#the characterization felt a little odd

[wikia]

god i really wanna see karasuno vs nekoma animated

[sitp-recs]

12 fics I’ve enjoyed recently…

Last year I did a short-lived “weekly rereads” series to spread love for old favourites that kept me afloat when reading new things became a struggle. I was looking for ways to stay active and contribute to the fandom with minimal effort, and I found solace in revisiting fics that I hold dear in my heart. This year, spring brought the @dronarryfest to pull me back into reading mood. Fandom is starting to speak to me again after a very long time, and the euphoria hit me with inspiration to write this short rec post for my recent reads. I am joining the party a bit late but on the off chance these escaped your radar, here are some fics I’ve really enjoyed during my catch up moment in February/March, and a few I’m planning to dive into next. It’s so nice to be able to write comments and rec blurbs again! What have y’all been reading lately?

HP fics:

Wet Leather by @lqtraintracks (E, 492 words) - Harry/Sirius

I live for LQT’s rare pair drabbles especially when it’s for my beloved Sirry because nobody writes this ship like them. The A+ characterization always takes my breath away: so much tension laced with yearning, it feeds my horniest deepest Sirry cravings tripping between guilt and absolution. This short is full of heat, want and sweet indulgence, with the usual tenderness underneath driving me up the wall and making me soft and hot for these two. Also, “my drenched little pup” excuse sir I’m??? 🥵

Nightswimming by @sweet-s0rr0w (M, 5k) - established Drarry, Dron, implied Dronarry

One of my instant faves this year, what a masterclass in tension building! As always, I’m so impressed by sweets’ short form. The brilliant banter and relentless sexual tension put me at the edge of my seat praying for MOAR. The atmosphere is so captivating I could feel the temptation on my fingertips, and have I even mentioned Ron’s spot on voice?? Superb bromance dynamics, late night drive aesthetics, an impressive amount of characterization within 5k and a teasing ending full of promise, come and feast!

Borrowed Time by @the-starryknight (E, 7k) - Dron + Harry

Another delicious Dronarry treat, now showcasing established Dron, body swap, the sexiest UST you’ll see today and an incredibly satisfying payoff. Once again Starry delivers peak romance with their “hot & sweet” trademark mixing compelling dialogue, witty flirting and uncomplicated smut full of want but also trust, understanding and intimacy. Forget the maddening anticipation, the domestic slice-of-life tone made me swoon - the characters are so clearly fond and familiar with each other it’s only natural for them to come together like this.

Heart to Hearth by @jtimu (E, 7k) - Drarry

This fic is a breath of fresh air and I still remember how excited I felt reading it for the first time. I’ll never get tired of seeing Harry get utterly horny confused at an attractive and carefully guarded Draco being competent at his odd yet surprisingly fitting job. Repairman Draco is indeed mouthwateringly efficient with his long hair and coveralls, and their tentative and awkward dynamics are just excellent. Love the subtle humour, the bits of repair magic theory and the earnest slow burn, with a smooth progression towards deliciously indulgent smutty times. Amazing concept, perfectly executed.

Long Haul by @wolfpants (E, 8k) - Drarry

Wolf is killing it lately, loved their Dronarry but this fic stole my heart with the long haul love premise. The image of their encounter - Harry holding his passport between his teeth, Draco with Muggle headphones around his neck - stayed with me the whole night. Harry loves flying and connects with NYC for the same reasons I do, so this fic spoke to me in a very personal way. I love everything from the title and bold flirting to the scorching hot and intimate smut with smooth daddy Draco! Not too long ago I prompted Florence’s “End of Love” for Wireless - unknowingly, Wolf wrote the NYC fic I’ve dreamed about when I thought of it 💜

Permanent by @citrusses (M, 14k) - Drarry, Dron

I’ve always been drawn to time travel and Citrus set up a thrilling, mysterious mood that’s impossible to resist. I was deeply intrigued not only by the plot but also by the complexity of these characters - a belligerent Harry with daddy issues and a saviour complex (yes pls!), edgy and focused Hermione, perceptive and kind Ron charming his way inside our hearts, and a lonely Draco trying to make sense of the plot, handle his feelings and find his foot in the post-war world. I loved being inside his mind - such brilliant characterization - and seeing the golden trio through his eyes. This fic has a wistful, melancholy tone mirroring Draco’s longing for Harry that hit me right in the solar plexus. It is also a great Ron study, and I’ll admit that made me fall even harder for Dron. Finally, it is tender and devastating as all good things are. A brilliant read and an instant favorite.

Dick Chicken by @oknowkiss (E, 15k) - Harry/Draco/Ron

Believe me when I say this is the Seinfeld AU you didn’t know you needed because you don’t wanna miss out on this. Hands down one of the most entertaining fics I’ve read in a while, this is hysterical funny, witty and steamy. The perfect mix of crack-y and casually horny vibes with a quirky Draco, a lovable and relatable Harry, and a hot Ron who’s 100% there for the ride, this chaotic trio will pull you into an unhinged journey and you’re gonna thank them for that 🤣 superb Harry pov, a warm and playful atmosphere that feels intoxicating, and a glorious shower scene followed by a fake orgasm competition. You’re heard it right. Run don’t walk!

Knot Your Average Coworkers by @thecouchsofa (E, 22k) - Drarry

Office romance is my kryptonite and I couldn’t stop giggling as I made my way through this wolf!Draco treat. I was instantly smitten with the charming characters, the delightful silly knotting jokes 🌝 and the good old oblivious friends/coworkers to lovers dynamics that always gets me. Pining Harry wooing Draco through cooking is SO my jam, the perfect mix of sweet comfort & unbearable UST that fills me with joy and anticipation while also wanting to smash their heads together “kiss kiss fall in love” style. Yum!

Cargo Case by @sleepstxtic (E, 23k) - Drarry

This was such an exciting ride, I love the inherent yearning & intimacy of break up/make up stories and this case fic kept me engaged and rooting for Drarry (and Pansy/Parvati!) the whole time. It was wonderful to see them not being antagonistic after a break up for a change - there’s delicious ust, fabulous Draco & Pansy brOTP, not to mention their super cool job. I was as invested in the plot as I was in the romance, and I’ve had a really fun time following them around. Undercover boyfriends for the win!!!!

Truth to Materials by @toomuchplor, lately (E, 54k) - Drarry

Another fabulous plor fic as per, this artist!Draco story immediately won my heart with the hilarious opening scene and the perfect combo of Draco’s “brazen gay” voice and Harry’s “bi panic” mind. What a delight! Love the clever dialogue, the mood so chaotic horny but the humorous tone making me giggle my way through the delicious loo sex scene. Unique premise, great pacing, fantastic cast and charming characterization - this fic is so easy to devour it doesn’t feel like a 50k journey at all. The story is great fun, very engaging but also delivering multiple tender and heartkick-y moments. It checks all my boxes including our king Ron Weasley putting a banana into Draco’s sculptural arsehole 🤣 what else could I ask for?

Skybound by @xanthippe74 (T, 61k) - Drarry

As a longtime fan of Ghibli’s movies, I was over the moon to see one my own faves adapted to fit the HP universe. This is the Howl’s Moving Castle AU we deserve, a light, enchanting and fun read with a lovely smooth Draco and a lovely earnest Harry making such a great pair. I love how Xan played with the original material making adjustments here and there, and giving life to Timpsy, the apprentice elf with a whole subplot involving mistreatment of magical beings. Very sweet and creative read!

Other fandoms:

a man—with human flesh by spqr (E, 14k) - Paul/Duncan, Dune

I love that this author writes for all of my favorite ships, I feel so spoiled! This is (yet another) banger following the 2nd Dune movie and a fascinating dive into Paul’s fractured mind struggling between his long-standing affection for Duncan and the intrusive thoughts under BG’s influence. So intense, vivid and thought-provoking. I was hooked from beginning to end and deeply immersed in this universe. Love me a fic about emotional implications and complications while delivering excellent character studies, this is the shit I live for right here 🤌🏼

Next up on my to-read list:

Home series by @hoko-onchi-writes (E, 22k)

In which Draco grows up hiding and finds out he doesn't want to do that anymore. And he doesn't want his son to hide, either. (…). In which Harry grows up in darkness, falls in love, fucks up, learns some things, and falls in love again.

Passing Stranger by @lettersbyelise (E, 53k)

Five years after the war, Harry, listless and depressed, stumbles upon Draco Malfoy playing the violin in an underground bar in Muggle London. The catch? Draco lost his memories five years ago. Ignoring his friends’ advice, Harry befriends an unwitting Draco, overlooking the fact that their mutual attraction might not survive if Draco’s memories return.

The Star Splitter by @oflights (E, 219k)

On a routine time travel assignment to the past, Draco stumbles upon 7-year-old Harry Potter and witnesses his neglect and mistreatment by the Dursleys. In the moment, there is only one solution, even if it goes against all his training as a Time Agent: he has to bring Harry back to the future with him. In which Draco burns his life down for the sake of his former school rival.

[walliedarling]

your characterization of wally not being malicious and just a... weird little guy is my new favorite thing ever he's so silly.. but i have a question! :)

since wallly doesn't understand the concept of crushes or having feelings for someone, and you've already made a post about how he deals with his feelings for us, but how would he react to us telling him about what it really means? would something click in his head, and he'd realize that that's what he was feeling all this time? would be attempt to confess to us then, or would he continue to be oblivious for the rest of his little felt life?

i think it would be an interesting concept for him to be rather weird in his approach to confessing if it ever came to that, since I don't think we would ever really explain that in detail- so he would just have to figure it out himself! as i assume, anyways.. and by that I wonder what means he would do to tell us how he feels, albeit odd or in any other way it comes across to us.. maybe he'd ask for some advice from his other lovely neighbors or just dive head in, whatever his forte is in that department @:)

this was longer than i originally intended, but i love your writing and enjoy reading through it!!<3

I'm glad you're enjoying my characterisation of him :D!! I'm not sure how popular it is (I've been a bit busy, so haven't read TOO many fics other than my own), but I am always happy to elaborate more on the way I see him!

You can explain to him what romantic feelings are, and it still doesn't immediately click for him, nor does he fully understand the significance of any of it. He doesn't have romantic fantasies in any traditional sense of the word, after all. But he does really want to be close to you, and he does think about you a lot. So, maybe…? He has to know more first, so he'll ask lots and lots of question. He'll ask more questions. How does it differ from friendships, exactly? What are things you would not do with a friend, but would do with a partner? How do you know if the person you 'like' also ' likes' you? (He makes quotation marks with his fingers every time he says it.)

Wally doesn't get embarrassed or flustered while discussing this at all, because he doesn't know that he's Supposed to be! He's just curious about this whole new type of relationship and love he's never considered before. It puts some things into new perspectives for him, though. Mainly any and all interactions between Eddie and Frank. He thought that was just something exclusive to them! Honestly, the whole explanation is likely brought on by him making a comment about something they were doing together.

He figures out what 'confessing' is when you tell him that's how you usually figure out someone likes you back. For a moment, he's tempted to ask you directly how you feel for him, right then and there, but he gets a little nervous. His usually calm demeanour does have its limits. Wally realises he's nervous because he doesn't want you to say that you don't feel the same way. So… That means he likes you, right? He guesses he'll have to confess!

But he feels completely lost on the subject after that, and is most likely to ask Eddie for advice. He introduces Wally to the concept of love letters, and the idea of what he wants to do is born from there. (If he hadn't gone to him for advice, it's likely he would've just blurted out the question 'Do you like me?' at a random point during the day.)

His confession letter is written in crayon, with little hearts at the edges of the paper. Wally writes in choppy, short sentences, not unlike the way he talks, that he's been thinking about you a lot, and even more since you told him what a crush is. He likes talking to you a lot, and he wants to talk to you a lot in the future as well. He still doesn't fully get what people do 'in a relationship', but would you like to show him? Do you like him as well?

Instead of having Eddie deliver it though, he will deliver it directly to you himself, and insists you open it right in front of him. It's… A unique experience, to say the least, because he's staring hard at you the whole time, even more so than usual.

[dying-suffering-french-stalkers]

assorted dune 2 thoughts fresh out of the theater

like the direction this version is going with chani. hell yeah let her do something! let her have friends! let her be fucking pissed!!!

hate the stilgar character assassination; i feel like it would've been natural to show his book development from skeptic/pragmatist to follower/believer in tandem with that of the other fremen. i suppose at the end of the day runtime gotta runtime but >:(

related to runtime gotta runtime: booooo show the fremen spice orgy cowards but i do absolutely respect putting off the bulk of the alia situation until the next installment

liked austin butler as feyd-rautha way more than i expected; honestly might be my favorite performance of the movie

(timmy c's is my least favorite. he's not a bad actor so much as just a deeply boring one, imho.)

LOVED florence pugh as irulan; inspired casting

the emperor's eye of sauron-ass ship sent me almost as much as casting christopher walken as shaddam iv. sure. fuck it. why not. (still devastated that josé ferrer had so little screentime in the lynch version)

WORM WORM WORM WORM

would LOVE to hear from non-book fans re: how comprehensible and watchable this was for you

the b&w sequence fucked severely

“say the word villeneuve” “h-holy w-w-ar—” “guards!”

agree with other reviewers that it was a bit odd to (under)cut the influence of the spacing guild here given that i remember them being a pretty crucial faction in dune messiah (and presumably children of dune + the other books i admittedly never got to)

overall: very prettily shot, intrigued by but not wholly displeased with the changes made, still felt kinda emotionally hollow to me but at least less so than the first movie

i think paul as a character is just damnably hard to adapt to the screen as so much of his book characterization is accomplished via internal monologue. his actions are indeed very important, the most important, but you miss out on most of his internal/existential struggle, which renders him both more unlikeable and less compelling.

more to come as i remember things probably

[mama-qwerty]

Wade's Bedroom

Okay. So, in the trailer for the Knuckles series, we see Knux take out a bounty hunter in what appears to be Wade's bedroom. I'm thinking this is his bedroom at his mother's house, so when he was a teen.

You can tell a lot about a person by how they decorate their personal space. And since I love Wade and am on my knees begging for better characterization, I wanna see what they put in the guy's bedroom.

Let's break it down.

1 - Little Robots

I can't tell exactly what robots these are, whether they're action figures from games or movies, or some model kits he's built himself. If they're models it shows Wade spent a lot of time on his own, and had the opportunity to focus on building something that required attention and patience.

2 - Books

There are a lot of books on his shelves, and the ones especially between Knux and the bounty hunter look like a series. Obviously we can't read the titles, but Wade strikes me as someone who'd enjoy manga, and the Choose Your Own Adventure stories.

3 - A Little Rainbow Sticker

This may indicate he knows someone who is LGTBQ+, or possibly he himself is. Or maybe he just likes rainbows.

4 - "Pistol" Pete Whipple poster

I'm not exactly sure how Pete is related to Wade, but I'm going under the assumption that Pete is his uncle. (Cary Elwes is 20 years older than Adam Pally, so while it's possible he's a brother, it's unlikely.) Here's this very impressive and 'famous' Whipple, who everyone looks up to and admires. (I'm assuming.) Wade feels so unimportant, he has this poster to remind him that he's related to greatness, and maybe he too can be important some day.

5 - Addams Family movie poster

I'm pretty sure this is the first movie, and Wade likes it because it shows people who are strange, people who don't look or act like everyone else, people who have odd hobbies and interact with the world in their own unique manner. And yet they love each other, Gomez in particular would do anything for his brother. Considering the nonchalant way his sister and mother behaved when he was yanked off the porch in the trailer, maybe Wade never really felt a connection like that.

6 - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves movie poster

The most famous example of helping those less fortunate than you, and being a hero to those on the receiving end of that help. Wade wants to help people. He wants to stand up for those who can't. I have no idea what his relationship with his father is/was like, but maybe the whole 'stand up to a corrupt authority' resonated with him for personal reasons as well.

7 - Speed movie poster

Maybe he wished he was Keanu Reeves, the hero with a calm head and always knew what to do. Maybe he always pictured himself as Sandra Bullock, an average person pulled into something dangerous and assuming an important role that helps save others.

8 - Ren and Stimpy poster

Okay, so he's a teen boy in the 90s. He's gonna like that gross-out humor.

9 - Total Recall movie poster

This movie is about an average joe who discovers he's actually someone Very Important. Wade has always thought of himself as a nobody. Deep down he wants to be someone Very Important. At least someone competent who isn't brushed off as a joke.

10 - TMNT bedsheets (and he was wearing a TMNT shirt under his robe before he's dragged down the street)

Obviously he's a man of good taste. But again, a group of teens fighting bad guys. The man just wants to be a hero so badly.

Based purely on the way he acts as an adult (and I'm trying to look past the "oh boy isn't he dumb!" pathetic characterization the movies have so far given him) I see Wade as a lonely man. He's likely never had many friends, always feels like the odd man in every situation, and just isn't very comfortable in his own skin.

In the trailer scenes where Knuckles decides to train Wade, there are posters and notes tacked all over the room with encouraging messages to himself regarding working out. Maybe he's trying to change his image because he thinks that will make others like him more. Maybe he's just trying to get a date. Maybe he's wrestling with his own self-worth.

Whatever is going on with Wade, I think pairing him with Knuckles is a good way to have them both realize things about themselves they'd never known before. Wade will help Knux realize that it's okay to let his guard down and enjoy himself, and Knuckles can help show Wade that there's more to him than anyone (including himself) thinks.

Maybe I'm waaaaay off base with these. Maybe I'm thinking way too hard about it. Wouldn't be the first time. But I love Wade and I really want to understand him, and hope to see him grow and become more confident by the end of the series.

[imaginmatrix]

zutara au where katara is an up and coming model/actress and zuko is the closed off guy who serves her tea at the shop next to her apartment.

Okay. Look. Listen. Against all odds, despite them filling all my favorite tropes, I do not actually… ship Zutara. I don’t read fics of them, I’ve never written them— which is wild, right? Wacky? Crazy? Doesn’t make sense. I know. I agree. Idk.

So I wrote this anyway and I have no clue what the fandom is like or how they characterize these characters but HERE WE GO DIVING IN HEADFIRST ANYWAY LETS GO

Katara already knew her and her brother had wildly different priorities— but moving into her new apartment proved that Sokka existed on an entirely different plane of reality.

“My sister has the cash to live anywhere she wants, but she picks a place next to the weirdest building in the city.” He had grumbled the day of the move, which kind of pissed Katara off.

Not because he called the building weird, but because that was his issue with it.

He should have been far more upset with the fact that the skyscraper belong to Ember Corp.

Katara pointed this out to him, to which Sokka only shrugged in reply, “I figured you didn’t care about that seeing as you moved in next door anyway.”

And then she had to stomp away in a huff to stop herself from snapping at him, because that would be hypocritical and ridiculous; but it wasn’t like she moved in next to the corporation that demolished their family’s home and community for parking lots because she didn’t care!

She did care! A lot! Maybe too much!

But then that was why she chose this apartment; the skyscraper next door wasn’t just a skyscraper.

Like Sokka said, it was…

Weird.

Good weird.

To be fair, Ba Sing Se as a whole was a little weird— a hodgepodge of shiny, towering buildings and ancient temples and Spiritbucks and cobblestones and sky trolleys.

No structure could compare to this one.

From a distance, it looked like a regular skyscraper; the architecture was more creative than most, but it didn’t stand out.

Then one’s gaze would travel down, and there, at the base…

A tea shop.

An old tea shop.

It wasn’t even all that fancy, though there were pieces that hinted at a rich history— the small, painted wood pillars on either side of the door, the round windows with various designs etched into them, and the roof— oh the roof! A beautiful hip-and-gable one with the edges flared up and rust red shingles that complimented the muted green of the shop itself.

Katara loved it.

And the fact that a skyscraper had been built atop was so ludicrous it made her dizzy.

She’d once asked Toph why it was like that, and in turn Toph explained that the rumor was that the old guy who owned the shop had been offered a ton of money from Ember Corp for the location. He refused to sell, but reportedly told them he’d be willing to sell the air above his shop for the same price, and a promise that his shop would stay— he wasn’t selling the land, after all.

So they reinforced the shop and foundation to be able to bear the weight, and just like that, a new skyscraper had risen above the city.

Katara only went to the tea shop.

She wasn’t sure what about it was so enticing. Maybe it was how peaceful it was; even when the giant sliding doors were left open in the summer, the noise of the city never seemed to penetrate the shop fully. The smell of tea soothed her. It was soft, and sweet, and earthy, and strangely reminded her of home.

Which was wildly different in culture, but… she felt safe here. Like she had at home. Before it was taken.

That could be the reason she came— she liked seeing something old and ancient stand up to an entity like Ember Corp. It filled her with satisfaction to see something refuse to give in to intimidation, to be immovable in the face of “innovation.”

It was almost sacred in a way.

So she found herself stopping by every morning on the way to work— be it a photoshoot or commercial or audition— for some matcha to perk her up. And every evening, if the shop was still open, she’d grab a Jasmine brew on the way home.

The owner was so kind, a round, elderly man with a gravely voice filled with mirth. He insisted on being referred to as “Uncle Iroh,” which Katara didn’t mind. Sokka was her only family in the city, as their Gran and Father and what remained of their community migrated to the southern towns after their neighborhood was sold out from under them.

She could use an Uncle these days.

On one particular morning she was running late. She whirled into the shop, juggling various items while she searched her purse— sunglasses, phone, the audition packet, chapstick, planner, book for the trolley— ah! Wallet!

But when Katara turned to the counter, it wasn’t Uncle Iroh who she saw; a grumpy looking guy stood there, shaggy hair falling in gold eyes. Those eyes were what she noticed first, bright and intense and filled with an emotion she couldn’t quite place— anger? Contempt? For… her?

The scar, she noticed second. Which upon reflection was a little ridiculous, considering that the angry deep red color and mottled flesh took up nearly half of his face. Not that it should have been what people saw first when they looked at him, she was certain he probably hated it being pointed out, but it was hard to miss.

They stared at each other a moment.

“…Hi?” Katara ventured, less confused by the new employee than the fact that he apparently had no customer service skills. No “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon!” or “Can I take your order?” or even a rude “What do you want?”

The boy’s brow just furrowed deeper, which seemed almost impossible, yet there he was— basically one big furrow at this point.

“…Um…” When it became clear the grumpy employee had no intention of being friendly, Katara ventured, “Can I have a hot matcha to go?”

She waited anxiously as he punched the order in, finally speaking, “That’ll be six yuans.”

It was Katara’s turn to be the furrower. “Six? It’s usually three, isn’t it?”

This was met with an eye roll and a breathy huff, “My Uncle is… let’s just say he gives discounts more often than he should.”

Katara lamented that the new price would likely mean she’d only have one tea stop a day rather than two, but didn’t argue as she zipped open her wallet, uninterested in prolonging this weird interaction that made her more and more late by the second. She passed the rectangular coins over, and the boy dropped them into the register before turning on his heel to prepare the tea.

That was weird.

But so was a tea shop with a skyscraper balanced atop.

She crossed her arms, checking her phone for the time over and over again. Why was this taking so long?

Katara leaned over the counter to see what the boy was doing, and blinked. The kettle was—

“Are you… are you boiling water?!”

He frowned back at her— though it was likely just a regular look, if frowning was his default state as it appeared to be. “…I don’t know how you make hot tea, but here we boil it.”

“Yes but—“ Katara cut herself off, biting her tongue so that she could calm the ever growing frustration bubbling within. Sokka said she was hot headed, ironic considering where their ancestors came from. Finally, she managed to speak with an even, calm tone; “You have a boiling water tap.”

“…A what?”

Dear Spirits, this guy...

“The owner, he only uses the kettle at night when it’s less busy, for a more authentic experience. In the mornings, he uses the tap— or an electric kettle.”

The guy glanced around. “Because the mornings are so busy?”

To be fair, the shop was empty at the moment. Katara wondered if it was due to the upcoming holiday.

“Yes.” Katara ground out through gritted teeth.

He shrugged in response. “There’s no rush now, so it’s not a big deal.”

“It is!” She finally burst out, “It is a big deal! I’m late for work!”

The boy seemed taken aback for a moment, blinking at her. Then his face hardened. “It’s not my problem if you didn’t leave early enough.”

“But it is your problem that you don’t know how to do your job correctly!” Katara snapped back.

This seemed to rile up the guy even more, his nostrils flaring, “I didn’t even want—“

He was interrupted by the scream of the kettle, and he turned his back on her to remove it from the heat. Katara rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache encroach on the edges of her consciousness.

It only grew when she looked up to see him dropping a teabag into the cup of water.

“What are you doing?!” She demanded, aghast.

He glanced up, confusion mingling with his frustration this time. “Making tea?”

“I asked for matcha!” Her voice was shrill now, but she couldn’t help it— who hired this guy?!

“…Is this not matcha…?”

“That’s green tea!” And in a bag rather than an infuser, no less!

“Matcha is green tea though.”

“It’s prepared differently!” Katara leaned further over the counter, her braid hanging over the opposite edge as she craned her neck, “Look, Uncle Iroh keeps the materials right there under—“

“Hey, don’t lean over here like that!”

“Or what?” She retorted as the guy stalked towards her, “Mad that I know this place better than you do?”

With the way his eyes narrowed, he was indeed mad about that. “No, I’m not— the money is over here!” He waved his hands at her in a shooing motion. At least he had the intelligence to know not to put his hands on her.

Katara snorted. “Do I look like a robber?”

“You look like a pain in the—“

“Nephew? I heard the kettle…” A sleepy voice interrupted them, and Katara quickly straightened from being sprawled over the counter as a bleary-eyed Uncle Iroh parted the curtains to stare at them.

“Uncle, this girl—“ he pointed, “should be banned from the shop.”

Uncle Iroh yawned, turning his gaze to Katara. Then he brightened. “Ah, Miss Katara, a pleasure to see you— picking up your usual, I take it?”

“Well, yes, but…” she hesitated. A moment ago she had been ready to go ballistic, but Iroh had called the guy ‘Nephew’… so he was his literal uncle? Tattling to family felt a bit childish. “It’s fine.”

“Is it now? Well, I see you’ve met my nephew, Katara, this is—“

“Lee.” The boy interrupted immediately, his hand flying up to cover the name tag pinned to his apron, “My name is Lee.” He looked meaningfully at his Uncle, who merely shrugged.

“He will be working here from now on, so I hope that…” Iroh’s voice trailed off as his gaze wandered to the cup of tea. He blanched. “Z— Lee, did Katara ask for green tea?”

It was Lee’s turn to go pale. “Well, she asked for matcha, and that’s basically—“

Uncle Iroh groaned as he hurried to the tea, nose wrinkling in disgust, “And a bag, too! Where did you even find— no, no bags! We use these!” He waved around an infuser wildly, and Lee grew more indignant.

“Well how was I supposed to know that?! Why do you have teabags if we don’t—“

“Never mind that!” Uncle Iroh bustled around, scooping the matcha into the chawan to whisk, “Clearly you are far worse off than I thought— what has your father been teaching you?”

“Business! And finances, and—“ a furtive glance was shot towards Katara, “and things way more important than making tea!”

“Bah!” Iroh finished whisking and began to prepare the drink, “Very few things in life are more worth knowing than this.” He snapped the lid onto the cup and passed it over the counter with a cheery smile, “There you are my dear, I hope it’s to your liking.”

Katara was already speeding for the door with a wave, “I’m sure it’ll be perfect as always— see you tonight?”

“We’ll be open— and I’ll make sure my Nephew knows how to at least brew jasmine by then.”

“Uncle.”

Katara jogged to the sky trolley stop, her mind racing a bit. Uncle Iroh said Lee would be working there from then on… and if today was anything to go by, her once peaceful escape was about to become a whole lot more stressful.

Unfortunately, slinking into the agency thirty minutes after she was supposed to did not go unnoticed. But the lecture about professionalism and punctuality in the industry was brief, and the day passed in a blur. Lee was nowhere to be found during her evening stop, though Uncle Iroh was appalled to discover that he had charged Katara full price for the matcha. He insisted on giving her the evening mug of piping hot jasmine at no cost, and she took up her usual place on the patio to sit and read and relax before tromping up to her apartment.

The weeks passed fast, and to Katara’s dismay, Lee was now there every time she stopped in.

Figures. Her luck had always gone overboard to balance out— placed first in the third grade spelling bee? Broke her arm on the way home. High school valedictorian? Congratulations, your childhood home is being bulldozed! Career picking up? An annoying man now works at your favorite place in the world.

…Maybe one of those things wasn’t like the others, but it still irked her.

But Lee didn’t speak to her again beyond the curt welcome he gave everyone, the exchanging of funds (he gave her the Uncle Iroh discount now,) and the call of her name when the tea was at the counter.

Katara didn’t like hearing her name on his lips. It was wrong. It made the hairs on the back of her neck prickle, made her body tighten and squirm in an uncomfortable way.

A fight or flight response, she reasoned.

And then one evening, he didn’t call it.

She was curled in the plush chair that Iroh always let her drag to the patio in the evenings. Days were getting longer again, so the sun hadn’t quite set yet, casting a golden glow between buildings.

The day had been exhausting; three auditions and two photoshoots. Katara had been up since 3am for the first shoot, but despite her yawns and heavy lids, she couldn’t resist the allure of Iroh’s tea.

Katara was reading. Well, she thought she was reading; but when the sound of a clearing throat made her eyes flutter open, the sky was much darker and the streets bathed in blue rather than gold.

Her head felt cotton-y in the way it did when one took an impromptu nap, and she yawned, looking up from her curled up position on the chair to see Lee standing next to her.

“Ah— sorry, is it closing time…?” She began to straighten out, reaching for her bag, but Lee shook his head.

“No, uh… no. I just… here.” He held out the teacup. “Free refill.”

Katara blinked, “Oh.”

Lee shifted uncomfortably, and it took a moment for Katara to realize what she was seeing; he was nervous. “If you don’t want it, I can—“

“No, no I do!” She nodded to the side table, placing the book that had become wedged between her and the cushions on it as well. “Tell your Uncle thank you.”

“Uncle’s not here.” Lee said. Then he hesitated. “I… I can tell him when he gets back.”

Katara reached for the cup. It smelled amazing, and she sipped at the rich, floral drink. It was different than usual, but good different.

So she took a deeper sip, licking her lips as droplets clung to them.

Her face lifted to Lee, who was shifting his weight back and forth anxiously. Anticipating.

And then it hit her.

“You made this?” She asked— since that first meeting, Lee had only made one of her orders when his Uncle had stepped out. It had been rather disappointing.

“Uh… yeah.”

“It’s really good.” To her surprise, Lee almost smiled, the corners of his lips tugging up as his body relaxed.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She confirmed. “Did you add something different…?”

“A few things— Uncle thinks that jasmine is best on its own but…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I… got bored.”

“Well maybe you should be bored more often if this is the result.”

The furrow that lived between Lee’s brow and where another brow once grew smoothed in surprise— no, that wasn’t a strong enough word for it— shock? The emotion was fleeting, gone in an instant, though his face managed to retain its new relaxed state. “That’s the second compliment you’ve given me. Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.”

Katara surprised herself by laughing. “You gave me a free drink, so maybe I should buy one too.”

Lee ran a hand through his hair, revealing how his scar stretched up to his forehead; “Well, uh, I should—“

“Do you want to sit for a second?”

Lee immediately, wordlessly dragged one of the patio chairs up next to her in response, flopping into it.

They sat in silence for a minute, watching the occasional car pass by.

Then Katara couldn’t help herself; “Why did you start working here? You didn’t seem like you liked tea all that much.”

Lee sighed, his hand mussing up his hair again; he did that a lot, as if he wasn’t used to having so little of it. “I… messed up big time back home.” His head tilted back to gaze up at the skyscraper that towered above the shop behind them. “So my father sent me here to… I don’t know. Punish me, I guess. Cut me off, told me I couldn’t come back until…” he trailed off. “…you know, I was lucky my Uncle even agreed to let me stay here. If he hadn’t… I don’t know what I would have done.”

Katara couldn’t imagine it— what sort of father would abandon his kid like that?

Sure, she felt abandoned by her own dad half the time, but… at least when he left, he did it knowing her and Sokka were safe and cared for. And at least she didn’t doubt that he loved her, as angry as she was at him for his choices.

She cleared her throat, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pried—“

“No, it’s okay.” Lee’s voice had a rasp to it, the sound of someone trying to hold emotion at bay. “It… it was probably time I told someone about it. I haven’t exactly made a ton of friends here.”

Katara spoke before she even realized she’d decided to; “You can come out with me and my friends sometime.”

Lee tilted his head to her, a puzzled expression on his features, “…Me?”

“Do you see anyone else here?”

And then a real smile played across his lips, “Are all your friends hot shot movie stars too?”

It was once more Katara’s turn to be surprised. “You— that— I’m not even close to a ‘hot shot movie star!’” She laughed and tugged on her braid nervously, suddenly feeling shy. “You know who I am?”

“Yeah.”

“Since the beginning?”

“…Yeah.” His voice was softer, more reserved, as if the question had stirred something in him. Guilt?

Katara pressed on, not wanting to ruin the new atmosphere they’d built for themselves. “So you’ve seen me in… what, shampoo commercials?”

Lee shook his head, “Nah, my fa— someone my mom used to be friends with, uh… helped fund that one movie; Glacier Soul?”

“You… you remember me from that?” She laughed again, both delighted and aghast, “It wasn’t even a big role, I wasn’t a lead or anything— and I wasn’t great in it—“

“No.” Lee‘s voice was firm, no room for disagreement. If he didn’t sound so earnest, Katara may have assumed he was just being nice. “You were perfect.”

Katara shifted, warmth spreading on her cheeks. The prickle on her neck, the tightness in her body, those both were present now too; but it wasn’t fight or flight this time, was it? Had it ever been? “Well I… I’m glad you liked me. I mean, me in it. It was my first dramatic film and… and I’m just… glad.”

They both fell silent, Katara downing the rest of her tea to keep from saying more dumb things.

“So…” Lee was hesitating again. “When… when are you and your friends next…?”

“Oh!” Katara reached for her bag, rummaging for a pen, “Here, one sec—“ she grabbed her napkin and jotted down her number. “Text me when I leave, I’ll let you know next time we have plans.”

Lee seemed completely out of his element as he stared at the napkin she’d shoved at him; as if he couldn’t believe it was actually there. Finally, he nodded, “Right, yeah, that sounds— yeah. Good. Great.”

“Yeah?” Katara asked teasingly.

There was another hint of a smile when he replied with, “Yeah.”

Her body was heavy again, so Katara started to gather her things. “Well, good to know you’re not so bad when you’re not extorting people or serving them poisoned tea.”

Lee sputtered, “I… I haven’t done either of those things!”

“Mm, that green tea you tried to give me looked pretty deadly.” He seemed troubled despite the tease, and Katara nudged him as she stood. “Tonight though? That jasmine tea was ridiculously good.”

Lee relaxed again, understanding the jests now and looking quite pleased with himself, “I practiced.”

“I can tell.” Katara yawned and stretched, her body complaining after being curled up for so long, “Well, Lee, I’m glad I got to know you a little better.”

He was running a hand through his dark locks again, looking as if he were going through some sort of inner turmoil despite the small smile on his lips, “Y-yeah, me too, listen, uh…” he took a breath. Then another. “I’m… I…” and then he deflated, “I’m glad too.”

Katara said goodnight, made him promise to text her as soon as she walked out the door, and as she strolled to the next building over, she realized she felt light. Bubbly. Happy.

So their first meeting had been rocky; she couldn’t blame the guy for having a bad day, especially since it sounded like he’d been through the wringer shortly before that.

Why should a bad first impression affect this one?

Katara’s phone buzzed with a text, and when she pulled it out she saw a little fire emoji.

And then she texted back something that normally she’d never in a million years say.

‘Is this your way of saying I’m hot?’

Sokka would laugh in the face of anyone who implied his uptight little sister had flirted.

Lee’s reply was immediate.

‘What?! No! What???? It’s just my favorite!’

‘…wait, don’t take that the wrong way, I mean, I’m not saying you aren’t’

‘Uh’

‘I mean’

‘Can you just ignore all of that? Please?’

‘…Please?’

Katara laughed. Normally she might over analyze his panicked denial, worry she overstepped, but… something felt different about Lee. He was so serious, serious in a way that made her loosen up.

Her brother often told her she was a stick in the mud. And maybe she was, maybe she was austere and boring and too much a stickler for rules… But Lee made her feel like she was fun, too.

‘Ignore what?’

‘I didn’t see anything :)’

‘….thank you.’

She hummed to herself as she savored the taste of jasmine still on her tongue.

Maybe Lee wasn’t so bad.

And maybe… maybe now she had more than one reason to look forward to her morning matcha.

[another-lost-mc]

is it bad that as much as i like your ocs (theyre amazing, i love them!), i really miss seeing you write for the canon characters

You know, that’s valid. The proportion of Canon and OC content here lately has been way off. It’s sort of the elephant in the room I ignore every time I think about Obey Me and my inspiration automatically focuses on the world building or OC potential instead.

There’s a few reasons why I’ve been less interested in writing canon lately.

1. Disappointment with Nightbringer. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why this game exists (except to overhaul the franchise’s monetization structure). The premise and lore payoff hasn’t been that great for me personally - it feels more like an AU rather than a canon addition/continuation of the OG game. It feels like we still end up with more loose ends and questions that we don’t have (and may never get) answers for. I’m still waiting for Raphael and Mephisto to be dateable, by the way. As a result, my focus when writing OM content has been using the OG story/characterization using the odd piece from NB that makes sense, and that leads into…

2. My favourite parts of Obey Me are under-developed in canon. I enjoy most of the canon cast, I really do. But I want more Celestial Realm lore, I want more Michael (and not NB HM Lesson 20 Michael), I want more angels in general. They’ve mentioned Uriel a couple times now, give me that angel please and thank you! (No longer relevant, I wrote a version of him myself.)

The world feels so empty at times but there’s so much potential. Parts of the Devildom are more fleshed out with NB adding to it, but what about the other realms? What’s going on with the Sorcerer’s Society and the reapers? I never know if the interesting hints of lore we get are truly relevant or if it’s just something the game decided was convenient for a plot point and never gets mentioned again. NB has been great for Solomon fans since it’s practically a Solomon x MC fanfic written with a forced roommates trope, and that might be the best thing about it from a lore perspective.

My OCs were originally meant to explore gaps in the world and give the canon characters room to grow beyond the one or two defining traits the game keeps repeating over and over. I like writing Mammon when I can have him interact with Karasu, I like imagining the types of angels other exchange students might meet in the Celestial Realm, I like giving a name and personality to the mysterious owner of The Fall where so many events and Devilgram stories take place. Admittedly, it was refreshing to see that other people enjoyed reading about them or imagining them paired with their own MCs/OCs too. I call them the OC Fan Club with genuine affection.

3. It’s not something I talk about often but before I began writing fanfiction, I was mostly focused on concepts or outlines for original stories. Writing supernatural and horror themes always been my interest as a writer so anything with demons/angels/other monstrous races automatically catches my eye.

It’s a little mean to say, but half-baked worlds like the Devildom are a lot of fun to use as a foundation for expanding my own ideas. The OC story I’ve been working on is one way for me to write longer and more complex pieces which is the type I like most. Granted, it includes nearly the entire game cast and it explores the Devildom and Celestial Realm in ways that tie together some of my favourite personal headcanons and characterization. It focuses on angel characters and the history/culture of the Celestial Realm which are two of my main interests for this game. It’s a huge project - the outline is nearly 20k words on its own, it’s practically a novel divided into four sections with 30+ chapters and an epilogue. I can’t even express how excited I am when I get to work on this.

That being said, I do like writing canon content and I’ve been missing it more lately. I got burnt out when it felt like I was losing interest in NB and was pushing myself to keep writing anyway which isn’t great.

Today someone left a nice comment on something I wrote a while back, an angst piece for the demon brothers. I haven’t read it in a while and after going back and re-reading it, I was like, “Huh, I don’t remember liking this as much as I do.” And then I remembered something in my drafts that’s been rotting away, half-edited and ignored, and realized that I wanted to finish it. So, I’ve been slowly tinkering with things while I work on my angels’ story. Some of my plans are ambitious and real life distractions (mostly health related, like my recent bout of COVID) haven’t helped.

If I learned anything about my writing since starting this blog, it’s that:

writing what you’re passionate about is more fulfilling than writing what seems trendy or popular

giving and receiving feedback and fostering friendships/supporting each other keeps the community thriving

self care self care self care

Anyway. My goal has always been to write about the things I love about the game world and the things I create that are inspired by it. It’s a delicate balancing act that I’m still working on.

[antikate]

I genuinely think romance is a deeply underrated genre that is sneered upon because of its associations with femininity; I think it’s utopian and hopeful and worthwhile and I crave good romance stories. At the same time I hate most romance novels that I try to read.

I had Covid this week and for a few days was too sick to even look at a book or screen so I downloaded a bunch of audiobooks from the library and I gave up on every single one of them:

1. Notorious by Minerva Spencer. I noped out of this a few pages in when one character was described as delectable and luscious and another character’s eyes were described as orbs. The book also comes with a whole heaping of misogyny and Islamophobia apparently.

2. Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn. The first ??? 20 ??? Or so pages of this book consist of the heroine back in her home town and going into a deli to order a coffee and not having enough money to pay for it because she left her wallet in the car. 20 pages!!! It’s humiliating and is literally like being stuck in the head of the most neurotic person you’ve ever met. Page after page of this woman ruminating about what a loser she is. Exhausting! And I say this as someone who can ruminate at the Olympic level.

3. Pretty Pretty Boys by Gregory Ashe. This one is an m/m series about two cops who fall in love and I had hopes that it might be solid but the characterization was basically “whatever the author felt like writing”. Also the cops act like cops as in they’re abusive to random people and spend a lot of time being horrible, which I don’t really need in a romance.

4. Not Your Average Hot Guy, Gwenda Bond. Idk this was just. A bit? Boring? Also everyone was just a bit too self consciously sassy. The heroine runs an escape room but one of her props turns out to be actually a demonic book. I think one of my issues with this book and so many other romance novels is that banter is a real skill and most people can’t write it. But everyone, regretfully, tries.

5. Liar City, Allie Therin. There’s this one audiobook narrator who has such a snotty voice that I just cannot. This book might have been great but the instant I started listening I knew it was that dude. Maybe I’ll try it as an actual book.

6. The Blacksmith Queen by GA Aiken. This is one of the worst books I’ve ever tried to read. Truly. The heroine is a blacksmith and the hero is a centaur, which I thought sounded fun (also I was wondering how they’d have sex because I’m like that) but it was … puerile? Astonishingly stupid?

7.Capture the Crown, Jennifer Estep. This is also an absolutely idiotic book. The hero has amethyst eyes and the heroine has some other gem coloured eyes and someone else has sapphire eyes and if you took a shot every time it someone’s eye colour was described as a jewel tone you’d be hospitalised for alcohol poisoning by about page four.

8. A taste of gold and iron, Alex Rowland. This is decently written - as in the prose is solid - but the plot is half baked, the characters are tedious, and the world building is intriguing but paper thin. I’d say it’s a much better book than most here, but I still couldn’t bring myself to finish.

Not everything I’d read lately has been terrible so here’s some romance or romance adjacent books I have actually enjoyed:

1. The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang: This book is not going to change your life but it does what sets out to do with a slight if entertaining love story.

2. The Secret Lives of County Gentlemen, KJ Charles: I think Charles is one of the best and smartest historical romance writers I’ve ever read. Her books are everything I want out of romance: the characters are interesting, idiosyncratic, and sympathetic; the details feel right; the stories work; and the sex scenes are both hot and do important plot and character work. Her books are swoony and emotional and feel very real while still being romantic. (The audio narrator of this let it down a little because he took a lot of odd pauses but I’m being super nitpicky.)

3. A Far Wilder Magic, Allison Saft: This is a sweet YA novel set in an interesting fantasy world - I really enjoyed the prickly heroine and her dog.

4. In Memoriam, Alice Winn: This beautiful, heart-rending novel is not exactly a romance - it’s set during WW1 and has very explicit and realistic scenes set in the trenches. The trauma and suffering of the war are achingly portrayed. But it is a love story between two young soldiers, even if it’s not necessarily one with an easy or simple ending. Highly recommend with the caveat that Winn does not shy away from the brutality and senselessness of WW1.

5. Thornhedge, by T Kingfisher: This is a brief but resonant Sleeping Beauty retelling. Not exactly a romance but also not unromantic. My only complaint is that I wanted more. I’m a big T Kingfisher fan, and I adore her practical, earthy characters (like Toadling).

6. We Could Be So Good, Cat Sebastian: I’m here for everything Sebastian writes. Her books are low stakes but still compelling, her characters are likeable and complex, I actually enjoy her banter, and she has a knack for capturing historical details and moments. Her conflicts never feel fake and the resolutions are always earned.

[canonizzyhours]

I've been dying to talk about this, so bless whoever is running this blog. Really appreciate having the space to do so. But okay, the sudden jump in Izzy's characterization and motives in season 2 really quite bothered me, to the point where I can't even jump on the "Calypso's Birthday is the best episode" train and things equivalent. As someone who did view him as more of an antagonistic presence in season 1, and someone who believes him to be rife with toxic masculinity, a lot of the jumps in this season just felt...unearned?

Maybe unearned isn't quite the right word, because I don't think anyone has to earn kindness or anything of the sort. Maybe jarring is a little better suited.

But I digress. It was just so odd to me to see him go from telling Ed that his softness and femininity was "a fate worse than death" to wearing drag makeup and singing a love song in front of the entire crew. You know??

I was actually quite on board for the developments in the earlier episodes—excited, even! To see him experience the repercussions of his actions, and have to quickly backpedal and change his tune before even more damage could be wrought was very interesting. I also liked seeing the rough and tough façade crack. I adore seeing any sort of toxic masculinity begin to falter. So I actually really loved seeing him cry, seeing him receive comfort from Frenchie and Fang, and just...slowly unspooling whatever mentality he had been locked in.

That's just the thing though—slowly. It felt natural in episodes 1-5 to me, because he was working alongside the crew and being more receptive to their kindness—to the atmosphere Stede had fostered. And even him working alongside Stede felt natural to me because it was like, "Okay, this twat is here and he's here to stay, so I might as well learn to work alongside him just as I have with everyone else." Not to mention also that Stede showed kindness and mercy numerous times, which I'm sure has to resonate with anyone on receiving end.

But then all of a sudden comes episodes 6-7, and so many moments that just had me scratching my head or feeling outright uncomfortable. The drag show in particular, but also the morning after interruption, the "made your boyfriend blush," the "I think you're good for him," etc etc. Because, genuinely, where did any of that come from? Where did acceptance and vulnerability to that degree come from?

The morning after interruption just feels so off to me that it has almost become my new "Oooo Daddy" moment. Meaning, I watch Ed and Stede talking, but then skip over Izzy interrupting them. I just can't even watch it. Because, Izzy joking about gay sex?? Izzy congratulating them for having sex??? Where and how???

Him being more receptive to kindness and camaraderie is one thing, as is working better alongside those he had a problem with. I'll gladly take both of those developments. But him suddenly just being okay with the things he thought deserving of death? The things he called Ed a slur for? The things he thought "did something to his boss' brain?" And then some, because he was even allowed more open vulnerability and femininity than Ed was???

And also, I know that a lot of his vitriol and toxicity stemmed from the fact that he didn't want to lose his anchor: Blackbeard. Blackbeard was power. Blackbeard was a threatening name to stand behind. Blackbeard was something of a shield for him. With Blackbeard in place, he had credibility and power of his own—the ability to throw his first-mate status around. Without Blackbeard, as shown at the end of episode 9 in the first season, he has none of that. No backing, no power, no credibility, no ground to stand on. And anything that came to threaten that, aka Stede, was immediately a giant no-no, because it would take that safety net from him.

But then, when he crams Ed back into that box at the end of the first season, I think it's the breaking point. The horrible pit Ed falls into finally clicks something in his brain, and makes him realize it's not sustainable for anyone. Like, after years and years and years of trying to hold Ed in place, it's finally bad and severe enough for him to realize that that's no longer an option, that it's damaging and that there are repercussions.

Which, again, nifty development! No longer being ugly towards Ed for his own personal gain? And maybe trying to stand a bit on his own? Sign me up!

Yet, to me, that still doesn't explain the sudden jaunts towards queerness and femininity! It still feels out of place with everything he said and did in the first season! Not only to Ed, but to Stede, Lucius, etc etc!

And maybe, admittedly, I'm even more bothered by all of this because it throws even more fuel onto the "he's the main character" fire. He gets so much of this limelight, and for what? Surely because his days were numbered, and so there was this inclination to give him his moments. But I couldn't really enjoy any of them, because they just felt so...off, and I knew they would only give a select group even more kindling.

Which is unfortunate, because queer joy is beautiful, and should be celebrated. As should growth. As should kindness. But in this instance, it just feels like so many pieces are ill-fitting, or that, with an ironic quote usage here, that, "the atmosphere on this ship is...fucked."

Anyway, thanks again for the space, and for allowing me to say my piece, as jumbled as it may be.

#124.

[eelfuneral]

How the First Two Episodes of Season Two Might Foreshadow Tech’s Survival

I’m probably retreading a lot of old ground that I and numerous others have already covered, but I can’t help but keep coming back to details in both “The Ruins of War” and “The Spoils of War” that seem an awful lot like foreshadowing. I’ve decided to gather them into a single post for convenience and further discussion. Anyways, on to the examples.

1. It’s Raining Tech: An interesting parallel between the beginning and end of the second season is the fact that Tech falls from a great height twice: escaping from the Imperial ship in a cargo container and falling from the tram in Plan 99. Tech’s first fall has a resolution in Season 2 (he survived, but sustained injuries) but his second one is more ambiguous since we don’t see him actually hit the ground and the only “proof” of his “death” is his battered goggles. This parallel seems intentional, and having Tech survive his second fall with injuries like he did his first one would be an effective callback to the beginning of Season 2. As George Lucas once said, “it’s like poetry — it rhymes”.

2. Badly Injured Man Not Done Partying Yet: Tech fractures his femur during his fall/crash landing in that cargo container full of treasure, but is still able to fight to save Omega in spite having an injury that should logically make this impossible. Tech’s feat of incredible pain tolerance serves not only as characterization that shows us how much he values his family, but also as an indication that he’s durable and determined to a superhuman degree. If he is supposed to survive the Plan 99 fall, then highlighting Tech’s durability early on makes a ton of sense.

3. Now You See Him, Now You Don’t: One scene that sticks out to me is the one where Tech and an Imperial clone vanish behind a tree, blaster shots are heard, and Tech crawls out as the only survivor. For a moment, it doesn’t look good for Tech, and we genuinely have no idea if he survives. In spite of the initial ambiguity and the fact that his leg injury tips the odds out of his favor, he still ends up being the one to come out from behind the tree. Tech’s Plan 99 fall was pretty ambiguous, too, and revealing him to be alive is Season 3 would echo this little moment behind the tree.

4. I’m a Survivor, Keep on Survivin’: Over the course of these episodes, Tech befriends an older gentleman named Romar. At the end of “The Ruins if War”, as Tech prepares to leave, he asks Romar if he will be okay. Romar then tells Tech that he’s a “survivor”, and the camera lingers on Tech for a bit, visually establishing him as a survivor, too. This moment felt very intentional and I wouldn’t be shocked if Tech quotes Romar in Season 3 if I’m right about him surviving.

That’s all that I can remember at the moment. Let me know if you noticed anything in these two episodes.

[estelofrivendell]

Hello ! Hope you're doing well

Could you please write a Legolas x Reader where the reader is playing piano (i know piano don't exist in LOTR lol so actually it could be any other instruments, I just prefer piano) during the Rohirrim party and Legolas fell even harder for them and thought it was the right time to confess his feelings (if you can also include that they've been distancing lately)

Hope it is not too much and take your time to write it!!

Legolas x Reader (The Pianist)

A/N: Hope you like this, anon! Legolas is a little tricky to write, trying to get better with him and his characterization.

The Rohirrim were a merry bunch, there was no doubt about that. Despite the heavy losses in Helm’s Deep, the return of Gandalf and Éomer lifted their spirits greatly. 

The celebration began as soon as they returned to Edoras with Merry and Pippin, cheerful and energetic as always. Legolas was unsure if he was dreaming but he swore the two hobbits were not as tall as they are now the last time he saw them.

After Gimli passed out, Legolas checked the great hall to find the remaining ones not yet intoxicated. There was Aragorn, who never took in more than he wanted to, Éowyn, who did not seem to enjoy these kinds of things. And there was you, playing the piano and surrounded by jolly men singing a song about falling in love.

If the theme of the party was to celebrate the recent victory and honor the fallen, then everyone was miserably failing, because they sure are not making any mention of the dead in their song.

As soon as the song came to an end, he approached you, narrowly avoiding the tipsy men about to bump into him and passed by others who lost their balance. You looked up at him and grinned.

“Hello, Legolas,” you greeted cheerfully. “Would you care to join me?”

“I am afraid I am not very skilled at the piano,” said Legolas. “I do, however, take pride in my skill at the harp. You never told me you played the piano.”

“You never asked.”

True enough, Legolas felt he did not know you well. He started off preferring your company over the others, especially Gimli’s, but in a strange twist of fate, he would not hesitate to call Gimli his best friend now. You were what he liked to call thoughtful; always thinking of the future, hoping for the best instead of the worst. He was no cynic even if the odds point to a complete destruction of the world and someone like you and your optimism was a refresher.

Legolas thought this was the right moment to start over. “We speak little to each other lately. Perhaps at dusk you could teach me how to play the piano and get to know each other more.”

“I would love to.”

-

“It’s not that hard, Legolas. You’re tensing up. Everyone has to start somewhere, and if I can do it, then so can you.”

Legolas could read basic piano sheets and memorised all the keys and what notes they represented,  but couldn’t hit the notes as well as he wished. One second, he’ll be playing fine but his fingers would suddenly tense and make it difficult for him to continue, abruptly ending his practice awkwardly.

“It happens to the best of us,” you insisted. “Besides, you’re lucky enough to have all your life to master the piano.”

Legolas chuckled. “That is true.”

And for the first time in what he guessed was weeks, Legolas felt light heartened, like he always was before you two grew distant from each other. He’s not sure how it happened but he was sorry those weeks were wasted with lack of interaction instead of getting closer to you.

“Are you seeing anyone?” Legolas asked.

“Not at the moment, no,” you said. “Why?”

“If you would let me, I would like to take you out for a ride at dawn. Edoras has a lot of lovely things to offer. We could talk about that and more about each other.”

You smiled. “That they do. I’d love to, Legolas. I think you're wonderful to be around.”

[greenerteacups]

Hi GT, I have a confession to make: I read all of the Harry Potter books and didn't like them, to the point that I cannot remember anything from canon. But reading your fic feels like I am getting to experience the magic everyone else felt when they read the OG series, so thank you for that!

I wanted to say that I especially appreciate your treatment of the female characters. Obviously you are getting rid of the weird misogyny and competitiveness of the books in regard to Hermione, Fleur, Molly, etc (I especially love your Molly, and the respect she gets from the other Order members is delightful) but I really appreciate it when it comes to the "reminiscing" parts of the story. It always bothered the hell out of me that Lily seems to have nobody who really remembers her? Like she was clever and pretty and nice and yet all anybody talks about is how cool James is and he has all these bros who would die for him while Lily had ... No friends? Apparently? Anyway sorry this is so long but I really really really appreciated that Molly, Lupin, Sirius, etc. don't just forget about her in your version, and talk her up to Harry as much as they do his dad.

This is a really incredible compliment. Thank you! It makes me incredibly happy to hear you're having that experience. It was one of the foundational moments of my childhood, and to share it with someone else is a magical privilege.

Lily is so dear to me, even though the source gives us rather little about her. I think it's a great shame that Harry in canon grows up mostly around his father's former friends, who happened to survive the war, whereas Lily's friends (we imagine probably the Gryffindor girls, so... Marlene, Dorcas, etc.?) are all dead or missing when the story starts. There's something grotesquely tragic about that, upon reflection: Harry is robbed of knowledge of his mother because of how the war destroyed her living memory. It's such an insidious remark on what death takes away — not just one life, but the memories and love that the life represented.

I was endlessly inspired by that one throwaway remark Lupin makes about being friends with Lily. It's really odd, in the context of Lupin's setup as a Marauder, that when he finally gets a one-on-one with Harry about his parents, his first move isn't to talk about James, but Lily. (Of course, this is on the heels of a comment about Lily's eyes, but like — Harry is said by many people to look like James, and if Lupin was James's friend first, shouldn't that have been the thing that struck him? Wouldn't it be "you so resemble your father, one of my dearest friends on this earth"?) And what was that kindness Lily showed to Remus? Especially since James literally altered his own biochemistry and risked his life in order to support him on full moons? I'm not saying Lily wasn't a true friend to Remus, but like — that's kind of a hard gesture to top, Lils!!

Between that and the goldfish story with Slughorn, Lily gets a phantom characterization as this intensely selfless, giving person. Problem being: that's not a personality, that's a character value. And we don't talk about people we miss that way! We don't go "damn, I'm missing my friend Lily, a noble heart capable of great kindness," we go "oh damn, Lily would have loved that joke," or "those were her favorite kind of pickles," or "I bet she'd have hated that guy." It's the ephemera of knowing someone that we use to feed their memory, and it's that ephemera Harry will never get.

[cometomecosette]

"Les Misérables" musical character interpretations: Marius

I love comparing different portrayals of the same characters, whether in different adaptations of a story, or in different performances of the same play, musical, opera, or ballet.

I'd like to take some time to do this with the characters in Les Mis. In different performances of the musical, I've seen some very interesting different portrayals of the characters, and I'd like to write about them.

I'll start with Victor Hugo's own self-insert, Marius Pontmercy.

These three possible characterizations of musical-Marius are the three I've seen most often. None of them are quite true to the novel's Marius, because that would be impossible: to bring Hugo's Marius into the musical, we'd need to bring back not only Gillenormand, but Colonel Pontmercy too, and heavily rewrite several other parts of the libretto. But within the musical, each of these portrayals are effective in their own ways.

They can also be combined with each other. For example, Adam Jacobs' excellent Marius in the 2006/07 Broadway revival was a cross between "the Schoolboy" and "the Revolutionary," and while I'm using a picture of Eddie Redmayne's 2012 film Marius to personify "the Revolutionary" because it looks good, he's actually a cross between "the Revolutionary" and "the Gentleman."

The Schoolboy

         This very youthful, sweet, innocent Marius is the one whose journey most clearly revolves around growing up. A wide-eyed idealist and a cheerful dreamer, he seems to be the youngest of the students (regardless of the actor’s age) and is very much a “little brother” figure to Enjolras and his lieutenants. His love for Cosette has him almost walking on air, giddy and overwhelmed by his first romantic passion, and he makes an adorable fool of himself with his clumsy attempts to play a gallant suitor. But his innocence sometimes means painful obliviousness too, as he has no inkling that Éponine loves him. Still, it’s hard to hold it against him, because his instinctive warmth makes him treat her as a treasured friend, social class be damned. To this Marius, the world is a song, and the song is exciting… but then, at the barricade, it all goes wrong. First, he’s utterly distraught by Éponine’s death; then comes the gradual, terrible realization that the victory he thought was certain isn’t to be after all; and finally, he faces his own near-death and the brutal deaths of all his friends. This Marius reaches “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables” as a broken shadow of his former self, especially heartrending because he was once so naïve and happy. But against all odds, through his love for Cosette, he finds the strength to survive, to heal, and to ultimately be Cosette’s support and comfort after her father’s death. Thus, the boy becomes a man, and while it’s bittersweet to see him lose his innocence, it’s more than gratifying to see the stronger, wiser, and still hopeful man he becomes.

The Gentleman

         This Marius might be no older in years than the Schoolboy, but he comes across as more mature. His general demeanor is calm, serious, intelligent, and characterized by gentle dignity that suits his social class. While a Schoolboy Marius’s favorite books are most likely Romantic novels and poetry, this Marius probably prefers to study philosophy and politics, and he probably has little or no thought of love until Cosette upends his world. Even then, while his romantic passion is powerfully felt, he expresses it in a gentle, reserved way, and while his awkwardness in “A Heart Full of Love” might earn a few chuckles, it never becomes broad comedy. While he’s fond of Éponine, he’s slightly more aloof from her than other Marii, with awkwardness and/or mild exasperation at her teasing. Nor is he fully blind to her attraction to him; he tries to politely evade it. After her death, he doesn’t weep inconsolably the way a Schoolboy Marius usually does, but just sits in silent, sad thought. His calm temperament shows in battle too, as he typically joins Enjolras and Combeferre in stopping the others from shooting Javert, and later gently tries to reason Enjolras into letting him go to collect bullets. None of this means he lacks emotion, however. His ardor for Cosette, his utter anguish at his friends’ deaths, and his ultimate healing through love are all very clear and moving. But they come from a character who’s arguably more believable as a 19th century bourgeois student than other musical Marii are, and whose air of dignity and thoughtfulness make him likable in a unique way.

The Revolutionary

         This is the “manliest” Marius. He’s a self-assured, strong-willed young man, passionately dedicated to socio-political justice. This Marius, more than any other, is usually portrayed as Enjolras’s best friend: he relates to him as a kindred spirit, not just as a leader to follow, and is constantly by his side at the barricade. Cosette turns his world upside-down even more than she does for other Marii, because he never dreamed that something other than his friends and their cause could matter so much. But the passion and vigor he shows in battle applies to his romantic love as well, as he eagerly proclaims it for all to hear, and most likely punches Montparnasse to the ground in Cosette’s defense during “The Robbery.” Still, it’s no surprise that he ultimately chooses to join his friends on the barricade rather than follow Cosette across the sea. Since both friendship and justice for the poor mean the world to this Marius, we can expect him to be warm and kind to Éponine, and though he’ll likely hold back his tears at her death, his grief will still be deeply felt. Yet his fiery temperament also makes him more likely to quarrel with his friends than other Marii: his short debate with Enjolras about going to collect bullets may threaten to become a full-blown fight. His “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" will also be angry as well as despairing, and we’ll wonder how he can live when everyone and everything he lived for is gone. But of course, love gives him a new “cause”: protecting, comforting, and building a new life with Cosette. With her by his side, the flames of hope and courage will always survive in this young soldier’s heart.

More comparisons are coming soon!

[tagthescullion]

I saw some Charlie Bushnell pics IRL. How the fuck does he have more Luke vibes when out of character than when he's actually playing Luke? That's a very odd directing choice,IMO. I feel kinda lonely,as a Luke Castellan fan,for not liking his show characterization,but him being so soft kinda ruins him to me. Even his morally bankrupcy makes him such a tragic character in the books,IMO. Making some sassy remarks about the gods,lashing out at Percy and having sad eyes can't hold a candle to years-long corrosive anger,being vulnerable to toxic ideologies and shitty authority figures,arguable need for validation(Luke said he got praised by Kronos in TLT,felt angry at Percy for mentioning Hermes wasn't going to give up on him,and even while hosting Kronos,he managed to call out Chiron for claiming that "the gods cared about me" - breaking Kronos' third person speech).

If you ask me, disney ruins every villain it touches. We were talking about it with some mates yesterday, from the moment they started doing those "villain centred" films, they lost track of how to write (or adapt) a good villain

The whole point of luke is that he has a set of ideals, founded mostly in resentment, and he'll give up anything (and anyone) for them. He's young, he's manipulable (more than most 17 to 19 y/os who claim "I would never" realise), and he fucked up

He didn't fuck up bc he was innocent, tho, he fucked up bc he hated the gods, he hated being treated like a weapon, and let's face it, he'd go to any length to get recognition for himself and his fellow demigods. Those lengths include murdering his peers "for the greater good"

In the books, we follow percy's opinion of luke: "this bitch who betrayed us for no reason!" And only after ages we find out about luke's past, which matches percy's arc maturing and realising not everything is black or white. In the show they already gave away luke's past which made him too much of a poor little meow meow from the beginning, and frankly, made him a boring ass villain

[amazing-spiderling]

For the character ask game, Scott Summers and/or Kurt Wagner, #7 & #12

<3

7. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Scott: People making jokes about Scott yelling "JEAAAAN :00000" all the time will never not be funny to me. IDK there's just something about people who end up marrying their high school sweethearts that's a little wacky. And as much as I enjoy ragging on the guy, I am glad that the fandom has come around and is appreciating his character development, especially from the last 20 years of comics.

Kurt: I've literally never met an X-Men/comics fan that doesn't like Kurt. Like he may not be their FAVORITE, but he's kinda the unproblematic fave of the fandom, so if you bring him up, the odds of people having something positive to say are pretty high. If anything, I think people are better about criticizing a bad writer or bad production decisions for any wonky characterization, rather than jumping to, "this is why this character sucks" like I've seen them do for other characters in comics.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

Scott: Wow, my feelings about Scott are kind of a jumble. I haven't read that many comics that focused on him specifically, so I feel like I'm drawing from all of the various media interpretations... I hesitate to make a claim about comics Scott because I'll say something like, "he writes a blog about baking" and someone is going to come in and be like, "X-Factor explicitly stated that he writes about gardening".

Okay, upon a little thought, I do have one. After he was resurrected following whatever the hell was going on between the Inhumans and Mutants in "Death of X", Scott felt REALLY BAD about what happened to my boy Alchemy, and we didn't see it, but offscreen he made sure that Tom was at the front of the line for Mutants to bring back to life on Krakoa. He yelled at Emma about it, too. (That last part probably was elaborated on, but I want to imagine that he was mad about that death in particular, since she used his voice/commanding personality so heavily and ended up getting Alchemy killed without a second thought.)

Kurt: I guess I'm not really sure if this is a headcanon or just like, a gut feeling- but... I don't see Kurt ever settling down, getting married, having kids. Which is kind of a wild thing to say because the man is HUSBAND MATERIAL THROUGH AND THROUGH and Marvel writers who get to take a swing at future versions of the X-Men love giving him a family... but he's always married to some rando who showed up in one (1) forgettable comic from 30 years ago that nobody remembers. It's sort of the problem of having chemistry with everyone, but then maybe not having a "spark" with one person in particular.

My use of the word "spark" here is intentional- as those familiar with his arc during the recent Krakoa era of X-Men comics might have picked up. Kurt creates the idea of a "spark" as a universal concept for Mutants of any/all faiths to embrace, a means to protect the sanctity and respect for the miracle of life. He was one of the few to recognize the need for Mutants to have something outside of themselves to pursue, and it came at no small cost to himself. In fact, he became something of an outsider, observing the community he loved, so that he could better serve them- and that I think is the crux of the issue. His "true love" is not another person, it's the preservation of a dream, and providing hope to all mutants. Even in the alternate world where he married Wanda and they had TJ, the couple lives apart from one another, each a part of their own respective teams because while they loved each other, they realized they could not focus on their duty when they were together. The mission still came first. I don't know that I mean he should join the conventional priesthood (if only because time has shown not enough comics writers are well versed enough in organized religion to write convincing and compelling comic stories about it) but his devotion to the Legionaries was close enough for me.

It's a bit of a double edged sword- I think it's something that makes his character unique, and I could turn this idea over and over in my head endlessly, but it comes at a bit of a cost from a meta perspective. I think part of the reason there's not as much fiction for the poor boy is because he doesn't have really solid canon ship fodder (NightWolves shippers have all my respect, mind you, but somehow it seems to draw a niche crowd?), so he tends to sit in the background like charming blue set dressing. It's okay though, we all still love him.

[mimisempai]

You were always on my mind

Summary

An innocent question from Muriel about Crowley's sketch of the Mona Lisa leads to an unexpected reaction from Aziraphale, and allows the angel and demon to talk about a past they do not share.

Notes

The characters of Leonardo and Salaï are based on their characterization in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

On Ao3

Rating G -  1494 words

"Crowley?"

The demon, who was watering his plants, turned to Muriel and saw that they were standing in front of his precious sketch of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

As he approached, Muriel turned to him and, pointing to the painting where the inscription read, "Al mio amico Antonio dal tuo amico Leo da V." they asked, "Were you really friends with Leonardo Da Vinci?"

Neither of them saw Aziraphale, who had stopped to put away a book in order to listen to Crowley's answer, for he himself knew nothing of the origin of this friendship.

He had seen the inscription "To my friend Anthony". But he had chosen to ignore it, or rather to ignore the odd feeling it aroused in him.  

Leonardo and Crowley sat across from each other over a drink, both quite intoxicated, but still lucid enough to talk.

Crowley looked around at all the sketches of the same woman, then pointed to one hanging on the wall and said, "That one, that's the best, even better than the finished painting. 

He pointed to the canvas on the easel.

Leonardo rested his head on his hand and replied, "I got her bloody smile right in the cartoons, but it went all over the place when I painted it. Her husband had a few things to say about it when he was in yesterday, but, like I told him, Signor del Giocondo, apart from you, who's ever going to see it?"

Crowley chuckled, "Well said! Leo, if it's all right with you, I'd like to buy this from you." 

The demon pointed to the sketch pinned to the wall and added, "I'll give you eleven florins for it."

Leonardo shook his head and said, "Antonio, canaglia! I want twenty!"

"Fifteen!"

Leonardo held out his hand and replied, " Deal. Now, explain this helicopter thingie again, win you?"

Crowley shook his hand and explained.

"Wow. And what was he like?"

Crowley replied with a gentle smile, "An interesting guy, much more open-minded than people of his generation, and way ahead of his time even before I told him a few secrets. The kind of person you don't forget."

Aziraphale briskly closed the book, causing Muriel and Crowley to turn at the noise. Then, pretending not to see them, he put the book down and returned to his desk, feigning concentration on a manuscript while seething inside.

He hadn't liked the look on Crowley's face when he had spoken of his "friend." He hadn't liked it at all.

Crowley and Muriel had continued to chat in front of the painting, but Aziraphale tried not to pay attention, and soon, lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Muriel had come out.

"Angel?"

Aziraphale tried not to show his distress as he turned to Crowley.

The demon continued, "Maggie asked me to give you this."

He showed him a plate with a slice of apple pie and continued, "She said she made it for you to thank you for your little arrangement. How about a little break with a cup of tea?"

Crowley was so thoughtful that Aziraphale felt even worse for being consumed by jealousy. He nodded and followed Crowley to the round table, avoiding looking at the painting as he passed.

He sat down at the table where Crowley had placed the plate and a steaming cup of tea. The demon sat down not far from him, a mug of coffee in his hands.

Aziraphale avoided his gaze and took a spoonful of cake. The cake was delicious, but given his state of mind, Aziraphale had to force himself to show his appreciation.

Crowley, not fooled, frowned and asked, "Angel, is something wrong?"

Aziraphale said hesitantly, "You never told me about your friendship with Leonardo Da Vinci."

"Oh, that? Well, you see, Angel, sometimes so much time passed between our meetings in the past that, amidst all we had to say and do, there wasn't room to cover it all. I had come to Florence for some temptations, but, as usual, the ingenuity of human beings in matters of sin surpassed me, and I found myself here with nothing to do. One evening, in a tavern, I made the acquaintance of his assistant, Salaï, who told me that I had the type of figure his master liked to draw, and dragged me to Leonardo's studio. And after that evening, when I bought the sketch of the Mona Lisa, we met again several times to drink and talk, he was much more enlightened than his contemporaries, clever and an excellent artist as well as a good drinking companion".

Aziraphale, growing increasingly annoyed, replied, "And besides, he knew your name was Anthony, or should I say Antonio."

He couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice and Crowley noticed and asked him bluntly, "Are you by any chance jealous, Angel?"

Aziraphale didn't answer and looked away.

"Angel?" insisted Crowley, who had moved closer.

He grabbed the Angel's chin, forcing him to turn his head toward him, and said softly, "Because if you are, you should know that you have no reason to be jealous. Leo was already involved with someone."

Azirapahel replied in a sulky voice, "But you liked his company."

Crowley replied in an amused tone, "For the reasons I told you. I even told him about you."

"Don't make fun of me, Crowley!"

The demon protested, "I'm not laughing at you. Just listen. The love of his life was his assistant, Salaï, which is ironically short for the Italian word "saladino," meaning "little devil." Which he was, by the way. He really had Leo wrapped around his little finger.”

"Leonardo, I'm going to have a few drinks with my friends, don't wait up for me tonight!"

Salaï blew him a kiss before closing the door behind him to the sound of the artist's light laughter.

Crowley turned to him and asked, "Is there a... special bond between you and this brat?"

Leonardo shook his head, "He's just my assistant."

Crowley raised an eyebrow and replied, "If he were just an assistant, you wouldn't have to specify, mio amico."

Leonardo took a sip of wine before replying quietly, "My past has taught me to keep those aspects of my life, private."

Crowley replied gently, "You need say no more."

Leonardo smiled and replied in a cheeky tone, "You know my biggest secret, tell me something about yourself, Antonio."

Crowley waited a few seconds before answering, also smiling, "There's this person, he's annoying at times, we're very different and don't often agree, but he's the only person I feel close to and have absolute trust in. We're a bit like two sides of the same coin, and it's only on the edge that we can meet."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Huh?"

"Antonio, mio amico, what are you doing here with me? 

Crowley didn't answer and Leonardo continued, "La vita senza amore, non è affatto vita. A life without love is no life at all. It doesn't matter what kind of love it is, maybe you don't know, but if it's the only person you feel close to, that's who you should be with."

"You see, Angel, you have no reason to be jealous, he even sent me to you. He probably saw the nature of my feelings for you long before I did." 

Still holding the angel's chin between his fingers, he leaned over him and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. Then, pulling back a little, he continued, "You know, even when we haven't seen each other in centuries, you've always been in my thoughts. Especially since Job, there has been this other someone who went with his side as far as he could. Like me. Alone together, but aware of each other, so not quite so alone."

Aziraphale smiled and, placing his hand on the demon's cheek, said softly, "I'm sorry for my irrational jealousy. 

Crowley shook his head and, leaning into the angel's hand, replied gently, "There is nothing to forgive. If anything, it's rather flattering. But more seriously, it shows us that there is so much we don't know about each other."

"You're right, and after hearing what you just told me about him, I'm glad you had a friend like that."

This time it was Aziraphale who leaned in to give Crowley a gentle kiss, and when he pulled away, he had a cheeky grin on his face as he said, "And thanks to that, I can boast that I'm the owner of the only bookshop to have an authentic Da Vinci hanging on one of its walls."

They both laughed, then the angel picked up his spoon and resumed enjoying his slice of apple pie while the demon took a long sip of coffee.

Their unoccupied hands sought each other across the table, intertwining their fingers. 

They looked at each other, smiling knowingly, aware that they had cleared another small hurdle.

Just talking and listening.

Learning together.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Growing Love series : here (After season 2)

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here (Before season 2)