#I really love the potential I could have with all of this >:) Droughts becoming more detrimental and how interactions with nature could go:

[dootznbootz]

Btw...

3/4 Naiad Penelope (along with siblings), half-naiad Tyndarius and Icarius, 1/4 Naiad Clytemnestra slkdfj klsd

[lanternmice]

you clearly love them a lot and i am So curious what ur thoughts on seven red suns as a character are. theyre.. kinda mean from what uve seen, but you probably have some great insights!! if this means gushing about your f/o instead of serious analysis i am also in 100% support of that gbjhf

WUAGHHHHH I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN I LIKE THEM SOOOO MUCH i really really want to talk about General interpretations but it's hard because of how obviously biased i am. but. Augh. this is so nothing but it got long and i'm embarrassed so woe read more be upon ye

i gotta start by mentioning that faelings original design & concept for suns (and spearmaster by extension) is sooo important to me and a lot of my personal interp comes from that, comics like this (link to the official discord btw) that they made for example! and though it has arguably less to do with suns, the 1.5 drought mod also has a special place in my heart but if i get too into that i'll start screaming and crying about it. just know that wanderer is so special to me and suns has two kitty cats that they love so much ok?🫶

anyways. i think because of the fact they aren't fleshed out much in canon aside from the spearmaster broadcasts there's a lot left up for the player to decide, which honestly is really fun to me and i genuinely love seeing other peoples interpretations!! but personally because you mentioned it and because i feel kinda strongly about this in particular, i wanna say that i don't think suns is mean, i think they definitely have the potential to be overprotective and intimidating, but it'd almost always be out of love. one thing the broadcasts ARE good at showing is just how much they care about basically everybody around them, even if they're a little.. dense about some things. they way they talk in the chat logs with nsh, about their guilt over pebbles' situation and trying to make up for it even though pebbles clearly doesn't want their help, about dooming not only pebbles but moon as well (who as far as canon text goes, they don't seem to have ever personally talked to moon at all imo). and when nsh stops messaging them, or becomes increasingly worried about moon, they get visibly concerned about his wellbeing as well and does their best to console him. my favourite broadcasts are the ones about their gradual realization that maaaaybe they care about spearmaster a little more than they originally intended to. they raised spearmaster, going as far as to teach it a personally modified sign language rather than a quick and easy one-way mark of communication like most iterators would do. the chat logs after spearmaster encounters pebbles and how worried suns was for it, about how they regret ever sending them to pebbles in the first place, and that they just wished it'd return home to them safely. there's also the fact that they kept an eye on spearmaster with their overseer basically 24/7, to the point that even pebbles knew that suns was watching. overseers can act on their own, we know that from what we see in canon, but pebbles knew that suns was actively watching when spearmaster entered his can. which. god this wasn't supposed to be about pebbles but pebbles not killing spearmaster is something that's so important to me because he so easily could have killed them and there was no reason for him not to. but despite how hurt he was and how wronged he felt, he knew that it would have ruined suns so he held himself back and it's so AAUUGHHHHHH!!!!!!! i love them all so much. this is barely even about suns anymore sorry i didn't mean to type so much about spearmaster i just love their campaign so much. don't even get me started on the thought of ascending as spearmaster that shit will make me start killing people i actually was going to talk about headcanon stuff too (mostly stuff from before the global ascension/after riv) but. i started thinking too hard about suns and pebbles and spearmaster and wanderer and and and. Well sorry but i fear that if i think about rain world any more today i may end up on national television. so maybe another day

[fluffallamaful]

c!Dream goes feral in prison right after Techno disappears and Quackity promises to kill him when he returns — partially due to stress, partially due to some side effect of the typical Time-Travel AU stuff we keep using. Time-Travel Shenanigans happen and everyone-but-Dream remembers the future, Sam wants to help him now, yadda yadda. Problem is that now Dream is refusing to leave his cell and clawing at people like a feral animal. Sam wisely backs off and he and some others eventually decide to slide in animalistic furnishings for Dream to arrange as he pleases. He builds a nest and eats meat and all that.

And then he lays eggs.

Dream LOVES his eggs. He purrs around them and cuddles them and screeches if anyone dares to get close — but he’s also way easier to care for now because he’s always settled with his eggs. His guards-turned-zookeepers are incredibly grateful for those stupid eggs, and growing fonder and fonder of them by proxy. But then something goes wrong and nobody knows why, but Dream is suddenly kind of a wreck. He’s hissing and whining and trying very hard to do SOMETHING. He keeps trying to care for those eggs but it becomes very clear that something is WRONG.

The guards eventually decide that they need to take his eggs for a proper medical examination.

Dream loses his SHIT. But they have to do this because they have to make sure the eggs are okay, but they can’t explain any of that to Dream when he’s like…this.

Once the eggs are gone, however, Dream starts wailing. He’s bawling and shivering all over and trying to crawl into the lava after them and eventually just lying on the floor sobbing his fucking eyes out because those were HIS. THOSE WERE HIS! And what are they doing to his eggs??? They’re gone, they’re gone! He couldn’t do anything! Ponk is taking care of the eggs, but that leaves everyone else watching the cameras or just sitting in the cell and watching in person as Dream just loses his mind over his missing eggs. It’s really hard to watch. Nobody wants to see him like this.

So someone gets the courage to try and tickle the devastated feral mama, both to distract him until his babies get back and to comfort him — or at least to get him feeling anything that’s not…THIS.

?

eggs eggs eggs eggs eggs WEEEEEE!!!! finally have time to answer this weewoooweewooeeoo

idk why but it just feels right to give cdream some eggs to look after 😂 also for those of you a little bit squeamish with egg-laying out there (lmao), rest assured that the way dream creates the eggs can be entirely up to interpretation. he could simply magic them in as a form of comfort. perhaps they just appear one day, drawn out by his feral animal-like state. the way the eggs get there isn’t important

(more below)

🦙🦙🦙…

in saying all of thissss… i’m a little bit of a sucker for the biology here because ffs i am possibly in my 3rd year of a zoology major lmao. but for some reason i’ve latched onto the potential reason as to why dream’s eggs appeared, and why ‘something has gone wrong’

here are some cool things that happen in the animal kingdom;

kangaroos are able to pause their baby’s development (as an embryo) if the surrounding environment isn’t up to standards (eg. a drought)

mammals can undergo phantom pregnancies where they start doing all the crazy hormonal things like creating nests and what not in preparation for their babies

when chickens want to be mum’s they go ‘broody’, which means they start gathering eggs to sit on and hatch. it’s similar to the phantom pregnancy in that they start almost pretending like they have babies

so if we combine all of these,, perhaps a change in cdream’s environment (techno leaving) somehow kicks him into a parental hormonal state, that basically turns him crazy. it doesn’t matter what he does, he can’t seem to shake the need to get to a much safer place than the cell he’s in now. and so he starts crawling up the heckin walls

thankfully sam and quackity are more understanding than previously (time travel au, yarda yarda), and actually want to find a way to help dream. and moreso, they thankfully both understand the importance of environment. specifically, they understand how comforting a nest can be.

so they start giving dream pillows and blankets and so many cushions and soft things to work with. they don’t place it out themselves, they just let dream collect up the materials and decorate his cell himself. and for a while it works, especially once the eggs appear 🥺

it’s like dream gets a moment of relief. he sleeps for days, curled around the eggs. he barely claws at the walls and he barely leaves his bed of pillows (like a broody hen. you’re not going to hear the end of me when it comes to chickens)

but then something goes wrong 😭😭 ohhh doesn’t it always 😖😖😖😭

so basically my thoughts were that perhaps the parental instincts and the egg laying came about as a form of comfort for dream? i think i might draw the line at the eggs hatching for the purpose of my blog? purely coz i’m way too much of a biology nerd and i’ll try and make it way too accurate lmao 😂. like my god this is not the space to discuss pathogenesis :,) but perhaps that’s the thing that ‘goes wrong’? dream realises they’re not going to hatch in the first place? and he becomes super distressed about it (so happy to hear where you were going with the eggs problems anyway, i just might not go into detail that much when i respond).

AND SO YHEY TAKE HIS EGGS AWAY NOOO 😭 poor mumma dreammmm 😭

he’s left an absolute mess in his cell. he’s lost his comfort and his instincts are telling him to sacrifice everything for the eggs ☹️ and so someone comes in to try and snap him out of it with tickles 🥺 like soft reassuring tickles to start off with, so not to startle him. but then slowly upping the pace as the usual dream starts to fight his way through the pained other one. he gets the logical tickled back into him 😌

🦙🦙🦙…

[hellsfavoritefallenangel]

Ride of the Valkyrie Chapter 2: The Crypt

My journey through the light has been long and difficult, so it's best to start where it all began.

We called it the Traveler, and its arrival changed us forever. Great cities were built on Mars and Venus. Mercury became a garden world. Human lifespan tripled. It was a time of miracles. We stared out at the galaxy and knew that it was our destiny to walk in the light of other stars.

Nearly two centuries after the arrival of the traveler, I was born. My mother was in the military, so we traveled the world. I got to see the gates of Berlin, the Colosseum in Rome, Cape Canaveral in Florida, the Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and so many other wonders of the world.

For most of my early life, we had always been moving, but when I turned 14, my mom was stationed permanently in D.C. I made many close friends in high school, it was the first time that I ever had a sense of stability in my life.

When we graduated high school, we all went to the same university. I tried just about everything, but I never could find a major that would work for me, I eventually decided to just go with a liberal arts degree, but I didn't know where I would go with it.

By the end of uni, I was in debt, a lot of it. I wasn't particularly good at art, but it was a fun hobby. I loved drawing the landscapes of all the places I went as a kid, I kept them in the sketchbook that was nearly tied to my hip. The only way I saw forward though, was following in my mother’s footsteps and enlisting.

Basic training was hard, really hard, but I made it through. I was put into a unit whose sole objective was delivering humanitarian aid to places in need, I know, it doesn't sound like a job that a normal military would have, but because of the golden age, there was almost no war. Humanity was experiencing the longest period of peace that the Earth had ever seen, borders were only an invisible line on maps and becoming less and less relevant by the day. But someone needed to be there to help people when a flood, hurricane, or drought occurred to help the people that lived there.

About three years in, I learned about a new experimental brigade that was accepting applicants. It sounded extremely fishy, but the pay was a massive improvement compared to what I currently had, so I signed up for it.

About a week later I got a message saying that my application had been received and accepted. The base for it was in a really remote place in Colorado, I had no clue what the job entails, but at this point, it was too late to go back now. When we got there, they gave us nametags with some codenames on them, the person to my left got Archangel, to my right they got Goliath, and I got Valkyrie.

They funneled us into a massive room, I think the entire brigade was there. In the front of the room, there was a stage with two people on it. The first guy was in a full military uniform and was the Colonel, but the man next to him was in a suit, maybe he was a civilian? I didn’t know. The Colonel stood tall at the podium, his voice carrying a sense of authority and determination. "All of you gathered here are the courageous individuals who have volunteered for this brigade to push the boundaries of science in our practical applications. Our unit is dedicated to exploring the untapped potential of scientific advancements. This endeavor will have its challenges; it will be arduous, and some of you may not return. Yet, your sacrifices will echo through generations, benefiting all of humanity.

We are not engaged in a conventional war. Instead, we are in a relentless battle against time itself. Our mission is to expedite the path to a brighter future for all of humanity.

Now, I will yield the floor to Clovis Bray, the executive of the Braytech corporation, to elucidate the specifics of your mission."

"Thank you, Colonel," Clovis responded, his voice emanating an unmistakable air of self-centeredness and annoyance.

"As per the colonel's instructions, your upcoming mission marks the pinnacle of merging science and humanity. Braytech's legacy precedes it, and I'm certain many of you are familiar with our work.

You will be divided into battalions, each assigned to one of three groundbreaking Braytech projects. The first project involves testing the capabilities of the Warmind Rasputin, delving into its weapon systems, and pushing the limits of its computational capacity. The second project focuses on SIVA, where you will experiment with weapons, armaments, and various functional applications. Lastly, the Exo project aims to revolutionize human existence by transferring consciousness to robotic bodies, paving the way for enhanced performance and longevity.

In the hangar, you'll find three ships awaiting deployment – one destined for Europa, another for Mars, and the last for the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. I extend my best wishes to each of you as you embark on these groundbreaking endeavors. Over to you, Colonel."

Just as his pompous ass stopped talking, the Colonel walked back to the podium. “Each of you will meet with your respective Lieutenant Colonels at your designated ship. May the light provide soldiers.”

Following his brief remarks, we all followed out of the room and into the hangar. These ships, they were massive. They could have easily fit thousands of people. I was a bit embarrassed to admit that this would be my first time off planet. There had to be so much left to discover, maybe joining the army wasn't so bad of a deal after all?

The engines of the ships roared to life. The ship destined for Kazakhstan left first, quickly followed by the ship leaving for Mars. Our ship was delayed though due to us taking ‘special cargo’. I later found out that this so-called ‘special cargo’ was none other than Clovis Bray himself.

I never took Clovis to be the cold type, I mean, from what I heard about him it seemed his love child was on Mars with that Warmind thing. Frankly, if you ask me, it just sounds like he wants someone to talk to who's programmed to agree with him but I digress.

On our trip to Europa, I'm kinda sad that we didn't see the moon. It was always present in the night sky, kinda wanted to see what the hype was about. However, when we got near Jupiter, it was so worth it. Jupiter was a level of massive I had never seen before. When we landed on Europa it was so large, Jupiter enveloped the entirety of the sky, it made me feel so…. Small.

As soon as the doors opened it was cold, really cold. Luckily the entrance was only a few meters away. We were told that we would be working in the Exoscience facility, but the place we would be living in is a fairly small city called Eventide. The city itself only had about 40,000 people, but damn was it beautiful. Due to us essentially being employees of Braytech, we got to see the beautiful white ice of Europa that spanned as far as the eye could see.

We each received dates for our transfer from our human bodies to our exo ones. Mine was in two weeks. In the meantime, we were given time to relax and enjoy the amenities provided by Braytech.

Their spas were downright heavenly, and their saunas too. For a city on an ice planet, there was no shortage of extremely warm activities. Those two weeks were the best of my life. But I knew that my time was quickly ticking.

They never really told us what would happen after our transfers. There is much speculation among those who haven't gone in yet. We have not seen anyone who already did the transfer, and it's kinda scary. I have no clue what's waiting for me on the other side. But now, I've come too far to turn back.

The day finally came. Two Braytech researchers and the Lieutenant Colonel came to my room.

Holding a datapad, the Lt. Colonel ordered “Ms. Valkyrie, you are ordered to go to the Creation wing of the Braytech Exoscience immediately for your transfer into an exo unit. Do you understand your orders?”

I sheepishly replied “Yes sir”

He continued “If you wish to opt out, now is the time. You will be discharged and returned to Earth. Will you continue?”

“Yes sir”

“Good, you are expected to be there within 10 minutes, best you get moving” he finished.

“Yes sir”

With that, I ran to the metro to get to the lab as soon as possible. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The doubt weighed on me like a ton of bricks. Would I even feel like a person after this? I was too far along to turn back now, and at this point, I’d probably be arrested if I disobeyed the order.

The metro stopped at the Exoscience facility and I got off. I went up to the office where I was supposed to go. I knocked on the door and it automatically opened. Standing there was Clovis Bray I and two Exos, I didn't recognize either of them. The guy was blue, with the most amazing blue eyes I had ever seen. The girl was covered in white, with matching white eyes. My lookover of them was cut short though when Clovis piped up.

“I hope you have enjoyed your stay at Eventide Ms. Valkyrie,” he said clearly trying to feign diplomacy.

"Yes, it has been very relaxing," I said with a forced smile.

“Good, good, now, if you’ll follow me, we have an Exo to make.”

The one exo realizing it was his time to leave said “Uhh, I’ll just get going” before stumbling out the door. As he left the room, a door opened up to an elevator. The three of us walked in it before it swiftly began to descend. The walls of the elevator were clear so you could see all the brilliant colors of the insides of Europa. The ice walls were penetrated by flares of red, pink, and purple.

After about two minutes of descent, it came to a slow stop. The doors opened revealing a massive subterranean complex. I was awestruck. So many moving machines, so many scientists, so many Exos, it was all just overwhelming. But of course, Clovis had to ruin the moment by starting to talk.

“So,” he said, “This is the Deep Stone Crypt”.

“The what?” I responded.

“The Deep Stone Crypt is where we make our Exos, and this is where you will be reborn. All you need to do is customize your new body”

Customization? Maybe this won't be as bad after all. He handed me a datapad and I began selecting the options. First was the base color, they had everything imaginable. The goth phase that I started in high school still had a stranglehold on me though, so I, of course, went with black. Next, we got to choose the eye color, just like the base color, there were so many options. I was in between red, blue, and green, but I eventually went with green, there was just something about it that spoke to me. We also got to choose any extras, I chose to have my unit number, which at the time was 1, and two antennae on the sides of my head. After this, the customization was done and I got a preview of it. It was perfect.

“All done” Clovis interrupted.

“Yeah”

“Now, I just need you to lay in this pod, it will put you under heavy anesthetics while the transfer occurs, this is the last time you will be in this body. Once you wake up, I will have my granddaughter here, tell you your assignment.”

I got in the bed, the capsule closed around me. In the few seconds after the pod closed, I saw a weird white fluid pouring through tubes into the pod, but I didn't see what it was being used for as the pod filled with gas and everything went dark.

[prouvaireafterdark]

I get why we think Louis is just omitting a lot of the affection in his telling (mostly I think its just the fact that he skipped very quickly over the early years) but I also feel like a lot of Lestat's insecurities and actions fully make sense with Louis's telling being more or less what it was? I do think Claudia's childhood was when Louis was happiest and thus the most free with his affection because later when she started becoming trouble Lestat says they were happier before Claudia while Louis clearly thinks the opposite. And Lestat's intense jealousy/antagonism of Claudia makes sense cause now it always feels like Louis was only giving him that affection when Claudia was there to make him happy and it was gone once she left. The pent up frustration and anger exploding into violence only when Claudia comes back and tries to take Louis away exposes his fear that Claudia was the only reason Louis ever cared about him (the cloud scene really showing how much he feared Louis just never loved him at all). Even when Claudia tries to be apologetic to Lestat at first, he purposely antagonizes her before she even tries to take Louis. Nothing could ever excuse what he did in 1x05 but it all sort of came together narratively that he flips out in that moment.

Yeah that's an excellent point, it is very consistent with the way Lestat responded to things.

And yeah to me it's less that Louis fully omits affectionate parts of their relationship over the entire interview (as in, pretending their marriage was passionless in moments when it wasn't) and more that he downplays the frequency/intensity of those moments once he gets beyond the initial seduction phase (as in, he tends to focus on the conflict between himself and Lestat even when things are relatively good between them and makes it seem like they sleep in separate coffins all the time when Claudia's POV implies they slept together regularly and were much more tactile in their affection than Louis would have the audience believe), if that makes sense?

Like it's the long droughts in their affection for each other (notably, post-Louis going vegetarian leading to Antoinette in 1x03 and when Claudia left in 1x05 leading to That Scene) that have Lestat being his worst and most insecure self, but there still were moments of genuine happiness and love in their earlier days that Louis just doesn't discuss in as great of detail, either because he wants to keep those moments private or because he doesn't consider them important to note or because he knows where the story is headed and he wants Daniel and his readers to understand why he and Claudia did what they did and that's more easily done by focusing on the negative stuff that actually made them do it.

Either way, I'm sure I can speak for the other fanfic writers in this fandom when I say the potential for exploring more affectionate moments between them is certainly there and I plan on spending the hiatus doing just that :)

[go-follow-vibingouthere]

Kaimelia Fic Update/Sneak Peek

For anyone that cares...

I'm still writing the post 18x20 Kaimelia fic I posted about 2 months ago lol. Had a bit of an identity crisis after graduating college + the hyper fixation was becoming less... hyper, so I haven't actually worked on it since late June until this week. RN I've got ~3.5k words that are actually useable and good and another ~13k (I know 🙃) of... Over stuff lol (some of it's useable, some of it's redundant, etc.). I won't post it until it's done; I hate disappointing people and wouldn't wanna get anyone's hopes up just to never finish it. I am fucking DETERMINED to get this out before the new season starts.

However... Because I'm a glutton for attention and I know the fandom is in a drought rn... I wanna give y'all a sneak peek of the first 500 words or so. Without further ado:

Kai had never kissed anybody in the rain before… It was nice. Like a scene from a movie. Kai could imagine some grandiose love song playing in the background of this moment, the music swelling when Amelia’s lips met their own. Picture-perfect…

It had been a long day. A long few weeks, really. Whatever anxiety Kai had experienced during that dinner party, surrounded by Amelia’s intimidating web of a family, had only increased after their semi-break up on the swings; and, with it, came wave after wave of self-loathing, anger, and despair. They couldn’t eat, they couldn’t work, they couldn’t sleep, they couldn’t function.

Not even the paper being published—years and years of work and effort finally being recognized—was enough to lift their spirits. Every potentially happy thought about it—every stray thought they’d had since the last time they were in Seattle—just led back to her. Their text to her upon hearing the news (“thinking of you”) wasn’t a lie: if anything, it was an understatement.

The irony plagued them. They had once boasted to Amelia that they needed very little sleep to function and look where that had landed them: impulse buying a plane ticket to Seattle after another restless 24 hours, running through the airport to make it on time, all 6’ 1” of them jammed into a middle seat on a rickety Spirit Airlines flight, their hastily packed carry-on containing nothing but two shirts, pajama bottoms, underwear, and a toothbrush. All without a shred of hope to cling to that she’d even want to see them, let alone take them back.

But she did… at least, tentatively.

She was kissing them, in the rain, and Kai felt like they could finally breathe again. The risk of drowning at sea was averted: her presence alone pushed their exhausted, waterlogged mind back to shore. The monumental pain of their actions was gone. The weight and stress that had sat in their shoulders and upper back had finally dissipated. Relief flooded over them and they were left to ponder happier ideas… like which movies had the best rain kiss scenes.

(They managed The Notebook, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Spider-Man, A Cinderella Story, and that one episode of Friends before Amelia pulled away for breath, her forehead slumped against theirs.)

The rain was getting worse by the second; having started as barely a sprinkle, it was now quickly becoming a considerable downpour. They could feel their hair getting heavier, sticking to their forehead in odd spots, matted after Amelia’s handiwork.

Her hands eventually came down to rest on their shoulders. They stayed breathing each other’s breath, eyes closed and hands still, for a long time, quiet despite the environmental rage surrounding them…

They were tempted to kiss her again, being that close for so long. And they nearly did. Hesitantly brushing their nose alongside hers, receiving no comments or requests to stop, they brought their hand up to her cheek, ready to join their lips again and—

“Amelia!” someone called out from the hospital exit, their voice carrying over the dense rain.

The bubble popped.

Hope you enjoyed :) I hope to have it out in full beginning/mid-September.

[leonsi]

Also, just wanted to say something about this post:

Which I can't link, because I went anon, but like, it is this post that I am just going to copy and paste, so you know what I am talking about:

"i can’t decide if leo as a villain would be cooler if he were:

'calculating and always one step ahead

'brutal and jaded, only interested in his own goals and giving up on morals

'completely unhinged after a lifetime of being perfect"

(and I ofc I also liked the tags on that/this post too)!

And like, yes, I love all those takes on a potential Dark and/or Villain Leo.  I think Option 3 may be my favorite (I am just imaging a completely unhinged 2012 Leo and/or Leo and I am loving it), but, I love all of them. 

Like, imagine, Option 1 and 2 combined or 1 and 3 or 2 and 3.  Or a combo of all three.  Man, that would be awesome.  Man though, I wish I knew some good Dark 2012 (mentioning 2012 Leo first here and/or a lot, because he is my favorite and love him, though I also like the other Leos.  Like Rise Leo (a lot) and Comic Leo, like IDW Leo).  Leo and/or Rise and/or Leo in general fics, because I do know some (including some good Foot ones, though I still wish I could find more, esp. completed and/or recently updated), but I could always know more.

Also, also, I loved the tags of that post I linked too!  Good tags.

I also really liked this post, which I am going to quote part of, because I can't link (I am sorry):

"i think the reason i immediately distrust people who diss on 2012 Leo for the times he lashes out is that it shows they don’t have an in-depth understanding of trauma, or at the very least, character analysis and nuance."

I thought this was a really good post and analysis on 2012 Leo's character.  It was cool/interesting!

Anyways, bye for now, I am hoping these long asks goes through, if not I am saving it/them just in case.  Sorry for going anon too btw; I just got a bit shy-ish. 

Continuing where that last long Anon Ask of mine left off with this one.  Asks 2 of 2.

LMAO option 3 is definitely my favorite too - there's something just So nifty about someone who's normally so poised and famed for being in control losing all of that stiffness and becoming deranged. it's funner to imagine the horror everyone else feels when they finally realize how far they've pushed him :)

and dw you're in good company, 2012 leo is Absolutely my poor little meow meow (if you couldn't tell). *puts him in a jar and shakes it violently*

i'm so sorry anon, i WISH i could rec you some good dark!leo fics, but aside from Foot AUs, i'm in a bit of a drought myself. i know @this-world-of-beautiful-monsters (This_world_of_beautiful_monsters on ao3) writes a lot of amazing ambiguous/morally gray 2012 and IDW Leo, especially in her ABC TMNT / other prompt collections, but i'm not sure if that's the villain you want :(

and yoo thank you so much for liking my silly little 2012 leo rant! it's a bit of an emotional mess (esp bc tumblr messed up the formating and i only realized AFTER people started rbing it sigh), but. hey. at least someone enjoys it? LDJFK thank u !

dude don't be sorry for going on anon or not being able to link !! i like any interaction at all!!! and tbh w u i still send asks on anon to mutuals i talk to outside of tumblr. i totally get it :]]

[tuiyla]

A Definitive History of Bubbline

With “Obsidian” coming out in two days, it really is time for a definitive history of Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship. And by that I mean the tumultuous road that led us to “Obsidian” from a production and fandom point of view. For a list of Bubbline episodes, check out my Bubbline Guide (and part two) - which I need to update, I know I know. For this post, I wanted to highlight how far this pairing has come and what Bubbline means to queer representation in children’s cartoons.

This is less of an analysis and more of an overview with links to more information on specific incidents to keep it (relatively) brief. I say it’s a definitive history but it isn’t an exhaustive one, so do check out the links included to learn more about how we got here. I realize not everyone cares about these kinds of things but I think it’s important to know how hard Adventure Time’s creators had to fight. Bubbline is a pioneer ship in many ways but it doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves.

Initial Concepts

As is the case with much of Adventure Time, the initial concept of who the characters of Bonnibel and Marceline were going to be is very different than what we ended up getting. @gunterfan1992 explores this and other production tidbits in depth in his book so I do recommend checking that out. The short version is that these two were created to be opposites and with a Betty and Veronica type dynamic in mind where they would both be love interest to the protagonist, Finn.

This didn’t quite end up being the case but remnants of this concept are seen in “Go With Me” (March, 2011), the episode with the first on-screen Bubbline interaction. As Marcy helps - and sabotages - Finn in asking Bonnie out, she also becomes a potential love interest for him but she shuts him down immediately. So while Finn’s crush on PB continues, the notion that Marceline would be part of a love triangle is dismissed. Instead, this first Bonnie and Marcy interaction established that the two already know each other and there’s some bitterness in that past.

“What Was Missing” and the Mathematical Controversy

A potential preexisting relationship between the two was further explored in “What Was Missing” (September 2011) just a season later. The episode was written and storyboarded by Rebecca Sugar and eventual showrunner Adam Muto. Sugar was responsible for much of the character depth added to Marceline and later even played, quite aptly, her mother in the Stakes miniseries. It was Sugar who wrote the now beyond iconic “I’m Just Your Problem” based on personal experiences and suggested that Marcy and Bonnie be queer characters with a complicated romantic past.

“What Was Missing” was hugely important in how it hinted at a complex relationship through character interactions, Marceline’s song, and the last scene twist with PB’s shirt. The AT crew were supportive of the idea and sneaked in plenty of queer subtext, but this is where I have to point out that 2011 was a very different time and it’s thanks, in part, to Bubbline that things have changed. Autostraddle’s article from back when covers what is now known as the Mathematical controversy. Audiences picked up on the subtext and Cartoon Network was not having it. The popularity of the ship soared but the execs were not taking to queer implications kindly.

Great Bubbline Drought

So, the ship has sailed but controversy looms over it. “What Was Missing” s subtle by today’s standards but it was enough to keep Marceline and Bubblegum apart for two years on-screen. Each character went through wonderful development in the meantime, as did the show itself, but there’s a certain sense of bitterness to what came to be known as the Great Bubbline Drought. CN got so afraid of the potential backlash that they waited two years to have a new episode featuring the pair, “Sky Witch” (July 2013), by which point Sugar had left AT to work on her own show, Steven Universe. I’m happy that Sugar got to create her own show and push for even more queer representation, but it’s also sad that she never got to write more for the ship she pioneered.

“Sky Witch” still happened, though, and featured even more subtext, from PB’s side this time around. The shirt returned and there was hope as Marcy and Bonnie were seen hanging out together more often (”Red Starved” and “Princess Day”). Another controversy threatened to emerge in August 2014 when Olivia Olson, Marceline’s voice actress said that creator Pendleton Ward had confirmed a pre-show Bubbline romance. It was a messy ordeal with deleted tweets and questions about whether the two could get together again in the series. Fortunately, though, things changed in the three years between 2011 to 2014 and another Bubbline drought didn’t follow.

The Season That Changed Everything

It took another two years after “Sky Witch” but the ball was finally, inevitably, relentlessly rolling. “Varmints” premiered in November 2015 and three episodes later, the Stakes miniseries kicked off. What season 7 meant wasn’t just breadcrumbs and (not so) subtle songs anymore: suddenly, there were too many Bubbline moments to count. “Varmints” served as a follow-up to “What Was Missing” and a final reconciliation, and though Stakes was primarily about Marcy, it also developed her relationship with Bonnie. Afterwards, it became clear that Bubbline was heading somewhere.

It’s worth noting that the cultural context also changed between when “Sky Witch” and “Varmints” aired. In December 2014, The Legend of Korra ended with Korra and Asami beginning their romantic relationship, and Rebecca Sugar was making Steven Universe more and more explicitly queer by the day. Adventure Time started the ball rolling but now it wasn’t alone as a popular Western cable cartoon with queer characters. However, Bubbline was still very much subtext at this point, just with significantly more hope of becoming more.

Late Series Entanglement

But at what point does subtext become plain text? Bubbline fans sure did have fun with that question between Stakes and the finale. Bonnie and Marcy became near inseparable, with most of their major appearances involving one another from this point on. These included the meet the adoptive dad date “Broke His Crown” (March 2016), the Elements miniseries (April 2017) and the nigh on obnoxiously on the nose “Marcy & Hunson” (December 2017). In fact, all but two of Marceline’s major appearances from season 7 on included Bonnie - the exceptions being “Everything Stays” as part of Stakes, and “Ketchup”, which really wasn’t any less gay.

Bubbline moments really did become too many to count, with the vast majority of them having romantic implications. And with queer representation becoming more and more prominent in Western animation, canon Bubbline romance seemed like a question of when rather than if. I’d like to point out here how this was often frustrating, though. After the very rocky start, this relationship was thriving and was really basically confirmed, but that last little push to make it undeniably a part of queer history was still needed.

“Come on!” - The End and Beyond

The almost three years that passed between Stakes and “Come Along With Me” (September 2018) were much more tolerable than the Drought; after all, there was plenty of Bubbline content in the later seasons. The big question as the finale came was whether Adventure Time would fizzle out on its early pioneer of a wlw ship or follow through, once and for all. Almost four years after LoK ended and just before season 1 of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power dropped, Marcy and Bonnie had an emotional moment, kissed on screen, and ended the series together.

The intricacies of why a kiss was needed as a signifier of romance is a discussion for another day. But wouldn’t it have been strange after almost a decade of build-up for them not to seal the deal with a kiss? And to think it almost didn’t happen, as by that point it was so obvious they were together. Again, I direct your attention towards Paul Thomas’s book, he explains how it was storyboard artist Hanna K. Nyström’s call to add this final detail. Because, come on! Sometimes, you need to be as clear as possible, and that’s the case with queer representation in animation.

Since the finale, the comics have been continuing the Bubbline train - which are not technically canon but one can have fun regardless. In any case, the existence of Marcy and Bonnie’s relationship, of their queer identities, is not something that can reasonably be denied. It was a long road, and, make no mistake, an arduous one, but this is the story of a win. A win for storytelling and a win for wlw relationships.

We’ll Build Our Own Forever

So, there you have it, a Bubbline timeline of sorts. In March of 2011 we had the first on-screen interaction and now, in November of 2020, we’re getting a 45-minute-long special with the two of them as the central characters. They’re canonically in love, with King Princess covers of Bubbline songs and more. I tried to contain myself, for once, and not write too much. I think it’s important that people have a general idea of just how monumental all of this is and how, even just 9 years ago, “Obsidian” would have been totally inconceivable.

Some of this might have come as a surprise to you. It’s certainly not been easy to get to where we are now with Bubbline and it’s yet to be seen how open “Obsidian” will be about the relationship. I’ve been talking about Bubbline for years and attempted to chronicle their relationship many times so I’m happy I’ve finally done it from this perspective as well.

Adventure Time: Distant Lands “Obsidian” is streaming on Nov 19 on HBO Max. If you can, stream it so we can show that there’s popular demand for stories like that of an angry vampire and a despotic piece of gum.

[rambling-addict]

I’ve seen some people so hard pressed on why it was Lexa that Clarke saw, and it’s like invalidating how Lexa meant to Clarke.

First of all, as mentioned, Lexa was Clarke’s greatest love. Just because it was short-lived didn’t mean that it was something dismissable. Lexa may have been gone and wasn’t the one who was with Clarke through the thick of it all in the years to come, but she was the first to have seen Clarke as Clarke. Lexa elevated Clarke and believed in her and gave her value, when everyone seemed to not see her worth, was ungrateful, and always blaming her. It was through Lexa that Clarke started to become who she was.

Lexa was also one of Clarke’s greatest teacher/ mentor. She saw her potential and pushed her to be the best she can be. Lexa taught her about leadership and the burden of carrying the lives of people under her rule. She taught her how to survive in a harsh world. But what’s more beautiful is that Clarke taught Lexa, too. Clarke made Lexa see that life was more than just surviving and living day after day. To be a great teacher is to be a great student. So yeah, Lexa may not be Clarke’s longest or greatest teacher, but she was definitely the most memorable. In a short amount of time together, Lexa taught her something that she carried on forward in her life.

Lexa is also one of Clarke’s biggest failure or regret. If you lost your soulmate/ greatest love, surely that would feel like your greatest regret in life. But also, they were together in a time when they were younger, and Clarke was still in her ‘formative’ stages, still learning and coming to her own. She was at times reckless and she made a lot of bad/ difficult decisions. And after almost a decade of experiences, looking back to the memory of Lexa dying in her arms, Clarke may have felt that she could have done more. She has a tendency of wanting to fix things, to be in control of a situation, and this was definitely something out of her control. Also, Clarke definitely has regrets on everything that happens afterwards with Lexa gone. Lexa’s hard work and dream of maintaining peace was destroyed, and of course, Clarke fought for it but failed.

So Lexa fits the triad. Sure, there are other people who are also important to Clarke and fit each category... but Lexa fits all categories. That’s the impact she has on Clarke even after all those years she was gone, and it’s not like Lexa was forgotten... Clarke relives her memory and thinks about her often enough, and might even wonder if Lexa would still be proud of her decisions. She values her opinions, just as Lexa does of her. So it does make sense why it was Lexa that was the face of Clarke’s judgment.

And yes, I do realise it was also baiting, on the writers’ part. Yeah, Clexas lived again for the Lexa content, but did the bait really work? I personally haven’t watched the loo since 3x07 and I am not gonna start now. I did wait patiently for the clips though, so thank you to those who went through the dirt show to find the treasure. So who’s baiting who, really? We got what we want... a last hurrah for Clexa, fake or not. I’m just happy for the revalidation. We all know what Clexa was to each other, I know... but now, everyone knows. There’s no question to it. I could be mad that they didn’t have their proper ‘someday’, but that’s what fanfics are for. I could already see the creative juices flowing. And I’m just really happy for more content after years of drought and constant yearning. I’m grateful for ADC doing this for us. She never let us down, and gave us one last treat by donning the costume one last time.

And seriously, back to the baiting thought, that prequel has a chance of surviving if Lexa was on it, but we all know that’s not gonna happen. And I wouldn’t want that for ADC. So no, we didn’t bite and never will. We haven’t forgotten all the hurt. We’re not idiots.

Another rambling... sorry, not sorry? Just had to say it, because I didn’t like that Lexa’s appearance was being invalidated and being reduced to cheap queer baiting. Stay pressed. And honestly, if you weren’t the least bit happy about seeing Lexa one last time and are one of those who just questions everything, then are you really a Clexa fan who went through 4 years of hurt? Probably not, or maybe you sail on the other ship apart from Clexa and just claim to be happy for us but always include a ‘but’ after the sentence. Anyway... it’s my opinion and what I want to believe, no one has to agree with me. And I’m still rambling... ok, bye.

[twoidiotwriters1]

Written In The Stars XCII (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: :)

Words: 4,243

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Next Chapter

Liste to: Under The Last Falling Star -by Matthew Perryman Jones

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Milestone.

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" said Hermione indignantly.

"Keep your voice down! I just need to — sort of fine-tune it, all right?"

Mel snorted, sending a pillow directly to its target.

They were supposed to be practicing the opposite of the Summoning Charm today — the Banishing Charm. Owing to the potential for nasty accidents when objects kept flying across the room, Professor Flitwick had given each student a stack of cushions on which to practice, the theory being that these wouldn't hurt anyone if they went off target. It was a good theory, but it wasn't working very well. Neville's aim was so poor that he kept accidentally sending much heavier things flying across the room — Professor Flitwick, for instance.

"Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry hissed as Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly past them, landing on top of a large cabinet. "I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody..."

This class was an ideal cover for a private conversation, as everyone was having far too much fun to pay them any attention. Harry had been recounting his adventures of the previous night in whispered installments for the last half hour.

"Snape said Moody's searched his office as well?" Ron whispered, his eyes alight with interest as he Banished a cushion with a sweep of his wand (it soared into the air and knocked Parvati's hat off). "What... d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," said Harry, waving his wand without paying much attention, so that his cushion did an odd sort of belly flop off the desk. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something..."

"What?" said Ron, his eyes widening, his next cushion spinning high into the air, ricocheting off the chandelier, and dropping heavily onto Flitwick's desk. "Harry... maybe Moody thinks Snape put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Oh Ron," said Hermione, shaking her head sceptically, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?"

"Whatever he did before, it must've been quite badly if it already made him lost his first chance, Dumbledore is usually quite forgiving..."

"I don't care what Moody says," Hermione continued. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape, even if Snape is a bit —"

"— evil," said Ron. "Come on, Hermione, why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"Why has Mr Crouch been pretending to be ill? It's a bit funny, isn't it, that he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?"

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf, Winky."

"You just want to think Snape's up to something."

"I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one, like Mel said," said Harry. He did a quick movement and his cushion flew across the room and landed swiftly.

"Look at that!" Mel smiled. "You're finally catching up, Glasses!"

After her talk with Flint, she felt she was lucky to have something as unimportant as a crush as her major issue. Actually, she just thought she was lucky, period. To have the opportunity to fall in love with someone who cared for her -though maybe not as much as she did- someone who was her best friend, wasn't something to be sad about.

Harry told them the strange announcement the golden egg gave him, apparently, he'd have to face the merpeople while looking for something they were meant to take away from him. It was starting to be a problem and Mel wanted nothing more but to find a solution, she was glad that when Valentine's day arrived, they were too busy with their research for any of them to actually notice. She only knew it because it was her mother's birthday and she had to send her present first thing in the morning. Hermione however, found herself having quite a lovely -and secret- date with Victor Krum, while Mel made sure to keep Ron and Harry in the library for the whole day.

At nine o'clock Mel was in the common room next to Neville doing their potions homework, quietly going through their answers she tried not to think about the previous February and how even though she wasn't expecting anything, she couldn't help but feel disappointed over the fact that she and Harry would never spend one of those as a couple.

"Hi..."

Mel gave a start, looking up from her parchment she found Harry.

"Hello," Mel picked up her bag from the chair so he could sit. "Any luck?"

"Nothing," He sat down beside her with a heavy sigh. "I'm going to lose..."

"If I were a prat," She said, scribbling the last few sentences of her work. "I'd say I told you so because you should've done your research earlier... but I'm not a prat, so I'll say this: It's going to be okay. You're a fast learner, I bet you'll figure this out in no time."

She grabbed his hand and squeezed lightly before turning back to her paper and skim through it to look for any mistakes.

"I'll be going to bed now," Neville told her, putting his things away and standing up. "Happy Valentine's by the way, hope I didn't interrupt your plans or anything..."

She gave him a puzzled look, smiling. "What plans?"

"I don't know, Valentine's day..?" He shrugged, pointing vaguely to them.

Mel turned to see Harry, she realized they were still holding hands. Begging for the earth to swallow her, she retreated her hand and cleared her throat awkwardly. "We, uh- we aren't dating, Neville."

"Oh," Neville blushed. "I'm sorry... it's just– you went to the ball together and I... I'm sorry guys..."

"It's okay," Harry smiled tightly.

Neville left them in the middle of tense silence. Mel slowly put away each of her quills, parchment and ink, she felt like every movement had an echo of her friend's words. Funny how everyone always thought they were dating even if they hadn't kissed in public. Maybe the rest thought they just weren't fond of doing so.

Ironically, far from feeling ashamed, Mel felt the tiniest hope creeping up her chest, maybe Harry would warm up to the idea if everyone just kept insisting that they looked cute together, maybe he'd end up agreeing? Maybe she should listen to Hermione and flirt back to see where it'd take her..?

No! It was out of the question, their friendship was first.

Harry cleared his throat. "I know we don't... you know, together?"

"What?" Mel blinked, not knowing what he was trying to say.

"Do our friends ask you if we're dating as much as they ask me?" He asked quietly.

What was he up to?

What was he trying to do, asking questions like that?

"A few times," She tried to sound as collected as possible. "Parvati and Lavender... Angelina did it once, I think the twins pushed her to... it's silly, we're a little– er, cuddly," She cringed at the word, but kept going, "doesn't mean... you know..."

"Yes," Harry nodded, anxiously biting the tip of a quill. She was too distraught to let him now the quill was hers. "What d'you think?"

"About what they say? As I said, it's silly–"

"About dating," He then added in a hurry. "Not us! But... er– dating someone who's a friend, I mean... you think it'd be stupid?"

Mel looked at him, really looked at him for the first time since the year had started. The dark circles under his eyes from nights spent worrying, his hair a mess –but that was normal– and his gaze clouded with anxiety, yet, there was something else peering through...

'If you could see the way he looks at you...'

She wanted nothing more than to see this from an outsider's point of view. Someone older that knew how love looks like. No more wondering...

"Glasses," Her voice sounded like it could break at any moment. "I have no idea."

She had to admit that at that moment, something was whispering in her ear that eventually, they would find their answer.

"I don't reckon it can be done," said Ron's voice flatly from the other side of the table. "There's nothing. Nothing. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain the lake."

"There must be something," Hermione muttered, moving a candle closer to her. Her eyes were so tired she was poring over the tiny print of Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes with her nose about an inch from the page. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," said Ron. "Harry, just go down to the lake tomorrow, right, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione said crossly. "There just has to be!"

"You guys are a headache," Mel growled, rubbing her temples.

"I know what I should have done," said Harry, facedown on an open book. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."

Mel snorted. "Oh, really? Why didn't we think of that?"

"You could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" said Ron.

"Or a frog," Harry replied tiredly.

"It takes years to become an Animagus, and then you have to register yourself and everything," said Hermione, clearly ignoring they weren't being serious. "Professor McGonagall told us, remember... you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office... what animal you become, and your markings, so you can't abuse it..."

"Hermione, I was joking. I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning..."

"As a side note, though, registering is optional," Mel added distractedly.

"No, it's not," Hermione scowled.

"It is if you got the nerve..."

"Oh this is no use," Hermione closed her book roughly. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," Fred Weasley walked out of a corner next to George. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," said George. "McGonagall wants you, Mel. And Hermione."

"Why?"

"Dunno... she was looking a bit grim, though," said Fred.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office."

The girls looked at Ron and Harry. "Perhaps it has to do with our last work for Transfiguration? Maybe she thinks we copied?"

"We have the same book! Of course, some things might be similar!" Hermione exclaimed in outrage.

"Perhaps she doesn't want you to help me anymore," Harry said. "Maybe she thinks it's unfair..."

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione assure them. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," said the boys.

"Don't lose hope," Mel said, glancing at him one last time before following the twins.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Mel said. "We're going to what?"

"The task is very clear, Miss Dumbledore," McGonagall repeated calmly. "The champions must rescue their loved ones from the lake, it's a simple spell and it'll break as soon as you touch the surface. Don't be alarmed, there's no way you could get hurt."

"But the..." Mel looked at Hermione. "Why us?"

"Well, it surprises me that you have to ask that," McGonagall looked at her over her glasses, "who else, if not you?"

"But we're..." She looked at Hermione again, still confused. "The two of us? How come we're Harry's loved ones?"

"Oh no," The woman replied like it was stupid to think they were. "Miss Granger is here for Krum if I'm correct?"

Hermione turned a deep scarlet shade. "I s'pose so," She said quietly.

Mel was having a hard time understanding what was about to happen, so she couldn't find it in herself to tease the girl.

"So if all doubts have been cleared, could you please come with me to the Headmaster's office?"

The girls followed her, Cho Chang and little blonde girl standing side by side looked as overwhelmed as them.

"Hi," Cho said.

"Oh, you're here," Dumbledore smiled at them. Madame Maxime, Bagman, Percy Weasley and Karkaroff were there as well. "Has Professor McGonagall explained everything?"

Mel and Hermione nodded quietly.

"Brilliant!" Bagman smiled widely. "So then Dumbledore, I think we should do it now..."

Mel turned to look at Hermione in panic. "I'm going to die."

"You're not."

"Harry has no idea of what's about to happen or how to fight back," Mel stated. "I'm a goner."

"D'you really think Dumbledore would let you die?"

That calmed her a bit, but she still felt awful for Harry. "I hope this doesn't make him more nervous than he already is..."

They watched as the little girl -who had to be related to Fleur- fell unconscious. McGonagall summoned a stretcher and they laid her there. Cho gave them a nervous smile.

"Bad time to be dating, huh?"

Hermione returned the smile, Mel felt a strange sense of pride mixed with embarrassment. Cho was dating Cedric, but not only that, she thought Mel and Harry were dating as well. She felt so guilty for disliking her before!

When Hermione finally laid next to Cho and the girl, Mel knew it was time to get a hold of herself and accept this was happening, look less afraid than how she was feeling. Dumbledore didn't need to say anything, with just a look she got all the information she needed. No matter what, things would turn out the way they had to. She needn't be afraid. One second she was staring into his kind blue eyes, and then...

She was pushed back into reality under the sunlight, her mouth opened and she gasped for air, blinking furiously to get rid of the droplets blurring her eyesight.

"Don't like this, don't like this," She felt her stomach drop at the realization that she was still in the water and her feet weren't the ground, every time she moved she would sink a little, spitting out water as she did.

Around her, the merpeople were swimming comfortably, and they were all wearing the same amused grin. Only then she was aware of the firm grip on her waist and the gasps of air coming from her left.

"Harry!" She held onto him, neither of them was good swimming. Her confusion increased when she saw the blonde girl with them as well. "What..?"

"C'mon," Harry breathed, "help me with her, I don't think she can swim very well."

Mel helped him without question until they reached the closest platform. Madam Pomfrey was there checking the champions and their companions, Erick -and Ron, who for some reason was there as well- helped Harry to pull the girls to the surface.

Ron helped the little girl and handed her a thick towel and a blanket, though he did it distractedly, looking at Harry with a frown.

"What did you bring her for?"

"Fleur didn't turn up, I couldn't leave her," Harry climbed up with difficulty.

"Harry, you prat," Ron rolled his eyes annoyingly, "you didn't take that song thing seriously, did you? Dumbledore wouldn't have let any of them drown!"

Harry frowned. "The song said —"

"It was only to make sure you got back inside the time limit! I hope you didn't waste time down there acting the hero!" His best friend scolded. Mel had a feeling, that it was exactly what he'd done.

Erick unfolded a blanket and covered her shoulders with it, as he leaned he whispered, "I hope this cleared things out for you..."

"W-What'd you mean?" She stammered.

"You idiot," The boy replied with exasperation, "think a bit! The only champion that didn't save their partner was Fleur, the rest had to save their girlfriends, what does that say about Harry?"

Mel opened her mouth, but nothing came out of it, instead, she was distracted by Fleur's screams.

"Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she alive? Is she 'urt?"

"She's fine," Harry sighed, he looked exhausted.

"It was ze grindylows... zey attacked me... oh Gabrielle, I thought... I thought..."

"Come here, you," said Madam Pomfrey. She seized both Harry and Mel and pulled them over to Hermione and the others forcing a measure of potion down their throats. Steam gushed out of their ears in no time.

"Harry, well done!" Hermione exclaimed. "You did it, you found out how all by yourself!"

"Well —" Harry looked at them, and then at Karkaroff, who was behind them, and gulped. "Yeah, that's right..."

'He's lying', Mel thought, but she was so happy to be back on solid ground that she didn't comment on it.

"You haff a water beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny," Krum said dubiously.

Hermione brushed away the beetle impatiently, "You're well outside the time limit, though, Harry... Did it take you ages to find us?"

"No... I found you okay..." He seemed aggravated every time someone asked him about his journey. Mel was curious, but between her own adrenaline and what Erick insinuated, she couldn't find the right thing to say.

Dumbledore was calmy talking with the leader of the merpeople. She was screeching back and forth with the old man, it looked funny, but Mel figured that he had to be talking mermish. When he stood up, he said, "A conference before we give the marks, I think."

"Harry," She said, finally starting to catch up with her surroundings, "what did you do?"

Harry gave her a grumpy look, but before he could reply, Fleur walked up to them.

"Look after Gabrielle," She told Madame Pomfrey sternly, then she looked back at the group. "You saved 'er," she said to Harry in shock. "Even though she was not your 'ostage."

"Yeah," Harry pouted.

Fleur kissed Harry twice on each cheek without hesitation. She then turned to Mel and Ron. "And you — you 'elped —"

"Yeah," said Ron, beaming at her, "yeah, a bit —"

Fleur kissed both of them just like she'd done with Harry. Mel felt a nice, pleasant tug at the base of her stomach, Hermione was fuming.

"Hey, what are you doing here anyway?" Mel asked Ron.

"Dumbledore picked me to be your replacement!" He smirked. "I'm a member of the committee."

"It's been a blast," Erick said with sarcasm. "Never had more fun in my life, Ron's a sight for sore eyes."

"Likewise, you prick," Ron retorted, but he was too happy about Fleur's kisses to actually care.

Ludo Bagman's voice boomed out with the results.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows... Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

"I deserved zero," said Fleur reproachfully.

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Mel pouted, then hissed when Hermione pinched her arm.

"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour. We, therefore, award him forty-seven points." The crowd went mad, clapping happily at Cedric success, Mel did too, quite happy for him. This seemed to worsen Harry's mood, but she failed to notice.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points... Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect, he returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr Potter was first to reach the hostages and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all hostages to safety, not merely his own."

Ron and Hermione both gave Harry frustrated expressions that didn't look completely surprised about this. Mel, on the other hand, looked at him beaming, if there was ever a moment when Mel felt extremely attracted to him, this was it.

"You stayed?" She asked. "To make sure they were safe?"

"Don't start," He grumbled, completely missing her admiration.

"Most of the judges," Bagman continued, "feel that this shows moral fibre and merits full marks. However... Mr Potter's score is forty-five points."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked back at his friends, who were all clapping excitedly.

"There you go, Harry!" Ron shouted. "You weren't being thick after all — you were showing moral fibre!"

Mel laughed openly, relief washing over her as she pulled Harry in for a kiss (on the cheek) to which he blushed madly. Everyone except Krum and Karkaroff celebrated.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

"It's done," Mel sighed.

"It's done," Harry nodded in a daze.

That night she couldn't bring herself to sleep, she tossed and turned in her bed and decided to go to the common room and read a bit, maybe that would calm her. As she walked into the room, she found Harry on his own.

"Hey," He looked up and smiled. "Can't sleep, my nerves haven't slowed down..."

"Yeah, me too," She slowly made her way to him and sat down, shoulder to shoulder.

Grey appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto Mel's lap. She chuckled quietly before scratching his ears. "So..." She started, "you must be very proud of your moral fibre..."

"Bugger off," He grinned. "I got lucky, that's all..."

"You did," She nodded. "Care to tell me what happened?"

Harry explained to her that Dobby woke him up in the library, handed him a bunch of jellyweed and told him the basics of the task.

"Hey, that reminds me!" She said. "You never showed me your socks! You know, the ones Dobby made for you..."

"I'll wear them tomorrow to honour him," He said happily, "How does that sound?"

"Lovely," Mel smiled.

They were once again silent, although it didn't mean they didn't want to speak. For the first time in a while, Harry dared to be forward.

"I got scared when Dobby told me you were taken," He was stroking Grey's back. "I know that makes me an idiot, but I really thought you were in danger..."

"I don't think you're an idiot," She said. "I think you're great."

"Everyone's right when they say I'm too young," He shook his head. "Bet the others didn't believe the song was real..."

"Fleur looked quite scared if you ask me."

He shook his head again. "I'm barely making it through, I won't win."

"You don't have to win, Glasses," She said softly. "You don't need to prove anything, as long as you're satisfied with your work."

"You're not mad that I lost?"

"Why?" She said in amusement. "Get mad because you waited for the others? That was such a selfless thing to do! It'd be really shitty to be mad at the person who saved my life... again."

Harry's smile shifted into a teasing smirk. "So you admit that I've saved your life multiple times?"

"Never said you hadn't..."

"You're grateful that I'm always there to help?"

"What do you want me to say?" She laughed.

He stared at her for a second too long, the playful glint vanished.

"I don't like Joseph," He blurted out, "I don't like Erick either, but not because of his house."

Harry leaned forward and Mel leaned back, not knowing what was going on.  

"I thought they liked you and that was annoying," He continued, "because I like you, and I have nothing."

Something in her dropped and expanded until every inch of her skin tingled with anticipation.

"That's not true," She said quietly, but Harry wasn't listening, he was ready to let every thought out.

"I'm not tall! Not tall at all! I wear glasses– Erick's hair is always nice, his cousin looks like he stepped out of your novels– And... and they speak French!"

"Harry–"

"–Fred and George are popular too, they make you laugh... I just get you in trouble and drive you mad–"

"Harry!"

"–You've almost died at least four times thanks to me, of course you wouldn't like me– not when all I do is get you hurt–"

"Glasses!"

Harry stopped and stared at her in distress.

"Are you done?"

"No. I could go for hours," He admitted.

"You don't have to."

"Why?"

"Because I fancy you too!" Mel exclaimed in exasperation.

"Okay!" He blinked, a small frown on his face. "Oh... sorry."

Mel let out an anxious laugh, Harry laughed too, then cupped her face and kissed her.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha​ @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere​ @t-rexs-world

[smylealong]

I have long debated whether or not I should write this, but @rain-hat​ convinced me that I should. So here I am, penning this diss meta about The King: The Enternal Monarch. Starting off with the disclaimer that I love this show. This is the show that introduced me to the wonderful Woo Do Hwan and for that I can never be thankful enough. But I have issues with the show, and I will enumerate them here. Brace yourselves for a tirade.It’s long, so putting a “keep reading”.

 1)    Manpasikjeok: Let’s start with the basis of the series. The Manpasikjeok. The series never delves into what the Manpasikjeok is. It’s a flute, yes. But it doesn’t delve into the background of this all-powerful plot device. I understand that the Manpasikjeok is a part of the Korean folklore and thus, probably the makers did not feel the need to delve deeper. But for non-Korean viewers like me, it was very confusing. So, before I speak about the details of what exactly bothered me about the flute, I will present the story itself.

After the death of his father King Munnu, King Sinmun of the Silla Dynasty heard the rumors of an island floating toward the temple that he had built in the honor of his father. A fortuneteller told Sinmun that the late King had become a sea dragon and his loyal General, Kim Yu-shin, had become a heavenly god. The fortuneteller also said that if he were to visit the island, he would get an incredible gift. When Sinmun went in search of this floating island, it looked like it had a turtle’s head and a bamboo tree on its back. In the mornings, the bamboo looked to be split into two while at night, it would join. After braving through seven days of storm, the King reached the island. There the sea dragon told him to make a flute out of the bamboo tree. This flute was said to provide magical properties. When the flute was played, enemy forces would retreat, and diseases were cured. Also, the magic flute would bring rainfall if there was a drought and stop the rains in floods. Ever since then, the bamboo flute was called ‘Manpasikjeok,’ meaning a flute that calms down ten thousand waves and it became a national treasure. This is the folktale.

 If I am to nitpick, time travel and parallel universes are not mentioned in the folktale. But that is something I am willing to let slide, because you need something to make the story work and the makers chose a mythical object from the folklore. People do it all the time, so I am not going to penalize the makers for it. What I am going to diss them for is the way they spoke about the spirit of the flute. Was it a demon? A spirit? A god? What? Why did it not allow Lee Lim to age? If time passes differently for the owner of the flute as Lee Lim claims, why did Gon’s time seem normal for the most part? The only difference in time seemed to be when the portal was opened and time stopped. So, before Gon opened the portal, time did not stop for Lee Lim. Why then did he not age?

2)      Post series events (part I): Which brings me to the second problem I have with the series. Post-series events. I understand Ta Eul retaining her memories of the alternate timeline because, she was in the portal and thus, remained untouched by the effects of the changed timeline. Fair. I get Gon retaining memories, because he was the owner of the flute. Granted. Why did Jo Yeong retain the memories when everyone else forgot about it? The only explanation I have is that it was because he was in the past timeline when the timeline changed? But the show never bothers to give an explanation for it. Also, if the events in altered timeline happened almost exactly as they did in the original timeline, then Yeong came to Republic of Korea. If Yeong came to Republic of Korea, then he met Jo Eun Sup. As did Gon. Why then did Eun Sup not recognize Gon at the end? Why does Yeong say that Eun Sup will not remember him? Is it because Yeong retained memories from the altered timeline and hence believed Gon when he said that he was going to the other world? Then, it stands to reason that Yeong did not go to Republic of Korea. Then things changed! They did not go exactly the way it happened in the series. Ah! My head hurts.

 3)      Corea and Korea: They are parallel worlds. I get it. But at times, they were nigh indistinguishable. This is @rain-hat​’s input and I agree with it completely. Why are the people in Corea dressed like Westerners and why are we not seeing more Hanboks? Why are court ladies the only ones dressed in traditional garb? Also, what is the official religion of Corea?

 4)      The characters: This is going to be a long one, so brace yourselves. I have issues with the characters. I’m going for bullet points, because I have LOT TO SAY.

 ·       Kang Shin-jae: Other than messing with him in all possible ways, what was the purpose of this character. As my editor once said, you must ask yourself what purpose does a character serve to the overall story? The litmus test of it being, if the said character is removed from the equation, does it impact the overarching plot of the story in any significant way? And much as I love this character, I’m sorry to say, his removal would not have impacted the story in any way. Yes, I’m aware that even Meyong Seung-ah does not pass this litmus test, but she does not occupy nearly as much screen time as Shin-jae. I wish they had utilized the character more than just use him as a material to evoke emotions.

·       Koo Seo Ryeong: She is portrayed as a villain/b*tch. Why? Because she has political ambitions and is a woman who is not above playing the ruthless game that the men around her seem to be playing? She is a woman who has clawed her way to the top in a man’s world. Can we please stop demonizing women like this?

·       Jo Yeong: Yes. Surprise, I know. He is the reason I (and many others) kept watching the show. The man who stole the show, the one who carried the show. A startlingly pretty face backed by a phenomenal performance, Jo Yeong is a treat. BUT, for a character as spectacular as Yeong, he was not utilized enough. I wish the show had actually given him something to do when he was in Korea. They wasted a talent like Woo Do Hwan.

·       Jeong Ta-eul: I loved Ta-eul when she first came on screen. Badass, no nonsense, tough as nails cop in her thirties as out leading lady? HELL YEAH! But then she meets Lee Gon and all the things that I loved about her seemed to evaporate. She became a cry baby and I just could not handle that. K-dramas, can you please stop turning the badass female leads into a prop for the leading man’s “bravery and heroism”. (Fervently hoping Nine Tails doesn’t do that, because I love Jo Bo ah’s character there).

·       Lee Gon: Oh, I hate this character with a passion. TKEM gave me SLS like no other drama before or since. I sincerely want to ask Lee Min Ho; just how many versions of Gu Jun Pyo are we going to see from him? Rich, powerful, privileged man who does whatever he wants? I’m getting really tired of it. I like Lee Min Ho, but really, you need to branch out, dude.

5)      Post series events (part II): Speaking of Lee Gon, my man, you posses the all powerful tool to travel through parallel universes and time, and you use it to go on dates? WHAT THE F***? AAAHHGHHKSJJGFHVJHMDSYFHJVHKJNSKLJHG. Lee Lim was right. You’re WASTING it. Ugh. Personally, I felt as though the entire romance plot could have been done away with.

6)      JoGon: The series teased heavily about this relationship and the fandom lapped it up. Beautiful fanart and fanfics emerged. But, I have issues and no, it’s not because they’re a same sex couple. My issue comes from the power dynamics of the couple. It is skewed beyond belief. The dynamic works perfectly when it is a king-bodyguard relationship. But the second it becomes a romance, there’s problem. All the power in the relationship is with Gon and Yeong has almost no agency in the relationship. And I love Jo Yeong too much to subject him to a relationship like that.

7)      Product Placement: Yes, it was tough, but there was a series somewhere between all those product placements.

In closing, this series had the potential to be so much more. Yet, it failed. Spectacularly. I liked and enjoyed this series, but I have so many issues. SO MANY. Do you have any issues you would like to add? Please feel free.

[claudiasjeancregg]

I hope this helps with the stress at least just a little bit <3 and I do understand wanting to write but not being able to, so if you want, write as much as you want with (specially 12!). So. Here we go! 14, 13, 12, 10, 1!

hey ariel thank you so much this literally made my entire day, i wrote a fucking essay so here goes.

1. favorite episode

EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN, institutional memory, the supremes, drought conditions, holy night, the inauguration episodes, the midterms, noël... all of them. just. ALL OF THEM

10. something you wish had happened

oh my god SO MANY THINGS!!! cj/toby kissing in the 7.21 scene would have saved my entire soul, or really just a kiss at any point. i just wanted them to ADDRESS THE CHEMISTRY IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?? just confirmation that they dated at one point, or hooked up occasionally... god. ANYTHING! more canon specific, i really wanted a scene of donna in therapy or talking to josh about the ptsd / trauma she undoubtedly faced after gaza. when they F I N A L L Y got together, i wish they had more of a conversation about why she quit! because she HAD GOOD REASON to do it, and i wish had talked about how he had treated her after gaza. also, seeing how cj and toby had dealt with rosslyn, and more conversations about cj getting the COS role over josh and how he forgave her for that. just. MORE FOUND FAMILY CONTENT GODDAMNIT i could watch entire episodes of the senior staff + donna just hanging out, i love them to death. LAST ONE I PROMISE- CJ HAVING FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS. or friendships, period. god, i would have died for some amy + cj content swapping stories and making sarcastic jokes, cj helping amy to adapt to the white house after being in a different environment her whole career. CJ AND ANDY! i mean i ship the ot3 and cjandy to death, but even as friends! donna and cj!! the assistants all being friends! just. let these tired women have friends, that’s all i want.

12. headcanon(s)

yeah, i’ve... basically covered these BUT i always have more!!

first off- BISEXUAL CJ. bi cj!!!! it’s canon in my heart. this next one is less of a headcanon and more of a dream, but the ot3! cj/toby/andy is my favorite thing in the world and i love the three of them.

i think cj and josh were a lot closer than we see, and i have many feelings about them sort of being siblings.

also, hc that cj and toby ended up together after the show BECAUSE I NEED IT.

um, donna went to therapy! i feel like the show largely ignored the fact that she was the only one in the car who survived!! and so did josh, especially after he realized a part of the way he treated her after gaza was bc of his guilt about sending her there in the first place, and then donna almost dying.

okay let’s see... 50% of my brain is thinking of tww headcanons at any given moment so-

huck and molly grow up with auntie cj, who wishes she could be more of a parent but is so, so, so thankful for what she gets. i didn't really think cj wanted to get pregnant and have kids, especially with danny, but the show really threw that in there at the last moment lol. the reason for this is NOT “she’s too focused on her career,” trust me. i actually think cj’s mom died from breast cancer when she was pretty young, about 13. it’s heartbreaking, and miserable, and cj doesn’t smile for a month after. her dad was at a complete loss as to how to help her, since he was still dealing with it too. so for about half a year they co-existed in the same house, barely speaking. cj’s passion for politics and journalism eventually led her to come out of her shell more, about a year later, but she didn’t come back to the joyful person she used to be until college. she’s deathly afraid of passing the cancer gene onto her kids, which is why in my brain, the ot3 always had plans for kids but andy was going to get pregnant. (i talk about cj’s thoughts on actual canon andy’s pregnancy so much in my fic, so i should probably shut up now.) also i really think cj works herself to the bone after becoming COS, especially after toby leaves. he was the only thing keeping her from self-destructing, making her sleep and eat and remember to function. i can’t get over allison janney’s acting, the way you FEEL cj’s exhaustion. she has... no self- preservational instincts when it comes to doing her job as well as she can, and that really hurts her mental health, and like. SANITY. charlie and margaret know this and this duo practically running the white house might be my favorite thing about season 7.  also HOW DID THIS TURN INTO ONLY CJ HEADCANONS i have so many other ones!)

QUEER ELLIE BARTLET how could i forget? my random desire for ellie/mallory has no canon basis but i’m obsessed with them. tbh, i’m obsessed with all f/f west wing ships.

josh definitely has anxiety, that’s kind of canon. donna helps him manage it but after she leaves, his panic attacks become a lot more frequent and he forgets to take care of himself. also, i think cj has anxiety too.

WAIT WAIT WAIT IS THIS A PLACE FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT DONNA AND TOBY?!! aleena has a soapbox and she can’t stop, i’m sorry. okay so donna and toby are my favorite unlikely tww friendship, and i’m going to limit this to a few sentences but i will talk about this whenever anyone gives me an opportunity to. BASICALLY donna is the only person who doesn’t take any of toby’s bullshit, (who isn’t in love with him) and he underestimates her at first, yeah, but he is one of the first people to realize donna’s potential. and they have some very good, very small moments where he really sees her strength and she sees that he’s more than the stubborn grump he pretends to be.

i have so many headcanons about josh and toby, and cj and toby, and josh and donna, and cj and donna, and TOBY AND DONNA. josh teasing toby about cj. toby making fun of donna for being in love with josh because he says she’s too good for him but he loves josh like a brother despite what he says. HE SHOWS HER BABY PICTURES AND SHE GUSHES OVER THEM i don't make the rules!!!! anyways that’s NOT all of my headcanons, i just don't want to make you guys read any more lmao. thank you so much for indulging me, i would be thrilled to talk about more of these or to hear more of your headcanons! (this goes for anyone btw) THAT WAS SO LONG AHH.

13. character you wish you could be / aspire to be

cj cregg

14. on-screen crush

yeah, i’m a simple bisexual. cj cregg.

THAT WAS INSANELY LONG BUT SO FUN FOR ME, THANK YOU!!!

[thewanderers-world]

Nicaragua vs. South Korea: Which is Better?

By: Lilyan Sanchez Silva

Many just want to explore, some may feel the need to escape their reality. Here, I’ll be breaking down two touristic countries. Comparing and contrasting, while also going in depth with their economic systems. At the end, you will choose which you’d make an escape to and which will remain unchecked on your travel list.

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

NICARAGUA

This Central American country, neighboring Honduras and Costa Rica, holds a number of titles, and you can add the largest lake in Central America to the list. With a view to both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea on opposite ends of the country, it’s no wonder Nicaragua means “here united with the water”. Imagine a nice walk down the beach, doesn’t it sound amazing?!

----------------------------The Culture----------------------------

The merging of different cultures within Nicaragua has caused the dawn of a creative, lively and blissful culture. Rhythmic marimbas and folkloric dances give vibrancy to fiestas across the country and the beautiful works of skilled artists spread an understanding of their history and nature.

The culture of Nicaragua reflects the mixed Ibero-European and Indian ancestry of the majority of its people. Diversity, I love it!

---------------------------The Weather---------------------------

Nicaragua has a tropical climate, hot all year round.

Temperatures are quite stable; however, there is a relatively cool winter from November to January, a hot spring from March to May, and a sultry and rainy summer from May to October. On the west coast, it's hot all year round, but there are the sea breezes. However, you may notice a certain temperature increase in the spring. On the Caribbean coast, there is no real dry month; owing to both the rains and the trade winds, the temperatures are a bit lower than on the west coast, but relative humidity is consistently high.

What’s a little rain to this magnificent view?

----------------------The Economic System-------------------

Nicaragua's economy is very active and has experienced great changes during the past decade or so. Its economy was truly a phoenix emerging from the ashes. The cause behind Nicaragua’s past economic problems stemmed from the earthquake of 1972 as well as the rule of the Sandinista regime. Nicaragua’s economic situation improved dramatically with the 1990 election of Violeta Chamorro and the establishment of a democracy. Nicaragua has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.

Despite the expansive growth in Nicaragua’s economy that took place after the new form of government came in, Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in the region and faces issues such as unemployment, low per capita income and great foreign debt. Nicaragua’s economy is working towards improvement in the future, focusing on potential growth in the agricultural sector, energy generation, tourism, export manufacturing, mining and construction, as well as the sale of consumer goods.

With all this budding potential, Nicaragua is the perfect place to invest in, especially in the tourism aspect.

---------------Where to go & What to do---------------

Fun activities to do in Nicaragua include, but are not limited to: Eco-tourism; adventure and sports activities, including surfing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, diving, volcano sand-boarding; historical and agricultural sites; cultural activities; agritourism; volunteerism; nightlife. Just enjoying the sun and all the different smells wile walking down the market would be wonderful. Nicaragua has lots to offer.

Towns like San Juan Del Sur on the Pacific Ocean's Emerald Coast near Costa Rica are top places to visit, famous for their colorful architecture and surf scene. Many things to do really lie in the smaller cities, like Leon and Granada, which are known for their colorful architecture and churches, and natural attractions such as Lake Nicaragua. It is the largest freshwater lake in Central America and home to hundreds upon hundreds of islands, including some with amazing ecolodges. Here are the Top 5 places to visit while exploring Nicaragua!

1. Islets of Granada

2. Corn Island

3. Masaya Volcano

4. El Cerro Negro

5. Mombacho Volcano Natural Preserve

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SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is a country in Eastern Asia occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It borders the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and North Korea. In the year 1934, Korea was given the title "Chaohsien" which meant morning freshness. The title was well suited to South Korea because of its natural beauty of stunning mountains, clear waters and splendid peacefulness – particularly in the morning. Because of this, Korea was also called "Land of Morning Calm."

In a country filled with city lights and multitudes of people, a little calmness in the morning is just what you need to start the day out right!

------------------------The Culture-------------------------------

Korea is all about education, constantly ranked world-best in terms of education system and the knowledge of students as studies such as the PISA and the World Top 20 Poll suggests. They’re also quite unique when it comes to asking their age. In Korea, everyone is already one year old at birth. And not only that: on New Year’s, everyone simultaneously turns a year older! That means, in turn, that in Korean age, you could already be two years older than you are in an international age. In Korea, people love to have a good time and they also love entertainment. But they are not crossing the line—pun intended. Even in bustling Seoul, you will rarely see non-tourists jaywalking or misbehaving. It’s part of the identity and the culture to not cause too much trouble or problems for others.

The Korean entertainment industry is also becoming one of the biggest in the world. K-pop, k-movies, k-drama, k-beauty… the K’s all around! The catchy beats, colorful soap operas and gripping dramas are invading countries around the world with a massive force, and they are here to stay. No genre of media is excluded: Film, literature, graphic novels, language, food, fashion…you name it. But arguably the genre with the biggest global impact is the new wave of Korean pop music, commonly referred to as K-pop, with its addicting melodies and innovative choreographies. You know BTS?

----------------------------The Weather---------------------

South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Winter, from late November to mid-March, is freezing in the north and in the interior, while it’s milder, but still with night frosts, along the southern coast. Spring, from mid-March to May, is initially cool, and gradually becomes milder, but the rains become more frequent because of the formation of low pressure systems. Summer, from June to August, is hot, humid, and rainy. Autumn, from September to late November, is a pleasant season, especially in the month of October, when it’s not too cold or too hot. 

Serious droughts occur about once every eight years. About two-thirds of the annual precipitation occurs between June and September. South Korea is less vulnerable to typhoons than neighboring countries. Typhoons usually pass over South Korea in late summer, especially in August and bring torrential rains.  

The weather may be crazy, but the sights are worth it, rain or shine!

-------------------The Economic System------------------

South Korea’s economy continues to maintain its ranking among the mostly free countries. It has a mixed economic system in which the economy includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. South Korea has achieved rapid growth in a short period. The country has displayed global competitiveness in various fields such as mobile phones, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and steel making. In recent years, its cultural content, including music, gaming, and webtoons, is emerging as an essential industry in itself, taking the lead in the Korean economy.

South Korea's rigorous education system and the establishment of a highly motivated and educated populace is largely responsible for spurring the country's high technology boom and rapid economic development.

-------------------Where to go & What to do---------------

Travelers will want to indulge in all that South Korea has to offer like: Enjoy delicious Korean food, Explore Seoul on foot, Witness the grandeur of Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung Palaces, Learn about traditional Hanok architecture, Be a street artist, Check out free museums, Glide down the ski slopes from the 2018 Winter Olympics, Visit the temples,  Take a trip to Busan, Experience a botanical garden island, and visiting Jeju-Si Island. The different architecture between residential places and the city alone is astonishing!

South Korea offers everything a traveler could want in a destination. It has a long and fascinating history, a wonderful culture, amazing food, friendly people, and an excellent tourism infrastructure. Here are the Top 5 places you must absolutely think back on when planning your trip:

1. Changdeokgung Palace

2.  Gamecheon   

3. Jeonju

4. Seoul Tower 

5. Bukchon Hanok Village

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

 So Which One?      

This may be a very biased answer, but being from Nicaragua, I’d say take an off-grid vacation. Although known for its tourism, you don’t loose the quiet peaceful atmosphere. Its rural landscape extends even to the most populated cities, adorning the country in a cloud of green and crystal blue waters everywhere you look. The gates are open, which life-thrilling destination will you choose?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

[dreadnought-dear-captain]

You Asked, I Told

(Note, if this post shows up twice or massively delayed or just looks weird, it’s because it was flagged for adult content [??!] because I had a picture of Willem Dafoe’s face in a gif. I am not even kidding. Do with that information what you will. I’ve removed it and I still don’t know if/when this can be publicly viewed, I’m kind of lolling. So if you see a blocked out photo that looks like porn in your post, I swear it’s just a gif from The Lighthouse!)

Hello, amazing people. This weekend, I’m putting the final touches on my last draft of Baghdad Waltz Chapter 39, which will then go to the beta for one more round of edits. I imagine I will have the chapter posted in 1-3 weeks, which is close to record speed for me, especially since it’s around 30k words. I’m going to be talking about my writing process (at unfortunate length) for one of the asks, for those who are interested. 

Please forgive me. I’m feeling quite verbose and a little squirrely. I blame living alone during lockdown. 

It’s also Memorial Day weekend in the States, which is when we are meant to honor those who gave their lives in military service to this country. This is often confused with Veterans Day (November 11), which is honoring anyone who has served in the military and is no longer serving. This gets further confused with Armed Forces Day (rotating date, May) which is to honor those currently serving in the military. I know, super confusing. 

There’s a wide range of opinions on how Memorial Day should be commemorated, which often involves gathering with friends and family for a barbecue or some other social activity. It’s the first major holiday after a huge holiday drought throughout the late winter and spring, which often makes people look forward to it immensely. Some people feel it’s inappropriate to celebrate Memorial Day with barbecues and fond social gatherings because it’s dishonoring the memories of those who can’t be here, people don’t take time to remember those who have died, people have no idea what the day is actually for, etc. Others, even some very vocal veterans, maintain that people died so that we could be here to celebrate in freedom, so why not relish this life we have? Many offer the caveat that it’s appropriate to at least acknowledge the purpose of the day, even if it’s just in a few minutes of quiet reflection. 

Anyway, I offer this as a little food for thought for this upcoming long weekend. 

(And in case you missed it, I posted a BW Timeline for your reference.) 

Contains spoilers through Chapter 38.

[Takes deep breath]

I’m so glad that you are enjoying the read and that you’re finding it inspiring for your own work. I think my dedication to research for BW is threefold. 1) As this story evolved, I decided that I wanted to create the most realistic depictions of military, civilian, emotional, and physical life that I reasonably could. I will fully admit to lapses in this, deliberate and unintentional, because sometimes the plot just needs to go and I can’t wait around for a year-long medical discharge process for my character. 2) I’m in an academically stringent occupation, and because research is such a prominent part of my work life, it’s bled to my hobby. (IS THIS EVEN A HOBBY ANYMORE?) And 3) I get very easily and passionately obsessed with things and delight in getting “into the weeds” with a subject. Almost every research divergence usually takes me off track for at least an hour. And you will never catch me without an MTA subway map open in at least one tab.

But that wasn’t even your question! Sorry. Are you beginning to get a sense of why BW takes me so long to write?? I cannot keep my shit on track. As for the bibliography, YES! I plan to include that in my author’s note at the end. I wish I had kept better track of all of my works consulted over the past three years, but I will definitely discuss the importance of some of the main ones. I’m so thrilled that you are interested, and I’m excited to share them!

Thank you. This is such a kind thing to say, and I’m humbled and delighted to hear it, especially because our fandom is so blessed with some AMAZING fics. And asks certainly don’t have to be questions! I appreciate them all (except the flaming bag of dog shit ones, which I haven’t had in a while, hooray).

(Re: Chapter 37) Good question! I imagine Claire would want to keep the 1:1 conversation somewhat limited, as she is treating the couple as a patient rather than them as individuals. If anything, she might have somewhat superficially checked in to see if he was okay rather than dive into anything regarding the relationship with Bucky not around. That could be seen as a betrayal of trust to Bucky and could be interpreted as favoritism, which Steve craves and which Bucky is probably terrified about.

I am always pleased when people re-read and enjoy it or get new things out of it, even if it’s sometimes a re-read is a function of my slow-ass writing. I really want a story with good re-read value.

You make an excellent point about Bucky’s relationships. His friendship with Jack also had no real closure. Sometimes this is a factor of circumstance and sometimes it’s because of his avoidance, like a self-fulfilling prophesy almost. He’s learned that people betray you, either by hurting you or dying, so he creates conditions sometimes (often unwittingly) for things to go sour and end poorly, or he will simply make himself disappear so that he’s not hurt and doesn’t have to wait to see if he will be abandoned or betrayed. He’s not a guy who is good with goodbyes.

As for Thor, I totally see how it would read that way. I think Thor started out fishing for longer-term possibilities in a romantic relationship but then realized Bucky is really not a guy who is comfortable settling (which, as we can see, is true). As for why it seems more serious, one thing is that Thor still wanted Bucky in his life as a friend, possibly one with benefits. They have a lot in common, and it’s hard for veterans - and, more specifically, special operators - to find people in their lives they can relate to with these very intense life experiences. I wanted this to be a real relationship, but maybe not necessarily one that was bound to become a RELATIONSHIP. I think Bucky was very intriguing and attractive to him, and he very well may have struggled with his own vacillation between whether to take it seriously or whether to remain friends+. This can lead to mixed messages.

And we also have to remember Bucky’s notoriously unreliable narration, where he will see what he wants to see. Our perspective comes from him. We see the details he zooms in on, miss the one he ignores, view the relationship through the lens of his own contentious desire for a real relationship, even as he consistently demonstrates the lack of capacity and his fear about getting serious. I imagine Bucky has having an extremely poor ability to distinguish friendship from romance, and why wouldn’t he, given the most recent bit of history we have learned about him with Jack? He’s had a series of friendships become sexualized, and I think this affects his capacity to be discerning. Bucky’s radar for relating, whether friendships, romance, or potentially dangerous sexual situations, is terribly mis-calibrated. How confusing for him and for the people in his life. Of course, everyone is free to interpret the dynamics of any relationship however they choose. These are just some of my thoughts.

I really appreciate observations from the re-read! Thank you!

I watched the video and you are right! This is definitely a Bucky song. Bucky’s sense of self is by turns profoundly distorted and lacking in grounding, especially now that he’s not in the military. He’s been in a low key existential crisis since he was a kid and has turned to drinking and sex and war to fill this horrible void, and although I can’t speak for what the artists here intended, I certainly sensed those elements here for sure. (Also, what an interesting choice for a music video…)

Thank you for sharing! I’ll add it to the unofficial BW playlist in the author’s note, which consists of various songs people have associated with BW and shared with me.

Good question! I started off this story picturing the actors who represent the characters in the MCU, because I figured we’d be picturing that when we read the fic anyway (though my beta told me she doesn’t see them as the actors, more like artists’ renderings of the characters, which I find interesting). So when describing their physicality, I tend to refer back to the MCU, since this is technically an MCU AU. But the longer I go with the story, the murkier the resemblance feels to me, especially when I think about Bucky, IDK why. I have also been considering doing something more with BW after I finish it (i.e., converting it into a proper not-bajillion-word novel, sunk cost and whatnot), in which case I would definitely change the characters’ appearance, names, cut MCU Easter eggs, etc. So when I try to think of who these people might be in future iterations of the story, things get even more blurred in my mind when I imagine them.

I wonder how other people see them??

So, with regards to PTSD clinical teams, there is some variation across VAs in the system. Some focus more on military-related trauma, whether it’s war, military sexual trauma, accidents, etc. as a way of concentrating their services and managing supply and demand. From talking with providers in these kinds of systems, sometimes you just NEED a military-related trauma, but you can be treated for, say, a childhood trauma if it’s more pressing. Other VAs are very open in their criteria, and you can see them for pretty much any kind of trauma that qualifies diagnostically for PTSD (or sub-threshold PTSD) without question. That’s why I love the expression “If you’ve been to one VA, you’ve been to one VA.” That said, it kind of doesn’t matter what kind of PTSD clinical team is at the VA in Manhattan, because Bucky has so much military trauma that he would very likely qualify to receive services in any PTSD clinical team. They just might focus on childhood stuff (if Bucky actually let them, which is another matter entirely).

This is a great question! Thanks for asking.

I love a snarky asshole Bucky so much, and I’ve tried to temper this version of him with enough hard-earned genuineness to offset it a little bit. It’s such a tender balance with him, because if you back him too far into a corner, he’s going to let you have it. But if you give him too much space, it’s hard to pin him down and wring something honest from him. He’s definitely learned to use humor and sarcasm to deflect from painful or uncomfortable situations, and it’s a very adaptive short-term strategy that makes him both endearing and infuriating to others.

But ugh, yeah, shit gets so rough around Chapter 28/29. I don’t know how to feel when people have really strong emotional reactions to this story, because one part of me doesn’t want to contribute to the crappy feelings people may already be struggling with — especially in the times of COVID — but I don’t want to be afraid to dive into the hurt these characters are experiencing. That’s why I recommend checking in with oneself before reading to get a sense of how much emotional bandwidth is available to manage the immense problems of two people struggling so much. I also think that for some people it can be cathartic or otherwise not-bad maybe (?), based on the feedback I’ve received. I also really try hard to balance out the painful stuff with growth, even though it can be terribly difficult to locate sometimes.

In comments to folks, and here, I often talk about adjusting the ticks on your measuring stick for progress, where instead of leaps of progress over feet/meters, we may be observing things on an inch/mm scale. This story is my most sincere effort at a “recovery is not linear” narrative, which I think is so much more reflective of real life for a lot of folks than a straight upward trajectory. Humans are such creatures of habit, and the lessons these characters have learned through their lives about themselves, trust, relationships, and how to manage emotions are very deeply ingrained — often through traumatic means. These are the lessons learned the hardest, with the greatest perceived consequences for change, and it takes real courage for us to be able to try new things even once, let alone to establish a reliable pattern of behavior. This can lead to a lot of frustration for us as readers/writer, and I come from a place of this being okay, because we are encountering a parallel process with the characters, who are frustrated with each other and themselves about the same things. I do hope the pain/progress/joy ratios are not horribly out of whack most of the time. That’s another reason I like long chapters, because if this was just blips of sometimes terrible episodes in shorter form, I think it would be very challenging to not lose hope entirely.

But I’m so glad you’re finding the read meaningful, even if it’s sometimes painful and difficult.

(YES.)

And FINALLY -- (this is all soooo long, I’m so sorry.)

Oh, thank you for this question! My spreadsheet ended up getting too difficult to manage, and I actually had a small crisis six months ago about how the fic was going to end, because it just didn’t feel right. I had to scrap it and go back to the drawing board and really ask myself - what would these characters really do? Naturally, as a factor of their psychologies and circumstances, how will they bring this story to an end? Some advice I once heard about a “satisfying” ending is that it’s the place where there’s simply nothing more to say about the characters. There’s no more story to tell. I had to abandon all of my desires  and ideas for a particular ending or concerns about making people sad or happy or excited or disappointed. I know that the only ending that will be satisfying is one that makes sense for these people. Anything contrived or backward-engineer-y wouldn’t feel right to anyone. I do have a couple of specific character arc things I want to happen, so I set those down as touchstones and said, okay, what would happen next? What would Steve do with this? And what would Bucky do with this? And what would they do with the thing the other person did? I take a very psychology and prior-behavior-based approach to plotting, almost all character driven. The rest is just figuring out what is supposed to go where and how to organize it.

I’ve converted everything to a Google Doc and have a very basic outline where I write plotty-plot stuff. I also have a “garbage dump” doc where I write certain lines I want to use or certain details I want to include somewhere. When I get into a new chapter, I’ll check the dump doc as I outline and write to see if I want to pluck anything from there. I have my outline open regularly to add to it. Sometimes I write scenes out of order, dialogue first, but that’s only if I really am excited about a particular scene and cannot contain myself. Otherwise, I write completely chronologically and have no buffer. I post things as soon as I write them.

As for your specific questions, I do have a “process” for getting into my characters’ heads. It helps to know them so very well and to have a firm sense of their idiosyncrasies and patterns of behavior. As you may have noticed, they repeat their patterns all. the. time, as humans do, but I also want to have them change their behaviors a little as things go and they progress. So I may wonder what they could do a little differently, why they would WANT to behave differently, and imagine what they would need to do to change their behavior. Do they need to take breaths? Do they remember the last time some shit went down? I really try to think of the “how” and “why” of every single action - from big blowouts to eye rolls.

So once I’ve figured out what they are going to do, I try to pinpoint the associated emotions I want to highlight. This is a whole separate process, because I have to think also about their internal versus their external emotional states. Steve, for example, will often have a discrepant inside and outside, because one of the truths about his character is that he is a chronic suppressor. There is also the issue of unreliable narration and interpretation of behavior. Steve might do something in a scene, but that doesn’t mean Bucky is going to interpret it the way it was intended. I have to think about their individual filters, which often reflect their internal beliefs about themselves. Bucky is more likely to read Steve’s actions as reflections of how BUCKY feels about HIMSELF (e.g., he’s disgusted by me because I’m disgusting) rather than imagine what Steve is really thinking based on his own experiences and beliefs about Bucky. I also attempt to convey some of the more second and third layer emotions that people have in situations, rather than only highlighting the primary emotion. Sad things don’t always just make people sad. Powerful emotions, for example, might make Steve feel out of control of himself, which could generate secondary emotions for him like frustration because he’s losing control. Part of the process in the construction of the narrative is also scrubbing what I’ve written for POV, because Bucky’s word choices aren’t the same as Steve’s, and in order to try to preserve the “voice” of each character, I often have to change the words I’ve opted to use, as well as the syntax.

So, as you can see, there’s a lot of layering that is happening all the time. As for the dialogue, I have no compunction about saying the lines aloud, “acting” them to see how they sound, to get a sense of what tone I want them to say things in. Now that I think of it, I do a bit of movement-based stuff, thinking about how people sit and stand, figuring how many steps it takes to get from A-Z, what it would look like to lean against something, how it would feel on the body, etc. I try to get the most felt sense of things as I can. If I’m imagining a scene, I try to put myself in the shoes of the characters to the point where I feel the emotions, just so I can know how it reflects in my body and my mind and behavior. I have more than once gotten drunk and drunk-written drunk Bucky then gone to clean it up later, as drunk writing can generate some great content I never would have been able to come up with sober, but the form, grammar, spelling, etc. is often rubbish. I also talk a LOT to my beta about all of this stuff, and I have certain friends and acquaintances in the fandom who are my consultants for various things.

So, I’m somewhat method I guess?? Is that a thing?? I dunno. It’s not hard to do when you live and breathe a story. It’s required a deep level of interest in - quite possibly an obsession with - the characters and their lives. I adore my characters, not in a self-congratulatory way, but because they feel so real to me. So it’s a joy to plan and write -- though I do hate first drafts with a passion.

OH - I also sometimes fast-draft chapters, which I did for 39. That is, write as FAST AS YOU CAN with no regard for how shitty the writing is. I wrote 10k words in a week, which was a finished fast-draft for me, and thus I had a very good felt sense of what was going to happen in the chapter, which felt amazing. It requires intensive outlining before, and nearly every word had to be rewritten, but one of the greatest frustrations of a story for me is having blank space ahead. Re-writing is way more fun than first draft writing. I have fluffed it up twofold with higher quality content, which I did all in less than two months…!! 

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

Well, this is surely my most unnecessarily yammering YAIT in history. But I hope it at least conveys my enthusiasm for these wonderful asks! It’s so lovely to hear from all of you, even if I take an eon to get back to you. Hang in there, everyone!

@grimshady @hutchhitched​ @b0n3l3ssm1lk​ 

(And thank you to @bae-buckyaboveeverything​ for the shout out. You made my day<3)

[doux-amer]

I spent half or more than half of our three-decade drought supporting Liverpool, and at some point, the title became something of a distant dream. An “I hope we win it.....someday” dream where that “someday” is in the far future, not something you really expect. And then it became a very real possibility in 2013/14, and it was like my nerves were on fire that season because it was so unexpected. This team? THIS CLUB? This club that was mired in mediocrity, ineptitude, bad decisions, horrible ownership and the threat of potentially being relegated and seized by the bank all in one season, transfer drama, intense heartbreak, disillusionment, inconsistency, extremely bad luck, and constant disappointment? This club that I loved even when Liverpool came synonymous with that, when I couldn’t help but laugh, sometimes with amusement and sometimes with bitterness and no amusement whatsoever, because we’d always find a way to bungle things up, many times dramatically so? When we joked, “When I die, I want the Liverpool players to lower my coffin into the grave, so they can let me down one last time”? I couldn’t stop loving this club, and it makes this all so much more worth it.But constant middling or depressingly awful disappointment I was used to and could handle. That 2013/14 was a different beast. Nothing is more painful than when you’re used to so little and you unexpectedly get a glimpse of hope, a tantalizing offer of the entire world on your plate and it seems so within your reach, and then it’s cruelly taken away. I don’t even remember if I saw that Chelsea game in real time or if I ever saw it in full at all. Seeing Stevie slip up like that was such a brutal, devastating blow that I don’t remember because I don’t want to remember. The horror of seeing him go down...the way you know it killed Stevie, haunted him like nothing else did, and the way it sent him to such a dark place where he obsessed over and struggled because of it.After that moment, it was like I decided that was too painful to ever handle again until the 2018 Champions League final, but I had a sinking feeling we’d lose and we did (2017/18, strangely, was the year that I didn't feel nervous, but that's because we were finally coming into our own, doing interesting and exhilarating things, and I knew we weren't ready yet. It was just the turning point, so that pressure wasn't there and I could enjoy it fully without expectation of a title, just expectation of growth). But 2018/19? I let myself hope, but I couldn’t hope with abandon. We’d jinx it. Every time we believed in ourselves, we’d mess things up. It felt like a curse. I felt like every time I watched us play, we’d lose—that or I’d miss the goals when I glanced away from the screen, so there was no winning either way. My friends and I constantly talked about that fear of hoping. This year was different in so many ways. For one thing, I didn't and no longer have time to watch matches as often as I'd like (ADULTHOOD SUCKS!). I hated it because it felt like I didn't know what was going on with the club to the level I should have, and I hated it because I felt like I was missing out on our journey, on every one of the boys' triumphs and failures. And it was different because we were consistent. We built upon 2017/18 and 2018/19. We were stable, and we were good even if we weren't as flashy and fun as 2017/18. So good that we expected more from this team. So good that this was the season we all dared to dream without walking back on what we said or saying things with reservation. This was the season where we said, "We're going to win." Not "I hope we win." It was belief so unshakeable and deep that we almost felt calm about it until the light started growing at the end of the tunnel. I haven't had time to take a breath and reflect on the past decade and a half, and particularly the past decade when I got seriously and intensely immersed in the Liverpool world, to really steep myself in my memories and put myself in my younger self's shoes again. To feel what it felt like to be that age, to be going through what I did. But it's been such a long road, and at the same time, the past decade feels like it hasn't been long at all. It's a sign of getting older, but maybe it's also because I'm in the same spot I was then in so many ways (and not in equal measure). Back then, up until a decade ago, I was alone; I didn't know anyone who loved Liverpool. 

And now I do, and I didn't realize just how much I desperately want to celebrate with my people, to be in the streets wearing my jersey, seeing everyone yelling and standing on top of things and honking and cheering and singing and hugging and crying and waving flags and banners with both friends and total strangers they may never see again. Because the thing is, this love for Liverpool was something that belonged to me, but it started becoming more than that. It's something shared, and I need to share it. Anyway, one day, we'll party like Klopp promised. And one day we'll be there, with each other whether it's on the streets or in the pub/bar at home or, if we're lucky, in Liverpool. And I'll get to witness and experience what that feels like, to hope and believe with abandon and to celebrate with that same freedom.

So yes, long story short, the wait is over. Thirty years. THIRTY YEARS and it's over. AND I LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR!!!!! YNWA. (Btw, we all sang or lipsynced along to YNWA and cried while seeing all the players and Klopp sing so earnestly, believing in every single word, right? Because THAT. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT GOT US THROUGH THIS AND GOT US TO THIS POINT.) SO AGAIN, YNWA! LOVE YOU ALL!

[the-blind-assassin-12]

I Bet You Can

A/N: SOOOOOO. Sorry it’s taking a year and a day to get through these smooches. I’m working on multiple at once...but this one REALLY wanted my attention so here it is. This one is set in the Oblivion/Simplify story line, roughly around the first week of September- about three months in to #LakeLife. Counting down the lip locks. This is #12. 8 down, 11 to go! 

Warning: SMUTTY ZESTY COWBOYISH TIMES. 

Word Count: 2,025

Prompt from : @suchatinyinfinity who asked for Logan/ a bet/ in the kitchen. I see  your wager, Dani, and I raise you a smut. 

The rain lashed against the windows for the fourth consecutive day, steadily increasing just like the forecast predicted. Neither of you had much experience with long lasting rain storms like this one having lived most of your lives in drought ridden California, but the late summer deluge currently delivering water, wind and even hail was apparently something you’d have to get used to in your new home. You hadn’t been able to go for your usual hikes through the surrounding woods as even though the thick green canopy would likely keep you dry, the wind was bringing down branches and the potential for lightning was increasing by the minute. Logan had been kept from his daily laps in the lake, and because of that more than just the air was buzzing with electricity.

You’d tried to focus as much of your extra energy on preparing for the eventuality of losing power. You filled pitchers and containers with water, because losing electricity meant losing the well pump, found candles and matches, brought the firewood in from its spot on the porch, and located the lantern. Logan took care of the outdoor responsibilities, securing the outer shutters and gathering up all the outdoor furniture and tying it together. He moved it under the cover of the porch, threw a tarp over the bundled chairs and lounges and weighed it down with a few heavy rocks he’d carried up from the shore. By the time he got back inside he was soaked to the bone, and you pulled your bottom lip between your teeth to keep from smiling at the disgruntled look on his face. 

“Everything good out there, Logan?” you asked sweetly, stirring the pot of soup and the pent up energy you knew he was brimming with. 

He peeled his drenched shirt off, wringing it out over the sink, and you caught the muscles in his arms and shoulders flex as he twisted the material. Water dripped down his neck from his hair and you watched a few droplets travel the length of his back before soaking into the dark denim of his jeans. Goddamn. You had to force yourself to focus on what you were doing before he turned around. If you’d still been looking when his chest and stomach came into view you’d have been unable to stop yourself from running your hands over every rain slicked inch. 

“Everything’s tied up,” he draped the wrung out tee around his neck. Logan took two steps before you felt his hands on your hips and his lips behind your ear. His skin was chilled from the rain, but his breath was hot as he spoke. “How bout you?” Goosebumps ran up and down your arms as he kissed the back of your earlobe. “Need me to tie you down so you don’t blow away?” 

You leaned back against him, not caring about your top getting wet. Not going to be wearing it for very long anyway. His thick arms came around your midsection. You hummed in satisfaction as your eyes slid closed. You knew that Logan’s arms had held plenty of bodies both human and Host, but the way that he tightened his hold, the way that he tried to always get you as close to him as possible, the subtle change in his breathing and the beat of his heart that you felt; that you knew was something that only ever happened when he held you, and without a doubt you knew that you were the only thing he wanted to hold this close ever again. “No need,” you answered him, “I’m never going anywhere.”

He sucked your earlobe into his mouth as you gasped his name. “Need and want are two different things.” His voice was gravelly and low, but burned like embers, like hot coals. 

They sure are. You let out an uneven breath as his wet fingers toyed with the hem of your shirt. The day that you met Logan you’d been playing a dangerous game that had almost caused you to lose him before he was even yours. But now that things had settled down and the danger had passed, the two of you had picked up the teasing games. Only now they were lighter, more fun, and no matter what, both of you always won. You swallowed hard. Two can play at this game, Logan. “You’re right,” you said, forcing some stability back into your voice as you resumed stirring the pot, his arms still around you, tongue still traveling up the helix of your ear, fingers tracing patterns on your abdomen. “You need to go shower if you don’t want to catch a cold.” 

He groaned as his teeth grazed the top of your ear. “You need to be stirring that right now? Or do you want to join me?” 

No. Yes. Let’s go. You propped the wooden spoon against the side of the hefty stock pot and turned in his grasp, feeling him loosen his hold. He was looking down at you through long lashes, lips parted as his tongue darted out to catch a droplet of water. You reached up to push a wet strand of hair away from his forehead, raking your fingernails gently along his hairline. His eyes narrowed as your other hand came up to the sparse smattering of dark brown hair on his chest, climbing up to the hollow of his throat. He let out a slow breath before he took your wrist, wrapping his long fingers around it easily and brought it up to lay a kiss to the inside. “Go shower, Logan,” your voice was soft through your smile. “I’ll be right here when you get back.” And you’re gonna love what I’ve got in mind.

He leaned forward, one cupping the back of your neck, the other still stroking your wrist. His lips found the top of your cheek, pressing a light kiss there as a clap of thunder shook the cabin. “Quickest. Shower. Ever.” he promised, his words reverberating against your rapidly flushing skin. He spun away then, and you felt yourself follow him as though there was an invisible string connecting his chest to yours. There is. 

“Logan?” You called after him, biting your bottom lip. He looked over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised questioningly, his smirk illuminated by the lightning that crept in through the cracks in the shutters. “Tick, tock.” 

He shook his head, laughing under his breath as you turned back to give the pot another stir. He disappeared into the bedroom, and you promptly turned the burner down to a simmer, closing the lid on the pot to keep the heat in. Crossing the kitchen, you opened the junk drawer and pulled out a small box with cards and poker chips in it, bringing it and the lantern over to the table. Once you heard the pipes shudder signalling the start of the shower, you slipped your sweatpants off and pulled your shirt-Logan’s, really- over your head, leaving both articles along with your underwear in a pile. You gave it a kick, stowing it all under the table before sitting down to shuffle the cards. Let’s play a game, cowboy. The lightning flashed again with a tear of thunder right on top as you flicked the well used playing cards between your nimble fingers, bridging and caging them until they were as mixed up as your mind whenever Logan looked at you. Dealing out two hands and distributing some chips, you crossed your legs, waiting for him to come back. 

Logan was true to his word about the length of his shower, coming back only minutes later wearing the warmth of the water and a loose-fitting pair of flannel pants. “Told you I’d be qui-” he came through the doorway and stopped in his tracks, eyes widening at the sight of you completely naked, hiding your face behind a fan of playing cards. “Oh...fuck…” You smirked at the surprise in his tone and lowered the cards to the table. “What’s this now?” he asked, completely intrigued and absolutely turned on. The sound of the rain picking up and the wind howling down the chimney filled the quiet room. 

You shrugged as he recovered, coming to sit across from you at the table. “Well,” you said, tabeling your cards face down so he couldn’t see your hand. “See I was bluffing when we met, Logan.” You shrugged as he licked his lips, using one hand to swipe his long hair back. “I don’t know how to play poker. So I thought you could teach me.” You pulled your shoulders back, showing off your chest and throat. 

You heard his breath become labored. “And...you thought the best way to learn was…” he gestured to your naked form, eyes running up and down every inch of you. 

You laughed, throwing him a wink, enjoying every minute. “Every time I’ve asked you to teach me you’ve suggested strip poker.” You rolled your eyes. “So I stripped. Now, can we get to the poker?” 

His sigh came out in the form of a growl. “How the hell am I gonna teach you how to play cards when you’re sitting there like that, huh? How’m I gonna look at you and keep my hands off you?” He reached across the table for your hand, but you quickly scooped up your cards, one cheek climbing up your face at his groan. 

“I bet you can, Logan.” You winked at him. “Now, should we make some wagers?” You picked up a few chips and tossed them into the center of the table, the plastic clinking together. 

“You’ve got a lot of faith in me,” he smirked, picking up his own hand, but you knew he wasn’t looking at his cards; that he had no idea if his hand was full of aces or spades or queens or diamonds. 

“I do, Logan.” The room filled with electric blue light as another bolt tore the sky and found its way through the slats around the windows. 

To Logan’s surprise, he actually talked you through a couple hands of poker, though he hardly peeled his eyes away from you, groaning every time you leaned forward to drop chips into the pile, or adjusted the position of your legs. About halfway through the game, your pile of chips waning and his growing substantially, the inevitable happened. With the loudest crack of thunder and the brightest bolt of lightning, the lights blinked out and you were left with just the glow of the lantern. 

“Power’s out,” you spoke the obvious, leaning in to keep the game going by the gentle glow of the lantern. 

But Logan had other plans. He dropped his cards carelessly, some of them landing on the table, others falling to the floor. “Sure is,” he stated, reaching for the knob to turn the lantern off. “And now I don’t have to look at you like that without doin this,” in one fluid movement, he was on his feet and around the table, dropping to his knees to take your waist in one hand and your face in the other. You felt your stomach flip as he crashed his mouth to yours hungrily. “All bets are off now, sweetheart,” he growled, lips locked to yours and tongue slipping into your mouth as another flash of lightning threw light against his skin, your skin, the cards on the table and the floor. He pulled you to him, standing with your body pressed tightly to his own, kissing you like he had that first night back in the park, back when you were playing with one another. But he wasn’t playing now, and neither were you. You didn’t care if the roof was split by lightning. You didn’t care if a tree crashed through the wall or if hail broke through the windows. You didn’t care if you never got power back, or if the storm never ended. All you cared about, all Logan cared about, was the fact that you had one another, that you were locked together, that nothing would ever change.

.

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