#yes. Marco and grant do meet and fall in love

[ithinkdogshouldvote2]

I didnt. Dndads hiveswap au be upon ye

[idealisticrealism]

2x02 and the symbolism of the final scene

Ask and ye shall receive lol (albeit belatedly, because I was at a family reunion all weekend haha)

Analysis under the cut because it is so goddamn long. Sigh.

Alright, let's talk symbolism, because oh man this scene is full of it.

Firstly, I gotta say that I love that it's Fi's mother who recites the prayer. Maybe that's a typical traditional thing, I don't know; but I do know that in a show that is all about incredible mothers and the lengths they will go to for their children, it feels so appropriate that it is the matriarch of the family that leads this service rather than Marco's father, who at all other times has acted like he believes he is the head of the family (regardless of whether the other family members agree with that or not).

And so as Alma starts to speak the prayer, the camera first focuses on Fi and Chris, who are looking at each other (and her with her hand rubbing his back) as the voiceover says the words "We entrust our son to your mercy. Please forgive his sins, especially those that are unconfessed." To me, these words are absolutely intended to relate to Chris and Fi and the unconfessed sin/secret of his killing Marco, and Fi's desperate hope that Chris will be granted mercy/not be punished for it. And then as the camera shot moves to include Marco's dad as well (when the voiceover is still saying "those that are unconfessed",) you could also take that as Jacinto not knowing the extent of Marco's sins, because of course in Catholicism, confessions are made to the Father (aka, priest, as in "Forgive me Father for I have sinned"), and so unconfessed in this context could equate to a father who doesn't know the truth about his son's sins, as we have already seen by the way he talks about Marco like he was a golden child. The camera then skips Alma and moves on to Thony (with Jazz in the shot too, but out of focus and in the background; narratively, she's practically not even present)-- showing Thony staring at the photo with a gaze that looks distant and unfocused as the voiceover says "May your perpetual light shine upon him". And I honestly don't doubt at all that she is thinking of Marco in this moment; a moment of apology, of forgiveness, and of wishing him peace in the perpetual light of his god.

(Brief sidenote: I find it interesting that the writers chose to have Thony be a Buddhist despite her husband and his parents being Catholic; maybe it was simply due to their origins, ie Cambodia vs the Philippines, or maybe it was a deliberate choice to further demonstrate that she and Marco were at odds in many ways, including their value systems? And the very astute @enigmaticfox also pointed out that during the funeral, the rest of the family is dressed in cream/white accented with a small amount of black, contrasting with Thony in her solid black outfit. Given that she wore that outfit while meeting with a criminal to protect Arman, maybe in a way it represents her ties to that more 'shadowy' world, and how she walks the line between her family's world and Arman's world. Or maybe it actually means nothing, and putting the widow in all black just seemed fitting! Equally possible lol)

But anyhow. Back to Thony, who as the camera focuses on her, is silently saying a final, permanent goodbye to her husband, wishing him the peace of that perpetual light. And then what immediately follows that? Her voice taking up the prayer, but not over a shot of Marco's altar, or of Luca, or even the family as a whole. To them, of course, Alma is still the one speaking aloud; it is only us and Thony who hear the words that are spoken in her head (or maybe, in her heart; ok now I'm showing my sappy side here lol)-- and thanks to the choice the showrunners made with this scene, we see exactly where her attention goes when those words are spoken. Because naturally, along with thoughts of Marco-- the man she once loved, who represents her past-- come thoughts of Arman, the man she is falling in love with, and who represents her future. The wording of the prayer itself is incredible (and as far as I can determine, was written specifically for the show, which means every word was chosen deliberately to contribute to this scene in some way) and while certainly I don't pretend to be a literary scholar or a theologist, I am very familiar with this show lol, so here's some of the imagery/thoughts that this wording evokes for me:

~ Now he is freed (from prison, from Hayak, the role he was forced into) Through your blood on the cross (he has paid in his own blood and the blood of others; he is the 'son' placed on the cross by the father) Through the blows to your face (the beating he took; the times he has had to 'turn the other cheek' and obey Hayak) And through the crown of your thorns that pierce your head (the burden he bore of being the right hand man; a prince with a shiny crown, but one that also came with a painful price) Deliver him from all evil (from the danger in prison; from the evil in his criminal world) From the rigour of injustice (Garrett putting him in jail/breaking their deal, the betrayal of his little prison crew) From the torment of conscience (allowing him to make peace with the bad things he has done; maybe even specifically conscience relating to Hayak's death) And from all darkness (letting him escape the dark/criminal life) Welcome him into paradise (being in love, finally having the freedom to make his own choices) Where there will be no more sorrow (because he will finally be truly happy, something he never quite reached in the life he was living before Thony) No more weeping or pain (free of the pain Hayak caused, and the pain he himself inflicted under Hayak's orders) Give him the blessings of the life to come (the joy and love of a life with Thony) As he enters into the kingdom of peace and light (his journey to becoming a good man who is at peace with himself) ~ Is all of the above actually the intended meaning, or just me making shit up? Who the hell knows! But the writers really did seem to be saying something with their choice of words and camera shots, and this is what I got and I'm rolling with it lol

Also just to be clear: when I say Arman's going to leave the criminal life and become a good man, I definitely don't mean immediately. It's going to be a gradual journey, and Thony will be the main one who helps him on it. (I expect the connections he forms with Thony's family will also play a role, as will Nadia, both directly and indirectly).

And speaking of Nadia, I honestly love the way she stares at him when he walks out of the prison-- like she is seeing him for the first time, or at the very least, like she can see that there has been a huge change in him even if she doesn't know what it is. (I honestly don't think it's his bruises that she's staring at; she likely got to see him in the infirmary, and even if she didn't, her expression here is closer to wonder than the horror and dismay that you'd expect from someone seeing their loved one injured-- aka Thony's reaction when she saw them). And so when Nadia takes his sunglasses off, I feel like it's her trying to see what it is that's different, to understand who this new Arman is; and in doing so, she takes that first step for him in removing the 'mask' that he's wearing and revealing just a small glimpse of his new, changed self. The self that is free from Hayak, and who walks away with the power that comes from having Hayak's money under his control-- (at least as far as I can tell, since he should have access to those accounts that Hayak gave him the pin to, right?)-- and who finally gets to decide exactly what kind of man he will be, what kind of life he will lead, and who he will share that life with. I strongly suspect that he will face a fairly large setback in that regard very soon due to Robert forcibly inserting himself into the business/their lives, and forcing him to direct his focus elsewhere yet again; which will likely mean that a lot of this season will be about Arman fighting to get back to that beautiful freedom and future that he has only just barely had a chance to taste as he walks out of the prison gates.

I also feel like that's why we didn't see Arman and Nadia kiss in this scene-- even though it undoubtedly followed moments later, the writers chose not to show it, and in doing so maybe they are telling us that the romantic aspect of Arman and Nadia's relationship is secondary to the other role that their relationship will fulfil this season, which is to be each other's mirror, showing the other how much they are changing and how their individual wants and priorities are starting to move away from one another's. Because lbr here, they have known each other better than anyone else for years at this point, and so Nadia's insights and responses to his future actions/choices are going to be a huge part of his character growth this season. As will his connection with Thony, of course, but in a different way; Nadia shows him who he was, while Thony shows him who he could be, and between the two of them, he will learn how to become the man he wants to be.

And honestly, even though the role Nadia has to play in Arman's arc will likely come with some intense angst (both Arman-specific and also Armony-related) that will be hard to watch, I am going to love every minute of that journey.

And I hope you guys do too.

[apollostears]

COLD & COLDER [ l. wong ]

↬︎ Group: Wayv

↬︎ Pairing: Vampire!Lucas x black!huntress OC

↬︎ Warning(s): none

PLOT. headcanons on being sucked into an arranged marriage with vampire prince lucas.

pt. 2

*gif not mine*

: selene cole came from a long line of hunters. she knew how to shoot a gun when she was ten, wielded double swords when she was twelve.

: the supernatural blended in with the humans and most lives peacefully, but some were downright devilish and loved to cause issues

: that’s where selene came in. at twenty-one, she had made a name for herself in the hunter and supernatural world.

: as the cold-blooded cole. merciless in her kills and never stopping short in torture tactics, selene was a force to be reckoned with.

: so how did she manage to fall in a conflicting situation with a vampire? the vampire prince at that.

: well....it was a dark and gloomy night. selene was on her way to an event, hosted by the United Hunters and Supernatural Allegiance council.

: sounds stupid right? well, it was. selene hated these events, but being apart of a prominent hunting family; to which her mother was a council member of the org, she had to attend.

: the deep green, satin dress she wore hugged her figure as she stepped out of the exclusive limo and up the red steps

: selene never knew what to expect, these events always brought something new every time they occured.

: so when she saw this fine ass man at the bar, she bought damn near tripped down the steps.

“Selene! You look beautiful honey!” Mrs. Cole greeted her daughter like she hadn’t seen her years.

Well...it had been three years and five months since they’d seen each other. By choice.

With a genuine smile, Selene hugged her mother back and pulled away. “Thanks mom. You look great also, did you cut your hair?”

Her mom always kept her hair in curls, like an afro. It came at her shoulders, but now it seemed to stop below her ear lobes.

“Oh yes! Been a year now and I love it! Your father is talking to the King of the vampires right now, I think you should go over there. Your brothers are there as well, great time for y’all to mingle.” Her mother offered, probably about to go mingle with other important people.

Selene’s eyes wandered the crowd in search of her three brothers, she caught eyes with the man again before resuming her search for the four men. She spotted them near the stage, standing behind their father as he spoke to a man and a woman.

Great.

“Alright mom. I’ll see you later, love you.” Selene said, leaning forward to give her mom a light hug and a chaste kiss to the cheek.

The two Cole women separated and it was up to Selene to minimize the amount of socializing she’d have to do in between her journey to her brothers and father.

It took roughly three minutes for her to reach them, but it felt like ten with the amount of hunters praising her for her work in the hunting world. With their praises came sneers and glares from other supernatural groups.

Keep a better grip on your people and I wouldn’t have to kill them Selene thought to herself whenever someone glared at her.

“Sweetheart!! It’s great to see you!” Mr. Cole greeted his daughter, but it wasn’t one of genuine intent.

Her father was always quick to boast about his favorite child. It often led to tension with her other siblings who were....less successful than she.

With a tight lipped smile, Selene stiffly gave a hug to her father. “Hey dad, how are you?”

The older man let out a small laugh and pulled away from his daughter’s embrace, but kept his hand on her lower back. This let Selene know that he was about to show her off to his ‘friends.’

“Oh i’m wonderful, listen I want you to meet King Lucian of the vampires and his wife, Queen Mei. They’re striking up a peace treaty with the council. Their son is around here somewhere.” Her father babbled.

Selene smiled at the two immortal creatures and bowed slightly in respect. She may have had to kill their kind, but she always respected the unnatural that walked this earth until they disrespected others.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. How lovely that a trip to see my brothers grants me the opportunity to meet royalty.”

Queen Mei gave a warming smile, well as warming as she could get, while King Lucian held an unbothered stare.

“Oh, you’re too kind. Our son is actually supposed to be over here to meet your family, but it seems he’s wandered off.” The Queen commented.

This son of theirs must be very important and childish if he runs off like this. Selene’s first impression on the vampire Prince was none too kind.

“Well you know how boys can be. Always off doing their own thing.” Mr. Cole spoke, vouching for the boy.

Mentions of boys reminded Selene what she came over to do. Excusing herself, she turned around to face the three males that were behind her.

“If it isn’t the three stooges.” She teased, a playful glint in her eyes as she sized up her siblings.

Marco scoffed. “You’re one to talk, princess.” He bit, emphasizing the ending.

Selene raised an eyebrow at his hostility. Her brother was never this tight with her, often engaging in the teasing she started with them.

Roman, her youngest brother, nudged Marco warningly. “Bro, chill. Watch what you say.”

Selene eyed the two with caution before locking eyes with the oldest sibling out of them all. “Z, what is he talking about?” She asked Zeus, suddenly feeling like a little kid again.

His brown eyes softened with remorse and sadness. “I’m truly sorry Sel, but it’s for a good cause.”

A good what? Selene was officially confused and a little agitated at all the secrecy that was going on. Why wasn’t anyone telling her anything?

Just as Selene had turned around to speak to her father, she locked eyes with the man from the bar as he made his way to them.

He was more handsome up close, with piercings in his ears and hair messily hanging in his face. Selene had to admire his beauty. He looked like a God...a very tall God.

“This must be my bride-to-be. Gorgeous little thing.” The man smirked, stopping right behind Queen Mei.

Selene’s eyes went wide with horror.

“Your who?!”

Tag list: @knjkitten @olamidey

[mystery-deer]

Missing Out (b99, fic)

Raymond walked languidly through a seemingly endless field of wheat, bending the plants with a stick he’d picked up somewhere along the way. He was going somewhere and that was all he needed to know.

After what seemed to be hours he stopped, made lazy by the summer heat and lulled to tire by the pleasant sameness of everything surrounding him. Endless wheat, endless blue sky, endless sun caressing his skin.

He sat down and listened as someone began to hum, soft and familiar. He closed his eyes, opening them only when he felt the sun being blocked from him. He squinted up at the boy in front of him, redheaded and serious. He broke into a smile when he met Raymond’s eyes and Raymond smiled back, holding out his hands which were taken immediately as Kevin pulled him up into an embrace.

Have you ever played that game before? You know the one, the girls on the playground gathered round in circles. Mystic and wise despite how you might have jeered. Did you want to join them? Did you want to know? I won’t blame you. I wouldn’t blame you for anything. You know the one, the girls on the playground chanted; Pick a number Pick a color Pick a number Pick a color Pick a number Pick a color You live in a House With your Husband And you have Half a child (laughter) And you work as A -

No no no we didn’t have that kind of game. The girls at my school weren’t mystics, they were creatures of fact and reason like me. They would flock to the corners of the schoolyard and play jump rope. And though you may have jeered you admired their ability to look so free between the violent turning of the plastic. Did you want to join them? Did you think you would fall? Were you afraid to be called a- You know the one, the girls on the playground screamed; Strawberry shortcake cream on top! Tell me the name of my sweet heart! Is it, R A Y M O N -

Raymond woke up in the way he always did, all at once. It was a cloudy day and for a moment he was disconcerted by this, sure it had been sunny a few moments ago, before he was slotted completely back into reality.

It had been an odd dream.

“Oh, you’re finally awake.” Kevin said, peering into the bedroom, fully dressed and carrying a box. “I was beginning to consider waking you up, like a schoolchild.” He teased. Raymond rubbed his eyes and squinted at the alarm clock on their bedside table. Good lord, 7:30 am!

“You would have been remiss not to have done so!” He exclaimed, immediately getting out of bed and heading to the bathroom.

“Were you experiencing any difficulty sleeping last night? It isn’t like you to lie in so long.” Kevin remarked thoughtfully, swiftly removing and replacing their pillowcases with an intensity that told Raymond he’d been eager to for the majority of the morning.

“No…” He paused to brush his teeth as Kevin continued to replace towels and sheets, evidently the box was full of them.

“Well I had a dream, it wasn’t disturbing. I can’t remember the specifics. Something about…” He tried to latch onto anything from earlier but could only remember the vague feeling of warmth and Kevin.

“You were in it.” He settled on. “Why are you replacing all our linens?”

“It’s the beginning of summer, I thought they could do with some brightening up.” Kevin explained, holding up the corner of their duvet. “And this is much too heavy, a spring blanket will be absolutely suffocating when the weather turns.”

Raymond had no strong opinions on spring vs summer blankets but Kevin’s attention to detail was enamoring. ‘And,’ he thought as he ran a brush through his neatly buzzed hair ‘He might wear that lovely blue shirt that brings out his eyes now that the weather’s warmer.’

“Did you make breakfast yet?” He asked, exiting the bathroom and heading for the closet. “Not yet, should I?” Kevin called, already off down the hall. “No, I’ll prepare my own.”

When Raymond was a boy he had visited a relative’s farm. They had no animals but in the summer there was an explosion of carefully lined colors, bounty as far as the eye could see. He and Debbie would be set loose, told to “Go play outside” and she’d immediately be tugging at his hand, stepping on his shoes as she begged him to play Marco Polo.

“That’s a water game.” He’d say, observing a full tomato. “For the pool.” “Nuh-uh, it’s fine as long as you can’t see each other!” She'd insist.

And he’d acquiesce out of annoyance or fear that she’d run back inside crying that he was mean to her and he’d get the older brother speech.

He remembered a tiny thrill shooting through him as he crept around the crops, listening for his sister’s barely concealed giggles and shouts of surprise as they nearly collided. He remembered the childish idea of magic that seemed to be in the air when he opened his eyes somewhere different than where he started from.

Kevin liked his strawberries with a small bit of honey. This was to Raymond, a sickening amount of sweetness. “If the strawberry isn’t sweet enough on its own it’s a bad strawberry.” He’d say every time he found Kevin sitting out front, eyes half-lidded, indulging.

Sometimes this led to a playful argument and sometimes Kevin would simply smile and Raymond’s heart would lighten when gently assured of the knowledge that he was loved.

“Did you ever go apple picking as a child?” He asked Kevin over breakfast. Raymond was drinking a smoothie and Kevin was eating jam on toast.

“Not really.” He said after some deliberation. “At least, I don’t remember it. I was more of an ‘indoor child’ as my mother called me.” He laughed softly. “When I did go outside to play my father would open the window and yell ‘Dear God, he’s escaped!’”

Raymond pictured Kevin as a child, rolling his eyes and shoving his nose in a book when he heard his father call.

He felt...uneasy.

“What has you in such a nostalgic mood?” Kevin asked, wiping his face and clearing his plate. Raymond continued to sip his smoothie.

“I don’t know.” He admitted.

Raymond remembered so many days, all lined up in boxes, slightly differing but at their core the same.

Quietly studying his notes and praying the teacher would make it back to the classroom before the group of girls who were giggling and going table to table made their way to him and asked him if he liked any of them.

Changing so fast into his P.E uniform that the other boys began to remark on it and having to come up with something that wasn’t; ‘I’m so afraid that something will click if my gaze lingers anywhere, I’m so afraid that you will realize something about me and I will be confronted with the same thing and it’ll destroy me.’ He chose to declare his love for gym. “Ha, is that your boyfriend?” One of the boys laughed and he couldn’t remember what he’d said in response over the beating of his heart.

Retreating to the bathroom when one of his co-workers invited him out to a bachelor party. He looked past the color of his skin but balked at homosexuality; Had told him once. “The guys who give you shit about the black thing are fucking morons Ray.” Had told him once, “Don’t you look cute with those bug eyes on.” when he’d come in wearing his era-appropriate glasses. Had told him once, “You look good like that.” on a stakeout, leaning in too close to be coincidental, smelling like booze and cigarettes and putting an uncertain hand on the back of Raymond’s neck.

When he’d gotten the invite Raymond had smiled and said “So you finally roped Sandra into marrying you? How much did it set you back?” and the man’s eyes had widened before they refused to meet his, ashamed. Raymond had stared and stared and stared and then found himself in the bathroom, gut coiled tight with loss and anxiety.

When wasn’t it?

He imagined Kevin running past him on the street, reporter on the beat, thinking I’mnotI’mnotI’mnotI’mnotI’mnot so hard he could almost believe it.

“It...was difficult. It was a happy childhood but…” Hours had passed and Raymond was helping Kevin in the garden, watching him pluck insects off the fruit and flowers and deposit them safely in the dirt below. His tongue was so sharp it was easy to miss how gentle his hands were.

“...Anxious.” Kevin said. “Pardon?” Kevin pulled his hat down further and reached into a rose bush to remove a stick lodged inside it like a parent might remove a splinter.

“It was an anxious kind of happiness.” “I- ah.” Raymond hissed and instinctively cradled his hand before unfurling it and assessing the damage. Not much, just a small pinprick from one of the thorns.

“Are you alright?”

As Kevin took his hand he pictured a smaller Kevin with a smaller him, inspecting the cut. He pictured Kevin with a gaze so heavy it stilled him, calmed him. They had both played doctor as children - the real kind. Raymond had practiced with his stuffed animals and Kevin would write out notes and prescriptions to his brother.

Something welled inside him.

“Do you ever feel that you wish we had met earlier in our lives?” He blurted out, mildly surprising his husband. He had gotten a pocket first aid and was finishing up his ministrations, wrapping a band-aid around Raymond’s finger.

“Sometimes. Is that what’s been on your mind all day?” “Yes.” Raymond said, glad to be able to pinpoint it. “I just...can’t help feeling that perhaps we missed out on something.”

Kevin made a low noise of consideration. “I’m happy I met you when I did.” Raymond sighed in equal parts frustration and fondness. Kevin, ever rational. His lack of imagination was one of the most charming things about him.

“I can’t imagine anything better than how we met. I was granted the privilege of falling in love with your voice, your mind, and finally your body.” He continued, hands still cradling Raymond’s despite the cut having been attended to.

Raymond didn’t reply, breathing. He remembered Kevin being drunk when they were young and dating, they'd parked Gertie somewhere and his then-boyfriend was leaning half out of it. "I fell in love with you three times Raymond." he'd said, pulling himself back in and cupping his face. "What's more romantic then that?" He had assumed he was speaking nonsense at the time.

“Would you like to hear the stupidest thing I did as a child?” Raymond blinked, nodding. He was confused but comforted by Kevin’s apparent confidence.

“My father took me and my brother on a fishing trip and, tiring of waiting for the fish to bite, I threw the pole god knows where and tried to grab the fish myself.”

“Oh no.”

“Indeed. I ended up falling face first from the boat and nearly drowned. However, when I was dragged back on I found that a small fish had become trapped in my pocket.”

“How fortunate.”

“Yes. Of course my father was furious and my brother was beside himself, as I had accidentally hit him in the head with the pole, but I was over the moon. I was sent to bed without dinner and grounded for a week and never invited out fishing again but in my mind I had accomplished my goal of catching a fish.”

“...That’s a wonderful story Kevin." He paused. "I’m afraid I’m at a loss for how that connects to our previous topic of conversation.”

“Just because you weren’t there for those events doesn’t mean you can’t know them Raymond.” He clarified, kissing his husband’s hand before going back to gardening.

Raymond blinked again before breaking into a grin and nodding to himself. “Yes...I see!” He exclaimed, a rush of joy running through him.

The rest of the day was spent sporadically telling stories back and forth; The time Raymond kicked a dentist (“Oh, please tell Martin that one.”) The time Kevin got a girl’s hair stuck in his braces (“Quite the casanova.”) The time Raymond fell off the roof of his aunt’s house (“Amazingly, nothing broke.”) The time Kevin had had an allergic reaction during a date (“He did not call me back.”)

By the time night fell Raymond went to bed with his head full of Kevin. And when he closed his eyes he dreamt again;

He was in a boat, dressed to the nines and holding a parasol to combat the sun. He offered it to Kevin, who he felt would need it more but the man just shook his head. “Watch.” He insisted gently, gesturing to the water. And he did. It was beautiful. Two lifetimes played out on the surface, Kevin and Raymond as toddlers, as children, as teenagers, as adults. They laughed and pointed and exclaimed and watched every minute of it. They didn’t miss a moment.

Fire! Fire! False Alarm! Raymond fell in Kevin’s arms! Is he gonna be the one? Yes no maybe so! Yes no maybe so! Yes no maybe so!

[mizu-writes-kumo]

Can I get more of Alternate!Lance and Sven? I am in love with them!

Sorry this took a bit, I had to think of something to do…and needed time to write.  I hope you enjoy.

Also look @puppetmaster55 More stuff!

– 

“Yoo-hoo, mission control to Lance?”  Sven’s voice said gently in beside Lance.  The chipper sound of his accent and wiggling fingers in front of Lance’s face, pulled him out of the pit of thoughts he didn’t realize he fell into.  “Are you in there?  Hello?”

“Yeah, sorry, just…”  Lance started, before he trailed off for a bit.  He turned to look at Sven, who looks both sickly concerned and so in love as he smiles at Lance.  “I don’t know.  Sorry, did you say something?”

Sven shook his head quickly.  “Not really, just that you were being oddly quiet.”

“Oh…”

“Lance, is everything okay?”  Sven asked gently.

Lance looked at his lover–boyfriend–whatever they hadn’t really tacted on a label in the war.  Before he ducked down to look at his service boots.  Trying to get distracted by the fact that they are starting to show their age and fall apart, and how he should but in a request with Iverson for new ones.  Only he really can’t.

Because was everything okay?

Actually, yeah, really it was.  

All things considered at least.

Lance was got a few weeks of leave.  Granted it was because he got his arm broken and shoulder shot.  But as Hunk and Kinkade teased that was the only way he would take leave.  Which was…true, and also just whatever.  And he was taking a good week and half to visit his family.

Or…what was left of his family.  

Just his two living siblings, Marco and Veronica, and his nephew, Sylvio.  That was all that really remained after poor Nadia and Lisa passed nearly two decaphoebs ago from illness.  Everyone before that…well, it was a long time ago. The Alteans took a lot from him at a young age.  Something he knows, Sven is more than familiar with.

They all lived on a nice, well hidden colony, on the far edges of where the Altean Empire wishes to travel.  It’s got sweeping plains, gorgeous views, in its carved out of the mountain side community.  Bustling with a mix of rebel activities and normal live people of all types of alien races just trying to find peace and safety from the Altean Empire.  

It’s all lovely and perfect when Lance ignores that fact that is protected by a secret Altean rebel spy group known as the Spears of Symthe.

But that wasn’t why things were not…okay.

Lance was nervous.

He had seen his family in…a decaphoeb and a half…maybe.  And he was returning injured, which Veronica is going to get on him about.  Along with…admittedly, a very strange man by his side, that he feels way too much for than should be allowed for war times.

And it’s just…too much, or it feels like is.

He shouldn’t have invited Sven along.  

Or just gone somewhere else to spend his leave with Sven.  Like any of the other amazing places Sven had collected pamphlets for as a place for Lance to relax and recover a bit.  While also turning everything into a nice romantic vacation with his lover.

Or anything else.

Lance, however, found himself still strangling gripping to the fact that Slav told him the trip had a chance of 76.2% of being a success.  

79.6% if he packed the little Lion carving Sven made him in the leftmost pocket of his bag.  But it would decrease to 72.5% if he wore brown pants, or ate purple food go on way over, before Lance threatened to kick Slav in the face.  A feat Slav claimed Lance only succeeded in doing in 0.1% of all realities.

Needless to say, Lance had packed the little carving in the leftmost pocket of his bag, and worn navy blue pants, and ate green goo before they left.

God, he’s been hanging with Sven too much.

“Yeah…everything is fine.”  Lance said with a weak sigh.  “This place just makes me a little uneasy is all.”

Sven hummed beside him.  

Lance turned to look up.  Finding Sven’s gaze looked just past him, and when he turned to look, he could see an Altean in the deep blues of the Spears, with a haggle of young children.  She was teaching them fighting moves, gently correcting stances and holds on weapons so they could defend themselves in future.  Seeming to take as much joy as the kids when they got it right.

A clear sign the Spears of Smythe were not with the rest of the Altean Empire.  

They rather seemed to encourage the violence and savagery of other cultures.  Respected that some ways might not be what they wished them to be, and that was fine.  Order and chaos balance for peace.  They clung to the old ways of Altea, before Empress Allura lost sight of that fact.

The sight helped to ease a bit of the usual worries Lance has when he came there.

But it still hard, to completely swallow his views on Alteans.

“Yeah, well, it’s no big deal,”  Lance said hurriedly as he turned back to look at Sven beside him.  “Trust me, you get use to it.  But, um…we should probably get going.  Veronica’s probably already expecting us, I told Marco and her, we were expected to land at 1630 hours, and that was like fifteen minutes ago so…we should go.”

Sven suddenly chuckled at him.

A smile growing on his lips as he simply just looked down at Lance.

“Hey, what’s so funny?”  Lance snapped at him.

He would cross his arms, and make a show of pouting, but the sling his hurt arm got of the way.  Not to mention moving the arm in general was torture in itself.

“Nothing.”  Sven said as shook his head.  “I think I’ve ever really seen you this nervous before Lance.”  He stated as he leaned down a bit to peck Lance’s cheek.  “It’s rather cute.”  He added as he pulled away.  “The way you ramble and fidget.”

Lance felt his cheeks heat up.

Because cute had never been a word that been applied to his rambling and fidgeting. Usually annoying and aggravating were used.  Hunk called it sweet…like one time, and it was like before Lance and Sven’s fifth actual date.  But that was the only time really.  

“Shut up!”  Lance squeaked as he turned to look at his boots again.

He could hear Sven laugh warmly at his reaction.  Leaning over to pick up his own travel bag, before moving to grab Lance’s as well.  Ignoring the hurried attempts to get him to stop.  Because Lance could more than carry his bag, he still have one good arm and shoulder.  Not to mention he carried off to the center of the community before they had stopped…so he could catch his breath. But that wasn’t the point.

However Sven just looped his arm through the handles, slinging Lance’s back over his shoulder.  “It’s fine.”  He declared easily, once it was securely rested on his shoulder.  “And look, now we can do this!”

Quickly Sven took Lance’s good hand in his own.

Clasping it and intertwining their fingers.  Before he held them up for Lance to see at eye level, as he beamed excitedly.  Looking far too proud of himself for thinking up the plan, that Lance had a hard time biting back his comment that Sven was a dork.  A loveable one, but still very much a dork.

“Yeah, now we can that.”  Lance said softly with a growing grin.  

And echo of Slav’s voice saying the chances for success increased to 94.1% if Sven and him held hands rang in Lance’s head.

He very quickly shoves it down.

“Already, let’s go get you introduced to my family.”  Lance said as he moved their hands back to their sides.

Sven, somehow, beamed brighter as he let Lance start to lead the way.

–

AN:  Ta-da!  I hope you liked it.  Alternate!Lance taking Sven to meet his family.  This takes place like a few months after Sven tells Lance way he asked him out in the first place.  Now Lance is taking him to his family.

And yes, I made Coran the found of what is basically the Blades in the over reality.  Because it was never disclosed that the Guns of Gamora is that, so I think they are more like the Voltron Coalition/Rebel groups.  So the Guns are more of a mix matched group of Aliens, and the Spears are those of Altean lineages.  

Also I am think Lance might be a part of a third group, that is mostly human forces that was observed into the Guns, and brought an Alliance with the Spears to the table.  But I don’t know, the Guns could be so large they are sort of disjointed by regions or whatever.  But Lance is very use to the idea of the Spears (not only because his family finds shelter under them)…where they are a still a newer thing for Sven. 

[yourebeautifuleverylilpiecelove]

I’ve only just finished watching the OUAT finale, and I have some thoughts to share:

- Ok, so did anyone else feel it went too fast? I swear the whole thing was over in a flash. I know that since part 1 was last week it was only going to be the length of a normal episode, but it still went so quickly.

- I actually liked Rumbelle’s ending, apart from the fact they were BOTH DEAD, but I did wonder what was going to happen with Gideon. Was anyone going to tell him? Can anyone even contact him? I know he’s meant to be at EF uni, but still, where has he been while the whole of series 7 went down?

- And leading on from this, I felt all the action was over way too quickly. Anyone else? I think I was expecting more action and fighting and stuff since it was the finale, but they defeated Rumplestiltskin and talked Henry out of killing Regina so quickly.

- I would’ve liked to see Snow and David interact more with other characters though. They hadn’t seen adult Henry up until that point, how did they feel about that?

- What was up with little Neal, who went from being a baby to a child who literally had one scene and then was sent to hide in the crowds at the palace.

- Now, I love Regina, I do. But I was hoping Emma would be in more of the finale than the last 5 minutes. The whole series has, after all, been about her; meeting her son and going from a single woman with no emotional attachments and major abandonment and trust issues, to learning she has a family (and quite a big one, plus more than a few friends) who care about her, and her learning to embrace this, as well as falling in love, learning to co-parent with Regina, and how to fit in her new life with two parents and a son. It’s always been focused on Emma, and Henry as well. So I was hoping that we’d see a bit more of what she’s been up to and how she feels about everything than we did. There was a hug between her and adult Henry, but how did she meet Ella, and Lucy? How would she react to learning that she has a granddaughter? How would she react to meeting Alice, the daughter of the wish version of her husband? I would really like to have known all these things! I just feel that, much as I love Regina, the way they set out season 7 with Henry and Roni made it seem like Regina was Henry’s only parent; even after the curse was broken, there wasn’t any mention of Emma, or going back to Storybrooke to see her, or even trying to contact her or his grandparents. One of the things I was really looking forward to in the finale was Snow, David and Emma (and Killian and Hope) meeting Ella and Lucy and vice versa, and all their reactions to each other, and I was disappointed we didn’t see more of that.

- Also, I get that young Henry became good after Regina talked him out of killing her, but what would happen next? Would he just live in Storybrooke/the reunited realms with his older self? That seems really weird to me, but they didn’t explain any alternatives, what with Emma being in Storybrooke and his wish!grandparents dead.

- Granted, we did get to see Peter Pan, Cruella, Leroy, Granny, plus the Charmings and Captain Swan, but I would’ve liked to see more people, especially those who were there back in season 1. How is Ruby getting on? How about Marco, or August, or Archie? There was no mention of Neal at all. Sydney and Ashley, amongst others, have not been characters regularly mentioned before, I know, but it would have been nice to include a few more old faces in the conclusion to what has been a great series, and one I have loved dearly since I started watching mid-way through season 3.

Please don’t misunderstand me: yes I wasn’t the biggest fan of the finale. However, this is a programme that I have loved for years, and one disappointing finale is not going to change that. I may not have like it much, and my writing here may seem bitter, but I didn’t hate it. It just wasn’t all I hoped it would be.

[apple-grass-and-smiles]

Final Conclusions

Ten conclusions people came to about Marcos Diaz and Lorna Dane, in reverse order. 

10. Esmé

Esmé takes a large amount of pride in being able to read people. Granted, it’s helped by being able to sense their thoughts, but even without her power she thinks she’d have been pretty good at it. But even a novice would have been able to figure out that what Marcos and Lorna had between them was love. And when she realizes that, as she watched him pull his girlfriend to his side as Esmé recounted the Hound girl’s horrific story, she rejoices. Because people who are in love are people who can be manipulated. People who are so in love that in a moment of sadness they can put aside their differences and hug are people who have something to lose and therefore something worth fighting for.

Yes, Esmé thought, I can use this.

And she does. She makes Lorna have nightmares and taunts her and makes it clear that an extreme stance now could mean Marcos and the baby being safe later on. And Lorna fall for each and every one of the deceptions and half-truths. Esmé doesn’t lie. She believes almost everything she’s saying. Yes, something needs to be done to stop the hate that mutants have been facing and she truly does think bringing down Campbell is the way to do that, but what she honestly doesn’t know is if Marcos will take Lorna back once she’s done what she had already set her mind to. Once upon a time, when fairytales seemed like they could be real life Esmé might have believed that true love could conquer and that the two lovebirds would be able to reconcile in the new world she, her sisters, and Lorna were building. But Esmé Frost had stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago.

Esmé’s final conclusion: They may be in love, but no love is that strong.

9. Andy

Andy is a typical teenage boy and that more than anything is the reason it takes him so long to realize that Marcos and Lorna aren’t just dating but are instead head-over-heels crazy for each other. And really he only figures it out because he hears them say it. He’s 15 and a bit preoccupied with not dying for goodness’ sake! He’s not focusing on people’s romantic feelings. But even he can pick up on hints that people are in love with each other, especially when the hints are them saying those exact words.

Sure, there were lots of signs that they were probably in love before the day it finally clicked for him. They were dating. A kid was on the way. Marcos had gone crazy trying to get Lorna back. Lorna talked about Marcos a lot. And they spent a ton of time together. But Andy knew people at school who did all of those things too who then went and broke up. It was sad, sure, but it was also perfectly reasonable for him to think that maybe these two would end up just co-parents a year down the line with no romantic feelings between them.

He and the other kids are in training when it happens. First, Lorna nearly chucks a small pot at Marcos’ head, which is really funny for all involved (except maybe Marcos, but who knows for sure that he wasn’t laughing on the inside?) and brings an abrupt stop to the lesson. Some sort of mission is going on today. Andy isn’t very clear on the specifics but he knows that Marcos, John, and Shatter are heading out soon to try and meet up with a contact of some sort. The couple steps aside of the group of teens (“Lauren, you’re up. Try and see if you can get Andy to stop something without bringing the building down.”) and proceed to talk in hushed voices. He hears bits and pieces about the baby, training, being home before dawn, and the importance of not being spotted. All pretty normal stuff. But then Marcos says he loves Lorna and she says it back and it sounds nothing like the way kids at school throw around the terms or how people in movies might say it. It sounds like two people trying to put their hearts into three syllables, both painfully aware that eight letters can’t encapsulate their true feelings. It sounds a lot like a promise of forever. A promise that tomorrow they’ll still be together and that the same will be true in a year and for every day beyond that. It sounds exactly like when his parents tell him that they love him. And if there is one thing he knows it’s that if someone is talking like that, they’re never going to let go of each other.

Andy’s final conclusion? Sometimes when people say they love you they really, really mean it. And don’t get hit in the face with a spatula.

8. Lauren

Lauren is well-versed in the art of spotting crushes and relationships thanks to nearly four full years of high school drama. It’s not so much a skill as much as a means of survival. But the one feeling you don’t really see in high school is love. So it’s not until she sees her parents hugging a few days after being reunited that it clicks. Marcos and Lorna didn’t have the same vibe as the couples at school or the same look in their eyes as she had seen on countless faces as they looked at their crushes. Nope. Lorna and Marcos held each other like her parents did. Which meant only one thing: love.

“Hey, Mom. Can I ask you a question?” Lauren asked one day as she sat nearby while Caitlyn finished making the daily lunch of macaroni and cheese.

“Yeah. What’s up kiddo?”

“Do you think a relationship could survive all of, you know, this?” she asked, gesturing to the mutants around them.

Caitlyn turned away from the pot she’d been stirring and sat down on a chair near Lauren with a quizzical look on her face. “That’s an odd question. What brings that up?”

“I was just thinking about Lorna and Marcos. They’re obviously in love and I was just wondering if they had any chance of making it. Everything is just so crazy here and their lives are even more dangerous than ours and I’m certain having a baby on the way makes things even harder.”

“Honestly, I don’t know if they can make it. I want to think so, but, like you said, this isn’t an easy way to live. But what I can tell you is that I think they’re family and, just like us, it’ll take a lot more than this mutant insanity to ruin that. Now go and get your brother and dad for lunch. I put canned chili in the mac and cheese this time so it’s not a meal to be missed.”

Lauren’s final conclusion: Only two incredibly strong people could get through this still in love. She hoped Lorna and Marcos were strong enough.

7. Caitlyn

Caitlyn knows that the man sitting next to her in the car is in love as soon as he calls Lorna is his family. It clicks instantly because those are the words she’s been saying over and over as she tries to convince people to help her save her husband: “He’s my family.” And now here was a young man who was saying the exact same thing about this girl whose fate so resembled Reed’s.

Marcos’ eyes are focused on the road but she can see the desperation beginning to seep into them as he thinks about his partner who, for all he knows, he may never see again. No, Caitlyn reprimands herself because if Marcos doesn’t ever see Lorna again then there is almost no chance that she’ll see Reed and Caitlyn Strucker refuses to believe that such a thing could ever happen.

“She seems like a wonderful woman,” Caitlyn offers up like a life preserver to Marcos as he struggles to keep from drowning in his thoughts.

“She is. She’s amazing.”

“What’s she like?” Caitlyn is determined to keep him talking and focused. She knows just too well just how dangerous it can be to allow one’s mind to wander to dark places and she needs Marcos at his best if they’re going to pull this off and get back to Clarice before she destroys the Underground entirely.

“She’s… I don’t know. She’s like a force of nature. If she thinks something needs to be done she’ll do whatever it takes to accomplish it. She loves people more than anyone I’ve ever known and if you’re lucky enough for her to love you then she’ll do anything to make sure you’re safe. She’s smart too. So many of our missions have only worked because she’s planned them. She can be funny, when she wants to be. But mostly she’s just so strong. She’s determined and nothing can break her and…,” Marcos’ voice peters out as they approach the hospital.

Turning to the young man sitting next to her, Caitlyn reaches out a hand and places it on his arm. “Hey. We’ll get them back. Lorna and Reed.” Marcos offers a small smile in exchange as he parks and gets out of the car. When he looks back to make sure that Caitlyn is following him up to the hospital steps she catches a look of pure determination in his eyes.

Caitlyn Strucker’s final conclusion? Marcos Diaz will do anything to get Lorna Dane back and she never want to see what happens to someone who comes between them.

6. Reed

Reed Strucker had seen enough of cases of unrequited love in his life to know that just because one person was in love didn’t mean that the person they cared for loved them back. He’d also seen more than his fair share of people who got pregnant and didn’t stay with their partner. And it was for those two reasons that he didn’t assume that what Ms. Dane had with her child’s father was love. Sure, she refused to give him and the Mutant Underground up to Sentinel Services and nearly killed a police officer who had shot him but she could have just been loyal to her cause and someone who was clearly part of her team. Did her actions maybe suggest that she loved him? Sure. But he didn’t have enough evidence to pass a true judgement and expected to never have the information necessary to do so.

That is, until a little over 24 hours late when he found himself sitting across from Marcos Diaz, begging for help from the organization that he had just been trying to destroy. It’d been a long day.

And here was the thing, any doubts Reed may have had about the feelings between the two young adults fled from his mind when Diaz put his glowing hand right above Reed’s arm. That wasn’t the move of a casual boyfriend. Marcos was not making an idle threat. That was something that he would have done for Caitlyn or Andy or Lauren. That bespoke true love. Here was someone who was willing to risk everything for a girlfriend he had no guarantee of ever seeing again. Diaz had no way of being sure that Reed wasn’t actually working as a spy trying to get him in prison. There was no promise that Reed was actually a father with two children who had revealed mutant abilities the night before. And even if that was the case, Diaz had to realize the potential consequences of threatening someone who only a little while earlier was trying to prosecute his girlfriend. A simple boyfriend would have made some idle threats. But Diaz had a burning hot hand inches from Reed’s skin and that was the move of someone who was desperately trying to reunite with the love of his life.

Reed’s final conclusion: Don’t ever get between Marcos Diaz and Lorna Dane.

5. Clarice

Clarice felt horrible when she realized how close Marcos and Lorna actually were. Sure, she felt bad beforehand but this was on a new level. She had separated two people who were clearly very, very in love. How did she know they were in love? She saw it all over Marcos’ face. Heard it in his voice. Recognized it in the purposeful way he moved. Everything about his entire being screamed of a shattered piece of a whole that had been ripped from their other half. She knew the look. Not because she’d been that half but because she never had been.

Clarice Fong was pretty certain that she’d felt just about ever feeling on the spectrum. She’d felt joy and anger and heartbreak and contentment. But she’d never really felt that sort of love where you were certain that the whole universe had conspired to bring you and this other person together. But clearly Marcos Diaz had because everything about him was new to Clarice and that earth-shattering love was the only thing left that she hadn’t seen.

He was so desperate. That was the thing that stuck out the most to her. The way his shoulders slouched and his voice scratched and his eyes searched every room as if maybe, just maybe, he hadn’t heard her slip in a back door. Only she wasn’t ever there. And then his eyes would still and fall down to his hands, as if praying that maybe if he stared long enough her hand would appear in his.

Clarice’s final conclusion: Never fall in love with someone and then lose them.

4. John

John figured it out because Marcos told him.

“I think I might be in love with her,” Marcos had muttered one day.

John hadn’t really been listening (still wasn’t). “In love with who?”

“Say that a bit louder next time; I don’t think she heard you. C’mon, man.”

Much quieter this time,  “Sorry. It’s just not something you expect to hear.” A pause. “What makes you say that anyway.”

“I don’t know. I just… I don’t know. We’ve been together for half a year now and things are going great and I think I’ve loved her for forever but now it’s finally all clicking and now I’m aware of the fact that I’m in love with her and now I have no idea what to do,” Marcos looked at John with pleading eyes as he finished his speech.

It really shouldn’t have surprised John to hear. Afterall, the two had been nearly inseparable for the past six months. They ate together; they attended meetings as a couple; they tried to be on the same missions.  If you couldn’t find Marcos you just looked for Lorna because she was never far behind and vice versa. They had truly moved from being a pair to being two parts of the same, incredible whole. In hindsight, John should have known they were in love long before either had a chance to confide in him.

“So are you going to tell her that?”

“That I love her? I guess at some point I’m going to have to, but I just… What if she doesn't love me? What if I ruin everything? What we’ve got now is so good. I don’t want to destroy it just because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.”

“Have you considered that maybe she’s thinking the same things right now?” John asked, looking at his friend with only a hint of pity in his eyes.

“No…”

Rolling his eyes, John responded, “Go and talk to her, you idiot.” And with that Marcos Diaz turned and nearly ran to find Lorna Dane.

John’s final conclusion: Love made people rather stupid.

3. Sonya

Sonya knew they were in love when she saw the way Lorna smiled at Marcos when he wasn’t looking. It wasn’t a bright smile, one with wattage that could outshine the sun, but a quiet one full of contentment and peace. And it was exactly the sort of smile that Sonya herself had when she looked at Johnny. And that’s when Sonya’s “best friend mode” kicked in.

The two women had only known each other for a couple of years but it had been enough time for her to see just how much Lorna shouldered on a daily basis. Between being one of the leaders of the Atlanta Underground and trying to deal with her mental illness without the help of medication (none of them could just swing by their local Walgreens and pick up drugs as needed), plus training kids to survive in an increasingly hateful world, Lorna was, in a word, swamped. Sure, Marcos had been a godsend in the beginning. He brought some much needed manpower to the Underground and he and Johnny had become a nearly unstoppable team. Overall, Sonya liked him a lot, but she also knew firsthand the dangers of a heartbreak. She’d seen in dozens of times in the women at the shelters. Women who, despite having been beaten and hurt over and over again, couldn’t help but cry because at one point they’d thought they’d been loved and now they were having to realize that their abuser’s feelings were far from love. Sonya didn’t expect Marcos to start beating Lorna, but she wouldn’t put it past him to end the relationship one day and to leave Sonya with a betrayed Lorna. (With a Lorna who looked at Marcos the way Sonya looked at Johnny, with a deep sense of longing and tears not far behind.) Sonya believed in her friend’s ability to overcome anything but picking yourself up after being in love and then losing that love was a messy and painful business and no one had time for that.

And then Sonya turns to see Lorna laughing at something Marcos had just said as he pulls her in for a hug and she can’t help but hope beyond hope that it all works out.

Sonya’s final conclusion: Marcos better not break Lorna’s heart or he was a dead man.

2. Lorna

Truthfully Lorna doesn’t really know when she actually fell in love. All she knows is that one day she was sitting there laughing with Marcos about something stupid and it hit her like a slap to the face. This wasn’t a crush. It wasn’t infatuation or just someone she really liked. This was it. This was Love with a capital ‘l’ and all the joy and sadness and fear that came with it.

In her head she swore like a sailor.

Not because she wasn’t happy or because she didn’t think Marcos was a great person or anything but because how could he, a rather exceptionally well-adjusted (all things considered) man ever love someone like her? Here she was, a terrifying mess of a person who was barely avoiding drowning in her duties with the Underground and rarely felt mentally stable. And there he was, a person who literally shone and would project rainbow lights onto the ceiling of their room when she was manic and couldn’t sleep and would hold her when she cried for hours on end until there was no more tears left to shed. How on Earth could two such completely different people in such a chaotic world ever dream of making this work?

She was yanked out of her reverie by Marcos’ voice. “Babe?”

“Huh?”

“Did you hear a word I said?”

“Yeah. Sorry. Meet with Daniel at 4:00 sharp to get the plans for the Sentinel Services building. Sorry. I was just thinking.”

At that Marcos gave her a look that wordlessly asked her to share what thoughts had dragged her away from him. And it was that look in that moment that sealed her fate, for better or for worse. That look that showed that he wanted to follow what was happening in her head whether it was good, bad, or incredibly ugly. He wanted to hear her thoughts and be told about the demons that ran through her mind oh so often. It made her stomach flutter with joy because maybe, just maybe, this could be something wonderful.

Lorna’s final conclusion: She was going to do whatever she had to to keep this going.

1. Marcos

Marcos fell so hard and fast that he doesn't even remember the 'falling' part, just the 'in love' part that he's found himself living in. And it is that last part that has brought him to a bar in the middle of nowhere with just a small bag of belongings and a deep-seated fear that he is about to be taken out by the cartel, despite promises from Carmen’s father that he could leave the family on good terms (Carmen was far less agreeable when he broke the news to her that he was leaving).

The drink he was nursing was doing absolutely nothing to take the edge off and he was bouncing his leg rapidly, trying to release at least a fraction of the nervous energy inside of him. In truth, he knew how stupid all of this was. He’d met with Lorna and John only a month ago and had helped them out a couple times since but he’d been adamant that he was not, under any circumstances, leaving the cartel. He’d come up with excuse after excuse and Lorna, with her quick wit and sharp tongue had called him out on each one. It was too dangerous, he’d say. She’d retort that the Underground protects their own and he’d be safe. Carmen would never be okay with it he’d sigh. She’d roll her eyes and promise him that truly she could find him another girlfriend if that was his hang up about the whole thing. He’d make a comment about it just not being a good fit and she would get up from the table and walk away because “that was the most ridiculous excuse ever”. (Years and years later, when Aurora is older and the world is a fair bit brighter and they’re not running and hiding anymore, Marcos will decide that it must have been during those early arguments where he fell for Lorna.) John hadn’t ever pushed Marcos to join them, but Lorna had pushed incessantly until he’d found himself laying in bed with Carmen desperately trying to come up with an actual reason to not leave. He didn’t love Carmen; they both knew that. It would be dangerous, but he knew that he could take care of himself if he needed to. And he did enjoy the work he’d done with mutants in the past. He’d liked the way the work had made him feel like he was making a difference. That’s it, he’d thought, that’s why I want to leave. But that hadn’t felt right either. There was something else. You mean someone else, a small voice in his head whispered. It wasn’t until he’d woken up with images of black hair and green nails in his mind that he’d begun to accept that maybe his heart was telling him it was time to go.

And that’s how he’d ended up sipping a truly horrendous drink in a bar at 4:00 in the afternoon on a Thursday, ready to leave the cartel to join a group of mutants.

Then Lorna Dane walked through the door and gave him that smile of hers and he corrected himself. He was leaving the cartel for the chance of a future with someone better doing something good, regardless of the cartel and his past and his flaws and the fact that this was all an enormous risk that could blow up in his face at any moment.

Marcos’ final conclusion: He was doomed. But maybe it’d be worth it.

[markantonys]

Hi! It's L'allieva anon!

Omg I was dying by the end of the season when Claudio kept leaving her stranded in the middle of nowhere 😂. You'd think she'd learn what triggers Claudio's change of humor but nooo she had the same shocked pikachu face each time.

You know, I thought I was the only one who started to like Ambra. At the beginning I didn't stand her, but toward the end of the season when she stopped being jealous about Claudio and Alice, the writers allowed her to be more than a one dimensional character. I was actually excited that she was pregnant! I really wanted her to stay and see her struggle to be the best while dealing with the pregnancy and questioning what she wanted in life. It could have been the start of a lovely friendship between her and Alice too ( because that woman befriends everybody!!)...but nooo they had to make her leave. Though later I found out that in the books Ambra lost her baby and actually died ( Alice investigated her death)...so it's better that they didn't kill her at least.

Speaking of bitchy rivals, I really enjoyed Beatrice in s2.

Jesus Alice's hair is disastrous in s2, as is her wardrobe! I don't know how they managed to make her even more child-like visually but they succeeded. She looks like a schoolgirl! They only positive change is Claudio's wardrobe! I love his new suits and the vests suit him so well! Somebody finally understood they have to keep that man in various shades of blue haha.

I feel you with the love triangles!

Well I'm not going to spoil you but let's just say Arthur is like an annoying cockroach that won't fucking die.

I too was stunned that they kept dragging that relationship untill the s1 finally...i was actually cheering on Claudio when he was ranting at her after the congress because she WAS acting like a teenager.

And Yes! Marco not being bi is a fucking missed opportunity because he totally gave me bi-vibes. I was like "get him a boyfriend! Or say he had a secret boyfriend and his family -beside Alice- didn't know about him" .So I am adopting your HC as my own! Bi-solidarity!

I love Alice and Claudio! Their bantering is so entertaining and it's the spice of the show! Though their communication issues are killing me...but they're improving season after season. I think Claudio is the one who grows the more each season, and it's beautiful to watch him mature emotionally and change for Alice. And this season is fun because we get a full on Jealous!Claudio 😁. Alice on the other hand, is slow with personal growth but I digg her professionnal growth! How she becomes more sure of herself, more efficient but doesn't lose the empathy and the willingless to help that makes her who she is.

I haven't seen non uccidere, it's on my list to watch because I LOVE Miriam Leone!

NICE i’m not the only one who grew fond of ambra! oh my god she dies in the books? that’s awful i’m so glad they didn’t do that!! if she had to leave i’m definitely glad she was just written out rather than mercilessly killed off damn

aww i like alice’s wardrobe haha it’s so cute! oh nooo i thought arthur was gone for good jfc are we going to get a love square situation with him and claudio and sergio lmfao most of the time i would make fun of the tropiness of every single person who meets the protagonist falling instantly in love with her but like. it’s alessandra mastronardi so i get it

yess the alice/claudio banter is the best! right now claudio is being annoyingly emotionally stunted so i’m looking forward to see him grow in that respect haha and you’re so right, alice’s professional growth is really nice to watch! i’m glad they actually pay attention to the fact that she’s a student still learning and developing her career rather than only using that as the setup for crimes and love triangles

and i highly Highly recommend non uccidere, it’s probably my favorite italian tv show i’ve seen so far (granted it’s also the only one i watched with professionally-done english subs so i also just understood it better lmao) and miriam is absolutely fantastic in it (plus matteo martari is there as the love interest so what could be better than that!)

[dirtylevi]

Do you think Reiner can actually kill himself by blowing his brains out (I mean, he survived getting half of his head chopped off before)? And why do you think he's doing it?

Hello, hello you beautiful anon!

DISCLAIMER: This is my personal opinion. In no way am I stating what I say here is canon or completely accurate. if you disagree with my opinion, that’s perfectly fine! Everyone has a different interpretation, but if you are going to send me messages trying to argue points of view with me or send me hate messages; please do us both a favor and just don’t even bother with it. WARNINGS: Major spoilers & mentions of attempted suicide ahead!

I’m really glad you asked me this because I’ve been seeing a lot of different POV’s on these two subjects and I’m always excited to throw my two cents in when it’s wanted. As usual, I will be putting this under a Read More due to the length of my response and the content of spoiler panels that are present. Also, this is completely unedited, so please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors! Now then, let me start off by saying that a gun shot wound to the head would have most definitely killed Reiner if he truly wanted it to. 

While it is true that he had his head blown off in Shiganshina and managed to survive, there was an action taken by Reiner that allowed that to happen, which is basically the fact that his brain functions were intact within his body and not within his skull.

This was something he did on purpose in order to survive, but had he not triggered the action fast enough or at all; Levi’s attempt at killing him would have been successful. This ability, accompanied with him being in full titan form is what allowed him to survive having his entire brain and half of his skull blown completely off. Not just his titan shifting ability.

So in this situation, if Reiner did actually pull the trigger on the rifle, the only way he would have survived it is if he purposefully moved his brain functions throughout his body in a split second. 

Basically, if Reiner wants to kill himself; he absolutely can. His titan healing abilities alone would not be enough to save him from a direct gunshot wound to the head. He has to activate certain properties in order to survive such lethal injuries, and he has to allow his body to regenerate. Reiner isn’t like how Eren used to be. He is in full control of his titan power and knows the ins and outs of what he can and cannot do with it. if he doesn’t want to activate the healing abilities or the last ditch survival mechanisms he has at his disposal; he doesn’t have to. This has been proven before:

So yes, Reiner could die by shooting himself if he truly wished to do so. 

Now, as far as why I believe he’s reached a point in which he almost committed suicide; welp, let’s just walk through this man’s life, shall we? Allow me to start with these panels:

Much like what I stated about Eren in the meta I wrote about him last night, Here, Reiner seems to have realized that what he was taught growing up, and what he was force fed to believe was actually a complete lie. The Eldian’s of Paradis were not much different and no worse than him. They were just people caught along in the drift and forced to believe propaganda and lies fed to them by their government, and that they too, were living and fighting in a hell all their own. One they were fighting and dying left and right to be free of and one not much different from his own.

Reiner realizes this, and he hates himself for it. Because not only does it betray his duty as a Warrior, but it also forces him to see how much damage he has caused. Not only to the people of Paradis that he grew to care for, but betrayed. But also to his Warrior comrades that he also cared for, and let get captured or killed due to his extreme need to prove himself as a Warrior. 

Bottom line is, he lives his life currently bound in endless regret, and he has absolutely no one to talk to about what he has experienced and gone through in the last few years. When he is asked about the people of Paradis and inquired to as to whether or not they truly are evil devil’s, he actually laughs and gives back a sarcastic retort. Making it very clear to his mother that he doesn’t see them as Devil’s at all. 

His own mother, the one person he strove to become a Warrior for refuses to listen to him at risk of her family losing the Armored Titan inheritance. She knows Reiner’s time is coming to an end, and instead of worrying for him or trusting in his experience, she’s screeching at Gabi that of course the island dwellers are evil. Of course they’re devil’s, and the Devil’s must be purged. That she must take up the reigns of Reiner’s power by fucking eating him and killing them all in order to free the “better Eldians”. 

Reiner’s eyes as she cuts him off before he can answer Gabi’s question says it all. The people of Paradis aren’t Devils at all. At least, not in his eyes, but he can’t say that out loud because it will get him, and his entire family killed, and no one, not even his own mother would believe him anyways. 

So, once dinner is said and done and Reiner is left to his thoughts, he contemplates what made him want to become a Warrior in the first place. Which, as stated above, was his mother and wanting to make her happy. 

He busted his ass for his mother so she could become an honorary Marlian and finally be with his father. So they could all be one big, happy, free family living comfortably. But, that backfires as soon as he’s finally gained the Armored Titan and goes to meet his father in person for the first time to deliver the happy news. 

His father basically tells him that he is nothing more than a mistake that he has every intention of running from. A devil. And Reiner realizes that what he had worked so hard for was already all for naught. 

However, in order to prove himself and to make his mother proud, and to also uphold his duty as a proud Warrior of Marley, Reiner went on the mission to take the Founding Titan. And in the midsts of the very start of said mission, Reiner got another rude awakening. 

Reiner was a boy who worked his ass off, all for the sake of making his mother happy and to finally have a normal life with his family. He studied, he trained, and he dealt with constant bullying, but in the end, he inherited the Armored Titan. He was granted a chance to achieve his dream, and on his path toward hope; he was told that it was only by manipulation that he was chosen over Porko. That it wasn’t his skill, or his resolve that granted him his power. It was the actions of someone who put the life of their family over his. 

This crushed Reiner even further, and in the middle of learning the truth of his position, Marcel, the very person who told him the truth is killed while saving his life. 

At this point, Reiner had indeed lost everything. He lost his chance at becoming a family [when in reality he never actually had one]. He lost his faith in himself, and he lost one of his comrades. But after running away from the titan we know to be Ymir, and confronted by Annie to return and look for her to take back the Jaw Titan; Reiner again, thinks of his mother, and making her happy. 

Point blank, Reiner freaks at the thought of letting her down. At failing the mission and going home empty handed because not only will he die, but he will also never achieve his dream. So, after convincing Annie and Bertoldt that their lives would also be at risk for losing the Jaw titan, and Annie says this to him in response:

Reiner responds right back. Telling her that if his death is what it will take for them to all go back home; then fine. He’s dead. He’ll become Marcel and make sure they all return back alive and with something in hand.

Fact of the matter is, Reiner lost his Warrior spirit slowly but surely the longer he lived within Paradis, and the loss of Annie and Bertoldt only added to the sins and unfulfilled promises piled upon his shoulders. 

Reiner helped kill over 250,000 innocent people as a plan to lure out the Founding Titan. He murdered comrades such as Marco due to his twisted sense of duty as a Warrior. He betrayed countless people who actually appreciated and loved him solely to keep his promise to Annie and Bertoldt. He berated Annie’s dedication and questioned her loyalty, while also feeding into the life the grew to enjoy within the walls of Paradis. And in the process of doing all of these things, he lost his sense of which side was right, and which was wrong due to burying all of these actions subconsciously beneath the persona of Marcel. 

Reiner already let part of himself die to make up for the death of Marcel. To fufill his duty and to carry out his promise to the end, but in doing that, he used the Marcel persona to cope with his sins, and his personality actually split in half over time. 

His memories became sporadic, and his actions became contradictory, and only when faced with the reality that Eren has the Coordinate power and the presence of Zeke on the island, does Reiner seem to fully fall back into his warrior self. He see’s the light at the end of the tunnel. He sees the very goal he came to the island with just a few inches from his grasp, but with the battle in Shiganshina takes place right after Zeke claims they will recue Annie after their victory; Reiner gets another severe dose of reality again in the form of complete and utter defeat. 

The wrath of those he does care for, but shouldn’t. The anger of those betrayed, and knowing deep down the he deserves it, all added in with the failure of keeping his promise to get Annie and Bertoldt home alive with something in hand still haunts him to this day. 

This man’s life has been absolute hell. He failed his mission, he failed to keep his word, he failed his mother, he failed his comrades, he failed his friends, and he failed himself. At least, that is most likely how Reiner sees it all. 

He spent a five years wading in one war that he learned was grossly misguided only for it to fail and cause another war with a different nation which is also grossly misguided. He’s realized that most of what he believed was a lie. He’s realized that all he fought for on the path of his own hell simply led to a different hell and then back around again. 

And now, he’s alone. Ridiculed by Porko and constantly being reminded that someone, someday here soon is going to devour him to continue the legacy of Marley with the power of the armored titan. And not only is he being told he will die soon, but he’s also being shown that his own family will most likely be the one to take up the torch and walk straight back into the hell that got him to mindset that he’s now currently in. 

So in order to atone for what he’s done. To “repent his sins” and make up for everything he failed to do while also keeping the Armored Titan and the path of absolute carnage ridden hell out of reach from Gabi; Reiner chose this:

It was a very sad moment, but don’t despair. He’s walked a hard road with a lot of mistakes, but Reiner is aware of his wrong doings and still has a lot of experiences to contribute to the world. He still has things to do and people that rely on him. He isn’t alone in the world and there are people who have the ability to understand him and listen to what he’s gone through. People who can learn from him and and all of the mistakes he made.

There are people who can walk the path to hell more righteously than he did and protect those he knows needs protecting. Even after everything, even for Reiner, there are people worth living for, and people worth dying for. 

[glofigs]

A Tudor Triangle Chapter 6

Two weeks later, Michele and Leonardo go to Henry's Chamber to share some good news,

“Henry, open up! We have something to tell you, that you are gonna like.” Leonardo says, knocking on his door. The door opens and Clara is there in one of Henry's cotton shirts. Leonardo smirks and Michele couldn't care less.

“Well, Heelllo Clara, We have some news for Henry, is he in?” Leonardo says.

“Yes, come in gentleman” Clara replies. They come in and see Henry getting dressed.

“Should I go my lord?” Clara asked, sensing her not wanting to be in on this conversation.

“No, you should stay for this my love. What news gentleman?” Henry answers.

“We have some good news for you, the problem we have discussed have been vanquished.” Michele explains.

“That's wonderful! How did you do it?” Henry asks.

“You sure you want Lady Clara to hear this?” Leonardo questions.

“Yeah, In case something happens or goes wrong, she needs to be witness that she was with me and no where near the action. Go on Gentleman.” Henry instructs.

“Well, we followed Cardinal Lorenzo Nico as he was just coming out of the Chapel and then we followed him all the way down to the forest by the river, we come from behind and Michele stabs him in the back, he falls to his knees..” Leonardo starts,

“Ole Leo here, then comes from the front and stabs him in the heart, then we both take turns stabbing him until he is dead.” Michele continues.

“To finish him off we throw him in the river to cover our tracks.He never stood a chance” Leonardo finishes.

“You did what?!” Clara says with a shock. Just then the bell tolls.

“The bodies been found.” Henry remarks. They all run into the court where they knew King Marco and Queen Isabella would be waiting. Clara meanwhile stays behind to get dressed and catches up with them later.

As soon as everyone was gathered King Marco says,

“What happened young squire?”

“We found a body in the river your majesty. We pulled him out, me and some mates, He had stab wounds all over his body, flipped him over and it turned out to be Cardinal Lorenzo Nico.” The squire recounts. At the mention of his name, the crowd gasps.

“Who could have done such a monstrous thing?” Queen Isabella demands.  

“I might have a clue” A voice from the crowd shouts. He steps forward and introduces himself.

“I am but a humble servant of the now deceased Cardinal and I saw that man over the cardinal's body.” He accuses pointing to Henry. Henry looks shocked and steps forward,

“Permission to speak and plead my case my lord.” Henry requests.

“Permission granted” King Marco agrees.

“I did not kill The Cardinal, I wasn't even near him when it happened.” Henry tries to explain.

“Liar!! He is lying my lord! You can see it in his eyes!” Lorenzo's servant shouts.

“No!!! That's not true! He was with me! We were together!” Clara screams in the crowd.

“What! Lady Clara explain yourself at once!” Queen Isabella orders. Clara steps forward,

“You see, Henry and I are in love. We have been secretly courting for months. So you see, Henry couldn't have killed Cardinal Lorenzo because he was in bed with me last night.” Clara explains. The King and Queen touched by her declaration, respond,

“Henry is this true?” King Marco demands.

“Yes my lord. I fell in love with Lady Clara and we were together last night and just about every night before for months.” Henry replies. There is a moment of silence. The King and Queen turn to each other. When they are done their private discussion, the King stands up and says,

“Lord Henry, I am sorry we doubted you. Maybe we have been a little harsh up until now. From this day forward, any Advisor who wishes to marry or court a Lady Maid's may do so. As for you Lord Henry and Lady Clara, I give you my blessing for this holy union.” The crowd cheers.

A month later, Lady Clara and Lord Henry were married. That night, there was no more sneaking around or secret places to meet, they could make love openly and in their own bed. One night, after they were married a year, Lord Henry said to his wife,

“I have an thought, I was in the stables today and I saw this riding crop and it gave me an idea. It's this new sexy thing called Bondage. Care to give it a go?”

“I'm game, if you are” Lady Clara responds. Henry takes out a piece of cloth and ties Clara's hands to the bedpost, then he strips her down and teases her with the riding crop on her naked skin. She shivers with delight. And then he fingers her, before untying her hands from the bedpost- but keeping her wrists bound- and spanks her with the crop. Still standing, he unties her wrists from the bedpost and ties the wrists together instead, then he lifts her up and carries her to the bed

“Oh my lord, you're so strong” Clara swoons. He lays her down on the bed, He undresses, but she turns the tables and steals the crop from his hand.

“Bend over, my turn now” She says sexily. She then starts to spank her husband with the riding crop. Then she throws the riding crop on the floor and mounts Henry, who is startled at first but then gets what she is doing. She rides him for a bit and then she falls off and lands on her back on the bed, where he then collapse on top of her and pulls into her. Hips are swaying up and down, farther he goes, the louder and more pleasurable they scream. When they have had enough, they fall on the bed, bodies all sweaty and cuddle until they both fall asleep.

THE END.

[marinaandthedialogisms-blog]

THE NIGHT CIRCUS Erin Morgenstern

⋆⋆⋆⋆

It's a lot to take in. As I was reading this book, I felt something I knew I had experienced before, but wasn't exactly sure when and what it was. It has come to me now. Let's call it a "serene confusion" - the feeling of not grasping the full meaning of what you're being told, while being inexplicably aware that this was the right amount of meaning you were supposed to get in the first place. I felt the same way when I read Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. As much as you think you’re following every clue, deep down you know you’re lost. The story is told through gradual release of intricate information that does not fall a chronological order, but rather a sensible line of thought. That's how I know I shouldn't have understood any more than I did. There's a clear three-act division, marked by both the protagonists' arches and the development of the circus itself, and it takes place all over the globe, between 1873 and 1903. What's great about reading current novels set in the past is that today's authors usually know how to make female characters strong without taking for granted the period in which they are inserted. I'd say Morgenstern is particularly gifted when it comes to that. In fact, my favourite thing about the book is her writing. It's extremely compelling and mysterious; poetic even. I’ll allow myself to appeal to synesthesia here and call it velvety. It fits perfectly with the poignant environment of the circus and its constant battle between reality and illusion, fascination and fear, attraction and aversion. No wonder the story revolves around a game.

There are three alternated storytelling units: a description of the circus’ attractions, which ends up acquiring a new meaning in the end; Bailey’s involvement with the circus, starting long after the story begins, but catching up with it eventually; and the development of the game, which takes up most of the book. Included in the latter, we have chapters with and without the main characters, as well as chapters in which they are included, though they are not the centre of that particular piece of narrative. Unfortunately, I've never been a great fan of magic tricks and such, otherwise I might have been distracted enough not to notice a few things that bothered me. I think there are far too many secondary characters, and this ends up preventing plots to be properly developed. Some of them begin in the middle of the book and simply die without conclusion. Not to mention the fact that some characters have conflicting roles, like Isobel and Poppet. Do we really need two different characters who can foresee the future? The same is true for the Burgess sisters. Oh, and by the way, why does Tante Padva exist? Or even Widget? I don’t know, it feels like Morgenstern’s editor made her reach a certain number of pages, and that’s why the book is so unnecessarily long.

But these are structural problems. Like I said, I felt really drawn to her writing, so I would definitely read another of her novels.

SLIGHT SPOILER

I don't buy Celia and Marco's Shakespearean love. Yes, there's all this magic involved, but come on! It's too sudden and too powerful for two people who barely even meet throughout the years. And this is coming from someone in a long-distance relationship. I'm not saying it had to be rationally explained, it just had to make sense, which for me it doesn't - not really. Many of the events in the Harry Potter universe, for example, have as far from palpable a meaning as possible, but J. K. Rowling slowly develops an explanation for every single one of them throughout seven long books. Maybe if Morgenstern had chosen less characters to write about, things would have been different.

END OF SPOILER I don't really know why, but I've imagined Natalie Portman as Celia and... the guy from Green Day as Marco! Go figure...

I would recommend this book to people looking for fantasy stories outside the young adult session.