#some version of this is canon and you can’t convince me otherwise

[shadow-bagel]

cardan: I left a little note for you just because I love you so much!!

jude, holding up a four-inch thick binder:

[destiny-in-the-universe]

two down, another to go.

This is going to a mix of about 4-5 different prompts and it’s going to be very much a doozy, esp. because of the fandom choice. It’s extremely late, and I’m not expecting anyone to see this until sometime tomorrow, but the fandom oddly enough is Cars. As in the Pixar movie!

It’ll be an extremely niche reader group but oh fucking well. This is what I’m fixated on writing apparently. For some explanation, it follows the most alt canon to ever be written but it is implied to take place following the events of Cars 2! Lightning is still a racer and at the top of his game, though things take an unexpected, sudden turn in this - since I just like to be mean when it comes to my favorites lmao which includes this boy. Also! Keep in mind everyone is human.

I will say he gets to go through it and is loosely inspired by a great series on Ao3 which I will link later if I can find. It’s definitely becoming its own multi-chaptered work though I’ll cover that later since I’ve no idea if people will be interested in that!

Read below the cut for more information about the Cars whump prompt!

Whumptober Event

Following an alternative canon, Lightning McQueen has returned for another year of racing in order to win the latest Piston Cup, but when things take an unexpected turn for the worse - will he be able to pick himself back up again?

The characters are, of course, humanized. Timeline wise, it’s supposed to take place after Cars 2, but presumably before Cars 3. There are a few key differences from the canon franchise however.

Cars AU Headcanons

I am not incredibly mean, so despite that my love for angst, suffering, and whump - Doc Hudson is not dead. Also because I’m a complete sucker for Doc’s dynamic with Lightning McQueen, and is a huge part for the incoming series/whump writing event.

Mater is very much Not Straight. He doesn’t have a label on himself, but after breaking things off with Holley Shiftwell - he has begun catching feelings for a certain someone. We’ll get to this later!

Mater is also Extremely Autistic and ADHD. You can’t convince me otherwise, holy shit

Lightning McQueen is so ADHD. This is canon now. I make the rules!

Sarge and Fillmore are in a committed relationship, and have been ever since the 1960’s. This is not center to the au I’m working on, but it’s also going to be referenced so,

Doc Hudson has mobility issues and uses a cane to help him walk. His crash won’t be a main focus, but yes, the cane is a mobility aid due to scarring from the incident in his youth!

Hurt Lightning McQueen means adoptive parent Doc Hudson. This is all you’re getting!

Finn and Holley might not appear in this installation, but they’ll probably get referenced in some way!

Lightning is an orphan. It’s unclear what happened to his parents, so all the people he has are from Radiator Springs.

While it’s not a major focus in this version, and is more in the past, I am very much a Harv basher. Have fun with this!

I’ll expand on this universe later, but the short version - Lightning deals with the aftermath of an incident during a race and the road to recovery is far from easy; at least he has his found family to help every step of the way. In other words, I traumatize Lightning for my own whump serving purposes. I’ll be in touch!

[cto10121]

What are your thoughts on Tybalt? I knew before reading that he killed Mercutio and then was killed by Romeo so maybe i went in with some bias. But i wanted Tybalt dead as soon as he stepped on stage. No joke. The moment it said [enter TYBALT] and he started swinging his sword and talking smack i was like “Lord Jesus somebody stab him in the face rn.” This opinion never changes and is only furthered by his treatment of Benvalio in that scene as well as the Masquerade scene and the dual scene. But, i think if anyone could convince me of otherwise, it’d be you 🤭

Lol, I can try. Let me count the ways.

So I was, too, thinking about Tybalt, and I have come to the conclusion that his introduction may just be my favorite Shakespeare character introduction, no joke. I can hardly believe it myself, since Tybalt is such a minor character all things considered, but it’s true:

Tybalt: What, art thou drawn amongst these heartless hinds? Turn thee, Benvolio. Look upon thy death.

Tybalt also shows a modicum of wit when he criticizes Benvolio’s methods of keeping the peace. “What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word / As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.”

After that, though, Tybalt becomes more or less regulated to antagonistic catalyst. He does have some good rhyming couplets (“Patience perforce with willful choler meeting / Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting”). I’d say he is perhaps the most eloquent of Shakespeare’s hothead characters, except that he can’t stand against even Capulet’s bluster (“Why, uncle, ‘tis a shame” 😡 poor bby).

One thing Shakespeare is careful to denote, though, is his commitment to honor and the rules of dueling. He sends Romeo a letter of challenge. When Mercutio tries to antagonize him into a fight, he keeps his cool and doesn’t rise to his bait, but instead is focused on Romeo. When Romeo refuses to duel him, only then does he duel Mercutio instead. In a way, he is undone by his own curious integrity—Romeo dispatches him quickly through sheer rage.

That said, I do agree that Tybalt does get a lot of unjustified love, not just in the fandom but in productions. I’ve noticed that a lot of productions cast Tybalt with a much sexier actor than Romeo, despite the lack of canon evidence. Romeo of course is the much larger and more dynamic role, but I feel if you’re going to include sexy good looking actors, you should do it for all the youths (once again, the French musical is so superior for this). And then there is the anime version.

Like dude. Dude. Why did you go so hard on his design????

I think overall people are responding to the unrealized potential of his character—he does show charismatic flair at the beginning and quietly honorable instincts. And Shakespeare does show discipline and restraint in not rising to Mercutio’s bait. But yeah, most adaptations either go the Totally Evil Antagonist route (ew) or the tragically misunderstood/traumatized one (better, but just depends). You must be the first I’ve heard who disliked him immediately, but then I went into it not knowing he would kill Mercutio. So maybe that does make a difference.

[oddballwriter]

MH Guys w/ a Partner who Bakes

Summary: Similar to my version with the EveryManHybrid guys

Warnings: mentions of being burnt in Jay’s part

Relationship: romantic 💕

Author’s snip: Just wanted to let you guys know that Jay is canonically gay. This is on his character wiki if I’m not mistaken. There’s still no gendered pronouns but still wanted to bring that towards you guys’ attention.

Note: If y’all make that damn cheesecake joke y’all are getting the cinder block to the knee /hj

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy!

꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒷꒷꒦

Tim

He kinda doesn’t care but not in the rude way. It’s more that this hobby of yours doesn’t really affect him so why should he care?

He does think that it’s really nice if you make him a little something

If you ask him to help you bake he’ll be a little surprised

You want him to help you bake?

He’s never baked anything in his life before so he has no experience

He just does what you tell him but he’s a little nervous that he’ll do something wrong and mess up the recipe

Eventually he gets the hang of it and gets pretty comfortable with doing it though he prefers to do it with you

He might try to bake something on his own to give to you

It might not be too perfect, there might be a small egg shell piece in there but it’s the fact that he tried that matters

Brian

I feel like he bakes too

So you both actually bake together instead of just doing what you ask him to do

You know the thing about hiding the sugar so that you ask for sugar and then they give you a smooch?

Yeah he does that too, 100%, you can’t convince me otherwise

He would also call you some type of type of baked good like cookie or something dumb like that. Maybe even just call you sugar from time to time but he gives vibes that he goes for the one where he calls you a baked good

He will eat whatever you make because who doesn’t like the baked goods of their partner?

He will however tease a little and say something like “You need to stop baking so much, I’ll end up getting a cavity because of you”

He doesn’t really mind though because it’ll be worth it

Your treats are always worth it to him

Jay

“Oh cool”

He thinks it’s nice

He likes to watch you bake but doesn’t really wanna participate in it too much

He knows it’s a bit of a messy process and he knows that and doesn’t like that fact

However he will take a little taste of the batter when you are not looking

He will help a bit in the sense that if you need to monitor multiple things at a time he’ll watch over some stuff for you

Like if the batter or cream or whatever needs to be at a certain consistency or texture he will watch to see when it gets there and tells you

Also if you need to do something and might miss the timer going off then he’ll let you know that time is up and ask if you want him to turn off the oven for you

He’s kinda scared of taking the tray or pan out because he’s scared he’s gonna burn himself somehow even if he puts on mits

Alex

We’re gonna go with pre-mh events Alex for this so yeah

He thinks that he can master baking and doesn’t need a whole lot of help when helping you bake but he… yeah he definitely needs you to be there and monitor him a little

You can tell him that the instructions say to mix the batter till smooth and he’ll go “Okay” but then mix till it’s well mixed

He’ll be a bit flustered once you tell him that smooth and well mixed are different and apologize for messing it up

Tell him that it’s okay and that the final product will just be more airy than it usually should be

Alex likes your baking a lot and always asks if he can have some whenever he comes over

Tell him he can and that he can take some home please it will make him happy

[sablegear0]

Thinkin bout Dark Samus

I’m having Thoughts about Dark Samus so now you all have to hear them.

Specifically, I’m having thoughts about revising old fics and/or potential interactions between Dark Samus and Adam because of course I am. Headcanons ahoy under the cut. (This one got inordinately long, like four pages long, so brace yourselves.)

We don’t know what was going on in the GF Capitol during the Phazon Crisis. I’ve taken some guesses at it over the course of Electrochromic, but we don’t have any canon material. I imagine things were tense, obviously, knowing that the Space Pirates essentially had planet-killing weapons at their disposal.

I’ve toyed with concepts of what Adam might have been up to during this time (some of which may make it into EC/EC-adjacent pieces later), but one thing I’ve pondered over but never really been able to put into a fic is the possibility of Adam encountering some facet of Dark Samus.

I have a headcanon that any creature exposed to phazon radiation becomes connected to the “collective”/hivemind of Phaaze in some way. Only badly corrupted creatures become a part of the hivemind, but something as simple as a radiation burn can loosely connect a creature to other creatures who have been exposed to phazon. There have been no officially documented cases of “phazon sickness” among PED Marines, but I imagine exposure to the substance has caused a handful of unusual anecdotal symptoms. Afflicted troopers often feel as if they are being followed or watched. One extreme – and concerning, given the distance from the front lines – case involved a test trooper on Daiban hallucinating the presence of “a woman in black” observing his test along with the science team.

The Dark Hunter is curious and capricious. She likes to observe, but rarely appear or interact. She uses the network of both soldiers and victims the Pirate campaign accumulates to extend the reach of her perception. One version of the interaction with Adam I’ve pondered is him coming to be injured or otherwise exposed in a lab test (he’d be fine, of course, just a minor injury) and attracting the attention of the Dark Hunter. In some versions it’s just a mounting paranoia on Adam’s part – he knows something is present, observing or following him, there’s an unfamiliar figure in crowds and around corners. His peers chalk it up to stress; everyone is overworked because of the crisis, he’s shaken up from his injury and that trauma is affecting him, he just needs a break, to talk to someone. And they’re not wrong, and for a brief time Adam is convinced what he’s experiencing is just internal.

But Dark Samus (I want to give her a different name, I can’t imagine she would use this one for herself) doesn’t like to be ignored. Maybe her approach becomes more direct, maybe she starts to pick at the thoughts and memories of her new favourite thing to watch, push phrases into his mind, maybe she creates a more visible manifestation, even takes on a human-like form and speaks to him directly. I couldn’t decide.

But I want to know what these two would talk about, or clash about. Does Adam know what she is? Does she look like Samus, or can he make the connection? How does she feel about him? He’s interesting, certainly; a high-ranking officer in her enemy’s army, well-connected and highly capable and intelligent. Could she use him as a source of information, or is he merely a curiosity, a source of entertainment?

There’s another version of this scenario that I’ve been mulling over recently. Sort of a combination of a pair of fics I recently retired from DA. Part of me wants to rewrite them because their style is old and dated, and I feel like I could do a better job of them now with more material (both hc and canon) and experience to work from. I want to dig into Dark Samus on a personal level, which I tried to do a bit in the past, but I literally wrote that fic in my teens, so there wasn’t much emotional maturity or intrigue in it. Being just older and having existed more, I think I have more I can use a version of that fic to say (and maybe finish it this time).

And part of that is because I’ve been thinking about this interaction/scenario, and considering Dark Samus’s motivations and self more. What sort of instincts does a chimera like her have? What does a being with emergent sentience think like, what are her priorities and wants? This is where the sort of crossover and jamming Adam into the situation comes in.

His involvement begins when Samus is the last of the Hunters to lose control of themselves and turn against the GF (drawn from the other retired fic). Having some experience working with her, Adam is brought in to help/consult on what the heck to do with/about her. Through a series of contrivances where he comes into direct contact with Dark Samus, he negotiates a hostage trade – himself for Samus’s autonomy back – and is baffled when the Dark Hunter accepts.

Adam doesn’t see this as being terribly hazardous to him personally. Between his backup and training (despite not being psionic-sensitive, he’s been trained to identify and fend off psionic intrusion. Thanks Project Icarus.) he’s confident he’s both equipped to handle this, and disposable if absolutely necessary. His initial assumption is that the Dark Hunter sees him as a source of information more valuable than having one extra Hunter on hand, so it’s a fair trade. But over the course of his interactions with her he comes to realize that isn’t really the case. She doesn’t grill him for information or even really treat him as a prisoner – for the most part he’s stuck in her private quarters but it’s relatively comfortable otherwise. She treats him like a guest... almost like a companion.

The truth of it is that she finds him fascinating, not for what he knows but for who he is, how he functions. They’re not so different, she thinks.

I’ve been considering Dark Samus’s relationship to Phaaze. Phaaze isn’t evil, it can’t be, it’s just a superorganism that is driven to spread and reproduce, like any living thing. Dark Samus doesn’t take control of Phaaze so much as find a way to facilitate what it’s already meant to do, attaching the stolen Aurora Unit just gives Phaaze a nudge towards self-awareness and a direct interface with her. It can launch leviathans at targets instead of just at random, but it’s still very much the same self-perpetuating collective it always was. And of the two of them, Phaaze is the one in charge. Dark Samus helps it, guides it, but does not control it. And therein lies her perceived similarity to Adam. They’re both “middle management” – high up enough to lead, to be known and looked up to, even idolized by their subordinates, but both still obligated to the whims of a larger organization. In her case, the Phaaze collective, in his, the Galactic Federation as a whole.

What Dark Samus is interested in is how he performs and copes with his role. Adam comes to notice that when she isn’t out doing Evil Leader Stuff, Dark Samus just... sleeps. Or does nothing. She spends a lot of time resting, but it’s not because her position is all that strenuous. As they talk he comes to realize she sleeps so often because she’s bored. She doesn’t have any conception of what to do with herself when she’s not active. The only cultures she’s been exposed to are the Ing and Space Pirates, neither of which have any concept of “leisure activities” or “hobbies.” Pirates seldom make art, they don’t have a music culture, their sapient drive to create has been bred out of them in favour of aggressive or servile qualities. They’re just a step above a hivemind themselves, and when they’re not working, they’re sleeping. So Dark Samus thinks this is normal, even though she knows, deep down in the human parts of herself, that something about it is wrong.

She asks Adam what he does when he’s not working, she finds it fascinating, almost funny, that he’s in a similar position. He doesn’t have a very healthy work-life balance, not a lot of time for his hobbies because work wears him out, not a lot of friends because he tends to keep to himself. In a way, Dark Samus finds the minimal difference ideal. It would have hard for her to relate to someone more social, more creative, because the gap would simply be too wide. But Adam’s tentative step up from her utter inaction – and the depression it causes her slightly-too-human psyche – is a welcome education.

It’s such a novel experience the first time he plays music for her, dredging up a wonky keyboard patch to install on the console in her private cabin. (Yes this is a persistent headcanon.) He’s not even sure at first if she can parse music as something enjoyable or if it would just be noise for her. She tries to poke into his mind while he plays but he pushes her away; knowing what he’s feeling would be cheating, he wants her to listen and feel for herself. It’s rough, whatever he plays is all from memory and it’s not all there, but it’s good enough. When he asks her what she thought, she doesn’t respond much. She’s not sure, herself. It was so utterly alien to her. She asks him to play it again, and this time, he lets her sift through his thoughts while he does.

And this is where she finds something that truly captures her attention. The associated memories that surface when Adam plays – jamming with Ian, the sheer joy of making music with and for someone, the grief of losing him, of playing alone now that he can finally handle doing so. She realizes she’s never felt these feelings before. Joy and grief. Not alone, and never together. But she understands she could have, should have at times. But they’re new. She’s only ever felt self-satisfied: stealing from Pirates, freeing their metroids, taking over their systems, making them her own. There was never joy in that. She’s only ever felt angry: fighting and destroying, avenging her lesser kin, and herself, upon the Pirates or her rival-original. But there was no grief along with that. And now she knows there should have been. She should have taken pride and joy in her abilities, her wide-ranging explorations across impossible land- and space-scapes. She should have grieved the abuse and deaths of her brood-kin at the hands of the Pirates, perhaps even grieved her own deaths and transitions, the trauma she’s suffered.

There’s been a piece missing this whole time, and she hates it now that she knows what it is. Because it was a piece of that part of herself she most despises, that finnicky, sensitive human part. But it’s at the forefront, she owes her sense of self and her ambition to it, to forsake it would be going back to being just Metroid Prime; intelligent, but still just an animal a bit too clever for its own good. She comes to realize that some – not all, but a large some – of the discontent she feels is because that human part of her wants. It wants to be occupied, maybe even to create, it wants to socialize, maybe it wants friends, family – was that why it felt like such a good idea to bring metroids to Phaaze, did she hope to create other creatures like herself? That part of her likes this new human guest, too. Is it just because he’s male? Or because he seems so unafraid of her, treating her like an equal, letting her learn from him and holding so little back?

But... can she confide these thoughts in her new guest? Can she dare to consider him a “friend” in some capacity? Has he already figured her out? Is there a way to learn more without exposing too much vulnerability? Is there a way to do more without becoming distracted? She has her war to wage, Pirate Generals to appease with new targets and strategies. She can’t afford to go soft on them now. Not that her position is as perilous with them as it started out, they’re all well and loyal, but she can’t afford to lose ground to the Federation by diverting her attention.

Adam, on the other hand, does come to realize he’s exposed a soft spot here. But it comes with its own risks and conflicts. The idea of dissuading, or even flipping the Dark Hunter from her cause is incredibly tempting. But also... this is something he’s learned in confidence from an incredibly dangerous creature. She’s kept her abilities toned down around him to keep him safe, but her mere presence could be lethal to him, and making a move like that too obvious would not only risk his safety, but risk the Dark Hunter doubling down on her tour of destruction out of anger and spite.

Therein lies the appeal and the trouble I find in this situation. I want to explore this conflicted nature I believe exists in Dark Samus, and I’d like a human character to help facilitate that (or if I revive my DS-centric fic, some slightly more introspective Pirate characters). But I don’t like the idea of it being framed like someone, esp. a male character, “saving” her. At the same time, it seems extra tragic after all that introspection to have her decide that no, she doesn’t want to know that side of herself, and commit to burning it all down instead – destroying everything in her path so there’s nothing to tempt her to “go soft” again, so she can be lonely at the top and try to convince herself it’s fine.

But I crave that angst and introspective interaction, you know? Just like with Adam and Raven Beak, I think there’s some interesting parallels and contrasts that can be teased out of these characters interacting. Tbh, I just tend to gravitate to Adam bc he’s muh favourite, which means I have to jam difficult emotions into him whenever I’m not (and sometimes even when I am) putting him in mortal peril. Anyway thanks for reading, this one got way too long but I had to get it out of my head.

[dirtyvulture]

😎Ok so here is my explanation on why some of the lines from “ A MACTH INTO THE WATER” by Pierce the Veil are perfect for R and her feelings about old friend ( OF until given name) and even some about Nat. If you can’t tell I love and listen to a lot of music ( I have many songs line up that I can do explanations on why they are perfect for this character and her feelings about things , so if that interests you please let me know) but I will only be doing this song for now.

“ I kiss the scars on her skin , I still think your beautiful and I don’t ever want to lose my best friend” - explained how R felt before she lost OF and possibly how OF felt about her. OF was one of the only( or the only ) people who didn’t see R as a monster.

“ I screamed out “ GOD you vulture” , give her back or take me with her” - self explanatory and we already saw her reaction. R tried to “ take her self with” OF when OF died. She didn’t know about her healing factor or the extend of it at that time. She tried in a multitude of different ways.

“ She’s mine , you say away from her . It’s not her time” - This one is about Nat , R is screaming this at the RR and anyone who is after Nat. Nat is under HER PROTECTION ( maybe she wants Nat as hers or will want Nat but that isn’t something she will admit or let herself have easily) and R isn’t going to let Nat die on her like OF. Not until Nat is out of her charge ( she still thinks this is a temporary thing , why would anyone want to stay with R) or until Nat’s time ( old age).

“ Cause baby I am the one that haunts her dreams at night, until she’s satisfied” - This is OF to Nat and this could be taken one of two ways. One OF is kinda mournful and sad seeing how this had affected R and asking Nat to help her and make her “satisfied”. Make R happy and move on from the sadness, guilt and grief of OF’s death. Two OF is kinda cocky gloating like “ I am so far deep …. deeper than you ever could hope to be in R’s heart , mind , body and soul. She’s mine.” Either way it is obvious that OF haunts R’s dreams at night and her being “ satisfied” is a cycle of her not sleeping until she has to or is alone, and her coping mechanisms: drinking, smoking, getting laid and violence. I believe in the first mournful and sad reading of OF to Nat but like I said it can go either way.

It is also canon in the comics and you can’t convince me otherwise in the MCU that Nat has a version of the super soldier serum. Meaning she has the accelerated or advanced human healing ( just all the perks that Captain America has) and the serum has stopped Nat’s aging or at the very least slowed to it an absolute crawl. So a certain person with an unbeatable healing factor doesn’t have to worry about a certain redhead’s time ( old age) 👀.

I swear, every time I check my inbox I feel there's a new ask of yours I haven't seen already 😂 (not a complaint btw, just an observation)

At this point, I feel like R's old friend should remained unnamed with as little detail given as possible...so people like yourself can fill in the blanks with all the headcanons you imagine. :)

I was literally talking to @mostlymarvelsstuff in a semi-related discussion that even Movie!Nat definitely has some kind of super-soldier serum. All those stunts she pulled in the Black Widow movie where she walked away COMPLETELY UNHARMED were very suspicious indeed.

(But I'm sure if R were to develop feelings for Nat, she would feel a lot better if Nat either didn't age/aged very slow compared to the rest of the population 👀)

[twinkle-320]

Promise Me

One Shot:  Choices Prompt Story (Prompt found here)

Fandom:  The Royal Romance

Pairing:  Riley & Drake, Liam x Olivia, Riley & Liam (past/friendship)

Rating:  MA

Warnings:  Grief, mentions of death

Word Count: 2275

A/N:  This is set 4 years after my canon compliant series, ‘Not Quite Cinderella’ and is sort of a ‘What if’ Riley didn’t stay after the end of Book 2.  It can be read as a stand alone, but just things to know from the series: 1) Riley’s given name is Emily, she changed it at 18, 2) Riley’s mom passed away a year before the social season so Riley was still processing her grief on the one-year anniversary that occurred during their time at Applewood in my series.

A/N 2:  First person is not my usual style so...hope it’s okay :) and please forgive any errors (grammatical, tense, etc.)

My Other Stuff:  Masterlist

Prompt Tags: @choicesprompts

Taglist: @ladyangel70 @gkittylove99 @lovingchoices14 @petiteboheme @kingliam2019 @differenttyphoonwerewolf @walkerdrakewalker​ @alyshak92​

The cool wind pushes my hair back as I walk along the familiar path, every step taking me deeper into the past. It’s been years since I’ve been here; everything is different.

Everything is the same.

I’m not paying attention to the present as I walk, I’m too lost in memories of long ago. That’s why I don’t notice the person walking towards me until I hear a familiar voice call my name.

I freeze. It can’t be. What are the odds?

I lift my head as my eyes dart wildly around before finally landing on a face I’d recognize anywhere, even now.

“It’s you.”

“Liam?”  I blink my eyes rapidly; I must be dreaming.  That is the only rational explanation for the King of Cordonia to be standing in the middle of a cemetery in Hill Heights, Pennsylvania.  Glancing around, I look to see if anyone else is with him but I see no one, not even the usual security that follows him around.  I know who I’m really looking for…so does he.  “Wha…what are you doing here?”

A gentle smile crosses his face.  I’m further thrown by his demeanor, increasingly convinced that this is all a figment of my imagination.  Gone is his usual polished persona as he casually slips his hands in the pockets of his designer jeans and chuckles.  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Well…this would be the place for it,” I quip.

Liam looks down toward the stone at my feet where my mother’s name is etched before tentatively taking a step towards me and wrapping me in his arms.  “I’m here…I’m real.”

“But you haven’t told me why,” I sigh into his chest.

“I needed to see you. Things were…”  Pulling back, he looks down at me and I see the haze of sadness in his otherwise crystal blue eyes.  “…rather unsettled when you left.”

My breath catches in my throat as I gasp.  “Liam, that was…that was four years ago!  And I…told you everything.”

Liam nods.  “Can we…can we sit?” he asks, gesturing to a nearby memorial bench.  “Let’s talk.”

“Ok.”  I feel his hand land on the small of my back and I quicken my step to put some distance between us.  There was a time when I would have relished in his touch, but that time had long since passed.

We sit and his gaze lingers toward the memorial garden we just came from.  “You chose beautiful flowers.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “But I don’t think you came all the way from Cordonia to talk about the flowers I leave on my mother’s grave.”

“No…no, I didn’t.  I came to talk about what happened.”

“That’s very…broad,” I counter.  “I’m not sure what more there is to say, Liam.  I tried to give us closure.”

“You did,” he agrees.

“So, you…you moved on? Married?” I ask curiously.

“Not a follower of world news?” he jests.

“I’ve been trying to put Cordonia behind me, Liam, so…no, I haven’t kept up on the latest news.”

“I see.  Well,” he says, as another smile twitches at his lips.   It’s genuine…I can see he’s happy which confuses me all the more, because I can feel the sadness lingering in his presence.  “I can give you the condensed version, if you’d like?”

His eyes search my face and I’m certain he can see my hesitance.  I nod my head for him to continue, saying a silent prayer that nothing he says will break my already fragile heart.

“Okay, then,” he continues.  “Cordonia has had some tumultuous times in recent years, but we have had our share of happiness as well.  During the period in which I remained unmarried after breaking my engagement to Madeline, the monarchy came under attack by people seeking to overthrow me…”

“Oh my god, Liam,” I gasp, “I am so sorry.  I had…I had no idea you’d face anything like that when I…”

Liam places his hand gently over mine, calming me.  “No one could have known.  I don’t blame you, Riley.  I could have married quickly, but…but thanks to you, I still believed that I had a chance to marry for love.”

“That…seems like an odd thing to say to the woman who turned down your proposal,” I retort, quirking an eyebrow.

“Yes, well…it was something you said that night.  You told me that, often the ones that have the most difficulty expressing their love have the capacity to feel it the deepest.”

And there it was…I felt my heart clinch in my chest as the new crack formed.  “I did say that, didn’t I?”

“You did…and that gave me the ability to see certain people in a new light.  Sadly, we lost my father during that time in one of the attacks on the palace…” he says, his smile fading as he looks again toward my mother’s grave.

My hand flies to my mouth. “Oh Liam…”

“It’s okay…I’m okay, I assure you.  I have had my time to grieve.  My father died saving me and I am sure he preferred it that way as opposed to letting the cancer take him.  There is small comfort in that…his last act of love for me.  But during those difficult times, there was one person who was there for me above all else…one person who dared not speak their love but showed it endlessly in actions and…in allowing her to guide me through my grief, I realized that I had perhaps loved her since I guided her through her own…”

“Olivia?” I smile.

With just her name, Liam lights up with happiness and I know I’m right before he even nods.

“Yes…Olivia.  We married about a year after you left. Prince Fabian was born about 10 months after that and…Princess Emily will be born any day now…”  He trails off and despite his expression and happy news, I can still feel the weight of sadness looming over us.

Tears spring to my eyes. “Emily?  You’re…you’re naming her after me?”

Liam wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me close.  “Of course we are…your true given name, to honor you and the woman who raised you to be who you are,” he says, smiling out toward the garden.  “My Queen is a proud woman, and would never admit it to anyone but me, and perhaps you, but she knows the part you played in bringing us together.  We would not have what we have if not for you and your courage.”

“Courage?” I scoff.  “I did nothing courageous.”

“It took courage to be honest, Riley.  Others in your position may have set their feelings aside and married me for the Crown and the title.  You followed your heart and set me free to follow mine.”

“And look where it got me,” I say, wiping at my tears in frustration.

“Which brings us back to why I am here…” he says.  Reaching out, he gently cups my chin and turns me to face him.  “You left.”

“Thank you Captain Obvious,” I jest, trying to lighten the mood.

“Riley…don’t deflect.”

I gently take his hand from my chin and hold it in my lap.  “I don’t want to talk about it, Liam.”

“But we must.  I need to understand.”

“Why?  You said it yourself, you ended up where you belong so there is nothing to understand.”

“I may have ended up where I belong, but my two dearest friends didn’t…” he says.  “That night was very…difficult for me, but…I found peace in knowing that my momentary pain would lead to you and Drake having the happiness that you deserve…”

My whole body tenses at just the sound of his name.  “Liam, please…”

“Riley, I’m sorry this is hard for you, but I just need to know what happened.”

“Then ask him…” I sneer, not even attempting to hide the bitterness in my tone.

“He loved you,” Liam says gently.

I nod as the tears once again slide down my cold, chapped cheeks.  “Yes, he did.”

“But you left anyway…” he prods.

“I had to, Liam.”

“Why?”

I sigh, trying to find the words to explain to him the very thing I hadn’t been able to explain to myself for four years.  “Because…because he loved me, but he didn’t love himself.  The universe played it’s cruelest trick…I met the right person at the wrong time.”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Liam…you know as well as I do that Drake and I didn’t fall in love under ‘normal’ circumstances.  He fell for me while I was still a suitor for you, and he hated himself for it.  And I…I returned his feelings during the season and finally allowed myself to fully fall during the tour, knowing what you hoped for at the end of it all, and he blamed himself for that too.  Drake doesn’t see himself the way we see him; he sees himself as the bad guy.  In his mind, he destroys everything he touches and fails everyone he loves…he felt that way about Savannah, about you, and ultimately about me.  So, after I turned down your proposal, I went to him and told him that I loved him, that I chose him, and that I was moving to Cordonia to be with him but he…”  My body begins to shake with sobs as all the pain I’ve shoved down for four years starts rushing back.  “…he decided that since it was inevitable…he’d ruin us before we ever even had a chance.  That’s why I stayed in New York when the court left…he told me he couldn’t be with me.”

“You just…accepted it?”

I shrug.  “Not really.  I told him that I believed in us…I believed that one day, we would find each other again and just know that the timing was…right.  I told him that I’d always love him, and I asked him to promise me…to prom…” I choke on the words as I gasp for breath through my sobs.

“To promise you that if he still loved you in five years, he’d come tell you.”

My entire body startles with shock and all I can do is stare as the tears continue to pour from my eyes. “H..h…how, how did you know that?” I ask in a shaky breath.

“He told me,” Liam replies pulling me close and holding me as my tears stain his coat.  “Did you keep up your end of the bargain?  Do you still love him?”

“With all my heart,” I breathe.

“Would you go back?”

I nod.  “If he comes for me…if he asks me to…yes, in heartbeat,” I reply.  I am as sure that I love him now, as I was then.  I just needed him to be ready for me.  “I’ve prayed every day that it wouldn’t take him five years to choose me.”

“It didn’t take him five years…he’s been here, in this very spot on this very day, every year for the last three years…”

“No…no he hasn’t.  He couldn’t have been…how would he have known?”

“You told him during the social season…on the first anniversary of your mother’s death…you told him about the pact you made with your brother to come here on this day every year because you were so upset to be missing it already the first year…”

I think back and realize he’s right.  I was a wreck at Applewood as the anniversary approached, and Drake was there for me, supporting me through it all.  It meant the world to me and was among the many things that made me fall in love with him. “He remembered…” I cry.

I feel Liam nod against the top of my head.  “Yes, he remembered.  We never knew where you ended up when you chose to stay behind in New York, but Drake knew that when the time was right, he’d know where to find you.”

“But, I never saw him…”

“Riley, he chose you the minute you left, but he wanted to make something of himself first.  He came each year, simply to see you, to be near you…”

“I didn’t need him to make something of himself, I…I just needed him.”

“But you said it, he needed to love himself, and he…he was getting there.”

“Was?” I ask, searching his face as a feeling of dread settles in my stomach.  “Li…Liam, wh…why…if he’s been coming every year…wh…why are you here today?”

I’ve felt it lingering since the moment I saw him but my stomach flips in knots as I watch the normally stoic King fail to mask the sadness in his eyes.  It’s a deep, profound sadness, not easily hidden, even for someone so trained.  “Drake…made me promise to come if there was ever a time he could not.”

I jump to my feet.  “NO!”  I take off across the memorial garden on shaky legs.  “I don’t want to hear any more,” I cry.

“Riley, wait…” Liam runs after me, catching me just as I come to a stop at my mother’s headstone.

“Please, god, no…please, mom, don’t…don’t let him say it…” I cry, just barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry, Riley…I’m so sorry…he…he saved my wife’s life, my daughter’s life…but…”

I don’t even recognize the primal sounds coming from my own lips as my legs give out.  Crumpled on the ground, I clutch the headstone, pleading and wailing.  Liam kneels beside me and takes me in his arms.

“I need you to come back with me…” he weeps, “He can’t ask you, but I’m asking.  I…I need you to save him…”

My head snaps up as I gasp for breath, trying to speak.  “H…he…he…”

“He’s holding on, but barely,” Liam cries.  “Please…please Riley, come back with me.”

[samspenandsword]

The Coffee House: Commander Fox/Reader (Fem)

Summary: You own a coffee house on Coruscant famed for its especially strong and rare brews. One day, you find yourself meeting the Marshal Commander for the Coruscant Guard.  Pairing: Commander Fox/Reader; fem!reader with no mentions of her appearance.  Rating: GEN — SFW (series will eventually be rated Explicit, 18+) Warnings: None - mentions of caffeine addiction, light fluff and feelings, tiny mention of horniness (bc it’s FOX people) Word Count: 1.2k

Part 2

Inspiration for Fox’s appearance taken from @amikoroyaiart​ because her version of Fox is canon and you can’t convince me otherwise :)

There was nothing quite like the smell of freshly brewed coffee. You took in a deep breath, the scent filling you with a joy like nothing else. To be perfectly honest, you were probably addicted to caffeine. Okay, you were definitely addicted to caffeine. And you were definitely a bit of a snob when it came to your coffee. But to be perfectly honest, you loved it all. Hot, strong, iced, cold brew, espresso, sweet, creamy, black. That was why you had opened your own coffee house on Coruscant. 

You served good coffee. Straight up. You ordered and shipped in coffee from your homeworld Yavin 4, where the tropical environment was perfect for growing premium coffee beans. You had a good variety, but your coffee house was known for its premium roasts and blends. And its strong roasts and blends. 

Your place had been open for about five years now, from before the outbreak of the war. And it had only become more popular since then. The majority of your clientele, pre-war, had been simple civilians and the occasional politician or even a Jedi or two. But now, with each passing month, you found more and more clones frequenting your coffee house. 

And you welcomed them with open arms. 

Those boys had raging caffeine addictions that rivaled even yours. And if you weren’t already so impressed by them, that would’ve done it. Those boys, barely grown and kitted out to the nines, who came stumbling into your coffee house and spent what little credits they had trying to get some decent breakfast and caf before they shipped out again, potentially to never come back. You were endlessly fond of them. 

Speaking of... 

“Beanie!”

A grin lit your face at the nickname as well as the sight of familiar red armor. The vibrant red and white of the Coruscant Guard had become quite a regular sight for you. And those Corrie boys could not survive without their morning caf. You had their orders memorized, even if you’d never met them. More often than not, one or two of them would show up and leave with an armful of orders. And though you would never admit it, you had a bit of a soft spot for these boys. Sure, they may not have been on the front lines, but they were fighting a war of a different kind. An arguably more dangerous one. Personally, you’d go insane if you had to deal with corrupt senators and rich, entitled civilians all the time.

“Good morning, Thorn,” you chirped. “You sound very energetic this morning.”

You could tell by the tilt of his bucket that Thorn was smiling. Members of the Coruscant Guard technically weren’t allowed to remove their helmets in the presence of civilians. There were some exceptions, like in restaurants, cafes, cantinas. Or if they were off-duty. But you knew that Thorn wouldn’t be staying this morning. 

You had set up a row of cubbies along one of the walls of your coffee house for troopers who came in who didn’t want to keep their armor on. Though it had taken a while for him to feel comfortable enough in your coffee house, Thorn was one of the ones who relished at the opportunity to shuck the plastoid. 

So you knew, when he didn’t even remove his bucket, that this would be a to-go order.

“The usual?” you asked, already grabbing the cups and pen. 

Thorn nodded. “No rush.”

You smiled, ringing it up.

You always took delight in creating little doodles for each of the boys on their cups. For Thorn, you gave him a little rose flower. Hound got himself a little cartoon massif. Stone always got himself a little gemstone. And you always drew a blaster rifle for Thire, knowing he preferred his rifle over simple blaster pistols.

You came to the last cup, sticking your tongue out a little as you doodled a little fox. 

You poured the coffee, sealed the cups, and set them all in a tray for Thorn. When you looked up, he had been joined by a second clone. One you didn’t recognize.

He was obviously another member of the Coruscant Guard judging by his colors. But rather than wearing white armor with red accents, his armor was mostly red with white accents. Like Thorn, he wore kamas and a visor, marking his higher rank. A commander, probably. 

But when you saw the way Thorn deferred to this clone, you felt yourself halt.

His bucket turned towards you.

“Order’s up, Thorn.”

Thorn turned around, reaching out to take the tray. You inclined your head towards the second clone.

“Good morning, Commander.”

You’d never actually met Commander Fox before now, but you’d heard plenty from his brothers. You’d always sort of quietly admired the man. He definitely didn’t have an easy job. But he also, like you, drank your strongest coffee blend. 

You liked him for that fact alone. 

It was a special blend, the strongest stuff in-house. You’d created it yourself from a mix of beans and roasting methods. You’d even experimented with brewing methods, perfecting the recipe until it was a seamless blend of velvety flavors and an unreasonable amount of caffeine.

So it wasn’t exactly for the faint of heart. 

Naturally, it was your favorite. Commander Fox had always only ordered it as well. 

You watched as Commander Fox reached out for the cup with your fox doodle. With one hand, he tore the bucket off his head, then raised the cup to his lips and downed the coffee in one. 

You and Thorn stared. 

Fox slammed the cup down, and you found yourself stunned. You didn’t think you were supposed to find the sight of a man chugging coffee attractive, but here you were, both unreasonably flustered and turned on. 

Also mildly worried.

“Refill, Commander?”

“Please.”

You watched Fox from the corner of your eye as you refilled his cup. He had wonderful hair, with black curls falling in front of his eyes and grey flecking the strands at his temples. He looked tired, but he was, like all clones, unfairly handsome, and you felt warm for a reason beyond the steam rising from the coffee pots and percolators. 

Thorn shuddered as you handed the refill to Fox. “How can you two drink that rotgut?”

You gripped your own mug and smirked behind the rim. “The caffeine addiction helps.” 

You couldn’t see it, but you knew Thorn was smiling. He looked at Fox. “Commander, this is Beanie. The only person in the whole galaxy who drinks more caf than you.”

You smiled angelically, batting your eyelashes. 

Fox raised an eyebrow, sipping his caf. “Beanie?”

You smiled and nodded. Beanie. That was the nickname the boys had given you a while back. Because you always smelled like coffee beans. “I like it.”

“Of course you do,” Thorn preened. “It came from me.”

“It did not.”

You could hear Thorn’s pout. “You could pretend.”

You giggled. “Nice try, Thorn. But you know my heart is taken.”

He shook his head. “I swear, Beanie, you’d marry coffee if it were possible.”

You winked. 

But Fox was merely looking at you, still thinking of your nickname. With a simple nod, he said, “It suits you.”

And you proceeded to blush very prettily.

Before the boys left, and before Fox’s face disappeared behind his bucket, you could’ve sworn you’d seen him smiling a little. 

Biting your lip, you decided you definitely liked Commander Fox. And you couldn’t help but eagerly anticipate the next time he came to your coffee house. 

[rollercoasterwords]

heyyy! rereading atyd sirius pov I wanted to ask you why did you make dumbledore tell sirius that remus was the spy? in the original I never got the sense that dumbledore didn’t trust remus, given that him and moody still gave remus important missions. I thought that Sirius came to the conclusion that Remus was the spy on his own bc he was paranoid

i loooooved the fic btw! i’m still rereading it constantly

hi!! sorry it’s taken me a bit to answer this because i saw it and was like “oh boy THAT’S gonna turn into an essay.” so here we go! (this is truly so fucking long jfc i’m sorry)

ok so i spent...probably too much time thinking about what was going on inside sirius’s head during the war and what could have led to him suspecting remus -- obviously, there are lots of ways to interpret it, so this is all just my interpretation and you can feel free to disagree/think otherwise! but my thinking was along the lines of

1. an extremely important part of sirius’s character is his loyalty to those he loves. i think this loyalty becomes sort of a character flaw sometimes, in that it doesn’t allow him to let go of people even if he should -- and i tried to bring that out throughout the fic in relation to his family. even when his mother essentially tortures him with lacero in the summer of 1975, he still goes home for christmas thinking ‘my parents would never REALLY hurt me, because they’re my parents.’ like, he isn’t consciously loyal to them per se, but he can’t let go of this idea that your family isn’t supposed to hurt you until he’s literally at risk of death. and then, same thing with regulus--even though, from sirius’s perspective, there’s all this evidence that his brother has basically thrown in his lot with their parents, he still can’t let go of that loyalty he feels until reg literally screams at him to fuck off--and even after that he has these really complicated feelings surrounding his brother and still has this sense of disbelief that reg could actually be a bad person, again, despite all evidence to the contrary.

2. okay, so there needs to be a catalyst -- some sort of moment where sirius experiences a fundamental shift in worldview, where he’s forced to confront or reckon with this really deep-rooted loyalty that he so often finds himself tangled in. i knew going into the war chapters that, for me, that moment was going to be his brother’s death. in the mkb canon, it’s after his brother’s death that he and remus basically stop talking about the war, so i felt like the groundwork was already there for an important shift. what i was trying to portray with my version of sirius’s reaction was that, essentially, sirius is completely unable to cope with his brother’s death. the grief is so big that he can’t touch it--he just represses it, but the only way to do that is to try and convince himself that he doesn’t care, and the only way to do that is to tell himself that reg was a bad person who deserved what he got. sirius doesn’t truly believe that, but he has to try and convince himself that he does anyway, because it’s the only way he’s able to cope with what happened. so his brother’s death creates this shift in worldview where sirius basically realizes: the people i love can be capable of evil, and there’s nothing i can do about it. like -- he’s forced to reckon with the fact that he cannot stop the people he loves from doing terrible things, and he can’t stop the consequences they might face thanks to the terrible things they do. 

so at this point, we get to a situation where sirius is now more on guard than he was before, where he isn’t quite as trusting of the people he loves because he is now actively repressing that instinct towards blind loyalty. at this point, i felt like it made sense to start writing in growing doubts and suspicions regarding remus’s behavior. i tried to highlight the parallel between remus and regulus in sirius’s thinking to help explain these doubts, too -- i think sirius, in an effort to understand remus, would relate a lot of the stuff with the werewolves to things with his own family. like, i think sirius’s thinking was sort of along the lines of, ‘we both have these evil ~families~ that we’re tied to through no fault of our own, and we both just need to reject them and show people we’re not the same as them.’ obviously, this isn’t really an accurate parallel; remus doesn’t need to reject all werewolves, and even though greyback is evil, it’s not the same situation as the black family -- i think this faulty relation is what leads to a lot of hurt and misunderstanding when remus doesn’t just flat-out reject greyback’s pack and people like livia, who sirius views at this point as unequivocally evil.

so now we finally get to spring of 1981, where tension is running high all around and nobody is really trusting each other like they used to. sirius is having these doubts about remus, and then james gets hurt, and suddenly it seems certain there’s a spy in their midst. i got to this point of writing, and found myself at a crossroads that i wasn’t entirely sure what to do with.

on the one hand, i could have written sirius reaching the conclusion that remus is the spy on his own. i think that...might have worked. and i think (at this point i don’t entirely remember lol) that that was what i was originally planning? but when i actually got to that point, it just...didn’t feel quite right to me. 

because the thing is, even though we’re at this point where sirius has all these doubts, and he knows the people he loves can do terrible things, i had still written him as a character who had this loyalty to the people he loves at his core. like, with reg, i’d written him repressing his conviction that his brother was somehow a good person, but the conviction was still there, y’know? so i just didn’t see a way for him to genuinely believe that remus was capable of being the spy on his own--i think he’d have all these doubts, and this more paranoid side of his brain that was like you shouldn’t be trusting remus, there are all these weird things happening, look at what happened with reg. but i’d written him as being just so...like...in love with remus that i felt like i had created a situation where it wasn’t really plausible for sirius to make the switch into thinking remus was the spy on his own. 

so...dumbledore. 

now, for me, the dumbledore stuff as i wrote it could be interpreted in one of two ways, and honestly both make sense to me; i wrote it intentionally with these two possible interpretations in mind.

1. dumbledore genuinely suspected that remus was the spy after what happened with james, because it seemed as though he was the only ‘outside’ person who knew where they would all be. plus, dumbledore really did have remus doing important prophecy research--i think it makes sense that he could find that suspicious, in hindsight. however, the keyword here is suspected, because i think even if dumbledore was suspicious he still wouldn’t want to let on that he thought remus might be the spy--he’d want to continue as normal and wait for remus to slip up, or try to catch him somehow. i get the point about missions, but honestly, i don’t think remus was actually doing a ton of like...really important work for the Order after spring 1981. like we don’t really hear about him having any crucial missions until he gets sent to see the werewolves, and i tried to kind of address that with sirius’s thoughts in that chapter -- he asks himself if this is some sort of loyalty test for remus, or just an excuse to get him out of the way for a while. honestly, i think it could have been either, if we’re going with the interpretation that dumbledore suspects remus of being the spy.

2. dumbledore was pulling the strings all along. if you’re a dumbledore-was-behind-everything-theorist, this one’s for you. in this interpretation, dumbledore understands from the prophecy that there’s going to need to be a ‘chosen one’ to ultimately defeat voldemort, and he intentionally sets out to create that chosen one. he knows a love sacrifice will make harry invulnerable, which means lily and james have to die; he knows peter is the spy; he knows there are basically three options for who james would make secret keeper if he goes into hiding. he gets rid of remus by convincing sirius that remus is the spy, then he gets sirius to doubt himself enough to make sure that it’s peter. he gets to test his theory when voldemort attacks lily and james; he weakens voldemort exponentially and gets unimpeded access to shape his chosen one however he wishes in one fell swoop. is this interpretation a bit of a stretch? maybe. but it sure is fun! 

either way, i think dumbledore’s manipulation would be the catalyst needed to get sirius to try and convince himself that remus was the spy. again, i wrote it to sort of parallel his response to his brother’s death -- he represses what he actually feels, and forces himself to think the thing that he thinks will help him survive. so, with remus, i don’t think sirius ever truly believed he was the spy, like at the core of himself i just don’t think he had it in him to believe that. BUT he’s in this situation where he’s desperate to protect james and harry and lily, and he has all these lingering doubts that have built up, and now here’s dumbledore basically telling him that not only can he not trust remus, but he can’t trust himself--and for me, that was what was needed to push him over the edge. 

TL;DR - with the way i’d characterized sirius, i didn’t think it was plausible for him to fully believe that remus was the spy without some outside catalyst, and it made sense to me that dumbledore would be that catalyst!

[maximoff-pan]

l’amore de ma vie | fred weasley

Summary: When Fred invites you to Bill and Fleur’s wedding, your feelings for your best friend are stronger than ever before. What happens when you realize just how much you love him?

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2.8k

Warnings: Fluff...i-is that a warning?? Anyway buckle up for some sickly sweet goodness....

A/n: I know, I’m terrible. It’s been a little while longer than I’d intended but I hope this makes up for it! Feedback is very very much appreciated! I love seeing what all of you think of my writing! Without further rambling from me....enjoy!

Sidenote: This is a total AU. It completely deviates from canon, as Bill and Fleur’s wedding goes smoothly in this version. No violence here haha...only happiness! (I guess what I’m trying to say is, in no way shape or form is this an accurate recollection of the books, this is purely from my imagination...)

• • • • •

“Fucking weddings...” you mutter as you walk through the massive white tent that adorns the front lawn of the Weasley residence. Everything is perfectly displayed, tables meticulously set, with delicate flowers littering the venue.

The romance of it all makes you want to throw yourself into Bill and Fleur’s masterfully crafted, six-tier cake. And watching as Molly rushes in and out swiftly with the brightest smile on her face, it all reminds you of how you should be getting ready right now. But you just can’t stomach that.

It’s not that you’re not happy for Bill....you’re ecstatic and you absolutely adore him. He’s been a role model for you almost your entire life. And it’s not like you’re not an absolute romantic, because you are...but weddings always make things complicated. They manage to dig up feelings that you’d rather not confront.

Feelings for a certain Weasley twin...

That’s why when he (said twin) and George invited you to the wedding, you were reluctant to say yes. It’s hard to pin point exactly when you felt your friendship with Fred (at least on your end), morph into something more, but you’ve managed to keep your feelings for him locked away for the better part of four years. And as far as you’re aware, the only person that’s truly caught on is Hermione...because you’re convinced at this point that she just knows damn well everything.

“Something on your mind?” A voice startles you, bringing your attention back to the bustling world surrounding you.

Turning around slowly, you’re greeted with Bill’s towering figure. You huff out a quick, teasing laugh. “You know, it’s not nice to interrupt a lady’s thoughts.”

“Forgive me,” he chimes with a chuckle of his own.

Bill knows your humour, and he knows you well enough to recognize when you’re using it as a defence mechanism.

“It just looks like you’re about ready to make a run for it,” he continues, “and I wanted to make sure my favourite guest doesn’t ditch me on my wedding day.”

“You know I would never ditch you.”

Bill sends you a look, clearly not impressed by your jokes. You can tell he knows something’s wrong, but you don’t want to be the first one to bring it up.

“I’m fine.” You reassure with a soft smile. “I promise.”

He only nods at you, and he’s not quite sure if he’s convinced, but he’s confident things will work out in the end. “You know, I best be getting ready.” He grins wide. You reciprocate his grin with an additional giggle.

“You best be. Or else Fleur might divorce you on the spot.”

“Wouldn’t that be a shame.” Bill shifts his weight from foot to foot. “I’d have the record for the shortest marriage in wizarding history! Mum would have an absolute shit fit.”

You both burst into a fit of laughter, before you’re nudging him out of the tent and towards his home.

There’s a comfortable pause of silence as Bill thinks to himself. He can see it in your eyes exactly what you’re thinking about. Having been around you for years and Fred even longer, and watching the two of you grow up together, he knows what’s troubling you. Bill Weasley is not a stupid man, and he knows love when he sees it. Better yet, he knows the fear of losing that love that runs rampant in your mind. If Bill has learned anything in his years on this earth, it’s that love allows for the greatest of happiness but it also allows for the greatest manifestation of fear. Unrequited love can be more painful than the relief of returned feelings, but Bill Weasley knows you both well enough to know that these feelings you and his brother share, they’re anything but unrequited.

“I should probably be getting ready too.” You break the silence and remind yourself of the upcoming event as you step through the front door of the Burrow.

You both turn to each other, acknowledging your parting of ways. You hear Arthur shouting for his oldest son from above. “I guess that’s my cue.” Bill simply nods in the direction of the staircase, taking a step towards it. You stand still, just watching him for a moment.

He leans his head over his shoulder for a brief second, already a few steps up the winding stairs. “Oh and (Y/n),” he breathes, “my brother may be an oblivious twat, but to give him some credit, I see the way he looks at you, and I’d be blind to say he isn’t in love with you too.”

In love with you too....

And as soon he’s said it, the cheeky bastard’s disappeared up the stairs, leaving you dumbfounded and completely still.

Fucking hell. Your mind wanders, his words at the forefront....so apparently Bill knows and surely if Bill knows, George must too. Are your feelings for Fred that obvious?

• • • • •

You step through the doorway to Fred and George’s room hoping to find a certain twin. You spot him sitting cross legged on his bed, fiddling with a prototype for the shop that you’re sure you’ve seen him working on before. His ginger hair is messily in his face, his tongue sticking out in concentration. He’s the picture of a working artist....pranking materials being his art. You heave a sigh. Like you, he’s nowhere near ready for the wedding that is going to take place in a few hours.

“Do you know?” His head whips up at the sound of your voice. It’s such a vague question, one in which a normal person would question what it itself is in relation to, but George knows exactly what you’re getting at. But maybe he’ll screw with you a little first....

“I know lots of things love. You’re going to have to be more specific.”

A groan passes your lips. Maybe he doesn’t know....but the way his lips are turned upward, the smirk that seems to be growing on his face tells you otherwise. You’re not blind; you know the games George Weasley likes to play.

“Don’t be coy asshole.” You send him a look that says ‘try me.’ “I know you know. My question is, why haven’t you told me that you know?”

“I haven’t a clue what you mean.” He continues testing the waters of your frustration, seeing just how far he can go before you snap.

“Oh fuck me!” You exclaim, hands thrown up in the air. You point at him, eyes narrowing in his direction. “You’re a prick George.”

His grin only widens. “I’m pretty sure you’ve got the wrong twin (Y/n). Last time I checked, Freddie’s the one you want to fuck.” He says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

And....Bingo. There it is. The exact confirmation you wanted and feared.

You recoil, eyes widening at him. Your voice goes soft, serious. “Why didn’t you tell me that you knew?”

His warm eyes meet yours, a calmness to them that is surprisingly reassuring. “I’ve made a living out of not taking things seriously and meddling in other people’s lives (Y/n), but what you and Fred have, I won’t meddle in that.” He pauses for a moment, his voice softening. “It’s not my business to push you two together. You’ll realize it at your own pace.”

“Realize what at your own pace?” Fred leans his body against the doorframe. He’s dressed in a suit, his hair done up nicely, and unlike his twin, he looks entirely put together. The irony almost makes you laugh. You’ve always known George to be the prepared one, ready hours before he needed to be. And Fred a scambler, leaving everything to the last second, to be fashionably late was his life motto.

“Just how stupid the two of you are going to look all dressed up with no dates.” George answers for you, keeping the true nature of your conversation a secret. “Even Ginny’s managed to catch the chosen one.”

You huff out a laugh. “You’re an idiot.”

“Ah,” George muses. “But I am an idiot with a date.”

Fred grins at the two of you and your banter. “Angelina’s better off without you as her date.” He jokes.

A laugh passes your throat, Fred joining in with you. “Oh, sod off!” George pipes before shoving the two of you out to get ready.

• • • • •

Hours later you find yourself ready on time, a shocking revelation to you and each of the Weasley’s. And George is too. He sits beside you grinning like a mad man. Fred is on your other side, smiling all the same.

The ceremony is wonderful and quaint. You knew the moment you saw Fleur all those years ago, just how beautiful she was, but you never could have imagined just how much you’d grow to think of her like a sister. And it’s funny because you’re neither a Delacour nor a Weasley, and yet you feel like you belong. It’s different from the love you know Harry and Hermione feel for the Weasley’s, because ultimately, they’ll both marry in and it will be official, and as much as you love Fred, you know that will likely never be the case for you. But that’s the thing you love most about Molly and Arthur and their children: you don’t have to be related by marriage or blood to be a Weasley.

And seeing Fleur and Bill smile, seeing the pure happiness that they exude in this moment, it makes you forget why you ever questioned coming. It makes you hope that one day you can find what they have. You’d spent the last few minutes mesmerized by their first dance as a married couple. You’re so caught in a trance that you don’t hear the clapping when they’ve finished and stepped off the dance floor.

Your eyes snap up at the clearing of a throat beside you. George nudges you and you turn to look at him. He points at Fred who’s gazing at you curiously. You must have looked like a daft idiot, an utter love struck expression on your face.

“I’m sorry.” You laugh. “Did you say something Freddie?”

“Dance with me?” He asks.

Fred’s question lingers as you contemplate whether or not to accept his outstretched arm. But then your eyes drift up to his, and you catch the mischievous glint that rests in them. It’s in that moment that you know there is no turning back.

Groaning, you relent into his touch. “One dance.” You say, but you know that if he asked, you’d dance the night away.

The grin that spreads onto his face is nothing short of beautiful. It’s unmistakably perfect the way the light catches his features, his ginger hair glowing in the overcast moonlight, and an ethereal aura glistens from his skin. Fred looks youthful...and he looks undeniably happy.

Gripping your hand, he leads you to the dance floor. You catch a brief glimpse of Bill whose lips are tugged into an encouraging smile. Fred snaps your attention back to him as he pulls you into his body, bringing your arms to rest around his shoulders. You can hear the faint thrumming of the slow and melodic music drifting towards you, but all you register is the sound of Fred’s heart beating against yours. Wrapping yourself in his embrace, you allow yourself one second to believe that he might feel the same.

Your feet move in sync almost flawlessly, and it’s as if you’re reading each other’s movements without any effort. (Despite being known for your clumsy nature). But if you’re being honest, it’s always been like that with Fred....easy that is. Easy to read each other, easy to be with each other. It’s just natural. 

“You’re quite graceful Freddie.” You nudge him playfully, breaking the silence between you. 

“And you’re quite...” his voice drifts softly, “something.”

The half scoff, half laugh you let out rings in his ears. “Are you implying that I’m not a good dancing partner?”

“You’re a formidable partner love, just a shit dancer.”

Your eyes light up in amusement. “Well we can’t all be as graceful and beautiful as you Fred Weasley.”

He plays along happily. “No.” He agrees. “I guess we can’t. But I reckon everything else about you, your beauty, your wit, your affinity for kindness, makes up for your lack of dancing skills.”

It’s that self assured attitude that draws you to him. Yet he’s not the slightest bit arrogant. He simply believes in himself, knows his strengths and his weaknesses, is completely aware of his self worth, and he won’t let anyone tell him otherwise. It’s addicting to be around, and a quality so desperately you wish you could find in yourself.

And when Fred compliments you, you can believe that he’s telling you the truth. He makes you believe things about yourself that you would never dream to think about on your own. As cheesy as it sounds, he makes you feel seen. He makes you feel special. And it’s so strange because for as long as you can remember, everyone has always thought of you as merely the best friend of the infamous Weasley twins. Hardly to anyone had you been your own person with your own identity. But Fred never made you feel like that. You’ve always been someone to him, not just a product of who you chose to be friends with.

“You shouldn’t say things like that you know.” Your voice goes quiet.

Fred notices the change in your body language as you begin to close yourself off from him. “Why not?” He asks. “It’s the truth isn’t it?”

Your eyes catch his and your breath hitches. This feels like something. It feels like a moment, the moment that you’ve been waiting for. You never believed Fred could ever feel the same for you, but the look he’s giving you feels so so real.

“Fred, do you-“ You start, but he cuts in for you.

“Feel it too?” He finishes.

“Yeah.”

“I do.” He replies.

Your heart races in your chest as he pulls you closer into his embrace. This confession of feelings is nearly wordless, and yet it feels perfect. You’ve never needed to say a lot to Fred for him to understand you.

You’ve always just had that kind of connection.

You barely notice that you’re still dancing, your bodies moving on autopilot. And the people around you fade to nothing. Your focus is solely on the man who holds your heart in his hands.

Your movements slow as Fred tilts your chin towards his face. “I’ve been in love with you since we were 11 years old.” He says. It’s nearly impossible for your mind to process it. “I’ve known for so long, I just didn’t want to ruin what we have. But I reckon if there’s ever a time to do it, now seems pretty good.”

A gentle smile rests on your face, your heart warm at his words. “Now is perfect.”

Fred hums softly, his warm brown eyes searching yours for any sign of regret. He sees nothing but adoration staring right back at him.

“Can I kiss you?” This is the first time you’ve seen Fred so timid.

You smile coyly, nodding your head. “Such a gentleman.” You tease, pulling him gently towards you. Your lips meet so softly and briefly that you almost miss it.

But no matter how brief, it’s a feeling you’ll never forget. You both want more of each other, but you also know that standing in front of Fred’s immediate and extended family and friends, you can’t simply put on a show for the world to see, as much as he wants to.

You pull back for a moment only to find yourself wrapped in each other’s arms, swaying to the music. Most people in your situation would say something. Maybe they’d profess their love, or whisper sweet nothings into their lover’s ear, but right here, right now, words don’t need to be used.

You don’t need to say I love you to feel that you are loved. And you know Fred feels the same.

• • • • •

Off to the side, Bill takes a moment to part from his wife, approaching his younger brother with a shit eating grin.

“Bloody hell.” George runs a hand through his hair, spotting Bill striding towards him.

Their eyes lock for a moment and George notices his oldest brother’s lip quirk upward. “You owe me 20 galleons.” Bill states matter-of-factly.

George grumbles, reaching into his pocket to pull out the payment. Handing it to Bill, he smiles. “Get back to your wife you tosser.”

Bill nods, taking a step towards Fleur. He turns to face his brother, eyes glinting with mischief. “Just know, when they get married, I’m telling everyone I won.”

///////////////////

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@amourtentiaa

[ratcandy]

CoGR Abridged/Summarized

Hello hello! My name is Clam, otherwise known as Squeakyclam on Ao3, and this is a heavily summarized/shortened version of my HK fic Camouflage of Great Renown. For anyone somehow finding this that doesn't know what it's about, CoGR focuses on Zote and his story through the game and what preceded it. He recounts his entire life up until the end of what's known in canon, and this includes a whole lot of angst, growth, realizations, and Trauma Revelations.

Oh, and he's a nosk. Zote is a nosk. Yep.

I've had a few requests for a summary, as the work is super long and reading through 130k+ words of Zote dialogue may not be for everyone, hehehe so I've compiled all the important plot points and wrote them out here in order of his story, rather than the plotline CoGR goes through specifically (in which big events in his history are revealed later on).

If I had to recommend reading the fic for anything, it'd be the... impact, I suppose? 'Cause reading the summarized events here will NOT be anything like reading it in CoGR. Seeing as the fic is all in Zote's pov and he actually has to force himself to admit all of this aloud. But I digress!!

Here's a summary of Zote's life according to CoGR.

THIS IS A VERY, VERY LONG POST DESPITE BEING A SUMMARY. I'm sorry, CoGR just has a lot happening! T/W for mentions of death.

A lot more heavy stuff happens in CoGR, but in this summary I do my best to step around those subjects. If you think more T/Ws should be added, let me know, and I'll put them here

Nosks were a species that inhabited Deepnest, specifically living in a den towards the nest's depths. It split off into lots of tunnels and caverns that each nosk lived in. "Society" there was very hostile and unwelcoming, as nosks valued brute strength over just about anything else. Caring for another nosk - be it kin or otherwise - was considered weak. "Burdens" to the den, such as nosks that were badly wounded, would/could not hunt, or were simply getting too old would be killed off. Death in and of itself was very common and hardly anyone would bat an eye at it.

Think the Mantis Tribe but largely feral and without a shred of decency of morals.

Runt donning mask of citizen was born into the nosk den alongside his brother, who would become hunter donning hide of tiktik.

(Before anyone asks, these are just the naming conventions that nosks have. No one but the nosk superiors - the leaders of the den - are granted actual names.)

A third egg was among them, but the brother broke it open and ate the younger sibling not long after hatching.

The two were born under a superior (their mother) and her chosen mate (their father). They were expected to grow up strong and eventually overtake their mother and become superiors. Or, one of them would, maybe.

The runt (Zote) was immediately scorned by the mother, as he was extremely frail and useless, and she just about killed him off right after he hatched - but his father stepped in, and the runt was left alive.

Zote grew up to be a weak nosk who could barely defend himself in a den full of beasts that would gladly kill him if doing so wouldn't be a direct offense to a superior. His brother was cruel to him, his father berated him constantly, and his mother was hardly in the picture at all. Only ever watching him distastefully from afar.

His father did, however, train him, if only sparingly. The least he could do to keep Zote alive. (Doing so would be a death wish were any other nosks to find out about it...)

However, an elder in the den - hunter donning mask of weaver - gained Zote's attention as she told him fantastical stories from outside the den. This elder had spent a good portion of her life among the Weavers, initially being sent to learn about them (to make them easier to hunt) but growing interested in their culture and choosing to stay. Until she did something to get her chased out.

At any rate, she told the stories from the Weavers to Zote, alongside news of what was happening outside of Deepnest. This caused the runt to become obsessed with the idea of being a knight, as the stories just sounded!! So amazing and heroic and awesome and!!! :D Yea!! He wanted to be just like that!

To the point where he even carved a sword out of the shellwood... with the den elder's help. He named it Life-Ender eventually.

At some point, however, his father found out about all this. His father figured that the only way to eliminate this problem - as wishing to be something heroic that saved lives or whatever was SO unnosk-like (and would get him killed) - was to kill the den elder.

Before she died, the elder told Zote to run away from the den, and not to return no matter what. The idiot did not run, and because of this, he witnessed the Den Elder's death at the hands of his father and some other nosks.

Man! this does, however, cause Zote to be more... "open" about his ideas. By this I mean he begins carrying Life-Ender around instead of hiding it in his nest. what do you mean it's a comfort item what! no he's just rebelliously showing off how much he wants to be a knight. totally. 100% /s

well, anyway, not long after this, the idiot's father dies at the claws of his mother. Zote unfortunately witnesses this as well. When he tries to run, his mother catches him, nearly killing him as well. Luckily(?), this attempt is thwarted by Zote's brother, who was very distraught over their father's death. The brother swears to kill the mother before storming off. Zote runs into hiding (still in the nosk den), and begins devising his plan so to get the hell out of there.

Of the few times that Zote leaves his nest after his father's death, 90% of them ended with him getting pummeled by his brother. The latter was livid, blaming the father's death on Zote and frequently bursting into fits of emotional rage. Rage is great for nosks, other emotions not so much.

On one occasion in particular, the brother goes too far, nearly killing Zote. In the scuffle, Life-Ender is shattered, and that sends Zote into a blind anger (mixed with survival instinct as he's About to Die). Zote then kills his brother.

A crowd had gathered around them during the fight. In that crowd was Zote's mother, who looked to him approvingly after he'd killed off his brother. This terrified Zote, so he gathered the pieces of Life-Ender and fled the den forever.

Stopping at the hot spring in Deepnest, he made a disguise for himself based on the vessels that nosks would often capture. He made a new name for himself, took on an entirely new identity, and decided to abandon the idea that he was ever a nosk. He would just go to the City, be knighted by the King (who he'd heard of from the stories the Den Elder would tell him), and live out his life as a knight. Just like he always wanted. Not as a nosk. because he's not that.

The events that follow now are just very short summaries of things that happen throughout cogr.

- He breaks a statue in the Queen's station on accident after a bug finds him there. as a nosk. oops

- He obliterates the entire uoma population /j and burns himself in the process

- He repairs Life-Ender originally using mushrooms in the Fungal Wastes. Fungal adhesion is real I checked I swear

- He makes it to the City of Tears! and while there, he

Gets caught by Hegemol who mistakes him as a vessel

Drowns in the City's gutters

Purchases a cloth to wrap around Life-Ender

Hears the Pale King talk one (1) time and immediately decides he hates him

- While leaving the City, he finds a grub. That grub never really gets named, but as he frequented calling the little thing "Fiend," and the grub eventually began responding to that title, he just considers it a name for them now.

- Zote travels with the grub throughout the Crossroads until he drops them off with the Grubfather, being rewarded for reuniting them but overall feelings pretty :( about it.

- He then goes to the. So you know the houses that are underneath the Gruzz Mother's lil arena? Yea that place. he goes there and "guards" it, becoming that place's self-proclaimed knight.

- then he starts being paranoid about the grub and returns to the grubfather only to see all the grubs have been stolen. he presumes Fiend is dead from this point on (and dodges around ever using the word).

- Then he goes back to the lil town place only to see everyone's infected :(

- We then spend TEN CHAPTERS!! in Greenpath. In which he

eats a plant and dies

Stands in No Eyes's tomb.

Visits the Lake of Unn (and nothing bad happens)

Sees a nosk at the entrance to Fog Canyon and proceeds to have a panic attack

Kills everything

Gets caught by the Vengefly king

Gets saved!

has a breakdown

Yells at Ghost and then Leaves

- Canon starts!

- He stops in Dirtmouth, listens to Elderbug talk, gets told the Myth of the Great old Nosks who are now all Extinct. The news that nosks are now extinct freaks Zote out a little, but he absolutely refuses to return to Deepnest. He doesn't need to make sure. It's fine.

- In an effort to convince himself not to go to Deepnest, he goes to the City again, thinking it can't possibly be all that ba-- oh no everyone's dead!

- he inadvertently steals a map marker from Ghost and decides to use that as a pin for his cloak

- Zote returns to Deepnest. He's very upset with himself for this, but he just has to know if all the nosks are actually extinct now.

The answer is yes

but before that he gets caught by dirtcarvers and put in a web and has to be saved. this makes him angry

Upon seeing all the dead nosks once he gets to the den, and noticing that the last nosk was mimicking Ghost (evidenced by the mask left behind) before it died, he decides that he's gotta Kill Everything again

- more specifically we're going to the Colosseum now.

- Zote's fear of water evaporates as he goes through the secret passage in the King's Station to get to Kingdom's Edge. He only found it because he saw Ghost go that way

- While at the Kingdom's Edge, he gets caught by the Fools, who he stupidly challenges and then immediately gets caught by.

- sits in dumb baby jail for a while. mean to tiso

- Then the colosseum battle happens! He does not win he then gets dropped down into kingdom's edge with little regard toward whether he's dead or alive

- He grabs a Fool's helmet before leaving, going back to Dirtmouth, and intending to bury that thing

- this goes wrong as he bumps into Bretta. He then sits and talks with her for God Only Knows how Long, spacing out while doing so, and not even noticing when she eventually gets up and leaves him.

- He buries the helmet, shuts himself away in his house, and gets stuck repeating his precepts to himself. At the end of CoGR it is revealed that he hasn't been talking to anyone, and is instead talking to himself endlessly as no one is left to listen to him

and that's it! that's cogr. yeah

[musette22]

Hi Minnie! Hope you can help me settle an argument my brother and I are having about EG!Steve. I'd love to hear your thoughts about this with shipping goggles off, looking at it purely in terms of characterization, narrative, and good writing. Better hang on though, it's going to be a long ask! (sorry in advance for spamming you!) 1/7

So my brother and I were watching FatWS and once again got into a debate about whether Steve's last actions were a disservice or in line with his characterization and narrative, given that the Russos confirmed (and therefore it's Word of God/canon, even if it did sound reactionary to the immediate backlash after EG) that Steve created an alternate reality when he went back, and didn't just live in hiding in the past of the OG timeline. 2/7

Because of this, my bro argued that: 1) the total character assassination that is the idea of Steve just sitting back and letting all the shit happen happen is no longer a problem - for all we know, the alternate reality oldman!Steve came from might have become utopic already due to his presence and foresight. He played coy when talking to Sam so we don't know for certain he didn't save Bucky, get rid of Hydra, and enact social reform when he had the chance. 3/7

Likewise, 2) the accusation that Steve would rob Peggy of her husband and children is a non-issue as Steve went back to a time before Peggy and Daniel got together - I argued here that it was still wrong for him to do given that he KNEW for a fact that Peggy lived a happy life, whereas it was a gamble if he could give her the same. My bro shot back when you truly loved someone, you want them to be happy and to have what's best for them. 4/7

So if Steve chose to go back to Peggy, he had to have believed that he could give her the best life. That Steve based that decision purely on his own assessment is pretty in character (e.g. pushing to become a soldier because he thought that was how he could do his part, even though at the time, he'd have just been a danger to himself and other soldiers; not signing the Accords because he believed in his team's judgment in crises above gov't oversight that might be influenced by politics). 5/7

And lastly 3) he might have settled into the past and started to move on, but what was wrong with him choosing to be selfish and going to the past when given a chance? Why was it wrong for him to go back to a time he knew, where he was beloved by both Peggy and the public, and when he could also save Bucky early? In terms of character growth, wouldn't it be fair for him to finally learn he could be a bit selfish and choose happiness, after a lifetime of nearly suicidal selflessness? 6/7

Our debate was based on confirmed canon with shipping put aside. So I put forth the sin of leaving a traumatized Bucky, Sam, and world behind, that Steve's actions were surely the result of a man broken by grief again and again, and that choosing the past was him running away - which, I argued, was a horrible way to end his character arc. But my brother asked me why I thought so, because wasn't this the so-called 'soft epilogue' that Steve deserved, one that was most in line with canon? 7/7

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

Hey love! Very interesting argument you and your brother are having here… I’m sure he’s a great guy but I have to say that I vehemently disagree with him (as you probably already guessed lol). Soooo many people have done an excellent job at explaining why, shipping aside, Steve’s ending in EG was absolute bollocks, and I’m certain I could never argue this case as well as all of them have. Nevertheless, I’ll do my best to explain why, in my opinion, your brother is wrong :p I’m going to put my reply under the keep reading tag, because it is long.

1.      The Russos and Markus & McFeely (the writers) never managed to agree on whether Steve really did go back to an alternate timeline, and if so, how that would have worked, exactly. When they were asked, after EG had been released, about whether Steve would have just sat back and let everything he knew was happening/going to happen in the decades to come, both to Bucky and to the world at large, they came up with this ‘alternate timeline’ solution, but they kept contradicting each other on the logistics and technicalities of it (like how would old man Steve suddenly be able to jump timelines to come back to give Sam the shield in EG? And how did EG Steve attend Peggy’s funeral, like they also suggested, which would technically have been in a different timeline?). Which makes it pretty clear that this wasn’t something they’d considered beforehand or even all agree on afterwards, and therefore it can’t technically allowed to play a role in judging the rightness of Steve’s ending in EG if we’re looking at it from a ‘the creator’s word is law’ perspective. Moreover, there is nothing to indicate in EG itself that Steve knew he’d be able to create alternate timelines, so that would’ve been a crazy gamble on his part. Also, him ‘playing coy’ in that final scene with Sam really isn’t a convincing indication that he was actually, canonically, talking about anything besides marrying Peggy.

2.      Which bring us to point two: Peggy had literally told Steve she’d lived a happy life with her family, and told him in no uncertain terms to move on. If Steve really loved her, he would have accepted her wishes and allowed her the dignity of her choice (something Peggy herself, in CA:TFA, had told Steve was important to do when you care about someone) to move on from him once she believed him dead. Steve deciding that he would be better for Peggy because he believed was a better man than the person she ended up marrying originally would be the most un-like Steve thing to do, ever. Steve has never once shown that he thinks of himself as the hero or better than other people – he simply wants to do the best he can to help make the world a better place. He would never say “Peggy deserves the best and I believe I am the best, therefore she will have me, regardless of what she thinks or wants.” Steve drinks respect women juice, that’s clear from all of his movies, and deciding the course of her entire life for her, taking away her agency, whether in his own timeline or another, would be utterly disrespectful to Peggy.

3.      As for the next point: of course there’s nothing wrong with Steve being selfish for once – Steve is human, and all humans are selfish sometimes, and that’s okay. But, as Chris Evans already explained multiple times prior to Endgame, Steve had already made selfish decisions in the past, namely when it came to getting Bucky back and keeping him safe. Shipping aside, Bucky was presented in all the Cap movies as Steve’s very best friend, and was even called his ‘soulmate’ (platonically or otherwise) by M&M (the writers). So when, in Civil War, Steve was presented with a choice between duty/what was expected of him by the government versus saving Bucky/keeping Bucky safe, Steve was selfish and chose Bucky. That, canonically, made sense. Peggy being presented as the ultimate love of Steve’s life, who he loved and valued more than anyone or anything else in the world (which is what happened in EG), canonically does not make sense. 

In CA:TWS, Peggy told Steve to move on. When Peggy died, Steve buried her and mourned her, and then not long after, he canonically kissed Peggy’s niece. Then, in Infinity War, Steve saw Bucky turn to dust before his very eyes in the “Blip” (a conscious decision on the writers’/directors’ part to show how Steve once again lost what was most important to him while helplessly standing by) – and the next thing we know, Steve is leading a support group for other people who lost loved ones in the Blip, and starts talking about losing… Peggy? Huh. Also, Steve going back to a time which your brother calls “a time when he was beloved the public” doesn’t add up, either: technically, Steve went back to a time where people loved an idea of him, but also believed him to be dead. So either he would have had to have found a way to convincingly stage his own resurrection (meanwhile possibly leaving the other version to vegetate in the ice..? depending on how this timeline malarkey was supposed to work), or he would have lived his whole life hidden behind some fake persona – which does not sound like Steve at all, does it?

4.      Finally, let’s talk about Bucky some more, because I think we need to to be able to assess the situation properly. I understand that your brother may believe that shippers are often delusional and only see what they want to see etc, but there is ample evidence, canonically, of Bucky being the most important person in Steve’s life – the person he would give up the shield for, the person he would give up his other friendships for, the person he would give up his life for. Peggy may have been a recurring character in character in the three Cap movies, but she was never presented as the principal motivator of his actions, or as the love of Steve’s life. You know who was? Bucky. Sure, that love wasn’t canonically romantic in nature, but there can’t be any doubt that Bucky meant more than anything to Steve. Therefore, Steve choosing to have a ‘soft epilogue’ that entails him spending the rest of his life without Bucky – and, more importantly, Bucky to spend the rest of his life without Steve – contradicts everything we’ve learned about their relationship (platonic or otherwise) in the rest of the movies, does it not? 

Also, the Russos have said something to the effect that Bucky and Steve were now both mentally ‘well enough’ to not ‘need’ each other anymore (because as we all know, that’s exactly how friendships work…), but it’s pretty clear from EG that Steve was still traumatized by everything he’d been through, and going back to the 50s would have meant he would never be able to get proper help with that and in fact could only talk about any of it with Peggy and Peggy alone. Moreover, M&M have literally said in interviews that Bucky wasn’t all that well yet, mentally, and TFAWTS also shows convincingly that Bucky was not actually in a good place when Steve left him. So that would have meant that Steve either did not see this (unlikely, given how close they were) or did not care (unlikely, given how close they were). 

It would have meant that for the first time in all these movies, Steve decided “to hell with Bucky’s needs, I’m gonna just be selfish because I’ve earned it and claim my trophy wife because actually I am the best man for her, despite the fact that she’s already lived a happy life that I will be negating against her wishes, but that’s fine because maybe I’ll be able to create a different timeline, and maybe I’ll be able to save Bucky from all his trauma anyway, but then again maybe not, but that brings me back to my first point of to hell with Bucky’s needs” - which does not make a lot of sense to me, personally. Not to mention that, in exchange for his ‘soft epilogue’, Steve would also leave the world to sort out the post-Blip mess without him, and leave all the other friends he still had left and clearly cared about a lot to boot. I would not call that character growth, I would call that character disintegration. If your brother insists on taking the creator’s word as gospel and that we have to accept that Steve really did do what he did at the end of Endgame, and that wasn’t just a case of bad, lazy writing fuelled by greed, then to make a decision like this, Steve would have been either an asshole in disguise all along, or mentally extremely unstable.

There you have it, my two cents! I hope this helps a little in settling the argument with your brother, anon! Lots of love ❤️

[neptunesfullbuster]

things that I think should be canon but Mashima was too coward to include.

@rosetheshapeshifter has inspired me to make this, you can check out hers here

disclaimer: this is what i think and in no way saying any of this is true! Mashima was just lame and didn’t include/ let these things that he definitely should have. slight spoilers if you haven’t finished the series 

There should have been either a filler arc or episode to get to know more about the thunder legion and each of their backstories. Especially Freed, I think his magic is really cool, and I like his character. 

Speaking of Freed, he is definitely related to princess Hisui. I like thinking he is her older brother, and when he was a teenager, he wanted to become a mage instead of becoming king, so when he was 18, Toma let him step down and join fairy tail, the last name Justice is fake. The thunder legion and Makarov are the only ones who know this. 

Gray, Bickslow and Gajeel paint their nails, fight me

Acnologia and Irene are alive.

Instead of killing Acnolgia, Natsu wiped him of his magic power and put it in a lacrima. It is hidden somewhere with the magic council, and no one can find it. After serving some time, Acnolgia becomes a grumpy travelling doctor. I like to think he and Porlyusica become acquaintances. It makes sense they both hate people and are magic doctors. 

Irene also serves a bit of time, and once she gets out, she lives in a secluded area in the mountains. She likes being alone and lives her life in peace. Erza is one of the only people who know where she lives; she visits her sometimes when she’s in the area, but their interactions have been awkward though both of them try to make an effort to slowly building a relationship. Also, the first time they actually have a proper conversation, Irene tells Erza everything and gives her reasons for it. It was a very sweet mother-daughter moment. 

Ivan Dreyar escaped and had his own small villain arc where we learn more about the Dreyars and Laxus’s mother. He tries to get a hold of powerful magic but fails and ends up dying but before he died him and Laxus had a moment where Laxus basically went “fuck you asshole.”

Dragon slayers have fangs, and they hoard/collect things you can’t convince me otherwise.

Dragon slayer magic has four different transformation levels:

The first one is where their pupils change into more of a slit, their teeth get sharper, and their skin becomes tough. Also, their muscles began to change, and they look more buff.

The second one is Dragon Force, and their skin turns into scales.

The third is where the transformation really hits. They grow horns, tails, wings, their eyes & teeth change. Their feet and arms also transform into claws or whatever, they still look human, but it’s harder to notice. This is the most Laxus and Erik can do because they are second generation. 

Fourth is full dragon transformation.

For the first few times, the second stage to fourth is very painful because their bodies aren’t used to it. The pain goes away the more they transform, and they can last longer. After the first few times, they need days of rest because of their bones and organs moving around, they could also develop bone issues but it depends on how often the form is used (mainly the second-gen ones because their bodies would have a harder time).

Some people will hate me for this, but once the dragon slayers hit the age of 18 they go through mating season and are away for about two weeks when it hits.

All the dragon slayers have this sibling bond after everything (Yes, that includes Erik) 

Social media exists, the guilds all have verified accounts, but no one knows who runs them.

Gray Fullbuster would start Twitter fights when he’s bored and lives for it, mainly with Lyon.

Magic council has an entire section dedicated to fairy tail, even a separate complaint department because they get so many.

The reason they haven’t forcefully disbanded the guild is because the guild has some of the strongest mages ever that are all about family and sticking together AND defeated Acnologia, Zeref & the Spriggan 12. Would you want to be the person to tell them they legally can’t be a guild anymore? I don’t think so.

There is a male version of fairy hills. Gajeel, Bickslow, Freed, Jet & Droy, etc., all live there. Gray’s house location is unknown, and he likes it that way though people suspect Juvia figured out where it is. Laxus also lives alone; I find he is the type of person who can’t live with people he isn’t related to/romantically involved with. Only the thunder legion and Makarov know where he lives. 

At first, Brandish doesn’t join Fairy Tail but tends to show up out of nowhere. Eventually, she does and moves into fairy hills. The guild tried getting Irene to join, too, but she refused because of what happened. 

Mest Gryder is dead. August killed him instantly. (I really do not like mest and have my reasons idc if you do like him) 

Evergreen would 100% paint the thunder legions nails, though not Laxus, because he ends up ruining her work which he feels bad about.

Evergreen has younger brothers and Bickslow is an only child

Also, the thunder legion has movie nights; they watch chick flicks and shit. 

GAJEEL WATCHES SOAP OPERAS, AND YOU CAN’T SAY OTHEREWISE. Lucy also watches them occasionally, and that’s how they become friends.

Natsu when he was younger, would be one of those kids who was on a leash 

Fairy Tail throws the best parties ever. 

Because of the episode where Frosch gets lost, Sabertooth is in a city that isn’t very far from Magnolia, so members from each guild go visit each other often.

 Erza is Dyslexic and Natsu has ADHD, it just makes sense 

Sliver Fullbuster is alive, no one knows where he is though and he is always on the move. He sends Gray letters and he’ll go visit Gray if he evers in the area. They tried to get him to join the guild but like Irene he refused and thinks he’s better off as an independent mage. 

[mrpenguinpants]

Andrius, Venti, and Dvalin: General HCs [+ unhinged Venti]

Oh no, not strange at all! I love seeing the art people have done on human Dvalin and Andrius. I’m not entirely sure if you wanted a Venti x Dvalin x Andrius pairing but I’m going to assume so. But just in case, I added a few points of all 4 of your hanging out. How my desk is positioned with my window, the sun is shining directly into my eyes so I have to type in this weird position unless I want my eyeballs to melt.

Also, if any of this is wrong just look away. This took forever because holy crap there is so much lore on these 3. Not sure what exactly you had in mind so I made some general/friendship HCs

Alright, today’s appreciations post is for maagdalen​​. Super lovely person with some lovely emotes. Oh and your english is really good btw^^ and ty for chatting with me 💕💕💕

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[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first. 

@hanniejji​​  @mikeysbike​​ @unionwitch​ @musekala​ @twistedsunnshiii​ @stanzastic​ @akaasea​ @xoneaboveallx​ @adoring-ghost​ @asheseiler​ @childelover​ @dilucsz​

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Andrius, Venti, and Dvalin: General HCs

Andrius

Andrius, also known as Lupus Boreas, was tasked with protecting the nation of Mondstadt under the request of Barbatos. He had a noble soul and mainly stays in the area of Wolvendom. He was strict, to the point, and never really partakes in whatever “foolish” activities Venti or Dvain get themselves into. But it’s all just a front because as soon as one of them get’s hurt or is in danger, his fangs and teeth are out. Even if it’s a cute hydro slime. Then he’ll take them by the scruff of their neck back to Wolvendom to get their wounds checked. On Venti it works, but with Dvalin’s dragon form. It’s amusing to see a pouting dragon getting dragged off by a wolf that wasn’t even double his size.

Not many Mondstadt citizen’s know but Andrius isn’t actually a wolf. He chooses to take the form of a wolf and should any of the wolves in Wolvendom be threaten, that’s the form he will appear in. But in truth, it was because Venti suggested it. If he was going to stay in Wolvendom and protect wolves then it made sense that his form would be the big bad wolf. Really Andrius just believes that Venti has a secret vendetta against cats and Andrius wouldn’t talk to Venti if he suggested that he take the form a dog.

There is a bit of discourse between Andrius and Venti due to Venti’s human-like appearance since Andrius views human society as a disappointment. Only accepting abandoned infants that have no where to go. But he does respect Barbatos and helped in his efforts to rebuild Mondstadt and protect it as one of the Four Winds.

While he doesn’t completely enjoy Venti’s extravagant personality he’s glad that Barbatos adopted the name and is living his life in freedom. Despite being the anemo archon, he chooses to live as Venti. Having fun in taverns and doing what he loves.

Venti

Venti always brings stories and sings for the two whenever he decides that it’s been too long since he’s seen his friends. He usually brings a bottle of wine even if he’s the only one that ever drinks - which is probably why he brings wine - which leads to Andrius scolding Venti to try and act civilized when he gets drunk and saying “No Dvalin, you cannot have some. The last time we let you drink you cried so much that Springvale still has a waterfall.”

It’s amusing to hear that after the war, the biggest problem Venti has right now is getting constantly ID checked. Dvalin takes this quite literally, since he still isn’t fully aware of taverns rules and regulations, that it takes both Venti and Andrius to hold him down before another Stormterror incident happens.

Venti has always been bold, never afraid to say anything, which was a trait that Dvalin and Andrius liked about the anemo archon. It was what made him the archon of freedom but sometimes Venti is a bit too bold and pretends to play fetch with Andrius wolf form. He is not amused. When he tries it with Dvalin, Dvalin will participate but he get’s confused and ends up just sitting beside Venti when the archon throws the stick. Which causes Venti to make a walk of shame to get the stick back.

When Venti acts as the Wind Archon it’s always a bit of whiplash when he talks in his philosophical state that it reminds Dvalin and Andrius that despite his childlike appearance and attitude, he was still the anemo archon. But it get quickly covered up when he says it’s time to switch back to Venti time.

It’s hard for them all to meet up in the present day. Dvalin stays in his domain while Andrius stays in Wolvendorm, all alone in their own domain. Venti prefers lively places than those quiet and solitude areas so he’s either in the City of Freedom or under the Windrise tree. But on occasions where he feels lonely he’ll swing by Dvalin’s lair and use the winds to carry their conversation to Andrius. Just so he isn’t left out.

If anyone asks where the ballads that Venti sings that are about a strict wolf and a nervous dragon, he’ll just say it was a passing tune he made up.

Dvalin

Dvalin, same as Andrius, lost his faith in humanity and the city of Mondstadt. He was released as his role as one of the four winds but continued to remain in Mondstadt. Similarly to Andrius he is distrustful around humans after being betrayed by them, chose to avoids human contact but he tries to adopt a more friendly side when Venti visits him.

Dvalin cares about Venti more and isn’t as standoffish in showing that he appreciates Venti compared to Andrius. Venti explained to him and showed him what freedom truly was he felt connected with someone for the first time. He did want to be understood and loved by the humans for who he was and what he wanted to protect. But that’s still a long road ahead.

He’s a curious but clumsy dragon. He’s pure of heart and steadfast in his goals which Venti is full-heartily cheering him on while Andrius disagrees but allows Dvalin to continue on this own path. Even if Andrius is on the other side of Mondstadt, he still tries to keep an eye out for Dvalin should the Abyss Order ever try and take his friend under their control.

However, due to how almost naïve the dragon is, he get’s into rather...interesting situations. While Andrius groans and Venti loses his absolute shit when Dvalin, still in his dragon form, lands and tries to observe the wolves. He only hides behind a thin tree that barely covers even 2% of his entire body and ends up scaring the wolves who run back to Andrius for safety. It takes a lot of consoling from Venti that the wolves didn’t like him, they were just scared and perhaps he should adopt a smaller form?

He’s still a bit sick from the aftermath of the Abyss Order and the poison of Durin so he can’t travel as far as he would like so Venti keeps him company. Telling him what the citizens of Mondstadt have been up to and playing music with his lyre.

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I love writing Venti, he’s so much fun. :) I say this but I live for Venti who hides behind this happy persona but is actually unhinged or deluded. I have many thoughts on this but I didn’t want to break the pace of the fic (plus this is getting pretty long anyways). So feel free to skip the rest of this if that makes you uncomfortable. I’m just spit balling right now.

But nervous and shy dragon Dvalin plus mother hen Andrius is canon. You cannot convince me otherwise.

This week has just turned into “what will we awaken today?” In other news, Lisa and Diluc. But it might be a bit late since this took some time to finish. In extra news, solo leveling just updated. Oh and jjk is (hopefully) getting a new episode tmr^^

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Barbatos

Andrius and Dvalin trust Venti to fulfill his archon duties should anything ever happen to Mondstadt. The same way Venti trusts the Four Winds will protect Mondstadt should anything dangerous arise. With the carefree nature of Venti making a sudden appearance after Barbatos’s year long nap, they both got a bit too comfortable with this happy-go-lucky version of their archon.

That is until Venti brings a fourth person into their trio. Someone who knew how to play the lyre and wished to fly and see the birds. Andrius and Dvalin share a quick look of anxious tension and it’s confirmed when Venti makes a small slip of the tongue and calls you by a certain boy’s name. They aren’t sure what to do or if Venti was starting to regress back into Barbatos and what that could mean for this innocent traveler.

“Barbatos defeated the previous ruler and left the city to rest because he didn’t want to become the same tyrant. But an archon is still an archon with responsibilities. Those responsibilities can be warped to the point that they believe they are helping and guiding their followers, but are actually trapping them in their cage. He is an archon that believes in freedom so his cage is just a bit bigger. Big enough that you can’t see the walls. Be careful traveler.”

Venti goes to greet you the next day you see him but his words seem to fade away when he approach's you. He asks if you’ve been talking to Andrius lately. You nod and ask how he knows. He says that you just spell like wolfhooks and that you shouldn’t worry about anything. 

The next day Andrius apologizes to you about his words and that he was mistaken. There was nothing to worry about and to trust Venti. You can see Dvalin a bit off to the side looking away nervously and a bit guilty.

Venti always makes sure that Andrius and Dvalin keep an eye on you, especially Dvalin when you’re in stormterror land. It was a pretty dangerous landscape to trek through. As for Andrius, he doesn’t want you to get hurt during your weekly practice fights. It wouldn’t do you any good if you got hurt and couldn’t explore this vast world with him.

[newswcanonprompts]

Children Fall AU

Padawan Anakin with a group of initiates all ‘Falling’ at the same time

Maybe a Gathering gone wrong or something. Everyone is captured. Pirates or bounty hunters or just awful people.

No knights or the knights are killed.

Anakin is trying to protect the younglings.

Sacrificing himself if he can.

Falls in the process.

The kids are too young. They're not supposed to be in the field yet. There's a reason you're supposed to be a certain age before field missions. Before being chosen as a Padawan.

They can't handle their emotions.

They try to save Anakin right back but Fall, too.

Maybe they get overwhelmed by Anakin's Falling, since he is a supernova? And their shields aren't enough to protect them?

They survive and everyone is dead or dying but Anakin stands among a group of children, all with eyes of gold and he doesn't know what to do.

I want there to be like a noble reason for it?

Maybe but that definitely doesn't help the situation.

Maybe he remembers the tales of the Sith and executions.

He takes the kids and runs.

He doesn't know what he'll do, he just wants to protect them.

Maybe he Falls because he can't defeat the pirates/bounty hunters otherwise

They are kids, they can't be that dark, could they Fall by a Coruscanti Jedi point of view? Not so much Dark as too much attached, multiple Force Bonds attached? The question is more along the lines of Anakin knowing that, though.

They are holding each other together so closely that they would break if you tried to separate them? The pieces make a coherent whole together, but otherwise they would just be broken?

What if the younglings fell first and Anakin fell so that they wouldn't be alone.

Like the idea that the younglings would be hunted or at the very least isolated and he couldn't let that happen (Bariss and Ahsoka could be part of that group, they are in the right age range, right?)

He promised to protect them and he kept them alive but ultimately failed in the way that matters most to the Jedi.

It also could be about healing and building far away from what you used to know and considered home.

So the situation is too much too soon and they all fall. And Anakin with his too big heart and shields that still don't block emotions as much as they should is overwhelmed and he could fight it but…

But these kids need him. They're scared and terrified and he knows that they aren't going to risk heading back to the Jedi, not with the horror stories told about Sith and Dark Side users.

He can't leave them. They need someone, anyone. Even if that's probably him.

You could have them pick up other Force Sensitives kids in bad situations as they flee and protect each other. Like a travelling clan of Forces Sensitives.

The use of the word clan makes me wonder if this version of Anakin would look into alternative Jedi philosophies, like Vizla.

And the Jedi mourning Anakin plus the Initiates because they think they're dead.

The Jedi eventually track down the pirates, but the base has so much blood and darkside surrounding it that they assume that the pirates were blindsided by a dark force user/sith and the children were taken. The Jedi finding the building and feeling the overwhelming about of dark side energy that was used there.

Privately the Council almost hope they're dead because they think that it would be a kinder fate than to be tortured and broken by the Sith.

Quinlan not being able to get a read on anything because it's so heavy with pain and dark side energy.

All he sees is gold eyes and screaming.

He doesn't notice that it's more than one pair. Doesn't realise that they're each filled with tears and oh so young.

Obi-Wan is convinced that Anakin is still alive because the bond didn't snap but it might as well have because it's never been so solidly closed to him.

Anakin was always leaking emotions and thoughts through the bond and now all that meets Obi-Wan is a durasteel wall.

Also, Anakin becoming a bounty hunter to make sure the kids get enough food

If he looks into the Mandalorian Jedi, as a way to teach the Fallen kids, he could become Mando and do the bounty hunting as a way to take care of them. Just an idea, though.

What if they all become bounty hunters and no one realises that they're Sith or Dark Side users? Until a fight ends in a helmet being knocked off.

I like the thought of the kids forming a new Order of nomadic Force Users, you could fit so much Force worldbuilding here as they figure things out away from Coruscant.

What if dar jettii Ani and his gaggle of kids has a run in with Jango Fett. Depends on canon or fanon interpretation really.

I would imagine that Jango would absolutely adopt this smol child (teenager) and his band of even more smol children.

Wouldn't that be hilarious? Jango with 8 new kids?

One sullen teenager that refuses to trust. And then he plops Boba in Anakin's arms and Anakin just freaking melts and it's all over from there.

So, this Jango has his hatred of Jedi balanced by his love of children?

Or is it part of his plan against the Jedi to encourage Force users to create an alternative that won't make the same mistakes the Jedi did that led to the slaughter of his people?

I don't know since Anakin & Co. here aren't exactly Jedi. Though I think this Jango would have his hatred of Jedi balanced by his love of his 8 foundlings.

Jango as the Mand'alor.

Anakin pitches a fit when he finds out about the clones and Jango doing right by them

And all eight new kids have lightsabers, but they're not Jedi, so..........Boba/Jango might get the Darksaber in this!!!

Anakin finds out that Vizla has a Jedi artifact and just gets it back.

Hands it to Jango: “Like what? You needed this, right?”

Jango is a tired new dad. So Anakin is just like running around doing whatever and causing his dad stress.

What if Jango adopted them and didn't tell them?

Like, he said the words and Anakin didn't understand. The others did too, because they had that class, but Anakin didn’t

I mean Anakin would jokingly call him "buir" or "dad" at one point or another and Anakin is like "why do you even care".

He gets it eventually.

When he sits the fuck down and stops running around trying to protect everyone and puts the time in to sort his shit.

Read: When Jango gets the kids to sit on him when he starts looking like complete shit.

Yeah, Jango absolutely enlists his siblings' fellow former-Jedi to get him to slow down and relax.

They have it out at some point that Jango adopted him probably when he's gotten himself injured and doesn't understand why Jango won't leave him

and Jango's like "You kriffing di'kut, you're my son" and Anakin's like "?!?!?!? What?!?!"

Anakin can speak several languages but not mandoa. Jango tries to teach him, but his accent is atrocious.

Anakin can understand Mando'a and he sometimes uses some words, but he can't speak it.

Plus, he sometimes crosses Mando'a with another language or several and it just becomes an incomprehensible mess unless you understand all the languages he's crossed Mando'a with.

how about Mando'a's too close to something else he knows.

He keeps getting it super confused with another language.

Like french and spanish, but there's no cross meanings, so it might sound the same, the meanings AREN'T.

At this point, everyone just goes "you need a translator droid if you want to speak with Anakin"

However, he will offhandedly speak in another language or start writing in one language and end in another no matter how fluent he is.

And his accent is still atrocious. The closest comparison is the bastard compromise between Texan and Yorkshire.

Anakin is that one person who will use words from whatever languages are the best to speak about any given subjects.

Or whichever language he associates with a given subject. That's why he learned how to speak binary in the first place.

Boba becomes fluent in binary before speaking fluently in Mando'a.

I wonder how the discovery of Kamino would pan out in this.

Anakin accidentally starts a clone rebellion, and oops, it looks like there might be a Revolution on Kamino.

Slave rebellions are always very very good.

Dex: Ah yes Kamino, or how the Mand’alor got his groove back. Outer Rim politics got wild a while back let’s just say. Long story short, the Mand'alor adopted eight new children, one of them pitched a fit about clones, and things devolved from there.” 

The Clone Wars are going to be a wreck.

There’s an army missing!

Sheev running around his office like: “Now, where did I put that”

He is furious because there's an army missing, his future apprentice is missing, his future apprentice has a stable support system

basically, his plan just collapses.

Obi-Wan starts to cry because oh thank the fucking force they’re alive but Anakin and the kids misinterpret it.

Anakin's just like "I'm sorry, I wasn't going to let them be hurt anymore! I wasn't going to let anything else happen to them!" Obi-Wan: "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

[drivingsideways]

Kdrama women I love (Part 2)

 Part 1 (here)

Sorry, not sorry, I just can’t stop thinking about them!

Cha Soo-hyun from Signal: Imagine having a powerhouse like Kim Hye-soo on your cast and then saddling her with an awkward/tragic workplace romance in lieu of idk actual character development that happens ON SCREEN as opposed to off it. I mean, Signal is excellently made, but there’s no denying that Cha Soo-hyun got a raw-ish deal. I would have loved to see her grow into the badass cop she is when we meet her first, but most of her time onscreen is spent reacting to events set in motion by The Men, and just, like, why. In my head, the perfect fic for Cha Soo-hyun would cover the years after Lee Jae-han’s disappearance and before Park Hae-young’s entry; so much of her struggle in the early years was to be taken seriously as a cop, and I want to see her doing that without Lee Jae-han’s help. I would also NOT be opposed to a post canon OT3; it could be incredibly fun to write the tangled dynamics of that, especially now that Cha Soo-hyun isn’t the wide eyed rookie that Lee Jae-han knew, and Park Hae-young’s YEARNING to belong would neatly fold into what his sunbaes could offer. 

Ahn Young-yi from Misaeng: My god, this woman suffered in Misaeng. I just want the fic in which she lets herself be angry. I fully understand her choices in Misaeng- the tightrope that she’s walking in the hopes of survival- but I won’t deny that I felt robbed of the satisfaction of seeing her hurl a rock or three at the heads of her misogynist colleagues and boss. There’s probably a fic out there about how Young-yi starts to build her networks with the other women at One International, and how she climbs the ladder to power. I want this to be a story about women making space for the ones after them, and pulling them up with them. It’s the story she deserves, along with all the other women in that series, whose stories were sidelined to make space for The Men. 

Yoon Hee-soo from Into The Ring: That woman is going to be President in ten years and nobody will convince me otherwise. Love her pragmatism, her wicked, trollish sense of humour, her ambition and the fact that she cares deeply but isn’t performative about it. She’s the one I would trust to Get Things Done, just as I would trust Goo Se-ra to rock the comfortable status-quo. Together (and with the intrepid Gong-myung) they will CHANGE THE WORLD. Where’s the fic, world, where??? ( side-eyes self) ps. I hear there’s a season 2 in the works and if it doesn’t give me some version of this fic, I shall be very sad. 

Jang Ro-sa from Hospital Playlist : WHERE is the 70 episode show about the Life of Jang Ro-sa? I loved her from the first episode where she’s so matter-of-fact about her marriage of convenience; how on earth did she manage to raise a bunch of kids who ALL fell in love with God first and forever? Why didn’t she become a pianist? What are she and Jeong-su doing on that pilgrimage/ road trip ? I just want to know ALL of it. Someone write it * puppy face *

Kim Sang-sook from Into the Ring- Jang Hye-jin brings so much sparkling charm to her role as Se-ra’s mom, I just fell crazily in love with her. I just love how much she’s just herself and unfazed by other people’s opinions of her; i love that she fucks up on the regular but with STYLE. I think that’s a lovely trait that she’s passed on to her daughter- one that will carry her through her chosen life of MAKING THE WORLD BETTER. Anyways, where’s the fic where Sang-sook gets involved in some pyramid marketing scheme and Gong-myung has to bail her out of it and they both have to keep it secret from Se-ra and her dad? I demand this be put in my eyeballs AT ONCE. 

Do Hae-won from Beyond Evil: My god, a villain’s villain. Gil Hae-yeon puts the fear of the devil into you every time she slithers onto the screen with her weaponized cloying, subservient femininity. She seems so brittle, but beneath it is the hard rock of years of bitterness. The show doesn’t bother to do more than hint at the reasons why- because of course, female villains are never afforded the interiority of their male counterparts, or even chance for understanding- but I think Gil Hae-yeon manages to convey both her resentment at this world ruled by men and their rules. and her contempt for them as a class in every scene. I wonder how things would have been different- if they would have been- if she’d had a daughter, instead of a son. Anyways, an absolutely riveting performance, and I think that’s the only reason I am sort of tempted to contemplate a post canon fic for her. How does she survive jail? What does she do after? Who’s going to write it for me? (SIGH.)

Jung Geum-ja from Hyena- I don’t think a lot needs to be said about why Jung Geum-ja is literally one of the best female characters ever to be written in a kdrama. Kim Hye-soo is in her element in her role as this half-gangster/ half- vengeful angel, 100% unforgettable woman. Love to see sexpot Ju Ji-hoon fold like a pack of cards in the face of that unbearably sexy combination of wit, grit and panache; but ALSO love watching every woman in a radius of 5 kms faint from lust and longing to be her and be with her at the same time. Luckily for me, I don’t have to write any of the fic, everyone who’s watched the show just head over to Gin’s AO3 page and treat yourself.