#<- WHICH TO BE FAIR. this is scar we're talking about here. but also

[infizero]

grian: "i'm not gifting you the heart, i'm giving it to someone SPECIAL."

(silence)

scar: (hangs his head) "wow..."

grian: "aw ok i'm sorry- no no i'm not even gonna fall for this, i got guilted into helping you out last time, and you got a ton of stuff! i'm not being fooled"

[tubbytarchia]

Wild Life Session 4 smallidarity thoughts (+ some Scar and Lizzie)

See it was all fine, nothing to worry about!! Joel couldn't bring himself to kill Jimmy, he barely even harmed him. I'm pretty sure he shot him just once (after Jimmy trampled their crops so. fair)? Joel calmed down, he rebuilt his car, everything is fine. He says at the start that he's wary of Jimmy because of him going after Joel last time, and that's about it for the time being

Jimmy dies and Joel makes a deal out of it and calls him a muppet. As per usual. Meanwhile Jimmy is still adamant to get at Joel whilst Scar tries to deter him because they want to be an alliance

He and Jimmy meet up at some point after their brief interaction at the start where Joel shot him, and they just banter. And Gem and Scar are just standing there like "guyss we're a family come on" meanwhile Joel and Jimmy's exchange goes as follows: Jimmy: "you're the ones with tasty lives!" Joel: "yeah bet you wish you could have a chunk of me!" "Oh I'm having a chunk out of you!" "Yeah and you know where to take that chunk out of!" "Oh I'm gonna take it! I'm taking it!" "You should!" And then Gem and Scar tell them to break it up and Joel goes "we're just flirting!!" ? what the fuck? Genuinely WHAT are they talking about. is this an innuendo of some sort. is this another ambiguous smallidarity sex scene sorry who said that

Jimmy gets a double kill (in the most adorable way btw. The way he weasels his way in there and backs off and comes back to try again all crouched. animal) and goddd people hyping him up is so so sweet. He deserves this. He's also a little bit evil, he's getting the murder rush but I'm happy for him. He needs to kill more people, he needs to get this out of his system, he deserves this, things need to get worse before they get better. ANYWAY Scar all "that was the greatest kill ever on the life series" is so cute. And man I gotta agree. There's more unique and funny and impressive kills but I would not mind calling this the best just for the fact that it's Jimmy. He's competent, he can do shit like this, but it feels like most everyone and the world is continuously against his survival, but here he is... my son...

And then Joel coming up to congratulate him... Really blummin cute. In Joel's POV also, he says "I went to congratulate Jimmy and we had a moment" which I wager he might be referring to the creeper incident as 'the moment' but that'd make no sense to call it that. With that tonation. Why did he say it like that. Stop being cute

But yeah Scar tries to blow Joel up with creepers only for Joel to save him from his own creeper and he's so casual about it. He is incredibly kind to the bamboozlers, it's really cute...

And then Jimmy does it!! He gets Joel!! And he gets him real good!! And can you believe that the first person to kill either of the family duo is Jimmy, of all people. Scott has died by this point too and Jimmy is the one to make a dent in the full 6-life alliance. Crazy. I'm so proud of him. It was seriously really good too, see, when Jimmy puts his mind to something and is able to focus he excels, he really does. And Joel, oh Joel is such a good sport about it. He keeps saying how it was good and fair and that he still wants an allyship with him. Tells him "welcome back to green" aww. And they make a truce, Jimmy got it out of his system and now they can be friends and go kill other people instead and Joel is proud of him... Jimmy "Joel, I finally got you, so I will stop now, so let's do the perfect dap" and then they both count down and clap their hands to simulate slapping palms. Awesome. All of Joel and Jimmy is just really cute this time around. Very happy about them being a more proper alliance now, but we'll see if it sticks... Joel can only be so mean to Jimmy at this point though I don't think he has it in him to betray him or anything lol. Can't speak for the rest of them but not too worried for the smallidarity, it's a plentiful crop...

Also a very important exchange between Lizzie and Jimmy at some point: "I just finangled a load of diamonds off of Joel" "Oh? How did you do that?" "I asked him just really nicely" (lie btw she was moreso extorting Joel) "Oh, that doesn't work when I... I guess... you are his wife, I guess..." "Yeah..." "Lucky for some I guess- right (unrelated topic)" I'm not 100% confident that's what Jimmy said at the end, it's a bit hard to make out but. what? Hello?

I also extend gratitude towards Lizzie for being so nice and supportive of Jimmy, she was the one to suggest the cobweb creeper trap that ended up taking Joel out, but she also insisted that he drink a health restoration stew beforehand in case anything went wrong. Jimmy didn't end up doing so (he was full) and Lizzie is all "why?" and "something could have gone wrong". man. Nice to him...

[thevegandarkelf]

QOTU: A Little Friendly Competition Part 1

Summary: Going on dates wasn’t always a guaranteed good time. Vec has had her fair share of shitty dates, but the nerves she had for this particular one were for a different reason. She truly liked this one, and she wanted it to go well. Thankfully, Scud shared the same sentiment, and it made for one of the best nights of their lives.

Third installment is finally here! Apologies that this one took longer than I anticipated. We get to see Vec & Scud's first date. I've been so excited to post this one, it's kinda stupid. I hope this pleases the council ('the council' is what we have dubbed our QOTU readers).

PS the shirt he's wearing is the one from the movie where he's talking to Whistler about his scars, just FYI. He just looks so good in it I had to use it. And massive thank you to @dixons-sunshine for help with the summary 🖤

Era: Pre-apocalypse, a bit over a year before the outbreak

Word count: 8.1k (this is my longest one-shot to date and it's only part 1 lmao I'm so sorry)

CW for swearing, some suggestive commentary. You are responsible for your own consumption.

We're also cross-posting on AO3 if you prefer to read it there!

My AO3 Krys' AO3

Upon hearing the vibration against the wood, Vec took her phone off her dresser, a small smile gracing her lips when she realized it was a message from him. Running a hand through her hair and brushing her bangs from her eyes, she opened the message, blood flowing to her cheeks and turning them from their normal pale to baby pink.

Josh ☺️: I can’t wait to see you later. It’s been too long 😉

They’d been talking for weeks, texting on and off throughout each day and even having a few phone calls in the evenings. During one of those phone calls was the first time he called her “Vee,” which quickly became his special nickname for her. Immediately following that conversation, she ran to Georgie, standing in her bedroom doorway and blinking repeatedly before whispering “he has a nickname for me” in the most lovesick tone possible.

She’d hardly stopped talking about this ‘cutie with the bandana’ in recent weeks. Now, it was time to make their first date a reality.

“What kind of makeup are you thinking?” Georgie asked. She began rifling through a stack of eyeshadow palettes Vec kept on her dresser, opening each to examine the colors before setting them down. “I know you usually like to keep it lighter on first dates.”

“Nah, I’m wearing that full-coverage shit,” Vec commented, pulling a small glass bottle of foundation from the drawer, “I’m not about to be looking like a tomato all night long.”

She spent hours curling her hair, having to take a break halfway through and recruiting her best friend to help finish the job when her arms got tired.

“Gin, can you help me?” Vec practically begged as she stepped out into the living room, half of her head in curls while the other remained pin straight.

“I was wondering when you were going to ask,” Georgie chuckled, setting her stack of papers on the glass coffee table to join her in the bathroom. Every time Vec curled her hair, she insisted she could do it all herself, and every time, she requested Georgie’s help somewhere between halfway and three-quarters of the way done.

As a surgeon, she typically wasn’t allowed to have her nails painted. However, since she was off for a couple of weeks taking some much-needed and well-deserved PTO, she decided to treat herself, opting for some black acrylics. electing to keep them short as long nails could make date night plans more difficult.

She also recruited Georgie’s help in picking an outfit, the pile of different dresses, skirts, and more on her bed becoming too much to sort through on her own. Walking back into the living room, she simply grabbed Georgie’s hand without saying a word, taking her back into her room for her to get an eyeful of the mountain of clothes occupying her place of rest, and Georgie knew just what that meant. Vec hated to pull Georgie from her work, but she also knew if she didn’t, one, she would never hear the end of it, and two, she would never be able to garner up the courage to leave the house.

“You didn’t already have your outfit picked out?” Georgie teased, grabbing different tops off of hangers and adding them to the pile, “what, are you gonna go in your scrubs?”

Vec chuckled, the sweet sound of amusement rising from the depths of her chest sounding like music to Georgie’s ears. “I mean, he has already seen me in them, and he still seemed to be into—“ she paused and used her hands to gesture up and down her body “—all of this.”

The pair eventually settled on something simple, pairing a long-sleeved black sweater with a black skirt and a pair of fishnets. Taking extra precaution, she slipped a pair of shorts on under her skirt, the shorts long enough to just cover the tattoos on the back on her thighs.

Grabbing her favorite fragrance off her dresser, she gave her neck, décolletage, and wrists a few spritzes, rubbing her wrists together to ensure the scent settled. The little bottle of vanilla-scented spray was a gift from her mom for her high-school graduation, and it had been dubbed her “lucky perfume” after many an instance of it coming clutch. She only wore it for the most special of occasions—her white coat ceremony, Match Day, her birthday—and this, a first date with a man she was already falling head over heels for, was a very, very special occasion.

Taking one last deep breath and draping her hair over her shoulders, she gave herself one final look-over in her mirror and flattened her sweater. She did one small twirl, watching her skirt flow around her thighs and her curls bounce as they settled back into place.

Making her way back into the living room, she stood in front of her best friend, who’d been spending her evening grading papers when she wasn’t helping her prepare for her date. She anxiously cracked her fingers before repeatedly wiggling them in some pathetic attempt to rid herself of all the nervous energy cooped up inside her body. “What do you think?”

Looking up from her work, a massive smile spread across Georgie’s face as she took in the sight of her bestie before her, all dolled up and dressed to impress. “You look hot.” Giving her a slow up-down with her eyes, something caught her attention. “You’re not wearing the push-up this time?”

Vec was a smaller gal, some curves but nothing crazy, and her chest was by far her biggest insecurity. She always wore the only push-up bra she owned on dates, attempting to boost her confidence by making her small chest not look so small. This time was different. “No. I’m, uh, going for…authenticity this time.”

“Wow. You must really like this one,” Georgie commented, setting her red pen down on the table and rising to her feet. She could only think of one other occasion where her Dia hadn’t worn that illustrious push-up, and that was back in undergrad.

“Yeah,” Vec replied in a sickly, tooth-rotting tone, her cheeks becoming flushed under her full-coverage face. She twirled away from Georgie long enough to slip on and zip up her combat boots.

“Well, he’s a lucky man, getting to take you out.”

Pacing the living room of their shared apartment, she kept her eyes glued to the floor as she began gently scratching at the side of her left thumb with her index finger, the primary telltale sign of her anxiety. “Gin, I feel like I wanna throw up and die.”

“Throw up, sure, yeah. That makes sense. And I’ll certainly hold your hair back if you do,” Georgie assured, crossing over from the couch and standing off to the side of Vec as she continued to pace. She followed her with her eyes back and forth from the entryway to the TV stand and back again. “But die? That feels a bit overdramatic, even for you, Dia.”

“Not helping.” Her tone was unintentionally stern, and she was immediately kicking herself. “I didn’t mean to snap, I’m just so worked up, and not in the fun way.”

Georgie couldn’t help but snicker in response. Even when she was “worked up, and not in the fun way,” her best friend was still cracking jokes and being her overdramatic, unhinged self. “Just try to take a deep breath, okay? Think of this as a day out with one of your friends, just a casual get-together. Less pressure that way.”

“Right…just a hangout…” Vec whispered between deep breaths, “…until one of us is flirting every two fucking seconds.”

“And if anything goes wrong on this ‘hangout’, I’m only a phone call away, remember? I’ll drop everything and come to you if I need to.”

“I know. I’m just super worked up right now. I mean, what if he thinks I’m too bold?”

She snickered again, this time a little louder and with a hint of surprise in her tone. Never had Vec been concerned about being “too bold,” especially for a man. For her to be worrying about something like that meant this ‘cutie with the bandana’ must’ve been special. “It sounds like you were pretty bold back at the auto shop, and he seemed into it. I think if he thought you were “too bold” then you wouldn’t be here now,” Georgie assured, “and if he does decide you’re “too bold,” then it’s his loss.”

Slowing down before coming to a stop, Vec finally ceased her pacing, turning to Georgie as she adjusted her glasses on her nose. “You’re right. I’ve already been pretty bold. I’m just stuck in my own head.”

“Well, let’s get you out of there then.” Georgie stepped closer to her and began brushing hair out of her eyes, adjusting her curls, and looking her outfit over to ensure there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight. “Tell me what the plan is again.”

“Umm, I’m meeting him at the bowling alley, and I’m not sure after that,” Vec explained, resting the urge to bite at her bottom lip as to not get lipstick on her teeth, “we might go get food or something, I don’t know. I feel too sick to eat right now.”

“Babe, can you take a deep breath for me?” Georgie asked. Vec nodded, and she forced herself to take a deep, calming breath in through her nose and out through her mouth. Georgie placed her hands on her shoulders before meeting her gaze. “You’re going to be fine. I’m sure once you get there, all of your nerves will just melt away. You’re Lydia Rae Vector, the best way this man could be spending his Friday night.”

Vec would’ve been lying if she said the mini pep-talk from her Ginny didn’t do a number in terms of boosting her ego. “Well, I don’t know about the best way, but definitely a good one.” She took her phone out long enough to look at the time before sliding it back into her bag. “I should get going. I’m supposed to be there in twenty minutes. And you know me, gotta get there early.”

“Don’t forget to—“

“I know, I know. Text you every time I change locations and call with the code phrase if things get sketchy.” Every time one of them was headed out on a date or a hookup, they always reminded the other of their golden rule, as if they hadn’t been doing it their entire friendship.

As she headed out the front door, Georgie called out to her one last time. “Stay safe, have fun, and use protection! Not necessarily in that order, but you know what I mean.”

Vec rolled her eyes and scoffed as she poked her head back in the doorframe just long enough to respond. “Thanks, Gin.”

The bowling alley was only about a 5 minute drive from her place, but given the Friday night Atlanta traffic, it took her almost the whole 20 minute window to get there. After speed-walking through the ever-growing-dark parking lot, she leaned against the first counter she came across, which happened to be empty. She sent a quick text to let him know she was there and where in the building to find her. She also send a message to Georgie, letting her know she’d made it safely.

Vec: Made it. Just waiting for him.

Vec: I still wanna throw up and ✨die✨

Ginny 🌻: You’re gonna be fine. And if you don’t feel fine, I’ll be there before you know it 💛

The next message that made its way through to her was from none other than her date, and given that it was their agreed meet-up time, she figured he had to be close.

Josh ☺️: What are you wearing?

Josh: ☺️: Y’know, so I can spot you 😉

Vec: You’ll see 😉

A few minutes later, she was greeted from behind by a pair of hands over her eyes, hovering just over her glasses. In a normal situation, she would’ve whipped around before the person had a chance to say a word and clocked them in the nose. This situation was out of the ordinary in the best way.

“Guess who?” the familiar voice behind her greeted, chuckling softly.

“Gee, I wonder.” Her tone was sarcastic, amused, and flirty all at the same time, a combination that sent the mechanic’s heart plummeting into his stomach and joining the butterflies already making a home there.

“I’d offer a hint, but that would give it away,” he teased. He hoped that, even though he didn’t give the hint, she’d still catch on to what it was going to be. And catch on she did.

The fucking bandana, she thought. She didn’t say anything, but the giggly scoff that met his ears told him everything he needed to know.

Finally removing his hands from her eyes, he tapped on her shoulder to get her to spin around. Her curls bounced on her shoulders as she turned, her skirt flowing around her thighs catching his attention. At the mere sight of her, his stomach was doing backflips, and when their eyes locked, he knew he was in for one of the best nights of his life.

“Hi!” she greeted. The tone of her voice had changed to one of sheer delight, and there was almost a sparkle to it. She roped him in for a hug, her arms sliding around his neck and his instinctively traveling to her waist. He was elated about her desire for physical contact. It was a short hug, but it was just long enough for him to get a whiff of the sweet vanilla perfume on her neck.

“Damn,” she laughed, bringing her head back up and gently brushing a few stray hairs from his eyes, “no bandana this time, huh?”

He kept his hands on her waist as she worked, moving strands from one side to the other of the natural parting on his scalp. It wasn’t intentional the way his hands stayed planted there and subconsciously pulled her closer. He was simply too enraptured with the sight before him to do anything about it. “Figured I’d let the hair down for a change. But look at you. You clean up good, doc.”

“Clean up good” was an understatement, he thought. She looked beautiful, damn near ethereal, the shimmer on her cheekbone catching the fluorescent light above them. Even curled, her long hair still reached down past her chest, and the shade of dark purple lipstick she’d picked out made her cerulean eyes pop. It took everything in him to not plant one on her right then and there.

After fixing his flyaways to her satisfaction, she folded her arms over her chest and took a moment to admire him. His jeans looked damn near brand new, if she had to guess, and hit button-up was open just enough to expose his collarbone. He was wearing the same choker she’d seen on him back at the auto shop, the same choker she fantasized about curling her finger around and pulling him in for a kiss by. He was a work of art as far as she was concerned. “So do you, mechanic man,” she replied. She was well aware of his hands still on her waist and too wrapped up in the moment to care. They could’ve stayed just like that, talking all night, and she would be happy.

“You smell nice.”

“Thank you. It’s my, uh, lucky perfume.”

“What makes it so lucky?” he inquired, the usage of the L word piquing his interest.

“I only wear it for…special occasions.” She was already starting to blush under all her makeup, but thankfully, her full-coverage foundation kept the blood rushing to her cheeks a secret from her date. “And usually, said occasions work out in my favor.”

“Honored to know I’m such a ‘special occasion.’” It was in that moment, when her gaze dropped to the floor for just a second and he was pulled from his trance, that he became overwhelmingly aware of his hands on her waist that had been very slowly creeping towards her hips.

“Shit, sorry.” He didn’t pull away abruptly, but rather let his hands naturally pull away, and now, it was his turn to get a little pink. “Guess I got distracted.”

Her mind echoed Georgie’s words from earlier in the evening. Think of this as a day out with one of your friends, just a casual get-together. Yeah, that’s certainly going well so far, she thought, a smile breaking out on her face from her thoughts and the compliment from him.

“You don’t need to apologize. Does it look like I was bothered at all?” she laughed, “believe me, if I’m bothered by something, you’ll know.”

Her laugh in response provided him some relief and gave him the confidence to take her hand, running his fingers over hers and looking at his reflection in the glossy black acrylics that adorned her nails. “These look cool. Bet you don’t get to do this too often, given your job.”

“Uh, no…no, I don’t, really.” She had to fight to keep herself from sliding her fingers in between his, resisting the pull she was feeling to lock their hands together.

“You should’ve told me. I would’ve painted mine to match,” he smirked. Now, it was her turn to have the butterflies in her stomach working overtime.

Had he painted his nails before? Yes, on more than one occasion. Did he currently own a bottle of black nail polish for himself? Not at all. If she indeed had let him know what she was doing, would he have went out and bought one just to match her? Absolutely.

“I love a man who breaks gender norms,” she gushed. Her fingers trailed up to the base of his-rolled up sleeve, goosebumps forming on his skin as she worked upwards. She tugged on it gently, and her lashes fluttered as she brought her gaze from his bicep back to his eyes. “I like this shirt, by the way. It looks great on you.”

“This old thing? I don’t really pull this one out much. Glad you like it.”

“You should pull it out more often.”

That sentence in another context would go crazy, she thought, doing her best to stifle the laugh trying to creep its way out of her chest. But she was a woman who wore her thoughts all over her face, and the smile she was fighting to make smaller told him that her mind had taken the statement in a more nefarious direction.

He couldn’t help but laugh at her attempt to keep hers contained, an amused smirk crossing his lips as he did. “C’mon, I already got us set up. Just gotta get shoes.”

As she turned to round the corner, his hand trailed to her upper back, taking the end of some of her curls between his fingers, though he was careful not to dishevel them. “Guess I didn’t realize how much hair you really got. It’s still so long. How you get it all to fit in that cap you gotta wear?”

“A very tight braid and lots of practice,” she explained. His hand moved under her curls to rest on her back, migrating down to her waist. They’d only been in each other’s presence for maybe five minutes. Already, he was hardly able to keep his hands off her, and Vec was eating that shit up.

“What made you wanna grow it out?” he inquired as they approached the shoe counter.

“I like to go to renaissance festivals and dress up for them. The long hair makes for some cool styles.” An idea struck her, and she was already reaching for her bag before she could get her next sentence out. “I have some pictures. If you wanna see, I mean.”

“Hell yeah, of course I do.”

Opening to her photos, she selected the album titled ‘ren fest(ivies)’ and clicked on the first picture. “My best friend likes to sew, so she helps me make them.” She handed her phone over to him before turning to the shoe counter, their fingers lightly grazing each other as they did. Just like that fateful day back at the auto shop, the sparks that generated between them could’ve lit the entire city of Atlanta. “You can just scroll through to the end.”

As he scrolled through, he got to feast his eyes on different pictures of her posed in medieval skirts and corsets with weapons that would make any fantasy nerd proud. Like she’d said, the long hair did in fact make for some sick hairstyles, and as he continued, he found himself having to swallow a couple of times to keep himself from drooling. He could vaguely hear her comment her shoe size to the man behind the counter. Eight, maybe? He couldn’t be sure. All of his senses were focused on the pictures of the goddess in front of him.

“Wow.” It came out more matter-of-fact than he anticipated. He was enamored, and it was more than evident based on his boyish grin and the way his eyes closed ever so slightly, like he was high. “You look…” his voice momentarily trailed off before he found it again “…beautiful, badass, all of it. Your confidence is top-notch.”

She looked up from the spot she’d taken on a nearby chair as she finished tying the laces of her bowling shoes. The way he called her ‘beautiful’ had her stomach doing backflips. “Thank you. I’m already planning my outfit for the next one.”

After he put on his shoes, they headed off to their lane. His hand found her waist again as they walked, and he kept it there, like he was guiding her through a large crowd despite not a single person being in their way. She didn’t mind one bit. In fact, quite the opposite. She’d began making mental notes about what she could do to further encourage the behavior.

“I put our names in already,” he said, nodding in the general direction of the small kiosk at their lane. Peering over the frame of her glasses, she chuckled as she scanned over their names on the screen above them. Hers read ‘Vee,’ but that wasn’t the funny part.

“‘Scudster’? Really?” she laughed, that sweet giggle trailing off her tongue to meet his ears again. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard him refer to himself as that, but it was still entertaining nonetheless. “You’re so unserious, you know that?”

“I like to think my “unserious” vibes are part of the charm.” As the pins came down at the end of the lane, he took a bowling ball in his hand, gently spinning it around as to not drop it. This time, it was his turn to be struck by a positively brilliant idea. “Hey Vee, what do you say we turn this into…a little friendly competition?”

The doctor cocked an eyebrow at him, her curiosity quickly piquing, which was evident by the look in her eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s say…if I win, I get a kiss.” Immediately fearing he’d been too forward, he waited with bated breath for her to respond or do anything that would indicate she was comfortable with the situation. When her contagious smile appeared again, her pearly whites on full display, his shoulders relaxed, and that little Machiavellian smirk of his crept onto his face.

“Aah, I see.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she racked her brain for what she could say in return. What did she want from him? Just about anything. What did she want to know about him? Everything. “Then if I win…you gotta tell me your deepest, darkest secret. And it better be a good one.”

“Lucky for me, I’m good at bowling.” Judging by his tone and resting smirk, he was feeling rather confident. “Prepare to get shredded.”

He’d put her name in first, so he kindly grabbed one of the balls and held it out to her. “Ladies first,” Scud said, giving her a friendly smile.

Vec wasn’t a complete rookie when it came to bowling. She’d been before, although it had been a while, and given the little skills she had back then, she was certain they’d since faded away. She was almost positive she was going to get “shredded,” but she didn’t dare let it show, lest he already start to think he had the upper hand.

Taking the blue bowling ball in her hands, she stepped up to the lane, rolling it back and forth in her hands and staring down the pins at the end. It’s my favorite color, she thought, that has to mean something, right?

“So how did you get into dressing up for ren fests?” His question rang in her ears as she took her first shot, his voice catching her by surprise and making her stumble. She missed her center shot, the balling rolling off to the side and into the gutter, not hitting a single pin as it traveled into the darkness at the end of the lane.

“Wow,” he teased as he approached her, “should we have put the guards up?”

“That’s not fair,” she jokingly whined, her smirk turning into a playful pout, “you distracted me.”

“Fear not m’lady, you got one more shot,” he assured, stepping away only long enough to bring the bowling ball back to her.

“So to answer your question, I’m big into fantasy shit.” She lined herself up again, taking a deep breath to help her focus. “You know Disney movies at all?”

This time, he waited until after she took her turn to respond. While the ball didn’t roll into the gutter this time, it was no strike, just barely knocking a couple of the pins over on one side. “Sure do. My favorite’s The Fox and the Hound.”

“Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.” Scud looked over his shoulder long enough to give her a cheeky grin before lining up his first shot. Though he was determined to win their little friendly competition, he was far more interested in listening to what she had to say. “My favorite growing up was Sleeping Beauty. It was my ‘gateway drug’ into the world of fantasy. Got me into the Lord of the Rings, going to ren fests, and eventually dressing up for them.”

He rolled nearly dead center, knocking every pin over with a single strike. He turned back to her, that same cheeky grin on his face. “Oh you’re just showing off now,” she groaned, that playful joking pout making a second appearance for him. And oh, how he was loving it.

As he’d told her during their initial meeting, he’d been on the market for a while. He needed someone that could joke around with him, be able to laugh at themselves, was unapologetically authentic and genuine to their core. So far, she was checking all of those boxes and then some.

“Told you I was good.” Stepping back to her, Scud brushed some stray hairs out of her eyes, tucking them over the side of her glasses. There was hardly any, not enough to have bothered her at all, but it was enough for him to do something about it. He was looking for damn near any excuse to touch her in any capacity. And the little smile that crept up every time he did? He’d do anything to see that.

“Anyway,” she commented in an attempt to bring the conversation back, “I used to watch it so much that I’d constantly be singing the song from it around the house when I was little. My brothers used to make fun of me for it. All in good fun, of course, but they’ll still sometimes bring it up just to get under my skin. Y’know, the way siblings do.”

“You close with ‘em?” He was already lining up for his second shot of that turn, her standing over his shoulder, but far enough back to not get hit by his arm when he swung.

“Oh yeah. I have a few, we’re all really close. They’re all older. Joined the military right out of high school. Became Navy SEALs. They’re some of my best friends.”

He wouldn’t admit it to anyone—hell, he was hardly able to admit it to himself—but the mention of multiple military big-brothers did put him a bit on edge. In his mind, all it would take was one wrong move for them to come knocking on his door. He didn’t know much about the different branches of the military, but one thing he did know is that Navy SEALs were not to be fucked with.

“Don’t got any myself.” He took his second shot, once again landing another strike. Vec was beginning to wonder if he’d chosen bowling for a first date on purpose as a way to show off a little. “Had a lot of cousins growin’ up. Having kids my own age around was nice. That’s dope that you’re so close with yours.”

“I definitely got lucky. I certainly never taken them for granted.”

They continued chatting as they took turns, Scud occasionally doing a tiny fist pump when he made a strike. It wasn’t perfect, he didn’t land every single one, but it was damn near close, and Vec knew she had no chance. Still, she did her best to maintain her confidence and give the illusion that she believed she could actually win.

Every chance he got, he was grabbing her bowling ball for her, ensuring their fingers touched each time he handed it over. Even though she wasn’t nearly as skilled as he was, he hyped her up any time she knocked over even one pin. He was a jokester, and their playful, teasing banter had the butterflies in his stomach working overtime, but he also wanted her to have fun and feel good about her abilities.

“Now the big-ticket question I’ve been wanting to ask—what made you wanna become a doctor?”

“It’s kind of a silly story,” she sighed as he returned the bowling ball to her. She’d become accustomed to receiving rather snide comments when answering that question, and her evening was going too well to have it ruined over her response to a classic first-date question.

He picked up on her hesitation, the regret settling in as he worried he possibly struck a nerve or unintentionally brought up a touchy subject. He hoped a sprinkle of humor would provide some encouragement. “This is the Scudster you’re dealin’ with. Silly is my middle name.”

‘Scudster’ made her giggle and eased her nerves, so she decided she’d tell her story, hoping to whatever might be out there that he wouldn’t think it was stupid. “When I was three, one of my brothers got into an accident, landed himself in the hospital. One of the surgeons was this beautiful woman with long auburn hair, and she was wearing a floral dress and a white coat. Me, being three, saw any woman with long hair and a pretty dress and thought she was a princess, as most little girls do.”

“So I asked her. Toddled right up to her as she was talking to my mom and asked her if she was a princess. And she crouched down to my level with the biggest, brightest smile on her face and said “of course I am!” Then I turned to my mom and said “Mommy, I wanna be a princess when I grow up!” Princess, in that moment, meaning someone who wears pretty dresses and a white coat and saves lives like the way the pretty lady in front of me was saving my brother’s. Of course, as I got older, I learned what a doctor was, but I never wavered from that decision. Not even once.”

She waited with bated breath for him to say something, anything. The first thing he did was laugh, but not in a mocking way or a ‘wow, that’s stupid’ kind of way. It was the laugh of someone who’d just heard a baby giggle or watched a puppy chase their own tail. “That’s probably the most adorable thing I’ve heard in a long time.”

“You sure it’s not silly, not even a little bit? Most people think it is.” He gave her an empathetic sigh as his hand found her shoulder, and he subconsciously drew small circles with his fingers, hoping it would offer some solace. How could anyone find such a wholesome and precious story silly or stupid?

“You’re a smart woman, Vee. I’m sure you’ve gathered that I’m not “most people.” It’s super cute. I may be “unserious,” but I’m no liar.”

“Well thank you,” she replied, batting her lashes as she briefly dropped her gaze to the floor. They reveled in that pocket of time for a few moments, his hand still drawing small circles on her shoulder, and she brought her baby blues back to meet his. Blue was her favorite color, and the specific shade of his irises was quickly becoming her favorite one. “What about you, bandana boy? What got you into being an auto mechanic?”

“I used to work as an inventor. That’s just more of a hobby now.” He stepped away long enough to take the red bowling ball he’d been using for his next turn. “My dad taught me stuff about cars when I was younger, so that and the inventor skills carried over nicely into being a mechanic.”

Vec’s ears perked up at the mention of the word ‘inventor.’ Given how fascinating he already was, she didn’t think it was possible, but he’d just gotten a lot more interesting. “An inventor, huh? That’s so cool! What kind of stuff do you make?”

He took his turn before responding to her inquiry. “Used to make weapons for this guy. One might say he was kind of a sketchy character, but he was a nice guy. Never gave me any trouble unless he was up my ass about not getting something done fast enough.”

“You’re cute, funny, and you have cool hobbies? It’s like I won the jackpot or something.” She blinked a few times and shook her head gently, like she was shaking herself from a trance, before stifling a breathy chuckle and locking eyes with him. “I’m doing the thing again, aren’t I?”

She’d been bold from the moment they met—hell, even before that, given the initial bandana comment she’d made about him to his boss—but he found it cute that there were moments that she thought she was being ‘too much.’ He’d never once thought she was too much. There weren’t any words in the English language that captured how much he loved how forward, brazen, and shameless she was.

“Told you I liked how bold you are,” he assured, giving her a delicate pat on the small of her back, “I’ll be right back. Gotta hit up the little boy’s room. Try not to have too much fun without me.”

As he sauntered off, she took the opportunity to check in with her best friend. Leaning back against the kiosk, she took her phone from her bag and saw that she had a new message from Georgie.

Ginny 🌻: How’s it going? ☺️ Are you having fun? 💛

Vec: I don’t think it could be going any more perfectly. I can’t wait to tell you about it 💙

Vec: He’s kicking my ass though

Ginny 🌻: Can’t have that, now can we?

Vec: Well, it wouldn’t be so bad if he won ☺️

Ginny 🌻: Oh???

Vec: Maybe he’ll get a little 💋

Ginny 🌻: OH 👀

Chuckling softly to herself, she slipped her phone back into her bag, returning it to its home on the kiosk. She tapped her foot on the floor, taking a deep breath and focusing on the clicking of the bowling shoe on the wood. It was a small attempt, but she hoped it would be enough to rid herself of the anxious energy creeping through every inch of her body. When he was around, it was like all of nerves channeled themselves into her flirting, but the moment she was alone with her thoughts, she was spiraling.

“Didn’t have too much fun without me, did you?” His voice startled her, but not enough to make her jump.

“Of course not,” she replied, giving him a gentle nudge to the shoulder with hers, her voice laced with sarcasm. He scanned his baby blues over her face, stopping briefly on her lips before meeting hers again, and for a moment, she thought he might plant one on her.

He wanted to, though. He badly wanted to. But his own nerves, and the thought in the back of his mind of her military brothers kicking his ass if he made a wrong move, were getting in his way.

“The glitter looks cool,” he complimented, haphazardly gesturing to his own cheek.

Despite the gesturing, she cocked an eyebrow, confused. “What glitter?”

“Tilt your head up,” he instructed, but before she could do it on her own accord, he had his fingers under her chin, gently tipping her head back and adjusting the position until her cheekbone caught the light, “to the side, a little more, there you go.” He tapped gently on her cheekbone, careful not to ruin or smudge her hard work. “Right there.”

Vec was clenching her teeth to keep herself grounded in reality. If she didn’t, she was certain she would fold on the spot. Every time he touched her, she was ready to melt like putty in his hands, and she just hoped he couldn’t feel the heat radiating off of her cheeks from her blushing.

“Oh, that’s highlighter,” she explained, “it’s a shimmery powder you put on areas you want to…well, highlight, make stand out.” She shook her head softly to allow the highlight on her nose to catch the light. “Got it here too.”

Everything she said, he looked at her like it was the most damn interesting thing in the world, regardless of how ‘unimportant’ it seemed. Even something as simple as the shimmer on her cheekbones intrigued him, and it certainly didn’t go unnoticed by her.

“You’re gonna have to show to me how you do that. It looks great.”

“I’m not a professional by any means, but thank you.” She tore her eyes from his long enough to look up at the screen and see that it was their last turn for this round.

“I’d love to be able to make a strike, even just once,” she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I could help. Get you set up perfectly and all that,” he offered. He didn’t even bother trying to hold back how eager he was. “If you want, that is.”

“Yeah.” Her smile softened as she met his gaze again. “I’d like that.” The look in her eyes and the way she said “I’d like that” had his heart pounding against the inside of his ribcage.

He grabbed the infamous blue bowling ball and met her at the lane, standing behind her after handing it over. “So you gotta line it up just right.” His hands found her hips, keeping his touch light as he coaxed her to shift to the center. “This good?”

“It’s great,” she replied, her voice cracking as she fought to control her anxiety. She’d hoped that the nosies of other families surrounding them would mask the crack in her voice, but his breath tickling her ear as he chuckled told her otherwise. Despite her boldness, Scud had noticed her getting flustered all evening, and to him, it was nothing short of adorable.

“You wanna aim just off of dead center to account for it curving.” Now, it was her turn to have her heart hammering against the inside of her ribcage as he adjusted her arms and straightened her shoulders, all while keeping his spot right behind her.

Taking a deep breath to calm down—both from the mounting pressure she was placing on herself to make a strike and having a handsome man who couldn’t keep his hands off her mere inches from her back—she followed his directions to a T, rolling just off of dead center and allowing the ball to curve as it traveled down the lane.

Boom. Strike.

“Oh my God, I did it!” Vec cried, twirling in circles a few times before launching into Scud’s arms. She threw her arms around his neck, practically squealing with delight, the excitement coursing through her body rapidly bubbling over. His chuckling in her ear was one of the sweetest sounds she’d ever heard. However, when his arms snaked around her waist, it occurred to her she might’ve gotten a little carried away. “Shit, sorry, I got excited.” She went to pull away, but he kept her in place, wrapping his arms around her further until her chest was flush with his. He wanted to stay in that little pocket of time forever.

“Don’t apologize.” He was reveling in the moment, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be feeling sorry for it. “You crushed it, Buttercup.”

She picked her head up to look at him, her curls tickling his cheek. Despite only a subtle cock of her eyebrows, the confusion on her face was obvious. “What did you call me?”

“Buttercup. Like the Powerpuff girl. Seems fitting for you.”

“I’m choosing to take that as a compliment.”

“You should, ‘cause it was certainly meant to be one. She’s always been my favorite.” She looked beautiful with her face done, but he loved seeing her blush with every compliment he gave. He could only hope she was turning red under her makeup. And she certainly was.

“Hair got all messy,” he teased, looking over the strands that had fallen in her face and flipped around her part, “guess it’s my turn to fix yours.”

He did the same as she had before, taking different chunks and moving them back to their place so her part was nice and straight again. It didn’t take long, but during those few seconds, her knees went weak, and if she hadn’t been so focused on holding herself up with her arms around his neck, she would’ve collapsed. He thought about putting his hands in her hair to fluff it before calling it quits, but he opted against it, the thought of her military big-brothers creeping back to the front of his mind. They were going to be the death of him.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a round to win.” His mischievous joke elicited an eye roll and a giggly scoff from her.

The moment he made his final strike, he did one last fist pump, turning back to her and playfully sticking his tongue like a child. “Told you you were gonna get shredded.”

She was blushing so hard this time, she was positive her cheeks were glowing & the heat radiating off her face would melt her foundation right off. She loved piercings, tattoos, any sort of body modification. Upon seeing his, her mind immediately went in the most nefarious direction imaginable.

“Whoa, you have a tongue piercing? That had to have hurt like a bitch,” she exclaimed, doing her best to mask how flustered she was despite the crack in her voice and the double take she did.

“It did, but it looks dope, so it was worth it. You like it?” She more than just liked it.

She’s definitely thinking what I think she is, he thought as a little smirk broke through, but he didn’t mind at all. He was flattered that her mind was going in that direction, and he would’ve been lying if he said his wasn’t doing the same.

“Yeah, it’s awesome. I love piercings. I’ve only got my ears done, but I don’t even get to wear earrings often because of my job. Can’t have a stud falling into somebody’s intestines or something.” She pretended to clear her throat to prevent her voice from breaking further. “Anyway, that was only round one. We’ve got two more. I still have a chance to beat you.”

Those next two rounds were much the same, consisting of them chatting and getting to know each other throughout their turns with plenty of flirtatious touching to accompany it. Despite some assistance from him, he crushed her in every single round. As it was a Friday night, it was rather noisy and busy in the bowling alley, but it was like they were the only two people in the room. They were in their own little bubble, as far as they were concerned, a bubble they could’ve stayed in eternally if they were allowed to.

“I’m a doctor, not an athlete.” she joked, balancing herself on the counter to finish putting her boots back on.

“You still did good,” he commended. When she finished with her boots, he propped his arm in her direction, indicating to her to take it if she wanted. “Guess we’ll just have to come back so I can teach you.”

Gracing him with her soft smile, she took his arm, delighted with the clear enthusiasm he had about what some might call ‘showing her off.’ It had been a long time since she’d been on a date with a man so comfortable with PDA, especially on a first date. It was refreshing, and it had her swooning big time. Scud wasn’t like any man she’d met before, and that was precisely the type of man she needed. “I guess we will.”

She clung to his arm as they stepped out into the parking lot. It was dark now, the automatic lamps in the lot having flipped on and the streets flooding with people heading out for their Friday night, end-of-the-work-week antics. She used her free hand to brush her hair out of her face, and she could feel his gorgeous ocean eyes on her, studying every microscopic move she made. Even the mundane act of her brushing some hair out of her eyes brought a smile to his face. He was falling hard, fast, and he knew it and had no problems with it.

“I don’t know about you Vee, but I’m not ready for this night to be over. You hungry at all?”

“I ate a little before I came, so I’m not ravenous, but I’m not ready to be done either.”

“There’s a nice bar up the street. What do you say I buy you a drink? I’d love to keep talking.” There was a teeny tiny sparkle in his eye at the declaration of wanting to continue their evening over drinks, and Vec couldn’t help but let her small smile warp into one that stretched from ear-to-ear.

“I’d like that.” She slipped her arm out from his, and she could’ve sworn the sparkle in his eye faded to sadness for a brief moment as she pulled away and reached for her bag, taking out her phone. “I just have to text my best friend first. It’s nothing personal, I promise. Part of girl code is keeping each other informed of our locations on dates.”

Vec: We’re walking to this nearby bar. I think it’s called Whistler’s? He didn’t say, but it’s the only one I can think of up the street.

“Nah, you got someone lookin’ out for you. That’s good,” he commented. Based on the inflection in his voice, he’d clearly taken no offense, but even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered to her. She was simply doing what she needed to keep herself safe.

She slipped her phone back into her bag and adjusted it on her arm. Looking past his shoulder down the street, she nodded in the general direction. “You thinking we walk?”

“I was hopin’ we would.” Grazing his fingers against the back of her hand, he kept his touch light as he trailed them around and slipped them between hers. Vec had never been more thankful for the dark, and for full-coverage foundation, than she was in that moment. As she locked eyes with him, her small smile contorted into a giant grin, her delight turning his smirk into a smile. “It’s dark. Wouldn’t want you to get lost.”

Vec belongs to me

Georgie belongs to @dixons-sunshine

QOTU taglist: @ripleyswife @gothic-pumpkin @weirdoneattheparty @holdmytesseract

General taglist: @raddydaddydude @lovenormandixon @angeldemoncrowley @negansbestie

Want to become a head of the council? Hit up either myself or Krys to be added to the taglist :)

Banner, divider, and © below were also made by Krys

[passionateseadruid]

Snake king’s bride 9

No sympathy for the Devil

Notes:

WARNING!! SEXUAL CONTENT AHEAD! TALKS OF WHAT HAPPENED AFTER CHAPTER 7

It was a cold day in hell. Sinsmas. The actual day, Christmas for the folks up on earth. And here you were in bed alone.

"Hey! It's Lucifer! Can we talk? I brought Pancakes!" Lucifer knocked outside the door. You got up and opened the door to your room. "Hi… I wanna talk about what happened after your family’s party."

"There’s nothing to talk about. Nothing happened." You denied.

"Come on, you can't just bottle up your emotions like that! I made a huge mistake, I thought all this time if I could just shower you in love and intimacy you'd love me. But you cried that night." You listened to him ramble. You took the plate and motioned him to follow you into the room.

"Close the door." You instructed and he followed. "Why do you love me Lucifer?"

"I don't know."

"You're a bad person." You tell him as you sit on your bed and started to eat the pancakes.

"I know. I'm sorry. By the time I realized that my last ditch effort couldn't make you fall in love with me it was too late."

"Is that why you ran out in the middle of sex and didn't come back the next morning."

"Yeah. Was there something, anything, that I could have done to make it better?" He knelt on one knee in front of you.

"Not doing it at all." 

"Well, unfortunately we're past that point darling."

"You know, you're really sick in the head. You coerced me into sex, took my virginity, and you didn't have the decency to clean me up, or even stay with me. Then you come back days after the fact and try to worm your way into my life.

"That's not a fair representation of what happened that night. I kissed you sure, but you were the one who brought me to the bed."

"As you were groping me, shoving your tongue down my throat, and telling me how much you needed me carnally."

"I never wanted to hurt you. The fact that I have hurts me so much more than you could ever realize."

"No no, don't turn this on me. What could I have said? You had the power in that situation. You threatened to kill my family."

"Your dad shot me! And your mom scarred me with holy water!"

"Firstly the bullet bounced off your skin and shattered, and secondly can you blame my mom? You're literally the Devil."

"That's besides the point. Up until that night when have I ever intentionally done anything to hurt you?"

"Well you literally kidnapped me. You're holding me hostage. You've been trying to force me to marry you since the moment we met. You've made several sexual advances on me since then. You threatened my family at the Halloween party. And on top of all of that you're constantly comparing me to Lilith which just makes me feel so shitty about myself."

"Wow, I've been so shitty to you. Are you okay? It feels like you should have tried to run away by now."

"Some days you really make me want to."

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Oo! You can start by eliminating the discrimination against Imps and Hellhounds. Then you can give Styx, Renesmee, Nina, and Pluto Raises, and more paid vacations, more vacation time overall. I get to see my family and friends whenever I want. I also want to see a therapist. And finally I want to go to the other rings and see how the other Sins treat their citizens."

"Wow, that's… a lot."

"After everything you've done to me, this should be the bare minimum." You stood up and walked past him.

"But I never meant to hurt you!" He shot up to follow you. 

"But you did! You try to justify and ignore everything you do! You never take accountability for what you've done! You didn't mean to hurt me! Bit you did! Oh, but I was the one who instigated sex. But you were the one who implied that's what we'd be heading to that night. And I couldn't protest to it because you held the power! You were the one who made the conditions of our deal! I didn't have any room to argue!"

"IM SORRY OKAY?!" He reached out to you but you pulled out of his reach, leaving him to fall onto the floor. He curled into himself on his knees. "IM SORRY! IM SO SORRY!!" He sobbed. "I thought I was doing what you wanted. I was trying to do what you wanted that night! You kissed me back, remember? You grabbed onto me and you led me to my room. I have not been able to sleep in that bed since that night! I have hardly been able to look at you since you started to cry that night. The fear in your eyes, the pain, the utter despair on your face is burned into my brain. I am constantly thinking about how badly I hurt you. And if I have to burn down all of Heaven and Hell to get you to forgive me I will."

"Good. Because I will have no sympathy for the Devil."

[moongothic]

Honestly the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced OPLA's [random Background Extra at Roger's execution everyone thought was pre-t Crocodile] isn't actually Crocodile.

And just so we're clear; we don't need that Background Extra to be pre-t Crocodile for Crocodile to be trans and/or Luffy's other dad. One Piece already has a fuck ton of material to provide for us to push the Crocodad Agenda and this Extra from OPLA would not and frankly does not tip the scale of Crocodad's plausibility in either direction (as I'm going to attempt to explain). I know a lot of us got kind of attached to the idea that the Extra could be Croc because it added fuel to the fire for the fandom (hell, it is what made me fall down the Crocodad Rabbithole to begin with), and so the fact that I'm now going to try to dismiss it might feel a little bad. I just want you to understand that we don't need that Extra to be Crocodile. We have better evidence for Crocodad elsewhere.

Anyways, yeah, the more I think about the less I think that lady is pre-transition Crocodile (-> going to be she/her'ing her). To be fair, there isn't really much to provide as evidence for either case, since she was just A Background Extra who we saw for a split second. It's just that I don't think it's a "50/50 it could go either way", but more like a "92/8 probably not, though not impossible" Also quick reminder I have not watched OPLA, all I know about this Extra is from screencaps so if I'm missing any helpful context then yeah that's why.

My key reasoning is pretty boring though. It's just that she does not look like Crocodile. As in, she does not have enough of Crocodile's key features (in his character design overall) that help us recognize Crocodile as Crocodile. Yes, we have no idea how he looked during Roger's execution. Yes, he probably did not have his iconic scar nor hook during this time. That's not what I'm talking about. There's more to Crocodile's character design than those two things.

When we saw Crocodile at Roger's execution in Chapter 0, we specifically saw him from behind. We don't know how his face looked nor do we know what he might've been wearing. All we do know is that: He was wearing a furlined (or a full fur) coat. He had his cigars. He wore his hair slicked back, and he had at least one earring.

And all this Background Extra has going for her is the earring(s). Even her hair, which, sure, IS slicked back, is still quite different from how Crocodile wears his hair, as it seems much longer with braids and seeming to be tied back. And yes I know pre-t Crocodile might had long hair, it's not like we can really see or tell in the panel.

But there's two things I want you to think about here.

1) Oda generally speaking does not change character designs that much through out the series, as the characters get older etc. Like generally speaking, each character has certain traits and features that help us recognize the characters, and while Oda may change some features about the characters, he'll also always go out of his way to ensure they also retain other features, so that they remain recognizable to the readers. Here's a few examples to drive my point

Moria's body changes a lot as he gets older but his facial features remain essentially the same as does his haircut (and his alt fashion style)

Sabo's haircut changes completely as does his face a little bit, but his fashion sense has not changed one bit

Her ⌛�� phase aside (because Oda is a horny bastard), baby Charlotte Linlin has the same big nose, large eyes and huge smile as she does as Big Mom+the rotund body shape in general (and even ⌛️ Linlin, who is otherwise unrecognizable, has Big Mom's iconic pirate hat)

Baby Doflamingo wearing his stupid little glasses even as a kid- we don't know what he looks like without them, but the sunglasses make him weirdly more recognizable that way

Really, I could go on, but the point remains; Oda does not drastically change character designs often, and even when he does, they're still recognizable because they retain certain features. And so the fact that the Background Extra doesn't really have "enough" of those features makes it hard for me to buy that's Crocodile. Because...

2) ...If OPLA did want to include pre-t Crocodile as an easter egg, why make it this vague? Genuinely, they could've given the Extra something slightly more recognizable to us, like given her either a cigar or a furlined coat (maybe not both), and honestly there'd still be a really good level of deniability if Netflix wanted to be cheeky about it. Like OPLA wouldn't have to worry about them confirming Crocodile being trans before Oda, because we don't know how Crocodile looked during this time. Even with the coat or a cigar we'd still have no way to prove or debunk whether or not the Extra really was pre-t Croc (as long as nobody in staff went and blurted it out).

But as the Extra is right now, her resemblance to Crocodile is so non-existant that it feels frankly pointless to me if that really was him, it's too deniable. Where as, imagine if she had a furlined coat on. We'd be having a much more heated discussion about whether or not that really was Crocodile, because then the resemblance would be immidiately much more noticable, but still just vague enough to be deniable -> much more heated debate.

And I know, I know, people can change drastically how they present themselves when transing their gender, so it could be realistic if pre-t Crocodile looked nothing like post-t Croc. But this is a silly comic with a funny rubber boy as the protagonist. This is fucking One Piece, man, you can't get much more unrealistic than OP And again, like. How many characters in OP have dressed nearly the exact same and presented themselves in the exact same style their whole lives? It's not realistic, but that's what OP is like, so frankly it would be much more on-brand for the series if pre-t Crocodile presented himself the exact same as he does now. Because that is how Oda normally does it.

But again. Regardless, there's plenty of material in the manga for trans Crocodile truthers to cling onto. This Extra does not add anything substantial by any stretch of imagination. She just does not matter.

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

YES. yes!!!!

like the thing i keep running into is that it's kind of very easy to make the heartbreak about the regeneration(/transness). you could make 14&yaz a grieving the living sort of story. you could go sort of the rose "can you change back?" or 12 "you cant see me" route. but i think while that sentiment might be there somewhere for yaz it's way way down at the bottom of the list of things shes struggling with. like she has bigger things to be upset about right?

i think 14&yaz is not a grieving the living kind of story even though it might look like that on its face because i think thasmins last months (between sea devils and potd) were that story. i think theyve already done all the grieving. and i also think they were both so deadset on keeping the other alive, they cant help but be relieved too now because theyre both alive! safe! on earth! they got each other home!

they already did the grieving, together-apart, parallel but not talking about it. and now whats there is mostly i think relief, and for yaz all the anger she hasnt allowed herself to feel for like 5(, 6, 7?) years, and for the doctor a sort of involuntary detachment that comes with having regenerated. the doctor has a scar where yaz has an open wound. which i think in some ways helps because it makes 14 able to be there for yaz in the way 13 never could but it's also really painful right? if youre in yazs position

i wrote a little sex scene between them yesterday that im probably not gonna post i was just curious to see what would happen and !!!!!!! the amount of tension between two people who trust each other so absolutely. delicious. like the tension that used to be there between yaz and 13 in all the things left unsaid is completely deflated by yaz and 14 saying almost everything out loud. not always in the most direct way and definitely not in the most honest and fair good open communication kinda way, but they do say things now. so this like taut string between them is cut and completely gone and to balance it out (bc without tension no scene) this entirely new kind of tension appears. like it goes from this:

to two of this:

idk if im making sense. it was the most interesting scene ive ever written. not bc i wrote it well, just bc of the situation. also at one point the doctor was like i dont know what you want so Show Me and yaz was like Okay!!!! and that inversion too i thought was really interesting. i know i wrote it but like i dont make the decisions here i just write down what happens alright. yaz initiated because she was like I Just Need To Know. yaz is like i want to have had sex with you last year and we're time travellers so this works right?

[bthump]

Do you think there is fanservice in Berserk? For example?

Yeah lol there's tons of it. Casca's sure not wearing these pants because they're comfortable, this is yeast infection territory here:

There's bathing scenes, eroticized rape scenes, gratuitous sex scenes, every woman's tits defy gravity, every woman has an hourglass figure, the Eclipse rape is 90% fanservice which, if you want a concrete reason beyond 'just look at it,' you can note how Casca's scars vanish for maximum sexiness. The story opens on Guts fucking a hot blonde chick and then killing her when she turns into a monster lmao. etc etc.

I'm assuming we're talking about the sexy women kind of fanservice for straight men, which is def the majority of the sexy fanservice in Berserk, but Griffith also gets fanservicey at times to be fair, eg the 'forgot my urge to kill' scene. There's also Puck's ass everywhere, and like, Miura has said that he wrote Serpico and Roderick to cater to women lol.

There's also other kinds of nerdy fanservice, like overlong implausibly cool fight scenes. Or like Casca cutting her hair and putting on a fighter's outfit after waking up, in a way intended to evoke that 'yay she's back' reaction, or the Golden Age scenes we saw while journeying through her mind. Scenes that exist mainly to make the audience go 'I remember that thing, nice reference.' Or like, the volume cover where Griffith looks like Ryo Devilman.

And like not all fanservice is automatically bad. I think even the unrealistically sexy women category can have a useful tonal impact on a story lol, like sometimes it adds to the cheesiness and that's okay and makes it more fun. Especially when it goes both ways, and we get naked Griffith every few chapters too.

Berserk gets really inappropriate with it sometimes (sexy rape we're meant to take seriously being the worst offender lbr, alongside the occasional creepy Schierke scene), and other times it just feels wrong tonally (eg Casca crying about Guts fighting monsters while her tits are not only out but with eye-catchingly bright and shiny nipples during the Wyald fight) but overall it's just part of the vibe imo. Especially through like the first half or so of the manga it has that 80s movie cheesiness and I kinda dig it personally.

And to be really fair Berserk falls into that 'not as bad as it could be' category where Miura pulled back from fanservice in favour of realism at times, which gives it a fairly decent balance imo, yk, for what it is and the audience it's aimed at. Like Casca's lack of titty armour, Farnese's unsexy and practical traveling clothes, that kind of thing. Compared to a lot of manga aimed at straight dudes Berserk can come across as downright modest. But that says more about the genre's baseline as a whole than it does about Berserk lol.

[queen-scribbles]

"Aren't I lucky?"

17. Parents (post-WotR; Trinne/Lann)

Trinne often heard people bemoan their childhood home looking smaller when they returned to visit. Something about growing up and nostalgia coloring their memories. She had the opposite.

"Huh, it got bigger." She cocked her head, studying the façade of the Amell family estate.

"Bigger?" Lann echoed. Something flickered in his eyes that made her wonder if he was a flight risk. It had been enough talking him into this, she shouldn't have said anything.

"Yeah." Trinne leaned against his side as she pointed toward a section of the architecture. "There's a whole addition on the east wing- oh!" she gasped, grinning. "I wonder if that mean Sarro moved in... My initial bardic instructor," she explained when she caught his lost look. "She an' my folks really hit it off, and she doesn't have any family, so they told her she was welcome here if she ever needed to settle down."

"So they built her an addition?" Lann ran a look over the sprawling mansion. "Makes sense; they seem real short on space."

"Hey, I'm one of five, remember?" she laughed. "Mostly girls. It was smart to give us lots of space."

"Uh-huh." He still looked uncertain beyond the expected level of nerves. "How'd I let you talk me into this?" he muttered, running a hand down his face and swiping at the front of his loose shirt.

"I believe it involved a little of me playing dirty," Trinne said with a coy wink, before sobering and turning to take both his hands in hers. "But also the fact I've met your mother. Seeing as my parents live in Nerosyan, too, it seemed only fair you get to meet them while we're here."

"Yeah, but you'd already met my mom," Lann pointed out. "so visiting her was just... catching up and telling her I somehow convinced the most beautiful and amazing woman in Golarion to marry me. This is..." he darted a glance at the front gate, "you introducing your folks to your husband, the local cave monster."

His scaled hand twitched in her grasp, but she held firm as she countered, "Who happens to be the handsomest man on or beneath Golarion, aren't I lucky?"

"There's that bias of yours again. I think you got knocked in the head by demons one time too many, Commander," he joked, shuffling his feet.

"Oh, undoubtedly. Doesn't make me wrong. Look, Lann..." Trinne let go with one hand to instead cradle his jaw and make him look at her. "I can't promise how they'll initially react, true, or that you'll fit in here, and if you really don't wanna do this, we don't have to. But I promise, darling, they will love you when they know you."

"Promise, huh?" Lann sighed and bit his lip. "How're you so sure?"

"You make me happy," she said simply, pushing up on her toes to steal a quick kiss. "Plus you have a wonderful sense of humor, you're a deadeye shot with a bow--which is really hot--you're good with kids, you've saved my life so many times I've lost count, soon-to-be leader of your people" --her hand slid down to his chest, where the scar of Savamelekh's sting lingered-- "but above all, you make me happy. That's always been what they want most for us; to find what makes us happy and do it." She grinned. "In my case it's a who, not a what."

He chuckled, some of the nerves fading. "I appreciate the out, Trinne, but I want to do this." His fingers carded through her hair and tipped her chin up to steal another kiss as he teased, "They can't be worse than demons."

She laughed. "The only danger you're in from my parents is overfeeding and being forced to sit and listen to baby stories about me."

"Baby stories, huh?" Lann grinned. He turned his hand in hers to interlace their fingers. "Considering what you've gotten out of my mom, maybe this won't be so bad..."

Trinne lightly slapped his chest and rolled her eyes. "And maybe I'm going to regret it. Come on, before I change my mind."

She tugged him into motion, heading across the street to the now-open gates and the family who waited within.

[twink-between-worlds]

okay @astral-catastrophe indulged us so here's an entire post about the warped timeline au! we're mostly going to talk about our links in this one! going from youngest to oldest! also @fwoosheye

Siren

Siren is WW, ST + PH link! they are 14. they're still a pirate, but they make more time to visit Aryll and their grandma back on Outset. They are banned from using the windwaker unless absolutely necessary because they're a complete riot of a child. They have a pet pig who is appropriately named Chunk. Aryll made them a bracelet which they wear 24/7! they're small, so they find squeezing into small areas much easier than most others. Has a peg leg

Prince

Prince is ALTTP, ALBW, OOS, OOA, LA + TFH link! he is 16 and is the twin of Queen, his zelda. he and his sister are working royals, so while he is a prince he is also a blacksmith! there is a permanent portal between Hyrule and Lorule in the castle garden, and Ravio still leeches off of lives with him! he's autistic and semi-verbal. he uses crutches to get around. Prince also splits into King, Duke, and Princess, but it only works in Hytopia. They're trying to sort out a way to do it without the wizard

Light

Light is FSA, FS + MC link. he is 17! He splits into Vio, Red, Green and Blue at will. For a good part of his time with the other links, he does not have a shadow, since Shadow died. He's kind of a roulette wheel in terms of how he acts, what he knows and what he can do; but it's easy to adapt to whatever his “mood” is any given day. He and his Zelda are very close, to the point they think of each other as siblings. Light has a minish feather on a necklace along with four charms that represent the colours. He lies a lot, and sometimes he doesn't even realize he's lying. Threatens people to get his way sometimes. Autistic + has ADHD. Blue has OCD and Vio has severe anxiety

Moon

Moon is TP link! his wolf form is much bigger than an average wolf, so it's obviously the result of magic. He's 27 and married to Shad. He mainly looks after the kids in Ordon, but still cares after the goats when he can. He has basically no relationship with his Zelda outside of being civil. He still has a bit of heartache relating to Midna but he's getting better. Basically everyone's parent

Courage

Courage is SS link! He's 28, and married to Wisdom, his Zelda. After killing Demise he gained some of his powers, but he really doesn't like to use them. He has a small fear of storms after what happened to Wisdom and he never really forgave himself for what happened to her. He still has her harp and he's extremely cautious about time since he really doesn't want to be late ever again. His loftwing is called Crime.

Sprout

Sprout is OOT + MM link. he's still got all the masks he got during mm, but his favorite is the deku mask. He's 30! He's in a platonic marriage with Malon, and they live on a farm together. He has a necklace with a blue fairy charm because he still misses Navi :( he likes just sitting in the woods and staring off into space just...doing nothing. it's a bit creepy. Likes to steal. Might be a kleptomaniac, he isn't sure. He has a lot of facial scars due to the overuse of the masks he'd obtained.

Warriors

Warriors is HW link. he's Linkles twin brother! He's 31, and dating Sheik <3 (his Zelda is a trans king tyvm). he basically adopted Sprout during the war and he basically became a single father at that point in life. He has to use a cane to walk and he has a fair amount of burn scars. He's retired but still gives his advice to training soldiers. living his best life. Proxi speaks for him as he is completely mute. he struggles to tell the difference between left and right and uses his hands to remind himself

[bisluthq]

Obviously Taylor has dated her fair share of people (which there should be no shame in), but based on her lyrics these are the relationships that seemed to be the most meaningful to her:

1. Drew Dunlap AKA 1st Boyfriend AKA Mr. Tim McGraw/Our Song/Fifteen (kinda)/Midnight Rain (probably) and a bunch of others

Was (in her mind) her first boyfriend!

Had her first kiss, first date, and first.. whatever else with

Mentions in multiple songs that she thought she was gonna/wanted to marry him

Based on Midnight Rain he seems to represent the idea of what could've been if she hadn't pursued a music career (or I guess succeeded in having a music career, since if she hadn't wanted to be a musician she wouldn't have moved to Nashville)

Has always described him as being super nice

Dated him for like a year

2. Joe Jonas AKA Disney's Resident Virginal Fuckboi AKA Mr. Perfectly Fine (and like SO many others)

In all her songs about him she says that she thought they were gonna be together forever because he... told her that they were gonna be together forever

Was clearly VERY hurt by the whole Joe thing. Back in the day she said it was her first true heartbreak (though it obviously paled in comparison to what was to come)

Did not get over it for a WHILE (6 months gone and I'm still reaching... Etc)

She also referred to him as her first love in the original Speak Now album booklet which I don't think was entirely accurate but girlie was trying to tell a story

"he will try to take away my pain, and he just might make me smile but the whole time I'm wishing he was you instead"

3. John Mayer AKA Sleazy Douchebag AKA Mr. Dear John (and co)

She has SO many lyrics about how she just loved. Him. So. Damn. Much (also this is outside of a musical context but she also said she loved him in interviews so..)

For better or for worse (definitely worse) it had a VERY big impact on her

Threw all logic out the window in the relationship and chose to actively ignore every red flag, or better yet turn them into little quirks (for example: the 2nd verse of Superman)

"don't forget where I'll be. Right here wishing the flowers were from you, wishing the card was from you, wishing the call was from you" (poor TL)

Wrote "I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how/I'd lay my armour down if you'd say you'd rather love than fight" AFTER writing dear john

"I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us, how we met and the Sparks flew instantly"

4. Jake Gyllenhaal AKA Indie Douchebag AKA Mr. All Too Well (and basically all of Red, and honestly also probably elements of 1989)

Fell HARD and FAST

Was like *romantic?

Kept crawling his way back

Kept letting him crawl his way back

Wrote (in her own words) an entire album about it

"I never saw you coming and I'll never be the same"

"you're my Achilles heel"

Literally redefined her perception of love

Taylor at TIFF when talking about All Too Well "I don't see myself continuing to make stuff about extreme guttural heartbreak at your most formative age, that debilitates you emotionally for years, and you have to develop a scar tissue to move on with your life, and write a novel about, cause you're still..." (also it is things like this that make me mildly concerned about the fact that she's never gone to therapy)

We're meeting each other's families within less than 3 months (which I know is a Jake staple but still, Jesus)

"I used to think that we were forever and I used to say never say never"

5. Harry Styles AKA Teenage Boy who can't keep it in his pants (who would've thought???) AKA Mr. Out Of The Woods (and like others but DEFINITELY that one)

Knew it wasn't going to last but still seemed to enjoy it while it lasted

Put up with all that fangirl shit

Seemed to find it inspirational, if only aesthetically

Only person on this list that she seemingly didn't think she would end up with (though she apparently thought he may interrupt her wedding???)

We're apparently on-and-off for ages

Was a key player in sending her into one of many Identity Crisis'

6. Joe Alwyn AKA Golden Boy AKA Mr. 50-something songs (or something like that)

Was with him for 6 years

Very clearly thought he was the love of her life

Once again redefined her perception of love ("I once believed love would be burning red but it's golden" which I know is like a general concept but she applies red to Jake and gold to Joe for the most part)

I really don't think I should have to explain this one. She literally did it herself

Obviously we can't know for sure, but let me know if you agree or disagree. (Also sorry this is so long. I have a lot of thoughts and I don't know where else to put them xx)

I think you’re missing Calvin. I don’t like Calvin erasure lol. I know she didn’t write much about it and I think that’s where the idea that it wasn’t significant stems from but like I think that was a far more defining relationship than like Haylor tbh. He was the first boyfriend she lived with. I think there were very serious plans in place for them. It just started to suck at the end. But I think if he sucked just slightly less and if that time period sucked slightly less, she’d have married him tbh. She’s referring to him as the “good husband” in songs so like… she did think that was very serious. I also think that’s sorta why there weren’t that many songs. It was all just fine and then it sucked and none of it was crazy inspiring but it was also obviously super deep.

[eastwindmlk]

So, I saw this and I wanted to make a cute little ficlet... But turned out not so cute. So, we're going one sweet, one spicy. Sweet is coming up sometime soon.

“He's so fucking hot.”

The words are out of Sirius's mouth before he has had time to think them over. Leaning his head into his hand he stared across the common room at Remus. He was sitting with the girls, chewing on the end of his quill while perusing a page on some dusty tome on magical creatures.

“Ever see someone and all you can think is: Please rearrange my insides. Preferably right here, right now.”

James looked up from his copy of Transfiguration Today with a sceptical look on his face. His lips pressed together while he shook his head.

“Getting a little too familiar with your hand, mate?”

“I have switched to my other hand just to make sure my left arm doesn't get all fucked up.”

He groaned, sticking both arms out in front of him as if to inspect them. See if one had not grown disproportionate. Dropping both his hands on his head and lacing his fingers together.

“Wait, who are we talking about?”

Peter chimed in, still peering in the direction of the table, trying to work it out. Glaring at both of his friends as they simultaneously answered:

“Moony.”

Making Peter scoff and sit back in his chair with his arms crossed.

“Fine, don't tell me then.”

Which turned the full attention of the duo in his direction, making him look like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“You said hot, he's a lot of things, and he's a stellar bloke, but hot is not an adjective I'd pick.”

Peter answered defensively, holding his hands out in front of him.

James pulled up his shoulders in a wordless 'fair enough', but Sirius kept up his look of disapproval.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my friend. And in my eyes, he's one very big, delicious snack wrapped in a very dorky jumper. Which would look absolutely phenomenal on our floor right about now.”

James couldn't help but snort at the implication. Peter cringed and bit a little too hard on his cheek, cradling it for a moment.

Sirius sighed, hands raking over his face as he bit on his fist, casting another glance at the man across the room.

“I really did not need that mental image, thank you very much.”

The remark only spurred Sirius on. After all, Peter had now turned thirsting over their mutual friend a sport. See just how much he would take until he walked away.

“I know, I know! You just look at him and see the pallor of a sickly Victorian child, a nose that really did not need to be broken in third year. Also, that scar that makes his lips a little wonky.”

Peter fell into the habit of humming in agreement, expecting this to prove his point. Only to be whip-lashed by his next statement.

“Those are all about angle. I bet they're actually quite striking when he has those knobbly fingers in my hair making me-”

“Right! That is about enough from you.”

“I just want to feel those bony hips slam into me, is that too much to ask?"

James interjected, cutting him off right when things were getting good. Sirius was being pulled in, head locked in his mate's arm in an effort to shut him up. Something he was not going to let happen.

Peter shuddered, getting up from his spot, head shaking as he decided:

“I think it is time for you to make a move, because your left arm does look a little weird. Wouldn't want to add to make it worse.”

i love the headcanon that remus is super weird and ugly looking. it makes wolfstar that much more romantic. everyone wants a piece of sirius cause he’s unbelievably hot, but who does he date? that ugly weirdo that he shares a dorm with

[witcher-trash]

For your Reader Ask Meme: 10 :)

10. rec a fic that stayed with you

(there is no way that I am only choosing one, sorry!)

Let's go!

This beautiful Lambert/Coën piece by @rawrkinjd, which is exactly what I needed after my disappointment with watching season 2. I always get back to it when I need something to make me feel better ❤️

While we're on the topic of Rawr:

If These Scars Could Speak - Because this is the first fic that I shared with my fiancée! We would always talk about the newest chapter, and this series is definitely what sparked her interest in Aiden/Lambert.

A Griffin's Squire - for introducing me to the Griffin School, and helping me on the way to discover more Witcher characters besides Geralt and Jaskier.

In Your Arms - much as A Griffin's Squire, it shaped my way of becoming interested in other characters and the wider world of the Witcher.

More fics that introduced me to new characters/new ships:

Fair Trade - this might have been one of the first Aiden fics I read? I love it a lot!

Peace-Tied - for introducing me to Iorveth and Roche as characters, and also getting me interested in the world's politics.

time is a dangerous enemy - such a beautiful series!

Here are 2 fics that I've read recently that definitely stayed with me:

Something You Somehow Haven't to Deserve

The Old Hen She Cackled

And here are angsty geraskier fics that always stayed in my mind:

Always Lose-Lose

ask me tomorrow

Hibernating with Ghosts

Silver and Copper

Singing Silver

Now-before I had this blog, I was in the Attack on Titan fandom and mostly read Erwin/Levi fics. Here are the Eruri fics that stayed with me:

Audacity - one of the first eruri fic I read. I love to look back on it, the fic itself and also on what was going on in my life at the time.

Glass Houses - I still think about it sometimes, because it's just....very sad, but also very beautiful.

Irascible - I actually recently reread this, because I couldn't quite remember all the details, and I needed to refresh my memory, because It really is an amazing story.

Mail Order Spy - amazing and heartbreaking story. Funny sidestory: when I read this for the first time, I actually stopped reading at some point, because my English comprehension level was just not quite there yet. I'm glad I improved since then, because the story is just so good!

(I'm sure there's a lot that I'm forgetting, there are so many fics that are worth reading ahhhhh)

Fic Reader Ask Meme

[daybrights]

feyre x rhys and gwyn x az

oh, I'm so glad you asked 😌

𝑭𝒆𝒚𝒓𝒆 & 𝑹𝒉𝒚𝒔

- peace. I'll never shut up about how this song was written for them and then only. If you don't agree, then you're absolutely wrong because I have receipts.

"As long as danger is near

And it's just around the corner, darling

'Cause it lives in me

No, I could never give you peace" >>> there's literally a scene in acomaf of Rhys telling Feyre how he was always worried his partners would always be in danger just for being with him and that's a reason why he was never in relationships

"Your integrity makes me seem small

You paint dreamscapes on the wall

I talk shit with my friends

It's like I'm wasting your honor" AND

"Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother

Is it enough?" >>>> need i say more? Both Rhys and Feyre perspectives here

- invisible string. I mean mating bond excellence???

"Time, mystical time

Cuttin' me open, then healin' me fine

Were there clues I didn't see?

And isn't it just so pretty to think

All along there was some

Invisible string

Tying you to me?

A string that pulled me

Out of all the wrong arms right into that dive bar

Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire

Chains around my demons, wool to brave the seasons

One single thread of gold tied me to you" >>>> I think this is pretty self explanatory

- long story short. To be fair this is more a Feyre song imo, but the following lyrics give me feysand vibes

"Cause I fell from the pedestal

Right down the rabbit hole

Long story short, it was a bad time

Pushed from the precipice

Clung to the nearest lips

Long story short, it was the wrong guy

Now I'm all about you"

- evermore. Just for the lyrics about the dream lmao

"In the cracks of light, I dreamed of you

It was real enough, To get me through (or the violence of the dog days)

But I swear, you were there"

- Starlight. This is literally the perfect song for the Starfall scene in acomaf, which is my absolute favorite feysand scene

"I said, "Oh my, what a marvelous tune"

It was the best night, never would forget how we moved

The whole place was dressed to the nines

And we were dancing, dancing

Like we're made of starlight"

and there's always that iconic cardigan lyrics "you drew stars around my scars" even though the song itself doesn't give me feysand vibes, but that lyric belong to them.

As for 𝑮𝒘𝒚𝒏 & 𝑨𝒛𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒍 tbh it's a tiny bit hard because we don't exactly know how they're going to be but I do associate peace to them too.

- willow.

"Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark

Show me the places where the others gave you scars

Now this is an open-shut case

Guess I should've known from the look on your face

Every bait and switch was a work of art"

- Daylight to me (so far) is mayhaps the perfect gwynriel song. It kinda represents the dark mindset batty boy has been, the fact that he was obsessed with mor for so long (I once thought love would be burning red, but it's golden). It's also what I would like for Azriel in a ways.

"And I can still see it all

All of you, all of me

I once believed love would be black and white

But it's golden

And I can still see it all

Back and forth from New York singing in your bed

I once believed love would be burning red

But it's golden, like daylight

I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you

(I can never look away)

I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you

(Things will never be the same)

I've been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night

(Now I'm wide awake)

And now I see daylight"

[kerra-and-company]

Heya, I got a question for you 👀 In the light of the new episode, what does Kerra think of Scarlet? What has she heard, has Scarlet proven her wrong/right, etc that sort of thing

Ooh, okay okay!! Excellent question, and one I've been thinking about A Lot, so let's go! :D

Prior to LWS1, the most that Kerra's heard of Scarlet is off-hand. Kerra's friends with Cio, and Cio was working on getting through college during the same time period Scarlet (then Ceara) was in Rata Sum.

Cio and Ceara weren't ever super close, but they did run in the same circles, so to speak--they both were studying Synergetics at the same time, neither was particularly accepted there (Ceara for being sylvari, Cio for her whole Primordus magic thing), and they both really wanted to learn. So Cio definitely knew about Ceara, and they kinda had a dynamic of "we're both focused on our own things, but you're here and a little like me, and that's neat to know".

Kerra's heard some of that from Cio, but she doesn't immediately connect Scarlet Briar, the sylvari attacking the Queen's Jubilee, to Ceara, Cio's kinda-acquaintance-vaguely-friend from college that she mentioned once. Until Vorpp speaks up, that is. (Kerra does connect Scarlet pretty quick with the "B" and "Scar" mentioned in notes she's run into, though.)

(It should be noted that at this point, Kerra has zero clue what Vorpp did to the Secondborn. She still doesn't like the guy very much. He's very confident in his own knowledge to the point of arrogance--which, to be fair, isn't the weirdest thing in the world for an asura. But he's also very set on Scarlet clearly not being as smart as an asura, at the same time that she's doing things he doesn't fully understand. And that he's very willing to talk down sylvari to Kerra's face right before asking her to help him acquire parts for his portal machine. Not a stellar first impression. If there was a diplomatic way for Kerra to work with Cio instead of him on this project, she would have. And she does pull Cio in as a "consultant" later on.)

But anyways, to answer the main question you asked me, Kerra isn't certain what to think of Scarlet right now. And that's actually super frustrating for her!

Kerra's very good at getting a read on people, both thanks to her empathy powers and just because she's good at People (TM) in general. She can't figure out why Scarlet's doing what she's doing--not even in a "plan" sense, in a "this is my driving emotion" sense. There's been too much there to sort through. (In part, that's because she's only been in the presence of the *actual* Scarlet like...twice, maybe, at this point. She can't read the emotions of a Watchknight or a hologram.)

But even ignoring that, the pattern doesn't track for her. Scarlet's a danger, most certainly, but why? Why the bombs? Why take the hostages? What did she plan to bargain for, if anything? The Watchknights are clearly formidable tools, but what does she mean to do with them? Why try to get Mai Trin on the Captain's Council? And was there a point where she changed from being a student to whatever her goal is now, or was there no change at all?

Kerra's not a detective like Jory, but she's also not comfortable with pieces that don't fit. And she's definitely not comfortable with writing Scarlet off as "insane", like Faren does. Scarlet doesn't feel like she's lashing out on a whim, in Kerra's opinion.

And probably what's unsettled Kerra the most out of everything is that...Scarlet's not being blackmailed or forced into any of this, from the information they've found. Scarlet's the leader, Scarlet organized the Molten Alliance, Scarlet's helped direct the Aetherblades (along with Mai), Scarlet's been confident and has taunted them and has meant plenty of the things she's said. As far as Kerra's been able to tell, at least.

So why is Scarlet scared?

[trihardent]

Was watching back Scar's Episode, trying to pick a favourite moment and it's all so good like; Top 15 of things I loved below the cut. it's.... a little long. Spoilers for Scar's 3rd episode, obviously

In chronological Order

1. Scar saying Rapscallions. Happens a fair amount during the episode and every time it's fantastic. Bonus points for Grian and Scar Both calling Etho a Rapscallion at different times

2. "Now, you maybe be wondering what these friend certificates are backed up by, diamonds, food? No. Love. And it can't be disputed, love cannot be disputed!"

3. Grian pulling up in a boat and turning around so Scar can easily hop in. Like, theoretically? He could've right clicked in regardless. But the theatre of it all ! Fantastic

4. Bigb slowly backing away in his boat, Scar inching closer each time, "Man the currents here are strong, but our friendship will always bring us together. But we never certified our best friendness... [cue sales pitch]"

5. Etho's testimonial. I think the framing of him on lilypad from SCar's pov adds a lot to the moment

6. At like, 6:45 when he says "but I still really wanna trade up, and get an enchanter today" he sounds so villainous and foreboding iconic, he's an icon, who else brings this level of drama on a regular basis on the server?

7. The entirety of Jimmy coming over for cows; Grian and scar working together to get the diamond chestplate, Jimmy breaking under very minimal pressure, fantastic interaction, 10/10 I cannot wait for Solidarity's POV for that one

8. "Scar I can't give up the business it's not just me, it's- Martyn has kids he's gotta feed-" "When I Turn Red Ren, You're on My List" I appreciate the fact that Scar slowly walked away the entire time Ren was explaining, the cinematography... again, who is more dramatic?

-1. Negative 1, because Grian was very much helping Cleo out during the Pizza talks and it gave me pain, from telling her not to settle for paper, to sort of egging on the "how much is pizza worth to you angle", TELLING cleo about the diamond chestplate? TELLING her he was lying? "Might as well take his pants too" WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON? THE ANSWER SHOULDN'T BE CLEO HERE but it was kinda funny, but also a little sad

7. version 2: We're slightly off time here but Scar sliding into his salesman voice offering Cleo the friendship pack I-

8. Saying he worked hard for the diamond sword he "bargained for" with Joel- I'm wheezing. "That's not just a diamond sword that's a sword with great history behind it."

9. "I can't take off my pants! That's InApPrOpRiAtE!"

10. Turning to Grian the second Cleo was out of sight to say "Oh good I hid the chestplate"

11. The montage of 5 second clips of A) Cookie mountain B) There's some weird stuff going on in there C) Yeah that's a Bdubs Castle. Great 15 seconds 15/15

12. The entirety of both interactions with Joel. I would list the things I loved but it would make this post Even Longer, like Way Too Long and I should probably wrap it up soon. Again, skipping around a bit, but they were both so funny. His house feels like a drive-in, it's fantastic. "Hello hello hello it's uncle scar, coming to visit!"

13. Scar trying to explain why what he's been doing isn't blackmail

14. "Can we still be friends?" *throws flowers* - actually the entire Scar coming back was very funny

-1 for Grian not disagreeing when Scar said he was hideous :( /hj

13. Ren escaping from Etho's, "It's a shame there are others who decided... not to align with me..." zooms in on Ren swimming away. This episode I'm really noticing a lot of the ways in which Scar does a great job of positioning his camera for maximum comedy/effect, and the editting is really good too.

14. The 2nd Ren threatening scene..... "You said you'd kill me first" "Oh no I've come to threaten you first" ......... "I won't kill you or your- partner"........ "He's on the payroll. Disposable, some even may say"......

15. The Second Visit to Joel's

Anyway Stan GoodTimesWithScar I guess!

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hiiiii! You've probably received this question before but what are your recs for the books (romance or other genre) with the absolute hottest sex scenes? We're talking EXTRA SPICE

Good question! I read a lot of historicals which I feel can be SUPER HOT but don't necessarily get as creative~ as contemporaries (like the situations surrounding the sex make it hot, but you won't get as many actual acrobatics lol). So I'll include a mix of subgenres.

Priest by Sierra Simone. Male POV erotic romance; a man who committed himself to the Catholic priesthood for deep reasons meets a non-Catholic who nonetheless begins going to confession to unburden herself. A lot of temptation ensues. Includes interesting usages for holy oils.

A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane. A high fantasy romance that's enemies to lovers; her father killed his parents, and he wants revenge. The best revenge will be accomplished through marrying her and siring the next heir. Kind of dense on the fantasy but worth it!

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean. Mostly here because of The Chair Scene, but it's just a really hot book. A scientifically minded lady asks a known rogue to teach her about sex, like, science-wise, before she marries. He's actually been celibate for years due to Reasons and doesn't want to ruin her anyway, so he begins talking to her. A lot. Of. Talking.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan. A woman moves to a new city in order to live with the guy she's had a crush on for years--only for him to ditch her to go on tour with his band. The new roommate he's found for her is a very hot porn star, who she quickly becomes friends with. The sex scenes are good in general, but this is particularly here for a very classic "nobody's given you an orgasm??? let me fix that, AS A PAL" scene.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey. A woman who wants to be taken more seriously as an adult (she's a children's party clown) begins a fake dating situation with a disgraced-ish former baseball player who happens to be her brother's best friend. Tessa Bailey loves a good "it's not sex if we do LITERALLY EVERYTHING BUT" scene.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. A woman on the autism spectrum hires a male escort to teach her how to be good at sex, so that she can find a man to settle down with. He finds that the issue really wasn't her, but her uncaring partners, and it's all very soft but also extremely hot.

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert. Literally a Jafar/Jasmine story. Like, Jasmine is a mob boss's daughter and Jafar takes her as his after killing her father. Fairly kinky, TW for dubious consent. The first sex scene is extremely not (but inwardly yes).

Duke I'd Like to F... An anthology of historical novellas that are definitely high heat. Includes: The Chasing of Eleanor Vane by Sierra Simone, in which a woman tries to escape marriage to her weak fiance only to be caught by his older uncle, who of course wants her; My Dirty Duke by Joanna Shupe, in which an 18 year old girl sets out to seduce her father's best friend; An Education in Pleasure by Eva Leigh, during which a governess is propositioned by the new duke of the estate she serves, who is a good bit younger than her and wants to learn about sex; Duke for Hire by Nicola Davidson, in which a 30 year old vicar's daughter hires a duke to take her virginity; and The Duke Makes Me Feel... by Adriana Herrera, in which an apothecary owner is offered an adventure from a duke, which leads to love~. They're all good, but The Taking of Eleanor Vane and My Dirty Duke especially.

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne. A spinster who works for Scotland Yard is taken captive by a notorious criminal who insists that they marry For Reasons. He can't stand to touch her (for other reasons) but she agrees to the marriage on the condition that she gets to have a baby, so they have my favorite sex scene every with ~leather gloves. And some light bondage.

Aaaaaand I'll give several Elizabeth Hoyts because I think she writes some of the best sex in historicals:

The Raven Prince--A thirty-something widow begins working for a scarred earl as his secretary. An attraction builds, but she discovers that he's been slipping away to a brothel to essentially sublimate it. Annoyed, she disguises herself as a sex worker at the brothel (mask and all) and begins having sex with him. CLASSIC.

Thief of Shadows--A virgin vigilante (yes) runs an orphanage by day and requires patronesses to keep it running. A high society widow who's got a few years and lovers on him offers to My Fair Lady him in order to make it easier for him to court donations. Best! Blow job scene! Ever!

Duke of Midnight--A very uptight duke (who is also a vigilante, it's complicated) is blackmailed by the companion of the lady he's courting. They begin this sort of battle of wits cat and mouse thing that results in a lot of fucking.

Sweetest Scoundrel--A headstrong young woman who's responsible for running her half-brother's affairs is determined to control the roguish owner of a pleasure garden. They start bantering a lot because he Can't Be Tamed, and also there is a lot of mutual masturbation. TW for lots of past trauma including sexual abuse.

I hope these help!