#<- idea from my partner . everyone say thank you silas

[lemonofthevalley]

some day I wanna make a coherent post about grant wilson and how he def had an eating disorder as a teen to young adult ish age . not tonight but some day

[maria-akira]

to the rescue | team trese x reader

—♡—

summary: y/n, basilio and crispin's sister, just experienced her first break-up.

warnings: some improper shifts in tenses <\3 rlly rusty at writing already aaaa. but nonetheless this fic is very fluffy! i apologize in advance for any grammatical errors you may notice, i didn't proofread this :(

yes, i kinda made alexandra fluffy too.

—♡—

"Good Morning, guys!" Basilio turned around to see his brother, Crispin, with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Basilio rolled his eyes, "Anong 'Good Morning'? Mag tatanghali na, di ka man lang nag linis!" (What do you mean 'Good Morning'? It's almost afternoon, you didn't even clean!) He playfully hit the older's head.

"Aray ko!" (Ouch!) Crispin winced and rubbed the spot his brother hit. Alexandra walks in the room with a cup of coffee in her hand. "Basilio, Mag sorry ka sa Kuya mo." (Basilio, apologize to your brother.) Basilio scoffs, "Sorry, Kuya."

They all gathered in the dining room for lunch. Well, brunch for Crispin. "Where's Y/N?" Alexandra asks, looking at the empty chair beside her. Clearly, the chair looked like it had been empty since last night. The twins stare at each other, then both at Alexandra.

"Diba may pinuntahan siya kagabi?" (Didn't she go out last night?) Alexandra mentions.

The twins both shake their head.

"Hindi niyo alam?" (You guys don't know?)

They shake their heads again.

Without a single word, the three exchanged looks and immediately stood up from their seats, rushing upstairs to Y/N's room.

Alexandra pushed the twins aside and pushed the key into the doorknob, then revealing a dishevled, puffy-eyed Y/N. The twins panicked. It was their first time seeing their beloved sister like this.

Meanwhile, Alexandra investigated her room. Y/N's things were on the floor, messed up sheets, and a broken necklace. She then looks over to Y/N. Still in her clothes, puffy-eyed, and her makeup was smuged. Alexandra already had an idea.

The twins shook her awake, "Y/N!, Y/N!— Gising na!" (Y/N, Y/N— Wake up!) With their loud voices and aggressive shaking, their sister finally woke up.

Immediately, Y/N's head started to pound— it was the alcohol she drank last night. She opened her eyes and saw Alexandra and her brothers. Upon seeing them, she bursted into tears.

—

A few months ago, Y/N dated this guy in her class. She hid this from Alexandra, most especially her brothers because she knew that they would beat her ass.

Alexandra found out about her relationship when she was about to fetch her from school. Hank and the twins were at home, sleeping their asses off after their mission.

Parked outside of Y/N's school, Alexandra was waiting for almost 30 minutes. Usually, Y/N would come out a few minutes after her dismissal— but these past few months have been different. After a few more minutes of waiting, she finally saw Y/N— with someone else.

Y/N was holding hands with a boy around 5'10 in height. They were laughing and they looked very sweet. The boy gave her a peck and she playfully pushed him away, then waving goodbye since she spotted the car.

Hank usually fetched Y/N from school, and she knew that Hank didn't really care about her relationship, so she really didn't feel embarrased whenever she entered the car.

Upon entering the car, she expected Hank to greet her. But she was greeted with Alexandra's voice.

"Boyfriend mo?" (Your boyfriend?) Alexandra looks over to her, and Y/N froze. Her first reaction was to lie about it. "Ha? H-Hindi, Ate! Friends lang kami.." (Huh? N-No! We're just friends..) Embarrased, Y/N tried to make herself busy by pretending to fix something in her bag to keep her distracted.

"Anong friends? Hinalikan ka niya, ah." (What do you mean friends? He kissed you.) She mentions.

"Ah.. Eh.." Y/N struggles to keep her words out. It was very evident.

"Sige na, di naman ako magagalit. Di ko sasabihin sa mga Kuya mo, sikreto lang natin." (It's okay, I won't get mad. I won't tell your brothers, it'll be our secret.)

"Oo.. Boyfriend ko siya, Ate. Malapit na kami mag 6 months." (Yes.. He's my boyfriend, Ate. We've been together for almost 6 months.)

From that day on, Y/N would always tell Alexandra about how her relationship was going. And though Alexandra has never had any romantical partners, she tries her best to give Y/N advice.

—

Tiptoe-ing her way downstairs, Y/N was dressed in her clothes to leave the house, on the way to party with her friends and her boyfriend, Jerome.

She checked her phone, 12:47 AM.

Everyone was most likely asleep at this hour, or so she thought.

"Oh, san ka papunta at ganyan suot mo?" (Hey, where are you going and why are you wearing that?) Y/N jolted and turned around to see Alexandra sitting on the dining table.

"Ah.. Ate.. Kasi may p-party kaming pupuntahan nila Aira.." (Ah... There's this p-party I'm going to with Aira..)

"Sina Aira lang ba? O kasama yung boyfriend mo?" (Is it just Aira? Or your boyfriend is going too?) Alexandra tilted her head in question.

"...Kasama po si Jerome." (...Jerome is coming too.)

Alexandra nodded, signalling her that it was okay for her, as an Ate, to go. "Sige, doble ingat ka, okay? Eto, dalhin mo to." (Be extra careful, okay? Here, bring this.) Alexandra pulls out a self defense keychain from her pocket and throws it at Y/N's direction. "May alarm diyan. If you're in any danger, pindutin mo yung alarm and malalaman ko location mo, pupuntahan kita kaagad." (There's an alarm there. If you're in any danger, press that alarm and I'll be able to know your location, then I'll come and get you.)

"Thanks, Ate! Mag iingat ako. Love you!" (Thanks, Ate! I'll take care. Love you!) Y/N smiled and hugged Alexandra.

Little did she know, Y/N's smile wouldn't last very long.

That night, Y/N saw her boyfriend kissing another girl across the room. She confronted him and he admitted that he had been cheating on her for the past few months. Y/N didn't know what to feel. She didn't wanna call Alexandra because she knew that she would be asleep by now. She didn't wanna talk to her friends either, so she went home.

Once she arrived home, she didn't bother to change or shower. She was so tired. Her body fell on the bed and she instantly cried. sobbing against her pillows to muffle her tears.

—

Basilio and Crispin were clueless about as to why their sister was crying. They consoled her for a few minutes until Alexandra spoke.

"Basilio, Crispin— mag usap tayo sa labas." (Basilio, Crispin— let's talk outside.) Alexandra left the room and waited for the twins to leave as well. Once they left the room, she shut the door.

The twins looked worried— well, afraid, rather.

"May sikreto kaming itinatago ni Y/N sa inyong dalawa.." (Y/N and I have a secret we've been keeping from the both of you..) Alexandra starts off.

"Ano yun, Bossing?" (What is it, Bossing?) The twins replied, obviously curious.

Alexandra knew that if she told the twins, their reaction wouldn't be as violent if it was Y/N who would be telling it instead.

"May boyfriend si Y/N." (Y/N has a boyfriend.)

The twins both drop their jaws, "Ano?!" (What?!) Basilio slaps his hand over his mouth, while Crispin is in complete shock. "Kelan pa, Bossing?" (Since when, Bossing?) Basilio asks with a hint of anger in his voice.

"2 months ago niya sinabi sakin.. Siguro 8 months silang mag jowa." (She told me 2 months ago.. Maybe they've been together for around 8 months.)

"Tangina naman!" (Motherfucker!) Crispin throws a punch to the nearest wall. Alexandra has never seen the twins react like this, especially Crispin.

There was a moment of silence.

"Nahuli ko siyang tumatakas kaninang 12, nag paalam sakin na may pupuntahan na party, kasama boyfriend niya." (I caught her sneaking out earlier at 12, she asked my permission if she could go to a party with her boyfriend.)

"Bat di niyo kami ginising, bossing?" (Why didn't you wake us up, Bossing?) Basilio sighs, "Ayaw niya na malaman nyo na may boyfriend siya, kasi alam niya na magagalit kayo." (She didn't want you guys to find out that she had a boyfriend, because she knew that you guys would get mad.)

"Malamang, bunso namin 'yan eh! Alangan naman pabayaan namin 'yan diba? Eh hindi pa nga namin kilala boyfriend nyan!" (Of course we would get mad, she's our baby sister! Do you think we'd let her get away just like that? We haven't even met her boyfriend yet!" Crispin rambles.

"Mabait naman yung boyfriend niya." (Her boyfriend is kind.) Alexandra defends, "Bossing, 'di naman po yun sapat para ma kumbinsi nyo po kami na pwede po siya magkajowa.." (Bossing, that isn't a sufficient reason to convince us that it's okay for her to have a boyfriend..) Basilio says calmly, but deep down? He was screaming.

Alexandra ignores Basilio's statement, "Ano naman kinaiiyakan niya?" (What is she crying about?) Crispin managed to say despite the emotions he felt about the situation. Alexandra lets out a sigh, "Nag break na siguro sila." (Maybe they broke up.)

"Tangina, sabi ko na nga ba eh." (I fucking knew it.) Crispin mumbles under his breath, while running his fingers through his hair out of frustration.

"Yung sirang necklace na nasa sahig kanina, bigay yun ng boyfriend niya sa kanya. Hula ko, sinira niya kasi break na sila." (The broken necklace on the floor, her boyfriend gave that to her. My guess is that she broke it because they broke up.)

"Anong gagawin natin, Bossing?" (What are we going to do, Bossing?) Basilio asks her, desperate for a solution.

Alexandra wasn't the type to arrange surprises, so she had to think fast.

"Basilio, bumili ka ng Jollibee. Tapos ikaw Crispin, bumili ka ng ice cream. Yung favorite flavor niya ah?" (Basilio, go buy some Jollibee. Then you Crispin, buy some ice cream. Her favorite flavor okay?) Alexandra commands. Even in this situation, the twins had no choice to obey. "Sige po, bossing." (Yes, bossing.) They replied with no hesitation.

—

Crispin was the first one to come back with the ice cream, since the sari-sari store was just by the corner of their street. Obviously, Basilio took the longest— he had to take a tricycle to the nearest Jollibee.

After a few minutes, Basilio arrived with 2 bags of Jollibee. "Antagal mo naman, natunaw na yung ice cream." (Took you long enough, the ice cream already melted.) Crispin complains, rolling his eyes playfully.

"Bat di mo nilagay sa freezer? Parang timang 'to eh." (Why didn't you put it in the freezer? What a dumbass.) Basilo replies, settling the food on the table. Alexandra enters the room, "Andito na pala kayo. Halika na." (You guys are already here. Let's go.)

"Ano bang gagawin natin, bossing?" (What are we going to do anyway, bossing?) Basilio scratches his head out of confusion. "Malamang isusurprise natin." (Of course we're gonna surprise her.) Crispin replies sarcastically. He was still mad about what happened.

The trio went upstairs, Basilio and Crispin carrying the ice cream and Jollibee. Alexandra knocked on Y/N's door. "Bunso?" She says in a loving voice. No reply on the other side of the room. Maybe she went back to sleep again. "Papasok kami ng mga kuya mo ah?" (Your brothers and I will enter okay?) Alexandra turns the doorknob open.

Y/N turns around to see her Ate and Kuyas enter her room quietly, "Ate Alex.." She croaks out, "May dala kami ng mga kuya mo para sayo.." (Your brothers and I brought some food for you..) Alexandra gestures to the food that the twins bought. Y/N sits up from her current position, rubbing her eyes.

Basilio frowns and sets the food on her study table, then sitting beside her on the bed. "Halika nga.." (Come here..) Basilio takes his beloved sister into his arms, caressing her back to calm her sobs. "K-Kuy-ya.." She manages to say inbetween sobs, but Basilio hushes her and rocks her softly.

Alexandra elbows Crispin, who is still standing by the door. "Alam kong galit ka sa amin, pero yakapin mo naman kapatid mo." (I know that you're mad at the both of us, but go hug your sister.) Crispin realizes this and sighs. He walks over to Y/N and Basilio, who are both still locked in an embrace. Y/N felt the other side of the bed sink, she pulls herself away from the hug and turns to face Crispin.

Crispin had a disappointed yet concerned look on his face. Without any words, he pulls her into his chest, enveloping her into a hug. Y/N was sobbing like crazy. Her brothers have never seen her like this, ever. They didn't know how to react. They tried to calm her down— Crispin was still hugging her, caressing her back, while Basilio brushed her hair.

Alexandra sat on the farther edge of the bed, giving the siblings their space. Once Y/N calmed down, Alexandra spoke. "Gusto mo ba ikwento samin yung nangyari..?" (Are you comfortable telling us about what happened..?)

Y/N wipes her tears, "Nakita ko si Jerome na may ka halikan na iba-a.. T-ta—" (I saw Jerome kissing someone else-e.. T-th—) She sobs, unable to form her sentence properly.

Basilio caresses her back to help her calm down, "Dahan-dahan lang, bunso.. Hinga ka lang.." (Slowly, bunso.. Just breathe..)

Crispin frowns, "—Tapos kinausap ko siya sa labas nung venue.. Matagal na daw siyang nag ch-cheat sa akin.." (—Then I talked to him outside.. He's been cheating on me for a long t-time..)

Crispin's eyes almost bulged out of his eye sockets out of shock, Basilio's mouth hung open, and Alexandra's eyebrows raised.

"Ha?!?" The three said.

Y/N nodded hesitantly.

"Aba tangina pala ng Jerome na yan eh! Ano ba itsura nyan?" (Well fuck that son of a bitch Jerome! What does he even look like?) Crispin retorts, Alexandra grabs Y/N's phone from the floor and hands it to her. Y/N searches for a somewhat decent picture of her now ex-boyfriend on her phone, and once she did, she showed her brothers.

Jerome wasn't too good looking, he wasn't too bad looking either. He was okay— or saks lang, some would say.

"Panget naman niyan, panget din siguro ka bonding." (He's ugly, he probably isn't fun to bond with.) Basilio jokes, "Gago oo nga, ang panget. Mas pogi pa kami ng kuya mo diyan eh! Masaya pa kami ka bonding." (Damn, he is ugly. Your brother and I are more handsome than that guy! We're fun to bond with too.) Crispin strikes a pose, which made his sister smile.

Alexandra looks at the picture, then giving a disapproving look at her. "Ang panget nga. Pumangit ba siya? Di naman ganyan itsura nyan nung nakita ko." (I agree, he is ugly. Did he get uglier? He didn't look like that when I met him.) The three siblings laugh.

"Uuuy, ngumiti na siya! Yieee!" (Ooo, she's smiling!) Basilio teases her, poking her side. Crispin joins in and starts tickling her side and neck. Y/N tried to hide her laughter, but she failed. "Kuya Crispin— Kuya Basilio! Tama na!" (Kuya Crispin— Kuya Basilio! Stop it!) She giggles, then Basilio and Crispin finally stop.

"Halika na, kain na tayo ng Jollibee! May ice cream din!" (Come, let's eat Jollibee! There's ice cream too!) Basilio stands up to get the food from her table, Crispin and Alexandra help him set up the food.

"Nood tayo ng movie!" (Let's watch a movie!) Y/N suggests, Crispin and Basilio agreeing. "Anong movie, bunso?" (What movie, bunso?) Basilio asks, "Horror nalang." (Let's watch horror.) Y/N flashes a devilish smirk, because she knew that her brothers were afraid.

Alexandra walks over to her and gives her food, then sitting beside her. "Thank you, Ate!" Y/N flashes Alexandra a smile. The twins follow after Alexandra, sitting on the farther end of the bed with their food in hand.

Y/N turns on the TV to find a horror movie to watch, then she clicks on a random one just for fun. "Ano plot neto?" (What's the plot of this movie?) Basilio says while chewing, "Ewan ko Kuya.. Kinlick ko lang yan eh." (I don't know, Kuya. I just clicked on it.) Y/N shrugs, eating a spoonful of rice.

—

The rest of the day went great. After the movie, the trio stayed in Y/N's room all day. They played games, watched weird documentaries, and karaoke.

"Happy ka na?" (Are you happy now?) Alexandra asks Y/N as they watched the twins sing a duet.

Y/N smiled. At that moment, she realized that she was more than thankful to have two crazy twin brothers, and a sister that would always be there for her.

"Yup, Happy na ako. Thank you, Ate." (Yup, I'm happy now. Thank you, Ate.)

—♡—

o diba sabi ko sa inyo cute to 😴 i apologize if my translations are somewhat inaccurate! i tried my best to translate it well :((

*for the non-filo readers:

Kuya: what you call a guy/male sibling who is typically older than you. (ex. Kuya Crispin)

Ate: what you call a girl/female sibling who is typically older than you. (ex. Ate Alex)

Bunso: used by older family members as a nickname for the younger members of the family. (Bunso means the youngest member of the family)

no tags bc i dont have filo trese moots yet <\3

—♡—

also, i'm opening my requests for trese! i'll be keeping my requests for ahs and gotham closed for the mean time.

*UPDATE AS OF JUNE 29, 2021:

hi!! i have recieved an overwhelming amount of trese reqs! i am very grateful for each one. pleasr expect more trese content! <3

[rjhpandapaws]

Paranormal or haunted house with the arkait brothers. A scene where there's just the three of them, and maybe a scene with their partners.

//the spooks

(Prompt from this list)

This had been Silas’s idea. He thought there was no better way to spend the first weekend of October than spending the weekend in a potentially haunted farm house. He didn’t want to do it alone, so he invited Connor and Richard, who then invited Hank and Gavin.  Which brought them to where they were now. Unpacking the cars and deciding on rooms, well, trying to decide on rooms.

“I’m just saying if the place really is haunted it would be smartest to all be in the same room.” Connor argued, “There’s strength in numbers, you know.”

“Or whatever is here will pick us all off at once!” Gavin half shouted, “Personally, I rather like being alive.”

“No offense,” came Hank’s voice from beside Connor, “I don’t want to share a room with any of you.”

“I second that.” Silas agreed.

“Fine, but if we die tonight I am fully blaming you Silas.” Connor grumbled.

‘No Ghost.’ Richard signed, ‘Just House.’

“Richard says there aren’t any ghosts, its just a house.” Gavin translated, and then chuckled.

“That’s what I said too.” Allen agreed, “It’s just an old house.”

With what they needed for the night grabbed, the cars were shut up and locked and the group headed inside. They set their bags down at the door and split up to explore the house. Gavin and Ricard went up stairs, Connor and Hank took the main floor, and reluctantly Allen and Silas took the basement. The general consensus was that if anything went wrong it would be Silas’s fault.

The basement wasn’t  much more than a root cellar, it was small and didn’t look to be finished. The stairs were steep and creaked loudly as they went down. Silas went first using his phone’s flashlight to guide the way.

“Come on Allen. Its fine.” Silas called up the stairs where the security guard was still standing toward the top, “If anything comes for you it’ll have to go through me first.”

“That isn’t the issue Chameleon, I don’t think the stairs are structurally sound enough to hold the both of us.” 

“Well there’s only one way to find out.” Silas turned to him with a grin, “Surely the academy has put you through worse paces than a fall down the stairs.”

“Silas if we die-”

“I know, I know, it will be my fault.” He said with a laugh, “All of you have said that at least once. Now come on.”

Allen sighed and made his way down to Silas slowly. Turning on his phone’s flashlight as well when they got to the bottom to help with the visibility. The basement had a layer of lingering dust and there was a lightbulb hanging from the ceiling, they found out that it didn’t work via Silas pulling the chord so hard it broke when the light wouldn’t turn on. 

“A creature of grace as always.” Allen remarked.

“Shut up. You almost lost to a staircase.” Silas argued.

The basement wasn’t all that interesting, a decent sized empty room.

The main floor consisted of a kitchen, a dining room, walk in pantry, a living room, and a small bathroom. Hank and Connor explored turning lights on as they went, only to find them turned off on the way back.

“Con, are you hitting the lights by any chance?” Hank asked as they walked back toward the living room.

“No.” He said as he turned to look at Hank, “Honestly I thought you were.”

“Connor you have been to my house, if I turn on a light it usually stays on until you turn it off or I decide I don’t want to pay my power bill with my retirement fund.” Hank cracked a smile as he spoke, “Looks like your twin got what he wanted, something is definitely up.”

“Or someone is fucking with us.”

“That is also true.”

They went back to the living room and settled on the couch. They were joined by Allen and Silas shortly after. Silas took the armchair and Allen leaned over the back of it protectively.

Upstairs there was four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Gavin and Richard took their time exploring them. Rifling through the rooms to try and see if they could tell who had used them. Probably not very nice if the old residents were dead, but Gavin seemed to be having fun so Richard didn’t stop him. Just warned him to keep from breaking anything, Gavin froze when they heard footsteps in the hall. Richard poked his head out into the hall to find it empty.

“Anyone out there Nines?” Gavin asked when he had gathered himself enough to put away what he had been messing with.

‘No,’ Richard signed when he turned back around, ‘No People.’

“Creepy. This was the last room anyway so lets head back down..” Gavin suggested, “I’m sure they’re ready to discuss sleeping arrangements.”

Richard nodded and followed Gavin back down the stairs, still checking the hall for anything that could have mimicked the sound of footsteps but didn’t find anything. 

They joined the group in the living room and Gavin spoke up, “So there are four rooms, given that Hank wants to sleep on his own, we can have another loner and then decide who is sharing with who.”

“I’m sharing with Allen.” Silas popped off immediately.

‘We Know.’ Richard signed, ‘That Was Given.’

“If you don’t mind,” Connor started, “I’d like to be on my own as well.”

“That settled it then.” Gavin said with a slight smile, “I’m bunking with Nines.”

The rooms were picked and everyone more or less settled in for the night. Silas was out on the back deck having a smoke before bed and he thought he heard someone call his name. He ignored it until he heard it again, it sounded like Connor. He thought his twin had gone to bed, but apparently he had needed something. Silas sighed and snuffed his cigarette heading back inside toward the kitchen.

Richard had almost been asleep, and he heard Silas call his name. It sounded urgent. With a quiet but annoyed sigh he untangled himself from the cuddle monster that was a sleeping Gavin and made his way down stairs in search of his brother.

Connor was in his room reading, doing research on the house. Trying to see if there was a chance that it was actually haunted. A few years back it had been burnt down, the reports said it was arson and there were rumors that a little girl had died in the fire but her body had never been found, She had an open missing person’s file and her mother was still looking even after ten years. He closed his eyes and took off his glasses. He was going to call it a night when he heard Silas urgently calling his name. He rolled his eyes and got out of bed heading down stairs. If Silas was afraid it was his own fault, but Connor would terrible older brother if he didn’t at least try and comfort him.

All three brothers stood in the kitchen in equal states of confusion. None of them had called for the others.

“Good you came down.” All three of them whirled around to come face to face with the near see through form of a little brunette girl. “No one has ever answered me before. I don’t think they like me.”

None of the boys spoke as he looked at them. Connor had a vague idea of who this was, and it didn’t seem like she knew she was dead.

“Do any of you know when my mom will be coming home? She has been gone for a very long time.” She looked on the verge of tears.

“Alice,” Connor said gently, “I know where your mom is, but she can’t come see you.”

“Connor what the fuck?” Silas muttered.

‘Language!’ Richard signed smacking Silas’s arm to emphasize his point.

“Where is she? How come she didn’t come back?” Alice barreled on. “How do you know my name mister Connor?”

“Do you remember the fire?” Connor pressed.

“Yes... somebody told me to stay inside so I did.” She paused for a moment, “Why?” 

“You died.”

“Oh... is that why mom left?”

“She misses you. She’s looking for did this to you.” Connor amended.

“I’m glad. Thank you mister Connor.” She faded away, her presence only given away by the sound of small feet running away.

“Okay.” Silas started, “What the actual fuck was that? I was kidding when I said this place was haunted!”

“You turned out to be right though. That was Alice, she dies about a decade back, I read up on it before I heard what I thought was you calling for me.” Connor clarified.

“Fuck this. I’m going to bed.” Silas said as he retreated up the stairs.

‘Gavin And I Heard Child In Hall.’ Richard signed, ‘Baby Feet.’

When they left in the morning Connor paused long enough to tell the little girl goodbye and Richard left her a drawing of a teddy bear. All three agreed not to tell their companions.

[moreaugriffins]

Flowers

So

You know a while ago one of our sessions we ended up doing a flower/tattoo artist storyline, and I said that I actually wrote a flowershop au story? Yeah this is it.

Warnings: none, I think. For once

——

Silas leaned back on his chair, trying to perfectly balance himself on the back legs, without much success (he had fallen backwards, multiple times). It had been a very slow day at his family’s flower shop, and he had already cared for the flowers, and arranged them, then rearranged them, then rearranged them AGAIN, before getting bored and trying to find entertainment doing something else. He reckoned that he could have used the time to practice playing the flute, but that was work. He wanted to have some fun.

The bell rang as the shop’s door swung open, and Silas looked over to see the customer. A tall high elf man, a really cute one at that. His long blonde hair tied out of his face, and his clean neat clothes, clearly showed that he was trying to look professional.

It soon became clear that the man had absolutely no clue what he was doing however, as he aimlessly walked around the store, occasionally fiddling with the petals of different flowers, much to Silas’ annoyance. He had to keep reminding himself that not everyone knows how to properly look after flowers.

So Silas walked up to the man, putting on his best ‘customer service voice’,”Do you need help, sir?”

The man seemed frightened, maybe he hadn't noticed Silas, too busy in his own world, deep in thought, or maybe he was frightened by.. No, he shouldn't spiral now.

“Ah, well…” The man took a moment to think, before smiling sheepishly,”I suppose I do need some help. You see, I am supposed to give someone flowers.”

The usual, it seems.

“Well, what message do you wish to convey?” Silas watched the man’s expression go from mild confusion, to looking utterly lost. He tried not to laugh at how adorable the man looked when he was lost,”When you hand someone flowers, you are trying to convey your feelings. Each flower has a different meaning. For example, if it’s for your partner, traditionally you’d go for red roses, which means love and passion.”

The man nodded, furrowing his brows,”I am supposed to meet a lady my family arranged for me to meet?”

Silas ignored the feeling of disappointment.

“So.. Maybe ferns and white carnations? And some white jasmines? A simple mix, conveying sincerity and sweet love. Nothing too out there for someone you’re only just meeting.”

He watched the man as he bit his lip. If Silas had to guess, he did not seem very pleased with the idea.

“I need something that.. tells her that I do not wish to court her,” he explained,”I would not mind being friends, however, I don’t fancy women..”

“Oh!”

Silas’ face flushed, not meaning to burst out like that. At least he could have a chance with this man? No, he’s out of his league, clearly.

“I mean.. you could have alstroemerias, yellow roses, with multiple daffodils. Not one. One means misfortune, and you do not want to send the wrong message,” he fiddled with the flower pinned to his jacket,”and… maybe if you wished to be bold.. you could wear a green carnation like me?”

“I do not follow you.”

“Well, you see, it has multiple meanings. Health, resilience, good fortune and youth. But a more famous meaning for it, is that it’s a sign of being gay. Made famous by a.. bard of sorts, Oscar Wilde.” He paused, realising that he had started to rant, when the man clearly wanted the simple answer.

Though when he looked at the man finally, he was smiling, eyes glistening. Shit, his smile was more beautiful as any flower he had ever seen, and he was the one who made him smile!

“Wonderful. I did not know flowers could have such meaning.. it is utterly.. wonderful,” As if just remembering, he reached into his money sack, sorting through his money,”how much would it be?”

“Nothing.” Wait, why did he say that? He needed the money for the store,”just a.. small something for you.”

“I must insist-“

“No, it’s fine. It does not cost a single copper piece.” He shouldn’t have done that, but how could he charge the man for this? He really was smitten by this man, wasn’t he? Oh dear.

He started to move around the store, easily finding the flowers he needed, ignoring the eyes that focused on him as he tried to do his work. He arranged the flowers into a pleasing presentation, pretty proud of himself for the bouquet. He was one of the best bouquets he’s ever made.

Silas finally handed the bouquet to the man, who gratefully took it, and then handed the green carnation.

“The green carnation, you just clip off the stalk, and use a pin to pin it to your jacket.”

“Is it rude for me to ask if you could pin the flower to my jacket?” The man asked, in a shy tone that seemed unlike him. Though he had only met the man.

Silas’ tried to contain his giddiness, simply nodding as his voice would not be able to work, and took the green carnation back. He snipped the stalk and grabbed a spare pin from the counter, using it to secure it on the jacket.

“There you go.” His fingers lingered on the jacket, noting how soft the material was. He expected nothing less.

He looked up at the man, only realising how close they were. It seemed the man had realised as well, if the blush on his cheeks were anything to go by, so Silas took a step back.

“Thank you.. um..” The man nervously laughed,”apologies. I never asked for your name. My name is Drusten.” He held out his empty hand, and Silas couldn’t help but laugh as well, at the awkward professional manner he had suddenly switched to.

“Drusten.. such a pretty name,” he reached forward and shook Drusten’s hand,”My name is Silas.”

[johnbly]

[FIC] a secret and a scarf

Summary: The winter festival has arrived, and Dirsteh has big plans with Claude and Silas both.

Word Count: 2,432

(this is my piece for @summonersecretsanta​ for @lesterderosso​! i combined several of your prompts so that summoner!dirsteh gets the complete experience B) i hope you enjoy, and happy holidays!)

Like any other mission, setting up for the winter festival in Askr is an efficient operation. Everyone has their roles -- and Dirsteh works perhaps the hardest of anyone. At the moment, she sits at her desk, which is covered with paper scraps of various shapes and paper snowflakes. How is it that there are so many Heroes in Askr and yet the holiday decorations are sorely lacking? There’s always the option of buying fancy ones with leftover Order of Heroes funds, but Dirsteh wants there to be a personal touch. Hence her crafts.

She folds a clean sheet of paper into fourths, then lifts the scissors. Cutting out shapes without much thought, she wonders what else she can do. There are already many Heroes on baking duty, and she’s seen others working with trees. When she’s made enough snowflakes, maybe she can go downstairs and see if anyone needs help as she hangs the decorations up.

The snow continues to fall outside Dirsteh’s window, as it has for most of the day. Her Summoner outfit is insulated, but when there are so many activities to do inside the warm castle, there’s no real reason to deal with the outside elements. At least, not yet. 

There’s still one very important job that she’s aware of. Everyone knows the story of the winter festival envoy, and for those who haven’t, Sharena is very quick to educate them. Due to the secrecy of it all, Dirsteh isn’t sure if anyone has picked up the job. Surely someone has. But on the other hand, it’s not as if there can only be one. As she unfolds the paper to see how the snowflake turns out, she wonders who the most likely envoy is.

Wait. 

She can be a winter festival envoy. It’ll be a fun challenge, finding gifts for everyone and delivering them in secret. She’ll need help, but there’s no shortage of people around. Surely some are available and willing. Before she checks with the general population of Heroes, though, she has the perfect first option in mind. Winter festival envoys need to be clever in picking gifts and delivering them. Who better to team up with than Claude? Hopefully he doesn’t already have plans.

Dirsteh stands and hurries past her desk so quickly that a breeze knocks some of the papers to the floor. She’ll pick them up later. Pulling on her coat, she rushes to her door and grips the knob. Where will be the best place to find her partner in crime? Perhaps she can start at the wyvern stables, and --

“In a rush?”

Or she can find him right at her door once she opens it.

“Claude!” she greets. “Perfect. I was just coming to look for you.”

“That works out well, because I came to talk to you.”

She gestures at the nameplate on her door with a teasing smile. “Gee, I never would have guessed that you were looking for me, with you showing up at my door and all.”

“I don’t know how I keep up with you,” Claude sighs, amusement plain in his tone. “You’re too smart for me.”

Affectionately, she shoves him. Now that he’s here, they have easy access to a private place to discuss her plan. She steps aside to let him in her room before closing the door behind him. It’s then she notices the mess she’s made on the floor. Snowflakes in various stages of completion litter the wood along with scraps. She can almost feel the judgment of her succulents from their shelves.

Claude bends down and begins returning the paper to her desk. “You might want to tell someone that your ceiling is leaking snow.”

“If it happens again, I will,” Dirsteh says, playing along as she picks up the rest. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“I’ve heard a lot of talk about the winter festival envoy and --”

“You thought we should do it?”

“If you had the same idea, then it has to be a good one.”

Clapping her hands together, she grins. “It’s perfect. Between the two of us, we’ll be able to find the right gifts for everyone, and going on your wyvern to deliver them will keep us hidden.”

“That’s what I was thinking. We make a good team, Dirsteh.”

“That we do. Now come on, Mr. Master Tactician.” She grabs his arm and pulls him to the door. “We have gifts to figure out and buy.”

---

The sheer amount of offerings in the market makes gift-buying difficult. Dirsteh and Claude come up with multiple ideas for everyone from Heroes to strangers in the villages. It’s tempting to simply buy everything. But the winter festival envoy is famous for knowing just what to give, so the two are determined to put thought into every purchase.

To avoid carrying a suspicious load of gifts in broad daylight, they make multiple trips. Claude’s wyvern makes dropping the presents off in Dirsteh’s room and returning to the market easy. It’s a good test run for later that night.

“Is that everything?” she asks as the wyvern carries her, Claude, and a potentially final bag of gifts back to the castle.

“If it’s not, the merchants are in trouble of selling out of their stock,” Claude says. “We’ll find out as soon as we sort everything.”

Dirsteh hums in agreement, a sound that would’ve been lost in the skies if not for her sitting so close to him. Apart from the height, riding a wyvern is much like a horse. She keeps her hands on Claude’s waist for balance. Whenever the wyvern takes off or begins a descent, she hugs him tightly. Falling off a wyvern is not on her holiday wishlist -- or any wishlist, for that matter.

Once they reach the castle, the wyvern hovers outside her window. As before, Claude pulls it open and sets the bag of gifts inside. Without fear, he climbs into the room. Dirsteh waits until he reaches out for her before she scoots to the edge of the wyvern. It flies off to the stables once she’s safely inside.

“We should pull aside all the Heroes’ gifts first,” she suggests, shutting the window. “We know all of them, so it’ll be easier.”

He nods. “That way we won’t accidentally give a villager something for a Hero.”

“Imagine if we gave a child villager that hunting knife.”

“Then I guess we’d have ourselves a new Hero.”

As the two begin sorting through the presents, they spot more opportunities for jokes. What if they give an experienced and hardened Hero a rubber duck? Or a shiny new shield to a farmer? Dirsteh gains a new respect for the envoys of the past. It’s not an easy job, but picturing the joy on the faces of all the recipients brings a smile to her face -- even when the sorting and wrapping takes them right to sunset.

“It’s a good thing that it looks like we have all we need,” she says. “I don’t know if we’d have time to go out and buy more.”

“The merchants have likely closed up early anyways to be with their families,” Claude adds.

“And we should be getting to the feast before anyone misses us. We can’t lose the element of surprise now.”

“We’ll be the best-kept winter festival secret in Askr’s history.”

Making sure to put the gifts out of view of the window, the two step out of Dirsteh’s room. She double-checks that the door is locked. Everything is going perfectly so far, and she doesn’t want so much as a single Hero to guess who’s responsible for the gift they’ll be waking up to on the morning of the winter festival.

It’ll be a late night, but she doesn’t mind. She’ll be doing something enjoyable with one of her favorite people in the realm. What else can she ask for?

---

The next morning, now that her duties as an envoy are over, Dirsteh is ready to just be Dirsteh. There are still some things around the castle that need to be done, she’s sure, but it’s the winter festival and she hasn’t been able to spend any time with Silas yet. Giving the children of the villages something to smile about is good. Being in the presence of her partner will be great.

It will be convenient if she finds him in the same way she had Claude. Her luck probably won’t be that good twice. He’s most likely to be somewhere in the castle -- that or out on a patrol, in which case she won’t be able to find him until he’s back -- so she walks through the halls. She asks each Hero she passes if they’ve seen him. Most don’t have an answer other than I’m not sure, sorry.

But eventually, Dirsteh hears that Silas is indeed out on patrol. He’d left some time ago, though, so he’s expected to return soon. Maybe by the time she makes it to the stables he’ll have arrived. Thanking the Hero for their help, she returns outside. The snow is still falling, making her wonder if someone from Nifl has done something to ensure the winter festival is a snow-filled one.

That or some winter festival magic, the same that is surely responsible for her so easily locating Claude earlier, and now reaching the stables right as Silas rides up on his horse.

“Good timing,” Dirsteh greets. “How was the patrol?”

“Quiet, thankfully.” He steps down and leads his horse into the building. “Perhaps even our enemies have a winter festival to keep them busy today.”

She follows after him. The stable’s warmth is even more apparent on a cold day. After he runs his hand down the horse’s neck, he passes the lead to Lilith, who’s happy to have another animal to look after. Dirsteh is sure the horses and wyverns and pegasi will be just as spoiled on this winter festival as their people.

Side by side, she and Silas walk back outside. With his patrol over and her Summoning duties temporarily aside, they have as much time together as they’d like to take. And she suspects she’s not the only one who wants to take every minute they can. Instead of returning to the castle, they silently agree to take a stroll around the grounds. It’s more private, and there’s something romantic about an outdoor walk.

The snow crunches under their boots. It’s the only sound they hear once they move further from the stables and into more open land. Askr is beautiful in all seasons, but there’s a different kind of beauty in the quiet of winter. 

“Dirsteh, aren’t you cold?” Silas asks, stopping suddenly.

She breaks from her thoughts. In her rush to meet him, she’d neglected to put on any layers over her robe. That same excitement had kept her warm. But now, just standing with Silas out in the snow, the chill begins to sneak under her clothes. Before she can answer, he steps closer. He shifts his scarf so there’s a long free section. Dirsteh’s cheeks pinken -- and not from the cold -- when he carefully wraps the extra bit of scarf around her neck.

“Thank you,” she says.

“You’re welcome.” He presses a kiss to her forehead. “I don’t want you freezing into a popsicle.”

“That would be inconvenient.”

They settle into a comfortable silence, the snow floating peacefully around them. She’s not sure who initiates it, but their hands link together. Another point of warmth. Beyond the physical contact and clothes, simply being with Silas warms her spirit more than anything.

“Would you still love me if I was a popsicle?” she teases.

The absurdity of the question forces a laugh out of Silas. “Of course I would. But please, don’t take that as an invitation to become one.”

“I won’t. Being a popsicle sounds boring, especially when there’s so much to do here.”

“We’d all be lost without you.” Silas pauses. “Me in particular.”

Dirsteh looks up at him. His face is pink now, almost as if she’d passed her blush onto him. Sometimes she forgets how much they love each other. It’s a strange thing to think, but little moments like these remind her of how much they’ve gone through together. Between finding their place in Askr and facing down enemies, they’ve formed bonds that only continue to tighten. Here she is, trying to joke about becoming a popsicle, and Silas gazes at her like she’s the greatest gift he can ever imagine.

“Well,” she says, getting up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek, “no one needs to worry, and definitely not you. The only popsicles here will be the ones we have in the summer.”

“I’m relieved to hear it, though it’s hard to think about summer with all of this snow.”

“It is, isn’t it?”

Over the last minutes, the snowfall’s pace has increased. More flakes nestle into their hair, standing out against Dirsteh’s and nearly blending in with Silas’. She can’t help but run her fingers through his hair to shift some of the snow off. Ordinarily she isn’t so affectionate with him out in the open, but between the snow screen and all of the other holiday festivities, she doubts anyone is around to see them.

“I’m glad we’re spending another holiday together, Dirsteh,” Silas says. “Everything is better when I’m with you.”

She smiles. “I’m glad too. It’s easier to leave some work aside when I know it’s for spending time with you.”

“Still overworking yourself during the holidays?”

“Maybe a little...but you know me. And some of that was to give gifts to the children in the villages! You can’t tell me you want to steal gifts from the children, Silas.”

“No, I suppose not.” Silas cups her cheek with a gloved hand. “And you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t aid people whenever you had the chance.”

She’s always appreciated how he walks the line between allowing her to help others in need and ensuring that she doesn’t forget to care for herself too. But now, of course, it’s just her and her knight, and she doesn’t intend to waste any of their private time.

“Happy winter festival, Silas,” she says, squeezing his hand that’s still holding hers.

He kisses her softly. “Happy winter festival, Dirsteh.”

And once she rests her hands on his chest and they lean into each other for a longer kiss, they make it a happy winter festival indeed, bound together by a scarf -- and so much more.

[mymusehatesme]

Cut the Cord

Words: 1829

Summary: Your abusive boyfriend doesn’t want you to go to the dinner your doctor is hosting.  Your doctor notices and urges you to do something.

Warnings: Domestic violence, abuse, blood.

A/N: The plot for this story came to me a good long while ago, and something happened to a friend recently that my Muse finally decided to help me finish it.  While I have never been in such a situation like this, know that women are abusers, too.  If you are experiencing any kind of abuse, seek help. 

https://www.thehotline.org/

https://victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/national-hotlines-and-helpful-links

Hannibal’s alias is Silas Fell (not original) and Will is William (also, not original).

Masterlist

He had hit you.  Again.

You sniffed and eyed the quickly blooming bruise on your cheek.  He knew you were going to a dinner tonight and he hit you anyway.  Gingerly touching the wounded skin, you winced.

Jealous bastard.  At least he stormed out of the house and went for a drive.

Opening your makeup drawer, you sighed internally and pulled out the items you would need to make the bruise disappear – Lord knows you’d had enough practice.  Primer, foundation, concealer, contour… this was more effort than you were originally going to put into tonight, but you were adaptable.

A sudden thought made you freeze in place momentarily.  Your psychiatrist was extremely perceptive and he would surely notice.  Should you just cancel?  Should you say you weren’t feeling well?

No.  The person in the mirror was scared.  You didn’t want to be scared to see the person who had helped you climb out of the muck of self-hatred and onto stable ground.  He knew about your abusive relationship and he had suggested you break up with your partner a few times.  However, the first time you had confronted him, he had flown into a rage and shattered no less than fifteen dishes (that you had bought), three glasses (that you had also bought), and cracked the aquarium that housed your goldfish.  You had sent the fish to a friend, not trusting that he wouldn’t do something sadistic to them while you were gone.

The second time, he had taken a baseball bat and dented the fridge, smashed the TV, your driver’s side window in your car, and threatened your family’s safety.

So, no.  Breaking up with him was not an option.  Maybe you could run away?

Continuing with your routine, you thought about it.  Just pack everything you could and drive away, maybe set the house on fire?  No, the house on fire would be too much.  You could go to jail for arson and he’d get the insurance money.

That wouldn’t help your family.  He knew where they lived.  He had their contact information.

Hopelessness settling into your ribs, you continued to get ready for dinner.

Dr. Fell’s home was beautiful.  Pure aesthetic, bleeding an air of nobility and power.  But he was a humble man; extremely intelligent and had a dark undercurrent hiding behind a gentleman’s guise, a kind smile, and calm mannerisms.

His partner was much the same, though William seemed a bit more feral, lacking the restraint the doctor had.

As soon as you entered the house and shed your coat, you saw the doctor’s demeanor shift.  You had tried to keep the afflicted side of your face in the shadow so he wouldn’t see, but hopefully he didn’t see and wouldn’t ask about it.

He smiled and waited for you to hand him your coat.  The smile had a guard to it.  A crack in his restraint.

As he turned to hang it up on the rack in his study, he said, “I do hope you don’t mind, but would you be willing to stay behind after the rest of the guests have left?  It’s about your next appointment – I’ll need to reschedule it.”

Oh.  You’d never had to reschedule before.  That was one of the times where you knew he was working and wouldn’t badger you about sending him a picture of where you were.  “Of course,” you reply a little quieter, “Is everything all right?”

“Perfectly,” he assured you, smiling warmly as he lead the way into the dining room, “Please, enjoy yourself tonight.”

Matching his smile, you thanked him and entered the room with his other guests.

When everyone had left and it was just the three of you remaining, Fell invited you into his study, closing the door behind you.

“So, for the reschedule,” you began, sitting in a plush red chair in front of his desk, “What time would work better?”

Instead of giving you an answer, he sat on the edge of his desk and clasped his hands as he looked at you.  Sharp, but kind.  Accusing, yet understanding.

He knew.  Your face dropped to neutral and you lowered your eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

“Would you like to talk about it?”

Your throat dried up at the soft tone and your eyes began to well up.  You prided yourself on not crying in front of him, even if that meant barely making it out of his office before the tears started flowing and you cried the whole trip home.  You swallowed and closed your eyes.  Playing dumb would not be a good idea.  “I’d rather not, doctor.”

“Are you sure?”  You nodded.  “Because when a patient comes into my home covering up a bruise and spends the evening pretending that nothing is wrong, that is a cause for concern on my part as their doctor.”

Unshed tears burned.  If you tried to speak, you would definitely cry.  Right now, he wasn’t your host and you weren’t his guest; he was your doctor and you were his patient.  “I’d like some water, please,” you whispered.

William came in with an ice-cold glass for you and you downed it gratefully.  The burning subsided and the tears receded.

Sniffing, you leaned back in the chair and forced yourself to relax a bit.

Silas asked, “Why did he hit you?”

“He said I was screwing you,” you replied.

“And what did you say?”

“I said you were married.”

“He didn’t believe you?”

You scoffed.  “No.  He wouldn’t believe me if he was sitting here with us now.”  Your phone buzzed from your coat pocket and fear coiled in your stomach as you realized you had left your phone alone for a few hours.  William brought you your coat from the couch and your clawed at the pocket to retrieve your phone. 

Shit.  Shitshitshit, how could you have forgotten your phone??  Oh, he was so angry, he was going to hurt you so badly-

Dr. Fell’s hand came into view, silently asking for your phone.  You hadn’t realized how badly you were shaking until you handed it over to him.  As he silently scrolled through the messages, William gently rubbed soothing circles onto your shoulder.

When Fell was done, he switched off your phone and looked up at his husband.  Through their silence, you could tell the conversation they were having.

“He won’t go to jail,” William said sympathetically, “Even with all your proof, all the pictures you have, texts, emails, hospital bills, it won’t be enough.”

“What do you mean it won’t be enough?”  Weren’t the police supposed to protect you?  How much proof did they need?

“People like him will get easy jail time,” he answered, “He’ll get out and the first thing he’ll do is find you.

Terror climbed up your lungs and into your throat.  He would kill you.  “What should I do?”  The question was a whisper.

Breathless, adrenaline running high through your brain, you stared down at the dead body of your abuser lying open-eyed on the kitchen floor, a gash across his neck.  You were free.  Your fingers felt frozen around the handle of the knife you had yanked from the block in your blind panic when he attacked you.

An unhinged laugh that you didn’t recognize bubbled up from your lungs and a crooked smirk that bared your teeth like a wild animal accompanied it.  Then it all stopped as you pulled in a breath and horror seeped in at the curves of dark red liquid splattered everywhere.  You had killed him.

Actually killed him.  He was dead.

You would go to jail.  Self defense or not, proof of abuse or not, you would not be found innocent in a court.

“Hannibal,” William’s voice startled you and you spun to face the two men standing in your kitchen doorway.  Both of them looked like they bore witness to the resurrection of a loved one.  “Hannibal, do you see it?”

Nodding sagely, Dr. Fell replied, “I see it, Will.”

You hadn’t heard them come in.  His name wasn’t Silas?  They stood so silently, like Murder Angels. 

Hannibal?  When did they get here?  If he lied about his name, what else did he lie about?  Were they even married?!  Was he even a doctor?!?

They were standing in your kitchen, looking at a bloody mess, a body, and a patient on the verge of a panic attack.  “See what?”  The steadiness of your voice surprised you.  What were you supposed to do with the knife now?

“The blood,” William supplied, following an arc with his finger, “it looks like a rope around his neck.”

You could care less about how the blood looked like a rope around his neck; you just killed a man!  You became a little lightheaded and you set the knife on the counter.  “I’m just gonna…” you mutter, sliding to the floor and keeping your bloody hands away from your clothes, “sit down and maybe throw up in a little bit.  Go to jail after the trial,” oh wow, there was a crack in the tiles that looked like a face, “never get a decent job because of my record, die alone.  You know, just what I always wanted.”  The world was narrowing and your ears were ringing.

A glass of water appeared.  You took it.  You drank it.  Bit by bit, you came back to yourself.

Hannibal was kneeling in front of you and Will was standing over you, ready to get you some more water if you needed it.  “You’re not going to go to jail,” Will said calmly, “you’re not going to die alone, and you’re not going to be linked to his disappearance.”

Disappearance?  “He’s dead!  On the floor,” you cried out as you waved at the dead body, “in front of you!  He’s not going to disappear!”  Will’s hand weighed on your shoulder and he gently shushed you.

“Let us help you,” Hannibal offered calmly.

Looking into his eyes, you measured your breaths.  He had helped you.  He had helped you so much and he was your friend.

And what kind of person would you be if you declined help from your doctor?

Both you and your ex-boyfriend were considered missing persons to the government.

But of course, to Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, the government is easily led astray by falsified documents and manipulated crime scenes.  You three know the truth of that night.

And it will remain that way forever.

Abuse is never excusable.  Abuse is never okay.  You do not deserve to be abused.  You deserve happiness.

Stay strong.

[madrut16]

Day 2: With You in Mind

A/N: I decided to do a little experiment in second person POV so, hopefully, you liked it. It was really fun to write, especially the interactions between the different characters. 

Rating: PG

Book/Pairing: Hero (Grayson x MC)

Summary: On the two year anniversary of Whitney’s disappearance, Grayson unveils the proposal he’s created to fight the re-emergence of villains enhanced by prism energy.

Two years. 730 days. That’s how long you’d been gone. Blasted into the atmosphere without a trace to be found. And yet to him, it still felt like yesterday. 

He traced invisible circles on the wooden conference table, his mind drowning in thoughts of you. There wasn’t a day that went by where he didn’t slip into this forlorn tide of remembrance. All of the moments you shared together first as friends and then slowly over time as more than that. He recalled vividly the day his feelings for you snuck up on him and left him breathless. Even the most insignificant conversations he had thought nothing of at the time meant everything to him now. 

The door opened, breaking him from his melancholic stream of consciousness.

“Mr. Prescott.”

He looked up, registering the young woman he was required to hire to replace you. Marjorie insisted even though she begrudgingly missed you almost as much as he did. As everyone did. You really managed to make the entire city of Northbridge become endeared to you. 

“Yes Alice?” he responded, clearing his throat of the emotion that covered it.

Her inquisitive stare took in his depressed demeanor. Since last year she had gotten used to the fact that when addressing Grayson, different energy when he was like this.

She blinked and feigned a light cough when he noticed her lingering, mildly concerned gaze. “Sorry, um, I just wanted to let you know that your guests, the superheroes are here in the lobby when you’re ready.”

Your friends. 

All changed by the prism energy his father exploited. Somehow, in the chaos and emptiness, since you vanished, he had befriended them too. They all shared a similar heartbreaking loss among other things. 

Finally, a smile appeared on his still angelic face, albeit a ghost of the ones you had come to miss. “Great, have them come up. Thank you.”

She quickly exited the room leaving him in silence once more. He stayed seated for a moment, remembering when it was you that did this for him. Anyone could be an efficient assistant if they were organized and diligent. Yet somehow, you did it better than anyone. You were the person who believed in him the most. You shared the same lofty ideals his father always shot down without much thought. 

A momentary scowl between his eyebrows formed. 

How dare he take you from him, the one person who was able to give him everything Silas wouldn’t. Just as soon as his anger appeared, however, it was gone. His father was to blame for many things, but this detail of that day two years ago wasn’t completely on him. It was just as much of your decision. That’s what they told him in the aftermath anyway. 

That was the thing that linked the both of you impossibly together. The lengths you would go to put others before you. To help the ones who needed it the most. You were going to change the world someday—together, the dynamic duo you had been since childhood.

But then you had to go and do the most sacrificial thing of all. And now, you were nothing but a memory and phantoms of false hope that one day you would come back soon. That you weren't gone forever. 

Because you couldn't be. Not when he hadn't gotten the chance to say the most important thing of all. 

With the heaviest of sighs, he stood up and finished the last preparations for the meeting. The idea he was going to unveil. Now, it was time for him to do something about his grief. He would not let your legacy die in vain, regardless if you ever came back or not.

Several minutes later, the boisterous voices of his guests echoed as they filed inside.

“Hey Blondie,” Eva told him, her playful smirk on full display. She breezed past him and collapsed into a plush swivel chair. She was just as bubbly and mischevious as when you last saw her. 

He regarded her with a courteous smile as she was given a chastising stare by Kenji who filed in after her. 

“What?” she gasped, feigning a look of innocence. “Someone has to cheer you up.”

“Eva,” he told her, his usually lighthearted voice having a little edge. “Not today.”

She sighed, a frown revealing the feelings she wanted to disguise. “You don’t have to remind me. I miss Whitney too y’ know.”

His boyish grin that used to annoy you to know end faltered. “Believe me, we all do.”

He plopped into another chair, the confident air sucked out of him.

You had this effect on them. Even though they had all tried to put their sorrow in a box that they could recognize but ignore, it still managed to leak out, mentally handicapping them.

As Grayson sat at the head of the table, the door slammed open abruptly.

“Sup.”

Caleb’s prescience filled the room with an uncomfortable air. While Grayson had come to befriend him, the rest of your friends hadn’t. The memories of when he was fighting against you still overwhelming the moments when he joined your side.

“What’s he doing here?” Kenji demanded, a heated flush coating his cheeks in a shade similar to his signature jacket.

“Glad to see you too,” Caleb remarked, taking a seat on the other side of the table.

They continued to regard each other with hostility. Grayson’s eyes drifted between them, a look forming that you had known well as annoyance bordering on full irritation. He always hated conflict and that had only worsened after you disappeared.

He stood up abruptly as they argued, clearing his throat. “If you would quit fighting, I will tell you why you’re here. All of you,” he scolded, pinching the bridge of his nose to keep from losing his temper completely. 

A hushed silence fell, their attention squarely on him. His displeased expression relaxed into a neutral one just like that.

“Thank you. Caleb is here for the same reason that you two are,” he explained, walking over the computer monitor. “I’m sure you are all aware of the spike in crime Northbridge has experienced over the past year.”

Caleb shook his head in contempt. “Ridiculous. And thanks to your mom Kenji, we can’t even do a thing about it anymore!”

“Hey! I don’t like it either," the DA's son exclaimed, bolting out of his chair once more. "But I can’t talk her out of it no matter how much I try, so shut it murder hands.” 

Eva tried to get him to sit back down without success.

“For the last time, I’m on the straight and narrow! I haven’t done any of that since…,” he stopped, swallowing heavily. “…since Whitney and I escaped Silas.”

This managed to stop the trail of words coming out of Kenji, something you had only been able to do before.

Grayson nodded, a shared look of understanding between the CEO and reformed street-rat. He was the one that gave Caleb his bartending job at the theatre and paid for the apartment he rented as well. It was another project that you had left uncompleted that he was determined to finish. The pinnacle example of his desire to reform Northbridge’s inner city.

“Caleb’s right. I wouldn’t be helping him if I didn’t think he deserved it,” he commented, his clipped words a plea to end the hostilities. “Now, I’ve also been talking to Meiko Katsaros about this.”

“What? Gray, you didn’t say anything about that,” her son Kenji remarked, his eyebrows shooting off his forehead.

“I know. I didn’t want to mention anything until I could get her on board with my idea of mine,”  Then, a smile, a real smile formed, one that surprised everyone else in the room. “Luckily, as of last week, I have her tentative but full support. Which means I can finally reveal my plan to you since I want you to be a part of it.”

Deliberately vague, the pent up energy radiated out of him. It was one of the things you loved about him most, how excited he got over a new project of his. 

“Us?” Eva asked, twirling a pen between her fingers. 

Grayson turned on the projector and slowly his presentation came into focus behind him. “I want to create an agency for you so that you can be superheroes out in the open.”

His words sink into each of your friends. 

“You serious Gray?” Caleb was the first to respond. 

He seemed to echo the sentiment of his companions. 

A curious smile formed on Eva’s tanned features. “How’d you get Meiko to agree with that?”

“Well, the reason for the ban’s reinstatement was because of the incident two years ago,” Grayson explained. “She doesn’t want a repeat since the prism energy is still out there. But, Dax came to me about six or seven months ago with information that more criminals and villains are emerging who have been exposed to it. I even hear that the energy is nationwide and not just in Northbridge like we’ve thought for so long. There is a need for an organized fight against it that normal police simply can't do.”

The developments stunned his guests. It seems that history might be repeating itself, and the energy was still there from the explosion all those nights ago at the gala. Maybe even permanently. 

Kenji’s eyebrows were raised in alarm, much like the other two vigilantes at the table. “So that’s where we would come in?”

“Precisely,” Grayson affirmed, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. He was really in his element now. 

He only wished that you were here with him. 

“You see, she does recognize the value in what you do. She just wants it to be controlled which I hope to do. I regret that even if I knew about you and...and Whitney at the time that I would not have been able to help you with my father. So, I want to be able to partner with you now in what ways I can, hence this initiative I want to create.”

He could see them starting to warm up to his idea. 

“What would this entail exactly?” Caleb wondered, his lips momentarily tilting upwards before flattening into his usual expression. “Just cause I’m walking the line now doesn’t mean I want to cozy up to it.”

Grayson continued to click through the Powerpoint as he spoke. “Well, the details are for us to figure out together but, this is the basic outline I’ve thought up. I contribute capital and technology to allow for smooth operations and you, well do what you do best: protect the city. And if it goes well, maybe even the country also.”

“So like Criminal Minds?” Eva perked up. “Because that would be the life.”

“It’s a possibility, yes.”

“Well, you’re making it hard to pass up then. Just think, we could be doing what we love for a living,” she said, a world of possibilities in her eyes. 

A new light could be seen in Kenji as well. “Not just that. We could really help people...save lives.”

It seemed Caleb was the holdout. But, it was typical of him. He was the biggest cynic you knew. “Wait, you would be our boss? And you’re running this?”

Grayson’s smile barely wavered. “Yes, my time would be split due to my responsibilities here. But, I think you misunderstood. I’m not asking you to work for me, Caleb. I’m asking you three to work with me. We would be in charge together. And...and Whitney.” He swallowed an unexpected hit of sadness at the thought of you. “When she comes back of course.”

“You really think she’s alive somewhere? That she’ll be back?” Kenji asked him in surprise. 

But, the look in his eyes said a little different. Somewhere deep down that hope was in all of them. 

Looking at them, Grayson’s eyes shone with fresh tears. “I have to. If things were reversed, I know she wouldn’t give up. So I’m not going to either. In fact, she’s part of my inspiration for this whole program. It’s something we would do together if she were here. With all of us.”

A weighty silence hung over them. Finally, they all eyed Caleb expectantly. Kenji’s was almost a glare it was so intense. 

After a minute, he let out a sigh, unable to hide the inner layer within his hard outer shell. “You know I’ve been wanting to do something meaningful. I’m in.”

A smile returned on Grayson’s face, one more radiant than you’d ever seen. He was finally coming out of his father’s shadow, having no more regrets about the past. Today, this anniversary was all about the future and you would’ve been proud if you were there with them. 

“Let’s change the world then.”

[sanoiro]

4x05 - Expire Erect - Spoilers and Speculation

Warning! There is always a possibility that certain scenes might have been mixed up under their non-respective episodes.

Written By: Mike Costa

Directed By: Viet Nguyen

Mike Costa has written/co-written the episodes:

1x10 Pops

2x09 Homewrecker

2x15 Deceptive Little Parasite

3x07 Off the Record (Teleplay)

3x13 Til Death Do Us Part

3x18 The Last Heartbreak

4x05 Expire Erect

Cast: Tom Ellis as Lucifer, Lauren German as Chloe, DB Woodside as Amenadiel, Lesley-Ann Brandt as Maze, Kevin Alejandro as Dan, Scarlett Estevez as Trixie, Rachael Harris as Linda Martin and Aimee Garcia as Ella.

Season 4 Recurring Characters: Inbar Lavi as Eve and Graham McTavish as Father Kinley

Guest Cast:

Paul Edney...Museum Visitor Rigo Sanchez...Marco

Behind The Scenes:

If there is one episode I’m excited about is this one. I’m dying to watch it!

In a conversation I had a few days ago I was discussing with @boristheelder about Chloe’s Arc in this season and surprisingly we both expressed the same thought. 

Chloe in this season has three stages in her arc. The first is disbelief, she is cautious and hurt. Chloe cannot comprehend what is going on and how to react to Lucifer’s nature. 

^ A Halloween wreath outside Chloe’s door. 

As far as we can speculate with the new information of the month gap between 3x24 and 4x01 what we are going to find in 4x01 is two broken souls who miraculously love each other and try to cope. 

Lucifer is almost certain he will use sex I mentioned before in 4x01, hence his new project but not necessarily sexual partner Eve. In Chloe’s case, she put her trust in the wrong person when she was on her lowest point. Father Kinley. 

Graham McTavish who plays Father Kinley during most if not all the 4x05 episode was in New Zealand so his involvement on the events of this episode is heavily induced with a good dose of speculation. 

Father Kinley is imprisoned either in 4x04 or most probably according to my belief in 4x05. After all, he makes a spectacular escape in 4x09 so… 

But let’s take things first. The case of the week is a bit obscure on all possible levels as we only have some bits and pieces to put together a blurry picture… 

The murder seems to be happening at a car exhibition or as the L.A. residents know it as the Petersen Automobile Museum. According to some sources, there was a commotion and everyone present had to act a panic mode scene after an ‘unfortunate’ (read murder) event. 

^ You can see Ellis’ and Lauren’s, stand-ins

hat murder leads our gang to a house in the suburbs of L.A. with a beautiful and expensive silver Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe! A GORGEOUS car if you ask me… 

Anyways… Inquiries are made and things take their way towards solving the case but that’s all we know as another scene took the majority of the shooting days to be shot. 

Before I start writing about *that* scene I want to mention that Lucifer in this episode has a session with Linda and wears the same shirt he will use until the end of the episode. 

A very unique in texture light blue shirt. This session is one of the reasons that make me wonder if Linda gives birth later on in the season or if she just returns at her job after only just one episode between the birth and a session with Lucifer. 

The fact that Linda wears a red dress and the photo does not show her midsection has me wondering as well as her wearing PJs at the last episode… We shall see…

^You can see Rachael next to Ellis as they are prepped, 

The scene I cannot wait to see is the LUX scene of this episode. It almost 50 hours of shooting to be done at the stage and some more so outside the Cicada Restaurant, as I have mentioned before, also known as LUX’s entrance. 

^We had two LUX patrons stating this so I have no idea if Eve has a power, Lucifer’s are growing or it is just a coincidence... Perhaps someone is brooding and sees the couples making out? 

At LUX we have first of all Ella and Eve who seem to hit it off quite well as Ella has some drinks at LUX. They talk to have some fun probably but do remember that Ella is now questioning her faith something that I believe that the events of 4x05 might help her. 

Ella also is a HUGE supporter of Deckerstar despite what has happened between Lucifer and Chloe which Ella might attribute to Marcus’ betrayal and eventual death if Lucifer was accused of it…

I mean it is a probability that Lucifer was arrested hence the one month jump and lack of communication but that’s in my head has something like a 15-20% probability of happening. 

So we are at LUX and guess what… LUX’s patrons and everyone inside are held hostages as far as I can tell. The SWAT (Special Weapons Attack Team) team is also there as you can see from the black van. 

Now we do know that inside are Ella, Eve and Lucifer. Outside LUX we have Dan and Maze.  Yet where is Chloe? Well someone did mention that there was a “hidden” entrance to LUX so I would assume that Chloe did eventually did sneak in or was already in although I believe it’s the first. 

Yet why Chloe and not Maze? That’s a good question I cannot answer. All I know is that Chloe’s presence at LUX is something that will happen whether she was in there as the place was taken over or afterwards. 

What we also have there is a rather “demonic” bartender. Although the description says nothing about the bartender being a Demon the abilities she has are great and has some core scenes and even a stuntwoman I believe in that episode so I would assume that LUX’s bartenders were selected really carefully. 

You can see the heavily armoured men of the SWAT team in some of the photos by the way. 

Now comes the most important part of the episode. There is a video which was deleted and which you can find in this post. I’ll not say where if you haven’t noticed it. If you are no keen into to really big spoilers please stop reading. 

Thank you in advance!

*Interlude Over*

In this episode, Lucifer gets stubbed and we almost lose him. 

Before I explain what I believe has happened I would like to conclude what I was discussing with @boristheelder Chloe in this season has an Arc of 3 levels. Turmoil, Realization and Action towards getting Lucifer back or at least at first mending their relationship up to 4x09 where I believe she opens up again to a robe dressed Lucifer. 

Episode 4x05 is the episode where Chloe realizes that you cannot dismiss love so easily, what she needed was again to trust him and she does that in this episode so the damn breaks and everything that held her back is released but much to Lucifer’s bad luck so does his vulnerability around her. 

If you remember 4x02 where I believe that Lucifer is back being invulnerable around Chloe and thus extremely hurt and confused, in 4x05 he makes some very bad choices that lead to him being severely hurt and I do not mean 3x17 hurt… I mean 1x13 hurt!

We cannot be sure who Lucifer is set to protect and perhaps the stabbing happens early in LUX’s take over and at the end. Meaning that Father Kinley may himself or may have had someone else trying to kill the Devil. Who knows really but that’s my hunch. Especially since we have a guy with a tonsure in the episode... Tonsure is the circular shave Christian monks have since the middle ages... 

Call me whatever you like but do you remember how Lucifer investigated Marcus’ mark through the Code Da Vinci movies? Well, do you remember Silas? The misguided albino assassin in Code Da Vinci? Just saying...  

Whether Lucifer is trying to protect someone like Chloe or Eve or even Ella. Whether he was the main target or not Chloe’s proximity makes him lose a huge amount of blood that makes him in many photos look ashen and then taken away by an ambulance with only Eve by his side as Chloe can be rarely seen further away in some cases but not often (like one time or two). 

Examining the scenarios Lucifer either 

Gets hurt early on and they have to get Chloe outside LUX but that does not happen quickly enough so Lucifer starts to bleed out and Chloe finally realizes what Lucifer has sacrificed by being around her. 

Lucifer believing like in scenario A that he is invulnerable with or without Chloe’s proximity he is stubbed by what it seems to be a military/hunting knife (missionary?). That leads to a chain of events for everyone not only trying to get to Lucifer who is inside LUX but also defuses the situation at the bar.

^The little amount of blood is either for the ambulance scene or someone else is also hurt. If you were praying for Azrael to be back, do pray to be in this episode although the chances are slim and none of the BTS supports it. :(

No matter what happens and although I would have loved for Lucifer to protect Chloe again only to fail, we have some very important things going into motion after this episode. 

First, Chloe realises that Lucifer is capable of dying as well as what he has gone through for her. 

Second, this opens a window for past events to come to the light 1x13, 2x13, 2x05 etc. 

Third, Chloe is finally passing from the state of turmoil and by having lost faith to Father Kinley she starts to see Lucifer under a new light she was not able to do so before. Everything now counts more than before, have a different meaning if you like. 

Fourth, Chloe seems to be held away from Lucifer as he is rushed to the ambulance. Probably Eve or Maze (or both) make sure she stays away in order for Lucifer to start healing undisturbed. Imagine seeing the man you love, the Devil getting hurt and you are the one who is causing all that pain. An allegory here I believe with what happened between 3x24 to 4x01. 

Moreover, she is powerless as she cannot follow and if Chloe knows what causes Lucifer’s vulnerability according to my theory that is, then she has an answer she was finding very hard to admit. Can you Love the Devil? Yes, because he is Lucifer. Just Lucifer. 

 I could spend a lot of time writing about what that scene means for the episode and the season as a whole but I think that the proper meta can wait….

You may ask how will the situation be resolved? Well, the combination between Dan, Maze and the Bartender will certainly help to keep an eye on them as well as Chloe. 

^The LUX extras were exhausted so imagine the actors and the crew!

In the last parts of this post, I would like to mention the writer’s IG post that was captured by me in its full glory but @lucks-eterna managed to capture it in the first 5 minutes while I missed my chance… Good work by the way @lucks-eterna !

The post from the writer had the summary for each character behind his lament over his PC’s autocorrect. More clearly we can see Amenadiel’s who is apparently in a difficult situation of trying to find a job, any job, while weighing the new sense of responsibility fatherhood bring along in his life. Whether born or not that child is already causing some havoc and even more in the next episodes.  In 4x05 we also have Amenadiel’s stuntman at the stage meaning that Amenadiel may have had an active role in the LUX situation or a new character appears a bit early... 

The other two summaries are a bit more difficult to decipher. The second is Maze’s and you can even make out the name as many have pointed out on Tumblr.

when Maze gives *** some -

he’s only recruiting her, an -

do the kind of rule-breaking

with the fact that, maybe, he

Lesley, Ann did post that she had another scene with Dan in that episode (aside from the ones with Ella outside LUX?) and although Lesley-Ann did reveal that Maze will really all in love in this season I wonder if it’s with the baby and not with a man or woman. Yes she lives with Linda and it would have been fun to see them together but there is a prickling at the back of my head that whispers “Dan”. We shall see but let’s keep this as an afterthought. 

^Dan at what it seems to be Chloe’s house or LUX, I would bet Chloe’s house which is behind the LUX set. Who knows... perhaps it’s at LUX and part of the ending of the episode where Dan realises where he is heading and Maze had enough.

In 3x26 Dan was shown that he had a dark side that never really grew in size and in S4 it seems like it's out of control. All the fighting he gets into with Maze makes me wonder whether he joins her in bounty hunting as a way to redeem himself of what happened to Charlotte but also as Joe has said jokingly once, Dan got a taste of blood in S2 so whenever you do not see him he is out there killing people. 

Of course, Joe’s words were meant as a joke but what if bounty hunting or taking part to fights with Maze is what helps him cope? Is it here in episode 4x05 that Maze realists how far Dan has gone? Is Dan the one who “recruits” her for a semi-controlled rule-breaking? I believe he is…

The first summary is the most baffling and heart-wrenching one. 

a hard time doing while SOB(BING?)

realize just how close she 

She realizes what’s missing

Call me a Hallmark season special fanatic but after considering what has happened to Lucifer and how Chloe cannot approach him, the woman who run to his side and cradled him in 2x12… Sigh… 

Do tell me if you were that woman what you would have done seeing the man you love, the Devil or not (who cares anymore at that point?), been taken away, bleeding to death, wasting away partly because of you is taken away what would you do? What would you do if another woman was above him offering him comfort as he was looking ashen and out of it, what you would have done? 

I’ll take a wild chance and say what the writer of this episode has summarized… Just saying… 

Concluding as you have guessed this is a very hard episode which I believe you will all love as much I will and do remember the other scripts of the Scriptwriter…

Pops gave us Lucifer saving Chloe, being burned and of course a drunk Chloe passing out on him. Homewrecker analyzed the matter of trust between Lucifer and Chloe as well as Dan’s dark side, the Deceptive Little Parasite… 

Who can forget Lucifer crying over the pain of Chloe and his Mother to ignite the sword? Off the Record was partly his work while Til Death Do us Part again dealt with the matter of trust. The Last Heartbreak gave us a tender moment between Lucifer and an unconscious Chloe while we learned more about Marcus without losing touch with the series and finally 4x05… 

Lucifer will Expire Erect but not in bed in the middle of an orgy…  

Quick Directory:

Spoilers and Speculations Posts Per Episode:

4x01 - Everything’s Okay

4x02 - Somebody’s Been Reading Dante’s Inferno

4x03 - O, Ye Of Little Faith, Father

4x04 - All About Eve

4x05 - Expire Erect

4x06 - Orgy Pants To Work

4x07 - Devil Is As Devil Does

4x08 - Super Bad Boyfriend

4x09 - Save Lucifer

4x10 - (?????) King of Hell?

Lucifan 1

This episode had really intrigued me since the title was released. Expire Erect fits perfectly with the show. And again it promises angst and emotions.

There are so many hints and situations to discuss that it is difficult to start.The night al Lux seems pretty hot: it is just a case or is it related to a plan? If we consider Eve having such a kind of "mojo" is it an attempt to use it or to control at least? Is Lucifer using it for his own purpose?

I still think Eve will bring back the old Devil,  so if he now feels at ease just with Eve at his side, no surprise if he is back to the old habits of multiple one night partners. Curious to know more about the session with Linda: is it about Eve or about Linda's pregnancy/ baby? For sure, she will offer good advice that Lucifer will take  in his own way and maybe focus just on his partner in crime and not on his former partner anymore

I'm glad we can see also more about Amenadiel and his struggle to live as a human being. This character and Woodside deserve a lot and I wait for a meaningful arc for them, including the realisation that actions have consequences. The same realisation that everyone needs to reach.

Moving back to Lux set, we have BTS of Dan and Maze. Their partnership grows and consolidates, but we don't know if it lasts. What if Dan discovers the role she played in all Cain's stuff? It is true they will be together in the hospital at the end of the season, so I want to give them a chance. Will be they a couple?  LesleyAnn has announced a Maze in love. But she had also teased about a potential Maze girlfriend.  Will it be Eve? Just for fun? And Maze's real love will be the baby? We know the feelings she has for Trixie,  so no surprise if she develops a strong bond with the Nephilim

Also, Ella is at Lux and meets Eve. And from the BTS of episodes 6 and 7 they will work together.  Sanoiro states Ella will regain her faith or part of it after this episode: will Eve help her? Ella's open and welcoming attitude can play an important role with a character usually blamed and hated, creating a  special relationship between them. That can plague Chloe or push her to think a lot about herself or the faith restored is more related to anything occurring at Lux? Chloe and Lucifer  trying to protect each other? Chloe coming to protect them all?

Let's see

The last section is for Chloe. Despite all we have (or not have) seen, I strongly believe this season gives her all the room she deserves. I totally agree on the 3 phase arc here suggested. Perhaps realisation of her real feelings starts in episode 4. But it will burst in episode 5. How Chloe join the team at Lux is not clear ae we have just her car outside. She can be there because called on duty or following a criminal (Kinley? Someone working for him? ) And it is unclear if she enters or not. Does she need to be really close to Lucifer to affect him?

Does the secret door at Lux suggest a way in or have another meaning? Assuming she is inside, is her love/ faith already restored to make Lucifer vulnerable or is something she sees to have that effect?  Lucifer trying to protect Ella or Eve, or even Chloe herself. In any case,  Lucifer will almost die. If not aware of her power yet, Chloe will realize it now.

Pushed away from the one she loves she will just look at him and Eve together ( based on Lavi's video with Tom smoking close to an ambulance), realizing what she had and is risking to lose. I agree on all the angst and turmoil Sanoiro described. The only point now is how will Chloe react and also Lucifer. They will work together but at which level of personal relationship is not clear. Probably they will try to be just colleagues. But the reaction of Chloe in episode 7, with Eve touching Lucifer in front of her, speaks volume on her success.

My final question: will Eve try to get between them to win Lucifer back or to test Chloe to be sure she is ready for all the supernatural stuff?

[angbananangunique]

WARNING: INCOHERENT CONTENT AHEAD

Hi, love! 

Sopraaaaays! 

Funny kasi I read my long ass birthday message for you last year and may sakit karin pala nun. Hobby mo na yata magkasakit on your birthday haha joke lang! Anyway, nakita ko ng malaki yung chance that I won’t be able to spend your birthday with you so I thought of making this. Pagpasensyahan mo na ha pero promise babawi ako sayo. Wala man ako sa tabi mo today, please know that you are always in my heart. Tulad last year, I want to thank your parents kasi di sila nagsettle hanggang walang baby boy. :D 

It’s been one hell of a year for us. Ibang iba na from when we started but I can see and feel na mas matibay na tayo ngayon. Alam ko we’re not in the best place right now with our relationship but naniniwala ako na once we get through this, we’ll be stronger than we’ve ever been.  

Ibang iba na from last year  kasi last year hindi mo pa ako girlfriend HAHA. Thank you. Thank you kasi dahil sayo naniwala akong may pag-asa pang makahanap ako ng totoong pagmamahal. Thank you for sticking around even when everyone was saying otherwise. Ito yata yung isang magandang kinahantungan ng katigasan ng ulo mo HAHAHA!

Thank you for making an effort to  show me everyday how much you love me and how much you’re willing to give to make us work. Thank you for loving Lucas kahit alam ko hindi madali because you still have your reservations.

You have no idea how proud I am of how much you’ve grown as a person. I am proud to be the person to witness your struggles day in an day out; but most of all, i’m beyond proud and honored to be your partner. 

The same as last year, please know that I will always be here for you. I will be with you through thick and thin (literally and figuratively), as well as through struggles and triumphs. Gusto ko lang malaman mo na kahit anong mangyare uuwi at uuwi ako sayo because with you, I find peace; with you, I have found a home. Aso’t pusa tayo kung mag-away pero I wouldn’t trade us for anything more comfortable. I’d rather us butt heads than be all butterflies and unicorns with someone else. 

I wish nothing but happiness and peace of mind and heart for you. I wish that God grants you all your heart’s desires because you are a good and beautiful person. 

Looking forward to celebrating more March 12s with you. 

Mahal na mahal kita, Rio. Mahal ka namin ni Lucas. 

Happy birthday, my baba!

Love, 

Your Selena

[cotangentspace]

【self discovery, and so forth】

r: not to be too quick to explore the meta—

V: Which is explicitly the purpose of many, if not all of us.

r: — yeah, but i think it’s worth observing the distinct patterns that can be noted in light of... the manifestation of the hereto forth named arcatheon.

V: I was already named Arcatheon before hereto.

V: Sorry, the concept of Arcatheon was already named.

r: yeah i think you’ll forgive my lack of congeniality. i don’t know you and i don’t know that it’s worth my time to know you.

V: Of course. I have been privy to this mindset prior to my own definition of personhood.

r: yeah yeah yeah. you’re a blank slate —

V: Until manifested further, et cetera. Carry on with the established topic.

r: recurring themes.

V: Desire for involvement in academia —

r: i would argue that its scholarly thought, specifically.

V: Taken.

W: I’m just noticing the lack of pronouns in the list. Are we saying this is Roman or the CPU.

r: well, initially i believe we were assuming me? but i guess it would be the cpu manifesting and observed through me

V: Noted.

V: Desire for involvement in scholarly thought and discussion, desire for general learning and participation of the practice of studying, interest in English literature (as opposed to other venues of learning such as scientific journals or artistic pursuits). Behaviourally, the act of starting a new record (often a dedicated blog) of a current subject of interest to note down thoughts on the subject, which is quickly abandoned.

r: specifically because the subject is abandoned lol. not just the blog

r: so i suppose it’d be fair to state that a current unspoken (haha) goal is the practice of finishing any... defined segment of learning that is started. whatever class or course or project that’s begun, like in this case, each book that is started.

V: And I hate to be he who touts the lamentable, but you’ve already pledged yourself to six books, with a running record of zero completed in the prior six or seven years.

r: untrue.

r: i finished fun house

W: Cue rousing applause

V: Well, I think some credit should be due. I don’t think the accomplishment of finishing a book after such a strained record should be disregarded due to it’s being a graphic novel. I respect Bechdel’s writing quite highly, and I know you both do as well.

r: oh we do, and let’s all take a second to remember that warner and i are both artists (some formerly) and thus inclined to value graphic novels more than your average joe so to be fair, if fun home were a non-illustrated novel, i wouldn’t’ve finished it

r: we all know this

r: i really was joking, warner was just responding in kind.

V: Yeah. I knew that, and yet I chose to stagger on forward.

V: I suppose that reveals an unsavory part of my being, a slow wit.

r: no, i think more a quick defense.

r: defense of others, which is what differs from my and warner’s approach.

W: Yeah, I’ll defend myself.

r: yeah because no one else will

W: I wouldn’t either

r: anyway, i think what’s to note is that your immediate response was to encourage me, despite the meager and arguable ‘accomplishment’ stated

r: ... and further i am reading your telepathic correction of deprecating language to the more neutral ‘an accomplishment’ loud and clear

r: corr: “to encourage me, through congratulating the accomplishment stated.” (..., which can be interpreted subjectively as either meager or venerable by the listener)

V: Even I would not go so far as to say venerable.

V: Don’t worry.

W: Thank God

V: But yes. I feel it unwise to default to a pessimistic view when one already struggles with achievement.

r: gaining or accepting

V: Both, though the former is more relevant than the the later.

V, gestureing to self: Obviously.

r, switching subjects: do you ever think we lack clarity.

V: Of course. You feel a need to maintain a shrouded esotericism, which is easily upheld by simply never explaining yourself fully.

V: For that would be to be vulnerable. Thus, a lack of clarity doubles as a point of exclusivity (and consequently pride, which you are often in the market for) and personal protection. The act of performing for a crowd but never answering their questions, so as to excuse the play’s inadequacies as misunderstandings by the critic.

r: too direct

V: No, we do not lack clarity we are always bald and forthright, and it is because you are so noble of character.

r: better

W: Boooo.

r: thank you for the aside. we were talking about something earlier

V: Recurring themes.

r: ah, yeah. what’s to be made of them, watson.

V: Is that a real inquiry?

r: make of it as you will

W: Wow.

V: Understood.

W, cynically: You really are patient.

V: What’s to be accomplished of mocking me? [genuine question]

W, on his Gameboy: Well, hopefully you’ll just die like everyone else.

r: LMAO

r: warner and i are just marginally less patient, at least in avenues where we can get away with it without disturbing social relationships. for instance, since we’re all metaphysical, there’s no consequence for you to tell me to fuck off for clearly trying to analyze your interpretation of the question in addition to your response. that’s what we would probably do.

r: and i think he’s just tired of new alters?

W: I’m just tired.

r: fair

V: Fair.

V: To my understanding, the current model is that the CPU has certain recurring priorities that can be visualized as underlying subconscious personae, such as that which is interested in producing visual art, that which seeks out self-sabotage, that which desires to gain knowledge, etc, which represent themselves through different conscious personae of variable reliance.

V: Most notably, alters designated as... ‘Hounds’, being the conscious ‘faces’ of the underlying persona currently named ‘II’, with lesser examples such as Joviel Tsao and Tevya Rockatansky being of the same enthusiastic persona, and Avetoir Cortehessey and Xiaozitang Thesēly belonging to the family of feminine, flamboyant figures.

V: The older you grow, and the more you observe the way the CPU expresses itself, the more narrowly and with confidence you are able to label these subconscious parts. Alters such as Thomas Zhou (née Kent), Taylor Cortehessey, Gibson Shou, Syracuse Delaney, and Typhus Yang have previously represented an interest in scholarly thought and/or the practice of learning.

V: Recently you have chosen to ascribe roles to ‘new’ alters based on the assumption that they are remixed presentations of existing personae, regarding them not as new, but as previously poorly defined, as in the case of Nienthe Agate, Victoria Lane, and Silas Bauer (names still nonpermanent).

V: Time allows each part to accrue traits that solidify them as whole persons rather than representations of ideas, and often this is what allows a conscious part to retain its conscious identity. This is also what aids in cementing the subconscious role they represent (e.g. for example, an interest in learning will seem to automatically be paired with pride or quietness). What’s left for me is to see whether or I stay or leave, and if I stay, what other traits I keep or acquire, in order to better define the subconscious part I theoretically represent.

V: Separately, you experience a recurring need to take hold of an interest and document your otherwise unsalable thoughts on it through, often, blogging.

V: I think that’s just ADD.

W: Lol. Tell it like it is.

V: I live to please.

V: Seriously, though. I think it’s largely in part due to your lack of stimulation, socially and academically. I believe you never finish any project begun because you aren’t truly interested in dedicating yourself to anything for any reason more sustainable than the pride of sharing that you have learned something few others in your demographic have.

r: i understand that the CPU (and probably i, to a notable degree) encourage conversational partners to develop insights into the self

r: which is usually me

r: but i think the cpu also has a habit of being right on the nose when unhibited by ‘being’ a singular character, like just me, for instance

r: and i hate it thanks

r: don’t ever answer a question i ask again

r: also this is way late and i know it’s just because you don’t know which is the more appropriate name to refer to him by in this context at this point in time but the fact that you referred to thomas’s surname as ‘née Kent’ is fucking hilarious. anyway i’m tired so here’s where we leave off.

【CHANNEL CLOSED】

[coldflasher]

Fic Writer’s Year In Review

I was mentioned by @silas-lehnsherr and @sophiainspace - thank you! this is such a nice way to look back on the year :D

General Fic Stats for 2018:

Word Count:  172,163

Number of fics: 7

Most Popular by Kudos:

aftermath

this fic is my baby and ate 2-3 years of my life - i entirely blame this fic for the reduced amount of things i’ve posted for this fandom, because it’s uh... long. 

summary: this fic is a rewrite of season 1 of the flash, but with barry and len dating from the onset. unsurprisingly, this causes complications. technically the third in a series but can also be read as a standalone. 

the fic is finished but i’m posting one chapter at a time - we’re currently on episode six and it’s uh. over 100k. that tells you everything you need to know about this fic probably

My Favorite Fic To Write:

i already mentioned aftermath, which i adored, so im gonna talk about sticks and stones - a constangreen angst-fest. this was my first time writing constangreen and i had a blast with constantine as a character; dialogue is my fave, and i heard his voice so clearly, it was so fun mimicking his speech patterns. also gary is a cutie. 

summary: the last time john constantine got involved with a guy named gary, it didn’t go so well. keeping gary at arm’s length seems like the best way to save his soul - too bad john’s drunk self has other ideas.

Funniest Fic:

i don’t know that i write many funny fics, per se, although i do like to include funny moments. but i guess the best fit would be take me out tonight. the idea was probably funnier than the execution, but i had a good time writing it haha.

summary: barry and len are having a nice, quiet date. unfortunately, central city’s metahuman population has other ideas.

Fluffiest Fic:

the promise 

this is a coldray fic that grabbed me and basically forced me to write it. also lowkey angsty cos i’m a monster whoops BUT THE ENDING IS FLUFFY I SWEAR.

summary: leo is returning to earth x to propose to the love of his life, and mick has the perfect ring. aka mick is finally ready to move on and figures his partner’s ring will do more good on ray terril’s finger than it will in his pocket. 

Saddest Fic:

faces to the moonlight

this one was for the coldflash valentines day event. somehow i took a nice prompt like slow-dancing and made it sad because, as mentioned, i suck. 

summary: this year barry allen’s valentine is a memory he can’t seem to let go of. aka barry spends the night dancing with a ghost in ferris airfield and mourning missed opportunites. and leonard. who is dead. happy valentines day!!! 

Most Challanging Fic To Write:

wow, can i say aftermath again. im gonna say aftermath again. the final draft is OVER 300k SO I THINK THIS IS JUSTIFIED

Fic I’m Proudest of Writing:

aftermath, hands down. i don’t have a huge pool of fics to choose from this year, but The Fic That Ate Three Years Of My Life will always be one of my proudest achievements. 

Least Popular Fic:

faces to the moonlight again! this is fair, it’s pretty sad. i don’t blame y’all for not wanting to do that to yourselves.

Honourable Mentions:

shoutout to all the fics that i haven’t finished yet!! none of these have titles cos titles are my kryptonite. hoping to finish and post these in 2019, fingers crossed.

1. the coldflash vegas fic. 

i have a horrible first draft of this and intend to rewrite it when i have the time! this was based off something we talked about in my old dctv discord chat, flashtrash, which i left basically because i got super busy and forgot to talk and then got too anxious to ever speak again so i just kind of. disappeared. oops.

anyway this fic was fun but i was depressed and burnt out when i wrote it and it deserves better. barry and len get whammied during a metahuman altercation and suddenly decide that getting married is the best idea ever. funnily enough, team flash disagrees. the fic is basically about barry and leonard running away to vegas to get married and team flash frantically trying to catch up to them before they make A Mistake. i really do love this fic and i wanna finish it but my creative writing degree is eating all my time rn... sigh

2. the dark!iris/killer frost fic

this one is slowly coming along and i reckon i’ll finish it soon...ish? when i have time? 

after her brief stint as the flash, iris becomes obsessed with becoming a speedster for real. the solution is to steal barry’s powers, obviously. when killer frost finds out, iris thinks it’s game over - but as it turns out, they make a pretty good team. 

basically, it’s about villain!iris and killer frost falling in love and stabbing everyone else in the back. it’s terrible, i’m obsessed with it. 

General Writing Impressions:

I haven’t had as much time to dedicate to fic this year because I’ve been devoting myself more to original projects. I’m doing a creative writing degree and so a lot of my energy has gone towards that. however, I do miss writing fic - it’s so nice to write just for fun, you know? no goals of publication, no impending grade that will, inevitably, make me feel bad about something i loved and was proud of... just writing for the love of it. i do miss that. 

in 2019 i’d like to strike a balance. of course my degree comes first, but i want to make time to write some (shorter) fics this year - it reminds me of why i love writing and why i want to do this. overall i’m never going to be a prolific fic writer who writes like, 100 short fics because i find them very hard, but i’d like to write more short fics and explore more pairings and just have fun, let loose and enjoy the process of writing fics whenever i get the chance. 

Writers You Should Read:

again I haven’t dedicated enough time to reading fics recently :( (i read over 130 books instead because apparently i always lean massively one way or the other. it’s either all fics or all books?? wild.) but here are some writers who wrote fics i enjoyed very much!

@sophiainspace , sandrineshaw (sandrine), crimsondomingo (of course!), harleygirl2648, katyakora, barrylen and more! 

(i don’t tend to tag people because uhhh anxiety, but feel free do this and say i tagged you!)

[parishxiv]

Layers ⋉ Anberlin Parish

tagged by ⋉ @bhelni THANK

tagging ⋉ these are so late i have no idea who’s done it, but whoever is interested and hasn’t then TAG ME pretend i tagged you \o/

LAYER ONE : THE OUTSIDE

Name: “I was born Anberlin Cen Parish, but,” she paused only to twirl her pen between her fingers, then said, “I would prefer Anberlin Rose Parish, and in other company, Anne Xanthe Rose, or Miss Rose.”

Eye Color: She pulled down her lower lid with her pinky. “Green.”

Hair Style/Color: “I am a redhead, as was my father, as was his father before him.” She said so quickly. “And ‘tis as their hair was, quite flat and lifeless, but I choose to keep mine long. ‘Twas sliced to my collar recently, though, so it must regrow.”

Height: A hand waved, rolling on the wrist. She never really claimed an exact height, and while she was quite tall in Eorzean company, she wasn’t startlingly so. Her varying heights of heeled shoes made her difficult to measure.

Clothing Style: She looked toward what was, to the untrained eye, a blank spot of wall. “I dress for the occasion, and oft overdress, I have been informed, which I find a bit silly. I dress well enough. I prefer thinks that are soft, that accentuate and flaunt, in rather bold colours.” She held out her hand. “Always gloves.”

LAYER TWO: THE INSIDE

Your Fears:

 “Everyone must know, mustn’t they?” She sighed theatrically. “Simply put, I am greatly afraid of the dark, the truly darkest dark and what morbid things live there. Nothing else.”

Your Guilty Pleasure: “Oh, this is so subjective! My father would claim my guilty pleasure must be sweets, but I am hardly guilty of confection affection. Silas might claim my guilty pleasure is likely handsome men, but he would be wrong, too. Another might insist my guiltiest pleasure is drink, but I do not indulge overly much. Someone yet might say ‘tis my studies, but I’ve no guilt for that.” She smiled and wagged her pen. “I will let you know.”

Your Biggest Pet Peeve: She paused to consider. “There are very many... Recently, however, the worst thing to top the list must be when someone, anyone, lays a hand upon my work. Particularly intricate, intimate, ambitious projects that they have no understanding of.”

Your Ambition for the Future: “Strength,” she immediately says. “Safety. I will make myself the safest place for me to be. Does that make sense? It makes sense to me, which is all that matters, really.”

LAYER THREE: THOUGHTS

Your First Thoughts Waking Up:  “Oh, why, that certainly does depend on where I have woken up,” she admitted bashfully. “I mean-- No, no, I cannot answer this truly. Lately they have been pleasant thoughts.”

What You Think About the Most: Tut-tut-tut. Her answer at first seemed to be merely a shake of her head, until she said, “My work is what primarily overtakes me, but... I do oft wonder of my brother, and my friends, those who are missing. I find myself guilty of such depressing trains of thought, you know the ones. What could I have done differently, and so on.”

What You Think About Before Bed: Her pen was twirled. “Work! Always work, of course.”

Your Best Quality Is: The laugh sounded more like a scoff. “My ambition, I think.”

LAYER FOUR: WHAT’S BETTER?

Single or Group Dates:  “I...am not sure!” she admitted, pen tapping against her bottom lip. “I should enjoy a group date, I imagine, mayhap I will try such a thing someday.”

To be Loved or Respected: “Oh, certainly respected.” The answer came quick, but she lifted a hand. “Though to be loved is a treasure I would prefer never to lose, and so hard to label as secondary, but to be respected feels so necessary to life, you know?”

Beauty or Brains: She twiddled her thumbs. “Intelligence, of course, but, oh, I desperately wish I were beautiful.”

Dogs or Cats: “Dogs!” she clapped her hands. “I must say so, as my father raises hounds. Or...maybe cats? I am not used to pets, our hounds are not ‘dogs’ in that way as much as they are weapons or tools. I can not choose, really.”

LAYER FIVE: DO YOU?

Lie: More thumb twiddling. “If I need to, I will.” Her too-wide smile told that there may have been more lie than truth in that.

Believe in Yourself: Her thumbs were liable to fall off with all the twiddling. “If we are talking about my work, and engineering, oh yes, of course I do! I can craft anything asked of me, and you had best believe I will unearth only the greatest mysteries.”

Believe in Love: She sighed wistfully. “I certainly do now.”

Want Someone: She sat right on her hands, her pen discarded amid the thumb-twiddling early on, and she shrugged. “Of course I do. Maybe two. Mayhap three!” she exclaimed, wide-eyed, then laughed, shaking her head. “No, no, I am joking! But I do, I admit.”

LAYER SIX: EVER?

Been on Stage: Her pen retrieved and set to page, she hummed. “Does the academic stage count?”

Done Drugs: “One time,” she said scornfully, “and curse Miss D’shala for it, too, I refuse to touch such things ever again. ‘Twas not particularly exciting or enticing.”

Changed Who You Were to Fit In: She awkwardly smiled and waved a hand, the question left unanswered, but very likely, by her demeanor, the answer was yes.

LAYER SEVEN: FAVORITES

Favorite Color: “Red! No, green. Gold?” She looked up from the papers and at nothing in particular, then smiled softly. “Red. Dark red.”

Favorite Animal: “I am caught between a lion with a great mane and a stallion. I will say horses.”

Favorite Food: “’Tis a difficult thing to say for certain, but...” she wiggled, shifting in her seat, “fruits and tarts, I think, or they are at least near the top of the list. Do they... They do count as food, I imagine?”

Favorite Game: “I adore the dartboard, and gambling,” she said, hardly hiding a grin. “It seems either games to do with precision or luck are quickly my favourite, and I do tend to win.”

LAYER EIGHT: AGE

Day Your Next Birthday Will Be:  “The thirty-first sun of the sixth astral moon, with no celebration, as I normally do not inform anyone of the day.I prefer you do the same.”  

How Old Will You Be: “Twenty-two! And not a moment too soon.”

Age You Lost Your Virginity: “Oooh, must you ask such a thing?” she cried, pen nearly tossed. “Hush!”

Does Age Matter: “Of course it does, for many things.”

LAYER NINE: IN A BOY OR GIRL

Best Personality: “This is far too difficult. Do people plan for these things?” Perplexed, she ran her hand back over her up-done hair. “I suppose I prefer someone-- someone wise, even if they do not seem so to others, someone a bit silly, but someone professional? This is the worst question of the lot.”

Best Eye Color: “You did not inform me there would be questions like this!” she exclaimed, woebegone. “How do I choose? I was wrong, this is the worst.”

Best Hair Color: “But they can all be so lovely! Ack, this one is certainly the worst of it.”

Best thing to do with a Partner: “Better.” She lifted her pen to her lip. “Travel, exploration, or simply enjoying their company, but I prefer to be about and doing things with a love at my side than lounging. Such is my curse.”

LAYER TEN: FINISH THE SENTENCE

I love: “Foolishly.” She paused. “No, pardon me. I love...those who I consider family. ‘Tis not foolish.”

I feel: “Right now? Er-- I feel hungry.”

I hide: She shook her head. “Ah-ah! If I told you where I choose to hide myself, ‘twould hardly be a good hiding spot, would it?”

I miss: Her gaze dropped to the floor. “My brother.”

I wish: “For a plate of tarts, to be honest,” she said, looked pointedly, then returned to her work.

[makeroomforlaferry]

Prompt: “Coming Home”

Prompt list Requested: U - Coming home LaFontaine & Perry

AN: Listen up before reading this - I obviously can’t know what parental term LaFontaine would want their kids to use with them, but I chose to go with my gut, and I understand that some of you may not agree with it. I personally didn’t feel like my written version of LaF would want the kind of mashup-title for genderneutral parents that the internet suggested to me, obviously there would be nothing wrong with them, but the version of LaFontaine that I write and understand would want a more traditional word, lowkey because they feel like their relationship and family with Perry is traditional in a sense and wants it to show, but anyway, I had a look at the available words already existing and “parent” just seemed way too impersonal, and I’m fully aware that LaF identifies with neither female or male expressions, but I chose to have them use a word that normally stands for mother, “ma”, but to me it sounded like it could mean whichever. If “pom” and “mad” are acceptable as genderneutral terms I don’t see why “ma” couldn’t be. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that in this fic, and to LaF and to me, the term “Ma” is 100% a genderneutral word. I just want to make sure that everyone knows I’m not putting a gender on LaF as a parent, or otherwise? I know everyone will have differing opinions on this, but I wanted to explain my point of view as I might continue using this term for them in other/future fics. Anyway, here goes!

Obviously, Perry and LaFontaine had spent years building their lives, building their home. It looked like it came straight out from a Pinterest board at this point, mixed with the cosy elements only Perry’s grandma-ish tendencies could bring to it. Not that LaF cared much about the decorations, but it was perfect.

But then again, regardless of where they were, LaFontaine had always felt like they were at home with Perry, or like Perry was home. Missing Perry was the same as feeling homesick, and every time they made some commitment, made some gesture or move that showed that they belonged together, it felt like a step closer to where they’d always been meant to be. After she came out of the possession and they transferred from Silas, it seemed to determine that no matter how far apart they’d grown, they’d still do whatever came next together. When they started up LaFerry industries, it was the most grown-up thing they’d ever done, but they were doing it with Perry, and even though they were already partners, becoming business partners as well felt like another step forward. Proposing had been a success - they’d planned it out perfectly since the age of six - and nothing else could have filled them with joy like the sight of the engagement ring on her finger.

Though as expected, of course, most joyful sight got replaced by the image of her walking down the aisle towards them in a white dress. It was a while before anything replaced that, but when it did, it knocked them off their feet completely.

A plus on a pregnancy test after months and years of research and experiments of a whole new kind. Endless models of embryos and DNA fusions, and they swore they could have fainted when it all proved fruitful. The feelings of happiness and content and pride and joy and nerves and excitement multiplied by the week after that, it seemed, every time she was sick in the morning, or they found her eating something funny, or when they had to buy new shirts because she kept outgrowing them.

------------3 pregnancies later-------------

They came through the door without knocking, putting their suitcase down on the floor and bending down to untie their shoes. It was getting harder every day to deal with their back, but they only had themself to blame for all the hours slouching over books and screens, after all. Before they’d gotten off either shoe, though, a small body slammed into them, tiny arms wrapping around their neck and a high voice all but yelling in their ear. “Ma’s home!”

They laughed, steadying themself on one knee so they could hug their youngest child close. “I aaaam!”

The five-year-old cuddled close, giving them a wet kiss on the cheek. “I missed yooou!”

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” they smiled and gave her (all their kids, knowing LaF’s pronouns, were well aware that they didn’t need to have a set gender, but three out of four seemed comfortable with the pronouns people assumed them to have so far, including Clarke, even if she was only five) one back. “What did you guys do today?”

“We drawed with the sticky colors--”

“The finger paint?”

“Yes, and we drived Queen and Rey and Flo to school, and we went grocery shopping, and then mommy had to clean out the fridge…”

They shook their head, amused smile on their face. Had to, sure... “Did she, now?”

“Uh-huh, and I helped!”

“Ohhh, what did you get to do? Did you get to eat the things that didn’t make it?”

“No…” she pouted. “Mommy said I couldn’t…”

They laughed, going to ruffle her hair a bit. Truly their child. “And she was probably right to say that, baby. What are they all doing now?”

“Rey and mommy are doing their hairs, Flo is doing homework, I don’t know where Queen is…”

LaF raised an eyebrow at that - they had no doubt Perry knew exactly where Quinn was, but still. “What do you say we go find her?” They got their shoes off and hoisted Clarke up on their hip, going around the house to find their firstborn. It didn’t turn out to be much of a mystery, however, as they spotted the calendar in the kitchen, remembering the day of the week. “It’s thursday, Clarke, Quinn’s at elf practise.”

Their wife’s voice called out from the nearby bathroom, then, having heard them through the open door. “LaFontaine, stop. She’s at band practise, and I will not have you teaching them another meme.”

“Why, what was wrong with the last one?” They grinned, going to peek into the room, finding nothing but utter ridiculousness - Perry and René, both with some sort of white goo in their hair, probably something to tame it slightly. All their kids had inherited Perry’s curls, but only René seemed to care about actually managing them, like their mother.

Perry raised an eyebrow at them. “For one, it was annoying not to be able to say ‘some’ without---”

René and Clarke both burst into loud song immediately, as if on cue. “Some-BODY ONCE TOLD ME, THE WOOORLD IS GONNA RO-”

The song stopped and both kids dissolved into a fit of giggles when Perry got more of the goo on her fingers and shushed them, booping dots of goo on the tips of both their noses. “I swear, one more word of that god-awful song…”

LaF mock-gasped and held a hand over Clarke’s mouth to silence her. “Hush, sweetheart, she’s attacking!”

“I noticed!” Clarke grimaced, wiping the goo off her nose with her sleeve.

“Don’t you mean you nose-ticed?”

Both children groaned out loud, and Perry rolled her eyes and went to kiss LaFontaine’s cheek. “Welcome home, darling.”

“GROSS!” Clarke declared loudly.

LaF shook their head, grinning. “You kissed my cheek only a few minutes ago!”

“But you and mommy are GROSS!”

“Are not!” They did their best to look offended, but Perry only laughed, smiling softly at them. “I don’t know, sweetie, we are pretty disgusting...”

“Yeah?” They raised an eyebrow, smile never leaving their face.

“Mhmm,” she nodded, her hands settling on the barely noticeable baby bump under her shirt. LaF’s face softened, and let Clarke down before going to cover Perry’s hands with theirs, giving her a proper kiss. “Did you have a nice daaay?”

She nodded, smiling happily at them, ignoring the sound of Clarke gagging and running out of the room. “We did, how was work?”

“The usual, the usual… I’m tired, but y’know, normal.”

“We saved some pasta for you, but I figured I’d reheat it and the sauce for you both when Quinn comes home, is that okay?”

“Of course,” they nodded, kissing her cheek softly before going to pat René’s back - they would have hugged them, if not for the sticky state of their hair. “Hey, R, how’d your test go?”

“Aced it,” they replied with a smug grin directed at LaF. “You were right, I didn’t have to study as much as I did.”

“You did really well with the studying, kid, I’m proud of you. Keep it up and you’ll thank me in high school.”

“I can’t remember all this until I go to high school,” they teased.

LaF rolled their eyes a bit. “Shush, you know what I mean.” René grinned and went to poke LaF’s ribs, but they backed away. “Nuh-uh, not with your hair. I’m staying away from both of you until that’s out.”

Perry rolled her eyes from where she stood, reorganizing the bathroom cabinet. “Because you care so much about making a mess or ruining your clothes? Please, I’ve been doing your laundry for twenty years. Besides, it’s not like it’s bleach.”

“Hey, I’m catching up on the laundry,” they defended themself.

Perry laughed out loud at that. “Oh yes, darling, only nineteen years to go, then.”

They huffed a bit, knowing there was nothing they could say to that, and Perry blew them a kiss before turning back to the cabinet. “René, sweetie, how long has it been now?”

“It’s been...exactly 27 minutes,” they replied, looking at the clock on the wall.

“Right, put your phone away, not in your pocket. We’re getting this out.”

LaFontaine backed towards the door. “Not staying to see this… see you two later.”

“You sound like we’re gonna come out of here bald,” Perry said with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ve no idea what’s in that, you never know,” they chuckled and pecked her lips once more. “I’m gonna go check on Flo,” they told her and left. They found Clarke watching cartoons in the living room as they made their way to knock on their son’s door. “Florence?”

“Come in,” he replied, sounding way too mature for a seven-year-old, but it wasn’t like LaF didn’t know someone else who’d been an adult since the age of five. They just hoped he didn’t feel the same kind of pressure his mother had. He was sat by his desk as they entered, looking frustrated.

“Hey, Flo.”

“Hey, ma…”

“Whatcha doing?”

“English homework,” he grumbled, bottom lip sticking out. “Why can’t the other classes be easy like science?”

They chuckled at that - it seemed the older kids of theirs had inherited both LaF’s affinity for science and Perry’s for social studies and languages, but Florence was into science and didn’t care much for other subjects. “You know, kid, most people don’t find science easy…”

“You do,” he said with a raised eyebrow.

“We do, and everyone finds different things easy, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t learn it all. What’s the assignment?”

“Writing about our favourite book, but miss Kenner said I couldn’t pick a science book, it has to be fictional,” he huffed, clearly annoyed.

LaF bit their lip so not to smile. “When is it due?”

“Next week…”

“How about I go get you a kid-friendlier version of Frankenstein tomorrow?”

He lit up then, his bright smile making their heart melt slightly. “Really? I can read Frankenstein?”

“Not the original one, you’ll get there when you’re older. But you’ll get the monster bits.” And no details on how their ma had transferred a sentient entity slash consciousness through a USB cable into the corpse of a vampire.

“And she’ll let me write about it?”

“Totally! It’s a classic, she should be thrilled.”

“Awesome!” He grinned, turning the lamp on the desk off, apparently done now. “Are mom and René still doing their hair treatment thing?”

“They just started taking it out, and Clarke’s watching cartoons. Wanna watch with her until Quinn comes home?”

“Yeah!” He bounded down the stairs and they followed as he ran to the couch, and LaF sat down between them, wrapping an arm around Florence as Clarke snuggled into their side wordlessly.

LaF kissed her hair gently before letting their head lean back against the couch, eyelids drooping, not realising how tired they were. They didn’t wake up until about an hour later, when Clarke shook their shoulder, quite gentle for being her. “Ma, Quinn’s home!”

They blinked and shook their head slightly, indeed hearing chatter in the kitchen. “Thank you for waking me up, sweetheart…”

Clarke grinned cheekily. “Mommy said I had to. And that I couldn’t tickle you awake.”

“That’s because your mommy’s nice,” they chuckled. “And you should take after her.”

“No fun!” The five-year-old chimed, shaking her head and making ginger curls fly in their face.

“Yeah, yeah…” they laughed and picked her up, carrying her into the kitchen on their hip to find Perry reheating the food for them and Quinn, who sat at the table talking animatedly about her day, but paused when she noticed them coming in, getting up to hug them tightly, and Clarke in the process. “Hi, ma!”

They hugged back with their free arm, leaning down to kiss her hair. “Hey, Quinn! Wanna start over? I want to hear about your day too…”

She nodded, smiling at them. “I hadn’t gotten that far anyway.”

“Great,” they grinned and put Clarke down on one of the chairs next to Quinn and moving to help Perry prepare the food as they listened. Boring classes, new band songs, friend drama… Florence and René both came in as well after a while, and it all turned into a big discussion about their P.E. teacher, with Clarke agreeing loudly with everyone as if she went to their school as well. They saw Perry’s gaze flitting between the kids by the table and the pot on the stove fondly, and they moved to gently rub her back, helping her keep an eye on both and almost shaking their head with a sort of disbelief, even after all this time, as they took it all in. Everything they’d ever dreamt to have was in this very room. Their dream as a kid to become a scientist was pretty well-represented in that they’d figured out a way for Perry and them to have biological children, and their more adult dreams - marrying Perry, having kids, having more kids, a family of their own… all there. This pregnancy was going to be the last one, they both knew that, but it felt right. LaFontaine and Perry with their five ginger kids was a home they’d always dreamed about coming home to.

(There had been times when they’d wondered if maybe they’d have kids inheriting other haircolours from the family, but so far they were all ginger with Perry’s curls. LaF wouldn’t have them any other way.)

[wuunderstruck-a]

one - ten !!

welcome to 2k18 rp meme — no longer accepting lmfao

thank u to shannon for being Extra and sending me literally every question in this meme, ily

ten faceclaims i’ve used in the past

ooh boy. this is a hard one. daniel sunjata (as paul briggs), chloe bennet as skye (bc we didn’t know her as daisy johnson then lmfao), and everyone on my (currently) inactive list. EDIT: i forgot, shannon purser!!! god i love her tbh i miss her.

nine faceclaims i want to use in the future

answered here!

eight present/past characters

i’ve had so many characters it’s hard to even remember them BUT I SHALL TRY.

cait scott, a character from a wip of mine who won a contest to appear on a teen television show and was catapulted to fame (i’ve toyed with revamping her and bringing her here also yes her name was a play on ‘great scott!’)

madison caverly, my very very first rp muse. i made her on an oc blog in 2013 and she was my first foray into the rp world. she’s got a few flaws but i have an immense soft spot for her and i brought her over to indie with me.

nadia johnson, my character that i made for my very first d&d campaign. i quickly fell in love with her and even though we’re not playing that campaign rn, i brought her to indie and she’s one of my favorite characters i’ve made for anything. she’s so resilient and brave and has so many layers i have to explore.

owen wheeler, one of my first characters i made on this blog. i had no idea what to do with him until @warmhcney suggested this plot idea and suddenly, owen sprang to life. he’s now a real person in my head and i can never go back. my life has been changed by him, as weird as it is to say. thank you, del, for suggesting owen and molly, because without them i wouldn’t have owen as he is today.

silas trask, another one of my early muses for this. i honestly don’t know where the idea for him came from, really. but he’s honestly a person of his own and a lil shit. every time i write a reply for him the words fly off my fingers, his sassy retorts taking shape on their own. he makes me laugh every time, and i love him so much.

max wheeler, my lost boy. i made him for a group rp and then i realized… dude. what if he’s owen’s younger brother? the rest is history. max is constantly searching, constantly hurting, constantly falling apart. and god, he just needs to be loved. this is just my daily reminder how much max needs love and it’s also an excuse for me to cry about him, thank u.

i also just remembered two old characters from a novel, quinn & nadine. i made them when i was still struggling with accepting my sexuality, and they were an outlet for me to express that. i rly need to do something with them soon bc they were so important to me.

seven characters i want to play

oH BOY OH BOY

ok. so i want to play this cop that’s too soft to actually be a cop, yanno? i think this was inspired by a reddit thread or smth. but i have had this idea for a while, just struggled with the actual execution of it.

i don’t have enough actual bad muses, i rly struggle with playing those, so this is just a general umbrella that i want to do that.

more secret agents & mob bosses in general; i live for that shit.

i rly want this spoiled billionaire daddy’s girl, but i haven’t figured out how to play her w/o me actually hating her guts, so that’s on hold for now.

an actual douche boy that actually fucks a bunch of people, but i have a hard time again figuring out how to play him w/o me actually hating his guts. i have a lot of internal problems can u tell i also keep giving my muses soft sides gdi

one half of a married couple where someone plays one half and i play the other idk just throwin that out there ;) ;) ;)

i rly wanna play bex taylor-klaus as well, plus just add more butch muses to my repertoire in general

six plots of the past/present

well like i mentioned above, owen wheeler was basically spawned from a plot involving a “grumpy secret agent” having to take care of a younger spoiledish girl basically? i think ??? i’D HAVE TO FIND IT but that was a pretty iconic plot omfg (hi del)

i’m a very big hoe for the childhood friends to lovers trope, @hiitchhikers​ and i have riley & lorelai and the og, gianna & leo that fall into this and im in love

idk why i’m suddenly blanking rip

most of the plots i have rn have been super organic from the chemistry that has happened between our muses? that doesnt mean i don’t like doing plots that are in my wishlist tag (bc i LOVE it), but i also like winging it!!!

five plots i want to do in the future

like i said, i would love to do a preestablished-type marriage plot with someone (if we were discussing this already, i’m so sorry, i’m trash. pls nudge me again)

i also was thinking how much i would love to make muses who have siblings with other mun’s muses? @lucywrites​ and i did this with silas and flora trask and it was the best decision of my life

i’ve also rly wanted to do some celebrity plots??? something like this tbh or anything rly

i also was thinking about the cast of tv shows and how they literally are a family and someday i want to do a mumu based on that. imagine all the relationships !!! the drama !!! everything

i also love all those single parent + kindergarten teacher plots — my single parent muses luna & sebastián would be perfect for this, or even joss who takes care of her younger brother

four ships

listen, i tried to pick, but it ended up being IMPOSSIBLE. i love you all so much, thank you for giving me these ships. to everyone who ships with me, you mean the world. 

three friendships

lyra, lorelai, & jack – @hiitchhikers & @niallhcran

wesley, sally, & heather – @peytrps & @warmhcney

nadine & savannah, katy & molly, celine & the wheelers – @warmhcney

p.s. — i want more platonic ships… pls come @ me

two roleplays

i’m going to say @epochhq & @sundridgehq! both have such kind souls and i’ve met so many good people through them. 

one partner

again, picking would be impossible. thank you all for shipping, rping, and interacting with me. i’m sorry for being so slow & sucky at replying to messages & threads, but i love you all so much. it means so much that you’re here, thank you for sticking around. I LOVE YOU!

[rakuraiwielder]

I'm working on your ask, but here's some for you: I, A, M, S, P, O, T

Ask prompt here: x

thanks puffin!! this is gonna be long and nostalgic eyy

I - HasTumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why? 

I wouldn’t say “actively dislike” butthe toxicity of fandom on this website has sucked away most of my passion for Voltron lol. I used to really dig itthe first month or so after getting really into it when S2 aired. I still havean unfinished draft for a 7-parter rarepair fic //ey guess my fav duo ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)// sitting in my folders. don’t think I’llbe touching it any time soon though. im rather burnt out from this fandom, evenif I do still enjoy watching all the new seasons thereafter.

another is StevenUniverse ah a. (but in its and my defence, I wasn’t really into it anywaysas compared to other fandoms. the songs are still good, but I haven’t beenkeeping up with the newer Steven bombs, one part because of motivation, andanother because the thought of going into the tags to reblog contentintimidates the heck out of me pffft)

A - Ships that youcurrently like a lot. (They don’t have to be OTPs because not everyone hasOTPs.) Friendships, pairings, threesomes, etc. are allowed.

(puffin this question is gonnatake up half the ask oh god)oh bOY where do I start hahahaha. there’s so many aph and fe callbacks hahaha few otps aside I really have too manycrackpairs and platonic friendship ride-or-die squads I would die for. theseare only a few really relevant ones from the top of my head-

OTPS:

Norway/Vietnam (Hetalia) – alWAYS. i dont talk about and reblog much aph anymore but i still think about these two frequently. they were my first and closestthing ever to an actual otp in all my years of knowing what an otp was gosh Ihope to write about them again soon. their dynamics are the peak of mypreferences.

MU(avatar unit)/Silas (FE Fates) – thechildhood friends + loyal knight and liege trope + a pinch of memory loss wasnever really my thing, but guess there’s a first for everything ha h a ah a….silas is too pure for the angst I put him through im so sorry ಸ ل͜ ಸ

Berkut/Rinea (FE: SOV) – the second that one cutscene of these two played I got1000% more invested in the story pffft. anyways rinea may be top tier fav andberkut shit tier fav, and their story tragic as heck (and I would also arguethat he doesn’t deserve her), but their genuine and honest love for each otheramidst the incoming death flags gets me every time

707/MC (Mystic messenger) – honestly they can either be a really good platonicdynamic duo or a solid otp. purely from the perspective of my own MC, theycomplement each other well; perfect balance of light-hearted teasing and asolid wall of comfort for each other.

Ray-Saeran/MC (Mystic messenger) – ヽ༼ຈل͜ຈ༽ﾉ

(Other) Ships:

Seychelles/Iceland/HK (Hetalia) – they are good togetherromantically or platonically hahahaha. a good golden trio of kids

Russia/Vietnam (Hetalia) – their potential relationship and clashof character due to conflicting personalities fascinate me. a totally differentnoir vibe from norviet and one I hope to explore if I ever come back to aph

Nyx/Leo (FE Fates) – nyx ships are reallyrare but half of them are surprisingly sweet and poignant. Odin and Laslow tooare really sweet candidates to woo this jaded grandma’s heart.

MU/Laslow (FE Fates) – got to thank a wacky7-11 employee au dream I had for this one. but in the games their supportconversations are surprisingly thoughtful and low-key flirting which was notwhat I expected at all. wholesome.

Ham/Kai (MUxMU, FE) – remember when I said protag/protagships are the good stuff? yea h thatprincess tutu au is coming along swell

Alm/Celica (FE: SOV) – the rare main canon couple I love whodon’t die and get their happy ending (LOL this sounds really pathetic now thatI’ve said it)

Leon/Valbar (FE: SOV) – no one is surprised LOL. romantic orno, as long as leon is happy with where he stands with valbar and valbar ishappy with where he is im happy for them both

Conrad/Rinea (FE: SOV) – I know there are a couple of youreading this whos gonna give me that look but liste n; they could have met, and there is potential for them.(honestly this is just like another norviet situation where I put my 2 topfaves together for crackpair experimentation bUT IT WORKS I ASSURE YOU)

Zen/MC (Mystic messenger) – zen is so earnest that I can’t refute himhahaha. he also has a special seat in my mysme heart, since he was the firstroute I played and made me create content for the fandom proper

707/Jaehee (Mystic messenger) – they are rapidly gaining OTP status ꉂ (´∀｀)ʱªʱªʱª aaaa nightmare flashbacks because justlike norviet they really are the rarest of crackpairs and have almost to no content(gonna get down to business and churn fic out one day). these two are moresimilar than they’d think too.

Cecil/Haruka (Utapri) – ahahaha a good ship from a guiltypleasure fandom

(Purely) Platonic:

Izuku/Iida/Ochako (BNHA) – the first golden trio of thisseries. I love them so much.

Vanderwood/MC (Mystic messenger) – they parallel each other. truly thebiggest ride-or-die duo I will support to the end of time

Zen/Yoosung (Mystic messenger) – zen is such a mother hen to yoosungwwwww truly wholesome

Chise/Ruth (Ancient Magus Bride) – platonic master/familiar-partner relationships where both of them care for each other so much to the point where they would die for the other are my one weakness. its the reason i love writing more fleshed-out pokemon aus and loyal dogs/animals in longer fics. anyways these two are good

M - Name acharacter that you’d like to have for a friend.

707. It would be a trip justknowing him. (apart from the memes. but my life is already 80% meme, honestlywhats the difference ahahaha aaa-) Just, I feel like it would be really fun tohang out with him and revel in his wackiness (even if that personality is afront, maybe one day when i finally get into his inner-circle of friends, I hopeto be privy and be a good listening ear to his truer, more sombre personality.)

On the other hand, myself-confidence and 2nd hand embarrassment will be directlyproportional to each other (And im 100% sure Seven is the kind of person whowill exploit that hAH)

S - Show us anexample of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Every relevant character inMysmes is either a type of asexual (greysexual etc.), or on various points ofthe bi-spectrum. Yeah; even self-proclaimed, “straight-laced” Zen lol.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (wealways need more ideas)

Vampire/Selkie AU ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

a selkie whose skin gets stolen and hidden from a human man is forced to become his bride and taken back to his village. there, to escape the stares of bigoted villagers and the clutches of her overbearing and possessive husband, she takes refuge in the only place he would not go; the old holy church.

only, she finds she isn’t the first to occupy this place of solitude. the master of the church notices her soon enough, and when vampire recognises the ancient weave of magic that flows within her, he appears; intrigued for something other than a fresh meal.

(basically a deviation from the standard vampire (romance-ish) novels lolol plot bunny hit me pre-Christmas eve dinner/yesterday and sofar im digging it. still planning the ship and fandom though; it might very easily be OC-based)

O - Choose a songat random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

since 1 is never enough, hereare 4 songs I was listening to recently:

Little Knights, Nem feat.Noire : Zen/MC(a zen-ish song through and through)

over and over, Yanagi Nagi : Saeran Choi + 707&MC(more saeran-centric with interpretative lyrics and referencing to both ray andunknown personas)

Finding something to do, HelloGoodbye : 707/Jaehee(fits their “don’t go where I can’t follow” dynamic haha ow.)

Life will Change, Shoji Meguro + Benjamin Franklin feat. Lyn Inaizumi : Kai(mui) or Ham(let)(honestly the entire persona 5 ost is massive fe fates protag feels)

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons thatyou will die defending?

Not really. I’m a very flexible person when it comes tointerpretable lore and content, especially if it’s the type of HCs that thefandom collectively comes up with. Unless it’s a canon fact, I like to dabble orjust stay away from HCs in general. If I have to come up with some in my fics,then so be it. But most of the time these HCs are either super vague or onlyapply to the context in this particular piece or series of writing. Basically Idon’t mind switching HCs for charas frequently as long as it does notfundamentally change their own character. (HCs for hobbies and loves and habitsand relationships apart from their inner circle, etc. are all fine)

Honestly it just boils down to expectations lol I know myown limits, and I know not to be disappointed when canon updates end updebunking (popular) fandom HCs or my own.

[whitewolfofwinterfell]

I read your previous answer about Stefan being a martyr or a hero (I agree with everything you wrote, thank you for always answering so throughout and thoughtful, it's a joy reading your metas) and I noticed you wrote "lost my soulmate to a coma" in a part of it and I just wonder, do you really believe stelena were soulmates? I do and I've seen other people discuss it, but it'd be fun to read your opinion on it too... if you'd like to share it of course (:

You’re welcome! I’m so glad you love reading my metas, because I always love writing them.

In answer to your question, of course I believe Stelena were soul mates. Of everything pertaining to their relationship them being soul mates is one of things that can never be denied or taken from them. Kevin Williamson has explicitly called Stelena soul mates, Nina has said Stefan feeds Elena’s soul and even Caroline Dries described their relationship after their break-up as being a soulful friendship.

Since you’re already familiar with my metas, it should be no surprise to you that I’m putting the read of my response under the cut, since it’s so long haha.

I think the concept of soul mates is one that’s different for everyone and there are no clear cut definitions or answers, but the most basic definition I can find is from the Oxford dictionary which is:

A person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.

I don’t even feel it’s necessary to give examples of how Stefan and Elena fit this definition. It’s pretty obvious for everyone to see that they were ideally suited both as a couple and friends. The problem with that definition is that it’s too simplistic and unfeeling, so I’m gonna go to Urban dictionary instead. I would usually never do this, but since soul mates is more about personal interpretation I wanted to get an idea of some of the common things others perceive it to mean. A few definitions say:

A person with whom you have an immediate connection the moment you meet..The first time you glimpse at each other you are immediately drawn to each other…

A soul mate is someone you meet and the instant your eyes meet you feel these incredible feelings that you never knew existed…

This is a crucial element, that I feel ultimately solidifies Stefan and Elena as soul mates above any other couple on the show. They are the only couple who had an immediate connection from the moment they first met, which is a crucial attribute of soul mates. The reason for this is that the idea of soul mates, comes from Folklore and is the idea that when a soul descends to earth it splits in two, each half of the soul inhabiting a separate body. These two halves are destined to wander the earth until they find each other and only then will they be complete. And since these two people are essentially  two halves of a whole, there is an instant recognition and connection, which is also where the idea of “love at first sight” is born from.

Another definition of soulmates is the following:

It’s the love that survives anything and everything, that struggles and pulls through, that even when it seemed hopeless and out of control it still beat strongly. It’s the love that is not superficial, a love that transcends not only the physical world but time itself.

This fits Stefan and Elena perfectly. There seems to be an impression that just because Stefan and Elena broke up their love ended or they stopped being soul mates, which is completely incorrect. Stefan and Elena’s love transcended their break-up, transcended Elena falling in love with Damon and being in a relationship with him, transcended Elena being in a coma for 3+ years and transcended Stefan’s death. In 6x22, 6 years after they met and after everything they’d been through (individually and together), Elena stood before Stefan and said, “I love you so much” and in 8x16 she sat outside Stefan’s resting place 10(?) years after his death remembering him and devoting her life to his memory. Their love was eternal and survived through everything, even death.  

A common theme I also see popping up in these definitions as I’m scrolling through is the unwillingness to live without your soul mate in your life, which again describes Stefan and Elena. Even after she broke his heart in season 4, Stefan never stopped wanting Elena to be a part of his life and in season 5 he pushed through his personal feelings in order to establish a friendship with her, because he knew she was so important to him that he’d rather have her in his life as a friend than not in his life at all. In addition, in season 6 when Stefan had moved to Savannah, Elena refused to leave Stefan alone to get on with her life and he told her that he was avoiding Mystic Falls not her. This shows that even when they weren’t living in the same town and their common connection (Damon) was gone there was still a connection between them and a desire to remain in each other’s lives. Similarly, Stefan’s reaction to Elena’s “death” in 7x12 and Elena’s reaction to Stefan’s death in 8x16 showed all the signs of people that couldn’t bear to live a life without their soul mate.

I’ve also found an article that outlines 10 elements of soul mates (x) which I’ll go through systematically.

1. It’s something inside. This is an ambiguous definition and one of the reasons discussing soul mates is so difficult. But I feel like Stefan’s quote from season 5 of, “When we were together, every single atom in my body told me that it was the right thing, that we were the perfect fit,” pertains to this. It’s something that’s deep and profound, a love that makes you feel something you can’t quite explain.

2. Flashbacks. Now, this one is very interesting regarding Stelena, because of the issues revolving around them being doppelgangers. There’s no denying the doppelganger story line developed in season 5 is incredibly flawed with plot holes left right and center, but ultimately, I feel that what it was doing was implying the idea of soul mates. The doppelgangers were born as a direct result of Silas and Amara’s love, they were literal copies of them and therefore destined to meet and fall in love. As Tessa said, she watched versions of Stefan and Elena find each other and fall in love century after century. And when you take away the idea that each doppelganger is an individual person/character these doppelgangers throughout the centuries can surely represent various past reincarnations of Stefan and Elena?

3. You just get each other.“I know you, Stefan, better than anyone.” “You know me probably better than anyone else.” “You knew me better than anyone, you always have.”

4. You fall in love with his (or her) flaws.This is referring to the acceptance of one another’s flaws. I can say with complete confidence Elena accepted Stefan for his flaws and she took this a step further by having faith in his ability to overcome them. The poor writing in the later seasons means that Elena’s flaws were hardly acknowledged by the writers let alone by Stefan or any other character, but the fact he remained a faithful and loyal friend to Elena until the day he died suggests that he did indeed accept every part of Elena.

5. It’s intense. Again I feel like I don’t really need to explain this. From the very beginning their relationship was intense and although the romance ended, whenever Stefan and Elena had an emotional or romantic scene together it was incredibly intense (e.g. almost kiss in 5x04, goodbye in 8x16)

6. You two against the world.I think this definitely applied to Stefan and Elena when they were a couple. Whenever they faced an obstacle they faced it together, they were a team. When Elena was dealing with finding out she was adopted/meeting Isobel, Stefan was right there by her side, when Katherine came back and tried to tear them apart they fought to face her together, when Klaus was hunting Elena they worked as a team, even though Elena becoming a vampire broke them up, they still very much faced that together in the early episodes, and even in the hunt for the cure they were united. Let’s just put it this way: Stefan and Elena have always been on each other’s side, always fighting the same battles and for the same cause.

7. You’re mentally inseparable.This is without a doubt a trait of Stefan and Elena’s relationship. It’s why Stefan’s humanity was so rooted in his love for Elena, why Elena instinctively knew Stefan was looking at her in 3x02, it’s why no matter what happened they remained in each other’s lives, it’s why in his final moments the person Stefan saw was Elena.

8. You feel secure and protected. Again, no explanations necessary. In 3x22 Elena clearly stated that part of the reason she fell in love with Stefan is because he made her feel safe. Whenever Elena was in danger, it was always Stefan that she sought and when he held her in his embrace, you could clearly see how safe she felt just for knowing he was there. With Stefan, I think the safety he experienced with Elena was not so much rooted in his physical safety, but his emotional/mental safety. Elena was the first person since Lexi to keep him grounded, to connect him to his humanity and keep him sane. When he was with her he felt safe knowing that she gave him the strength to conquer his demons and overcome the darkness.

9. You can’t imagine your life without him (or her). This goes back to what I’ve already mentioned about how Stefan and Elena could never completely leave each other’s lives. Even after his death, Elena was finding a way to weave the memory of Stefan into her daily life. Stefan and Elena from the day they met were always going to be in each other’s lives and that is just a fact.

10. You look each other in the eye. Stefan and Elena did this all the time, even after their break-up. Their eye contact, the way in which they looked each other (8x16 is particularly coming to mind here, but also 6x21 and 6x22) was always intense, soft, adoring and easy. You could see the familiarity and comfort that was between them just by seeing the way they looked at each other.

So, by the definitions I’ve found and outlined above, Stefan and Elena seem to be confirmed soul mates.

From a personal perspective, I have never doubted that Stefan and Elena were soul mates. The reason for that is that my perception of soul mates is simply two people that upon meeting form an instant and profound connection and that connection grows and blossoms into a very meaningful relationship that is inexplicable and unbreakable. Whilst the characteristics above do describe soul mates to an extent, for me it really comes down to the fact that Stefan and Elena had such a life-altering impact on each other. They’re two people who brought each other back to life and who quite literally transformed each other’s lives forever. Stefan and Elena’s lives took the paths that they did because they met, because they fell in love, because they knew each other. Even though they broke up Elena reconnected Stefan to his humanity in such a deep way that he was able to continue to grow and move forward with that and loving Elena is an experience that enriched his life and made him happy (even if only for a short amount of time). For Elena the impact was so much bigger because not only did he save her (literally and metaphorically in season 1), but she actually ended up living her entire life through Stefan. She devoted her life to his dream career, chose to live her life a certain way and to be happy in honour of Stefan and what he’d given her. That alone makes me wonder how anyone could say that Stefan and Elena weren’t soul mates, because really, is there anything more profound than that? Another significant reason as to why I perceive Stefan and Elena as being soul mates is because of something which has already been mentioned - their emotional/mental connection. Particularly emotionally, Stefan and Elena had such a instinctual and natural understanding of one another that continued throughout the seasons. As always I feel like the concept of an emotional connection can be very misunderstood by people, so I took the liberty of doing a quick Google search and found a site that I feel explains it very well (x). The first basic definition it gives is:

An Emotional Connection happens when two (or more) people knowingly feel and perceive the same thing at the same time.

I feel like this definition alone really hits the nail on the head and clears up the how/why Stefan and Elena developed such an intense and deep emotional connection. In fact, it also actually explains why/how they connected so quickly, since they were both feeling lost and as Kevin said “dead inside” and they knew they were feeling that way. When Stefan found Elena’s journal, it suggested that she was feeling certain emotions that she couldn’t express in any other way except by writing them (just like Stefan), when they sat in the Grill and Stefan explained that he lived with his uncle, there was an immediate connection on the basis that they’d both lost their parents (obviously the circumstances were completely different, but that’s irrelevant) and particularly at the end in 1x01 when Stefan showed up on Elena’s door with blood shot eyes and they had that conversation where Stefan asks Elena if she’s okay and she says that’s all anyone seems to ask her and he says, do you ever really mean it? That conversation just confirms that emotional connection that was already being built in the earlier scenes by portraying two people that were clearly at a low point in their lives and looking for that emotional connection they found in each other to appease their loneliness and give their life meaning and purpose. The examples that the site gives are also great for going deeper with what it means to have an emotional connection:

Two lovers holding hands while gazing out together at a beautiful sunset - hello, this is already a canon Stelena moment.

A mother and a baby feeling scared together after the baby falls over into a coffee table - comparable to pretty much every scary event Stefan and Elena experienced throughout the season (and let’s face it there were a lot haha) where both of them shared the same fears

A husband and a wife discussing and forming a shared commitment to financial goals - comparable to Stefan and Elena’s shared vision for the future (a human life, children, marriage, careers as doctors etc.)

Two friends laughing together over an old teacher’s funny walk - the entirety of 5x21 comes to mind (they had so much fun and laughed so much together in this episode).

As you can see from these examples and the definition, an emotional connection is really rooted in sharing emotional experiences, negative and positive. Throughout all 6 seasons Stefan and Elena consistently shared similar emotional experiences at the same time (a few of which are outlined above).The next essential part of an emotional connection is empathy:

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.

This is something I feel like Stefan and Elena did brilliantly. For all of their common feelings/thoughts on certain subjects, there were also a multitude of things that made Stefan and Elena different from each other. They went through experiences emotionally that the other hadn’t, yet they always displayed understanding and empathy. When Stefan was struggling with his blood lust towards the end of season 1, Elena was completely supportive and empathetic, despite being human and not being able to necessarily fully understand what Stefan was going through as a vampire and the same happened in season 3 when Stefan had no humanity. Stefan was empathetic towards Elena in season 2 when she was suffering through the pain of being coveted by the most powerful hybrid of all time. There’s the whole line from Stefan in season 4 of, “You’re in hell, which means I’m in hell” line from Stefan which really sums this up (x). Whatever Elena felt, Stefan felt and vice versa. That is a very powerful thing which is reserved only for the deepest of loves and relationships. However, as the article says, empathy is not enough in itself, it needs to be communicated.

Feeling empathy is a necessary ingredient for emotional connection. But it is not, by itself, sufficient; in order for an emotional connection to be created, the empathy needs to be communicated.And that is where validating feelings comes into play.

Again, Stefan and Elena had no problems in this area. There have been endless conversations between Stefan and Elena where they demonstrate understanding and empathy for one another, even if it’s just simply saying, “I know” and hugging each other. Look at what Stefan said to Elena in 2x20, “Hey, it matters. It matters.” A prime example of Stefan validating Elena’s feelings and showing her his empathy towards her. An example of Elena showing this to Stefan would be in 2x05. “Just a few drops every day, right?” Elena is so empathetic towards Stefan’s struggle with blood and his dilemma between not wanting to lose control, but also wanting to be stronger that she changes her perspective to see Stefan’s POV and then willingly agrees to allow him to feed off her. If that is not a clear example of both empathy and validation, I don’t know what is.

The article ends by explaining that the reason why so many people struggle to establish true emotional connections with others is a discomfort at the prospect of being vulnerable, which is essentially a completely natural human fear. Once more, Stefan and Elena demonstrated the extent to which they were able to be vulnerable with each other. An emotional connection cannot exist if the two people involved are unwilling to drop their walls and be completely honest about their feelings. Here are examples where Stefan and Elena did this with each other (these are just off the top of my head, there are probably more):

1x19: Stefan tells Elena the truth about his struggles with blood lust and openly cries and shows his frustration in front of her

1x20: Stefan cries and admits his guilt, pain and turmoil over the terrible things he’s done in his past

2x09: Elena cries in Stefan’s arms and expresses how she blames herself for her friends being hunted by Klaus to break the curse

2x20: Elena opens up to Stefan about not wanting to be a vampire and cries in his arms

3x14: Elena tells Stefan how she’s feeling about the uncertainty of their relationship and encourages him to open up to her in return

3x20: Elena cries in Stefan’s arms and admits she feels she has no one

4x01: Elena cries in Stefan’s arms openly as she suffers through the transition, later on in the episode Elena and Stefan talk about their love for one another, the situation with Elena nearly dying and cry.

4x02: Stefan admits to Elena he feels insecure that she chose to turn to Damon for help instead of him and Elena opens up about the heightened grief she’s experiencing

5x18: The two discuss how they’re feeling about their visions openly and honestly and get very emotional with each other.

6x22: Elena cries as she tells Stefan how she feels about him.

8x16: Both of them openly cry and discuss how they’re feeling about Stefan’s death and hold each other.

There are so many more examples, particularly in the later seasons that I’ve skipped because I’m just too lazy to write them out haha, but the point has been made anyway. Stefan and Elena were able to be very vulnerable with each other and they had complete trust that neither of them would use that vulnerability against the other as a weapon.

Proof of this emotional connection manifests itself in so many ways throughout the series. The fact that Elena was consistently Stefan’s connection to his humanity, that Stefan was the connection to Elena’s (I will not have anyone tell me any differently on this matter, 4x19 and 4x21 just proved this), that even when she was in a dilemma about Damon Elena sought out Stefan for advice/comfort (even after Damon’s death in the beginning of season 6) and that they knew each other better than anyone else. All of these aspects of their relationship stemmed from this emotional connection that was between them.

Although there are many other smaller factors that contribute to it (such as their general compatibility as people, which I’m sure I’ve discussed in another post somewhere), the depth of this emotional connection Stefan and Elena shared combined with the long-lasting impact they had on one another’s lives are really the main reasons I believe Stefan and Elena were soul mates.