#-shared interests! so this could be a big step in the right direction. because his group and our group hang out close to each other and -

[mooniladragon]

buying the heart aspect hoodie off topatoco after i get paid this week <3

[kirbysdreamlandd]

Headlock

Hamzah X Reader

SFW, first encounter, socially awkward reader

Aaah! My first fic, I’m scared! I’d appreciate feedback, plus I’m so new to this so be nice!

You find yourself locked in the bathroom, using the excuse of a stomachache.

It wasn’t entirely a lie, your stomach had started to hurt during the party, but not because you came in contact with dairy, but because of pure anxiety.

You’ve never been a fan of big parties. Small gatherings with close friends? Sure.

But this was a full-blown house party, packed with strangers.

The only person you could talk to was your friend, Claire.

Claire Drake had been your friend for years; you’d met through Instagram and clicked almost instantly, thanks to your shared interests and sense of humor.

Over time, you’d even met some of her other friends, whether they were fellow close friends of hers or occasional influencers.

You’d never been to a party like this, though, and Claire knew that.

In fact she had practically begged you to come, insisting it would be fun and you would meet her friends.

Now, however, you’re hiding in the bathroom, overwhelmed by the big crowd.

Claire had wandered off chatting with her friends, strangers to you, leaving you feeling utterly lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces.

You take a deep breath, glancing at your reflection in the mirror. You try to adjust your expression, trying to look less miserable than you feel.

When you finally step out of the bathroom, you’re greeted by two boys standing just outside.

“Oh my god, Martin, go! It’s free now.”says one of them, a curly haired brunette, gesturing emphatically toward the bathroom you’ve just come out of.

The curly haired amber-skinned guy, meets your gaze briefly, his face caught somewhere between amusement and apology.

“Sorry, uh…” he mumbles, quickly averting his eyes as his friend slips into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Now it’s just the two of you, standing awkwardly in front of each other. The silence stretches, feeling like minutes. Finally, he breaks it.

“He… forgot to tell his girlfriend he wasn’t coming home for dinner.” the boy says, looking at the floor “And now he has to pull out that weird ass baby-voice to redeem himself.” He chuckled to himself, a hand adjusting his black beanie.

You can’t tell if he’s actually talking to you, given he’s barely facing your direction. But since the floor isn’t sentient, you assume he is.

“Oh, yeah. I can hear him,” you reply, half-lying to fill the silence.

At that, his gaze snaps back to you, locking eyes for the first time since the interaction began.

The moment he looks at you is swift but allows you to notice his eyes light up.

He seems amused; Either because he wants in on the eavesdropping or because you actually replied to him, breaking the awkward silence.

You realize you were right. He steps closer, leaning against the bathroom door, pressing his ear against it.

After a moment, he lets out a small giggle, his pearly white teeth peeking under his lip.

You glance at him. His eyes aren’t on you, though; they’re awkwardly fixed on your shoes.

Up close, you notice the details: shiny dark curls, long black eyelashes, bright glowing skin with no hint of facial hair.

Then, a name flashes in your mind.

Hamzah.

It feels like something clicking into place. You know his name, but you’re struggling to remember how or where you heard it before.

You’re so lost in thought, trying to place him, that you don’t notice Claire walking up to you.

“Hey, Hamzah. Y/N,” she greets you both with a smile. “Do y’all know each other?”

For some unknown reason, that question makes your cheeks warm.

“Uh, no. We were just… casually eavesdropping on Martin taking a shit.” Hamzah replies quickly, his confidence returning now that Claire has joined the conversation.

Claire lets out a confused giggle before introducing you properly.

“Well, Y/N, this is Hamzah,” you already knew that “and Hamzah, this is Y/N.”

You and Hamzah exchange glances, small smirks mixed with shyness on your faces.

“Uh… Y/N, are you familiar with 4freakshow?” Claire’s question snaps you out of your thoughts.

4freakshow. Of course. The show Claire was in with some of her friends.

“Oh, yeah! Hamzah—you were in it, weren’t you?” you blurt out, the answer tumbling from your lips like you found the answer to a million dollar question.

Hamzah chuckles softly. “Yup. Sure was,” he replies, glancing away into the distance.

You catch a glimpse of a smile on his face, and you can’t help but smile back.

“Yeah, he has his own YouTube channel now,” Claire adds, nudging his arm with her elbow. “He’s doing veeeery good.”

“Well,” Hamzah says, correcting her with mock irritation. “I’m doing very well.”

“Oh my god…” Claire groans, shifting her weight to one leg before glancing back at you. “Anyways, Y/N, I have to introduce you to James and Laura, they’re so funny—“

“Oh—Claire, I’m sorry,” you interrupt quickly, your face softening with an apologetic look. “I still have that awful stomachache. I think I’m just gonna call an Uber and head home.”

Claire’s saddened expression nearly makes you apologize again, but before you can, the bathroom door swings open.

“Alright, babe. I’ll be there. Bye.” a voice says.

Hamzah’s friend walks out, phone in hand and a stressed look etched across his face. When he spots everyone lingering by the door, though, a small smile cracks through his frustration.

“So?” Hamzah teases, grinning like a child. “How are things with the blondie? Is she the one?” Hamzah burst in a laugh.

“Bro, Rudy pooped everywhere,” the friend, Martin, ignores Hamzah’s question, groans and runs a hand over his face. “She’s making me go over there to help clean it up.”

Martin waves at you and Claire as he shoves his phone into his back pocket. You wave back, awkwardly matching his gesture.

“Hamzah, you’ll drive me, right?” Martin asks, putting on a dramatically pleading expression.

Hamzah exhales loudly, rolling his eyes before grabbing his car keys. “Yeah, yeah, I got you.”

Then he hesitates, glancing at you for a split second before turning to Martin again. “I could, uh, drop you off too—if you want.”

For a moment, you think he’s talking to Martin, but the quick flick of his eyes in your direction says otherwise. You meet his gaze.

And then everything else fades.

His eyes are large and dark, his pupils locking onto yours with an intensity that makes time stretch impossibly thin. They remind you of a puppy’s; wide, unguarded, almost pleading.

Oh god. What are you thinking.

It’s like you’ve forgotten everything and everyone around you, you snap back to reality, thankfully not losing gravity in the process.

“Oh, that’s nice of you…” you manage, struggling to shift your attention away from him. “But I wouldn’t want to be a burden.”

Your words trail off as his stare sharpens. His expression doesn’t shift, neither happy nor sad, but something in his eyes changes, something you can’t quite place.

“You’re absolutely not one,” he says, his voice soft yet firm. He glances at the floor for a moment before looking back at you. “I wouldn’t let you go home alone. I don’t trust Uber drivers.”

“Uh, well, thank you,” you reply, forcing a smile even as your heart pounds.

His eyes soften, and though his expression remains serious, you can sense he’s more at ease. Clutching his keys tightly, he turns to Claire with a cheeky grin.

“We’re heading out. Bye, Claire.”

He awkwardly tries to dap her up, but Claire only rolls her eyes and offers him a half-hearted handshake.

“Alright, Y/N, feel better soon. Bye, guys.” Claire waves before melting back into the crowd, leaving you three standing there.

“She’s Y/N,” Hamzah broke the silence, his hand pointing in my direction. “Claire’s friend.”

“Sup, Y/N,” Martin said nonchalantly, flashing you a comforting smile.

Compared to Hamzah’s slightly nervous demeanor, Martin seemed much more at ease. It put you at ease too, his confidence making the conversation less awkward already.

“Do you… know who we are?” Martin asked suddenly, running a hand through his straight brown hair, his face giving off undeniable TikTok e-boy energy.

Hamzah let out a groan, covering his face with one hand. “Bro, please.”

You blinked, unsure whether to laugh or not. Their dynamic was endearingly chaotic, but the question caught you off guard. You shook your head, offering a shrug instead of a verbal response.

Martin’s lips quirked into a mischievous smile. “Ever heard of… Slushynoobz?”

“It’s our YouTube channel,” Hamzah interjected quickly, as if saving you from the discomfort of answering. “You probably haven’t seen it. We’re…peak stupidity over there.”

The way he said it, equal parts self-deprecating and proud, made you laugh softly.

When Martin joined in with a chuckle, even Hamzah cracked a grin, the shared laughter melting the final iceberg of awkwardness.

“Alright, let’s go.” Hamzah said, leading the way out the house.

Outside, the air was crisp, the kind that stung just enough to remind you it was Canada.

Hamzah unlocked his car, sliding into the driver’s seat, while Martin made a show of sighing dramatically.

“Guess I’m in the back today. No passenger princess for me” Martin grumbled, flopping into the seat behind you.

The engine rumbled to life, and soon the three of you were cruising down snowy streets of downtown Toronto.

Hamzah played music through his speakers; soft, chill beats that fit the cozy vibe perfectly.

The combination of the music and the scenery felt cinematic, like the last scene of a movie, one with an happy ending.

When “Headlock” by Imogen Heap came on, Hamzah turned the volume up slightly.

You glanced at Hamzah. He seemed relaxed, a hand on the wheel and the other resting on his thigh.

You could just barely catch him lip-syncing to the lyrics, but the moment he noticed you watching, he stopped, glancing at you from the corner of his eye.

A smile slowly crept onto his face, and instead of shying away, he turned his attention back to the road and started singing the song out loud, his voice loud and unashamed.

“You say toooo late to staaart!” Hamzah sang loudly, completely unbothered by his voice cracking.

“With your heaaart in a headlooock!” Martin joined in, matching Hamzah’s energy, his voice more enthusiastic than polished.

Something in their carefree vibe tugged at you, and before you knew it, you were singing along too.

“I don’t believe any of it!” the three of you chanted in unison, voices blending into a chaotic but strangely harmonious sound.

The song bringing you all together, like you had known each other for years even though you just met hours ago.

As the track faded out, you were all left smiling and slightly out of breath.

“God that song is so good” Hamzah added right before another song began playing.

Soon enough Hamzah pulled up into a cozy looking dust covered street and dropped Martin off.

You caught a glimpse of his girlfriend from the window and waved at her after saying goodbye to him.

“So uh… what’s the addy?” Said Hamzah cracking an awkward smirk that couldn’t help but make you giggle.

The drive started out quiet, with the heater slowly being turned up and the air getting more chilly as the night got darker.

Snow began to fall gently, the flakes swirling like tiny stars underneath the headlights.

“Damn, it’s getting stormy.” Hamzah muttered, squinting at the road. Sure enough, the snow started coming down heavier, and the windshield wipers struggled to keep up, letting snow coat the window.

“Sorry, I think it would’ve been better if I just called an Uber,” you added, glancing at your hands and nervously giggling.

Hamzah frowned, shooting you a look that was almost offended. “Girl, please.” You couldn’t help but laugh at that remark.

You couldn’t help but laugh at that remark. He shook his head, still focusing on the road. “Me driving you home wouldn’t have changed the fact that it was gonna storm today.”

You went quiet at that. He was right, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were somehow a burden to him.

Hamzah, however, didn’t seem to mind. Despite the chaotic weather, he remained calm, steering through the snow as if he’d been doing it all his life.

Every time the car skidded or when you anxiously asked, “Are we gonna make it alive?” he just reassured you with a steady tone, his focus never wavering from the road.

You admired how unbothered he seemed, even as the storm raged outside. It made you feel a little less frantic and you were in good hands.

You finally arrived at your house, a weight lifting from your chest as soon as the car engine stopped.

“Alright. Be safe, it was nice talking to you,” Hamzah said, turning toward you with his hand resting on the key, ready to turn the engine back on.

You stared at him, wide-eyed. “You’re kidding, right?”

His calm eyes met yours and for a moment, he didn’t seem to get it.

“You’re not driving back home.”

Hamzah blinked, his face transforming into an exaggerated, shocked expression. “What the hell? Girl, are you trying to murder me or something?”

He laughed, expecting you to join in, but you stayed silent, your expression serious.

“No,” you said, your tone surprisingly stern, like a concerned mother. “But you’re gonna die if you go back out driving in this condition.”

His laughter faded as he caught the intensity in your voice.

His playful demeanor shifted, and for a brief moment, his eyes looked genuinely taken aback, before his usual smirk returned, but with a hint of submission.

“Okay, lady…” he sighed, slowly blinking. “You win. I’m staying at your place.”

His declaration caught you off guard, the audacity of him already inviting himself. But you weren’t complaining.

You blinked, exchanging one last look with him before pushing the door open.

Without a word, you stepped out of the car and headed toward the front door, his footsteps crunching in the snow close behind you.

[tra1nchi]

Older men are so hot,, I wish they were real,, MINORS DNI!!, Bttm male reader,, Step dad!! Exhibitionism,, cheating (stpdad)

you both got along so well!! Your mom was so happy because it was such a big change,, coming home during a college break to a strange man in your home must have been such a shock to you!!

you both soon grew closer due to liking the same interests!! He was the perfect image of a father figure,,kind, caring and especially patient with you!!

Patient with shoving your squirming form up against the window of his and your mothers shared bedroom!! Your mom right downstairs in the garden,, chatting leisurely with her friend!!

Your step dad grips at your hips as he lifts you up further against the glass,, you both were on the second floor so your mom didn't have a direct view,, but it was such a risk!!! >○<

"Imagine if she looks up hm? Seeing her own husband fuck his pretty step son?" He smiled down at you,, nipping harshly down onto your neck,, leaving a very visible hickey!!

His hands shove down your shorts,, zipping down his own fly as he rubs his cock on your back teasingly leaning close to your ear!!!

"you like this don't you? Gross little pervert" He chuckles lubing himself up before shoving himself deep inside!!

It felt sooo good >□< you could get caught by your own mother at any second!! Your body is pressed up against the glass,, the cold hitting against your nipples!!

The soft groans of your step father weren't helping your situation at all!! They were so lewd and sooo close to your ears!! He wouldn't stop even as your mothers friend looks around in suspicion!!

Gtipping at your hair to pull your face away from the window,, giving you a better view at down below!!! It's so embarrassing!! You couldn't stop yourself from cumming just from your hair being gripped,,,,

[toreii]

Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Review

Let me just preface this post by saying I’m still on the fence about sharing my thoughts. Like many, I am highly disappointed with the direction this DLC went. I would have never imagined this was in store for me last year during the summer when I first watched the Lin Kuei trailer. Khaos Reigns provoked two days of awful headaches followed by days of disillusion. Yes, NRS played me for a fool (thank god I did not purchase this). I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and it came to bite me in the ass. If I had a physical copy of the game, I’d chuck it in the trash. I’m finding it difficult to proceed forward which is hard because I like to see things through even if it sucks. All I can do is protect my vision of Bi-Han and staying true to the old lore as I try and move on.

That being said, to address my take on this expansion:

To begin, the elephant in the freaking room--Sektor and Cyrax.

I am a Lin Kuei fan overall. Not a big fan of him in general, but there has been appreciation for him and Cyrax throughout the years. When I learned that both were going to be genderbent, I had a little bit of misgivings suddenly changing things drastically. But, again, I gave NRS the benefit of the doubt. Since this is a new era, I was on board with it until the rumors started circulating about both being love interests for the brothers. I was like "That makes no sense whatsoever." To me, the Lin Kuei has always been like a brotherhood. In no given time, has there ever been any indication of personal relationships outside of camaraderie. For example, Cyrax and Smoke being vehemently upset over Bi-Han's death in MK9, and not just Kuai Liang.

The argument can be constantly made that this is a new timeline, and it's Liu Kang's creation over and over. But, when you have that man (Dominic) constantly saying the timelines are canon, but not really. But, still are. It's incredibly hard to take anything seriously right now especially with the constant flip flopping that man does for the sake of the current script. Which is another point, but back to the bastardization of our two Lin Kuei girls.

I wanted to believe in a strong, female Sektor, who has her own ideals which we can all clearly see. Like her past iterations, she lives, breathes, and bleeds Lin Kuei. I wanted to see a Sektor who slowly, but surely descended into her own madness of corruption as she pursued her goals for the Cyber Initiative. Sektor has always been known for his technological genius, and she would be no different. To see her potential constantly get staunched for her adulation and obsession for Bi-Han was hard to witness. I can understand that this may be a flaw for her, but it is a very shitty flaw. Because this one trait absolutely negates everything she stands for. I can see that both she and Bi-Han use each other to a certain extent where it seems fit. I know her horrible romance is the center of focus right now, but if you listen to her intros with Bi-Han, it seems to be all business between them. There is barely any indication that their relationship goes beyond the realm of the clan and into a personal tryst. Sektor calls it love, but it's not quite there. I mean, there's love for the grandmaster, but the love that seems to be implied between the two is not quite there. At least, in my view.

I don't know about Sektor yet, but I already deduced that Bi-Han isn't someone who's desperate to correct anyone on the spot. He doesn't have to. He doesn't owe anyone an explanation, so of course he runs with whatever people say about him. He's unbothered by anyone's opinions of him. When Kuai Liang told Cyrax the truth about Bi-Han letting their father die, Bi-Han could have stepped in at any given moment and contradicted Kuai Liang. Instead, he chose to own every word Kuai said. I've had this feeling since the end of the base campaign that Kuai Liang simply took pieces of what Bi-Han said, and spun them to fit his own narrative. (Killing your father and letting him die because of an accident are two completely different things.)

Anyways, going back to Sektor, that scene where Bi-Han's mind was being restored seems to be the only shoehorned indication that there is more to them than meets the eye. But, again, it was badly placed, badly presented as well. First of all, Sektor really should not have been there in that room at all. From a storytelling perspective, I'm supposed to believe that both Sektor and Bi-Han have this obsessive romance and codependency between each other in a few seconds of frames, than the brotherhood between Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas??? And this was my worst fear for Bi-Han too. I did not want him to be "saved" by romance. I wanted his salvation to come from within himself as he reflected on his poor decisions and the tragedy of his downfall which sadly we were robbed and negated from. If the scene only involved Liu Kang, Bi-Han, and Kuai Liang, it would have been more poignant. There has always been that story between the two brothers. I understand, this is not the same Kuai of two timelines ago. But, why is MK: Onslaught's ScorpKuai a lot more wholesome than our MK1 iteration??? He was absolutely horrified meeting MK11 Noob. He couldn't understand why Bi-Han became Noob (and how). But, Kuai's first instinct in the DLC is to be absolutely pissed and disgusted? "Your new attire suits you. It is as black as your heart." Darling, no. I would have been more pleased seeing Kuai approach the table and have this conflicting expression. The hatred can still be there, but the concern and sorrow for whom was once family to him, and his eldest brother needed to be portrayed. I mean, we sort of got it with the whole coffin scene at the end. But, in that scene, in that moment, that more than Bi-Han reaching for Sektor and touching foreheads with her is a lot more powerful in terms of storytelling. I don't know why NRS is so against these two hashing it out and resolving their issues.

Now to Cyrax...oh my god...

According to Kuai Liang in the main story, Cyrax and Sektor were supposed to be absolutely loyal to Bi-Han and would abet his corruption than follow him. We obviously see that in Sektor, but what the hell happened to Cyrax? It leads me to believe that Dominic and others suddenly decided to change the script. Mind you, I firmly believe that they did so. Sektor and Cyrax being women in this game must've been a decision that came after everything was said and done for the base campaign. I'm a bit skeptical on Bi-Han suddenly turning on Cyrax because I do recall some time ago listening to some leaked audio in which Bi-Han says "Kuai Liang was supposed to give Cyrax back." It made me think "Oh shit. Does Cyrax get held hostage or something?" Like, what the hell happened? And, I'm realizing, are we missing dialogue now? There is so much that does not make sense!!! Why would they turn on her all of a sudden?!

She's supposed to be close to Bi-Han just as much as Sektor. And suddenly, Cyrax is presented as a free thinking individual who abides by her own ideals and tradition. The moment that is threatened, she feels like she can no longer follow Bi-Han and his ambitions. To make it worse, she feels so much remorse with Kuai Liang that she's ready to give up her life in penance to make up for it. It just makes no sense. And to make it worse, she spends the rest of the DLC following Kuai Liang like a little puppy ready to serve her new grandmaster. Why was she even presented as a strong individual when all she wants is Kuai Liang's adoration as well? Not to mention, it was a really gross line to include in the intros where Noob threatens to spill her relationship with Kuai Liang to Harumi. We're seriously cheapening these two women to typical high school romance tropes? Like others have expressed, this is fanfiction levels of madness.

Kuai Liang is all levels of messed up too. I am so sick and tired of him prancing around like he does no wrong, and everyone believes every word he says. Suddenly, he's the self appointed grand hero of the story when you have Liu Kang's champions sitting around and twiddling their thumbs? Why not place faith in them and send them with Kuai to resolve the current threat. I understand Kuai's Shirai Ryu is now the new protectors, but you also have these other people and beings who are preparing themselves as well for these upcoming threats. I hate that they just suddenly bled into the background, and disappeared completely. Somebody needs to not only knock Bi-Han but Kuai Liang as well a few pegs down. He too is not without his own flaws and they need to be addressed. And Liu Kang's line "Trust your wife. Avail yourself of her wisdom." The same thing with Sektor and Bi-Han. Here too. This fucking trope cannot be it. Love cannot only be the thing that saves the day. His anger, his vengeance, is no where near the levels of Hanzo. Hanzo legit had a reason to be like that. Kuai is literally throwing a bitch fit at Bi-Han, and pointing fingers anywhere but himself. Seriously, his anger and disgust against Cyrax was so unwarranted. And every time she was flustered and tried to explain, he barely gave her time to say a word. Always cutting her off, and rejecting her apologies until the end because it is implied Harumi stepped in. And he seems to just completely simmer down a bit in the presence of Noob. Where was the you who tried to take him on earlier in Chaosrealm? Suddenly, you don't feel like butting heads with your brother? Kuai Liang is such a hypocrite, and I'm tired of seeing it.

Liu Kang was also another that just got dragged through the mud. A lot of his words and actions did not make sense. He's content with disposing of Titan Shang Sung and Titan Quan Chi, but he won't let Bi-Han finish off Titan Havik because he isn't sure how he's tied to his timeline, and doesn't want to kill innocent lives? What about the timelines tied to the other two? Liu Kang had no problem ending those. Why is Titan Havik's timeline any different? Bi-Han is right. Why does that timeline matter when the most important one is theirs, Liu Kang's timeline? He tells Raiden and Kung Lao to do their best and pray they make it out alive, when Liu Kang could have better prepared them. Gets his ass handed to him, can't even go save Geras himself. Sends Kuai, Cyrax, and Sektor to Chaosrealm in blindly. And, snaps at Bi-Han for the most part towards the end instead of having a meaningful talk with him. Not just simply telling him "This is what you are meant to do. Defend Earthrealm." Well, geez, why not elaborate on that, Liu Kang? Can't you give Bi-Han a few minutes of your time to air out grievances and come to a consensus?

And what the hell happened to Titan Havik? Is he dead? Does he still live? Trapped in the void? The Kamidogu were briefly mentioned, and then dropped. They were hyped to be of importance in this DLC. I'm certain they'll make their return eventually if NRS continues the story involving Onaga when the time comes. But, Havik had plans for them as well. And we only see him fusing with the Kamidogu. That final fight with him felt pretty lackluster. Just a regular match like any other.

We are definitely missing script, and scenes. We were supposed to have gotten a whole lot more. Ed Boon said this was their project for the next few years. I suppose they felt compelled not just to omit certain things, but cut out others for future DLCs. This was setup to be more than what we got. The bar absolutely fell short of what the end product was. To charge full price is absolutely heinous. I'm sorry, but I do not have $50 on hand for each DLC that they plan to release. They charged full price for the main game, and now they plan to do so for every little story line that comes after? I can't in good conscious support this kind of marketing. I'm devastated with the story. Like, I could work and make sense and justify every decision made with the main story to a degree. I can't do the same with Khaos Reigns.

I know I was making gifs of Bi-Han last week, but after KR...my heart right now really isn't in MK1. Every time I come across posts and remotely start thinking about it, I get headaches. They are not as bad as they initially were, but this is how horribly this DLC affects me. It keeps giving me headaches. I know I probably regurgitated the same sentiments and ideas as many others have already. But, a friend told me it would be cathartic to do this. So, instead of my journal, I am here expunging these thoughts and emotions. I don't know what my future with the brand will entail, but godspeed NRS. I wish you well on your future endeavors, and that's really saying a lot on my end. I can't even hope anymore. They massacred my heart and left me to die just like papa Lin Kuei (I wish we had a name for him).

[chernabogs]

Hello! I rise from my tumblr slumber to humbly ask if you’d be interested in writing for Malleus, based on the prompt ‘I didn’t feel like I’d step into another world, but like it’d stepped into me. I knew I was there and forgot I’d left anything behind.’ from the prompt list you’d reblogged? I am…sensing much Malleus related angst potential here.

Hehe yes... sort of angst, sort of spooky

RUINS

Inc: Malleus, a fisherman, one ghost (maybe?) WC: 3.1k Warnings: Bleak LMAO. Drug use (smoking, alcohol, and tobacco thanks to the fisherman), ocean horror mention, supernatural horror mention. Summary: A boy looking for his mother visits the last place she was before her passing.

“It’ll be a few hours down the path just beyond the tree line. Impossible to miss if you ask me.” The man pauses to chew on his cigar, his dark gaze narrowing, before grabbing for his pint again. “Why’re you interested ‘n that place anyway? Right rotten, it is.” 

The Red Rabbit is a place renowned for information gathering and sharing—so long as you allow the bartender to continue pouring the mead. Malleus’ fingers reach up to brush along the hood of his travelling cloak as he pulls his own pint glass close. He’s used glamour to conceal most of his obvious features. If anyone saw the crown prince sitting in a dingy pub asking for directions, it would most certainly cause a stir. 

“Right rotten, is it?” Malleus raises the pint to his lips and allows the burning liquid to slide down his throat. Fae mead is noxious, only in that it can get you intoxicated in the first few sips—if you’re a human. The man who sits before Malleus has taken more than a few at this rate. “Perhaps it would be best to let me be the judge of that myself.”

His companion snorts before setting his cigar aside. He’s a fisherman; the scent of the ocean lingers on his person, and his hands are calloused from tossing and hauling nets into an ungiving depth. The shores of lands that had once been Briar Nations have been deprived of fish ever since they became isolated. The village’s landscapes, once vibrant, have now become jagged rocks and dead trees. The villagers are no different. “Go where y’want, see what y’wish. So long as yer not on the rob. That’ll get you killed.” 

This is another thing that Malleus has noticed regarding the village and its denizens—people mind their own business. This is uncommon for small villages, where most would be itching to get in everyone’s affairs, and only further emphasizes the economic faults of the borderlands. It unsettles him.

He didn’t come here on a whim. The thought of this journey had sat in his mind ever since he found out the origins of his birth, and the deception under which he was raised. Perhaps this is why when he slipped out of the palace through the servant’s entrance and into the forest late at night, he did not feel threatened by the burning gaze he felt on his back.

His grandmother owed him. This, she seemed to know, and so she let him go without protest. 

Still, the villagers final comment piques Malleus’ attention. “Get me killed, hm? And what could be there to kill me if it’s just a rotten, desolate place?” 

“Dire beasts’ nests are in there. Few of the guys have seen ‘em—big, hungry things lumbering past the stained-glass windows and down the corridors. Lots’ve people who try goin’ there end up goin’ missing instead because they underestimate how vicious a defensive mother can get.” The fisherman picks up his cigar again and chews on the end. “Anyone who’s lived here long enough knows.” 

Malleus’ nails tap against the pint before pushing it aside and setting a coin pouch on the table. The fisherman raises an eyebrow, his beady dark gaze darting from Malleus to the pouch in interest. There’s enough to pay for Malleus’ drink, the fisherman’s drink, and probably tide the man over for the wintertime as well. A saccharine smile pulls on Malleus’ lips—the part of him that isn’t shadowed by the hood he wears over his head. “Take me there yourself, and I’ll give you more.” 

The fisherman chews on his cigar, staring at Malleus as he does. A thoughtful look crosses his face before it ends in him shaking his head. “Fuckin’ rich ‘uns…” 

His grumbling doesn’t stop him from grabbing the pouch and opening it up. He drops a few madol on the table before shoving the rest of the pouch in his pocket and tossing his cigar aside. A foul, hacking sound comes from his lips before he spits on the floor—which Malleus tries politely not to make a face over—and grabs his raincoat. “Come off it, then. I’ll take it the ocean way. It’s a lot faster and safer than tryin’ ta move through the woods. Bad season for that.” 

“Bad season?” Malleus asks as he rises to his feet. The fisherman shuffles past the other patrons in the crowded space before shouldering the door open to step back in the bleak outdoors. He mutters under his breath as he digs around his pockets before pulling out a small container and popping something into his mouth. The pungent smell of chewing tobacco notifies Malleus quickly of what it is. 

“S’breeding season. Everything in those woods is all riled up and starving in their energy. You’d make a fine morsel for somethin’.” The fisherman glances back at him and grimaces. “Tall n’ scrawny.” 

Well, Malleus tries not to take too much offence to that as he follows the fisherman down the path towards the docks. In his transformed appearance, his physique did look different than usual—leaner, less ‘victim of countless years of training.’ 

“Tragic,” is all he sighs instead before adjusting his hood once more. 

_______________

There’s something humbling about sitting on a cramped boat next to a net full of dead fish that you don’t really realize until you experience it. For Malleus, who sits with his knees to his chest and his body leaning as far away from the net as possible, it’s an experience he doesn’t want to go through again. The fisherman seems utterly unbothered as he stands at the end of the boat, looking out at the murky waters beyond while still chewing on the same tobacco lump. The vessel putters slowly with its magic-powered engine into the night. 

“Gotta go at this pace in case we run into rocks below.” The fisherman shouts over his shoulder as he looks down to the waters again. “Or anythin’ else for that matter.” 

“Anything—” Malleus recoils as a slimy fish corpse brushes against his hand. His expression twists and he swats it away. “Eugh. Anything else?” 

“Merfolk, sea creatures, indiscernible entities. Y’know—no man’s land specialties.” The fisherman’s foot kicks against the engine as the boat is guided to swerve around a rock in question. “Merfolk especially have been comin’ up and around these parts. Which is strange, considerin’ they usually mind themselves down in the Coral Sea.” 

“Perhaps they are vacationing.” Malleus prompts. He knows this is a stupid idea as soon as the words leave his lips, and the fisherman’s bark of a laugh reassures him of such. No one is vacationing to these no man lands. 

The two of them fall back into silence as Malleus looks out to the sea. The lamp on their boat hardly cuts through the darkness that shrouds around them, churning and twisting like the waters they drift upon. He can see why stories of sailors going mad in the night are so prevalent in these parts. The world around them, which seems to hold no beginning or end in this moment, is a prime canvas for delusions. 

“Try not to look out too long. Focus on the lamp instead.” The fisherman’s voice draws him once more as the boat sails along a cliffside now. Black stones loom over them in a daunting stance. It’s the same stone that was used to create Black Scale Palace—carved from the body of Briar Nation itself, back when the body still had a lot to give and belonged to his family. He can see faintly where fae-made chips reside and where nature itself has taken course. “It’s a fool's role to try and see out there. You’ll start seein’ shit that isn’t.”  

Malleus sinks back down in the boat with a sigh. The fisherman is weathered enough to have done this for a long time now if his grey hair and sun-wrinkled skin had anything to say. If he can survive to this age, then it’s for a good reason. 

“How much longer?” He asks. The fisherman scratches his chin before stepping off the bow and sitting against the side of the boat. Fish corpses, a fisherman, and the void-like world around him—Malleus is beginning to doubt the journey’s worth. 

“Five minutes, give’r take. Best just get comfortable.” 

Comfort is impossible with the pungent scent around them, but Malleus pulls his cloak tighter regardless and looks back to the lamp. A few insects bump against the glass in a foolish bid to reach the light, and he busies himself by counting how many burn up in their efforts. 

_______________

When they finally arrive, he pays the fisherman enough madol to wait for him at the bottom of the cliffs before beginning the steep ascent up the hills. His mother had an apparent idea that building a palace near the edge of the nation’s lands was a brilliant one. Perhaps in the forgiving summer months the view of the ocean was tranquil and pleasing. Right now, it’s the most loathsome thing in his existence. 

Making it to the top of the cliff offers no reprieve, either. He’s greeted abruptly with an excess of thorns twisting and writhing their way across the earth. Brambles, starving for something, shudder and groan as he inches past them. The only reason they refuse to sink into his supple flesh is perhaps because they can smell the magic of their creator imbued within him. His mother apparently did have brilliant ideas—one of them being to give him a healthy dose of magic before her departure. 

“Gods,” he hisses as he burns away another bramble. The sudden light seems to make the patch shudder and retract with an angry sound. The movement enables Malleus to notice a different aspect of the palace that he neglected—the scent of diurnal fae magic. He can feel it clashing with his mothers in a power-struggle for control, the two essences entwining and biting like starving dogs. The diurnal fae likely wished to keep humans away—Malleus wagers his mother wished for the opposite. 

His lip curls in disgust as he makes his way down the stone path leading to the decrepit white structure beyond. The closer he gets, the more he begins to see the truth in the fisherman’s warnings. Stained glass windows are either blown out or breaking along the palace’s walls. The stones themselves are chipping and beginning to crumble, crushed under the weight of the thorns that still twist and move subtly. The musky scent of animals also begins to appear alongside the earlier magic. This is what draws him to a stop as he reaches the front door. 

It may have been heavily fortified once. Now, it looks as though one door was violently kicked in, lying broken on its hinges and giving just enough room for Malleus to wiggle inside. He nips his finger on a thorn, causing a curse to slip past his lips as he presses his wound to his tongue before his feet finally meet stone again. 

There’s no chuffing of dire beasts from within like the fisherman warned. There’s also no indication of any sort of haunting present, which Malleus has also heard rumours of. 

No. Upon entering Wild Rose Palace for the first time in his life, Malleus is greeted with silence—anticlimactic, and brutally honest. 

“... hm.” He shoves his hood off his head and waves a hand to dispel the transformation glamour he’s been wearing. Once that’s in order, he begins to move down the hall to his right, his eyes narrowing with intent swimming in their green depths. If the layout of this palace is the same as Black Scale, then the throne room is likely down this hall, past a few more turns, and then through another set of double doors—nestled right in the heart of the building. 

As he moves, he does begin to track similarities to his grandmother's home. It didn’t feel like he had stepped into another world—rather, that it had stepped into him. He knows he’s here and yet feels like he forgot he left to arrive. It’s unnerving. His fingers trace along the wall to his left as he passes by suits of armour, portraits either torn up or faded from age, and tapestries that display tales with which he isn’t familiar. His grandmother had tried hard to shield him from a lot of things. This apparently includes censoring literature that may have once existed. 

The brambles continue to part for him as he makes turn, after turn, after turn in the labyrinthian design that was formed in his mother’s mind. His breath hitches a few times in panic when he hears a sound from behind him in the hall, causing his pace to pick up, only to level out again when the sounds fade. It feels as though he’s been walking for eons when another set of doors finally appear. 

Carved of black oak and adorned with two dragons curled on their frame, he reckons that they can only lead to one place as his hands grasps the cold, metal knobs. With a jerking motion, he pulls them open to a cacophony of deafening shrieks, and steps inside. 

_______________

Glass. 

The sight of his body takes him aback for a second as his expression becomes almost comical. The wall behind the throne that sits at the end of the large room is glass, polished and untarnished despite nearly 400 years of neglect. His hands fall from the knobs as he slowly makes his way inside. There are stained glass windows lining the one wall while the other is white stone, which is decorated with brambles crawling to the rafters above. Malleus steps over them deftly, frowning as he does before coming to a stop in the middle of the room. Once he reaches this point, he pauses, before closing his eyes and trying to think. 

He wants to see if he can feel her. Even a slight lingering wisp of her presence would be enough to please him. He wants to know if he can experience what it’s like: a mother’s touch, a mother’s voice. His grandmother had tried hard to shield him from a lot of things, with maternal affection also being one—not that he can blame her. He used to, but experiencing loss first-hand had taught him that not everyone heals the same way. A few remain more fractured than others even in the years after. 

“Mother?” He tries the term on his tongue, tastes it, rolls it over to see what that’s like as well. It’s foreign. His mouth struggles to form it and his voice warbles as his eyes open and he grimaces. Sour and strange—that’s how it tastes. His feet drag him closer to the throne before he kneels upon it to peer at the glass wall. 

It looks like it was covered by fabric once. Scraps of violet remain pooled on the floor, which he passes a sparing glance at before looking up again. He feels like a child as he peers over the thrones edge to his curious reflection. He used to do this with his grandmother when he was little—play on her throne, try to get her attention for even a moment. He’s always been somewhat of a needy child. 

“Mother?” He prompts again. Maybe saying it twice will do something. Instead, the only thing he receives is his own voice echoing back as he looks over his shoulder to the darkened hallways beyond. 

Silence—anticlimactic, and brutally honest. 

His nails dig into the metal of the throne as he slumps down, temporarily dejected. It’s a stupid thing to get dejected over, he reasons to himself. It isn’t like he expected to hear what her voice sounded like anyway. All he has are a few nagging memories of it from his time within his egg. His head turns to the side to look in the glass again. His expression is less curious and more frustrated now as he stares into his own green eyes. 

And then, a flash. 

It’s so subtle that he might have missed it had he not been looking in the glass at the right moment. It makes him sit up straighter as his breath stutters to a pause. There’s nothing for another few seconds before another flash, and another. A few lost green fireflies seem to have found their way into the palace and are now floating by his head in interest. Malleus’ lips crack into a faint smile as his hand goes up to brush against one, which lights up bright before floating just out of reach. 

He can see them in the mirror. The fireflies, the stained glass, the tapestries, the shadow—

Shadow. 

He thinks for a moment—just one, foolish moment—that he can see standing behind him in that glass, something tall, with horns like his own and a flash of green that isn’t a firefly. Malleus twists around rapidly in the throne, his body tense and ready for conflict, only to look upon a room devoid of anything but him and the insects. The silence of all but his own breath is becoming oppressive, weighted, like he’s starting to no longer be welcomed in this place. He hears something low rumble from somewhere else within the palace as he waves a hand to conceal his appearance. 

He rises from the throne, shaken but not put off as he steps down to the stone floor once more. A thought crosses his mind that he can’t help but find amusement in—it’s utterly her. From the stories he’s heard through Lilia, and Baul, and even his grandmother on the odd night, it’s utterly her to give him a fright before vanishing into the ether once more. 

It thrills him. It vindicates him. 

“Thank you, mother.” There’s a dry bit of humour in his tone as he casts one last glance to the throne before turning away. 

Does he feel as though a part of himself is satisfied now? Does he feel whole? He isn’t sure. Perhaps the realization will come to him on the boat ride back to the bleak, miserable village he came from. Perhaps the realization will come to him in his bed, when he’s wrapped in sheets of black silk and staring at the stars beyond. Perhaps the realization will never come at all because it never existed to begin with. 

Anticlimactic, and brutally honest.

[clangenrising]

Month 14 - Newleaf

Lake’s paws ached. Her stomach growled and her head pounded dully behind her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt full. Still, she walked. 

Ever since her mother had disappeared, she’d been wandering. A few cats had shared a bite with her but they didn’t have much to share in the first place. Most of them were too busy training to fight and they didn’t want her around, especially not the special cats - Exalted, she remembered hazily. She’d tried following other kits home but every time she was politely sent away.

Two days ago, she’d seen a couple cats bringing back a pair of juicy looking birds and while they hadn’t shared with her, they had told her that there was plenty of prey over the far road if she could catch it, laughing between themselves. She figured that was as good an idea as any, so she’d headed out for the wild frontier! 

It was farther away than she’d thought it would be, or maybe it was just easier to get lost without roads to follow. She walked and walked and then stopped to sleep then walked some more. She was starting to wonder if there even was anything out here at all. Was she just missing it? 

The sound of running water grabbed her attention and she licked her chapped lips eagerly at the thought. The kit picked up her heavy paws and bounded towards the noise. Coming out of the grass, she suddenly found herself on the edge of a stream of cool, fresh water - fresher than she’d ever seen before at least. 

“Wowzers!” she declared because that seemed fitting. She waded into the stream and crouched down, gulping greedily until her stomach hurt. She thought about falling over and sleeping in the stream but worried she might drown. Instead, she decided to follow the water like it was a road and see where that took her. At the very least it would be fun to splash around. 

The sky was getting dark again but Lake didn’t mind. She tromped noisily against the current of the stream, humming a song as each note came to her mind. The chill of the water kept her awake, which was nice. She wondered if she would see a fish. They lived in water, right? She hoped so. She was starving and the water she drank wasn’t helping. It honestly made her feel grosser. 

Eventually the stream came upon a small hill but, instead of curving or trickling down the slope, it cut through the earth in a big metal tube. “That’s interesting,” Lake thought out loud. It was like a gutter drain but huge, big enough for a cat to walk through! She bounded up to the edge of it and sucked in a huge breath.

“Hellooooo!” she bellowed, giggling at the way it echoed off the tunnel walls. She splashed her paws in the water and listened to the magnified sound with excitement. “Blaaaaaaah! Bluh, bluh, bluh!” She snorted with laughter. This was the best fun she’d had in weeks!

“Hello?” A voice that wasn’t her own echoed back to her. She gasped. Was that possible?

“Hello?” she called back. It was hard to tell in the dark but at the end of the tunnel, she swore she saw something moving. Then a glint of eyes blinked at her, barely reflecting the moonlight in her direction.

“Wowzers!” she cried, “I didn’t think I’d see anybody! Are you hunting too?”

“Yeah,” the voice said hesitantly. “How old are you?” It sounded like a boy but there were other quieter voices outside the tunnel and they were talking very serious-like. 

“I’m three whole months!” Lake said. The eyes pulled away from the tunnel as the cat whispered with his friends. Lake decided she wanted to say hi up close and personal. She started towards the cat, sloshing through the stream up to her belly. Once the tunnel was all around her, the sound of her paw steps started to hurt her ears and she hurried towards the other end to get away from it. 

She burst out of the other end and thumped into a pair of bony legs, falling back onto her rump with an “oof!” The cat she had run into reached out a paw to steady her. He smelled like grass and dust and his breath smelled like prey blood. It made Lake’s mouth water. 

“Easy, there, kid,” the cat said. It was now that Lake looked up and got her first sight of him. 

“You’re funny looking, mister!” she said. He was a skinny white and blue tabby with big ears, like a little dog, and a very pointy face. 

“I could say the same about you,” he said. 

She laughed. “Am I funny looking?”

“The poor thing looks half starved,” whispered one of the other cats, an equally funny looking girl with brown points on her face and feet. 

“Are you out here all alone?” asked the third cat, a fluffy brown tabby boy who was much more normal looking. 

“Yessir!” said Lake. “I heard there was food here. Do you guys know where the far road is?” The cats all looked at each other for a beat. 

Then the first one spoke up, “Uh, no, but we do know where some food is.”

“Really?!” Lake grinned. “Can I have some?!” Her mouth was starting to fill with saliva. She slurped some of it down to avoid drooling.

“Yeah,” nodded the normal boy. “I’ll even carry you if you want.” 

“Nuh, uh,” Lake shook her head. “I’m a big girl now.” 

“You sure are,” said the funny looking boy. “Barleypaw, will you go grab one of the mice or something?”

“Yeah,” nodded the funny looking girl. She bounded off into the grass and Lake started after her but the funny looking boy put out a paw to stop her. 

“She’s gonna be right back with the food,” he said. “You just sit.” 

“Oh, okay,” shrugged Lake. “My name’s Lake. What’s your names?”

“I’m Floodpaw,” said the funny looking boy. 

“Sparrowpaw,” said the normal looking boy.

“And our sister is Barleypaw,” said Floodpaw. 

“Hey!” Lake gasped. “Did you know all your names rhyme?” Sparrowpaw laughed a little. Floodpaw raised one brow. 

“Yeah…” he said. “Where’s your mom, kid?”

Lake frowned. “Oh, um… I don't know.” 

“Oh,” said Floodpaw.

“That’s alright,” said Sparrowpaw. “Maybe you can come home with us, then.” 

“Yeah?” she brightened. Was she finally gonna be able to find a new place to sleep and a new person to help her get food? 

“Yeah,” said Floodpaw. “Once you’ve eaten we can go there.” 

“I can’t wait!” cried Lake. “You guys are the best!” The brothers exchanged glances again. Lake wasn’t sure what it meant but she saw the sister coming back over the hill and smelled the delicious smell of meat and all other thoughts fled her brain. She scarfed the whole thing down as quickly as she could. She ate it so fast she forgot to check what kind of animal it was. By the time she finished, she realized she felt very sick to her stomach.

“Oh…” she said. “I think I ate too fast…”

“That’s alright,” said Sparrowpaw, “Are you sure you don’t want me to carry you?”

She nodded, cheeks full of breath as she tried to stifle her nausea. 

“Alright, come on then,” Floodpaw said, stretching. “Why don’t we go back to camp? I bet a nice walk will help you feel better.” 

“Okay,” mumbled Lake. She didn’t feel like walking. She felt like falling over and never moving again. She didn’t like saying no to people, though, so she forced herself to take a few steps. 

Floodpaw tilted his funny looking head and said, “I dunno, maybe we should just sit for a while.” Lake sighed a little in relief. “Yeah, why don’t you guys go gather the prey and tell somebody about Lake and I’ll chill here with the kid until she feels like walking.”

“Are you sure?” asked Barleypaw. “We’re awfully close to the border.”

“It’ll be fine,” he said, flopping down in the grass. “Worst comes to worse, I'll grab the kid and go.” 

“Alright…” said Sparrowpaw, looking unconvinced. He and Barleypaw started off into the grass, looking back over their shoulders and whispering to each other. Lake let out a big sigh and eased herself into the grass next to Floodpaw.

“Thanks,” she said, closing her eyes. “I don’t feel very good.” She swallowed, her sides heaving under the distress of her sick tummy. 

“No problem,” smiled Floodpaw. “Barleypaw and Sparrowpaw are always like ‘go, go, go, let’s follow the rules’ or whatever but I get just wanting to lie down.” 

“Yeah,” Lake smiled wide and wiggled into a more comfortable position. “I like laying down!” 

“Me too,” laughed Floodpaw, dropping his head onto the ground too. “So, what are you doing out here, Lake?” 

“Looking for food!” Lake purred. Her stomach gurgled loudly and she giggled a bit. “Thanks for sharing it with me.” 

“Yeah, no problem,” said Floodpaw, one ear flicking away the gnats buzzing by. “But why are you looking for food all the way out here? You’re from the city aren’t you?” 

“Oh, yeah, I am,” Lake nodded, peeking her eyes open at him. “Some cats told me there was food out here. I was really hungry. Plus it sounded fun to try.”

“Don’t other cats bring you food?” he asked, brows furrowed. 

“Nah,” she sighed. “Not since Mother went missing.”

The crease in his funny, pointy face deepened. “Still, there wasn’t anybody else who helped you out?” 

“Um…” Lake frowned too. “No. I’m sorry.” Was she answering wrong? Why was he upset?

“Oh, no, hey,” he said quickly, “It’s okay, I’m not mad, I’m just-” His skinny little tail twitched. “I just think it’s not cool that no one looked out for you.” 

“They’re busy I guess,” Lake shrugged. They were learning to fight or taking care of their own kits. She didn’t blame any of them for not having time for her. 

“Well, here we take care of kittens,” Floodpaw said firmly, “no matter who they are.” Lake smiled and hid her nose in her paws shyly. Floodpaw laughed and stretched his big, long legs out in opposite directions. “Take a little nap, kid. I’ll keep watch.” 

“Okay,” she said and yawned. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until he said something but now, with her belly full, she was eager to get some shut eye. Feeling very round and sluggish, she closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep. 

~~~

When Lake woke up it was very, very dark. She yawned and stretched and looked around, realizing that she was in a totally new place. She stiffened in fright. Where was she? The not knowing was scarier than any answer she could come up with. 

She was in a large den made of dirt, it seemed, in a nest of soft green moss and feathers. It smelled faintly of other cats, cats she didn’t know. 

Carefully, she got to her paws and crept towards the scent of night air, poking her head out to see a small grassy dip with a few other burrows tucked under big, grey stones. Three cats were sitting on top of a big, flat stone and talking softly. They didn’t seem dangerous so Lake ventured a bit further out to look around in wonder. 

“Wowzers,” she breathed. Everything here smelled so fresh and green. She’d never experienced anything like it. 

One of the cats, a dark blue bengal girl, perked up at the sound and looked her way. “Oh, hey! She’s awake!” 

“Shh,” hushed a brown spotted tabby girl nervously. 

“Right, sorry,” said the first girl, lowering her volume a bit. “Hey, girlie, how you feelin’?” 

Lake realized she was supposed to answer and said, “I’m good. How did I get here?” 

“They carried you in while you were sleeping,” said the third cat, a paler spotted tabby boy. Lake frowned. She had wanted to walk.

“I bet you’re pretty confused,” said the first girl. “Why don’t you come up here and sit with us? We can answer any questions you have.”

“Um, I’m okay,” said Lake. “Where’s the guy with the funny ears?”

“Huh?” asked the first girl.

The boy brightened in realization. “Oh, you mean Floodpaw.” 

“Yeah!” Lake bounced. That was his name!

“He’s sleeping over there,” he said, pointing to one of the holes in the ground. 

“Okay, thanks!” said Lake. She started towards the hole to go see him. The second girl breathed in sharply through her teeth and the first girl laughed. 

The boy started to say, “Oh, uh, I don’t know if-” but the first girl interrupted him. 

“Shh, let her be. It’ll be funny.” 

Lake didn’t know what they were talking about but she didn’t let it bother her. She made her way into the den. Five cats were sleeping in their nests; two smaller ones were curled up together and Floodpaw and the other cats she had met were sleeping near each other but not so close that they were touching. Lake padded right up to Floodpaw and settled down against his side. He opened his eyes and lifted his head groggily, blinking at her a few times before he managed to speak.

“Hey, kid, what are you doing in here?” he mumbled hoarsely.

“Looking for you,” she whispered. “Why did you carry me? I wanted to walk.” 

“Oh,” he said with a small groan. He swiped his tongue over his whiskers and rubbed an eye with his paw. “It was getting really late and I didn’t want to wake you. Sorry, kid.” 

“Mmm, it’s okay,” she decided, purring. She wiggled down into his nest and closed her eyes again. 

“Oh, uh…” he hesitated for a moment before eventually wrapping his tail around her and laying his head back down to sleep. Lake purred even harder. She’d missed sleeping next to somebody like this. 

She hoped that wherever her mother was, she had found someone new to sleep beside too.

UPDATES: - While on patrol with Barleypaw and Sparrowpaw, Floodpaw finds an abandoned kit named Lake and takes her back to camp.

[sevensoulmates]

Buddie Meta 7x03 + 7x04 (Part 1 of 4)

Mostly 7x04 but I'm gonna include a bit about 7x03. So fair warning for a lot of talk about Buck/Tommy, but as always this will always be a Buddie canon/endgame positive space. Ain't no one jumping ship here. Once again, I apologize for my shitty screenshots and also warning: my meta does include some speculation and all of my meta are long AF, so this might be one you want to read in bits or when you have time to read something long.

Starting with 7x03. A lot of people speculated that the direction and blocking of this scene is likely foreshadowing, and I'm inclined to agree. First, we start with Buck and Eddie standing next to each other as they're known to do, and when Tommy joins them, he stands right in between them, foreshadowing that he'll be in the center of this speculated love triangle. Eddie is the first one to step away from the trio, leaving Buck alone with Tommy (foreshadowing how Buck and Tommy will have a romantic relationship).

Buck then has a solo moment with Tommy, which is already an interesting choice all on its own. It's a fact that Buck just met Tommy for the first time during this whole ordeal. It would make more sense for Chim or Hen, or hell even Bobby, to be the one to come talk to Tommy to say thanks. But the script called for Buck. This was done for a specific purpose, and now we know it's because they planned to put Buck and Tommy together romantically in the next episode.

Buck places his hand on Tommy's shoulders to say thanks. Up until this point, Buck and Eddie's primary way of sharing their feelings with each other has included shoulder touches. To me, this shows that Buck views these strong meaningful shoulder touches as a way to express strong feelings, something he's learned from Eddie (given that in all of the show, Eddie is always the one touching Buck's shoulder like this). This could also be interpreted as Buck unconsciously viewing Eddie's shoulder touches as romantic, so much so that Tommy picks up on it through Buck.

With that being said, with the context of 7x04, we also know that Tommy reads this shoulder touch as a sign that Buck might possibly be queer and/or possibly interested in him romantically. Interesting how this is the second time Buck's done something he views as "normal straight behavior" and queer men have interpreted it as him hitting on them (TK and now Tommy). And yet all of these things are actions Buck regularly does with Eddie and vice versa. So in-universe these actions have queer undertones according to the writers. Why wouldn't this then also apply to Buck and Eddie's relationship? At the moment, it's because Buck and Eddie themselves don't realize the extra meaning. But I predict they will eventually (maybe even sooner than we think).

Buck gives his unconscious "signs" by touching Tommy, and Tommy responds back by smiling flirtily and reaching back to touch Buck, almost to try and catch his hand, symbolizing Tommy responding to Buck's queer signs, and foreshadowing how he will be the one to take things a step further in the next episode.

Lastly, Buck walks away from Tommy towards where Eddie went earlier. This symbolizes how the Buck/Tommy relationship might have some missed connections (ie their hands never touching) and likely some miscommunication. And at the end of the day, Buck's attention will always be on Eddie. His path will always be to follow wherever Eddie goes. This is even more evident by the next episode which might be my new fave episode of 911.

Moving onto 7x04. The bachelor crossover call marks our first big season 2 callback. A bunch of beautiful women hit on Buck and Eddie at the same time. The last time this happened was in 2x04 Stuck when the 118 responded to the drunk girl with her head in the tailpipe. Women hit on them and Eddie says "I don't think I'm what you're looking for. I have a son" and Buck says "Thanks but no thanks I have a (invisible) gf". These are two very obvious and unnecessary excuses not to get with beautiful women that both the writers and the characters call out. And as we all know, this leads to the iconic "they weren't my type" "not mine either, not anymore" scene, and the rest of that episode is the catalyst for Buck and Eddie becoming as close as they are. The whole "they weren't my type" convo was a pretty obvious queer-coded scene. And this call-back in 7x04 isn't any different.

Eddie now has the (convenient) excuse that he's "taken at the moment" (note: he doesn't say "I have a girlfriend", another point for gender-neutral terminology in this episode). It's literally the exact same excuse as last time except this time Eddie has Marisol but she isn't even important enough to have a 2 second scene in this episode where he's all over another man, so. Make of that what you will. Additionally, Eddie adds a time limit to his relationship with Marisol by saying "at the moment", which means that subconsciously Eddie is aware that his relationship with Marisol will be temporary (however long that might be). He could've just said "Sorry, I'm taken, but he's not" if he really viewed his relationship properly as a long-term, possible forever relationship, but the "at the moment" is a purposeful line to let everyone know that Marisol is just a passing ship in the night. So for those who are still unsure about Eddie/Marisol rest assured everyone on every level knows it's gonna end eventually. Maybe even sooner than we think.

As a proper hetero wingman should, Eddie directs attention to Buck, who's surprised and actually makes up an excuse not to get with any of them because he "has a rule he doesn't date people (GENDER NEUTRAL) he meets on calls". This is a direct callback to Eddie during the cemetery scene in 6x15 when he says dating people on calls never works out, which ended up being a fulfilled prophecy given that Buck/Natalia break up in the interim between 6x18 and 7x01. This also comes up yet again later in the episode which I'll talk about later.

This provokes a weird reaction from Eddie, who doesn't understand why (single) Buck would turn down a bunch of willing single women. Additionally, I want to provide some context that the lovely @911bts mentioned which is that it seems like the network asked 911 to swap the bachelor call from 7x05 to 7x04. ((This is why we were getting info/stills about Hen/Henren but not really much of them in the ep. Their stuff was swapped with the Athena/Harry stuff). So there's additional context to this scene in that it was originally supposed to be Buck HIDING something (Tommy and their date) from Eddie and Eddie picking up on the weirdness of it. This then begs the question of why Buck would've wanted to hide this info from Eddie in the first place.

BUT it's now final that this scene is in 7x04, which loses some of the juicier context, but it's still showing that Eddie finds Buck's actions weird in that Buck appears to be losing interest in dating women at the moment, which is foreshadowing his lightbulb bisexual moment at the end of the episode.

This is tiny, but I find it interesting how Tommy follows very closely behind Buck's space, leaning his chin into Buck's shoulder as they walk, KNOCKING HIS ARM INTO BUCK'S FROM BEHIND (I don't need to explain that this is a Buddie thing), keeping near constant eye contact, and very obviously looking up and down Buck's body several times. Idk, I just appreciate the subtle queer hints even before the queerness is unmistakable at the end.

Tommy pointedly says "You didn't call me just to see the toys". From Tommy's perspective, he's unsure if Buck is queer/into him yet, but Buck reaching out to hang out might be the first indicator that he is. Or the hetero explanation is that Buck might be thinking of learning how to be a pilot. I really don't think we have anything to worry about with either Buck (or Eddie) leaving the 118 to be in air support, but it's an interesting metaphor. Safe and familiar vs. brand new and exciting and maybe a lil scary. The entire conversation is a thinly veiled metaphor for sexual fluidity which is later then proved by the ending. Also I want to point out that most of this convo pre-Eddie appearance has Buck appearing to have more of an awe/hero worship for Tommy, with the attraction being underlying, but that "so cool!" feeling still being the primary emotion we're supposed to pick up on.

I think these first real interactions between Buck and Tommy are a good indicator of where the rest of their relationship is gonna head. Buck asks a personal question about Tommy, and every bit of information he learns "I used to be a pilot in the army", Buck then relates immediately back to Eddie: "No way, Eddie used to be in the army!" Even when he's here, one-on-one with Tommy, with no Eddie present, before all of the jealousy starts, Eddie is always on Buck's mind. Tommy, at this moment, is still an afterthought. We'll see how long it takes Tommy to realize there's a reason Buck never stops yapping about Eddie (or maybe he's already picked up on it).

Buck then brings up his gender-neutral ex immediately (gender-neutral tally: 3), which leads me to believe that Tommy assumes Buck's train of thought brought him from Eddie to "an ex he rescued from a helicopter", which immediately links Eddie to potential Buck ex's, or men in general to Buck's exes. Tommy's eyes very pointedly flicker up to Buck's when he brings up an ex, which tells me that Tommy was very interested in knowing Buck's sexuality and relationship status from the very beginning.

Tommy then mimics the words from Eddie in the graveyard about not dating people they meet on calls.

(Gender-neutral tally: 5)

((Running tab on Tommy's similarities to Eddie: badass, competent, helicopters, army, and Eddie-coined phrases))

The rest of this conversation is a lot of flirting "ie. I can give you lessons" being a thinly veiled allusion to Tommy teaching Buck the ways of men loving men. And Buck is the one to offer Tommy a beer, which probably doesn't dispute the idea of Buck being queer in Tommy's head but...

Tommy's got a date with everyone's main man, Eddie.

Turns out Tommy and Eddie already made a friendly (offscreen) connection, enough for Tommy to invite Eddie out to an expensive and impressive date wrestling match.

I really want to talk about what this says about how Tommy (a queer man) views Eddie, but unfortunately, most of it would be speculation at this point.

First I want to talk about how one of the first things Tommy says in Buck's presence once Eddie shows up is calling Eddie "his man". This firmly places Eddie in Tommy's possessive. To be jealous is to desire something someone else has, or to be sensitive of someone else taking something that you view as yours. Which means two things: 1.) Buck wants what (he perceives) Tommy has: Eddie, and 2.) Buck believes on some level that Eddie is his and Tommy is trying to take away something that belongs to him. (Let's take away the fact that obviously Eddie is his own person and no one can actually possess him) in both scenarios the object of Buck's desire is Eddie. Not Tommy.

"My man" is also a vague term that can be used in both a friendly AND romantic sense. Which is the general theme we see with Tommy and Eddie's relationship, the vagueness of whether their budding new relationship is friendly or borderline romantic. Which is funny because this limbo between platonic and romantic is the same limbo Buck and Eddie have been existing in for six years. I think this is what Buck subconsciously picks up on, and it's the very fact that this COULD be romantic that triggers Buck.

As soon as Eddie shows up, Buck's entire demeanor shifts from excited, awed, and curious about Tommy, to confused, bothered, and even a bit uncomfortable. Keep in mind at this point, Buck doesn't know why Eddie is here, and yet he's upset at the prospect, even though he was just gushing about Eddie being super cool in the army.

Tommy's attention is now fully on Eddie. But Eddie is actually just as excited about Buck coming with them to the fight as he is by the idea of them going at all (his tone does not change). And yet this doesn't assuage Buck.

Second, Tommy says "I wish" almost as if he wished that he knew Buck had an interest in him before, so that either Buck could've joined them OR Buck could've taken Eddie's place. That doesn't inherently mean Tommy asked Eddie to go on a date (queer men can be platonic friends too!) but it's the fact that the line is unclear to BUCK that matters.

He also calls Buck "Evan" very casually, which is interesting to me. There are several plausible reasons why Tommy might call Buck "Evan", but I want to think of it from Eddie's perspective. "Evan" is a valued, special occasion, intimate moniker between Eddie and Buck, and Tommy's just using it willy-nilly. Eddie doesn't outwardly react to it, but he does show his own first piece of possessiveness over Buck in the next line.

God, I love Eddie's cunty lil raised eyebrows. Eddie jumps to the conclusion that Buck might be thinking of leaving the 118 and he immediately shuts that down, staking his own possessive claim on Buck in a plausibly deniable way (that Eddie is known to do, see: "do you know how much Christopher misses you?", "Christopher needs you", and "you're stuck with us (the 118)" all of which is Eddie saying he needs/wants/misses Buck without outwardly saying it, etc.) that is within their unspoken boundaries at the moment.

Buck then talks about his "options" and since we already know that Buck doesn't really want to leave the 118, the true subtext of this line is romantic options. Fluid is also not a word generally used with this phrase. It's typically "options open". The word "fluid" is more used when referring to the gender/sexuality spectrum, which is once again foreshadowing Buck's lightbulb bi moment in the end. "Options" also implies Buck has more than one romantic prospect, and since we know Buck's not really thinking about women right now, that points to men. If Tommy is a romantic prospect in this episode, that also implies that Eddie is a romantic prospect, or at least could be at some point in the future.

Buck appears to be stuck on how easily Eddie gets along with Tommy, apparently right from the beginning. Easily touching him, Eddie smiling super wide, excited as hell for something that Buck obviously doesn't know about. I can imagine that would grate on Buck's nerves because he and Eddie are supposed to be best friends who tell each other everything right? So why did Eddie hide the beginnings of this new friendship from Buck? Unfortunately, we don't know the timeline of when Tommy got these tickets to when he asked Eddie to go with him, but either way, Eddie didn't find it necessary to tell Buck. But WHY?

I would like to point out the last time Eddie seemingly "accidentally" forgot to mention something that should otherwise be easy for "just friends" to talk about: the will. Obviously, the will has larger implications than just going to a wrestling match, but it shows a pattern of "friend" things that Eddie doesn't tell Buck about. A lot of us have discussed how a large part of what puts the will scene in a romantic light instead of just something written off as purely platonic is the fact that Eddie did not tell Buck about it for a YEAR. Good friends would and SHOULD be able to talk to each other about something that life-changing, and yet Eddie can't bring himself to, risking the potential of accidentally dying at any point and leaving Buck and Chris blind-sided. Eddie must've had a reason to hide the will from Buck for so long. We know it's not because Eddie was afraid Buck would say no. He knew he wouldn't. So then, why? Most of us believe it's because Eddie's choice to put Buck in the will actually had a deeper emotional implication on Eddie's end that maybe he can't properly communicate to Buck, or even to himself. What could that implication be? In my opinion, Eddie was able to make this decision so easily because he's (unknowingly) in love with Buck, and he doesn't tell Buck because he's (subconsciously) aware that doing so reveals more about how Eddie feels for Buck than he's comfortable saying at the moment.

That long-winded tangent aside, I wanted to draw attention to it because this is another instance where Eddie seemingly has no reason not to mention to Buck that he's made a new friend in Tommy and that they've been hanging out a bunch and having fun. If anything, given how excited Eddie appears to be about Tommy and the wrestling match, you'd think Eddie would've been so excited that he would tell Buck right away. Instead, it gets to the day of and Eddie still hasn't thought to tell Buck, enough so that they're both equally shocked by their presence at Tommy's helicopter hanger. Not only that, but it implies that Eddie WOULD NOT have told Buck about it until the event passed (if he told him at all). But why? Why on earth would Eddie seemingly let this slip his mind so much as to not tell Buck at all. It can't just be oh I simply forgot or I'm having too much fun with Tommy. At this point in time, we still don't have any textual reason why, but I'm going to hypothesize that Eddie is aware (on some level but mostly subconsciously) that what he and Tommy are doing is basically going out on dates. And something in Eddie told him that he shouldn't tell Buck. Why? Perhaps because it implies something queer about Eddie that he's not ready to share with Buck yet? Time shall tell.

Additionally, it's interesting to note Eddie starts this episode hiding his friendship with Tommy from Buck, and it seems like the next episode is gonna start with Buck hiding his relationship with Tommy from Eddie. Much to think about.

Eddie also doesn't feel the need to tell Buck about the trip until after it happens and Buck has to be the one to ask. First of all, I want to say that Eddie should be given some grace here. Man doesn't have that many friends, and the last time a manfriend gave him this much attention Eddie gave him his son and built a forever home together so he just needs an adjustment period. Eddie is an intense bitch and tends to go all in with people (that he actually cares about *cough* not female romantic prospects *cough*), so I'm not surprised he's a little preoccupied with Tommy. Additionally, Eddie is a human. Sometimes humans don't pick up on the signs that others are in distress. It's not "ooc" that Eddie doesn't realize Buck is upset. It's a natural human mistake.

Now that that's out of the way this scene is hilarious because it's yet another parallel but this time, it parallels our very own Eddieana scene in 4x06 Jinx (written by the lovely Taylor Wong who also made a cameo in the bachelor scene as "tennis girl").

This is actually the second conversation walking to a scene that Buck and Eddie had about Ana, but both times Buck appears very interested in Eddie's dating life. In this same episode he also randomly asks what Ana's "love language" is despite knowing the man has had less than five whole conversations with her. What's important to note here is Buck's pattern of being overly interested in Eddie's romantic prospects. This is no different for Tommy (who Buck unconsciously realizes IS a romantic prospect for Eddie).

Okay looks like I've reached tumblr's limit on how many pics I can post so I'm going to be forced to make this into parts but I will make them all at the same time and post at the same time.

Find part 2, part 3 and part 4.

[ncisfranchise-source]

here’s a lot of talk about how handsome Glen Powell is and how he’s bringing back the vibe of the old-school Hollywood leading man. But if you want to understand who he is deep down, just note that when he got the chance to write his own lead role, he made himself the dorkiest character imaginable—one who masquerades as a succession of increasingly ridiculous figures in outrageous outfits and absurd hair.

That was Netflix’s Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater, a fellow Austinite who gave him his big break in 2016’s Everybody Wants Some!! We’re thrilled to have Powell as part of our 2025 Hollywood Issue. Here, he delves into not just his impressive string of hits, but also the lean years when he was a Hollywood nobody. If he happened to get invited to the party back then, he says, he’d have to smuggle in his own drink in a flask because he was so broke.

Vanity Fair: In Hit Man, your character gives a speech in which he talks about living on the edge, and how you’ve got to have some danger and excitement in your life. There are many things not to live your life by in that movie, but that’s not a bad message, is it?

Glen Powell: You don’t want to take all the lessons from it. [Laughs.]

Your filmography is very eclectic. You’ve got romantic comedies like Anyone but You, you’ve got big-budget tentpoles like Top Gun: Maverick, visual-effects action movies like Twisters, you’ve got indie-feeling, cross-genre films like Hit Man. Are you deliberately mixing it up to avoid being pigeonholed?

When it comes to that, the thing I’ve really tried to chase is a feeling, like, “I hope I have it in me,” right? I’m trying to do ambitious things that scare me a little bit, because when they scare you, it means that you have to rise to the occasion.

You don’t just want to do the thing that has already been a success.

I understand why some people would just play the greatest hits. But at the same time, you get into trouble when you’re trying to diversify for the sake of diversification, and you leave the audience out of it. And that’s where I try to be really thoughtful. I try to think, “Audience first,” rather than, “Me first.”

What does the audience want to see? How can I fit into a role that really challenges what I do, where I’m not settling into any sort of groove that feels too familiar or too monotonous? Do you know what I mean?

I do. You see that phenomenon all the time: Actors will have a number of hits and then suddenly get the chance to make something they want—and they make something that nobody else wants to see!

Yeah, totally. There’s always been this phrase, “One for me, one for them.” And I just completely disagree with that idea. I think it can be all for them, and it can be all for you, and you just have to be really deliberate about what you’re a part of. You just have to find roles that are flavors that you’ve never explored, or just because a movie’s smaller doesn’t mean it has to be unappealing to an audience. I find that there’s this interesting creative drunk driving where you’re like, “Okay, I’m going to go do a small movie for me, a big movie for them.” That’s not a plan.

People refer to you as a classic movie star. You’ve got the matinee-idol good looks, but you also have the instinct to make stories that don’t just rely on that. I think it’s interesting that the movie you cowrote, Hit Man, has you in all of these ridiculous costumes and haircuts.

For me, I’m just having fun. Hit Man is an example of a kind of movie that I really, really like, but also I got this great joy out of wondering if I could pull it off. The more I researched the real-life Gary Johnson, the more that I was like, “Wow, this is a tall order and not necessarily a natural fit.” Gary and I don’t share, I would say, a lot in common in terms of the way we orient our lives, and yet it’s really fun to step into the skin of someone like that.

It doesn’t seem like the kind of movie studio executives were offering you.

Hit Man was one of those that really taught me. The business—as we were selling it—didn’t understand what it was. We pitched it around town and people were like, “Oh, great, we want to be a part of this.” Then they were like, “Actually, we don’t want to be a part of that. Can we change that?”

And [director Richard Linklater] and I were always excited about the potential of what we were creating. It was unique and it was different. Audiences couldn’t get out ahead of this movie. It didn’t really fit into one genre.

To get to create that kind of story, you have to have status. Do you feel that there is a performance aspect to just being a lead actor in this industry? In addition to being in front of the camera, do you have to play a part in Hollywood?

I’ve failed for a lot longer than I’ve succeeded. I’ve really gotten a chance to see other people do it. And what I realized is, I think the trap is trying to fit into the mold of something like that where it’s inauthentic.

I guess what I was thinking about was the New York Times article in which you and Sydney Sweeney talked about playing up flirtatiousness in public, even though you weren’t in a relationship, because that’s what the audience of a rom-com like Anyone but You wants.

I think what people forget about with a press tour is that it’s its own sense of entertainment. I don’t think it’s duplicitous. For Twisters, I had the best time because I’m getting to literally live in a world of trucks, and tornadoes, and the South, and country music, and all these different things where I was like, “This is authentically all me.” Shotgunning a beer onstage with Luke Combs is press, but that’s also something that I had the greatest time doing. That was so damn fun.

It sounds like you’re saying you and Sydney would have to be actual friends to play up that kind of thing.

I love her. She’s the greatest. If you’re not having fun with this job, then I think you get burnt out. We just had a really good time. So we have just such a great friendship and really cheer for each other and it’s been a fun ride to do this thing together.

What was it like for you in the years when you weren’t in demand, when you were in your 20s?

As a struggling actor, there’s no harder place to live than being in Hollywood with nothing going on. The currency of that town is how relevant you are and what your last job is. It makes you oppressively self-aware. Where people can get caught in a rut is where they just want to continue spinning the roulette wheel without any thought of why. They just stay at the table for no reason other than to stay at the table.

How did you cope with having nothing going on?

Even at the darkest moments in that town, when I really didn’t have anything happening, you sort of have to lie to yourself, at least a little bit, and act like this is that chapter of the story where things just aren’t going right. You have to believe in the Hollywood legends of those people that you admire, the people that you’re chasing, that had those long stretches of famine as well. I’m very grateful about getting a chance to understand a lot about writing. I had to occupy different types of jobs that allowed me to understand how to finance things, and produce things. I started understanding a facet of this business that’s really serving me right now.

What type of things were those?

I’d hit random people up and I’d try to drum up money for other people’s shorts to turn them into features, or I’d try to hunt down stuff and pitch people to get a small role in things. In LA, you are really just hustling to just try to be a part of the experiment at all. People are like, “Oh man, auditioning must be tough.” And I’m like, “No, auditioning is a luxury.”

Finding an agent, finding anybody to talk to you at a damn party, having enough money to pay for headshots, these are the things that no one talks about. Trying to pay for acting class, and trying to get better. Auditioning feels like you’re at the party. You’ve gotten past the velvet rope. You may not be able to afford a drink at the party, but you’re in it, you can taste it. But so often in Hollywood, most of the time you are outside that velvet rope. Most of the time the bouncer is not even allowing you anywhere in the vicinity.

What kind of bit parts paid the bills?

That’s the other interesting thing about this business right now—how much it’s changing. The business no longer supports struggling actors the way it did when I was kind of coming up. I would do an episode of NCIS, and that would keep me afloat for a year. You know what I mean?

But only if you’re careful with the money.

My overhead’s not high. You’re not living a lavish lifestyle. You’re hiding a flask in your boot if you go out for a drink. You’re not necessarily able to afford anything significant in that town, but you are able to stay there. Those little jobs, like getting a commercial, keep life in the system.

What’s it like doing a small part in a big movie? I saw one of your credits on IMDb was a stock trader in The Dark Knight Rises, which is a massive movie, but you’re only a small part in a machine like that. What do you remember about doing that?

I remember everything. You never forget the feeling. It’s something I carry to every set I walk on now, which is just the reverence for being on a set in general. But I remember on Dark Knight Rises the feeling of being able to walk onto a set and you knew everybody in the world wanted to be on that set, right?

Even though it was a small role, I auditioned several times for it. I was getting to work with the greatest director on the planet, Christopher Nolan. And you’re sitting there and all of a sudden Tom Hardy walks in as Bane. It’s electric. It’s sort of out-of-body. That was one of those movies when nothing was going on in my life. I was just fighting for every inch. And when Christopher Nolan casts you in his movie, it’s a validation that’s hard to explain. And I’ve talked to Chris about this. We’ve run into each other at different things. I saw him during his amazing Oppenheimer run, and he’s very proud that he plucked me early. I’m just very grateful that he took a shot.

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

"[Jimin's solo career] hasn't taken off as much as I would like to. Him being in BTS and doing his military service have had a contribution to that. Maybe it will change once he comes back. Maybe not."

That first sentence made me feel so sad, @reflections-in-a-critical-eye. Would you mind sharing why you think it hasn't taken off and the role being in BTS has played?

How much of it is because of Jimin, the company dynamics, the variables of the music industry. or just plain bad luck?

It's not as dramatic as it sounds, anon. But I'll talk about it, sure.

First of all, a solo career on a global level, an organic one, is not possible while one is still part of a group/band. That is, if that's the goal. I don't know exactly what Jimin wants. If he wants to tour the world on his own or not. But the reality is, it cannot take off if all the elements are not in place. Soloists who got big and were once part of bands used that as a stepping stone, but they removed themselves from that early on. Five years or so (like Robbie Williams or George Michael). Jimin spent his entire 20s with a group without given the opportunity to work on a solo album throughout that period. And now he's stuck in the military until 2025. Then followed by a BTS album and probably a tour or a few concerts. From that point onward, I have no idea what would come next.

But that doesn't mean the situation can't happen later in his 30s if he's interested in that and if everything falls into place.

This will always be a discussion that revolves around the artist's needs and what fans want. In this case, what I want. A lot of the times, I want more and more for him because I'm interested in his career. I may not even be right in my views on that career.

I don't need Jimin to be a global pop star. It doesn't mean he shouldn't have had the proper support of a label. And musically, he's tried a lot of things, but I don't see that as a bad thing. At least for now. Of course that having time and space to explore that would have a big contribution, but I don't think he got that actual encouragement up until he started working on his solo albums. He has gained experience in the last 10 years, he's not a rookie. But then again, I also don't think there should be so much pressure on him to deliver something spectacular given that he's only at the beginning of this road.

So yeah, me saying that his solo career hasn't taken off comes from a selfish place as well. Because I've seen a few years ago what his label is capable of doing when they want to support a group and the resources they direct towards that and to see that not happening to someone with actual potential is frustrating. It only makes me think of how it could have been.

Then there's the military service which would have happened anyway, regardless of any scenario. It just came in his case in a weird period. But that's life and things are never easy and they don't always go as planned. If we don't take variables into consideration, than this is a pointless conversation.

This is a topic that must be navigated between what we want, the reality of the situation, what Jimin wants and critical reception. Not all these elements fall into place and we might get tricked sometimes that they are all the same.

Whatever it is to happen, will happen. I'm still here and still interested to see how it evolves. If I were to think that there hasn't been actual potential, I wouldn't waste my time.

[call-me-a-simp]

Heal My Wounds

Will you..? (part 25)

Rhea Ripley x Reader

Tw: physical and sexual abuse, toxic relationship, selfharm, eating disorder

Summary: You are in a toxic relationship with an abusive man but manage to run away. A tall, black haired woman picks you up from the streets just in time so your ex doesn't get you. But who is she and why does she seem so familiar to you? As you get to know each other you start to notice weird feelings you never had before whenever she's around.

Your drinks arrive and you just can't wait any longer. "Rhea please, you know how unpatient I am" you whine.

"Ah ah, not so fast sweetheart" she teases you even more. "After we've eaten okay?" "Fine.." you grumble.

You're kinda mad because you don't like waiting but you still smile at her. God I love her so much. How can somebody be this perfect?!

"Hey love, wanna share this? It seems like they're serving pretty big portions here" Rhea says. "Yeah of course" you smile. "What about you guys?" you add.

"I think I'll go for number 56" Dominik answers "and I'll take.. This! Whatever it is but it sounds interesting" Finn states. Damian chuckles and waves for a waiter to come over.

You all order and then talk a little until your food arrives. "Yep, you were totally right with big portions" you mock Rhea, cause they were actually pretty normal sized and you needed to order another one so you both could get fed.

"Mh, this actually tastes really good. Anyone know what it is?" Finn asks you all. "Let me try" Dom says excitedly. "sure here, take this" Finn answers and you all laugh as Dom does his little happy claps.

You continue your dinner and chat and laugh throughout the entire time. That is, until Dom decides he can't hold back any longer.

"Rheaaa, when are you finally going to do iiit" he whispers to her, except the whole table could hear it. "Dom Dom!" she scolds him and shoots you a kinda angry and also apologetic look as you chuckle.

"Sorry.." Dominik mutters, although he doesn't give up just yet. "But-" "No!" Damian and Finn say simultaneously. Rhea laughs at Dom who pouts now.

"You know, I'm kinda on Dom's side, I think we waited long enough" you look at Rhea with a warm smile. "I know I- I'm just not quite ready yet.." she says and blushes slightly.

You chuckle a little "it's okay, take your time. Wanna get some dessert?" "Oh oh, yes, I want ice cream!" "Dom stop acting like a little child!" Damian laughs.

You wave a waiter over and order an ice cream for Dominik and a "family surprise" for the rest of you. "I wonder what they'll bring us. I hope it's got something to do with chocolate" Finn says.

Rhea leans over to you and whispers "can you let me out real quick? I need to go to the restroom" "yeah sure, is everything alright?" "ye, ye don't worry" she smiles reassuringly.

You get up and take a step away to make room for your girlfriend to get out of the corner. You sit back down without noticing that Rhea isn't even walking in the direction of the actual bathrooms.

You look around a bit as the boys were chatting about whether you were supposed to eat Nutella with or without butter.

You spot a camera team outside the window. Probably because the whole Judgement Day was there and they finally got to see you and Rhea together somewhere else than on the parking lot from the arena.

The restaurant also got pretty full. Lots of people were there, chatting and eating and glancing over at you every now and then.

"Hey guys" you try to get the boys attention "why is this man standing there with a mic?" "I don't know, let's see" Damian smirks. It's a little awkward but you still have no idea.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if I could please get your attention" the man with the microphone says. "I'm the owner of this place and today is a very special day!"

You see the camera team walking in, trying to get the best shots and catching everything that's being said.

"Please turn your attention to Demi Bennett, better known as Rhea Ripley!" the restaurant owner says and Rhea steps out from behind the corner. "Thank you" she leans over to the man and speaks in his mic.

She walks over to you and you just look at her confused. She smiles from ear to ear and gets down on one knee. "Y/n L/n. I've only known you for about three to four months, although you knew me for a lot longer." she says.

Slowly but surely you knew where this was going and why all the people and the media were here.

"I know, your past experiences with relationships were quite.. Njeah let's say difficult. But I want to change that and I think we've already made a great start. I can't imagine my life anymore without you in it, so.. Y/n, will you marry me?" she asks and pulls out a beautiful, really expensive looking wedding ring.

You're too overwhelmed to think" I- yes! Yes of course I wanna marry you!" you shout and jump up to hug her. Rhea laughes and let's out a sigh of relief. Everyone's applauding and congratulating you.

You both smile at each other and kiss, resulting in even more applause and cheers from the croud." I love you so much, I can't even find the right words to describe it" you smile at your now fiancee. "I love you too, more than anything in the world!" she answers and pulls you in for another kiss.

---------------------------------------------------

Part 25 and finally you get the surprise you've all been waiting for, hope you enjoyed it ;)

Taglist:@babybatlover @legit9thlunaticwarrior @thatonepansexual2000 @nox-fire

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

The Mission Bolin x Reader Series: Part Four

You return to Republic City and don’t recieve the warmest welcome but manage to prove to everyone where your loyalties lie...but can you show this to Bolin?

Previous Parts: One, Two and Three.

___________

When you got back to Republic City you could’ve easily slunk away and buried your head in the sand but you didn’t. You went right to the council and shared with them everything you knew. You told them you’d accept any punishment they thought fair but asked you be allowed to help in the time being. Obviously they were all very wary of you but Varrick vouched for you. “She’s on our side now we promise! Kuvira was intimidating her as much as she was everyone else but Y/n stood up for us and is a very big part of why we're still here”. Varrick’s word didn’t seem to be doing much good though, which was understandable considering his past, so you stepped forwards ready to argue your case when Bolin beat you to it. “Varrick’s right. Y/n helped get us here and stood up to Kuvira for us...she can be trusted and she has invaluable knowledge. We’re going to need her to stop this”. Mako’s brother and the Avatar both nodded, convinced by Bolin’s world and that persuaded Tenzin and the others. “Fine!” Raiko nodded “you can help but we’ll be watching you like a hawk and the second you falter you’ll be locked away forever”. You nodded “I won’t let you down”. 

You hoped to catch Bolin after the meeting but Raiko grilled you for hours to get information about Kuvira and when you left Bolin was nowhere to be seen. The next day you found Mako, Bolin’s brother and asked if he knew where Bolin was staying. He directed you to Air Temple Island and you made your way there a bundle of nerves. You found Bolin outside playing with Pabu and smiled to see he seemed back to normal...or he did until he looked up and saw you. Oblivious, Pabu ran over to say hello before Bolin could intercept him. You stroked Pabu happily and Bolin stood up, coming towards you hesitantly. “Hey” you said softly “I’m really sorry to drop in on you like this but with the war coming I figured sooner would be better. Can we please talk?" you asked. Bolin sighed "i guess I can’t avoid it forever...let's go this way" and he led you to a private part of the island overlooking the ocean. You nodded and followed him in silence. Once you were sat down Bolin frowned "so...do you want to take the lead?". You nodded and took a breath. “I just wanted to apologise again for everything I did to you and give you a chance to ask any questions...I’m so sorry for everything Bolin and I know the journey here hasn’t solved anything. Is there anything you want to say to me?”. "Was it all just a game?" Bolin asked and you had a feeling this had been on his mind for a while. "Being nice to be, laughing with me, flirting with me...the whole time you were only speaking to me because she told you to right? Would you even have given me the time of day if she hadn't commanded you to?" Bolin asked. You nodded "of course I would have! Initially I did it because she told me to but after our first meeting I realised I enjoyed being around you and it stopped being a secret mission but something I wanted to do. I liked being around you Bolin, I would’ve acted the same way I promise". Bolin sighed "well unsurprising I don’t believe you" and he looked away upset. "Of course I want to believe you. I want to think you did care for me and like me but how can I even begin to trust you?" he pointed out. It was a very good question and one you didn’t have the answer to. You sighed "I don’t know" you replied honestly "I've hurt you in an awful way and I don’t know how I can ever do enough to repair that. To make you feel safe around me again but I promise I'm not going to quit until I do it. I'm not going to stop trying even if you lose interest or hate me. I will never stop trying to repay the damage I did because you mean a lot to me Bolin. While it wasn’t genuine at first it didn’t take long before it started being and by the end I’d really fallen for you. I know that ship has probably sailed for us forever but all I want is to get your friendship back. No matter how much work it takes". Bolin nodded "okay. I can’t promise anything but I also won’t tell you it’s impossible". You nodded to him "that’s more than I could’ve hoped for, thank you". Bolin nodded and walked away.

You heard Opal was in town the following day and figured she deserved an apology as well. You made your way to Lin Beifong’s apartment where Opal was staying and knocked twice. You were sure this wasn’t going to be pleasant and that was before you told her what you’d done to her and Bolin’s relationship. But still you wanted to wash away everything you'd done for your sister and the first step was being honest. So you’d deal with this and then you could move on.

The door opened and Opal appeared. "What do you want?" she asked. Great start, she hated you already. You winced and tried to look non-threatening. "I was hoping we could talk?" you asked. "Funny you two even think alike now" she replied and you paused "me and who?". "Bolin” she said and Opal moved back to reveal the living room where Bolin was sat awkwardly. He met your eye and you looked away "sorry I didn’t realise he was here...i’ll come back later". "No why don’t you stay?" Opal asked her voice dripping with anger "Bolin was just explaining how he broke up with me for you and I'd love to hear your side of things". You winced but Opal held the door open very menacingly for an airbender. You walked inside and sat in the only available chair which was next to Bolin. "So" Opal said standing in front of you both "carry on Bolin". Bolin coughed "so after we broke up I went to Y/n and I...we kissed". "The same night I left, right?" Opal asked. Bolin nodded "yes". "And you thought that was okay because...?". Bolin sighed "I knew it wasn’t but I hadn't seen you in so long and every time we did it was so tense. Things with Y/n had been building for a while and I was so emotional after our breakup it all just kind of burst out". Opal raised an eyebrow "so you're blaming me?". Bolin immediately denied that and went to explain himself when you stepped in. "Haven’t you told her what I did?". Bolin shook his head "I was getting to that part". You turned to her "Opal none of this was Bolin’s fault. Kuvira calculated it. She made a plan to have Bolin fall for me and I...I helped her. I seduced him and encouraged him to break up with you. I made myself seem like the better alternative and helped orchestrate the whole thing so if you want to be angry at anyone it should be me". Opal shook her head "you're acting like you twisted his arm behind his back and forced him to fall for you. Whether you encouraged it or not you didn't force him to do anything. You didn’t make him separate from me or make him kiss you. From what I've heard you actually stopped that. Bolin fell for you because he liked you" she said "and for me that's the ultimate betrayal because if he’d really have liked me and had no feelings for you to begin with then this would have never happened". "Opal please" Bolin cried as you said "let me explain it better" but she’d had enough. "No I'm done. You both said you wanted to explain and you did so get out. Bolin it’s over, stop blaming Y/n for your own actions and take responsibility. Y/n...well all the apologies in the world won’t resolve what you've done but I think I have an idea of how you can start". You frowned "how?". "You're going to help me break my family out of Kuvira’s prison".

All things considered risking your life to save Opal’s family who had been imprisoned by your sister, the one you helped takeover their home, seemed fair. So you agreed. Bolin had protested, claiming Opal shouldn’t just punish you but him too. That honestly hadn’t helped things and so you rode to the prison in a very stormy silence. Lin was smart enough not to get involved and stayed quiet. 

Once you got there you were soon joined by Toph and broke into the prison. The Beifongs were literally tossed to freedom and only when you got outside of the cell undetected did they all turn to you. "Y/n?" Su yin asked the first chance she got. "You came back to us?" Wei asked a smile on his face and you felt like crying. "No" Opal’s voice rang out "she was working against us the whole time. She’s only here because Kuvira made her go against Bolin and that was too much for her. Not us". The Beifongs all frowned and you hung your head, aware there were no words in the world you could say to make up for what you’d done to your real family. "Still..." Huan said suddenly "she’s here rescuing us and where’s Bataar? Our actual flesh and blood". You looked up to see the others were slowly nodding. Suyin smiled and stepped towards you "regardless I'm happy you're here and you're safe" she said offering you a hand “if you’re willing to make this first step then so are we”. You took one look at her kind face and burst into tears. "I'm so sorry! For everything" you sobbed and Su cradled you in her arms. "It's okay" she soothed and you finally felt safe. Opal understandably wasn’t happy but the others all forgave you. You explained why Opal hated you and how it was justified. The others all just replied she’d forgive you eventually and you felt so happy to have your family back. You were always closest to the twins and found yourself staying with them on the way back to Republic City. "So..." Wei asked "where did you and Bolin leave things?". You swallowed "I told him that I'd always care for him as more but I'd never stop trying to win his friendship back". You expected the twins to judge you for saying that to their little sister’s ex-boyfriend but they just nodded. "That seems fair" Wing nodded and you stared "how are you all not yelling at me?". Wei smiled softly "Y/n you may not be a Beifong by blood but you do realise we grew up as together right? To us you're family. So is Kuvira too and anything you've done doesn’t really matter now you've said sorry and are trying to put it right. We love you and we support you. Opal and Bolin were on the outs before you even got involved but he’s a nice guy. If you have something with him then we say go for it". "Really?" You asked tears in your eyes and Wei nodded "yes". “You’re the best brothers ever” you replied and the twins grinned to hear you finally call them that. 

When the final battle came you fought in it side by side with your earth bender family. You brought Kuvira’s giant mecha suit down and then Kuvira herself. Bolin got to the new spirit portal just in time to see Korra emerge with Kuvira. Bolin spotted you across the field and you were staring frozen as Lin and Su clamped handcuffs around your sister’s wrists and everyone celebrated. Bolin watched you warily and felt a pang of sadness. No matter what you’d done he still cared about you and seeing you upset made him sad. He went to step towards you when a twin appeared on either side of you. Wei touched your arm tentatively and you turned and buried your head against him crying. Wing joined the hug and Bolin was pleased to see atleast you’d reconnected with your family. Not wanting to ruin the moment Bolin walked away.

1 year later

After the battle you were pardoned by Raiko due to your help taking down Kuvira and so you didn’t serve any jail time. However you didn’t return to Zafou after the battle. Kuvira had done a lot of damage to Republic City, hundreds injured, thousands displaced and so many homes utterly destroyed. So, you decided to do something about it. 

Bolin witnessed the whole thing and saw first hand the stroke of genius ran in Kuvira’s bloodline family. You became lead of the restoration efforts and everyone soon forgot who's sister you were once your intentions became clear. The Beifong’s were a golden support system and Bolin saw even you and Opal were friends again which was nice. Opal had also told him she’d forgiven him and they were friends again but he knew that was all it would be with her. With you however that was a different story. Bolin still liked you. He knew it was stupid, most people would never consider going back to someone who did what you’d done but he couldn’t deny how he felt. Not to mention everything you’d said turned out to be true and he saw the changes you’d made to become a better person. You weren’t the same person as before and neither was he. But that didn’t make telling you any less scary. Bolin finally decided to do it one day after he spent the whole week watching you help refugees get rehabilitated. He knew he had to tell you or move on and he chose the former. Bolin could always find you around city hall these days so he headed there and soon enough he spotted you walking down a hallway. "Y/n" he called and you stopped looking around. You smiled when you saw him and walked over "Bolin! How are you? Is everything okay?". Bolin nodded "I’m good thanks and everything is great. I was just wondering if I could talk to you? What time do you finish up here?". You seemed surprised but quickly recovered "I actually finish in an hour, there’s a great coffee shop around your corner if you’d like to go there?". Bolin nodded "sounds great! I'll meet you at the main entrance in an hour".

It was raining when Bolin got to the coffee shop so he went inside and found a table. He sat facing the door, which turned out to be a bad thing as every time it opened his heart sped up and he panicked before realising it wasn’t you. Finally, after many false calls you arrived. Bolin froze as you stood there in the doorway and he felt his palms sweat and his cheeks flush at what he was about to do. He was excited but also terrified. You’d said you would always care for him as a friend and as more but what if that had changed in the year that had passed? What if he’d missed his chance and the two of you would never get your opportunity to be a couple? “Bolin?” you called having located him and Bolin jumped up “y/n hey! Thanks for coming”. You smiled sitting down “no problem, so...how can I help? If it’s about those building permits please tell President Zhu Li I’m getting the zoning board to work as fast as possible...”. “No it’s not work-related it’s about...us”. “Ow...” you said and your whole body language changed “okay, what do you want to discuss?”. 

Bolin took a deep breath “well first of all I wanted to tell you I’ve noticed all the good things you’ve done this past year and how you’ve been trying to reduce the damage Kuvira caused and I truly believe you’re a good person. I’ve forgiven you for what happened between us”. Your face lit up in surprise and you smiled shocked “really? Bolin that’s amazing! Thank you so much”. Bolin smiled “it’s nothing, it felt right so thanks for not giving up I guess”. “Totally worth it” you grinned and Bolin blushed ”also one more thing...I wondered if things have changed at all for you? Before you mentioned you would always care for me as more than a friend but were happy just being friends, is that still true”. You paused looking down “yes my feelings haven’t changed. I think I’ll always like you but I respect your feelings and promise never to try anything with you...is that what you were worried about?”. Bolin shook his head “no more the opposite, Y/n I still like you too and all this time I was unsure if I could trust you but like I just said I know I can now and so I wondered if you’d maybe like to go on a date with me?”. Your face split into an even more surprised expression and Bolin had never seen your eyes so wide before. You spluttered in shock “I’m...of course I would! Sorry i’m just lost for words because I thought I’d royally screwed this up so to hear you say this, I can’t believe how lucky I am”. Bolin blushed, in all his relationships he was usually the one providing all the security and compliments and it was nice to have someone else share that. “Well I feel pretty lucky too, none of my past partners have gone to the amount of effort you have to show me they care. You make me feel wanted and I like that”. You blushed but didn’t look away “I do want you Bolin, so not to sound eager but when are you free for that date because I’d love to take you out and make you feel even more special”. Bolin was so flushed he felt several degrees warmer and he smiled “how’s Friday night?”. “It’s a date” you grinned and Bolin smiled “great...” and he tentatively reached across the table to take your hand. Your drinks arrived seconds later and you smiled holding yours up “a toast, may our future be a lot less complicated and happier than our past”. Bolin nodded “to our future” and clinked your glass. You had a good feeling about this and couldn’t wait to see what your future had in store. 

You always used to fear the future but now, with Bolin back in your life you were ready for it. 

Bring it on. 

_________

Bolin is the bestest boy! 

I never really warmed to him and Opal as a couple because it just felt forced to me, like they were both single and nice people so they got smushed together. I wish they’d given him a more romantic fun partnership like Korra x Asami and Mako x Wu (yes they’re together in my mind). Even the way they got together felt quite convenient and not really that special or fun. All I’m saying is Bolin and Opal both deserve better! 

[ihaveatheoryonthat]

This one's... kind of fun. Honestly, I might come back to it, I just haven't gotten anywhere for some time, now, and it's bugging me. Let me know if this is one you'd be interested in seeing play out in full, because it could be nice to throw a sillier project in there after AGAS wraps up.

(This is another one that deals with trans characters before they've officially come out, though it's not the main focus, just part of the story. The approach is different from other pieces I've shared in the past, and I don't expect that it will be a problem, but please just approach it in good faith. I never mean to offend, I just like to explore things in different ways.)

-

Emmet had fucked up.

He realized it immediately after the fact, already entire seconds too late. For all that he’d done his research, for all that he knew the where and the when, it had done nothing to warn him for how his plan might backfire. Celebi was reclusive, but not an unknown, and its fleeting form hadn’t given him any reason to fear reaching out for its help.

Instead, it was the wind it blew about on-- the breeze that carried it to and fro in time-- that chilled him down to his core. He couldn’t possibly forget the sensation of it, because it had signaled the start to the worst week of his life-- up until the previous year, that was. In a way, that wind was the reason he’d reacted so harshly when Ingo had failed to check in after [whatever], and what had driven him here in the first place. It had set a precedent.

When they had been young children, playing in the wooded outskirts of Anville Town, Emmet had felt that same wind rush past him, and just like that, his brother had vanished.

If he’d known, he wouldn’t have sought Celebi out. He would have explored any and every other option before resorting to this one, but he’d already made his choice. In the immediate aftermath, he was dismayed to realize that their family’s suffering had come at his own unwitting hand as he tried to right an injustice for the second time.

A small, achingly familiar form darted away, taking shelter around the corner of the shrine. From where he knelt, Emmet could plainly see a pair of dark shoes under the elevated base; they were pointed away, the child’s back pressed to the only cover he had as he tried to figure out where he was and what had happened to him. Emmet braced a hand against the shrine’s edge, helping to lever himself up from the ground, and in the process, noticed that his offering was nowhere to be found, accepted as payment for this… favor.

He suspected the historical society wouldn’t appreciate the disrespect it showed, but he knocked lightly against the shrine’s nearest face and took a step to round the corner. There was a sharp intake of breath, then the sound of running on soft grass, and he found that he couldn’t blame the child; to be torn away from home so abruptly had to be terrifying, no matter a person’s age. He’d been trying not to let himself dwell on that exact point for some time now.

“It’s okay.” He said in the gentlest voice he could muster, and [floundered] for how to follow up. He remembered the week of the disappearance with an agonizing clarity, but it was an unrelated detail he found himself grasping for-- had they started using their real names before, or after? If he called out right now, would his twin know who he was talking to?

...it was probably close enough that Ingo had already decided on what he wanted to be called. Even if they hadn’t progressed to the point where they were actively testing it out between them, he would recognize the name as his.

“I’m sorry.” Emmet said, staying put at the shrine’s edge, one hand resting on its corner, “I made a verrrry big mistake. Please forgive me, Ingo.”

The child stayed still for another couple of seconds, and then-- seemingly ignorant of the fact that his every move could be and was being tracked-- began to inch around the shrine in the opposite direction. Emmet was relatively sure he could catch him if he tried to run, but for now, he waited to see how this would pan out. His currently-much-younger brother paused as he reached the edge where the eastern and southern corners met, and from the [edge] of his vision, Emmet caught a hint of movement. He didn’t look right away, making a dedicated effort not to scare him-- any more than he already had-- but, gradually, he turned his head.

There was a single silver eye peering at him from the other side of the [shrine], fingers curled around the wood just below it. He offered a shallow, apologetic smile and half turned, repeating, “I’m verrrry sorry, Ingo. This was never my intention.”

The boy disappeared back around the corner, but didn’t actually go anywhere. He probably needed time to think, to process. After a moment, Emmet heard his old name echo down the old village, warbling and fearful.

He turned in full and lowered himself onto one knee before answering in kind; it felt wrong to call that name again after so long, but it made the building anxiety opposite him pause, at least for a few seconds.

“I’m right here.” He added, listening for any change, “I am Emmet. I look different now, but I’m still your brother. Can you trust that?”

Around the corner, he heard a [steeling] breath and, finally, Ingo emerged. He looked exactly how Emmet remembered from back then, a perfect match to the missing child posters, down to the black jumper and cardigan he’d been reported ‘last seen wearing’. It would have been sweet to see his older twin so much smaller than him, were it not for the look on his face and the stubborn fold of his arms.

“I only have one brother.” He lied, somehow leaning forward in accusation while also keeping one foot poised to dart away if need be. “You’re not Drayden. Who who are you really?”

“I am Emmet,” Emmet said again, patient, “We’ve talked about this. I know we have. I have two brothers, and so do you.”

[…]

“Ingo,” He said flatly, patience waning, but only for the circumstance, and not the child before him, “You have not corrected me on the matter of your own name. Not once. How many people know what you like to be called?”

The boy muttered under his breath, but it was audibly, “Just Emmet…”

Emmet himself hummed in agreement. “And how would you intend to proceed from here? Do you even know where you are?”

It sounded unfairly judgmental-- of course he didn’t know. He couldn’t know. He’d just been ripped through time and space and was helpless to do anything about it. Emmet wasn’t sure what the worst part was: that he’d been the one responsible, or that it wouldn’t be an isolated incident.

If anything, the question seemed to rile his brother up; the shallower pout pulled into a proper frown and, as unhelpful as the observation was at the moment, it was kind of adorable.

“Obviously not! What kind of a question is that?” Ingo demanded, arms folding tighter in a self-soothing gesture that he wouldn’t even process in the moment. He looked off to the side, as if to gauge his surroundings, but at this age, he’d never set foot in eastern Unova-- hadn’t even seen it outside of travel documentaries-- and didn’t stand any chance of figuring it out on his own. It wasn’t meant as any slight to him, he just didn’t have the body of knowledge he needed.

His expression pinched in distress as he looked down the hill-- no doubt processing the fact that he was surrounded on all sides by an unfamiliar evergreen forest-- and he took a couple of steps down the incline. Emmet made no move to stop him; he could tell from the body language that his brother wasn’t about to bolt, he was just overwhelmed and trying to make himself understand.

Emmet sighed and closed the gap between them, recognizing the way Ingo’s breathing started to shudder. He didn’t know what he could do to help, but he had to do something; he almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but belatedly remembered that he fell under the umbrella of ‘stranger’ at the moment, and it wouldn’t be welcomed. He ended up sitting down next to his twin, legs hanging over the small ledge, shoes grazing the slightly-dewy grass. Hopefully it would make him seem more approachable, less of a looming unknown.

What he absolutely didn’t expect was for his brother to grab his face in both petite hands and force them to look one another in the eye. He still felt minor tremors travel through the boy’s arms, but Ingo’s expression was stern and searching.

“If you’re Emmet, why do you look like that?” He asked, after a moment of serious contemplation.

Unable to stop himself, Emmet snorted. “Like what? I look like you. That should prove it by itself.”

Ingo’s nose wrinkled at the comment, but it seemed he had more important matters to focus on. “No, you told me you want to look like Drayden when you grow up.”

“Ah.” Emmet said, [?], “It’s tragic. Drayden has a propensity for facial hair that we lack. Verrrrry disappointing.”

He raised one of his hands to graze the smaller one holding onto his face, and when that didn’t net a negative reaction, he picked his brother’s hand up and held it in both of his. “I understand that it does not make up for what I’ve done, but I want to help you. Would seeing Drayden make you feel better?”

Ingo thought about it for a few seconds-- maintaining intense eye contact all the while-- and then pulled his hand back. At first, it seemed like a no, but then he sat down on the ledge next to Emmet; he still maintained a safe gap between them, but put them back on the same general level. Immediately after, he looked to Emmet’s far hand-- his right-- gaze raking over the Xtransceiver that peeked out from beneath a sleeve. It would have been awkward and uncomfortable letting someone watch him navigate his Xtransceiver, but today he didn’t try to shield his contact list, and he saw Ingo squint at it before navigating to the next screen-- likely noticing his own name at the very top.

The boy leaned away again while the phone rang, abruptly reminded that he was feeling skittish, which left Emmet as the only one in the field of view when their brother answered. Drayden looked him up and down, reading his expression the very same way Emmet had read Ingo’s a minute before, and, in lieu of a formal greeting, asked:

“What did you do?”

“I am Emmet. I have erred.” He said bluntly.

“Elaborate.” Drayden demanded in kind.

He glanced to his left, at where Ingo was scrutinizing the screen and nibbling on his bottom lip; he still looked on-edge, but some of the tension was dissipating as he watched their older brother and heard him speak. As much as he wanted to convince Ingo that he was who he claimed, he understood that it would be orders more difficult when he had to contend with such a large age gap and the matter of a full transition. By comparison, Drayden had changed very little about himself, and was much more recognizable; he looked older and dressed differently, but the basics stayed the same.

Emmet decided to facilitate this track; maybe if they talked in greater depth, Ingo would warm up to the fact that they really were the family he knew.

“My research on Celebi indicated that it has been seen here in Unova. It likes Zorua and hides in forests to play with them. I decided I would try to get its favor.” He admitted, watching Drayden steel himself the longer he spoke.

“You claimed that you would keep me abreast of any developments; why didn’t you follow through?” Drayden asked, but he wasn’t really looking for an answer-- not yet, at least. His eyes moved to the backdrop of trees behind Emmet, and connecting the dots was child’s play.

The only child present seemed to have picked up on that, too, and wasn’t paying attention at the moment; instead, he was half-turned to look at the shrine again, as if he expected to find a Pokemon lingering there. Emmet gave his hand a brief tap, trying to corral him for the moment, and he reluctantly turned back around.

Drayden’s gaze moved back down to his younger brother. “It rejected your appeal, then? It’s clearly not good news.”

Emmet opened his mouth to reply and left it that way for a moment, trying to figure out how to handle this.

“It… accepted my offering.” He said, eventually.

Drayden didn’t [allow] him even that inch of [?]. “But?”

“There was a miscommunication.” Emmet said. He looked back over to Ingo, who had his head tilted to see the screen better, and was only barely out of frame. Instead of talking to the eldest, he directed his next question to the youngest-by-technicality. “Can you say hi? It would help explain.”

Ingo didn’t respond verbally, but he inched closer so the forward-facing camera would be able to capture them at the same time. Emmet murmured a thank you and adjusted his Xtransceiver accordingly. Drayden’s brow furrowed, becoming a ridge worthy of one of his dragons, and, in disbelief, he quietly called an old name.

“Ingo.” Both of them said, simultaneously, correcting him without any heat. Since the boy in question didn’t have anything else to say at the moment, Emmet added, “We were testing our names out a long time before we told you.”

“Emmet.” Drayden [?], his usually [thunderous/?] voice a mere croak, and he didn’t have to say anything else to get his point across. Emmet knew. Emmet had known how royally he’d screwed up only three seconds into this mess. He nodded, eyes turned down, ashamed of his actions and making no effort to defend himself.

“Where are you right now?” Their brother asked, strength seeping back in and demanding an answer.

Clipped, Emmet [?], “Abundant Shrine.”

Drayden echoed it back at him, already moving and deep in thought. Ingo echoed it, too, but he was more focused on putting a name to the place; he turned back around to look at the eponymous shrine once again.

“Stay where you are. I can be there in 30 minutes.” Drayden said. His attention strayed to something in his immediate vicinity, but once he’d dealt with it, his eyes turned to the smaller of the two figures. “Ingo, stay with Emmet. I understand that this has to be frightening, but we’re going to make sure you’re taken care of, alright?”

At the sound of his name, Ingo had turned around. He scanned the image on the Xtransceiver’s screen again and hummed in affirmation, giving his head the tiniest forward tilt.

“Alright,” Drayden breathed out, relieved, “I’ll see you soon; 30 minutes.”

Emmet nodded back, and Ingo held up a half-curled hand to say goodbye; shortly thereafter, the video cut, leaving them staring at their reflections-- and then each other’s. Neither of them said anything, and Emmet dropped his hand into his lap. Ingo drew his legs up onto their level and wrapped his arms around them, still incredibly [scared] and uncomfortable, but he stayed put, right where he was.

If their arms brushed against each other, neither of them mentioned it.

-------

Ingo had always been very active when they were children, so it felt weird that he stayed in place the entire 30 minute wait, only moving enough to straighten his legs out for a few minutes, avoiding a cramp. When he felt a little better, he pulled them back up and tucked them under his dress, scuffed flats poking out from beneath. His fingers worked into his sweater’s cuffs on either side, and he rested his chin on his folded arms, staring down into the [?] that led to Undella.

Decades prior, when he’d finally [resurfaced], he hadn’t had any memory of where he’d been, the entire week of his disappearance rendered blank. Their parents had taken him to doctors and then a therapist, trying to understand what had happened and-- just maybe-- help recover the [memory], but nothing had ever worked. Back then, Emmet had stuck with his brother like they’d been glued together, unwilling to take his eyes off of him for the duration of an appointment. Most of what he could remember was Ingo’s building frustration-- both at the adults’ insistence and his own inability to provide answers.

Now, it seemed self evident that his memory of that week--this week-- had been a casualty of time travel. Emmet tried not to delve too deep into the implications that held and, instead, used it to his advantage: he could show or tell Ingo anything he wanted without fear that it might change something in their distant past. Chandelure would be far too much too soon, but halfway through their wait, he released Galvantula to keep them company and help break the tension. It had looked between them, completely lost, until Emmet gave a very, very brief explanation, consisting entirely of “Ingo is having a verrrry hard time right now. Will you sit with him?”

So, when Drayden arrived from the north-- riding in on his Salamence’s back-- it was to the sight of a child being flanked by his much-older twin and an incredibly confused spider. When they both stood up straight, allowing him to look them over properly, his expression screamed that he was dismayed, but not surprised.

He drew a deep breath, eyes flicking to Emmet like he had some very pointed comments to make, but he held his tongue, ever the composed politician. Instead, he focused on Ingo, who subconsciously inched forward; his hat must have fallen off as he got up, because he held it in both hands, kneading it anxiously.

There was a [recognition/trust] in his expression that Emmet told himself not to be jealous of; the two of them were incredibly close, of course, but they had different relationships with Drayden. Emmet was the youngest, and he’d grown up with an older sibling right there to lean on, so their distant older brother didn’t seem so [significant]; Ingo, meanwhile, only had Drayden to look up to in that regard. By the time they were old enough to understand their family’s dynamic, the eldest had long since moved on to his life in Opelucid, making his presence the exception rather than the rule-- and all the more valuable to Ingo in particular.

No one would deny that the two of them were each other’s comfort people-- typical of twins, and utterly proven by Ingo’s reticent behavior without his same-age sibling-- but Emmet knew that, to his brother, Drayden meant ‘safe’ in a very unique way.

He was glad, actually-- [envious], but glad. It meant there was someone who could help put his twin’s mind at ease. Emmet was still being mindful not to touch too much or too suddenly, but he tapped the backs of his fingers on Ingo’s arm, urging him to go greet their older brother. The child stepped forward, and when that proved safe enough, repeated the process once more, then again and again until he’d crossed the distance.

For a moment, he stared up, taking in the details and then-- undoubtedly much louder than he’d intended-- said, “You changed your hair.”

“I have a new job, now; I’m afraid I had to adopt a new hairstyle to accommodate.” Drayden said. Unlike many, he didn’t alter his tone to talk to children-- he spoke to them on exactly the same level he would talk to teenage challengers and other adults; he moderated his words and made sure he explained things more carefully, but he wouldn’t patronize someone based on their age. This straightforward approach was the correct one, and Ingo finally stopped working wrinkles into his hat from sheer nerves.

Emmet could tell that Drayden hardly even thought about it as he picked it up and settled it on their brother’s head, tugging the edges down and then tucking it so it sat properly. The same could be said for Ingo, who immediately straightened and then went still, allowing him to fix it without a word of complaint. It was actually quite sweet.

Drayden looked at him for a moment longer before cutting to the point. “Can you tell me what happened to you?”

“We were playing by the greenbelt,” Ingo started, watching Drayden’s expression intently, already seeing what he could read into it, “It rained last night, so there were Tympole in the puddles, and we watched them for a long time. After that, we went to find a good branch to hang Emmet’s sweater on, ‘cause someone got wet and we didn’t want mom to find out.”

Drayden snorted, which startled Ingo at first, but quickly proved helpful; his eyes lit up at having made their brother laugh, and he continued on more readily. “We were arguing about which tree was better when the wind started. I don’t know what happened, then.” The admission took a substantial amount of steam out of him. He looked at Emmet, then returned his attention to the eldest, “We talked some after that, and then you told us to wait for you.”

“Alright. Thank you, Ingo.” Drayden rumbled; it was a very deliberate tone-- not a ‘kid voice’ but comforting, the way he would try to help any family member. He looked up and raised a brow, plainly asking for Emmet’s version of events-- as if he was one of their parents, arbitrating a disagreement.

“I sought out Celebi’s help. You already know why.” Emmet said shortly; even if Ingo wouldn’t remember this week, there was no sense in saddling him with the knowledge that would disappear for a second time. “I thought I made my intentions clear, but I guess not. Instead of what I asked, it brought Ingo here. We talked. I apologized. We called you. Now you’re caught up.”

Drayden maintained eye contact the entire time, but after he’d finished speaking, looked away to the shrine. “Is there any way to call Celebi back?”

“Yup. It would need a new offering, though. I only had one.” Acquiring a new one would be a pain, but doable. The offering itself was a glorified dumpling, but the ingredients weren’t the most common, and he’d had to track down the gourmet who frequented Route 5 in order to have it made correctly. Emmet wasn’t looking forward to dealing with her again, but he would do it to put this right.

“Alright, then that’s the end we’re working toward.” He looked back to each of them in turn-- Emmet first, then Ingo. “Would it be presumptuous to assume we’re headed to my house?”

“No.” / “The apartment would be too much right now.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Ingo dragging the heel of his shoe through the grass, insulted. “I’m not a baby, you’re just old.”

Though it didn’t show on his face, Drayden choked back laughter; Emmet slowly looked at his younger-older brother and let out a sharp breath. He knew for a fact that it had been retaliation, but not solely for his comment regarding their apartment; he used to say something very similar to their eldest sibling whenever he put his foot down on their childish plans. Dragons, was this what it felt like from the outside, whenever they’d wound each other up?

“Be that as it may. I think a familiar environment is best.” […]

After a few extra seconds to let him stew in it, Drayden took pity on him; he plucked a pokeball from his belt and held it out to their youngest brother, “Would you like to see Swablu again? I’m sure you could bribe him into taking you to Opelucid; you know how he is.”

The look on Ingo’s face would have been laughable-- trying to work out how a creature the size and density of a wadded-up pillow could take anyone anywhere-- but it was cut short as he accepted the pokeball and released Altaria.

There was a short, excited gasp, followed by a hushed, “You evolved!”

Altaria stared unabashedly for a handful of seconds, then looked to its trainer, as if asking if this was some kind of joke.

-------

[this would be a closer]

“[…] can scarcely express how much I’ve missed you, but right now, I need to tell you something of the utmost importance.” [either state that his tone clearly means he remembers now, or have Emmet realize that this is the child’s voice he’s been hearing for the past week] “You’re living on borrowed time. As soon as I set foot in Unova, you’re a dead man.”

[livlepretre]

Hi! I've been a big fan of FE for a while - you're an incredible writer & I've loved seeing the story grow and grow over the years :)

Something that I've noticed in this recent arc: a lot of readers seemed to have soured at Rebekah/Elena's relationship for various reasons. I've been curious about this b/c I feel like Klaus/Elena were equally as complicated and dark in those early chapters, and they don't seem to get as much vitriol. I wonder if it's b/c they are THE ship for most of the readers, and Rebekah/Elena is secondary to that, or if it's b/c Rebekah/Elena's relationship problems are more at the forefront of this current arc. Either way, I love every single messy relationship in FE to pieces, and I don't think the story would be the same without any one of them - but I was wondering if this is something you've noticed as well?

thank you! 💙 I really do consider it the highest praise when a reader tells me that despite this being a klaus x elena fic, they are invested in the other relationships in this story as well; there's the level where this exists as Elena's story first and foremost, and then right under that, it's an ensemble piece with all of the relationships between the other core characters (mainly the 4 still on page, we miss you Tyler) forming the heart of the fic

as for the Rebekah vitriol... YES I have noticed it. I was initially surprised by how much people seemed taken with the ship when it became clear during the mid-40s that the story was headed in that direction, and very happy with the support and excitement over it. I actually took that as a sign that people were mostly on board with the idea that this is Elena's story first, and that the klena ship is second to that. (although, also equally taken aback by how fiercely some readers wanted me to scrap the klaus ship altogether. like. guys. klena is my ship. if she burns and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, i am only going to dredge her back up and refurbish her)

as you mentioned, this is primarily a Klaus x Elena story, but I don't think the story as I have envisioned it all these years could work without Elena's other relationships, which inform so much of who she is as a person.

I think there are a few reasons why Rebekah gets so much hate now.

1- I assume most people who click onto this fic and get far enough in to decide to keep going are klaus x elena shippers; I've noticed that the people in this ship tend to prefer darker elements, and are game for most of the stuff that's come up in this story; it's almost expected, so perhaps people just don't bat an eyelash

2- well, there seems to be some deja vu regarding just how awful Rebekah was to Elena in the first half of the fic; she comes back when Elena is at a low point in her life, and is so fun and refreshing and empathetic, and for a while, Elena and Rebekah have for all appearances an extremely healthy relationship, and i think a lot of people were ready to accept the idea of the "fluff" of it, especially after Klaus abandoned Elena so horrifically and then was terrible to her in the reunion-- so somehow, people feel personally betrayed by Rebekah acting like herself in later chapters when the relationship starts to show some stress fractures

3- I wonder if some of it as just... accepting abusive behavior as sexy from a male romantic interest vs recognizing it more readily from a female romantic interest, because people are just more used to seeing that behavior from male love interests so it sort of goes more "under the radar"

It's also interesting because Elena has not been an angel to Rebekah herself. She's lying, withholding huge info (like that her mother is dead???) and is like, right on the line more than once of having an emotional affair with Klaus (that afternoon he shared all of those secrets with her after he'd engineered he eavesdropping on him and Elijah? that was wild; also, their plotting together is only one step removed from sex for them both)

Yet Rebekah gets called out with furious aplomb for things like not calling Elena over Christmas. Honestly, my bad, didn't occur to me when I was writing that this was going to ruffle so many feathers. Rebekah was pretty busy managing Klaus, and persuading him to bring Stefan and therefore Elena over to where they were. And she has her hands full with quite a few things right now beyond that!

But that also really illustrates how a lot of people seem to have fallen in love with Rebekah as a good girlfriend, and maybe have normalized her more than Klaus was normalized, and the expectations for her to fulfill mortal relationship standards seem to be higher. When she is very much not mortal, or normal, and she is out doing awful, awful stuff, but Elena is horrifyingly undisturbed most of the time.

[koreposion]

First meeting.

"This is your new teammate, Horror." Nightmare waves a hand nonchalantly in Horror's direction. The skeleton is slouched over, wearing a torn skirt and a raggedy blue jacket.

His singular eye light looks over the rest of the crew he'll be working with. A hum leaves him as he bows properly to greet the rest of them. Not coming any closer just to keep in mind of personal space.

"...I know, you said you'd handle picking out new teammate, Nightmare-" Cross spoke up, placing himself between the rest of his group and Horror, "But-"

"I handled it, Cross." Nightmare spoke over him, shutting him up with a firm tone, "I get it you mortals have your grudges that you hold but transferring it to another being entirely is simply childish."

"I-"

"Do you mistake my careful screening as something flimsy and careless?" A hiss left the God and Cross went ridged. Standing up right and silently to let his other teammates have a say in it. Convincing the God was never easy...more like it was impossible.

"Okay but isn't this just like, the same dude but in a skirt?" Killer asked as he leaned on Cross casually and with a wide grin.

"No, as you must know there are variants to an AU depending on a creator. Some creators have taken to a...kinder version of Horror. Seeing him more as a protective bear rather than a irrational beast." Nightmare explained as he motioned for Horror to come closer.

Horror came closer to Nightmare and then dropped down to his knees. A loud thud was heard as his bone hit the wood. He didn't flinch and simply leaned his skull towards Nightmare's palm. His actions were reward with a head pat.

"Wow, yikes he is whipped." Killer murmured with a smirk, "Okay, then I don't have an issue with it. Horror is simply just a new plaything, he'll show his worth and then...we just go from there."

"I guess..." Cross mumbled and watched as Dust slowly took steps towards Horror.

Dust dropped to his knees so he could be face to face with Horror on the floor. He stared into Horror's eyes and it was retrned by the skeleton. A short moment of silence passed before Horror reached into his jacket. He then pulled out a slightly melted chocolate bar and handed it to Dust.

Dust flinched, surprised that Horror had offered him food. He took the chocolate bar in his hands and opened it. Then he took a bite into the soft treat and happily ate.

"You all look terrible." Horror stated nonchalantly, "You don't look like you're eating properly, especially for the type of work you do. I'm going to change that."

"Interesting." Killer hummed and backed away slightly from Cross as he watched the skeleton twitch.

"What gives you the right to act like you know what's going on?" Cross spoke with venom, "You don't even know us well enough we can take care of ourselves just fine and you-"

"Actually he's right, he will change your poor eating habits." Nightmaee held up a hand as he interrupted Cross, "You are all terrible at caring for yourselves, so I don't care if you don't like Horror. You will be listening to him when it comes to your diet from now on."

Cross was frustrated with getting shut down so much today. Usually Nightmare agreed with him the most but right now he was just reading the God wrong. Of course this is for the structure of the team, no big changes will actually happen. He'll just keep his distance and do the bare minimum to make Nightmare happy. This was fine.

"The last one wouldn't have even looked at us let alone share his food." Killer laughed before also going up to Horror. He gave the kneeling skeleton head pats playfully, "We deserve it though! I won't blame you if you turn out to hate us."

"Why would I hate any of you?" Horror questioned while looking up at Killer. Either unassumed by his actions or comfortable with them.

"Because we're bad, duh?" He said tilting his head at Horror's curious question.

"...Maybe you just don't think highly of yourself." Horror simply responded before taking another bar of chocolate out of his jacket and handing it to Killer.

"You all seem like that type anyway." He said looking at Cross and holding out a chocolate bar for him to take.

It was seconds of nothing before Cross stomped towards Horror and snatched the candy out of his hand. After all he was a sucker for chocolate, this didn't mean anything in the long run.

Horror would become tired of them soon enough.

[xthelastknownsurvivorx]

It’s Beas nice ask day!

So my question for you: What is something you haven’t shared here (or shared very recently) that is so shocking and surprising nobody would believe it

hi beas!

can't believe I didn't think of this story immediately upon receiving your ask (probably because it's equal parts trauma, hilarity, and friendship) but here we go with some lee lore

it's a long story though so below the cut it goes

my freshman year of college two friends and I decided to go to karaoke together one weekend. it was going to be a fun trip without anything out of the ordinary happening. we took the bus out, had lunch and a lot of fun singing (since it was a restaurant with an old machine not a dedicated karaoke place), then returned to the bus stop.

unfortunately we had forgotten that this stretch of road had bus stops on either side and you had to go to the correct side, otherwise the bus would be going the wrong direction, and I think we saw the right bus leaving before we could cross over

it was the middle of winter and decently cold by that time (late afternoon) and there wasn't another bus on the right side due for a while. we could have gone back inside to the restaurant (and probably should have), but we didn't feel like it. so one of suggested we walk to the next stop while waiting

however, one stop became another, and then another, and then another, and then—well you get the point

soon enough we had basically committed to just walking home. and for context our school wasn't in the city—it was near a couple of towns but also bordered rural areas, meaning there wasn't sidewalks for the entire stretch of this decently size road that we were walking home on

eventually we came to a (literal) fork in the road and had to decide which way to go: the unlit bridge to the shopping center or the back road behind it, neither of which had a sidewalk. by that time it was dark and, not wanting to get hit by a car or fall into the ditch by trying to walk on the outside of the bridge, we decided on the back road

it probably was the better decision in the end, but the back road came with its own, uh, complications. there were far fewer street lights along the way and the journey was starting to take longer than it seemed like it should have (spoiler alert: the road was a diagonal away from the mall but we didn't fully realize it at the time). we did spot the back of the mall eventually, but it was completely blocked off by a high fence and I wasn't interested in accidentally getting electrocuted either, so we couldn't cut back unless we completely retraced our steps, which wasn't worth it at that point

the longer we walked in the endless cold dark night, the more insane I felt and the more certain I was that we were going to end up kidnapped or something. especially when we turned back onto a busier road and a car started slowing down, its headlights blinding and far to reminiscent of one of those spotlights during a chase scene in movies. there was also a randomly big rectangular hole in one of the yards me passed by, deep enough not to be able to see the bottom

anyway we made it back to the mall after around two hours of walking, breaking into fits of deranged laughter once we had reached relative safety. this time we waited and took the bus the rest of the way home, nothing else happening on the way back to campus or our dorms

it was the absolute wildest, most fever dream-like thing I've ever had happened to me. definitely falls under the is it really college if you don't almost die at least once experience. so, uh, there you go

[booasaur]

hi! hope you’re doing well :) wanted to share some thoughts on the latest episode of minx, so heads up for spoilers below!

okay so — as of 2x04, I was kind of hesitant with where they were going with Bambi and Shelly’s relationship but I’m intrigued so far. From what I can gather Shelly is scared/intimidated by her attraction to Bambi and the potential it has to upend her life, so she’s exploring other avenues to express her sexuality in a way that doesn’t negatively affect her marriage. For Bambi’s part she seems to genuinely like Shelly but also wants to respect her boundaries, so she isn’t pushing anything even if she gets her feelings hurt. Bambi’s actress one said something along the lines of she loves with all her heart and man it does seem like she fell hard in a short amount of time. It’s an interesting dynamic that isn’t like a straight-up affair, so even though I have some reservations I’m excited to see where they go with it. Also Bambi telling Shelly “I just want you to be happy” aww :( also peeped the fact that Richie apparently knows about their sexual relationship but presumably no one else does, his friendship with Bambi is nice.

I really really like Tina but it seems like she’s taken a backseat to the narrative, which is funny because that seems to be her conflict with Doug this season? She had a brief exchange this past episode with Ritchie about how unappreciated they are but not at a lot else. Not entirely sure what they’re doing with her but there is definitely room for that to change and I could be reading this wrong. Also the woman who is funding the magazine — Constance? — is fun to watch, her actress is doing great things on The Afterparty, which I recommend to watch, no spoilers but they also have some queer stuff going on this season :)

Hi! Thank you, doing all right, hope you are too!

Yeah, I've seen people who were looking forward to Shelly/Bambi this season be disappointed with how it's going, but I feel like this is the best case scenario at the moment? Bambi already emotionally invested, and she's actually the one I had some concern about, because she can be so easygoing and casual about things, it could have just as easily been a lovely night for her with no feelings, but there are feelings.

We knew Shelly was definitely gonna struggle and I'm actually pleased that whatever else is going on in her relationships, she's also very affected by Bambi, especially with apparently how free loving the rest of her life is. Not gonna lie, I was a bit disappointed and a lot surprised not by the direction her storyline this season's taking, but that some really crucial stuff happened off screen. If season 1 was about her feeling stifled in her life and marriage, and Lenny being such a stick in the mud, how did the coming about of them being swingers not something valuable to see?? Who brought it up, the initial reaction of the other person? I get that they wanted it to be a surprise and for the comedy of it, but Shelly took an enormous step and we didn't see it. Like, were key parties such a huge thing in the '70s that it wasn't a big thing to have them...? I don't think so...

But on the other hand, it does establish, that Shelly's feelings for Bambi aren't just about an escape from her humdrum life, because she IS finding fulfillment at home and even at her job now, and still, she doesn't trust herself to be alone with Bambi. You summed it up really well, that what she feels for Bambi is something emotionally significant enough that it could affect her marriage, and doesn't fall within the sexual part of swinging.

So far, Tina has definitely not gotten much to work with. On a show like this, you get more screen time by having problems that you work through, and they've written her as the competent problem-solver. Even with Doug, it's all his issues, she's left to be frustrated with him, justifiably, but on screen it's pretty thankless. They've really boxed her in, there's no room for real personal growth because she's already kinda there, and they're not giving her an external issue to deal with big enough that the audience gets invested. Maybe she gets her turn soon.

Haha, Elizabeth Perkins, of course I'm a fan. I HAVE also been following The Afterparty and am quite hooked. [redacted]'s ep, it was so gorgeous! Except the end where [redacted] was like, yeah, it was a nothing fling. >_> I mean, that doesn't seem to be the end of things, but either one or both could still be the murderers, or it could still be fully one-sided.

Actually, I've been having the same issue with The Afterparty as for Minx and other shows like Warrior or Durian's Affair, where I want to gif but I'm not really sure if I'm giffing a pair that's already fully broken up forever or doesn't even love each other. I know that being together or even being canon isn't required to ship, but the way I've always approached giffing is if it's something that affects me and that I want to share. And it's slowly become more of a responsibility what I choose to share, I don't really want to get people watching something and then have it implode (jeez, Durian's Affair). That's 100% NOT how either I or people seeing my posts should approach things, but it's been hard to shake that mindset.

It's also gotten more complicated, in a good way, because by now we've gotten enough rep that just being canon isn't necessarily enough to be Worth Giffing, and there are more nuanced and messy storylines where you're no longer getting the 1 minute of fluff every ep that made for a good gifset but not much more of a storyline. Obviously the romantic stuff is still pretty easy, but otherwise, while before I'd find it notable if a show was actually Going There, or was a big project, or had a big actor, or was a big moment for primetime TV or for rep in whatever country, etc, now it's often this emotionally fraught stuff that doesn't make for a neat little contextless set of 10 gifs.