#Cora Tidbits;

[bella-caecilia]

I wish you would write a fic where... Cora and Robert would've had their son.

Yes! We were robbed! I don't know if I'll ever commit to this weighty storyline but here is a tidbit of how it could look <3

⟫⟫⟫

His hands clasped behind his back, Robert squeezed his fingers and let his gaze flit over the rainy garden behind the floor-to-ceiling windows. His mind was turning over the words of the latest letter from the war office. These letters were his invaluable connection to the front. He wasn't there himself; he had other duties to attend to. But at least he was being kept informed.

"Robert, darling. Do you want another cup of tea?" Her voice was soft but it pierced through his thoughts sharper than any scream could have. Her fragile tenderness was such a harsh contrast to the content of his thoughts. He suspected there was more she wanted to say from the open tone of her question. But upon turning around, he registered Carson and believed that her concern was too intimate to call across the room.

He left the rain-streaked window and took the tea Carson had silently poured him. He went to stand next to an empty settee and avoided looking at Cora. On his mind was the war. He didn't want mix these images with the vision of his wife, rosy and soft and naive.

Robert held on to the saucer and the silver spoon and felt no interest in the tea whatsoever. The same words went round and round in his mind. Germany is advancing on all fronts. Reading the letters from the war office felt increasingly like a fever dream. And he wanted to put an end to it himself.

"Oh, look who is there!" Cora's cooing caught his attention in an instant once again. Robert's head shot up and he took in Nanny in the doorway with the little master on her hip. A serene calm seized Robert's mind. Finally. Arthur managed to achieve this better than anyone else.

Robert watched Nanny walk over to where Cora was seated and place the little master on his mother's lap.

"Thank you, Nanny. I will ring for you when you can pick him up again."

Nanny bowed out. Robert lifted the teacup to his lips and followed Cora's gentle gestures with his eyes. She patted little Arthur's white gown and adjusted the ruffles on his tiny shoulders. His arms were so short, his little fists so easily disappeared in Cora's palm, his feet didn't reach his mother's knees. Robert was once again in shock at how miniature everything on Arthur was. Though, he was an infant after all.

Cora lowered her lips to the crown of Arthur's head. Robert watched the scene with a moved tug in his chest. What a gift. His eyes didn't leave the innocent, embracing duo as he approached them. He discarded his teacup on a tray and carefully sat down on the other end of Cora's settee. Their eyes met for a second before they both observed their son who had taken hold of Cora's pearl necklace and purred quietly in full concentration, studying the accessory.

"Careful, dear chap," Robert said softly. "That's a favourite of your mother's."

Cora kissed the infant's dark hair again. "It's alright. I like to share it," she hummed.

Robert was enraptured by the gentle display of mother and son. He lifted his hand to his wife's face and tentatively brushed the back of his forefinger over her incredibly soft cheek. She acknowledged him with a fond, even smitten smile.

Robert was reassured that his duty here at home wasn't any less important than supporting the war. It was very different but a single look at his wife and their infant son confirmed his responsibility and the rightfulness of his staying.

⟫⟫⟫

(Funny enough, I just started working on an old WIP again that's kind of fitting the brief and kind of not... Well, it's basically an angsty s1 pregnancy AU with a twist. But more about this when I've finished this ficlet :) )

I wish you would write a fic where...

[hellameyers]

Sunday WIP

I was tagged by the lovely @gege-wondering-around once again💕. And I do so try to deliver when I can. This time, I do have a little tidbit I'm still sitting on that will perhaps some day see the light of day. I don't think I've shared this one before.

Just a little taste.

~~~~~~~~~~

Their homelands no longer welcoming. The clans were divided in their hospitality for the Varulver. Despite being descended from the gods, there were some who sought the end of the wolf people. And they very nearly had their prayers answered. The Hale clan fire was devastating. Very few of the clan were left alive. And the family that had remained nearly turned feral as they felt their bonds break one by one. The head of the clan Talia had perished along with her mate, Ivar. The eldest Lara had attempted to save their kinsmen but had perished alongside her mother, father, baby brother, Aunts, uncles, and cousins. When his mother's Spark had passed to Derek, he was overcome and transformed in a rage, terrorizing the nearby village that housed the arsonists. He left not a soul to live and removed all their weaponry. Nobody who would kill his kinsmen in their home was fit to enter the halls of Valhalla. He left them all to Hel.

Cora had found him there, chest heaving with his tortured breath, covered in the blood of his enemies, when she was able to pull him back from the brink. Her beautiful young face covered in soot, eyes still shone a brilliant gold. It brought Derek to his knees again to find her alive. It was then he had learned that his uncle Peter had been badly injured. Their cousins had been able to pull their father from the flames but could not find their mother or little brother. When they had laid their father on the cold ground, they both howled at the feeling of their mother’s bond snapping. Derek held his sister as she wept. Her tears cut rivers through her dirt streaked face. The thing had been done. Revenge was had. But it didn’t fully quench Derek’s bloodlust. He was certain nothing would ever sate him.

~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed that little morsel. Hopefully, I'll get back to it soon. It's nearly complete anyway. A quick and dirty little one off.

No pressure tags: @dear-massacre @renmackree @endwersed @jadezdominion

[melkyt]

When you're so deep into hyperfixation, you want to make spin-offs from your own fic xd

I might post like little tidbits of fluff on ao3 for my reincarnation au

Like Law getting his first halloween costume with Lami and Cora, you know they are going to match and go all out and drag Law along into it

Law starting school and being really nervous at the idea of being around new people and teachers. He gets into a few fights. The first time Cora gets called into the office to bring him home, he tries to smile and be polite but scares the teachers when he first enters, tall and brooding in a dark coat that hide his colorful outfit underneath xd

Doflamingo being in a seperate school because he is not allowed near Law on the daily, this does not stop him to go bug the kid. Somehow the two of them end up burning part of the school down during their back and forth bickering. Which is why Cora was called into the office in the first place. He is struggling trying to parent his older brother turned teen xd.

Shanks teaching Law how to drive as nobody else in the compound either A: can drive or B: Wants to teach him, C: He would drop dead before he asks them (ie Doflamingo). Cora is in the back seat giving the most unhelpful advice and they end up driving into a ditch, and Law gets the fuck out to go 'cry' in frustration of failing.

He just wants to be useful when Luffy wakes up so they dont have to keep leaning on the adults. Robin is the one who ends up teaching him.

Lami's first birthday since she came back, the biggest party on the block. Law seeing her smile, really smile for the first time and getting emotional that she is here.

Law's first piercing. He sneaks out with some money he and Ace saved up to go to this place Yamato shared with them. Their guardians would let them get a piercings & tattoo's but they dont think that. This is two teens rebelling! He laughs and teases Ace about being a baby about picking a tiny tattoo. Ace never to back down from a challenge is like "Oh yeah!?"

They bicker about it but end up just getting their ears pierced. They are both a little scared about getting a tattoo at all, and the srtist doesnt let them as that needs a parents permission. Tells them to comeback when they are older.

Law gets his first tattoo when Luffy wakes up again. Just to mark it that he came back at all.

All the kids that are over seven missed most of their coming of age ceremonies & birthdays, so Shanks' crew sets up a festival just to do it for all of them in a week long celebration. Law and Lami buying their first kimono/yukata and getting all dressed up and celebrated

(The adults doing everything to give the kids a childhood and distract them from everything going on, just little slice of life situation between the main fic drama *tasty* xd)

[tau1tvec]

Still thinking about Barrett and Ervin having a daughter named Aja who they named after the woman that officiated their wedding, and her and Cora being best friends.

I’ll never recover from this tidbit of lore.

[esta-elavaris]

For the fic ask game: would you mind answering either

19: the most interesting topic you’ve researched for a fic?

Or 3: how you feel about your current WIP ? (I know, you have quite a few of those. In case you take requests I‘d love to hear your thoughts about Absolution… I know, no surprises there 😅)

Thank you so much!!

19: the most interesting topic you’ve researched for a fic?

CTW was a lot of fun that way because there were so many tidbits of research to do just for throwaway lines, or knowing what words would/wouldn't be understood (same for almost everything I write since so much of it is historical leaning - I'm constantly looking up etymology of words to see where they came from and how reasonably I can use them).

Currently also having a lot of fun digging into Romanian folklore and history to try and at least give it a nod in Absolution, even if it's not exactly glowingly historically accurate.

Or 3: how you feel about your current WIP ?

LOVING Absolution!! It's the one I keep working on lately when I just choose to prod at whatever I like for an evening. I'm so happy, too, because I've wanted to write a story like this for so long but it's not particularly original and it's riddled with cliches so I was worried people wouldn't be into it, so seeing that that's not the case has been extra extra lovely!

What's very fun with it, too, is that I don't feel any real need for the main couple to be particularly healthy. I don't want it to read too dark or anything, but any relationship with Dracula is gonna be toxic, and a modern day Cora (who is ten years or so older in the modern day than she was when she met him in her previous life) is obviously gonna have differences from the one he knew, and I think that'll be an adjustment for him, so I can't wait to dig into that!

It's also strongly inspired by the Winternight Trilogy (particularly in the "past" segments), so if you need something to read while you wait for updates on that, I'd highly recommend it. It has those gothic wintry fairytale vibes that just slaughter me on every read.

Thank you!! 💜

[gumpistol]

𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐈'𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐆𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑!

alias / name:  lala / luka

pronouns: they / them

birthday: august 20th

zodiac sign:  leo

height:   5'9

hobbies:   writing, sewing, reading, video games, muay thai

favorite color: reds, purples, and black

favorite book: this is hard, because i have so many that i like. i also think i've told people my fave book and i forgot what i told them. anyway, i'll give a few of my faves: any of edgar allen poe's short stories (i really enjoyed reading these in high school and still love reading them), g.ood o.mens (or anything by n.eil g.aiman really), educated by tara westover (my whole immediate and extended family ended up reading this), and mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia (good spooky book) are some that stick out to me from my reading the last few years.

last song:   stayin' alive by bee gees

last film / show:   surprisingly not OP, but derry girls

recent reads:  g.ood o.mens, circe, were the most recent but i'm currently working on neverwhere, light from uncommon stars, and alone on the wall (one audiobook, one fiction, one nonfiction)

inspiration:  music is a big one for me, classic literature (some of poe's telltale heart is used as inspo for my Cora portrayal), but also a lot of irl people in my life get featured in my portrayals, or at least tidbits of them

story behind url: i was looking for new, shorter url and sev suggested this one because he had it saved before, and i liked it and went with it! (ty sev <3)

fun fact about me: i am working on my phd in plant pathology

tagged: i stole it from @kaizokugaris because i'm a terrible lil thief tagging: @belovedcorvid , @enjomo , @kiriage , @ferromagnetiic , @enruiinas , @godthread , @climatact , @mingos , @notanuki & you!!

[hlizr50]

I am SO excited to present my part 2 for the ACOTAR Writing circle 3. Big thanks to @azrielshadowssing for putting this together. Make sure you check out the master list for this event here!

I was assigned to write part 2 of Someday, Today, a Helion/LoA AU fic started by @thehaemanthus

You can read Part 1 on Tumblr here or check it out on AO3!

Read Part 2 below. It will be added to AO3 soon!

As soon as he walked into the ballroom, his eyes found her. Fuck if he knew why.

Scratch that. He knew why; he just wished he could stop himself. Much like he’d been spending the last few weeks doing all he could not to think about seeing Corissa again. There was no reason to dwell on it. No reason for the anticipation that twisted his stomach and had his heart thudding in his chest.

Helion straightened his tie and strode straight toward the bar, where Corissa Vanserra just happened to be speaking with the bartender. But he was only approaching this station because it was the closest. It definitely wasn’t because of the smooth, porcelain skin and wavy, auburn waterfalls that took him back to simpler times. Happier times.

She was breathtaking, the navy of her floor-length gown a perfect contrast to her complexion. Something was different, though, with this version of Cora. Her makeup wasn’t magazine-cover perfection. Her hair wasn’t intricately styled – instead, it fell in a tumble of waves down her back. And the only jewelry she wore was a pair of modest pearl studs in her ears.

Her fingers were bare. Not a wedding band in sight.

Dammit, he’d been consumed by that singular observation since the day he’d picked up his tickets for this gala. And the fact that she was working, something he thought Beron would never stand for.

Helion never understood what Corissa saw in the man. Cora had always been the definition of warmth – gentle and loving and kind. She’d laughed easily, and her eyes were always sparkling with a zest for life. He’d never forgotten how wrong it felt, watching the hope and happiness fade from those eyes as he pulled away. When she’d begged him to stay with her, when she promised that she could love enough for the both of them, until he was ready to fully commit. He’d loved her, too. Of course he had, but he knew that wouldn’t be enough for either of them.

And now here she was, her light makeup doing little to hide the rings of sleeplessness under her eyes. Perhaps that’s what happened when you had seven children – seven boys for that matter. But he couldn’t deny this sensation that tickled the back of his neck, a mysterious brush that seemed to whisper that there was more to her than he currently understood.

And, fuck him, he wanted to know. And that was more frustrating than anything else, because he’d come back to Cora over and over. Helion knew it was stupid to assume that he could just waltz into her life and tell her that he was finally ready to settle down, and that would be it. ‘Better late than never’ didn’t really apply when you’d married into the affluent Vanserra family, and even less after children were involved. But it had still shattered him to be dismissed. He’d thought their love could see them through whatever challenges their relationship might face, and she’d told him that she still loved him every time their paths crossed.

Except for that day in the office. How convenient of him to forget that tidbit. She didn’t admit that her youngest son was likely a result of their last tryst. She didn’t reveal anything about her life, about why she was working and why her ring finger was bare.

“Sir?” The soft call brought him blinking back to the present, the bartender and Corissa both eyeing him with curiosity. Apparently it had been his turn to order for quite some time. His gaze fell on the redhead, her russet eyes wide and deep and soulful. And he couldn’t take it. Not when she’d so clearly thrown up that wall between them. It had been foolish that he hadn’t been able to fully acknowledge it until this moment, lost in his thoughts like a lovesick teenager.

Helion painted on a practiced, pleasant smile and dipped his chin to the server. “My apologies, I think I should wait, now that I think about it.” Then he gave a curt nod to Cora, his tone hardening. “Lovely to see you, Mrs. Vanserra.”

He turned on his heel, though he thought she may have flinched at the name. But he wasn’t going to stick around long enough to get tangled in her web again. What better time than the present to fully close the door on the Cora Vanserra chapter of his life? The sooner he did, the sooner he could get on with his own future.

~~~

His resolve had lasted through dinner: a whole hour and thirty minutes. Pathetic.

What made it worse? His eyes clearly had not gotten the message. While his heart was guarded and his mind was made up, his glances always seemed to land on her, his eyes tracking her on the fringes of the room. She was clearly there as an employee and not a guest, but her gentle smiles were the same as when she’d attended events such as these on Beron’s arm. There was never any pretense; she cared about this cause. And, much to his own dismay, it warmed something deep within him.

But then, as the dessert plates were being collected and the society elite began milling about once more, he lost her. No dress the color of the night sky, no flash of comforting auburn. So, naturally, Helion rose from his seat and began a slow, casual stroll around the throng. When he couldn’t find her, he moved out further still, nodding as he passed the bars and the silent auction and the donation tracking thermometer that was colored to bursting.

It was only a flicker – a moment – a flash of fire from behind the ornately draped fabric in a shadowed corner. It was all the tall, broad man could do to keep his steps measured. Why was she hiding? What was she hiding? It was the last thing he expected when he heard sniffles coming from behind the curtain.

Was she crying?

“Cora,” he murmured, stepping into her space and effectively cutting off her escape route. Her shoulders hitched up, tension lifting them, and he hated that his voice uttering her nickname might elicit such a response. Still, he forged onward. “What’s going on?”

Those beautiful locks shifted back and forth as she hurriedly shook her head without turning around. “Nothing. I just need a moment.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing, Corissa,” he scolded gently. He couldn’t even find it in him to be upset with himself for caring. Maybe that was just how life was going to be: always caring for her, even if their paths were never meant to converge for more than a few hours at a time.

“Truly, Helion. It’s nothing for you to worry over,” she answered, her voice already stronger and resolute. “Just children and teenagers and motherhood.” Helion didn’t quite know what to make of her response, but he did know one thing with absolute certainty.

He wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

“Just tell me, Cora. You’re over here ruining your makeup instead of out there entrancing donors with that pretty smile. At least let me help cheer you up so you can get back out there where you belong.” Her shoulders sagged with her sigh of resignation, and Helion thought he’d won to some extent. But his triumph was short-lived.

“I’m only over here pulling myself together enough to not make a spectacle when I leave.”

“You’re leaving?” God, that sounded far more desperate than he wanted it to. Finally, Corissa turned to face him, her glassy, red-rimmed eyes meeting his.

“I have to get home. Saxton is sick, and the babysitter isn’t equipped to handle an ill seven-year-old in addition to three others,” she explained with a shrug. He must have made a face as he quickly did the math, so she continued. “Eris and Rhodes and Sterling are staying at friends’ houses. Eris is old enough to drive home and help, but he already gives up so much of his time, now that…” Her voice trailed off and her cheeks flushed, as if she’d revealed a great secret she hadn’t intended for him to know, but she quickly shrugged it off. “He wasn’t very happy to have his evening interrupted. I told him I’d head straight home so he could go back to his friend’s house for the night.”

None of the gnashing gears in his head could crank out a solution that would make all of this make sense. Weren’t there people to watch the children? Of course, a mother would feel the pull to care for her sick child, but what would a few hours hurt? And why would any of that require her eldest to return home? Unless…

“Where’s your wedding ring?” The question escaped before he could stop himself, and her eyes widened as she gasped.

“What?” It was only a breath, as if Cora didn’t have enough air left within her to say more. Helion tried to stay calm, even though all he wanted to do was grab her shoulders and shake her and demand answers.

“Your wedding ring. You weren’t wearing it when I picked up my tickets. You’re not wearing it now.”

Their breaths echoed like thunder in the narrow space between their bodies, the silence itself a deafening storm. Helion wasn’t sure he was prepared for what he might hear.

“I’m not married anymore,” she whispered, her lashes lowering. And just like that, it was Helion who couldn’t breathe. That one singular revelation struck him dumb, unable to speak. When her eyes lifted again, taking in his expression, she pushed past him. “I need to get home.” For a moment he was frozen in place, unseeing. Unfeeling. Uncertain of what the fuck was happening.

“I’m not married anymore.”

With a curse he spun, just in time to see trailing strands of red disappearing through the main entrance of the ballroom. It didn’t take long for him to catch up to her, his hand reaching out to grab her elbow as they reached the landing in the middle of the stairs down to the street.

“Let me take you home.” Her confusion painted a crease between her brows. Helion wanted to reach up and smooth it away, but he wouldn’t let himself even try to get any closer. This path he was forging was already so new and fragile, and he didn’t know what sudden moves might end up spooking her. “Please, Cora. You’re upset. It’s not safe to drive in your condition.”

She huffed a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I’m raising seven boys by myself. Hell, I was married to Beron Vanserra for 16 years. This will be far from the first time I’ve driven a car in tears.”

Something inside him cracked at her words, at the rawness of them as they fell from her lips. Perhaps he hadn’t understood her situation as well as he’d presumed. Maybe there was more to her life with Beron Vanserra than the gentle smiles and the glittering articles in the social pages. His fingers squeezed gently.

“Please, Cora.”

Her lashes fluttered as her whole body sagged in surrender, and he feared she may be blinking back tears. But, instead of pushing, he simply released her and guided her out of the building with a hand at the small of her back.

~~~

The house was modest for an eight-person home, but Helion had vowed to himself during the drive that he wouldn’t make any more assumptions about Corissa or her circumstances. She’d seemed flustered when he got out of the car along with her, and he’d simply grinned and gestured toward the door, which flew open before she made it to the stoop.

“Took you long enough,” a teen boy drawled, his tone dripping with derision. God, he looked so much like his father, but with the vibrant mane that marked him as hers.

“I know, Eris, I left as soon as–”

“This is so stupid. I never had to deal with any of this when we lived with Father.”

Helion paid little attention to the teenage boy as he stalked to the car parked on the curb. Instead he watched Cora, the way her whole body jerked when he’d said that. As if she’d been struck. So that was Eris, her eldest. It seemed the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

He wasn’t sure what to do or say as he took her in. Her shoulders had curled inward, one hand splayed over her chest, eyes glistening with pain and unshed tears as they followed the tail lights speeding away. Everything he thought he’d known continued to fall away, a stone barricade crumbling to reveal a weathered, wilted garden still trying to bloom. Cora’s face tilted up, like a rosebud seeking the sunlight, with only the moon bathing her in an ethereal glow. In that moment, she was the young woman that had enchanted him — the girl that his heart never forgot even though his body and his mind had been so determined to live his life and sow his wild oats. What an idiot he’d been.

“I’ll only invite you inside if you promise not to judge the state my home promises to be in.” She was trying to make a joke, but Helion could hear the real concern in her tone. Her smile was gentle as she waved him in, explaining, “The boys are still adjusting to life without housekeepers and chefs and chauffeurs. I try to give them as much leeway as I can.”

He was ushered into a cozy living room. The furnishings were a bit worn, but spoke of a home full of love and support. There were four boys plopped on the couch, one of which scurried into his mother’s arms. She swept him up as if it were no effort at all — the strength of a mother, Helion thought.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” She cooed, tucking him against her body as she pressed the back of her hand against his forehead. Corissa twisted toward him after pressing a kiss to her son’s forehead. “I’ll be right back. Please, make yourself at home.”

“Boys, this is Helion. He’s a friend of mine,” she explained to the remaining redheads in the room. “I’m sure, if you ask nicely, he might even play Nintendo with you.” The two older boys’ eyes lit with delight. They had to be twins, or close to it.

“I love video games,” Helion agreed, grinning back. Cora mouthed a ‘thank you’ and hustled off down a hallway, leaving Helion facing two boys that had to be… 11 or 12 he would guess. And another that was significantly younger.

Had to be Lucien. Her youngest. And…

He shook his head, returning his attention to the older two. “So. Do you like Mario Kart?”

~~~

Wiping a hand over her brow, Corissa slipped out of her bedroom, pulling the door closed behind her as quietly as she could manage. Now that Saxton was asleep, dosed with children’s aspirin and a winding lullaby, she padded into the living room.

The sight that met her eyes sent them welling.

Her twins, Callahan and Connall, were staring intently at the television, faces screwed up in concentration as their thumbs mashed their game controllers. They were blessedly quiet in their competitiveness, though at this point Saxton would likely slumber through a hurricane. But it was Helion who had her emotions balling in her throat.

There he was, serene and beautiful as a Roman statue, his own hands loosely gripping a controller. And there in his lap, between his strong arms, sat Lucien. His eyes were wide and rapt with fascination as they followed the carts on the television screen.

Now that she saw them there, together, she knew the choice to leave Beron had been the right one. There was no question that Lucien was Helion’s blood, and the wrath that she and her child would have faced would have been catastrophic. The only guilt she felt was that she hadn’t had the courage to leave much sooner. Eris was nearly an adult, now. How different would he and Rhodes be if they hadn’t spent so many years under their father’s demanding expectation and heavy hand? She could only pray that she’d gotten Sterling and the rest of the boys out early enough for her love to undo any lasting damage.

She brushed her fingers under her lashes, catching errant tears that had fallen as she watched the scene, then stepped out of the hallway. Just in time for her twins to groan in defeat at the hands of Helion, Lucien, and Yoshi,.

“Alright, boys. Time for bed,” she said. As if they knew their mother’s emotions were balanced on a knife’s edge, Cal and Con dropped their controllers on the coffee table and dutifully marched toward their shared bedroom. Cora ruffled their red hair and pressed her lips to each of their cheeks as they padded by, giggling as they groaned and tried to dramatically wipe away her kiss.

When she straightened Helion was before her, Lucien nestled sleepily against his chest.

Dammit. Her eyes were burning again.

“I can take him,” she whispered, opening her arms. Much to her surprise, Helion shook his head and gave a gentle half-grin.

“I’ve got him,” he answered. Even with such quiet words, the deep timbre of his voice rumbled in her bones. “Just show me where to go.” Corissa led him to the room Lucien and Saxton shared, gesturing to the twin bed with blue and red airplanes dotting the duvet.

The next moments were straight out of her most unreachable dreams. She pulled back the covers and Helion tenderly set her boy — their boy — down on the mattress, his head falling on the plush pillow. Cora kissed his brow, then watched as Helion’s broad hands pulled the duvet up over Lucien’s shoulders. When she straightened, one of those hands fell on the small of her back, guiding her back out into the hall and then into the living room.

She wanted to say something. Anything. But she knew the emotions that were bubbling up would send her into a blubbering tailspin; that she might throw herself into his arms and beg him to forgive her for the secret and for not waiting for him and for taking so long to leave a man who never cared about loving her so much as owning her.

Her russet eyes danced around the space, determined to look anywhere but at the amber eyes of the first man — the only man — she’d ever loved. She didn’t have the strength to look into what promised to be an accusing, expectant glare. He had every right to be furious with her, and tears sprang up at the mere thought of it.

“Cora…”

The way he whispered her name was nothing like she’d expected. It was ragged and gentle and laced with concern and confusion, and it cracked her open. Her fluttering eyelashes couldn’t stop her tears from overflowing, spilling silently over her burning cheeks.

“Is he…?” He didn’t have to finish the sentence. Is he mine?

She was able to croak a pathetic ‘I’m sorry’ before burying her face in her hands, her body heaving with sobs. And they only grew stronger and more shattering when she felt his warmth surround her, pulling her into a broad, hard chest. She didn’t know how long she cried; it could have been minutes or hours or days. But all the while, his hands painted comforting strokes up and down her back.

When she had the strength to speak again, there was no stopping the deluge. She rambled through the years with Beron, enduring the weight of his strict expectations and the consequences of his ire. How she did her best to shield her children from the brunt of his cruel words and hands. How she’d never seen a way out, with no valuable skills to help her make her own way in the world, much less raise a brood of sons. How that tryst with Helion nearly four years prior had saved her from the brink.

“When I found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t be sure. But when Lucien was born, I knew. But Beron… I couldn’t risk telling anyone.” Corissa still hadn’t looked back up at the man she adored, the father of her youngest child. But she was comforted that his embrace remained warm and reassuring. “And as he grew, I knew it would become more and more obvious that he wasn’t Beron’s son. I… I didn’t know what he would do to either of us once he knew. And then I realized that none of my sons deserved to live a life with him at the helm. So… here we are.”

Helion’s arms loosened and pulled away, and she shivered from the chill. But then she felt a finger at her chin, tilting her head up. When she finally met his gaze, she found his eyes glassy, shimmering with emotion.

“I have a son,” he whispered raggedly.

“You do,” she answered.

“And you’re single?”

Corissa huffed a wet, shaky laugh. “Very much so.”

“Perfect.”

She didn’t have time to think about the way his voice rumbled with smug delight. Because the next thing she knew his mouth was on hers.

[angelmelon]

What were your inspirations for the names of all the GAP characters? I'm really interested in learning about name origins!

hmmmm let’s see

Ginger’s surname Saab means “difficult” in Arabic, meant to show Ginger as a struggling character. Getting the brunt of the assault at Younique, having to hide parts of herself from people, and having the toughest relationship with her family out of the main 3. It’s also a common Maronite surname, which works because I envision Ginger’s parents to be Christian.

Cherish and Kaia?? Cherish just kinda sounded nice… I originally wanted to name her Cherry or Cerise, Cherish felt like it could have more of a story behind it. Kaia though was one I found on a transfem names list lol. Happy coincidence that Kaia is also a Hawaiian name!! I changed their names because I didn’t realize they had canon ones when I originally redesigned them.

I’m gonna be changing Cherish’s surname after advice from an Indian Leasecord member, but the Khatri surname, like quite a few I give my characters in general, was taken from a celebrity 😭😭 after the advice I was given, I am planning to change her surname to Shikandhi. Typically not a surname, but it was already canon that Cher’s grandmother Indira chose her surname after a divorce… so whatever!! Shikandhi is a character from a Hindu epic, Mahabharata. The original epic shows them as a trans man, though modern retelling often show them as a trans woman. During a past life, they were screwed over by a guy called Bhishma who abducted them. In their next life, they were able to brutally defeat him in a war. It both had a pretty good connotation for Indira to choose it (I mean… what divorced woman wouldn’t find it badass to name themselves after a character who got vengeance on a shitty man) and also serves as foreshadowing for Cher’s arc… let’s just say standing up to asshole significant others runs in her family.

Theodosia was originally stolen from Fluffy’s Babygirl redesign before I started leaning more towards the name Trinity as Trinity became more butch in my iterations of her. Her surname, Harper-Cohen, was my work around for her original surname being Hecox 💔 I couldn’t find any surnames that had H and C in them at once that didn’t sound transphobic to give a trans character, so I just hyphenated an H and a C surname LOL… Cohen was stolen from Cora Cohen (abstract artist), and I liked how Harper also sounded like a unisex first name. I like to think Trinity went by Harper in highschool for egg purposes.

I named Brick’s bio mom Tasnim, so the addition of Tasnim to their surname is meant to be their connection to their bio family!! They have a close relationship with their bio mom :3

Ennui was just vaguely meant to sound goth I didn’t think about his at ALL. I just didn’t like that his name was stereotypical. Stereotypical trans names are stereotypical for a reason but yk, the intention in Leasebound wasn’t good and I wanted to change it

I legitimately mistook Jasper’s name to be Jupiter when redesigning him so I didn’t think I was changing it until I read over their bio again and kept it anyway. Galilee was meant to evoke Galileo. Space vibes

Darren is a fun one!! His name is a shoutout to my history teacher that was nice to me. The surname Riverside was meant to allude to him being a chill guy, peaceful like water.

Kai felt too stereotypical a transmasc name so I stole a name from the class of 09 character Kylar.

I wanted Noaline to have a “vintage” sounding name, and Noaline came up a few times on vintage name lists and it sounded nice. And the surname Burkins sounded a lot like a surname a female fish out of water protagonist would have, which is fitting since while she’s obviously not the protagonist (duh), tidbit about her character for the future is, as a young new hire, she’s obviously trying to figure out her way around things… very fish out of water, I felt like a basic protagonist ass surname fit her.

OHOHOHOHO NOW THE TERFS. THE TERFS WERE FUN.

Changing Ruth to be Ruth’s middle name and not her first name was just a tiny dig at Rusty for giving all the Yonique workers with more femme names short unisex nicknames and then proceeding to still deadname trans characters. I removed the extra e from her surname to make it just Green because Greene sounds fucking pretentious. Why do you need the extra e?? Fuck you

This is gonna be a pattern for the Younique workers, Dana’s surname Bloomerson was meant to be an immature and unfortunate surname (bloomers, like old people underwear LOL). Dana and Reese were just a combination of 2 older unisex names

Rebekah…. Okay so I have beef with Riley’s name. Her congregation is supposed to be like. A representation of a hella conservative JW congregation. Do y’all know how STRANGE it was back in the day at JW congregations to find a kid with a non-Christian name?? Like you’d find them but those kids got eyebrow raises. Also by the time Riley is born Riley had JUUUUST become an acceptable name to give a girl. That’s a conservative religious family, that’s not gonna fly. RUSTY WAS EVEN ORIGINALLY PLANNING TO NAME HER BRODY OR DALE. BRODY OR DALE. IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE HER BACKSTORY WAS PLANNED VERY AHEAD. Anyway yeah I went with Rebekah cause it’s a biblical name + it’s the spelling douchey doomsday christian school people usually go with. Personal experience, I knew a Rebekah at catholic school

Morowa is just a lovely name. It means queen. When looking for names for Jaden, I wanted to give her a really pretty name that the Younique ladies completely butcher, being classist American (mostly) white women who have never had to say anything in their lives. I did not like how “Morowa Anderson” sounded so I just went with a just as basic surname lol. Government assigned butch nickname is Maury. Poor lady.

I do not think I have to explain Ivory Gwenyth White. You have eyes. Haha funny white woman joke. Also since Ivory is also the closest in appearance to Rusty…. iykyk

Prudence something something unfortunate name that sounds like virgin. The surname Showman was meant to evoke what an overdramatic performative douche she is. Government assigned butch nickname is Prudie. Even worse.

Regina Knipple something something Vagina Nipple. Her government assigned butch nickname is Reggie.

Alexandra was just a nice name, idk. Pedowitz… again you have eyes. Government assigned nickname is Alex.

I liked the sound alliteration with Hana Pohan. Her government assigned nickname is Han-Han.

Vivian is a totally original character who’s name is not at all derivative of the character Violet.

Francis is a totally original character who’s name is not at all derivative of the character Faith.

I decided to give Tori a name that starts with the same letter as Kylar’s deadname (it’s not Tiffany… even if he no longer goes by it Rusty is fucking weird) to show that she kind of projects onto her kid, like a lot of unsupportive transphobic parents.

[charsdafoxes]

𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀 ⠀⠀ — ⠀⠀coralia di sancts. vinte e cinco anos. artista de rua.

𝐚𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 ↝ desenhos de caneta na pele, ondas do mar batendo contra rochas, acessórios feitos de conchas, marca de sol, pés descalços no concreto quente, frutas frescas e doces, a postura de uma deusa, movimentos leves como uma pluma.

𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 ↝ eu ia amar esse plot pra cora:

hitchhiker plots are so superior. two total strangers—maybe muse a is running from something, muse b is moving cross-country, or maybe they both happen to be escaping bad situations—basically on a road trip while simultaneously getting to know each other! each hoping the other isn't nuts or dangerous, finding out tidbits about each other's lives, discovering talents and skills that may or may not be helpful on the road. i think it's such a fun way for muses to bond, and it's extra fun for muns who like to pour over planning as we get to map out our muses' course!

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 ↝ abaixo do read more! ♡

quando uma mulher muito bonita, com a voz hipnotizante, livre e convincente faz com que homens caiam aos seus pés, especialmente numa cidade pequena como minori, as pessoas falam. no caso de laura, era mais do que apenas falar, eram acusações. a mulher era acusada por todos os lados de ser parte das lendas da cidade e se aproveitava disso para arrancar dinheiro de turistas, arranjar uns romances rápidos e se dar bem da forma que conseguia. mas, de repente, laura sumiu. passou quase um ano longe de minori sem dar quaisquer notícias aos amigos e familiares e voltou de repente, com uma garotinha nos braços.

as pessoas começaram a falar novamente. a história que se contava era que laura havia passado aquele ano no mar, gerando a menina, que seria tão hipnotizante quanto ela. a profecia tornou-se verdadeira conforme coralia crescia. não havia quem não se apaixonasse pelos olhinhos brilhantes, quem não prestasse atenção nas palavras muito bem medidas, quem não seguisse a criança saltitante para onde ela quisesse ir.

cresceu na rua, junto de sua mãe, uma cantora excepcional, que ganhava a vida cantando no centro da cidade. nunca soube quem era seu pai, mas não era como se precisasse de um. laura supria todas as necessidades da filha, a incentivava a buscar educação e a ensinava tudo que sabia também. assim como a mãe, coralia se mostrou uma cantora perfeita, mas era muito mais apaixonada por outros tipos de arte. enquanto sua mãe cantava, era comum ver cora, ainda novinha, dançando no mesmo ritmo. juntas, coralia e laura eram um entretenimento muito particular, apaixonante, do tipo que era impossível tirar os olhos.

terminou o ensino médio com honrarias e poderia ter ido para uma faculdade, mas a verdade é que ela sempre amou a vida que tem demais para se deixar prender em livros e provas. gosta de ser livre e é isso que ela é. assim como a mãe, passou anos ganhando a vida nas ruas de minori, sendo considerada quase uma lenda viva da cidade. não importava para qual canto se ia, todo mundo conhecia as sereias da cidade.

porém, aos poucos, a cidade foi se tornando um lugar pequeno para a mulher, que decidiu que se aventuraria por outros cantos da europa até encontrar um lugar que realmente fosse seu.

t͟r͟i͟v͟i͟ɑ͟ ♡

ㅤㅤ01.ㅤ| ㅤembora seja uma cantora absurdamente boa, com a voz encantadora, como a de uma sereia, coralia gosta muito mais de outros tipos de arte. costuma dançar, assim como apresentar performances envolvendo contorcionismo e malabarismo. se move com graça e beleza incomparáveis, alimentando ainda mais as lendas envolvendo ela e sua mãe.

ㅤㅤ02.ㅤ| ㅤcostuma andar no máximo com um chinelinho, mas ela gosta mesmo é de ficar descalça. performa apenas sem sapatos e não é incomum acabar vê-la andando sem sapato nenhum, por acabar perdendo os chinelos.

ㅤㅤ03.ㅤ| ㅤcomo não podia ser diferente, ela é completamente apaixonada pelo mar. sabe um monte de informações aleatórias, está sempre na praia, estuda os fenômenos marítimos e, se pudesse, não ficaria em nenhum outro lugar.

ㅤㅤ04.ㅤ| ㅤcora também é uma boa pintora. gosta de pintar elementos do mar e suas pinturas já foram transformadas em um livro de ilustrações do mar por algum homem aleatório, que era apaixonado por ela. o dinheiro do livro foi suficiente para que pudesse viajar.

ㅤㅤ05.ㅤ| ㅤacabou aprendendo outros idiomas para poder se comunicar melhor com os turistas. além do italiano, ela sabe falar inglês, espanhol e francês muito bem, também se vira no alemão.

personagem originalmente criada para o @minorihqs.

[teltales]

@lcvenderhcze for regina !

All Anastasia knew of the Evil Queen were stories. She knew a bit more of Regina - tidbits Cora had told her between lessons, during their afternoon teas in her garden. Ana also heard, years later, that she had declared herself the 'Good Queen' and renounced all evil-doings, but... to Anastasia, it was more than a little suspicious that the Queen here in London looked exactly like the sketches she'd seen of the formidable Evil Queen, the woman who had cursed the residents of Storybrooke all those years ago. Seeing her now, curiosity got the better of her. "Your Majesty. Pleasure to finally meet you," she said with a slight nod of her head. "But I have to ask. This curse. Is it yours?"

[moononastring]

this year had me getting into mafia books too. and i have read some really great ones, but there's also some seriously unhinged wtf is happening books too lol. the sinners anonymous books have been on my tbr list so i'm glad to see they're good. will definitely be checking them out soon. i was rec'd by my friends to try cora reilly and really enjoyed her books, especially the camorra chronicles series. also loved the made series by danielle lori. one series i was kind of meh about because of how dark it got was the beauty in lies and bellandi crime syndicate books by adelaide forrest. those get pretty intense so if you were interested i would definitely check the trigger warnings. another friend told me to try rina kent the other day and i started with one of her less dark series (empire series) as a introduction - mostly it's cause the royal elite series is like high school age and i'm not here for that tbh - and it was an experience. i will say the empire series is super light on any mafia stuff, like only 2 out of the 4 mention anything mafia related it's mostly following these partners at a law firm. anyway i really loved 3/4 of the books so for that alone i would rec, but book 1 was really not it for me. i'm surprised i continued with the series tbh cause the couple imo was gross. and it's not about the age gap or the fact it was a girl falling for her dad's best friend it was the fact that this man knew her since the day she was born and was called "uncle" for years. that alone just skeeved me out and i wish i had skipped that book cause the rest were really really good.

Mafia romance books are truly a hit or miss because if the characters can pull me in, I can handle terrible writing but if the characters suck AND it's bad writing? Why????

I definitely think Sinners Anonymous is pretty well written and engaging (not to mention pretty hot tbh). I'm excited to continue with it because I heard the next books get even better!

I read the Born in Blood series (1-5) for Cora Reilly and at the time I read them, I kid you not, I was o b s e s s e d even though IMO, they were not well-written haha. But idk what it was! It had a chokehold on me even though I remember nothing now HAHA. I'm interested in maybe reading the Camorra Chronicles. Twisted Emotions gets a lot of hype so if anything, I'd probably read book one to get to it and then see if I like it enough to continue. I enjoyed the Made series too! Books 1 and 2 more than book 3 but interested enough to read the 4th book if it ever comes out lol.

I also read the Brutal Birthright series which is very, very light on mafia that I wouldn't really call it that. They're just criminals I GUESS LOL. It was entertaining to an extent but I didn't love it. Books 4 and 6 ruined it for me.

I've heard mixed reviews about Rina Kent books! I can't read anything that has HS ages in anymore so I don't think I'd go near that series just for that. Plus that little tidbit you just shared makes me wanna vomit so PASS lol.

Another series I heard is well-loved and well-written is the Dark Verse by RuNyx! I haven't read it yet but I'm definitely interested and will likely after I finish Sinners Anonymous! If you've read it already, let me know!!

[kotofvi]

Cora Tidbit!!

Cora has such a long and complex Family list I cackle whenever I try to explain it-- The gist is this: Cora was adopted by Bambi and then adopted by Jason (Batfam) who was dating Bambi at the time, hence her being a Costello-Todd instead of just a Costello. She’s related to the Glitch fam, which broadens into the Superfam ‘cause Abbi adopted Jet’s Kon-El too. Needless to say, this is gon’ be messy-- Gonna Bold the ones she interacts with the most outside of my own muses. Glitch Fam: 

Bambi: Pare (Father) Dirk: Great Grandpa  Seb: Grandpa Abbi: Auntie  Lei: Auntie  Alphie: Auntie  Ollie: Uncle  Sammie: Uncle  Poppie: Auntie  Lucie: Auntie 

@solaoccasum​ Fam: 

Kakuzu: Uncle, adopted him herself, she loves (1) grump with her whole soul and she will FIGHT YOU over him in a HEARTBEAT. No cap, you will not survive her fury.  

@intrvso​ Batfam/Superfam: 

Jason Todd: Papa (Father) (Would break your entire body into pieces and wouldn’t even give you the afforded gift of death because she’d have Abbi bring you back to do it again if you ever hurt her papa.)  Alfred Pennyworth: Grandpa (Would curse you out like an elegant beast over him while beating you with a brick if you ever disrespect him with her around.)   Damian Wayne: Lil Brother (You can fight her on this, she doesn’t care if he’s technically her uncle HE’S YOUNGER THAN HER AND TINY. Whenever she sees his “mother” she goes into attack mode and protects him viciously. Specifically relative to: @parantapa​‘s Damian.)  Dick Grayson: Uncle (She can and will skin you alive over this soft uncle of hers, do not mistake her, you won’t live to see the next day) Tim Drake: Uncle (Calls him her Cousin tho ‘cause Abbi p much adopted him)  Bruce Wayne: Grandpa (Disowns him every other week)  Selina Kyle: Grandma  Kate Kane: Auntie  Stephanie Brown: Auntie  Terry McGinnis: Lil Brother (You can fight her on this one too)  Barbra Gordon: Auntie  Duke Thomas: Uncle  Cassandra Cain: Auntie  Tiffany Fox: Auntie  Artemis: Auntie (Through adoptive measures by Cora herself for her being on Jason’s team) Titus: Doggo, gives him more attention than she does Damian sometimes. Ace: Doggo, always carries treats for him and plays with him and Terry. Bats in the Batcave: She plays with them when she’s ignoring Bruce.

Martha Kent: Granny. (She will legitimately break you over her, do not even try it, you’ll be sold on the black market in PIECES)  Jonathan Kent: Grandpa. (Same as above, mess with her grandkents and you’ll fucking perish)  Kal-El (Clark Kent): Uncle. ( @ruinae​ The only Superman Abbi will ever fight with over adopting his kids lmao. )  Bizarro: Uncle (She loves him so much okay, he’s perfect as he is and you can FIGHT HER, adopted him as Uncle through his being on Jason’s Team)  Kara Zor-El: Auntie.  Kon-El (Connor Kent): Cousin. (Adopted by Abbi, will pluck your eyes out with her claws if you touch him.)  Jon Kent: Cousin (Fave tiny cousin, will smite you if you bully him.)  Chris Kent: Cousin (Will demolish you if you lay a finger on him.)  Kenan Kong: Cousin  Krypto: Doggo. (BEST SUPERDOG!! Plays with him often)  Alien Fam: (@intrvso​ again)

Noh-Varr: Grandpa (Dating Seb, therefore, he grandpa Noh and she’ll kick you in the throat over him.) 

Other relations: (My other muse that’s involved)

Raven: Uncle (Dating Dick Grayson, therefore, UNCLE DEMON AHOY. They get along really well, a) because he treats her uncle well and b) because he loves Terry as much as she does) 

[nyota-sungura]

Okay but ‘cause my girlfriend ( @katergaris​ ) and I were talking about owlie and her being more rough speech wise ‘cause both her Papas are rough af verbally but then there’s Alfred teaching her to be more polite-- I wanna dive into cute af greetings she’d give her batfam.

Cora with Jason: There is no words, only tackle dive bomb hugging and a flurry of affection!!!!!!!!! <3!!!!!! Cora with Bruce: o: S’up grandpa!! <3!! Face squish!! Cora with Alfred: :D!!! Uncle Alfred!! <3!!! Immediate hugging! Cora with Dick: Insert some kind of battle cry before she’s hanging off his shoulders. c: Good sir you seem to have an owl on your back!  Cora with Tim: Immediate face squish followed by head paps! :D Play vid’ya games with me?!  Cora with Damian: Long unblinking stare!! Big sharp toothed smile!!! S’up Punk! c: !!

Things Anger birb would say when someone insults/threatens them-- 

Insult/Threaten Jason: I’ll eat y’er fuckin’ lungs an’ spit out the remnants while I watch you choke on y’er own blood. Waits all of three seconds before maiming someone if they don’t shut up / leave. Insult/Threaten Bruce: Your absolute last brain cell is working too hard, give it a break before I break you. Eye rolls galore and baring of teethies. Insult/Threaten Alfred: YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU HEDONISTIC FREAK MUFFIN!! Proceeds to tackle and/or bite-- She has a clear soft spot for Uncle Alfred. (Also won’t curse but will be increasingly creative with her retorts.)  Insult/Threaten Dick: There are no words, only extreme hair pulling and biting because-- Dick is too kind and she will tear apart anyone who talks badly of someone so nice. Insult/Threaten Tim: I’ll surgically replace your fingertips with fishing hooks and put itching powder in your pants if you don’t recant that statement you just made. Glaring intensifies!! Will bite!!  Insult/Threaten Damian: Sit the fuck down and take a multivitamin you melodramatic, goth appropriating chucklefuck. I’d turn you into a Julius Caesar impersonator but for that, you’d have to have a friend to stab you-- or at least someone who felt you were important enough to take out.

And finally, what she says when Jason isn’t taking care of himself or won’t listen to her. 

“FINE, I’LL JUS’ GO PLAY WITH GRANDPA’S BATS INSTEAD OF YOU!”

[limesonspecial]

Look, I see what you're saying, but Bioware hiding important lore in tie-in media has always been a massive failure in their storytelling. The game should stand on its own and not require additional financial input (tie-in media or even DLC tbh) to reveal important backstory. You should have to hunt through random emails and personal logs for that shit like god or whatever intended.

Which is not to say people shouldn't read the tie-ins - Bioware got some fantastic authors to write them and they're quite good - but laying the onus on the player to “bother” reading a text released fully eight months after the game to gain context for Alec's choices...well it's not a particularly fair expectation.

But also! As two people who've read Initiation, we both know that Alec doesn't tell Cora that she can't take SAM. He doesn't even tell SAM. He just sits on that little tidbit and proceeds as normal, and then he dies, so critically no one fucking knows. To literally everyone in the game, it looks like their prototypical Pathfinder pulled some nepo-baby switcheroo with his black-box AI technology that (as it turns out) he's been kind of lying about anyway. So, like, the majority of players not knowing why Alec Ryder made his kid the human Pathfinder honestly improves immersion.

Side note, what do you suppose the dilution factor on "Alec Ryder's genes" is for his hypothetical descendants to still be viable hosts for SAM? Obviously 50% is fine, but will 25% be enough for his grandkids? Or 12.5% in the third generation? Is Nexus leadership going to have to start cloning Ryders to maintain the SAM program?

Sometimes it makes me feel insane knowing that "the reason Alec made one of his kids a Pathfinder is not because he wanted them "to see the process through" but because his SAM cannot be safely integrated into anyone who doesn't carry his genes" is not common knowledge because I doubt many bothered to read Mass Effect Initiation

[asuhibii]

Little law and cora, tidbits and memories

[tammyisobsessedwith]

Why is it that I know more about my besties than my LIs?

Let’s break it down, shall we?

One of the things that appeals most about the Angie route to me is how much we get to know her if she’s our bestie before becoming a LI. We have deep, meaningful conversations, we learn about her family, job, interests, dating history and so on (the same goes for Thabi and Kobi or Cora, if on bestie route). That’s what I’m interested in when I’m dating someone. And we barely get those things while coupled up with the other LIs.

If we’re doing a James route, we’re golden. You get those chats from the first few episodes like the date in the rooftop terrace right before the hot tub date. So you get the deep meaningful conversations and the hot sexy scenes plus the angst of getting separated then reunited and being basically the only long-lived couple throughout the season. Even so, I wouldn’t mind learning more about him as the latest episodes don’t reveal much more stuff.

Will appeals to me the most because I appreciate his chat and his brain. He has a way of framing and saying things that I do think is beautiful and like I mentioned before in other posts he’s clearly the best brain when it comes to playing the Love Island game, so it’s even more exciting in a sense of, “is he actually into me or is he with me because he thinks we can get to the final?” I like being kept on my toes, I guess. Plus he’s pretty and sexy. But after we recouple with him the second time there isn’t a lot more we get to find out (so far).

Youcef is another interesting case because there is definitely chemistry there but we don’t get the chance to be with him right off the bat so we’re given interactions and little tidbits along the way, like if we give him that massage or let him help us with the dress. There’s flirty vibes all around but also deep chats and chances to learn what makes him tick and he becomes a richer, more well-rounded character as it goes. Coupling up with him before the final would be very satisfying for me.

Even Tom gets some of my love and admiration in this, because he comes in as one thing, this stuffy, rich kid, my-father-thinks-this whole shtick to letting go of that to become another version or, as he says, his true self. He’s a lot less self conscious and more at ease in the last few episodes and it’s not about the tie dye shirt. His speech pattern has changed somewhat, the scene in the hideaway during the water bottle battle has him literally lying down on his back with his legs propped up against the wall and the Tom that first came in would never have done that before. And we get some back history on him from the date and actually being coupled up in the first day after the recoupling he first chooses us.

My biggest grievance here is Bruno. That man would’ve been perfect for me, but I still feel like I don’t know who he is, even after being coupled up for long stretches. In fact, I think I learned more about him when I’m coupled up with James because then Bruno is the one coming in to help us with the dress instead of Youcef and we get to chat with him for a bit about how he got into comedy and his dating life. Even after that thing in the Beach Hut after we watch his date with Cora and we talk about how we generally don’t have deep chats I still feel like that wasn’t enough. It’s more of a chance for MC to express herself and see his reaction to it than about him. And don’t get me wrong, I like putting out more of what I’m about. But then let me learn more about this person I’m coupled up with.

The same goes for Najuma. She’s flirty and fiery and the sexy scenes are #fire. But again I feel like I know more about her when she’s coupled up with Youcef than when we’re together. And even then it’s more about Youcef than Najuma herself. Who is she, really? I want to know these things if I’m dating someone.

Even Oliver, late arrival and all, gets more exposition and depth. He loves cats and all animals; he’s a nature guy; he lives alone but doesn’t like being lonely; he loves his family and, most of all, his grandma; he likes books on art and his ancestry; he travels for fairs as a tattoo artist and misses his cat; he prefers being friends first (and friends after, if possible), and so on. I feel like that’s more than we know about Bruno and Najuma collectively.

When I’m dating someone, I want to be their best friend (but then that’s part of being a demi, I guess). I want to learn as much as I can so that I fall in love with them. What’s the point of being coupled up with someone in the Villa if we’re not gonna have the chance to learn who they really are? If it’s just for the sex and the breakfasts together, no wonder I found myself falling harder for Angie than anyone else. I also never even played the whole Kobi friendship route because it would just frustrate the hell out of me that I can’t be with him in the end.