#why would she choose to overthrow the government before talking to the king?

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

mongwoo playing baduk against the qing ambassador is . very symbolic. THEYRE GONNA TEAM UP IM CALLING IT. (she and the king.) they compliment each other incredibly well, were one has a weakness the other is strong. mongwoo is frankly shit at schemes when real people are involved, and the king is too laden by real-people events and a certain kind of viewpoint when playing baduk. he cant entirely free himself from the strategist he needs to be as the king of a court of vipers, making him worse at baduk than mongwoo. meanwhile mongwoo has the mental flexibility and freedom to see things from unsuspecting angles; she seems to have ingraved the baduk rules in her heart and is now applying them expertly. but a baduk board is different from a real country with real people; her stakes when playing were never big enough to carry that burden. but should they team up they could compliment each other‘s strengths and weaknesses and they could take advantage of mongwoo‘s unique position as a woman crossdressing as the king‘s favourite official. she can go to places the king cant. she has access to the common people, his countrypeople, in a way he hasnt and never will. if they apply their combined smarts, cunning, and good heartedness to handle the precarious situation with the qing things would start to take a turn

[worstloki]

thor 3 rewrite where:

- when Thor gets to Asgard Loki drops the illusion because Thor obviously sees through the illusion for once and is trying to go in for a hug. Thor laughs about the play and asks if Loki was even trying to hide the past 2 years before asking how and why he didn't tell him he was alive and then he asks where Odin is and Loki says he’s safe on earth and they go. no threatening with the hammer because what even was that--

- Loki doesn't step out of Strange’s circle because he’s curious about it

- The first thing Thor does when he gets to Bleeker street is demand Loki back. Loki nabs a few of the sanctum’s books while Strange talks to Thor. “You cant just take those” “why not” “well for starters you attacked New York 3 years ago” “I sincerely apologise for that, as I was truly not acting as myself” “...ooookay” “I can take the books now, right?”. Strange sighs and gives up because its not like he can take them out of a pocket dimension. but loki promises to return them.

- thor and loki find odin in the alleyway and odin actually apologises to loki (think: that deleted alley scene)

- their secret older sister? yeah that's Angela and the portal she comes out of is just a rift to the 10th realm which odin sealed her away in

- Angela was odin’s firstborn and he didn't want any husband of hers to take the throne so he would dump her in the 10th realm to “train” with the violent Angels so she wouldn't get the chance to develop relationships with people but especially with any men who might inherit asgard if she married before odin produced a male heir.

- Angela didn't appreciate being locked away in a vault another realm until Odin had use of her and so she tried to run away with the love of her life Sera, a Valkyrie.

- when Odin sent the Valkyrie to retrieve her she refused to give up her freedom to be the weapon of war she was raised to be and killed them. Sera jumping in front of one of her blades (and saving Valkyrie’s/Brunhild’s life) was her trying to prevent Angela from killing them because she knew Angela would live to regret killing the only group of friends she had and because the Valkyrie were both her and Angela's shield sisters, and she would be continuing the violence she was seeking to escape. 

- When Angela’s blade struck her love she fell to her knees and surrendered to Odin who then dumped her heartbroken in the 10th dimension before using the odinforce to seal that realm off from all the others. (he didn't seal it permanently in case he ever had need of her again, because he thought she’d just cool off eventually, like the fool he is)

- a thousand and something years later the Angels want revenge from Odin/Asgard for blocking off their realm and Angela blames Odin for Sera’s death and wants to take back everything that’s his - by claiming the realms for herself rather than leaving them with the unworthiest and worst person; Odin. (If the Asgardians and their army hadn't opposed her it would’ve been enough for her. But they did. And Angela is extremely angry and still grieving Sera and wants to tear everything Odin has down because she blames him for taking everything she had from her.)

- Loki asks if the reason Valkyrie doesn't want to help the Revengers is because of the 10th realm (because when Loki goes to talk to Thor in the circle-prison they put the idea of the Revengers together--). She is suspicious and attacks and asks what he knows about the 10th realm and they exchange information, but its mostly Loki giving her information and trying to recruit her. Instead of knocking him out she gets a blade to his neck and he smiles (#callbacktothor2 #lokiwouldLOVEtolosetoavalkyrie). She gets up and as she walks away he says the least she could do is tell how they took Angela down the last time. Valkyrie flashbacks and we get those iconic shots of the fight along with one where Angela falls to her knees in grief. “We didn't.”.

- Valkyrie finds Thor and Bruce (and Thor respects his decision not to go green and Hulk out just for the record. he still invites him along and says he’ll use the Bifrost to drop Bruce off on earth after he defeats/speaks to his sister.) and takes them to her room but not because she’s joining their team just because its a good thing to do. They reach her room and Loki is just casually hanging out there. because loki has been on the planet for 2 weeks and deserves at least one friend, marvel

- Heimdall recounts the tale of Angela’s past to the hidden Asgardians and that's how the audience finds out about her past and how she was covered up. 

- Valkyrie is convinced to join them because Thor insists that even if their chances of winning are near zero they’re got to try because that's the honourable thing to do. Loki makes a joke about how ‘The Mighty Thor, Lord of Thunder’ just wants to avenge Odin, because it wouldn't be fair to forget those who have died and pretend the issue doesn't exist and Valkyrie sighs and says “I guess the name fits, you’re getting revenge, he’s getting revenge, I might as well too” and that's why she joins - to avenge, and to honour those who died (it mirrors the same reason Angela’s fighting)

- After that, to lighten the mood: ”one could even say you’re getting... ra-avenge? eh, Mighty Thor? Valiant Valkyrie? Not you Bruce. I told you ‘Revengers’ was the right name” “...” “perhaps now isn't the time for wordplay” “brother that is still an atrocious pun and you should never be allowed to name anything ever again” “hey that's not fair I name things perfectly fine” “sleipnir” “I’m still proud of that one” “throg” “that one was mother’s idea” “laeveteinn” “no. no. no-” *thor tells the story about that time they were 8 and loki named a knife ‘damage twig’) 

- loki doesn't do some flimsy betrayal, but when everyone is boarding the ship he stays behind, saying “I guess Sakaar suits me”. He then gets the revolution going and helps overthrow the government.

- the chase scene still happens, and the reason they can do interrealm travel is because with the 10th realm’s barrier weak all the realm barriers are weaker making jumping around through random portals work (that's why they landed on sakaar when thrown out of the Bifrost instead of being stranded in space). We’re not applying earth science logic to how magic tornado wormholes on a trash planet work thank you. 

- Thor vs Angela and naturally Thor is losing when Loki shows up and then Thor unlocks his lightning powers 

- Loki tries to reason with Angela at some point, using actual information he’s put together on her, and arguing that acting violently to enforce peace is what she’s against AND what she’s doing.

- Angela freezes upon seeing Valkyrie and avoids her the entire fight. Valkyrie is irritated by the fact that she’s clearly not hurting her on purpose. But on the upside its a one-sided fight when its Angela vs Valkyrie so Valkyrie gets some hits in, even if its only because Angela is letting her.

- Angela flees and leaves them fighting the Angels at some point, going into the weapons vault and placing Surtur's crown onto the eternal flame. If she’s going down she’s taking whatever is left of Odin with her.

- when she gets back to the bridge to continue fighting Valkyrie pins her to the ground (benefits of not having the opponent try and hurt you) while Thor and Loki combine their magical strength to put Angela in the 10th realm and lock her there. Loki apologises to Angela as this is done. he knows what its like to feel like a relic/weapon being used but cant let her destroy everything and kill even more people. 

- When that's done Thor turns to see Surtur huge and burning Asgard. 

- Thor understands that while he can choose to fight Surtur off and get everyone re-established on asgard that they would have to rebuild and that would take time so they leave instead. In time they will return, and when Surtur’s destiny of burning asgard to the ground is over they’ll try and resettle but for now the planet’s surface is burnt away. He puts the people over the place. 

- Back on the ship Thor is officially getting the mantle of king by being asked the coronation questions. Instead of the usual “I swear” he looks at his brother and says “only if i have my brother by my side” and Loki and Thor actually get to hug and maybe there are even tears. Then Loki and Thor get to co-rule for the 10 minutes they have before thanos shows up

[feisty-mary]

A King and a Duchess: Thoughts on TRR Book 3, Chapter 2

I don’t usually write detailed reviews of TRR chapters aside from screenshots of my playthrough with some comments. But I’ve had tons of feelings since the lackluster pilot and now even chapter two is a disappointment, so I decided I might as well summarize what I think and get it off my chest once and for all.

Note that this post will be peppered with links to my other posts, since I usually write down my thoughts immediately after finishing a chapter so I don’t forget them. It won’t be necessary to open the links to follow what I say here (unless otherwise noted), but please feel free to visit them for screenshots and additional insights.

1.    We finally have the names of the likely enemies of the Crown!

It’s always frustrated me how Liam dances around the issue and says absolutely nothing to his future bride and Queen about the enemies of the monarchy. I understand he can’t (especially if you’re not romancing him), but that doesn’t make it less annoying. It’s a relief to finally get some clues about who they might actually be in this chapter.

According to Bastien, there are three suspects:

    a. Liberation Core. Anti-monarchists, have grown more outspoken in their criticisms against the Crown.

    b. Sons of Earth. Newer faction. Pro-trade, in favor of bigger concessions.

    c. Nevrakis Family. Olivia’s parents were part of an attempted coup.

I reckon Francesco (the Italian ambassador) is part of the Sons of Earth, since he’s been pushing for Cordonia to grant Italian artists more access to Cordonian market. I don’t think they necessarily want to overthrow the government; I imagine they’re mostly businessmen who want a big share of the market for their own benefit. If this is the case, I think we can conclude that they will be the last people who will want instability in Cordonia, since an uncertain environment is bad for business.

Liberation Core sounds the most obvious culprit at the moment, since the videos from the assassin explicitly say that they want to shift the power from the monarchs to the citizens. I wonder if this is a call to change the form of government from monarchy to democracy?

I’ve already said that I have some faith in Olivia’s friendship with Liam. However, it’s her Aunt Lucretia that I’m very wary of (the one who left her to fend for herself after her parents passed away). In this chapter Olivia seems fiercely determined to support Liam, but that’s not necessarily true for the rest of her family, is it? Where has Aunt Lucretia been all these years?

Coup d’état is defined as “a sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force” (Dictionary.com, 2018). It’s interesting that this was what Olivia’s parents were involved in, and this is also in part what the assassin in the video threatens to do if Liam doesn’t abdicate the throne (“the palace halls will flow with the blood of tyrants”).

I’m not drawing conclusions from the points above yet, though I admit I’m frustrated that Constantine never dealt with the potential threat in Olivia. If I remember right, Olivia’s parents died when she was around 6 or 7, so this coup d’état must have happened some twenty years ago by this time in canon. The fact that this problem still haunts Liam now that he’s already king is… well, very disappointing.

2.   The enemies of the Crown publicly threaten Liam’s life again in this chapter, but everyone pretends everything is okay. 

Everyone includes but is not limited to Ana and Donnie (the media), Bertrand (who calls the entire thing “a PR miracle” if you don’t botch it up), and even Liam himself, who doesn’t discuss the assassin’s video with MC, but invites her to soak in goddamn bathtub instead (if you’re romancing him). I personally bought Liam’s diamond scene, and except for the two lines where Liam asks MC how she feels after what happened, they don’t dwell much on the video message from the enemies and then continue acting as if it’s really not that important.

Excuse my French but, uhm, what the fuck?

3.   To Ana’s and Donnie’s credit, they don’t pull their punches when they ask Liam what he plans on doing following the demands of the enemies of the Crown. (You might want to open this link in another tab for context.)

“And what about their demands, King Liam? Given everything that’s happened over the past few days, are you thinking of stepping down?”

They go right for the jugular with this question. And Liam, oh my dear Liam disappoints spectacularly in this one. Here he “pauses to gather his thoughts”, and then it’s basically MC who takes over and sends a message on Liam’s behalf.

My question is: Why? Why does it have to be MC who has to do all the talking, when the question is very clearly addressed to Liam, the actual King of Cordonia? Granted, in my playthrough my MC is romancing Liam and is thus his future wife and future Queen of Cordonia. ‘Future’ being the operative term. Why does she get to speak on his behalf, and why are we given the impression that her words instead of the King’s are enough to assuage the fears of the media and the public? Who the hell even is she? If I were a citizen of Cordonia, why would I believe this person in the first place?

I’m incredibly upset by this sequence, because we’ve been told since Book 2 that Liam has to earn his reign in order to regain his kingdom. In this scene, though, after he supposedly pauses to gather his thoughts, his only words are:

“She’s right. I have no intention of giving in to their demands.”

It gets even worse when you remember how much they’ve been emphasizing that there needs to be a display of strength following the assassination attempt during the Homecoming Ball. And like we’ve been told since Book 1, appearances are everything. In this scene, Liam is supposed to show that he isn’t unruffled by the assassination attempt. He’s supposed to show his constituents that he’s a leader they can look to for guidance, a pillar they can lean on in times of chaos and confusion. It’s supposed to be an opportunity for him to start proving himself to the public.

But no. Instead the writers give the spotlight to MC, and it’s her who gives a strong message that appears enough to alleviate the worries of the public (based at least on the reaction of the media).

This just didn’t work for me. I understand that the writers must have wanted for players to have some input in the direction the dialogues are supposed to take, but to me this greatly undermined Liam as the King. This guy was brought up to be a prince, and then eventually the ruler of his own kingdom. His reign has just been threatened publicly, twice, in the span of barely a week. Is this really all he has to say about the matter? “She’s right. I have no intention of giving in to their demands”?

Wouldn’t it have worked better if Liam, as King of Cordonia, had taken the lead and sent a message to bring his people together, assure them that all is well? That’s literally his job. Ana’s and Donnie’s question isn’t something that should have caught him by surprise – not after that botched up assassination attempt. Couldn’t MC have just rallied behind him, said something in support of his statement, as a Duchess and/or future queen? 

This entire scene was just ridiculous. I know the entire premise of TRR banks on a lot of suspension of disbelief, but they really did Liam’s character dirty with this one. 

4.   Madeleine will be our new press secretary! 

I’m surprised but at the same time I’m not? Back in Book 2, even Justin himself remarked that Madeleine was really good at handling the press. Which was when I started lowkey shipping them. I still do; you can fight me. 

I know a lot of people dislike Madeleine, but I’ve grown to really like her. Like I’ve said here, I think she will be perfect for this role, considering her upbringing and her knowledge about Cordonia. I’m not sure how we will convince her to help us, though. I know she does want power, so maybe we’ll make some concessions? A higher position? I for one am not entirely opposed to the idea. You can hate her guts all you want, but even Liam and her mother Adelaide have both acknowledged that Madeleine will make a good queen.

I’m also thankful and happy that they decided to take this route with respect to her character development. I wholeheartedly acknowledge that Madeleine hasn’t been the most pleasant person since we first met her in Book 1. But in making her MC’s press secretary and thus an ally, the writers will have more room to explore who she is: what her motivations are, how she has dealt with Leo’s abdication and her being cast aside, her relationship with her mother and Regina, what she feels about Liam and his decision to choose MC in her place, etc. The writers will add more depth to her character instead of simply writing her off as another evil, power- hungry woman. I for one am keenly looking forward to what she’ll bring to the table once she becomes our ally.

=================================

I’ve never done this ‘thoughts on a TRR chapter’ thing before so my ideas are divided between several posts. I’m adding links to those related to this one. I have already mentioned some of them in the text above.

Enemies of the Crown | Truth behind the Death of Olivia’s Parents | Questions We Need to Ask Ourselves Post-TRR Book 3, Chapter 2 | King Liam, MC, and Answering the Press | Madeleine as MC’s Press Secretary

[jimincase]

Coup | l

Next

Word Count: 4K

Summary: The people were tired of the unjust ruling of the king and wanted a change, therefore, starting an all out war. What happens when your neighbor, Min Yoongi, shows you exactly what he knows about this underground revolution when he takes you under his wing?

or...

Yoongi is full of secrets and one day has no choice but to reveal just what he’s been up to.

Warnings: Swearing, violence, blood mention, death, torture, PTSD

A/N: This was supposed to be a quick drabble / oneshot with these prompts but I’m actual trash. Also my summary is really terrible, I just didn’t want to spoil anything !! Sorry :(

Prompts: "Death is the only god who comes when you call."

"Do you think you are alive because you can fight? You are alive because of what I did to save you."

That was the night when I finally understood why people fear silence

"Stop," he said, his breath ragged. "Please."

There was no official start or announcement to when the revolution took place. People grew tired of the king's constant self-absorbed actions: using money for his luxuries rather than the people's food; people getting murdered on the street if they ever dare whisper a hint of rebellion against the Great King. The townsfolk were tired of the selfishness, of the mass killings, and they wished to put a stop to it. Outbreaks of revolt broke out occasionally throughout the land and word spread fast that the people had actually won, that they could actually fight back. There were hushed murmurs of an underground rebellion spreading, but it seemed only a rumor to you. There was no way that war was actually breaking out, right?

You couldn't be more wrong.

As more time went on, the more the people grew tired and frustrated and craved a change. Riots started and anarchy broke with people's hunger for a better leader, a better system. Death became a common occurrence and many became savage, only defending themselves and killing any that may pose a threat. Many people, too scared of what this war would bring, hid themselves to the shadows and subjected themselves away from any of the widespread violence. You were cut off from many friends, all becoming too scared or just seemingly vanishing in mid air. The only person you occasionally saw -- even after the revolt began -- was your neighbor, Min Yoongi.

Yoongi typically kept to himself before the war broke out but you would still have brief encounters with him. As war time began approaching, you saw more of the (dyed) blonde haired boy due to both of your parents meeting up and visiting each other before the crisis. You were never too sure just what they were up to, but you constantly had to spend time around the boy.

Sometimes you wonder if your parents knew that they would be killed. Other times you try to push that thought as far back into your mind as you could.

Rumors spread to the king that your parents had been conspiring against him and therefore were seen as a threat to be eliminated. You were left on your own after they never returned home. Not one person seemed to care; your parents being just more senseless corpses added to an increasing death count everyday. However, those were your parents, your home, your everything, yet they were taken from you. And no one gave two shits. That was when you made your first vow to kill that bastard king yourself.

Ms. Min soon became aware that her friends had been murdered by the king's men which caused you to have no family; therefore, she took you under her wing. She brought you into her home and fed and provided for you as best as she could with the crisis pounding on her door every moment. You were forced to spend more time with Yoongi due to this and you soon began to realize that maybe he knew a lot more than he let on.

He tended to disappear frequently at night and whenever he did show up, his sleeves were rolled up and soaked with blood while his eyes drooped into little dark pockets. You never questioned the boy, opting to only stare and wonder.

However, as more time passed, the more it seemed you and the Min's were being backed into a corner. You often noticed the king's soldiers wandering around you, watching you, walking outside the house. They were suspicious of you all. They wanted you dead.

At some point it felt as if you all were completely trapped, left to be measly prey to simply toy with. The king loved playing games and you were over it. Yoongi apparently thought the same as you. One night, after a solider had actually approached Ms. Min, Yoongi grew frustrated and finally opted to reveal just where he had been going off to in the night to the two of you: a hidden building that belonged to the Resistance. A place that you all had to escape to now in order to survive.

Yoongi was a part of the organization that wanted to overthrow the king and the government, and now you were too.

~

It took a while for you to get comfortable with your new surroundings, to become comfortable with all the new people. You had become a different person after your parents' murder and it was difficult to be suddenly thrown into a new area with new faces. The only people you felt safe around was Yoongi and his mother. They were often the ones you found yourself drifting towards when everyone was to meet in the Main Hall for meals and meetings. You usually sat next to one of them or opted for eating in the quiet and emptiness of your room when they weren't there. You expected Yoongi to bitch, scolding you for not talking to people, for not contributing. However, he never once did.

Two weeks passed since your initial coming to the underground revolution and you had yet to talk to anybody besides the Min's. Yoongi became scarce after a few days and you wondered what happened to the pale boy, but you never dare asked. You spent your time mostly in your room or around Ms. Min. She became a mother figure to you after you lost your real mother and she never pressured you into anything but, in fact, made you feel more at ease. She was warm and safe and you appreciated her beyond belief for caring for you. When you met with her, you didn't speak much, but she didn't seem to mind, for she did all the talking anyway. She always spoke highly of Yoongi and what he was like before the uprising. She reminisced of his childhood. Her stories always put a smile on your face when she dished the embarrassing tellings of her son and what he used to be like. One day she spoke of getting a job within the Rebellion Base, as a nurse and cook. Her face lit up when she mentioned this to you, proud of the way she was contributing. You wondered if maybe you contributed to the Rebellion, would you feel happy too?

There was a morning when you finally spotted Yoongi, eating alone in the main hall. He looked exhausted and you wished you knew just what he had been up to. You tentatively approached the table, hesitant to approach him after so many days. Giving up on your hesitance, you sighed as you plopped down in front of him, startling him out of his seat.

"Jesus Christ, Y/N!"

"Hey, Yoongi. Can I ask you something?"

~

You aren't quite sure why you asked him. You aren't quite sure why you thought on a brash impulse instead of thinking things through like you normally would, yet here you are. And there's no going back.

You watch as hundreds of fighters in training spar and duel with one another as others look on, judging who is the strongest and therefore, the biggest challenge and competitor. You watch as people your age bark out orders to others and demonstrate perfect attacks to use against the king and his army. You watch as kids too young hold guns and fire them off with a steady hand and deadly eyes.

Just what did you volunteer for?

You followed in Ms. Min's footsteps and asked to be a part of the fighting units; to train to fight and kill any solider that dare protect that rotten king.

Your training was supposed to last weeks, maybe even months. You trained from sunrise to sundown, meaning you didn't see Yoongi nor his mother as much, if at all. You still lacked to communicate with anybody, choosing to stay to your own self and thoughts and worry about your own progress. You often time felt many eyes burn holes into you, wanting to know your secret, questions burning on their tongues: Were you mute? Where did you come from? How do you know the Min's? You never answered their silent questions.

Some days felt like too much and you never really knew where to turn to. You felt lost and alone, your reserved nature becoming too heavy and just ripping past your skin trying to escape and come to the light. Your mind was too laden for you to handle on your own. Luckily, Yoongi always seemed to sense when these nights would occur and would seek you out. He took you to the rooftop of the building.

He explained that this was his quiet place and where he often went. He enjoyed the stars; He said that they were so prominent because this was one of the few parts of the land that wasn't completely taken over and destroyed by rotten humans. He didn't glance at your reaction as he made himself comfortable: laying down on his back, his arms folding underneath his head as he sighed a breath of relief and closed his eyes. You followed suit, laying next to him but keeping your eyes open, enjoying the sight displayed in front of you and sniffing in the piney wood scent that filled and tickled your nose. Yes. This was perfect.

You glanced at Yoongi. His chest was rising evenly with his soft breaths. His lips were pouted and red from how much he constantly bit at them. His hair looked soft as it brushed against the pale and smooth skin on his forehead. This was the first time you actually admired the boy you've known for so long and you realized that-- goddamn! -- he was beautiful. You wouldn't tell him that though, he'd only snort and grimace.

His eyes shot open, almost as if he knew you were staring, and rolled to meet your own. After a few long moments, he flickered his eyes to look back at the starlit sky.

"How have you been holding up? How's your training?" He questioned, his elbow brushing against yours as he adjusted his position.

"As best as someone can with having to completely start a new life." You breathed out, a wispy and dry chuckle escaping your throat as you thought of all the terrible events that have occurred in the past few months.

Neither of you spoke, too distracted by your own pounding thoughts. Finally, a thought popped into your mind. "Yoongi? Do you believe those religious folks in the town? The ones that say this war won't happen with God watching over us?"

You heard his long inhale as he contemplated before answering, "This war has already started, Y/N. Many people just refuse to believe it and choose to ignore it, but it's begun...." His words trailed off and he thought for a few more seconds, "and Death is the only god who comes when you call."

You hesitated to say your thoughts, knowing Yoongi was the opposite of you: cool, collected, and calm. He always knew what to say and how to keep you straight. Maybe he wouldn't understand your worries or your fears that your thoughts conjured.

You turned your head to face him. His eyes were closed and his eyelashes fluttered across his light skin. His natural roots were starting to come out from their hiding behind the hair dye. His long fingers were laid out underneath his head which connected to his exposed, intricately veiny arms. Yoongi was beautiful and also the only person you trusted, the only person you knew. You shouldn't fear this man. And you didn't.

"Truthfully, I'm over all this bloodshed. I'm sick of the violence and constant fighting and the gunshots and all the screams and yells," you rambled, "but honestly? I'm terrified of it. It keeps me up all night sometimes. I feel like the shot...echoes around my room and inside my head. As if I'm there, and I just watched the person die in front of my eyes."

Yoongi revealed his brown irises at your confession. He said nothing, yet the look he gave you was everything and enough for you to instantly relax. Maybe that was the reason you became close to the boy in the first place: no words needed to be exchanged in order for an understanding to arise between the two of you. Yoongi seemed to understand every part and depth of you, without you uttering any worry. He knew you, inside and out. And he could communicate with you with just his sweet chocolate and cinnamon eyes.

You're not sure just how long you two laid there, only staring at one another as if having a conversation.

Finally, Yoongi pulled himself up and rubbed at the back of his neck. He twisted his head to look at you. "You're out in the field tomorrow. You should rest up."

He stands and helps you to your own feet, his fingers lingering against yours before releasing and walking back inside the bunker.

You truly needed Yoongi in a way you had yet to understand.

~

Your face stung endlessly and your body was sore beyond measures. You wouldn't call your field day a success necessarily but you weren't too bad, so that was enough for you. Your hand was pressed against your face, trying to prevent any more blood from seeping out of the cut across your cheek as you walked down the dimly lit corridors to find Yoongi. You were excited to talk to him, tell him about your experience, and even maybe get praise and approval from the boy. What you weren't expecting was to find Yoongi sat in a large office, sitting behind a beautiful wooden desk talking to a woman you recognized as one of the leaders of the rebellion.

You peeked through the crack of the door, intently watching and listening the exchange.

"Sir Yoongi, do you really think this is okay? Why are you doing all of this for Y/N anyway? I mean, seriously?! Making special preparations for her field day? What is this?!" The woman practically screeched, her arms thrown up in the air before she cleared her throat and regained herself.

Yoongi had his signature straight face on, where he showed absolutely no reaction, no emotion, nothing. "If you're done now, Ara," The way he spoke to the leader, as if she was a nuisance, made you wonder just how much power Yoongi held. "They weren't special preparations just for her. Many people have needed and requested a demo field day." His voice was icy and his tone sent chills down your own spine, even being outside the room.

"Is that what we're calling it now? A demo field day?" She laughed, "We both know that she wasn't ready for a real field day, hence why you requested that the trainers go easy on her. I'm sure your precious Y/N still got her ass kicked."

Yoongi's lips pursed but before he could utter another word, Ara cut him off.

"To think that the co-leader of this whole organization would allow such special treatment. Just what would Hye think?" You could practically hear the smirk in her snappy tone.

You recognized the name she mentioned as the leader of this uprising. Did that mean Yoongi was actually one of the leaders too? He was a part of this rebellion starting? Your parents had been murdered for fear of them being a part of the revolt, yet it was your next door neighbor that caused this whole thing.

An audible gasp left your lips, your hands automatically reaching to cover your mouth. Too late. Yoongi's eyes instantly found yours and you thought you could see the visible change in his eyes as his eyebrows rose to meet his hairline.

You thought you saw him stand up from his desk but you were already gone to confirm. Your legs carried you as far away from that office as fast as possible, your blood boiling. You were sure steam was already shooting out of your ears like they did in cartoons.

"Y/N! Oh for fucks sake! Y/N, just stop already!" Yoongi's shouts were exasperated as he rushed to catch up to you. His footsteps were loud and quick and you could only imagine what the boy looked like when running -- an activity he was unknown for, yet here he was, running to you.

His fingers clasped around the flesh of your arm, tugging slightly to pull you back. Your body practically flung out of his grasp at the contact and you were sure you radiated pure venom.

"Were you ever going to tell me?! You were the one that the soldiers were looking for! Not my parents! Since when the fuck did you run this whole operation? Why didn't you tell me?!" Your voice was becoming more desperate the longer you went on. "And what's with this whole field day bullshit? Huh?! You think I'm so weak that I can't handle myself? That I need you to look after me?"

Yoongi's almond eyes narrowed, his voice even. "I'm not responsible for your parents, Y/N. I helped to start this organization to avoid people getting senselessly killed -- you should know that better than anyone. And Y/N? No offense but you can't handle yourself, that's why I had to do something about your field day." He shrugged his shoulders, seemingly not caring at all about the affect his words had on you.

"I can handle myself perfectly fine without you, Yoongi! My field day would've been just fine-"

"Look at you! You would've been dead if you were fighting the king's soldiers! They have no mercy! You weren't ready!" His voice became more strained, his fingers tugging at his blonde tips.

"I'm fine! I did just fine on my own! I shouldn't have even accepted your mom's request after my parents died. I could've handled everything by myself. Unbelievable!"

A dry chuckle escaped Yoongi's throat as he titled his head back. His eyes were dark while his hair hung over them, a threatening aura surrounding him. "Do you think you are alive because you can fight? You are alive because of what I did to save you." He had his signature tone back on, the one where he showed no emotion because he didn't care.

Before you even had the chance to respond, he turned on his heel and walked back the way you two originally came. Your teeth clacked and ground against each other as you tried to bite back your frustrated scream. You trusted Yoongi with everything and yet, he hid everything from you. For months. He considered you weak. Vexation clawed at your skin, trying to break free as irritation filled your veins. You watched the leader walk away, trying to hold back every urge you had to just yell in his face and tell him off. However, you turned your own back and stomped your way back to your room, releasing everything within you into your pillow.

Eventually your throat grows tired and raw and you have no choice but to give it a break. The new silence in your room intimidates you and you're left to only focus on the noise coming from outside the house's walls: the gunfire, the bombs, the explosions, the constant screams and yells of soldiers and victims. The sound of death was a regular occurrence, one that consumed you and chilled you to your bone. It shook you to your core and made your blood practically freeze in its wake. You couldn't help but flinch everytime another grenade went off, your eyes squeezing shut and your head filling with past memories:

"Mommy! What's going on? Why does this keep happening?" Your high pitched voice rung out through the room as you rushed to your mother's comforting and safe arms that radiated warmth. The soldiers footsteps were growing louder, their gunshots continuous, and fear had paralyzed your younger self. You didn't understand why this happened every few weeks. You didn't understand why so many of your neighbors had to be killed.

Your mother constantly expressed that the king was trying to rid out spies in the land, not wanting any type of betrayal or overthrowing to take place. Your child-like mind didn't understand her point of view, instead, you only saw your friends crying at the marketplace due to losing their family. You only heard the gunshots and yells. You only saw the soldiers dragging away the bodies and leaving behind a mass of blood behind. You only understood death.

You realize now that your parents only said such things to protect you. They only wished to remain a family, no matter the dark and violent times to eventually occur. However, the king was merciless and never gave a shit about any of his people. No matter what your parents would've done, they would've met the same fate; however, you were another story. You realize now that your parents did everything for you. Every step and every path of action they took was all to keep you alive and to avoid their cruel fate. They knew what was to come, but avoided it with you by befriending the Min's. They had to have known Yoongi's secret.

Yoongi.

The man could make your blood boil and want to do nothing but rip your hair out piece by piece but he did care for you. Yoongi had never once shown an interest in anything or anyone, yet he had taken to you. He would've left you for dead, to be continuous prey to the king and his soldiers but instead he took you under his wing and gave you a chance to survive. Your parents respected him for a reason and now you knew why: he had wanted to protect you and was willing to take any extra step to do just that. Yoongi wasn't responsible for your parents death, you knew that. You always knew that. You just let anger get the better of you. You let frustration override your clear sense of mind. You both knew you weren't ready yet for what a real battle would be like and he cared enough to allow you to learn and grasp it, not just watch you die on your first day.

Your eyes eventually grew heavy and filled with sleep and you turned over to the darkness, listening to the never-ending sound of violence as if it were a lullaby.

~

Things were still a bit tense. You weren't sure if things would officially go back to the way they were with Yoongi but you tried nonetheless. You would constantly sit with him when it came to meals but neither of you spoke much. Maybe you both were too prideful and stubborn for your own good. Either way, you eat in silence with the boy packed in a cafeteria with too much chatter and too many people. Until one day when Yoongi is no where to be found. No blonde heads stuck out among the crowd and you grew increasingly more uncomfortable the longer you stood standing, eyeing the mass of people looking for Yoongi.

Eventually you gave up and left the area, determined to find the blonde boy wherever he may be in this large hideaway house. You wandered the halls, searched his bedroom but still could not find him anywhere. Until you actually thought about where he might go.

Your legs carried you to the rooftop, the spot you knew Yoongi would be at. A head of blue hair met your eyes and you practically jumped in your skin when it turned and shown Yoongi's soft profile.

You amble up to the boy, opting to sit right next to him. You don't need to look at him to see he's watching the sky. (Although there were no stars out, you knew his eyes were filled with them.)

You two eat in silence once again, but the atmosphere is different this time. Unlike the crowded and large cafeteria, it's only the both of you alone. There is no senseless chatter as backdrop and no flashes of movement to distract you -- only you and Yoongi.

A smile grazes your lips because although there are no words spoken, something has changed between you and the now-blue haired boy. Things were back to how they were before your argument. It was an unspoken agreement of forgiveness and understanding and you basked in it with your best friend by your side.

[chatterbreath-blog]

Red Queen

Red Queen is set in the kingdom of Norta, a world where the color of your blood determines your future. Reds have red blood and are the working class; they are the peasants that toil all day and never know what it’s like to be full. Silvers are superior in every way: the nobles of Norta belong to different houses with each house boasting a special ability: you could be a whisper who can read minds, a magnetron with the ability to manipulate metal, or a singer whose voice can charm others into doing your bidding. Silvers are taught to value power and strength above all. Their oppressive regime ensures that the gap between the Silvers and Reds ever widens. Mare Barrow is a Red living in this harsh reality. She hails from the Stilts, a small village of poorly made houses and destitute people. Her only living is made from pickpocketing, so when she’s caught lifting a coin from a Silver’s purse, she expects the worst that the law can bring down upon her: jail? Death? Instead, she finds herself with a new job at the palace, and within a few short hours turns her world on her head. When Mare suddenly reveals herself to have special powers—powers that she shouldn’t have—she becomes something different. Not Red, not Silver, but stronger than both. The king attempts to hide what she is by declaring her a long-lost Silver daughter of a respected house, and she is immediately betrothed to the younger son of the royal family, Prince Maven. While trying to convince the kingdom that she has what it takes to be a true Silver, Mare becomes involved in the work of a revolutionary group called the Scarlet Guard. Who will she choose: the people with her same color blood, or the people with the same special abilities? Will she submit to the will of the tyrannical Queen Elara forever or help orchestrate an overthrowing of the Silver regime? And in a world where anyone can betray anyone, who can she trust?

First of all, let’s talk about Mare. As a main character, her morals seemed fairly flimsy to me: she’s a criminal even before she’s crowned a princess-to-be and begins to scheme to overthrow the throne.The Scarlet Guard seem at first like a mere bunch of troublemakers who may be justified in wanting a change of government. The narrator shared the ideology of the Scarlet Guard and felt so deeply that they were doing the right thing—that’s the only thing that prevented me from immediately being suspicious. Part of the reason why I was so intrigued by this book is because I feel like I would never make the decisions Mare did, but I still speculated what I might have to do if I were in her circumstances—being shamed and forced into generational poverty and an early death in the military, simply because her blood was red and she didn’t have any power. For the most part, though, I liked her as a main character. She’s tough. If she isn’t given something she wants, she takes it. At times she can be indecisive and bitter, and at others surprisingly compassionate. I could best describe her as a cross between Ella of Frell from Ella Enchanted and America Singer from The Selection. One of my favorite things about dystopian literature is the world building. I was interested to see how Silvers’ prejudices of the Reds manifest in their everyday lives. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, really: a set of strict, slightly biased laws that seem to punish Reds more often but equally severely as they do Silvers; quite a bit of hate-speech used to describe how Reds are inferior to Silvers; and a sharp contrast between the Reds’ low-paying manual labor and perpetually empty stomachs and the Silvers’ lifestyles of luxury, excess, and power. A few nice details jump out at the reader, though: the slight feud between noble houses to have the best ability; Mare having to paint herself so that she blushes silver instead red once becoming a princess-to-be; and Reds having to face conscription at age eighteen if they don’t have a job or apprenticeship by then. Overall, the effect is a satisfyingly diverse and conflicted world. The author got creative with some of the Silver-Red differences that completely didn’t occur to me. I was pleasantly surprised. Some of the other minor characters were fun to read about and watch Mare interact with. For example, Captain Farley, captain of the Scarlet Guard, reminds me of Mare: strong-willed, confident, and able to take care of herself. At first, she and Mare clash because of their different ideas on the same topic; however, they learn to respect each other. Kilorn Warren is Mare’s childhood best friend who barely avoids the conscription and soon joins the Scarlet Guard. They exchange a substantial amount of banter and argue just as much. Being a whisper, Queen Elara is used to having her way with everybody, but she isn’t as satisfied with Mare, who takes every opportunity to fight her will. The queen is established from the beginning to be rotten, but watching Mare squirm out from under her thumb is delightful. Various other minor characters add color to the backdrop of the story. All in all, Red Queen was a well-paced, vivid read that was alternately heart-wrenching and triumphant. The ending was more bitter than I’d liked, but the suspense of the whole story was great and had me eagerly anticipating the sequel. All in all, 4 out 5 stars.

[fae-fucker]

The One: Chapter 5

“Don’t get mad,” I warned as he approached.

[...] 

“I’ll try.”

“The girls know I saw you without your shirt on.” [...] “I didn’t say anything about your back,” I vowed. “I wanted to, because now they just think we were in the middle of some big make-out fest.”

He smiled. “It did end up that way.”

“Don’t joke, Maxon! They hate me right now.”

This is what passes for conflict now, huh? 

Great.

America also tells him that she knows what he’s been doing with the other girls and Maxon acts all pissy about it. It’s very dramatic, apparently. I can’t belive I’m reading this garbage. But I’ll spare you, since it’s a long-ass chapter and I want to get it over with. Otherwise, we’d be sitting here for ages.

“Everything is out in the open now. We all have a pretty good idea of where we stand, and I, for one, am thankful.”

He rolled his eyes. “Thankful?”

“If you had told me that Celeste and I were at about the same point with you physically, I would never have tried to come on to you like I did last night. Do you know how humiliated I was?”

He scoffed and started pacing again. “Please, America, you’ve said and done so many foolish things, I’m surprised you can even be embarrassed anymore.”

HOLY SHIT MAXON 

YOU JUST SET HER ON FIRE

OH MY GOD

And of course, it’s Maxon and Celeste’s fault that America chose to act all weird and OOC. Honestly, this is so many layers of wrong that it’s a fucking cake at this point. I can’t be assed to unpack it. I’m fucking tired.

I can’t believe this is the main conflict right now. I can’t believe they’re fighting over this. Except I can believe it. That’s what makes it so much worse.

America is now doubting that Maxon likes her again and goes away to sulk. He doesn’t follow!!! OMG DRAMA

Please just end this book.

America angsts around and does random shit to avoid everyone. Queen material. Something mildly inconvenient happens and she just falls apart like a house of cards. What a strong female character.

Later, Maxon comes by but America hides and pretends that she’s taking a bath. Maxon was hoping to eat his dinner with her! Oh noes!

Guys, I’m gonna fucking implode.

“She decided to take a bath before she ate.” There was a tiny waver in her voice, uncomfortable with being dishonest.

Come on, Lucy. Hold it together.

In case you needed MORE proof that America is a giant, selfish, entitled, inconsiderate twat. America chooses Lucy to lie, which is like ... the dumbest thing. Lucy is nervous and transparent as fuck. COME ON. YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS. And like ... I’m pretty sure a servant lying to royalty is literally fucking illegal. I’m pretty sure Lucy could be punished harshly for this, because “cheating” on Maxon was punishable by death before Maxon brought it down to “just torture”. 

I wanna sit down a fan of this series and shove this in their face and be like HOW CAN YOU LIKE THIS GIANT FUCKING BITCH WHO DOESN’T CARE ABOUT ANYONE BUT HERSELF AND THE DICKS SHE’S GONNA SUCK?!!

Like I’ve seen ACTUAL ADULTS worship America like some sort of saint (which isn’t surprising, since Cakeass does it herself). Who ... Why ... How ...

It was strange tucking myself into bed, knowing something was hanging between Maxon and me, but I didn’t know how to talk to him right now. It didn’t make sense. We’d already been through so many ups and downs together, so many attempts to make this relationship real; but it was clear that if that was going to happen, we still had a very long way to go.

I’m pretty sure this book is actively trying to murder me.

Someone wakes America up in the middle of the night and she instantly assumes that her family are all dead. Which is fucking weird and knowing how evil America is, I’m pretty sure she’s subconsciously hoping that they are, so she can be the only Singer left in the world.

When I got to the first floor, Maxon was there, talking intently to a guard. I ran up to him, forgetting about everything from the last two days.

Someone please help. This book is out to get me. 

Anyway, there are rebels in the palace, but they’re not attacking, they’re here to talk. With America! Because she’s just ... so ... goddamn ... special.

The rebels aren’t even restrained, they’re just chilling. I don’t know what the fuck is happening anymore. 

America is surprised that the rebel dude isn’t a wild-ass violent freak and just looks like a normal, random-ass dude, and she’s even more surprised that his partner is *GASP*¨

A 

GIIIIIIRL?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

She, too, wore boots; but as if she was trying to be resourceful and fashionable at the same time, she had on leggings and a skirt constructed from the same material as the male’s pants.

Don’t worry though, she’s appropriately feminine still, and also worries about fashion and wears a skirt even though she’s in a REBEL MOVEMENT THAT WANTS TO OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT AND REMOVE THE CLASS AND CASTE RESTRICTIONS THAT THE MONARCHY IMPOSES UPON THE POPULATION.

CAKEASS, YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING HACK. 

Apparently the guards just listen to Maxon now and don’t alert anyone that there are rebels in the palace? Is this really what this book is pulling? They’re gonna have a “private” conversation with a billion guards in the room who will all 100% be quiet about this and not report it to the king?

Oh my god.

“Don’t you think introductions are in order?”

Maxon eyed him warily but then relented. “Maxon Schreave, your sovereign.”

The young man chuckled. “Honored, sir.”

“And you are?”

“Mr. August Illéa, at your service.”

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN.

Also, take “your sovereign” and shove it up your pompous lily-white ass, Maxon.