#I am quite curious to see what sorts of changes are to arise from the uh “sudden loss” of our dear primogen

[salvatore-jonas]

I must say I was quite disappointed in the Cullen Games for multiple reasons.

Particularly the lack of an intuitive idea, that being the games is just a blatant remake of the Hunger games franchise. And the fact that the event itself seemed to have no idea what it was itself. An example being the fact there was a baseball game? Just in the middle of the event? And also a “boogie bomb???”

To me this felt like a confusing turn of events as well as confusing the theme and energy of the event. I am glad to see however that Edward has died and that the prince, or princes?, made it out alive.

Rating wise, I would give it a solid 3/10. Definitely could have benefited from the use of more dire situations and perhaps a more serious atmosphere.

[thickenmyblood]

hey maca :)) I have sth that I’d love to hear your input on! (wall of text incoming so beware- I’m absolutely not mad if you don’t want to answer lmao). Basically it’s about how you portray women in your works and to what extent you see that portrayal mirrored in the canon books. I have noticed that a lot of writers tend to go a traditional route with for example daughters not being heirs like you also mentioned in an answer for a wtsioa ask on here. Considering the cultures Vere and Akielos are based on that’s obviously very logical and a lot of authors (including you) make it work fantastically! Yet personally I never got the vibe of Vere and Akielos being as patriarchal in canon, mostly because the Information we get is kind of confusing. On one hand damen is a walking manosphere (and. all of Akielos in general as well) without any prominent female figures in his life but on the other hand damen only ever speaks appreciatively of for example the female vaskian warriors. Both countries seem to ban women from the army yet Damen also refers to a warrior queen. The regent is a total misogynist but with the wording Laurent uses it almost seems like that is more the exception and not the general rule of veretian court life. Both countries also have ties to Vask, an exclusive matriarchy and Akielos is said to be similar to Patras which Pacat has stated is also partly a strong matriarchy due to vaskian occupations in the past. I could go on for a lot longer but I guess that damens overall positive attitude towards women and especially stereotypically spoken masculine women is what sticks out the most to me. It just seems kind of misplaced in a world that supposedly is as sexist as the original cultures from our world. Which is why I’d say both countries do have gender roles but are overall a lot more egalitarian than their respective real world og cultures. But that’s only my take and I’d love to hear more on what others think about the portrayal of women in canon and how they chose to portray it in fanfiction. Love you and your new work, hope you’re doing well❤️

HELLO!!! Thank you for asking me interesting stuff :, ) you always have the best questions and my sad little inbox is open to you any time, friend. I divided this into parts, so:

My portrayal of women: I need to work on this a lot lmao. I’m not proud of any female character I have ever written for this fandom, and I’m also not proud to say I struggle horribly when it comes to writing female OCs, especially if the story is not about a female character that is a literal projection of me. Or Bella Swan (yes, Twilight literally shaped my sad little brain and the way I write and consume fiction).

Authors writing female characters in a “traditional” way (for fantasy settings): I can’t speak for other authors but I definitely think, in my case, that using the “it’s a patriarchal society, women have no rights, women can’t be heirs, etc.” blueprint is a matter of being lazy. It’s quick, and easy, and it’s been done before so we all know how it works and a) it’s unlikely that you’ll mess it up (in the plot hole kind of way) and b) it’s obvious that most readers know how the usual system works and so you don’t have to spend paragraphs or even chapters explaining it to them. I am very lazy when it comes to world-building for fics. Why? Because when I’m writing fanfiction I don’t give two shits about the world, I just care about the characters doing Things and having Feelings. The moment you start to question these issues (a society where women can join the army, where they can be heirs, where maybe they can have multiple husbands, etc.) a billion issues arise because it’s not the “usual way” and so you’ll have to deal with “unusual problems”. See: plot holes, info-dumping, etc.

Vere and Akielos in canon: I think the books get very, very confusing at times when it comes to gender roles in that specific world. They also get very confusing about how royalty works, in my opinion. So:

Damen never mentions female influences in his life, not even nannies or wetnurses or anything. He mentions past queens and his mother, but even then… It’s always struck me as “what the actual fuck” that we get no information on Egeria. In TSP, he doesn’t even read as curious to me, especially when I think of that line that goes something like “oh, well, he’d never asked how tall she was”.

Then you have Jokaste, who is highborn and also… perhaps trained in politics? It’s unclear to me if she’s ever been directly involved in meetings or been an active member of the Council or even been allowed to study these issues. Clearly, she’s smart and capable and cunning, but like… how? Did she have private tutors? Is she a self-made woman? Like, what’s up with that? Are women allowed to engage in public politics? Are they allowed to be kyroi?

IMO, Damen complimenting the female warriors in Vask has to do with how appreciative he is of war-related stuff. Like, he thinks people with his own qualities are neat. We see this time and time again in the books—having honor, being brave, respecting one’s family, protecting those who need protecting… He compliments these things when he sees them in others, especially in Laurent. Obviously one of the big changes in Damen as a character is that he goes from being daddy’s boy to being like “well, actually… maybe war isn’t always the answer, and maybe war isn’t always honorable”. The Vaskian warriors prove themselves worthy of praise in a “manly” way, if that makes sense. (In the same way, Laurent proves himself in the Okton, not so much to Damen but to other Akielons). So, in essence, War > Any issues he may have about women doing Stuff.

Don’t judge me for this but I can’t remember the Regent talking about women. Do you have any quotes about that? I feel like Book 1 is super rich when it comes to world-building stuff and yet it’s the book I remember the least. I know he obviously has a preference for boys and not girls, but I don’t recall him having interactions with Vannes or ladies at court? I’M SORRY I’M SO STUPID but I don’t own the book so I can’t exactly word search my way out of this one, and so instead of saying stupid stuff, I’m asking anyone reading this (lol, you and my mom probably) to please tell me what canon says on this issue.

Ties to Vask: Er, yeah, I mean… They’re clearly not at war with Vask and have some sort of economic deal (there are Vaskian pets in Arles? Which makes me wonder if they, like, buy them from Vask? Or if the pets are Vaskian and turn into pets in Vere? Slaves are not like pets so I don’t know?), BUT just because they have deals with this kingdom/are on good terms with the ruler does not mean they necessarily approve? Like, maybe they’re like “yeah, it’s weird they give women so much power, but also I need that silk/leather/WHATEVER, so I’ll shut up about that”.

“Akielos is said to be similar to Patras which Pacat has stated is also partly a strong matriarchy due to Vaskian occupations in the past.” Is this in the books or is this something she said in an interview/post-releasing the trilogy? I know in the books there’s a quote that Akielos and Patras are similar because they both have slaves, but other than that I can’t quite remember anything about Patras? Like, I don’t recall Pacat giving us extensive and thorough world-building on either nation, at all. Once again, I am asking you for more explanations on this because I literally don’t remember.

4. My opinion and a Stupidity Disclaimer: As I’ve said above, there’s a lot of stuff I don’t remember and so I’m not trying to preach to anyone reading this or even saying that I hold the truth about… anything. I’m answering questions as I see fit and asking more questions when I run out of answers.

I believe world-building is not one of Captive Prince’s strong points. I will not elaborate on this because this is already long enough but there is simply, in my opinion, not enough material to reach any solid conclusions when it comes to world-building questions such as the role of women in Vere and Akielos, how compulsory homosexuality affects the development of highborn men and women in Vere, exactly what makes Akielos’ view on women different from Vere’s (if there’s any difference at all), the history of gender roles in this world and how it’s evolved up until canon, how Lamen can solve the heir issue without recurring to, once again, “the usual stuff” (concubines, bastards, marriage to women, etc.). It’s clear from what I’ve read that Pacat has come a long way as a writer and that her new trilogy has a lot more in-depth explanations to world-building questions, but this is not the case with CP, and so I’m afraid my answer to most of this is “I don’t know, and I don’t think anyone can know for sure”.

Lastly, I think I struggle a lot with understanding the role of women in this universe because I simply did not see enough women doing stuff, so I don’t know what’s permitted, what’s unacceptable, what’s illegal, what is straight-up execution worthy, etc. This is not me complaining about the lack of female characters in CP, at all, which I know is contradictory to stuff I’ve said in the past (I answered a couple asks a year ago about how I’d wished we’d gotten Vannes’ POV or Jokaste’s POV in the short stories). I’ve changed my mind, and so I think Pacat is entitled to write whatever she wants, just like I’m entitled to talk shit about KR with any living soul who will listen lmao.

To end this on a spicy note, I think sometimes we consume the wrong media and then complain because it doesn’t have what we wanted. If you’re looking for a trilogy with strong, fleshed-out female characters, Captive Prince is not for you. If you’re looking for a trilogy on female struggles and, I don’t know, defying… the male gaze… Captive Prince is not for you. There are plenty of books out there that focus exclusively on female characters, featuring sapphic relationships, and dealing with gender issues. WHICH IS NOT TO SAY WE SHOULDN’T BE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS. This is not about this particular question, but more about a lot of posts I’ve seen floating around… complaining about Pacat’s writing and the themes she didn’t explore.

If anyone has made it this far, thank you for reading, and know this is NOT me telling you what to think. This post is an open question that anyone can engage with, although I hope people will engage with this directly and on this platform, instead of… taking it somewhere else where I sadly can’t engage back! Unlike what happened with our awesome fat Laurent discussion, I will be replying to any questions I get on this (Note: I did not reply to most of those questions because a long time had passed and they were sort of repetitive).

[putschki1969]

「Wakana Botanical Land “Music Party Vol.2"」 Live Report/Commentary

Don’t forget to tune in to today’s event! A live stream option IS AVAILABLE for these two fan club exclusive performances. There is STILL time to buy a ticket so be sure to use that chance! If you can’t watch it live today, you can rely on the archived version which will be uploaded after the event and is available until June 6! (Tweet by Wakana staff)

EVENT DETAILS (find ALL details and a tutorial HERE): ■ May 29, 2021  ◇ Day performance Open 14:15 Start 15:00 (JST) ◇ Night performance Open 17:15 Start 18:00 (JST)

Note: I will try my best to do a live commentary/first reaction kind of thing so this post will be updated as the day goes by. I really hope they have fixed the streaming problems they had last time with the Spring Shark Festival. It worked fine once they got it working but it took quite a while to get there. They don’t have that luxury today since there is an on-site audience, it’s pretty much impossible to delay the performance should any streaming issues arise. On a side note, I am keeping my expectations low as far as the audio-quality is concerned but we will see, maybe it’s good. Without further ado, let’s get to it!

Live Commentary

Okay, it’s about to start, there are some weird noises in my headphones but it’s manageable. Otherwise, it works totally fine! I think they fixed the weird noise issue for the evening performance. Haven’t heard it yet. Video/stream-quality is perfect for me (no freeze so far), they have a few different angles which I appreciate. A bit of shaky-cam here and there but nothing too bad. I feel like they improved quite a bit on the camera work for the evening performance. Sound is also surprisingly good.

Setlist

Happy Hello Day: The atmosphere is already so nice, everyone is clapping enthusiastically. I love it! The arrangement with piano and guitar is perfect for this song. Poor Wakana forgot the lyrics though so they had to start again. Awww, so precious, I wanna cuddle her already! Loved the “lalala” at the end! No mistakes for her night performance. Everything went smoothly. I feel like the atmosphere is a bit more toned down compared to the day performance.

瑠璃色の空 / Ruriiro no Sora (DAY): Okay, I have never really liked this song but this acoustic version is actually pretty nice. I may have actually become a fan! :P Thank you Wakana, for this beautiful rendition. Hard Rain (NIGHT): YESSSSS! So much win! While I didn’t mind this version of Ruriiro no Sora, I MUCH prefer Hard Rain.

ひらりひらり / Hirari Hirari: Not my favourite of the “magic moment” album but I really enjoy listening to the live version like this.

442: OMG, I am already blown away! This IS SO GOOD!!!! The live version (especially with this acoustic arrangement) is a REVELATION, everyone needs to listen to it! I am so glad we are also getting this on the Blu-ray this summer!

Talk Corner: Awww, once again Wakana embarrasses herself by introducing her host Bunta Nagamatsu with the wrong name. Seeing her this flustered is super cute but on the other hand, I feel sorry for her T_T They are answering some of the simple/casual questions that fan club members were able to submit in advance. It was interesting to find out that she stretches for quite a long of them a few hours before a live and that she carries pretty much all of her belongings in her bag on a performance day XD Will be summarising them properly once we get the archived version. They are using different questions for the evening performance! YAY! At the end they are demonstrating their kendama skills but Wakana fails to catch the ball the first two times but then on the third try, SUCCESS! She is so happy! At the evening performance she looked like she pulled a muscle doing the trick but yay, she managed to catch the ball on her first try

海を見ていた午後 / Umi wo miteita gogo: Yuming-cover chosen for Takebe-san due to a connection. They picked this song because it features places in Yokohama (today’s live is taking place in Yokohama). Too short but very nice. Not a particularly big fan of the voice she uses for the song though.

アイノカタチ / Ai no Katachi: Misia-cover chosen for Ishinari-san due to a connection. His guitar playing is actually featured in the original recording of the song. Wakana also sang this in one of her fan club videos (where she did her nails). Wahhhh, I am in love!! Such a beautiful cover! This hit me right in the feels, even more so the second time around! *bursts into tears*

I have a dream: Kalafina-cover chosen for Wakana due to a connection. *sobs* Ahhhhhh, this is beautiful. I have no words. Not all Kalafina songs work as a solo song but this one certainly does. Wakana nailed it!! That Kajiura-go part!! Btw, random question for everyone who has been watching the stream, where is that drum/percussion-like sound coming from? It’s noticable in almost all songs but it’s obviously not coming from the piano or guitar. Just curious since I am not an expert on that kind of stuff so I wouldn’t know what tools they have to create this sort of sound without an actual drum set or whatever. Thanks to @sa-nyan for replying, it is INDEED Ishinari using some sort of pedal.

翼 / Tsubasa: Oh wow, already digging the acoustic arrangement. Can I just say how much I appreciate it that Wakana has two super talented and passionate musicians on her side. She deserves to be accompanied by the best. This is one of Wakana’s oldest solo songs so you can tell she is very sure of herself, no hesitation whatsoever, just powerful vocals. Perfection!

恋はいつも / Koi wa Itsumo: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! You all know this is one of my faves so I couldn’t be happier!! Wakana showing the audience how to clap :P SO CUTE! I can’t clap in rhythm for the life of me so I am kinda glad I am not there to embarrass myself :P Too bad the audience was able to sing along this time (probably because of COVID regulations). A little lyric slip-up at the beginnging but Wakana dealt with it professionally.

ENCORE: 金木犀 / Kinmokusei: Ohhhhhhh! And another one of my all-time faves!! Such a good setlist!! As always, beautiful!

ENCORE: あとひとつ / Ato hitotsu: Wakana explains the reason why this hasn’t been released on CD yet. She wants it to be a special experience that is reserved for live performances. She feels this exclusivity is nice. The PERFECT ending just like every other time she sings it.

DAY: Wakana is wearing a lovely salmon/orange/pink (?) coloured toga/tunic-sort of dress. She looks so pretty! It’s off-shoulder (always the best look for her!) and there is a white skirt layered underneath. There is also some binding around her waist. her hair is in an elaborate up-do. NIGHT: She changed into a lovely wide blue gown which goes well with the evening flair. Her hair is in a cute high ponytail. She is wearing her clear chain earrings again.

During the first MC of the day performance Wakana is already getting carried away talking about this and that so Takebe-san has to remind her they are on a tight schedule. XD At the end of the live Wakana announced an online release event for her Blu-ray. It’s gonna take place on August 21. The after-talk is now available. They filmed it after the evening performances answering a few more fan questions.

The archive videos for the day and night performance are already available! Please enjoy!

Be sure to fill in the survey to let Wakana and her team know how you felt about the event!! There will also be a Bokutachi no VOICE thread to share your impressions!

[the-lightning-strikes-again]

Hey, I saw your post about a head canon world where Lotor becomes the black Paladin, and it made me wonder how you feel about a different head canon, one that I personally don’t really have but find very interesting- the head canon of Lotor as a Blade of Marmora agent. How do you think that would change the plot of Voltron, and what do you think would happen with that? Just curious.

P.S. When’s the next chapter of Adrenaline Rush coming out? I love it so much and I’m at the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens-

Hi, anon. Thanks for the note! I’ve definitely thought about Lotor as a Blade before, and a while back last year, I posted a little drabble called The Awakening introducing that plot bunny. You can read it here as well as access links for other BOM Lotor stories! 

Outside of that drabble, I do think transitioning Lotor to be a Blade pretty heavily shifts VLD. There’s probably a million interesting ways a person could write such a VLD AU, but I guess my initial thoughts would be something like this (heads up, this is a monster outline for a whole series rewrite):

After the disastrous end of the mining colony, Zarkon doesn’t just exile Lotor. He imprisons Lotor with the idea that Lotor either submit to “remedial training” or death.  

When Lotor chooses death over kneeling before his father again, the Blades are convinced that Lotor is in fact truly different from Zarkon. Kolivan moves in to save him, offering him a secondary life in the shadows as an operative.

Lotor rises to the rank of Lieutenant within the BOM and helps establish a surviving Altean colony. In doing so, he discovers the legends of Oriande. He spends his time convincing the Blades that there is deeper knowledge of the universe they could use to defeat Zarkon and his witch.

The Blades share that they are aware at least Blue Lion survived the destruction of Altea, and they suspect that more Lions still exist. Kolivan orders Lotor to stand down from pursuing Oriande in favor of uncovering the location of the remaining lions.

Lotor ends up working with Krolia to better understand how she came to find the Blue Lion on Earth. He grows to see her as something of a mother figure or role model and is aware that she had to leave behind a mixed-race son of her own to ensure the war would never reach Keith.  

Lotor warns that the pull to know one’s own heritage is significant, and that her half-human son will likely go to dangerous lengths to know the truth, especially if his more Galran attributes arise.

Krolia assures that her son’s father would keep the truth a secret and that Keith had no known signs of Galran blood.

Krolia missed that her son could sense things a normal human couldn’t.

All of that would be background information to be revealed in time.

VLD s1 would still pick up with Keith sensing the energy of the Blue Lion.

Lotor has by this time identified the location of the Red Lion, also following legends of a Lion Goddess upon Arus to suspect that perhaps more may exist on that planet. But Sendak has also picked up coordinates for the Red Lion. 

Kolivan orders Lotor to stay hidden and send out squadrons to extract Red Lion, only for the extraction to fail and for the Red Lion to fall officially into Sendak’s hands.

At this time, Shiro crash-lands back on Earth. Sendak’s squadrons were also trailing his escape. The witch Haggar turns her eye to Earth and senses ancient power—the Blue Lion.

Kolivan is at a crossroads to determine next best steps. Lotor convinces him that it’s better to let Red Lion go temporarily than to lose even more to Sendak. Lotor argues that an elite squadron be sent to Earth to extract Blue Lion, and that he receive approval to pursue his lead for a possible lion on Arus.

Kolivan approves Lotor’s plan and realigns assets to Earth and to Lotor’s extraction team. Some Blades on Lotor’s extraction team are in fact Alteans and other survivors of other planets they have rescued over the years. Backup teams suit up for battle.

Krolia volunteers to lead the Earth squadron. She fears that her son and his people may be in danger.

Hunk, Pidge, and Lance follow Keith and Shiro to the Blue Lion. But at this time, the Galra have already discovered the Blue Lion. Krolia is desperately attempting to fend them off, but the Galra had taken out several of her squadron members, and she herself is injured.

The Galaxy Garrison recognizes that alien squadrons have landed on Earth, endangering several cities with their warfare. In fear that Earth is under invasion, they activate various militarized assets to contain the problem and capture any aliens, dead or alive.

Keith, Shiro, Pidge, Hunk, and Lance all panic, realizing they’re about to be caught in an alien war, the firepower of their trigger-happy superiors, and the biggest national security breach in human history. 

Krolia meanwhile, desperate, tosses some weapons over to the humans and begs for their help. She tells them that keeping this Blue Lion out of the hands of Emperor Zarkon is imperative to universal safety.

Keith and Shiro move in to assist Krolia. Pidge is trying to contact Galaxy Garrison about the situation, panicking in an attempt to explain that not everyone in the fire zone is an enemy. Hunk is hesitantly like, “Is this a real thing? Am I actually seeing aliens right now? Omg, is this actually a weapon? I don’t think I’m trained for this!” And Lance meanwhile is distracted. He’s sensing Blue Lion, and it’s responding to him, because out of everyone, he’s the only with the tenacity to actually get in this thing and fly it out of harm’s way.

Shiro realizes if they don’t get Krolia and her team out, the Garrison might not be so kind to her either. Once he sees Lance is able to operate controls, he agrees best thing to do is to get Blue Lion off Earth entirely.

The instant Krolia gets a good look at Keith, she realizes that he is her son and panics when she realizes she willingly begged for this boy to get involved in the battle.

Long story short, the future paladins + Krolia and the surviving Blades operatives escape through a wormhole using Blue Lion, which takes them back to the Castle of Lions on Arus. They narrowly escape both death at the hands of Galra and capture by Galaxy Garrison.

Galaxy Garrison is blaring alarms that Earth has experienced what appears to be its first true alien invasion. It recognizes that several cadets were caught up in the crossfire. They assume those cadets and Shiro to be Missing In Action and feared dead. Earth leaders convene to discuss defense strategies, in fear that this will not be the end.

Meanwhile, Lotor has already landed on Planet Arus with his team. But he soon realizes that this isn’t just the location of the Castle of Lions—it’s also housing the Black Lion’s energy force and the long-lost Princess Allura, the “Lion Goddess” that Arusians had seen through the glass of her pod.

Lotor makes the decision to wake up the princess and her Altean advisor, Coran. In fear that he would scare them as a Galran, he keeps his face mask on. He begs the princess to fly the ship to safety, as he does not know how to use a teladuv but understands what they are.

Princess Allura is very confused for a time, demanding to know who he is and what exactly is going on.

Sendak hears from Haggar that she senses new energy on Arus.

Lotor is distracted, attempting to reach Krolia and strategize a full, double-wormhole back to BOM headquarters with the Castle and Blue Lion in tow. The fight on Earth temporarily distracted Sendak, but with Blue Lion gone, Sendak is now racing his way back to the Castle’s position. Time is very limited.

Lotor stumbles a bit at the sight of Allura, who is very beautiful.

Coran is flailing about that Alfor’s plan to hide the lions is ruined—

At this time, the paladins + Krolia and team land on Arus via wormhole.

Keith is helping his mother to rush into the Castle of Lions for cover, as she is still injured.

Princess Allura is beginning to realize that Altea had been completely destroyed, and she is very distraught that Emperor Zarkon has become an unstoppable tyrant, killing and enslaving millions. 

Lotor kneels down beside her and convinces her that if she can operate the castle for just a very short time, then they can save the entire galaxy and take back a Lion from Zarkon, together.

The princess senses his goodwill and agrees, pulling herself together. She admits she knows where the other lions are, as Alfor had tied her life-force to all of the Lions.

Allura is surprised to realize that Blue Lion is just outside.

Lotor’s squadron guides the paladins and company into the heart of the Castle. Princess Allura is surprised again to discover that a human named Lance had bonded with the Blue Lion so easily. She begins to search out the bond ties of the other lions and realizes they are attempting to sort through options for new paladins.

Allura helps Keith with placing Krolia in a healing pod. She senses the energy between them is quite similar, and that they are perhaps related.

The Blue Lion and other Lions communicate to Allura that they need a fresh team that can function as one immediately. A team with new perspectives, a desire to protect, and without the painful history or conflicts of interest that resulted in Alfor’s leniency with Zarkon. They hone in on the humans, and Allura sees their auras as clearly aligned with their respective lions.

She communicates to the larger team that they are in desperate need of paladins for the other lions—and that the lions have chosen these humans who were willing to defend Blue and their home world.

Lotor hesitates, having had plans for those lions that didn’t involve humans. But he acknowledges that alchemical magic is above his understanding. He glances over at Keith, catching that his scent is similar to Krolia’s—and that his prophecy of a family reunion has come true in the strangest of ways.

Princess Allura quickly sets to revealing the location of the other lions and activating wormholes for them to retrieve them.

Meanwhile, the Castle has experienced 10,000 years of rust and degradation of lesser systems. Coran and Lotor team up to fix the particle barrier, anticipating that they may need to provide backup for the new paladins. Coran and Lotor bicker over many things, and Coran warns that he can see Lotor making cow eyes at the princess even beneath his mask. Lotor vehemently denies it.

Krolia, stubbornly moving her way out of a healing pod, pleads with Allura that Keith not be chosen to pilot Red Lion—that he might find a way to go back and be safe with his father.

Allura apologizes that she is not in control of the lions and that they choose their paladins. “If Red Lion chose your son, it is because Keith can save the universe. That it’s his destiny to be a part of this fight with us.” But Allura is unsettled too, as she’s actively trying to test systems with Coran and this mysterious, masked Blade whose name she doesn’t even know yet, except that his title is Lieutenant. Meanwhile, she’s also trying to keep the wormholes open for the paladins.

The new paladins return in time for the arrival of Sendak, who still has Red Lion in his grasp.

The newly minted Team Voltron make a stand with the lions they have available to reclaim Red Lion and activate Black Lion.

The BOM forces assist in the overtake and attempt to suppress the battle from affecting locals on the planet of Arus.

Lotor realizes that Keith is in significant trouble, as Sendak is moving in protect Red Lion himself. Lotor runs to activate his own ship as backup, knowing Sendak’s fighting weaknesses.

The battle ends up with Keith struggling to connect with Red Lion while Lotor fights off Sendak.

Sendak manages to knock Lotor’s face mask loose and startles in surprise to see Zarkon’s supposedly dead son.

Lotor uses the moment of surprise to critically injure Sendak, escaping up to the Red Lion that Keith has taken command of.

All lions and teams retreat back to the Castle of Lions, which wormholes out before Sendak’s forces can catch them.

Sendak haltingly conveys to Emperor Zarkon that his son yet lives, fighting in the armor of an unknown rebel group.

Zarkon whips into a rage that his darkest shame is still alive and fighting against him.

The witch, Haggar, promises to end Lotor’s life once and for all, and to reclaim the lions for Zarkon’s glory.

Team Voltron meanwhile celebrates their first win in a panic-relief that they were able to form Voltron.

Various Blade operatives take off their masks. Some are revealed to be Alteans, including a grown Bandor and Romelle who were rescued long ago and now fight as part of Lotor’s squadron. Princess Allura and Coran are comforted greatly to know that many Alteans yet live, and that there is a colony where juniberries grow too. 

Princess Allura still wants to know who the mysterious Lieutenant is who woke her up and managed to fight off Sendak.

Bandor, a big Lotor fan, nearly breaks the truth that “Lieutenant Lotor is—” and Romelle nudges him to be quiet, interjecting that their lieutenant is a very private person and that no one knows much about him.

Meanwhile, Kolivan is incredibly unhappy that Lotor has revealed himself on an active battle field.

Lotor argues that he did it to protect Krolia’s son, who was chosen to be the paladin of Red Lion—and isn’t that the more important objective?

Kolivan reassigns Krolia immediately to ensure that her ties to Keith do not interfere with Keith’s new mission. Keith still doesn’t know Krolia is his mother.

Kolivan then grounds Lotor from engaging in an active battle again, and admits that it is best if Lotor remain with Team Voltron in his own stylized armor. 

Lotor asks if this is a demotion for insubordination.

Kolivan hesitates and says it’s possibly a promotion, if he can help to keep these human children alive long enough to save the universe. If all goes well, then the Blades will back Lotor’s bid at the resulting Kral Zera after Zarkon’s defeat.

Lotor hesitates, then adds, “And my secondary mission, to search for Oriande?”

“…Approved.”

Lotor then asks if it’s in fact cruel to hide from Keith that Krolia is his mother, but Kolivan convinces him that sometimes, the consequences of knowing outweigh the consequences of ignorance.

Kolivan knows that Haggar is Lotor’s true mother, but corrupted.

He fears what Lotor might do with that information.

Lotor, meanwhile, designs new armor for himself that is separate from that of the Blades.

He appears to Princess Allura, offering to help train the new paladins in the art of war if she can assist them with the spiritual aspects of connecting with Voltron.

Princess Allura accepts, but corrects him to say that she knows quite a bit about the art of war, thank you very much.  

He searches her curiously and asks to see what she can do—as it is imperative she remain battle-ready herself.

The princess very casually grabs for his own sword and holds it to his throat, in a challenge for a duel.

Lotor’s lips split wide in a smile of delight. He likes this princess and her spirit.

He discovers that the princess really can hold her own, and it’s at that point he realizes he will struggle to remain objective about her in his missions.

Allura is not entirely unaffected either, fighting to maintain a level of professionalism around him.

At some point, Lotor’s cat Kova sneaks in from Lotor’s ship to the Castle of Lions. Kova is a lazy, happy cat who likes to hold a mouse in his mouth but doesn’t actually try to eat it. Princess Allura’s mice get used to be carried around in this way. Chulatt often rides atop Kova’s head.

Kova is something of a therapy cat for the whole team. He likes lots of scritches and the way Pidge rubs his belly. He often steals Hunk’s burritos and sleeps on Allura’s comfy pillow when she is busy. 

Dayak, Lotor’s old governess, hears through the grapevine of Galra High Command that Lotor is in fact still alive. Kolivan and other Blade operatives track her, debating if she could possibly be turned to their side. They believe she can be a very valuable asset for future missions. 

Meanwhile, it’s been a long time since Lotor had to train children.

The Castle of Lions still ends up with everyone in a food goo fight at least twice.

Shiro is suffering significant PTSD, and the reality is that this is something Lotor fights as well from his time under his father’s command. He tries to help when he can and forms a deep bond with Shiro too.

Lotor mother-hens the paladins because he made a promise to Krolia that he would keep her child safe, but soon, they all worm their way into his heart. He feels very protective of them, and of the princess, who has not yet had the opportunity even to see the colony of her people, safely tucked away in the Quantum Abyss.

Lotor activates Romelle and Bandor for their assistance in tracking down leads on the existence of Oriande or other helpful relics worth having or keeping out of the witch’s hands. Allura argues that Oriande is just a fairy tale, and Lotor argues in return that Alfor simply had to have advanced knowledge to build Voltron as he did. He begs Allura to at least be open to the possibility that more exists about Altean heritage than she ever thought possible.

Allura pauses, then quietly confesses that she is quite sure she’ll never be the alchemist her father was. That he had a gift no one else had ever seen.

Lotor grows impassioned to say that neither of them have to be limited by what their fathers did or accomplished. That they can be so much more, something different—he can feel it. He gets a little too close in saying this. Coran jumps in, noticing that Lotor’s usual strong command of Altean etiquette slips when around Allura.

In thanks for listening, Allura leaves a little juniberry flower for Lotor.

He spins it in his fingers, face in a flush over what it could mean. But he tries to stifle his emotions, knowing that the Princess of Altea would not accept an exiled son of Zarkon in such a way. 

Occasionally, Lotor feels like Black Lion is watching him. He can’t tell if it’s because he’s paranoid, or if it’s because Black Lion actually knows his true parentage. He struggles to be in the same space as it, often unsettled.

Princess Allura and Shiro both notice this.

Meanwhile, Haggar uses a significant barrage of robeasts to distract Voltron while she completes building the Komar and perfecting other means of quintessence manipulation.

Haggar convinces Zarkon that Lotor is better to them alive than dead, and that if they could simply capture him again for a short time, she could turn him into Zarkon’s most loyal soldier, and undo Voltron’s advantages from the inside out.

Zarkon hesitantly approves. He demands that Lotor still be killed immediately upon fulfilling such a role, as Lotor would no doubt attempt to dethrone him.

Meanwhile, Princess Allura often catches Lotor reading up voraciously in the library of the Castle of Lions while the paladins complete their assigned training. At first, she thinks this activity has to do with Lotor’s fixation on the legend of Oriande. But then she catches him reading a book about Altean cuisines and asking for Hunk’s help in reproducing them—and she starts to suspect that Lotor’s not entirely Galran.

Occasionally, Lotor assists in BOM side-work, whether it’s breaking from the paladins to assist on an Oriande lead or helping Kolivan to unravel Galran records and codes.

Lotor has incredibly strong opinions about modulation.

Lotor is also very good at acting as a representative while Earth flails over getting in contact with its lost cadets and aliens. 

He remains in communication with Krolia often, reporting on Keith’s progress. But Keith is starting to ask questions as well, about how the dagger he found in his father’s stuff one day has the same exact symbol as that of the Blades.

Krolia helps to continue funnel lost people of mixed heritage toward the Blades. As Team Voltron grows more confident in their abilities, Lotor is called away to help train new recruits named Acxa, Zethrid, Narti, and Ezor.

Keith joins along briefly because he wants to learn more about the Blades themselves and why his father would have a Blade dagger.

Lotor discusses Keith’s application for the Blades with Shiro, who tentatively agrees that training with the Blades could be a good way to start ramping Keith up with leadership skills and advanced tactical knowledge. Lotor agrees that the boy is more capable than what his mother would allow him to be.

Shiro was trained to always have a line of command in place in case someone falls. He knows he could very well fall, and Keith as his right-hand is the most worthy in the group to take on the mantle of Black Lion in that case.

Lotor and the Blades agree to train Keith as a Blade, in preparation for a future where Shiro might not be able to fulfill his duties.

Keith sees this as a serious honor and doesn’t want to screw it up.

Meanwhile, Princess Allura discovers a journal from her father, with one of the final notes mentioning that Zarkon had declared he was to have a son soon, and that his chosen name would be Lotor—his day of birth to be on the fourth quintant of the 11th phoebe.

Allura shakily realizes that Lotor’s eyes are Zarkon’s eyes even if they are blue. She keeps her discovery to herself, in surprise that Lotor had so firmly denied his father, and out of respect that he has not willingly shared this history. 

Meanwhile, Lotor keeps eyeing the Black Lion, then Shiro, wondering exactly why Shiro is so insistent about a replacement.

Shiro hesitantly admits that Black Lion has started sending him visions—that something is wrong on the astral plane, and that it will likely take everything Shiro has to burn it out.  

Lotor, fearful, goes to Allura and demands to understand more about the Black Lion, admitting that he’s felt watched by it.

Allura hesitates to admit the old history that Black Lion was once piloted by Zarkon, but that it should not be affecting Shiro’s connection with the lion…unless Zarkon were still somehow connected.

Lotor recalls that Shiro was missing his bayard—that this could be significant if it were still in Zarkon’s hands.

Cue a wild crash of shenanigans involving Haggar crashing in with Komar to drain Voltron while Zarkon attacks the Black Lion to take it over, while various forces of Sendak hone in on Lotor as an asset to capture for Haggar’s experimentation.

In the insanity, Lotor is captured.

Princess Allura, fearful that her team is breaking apart, unleashes a level of alchemical power that digs deep into her connection with Voltron and far outpaces any retaliation Haggar was expecting.

The Komar powers down, and Zarkon loses his connection to Black Lion, with Shiro overpowering him.

Haggar digs deep into Lotor’s mind, attempting to plant a dark entity within him. She extracts memories of his attempts to find Oriande.

Lotor might not have magical abilities, but his cheeks begin to glow with his Altean marks as he concentrates deeply on Blade and Altean practices for preserving the mind. But Haggar is relentless, and evermore curious about his marks.

He realizes he might have to die to protect Oriande and Team Voltron, in the way some Blades have gone before to protect the whole.

His fears do not pan out, as Team Voltron and Allura rescue Lotor from imprisonment, with help from the Blades. Allura is carrying Lotor out as the paladins provide cover. Zarkon is roaring that he will ensure his son dies the worst death possible for his treason.

Lotor is genuinely shaken for the first time since the Blades recovered him from Zarkon all those years ago. His secret is out for the whole of Team Voltron. Allura tries to comfort him that it’s alright, and that they would never leave him behind.

He looks up, and Allura confirms that she knows and accepted that he’s a son of Zarkon a long time ago, and that if he ever tries to kill himself again, she’ll kill him herself. She embraces him.

He as an emotional moment because she is the first outside the Blades to accept him upon discovering his parentage.

Meanwhile, Shiro regains the black bayard in a sneaky trick beneath Zarkon’s nose, cutting off any of Zarkon’s remaining connection to Black Lion. But the team discovers in their retreat that Haggar has all the pure quintessence it’d harvested from Voltron—and that she hasn’t used it yet. Pidge also had hacked into the mainframe to discover that the Galra had located a transreallity comet.  

During the breach into Zarkon’s flagship, Bandor and Romelle stole what they could of Haggar’s things, to keep power out of her hands. They grabbed a strange stone as part of their loot.

Cue another stream of shenanigans where Team Voltron attempts to keep the comet out of Galran hands unsuccessfully. But in the midst of that defeat, Allura and Lotor discover that the item found by Bandor and Romelle provides a map directly to Oriande.

Plot twist that Haggar had still managed to possess at least Kova and use his eyes to access insight into Team Voltron’s movements. She sees Oriande’s location and leaves for it immediately.

It’s Narti who senses something is deeply wrong with Kova and tries to alert the team.

They realize too late that Haggar has probably already reached Oriande.

They desperately wormhole to reach it, while keep Kova locked up, which is a painful thing for Lotor but necessary. Allura promises that she’ll help find a way to purge Kova of Haggar’s influence.

Lotor’s Altean marks light up just as Allura’s do as they reach Oriande.

Upon arriving at Oriande, the landscape has been corrupted entirely by Haggar. Its defense systems had degenerated over the years since no one had visited in over 10,000 years to bond with the larger life force keeping it intact. Because Haggar infused it with her own life force, it took on her personality and interests.

The White Lion is glitchy, sending both Lotor and Allura in circles around the island.

Allura and Lotor both see unnatural visions and experience harrowing dangers in an attempt to reach the summit with the temple. 

Allura isn’t sure that she can gain anything from Oriande if it is so truly corrupt by Haggar. Lotor tells her that he trusts her ability to see through all things, and to discover something that could end the witch’s reign.

Oriande is haunted by phantom beasts.

Lotor chooses to remain behind to fight off those beasts while Allura climbs into the decayed temple and completes the mission. The glitchy white lion is watching him and struggles in some way to assist Lotor before its power wanes. Lotor mourns its loss as a valuable fighting partner, even if it glitched at odd times.

Allura discovers the art of healing and of infusing objects with power, but she also discovers that at the heart of Oriande, Haggar had left an imprint of some of her own self behind.

Allura realizes with a startle that she sees some of Honerva of Altea’s own memories mixed in with Haggar’s imprint. She realizes quickly that Honerva was Lotor’s true mother, 10,000 years ago.

Meanwhile, Krolia has appeared alongside various other squadrons of the Blades, in an attempt to help Voltron hold off increasing numbers of Galran forces from attempting to enter the white hole entrance of Oriande, which has gone dark.

Krolia sees Red Lion take a critical hit. She breaks rank to place herself directly in front of Keith, to protect him while he recalibrates.

In doing so, she reveals that she is so proud of what he’s capable of doing—but that he still needs to learn to watch his six.

Keith is surprised for a few ticks, but then moves to help protect Krolia too, saying that he has a lot of questions when this battle is over, like why she mothers over him so much.

Krolia cannot believe her son is actually this oblivious since she’s been trying to send him messages that she is his mother, but she agrees to talk.

Haggar has at this time returned to Zarkon’s flagship, infusing it with alchemy and the pure quintessence, coaxing the transreality comet to do her bidding to melt into molten ore and cover the flagship. This converts it to a massive transreality mecha, with Zarkon at the helm.  

Voltron is at a disadvantage against the much larger, much stronger mecha.

Allura, in a last-ditch desperation, drops her hand to Oriande and activates its stone, begging Oriande to respond to her need for a second defender. The temples begin to adjust. She realizes that because Lotor had subconsciously infused part of himself in Oriande too, the resulting mecha is actually of his own design—Sincline.

The interface is slightly glitchy from Haggar, and Lotor affectionately calls it the White Lion, sensing that his friend is still somewhere in the stone. And even deeper, he senses the memories of all the Alteans who’d infused their lives into stone—resulting in him feeling a few uncorrupted memories from Honerva, before she became Haggar.

He isn’t quite sure what to do with that, but shoves the emotions down for now.

Allura and Lotor pilot the mecha out of Oriande. Because the stones are connected to the Life Givers and the Ones Who Came Before, it is interdimensional in a way the other mechas are not, even if it cannot take a heavy hit. Their addition levels the playing field

Zarkon accesses the quintessence field, discovering he can do so, and Voltron quickly follows behind.

Lotor and Allura follow to stabilize the rift before it can upset the space-time continuum, calling upon the Life Givers for help in holding the threads of the universe together.

Team Voltron manages to successfully beat back Zarkon within the quintessence field, with Allura and Lotor using Zarkon’s own energy against him in a moment of distraction.

The distraction happens because the rift creatures possessing him realize that they are back in their natural universe.

The rift creatures call in their buddies, who begin to cannibalize the great source of power in Zarkon’s mecha.

The paladins take the opportunity to fry Zarkon out of existence, taking a large chunk of rift creatures with him.

Meanwhile, Haggar is on a small ship trying to escape in the regular universe, slipping between Galran factions and Blade squadrons.

Team Voltron return and pick her up before she can run away.

The battle ceases without Zarkon to provide orders—Sendak orders a full retreat upon seeing Voltron return without Zarkon.

Post-battle, Allura performs something completely novel with quintessence. After being in the rift, she realizes she can see different motivations within quintessence. In doing so, she searches out Kova and purifies his mind of dark alchemy. Then she goes to the imprisoned Haggar and purifies out the rift creatures possessing her, who disappear on the material plane the instant they are outside a host body.

Honerva wakes up, fully confused and largely unaware of what she’s done or how much time has passed. She is very convinced that she should be pregnant with a son named Lotor, and that she needs quintessence to stabilize her pregnancy.

It takes Honerva quite some time to realize that it’s been 10,000 years, and a grown Blade named Lotor is in fact her true son.

Lotor is very hesitant with her but sees she was not in control as Haggar. He still can’t look at her. Honerva promises to find some way to make up for her past.

Allura gets to see the Altean colony, returning Honerva to it in hopes that maybe a larger group and some normality could help her recalibrate and reconnect somehow. Bandor oddly takes pity on her, his parents having died long ago. Lotor cautions to Romelle to keep an eye out on his mother, and Romelle promises she will do so.

Allura works with several others to heal and rebuild Oriande to its former glory, as a place of open learning for any who have a deep enough spiritual connection with reality to grasp its secrets. She realizes that most things in Oriande appear as gibberish otherwise to the unmagical.

The Blades and Team Voltron back Lotor for the Kral Zera, and Lotor becomes Emperor.

The human paladins get to go home and celebrate that everything is okay now. Their voices make the human governments stand down from actively firing on alien ships.

Lotor disbands his father’s enslaved planets from the empire, offering reparations and working with Kolivan, the Blades, and Team Voltron to provide assistance to those planets as they rebuild.

Some Galra remember Lotor mostly as a traitor to his father and a bad overseer of a mining colony. The Fires of Purification rise, in time with increasing concerns over how the Galra will sustain its reliance on quintessence without conquering and enslaving.

Princess Allura—now crowned Queen of the New Altean Colony—works on the strange, quite sentient Sincline mecha that she and Lotor had built. She removes any glitch left over from Haggar’s influence on Oriande and realizes that she has a mobile, self-protecting entity that is a direct connection to the Life Givers.

Allura makes a deal with the Life Givers through the Sincline mecha, that it will open the rift twice a movement for the leader of any planet, so that quintessence can be collected from the rift. In exchange, it would have the right to judge the heart of the leader and enact justice against any who abused such a position. And that its older sibling, Voltron, would continue to ensure that no one else abuse the power either in a way that would harm others.

The mecha agrees to the condition on the astral plane. Voltron softly chimes in, agreeing as well.

Lotor approaches as the first leader to test this new system. He tears up when he hears the voices of the Life Givers sing to him through Sincline and offer him a well of quintessence for his people. They ask that he one day return to Oriande so that they can embrace him.

The Galra grow to accept Lotor and his strange ways of doing things.

Lotor finds himself oddly in the same position that began his entire journey—leaning on Kolivan for guidance. But Kolivan is no longer his only ally in a sea of enemies. As a matter of fact, Lotor has deepened several bonds and made many friends.

Lotor goes to Allura and says they make a pretty good team, and that he’s feeling cute, how about they marry.

Allura says yes.

The paladins cry happily at their wedding, and for once in 10,000 years, the galaxy is united and at peace.

Dayak reappears in time for the wedding, and Kolivan reveals that she had been giving the Blades tips for how to operate in the background to get around Zarkon’s defenses, and that she had even been instrumental in Shiro retrieving the black bayard from Zarkon.

Dayak is emotional about seeing Lotor again after all this time.

She’s not the only one.

Kolivan’s eyes are twitching during the ceremony. He’s fond and protective of his operatives, but there is a lot of space dust in the air as he watches Lotor marry, remembering that fateful day he’d saved Lotor from imminent death.

Lotor one day tries to give his BOM dagger back to Kolivan, recognizing that he has not been in the field for a long time—and that managing a planet and helping with New Altea is quite a lot of work.

Kolivan gently presses the dagger hilt back into Lotor’s hand. “Once a Blade, always a Blade.”

Lotor tears up because Kolivan is probably the closest he has come to a true father figure.

Somewhere, Coran is still crying of space dust, and the paladins crash the scene to demand a beach party. Because once Team Voltron, always Team Voltron.

Krolia and Kolivan are watching over the group. 

There are gratuitous laugh scenes with two mechas standing guard in the distance, gleaming in the sunlight.  

The end!

(Ahhh yeah, so this was yet another unexpected and extensive rewrite of VLD, loll. I hope these long outlines don’t bother anyone asdljfsa. But I enjoyed the ask, thank you for the prompt! Also I’m still steadily trying to work on Adrenaline Rush in the background. For some reason, I’m just having some writer’s block with it. I hope to update it soon, though!)

[easily-infatuated23]

The Tub Part 2: First Date (Draco Malfoy x Reader)

a/n: hello! a follow up to The Tub was requested by @ultradangerouspie so here it is! Part One Here

pairing: Draco Malfoy x non-pure-blood Slytherin Reader

word count: 1.1k

summary: After a chance meeting in the Prefects bathroom, Reader and Draco Malfoy have a date night in the common room during Christmas break

warnings: none to my knowledge 

The time between Thursday lunch and Friday night felt like years. I was sad to see my friends all going home for the holidays, but my mind was so occupied with thoughts about what this Christmas break would bring, it didn’t feel as bad. When Draco Malfoy had asked me out on a date, to say it was a shock would be an understatement. This cold boy who would only sneer and berate others had shown me a side of him that no one knew existed. Did he even know this side existed? He had been gentle and sincere, two words which had previously been antonyms when used in relation to the name Malfoy.

After saying my final goodbyes to Ron, Harry, and Hermione, I walked back to the Dungeons and into my dorm room. I changed out of my green Sytherin uniform and into my favorite blue mom-jeans and a black sweater. I took a deep breath and looked at my watch. 8 o’clock. It was time. I took another deep breath and opened the door to the girls dormitory. There were no other Slytherin’s staying over Christmas break so Draco and I would be truly alone. As I descended the staircase into the common room, I saw he was already sitting in the big armchair near the fire. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting to long” I said, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up at me and flashed a smile. “Not at all” he breathed. He pushed himself out of the chair and we met half way through the common room. “Did you have anything particular in mind for this date?” I asked. He stepped aside and gestured to a table set up behind him. On the table was a wizard’s chess board, butter beers, and various snacks. “I was curious to see if you are as good at wizard’s chess as you claimed yesterday” he chuckled. “Oh you are so on” I replied.

We sat down on the floor on either side of the table and began the game. Once the first game ended in a tie, we played another round, and another round which turned into us each taking turns letting the other win. I hated to admit it but Draco was quite the chess opponent. While we played, we talked about practically everything. He told me about his father’s unreasonable expectations and how kind his mother was. “Whenever my father was in a particularly bad mood he would do nothing but scream at me for hours. My mother would then come into my room at night and rub my head and make me feel less scared and alone.”

His eyes were glued to the board when he said this. I could tell he was trying his best to hold back tears. I placed my hand over his which caused him to look up at me. “She sounds wonderful” I said with a smile. I then told him about my family and the scandal that had occurred when my mother decided to marry my father.” We were still connected on the table as I spoke, his thumb dancing in circles lightly on the top of my hand. “She was nearly disowned. My dad is very ordinary you see, he’s an muggle English professor. She is a gifted Seer like me but her sort of “added” gift is that she can make people think or believe what she wants them to. So needless to say, after a bit of convincing, they accepted him”. “Wait so let me get this straight” he interjected. “Your mother literally changed her families minds about muggles”. I nodded. This fact shocked him.

Eventually, we stopped playing chess and sat on the couch together. I shivered. I was always cold. Being in the dungeons late at night during winter practically turned my blood to ice. I tried to hide it but he saw right through me. “Cold?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “Just a bit” I replied. He opened his arms and gestured for me to come closer. I scooted close to him and swung my legs over his, my arms wrapped around his neck. Now I was sitting with my body facing the arm of the couch but our faces were mere inches apart, like they had been the previous day in the Prefect’s bathroom. Our eyes met and there was silence. He studied my features, his eyes darting from my eyes to my lips and back again. “You are surprisingly warm” I said. I had always expected Draco to be cold. His pale skin, icy hair, and piercing eyes gave a different impression than the warmth and tenderness I was currently experiencing. He smiled at me, a small blush arising on his face.

“I know you have to keep up your whole ‘bad-boy I hate everything’ persona but I hope you know that I really like the you I’ve spent the evening with”. His blush intensified. He placed his hand on my face and rubbed his thumb over my cheek. “I’ve decided something” he announced. “And what is that?” I asked with a slight smirk. “I definitely fancy you”. We both laughed. “You are just now deciding this? I’m offended” I said, crossing my arms in front of me and turning slightly away as I tried to surprise a laugh. “No thats not what I meant” he replied, chuckling at my attempt at faking being offended. “I meant I fancy your mind just as much as your body. You are the only girl I’ve met here that is beautiful, smart, and kind to me even when I am…you know…” I turned back and hugged him closer to me. “Kinda the worst sometimes” I said, finishing his sentence. He laughed again. “Yeah something that like”.

“I would really like to be with you but if you want to be with me it comes at a cost” he remarked sadly. “We couldn’t tell anyone, not a single soul, and when we see each other in public I either have to be rude to you or ignore you all together”. I swung my legs off of the couch and reached for my half empty butter beer, taking a sip before facing him again. “You could also just be my friend you know. Like, we could work up to being friends publicly and then I can just assimilate into your friend group. I am assuming you don’t berate people like Pansy all the time.” Draco shook his head. “So there you go, perfect cover. Friends in public, together in secret. That way I can actually see you during the day without raising suspicion”. He chuckled. “You really are smart.” I shrugged. “I know how to get what I want” I replied. “And what do you want right now?” He asked suggestively. “I want you to hold me close and never let go” I said, kissing him on the cheek. “That I can do,” he said with a smile “that I can do”.

[alpaca-writes]

Mystics, Chapter 13

When Arch becomes hired on at Mystics by the strange shopkeeper Lyrem Nomadus, everything seems to be going well- in fact, their life nearly becomes perfection. Soon enough, however, Arch realizes that perhaps not everything is as perfect as it seems….

Read Chapters 1-12: Masterlist

Taglist: @myst-in-the-mirror, @livingforthewhump

CW: swearing, memory whump kind of, not much else actually.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A WANING CRESCENT

“Say cheese!”

“Cheese!”

There was a flash of light.

Shazia threw her arms around Arch’s neck as Lyrem pulled away to inspect his photo. Their graduation robes weighed them down heavily and it was hot in the upper floor of the theatre, but they both managed a wide grin for the camera regardless. Arch pulled off their graduation cap and ruffled their short feathery hair after the insistent hug. Then, they played with the little green tassel on top, weaving it through a finger as their diploma was held in the same hand.

The idle twitching ceased as Benjamin strode up the stairs to the third level of the building abandoning his parents on the second floor. His freckled face and mess of dark auburn hair cradled his excitable expression about the chartered limos arriving. Arch handed off their cap and diploma to Lyrem, and pulled off the robe with a grateful sigh throwing it over the return desk. Their mauve rhine-stoned romper twinkled in the yellow lighting as well as their short white heels to match.

“Wait,” Lyrem commanded to the three before they were to abandon the rest of the adults for the night.

Arch stood in place. Lyrem wanted another photo.

He took his share of pictures and ushered the graduates off to enjoy their own night. Arch deserved a night of reckless fun. They had been so down lately. Likely because of all the changes they had been going through. Graduating high school was an exciting event, but also one that would mean the end of many friendships, and the end of a regular schedule. For Arch, it would also mean the end of a normal world. The last specks of their innocence would be tossed away like their graduation cap into the crowd. Lyrem held onto it now. He held onto it and would probably put it on display.

“Stay safe and stay out of trouble!” He shouted, seeing the last fluff of hair disappear down the steps as Arch turned the corner. He smiled to himself endearingly and sighed.

“Kids,” a voice tutted behind him. ���Can’t live with them, can’t live without them.”

Lyrem straightened to a rigid board at the sound.

“Hekate,” he addressed, slowly, he turned toward the Goddess of the Moon. She watched him like a mother seeing their infant walk for the first time. A pitiful, sweet look it was. He grimaced toward her. “To what, do I owe the pleas”-

His voice cut out. Rude.

She breathed in deeply… and out. In the lighting and dispersing foot traffic, she very nearly glowed in her elegance, though she was wearing only a casual business outfit, striped trousers and a simple button up blouse, it made her beautifully dark complexion pop.

“I do enjoy your silence. Walk with me?”

If Lyrem had the ability to make a sound, Hekate may have heard a grumble from him. But he did as she requested, and followed the Goddess down the wide staircase, causing himself to wince with every third step. His knees were not quite as spry and healthy as they once were, if he were able to, he would have requested the use of the elevator instead. She descended the stairs elegantly beside him, as if she were floating.

“You seem to be happy,” She commented. “I like to see my children happy.”

Lyrem nodded, feigning a smile toward her as he clung to the banister. She wasn’t so easily fooled.

“Unfortunately, the time has come for you to deliver me what you owe.”

“What I owe?” His voice worked again, a single chance from her to provide the correct response. Knowing he failed, he didn’t bother to speak another time.

“Just because the woman you raised from death left you for another man, does not mean that your debt has been forgiven, Lyrem.”

He nodded, understandingly as they met the bottom of the stairs finally. His legs, thankful for the relief.

She smiled warmly. “You are in debt with several other God’s and Great Spirits as well as myself, are you not?”

Lyrem looked off to the glass doors; the last of the limousines drove off into the evening twilight. He refused to answer her, having one God after his literal heart was bad enough, to be reminded that there was yet another, was a kick in the pants.

“Hades demands your life and gained power as well, does he not?”

His head snapped back to her, his eyes wider, his thoughts and reckless nature betraying him. His voice worked again.

“How do you know about that?”

“You really believed you could trap the God of the Underworld in a Labyrinth?”

“Fuck.”

Hekate laughed.

“Do not fret, my child. He cannot reach the surface and so you are safe as long as you can avoid his… chosen emissaries.”

Lyrem nodded. “Well, that I can do.”

“Hm.” Hakate voiced absently. Strolling outside, she stared toward the west, where the sun was sinking behind the city buildings. “You’ve avoided paying your debts with many of us. Whether changing your name to avoid the fae, or substituting the sacrifice of your own life with the lives of others, or by throwing us into your little holes with help from silly little demons…”

Lyrem remained silent, waiting for the Goddess to finish.

“But from you, I have seen neither hide nor hair. I have been waiting for a scheme to arise, I was curious to see what you might come up with to shake me off your tail.”

“I don’t scheme,” he spouted at her, offended. “I plan.”

She smirked, yet again. Nothing ever seemed to upset this one. Nothing ever offended, or caused her to stray from her task at hand. Perhaps that was what disturbed Lyrem about her so. She never seemed to care. And yet she cared.

“There is no plan?” She asked. “Not for me?”

Lyrem fell into silence again. It was so tempting to tell her everything. She drew a calmness out of him that very few were ever capable of. He cleared his throat and straightened his posture.

“You gave me more than anyone else could. I would never trade my years with Maria for anything. I would not try evade what I owe to you for that favour.” He shuddered. Arch wasn’t ready yet. This was an earlier visit than he had been planning for, but Aurelius would tell him to accept his fate and be thankful for it, so, Lyrem tried. “If what you demand from me Hekate, is my life, my power, and essence, then I will go with you tonight and I will not challenge my fate any longer. I respect you too highly for that.”

“That is reassuring, but not what I need from you,” She interrupted him, touched by the gentle mention of his ex-wife. She stared at him expectantly.

“There is a plan.” Lyrem succumbed. “A retirement plan… I knew that eventually, one of my creditors would come to collect. Whether it be you or some other”- he sighed, and shook his head. “It’s Arch.”

“Ah, your latest…” Hekate raised a thick dark brow, “investment.”

“That might be one way of describing them, yes.” Stoically, as he tried, his composure faltered, ever so slightly.

“You care about them?”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“Hm.”

Lyrem stopped at the road side, seeing his SUV parked across the street, he pulled his keys from his back pocket.

“Why are you here, Hekate?” he finally managed. “If not to settle my debt, then why have you come?”

She sighed, staring up to the sky above them that was growing different shades. In a couple hours, the world would be plunging into a deep darkness.

“I simply wanted to understand.” She spoke gently, then addressed him with a warmness that nearly made him buckle under her gaze. “I wanted to understand you… I am forgiving your debt.”

Lyrem blinked, taken aback by the sudden generosity.

“Excuse me?” He voiced.

She nodded to him.

“I… I don’t understand.” Lyrem stared at her, suspicious of her words. Disbelieving of her decision. “You gave me Maria back. I cannot ever repay you for that”-

“Exactly.” She said knowingly. “And you think me to take your little friend’s life in replacement of your own? That would be well and truly barbaric- not my style at all. You know this.

And I see now that there was once a time when you made deals to prosper, to control of the world around you; you made agreements to fill your pockets and to bring you pleasure- and that was with all sorts of spirits and demons and demi-gods”- she huffed. “But with me, you asked for your love to be returned to you. You loved another so much that you even allowed her to leave you for another man. I never once thought that you were capable of such a noble deed.

And here you are, trying to live a part of life that you never thought you could have… Do you know what is more valuable to a Goddess than the saintly wishes of a good man?”

Lyrem was confused. She had this effect on him the first time as well.

“… No.”

“The saintly wishes of a bad man.”

“Ah.”

“If there is one thing you can do in return for me, it’s to take care of those that care about you. Pay off your debts with the others, be accountable for what you have done.”

Lyrem tilted his head slightly.

“… But that isn’t all necessary, is it?”

She smirked, and looked into him one final time.

“Goodbye Lyrem, your debt to me is forgiven.”

She melted into the darkness until nothing remained behind, leaving Lyrem to ponder what this change in heart would well and truly mean for himself… and more importantly, Arch.

[capricornus-rex]

A Shadow of What You Used to Be (6)

Chapter 6: No, There Is Another | Cal Kestis x Irele Skywalker

Summary: There is another! Years after young Anakin Skywalker departed Tatooine, his mother Shmi delivers a second child—this time, a daughter. Whilst the circumstance of the girl’s birth remains unexplained, Irele Skywalker has yet to choose the true path between those laid out for her.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, you guys! ;;w;; What with the holidays and me managing what to order for my 24th birthday today (It’s the 27th where I live so we’re celebrating in a quite chill way heheh), so this is my birthday treat to you! A new chapter! 💖💖

Tags: Fem! OC, Irele Skywalker, Force-sensitive! OC, Anakin’s Younger Sister, Skywalker! OC, Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice, Long-lost Sibling

Requesting to be tagged: @heavenly1927​

Also in AO3

Chapters: Prelude – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 | Previous: Part 5 | Next: Part 7 | Masterlist

7 of ?

19 BBY

Irele, her stepbrother Owen, and his now-wife Beru Lars live together in the same roof. After their father had died of natural causes, they placed him next to the grave of Shmi, as they deem it appropriate; they have taken full control of the homestead, though their ways didn’t change that much.

Now thirteen years old, Irele Skywalker had grown into the spitting image of Shmi Skywallker albeit younger. Medium length hair always secured as a ponytail with thin braids woven along the tail, warm and earthy-colored eyes, and a somber yet friendly smile.

The teenager had grown into an adventurous young spirit. Perhaps, if one is to see Shmi as a girl, she would have been the exact same as her daughter. Gaining friends in Anchorhead and even as far as Mos Eisley, though she had learned to steer clear of the latter town unless the need truly arises. Taking odd jobs in either of the towns, her hustler’s nature remained intact, she did not want to depend heavily on her brother and sister-in-law for monetary support—albeit Owen strongly disagrees, but to not avail.

“You’ve been out more often than staying at home!” chided Owen, who was now perhaps in his early thirties.

“Well, I do need to work, don’t I, big brother?” she tapped his bulky arm as she strolled into the house.

She had just returned from her work in the shop that’s a hybrid of a speeder vendor and a servicing center. Whether she realizes it or not, she always finds herself tinkering with something, fixing them… like her real brother’s pastime as a child.

Irele had taken home a piece of a machine to her house, a personal project of sorts, completely unrelated to her work. She settled herself on the small worktable in her bedroom and immediately casts her lamp’s light on the working space. A metal rod put together with various, mismatching shafts and components held together by screws and sewn leather wrappings; it’s even a miracle that it worked, one way or another, it would serve better as a melee weapon than that of a Magnaguard’s electro-staff. Perhaps this staff is one of the many testaments of Irele’s skillfulness and resourcefulness, for growing up as a hustler and being exposed to machinery at an early age.

As she grew, she always donned a woven scarf made by Shmi. It has been a few years or so, and the heartache is very much fresh; every time she catches a glimpse of her headstone, with Cliegg’s next to it, the healing wound is ripped open once again—though she found comfort in confiding and speaking to both of them as if they were still alive, sitting with her and listening.

“Oh, circuitry should be here. Mom would have pointed that out too.” she mumbled to herself as she fiddled the wires with the sharp end of a thin screwdriver.

Come the hour of sunset, Irele had finished her chores after her handicraft. In the middle of her working, she felt a presence—it was sage and calming—she also heard the grunting of a single eopie. Curious, she and Beru went to the door. She was right about the eopie, carrying a single rider who held the reins with only one hand and is carrying something with the other. Irele thought the hooded rider to be her brother, as she remembered his own cloak, but the cowl revealed a slightly older man—his jaw was covered with a full, sandy-brown beard, his eyes were kind and yet she hinted the sadness in them, as if tragedy had befell him shortly before coming here.

It was Obi-Wan.

When the stranger coaxed the animal to kneel, he carefully hopped down, and supported his precious cargo with his free arm. He approaches the older girl and she willingly takes what he gave. The wide sleeve of his robe gave way to show an infant boy, perhaps a few weeks old. Beru and Irele’s eyes lit up, they spoke nothing to the stranger but they bid him with a short, polite bow.

Obi-Wan noticed the second girl, her olive skin and brown eyes gave him a memory of Anakin—the reminder sharply jabbed him into the recesses of his mind. The angry voices, the echoes of the sputtering lava, and the sorrowful howling of Anakin drummed behind his ears.

“Are you alright, sir?” Irele noticed.

“Oh, dear. I am fine, thank you,” he cleared his throat and tucked his arms inside his sleeves. “I am just not used to travel here in this place… but I will be.”

“I see.”

“My dear, may I know your name?”

“It is Irele…”

“Irele…?”

“Irele Skywalker-Lars.”

Obi-Wan slowly angled his head upwards, concealing his surprise as her name sinks into him.

Another Skywalker?

“Well, Irele,” he cleared his throat again. “May I ask a favor from you?”

“I’ll do my best to fulfill it.”

“I’m sure you can,” Obi-Wan’s gaze went to Beru carrying the baby who joined her husband, Owen, looking at the binary sunset. “Take care of him.”

“I don’t mean to sound uptight but… Who is he to me?”

“He’s your family. Your nephew. His name is Luke.”

Irele was a smart girl. She knew whose son the infant would have belonged to. A part of her wanted to ask where the father is—her brother—but perhaps it was for the best that she does not obligate the stranger to indulge her questions.

“Then I’ll do everything in my power to keep him safe.”

“I know, Irele,” Kenobi smiled, although a little sadly. “I know.”

“Sir, I’m sorry but I don’t know your name.”

“Ben… Ben Kenobi.”

Kenobi did not stay long in the premises of the homestead. He bowed to Irele, who returned the gesture, and returned to his steed. The eopie grunted as Kenobi hauled the reins to the right side, then spurred the tall quadruped to the distance, clouds of sand puffing under its hooves until the figure disappears as the twin suns set.

When Kenobi was gone from her sight, she turned to her brother and sister-in-law, along with their nephew—whom Owen would have probably called his son, given the chance. Irele was excited. She was already thinking of the things she and Luke would do—what games they’d play, what machines she’d teach him to fix, what kind of speeders could they hop on together.

He was the brother she never had.

From a certain point of view, it’s a wrong that she could right, while fulfilling her promise to Kenobi.

After Beru nursed the infant, she laid him down on their bed, Irele never left Luke’s side. She chuckled every time he would squirm, coo, and smile at her. Her heart fluttered and she fell in love with him. When Beru left the two children alone, Irele tasked herself to watch over him.

She moved her finger to his tiny hand and with his tiny, soft fingers he clasped her thumb with a grip as light as a feather. Irele’s heart melted once more.

And then she whispered as she kissed the tiniest hand that held hers, “I’ll keep you safe, Luke. I’ll always protect you.”

[cxmetery-gates]

OBSESSIVE TEACHINGS - DARK!TOM HIDDLESTON

CHAPTER THREE: A GOOD SCARY STORY

SUMMARY: With teases and friendly banter, Lynn can’t help but fall under Mr. Hiddleston’s charming spell. WORD COUNT: 2.1k NOTES: Thank you to everyone reading! Dark!fics get a lot of criticism and though the story has not turned into one ((yet)), I’m very humbled by all the likes and reblogs :) WARNINGS:  dark!tom hiddleston, teacher!tom hiddleston

OBSESSIVE TEACHINGS MASTERLIST

"I'M NOT ONE FOR COMPLAINING," I pant– while simultaneously lying with a straight face– dragging my feet up another flight. "But can I ask which floor your room is on?"

Only a step ahead of my slow pace, the male teacher smirks. "Not fond of stairs?"

I shrug. "Not really fond of anything involving exercise."

"I would agree," he glances back, a grin marking his face. He makes a huff, more than likely on my same page, but perhaps better off. He appears to be fit so I'm doubting three flights of stairs is killing him like it's slaughtering me. "But, a morning run isn't the worst way to start the day."

My nose wrinkles. "So you're one of those guys? Gotta make those gains, hm?" I'm not sure where my overly confident attitude is coming from. It's not like me to make comments like these to my teachers, Mrs. Gibbons being the exception but even then I am reserved. Something about being close to Mr. Hiddleston has completely altered my professionalism around people of a higher authority. Hopefully it doesn't last long and I don't run into the principle any time soon.

Finally, after what seemed like climbing Mount Doom, we reach the last step. Pausing, Mr. Hiddleston looks down to me. "You've got quite the nerve talking to your superior like a classmate."

It's obvious he's teasing, so I go along. "My superior? What, because you're a hundred thousand dollars in debt thanks to a fancy piece of paper and you've got a couple more decades on your shoulders?"

"'A couple decades?'" He repeats, quite amused.

I shrug with sass coating my entire being. "Give or take. What are you, forty? Nearing fifty?"

His gives a chuckle. "Try thirty-three."

"Really?" I ask doing a small run down while he looks away. I don't find myself in the company of thirty-somethings all that often but I can't lie; he's looking really good, especially from the backside. Mr. Hiddleston hums, and I'm not sure if that was a positive or negative sound. "You sure? Because I could have sworn I saw some grays up there."

"Oh, ha ha, you're so clever," he mocks, voice suddenly raising just a couple octaves. It causes me to jump but I giggle, feeling a strange girly feeling arise from my stomach. All I can do is tell myself not to throw up from nerves, over and over in my head.

Feeling just as confident, I reply with a whisper. "Shh! There are classes in session! You're going to get detention!"

He shakes his head. Mr. Hiddleston attempts to be serious but there's humor and teases filled between each word. "Funny you mention that: I happen to be the teacher in change of detention this week. And don't think I won't put you there because you're helping me: any other teacher would have landed you a weeks worth just from your comment on my age."

My eyes roll. "As if. You're too nice."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Positive," I reply, a smirk hanging on my lips.

He looks down, given my lack of height, and I move my face towards him comically. There's a smirk playing on his thin lips, the corners desperately trying to form a smile. Eye contact remains steady, but I see it more as a funny, friendly game of domination. A moment passes before he looks away, a small sigh parting his lips. "We'll see about that," Mr. Hiddleston retorts, causing me to chuckle.

From his belt, he wears one of those mini extendable cables that can hold all sorts of keys and chains. I'm honestly not quite sure what they're called. Fumbling with the keys, Mr. Hiddleston flips through several before find the the right one and pulling it towards the door, a thin wire keeping a hold on the instrument. When I was much younger, my mother would wear one clipped to the pocket of her scrubs, but hers was smaller, only allowing another clip for her RN tag. Each night consisted of me as a toddler pulling on the name tag and watching the cord return to the circular piece of plastic, unable to see the thin cable coil within. The small piece of nostalgia sets a comforting warmth in my chest.

Despite the insignificant memory, I snicker at his device. The sight of such a young and handsome man keeping his keys together with such an instrument is dorky, and definitely cute.

"Welcome to my humble abode," he sighs, flipping the fluorescent lights on. I follow him in while getting a look around his classroom.

It's relatively simple and mundane, surprisingly enough. Not like I was expecting red velvet walls or a jacuzzi, but maybe something with a bit more personality. The walls are neatly littered with the typical English teacher posters, from "Best Shakespeare Quotes" to the differences between "to," "too," and "two." There's a blank white board in front of rows of desks and a projection screen pulled down over it. Across the room are a few book shelves consisting of dictionaries, thesauruses, and books worth reading. From the distance I can easily spot several of my own favorite books, instantly earring couple brownie points from me.

I follow Mr. Hiddleston who takes a left, as a wall with a pencil sharpener blocks the right. We walk parallel to a wall which is entirely ceiling high cabinets, all closed to the curious eye. His desk sits catty corner and is much like his classroom: mess free and boring. I consider making a comment but stop myself when I notice a few photos on the filing cabinet. One is him with a graduation cap and gown, his hands bearing a diploma. The next looks like a guys night out with Mr. Hiddleston wearing a (distractingly tight) black shirt and two other men accompanying him. And last, and the one that is set before the others, is a picture of the teacher with an older woman. I can only assume it's his mother. This causes a heart warmed smile to etch across my face. It's always lovely and precious to see older men respecting and appreciating their mothers. My own tells me "mama's boys" are the worst type of man to date because in her mind, they are still children who cling to their mothers for support, emotion and financially. I have to remind her that it's not the case for every man, just for the guy she chose to marry.

"Please, set the books wherever you like." My random tangent gets interrupted by a voice, causing me to jump six feet. Mr. Hiddleston places his stack of books on his desk. I would follow suit but looking at the small space, I decide to give his personal bubble some room and I move to the nearest student desk.

Brushing my hands over my black jeans, I turn around. While the teacher shuffled through stacks of papers, I awkwardly and silently stand close to his desk. Only a few second pass do I actually realize my situation: me with the hottest teacher, all alone. I can only imagine all the jealous teenagers clawing at this chance. However, I have a job downstairs waiting for me. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Hiddleston?"

His eyes quickly shoot up. "Oh, uh no. No, thank you." Mr. Hiddleston pauses a moment to set his papers down. "I'm sorry for keeping you. I was looking to see what hour of the day I have you, but it appears there isn't one."

My eyebrows knit together at his comment. "Well, you'd have to look for a "Carolyn" if that were the case." I pause for a moment, confusion riddling my face. "Wait, whaddya mean?" Almost instantly, I'm repulsed by my southern slang, despite myself not having any drawl to my words. My voice is basically that of an incoherent cave woman compared to his smooth, charming accent. Aside from this, I feel myself floating; he's looking for a time to see me again. I have to contain a girlish squeal just as reality sets in. He's probably just curious if he actually has me or is considering making a "see you at this time" comment. Nonetheless, my heart skips a beat or two.

"Most seniors take my course as their final English requirement. Are you not a senior?"

I feel myself dimming at his comment. Unfortunately, it would appear reality strikes again. But it was honestly quite ridiculous for me to even consider the reason why he was looking for my name was for something other than educational. However, I simultaneously feel my body lighting up. "Oh, no, I definitely am a senior. I chose the writing class for my English elective. I, uh, want to be a writer so I figured it would help in the long run."

Mr. Hiddleston seems interested in what I have to say. Most tell me writing isn't a career or I have a one in a million chance in making it big. Well, if George Lucas can write the three prequels all alone and still make bank, I think I've got a pretty good shot. "Fascinating! What is your preferred genre?"

With some hesitation, I blurt out, "Fantasy, but also some horror and thrillers. I've tried sci-fi once; didn't work out too well."

"I love a good scary story," he comments, giving me a wink. I take this as a small gesture, but my insides are literally screaming. Never has a friendly wink turned me into a flustering mess. Part of me say he knows what he can do, and if that's the case, he's quite the cocky bastard.

Playing along, I give my shoulder a shrug and coolly reply, "Perhaps I can run a rough or final draft by you."

"I wouldn't mind that at all."

How does such a small statement cause all my organs and two hundred and six bones to turn into jelly?

Brushing my long hair from my face, I peek over at the clock. It's been a bit longer than I expected, the hands informing me I have five minutes left of my first class period. "Well, I ought to get going if there isn't anything else I can do for you?" I make sure to say this in the form of a question. I wouldn't mind being late to my next class just to see a gorgeous face a while longer.

Mr. Hiddleston's lips part for a moment just before clamming shut. The look in his blue eyes tell me he wants to say something, but doesn't. I'm not sure what would constitute such a hesitation; initially, I thought he would have asked me to help shelve the twenty-or-so books. The look is intense, or appears to be, just for a flash, less than a second. My own anxieties begin to shake just as a kind smile grows along his lips. "No, but I do appreciate the offer. Thank you, Carolyn."

I visibly cringe at my legal name, this look not going by the teacher so easily. He bursts a small laugh. "Not a fan or your name, are we?"

Shaking my head, I say, "No particularly. It's a bit vintage. Well, not terribly so, but I'm not over the moon about it." I pause awkwardly, my flustered nerves getting the better of me. I croak out some sounds before finishing my tangent. "I go by Lynn, though."

"Lynn it is then," Mr. Hiddleston announces. "I'll let you get going then. The bell will ring soon and I don't want you to be late on your first day back because of me."

I smirk while crossing over to the door. "Nah, I don't mind." Instantly I want to smack the back of my head. To anyone listening it would sound like I had been flirting with a teacher. Well, to be fair it would have sounded like it not matter what time someone were to jump in at. Even so, this comment I naturally came up with put me in a case of "oh fuck." With reddened cheeks, I take a look over my shoulder so see Mr. Hiddleston unfazed by my comment, thank the holy lord, except a ever growing smile. He takes his eyes off the paper in front of him, meeting me with his pretty blues.

"I'll see you around, Lynn."

"Likewise." And with that, I part down the hall, this time invested in taking the elevator.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

TAGLIST:

@khadineberry​

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[galvanizedfriend]

Klaroline Drabble

Random. 1.4k words. Totally not canon compliant. I’m trying to write more, so.

Caroline stops by New Orleans ten years after that lovely afternoon in the woods with Klaus and they have dinner. Or try to. It’s hard to concentrate with Originals fighting werewolves and a blue witch right outside. 

____________

Caroline should've known there was no way this was ever going to be anything resembling normal. She just didn't think it would ever be... Well... This.

 Being a vampire and growing up in a city like Mystic Falls, which is basically the world's magical belly button - although, more accurately, it's more like the world's magical drain, where all kinds of crap get sucked into - you kind of forfeit the right to a normal life. You may cry, you may scream, you may even try to leave it all behind and start anew elsewhere, but magic always finds its way back to you, no matter how far you go. She’s long accepted that they're flames in a world of supernatural moths. There is no escaping it. So they might as well embrace their fates, find a way to live in spit of it all. And if an opportunity for a bit of a social life arises -  don't even question it; just hold on to it like it’s the last drop of water in the desert.

 With that thought firmly in mind, she chose to go with the what the heck shrug when Klaus asked her out to dinner while she was passing by New Orleans. Of course passing by meant stopping by when she really didn't have any good enough excuses for sticking around, waiting to get noticed. It was a bit of a coin toss; if it happened, it was meant to be, if not... Well.

It took Klaus exactly twenty three minutes to find her. He really does have the city wrapped around his little finger. Color her impressed.

 Caroline hadn't seen him in ten years. She was... curious. Of course she'd heard all sorts of stories - resurrected Originals, bloody wars raging across the French Quarter, the Strix, whatever the hell that was. Caroline wondered what a decade and the conquest of a city would've done to him, and she's not surprised to find that he is indeed... different. He looks exactly the same, and the dimpled smirk on his face is familiar in a way that makes Caroline feel inappropriate things, but she does not remember Klaus being this composed in the face of chaos. Especially involving his siblings. And a bunch of rabid werewolves. And...

"Is that person... blue?"

 "Spell gone wrong, I'm afraid," he speaks calmly, lifting his glass so one of his employees - that's how Caroline is choosing to call it; she'd rather believe the man is being handsomely paid to wait on the Mikaelsons - can refill it. "More wine, love?"

 "I... Yeah. Sure." Klaus nods at the man, smiling at her from behind the hem of his glass while hers gets refilled.

 "Are strawberry cheesecakes still your favorites?" he asks mildly. There's a loud crack outside, and Caroline turns to look in time to see Kol flying across the courtyard.

 "Klaus," she says. "Your siblings are fighting werewolves and a blue person outside. I think I just saw a fireball. They're trying to burn down your house."

 "Nonsense. This house won't burn so easily. It has very good foundations. Besides, I had it spelled against fires back when there was a different one raging across the French Quarter every other day," he says flippantly.

 "Elijah just got bitten by two wolves," she remarks, wide-eyed and disbelieved. "And now he's biting the guy back?" Caroline makes a little disgusted sound under her breath, scrunching up her face when Elijah rips the man's head off with his teeth.

 "Yes, it seems like it," Klaus replies around a sigh, unbelievably bored. "Do you have any ideas how many peaceful evenings I get to have around here? There's always someone trying to start an uprising for some reason, somewhere. When it's not wolves, it's witches, when not witches, vampires, when not vampires, it's my own bloody family. I haven't seen you in a decade, sweetheart, so I'm clinging to this evening until one of those rascals flies through my French doors and ruins our dessert, in which case I will be forced to retaliate. Otherwise, I'm staying put. If you've changed your mind about our date, love -"

 "No," she hurries to reply. “I didn’t.”

The slow self-satisfied grin tugging at his lips is positively obscene.

 Klaus' Henley clings to his torso at just the right places, the first couple of buttons undone, revealing the beaded necklaces around his neck. His hair is longer than she's ever seen, styled rather fashionably, and all Caroline can think is that she wants to bury her fingers in those silky-looking curls and then pull. Klaus looks more appetizing than anything he's served tonight, so no, Caroline does not regret saying yes to the invitation she oh, so smoothly sought. She never expected Klaus to be so respectful of that agreement they signed in sweat and orgasms ten year ago, so it was up to her to take a strategic detour and hope he'd take a famous hint.

 It's just... Well, it's a little awkward, sitting here with classic music and people waiting on them while Rebekah's skirt is on fire right outside. Do you have any idea how much this cost, you ogre?! This is vintage Chanel!

 "Uhm... Aren't you worried they might die?" she asks, tearing her eyes from Kol stabbing a man with what looks like a table leg, cutting to the incredibly enticing movement of Klaus' throat as he swallows his wine.

 He scoffs. "Please. Four werewolves and a witch that can't even fix her own botched spells? If they die, it'll be well deserved and I won't be attending their funerals."

 The creases on Caroline’s forehead deepen. "You're all completely insane around here, aren't you?"

 "This city does have a way of twisting people's sanity, yes," he says calmly. "But is it really insane that I just want to have a quiet night in with an old friend?" A soft smile curls his lips as he stresses the word in a way that leaves no doubt as to all the lewd intentions underneath. Caroline tries not to blush. Probably fails. "As far as wishes go, that's a rather simple one."

 "You're apparently in the wrong family for that," she counter, sipping from her glass. The wine is fantastic. "And the wrong city, too, I guess."

 Klaus shrugs just as what looks like a human hand hits the glass doors, leaving a gory splotch of red.

 "For goodness' sake," he grumbles, putting his palms flat on the table as he pushes up from his chair. "Rebekah! We're trying to eat in here!"

 Rebekah comes to stand right in front of the door, a grim expression on her blood-stained face, hands firmly planted on the sides of her charred skirt. "Oh, I'm sorry, Nik. Am I disturbing your romantic endeavors whilst fighting for my life?"

 "Yes, dear sister. You are, indeed. Can't you wrap this up or go play with your food outside?"

 "I -" Rebekah is cut off by a fireball flying right over her head. "We could do with a little hand, you know?"

 Klaus shakes his head, exhaling in frustration as he turns back to Caroline, his expression instantly softening. "Would you like to join me upstairs, love? The view is lovely from the balcony and we won't be disturbed by my barbaric and incredibly incompetent siblings."

 Caroline smiles sheepishly, not quite disguising her excitement. "Well, I do love a good view."

 Klaus offers her his arm as he guides her up the stairs. Caroline's hand balls next to her as she refrains from touching the dimple denting his cheek, missing the feel of his stubble under her fingertips, wanting to follow up with her lips. The night is young, though.

 "Next time," Klaus starts. "We'll go out. There's a lovely restaurant called Antoine's, just around the corner. I'll get us a private room or perhaps I'll have them close the courtyard for us, and we'll have a nice dinner without interruptions. Then we'll go for a stroll across the Quarter, beignets at Café du Monde, a walk around Jackson Square, the view of the Mississippi at night from a terrace bar. I'll show you all my favorite places. Perhaps you might yet fall in love with New Orleans."

 Caroline looks up at him, drawing just a tiny bit closer, and smiles. "Perhaps I might."

[flutteringphalanges]

Summary: It is public knowledge that Zoe Van Helsing is the last of her blood line. Not to mention that, in a sense, Count Dracula is too. However, after an unexpected night of passion, both their lives dramatically change when Zoe becomes pregnant. Two unconventional parents, one extraordinary pregnancy. What could go wrong?

Rating: M

Pairings: Zoe Van Helsing/Dracula implied Agatha/Dracula

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: I can’t believe I updated TWO stories in ONE day! This is a first for me in a long time lol! Sorry for being overly excited. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Feedback is greatly loved and appreciated! -Jen

                                                Chapter Seven

Zoe no longer winced at needles. After being diagnosed with cancer, she was so used to being pricked and prodded she barely batted an eyelash. As her oncologist drew yet another vial of blood for testing, she sighed softly to herself and gazed upwards at the clock. This appointment was cutting way past her lunch break and in her current state, food was rather important. Particularly when it came to her mood.

"We'll send these down to the lab, but as I said earlier, you're still in remission." Dr. Elliott commented, discarding the needles into the waste container. "Have you felt off at all? I mean, I realize you are pregnant and symptoms can be hard to distinguish sometimes."

"I'm fine." The scientist said with a small smile. "The last thing that sent me vomiting was a block of old cheese I left in the back of the fridge." Absentmindedly, a hand traveled to the small swell of her stomach. "And my obstetrician says the twins look good development wise."

"That's wonderful news!" Her doctor smiled, scribbling something down on her chart. "And their father must be excited as well. You've never brought him in before, I'd quite like to meet him."

Now that made her wince. She envisioned Dracula walking into the cancer ward asking bizarrely specific questions about the various blood bags destined for patient transfusions. Zoe swallowed, mustering up the courage to tell yet another lie in this web of who and what her twins were.

"We aren't together." She said slowly. "It's a complicated situation."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I shouldn't have even brought it up." Dr. Elliott nearly stammered. "It wasn't any of my business. I was merely curious…"

"It's quite alright." Zoe assured her, forcing a smile. "Really, you're not the first. And honestly, it's for the best...all things considered."

"I suppose that's what's important." The oncologist nodded, setting the chart down beside a computer. "Well, that's all I need from you today, Ms. Van Helsing. You know the drill, if you have any concerns or any odd or new symptoms start to arise, please contact me immediately. Especially with you being pregnant, we don't want to take any risks. If your blood results show something, we'll give you a call."

"Okay." The scientist nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"It was good to see you again, Zoe." Dr. Elliott smiled, reaching for the door handle. "And congratulations again on the little ones. Being a mum is worth all of the troubles."

Zoe smiled but said nothing as the doctor left the room. When the door closed behind her, she inhaled deeply and ran a hand through her hair. Though she meant well, the woman really had no idea what was in store for the scientist. Not that the mother herself had much of a thought either. Rubbing her bump gently, she glanced once more at the clock. Time for work, and what a day, she knew, it'd be.

                                                             XXX

"Maybe someone else should go in with him, you know?" Jack suggested, trying to keep up with Zoe's long strides. "With you being pregnant and all? What if he hurts you?"

Hours had passed since Zoe's doctor visit and the sun had finally sunk over the horizon. As they had discussed, Dracula had held up his end of the bargain and voluntarily entered the Jonathan Harker Foundation. The scientist, of course, had yet to catch sight of him, but knew well enough that Dr. Bloxham and some approved escorts-as chosen by both her boss and the lawyer, were waiting patiently in a secure area.

"He's not going to harm me," the scientist assured him. "Trust me, he wouldn't dare."

"You being sure of that doesn't outweigh the risks." The younger man continued to counter. "Zoe, please." He took the woman by the arm causing her to stop in her tracks. "Don't do this."

For the briefest of moments, a small part of her considered the idea of telling Jack. Admitting that the father of her children was not a stranger, but the vampire Count Dracula himself. But she knew doing so right now was in neither of their best interests. She hated being deceptive. Despised it even. Yet she accepted the fact that she must.

"I'll be okay, Jack." Zoe said gently, pulling away from the doctor. "I am more than capable of handling myself. I've done it before. "The scientist gazed towards the closed metal doors that led into the room where the Count sat freely–without any sort of restraints as per agreement, and sighed. "Interesting yes, but dangerous…" She chewed on the inside of her cheek, choosing her next words carefully. "I'm probably safer in there with him than anywhere else."

And without looking back to gauge Jack's reaction, she slid in her key card and entered the sterile space. The room was rather empty in the sense that not much was in it. It sort of reminded her of those interrogation rooms from crime shows. Unlike last time, there was no prison but a simple metal table with some chairs.

Zoe blinked, the bright light somewhat irritating as she took note of the others in the room. Three burly men stood in the back, their eyes fixed on the scientist. Attached to each of their hips was a strange looking device. A stun gun of some sort she figured. But more importantly, there, sitting rather comfortably in the center was the vampire himself.

"Ah, Dr. Van Helsing." Dracula greeted as the woman ventured over, taking a seat. "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show up and I'd have the misfortune of talking to someone else. Glad to see I can rest easy."

"I apologize if I kept you waiting." She almost had to force the words out. "I was held up with other things. You've been treated well I assume?"

"Well, no one has threatened to burn me into a crisp like last time." The Count smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "I'd say that is an upgrade. Now, enough about me for a moment, Zoe-can I call you that since we'll be working together after all?"

"I suppose…" She muttered, frowning slightly. "...That would be appropriate."

He seemed to smile at this. "If you don't mind me being intrusive, I wanted to ask how your oncology appointment went today. A little birdie told me you had one and considering your condition-congratulations by the way." The way he smiled as he spoke made Zoe's skin crawl. "Well, I thought I'd be polite and ask. We are working together now."

"Fine." She said through clenched teeth. "But you aren't here to discuss me."

"Do something to provoke him. Perhaps he'll make a move and one of the guards will dispose of him properly."

Now standing alongside the three men was the familiar spirit of Agatha. Her blue eyes gave a piercing stare in the vampire's direction. Zoe chewed on her bottom lip, trying not to focus on her late aunt.

"Is everything alright, Zoe?" Dracula asked curiously, snapping the woman out of her trance. "I believe we were on the topic of discussing me rather than you-which is rather unfortunate on my end." His fingers laced together over the table. "I was told you needed another blood sample from me. That the other one went...missing." His tongue briefly darted out as he licked his lips. "I must admit that's rather clumsy on your department's part."

"Yes, well, things happen." Zoe interjected feeling the heat rise up the back of her neck. "But getting another one shouldn't be a problem now will it?"

"Only if you take it yourself." The vampire smirked, chuckling lightly. "You did a good enough job last time...even if it did go missing."

"Serpent." Agatha hissed from her spot in the room.

"We'll be more vigilant this time." The scientist promised with a frown. "That's a guarantee."

                                                        XXX

Zoe couldn't help but grimace a little when Dracula slid his nail over his wrist, slicing through his flesh like fresh butter. She could feel his eyes watching her as she carefully collected the sample, handing it off to a tech that had entered the room.

"Open." She commanded, holding a long cotton swab. "I need your saliva."

"Aren't you worried I might bite?" The vampire teased, opening his mouth as the woman threw him a look. "Adventurous, but aren't all Van Helsings." Zoe continued to be silent as she handed off the Q-tip. "How's your pregnancy fairing? From what little I've picked up from my time here, you don't talk to others much about it."

"My private life and work life are separate for a reason." The scientist finally said, taking a step back from the Count. "And I'd like to keep it that way, especially with you. Here." She sat back down in her seat.

"So what exactly do you plan to do with all of the DNA you took from me?" Dracula asked curiously. "I certainly hope not to attempt to replicate me. Though, an army of vampires might be of use to the government. A race of super soldiers the likes of which the world has never seen." He laughed at his pitiful joke.

"As we expressed before with your lawyer, we merely want to understand you. Humanely. And if you keep cooperating like you are now, things will remain easy." Zoe inhaled deeply. "And if you are curious about the results, I would be more than happy to share with you what we learn as we go along."

"Science is fascinating, isn't it?" Dracula mused, his eyes traveling down to the woman's stomach. "Really makes you ponder about the little things in life."

It was as if he wanted to rely to the world who the father to the twins residing in her belly were. The way he pushed at the boundaries of it all. Zoe tried not to tense up as his dark eyes met hers. They were a team now, in more ways than one. And whether she liked it or not, the expecting mother would have to make it work.

"I think we're done here." Zoe said standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Count Dracula."

She turned on her heels as he called out something to her. Whatever it was, it fell on deaf ears. Exhausted, she made her way out of the room. Thankfully, it seemed Jack had already left for the night. The last thing she needed was to go over today's events with him. Some soup, a movie, and a fuzzy blanket sounded like the closest thing one could reach to Heaven as Zoe headed towards her car.

"You seem to be in an awfully big hurry."

Zoe turned around and bit back a groan as Dracula came into sight. Gone were the guards and any sign of human life. Just the scientist and the vampire alone in the parking lot under the dim street lights.

"Go away." She mumbled. "I've had enough of you for one night."

"I did as you asked." The vampire replied simply. "A thank you would suffice."

"No, what you nearly did was give away the fact that I not only tampered with important evidence, but I conceived not one, but two babies with you!" Zoe hissed under her breath. "So I won't be thanking you."

"Ah, hormones, I read they were raging during the second trimester." Dracula commented, shaking his head. "Don't worry, I honestly don't take it personally. When you come to your senses, you'll realize that in the end, you are the one being ridiculous about this."

"Ridicul-"

Suddenly, a sharp pain ignited from Zoe's lower abdomen. The amusement fell from the vampire's face as the scientist let out a sharp yelp and grabbed the spot. Stars flooded Zoe's vision and they weren't from the sky. Someone called out her name, the word sounding distant as darkness began to swallow her up. A pair of arms caught her before she hit the ground and as the world started to fade, the look of horror etched on Dracula's face might have even been comical. If it weren't for the two, fragile little lives within her.

[shepscapades]

Yogscast Starter Pack/Master Post

Hello!! I’ve had quite a few people express interest in exploring the Yogscast’s content recently! The yogs fandom’s source of content is a little hard to pin down and it’s kind of a lot of information, so I wanted to put together a more thorough compilation of summaries and places to start for anyone who’s not sure or just curious! Below the cut is my Yogscast Start Kit Master PostTM. 

I hope this helps, and don’t hesitate at all if you have any questions :)

Who are the Yogscast?

The Yogscast is a large group of youtubers who have a history of creating largely Minecraft-based content; they create stories, develop characters, and create lore-filled worlds through the many facets of minecraft that’s essentially been modded to hell.

This content isn’t just in one place or with one group of people, but rather a large collection of pairs, individuals, and groups of yogscast (and non-yogscast) members who’ve created a large number of respective series, often featuring a specific modpack, specific characters, a specific storyline, etc.

For example, Simon and Lewis (Honeydew and Xephos are their characters, respectively) are the main two individuals that started the Yogscast youtube channel,  Duncan later joins them, they become the main three yogscast icons, sips and sjin become the secondary two, and it goes on and on as the fanbase and number of creators grew. This means that, collectively, there are a…. STUPID large amount of different minecraft series that can technically be filed under “yogscast minecraft lore/ universe”.

Most of their series are unscripted, but they follow general arcs or set goals (e.g. going to space, building a jaffa cake factory, becoming proficient at a specific mod, etc). This allows hilarity to ensue when everything inevitably doesn’t go anyone’s way lmao

Oh cool, w. where am I supposed to even start, then

Compilations are always a good go-to if you’re interested in getting a feel for personalities, humor, and content style (I recommend looking up Yogscast Ultimate Edition videos!). If you’re just looking for a place to dive in, you’ve got a couple of options! I’ve sorted everything below by creator, as most yogs creators tend to do series within a specific set or group of people.

MAIN CREATORS & THEIR SERIES:

Lewis (Xephos) and Simon (Honeydew): These two are the “main two” figure heads of the yogscast! They started the main Yogscast channel about a decade ago and started their minecraft beginnings with the infamous series “Shadow of Israphel.” Xephos, the Spaceman and the one with the braincell, and Honeydew, the dwarven brawn and charisma of the two, also often team up with Duncan, as the three of them are featured in some of the Yogs’ most well-known minecraft series.

              Shadow of Israphel –  The OG series! Started all the way back when Minecraft was in beta, as soon as multiplayer became available. No mods, eventually scripted when NPCs are introduced. Hilarious interactions between NPCS and our heroes, and the nostalgic series that most every Yogs fan holds close to their heart!

              The Jaffa Factory –  Modpack: “Tekkit.” This was the first big modded minecraft series they did, and the beginning of the trend of hosting huge servers that almost every yog member hosted a different series on. Not scripted. Duncan (Lalna or Lividcoffee) joins them for the first time, and from this point on, they become a trio! unscripted and a mess. Sips and Sjin also eventually join!

              Moonquest –  Modpack: “MoonQuest.” Lewis, Simon, and Duncan attempt reaching the moon! It’s… in more than one way, a tad bit disastrous. This is the era when the Yogs started making songs and animations based off their minecraft series! (Watch this!) unscripted and disastrous.

             Yoglabs – Simon and Lewis. This one was a weekly mod review that developed into some questionable behavior via Lewis (Xephos). Really enjoyable, not chronological (each episode is independent, more or less- you can watch out of order)! It spans most of the entirety of their time on youtube. Various mods, just Simon and Lewis. (Watch this!) Most episodes of this series end up with Simon blowing up Yoglabs tbh

 Duncan (Lividcoffee, or Lalna) and Kim (Nanosounds): Lalna, or lividcoffee, is the well-known mad scientist of the server! His personality tends to change depending on the context and series, but when he’s with kim, he’s a friendly goof! Kim/Nano, his apprentice, starts as a true-to-definition noob at minecraft and eventually becomes a pro with magics and whatever Lalna happens to teach her! These two have their own narrative and call their storyline series “Flux Buddies,” which involves them trying to cure Kim’s infection of a magic substance called “Flux.” Good Duo. Pure. Eventually, drama with clones ensue!

              The Apprentice –  Their first series, in the “Tekkit” Era. It’s worth noting that Duncan has a solo series in the “Tekkit” Era called Duncan’s Laboratory as a precursor to The Apprentice as well. The apprentice is worth checking out just to see what happens to Kim, how she becomes fluxed, and what the aftermath is, but that’s p much it imo. Primarily unscripted, save for when Nano becomes fluxed!

              Flux Buddies –  Flux Buddies is the biggest/longest-running series, with several “seasons”. It begins after the events of The Apprentice, with…

              Flux Buddies –  Panda Labs! Kim explores witchcraft, they explore several different facets of science and magic, and Duncan begins the search on how to unflux kim! It’s kind of his fault, so he feels pretty bad about it,,

              Flux Buddies 2,3, and 4 –  A continuation, with more mods and more hijinks! Becomes more scripted as villain characters Lalnable Hector and Specimen 5 (clones of Lalna and Nano) are introduced!

              Flux Baddies –  A spinoff, featuring Lalnable and Specimen 5 as the main duo! Half scripted; an evil perspective on the Flux Buddies plot! This series is hilarious because half the time Duncan and Kim are trying to get stuff done, and half the time they’re trying (struggling) to stay in character as the mega bad-guys of the series.

Sips and Sjin: Sips and Sjin are the famous, much loved duo of the yogscast! These two are the, er. Magnificent, definitely not gay at all nope,, duo in charge of ‘Sips Co.,’ the Dirt Company! CEO Sips and his lackey Sjin (<also architect and farmer) are an absolute disaster. But like,, in the best way possible. They spend the majority of their time in each series bantering instead of getting anything done, but everyone accepts that its just part of the charm.

              Sipsco. (Sips and Sjin Tekkit) –  Modpack: “Tekkit.” This occurs at the same time as the Jaffa Factory! Sips and Sjin build up their dirt empire whilest also making sure to spy on and keep an eye on those weird Jaffa Factory goons and their girl scout cookies. Unscripted and hilarious! These two eventually go over and join the Jaffa Factory boys (Honeydew, Xeph, and Lalna!)

              (Most of Sips and Sjin’s series follow the same formula: Get started, joke around, never really finish the series. Even still, they’re iconic to watch and enjoyable to listen to C: This goes for):

              Volts –  IMPORTANT NOTE: if you decide not to watch any of sips and sjin, just watch this. somehow this is completely unscripted, but THE BEST

              Sipsco Space Program –  Occurs at the same time as “Moonquest”. These dopes try to get to Mars. Clone hijinks eventually ensue, briefly. Unscripted

              Cheat Police –  A pun on the series “Magic Police” (In which Sjin and Duncan attempt to jail all of the most powerful mages on the server). They try to call out all of the “cheaters” on the server. The dopes fool around in creative mode while trying to call out everyone else who uses creative mode.

 Zoey and Rythian: These two only have one series, but it’s one of the yogscast’s most known! Rythian, the serious, vengeful, loner-type endermage and hater of science, recruits Zoey as his apprentice (goofy, friendly, passive, interested in both science and magic)! These two are complete opposites but a much-loved duo!

              The Blackrock Chronicle –  Three short seasons long, this series follows Rythian as he recruits Zoey (and their sharpshooting, mute dinosaur, Teep,) to get payback and revenge on Sjin and Duncan for nuking and destroying the “old world” (The first tekkit server, unrecorded). He’s also determined to prove to them the superiority of his magic and the flaws of science; conflict arises when Zoey, his mage apprentice, also expresses interest in becoming a scientist. This series’ events are scripted, and includes cameos of many other loveable yogs folks (including Nilesy, Duncan, Ravs, and Zylus n Daltos).

^This one is a must-watch for sure!! A very heart felt and endearing series!

 Strife and Parvis: These two, another well known duo by the fandom, are a fun pair for sure! (They’re my personal favorite, so I’m a tad bit biased,,) William Strife is a no-nonsense, cutthroat business man and CEO of his solutions company, Strife Solutions. Not particularly fond of magic. Alex Parvis, absolutely-all-of-the-nonsense guitarist, chaotic newby who Strife hires? Adopts? Is burdened with? Strife is forced to teach Parv the ways of minecraftia and whatnot, much to Strife’s chagrin. Parv becomes a very chaotic bloodmage.

              Solutions in Chaos –  Their first series, taking place in the Chaosville server. Will, arriving for the first time ever in minecraftia, begins to explore the region before Parvis shows up, exclaiming that lewis sent him to be taught minecraft by strife. Strife now must babysit this child and teach him minecraft. Hilarity and much exasperation ensues.

              Blood and Chaos –  Following Parv’s series with Martyn (Inthelittlewood) ‘Heroes of Mine’ (in which they explore Ars Magica), Parv finds Blood Magic Items and insists that Strife helps him become the most powerful blood mage on the server! Strife does not approve At All n doesn’t really wanna be involved in this whatsoever, but he thinks parv will either destroy himself or destroy the server If someone doesn’t keep an eye on him. So, Mr. Strife must continue to babysit this now dangerous knife-wielding child.

Hat Films: Smith (Alsmiffy), Trott (Trottimus), and Ross (djh3max): These three are a TRIP and have a large fan base of their own. They’re an inseparable gang of swindlers and chaos bringers, and they’re pretty much all sharing the same single braincell. They make everyone else’s business their own business, as their motto is “what’s yours is ours,” and prove themselves to be the havoc-wreaker of whatever server they happen to be on.

              Hat Corp –  This is their first main minecraft series that features them interacting (aka messing) with other people on the server. From “"fairly”” selling land to all of the other groups of people on the server, to starting a dangeorus rivalry with the Flux Buddies, they’re. 100% disaster energy.

Hannah (Lomadia) and Nilesy: Very wholesome good duo! They tend to explore the magic mods, most of the time with Lomadia (powerful witch, owl lady!) teaching Nilesy what’s what. Nilesy is a just a simple cat lad. Likes to sell portable pools, he’s a potion master, he’s a man of the cats.  

              Evicted –  After being evicted from their Tekkit base ‘owl island’ as pirates took over their home, Nilesy and Hannah leave to set up base elsewhere and focus on Witchcraft!

The following series’, Owl Island and Cat Island, are very similar in caliber! Just our wholesome magic animal loving duo doing witch stuff c:

Kirindave, Lyinginbedmon, and Ridgedog: The last extremely notable lore-heavy minecraft characters making appearances on yogscast minecraft servers are regarded as the “demigods” of the yogs minecraft universe. Though they don’t necessarily do a lot of content together, I grouped them together for relevancy sakes. Kirin and Lying, both mod developers and masters at their respective magical crafts, have a bit of a rivalry going on, where as Ridgedog is the kind of “trickster” demigod, doing what he pleases and happily poking fun or messing around with others as he does so. They’re all a lot of fun to listen to and their series are all super interesting, so I’ve listed a few below!

              Ridgedog: Yogscast Complete –  Ridge sets up his base and plays by his own rules to become extremely proficient at a majority of mods in the server. He’s hilarious, plays largely by his own rules, and often does content with BeBopVox, another gaming and songwriting youtuber.

              Kirindave: Chaosville and Minecraft the Hard Way –  Chaosville sees the development of his rivalry with Lying as Kirin masters blood magic and other magics on the server, and Minecraft the Hard Way is the series following that!

              Lyinginbedmon: You can find the opposite perspective of the Chaosville rivalry in Lyings Chaosville S2. As Lying masters witchery, he and Kirin have a dangerous magically fueled ““prank”” war. Lying’s Witch in the Woods follows suit just like Kirin’s Minecraft the Hard Way.

[freddiesaysalright]

Beautiful Mess Part 2

A Brian May x Reader Fic

Summary: Reader works in a bookshop. She meets Brian May and they have an instant connection. It seems to be a fairy tale romance. But, things are seldom what they seem.

Word Count: 2.6k

Tag List: @psychosupernatural​, @someone-get-a-medic​, @bensrhapsody​, @deakyclicks, @crazylittlethingcalledobsession​, @minigranger​, @crazyweirdocalledfriday​, @mrs-jack-murphy​, @not-john-watsons-blog​, @simmisblog​, @mirkwoodshewolf​, @assembledherethevolunteers​, @thosequeenboys​, @lv7867​ If you’d like to be added, let me know!

A/N: Ah...the plot thickens. A hint of a conflict arises.

Part 1

Part 2 here we go!!!

“Are you quite certain we’ve never met before?” Brian asked, popping a French fry into his mouth. 

You decided on a casual dinner of veggie burgers and fries, since you knew things needed to remain friendly. He watched you for a response, blinking a few times in a way that was uniquely Brian.

“Do you believe in past lives?” you returned.

His brow furrowed and he shook his head. “No, not really.”

“Shame,” you replied, raising an eyebrow at him as you ate a fry. “It would have been an awfully convenient explanation.”

He chuckled. “Convenient, perhaps, but not very logical.”

“Situations like this rarely are,” you said.

“True,” he agreed. “But since I don’t know you, you’ll have to tell me more about yourself.”

“What would like to know?”

He looked away, tapping his chin with his finger.

“Where do you live?” he asked.

“Oh, very subtle,” you teased.

His cheeks went pink. “I just -”

“Relax, Brian,” you said with a laugh. “I know.”

He smiled and you cocked your head. “What is it?”

“I like that,” he said.

“Like what?”

“How you say my name.”

It was your turn to blush. Brian’s name rolled off your tongue naturally. You briefly imagined all the ways you could say it and smiled to yourself. Brian just loved the way it sounded with your voice.

“To answer your question, I live in a flat just around the corner from the shop,” you said. “I walk to and from work every day.”

“You live alone?”

You nodded. “Yes, I’m by myself for now.”

“For now?” he pressed. “That changing soon?”

A wave of nerves hit you. The answer to that was more complicated than he knew, and it wasn’t something you even wanted him to understand.

“Maybe,” you said dismissively. “Life happens and situations change. I should hope I wouldn’t live alone forever.”

“I hope that too,” he returned. “Being alone brings a certain peace, but -”

“No one wants to be lonely,” you finished.

“Right,” he said, looking at you, amazed. 

You beamed at one another. Dinner continued in a similar way, exchanging basics about yourselves like where you lived and where you grew up and family. You told him that both your parents were gone, which he expressed deep sympathy for. He told you how he built his guitar with his dad, which thoroughly impressed you. You bonded over a shared love of animals and nature. 

Brian was easily the best person to talk to about anything. He really focused on you when you talked. His eyes were fixed on yours, and he always leaned toward you. His responses were thoughtful and he avoided turning the conversation to himself unless you directly asked. He was refreshing, and you found yourself liking him a lot more than you should by the end of the meal. Although, you finished the meal long before you finished talking.

“I should be getting home,” you said, checking your watch.

Brian frowned. “It is late, I suppose.”

“Don’t be too disappointed,” you said. “I’ve had such a lovely time.”

“I have too,” he replied. “May I walk you home?”

You smiled. “I’d like that very much.”

You left together and headed back toward your flat. You passed the bookshop on the way, where you told him to stop.

“What’s up?” he wondered.

“I need to get Cat,” you said. “I can’t leave him in store.”

You unlocked the door and went inside, not bothering to turn the lights on. You knew your way around here better than your own home. As you walked between the shelves, you noticed your hand in Brian’s. You had no idea when or how it happened, but you did not let go. You focused on the feeling of his warm palm against yours, and the way your steps fell in sync as you walked across the wooden floor.

“Cat!” you called.

A soft little meow followed in response. You found him perched on a shelf in the children’s section. He watched you with curious eyes, tail flicking back and forth.

“He looks as if he’s been waiting for us,” Brian remarked.

“He sort of does,” you agreed. You looked at Cat. “It’s ten minutes to curfew, you know.”

Brian laughed. “He’s strict, isn’t he?”

“It’s all very new, we’re still getting used to each other,” you joked, although feeling like you were talking about more than just Cat. “After all, it hasn’t even been a day.”

“Good lord,” Brian said. “It really was only this morning that we met.”

“Mhm,” you replied. “Doesn’t feel like it, does it?”

He shook his head. “It feels like much longer. Although, I am very much enjoying getting to know you, Y/N.”

You closed your eyes and hummed. “I like that.”

“Like what?”

“How you say my name.”

You opened your eyes and looked at him, a sly smile parting your lips as he gave your hand a squeeze.

Somewhere, in the back of your mind, your conscience was screaming at you. Face red, voice hoarse screaming. This was wrong. Nothing could become of this no matter what you felt. You knew better and you shouldn’t lead him on. It wasn’t fair to subject him or yourself to the kind of pain this would bring, given your situation. You needed to put a stop to this.

Your heart, on the other hand, was proving much louder and much easier to give in to. Your heart called out for Brian. To pursue what was there because you had never felt anything like this before. You had never had an easier time around someone new. Everything flowed with Brian. You were drawn to him as if by a magnet - a pull that was harder to resist than you ever thought. Looking at Brian’s face in the moonlight, you felt that you could deny him nothing. You were sold on him, no matter who had a hold on you.

Turning your eyes to Cat, you called him down. He was small enough to perch on your shoulder, little claws clinging to your sweater. Then, you left the shop, locking the door behind you. Hand in hand with Brian, you made your way down the street to your flat. When you reached the front door, you came to a stop and faced him.

“Thank you for such a great evening,” you said. “I haven’t been able to chat to someone like this in a very long time.”

“I had a wonderful time,” he replied. “Really.”

You grinned at him. It was dopey, blissed out sort of grin, where you poked your tongue between your teeth. Brian felt his heart skip a beat.

“Goodnight, Brian,” you said, feeling once again the joy of his name in your mouth.

He gazed at you, eyes intense. He leaned forward and you sucked in a soft breath. But he didn’t go for your lips. Instead, he brushed his lips against your cheek. Just barely grazing your skin. It made your whole body tingle with anticipation. You nearly whined for more, but swallowed it down. When he pulled away, you shivered at the loss of contact.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he said. 

He squeezed your hand once more, shared one last lingering look, and then turned and walked away down the street. You watched him go, heart pleading for you to follow him and never spend another moment without him by your side. This time, logic won. You shook your head and entered your apartment, feeling both on top of the world and like the worst woman in it. You set Cat on the floor to let him roam and learn his way around.

“Here’s your new home, I suppose,” you told him.

You headed to your bedroom, mind racing with everything going on. Brian was so wonderful and you felt a powerful urge to be around him. And yet...there was the issue of Richard. There was a lot to think about, and you weren’t sure you’d be sleeping tonight.

The next morning, Brian was still smiling when he woke up. His mind was so occupied with thoughts of you, that his morning was a mess. He put his shoes on the wrong feet and nearly stumbled out the door before correcting them. He lost his keys - although that was a fairly regular occurrence before he met you. Then, he went to the studio for work, and walked into the wrong room. Finally, he made it where John and Roger were already waiting. 

Roger smirked. “Looks like someone got a shag in last night.”

Brian shook his head. “Better.”

“What, you got to do it twice or something?” Roger wondered.

“I think I fell in love last night,” Brian said.

Roger and John exchanged worried glances.

“Look, I know we took the piss out of you yesterday, but you actually think you’re in love with the bookshop girl?” John wondered.

“Y/N,” Brian correcting, recalling fondly how you had said you liked it when he said your name. He liked saying it. Almost as much as he enjoyed hearing you say his.

“You haven’t even known her a day,” Roger reminded him.

“That’s it, though,” Brian insisted. “I feel...this is mad, but I feel like I’ve known her forever. She’s so clever and fun and -”

“Hot?” Roger added.

“Beautiful!” Brian said. 

“She must really be amazing in bed,” John joked. “Never seen you like this, Bri.”

“We didn’t have sex,” Brian admitted as he began preparing a cup of tea. “We didn’t even kiss. I mean, I kissed her on the cheek, but nothing more.”

Roger stared at Brian.

“What?” Brian wondered.

“You’re putting salt in your tea,” Roger said with a light laugh. “Are you okay?”

Brian looked at his tea and chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever been better.”

Meanwhile, you were having a much more difficult morning. Guilt began to eat away at you for what you were doing. It wasn’t fair to anyone involved, and you told yourself that you couldn’t see Brian anymore. As much as it pained you to think of it. Your attraction to him was too strong and your connection too deep in the short time you had spent together for you to feel confident going forward. Nothing could happen. At least, that’s what you were telling yourself.

You got up early to go to the pet store and pick up a few things you needed for Cat. Then you headed to work, bringing him with you. It would be too long to be away from him to leave him at home. Plus, it would be fun for the children.

Every Wednesday, a class of children from one of the local schools came for a story reading. Obviously, it was only the very young children, and you read them a book of their choosing from the store. You began preparing little snacks for them while a few other customers browsed the shelves.

When the children arrived, they were thrilled to meet Cat, who was surprisingly good with them. He snuggled into their chests and let them hold him. He purred when they scratched his head or his chin. You and the teacher passed out snacks and then you went to your rocking chair in the corner. The kids spread out on a blanket in front of you, quietly eating while you began to read.

About halfway through the story, the bell clinked and you glanced up. There, to your great delight in spite of yourself, stood Brian. You couldn’t stop the wide grin that claimed your face. Your stomach lurched at the smile he returned. 

Brian watched you read to the children. You got into it - doing voices for each character, and showing enthusiasm throughout the story. You held the pictures out so they could all see, and they were totally enthralled by you. Almost as much as Brian was.

When the story was over, you told the kids they could sit and play as long as they liked - it was really until the teacher said it was time to go - and you approached Brian. He couldn’t stop smiling at you. You felt the same. Just giddy to be in one another’s presence. 

“Hi,” you said sweetly.

“Hello,” he returned. “How are you?”

“Wonderful, now that you’re here,” you told him. “You?”

“Perfect,” he said.

“So, what brings you to the shop?” you asked.

“The manager,” he answered, making you blush and look at the floor.

“Smooth,” you said.

“You set me up wonderfully for it,” he said. “Normally, I’m not that quick. Especially around women.”

You giggled. “Well, is there anything I can interest you in? Book-wise?”

“I wouldn’t mind checking out your science section,” he said.

“Right this way,” you said, taking his hand.

Mentally, you were kicking yourself. Why was it so hard to pull away? All the things you had decided had gone out the window. God, you were absolutely weak for him. And after just one date, too. It wasn’t a date, you scolded yourself. You cleared your throat as you stopped in front of the shelf you were looking for.

“Here,” you said, pulling a book for him. “I thought I recognized the name of the professor you mentioned enjoying so much.”

He took it, impressed. “You really are a very careful listener.”

“Well, it isn’t very difficult when the speaker is so interesting,” you replied.

He blinked at you. “That’s...that’s kind of you to say.”

Your brow furrowed as you looked at him. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “I just feel very flattered. Normally, I’m so afraid I bore people when I discuss astrophysics, and you remembered this much.”

You placed a hand on his arm.

“You don’t bore me, Brian,” you assured him. You started to smile. “You can talk nerdy to me all day.”

He chuckled. “You’re very kind, Y/N.”

He started to hand the book to you but you shook your head and put your hands behind your back.

“No, that’s for you,” you said. “On the house.”

“You won’t get in trouble for giving it away?” he wondered.

“No, Papa won’t mind,” you said.

“Papa?”

You froze. How could you explain your relationship to Charlie? It was complicated, and the source of your mixed feelings about becoming closer to Brian.

“Charlie Kimball is my godfather,” you said. That was true. “We’ve been very close since my parents passed and so I’ve called him Papa.”

“Oh, wow, I knew you worked for him, but I didn’t realize he was practically family,” he said.

“Ha, yeah, practically,” you said dismissively.

“Freddie knows him better than I do,” he said. “Says Charlie’s one of the nicest men in business.”

“He is,” you agreed. “He’d do anything for his friends and family.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said. “So, fancy a drink after work?”

“We close at six,” you returned quickly.

You hoped you didn’t sound too eager. 

After a few minutes, Brian had to return to the studio. He bid you farewell with a swift kiss on your cheek and you smiled. You watched him disappear down the street and sighed. What on earth were you doing?

I’m just getting a drink with a new friend, you tried to tell yourself. There’s nothing wrong with that.

Another part of you wanted to remind you that you didn’t normally have such a strong desire to make out with your friends, but you pushed that down. You weren’t doing anything wrong. 

Right?

[rosettahart]

Glass-says: Chapter 15

Chapter 1, Chapter 14

Ao3 link

Summary: Logan and Patton's first date.

Warnings: Implied Anxiety Attack and Mention of Death

Chapter 15

Patton squeezed Logan's arm as he watched Virgil and Princey. He couldn't help but bounce up and down. "They're so cute!"

Logan squinted at the pair, pushing his glasses up. "Is that not just…"

"It's their first time meeting in person! They've waited so long and now they're finally together!" Patton pulled Logan along behind him back across the room towards the doors.

Logan frowned. "None of you are aware of the situation?" He glanced back at Virgil and Roman before returning his attention to Patton. "Are we not going to stay here to dance as well?"

Patton giggled, opening the door to the theatre and leading his crush into the space and up the stairs onto the stage. "After some time thinking about it Virgil thought it might look a little funny to others if you looked like you were dancing by yourself, so he came up with a solution." He let go of his arm, holding up his hands excitedly. "Wait here."

Logan gave a curt nod as he watched Patton quickly make his way up to the soundbooth. "I suppose this is indeed the preferable option to the gym. It is much quieter and with plenty of room in which to move around."

Patton rushed back down after starting the music on the playlist he had scrambled together earlier, jumping up the stairs to get onto the stage. 

Logan held his hand out for Patton. "Shall we dance?"

Patton nodded, putting his hand in Logan's with a grin, resting his other hand on his shoulder like Virgil had shown him to. "Virgil tried showing me how while I was helping him get ready." He chuckled apologetically when they both moved to step forward with opposite feet. "Did I say tried?"

"You happened to, yes." Logan adjusted Patton's grip and the placement of his hand on his shoulder. "As I am the one leading I take the first step forward with my left foot and you take one back with your right. Then you are to take a step the same way with the opposite foot and after that your feet are to come together."

Patton watched Logan's feet thoughtfully as he tried to follow his instructions, sticking out his tongue as he did. He stumbled as he miss-stepped, laughing at his own clumsiness. "It looks like I'm all tangoed up. Could you maybe tell me how to do it again, Lo? I think I almost got it."

"This is not a tango." Logan sighed. "I do not understand why you requested me to be your date to a dance when you yourself do not know how."

"I thought it'd be fun." Patton shrugged.

Logan shook his head then let go of Patton's hand for a moment to push up his glasses. "We will take this at a slower pace to start and when you become confident in your movements we'll bring it to meet the tempo of the music."

Patton gave a nod. "Where do we start?"

Logan nudged Patton's foot back. "With one," he then pushed Patton's other foot back diagonally to be in line with the other, "two," he moved the foot Patton had started back on to meet the other one, "three and then…" Logan stepped back with his right foot.

Patton stepped forward. "Four." He looked up at Logan with a grin. 

Logan gave a nod, moving his left foot back and then over to meet the other, making sure Patton was doing the same except forwards. "And five, six."

Patton started to get the hang of it with Logan's feet guiding his own and the nice gradual speeding up of the logical nerd's soft counting. The counting became steady when they had caught up to the tempo of the song.

"Now you know the basic box step."

Patton giggled, confident enough now to take his eyes off his feet for a few seconds to look up at Logan.  "Guess we're both boxing ourselves in."

Logan squinted, glancing around them confusedly for a moment. "Boxing ourselves into what?"

"So when did ya learn how to dance?" Patton asked, slowing down his pace when the song changed. 

"I learned how when I was eleven. My dad thought I should know so I would be prepared in case an event that called for that knowledge ever arised." Logan explained.

"What was he like?" 

Logan faltered slightly then corrected himself while in thought over the question.

"Oh, sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't feel comfortable answering. You've just mentioned your dad before and I'm just a little curious what he was like." Patton quickly added.

"He was sort of like you." Logan replied quietly. "Without all the word play though and not as… energetic."

Patton smiled softly. "He sounds like a neat guy."

Logan gave a nod, his eyes unfocused, still in thought. "I am sure the two of you would have gotten along quite well."

"Logan?"

Logan looked down to meet Patton's gaze.

"I bet he's really proud of you and who you're becoming." Patton mentioned, unsure why he had felt the need to say it, but feeling like it was the right thing to say.

Logan completely stopped dancing, focusing on pushing away any thoughts of his dad. This was not the time to be remembering him or dwelling on the past. He had already spent more time than he should have doing so.

Patton moved his arms so he could hug Logan. "I'm sorry, Lo. I didn't mean to-"

Logan cleared his throat, gently shifting Patton back away from him. "I am certain he is. There would be no reason why he would not be."

Patton nodded unsurely as he watched Logan. He rested his hand back on Logan's shoulder as he rested one of his own on Patton's waist, taking his hand quietly.

Logan searched for something to say to break the silence, his eyes stopping on their hands. "Shall I spin you around?"

Patton's face brightened back up. "You shall."

Logan gave a slight nod, leading Patton into it. His lips twitched up as the ghost giggled. "I wonder how naturally this comes to you. Being able to still touch and hold my hand amongst other things." He pondered out loud.

Patton shrugged. "With Virgil, Roman and you, I don't really have to try. Though it took me a while to be able to lift even just little things."

"I see… Have you ever tried lifting Virgil or Roman up in any way?"

"I have emotionally," Patton chuckled, "But I've never picked either of them up before." He grinned. "Would you like me to try?"

"For research purposes I would-"

Before Logan could finish his response Patton was already sweeping an arm under Logan's legs, surprised he was actually managing to keep him up in his arms.

Logan blinked, surprised himself. "That was adequate."

"It's like you don't weigh anything." Patton bounced Logan up a bit with a laugh. 

Logan squirmed uncomfortably, pushing himself out of Patton's arms and straightening his suit. "Well that is enough of that and I shall remember to make a new note of that ability."

Patton beamed, bouncing up and down. "Now you do me."

"I am certain the answer to if I could lift you is fairly clear already. As you are weightless it would only carry similar results."

Patton's eyes widened. "You made a pun!"

"I-" Logan exhaled. "That was not intentional."

Patton pulled out the puppy eyes along with a slight pout. "Please will you pick me up?"

Logan begrudgingly gave into Patton's request. "I suppose you've given into plenty of my own requests so it would only be fair to give into some of yours." 

Patton wrapped his arms over Logan's shoulders, hardly containing his excitement at being held bridal style in his date's arms. "Best date ever."

"As this is the only date I have been on I have nothing of which to compare this one to. Though 'fun' was promised and I did enjoy spending some time with you." Logan mentioned. 

"Enough to go on a second date…?"

Logan met Patton's gaze. "As long as it is properly planned out with plenty of time beforehand." 

Patton gave Logan a quick kiss on the cheek, his eyes sparkling. "I promise it will be. I'll-"

One of the doors to the theatre flew open, Virgil rushing in with his mask in his one hand. His hair and suit were disheveled and his makeup was smeared down his cheeks, his body visibly shaking.

Patton quickly moved over to rub his arms. "What's wrong, Virgil? Did something happen?"

"Ci ran off. I-I don't what I did o-or I said, but he left and I don't know if I'll… or if he'll ever-"

"Its going to be okay, kiddo. Just breathe for me, okay?" Patton gently guided him into one of the audience chairs as Logan got down off the stage beside them.

"I apologize, but I am going to find Roman as I need to be back home soon. I will see you both next week." Logan bowed his head apologetically.

Patton gave a nod in understand before sitting down beside Virgil to start calming him down.

Logan made his exit, knowing where to go to find Roman and that he'd have to be quick to catch him before he left.

~

Roman practically dove into his car when he got to it. He aggressively threw his mask into the back seat and undid his tie, sending it back to join his mask and soon his suit jacket followed as well. Before he could put the car into reverse a knock on the passenger sides window just about gave him a heart attack.

Logan was standing beside the car with an intense glare directed right at Roman.

Roman swallowed, uneasily unlocking the car so Logan could get in.

Logan opened and door and sat down. "You are going to explain exactly what happened." 

Roman nodded, knowing if he left anything important out the nerd would murder him with just his gaze alone. "Okay."

Chapter 16

Author's notes: Wasn't sure if I was going to post the update here or not but after over a week of being up on ao3 it's here. So I'd recommend if you'd like to follow this fic to follow it over there. Though I should for certain be putting he link to over there when new chapters are up here.

Taglist:

@kittiebrick

@absolutesandersidestrash

[yeoldontknow]

so I watched brief encounter last night because I was curious... I don’t understand what the main character meant by her committing the violence of falling inlove. I don’t think I understand how being in love could be violent- is it because she’s married?

hi anon! ahhhh! im so happy you decided to watch it! and then came to discuss with me pls do you know how delighted that makes me ;^; if youre not used to classic cinema, or even classic melodrama, i can see how the film would be a bit slow or a bit difficult to connect with. so i really appreciate you taking the time to watch and come up with questions for things. when i say this made my day i mean it lmaooo

the quote i believe youre pulling from is this:

I’ve fallen in love. I didn’t think such violent things could happen to ordinary people.

there are several layers to this statement - emotional, moral, political, societal, etc. im happy to break these down contextually so you can have a better understanding of why this statement is painful and, also, why love is an extremely violent experience. going under a cut because...i have this entire masters degree in film and im not using it so im gonna use it here lmao

at its most basic, yes, you are correct. she says love is a violent experience because she is already married. to love, really love, is an act of violence, especially when you are already promised and making a family to another person. there is an element of ruination here that plagues laura, love as a threat to the stability of the home and family. and we can see this when her son is playing in the street and gets into an accident - a completely innocuous event, but one she sees as an omen of her violence against her own family. karma, but at a level that would start a war among her family and community.

in most filmic universes, romantic comedies especially, we are used to the relatively easy expectations that come from learning to love someone - you meet, you flirt, you are both, ideally, free to experience these types of intense emotions, you come together, you separate (due to...any sort of obstacle), you come back together. in this traditional narrative, we are presented with the notion that falling in love happens in a linear fashion and that, once the two characters have ended their arc and achieved their happy ending, there is not much else that occurs. they lived happily ever after, ever after being an indeterminate amount of time in which we are meant to assume they exist within this state, ceaselessly.

in general, there are two types of love stories - tragedies and comedies. where romantic comedies (in the modern sense, and i am stressing modern sense) end with ‘happily ever after,’ the other alternative for lovers is death. you either overcome your initial obstacle, or you perish, in love, where love becomes a death. so where does that leave brief encounter? neither party have been put to death, but the death is of the will, the passion. and, in brief encounter, it is killed by morality. by choice. i will be coming back to this. because passion is an extremely important element of this film, and it carries the narrative from start to finish.

at its core, brief encounter is a melodrama. melodrama has its own sect of film theory, but in this case ill do my best to keep it simple. and its really important to recognize that this film is british - british melodrama are two extremely different experiences and come from two completely different places of expression.

american melodrama, the most broad sense, was a stylistic set of films, usually from the 40s-50s (even some released in the early 60s) which use a lot of the tropes of classic cinematic narrative story telling - but as irony, parody, or pastiche. great examples of these films would be rebel without a cause, mildred pierce, from here to eternity, imitation of life, etc. in all of these films, and again i am paraphrasing because there is so much relating to melodrama as its own theory and practice, there is an onus on emotional expression and sensationalism. the narrative is driven by passionate action, emotional action, and, almost always, the swell of music weve come to recognize in hollywood cinema. music swells with character emotion, thus assisting in informing the audience in how to feel, and so we are ok regardless if these characters are successful in their plight, because we have felt.

british melodrama operates from an entirely different perspective. yes, like their historical theatrical roots, they favor spectacle and avoid realism. and, again, there is a reliance on the music to lead the narrative. however, the focus shifts from the societal body to the familial body; body concrete rather than body politic. culturally, this is a significant change from the usual reserved emotional experience within britain. and that is where brief encounter becomes something extremely important.

brief encounter was released in 1945, in a post-war period when there were significant changes to womens daily and societal lives, and this film really hones in on the causative anxieties that are born from these sudden changes and, yes, sudden notions of emotional liberation from their families - a new found independence. with the context of this film coming off the tails of WWII, in a post-war society in which there is meant to be peace, laura calls the act of falling in love violent which, for an audience member at the time of release, would have immediately associated that element of violence with war time violence. love is a threat. its dangerous. love at this level is repulsive. love is an insurrection - love is a revolution. and it came to her without her permission. she is bereft. she is on the brink of collapse - and ordinary women, the traditional family house wife, is never meant to feel so eager to ruin her family for a sensation that is, inherently, selfish.

so this brings us back to passion. something that comes up quite a lot in brief encounter, most explicitly at the cinema when alec and laura see a trailer for a film called flames of passion (this is a real film btw! and you might be able to watch it - it too is a melodrama. theres also a queer reading within brief encounter, because of the inclusion of flames of passion, but thats for another day). this brings us to the moral question of love as violence. for this, we can turn to hume and his 4 thesis on moral philosophy, the morals that drive humanity. primarily we will look at the following points:

1. reason alone is not enough to motivate the will, but rather is a slave to passion 3. moral distinction is derived from moral sentiment: feelings of approval (praise) and disapproval (shame, blame) through our inter-relations with others, or through the perceptions of others as they perceive us

for hume, the passions are simply emotions, but they are broken down as direct or indirect. desire is a direct emotion and it arises, without thought, from a place of good or evil, pain or pleasure - and it is only after these feelings have arisen that we are able to consider the feeling. by that same token, bodily or carnal appetites, our carnal desires, is another instinct that arises from unknown origin and only is able to be thoughtfully experienced after we have been confronted with it. and that is the most important piece - desire and carnal desire is an instinct. for hume, love, on the other hand, does not directly cause action - because love is not an instinct. love is learned.

in brief encounter, laura is admitting that not only does she thoughtfully love alec - love in a way that would not necessarily cause action, but brings her unparalleled pleasure in comparison to a man who simply helps, but she desires him. desires him enough to take action, to release the shackles of her political body and engage in her carnal body, with an appetite that is almost reductive in theory, aligning her with something base. this pleasure inherently causes her pain, yet still, she craves it - without morality.

and through her perception of those around her - her friends, her acquaintances, her own husband - she distinguishes this moral experience as shameful. but, in that shame, she still does not surrender her carnal body. her apetite is awakened, unable for her to be returned to its normal, thoughtful state. at war, now, with herself and her desires, laura is conflicted and ruined, simply because she learned to love and to desire, a violence an ordinary housewife should never experience.

[voidiots]

👻 - "How do I move forward... despite everything?"

IC Tarot Readings

Una’to smiles, humming as he picks up the deck, wrapped in a black and gold cloth that matches the cards within. “A check up of sorts might give you an idea of what to do. At least so you know which parts of yourself to work on to move forward, no?”. He sets the cloth out before him, and starts to shuffle the deck. A peaceful smile playing upon his features. “Sit or stay standing if you like, I don’t think this should take too long unless you have more questions arise after this reading. I do ask that you enact no violence towards me. I am but a humble messenger of the roads of fate. I give maps to those who pay and ask”.

He takes three cards from the now well shuffled deck. Placing them all skyward in a triangle before him. He taps the point of it, the card farthest from him, the lone point. A skeleton in clothes one would normally see in Ul’dah, a halo behind it’s turban covered head. “First we start with with your state of mind. What you’ve been thinking on as of late. In this place is a card that marks a great change in the road of fate that you travel. Something that becomes important looking back from the future. A card of rebellion, subversiveness, and new approaches. Something is making you feel restricted in life at present. From this arises questions about your decisions that you’ve made to end up here. Where they made with your true self in mind? Based on what I can quickly glean from your spirit it doesn’t seem quite so. Instead actions and decisions are in part to please those around you. To meet expectations of you. There is consideration to take less conventional paths on your current road as to free yourself from the norms being pushed upon you. You are thinking of taking a new approach to life in the face of what has come to pass, despite what it’s done to you”. He beams up at the Miqo’te across from him, clearly entertained. “A rather dramatic and perhaps direct start to a reading don’t you think? On to the next card though”.

He taps the next card, below the first and to his left. A card with two long stems in bloom. “Next is your body. It’s state and how you are feeling at present. The card here is one that represents a lack of planning, if not just bad planning, and disorganization. This card is one passed in passion, the fire of creation generally and the plans that are made to enact creative ideas and goals in the world. However here, those plans do not hold up. The passion is there, but the plans to keep yourself safe are falling through due to a lack in key information. Otherwise the lack of plans means that fear blooms within you, making you anxious and causing harm to your body. This fear is founded in not knowing these new territories you’ll be entering as you leave the well known path mentally. There is reward in this path though”.

Finally, he picks up the final card. An upside down rose with a sword piercing through it. “Finally your spirit. What messages you need to hear from the inner most parts of yourself. If not the state of it at present. The card in this place is one of confusion, brutality, and chaos. Given what you’re thinking of it makes sense, doesn’t it? Either way. There is a power you wield, but you’ve chosen to use it for the wrong reasons. Is that perhaps why you long to know how to move forward yet? Either that, or there is again a message of missing critical information. When such messages repeat in readings it’s usually to drive a point home. This information that you are missing would help you make a clear decision towards what you truly wish to accomplish. To summarize. You are thinking of forging a new path forward to fulfill your true needs after something has occurred. Your plans are yet hasty though and that takes it’s toll on your body. The inner most parts of yourself are aware of this and implore you to find the information you are yet missing so that you can actually make a decision and move forward”.

With that he collapses the spread and returns the cards to his deck. “Any other questions my dear? Or perhaps you need more insight from another card or two being pulled? It’s your Gil in the end, and I’m more than happy to help where I can for a price of course,” he hums out with a curious smile.

Thank you for the tarot request @gratande! Thank you for the wait, and I hope they hit home somewhere. The repeated messages are key here. I hope it makes sense. I started to get jello brained half way through the reading as I was making it’s connections lol. If not, let me know and I can try to word it better!

[ellana-ravenwood]

“Are the Wayne kids single ?” - Batsis x Batfam

So...I am a shameless people watcher (don’t judge haha). I get a lot of inspiration from sitting somewhere for hours and just looking at strangers going on about their lives ^^'. Sometimes catching conversations and such and man, many people are borderline obsessed with knowing who their fav’ celebrity is dating and all that. Which made me think : “Mm, wonder if the members of the Batfam, who are definitely celebrities in their world, ever have problems with people borderline obsessing about their love life ? And how do they handle it ?” so um...I wrote about that. And here it is. Hope you’ll like it :  

PS : Since I don’t appear in the Tumblr searches anymore, reblogging my stories is the only way for other people than you guys who are following me to see them...so if you feel like helping out :D.  My master list blog : @ella-ravenwood-archives

__________________________________________________

“(Y/N), we don’t have to if you don’t want to, you know.” 

“What ? What are you talking about ? Don’t be stupid, of course I want to. One of them will pick up on it at some point anyway, and then believe me, it’ll be much worse. It’s always better if it comes from us.”  

You wince at the tone of your own voice. 

You didn’t mean to sound so cold and a bit condescending, especially since you understood that he was just trying to help you, understanding that you were under a lot of stress and pressure.

He. 

Conner Kent. Your boyfriend. He has been yours for a while now, which was what this all thing was about in the first place. 

************

Growing up as a “Wayne” brought it’s fair share of advantages, and disadvantages.  

The good points were very obvious. No one needed to think much about the “Why being a Wayne is great ?” thing. Everyone knew the answer to that. Money, fame, doors opening for you easily etc etc.

The bad points though...Many people never realized there even were unpleasant sides of being a Wayne, the good points overshadowing this darker facet of your life. But what most people thought was a blessing, could be a real pain in the ass sometimes ! 

Having money brought its lot of “vulture” that wanted to be friend with you just because of this. Having a good network meant that people always assumed everything you ever earned through hard work was just handed to you. And being famous...

Oh, the fame was probably one of the biggest drawback of being a Wayne. Because being often in the spotlight meant that people could get absolutely obsessed with your every move. 

You were lucky enough to have a father who always managed to shield you (and your siblings) from all this when you were a kid...But now. 

Now you were an adult, and you couldn’t always rely on your dad to save you from paparazzi and such. Plus it came with the territory of being a Wayne. Your father prepared you long enough for that. 

He knew he wouldn’t always be able to protect you from the public eye. He knew that, just because you were his kid, at some point, you’d have to appear at events filled with journalists and photographers. 

And though he was able to bargain when you were a child to only have pictures he previously approved published (plus the law was on his side, as pictures of children appearing in magazines had specific rules to follow, and he had amazing lawyers)...Now that you were an adult, you had to fend for yourself. 

Otherwise, rumors would start. Bad rumors. Hurtful ones. 

Your dad taught you long ago that to keep the little privacy you had while famous, you had to give a little first. Or things could turn sour. He could talk from experience, he had some scandals in his youth (one of them being suddenly becoming a single dad while in his early twenties, while being back in Gotham for less than a year after his mysterious disappearance when he was 16, and always refusing to talk about who was your mother um um.This sprout some pretty terrible rumors in its days...But that’s another story).

The trick was to give away enough so that people would be satisfied, without actually saying much. It was important to give them something to chew on. They’d just write something about you anyway, just because of who your family was so...Hinting on things cheekily and with humor came a long way. 

Like for example, what your dad always did in regards of women and his relationships. He build himself a “womanizer” persona and always played the part perfectly, so questions about a potential “Mrs Wayne” died down a while ago. 

Nowadays, he just  had to smile charmingly, wink and say “A gentleman never tells” to any question about his current supposed “conquest”, and everyone would be satisfied. 

And oh there were so many pictures and videos of you, standing behind him as he uses his charms to swoon everyone, and rolling your eyes at the all thing. 

In fact, Tim pointed out to you a while ago an instagram account someone made called “(Y/N) Wayne’s sassy eye roll”. It was filled with videos of you rolling your eyes in public (mainly at something your brothers or father did). This account had over two millions followers when he showed it to you, and probably gained more since then. Which wasn’t really surprising. 

Actually, this little dynamic you had with your dad, him (faking) being an extroverted flirty man, and you shaking your head whenever he did that...people loved it. And more than once, you got out of a delicate question someone asked because your dad used his charm and you acted embarrassed and “so done with it” that it made people laugh and move on, without even needing an answer ! 

Implying things without ever confirming them was key in a lot of situations. And using humor and quick come backs was too. 

When people were being rudely intrusive, and asked questions about your personal life, it was easy to shut them down. To answer with wit and sarcasm, and make them want to stop asking you this kind of questions. Plus the public LOVED a good little drama and to see rude ones being put back in their place.

Most of your “fans” were rooting for you, and wanted to know things about you because they somehow felt like you were their friends. Many of them saw you grow up by your father’s side. Your family always been a loved one in Gotham. So...If someone was being an ass to you, of course they’d yell “YAAS QUEEN !!” and talk about how well you answered, not caring about the actual question anymore even if they were curious. 

Yes. Dealing with rude scandal journalists was easy. 

But sometimes, oh sometimes...Sometimes you fell on a nice reporter who didn’t think what they did was wrong in any way, and who was just genuinely curious. Who just wanted to give actual infos to their followers. 

After all, you were a “celebrity” just for being born a “Wayne”. And though you never asked for this fame, it came with some sort of contract that you kinda had to talk about your private life from times to times. 

Which was your biggest problem currently. You weren’t really sure how to go about...All this. 

You’ve always been good for getting away from questions about your love life, by feeding journalists little anecdotes about your relationship with your dad, or funny stories involving your siblings. By deflecting their questions to give them some other hindsight about your life. 

Plus your use of social media, especially Instagram and Snapchat, also helped you get away with a lot. You showed enough, so that people wouldn’t be too curious. 

But you knew that a day would arise that you’d need to actually spill the tea...”Were the Wayne kids single, or not ?”

************

Go figure why, but this question : “Are the Wayne kids single ?”, was always only aimed at you. No one ever asked your brothers. You wondered if it was because you were the only girl, and people just instantly assume you liked talking about “love” and shit ? Damn gender cliches. 

Maybe it was the reason. But clearly, they were wrong. 

“Love and shit”. Just the way you were thinking about it could give every answer needed. For a long time, you didn’t care much about relationships. 

Even more so since, you being a Wayne, it was difficult to meet guys you could trust for being genuinely interested in you, and not just your name. Plus you simply never felt the need to be with someone to be happy. It didn’t came first on your priority list. 

It actually never even was, on your priority list. 

You were busy with so many other things, you never thought you really needed to have someone involved in that way in your life. 

Plus, maybe, just maybe, the fact your father and mother had a complicated on/off relationship kinda made you afraid of any kind of romantic commitment. 

Batman and Catwoman’s mouse and cat chase was infamous. You didn’t want to ever feel the way they did and still do. You saw more than once, how miserable they could get because of all that. Of course, they had just as much happy moments but...Meh. You’d rather just avoid it. 

Which is why you always seemed to know how to avoid questions about your love life ! You decided long ago that you wouldn’t go the “helpless flirt” way your dad took, and rather borrow the “funny self-deprecating jokes” road. 

You’d just brush off any rumors concerning you and a potential love interest with this kind of humor, and then talk about something else involving your family life. 

And that was it. Easy. Plus anyway, there really wasn’t that much to talk about. 

You were single. You were glad to be single. You didn’t want to get involved with anyone. End of story (and you knew this wouldn’t satisfy anyone’s curiosity which is why you often retorted to deflecting things). 

It was all rather simple and straightforward. 

That was your mindset. Until you met Conner. 

Things changed after that. And though you went through quite a lot of misunderstanding (I wrote stories about this, you can check them out on my master list on the DC one under “Conner” @ella-ravenwood-archives​), in the end, things were great between you two ! 

Actually getting rather...Serious. Which is what got you in that particular mood you were today. What made you somewhat snap at your beloved boyfriend. 

************

You knew. You just knew that the info would come out eventually. And not knowing when or how was getting you on edge. 

It’s not that you didn’t want to present Conner as your “official” boyfriend. Not that you were ashamed of him or unsure about your relationship. It’s just...getting this kind of thing in the open wasn’t easy. 

You were dreading all the questions about how you met (you couldn’t possibly talk about the truth, and the Young Justice, and coming up with a believable story you could both say was weirdly incredibly stressful), how things were going, wether or not you thought about marriage, living together...kids ! 

This was a step in your privacy you weren’t sure you wanted anyone to cross. And yet...Yet it HAD to be made public ! Because god forbid one of those rude scandal journalists find the truth before you talked about it. 

You could be sure it would bring its lot of rumors and unpleasant things like that. You didn’t want anyone to talk ill about you and Conner dating !! You knew it could really have a bad effect on your relationship...

You witnessed your oldest brother, Dick, and his first fall out with his first girlfriend, Barbara, because the public pressure was too much. Now of course they had other issues and after a lot of things happening managed to work things out and were back together for good (they went through too much together not to), but you didn’t want to go through any of that ! You spend enough nights trying to cheer your older brother up after his break-up, and listening to how things got awful once people started to talk about them...

You already went through so much, with Conner. Convincing your families to accept your relationship was tough for many reasons. You definitely didn’t need some noisy people to speculate about why you didn’t go public or anything...

Which is why you needed to do it now. By yourself. But you just didn’t really know how to...go on about all of that ! 

“(Y/N), we don’t have to if you don’t want to, you know.”

“What ? What are you talking about ? Don’t be stupid, of course I want to. One of them will pick up on it at some point anyway, and then believe me, it’ll be much worse. It’s always better if it comes from us.”  

You wince at the tone of your own voice.

You didn’t mean to sound so cold and a bit condescending, especially since you understood that he was just trying to help you, understanding that you were under a lot of stress and pressure.

You turn to him and smile apologetically, before adding :

“Besides, I think it’s finally time I show you off.” 

Oh it was so easy to make Conner blush. Any compliments coming from you and his cheeks would get that cute rosy tint. You were about to reach for his cheek and caress it lovingly, to complete your not-so-subtile “I’m sorry I was just being an ass” excuse when, as often, your fun and enjoyment at witnessing your boyfriend being so sweet was cut short by...one of your sibling, of course (they always seemed to be around when such moments happened...well today you were visiting the family home, so obviously they’d be there, but still). 

“Tt. There’s not much to show off really !” 

Your youngest brother starts, sneering at Conner. 

Your boyfriend got accustomed to this kind of behavior a while ago now, and only answered with a smirk which Damian thought was absolutely infuriating ! But he didn’t dare say or do much more, because you were now glaring at him and he just knew you too well to risk any other words. Before you could scold him however, your other younger brother, Tim, said : 

“Well, technically speaking, there IS a lot to show. Conner is a, and I’m quoting dad talking about him to one of the Justice League about wether or not he should be one of its new member : “big and able strong man”...bit redundant really. Now, if we speak about conversation and brain...”

Tim snickered, aware of what not finishing his sentence implied, and exchanged a knowing look with Damian. The high-five they gave each others a few seconds after almost stopped you from saying anything. After all, it was so rare to see him bond like that...You just wished it wasn’t in this circumstance. Which made you say : 

“First of all, Conner is a very intelligent man, Mister I-thought-fish-fingers-could-be-found-like-that-in-the-sea-and-were-actually-fingers. And second, he’s also a rather attractive one. So there’s a lot to show off, and you’re just being jealous.”

Damian made an exaggerated gagging sound at you calling your boyfriend “attractive”, but didn’t say anything else (your glare always had such an effect on him), but Tim exclaimed, outraged : 

“Hey ! I was kidding ok ? No need to bring out the jealousy card ! And about the fish fingers, I was seven and you and Jason kept telling me that I was right !” 

You smiled smugly at him, happy you managed to turn the tables on him, and...wow it feels nice. To joke around with your brothers, even if you’re not so sure they’re really joking when talking about your Conner. It was just nice to forget your stress a bit. Nice to think about something else. 

 You came to the realization you HAD to talk about your relationship publicly today, as you were coming home from the Kent farm with Conner and almost got caught by paparazzi. Thanks Gods for Wayne Manor’s high hedges and the fact that from behind and far away, your boyfriend could very well be one of your brother, what with his large frame and dark hair...

But this little event of you two almost getting caught made you realize that you had to go public. You had to introduce Conner to everyone. Because if you didn’t, the truth would eventually come out and it’d just be bad overall. A source of unwanted and easily avoidable troubles. 

You were talking about this all morning with your family, and they were definitely very supportive and agreed with you. You had to talk about it...

Which is why you spend most of your day stressing about it and trying to think about a strategy to bring the subject as smoothly as possible. And so, this little joking distraction was very welcome. 

Your dad’s chuckle finished to make you feel more at ease. It was very rare, to hear him laugh, and when he did, it always had a big soothing effect on you. Even if there was a possibility he was currently mocking you, you couldn’t care less. 

He laughed, and you liked when he was happy and carefree enough to do so. 

You turn to him and he smiles fondly at you. Raising you hadn’t really been the easiest thing for many reasons (none related to your personality or way of being, on the contrary...but that’s another story), and seeing you all grown up brought a special emotion to his heart. 

Seeing you stressed about introducing your relationship to the public made him feel so many different things. 

Nostalgia that you weren’t his little girl anymore. Pride that you grew up so well despite all the hardship you went through, and was such an amazing young woman. Sadness and guilt that it’s only because he was your dad that you had to go through all those troubles (and many more). Happiness because you seemed happy, albeit a bit stressed. Resentment, mainly towards Conner, because he was taking you away... 

His chuckle came from you shutting up Tim with that “fish fingers” comment (and because he was reminded of how cute it was, that arguably his smartest kid was also the most gullible one as a child...oh how you and Jason took advantage of that fact. You also managed to make him believe that the hay wrapped in white plastic in fields were actually giant marshmallows, and that those candy Tim particularly liked were plants), but also because seeing you so worked up over something he never thought you’d even think about much was entertaining. 

You often knew exactly what you wanted and how to achieve it. So the fact you were so unsure right now, about such a trivial thing as to introduce your boyfriend to the “World”...it was oddly funny to him. 

Hence the chuckle. And his next words : 

“I remember being nervous too, when I was about to announce that I was seriously dating your mother.” 

You smile at him and...Oh no. Of course. Of course you were going to turn the tables on him too and try to divert this whole issue : 

“Which time ?” 

Constantly joking about your parents on and off relationship (currently off) was your way to cope with the fact you’d never have quite conventional parents (well, as they said themselves : “they dress as animals at night”, obviously they couldn’t be “normal”). To compensate your fear of having their kind of painful yet exciting relationship (even if clearly, between you and Conner it was completely different  than between them). 

Your dad knew you weren’t quite mocking him, but just teasing. Which is what he wanted to achieve. If you teased him, it meant you were a bit less stressed. 

“When we got engaged. -short pause - The first time.” 

He answers your question, his face stoic even if you know he’s not taking all this too seriously (the fact he added “the first time” proof enough). You smirk and...it always impressed you very much, how your dad always seemed to know what to say to calm you down. 

After all, he was known to be a bit “challenged” when it came to express himself, or his feelings. But for some reasons, he just always know what to say to make his kids feel better. His magic didn’t work only on you, you knew for a fact that in moments of doubts, he always managed to cheer your brothers up to. To bring them back from dark thoughts. 

He knew what it felt like to be miserable, sad, lost and any negative feeling you could think of...And the mere thoughts of his children feeling any of that pained him so much that he always ended up letting his guard down, and letting his heart speak. 

It was always very effective. Like now. 

Even if very simple. Just a few words. You already felt better, more cool headed. Less nervous. More encline to think properly and not panic.

In fact, the way your dad just joked about his own nervousness (and knowing that he had to then announce that his engagements were off which was even worst...) made you see the entire situation in another light. 

You smiled widely at your dad, then at Conner. Ignored your two pouty little brothers who were still vexed about how you easily turned tables on them, and suddenly stood up to go get your phone. 

Conner looked at you, curious, as you came trotting back to him. Your dad, however, knew what this meant. He recognized the little spark in your eyes. He saw it enough to know instantly what it meant. 

You just had an amazing idea to solve your problem. 

************

Thanks to your dad joking around and therefor helping your mind be more at ease, you were able to foment a little plan as to how would be the best way to bring the news about you having a serious boyfriend. 

You didn’t want to directly come forward with him and say you guys were steady already. You knew that if you did, many people would wonder how long you got together. And the answer to that question would bring too much annoyances. 

If you said the truth, that you’ve been together for almost a year, then people would get vexed that you only just introduced him, even if technically, it was none of their business. They would wonder why they never saw him on any of your social media pages. 

They would talk about why you waited so long before introducing him, and even if your reason was to “make sure things were serious” which was valid, they’d find a way to twist your words, and you didn’t want Conner to think anything of it. You knew he wasn’t one to be easily manipulated, but if problems could be avoided...Then you should avoid them, right ? 

On the other hand, if you said “oh we just got together”, then people would annoyingly give your relationship an “end date” and talk about how you introduced him officially way too fast ! Again, he never even appeared on your instagram !

No. No. Rule number 1 of being famous : give a little info, just enough to satisfy people’s curiosity. Don’t give away too much at the same time, or things will go haywire. 

The biggest problem right now, was that people never even heard of Conner. How would they ? You met while at the Young Justice headquarters. You rarely had the time to go on “conventional” date and even so, you’d then go in places you were sure no one would recognize you (like in Smallville and such). 

You had to first ease him in. Talk about him a bit. Introduce him as a “friend”, before talking about “boyfriend”. So that people wouldn’t be shock. So that they’d slowly get accustomed to him. 

And how to do that ? Well, social media came in handy for sure. 

First, Conner started to appear in your “group pictures”. The one you would take with your brothers, to satisfy the “Wayne fix” people seemed to need. The caption on that first picture of you, Conner and your brothers was : “Hanging with those guys <3 #bestbrothersever #lookatthoseidiots #Waynefam″, as simple as that. 

You replied to a few comments of people wondering who “That dude on the left of Jason” was by replying a simple : “He’s a friend of my brother !” 

It was quite clever really. Bam. Conner was in as “your brother’s friend” (never mentioning which brother was smart, people just assumed it was Dick or Jason and that was it, even if technically, he was Tim’s bestie). And the fact you personally replied to some comments made you closer from the people who wanted to know all about you ! It was a win-win situation. 

Then slowly, he started to appear in your snapchat stories and such. Like “My brother’s friend is a dork”, filming him doing something silly with one of your sibling. 

And bit by bit, he took more space on your social medias. He went from an “unnamed man in your picture”, to “your brother’s friend”, to simply “Conner”. 

The first picture you posted of just you and him had so many comments from people saying things like : “I don’t know for y’all, but I ship them !” or “Oh they’d be a cute couple !” even before you’d hint at anything. 

Literally, this said first picture was of you and him in Metropolis’ streets, picture taken a little blurry on purpose, as if you’d just met by accident. 

The caption read : “Look who I ran into into in Metro-city ! #ConnerK #Thatdork #Mybrosfriend #coincidence”. It was simple, and enough for people to start kinda liking the idea of the two of you together. 

Of course by then, you’d really been together for literal months, but eh, no one but your families and close friends knew. The fact was, you guys dating was part of your “unknown world”. Part of your “superhero World”. You hung out together at the Young Justice headquarters at first. But now it was time for Conner to come and be part of your “Alter Ego” world. 

You posted another picture of you and Conner the same day you “accidentally” ran into each others in Metropolis, of him sitting next to you in a park, an ice cream in his hand, smiling charmingly at the camera. With a caption saying : “Thanks for showing me around dude ! Glad our path crossed #coincidence #Iwaslost #GladIranintohim #mybrothersfriendsarealsomyfriends #suchlonghashtags #ConnerK #icecreamtime #MetropolisSucks”. 

From that point on, it was easy to slowly ease into people’s mind that actually, they kinda like you two together. 

You denying any romantic relationship with him was another smart move. You’d sometimes say : “no he’s just a friend !” and such things whenever people shipped the hell out of you, which made people like and like even more the idea of you two dating. 

You got the inspiration from watching too many TV shows. You know, those incredible slow burn love stories ? Where the lead character has that perfect chemistry with another recurring character, and since their first scene together you’ve been wanting them to date ? But things drag and drag and problem keeps getting in their way and suddenly you would DIE for them ! You are rooting for them to get together soooo bad ! That once they finally do...You’re just incredibly happy, and since you feel like you just witnessed their relationship blossomed for the past three seasons, you don’t mind not having all the answers to your questions about them together, ya know ? 

On the contrary, you want things to keep unfold in front of you. 

Well, you basically applied that TV show trope you love so much to your own fake un-relationship. Posting more and more things with Conner. Cute “friendly” videos, and awesome pictures. 

Conner even started to use his own instagram page, that he never really used before. The message he wrote for you for your birthday, accompanied by a cute picture of you smiling at the camera made so many people write in caps lock “JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY !”. 

Your plan was going perfectly well. Your father was actually very impressed and proud about how you decided to handle everything. From extremely nervous, to a neatly and skilled little plan coming perfectly together. 

In that way, you were a lot like him. Always had a plan. And multiple back up plans. Only most of the time, your initial plans would almost always work. 

Like father like daughter, right ? 

************

You were so damn proud of yourself. And so happy Conner understood. 

You were perfectly aware that your “plan” could be misinterpreted by him. After all, he could’ve been weirded out by all the “faking” you asked of him. But nope. He really wasn’t. 

You explained to him that you thought that easing things down would be the best and more problem free way to go. That acting as if you weren’t already together since a long time was a good idea. 

You explained all the rumors that could ensue if you just came out together now without saying anything (you could see such rumors every day in scandal magazines, as soon as a celebrity was hanging out with someone else !). 

And he understood. He agreed. Plus, he didn’t mind acting like your friend in public. So far, you both always kinda hid yourself wherever you went together.

So for Conner it was a great change of pace. Even if he definitely understood too why until now you wanted to keep your relationship hidden. You just wanted to be with him without any other worries, to be with him as if you were just a random person, not someone famous ! Plus he knew you were afraid to impose your fame on him, but now, you’ve been together long enough for him to accept that fact, for him to know he’ll eventually have to roll with it if he wanted to be with you...Oh and he wanted to.

He never thought you were ashamed of him, or not serious or anything. No. He understood why you wanted to hide things. He was totally on board. He was actually pretty sure he would have waited centuries for you to be ready ! And now that you were, that he was too, and moving forward with things...Well then he’d do whatever you want him to do. 

He was never into PDA anyway, and it was nice to be able to hang out with you in public without caring much if people took pictures or not. Because it was known that he was “just one of your brother’s friend” at first, so there was no mystery there ! People knew him now. And even started to point out how he appeared before in your brothers’ pictures anyway !

And then once you started to hang out more as friends yourselves, and all that...as your PUBLIC relationship started to bud...Well who cared if paparazzi took picture and titled their articles : “Are (Y/N) Wayne and Conner Kent dating ?!”

To be honest, it was quite a big help that Conner was “Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s kid”. It eased even more your fake backstory of how you met. It was notoriously known that Bruce Wayne was good friend with famed reporters Kent and Lane. So the fact their children knew each others...wasn’t really surprising ! 

It played perfectly in your little “he was just one of my brother’s friend. I never saw him as more than a play buddy for a long time...until that fateful Metropolis encounter !”. Oh Alfred’s acting class he used to give you as a child definitely came in handy ! 

************

“So, serious question...Are the Wayne kids single, or not ? There has been rumors lately !” 

You managed to pull a bashful smile that was completely fabricated but that everyone would think was genuine. You became quite good, at faking facial expression in public. “Thanks dad”. 

You knew exactly why, this time, they asked you this question. A few days earlier, you gave an anonymous tips to some paparazzi that “the famed (Y/N) Wayne and her rumored boyfriend Conner Kent had been spotted on Gotham’s docks, having a romantic promenade”. 

You let them take pictures of you quickly kissing Conner, as if you were actually afraid someone would catch you. You and Conner played the part perfectly, acting as if this was your first date or something. All shy and small touches. 

You planned for this event for months. It was the culminating point of everything. The time when finally, things would change. And you were so glad that the journalist to ask you this tonight, was one of the few you actually liked. With a charming smile you say : 

“Oh well you know I rarely talk about that, Miss Torres.” 

Gabriela Torres, a famous EW journalist smiles knowingly but insist. She would usually never do that, but there is some pretty incriminating pictures of you and a certain Metropolis boy... 

“A Metropolis boy you say ? No idea who you are mentioning.” 

You say coyly, and you know they’re falling right in your trap. For this little stunt of admitting you’re in a relationship, your brothers gave you permission to talk about their love life. Briefly. 

“I can tell you however that my brother Dick’s wedding to Barbara Gordon is starting to coming up nicely. That Jason is most definitely following in my dad’s footstep. That Tim is still with his high school sweetheart, Steph’ and um...Well, Damian is only fourteen ! I think he’s barely interested in any kind of romance right now. I’m sure he has crushes but...uh, you know.” 

They didn’t really know, but acted as if they did. Because you had a way with words, that just made people satisfied enough. Just like your dad. Plus, they weren’t really interested in your brothers right now, they knew you were just deflecting. 

Gabriela Torres asks once more about that “Metropolis boy”, but this time, she names him. 

“Isn’t there something going on between you and Conner Kent ?” 

You manage to fake being bashful once again. You turn away from the camera. Laugh a little bit nervously, and then turn back to the journalist and say : 

“Well, a proper lady never tells.” 

You then proceed to smile and wink in a very Bruce Wayne-way (again, like father, like daughter) and walk away. 

And you’ve done it. Gave them just enough so they’ll be satisfied, but not enough to truly invade your personal life. 

Conner’s officially in. 

************

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t feeling nervous at all when you brought your boyfriend to an official and formal event for the first time. 

And oh man Conner ? Conner was almost throwing up because of how nervous he was. But here you were, walking the red carpet under a hundred of camera flashes. And it was time. 

“(Y/N) Wayne isn’t single anymore, it’s official”. 

************

“Wow, well. This went better than expected ! They really like you Kon !” 

“Yeah ? I was afraid I messed things up a bit by being so nervous...” 

“Oh no, I think they loved that. It brings a certain quirk to you. And it shows you care about making a good impression...You can bet that tomorrow, people will be all over the papers about me being hitched ! And the next day, they’ll forget all about it because then they’ll focus on the fact that there’s, potentially, three Wayne kids that are still single...So all in all, very successful evening !” 

This was such a relief. Finally. Finally he was “officially” your boyfriend, and you’d never have to hide anymore. Awesome. Things really went smoothly ! People truly LOVED Conner. 

And you were all pretty sure it was thanks to your plan of easing things down. When you finally presented Conner as your boyfriend, people felt like they knew him too, after all those videos and pictures and such you posted. 

They had been shipping you two since “way before you guys started dating” (something people often said, and that amused you often, given the fact you celebrated your first year anniversary while you were still not “officially” together), and were glad to see you two making things official. The “I ship them so hard” comment were now replaced by “#relationshipgoals” and other “THE SHIP HAS SAILED !!” and such. 

Wow. Well. Why were you nervous in the first place ? 

************

And here you were again, nervous beyond all measure, unable to stop playing with the new piece of jewelry on your ring finger...

Conner asked you to marry him months ago, but it was only now that you had time to truly announce it to the World. Your family and friends already knew of course, but your “public alter ego” had to still come out clean about that. 

The day before the gala you were going to, Conner posted on HIS social medias (sounded more logical) a simple picture of the ring on your finger, your hand holding his, and a caption saying : “She said yes <3″. 

The post broke the internet. 

It became one of instagram’s most liked pictures. And people couldn’t wait for your official statement the next day at the gala...And here you were, nervous again even if you knew most people knew already and you just had to confirm things, to “give them the little infos so they could be satisfied”. 

************

“Wow, well. This went better than expected ! They really really like you Kon !” 

“Yeah well, I think I figured that out by now. I do receive the occasional hate online about “not being good enough for you” but I’m pretty sure all those accounts are Damian’s...” 

You snort, but start to genuinely laugh when your little brother gives a half-joking “Tt, not ALL of them”. 

You’re on your way home to your apartment, and as often during official galas like so, you’re in the family car as you all went to the event together. Of course. 

You, Jason and Dick didn’t live in the Manor anymore, but Alfred and your dad always made a point to pick you up so you’d all go as a family. It was important for them, but also for that public image you kept up all those years, of you guys being a very close family (which was true anyway). 

People LOVED when the entire Wayne family went somewhere. They always went completely crazy for pictures of all of you together, which unfortunately were rarer nowadays than they used to. Which made said picture all the more appreciated. 

You finish laughing at your brother’s (half) joke and Conner smiles as you lay your head on his chest, closing your eyes, exhausted after tonight’s emotions and commotion. 

There’s a small silence as Alfred drives the family limousine back to your apartment to drop you and Conner off first, as your home is closer to the city center than Dick’s and Jason’s. And definitely closer than Wayne Manor, where your dad, Tim and Damian will go back after dropping all of you off. 

It’s a comfortable silence. Everyone is very please about how the entire evening went. Your dad would never admit it, but he was really happy and proud that you were going to marry a man such as Conner Kent. 

The silence is broken by said man :

“I wonder what people’s reaction will be when we’ll tell them you’re pregnant...” 

Conner says, before he freezes and a horrified expression slowly creeps on his face. Did he just...Drop that bomb ? While you and him only discovered that fact the day before ? And didn’t say anything to your family yet ? Oh my god, you were going to be so mad at him ! 

But you were already asleep, comfortably nestled on his chest, and your boyfriend, future father of your child...Had to bear the glares your brothers laid on him, the furious shock in your father’s eyes. 

He had to ignore the gasp they all made, the way they refrained themselves from yelling because you were asleep and it was rare for you to get any of that, especially so peacefully. The way they “yelled” silent “WHAT ?!” and threw their hand in the air, the scene being utterly comic, as they tried to make as little noise as possible. 

The way your brothers weren’t sure wether they were happy or mad. The way your dad’s glass of water he had in his hand shattered as he gripped it. The way his expression went from “angry” to “wait, what, I’m going to be a grandfather ?” to finally land on “I’m happy ! But also, how dare you touch my daughter that way ?”. 

And all the while, you slept peacefully, not knowing that this novel piece of news that stressed you out was now out in the open to your family. You had just barely started to foment a plan about how to tell them ! 

For Conner, the ride back to your apartment was a very awkward one. And he blessed the fact that you didn’t wake up as you arrived home, meaning he didn’t have to witness your grumpy self awaking to your family asking you a thousand questions about your pregnancy ! 

He exited the car slowly, making sure to not wake you up, and mouthed a “I guess we’ll talk tomorrow...” to your brothers and father, smiling awkwardly at them, closing the car’s door. Worst timing EVER. And it was a bit surreal, to see their frustrated face realizing they’d really have to wait for tomorrow to ask for an explanation, as the door slowly closed on them. 

At least the good thing about all that, was the fact that you were deeply asleep and unaware of his mistake. That way, he had time to think of something to tell you, of a plan to break the news to you that he accidentally might have slip the fact that you were bearing his child to your family...

Damn. 

_______________________________________________

Sorry it took me a while to get that story out. I just got extremely busy with life lately...So. Yeah. I had ZERO time to write. Anyway, glad I could finally post this :). As usual, the initial idea I had changed quite a bit along the way, and I ended up focusing on Batsis/Conner more than on the Batsibling as a whole (don’t worry, there’ll be more bat siblings story related, and only them :)), but eh, that happens. I always end up getting carried away by the story.

Hope you liked it (???), don’t hesitate to leave a feedback and reblog, it’s always BEYOND appreciated (motivates to write more and all). Hope you weren’t disappointed or something and...yeah. That’s pretty much it *proud for once I didn’t comment on how insecure I am posting a story*.