lovely.”

Despite leaving the party late into the night, the next morning she awoke before the two maids could bombard her rooms. She was nervous. Nervous about the training and nervous about Beron. Nesta worried her thumb, chewing on the nail as she paced in her nightgown. It still didn’t feel real, even with the awareness of the band on her finger. She had resigned to changing and getting ready to depart. But as she walked to the bathing chambers, she felt it. 

A shift in the air. 

She watched a dark mass crawl along the floor. Her heart kept to her throat. With a twirl she turned. In the corner of the room, a dark mass had formed. That dark mass had two hazel eyes, staring at her intensely. She could have fallen to the floor. 

“Az,” tears welled in her eyes. 

“Nesta.” 

She ran across the room to him as he appeared, wrapping her arms around his neck. She could feel him hesitate before hugging her back. He squeezed her tight. After a moment he loosened his grip and she stepped back from him, his shadows in a flurry with one chasing after her before returning back. He shuffled where he stood, not looking her in the eyes. 

“They didn’t tell me what happened until I returned this morning. I had hoped they lied but,” his voice trailed off. 

She wiped the tears from her eyes. That was when she noticed the bruises on him. “What happened,” she reached out, fingers tracing his purple cheek. 

“I lost my temper.” He replied. He didn’t elaborate further. 

She didn’t press the subject further. “Why are you here? Did- did Cassian send you?”

“No.” Azriel scowled. “He told me not to come.” Her heart sank. Shadows flurried faster. “Nesta, why didn’t you say no?” 

“No?” She stepped back further. “I did say no!” Fists balled at her side, her tears turned angry. “I wasn’t given a choice.” 

Azriel stared at her, baffled. “He said you agreed-“ 

“Yes, I agreed in the end. Despite what you all think of me, I am not a monster who lets her sister perish if there is a way to stop it.”

“No one thinks you’re a monster, Nes.” Az brushed his hair back with his hand, blue siphon shining in the far lights. “We can leave right now. I’ll handle Rhys. He knows this place is dangerous. Eris is dangerous. We will find someone else to help with the baby.” 

“And you’ll start a war. You are too late. I’m already married.” 

“What?” His eyes widened and he looked down at her hand. 

“Beron changed his mind and Rhys signed the contract. Apparently the last female from Night Court engaged to Eris ended up embarrassing the family. If I leave with you, you’ll be charged with kidnapping the wife of the heir of Autumn.” 

Azriel had the audacity to look pained. Like it hurt him deeply to see her chained to the place. In her heart she knew it was just anger that she was tied to his enemy. And the mention of what Mor did.  

She added, “I can handle Eris.”

“If he lays a hand on you, I don’t care about the laws.” Azriel growled, siphon on his chest flashing. 

“Eris will not hurt me. He’s made that very clear.” Az looked skeptical but she wasn’t going to waste her breath convincing him. “Did Cassian really tell you not to come?” 

He nodded solemnly. “He said you were strong and could handle it.” 

She narrowed her gaze and crossed her arms. “And you think otherwise?” 

“I think just because you can handle something doesn’t mean you should have to. I’m sorry Nesta. Cass should have told Rhys no. I should have been there.” Az tucked his wings in tight, suddenly tense as his shadows flurried again. “Did Rhys really sign a contract?” 

“Do your shadows claim I lie or are you so daft you think he wouldn’t?” She replied sharply. 

“I-“ Azriel paused and his body stiffened. “Someone is coming. I’ll tell Cassian I sent my shadows to check on you. If you call for me, the shadows will hear you. Remember that.”

Before she could even say goodbye he stepped back into his shadows and they enveloped him. He disappeared like a sheen of smoke. 

[kawaiijohn]

Danny tries to pawn the Ghost King position off on his classmates.

Idk what I was doing, and then suddenly it turned into wes/danny I'm so fucking sorry?

T rating I embarrassed myself fucking writing this bc it came out of nowhere girl (gn) HELP

"Hey Dash how about instead of you focusing on your homework you just start beating me up, just like old times! I sure miss being slammed into a locker."

Dash looks at Fenton, confused before scoffing.

"Even though I normally love wailing on you, Fenturd, coach needs me on my best behavior. State's next week and I'm one loser swirlie away from being suspended."

"I won't scream or anything, I promise! Whaddya say? You get to beat the snot out of me and I won't even complain! I'll even thank you for it." Danny responds, looking around nervously. "But I'm in a bit of a rush, so can you make it quick and do it, say, before six tonight?"

Danny gives the other boy the saddest, most punchable puppy dog eyes he possibly can.

Dash rolls his eyes seeing Fenton ham it up. The loser only does this for his birthday, so it's really weird having him request it four months in advance. Dash decides to ignore the request, only gently pushing the dweeb out of his way. "Beat it, Fentertainment Tonite- I know you don't have a life, but I do."

Danny curses as Dash disappears down the halls.

"I know you want to punch me. You wanna do it so bad." Danny eggs on another of the jocks- Travis, he thinks. "Remember that time I said you punch like my Grandma?"

His grandma taught both his mom and aunt how to fight, but Travis doesn't need to know that.

"Beat it, jackwipe!" Travis shoves Danny out of the way and continues down the hall.

"The one time I need to be shoved into a locker or punched, none of the jocks want to even look at me." Danny bemoans.

He's already struck out with Dash and Kwan- both of which need to stay as non violent as possible with administration lurking around this close to their big game. Paulina pretended he didn't exist, and Star laughed in his face. Something about 'she already kicked his ass months ago'. Which was true, but he was certain he's done something since then worth beating him up for.

"I can't ask Sam or Tuck, it's gotta be someone I hate." Danny pauses with a shudder. "But definitely not Vlad- he already has an ego the size of the Milky Way..."

Danny hears the bell ring and wipes his sweaty palms on his pants.

He has until six tonight to get his ass beat. He can do that, right?

---

Danny is downright panicked now.

Detention really put a damper on his plans. Being stuck in a sweltering classroom with Lancer and Wes only made him more nervous. It really didn't help that Lancer needed helping hands for some after school thing.

Danny only has one option, and he's glad it's one of his 'enemies'.

"Heyyyyyy Wes, what's happening tonight?" Danny slings his arm around the tall boy's shoulder, pulling him down to pipsqueak height. "Wasn't that round of detention just fun?"

Wes nearly growls and shoves Danny off of him. "Fenton! You're the reason I was even there in the first place! If it wasn't for you and your stupid ghost bullshit I would have gotten to class on time!"

"Yeah?" Danny asks, being as annoyingly positive as he possibly can. "Well it's good that there was two of us, or else Lancer wouldn't have let either of us out until well after six!"

Danny looks at the clock nervously- five fifty.

He has ten minutes.

"I don't find moving entire stacks of chairs halfway across the school fun, or even a fair punishment for being late twice in a week. So what if the crafting club has their expo tonight? They should be the ones moving furniture." Wes tries to overtake Danny in the hall but he can't outwalk the other boy.

"But we got to spend all day with each other! Isn't that just swell?" Danny pukes in his mouth a little. He's got a goalpost to reach in less than ten minutes, and my the Ancients he's gonna do it.

"Spending time with a chronic liar and freak of nature isn't really what I consider fun, Fenton."

"Yeah, but we really bonded, don't you think? Had some quality one-on-one without you being a creep outside my house."

Wes's face reddens. "HEY! That was one time, and I don't want to have the cops chase me again. Or your parents, who are worse somehow."

"See, we're bonding here!" Danny jogs alongside Wes, making sure to keep pace at just the right level of obnoxious. But we should really bond sometime in the next... eight minutes."

"God there it is again! What? Do you have important Phantom shit to do at six or something?" Wes rubs his temples. "You're being freakier than normal today and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it."

"There's nothing to get to the bottom of, I just have something to do later. Not Phantom or ghost related- something completely normal and human, yep."

"God you piss me the fuck off, Fenton." Wes crosses his arms and blocks the doorway out of the school. "And one of these days, I'm gonna get you to confess, and then it'll be all over."

"Yeah, that's nice and all, but like, wouldn't it just be so satisfying to, I dunno, take out all that pent up frustration on me?" Danny grins devilishly at the other boy. "Come on, I have such a punchable face! Aaaaand since you say I'm a ghost or whatever it won't actually hurt me, right?"

Danny gets right up into Wes's personal space and looks up at him with a shit-eating grin.

"Back off, Fenton." Wes backs himself against the lockers. He looks anywhere but Danny's face. "Personal space is a concept even stupid ghosts understand."

"Yeah, but if I'm a stupid ghost doesn't that make you wanna prove it? Can't you prove it by beating me up? You have a camera..." Danny reaches for the camera slung around Wes's shoulder and points it at his own face. "It'd be soooo easy."

Wes's face is currently doing its best impression of a tomato as he continues to ignore Danny.

"Please? I'm gonna start begging you to beat my ass soon if you don't acknowledge me, Wes."

"Back. Off. Fenton." Wes stares Danny right in the face. "Last chance."

Danny does the opposite and yanks Wes to stare him in the eyes. "You wanna punch me so bad it makes you look stupid, Weston." Danny chuckles and makes his eyes flash green. "Your face is sooooo red with rage- you wanna kick my ass, admit it!"

Danny barely gets a warning before Wes lunges and tackles him to the ground with a kiss.

Both boys gasp in surprise and Wes backs himself against the lockers with a loud bang.

They sit in silence, staring at each other in disbelief before Danny laughs.

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Sh-shut up! It's not my fault you're kind of..."

"Wait, have you been staring at me this whole time because you're crushing on me?" Danny laughs in disbelief as Wes turns even brighter red. "Is that how you 'accidentally' discovered my secret?"

"No!" Wes sputters out. "I don't sta-"

"Stalk me, yeah. Dude you follow me around with a camera to try and expose me. What sort of fruitloop shit are you pulling??"

"Well, if you weren't lying about being a human, then I wouldn't need to-"

"Yeah yeah, whatever." Danny doesn't know how to feel about it, really. Wes is kind of cute, and he's unhinged just like the rest of his friends. But he's also obsessed with exposing him, and kind of stalks him (to no success).

He spends a few moments before he glances at the clock again.

Two minutes left.

He can use this to his advantage, even if it's dirty and underhanded.

"Hey Wes. You really fucking suck at kissing." He eggs the other boy on. "Like, zero technique, all desperation!"

"Shut up!"

Wes starts crying a little. Danny only feels a little bad, but he really needs this to happen.

"What, even I've kissed people before and I'm a loser! Plus I bet you can't even man up and fight me like I want- you're such a little cuck boy, Weston! Always relying on other people to do the dirty work of beating my ass so you can gather your evidence like a little bitch in the dark."

"I said shut up!" Wes's face is bright red again- an angry embarrassment with tears streaming down his face.

But he still has to keep going, even if it feels gross to do this to someone who he kind of likes.

"Make me, Wesley." He spits.

---

It's a dirty brawl but it ends with a very red-faced Wes pinning a bruised and elated Danny to the ground. The latter feels awful about playing dirty with Wes's feelings, but it seems the other boy really needed to take out his rage on him.

"Sooooo, you admit you have complete victory in this fight, right Wes?" Danny smiles up from underneath the other boy.

Wes sputters, his face still bright red and tears running down his cheeks. "You're such a fucking little shit, Fenton."

"Thanks, I try!. But I need you to accept that I'm saying you have total victory in this fight."

Wes sighs and lets go of Danny's wrists and sits back against the lockers. "Yeah, sure. I beat your ass fair and square. Also do you know how weird it is to see you healing this fast? I swear I gave you a black eye."

"You did. I'm just a fast healer." Danny sits up and looks around. He feels... guilty. At least for only finding one person to do this to.

The clock strikes six.

"Also, I'm sorry I lied- you're not a bad kisser. I just needed you to beat my ass. Also sorry about what's about to happen." Danny rubs the back of his neck.

"Sorry about wha-" Wes is interrupted by a portal opening beside the two of them.

"Sorry for being impolite, we should assume." An Observant materializes out of the void beside him. "It's not polite for the crown prince to wait until the last minute to find a replacement, but since you have... bested Prince Phantom in combat, albeit not formal combat, the rules are the rules."

Wes glares at Danny who is doing his best trying to disappear without going ghost.

"Prince Phantom??" Wes spits at the other boy.

"Yep! Former Prince Phantom." Danny smirks. "And again, sorry, but they only gave me today until six to find a replacement. The whole King schtick isn't really my jam."

Wes stares at the other boy as more Observants spill from the hole in reality and bow to him.

"Fenton..."

"Hey! I'm not gonna bail on you or anything. You still need an advisor- I just really don't wanna deal with the formality shit. Hope you understand!"

Danny gives Wes a peace sign as he's escorted through the portal, pissed off, confused, and shell-shocked.

[eruherdiriel]

Duty

Jonsa ficlet Rating: T Universe: Canon, vaguely bookverse Other: Marriage of convenience, Queen Sansa, Sansa POV

Also on AO3.

Sansa finds him under the heart tree, Longclaw across his lap and a whetstone in his hand. He looks so very much like Father it hurts and makes what she is about to say all the more disconcerting.

“My queen,” he greets her, then returns to his work.

“My prince.” She spares Jon any further pleasantries. They will not change what she has to say. “The North needs heirs. I need an heir. We cannot ignore that forever.”

Jon’s hand stills, and though he does not look up, she can see his face become guarded.

“We’ve done our duty.”

Sansa holds in a sigh at his intentional obtuseness. “It takes more than once, Jon.”

“Aye, it can.” Finally, he looks up, but he keeps his eyes from locking with hers. “I thought to give you more … time, before we made a second attempt.”

Their wedding night had been a stilted affair at best; she had trembled, he had frowned, but they had seen it through. Sansa had tried not to think of the men who had touched her before, or how surely Jon was willing himself to think of the woman who came before her. 

“You’ve had me once. Surely another time will not be so different,” she snaps. It won’t be different. Your kiss will always taste of duty, and I will never give myself wholly to anyone. But some childish dream buds inside her at times, when he offers her a hand as they walk over icy ground or when he scowls at men who overlook her authority. 

Regaining her composure, she continues, her tone softer. “You leave soon. We cannot afford further delay.”

It’s not just about heirs. Sansa does not know how long Jon will be gone, only that she dreads the absence for the awkwardness it will engender in his return. It would be better to become accustomed to his touch now. And what if he does not return? Despite everything—the oddness of a match to a man she once thought her bastard brother, who is the opposite of everything she once wished for—Jon has been a better husband than any of her former suitors could have been. No one else could love the North and Winterfell as well as she does. And if he gets her with child, perhaps she could forestall another marriage if he falls in the war against his Targaryen aunt.

Jon eyes her. “Would you want children even if it was not your duty?”

The question startles her. No one has ever thought to ask me. Bearing children was always expected of her, a sure part of her life. But yes, she has dreamed of a family, and she wishes for one still.

“I want children.” Then, because she honestly does not know, Sansa asks, “Do you?”

She wonders how much Jon has allowed himself to even consider the idea of a family. Since they reunited, she has seen a glint of desire in his eyes for things he never should have wished for—for Winterfell, for a title—but Sansa also knows he has denied himself. “Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa,” Jon had said when the Northern seat was offered to him. Learning that had caused another bud of hope to emerge in her, though she tried to temper it.

His answer comes swiftly. “Yes.”

Sansa’s tongue sticks to the roof of her mouth. She swallows, trying to bring moisture back so she can form words again.

“Then we both get something we want. It shall not merely be duty.”

Jon purses his lips as if in disagreement but doesn’t refute her. His eyes drop before he speaks, resuming the work of sharpening Longclaw. “I’ll come to your chambers tonight then, your grace.”

She nods, then remembers he isn’t looking at her anymore. “Tonight,” she says before turning away and attempting not to run from the godswood—not to run from him. It would be unbecoming of a queen, and she is not afraid of him.

All day, her tummy flutters for nothing: when Jon’s fingers brush her back as she sits in the chair he has pulled out for her, when his eyes meet hers to communicate silent agitation as Lady Cerwyn complains about troop commitments, and when his fist taps on the door of her chambers in the evening.

“It is only us here, my queen,” Jon says before they begin. “No one else.”

Is it? she wonders. Along with their ghosts, surely the nobles and smallfolk have a presence with them in this act. It is for them, for the assurance of her people that she and Jon strive for an heir. And for ourselves, and the family we both desire, she reminds herself. Then her husband says something else, something that makes her heart stutter.

“Let me make it good for you,” he whispers between kisses. “Let me try.”

She should not allow his words to plant a seed in her heart, but the look in his eyes is needful and vulnerable in a way Jon so rarely allows himself to be seen. Sansa finds herself nodding, letting him kiss his way across her body, letting him rid her of her shift, letting him touch and kiss her in ways that start to feel nothing like duty.

[kit-walk3r]

Why the Internet Shouldn’t Just Forgive Emma Roberts

(This is going to be such a long post, I do apologise in advance)

So, some of you might have seen that transgender actress Angelica Ross (Pose, 1984, Double Feature) made several tweets a couple of days ago detailing ongoing issues she had with Ryan Murphy. In addition to this she also tweeted that someone had been transphobic to her on the set of American Horror Story.

Will also tell you about the transphobic remarks my co-star said to my face, and the racism I complained about on set that they said was “free speech”.

There was a lot of speculation as to who the co-star was who made these transphobic remarks, and Emma Roberts’ name was one that popped up a lot (especially since Angelica tweeted a gif of Julia Roberts, Emma’s aunt, after posting about a transphobic co-star). Angelica then revealed on an Instagram livestream last night/this morning that it was in fact Emma who made the transphobic remarks. Here’s what Angelica stated what Emma said:

… And John [the director] is like ‘okay ladies, that’s enough. Let’s get back to work.’ And she then looks at me and she goes ‘don’t you mean lady?’

This is very clearly a transphobic comment, especially from Emma’s reaction/what she does afterwards (Angelica said that she covered her face and turned away).

It was pointed out on twitter from a clip of Angelica, Billie Lourd, Cody Fern and Gus Kenworthy reacting to the premiere of AHS 1984 that there had been transphobic behaviour on set.

Angelica: we are watching for all the transphobia on set.

Billie: always

Angelica: me and Billie are like ‘that’s transphobia’!

Angelica and Billie: we will come for you (in the nicest way)

So from just this clip it is said/suggested that there had been transphobic behaviour on set. There’s also one person notably absent here: Emma. They claimed they were watching the premiere together ‘as a family’ but admittedly the highest billed star is absent. Either Cody or Gus go “where’s Emma?” And laugh afterwards at one point, too.

This leads on to another thing Angelica touched up on in her livestream: Emma’s behaviour and relationship to the rest of the cast and crew. One thing Angelica said was that the first thing she saw Emma do was yell at the director, supposedly trying to make him cry. Angelica follows that by saying Emma always had to make sure that she was ‘number one on the call sheet’ and that she was the one in charge, including making sure her trailer was where she wanted it. This is already toxic behaviour. Moving on from that, Angelica starts talking about Emma’s relationship with the cast. It sounds like from what was said on the livestream that people weren’t very fond of Emma on set. She said she was playing ‘psychological games’ with them and that people supposedly wanted to fight her because of her behaviour. Doesn’t look very good on you if your co-stars aren’t fond of your presence, does it?

Angelica tells a story about how Emma asked them all how much they were earning that season. No one really answered her so she ended the conversation with “as long as you’re not earning over $100,000 per episode” and walked off. So from this and the earlier comment about her wanting to be top billed it’s clear that Emma wanted to be the most important person there and would not have been happy if someone was earning more money than her. Entitlement and selfishness. Even though she has always come from a famous and wealthy family she still seems to need to make sure she earns the most money and is the most famous and popular. But she’s also boasting. $100,000 is a lot of money to earn per episode and chances are her other co-stars (who may have needed that money more than Emma) are not earning that much. She’s boasting and wants people to know how much she’s making from the show. There’s no need but she’s doing it anyway.

Phew. That’s the stuff about the 1984 drama from Angelica’s livestream. But there’s one more thing from that livestream that I want to touch up on. Something that disturbed me. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be a clip of this but I’ve heard multiple people (including the person who originally posted the videos) say that Angelica revealed that Emma would laugh and make jokes about getting arrested for hurting her then boyfriend, Evan Peters.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Emma would joke about her domestic abuse arrest.

This is disgusting behaviour, and apparently her own mother questioned why she was bringing it up and joking about it. Domestic abuse is not a joke and making light of the time when you were arrested for hurting your partner is not a right.

So yeah, if you weren’t aware in 2013 Emma was arrested for domestic violence against Evan after their neighbours in a hotel called the police after hearing loud arguing. Evan was found with a bloody nose and a bite mark and Emma was arrested. Evan didn’t press charges and Emma was released a few hours later.

After the news came out Emma’s PR team (‘sources close to Emma’ TMZ calls them) said that they were both hitting each other and that the only reason Emma was arrested was because she had no visible injuries. They also declined that Evan had a bite mark, which was something that had actually prior been confirmed by the police in a statement. This might just be speculation but doesn’t this sound a little like damage control? Denying injuries that the police stated Evan had and claiming they were both hitting each other sounds like a way of trying to push the blame off Emma as much as they could. Just saying 🤷‍♀️

(There’s a tweet of the infamous Evan hugging Emma whilst she’s crying photos which has zoomed in and highlighted what could be other injuries/bruises on Evan. It’s interesting to look at).

Yes, there’s the bruises on Emma’s legs and according to a lot of Emma fans that’s enough proof that Evan was supposedly the instigator and Emma was the victim. I’m not saying that the bruises on her knees are not from the altercation, just that it’s a lot easier to bruise your knees in everyday life than it is to get a bloody nose and bite mark and that this is not the conclusive evidence that Evan was the instigator that a lot of fans make it out to be.

This part is more a complaint about Emma’s fans as opposed to Emma herself but it’s still about her domestic violence arrest so it’s fitting to include it. There’s a lot of lies/misinformation that gets spread around about the DV situation. People on twitter claim that they’ve seen the police report and that it said Emma was defending herself. This is false. No police report has ever been accessed. People say that Evan started it. This is false. There is no evidence that Evan started the physical altercation but since he was the one found bloody it points more in the direction of Emma being the instigator. People say that they were both abusive. Mutual abuse is not a thing. But by saying that they were hitting/abusing each other then you’re still claiming that Emma abused Evan, so where’s her ‘cancellation’? People say that Evan can’t be a victim of domestic violence because he’s a man and taller/bigger than Emma. This is false. Extremely false. Men can be victims of domestic violence too, even at the hands of women. Just because Evan is taller and has a bigger build than Emma does not mean that she can’t physically hurt him. She clearly has. Men can be hurt by women. Don’t minimise their experiences.

I wish I could say that the 2013 arrest was the only physical/abusive story in relation to Emma but unfortunately there is (potentially) more. Blind items are essentially pieces of information that are submitted to gossip sites whilst keeping the identities of the celebrities they’re about anonymous (but it’s usually kind of obvious to guess who they’re about). There have been many blind items about Emma and Evan’s relationship and sadly some are violent. One states that she threw a glass at his head (you can see his maybe shaved head here) and another says that he woke up to her pacing the bedroom with a knife. There’s others about the two of them where they’re not violent but still show Evan being mistreated in their relationship and there’s also a fair few about her sleeping with James Franco whilst in a relationship with Evan. You can find a list of all Emma blind items here. Yeah, blind items should be taken with a pinch of salt but the large amount of blind items about Emma and her treatment towards Evan is concerning and kind of speaks for itself.

So, we’ve covered that Emma was transphobic to her transgender cast member, rude to the rest of her cast and abusive towards her ex boyfriend. What else?

There’s how she treats regular members of the public. There’s horror stories all over the internet of people’s interactions with Emma. Baristas and hospitality workers have some of the worst stories, about how she’s rude and aggressive, hates waiting and will even get angry if they don’t recognise her. Fans have had negative experiences where they met Evan and Emma together and whilst Evan would talk to them and take photos she would just stand their annoyed. People who have worked on sets with her have said that she’s a nightmare to work with. This tweet shows a compilation of just some of the tweets and comments about people’s experiences meeting Emma.

Well, that’s all the dirty laundry on Emma Roberts. Now, what’s the point in this post? What does the title mean?

Well, Angelica Ross tweeted that Emma apologised for her transphobic comments.

Thank you @ RobertsEmma for calling and apologizing, recognizing your behavior was not that of an ally. I will leave the line open to follow up on your desire to do better and support social justice causes with your platform.

And a large portion of the internet has gone from holding Emma accountable for her actions and acknowledging that she’s not a good person to suddenly worshipping her again and acting like she’s god’s gift. I’m so happy that Angelica has been able to get this sort of closure and an apology, I really am, but I just thought that her leaking that Emma was transphobic towards her would open people’s eyes to the type of person Emma is. She’s got a history of being a bad person, and people were finally opening their eyes to that. Unfortunately, they’re starting to blind themselves again and are going back to thinking she’s great.

Emma has never been held accountable for any of her negative behaviour. No one has ever held her accountable for the abuse with Evan, no one has ever held her accountable for how awful she would be to cast and crew. Angelica calling her out for being transphobic was finally a step in the direction for Emma being held accountable for her past actions which have had detrimental effects on other people, but they’re not.

Whenever you bring up Emma getting arrested people rebuttal it with ‘they were hitting each other’ or ‘Evan started it’ or ‘it was years ago, let it go’ or ‘she’s a mother now, she’s changed’. People always come to her defensive and either shift the blame onto Evan, just say ‘she’s changed’ or outright deny it. These people are protecting not a good person by doing this and their denial that Emma isn’t problematic leads to the issue of her not being held accountable.

If you bring up people’s anecdotes about negative experiences meeting Emma they instantly call them fake. Apparently everyone who says they met Emma and had a bad experience is a liar. No one’s allowed to have a bad experience with her otherwise you’re just trying to defame her.

This is a woman who was abusive towards her partner. This is a woman who was transphobic. This is a woman who treats people ‘beneath her’ like shit. And no one has ever held her accountable for any of this. Instead she’s almost protected by the internet, with people coming to defend her of you say even the slightest negative thing. This is not good. This is not healthy.

Why should Emma get a free pass? Why shouldn’t she be held accountable for her actions? Why should she be able to get away with everything she does? Answer: she shouldn’t. But she does. Because she’s an icon ✨ she’s mother ✨ she’s the moment ✨

She’s not.

Emma Roberts treats people awfully, but the internet chooses to neglect that. Emma Roberts is rude to her co-stars and crew, but the internet chooses to neglect that. Emma Roberts was abusive towards her boyfriend, but the internet chooses to neglect that. Emma Roberts is a bad person, but the internet chooses to neglect that.

[kitschysandglass]

Justice Lords AU Jon/Damian Drabble

Lord! Jon / The Demon’s Head! Damian

Prompt: Faked Relationships + Arranged Marriage

So a friend give me this prompt and urged me to write this. Started as a drabble then some how ends in a short fic. 

Might post the whole thing on AO3 once finished. It’s a pure fluff crack fic. If I can write romance comedy in Superlords AU I can do anything.

+Based on JLU animation setting. I refuse to acknowledge the comic sequel in JL beyond

Enjoy!

 +++

 “I need you to marry me.”

By this, the Kryptonian nearly toppled and fell from where he was floating in midair, if that was something could be done.

“What?!” he squeaked, absolutely dumbfounded.

“Well, not marry me, to be exact,” the Demon’s Head waved a hand in a very much dismissive way, as if they were just talking about weather, “An engagement, more like it.”

Gawking, the young lord Jon-El, son of the supreme Lord Superman, watched his best friend, former mentor and the current leader of League of Assassins, Damian al Ghul, with sheer amount of disbelief.

He had known there was something in Damian’s mind the second he dropped by in the courtyard of Narda Parbat base, as his friend had not even complained when being pulled into a suffocatingly tight embrace, rather been eyeing him with a wistful silence - which was why Jon had offered a short flight, and ended it by stopping at their favorite spot on the mountainside, for a sparring session or whatever Damian felt like.

He had not expect that ‘something’ to be this, however.

“Where did that even come from?” Jon furrowed incredulously, hovering closer to the older male.

Damian’s lips pressed into a thin line, the corners of his mouth slightly tilted down in dismay. Jon noticed that he was putting on his I-have-a-favor-to-ask-but-I’m-the-Demon’s-Head-so-I-only-order-people-around face.“Mother has been pestering me with the topic of marriage and suitable consorts, again, lately.”

Jon blinked. Sometimes he really couldn’t understand what was with Talia’s temporary obsession about her son’s non-exist marital status, considering herself had never married, at least not formally, but - “Oh, okay, it’s not something hard to solve though. I can just —”

“You’re not going to kill another daughter or son of some significant political figure just because I said ‘they annoyed me so’, or lobotomize them,” Damian cut off curtly, voice cold and harsh, “Mother was quite upset the last time you’ve done this. We’ve spent months to neutralize the consequences, and I don’t think your father appreciated it very much either.”

“Dad doesn’t appreciate a lot of things.”

Damian sighed, ignoring his quip. “And you’re not going to kill mother,” he paused, before adding another warning, “As well as your father. We’ve been over this before.”

Jon deflated, then pouted like spoiled child. “Fine. It’s not like I hate aunt Tal, you know, just the option’s open at anytime.”

“Yes, Jon, I have no doubts that you’d do anything for me,” said Damian dryly, arm crossed, with barely a nick of sarcasm, “Which is why pretending to be my betrothal should at least be one of them.”

It was true, and they both knew it by hearts. The young Kryptonian would do literally everything and anything in his power, or die tried beyond his power to fulfill what Damian al Ghul had wished for; whether it was a country, the world, or stars and moon – he would bring them all down and offered before the Demon’s Head’s throne, with simply a word rolling off the other man’s tongue.

But it did not mean he would waste a chance to haggle.

“Um, yep. I just can’t figure out how and when did I come into the scheme.”

Damian’s shoulder tensed, yet eased down within seconds once more, and begrudgingly he started, “Well, in hope of ending this kind of conversations once and for all, I’ve may or may not told mother that I’m already betrothed to someone on my own behalf.”

Dead silence suddenly hanged down between the two of them, until Jon spoke softly, in the end.

“Dami, it hurt me to say this, but sometimes you’re really stupid,” he said in the most earnest and genuine voice.

The Demon’s Head resumed talking without a comment, only tapped one finger on the hilt of the Kryptonite dagger, sheathed at the side of his belt, displaying a clear attitude. “And I would like to make sure we’re both aware of the... detailed information about this relationship, since we’ll finally inform mother our engagement at dinner tonight, and she might have the curiosity for further inquiries.”

“Right. Sure, even though I still haven’t agreed on a single part here, but go on.” Jon chirped in a deliberately sickening sweet tone.

This earned him a threatening glare, which Jon blew out a raspberry in return, then floated even higher. Damian could not actually be angry with him when nothing had happened, moreover, when he was the one who had a favor to ask. True to the belief, his sole response was a familiar tutting sound, and the emerald eyes moved away to gaze at the mountains afar. After another minute of peaceful quietness, Damian eventually spoke and dropping the bombshell. “For your reference, we’ve been secretly engaged for several years by now.”

“Whoa, we have?”

Without batting an eye, Damian continued in an uncannily even and nonchalant tone. “To be more specific, we had confessed and exchanged our vows when you were nineteen. The year you paid a visit when I was in Europe, and we spent the summer together.”

“Oh Rao I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Jon muttered under his breath. Just then he stilled, eyes widened, head perked up, and a dawning realization struck like a lighting, “Wait, is that one time you almost fell off from the Eiffel Tower?”

“Yes, that one time you almost dropped me off from the Eiffel Tower,” Damian spat, “But also no, it should be later, in Greece.”

“Parthenon?”

“Parthenon.”

“Was it before or after the accident that we nearly set it on fire? You know, together, by mistake, and somehow my fault was not in the larger proportion there.”

At last, the unwavering mask of indifference was cracked by the recollection of that particular incident. Damian winced. He opened his mouth while in search of a comeback, or any evidence for correction in details. There was none, and the only option he left was grunting like an ill-tempered cat.

“After that, possibly,” he mumbled through gritted teeth.

“Must be quite romantic then, I can imagine,” said the young lord in a sing-song voice, beaming with satisfaction.

Damian huffed with a sneer inside. “Indeed, everything seems extremely romantic after being at each other’s throat in a literal manner for the past thirty minutes.”

“I didn’t start that. I was just messing around with you.”

“If by ‘messing around’ you mean as ‘practicing homicide’.”

“Well it’s not me who thought it was a great idea to—” he feigned a surprised yelp when being suddenly dragged down by his cape. Did Jon see that coming? Of course. Could he dodge it? No problem. He could even stay still like a solid concrete and start a tug-of-war in air, but then Damian’s embarrassment might turn into true enragement. Thus he chose to offer the cheekiest smile to those blazing green eyes, now on horizontal level with and an inch too close, “’right, sorry, please do continue.”

Those eyes scrutinized his face for a while longer, before Damian’s own expression softened. He loosened the grip, yet refrained from completely let go of the silky white fabric, still holding it gently between his fingers. Following the subtle cue, Jon set feet to the ground and straightened up a little, as though being anchored by the hand that pulled him down.

“That makes the anniversary of our engagement on the 23rd of July,” and so Damian returned to the previous topic while thoroughly disregarding the small interlude, “Which is why we generally spent summer together since then.”

“Is it? Wait, we’re not actually engaged in the past few years, right? Are we?” Damian just stared at him, unimpressed by the display of idiocy.

“I assure you, we aren’t,” he then released the cape, “However, half a truth often makes up a great lie, and it works perfectly in this case.”

“And I thought we pretty much spent every summer together.”

“We didn’t. Not since you went back with your father when you were twelve,” Jon grimaced at that reminder, “Truthfully, I never know what’s your excuse whenever you disappeared for at least a whole month.”

The Kryptonian snorted.

“Dad doesn’t really care about what I’m doing as long as I’m not wrecking havoc to worsen his migranine. That is, since the whole Elite incident years ago,” he then paused for a few hesitant seconds. Jon-El slightly tilted head to met with the other’s eyes, as he was levitating on tip-toes in subconscious once again, “I have no quarrel with pretending to be your ‘betrothal’ or whatever, D, though clearly it’s one of your dumbest idea. But hey! Sounds fun! And the story totally sells, on some levels. Just you know nothing’s gonna be merely ‘fake boyfriend’ trope when it comes to our families, right?”

“Might as well,” Damian hummed, and he dared to start the explanation shamelessly under his friend’s now confused gaze, “It’s obvious that the Justice Lords are reconsidering their current partnership with the League and Leviathan. I doubt mother is too happy about some ‘trivial disagreements’ in recent as well, and I don’t always see eye to eye with people on either side.”

Jon stared at him. Damian stared back. The pregnant silence stretched longer this time, until Jon gasped loudly, eyes wide with disbelief. He dashed so high up into the air before dived down again in an instant.

Damian cursed in Arabic while busily trying to dust off the snow now covering his hair and robe, caused by the rapid gush of wind. Jon paid him no mind.

“Wow. Okay. Hold on. I can’t believe you’ve just talked me into a political marriage,” he half-shrieked, half-spluttered into the other’s ears, “Is this actually your mom’s idea? Am I in the ‘suitable consorts’ list?! Didn’t aunt Tal remark on how I’m never going to be a ‘passable husband material’ last month when I told that story about Beacon?”

“I’m pretty sure she still holds the same opinion,” Damian grumbled with a wince on his face. He pushed him away for a little, in sake of the eardrums, “Look, it’s not like the wedding will happen anytime soon. We’re just going to make the contract part official.”

“Ugh,” Jon pulled a face, “Why? Why’re you doing this to me? You know how much I hate those political stuff and formal occasions, and I hate to start anything that’s closer to a serious conversation with dad or the other lords. Why? Did I do something wrong? Are you still mad about that research station I had accidentally blown off? Or is it because I refused to help you sneak into the Fortress last time? You know you’ve already been there plenty of times!”

A muscle jumped on the Demon’s jaw when a certain event was mentioned, yet the only reaction he let out in the end was a sigh. “I’m still mad about that research station you had accidentally blown off, but that’s not the reason.”

“And it’s not mother’s idea, either. To be honest, I don’t think she’ll be rejoiced to hear this arrangement. Doubtlessly she has other plans in mind,” reluctant as he was, seeing Jon was still watching him skeptically, Damian could only supplied with another confession, “If that makes you feel better, I didn’t consider much when the ‘secretly bethrothed’ thing blurted out. I’m merely turning an impulsive mistake into a tactical strategy.”

“And you think your mom’s gonna agree with this? Since now it’s clear that I’m not an optional son-in-law in her ‘mother’s choice’ edition.”

“That is, exactly the cause behind our romantic backstory. I know this sounds unreal, but given the past record of herself, mother actually has a soft spot when it comes to the heart’s cause,” for a second, Damian looked like he wanted to avert his gaze to elsewhere and took aback everything had happened. He continued nonetheless, “I have to admit, considering the talk of marriage will eventually come up sooner or later, it’s much better to know that we’re in this together.”

The young lord did not respond. He remained completely still, the tip of his shoes left shallow grazes on the snow since he was hovering a few inches apart from the ground. The only sound he made was the sound of the pale white cape billowing in wind.

Jon-El snapped out from whatever outer body experience he was going through when Damian gently laid a hand on to his shoulder. He looked down at the hand, then back to Damian’s face, back upon at the hand on his shoulder again, and abruptly retreated a huge step back. The sky blue eyes flared a tint of red for a fleeting moment, as he sent Damian a menacing look right before he took lift with a sonic boom. It was a “just-watch-me-leave-you-here-and-try-to find-a-way-down-on-your-own” look, which the al Ghul was entirely capable of, since he was nine. However, Damian knew better than wasting energy unnessarily on a self-solved problem.

He yawned, counting seconds in mind while watching the shadowcasts of cloud flowing through the rugged silhouette of the mountains.

It took around two minutes and fourty-seven seconds for that monotone and crimson blur to reappear in the edge of his sight. Jon soared back and landed in front of him, raven black hair in a wind-blown state, with a light frown on his face, and the rest was unreadable. He puffed, finally, shoulder slumped in compromise.

“Alright. Fine. But you better give me a very nice ring.”

“That can be arranged.” Damian smiled smugly, which replied by another eye-rolling.

“Dad’s gonna be so pissed, and aunt Kara too. Kon’ll probably find this overly hilarious,” Jon murmured. Unsurprisingly, that grumpy pout gradually dissipated through the muttering, instead a wicked grin starting to spread on his face, “Oh such delight, I can’t wait for this month’s family dinner. If I’m going to suffer, I’d better turn this into everyone else’s problem.”

“You’re a menace.” Damian scoffed, yet the fondness overweighted mockery in it.

Without a warning, Jon lunged forward, two steel-strong arms choked the other in a too tight hug. Damian’s hands almost instinctly flied to the hilt of the sword, only Jon had slackened the clutch too quick. He twirled his position to spoon Damian from behind, still floating aloft, and rest his chin on the center of the hair whorl. Damian growled, but did not try any effort to push him off.

“Still can’t believe you’re making me do this,” Jon complained aloud, “You owed me an Apokolips-scaled favor now, which means you’re forbid to get mad at me from now on.”

“I think that’s still in need for further negotiation,” Damian commented in a deadpan tone.

“Have you already prepared a prenuptial agreement?”

“Hmm.”

“What kind of answer is that?” Jon pinched his friend and soon-to-be betrothal on cheek (without really using any strength, of course). Damian grunted and let it be, but caught his wrist at the second attempt.

“I’m afraid your halcyon days are over, Lord Jon-El. Welcome to my life and put responsibility into your dictionary,” mocked by the Demon’s Head.

To this, Jon sighed exasperately and tightened his hold before Damian’s chest, then nuzzled even closer. Both of them were well past the point to be bothered by this cold, but warmth was always welcomed.

“Hate you,” said Jon, voice a little too cheerul.

“Hate you more,” replied Damian, a barely contained laugh in tone.

-END/TBC-

Other background settings on this AU:

So Superman and Lois are still Jon’s biological parents in this setting, but only on genetic level. Lord! Superman had tried everything in hope to make Lois stay with him back then, so he used Kryptonian technology to create a child from his lab, using his and modified Lois’ gene (probably from blood samples or sth.) and take the baby to meet Lois.

My impression to Lois is that she would likely to wait for a chanse to strike back rather than commit suicide when there’s no way out. She then took care of Jon in those imprisoned years, until Jon fell gravely ill due to his unstable DNA and Lord Superman took him to somewhere else for treatment, and Lois had finally escaped in that period of time.

After Lois’ escapement, among other situations, Kal-El was busy with his work and didn’t have the will to raise the child, therefore send him to LoA through Lord Batman’s introduction. Jon was 5-6 yro back then, he and Damian were still 3 yrs apart in this AU.

Talia had informed Batman about their child a lot ealier in this setting, and Damian was basically always raised in the League. Jon went back with his father reluctantly when he was 12. Their relationship was strange and distant rather than tensed. Kal-El sort of viewed this child as the final reminiscence of Lois, while Jon just, honestly didn’t care(...) On the other hand, although Lord Superman might have not too many moral compass, he valued his rules, but Jon’s just pure chaotic, didn’t really care abt anything whatsoever unless it involved Damian.

Lois was now in an anti-Lords organisation. Jon called her Ms. Lane and paid visit to chat occassionally, and constantly mocking his father’s pathetic love life.

Ra’s died or couldn’t use pit to regenerate anymore at somepoint, then Damian became the Demon’s Head.

[queer-ragnelle]

So, there's a lot of books that you complain about being awful (most of which I haven't read), usually because of the interpretation of some character (or many characters).

Is the problem with most of these books:

1. That the character on question has been written as a bad person,

2. That the interpretation differs from the Vulgate Cycle,

3. or the specific combination of those two things?

Or have I completely misread this situation?

See the thing is, yes it has to do with interpretation of characters, but perhaps not as superficial as it sounds! While I do love the Vulgate and prefer a more nuanced Mordred, that’s not really the root of the issue. I want Mordred to topple Camelot. I don’t expect or want authors to follow the Vulgate exclusively, there’s plenty from Chrétien or SGATGK or Parzival or the Mabinogion I’d love to see incorporated and they often are! Yay!

The real answer is a complicated thing that can only be expressed through examples because citing “misogyny” or “racism” doesn’t convey the magnitude or severity of the problem. Medieval society was misogynistic and racist at times, I don’t think those things should go ignored in a retelling. It would cheapen the narrative to pretend Guinevere’s or Morgause’s situations weren’t brought about largely due to the patriarchal systems at play nor do I want to pretend everyone who met Palomides was race blind.

Here’s an exhaustive list of sourced examples to indicate what I’ve encountered that really turned my stomach in retellings…content warning for everything from animal abuse to rape to genocide. This is gonna be long….

Adding more/intentional incest.

Agravaine sexually attracted to his mother Morgause (The Once and Future King by T. H. White) or to his aunt Guinevere (Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger, The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf)

Gaheris sexually attracted to his mother Morgause (The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart)

Mordred sexually attracted to and raping his mother Morgause (Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Uther sexually attracted to his step-daughter Morgause (Igraine by Lavinia Collins)

Kay sexually involved with his uncle Lancelot (Guinevere and Morgan by Lavinia Collins)

Mordred sexually involved with his aunt Morgause (Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman)

Morgause attempting to seduce her teenage son Mordred (The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart)

Arthur marrying his sister Morgan (Bedivere by Wayne Wise)

A life-long sexual relationship between Arthur and his aunt Morgan (The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf)

Mordred and “auntie” Morgan having sex (Merlin and the Sword (1985))

Exceedingly graphic first-person rape of Guinevere by her cousin Maelgwn (Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley)

Mordred kidnaps and tries to rape his sister Avlynn (Merlin and the Book of the Beasts (2009))

Increased racism.

Using modern slurs like the N word against Palomides (The Once and Future King by T. H. White)

Aggressive and confrontational Safir “restrained” by white characters and called “homicidal Moor” by Kay (The Book of Gaheris by Kari Sperring)

Palomides speaking in broken English mentioned as a “turn-off” for Morgause (Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Palomides a former slave orphaned and raised culturally British instead of immigrating to Britain and constantly othered as “the Arab companion” when the others don’t have modifiers like that (Queen of the Summer Stars and Legend in Autumn by Persia Woolley)

Depicting Arab Bertilak as perpetrator of pederasty, random anti-black or anti-Asian allusions, random antisemitism, etc. (Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger)

Tristan wanting to put down “barbarian” Palomides and drives him to madness (The Enchanted Cup by Dorothy James Roberts)

Black face Palomides (The Black Knight (1954))

Adding pedophilia/child brides.

Girls including Morgaine forced into ritualistic sexual situations for “ceremonial” reasons (Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley)

Eleven year old Morgause given to Lot in marriage by her mother Igraine who lied about her age (Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Child bride Isolde (Legend in Autumn by Lavinia Collins, Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell)

Merlin sexually involved with fosterling Nimuë and later attracted to young Olwen (The Winter King and Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell)

Morgause preying on minors (The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart, The Book of Gaheris by Kari Sperring)

Pedophile/serial killers Kay and Mordred (Dragon’s Child and The Bloody Cup by M. K. Hume, The Queen’s Knight by Marvin Borowsky)

Morgause sexually abusing Agravaine (Queen of the Summer Stars by Lavinia Collins)

Pederast Arthur sleeping with young Peredur and Geraint (Arthur the King by Allan Massie)

Lancelot grooms young Mordred to be his lover (Mordred, Bastard Son by Douglas Clegg)

Bademagus raping 13yo Lynette (The King’s Damosel by Vera Chapman)

Warp a character into a rapist.

Morgause/Morgan tricking Arthur to sire Mordred (The Once and Future King by T. H White, Excalibur (1981), The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart, Bedivere by Wayne Wise, Morgan by Lavinia Collins, Guinevere by Sharan Newman, Camelot (2011))

Gawain threatening Guinevere with rape then eventually banished from court for raping someone else (Guinevere and Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Exceedingly graphic first-person rapes of Morgause by Lot and Mordred, Morgan by Urien (Morgawse and Morgan by Lavinia Collins)

Morgause laughing when she learns how traumatized Arthur is after her seduction of him (Queen of Summer Stars by Persia Woolley)

Agravaine threatening to rape Guinevere (The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf)

Perceval raping Layla and getting turned on watching the rape of someone else (A Knight’s Tale by Richard Monaco)

Lancelot forcing himself onto Guinevere (First Knight (1995))

Lancelot raping Galahad’s gf (The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell)

Bors tries to rig a dice game in which the prize is sex with Nimuë (Cursed (2020))

“He would not fucking say/do that.”

Arthur, Lot, Geraint, Urien, and Lancelot are wife beaters with minimal to no consequences (Warrior of the West by M. K. Hume, I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer, Igraine and Morgan by Lavinia Collins, Knight Life by Peter David)

Lancelot doesn’t rescue Guinevere leaving her to burn at the stake by Arthur (Fall of Knight by Peter David)

Lancelot used Guinevere for political gain (Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell, The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman)

Lancelot married to Elaine then cheats on her with Guinevere and causes his wife’s death leaving Galahad an orphan (Merlin (1998))

Agravaine skins Elaine’s cat and wears it (Queen of Summer Stars by Persia Woolley)

Gareth helps Gawain torture Pellinore to death (I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer)

Genocide.

Arthur picks up where Uther left off and continues to commit genocide against magic-users, Merlin helps (BBC Merlin (2008-2012)

The red paladins commit genocide against the fay, Lancelot helps (Cursed (2020))

Gawain uses sun powers to commit genocide in the holy land, other knights like Tristan, Mordred, and Agravaine help (F/GO Camelot Wandering (2020) and F/GO Camelot Paladin Agateram (2021))

Lancelot as high king of Britain commits genocide against allies of Arthur to stay in power, other knights like Dagonet, Lot, and Calogrenant help (Kaamelott: First Installment (2021))

So yeah. It isn’t ideal that Lamorak is old in Sword of Lancelot (1963) or Dagonet is stoic and boring in King Arthur (2004). But like, whatever! I like those films! Same goes for replacing Gaheris with Geraint in Sarah Zettel’s series or cutting Gareth out of Gillian Bradshaw’s trilogy. Kind of a bummer, lame even, but not a deal breaker. The things about these bad retellings that drive me mad are much more sinister than that, rooted in really detestable opinions about women and children and people of color.

Can’t Mordred, Agravaine, and Morgan be normal scheming/evil/power hungry like they were in BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979) or Howard Pyle’s books or Knights of the Round Table (1953) instead of whatever the above are doing? Not to mention the complete violation of Guinevere, Morgause, Lancelot, and Gawain as characters. I’m so tired, man.

Hope this clears things up. Sorry if you made it through that list. I’m sure you hated reading it as much as I hated writing it. But I think it makes it clear the problem here and that I’m not just being picky. The psychic damage is taking its toll.

[themultifandomgal]

Childhood

Birth

The Shelby's suffered the day YN was brought into the world. Unfortunately their mother died during child birth and their father left them. The little babe was bundled up in blankets and given to the oldest Shelby sibling to hold. Arthur. Immediately falling in love with his new sister.

"I promise you will always be loved, cared for and protected. Always" Tommy had promised stoking the tiny tufts of hair. Blue eyes look up at her brothers, she does a little yawn before falling asleep in the arms of one of her protectors. There and then the Shelby brothers made a pact to always protect the little girl.

2 Years Old

The littlest Shelby was always quiet, she didn't talk until she was 2 years old. But once YN said her first word, she soon became the loudest of all of them

"Why isn't YN talking?" Finn asks, being 6 years old he can't understand why his 2 year old sister won't speak

"She may not be talking but she watches what's going on around her. Listens to you" Polly smiles at the boy who frowns. Finn walks over to his sister and places his hands on her shoulders

"Just say my name. Finn" nothing "Finn" again nothing

"Fucking hell" Arthur mutters under his breath, but little YN hears

"Fucking hell!" she shouts making everyone look at her

"Now you've gone and done it Arthur" Polly scolds

"No YN. Bad word" Tommy gets down to her level

"Fucking hell Tommy"

"You brother are in trouble" he point as Arthur who holds his hands up in defence.

3 Years Old

Little YN now has her voice. She's bonded with Tommy over horse riding and so the pare are often seen either out with the horses or running around the house.

"Tommy! Tommy come and catch me!" the youngest Shelby shouts running around the house

"YN Shelby if you don't stop running around this house someone will get hurt, most likely you" Polly scolds the 3 year old girl

"Leave her be Pol" John chuckles

"Tommy! I bet you can't find me!" YN shouts once again running into the kitchen. She hides under the table trying to hold back a giggle. The door to the kitchen opens and Tommy strides in pretending he can't see his youngest hiding under the table

"Oh I wonder where she could be" he shrugs "Poll you seen a little monster running around?" YN has to put her hand over her mouth to stop her laughing

"Not a monster no" Polly gets up off the chair she is sat on and goes to make a tea "but if we can't find YN then who's going to drink the hot chocolate" YN gasps at this

"Boo!" Tommy shouts looking under the table. YN groans getting out

"Aunt Polly that was your fault" the little girl complains

"You want a hot chocolate or not?" Polly asks making YN climb on the chairs in the kitchen.

7 Years Old

4 years since YN Shelby saw John, Tommy and Arthur due to the war. Polly took over looking after her Ada and Finn, but the day they returned was the most exciting day YN had ever had. Every night she prayed they would come home, she had been dreaming of that day since they left for war.

"When will they be here aunt Poll?" she asks holding her sister and aunts hands

"Soon YN" Polly tells YN who's bouncing around at the train station while Finn clings to Polly's side

"I've missed then aunt Poll"

"I know love. So have I" she smiles down at the youngest Shelby.

Soon the train arrives and the excitement in YN Shelby can be seen by all. As soon as she sees one of the three brothers she leaves Polly's side and runs into the arms of Tommy who has knelt down with his arms out

"Hey little one" he whispers holding her tight

"Missed you" YN mutters into her brothers chest letting tears run down her face

"And what about us aye?" Arthur asks smiling. YN leaves Tommys arms to hug both Arthur and John. Finally their family has been reunited once again.

8 Years Old

A year has passed since the war ended, but YN has noticed how different her brothers all are. Polly and Ada did tell her they wouldn't be the same anymore. Tommy no longer plays hide and seek with her, he also seems to shout more. Arthur is always talking nonsense and John is busy with his own family. Even Finn has gotten boring to the youngest Shelby

"What are you doing?" YN asks walking over to Finn with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth

"None of your business"

"Tommy says your not to have them"

"Yeah well your not gonna tell him are ya?" Finn points towards YN

"She won't have to" YN turns around to see Polly with her hands on her hips giving Finn the 'your in trouble' look "YN go play outside while I deal with your brother"

With that YN runs outside forgetting her coat.

Just because her brothers have all changed in some way doesn't mean the love and protectiveness they had for YN has changed. If anything it's gotten stronger. So when Arthur notices YN hasn't got a coat on in the cold weather he drops whatever he is doing to take one outside for her

"YN love it's to cold not to have a coat on. You'll catch the flu" Arthur helps the 8 year old slip her arms into the coat

"Sorry Arthur"

"That's ok just remember it next time"

11 Years Old

At 11 years old she was starting to realise what her brothers were up to with the family business. Bad people were after her brothers because of deals gone wrong or just because they were bad people. But not her brothers. No. In YNs eyes her brothers could kill an innocent man and it would still be his fault. Her brothers to her could do no wrong. Except for when Tommy married Grace. That she wasn't happy with.

At first YN didn't like Grace. Didn't like the fact that a woman swoops in, hurts her big brother then he ends up moving out having a baby and getting married to said woman. Grace stole her big brother from her and that was something that YN cannot forgive. That was until YN became ill. So ill in fact that Tommy wanted her at Arrow House so that he could keep an eye on her, said fresh air would do her some good.

"How do you feel today YN?" Francis asks placing a cool rag over the top of YNs head

"Sick"

"Still?" YN nods her head weakly. A knock on the door has both the maid and YN turning their heads. In walks Tommy and Grace with Charles

"Francis will you take Charles for a nap. We will sit with YN"

Tommy takes the chair next to her bed while Grace sits on the empty side of the bed

"Am I going to die?" the little Shelby asks her brother. Grace can see the worry in his eyes

"No dear because you've got the best big brother who will get the best doctors. Now try and rest. Tommy and I will stay here if you need us"

[imnameimswrld]

002 ━━ 𝐀 𝐍𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ,,

warnings: language.

Turning down the Panic At The Disco that had been blasting in the car for the past half hour, everyone gathers their things before getting ready to step out into the fresh Miami air.

A few cameramen catch my eye through the windshield, and I know the second my door opens, the pictures for today's Formula One news are gonna get shot. Better make sure I look dapper. Haley's copper hair blows over her shoulder from outside where she awaits with two bodyguards at her sides, their size making her seem a whole lot smaller than what she really is.

"We all suited up gang ?" I look around in the car, handing the keys to my aunt who sits beside me so she could drop them in her bag once we're all out.

Everyone nods, Mattie's being a little more vigorous than the rest, his little hands having a death grip on the collar of his Ferrari t-shirt. Celina and Renée where the same, and of course I'm sporting my wicked blue jeans and SF polo shirt, a pair of RayBan sunglasses pushed up into my hair. Although I would've loved to wear my trusty Airfoces, Mattie refused to wear his slip on Van's unless I was wearing mine too – and I'm sorry, but no member of my party will be rocking up to the paddocks in flip-flops.

The doors all open as we step out, and a little smirk pulls at my lips when I notice Haley deliver a firm stare at one of the cameras that drift a little too close to the money maker. Chuckling softly, I pat her shoulder in greeting, before I round all my people up and we start the walk towards the entrance. The sun is absolutely unforgiving and my eyes can barely stay open until I've pulled my shades down, and I'm silently thanking my aunt for forcing Mattie and I to lather ourselves in SPF-50.

"Where's Micah ?" my manager keeps her voice low from her stride beside me, and at the sound of the name an immediate scoff gets released from the other side of me.

I briefly turn to share a look with Renée, and I can just tell she's fighting back a crazy hard eye roll.

I sigh softly before looking back forward, instantly noticing the throng of reporters hovering around the scan-in station.

"Not now Hals."

I don't need my name headlining the news tomorrow, and I sure as hell don't want to be making Bonnie's job harder than it already is. All I do is breath, and with that one exhale does a line of false rumors and accusations follow. The life of a Formule 1 driver is, unfortunately, not just about the car we drive.

I can tell this isn't a topic to be dropped, just by the stern look I'm getting in Haley's eyes, but for now she steps back from it, allowing a comfortable air to settle around us instead of the suffocating one that always seems to hang whenever Micah is mentioned.

Trust I'll be dumping the walking negativity soon.

"Ant !"

My gaze cuts to the voice ahead, gaze immediately settling into a set of soft,  pleading brown eyes. The reporters continue to shamelessly shove their mics in Oscar's face, and I suppress a chuckle as I excuse myself from my group for a moment.

"Hey Ozzie, hello." I hook an arm around the fellow Australian driver, placing a hand on his shoulder to deliver a reassuring squeeze. I can almost feel his relief seep out at my presence.

"Antonio ! Can you-"

I shake my head with a polite smile, not even daring to let them finish whatever question of the day it is. "I'm really sorry guys, but we actually have a meeting in about 10 minutes,"

I start pulling Oscar backwards away and towards the safety of my group, waving a hand to the reporters. "Thank you for coming, I hope you enjoy today's race !"

Once we're in the clear, the shorter blonde let's out a sigh of relief, and I pat his shoulder with a light laugh. "Thanks mate."

I toss him a playful wink. He greets my group and ends up waking along with us through scan-in. We talk more about what today could bring for us as driver's, but mostly complaining at how godawful hot it's going go be in the car today. Along the way Carlos and Lando end up joining, and we all agree to make a stop at the cafeteria for a snack.

"Oh mate," Lando swallows a sip of his Coke, twisting in his seat across from me with a curious glance in his eyes. "Where's Micah ? Feel like I haven't seen him in what, couple weeks ?"

The delightful cold of the air conditioning goes from a relieving blanket over me to an uncomfortable shiver down my spine.

Carlos hums from beside me. "Yeah, he was at Silverstone, but that was like, three weeks ago ? Tutto okay ?"

My fingers twitch around the dripping cold of ice coffee in my hands. Maybe I should just get it out so it would quit bothering me for the rest of the day. Besides, it would be nice to make the glower Haley is piercing into the side of head right now disappear.

Sighing softly, I look up to my aunt. I don't say anything, allowing just my eyes to speak for me. Fortunately, she understands immediately, and the little boy beside her doesn't. Which is why he's very quick to comply when she offers to buy him an ice-cream and go take a walk to say hi to the other drivers. He's just like me in the sense that he loves the attention he'll receive from everyone; the whole grid adores Mattie.

He's practically Danny Ric's son.

Bumping my fist to his and sending my aunt a grateful nod, I wait for the glass door to swing shut behind them, before leaning back in my chair, my hands settling on my jean-clad thighs.

"Don't expect a long explanation, because I'm really not looking for a therapy session right now," I sternly inform, stressing it with my tone, especially to my manager. That earns me a narrowed glare.

"I haven't heard from Micah since Silverstone."

Two reactions occur in that moment; my two fellow drivers gape with wide eyes at me, and the two remaining women around the table sit stoically, a brewing anger behind their gazes.

"But you've called, texted ?"

I scoff as I meet the Brit's enlarged eyes. "Of course I have Lando, and a fuck ton of times at that."

"So what, your novio just disappears for two weeks without a single word ? Esto es una mierda."

I hum once in response to Carlos, pursing my lips as I trace the little droplets with my fingers on my glass.

"It's not like it's the first time."

Two heads turn in the direction of the low voice, but Renée is sure to keep her bearing gaze on me. Renée and I rarely have serious fights, we just mesh that well. However rare though, things always start to heat up whenever my fuck-up of a relationship gets brought up. I know it's because she only cares for my well-being, which is why I can't ever find it in me to be annoyed with her reaction and attitude towards him. It's not like he deserves any better anyway.

"Mate, I would never butt into your relationship, I have no place whatsoever," Lando's eyes are full of sincere, and maybe just a twinge of fire. "But you're my friend, and a bloody great one at that. I just want you to he happy mate, that's all."

Who's heart wouldn't melt at the way those greens are looking at me right now ?

"Thanks Lan, I really appreciate that."

Contrasting the sweet moment, a shocking slap lands on the back of my shoulder, and I jolt at the sudden action. My eyes dart towards the Spaniard, who has a crooked smile on his face.

"I'm not one for the sappy stuff but, you know I'm here for you 'mano."

I huff out a laugh, nodding. "Si, gracias 'mano."

" Frederic wants his drivers in the paddock by 10, we should go."

They honey-toned voice speaks for the first time since, and my gaze cuts towards the brunette beside me. She already has her eyes ready to meet mine, and they are speaking a thousand words that her lips don't. She has been egging me on to drop Micah for a very long time, and I know it's about time I listen, but it's just about finding the right moment. For starters, he needs to fucking answer my calls.

"Right." I nod, following her lead as she stands, and it's only once we all do, do I notice a quiet gaze settled on me.

My fellow aussie. He hasn't said a single word since the topic of Micah came up, and it has me strangely confused. There's something very uneasy swirling around his eyes, and it's telling me just one thing.

There's something he knows about my boyfriend, that I don't.

[shares-a-vest]

Prompt: "I can explain" (Discord Drabble)

Steve thinks his frown is actually hurting by the time he reaches his bedroom ensuite after following splotches of brown something all the way upstairs, down the hall and into his bedroom. They'd started in the kitchen, a mess he had spotted as soon as he walked in after arriving home from work.

He's suspicious of course, seeing as he has left Eddie and Robin at the house all day. But he thought (stupid Morning Steve thought, all chipper and full of optimism) that considering the rainy day, the pair couldn't get up to too much trouble.

At worst, he figured he'd arrive home to find his best friend and his boyfriend bickering about music while they commentating on whatever was on MTV.

He hears a splash, splatters of water on the floor and Eddie scream-laughs as he reaches the just-ajar door.

"Stop screaming!" Robin complains, followed by a series of grumbles from –

Well... he can't tell who that was, actually.

But it doesn't really matter because as he pushes on the door, a dog barks. A high, loud yelp that echoes so goddamn loud Steve is sure Old Lady Mabel next door will hear and file a noise complaint.

He stumbles backwards, catching himself against the tallboy dresser. Everything on top of it gives a warning jostle behind him. It must alert Robin, who quickly appears on her knees, waddling her way towards him.

"Listen," she begins, holding her soapy hands in defence, "I can explain."

"Robin, why the fuck is there a dog in my bathroom!" he yells, still bracing himself against the furniture.

"His name's Buddy and he is adorable!" calls Eddie matter-of-factly.

He mutters incoherently, water splashing and sloshing away.

Steve looks at the mud on the carpet and glares at his best friend.

"He was in the backyard!" Robin says, eyes as wide as saucers, hair somehow frizzing more and more as she continues, "It was raining and he doesn't have a collar so Eddie named him Buddy. Which I didn't like! I mean, every dog is named Buddy! Anyway, we brought him up here because he's too big for the sink. Plus, we weren't going to use your parent's tub and – "

"Rob," he cuts her off, fearing her hyperventilating as she rambles a mile a minute. He pinches his nose and sighs, "Just... let me into the bathroom, yeah?"

"Sorry," she smiles weakly.

She nods and shuffles on her knees back into the bathroom proper.

As Steve suspected, there is water everywhere. And mud. And muddy clothes, including Eddie's discarded t-shirt. Robin's socks are dripping wet and hanging over the towel rack, their wetness being mopped up by Steve's designated hair towel.

But when he takes one look at 'Buddy', a golden lab who looks like he's smiling at Eddie as he scrubs behind his ears, tailing a-wagging, Steve begins shucking off his shoes.

"I'll go find those hideous bath towels we used to save for when my Great Aunt Gladys stayed for Thanksgiving," he says, nodding to his two favourite dog rescuers in reassurance, "And I think there's some carpet cleaner downstairs."

Eddie and Robin find Steve curled up on the couch with Buddy the following morning.

I'm house-sitting and looking after a dog this weekend so have a random dog-based drabble 😂

[softquietsteadylove]

Birdie, I've got an idea for Valentine's Day! 🖤✨

Jack is asking his uncle Gilgamesh for an advice for Valentine's Day. So he and Gil are baking heart shaped cookies for their loved ones. On Valentine's Day Jack is giving his cookies to Thena because he loves his aunt very much and Phastos is complaining because he doesn't get a single heart shaped cookie.

Hugs and Love🖤✨

"Did you find out who it is?"

"No," Phastos huffed, watching from around the corner as Jack held up a decorated cookie for Gil to examine and certify. "He won't tell me."

"Perhaps it's best left alone," Ben posited from his chair, much more relaxed than his husband. "If he's not ready to tell us, he's not ready. He is only 11, habibi."

"Exactly, he's just a kid," Phastos hissed back at his partner. He looked back into the kitchen, where Jack was trying to sneak another taste of icing. At least Gil had taken seriously that Jack could not eat that much raw egg safely. He could like the cookie dough spoon, that was it. "He's too young for this."

Ben sighed, shutting his book and standing to join his husband. He slid his hand up his back gently, "well, some humans develop those kinds of feelings early. It's probably just a little crush."

"Little crush my ass," Phastos grumbled in response. He looked at Ben, "he's my kid too, and Eternals love...intensely."

Ben simply nodded, knowing very well that every bond the Eternals had tended to span thousands of years.

"Why are you spying on them?"

"F-!" Phastos sucked his lip between his teeth before he could let out a curse that would rattle even his superpowered glass windows. He glared at his sister, "T, I swear to god, okay?"

"What?" the Warrior Eternal merely blinked at him, still soft around the edges from her nap. She looked into the kitchen as well. "They seem to be enjoying themselves. What is the occasion?"

"Valentine's?" Phastos prompted, only to be met with Thena's 'statue face'. He rolled his eyes, "poor Gil, stuck with you for every damn one of 'em."

Thena pursed her lips at her brother before reaching up and pinching his side. "I will have you know, Gilgamesh prefers to take the lead on such occasions. I participate--that is enough for him."

"I'm sure it is," Ben assuaged, eager to get in between the two immortal beings who bickered like children. "Jack asked Gil for help making the cookies just after you went back to your room."

"Hm," Thena tilted her head at the scene. "Gil often makes something for this day; there is no secret to it."

"Well, this time, there was," Phastos muttered darkly, back to spying. He glared as Jack laughed and Gil patted his shoulder. Phastos turned back to Ben, "he knows I'm his dad, right? We can help him with this stuff!"

"Phastos," his husband chided instead of comforted, back to rubbing his back. "This is what it's like for kids to have uncles and aunts. They get to enjoy their company in a way that's different from ours."

"You go ask," Phastos prompted, shoving Thena away from him and in the direction of the kitchen. She glowered at him for it.

"Ask what?" she seethed at him, raising her fist to punch him in return.

Ben slid in between them again, again trying to mediate their typical family squabbles. "Who the cookies are for. He wouldn't tell when Phastos asked."

"Hm," Thena blinked, but accepted conditions. She turned away from Ben and lowered her fist, "Jack?"

Phastos kissed Ben's temple, "good save."

"Aunt Thena, you're up!" he turned in his chair, getting up on his knees and leaning against the back of it to beam at her. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

"It was lovely," she smiled down at her precious human nephew. She tilted her head, admiring the bounty behind him. "You have been making confections."

"Uncle Gil!"

"It's okay buddy, it wasn't like we were gonna be able to keep 'em secret for long," Gil chuckled as he stood from his chair. He wrapped his arm around Thena's waist, pressing his forehead to hers. "Get some rest?"

"I did," she promised her own partner and husband as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Ahem!!!"

Both Eternals parted, glaring at their agitated brother briefly. Thena looked down at Jack, who was nibbling on his little lip. "Who shall receive your hard work, Jack?"

"Well," the boy fidgeted, his expression shy. His fathers held hands behind his uncle and aunt, but Jack stood from the chair and took Thena's hand. He pulled gently, guiding her to sit where he had been. He turned the plate, on which he had arranged all the heart shaped cookies into one big heart shape. "They're for you, Aunt Thena."

Thena blinked at the platter of cookies. They were all frosted, with varying degrees of colour and skill. They were soft, white sugar cookies with red icing on them. "Me?"

"Of course," Phastos huffed behind them, but was shushed by Ben.

"Valentine's is kinda cringe, but it doesn't have to be for, like, love-stuff," Jack shrugged. "At least that's what they said at school. They said we could do something for our favourite person."

"My own son," Phastos continued to lament.

"So," Jack looked up at Gil, who nodded for him to keep going. "I asked Uncle Gil if he would help me make some cookies for you. But I cracked the eggs perfect! And I decorated all of these ones."

Thena smiled, picking up one of the more grotesque, early experiments. She took a bite, smiling as she chewed the soft, buttery cookie. "They're perfect."

"Really?" Jack lit up.

"Partake in your spoils," she said as she handed him one. "Thank you, Jack. I daresay you are my favourite as well."

"Hey Jack," Phastos inched forward as his son wolfed down one of his own cookies. "Are any of those for your old man, maybe?"

Jack just stared. "You can ask Aunt Thena."

Phastos glared at her , though. "T, remember-"

"Ben may have some."

"Oh, come on!"

Gilgamesh stood aside, laughing at Thena's innate desire to be petty with their brother. He slapped the back of Phastos' shoulder as Ben did sneak in to steal one for himself. "I mean you should've seen that coming, man."

"You guys are married," Jack gesticulated, pointing at the two couples in front of him respectively. "You got each other stuff for today, right? You don't need me to do anything."

Phastos continued to pout about how his own child made his sister cookies but none for him. But Ben smiled, "that's right, we did get each other gifts for today. It was very nice of you to make something for your Aunt Thena, Jack."

Thena moved from the chair to let Jack sit again, "but I shall need help eating all these. Jack, if you would be so kind...?"

"Sure!" It didn't take much to convince him.

Ben led Phastos into the living room to nurse his wounds, while Gil pulled Thena to his side again, further up the table. She sighed as he pressed his lips to her cheek, "is this what you did all afternoon?"

"Yep," Gil whispered. "I think he waited for you to have a nap so he could surprise you."

"It's rather sweet," she smiled at the image of her nephew enjoying a few more cookies. She looked down at this plate, decorated significantly differently. "And these?"

"For you," her lover confirmed, holding one up to display the meticulous design he'd made. "It's Australia!"

It looked like a smear of dirt in a sea of blue.

"Don't worry, I made my own preparations for today," he whispered before nipping at her ear, promising fun more than just some cookies.

"Hm," Thena purred, allowing him to kiss behind her ear and down her neck in their small window of privacy. "You do love this particular occasion."

"Damn right I do," he said against the soft skin of her shoulder, just inside the collar of her dress. "An excuse to lavish my wife with gifts and attention? And make love like wild animals-"

"AHEM!!!"

Gil sighed as he pulled away from her to also glare at Phastos, "what, dude?--don't you also have lavishing to do?"

"Not in the kitchen I don't," Phastos snapped with his hands on his hips. "None of us are having a romantic time until 9 o'clock anyway."

That was Jack's bed time.

"So we're gonna go out for a nice family dinner instead," he declared firmly, as if it were a mission order, and not an invitation to a nice restaurant. He slapped his coat over his arm, "and you two are gonna behave!"

"We always behave," Gil rolled his eyes, following Phastos into the living room and front hall to also retrieve his and Thena's coats.

"Nuh-uh, no, I mean it Gil," Phastos snapped in his brother's face as they both glared at each other amidst helping their partners into their own coats. "No ooey-gooey eyes, no playing footsies under the table, no sneakin' off to the bathroom."

"What if he has to go?" Jack asked much more innocently as he retrieved his own coat. He smiled as Thena held it out for him the same way Gil had done for her.

"That's not-" Phastos sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. "Okay, never mind, family dinner, let's go."

[a-student-out-of-time]

Did you watched new heartless deceit interlude episodes?

//Dude, yes, and I have so much to say!

//I'll start in order:

MOMOKA'S DAY OFF

I have to say, my initial thoughts when Akira's secondary talent was revealed- Ultimate Hitman- were how that happened. I wondered what kind of people the Himura clan must be to recruit a teenage girl into becoming a hitman, and my mind went to cruelty, coercion, and a lot of uncomfortable thoughts about what they might've put her through. Especially given how disturbed Akira was about being given an award for it by EOS.

Then this episode came along and proved the situation is quite the opposite.

First of all, I adore Momoka and her chaos gremlin energy. She's hilariously unprofessional, especially on her day off, and yet she's supposed to be an advisor to the Himura clan. Her relationships with Hirotaka and Keisuke are the epitome of the No Energy, Calm, Too Much Energy meme.

Speaking of, I like that Keisuke has no preferred pronouns. They're definitely the serious, business-minded one, but still have that connection with Momoka and Hirotaka.

And poor Hirotaka is the straight man in all these antics : P

Then there's Ryuuji Himura, the younger brother of the former head of the clan, and who turns out is a pretty laid-back, chill dude. While he has a meeting planned with another clan, his mind is on fancy desserts. He doesn't seem like the type to lead a yakuza clan, and it turns out there's a good reason for it.

While Momoka, Keisuke and Hirotaka are having dinner, we get to learn a bit more about their history. The three of them have been friends for years, and reminisce about their old friend Ryuusei, Ryuuji's older brother and the former head of the clan, and his fiance Yukie.

As Timeline Anon reminded me, we've actually seen them once before:

Far from being threatened or coerced like this was Passione, the Himura Clan- and these two in particular- actually seem like they took Akira in and cared for her. Ryuusei and Yukie were like parents to her, and I have to wonder if that includes her siblings too.

What we can be sure of is Akira grew up under their care. But sadly, that didn't last. Just a week before wedding, around 6 years before HD takes place, they died. Something that still affects the trio to this day.

But ultimately, they still all manage to have a nice outing together, reminiscing about old friends.

I'll save my thoughts and speculation for the end, so here's the other:

_______________________________________________

ABOVE THE YELLOW SPRING

So, this one is actually my favorite and it's entirely because this episode says exactly what I've been saying for years:

Being an Ultimate sucks.

Our unnamed protagonist, who's going to be awarded a very prestigious title, gets to enjoy an absolutely hellish nightmare on his way there. The first comes from his overbearing family, who have unrealistic expectations of him and can't stand him complaining about anything.

Stage mom and stage aunt at their absolute worst, even making jokes about throwing him on the streets if he isn't the best of the best. We also hear about how his cousin is facing similar pressures, and that the aunt doesn't want her "wasting time with a boy from some no-name family."

Our protag, who would much rather be at home playing guitar, then has to head to a televised interview, where he also gets to see himself all over town.

He never gets any time to himself, always going from one event to the next, with barely any time in-between to eat and sleep. We don't know what exactly his talent is, but it's something that's only ever been awarded once. He even directly says that people see him as a God over it. I'll come back to that.

But all the while, he has this flash through is mind:

Actually spooked me the first time I saw it.

The interview isn't much better. Protag is exhausted, but can't rest and constantly gets browbeaten by his interviewer. While his mother and aunt criticize him for being ungrateful, the guy calls him a pampered irresponsible brat and accuses him of buying the title.

When the interview finally happens, which EOS director Kumiko Arase herself is watching, he starts off trying to sound good...and then has a panic attack on air. And then decides he's had enough.

What follows is one of the most satisfying moments I've seen in any fangan ever.

He completely demolishes the idea of the Ultimates system and calls it elitist, how it puts ridiculous pressure and a social divide on impressionable teenagers. About how people behind it and the interview only care about profiting off of them. About how people like the interviewer put them up on a pedestal they never asked to be put on, and then tear into them out of jealousy.

Finally, he rejects the ultimate award, calls Kumiko an old hag and tells her she can kiss his ass. All in one fell swoop and I was so happy.

Sure, it means he's been kicked out of the family, but people will forget and he can finally live his own life. But it does mean his cousin will be put through the same wringer now. Still, he promises to come help her when he's settled.

Whoever this dude is, he's my goddamn hero.

_____________________________________________

THOUGHTS AND SPECULATION

So I'll start with the obvious: I was wrong about Akira's background. It's very clear the Himura clan has been more of a family to her than an antagonistic force pushing her into committing evil. Even so, why did she become a hitman?

The obvious answer after seeing this, at least to me? Retribution.

Take a look at what Denshi says about her during his side episode's intro:

Both of them were involved with the clan at a young age. He talks about how she must feel conflicted, yet he doesn't dissuade her from pursuing it or viewing herself as a killer. And she admits she worked hard to get to this point.

I think this is a sign it might've been Akira's decision to become one. Especially because she would've been a child at the time Ryuusei and Yukie were killed, and while we aren't given details, the context clues suggest why. Maybe they were actually assassinated by another clan and Akira became a hitman to get revenge?

Either way, she's still loved and valued by the rest of the clan, and it's clear to me that whomever's behind this killing game has no idea whose wrath they've incurred.

Now, as for our unnamed protagonist, I have no word on who he could be, as he's only been hinted at once by Tomoya. However, I have some info TA was also diligent enough to point out.

Remember his aunt? We saw her in Denshi's side episode too, talking with Isao about investigating on her own.

At the time, because of the hair color, we assumed she might've been Katsu's mom. Now I have a new idea:

Protag was going to be given a title we don't know the name of, but we know is so prestigious as to only have ever been given once before.

He said that EOS has been building him up and people look on him like a God before he rejects it.

We know he has a female cousin under similar pressure to be super talented and good at everything, and his aunt said she wouldn't let her daughter have any distractions.

Who do we know who's hyper-competent, has an unknown but prestigious talent, and would be there at the awards ceremony for her mother to attend?

To put it another way, who in this cast has also been called and named after a deity?

Yep. I'm suggesting this was actually Izanami's cousin, and her ascendance to our local Ultimate ??? was motivated by that. She's clearly extremely talented, beautiful and, as with protag, this:

It's not hard to imagine her family doubled down after her cousin peaced out, and it's given her a very questionable view of the world, especially people she views as "sinners." I can see her being a major rival against Akira, especially when the truth comes out.

So yeah, my thoughts on these interlude episodes, which have only made me more and more excited for HD Chapter 1. Great work from everyone involved!

[laytonsartblog]

Jasmine The Informant (TF2OC)

Here’s some more of my one and only Jasmine, the wonderful Informant!

I’m gonna add more on her in the form of a file summary, redacted for the sake of privacy and confidentiality:

Her name is Jasmine [REDACTED], born on ##/##/21 in [REDACTED], United States. Her home life was fine, and in some cases more open than her peers, if not distant. Encouraged by her father to expand her intelligent mind, she went to the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry in 1939 and received a PhD in Library and Information Science in 1947. In her final year at university, Jasmine would have a fling with one of her classmates: a man named David [REDACTED], and in 1947 was born her daughter [REDACTED] [REDACTED]. Jasmine raised her as a single mother for eight years before being contacted by The Administrator to replace the old Informant. She took the job on the condition that [REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED], in exchange, she would [REDACTED REDACTED]. The Administrator agreed. In 1955, she officially became The Informant and has been working on the job ever since.

And here’s a list of things about her and her life:

• Her daughter, of whom you may know is named Mary, is an activist, and an organization leader for her service The Simple House, a nonprofit group dedicated to housing, educating, and caring for children. She has a side job at a restaurant as a waitress. She also graduated with an associate’s degree at the same college her mother went to for business with a minor in sociology

• While she can’t hack, she has incredible memory and often only needs to see someone type in a password once in order to replicate it. The same goes for organization systems, language, etc

• Speaking of language, she dedicates herself to learning every language that the Teams can speak. So far she knows Russian, French, Spanish, and German fairly well, though not at any fluent level. Catalan and Dutch are on her list.

• Her job is mostly like an archiving/IS job when she has free time, though most of the time she is tasked with making sure no one is contacting the outside world unless cleared and preventing any spread of information that leaks. This can lead from reporting any suspicious creations by the Engineer or Demoman that might work as a radio, removing any phone or computer not connected to the Administration’s network (looking at you, Spy), and following the Sniper to his phone calls to his parents. She is the one that writes down every recorded conversation and stores it safely away. She also occasionally helps Ms. Pauling on field missions, though mostly on information retrieval.

• Ms. Pauling views Jasmine like some grumpy aunt that mostly complains about her work and spills any gossip she hears around the office or team members.

Okay… silly fact time

• She is ambidextrous

• She hates any and all gerbils

• She eats a banana with jelly and peanuts on top every morning and washes it down with black coffee. She says it’s nutritious

• If you put sugar or milk in her coffee she will kill you. If you give her decaf as a prank she will ACTUALLY kill you

• She has one of those mini toolkits on her at all times and will freak out if she can’t find it

• She only ever had a pet cat and that thing hated her almost as much as she hated it. She only bought it for her daughter. His name was Donald.

• She only talked to Spy once. She almost throttled him when he asked her if she was single

• Her favorite color is a nice minty green

• She is so tired. All of the time. She sleeps a maximum of 6 hours a night, usually 4

• She is a bisexual mess. She’s fantasized many times having one spicy night with Helen. Look man don’t judge her she admires the ferocity and power what do you want

• She is genuinely awful at combat. Terrible. She stays fit and acrobatic to sneak around, but ask her to fight Scout and she’ll end up on her ass in two seconds

Aaand that’s it. I invite any and all propaganda, fanart, etc, for the @tf2shipswag OC tournament! Can’t wait to see how far she gets!

[xxrainshadowsxx]

His Father's Son

Little drabble of Onceler and Jack bonding. Takes place in the week before Jack plants the seed.

Rating: T

Warnings: Couple instances of language (but that should be expected at this point)

The other side of the bed is empty when you wake. It was funny how something that was the status quo for so many years was now foreign after just a few days. Of course, no one could ever accuse you of complaining about this new normal. You were more than happy to be getting used to it.

He’s left the bedroom door open, and you can hear movement coming from the kitchen. He’s probably making breakfast again. You roll to the side, having every intention of shoving your feet into slippers and joining him, but the sound of voices makes you pause.

Obviously, Onceler’s voice is one of the ones you hear. But the other voice belongs to Jack.

Despite Onceler having moved in and Jack having accepted him as his father, the two hadn’t really had any one-on-one interaction since finding that out. The changes had been fast, and there had been so many, and you’d been trying to ease Jack into it as best you could, so you’d made sure either yourself or Aurora were there if he was spending time with his father, just for someone familiar.

But… if Jack was the one who sought this out, and it was likely he was, you weren’t going to stop it. You were definitely going to listen in though.

“How did you get good at cooking? Did you learn because Mom’s bad at it?” Jack was asking, causing you to roll your eyes. He’s far from wrong though; Aurora did the home cooking since you tended to burn even toast.

“No, I learned when I was younger,” Onceler responds. “My own mother wasn’t the greatest, so I had to fend for myself a lot. I don’t mind though. I like cooking, and I like cooking more for people. I’m surprised about all the artificial food here though, your mother never liked that stuff all that much. I know she can’t cook, but I thought Aurora was decent? At least I seem to remember her cooking being tolerable.”

“That’s all there is.” You can picture Jack shrugging. “O’Hare runs the city, and when he took over and put up the wall, Mom said he stopped us from getting help from the rest of the country, so all the food has to be made in the city. I don’t understand too much of it, but Mom and Aunt Aurora always get really mad when they talk about it.”

“Theodosius O’Hare?” Onceler growls. “I should’ve known he would be the one to try and create a monopoly over everything…”

“Theodosius? No, the guy who owns the town is named Aloysius O’Hare, and he makes sure everyone knows it. He’s got his face all over town because he’s the one who sells the air,” Jack explains. Onceler scoffs wordlessly.

“Right, that was his son. He was a nasty little worm, just like his father. I’m not surprised he took a chance to exploit the crisis. And I’m absolutely looking forward to keeping you safe from him.”

Jack is quiet for a moment. “Is it going to be dangerous? Planting the seed, I mean?” he asks in a very small voice. If there was ever a point where you might have gone out and interrupted them, that was it. Jack needed comfort, and your immediate instinct was to provide that. But you force yourself to stay down and allow his father the opportunity to try instead. He’s done great so far. He could do this, too.

“There will probably be… opposition from O’Hare,” Onceler answers, seemingly choosing his words very carefully. “But you won’t be in danger. The people in town still remember the trees, they’ll want to help you bring them back. And I promise you, I won’t let anyone who doesn’t want that tree planted to lay a finger on you, and I know your mother and aunt feel the same way.” He barks out a single laugh. “I’d love to see anyone try and go up against your aunt. She’s terrifying.”

“She’s not,” Jack refutes. “But she doesn’t like it when I say that. She likes to think she’s scary.” You can’t help but smile into your pillow at that. Jack had a great relationship with Aurora, and it was already a stipulation that if Onceler was going to be buying a house for the two of you and Jack, Aurora would be coming too.

“She’s nice to you, but she doesn’t like me much,” Onceler’s saying. “Did your mom ever tell you what she did the first time I ever actually talked to her?”

“No,” Jack mutters. “Mom didn’t talk about you much. I asked about you a couple of years ago, and she told me a little bit, and she gave me a picture, but talking about you made her sad, so I didn’t really ask after that. I didn’t want to make her sad.”

Damn. Your kid was too emotionally intelligent for his own good sometimes. He was awfully perceptive, especially for his age. Even you hadn’t known the reason he didn’t ask you about his dad much. Onceler sighs heavily before speaking again.

“I’m sorry for not being there. I’ll never be able to say that enough,” he says thickly. “And you deserve a better dad than me. I’m no Superman. I’ve messed up beyond all forgiveness. But I won’t leave again. I’ve made that promise to your mother, and I’ll make it to you, too, as many times as you need to hear it.”

“I mean… it’s still weird to wake up and have you here at all,” Jack admits. “It’s a good weird though. I was starting to think I’d never meet my dad ever. Mom thought you left town, and there’s no one here who looks like me… Before I got the picture, I used to look for people who looked like me, to see if they could be my dad. But no one did. So I thought I’d never meet you, you know? It’s still weird getting used to it, but I’m trying. I am happy you’re here.”

“I get it,” Onceler says softly. “I used to do the exact same thing. I never knew my dad either. Although in my case, I never found him. I never had a picture either, but my mother let enough slip to let me know I looked like him. We lived in a backwoods, far from here, and every time we would go into the town closest to us, I would always think, this time we’ll run into him, this time I’ll get to meet him. It never happened for me.” He sighs again. “I have to admit, I don’t know what I’m doing. I never had anyone teach me how to be a father. But I’m going to do my best for you.”

“Do I have a grandma on your side?” Jack asks eagerly. “I know Mom’s parents both died before I was born, but what about your mom? And any more aunts and uncles? Cousins?” He can’t keep the excitement out of his voice, and you wince, knowing he’s about to be disappointed by the answer.

“You’re not going to like this, but if I have my way, you will never meet my mother,” Onceler says firmly. “She’s terrible. She was abusive to me, and I’m not going to give her a chance to do the same to you. I’m sorry, but please trust that I have your best interests in mind.”

“I get it,” Jack says, but he can’t quite keep the note of disappointment out of his tone. You agreed with Onceler though. You didn’t want that woman anywhere near your son. She didn’t know he existed, and you planned to keep it that way forever, if you could.

“But hey, enough about me. Why don’t you start telling me some things about you? What do you like to do?” Onceler asks, changing the topic to a lighter subject matter.

“Oh,” Jack says, clearly caught off guard. ‘Well, I like to play basketball. I’m on a team here, and hopefully we can play more people if the city opens up when the seed is planted.”

“Sports, huh?” Onceler laughs a bit. “Well, I’ll be at every game if you want me there, but I won’t pretend I know the first thing about basketball. I was never really a sports kid, I was always more into music.”

“I don’t not like music,” Jack says. “I like a lot of Mom’s old music, like Queen and Nirvana and David Bowie and things like that.” You can already imagine how thrilled Onceler will be to hear that. The two of you had bonded over music yourselves, and now it was also common ground he shared with Jack. 

Sure enough, he laughs a moment later. “You really are my son,” he says proudly. “I mostly listen to classic rock, though I do listen to modern day pop music so that I can learn it and annoy your mother with it because I know how much she loathes it.”

“Learn it?” Jack asks. “Do you play something?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I taught myself how to play guitar in high school,” Onceler admits. “I’m by no means an expert, like I said I’m totally self-taught, but I know the basics. There’s a couple Queen songs I can play.”

“Can you teach me?” Jack asks. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to play guitar but–” he cuts off very suddenly, making you feel a bit sick to your stomach. You knew where he was going with this. He’d asked for a guitar and lessons for his previous birthday, and it had been way too expensive for you to give it to him. You’d cried for days over it.

Luckily, Onceler doesn’t push the issue. “I’d have to go back to my old house and grab some things, but I can teach you what I know, of course,” he agrees easily.

“Awesome!” Jack cheers happily as you open your eyes quickly to take a glance at the time. Shit. If you didn’t get him out of the door soon, he was going to be late for school. As much as you didn’t want to stop this, you finally forced yourself out of bed and made your way towards the kitchen.

As you go down the hallway to your small kitchen area, you see Jack sitting on the counter, a bowl of cereal forgotten and uneaten next to him. Onceler has his back to the stove, facing the entrance, and sees you come in, making his face light up even further. “Morning, darling. Anything I can get you to eat?” he asks.

“I’m okay for right now,” you smile. Jack scrunches up his nose, acting like he’s disgusted, but you can tell he’s secretly pleased. While it’s certainly not a nuclear family you have, you wouldn’t change it for anything, and Jack is thrilled to not only have his dad in his life, but to have his parents back together.

And it’s to your son that you turn to next. “You need to hurry up if you’re going to make it to school on time,” you admonish gently. 

“Yeah, I know,” he grumbles. “Let me get dressed and eat, it’s all I have left to do,” he promises before he runs back to his room.

Onceler’s arms encircle your waist as soon as Jack’s door closes. “You guys have a good conversation?” you ask as you rest your head against his chest.

He doesn’t seem at all surprised that you were listening. “Yeah. I see what you mean. Besides the sports thing, he really is a lot like me. It makes me proud in ways I can’t even begin to describe. But there’s a lot of you in there, too. And things that are entirely his own.”

“He’s got so much life to live yet, and growing to do to come into himself even more,” you muse. “And we’ll get to be there for every second of it.” You spin in his arms and give him a quick kiss to start your day.

So next week we get the familiar return of angst. I'm debating between the first time Jack asks about his father, or their first family therapy session. One would be a lot longer, but the shorter one would be angstier. Let me know if you have a preference.