#Like he was so happy to completely forget about his family this season it kind of undermines the idea that he was thinking about their need

[cuculine-nelipot]

Lowkey obsessed with Ed and Stede adopting a child *cough*de-aged Izzy*cough* and at first Ed defers to Stede's experience, but over time he starts sounding more and more like Mary ("Stede, you need to play with him, you need to spend more time with him, can you read him a bedtime story? But no that one, you know it gives him nightmares") prompting Stede to run away again.

[stanfordsweater]

i think it's interesting to say that we don't see dean vulnerable often because, especially in the early seasons but continuing to the end of the show, i feel like we see him vulnerable all the time-- we're granted the gift of being the camera all those times he's close to tears, a stand-out example being in what is and what should never be when we see him on his knees crying over fake!john's grave, but there are many many other examples of him being very vulnerable/cracked-open to the audience that i feel people do a real disservice to by forgetting.

right off the bat we see him vulnerable in the pilot when he talks about pursuing john and sam reminds him he's going back to school:

where he has to take a second and remind himself that he doesn't get sam back, because sam has a life, and dean collects himself but won't even look at sam beyond a derisive glance when he says "i'll take you home."

what is this moment if not planting the seeds for when dean later says, in shadow, that what he really wants is sam with him and his family back together?

SAM: I mean, what are you gonna do when it’s all over? DEAN: It’s never gonna be over. There’s gonna be others. There’s always gonna be somethin’ to hunt. SAM: But there’s got to be somethin’ that you want for yourself— DEAN: Yeah, I don’t want you to leave the second this thing’s over, Sam. SAM: Dude, what’s your problem? DEAN: Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think I came and got you at Stanford in the first place? SAM: ‘Cause Dad was in trouble. ‘Cause you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom. DEAN: Yes, that, but it’s more than that, man. You and me and Dad—I mean, I want us… I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again. SAM: Dean, we are a family. I’d do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before. DEAN: (sadly) Could be. SAM: I don’t want them to be. I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you’re gonna have to let me go my own way.

and what is THIS moment if not dean being vulnerable? when he's reminded that the "something he wants for himself" is completely impossible because sam doesn't want it and dad left without a word by choice?

my best guess is that people don't read these moments as dean being vulnerable because he's turned away from sam-- in the pilot, he looks out the window and purses his lips and takes sam back to school. in shadow, he physically turns away from sam and grabs at the dresser and his expression shuts down when sam says no.

that doesn't mean that dean is necessarily angry or feeling possessive over sam, it's because dean can't show his vulnerability to sam (at this point in the show), because he has to be strong and he has to keep a lid on his problems or people die. deep down dean feels like wanting anything for himself is selfish and impossible. going back to what is and what should never be, that is the thesis of the entire episode: dean gets his deepest wish, and hundreds of people die. and he is broken over it.

DEAN All of them. Everyone that you saved, everyone Sammy and I saved. They're all dead. (...) It's like my old life is, is coming after me or something. Like it doesn't want me to be happy. Course I know what you'd say. Well, not the you that played softball but… "So go hunt the Djinn. He put you here, it can put you back. Your happiness for all those people's lives, no contest." Right? But why? Why is it my job to save these people? Why do I have to be some kind of hero? (begins to cry while talking) What about us, huh? What, Mom's not supposed to live her life, Sammy's not supposed to get married? Why do we have to sacrifice everything, Dad? (pause) It's… (Dean's lips tremble. Silence. We hear the sky rumbling. Tears begin to falls on DEAN's cheek.) Yeah…

but where my sam-as-POV theory about why people keep saying dean isn't vulnerable dies is that we see these moments, so how do other people interpret them? is it just a case of not remembering? do some people think i'm totally off-base with this?

[elicypher]

ALWAYS THE FOOL WITH THE SLOWEST HEART — ALBERT J. MORIARTY

📼: angst, yearning, unrequited love, complicated feelings

📼: he loves you but you've fallen for his brother instead.

📼: okay ouch </3 ty for the request, anon :)

albert will never truly finish falling in love with you.

when you ran alongside him past the old, weathered houses lining the summer fields with the afternoon air in your hair, he knew he would never stop falling in love with you. or the time you two sat, cross-legged on the carpet in the drawing room, drawing doodles of each other with bright crayons on paper that had been torn from albert's workbook..

you were etched into his heart, into his soul — he was sure he would forget his own name before forgetting yours.

and when talks of you and albert becoming engaged were brought up between your parents and his, he felt happiness so overwhelming it almost overshadowed the suffocating, negative emotions he'd feel upon merely looking around at the state of his family, at the state of britain. you shared the same sentiment too, and he was happy to see that.

"what are you giggling about?" you'd ask one summer morning when the two of you were in your preteens, having a picnic on a hilltop, protected by the shade.

was it obvious — that giddiness on his face? "i'm not sure what you're talking about." he leaned back on his palms, trying to play it cool. but he knew he was doing anything but convincing you, especially when his fingers tightened around the plaid picnic blanket you two were sitting on.

he loved you dearly, and perhaps you loved him a little too.

seasons changed and time went on, while you were enjoying breakfast with your family one morning — your father broke the news of what happened to the moriarty manor, about the fire engulfed albert's family, how albert, his adoptive brother louis and 'william' were the survivors.

you rushed to him the very next day, worried about him.

"you're sure you're fine? no injuries whatsoever?"

it was the umpteenth time you'd ask him that question, and yet his answer always remained the same: "i'm fine, (name)." a few scratches meant nothing if you were here.

the topic of engagement was dismissed, but albert didn't mind one bit. he was just happy being around you. it seemed like things were finally becoming better for him.

he introduced you to youngest brother louis soon after, his new and found family, and you were very happy for him. he, too, seemed much happier than before — much at peace. louis was a bit distant yet respectful and william, well...

he was really nice, you thought when you initially met him. he was kind, polite, gentle. he was a really good person.

years passed, and all four of you grew up.

now albert watches from the kitchen window, absentmindedly staring at you and william walking side to side in the backyard without a destination in mind.

"can you pass me the salt?"

"..." albert tears his eyes away from the two, smiling at louis. he'd insisted on helping prepare dinner because he could not afford to be alone with his thoughts, neither could his heart handle being close to you two. "yes, here it is."

the way the two of you moved together, so in sync and enamored with each other made albert's chest tighten. he'd sneak in a few stolen glances every once and then, even though it hurt him to, he couldn't help it.

meanwhile, he remain on the sidelines, the perpetual third wheel, the one who could never quite find the courage to make his move. always the fool, always the one with the heart that seemed to beat a step behind everyone else's.

he watches as william places a kiss on your forehead and how your face visibly brightens at such a simple action. a part of him wishes he could be the one to make your eyes glitter like that, to hold you in his arms like william gets to. but he knows that is nothing more than a distant dream.

william is a good man, he's everything. he knows that your heart will be completely safe with his younger brother and yet, he doesn't know whether to feel pity at himself or be happy for the two of you, happy that you found each other.

and as if knowing the turmoil albert is feeling, louis gently pats his eldest brother's shoulder. "brother.."

"it's alright." albert let out a deep, heavy sigh, and when he turns his gaze back towards louis. the youngest brother saw tears forming in albert's eyes. he also noticed a slight tremble in the wry smile that albert fought hard to maintain.

at that, louis fell silent immediately.

the wedding preparations were complete and only a few days later, you would be somebody else's entirely.

for the sake of your happiness and that of his younger brother's, he is resolved to let you go. he knows that the depth of his feelings for you will only bring him ruin, and he knows that he will let it. yet, not a single speck of his sorrow will ever burden you: he will make sure of it. this act of release will be his final, ultimate expression of love for you.

and as softly as it started and as heartbreakingly it will end:

yes, it is true. he will never truly finish falling in love with you.

© 𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐍 ;; do not repost, translate or modify my works in any way or any platform. all rights reserved.

[andreafmn]

12 Days of Ficmas ❅ Day 4

Word Count: 1.6K Paring:  Lip Gallagher x Fem!Reader Prompt @a-cure-for-writers-block:  mothering their S/Os younger siblings and making sure they're getting enough to eat

Summary:  Lip Gallagher has had a hell of a year, and most of the time he doesn't think he deserve the mercy he's been shown. But (Y/N) will stop at nothing to make sure he and his family know they are taken care of. And he knows it.

A/N: a bit late, but still published. Also, this is very short and sweet and does not follow the canon after season 5. Kind of went off path to give Lip a bit of a quicker redemption. Hope y'all enjoy!

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“Yo, Lip,” Ian’s sleepy voice rang through his brother’s phone. “Uh, your girlfriend is over here, and I think she’s gone crazy.” 

“What you mean?” Lip chuckled as he rubbed his hands together to warm them up. “‘Cause that’s a lot coming from you.” 

“Very funny,” he laughed sarcastically. “No, but she made Christmas puke on the house, and she’s been cooking nonstop since this morning. She hounded us all morning until we ate breakfast and wouldn’t stop until we sat down at the table.” ” 

Lip couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face as he pictured his girlfriend with her face dirtied by food, her hair tied back and away from her face, and her voice carrying around the house as she made sure everyone had eaten. It was one of the things he loved about her and one of the reasons he was glad she had come into his life. “Look, I’ll be home soon,” he chuckled. “Can you just make sure she actually eats? I know she’s gonna forget.” 

“Fine,” Ian groaned. “Just hurry up.” 

(Y/N) had come into Lip’s life at a moment when he was sure his life would have gone down the rails. She has become his sense of normalcy in his less-than-normal life. He had needed something to ground him back to earth, and that was exactly what she had done. After being so close to rock bottom he could taste the soil on the ground, she had been the only one that had been able to bring him back to his feet.  

As he got off the L, he wondered what she could have ever seen in him. She was smart and beautiful and a complete juxtaposition to the man he was. She was sunshine where he was rain, she was happiness where he was gloom, she was future while he was stuck in the past. And she was everything he never thought he needed. 

The moment he reached the house, he could hear the chatter from his family and the smell of (Y/N)’s cooking. Inside, Liam, Carl, and Ian were hypnotized by the TV while (Y/N) and Debbie talked away in the kitchen. 

Ian had not lied. The Gallagher house had been decorated like it had never been before. From garlands to stockings above the fireplace, to a massive Christmas tree in front of the stairs, it was a scene that had never lived inside that house. “Yo, you weren’t kidding, huh?” Lip chuckled as he shook off his jacket. “Didn’t think we’d ever have these many decorations.” 

“And presents,” Carl grinned. “Check under the tree.” 

Just like his younger brother had pointed, under the pine rested a couple of boxes wrapped in kraft paper. Each of them had every one of the Gallagher’s names written on them and a glittering red bow around them. It truly was more than Lip could have ever expected.  

“Ian, did she eat something?” 

“Yeah,” he said. “She’s also been pecking at everything she’s doing.”

“Alright, thanks.”

Taking the scenery in, Lip walked into the kitchen to find (Y/N) wearing a dirty apron and plates balanced on her arms. 

“You’re home,” she smiled, kissing his cheek as she walked past him to give the three boys each a plate. “Good. There’s a plate for you in the microwave. I made some turkey sandwiches for lunch. Light enough to not fill you guys up for dinner but strong enough to tide you over until then.” 

“Thanks, (Y/N),” the boys chorused before digging into their sandwiches and focusing back on the TV. 

“This is so good, (Y/N),” Debbie exclaimed from the breakfast table. “I don’t know how you’re not studying to be a chef.” 

“I cook for fun, not for work,” the young woman smiled. “That’s what engineering school is for.” 

“I’m just saying,” she shrugged. “If the genius stuff doesn’t work out, you could definitely be a chef.” 

“Thank you, Debs,” (Y/N) responded. “And speaking of school, how was your last final, babe? I know this semester has been a bit hard.”

Understatement of the century, Lip had thought. He couldn’t understand how he had not been expelled after everything he had done the year before. He had been so close to losing it all. Had it not been for (Y/N) stopping him before he smashed Youens car and speaking up on his behalf at the disciplinary meeting, he was sure he would have gotten a worse punishment than a semester suspension. She had been the saving grace he didn’t know he needed, and she was the reason he understood he needed help. 

Lip had inherited more than a hard life from his parents, he’d fallen victim to their addictive genetics and gone off the deep end with a bottle of liquor in hand. But somehow, she had been there to pull him up while he was down and walk beside him as he got back onto the right path. She stayed with him as he rebuilt himself into the man people believed he was. 

“I think it went pretty well,” he said before taking a bite of his sandwich. “Won’t know until after the break, but if midterms were anything to go by, I did good.” 

“That’s good. I’m pretty sure you did very well,” she smiled as she sat beside him, placing a hand on his and a coffee cup in front of his plate. “And I know you’re tired, but I’m gonna need you to help me prep the table for dinner tonight. Kev, V, and the girls are coming over. Fiona can’t make it, but she’ll try for actual Christmas Day or New Year's.” 

“You’ve got everything planned out already, don’t you?” Lip chuckled. “Not that I am surprised in any way, shape or form.” 

“I would have told you earlier, but I wanted you to focus on your exams,” she said before turning to the boys in the living room. “Hey, guys! Remember to wash your dishes when you’re done! I’m gonna need them for tonight.” 

“Yes, (Y/N),” they chorused back. 

“You got them very well trained,” Debbie laughed. “Where have you been all our lives?” 

“Just on the other side of town,” the girl smiled. “Now hurry and finish eating. We’ve got work to do.” 

After everyone finished their lunch and the how was suddenly dispersed of children, (Y/N) and Lip set off to work. While she waltzed around the kitchen, he rearranged the formal dining area to fit all the guests. As he walked around the house, the young man wanted to laugh. He remembered a time when that type of domesticity would have sent him running, searching for the easiest way to drown his fears of commitment and stability. But there he was, setting tables for a dinner party that his girlfriend had cooked, and he didn’t feel the jittery need to escape. He didn’t feel the anxious desire to feel alcohol burn its way down his throat and fill him with a mirage of confidence. He wanted to stay. 

“Hey,” he whispered after he had finished his task, snaking his arms around her waist and kissing her cheeks. “Thanks for doing this.” 

“Of course,” she smiled, leaning into the comfort and warmth of his touch. “Do you think there’s enough food I don’t know if I should set out some snacks for the kids while the turkey is finished. Maybe dinner is too late for Jemma and Amy. I should set some snacks out.” 

“(Y/N), baby,” he chuckled. Lip flipped her around, kissing her lips softly to stop her rambling. “There’s enough food, and they should be starving by dinner. You worked hard enough on all these dishes, they need to be eaten.” 

“And they will, but…” 

“You really enjoy mommying them, don’t you?” Lip grinned lovingly. “You know they’re not kids anymore –other than Liam. The other ones are all teenagers, they know how to get food when they’re hungry.” 

“I know that. But I just wanna make sure they know there’s someone here that cares about them other than you now that Fiona’s gone,” she admitted, her eyes falling onto the hands she pressed to his chest. “And I want them to like me, Lip. I’m in it for the long run, babe.” 

“If there’s one thing I can assure you, it’s that the Gallagher family loves you,” he smiled. His hand caressed her cheek softly, and it surprised him that only a year before, his knuckles would have been ripped and bloodied. But not with her. Never with her. “And if you keep cooking like this for them, they’ll make sure you’re here forever.” 

“And what about you? Would you want me to stay forever?” 

Lip couldn’t help the smile that spread across his mouth. As he stared into her eyes, it took everything inside him not to spoil the plans he had for Christmas morning. He wanted to give her all the reassurance she could need with the ring he had hidden deep in his underwear drawer. But when he had a plan, it was hard to divert from it. “How could I want anything else?” he grinned. “Now, why don’t we finish up here so we can have a little treat before dinner ourselves?” 

“Philip Gallagher,” she exclaimed at his advance, slapping his chest playfully. “I have too much work to do to be thinking about that.” 

“Come on, I’ve only been thinking about this all day,” he groaned. “It’s the only thing that got me through that test.” 

“Then you can wait a bit more,” she laughed. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while, baby. All good things come to those who wait.” 

And, at that moment, she had no idea how much truth there was in that statement. 

Next ->

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[celestial-quill-n-ink]

What They Think Of You (Season 1): 💳Mammon💳

✦ I'd say we're all keenly aware of how annoyed Mammon was at having to babysit the Human Exchange Student. Lucifer is always pushing the menial work off to him, as if he's the only one with more important things to do!

✦ Well, at least you were being compliant and causing little inconvenience to him so far, but really, a whole year of this? Yeah, he was going to drop you as soon as he found the chance to…

✦ …And then you made a pact with him.

✦ Not one of his proudest moments, he will admit, but now he'll have to pay more attention to you, or else he'll just have another person yanking on his chain and telling him what to do! At least, that's what he wants everyone else to believe.

✦ Because admittedly, he was very curious about you. In most social situations you were anxious yet agreeable, but in the moments where you were alone with him, you'd quickly gain the confidence to tease and joke around with him.

✦ And so the first time he sees you genuinely smile and laugh, he already knows that he's a goner. His greed never lies, after all.

✦ And the TSL Showdown sealed the deal for him. He didn't want to see you hurt, because he was the one supposed to protect you, and no one else. You were his problem to take care of, and he was gonna make damn sure that everyone else knew that, including you.

✦ And somehow, despite his foolproof logic, you had seemed so surprised by his confession...

✦ He was willing to accept all the jabs, all the jokes, all the insults if it meant that you would start to rely on him the same way he was starting to rely on you.

✦ He didn't realise it at the time, but he really just needed someone who would accept him for who he was without the constant attacks on his character: A fresh pair of eyes that were able to see him for more than his outward bravado and scummy acts.

✦ You were kind to him, you defended him, and you really seemed to be fond of him.

✦ And his brothers would question why you would defend him so frequently, how you shouldn't feed into his ego when he was so clearly in the wrong, but you would always reason your way out of things. He really started to admire your steadfast and caring nature.

✦ As long as you were there alongside him, he would go just about anywhere and do almost anything that you asked.

✦ The whole Belphie situation left an indelible impact on him. Because first of all, his baby brother had been hidden away without them even knowing (which made him utterly pissed at Lucifer, though he didn't let it completely show.)

✦ And then what Belphie did to you…

✦ Even if you would ultimately end up alive after it all, he doesn't think he'll ever forget the sight of your dying body in his arms, and how it made him feel. He was mourning his human, and he couldn't bring himself to do anything else but sob.

✦ And like everything else in the aftermath of that situation, he just held his feelings back and tried to not let it affect him. Because you were Lilith's descendent, which suddenly made everything better apparently!

✦ …But that did make him wonder; if he felt like this, so distraught and racked with guilt over what happened, then what in all the Three Realms were you feeling?

✦ His brothers mocked him for his stupidity, and while he may get ahead of himself at times, Mammon was arguably the most emotionally mature of them all. It was just as the second eldest, he would hide his true feelings almost as much as Lucifer did.

✦ For the sake of his family, he played the clown. Partially because he was pretty stupid at times, but also because that's just how their family worked. And he was more than fine with that, because as long as his family stayed together, that's all that truly mattered to him.

✦ And guess what? You were part of the family now too: 🎉Congratulations!!! 🎉 So he just wanted to be there for you in whatever way you needed. Just as long as he could be with you, he would be happy.

✦ Just as long as he kept himself in check, and cared for you only as much as you did for him, he could hopefully keep his greed at bay…

[franzkafkagf]

I noticed that Aegon's fans are divided into two teams - the first one sees him as a completely heartless, almost psychopath, the other one like in this analysis.

https://www.tumblr.com/very-straight-blog/750648583572881408/it-really-tires-me-how-some-fans-try-to-make-aegon?source=share

What do you think about it and how do you see him?

Basically I've written a few things on him already; here, here and here as well as the many web weavings i have on him hihi <3

I see him as a super nuanced character; he is deeply (and I mean deeply) broken. That's why I love him, there's so much there in terms of characterization, even with the little screentime he had.

He is so desperate to be loved but destined to be hated by everyone around him (thank you tgc for this quote, lives rent-free in my mind forever)

Rhaenyra sees him as a threat (she has this fear that her father will replace her with him, someday)

Alicent deeply loves him but is too hard on him (she genuinely thinks all her sons will die if she doesn't make him king; he needs to be strong. strong for them, strong for her.

Aemond is resentful towards him. Resentful of his weakness. He has everything Aemond ever wanted. Why isn't he happy? He would be happy and grateful (he wouldn't).

Viserys wanted Baelon. He is not Baelon.

Forced to marry his sister, he never wanted this for them (in canon,,,, I'll live in my little helaegon delulu land)

He is the kicked dog of the family. He is the only one we see being physically reprimanded. It happens time and time again, this was a deliberate choice by the writers. All of Alicent's fears and grudges and love (ugly, desperate love, but still love) towards Rhaenyra are loaded onto him -> I wished we saw them interact, they are so alike :(

What does a kicked dog do? He runs back, tail between his legs. He tries so hard but somehow it doesn't work. He feels like a failure, he runs off, avoids the pain. He doesn't want to face his reality. He drinks, he indulges in anything that will make him forget

I did not ask for this. I've done everything you've asked me to, and I try so... I try so hard, but it will never be enough for you or father.

He acts out, engages in super self-destructive behaviour -> remember when the brothel madam said that Aegon doesn't go to nice places? It's like he is punishing himself.

I'll also have to speak about his assault; kind of a baffling writing choice to introduce him as a r*pist but it is in line with his characterization. He is a prince, of course he can take anything he wants, right? It was just harmless fun, right?

This behaviour doesn't stem from cruelty (like it did with Ramsay or Joffrey) it comes from the entitlement he feels. He might be the scapegoat of the family, but he is still a spoiled prince -> I actually love this about his character too. Purely good/purely victimized characters are BORING! He is interesting, there's both evil and good in him, he is so extremely complex I want to SCREAM.

I can see him going on an arc, not repent, but change. Grow into the man who can sway the people of Dragonstone to his side, grow into the role of king. Become the type of man who would rather live in pain than dull his senses with milk of the poppy. HIS ARC WILL BE INSANE!!!!!

I know a lot of fans want him to be less whiny, less pathetic, less grey… but honestly? He is perfect the way he is in the show. I genuinely love how he is written (I would've wished to see some interaction with his kiddos and Rhaenyra, that is all lmao) and I know he will be amazing in season 2.

[dark-and-kawaii]

we know a lot about Lofn and zevlor but what about Haarlep and Lofn? What is their life like

⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ Eeee!!! Yes yes yes!!! I will happily answer this for you!!! Haarlep and Lofn are my original pair and their story is my absolute favorite xoxo They were tied together by an invisible stringer the moment they met.

₊˚⊹♡ Haarlep fits into the Thay family as though he were always meant to be there, a puzzle piece that completes the picture.

₊˚⊹♡ Once bound in chains of servitude by Mephistopheles, gifted to Raphael as a mere plaything- a cocksleve for the brat and any other who wished to use him… Haarlep now finds himself residing in Thay, the very city that so many devils in the hells feared, a place where he is now adored… and feared by enemies~

₊˚⊹♡ Lofn, had been the one to pluck him from his old life, freed him and taking him for herself, offering him a new existence filled with luxury and indulgence. And though the chains were gone, Haarlep found himself bound by a different kind of tether- one woven from affection and desire. She was now his sole obsession. Her curves and intoxicating scent was branded into his very soul. And each night he feasted upon her, he binds himself tighter to her,

₊˚⊹♡ The castle is his playground, and Haarlep plays his part with the finesse of a seasoned actor. War isn’t new to Haarlep, and his shapeshifting abilities become tools of deception and strategy, turning the tides of conflict in favor of the Thay family. At times he’ll even slip out without his princess knowing- in the guise of her he weaves through enemy lines, a siren song of seduction and menace just to keep her alive and safe. (She’s not happy when she finds out)

₊˚⊹♡ Though he usually enjoys lounging around the castle awaiting his little doves return, there are many times where he hides in the shadows, slipping through the corridors, through alleys, and streets with his eyes ever watchful over Lofn. She is his anchor, his sweet little princess, and he guards her with a possessiveness that borders on obsession. No hand dares to linger too long upon her, no gaze too bold, for Haarlep is always near, ready to remind those who forget that she is his.

₊˚⊹♡ They have one daughter that is Lofn’s absolute pride and joy. Despite originally wanting to consume the things soul while still growing within Lofn (fearful of the Lofn dying during birth), Haarlep now finds endless amusement in watching his little imp grab at his tail as he dangles it teasingly in front of her. Since her birth she has brought a new dimension to his existence.

₊˚⊹♡ Haarlep stretched languidly on the luxurious furs that adorned the bed he shared with his little dove~ his precious princess. His once vibrant red skin, now a soft color mimicking a human’s, was smooth and unmarked except for the scar that adorned his face- a reminder of his past with Mephistopheles… The shadow of Raphael that had clung to Haarlep's form, every feature that was his, once forgotten, now returned… Haarlep smiled softly and traced his finger down the length of his scar. He still remembered how his little dove looked at him with such love and concern after learning the story behind the scar. She had even kissed his scarred eye and asked if it hurt. So precious~

[basilsleaf]

i have way too many ongoing projects so i will never write this but i need baz and simon's future told through encounters with simon's construction buddies, it goes like this:

most of the guys are older than simon it's like he's got a crew of dads

they're all straight dudes so they assume baz is simon's roommate who he's like best friends with until simon forgets his lunch or something and baz brings it to work for him and they smooch hello and goodbye

there's an awkward "so are you gay" moment but simon's like "i have a boyfriend and he's great is that a problem" and then it's over, the dad crew is supportive by nature and they adapt quickly

now at lunch or when they have drinks after work the guys ask about baz same as they ask about each other's wives and girlfriends and kids and simon feels very included

the guys have dinner and drinks every now and then where spouses come along and next time they invite simon to bring baz and baz is like not sure he's going to fit in and he's kind of right but the guys don't really care because simon is obviously smitten with him so what does it matter that baz is all posh

fast forward, baz finishes school and they're both nepotism babies so they decide to move to a new place with like a balcony and a guest room and simon tells the guys and they're all hype for him and they come over to help move furniture even though baz and simon can afford movers

fast forward, after lots and lots of trauma counseling simon is ready to start thinking about what he wants out of life and he's thinking maybe he wants to start a bakery or a cafe or something so he can be closer to his second and third truest loves: butter and carbs

when he's finally ready to open the cafe he announces to the guys that he's leaving and he's nervous that they'll be upset but they like completely lose it, they're so happy for him

they take him out for drinks on them, they promise to come in every tuesday for their morning coffee and donuts, they drop him off to baz at 2am on a thursday completely passed out, it's wonderful

fast forward, simon opens his business and sure enough, the guys are there every tuesday morning

fast forward, one tuesday the guys ask how things are going with baz and simon blushes super hard and pulls out the ring box he's been carrying around in his pocket since he bought it and the guys frighten the other customers with their excitement

two tuesdays later the guys come back after the cafe closes to take simon out for celebratory drinks because he finally asked and baz obviously said yes and the guys once again deliver simon home to baz absolutely wasted (with their congratulations)

at their wedding it's all insanely rich grimms and various distant pitches and lady ruth's family and also simon's old construction buddies tearing it up on the dance floor

fast forward, and life is just good and they have magic friends but also normal friends

baz is actually able to bond with them all over football, he even joins their recreational league for a few seasons and they are undefeated champions

one of the guys' kids feels safe enough to come out to their dad because simon and baz came over for dinner

simon teaches them all how to use tiktok and what a vibe is and encourages a few of them to go to therapy

they coach simon through marital arguments and buying a house and how to tell baz he wants kids

and maybe being a little normal isn't so bad when he's got a whole team on his side

[the5n00k]

An observation about TGAMM The End

Big big spoilers ahead, click away if you aren't caught up

This is also my first NEGATIVE TGAMM analysis post! Wowie! So if you don't want to see me bitch, also click off now

The End and how Molly McGee's character was disrespected

The End is. An episode. I have many MANY thoughts about it but it would be far too long to put in one post so I'm going to explore one of my more reoccurring opinions. This episode recontextualized a lot of things but I'm going to talk about how it recontextualized Molly as a character. Most importantly as a MAIN character. A TITLE character. A character with her own past and personality and feelings. All of which this episode completely stomped all over, handed her the check, and said "figure it out"

I want to apologize to my friend who called this so SO much earlier into the series and that he had to listen to me watch this show on lethal amounts of copium. You were right but I knew neither of us wanted you to be.

Now let's get into the meat of it, shall we?

All throughout season 1, Molly's history and relationship with the concept of friends is always treated with complete sincerity and the emotional pause it needs to sink in with the audience that she's been through it. Moving away and leaving friends is why she put so much importance on the "forever home" in the first place because she's had to leave so many people she loved. She had a rocky beginning with Scratch during the early season but quickly became on equal footing with him as they began to understand each other and their boundaries. Because she genuinely cares about him. Similarly, season 2 explores the boundaries of their friendship and shows Scratch more willing to participate in whatever Molly is doing, even begging sometimes to be included. And Molly is very patient and kind with him all throughout trying to help him regain memories of his past. And Scratch actually reciprocated a few times like helping her learn Thai and working with Libby to set her up with Ollie. They're the closest they've ever been and something I can confidently call true best friends, possibly the closest and healthiest friendship I've seen portrayed in media. Season 2 showcases how far either of them are willing to go to help each other.

Then The End happened.

Molly is the same understanding and supportive friend as she had been all season, almost to a fault. She encourages scratch to go back to his life, knowing the risks that come with it. Why did there need to be the risk of forgetting her when his spirit didn't immediately forget his living life? Don't know. Something to do with an unreleased episode although I doubt the rest of season 3 would have sweetened my opinion of this episode. Only she knew he was about to do this, she didn't talk to any of his other friends or family before he went out to Todd's house. They only found out after the fact and the next morning is when he left. None of them had any time to process that they just lost a family member, especially not Molly.

The scene where he's talking to her on the bench breaks my heart. Knowing your friend is no longer there and is replaced with this stranger. So much of this episode would have been fixed to just let him keep his memories. Considering how hard it was to pull his living memories out of his spirit, it's very likely that even the small fragments of her he remembers will slowly fade away. She had to do the one thing she never wanted to do again and repeat the same pain that's plagued her for the entire series. And it sucks! Why doesn't she get a happy ending? Hell, I'm not even convinced this was a "happy ending" for scratch since he can't remember any of the people he just spent the last two years with.

The biggest slap to the face is when Libby, Geoff, and the McGees come up behind Molly and just act like all of this is fine? They're treating scratch like this wild animal that deserved to be released into the wild because he could never fit in with society when he was PERFECTLY HAPPY with the McGees. He proudly displayed to the entire ghost world that he was an "honorary McGee" and told a ghost hunter to his face that him and Molly would do anything for each other despite their differences. Was all of that completely pointless? Because it sure feels that way. He had this entire new "life" he just completely abandoned because oh I guess I'm not really dead. Guess I better go reconnect with my childhood friend I haven't seen in person or had any meaningful conversations with in decades!!! See ya, chumps, hope you weren't attached to me or anything!

It's so disrespectful to the audience's investment in Molly and Scratch's friendship, the themes of friendship overcoming all odds and lasting forever, and Molly as a character. And to a lesser degree, it's even disrespectful to Scratch since most of the season he spent brooding over the fact that he didn't remember his past! Now he's forgotten a large portion of his "life" all over again. Now he's going to have to live with this nagging itch at the back of his mind that he's forgetting something until he manages to completely repress it too. And to rub salt in the wound, the credits don't have near sight nor mention of Molly McGee outside of a painted portrait of her and (spirit) scratch. All this does is tell me a LONG time has passed and neither of them have managed to successfully contact each other. The dream team is gone, this is a story about a girl and a ghost and none of it meant anything.

"he'll remember when he dies again!" Where does it say that

"he didn't forget, he said Moll! That means something!" The longer he spends away from the McGees and Brighton, the more likely he is to completely forget them altogether. The vague memories will eventually fade away and every "forever memory" will be worthless.

"it doesn't matter, this is Scratch's story" then why isn't it called 'scratch and the human girl'? Or 'the scratch show'? Why is Molly a title character if she's nothing but a plot device for his character development.

"Molly had to learn how to say goodbye." No she didn't. She's been doing that her entire life. She's pretty well aware of how to say goodbye. Making her relive 13 years of trauma from the other side of the vehicle doors is not a useful life skill. Pain is not necessary to grow up.

I don't care what the excuse is. This was a terrible ending for both characters and no amount of "he's happy now!" coping from both the fans and the writers is going to get me to see this any other way. If you enjoy the episode, great! I'm happy for you, there's a lot to love in the music and voice acting and breathtaking animation. But none of that could save me from this abysmal attempt at a series finale. I was so viscerally disgusting by this as a finale that I spent a good two days completely nauseous thinking about it. What a disaster. The sad part is I like the story potential! Him reuniting with Adia is what I've wanted for him all season so he could get closure. Molly and Scratch having to say goodbye is heartbreaking but understandable, a lot of shows nowadays end that way and I half expected it. But him completely forgetting the girl he owes his new lease on life to? My gosh it's just a deal breaker. It is such a cruel end for these characters and I cannot wrap my head around why they thought it was a good idea outside of cheap angst.

I wanted to like this episode and I still do. But they just did so much wrong when one thing could change and it would have completely flipped my opinion on the episode and series in general. But what do I know, I'm just a negative nancy.

Anyway idk how to end this off, justice for Molly McGee, Scratch deserved to be called Scratch McGee, kill Todd Mortenson, peace out

[mittensmorgul]

Merry Beachmas Words: 3k Rated: T

Holiday 2024 mittens fic, featuring new holidays that still somehow go sideways, making it up as we go, found family, and toes in the sand!

It's set in the Evergreen 'verse, but it does stand alone as post-canon general happy holiday fluff fic :)

Read it now on AO3, or below the cut right here:

None of this was in the detailed plans they'd made five weeks ago. Jody had insisted they all were required to report in for a real family thanksgiving dinner. Not just the Winchester clan, but their entire extended network of friends and found family. Nobody objected, of course. It was a universally beloved idea. They all had a hell of a lot to be thankful for.

Nobody honestly could’ve predicted that gathering several dozen severely traumatized folks to break bread (and half a dozen pies) would’ve led to some general airing of grievances. That was supposed to be an entirely different holiday, after all. But in a world where so many holidays seemed to all tie directly back to Chuck and his own self-aggrandizing story, it naturally followed that while the idea of spending a holiday with the whole family like this was universally beloved and a tradition they absolutely wanted to continue as often as possible, they just didn’t think that the specific holiday of Christmas was necessarily the right way to go about that anymore.

“Well,” Garth said as they sat around the massive makeshift table assembled in Jody’s backyard after a long and leisurely meal. “If you still want a reason for the season that’s got nothing to do with Chuck, you can always make it about something else.”

Dean sat up in his chair so fast he nearly knocked over Cas’s beer on the edge of the table beside him. He looked over at Cas as he scrambled to catch his drink, and just stared at him for a second.

“You said it yourself, Cas.”

“I’ve said a lot of things, Dean.” Cas sat back in his chair, slightly aggrieved and this time holding on to his drink since Dean seemed to be gripped by one of this wild notions. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

Dean snorted out a laugh and shook his head as he sat back with his own beer cradled in his hands. His momentary wave of realization had congealed into a proper idea, though. He grinned around at the expectant faces of his friends before finally turning back to Cas.

“We’re making it up as we go, right?”

It took Cas a second to remember the exact moment Dean was talking about, but the instant he did, he understood what Dean was getting at. Sticking it to Chuck all over again.

“We can make up our own holiday.”

Dean nodded sincerely and took a sip of his drink. “Screw all Chuck's holly jolly crap. We need a toes in the sand kind of holiday.”

After a moment of silence, Garth asked, “So are we talking about a Caribbean cruise or is this strictly a sandbox event?”

Dean shrugged. “No sand out in the middle of the ocean. I was thinking more Cancun, less cruising. Maybe one of those all inclusive resort type deals, where we don’t gotta worry about anything for a week.”

“And you’re footin’ the bill, right?” Donna asked, waving a hand around the table at the crowd of interested onlookers all thinking this was just a slightly tipsy pipe dream and not the foundations of a real plan. “Those places don’t come cheap, especially during the winter break season.”

Charlie waved a dismissive hand. “Financing it isn’t an issue. If everyone’s in, we will make it happen.”

“Well, in that case,” Claire said, smirking at Kaia, “count us in for beachmas.”

Hours later when they finally took their leave from Jody’s house, arms full of leftovers, their plans had completely come together. Dean proclaimed effusive thanks to each and every person present, and then spent half the drive back to the bunker lovingly detailing all the amenities at the resort Charlie had booked them all into. After a few hours, Sam had grumpily complained from the back seat, half asleep and truly wishing he was entirely asleep.

“Don’t forget this still involves air travel, Dean.”

Dean glanced nervously at Cas beside him on the front seat. Cas simply stared calmly out the front window, lulled into a contented state by a full belly and the sound of Dean’s happy excitement pattering on as he drove. Dean swallowed hard. That had been the one part of this whole harebrained trip that he’d really been trying not to think too much about. Cas understood, though. He reached over and patted Dean’s knee reassuringly.

“I will be right there with you, and nothing bad will happen on the airplane, Dean.”

“Yeah,” Dean said weakly, gripping the steering wheel just a bit harder as Sam finally, blessedly had enough silence in the car to doze off.

Over the next few weeks, they’d fallen back into their usual patterns. There were a few odd hunts that kept them occupied, but while they were home in the bunker, Dean had been getting visibly more excited about their impending trip. He brought out his best tamale recipe— the one that had even impressed the old Death— and it had equally impressed even Sam. And that wasn’t the only Mexican delicacy that Dean had tried to perfect in the kitchen. By the time the day of their trip neared, Sam had actually suggested they might all be let down by the food at the resort after Dean had spoiled them so thoroughly.

Three days before Beachmas was set to begin— because of course Dean had adopted Claire’s name for their new holiday— Dean got a call from Krissy Chambers. He hadn’t heard from her in years, and had honestly assumed she and her little gang of hunters had gotten themselves out of the game. When he saw her name on his phone, he did a double take before answering.

“Krissy, hey, long time no see,” he said, as Sam made a startled face when he realized who Dean was talking to.

“Dean, it’s actually really good to hear your voice,” she said, sounding relieved.

Her tone was so rough that Dean was immediately on alert. He instantly went from being ready to casually tease her, or even invite her and her gang to the Beachmas Party, to being ready to draw the nearest weapon and rush to her aid. Unfortunately, that was actually what she needed from him.

“So you don’t call, don’t write, and then after what… six or seven years out of the blue you finally remember we exist?” Dean asked, putting her on speaker for Sam and Cas. “Shit must really be going down. What do you need?”

Krissy snorted. “Yeah, well, it’s not like you kept in touch much, either. I hear you’ve been a little busy taking down God and all, though, so I guess I can give you a pass.”

Dean laughed out loud. “Thanks for that.”

“No, thank you,” Krissy replied earnestly. “Though if you’d just let it all stay gone, I wouldn’t be here to accidentally trip all over whatever Christmas plans you may have had.”

“We don’t do Christmas anymore,” Cas said. “We celebrate Beachmas now.”

Krissy was silent for a moment, either trying to parse out what that meant, or else trying to figure out who exactly had said that. Dean saved her from having to do either.

“Yeah, that’s Cas. I guess you’re about to meet him, if you need our help with something. But he’s right. We gave up all Chuck’s old holidays and we’re inventing our own.”

Dean’s explanation only seemed to give Krissy more questions, which wasn’t ideal considering they still hadn’t learned why she’d called in the first place.

“Oooohkay? That sounds great and all, but I could still use a hand with a couple rogue ghouls out here.”

Dean glanced at Cas, and then at Sam.

“Where exactly is here?”

“About thirty miles north of Missoula, Montana. I can send you the exact coordinates.”

“Hey, Krissy,” Sam finally said. “It’s Sam. Are you still hunting with your friends, or are you on your own now?”

“Hi, Sam, and yes, Aidan and Josephine are still hunting with me most of the time, but Aidan’s been laid up with a broken foot after our last hunt, and Josephine’s handling a haunting down in Taos and can’t make it up here for another few days. I thought I could handle a measly little ghoul stirring up trouble, but three people have gone missing since I got here, and I’m pretty sure it’s more than one ghoul doing the snatching.”

Dean sighed, rubbing his face. “Well at least it’s not vetala this time.”

Krissy snorted. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have come alone if I’d thought it was.”

“Alrighty then,” Dean said, making the executive decision to abandon their dinner and leave Sam to do the dishes. “Cas and I will be out there by sunup. Text me where you want to meet up, and we’ll see you there.”

“Really? Just like that?” Krissy asked, as Sam expressed a minor disappointment looking around the kitchen at their taco bar mess.

“Just like that,” Dean replied. “Hang tight, and try to stay off the ghoul radar for the night.”

“Will do. And thank you.”

Dean hung up, put his phone in his pocket, and then clapped his hands down on the table as he stood up.

“Come on, Cas. We got packing to do.”

“Weren’t we supposed to be packing for Cancun?” he asked, but dutifully followed Dean to their room.

“It’s just a couple of ghouls. We’ll be back in plenty of time to catch our flight,” Dean replied, trying not to visibly shudder at the mention of their impending air travel. He really had been doing better about it. Having a month to psych himself up for it had actually helped.

Sam snorted behind them in the kitchen. “You better be back in time,” he grumbled.

Of course they weren’t back in time. Which brings us back to where this story began.

“If you hadn’t given Krissy our hotel room in Cancun, there’s a chance we still could’ve made it,” Cas told him as the two of them trudged back through the forest after slaughtering a ghoul family of five, slightly disheveled and smelling strongly of the bonfire they'd built to dispose of the ghouls.

Dean grumbled a little at that and hefted his gear bag over his shoulder, but he could always get Charlie to book them another room. They’d already had this argument when Dean had sent Krissy south to collect Aidan and Josephine on her way to Mexico the day before. Now that they were alone, and a light snow had begun to fall, Dean stopped and turned to Cas.

“We handled the hunt fine without her,” Dean said. “Admit it, she was too banged up to hike out here with us,” he added, waving a hand around the dense forest and rocky terrain. “She wasn’t much better off than Aidan with his busted foot.”

Cas sighed, finally relenting. “And our family trip was the perfect time to bring her back into the family.”

Dean draped an arm over Cas’s shoulder and laughed as they continued their march back to civilization.

“No time like the holidays, right?”

“Especially the holidays we just invented,” Cas replied.

By the time they made it back to where they’d left the car, it was snowing harder. Dean turned on the radio to try and catch a local weather report. Snow had blanketed the entire region, and wasn’t expected to let up for days. Roads were precarious, and some had even closed, and the weather man advised people to stay home at least until the worst of the storm had passed. Dean frowned at the radio, calculating the odds that they’d be able to make it back to Kansas ahead of the blizzard. It hadn’t looked too hopeful. He turned to Cas, who to Dean’s surprise looked perfectly content despite the potentially catastrophic news.

“So maybe we’re not gonna make our flight,” he said, and then laughed nervously.

Cas turned to him with a raised eyebrow. “You weren’t looking forward to getting on an airplane anyway.”

“Not particularly, no,” Dean said, frowning both at the fact that Cas seemed so calm about this potential vacation ruining travesty, but also at the fact that he may have a reprieve from getting on a plane. There was also a matter of probably not getting to lounge on a beach in Cancun with Cas at his side and a fancy drink in a coconut in his hand. With that specific lament front and center in his mind, he made a sincere admission. “But I was looking forward to everything else. Flying for that would’ve been worth it.”

Cas shrugged. “Charlie can probably get us on another flight in a few days. We can still get there in time to spend several days with everyone else.”

When Dean’s mood didn’t visibly improve, Cas leaned in close, his shoulder bumping Dean’s. “We could extend our stay past when the rest of the family has left and enjoy a few days on the beach by ourselves.”

Dean blinked at him, and Cas just stayed exactly where he was, looking up at him with knowing eyes. Dean gave him a kiss, surprising Cas, and then laughed as he pulled out his keys and started the car.

“Okay then. You get Charlie on the phone and explain what happened. Get her on the job of finding us another flight as soon as possible.” As he pulled out onto the road, he added, “Whatever you do, don’t call Sam first. He’s just gonna bitch about us bailing on flying.”

Cas nodded, understanding. “He can’t bitch if we already have new tickets.”

Dean shrugged, turning off the highway toward the one place nearby he knew he could hunker down for a couple days. They hadn’t been out to Rufus’s old cabin in a while, but it would shelter them well enough from the oncoming storm.

“He probably will anyway, but at least by the time we get down there, he’ll have had a few days in paradise to get over it.”

Cas was off the phone with Charlie by the time Dean pulled up to the little market in Whitefish, just a few miles from the cabin. They stocked up on food, and Dean even picked up a bottle of ready to drink margaritas. When Cas side-eyed him, and the obnoxiously pink bottle, Dean just shrugged.

“If we can’t drink one out of a coconut on the beach tomorrow, we’re gonna do the next best thing.”

As they were paying, Dean noticed a display of winter road supplies by the door, including large bags of sand to be used as grit to spread on ice. He dashed over and grabbed one, tossing it down on the counter with a thud. A small amount of sand escaped the bag and left a mess on the counter. The cashier, wearing a festive santa hat with a flashing holly garland pinned to it, made a pointedly un-festive face at him. Dean just grinned back as the guy scanned the bag and added it to their total.

“Merry beachmas,” Dean told the bewildered clerk as they carried their purchases out into the cold.

Half an hour later, holed up at the cabin, Dean had a roaring fire going as Cas finally came out of the bathroom having showered and changed into clothes that weren’t stained with ghoul goo and mud. On the floor between the sofa and the fireplace, Dean had dumped the entire fifty pound bag of sand into a little makeshift beach. Cas just stared at him for a second like Dean had lost his mind. Dean just grinned back like he’d had the best idea ever.

“I thought the sand was to gain traction over icy roads,” Cas said, as he slowly made his way toward their indoor beach, stopping to pull off his socks before stepping onto the sand.

Dean shrugged and handed Cas a margarita, poured into a plastic cup full of freshly fallen snow to chill it. It was more like a margarita-flavored slushie than anything they probably served at the resort, but it was good enough for their wintry celebration.

“It probably will be in a couple days, but for now it’s Winchester Beach.”

Cas just stood there looking down at his less-than-tropically prepared beverage as Dean flopped down on the sofa. Dean patted the seat beside him, and Cas finally stepped onto the sand, enjoying the feeling of his feet sinking down in it more than he’d expected to. He blinked at Dean.

“I can see why you enjoy walking on the beach now,” Cas said as he sat down and curled his toes down into the warm sand.

Dean nodded. “Yeah, and it’s even better when it’s been baking under the hot sun for a few hours.”

Cas lifted his foot and frowned down at all the sand granules that clung to his skin. He wiggled his toes and watched sand rain down onto the floor. “It’s very messy, though.”

Dean shrugged, taking a sip of his drink and stretching his legs out toward the fire. “Yeah, it kinda gets in everything. It’s still not as bad as glitter. Or pine needles.”

“So you don’t mind not having a traditional Christmas tree? All the holiday rituals of your childhood?”

Dean sighed, pulling Cas in close and settling in for a long few days in their own private paradise.

“What I miss is being with everyone we care about. But we’ll be there in a few days. Until then, I get to be here, with you.” After a moment’s thought, he added, “Plus my childhood kinda sucked anyway.”

Cas snorted out a laugh and leaned back into Dean.

“I’m glad to be here with you now,” he said. “Though I think next beachmas, we need to avoid going off on hunts where there’s a chance we’ll get snowed in and miss our flight.”

Dean grinned at him. “So you’re already planning on celebrating again next year?”

“That is how holidays work, right?” Cas asked.

“Yeah, that’s how they work,” Dean replied with a sigh. “Merry beachmas, Cas.”

link to the ao3 version for all your kudos and comments needs

[nicksolemnlyswears]

HOTD S2 EP2 THOUGHTS

SPOILERS AHEAD

I need to start this by the very strange scene at the brothel. It took me so much by surprise I had to pause it. Like we all know these boys have mommy issues but I always thought it was more Aegon than Aemond. Like wow. I was left like this

It was the intimate position, his hair was down, the lack of clothes. He was completely vulnerable. Aemond wanted to be coddled and to be told reassuring words.

I didn’t understand well the part where she tries to kiss him and he says “not here” like sure man. you’re just naked and telling the keeps secret but go off [ngl i was waiting for her to pop a boob out and breast feed him]

that woman is a dangerous woman. she had scheming eyes. we’ll see where that goes.

Following up with the mommy issues I am so disappointed in Alicent. Aegon is clearly not her favorite child I do not know how she can bear seeing him weep as he seeks her out and she just nopes out. WTF. No wonder your other son is seeking refuge elsewhere. Also forcing Haelena to do the funeral proceeding. What sort of mother are you? The Greens think they’re so high and mighty but they barely resemble a family. They are not a united front.

The funeral proceedings almost had me in tears. I didn’t think they’d show the poor child with its head sewn back together. I thought he’d be covered. Now more so than ever I curse Alicent. You are forcing your daughter who had to witness his death relieve this scene. You forced her to watch her son be paraded around the city.

Daemon fucked up and it’s because of him that a child is dead and yet I can’t bring myself to hate the Blacks. The Greens are terrible people.

Aegon is falling apart and mourning and he has no one to come to. He doesn’t know how to control his emotions and I can’t blame him for it when his mother and grandfather only use him as a puppet and not a real human being. I pity the Hightower children.

That being said WTF was that? Making Ser Criston Cole the hand to the king? Disgusting. He was projecting so hard during this episode. Bitching about Arryks dirty cloak and blaming him for Jaeherys death.

BITCH IT WAS YOUR FAULT FOR GETTING YOUR COCK WET. FUCKING CRISTON COLE I CANT FUCKING STAND HIM. I CANT EVEN SAY IM HAPPY ALICENT SLAPPED HIM CAUSE HE PROBABLY ENJOYED IT.

I’ve got more to say regarding the Greens but my blood pressure is going up. Let me recap I hate them and I pity them all at the same time because the three children are only products of Alicent and Otto’s parenting (Viserys up to some point to)

Oh and let’s not forget Otto’s kind words for Viserys. He probably just misses how easy he was to control.

MOVING ONTO THE BLACKS

Baby Jace and Baela I love that little moment and yet I fear it because she’s out there on cute little Moondancer and it sounds like trouble.

Love the Ser Harwin talk. They acknowledge it and they accept it. Talk about being progressive.

But also so sad that Baela feels that way towards Daemon. I had high hopes for their relationship considering that deleted scene in season 1.

RHAENYS HAVING RHAENYRAS BACK TALK ABOUT FEMINISM. HELL YEAH! I fully want Rhaenys to be Rhaenyras ride or die!!

Daemon fucked up, yes. Will we ever know what he told Blood and Cheese? No. Still I can’t blame Rhaenyra for doubting him. He’s a sketchy man who puts on his little cloak to commit war crimes.

Don’t get me wrong I’m a Daemon stan but if he didn’t act so sketchy maybe we would trust him more.

He’s a dramatic guy he’s out commuting yet another big declaration of love for Rhaenyra. Like “look i’ve got harrenhal for you” I think idk we’ll see next episode.

Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk how fucking tragic. and whose fault is it? FUCKING CRISTON COLE PIECE OF SHIT

breathe nikki breathe

a part of me thinks he killed himself because he knew they would live in doubt if he’s really sir erryk. but in reality they believed they share a soul so that was probably why. he killed his other fucking half. they might be divided by believes but they still love each other.

ELINDA IS A REAL HANDMAID. SHE FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND LOOKED FOR A GUARD. Haelenas maid could never.

I have so many more thoughts so if anyone wants to talk please feel free to hit me up. I’ll probably rewatch the episode tomorrow again to process

[kaycode1999]

Hello!

I don’t know if your match up are still open if not you may ignor this but I’d like to have an LMK match up please I can’t really think of who I don’t want to match up with I guess any characters who are children since I’m an adult also sorry for any mistake English isn’t my first language but here we go

Im a girl I’m straight Demisexual im autistic and have anxiety and seasonal depression im a pretty bubbly person but Im also very shy around new people ive always been the quiet kid so quiet that sometimes even my family forgot I existed and i get very passionate about things I like.i also have trust issues due to past friendship where people have stabbed me in the back and hurt me beyond measure so it take times for me to trust people but once we’re friends I’ve got your back I LOVE plays im a huge theater kid but I especially LOVE musicals AHHHH love them!!im also abit of night owl might be due to my insomnia? I’m about scard of the dark but nothing a good nightlight and a plushie can fix! I love cuddling im also a HUGE romantic completely hopeless romantic let me tell you that I also love reading and drawing I draw a lot I don’t feel I’ve improved over the years that much sadly even tough I’ve been drawing since forever I think that all thanks you for your time have a good day

I match you with

Monkey King/ Sun Wukong

You might not think so but he is also demi he needs that emotional connection for having a relationship and any kind of physical intimacy

He understands anxiety and depression even if he seems all carefree and easy going

He’s there for you if you need any help with that or even just a caring ear

About the seasonal depression he will definitely be aware of it and make sure to be extra doting and loving and does as much as he can to mitigate it

Of course he loves your bubbly personality, but he understands the being shy around new people. Honestly he thought that was really adorable at first but he loves seeing you happy and bubbly

He doesn’t mind that you’re more quiet, he’ll never forget about you like your family 😂 but he actually really likes just peacefully enjoying each others company

He absolutely adores when you get passionate about things you like. Will listen to you go on about your interests with the most lovesick smile on his face

Oh boy, he has trust issues to. He knows what it’s like to be betrayed by people you care about so you both understand each other and give each other the time you need to develop that trust

Once that trust and connection is there though you both are fiercely loyal and have each others backs through everything

He fucking loves musicals and I will not change my mind on that. He’s very theatrical himself as it is

I feel like Wukong doesn’t actually have a consistent sleep schedule he just sleeps when he gets tired. That said he is up often enough if you can’t sleep you’ll have someone there with you to keep you company. He also might have some mystic potion or artifact that can help with the insomnia

He will have night lights set up in the bed room for you to help you feel more comfortable and all the plushies. He’ll even make you a plushy that’s a mini version of him and it’s adorable

He is such a sucker for cuddling and relaxing with his SO. He plays the tough guy but he’s a big hopeless romantic too. After everything that’s happened in his life he maybe doesn’t believe he deserves you , but because of that he’ll treat you like a princess and is so grateful to have you

He will definitely get you art supplies and books he knows or thinks you’ll like

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

Why did Zuko have hard feelings about leaving Mai when he left the Fire Nation, but not Azula? Wasn't there anything he valued in his relationship with his sister?

The core issue between Zuko and Azula is not necessarely lack of affection on either side, but lack of trust and the simple fact that they were actively being trained to hate each other (and that last one doesn't really contradict the affection part because Zuko and Azula are more of the "The opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference" type of characters).

Zuko himself says their family was happy in the past, he and Azula co-exist (mostly) well once he comes back home. Even the Yang comics, that I absolutely loathe, have a moment of Zuko and Azula watching a play together and remembering how they used to reenact a scene at the beach. Even in Zuko Alone, when their relationship is already quite terrible, there's still a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment of them playing together in the garden.

When he goes on his rant about her in the North Pole it becomes clear he admires her - but that admiration is tainted by jealousy and resentment because each time he sees how great Azula is, he is remind that his own father full on told him that, since he isn't like her, maybe he should die. That is not a small thing to get over.

Ozai has always made it clear that he has a favorite. He has always made it clear that he thinks Zuko is worthless. And he trained Azula to CONSTANTLY rub that right in Zuko's face, which she does with great joy. And thus he resents her for it - and being openly mad at his sibling that will just laugh at his anger is far safer than being openly mad at his abusive father that disfigured him for indirectly and accidentally disrespecting him.

And even when Azula does genuinely AMAZING things for him, like bringing him home by the end of season two for exemple, Zuko can't bring himself to believe it is genuine because:

1 - That same season starts with her PRETENDING she wants to bring him home, but she's actually just luring him to a trap so he'll go to prison forever. Once he finds out, she taunts him about it so cruely that for a minute there it looks like Zuko is about to have a full-on panic attack, just to pour salt in the wound. Again, not a small thing to get over. Can't really blame Zuko for holding a grudge.

2 - By the start of the next season Azula basically ruins that genuinely kind action by throwing him under the bus with that "Zuko was the one who killed the Avatar" thing. Sure, she did it because Zuko didn't tell her Aang could have survived and she assumed he was trying to throw her under the bus. He doesn't trust her, so he acts shady, Azula notices and gets suspicious and acts shady too, Zuko notices and trusts her even less, and so on and so on until both of them forget what the fuck they're mad at each other for.

Zuko doesn't say goodbye to Azula, even via letter, because he is almost always completely in the dark about what Azula thinks, feels and how she's going to react to things, and that is partially her own doing. He has no idea that being "perfect" is taking a toll on her mentally. He has no clue that she is terrified of losing people. He has no clue that she would give a shit if he suddenly disappeared without saying goodbye - and once again, Azula accidentally confirms his suspicions with things like saying she's about to celebrate becoming an only child.

Azula deliberately hides her own vulnerability and masks her true intentions. And Zuko is a character that tends to take things at face-vallue. She looks fine and she says she's fine, so he concludes she must be fine. She acts like she doesn't care about him and sometimes even says she doesn't care, so he is not gonna waste time caring about someone who despises him.

And how do I KNOW for a fact that he would act differently if Azula stopped lying to him?

Because the first words that come out of her mouth when she's trying to convince Zuko to join her side in Crossroads of Destiny were "I need you." She said the only way they'd win was if they were together. And he only jumps into the fight and attacks Aang when he and Katara have Azula cornered.

He looks genuinely shocked when it looks like she's not gonna be able to save herself after their fight in The Southern Raiders (again, the fight in which she made it clear she wanted to kill him). There's tragic music playing during the Last Agni Kai instead of an epic tune. Katara literally has to comfort Zuko when he witnesses Azula's breakdown.

Considering the head writer full on said "If we had gotten a fourth season, I would've continued to push for an Azula redemption arc with Zuko as her Iroh", I'd say it's very clear that these were deliberate writing choices designed to show us that Zuko does care about Azula deep down, and that if Azula were to drop the mask of perfect prodigy that doesn't need anybody (like she was forced to do in the finale) their relationship would still be salvageable.

[the-aesthetic-weasel]

Some things that are wrong with s4 Umbrella Academy in no particular order:

I love this show and the characters and I just wanna vent about everything that pissed me off the most ok? Obviously super spoiler heavy so I'm putting it under a cut

Even the setup at the beginning was weird and made no sense. I get what they were trying to show - all of them are trying to live in reality without their powers and they are all miserable. Some of it was obviously just like. Could happen but a lot of it was just out of character and made no sense:

1.1 -Alison: Where the fuck is Ray. Are you telling me that Raymond Chestnut, who was a proper pillar of morality with 50's sensibilities, just WALKED OUT on his family? Bullshit. Someone had the idea "make them all miserable" stuck in their head and got way too trigger-happy.

1.2 -Diego+Lila: It's highly improbable they would end up like this. Why are show writers so fixated on the idea that this is what having kids has to look like? Even if they did very well end up living in the suburbs, they would have some kind of secret bullshit going on with Diego being a batman-style vigilante and chasing the city's crime boss Lila. Job wise it's also stupid - Lila is smart, capable and speaks a million languages, there's no way she would be a stay at home mum, especially with her whole family living with them. Diego could definitely also find a job that would make him happier - a cop, bouncer, even working a trade, something to do with metal. Also six years is actually not that long. Even if the marriage didn't last, they wouldn't change so completely into different people.

1.3 - Why is Five working for the CIA, and why is he taking orders from some rando without even argueing. He should be drinking mimosas and growing orchids in Florida. I feel like he would probably enroll in university just to tell all his professors they are idiots.

2. Why does Klaus, who is obviously having a very hard time without his power, protest so much against getting it back? He doesn't need drugs anymore to keep the ghosts from his brain, he's spent three seasons coming to terms with his powers and not needing to surpres them with drugs. Did we just forget about that? Also his whole plot is completely pointless. It was just the writers going "What should we do with Klaus? Idk give hime a weird adventure with sex and drugs. Also make sure the CGI dog is so bad it pulls you out of the story and makes you think this is pixar for a moment)"

3. Also, where do they all live? Why were they driving all day to Maine or something and then they get into a car accident and Klaus just walks off, resurfacing in Alison's house? What?

4. Why was that girl in a squid? That was never explained and how did the Keepers know she was important?

5. Now the big one - the absolute lunacy of Lila/Five. The whole thing was BAD. Not just because Five wouldn't fuck his brother's wife (I actually don't think he would have such a moral problem with cheating, but he would at leas acknowledge it), but he would never fuck Lila. It would actually be Lila who wouldn't cheat on Diego, originally she fell in love with him against all odds and it was such a massive, complicated lovestory, she wouldn't just completely forget about all that. And even if they did fuck, they would never fall in love and be all disgustingly sweet about it. Also neither of them would ever settle down in a house and just stop trying to get back to their family and the apocalypse. Especially Lila just spent the whole season unhappy about being settled down - she wouldn't just grow strawberries while her husband is fighting the apocalypse. It was complete bullshit.

6. Why didn't Victor just tell Ben about the particles and about how can they go on happily snogging forever if he just lets him suck out those particles. It's not that difficult to say.

7. Abigail Hargreeves could do a lot of smarter things than just orchestrate the apocalypse because she's mad at her husband and she thinks they should all die. Also Reginald going "Oh yes love, that's actually the best solution you are so clever. Let's die"

8. What are Alison's powers. Is it just "general superpower" now? I've been wondering that about Victor for a while now but they were always quite vague with it, now it just seems they went completely off the rails.

Ok I think I'm done now. There was other dumb shit but these are the things that made me the most angry.

[theplotdemandsit]

I not sure what was the show first idea when they show that version of Ben on the Subway in season 3 finale, they say it was the sparrow one traveling, but man that hair and the book? There's a lot of scenes with kid Ben and ghost Ben reading books, it's inevitable not to think about the deleted possibilities.

How do you think would be the interaction between og Ben and sparrow Ben if they met in season 4?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.

Man, I miss Umbrella Ben.

See, Ben was the only one who, ironically, seemed to have a head on his shoulders. Sure, Five is smart, but he is also emotionally constipated like the rest of the family. Ben was not only smart, observant, and witty, but he also showed that he cared deeply about others. His emotional quotient (EQ) is much higher than the rest.

So for Umbrella Ben to meet Sparrow Ben would be a laugh. I get the feeling they would bond over books since—you know—that's what books do.

What you read next is mostly just me projecting my nerdiness onto Ben. So basically it's not great but hopefully answers your question!

Somewhere, in some AU that may or may not exist….

Ben claps his mug on the table, and the amber liquid sloshes off the sides. “Who’re you?”

“Ha! Hear that, Klaus? He’s asking me who I am.” The look-a-like in front of him suddenly turns serious. “I’m asking the questions here, Bub.” The kid crosses his arms over the chest—a look which might have been menacing had the corners of his mouth not been twitching and his glare a little less star-eyed. 

“Come on, Wolverine!” Klaus says, slapping one hand on Ben and the other on…Not Ben. “Let’s all get along, now. You’re both beautiful.”

Not Ben laughs, and Ben finds himself blinking at the sight. Did he ever look like that when he laughed? It was like a completely different person.

It is a completely different person.

Ben growls and takes another sip from his mug. Klaus and Pseudo Ben are on the other side of the bar, pouring themselves drinks and clinking their glasses together like children having a tea party.

And he was not jealous.

What was the purpose of Klaus inviting him over? To brag about how their Ben was back? To show off the much nicer, better version of himself? Well Klaus could go—

“You idiot!” Their Ben suddenly shouted, smacking Klaus over the head. “You know you can’t take medication with alcohol! Give me that.”

“Back off! I always get all sniffly after getting wasted, so I’m taking my vitamins now rather than later.

From what Ben could see, Klaus had only had a sip of whatever cocktail he’d made for himself. Plus he was pretty sure there were lots of vitamins that didn’t have an interaction with alcohol. “Actually,” he starts, “if you—“

Umbrella Ben snatches the pills away despite Klaus’ lament about it only being Vitamin C and leans over near Ben to whisper in his ear. 

“But we don’t tell him that. Get me?” Then he winks. Like it’s some sort of inside joke.

Ben frowns. “Right.” Though he’s not exactly sure what he agreed to. Or what Lookalike Ben thinks he was even going to say. 

Up close, Imitation Ben notices the book Ben kept in his satchel. “Anna Karenina?” He asks. 

Ben’s frown deepens. “Yeah. What’s it to you?”

Fake Ben shrugs and pulls away. “Nothing. I was just thinking that Karenina is kind of sad.”

“Yeah, well, the characters are interesting and the writing is flawless. So to each their own.” Trying to forget the cringe of what he just said, he reaches for his mug again, ready for the other him to retreat.

Instead, a goofy grin appears on AU Ben’s face. “Have you ever read Crime and Punishment? Now those are some solid characters. Plus a happy ending.”

Now Ben’s interest is piqued. He narrows his eyes. “Happy ending, huh?”

“He’s working towards redemption. I’d say any ending with hope is a happy ending.”

“Who?” Klaus asks, pouring himself another drink.

“Raskolnikov.”

“Bless you,” Klaus says.

It was a happy ending, Ben thought. Despite the crimes Raskolnikov committed, there was someone who loved him and believed in him even when he didn’t believe in himself. For some reason, Ben always found himself drawn to the story, relating too much to Raskolnikov at times and trying not to hope too much for a Sonia he was sure would never come.

Looking into his own eyes across from himself, he sees that this Other Ben understands that. But, unlike him, he’s somehow smiling.

Ben twirls his mug around on the counter. After a moment, he turns to Ben 1.0 and asks with a smirk, “Ever read Faust?”

[elisysd]

Best Days - Alessia Cara

Masterlist - Previously - Next Chapter

But the hardest pill to swallow is the meantime Are the best days just the ones that we survive?

Charles had been apprehensive about New Year's Eve with Lyanna's family, given the way the introductions had gone the last time he had been here. Yet he had been warmly welcomed and included in the Michel's family traditions, playing cards with Lyanna's grandfather and uncles, a piano session with her aunt, passionate and exciting discussions about the future of motor sport... he felt at home with her family. Welcomed. And it was with emotion that he joined Lyanna on the first-floor balcony of her grandparents' house.

“Thank you for letting me come.” He said to her.

“You’re my family now, I couldn’t see myself spending that important moment without you.”

Midnight was approaching. He put an arm around her shoulders to hold her close, placing a kiss on her forehead and pressing his cheek against it. Lyanna gave a contented sigh before slipping her cold hands under the Monegasque's jacket. They stayed awhile like that, just enjoying each other presence and company. On the ground floor, they could hear the countdown and when 2024 finally arrived and the fireworks began to appear in the sky, Lyanna turned to Charles.

“Well, happy New Year, my love. I hope this year will be filled with success for you and you’ll finally get what you have been running after for so long…”

“You know, I have already everything that I ever wished for. I have you and somehow, it’s enough for me.” He confessed.

He took her face in his hands and placed his lips on hers. Lyanna stood up on tiptoe and put her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss.

“I love you so much, Charles.” She whispered when they finally let go of each other.

Shortly after the New Year, they were due to travel to Rome for the FIA gala. It was an opportunity to honour Max, who had brilliantly won the 2023 season, but also to put Charles in the spotlight, as it was planned to present him with a trophy of honour to welcome him back to the top category of motor sport. Charles agreed willingly on condition that Lyanna was present at his side. He hated this kind of ceremony and even more hated being given a trophy just for getting out of the crash alive.

“I want a trophy because I won the championship, not because they’re pitying me.” He had said.

So it was in a magnificent room in a 5-star hotel in the heart of Rome that they had arrived a few hours earlier. Lyanna was immediately taken aside by the make-up artist and hairdresser, while Charles was requisitioned to fetch the young woman's dress. Charles had been impressed by the speed with which the actress had organised the preparations. A phone call to Sophia and that was it.

“Sophia knows many people; she has her own emergency glam team in every country of the globe. It saved my ass more than once.” She had explained when Charles questioned her.

As for Charles, being personally sponsored by Armani, he didn't really have much choice about his outfit. A black suit and white shirt would do the trick, not forgetting the Ferrari logo embroidered on the left-hand side. As for Lyanna, she had also opted for an Italian brand: Versace. The dress was simple in appearance: draped black with no frills. But when she turned around and Charles saw the young woman's entire bare back and the slit at the bottom of the dress, he thought he'd lost his composure.

“I swear if I had no obligations to be there tonight, I would have pretended to be sick just to keep you in this hotel room. This dress is driving me crazy. You are driving me crazy.”

“Yeah? You like it? I thought that it was a little too much…” said Lyanna completely oblivious to the current state of her boyfriend.

“I like it a little too much, Lya, that’s the thing.”

“It’s a nice dress, for sure? I love it. It’s just the right mix of classy and sexy.”

“You’re killing me, you know that?” he said, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her tight to his chest.

Charles continued to place light kisses on her neck before slipping his hand through the opening in the young woman's dress, drawing a sigh of pleasure from her and bringing a cocky smile to the pilot's lips.

“Lya, love? Do I feel that right? No underwear? Are you really trying to drive me crazy?”

“Have you seen the dress, Charles? I can’t wear anything under it!”

Charles breathed hard into her neck as he closed his eyes, trying to pull himself together.

As the minutes ticked by, they finally left the room, but Charles promised Lyanna that as soon as they got back the young woman would quickly understand how much he loved her dress.

Photographers lined the red carpet and Lyanna was blinded by the lights. It was a strange experience for her, a red carpet where people weren't shouting her name to get her attention, but one where all eyes were on Charles. They posed confidently for the cameras and Lyanna could feel her boyfriend's firm hand on her hip, as if looking for support. After many long minutes, they finally entered the room where a hostess greeted them and led them to their table. Charles was surprised to see them assigned to the same table as Max, Checo and Fernando. He hadn't won anything and knowing that he was sitting with the 2023 podium finishers made him uncomfortable. He felt illegitimate. Seeing Charles' discomfort, Lyanna took his hand and shook it. Charles turned to her and gave her a slight smile as Max and Kelly, his partner, arrived together.

“Charles, it’s good to see you!” greeted him Max as he was shaking Charles’ hand and patting his shoulder.

“Hey. Congrats again, I didn’t have the occasion to tell you that. How does it feel to be third time world champion?”

“Oh you know, it’s weird. It’s not like I had much competition anyway. I hope you’ll get a nice car this season so we can fight. I miss that.”

Then he turned to Lyanna, who was sitting sipping her glass of champagne.

“I don’t think I had the pleasure of meeting your girlfriend, yet?”

“True. Max, this is Lyanna. Lyanna, this is Max.”

“Nice to meet you. It’s always a pleasure to meet Charles’ friends.” She said politely.

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying we’re friends, but let’s say that we have a friendly rivalry.” Corrected her Max as Charles shrugged.

Everyone finally sat down as Max began to tell Charles in detail about the races he had missed. Lyanna tried to keep up with the conversation, asking a few questions from time to time, which resulted in a new explanation from Max that lost Lyanna more than it enlightened her. She eventually lost interest in the conversation and tried to chat with Kelly, but quickly gave up when she realised that she didn't feel like talking to her. She stayed on her phone most of the time, seeming completely disinterested and only joining in the conversation at rare moments. Lyanna couldn't help thinking that she and Max really did make an odd couple. A little later Checo and his wife arrived, followed by Fernando, who was running a little late.  

Finally, the ceremony began. Lyanna couldn't help but find it extremely long and had to restrain herself from yawning more than once out of politeness. Charles also seemed to want to be anywhere but here and Max was beginning to fidget in his seat in impatience. Finally, the part about Charles began. Lyanna didn't know what to expect but one thing was certain, it certainly wasn't what was now projected on the big screen. Images of the accident with epic music, the reaction of the commentators in several languages, the reaction of the drivers and the people present. Lyanna suddenly felt ill; she hadn't been prepared to relive the nightmarish minutes that sometimes still haunted her nights. She glanced at Charles, who wasn't doing too well either. He was staring at the floor, his fingers playing with his watch. Lyanna grabbed his hand and squeezed it to try to get his attention. Charles looked at her and smiled shyly. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the video stopped and the room fell into a stunned silence. Nobody really knew how to react.

The presenter returned to the stage as if nothing had happened and called Charles to award him his trophy of honour. With the cameras now focused on him, Charles stood up, adjusted his jacket, and winked at them, before trotting back to the stage. He shook hands with the host and the President of the FIA, who was presenting him with the trophy, and handed him the microphone. 

“Charles, it’s good to have you back! How are you doing?”

“I’m great thanks. And it’s nice to be there as well. Thanks for the invite and the trophy.”

“A few words to the audience maybe?”

“I just want to thanks everyone for the kind words I received during my recovery, and I also want to thanks my family and my girlfriend that is there tonight for their unconditional support. I can’t wait to be back on tracks this season and hopefully have great fights wot Max and Red Bull. I’m looking forward to that.”

As Charles spoke these words, the camera focused on Lyanna, who gave an embarrassed smile and a slight wave of her hand. After that, the ceremony quickly came to an end with prize-giving for Max, Checo and Fernando, and soon Charles and Lyanna were on their way back to the hotel. As soon as he was through the door, Charles stripped off his shoes as well as his jacket, and as Lyanna headed for the bathroom, Charles grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him.

“You don’t think that I have forgotten about what I promised you earlier, love?”

“All I can see is that your all talk and no actions mister Leclerc.” She teased him while looking at him deeply in the eyes.

That was just what Charles needed to kiss her hard and lift her onto the bed.

A few days later, Lyanna was on her way to Los Angeles to meet Michael Mann and Adam Driver for a few camera tests and to discuss the project in more detail. She wasn't surprised that everything went well. After all, she had taken the time to study the project carefully and seeing the director's passion and the way he talked about the film was enough to convince her. Filming would start at the end of February and Lyanna would finish around the end of May if all went well. The actress took the opportunity to raise the question of the film's marketing and took the time to make it clear that she did not want her relationship with Charles to be used for the film's publicity, which was accepted. So it was with a light heart and a certain excitement that she boarded her plane for London to sort out the details of her move and say goodbye to Sophia.

When she walked through the door of her flat, she was not shocked to see it empty, Sophia having taken care of packing up her things and sending them off to her new flat in Nice. But all the same, it gave her a twinge of sadness. So many memories, both good and bad, belonged to this place. Soon the owner arrived to check out the apartment and Lyanna felt a tear roll down her cheek as she handed him back the key. Then her legs took her towards Sophia's office, where she was waiting.

“So, how does it feel to leave? How do you feel?” she asked her.

“Weird, to be honest. It’s like closing a big chapter of my life. If you had told me that it would happen six months ago, I would have laughed. But here we are.”

“I’m not saying it often but, I’m proud of you Lya. I'm proud of the progress you've made and of the woman you've become. You grew up a lot. I’m happy for you. Really. And I know that it’s just the beginning for you, so many great things are still ahead of you. It’s a pleasure to work with you.”

“Stop it, you’re going to make me cry. And we’re still working together! I’m just going to annoy you a lot less now that I won’t be around.”

“And as weird as it sounds, I’m going to miss that.”

In the meantime, Charles spent his days in Maranello working on the simulator or talking to the teams about the new season and how they would approach it. As he was making himself a coffee from the machine in the break room, he was approached by Carlos, who asked him if it would be possible for them to talk, to which Charles agreed.

“I have something to tell you.” Carlos announced.

Feeling that the conversation was going to be serious, Charles settled into a chair.

“2024 at Ferrari will be my last season.”

“What? Why? Where are you going?”

“It’s not public yet, but Valtteri is going to retire at the end of the season and they are looking for a driver to replace him. Especially since they want to prepare the merging with Audi. They want me as first driver and it’s an opportunity that I can’t refuse. And we both know that here, I’m not their first choice. If they had to choose between you and me, they would choose you. I need to secure my future in F1 and Audi might be my best shot.”

“Well that comes as a surprise, I’m not going to lie. But I’m happy for you. If they can give you what we couldn’t and you think you’ll be happier there, then I’m happy for you Carlos.”

“Thank you, Charles. Despite everything that happened between us on tracks, I’m glad to be able to call you my friend.”

“You know what? Let’s make this season one will never forget. In honor of what we have both been through with Ferrari, let’s make the most out if it.  This our year.”

It wasn't just talk to Charles; it was a promise. And one he intended to keep.

=================

author's note: 2024 is here!!! And let me tell you that's gonna be a hell of year for Charles and Lya and I'm waiting for your predictions about the final chapters because yes, we are entering in the last part of Cruel Summer with only 10 chapters remaining... I'm sad. But let's not cry now, there is still a lot to tell! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and don't forget to like/comment/reblog. Don't be a ghost reader. 😊💛🌸 taglist:

@zendayabelova @purplephantomwolf @ru-kru @dakotali @blueflorals @aundercover @ruleroftheuniverse @fangirlika @writerscurse @elijahmikaelsonbitch @leclerc13 @karmabyfernando @stargaryenx @pitlanebabe @boiohboii @reengard

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