#stories yet told [wishlist];

[ofyorkshire]

ever since aster planted the tiniest suggestion of bj + a cool punk boyfriend, i cannot get the image out of my head.

i keep imagining him with this faceless spiky, leathered-up guy who looks like he'd sooner rip into you with his teeth than say 'hello', but actually he's really sweet with bj, holds his hand when they walk, sings him songs, and proudly wears the dandelions bj sticks in his buttonholes.

he's not formed in my head at all beyond snippets of clothes and cheeky smiles but i like thinking about them together.

[dirtylimerick]

Thinking about...

- muses getting trapped under collapsed buildings

- muses caught in wildfires

- muses kidnapped or kept hostage

- muses stranded on deserted islands

- muses stuck at sea in a lifeboat or clinging to wreckage

- muses in post-apocalyptic situations

- muses in any kind of peril that they can't escape; they just have to wait for help to find them (if it finds them)

[ultimumvitae]

the thg shenanigans kind of makes me want to somehow put shadow in a situation where he ends up "adopting" a kid.

give me that tlou, game!joel and ellie style slow build father-child (or more likely big brother-little sib) relationship.

[6horrors]

I know I've gushed about this before but I'm so SO soft about resurrected!Ben falling in love and going on his first date after being dead for 20 years. Just!!!

The nervous jitters! Cycling through outfits, wondering what works, realizing he doesn't have a good grasp on what is fashionable now and what isn't, what's First Date Appropriate, because it's simply not something he's had to worry about while being dead.

Realizing he's more used to being dead than he is alive and has a very weird habit of staring now, and Benny, that's actually really weird, you're going to creep your date out. Trying his best then to be more human. Don't stare, don't ask weird questions, don't forget to open the door before you try to walk through it.

Hiding!! His power!!! Even if his date knows about it, downplaying it quite a lot and refusing to let out the Horrors. It hurts, for one thing, even when the Horrors are being gentle, but he also doesn't want to scare or gross his date out. (But then something happens and the Horrors slip out, and either the date doesn't mind OR they are grossed out or scared of them but don't let it stop them from adoring him and his power.)

Ben writing them poetry and short stories! Drawing things for them! Drawing them! Giving them little gifts to show his affection.

Ben being absolutely smitten. Utterly twitterpated. He hums idly to himself. Fills pages of his sketchbook with his crush, doodles them in the margins of notebooks. Daydreams constantly. Doesn't scold or nag Klaus for a solid two weeks and everyone is almost worried about him. He'd get so flustered if anyone pointed it out or teased him.

Ben blushing over holding hands, soaring over his first kiss, both delighted and terrified by all the what ifs of being in love. No doubt eventually asking his siblings for advice. Needing to be talked down before he gets cold feet and psychs himself out of a relationship.

Being so caring and observant of his partner. Never forgetting important dates or little details about what they like or don't like. A bit overly perfectionistic about everything that he does for them.

Aaahhh. I just am warm thinking about it.

[bonefall]

Better Bones AU Masterpost

Last Update: 8/23/23, Version 1.0

"What is the Better Bones AU?"

I'm so glad you asked, convenient question-speaker!

Better Bones (BB) is a full-series rewrite project that seeks to have a more conclusive stance on anti-authoritarianism, revamp the bonds and beliefs of individual characters to make more interesting drama and politics, and overhaul the progression of morality and history throughout the timeline to make the society of the Clans into a living, changing culture.

To do that, we've got 5 goals;

Fix the tangled family tree and give it clearer rules, expanding on kinship between cats while not neglecting friendships

Make the environment accurate to northwestern England, including education on how different biomes are managed and lists of local flora and fauna, to understand how environment has impacted Clan culture.

Build out technology by giving the Clans tool use and food preparation, additional traditions and customs, their own language, and medicinal treatment guides from sniffles up to HRT.

Change the themes of canon by addressing its problematic elements, giving the cats consistent politics and making the narrative conclusively anti-authoritarian.

Be cool as fuck, with wilder deaths, more clanborn villains, bloodier battles, and even MORE complicated innerClan drama

BB is told in notes and outlines, with the "end point" being a full skeleton for the entire series complete with chapter-by-chapter notes, which anyone would be able to write out fully, just as if they were a ghostwriter being handed a draft.

This project is open-source. I encourage you to take any inspiration from this AU that you'd like, or use the Clan culture expansions for your own projects. They don't HAVE to be warriors-related, we have a few folks who like to apply parts of this project to Rainworld! Go bananas.

I only ask that you don't steal any drawn art (as seen in the fanart, character summaries, and culture expansions) to pass it off as your own. Please respect the contributions of these artists.

"Boy howdy! Where do I start?"

WOWZERS another perfectly timed question I'm proud of you

HISTORY LESSON. This is a "brief" summary of the ENTIRE history of BB, breaking down each block of history into Periods, divided into Eras. It sprawls from the founding to the most recently completed arc. NOTE: BB does not cover arcs until they are complete. ASC has not been completed at the time of this post.

Character Summaries Every character gets a redesign and a summary, covering who they are, their role in the story, and their connections to everyone around them. NOTE: You are encouraged to put your own spin on the designs if you'd like! I do not design with genetic accuracy or MAP-friendliness in mind, so you have my blessing to alter them or request a modification for an animation.

Clan Culture Expansions Crafts, Herb Guides, the flora and fauna they encounter on a regular basis, and the Clanmew conlanguage is all in here.

Family Tree Overhauls This is almost done i swear

Fragment Bin This is where I'm going to eventually be putting everything still "WIP" material. I call these "fragments" because the full story isn't planned yet, but I talk about the little 'pieces' that I want to shuffle around. If you're new around here, basically I just sorta babble about a wishlist and then work through it with ask/reply suggestions.

FAQ I'll need this too at some point im sure

[spiraphobia]

Insomnia (インソムニア) - Hokazono Masaya

20 nights, 20 terrifying stories… Masaya Hokazono tells us the horrific stories he has experienced as well as those that have been told to him. Because even in a modern Japan full of technology, traditional spirits never stop tormenting the living.

FYI, I'll start posting about manga I want to read that don't have English translations available anywhere. I'll compile these under my tag #wishlist, hoping they might either get scanlated or published in English.

I'll begin with Insomnia by the famed horror manga author Hokazono Masaya (Emerging, Inugami, Freak Island, Pumpkin Night - still reading this one). I've had my eye on this title for years because I love the cover art styles and design. I've seen a few scans and they look really good! So far, I've only found it for sale in Japanese and French, but unfortunately, not in English yet.

[cicadaknight]

wishlist for horizon 3:

more interactivity with the focus ui (solving holo puzzles, ui menus, holo calls with companions, listening to music, viewing data points and found content through the focus etc.)

aloy has outgrown her lone wolf tendencies, i wanna see her asking for help and company in her travels. super unlikely, but i would kill to have a party option where you can explore and fight with the squad.

customizing overriden mounts. (paint, armor, decor, names)

some element of choice with upgrading gear and weapons. rather than just having it be a linear set of upgrades, being able to choose between several unique mechanics or benefits. (i know the coils and skill tree basically function like this, so it would probably be more about functionality)

improving the ui for potions/traps/utilities. with everything they added in hfw and the dlc, there's no way in hell you can easily tap through 40+ utilities to find the right one in the heat of battle. it's so clunky compared to the rest of the system

removing tattoos from armor. like come on now, no way aloy's getting tattoos without it being a major choice. it's tacky and weird to use culturally significant tattoos as changeable decoration.

a main trans character who's entire dialogue and story isn't "everyone told me i was weird for wearing different armor or wanting to fight. so i became a cop." cannot get over how the tenakth, quen, and banuk have no real gender roles/limitations in their cultures, and yet...

insectoid machines! i wanna fly on a giant bee! throw hands with a metal praying mantis!

finally finding out who invaded the embrace, what happened to rost on his murderous hunt

[nowiamcoveredinyou]

Our own fairytale

Sherlock x reader

Word count:- 5519

A/n:- the most stupid idea perhaps with which I came up! Still if you enjoy it, lemme know!

The room lit up with the sunlight that came straight through the window. A Sunday that was as bright as it should when we think of the day. Yet Sherlock and John had to go out on a case. However they've promised to be back home before lunch.

"And then? What happened to the beast?" Asked Rosie, who laid her head on my lap as we sat in my bedroom... Well Sherlock and my bedroom. If the boys are out writing new pages of their adventures why not we enjoy some fairy tales too.

"Well, he turned into Handsome prince which he was before the enchantress came" I answered lightly booping the nose of Rosie, making her giggle.

"And belle and beast" she said getting up, "lived happily ever after."

"Well" I objected, "belle and the prince".

She nodded like she understood. She's a very feisty little girl, then she said,

"So beast... I mean the prince gave belle his library?" She was fascinated by the idea of having a personal library.

"Yes he did." I answered.

"Like Sherlock gives you books?" She asked and leaned on me.

"Mm hm yes absolutely" I answered remembering the moments of him buying me books. He always observes and notices the books on my online shopping app's wishlist. And surprises me as he buys one at a time for me.

"When will he come? And daddy?" She asked.

"Before lunch" I replied and Rosie got on the floor, humming and roaming around.

"Beast... I meant the prince .. he was so cruel to everyone no?" She enquired.

"Well it's because he didn't see anything good in him. He pushed everyone away because he thought he is not good enough, he ... " While saying I remembered how Sherlock pushed his friends away too. John told me once, he never thought he deserves anything good, he pushed everyone away who wanted nothing but to be with him, help him see good in himself. John, Molly, lestrade, Mrs Hudson... All of these friends of him still stayed because they knew, deep down Sherlock cares for them. It's just... He fights with criminals and they brings out the worst in him, he just wanted to protect his friends from all those cruel and evil men and women whom he encountered..

"He?" Rosie's voice popped my thought bubble.

"Y-yes?" I replied, I was obviously absent minded, and lost in all those thoughts, "where was I?"

"About the beast" Rosie reminded.

"The prince and yes... He just found the warmth and kindness in Belle, which was long worn out from his life, belle taught him to find joy in simple things" I answered and that again reminded me how Sherlock and I found tranquility in small things too. Like sitting together, walking hand in hand and how he told me "the way you giggle at the most simplest things is fascinating". He said he likes to see the world with my eyes, it's brighter that way. He said "you're my sunshine, you brightened my dark days". Maybe yes, for he loves when I speak of things I adore with passion. He loves to listen to me, even if I'm just describing a poem I read recently. He, the loner that he is, even loves my family, he says they always makes him feel included.

"This prince and Belle's story is" said our little Rosie, "seems familiar".

I got up and went closer to her, and we both went to the living room, "why's that?"

"Well.. you read books, and you're also very warm" saying so she hugged me, and she is the sweetest.

"Aww my darling thanks" I was about to hug her back but my phone rang. I took my phone to see the call I was expecting, right before lunch,

"Yes?" I answered to my husband.

"We've come" he replied from the other end.

"Okay " saying so I hung up smiling and went to the window, there came the two men talking and discussing about their case. Lestrade gave them a lift in his car and dropped them home. Rosie stood beside me too, she giggled suddenly, and that indicated she has something to say, either clever or funny,

"There comes our prince to her Belle."

I blushed at this, even Rosie called me Belle. Belle is my favourite princess of all time. And whenever someone compares me with her I feel delighted, especially when someone compares my relationship with the fairytale one.

"Yeah there he comes, with his clogsworth and Lumiere" I said making Rosie laugh,

"Is Mrs Hudson our Mrs Potts?" She asked, exactly how I like it, making her obsessed with my favourite Disney film too.

"Could be, are you our chip?" I asked and that made her even happier, however before she could answer Sherlock and John came in arguing, as usually blaming lestrade for being stupid.

"Welcome" Rosie said and bowed to them in a princessly manner, they were stunned and confused. Only I knew I have put the seeds of Disney too deep in her brain. She's obsessed over beauty and the beast.

Sherlock and John stood confused, not knowing what to say to that. But her father obviously recalled she had homeworks and followed her asking her about her studies while Sherlock walked to me asking,

"What was that?"

"I don't know" I said smirking, "rude detective."

"Okay sweet princess" he said and was about to walk away but came back and took my chin between his fingers and whispered, "my Belle".

Then pulled me into a kiss. Just like the the fairytale one. After the kiss he handed me a paper bag and I know what's in it exactly,

"The secret garden, it's latest on my Amazon wishlist, Thank you" I thanked him taking the book out. Sniffing the pages.

"No problem" he said, he paused, I know why, admiring me while I admired the book, "I don't have a Library like prince Adam to give you.." he continued, "but...I'll make you a library, little by little, with all your favourite books."

[januever]

this is slightly inspired by the 2010’s movie letters to juliet by gary winick. mainly names, places and events but still inspired. enjoy! :)

💌 — januever presents :

LETTERS TO JULIET. ﹙ charles leclerc x reader ﹚

SOMEWHERE, BEFORE JULIET :

everything was perfect in the beginning. your relationship with your fiancé, victor, was like paradise and you thought that nothing could ruin it. he was definitely the one.

he was extremely romantic, passionate and caring. he always made sure to pay attention to you and tried his best to make you feel wanted and loved.

until that dreadful day came by.

« my love, i am home! » you shouted as you entered your shared apartment, taking off your shoes by the door. you looked up and with no response from him, you decided to quietly enter the house, looking around in hopes to find your lover.

to no avail, you almost give up thinking that he might be caught up with work.

victor was an amazing chef and for the past few months, he had been working on the preparations for his first ever restaurant’s grand opening. you were more than thrilled for him, seeing how exciting it was for victor to finally make his dream come true.

truth be told that this phase of his life made your relationship more troubled than usual. he was now more focused on his work which made your alone time the perfect occasion for fighting, his phone constantly ringing from sponsors eager to talk to him, inviting him to all kinds of wine-tasting events at the most luxurious places that separated you two for weeks. that somewhat made your relationship colder as the time went by, leaving you with a sad heart.

finally leaving your apartment entrance behind, you hear whispered mumbles coming from your shared bedroom as soon as you enter the main corridor.

« well, that’s weird .. » you whisper to yourself, believing that you were home alone. was someone in your bedroom? or better yet, was your fiancé with someone in your bedroom? .. that couldn’t be. he didn’t reply to you just now so he obviously wasn’t home. right?

scared and confused, expecting the worst, your hands were shaking as they reached to the door’s knob, turning it slowly.

the worst had happened.

your heart dropped to the sight of your fiancé ( or better yet, ex-fiancé ) laying in bed with another woman. he tried his best to hide her under the duvet but with little to no success. you had already seen her.

all those moments, memories, fights, kisses … everything came to an end and how hurtful your freedom was. as soon as he looks up at you with the eyes of regret and tears start falling slowly down your cheeks, you run off the apartment and decide that you are leaving his life for good.

VERONA, DURING JULIET :

a year since you found out.

you left everything behind without a second thought, calling off the engagement, with much shock from victor’s family. they didn’t know the full story, and as much as you hated victor, you didn’t want to ruin everything for him. at least, not right now.

still, not wanting all the wedding preparations to fully go to waste, you took the honeymoon tickets and departed to your destination, verona, with much encouragement from your family and ex-fiancé.

« maybe some time away from each other was the best for us. it was time to call it quits. »

his text message was right. he was right. it was time for a brand-new start.

this time, in italy.

wandering through the streets of verona, your legs were taking you somewhere : la casa di giulietta, the famous balcony where juliet was wooed by her sweet romeo, or at least, that’s what shakespeare wrote.

it was one of the places on your enormous sigh-seeing wishlist for you 2 week stay at the city. you knew that if you were here with victor, he would be too busy to enjoy this moment with you, and with that, your mind travelled back to your unfortunate love life.

maybe juliet’s love magic was all that you needed for you to find your very own romeo, after all that had happened. one last bit of hope from you to love.

a big rustic brown sign with the words " La Casa de Giulietta “ engraved onto it signaled you that you had arrived to your destination.

passing the big entrance gate, you could see : so many romantically-hopeless women, some crying, some laughing, with all kinds of struggles and passions, doing the exact same thing. writing, hoping, confiding to their last resort, juliet, in hopes for a better love.

in front of them, a big brick wall stood firmly with a bunch of different papers and letters, of all colors and shapes stuck to it. all of them with the same loving intent.

the sight made your heart soften, and inspired you to do the same as the other women as you quietly sat down on a wooden-bench laying in the middle of the area. it was now your turn to ask for juliet’s help.

you sat there, not knowing exactly for how long. your mind wandering to all kinds of things you could say to juliet, begging for her to help you, to give you your perfect romance.

the sun light gradually being less and less strong signaled you that maybe it was time to return to your hotel and so, you decided to do exactly that. however, with an empty letter, which made you loose a little bit of hope.

packing all your belongings back into your bag with an heavy heart as you prepare yourself to leave, you hear heavy footsteps sounding from the entrance.

looking up out of pure curiosity, you see a figure emerging from the shadows and walking towards you. the dark pair of sunglasses sitting on their face, the dark cap on top of their head and the dimmed sun light made it harder for you to decipher who it was, making it a bit creepy looking, which startled you.

suddenly feeling uncomfortable, you decided to leave as fast as you could before the maybe-dangerous stranger could even think of doing something to you.

« i’m sorry if i startled you! don’t worry, it’s not what you’re thinking. » the somewhat intruder rapidly apologized as he noticed how uncomfortably you stood up and with a quick smile, he turned his back onto you, before stopping to face the brick wall. you noticed how his voice had a nice accent to it, definitely foreign.

his hands reached to the top of his head, taking his cap and sunglasses off and quickly messing with his hair. you admired how fluffy his hair appeared to be, colored with a nice hue of chocolate brown.

still watching him, you saw his hand reaching to one of the pockets of his jacket, before taking out a neatly folded yellow-colored post-it and placing it on a crack in the wall.

« are you also writing to juliet? » you questioned softly now moving besides him. the stranger, thinking that you had already left, jumped while one of his hands reached his chest, trying to calm his heart. « oh, i’m sorry! i didn’t mean to startle you! » you quickly apologized, frantically waving your hands in front of him.

« no no, it’s okay! i guess that’s my karma for scaring you earlier. » he chuckled softly to your antics, throwing a quick smile at you. his wide eyes had now relaxed and he seemed more at ease. you could finally see his face properly, noticing his green eyes watching you attentively. he’s quite pretty, you thought. « and to answer your question, yes, i am writing to juliet. » he replied, a hint of proudness in his tone.

« oh, i didn’t know men could also write to her .. » you mumbled to yourself, making him laugh sweetly.

« yeah, i’m not sure if i can do it either but hopefully she will help me either way. » he quickly shrugged, now facing the wall in front of both of you, reading some of the little cards with a soft smile on his lips.

« i didn’t meant it like that, i’m sorry! i’m just genuinely surprised. » you nervously said, now also looking at the wall, slightly embarrassed. why are you suddenly so nervous around this stranger? is it his eyes? you thought to yourself.

« it’s okay, i didn’t take it like that. » the man reassured, looking back at you briefly with the smile still plastered on his face. he seemed to stop for a while, thinking about something. a smirk appeared on his face, which made you look at him with a frown while softly asking what? « we should really stop apologizing to each other, you know. »

your frown slowly disappears as you both fall into soft giggles while you shake your head, nodding in agreement.

« yeah, we really should. »

« i’m charles, by the way. » he greeted warmly, throwing a sweet smile at you.

« nice to meet you, charles. i’m Y/N. » you replied now looking at him, locking both of your gazes.

« now, that’s a beautiful name. »

IN LOVE, AFTER JULIET :

it was now afternoon as your “ honeymoon ” came to an end.

the past month had been nothing but magical. and if you said that to charles, he would happily say that it was all because of him.

you got to know him a lot better during your vacation, easily getting along after your first encounter at juliet’s house. he took you on all kinds of adventures around the city and you found out he was quite familiar with the town, as well as some other provinces in italy.

he later told you about his job in formula one with ferrari, about his life in monaco, all kinds of funny stories from his childhood, all the crazy challenges with his teammate carlos … and all about his past.

you hugged, you cried, you laughed.

you bonded.

bonded over some ice cream, booping each other’s nose with the sweet icy treat as soft giggles came out of your mouths. the thought of that memory alone made you smile as you softly touched your nose with the tip of your fingers.

bonded during those late night-walks outside your hotel, to which he would walk to every late afternoon just to offer you dinner. the thought of those memories made charles’ feet hurt but it was all worth it.

bonded while watching the stars, laying on the grass from your hotel’s park. hands resting against each other, both of you blushing as they brushed a bit closer.

all those special moments, connecting like dots in your mind to give you the clarification that you needed: you were falling in love again. and this time, charles was the lucky guy.

you quickly got out of your thoughts as you heard knocking on your door. a smile spread through your face, knowing exactly who it was.

preparing yourself to greet charles goodnight as you opened your room’s door, you quickly got interrupted by an enthusiastic giggle.

« i got a letter back! » he excitedly exclaimed, holding up a white envelope for you to see. you could clearly read the word “juliet” on the front of the envelope, and the sight made your heart warm.

« from juliet, i suppose? » you asked with a soft laugh as you saw the happy man entering your room, while doing some kind of weird dance.

« oui. and i want you to read it! » he said, as he extended his arm in front of you. you frowned, taking the letter from his hand while glancing at him.

« are you sure? after all, this is your letter. » he only nodded in agreement as he gave you a warm smile. you gave in, mumbling a small okay as you opened the envelope.

“ dear Y/N,

this is charles. i’m sorry for disappointing you, as i’m sure that you were expecting a letter from juliet.

the truth is, this past month that we spent together was beautiful and i believe that juliet meant for us to meet. all those moments and all these feelings bottling up, waiting for the right time to tell you everything.

with you leaving so soon, i couldn’t have let you go without trying.

please, be the juliet to this pleading romeo. (with less drama and more love, of course.)

— charles. ”

reading the letter over and over again, you couldn’t help but feel confused. all those words echoing in your head, making your heart beat faster. did charles really mean all of it? maybe juliet could help you.

charles looked at you with an hesitant expression, slowly feeling more and more scared of your rejection. maybe he took the signs too far. maybe juliet couldn’t help him.

with each second ticking, you finally made your decision.

quickly mumbling a fuck it under your breath, you cup charles’ face with your hands and pull him into a kiss.

all of those unsaid words, everything being as clear as a confirmation for both of you that the love there was real.

charles’s “ grazie, giulietta. ” made you smile against his lips.

he was right.

thank you, juliet.

hellooo everyone! nana here :)

just wanted to say thank you for reading my first ever work all the way until the end. this was a true hustle to finish writing but i managed to do it nonetheless … TT

this is not the best thing ever written but i tried my absolute best and i hope u love it either way ♡

this was proofread buy a veeeery eepy nana so please excuse any grammar / sentence mistakes okay love !!!

remember to take care of yourselves & that u are very much loved!

much love,

— nana 💐

[bokutosmochi]

LIVING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND ♡ NANAMI KENTO

nanami kento x gn!reader

ingredients? tired and cold from a christmas season mission, nanami and you come to your hotel room to discover a single bed at the center.

what's it? general. a sprinkle of fluff

allergen warning/s? gojo being a nosy prick

sugar level? 1.8k

regulars? @tokyometronetwork​ @tahonet​

parlor's note? i've seen so many oh-no-there's-only-one-bed fics with gojo, but none for nanami, so here's my present for my nanami hoes <33

happy holidays everyone!

bon appetit!

when the two of you finally managed to exorcise the special grade curse and retrieve yet another one of ryomen sukuna's fingers from it, the blonde man heaves a sigh of relief for more reasons than one.

it's heavily snowing in tsunan in the niigata prefecture, the temperature in the negatives. just his luck to be dispatched to one of the snowiest places in the world, during christmas too, no less.

a chill ran through nanami's whole body, and it had nothing to do with the adrenaline in his veins. he even swears it has nothing to do with the fact that he was dispatched with you on this particular mission, but rather how cold it was. his whole face was flushed pink, from his chiseled cheeks, the tip of his nose, all the way up to the top of his ears. his teeth were chattering slightly, and if one were to focus on him, they'd see how his figure shivered.

followed by the sigh was a sneeze and a sniffle which made you smile lightly and tilt your head to the side at him, "guess we'd better go back to the hotel, huh, big guy?"

big guy, he grimaced internally. that sounds worse than nanamin, and when someone gives a nickname more annoying that the ones gojo satoru gives, you know it's bad. however, nanami doesn't have it in him to complain about it; he curtly nods. "yes, i believe that's the best way to avoid getting sick in this weather."

the curse attacked the both of you prior to you getting checked into your hotel, so you picked up your bags from wherever you were able to throw it earlier before hailing a taxi cab. "you sure you got everything, nanami?" you asked him as you began putting your luggage into the trunk, and as he did the same with his, he answered you. "yes, i'm sure. i made sure to pack light since were aren't staying here for long anyway. what about you, [l/n]-san?"

"nanami! i told you that you don't have to be so formal with me! my first name's fine." you waved it off, "but yeah, i have everything too. thanks for asking!" you beamed at him.

the cab ride from the old, abandoned building to the hotel was short. perhaps just a bit below ten minutes, but it was filled with chatter from the old driver. at first he wondered why the two of you were out so late, and at the aged hospital that no one has used for the last ten years as well, nonetheless. nanami, sat at the passenger seat was able to quickly and smoothly make up a lie, and from there, started to make some small talk which evolved to the male driver telling crazy passengers he had driven in the past. the stories ranged from three gaijin wrestlers filming for their vlog, to drunk celebrities, to high schoolers singing along to the seventies music that his favorite radio station played -- he expressed that the last one was more surprising than being on the crazy side of things.

but alas, your fruitful interaction had to be cut short when you've finally reached your destination. nanami just let the man finish his last story, before paying for the cab ride and getting out of the vehicle.

thankfully for the both of you, the hotel, as expected, was much, much, much warmer than the outside world. nanami let out a sigh of relief at the warmth when he step foot into the establishment, then made a beeline towards the front desk. he was worn out and tired the same way you were. number two on his wishlist was to be somewhere warm, and now that he has received that, it was time for the close third; rest and as well as a comfortable bed.

just as nanami turned around to see if you were still behind him, your phone unexpectedly rang. you lifted a quick finger at him as you fished it out of your pocket to answer. the device's caller id identified it as gojo making you roll your eyes. while you did count the man as one of your friends; being a sorcerer makes you feel some sort of connection to people who are in the same boat as you, no matter how annoying they are, and annoying gojo satoru was. going against your better judgement, you swiped your thumb across the screen to answer the call and pressed the cool material to your ear only to hear the white haired sorcerer greeting you with a voice that's too cheery for half past ten in the evening.

"moshi moshi [y/n]-chan~" he spoke through the line. "are my precious underclassmen safe and sound yet or do they need my help?"

and for the second time, you rolled your eyes. "hey gojo-san, me and nanami arrived at the hotel a few minutes ago. we're going to our rooms now." you informed him as nanami gestured that he already has the room keys and that you could already proceed to the elevators to get some much needed sleep.

"hmm, and is it as cold there as the news make it out to be?" he asks in a sing song voice, clearly entertained at your expense.

"yes. yes it is." you refused to give him a reaction you know he'll tease you with and opted to keep the conversation as short as possible. "do you have anything of substance to say, gojo-san? or can i hang up now. me and nanami are tired."

you heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. "nada, [y/n]-san. hope you enjoy your night with nanamin." there's a teasing tilt to the end of his goodbye that made you wish you never went out drinking with him because what happened was you were the only one that drank as he wasn't good at handling his alcohol. you didn't remember much of what happened that night, but when gojo enunciated the blond man's name every time he spoke it the next day, you knew you opened your mouth and spoke too much around gojo.

the elevator ride and the walk to your shared hotel room was quiet and uneventful. neither you nor nanami felt the need to plug up the comfortable silence with uncomfortable small talk. the time you uttered words to each other was when he pushed the door to the room open. "what the fuck?"

one bed.

at the center of the room, there was a single bed. it could fit two people, you're sure of that, but that didn't change the fact that there was one bed when there was supposed to be two.

staying in the same hotel room with nanami was enough to set your soul on fire by itself. sleeping in the same bed as him? you're certain you might melt into a puddle on the floor that nanami would hate to clean up.

"i knew it was a mistake trusting that dimwit." you heard the man next to you mutter, so you turned your head towards him for some sort of explanation because you were at a loss.

he looked at you, before looking away quickly as if in guilt or something else. you couldn't tell. "i may have asked gojo to handle our hotel reservations."

your eyes widened at once, a scream was building up your throat, you could feel it. the hot air from your lungs was slowly rising up, up, up, fueled by tension until it was in your mouth, "i'm sorry, you did what?" you screeched, but nanami had quick reflexes and pressed a hand on your mouth at once to muffle your words. "i apologize, [l/n]-san. i was busy at the time and didn't realize he would stoop this low."

you inhaled a deep breath and pried his hand off of your face. "'t's fine, nanami. i guess we all make mistakes sometimes." you shrugged at him, putting your luggage down and going through it to fetch a shirt that's two sizes too big for you as well as pajama pants. "it's real late," you glanced up at the clock, "i doubt we can get another room, and kicking up a fuss about this more than i already have is pointless." you told him. "lemme just take a quick shower, then the bathroom's all yours, yeah?"

normally, you would have asked him if he wanted to go first, but tonight, you deeply needed to gather yourself since your heart's already pounding out of your chest at the mere thought of spending the night laying in the same bed as him.

with a small bow, you walked past him and into the bathroom.

the hot water definitely did you some good, and so does the music you're listening to right now. you're able to keep calm laying in the neat white sheets with your eyes shut tight. when you hear a door open and close, you keep it that way, not wanting to break your concentration. however, that was impossible.

a clearing of the throat was heard, followed by a deep raspy voice. "[l/n]-san, the best course of action for tonight would be for me to sleep on the couch." your eyes snapped open and you sat up via their own accord. "i don't want to make you uncomfortable, and besides, this was my mistake. i am not going to burden you."

"it wouldn't be a burden!" you answer too fast. you shrank into the sheets in embarrassment. "i meant, we're both adults, nanami. i trust you. us sleeping in the same bed wouldn't make me uncomfortable. you don't have to worry about that.” you waved it off.

he raised an eyebrow, "and you're being honest? i don't want this to be another case of you being too polite." he started walking towards the bed as you nodded. "i'm sure nanami, it's perfectly fine with me, as long as it's perfectly fine with you.

he wasted no time after that, lifting the covers on the side you weren't on and shuffling into it. "thank you [l/n-san, i mean it. i was afraid that laying on the couch would hurt my back." he confessed making you laugh. "of course, nanami-san. you've never done anything to make me feel unsafe around you. let's have a good night's sleep, yes?"

the following morning, nanami found himself in a very unfamiliar position: him on his side with you snuggled in his chest, longing to absorb all the body heat from him that you could muster. and he has wintertime and gojo satoru of all things to thank for him being able to check off number one in his wishlist.

i get: reblog

you get: a prosperous new year

[runnning-outof-time]

Merry & Bright | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: no - for @raincoffeeandfandoms ‘s Secret Santa Event

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: (Y/N) still gets her wish of having a white Christmas, even if it came down to the last possible minute.

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, smoking

Word Count: 3021

A/N: figured it would only be fitting to ring in December with a little Christmas story. I wrote this for the secret Santa event, where my receiver’s wishlist was Tommy Shelby and fluff. I hope that I got it down. Also I hope it’s ok that I’m 21 words over 3000…I tried my darnedest to cut it down haha. I pulled inspiration from the song White Christmas for this. Enjoy! :)

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future stories similar to this one!

———

"Busy, Tommy?" (Y/N) asked as she peeked her head into her husband's office.

"I am," Tommy answered him, just briefly looking up from the paperwork he was busy filling out to acknowledge her presence.

(Y/N) entered the room then, walking over to where his desk was situated. She looked at the papers strewn across the desk before she continued to the large window. She pulled the curtains back and peeked out, looking at the bleak scene with a frown on her face. Christmas was fastly approaching and snow had yet to fall. The thought of not having a white Christmas made her sigh in sadness.

"Something wrong, love?" Tommy picked up on her sigh.

"No," she answered him initially before looking away from the window. When she did, she found that Tommy had spun his chair around and was now looking at her with his signature raised eyebrow expression. It immediately told her that she wasn't going to be getting off of the hook that easily. "I'm just sad that there's no snow on the ground yet," she told him, exhaling another sigh after she was finished speaking.

Tommy frowned at her statement. He knew how much she loved seeing snow - granted that she only liked it up until December 25th, and knew that its absence was really dampening her mood. The fact that Christmas was now two days away was not helping her case. He slowly stood from his chair and made his way over to her, placing his hands on her hips as he swayed her in time with him slightly.

"What're you doing, Tommy?" she questioned him, her hands falling onto his shoulders as she moved with him.

"You'll get your white Christmas, love," he told her, matching his eyes with hers as he spoke.

"You don't know if that'll come true," she pointed out, a pout on her lips, "and we usually have snow by now...I think it'll be different this year," she added, the words paining her to say.

"Never say never," he said to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he ran his hands up and down her sides.

"I won't get my hopes up," she still kept her somber tone.

"Do you have any plans?" he asked her then, trying to change the subject so that she wouldn't be dwelling on it any longer.

"I was going to start wrapping the kids' presents," she answered, looking up at him again, "I suppose that you'd have no interest in helping," she added, a smile tugging the corners of her lips upwards.

Tommy was unable to stop his smile as he let out a soft chuckle, "I think I'll pass," he agreed with her statement, his words making her laugh.

(Y/N) smiled at him as she reached up and buttoned one of the top buttons that he'd left open. Tommy chuckled at her actions before he pressed his fingers into her waist. "I'll let you get back to work," she told him then.

"Ok," Tommy agreed, leaning in and kissing her before he dropped his hands and took a step back, "have fun," he added, sending her a wink.

"Oh I will," (Y/N) grinned before she made her way back to the door of his office. Tommy watched her as she exited the room before he got back to what he was doing.

——

"Mum! Dad! Wake up! It's Christmas!" the sound of excited footsteps followed by children's screams made (Y/N)'s eyes flutter open two days later.

She wasn't able to do much before she felt the distinctive thud of three, little bodies jumping onto her and Tommy's bed. Instead of feigning sleep, she scooted up in bed and rubbed her eyes, a smile on her face as she was met with the view of her grinning kids.

"It's Christmas, mum!" her oldest, Jackson, said as he clambered over to where she was sitting. He fell into her arms the second he made it to her side. He’d always been a mumma's boy.

"And Santa's came!" Eleanor, the middle child, added her wide, toothless smile on display.

"Oh yeah?" (Y/N) asked the children with excitement in her voice, although she knew full well that there were presents under the tree.

"Yes! There's so many presents!" Robert, the youngest, said, nodding frantically as he added his bit of information.

"Well we'll go down the second your father wakes up," (Y/N) told them, a grin on her face as she looked over at Tommy, who was still peacefully sleeping on his stomach with his arms stretched above his head. He wouldn't be asleep for much longer, she thought to herself.

"Dad!" the children exclaimed in unison as they rushed to his side of the bed, confirming what she knew would happen. Tommy groaned at the feeling of their bodies falling on top of him, and he lifted his head to see what was happening, his one eye barely open. (Y/N) couldn't help but laugh at his wild bedhead.

"What's happening here?" he questioned, grogginess in his voice. For once he was actually sleeping when he was met with this wonderful wake-up call.

"It's Christmas, dad! You need to get up!" Eleanor exclaimed, sitting right in the middle of her father's back.

"I'd love to do that, sweetheart, but I can't with someone sitting on my back," he told her, twisting his neck as much as possible so that he could catch a glimpse of his giggling daughter.

"Get off of his back, Ellie! We need to open the presents!" Robert exclaimed, grabbing hold of her arm.

"Don't be rough with her," (Y/N) told her son. Although he was the youngest, he was definitely able to hold his own in a fight. And he needed to with having two older siblings who liked to rough house as much as they did.

Eleanor listened to both her father and brother and got off of her dad’s back, allowing him to turn in the bed so that he could sit like (Y/N) was. "Can we go for presents now?" she asked with a dramatic expression on her face.

"I suppose so," Tommy nodded, a sleepy smile on his face as the kids rushed to get off of the bed and run out of the room.

"Happy Christmas, Tommy," (Y/N) said in a soft voice once they were alone again.

"Happy Christmas, love," Tommy responded, his smile still present as they looked at each other. (Y/N) couldn't stop herself from leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lips. "We should probably get down there before they rip everything apart," he said once they pulled away.

"Probably," (Y/N) agreed with him, laughing slightly at the thought as they pulled away entirely. They both got out of bed then and put on some house clothes so that they'd look presentable enough to go downstairs. (Y/N) looked out the window as she was in the process of tying the knot on her robe. "No snow yet," she said with a sigh, a frown forming on her face.

"It's still early," Tommy reminded her, still keeping a positive outlook on the situation. (Y/N) only smiled over at him, although it wavered the second the corners of her mouth tugged upwards. "Come on," he said then, nodding his head to the door. She listened and followed him, the both of them making their way downstairs so that they could be with their excited children.

—

A few hours later, Tommy and (Y/N) were relaxing together on one of the couches in the front room while they watched their children play with the toys they'd unwrapped earlier. Robert was busy with his horses and wooden barn that he'd been asking for for at least the entire month of December, and Eleanor had somehow managed to talk Jackson into letting her use one of his new cars to drive around her doll. Jackson, the ever-patient big brother, was being a good sport and acting like he was one of the doll's chauffeurs. Christmas music was playing softly in the background. Everything was perfect...well actually not everything. There was still no snow outside. (Y/N) tried not to let it dampen her spirits.

She had her head rested on Tommy's shoulder until he started to move. "Where're you going?" she asked him, sitting up straight so that she could let him stand anyway.

"I want to get changed. Arthur mentioned something about him and Linda coming over...can't let me brother see me in these house clothes," he answered her, motioning to the outfit he had on.

"I'm sure he's seen you in worse, Tommy," she told him, not quite buying the story he was trying to sell her.

Tommy huffed, not necessarily liking that she was questioning his intentions. "I'll get dressed and come right back down," he promised her, his eyebrows raised to show that he was being serious.

"Right back down," she emphasized his final three words.

"Yes," he doubled down on his statement. He waited intently then for (Y/N) to sign off on the deal, looking at her expectantly. He didn't take his first step away from the couch until she nodded, and when she did, he said nothing more before leaving the room.

(Y/N) watched him leave the room before looking back at her children with a slight sigh. She had an inkling that he wouldn't be holding up his promise to her. She'd see in a few minutes.

—

"Thomas Shelby, I thought you gave me your word that you'd be right back down after you finished getting dressed," (Y/N) announced herself as she walked into his office with her hands on her hips.

"I did get dressed," he answered her, motioning to the white shirt and dark waistcoat that he was now wearing.

"And you said you'd be right back down," she pointed out the part of his earlier statement that he'd failed to hold up, "it's been forty bloody minutes, Tommy."

"I figured I'd come and check on some stuff while I was able to," he saw no use in keeping his intentions a secret, bringing the cigarette he'd been smoking up to his lips to take a drag then.

"You're meant to be with your family."

"Alright, I'm finished," he conceded to her, snuffing out the cigarette in the ashtray before he stood from the chair behind his desk.

"Good," (Y/N) smiled triumphantly as she moved over to where she was standing.

Tommy saw her glance over his shoulder and watched her expression change, knowing just what she was thinking before she even had to say it. "It's still early," he repeated what he said to her earlier, commenting on the absence of snow that was making her upset.

"I'm holding out hope," she stated, smiling at him as she wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug.

"Good," Tommy hummed, returning the hug as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Leave the gun locked away. It's a holiday," she told him as she pulled away from his embrace, taking it out of its holster and holding it out in front of him.

"I'll be right down," he said as he took the weapon from her and moved to lock it in his desk.

"Right down?" she tried again, emphasizing his final words like she had last time.

"Yes," he repeated the same response he'd given earlier.

"I'll wait here so I know it's true," she told him, popping her one hip out as she rested her hand on it. Tommy only chuckled as he shut the desk drawer and moved to her side. She then led him out of the room, stopping when they crossed the threshold to stand in the hallway.

“What?” Tommy questioned, confused as to why they didn’t continue walking.

“Lock the office,” she told him, her hand falling to her hip again. She most certainly meant business at this moment, Tommy noticed that right away. So with a sigh he conceded and pulled the small key ring out of his pocket so that he could go about locking the door. “The keys, please,” she then held her hand out expectantly once he was finished. “Thank you,” she smiled at him after he handed them over, “let’s go spend time with family,” she then said, taking his hand to lead him to the stairs.

—

After a day full of playing and a rather eventful dinner, at which Arthur, Linda, and their son Billy joined - (Y/N) and Linda found it rather comical watching Tommy and Arthur stick around and wrangle the children instead of sneaking away to discuss business, the kids were washed up for the night and tucked into their beds.

How late it was didn’t surprise (Y/N). She always let the kids stay up past their bedtimes on this special holiday and enjoyed watching their exuberance. But by the end of the day, she was more than ready to curl up on the couch with the new book that Tommy had gotten her.

She peeked up from her book in time to see Tommy enter the front room. He moved over and checked the fire before he dropped the needle on the record player so that soft Christmas music would fill the room again, creating a warming atmosphere. He then grabbed a glass and the bottle of whiskey that was sitting on the mantle, going about pouring himself some. He turned with it in his hand and glanced at (Y/N) before he made his way over to where she was sitting.

(Y/N) smiled up at him as he stopped in front of the couch, and she scooted herself down slightly so that he’d be able to fit in next to her. “What’re you reading?” he asked her as he got comfortable on the couch. She rested her back against his chest and he moved his arm to drape it over the top of the couch so that she’d have more room.

“The book you gave me,” she answered him, flipping it to the front cover so that she could show him.

“Enjoying it?” he questioned, sipping on his drink.

“Yes,” she smiled at him before tucking herself under his arm so that she could be comfortable again. She read a few lines before deciding that she’d rather make conversation with her husband. “Did you enjoy today?” she asked him, dropping the book to her lap before she turned slightly to look at him.

“I did,” he nodded, a smile tugging at his lips, “you?” he then flipped the question onto her.

“I did,” she repeated his answer, smiling as well, although it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “The only thing that was missing was some snow,” she added, unable to stop the frown from forming on her face.

“I don’t think that it’s missing anymore,” he commented, nodding his head towards the window on the opposite side of the room.

“What?” (Y/N) questioned him, her brows furrowing in confusion.

“Have a look,” he told her, nodding again. This time (Y/N) turned to look out the window. She was instantly able to see snowflakes falling down underneath the bright moonlight.

“It’s snowing?” she gasped with wide eyes as she stood from the couch, “what time is it, Tommy? Surely it’s tomorrow already,” she turned and asked him, knowing how late it already was when she put the kids down.

“It’s eleven, love,” he answered her as he put his watch back into its pocket, “you got your Christmas wish,” he grinned as he also stood from the couch.

“I can’t believe it’s snowing!” she exclaimed as she rushed to the archway that led into the home’s foyer. She ran to the door without hesitation, pulling it open and gasping again at the wintery scene that was presented to her. “It’s so beautiful, Tommy!” she called to her husband, knowing that he was a few steps behind her.

She then rushed outside and extended her arms to either side, spinning in a circle as the snow fell around her. She felt just like a kid again, looking up at the sky as the flakes tickled her face before melting hastily. Tommy followed her outside, standing on the entryway’s steps for a few moments as he watched her soak in the moment. He then moved over to her and draped his overcoat over her shoulders. She’d forgotten one in her rush to be outside, so he grabbed one of his own from the front closet.

“I can’t believe it’s snowing!” she said, sounding just like her children as they opened their presents earlier that morning. Tommy only grinned at her, his heart swelling at how excited she was about this. “Dance with me in the snow, Tommy,” she said then, holding out her hand in his direction.

She didn’t even need to pout because he’d grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him in an instant. After making sure that the overcoat wouldn’t fall off of her shoulders due to the position change, he slowly started to sway them, his forehead resting against hers. “Happy Christmas, love,” he whispered against her lips before he pressed his to them in a slow kiss.

(Y/N) smiled in the kiss, holding it for a few moments before she pulled away to look at him. She couldn’t help but giggle at the snowflakes that had stuck to his hair and eyelashes. “All of our Christmas’ have still been white,” she pointed out before closing her eyes and reveling in the calmness of the moment.

They continued dancing under the falling snow and the moonlight for some time then, only retreating indoors when their noses started to burn from the coldness surrounding them. After adding more wood to the fire, they both laid together on the couch wrapped under blankets, nodding off to sleep with their hearts full, marking a beautiful end to this year’s Christmas.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @raincoffeeandfandoms @itscheybaby @gypsy-girl-08

MASTERLIST

[ofyorkshire]

This doesn't really belong here, I'm just Inserting My Muse into other canon, as you do, but it is so screwed up about Actual FBI Agent Roy Petty being so willing to give informants addictive drugs to "calm their nerves" when his own mother, whom he loves and evidently fears for, is struggling with severe addiction. The ease of which he does that and complete lack of regret is insane to me. Normal people are just pawns for him to play with in order to get his man, but he's frankly no better than the criminals he hunts.

Anyway the thought is BJ accidentally finding himself an informant for a similarly slimy government agent and being put in a similar situation. Wondering if he'd take the bait, if it'd cause a relapse... Thinking ESPECIALLY about the tension of BJ having to hide things from your muse. Dodge questions about where he is at night, who he's talking to and why. Thinking about BJ being made to wear a mic, and the knowledge of that affecting how he behaves around your muse too. Not wanting them to get wrapped up in it, but not having a choice; they're indirectly involved by association. He doesn't want to be a part of this anymore, but he doesn't have a choice. Maybe he's being blackmailed for a change?

Thinking about all the ways that could eventually trickle down to your muse. Maybe whoever BJ is supposed to be gathering information on comes after your muse in an attempt to scare BJ off? Maybe your muse IS the person BJ is supposed to gather information on? Maybe it isn't even that serious, but the tension and sudden elusiveness from BJ puts a strain on their relationship? Maybe they think BJ is just hiding the fact he's using again, and that causes problems?

Idk idk. Rolling the plot bunnies around. Enjoying the general idea of BJ getting in over his head again and accidentally dragging your muse down with him.

[dirtylimerick]

A bit cliche, but I would love a thread in my captive AU verse where Sean stumbles out into the road in front of your muse's car. He's a freezing, disheveled wreck, but more alarming, he's covered in blood (most not his own).

Sean is panicked and not 100% lucid, fighting dissociation, but tells your muse that they need to call the police. Your muse's cellphone has been dead for the past thirty minutes, so they'll have to wait until they can get to the next town. Unfortunately, this is in the middle of nowhere, visibility is low because of the snow, and the next town is a few hours away. Oh well. Your muse tells Sean to get in the car; they can't just leave him there, after all.

Whether or not Sean will open up depends on your muse and how good they are at calming people down. Regardless, your muse notices that a truck has appeared behind them, seemingly out of nowhere. It's been following for a while. This puts Sean on edge, but it's the only road for miles, it only makes sense that someone would be behind them eventually.

Except the truck speeds up while turning a curb along a ravine. It runs your muse's car off the road and now your muse and Sean must try to navigate and survive a blizzard until they can reach the next town... all while a serial killer hunts them down, intent on catching them.

[ultimumvitae]

Shadouge but make it a La Ca.sa de Pap.el-esque heist AU. 💎 👀

[handsomethrowrug]

OOC:

It's 6 in the morning and I got hit with the reminder with a wishlist thing that I'll never get for a muse in a dormant fandom so I'm going to pivot that topic to muse a little about Scar.

Truthfully, I haven't decided on his orientation and romantic preferences. I'd go as far as saying he himself doesn't know - but not in an a.sexual or a.romantic manner. Over the years, I've flip-flopped between a few ideas, mainly that he was betrothed and she died young, or that he had tried to court Zira as a teen and got rejected several times until he was king when suddenly she was all over him... But there isn't anything I've properly settled on. Likewise, I don't want to slap a rainbow flag on his forehead and call it a day. Maybe he does like male animals, maybe he doesn't. I'm not sure.

He comes from a family where "love" isn't a free concept. Yes, his parents were in love, and his brother found love, but ultimately, they were all "assigned" to be together. For Tacari growing up, it would have been very plausible to believe they "fell in love" because they were initially told they would spend the rest of their lives together. With the burden of "keeping the royal lineage going" there had to be some sort of amicable behaviour both in public and private settings.

It went further into day to day life. I can't imagine two lion princes being told stories about love when there were other, noble tales to share about the deeds ancestors did. He never had the simple luxury of seeing two animals meet by chance, spend time together, and ultimately fall in love, or hearing stories about the courting process from two partners that weren't "assigned" to one another. He might have liked the idea of it, but... he's the younger twin. Not only that, he's the male younger twin. That isn't as easy to offer to another to arrange as a younger female twin. None of their allies in other territories had a young lioness who had yet to be betrothed. While you would think this would be the ideal opportunity for Tacari to forge his own path... he wasn't allowed to do that either. There was a reputation to uphold.

(Another card on the pile for "if he had been allowed to travel out of the kingdom when he was younger things would have been better".)

In the present day, he's accepted his fate. None of the lionesses would look at him twice, even if he had been looking for a partner. Further to that, in the musical (though I don't interpret the encounter that follows as canon to the blog), he associates the idea of a queen with this earlier concept of "continuing the bloodline", and not with the idea of a partner who can stand by his side and bring out the best in him - a friend as well as a partner. I'd even go as far as saying that finding love is such a low priority, he genuinely wouldn't know if he had a crush on someone. He probably did have feelings over the years and simply never put two and two together because he was never taught the skills to recognise it.

Would love have changed him? I don't know. He could have had a partner and lost them, but so much time passed that he decided to focus on himself. Maybe he could have found love and the partner would have encouraged the worst, whether from them also being power-hungry or him having a change of heart and wanting them to have a better life on Pride Rock (ie 'they deserve to be queen/prince regent').

I don't necessarily think this warrants him an ace label of any sort. This 'disinterest' could be something else that's linked back to this "you are the spare" mentality he picked up along the way, or the acceptance of a life of solitude within a bustling pride. After all, what's to say that any cubs Scar had wouldn't grow up to challenge Mufasa's cubs for the throne? They had to make sure to keep things safe for the future and, as such, maybe never assigned the younger son to anyone. It isn't like Tacari himself was capable of such bitterness, right?

[nickblaine]

Are you positive about s6? I just want them to be happy (together)! Nick really needs a break, he deserves to know that June loves him. I mean, she told him but he clearly needs more from her and I get that.

i am really positive! i think s6 could be really good for us.

i feel like in general the episode puts a lot of emphasis on Nick and June's connection. they can't let each other go and they're coming to realize that.

they both said their "goodbyes" to their respective "families" and they are - more or less - on their own now. while there is room for Luke and Rose to come back, i think it's a good sign that the writers decided to push them out of the picture right now. everything they talked about keeping them apart in 5x09 is pretty much gone now.

it can't be coincidence that June is headed for Hawaii. even if she doesn't make it there, the connection Osblaine has to Hawaii is undeniable.

also, there's that old podcast where Bruce listed off a couple of things he wanted to see most in the show, which were the Waterfords going to trial and Nick and June on the run in the wilds of California. call me a pipe dreamer, but Bruce is checking off his wishlist before the series ends-- we finally saw the Waterford trial last season. i feel like Nick and June on the run out west could be next. and where is June headed on the train? west!!!

there's just no end to their story in sight yet. at least that’s how i feel.