#And it's amazing to me how that's unhinged and concerning but also very sweet and 'innocent'... I guess

[lady-griffin]

I particularly love how before ep 4. Isha had gotten Jinx to paint her cloud tattoos on her and then later we see Jinx paints a Vi-style tattoo on herself. It's beyond sweet to me.

just realised yet another one parallel in arcane

what caught my attention is this moment where jinx plays a little makeover with isha and dyes her hair

jinx wishes she had moments like this with her sister and in the next episode we see her painting her face to look almost the same as vi’s tattoo (ofc the writing itself is more in jinx’s style but still)

she’s just a girl who wanted to be like her older sis when she was little – the same way isha now wants to be like jinx

DONT TALK TO ME MY HEART IS BROKEN

[venusjaynie]

stranger things social media!!

all the older kids are 18-21 and The Party are 15-16

steve harrington x fem!reader

series mastlist

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

y/ns.priv24

Liked by itsbuckleybitch, thefreakmunson, dustybunhenderson, willthewise and others.

y/ns.priv24: "baby, take a pic with this sweet view behind me."

View comments.

itsbuckleybitch: he looks like a stickman

↳ stevie.h: shut the fuck up

↳ y/ns.priv24: you're so right rob

↳ stevie.h: wow babe i expected better from you

↳ y/ns.priv24: you're a very cute stickman

thefreakmunson: the thought of the both of you atop a mountain taking pictures of each other is so cute it makes me sick

↳ y/ns.priv24: love u too eddie

b.hargrove: harrington wtf is wrong with your face

↳ stevie.h: bite me hargrove

johnnybyers: this comment section is the reason i'm fucking insane you are all so annoying (even you baby sis)

↳ y/ns.priv24: i may be annoying but at least i'm mom's favourite.

↳ johnnybyers: i would come back with something equally as harsh but we both know will is mom's favourite

↳ y/ns.priv24: ...yeah that's true. seriously he gets possessed by some fucking demon one time and all of a sudden he's the light of mom's life

↳ willthewise: not cool big sis. not cool

stevie.h

Liked by b.hargrove, nanceewheeler, mikey7 and others

stevie.h: just chillin by the sea with my favourite girl

tagged: y/ns.priv24

View comments.

itsbuckleybitch: wait why are you guys kinda cute

↳ stevie.h: you're only realising this now???

dustybunhenderson: you are literally my parents

↳ stevie.h: not cool dude

↳ dustybunhenderson: mom dad's being mean to me

↳ y/ns.priv24: steve don't be mean to our son

↳ stevie.h: oh my

nanceewheeler: the cutest ever

↳ y/ns.priv24: um not as cute as you and j

↳ stevie.h: excuse me we're way cuter than nance and jonathan

y/ns.priv24

Liked by b.hargrove, johnnybyers, stevie.h, itsbuckleybitch and others.

y/ns.priv24: it's all well and good that billy and steve got over their issues, and i'm glad they aren't at each others throats 24/7 anymore, but can i just point out that they aren't even planking correctly? did no one else notice this?

View comments.

b.hargrove: okay rude

↳ y/ns.priv24: learn how to plank first then you can call me rude

↳ b.hargrove: you bitch

↳ stevie.h: hey cut it out dumbass. that's my girl you're talking to. i'll beat your ass

itsbuckleybitch: i did notice, and i'm really glad someone spoke up about this issue. thank you.

↳ y/ns.priv24: i appreciate your concern for the wellbeing of my boyfriend's and his (boy)friend's back. you're welcome.

↳ b.hargrove: WOAH WOAH WOAH WHAT

↳ stevie.h: yeah dude wth

↳ y/ns.priv24: call me dude again and i'll skin you alive bro

↳ b.hargrove: JESUS CHRIST WHAT THE HELL

↳ johnnybyers: go little sis. you slay.

↳ johnnybyers: WILL TOOK MY PHONE I SWEAR I DON'T SAY SLAY

itsbuckleybitch

Liked by y/ns.priv24, nanceewheeler, stevie.h, dustybunhenderson, thefreakmunson and others.

itsbuckleybitch: amazing show yesterday dingus. we had a blast

View comments.

y/ns.priv24: currently googling how to become a microphone

↳ stevie.h: glad you enjoyed the show sweetheart

↳ y/ns.priv24: i really did. you're incredible stevie

↳ thefreakmunson: oh my god get a room

b.hargrove: loved the show man (also currently googling how to become said mic)

↳ y/ns.priv24: SEE. BOYFRIENDS.

nanceewheeler

Liked by y/ns.priv24, stevie.h, johnnybyers and others.

nanceewheeler: y/n and i's favourite boys

View comments.

mikeymikey: hey i thought i was your favourite

↳ nanceewheeler: why would you think that?

y/ns.priv24: stevie i forgot how big your arms are can you choke me

↳ stevie.h: oh my god

itsbuckleybitch: this is quite horrifying

↳ stevie.h: i apologise for my girlfriends unhinged comments

↳ itsbuckleybitch: no i meant your face in the picture dingus

willthewise: i'm actually y/n's favourite boy.

↳ stevie.h: sure you are buddy

↳ y/ns.priv24: oh steve how do i put this nicely...

↳ stevie.h: you're on the couch tonight

↳ y/ns.priv24: NO STEVE WAIT

johnnybyers

Liked by nanceewheeler, stevie.h, willthewise, mikey7, and others

johnnybyers: my person.

View comments.

y/n's.priv24: stop you guys are so cute get married rn.

↳ jonnybyers: thanks kiddo (ik you only want us to get married so you can be a bridesmaid for nance)

↳ nanceewheeler: correction - maid of honour

stevie.h: you guys are almost as cute as me and y/n

↳ y/ns.priv24: i'd say we're equally as cute.

↳ dustybunhenderson: i agree with steve. my parents are the cutest

↳ stevie.h: DUDE

↳ y/ns.priv24: HAHAHAHAHAHA

[saberlibrary]

NOOOOO SABERRRR!!! I just saw your pfp in my activity and I’m like yay did saber post something new. NOOO, you actually took the time to read my awful long fic and even reply to it and tell me what parts of it you liked??? I’m literally crying like you have no idea how much that made my day, month!! UGHHH LIKE WHAT DO I EVEN SAY IDEK ANYMORE IM TOO OVERWHELMED AND SPEECHLESS. I only ever log onto tumblr in public to distract myself from the screeching sound of the train I take back home and IM FREAKING TEARING UPPPP ON THIS TRAIN , anytime I ever feel down, trust, I’m logging onto tumblr and just searching for your comment 😭 okay okay I’ve calmed down, TYSMMMMM!! Honestly I really appreciate it, this was such a sweet thing to do, you’re amazing. You’re a great/fantastic/heartwarming/emotion-invoking/everything in between writer. And you’re an even better moot <3333 . Hope you’re doing well and everything you wish for comes to you!

P.S/ keep it on the low is forever lingering in my mind and in my heart. I have this weird unhinged obsession with megumi it’s very concerning istg 😭😭 and that masterpiece just made me 100x worse.

EUORIAAAAN!!! <333

OF COURSE I READ IT!!! i LOVED it, really. actually i these past few days i was checking your account to see if there were any new parts because it WAS SO GOOD!! it got me hooked and feeling !!!!!!!

it’s been a while since i’ve read any aot content and let me tell you, now all i want to do is rewatch and hyper focus on it again AHAUAHA gOD you made me remember how much i love levi and eren. so THANK YOU for writing that, it’s perfect!

and IM SO GLAD YOU LIKED KIOLT (this name is too big i need to stop doing that)

im also super obsessed w megumi i could die for him ugh :( sometimes i need to refrain myself from writing megumi stuff or else my blog would be 100% megumi, probably.

BUT ITS SO GOOD TO KNOW YOU LIKE HIM THAT MUCH AS WELL!!! i hope i can continue to feed you with good megumi content <3

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

i love your metas! I just discovered them today and have spent all afternoon reading them. I have two part ask, if that's okay. Firstly, do you think a sensible version of bella could survive if she recognised early on that keeping on Edward's good side was her only survival option? and secondly, on the flip side, just how unhinged do you think bella could be before edward rejected her?

Ooh, both interesting questions, anon. Let's do this.

Sane Bella and the Yandere Simulator

Last time, on The Carnivorous Muffin's ridiculous blog, we covered what would happen to a sensible Bella who realizes the Cullens are not fluffy bunnies she should take home.

The long and short, Edward eats her.

Edward's romantic interest in Bella, the thing that has him fighting his own baser nature to keep her alive, is dependent on a few things.

One of those is Bella's interest in turn.

In time, if Bella truly was not interested in him, he would eat her. Alice tells us there's only two paths for Bella: death or vampire. Leaving her and walking away is never a true option for Edward.

So, Sane Bella loses Yandere Simulator because she doesn't realize the key aspect of Yandere Simulator: You Never Say No to Yandere.

However, you point out something interesting here, that this is a sensible Bella.

Sensible people do not immediately think they're playing Yandere Simulator. You don't run across people like Edward often, there aren't many of him, and while there are red flags early in Twilight Edward did a pretty good job of making them not particularly visible.

By the time we hit Eclipse he's pretty much thrown pretending to be nice and sane out the window. Luckily for Bella, that doesn't appear to bother her as much as it should.

Bella thinking "if I don't play along with this inhuman whack job he'll eat me", is paranoid lunacy. It is not the first conclusion a reasonable person would jump to.

That it happens to be the right conclusion is irrelevant.

But alright, I'll play ball.

Paranoid Bella and the Yandere Simulator

Bella is utterly paranoid and wearing her tin foil hat when she enters Forks. She remembers Biology very well and when Edward comes back and pretends to be nice she gives him a strained smile and thinks, "This motherfucker will eat me the moment my back is turned."

Bella considers travelling back to Florida, but that would be leading Edward to her mother, more it would be very easy to find Bella if he truly wished to.

Florida isn't an option.

Bella tries to keep her distance from Edward, hard when he sits next to her in Biology, but he seems willing to ignore her. Bella calms down a little, maybe this will work out.

Bella is nearly crushed by a van, desperately pretends she definitely did not see Edward fold that van like a pretzel. Nope, no siree Bob, Bella is concussed! She then stays awake all night in terror and OH GOD HE'S CLIMBING THROUGH HER WINDOW! HE'S GOING TO EAT HER IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT! HE KNOWS THAT SHE KNOWS!

Bella pretends to sleep, horrified, and Edward stays there all night. Staring.

(Edward, meanwhile, is realizing he's in love.)

Bella enters school a nervous wreck, waiting for that fateful Biology class and... Edward is studiously ignoring her. He doesn't even say hello.

Bella would be relieved, except he keeps sneaking into her bedroom at night, staring. Bella gets no sleep for weeks.

Then the blood testing happens and suddenly Edward is talking to her. He tells her they shouldn't be friends and he doesn't want to be friends, GREAT, EDWARD, THAT'S GREAT. But then it's very clear that he's after something, and Bella's spidey senses are tingling.

Edward doesn't want to be friends.

Oh, oh shit.

Suddenly, Edward sneaking into her room at night takes on a whole, new, sinister twist. First he'll rape her, then he'll eat her (or who knows, maybe vice versa, Bella certainly doesn't want to find out).

Bella is driven home by Edward (he insists) and enters the house to wheeze into a paper bag.

She thinks over her options.

Edward can crush cars, Bella trips over asphalt. Even if she wasn't Bella, there's no way she could outfight him even if she wanted to.

Edward was very concerned when he suspected that she knew, he likely still suspects and Bella's not a very good liar. Bella doesn't want to find out what happens to her if Edward realizes she really does know.

Edward appears to have a romantic interest in her. Does Bella really have the option of saying no?

Bella, still wheezing in her bag, comes to what seems like an inevitable decision. She must humor Edward at all costs. For the sake of her family, of her own life, she must play into his romantic overtures. Bella can't act but now, her life depends on it.

Well, Bella still can't act, but luckily for her Edward doesn't care.

Edward just thinks Bella's very jumpy, a little nervous and shy, and just plain weird (given he thinks Bella's just plain weird in canon this is not too far from normal events).

So Bella gets to live in terror for things like the meadow, where Edward talks about how easy it would be to eat her, how he contemplated murdering Biology in cold blood to eat her in the most efficient manner, how he loathed her for daring to smell delicious, how Alice warned him there was a good chance of him eating Bella in the meadow today, all while pressing his cheek against her hammering heartbeat.

"AH HA HA HA HA, EDWARD, YOU'RE SO CHARMING."

Edward invites Bella to the house. These creepy, man eating, people all meet her with smiles. Edward has composed her a lullaby. One of them, Alice, tells Bella they're going to be best friends.

"AH HA HA HA HA, EDWARD YOUR FAMILY IS SO NICE."

In other words, somehow, all of Twilight still happens because Bella is terrified of saying no.

At least, until Volterra. Given Bella's being hunted by Victoria, even had Bella not gone cliff diving eventually Alice would see her eaten and then black out as the wolves chased off Victoria instead.

Bella spends New Moon having a great time. Mostly. The Cullens are finally gone, she's free, she spends weeks on edge thinking they might come back.

Just when she starts to relax, fucking Laurent shows up and learns Victoria's trying to kill her. Because of Edward, because of course, it's always about Edward. WHY ARE VAMPIRES ALWAYS TRYING TO KILL HER?!

Regardless, Alice shows up and goes, "Bella, my god, you're alive!" And Bella dies inside. Alice Cullen is back. Oh no.

Bella pretends she's thrilled to see her. Alice, her best friend, her favorite demon. Hurray. Alice fills Bella in on the New Moon scoop, Bella pretends to be very invested. Then Alice gets the vision.

Edward has decided to commit suicide via the Volturi.

Bella has no problem with this, unfortunately, she realizes that Alice clearly has a problem with this. Alice fully expects Bella to run off to Italy to save Fucking Edward.

Once again, Bella isn't sure she's allowed to say no.

Bella runs to Italy, finds herself saving Edward's life, and then she's brought before the Volturi where she might very well be executed because Edward Cullen happened to involve her in this mess.

BELLA NEVER WANTED TO BE HERE.

Bella snaps. She's crying, she just can't take it anymore, and she finally loses her shit at Edward. SHE NEVER LOVED HIM! HE IS SCARY AND WON'T LEAVE HER ALONE! IF THEY'RE GOING TO KILL HER JUST DO IT NOW BECAUSE SHE CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE.

Aro watches Bella's mental breakdown in utter amazement. Naturally, while Marcus suspected something was funky with those two, Aro did not see this coming from Edward's perspective.

Aro offers Bella her out, it is unfortunately death or vampire, but vampire is very much an option and Aro will offer Bella sanctuary in the Volturi.

Bella takes that offer and runs with it.

Edward is devastated and blindsided.

Somehow, neither he nor Alice saw this one coming.

But to answer your question: Paranoid Bella survives Yandere Simulator By Defecting to the Volturi

How Unhinged Does Bella Have to Be For Edward to Dump Her?

He won't.

Remember, Edward in canon thinks there's something legitimately wrong with Bella. She doesn't think like normal people, she always makes the least rational choice, and he can't hear her thoughts.

Edward doesn't think Bella's gifted just that she's... different. (Bella, hilariously, immediately picks up that Edward's calling her a freak. Edward backtracks hard on that one.)

Bella's decisions also become increasingly ridiculous as the series goes on.

She stabs herself in the middle of a battle, she insists on having sex with him while human, she consorts with shapeshifters (to Edward this is lunacy), she picked up motorcycle riding, she threw herself off a cliff, she ran from his sweet protection to the reservation, she believes he doesn't love her, and she doesn't want to get married.

I imagine Edward thinks there isn't anywhere left for Bella to go. She's left the planet, unhinged is her middle name.

But none of that matters.

I already linked the Edward/Bella post I always link near the top so I'll just recap. For Edward, it's all about the blood, the silence, and the projection.

An unhinged Bella is still a delicious and silent Bella. He can still pretend she's Carlisle.

Even if Bella became addicted to cocaine, and ruined that sweet scent, it wouldn't tarnish her memory. He'd nurse her back to health, then eat her so she never relapses.

That's the trouble with Edward/Bella, it's not about Bella, not at all. You could replace her with sweet smelling cardboard and Edward would not notice a difference.

[wri0thesley]

This is gonna sound so stupid, but the idea of a new La Squadra member who is book smart but a complete dumb ass at everything else gets to me. Like they can do math and have so many science/history facts and could probably recite Shakespeare by heart. But the moment you ask them when the last time they ate was they just blank out. They are fully capable at their assassin job, but they can't tell if the guys hate them or not because what are social cues. Like. I would love to see how the boys react to that type of a person. I don't know it that made sense at all.

under cut for length!

♡ Risotto honestly kind of gets this himself. He’s the kind of man who throws himself whole-heartedly into the one thing that he thinks needs to get one, at the expense of all of the other things - up to and including remembering to do things like eat. He’s not particularly good at social clues either; he kind of makes up for not knowing these things by being so tall and broad and intimidating, so people don’t tend to bother him. He still sometimes wonders, when the rest of La Squadra aren’t around, if his team actually like and respect him. They do, of course - but Risotto still feels like he’s wading through syrup around them. So he understands this new recruit better than some of the others do - although he’s a little baffled by their spouting of random facts when they get nervous. He’s much more likely to go all-over quiet than he is to ramble. 

♡ Formaggio likes to poke and needle at them, because he thinks it’s funny when people blow up. He reads social clues really easily; he’s a people person. But, as the ‘heart’ of the group, he’s good at watching out for when he might be pushing them too far. If he notices they haven’t eaten or haven’t slept in a while, he won’t go out of his way to cook for them or push them into bed - but he might offer a slice of the cold leftover pizza he’s eating, or move up on the sofa and say ‘hey, come and have a sit down, I’ve got a blanket!’. He wouldn’t like it if you pointed it out, but he’s actually surprisingly caring. 

♡ Illuso, like Formaggio, likes to poke and needle. Unlike Formaggio, he’s not quite as sweet about it - he may very well push you too far because he thinks it’s funny. He’s learnt social cues by watching people and he can tell when you’re uncomfortable or at your breaking point, and he’ll continue to push it just that little bit further until your eyes fill with tears. He tries to laugh it off as just normal team stuff; it’s actually just that he’s kind of an asshole. That being said, though, he’s actually very impressed by your intellect. Intelligence is something that he values in other people. You’ll know he trusts your smarts, at least, if he comes to you for help trying to crack some patterns or puzzles in a mark he’s working on. 

♡ Prosciutto is frustrated by you. You clearly have plenty of talent; your work as an assassin leaves a favourable impression on him. He appreciates people who are whip-smart and clever and subtle when it comes to the art of murder. He just doesn’t understand how you can be so bad at everything else. He tries to take charge of you, barking orders to remind you that you should eat and sleep and don’t forget to stretch before going out in case you end up in a fight! If he sees someone who has potential and is at risk of not using it to its fullest, he can’t help but want to make them be better. Congratulations; you’ve received a mentor in life skills and human rapport. Unfortunately, Prosciutto isn’t the most patient mentor to be saddled with--

♡ Pesci’s scared of most new recruits of La Squadra, and you’re no exception. He finds your intellect frightening and intimidating. Prosciutto never outright says that he doesn’t think Pesci is smart, but Pesci picks up that feeling from the raised eyebrows and sighs of the other members of La Squadra. Still. Pesci will make friendly overtures to you if he notices that you seem out of place in La Squadra - he remembers being the newbie all too well. He’ll listen to your facts and be dutifully impressed by your skills. Pesci wears his heart on his sleeve, at least, so you’ll know that he doesn’t hate you. If you can befriend him, he’s a loyal friend to have. 

♡ Melone at once has similar problems to you and very different ones. He tends to be overbearing; he doesn’t quite understand other people so he tries to be overtly friendly instead of pulling back, often making him come across as creepy and unhinged. Whether he is those things or not is up for interpretation - whichever it is, you’ll soon find that (like Pesci), he’ll be very friendly towards you and seemingly wear his appreciation for you on his sleeve. He’ll be even more friendly as he finds out that you’re good at your job, as he sees how clever you are. The two of you are very likely to find a common ground in facts and numbers and figures and debate, all of which Melone enjoys immensely. Surprisingly, he also cares about the mundane things like if you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep - that kind of biological process to do with the running of your body is of an especial interest to Melone! And woe betide you if you’re a good candidate for his Baby Face; you might not even understand what Melone is asking until it’s too late. 

♡ Ghiaccio is a very difficult case. He’s frustrated by people who he thinks do not act cleverly or intellectually - and you clearly have the capability for it, even if when it comes to social situations you falter. He tends to get very angry at you for exact same kind of stuff that he does himself. Only, where you’re shy at hold back for fear of offending someone or your teammates hating you, Ghiaccio is physically incapable of doing something such as ‘holding back’. Expect your relationship with him to run hot and cold, depending on what the current thing he’s steamed up about it - but when it’s running well, the two of you make an amazing team. 

♡ Sorbet and Gelato like to watch you trip up, because it’s funny. They don’t go out of their way to bother you too much, though - the two of them know that the way they are with other people is hardly what most people would call normal. If they have to work with you, they roll their eyes at one another and harshly correct you when you look about to make a social faux pas that’s going to cost them the target, but otherwise they’re very likely to let your existence peacefully happen. They’re glad that you’re a competent assassin, but they’re not the kind to throw out praise for no reason. They’re a little too concerned with one another to be too bothered about your little foibles. 

[mrsgreenworld]

Son Yaz Episode 23

"İmkansız" ("The Impossible") aka It's Worth It

It's strange but after the last episode I've been thinking a lot about Arrow. Sure I'm a big Arrow and Olicity fan. Hell, they're the reason I got a Tumblr account. When the show ended, it was tough. Because it had been a part of my life for several years and it resonated with me deeply and it had given me a sense of community and belonging. So I feared I would never feel it again. But then Sen Çal Kapımı kinda attacked me, pulled me in and it was so great - feeling this passionate about something again. And despite SCK having turned into a mess and huge disappointment, I'll always appreciate those early days and keep them in my heart. After all, it brought me to you @lolo-deli and @djemsostylist. This alone is something I'm very grateful for. But my disappointment with SCK left me wondering yet again: would I ever find something worth watching and shipping and obsessing over? I got my answer when, after having seen all the amazing gifs by @aslibekroglu, I finally gave in and started watching Son Yaz. And it's completely taken over my life ever since. Not in a way SCK had back in the day. By similar to the way I felt when I was watching Arrow. I know it may seem kinda crazy because Son Yaz and Arrow are two completely different shows. Like, two shows cannot be any further apart, almost to the point of polar opposites. But I've realized that, if we look past the genre, language, the storytelling and all other differences, there's something very similar in the heart and core of both these shows. I looked at Akgün in the last episode and holy shit how much he reminded me of Oliver Queen. And I'll gladly explain why. Let's get down to it.

Akgün

So how the hell did I end up comparing Akgün Gökalp Taşkın and Oliver Queen? It's very simple really (at least it is in my mind 🙈😆) and I'm surprised I haven't made this connection before. Because both Akgün and Oliver are essentially the same type of character - a tortured hero, tainted by darkness and burdened with past sins but ultimately a very good person with a pure heart, bright light inside and infinite capacity to love. Both of them don't hesitate to make sacrifices for those they love, they can be borderline suicidal when it comes to protecting their loved ones. Sure Oliver had a mission and wanted to make a difference by helping people and protecting the whole city. Akgün doesn't have these ambitions. But then again Son Yaz isn't a superhero type of show. But if we remove the "super" part and focus on just the men, we'll see that what they both crave is actually very simple - love and family. I also think that Akgün reminds me of Oliver more now because in season 1, despite his difficult childhood and the loss of his mother, there still was some innocence left in him, he wasn't truly touched by the darkness. It changed when he shot his brother and helped Selim beat up to death and then buried a man, possibly still alive. Taking someone's life robs a person of innocence. Same thing happened to Oliver. However, he's way more acquainted with darkness, given how he dropped bodies left and right at the beginning of his vigilante career. It's clear that Akgün and Oliver had very different journeys but it's impossible for me to ignore the core similarities.

Another thing Akgün and Oliver have in common is their desire to not just protect their loved ones from the dangers and evil of this world, but also from themselves, their own darkness. They deem themselves unworthy of the women they love. Akgün even straight out confessed it to Yağmur in the moment of panic. That's the reason he left - he didn't want to taint her with his darkness. But then again, he's never truly left her or given up on her. He's given up on himself. He's doomed himself to loneliness.

I must say that episode 23 in general made me love Akgün even more. We saw not only his devotion and fierce love for Yağmur but his love and loyalty to Soner. Their brotp is one of the best things on this show and I sure hope they won't destroy it.

The Rocket Team (yes, the name is now canon!!!!) reunion gave me all the feels. Seeing these three grown men turn into teary eyed mess just melted my heart.

Throughout the whole episode we saw Akgün trying to be there for everyone. He didn't want to argue with and go against Selim but he also didn't want to betray Soner. The scene where Akgün met with Selim and told him that Soner and Naz had gotten married, made me so proud of him. He was the reasonable one in that moment. That's a first 🙈😆 At the end of the scene Akgün also managed to make me laugh. Really laugh. I didn't think I would be laughing any time soon this season but his wild gestures, his frustration with Selim and his "just listen to me for once" - all of that was funny to watch.

Just like I said, Akgün was supportive and tried being there for everyone, that's why he was immediately on board with the wedding. Soner had to only ask and it's like the three years of not having seen each other were erased in that moment. Akgün didn't try to talk Soner out of it, didn't ask any questions. He did remind Soner of the consequences but it was very cautious, filled with love and concern, without overstepping and disrespecting Soner's choice.

Then there was Yağmur... Akgün and Soner going to search for her and then the moment when Akgün found Yağmur in that storage room - that was for sure the highlight of the episode for me. First we saw Akgün and Soner working together as a well-oiled machine. Perfect partners in crime 😎 And after they split, the moment when Akgün stopped for a second and just smelled Yağmur... Damn. Such a parallel to Yağmur smelling him in episode 22. It doesn't matter how many years have passed, what they've been through, how much they've changed, doesn't matter if there's anger and pain and so much unsaid between them - they still just feel each other. Their connection is there, strong as ever. And Alperen totally knocked it out of the park, showing Akgün's panic and raw fear the moment he found Yağmur. He'd never seen her like that and it shook him to the core. I swear he looked ready to cut his chest open, take out his heart or, I don't know, lungs and give to Yağmur, just to make it stop, just to make her okay again 😭😭😭

When Naz tried to tell Akgün about Yağmur and what she had been through, Akgün didn't want to hear it. Because he couldn't bear it. But in the end he was forced to witness Yağmur's breakdown. The first one of many others to come. And when they come, he won't be able to stay away any longer.

Yağmur

Yağmur's journey this season is all about healing and acceptance. She has to live through those 5 stages of grief. Just like Meredith Grey once said: "There are five stages of grief. They look different on all of us. But there are always five". And I already said in my episode 22 review that Yağmur locked herself in denial. Naz in her conversation with Akgün confirmed it. But ever since Akgün showed up in the restaurant, it's like the floodgates of Yağmur's grief have been open. She started spiralling, diving head first into anger. All her anger was directed at Akgün. And even though Yağmur came to visit Akgün in prison to say that she was no longer angry with him, her biting words, the "I don't love you anymore" and the following panick attack - all of that only proves that she's still just as angry with him as she was, simply because she's still very much in love with him.

I think Yağmur's bargaining stage of grief revealed itself with Naz, when Yağmur went to the hotel to bring Naz home. In Yağmur's head there is this idea that she has to protect Naz, she's convinced that she can save her cousin from suffering Canan's fate. But Naz refused to go with Yağmur, therefore making Yağmur feel helpless and maybe even abandoned. Already in this fragile and vulnerable state, Yağmur completely lost it after having heard gunshots. She finally started accepting that something's wrong. And it's so important that, when she finally said the words "I don't recognize myself anymore", Akgün was the one she said those words to. It's like she had been waiting for him all this time. Naz told Akgün that Yağmur needed someone to tell her what had happened to her. Akgün's that someone. Only with Akgün back in her life, Yağmur will finally accept her mother's death and then start moving on.

Selim

I don't have much to say about Selim in episode 23 other than a string of curses 🤬🤬🤬.

I've never loved this character and barely even liked him. Canan made him bearable and with her gone... Well, we've got what we saw in the last episode. I wonder how he was never kicked out of his job. Not only was he completely unhinged but also absolutely stupid and unprofessional during that mission with Sare. Then him forcing Akgün to choose between himself and Soner. And of course him storming into Yağmur and Emel's house, yelling and demanding to see Naz. Mister, it's not your place to demand anything, let alone act all righteous and question Emel as a mother. I swear, I wanted to rip his tongue out 😠😡😤

That's pretty much all I have to say about Selim in the last episode. Well, I've got more to say but I don't see it moving forward without me spitting profanities and turning violent.

A few honourable mentions:

🖤 Naz and her attempt to talk to Akgün about Yağmur.

🖤 Sare was kinda funny and she deserved a cookie for putting up with Selim. Glad they didn't make her stupid and she figured out that she was being followed.

🖤 Cihan trying to help Yağmur with her panick attack was very sweet. It was a nice first meeting. Although him being her secret admirer is kinda creepy and makes zero sense for now. I really hope they're going to show how it all started. Speaking of Cihan. I'm kinda conflicted about him. On the one hand, he's sweet and gentle with Yağmur, pretty hot when he was speaking German but also cunning and cold-blooded when he tipped off the Mertoğlu about Soner's whereabouts. And in episode 24 he's going to team up with Akgün to avenge Soner?🤔 Damn, the guy's making my head spin.

And that's pretty much it. Görüşürüz!

[grimoireofwritings]

Hiii again!! I cant get enough with ur writing. Please if u dont mind making one., again? UMM where Langris is very jealous to the black bull bcoz his s/o (fem) (a member of black bull) and shes very close with them. Or just along the lines? Thank you agaaain!!

Hello again my dear!! No need to apologize, you can send in as much as your heart desires. I am deeply sorry this is sooooo shamefully late. Chronic health difficulties have gotten a bit complicated lately and I'm trying to be more consistent with this blog. Hopefully the scenario was worth the wait!

Also I headcanon William is the squad's therapist on many occasions, you can't change my mind 💀

Scenario: Langris Vaude's fem s/o is in the black bulls.. and he's jealous!!

No matter how much he pushed the aching itch at the front of his mind away, or brushed aside the little intrusive thoughts he experienced day by day, sometimes even going so far as to manifest them in little growls of frustration and the tightening of his jaw... Langris Vaude was failing horribly... Miserably, even, to set aside his personal emotions regarding the whereabouts of his partner.

She... With those gorgeous (e/c) sparkling hues that always lit up at the sight of something she loved.. and the way the sunlight often glimmered so flawlessly against the soft sheen of her hair - was far too beyond his reach for his comfort. Not only that, it completely wracked at his nerves on a daily basis.. that he... That person.. got to see her and her beauty far more than Langris ever did.

His brother. And the black bulls in general. So unworthy of her presence, her stunning grace. Not only that, he knew about his damn brother. And even he had to admit that he'd be a blind fool not to recognize such a gorgeous woman in his proximity. Considering that shameless flirting habit, it made him grit his teeth knowing that Finral was inevitably wooing her on a daily basis. Beyond his control.

"Does he even realize how lucky he is to be graced with her mere presence?? So undeserving.."

This had been Langris' current obsession for about a month now, and it haunted him, even going as far as losing sleep against his own will. It was getting to the point that he was grinding his teeth and mumbling to himself, much to the dismay and terror of his subordinates as he passed them by in the HQ's long hallways... Probably fearing for their lives being so close to his dangerous aura, permeating off of him like a toxin.

But after one last all-nighter of complete mental torture, he was done in, he had finally caved. It took a lot, and I mean a shit load of stress to force Langris into swallowing his pride. Something he was about to do that morning.

He knew Captain Vangeance was up, even at this ungodly hour. The man seemed to enjoy getting up at the crack of dawn to get a head start on his work load, for the sake of having spare time in the evenings to tend to his private garden. Yet here was he, concerningly deep and dark bags under his eyes, as he paced and debated with himself outside the Captain's door to his office, feeling held back by his own dignity on the line to actually knock.

Eventually though, his choice was made for him, as his mumbling was interrupted by the door opening up. There was his Captain, the same trademark amiable smile on his face as he appeared before him, seemingly in a bit of a preoccupied hurry. He halted completely though upon spotting his Vice Captain, raising a brow, before his expression immediately faltered into a look of concern at the sight of Langris appearing so unhinged. Was something going on that he had failed to notice?

"Langris, good morning. You look troubled. Is there something I can help you with?" He tilted his head expectantly, a friendly and welcoming look in his eyes behind that mask of his. Langris bit his lip.. somehow the open offer made him feel even more on edge than he'd expected. Geez.. why did his Captain have to be such an insufferable softie??

Giving a few reluctant grumbles, the shorter spacial mage gave a slow nod. "Yeah... I came for some.. advice" he said, begrudgingly managing to spit out the last word distastefully. And to his slight surprise, Vangeance didn't hesitate to give a nod and he opened up the door to his office, offering the space for the two of them. "Of course. Step inside."

There was a bit of an awkward quietness as they did just that, Langris being sure to avoid eye contact - as he instead focused on the sensation of a crisp breeze passing by through the opened windows and the faint scent of the flowers William cared for in his office. It brought "life" to the space, the Captain had said.. it had made Langris scoff.

He watched Vangeance approach his desk, but instead of circling around to take a seat, he settled for leaning back against the wooden mahogany top, letting it support his weight. "Alright. What's on your mind?" He asked. It honestly sometimes amazed Langris how the Captain managed to speak in a way that was both gentle and calming, yet straightforward and confident.

"I... Have.... A girlfriend..." He started after an agonizingly long pause. Each word seemed so painfully difficult to force out through gritted teeth. But after another few passing moments, the image popped into his tormented mind again. Finral... That ridiculous, stupid, idiotic grin on his face as he flirted in the most unbecoming, disrespectful way to his precious y/n. And that was it - his resolve broke. And his insecurities became less important than his need to vent.

"She's with the black bulls. She's a magic knight under Yami and... Sometimes I just get so pissed off that my damn good for nothing brother gets to spend far more time with her than I ever can. I'm so busy and swamped with work here that I hardly even have time to make plans.. and take her on dates. I want to treat her with the respect and care she deserves, but.. I can't. And that makes me afraid."

He was gritting his teeth, utterly humiliated as tears began to prick his eyes. Why? He figured it was probably because he hadn't actually talked about his feelings with someone in ages. Perhaps he'd repressed more than he realized.

"Afraid she'll abandon you for something or someone else..?" William prompted gently. And Langris nodded. "Yeah.. I mean, my brother. We all know he was the one out of my family that our peers preferred. I was better, I was praised, I was rewarded on a materialistic level for talent. But I was never.. liked. In the way he was. With that whole soft hearted sensitive guy display. She's around him, all day, every day.. and I just... I..."

He finally cracked a bit more and planted his face in his hands, unable to finish. Completely destraught. And he was forced in that moment to face his own inner ugliness - the insecurities and jealousy he felt so much shame for harboring at all.

William gave him a brief moment, both to ensure he had finished saying all he needed to express, and to truly consider those words. He hummed. "I see. It seems this is something that's been deeply disturbing you and impacting your health, even. A very painful and helpless situation, by the sound of it. It pains me to see you so destraught, Langris."

For a moment, as Vangeance removed his mask and placed it neatly beside him, Langris mistook a look of sympathy and empathy in those eyes for something as disgusting as pity. And he snapped, making an impulsive remark in his state of frightened vulnerability.

"Whatever. As if you have any experience with women to begin with, what with that face-"

He halted abruptly before he could finish. No, that was unacceptably harsh. "I apologize." He mumbled, a moment later. William Vangeance sighed deeply, brushing off the remark. It clearly stung but he was far more concerned about his underling than himself at that moment. "You're forgiven, Langris."

The Vice Captain began to shuffle and twitch nervously, this was going so much worse than he even thought possible. But that changed with William's next words.

"Langris. I think you ought to have a little more faith in your partner's judgement, and her decision making. Despite all the time she spends with the black bulls, and your brother, she still chose you, above them. She developed those special feelings for you, and at the end of the day, you are her person.. the person she loves. Trust that judgement of hers, and that she hand selected you for a reason. Women are smart like that, they hardly waste their time with someone they aren't interested in. I am positive she cherishes you, and thinks of you, every day."

He smiled, and even approached his subordinate with a warmth in his expression. "I think.. perhaps it would reassure you to reach out to her, a bit more. She understands you have a lot of responsibility, but with women, I've definitely perceived that they appreciate even the smallest gestures immensely. Send her hand written notes, flowers, or even sweets. Whatever you know she likes the most, and would appreciate as a gesture of affection. It will remind her that you're thinking of her, and likewise, I'm positive she will respond to you in a way that provides you some peace of mind. Rekindle that romance, and maybe even.. consider opening up to her about your feelings, like you have right now."

Langris interrupted, shaking his head stubbornly. "No. Then she'll know how weak I am" he stated. Vangeance chuckled, his smile softening. "Hmm.. I disagree. I can garuntee you that she will perceive such vulnerability as trust. She'll see that you trust her integrity to confide in her. That will strengthen your relationship with her more than anything else. I promise.. just try it once, and tell me how it works out."

Langris puffed a sigh through his cheeks. "Fine... Fine. Fine." He repeated the word, each time a bit more in defeat. "Listen.. I'll try it, but only because I'm desperate. And because I want to, not because you told me to."

With that, William held back a grin of amusement, and he nodded in satisfaction. "Of course. Hopefully, that will help you out. But besides that.. I think I'm going to give you some time off. Go see her, and spend some quality time by her side. I think it would do you some good."

Langris raised a brow, seemingly a bit confused. "But Captain, all my work-" he was interrupted by a hand, that was held upwards with a sense of finality. "No buts. Besides... Your quality of work is suffering anyway due to your current state of health. I'd rather you go take care of yourself first, then return to finish up your tasks properly. Until then, I'll take care of things. You have my word that everything will be fine."

Langris took a few long moments to ponder this, and his Captain's gesture. He started to realize more and more, working alongside Vangeance, why his squad was so fiercely loyal to him, and that their team was so successful to begin with.

"Alright. I'll accept your offer. Vangeance..."

He glanced up at his Captain sheepishly as he followed the scarred man towards the exit of his office.

"Thank you. Very much."

[lettrespromises]

┄───➤   LettresPromises informs you : you have one notification. ❜

──➤ 𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐁𝐉𝐄𝐂𝐓 : 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒.

──➤ Smoker sent you a letter, would you like to read it? ❜

@theastroooooworld​ sent a letter : ❝hello my lover 🧚🏼‍♀️, i hope you are well no matter when you see this request !since i love above all your writing, could you make a scenario with another love of my life : Smoker ? in which this angel becomes aware that he loves his best friend from childhood, but this confuses him a lot and he ends up not knowing how to act with her anymore and until he decides to tell her ? please make it very sweet and full of good vibes ! I trust you once again for this declaration of love !𓊕 — juste entre nous deux; tu es une personne formidable et j'avais juste besoin de te le dire, je t'aime fort 💜🤸🏼‍♀️❞

the author’s letter :  ❝dear cam, i couldn’t be more honored of writing this request for you, especially because it concerns smoker and he has no business being this hot but oh well!! thank you for trusting me with your wonderful idea, i hope you’ll enjoy this promised letter. je t’aime si fort, t’es plus qu’incroyable et j’aimerai que tu le saches.❞

──➤ 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞 : pure fluff. ─➤ 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 : none. ➤ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 : 2.6K. Excerpt of the letter :  ❝Only then did he realize that he had never felt an agonizing sensation of vacuity coursing through his veins when he was feeling frustrated. It was odd, it was foreign, he felt weak. His subconscious screamed at him to associate this haunting feeling of loneliness to the lack of your presence, and for once he agreed— Smoker knew he felt different, in the worst way possible, when you were not around, so he let out another puff of smoke.❞

Is there anything Smoker won’t put words around? Yes, there is.

There is the consuming rage fueled by his unquenched thirst to capture more pirates and bring his status of « white hunter » closer to glory. But he reminds himself that perhaps some pirates deserve to be set free as his orbs lay on the poster of Monkey D. Luffy and the letters of the word « wanted » screaming at him. There is the sense of injustice within the epitome of justice, such acerbic poetry, and the cacophony of remorses making his jaw clench every now and then. There is the frustration of acknowledging that there will forever be a gap between his own definition of justice and his superiors’ definition of justice, particularly Akainu’s version which appears too merciless to his own liking.

And there is the haunting torment of being incapable of qualifying properly his feelings.

He knows what anger feels like— he knows how anger bends his body, he knows that anger will push his sanity down a pit and he will have to sit here and observe an unhinged version of himself crawl out of said pit.

He knows what indifference feels like— but he barely realizes that his eyes roll back whenever his superior wishes, yet again, to narrow the notion of freedom within justice, he knows that his brain purposefully decides not to absorb any given information pooling out of Akainu’s mouth.

Smoker knows how his emotions manifest themselves and recognizes them kinesthetically.

But Smoker also fails to identify the newcomers.

« State your name and business before coming in. » It also seems that he has trouble recognizing the five distinct taps of your knuckles on the door leading to his office, but oh well.

Your knuckles brush the wooden surface of the door until reaching the doorknob and twisting it in the process, you close the door behind you, leaving his pseudo orders waiting in front of the door at the same time. « I’m kind of hurt, I thought you’d recognize my secret knocking style, we’ve spent ages creating this secret language as kids. »

But how could Smoker not recognize the sound of your voice and the honey dripping down your vocal cords?

He shifted in his seat, secretly thanking for your presence so his orbs could properly project a different visual than the bland reports scattered across his desk, and he thanked you a second time for allowing him to visually embrace the shape of your body, but he kept that to himself. « Should I give you a reminder of how old we are, Y/N? I’m almost certain we’re way past that age. » Smoker stated, a puff of smoke punctuated the end of his sentence.

« No doubt, you’re definitely past that age. » You trailed off whilst making your way over to his desk, a grin which radiated ill intentions shone brought amongst your facial features. You made a seat out of his desk without asking for permission, Smoker lightly tapped your left thigh in return, a weak attempt to make you get off of his desk. The experience granted by having shared the majority of your life with Smoker offered you the prestige of being free of your own deeds around him, without ever having to worry about pseudo consequences. « But I do have amazing news for you, I’m sure you’ll love it. » You finished, an amused gleam shining in the irises of your eyes at his quirked eyebrow, a silent way to tell you to explain further.

« I’m coming with you and Tashigi on Punk Hazard! Now, now… I know your emotionless self won’t let it show but I know, I just know you’re thrilled to hear that. » You slammed the report proving the sincerity of your words regarding your presence on the mission held on Punk Hazard on his desk in a loud thud, and the proudest grin appeared across your face, just to emphasize that silent victory over Smoker who had always refused to go on a mission with you, but never once did he admit it was because he was afraid of seeing you getting hurt.

Another puff of smoke left his lips, out of frustration, he recognized that he was feeling frustrated because of the way his teeth would hold his cigars a bit tighter, often approaching the limit of breaking them in two.

« You seem so eager to come on Punk Hazard, but I don’t think you realize how dangerous this mission is. » He grumbled, his eyes finding yours lost amongst the metaphorical electricity created in the room because of the tension. Smoker couldn’t quite tell what frustrated him the most— was it the fact that Akainu, out of all people, granted you the wish to come on Punk Hazard? Was it the fact he envied your ability to willingly ignore the magnitude of danger? Or was it the fact you called him emotionless?

Emotionless.

Smoker wasn’t emotionless, see— he was feeling frustrated. But, nonetheless, the words echoed in his head until it lost its meaning. Was he emotionless? No, no, no he was not. Smoker was not emotionless. He was frustrated, frustration is a valid feeling therefore is he able to show emotions. But only now did he wonder if it was genuine frustration.

« I didn’t reach this rank by slacking off, you and I both know it. I’ll see you soon enough, Smoker. »

He found his own answer when you hopped off his desk and left the room, the sound of the door being shut close was his sole wake-up call. Only then did he realize that he had never felt an agonizing sensation of vacuity coursing through his veins when he was feeling frustrated. It was odd, it was foreign, he felt weak. His subconscious screamed at him to associate this haunting feeling of loneliness to the lack of your presence, and for once he agreed— Smoker knew he felt different, in the worst way possible, when you were not around, so he let out another puff of smoke.

This enigma kept him up at the worst moments, and like every enigma, obtaining an answer to soothe the inner pain caused by the latest obsession of his mind was almost impossible. He immediately knew he couldn’t talk about it to Hina, or worse, Tashigi. Either way, he was sure to be met with either a harsh judgement and could already imagine Hina saying « You’ve mellowed ever since we joined the navy, Hina is amused. » or the inevitable stutters cascading from Tashigi’s mouth. Smoker was on his own, drown in the torment of his own emotions.

The sole temporary solution he found was to ignore you, if his body and mind had to hurt then so be it, he couldn’t handle the agonizing pain of seeing you go away, Smoker had mentally told himself to be a martyr and accept it.

You, on the other one hand, did not bother too much about his absence, you figured it was his way to mentally prepare himself ahead of a mission. You accepted it too, both his absence and the inexorable feeling of your heartstrings being bent in unimaginable ways.

Smoker lighted up the fifth cigar in a row now, and once more he blindly trusted the aftereffects of your absence for the cause of this obsession, smoking some more was merely a placebo to soothe the torture brought by the lack of answer. Truthfully, Smoker hadn’t spoken in a while, perhaps he had nothing to say as long as he knew what was going on. He spoke rarely and judged the value of his words before actually speaking— sure, he had directed his subalterns here and there to organize the ship on their way to Punk Hazard, but aside from the obligations of his ranks, he found nothing to say. Or rather, his mind didn’t grant him the ability to talk until he figured what was this haunting feeling which had no familiarity with frustration anymore. But was he emotionless?

Instead, Smoker let the rhythm of the waves crashing against the ship in the darkest hours of the night to rock his thoughts. His hazel orbs never left once the ‘wanted’ posters of Monkey D. Luffy and Trafalgar Law— of course he knew their faces and who they were, but the couldn’t trust his body anymore and wondered whether or not this secret emotional disease was going to affect his memory. Smoker hoped it wouldn’t have any impact on his memories with you, he was willing to let amnesia consume him whole and burn everything he knew except any memory which had your name written all over it.

From that moment, Smoker knew it was definitely not frustration.

« Smoker? Smoker? Earth to big cigar boy? You can go to sleep, it’s my turn to watch over the ship and you kind of look like a zombie if I’m being honest. » He hadn’t even noticed you entered the main cabin and thus he cursed himself for doing so, but Smoker noticed you looked hesitant by the way you were fiddling with your fingers, it was something you always did as a child.

Most of all, Smoker noticed something else— whenever you were in the same vicinity as him, the pain soothed, it faded away to let the most blissful sensation appear instead. Yet another question he will never obtain the answer to.

Using the grip on the armrests as a support, Smoker stood up and headed towards the door to leave you alone whilst you were on watching duty, that was the initial plan : head towards the door and leave. Head towards the door and leave. Head towards the door and-…

« Y/N, can I ask you something? » … And shamefully ask you to ease his pain instead.

You looked at him with a quizzical look painted across your facial features, both at the sudden interpellation, but mostly at the fainted grip he was holding on your wrist. « Sure, I’m all ears. » You replied, curiosity tainted the way your words came out but you kept your eyes locked on his frame anyway.

Smoker took a sudden drag of his cigars to ease his nerve and subconsciously give him a few seconds to organize the isolated parts of sentences shooting in his mind. Truthfully, he didn’t even know if this was necessary given that he ignored how he was feeling or what caused his body to hurt so much, translating this agony into words was beyond impossible. « You have to promise not to tell anyone about this. » He inquired, his orbs adopted a darker tone on the demanding tone coating his words and the hold on your wrist became temporarily tighter, you hummed in response, allowing him to continue. « If I’m being honest, I think I’m sick or have caught some kind of disease. It’s odd and quite impossible to properly be explained. I don’t know what I’m feeling, but it’s manifesting through this constant sensation of feeling empty. It weighs on my mind, and I have no idea what’s causing it. »

You quirked your brow in response, genuinely concerned as to whether or not Smoker was actually sick— after all, as you were approaching the extreme binary climate of Punk Hazard, such possibility couldn’t be evicted. You allowed your orbs to roam over his face, a guilty pleasure, and besides visible confusion, you couldn’t depict any physical symptom.

« Um, right? Do you have any idea when did this start? » You asked, hoping to obtain more hints about his situation.

« I hate to admit it but it started when you left my office last week, and now that you’re here I feel better, as in I don’t feel this emptiness anymore. » He continued, and for the first time in your life, you could admire his emotions dancing under the moonlight. « I was wondering if you felt sick, too. »

« So, if I sum it up you feel ‘empty’ and ‘in pain’ when I’m not around. » You couldn’t help but bend your lips into a smile which you knew he already hated by the ill intentioned looks of it.

« Sort of, but you haven’t answered my question : are you ill or not? » A question so innocent which found its answer in the shameless laugh escaping your lips, Smoker covered your mouth with his palm— not because he cared about the quality of the slumber of his soldiers, but rather because the sound of your laugh was awakening something else in him which was too harsh to handle.

You delicately wrapped your fingers around his wrist, slowly making him retreat his limb to his torso, and to his greatest pleasure, your laughter left an imprint on your facial features in the shape of a grin. « Would you believe me if I were to tell you that I found the cure? » You asked, already imagining the outcome of a possible answer.

« Huh? What is it? » He responded to your question with yet another question, but there and only there he found the answer to his haunting enigma when your fingers invaded his vision field and threw the sole obstacles to the apex of the situation, his cigars, on the floor before stepping on them to extinguish them. And there and only there, Smoker felt peace when your lips crashed onto his in a delicately harsh liplock whilst your palms were cupping his cheeks. It came as a reflex, and he couldn’t blame himself for it because he had fantasized about this scenario several times while hoping it would be the cure to his problems, Smoker caged you against his chest as his forelimbs protectively claimed your waist.

The more your lips were lingering on his, the more he felt every ounce of pain exude his body by his every pores— you were the cure, you were the answer to his enigma and always have been. If his lungs hadn’t failed him, Smoker would have gladly delivered himself into the temptations of your lips once more, judging by the way he blindly chased after your lips when you broke the kiss.

Another giggle escaped your lips as your thumbs brushed invisible motions against his cheeks, « Do you still feel empty at all? » you asked, such a rhetorical question, right? Smoker looked at you quizzically but then it hit him— he felt full, and vacuity had lost sense. « No, I don’t feel empty anymore. » He concluded to your amused smile.

« You’re not sick and never have been, or maybe it’s a sickness to you, but you’re in love, Smoker. That’s what you were feeling. And if I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling quite ‘empty’ myself too. » You confessed and opened your heart to him so he could admire each tone of vivid color painting your feelings for him which caused him to tighten his hold to bring you as close as humanly possible. He had found his cure and needed as much contact as possible. « I suppose you’re right, I do feel better when you’re by my side. »

And here, you planted yet another peck on his lips and gave in to the sweet temptation of savoring the taste of his lips once more. The gleam shining in the corner of your eyes reflected nothing but genuine love, and you knew it was the same gleam reflecting in his own orbs. « I’ve never been more glad to be sick in my entire life. » Smoker concluded, and kissed these words into the skin of the crown of your hair.

That’s when Smoker knew that perhaps he wasn’t emotionless, or at least, he was able to feel emotions as long as you were by his side.

[jay-me-says]

A Flight Fit For Two

Summary: Mumbo gets lost in a redstone project for who-knows-how-long and Grian comes to check on him.  Relationships: Platonic Mumbo and Grian Word Count: 1,272

Also posted on AO3 

How long had it been since Mumbo had taken a break? Hours? A day?

Whatever the case, his joints ached and his fingers were dyed a harsh crimson from all the redstone he’d been handling. His jacket had been balled up and tossed to the side ages ago, leaving his white button-down vulnerable to the redstone dust. The stains were sure to be a pain to remove. Maybe if he was extra sweet, he could convince Stress to give him a little magical help with them again. She’d sworn last time that he needed to either start dealing with the stains himself or change before he started working because she was done dealing with it for him. But she had also said that the last five times he’d asked.

Mumbo really had meant to start changing shirts before working, he didn’t want to keep bothering Stress with it, but it was difficult. Sometimes he got an idea and he just couldn’t get to his journal, or even his closet, fast enough. Sometimes it truly felt like if he didn’t start working on the idea right that instant he would just burst. He’d spoken to Iskall about it once, relieved to find his fellow Hermit had the same experience. And, once, Grian had mentioned a similar drive for building ideas.

Thinking about his friends, Mumbo pulls his communicator from a pocket and checks the activity list to see if either of the former Sahara members had been active recently. A small smile tugs at his mustached features when he sees Grian’s face and name on the list. He’d have to stop by later. After just a little more work…

~

Five minutes turned into an hour, which turned into two. Mumbo was completely and utterly lost in his project. He kept messing with the fine details, trying to get everything just right. At this point, his aching joints and dry, dusty hands begged for a break. Just a little more, he replied each time.

He was so enthralled by the project that he almost didn’t hear the rockets.

After taking a second to register the familiar, high sound of the fireworks, he looks up. There, twirling gracefully through the sky, was a friendly, winged figure in red.

Mumbo swears he could watch Grian fly for hours. His movements in the air were utterly mesmerizing. (Not quite as mesmerizing as Mumbo’s redstone projects, but nearly.) He thinks it’s astounding how his friend manages to make flight look so natural. Like he was born for the air and the elytra is just a subpar replacement for what should be real wings.

The builder lands close by, twirling midair as he touches down gently. He shoots Mumbo a smile and the taller man instantly smiles back, glad to see his friend.

“Hey, man,” Grian says as he approaches. “You’ve been on the activity list for a while, but I hadn’t seen you for a bit so I thought I would check up on you.”

He pauses to survey the jumble of redstone, then Mumbo’s stained hands and his face. As he meets the other man’s eyes, slight concern shifts into his features. From previous experiences, Mumbo has reason to suspect that he’s about to be forced away from his precious project.  

“When was the last time you slept?” Grian asks.

Mumbo mutters something, even he isn’t quite sure what, and looks at the ground to avoid Grian’s eyes. His knees scream at him to sit or stand- anything. He’d been kneeling for who-knows-how-long and when Grian had landed, Mumbo had simply shifted to face him rather than getting up.

“What was that?”

“I, er, I don’t actually know when I last slept,” Mumbo clarifies, glancing up at Grian again.

The brunette looks slightly aghast. “Mumbo,” he complains, half-gasping.

The redstoner sighs. “Yeah, yeah. I know, I know. I just got so wrapped up in this project, I had to start working on it as soon as the idea came to me.”

Grian still frowns a little, but nods. “I get it, I’m guilty of that kind of stuff, too. But you should get some rest soon. Or, now, actually. And when was the last time you ate?”

Mumbo hadn’t even considered that and, suddenly, his stomach feels very, very empty. Like, void-in-the-End empty. Insanely empty.

Grian takes his silence as an answer. He crosses the short distance between the two and extends a hand. Mumbo takes it and lets Grian help him to his feet. It’s an unnecessary gesture, but a sweet one that reminds Mumbo of why he likes being friends with Grian.

About a dozen things in his body crack on the way up. The two meet eyes, hands still clasped between them, looking somewhere between shocked and appalled. Then, they completely break down into laughter. Mumbo lets go of Grian’s hand as he doubles over, hands on his knees, shoulders shaking.

When they finally gain their composure, the grins stick to their faces.

Adjusting the straps on his elytra and pulling out some rockets, Grian says, “Alright, alright. Enough. Let’s get you back to your base. Think you can make the flight back?”

Mumbo smiles a little more when he notices Grian now has redstone dust on his hand and a little smudge of it on his face. “Yeah, it’s not far, I’ll be alright. You might want to wipe your face off a bit there, mate. And your hands.”

He looks confused for a second, then snorts when he looks down at his hand. “Ah, I see.” He wanders to a nearby pond to rinse off what he can while Mumbo grabs his jacket from the ground nearby. The red dust leaves behind a stain they both know will be there for at least another day.

Once Mumbo has gathered a few more odds and ends into a shulker box and nestled it in his inventory, the pair set off.

Flying with Grian is something Mumbo treasures. It’s Grian’s thing, as much as building. When someone flies with him, they get to see his movements up close. To Mumbo, it feels like being invited to a special little world that’s separate from the ground.

Of course, Grian flies with plenty of his friends all of the time. It’s nothing important. But that doesn’t make it any less special in Mumbo’s eyes.

The flight is over too soon. Mumbo had hoped to catch Grian doing a few more tricks before they landed, but the promise of food makes up for it.

The two wander over to Mumbo’s food chest, chatting and catching up while the redstoner eats. Once finished, he interrupts their conversation with another big yawn. Grian would later joke to him that he swears he saw his jaw unhinge.

“You really should sleep now, Mumbo. We should hang out when you get some energy back, though,” the builder says.

“Yeah, alright. I’ll send something in chat when I wake up.”

“Sounds good. Sleep well, Mumbo.”

“Bye, Grian.”

With a final wave, he launches off from Mumbo’s base on his elytra. Mumbo watches him fly away until he’s nothing but a tiny red speck against the blue sky. Then, he turns towards his bed. With Grian gone, exhaustion has finally set in. It seems impossible to him now that he had even kept his eyelids open during their conversation.

It feels amazing when he finally flops onto the squishy bed, pulling the black bedding up around him. As he drifts off into a deep sleep, Mumbo smiles a little, feeling taken care of. He’s glad he has friends like Grian to depend on.  

‘

Please consider reblogging if you enjoyed :D <3

[missmalice202]

Designing Your Melody: Chapter 15 - Satisfied

Chapter 01 - Chapter 14

If Marinette had been a nervous wreck before her Fashion Week show, that was nothing compared to her instability at that moment. As a matter of fact, anyone watching the poor girl would have assumed that she’d become unhinged.

Pacing around her room, she pointedly avoided looking in the mirror for the thousandth time that evening.

After much agony, she’d finally decided on a relatively casual appearance for her and Luka’s first date. Surely he wouldn’t choose to do something too extravagant for their first official date. Was this their first date, or did their meeting at the café last week count as their first date? Was that even a date? She didn’t know…

Spiraling ever further into a tizzy, she let out a shrill scream when her mother popped her head into her room and announced that Luka had arrived to pick her up.

Sparing a cursory glance at her phone, she realized that he was early. She needed the extra five minutes to settle her nerves. It just wouldn’t do to have him see how much this simple date was affecting her.

Releasing a sigh in resignation, she allowed herself one final glance in the mirror, just to check and make sure that nothing had fallen to disarray in her nervous breakdown.

Her hair was still elegantly pulled away from her face and gently curled to fall in waves to just below her shoulders. None of her lightly applied make up had smeared from screaming into a pillow earlier. Thankfully, the tunic length red sweater was knitted in a soft, fluffy cashmere and didn’t indicate that she had been mercilessly bunching up the hem in her fists for the batter part of an hour. Vertical striped leggings completed her outfit and when she finally reclaimed what little composure she had left, she stepped into a pair of black velvet ankle boots.

With that, she decided that she was ready as she ever would be. Snagging her purse on the way, she made her way down her stairs – and missed one of the last steps, resulting in her clumsily sliding down the stairs the rest of the way down.

Stunned from the fall, she could only sit at the bottom of the staircase with her legs sprawled out around her. Her head swiveled to the side when she heard a faint snickering. She looked on in horror as her parents both were attempting to suppress their laughter, but their failure was audible.

To make matters worse, Luka was standing with them, a look of horror on his face.

“Oh my god, Marinette, are you alright?” He rushed over to help her, grasping her arm firmly and pulling her to her feet.

She brushed herself off and adjusted her sweater where it had bunched up around her waist. Thank goodness she’d decided against wearing a dress. She would have had to change her name and move out of the country if she would have fallen down the stairs in front of Luka in a dress!

She shook her head to get rid of that line of thinking right away. She still had to salvage this situation, not get hung up on something that hadn’t even happened.

“Yeah, I’m fine” she assured him.

He held out his arm for her to take, which she did so gladly. They turned toward her parents and bid them goodnight, Luka promising her safe return later that evening.

From the looks on their faces, Luka’s concern for her safety was the right course of action to gain their approval.

Upon exiting the bakery, Luka turned to Marinette and asked, “Would it be okay with you if we took the metro? There’s a place I’d like to take you to and it’s a kind of far to walk or for me to ride my bike to.”

She looked at him with her eyebrow raised. “Oh? And where is this place?”

“There’s a crêperie a few blocks away from where the Liberty is moored that I think you might enjoy.”

And with her approval, they headed toward the nearest metro station.

-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-

“Luka,” Marinette said enthusiastically around a mouthful of the crêpe complète - a savory buckwheat crêpe stuffed with ham, egg and cheese, “you were right.”

He leaned back in his seat with a smile and waited for her to continue. “This place is amazing! I can’t believe I’ve lived in this city for my entire life and I’ve never been here before.”

She wasn’t exaggerating. Not only was the food delicious, but the crêperie Luka had chosen also boasted an extensive cider list, which they both had chosen from and enjoyed.

In addition, they had chosen to dine outside under the navy-blue awnings so they could enjoy the mild October night. Each of those factors resulted in an atmosphere of quiet comfort and did much to relax Marinette.

She and Luka had been thoroughly enjoying themselves, laughing and teasing each other, sharing bites of each other’s food (and Marinette had to admit that his duck breast crêpe was better than her ham), and generally reveling in each other’s company.

As for her companion, he had done everything he could to put her at ease. When their date began, he made a conscious effort not to invade her personal space and toned down the flirting. At least, he did at first.

Now that she was more comfortable in his presence, the metaphorical gloves had come off. He was back to his outrageously charming self and Marinette was in a much better mind frame to handle him. Their playful banter resulted in one of the best times she’d had in a very, very long time.

“Oh my! Is that you, Marinette?”

Upon hearing the sickeningly sweet voice coming from behind her, she snapped up in her chair, her previous feeling of ease instantly evaporated. She turned her head to look at the young woman approaching the table.

All in all, she hadn’t changed much in the two years that had passed since Marinette had last seen her. Her dark auburn hair was pulled up in a ponytail instead of cascading down her back, but she still sported the blunt bangs that ended just above her almond-shaped green eyes.

Knowing that she was trapped and wouldn’t be able to avoid the upcoming confrontation, Marinette greeted the other girl with a barely restrained grimace.

“Hello, Lila.”

-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-

At Marinette’s terse greeting, Luka realized that there was more to this meeting than he was aware of. It appeared these two ladies had history, and if Marinette’s reaction to the other girl’s interruption of their dinner was any indication, it was a bad history.

“I thought that was you,” the green-eyed girl – Lila was what Marinette had called her – exclaimed. “How are you? It’s been so long since I last saw you.”

“Not nearly long enough,” came Marinette’s reply through clenched teeth.

There was something about the way that Lila talked that struck Luka as fake. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but her whole demeanor toward Marinette just screamed hostility and set him on edge.

However, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions and sat back and observed their conversation.

“The other day, I saw pictures from your little fashion show online,” Lila said, her voice dripping with condescension. “I would have come to your show myself, but I was in Achu visiting Prince Ali again.” She flicked a finger through her bangs and rolled her eyes. “I swear, the prince is always after me to spend more time with him. It’s like we’re practically engaged already!”

“Sure, Lila,” came Marinette’s impatient response.

Apparently, that hadn’t been the response the other girl had been aiming for because her eyes narrowed in annoyance. “But enough about me! It’s just so wonderful that you’ve finally gotten over your little crush on Adrien and were able to somehow convince a model of his caliber to agree to appear in your show.” She smirked as Marinette’s jaw clenched at the backhanded compliment. “The media coverage of his appearance must sure have gotten you a ton of attention. I guess that’s how the business is, using every connection you’ve got to make sure you end up on top. Good for you.”

Luka was stunned. Surely this vicious girl wasn’t trying to say that Marinette was using her apparent friendship with Adrien Agreste to get her foot in the door of the fashion world. Anyone with eyes could see how talented she was.

He hazarded a glance at his date and sure enough, rage was radiating off her in almost visible waves. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that she had unconsciously gripped her table knife in her fist.

He reached over and place his hand over hers and gently pried to potential weapon out of her shaking hand. It wouldn’t do to have his date get arrested for assaulting someone with a deadly weapon.

Apparently, his intervention had been enough to snap her out of her murderous rage and she took a breath to calm herself.

“For the record, Lila, I didn’t use any of my so-called ‘connections’. When Alya mentioned my upcoming show to Adrien, he volunteered to model for me. I didn’t have to ask him for any favors and to be honest, I’m offended that you’d try to say that I’d use my friendship with Adrien to further my own career. We’ve been friends for years, a fact that just kills you inside, and we always do whatever we can to help each other out.”

Feeling proud for some reason at Marinette standing up for herself to this vile girl, Luka watched as the other girl drew herself back with a gasp and pressed her hand to her chest as if to ease an ache there.

“How could you think that?” she gasped. “I wasn’t trying to say that at all! I was just complimenting you on how clever it was of you to use an already internationally well-known model in your show, knowing that it would guarantee you’d get more attention.”

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Marinette shake her head, obviously out of patience with the girl.

“Lila, I know you well enough to know that your ‘compliments’ are never what they seem. You haven’t changed since school and I feel sorry for you.” She watched as Lila’s eyes widened in surprise and she took a step back. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to my date.”

At the reminder that the two girls were not alone, Lila’s sharp eyes focused on Luka, where he was sitting across from Marinette with his hand still casually resting on her own. He could see the gears in her mind start to turn as she tried to figure out a way to come out of this altercation the victor.

“You’re date?” she crooned, gazing roving appreciatively from the tips of Luka’s carefully (for once) styled hair, over the black blazer he wore with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, to the tight blue jeans the did nothing to hide his muscular legs, to rest on the black boots he had chosen to wear that night. It was obvious she liked what she saw and Luka didn’t appreciate being assessed like he was something for sale.

“Yes,” Marinette said, getting her attention once more. “You’re interrupting our date and we would appreciate it if you left.”

Lila sneered at her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were on a date. I thought he was just a friend or something. I didn’t think that someone that looks like him would go on a date with someone like you.” Her gaze flickered to Luka’s once more, checking to see if he had picked up on her compliment toward him.

“To be frank,” she continued, “I just can’t believe that you’d go out with anyone other than Adrien, considering how absolutely in love with him you were for years.” She gave Marinette a quick nod of approval and went on to say, “Good for you. Finally getting over your creepy obsession with him must have been hard, but don’t you think it’s a little unfair to your ‘date’ here to use him for a rebound?”

Okay, enough was enough. Luka had heard enough and intervened on Marinette’s behalf.

“I don’t mind if she’s using me,” he said calmly, ignoring the way Marinette’s head whipped around to stare at him in horror. “I’m just happy that a girl like Marinette agreed to go out with me tonight. With as beautiful and talented as she is, if Adrien couldn’t see that, then his loss is definitely my gain.”

Growing visibly frustrated that the seeds of doubt she’d tried to plant hadn’t taken root, Lila hastily made an excuse and stormed off, leaving behind an amused Luka and a surprised Marinette.

Glancing back at his companion, Luka grew concerned when she continued to stare at the table, refusing to look at him.

“Are you ok?”

She took a shuddering breath before looking up at him, eyes swimming with unshed tears. “I am so sorry about that.”

“What do you have to apologize for?” he asked, wiping at a stray tear that had finally spilled over. “She’s the one who interrupted us. If anyone should be sorry, it’s her.”

She shook her head at him. “I’m sorry about the things you had to hear, about me, and about you.”

“Marinette,” he started, squeezing her hand again to reassure her, “it’s easy for anyone with eyes to see that she’s just jealous of you and was trying to stir up trouble.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief that he didn’t believe anything he had heard that night. But it made him wonder. “Has she always been like that?”

He laughed at Marinette’s heartfelt groan. “Ugh, it was even worse when we were in school together. She’s a compulsive liar and I was one of the few people who could see how fake she was. The fact that I couldn’t be manipulated by her lies made me her enemy in her mind. She wasn’t satisfied until she tried to completely ruin my life.”

At Luka’s shocked expression, she explained. “She’d plant stuff in my bag or locker and accuse me of stealing. She made up the most horrible rumors about my friends and then would tell them that she’d heard it from me. And once, she went so far as to pretend to fall down a flight of stairs at school and then timed it just right that when she called for help, it looked like I had pushed her down the stairs.” She scrubbed her face with her hands, still upset at that particular injustice. “I almost got kicked out of school because of her lies.”

Luka couldn’t believe it. Of course, he believed every word that Marinette said, but he couldn’t believe that anyone could dislike the kind-hearted girl to such an extreme.

When he told her as much, she laughed. “Well, you said it yourself. She was jealous of me. I was friends with Adrien in school and she wanted to be where I was so she could weasel her way into his life.” She smiled smugly. “But he didn’t fall for it either and he called her out on her bullshit.

“I don’t know how he did it, but he said something to her that scared her enough to make up some ridiculous story about how she has some mysterious medical condition that makes it impossible for her to control what she says, or something like that. God,” she said in disgust, “she reduced the principal to tears with her ridiculous lie. But after that day, she pretty much left me alone.”

“That’s a relief. You don’t need someone so toxic in your life,” Luka said comfortingly.

“I know,” she agreed. “I appreciate whatever it was that Adrien did to get her to leave me alone, but it wasn’t enough to stop her lying and most of my friends still thought she was the greatest thing in the world.”

With a final shrug of her shoulders, she declared, “That’s it, I’ve wasted enough of our time together on her.”

So they returned to their meals and changed the subject, continuing to enjoy what time they had left together.

-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-

If she were to be completely honest with herself, Marinette was shocked at how easy it was for her to talk to Luka. After she’d gotten over her initial bundle of nerves, she found it was completely natural for her to interact with him, Granted, he’d made it a point to make her comfortable, so that definitely helped. In fact, if he hadn’t gone out of his way to casually touch her throughout the night, she would have thought that they’d just been hanging out together, grabbing a bite to eat between friends.

But it was in those small, imperceptible touches that he’d declared his intent. Whether it was lightly stroking the back of her hand with a calloused fingertip, or gently grasping her shoulders to steer her around a puddle on the sidewalk, or firmly placing his hand on the small of her back to steady her when the metro had jerked, it was those small intimacies that indicated to her that he was interested in more than a friendship or a professional relationship with her.

Even now, walking the few blocks from the metro station to her house, he had subtly place himself between her and the street, ever mindful of their surroundings and how they could affect her.

She shivered when a sudden gust of wind cut through what little protection her sweater gave her from the chill October night. Without hesitation, Luka slid off his blazer and draped it over her shoulders, letting his hands linger before caressing down her back to return to his side. She shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold.

She snuggled into his jacket, enveloped by his warmth and the gentle scent that was all Luka: warm, sweet, and carrying the faint snap of an ocean breeze.

She hummed her appreciation as she snuggled the jacket more firmly around her, relishing in the feeling of being surrounded by Luka’s essence while ignore the traitorous whisper in the back of her head that being held in his arms would be a much better alternative to some flimsy jacket.

Far too quickly for both of their liking, they arrived back at the bakery. Marinette glanced up at Luka, his face in shadows from the streetlight. She smiled at him and took off his jacket, returning it with a mumbled “Thanks”.

Seconds pass in silence as neither wanted to say goodbye, but they both knew that the evening had to end sometime. Finally, Marinette crumbled under the awkward silence and says goodbye.

“I had a great time. Thank you for taking me out tonight, Luka.” She tilted her head back to get a better look at his face through the shadows.

With a playful chuckle, he lifted his hand and ran it down her hair, fingers threading through some of her curls to rest on the back of her neck. Her breath seized in her chest as he leaned closer to her face.

Her stomach exploded with butterflies as his breath fanned over her face.

Her eyes shoot wide when she feels his soft lips press against her forehead. Her skin tickled when she felt his lips curl into a smile against her as she continued to just stand there like a deer caught in headlights.

She was still frozen in shock when he leaned back and looked at her. Since it was obvious that all brain activity had ceased, Luka gently turned her toward the door and opened it for her, gently pushing her inside.

He waited patiently until he finally heard the telltale click of the lock that ensure that she was home safely before he turned and headed home, eager to pick up his guitar and put the feelings he was feeling into song.

-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-xXx-

Chapter 16

*Woohoo! Longest chapter to date. I liked using Lila as a semi-villain here because I feel like Luka would be able to see right through her nonsense.

Thanks to everyone who reblogged, liked, and commented on this. It makes me feel so good to see my phone blow up with notifications from everyone lol.

Until next time, My Lovelies XOXO*

@write-for-your-life2

[paperclipninja]

Younger post-ep recap 6x06

Due to a rather unfortunate run in between my laptop and a glass of water I lost my original ramble for this week’s Younger (as well as the actual laptop so R.I.P Lappy, you were actually pretty terrible but we had a good run). So instead of my usual review I thought I’d do more of a recap and refresher of the last episode to get us prepped, primed and pumped (aka the 3 P's) for the next installment (ep7).

Episode 6 of Younger was in many ways so bonkers that it shouldn’t have worked, but somehow all the pieces came together and it did .Oh boy did it ever! I outright belly laughed a number of times throughout and I think my dog was mildly concerned for my well-being because there were actual tears coming out my eyes at a couple of points. I’m a sucker for a pun so ‘Merger, She Wrote’ had me at hello (you could say my hopes for the ep were high...yes I did and #notsorry). What I wouldn’t have given to be in the room to see the reactions to a script with ‘Liza goes to talk to the nurse who is actually a plant’ in it. So yes there were LOLs galore but most importantly, by the end of the ep order had been restored following the upheaval of the past 6 episodes (which is about the limit viewers can take sitting in the discomfort of an unfamiliar detour from the norm IMO: think the Bryce Reiger arc in season 3 and the Charles finding out the lie in season 5...it’s almost as though Darren and co. have done this before...), Finally the fam is back together at Millennial (or is it Mercennial now?)

Straight off the bat I was very distracted for most of the opening scene by Liza’s dress and look in general because it was AMAZING.  I am loving all the Maggie/Liza in the morning scenes we’re getting this season and Maggie in a blue coverall embarking on a DIY rope harness ceiling painting project...what could possibly go wrong? I felt mildly uncomfortable at how relatable Maggie’s not being served for 10 mins in a bar and sneaking out to the fridge in the night were, but was also mildly mesmerized by Liza’s coffee mug that looked like some kind of old-timey wash basin (turns out this was not relevant to the story but noted nonetheless). Maggie also offers the very straight forward solution of merging the two companies to alleviate the tension that’s putting Liza and Charles in ‘not a good place’ and I love that her ‘bing, bang, boom’ is echoed by Liza when she floats the idea with Charles later in the ep. 

The' Microdosing' book pitch provided us with the set up for the retreat and my fave thing about this scene was how IN character all the characters reactions were to it all; Diana is flat out appalled by the whole thing, Liza is Captain Cautious but trying to play it cool and Kelsey looks like she’s seeing colour for the first time and would 100% pledge her devotion to Travis in any kind of cult situation.

What might have seemed out of character, but actually ended up so perfectly capturing the way she always does everything with absolute gusto, was Diana's foray into boomer erotica narration (as Liza so eloquently put it, 'I think we just found our Seasoned Slut'. These lines, I swear *rofl emoji* )  I think I laughed through the entire scene of Diana in the recording studio, I mean, Miriam Shor's delivery of every line just kills me, but the highlight was undoubtedly when she suggested she could hit nipple a little harder and affirmed  'throbbing nipple' to herself as she walked back to the booth. Zane and creepy af Audrey Colbert waiting allowed for Diana to unsubtly hot foot it out of there, which was a great throwback to her refusal to be in the same room as Audrey in ep 3.

It was a also great opportunity to bring Zane and Kelsey back together and who doesn't love an awks 'accidentally had the mic open and didn't realize' moment when you're talking about how your author is definitely a murderer? I feel like Audrey may go and find another publisher now (just a hunch) but I would really like to see more of her because this character is a type of unhinged that we haven't seen on this show and I think that could be a lot of fun to see play out. I have to say that Kelsey Peters is NOT someone I picked as a boop-er of noses, yet there she was at the bar, booping Zane's nose and this was my favourite interaction of theirs in the series. I was totally digging the dynamic this ep and it will be very interesting to see what that will look like with the new work arrangements. Also, where was Zane when that was all going down btw? I assume Charles filled him in on the bringing the companies together plan before it happened?

Liza's excitement when she told Charles the idea of merging the two companies was endearing and I am unabashedly a big fan of Charles, but his attempt at convincing Liza to join him at Mercury after she tells him that she won't leave Millennial and Kelsey, by saying he left his company to be with her, was super shitty. But it was also super necessary. Because at some point this needed to be said and most importantly, Liza needed to call him out on it and let him know that he cannot use it as a bargaining chip. One of the things I love most about the Charles/Liza dynamic (aside from all the things, but that's another essay) is that Liza is her own advocate in this relationship, she will stand her ground when something is important to her and does not compromise herself to appease Charles. He is equally as stubborn but they are able to have the hard conversations that need to be had but this doesn’t lead them to question whether they want to be together (I very much appreciated the kiss on the cheek Liza gave Charles before she left for this very reason).

So of course being on a psychedelics retreat together when they've hit a roadblock in the relationship was definitely a very good idea...Well it was for us as viewers at least, because pretty much from the moment they arrive and Liza and Charles start talking straight to camera as the literal doctor (my god that whole line just cracked me up) informs them they'll be taking not-LSD, we know we're not in Kansas anymore Toto. Enter Josh for *insert drama here* purposes (and I do think he should franchise Inkburg coz why not?) and we have, ladies and gentlefolk, a recipe for some next level hilarity. But not before Josh and Liza share a lingering look as they take their dose of illicit substance to ensure that Lizs's trip includes one down memory lane.

I have made my feelings about love triangles known many times (quick recap: hard dislike. Tricky to pull off without one or more characters looking bad. Very tiring as a viewer and quite frankly I am pretty lazy and tired most of the time irl so just don't want it on my screen), however I will say that I did not see this ep as re-stoking the love triangle, I saw it as simply reminding us that it is there and can be reignited by the writers at any stage. Within the context of everything that was happening, Liza hallucinating Josh at her door actually made sense and I have no doubt that various factions of Younger fans had meltdowns at that moment for very different reasons.. Sutton Foster's physical comedy throughout this whole ep was second to none, starting at her realization that it was, in fact, Charles who had come to her room and continuing the next morning at breakfast.

Speaking of which, there was something about seeing Liza and Charles in the breakfast room together that made my sappy heart swell, it had such a vacay feel and I'm sure if you muted your volume you could pretend they were just listening to the activities for the day before going off to spend some quality time together...I mean, maybe that would be a thing, I wouldn't know....where was I? Oh yes, the unfolding of a series of comedy golden McNuggets™ that I am still laughing about. We learn that Liza is a supertaster (for those like me who pretended they understood what that meant but then realized they did not, I googled it and it means that she is sensitive to the drugs and basically the microdose affects her like a full dose, you're welcome) and I am chuckling even now when I think about Josh's, 'hey guys' in Charles' voice as he joins the table.

This is another one of those concepts that I feel like could've not worked at all but sweet lawd, the Charles and Josh voice swap scene was next level and I could watch this and the scene that follows over and over and never not laugh. I again LOVE the decision to have the guys talk to camera because it absolutely emphasizes the whole situation and Liza sidestepping away to visit the nurse just rounded off the whole crazy caper.

I have no words to describe how much I love the flat out ridiculous perfection of the visit to Nurse Maureen. Yes Liza has the epiphany that Josh and Charles bring out different things in her (though hot sex seems to be at the core of both so ya know, sounds like a win in the past and present and good for her on both accounts) and again, the unlikely scenario that her ex and current boyfriends are in the same place at the same time (while she is taking mind altering substance) has just played out so it also makes sense in this context. Quite frankly I'm shipping her and Maureen pretty hard at this point because a) it is not easy to pull off eyeshadow that green and b) everyone deserves someone in their life who has the kind of belief in Liza that Maureen does when she tells her 'I bet you can' dance just like me. I don't even know how to explain whatever that dance is but I just know that I want someone/something in my life that will windmill their/it's arms at me with such fervor that I find myself dancing with two attractive men in tuxedos on a galaxy stage.

I cannot express the joy I felt watching the entire dance scene, it was all just so. much. fun. But my absolute hands down favourite moment was when it cut back to the retreat and we, along with Charles and Josh, discover that Liza is in fact dancing with 'Maureen' the plant and seriously, this is up there with my highlights of the entire series. That and the reveal that the selfies Liza was taking were sent to Diana (Diana speaking to Liza in her 'sexy' voice, asking 'where is my plant?', Liza's, 'Maureen', I just cannot with every part of this glorious tie in at the end of the ep. I am sending Ashley Skidmore a houseplant to express my gratitude for gifting us with these moments*). Seeing Josh and Charles together was great but it was clear a scene was missing and I am SO glad that Younger released the deleted conversation between the two of them coz it was both necessary because YES and also because it suddenly made Charles' entire conversation and reason for his decision to sell Mercury make sense (ie. was pretty pivotal).

I big A adored Charles and Liza's conversation (and outfits and aesthetic overall) as they're leaving the retreat, the shift in Charles is palpable and it's just such a credit to the writing and acting to be able to convey so much in such a brief scene. Maggie of course experienced quite the shift herself, from ceiling to floor, with a sufficient amount of dangling as her helpful neighbourly pervert got himself off as she got herself down. But most importantly, Maggie got her mojo back (though is she not currently dating Beth? In which case location of missing mojo: unclear).

Now I gotta tell you, the final scene of this week's ep up and got me. Big time. Kelsey's earlier comment, that she really hates competing with Charles, certainly added weight to the resolution we've all been waiting for this season. Charles' honesty about his realisation that he is hurting his family, not to mention him confirming that he means Kelsey, Diana and Liza and that he wants to come home, ugh, my insides are gooey just writing these words, leads to his offer to Kesley and honestly, the interactions between all of them in this scene was wonderful. I loved that Kelsey held the room, that Charles was putting the offer to her from one businessperson to another (though thank goodness Diana was there to point out the difference between $1 and $1000000 eek! Also, I get that it would never occur to anyone that the price would be $1 so I'll cut Kels some slack). Diana looks like she is going to cry at any moment from elation and I love the way Kelsey asks for the approval of the ladies before shaking Charles' hand. This will forever be one of my favourite scenes on this show.

The thought of Charles coming back and working as an editor alongside Liza is an actual dream. I mean, I am very happy to be taken on the journey the writers set, but I have legit wondered what it would be like to see him in that role and he and Liza working together properly as equals and I absolutely cannot believe it's going to happen.

Well this ended up being quite a bit longer than I expected (lol, what a surprise). Bring on episode 7!

*I will not in fact be sending Ashley Skidmore a houseplant because I live in a very far away country, it would cost a lot of money and it is 1000% creepy to receive a dead plant from a stranger. 

[garecc]

The Hidden Oracle+1

Chapter 8

Apollo doesn't die! / did I make things worse? Who knows! / I am so useless.

Apollo was dying.

My brother was dying.

My little brother was dying, right in front of me.

I will confess something, we gods fear death. We fear nonexistence. But I fear one thing above that, I fear losing my brother. I fear him dying or fading or somehow ending up trapped and away from me. I fear being truly alone. If he were gone… I don't even want to think about that.  

I don't really remember much of the next few seconds. I remember that suddenly I felt like everything went numb, my eyes widened and the scream that had torn It'self from my throat moment ago still rang in my ears. I launched myself forward.

I remember screaming his name as he tried not to breath and rolled around, he tried in vain to rid himself of the plague cloud.

I remember feeling like ice was filling my veins and feeling so cold suddenly I wanted to scream and cry and I just felt scared.

I couldn't let him die.

I remember pressing my hands to his nose and mouth. I wouldn't let him breathe it in. I wouldn't let it kill him. I wouldn't allow it.

I remember smothering him, suffocating him,  I remember seeing the glittery cloud going for me, but I couldn't let it hurt him. I wouldn't allow it.

Out of the corner of my wide eyes I saw meg running, she yelled something but it was lost amongst my panic. Everything seemed far away, Apollo didn't struggle against my hands. I saw it in his eyes he knew was I was doing.

The glittery smoke was surrounding my nose and mouth, I refused to breath. I refused the growing urge to pull the poisonous air into my lungs. I will keep him safe. Even if it kills me. Even at the expense of my own life, as long as he’s safe it's alright.

My eyesight began to dim.

Apollo’s eyes were wide.

Somewhere to our left, water erupted from the field, Percy dragged himself towards it and dunked his head in the water.

My ears began to ring, and Apollo’s face was beginning to go blue.

Percy staggered to his feet to his feet. He ripped out the source of the water—an irrigation pipe—and turned the water on us.

I hate being unexpectedly douched in water, and Apollo does too. (I Wake him up with water to the face whenever we go camping) But as the water disrupted the smoke, I didn't mind.  I let go of Apollo’s face and dragged him away. I gasped for air, Apollo started wheezing again. Our nosoi friends reformed a bit away, their yellow eyes shown with hatred.

Meg yelled again, this time I understood. “GET DOWN” I practically tacked Apollo down. He made a sound between a wheeze and a pained yelp.

In our four thousand six hundred and twelve years, me and Apollo have seen many things. I can't say for certain with Apollo, but neither of us have seen an uprising of fruit.

Percy hit the ground as every peach in the garden rose off the ground, they shot around. If we had been standing, or even sitting we would have been killed. Meg simply stood there unhurt as frozen dead fruit flew around her.

The nosoi collapsed, riddled with holes. Every piece of fruit dropped to the ground.

I took a shaky breath and turned to Apollo.

He looked dazed. He smiled weakly at me, I helped up into a sitting position. I then pulled him into a hug. Desperately trying to get some comfort out of him being okay. I knew I would wake up in the middle of the night for years to come reliving that experience. I tried to keep myself from crying, but the tears in my eyes spilled over. He gently rubbed my back, I didn't realize I was sobbing until Apollo started speaking.

“Hey… It’s okay now.. I’m okay.. We’re both okay…”

I didn't want to pull away. I didn't want to do anything. I didn't know what to say. So I stayed there head buried in his shoulder, tears streaming from my eyes.

Percy’s voice broke through my despair. Apollo glanced in his direction. Or at least, I think he did. I couldn't really see anything.

“Whah jus happened?” he sounded like he had a cold. So water diluted the effects. At least he wasn't dead, that was a good sign.

“I don’t know,” I heard Apollo say. “Meg, is it safe?” I pulled away from Apollo, feeling worthless. I had been useless this entire fight? What had I done? Smothered my brother. I wiped furiously at my eyes, I felt Apollo put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m okay Artie. See?” he smiled, albeit a bit weakly. I laughed a bit hysterically, my heart was still racing in my chest. I held back sobs. Apollo was looking at me concern shining in his eyes.

He shouldn't need to be concerned about me.

He’s hurt. He shouldn't have to deal with me being all emotional.

I should be strong.

I have to be strong for him.

Meg was staring around the orchard in amazement at the mess of fruit, mangled corpses, and broken tree limbs. “I- I’m not sure.”

“How’d you do thah?” Percy snuffled.

Meg looked horrified. “I didn’t! I just knew it would happen.”

One of the Nosoi began to stir. It got up, wobbling on It's hole filled legs.

“But you did doooo it,” the spirit growled. “Yooou are strong, child.”

The other two corpses rose, they swayed to their feet and I could feel my already rapid heartbeat pick up. My breath caught in my throat. Apollo gripped my shoulder tightly.

“Not strong enough,” said the second nosos. “We will finish you now.”

Please no.

They should be dead!

Why aren't they dead?

The third spirit bared his rotting teeth. “Your guardian would be sooooo disappointed.”

Guardian ? She had a guardian? What kind of guardian lets a 12-year-old live in an Alley? When I’m a god again I’ll kill them.

Meg looked sick. Her face paled, Her arms trembled. She stomped her foot and yelled, “NO!”

More peaches flew into the air. Instead of peach blasting the Nosoi, they blended together into a fruit tornado, until suddenly standing in front of Meg was a creature not unlike like a pudgy human toddler wearing only a linen diaper. Protruding from his back were wings made of leafy branches. His babyish face might have been cute except for the glowing green eyes and pointy fangs. The creature snarled and snapped at the air.

“Oh, no.” Percy groaned. “I hate these things.”

The three nosoi also did not look pleased. I shuddered as they edged away from the snarling baby.

“Wh-what is it?” Meg asked.

Apollo stared at her in disbelief. Probably thinking what I was thinking. She was the cause of this fruit carnage, no doubt there. Meg looked as shocked as we were. Alas, if Meg didn’t know how she had summoned this creature, she probably wouldn't know how to make it go away, I didn't particularly like Karpoi (I have lost a few hunters to them over the years..) but they, while annoying, are bearable. A single arrow kills them. Usually. But if you have the unfortunate luck of hitting their arms or legs, no, a single arrow only enrages them, alerts them to your position, and ends with either death or maiming. But if you hit their head or chest…. BAM! a pile of grain (or fruit in this case) is where the creature last stood.

“It’s a grain spirit,” Apollo said, I could hear the veiled panic in his voice. This one time Demeter sent a swarm of them after him… That was a mess for all parties involved. “I’ve never seen a peach karpoi before, but if it’s as vicious as other types…”

“we’re dead” I muttered quietly, I honestly just wanted to sit in a dark room and calm down. Or even just take a five-minute break to sort my thoughts and get that sickening image of my own hands cutting off my brothers air supply out of my head. But I didn't see that happening anytime soon. The demon peach baby turned toward the nosoi. For a moment, I suddenly felt like my heart was going to explode from my chest it was beating so fast. I feared it would make some alliance. The middle corpse, peachhead, inched backward. “Do not interfere,” he warned the karpos. “We will not allooow—”

The karpoi launched himself at the nosoi and bit his head off.

I felt relieved, and I heard Apollo sigh next to me.

But when I say it bit his head off, I am not exaggerating. The karpos’s fanged mouth unhinged, expanding to an unbelievable circumference, then closed around the cadaver’s head, and chomped it off in one bite.

In a mere moment, the nosos had been torn to shreds and devoured. As I said a while back, pacifism is sweet my friend, but watching your foes torn limb from limb is satisfying. I may have said that differently, but no matter.

The other two nosoi retreated, but the karpos crouched and sprang. He landed on the second corpse and proceeded to rip it shreds.

The last spirit dissolved into glittering smoke and tried to fly away, but the peach baby spread his leafy wings and launched himself after them, He opened his mouth and inhaled the sickness, snapping and swallowing the smoke was gone.

He landed in front of Meg and burped. His green eyes shone with… pride? He didn’t appear to be sick, which is not very surprising considering human diseases don’t infect fruit trees. Instead, even after eating three whole nosoi, the little fellow looked hungry.

He howled and beat his small chest. “Peaches!”

Percy slowly raised his sword. His nose was still red and runny, and his face was puffy. “Meg, don move,” he snuffled. “I’m gonna—”

“No!” she said. “Don’t hurt him.”

Meg put her hand tentatively on the creature’s head. “You saved us,” she told the karpos. “Thank you.”

I looked away, waiting for her scream as it ripped her hand off her arm. But to our surprise, the peach karpoi did not bite off Meg’s hand. Instead, he hugged Meg’s leg and glared at us as if daring us to approach.

Odd.

“Peaches,” he growled.

“He likes you,” Percy noted. “Um…why?”

“I don’t know,” Meg said. “Honestly, I didn’t summon him!”

It was blatantly obvious on who summoned him. I also have a clue on about parentage, but if it is her, then she’s top-level stuff for her demigod parentage..

“Well, whatever the case,” Apollo said, “we owe the karpos our lives. This brings to mind an expression I coined ages ago: A peach a day keeps the plague spirIt's away!”

Even I managed a weak smile at that, Apollo glanced at me, I forced myself to smile wider. I could tell he saw right through it. His eyes seemed to take in my bloodshot eyes. “You okay?”

He whispered so only I hear. I nodded once. He smiled weakly, it was genuine.

Percy sneezed. “I thought it was apples and doctors.”

The karpos hissed.

“Or peaches,” Percy said. “Peaches work too.”

“Peaches,” agreed the karpos.

Percy wiped his nose. “Not criticizing, but why is he grooting?”

Meg frowned. “Grooting?”

“Yeah, like thah character in the movie…only saying one thing over and over.”

Me and Apollo shared a look of confusion. “We haven't seen it.” He said. “But this karpos does seem to have a very…targeted vocabulary.”

I laughed hysterically, I just wanted to get to camp and get to my cabin and.. And then what?

“Maybe Peaches is his name.” Meg stroked the karpos’s curly brown hair, which elicited a demonic purring from the creature’s throat. “That’s what I’ll call him.”

“Whoa, you are not adopting thah—” Percy sneezed with such force, another irrigation pipe exploded behind him, sending up a row of tiny geysers. “Ugh. Sick.”

“You’re lucky,” Apollo said. “Your trick with the water diluted the spirit’s power. Instead of getting a deadly illness, you got a head cold.”

“I hate head colds.” His green irises looked like they were sinking in a sea of bloodshot. “None of you got sick?”

Meg shook her head.

“I have a good constitution!” Apollo stated, the forced positivity leaked out of his tone. Neither of us were okay.

“I.. I made sure he didn’t breath any” I muttered weakly.

“Its okay.” He murmured quietly. “I'm fine, you didn't hurt me.”

“And the fact thah I hosed the smoke off of you,” Percy said, possibly trying to ease the tension..

“Well, yes,” Apollo said, glancing at me then to Percy.

Percy stared at us as if waiting for something. Me and Apollo shared an awkward look, confused. After a long awkward moment, it occurred to me that he was probably looking for gratitude.

“Oh! Thank you,” I said, keeping my voice steady and repressing the nervousness.

Apprehension dawned in his eyes. “Ah.. Thank you”

He nodded. “No problem.”

Apollo relaxed a bit next to me. Good.

“Can we go now?” Meg asked.

“An excellent idea,” Apollo started, his voice sounded forced, but more genuine than I expected.. “Though I’m afraid Percy is in no condition—”

“I can drive you the rest of the way,” he said. “If we can get my car out from between those trees…” He glanced in that direction and his expression turned even more miserable. “Aw, Hades no….”

I shifted uncomfortably. Drawing the attention of our uncle wasn't the best idea, then I saw what “Great,” Percy muttered. “If they tow the Prius, I’m dead. My mom and Paul need thah car.”

“Go talk to the officers,” Apollo said. “You won’t be any use to us anyway in your current state.”

“He means your sick. You probably can't fight in your state.” I said quietly, edging towards my brother.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Meg said. “You said the camp is right over those hills?”

“Right, but…” Percy scowled, I assumed he was struggling to think straight over the ailment inflicted by the nosoi. “Most people enter camp from the east, where Half-Blood Hill is. The western border is wilder—hills and woods, all heavily enchanted. If you’re not careful, you can get lost….” He sneezed again. “I’m still not even sure if you two can get in if you’re fully mortal.”

“We’ll get in.” I could hear the fake confidence in his voice. But we did have to get in. We had no other alternative. If we couldn't get in….. We had already been attacked once by monsters, and once by mortals. There is no other way for us to stay alive.

The police car’s doors opened.

“Go,” Apollo urged Percy. “We’ll find our way through the woods. You explain to the police that you’re sick and you lost control of the car. They’ll go easy on you.”

“Good luck,” I said, smiling weakly.

Percy laughed. “Yeah. Cops love me almost as much as teachers do.” He glanced at Meg. “You sure you’re okay with the baby fruit demon?”

Peaches growled.

“All good,” Meg promised. “Go home. Rest. Get lots of fluids.”

Percy’s mouth twitched. “You’re telling a son of Poseidon to get lots of fluids? Okay, just try to survive until the weekend, will you? I’ll come to camp and check on you guys if I can. Be careful and—CHOOOO!”

Another pipe burst in the ground.

Muttering unhappily, he touched the cap of his pen to his sword, turning it back into a simple ballpoint. A wise precaution before approaching law enforcement. The mist would probably make it a gun or something. He trudged down the hill, sneezing and sniffling.

“Officer?” he called. “Sorry, I’m up here. Can you tell me where Manhattan is?”

Meg turned to us “Ready?”

Me and Apollo were both soaked to the bone. In winter weather, I could feel my rapid heartbeat slowing, leaving me open to the wind and cold. I started shivering, and I know  Apollo was cold too. I am the moon goddess. I shouldn't be able to get cold. This was the worst day in the existence of days. Me and Apollo were mortal, injured, and I felt like I was on the verge of crying. Again. Apollo had a grimace of pain decorating his acne-ridden face. We were stuck with a… Insane? Terrifying? Misguided? Unknowing? I don't know how to describe her, girl as our master, and a freaking peach demon. I was not ready to traverse those woods, and I'm the goddess of hunting. The idea of entering those cursed woods terrified me. I knew the moment we entered, something bad would happen. But we also desperately needed to reach camp. I might even encounter some friendly faces there. Or perhaps I might find a way to contact my hunters. “Yeah. I'm ready.” I lied. “Apollo?”

“Sure,” He said, glancing at me. I could tell he saw directly through my lie. “Let’s go.”

Peaches the karpos made a sound between a yak grunting and a wilting plants scream. He gestured for us to follow, then scampered toward the hills. I didn't want to follow it, I didn't trust that… creature in any way shape or form. Meg skipped after him, swinging from tree branches (Splinters. How did she now get splinters?)and cartwheeling through the frozen mud as she somehow managed to act joyous after such a near-death experience. By the way she was acting I might have mistaken our previous affair to be a pleasant picnic rather than a life or death battle. Apollo turned to the sky “Are you sure, Zeus? It’s not too late to tell us this was an elaborate prank and recall us to Olympus. we’ve learned our lesson. I promise.”

“Father, please” I added.

No response. Not even a crackle of thunder. With a sigh, I jogged after Meg and her homicidal new minion.

[FIRST]

[PREVIOUS]

[NEXT]

[snow-okki]

Messiah Akatsuki ‘LIVE’ reaction 2/?

Part one

Salyut-Checker scene:

I find it funny how Salyut and Checker parted their hair to opposite sides

Araken has a nice voice~

And damn he's nice looking

So is Salyut

Why is everyone so good looking TT.TT

Mamoru-Ariga-Kuroko scene:

Kuroko is even taller than Ariga O.O

Kuroko is so left out as Mamoru and Ariga discuss despite being in the center of the stage

Mamoru being concerned about Kagami's whereabouts. Even in despair Mamoru still want to 'mamoru' everyone (I shall leave now)

Kuroko wtf are you trying to do to Amiga

Kuroko has mentioned Ichijima in 3 different ways as of now ('Ichi', 'Ichijima-san', 'Ichijima-kakarichou')

Kuroko why are you still bringing that slipper

Oh the slipper has a bunch of pink frills

Mamoru is so done with anything unrelated to Yuuri

This AI is so much more reliable than SIRI

Our AI is the first female character in Messiah Project :D

"Eisei" XD

So "Eisei" happened:

Kogure is capable of panicking.

Also props to Kogure who jumped into action while Yugi and Miike just stood there dumbfounded

Mamoru doesn't trust Kogure to do the job though

Miike the master of gossip: "The place's filled with human experimentation people. Speaking of which I heard Ariga was a former assassin?"

"READ THE MOOD MIIKE!" Says Okki. OKKI. THAT Okki.

Miike's reaction to Yugi pulling him back 'Don't touch me with those filthy hands'

Everyone who sighs in relief when the satellite control is regained, and Miike who grins like he's just completed a level in a game

I'm amazed by how harmonious the conversation flows in this chaos

"The satellite will fall!" Dr THREE: *smack his laptop so hard you can hear the smacking sound*

Remember that he does this 20x

Miike who sat in the dark as everyone else panic about the satellite in the spotlight. Hmm…

Interestingly the only people who visibly reacted to the explosion were Kuroko, Yugi and Miike. The rest just stared.

Ichijima really likes to point at people in this series

I'm head over heels over Dr THREE's voice halp

Kogure's totally forgotten once Yuuri's name was brought up

"Isn't this just the story of the Yuuri guy betraying the church and causing terror?" Miike this is not Hagane.

I love Miike's reaction to him being grabbed by Yugi: "Can I have you release your hand--"

"Go back to your room" "Kaay~" *Miike strolled*. Kogure followed silently behind, like a ghost.

Kuroko-Mamoru scene:

Mamoru slightly unhinged by the possibility of Yuuri betraying the Church but ultimately is only concerned with whether he is alive or dead

Thank god Mamiya's story didn't happen to Yuuri

KUROKO WHY WEREN'T YOU IN HAGANE your story might have saved Mamiya. Or Ariga. Or idk WHAI

Shikura-Guen scene again:

I like the music here~

Apparently calling 'Shikura-jichou' is enough.

Plot happens

If I catch it correctly, should 2nd and 3rd satellite fall, 5th division has to take responsibility which means disassembly. Hmmmmmmmmm...

When typing into a tablet produces the same noise as typing into holograms

I used to refer to Oba as 'puppy', now we have puppy Guen <3

Ichijima-Mamoru scene:

Ichijima walks a lot this time. Having to walk with a 'bad leg' has to be a pain.

Not so kind Ichijima warning that to chase Yuuri can mean death to Mamoru. Previously Kuroko had warned that chasing Yuuri might mean Mamoru having to kill Yuuri. Literally nothing can stop Mamoru.

Mamoru asking how to live without Yuuri. Back in Shibi, the role was reversed.

People like to stand still at the back of the stage like a ghost.

"How nice, you'll get to meet Yuuri Kaito soon" said Dr TEN with a deadpan face.

Izawa-Kuroko-> Shinchan scene:

The transition to this scene is very smooth.

The transition to Shinchan is even more smooth.

Kogure you're like a zombie robot

I wonder if Japanese find it hard to enunciate 'r' sometimes (Kogure's 'renraku'-> 'lenlaku')

"The other day, I was praised. I was happy." said Kogure with a deadpan face.

OMG ARIGA LAUGHED

Ariga telling Kogure that "that's not something you should say with an expressionless face". I seem to recall someone who instinctively swatted away a box of sweet juice passed to him like it's a projectile aiming for his life.

Ariga deliberately praised Kogure just to see him fluster. Kagami's playfulness has rubbed on Ariga.

Ariga: "You also sneaked into my personal system." Kogure: …. *dash* Ariga: oh no you’re not *drags Kogure back* XD

KOGURE WAAY TO FAST TO GO ON FIRST NAME BASIS.

If Mamiya ever ask Ariga this, Ariga will die.

Also Kogure why do you want to be called Junjun of all things

Can ArigaKogure be a thing if anything happens to ArigaKagami? :D

Confronting Checker scene:

Dubstep???

It feels so out of place XD

Sugie can totally pull off lunatic face.

Compared to Kagami Checker reaaaaly enjoys his lollipop.

I love how Checker's right hand is still in gun holding position despite him currently holding it with his left hand.

The blade looks so fake up close.

Also they're holding the blade so far from his neck.

Kagami the master of rolling.

Please note Kagami's hesitation in answering whether Ariga is his messiah or not.

Kogure came along YAY!--oh he's the deadweight hostage.

Kogure's weakness: His right arm.

If only Kogure's hands were pulled back just a biiiit more it would look so realistic…but he'll risk popping his shoulder so I guess that'll do.

Salyut knows how to put the fake knife closer to the neck yay.

Checker is so touchy-feely.

Nee Checker why do you bring Ichijima's photo everywhere with you?

The second time Kogure is saved and fell kneeling onto the ground.

Guen's shooting pose is really nice (wonder if he shoots for real)

Kogure kick~

Checker-san please stop popping out that lollipop with such sucking noise.

And stop trying to give your already sucked lollipop to everyone near you.

Ariga-Kagami-Mamoru bit:

"Why aren't you angry? AREN'T I YOUR MESSIAH!?" Kagami that's not how healthy relationship works

Kagami's more pissed at Ariga for not being pissed at him than when he's facing his uncle who killed his father

Kagami's staggering

Mamoru gasping for his life for the second time in the stage

Ariga silently contemplating

And there stood Kogure at the dark corner, totally left out.

End of first half~