#Tamra Keepness

[trickarrowsandbatarangs]

God. Tamra Bonvillain’s colours are just something else, aren’t they?

[alenkosx]

I have been trying to avoid using Ashley’s hair for my Shepard because I always use her tunic outfit as armour (and I’ll never let it go!). The hair really suits my Shep though so I might have to steal it too. 🤭✨

[iliiuan]

While we're at it, I really need to vent about how foolish this whole hunt for the baby dragon was. The illogic of Hears prophecy -> wants to hide prophecy -> starts manhunt as poorly disguised baby compensation program just annoys me.

The baby compensation amount is ridiculously high. Yes, to attract any woman who perhaps wasn't very interested in the money, but it screams desperation.

The method of acquiring data is sloppy. Accepted are NOT good scribes, as evidenced by Moiraine having to transcribe most of the entries. They also focus on the wrong details, because they don't know what is actually important, because keeping the birth of the Dragon Reborn secret is really important. But here we get stuck in a quagmire of casting a large net -> too much data with not enough detail, while casting a tighter net -> getting caught and losing the secret. Which is why using Accepted to accomplish this task was foolish.

What would have been a better plan?

First option that comes to mind is to do nothing. This has the advantages of not signaling that you are looking for someone important to the Black Ajah. It protects your secret most thoroughly.

Of course, then you can't protect interfere with the Dragon Reborn as he grows, because you don't know who he is. (Not that they succeeded in this goal anyway, which leads us back to Do Nothing as a reasonable response.)

Really, if the goal was to find Rand secretly, sending your Warder seems like the best course of action. In the moment of the prophecy, this should have been the very first response. Oh, what's that? She didn't have a Warder? (Gnashes teeth. Unprepared Aes Sedai, as usual.)

But back to the census. If what they really wanted was a high-quality list of babies born on Dragonmount, it would have been much, much better to have actual clerks do the work. White Tower wants a census, they have their reasons, no one's going to be suspicious about such an academic pursuit. Clerks doing clerk work? Also very not suspicious. Normal boring stuff. Nothing to see here.

All of this to say, Tamra doesn't impress me as being very slick. She painted a target on her back unnecessarily, especially since Do Nothing was a perfectly reasonable strategy.

[webbyghost]

Rewatching that yt video of all of Doug’s scenes and I feel so bad for him

uh really long rambling under the cut lmao dont mind me

In the first scene he’s in, you can tell he just wants to be included, part of the conversation. He’s not sure how to join in, but he’s trying so hard, laughing at Clint’s ‘joke’, reacting to what others are saying, but from afar.

And all Wade has to do is say his name in that warning tone and Doug backs away so quickly without protest. They’ve done this before, multiple times. Doug knows he’s not fitting in, not quite getting it right. He’s trying so hard. Reading books to try to figure out what’s missing, putting himself out there. He says things he thinks other will agree with (I blame rap music), whether or not he actually believes them isn’t clear.

He tells his students about his (probably very stressful) weekend, but not his coworkers, because out of the two groups, only one of them will listen. They may not really get it, but they listen, and he can understand that feeling.

When the shit hits the fan, he’s still so unsure what to do. He puts a hand on Lucy’s side (going for assurance, maybe?) but removes it just as quickly, looking like he regrets it. He yells what he probably thinks is some kind of encouragement at Clint, wrestling with Patriot on the floor. He’s looking to everyone else for some sort of indication on what to do, but everyone’s panicking, so he’s panicking.

This is an unfounded headcanon but I think Doug usually does the whole exaggerated be quiet thing for his students and they think it’s funny, so he’s used to doing it that way and now it’s his default. (That or he has possible auditory hallucinations? Also an excuse to dunk on Rebekkah which is a good enough reason in my book lmao)

He risks his life to study Clint’s infection, and not only does nobody else react, but Wade outright says he doesn’t care. Not a single one of these people care that he puts himself at risk trying to help. And when he finally does return with his hypothesis, their main concern is that he did it all with his bare hands. As if that’s what’s important in the moment.

He’s used to it. That’s the worst part. He’s used to their indifference or dismissal. When he asks them to follow him so he can explain what he’s discovering, and nobody does, he just shrugs like he expected it and continues on with his observations.

I’m kind of surprised they didn’t just leave him there when he gets tackled by the kid, use him as a distraction while they escaped. Maybe they knew they’d need his knowledge, maybe they figured they needed all the hands they could get. Maybe they just acted without thinking, who knows.

And he’s so smart, and able to compartmentalize in a way that none of the others seem to be able to do. Yes, this is a child, a former student, that he’s dissecting (brain surgery with his bare hands???) but it’s necessary to understand what’s happening. He’s not trying to be a creep when he asks Tamra about hitting puberty, he’s gathering relevant data, and I’m willing to bet the more sinister implications of asking a child about her body never even crossed his mind in this situation. He’s a scientist.

And he’s still trying so hard. Trying to prove that he has things worth sharing with the group, trying to help them understand like he does, going into detail so they can get where he’s at. He sounds impatient when his knowledge gets questioned, so he gives context, but the spike incident isn’t relevant here, Rebekkah (dunking x2 combo)

When Lucy attempts to correct him, his response is ‘oh ok this is how i’ve seen people respond to this, anyway moving on’ (So he obviously doesn’t notice when the word switches happen, or at least not all the time)

Just about every time he tries to add onto a conversation he gets something wrong, and you can tell he knows it, but he keeps trying. (I’m not deep-diving into his bucket list comment lmao)  During Wade’s hype speech, he doesn’t mean to take away from the momentum, he just knows Wade was factually incorrect.

Then he makes a fucking CATTLE PROD???? Fuck Tracy’s fork-studded safety cone, clever as it is, my mans made a CATTLE PROD. IN A CAVE. OUT OF SCRAPS. (ok, in a basement, out of batteries. close enough.)

And again with the compartmentalization- they’re not human, they’re no longer his students. They’re in the way between the group and survival. He does what he has to do, with less fear than he had when trying to make small talk. He’s even able to joke during the chaos. (I saved your life, nbd, just get me a sandwich and we’re even)

The next time he says ‘come here’, though, they do. And again, he’s trying, he’s confident that if he can just get his hands on some infected nuggets, he can keep being useful, he can help fix things. He’s still worth keeping around. He tries to lighten the mood, too- the mask, the pun. It’s just the wrong timing, and he knows he messed it up again.

But he’s trying.

[rankingthehousewives]

Eight years later, or, "I'm not getting older; I'm just getting bolder."

Hi divas,

It's been the better part of a decade since I first posted this list, and a lot has changed: for me, for Bravo, and not least for the various superestrellas herein. I'm forced to fess up to some clunker opinions (Stacey Forsey is not a better Housewife than Vicki Gunvalson; Teresa Giudice is [heartbreakingly, devastatingly] not actually in love with her brother), and a few overall sea changes in the way I conceptualize the show and Bravo in general.

First of all, I underestimated the delight of the Housewives blog/news cycle, which has only refined as an apparatus since the posting of this list. A key component in being a Bravolebrity is one's ability to titillate with delightfully brain-bending headlines (Teresa Giudice 'can’t relate' to Jen Shah’s prison sentencing: 'I would never do something like that.') and to shock and delight with one's antics, public snipes, absurd feuds, and assorted felonies. When I first compiled this list, it was after my first watch of each of series, and I didn't understand that a good chunk of the captivating material occurs offscreen, as a thrilling little adrenaline hit during an otherwise mundane day. If I had to make a list like this again, I'd take that into much more rigorous account.

But I wouldn't make a list like this again, because fundamentally... I really like all of these women now, at least as highly edited TV characters! Shock twist: they're all now tied in my heart! I see them all as rich and necessary players in the show's milieu, and I honestly think that my individual moral judgments of them are totally irrelevant—and, in fact, I think the show works best approached as non-judgmentally as possible. I respect that each viewer will have their own individual lines in the sand as to what is and isn't Too Far, informed by their own personalities and experiences, and I can't ask for carte blanche approval of these problematic women and their problematic ways. But for me, I have genuinely come to appreciate Kyle Richards and Jeana Keough and THE Mary Schmidt Amons, and of course I still love Phaedra and Tamra and Sheree and all of the other beautiful Botoxed gladiators who have taken to the Coliseum (and The Traitors season two) for our collective entertainment.

I think part of what's brought me to this conclusion is that in the current era of BravoCon and celebrity superfans and Peacock exclusives, the social media discourse has gotten increasingly tense, heated, and even abusive—between fans and other fans, certainly, but also between fans and the talent. People frequently direct really cruel messages to the Housewives and other Bravolebrities without thinking of the impacts of those sorts of messages, individually and en masse. I think a ranked list like this one, with its favourites at the tops and least favourites at the bottom, isn't a great format for communicating the nuance of these programs at their best, and for expressing my appreciation for these many strong, interesting, entertaining women who love vaginal rejuvenation and axe-throwing. Basically, I think we're too quick to judge, and I think I judged too quickly.

I still get really sweet messages from readers about this list (please forgive me if I haven't answered yours!), so I won't strip it from the web, even though I disown a lot of the opinions underpinning it. If you're reading this in 2024, or later, just know that I almost universally wish I were kinder and more thoughtful in my appraisals. And, hey, thanks again for reading.

If you're interested in keeping up with me eight years later, I write, produce, and host a podcast with my friend, Josie, called Bittersweet Infamy. We cover infamous non-fiction stories, including an excruciatingly in-depth dive into the Salahis' white house crash with lots of bizarre celebrity cameos, from Shaq to Sugar Kiper to Bai Ling. Three and a half years in, we're revving up for our 100th episode, so we'd love the well wishes.

If that's not your vibe, then please continue to enjoy the weird and wonderful worlds of Bravo—and please, by all means, make it nice.

xoxo

t.

P.S. RHOSLC kicks ass.

P.P.S. Luann is still my favourite.

[hero-deserves-to-be-happy]

At The End of the Road: Chapter 1: Unforgettable

In the future, nearly 14 years after the good ending of OMORI, Hero meets up with his old friends from college and reflects on how a Fall break vacation over a decade ago quickly turned into a road trip Hero and his friends would never forget.

Hero's friendships with his college friends Brandi, Kyle (OC), Zoey (OC), Tamra (OC), C.J. (OC) and Lorraine (OC)-centric. (Past Hero/Mari, Eventual Hero/OC, and Brandi/OC are also mentioned)

Slice of Life and Friendship Shenanigans Post-Good End (with a little bit of Hurt/Comfort).

Rated G. Some mild warnings for canon-typical heavy themes (i.e. grief and mourning) & some occasional mild language in later chapters, but this is mostly friendship fun and shenanigans. Please see AO3 tags for more information and also be mindful of OMORI spoilers.

Chapter 1 of 5 || Chapter Word Count: 2,412

Reading "When Sun Shines Again" and "Am I Ready For Love? Or Maybe Just a Best Friend" before this story is recommended.

A/N: This story is a gift for @shine-n-bright and was inspired by Shine's prompt and beautiful artwork of Hero and his friends. Thank you so much again for the wonderful art inspired by "When Sun Shines Again" and the prompt for this story!! We are so sorry for all the delays and appreciate your patience. We loved your prompt so much that this story became a much bigger work than we anticipated so we have divided it into chapters. We hope to post the next chapters very soon and really hope you like this story! 😊

Link to the chapter on AO3. Full Chapter Text Below the Cut.

Thank you for reading and supporting our work in progress! ⛅

PROLOGUE:

“There you are! What took you so long?”

Fidgeting, Hero scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry, Kyle. I got caught at work.”

“Eh don’t worry about it,” Kyle insisted as he shrugged his shoulders with a lopsided grin. He patted Hero on the back as he ushered him into the house, then laughed as he took his jacket. “Nice scrubs.”

Hero sheepishly smoothed his hands across his shirt. These days, he spent most of his time in scrubs, so it was easy to forget he was wearing them. “Sorry,” he apologized again. “I didn’t have time to change.”

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Kyle laughed again. “You know I don’t care. I love scrubs—it’s like wearing pajamas to work every day, but what in the world happened to you? We got off at the exact same time—or at least we were supposed to.” Kyle tilted his head, and Hero shuffled his feet. It was easy to forget that Kyle knew all about his schedule now that they were working in the same orthopedic clinic. “I thought you took this outpatient job, so you’d have more time for yourself than you did in your residency. That’s not gonna work if you keep working after hours.”

Hero sighed heavily. “I know…but I got behind on some of my charting today and—”

“You work way too hard, Mama,” Kyle interrupted with a tut bringing up an old nickname that had somehow stuck around since their undergrad. “And you’re already like the busiest person I know. You need a break.” 

“I’m fine. Please don’t worry.” Hero insisted, then chuckled lightly to himself. This conversation was all too familiar. He and Kyle must have had the exact same one at least a hundred times over the decade they had been roommates before Kyle had finally moved out and into this lovely house in the suburbs.

Kyle shrugged. “You know I don’t worry about anything, but you need a vacation. I think I’ll buy you one.”

“Oh you really don’t have to—”

Hero’s protests were promptly cut off by the frantic flurry of clip-clopping high heels, bouncing golden curls, a twirling sparkling tutu, high-pitched giggling, and an excited squeal of “Uncle Hero!”

He wasn’t really her uncle, only her godfather, but the title made him smile brightly as he scooped up Kyle’s daughter, Eloise, and she placed a tiara triumphantly into his unruly hair.

“Thank you, Ellie,” said Hero with a laugh as the tiara began to droop over his eyes. Eloise’s tiny brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to catch the crown, practically smacking Hero in the head with it as Kyle cackled in the background. Kyle only laughed harder as Hero reached up with his hand to try to affix the tiara to his head which, unfortunately, it seemed was much too big for a crown designed for toddlers. He looked at Eloise apologetically, but he couldn’t hold back his smile as he heard familiar laughter coming from a nearby doorway.

“You’ve finally got your crown, Mr. Prince.”

Hero stifled his laughter at another nickname it seemed he would never be able to outgrow, and Zoey leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms with a quirk of an eyebrow. Her voice was dry, but Hero knew her well enough after all these years to see the twitch of a smile in the corners of her mouth and that teasing sparkle in her green eyes as she added, “It suits you.”

Hero’s face grew warm. The fact he was blushing at Zoey’s recurring ‘prince’ joke after all this time was even more embarrassing than the joke itself. For a split second, he hoped she hadn’t noticed, but she knew him far too well for that. Hero was sure of it—even without her pointed flash of the engagement ring on her left hand as she raised it to her mouth to stifle her laughter.

Hero shrugged but smiled. Touché.

“I think it’s better for a princess,” he said as he gently nestled the tiara into Eloise’s blonde curls.

“I’m playing Cinderella,” Eloise explained. “You’ll be the prince for me—won’t you? Dad says you’re just like prince charming.”

Laughing, Kyle took his little girl from Hero and held her himself. “I said he was ‘basically prince charming,’” he corrected—clearly more for Hero’s benefit than for the understanding of his toddler. “Which he is.”

Before Hero could even begin to protest, a high-pitched voice laughed, “Oh he totally is!” followed by the excited footsteps of Lorraine sprinting through the doorway and practically jumping on him to squeeze him into a tight hug. It had always been her preferred method of greeting, but even after all of these years, it still surprised him, as did her unexpectedly tight grip for someone so dainty.

“My future brother, the prince,” she teased with a beaming smile, ruffling a hand through his hair before she turned to Eloise. “He’d be the perfect prince for your game, but he’s here to do some grown-up stuff, so he can’t play today.”

With a disappointed hum, Eloise pouted, “But Uncle Hero…” She blinked at him with big eyes and a pleading expression which reminded him a lot of her father’s. If Hero had to guess, she’d be just as persuasive as him someday—a troublemaker who somehow always managed to be earnest and look innocent, and just as Hero had always struggled saying no to Kyle, he struggled to say no to Eloise too. He almost wanted to say that he would play with her for a little while, but he had kept his friends waiting for so long already, so instead he sighed with a half-smile and said, “I promise we’ll play next time, okay?”

Eloise frowned—clearly not too pleased with the idea, but her face lit up into a bright smile when her dad said, “Hey, you wanna watch Cinderella on the big tv?” and led her off practically skipping up the stairs her plastic dress-up high-heels loudly clip-clopping all the way.

“Gotta keep an eye on our goddaughter,” quipped Zoey. “She’s dangerous. Before we know it, she’ll be roping her friends into who knows what—have them camping out in the middle of nowhere in an RV that had broken down on the side of the highway.”

Hero stifled a laugh. He hadn’t thought about that in years. Looking back, it was kind of amazing to think of the kinds of shenanigans he and his friends had gotten into back in college—all mostly thanks to Kyle and his hairbrained ideas. Truthfully, it was a little unbelievable seeing as they were all such responsible adults now: a teacher, a doctor, a speech therapist, two lawyers, an engineer, and a physical therapist. Nearly all of them married—some, like Kyle, with children who, in Eloise’s case, at least, for better or worse, seemed to be just like her dad.

“Ooh that reminds me,” interjected Lorraine. “I got out all my photo albums out for you to look at. Basil called me about pictures for some collage or wedding video or something, and you’re welcome to borrow any you want.” She clapped her hands with a smile. “I have an album from that trip, you know?”

“I still don’t know why you wanted to document that…” Shaking her head, Zoey sighed but shrugged. “Just don’t show Brandi, okay? I’m pretty sure she still calls it ‘the Road Trip from hell.’”

“Aww but it was the first time we all ever went on vacation together. It was so much fun!” Lorraine beamed, but her sister just shrugged. She quickly turned to Hero. “You want to see the pictures, don’t you, Hero?”

He could barely mumble a polite, “Um…sure, Lorraine” before she had dragged him through the doorway towards the dining room and kitchen where the rest of their friends were hard at work seemingly getting ready for dinner. C.J. and Tamra turned towards him with smiles and friendly greetings, but Brandi just huffed and crossed her arms.

“Well look who finally decided to show up.” She bristled, but Hero liked to think she happy to see him. Maybe… It was often difficult to tell with her.

“Finally,” C.J. repeated, though he sounded relieved rather than disgruntled. “We were about to cut our losses and order takeout. You know none of us can cook.”

“Hey,” huffed Brandi, but C.J. just smiled.

“You know I love you, but it was your idea to order takeout.”

Brandi frowned. “I didn’t mean me.”

“Well, I’m flattered,” Kyle interjected with a bright, smarmy smile as he walked in through another entrance. “But honestly, I think I could still burn a Pop-Tart.”

Brandi rolled her eyes, but paused glancing around, Hero could only assume, for Eloise, not wanting to insult Kyle in front of his kid. Even though the little girl was upstairs now, Brandi still just muttered a tame, “moron” under her breath and otherwise she pretended she hadn’t heard him and continued, “Lorraine is a pretty good cook, and Tamra’s still working on that lasagna.”

“Yeah…I think we should probably give up on the lasagna.” With a weary sigh, a particularly bedraggled Tamra chuckled somewhat sheepishly and wiped her floury hands on a stained apron. “We should not have tried to substitute the eggs when we ran out.” She shook her head but smiled at Hero with a shrug her shoulders, “I don’t think even you can rescue this one, Hero.”

“I think we should just order takeout,” huffed Brandi. “I’m starving.”

“And cranky,” quipped Kyle in a playful scold.

“You’re the one who invited people over for a dinner with no food.”

Kyle shrugged. “I thought Hero would cook for us—like the old days, but he was late.”  

“I’m sorry, everyone.” Hero had lost track of how many times he had apologized, but he felt another apology was warranted. “I can whip something up right away.”

A gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him. “No,” said Zoey. “I’ll order some takeout. Don’t worry about it.”

“Kyle will order some takeout,” Brandi corrected. “Since this is his fault.”

Laughing, Kyle held up his hands in a sort of helpless surrender. “Okay. Okay.” He pulled a menu for a local Chinese restaurant off of his refrigerator. From it’s prominent placement amongst family photos and Eloise’s artwork, Hero could only assume that Kyle was a frequent customer. As Kyle began to pass the menu around to his friends, Lorraine placed a stack of photo albums on the table.

“We should look through some pictures while we wait for the food!” She smiled brightly handing an album with “Our First Road Trip” emblazoned on the cover to Hero. “Here’s the one we were talking about.”

“Oh no. Not that one,” complained Brandi, peering over Hero’s shoulder. “I had almost blocked that road trip from hell out of my memory.”

“Told you,” quipped Zoey with a chuckle, but Hero doubted she was heard by too many of their companions over Kyle’s very loud and very dramatic gasp of offense.

“Why would you want to do that? It was the best trip ever!”

From the looks that were being exchanged, Hero could tell that while none of them would likely go so far as Brandi to call their vacation the “road trip from hell,” no one agreed that it was anywhere near the “best trip ever.” The way Hero remembered it, everything that possibly could have gone wrong did. Starting from the first moment Kyle had pulled up the driveway of their fraternity house in a weathered, broken-down RV equipped with a gross carpet interior and peeling paint. His mouth twitched in the corners as he released that his truly unforgettable recreational vehicle had been immortalized forever as the first photo in Lorraine’s album.

Though Lorraine hadn’t gotten a photo of it, Hero could vividly picture the bright beaming smile on Kyle’s face as he had proudly declared he had had “the best idea ever” to use their plane ticket money in order to rent that hunk of junk RV on the somewhat fantastical notion that a road trip would permanently bond them, make them all “best friends forever” like in one of those coming-of-age sitcoms Kyle loved so much. Hero could distinctly remember Brandi huffing, “This isn’t ‘Saved By the Bell,’ Kyle” as if friendships that close were just a fantasy—something only found on TV.

Hero supposed that in a way, at that time, it was a sort of fantasy to him too—a distant dream that almost didn’t feel real. He had had friends like that once, but, back then, back when Kyle was masterminding that road trip, he couldn’t imagine ever having friends like that again.

It was strange thinking back to that time, now, after everything that had happened. In a way, he felt almost like a different person—like the  young man who had driven that dilapidated RV all the way to Kyle’s family lake house wasn’t even him at all. That Hero could have never imagined that their ragtag group would still be in touch with each other after all this time, let alone such close friends. He could have never imagined that at the end of the road they’d someday all be gathering around the table to look through Lorraine’s photo album of that fateful road trip to find pictures for his wedding of all things.

Hero covered his mouth with his hand and laughed in spite of himself. It was truly unbelievable. Impossible. Even now, having reached this destination it almost didn’t feel real, but as Kyle had once said, some of the best journeys in life wind up at places you could never expect—that’s part of the fun!  

In that way, Hero supposed it was impossible to ever really know what was waiting at the end of the road. After so many twists and turns in the winding dark, there was a future surrounded by friendship and love that he hadn’t believed he could ever have after losing Mari, that he hadn’t believed he deserved anymore. 

But he had had no way of knowing that, had no way of knowing he could ever be happy again, just like he had no way of knowing that his Fall break vacation to Kyle’s family lake house would turn into a cross-country road trip he and his friends would never forget. 

[monkiinart]

Here goes my 'please do the Myst III banter' ask

banter under the cut bc its spoilery!

MYST EXILE MY BELOVEEEEED okay here we go.. i keep raving about Saavedro but he's suuuuch a good character and a big reason i enjoy this game and Brad plays him so well! I love thinking about him going about altering all the training worlds and getting to know them in and out! I especially love Edanna, it's so gorgeous. I'm a big flora enthousiast so a good funky jungle lvl gets me hooked anytime. i love that you get most information from reading the journals, Myst is great at worldbuilding and storytelling and it all feels well crafted! I loooove visualizing the Narayan method of spore bubbles and catching them for weaving the lattice roots, so fun. I wish we got to see a little bit more of Narayan itself but somewhere else I also like that we haven't. ( im working on drawing saav and tamra in my own intrep. of their narayan outfits :3 ) I mentioned this in a reply but i also like thinking about the complications of Saavedro returning home after 20yrs, I get all sad about him having missed his daughters growing up :'( Its bittersweet (but then again i also love him reuniting with Tamra... i draw them being sweet with eachother so much) YEAH i love Exile.. music good.. levels pretty... mr dourif... (chef kiss)

[kiwiikato]

doug davis x reader // cooties 2014

chapter four

masterlist

note! FHSNBFAJDNSMSNA FOAMING AT MY MOUTH. this man is so yummy. need him fr.  how are we all feeling so far? 0-0

you and doug later returned from the restroom, sad to leave one another's embrace, but remembering you couldn't wait there the entire time. you could, but the two of you would eventually die from starvation while rotting against the cold bathroom tiles.

now standing with the rest of the group near the door that lead to clint, you watched as wade scanned the watch on his wrist. time felt slow, almost cage like. a sudden beep rang through the room. wade looked up, reaching for the door. "go time! keep your distance grisham."

wade barged in, the doug of you following in tow with the rest behind you. "oh there's- there vomit there!" clint yelled too late, the sound of mush running through the room as wade gagged, "ugh god!" you moved out of the way on time, pulling doug away from the puddle of bile.

"just watch your step!" clint yelled, only for lucy to approach him, checking on his well being. you all stood on the balcony that connected to the music room, since it was on the second floor. "oh i know that car! that's the PTA president, racer dobkin's mom. she always get here early to open the gates." lucy informed you all.

hope was finally shining through this moment of dark. you all yelled, waving your hands hoping she'd hear you all and get help. "call for help!" you all yelled, desperate.

"wait there he is." clint spoke. a child made there way to the car with the backpack on them. it was racer, her son. you all panicked watching him make his way to her. "no, no, no, no, no! don't let him in! don't open the door!" your voices all muddled together, hoping she'd hear you.

"look up you bitch! you're going to die!!" you yelled, jumping up hoping she'd see you. it was pointless, through the glass you could make out how she spoke to someone, only ever looking down or back. doug's arm landed on your waist, doing his best to soothe you.

racer entered the car. it was silent for a moment, almost too quiet. in an instant, the car shook as a screech of fear came from the car. blood eventually coating the front mirror. you all groaned, turning around in disgust. "oh god!" your face cowered to doug, trying to hide the brutal scene from your vision.

"they go right for the face!" wade shouted. "we'll have to warn the others. the other parents will be here in a second!" lucy panicked, looking at the gate to the school. "they'll massacre the other parents." wade said.

a yell came from your left, making you all turn. tracy yelled, only for child like hands to be wrapped around his ankle, pulling him. "oh my god! get off of me!" everyone panicked once again! a faint 'help me!' came from the cannibal child. but except she wasn't. "she's not one of them!" doug shouted. "oh my gosh! tamra sweetie!"

it was obvious she wasn't infected, looking at shelly with doug helped you feel safe the second you grabbed her arms to hold her from falling. "oh god they're coming! help her up!" you all screened seeing the stampede of infected students running over the the tree to reach you.

with a strong tug, you pulled tamra up, making her scurry off the ground. grabbing her arm, you all ran away from the balcony. "to the auditorium!" running down the hallway, you all ran from the children that chased you all. you pulled as softly as you could at tamra, slightly hard to do while running, while tracy helped pull at calvin.

"move move move!" wade opened the doors, ushering in. suddenly doug was at the back, only for his feet to be caught, making him trip with a harsh hit to his head on the floors. "help! get him off me!"

clint dragged at doug's arms, pulling him away but it was still ineffective. the boy, who was dink, grabbed onto clint's leg, still slightly on top of doug who laid there in fear.

after struggling to close the door to the room with the amount of children pushing at the door, wade made his way over to the scene. with everything happening, the moment was a matter of fight or flight. and wade chose fight.

grabbing the fire extinguisher, wade brought it down with a metallic slam. the sound of metal hitting bones sounded through the room. a grotesque scene as wade shouted while continuously slamming the fire extinguished.

your hands covered your mouth, the room falling silent as wades yells and grunts were the only thing heard besides the sound of death. wades small pants rang through the air as he rubbed his hands on his face. his body and face littered with droplets of blood.

doug quickly crawled away from the body, his arms wrapped around your legs as you held his shoulders gently. wade walked away quietly, almost lifeless, ignoring lucy as he opened a restroom door, entering it without a sound.

"tammy and calvin, why don't you come over here with me?" lucy grabbed the kids, pulling them away from the scene. "that guy always cheated off me." "calvin! come on." lucy grabbed him again, pulling him with her.

"ill make sure all the doors are secure." clint said, making his way to check said doors. doug got off from the floor, letting go of your legs as he moved to the body of dink. "why- why is his blood all black?" rebekkah's voice shook as she analyzed the almost tar like blood on dink's body.

"i don't know. that's what i want to find out. i- i think i'm gonna dissect him." doug looked at the three of you — tracy, rebekkah, and you — for help. it was struggle but you all had eventually succeeded in moving the body into a restroom.

"oh my god, i can't believe you're doing this." tracy said as doug worked on the body. you squatted next to doug, trying to avoid watching what he was doing. "i can't believe boys pee in those." rebekkah spoke out of nowhere, making you laugh.

"that's disgusting??" tracy asked in shock. "is it not disgusting to have boys staring at each others penises?" "what- what is wrong with that?!" tracy asked, making your eyes snap wide.

"tracy, im gonna need you to stop and think about what you just said -  there is a lot is wrong with that." you say making tracy panic. "oh my gosh! not like that! ewww y/n!" you laughed, enjoying the moment. "i'm playing with you tracy." you couldn't help the snort that escaped your lips, only making rebekkah and tracy laugh along.

doug watched with slightly sad eyes. how he longed to fit along with everyone. how he wished he was normal enough to be with you. seeing you laugh so easily with your two other coworkers strained apart of his heart.

it wasn't time for him to feel this, not right now at least, but he couldn't help the pit in his stomach that grew. what if you didn't feel the same. what if you considered him weird or abnormal like everyone else. what if you- oh god, what if you liked tracy.

is that why you and tracy would always hang out after work every now and then. he knew you hung out with him at school but you spent a lot of time with tracy out of work. what if the two of you were dating already in private.

he shut his eyes, not wanting to show these conflicting emotions in front of anyone. he would rather die not knowing the truth then, peacefully in ignorant bliss. he always wanted to know everything, but this, this was something he would prefer to never know. even knowing the truth between you and tracy would be enough to kill him.

he shook his thoughts, wanting to ignore the conversation between tracy and you. clearing his throat and blinking away the moistness from his eyes, he spoke. "well this is interesting." you stayed sitting down next to doug as tracy and rebekkah stood up. "i'm gonna extract the brain."

you closed your eyes just in time as doug's hand plunged into dinks open cranium, his hands pushing inside to grab the brain. "oh that's just rude!" tracy gasped, falling backwards in shock with a thud. "tracy!" you quickly got up, making sure he was okay.

hitting his head, you opened his eye with your fingers. "you alive?" you asked him. "sadly." you laughed, letting him go. after a bit of time, rebakkah kicked at tracy, making him yell out a 'hey!'. she pulled at him, complaining about not wanting to be here any longer.

you stayed alone with doug, not wanting to leave him alone. any time with him was good. you watched as he worked at removing the brain from the skull, occasionally zoning out. time passed fast, not even noticing how doug had the brain set to the side, his hands clean from the blood of the body. doug called out your name snapped back your attention, making you look at him. "what did you say doug?"

"how are you holding up with all of this?" you cradled your feet to your body, smiling softly. "i'm okay doug, as good as i can be with everything going on, im just glad i'm not alone in all this, this might sound bad, but i'm glad we're facing cannibal children together." you say tapping at your knees with rhythm.

"with me?" doug asked, slightly caught off guard. "yes, who else is named doug and right in front of me?" you asked quirking your eyebrow. "i don't know, i was just expecting you to be more happy with tracy and the others." he mumbled slightly, no longer focusing on dink.

"with tracy and the others? i love them and all," doug's heart clenched, "but i rather spend my last day on earth with you over them." you say awkwardly laughing. how you longed for him to pick up on your hopeless attempts on showing your feelings.

doug's smile on his face couldn't contain itself. "last day on earth with you doesn't seem so bad." your face turned red, being caught off guard at him reciprocating the thought. maybe, just maybe he felt the same. red enveloped your skin as you and doug looked at one another.

faint glances at your lips, he tried his best to not show his feelings. how embarrassing would it be for him to get rejected. still, he couldn't stop himself from staring at you, admiring each feature.

catching the faint flickering of his eyes, you couldn't help but mimic his action. the tension in the room changed, more tense than before. but so did the space between you and doug as you felt yourself closer.

you could basically feeling the contact of doug's breath on your own. how did he still charm you, even in this hellish day. yet you so badly longed to kiss him. and so did he.

and so he did.

with a leap of faith, doug pushed himself forward, connecting his lips to yours in a quick chaste kiss. he hoped he didn't interpret your actions wrong. stunned, you could only stare back at him.

he fucked up. fuck, he fucked up. he messed up and now you hate him. now you'll definitely think he's a freak and now a pervert. "i'm sorry. i didn't mean to — well, i did, but i'm sorry, i shouldve know that wasn't what you-" his rambling was cut short.

"shut up." grabbing him by the bottom of his tie, you pulled him forward, capturing his lips onto yours. two years you longed for something like this. doug's eyes widened in shock for so many reasons. you wanted to kiss him back. you did kiss him back. you're actually kissing him.

doug's hands awkwardly placed themselves on your waist and the other on the side of your face. pulling you closer, almost making you fall backwards with him on you, if it weren't for the hand on your waist quickly moving to hold you two up away from the floor.

your other hand moved to your side, pushing against the floor to help with the two of you toppling over. doug laughed into the kiss, seeing you move to help him. he quickly pulled back and mumbled a 'sorry', only for him to pull you backwards with him.

now instead of the two of you leaning forward, doug supported your back with his hands as you took a seat on his lap. pulling you into a kiss once again, doug's hold around you tightened, making you feel like putty in his hands.

after some time, doug finally separated to pepper kisses on your face, a wide smile on your face just like his. "i'm sorry." he said, feeling bad for kissing you without consent. you kissed back, you did, but his mind ran wild with overthinking.

now you're gonna stop talking to him and you're gonna put a restraining order or someone on him and he's going to go back to being alone all becau- "don't be sorry." you smiled at him. his hands on your waist that were unconsciously tightened loosened.

"i'm sorry, what?" he asked, a little caught off guard. " i liked it." your face was red, nervous to be admitting it in the open. "what?" doug could barely respond. "i liked it. i like you doug. i have for a while." it felt like every catastrophic thought was gone.

"you like me?" doug asked, making you nod. "me??" he asked shocked, pointing at himself. "yes doug, i like you, more than friends." you said pointing at him, mimicking his actions. his silence made you worry, maybe his actions met nothing the way you thought they did. "i'm sorry, i must have misunderstood." you said softly, your heart aching as your eyes felt watery.

you made the move to get up, trying to get away from doug to not add to your embarrassment. "no!" his hands grabbed you, pulling you back into his hold. "i like you too. a lot. i'm sorry, i was just stunned that you even reciprocated my feelings. it just completely caught me off guard." he said smiling.

"i'm sorry it took possibly getting eaten alive to tell you all this." doug said frowning softly, only making you laugh. "better to tell me while we're alive than to tell me when we're fighting for our lives in the moment." your hands find themselves on his face, slightly caressing him.

"we have to go doug. the others might be wondering where we went." doug frowned, not wanting to leave the moment but he knew you were right. placing a kiss on his head, you spoke, "we won't be strangers, but hopefully lovers." you spoke in a slightly questioning tone, wanting to make sure he wanted the same.

"lovers, i like that." he pulled you up, grabbing your hand, as with the other he picked up the extracted brain of dink. "let's go show the others." he said pulling you to the door, before stopping you and placing a kiss on your lips once again.

your face turned red, still shocked that he felt the same, as he opened the door of the restroom out to the others. luring you out, he let go of your hand with a squeeze, calling the others.

[redcatmusingsmain]

For the ship bingo, Linvira, Korrasami, and Kuvirasami 😉

https://www.tumblr.com/tamras-shieldmaiden/658490822962118656/send-me-a-ship-and-ill-fill-out-how-i-feel-about?source=share

Wonderful question. So for Linvira, this is my all time favourite pairing. I love w/w pairings with age gaps. I feel both partners bring something to the relationship that just can't be had when you're moving through life in the same stage. I will go down with this ship to the darkest depths.

Korrasami

It's cute, it's canon, there is some semblance of connection but honestly; it's too predictable. I feel like it works because people expect it to work. However, I feel both these characters have much better pairing options ~~with Kuvira~~ *cough cough* It doesn't pique my interest or my muses for writing, it mostly elicits an 'aww that's adorable' response. Am I happy they are canon? Absolutely! Do I draw inspiration from this pairing? Not really. I put OT3 with NOTP because I don't feel they are OTP but they could fit into an OT3 with Kuvira much better.

Kuvirasami

I enjoy this pairing. I think they compliment one another well. Their mannerisms and the finesse of courting in public and navigating public notoriety makes for interesting and dynamic storytelling. I think the power play keeps things interesting (who is taking charge when and why) and the pairing feels like a good match. I have definitely found inspiration with these two :)

Thanks for the ask! I enjoyed this!

[concealeddarkness13]

OC Kiss Week Prompt 6: Reach

This one is Luneth and Cress, from Luneth's perspective, from Concealed Darkness! However, this one does have heavy spoilers for Concealed Darkness and the direction it will be going, so read at your own risk! Tagging: @ratracechronicler, @maple-writes, @pen-of-roses, @drabbleitout, and @grailfish!

Cassian was there, standing over me with his sword pointed at me and his wings blocking any exit. Tears blurred my vision as I stared at him. I couldn’t…couldn’t fight him.

Someone chuckled and walked up behind Cassian, who looked over at him with such trust in his eyes, a similar expression to how he had looked at his parents. And…it was Aston. He smirked down at me as he walked up, clicking his tongue. “You’re the last of that vile Celestial bloodline left on this world. The last filthy remnant of the creatures who dared to control us.” He looked over at Cassian and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You know what to do to save your friend. The Celestial blood has corrupted them.”

Cassian turned back to me, raising his sword, but I kept glaring at Aston. I bared my fangs, my tail lashing in anger. “You fucking liar. If anyone here is corrupted, it’s you.”

He just smirked more as Cassian swung his sword so that it sliced my cheek. He was glaring at me with tears in his eyes. “Aston is the only person I have left! You will…you will give Luneth back!” His voice cracked, and tears spilled down his cheeks.

I stared at him. “Cass, it’s me! I promise!”

“You motherfucker!” He lunged to ram me through the heart with his sword, but I scrambled back. He…he didn’t believe me, wouldn’t believe me. And I couldn’t convince him.

But I was so tired. I wouldn’t be able to run, not really. I wouldn’t be able to even use magic. Cassian…he was going to kill me. I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut, but the blow never came.

I looked up at Aston and Cassian’s screams. They were covered in darkness and incapacitated. Who…Cress?

“Stardust, reach!” I looked up, and he was leaning as far out of a vent as he could. I stood up on shaky legs and stumbled closer, grabbing his hand as darkness erupted on his skin, and he used the strength his magic gave him to pull me up into the vent with him.

I almost collapsed, but he nudged me in front of him, helping push me along. “My darkness won’t distract them for long. They’ll be after us soon enough. We have to find a place to hide.”

“I…I don’t have enough strength to turn invisible.”

“That’s fine. We’ll find a place. Promise.” He sounded so damn confident, even as his voice was getting ragged from strain himself. And he was panting. He wasn’t much better off than I was. “I know a secret passage.”

I glanced back at him. “Did…did anyone else escape?” Just because I hated Imperium and especially Xander, didn’t mean that I hated the members who were just trying to fight against the empire, who didn’t know the other goals.

He didn’t speak for a bit. “Yes. Not everyone, but I was able to get a lot of them out in the confusion. You, unfortunately, were a good distraction.”

I huffed out a laugh. “At least I was good for something.”

He paused, placing a hand on my leg so I stopped too. “Luneth, no one would expect you to fight against Cassian. He’s your best friend.”

I couldn’t look at him. “And before that, I let that bastard keep hold of him and feed him lies. I ran away when I should have stayed and helped him.”

“Aston tried to kill you. He would have if you had stayed.”

“But it’s my fault.” My voice shook as the dam broke. I collapsed against the wall of the vent in pointless sobs. It was all falling apart, everything I worked for, everyone I cared about. I had no idea where Tamra was, Cassian was under Aston’s control, and there was no safe place left from Aston. I…I couldn’t do this anymore.

“Luneth, Stardust, look at me.” I tried to look up as my chest tightened and everything seemed so damn far away. His hands wrapped in mine, and I held onto them tightly. “I won’t leave you. No matter what happens, I’ll protect you. You’re not alone. This is why I joined Imperium. To protect you. Imperium turned out to be shit, but that doesn’t change what I want to do.”

I stared at him, and before I could think twice, I pulled him close by the shirt and kissed him. I…I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t tell him how much I loved him. But I could show him. I poured all my emotions into the kiss, and as he relaxed and tangled his hands in my hair, I knew my message was getting through. I…I loved him, and even though he said that he would protect me, I would also protect him. He was the only friend—no, lover—I had right now.

[dispatchdcu]

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #23 Review

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #23 Review #batman #superman #worldsfinest #darkknight #manofsteel #dccomics #comics #comicbooks #news #dcu #dcuuniverse #art #info #NCBD #previews #reviews #amazon #DCEU

Writer: Mark Waid Art: Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain, Steve Wands, Dan Mora Publisher: DC Comics Price:$3.99 Release Date: January 16th, 2023 The walls are closing in on the World’s Finest duo as Boy Thunder falls fully under the thrall of Gog in the universe of Kingdom Come! Superman and Batman race against the clock not only to keep Boy Thunder from becoming Magog—but to save the Multiverse…

[kilowogcore]

It took me a long time ta write this one, cuz there were just too many options fer that last panel! US Libertarians really don't understand how power works or how we get freedom.

There ain't no such thing as a free market! Lowering government regulation results in a spike of corporate manipulation an' control which can only be limited (legally) by more government regulation!

So the most free capitalist market ain't gonna be very free at all, cuz it'll strike a balance between regulation an' capitalist evil that keeps both sides lower but still pretty high.

If only there were some kinda secret third option… hmmmm…

Anyway, if ya' like this meme an' have yer own ideas of what ta' do with someone sayin' "Cool!" then "What?" (it's Jimmy Olson under th' AnCom Ball, by th' way) I've got good news! There's a higher quality template fer this meme up at th' Coffee Site linked in my profile fer Heroes an' Superheroes! Collect it an' get memein', poozers!

(Art sampled from "Batman/Superman: World's Finest Vol. 1 #27 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Travis Mercer, Tamra Bonvillain, Steve Wands, Paul Kaminski, and Chris Rosa)

[realhousewives-fan]

Appreciation Post: Emily Simpson

Emily Simpson is one of the housewives the fans seem to love to throw digs at.

Emily and Gina Kirschenheiter joined RHOC the same season and became best friends.

And for some reason, the fans love to hate on them.

Seemingly all the fans care about are Tamra Judge, Heather Dubrow, Shannon Beador…

The newbies rarely get their fair chance with the fans.

Emily and Gina have been on the show for 5 seasons now and it still feels like they’re newbies.

Mostly because the fans keep on hating on them.

While I can agree with Gina being annoying at times, I feel like they’re misjudging Emily a lot.

She’s direct. She’s nosy. She’s messy. She’s funny. Maybe a little aggressive when angry.

But she has evolved as a housewife before our eyes, and it should be recognized and appreciated.

She has changed a lot though.

She admitted that she has used Ozempic to help with her weight-loss, but she has also done surgery as well as she is exercising.

Emily has always been a beautiful woman to me. I might have gotten a girl crush on her if I met her in person.

She’s like one of those Amazons warriors.

She can ride a horse and she’s great at archery. She’s tall. She’s curvy. And she’s stunning.

Like I said, I could easily get a girl crush on Emily.

But she’s doing amazing things too. Watching her working with exonerating those who has been wrongfully convicted is deeply moving.

And she has a deep-rooted storyline too. She has an estranged relationship with her mother and a desire to form a tighter bond with her.

She’s being her authentic self even when it’s not pretty.

Her marriage with Shane Simpson has been through a roller coaster ride on the show. It wasn’t good.

She was being sour, angry, and complaining, while he was being snarky and absent when he was studying for the bar exam.

Him passing the bar exam and Emily getting a new hip seemed to have done wonders for their marriage and for her as a housewife!

[udaberriwrites]

8 Shows

RULES - List eight shows for your followers to get to know you better.

Thanks for the tag, @sliebman10 ! This is an interesting one!

Tagging... @lena-hills , @tamras-shieldmaiden , @precambrian-sea-pancake , @fattybattysblog , @mikaharuka , @alpaca-clouds and open tag!!

Ok, I could have just listed "every trek ever", but let's try to keep this more fair xD In no particular order:

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

2. Star Trek: The Original Series

3. Heartstopper

4. Castlevania (Cartoon)

5. Arcane (Cartoon)

6. Psych

7. Monk

8. Queen's Gambit

9. ERASED

10. The Good Place

[kryzobi-wan]

The Sound of Mandalore

Chapter 8/20: So Long, Farewell

Read on AO3

<;< Chapter 7

The ballroom of Sundari Palace was filled to the brim with diplomats from all over the Neutral Systems, as well as a few other friendly faces. Both Bail Organa and Mon Mothma had been glad to accept the invitation, and the young Senator Amidala came dressed in elaborate robes and flanked by a Jedi escort of her own. Satine supposed one could never be too careful, especially if what she’d heard about Amidala’s previous brushes with danger were true.

She watched for a while as more and more attendees arrived, all marveling at the beauty of the palace interior. One man she recognized as Pre Vizsla, the governor of Concordia. Why he was here, she couldn’t tell you. She had certainly not invited him. Whereas once he had been one of her trusted advisors, of late he seemed to be expressing more and more concerning opinions on her rule of Mandalore, and she heavily suspected his involvement in Death Watch.

“What is Governor Vizsla doing here?” she asked aloud, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck prickling.

Senator Merrik, who stood next to her, looked up at the older man. “Ah, yes, I invited him. This event is supposed to unite the various factions, after all,” he defended, “For that, both sides must be represented.”

They watched as Vizsla walked through the throne room, stopping and staring at one of the stained-glass windows that depicted Satine for just a moment too long. From there, he found Prime Minister Almec and struck up a conversation with him.

Satine’s stomach twisted with unease, but she tried her best to put it out of her mind for now and enjoy the company of everyone else. It had been a long time since she’d entertained guests in her palace, and although it was exhausting, Merrik was right. This was a good opportunity to accrue some good will from the rest of the galaxy.

-.-.-

“Their dresses are so beautiful!” Tamra was saying, peeking in at the celebration from her place on the terrace outside.

“Did you see the one the Senator from Naboo is wearing?” Brig asked, “Her date can hardly keep his eyes off her!” A few children giggled.

“They dance so well, too,” Greta said, looking wistful.

Lark sighed, turning away from the window. “I wish I could dance.”

Chas laughed, “Yeah, maybe then you wouldn’t be so afraid of all the important people here!” That remark earned him a punch in the chest, but the teasing smile never left his face.

“I could teach you,” Korkie offered. He looked so grown up in his fancy noble clothing that the rest of the children half wondered what he was doing out here with them instead of with the rest of the party inside. “My aunt taught me when I was little,” he finished explaining.

The palace had seen a number of extravagant parties like this one in Korkie’s time here. As the heir to the throne, it had been made quite sure that he learned how to navigate such a situation with grace. His aunt always told him of the massive ball held in her honor when she was crowned ruler of Mandalore, and he wondered how that stacked up against this party. There were more new faces here tonight than he’d seen at other balls. Mandalore had closed itself off to many other planets as tensions began to rise in the galaxy, but even before that the attendees were usually Mandalorian or very close allies. This was something different, and it affected the energy in the room.

Smiling, Lark accepted Korkie’s outstretched hand and allowed him to teach her the basic steps of the Mandalorian waltz. The music that played inside was loud enough to reach the terrace, though muffled a little. Lark found the rhythm to be a little tricky, but was starting to get the hang of it.

Korkie had just taught her how to execute the perfect spin when their teacher Master Kenobi stepped outside, closing the door halfway behind him. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Korkie, ever the gracious gentleman, even at his young age. Satine had raised him well.

“What have we here?” he asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“Korkie is showing me how to waltz!” Lark responded, tripping slightly over her feet. They stopped the dance, smiling back at the Jedi. “Why aren’t you in there with the adults?” she then asked, taking note of his usual brown and beige robes.

“Oh, I’m not brave enough for politics,” Master Kenobi laughed. “I’d much rather be out here with you.”

They talked amongst themselves for a little while longer, remarking on particular dignitaries they recognized, until a slower, more lilting song began to play.

“What’s that they’re playing now?” Dreek asked, looking in curiously as the attendees began to seek out partners.

“It’s a Mandalorian folk dance,” Obi-Wan answered, “It was very popular before the Civil War.”

Tamra, Brig, and Lark grabbed onto Obi-Wan’s arm suddenly and bombarded him with pleas of, “Show us!”

He laughed at their eagerness, shying away from their pouting faces. “Oh no, I couldn’t,” he protested, “I’m not a dancer, I’m afraid, and I haven’t danced it since—well, I’m not a dancer.”

His slip of the tongue was lost on everyone except Korkie, who thought he might have some idea as to when the Coruscanti Jedi had learned a Mandalorian folk dance of all things. “Oh, you remember, Master,” he said encouragingly. “Please? What if it becomes important to our… diplomatic studies?”

When Obi-Wan looked as if he was going to say no again, the kids all joined in the now familiar, begrudgingly effective chorus of “pleeease?” Obi-Wan sighed, wondering for the millionth time how he got himself into this situation. If only Anakin could see him now.

(Let it not be said that the Force didn’t have a sense of humor. At that very moment, Anakin Skywalker happened to catch a glimpse of his former Master out the corner of his eye, and he made his way over to the window to watch. He smirked, sipping some sparkling refreshment out of a glass as he observed.)

“Oh, alright, come over here, Greta, you shall be my dance partner.” Greta beamed with excitement and all but skipped over to him with the energy of a firecracker. He removed his outer layer of his robe, wearing only the beige tunic and trousers he wore under it. “Now, it has been a long, long time since this was taught to me,” Obi-Wan started. “First, I’ll bow to you, and you curtsey, Greta, can you do that?” The little girl nodded, and they did just as he explained.

“Like that?” she asked in her sweet little voice.

“Perfect, now we go for a little walk,” he explained, reaching down to grab her tiny hand. “Step this way, 1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3 and step together,” he counted, pulling her along and helping with her footwork.

“It’s kind of like learning the footwork for our fencing!” Chas commented, and the other kids murmured in agreement.

“Alright now step hop, step hop, and twirl,” Obi-Wan instructed, though Greta was having trouble keeping up, her eyes glued to their feet as she tried to mimic his motions. Her face was pinched in focus as Obi-Wan attempted to twirl her under his arm, but she ended up bumping into his leg instead and had to be held aloft by her hand lest she fall down.

By now, another figure had appeared in the doorway, smiling softly at the scene before her. She watched, bemused, as Obi-Wan was clearly struggling, and the kids giggled at his expense.

“Well, you’ll have to practice,” he said to Greta, smiling the dorkiest of his smiles. One she hadn’t seen in a long time, and half expected she’d never see again.

Adjusting her gloves, Satine took pity on the poor Jedi and stepped out. She smirked at the other children as she glided over to him, tapping him on his shoulder to get him to turn around and face her.

“Perhaps you need a partner more your size,” she said, laughter in her voice. He spun around, startled by her sudden appearance and slightly embarrassed at the scene she walked in on. Greta grinned and skipped back to the rest of the children, who watched on with interest.

“Ah, yes, that may help,” he said, turning a little red. Satine clasped his hand with both of hers before moving to the starting position, repressing a smile as she did. He held on to her hand tight, suddenly feeling quite unsteady on his feet. As they began, Obi-Wan looked at her face, her beautiful dress, how the light reflected off her golden locks, the understated circlet she wore that showed off her silky hair… She caught his eye while effortlessly completing the steps and smiled, earning a slightly nervous smile in return.

They danced, and Obi-Wan tried his hardest to ignore the butterflies that were seemingly fluttering in his stomach. He spun her around, spellbound by her gracefulness even having known her for so long. Her dress twirled out, more flowing and less rigid than her usual attire. He liked how it looked on her.

As it progressed, the dance brought them closer to one another, and suddenly he couldn’t look away. His eyes were glued to her form, to the flowers in her hair, which hung loose around her face for once. He stumbled slightly, almost imperceptibly, and laughed nervously. Satine, however, was nothing but gracious and encouraging. She was beaming, allowing him to lead her around the terrace as they completed the complex series of steps that this dance required, a perfect picture of elegance. The routine continued, bringing Obi-Wan’s hands to her waist and effectively quashing all ability to form complete thoughts, the entirety of his brain now focused on either the dance or his hyperawareness of just how long it had been since he had held another, touched someone this intimately.

It hadn’t been since Satine.

Just as quickly as the thought appeared, the time came to begin the next phase of the dance. Satine separated from his hands, and he felt the loss deeply, but he dutifully continued with the steps. Satine danced around Obi-Wan to the beat of the music, and in the next musical phrase he did the same around her, sending her a playful look as he did so, coming around to her side and grasping her hand.

In the doorway now stood Tal Merrik, watching the pair with an interesting look on his face. The dance had brought Obi-Wan and Satine even closer, now mere inches separating them from each other. His hand resumed its position around her waist, with the other holding hers in an arc above their heads as they twirled. Her clear blue eyes locked onto his, and he had no choice but to meet her gaze equally, completely mesmerized by her.

Memories played in his mind of when she had taught him this traditional dance, so patient as she delightedly walked him through the steps. They were on the ship headed back to Mandalore, and knowing there was a grand ball in their future, she wanted him to be prepared. Qui-Gon was Force knows where as they danced in the cargo hold. She was a good teacher. He distinctly remembered feigning confusion at the part where he held her in his arms, if only for an excuse to be holding her for a few moments longer. That was before they revealed their feelings to each other. Well, at least before they finally said the words.

Just a few days before.

Anakin looked on from inside, smiling with a thoughtful expression on his face. He turned and left to go find his Senator, leaving the intimate scene behind.

Obi-Wan and Satine twirled a few more times before coming to a stop, frozen in that final position with somehow even less space between them. The music continued to play, but the Duchess and the Jedi were lost in their own world. Her eyes flicked to his lips, and he lowered his arm, leaving it to hover by her side, brushing past the fabric of her dress.

For just a moment, he felt the pull, and it looked like she was going to lean in—to close the gap between them. His eyes fluttered shut and he breathed in shakily, but before anything could happen, he suddenly recalled where he was, and more importantly, who he was. His fingers clutched the fabric of her dress tightly before letting go, and he made himself step back, regret in his eyes even as he did.

And perhaps even a trace of fear.

Satine watched, a disappointed look appearing on her face for just a flash before it was replaced by forced acceptance, and then her usual passive expression.

“I can’t remember the rest of it,” Obi-Wan said in excuse, eyes still glued to Satine despite how he’d tried to pry them away. Satine had no words to speak.

“Master Kenobi, your face is turning red,” Brig observed helpfully.

Obi-Wan brought his hand to his face, rubbing it over his beard. “Is it? I suppose it’s been a while since I’ve danced,” he spoke, which was a lame excuse for someone who remained constantly active in his role as General in the Grand Army of the Republic.

Satine smiled a little, likely thinking the very same thing.

“Beautifully done,” Merrik said, coming out from the doorway and revealing himself. “I didn’t think a Master Jedi from Coruscant would be well-versed in the graces of Mandalorian folk dancing.” That comment came with heavy implications, as all the adults were aware, though none spoke of it. “You make a lovely couple,” Merrik finished, looking between the two with a knowing look.

Obi-Wan wanted nothing more than to disappear into oblivion. He certainly didn’t want the Senator to get the wrong idea. He was a Jedi, after all. A Jedi! And he had just—he almost—

His heart sank at the realization that he hadn’t grown at all. He was in the same place he was months ago—years ago. This was the whole reason he had been sent to Mandalore in the first place, and now it was blowing up in his face. He should have seen this coming. Should have known he couldn’t handle it. He was here to help the children, nothing more. To upset the delicate balance of political relations within Mandalore’s government would be a colossal error, one he didn’t think the Jedi Council would easily forgive.

“Yes, well, I think it’s time for the children to say goodnight. Master Kenobi, if you wouldn’t mind…” Satine said a little awkwardly, breaking him out of his spiraling thoughts.

“Of course, Duchess,” he responded resuming his formality and trying to shove any un-Jedi like thoughts out of his mind. “We have something special planned for all the guests before they go, right younglings?” They nodded excitedly and responded in the affirmative. With a bow to the Duchess and the Senator, he walked into the palace, nodding for the children to follow him.

“And you were worried you wouldn’t have any fun at the party,” Merrik teased once they’d gone, though in the context of what had happened, what they both knew had occurred, it created an odd sort of tension in the air.

Satine felt deeply uncomfortable all of a sudden. “It’s a bit chilly out tonight, wouldn’t you say?” she said, attempting to steer the conversation elsewhere.

Merrik glanced suggestively outside once more. “Oh, I don’t know. Seemed plenty warm to me.”

Satine clamped her mouth shut and resolved to be as silent as possible for the remainder of the night, her mind far too occupied for anything else. They followed the crowd back through the ballroom and into the throne room, where Obi-Wan was standing to the side with all the children lined up in the center. He cleared his throat and addressed the crowd somewhat nervously. Despite being the Great Negotiator, he’d never been one for drawing the center of attention.

“The children of House Kryze wish to honor you all by performing the Dha Werda Verda for you all,” he announced, and astonished whispers passed between all who recognized the name.

The Dha Werda Verda was a traditional warrior dance of Mandalore, dating back millennia and telling the story of ancient warriors. Whereas the Mandokar was a slower, more flowing dance, the Dha Werda Verda had often been used in preparation for battle, its speed and intensity lending well to building up the warrior mindset. The implication was obvious to anyone with Mandalorian ties: this was New Mandalore acknowledging and reconnecting to the ways of old, while still upholding their promise of peace.

The children performed the dance, shouting the words in Mando’a as they did. The spectators were clearly impressed, some smiling and perhaps remembering when they had learned the story and the dance in their youth. It was something passed down for generations, though it hadn’t exactly been much of a focus for this most recent generation.

The Duchess looked on proudly while the kids took turns sparring to the beat of the drums that played. As each pair took their turn, the rest stamped their staffs against the ground, continuing on with the chanting.

When they finished, the guests applauded. Anakin, who stood out of sight from Obi-Wan, was very impressed with the display. He’d have never expected something like that to be performed under Satine’s watchful eye, especially inside her palace. He’d have to ask Obi-Wan about it later. From what he knew, this was far from what his old Master had been sent here to teach. Somehow, he must have convinced the Duchess to let him train the children to spar, and a small, childish part of himself felt envy at the thought. It passed quickly, however. He had had his time as Obi-Wan’s student and had been on the receiving end of his combat training already. He treasured that time more than almost anything, and it had served him well. The children were fortunate to have such a wise and patient teacher.

After graciously accepting their praise from the crowd, the children bade goodnight to the Duchess, each hugging her in turn. Korkie attempted to ask if he could stay, but Satine urged him off to bed.

‘Perhaps next time,’ Obi-Wan thought amusedly, and he could have sworn the boy heard him, smiling in his direction as he disappeared into the residential wing.

“They are extraordinary, they would surely impress the competition in the Equinox Day contest,” Hondo Ohnaka said, coming out of nowhere beside Satine and Senator Merrik. He somehow was wearing a nicer change of clothes and was gazing dreamily into the distance.

“How did you even get up here?” Merrik asked, honestly just exhausted by the pirate’s antics at this point. He glanced around the room for where the guards may have gone, but didn’t put much effort in. They were probably still down in the prison searching for their once-again missing prisoner, who had clearly already made it far beyond the prison levels.

Before they could even respond, much less stop him, Hondo darted over to Obi-Wan, who was starting to follow the children to where their quarters were. “Kenobi, where do you think you are going? You cannot leave the party so soon! Duchess, tell him he must stay!”

Obi-Wan protested, inching away from the pirate. “No really, I must be going…”

Another figure joined the group, smirking at the chaos his presence would soon bring. “I think it’s a great idea!” Anakin Skywalker spoke, finally making himself known to his old Master and completely throwing off his train of thought.

It seemed the Jedi Master had been stunned into speechlessness and effectively overruled.

The Duchess shifted to draw Obi-Wan’s confused gaze and said in her kind voice, “Of course, we would be happy to have you.”

“I—” Obi-Wan struggled to regain his speech, glancing down at his plain Jedi robes and back up at Satine. “I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion,” he finally spoke, something like panic beginning to unfurl in his chest at the realization that he had no proper dinner attire he could wear even if he wanted to.

“I can help with that,” Anakin stepped in, somehow knowing exactly what was on Obi-Wan’s mind. Before he could protest, he was being dragged away by Anakin, his mind made up for him.

Satine turned to speak to the Senator, but was interrupted by a couple she thought might be from Krownest, if she remembered correctly. She smiled graciously as they spoke to her.

“We just wanted to congratulate you on your wonderful children and their performance!” the woman gushed, and they continued to praise the way they had brought back tradition and incorporated it into their new ways. Another onlooker, however, did not seem so thrilled.

Vizsla stepped in, his face twisted in an expression that looked like he smelled something funny. “Oh, come now, are you so blind as to be fooled by this blatant form of pandering?” he said.

Satine set her jaw in quiet rage. This insufferable man seemed set to sully her perfectly good party, which up until then had been going quite well, despite how she despised such functions usually.

Oh well. Seeing as she couldn’t exactly strike up a fight in the middle of all these important people, she restrained herself and responded calmly. “Governor Vizsla, some of us prefer a base level of civility in our conduct rather than ugly threats from terrorist organizations.”

The Governor twitched, clearly restraining himself from an outburst in favor of a veiled threat. “The sarlaac buries itself in the sand, but sometimes—” he looked pointedly to the chair up on the dais, “she hides behind her throne.” Satine seethed in silence. “Sooner or later, that sarlaac will have to face herself for what she is. A Mandalorian. A reckoning is coming, Duchess, and not just from Death Watch.”

It was a warning, but not one given out of concern for the well-being of New Mandalore.

Satine stiffened her shoulders. “If violence is brought to our planet, Governor, I have no doubt that it will be you leading the charge.”

Vizsla lifted the corner of his mouth in a half-smile. “You flatter me, Duchess.”

“Oh how clumsy of me,” Satine turned back with a look as icy as the surface of Hoth. “I meant to accuse you.” She held Vizsla’s gaze like that for a beat longer before turning and leaving him with those words.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable.

Hondo, of course, would be the one to break that silence.

“Well, this is awkward.”

-.-.-

Chapter 9 >>

[disco-cola]

ok this has nothing to do with my usual 60s 70s 80s posts and i know its a heated topic but i just need to get this out bc my brains going wild about this. im literally crying about whats happening in israel/palestine. however ive been reading a lot of headlines in the big german online newspapers tonight and im just shocked and appalled however not surprised at the "us vs. them" mentality promoted by the western media. hamas dont equal the entire palestinian population but they really be putting out articles telling how israeli citizens get "sl4ughtered" in their own homes and get hurt and abducted as if that isnt a daily reality for palestinians in occupied territories that were not even taken rightfully in the first place but through just as much violence as well like be so for real man thats so hypocritical it just proves again how NOT NEUTRAL western media is when it comes to the middle east and how they will keep justifying everything israel (who is one of the top military forces of the world at that) does to palestinian civilians who are just as innocent as the israeli ones who got taken today (except for the fact they dont get worldwide media attention even if they too suffer from injustice and have been for the past almost 8 decades but go off) anyway i just feel this is probably gonna get real bad in the next few weeks and i think it will definitely fuel the fire in another wave of muslim h4te but dont trust the mainstream western media when it comes to this and get your own sources (also palestinian news ones!) bc i only really realized how full of lies it was when i went on a 2 week educational round travel through israel/palestine (ive been everywhere but in the gaza strip for obvious reasons) four years ago and there ive first hand seen people get mistr3ated for literally NOTHING other than the fact that there was a birthplace in their passport that didnt suit the israeli government (i could literally tell yall stories of what i experienced in those days man also the change in how they treated us at the airport upon arrival and how their behavior flipped when we wanted to travel back like they questioned us and we truthfully told them weve been staying with arab guest families in tamra for a week of the trip and after that our luggage was rummaged thru and some of the suitcases got lost and never made it back to germany like im not lying or exaggerating) and only after coming back from that trip i read up on the entire history and "conflict" (i used to shy away from it bc growing up people were always like ohhh its so complicated when it really is not tbh) like before that i was just as much blinded by the western medias representation and didnt question it so all i wanna say with this rant post is i hope all innocent civilians get thru this in the best and safest way it usually is always the wrong people caught in the line of fire and if i have followers directly affected by this please be safe and i wish yall the best and everyone else pls fucking think for yourself and dont blindly succumb to the hate and the "us against them" mentality