#this is not to take away the fact that it’s a ruby song at all I swear

[mariasont]

Please, Don't Prove 'Em Right - A.H

a/n: my girl sabrina can do no wrong and i have been listening to this song on repeat since it came out so i just absolutely needed to write a fic about it

masterlist

pairings: aaron hotchner x fem!reader

summary: aaron hotchner is a busy man and he tends to disappoint you by missing important events

warnings: angst (sorry in advance), aaron is like not a great husband, reader is also an imperfect character, reader is a girl boss though

wc: 1.2k

You were in your best dress. More expensive than you'd ever think about buying for yourself, but it had been a gift from Aaron. You had fought him on it, scolding him for spending so much on a dress you were sure to only wear once. But he had insisted, telling you that this opportunity was once in a lifetime and that it would be a sin for it to not be celebrated with a dress that made you shine like a ruby.

He was right, partly, you were shining--glowing, sparkling, glittering--as you moved through the library. It was beautiful, to say the least--all opulence and history that was almost too much to absorb. The marble floors almost seemed to amplify the conversations around you, the clinking of glasses, the swish of overpriced gowns and tuxedos.

Your eyes settled on the tiered desks fitted with bronze reading lamps, now repurposed as a station for hors d'oeuvres and champagne. The circular arrangement of desks, once centered around knowledge, now facilitated hushed gossip and the discreet laughter of society's finest.

You could almost hear what they were thinking: there she is again without her husband, that poor thing always by herself, and your personal favorite—does he even exist?

You wanted to be angry, to scold their prying eyes, for putting their noses into something that had nothing to do with them whatsoever. But could you really blame them? Every event you attended you told the same story--my husband is a busy man with an important job--a line you had grown tired of repeating. 

And that was all true. He devoted most of his time to saving lives--how could you find fault in that? How could you complain to having a husband whose very essence was self-sacrifice and heroism?

This evening was set to be an exception; he was in New York for a case, and the Pulitzer Prize ceremony was not something he would miss. He had given you his word.

You understood his passion for his job, completely, because you held that same passion for your own. You dedicated years of your life to your journalism, investigating corruption at its highest levels. This is exactly how you ended up here tonight, nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for that very work. A Pulitzer Prize.

The term once seemed like a fantastical concept to you, a lofty accolade reserved for the likes of JFK, Bob Dylan, Robert Frost--icons, not someone as ordinary as you. Yet, against all odds, you find yourself among the select few, a nominee for an honor that has only been won by 1,512 individuals since 1917, a fact Spencer had supplied you with.

Someone was speaking to you, saying your name. Almost without thinking, your hand found a flute of champagne, taking a generous sip before turning to face them.

"You look stunning, and a well-deserved congratulations are in order. Everyone back at the office is cheering for you." It was your boss, her stilettos adding inches to her already imposing frame.

The flattery didn't quite mask her usual coldness, it was all too artificial. She wasn't your biggest fan, and she had made that clear from your first day. Still, you mustered a smile and thanked her anyway, taking another sip of champagne, hoping to drown away her nauseating voice.

"It's too bad your husband couldn't be here," she began, and you had to resist the urge to rip out her extensions. "This is an incredible accomplishment, but he's quite the busy man, as you say."

"Yes, he is busy, but he'll be here tonight," you replied, flashing her your best smile as you smoothed the red fabric that suddenly felt too tight. "He's actually here in New York on a case."

"Oh, how great. I can't wait to put a face to the name." You could tell by the look she shot her own husband that she didn't believe a word from your mouth. "Anyway, I have to go speak with an academy representative, but I'll see you and your husband at the ceremony?"

You responded with a nod, not dignifying her with words as she left, her giggles a bitter sound. You hated her. And you were ready to make her eat her words when your husband, who looked absolutely incredibly in a suit, showed up.

But then it was dinner, and you found yourself alone, surrounded by a table of important people whose names you couldn't remember. The seat beside you was empty and suddenly that omnipotent, cloud-nine feeling you had vanished with the time that passed.

The text you sent piled up, feeling a little juvenile, like you were back in high school again getting stood up at prom.

Let me know when you're close!

Is everything going okay?

Call me if you can.

An onslaught of anxious thoughts skyrocketed around your mind as you mechanically chewed the fancy food that only seemed to upset your stomach further. What if something happened? Was he okay? Did the case go wrong? Did he get in a car accident on the way here?

You were a bundle of nerves, gnawing on the inside of your mouth as your heel tapped up and down against the floor. But this wasn't borne from concern for his well-being; deep down, you were certain he was fine. The truth was simpler and sharper: he wasn't coming.

You should have been prepared, should have braced for this, but you were convinced that this time, this occasion would be an exception.

You name was being called, but this time not by someone wanting to extract prying information or stir speculation, no, this time it was carried across the crowed, wrapped in the microphone's static hum.

Your head snapped up, fingers ceasing their fidgeting as you struggled to mask the shock and avoid the gaping, breathless look of a fish out of water.

You had won.

People were clapped, but it seemed far away as you made your way to the stage, hands coming from all directions to offer pats on the back and handshakes of congratulations.

You had won.

Your feet were carrying you up a small set of stairs. You were trying to remember how to walk--left, right, heel, toe. There was a bright light on you now, prompting a slight squint and you worked to keep a smile on your face as you accepted the award.

You had to be dreaming. Had to be. There was no other explanation.

You were on display now, under the intense stage lights. Your body was on autopilot, stepping behind the podium, words flowing out of your mouth--a speech you had rehearsed over and over again in the slim chance that you would win. And here you are.

But the more you spoke the more you seemed to deviate from the script.

You paused, voice catching as you tried your best not to let the tears fall--your makeup was too pristine for smears.

"But tonight, as I accept this honor, I am reminded that while we may seek comfort in the presence of others, our truest strength comes from within." Your eyes dart around the audience, clinging to the slim chance he's there, that he showed up. "It comes from knowing that when we step into the moment, we step in with conviction, with passion, and sometimes, with a singularity that says we are enough."

The final words of your speech hang in the air, a brittle hope that disappears as quickly as it surfaced. He proved them right, and no amount of applause can drown out the sound of your heart breaking just a little.

part 2

taglist: @hotchhner @khxna @readergf @sarcasm-and-stiles @edencherries @aurorsworld @princess76179

[piftamere]

part twenty-three - something stupid (wc : 0.4k)

“what do you want to eat?” maki asks you, as you both stand in front of the colorful food stall.

“um let me think,” you reply, tapping your chin while examining your options as if you were making a life-threatening decision, “how about candied strawberries?” you finally suggest, your face lighting up.

maki seems to ponder for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly before a small smile appears onto her face,“yeah, that sounds good.”

you hand over the money to the vendor and receive two sticks of shiny, ruby-red candied strawberries.

“i don’t think we’re gonna have a good view of the fireworks from here.” you say as you inspect your surroundings, sounding a little disappointed.

she looks around and then back at you with a determined expression. “let’s look for a better spot then, hurry they’re gonna start soon,” she grabs your hand firmly, “i won’t loose you this time.” threading her fingers through yours and leading you into the crowd.

you trail behind her, focused on trying not to stumble as you match her pace, though the feeling of her warm skin on yours is a little distracting.

finally, you find a perfect spot with a clear view of the sky. settling down on the grass next to her, still holding hands.

“i’m glad you and megumi are cousins” you mutter matter-of-factly, as you hand maki her candied strawberries.

she looks at you with a puzzled smile. “that’s a bit random, but ok.”

you chuckle, “i meant that i’m happy you and megumi are cousins because that way i got to know you. i’m really glad i met you.”

her face softens as she gazes into your eyes. “i’m really glad i met you too.”

you sit in silence before maki speaks up hesitantly. “can i confess something?”

“sure go ahead” you turn to her, your curiosity peaked.

“i never really liked strawberries…” she admits, barely above a whisper.

you stare at her, then at the strawberries in your hands. “why didn’t you say so?? i would’ve bought something else! or we could’ve eaten different things!!”

she looks down at the snack, a small smile on her lips. “you seemed so excited, and i wanted to share with you… turns out strawberries aren’t as bad as i remembered them to be.”

you bump your shoulder into hers, laughing lightly “you’ve gotten soft maki.”

she bumps you back, but she doesn’t move away, instead resting her head on your shoulder and sighing contentedly as the first fireworks light up the sky. “i guess i have.”

[tl:dr : you buy snacks, run through a crowd to get to a spot with a better view while holding hands, and watch the fireworks]

fun facts

maki and y/n rented their yukatas after spending all afternoon the day before the festival trying different ones on, in the end maki picked y/n's and y/n picked maki's

kugisaki didn't comment on y/n's "possible feelings" since y/n's feeling down but she's taking notes, and pulling her hair out at their stupidity

the song maki mentioned was written by y/n alone about how confused she's been feeling lately, especially because of her feelings and relationships

author's note

megumi needs to grow up fr

can you tell i like holding hands? i feel like i always end up incorporating it lol

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ tugging on heartstrings ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

as an aspiring solo artist, you dream of making it big in the music industry. With your talent and unwavering determination, you find yourself entangled in a web of romantic pursuits amidst rumors and betrayal. Will you emerge unscathed and manage to navigate your love life in the chaos of fame?

Part twenty-three - Next

rbs and interactions are highly appreciated <3

taglist : closed :) to be added leave a comment on the masterlist of the smau

@lysaray @swissy23 @d6za1 @minzxec @sleepy-waffle @saturn-alone @dreamxiing @selysixn @reiluvr @lavender-hvze @mellozhi @cre8inghavoc @ichorstainedskin @inosfavgf @k4sss133 @taelattecookie @cheese-enjoyer9471 @wateronlyhaha @sonicsolos @bkgs-girl @colortheoryrocks @kinkybandages @woahguy278 @cuteandohsodeadly @weewooooweew @peqch-pie @myguumi @r0ckst4rjk @jun1p3rlol @juliiizh @seikamuzu @theweirdfloatything @h3xi2g0n3 @xbarrjallenx @0range-juiceee @xenop0p @reagan707 @eyes-ofhell @fyodorisbbg @theresmeaninginthat @emlient @danhengswifey @cherrypieyourface @bitchycloudstrawberry @ofherchaos @shanye1112 @eusaevi @fuyuzemi @cupkiki @lvtilzs

if you're name is crossed out i couldn't tag you, if it's not fixed in a week i'll remove you sorry :(

[idcbabyialreadylostmymind]

GoGo Dancer

Pairing- OPLA!Sanji x reader

Summary- After a hard day Sanji goes to see his favorite dancer.

Warnings- afab reader, oral (fem receiving), fingering, penetrative sex, orgasm denial (once), hints that this has happened before, hints that Sanji ignores reader 🙄 that should be it

a/n- if you hate it move on peace and love 🫰🏼

Sanji just couldn’t help himself, relishing in your beauty knowing the only reason you use it is to get money. Your hips moved along with the beat song as your body shined on stage demanding all eyes in you, no less.

Zeff had thrown him from the line for making an absolutely delectable dish that, in Zeefs own words; “A waste of good quality.” So after he was done bussing tables he came to his favorite bar to relieve some stress, to his favorite gogo dancer.

Your eyes scan the room, unable to miss Sanji’s predatory orbs starting you down as your threw your ass around hounds of men whistling up at you. After the song was over, and a minute past closing you left the stage. The men in the audience yell profanity after profanity and other drunken nonsense as you walk off stage. Once you were out of sight Sanji stood from his table quickly taking quick almost robotic steps to your dressing room.

He tightens his tie gripping the door knob and opens the door to find you waiting in front of the makeup vanity that illuminates your features. The ruby red lipstick enunciates your plum lips, mascara and eyeliner drawing attention to your gorgeous eyes, and a blush that adores your skin tone. Oh, how he couldn’t wait to ruin it.

He steps in completely, closing the door behind him. You stare at each other through the mirror. “So,” you begin. “What’d Zeff say this time?” You ask him, taking your styled hair down in the process. He ignores your passive aggression, “Same as always.” He replies toying with one of your golden nicknack probably gifted by a pirate or some such trying to seduce you with the promise of gold, love, pleasure. But Sanji knows the only thing you need for pleasure is right in the kitchen at Baratie.

He puts it down, sauntering over to you, grabbing hold to your neck, he makes you look up at him. You keep your face motionless. “Missed you.” He tipped his head to the side, blonde hair moving along with it. He pulled you a little by the throat, slouching a little as well. Your fingers lay nimbly on his hand making no attempt to move him though. Connecting your lips he kissed you passionately, lips dancing in wild motion, lipstick smearing on his and your mouth. He pulled away leaving you breathless.

The sides of your mouth tip up into a sly smile, “Sure ya’ did.” You reply, tapping your polished nails against his hand. “Want me to prove it to you?” His smirk is almost identical to yours, turning you around in your chair. He strokes your cheek moving a fly away from your face, he gets down on his knees, now at your level. He moves his finger down your skin, over the revealing outfit, across your hip and lap, hand massaging your inner thigh.

Subconsciously, you want to peel your thighs for him letting him do his magic. But, nonetheless he has to pay retribution. Being denied attention when he thinks he deserves it, a taste of his own medicine. “I know, I know.” He rubs your thigh, “I’ve been neglectful, I know it hurts your feelings, but let me prove it to you.” He repeats his earlier statement, truth be told Sanji did hold feelings for you, very strong feelings in fact.

You contemplate for a minute but it’s been a hot minute since you’ve had a really good orgasm, and Sanji makes you a weak woman with his looks and words of persuasion. Your legs spread for him, his smirk spreads into an appease smile. He grips one of your thighs, throwing it over his shoulder he pulls you by the hips closer to the edge of the chair.

You only had the small pearl white slacks that barely covered your bottom and panties to hide you from him. He slowly, excruciatingly slow that you could feel you arousal drip. He hooks two fingers between your underwear and leotard pulling them out of the way together. Once moved he stops eyeing your pretty pussy.

Your wetness glistened in the light, his mouth watered needing to taste you. Yanking you closer he looks you directly into the eyes as he suckles against your clit. Every never ending feeling electrical, licking strips up and down your aching cunt he could feel you mostien against his tongue.

Out of all the things Sanji has made or tried in his entire life he believes you are the most desirable, delicious, most succulent thing that this world has to offer.

He let go of one of the thighs he held down and he moved back to your clit mouth wrapping back around it. He brought two fingers to your awaiting hole, slipping both in and you suck him in greedily. He thrusted them in quickly and gently, his long fingers hitting every single sweet spot. The noises coming from you were unspeakable as his tongue moved gracefully against your flesh, your body felt like it could explode, your eyes scrunch closed, jaw tightening as you felt the coils of pleasure build, and build, and build. He knew you were close, so fucking close.

But, then he stopped.

Why’d he stop?

You open your eyes, frustration and annoyance painted all over it. Before you could say or complain he moves you from the chair, standing up straight kicking the chair out of the way. “What are you doin—“ you can’t even finish your sentence before he has pushed you harshly on the vanity, the few things decorating it falling to the floor. He held the side of your neck shutting you up with a rough kiss, he unbuttoned his slacks pushing them down along with his boxers.

Pushing you head against the mirror elongating the kiss, straining your lungs, he guides his cock to your begging cunt, sliding the tip over your pussy up and down, over and over again. Crying out for him to fuck you he finally slips his tip in. Teasingly he slides in at an antagonizing pace when you try to squirm or wiggle your hips he slams a strong hand down keeping you in place. Once he’s settled all the way in, tip kissing your cervix.

He pulls out almost all the way, his entire cock shining with your wet.

Thrusting back in swiftly he brings your hips down to meet him. A shocked but approving gasp comes from you as he continues to drill into you. Fucking up into you all while he makes your hips fuck him. Pleasure takes you in again, like overcoming waves in a black ocean. Pulling the thin fabric of the tight, white bra-like shirt from over your tits exposing your hardened nipples. Sanji grunts, cock twitching inside your pulsating walls that suck him in with every pull.

Pushing your legs apart farther his duck pushes deeper pulling a whole new sensation out of you. Legs wrapping around his waist bringing him closer, needing to feel his hot body in you. It felt as if you and Sanji held the same breath, the same heartbeat and you couldn't help but relish in it head tipping back as you tried to move your hips along with his merciless thrusts.

Your clit moved along his pelvis friction burning through you. He lets go of your lower body, cradling your face he pulls you into a passion filled kiss, thrust moving quicker, faster, tongues flicking togetherjn a ecstacy induced haze.

And just like that you explode.

Back arching into his chest. Gasping against his lips, thighs trying their best to stay open. Your lungs constrict, walls clamping down, it was nearly impossible for Sanji not to cum right then and there. Your nerves shake in pure, raw pleasure.

A few more sloppy thrust and Sanji couldn’t hold any longer letting go of his heavy load. His vision burned bright and his hold was surely bruising. He rode his climax down, he held you still for a moment, both of you catching your breath.

After you both had your clothes back on you gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed out. It’s a repeat of both of you scared of rejection but too addicted to leave.

[yandere-romanticaa]

The moon has risen and the clanking of mugs in the air rings loudly inside the bustling tavern, signaling the end of another working day and the start of a new fun filled evening. Well, for the patrons at least, not the bartender. He didn't mind, despite his stoic face. As per usual, the young master mixed the drinks and created absolute perfection, the colorful liquid shimmering brightly against the light as his fingertips swiftly danced across the wooden counter, serving yet another satisfied customer. They thanked them profusely and he nodded politely, his face neutral and curt. Amongst the hustle and bustle, no one was able to see that the bartenders mind was quite preoccupied.

You were wearing the red dress he had gotten you recently. Diluc could feel the corners of his mouth twitching in excitement as the happiness of the simple gesture made his chest swell with pride.

The dress he had picked out was modest but tasteful. He was no prude by any means, anyone with a pair of proper eyes could see your beauty. He lowered his ruby red eyes up and down your body, admiring each and every curve he could see. Each little bow, every piece of exposed skin - it set his heart ablaze. Diluc licked his upper lip as he felt the tips of his ears turn red, shame overcoming him.

What was he doing? He was no wild animal, he had no right to oogle you in such a manner. He ought to give you the respect you deserve. Yes, perhaps he ought to keep him hands to himself, just to be safe. Maybe later in the evening if he felt brave enough, he could go say hello. Offer you a drink too, non alcoholic, obviously. It was a brand new creation of his, he was curious to hear your thoughts on it. You always gave him such colorful reviews, he couldn't help but to turn you into his unofficially official favorite taste tester.

Besides, he just liked to spoil you with free drinks. It was the least he could do.

And just like that, all was well. The night was slow but he was used to it. He had a lot of energy that evening so he insisted on taking things in stride for the time being. He watched the various patrons enter and exit the bar, all of various ages and genders. Old men past their prime, flocks of young women who he could hear gossiping about him even from the other side of the bar, a few loners here and there, nothing too out of the ordinary.

Taking a glass in his hand, Diluc raised it slightly in the air and pointed it in your direction, an attempt to hide his true motives. To anyone near him it just looked like he was searching for a stain but Diluc knew better.

He could not get his eyes off of you.

Strong fingers gripped the frail glass, a few cracks forming on it as Diluc felt his heart leap straight out from his chest as the sound of your laughter reached his ears. There really was nothing quite like it, no love song, no hymn could ever compare. The man closed his eyes and savored the sound, like one would when eating a decadent chocolate. Lovely and divine, Diluc could already feel the burst of sweetness inside of him, taking over his entire being as he got swept up in the moment.

A moment which was all too cruelly taken away from him once he saw a man place his hand around your waist.

Diluc staggered and choked on the air for a split second, nearly causing a commotion by dropping the glass from his hand. He managed to catch it in a nick of time, it just barely touching the ground.

...That was too close for comfort. The same could be said for that mysterious companion of yours. What was he doing, touching you so carelessly? Even from that far away there was no mistaking the flames of want in that man's eye and if he could, he would steal a kiss from your sweet lips right there and then. Diluc pressed his lips in a tight line as he continued to clean the mugs in a hurried manner, his mind going haywire by the minute.

You remained oblivious to his pining, as did the man. He despised the fact that the sweetness in his heart was gone, replaced with this vile, putrid blob of inky blackness, shredding his insides bit by bit. A few flickers of angry fire accidentally left his fingertips and it took all of Diluc's willpower to not grab the greatsword hidden in the back and slash the man into minced meat. He could already feel the taste of copper in his mouth as the man would scream and scream in the night, but no one would hear him, no would would come to his aid.

Diluc was far too intelligent and rich to ever have such a crime be traced back to him.

Jealousy consumed him, the all too familiar feeling of the green eyed monster was a demon Diluc had to grapple with on a daily basis, and he did not have a clue on how to tame it.

His heart ached for you, it burned for the need to merge your soul with his but for the love of Barbatos, he always promoted to tail you from the shadows instead, shooting himself in the foot in the process. He could not resent you for not being aware of his feelings because he was a fool, a coward too scared of being rejected, forcing him to simmer in his own bitter feeling.

It was torture.

Diluc lowered his gaze downwards and sighed. He recalled the love stories he had read over the years and this was not how he pictured his playing out. All of those stories made the pining sound so romantic and eloquent but he knew better now.

Lies. Those were all lies, he was in Hell and he was angry.

Later in the evening when he could, he was going to strike. He could not risk it, he could not risk you falling for anyone other than him. He was a selfish man and he hated himself for that.

But seeing you in the arms of another... Now that, that made him seethe.

🎀 TAGS: @genshinarchives, @mod-kisa-blog, @juuuuuj101010, @xiaopleasecomehome, @mayulli, @cc-6789, @saturnalya, @alatusprinz, @lakxcpsta, @mewmeowmika, @ranposgirlboss, @goldenglow149

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

I think for all the discussions we have of "everyone hears the jokes and the piano; after that, they stop listening" surrounding Louis, we tend to still simplify his connection to the piano.

Yes, it's very cute that he sings Clementine a little song when they first meet, and it's very cute that he plays a little prank on her while "tuning" the piano. It's super cute that they carve their initials into the piano and Clementine carves a heart around them. It's mega cute that he names his song he wrote after her when she confesses her feelings. Louis playing Don't Be Afraid at the party is, in my opinion, one of the best moments in all of TFS.

But here's the thing: That piano is Louis' heart.

I don't mean to go all metaphorical on you, but I'm dead serious—the piano is Louis' heart, and when you think about his arc and his romance route with that in mind...?

That piano is his one comfort in a world where the dead walk. It's been with him from the beginning of the outbreak. We know from his backstory that Louis wanted to take singing lessons so he could be a real musician, and his father denying him of that was what set him off to be a "vindictive fuckhead." Louis never got those singing lessons, and it's a very real possibility that Louis taught himself how to play.

Sure, others could've taught him; we know Minerva was musically talented, perhaps she showed him a thing or two. But learning piano, or any instrument, is brutal even with professional guidance. It takes hours of practice until numbness wears fingertips raw; dedication to memorize every key and finger placement to make music pleasing to the ear; self-discipline to keep going through every fumble, every failure, every single cruel thought of self-doubt; intelligence and a creative ear to write his own songs.

And yet, it's severely under-appreciated by everyone. It's annoying. It's distracting. It's unimportant. It's an excuse for Louis to mess around and not do any real work. He doesn't have any actual talent. The music and the piano are brushed off, unheard.

Yet, Louis keeps playing. He keeps singing. He keeps making jokes.

Creating music, the one thing he wanted so badly as a kid that he destroyed his parents marriage, was possibly the greatest comfort he had... a welcome distraction to disassociate from the horror and death happening around him.

It's bittersweet, like a purpling bruise that you can't stop pressing on; it hurts, but there's something else below the pain. The piano is out of tune and it's something that brings him joy... but will always act as a constant reminder of who he was and what he did, why he's at Ericson to begin with.

We first meet him while he's playing; Louis' heart is exposed, but is it really? Is he playing to his true potential? Louis hides behind the mask of a charming, charismatic goof. It's what is expected of him, so he plays a silly song intended to poke and prod at Clementine, to gauge a reaction. That's something we see him do at multiple points in episode one. In fact, we can consider a majority of episode one to be like the song he's playing when we meet him; it's mostly cheery or fast-paced.

Louis is able to soothe AJ with his "alluring" music after the kid bit Ruby is an indication that the two of them will share a bond. Louis is a natural at communicating and bonding with the younger kids [another talent that's overlooked] so it's interesting that he praises AJ for being a natural at piano, as well.

But the song stutters just a bit when Louis and Clementine are in the woods together, though; "There's only one guarantee: this moment. That's the only you got, only thing any of us got. Might as well enjoy it." ...Only for Louis to compose himself and send her away.

It's only when Clementine has a gun in her face, held by Marlon, that the music isn't fun anymore; it's rainfall and thunder and the words "I thought you were more than that" sung through the wind in a melody only Louis can hear.

Then Marlon's dead. The song is over, and reality has arrived.

I've talked at length about Louis in ep2 and his vote in the past. It's one of the most compelling things about Louis' arc and romantic route. It's a tragic mistake driven by trauma and guilt. It's people simultaneously telling him to shut up and telling him to be angrier than he is. Telling him to stop burying his head in the sand when he's never been more aware of everything happening. It's AJ peering up at him with pleading eyes that Louis can't stand to look at. It's Clementine wrapping his heartstrings around her fingers and tugging just enough to hurt, but not break.

Louis missed Clementine. He says as much when Clementine admits she missed him first. I don't even know where to begin with that! I can think of no other way to describe it other than they are half agony, half hope over this... and if you get that reference, you get a gold star. I just- the ache, the tension, the conflicting feelings of finally having a quiet moment to talk but Louis not being ready yet.

Y'know how someone carved "you suck at playing" in the side of the piano? It's something you might not initially notice while playing the game, just as Louis' insecurities aren't apparent at first.. but they're carved in him; never fully healed, still scabbed and bleeding... Until Clementine offers him a bandage.

She won't clean the wound for him, but she'll be there. She'll help him figure out how to do it himself so he can heal. She'll listen to him, not belittle his feelings or pain. She'll make an effort to know his keys and notes and practice playing his song until she understands.

When Clementine chooses him to spend time with him, it's a mirror of their first time meeting... but this time, Louis plays something real: a song he wrote, one that I believe he crafted during the two week time skip... a song he wrote with Clementine on his mind, for better or worse.

If the piano is Louis' heart, he literally asks her to sit there and try to tune it, which ends up being a joke but I say she's already tuned your heart, my guy. It's there before them, changed in the warm candlelight. He plays for her and opens up about how no one actually listens, but Clementine did.

And remember, this is the night of the raid. They don't know it's coming, but they know it'll be soon. Louis understands that he could very well die, so what does he do? He carves his initial into the one thing he's always had, and he asks Clementine to do the same.

I'm sorry, how are we NOT more feral about this? Prior to this scene, the only thing we see carved into the piano, into Louis' heart, is an insult. This thing that Louis cares so deeply about, this instrument that's become so intertwined with who he is... he wants to leave his mark on it just in case he dies. A reminder that it was his and he belonged to it just as much. Something so important, and he asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart where no matter what, they will be immortalized together in this moment.

And when Clementine carves a heart around their initials? Yes, his reaction is very cute and that's great... but she's not ashamed of him, or her feelings for him. She wants everyone who looks upon his heart to know that. She tells him how she feels and Louis is so giddy, and warm, and he names the song after her and I am going to start biting anything that moves, I can't-

Oh, and let's discuss the party scene in episode three, shall we? Y'know, where the heart covered initials are on full display? Where Louis tells the story of why he was sent to Ericson to everyone?

Louis is so... vulnerable. Sincere. Ashamed of what he did. This is the exposed nerve, the one he was so afraid of showing Clementine but there it is... and she doesn't reject him. Sure, she can say it's fucked up if you choose to, but she doesn't break up with him over it.

Also the fact that everyone sitting around him finally listens when he's at his most unshielded only for Tenn to ask him to play Don't Be Afraid for them after...? How do you not see the connection? Are you trying to make me cry? In that moment, Louis' heart was heard and appreciated and beautiful and strong and-

Listen. I am fine. I'm so normal about this. And fine. I'm fine.

But I also have to add that during the walk in episode four, if you let Louis choose what to add to the imaginary house, he picks a brand new piano because he wants a new heart to reflect the confidence and growth Clementine helped him achieve and because he loves her and AJ so much that wants the new heart to not just be his but also theirs and I am so fine with this, okay.

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Random Doctor Who Facts You Might Not Know, Part 4

While trying to figure out how Jenny was the Fifth Doctor's daughter, the Nine suggested he might be her father or her mother.

The Nun once shot and imprisoned the Tenth Doctor on her TARDIS, using a psychic shroud to take on his appearance temporarily before "regenerating" into her own body.

The Eighth Doctor has traveled with both a Cyberman and an Ice Warrior before (albeit not at the same time).

Jasper and Stewart are a pair of Fledershrews (a type of bat) that took residence in the TARDIS. The Doctor considered them to be good friends.

The Doctor had at least one grandfather and seven grandmothers.

Horses can be cyber-converted.

The Seventh Doctor took Ace back in time to kill the would-be dictator as well, but they were also unable to go through with it.

At the same time the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby were dealing with goblins (24/12/2023), the Seventh Doctor and Ace were in a Los Angeles toyshop.

Wilfred Mott enlisted while he was still underage.

Orlando Bloom stars in Indiana Jones movie remakes.

Sam Jones knew what the Doctor's name is.

By some accounts, the Doctor removed his name from time, meaning only they and the Master (as well as anyone they later told) remembered it.

Ian Chesterton was taught how to ride a horse by Alexander the Great.

The TARDIS once dematerialized with a Nazi (played by David Tennant) half in, half out, leading to his incredibly gruesome death.

On Harmony, an idyllic planet, the locals harvested any visitors for food as the other animals had all died out.

Sometimes, the Doctor has worked to actively change history, like the time the Second Doctor tried to save Horatio Nelson from dying in the Battle of Trafalgar.

As the First Doctor regenerated into the Second, the TARDIS also somewhat regenerated, shrinking around fifteen centimeters.

River Song has eleven siblings such as Brooke, Stream, Lake, Creek, H-One, H-Two, O, etc. All of them are clones created by Madame Kovarian from River's DNA.

Speaking of River, she's been married to both Bernice Summerfield and Jack Harkness before.

Amy Pond was once mutated into an almost butterfly-like creature.

The Master does not like David Attenborough.

At one point, the most wanted criminal in the galaxy was the Master, and the Rani was second most wanted.

Snow White and the Seven Keys to Doomsday was a Gallifreyan bedtime story the Eleventh Doctor recalled enjoying.

In this story, Rassilon would ask the Matrix daily: "Matrix, Matrix that sees over all, who has the power to make Gallifrey fall?" The Matrix would always respond with: "Only you, oh Rassilon. Only you, through the Eye of Harmony have that power." One day, the Matrix added: "Snowana the Fair, using the Keys of Doomsday, she has the power to destroy all of Gallifrey." Rassilon was greatly angered by this and banished Snowana to the wastelands, expecting her to die, but instead, she grew into Snow White. Selendor had created a great weapon that could be used to destroy cities and fashioned seven keys to it, one for each sin of the Time Lords. He gave one key to Snow White expecting her to get some revenge, but she instead ran away and created a force field around her and the keys. Selendor died of grief for his lost keys

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

[laurenairay]

Red Sundress - JT Compher

Summary: a little red sundress goes a long way (to making JT admit his feelings).

Words: 1.8k

Warnings: some bad language, self-doubt, JT is a bit of an idiot

A/N: I’ve had this song in my head all afternoon, so now you get to suffer the consequences.

Title from Head over Heels, by Restless Road

~

I’m losin’ my head over heels in a red sundress, and them ruby red lips looking my way.

~

You knew you had his attention the moment you walked in.

It was the height of summer, a typical local barbecue with friends, and you’d been trying for weeks to get JT to make a move. You’d known him for a few years now, and he’d flirted shyly with you on and off in the time he was home from Denver and Detroit, but this summer felt different.

At least you thought it had. The fact that he was still acting shy and not making a move, despite all your blatant signals, was starting to make you doubt his intentions. With everyone else, JT seemed so confident, smiling away, laughing like nothing mattered. But with you, something was holding him back – and it was driving you crazy.

There was no way you were throwing yourself at the feet of an NHL player, no matter how sweet he was. That was level of desperation you were set in your mind not to sink to. If he wanted you, he was going to have to damn well say it to your face. Still, you thought you’d make a move of your own – wearing a new red sundress, floaty and sultry with a deep v-neck – to get some kind of reaction from him. And by the way his eyes had been locked on you since you joined your friends? It seemed to be working. Sort of.

“He still hasn’t made a move? When you’re wearing a dress like that?”

You shrugged at your friend Liz, smiling sadly where you were standing with her and your mutual friend Millie, beers in hand. Sure, JT was looking – but he hadn’t even approached you yet and it was frustrating you to no end. Not even a simple hello?

“Idiot boy, no wonder you’re straight up trying to kill him,” Millie mused.

“I have no idea what you mean,” you said innocently.

“Uh huh, and pigs can fly,” she snorted, “that’s the kind of dress that means trouble and you know it.”

Your innocent smile slid into a small smirk. That was the idea. “I’m tired of dancing around this maybe-maybe not thing JT’s been doing. It’s been weeks. I’m just giving him a little incentive to make up his mind.”

“By the way he’s drooling over you? I’d say it’s working,” Millie snickered.

And yet he’s all the way across the yard, not taking action,” you shrugged.

Liz frowned, glancing over her shoulder to look at him, before turning back to you with a sigh.

“Stupid boy doesn’t deserve you. If he doesn’t make a move today then I’m going to set you up with at least three people who will,” she said seriously.

As much as you hated the idea of giving up on JT, maybe Liz had a point. You looked damn good, and if JT wasn’t going to appreciate it, wasn’t going to do anything about it, then it was his loss. Right?

“Alright, deal,” you nodded.

Millie just whooped, giving you a high five, earning a fond eye roll from Liz. The thing about Millie was that she wasn’t quiet in the slightest, so her whoop gained a lot of heads turning your way – including JT’s. He smiled inquisitively, tilting his head slightly, but you just raised an eyebrow. Come and find out for yourself. He looked a little surprised at your response, but still didn’t move from the group he was standing with, making you huff and turn back to your friends. Maybe Liz was right – maybe you deserved better than this, doubting yourself over someone that made you question your self-worth. Maybe.

But damn it you weren’t still holding out hope.

~

JT watched you from across the backyard, feeling a pang in his chest as you turned away from him with a slight frown on your face. He knew he was being a coward right now – everyone knew, it wasn’t like he was being subtle – but there was just something about you in that red dress and wedge heels that had his mind whirling. The moment he’d met you all those years ago he’d been overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by your confidence, your mind, your beauty, your smile. His sisters, his friends, your friends had all told him to make a move before you moved on, but it just wasn’t that easy.

It was like the whole world stopped whenever you appeared. So casual, so cool, so unattainable. So unbelievably out of his league that it wasn’t even funny. And yet there you were, giving him the time of day that other guys could only dream of. JT always felt like an idiot trying to impress you, desperate to earn one of your sweet friendly smiles, to make you genuinely laugh, to keep your attention on him. He honestly didn’t know why you kept flirting back with him after all this time, didn’t know why you hadn’t moved your attention onto someone who wasn’t such a coward. Every gathering, every party, every hangout he told himself that this was the time, this was the day he was finally going to say how he felt – but every time he backed out at the last moment.

He knew what a good thing he could have with you – so why couldn’t he just take that chance?

It wasn’t until your friend Liz caught his eyes and tapped her watch that he felt a wash of dread run over him. Tick tock time is running out. He knew Liz well enough to know that she wasn’t messing around. This was his last chance. He had to stop chickening out.

But how?

~

The slowly growing disappointment that filled your body was slowly dampening your mood. Your plan hadn’t worked. You’d bought this dress specifically for him. You’d worn the high heels, matched the lipstick, curled your hair, all for him and yet JT hadn’t done anything. He hadn’t even come over to say hello. Was this it? After all the flirting, was this the end of it? If it was, what a hell of a way to go. Fuck.

“Anyone want a drink?” you asked to your small group, wiggling your empty bottle in the air.

After a chorus of no’s you headed inside to the kitchen, pulling a fresh beer out of a cooler with a sigh. One more drink and you were going to switch to water. One more. If only you could find a bottle opener.

“Need some help with that?”

You flinched in surprise, not realising you weren’t alone, but turned to face the familiar voice anyway. JT looked good. He always looked so good.

“Nice of you to finally speak to me. I was beginning to think I had cooties,” you said curtly, sarcasm harsher than you intended as you took the offered bottle opener from him.

He blushed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck like the awkward goose he was, giving you a slight flush of satisfaction. Good. He should feel bad for making you feel bad.

“You look good,” he eventually choked out.

“I know I do,” you said, raising an eyebrow as you passed the bottle opener back.

JT huffed out a laugh. “I’m sorry, okay? I should’ve said hi the moment you walked in, but my head’s been whirling with everything else I wanted to say.”

What?

Your face must’ve said everything your thoughts were echoing, because JT just laughed softly again.

“You mesmerise me. And I’ve been too much of a coward to tell you.”

Oh fuck.

“JT…” you breathed.

You mesmerised him? What the hell?

“I should’ve said something sooner. Should’ve stopped wasting so much time. But your red dress is killing me, babe. Am I too late?”

Babe?

Two could play at that game.

“Too late for what?” you challenged.

Because you needed to know what he really wanted. If it was just a quick fling because of this admittedly spectacular dress? Well, then you weren’t interested. By this point, you could admit to yourself, you’d fallen head over heels for JT Compher – so it was all or nothing.

JT smiled at your words, a look into his eyes that you hadn’t seen before – one that made you shiver. “Too late for you to take a chance on me. I want to take you out to dinner, sweep you off your feet. You like dahlias, right? I want to buy you bouquet after bouquet, each flower as perfect and beautiful as you. I want to hold your hand while we walk down the street, to kiss you good morning in my bed, to argue with you about your ridiculous reality tv opinions, to have you sitting in my lap making everyone jealous. I want to fly you out to Detroit every chance I get, have you cheering in the crowd at every home game. I want you, exactly as you are.”

Oh fuck.

JT bit his bottom lip to hide his smile, clearly pleased with whatever was showing on your face. But then his expression sobered a little, losing its flirting edge. “I understand if I’ve waited too long. You deserved better, everyone knows that. You deserved someone who was open and honest with you from the start, not someone who was too scared to take a chance on a beautiful girl. Because you are beautiful, babe, inside and out. I lose my mind every time I see you, and I know that I’m rambling like an idiot right now but I’m just sorry I haven’t had the courage before now. Give me a chance to make it up to you? I promise you I’ll be worth it.”

You felt your heart racing as his words sunk in. This was everything you’d been holding out for, the declarations like music to your ears. As much as your wanted to stay mad at him – not just for stringing you along but for making you doubt yourself – there was no way you could. No way in hell. The way he was being so sincere and vulnerable with your right now was giving you everything. He really wanted you. Why couldn’t he have said all of this weeks ago? Why had he drawn this out for years if he felt like this? Why had it taken him so long to admit how he felt?

“About time,” you breathed.

JT grinned sharply, your breath catching in your throat at the promise in his eyes. He looked hungry. “So what do you think?”

“I think you should kiss me,” was all you could murmur.

JT wasted no time in pressing you up against the kitchen counter and capturing your lips with his. With a soft moan you eagerly kissed him back, sliding your arms around his neck as his hands clutched desperately at your waist. So worth the wait.

~

Tagging a few people who might be interested: @typical-simplelove @fallinallincurls @callsign-denmark @wyattjohnston @comphy-and-cozy

@2manytabsopen @senditcolton @starshine-hockey-girl

[btsbabe7]

A/N: a spontaneous semi-spicy drop of a draft that’s been sitting since April 1st, and now that I just watched Challengers and it’s pretty much on brand with this, that’s the mood I’m in. I also didn’t edit this, but I will post it anyways. 🙃

Words: ~2k, (Mature, 18+)

Pairing: Sebastian x Ominis x reader

Natty and Poppy teamed up to put together a small get-together with certain members of your class; however, words and owls got around, and a party of ten had turned into fifty. Overwhelmed, but determined to make the best of the situation, Natty and Poppy were able to get things under control, from snacks to Butterbeer and entertainment, it turned into a literal house party.

You find yourself sandwiched between the two boys you’d managed to get close to over the past few years, Sebastian and Ominis, both surprisingly enjoying themselves, thanks to your presence.

“Wanna try this jelly bean I made?” Garreth exclaims, scaring you from behind while nudging your arm. He stretches his arm between you and Ominis, out towards the light, where a single jelly bean is hoisted between his fingertips.

“Not tonight, Weasley,” you giggle and shrug his arm away. “I’m not in the mood to have smoke coming from my nostrils or other extremities again.”

“Suite yourself,” he replies with a shrug before trailing off to find another potential victim.

You watch Garreth walk over to another girl, one you know to be from Gryffindor, whose name is completely unknown to you. You watch her giggle as he holds his hand out and offers her a tiny red bean. The one he’d offered you had been yellow, for Hufflepuff. Her polish red nails pinch into his palm as she grabs the bean and pulls it between her lips with a teasing smile.

You see Garreth grin softly, but he turns his attention away quickly, right back to you in fact.

“He fancies you,” Sebastian states as if he’s already right and knows it all. “You have him wrapped around your finger.”

“As if you’d know, Seb. It’s not like you’re consulting with a Gryffindor.”

You hear Ominis’ snort, clearing getting a kick out of it too. You watch Sebastian’s cheeks grow ruby red in annoyance.

“I’m just saying, it’s pretty obvious. Offering you yellow jellybeans as if the rest of us don’t realize what he’s doing. As if we don’t see how he acts around you in The Great Hall, in class... Always showering you with gifts…”

“Well… I do love Garreth’s gifts,” you hum in amusement now that you’re on the subject. “Jellybeans aside, he did have his owl deliver a beautiful bouquet of daises and roses about a week ago.”

“H-he sent you flowers?”

You can hear the disappointment in Seb’s voice. Because why hadn’t he thought to send you flowers? Is the tone that laces his voice and gains a pat on the shoulder from Ominis.

“Even as a Slytherin, this conversation is becoming awfully dreadful. Care for a dance, Y/n?”

“Yeah, let’s dance!”

Ominis smiles deeply and stands to his feet to reach out for your hand. Sebastian tries to slap it away, but you take it before he can.

“Sorry, Seb,” you whisper mockingly.

You and Ominis find a spot in the corner of the room, away from the prying eyes of Sebastian or Garreth, a spot where they’d have to look if they wanted to find you.

“Sebastian‘s right, you know?”

“Oh, not you too, Omi… Garreth and I, were friends.”

“Friends fall in love. We all know that’s not quite uncommon here,” Ominis states, knowing he’s right and that any protest is just an excuse from you at this point. He wraps his arms around your waist tightly, which makes you smile into his shoulder.

“Friends can fall in love, but that doesn’t mean I’ll fall for Garreth. No matter how cute and sweet he is.”

“You find him ‘cute?’”

“Omi!” You giggle loudly and smack his shoulder playfully before falling silent and twirling around with him. It had to be Poppy’s idea to throw a slow song into the mix. “I think Garreth is adorable, admirable even, but he’s not Seb… He’s not you. And I see how miserable Seb is when Garreth is around.”

Ominis smiles, a very telling smile, and you nuzzle against the crook of his neck.

“We can’t invite him. He wouldn’t understand.”

“He may be a Gryffindor; however, that doesn’t make him stupid… or less understanding. The point is freedom from understanding. It’s for fun.”

You know this, but you don’t press further. Omi always wins in the end anyways and if you press it, you’ll find yourself more than sandwiched between your three favorite boys.

He sways you around the livingroom, one hand at the small of your back and the other placed firmly against your mid-back, and your fingers find comfort in the thickness of the sandy blonde hair that sits at the nape of his neck.

“Do you still think about it?”

Your whisper is so low, you almost hoped he hadn’t heard it. You wish you didn’t still feel the electricity coursing through your chest when he touches you, when he’s near. You try to cool it when Sebastian is around, but most of the time it feels as if you’re fighting your own being to keep the peace between friends.

“Well, you certainly made it memorable,” he replies softly and leans his head on your hair like he had the very first time the two of you danced together.

You find yourself pulling back ever so slightly until his gaze meets yours. You find yourself fluttering again, lost in the beauty of his pearlescent eyes, his tiny sprinkled moles, and the soft look of his pink lips.

“Omi…”

His hand pulls your chin upward and he stops mid-turn, your back against the wall and his to the party, concealing you as his your lips find each other’s. You can’t remember the last time you had Ominis’ lips, and his alone, without Sebastian needing you at the same time. It takes your breath away just as it did years ago.

A soft cough breaks your kiss and you and Ominis pull away with reddened cheeks.

“Am I interrupting something?” Poppy laughs sarcastically. “I mean of course I’m not, my best friend would’ve told me if she were dating a Slytherin, or you know, dating in general?”

“Poppy, it’s…”

“Exactly what it looks like,” Ominis breathes. “I asked Y/n to keep it between us. After all, Sebastian has feelings for her too.”

“Ominis…”

“Sebastian has feelings for you? And you’re okay with kissing his best friend in the same room?”

You sigh, rubbing your temples as if everything will soon come apart at the seams. You’d expect this reaction, this level of immaturity from Sebastian, not Ominis. Why would he admit that after you’ve all been hiding it so well?

“He may have feelings, but I’m… I’m in love.”

You choke, dropping your arms from Ominis’ neck in disbelief. If he were in love with you, there would be signs. There were signs, but why would he admit it here?

Poppy notices your distress and pulls you by the hand.

“Gonna borrow her for a moment,” she calls, pulling you further away from the sad looking boy. She pulls you into a room, banishing everyone out before slamming the door behind you both. “Y/n, are you… insane? I mean of course you aren’t, you’re the smartest person I’ve ever known, yet you deliberately got involved with not one, but two Slytherin boys. Nat and I told you to be careful since day one!”

“I know,” you breathe and kick your shoes off before bringing your knees up to your chest on the bottom of her bed. “But it’s Seb and Omi, they’re harmless.”

“Harmless?” She scoffs. “That man just said he betrayed his friend, who has a crush on you. I mean you two were snogging! As if it’s completely normal. The way he said he loved you as if he meant it, as if he’s been completely enraptured by you. How did this even happen?”

“We… spent time together. We’ve been friends for years now.”

Poppy places a hand on her hips, believing only a small portion of what you’re admitting. She takes a deep breath and settles on the bed next to you.

“What’s really going on between you and Ominis, Y/n?”

You deflect from her prying eyes, all your steady thoughts and chaotic ones overlapping and tangling with each other in your mind as you do. You can’t tell a lie without part of the truth. And if you tell the truth, you can’t lie. Not to her.

“Poppy… Ominis and I have been seeing each other.”

“Seeing each other?”

“S-sleeping together,” you mutter softly. Your hands go cold and the coldness travels up your shoulders and washes down your body, all the way to your toes under your striped lime and cherry blossom knitted socks Ominis gifted you with last Christmas.

“Sleeping together? Like in his dorm?”

“No,” you sigh. “Like sleeping together… sex.”

All color in her cheeks flush and she shoots off the bed like a rocket.

“You’re sleeping with Ominis!?”

You can’t bring yourself to repeat it. It’s not like you’re embarrassed, you just knew your girl best friends would react this way. Garreth would react this way or say he somehow already knew. But Sebastian’s always the one you’ve been scared of hurting.

You nod.

“And Sebastian?” She dares to ask with widened eyes.

“I… we... I don’t know Poppy. He and I, we’ve done it once. Two Christmas’ ago when he took me to meet his family in Feldcroft. I told Ominis about Sebastian, but I can’t tell Sebastian about Ominis. It’s happened too many times with him, Sebastian would never forgive us,” you cry.

“Y/n… I, for once don’t know what to say.”

“There’s not much you can say,” Sebastian groans, coming from the connected bathroom with a scowl.

“Why’re you in here!?” Poppy yelps.

“Other restrooms were taken. But that’s beside the point, Y/n, you betrayed me? You and Ominis went behind my back? Didn’t think to tell me, to just let me know? I had my suspicions, but I… I didn’t want to believe that my two best friends would go behind my back.”

“Seb, it’s not like that. It’s—“

“It’s what? You’re in love with him, aren’t you? That’s the only reason you wouldn’t tell me? You couldn’t bear hurting my feelings, so you just hid your own?”

You climb off the bed and walk over to him, tears still in your eyes as Poppy steps out the room to give you two privacy.

“Sebastian, I love you both, truly. But what I feel with Ominis…”

“You don’t feel with me?”

“Seb, what I feel for Ominis, I can’t keep hiding. But I love you too. Since our first night together, I’ve always felt something.”

Sebastian’s features fall as if everything in his life has come to a halt and has never been in his favor. You know this was never fair to him since the beginning, since his interest had been you, but yours had been in his best friend.

“I should’ve known, I tried to ignore the signs,” he sighs and falters a bit.

You reach out for him, wrapping your arms around him as he sobs into the crook of your neck. You want to say words, but they would change nothing. If anything, it’d probably make matters worse for the three of you. You don’t know what admitting your feelings will do to your friendship, but you can’t afford to lose either of them, not after having them this long.

Sebastian trembles softly in your arms as you rub his back.

“I don’t want things to end this way,” he mutters against your wet skin.

“Nothing has to end,” you reply and pull back to look at him through tear blurred eyes. “We don’t have to end anything.”

“But if you’re in love with him, it won’t ever be the same.”

“Sebastian… please.”

He shakes his head as it begins to settle in. As it does, Ominis steps into the room. You hear the lock snap shut and a soft sigh from Sebastian’s lips.

When you glance down at Sebastian, the smirk of his lips is what makes you uneasy. You’ve seen this smirk before, back in the living room of his uncle’s house in Feldcroft.

“Seb—“

You’re cut off by his lips pressing hungrily into yours. His palm massages into your curls and the other into the flesh of your ass under your short dress.

You moan softly, almost forgetting about Ominis who stands sheepishly near the door.

“Care to join?” Sebastian mutters into your neck before licking a stripe up the length.

“Perhaps somewhere more private.”

Sebastian chuckles, ready to take you anywhere as long as he can have you right now in this moment. He kisses you deeply, his own moaning sending vibrations throughout your lips and straight to your core. He’s inching closer to Ominis with each twist of his tongue, and once you’re close enough, you grip his shirt at the shoulder and apparate to the one place where you know you’ll have all the privacy in the world.

Your Room of Requirement.

Feel free to check out my other fanfics :)

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction, but please don’t copy! Written purely for fun :) Please only repost to other socials w/my permission and credit! Reblogging w/credit is fine. Thank you! ♡

[justporo]

Changing Trajectories (Stars that collide)

A while back I wrote this drabble about ascended Astarion suddenly interrupting one of Tav's jobs as a thief - almost ten years after they've parted ways. The title was How to Catch a Mouse

I've come back to it and decided to turn it into a longer story. So, we'll be right back at the moment where the first (very short) part left off: Astarion with his hands on Tav, interrupting her from stealing her target object. Turns out the vampire lord didn't happen upon Tav on accident this fateful night.

Song: Devil May Cry (Apashe & Sofiane Pamart)

Pairing: Ascended Astarion/Fem!Tav (You) Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, angst Note: This will not be like the usual fluff I write. In fact it will probably not be fluffy at all

~~~

You were pulled back by the hands firmly gripping onto your waist. You couldn’t help but let out a little shriek as you collided with the upper body of the person standing behind you. His presence was overwhelming now.

You could take in his scent now: he still smelled of bergamot and rosemary and the scent immediately unveiled memories you had desperately tried to forget, to hide in the deepest, darkest corners of your mind, to strangle so they wouldn’t haunt you anymore. But images flashed through your mind: of the close moments before, ten years ago, when you had thought you had found your soulmate.

Hands were still gripping hard on your waistline, holding you in place, pressing you against a firm body.

“Hello, my darling Tav”, you heard the voice purr again and felt his breath as it was leaning over your neck. No lips were touching your delicate skin, but you could almost feel the grin that bared fangs right above your quickening pulse.

“Astarion”, you whispered spiritlessly because it was the only thing you could muster. You knew you should feel terrified that you had fallen – quite literally – into the hands of one of the most dangerous creatures of the Sword Coast if not Faerûn. But all you could feel at the very moment was deep desperation and overwhelming sadness as more memories flooded you from a different time.

“Is this the way you’d like to greet me after all this time, love?”, Astarion said with a tinge of anger when there was nothing else coming from you. His hands spun you around, made you face him. His hands grabbed your elbows now, holding you in place.

Again, you couldn’t help but gasp. He was as strikingly handsome as you remembered, even more so! Ten year old memories couldn’t do justice to the vampire lord’s glorious beauty: his chin lifted arrogantly, every white curl perfectly in place, ruby eyes striking, piercing, boring into your soul and soft lips perpetually curled into the smirk that once had almost made you give everything to him.

And suddenly you felt rage overcome you, drowning out all other emotions you had felt before.

The element of surprise on your side you pushed him away, startling him. It was only a split second, but it was enough for you to step out of his reach.

“Don’t fucking touch me!”, you screamed at him and took more steps away from him – until you collided with the small stone pillar behind you. The amulet on it fell to the ground with a clattering sound. But you couldn’t care less in this very moment.

Astarion’s face had become a mask of rage, his eyes almost blazing with it. “You dare speak in that tone with me?”, he screamed back. Power rang in his voice and struck primal fear into you immediately.

You immediately scurried around the small stone column at your back and slowly took more steps backwards, trying to get away from him.

You realised two things: firstly, that it was very likely no one in their right mind should speak with this mighty monster in this tone because secondly, he could absolutely kill you and splatter you all over the ground if he wanted to. It probably wouldn’t even cost him that much of an effort. And he’d probably walk out of here with not a hair out of place.

You gulped as fear filled you as a delayed reaction to Astarion’s appearance.

The vampire meanwhile closed his eyes and took a deep breath in as he obviously tried to gain back his composure. He rolled his head and shoulders as an arrogant – and very fake – smile entered his face and he opened his eyes again to watch you again.

You stopped wandering back – there was no use to it anyway, Astarion was blocking the only way out of the room.

“I do apologise, it’s been a while since someone has been foolish enough to cross me.” His tone was civilised, polite even. His gestures that of a bored noble merely having a dull conversation. But the way the smile grew into a wicked grin baring his fangs was still a bit too predatory for his masquerade.

And still your heart couldn’t help but flutter again as he looked at you again – this time again not out of fear. He angled his head and looked you up and down.

“You look incredibly beautiful, my darling, even more so than I remember.”

Unbelievably enough, he sounded genuine. His gaze lingered on you, seemingly far away for a moment. It seemed you weren’t the only one taken aback by a sudden flood of memories.

“So do you”, you whispered before you could think better of it. His gaze snapped back to yours, a knowing smirk playing on his lips now. He looked a lot less intimidating now and much more like you had kept him in your memories.

Back then, you had always told him how beautiful he was. At every given opportunity. And each time he had smiled at you and given you a loving kiss.

Your chest started to ache as you lived through one of those memories.

“What are you doing here?”, you asked him before the pain of it could close up your throat.

“Ah, I could ask you just the same, couldn’t I?” He inclined his head a little and his smile grew making it even easier to mistake him for what he really was. He watched you carefully, noting how you had taken several steps away from him, but he didn’t move closer again. “But then again, I know very well what you are doing here, seeing as I was the one who had the cheese laid out for you”, the vampire explained and pursed his lips. His eyes twinkled mischievously.

Your jaw dropped: “You are the client behind this contract?” Obviously, you internally rolled your eyes at yourself. Why else would he have put up a show with the whole cat-mouse-thing. But you had been too starstruck in the beginning to make sense of it all.

That you hadn’t known the true identity of your client wasn’t that much of a surprise though. You only had had contact via messengers that had kept the identity of your customer hidden – but that was very usual in your line of work.

Astarion’s eyes started to sparkle even more as he watched the gears in your head turn and while his smirk grew, he started to saunter towards you again. He kept silent as he approached you once more as you kept feeling more and more alarmed.

This wasn’t good. In fact, it was terrible. This meant he hadn’t just happened upon you. He had specifically sought you out.

“Why?”, you simply asked as the vampire lord strode closer to you with the languid elegance of a cat.

He threw out his arms in a dramatic pose: “Why indeed? Because I wanted an artifact stolen, obviously.” One of his eyebrows twitched and he let his tongue roll in his mouth. He was so obviously enjoying keeping you on thin ice. Another flare of anger rushed through you.

And to add to your misfortune, you suddenly heard shouts and the stomping of heavily armoured boots outside the room.

You must’ve been found out.

Your eyes darted to the door, then back to Astarion who must’ve heard the same. His grin had become feral again.

“Oh oh, my dear, looks like you’re about to be caught in flagranti”, he said as he had almost reached you. Your heart and mind raced, searching for an impossible solution.

“Come with me”, Astarion whispered in a deep, sinister tone when he was close enough to reach out to you and elegantly offered you one of his hands.

Your eyes jumped between the door, his face and his offered hand. Outside the steps came closer. You were indeed between a rock and a hard place – and you couldn’t decide which option was more daunting.

“Rot in a dungeon until you die or take my hand, your choice”, Astarion said, his tone now cold and sending new jolts of icy dread through you. And you were suddenly sure that if you were caught and indeed thrown into a dungeon, he would make sure you would die there. So, you probably did not have a choice from the moment you had entered this room.

With your heart racing you took his hand and he immediately drew you in close to him: his forehead almost touching yours in a delicate way. Another gesture you remembered well from him. Emotions swinging wildly from incredible fear to bittersweet melancholy and back again.

“Glad to see you still made the right decision”, he mumbled. His red eyes dropping to your lips for a moment before looking in your eyes again. You weren’t sure you would agree with him.

As he made to turn, you remembered that there was still an amulet to steal. You were a thief after all and even though your client was an evil vampire lord and your former acquaintance you’d rather forget, you sure as hell wouldn’t miss out on the gold – not if you had gotten so close.

Astarion must’ve sensed your intention as your head turned to where the amulet had fallen to the ground. “Oh, don’t worry about that, my love”, he said with a wink at you. “That’s only a replica, I had the real one stolen and replaced months ago. And you should be glad about it because two of the three thieves that were sent didn’t make it out alive”, he continued to explain and let out a laugh at the end as your eyes widened in shock and you felt goosebumps all over your body.

You let yourself get dragged towards the door as your mind tried to make sense of what he had said. This whole situation was becoming worse by the minute. So – not only had he specifically sent you on a quest, but the job hadn’t even been his motive… “Was this whole shitshow just an elaborate setup to get to me?”, you asked the vampire and dragged on his hand that was now firmly held by his, fingers crossed. As soon as the words left your mouth you wanted to bite your tongue off realising you had shouted at him angrily again – and you feared how he would react.

But this time Astarion only grinned at you, lifted your arm and made you turn beneath your joint arms as if dancing until you were chest to chest with him again. “Oh yes, you’re only now getting this? I mean, I could have let you be taken by my servants or broken into your home for a quick little visit, but this is way more fun, isn’t it?”, Astarion drawled. You could only stare at him in shock as hot and cold shivers ran down your spine at his casual explanation of how easily he could have threatened you.

But more than anything you wanted to know why he had taken such elaborate measures to get to you.

But you had no time to voice your question as the door flew open and a bunch of heavily armoured city guards stepped in followed by a bald servant from the estate.

The guards took in the scene and immediately levelled their halberds at the two of you. Astarion let go of you and nonchalantly stepped in front of you and the very pointy and sharp-looking weapons. He casually crossed his arms over his chest – not a care in the world it seemed. But somehow his posture was still that of a threatening predator not that of prey backed against a wall. Maybe it was the way how he held his back straight and slightly leaned forward as if ready to strike at any moment or his absolute stillness as he confronted the guards.

Before any of the guards or the obviously terrified servant could say something, Astarion spoke up: “Care to explain why you are so rudely interrupting this sweet – and dare I say private – moment I was sharing with my beautiful lady?”

His voice was cold now and made the hair at the back of your neck stand up. You’d been the focus of this voice once this evening and deeply wished to not be it again.

“Well, do you care to explain what you and your lady which is also a wanted thief are doing here?”, one of the guards answered – seemingly the captain of the six men and women lowering their weapons at you.

“In fact, I do not. But – I feel rather generously today, so if you’d be so kind as to let me and my lady pass through, then we can all forget about this and go about our lives”, Astarion offered throwing out his arms and then clapping them together again.

The captain threw his head back in laughter and his guards joined in with chuckles. “Who do you think you are?”, the captain replied after a few heartbeats.

The vampire lord lifted one of his hands quickly. You could see it was surrounded by a soft red glow.

With lightning quick motions every single one of the guards had moved and were now pressing their halberds beneath their chins, the metal points already drawing blood for some of them, their eyes filled with the same red glow.

The servant screamed and tried to scurry away, but Astarion’s eyes shot to him and enclosed him in this sort of spell as well: making him grip his own throat with both hands and squeezing.

“I think”, Astarion spoke, his voice filled with otherworldly power “I am someone you don’t want to threaten.” He flicked his hand and the guards parted into a grotesque row for you, their weapons slowly pressing harder against their skin, cutting flesh now. Their faces distorted as they felt the pain.

You had become a statue, horrified by the casual display of violence. You were no stranger to bloodshed, by no means, but this… this was different.

“Come now, my love, before we’re further inconvenienced”, Astarion said as he turned to you again. His demeanour was that of bored arrogance again. He stepped over to you, put his hand on the small of your back and pushed you towards the door – you did not have it in you to resist. Too shocked, maybe, or too scared he’d do the same to you.

You passed the men and women quickly as they were silently suffering. Only as you were past them did you dig your heels down and tried to turn around.

“Let them… let them go”, you demanded shakily. The vampire turned to you, his face a sneer. “Tss, if it makes you happy.” He snapped his fingers and you saw how the spell broke, the tension in the guards’ bodies broke and they toppled over, gasping, screaming. Astarion snapped again and the door flew shut, blocking your view of the men and women. You turned to the vampire lord who was carefully observing you, still holding on to you with one hand.

“Don’t tell me you softened up, my love. After all you were the one pushing me to sacrifice seven thousand souls to become this”, Astarion sneered moving closer to you until his nose was almost touching yours. “Don’t tell me, violence shocks you know, Tav. You’re no innocent lamb.” His eyes sparkled with challenge; his lips curled in slight disgust.

You tried to hold his stare, but you couldn’t. Only after a few heartbeats you had to lower your gaze; because he was right.

He dragged you on. “Come on now”, he demanded, no room for disobedience.

The two of you walked through the giant mansion for long minutes. You weren’t even entirely sure how much time passed as you were too deep inside your thoughts and also kept coming back to notice how gently Astarion was holding your hand as he led you very purposefully through this maze of a place. There was no need for him to still keep holding on to you. You knew you didn’t have a chance to get away from him. But it seemed he enjoyed this method much more than other means.

Then, before you could round a corner, you heard voices coming towards you.

Astarion lifted his free hand again. “No”, you whispered almost out of reflex, your tone pleading. The vampire looked at you in annoyance but simply dragged you to a nearby, small alcove and with a quick mumbled incantation shrouded you in shadows for passing eyes as he pressed his body against yours.

Two servants passed, focused on their idle chatter, as you were painfully aware of the closeness of Astarion’s body: closer than you had been the entire night. You could smell him again as he carefully observed the two passing persons and you kept staring up at his face.

You knew the line of his nose or the way a deep wrinkle formed between his brows when he furrowed them as well as the back of your own hand. Despite everything that had happened this night you couldn’t deny how your body and not least your mind and heart reacted to being so close to Astarion after a decade of mourning him and yearning for him.

The way his body pressed against yours, making you remember how it had felt like to be held by him or kissed. Just how effortlessly close the two of you had been. Whole nights wasted away with laying around naked, talking, embracing each other - not even always ending in sex.

You had felt the walls of the fortress you had built around those memories and feelings start to crumble from the very first moment you had heard his voice again. But the stones started crumble dangerously fast now.

When the servants had passed, Astarion looked at you with a grin, but not seeming inclined to move away. In fact, he even pressed you harder against the wall with a cheeky grin.

You gasped, eyes widening at him as your heartbeat thundered and you realised that you absolutely were the dove facing the dragon and yet craved for this continue – to go further actually.

And Astarion must’ve seen something in your gaze as you looked up at him with doe eyes. His expression changed from playful and cruel to something that almost made your heart stop.

For a moment it seemed in his crimson eyes like something was desperately trying to claw its way up to the surface. Something that had been thought lost almost a decade ago. But the moment passed.

Then Astarion pressed his open lips to yours, taking them in a possessive kiss. His tongue slipped into your mouth, dominantly taking it for himself as one of his hands pressed to your chest on the naked skin of your neckline. With so much force it hurt, his hand wandered up your chest to your neck until he could almost wrap his fingers around your throat.

You could not help but moan into his open mouth in heedless pleasure as the kiss continued aggressively, all teeth and tongues, his fangs grazing your bottom lip and drawing just a single drop of blood.

Tasting you again after what had been ten years of abstinence almost made the vampire lord lose control.  He moaned and his leg pressed between your thighs making you feel embarrassingly hot within in mere moments.

But then something changed. Almost as if an echo of what you had seen in his eyes for a heartbeat or two had come back to haunt him.

The kiss softened, his leg withdrew slightly and the hand on your neck wandered up further to softly cup your cheek. It became something sweet and slower until it was almost delicate and chaste, his thumb on your face caressing it with a featherlight touch.

And you felt your walls not only crumble but turn to dust – all the work of keeping these emotions out, for nothing. You were helpless under his touch and as it felt like something that could almost have been.

Suddenly, Astarion broke the kiss and stepped back – way more than necessary, as if he had suddenly an urge to get as much distance between you as possible. For an instant you saw confusion on his face, but a mask of teasing mischief was slipped quickly back into place.

“So, you do still want me”, the vampire said with another grin. “Interesting”, he whispered as one of his eyebrows twitched and his smirk grew. “Very interesting”, he said louder as he turned away and you asked yourself if he was doing it to keep a safer distance from you now.

“I trust you can find the rest of the way yourself, you’re a capable thief after all”, he said and threw you a last glance before he started to saunter off. “And don’t worry, I’ll be checking up on you again, very soon, my love.” He drew out the last words as he walked away without another look.

Of course, he hadn’t asked if you wanted that, but you had already realised that none of this had been your choice after all; it never had been.

And so, the vampire lord strode away, deep in thought about what kind of storm he might’ve started. While you kept standing there some long moments longer feeling helplessly violated by the events of the night.

But in your heart… In your heart you felt foolish and stupid and yet delicately warm hope rising up, slowly.

[bridgyrose]

Ruby felt her heart race as a blush crossed her cheeks, her eyes glued on Weiss and Penny as she watched them dance. There wasnt a party or a gala, no dresses or tuxedos, no reason at all for the two to dance beyond enjoying the music and wanting to dance together, and yet, all she could do was watch and fall in love with the two all over again. The smiles on their faces made her heart flutter, the laughter that left their lips made her blush deepen, the joy that they felt with the little things reminding her why she fell for them in the first place.

“Slow down,” Penny said between a few laughs. “You know I cannot keep up with you like this.” 

“You knew what you were getting into when you picked me to dance with,” Weiss laughed with a smirk as she twirled Penny around. “But dont worry, the song is almost over.” 

Ruby smiled as she watched the two start to wind down as the song finished, her cheeks still as red as her cloak once they finished with Weiss holding Penny close. She looked away to hide her blush and calm her heart, her voice cracking as she spoke. “We really should finish packing. If we’re late again- “

“Blake will understand if we’re late,” Weiss interrupted as she let go of Penny. “Unless you’re jealous you didnt get to dance with me.” 

Ruby nearly froze as she felt Weiss put a finger under her chin and move her head until she was staring deep into pale blue eyes. Her cheeks started to heat up as her blush deepened more, her fingers twitched as she desperately wanted to reach out and place her hand on Weiss’s cheek. She was close enough to kiss, close enough to pull close to hold, close enough to finally ask her to be hers.

She finally pulled away and cleared her throat and looked away. “I-I think I need some air.” 

Penny smiled a bit and took Ruby’s arm. “Then we can go for a walk. We have been packing for a while now.” 

Weiss sat down. “You both can go. Its still a bit too warm for me to go out right now. Just dont be out for too long.” 

Ruby nodded and made her way to the door, trying to ignore the fact that Penny was still holding her arm. Her heart ached to tell Penny and Weiss how she felt, to finally ask them out on a date like she had wanted to for years, but seeing the two together, seeing them date each other… It made her nervous that she was going to ruin the friendship she enjoyed with them. 

“Is everything alright, Ruby?” Penny asked once they were outside. “Your face is still red and your body seems warmer than usual.” 

“I-I’m fine,” Ruby answered quietly. “Its nothing to worry about.” 

“Are you sure? The only time I’ve ever seen Weiss get red like that is when she is sick.” 

“I guess you could call it a bit of a sickness.” Ruby took a deep breath as she walked down the street, letting her mind focus on smells of baked bread from the nearby bakery, the sounds of cars passing by on the roads, and the feel of a slight breeze on her skin to take her mind off her feelings for Weiss and Penny. “But its not a bad sickness. An annoyance but not bad.” 

Penny looked a bit confused. “And how is that an annoyance?” 

Ruby went quiet as she looked for the right words to say. Annoyance wasnt quite right either, but she wasnt sure how to describe it. “Lovesick” didnt seem to feel quite right, she wasnt exactly sick of the feeling. No, quite the opposite. The love she felt made her feel more human and less like a weapon for Ozpin to wield. And yet, no matter how much she wanted to say something, it never felt… right. Like it wasnt deserved. 

“It gets in the way,” Ruby finally answered with a lie. “Clouds my judgment, makes it harder for me to focus on what really matters… stuff like that.” 

“Is that why your heart rate increased when Weiss touched you?” 

“No… I mean… not entirely…” Ruby let out a soft sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Right, you would notice that, wouldnt you?” 

Penny nodded with a smile. “It also seems to happen when you are with me. Just like it does when Weiss is around me.” 

“Can we talk about this later? After we visit Blake and Yang?” 

“Winter always says that you should never avoid talking about your feelings.” 

“That’s… ironic coming from her.” 

“She means well, even if she does not follow her own advice.” 

“Yeah, but… its easier said than done. I dont want to ruin anything.” 

“And what would you ruin?” 

“Our friendship.” Ruby slowed down her pace as she tried to focus on everything around her. The sounds of the dogs barking, the smells of the flower stands, the feel of the heat of the sun. None of it enough to take her mind off the conversation. “Weiss and I have been friends for years, about as long as you and I have. But if I try to talk to her about… this-” 

“Then I think you will make her happy,” Penny interrupted. “She has been trying to find a way to tell you that she wants you to join us. And… and I think I would like that too.” 

Ruby looked over at Penny to see a blush run across her freckled cheeks. It was strange to see her look so flustered, usually being the calm one between her and Weiss. And to see her blush, to feel her fingers brush up against her own and to feel her lean against her… it was almost everything she wanted. “And you’re sure she wants me like that?” 

Penny nodded. “Knowing her, she will probably be coming up with a way to ask.” 

Ruby nodded and started to walk Penny back to the apartment, smiling a bit as she held Penny close. “Then I’ll let her ask.” 

“But please make sure to look surprised when she does.” 

“Dont worry, I will.” Ruby relaxed a bit as she made her way back, stopping at the door when she started to smell some cookies along with fried fish she hadnt had in years. With a deep breath, she walked in and smiled, ready to finally talk to Weiss. 

[purpleender29]

So I just rewatched “73 yards” and although i still have no idea what was going on I have some thoughts and mini theories(did not expect the post to be this big, sorry both that)

So first thing to note, there is no opening theme song doesnt play at all, which marks the first of many mysterys of what on earth happened with the woman this episode. This most likely relates to the doctor just vanishing into thin air as soon as they reach the fairy circle as the show is called Doctor Who, and he is needed for the show to happen properly. A sort of crack theory I had is that the “showrunner”(see previous theory for more context, tldr potential pantheon member) took the doctor out of the episode when the woman started appearing cause if the doctor speaks to it, he will hate ruby and that would ruin the showman’s plans? Im also quite certain the showrunner didnt make the woman in the first place as i think they have some direct control over 4th wall breaking people, and Mrs flood who we see at the christmas special broke the wall says “Nothing to do with me” which could be a disguised way of hinting the showrunner has nothing to do with the woman.

Second, I dont think ruby is the woman, but more so was taken by them at the end of her life to absorb her I guess? and cause of pantheon wishy washy magic, old ruby is able to get to young ruby to stop it from happening again. I doubt this is a time loop cause if it was, ruby wouldn’t have mentioned 3 welsh visits the second time round, which means that the main bulk of the episode did in fact happen. It could be that when old Ruby ��died” she could access the “tech room” and get young ruby to leave to potentially save the show. I also couldn’t find much on why 73 is significant, maybe one thing could make sense, is that it means “best regards” in telegraph code. Not sure how excactly it fits into everything tho. Also the snow happens quite frequently at the start of the episode, specifically at the cliff when the doctor vanishes as well as the whole susan encounter, and at the final chat between ruby and her adoptive mum. while outside the flat door, Carla says to ruby “Not even your birth mum wanted you.” ending the call and soon after snow starts. This could be ruby’s mum reaching out to her although she doesnt know it.

Final note, the actress for the woman, Hilary Hobson, doesn’t exist. there is no info on her and it seems to be a stage name for plot reasons like with Susan. Hilary means “cheerful” in Latin and Hobson from scandanavian origins means “Son of Hob”. The cheerful could just be an ironic twist as all the womans victims just scare them away from their places because of ruby, and the only dr who related Hob i found was a tin robot so im confused in regards to the name. Final sort of out of no where bit I promise, I think what the woman is saying to everyone is the Truth, the Truth being the fact that its a tv show, and they all play apart, and that ruby is some sort of demigod and is causing all the supernatural stuff to happen to begin with, and that this whole timeline is a sort of what if/warning for ruby to basically say that if people find out who she actually is, they will all hate and reject her, the first being the doctor as he always runs away.

Ok just thought of this last bit as I was typing this extra last paragraph, The toymaker on regards to his encounter to the one who waits says, “I saw it hiding and I ran”which could mean maybe that this thing could be the one who waits or at least related and it certainly did wait for ruby to finally perish before taking her so the showrunner and the waiting one could be different people after all.

Ok thats all I swear, thanks for reading all this extra long post, im also honestly quite excited for the next one too :)

[darklinsblog]

Unholy | Sandman Imagine

Summary: Based of the song Unholy by Sam Smith. Highly recommend listening to it while reading this!

Pairing: Morpheus x Lilith! Reader

Warnings: Smut 👹

When Morpheus and you got married it made sense, as you were formerly known as Lilith, mother of demons, you two were very dark entities and you were very attracted towards one another.

You even had two children at home, that were older now, so your dynamics with your husband were changing, you had more time to enjoy each other’s company.

In full truth, you felt like a lucky woman being married to Morpheus, he was a gentleman, supported you constantly, it was everything you ever wanted.

For example today, Morpheus had accompanied you to the Waking World as you both had affairs there; you personally needed to take care of a demon on the loose with miss Constantine and he had a calling to respond to.

When you were done, you went out to find your husband, as he told you where he would be, but you abruptly stopped at the image you found.

A woman had her forehead rested against Morpheus’ cheek, your husband’s eyes were closed as he took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the woman, he was practically melting in her touch and your blood felt like fire in your veins.

“Morpheus” you caught his attention speaking loudly, the man jumped, his cheeks flustered, the woman looked at you with a mixture of anger and confusion, you had clearly interrupted something.

“Who is this, Oneiros?” The woman asked, making you chuckle darkly as your anger got the best of you.

“His wife and mother of his children, now I would ask about you but I truly am in no mood of interrogating a mistress” the words left your lips like pure poison, the woman seemed to shrink at your words, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

“Lilith… is not what you think” Morpheus finally spoke, he only addressed you as Lilith when he was trying to apologize for something, or he was scared of you.

In this case, it was a bit of both. Your eyes were shimmering red like two rubies, which meant he was stepping on thin ice.

“It never is, is it? We’re going home, now” he nodded, joining you to return his realm.

When you were back home, he was trying to find your gaze, but you were raging, to the point it felt like nothing he could say or do would make this better.

“Love, Y/N. Please allow me to explain”

“Oh you don’t have to, Morpheus. In fact, go back if you wish, fuck her brains out. I will do the same here. There is actually quite a few people I could call… I could even do it here, on your throne, what do you think?” The calmness with which you spoke was scary, Morpheus felt the treacherous puncture of jealousy fill him.

“I could call Lucifer, of course” tension filled the room as the name of your former lover was mentioned. He didn’t know what it was, but the mention of your history together would always light a switch in him.

“Y/N” he warned you, but you kept going.

“He would take me with open arms, no questions asked… I do miss us fucking senseless for days, Lucifer is an Angel in all aspects except one” Morpheus’ jaw clenched, bubbling with anger.

Morpheus appeared just an inch away from your face, his nostrils flared as you took in his fiery exhales as air to breathe.

He practically clawed his nails to your waist and behind your neck keeping you in place, taming you. You smirked as you met his dark gaze, he was looking at you like a predator ready for hunt.

“Get that fucker’s name out of your mouth or I will” he growled in your lips, his eyes glowing in blinding ire.

“Please… you do not have the nerve” he did. You knew he did, you simply wanted to push him enough to make him surrender to the darkest, most possessive parts of himself.

That was all it took.

He lifted you up and kissed you with brimming lust, he sat on his throne with you on top, he ripped your clothes off until they were reduced to shreds under you, he removed his garments with frustration, he could feel his skin burning, aching to come in touch with yours.

Morpheus had lost all sense of rationality by this point. He was no longer a man, a god, a being capable of discernment.

No. He had become this hungry beast looking to suffice his need of you, he wanted to possess you, to dine you like a creature at the edge of starvation, to have everyone know you were his and his alone.

He felt your bodies burning, even when he was holding you and you were skin on skin it did not satisfy him, he could see how your pupils dilated as you sat, but his cock wasn’t inside you yet.

Morpheus kissed your body, from your neck to the valley between your breasts, leaving a hot wet trail of his saliva in your body, he would roughly bite on your skin, leaving red marks over you, earning the filthiest sounds from you.

Your juices drenched his thighs, your clit pulsing in anticipation, his cock getting hard from hearing you, Morpheus chuckled in your ear.

���I haven’t even made my way inside you and you’re already coming undone” You tugged his hair roughly making him groan.

“Fuck me already, please” you hissed, the heat being unbearable, your body ached for some sort of relief.

The Endless smirked as he entered two fingers inside your wet folds, you jumped lightly, adjusting to his digits, it wasn’t what you were referring to, Morpheus knew it, but he wanted to torture you for as long as he could, even if he was also torturing himself.

This was your punishment.

He curled his fingers as deep as was able to, making you gasp, he rammed inside you, he didn’t take his time to pick up the pace like he normally would, making you quiver as you started to rock your hips to his monstrous pace.

“You’re such a greedy whore…riding my fingers like this, how would you treat my cock, then?” His words were driving you insane, Morpheus had never talked to you so explicitly, with such possessiveness and you loved it.

“Fuck Morpheus…” you cursed, he was doing so deliciously inside you, your legs clenched as your orgasm was near.

As your husband realized this, he kissed your lips hungrily wanting to muffle your pretty noises with his lips, he grabbed his arm around your waist with such force you felt like he would snap you in two right there.

Your orgasm washed over you as Morpheus held you in place, your whole body trembled at the intensity of your orgasm, and as you opened your mouth to let out a moan, Morpheus bit your bottom lip slowly. Then he licked his fingers dry, arousing you.

“I love your taste, my queen” he whispered in your lips.

You rested your forehead against his, mixing the sweat as you let out deep breaths, you had your hands placed in the nape of his neck, as you took a second to recover from your orgasm. Morpheus was looking at you with pure amusement, like he was a young explorer and you were the eight world wonder.

The king then spoke so quietly that if it wasn’t for your closeness you wouldn’t have heard him.

“Spread your legs for me” he commanded with such tone it was impossible to say no, you slowly spread your legs apart at just the right distance.

Your spouse was looking at you dead in the eye as he grabbed cock and positioned his tip at your entrance, you sat on him slowly, moaning loudly as you adjusted to his size, once you were fully sank into him, Morpheus grabbed your hips and started moving inside you roughly, his pace was clearly inhuman and you were unable to stop the sounds that came out of you as he fucked you senseless.

He dug his nails at your sides, keeping you in place as continued to ram into you mercilessly, his name falling out of your lips like a prayer.

Then he hit a certain spot that made you almost scream out, Morpheus grinned as he continued to hit that spot, he loved to see his wife be a mess for him.

Your head fell back as you both chased onto that sweet release

“Fuck, right there. Don’t stop!” You groaned, your brains not being able to think of anything else that wasn’t the overwhelming waves of pleasure or Morpheus himself.

He had completely fucked up your brain from functioning properly.

Morpheus was holding back on his orgasm, he wanted his lady to come undone first, so you would only be full of him.

A familiar fire seemed to burn your whole body, you were biting your bottom lip, in a desperate attempt to quiet down, but as your stomach tensed you opted to bite Morpheus’ shoulder, scared you might scream your lungs out of pleasure.

The Lord of Dreams practically growled out of a mixture of pain and pleasure, at this point both feelings were so deeply intertwined it was hard to tell them apart.

He waited a few seconds before filling you with his cum, making you gasp at the feeling of his warm seed entering you.

You looked at your king, he looked so gorgeous drenched in sweat, with red marks all over his body and his pupils dilated with lust.

Morpheus smiled down at you, you figured you looked the same as him, if not worse. Your husband cupped your sweaty face in his hands.

“I am only loyal to you, my queen. In body and soul I am yours” he promised. Your heart fluttered as you were comforted by his words, it was almost as if he was making an oath to you, then and there.

“As I am to you, my king. Body and soul belong to you” you allowed yourself to promise to him. Even as you were married for ages, this felt like you were renewing your vows.

With was in many ways what you both needed.

[siren-serenity]

WAHHH hello siren i saw ur post and uhh i dont rly have a love quote rather, it's more of a lyric quote lol from one of my fav songs (it's also my header btw!) idk if this applies, but if it doesn't feel free to ignore this ask hehe

“excuse me, um... i love you

who starts a conversation like that?

nobody but i do” + jamil!!

thank you so much!! sending you love!

awkwardly falling for you

characters: jamil viper, gn!reader warnings: fluff a/n: - i think the day @merotwst falls out of love with jamil and with someone else is the day hell freezes over - thank you so much ame and mero for being so quick to reply <3 - feedback is appreciated!

Jamil Viper feels eyes staring into him again. He feels them a lot in the past few weeks but doesn't really do much. He can feel the shy, demure aura of the onlooker, and the fact that they haven't done anything to harm him or Kalim ensures him that whoever they are, they're just a harmless little spy.

He hears Kalim's bubbly laughter before the heir comes stumbling in, white hair windblown and messy, the pristine lab coat that Jamil spent hours carefully ironing now folding with countless wrinkles, and hands dirty with specks of dirt. Following closely behind is you, equally as messy-haired, with specks of color on your clean lab coat, yet the brightest of grins was on your lips. It made his heart flutter to see how happy you were, yet an ugly feeling bubbled in his stomach seeing you next to Kalim.

"Come on!" Kalim chirps, pushing you forward. You spluttered before squeaking, hiding behind the ruby-eyed boy. "K-Kalim!"

He laughs and pushes you forward. You stumble before falling into a surprised Jamil's hands. He kept his hands around your arms to avoid any accidents yet a dark flush could be seen on his cheeks.

Jamil helps you up before coughing. "Do you need me, Y/N?"

"Excuse me but...I love you!" You scream into your hands, barely able to look Jamil in the eye. You hear silence before Jamil's light laughing as a gentle warmth surrounded your hands, taking them away from your eyes. Suddenly, you matched eyes with Jamil and you admired the grey flecks in his pretty eyes, the cute imperfections on his face, his beauty...everything.

"Who starts a conversation like that?" He laughs before kissing your hand, nuzzling it slightly. You help your cheeks burn as you attempt to see.

In the midst of it all, no one notices how Kalim sneakily ran out of the kitchen.

"Nobody but I do."

Jamil Viper could only continue laughing. Ah, this was a wonderful way to end his day.

"I love you too, Y/N."

[theteasetwrites]

Auld Lang Syne

❧ Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Female Reader ❧ Era: Season 11 ❧ Pronouns: she/her ❧ Warnings: language ❧ Word Count: 2.7k

❧ Summary: It's New Year's Eve at the Commonwealth, and the festivities are in full swing, but you're not so sure you belong at this party, until someone makes you feel more welcome.

❧ A/N: Here is the last oneshot of 2022! It's been such a wild year. I will probably make a separate post thanking everyone for such a great year, but in the meantime, here's this little guy. I wanted to give 2022 the proper sendoff, and what better way than with a little NYE fic? Just some mutual pining kind of stuff. Two shy bbies dancing around their obvious attraction for each other. Also Daryl being a little bit of a dork. Oh, and I tried to kind of hint at a tragic backstory for the reader without going too in-depth because I wanted this to be a happy, simple oneshot, but I hope I got across the fact that there's actually more going on there. Anyway, happy new year!

The small apartment was roaring with the intermingling sounds of raucous laughter and the discordant choir of voices from twenty or so different conversations overlapping each other. Music blared from some unknown corner of the room, and though the voices and laughter mostly drowned it out, you could faintly hear the tune of some radio friendly pop song that you recalled being played mercilessly on repeat just a few months before the world ended.

Funny how music and films and clothing had all stayed the same, frozen in time. All the glamorous singers and pretty, smooth-skinned actors had either been killed and turned into flesh-eating monsters, or were now just trying to get by like everyone else, somewhere in some part of the world where humans hadn’t been eradicated by the walking dead. 

The end had often been called the “great equalizer,” destroying the idea of any supremacy or hierarchy that had once existed among humans, but that wasn’t the case here, in the Commonwealth. Even you knew that, and you didn’t know much, except that you could trust the greedy politicians who ran this place about as far as you could throw them. 

At least they weren’t here, you supposed. At least they were in their lofty homes, unburdened by the rabble as they partook in their own New Year’s festivities. Here in a new woman’s apartment, you stood in the corner, taking small sips of the cranberry and ginger ale punch you’d served yourself. It kept you occupied, swirling the ruby red concoction in your glass as people seemed to partner up, talking and laughing without a care in the world, for the moment.

You still were unsure why you’d been invited. After all, the woman, Carol, didn’t know you very well—you only worked together at the bakery, you having been the person in charge of training her. Still, she’d shown more, dare you say, kindness, towards you than anyone else here had. 

You’d engaged in brief conversation with her, receiving introductions to several of the new people who’d arrived from the settlement in Virginia called Alexandria. Some of them you knew vaguely—the priest called Gabriel was already well-known for his inspiring sermons; Rosita, one of the new soldiers, was always present at any big event put on by the Miltons; Eugene was an odd one, but he’d struck up awkward conversation with you when you were both in line for an ice cream cone. 

Aaron you knew best, as he’d asked you to babysit his daughter, Gracie, a handful of times when he went outside the walls. All of them were nice people, as far as you could tell, though you knew not to trust too easily, even in the Commonwealth. Especially in the Commonwealth. 

There was one man you’d yet to officially meet, however. 

He arrived later than you did, sidestepping around the crowd to get to Carol, who greeted him with open arms and a kiss upon his cheek. His hand cupped her cheek as he smiled bashfully, then stepped away to shake hands with Aaron and Gabriel. 

You’d seen him before, coming to visit Carol in the bakery. He seemed close to her, as they spoke like they knew each and every aspect of each other’s lives. You hadn’t known anyone to that extent in years. You kept it like that on purpose, of course. Opening up to people like that could be dangerous. Bad things had happened before. 

But Daryl, the man with gentle waves of chestnut hair that reached to his shoulders, and eyes of blue that were only occasionally visible between loose strands of those unruly locks, seemed kind. Brusque, but kind. 

She was lucky to have a man like that, you thought. Every time that thought came to mind, though, you shook yourself out of it. 

Daryl caught your curious eyes for just a moment, until he averted them, as did you. Still, he raised them slowly, getting a glimpse of your dress. It covered you to just above your knees, with a turtleneck collar and long sleeves. The soft, velveteen fabric shifted between dark blue and black, with a smattering of tiny sparkles embedded to catch reflections of the various colored lights that hung loosely on the walls. The small black heels strapped delicately around your ankles made your legs look longer, and he’d never seen them before, exposed in this way. It didn’t help him. He was already fond of you, from a distance. A great distance. 

Pretty, sweet, cute, nice smile, nice legs… 

Shut the fuck up. 

He’d hardly spoken a word to you, of course. He was shy, and you were perhaps even shyer. Still, he’d catch glimpses of you out of the corner of his eye, hear your voice when you’d say something to Carol during his visits… He had to admit, at first he did come to the bakery to see Carol, but after a while, it wasn’t really her he was there to see.

“You should talk to her,” Carol said, nudging his shoulder to break his trance. “She looks lonely.”

“Pfft,” he scoffed before taking a deep sip of his wine. He’d need it if he was going to get through this party. “M’sure she don’t wanna talk to me.”

Carol narrowed her eyes at the frustratingly self-deprecating man. It was so maddening to think that such a good person could think so little of himself. “But you like her, don’t you?” she prodded.

“I, uh… I don’t know ‘er.”

“Well, New Year’s Eve is about new beginnings,” she said. “You should get to know her tonight.”

“Talking about (Y/N)?” Aaron’s voice came from behind Daryl as he inserted himself into the conversation. “She’s nice. Shy, but nice. You should make a move.”

“Make a move?” Daryl repeated in confusion. 

“I mean, just… You know, talk to her.”

It suddenly occurred to Daryl that his feelings must’ve been more obvious to his friends than he’d thought. 

“Here,” said Carol, turning to grab one of the sheets of paper she’d lovingly written out by hand. “Hand her one of these. Strike up a conversation, yeah?”

He squinted his eyes at the painstakingly neat writing. The biggest three words at the top of the sheet were almost unintelligible, though, as they seemed like gibberish to him. 

“What the hell is this?”

Carol rolled her eyes. “It’s the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne.” He stared at her in confusion. “You know, the song people used to sing at New Year’s Eve, when the clock strikes twelve?”

He still had no idea what she was talking about. He’d never even been to a New Year’s Eve party, let alone cared enough to familiarize himself with the traditions.

“Just give it to her,” added Aaron, gently pushing Daryl in your direction via the hand on his shoulder. “It’s almost midnight. Fireworks are gonna start soon.”

He gently pushed his way through the small crowds that separated you from him, and when you eyed the figure of the broad-shouldered man coming your way, you quickly looked away, terrified of making eye contact, in case he hadn’t really set his eyes on you. It was hard to believe anyone would want anything to do with you here, and yet, he stopped right in front of you, holding out a white sheet of paper that caught your attention.

“H-here,” he stuttered, clearing his throat at the end of the one-word sentence. He cursed himself for being so abrupt, and not nearly as smooth and debonair as he’d hoped.

You tilted your head as you looked at him, eyes a little wide. “What?”

“Uh, here,” he repeated. “This is for you.”

“Oh.” You took the paper hesitantly, examining it cautiously. “Auld Lang Syne. Right.”

“You know what that is?”

“Yeah, just because… I was in choir for a while. We sang it at winter shows.”

He shuffled his feet nervously, chewing on his lip as he nodded his head. “What’s, uh… What’s that mean, anyway?” There was a slight chuckle to his voice. You were surprised that you caught it amidst the cacophony of noise all around you. That made you notice that, strangely, his voice reverberated above the rest. How was that possible? He was soft-spoken, despite the gruff, gravelly texture. That voice was quiet, but strong to you. 

“It means ‘times gone by,’ or something. It’s like… It’s about not forgetting the past, but looking forward to the future. That’s why they sing it at New Year’s Eve parties, you know?”

You could’ve sworn that was the most you’d spoken all night, and a part of you was terrified you’d spoken too much.

And then, it occurred to him that he hadn’t introduced himself. “I’m Daryl.” He cleared his throat again. “Seen ya at the bakery.”

“I’m (Y/N)... You always come in to see Carol.” You weren’t sure where you were going with this conversation. 

“Yeah, uh… Yeah.”

“So… you two been together long?” Wow, that’s a stupid question. You weren’t even sure why you asked that, knowing that the answer would just make the sinking feeling in your stomach that you had when you saw them together reach new lows. 

His eyes widened. “We ain’t… Nah, we’re friends.”

The relief you felt was almost shameful. The sinking feeling in your stomach was gone. “Oh,” you laughed under your breath, trying to ease the tension. “Sorry, I thought…”

Damn, he thought. Gotta stop spendin’ so much time with Carol. 

“S’fine. Anyway, I, uh, I like your dress.” He cursed himself for his conversational skills, but you smiled as a blush blossomed onto your cheeks. 

“Thanks. I like your… hair.” You shook your head immediately, letting out a deep sigh of embarrassment. “Wow, I suck at this.”

“Suck at what?” he asked, himself now blushing a little. You liked his hair, the careless mop of deep caramel locks that sprouted unceremoniously from his scalp. He’d spent a whole thirty lackluster seconds grooming his hair. Now he’d think about that all night, how you’d found his low effort hairstyle to be, dare he assume, attractive. Perhaps even… handsome?

“Conversations. Especially at parties. I’ve never been to a New Year’s Eve party before.”

“Me neither.”

You smiled again. You almost hated how easily he elicited that expression out of you. “Do you think it means anything?”

You continued to surprise yourself. Just the man’s presence seemed to make you want to talk, to open your mouth and just let whatever words were floating around in your head pour out. It was dangerous to be around him, you concluded, but it was a good kind of dangerous. It felt good.

“What?” he asked.

“The new year. Do you believe in new beginnings, stuff like that? I’m not sure if I do. That’s why I ask.”

He looked around for a moment, examining the empty air as if the answer would be there. “Well, I dunno if it all… happens at once. Just ‘cause it’s a new year don’t mean everything is gonna be different all of a sudden.” Hell, he barely even cared about what year it was going to be in a few minutes. “But I guess they can happen, if ya want it to. If ya make it happen.”

“Yeah,” you agreed. “I think so, too.” 

He seemed to open his mouth for a moment, as if to speak, but Carol’s voice interrupted. She had calmed down the party, announcing, “We’re going to start the countdown! Everyone get ready to sing!”

You exchanged a look with Daryl, somewhere between slight annoyance and amusement. “You ready?” he asked, slightly fixated on your eyes. He simply couldn’t look away, so much so that he hadn’t noticed the countdown had already begun. 

For your part, you held his gaze, mouth slightly agape as the others chanted eight… seven… six… 

“Five,” you finally started chanting along, still entranced by the stranger beside you. “Four…”

“Three,” Daryl joined in. 

Two, one… 

“Happy new year!”

A raucous cheer erupted from the party, with glasses clinking and couples exchanging kisses and the sound of fireworks exploding in the midnight sky. You turned excitedly, always entranced by the firework display the Commonwealth put on. 

“Look!” you said, turning to Daryl with the most enthusiasm he’d ever seen on your usually demure face. “I love the fireworks.”

He nodded. “I ain’t seen fireworks in… ten years,” he said, speaking loudly over the roar of the crowd as they celebrated the first few seconds of the new year. 

You turned to look at him, wide-eyed. “Really?” 

“Mhm.”

The vibrant colors played like stained glass over his face. Shades of red and blue danced harmoniously to form a pinkish purple, each new color that came with each new firework launched into the sky adding another layer to the painting on his face. 

You smiled so wide your cheeks began to ache, and you had no idea why. What was there to smile about? Another year in a cruel world, in a place where wealth and power and prestige reigned over all else? Whatever was beyond that wasn’t much better, you would know. You’d seen the world out there, too. You’d lived in it, done things you wished you hadn’t, seen things that still haunted your dreams and replayed in your mind every time you had to face the quiet of your life all on your own. 

But Daryl made you smile. Just feeling him beside you, knowing he thought that anyone could start over. Maybe you could, too. 

You were both lost in the air between you, heavy with anticipation and excitement. You were smiling, and he smiled, too, happy to have finally known why New Year’s Eve was such a joyous occasion, for once in his life. It never meant anything before, but now it did. He couldn’t explain it, it just did. Something good was going to happen this year, he could feel it. 

“All right, all right,” Carol’s laughing voice called out over the celebration. “Let’s sing!”

You panicked for a moment, looking between Daryl and the paper you still shakily held in your hands. “Do you have one?” you asked. 

His eyes widened, and he realized that Carol hadn’t given him a sheet of paper. Now, Carol was known for her meddling, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if maybe, just maybe, she’d purposefully given Daryl just one paper, so you and he would have no choice but to share it. 

“Uh, nah.”

You sidestepped awkwardly, clearing your throat as your shoulder touched his. You held the lyrics out before the both of you, and he caught a whiff of your perfume. Floral and woody notes combined to drown him in a momentary lapse of bliss. He hadn’t even noticed the singing had begun, and your voice triumphed over the rest. 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot? 

And never brought to mind?

He followed your finger as you guided him along the words, your laugh rolling under your singing voice, as you found his confusion quite amusing. 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot?

And the days of auld lang syne?

Voices clashed as he attempted to sing, quietly and with hardly any idea of how he was to match the melody. You could hear his voice, despite how quiet he was. Again, to you it was the loudest thing, only competing with the fireworks. 

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

Still, he tried to concentrate, while you knew the words by heart, so you could take the opportunity to glimpse over at the clueless man, clumsily trying to get the words right, and stumbling over them with his endearingly off-key singing.

We'll drink a cup of kindness yet

For the sake of auld lang syne

Between the spaces of people crammed into the tiny apartment, there was a sense of hope. It was small, and uncertain, but it was hopeful, nevertheless. Whatever the new year would bring, it would be a chance to start over, to think fondly of the past while welcoming the future. 

In that moment, you felt at peace, and happier than you’d been in a very long time. When the night was over, you knew that it wasn’t really over. It was just the beginning. 

~

Thanks for reading! Likes, reblogs, and comments of any kind are always appreciated!

Masterlist

[kitkatopinions]

I got into this argument recently over the whole “V9 is pro-suicide” thing (it is) and, despite the fact this other person agreed that Ascension is an allegory for suicide, they kept on saying that when I looked at the story through that lens I was “taking it too literally because it’s a fairy tale”

Like… what’s the point in even reading a story if you’re NOT supposed to buy into what they’re trying to say with said story? Am I supposed to ignore all of the characters and the literal world of the story saying that “Ascension is actually a good thing that people should go through” and how Ascension throughout the entire volume is framed as death?

Or how, before Ruby ascends in the first place, she literally says “I don’t want to be me anymore” after being brutalized and then drinks a substance she believes will actively kill herself?

I was told over and over again that “because Ruby chose herself it’s anti-suicide,” but the entire reason she gets to CHOOSE IN THE FIRST PLACE is because she killed herself? The entire thing is a glorified way of saying “if you like yourself, you’ll become a better person for it because you’ll magically realize that you’re perfect the way you are” when that’s literally not true and not how it works?

I’m sorry this is going on for so long. I just wanted to see a different perspective. V9 has consistently fucked me up as a survivor of suicide and I just don’t understand how people can vehemently say that there’s nothing equating to suicide or pro-suicide messaging in this story when they literally admit constantly that suicide is present in the narrative.

I am really upset about whoever this other person is admitting that Ascension is an allegory for suicide but taking the stance of 'but we're not supposed to think about it because this is like a fairy tale.' Does that person not understand fairy tales? Most of them have lessons baked into them. Does that person not understand how media works? Most media has something under the surface, some sort of meaning or intended takeaway or even accidental biases on the part of the writers baked into them. You can watch even the most stupid just there for pure entertainment piece of media - You can watch Alvin and the Chipmunks 2007 and still come out of it understanding that in-between the CGI Chipmunks singing songs and the bad charmless acting of the guy who played Dave (my sis and I believe that role should've instead been played by Brendan Fraser,) you're supposed to get the take-away that kids should be allowed to be treated like kids and not used just for money-making and that found family is valuable and should be embraced and not pushed away out of fear of commitment. RWBY should tell us something, it should have messages and takeaways, especially because the very start of rwby presents us with the conflicting beliefs of Salem and Ozpin - Salem insisting that mankind's passion and strength will always wane and darkness will take over, with Ozpin countering that mankind's victory will be found in 'the simpler things she's long forgotten, things that require a smaller, more honest soul' while we see Ruby. The entire thing is full of (admittedly contradictory) morals and take-aways and meanings. Some of them are bad, some of them reflect the biases of the writers, or the bigotry that Miles Luna and Kerry Shawcross never deconstructed. It's not just there to be pretty lights, and it's actually imo wildly irresponsible for people to not try to analyze rwby.

"Yeah, Ascension is like suicide, but we're not meant to think about it" that person can fuck off. The trend of 'media isn't meant to be critically consumed or analyzed, it's just there for us to like and have fun' is the worst and it's destroying thoughtful media. I swear to God if the Lord of the Rings movies came out today people would be like "yeah I guess it's probably informed by Tolkien's time in war or whatever, but we're not supposed to think about it or take it seriously, it's just a make-believe story."

(I will be talking about Ruby's attempted suicide down below, please be advised and don't read if that sort of thing might be triggering to you.)

Also, on the note of "because Ruby chose herself in the end, it's anti-suicide' that really is just... Wildly wrong. Ruby chose to commit suicide. She thought that drinking the tea was going to essentially remove her from existence, erase all her memories, transform her body into something else, that she would not be 'Ruby Rose' at all and would instead be replaced by someone better. That is her hating herself, that is her wanting to die. Just because she thought something else would take her place doesn't mean she herself wasn't trying to commit suicide. Basically what the rwby writers wrote was the equivalent of a story where a girl pops pills in an attempt to kill herself, but is clinging to life, and while she's lying on her deathbed, her consciousness meets God and they give her the choice to either die or wake up, and she decides to wake up. Although this in and of itself would be incredibly dicey (irl people don't get to decide POST-ATTEMPT whether they really want to go through with it while getting the option to see their long dead mom and get assurance of her affection before they choose, and acting like that's the case is damaging especially to teens and kids,) the rwby writers make it worse! They make it worse by showing Ruby's closest friends including her older sister essentially sit around her bedside having smiling happy chats with each other and assuring each other that they'll be happy for Ruby if she DOES choose to die and that it's her choice and that it could be a good thing.

This is so damaging. And it's so damaging to show Ruby just coming out of it unscathed, smiling, having her role as a leader back and accepting it with happiness, having her struggles just waved away as if they hadn't happened. It's an allegory for a suicide where Ruby gets an 'are you sure about this' menu screen that people irl don't ever get, gets to see her mom and hear her mom say she loves her which people irl don't get, gets to talk to God and be told 'encouraging things' which is something people irl don't get, and gets to come out of it seemingly better than ever with no consequences which is something people irl don't get, and her friends and family don't have to grapple with what happened because they can just dismiss it as 'Ruby choosing to go to therapy' essentially somehow, and then the whole thing is just left in the past - while NEO COMMITS SUICIDE TOO AND IT'S TREATED LIKE A GOOD THING DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE SHE'LL 'CHOOSE HERSELF.' Which just makes the allegory three hundred times more damaging if you ask me.

On top of how bad that is, we have the Paper Pleasers, we have an example of people that didn't come back as themselves, but as entirely new people. They killed themselves, and didn't 'chose themselves,' instead destroying their bodies and their memories, essentially wiping themselves from existence, and it was framed as an exclusively good thing that Jaune needed to recognize was just a part of letting people make their own choices - framed alongside not only the fact that Ruby herself had yet to choose to come back as herself but also the fact that Penny just chose to die in the last season after begging for death over and over and getting Jaune himself to help her commit suicide... That lesson is so much worse. The paper pleasers killing themselves was presented in the narrative of RWBY as a positive, good thing despite the fact that they did not come back as themselves. If what happened to Ruby is the equivalent of someone popping pills and miraculously surviving by meeting God and getting the choice to return, the Paper Pleasers are the equivalent to an entire village of people willingly drinking poison in an attempt to meet God because they believe they'll ascend and shed their mortal forms so they can no longer be damaged and may carry on their assigned duty and reason for living as perfect creatures, and... Where have I heard that before? And the rwby writers present it as a good thing they were right about! The rwby writers present suicide as not only a sometimes good choice that helps you grow, but a needed choice that you're worse off for not taking - and coupled with Penny, it's horrible.

People have this idea that because Ruby, Neo, and the Paper Pleasers believed that something would continue on living from the remnants of who they once were, it's not suicide, but... That's very much so the way I thought about suicide growing up as an evangelical Christian. When I struggled with thoughts of suicide in my early teen years, that’s how I thought of it, and realizing that my friends and family WOULD care and WOULDN'T be able to accept it and WOULDN'T think of it as a good thing was one of the things that helped me start to get better. If I had seen RWBY in those days, seeing volume nine and seeing them praise the suicide of the people pleasers while smilingly deciding they'd be happy if Ruby destroyed herself would've fucked me up, and as it is right now, it was still triggering and upsetting to me.

I'm so sorry that this season was hard for you as a survivor of suicide, and that people are being so willfully stubborn in their refusal to see how damaging it was. What the rwby writers may have been intending to make - a story about a suicidal girl realizing she is enough - is not what they actually put into their show. Instead, accidentally or otherwise, they glorified suicide in incredibly damaging ways, and the fans need to recognize that. They need to stop with their 'tree therapy' jokes and their 'drink the tea' cracks, and just accept that the writers got it wrong. Saying 'it's just a fairy tale so why would I think about it' is a ridiculously stupid cop-out. Like, if people aren't even thinking through anything in RWBY, then why are they even watching it? If people aren't engaging with it, aren't getting anything out of it, won't even try to think about the themes and morals and what's being communicated, then why watch it in the first place?

[16th-of-a-twigg]

This Doctor Who ep - Rogue...

Idk man.. felt kinda mid. I didn't feel like the stakes were high enough during that climatic scene with the trap until Ruby was put in the trap and even then I was feeling like "🤷‍♀️ release the trap and find another option. Theyre not gonna take over the world right away" and as for their safety - the doctor usually has trinkets up his sleeve to slow down the antagonists.

Rogue pulling the sacrificial swap and "find me" line may have been poignant, but all I felt was the tug at the Rose/Amy memory and no true personal connection to Rogue.

His interactions with the Doctor were somewhat cute, but I personally see the Doctor as someone who needs to spend a fair bit of build up to form romantic connections - not a few hours. This is a personal opinion btw.

As for any Jack Harkness comparisons people are discussing- I would like to see Rogue as their own person but can't help but also slightly agree. Maybe show runners were thinking more of a Hans Solo person than Jack. But I'm not a Star Wars fan so that comparison isn't something I could accurately back up.

Indira Varma coming back to play The Duchess and also playing Jack's second in command Suzie Costello in Torchwood is a thought to be thunk. Or just the bbc reusing actors because they do that and only have 10 actors for hire on rotation 🙃

The fact they couldn't get Beatles songs in The Beatles episode but they're able to get Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and KYLIE MINOGUE in this single ep. Lol.

Further mentions of TV programs in this ep to add to the fandoms tally of "lots of media mentions perhaps hinting to them being inside a TV program itself".

I think that's all my thoughts so far for this ep. I may have more later on after processing it.