#I guess that's one way to cope 😅

[81folklore]

happiness - LECLERC

pairing: charles leclerc x ex!reader (fc: sabrina carpenter + pintrest) part 2

summary: releasing a song about your ex might finally stop the rumors surrounding your breakup (or: you release happiness about your ex charles leclerc)

authors note: this is my first ever post (and social media au) so please bear with me as im still figuring this all out!!) i dont use proper grammer and may mispell things!! the song ‘happiness’ by taylor is one of my faves so i had to use it, i am interpreting the song in a very specific way to fit the story! i do not own ‘happiness’ nor any song mentioned in this fic. it ended up longer than expected im so sorry😅

masterlist

yourusername

liked by annacathcart, henrymoodie and 1,550,456 others

its times like these wish i had a time machine,, i will miss you guys SO MUCH!! buuuut we are going international for the first time and i cannot wait to share my music with all you beautiful people🌟

see you soon paris & link for tickets in bio💌

view comments

user5 cannot wait to see you in paris!!

user7 this tour has been one of the best things to ever happen to me, cant wait to scream nonsense at you once again🫶

user10 genuinely cant stand her after what she put charles through

user9 what are you talking about? their breakup was mutual

user10 seems like she doesnt care which means it clearly hasnt affected her

henrymoodie so excited to be opening for you in europe!

yourusername youre in for a treat tour mate🫣

user2 sigh i miss her and landos interactions

charles_leclerc

liked by olliebearman, arthur_leclerc and 1,164,121 others

definitely not the result we were hoping for but thank you for making my home race as special as always, onto the next one!

view comments

user10 you tried your best which is all we ask

user3 i missed yn this week, home race didnt feel the same😔

user1 i thought it felt different, he seemed very distracted this weekend

user13 at least you finished the race (im coping badly)

user4 we love you charles keep pushing❤️🤍FORZA FERRARI

yourusername

liked by newhopegeorge, landonorris and 2,025,754 others

how am i supposed to leave you now that you’re already over..

paris you were so so lovely what did i do to deserve you guys :’) next stop brussels💌

view comments

user89 talented, brilliant, incredible, show stopping, spectacular, wonderful, amazing!!

user52 forever missing you💌

user71 ok but yn why were you teasing a new song at the show…

yourusername shhhh

landonorris super proud of you

yourusername thank youuu landooo

user2 my prayers have been answered woooo

user46 i feel like i missed something, are lando and yn friends?

user5 yeah! lando was how yn met charles and theyve been friends for a few years now

ynupdates

liked by user5, user16 and 13,456 others

yn on a new song she plans to release soon tonight at brussels ‘ive been writing a song for a while that really just helps explain the way ive been feeling these past few months, it was very therapeutic to write and ive really enjoyed the process!’ and when asked what the song was about she said ‘its about someone who will always mean alot to me, they know who they are and thats enough for me!’

she seemed very happy to be able to talk about it so expect more updates about that soon! next stop cologne, grab your tickets from the link in our bio💌

view comments

user5 i cannot wait for new music

user16 what if she performs it on tour huh? what then? WHAT THEN??

user15 it’s definitely about charles, she had that same smile she wore when talking about him previously☹️

yourusername

liked by vicdeangelis, lizzymcalpine, arthur_leclerc and 2,450,470 others

i cant make it go away by making you a villain, i guess its the price i paid for seven years in heaven…

view comments

user5 these have to be song lyrics right??

user7 sounds like it might be about charles🤨

user10 not more music about charles, at least he gets free promo from them..

arthur_leclerc we miss you

yourusername i miss you guys too!! come to a show soon?

[mrs-snape5984]

“Can we always be this close…forever and ever?”

“My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue. All's well that ends well to end up with you.” (“Lover” by Taylor Swift)

Today I want to share something more cheerful with all you lovely people of Snapedom, because - to be honest - considering my last few posts on this blog, they could suggest the idea, that I might not be the most zestful person around here. Well…guilty as charged! 😅So, please, take my apologies for my constant venting and complaining about ME/CFS and the ways, in which this bitch of a disease destroyed the life, I’ve known before. But this particular post will be dedicated to LOVE.

I know, I’m using this blog as my personal journal in order to cope with the hardships of my existence, always relying on my 21 years lasting connection with Severus Snape…who is undeniably the one true love of my life. Some of you might judge or mock me for being so pathetically devoted to a fictional character over such a long period of time, but believe me…my love for Severus is my safe haven!

Sure, I’ve tried to give other relationships a shot, but after some really traumatic experiences with men and women, as well as two failed marriages, I’m coming to the conclusion, that I’m better off alone. I must admit, that being doomed to endure a so called life in my bed, only surrounded by darkness and mostly solitude, definitely has an influence on this conviction. Who knows, if I’d have the same beliefs if I weren’t “un-dateable”…but this doesn’t matter anymore, since there’s still no cure for my disease.

And yet… (enter dramatic sigh here 😂)

And yet, I still believe in love, despite my own failures…despite all the pain, the sorrows, the humiliation and the traumas, I’ve been confronted with. I guess, being intelligent (or at least well educated) and overly realistic didn’t prevent me from being a hopeless romantic human being.

My adolescent twins are currently entering the phase of their first “loves”. I’ve taught my three children from the very beginning, that it doesn’t matter, whom they love, unless they’re feeling safe and happy about it. My daughter is proud to have her first girlfriend, even though she’s already facing some difficulties in her environment, due to her frank nature to enjoy her crush. For me - a woman, who’s living openly bisexual 🏳️‍🌈 since I’ve been 14 years old - it’s absolutely unbelievable, that there are still so many people in our society, who seem to stick to their restrained beliefs about sexuality and gender. I will always try to support my children in their journey of self-acceptance and self-discovery.

So, yes, I still believe in love…no matter how this love might look like. Even though I’m confined to this prison, which is formed by my disease, I was allowed to find some kind of deep love in my friends. I want to share a short poem with you (written by Whitney Hanson for her book “Harmony”) which reminds me of the love, that I feel for these friends of mine:

I have always loved the way

Music could make the world feel

Like it doesn’t exist

As if suddenly all my fears

Are swept away

Who knew

That there are people out there

Who could make me feel the same way

Another love, which makes my heart swell with joy, is my love to all those amazingly talented artists of Snapedom, for whom I’m rolling out the red carpet on my blog, by using their art as my very personal soothing balm for my troubled heart and soul. This time, I’ve commissioned the lovely @kruzbr for the very first time. I’ve been fallen for their Severitus comics, so I asked them to help me out with making my own version of Severitus, together with my undeniably self-inspired OC Jules, come to life.

Anderson, your understanding of my ideas and your kindness made it a pleasure for me to join the process of creating this mesmerising masterpiece of art. I’m beyond grateful for your service and I can assure you, that this won’t be the last time, I will commission you for another adventure of Sevy & Jules. The next idea is already stuck in my mind, so keep an eye on your postbox! Thank you for everything, my dear!

🖤Severus & Julia🖤

🖤Sevy & Jules🖤

[haebeomsleftbuttcheek]

So, I finally read the ending of MHA, and re-read the couple of chapters before and I must say it has left me feeling one thing…✨unfulfilled✨ that ending was unfulfilling!

It felt really rushed and unanswered, there was so many plot points that were just…unanswered! Izuku’s guilt and trauma seemed to be barely mentioned or even acknowledged, and we can see he’s STILL keeping some things from his classmates(I get they don’t need to know everything but there’s the whole idea of not bottling it up hello 👋)! Ochaco never ends up acknowledging or confessing her feelings towards Izuku or vice versa, which to be honest it was mostly on Ochaco’s side but even then nothing. Even though I can’t lie I like that we had no romance or ship confirmation, at least it has ended in a way where you can interpret it in many ways. Also Ochaco is her own character, not simply a love interest so not necessarily upset! Izuku’s father is clearly not important that’s as obvious as hell 😂 man never made an appearance, and apparently there is talks of Hori forgot all about him but not 100% sure on that piece of information(seems kind of likely tho 😅 or he just doesn’t care). I don’t even want to talk about Shigaraki and Toga 😭💔!

Bakugou’s arc I felt finished in a good way, but again I am still left feeling unfulfilled on some things evolving around him and Izuku. So, we learn that Bakugou put a lot of his savings into Izuku’s new suit during the final chapter(as did the whole class), and we have Bakugou once again reflecting on his past bullying. I feel his guilt over the bullying also may have played a role in him doing what he can to help Izuku getting that suit. However, we have no thought process on Bakugou’s death or even his apology, we don’t know what Izuku felt about the apology or how Bakugou’s short-term death affected him? Like obviously we can see in the moment it happened Izuku was affected, but the aftermath of that? Izuku’s thoughts on the apology? I guess it is up to us to assume he’s forgiven him, and he most likely has but I feel that was something that should have been touched upon. Except it wasn’t touched upon at all, this is like with Shouto and his father!

The Todoroki family conclusion was….very Endeavor focused 🙄 which isn’t necessarily awful, but like he took up so much of that conclusion were left with so many unanswered questions and thoughts! Like Shouto hardly spoke nor did we even hear his inner thoughts, and it’s really upsetting because we don’t know anything. What are his feelings? How is he coping after the war? His feelings on his brother? His father? We don’t know if he’s proud of his father, or if he’s disappointed, whether he’s forgiven him or not and what does he feel about his father retirement? The relationship between Shouto and his mother has truly been ruined for me, and is it for petty reasons? Yeah probably but it’s the way it’s been handled…Hori started Shouto’s journey with wanting to save his mother, and showed she held importance to Shouto. We see that Shouto holds his mother dear, and yet their first reunion in the hospital was not explored, the second is off-screened in favour of Enji’s blubbering face AND then when we have Shouto reiterating Rei’s very words back to her. The words that helped him in his dark days, and her response to that was….to be happy for Enji because hey his sidekicks are there and Hawks has texted him! No acknowledgment to her son, and this is the son she labelled the “family hero” a huge burden to put on your youngest child just support for Enji! It’s just ruined the relationship for me a bit, and I’m not the only one with this critique others have pointed it out.

It’s also pleasing to know that the Japanese side had this critique too! We have Endeavor stating he was going to retire, and that he is going to atone and keep at-

Like perfect 👌 it’s not like we don’t know this already, it’s something you’ve told us over and over. How about we hear from other family members?? Oh wait we do, we hear that Rei and Fuyumi want to talk to Touya too perfect 🤩 but I wanted more! I mean admittedly we know he’s going to keep atoning but him and Touya hadn’t had that conversation, but still 🙃 why did we need to re-enforce that Enji is going to keep atoning?! We know this! The positives for the conclusion to me is the soba, Touya apologising to Shouto and Enji accepting Natsuo’s no-contact! I was truly happy Natsuo went that route!

I just want to clarify that I don’t think it was necessary wrong for it to be so Endeavor focused, his points and character arc needed to be completed there’s no denying that. Him and Touya needed this talk too, and more but I feel like the others were over shadowed a bit! I mean we don’t even have Natsuo acknowledging Touya, the brother he’s supposedly closest too 🙃 I felt it could have been fixed if we had the Todoroki conclusion based over two chapters!(another reason why Hori should have had at least 10 more chapters to finish this instead of cramming it into 5)

Adult Shouto is so handsome, but no surprise there really! I’m so goddamn glad long hair shouto is DEAD 😌 sorry if you loved the long haired ponytail Shouto, I was always hoping he would not grow his hair long! He is being called Endeavor’s son less and less 😌 that’s good slowly creeping out of that man’s shadow! I’m so glad it seems like he didn’t take his father’s hero name, that theory was my nightmare! Also despite my complaints about the Todofam’s conclusion, I do like the idea that we can see Shouto has his friends to lean on and to gain comfort and love from! We also know he is heading towards being who he wants to be! I also did like how Shouto was the one who asked Touya about himself, instead of just talking at Touya!

Why is Enji STILL being pushed around on that wheelchair by Rei?? Like are you truly incapable of doing it yourself man 💀 it’s electric:

It’s literally a electric wheelchair, there is no need for Rei to being pushing him around 😭 I mean my mother said I could look at it as a way of her taking back her power but dude should be doing it himself! Oh I want to backtrack to the whole Bakugou’s apology - Enji’s apology agenda, we have seen, heard their inner guilt and seen them express their guilt/their sorry’s to their victims but AGAIN it’s not touched upon for their victims! We don’t hear Shouto’s response or inner thoughts on his fathers apology, like yes we know Shouto was not sure if he could forgive but he was watching to see what type of father Enji could be. However, we don’t know his feelings over the apology neither the one in the hospital or his final one, and with Izuku we hear absolutely nothing of his inner thoughts on Bakugou’s apology or nor does he give a genuine response to that apology- a verbal one at least!

The biggest BIGGEST sin of the whole story:

Quite literally is this coffin dodger still fucking breathing! Do wish we had more hero deaths in this final war, and I mean heroes of importance not some side show character no one emotionally cares about!

The appearance of that new guy, who was saved by the granny who didn’t help Tenko felt kinda pointless(though it clearly wasn’t). However I guess he was to show that hey look society is getting better, and we’re to look at this ending and see things are getting better which sure I can sort of see that I guess.

So we still have quirkism 😂 the whole “you can’t be a hero with that quirk” “only strong people with strong quirks can” talks! Honestly, he’s that adorable kid in that one scene 🥺 he was a cutie patootie!

The ranking thing still exists 😔 I was hoping it would be abolished, but oh well it is what it is!

Onto more positive things now ☺️ I do love this colour spread:

Look at them all smiling 😭 and Aoyama is still with them, which also in the spread of them all as pro-heroes Aoyama is with them! And for that I’m really happy 😊 he may have had to join them at a slightly later date but he’s with them so I’m happy!

Bakugou’s face as he works on his arm therapy 😂🤣 he always is so angry or at least he has an angry face! The others cheer him on though!

I’m upset that we never got to see Shouto eating soba with Touya, but I’m also happy for the ending to be left ambiguous. I mean obviously we are told he is slowly dying, but giving there was no confirmation of his passing or a grave stone. I’m free to pretend that he somehow manages to live on, and heal in some kind of way.

Lastly, it was definitely unfulfilling for me personally, there were things I liked but not enough to make me feel satisfied 😔. It felt rushed and unanswered on some plot points, and whether that’s to Horikoshi being just fed up with the story that he wanted it done or he was being pushed to finish it faster I don’t know. It’s just a bit disappointing, especially when I feel like many plot points could have been cleared up if he had made it 10 more chapters to finish not 5. However, I still love the series for the journey it has given me, it’s been my first manga I have ever completed so it will be dear in my heart. I started as an anime only, but I soon picked up the manga and well here I am! It’s been a hell of a ride, and I’m glad I got involved with it all even if sometimes the discourse made me want to scream 😂🤣!

[pinkberrytea]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Eeee tysm for the tag @nyx-knox and @honeybee-bard! 🥹🙌❣️

When did you start writing?

I used to write fanfiction when I was 13 years old, but as an adult, this is actually my first time dabbling in creative writing! I released my first work back in April, crazy to think it’s been barely four months since I started!

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

Horror and mystery are actually my favorite genres, though I'm not sure I'd be able to pull either off? I should give it a go one day, maybe!

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

To be honest any comparisons at all would make me plenty happy since I barely consider myself a writer 😅 There are some people in the fandom who are endless sources of inspiration for me though, all authors in my recs list and ao3 bookmarks, for starters.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

No BG3 merch sadly, yet!

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Just daydreaming honestly. Also listening to music helps plenty! Researching lore and brainstorming ideas with friends too. But mostly just daydreaming!

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Hurt and comfort, and also angst. Lots of it, for some reason. It does surprise me how angsty all my writing ends up coming across, but I try to balance it out with some melodramatic fluff, I guess? I do want to try my hand at some less serious/more lighthearted themes eventually though, branch out a little!

What is your reason for writing?

Coping, mostly. Also as a sort of therapy, to sort out my feelings about themes that are important to me and that I’ve been processing through media. And no less relevant, simply as a self-indulgent outlet! I write what I myself would like to read.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

Every single comment is incredibly motivating for me, but of course, I do twirl my hair and kick my feet whenever someone tells me about which passages they liked the best and how they specifically felt about a certain scene. Also, whenever people pick up on a detail I was sure would go by unnoticed!

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I want my readers to think of me as a friend, as someone who is always accessible and up for talking about writing, be it mine or just in general!

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

Oh, this is a toughie. I have a very flowery and verbose style, though I’m not sure that’s a strength? I guess it could be, depending on your preferences. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, really.

How do you feel about your own writing?

I don’t think highly of it from a technical standpoint, but I do pour my heart and soul into every single piece, and that makes them all special to me.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

I can sincerely say I write mostly for myself, otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to write anything at all because I don’t think I could live up to anyone’s expectations. Though of course, the feedback I receive on a piece may in fact influence whether I feel inspired to expand on it or just move on to something new. Even if I’m typically my own main target audience, comments are always greatly appreciated!

No pressure tags ✨ @locallegume, @judasiskariot, @inkymoonbunny, @starryjuicebox and @kalmiaphlox!

[venjamyra]

Lyrics – Same Shade as Concrete by Circle Takes the Square

WOLFWOOD WEDNESDAY (～￣▽￣)～

feels a little funny to be making fanart of a manga that started before I was born with music that came out when i wasn’t even one year old yet…

lineart and various inane ramblings (manga spoilers ahead) about this comic that haunts my mind below the cut (its a lot…)

Okay, here’s the line art for anyone who wanted to see it without spoiler talk:

wow, so cool. Sometimes I like the lineart better in some ways and the colored version in other, different ways… I wonder how to find a good middle ground…… such are the mysteries of life

Onto the brain rot!!!

Okay, so this whole piece is kind of showing Wolfwood’s journey toward ‘accepting’ that he is an assassin. He has killed people. And his belief that he is irredeemable, this is just who he is now, stained with blood.

I’m gonna talk about panels 1,2,3, and 4. Those are just in order from top to bottom, so panel 1 is him firing the gun, and panel 4 is him in the river of blood.

So panel 1 is establishing that this is teenage Wolfwood, and he’s killing someone. YES I used that one painting as a reference (The Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel). I don’t know anything about it, but it looks cool and I like the idea of an apparently evil character crying dramatically. Throw a gun in the mix and you have me curled up in a ball crying about Wolfwood. Wolfwood isn’t crying here, but I hope the reference shows the implication that he’s crying internally.

Panel 2 is directly contrasting with panel 4 with the volume of blood. I chose the blood to just barely cover his hands on purpose, NOT just so that I didn’t have to draw more hands lmao. Lots of blood on his hands symbolism throughout, because he has his whole thing about it. Anyway, this is like, the specific amount of blood where Wolfwood finally feels too far gone. It’s reached his hands, he can’t come back from this.

shout out to the people who helped me find this panel earlier 😅 @markcampbells @grymmdark

The crosses are there to establish his being surrounded by the Eye of Michael, trapped into this pool of blood. I know with the three crosses there’s some heavy crucifixion symbolism going on. It was honestly unintentional, but if I had to come up with something for it, I’d say in Wolfwood’s mind in this moment, he is the one crucifying people (Jesus, whomever). Again with that ‘too far gone’ stuff. He ‘knows’ who he is now, and it is not a savior. I’m not Christian as an adult and the only thing I did in Sunday school was question the adults or quietly judge them for their logical fallacies so idk if this makes sense in Bible-lore 😭 lol sorry.

Panel 3 hits home on the bloody hands thing, big motif. And then the gun pokes through the panel to give us this connection to the final panel, where we see a second drop of blood, coming from Wolfwood’s own hand, presumably filling the river he’s in. So the entire river is made specifically of blood from his hands, not just blood he spilled.

Panel 4. The big one. Okay, I heard that willow trees represent peace. I don’t know if this is bullshit, but I guess they can mean whatever I want ✨. Wolfwood is not fighting the flood here, just floating along, basically. He’s not relaxed, he hates this. But he’s come to some kind of acceptance. He feels (false) peace that this is just who he is. If he doesn’t get to control who he is or what he does, at least he knows that. This is not the time or place that I’d like to talk about themes of control and bodily autonomy in Trigun--we’d be here forever lol--but its totally that stuff. The willow trees contrast with the crosses here. It is no longer the Eye of Michael holding him in, trapping him in this pool of blood. Now, the willow trees (peace, acceptance) that are grown from his own mind/coping methods are what keep him trapped. I like to imagine the crosses are still beyond the trees, causing the trees to serve as both a wall keeping Wolfwood in and a wall keeping the antagonism of the Eye of Michael out. This is also visual because willow trees look much nicer than mysterious creepy crosses.

The comic basically ends where Wolfwood begins in Trigun. Yeah, he’s got his silly moments, but on a deeper, less superficial (sub-superficial…ficial…?) level, he really believes himself to be stuck in life, unable to change. In the last panel, he’s naked because he’s vulnerable; this isn’t the suit and a charming smile, this is him as he sees himself.

This idea of Wolfwood feeling acceptance with his shitty life drives me insane. In volume 8, after he kinda does his normal assassin work again, he is so fucking sad and angry. I think he tries to tap back into that idea of acceptance, but he can’t. He’s been through so much and seen so much with Vash that he just can’t accept it anymore. Like with the song lyrics as they’re used in this comic, is someone (Eye of Michael, Chapel) goading him into standing in this pool of blood and staying there even as it rises. And then here, he gets a little taste of freedom and just fucking pulls himself out!!! If I feel inspired I could make a part 2 one day where he’s pulling himself out of the blood river or something idk.

All manga panels are courtesy of Trigun Manga Overhaul!

Oh and some fun drawing things before I go. Important disclaimer: I do not claim to know what I’m doing.

The first pic has the guidelines I used to create shape and draw attention. I saw someone say that using simple shapes helps with composition so I’ve been trying that? It seems cool, I like it. And the second one has my lines to remember where my light source is. I kind of shade based on vibes, which I want to work on, but for now is fine. But the idea is that even though each of these panels has days/weeks to years between them, they all have one light source that extends across the comic. It comes across as a ‘lower’ source relative to Wolfwood in the first panel, which feels dramatic. By the time we get to the last panel, it comes across as the sun, high in the sky. I did this because it felt cool.

okay love and peace and go listen to the emo music my older brother showed me yippee!!!

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

I know you’re a big advocate for curating your own social media experience (and honestly same), but how do you go about that considering the waves of hate some people have been getting? Like there’s turning off asks, but otherwise you’re just at the mercy of some very very sad people who want to make others feel as shitty. And I don’t think it’s a case of just not letting it impact you, because it’s unrealistic to think everyone can brush it off, especially considering the super targeted stuff we’ve seen going on.

hi anon - so i am guessing but i am probably 10 years older than you 😅, so i am going to call upon my experience to respond.

rule #1: you can't control what is out of your hands.

in life, there will always be haters (online and in real life), so you have to make a conscious decision on how you react.

social media companies will not protect you. therefore, it is about being proactive, whether that means deleting messages and blocking anons, turning off asks and limiting dms, or taking some time off social media altogether.

what is unhelpful to you is hoping that it goes away. because it won't. these shitty, miserable cretins thrive on the misery of others, and we don't want to let them win.

rule #2: there are various degrees to hate/criticism/however you want to describe it, and with experience comes learning how to triage.

meaning you don't respond to each 'aggression' in the same way.

i work in legal/compliance for my company, and one part of my job is assessing the risk level of various scenarios. we have had serious issues such as employees being physically stalked and harassed to more minor problems like an angry customer complaint, and we do not handle each in the same way.

you can use those same principles in handling your social media feed and figuring out which responses deserve a response, which should be ignored and deleted, which should be reported, etc.

rule #3: find a support system to help you navigate through it all

it could be real life friends and family, online friends, but you should not be dealing with this alone.

lean on those who have dealt with similar issues or find mentors to help you. i currently have 4 juniors who report up to me, and almost all are recent uni grads. one of my roles is to be a mentor to them and help them understand that they should not take all criticism personally and develop coping mechanisms. for example, the grouchy old executive is grouchy with everyone. it's not you! 😅

anyway, it's not easy, but believe me that everyone goes through this in some capacity. main thing is to not lose hope and once again, my mantra 🙏:

[karahalloway]

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 15 - Not Without Obligation

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper gets a surprise visit from Christian... but are his intentions sincere?

Word Count: 2,800 (short for me, I know enjoy it while you can 😆)

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, angst, possible ulterior motives)

Chapter theme song:

A/N: I know it's been more than a hot minute since I've updated this series! 😅 This is in part because I got sidetracked by Sleepless in New York also on my list to finish, I know, and then I took most of the summer off from writing. But also in part because I kinda got stuck on how to actually continue with this series... but, I now have a plan! *rubs hands together gleefully* and you ain't gonna like it, sorry, not sorry. So, with this long-awaited installment, I hope to be back in my usual groove and will be posting with some semblance of regularity again. Thanks so much for bearing with me!

A/N2: This is also my submission for @choicesseptemberchallenge2023 Day 25 Prompt - Secret, Surprise I’m only 2 days late

Chapter 15 - Not Without Obligation

Making my way back to my room, I try to push down the conflicting emotions that are roiling inside of me.

On one hand, I get where Drake is coming from, and why he shut the door in my face. We are no longer alone in Applewood and even the faintest whiff of impropriety could implode the carefully strategised work that the royal PR team has put in to try and resuscitate my public image.

And me getting caught outside of the room of a guy who not only is not Christian, but who I have no justifiable reason for seeking out at the butt-crack of dawn in the first place, would definitely scupper the assertion that I'm not a two-timing hussy. Especially since I rushed out of my room earlier wearing nothing more than a t-shirt and panties.

Mitigating factors, they are not.

But while the rational part of my brain knows that Drake is only trying to look out for me, I can't help but feel a pang of dejection at the abruptness with which he — very literally — shut me out, even though he promised yesterday that he wouldn't do something like that to me again.

Because God knows that it had been hard enough to get him to open up the first time!

And even though I'm not expecting him to have completely reversed his habitudes overnight, I guess I'd been hoping that our conversation in the barn would've prompted some kind of step in the desired direction.

Because it's clear that the bruises on my neck unnerved him. The turmoil on his face had made that clear. As the marks are not just some haphazard side-effect of our frantic love-making. They are a very real and visible reminder of the tangible strength of his feelings — and the fact that he lost control of them.

And as much as I understand the knee-jerk cause of his reaction, the last thing I want — or need — right now is for Drake to distance himself from me because he's scared of hurting me again.

That, I could not cope with.

"Demoiselle," nods Allard as I arrive back at my room.

I flash him a distracted smile on auto-pilot. He saw and heard what happened. There is no point rehashing anything. Especially since this isn't something he or Schweitzer can help with.

The weight of my Guard's concerned gaze flick over me as I shuffle past, but they both remain silent, no doubt sensing that I'm not in the mood for conversation.

Shutting the door behind me, I close my eyes as I lean back against the solidness of the wood.

Why are things never simple 'round here?

I really wish Drake and I could've taken a moment to talk things through. Because today's Apple Harvest Festival is expected to see hundreds of people descend onto Applewood to not only celebrate this year's bountiful crop of Cordonian Rubies, but to also catch a glimpse of the new King and his future Queen.

And if I thought that cornering Drake at the apple pick had been hard, the chances of being able to do so today are going to be slim to none.

But the rest of the week doesn't offer any better options because tomorrow we're off to Italy, where we'll likely have even less opportunity for privacy given the high-profile and international nature of the coming engagements.

My eyes snap open. I have to talk to him now.

As much as Drake may be concerned about protecting what's left of my image, I'm not going to let him use the inconvenience of our circumstances as an excuse to hide behind his insecurities or erect walls between us. Because the hard truth is that there's never going to be a good time to talk unless we make time.

Which is exactly what I am going to do, possible scandal be damned. I cannot let a tenuous fear borne out of a possible public backlash hold me back. My relationship with Drake is worth infinitely more to me than whatever garbage the paps may decide to print because some aristo decided to tattle on me if I get caught sneaking back into his room.

Because, let's face it. Even if I do end up on the front pages tomorrow (for all the wrong reasons), the fact of the matter is that any photo, any situation — no matter how sordid or innocent — can be spun any which way.

I've learnt that the hard way. So, I may as well use it to my own advantage for once.

Pushing myself away from the door, I march into my walk-in closet with renewed determination. Pulling the t-shirt that I'd slept in over my head, I quickly throw on a bra, some jean shorts and a black tank top.

Slotting my bare feet into my well-worn Sketchers, I make my way over to the French doors that lead out onto balcony so I can try to figure out the best way to scamper over to Drake's room without killing myself, given that I stand a better chance of slipping under the aristo's nosy radar via the balcony than going back through the corridor.

Hopefully, I can—

Tap, tap tap.

I stop mid-stride at the sound of knocking coming from the other side of my door.

Turning around, I contemplate whether I should respond, or pretend that I hadn't heard.

I have precious little time if I want to catch Drake before he disappears on me to do... whatever it is that he does in the mornings before the start of a royal event.

So, if I want to make it to his room, I need to go now before he finishes getting dressed.

But, then again, there is only a very small number of people at court who'd come directly to my room to talk to me. Especially at this time in the morning.

So, it could be important. It could be about Tariq...

...it could be Drake.

The latch clicks open.

I glance anxiously back towards the balcony, trying to decide if I should—

"May I come in?"

I whirl around in surprise at the sound of the unexpected voice. "Christian!"

He pokes his head 'round the door. "I... I didn't catch you in a state of undress, did I?"

"No! No... I was already dressed," I admit, trying to be as casual as possible as I quickly brush my hair over my shoulders in a haphazard attempt to try and cover up the bruises, given that I hadn't thought to slather any cover-up over myself yet.

Christian definitely doesn’t need to be asking questions about those!

"Ah, good!" he responds, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind him. "You're an early riser, like myself."

"You can thank the Beaumonts," I mutter under my breath, glancing guiltily back toward the balcony.

So much for stealing a much-needed moment with Drake...

"I apologise for the intrusion," Christian continues, crossing the space between us, "especially at such an early hour. But I was hoping to catch you alone before the start of the Apple Harvest Festival."

One word catches my attention. "A-Alone...?"

He comes to a stop in front of me. "Very much so."

Anxiety flares in the pit of my stomach as Drake's words from yesterday swirl through my mind.

...he's trying to win you back.

And it suddenly hits me that I haven't been alone — truly alone — with Christian since the day of the Jamboree. When he took me into the hedge maze and offered me a duchy.

My mind starts to whirl.

Had that been the start of this... crusade? The fact that I turned him down? Does he still think he can change my mind? Is he simply incapable of accepting 'no' as an answer?

I force my gaze up to meet his.

His emerald green eyes behold me calmly, with maybe a hint of excitement. But I cannot read his intention.

"Wh-why?" I finally blurt out.

A smile spreads across his face. "To bestow upon you your letters patent, of course!"

I gape at him. "My letters of what?"

He chuckles good-naturedly at my evident confusion. "Letters patent. Itis a type of royal decree that formally confers some manner of privilege onto the names designee — an office of state, a coat of arms, a commercial monopoly... or, in this case, your new title as Duchess of Valtoria."

With a flourish, he pulls out a small, leather-bound box that he's been hiding behind his back.

I stare at it mutely.

"It won't bite, I promise," he assures me wryly.

Reaching up with a tepid smile, I accept the box, which is a lot heavier than it looks.

Opening it up, I find a medieval-looking document nestled in the lid, complete with densely-packed Chancery script and and a historiated initial C embossed with the stylised image of the Cordonian royal crest.

Peering at the text — which I can only assume is an archaic form of French — I can just about make out the odd word, like my name, Christian's name, and Valtoria. But the rest remains completely incomprehensible.

Presumably some grand declarations about the bestowal...

In the bottom part of the box rests a cream-coloured envelope also bearing the Cordonian royal crest, along with my name, though this time written in delicate cursive lettering.

"What's this?" I ask Christian, lifting the letter up.

"Your papers of naturalisation," he informs me. "Along with your new passport and ID card."

I glance up at him in surprise. "I am now a Cordonian citizen?"

"It would not have been possible to issue the letters patent otherwise," he says. "Even a king must abide by the diktats of the law."

"I... don't need to sign anything?"

"The US Consulate was very accommodating, given the unique nature of the circumstances."

My stomach twists unexpectedly. "Oh..."

Dual citizenship is a good thing, right?

Returning my attention to the box, I see that the envelope has been concealing a large, intricate-looking seal bearing what appears to be the stylised outline of a rampant phoenix, next to which sits a signet ring with the same image.

"Does it meet expectations?" asks Christian.

"I'm not sure I know what I'd been expecting..." I admit, running a finger over the lines of the mythical bird, marvelling at the level of detail that's been put into creating such a realistic rendering, complete with individual licks of flame spouting from the tail feathers.

"Any egregious spelling errors?"

"Not that I can see," I admit, glancing up at him. "But—"

"Excellent!" he declares, reaching over the lid of the box to deftly pluck the signet ring out from its nest of blue silk.

Before I have a chance to react, he's clasped my hand in his to poise the heavy circlet of gold at the tip of my ring finger.

"Wait!" I gasp in the face of the unexpectedly intimate turn of events. "What are you—?"

"It would be remiss of me if I did not verify the correctness of the sizing," he advises, meeting my panicked gaze calmly.

"You don't need t—"

"It would be my pleasure," he insists, slipping the ring onto the digit before I can protest further.

As he withdraws his hand, my eyes fall onto the spot where the cool metal's unfamiliar weight now encircles the base of my finger.

"Perfect," Christian declares with a satisfied smile, brushing his thumb over the phoenix insignia.

I stare at the band with an uneasily mix of feelings swirling in my chest. "Christian, I—"

"Let's celebrate, shall we?" he announces, pulling back to click his fingers with a decisive snap.

On cue, the door behind Christian swings open to admit a veritable procession of servants bearing ice buckets, champagne, crystal flutes and tiny servings of finger food.

"Wait..." I stammer in the face of organised onslaught. "They were waiting outside this whole time?"

"I may have take a page out of your party planning book," he admits with a grin while the industrious staff set about transforming my bedroom into a first-class tea room. "Seeing the success you had with Drake on his birthday, I thought I would try my hand at surprising you on this important day."

"And that's great, but I never agreed—"

"Didn't you?" Christian asks with a level look as he nabs a miniature scone from the tray of a passing server.

I shake my head. "No, I—"

"Because I specifically recall you giving your unambiguous consent at yesterday's apple pick to proceed with finalising your new status," he states, taking a bite out of the pastry.

I open my mouth, but promptly shut it as the conversation from the orchard floats back into my consciousness.

"...having the paperwork squared away before our departure would grant significant boon for your image."

"Oh. Okay..."

"Oh, fuck..." I mutter as the cold hand of hindsight clamps down on the nape of my neck.

Christian had obviously mischaracterised my somewhat dazed reaction as some kind of explicit affirmation.

And since Drake's appearance yesterday had interrupted the conversation at that key moment, I never had a chance to correct the misunderstanding.

But I need to. Because once again, Christian has taken matters into his own hands and acted without my my prior agreement or approval t. Just like he had done when he decided to send me away during the Coronation Ball, only to then bring me back to court as his mistress, not to mention spring an actual duchy on me without any warning.

And while his heart's probably been in the right place each and every time, I'm not sure that I can cope with any more bolts from the blue.

Especially when they so drastically upend my life.

Heaving a breath, I look back up at the King of Cordonia again. "Look, Christian, I really appreciate all of this, but I think there's been a major—"

The loud bang! of the champagne bottle shooting its cork across the room makes me jump.

Turning around, I can see that the gold-coloured liquid is already in the process of being dispensed into a pair of waiting crystal flutes.

"I hope you like this Moët & Chandon Imperial Vintage 1946 that I had picked out," Christian murmurs, brushing a hand over the small of my back. "It is an exceptional cuvée with notes of citrus, apple and pear — an apt combination, I thought, given the occasion."

"Because of the pear trees in Valtoria..." I surmise heavily, watching a footman bring over a pair of freshly-filled champagne flutes with a foreboding note of finality.

"Exactly," confirms Christian, grabbing a glass from the tray. "A beautifully complimentary pairing. One that hope we can both enjoy for many years to come."

"Yes, but—"

"Let's toast, shall we?" prompts Christian, cutting me off yet again as the footman proffers me the other serving of expensive bubbly.

I stare at it like a poison pill.

This is what Drake had warned me about, isn't it? That Christian would seek to manoeuvre me into a corner like a chess piece... By giving with one hand, only to take with the other when the time came for the chips to fall due. Because what better way to create an unimpeachable sense of obligation than by making me into a duchess? A literal vassal to the Crown? Required to do the King's bidding, no matter the cost?

And if that really is his aim, then he has certainly been succeeding.

But at the same time, I am not sure I can trust my assessment. Christian has given no indication, one way or another, as to where his goals lay. And even if the misunderstanding had been genuine, to turn him down now would not only be inexplicably rude, but maybe also dangerous?

Would I be jeopardising Christian's support in the hunt for Tariq and my quest to set the record straight if I offend him by throwing all his heartfelt effort back in his face? Especially when I don't know for certain what Christian's motives are?

Because what if Drake is wrong? What if there is no hidden agenda and I'm just massively overthinking this entire thing because I've been burned once already and now everyone looks suspect... Even — and especially — when I'm being offered help?

"Harper?" queries Christian. "Everything alright?"

I shake myself out of my stupor and grab the crystal flute. "I'm fine. Just... Trying to come to grips with it all."

"There will be plenty of time for that," he assures me with a grin, raising his glass. "To the new Duchess of Valtoria!"

I clink the delicate crystal in my hand against his with a leaden feeling in my stomach.

There's no going back now...

For better or for worse, I have just become an aristo.

The story continues in Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions only (let me know if you want to be added!)

@thetruthisthatiloveyou @anakjaybon-blog

[soosoosoup]

What’s your opinion on each of The Snack Pack? (And Creek)

Do you think they should own Branch an apology for how they treated Branch for many years? (Except Prince D and Tiny, of course because they weren’t there/born yet, and I know Creek probably won’t-)

The worse part was that they liked BroZone but have been treating Bitty B! (Poor Branch!😭)

I feel like Pop Village needs to own Branch an apology. How older generation did to Branch, the fact no one takes him in just because he’s grey! (And other reason I think) which is worse. I’m not sure about King Peppy.

The new generation just went along, following older generation.

They have been treating Branch in a bad way, not just Branch! Bitty B who was once part of BroZone Band.

I’m not sure if anyone ever thanked Branch what happened during the pot scene, only Poppy did thank him. He was singing! He did it to bring the hope back! He have done so much for Pop Trolls. Not just Branch, Bitty B did!

Don’t forget about Bridget, she said she thanked him sure, but she should not say “I guess” because without him. They would have been caught sooner!

How would Viva think about what they have done to Branch?

How would Bros especially John Dory, think about them? What would they do with that?

Now about DJ Suki

Do you think she would be back? I miss her but I’m not sure if she will be back. I wonder where she went…

I know TrollsTopia showed that but I don’t feel like it’s canon and because she wasn’t in TWT and those series are not canon so yeah

so so sorry for making you wait like a couple days, been pretty busy and didn't notice 😓.

Ah, the snack pack. I must confess that I don't really think much of them 😅eheh. At least when first watching the movies, they kind of just blended into the background as more character were introduced with the sequels. But!! I am quite a fan of how they're expanded through fan works!!

Yeah pop village can be quite harmful, toxic positivity was pretty ingrained into their society. probs bc it seemingly ‘works’ for all of them. The older folk can forget the pains of the past and the young can grow up happy. But for those it doesn't ‘work on’ (branch), it is very invalidating. But I also see the harm they do as unintentional mostly. They probs think that at this point Branch must not want to be happy. For the snack pack they’re probs like 'come on man this again? just lighten up and sing along' while like totally ignoring what is burdening him. Though I mostly see that as the failing of the older generation who at the very least needed one person to step up and work through the traumas that's being buried for Branch. Could have really helped him process and cope growing up.

While it would be nice for some apologies to be given, I doubt Branch would ask for it (it would be a conga line of ppl saying sorry, yeah branch would get tired of that real quick lol). Oh and thanks you’s would be great too, maybe theyre were some and we just didn’t get to see it. That’s how i hc it anyway :)

I’m sure the bros would be very unhappy to hear B grew up as an outcast, and viva would as well, but even more so I see her being disappointed by their disregard of the possible danger of bergens & their erasing of her and the putt putts.

Ahhh and Creek. He's always a joy to have, he makes things interesting lol. I think before the whole 'betraying your people to certain death' he was just a troll, a condescending troll who thought very highly of himself, but just a troll nonetheless. But yeah he’s def not a good person after all that was said and done. This guy would need to apologize for days!

DJ Suki's been missing!? how did i not notice that? Perhaps if the next movie had more snack pack suki could hopefully come back. Come back dj suki, i need to know more about you!

[thegamingcatmom]

Hullo! As always love your blog and the service you're doing for the un-holy trinity bc there's not enough content about them and that's sad. I'm pretty sure you will know who this is but oh well, i guess I'm just shy to actually ask without the anon-thingy option. Today i come seeking advice for writing, if you can provide it, if not that's perfectly fine. You see I write for myself, a coping mechanism of sorts and when i got back to the fandom after so many years and got struck with teh Denali obsession i used to write The sisters/OC, but as I became more obsessed with Irina I changed the relationship because I found it easier, we all have our versions of the characters in the end so of course MY version of the sisters will be different from anybody else (perhaps), in my story Tanya and Kate are more carefree, Tanya being the msot responable one since she's the leader while Kate is more on the playful side meanwhile Irina is the most cuddly, loving, affectionate and needy of them, even clingy, especially emotionally (Once you've reached her heart ofc bc is hard to get tehre XD), I think this version of her turned like this because as I mentioned writing is a coping mechanism so it is what I kind of needed to feel better at the time if that makes any sense and now I struggle to write the three of them with MC again because no matter how hard I try I always feel like MC gravitates towards Irina, like magnets yk and I feel bad for the other two bc I feel is not fair XD ANYWAY I would like to ask, any advice on how to balance that? The attention they recieve, the way they itneract without each other without feeling as if the others are left out? because i am frustrated that i want to write them all and it doesn't feel idk, natural? When I read your HCs, despite the tantrums thrown around their interactions with MC seem natural, effortless in a way that i am honestly jealous of because you make it look easy! (Totes adore your writing style btw <3) IDK if any of this made any sense? i struggle to put in words what I mean to say but I hope you can shine some light in my dilemma, thank you in advance and have a wonderful day/weekend <333

Heya!

First of all: Thank you, as always, for your lovely words. ❤️

I totally agree that there isn´t NEARLY enough content about them out there, so we all gotta change that! 💪

Also, I think I do know who this is. 😉🫶

Which: Anon asks are absolutely fine, really. Whatever you feel most comfortable with. 🫶🫶

We all have our ways to cope with things, and I totally get writing being one of those. I write to unwind after a long day or just to provide some new stimuli for those grey cells of mine. It´s immensely helpful with reducing stress or anxiety as well. ^^

My point is: You write whatever makes you feel good, what feels right for you. It´s your story, you decide how it´s gonna play out. 🫵

Tanya and Kate are more carefree, Tanya being the msot responable one since she's the leader while Kate is more on the playful side meanwhile Irina is the most cuddly, loving, affectionate and needy of them, even clingy, especially emotionally (Once you've reached her heart ofc bc is hard to get tehre XD)

Yknow, that´s kinda my view on them too. xD

(Except Tanya´s much more hornier, LMAO.)

Look, we all got our favorites, and I´m pretty sure mine shines through in some of my writing too. It´s only natural to have your MC / OC gravitate more towards the person that you yourself would rather spend time with irl. There´s always gonna be bits and pieces of ourselves flowing into our writing I think. 😅

...I mean, in my case (The Sisters), Tanya gets little to no luving because I really love making em work for it. The clingiest one gets the least attention, that´s the principle I go by here because I love watching em suffer. 🤷‍♀️

.

.

.

As for giving advice:

First off: ALSKNFLSAFNLF, tysm for your words. 😭❤️

I feel absolutely honored that someone would come to me, asking for writing advice. 🥺❤️

Right so, you already know how you view them, that´s good. Let that flow into their interactions with each other and with MC. Think of a scenario you´d like to see them in. Think about the different ways the sisters would react to that scenario, depending on their characteristics. Everything else builds on that.

E.g.: Celebrating MC´s birthday

Tanya: carefree yet responsible

did most of the organizing (responsible)

which...she will let MC know

receives lots of praise for it because it does look amazing

much to the annoyance (and jealousy) of her sisters (🙄🙄)

the first to give MC a present because she´s the leader (🙄🙄)

the present is a lingerie set (🙄🙄)

(which is really more a present for herself)

entirely chill about it (carefree) whilst MC´s turned as red as a lobster

will take that as her cue to get reallll close and whisper into MC´s ear how good she´s gonna look in that

much to the annoyance (and jealousy) of her sisters (🙄🙄)

will perhaps even go so far and hold it up to get a first...impression (carefree)

...🙄🙄

Kate: carefree, playful

the only one to wear a party hat (playful)

much to the annoyance (and jealousy) of her sisters because, as it turns out, MC loves party hats

I mean it

Irina and Tanya can only watch in utter agony as she receives all those cheek-squishes and smooches for being the absolute cutest in the room

as soon as MC´s back is turned, she´s gonna turn to her sisters in utter smugness

her plan worked out

her present is a roboter (you decide which one)

MC fucking loves it

Kate fucking loves it

(whose present was it again?)

both of them end up spending most of their time with that thing (carefree, playful), together ofc ❤️

...🙄🙄

Irina: cuddly/loving/affectionate/clingy

immediately wraps MC in a hug

nose rubs

whispers b-day wishes into MC´s ear

the sweetest b-day kiss

and one more

and one more

and-

the coughing behind her reminds her that, ah yes-

presents MC her gift a lil sheepishly because she almost forgot about it since she was entirely focused on...other things

has the most hopeful/attentive look on her face when MC opens it

the present is a photo album containing all their adventures/special moments together, with date and all

MC tears up and throws herself at her

they stay like that for a while

and another while

and another-

🙄🙄

...

...🥹🥹

That´s kinda how I would do it. Just get a feel for how they would react first. What makes them different from one another? What´s something that makes you go "ahh ye, that´s totally them"? Their interaction comes more naturally then because it will feel more natural.

Well, I hope that made sense? I´m not sure if that´s the advice you were looking for, or if it´s any helpful at all. But that´s pretty much how I do it. 😅

If you have any more questions, I´d be happy to answer them to the best of my ability! ^^

Wonderful day/week to you as well &

Thanks a lot for that lovely ask! 💋

EDIT:

I mentioned it in the comments, but I´m putting it here as well because I think that´s also very good advice:

There doesn´t always have to be a balance.

Sometimes, good storytelling thrives on imbalance. It spices things up and encourages you to approach/view certain situations from a different perspective. It can also inspire new thoughts and ideas. 💡

There is no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to writing. ☝️ ^^

[box-architecture]

2 paragraphs are all it took to get me to love QuackiBlob lol and I'm probably going to make that your problem because you're his creator

He seems like a very cute- ehm apologies I meant impressive little fella and most importantly he causes Quackity mental distress do what more can one ask for? (I like causing my favorite characters mental distress >:) ... Though someone really should get big Q into therapy, chill dude, it's just a blob). Is there any (and I mean any hypothetical) scenario where Dream would make QuackiBlob or is that totally out of the question? Could he perhaps make a blob by accident? Did Quackity ever try to get rid of the blob or at least get it out of the casino? (Since it makes him so uncomfortable). And what would SapBlob's reaction to QuackiBlob and vice versa be?

Also, I'm now interested in the answer to Gogy's question: can other admins make something like blobs?

And last but not least, does GogyBlob wake up more often once DreBlob spends more time around (cuz Sapnap and Dream made up). What do SamBlob and PunzBlob think about GogyBlob and SapBlob? I can imagine SamBlob getting jealous easily

Sorry for asking so many questions, I guess you can tell I totally fell in love with those little guys 😅 they are such a good source of serotonin

Have a nice day/night <3

Honestly a big thing with me right now is that I haven't figured out if Quackity will live or die in the CKAU, but if he lives he will most likely be getting So Much Therapy. Or at least some mediocre dick (Wilbur.)

If I had to choose how Qblob would be created, it would likely be around the church prime era. Dream making some blobs to live in the church and do maintenance, and Qblob sticks with it for a while before getting bored and hopping off to find a space near its soul print, where things would hopefully be more interesting.

As far as my brain says atm, Blobs can't die. They can be poofed out of existence, but since they're not 'alive' the same way players are alive, their bodies can just respawn without consequence. Qblob, no matter how distressing he might be to Quackity, will always come back, so Quackity metronomes wildly between pretending he's fine with it and daily murder attempts. This is what coping is, surely.

Qblob makes Sapblob deeply uncomfortable in ways a tiny soul print just can't fully understand. The severe mix of I Loved You, I Miss You, I Hate You, I Want You Dead, I Want To Sob In Your Arms, etc etc? Thats asking a lot of a blob to manage. Sapblob has settled with avoiding Qblob at all cost and not letting it inside The GogyNest

It's. Sort of a yes I think? Philza's crows definitely used to be something like Dreams blobs before Chat starting inhabiting some. All Admins have the ability to create soulless "bots" to do server maintenance, but a skilled admin is capable of manipulating their shapes, sounds, and ability to be affected by Souls. You can imprint a concept of someone onto them, let someone see through their eyes or inhabit them to a minor degree. It's not really something an average everyday admin would do because Effort and Time Consuming and Learning A Skill, but Dream and Philza are firm Hyperfixators of All Things Silly And Fun.

Gogyblob believes in playdates. Thus, Dreamblob must come play, It's The Rules. Punz is a little Cold with George for Made Dream Sad reasons, so Punzblob is not a fan of playdates. Samblob thinks if he loafs on Dreamblob in a cardboard box then Dreamblob will never leave and therefore Be Safe With Partners.

This is incorrect and Samblob has settled with waiting in front of the GogyNest until the playdate is over. He Will Make Sure Dreamblob Gets Home Safe (and bite Sapblob because He's An Evil Partner Thief)

I give you a big hug and apologize for this taking so long<333 I hope you have a good day/night too!!

[pooplyface1423]

Tsudere /sub Jax that pretends to hate the reader but does things to secretly be with them x a fem happy but smart Uzadere that loves being in the circus.She loves adventures,animals,cute things,fighting,food ect! lots of energy too but can be pretty insensitive and a little selfish with a little crush on jax. I feel like at first jax would completely reject liking her then he would be extra mean,then Maybe subconsciously know he likes her amd hates the feeling lol. cus he copes by trying to not have feelings and tries to act "tough". its pretty obvious that the reader is in love with him but his dumb ass cant catch on . She gives lots of compliments which makes him flustered and mad ( he is mad bc he thinks nobody likes him that much, he is mean to her to make her go away but it doesn't work ) but he pretends not to care. the reader would definitely confesses first tho. Sorry for such a long request its just that not many people write jax in this sorta way so i had to be detailed lol. also if you don't wanna use female pronouns you can make it non gender ofc 😅tysm for even reading such a long thing! and you don't have to do this at all lr you can switch it up. Anything is VERY appreciated tho😊

DUDE this question was long but its a very good one so lemme write it.:]

Warning: Kissing (just like one but still) CRINGEEE and that it.

also Y/N is female just so ya'll know but not a lot is said about her gender here so could be non binary.

Lil backstory : When You first got here it was around 7 months before pomni gets into the circus. your reactions to seeing all the supposed people was terrifying u were laughing your brains of since u thought it was all just a big prank but once u realized it was real u were just stunned. I mean u were still amazed like wow i'm in a virtual reality type of reaction. And about what u look like idk that up to yourself but lets say Ur like a type of animal could be a cat or something else. U were always ecstatic to be in the circus and everybody even Caine were surprised. Like it not everyday in this virtual reality u see a person who is more than happy to be there. (also i'm not really gonna add Kaufmo since their is little to no info bout him)

Okay now to the good stuff

So really your weren't stupid to not notice how Jax would occasionally "look ur way to see something else" nor to notice how differently he treated u compared to the others. Either he would go out of his way to be nice or mean to you.

You were chatting bout random nonsense with zooble when she said

"Hey Y/n do you see how much of a dumb### Jax's looks like just looking at you"Looking at you then at Jax then at you.

"no lemme check"You turned around to see jax looking away from you to above you? yea he was doing the "look ur way to see something else" crap again.

"ugh it starting to annoy me" Says Zooble wanting to stand up and start to beat the crap out of Jax but thankfully u stopped her then said

"hey its okay he may be weird and all but we got to be used to this anyway where stuck here"

"but he does like you Y/n we can all see it in his eyes" Says Ragatha entering the conversation

"yea ragatha is right how bout we make a plan to you know um- make him confess he like you" says zooble looking at you waiting for an answer.

Then u spoke up

"Sure i guess but knowing him he would never confess"

"Ugh lets head to my room to discuss the plan" says ragatha getting up

You three walk all he way to the room corridors and enter Ragatha's Room and discus how you would get Jax to confess his feelings to you.

"Okay so how should we do this" says Ragatha with some confusion in her face

"Well we know that Jax is a very Um- how should I say this es stupid and lets just say hes like a little puppy who follows you around" Says zooble before you with shook face say

"WAIT what is that supposed to mean I never see him trailing behind me"

"He does he always trails behind you buts ur either dumb or blind since u never see him literary behind u. ALL THE TIME" Says Zooble

"Well um- we should get started with the plan and stop taking bout how Jax is a little twerp" Says Ragatha with a bit of an annoyed face splatted in her face

"Okay okay well first of all since we know Jax is like a little dog with nothing else to do than follow Y/n we should..........."Says Zooble spilling out what the plan would be about.

Well basically the plan is make Jax follow u around Y/n complements Jax every time he does something for her even the smallest of things like letting u have the first of anything picking up flowers for u,him pranking u and much more.

Everything was going according to the plan Jax being Jax follows you around and sneaks up on you with a centepied (which ur scared of) and lands it right besides u trying to get a scared yelp from u but instead u just threw it away and said

"Jax u little bad bunny don't do that again" while pinching his cheek just slightly

"~wait you aren't mad?" Says Jax while becoming a blushing mess

"no of course not bunny boy come on lets go outside"

you two go outside and jax keeps trying to make your way there horrible by trying to trip ur feet over and over again but failing miserably.

Once you both are by the lake you start to look around and see Zooble and Ragatha watching impatiently.

"So what are we doing here again?" says Jax

"nothing much just .. Taking in some fresh air i guess"

"Y/n there is no fresh air here u know that right?" says Jax with a serious face

"Oh um i meant like ..... space apart of everyone"

"ok i guess then what should we do?" says Jax with a sly smile appearing in his face

"how about we go on the tea cups?"

"whatever you want toots" says Jax

Both spend 2 hours trying all the rides over and over, Jax never saying crap

As the day ends in the digital realm first comes the digital dinner the classic chicken and veggies.

After that, Caine suggested that you all play a quick game, and with no other option, everybody agrees.

HIDE & SEEK

"yay i guess" says zooble clearly annoyed they have to do this activity even tho it is fun she wants her alone

After the game which took around 30 min like damn these dudes have great hiding spots ,Caine gave everybody the green light to finally have there alone time/sleep

"UGH finally" Zooble before walking up to you

"Hey Y/n did Jax say anything to you?" Says Zooble quickly before she forgets about it

"No ... what should we do?"

"Hey idk bout you but i would of totally just make the first move at this point"Says Ragatha walking up to you both of you

"Well she has a point" "bout what?" "bout how you should def make the first move now since his dumb##s won't do S#it"

"okay I'll try but do i have to do it in front of u all or do i wait for everybody to leave?"

"Um okay new plan......." Says zooble making the new plan

Basically make gangle distract Jax long enough for everybody to leave to there rooms then gangle runs away, Then y/n will sneak up on Jax and spill the beans herself.

Everything went accordingly as planed gangle ran away just as she noticed everybody gone. Then Jax shrugs it of and slowly walks up to his room until...

"Hey Jax" "what do you want?" "not much just wanna talk to you...bout something"

"bout what dollfac-"

He says before being interrupted by a kiss

"does that answer ur question?"

"UM what was that?"... bb-but i guess it does"

"that's great! its official were dating"

"Wait WHAT!?" says Jax surprised as hell

"Goodnight Jax!" Says y/n as she gives one last kiss on his cheek

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Hello finally finished hope u enjoyed.:]

@fuckyalllkl

[wolfgangevenstar]

hi i think ur the person who made the post about johnny being autistic 😭 and i totally agree as an autistic. i would luv to hear ur thoughts/elaboration on it!!

hi!!! yes that’s me, i’m so glad you asked bc i’ve been wanting to post more about it.

I’m not too great at organizing my thoughts into something coherent though so bear with me 😭

it’s really just based on some minor details that could honestly be interpreted in multiple ways, but i am choosing to read it as him being autistic bc i am projecting heavily onto a fictional character lmao

one thing that stands out to me is the way he talks - a lot of the time he’s either pretty monotone OR his tone is very over exaggerated but he has a pretty blank facial expression,, he also tends to use a lot of the same expressions/phrases (that were likely drilled into his head by kreese) especially when teaching the kids, which brings me to my next point

- the whole wanting to be perceived as super macho/masculine can definitely be read as the way that he masks. Like those are the behaviours he has been taught are acceptable, and if he doesn’t act that way then he’s weak/worthless (AKA the way that he naturally is is unacceptable, so he has to put on a sort of performance for people to accept him) - but then what really does it is that the masked behaviour doesn’t even work bc he can’t do it well enough (as in most people still consider him to be unlikeable/unfriendly) which is pretty much my exact experience with masking. Especially resonates bc those ‘masking’ behaviours were clearly reinforced by Kreese/Sid/the other adult figures in his life, and actually worked really well when he was younger, allowing him to blend in and even be somewhat popular in high school, but then those same behaviours became a detriment in his adult life, causing him to massively burn out.

What’s also interesting to note is that it’s all the nerdy/socially inept kids at the highschool who are the most drawn to him when he starts teaching karate. Like Hawk (the one character who is confirmed to likely be autistic) basically does the exact same thing as Johnny when it comes to masking, he even learns how to do it specifically from him.

Then there’s also his whole thing with Daniel, where they hate each other but are also drawn to each other in some unexplainable way because for some reason they are able to understand each other better than anyone else. Now i also consider Daniel to be autistic/adhd, the difference with him being that he is more successful with masking it. But then when that mask starts to slip, everyone else (aka all the allistic people) in his life can’t handle it, and it causes a rift between them, and then Johnny, his rival, is the only one who really understands what he’s going through (bc we autistic ppl can usually pick each other out, and are drawn to each other for that reason.)

I guess what I’m kind of doing right now is using everyone’s obsession with karate as an allegory for being autistic lmfao.

Also alcoholism is pretty common with autistic people as a coping mechanism.

There are a lot of other reasons, but this is the best i can explain for now. Sorry for taking so long to answer this one 😅 if anyone ever wants to discuss this HC you know where to find me.

[journalsouppe]

Stardew Valley!!! I love a lot about this spread but I wish I didn't use so many pen colors. This is another game I played before I even started journaling so I had to recall a lot of my older thoughts. Sebby's little corner might've been even bigger 😅 (Y'all might even guess where the name PumpkinSouppe came from, but it is also my favorite dish irl)

The Sebastian sticker is by ArcaneGoldArt! They have a whole collection of all the love interests.

Writing typed below!

Rating: 9.3 Played: Fa 2021 Port: PC (steam) Favorite? Y Replayable? Y Recommend? Y

Comments:

Name: Beans

Farm: Soup

German Shepherd

Beach Farm

Spouse: Seb <3

The Junimo are SO cute

only talked to like 7 characters lol I'm so introverted

had so many wiki pages open

LOVE the dungeons and enemies + the hunter log/achievements

It's sometimes pretty creepy

You can put hats on the horse and children lmao

don't like Shane at all (skull emoji)

stopped playing when I got the child, not the biggest fan [but I'm also against sacrifice]

#1 Krobus fan, love him

love my crazy animal names

made a little statue garden

so many eggplant parms

so much fun catching all the legendary fish!

the movies are so pretty and fun

The Sebastian corner: (DO NOT SAY ANYTHING)

(List of his favorite and liked gifts) Frozen tear, obsidian, pumpkin soup, sashimi, void egg, flounder, quartz

motorcycle kiss T^T

LOVE his theme

when he hid behind the tree lmao (I accidentally planted a tree right in front of where he would stand and I thought he would just disappear once a week and I could never find him)

quit smoking for me

he loves Jasmine tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you can kiss him <3!!!

Frog Sanctuary

Game Dev notes:

really good day/night + seasonal cycle with relation to player mechanics

great progression of unlockable events -- well paced

great long term achievements

amazing cooking mechanics and storage

no definitive objects, very choose your own adventure!

easy controls, nothing memorable

beautiful pixel art and boundaries

Summary:

One of my all time favorite games. It is the gold standard of farming games and even has one of the best fishing mechanics. I played this during the beginning of my health problem during senior year and it really helped me cope a lot. Although I didn't play multiplayer, my friend and I played at the same time. This game has so many cherished memories especially when I got to compare gameplay with my friend. Made by one man, this is such an unbelievable game. There's unlockable events after x amount of years that entice players to continue playing.; There's also no one way to play, for example I was a lot more introverted and only talked to a few characters whereas my friend played more socially. Maybe someday I'll continue playing to complete more achievements. My one gripe is there's a lot of responsibilities to get back into, so it's a little hard to get back into. It's one of the games I can recommend to everyone. It's hard if you makes it hard, cozy if you make it cozy, etc. Excellent designs, animation, gameplay, story, choices, etc. My worry is that this game is so well crafted I'm worried playing other farming games won't live up, I am so excited for ConcernedApe's new game. He is a major inspiration to start making my own games. I have also heard modded Stardew is really good and really worth checking out. All in all, a superb game loved by so many fans. Highly recommend.

[dangantums]

For your ace attorney addiction lmao: maybe an imagine where Phoenix has been stress eating lately and he’s getting a bit of a dad bod but he’s ashamed so he tries to hide it from Miles (Wrightworth) but when Miles finds out he’s gentle and helps Phoenix with his insecurities? I understand you’re busy and I want you to enjoy your break as much as possible so take your time and don’t worry about getting this done or even doing it at all if you don’t feel like it😅❤️

this is adorable, yes yes 100%! hope you enjoy :)))

Weight of the Truth

this fic contains: weight gain, SFW content, fluff

ship: w.rightworth

TLDR: phoenix has been gaining weight due to stress.

Phoenix Wright had always been the type to bury his stress in unhealthy snacks. Lately, however, the courtroom battles seemed more intense than ever and the stress of having to take care of his daughter Trucy, left him with a growing collection of empty chip bags, take-out bags and candy wrappers. Stacks of case files and crumpled legal documents bore witness to the long hours he spent tirelessly working on his cases. A persistent stream of stressful trials had become a relentless adversary, and Phoenix found solace in the only allies he could depend on—the greasy comfort of fast food.

Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix's boyfriend and a perfectionist in every aspect of his life, began to notice a change in the attorney's physique. Phoenix's once trim waistline was slowly disappearing, replaced by a soft belly and rounder cheeks. The suits in his wardrobe looked a bit snugger, and his once-toned physique started to soften into what some might call a "dad bod." The way his shirts strained against his midsection and the slight puffiness in his cheeks did not escape Miles's observant eyes. Miles, however, kept his observations to himself… at least, as long as he could.

One evening, after a particularly grueling trial, Phoenix returned home to find Miles waiting for him. Trucy was over at a friend's house for the night, leaving the two of them alone. The prosecutor's piercing gray eyes scanned him from head to toe, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Phoenix, we need to talk," he said, guiding the attorney to the living room.

Phoenix blinked, exhaustion riddled his eyes. He sat down on the couch. "What's up, Edgeworth?"

Miles sat next to him. He hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I've noticed a change in you. Are you alright?"

Phoenix attempted a dismissive grin. "Just a rough patch in court. Nothing I can't handle."

Miles, however, was having none of it. "Phoenix, you can't keep everything bottled up. Talk to me."

Caught off guard, Phoenix sighed, admitting defeat. "Okay, fine. The cases have been taking a toll on me, I’ve had to run Trucy around everywhere, and… I guess eating junk food is my way of coping. I dunno. I didn’t wanna bother you with it or anything."

Edgeworth looked at Phoenix with concern, but to his surprise, he found himself captivated by the change in his appearance. "Phoenix, you don't need to hide anything from me. I'm here for you."

As Phoenix opened up about his struggles, Edgeworth realized that his feelings for Phoenix had deepened, and he found the added weight endearing. He couldn't resist teasing Phoenix a little with a small smirk appearing on his face: "You're still the same person I fell in love with, Phoenix. A little extra weight doesn't change that… I find you rather charming in any form. And, I must admit, I find your new... physique rather appealing.”

Phoenix's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, what? You like it?"

Miles leaned in, his lips brushing against Phoenix's ear. "Very much so," he whispered, his warm breath sending shivers down Phoenix's spine. His hand reached out, lithe fingers gently feeling Phoenix’s love handles. Inspecting the subtle curves, letting his fingers poke and prod the soft surface. His hand moved to Phoenix's belly, feeling it's subtle heft. "I love you, no matter what shape you're in. Besides, a little extra weight suits you."

“You really mean that?" Phoenix whispered.

Miles nodded. "Absolutely. It's a testament to the fact that you've been working hard and handling a lot. I love you, Phoenix, no matter what shape you're in."

In that moment, Phoenix felt a weight lift off his shoulders – both figuratively and literally. Miles' acceptance and love gave him the confidence to be comfortable in his own skin. The evidence of their love was written in the way Miles looked at him and touched him – and Phoenix couldn't have asked for a better verdict.

[rivetingrosie4]

Hey so Duet was AMAZING??? I don’t usually come on here and send messages but I read it a few days ago and it’s all I can think about. You’re an insaaaaane writer!! Wanted to ask if there’s anywhere you draw inspiration from? Can only dream to write as good as you one day!!! Wow

🥺💕 I hope you're still here to see this, anon. I'm sorry I haven't been an exemplary fandom writer, being super active and publishing things often and things like that, like the cool writers do.

I'm more grateful than I can express that you liked it at all, let alone so much. That's what's amazing. You're so very, very kind. I'm truly grateful that it made an impact on you. I poured my heart into it. Thank you sincerely for letting me know what you thought about it. That helps encourage me.

Uh, it's a really good question. Do you mean inspiration for plot, or style, or? I guess I'll try to answer for both.

For plot, it originated out of my longings and wishes, as does everything I write. I don't have any experience being anything but alone. So I spend a lot of myself and my time longing painfully and deeply, and wishing my life were some other life, and dreaming up things that are terribly, terribly lovely and nice but are dually silly because they're apparently much too good for my life; I cannot have a chance to experience them for myself. I don't really have any other way to cope--at all, actually--because I am truly and totally alone. So I write my silly, implausible longings into silly fanfiction.

The idea for this specific plot came to me years ago as an idea for a request for a writer I still sinerely admire and look up to immensely, because I knew she could blow it out of the park, and I would get to read something wonderful. Win-win. Haha. Since I had described the idea (and because I had already piled her with requests 😅), she mentioned I should try it. So that's the backstory on that.

Additionally, I fell in love with the song lyrics of "Duet" by Penny and Sparrow and wanted to see if I could weave the spirit of both the lyrics' story and the song's music into a fic. I am always longing to have a peek at or try to understand what a long-established relationship would look and feel like. So I thought it would be a chance to do both things with one fic. Whenever I come across song lyrics that paint a vivid picture of some emotion or are thought provoking for me, they do often inspire me. This song very vividly and artistically paints such strong visions of love, earned trust, longing, lust, pain, unknown strength together and individually, steadfastness, fidelity, intimacy, knowing someone on an extremely deep and personal level, and more, that I wondered if I could accomplish a fic that could be true to its spirit in communicating all of those.

As far as style, gosh, that's harder. Just because it's kind of difficult to pinpoint. In addition to being a lifelong reader, I've successfully been reading a lot more in the last year or two. It's a little difficult because I have to try to think back to what I was reading at the time of writing this.

My most recent source of inspiration, and what I'm hoping will be heavy prose inspiration for me for a longfic I'd sincerely love to be able to write for myself, is The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It made it into my top 10 or maybe top 5 favorite books of all time. I can hardly put into words all that I adore about it. I cannot begin to recommend it enough. In the sincerest terms, I wish everyone I care about, whom I think would enjoy it, to read it. It has everything in it as far as genres--love, friendship, family, humor, Gothic epicness, sensuality, transcendent themes, tragedy, beauty, legacy. I felt just about everything, and I felt it all so desperately strongly--I gasped, and cried, and cursed, and ached with longing, and wept some more. Its descriptive prose is some of the most marvelously beautiful--my very favorite I've ever come across--and its arching plot is like an onion--plot within a plot within a plot that keeps revealing itself to you. It is a staggeringly beautiful and intricately masterful work of human art.

Another otherworldly work of prose is The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin. That one I can't recommend to everyone, since its plot deals heavily with trauma, abuse, and tragedy. Some of the darkest of human struggles. But if you are able to stomach its particular brand of those things, I recommend it because its prose is astoundingly well written. A brilliantly painted and powerful work.

I adore The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook. The characters in that one are so well written, they become like friends. The Caretaker by Ron Rash is absolutely incredible and is another book that is deeply close to my heart. Its descriptions are like jewels, its characters are tenderly beautiful, and its plot is powerful. Incredibly well written. I remember reading The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon while writing this, and that one is very good too. More of an exciting read, but excellent. I also recently read Chenneville by Paulette Jiles, which is fantastic. Its realism and descriptions are beautiful. The writing was so full and encompassing of the characters' inner lives--very vulnerable and beautiful. By the end, the titular character felt a friend to me. I can't imagine the research Jiles had to do, because I was so immersed it felt like I was in the 1860s. At one point she even mentions the phase of the moon on a specific day, and it made me wonder if Jiles even looked up the lunar calendar for that day in history. But it wasn't just flexing, it was an example of richness and depth in the tapestry of her story. Just brilliant writing. The Postcard by Anne Berest has to make it into this because the emotions conveyed through her writing were so powerful and We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein which was brilliant in its beautifully woven humanity and tragedy. Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom and Homestead by Melinda Moustakis I read recently, and they were both very good.

I always recommend Charlotte & Emily Brontë and Willa Cather for Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and O, Pioneers! respectively. They transcend time and will last within my all-time favorites and are certainly what I would call inspiration for me.

I really love fiction that conveys the inner lives of its characters, has multiple types of genres/emotions in its plot (because I feel that's most lifelike), and is set in another time period.

This is all not to say that I am at all successful in emulating any of these authors' works in the tiniest, most microscopic way. I certainly am not. Just sharing the works that I love and have been drawn to.

Anyways, I'm just sincerely hoping you're still around, nonny. I hope I haven't made a fool of myself. You can tell I'm a terribly lonely person, since I talked your ear off 😅 I know I unfortunately use this blog to vent and work through some of the pain in my life. I'm thankful for you and everyone who's kind and patient and generous with their support. Thank you again for your time in reading and your kindness in letting me know your thoughts. I hope everyone knows it means an awful lot to me.

[know-the-way]

Continued Stages of Falling Down the Miss Fisher Rabbit Hole

I’m gonna be real - I wish I could watch things in chronological order, I really do, but my ADHD brain just doesn’t work like that. So, I’ve bounced all around the different seasons and my overall thoughts are a jumbled mess. However, there are some things - in chronological order - that I just continue to go feral over the more I look at them, so I’m gonna share with the class. (P.S. Thank you so much for the warm welcome! You’re all very lovely and I just hope I don’t fuck that up by being annoying 😅… Uh… yep. Anyway, have a nice day! Lots of nonsense and a wee bit of meta below!)

- “Perhaps we could allow ourselves one candle?” “I think I could cope with that.”

Mmhm, listen here you cheeky fuckers, I see you. Whoever wrote this show learned the art of subtle symbolism and slow burn majesty, and while I am HERE for it, I also just… ya know… *pushes heads together* kiss already.

- Hearing Phryne say “I’m looking for my daughter” when she was searching for Jane in Queen of the Flowers. *clutches chest* Owwww. Her progression from “ugh, kids” to “this one’s okay, I guess” to “she is a part of me and to wrench her away would be akin to removing my very heart.” Just… yes. I will always love that dynamic. But I also appreciated Phryne emphasizing that Jane’s mum would always be her mum. I feel like there’s normally a focus on the child needing to choose between their biological or adoptive parents and it was refreshing that they allowed room for both of those relationships with Jane to exist equally.

- Maybe it’s just me, but whyyyyy does this exchange feel so domestic? There’s something about Jack just sitting there, marveling at her being in her own element, telling Hugh “of course” when he asks if Phryne knows judo (‘cause he knows her well enough to not be shocked anymore - like ‘of course she knows judo and speaks 8 languages and flies planes, it’s common sense Collins, get with the program’), and already knowing the answer to his suspicion about the “dangerous weapon.” It all just has an air of ‘gently teasing my spouse of 10 years in front of people because I know it winds them up and that’s our love language’ about it.

I’m also kind of curious how long Phryne has been practicing martial arts. Was it a ‘from childhood’ thing or a ‘from a traumatic event that made learning this skill feel necessary’ thing? If that fic hasn’t been written yet, I’d love to read one.

- “This time, you’re an accomplice. And unless you plan on killing Inspector Robinson yourself, he’ll make sure you hang.”

Again… I could so easily be reaching, but to me this comes off very much like “once my husband finds out what you’ve done to me, he will spend every waking moment ensuring your demise.” Couple that with Jack carrying her out like Prince Fucking Valiant and… yeah. #FERAL

- The fact that he wasn’t already holding her hand, but she was reaching for him… 🥺 The hurt/comfort goblin that lives in my brain: thriving. Just… fuck me up.

I still have two episodes of season 2 to finish, but so far my overall summary is that - by episode 3 - they’re together. Together, together. Don’t even care that it’s not “official,” don’t care that they don’t say it explicitly… they’re committed to each other in every way that matters, so they are bloody together. Just need them to realize that and accept it. For all our sakes.