#I'm hoping this bodes well for the future

[starlightbelle]

something about when we're first introduced to Touya his hair being as black as pitch. which surely says nothing about the way he views himself, right? charred, dark, completely unrecognizable from the way he used to be...

something about Touya's natural hair color being pure white. about how after he bleaches it back to its original color, it's when his story really begins in the narrative. returning to what is truly him. little by little...

[ryker-writes]

If you're still doing sibling angst, could I request Riddle with a disowned sibling? ^^ like maybe they're the exact opposite of Riddle (Lazy, doesn't follow rules, talks back to their mom) and because of that Riddle also thought lowly of them. Only to see them at NRC after they cut ties. Maybe also how he would treat them after his overblot? 👀

Yes darling! The people love the sibling angst! Now it's Riddle's turn >:D

Request rules and Masterlists

Riddle as a sibling (Broken relationship)

the Rosehearts family was a very strict family to live in

ever since you were a kid, your mother had fully planned out you and your brothers life

every second of every day was meant to help you towards the future she planned

and on top of that you had to listen to every rule your mother put in place

she always said that if either one of you failed to follow her rules and her plans, she wouldn't love you anymore

Riddle was very good at following these rules and he was a natural hard worker

You however, were the opposite of him

you hated all the rules and strict plan

how could Riddle just go along with it really?

it was always incredibly stressful and it felt like there was constant suffocating pressure

so one day, you just gave up following the rules and listening to your mom

she hated it when she would ask you something and you told her "no"

and somewhere inside, you hoped Riddle would do the same

but Riddle would never do that

even while your mother screamed at you for disobeying, he stood by and did everything she asked

she told him that you were a prime example of everything she didn't want in a child

she called you all sorts of names before disowning you and kicking you out

you never went back there after that

your mom was not someone you ever cared to see again

but you did worry slightly about Riddle and how he would turn out

would he end up just like her?

or would he eventually speak back and stand up to her?

only time would tell

thankfully, you were able to tell when you got into Night Raven College

Riddle was the housewarden of Heartslabyul

the dorm known for strict rules

that didn't bode well

sure enough, you heard some first year Heartslabyul students talking about how strict the rules in their dorm were

Riddle had ended up just like your mother

still, you had hoped that maybe he hadn't become as bad as her

so when you saw him in the halls you decided to greet him and maybe start up a conversation

but as soon as his attention was on you, his expression turned sour

instead of saying hello or something when first speaking to you, he immediately started commenting on your uniform and how it doesn't go along with NRC rules

it wasn't too bad until he added

"I see you're still a disrespectful deviant. You really should know that you'd better serve society if you just listen for once."

yeah...that told you all you needed to know

he acts exactly like your mother and he thinks of you in the same way she does

you couldn't put yourself through that again, so you left

you didn't interact with Riddle after that

it's sad that things turned out this way, but it wasn't something you had to deal with

you just continued to live your life, your way

and things were fine

lately, there were a lot of Heartslabyul students walking around with collars on

Riddle's unique magic

they broke the rather ridiculous rules, and now they had to suffer

you felt for them, you really did

but there was nothing you could do to help them

days later you heard about what happened

someone stood up to Riddle and he overblotted

you were surprised of course

overblots were so rare and can kill someone

Riddle was fine, but you knew he would likely receive a long lecture from your mother

still, you carried on living your normal life

but Riddle started lingering around you more

and then one day, he talked to you

"I've come to realize that not all of the rules are necessary and don't always need to be followed. So I've come to apologize. I'm...sorry for how I've treated you, and I'm sorry for everything that happened at home."

your relationship with Riddle started to get better after that

he wouldn't criticize you for when you didn't follow minor rules

however if it was a bigger more important rule he will urge you to follow, but hesitates to enforce it

he's still learning what classifies as a rule that's not super important so give him some time

he want's to try and fix the relationship between you two

and he confides in you that he too gets tired of your mother sometimes

at least he has more freedom at Night Raven College

Riddle even started inviting you to unbirthday parties and introduced you to all the hedgehogs

An extra thought for all of you:

when Ace stood up to Riddle, he couldn't help but think of you

Ace called all his rules ridiculous and talked back to Riddle, just like you did to your mother

he could clearly remember the day you fully rebelled against your mom and what followed after

he couldn't let that happen again

and then he overblotted

[queenendless]

😂Ticklish Remedy(Student!SatoSuguxStudent!Fem!Reader)😂

A/N: Sorry this took me so long to get out! I gotta write more JJK tk fics in the future. This one I rushed, it's true.

Content: Angst, hurt/comfort, more exposition than tickles but obvious tickles, mention of reader gaining seer vision cursed technique powers for possible future plot development, Shoko Ieiri cameo, and SatoSugu poly loving.

Credit for characters and art used goes to Gege sensei.

* Please DON'T plagarize, translate, or repost my FANFIC content. Reblog, like, and follow instead.

I hope you enjoy.

Why were you in such a pathetic mood?

Waking up from a messed up dream in a cold sweat?

Coming back from a mission where more damage than saving was done?

Or a hard downpour out of nowhere soaked you and would be around for the remainder of the evening?

All of the above.

In this life, you are the quiet, sweet protective being. But it takes certain things to set you off. All of the above, for instance.

Another big one would be the only friends turned found family you ever had and known getting harmed in any way, whether from slander from those foolish higher ups or certain corrupted humans you were obligated to save and not harm for retribution despite getting injured on the job because of them. Those indeed pissed you off.

That wasn't the case this time.

Nah, you're just having one of those days.

You had just left the shower, clad in a dry tee shirt and short shorts, going stomach first flopping on your dorm room bed in a downtrodden sense, when a loud knock on your door made you moan in refusal, smothering your face in your pillow.

"L/n? Sweetie? Y/n-chaaaaaan~?!"

Satoru's loud rambles; his voice always making you smile, now sounded irritating to you. "Go away." Your muffled yell made a new voice join in.

"Y/n? Honey? Are you alright?"

Suguru's concerned voice made you feel bad at behaving this way towards them when it wasn't their fault at all. "Not really."

"Excuse us. We're coming in." Suguru's warning was followed by your dorm room door sliding opening as their heads popped up through behind the door, your weak wave giving them the prompt to just come in.

They were both still in uniform but also in socks and slippers, as Satoru flopped down, jostling the bed, before spooning you from behind and Suguru sliding your door closed before sitting on the edge of the bed in front of you and held your hand in his; rubbing comforting circles on your knuckles with his thumb when he asked.

"How bad?"

Your hesitant sigh didn't bode well. "I was sent alone to exorcize a second-grade curse spirit after it ended several regulars working at a cemetery."

"Yaga-sensei told us." Suguru's pitying gaze made you whine weakly. "We're sorry we couldn't go with you."

Flashes of your nightmare from early morning resurfaced; your pinched expression being a sign of your discomfort. "The same nightmare happened again. Just … bloodied corpses … of those I care for …that shadowed, stitched forehead bastard's smile ... and I'm unable to move or scream or do anything …" Your voice wavered as your form trembled with a deep-rooted frustration and pain on this particular dilemma.

You still had no freaking idea who or what it was; human or cursed spirit, let alone why you kept having these dreams. A warning? Perhaps. You were slowly climbing up the ranks in terms of developing your Innate technique; as odd as it was in getting impactful visions followed by side effecting migraines. And this was yet another unknown future threat standing in your way.

"Plus I got rained down hard coming back here. So there." You pouted, taking Suguru's hand in your own, just to splat it over your face, amusing the latter despite the gloomy vibe.

"That bad, huh? God, quite the depressing mood bundle you are!" Satoru sighed loudly.

You jammed your thumb over your shoulder into Satoru's cheek, dryly retorting. "Obnoxious creep." You thrusted your pointer finger of the same hand forward in Suguru's face. "Weird bangs guy."

"Now sweetie, I know you're just saying those things because you're down in the dumps… but it still wounds me!" Satoru mockingly cried out, ruffling your hair, further driving the point of getting stabbed in the feels.

"Honey, you're wrong. About my bangs, I mean. Satoru … nah that's right on the mark." Geto poked your nose, smirking like the smart ass he is, rubbing salt in the wound.

"Hey!" Gojo flared up, dagger eyes on his bestie at the betrayal.

You snorted at their interaction. Satoru's face stubbornly set in a pouting expression, when the sound you just made gave him quite the amusing idea as he kissed your forehead down from up above you. "So, what you need right now is some serious cheering up, 101."

A twisted smile suddenly wormed up on his face. It makes your gut squirm with nerves.

"Suguru~" The sing-song tone to his name snatched the younger man's attention. "It seems our lovely girlfriend is too grumpy for our liking~!"

The same twisted feeling inside you doubled as Suguru smiled at you in the same manner.

"Yes … we should remedy that right away."

Able to read each other's thoughts down pat; synced as the best friends they are, meant they were both on board for their evil agenda.

"Uh, chotto matte," Your Nihongo Jouzu reflexes came spilling out as nervous giggles did as well, fidgeting as your attempts to get up and pull away from Satoru's hold were futile for his arms tightened around your waist and pulled quick enough to flush your back against his front. "Not that. Anything but that!"

"Y/n-chan … if you plead more, I'll consider it." Suguru calmly mused as he climbed up on your bed, trapping your legs in between his knees, coyly smiling. "Maybe~"

A squeal sprung free from your lips as the spider-like fingers of Satoru squeezed your sides before wriggling into your ribs. "I'd rather she beg. After all, she wants this so much~!" Satoru smugly taunted, that fat ass smirk plastered on his face when you jabbed your elbow hard in his side.

"Liar liar pants on fire – AAH~!" Your retort was cut off by your own shriek as Satoru's fingertips slithered around to deeply drag across your belly.

"Oh ho, you're gonna get it now!" Satoru's deepened tone spoke doom for you. Suguru's snickers only added to it.

Your spastic, laughing form was kicking, flailing, and bouncing to both their inner amusement and glee; the bed squeaking and the headboard hitting the wall many times in the process.

"Cootchie cootchie coo~!" Satoru's fingers slid through your shirt sleeves to pinch and wring the bare skin of your armpits.

"Tohohohohoru you ahahahahahass~!" You slam your shoulders into his in another attempt to push him off, but that lean skinny bode hid such strength beneath.

"Hey! I have a fine ass, I'll have you know!" Gojo's pursed lips were made to good use as he began doing raspberries from the crook of your neck to the base of it to under your ear, speaking in between every tingling blow. "Very. Fine. Indeed!" His snowy hair added to the ticklish sensation as his puffy locks brushed your cheek.

"You twohoohoo beheheheheter stahahahap or I swehehehear I'll – EEK~!" You squeaked harder as Suguru exchanges wiggling squeezes between your shaking kneecaps and your thighs. "Suhuhuhuhugu qu – quihihihit it~!!"

Geto snorted. "Jackass is more like it."

"Your face up my ass the other day spoke otherwise, if you recall~" Satoru's buzzing wet lips pulled from your neck to give bedroom eyes to Suguru.

Who returns the look, just as gluttonous for another go. "The face you made proves you enjoyed it just as much~"

Their raunchy talk was halted as a pillow got whacked in Suguru's face, followed by said pillow being thrown to Satoru's, who barely caught it in one hand. But that enough commotion lets you slip free from his loosened grasp.

Though the truth was he let you go free for now, laughing slowly at the look of sheer disbelief on his raven haired lover's face at what you just pulled, the more bangs loosely gracing his forehead from the commotion.

"Ooh, you're in trouble~!" Gojo singing spoke of doom.

Your panting, pink cheeked self could only have a moment's reprieve as chills raked your skin at the dark edge tainting Suguru's almond eyes. Unlike the smile in your nightmares, bearing callousness and insanity, Suguru's bore a more eerily calm smiling face.

"Indeed … it's on."

He dodged the kick to his face by your freed foot, toothily smiling as he caught your ankle, viewed your squirming foot with scrutinizing intrigue, before dragging his finger up and down your sole lightly enough to have you become a cute chortling mess.

Your other foot moved to kick his arm to free yourself when Gojo snatched it straight away, clicking his tongue to scold you. "Naughty, naughty~"

The two looming devils you love jumped you!

Shoko Ieiri, twirling her non lite cigarette between her fingers, jumped at the ear-piercing scream striking the air of the dorm, high tailing to the source as curiosity beckoned her.

Discovering the loud slamming ruckus jumbled in as well, it all is coming from your room followed by your jumbled cackling wordplay in the mix had her sliding the door open, her cigarette nearly slipping from her grasp at the sight she just witnessed.

You were flipped to lay on your stomach, laughing your sweaty red face off, as both those bastards each straddled a thigh of yours, with a footsie for each to tickle savagely.

"And this is why I stopped questioning why this is your norm now." Shoko shrugged.

"She whacked us with her pillow!" Suguru gruffly complained as his fingers wringed through your toes.

"Hilarious move on her part but she did wound my pride." Satoru's mirthful grin then drooped as his pride did deflate. "So, retribution!" Killing your restraint as he nibbled on your padded piggies.

"SHOHOHOHOHOHOHOKO~!!! MAHAHAHAHAHAKE THEHEHEHEHEHEM STAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAP~!!!"

Your flailing calves nearly whacking them were immediately taken care of as their forearms wrapped around them to hold them in place, their hands squeezing your ankles in their ironclad grip. Suguru nibbled and dragged his teeth and tongue down your wrinkled sole while Satoru's lips and tongue suckled and wriggled between your toes.

"PLEHEHEHEHEHESE HAHAHAHAHAHAVE MEHEHEHEHEHERCY~!!!"

"Yeah, as the resident healer of our group, I see the telltale signs she's gonna pass out at this rate." Shoko nearly toppled over you as your hands needed some support to dig and squeeze your fingers in something to keep your unhinged self-grounded.

Suguru hummed in contemplation. "Hmmm … while seeing and hearing our love in this state does please me greatly, this overall was supposed to cheer her up."

"Your cheering up brand is quite savage indeed." Shoko's apathetic tone made them both stifle a groan; Satoru's vibrating through your foot made you squeal louder, as he finally popped his mouth off your saliva covered minies.

"Alright, alright! We will," Satoru gave a big wet smooch to your topside. "I'd say we're even now."

Suguru kissed your other topside in the same manner, before their arms released your calves, moving off your thighs so they could lay your legs fully down on your rustled sheeted bed.

You breathed in and out your relief as tranquility came at last; giggles from ghost tickles slipping in, releasing your hold on Shoko's arm to fold yours and use them as your personal resting pillow. "Ah … f … freedom … thank you." You were now more exhausted but less depressing. Pro? Perhaps. For now, anyway.

"Y/n." You leaned your head into Satoru's smooth warm hand as he brushed your hair strands sticking to your forehead aside, rubbing your forehead before brushing your hair back in gentle motions, as he flopped down on his stomach on your right side, resting his cheek on his free forearm, the vibrant Six Eyes looking at you over his lowered shades, straightforward truth teeming in them. "In this life, you can't save everyone."

You frowned at that, blunt and to the point, when Suguru also flopped down the same way on your left side, his giant firm hand rubbing massaging circles on your back, surging with tender care, bringing blessed sighs out of you, as his eyes met yours next, teemed with solace. "Nor will the fear of the unknown go away just like that."

"We can't promise that nothing will happen to all of us later on down the line, either." Satoru's distaste for it showed.

"But we can promise that when they do, come what may, we'll give it our all." Suguru's empathy shined through in his beautiful almond eyes.

"We have to in order to be the strongest duo, after all." Satoru chuckled as his cheek nuzzled yours.

"Eh? And me?" You pouted.

"Then trio." Suguru pecked your lips just to see that smile of yours blossom.

"Ahem!" Shoko fake coughed, sitting against the front of the bed on the floor, plopping her head back, lips puckered and batting eyes at you all in fake sadness.

"Okay, squad then! Point being! Whatever comes our way, we face it together, as best we can. We are there for each other. None of us should be alone. Right?" Satoru's sincere toothy smile sealed the deal.

You sighed deeply. "Fine … but any more savage tickling cheering up schemes in the future are off the table! I swear to God –!"

"Hai hai." The duo agreed in unison as they each pressed a deep noisy smooch to your cheeks.

"Ehem." Shoko pointed at her own face, wanting smooches too. That brought laughs out of all three of you before you kissed her forehead, and the guys kissed her cheeks.

The downpour had finally ceased, and you fell asleep from the tiring experience that toppled the rest.

"Too precious for this kind of life, she is." Shoko smiled faintly as the guys kept their eyes on yourself, softly breathing, slowly lifting and lowering your slumbering self.

"Suguru? Those dreams of hers …"

"Premonitions, you mean?"

Satoru nodded. "It's been happening for weeks now."

"She could be a cursed Seer of sorts. See the future and all that." Shoko interjected.

"Her cursed energy has been increasing. Her output as well. Still … I say we keep close to her. Keep our guard up." Suguru suggested.

"And if Yaga-sensei sends her out solo tasking again?" Satoru dreaded that possible outcome.

"We should inform him of this. If a possible dire threat does arrive in our future, I'd suggest one of us go with her on missions just in case. We both can handle solo missions just fine."

"Then I call dibs~!"

Suguru's eyes narrowed intensely. "My idea, my dibs."

Satoru flared up. "Eh~?!"

Your groggy stirring mumbles alerted the bois to keep it down, your settling down leaving them puffing out their reliefs.

"Compromise then, Satoru~?"

Said man groaned. "You're lucky you're you."

Suguru chuckled at that before smooching his snowy haired lover over your resting head.

"Your throuple is a cursed miracle in and of itself, alright." Shoko murmured, toying with the cig between her lips.

Your throuple life story.

Cursed miracle indeed.

[bekolxeram]

During this hiatus, other than rewatching S7 for cute moments that we missed and coming up with headconons and new fic ideas, may I suggest going back to actually read/watch/listen to interviews with the cast?

Certain more dedicated members of the fandom tend to overfixate on one single sentence or even word the cast uttered and ignore all context around it. Sure, some of them might came into it with an agenda (like many journalists did sadly) and confirmation bias took care of the rest of it, but at the same time, who has time to read pages of disjointed chat with actors improvising answers without full knowledge of the production side of the show?

I've seen people proving Eddie's queerness by this quote from Lou's interview with the Hollywood Reporter in April:

This alone has been interpreted all sorts of ways, from Ryan not accepting this storyline (which doesn't make him homophobic btw, he could've simply not seen Eddie's story going this way, or he thought he wasn't equipped to do this storyline justice), to Buck's LIs not agreeing to come back because of scheduling conflict, to the writers just thought it was more appropriate for Buck to be queer.

I'm not here to speculate anything, I'm just going to point out earlier in the same interview, Lou also said he always knew this storyline would be with Oliver:

I don't know what's going on here, Lou might have insider information, but it also could be him just speculating over Tommy and Eddie's quickly formed friendship. To my knowledge, Tim has never confirmed that Tommy's queer storyline would be with Eddie before it supposedly fell through. In fact, Tim did say once it felt like Buck's story:

And then there's Lou's supposed dislike of filming make out scenes:

I do agree with him that gratuitous scenes on TV are unnecessary. I can't even count how many times I'm watching TV with my family when a graphic sex scene comes on unprompted, and my family members and I have to try our best to pretend we don't see it. But he also said that he didn't like it only when it didn't add to the story. Like we saw in 7x06, Lou gladly rubbed his face into Oliver's because this is how Buck came out.

There's also the part most people skipped through when Lou talked about the 7x04 kiss:

Lou (and everyone involved in the storyline) doesn't want Tommy to seem predatory. I have no idea if it's a reference to a possible earlier version of the script with an Eddie bi awakening instead of a Buck one. What I'm getting is that Lou and Tim tried to avoid playing into the stereotype of gay men hanging around knowingly straight men just to get into their pants.

And boy was Lou right. If they went for a full make out scene, the fandom discourse would've been so different. Naysayers wouldn't have been latching onto bachelor party costume or daddy issue joke. It would've led to much more serious allegations.

I'm happy it all worked out in universe as well. As we've seen from the past 7 seasons, Buck has no problem getting sexual partners. In the past he tried having physical relationships with women in hopes that it would lead to an emotional one, he also tried intentionally holding off intimacy just because he thought it would get in the way of boding with someone on a humanly level. This is the first time someone picked up Buck's (unintentional?) flirting, decided to break the ambiguity (landing it like a good pilot), gave him a brief peck to test the water, and then left to give Buck time to process his feelings.

Not only was it okay for Buck, it left him wanting more.

And lastly there's the allegedly "Tommy is just Buck's gay mentor to test thing out with" thing:

But earlier in the interview, it was established that Lou said it as a response to why the other shippers should still embrace Buck and Tommy's relationship. He didn't actually know what would happen in the future:

[diamantdog]

Sorry, but I'm gonna need "The Acolyte" fans to stop feeling defeated at Manny's post. Like, it may not mean anything negative? I mean, his single ❤️ emoji? That's his thing! Just go through his past IG posts and you will know that he has the tendency to use emojis (without any words) as captions, especially the ❤️ emoji, which he also used under the photos of him and his wife, Dianne. So, why does ❤️ suddenly mean it's over?

And even though he does mean that, why should we give up too? I know a lot of people have deleted Twitter, but we are still fighting there! Just want to let you know what's been happening:

The hashtags #RenewTheAcolyte and #SaveTheAcolyte have been trending for 4-5 days!

After the whole thing about the missing merchandise from the official Disney store, they have decided to restock! If anything, this is proof that they're watching!

Some big publications have written articles basically asking Disney & LucasFilm, "WTF ARE YOU DOING?" Please give them a click and share! Mashable: 'The Acolyte's cancellation is a huge mistake for Star Wars Empire: The Acolyte Deserved A Season 2 – And Star Wars Will Be Poorer Without It IndieWire: ‘The Acolyte’ Tried Something New. Its Cancellation Doesn’t Bode Well for the Future of ‘Star Wars' BuzzFeed: The Current TV Show Cancellation Model Is Broken — Here's Why It Desperately Needs To Be Fixed (also features "My Lady Jane")

The petition has gained 16k signatures (so far) in just 3 days! AND DID YOU KNOW?

SW incels & toxic fanboys have been trying to lower morale by saying this petition won't matter, but the truth is, they are SO AFRAID, that they made a counter petition! They created it because they wanted to show Acolyte's fans that there are more of them. But guess what? They have only gotten less than 1500 signs. (I won't put the link here. It's somewhere in the cesspool that is Twitter).

So, yeah. Please don't get easily disheartened <333 Rebellion is built on hope, etc. And once again, here's the link to the petition.

[rey-jake-therapist]

idk how to feel abt the promo now being completely focused on haladriel ngl. like … on one hand it clearly means something has shifted and they’re aware of what attracts attention, which bodes well for haladriel in future szns. but at the same time im kinda annoyed that this promo tactic only happened after s2 because a) i think they should be promoting s2 as a whole b) the push for haladriel should’ve happened way before the finale/ep 8. they’re reusing the fight scene every day and it’s like yeah you realised they bring in the views but you have only 1 clip to sustain over 2 years.

the captions like “indistinguishable from evil” are also funny because none of that translates with the crappy dialogue we actually got. it’s like they did a whole 180 because pre finale promo was vv different. i think they should stop taking advice from ‘focus groups’ or reddit bros. ofc feedback is good but sometimes i feel like they’re always leaning on outside opinions to carry the next szn rather than the writers knowing exactly how they want things to play out & standing by it. it’s very wishy washy sometimes

I'm not even sure that it bodes well for season 3, anon. Not in the sense that most shippers want, anyway.

I think we can be rather hopeful regarding Haladriel's screentime (they'll share more than one scene), but that's probably the best we can hope for. It is a relationship that will be only antagonist. I don't think we should expect any grand romantic gesture, any kiss or any admission of romantic feelings.

Season 2 was the moment when it could still happen, because Galadriel was still conflicted about her feelings for Saurbrand. Well as we saw, she easily tossed her inner conflict through the window during the fight, turned into mega girl boss and never took the bait, even after Sauron stabbed her with Morgoth's crown to bind her to him. This ship has very likely sailed now. Whatever temptation that Galadriel has in the future... It will probably be related to her desire for power, which should keep growing as darkness grows in her as well. Sauron will definitely have a part in that as he's not going to let her go, but.... I think we shouldn't hope too much for romantic innuendos, not from her side, anyway.

So yeah, I think Amazon's desperate to keep shippers invested because they realize far too late that we represent an important part of their viewership and that's why they keep licking Haladriel boots. I've seen it happen before, with Reylo before TROS : after mocking or ignoring the shippers for years, suddenly their entire marketing was centered on Rey and Kylo. The only difference is that they never acknowledged any romantic feelings between them, which in retrospect wasn't surprising since romance there was none in TROS, except for that kiss which was less romantic than Elrondriel's so called platonic smooch 😭 The SW marketing team baited Reylo for more than a year and for what ?

All that to say, I'd really advise you to not trust Amazon's marketing strategy. It's all about engagement. They want to attract new shippers and get them to watch TROP so their numbers increase, while trying to get old shippers invested for season 3. Right now they play the romance card but we shouldn't take it as an insurance that romance or something close to romance is in the cards for future Haladriel interactions, imho.

[evieismol]

Big Bend - Chapter Three - Roommates

Cw: language

Previous

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.

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Zoey

I flopped down on my new bed. It was harder than most probably would have liked, but I'd never been picky. I'd just finished unpacking, and despite it being barely past noon, I already felt exhausted. 

Then again, I'd had an eventful past twenty four hours. I'd spent more than half that time driving through Texas. I'd arrived at an entirely unfamiliar and new place, one where I didn't know anyone. 

Well, I guess I know at least one person now. Technically two. 

I thought back to my meeting with Easton the night before. After he'd gotten John, the IMA agent had gotten in touch with my supervisor, Anne, who gave me directions to the HR office. After that, she'd showed me to the employee housing dorms, informing me that my roommate would be arriving tomorrow. Today, now. I'd never actually had a random roommate before. All I presently knew about my future living partner was that her name was Penelope, and she was a vampire. 

That seemed like it boded well, at least, because while vampires weren’t actually unable to go in the sunlight, they did prefer the night, and I was something of a night owl myself. Hopefully I at least wouldn't be bothering anyone if I stayed up late reading or knitting. 

I continued to stare at my ceiling as I mulled over everything that had happened - and was about to happen. I actually found myself beginning to drift to sleep, and I might have, had it not been for a knock on my door. I sat up, sliding off my bed. Making my way to the door, I pulled it open. 

A girl about my age stood there. She had long, dark brown hair, and tan, flawless skin. Anne stood next to her. 

“Zoey! I hope you've had a chance to get settled. This is Penelope. Penelope, Zoey.” 

I extended my hand. She shook it. Her hand was cold, but not unpleasantly so. 

“It's nice to meet you,” I said. 

“You too! I think this summer is going to be so fun!” She said, excitement sparkling in her eyes. “I love your pants, by the way.” she gestured down to the patchwork pants I was wearing. 

“Well, I'll let you two get to know each other,” Anne said. She gave us both one more smile, then turned to head down the hallway. 

“So, Anne said you're also working at the gift shop?” Penelope asked, pulling her two suitcases into the room. 

I nodded. “Yeah. You too?” 

“Yep! I've never done anything like this before - gotta say, I wasn't expecting it to be so remote out here! How are you liking it so far?” 

I was already getting the impression that Penelope was far more outgoing than me. 

“It's alright,” I said. “Can I help with luggage or anything?” 

“Nah, I'm good. This is everything - I left most of my stuff at my parents for the summer. So, what brought you out here?” 

I shrugged. “Just needed a job, and I saw this one online. You?” 

That was a highly abbreviated version of the events that had led up to me working at the park, but it wasn't technically a lie. 

“My best friend Angie got a job as a park ranger here - she's been working as a ranger at different parks for like, five years now - and I wasn't doing anything this summer, so we thought it would be super fun if I applied to a job at the gift shop! Ooh, speaking of which, would you mind if she came over in a few?” 

I shook my head. “Not at all.” 

“Awesome! She's on her way over!” 

I briefly wondered what she was going to do if I'd said no, given that it seemed she'd already told Angie it was fine. I didn't dwell on it beyond mild amusement, though. Penelope was already continuing. 

“You know, I've never been to Texas before. There's just so much desert out there! Where are you from?” 

“Connecticut, originally. But I've been living in Seattle the past few years.” 

“I’ve only been there like twice, but it seemed like a cool city,” Penelope said. “What brought you over there?” 

“A relationship. It didn't work out.” 

Thankfully, Penelope seemed to pick up the reluctance in my coffee, as she pivoted away from the subject. “That sucks. Angie and I are both from Colorado. Denver. I’ve lived there pretty much my whole life. I'm pretty sure she's lived too many places to count, on the other hand.” 

Another knock on the door interrupted Penelope. She spun around. 

“That's probably her! You'll love her, she's the best!” 

Penelope opened the door. Two people stood there, both about our age. The first was a tall, slim young woman with curly black hair and dark brown skin. The second was a young man with sandy colored hair and a tan that almost matched. 

“Angie!” Penelope exclaimed, pulling the girl into a hug. Angie returned it. When they parted, she gestured to the man. 

“Do you remember Dave? I worked with him a couple years back at Yosemite.” 

“Of course I remember Dave! How have you been?” 

Dave seemed to be more on the reserved side. Especially compared to Penelope. “Can’t complain,” he said. “You?” 

“Pretty good! Oh, this is Zoey! She’s working at the gift shop too! Zoey, this is my best friend Angie, and her friend Dave.” 

“Hi,” I said. I gave what felt like an awkward wave. 

“Do you guys wanna come in?” Penelope asked. 

“Sure!” Angie accepted her invitation enthusiastically. 

“Okay, so, you guys have to tell me everything. What’s the secret mission like? How’s it going? Have you met him yet?” As Dave and Angie entered the room, Penelope asked them a barrage of questions. I, for my part, had taken a seat on my bed. I raised an eyebrow. 

“Secret mission?” 

Angie and Dave exchanged a glance. 

“It’s not really a secret mission,” Angie began. “The Park Service is…taking part in a diplomatic experiment, sorta? Maybe you heard about how they were going to hire someone from Aphiria?”

I nodded. 

“Well, higher ups thought it would be a good idea if there was a core group of humans that mostly work with said Aphirial, to give everyone some stability.” 

“And that’s them!” Penelope interjected. “So, have you met him?” 

“Yeah,” Dave said flatly. 

“What's he like?” 

“He seems nice. Uh, his name's Easton. He was like a botanist on Aphiria I guess?” Angie responded.

“Is he really that giant? Like, bigger than a Tyastron?” Penelope asked. 

“Oh yeah. Very much so,” Angie said. “I'm sure you guys will meet him sooner or later, working here.” 

“...I met him last night, actually,” I said. 

Angie looked surprised. Dave, meanwhile, had unreadable expression. If I had to guess, it was somewhere between disdain and unease. 

“How'd that go?” He asked. 

“It was kind of fortunate, really, because I was super lost when I got here, and he got John to get in touch with Annie for me. He did seem really nice.” 

“So I'm the only one who hasn't met him? Dammit!” Penelope exclaimed. 

Angie laughed. “Seriously, I'm sure you will soon enough. He's kind of hard to miss.” 

 “I didn't realize how giant Aphirials really were,” I said in agreement. “I mean, I guess that's kind of a no shit statement, because they are giants, but-” 

“It's totally different in person?” Angie guessed. 

I nodded. “Yeah.” 

“I thought the same thing,” she replied. “Which I guess is probably to be expected, cus I don't think very many of us have met an Aphirial.” 

That was probably an understatement. Not only had I not met an Aphirial, I'd never even met anyone who'd met one. As far as I knew, at least. In fact, the only times I'd heard of them prior to this were one of three places. 

The first were horror movies and stories; there was pretty much a film genre dedicated to them, and they tended to pop up in urban legends fairly frequently too. I didn't know anyone who had actually met one, but I knew plenty of people who's fourth cousin's ex-wife's disowned sister's mailman (or something of that nature) had been killed or kidnapped by one. I'd always put as much stock in those stories as I did any other urban legends, which was to say, very little. 

The second was the occasional conspiracy video that pulled up in my recommended feeds. I didn't put much stock in those either. 

The third, and probably most boring, were mentions on the news. Usually just some aside about a new political agreement or diplomatic occurrence with their planet. They seemed to mostly keep to themselves across the galaxies, and it was only recently they'd started having more formal and frequent communication with other planet. 

After last night, I was fairly sure the massive size difference played at least some role in that. Humans, and other human sized earth dwellers, had gotten lucky when we'd become space faring - it turned out that we were pretty much average sized amongst other beings. There was some variation, to be sure, but it was usually within a couple of feet. Tyastrons were already considered giants at only a fraction of the height of an Aphirial. That probably meant our resources weren't particularly tempting to them, leaving little motivation to interact with other planets for much of history. Recent various galactic alignments had finally given some motivation in terms of not wanting to be the odd one out, from what I had heard. 

“God, that sounds so cool. I can't wait to meet him.” Penelope interrupted my thoughts. “Do you think he could pick up a car? A bus? Imagine being able to pick up a bus! That would be so freaky.” 

I thought I saw Dave shift slightly at that comment, but I wasn't sure. And even if I had been, I doubted it was my place to question that. 

I did, however, find myself wondering just how he'd ended up part of this “secret mission” if the unease I sensed was related to Easton. 

Next

[moni-logues]

Kintsugi 12

Pairing: Yoongi x reader

Genre: strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, non-idol!au, angst, smut, tiny bit of eventual fluff

Summary: In a fit of spiteful, post-break-up self-improvement, you sign up to a baking class. Yoongi, in a bid to appease his demanding girlfriend, signs up, too. Determined to make him your friend, you end up with more than you ever imagined.

Word count: 3.2k

Content: little bit of throwing up (alcohol induced)

A/N: thanks to @quarter-life-crisis2 for beta-ing the first part of this! This is now the second time I'm posting this so i have nothing more to say lmao

Chapter Eleven | Masterlist | Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Twelve – Peaches pt.2 

You stood outside Yoongi’s front door, pie held carefully in your hands, breathing deeply, taking a moment to try to soothe your nerves. It was outrageous, you thought, that you could be this nervous. It was Yoongi. On the other hand, it was Yoongi. It was not every day that you confessed to harbouring romantic feelings for one of your best friends. It was not every day that you ripped yourself open and placed your fluttering heart before them, hoping, praying that they felt the same.  

It was not every day, but it was today.  

You squared your shoulders, shuffled the pie so it rested on the palm of one hand, and used the other to key in the entry code.  

“I’m here!” you called as you strode in and shut the door behind you. 

You could hear and smell cooking from the kitchen, music on low in the background. You kicked off your shoes and took a deep breath. You had run over a hundred different scenarios, a hundred different scenes; sometimes you just kissed him; sometimes you prepared a long, thoughtful speech; sometimes you played it casual; sometimes you told him you loved him; sometimes, even in your thoughts, you chickened out entirely; sometimes he rejected you and sometimes he didn’t. You always cried.  

You were still standing in the hallway, staring up at the invisible obstacle in front of you when Yoongi approached, spatula in hand, frown on his face. You tried hard not to notice how cute he was with his apron on, how domestic. You tried to stop your mind flying forward to a future where he cooked all your dinners, or you cooked them together, in the house you shared. You needed to keep a level head. 

“Oh,” he said when he saw you. “I thought I heard you come in but then you didn’t appear. Why are you just standing there?” 

Good question.  

You chuckled awkwardly and walked into the apartment fully, straight to the kitchen where you set down your pie on the counter. 

“What’s in it?” Yoongi asked. 

“It’s peach and nectarine,” you answered, wondering if he would remember, if he might understand its significance. 

“It’s what?” 

“Peach and nectarine.” 

He looked at you with his eyebrows raised, expectant. 

“It’s what?” 

You groaned and rolled your eyes; your heart sang. You gave him a huge, dramatic sigh. 

“It’s peachtarine pie.” 

“Damn fucking straight.” 

He was in a good mood. You liked that. That had to bode well, right? 

“Do you want a drink?”  

Yes, you were offering him his own alcohol in his own house, but you felt like you needed it. You should have had one before you came out but time hadn’t allowed.  

“Sure, there’s wine in the fridge.” 

Not the sort of drink you had in mind. You checked in his fridge for soju and, finding none, walked around to his drinks cabinet where you deliberated between tequila and vodka, eventually plumping for vodka. Tequila gave party vibes which wasn’t exactly what you were going for. You returned to the kitchen and poured two shots.  

“Here.” 

You nudged Yoongi – who had turned back to the stove – and handed him the drink. 

“Wow, really? Are we celebrating or commiserating something?”  

He knocked back the shot anyway and you did the same, cursing Yoongi in your head for not keeping soju – or anything more palatable – in the house.  

“Nope. Just because.” 

“Ok, party girl.” 

He waved the glass out towards you, asking for another, which you gratefully gave, taking one more for yourself, too. That was a little more like it. You felt looser already. A little Dutch courage can go a long way.  

“What are you cooking for me?” 

You moved from the other side of the counter and stood next to him, peering into the two dolsots bubbling away. 

“Haemul sundubu.”  

“Yum, thanks.” 

“It’s almost done; there’s banchan in the fridge. And the wine I said I actually wanted to drink.” 

He grinned down at you and you hip-checked him, moving away to set the table and pour more drinks.  

You hadn’t decided when you were going to tell him. You had told yourself that you would show up and you’d just know when was the right moment; you knew now that that was bullshit and you should have come more prepared. The fear of spoiling everything was rapidly creeping up on you; Yoongi was in a good mood and you were having so much fun. You knew the second you opened your mouth to tell him, everything would change. Even if it was what you wanted, what you were hoping for, even if he said everything you most wanted to hear, it would change things. It was the last night of your friendship, for better or for worse. You felt desperately like you had to make the most of the evening, make the most of everything you had right now: the ease, the comfort, the little sparks of something more when he laughed at your jokes, when he smiled at you, when you got to touch him even a little. There would be no going back. So you delayed your jump into the unknown a little longer and it settled your nerves. It put off the moment and you could relax, at least for an hour or two. 

* 

The addition of a film after dinner had continued; it was supposed to be your night to pick but you couldn’t focus on making a decision so Yoongi picked one for you. You didn’t care. You weren’t even sure what it was, even though it had been on in front of you for the last hour and a half. You couldn’t have explained the plot if you’d been offered a lottery jackpot for it.  

You had your legs thrown over Yoongi, leaning towards him, sitting as you did every time now. He was slouching deep into the corner, his feet on the coffee table, picking idly at the threads of the holes in your jeans as he watched; your heart skipped every time his fingertips brushed the bare skin beneath. 

You could almost hear a clock tick as time went by, you still not having said a thing. It was coming. You knew it was coming. You knew you had to say something; you had steeled yourself for this. You had promised yourself you would do it. You had promised everyone: Taehyung, Nina, San. You had made Taehyung go to your apartment and wait on standby, so he could be there with no delay if it was a ‘no’. You had to do this. You were going to do this. And it had to be now. 

You reached out and put your hands on his, toying with his fingers. His immediately stilled and there was a twitch that told you he was going to pull them back, out of reach, but you held on. You kept his little finger in your hands, mindlessly fidgeting with it, finding yourself unable to look up at him. 

“Yoongi?”  

Your face was already hot, your heart already racing. He grunted inquisitively and you felt his eyes move to you. 

“Can I ask you something?” 

You were still looking at his hands, your stomach doing somersaults; you wished you hadn’t indulged in so much stew now that it was threatening to come back up the way it went down.  

“Are you ok?” 

You nodded, your throat feeling choked already.  

“I, um... Do you ever... think about me?” 

You risked a glance up at him; he seemed surprised by your question and then confused. He leant forward, feet on the ground, taking his hand from yours to reach for the control and stop the film. Then he sat back, not slouching this time, and looked down at you again. You focused on your hands. 

“I mean,” you continued, before he could answer, “I mean that-… I- sometimes, just recently, I... I think, I have feelings for you.”  

Your face burnt so hot, it brought tears to your eyes. You didn’t know what to say next; usually your mouth did all the talking for you but it had dried up. And Yoongi wasn’t saying anything. You tried to speak and nothing but a croak came out so you cleared your throat and gave it another shot. This was not how you had imagined it going; it was supposed to be smoother than this, more confident. You hadn’t expected to be this meek; you weren’t meek. But the weight of this exchange was crushing. 

“I just mean that... Recently, I’ve felt... different... and I- I guess I just wondered if maybe you ever felt like... that. About me.” 

It took all you had to look up at him, to try to gauge his reaction, see if you could divine what he was thinking through his face. It was closed, impassive, inscrutable in a way that reminded you of when you first met—his silence in that third class, which you had put down to his ex, but he had never actually explained. You felt the same way as you had back then. You were sticky with nervous sweat, hot and flustered. Embarrassed and self-conscious and burning like you’d been skinned alive. The anxiety was rising in you, a panic that said it was going to go sideways, that this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. That something had already gone wrong. You tried to talk yourself out of it but the longer he stayed quiet, the harder it became.  

“Yoongi?” you whispered, the sound barely making it out of your throat, when the seconds felt stretched to minutes. 

He wasn’t looking at you; he was staring straight ahead until he gave you a millisecond’s glance and shook his head. You waited, again, for him to say something else, to say anything at all. There was nothing giving him away. You knew him better than this; you could read him; you could sense how he felt. But not now. Not now at a moment when you really needed it.  

“No?” you asked when he still said no more. 

He was looking down now, not at you but somewhere on the floor. There was pink at the tips of his ears; his cheeks just barely rosy. He shook his head again and cleared his throat. 

“No,” he confirmed, just as quiet as you were, his voice just as strained. 

“Oh.”  

Your attempt to mask the gasp you gave when trying to gulp in air was poor but you couldn’t bear the thought of bursting into tears, here and now. They pooled thick in your eyes and blinking them back only sent them scurrying, falling, streaming down your face in a deluge. You opened and closed your mouth, gaping, fish-like, a few times before you found the composure to reply. 

“Ok.” Your voice wavered. “That’s fine. Yeah, ok, friends I guess then.” 

You weren’t looking directly at him—there was no way you could—but you saw him, from the corner of your eye, nod, two almost invisible dips of his head. You removed your legs from over his, curling them under you, trying to keep your breathing in check. You didn’t know what to do now. You didn’t understand. You thought about what Namjoon had said, the way he had seemed so confident. Didn’t Namjoon know Yoongi? Surely he wouldn’t have encouraged you if he had known Yoongi didn’t feel the same.  

There was a tearing in your chest that felt like collapse. It had been quick at least. But it was sharp. You wiped at your wet face, wishing Yoongi would just say something, anything would do. You felt shut out, iced out, pushed out. Rejected. Which was exactly what you were. In an instant, he had moved a thousand miles away as he stayed sitting next to you on the sofa. You had never felt farther from him than you did at that second. It made your stomach sink like a stone in the sea. It made your hands go weak, incapable of holding a hand even if he’d let you. It made your blood burn with shame like the acid rising in your throat.  

Of all your hundreds of scenarios, all the practices you’d run in your head, none of them went like this. You always talked about it, sometimes you even argued, but it was never this. This silence, thick like fog, choking like smog, resting over you. You began to feel smothered, suffocated by it. You couldn’t breathe for fear of falling apart; you had to get out.  

Yoongi stayed still, looking at the floor, his fingers worrying a loose thread on his trousers. Did he want you to leave? Did he want you to stay? You couldn’t know and were not able to wait to find out. 

“I guess,” you said, when you found the ability to speak without sobbing, “I should just go.”  

Yoongi turned to you then, his face for a second wearing a look of panic. He opened his mouth as you stood and you waited for him, gave him a few seconds to tell you to stay, or encourage you to leave. He said nothing. So you walked, with heavy feet and a heavier heart, to the door.  

Yoongi followed you, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his fingers twisting around one another. You stooped to put on your shoes and it was only when you were leaning on the door handle that he said anything. 

“I’m sorry.” 

You looked back at him as you stood in his doorway; you blinked away more tears and you could almost have sworn you saw tears in his eyes, too. You didn’t stop longer to make sure. You turned tail and ran.  

* 

You had managed to hold in your sobs in the taxi ride back to your apartment; you couldn’t stop the constant leak of tears from your eyes, but you just about kept a lid on the worst of it. Then you flung open your door and fell to the floor, gasping and choking and barely able to breathe. 

Taehyung was by your side in a second, scooping you into his arms, stroking your back, pressing kisses into your hair, letting you make his T-shirt wet and snotty, not saying anything, knowing you weren’t listening anyway.  

You couldn’t quite believe it. Not because Yoongi hadn’t wanted you, but because you hadn’t anticipated it going like that. Because you didn’t understand. Because you somehow thought that there would be discussion; you could, now, think of things that you wanted to say, things you wanted to talk about; every thought and idea that had eluded you then flooded back now. You thought of the many ways you had broached the topic in your head and wondered why you did it like that. That wasn’t what you had planned. You hadn’t been clear, had you? Or you hadn’t got your point across? Or maybe you did? You just couldn’t tell. You were, entirely, in disarray. 

You also had to ask yourself, did it matter? If Yoongi didn’t feel that way about you, did it matter how he told you? Did it matter what he said or didn’t? Did it matter how you said it? He had clearly known what you meant because he had given you his answer. You had the answer you were looking for—you had the answer to your question, even if it wasn’t the one you had been looking for. The rest was irrelevant.  

* 

The emergency treatment for your heartbreak was booze and a lot of it. So much, in fact, that you ended the night with your head in the toilet, that seafood stew finally making its burning way back up, Taehyung standing behind you rubbing your back and making sure your hair was out of the way.  

He put you to bed, tucked you up nicely and, at your insistence, curled up next to you, where you clung to him like a koala, desperate to not be alone. 

Yoongi stood, gasping, at his door, unable to catch his breath. He was familiar enough with panic attacks to know that this wasn’t one, but he nevertheless sank to the floor and began walking himself through it. He focused on the inhale and the exhale, the counting that accompanied each usually uncomplicated step of breathing. He needed to focus on that. Anything so that he didn’t have to focus on what had just happened.  

Panic. That was one word for it. Insanity. That might have been another. Stupidity, certainly. He hadn’t expected it, could not have seen it coming even from a mile off. Nothing had seemed different. You were the same as you ever were; things between the two of you were normal. 

And then you asked him that.  

And he’d wanted to say yes. He was trying to. He wanted to open up to you and respond in kind and see if maybe something, anything, could have happened.  

But he couldn’t. The words got stuck in his throat. He couldn’t force them out, couldn’t make himself say it. He could see it all crumbling; as if he had been watching from outside his body, he had seen it. He had seen himself fail, let you down, lie to you.  

And he couldn’t explain it. He didn’t understand the gut-wrenching, visceral fear that had gripped him when you spoke, when you looked up at him—timid and shy like he had never seen you before—and asked if he ever thought about you, said that you had feelings for him. Like a pair of icy hands, one on his heart and one around his throat, it took such strong hold of him that he literally felt strangled: couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do a thing that might have led him to happiness. 

And then you left. In tears. Because of Yoongi. He wouldn’t forgive himself for that. He probably wouldn’t forgive himself for any of it, but his own pain, he could handle. He was used to that. Causing you pain? Before tonight he would have said it was unthinkable. He would never.  

But he had. He had lied; he had rejected you; he had let you run out of his apartment with barely a word said.  

He had lost you. That was it. He couldn’t see redemption, couldn’t see a way to walk this back. Not a hurt this big. Not a stupid, pointless, embarrassing lie like this was. It was over.  

He couldn’t forgive himself for that either.  

* 

He stayed on the floor in the hallway until his legs started screaming for him to move, then a little longer. It wasn’t until Cherry came to chase him into bed that he stood up, walking straight through the apartment to his bedroom, not looking anywhere but straight ahead, not daring to glance at the scene of the crime, the scene of his immodest failure, a scene the very thought of which made him feel sick.  

He fell onto his bed and stayed there until Sunday.  

Chapter Eleven | Masterlist | Chapter Thirteen

Taglist: @chimmisbae, @idkjustlovingbts @miriamxsworld, @tarahardcore, @simp47koreancrackheads, @xyahrinx, @olyd, @diorh0seokie, @thelilbutifulthings, @acquiescence804 

[blackflash9]

Reflections of the Kenway Family

A fascinating aspect of the saga is how each Kenway encounters someone on their journey who mirrors another family member and their respective character arc.

Connor meets Thomas Hickey — a man whose vanity and hedonistic greedy nature are very reminiscent of Edward and are a dark look into what he could've been if he had given entirely into his selfish desires. The way that Hickey's cynical nature contrasts with Connor's idealism is also a very similar dynamic to Edward's interactions with other characters such as Adewale, Mary Reed, Anto, and Ah Tabai.

Edward meets Duncan Walpole - a disillusioned Assassin-turned-Templar, foreshadowing the fate that will later befall his son. Edward's act of killing Duncan and posing as an Assassin mirrors what Haytham will become in the future. Another notable parallel between them is the theme of betrayal.

Reginald Birch's betrayal of Edward transforms Haytham into a Templar, while Walpole's betrayal inadvertently turns Edward into an Assassin. Unlike Duncan, whose commitment to the Creed is nonexistent, self-serving, and morally compromised, Haytham's ideological convictions in the Templar Order are resolute, unwavering, and uncompromising.

Haytham encounters Shay - an idealist with unwavering convictions, dedicated to protecting the innocent at any cost. Shay serves as a dark reflection of what Connor might have become without introspection, failing to forge his own identity. This lack of self-discovery makes Shay's virtues easily manipulated by others. In contrast, Connor continuously grapples with the demands of the Assassin's Creed and the diverse intentions and motivations of the people he meets on his journey, questioning and seeking to understand the world around him. ______________________________________________________________ ['On Johnson's Trail' Transcript] Connor: I was hoping you could help me locate William Johnson. Samuel: Of course. I'm headed to a meeting with some men who should be able to help. Why don't you come along? It's good to see the people finally taking a stand against injustice... Connor: Says the man who owns a slave. Samuel: Who, Surry? I practice what I preach, my friend. She's not a slave, but a freed woman... At least on paper. Men's minds are not so easily turned. It is a tragedy that for all our progress, still we cling to such barbarism. Connor: Then speak out against it. Samuel: We must focus first on defending our rights. When this is done, we'll have the luxury of addressing these other matters. Connor: You speak as though your condition is equal to that of the slaves. It is not. Samuel: Tell that to my neighbor—who was compelled to quarter British troops. Or to my friend whose store was closed because he displeased the Crown. The people here are no freer than Surry. Connor: You offer excuses instead of solutions. All people should be equal and not in turns. ______________________________________________________________ ['The Midnight Ride' Transcript] Connor: I thought it might bring clarity. Or instill a sense of accomplishment. But all I feel is regret.

Achilles: Hold fast to that. Such sacrifices must never come lightly.

Connor: I had to do it. Not only for my people, but for all the others Johnson would have harmed. ______________________________________________________________ ['Alternate Methods' Transcript]

Connor: I have been reunited with my father, but do not yet know if this bodes well or ill. Our goals are aligned, at least so far as independence is concerned. But he continues to defend Charles Lee— the man who murdered my mother and burned my village... Still, he makes a point about Washington and those who back him. I hear much talk of freedom and equality, but it seems one must be a landed white man to benefit. What of someone like me? Or Surry? What role for us in this new world? Is my father right, then? There is so much I must consider and so little time in which to do it. ______________________________________________________________ In contrast to Connor, Shay falls victim to their own self-induced tunnel vision, becoming ensnared in fanaticism and operating under a pragmatic "ends justify the means" mentality that he turned against his own Brotherhood for harboring. This vulnerability renders him a perfect tool and pawn for the Templars, diverging sharply from Connor's path of self-awareness, principles, and independence.

[novaonhere]

Hello there! I was wondering if you were taking any requests? I've read your Cal Kestis stories and they are really good! So I was wondering if I could request one? If so may I please request a story in which Cal is forced to watch the reader getting captured and stops at nothing to save them? Then at the end it's all fluffy and cute. Sorry I'm a sucker for these stories. Thank you for your time!

Backstabber

Relationship: Cal Kestis x f!reader

Summary: After Bode’s betrayal, Bode takes the reader against her will, leaving Cal mortified and restless. He does everything in his power to get her back.

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: Mentions of blood, gun close/pointed at you, bitch boy Bode

A/N: My first request! Thank you for sending it in, and sorry it took so long. Feel free to send any in, but for right now I’ll just be sticking to Cal. Hopefully in the future once I figure out how to use Tumblr more I can feel more comfortable branching out and stuff like that. For now, enjoy!

Prompt: Request

(gif not mine)

————————————————————————

You head towards the archives room, and surprisingly, well rested. Everything was actually going alright for once; you actually slept well and woke up smiling like an idiot. Cal actually slept well too, which bettered both of your moods.

It made you extremely happy that your boyfriend actually found a way to properly rest. Sure, he could relax with you, but this sort of relief was something you’ve never seen

You had the compass, you had fantastic friends that supported you, and you found a way to a place you’ll finally feel safe in; a home.

Practically bouncing into the room, Cere caught your eye and gave you a grin.

“Someone is happy~” she giggled, wiggling her eyebrows. Rolling you eyes, you shoved her arm lightly, causing you both to laugh. Merrin walks up to you from a nearby hallway.

“Good morning,” she states. She also seemed in a much better mood. It felt like sunshine was radiating in the entire facility. You knew what it was, hope.

You three chit chatted as more and more people came, Bode being the last to arrive. You have him a quick and formerly wave, but he walked right up next to you, a blank stare coated on his face.

“Sleep alright?” You ask, patting his back lightly. He hums, looking at his watch. Weird. You turn your attention back to the lively group.

A radar sound erupts from the speakers above, shutting the group up.

"How?" Cere mumbles under her breath. Your hand rests to your lightsaber by your side, giving a worried expression towards Merrin. As everyone starts to scramble a plan together, you feel a hard, cold metal press to your side. Raising an eyebrow, you turn your head to the source.

"Bode?" You question, trying to step off to the side. His free hand clasps your shoulder, causing you to yelp. As soon as everyone turns to face you, your lightsaber flies from your side and off to the other side of the room. Merrin's hands erupt into green flames and the other Jedis bring out their lightsabers.

"No sudden movements," Bode glares to the group, pulling you back and closer to him. Panic washes over your body, how did your lightsaber just fly away? Cal looks paler than snow, even his freckles disappear.

"Bode... Please..." Cal takes a small step towards the man. Bode brings the blaster up to your head, pressing it hard into your temple, causing you to wince. The redhead stops, his hands obviously shaking.

"The compass?" Bode turns his attention to Cordova, who helplessly holds the object with both his hands. The old man frowns, clearly unable to figure out what to do.

"Don't, Cardova." The metal presses harder onto your head, shutting your eyes in pain. Cere calls out to Merrin to stand down and take care of the troopers. With many seconds of hesitation, she follows the order.

Cal can't hear anything; he can only feel. The tightness of his chest, the shortness of his breath, the rapid beating of his heart, the warmth draining away. The one thing he didn't want anyone to harm, to take away from him, was in danger. Bringing as much energy back to his arm, he slowly reaches for his lightsaber, never breaking eye contact with you. His light eyes wide with panic, and yours begging not to do anything irrational. Bode seemed to sense the danger about to be imposed to him, and there was a blast.

You took the deepest breath you ever could, but the pain never came. The metal seemed to release and reconnect, burning hot. You didn't care, you watched as your older friend fell to the ground, his eyes as wide as saucers. Cere gasps, rushing to him. It was as if time slowed down; Cardova's knees collided with the ground, launching his upper body forward and down to the ground. His grip loosened, sending the compass rolling towards you. Keeping the blaster on you, Bode bends down and scoops it up.

Cal's instincts kicked in and his pupils disappeared. All there was was rage, a rage to fuel the bright star in all the galaxies. Bode shoves the compass into your hands and directs you both towards the door.

"You run, or Cere and Merrin die." Bode snaps at you. Without much thought, your legs kicked into gear. You knew he couldn't just kill Cal, that's why he didn't threaten him, right? And you couldn't do that to your best friends. Shouting and gun fire echoed through the halls as Bode dragged you towards a speeder.

"(Y/N)!" Cal calls, following close behind. You try to get out of Bode's reach, but he shoots a laser an inch from your foot: a warning shot.

You promised to live, for Cal, for your friends, for the Republic. You thought that's what Bode wanted to. He shoves you on, grabbing the compass from you and shoving it in his pocket. Without much warning, he takes off, causing you to grasp onto his jacket for dear life.

"WHY ME?" You call out, constantly looking behind to watch your boyfriend trying to catch up. His face is red, sweat beading down his face.

"Who else will help train my daughter? She needs the best," He calmly states, launching the speeder over a rock.

"Your daughter?!" You call out in rage. "When she finds out how I became her teacher-"

"YOU WILL DIE THEN!" He turns to face you, bearing his teeth. His eyes are of a wild animal's, instinct, rage, survival. You pursed your lips, looking behind to see Cal catching up.

You were not normally scared, but this was a first of someone so close to you had betrayed you. Suddenly, a rock from the cliffside above falls in front of you, blocking the path. You knew it was Cal. Bode screams out profanities, taking a different turn.

Cal's hair is either plastered to his forehead or flying in the wind behind him. His body was shaking, he hands slipping off the handles of the speedster. The was only a few thoughts in your boyfriend's head: (Y/N), Betrayal, Bode. He couldn't lose you; of all people to lose, he just COULDN'T lose you too. You were practically his other half, the calm to the storm of his life. He told Bode how much he loved you, that he wanted a future with you, to help those around you, and he just took you. The wind slapped him in the face in all directions but he didn't care. His eyes were trained to the back of your head, then your face when you would turn around. He finally lost it when he saw tears brimming in your eyes. He risked everything reaching out his hand and commanding the speeder to slam on the brakes.

You and Bode flung forward, staying on the speedster. You immediately followed Cal's lead and commanded the speedster to stop. Bode tried but failed to get it going, he turned around and held the blaster to your forehead.

"It's not me, I swear." You cry out, scrunching your eyelids together. You heard another shot, but this time a couple of rocks exploded beside you. Opening your eyes, you see Bode's bewilderment of his gun directed the wrong way. He looks up, facing Cal, lightsaber in hand. Bode pushes you off the speedster onto the ground, sand flying in your face.

"CAL!" Bode calls out, a red light erupting from his side. Both you and the redhead stare in disbelief. Suddenly, a force so strong clasps around your neck, causing you to gasp for air. You look towards your captor, who has his hand reached out, lifting it towards the sky. You begin to levitate off the ground, your hands reaching for your throat. Cal yells a blood-curdling scream and charges the Sith. Then, you're flying towards the cliffside. Your last sight was Bode switching his attention towards your boyfriend, who was about to strike.

————————————————————————

Slowly blinking your eyes, the first thing you could feel was the pounding sensation in your head. From what you could see when you did open your eyes was a handsome redhead covered in blood. Ignoring your pain, you snapped up, staring at Cal. His face was dripping with blood, both fresh and dried. He was smiling, the color returning to his face.

"Are you okay?" You ask, bring your hand up to his busted lip. He winces but nods, tears finally falling down his cheeks. He sniffles, trying to dry them, but you beat him to it.

"I couldn't lose you," He whispers, just staring at your face. You reach up to him, embracing him in a tight hug.

"You didn't, you'd never," You respond, rubbing his back. You part, giving each other long, meaningful stares, soft smiles plastered on your faces.

"He got away," Cal grumbles, brushing his hand to your temple, causing your head to ache even more. You wince.

"But we're alive," You sigh. Cal leans down, meeting his chapped and kind of bloody lips to yours. It was a simple, thank goodness your still here, but I don't want you to taste blood, kiss.

"Come on, we got to check on Cere and Merrin," He reaches for your hand, bringing you both up to your feet. His fingers intertwine with your for a brief moment before you both jog towards his speedster.

[animatedjen]

HYYYY!!! I appreciate your content...especially your latest post of Dagan Gera...I am such a fan of him...I wish they didn't kill him off so soon but...they're just trying to build something! Idk what...I post stuff of him as well if you want to follow...(or not)😊✌️

Dagan's character arc has grown on me a lot over the past few months. He's the last remnant of a forgotten history - in many ways his story has already happened by the time we meet him in Survivor. A powerful Jedi, filled with hope for a new world and new future, who feels betrayed by his community and ultimately by his closest friend. He is what Bode becomes, and what Cal could become.

But we only get Dagan for his final chapter, the beginning of his end. If anyone else but Cal had found him in that bacta tank, he would've easily reclaimed Tanalorr and gotten his home and his army: a misguided attempt to build that "bastion of order" that he and Santari dreamed of. But Tanalorr can't bring Santari back, and Dagan is left with a haunting "what-if" that drives him to his ultimate end.

I do wish we'd gotten more interactions that weren't just "Tanalorr is mine!" and I'm guessing his narrative was condensed to make sure Survivor's Act 3 had maximum impact. But I'll give Respawn credit for the finality of his story, and how his (corrupted) intentions for Tanalorr inspires Cal to offer it to the Hidden Path.

Fallen Order revolves around Cal exploring Zeffo ruins, learning about their civilization's rise and downfall. Survivor has Cal exploring High Republic ruins and learning about Dagan's rise and fall. He's the warning beacon that will likely echo into Jedi 3.

(Thanks for enjoying the photos! I don't post Dagan too often but he's a big piece of Traitor Inquisitorius Pt2, so keep an eye out for that :)

[colectingstrz]

AND THERE WERE TWO

➤ (🧟‍♀️) GENRE: Fluff | PARING: semi strangers to lovers | Heeseung x fem reader | WC: 1.2k | SUMMARY: Something that was only showcased in the show and movies was now your dark and unpleasant reality yet unexpectedly you found yourself feeling something else other than fear

SOO’s SMOL NOTEY📝:

𖤐 I started rewatching all of us are dead and had this idea this vishion- my mind immediately went to heeseung plus like he gives such Lee su hyeok like vibes low-keyyyy anddd I swear it’s been like more than a year where’s season 2 at 😔

IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU that today zombies would be a thing you would have laughed in their faces and told them they are crazy... We’ll look who’s the crazy one now?

Things were going well, you had faith that you and your four friends, and three others would make it through. However, as it grew darker and began to rain, you started to lose your friends and classmates one by one, until you were the only one left with Heeseung. Now, the two of you are resting against the radio room's corner.

“Heeseung..” you sighed and shook your head, "I'm scared what if we go out again and we die this time.. I don't want to die " he inched closer and put his arm around you causing your bodes to mold into eacother "Don't think like that.. we won't die we are going to make it out here alive have hope," he said.

“ There is no hope both our friends' are gone.. it’s only a matter of time until we die to” You were afraid; you didn't want to starve to death, much less pass away and become a brainless zombie for the rest of your days. It was difficult to maintain your composure you were terrified of the future. You couldn't understand how Heeseung wasn't panicking right then. The more you sat there, the more uncomfortable you felt.

Heeseung approaches unexpectedly closer as he holds your face in his hands; the coldness of his fingers made you shiver because as it was an abnormal temperature, but all you could think about at the time was how close your faces were to one another. “Hey, I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you. ” He assured “I will protect you until the very end, so you don’t have to worry”

You couldn't help but look elsewhere because of how uneasy his gaze made you feel. You felt a little tingle in your stomach, but you weren't sure if it was fear from the situation you were in or something else…

You pull away awkwardly “ okay..if I die because you didn’t protect me like you said..you will be the first person I bite ” heeseung laughs slightly the sight making you smile also. Heeseung suddenly stands up "I have an idea, hold on a second." He walks to the other side of the room and reaches into a drawer, pulling out a red, thick rope. "Are you going to tie me up or something..why are you waving a rope at me," Heeseung giggles.

“ you wish.. but I actually wanted to tie us together” you roll your eyes “im not into that kind of stuff..” you spoke lowly to which heeseung smirks approaching you as he knelt down to your level "I didn't mean it like that… How naughty of you" harshly you hit him on the chest “Shut up!" He laughs once more, "If we tie our hands together with this rope, it will make sure you don't get dragged by a zombie again, allowing you to stay by my side and feel less afraid” You nodded, struggling to conceal the flush on your cheeks.

You felt a warm, fuzzy feeling inside at the fact that he did this just for you and your protection. You questioned whether he was merely being polite or if there was more going on. After finally completing the knot, Heeseung squeezed it "Is it too tight? Should I make it looser? ” You chuckle, "It's fine” He nods and then sits down once more, leaning his head against the wall. "I can handle it. The tighter it is, the less likely I am to slip away," he laughs lightly.

“You know i always thought you were some douchebag” he gasps dramatically while placing his hands on his chest. "I'm upset you would think such a thing of me, y/n.," you laugh “ I just assumed that everyone on the basketball team was self-centered, but you're different” he sighs “at least, your perceptions of me has changed, although mine of you has remained the same," he smiles. You turn to face him.

“ what do you mean? I was so sure you didn’t know who I was until this zombie thing happened” He advanced to closer to you “I always knew who you were..kind and caring who always tries her best beautiful and smart and who's really good at science ” A bashful smile now graced his features, as well as a tint of crimson on his ears.

your heart was running laps after hearing is words it made you happy. However, in such a short period of time, you found yourself feeling a way around him, as he constantly asked how you were doing and risking his life and just being so caring towards you. At times, you found it yourself feeling nervous when he would look at you. Just like now

But this only served to affirm that the feelings was at least somewhat mutual, and it simultaneously made you sad since you were worried that Heeseung might die while defending you. Leaving you to be on your own; for fear of the worst scenario, you didn't want to grow attached to him.

“Heeseung..i- “ it’s fine we don’t have to talk about it right now let’s just focus on finding some food yeah?” You nod, and he stands up and extends his hand to you to assist you in getting up. You loved the feeling of his hands on yours you didn’t want to let go “can I..keep holding your hand” He nods "Of course I wasn't planning on letting go, your keeping me warm," he smiles as you grinned back. The sensation of his chilly hands on yours made your heart race.

“You ready?” He pauses for a moment before speaking “I am but I need a boost” you raise a brow “a boost? What do you mean?” He smirks “ a good luck kiss ” you laugh as you hit his shoulder “ I think that’s a bit to early we haven’t even gone on a date yet..” he turns to you as his eyes shinned in anticipation “ so your saying.. you want to go on a date with me ” you smile as you place a small peck on his cheek “yes if we mange to make it out of here I want to go on many dates with you heeseung.”

As your wrists are still bound, you nearly drag him behind you as you turn around and walk forward. Unaware that he was blushing excessively, Heeseung was relieved that you had looked away from him so that you couldn't notice his transformation into a tomato or the darkening of his eyes.

Little did you know heeseung had been bit yet somehow hadn’t turned.. Despite having the temptation to bite you strongly in his mind, Heeseung was trying everything in his ability to resist, even if it meant starving himself in the process

@COPYRIGHTS SOOTREEPEAR 2023

- steal my work and ill come to your house and suck your blood 🧛‍♀️

𖤐 I had the most angsty ending but decided to change my mind last minute 😭 so here is the happy version!!

- peace and love ♡︎

𖤐link to my other works

[mediumtires]

Is there any change in the continuation of seven years in account of the leaks? I understand that it's a hard decision to make. I'm just curious, but I would honestly follow any endvours you decided to write about now or in the future

sigh sigh sigh sigh sigh.

many thoughts on this. many many thoughts. first of all, i do believe the leaks are real and the messages and screenshots are real and christian horner fucked up big time. frankly he should’ve been let go weeks ago and the fact that he’s still there disgusts me. sure we don’t know the full scope of the situation and as some of you may know i do have my theories but all of that is speculation and bottom line is christian horner should be long gone by now. and yet he isn’t.

naively i was hoping all of this would be over once the investigation was concluded but in a shocking turn of events that didn’t happen did it. the house that is red bull racing is not just on fire, it’s burning down to the ground as we speak.

i’ve been thinking a lot about what this means for seven years - i can’t in good conscience keep writing a series with christian horner as one of the main protagonists. the whole thing has already changed the way i write his pov and the way i think of him as i read and edit, which doesn’t bode well for seven years.

that being said i would like to bring seven years to its end on my terms and i’ve decided that is what i’m going to do. i would like to wrap up weather warnings as it’s mostly written already and i wouldn’t want to abandon or delete it - as for anything that happens beyond that? i don’t know yet. as you guys probably know i like to stick to real events as much as possible to drive the plot but obviously out of respect for the victim that’s not going to happen this time. so bear with me for a little while as i try to figure this whole thing out in a way that allows me to bring the series to its end on my terms.

so in conclusion. i won’t abandon seven years but we’re nearing the end. i will finish writing and uploading weather warnings, probably in one go. as for one last part after that - bear with me.

as always i’d love to hear your thoughts.

[markantonys]

Gonna be a hater for 2 seconds, but if they can push the Harfoots storyline into the 2nd Age, surely they can push for a corrupted Elf storyline as well, someone who survived both Morgoth and Sauron, we don't even know his name yet, they can't already take him away :(

adar truly is one of the most fascinating and complicated characters in the show, i'd hate to lose him so soon! i want to keep peeling back the layers of that onion man! but if he loses the orcs in 2x08, i am somewhat hard-pressed to think of what story could still be left to tell with him in the present day, unless he were to embark on a redemption arc & allying with the heroes. which is not out of the question - i've heard talk from Source Material Knowers that it's plausible or even canon that some orcs fought on the side of the light in the big final battle of this age? so it'd be neat if a redeemed adar led a light-side faction of orcs in the final battle in season 5! however, i keep seeing people say the showrunners said the final scene of s2 mirrors the first scene of s2, and i've never seen the source for that info so idk if it's true that they said that, but if is............well, then it does NOT bode well for our boy (on the other hand, if you say "mirror to the opening scene" then every single person who has seen the opening scene will immediately think "adar dying at the hands of the orcs", so if that truly is what happens, why on earth would they have made such a spoilery comment that would so easily lead people to guessing that?)

anyway, these are the paths i can think of atm:

sauron takes full control of the orcs in 2x08 and adar dies

sauron takes full control of the orcs in 2x08 but adar survives and will embark on a redemption arc

sauron does not take control of the orcs in 2x08, but they abandon adar (who could either die, or survive and embark on a redemption arc) and are leaderless going into s3

some kind of orc schism where some remain with a surviving adar (who will embark on a redemption arc with them) but another faction led by glug go off to join sauron (whether right now or in s3 after being leaderless for a while)

adar doesn't lose any orcs quite yet, but their trust in him is majorly damaged and s3 will see a bigger storyline of sauron manipulating them over to his side

wildcard path: adar is celeborn ayyyy you never know okay?

the big deciding factors are a) will sauron have any time in his 2x08 schedule to get the orcs on his side, or is he too booked and that will be held as a bigger slow-manipulation storyline for a future season? b) will we see orcs ultimately end up on both sides of the brewing war or will they all join sauron? c) once sauron gets the orcs, can there be any story left for adar or does he have to exit when that happens?

the reason i added "redemption arc" onto every scenario of adar surviving and having lost some orcs is that i'm just not sure how much longer they could keep up this "third party antagonist of both the main protagonists and the main antagonist" vibe once he's lost some/all orcs to sauron. if he were to suffer a big loss but survive into s3, i'd imagine there would have to be a status quo shakeup big enough to generate more story for him, and the most obvious one i can think of is him finding himself needing to ally with the heroes for real.

as for the harfoots, i'll admit they're the storyline i'm least interested in, but i feel very protective of them because of how much hate they get! they DO serve an important and unique story function - being the breath of light and hope and naivety and innocence amidst all the heaviness and darkness in the other storylines. being the Normal People rising to the occasion and becoming heroes by choice, as opposed to all the legendary figures who were born with great power/influence. they are so thematically important! and i'm sure they'll get intertwined with the main storylines in future seasons and start gelling better with the rest of the story.

[frazzledsoul]

Super hot Literati take: I don't see any sort of fatalism attached to their final scene in the OS. Yes, Rory treated him badly, yes she feels bad about it, yes she she's sorry and she knows she hurt him and he deserves better than that, yes she acknowledges she's not ready to give up on Logan but honestly...he's not angry, he's not trying to break up her relationship, yes it's disappointing but it's not really the end of the world. I don't see this as any sort of signal that they can't work it out at some point in the future and form some kind of friendship before then.

More to the point, though....this really wasn't the best time they be starting things up again. Even if Rory had stayed broken up with Logan over the bridesmaids issue, the fact that it was so recently in the past doesn't bode well, and if she had left Logan for Jess I don't think things would have gone well at all. There would be too much pressure, too much possibility for mistrust and resentment, and then you have Luke and Lorelai's breakup to throw more angst into the mix which they likely wouldn't have shared the same sympathies. It's just way too heavy of a situation to throw on two people who were just getting to know each other again.

The real potential is actually after the end of the OS, when Rory is a free agent and has put her Yale era relationship behind her, and Luke and Lorelai are reconciled so Jess and Rory won't feel that have to choose sides. The fact that it didn't work out a year earlier doesn't mean that future can't exist.

And if you accept AYITL as canon...well co-parenting with an ex is a thing a lot of people do. I'm not sure all hope is lost there, either.

[thefluffynappy]

3/15

Thats 20% of the sentence done. I hope it doesnt mean im just 20% horny right now. That wouldn't bode well for the future 😅

Today, I wore a nappy with boosters, which makes caged clit stimulation so delightfully unsatisfying, and one very, very slippery plug.

In case you didn't know, Nappy + Loose Plug = Endless Entertainment. It wont stay in, it wont come out 🥰

Made me think of some fun games for when I'm practicing the other skills.

Didn't go to bed plugged, so karma decided do wake me up with my straining alarm clitty. Somehow it's much more effective than a regular alarm clock 😋

Here are my thighs with JJ Abrams lens flares. I'm dieting/exercising those away, so say goodbye 😥