#alice i can't wait to see what you and your team have done this time

[daylightisviolent]

"You don't have to understand your feelings completely. You don't have to have figured everything out. You can just feel." Okay?? Rip my heart out?? Pulverize my everything?? Make me cry before the DAMN SEASON HAS EVEN COME OUT???

This is gonna be a RIDE but I can't fucking WAIT 😭😭😭

[personwhowrites]

Hi! I wanna say I really love your work and it look cool and wicked.

Can you do TF141 + König x reader

Where they meet the new recruit who is totally a badass. (Like Alice from Resident Evil) and the gangs are inspired seeing her in action taking down the enemy. Take all the time you need, no need to rush.

I hope this what you had in mind! I am so sorry for not writing on Tuesday, I been working on this for a while now! Thank you for your patience and request! -E <3

Wc: 2k+

Tw: Knife, hand to hand combat, mentions of blood, dead body, Slightly guilt?, some fluff<not really>, mentions of bombs, slightly panic attack? Jumping out of stuff, terrible writing.

Beyond the mission

You entered the briefing room as Laswell called out, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. They all fell silent as Laswell introduced you to them.

"This is X," Laswell says, pointing to you and offering you a seat next to her. "X is a highly trustworthy person, and I've been waiting for all of you to meet them. X, this is task force 141, and König. You'll be joining them for a mission."

You give them a nod and take the seat next to Laswell. You wait for her to continue with the plan, your eyes wandering over to König. His height surprises you, along with the strange mask covering his face. He is not the only one in the group wearing a mask; another member has a skull mask on. It seems like you stared at the man with the skull mask for a bit too long, as your gaze meets his. He crosses his arms and leans back, continuing to hold your gaze. Eventually, you break eye contact as Laswell hands you a file.

"Information about the case and your role in it," Laswell says, looking at you. "X, I know you prefer working alone, but for this mission, you'll need to work with a team."

"Laswell, you know I don't do well with this 'team' stuff," you say, annoyed as you begin to look through the file. "Especially if the mission involves infiltrating the enemy's base."

"That's why you'll learn under my command," someone speaks up, causing you to quickly look up. "I'm Price, your captain."

"I know who you all are, I read your information on my way to the base," you respond quickly and look to Laswell. "Kate, I can't do this with so many people."

“I can’t pull you out of this one X.” Laswell says shaking her head. “Your skills are needed heavily on this mission.”

You sigh and set the file down, already feeling annoyed by the mission and hoping it would end soon. Working with a team was the last thing you ever wanted in life. You only care about your own safety, while it is your job to keep people safe, not everyone is expected to do that 24/7.

"You said you already knew who we are," Price says, breaking your train of thoughts. "How did you get our information?"

"With good skills in pickpocketing and hacking, you can do anything," you say, crossing your arms in front of your chest. "Let's just get this done, so we don't have to worry about this problem getting worse."

"Speaking like a true team member," Laswell says, patting your back. "I'll leave you all to discuss the matter. Price, let me know when you're all set to leave."

"Will do," Price responds, watching Laswell leave the room. "Now, everyone, we are going to ignore everything that's in this file."

"What?" König says, surprised. "Sir, we can't clearly-"

"Now you're speaking my language!" You smile and close the file. "I might have misjudged you, Captain."

“Gaz watch the door and Soap close the blinds to this room.” Price orders making slightly smile more, seeing actual order was nice. “Now, X right?”

“That’s correct.” You reply looking at him. “I’m guessing you want my idea in how we can sneak in?”

“A woman that can read my mind.” Price chuckles for a moment and then stops. His face becoming serious. “Well?”

"The layout features two entrances, two floors are show..but seems that their could be potentially a hidden third floor located underground..” You pause for a moment and then sigh. “Which may contain sensitive information and be highly secure."

"We can sweep each floor, starting by first floor, we can then move to the second floor and possibly have two people search for the entrence to the third floor." Price says in an ordering tone."We have six people on the team, we can split into three groups of two people each."

"I can go alone," you say, causing Price to shake his head. "I think it's best if two people go by themselves, it'll be more efficient and we can split up and keep watch for the other group."

"Agreed," a deep and husky British voice says, sending shivers down your spine. "It would be beneficial for us, captain."

"Fine," Price says, causing you to relax. "X and Ghost will go alone. Now, let's get our gear and be ready to leave in ten minutes."

Everyone nods to Price and exits the briefing room. The teams were already assigned. Gaz is with Price, Soap is with König and you and Ghost are alone. It seems straightforward, even for Laswell who isn't privy to the full plan.

—

As you enter the base, you aim your gun around, following behind Ghost. Everything seems normal until someone takes notice of your group's presence. You quickly pull out your knife and throw it past Price and König, then run up to the enemy and pin them against the wall. You take the knife out their arm and cut their throat, causing blood to spill on your hands. König quickly shoots someone nearby and the others begin firing at the enemies. The first floor is filled with the sounds of bullets hitting the floor and the smell of blood. It's a chaotic and bloody entrance for sure.

"Bloody hell," Price exclaimed, "All of you, be alert. We are not splitting up under any circumstances." Price quickly reloaded their gun, the sound of the chamber clicking into place filling the room. You couldn't help but sigh at the seriousness of the situation, knowing that things were about to get dangerous. "Alright, everyone, get ready," Price continued, "We are heading to the second floor. Keep your eyes and ears open, and stay alert." Price's voice was firm and commanding, leaving no room for argument.

As you heard Price's command, you decided to act on your own, ignoring the order to stick together, and rushed upstairs, eager to take on the enemy. However, as soon as you reached the second floor, you were met with a hail of bullets, forcing you to quickly dodge and weave your way through the barrage of gunfire.

You managed to find temporary refuge behind a door, but you soon realize that you weren't alone. An enemy was approaching, armed with a genie knife, ready to attack you.

"We don't have to do this," you said, trying to diffuse the situation. "Please, I don't want to hurt you." You said as you closed the door behind you, in an attempt to keep the enemy away, and also to give you some time to think.

The enemy, however, didn't seem to hear your words and kept advancing, the genie knife in hand, ready to strike. You quickly back away, trying to put some distance between you and the enemy, but you soon found yourself backed against the door with nowhere else to go.

As the enemy swung the knife at you, you realized that there was no reasoning with them. They didn't care about themselves or the consequences of their actions. They were focused solely on their mission and taking you out. In that moment you understood that you have to defend yourself, you have to protect your life. You need to take action, be ready to defend yourself with whatever means necessary. You prepared yourself mentally and physically, as you have to be ready for the next move that the enemy will make.

The enemy quickly overpowered you, pinning you against the wall, the knife now inches away from your face. But you were not going to give up that easily, you quickly used your combat training and press your knee on the enemy's crouch. Applying unwelcoming pressure, causing them to back off and drop the knife away from them.

You took this opportunity to tackle them, and grabbing the knife in the process. You were now in control of the situation and the weapon. However, in the midst of the struggle, you were unaware of the door being opened by one of your teammates, soap. They were witnessing the situation and was ready to intervene if needed.

With the enemy subdued, you raise the knife up and stab their chest multiple times, letting some blood splash on your face. As you did this, you could feel the adrenaline pumping through your body, a mix of fear, anger, and satisfaction. You felt victorious, but also a sense of guilt and remorse.

"What the fuck.." soap exclaimed, looking at you with shock and horror in their eyes.

They were taken aback by the scene before them, the enemy lying on the ground, covered in blood and the knife still in your hand.

You, on the other hand, seemed to be emotionless, your expression was blank, and your eyes were empty. You were still in shock from what had just happened, processing the events and the emotions that came with it. You get up, trying to shake off the feeling of the weight of what you had just done.

"Jesus," soap murmured, as they take in the sight.

They were at a loss for words, not sure what to say or how to react. They knew that the situation was intense and that you had to defend yourself, but still, the sight was unsettling.

Price enters the room and sees the gruesome sight, the enemy lying motionless on the ground, covered in blood and the knife still in your hand. They immediately understood what had happened, and how intense the situation was.

As you back away from the body, Price could see the weight of what had just happened in your eyes, the shock and the guilt.Price didn't say anything, just nod to acknowledge what had happened. They knew that their team had taken out the rest of the enemies on the second floor, and now it was a matter of securing the area and making sure that there were no other threats.

You move past them, looking around, taking in the destruction and the aftermath of the fight. The sight of all the bodies, the smell of gunpowder, and the sound of silence filled the room.

"Cleared the first floor," Ghost said behind you, speaking to Price. "We found the room with the information. Gaz downloaded everything we needed."

You heard the words but your mind was still processing the recent event, trying to make sense of what just happened. Ghost's words brought you back to the present, reminding you of the objective and mission. You took a deep breath, try to shake off the recent event, and focus on the task at hand.

"Good," Price says, still looking at you. "Who placed the bombs?"

"I did, captain," König says, looking over at the dead body, taking responsibility for his actions. "Our helicopter is awaiting us, captain."

"Let's go," Gaz calls out from the stairs, "We don't have much time till they set off, captain. I have a feeling some of the enemies got away."

Price nods, understanding the urgency of the situation. They quickly give orders to the team to leave the building, and to move quickly to the helicopter, that was awaiting for them.

—

The helicopter ride was silent, as you all sat there with your own thoughts, processing the events that just transpired. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, the weight of what just happened hanging heavily in the air. You stared at your hands, replaying the events in your head, feeling a mix of emotions.

But after a moment, you finally snapped out of the sorrow, and the weight of the recent events began to lift. You couldn't help but smile a bit, feeling relieved that it was over. Price noticed your change in expression and cleared their throat, grabbing your attention.

"Where did you learn to do such a brutal thing?" Price says, his tone demanding and making you feel anger fuming inside of you. "Answer me, X."

You met his gaze, your own expression now hardening as you got ready to reply.

"When you work alone, you learn stuff." You say softly looking at him.

Price was taken aback by your reply, he probably wasn't expecting that answer. He probably thought that you have some sort of training or special forces background. But the reality is that your training is the result of the situations you have been in, the fight for survival and the need to protect yourself.

"Stop the helicopter," you said, your voice firm and commanding, indicating that you wanted to get off the helicopter.

"We are in the middle of nowhere, X." Gaz calls out from the passenger seat, "There's no base or towns near here!"

"This is my stop!" you said, getting up from your seat. König quickly puts his arm out, stopping you. "I know this area like the back of my hand,"

"You aren't leaving," Ghost says, making you stop and look at him. "No one is, until we get to the base."

You could see the determination in Ghost's eyes, he was in command mode now, but you were not going to let anyone stop you. You pushed König's arm out of the way and grab your gear, quickly moving to the door of the helicopter. You opened the door, and without hesitation, you jump out as Price yelled your code name. König gets up from his seat, hitting his head on the ceiling, startled by your sudden move.

Soap immediately rushes to the open door, only to see a parachute blocking the sight of you. They knew then that you had planned this and you were determined to leave. They knew that this was not something that they could stop you from doing.

As you drift away from the helicopter, you could see your team looking at you in shock and confusion, but you didn't care, you knew that you had to do this. You had to be alone, to process the recent events and to think about your next move.

You were aware that your actions might have consequences, but you felt that it was necessary. You pull the cord and your parachute opened, allowing you to drift safely to the ground. As you landed, you felt a sense of freedom wash over you, knowing that you were finally alone, and that you could finally think and process everything that had just happened.

"She has a parachute!" Soap yelled, trying to calm down the men, who were startled and confused by your sudden move. "Captain?"

Price sits back and shakes his head, "Leave her, I know Laswell will have her around," he says with a sigh. "That woman is crazy."

It is clear that your actions caught them by surprise and they may not agree with your decision but they knew that they had to respect it. They knew that you have your own way of handling things, and they had to trust that you knew what you were doing.

They also knew that you have a reputation of being a skilled and capable operative, who have gone on solo missions before, you have the knowledge and the experience to handle yourself.

As you watch the helicopter vanish from your sight, a sense of relief washed over you. You were finally alone, and you could finally take a moment to process everything that had just happened. You felt the weight of the recent events lift, and you couldn't help but smile.

You take a deep breath, feeling the fresh air fill your lungs and the warmth of the sun on your skin. You lay down on the grass, enjoying the moment of peace, and taking in the beauty of your surroundings. The sounds of nature, the rustling of the leaves, and the chirping of the birds all helped to calm your mind and ease your soul.

You knew that you still have a lot to think about, a lot of decisions to make, and a lot of things to process. But for now, you were content to enjoy the moment, and to take a break from the chaos and violence of the mission. You close your eyes, letting yourself relax and drift away in the peacefulness.

—

Months passed, and no one had heard from you. Laswell never informed the team what happened to you, if you had ever reported back to her or if you had gone on another mission. The team couldn't help but wonder about your whereabouts and what had become of you. They couldn't help but think about the way you had defeated an enemy, with no hesitation, no pity in your eyes, just emptiness, and a clear mode of self-preservation.

They thought about the times Soap would mention your code name, and how you always seemed to be one step ahead of the enemy. They couldn't help but admire your skills and your determination.

Until one day, out of the blue, you showed up in the briefing room, with Laswell awaiting the team.

Price was pleased to see you, relieved that you were okay and that nothing had happened to you. He was curious to know where you have been and what had happened during your time away, but he also knew that it was not the right time to ask.

Soap, on the other hand, was head over heels to see you, he couldn't help but smile when you entered the room, he had missed your presence and your skills. He couldn't stop himself from trying to imitate the move you did on the enemy, many times, yet he could never land it right.

"The Cartel has attacked again, this time getting the British involved," Laswell says, handing everyone a file. "We need to take out the leader, and put an end to this once and for all. X, you will lead this mission, and work with the team to take out the leader and dismantle the cartel. Then, you will return back to the base, where we will debrief and plan the next move."

"Is X joining our team?" Gaz says, raising an eyebrow as he notices the uniform, "I don't have anything against it if she is."

"Please, call me Y/n." You say getting up from your seat. "Excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

"Y/n, sit your ass back down," Price orders you firmly. "You will listen to your captain, and you will follow orders. We are a team, and we need to work together to succeed."

A small smile spread across your lips as you took in the new team you found yourself in. You were excited to explore the new world of teamwork, and see what kind of adventures awaited you. You look at the men in front of you, all of them delighted and happy to accept you into the team. You knew that it would take time for everyone to adjust, but who knows what kind of adventures could await you now?

[darklinaforever]

I had the right to a new troll today! There's no denying that some TGs are delusional. Apparently, TB started the war and Daemon was killed by Aemond (Repeat several times. Repeating a lie will not make it true for information). 😂 Oh and then obviously, the same bullshit about Daemon loving minors, while we're in a universe inspired by feudal times, and a nice comment on how much this charming person can't wait to see Rhaenyra get burned alive, and that she is responsible for Lucerys' death (instead of you know... Aemond ? His killer ? But I guess TG can't do any harm to these people's heads). While a messenger in principle is supposed to be protected and according to the law has no right to be touched, hurt or kill. And then obviously, the behavior of the Greens children between them is completely normal and typical of classic brothers and sisters...

Essentially, the last message I sent on any post or person to comment on before blocking her :

Obviously that was a troll, just look at the way this person writes bullshit and nonsense, as well as his completely empty tumblr !

And then the TG will go and shout that they are being harassed by the delusional members of the TB. In the meantime, it's us, mostly TB, who receive ghost account comments and insulting anonymous messages over and over again, even in blogs clearly labeled ANTI TG. Newly, these people have to buy a life. Well, at least they fit well with the team they support if we redo exclusively in HOTD and not Fire and Blood. A bunch of hypocrites who look for shit and then complain about being the poor victims who have done nothing wrong... 😂

Oh, and another post dedicated to this troll is present on @nrilliree tumblr here :

[laconic-void]

Sandlot fic... part threeeeee

Yeah-Yeah POV

It was really nice of Benny to give smalls a walkie talkie so he could still be in the game. Those two are close, but I know Benny is generous and would have done that for any of us. Jesus, what would I even do if I was stuck at home all day? Help mom and Alice iron clothes? Yikes.

I wish Phillips and his team would just leave already. We already kicked their butts, and they're just interrupting my playtime with the guys. I'm itching to get moving again. Is this how Benny feels all the time?

"Shut up for two seconds, Porter!" Phillips snapped. "We came here because we've been preparing... for a rematch!" Phillips' teammates cheered almost mechanically. I don't know if anyone else is buying this, but I sure ain't. Those guys have no team spirit, and that's why they lose.

Everyone looked at Benny. "I'd love to play against you guys, Phillips," Benny said, scratching his head. He doesn't want anything to do with these guys, but who are we to turn down a challenge? "Except, we can't do it, because one of our team members is grounded."

"Oh, so you forfeit?" Phillips sneered.

"Watch it, crap face! We could kick your asses with half a team!" Ham shot back. The rest of us roared in approval.

"Fine, fine, fine!" Benny said indignantly. "But it has to be next week. If one of us is out, all of us are."

"Good. You guys could use the prep time." Phillips smirked and his team got on their bikes and left. Bunch of jerks.

"I don't know, Benny, this seems off," Kenny said. "What if they've been training like they said?"

"Yeah-yeah, what if we embarrass ourselves?" I jumped in.

"We won't," Benny replied calmly. "And even if those guys do win, we've got an advantage over them. We're cool, and they're mean."

Benny was cutting us an awful lot of slack with that one. I hope Scotty forgives me for the things I said in the beginning. All he needed was some guidance and he was on par with the rest of us almost immediately! Not that I would admit that to him or the guys, though.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get practicing!"

...

"Hey, Alan. How was your day?"

"Good."

"How are the others?"

"Good."

"Not in a conversational mood today?"

"Go- I mean. Not really." I love my mom, even though she drives me nuts.

"Well, Alice and I baked you a special treat for after dinner!" I smiled. Then the door opened. I frowned. Dad is home.

"Hi honey. Hi, Alice! Hello, Alan." I don't know if I love my dad, but I feel like I probably should, so I force a grin.

We all sat at the dinner table and my mom scooped roasted chicken, green beans, and mashed potatoes on my plate. I ate a few bites before I got up and started pacing around with my fork in my hand.

"Alan! Sit down. It's not cocktail hour."

"Sorry."

"School starts in just over a week, Alan. Are you going to act like this in school?" My father demanded.

"No." I mumbled.

"You'd better not." My dad paused. "Maybe you can learn some things from your sister. She gets along perfectly fine and so can you."

"Honey," mom started,

"No." Said my father. "Alan is starting middle school this year. If he can't get his shit together, he won't be allowed to go to the sandlot."

"THAT'S NOT FAIR!" I yelled. I looked at mom and Alice desperately, but neither of them would meet my eyes.

"That's enough out of you, Alan. Now go to your room." There is no use arguing, so I trotted up the stairs, defeated.

How do the other guys have it so easy? We're not star students by any means - except maybe Smalls - but they can at least get their homework done. And my dad is right. Why can't I be more like my sister?

I'll just go to the sandlot extra early tomorrow, so I won't have to see my stupid family.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Laying the Yeah-Yeah ADHD headcanons on thick here... what's a fic if I don't project myself onto all the characters?

Part 4 coming soon!!

@fairiiboy444

[lorna-d-m]

Chapter Four: Assigned Reading

Pairing: Laszlo Kreizler x fem!OC (Alice Greene)

Summary: Professor Laszlo Kreizler is a workaholic. Between teaching university courses, running the Kreizler Institute, and minding Stevie -his ward-, he does not have time for relationships. That is until he meets Ms. Greene, Stevie's English teacher, at open house. Can he open his heart to the possibility of love?

Word Count: 2,050

W: mentions of drinking, bullying

A/N: In hindsight, I should have combined this chapter with the previous since they're both a touch short. However, they're both setting up for something important. I'm sorry this took almost my entire summer to write. It seems I'm more productive when I'm busy, and when I'm free I can't get anything done lol.

previous chapter

Late September, marked by the paling of green leaves to yellow and cooler temperatures, also marked three weeks of school. By this point, students and teachers alike fell into routines and began new projects. Ms. Greene assigned a variety of short stories to her students, and they completed several assignments in preparation for a class discussion. 

Knowing her students as she did, she knew talking would be no difficulty for the discussion. Would they stay on topic? Of course not, but she could always guide them back to the matter at hand. Once or twice in the past week, she needed to nip conversations in the bud, and it troubled her. 

Being a teacher meant picking and choosing her battles. Alice did not remark on every student conversation of questionable nature she overheard. If she did, she would never have any time to teach. However, when she heard rude comments about another student or anything to incite concern, Ms. Greene stepped in. 

Twice she caught members of the football team picking on Stevie, and twice she intervened. As cliche, as it sounded, she spoke to her students about respecting their classmates. Additionally, she rearranged the seating to put Stevie as far from them as possible. The third time, she discreetly asked Stevie to stay a moment after class. 

After a few weeks of school, Alice knew Dr. Kreizler’s assurances of Stevie weren’t just words. She saw how Stevie did the reading with her own eyes, knew the answer when called upon, and showed up prepared for class. True, Stevie kept to himself, but he behaved well and had yet to be spotted in silent lunch or detention. Stevie deserved to be in her class without fear of being ridiculed.

“Who do you have during sixth period?” She kept an eye on her incoming students in the hallway. They knew to wait at the door if she was talking to a student.

Stevie shifted his textbooks and binder from his left side to his right. “Bio with Ms. Sussman, why?” 

Perfect! “If you finish your work early with Ms. Sussman,” Alice almost said Bitsy rather than her surname, “Ask her if she can write a pass for you to come to my room. We can talk more then.”

“Alright,” he shrugged, “I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Don’t worry if you don’t have time today. I’m sure we can work something out by the end of the week.” She bit back a laugh at her good luck. Ms. Sussman. “Now go, before I make you late for your next class.”

“Uh, thanks, Ms. Greene.” 

Stevie left, and Alice hoped he didn’t have to go across the school in a minute. She waved the rest of her students who stood awkwardly by the door in, and she rewinded her powerpoint for the day. At lunch, she could ask Bitsy what her students were doing in class to find out if Stevie would have time or not. If she was lecturing, no chance, but if they did individual practice, Stevie would likely finish before the end of class.

Stevie sat in Laszlo’s office at the Institute whenever he needed to focus on his work. More often than not, the good doctor himself was busy moving from student to student, room to room, to sit in his office. He urged Stevie to sit at his desk when he needed to work, but it weirded him out. Too stuffy and heavy. 

He liked to sit by the window instead. Whenever he got bored and needed a break, he could look outside. Sometimes, he could see the kids laughing and screaming on the playground. Occasionally, Kreizler would stroll around or sit on a bench, watching how they played and taking notes. Seeing him served as a reminder to study. 

Stevie propped his heavy English textbook against the windowsill and sighed. He finished his science work with some time left over, and Ms. Sussman wrote the note surprisingly quickly after he said it was for Ms. Greene. They spoke about the situation, but he didn’t know what else she could do. She spoke to them, she rearranged the seating, and Stevie really didn’t want her to go to the counselor or an administrator or anything.

Stevie didn’t want to cause or be involved in any problems. He knew he was labeled trouble from the beginning, and there was a chance no one but Ms. Greene would believe him. People were dicks, especially Coach Connor’s favorites on the football team. No one would take the word of a teenager with a rap sheet over the star quarterback.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, so he dog-eared the textbook page and closed it. He found a group to sit with at lunch, and they added him to their group chat. They liked video games, cars, and weirdly enough to Stevie, tabletop and board games. Some horror movie was supposed to come out this weekend, and they wanted to see the midnight premier. 

He talked to Kreizler about it in the car. He’d never had friends or midnight plans before, or at least not while he had a guardian who gave a shit about him, and he felt weird asking for permission. But the good doctor encouraged the plans, even offering to drive them to the theater and drop them off. Stevie told him he didn’t have to and there was no reason for him to mess up his plans and be out that late when Mike’s mom already offered to drive. 

Of course, Stevie wasn’t going to tell him that it wasn’t Mike’s mom driving but Mike with his brand new driver’s license, with a curfew and limits still imposed. However, Stevie knew Kreizler would be sound asleep and snoring well before he was due back home.

It was an unusual Saturday night; both Laszlo and Stevie had plans. Stevie left the house in a rush to grab dinner before a midnight movie premier, and Laszlo waved him off from the foyer. In his hurry out the door, he promised to text when they were on their way back. Laszlo was pleased Stevie made friends and plans. It sounded like despite a few troubles here and there, Stevie was settling into school. 

Laszlo had a standing reservation on the last Saturday of every month for a party of three at Delmonico’s. John, Sara, and himself found if they didn’t put their plans in their calendar, it was difficult to ever see each other.  Charlie Delmonico, owner and host, grew accustomed to Laszlo’s peculiarities. He knew to reserve a corner booth on the second floor, with blue walls rather than olive or crimson. Their conversations could take hours as each person discussed their busy lives at the university and the precinct, but they were fantastic tippers. Charlie never rushed them out of their table but instead made them feel welcome. 

Laszlo arrived at the table first and took advantage of their absence, ordering his favorite lingonberry schnapps. He perused the menu in peace, mentally deciding which wine to pair with which course and what dessert to save room for until John and Sara arrived. After several tumultuous years, including John’s misguided engagement with Violet, John and Sara finally decided to be together. They moved in together a few months back, enlisting Laszlo and Stevie to help them, and Laszlo awaited the proposal. Privately, he suspected rather than John going down on one knee, it would be Sara taking the lead. 

“Laszlo! Good to see you again.” John sat down across from him and grinned. “What a hectic month it’s been, so I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you.”

“How are you and how are Stevie?” Sara left the menu folded in front of her. She never strayed from her standard order and hardly glanced at the menu anymore.

“Good and good, I suppose.” Laszlo refolded his napkin and set it in his lap. “Stevie seems to be settling well. He’s made friends, and he’s actually out with them tonight seeing some horror movie.”

“Exciting! Good of the kid. High school goes by much easier with friends, eh Laszlo?” John playfully nudged him, and Laszlo avoided the touch.

Sara, however, caught everything. “Seems to be, you said seems to be. So, why isn’t he?” She stirred her drink with her straw.

Laszlo sighed and leaned back in the booth. “Stevie’s teacher mentioned he’s being heckled by some boys on the football team. He hasn’t said anything to me about it, but then again, he wouldn’t. I’m hoping she and I can discuss it at the conferences in a few weeks.”

“Good,” Sara commended, “problems such as this should be dealt with quickly before they spiral out of control.”

“Don’t think I didn’t see that sly smile, you old dog.” John could be exceedingly astute when it suited him. “She?”

Perhaps it was the schnapps he drank before they arrived, but Laszlo was glad John pressed the subject. While he typically avoided discussions of feelings or romance since Mary’s passing, he wanted to talk about Alice with his friends. Laszlo was of two minds about her. 

“She and I have had a few conversations, mostly over email, but some in person. Obviously, Stevie and school were our main talking points, but the conversation wandered a few times.” Sara noticed a blush creeping up on his cheeks. “I may have shown up a time or two in the afternoon with two coffees instead of one and discussed books with her, but I was waiting for Stevie to finish at his locker.”

“How scandalous,” Sara joked wryly. 

“Well, it could be.” Laszlo set his fork aside. He adored Delmonico’s, but he could not enjoy his meal when he was at an impasse. “That is why I have not done anything more drastic. She is Stevie’s teacher, and if we were to pursue a romantic relationship it would pose a serious ethical dilemma. Not to mention, I am at least a decade older than her.”

“Oh, Laszlo, you’re thinking with your head again instead of your heart.” Laszlo rolled his eyes. John and his hopeless optimism when it came to love. “You should go for it, and that’s not the wine talking. It’s been a long time since you’ve been in a relationship, unless you’ve been hiding anything else from us?” he teased. “It sounds like this teacher is interested in you, so instead of conveniently bringing coffee to her, ask her if she wants to go get coffee.”

“As for the age difference,” Sara took a sip of her sparkling water, “some women find it appealing. You will never know if you don’t try.” Sara herself was several years younger than John, so she spoke from experience. 

“If she says no, then you have your answer and can move on. No more emailing, no more talking, and it’ll only be awkward for the rest of the year.”

***

Laszlo checked the time and decided to call a cab rather than drive. He would still be home well before Stevie, and it was the safe decision given how much he drank at dinner. It would give him time to think, as well, about their advice. 

Ms. Greene was young and bubbly. He did not want to misconstrue kindness as flirtation or politeness for eagerness. How embarrassing it would be to make that mistake, red-faced and ashamed. Laszlo would never be able to face her again. 

No, Laszlo knew someone as lovely as her could not be interested in him. Not at his age, checking for gray hairs every time he trimmed his beard, or with his harsh reputation for terrifying students and dissecting minds. And, especially not with his baggage. Laszlo was not sure anyone interested in him would stay after learning more.

He rubbed his arm as if it were sore. It did not ache, but holding it brought him comfort. He yearned to be home, in his four-poster bed, with a bottle of Tylenol in hand. Laszlo knew he would be sound asleep before Stevie came home, but he knew he would be safe and smart. Or at least, he hoped. Stevie still vaped despite his best efforts to make him quit, but Laszlo couldn’t chastise him when he craved a cigarette.

Next chapter

Tag list: @scuttle-buttle @fictionlandslanddreams @livvyshmiv @somethingthatsaysbubbles @hardlyinteresting @sapphiredreamer26 @aedeluca @alycu1 @linkpk88 @rachreads @fandom-princess-forevermore @groovyponypatrollamp @to-fat-to-give-a-crap @kateris-world @eli-the-thinker

[daylander1000]

Hey, your fanfiction is one of the best Aemond/ Rheana fan fictions out there and I am dying to read more of it and was wondering how the next chapters are coming along. The way you to pictured Aymond and Rheana’s dynamic as children was so on spot, realistic, and hilarious, I absolutely loved it. At the same time you did such a wonderful job at showing Alicent’s suffering. And now they’re adults and all I want is to kill Deamon and Rhaenyra for the shameful way they treat her. I’m so interested in seeing how Aemond and Rheana’s relationship will progress and I hope they find happiness together ( I can’t wait to see what will happen when Vhagar eats Luke )

Thank you! Much honor. 😅

I am writing constantly. The problem is I also have classes and exams constantly. Just got back home actually. (After 8, I've been writing this for over an hour I realize now 😔).

I have 3 chapters I'm working on. The extra setback was writing Baela because I was making her canon pro-Daemon, but I want her on Team Rhaena so I had to rewrite her. And I flip-flopped and rewrote more than once because I wasn't loving it either way.

So the other two chapters can't get finished until I get Baela/Rhaena in a good groove I can work with. Which is like 70% good at this point?

This was my first actual struggle chapter. I don't know why I'm bad at Baela. Like, getting into her head to get a feel for her. I'm blaming the writers and how they made her in the show. What's there isn't consistent. Like, I wasted a lot of time just trying to figure out why she wrote that damn letter in the first place. 🤬

By comparison, it was surprisingly easy to write Alicent. She has lines, for one thing. I didn't read F&B (and never will), so it's easy for me to get past whyever people hate her.

Rest easy, a happy-ish ending guaranteed for everyone. Everyone except of course for Luke. 😖

I am almost over the hump. It's not going to be my best chapter yet, but at this point, I just want to get it done and then edited and posted, because as a reader I hate waiting (so sincere apologies to everyone wondering about the lack of an update.)

[naryrising]

I'm going to piggyback on this post and tell you how to help your friendly local AO3 Support volunteer (me) if you do submit a support ticket about tags!

Wait at least a month after the tag has first been used on a work before contacting us, please! You don't need to contact us 2 days after the tag was first used - our tag wranglers need time to do their work. If it's been a month and the tag remains unwrangled, go ahead and contact us at that point.

Submit one report per fandom, OR at least clearly indicate the fandoms in your report. A long list of tags like "Please canonize Jane Parker/Mary Smith, Peter Jones/Sally Williams, Nathan Walker/Phil Davis, Wizard Danny Jacobson, Catboy Alex Harris..." from a bunch of different fandoms, none of which are indicated in the report, will make my work take 10x as long, because now I have to look up each of those tags and figure out what fandom's wranglers need to be contacted about fixing the issue. I do not know all tags in all fandoms, so give me a hand and tell me what fandom you're talking about!

If you believe there's a mistake or a typo or some kind of mis-synned tag, please tell me what tag you're talking about and what the mistake is! "There are some tags that I think are wrong in X Fandom" - please give me more to work with than this! "Jonathan Cholmondley's character tag is misspelled as Joanthan" - helpful! It can also be useful to throw in a link to the tag you're talking about, or the work that's affected, in case there's any confusion.

However, if you're submitting a report for a fandom that you think is probably unwrangled, or that has a lot of tags simply going uncanonized, you don't need to list every tag. It's enough to say 'Hey, can someone take a look at Z Fandom and wrangle any unwrangled tags?' - the wranglers will be able to see all the unwrangled tags, so you don't need to spend a lot of time listing them all out!

If you're asking for a fandom to be canonized, or for tags to be wrangled in a fandom, and you think it might be obscure/hard to find, it can be helpful to include any relevant links to the source material or other references to help the wranglers out. (You can also do this when posting your works! Wranglers will absolutely look at your author's notes to try and figure out what they're looking at, so if you add a note like "This is based on a youtube video series: here's the link!", they'll see that and use it to help guide their wrangling decisions.)

Look at what category a tag is in before asking about having it synned to another tag. Tags can't be synned across categories - meaning we can't link an additional tag to a relationship tag, for instance. So before asking, "Can you link the smushname BenJam to the correct relationship tag, Benjamin/James", please check if the smushname perhaps is an Additional tag and therefore can't be linked to the relevant relationship. (You can tell what category a tag is in when you click on the tag and it will say "This tag belongs to the Relationship Category" for example.)

Tags should have basically the same meaning to get synned. Therefore please don't request for tags that are only "kind of" the same to be linked - for instance, a set of tags like Alice is dead, Alice is only temporarily dead, and Alice might or might not be dead?? will not be linked together by the wranglers, because the meanings are not close enough to one another.

Finally please be patient with tags requests! While some are simple and can be processed quickly, some will take longer because they require consulting with a team of wranglers, with groups of wranglers from several different fandoms, with wrangling supervisors, with translators... They might require changing a large number of tags (for instance, if you change a character's name, you also need to update all the relationships including that character), or changing a very large tag (which can only be done by supervisors at a low-impact time on the archive), or they might require in-depth discussion and research to identify the correct changes to make. Submitting multiple requests for the same change to be made, or getting all your friends to contact us as part of a write-in campaign, will not make it any faster, and might actually make it slower...

(I also always like it when people say something nice, like "Thanks for looking into this issue!", but I'll be content with anything that's not yelling at me. Kind words appreciated but not required!)

Some "Did you know"s about AO3 tags from a tag wrangler volunteer

It takes 3 unique identifiable users (no anons, no unidentified orphans) for a fandom-specific freeform tag to be canonized.

Relationship tags are primarily alphabetized by last name.

If you see that something like "- Freeform" or "- Character" has been added automatically to a tag you used, it means it exists in another category already.

If you use a tag that is marked as a subtag of another tag, it will show up in the search for the metatag as well - so if you tag "Hybrid TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)" it will automatically show up in "Hybrids"!

Many larger fandoms have tags show up in odd places because certain fandoms are used as holding bins. For example you may see MCYT tags in 30 Day SMP | Free Trial SMP as we use it as our collective bin for tags we can't do anything with.

You don't have to use the canonical tag for something if you don't want to. You can tag "BadBoyHalo" and it will still show up under "Darryl Noveschosch | BadBoyHalo" as tag wranglers connect tags together.

You can report issues with tags by submitting a support ticket using the "Technical Support & Feedback" button on the bottom of any AO3 page.

The Wrangling Guidelines are publicly available to read here!

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Natsume (pt. 23)

Sorry. It's been a hot second... I missed a day because I got so busy with school that I actually forgot to update and also I just didn't have the time anyway. It's definitely not the end of the world but I'll post on Friday as well to make up for missing Monday.

In this part, we'll complete the Time-Travel Arc. Mikan makes a big choice and Natsume has to deal with the fact that he's the only one who can't dedicate himself to waiting, because he doesn't have enough time to, especially if Mikan won't be around.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty

They’ve just seen Yuka finally give birth to Mikan.

Natsume has been by Mikan’s side this whole time, because he doesn’t want to be anywhere else.

But she’s about to make an announcement, because she’s decided something. Natsume looks shocked, almost like he knows what is even before she’s said it, but she is interrupted by another one of his coughing fits. He’s not the kind of person who’d want others to watch him suffer.

My throat hurts just looking at him.

When we first met Natsume, he went on frequent visits to the hospital. He was in a state of particular illness when he was kidnapped by Reo. After that, we saw the condition he was in while in bed during the Kaname/Bear chapter. I’d said then that Natsume was always in that much pain, but he managed to keep it to himself and tough it out until he was by himself in his room at night. Even after, when Tsubasa first finds out, he’s able to mostly keep it to himself.

Natsume is the kind of person who wants to keep his suffering to himself. He doesn’t like being caught with blood in his palm or dripping out of his nose. But he’s been getting worse and worse and he can’t keep up with his body anymore. He can’t always tough it out and pretend like he’s fine until he’s all alone anymore. He’s coughing more and more. His body can’t take it anymore. He’s in significantly worse shape now than he was when we first met him, and he was already dying then too.

The fact that he can’t hold it back, even in such an important moment when Mikan is about to make an important announcement, even when he’s surrounded by people, just goes to show how much suffering he’s in and how much worse it’s getting.

He brushes it off, like he always does, hiding his blood and reaching for the healing alice stone around his neck. He doesn’t want the attention on him, especially not for the sake of his stupid dying body.

But Kaoru has collapsed when running from the Academy pursuers. Yuka feels responsible, especially since Kaoru is in an especially vulnerable, pregnant state. So she gives Kaoru the alice stone she received from little Subaru. This is the same alice stone that Natsume just used for relief. It has passed many hands to end up in Natsume’s possession.

In the next scene they’re shown, Kaoru is struggling more than ever. They’re being pursued and Kaoru collapses again. Yuka finally realizes it: that Kaoru has the fourth type of alice, and she’s dying. She urges Kaoru to go easy on herself, for the sake of everyone, and then teleports away, unwilling to let her best friend suffer for her anymore.

We see a little flashback of Natsume getting Subaru’s alice stone for the first time. Kaoru gives it to him since she can see right away that he’s like her, getting sick whenever he uses his alice. It’s to protect him in her stead, because she knows that her life has a time limit on it. She then tells him he has to take care of his father and sister, and although she had nothing but good intentions, entrusting such a huge responsibility to a child, one that is already suffering with a life-shortening alice shape, can be damaging. And from what we know about Natsume, we know that he took all those words to heart and made it his only life’s mission to protect the people he loves, to the detriment of his own life and health.

Natsume has seen a great deal of his mother just now, and he’d never felt so close to her before. This is more than he’d ever known. He didn’t know about her bond with Yuka, or the true extent that Kaoru went through for her friend.

But Mikan is looking at him, and she’s obviously putting pieces together. So she asks him if he’s the same as his mother.

Natsume never wants anyone to worry about him. We know for a fact that he’s dying. We know that his body is in terrible shape. But Mikan is already crying, just at the thought of what he’s been suffering through. If he were to be honest now, as blunt as possible, then he would just be more of a burden. He doesn’t want her worrying about her and that’s more important than being honest. All he wants is to comfort her and minimize the pain she feels to the best of his ability.

LIAR!

So he hugs her again, and tells her that he won’t die, that he will not leave her.

But this moment isn’t all about comforting Mikan. He wants to live too. He doesn’t want to die. He promises that he’ll make it because he wants to believe it too. A long time ago, more than a hundred chapters ago, Natsume was willing to blow himself up so that his suffering could finally come to an end. He didn’t see any more value in his life. All he ever did was burden people around him. He felt like he couldn’t protect anybody, like all did was drag the people he loves into darkness. When he met Mikan, that changed. She talked about his future like he had one and even though he’s been resisting, ever since, he’s also seen it. He desperately wants what he’s always forbidden himself. He can’t have even half of what Yuka had dreamt of: getting married and starting a family with someone you love, making a warm home.

Of course he’d like that too! But he won’t make it. His whole life, he’s known he wouldn’t make it. Why waste his time trying anyway? Why waste the girl’s time just to break her heart? He won’t be able to live that long, so he’s distanced himself from everyone. He won’t make friends or really try with the girl he loves because it would be for nothing. From the beginning he tried to accept that and just deal with it, but the longer he knew Mikan and the further he fell in love with her, the harder that was to stick with. How can you give up on something that your whole heart is screaming for? He wants to live. He wants to be with Mikan, as long as he can.

He’s not making this promise out of callousness. He’s making it because he wants it to be true. He doesn't want to break it. He wants to be able to have a future.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One

Natsume and Mikan are hugging. She’s crying, because she doesn’t want him to die. He’s promising he won’t go, because he also doesn’t want to die. But they’re not alone. He looks up at Ruka and immediately feels guilt.

It's been nice seeing the return of Natsume&Ruka again... The gap arc and even the Sports Fest really lacked their dynamic and it always bothers me how little they interact during that time. Seeing Ruka now stick up for Natsume and consider his feelings watching the flashbacks regarding Kaoru, and now giving Natsume his blessing... It's just nice to have my favorite friendship back.

So far, Natsume has done his all to be Team Ruka. He wants his best friend to be happy, for the girl he loves to be happy, so why not together? They deserve happiness. He has forbidden himself from even considering that Mikan could ever choose him. He can’t make anybody happy, after all. All he does is drag people into darkness, steal their smiles away like he did to Ruka, leave them unprotected like he did to Aoi, leave them all alone and lonely like he did to his father. But he can’t leave the embrace now.

He looks at Ruka with guilt because he is sorry. He really did try not to end up like this.

I get a little confused with this, but it's made clear at the beginning of the arc that the time window makes it possible for telepathic conversations, so we know for sure that Natsume is hearing these words from Ruka, receiving his blessing, but it also looks like Mikan can hear it too, and perhaps everyone else. How the heck would I know! Whatever. The possibility of her hearing will be covered in the next POV essay. Why does Mikan keep trying to weasel her way into Natsume's chapter anyway? Stay in your lane, Mikan. You'll have your turn!

But Ruka doesn’t want Natsume to be sorry. He loves Natsume too. And if he can’t be with the girl he loves, then he would want her to be with Natsume, who loves her too, who prioritizes her happiness. He would want her to be with Natsume, because she makes him happy and gave him a reason to live. Natsume wouldn’t make that kind of promise and want to mean it if he hadn’t met Mikan. So Ruka urges Natsume to stop holding back. He’d been resisting for so long, not being honest and not doing what he wanted to this whole time because he always put everyone else’s happiness above his own.

But the flashbacks continue, and Yuka has no choice but to give Mikan up, so that her daughter will not suffer the way she has. All she wants is for Mikan to be safe and happy, so she lets her go and suffers on her own.

Mikan has made her decision, but everyone already knew it would end up this way. She will leave the academy to be with her mother.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two

Facing the news, Natsume is shocked. He knew it would end with Mikan choosing to leave with Yuka too, but he really didn’t want it to be like this.

Hotaru and Tsubasa and Ruka and everyone else can promise to meet Mikan again in the future, no matter how long it takes. But if Mikan isn’t there, what kind of future has Natsume been looking forward to?

Watch this, Lis! You can actually pinpoint the second when his heart rips in half!

Natsume isn’t selfish, though. He won’t say anything. He stays silent because it wouldn’t be fair. But this is the saddest that he’s been in quite some time. He’s heartbroken. If she leaves, he won’t ever see her again. He will die. He doesn’t have eternity to promise her, even if he wants to.

She looks at him to say sorry that it has to be this way, but Natsume’s feelings show on his face and she crumbles too. He won’t say anything, because he genuinely doesn’t want to make this harder for her than it already is, but even for someone like him, who always puts himself dead last, it’s hard to not feel these feelings of heartbreak.

I have a lot of love for this arc, especially because of the parallels. It’s pretty clear that Natsume got his looks and a lot of personality traits from Kaoru. He looks just like her, if a lot less smiley, and he’s also prone to dry humor and teasing his friends when he’s in a good mood. But the darker elements of his personality--like his tendency to give everything up and the fact that he’s suffered his entire life--have so much in common with Yuka, too. I’m sure Natsume noticed the similarities too.

Yuka had to give Mikan up to protect her, even though she loves her more than anything, even though all she really wanted was to start a family with her. Yuka’s future will never be what she wanted it to be. She will never be able to watch Mikan grow up. She has to give it up for Mikan’s sake.

"I couldn't protect her in any way but to let her go." - Natsume from the moment he fell in love with Mikan (it's actually a Yuka quote jsyk, I'm just making a connection). Why didn't we ever get a real Natsume-Yuka interaction? I've been robbed.

And Natsume gives Mikan up too, even though all he wants is a future with her, even though he loves her more than anything. Just like Yuka, his future will not be a pleasant one. They give up their own little pocket of sunshine so that the sunshine doesn’t get bogged down by the darkness they have to live in all the time. There is too much dark for light like that to survive.

The next scene that we see is Kaoru on the run, driving as fast as she can from some pursuers. Yuka just wants Kaoru to be safe, but it’s not to be. Her car crashes into a bus or a truck and her life ends.

Natsume has no choice but to watch it happen. Natsume isn’t as emotive as Mikan. He doesn’t run to the window to keep it from happening. He doesn’t collapse onto the floor. He simply stands there and keeps all the pain to himself. He wants to be the person Mikan can rely on for comfort, but he would never turn to somebody else for comfort, to burden them with his sadness. He won’t do it for his heartbreak, and he won’t do it for his mother’s death. He just takes it all on his own, because he always does. Besides, he always knew this would happen.

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three

He wants to just take it all on his own, but almost everyone is worried about him. Unfortunately, Natsume doesn’t even have a moment of mourning for himself before the topic is suddenly changed to the Z boss. I understand that in universe they might be feeling stressed for what’s happening back in the present, and all the questions anybody brings up are important to talk about, but I do personally resent this a little. Natsume doesn’t even have the time to be comforted by anybody because the moment is suddenly on anything and everything else. Just like Mikan, he had to watch a parent die, but nobody’s had the time to hold him. Even if he wouldn’t let them worry, I’d rather see what would happen when his friends try. If there was just a little more time spent on Natsume’s reaction to it, and his friends wanting to comfort him, I’d feel better. As it is, the scene simply moves on as though it hardly matters. Not my favorite transitional moment in the arc, for sure.

So Mikan got many pages of rightfully being able to cry and mourn her father but Natsume gets this one page for his mother before everyone changes the subject? Jeez, Natsume, it happened like ten years ago! When are you gonna just get over it already?! I guess on the next page. Everyone else does, after all. :/

Although there was hardly any time for Natsume to mourn his mother (I’m still salty), Tono makes sure to take the time so everyone can give Mikan an alice stone for the future. Everyone tries to make her a stone, and they all vary in size and shape. Mikan catches Natsume’s eye. He’s the only one who hasn’t given her one yet.

He wordlessly gestures to the necklace with alice stones that she’s wearing. She finally knows for sure that the mysterious red stone she got before Valentine’s Day was from Natsume. He won’t say anything about what it meant for him. He stays silent the whole time, because anything he says could just make things harder. He’s already said what he needed to, without saying a word: that little pebble she gave him meant the world to him, so he had to give her something in return.

I want to see Natsume cry. I want to see him bawling. Why don't we get to see this kid cry? I'm pissed about it. Why does he swallow everything? No wonder he's so fucking sick.

Maybe Natsume doesn't say anything because there's nothing more to say. Maybe he stays quiet because he doesn't trust himself to not sound bitter or upset if he does. Maybe he shuts up because he's just been through an emotional ordeal and can't bring himself to. An emotional goodbye with Mikan seems like something he'd want, but it's less painful for both of them to not address any of the feelings he's been obvious about all night. It's an elephant in the room she doesn't need to point out. He doesn't want to get rejected. It's enough that she knows that she's loved, even if she doesn't love him back. Even if she never will because she's leaving and he'll never see her again. He'd rather they have this as their formal goodbye (not that they're parting right away) so that he doesn't say the wrong thing or hear the inconvenient thing.

He's put his whole heart on his sleeve and she hasn't said it back all night. He can guess for himself what that means, and he's accepted it. He accepted it from the beginning, when she first tackled him in that warehouse. She knows how he feels now. She has his stone around her neck too. That's the most he'll get forever, and he'll accept it. Accepting things is what he does.

Conclusion

Natsume loves Mikan and she knows it. There's no way that after everything that happened this night that she could walk away oblivious. She hasn't said much about her own feelings, so Natsume has no reason to assume she feels the same. He's about to be separated from her, and even though it's one of the hardest things he's ever had to deal with, he does. He swallows it, like he always does, and doesn't say a single word in protest.

In the next segment, we'll see Natsume continue to swallow it. He completely surrenders, because they only thing he really wants is for Mikan to be safe. He gives up completely. He won't even say goodbye when he's about to part with her for good, but one tiny moment will change everything and uproot every single assumption Natsume has ever made about how she must feel about him.

Sorry if this isn't properly cleaned up. I felt okay starting the editing process but I started feeling a bit sick as I went along and now I'm tired. It's late. Anyway I'll probably update tomorrow's much earlier in the day, after I visit the clinic to find out if I'm anemic. Yes, I am stupid (locked myself out of my car again) AND possibly anemic (hair keeps falling out). We exist.

It seems like the tags won't let me say it but the title image is Populaire-flavored (Zoe gets it, no doubt). Macarons and retro outfits bring Populaire to mind. I like that movie.

<- Previous Next ->

[husbandomail-archive]

Could we get some headcanons about Masquerade courting and trying to confess to the girl he's intrested in? Bruh, I can't believe I found this blog, it's pure gold. Keep up the good work yo.

this has been in the ask box for a pretty damn long time fgbhnjhgf

I just kinda rambled on this one, so I hope it's okay anyways!

Given the odd circumstances of his existence, Masquerade has never thought about falling in love. That’s something for other people— he knows he’s a puppet on lonely strings, and he’ll be lucky if he gets to keep living after he’s played his part. He’s determined to play that role to the fullest, like he’s the only man on stage, not caring what he has to do to hold the spotlight until it— and he— burns out.

He’s good with people, in a very bad way. He knows exactly how to break past emotional walls, slithering his way into the darkest recesses of someone’s mind, dragging secrets to the surface and sparking buried fears to life. When it comes to the Brawlers, his only true opposition, he works his way through all of them to look for a weak link— you’re not nearly as bombastic as Dan or Runo, not nearly as prickly as Shun, so it isn’t long before he hones in on you.

You start having the strangest dreams; late-night conversations where he materializes to taunt you, making sure you understand that he knows where you live. The two of you bicker, and eventually you roll over and ignore him. It becomes routine. During your daily life, be it school or a job, you can see him lurking from the corner of your eye— but whenever you turn to confront him, he’s gone. Was he ever really there—?

No matter what he does, Masquerade can’t seem to get under your skin, not in the way he really wants. At first he was just looking for a way to disrupt your little team of heroes, but for some reason, you cloud his thoughts now— he knows he should move on, find another target, but he can’t stop himself from showing up to taunt you every once in awhile. You treat him like an annoyance more than a proper threat, and for some reason that amuses him. He’ll let you carry on for a bit longer.

He shows up while you’re grocery shopping to challenge you to a brawl while you’re alone— you turn him down, instead dropping a bag full of food in his hands and demanding he carry it for you, if he’s gonna follow you home anyways. He’s too stunned to argue. In fact, you’ve gotten so used to him materializing in your living room that occasionally you have a spare plate of food ready and waiting for him; Masquerade doesn’t want to name the way that makes him feel.

He knows he’s not human. He knows he’s a cosmic toy with a fast-approaching expiration date. And yet, despite everything he’s done, you still make room for him in your mundane routines. This wasn’t his initial objective, but he’ll take it.

Masquerade may have the gift of manipulation, but he’s certainly lacking in foresight. He’d known his death was inevitable, but he assumed he’d be absorbed by Naga or something— being sealed inside Alice was nowhere in his plans, and now, he’s left with time to think and not much else.

And, for whatever reason, he thinks about you.

You, and the way you always sassed back at him even when you were trembling. You, and the way you’d treated him like a human when he obviously wasn’t. You, and the fact that, despite not being anywhere near his level, you’d survived and he hadn’t.

Naturally, you followed your friends to the ends of the Earth; when you and Dan land in the combined realm of Pyrus and Darkus, and Alice drags Masquerade back to the surface, you’re not quite sure how to feel. He’s been your enemy for so long, and a part of you wants to let him struggle on his own— but then you find yourself and your Bakugan partner stepping in to block an attack, and you realize that you’re willing to work with him, at least for now.

Masquerade isn’t the type to apologize. He doesn’t talk about his feelings, and he’s not going to tell you how much he’s been thinking about you. So after your ragtag little trio manages to overcome Centorrior and Druman, and he realizes he’s going to fade again— he doesn’t quite apologize, but he grabs you by the wrist, his grip not nearly as crushing as you’d expected, and he hands you a card. Maybe it suits how you play with your Bakugan, maybe it doesn’t, but now you own something that belonged to him. Something that will keep him alive in your memory. And he warns— threatens— promises that he’ll be back someday.

[ihassheepquake]

DC's Batwoman 3.02 "Loose Tooth" has aired on the CW, and I'm here to talk about it

Killer Croc, Killer Croc, Killer Croc!

How much do you think they had to pay to use Levitating?

Wait wait wait wait wait, so Aquaman is canon now? Like that's a thing now?? Has that been a thing in the Arrowverse or is this new?? Because I don't remember an Aquaman being canon before.

I really can't get over how much I love this new logo. It looks so much better and I think literally all they did was add some red. Crazy how easy that was.

Okay, so we know that Renee knows that Ryan is Batwoman (and apparently also these two random guards from Arkham that escorted Alice, so thanks for that Renee), but, how are they gonna explain why mass murder Alice is with random ex-con Ryan Wilder? Like, that won't stay secret forever.

I'm guessing this is one of the themes of this season, that all of the villains are new people taking old names (we're probably also only to get Batman's B & C listers other than Ivy. There's no way we're getting a Two-Face, Penguin, or Harley Quinn on this show). Is the Ivy we know is one of the big bads going to actually be Pamela Isley or a new character? The season 3 wiki says it's Pamela, but we'll see.

I love you Ryan but I feel like Luke should've been made the acting CEO. I think he probably actually knows what to do in such a role, vs Ryan who herself has already admitted she thought she'd just be a name on a paper. Wasn't Luke the acting CEO before Kate took over? Why not give him it back? Cause I feel like having Ryan as the CEO is just for this plot moment of the reveal that her mum is Jada Jet.

I am a fan of the dynamic Alice has with the Bat team. What can I say, I love a good villain joins the hero story. And I just like Alice, she's one of the more fun long term, recurring villains.

Fuck yeah Ryan, fuck Jada. You don't need to give a shit about her just because she popped outta her.

WHO TOLD LUKE HE COULD HOT?!

Could you imagine if somebody weaponized the Croc tooth? That was why Black Mask and Kate stole all the stuff last season, in a general sense. Imagine if he was able to make an army of these new Crocs and control them using the mind control tech in the Hatter's hat? And who fucking knows what he could've done with something like a vine from Poison Ivy, or fear or Joker gas. Maybe that should be the season's plot, somebody using all these things to take over Gotham. Or even more, there is a Justice League. The individual rogues couldn't kill the whole League, but an army of them? With multiple of each??

Alice now is not the time to trauma dump on this child. For once in your life, can you just not be a bitch?

I'm into this design for Croc. Personally, I'm a fan of when he's a giant hulking monster such as in the Arkham games, but this one works. I like the way his jaw unhinges, it's very gross and creepy.

Guess that Alice team-up was short-lived, huh? Obviously, she'll be back, but yeah.

The writing team keeps giving Sophie all these emotional speeches. And I'm not mad about it, because her actress does a pretty good at delivering them.

Renee, I love you, but that was potentially a really, really fucking stupid idea. If that gamble was wrong, you would've been fucked.

Ryan, please follow this by reading this bitch to hell.

Next week's episode is entitled Freeze, followed by Antifreeze, which implies it's gonna be a two-parter. Probably a new Mr Freeze villain, but I think it would be more interesting to go in another direction and use one of the other iterations of Killer Frost now that the one on the Flash is just Frost. I would say Louise Lincoln, who has ties to Gotham and Mr Freeze in the comics. But it's probably just going to be a new Mr Freeze, which won't be as fun. We'll find out next week with DC's Batwoman 3.03 "Freeze"

[bashful-otaku]

The Flower and The Honeybee | 1 (Jasper Hale fanfiction)

♥️♥️♥️ Authors Note: Hiya this is my first post of a big book I’ve been working on, please tell me what you think. I still feel like this is hella rough draft but maybe it isn’t and I’m overreacting cause I’m nervous, if there is any mistakes please point them out. I hope you enjoy. *nervous energy*. Wishing you all happiness and safety in this butt of a time. ♥️♥️♥️

The world is full of judgement. It’s something I am used to but not something I can handle. A chronological of moments wash over me and I sit there waiting for the haze to ease. I can't reflect on those thoughts, as I fade back seamlessly into the crowd. I depend on the crowd or it seems that I do, as I follow behind the masses, I again blend in with the people in the classroom. Not sparing a look to students as I place myself on the seat. The frenzy of the words in this room feel like they’re being drowned out. I rest my face in my hand and scan over the foreign words on the wall.

Italian isn’t that different from English, and the words are even more angelic than English. Which reminds me of the meagre knowledge that I posses when it comes to artful languages like Latin. I take in words after word, writing everything that I can down. I detest using this pen, but alas it must be done.

Then class ends, which means the start of lunch, where the real frenzy will begin. I grab everything and again blend away, withholding the nervousness I feel at the proximity.

“Sorry, I needed a candid for the feature” utters Angela as I arrive at the table. I ponder at the words and sit down.

“The Feature's dead Angela, don't bring it up again! And hey Poppy” says Eric with such heated passion. I give him a smile and a wave because I notice that the new girl is trying to talk.

“It's okay, I just...”.

“I-I got your back baby” Eric says then rushes off.

“Don’t worry about it Angela, you’ll think of something else” I say to her with a small smile.

“I guess we'll just run another editorial on... Teen Drinking...” she says sounding deflated.

“You know, you could always go for... eating disorders? Speedo padding on the swim team” suggests the new girl. Before I can suggest some more Angela responds in agreement, and the other girls start talking about Kirk and his nether regions.

“Who are you?” I ask the new girl, she looks almost surprised that I don’t know.

“I’m Bella Swan, I just moved here from Arizona” She says with a hint of shyness.

“Oh?” I say to her and her smile widens.

“Have you been?” She asks and I don’t show how my heart hurts, at the fact that I could probably never go even if I wanted to.

“I wish to, oh and I’m Poppy Green. Enjoy the nature hippy name, what were my parents thinking?” is all I say and chuckles fill the table. I hold back from saying more, already pushing my luck with that sentence.

“Who are they?” Bella says to the people behind me, but I don’t turn around.

“The Cullens” says Angela with a dreamy tone and I withhold my chuckle at her actions. I let my eyes wonder to my watch almost dreamily when I notice that lunch is almost over, freedom will be soon. I tune into the girls explanation.

“Uh, the blonde girl, that's Rosalie, and the big dark-haired guy, Emmett, they're like a thing. I'm not even sure that's legal” Jess says in response to them keeping to themselves.


“Jess, they're not actually related” says Angela. I quietly steam, but let Angela correct her.

“Yeah, but they live together. It's gross and, okay, the little dark-haired girl is Alice. She's really weird, and thats Jasper, the blonde one who looks like he's in pain all the time, you shouldn’t even try talking to them. I mean, Dr. Cullen's like this foster dad slash freak collector” describes Jess and I wait for Angela’s rebut. She says nothing and I can feel my self start to fume, before I can stand up and say anything Bella has another question.


“Who’s he?” Bella wonders out loud.

“That’s Edward Cullen; he’s totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently, no one here is good enough for him. Like I care. Anyway, don't waste your time” Jess explained


“I wasn’t planning on it” says Bella sounding offended. I let out a cough bringing attention to me,

“Really Jess, you know how I feel about people judging based on appearance, you know what I’ve been through, is that how you describe me too when I’m not around?” I inquire.

I feel my anger wash over me in waves, and before I know it I have pushed my seat out, the metal scratching horrendously against the stone floor and I’m striding towards the door my back aches with it being stretched out in fury.

I regret doing so when reality sets in, as it feels like thousands of eyes are staring at me as I leave. I walk down the hall into my last class of the day, and take a random seat in the back not wanting to fake niceties.

I feel the shudders and I can feel the cold memories call for me, i ignore then and bring out my favourite book.

A leather one, with sparkling white paper and five calligraphy pens are held in place on the inside cover. I pour emotions into the pages not wanting anything unsaid and I feel relieved when it’s all over. All the pent up anger and sadness dwindles as I rest my face in my arms in tiredness, ten minutes til class and then after the day will finally be over.

I hear footsteps enter the room and I don’t bother looking up, I just rest more into my arms and before I know it I’m lulled into sleep.

I stitch up and pull the skin together ignoring the scream all around me, I don’t focus on anything else just making sure that the person in front of me is alright.

“You really have to be more careful” I say and it sounds like a strangers voice has taken over.

“Hmm” is a male’s hum, I look up and see nothing, all I see is the stitched up wound and then whiteness blocking everything else.

I wake up with a start and look up to see Jess looking over at me slightly, I look down at the rubber and chuckle silently at the many sorry’s on it. I nod my head as thanks to her and hold it for her after class. No one seems to notice and I sigh in relief. Looking around I see that I’m at the back of the classroom and on the furtherest right side. I curse my angered self and resist looking again to my left.

I can’t believe I sat next to him of all people. I feel completely embarrassed, ashamed and a bit happy. In the middle of the lecture when I’ve calmed down and I risk a glance through my uneasy peripheral vision my heart sores. I notice first the fluffy hair, then the air of maturity and finally the quietness of movement. He’s focused and attentive in this history class and I glance away as I notice the beginning of a head turn. Shyness falls completely over me as I determinedly look at the board.

I don’t look at him again throughout the class and when it ends I grab my stuff at a normal pass and follow Jess back. Not looking back at Jasper behind me even though I desperately want to.

[dreamerandcrazy]

Ok, so I haven't been able to comment much on my Riverdale rewatch mostly bc i'm watching it with my boyfriend and we have an agreement of no cell phones when we're watching, otherwise we can't pay proper attention to it. But I wrote down some notes about the episodes I did watch (I watched up until ep 6, which is very ironic bc apparently today is its anniversary, so yay for my perfect timing). I actually remember most of the stuff that happened in s1, so here's mostly a few things I paid more attention to or noticed about the characters and the ships, or things i'm able to look at through a different view now that i've watched all the seasons. Strap in if you want to see my notes, if not just scroll please, no ship or character hate here please. Also, feel free to ignore, this is really just a personal look in some stuff I didn't notice in my first watch.

- Betty's character used to be much happier and lighter in season 1. I know we're introduced to "Dark Betty" right in episode 3, but still, I feel like the way Lili played Betty in season 1 did not hold the same "darkness" as it does in the following seasons. The scene where she is dancing happily in her bedroom because she's going to homecoming with the boy she likes? The scene where she introduces Jughead to the Blue & Gold and gets him to work with her? Her genuine innocent happiness at seeing her sister again after so much time? The way she interacted with Kevin and Veronica? Those were all chef's kiss because she actually feels like a teenager in them. In all her girly glory, she radiates youth energy and it's a thing that was sadly lacking after s1. Btw this is not a critique at Lili's acting at all, I blame it entirely on Ras and his obsession with dark Betty.

- There's actually so many indications of Cheryl being a lgbt character in the first episodes that I have no idea how I missed it the first time. But then again, there were many indications with Veronica as well, and sadly that's not the path Ras chose for her.

- Jughead in s1 is truly so superior in so many ways that it's not hard to see why he quickly became such a fan favorite. I think even if he wasn't played by Cole Sprouse, he still would have conquered many fans' hearts. Sadly, the things that made Jughead such a loving and interesting character for me also fizzled out in s2 when the writing team decided to make him a woke serpent leader instead of allowing him to sticking to his true personality as a passionate mystery lover, a dedicated friend and very nerdy, which was very cute. I feel that we got some of that back for him in s4, which was good, but sadly s1 is where my love for him really stayed to stay. But I still care for him, and s5 has a promising storyline for him which i'm excited about, so let's see if s5 Jughead can become better than s1 Jughead.

- Going back again to Cheryl for a sec, I just noticed that the red lipstick actually wasn't that common for her in s1? At least not in the first five. I wonder when did it start becoming her trademark? Anyways, it's actually a really good look her and allows you to appreciate Madelaine's natural beauty even more.

- Also, did anybody notice how Alice lowkey figured out who killed Jason in ep 2 lmao, like... in episode two she legit says she wouldn't be surprised if the Blossoms themselves had killed Jason, which... is what happened LMAO, considering we know it was his father. And even more hilarious and tragically ironic note, in ep 6 she's laughing at Betty suggesting that Hal killed Jason because "do you think your father has the stomach for it?!"... Ma'am... i'm-.... 😂😂😂😂.

- This rewatch has reminded me of how much I adored and how I much I miss Josie and the Pussycats. The girls were such a nice addition to the cast, and their songs were so beautiful. I truly wish we get to see them again someday, but at the same time I also think the actresses deserve to be at a work place where they're given the treatment they deserve and not completely ignored and treated like extras.

- Archie/Valerie was super cute and is very underrated in the fandom, but i'm glad Valerie stood up for herself and didn't take any of Archie's or Cheryl's sh*t. Still sucks because they were really good together, though.

- Why was Jason not allowed to talk, lmao? Like, i'm sure it's become a running joke in the show at this point, but back when season one was airing what was the excuse for it? He appeared in so many flashbacks and scenes and we still never heard a single word ☠️☠️☠️☠️. I just want to know what was the reason lol.

- I liked s1 Reggie, but I feel like Charles Melton's Reggie is better because he actually feels like a douche with good intentions lol, and he has more of a personality. Most of the time I even forgot about Reggie in s1, but after s2 he definitely made me more aware of him. So for that, I like Charles Melton's Reggie more. But the actor from s1 still did a good job with what he was given.

From now on I will be talking about the ships, so bear with me, and know that I am a multishipper. Yes, I have my preferences. No, my word is not law, it's just an opinion, so please respect it.

- Bughead is still super cute in s1. I feel like from s1 they will always be my otp, even if I no longer feel as strongly about them now and have a different insight as to where I would like their story to go, and now I definitely see the problem others had mentioned before of how they kind of took over the show, which is something I kind of closed my eyes to before... But I really loved them in s1. It felt like a very juvenile teenage relationship, they didn't give much thought on why and if they should be together, they just went for it like teenagers usually do, and they were very very cute together.

- I feel like if you don't count Beronica (because they really were the best no matter what you say or ship), if there's a ship that deserves "best chemistry" award for s1 is probably Varchie. I lost my interest in them years ago, but this rewatch reminded me of why I actually loved them once. They never really became an otp for me, but Kj and Camila's chemistry in s1 was VERY GOOD, and I really liked them. Their kiss in the pilot was electric and the s&xual tension was OOF, and that chemistry carries on through the season. You can easily tell something will happen between them eventually. It makes me sad bc I don't know what happened after s1, but their chemistry from s2 onwards was just... not there for me. Which is ironic bc it's the season they truly started dating and they got a lot of smexy scenes, but I just... didn't feel it. But I'll leave that comment to my s2 rewatch. For now just let me enjoy Varchie's chemistry in s1 while it lasts because it was really good.

- Now we get to Barchie, who I made clear was the reason for my rewatch, so let's get to it. I LOVED the way Barchie was written in s1. I remember when I first watched Riverdale, I was curious about their dynamic but didn't put much thought into it because I loved Bughead too much and wanted them to be together, and I thought Barchie would be the traditional "first og ship" thing and wouldn't have a big follow up, but boy was I WRONG and am I GLAD for it. I'll talk more about their development in the next seasons when I get there, so for now let's focus a bit on s1. Just in like the first two episodes, there is so much Barchie foreshadowing, like, it's legit insane how it was right there in my face and I missed it the first time! "I have never felt what i'm supposed to feel with betty", "it's not my fault he doesn't like you", "I can't give you the answer you want"... Omg, those are obvious eyebrow raising "this will come back to bite you in the a$$" moments and it's incredible how they actually DO! I would call it clever writing, but like... it's Riverdale lol. So I really am just glad that the ship was done this way, i'm glad Barchie has the back story that they do, they've really come a LONG way and i'm happy I get to experience their whole growing storyline. It's also especially good because s1 actually provides you with scenes that show you their friendship and how they're so close, you see them hanging out, talking, their pictures together, everything was just really done well with them. Still have a bit of critique with the way Archie contradicted himself sometimes regardinf his feelings for Betty, but let's be honest, we've watched enough Riverdale to know that's just a problem with the writing.

- Kevin/Joaquin is still my favorite Kevin ship, i'm sad it's completely impossible to go back to them someday so for now i'll just be really glad it existed and that I got to see them even if it was short-lived. They had great chemistry and their kiss scenes always outsold.

- Beronica... sigh. Beronica. The most wasted chemistry i've ever seen on CW and I've watched a LOT of CW shows. There was so much potential there, s1 was practically overflowing with them and it's one of the reasons it became some popular. I remember when the Beronica fandom was the biggest one, ah, good times. Veronica and Betty were easily the best part of season 1, their friendship, their lowkey romantic moments, they were just superior in every way. This ship deserved better, not even just as a ship, but as a friendship.

- Veronica's s1 hair >>> Veronica's hair in seasons 2-4. I loved the side part and I am glad it's back in season 5, it looks so much better like that.

- Cheryl, as always, deserves better. Can't wait for her to meet Toni so I can watch again Cheryl finally get to love someone and be loved back, which is exactly what she deserves.

For now, that is all! I will probably make another post soon when i'm done with season one and from season two on I will be live-blogging the episodes since I will be watching it alone. Once again, pls, no hate, my thoughts are my thoughts. Peace.

[lunarsaga]

EPISODE 3: ABOUT ALICE

Y'all, I am SO CLOSE TO catching up to myself with these chapters! I can't wait for y'all to see the next chapter, it's gonna be all kinds of heartbreak~ >:3c

ENJOY~!

REMINDER: [Dialogue like this is English!]

The farther northeast they traveled, the more Luna missed the absolute shit out of her clunky old gas guzzler of a pickup truck.

Now she wasn’t ever one to complain—she knew better than that—but holy fuck did her feet hurt. She’d had these shoes for god only knows how long, and it was a good thing they were practically made of mithril, because if they hadn’t been mythically indestructible, they definitely would’ve been worn out by now. She had to bear it—they all did. Sore feet were mostly likely only gonna be a minor pain compared to what they were gonna face once they caught up to this Naraku guy (or so she’d heard). So complaining would only make things more irritating.

And she was already irritated enough, thanks to Inuyasha.

“We would’ve caught Naraku by now if all of you weren't demanding we stop and rest every five minutes!”

“Inuyasha, you have to understand that we don’t have your superhuman strength.” Miroku, always the diplomat.

Luna, not so much. She gave her sister a look that all but read she was about to snap, and spoke to her in English: “[If he says one more thing about us having to stop and rest, I’m throwing my shoe at him.]”

Kagome sighed. “[Luna, please don’t do that.]” Their friends looked, confused, between the both of them.

“What’re you guys saying?” Shippo asked.

“Don’t worry about it,” Luna chuckled, starting to dig through her backpack. “Damn, I need to be careful about how much I fire my gun, I don’t have as much ammo as I thought…”

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows. “I thought you brought everything?”

Luna glanced up, still rifling through her pack. “I brought everything I could, but I had to leave some ammo and one of my weapons at Kaede’s place, along with my guitar. Traveling this much, especially walking? I had to pack more food and survival shit than ammo, so I gotta conserve what I have if this is gonna take much longer—especially if we’re getting this far away from the Well.”

Inuyasha snorted, and Luna felt her blood pressure spike. “Wouldn’t be taking so long if you all weren’t so damn weak…”

Luna looked at her sister again, and completely disregarded the warning look she got back. In less than a second, she had one of her boots off and chucked it full force at the half-demon’s head. The ensuing chaos was definitely worth the satisfaction.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!”

“For being an absolute prick about us needing to rest!”

“Luna, can you please not?!”

“He’s the one being a little bitch about it!”

“WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!”

“Stop it, you two!”

“I called you a little bitch! Clean out those fuzzy ears!”

“OH THAT IS IT!”

“BRING IT, DOG BOY!”

The imminent fight (which Sango, Shippo, and Miroku were watching like a Tennis match) stopped before it actually got started. Kagome grabbed her sister by the ear and pulled back, causing the older girl to yell out in pain, before pointing at Inuyasha and shouting:

“INUYASHA, SIT!”

The aforementioned half-demon slammed face-first into the ground, and the situation diffused.

“I am sick of you two fighting!” Kagome said, ignoring her sister’s little mutters of “ow, ow, ow” until she finally let go of her ear. “Can’t you guys just try to get along?! We’re supposed to be a team here; how are we supposed to fight Naraku if you two won’t stop fighting each other?!”

Ego bruised (and her ear too, just as likely), Luna tried not to pout as she got up to retrieve her boot. “Can’t promise it won’t happen again.”

“Yeah, me either…” Inuyasha’s voice cracked as he was finally able to lift his head and glare at the elder Higurashi.

“What we’re doing is a little more serious than petty conflicts,” Miroku said, “It might take an adjustment period for all of us, as Luna is new to our group, but we still need to focus on our actual goal.” And of course, as he gave this incredibly insightful bit of wisdom, his hand was drifting.

Sango flinched, then turned to slap his cheek, pinching the skin on his hand to keep it away from her butt. “And what part of that goal is this?” She growled.

The monk chuckled nervously, “N-nothing?”

Luna rolled her eyes, a small smile on her lips as she sat back down to re-tie her shoe. “Never a dull moment, huh?” She sighed as she knotted it, finally glancing over at Inuyasha. “Alright. I’m sorry, okay? But you gotta not complain like that. Gets on my nerves.”

“I’ll complain if I wanna complain…” Inuyasha mumbled. He quickly corrected himself, as the harrowingly angry look Kagome gave him struck fear into his heart. “F-fine. Whatever. Sorry.”

Luna chuckled. “There then, that’s put to rest. And, speaking of!” Instead of a second half of that sentence, she stretched her arms out and fell back to relax back on the grassy hill they’d chosen as their rest stop. She sighed, enjoying the quiet and the sun for a few minutes. She could swear she was about to drift off to sleep, when she heard the softest little “mew!” just beside her. She opened one eye to find Kilala blinking big red eyes at her.

“Adjustment or not, Kilala seems to like you,” Sango said with a light smile.

“She sure is cute,” Luna mumbled happily, sitting up and giving the kitty little scratches on the head.

Sango chuckled. “Thank you. Kilala is my very best friend—she has taken care of my family and my clan for generations.”

“Yeah?” Luna tilted her head, quizzical. “Does she always stay in cat form?

“What do you mean?”

Kilala paid the conversation no mind, she just decided that this person petting her was the lap she wanted to lay on for the moment. Luna chuckled as the nekomata curled up with her head on her thigh. “Well… funny enough, my best friend is a cat demon too? She’s even done the same—watching over our family for generations.”

“Really?” Surprised, Sango looked to Kagome, who nodded.

“I thought you said there weren’t any demons in your time, Kagome?” Shippo piped up.

“It’s not that there aren’t any,” Kagome said. “They’re just… not all over anymore, like they are here.”

“Japan is one of the only places I know of that have actually kept their supernatural m—” Luna cleared her throat, “uh—inhabitants?—in check. The country where I live? Not so much.”

“But you mentioned the cat demon you know has a human form?” Sango asked. “I’ve never seen Kilala take on any form than this one or her full demon form.”

“Maybe… it’s because Alice is a Bakeneko? Rather than a Nekomata?” Kagome mused.

Luna nodded. “Could be, yeah. She’s got a cat form like this—and like Kilala’s full demon form too—but a lot of the time she stays in her, ah….” Luna started snapping her fingers at Kagome, trying to think of the word in Japanese. “[Humanoid form?]”

Kagome shrugged, “Most of the time, Alice just looks like a human.”

“600 years old and looks 25,” Luna rolled her eyes. “ ‘I choose to look this cute~!’, that’s what she always says.”

“She’s also watched over the Higurashi Family for generations. Heck of a coincidence, huh?”

~ ~ ~

Everything hurt.

From the tip of her nose to the end of her tail, every inch of Airisu’s tiny, feline body hurt. Her black fur was matted with blood and dirt, one of her eyes wouldn’t open all the way, and she struggled to draw in breath. Not only all that, but she was running low on her own demonic power as well—if she tried to use any to heal herself, she might not make it through the night. As it was… she feared she might not make it through the night anyway, but she had to keep going. Her family would have wanted her to.

It had been an incredibly rough night for the little cat demon. Her family was the last of the Bakeneko clan this far south; all the others of their kind had moved to the northern mountains a hundred years ago. And it wasn’t until now that Airisu saw why: down here, they were plagued by other demons. Their family over the years was slowly picked off, until it was only her, her parents, and her brother and sister. Until now, she’d done her best to try and protect them… but tonight… she’d failed.

Mama… Papa… everyone… I’m sorry… If she could shed tears in this form, she might have been. But all she could do right now was limp forward. At least I’ve lost the pig…

Or so she thought.

A rustling in the bushes caught her off-guard. Hackles raised (despite the sting), she hissed as the figure of the same ugly boar demon that murdered her family lumbered out of the woods. The boar’s crude scythe weapon was still coated in her family’s blood—and she could see a stain or two on its tusks, as well.

The thing’s laugh was a little more than a snort. “Thought you could get away, eh?! I’ll eat you, just like the rest of your little family!”

Grief twisted in her gut like a cold steel blade. This was it. She had just a little power left, and if this was going to be her last stand, then she was gonna use it to avenge her family. This boar was going to pay for the lives he’d taken. She summoned up her last nerve, and grew to her full size; flame erupted from her paws to ignite the transformation, her front fangs elongated past her chin, and her body grew to the size of a panther. She wouldn’t have long in this form, so she would have to strike quickly.

She leapt at the boar, one last war cry roaring from her maw. She aimed for its throat, but the boar wasn’t as exhausted as she was. He swung his weapon faster, catching her in the chest. She landed, chest heaving, and attempted to swipe at him with her claws, but she was too off-balance. As she fell, she shrank again, the last of her demonic power used up.

At least I went out fighting, everyone… she thought as she crumpled into the dirt, prepared for death.

It didn’t come. Instead, there was another voice; a human one. Airisu could only keep one eye open, straining to see what was happening:

It was a human woman, strangely dressed but boldly blocking the boar from finishing off the half-dead feline. She held an odd weapon—a rifle? But it looked so different from the ones Airisu had seen before… When the woman fired it, it looked like it spat fire, and the boar demon reeled back, squealing. No rifle Airisu had ever seen had that kind of effect on a demon: his flesh seemed to be sizzling as he tried to get away into the forest.

“Ugly-ass PIG,” The human girl shouted as she cocked the rifle again, “You leave that poor kitty alone!” She fired it again, and the boar demon fizzled into nothing.

Does this woman think I am a mere cat…? Airisu wanted to laugh, but she didn’t have the energy. She was fading fast. Either way… she saved me… even if it was in vain...

~~~

“Thought you said you had to save your ‘am-hoe’, and you got and blow some of it on some weak-ass boar demon?”

“Inuyasha, please don’t say it like that—”

“No, let him, it’s hilarious.”

“He does have a bit of a point,” Sango cut in, before either Inuyasha or Luna could spark another fight. “You did say you had to save your ‘shells’, right? It seems a little wasteful if you used some on that boar demon—why did you?”

Luna nodded down at the little bundle in her arms—it was the little cat that the boar demon had been after the night before. She was asleep; Luna had bandaged her injuries and kept her warm and safe all night. As the little cat slept, her breathing had evened out, and Luna figured (what with the demon markings and all) that she would be alright soon.

“This little cat was trying to fight him,” She said softly. “I saved her.”

“Well ya ain’t keeping it—”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome chastised.

“Quit yelling at me!” Inuaysha snapped back, “It ain’t like it’s a house pet! She’s a demon cat like Kilala. She’s alive, so we should leave her be and keep going. She’ll heal by herself.”

“Who died and made you King of the Rock?” Luna grumbled at him.

“Guys, look!” Shippo, sat beside Luna, stretched up to peek at the little bundle. “She’s waking up!”

Quickly but gently, so as not to alarm her, Luna set the cat down and backed away a little. The demon cat’s eyes blinked open, blurred and confused. Luna smiled at her.

“Hey there, kitty,” she said softly. “You’re gonna be okay now…”

She sat up a little, pulling out something wrapped in paper and tied with a string—a handful of little fish from the river. She let the cat sniff it before setting it down in front of her. Cautious, the cat stared at her for a long time before she began to munch on the offering.

“[‘Atta girl,]” Luna chuckled, “You feeling better now?”

The cat paused in eating, blinked, and then disappeared into a cloud of smoke. A little startled, a couple of the group jumped back, but Luna stood where she was.

In the place of the little cat now sat a girl. Short waves of black hair fell around a pair of sleek feline ears and kissed her cheeks. The pupils of her eyes were catlike as well, sitting among irises that resembled a sunset. She wore a short, tattered pink kimono, and had a bit of black fur tucked around her collar. She had the same magenta markings that the cat had; on her cheeks and forehead, as well as the same bushy black tail.

The girl plucked the little cloth she’d been wrapped in as a cat off of her head, smiling brightly as she held it out to Luna.

“Much better!”

There was a beat of confused silence, before the others began to clamor in confusion.

“She had a human form this whole time?!” Inuyasha shouted.

“She was probably weak from fighting, Inuyasha, that could be why she stayed in her smaller form—” Miroku tried to reason with him.

“She did look a little like Kilala does—but she has only one tail.” Sango uttered.

“Then she’s a Bakeneko!” Shippo proclaimed, “They’re not common around here, my dad used to tell me they all went up North!”

Kagome looked suspiciously at her sister, who wasn’t shocked at all by the new information. Luna just stood there, watching her friends start to freak out with a sly little smile on her face. When she caught Kagome’s eye, she quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing as she turned back to the Bakeneko sitting before her. Like she knows something… Kagome mused to herself.

“My name is Airisu,” the Bakeneko said, bowing her head in greeting, “I want to thank you, Miss. That boar demon took the lives of the rest of my family last night, and would have taken mine as well if you hadn’t intervened.”

Luna shrugged. “I was only doing what I thought was right.”

“Well, for that, I owe you my life,” Airisu bowed her head once again, placing her hand over her heart. “I doubt I could ever fully repay you, but to show my gratitude, I will do the same for you. I will follow where you go, and protect you as you have protected me.”

Luna opened her mouth to respond, but her friends were once again surprised:

“That seems rather extreme…” Miroku said.

“You’d think so!” Shippo commented, “but some Bakeneko are really loyal like that! Especially since she saved her life!”

“Really?” Sango wondered.

“Still though…” Kagome chuckled awkwardly.

“Luna doesn’t need her protection,” Inuyasha scoffed, “she’s got that crazy weapon—and if she did need someone else to protect her, she has us!”

“Guys,” Luna waved her hand at her friends, laughing, “Don’t worry about it. I got this.” She extended her hand to the Bakeneko. “Alice, I accept.”

The cat demon pouted. “It’s Airisu!”

“Right, right. Sorry—Airisu,” Luna corrected herself. “Welcome to the team.”

“Hold on, Luna,” Kagome grabbed her sister’s arm, pulling her aside. “Shouldn’t we all talk about this first? I mean… you only just met her?”

“No I didn’t,” Luna said, with that knowing little smile on her face again. “You kidding? I’ve known her all my life. And so have you, Kags.”

It took a second for Kagome to put the pieces together. She glanced back over at the Bakeneko, who had started formally introducing herself to the rest of their friends. The bubbly smile, the black hair, the vibrant orange eyes—it finally clicked. “Wait… you don’t mean that’s—”

“The very same,” Luna smiled fondly as she watched the realization cross her sister’s face. “She’d be pretty young for a demon by now—only 40 or 50 years old—but that’s Alice alright. And I’d trust that cat with my life.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her at first,” Kagome said softly.

“Well, it’s also been a few years since you’ve seen her, too,” Luna nudged her sister. “But look, we can’t tell her that we know her in the future. Gotta Marty McFly this, okay?”

“You can’t go two seconds without some pop culture reference, can you?”

“Absolutely not.” Luna laughed.

[cosmiciaria]

In defense of Detroit Become Human (spoilers marked - long post!)

I know I arrived late at the party and everything that could've been said about this game has already been said – but I do want to add some things I haven't found in some reviews I’ve come across, while addressing all the flaws and giving credit where credit is due. And believe it or don't, this game is due a lot of credit. Yes, a game by David Cage is due credit, what has the world come to?

I must admit I'm not the greatest of fans of Cage's works. I can see all the flaws and plot holes in his games/interactive movies, but unlike others, I'm not that bothered by them. Hell, there are plot holes in many good stories and even the greatest games have some flaws, sometimes it feels people like picking one director and hating on them (cof cof, Tabata from Square cof). This doesn't mean Cage is free of sins, since that's far from reality: I still remember the Ellen Page's controversy with her naked model inside the game, and the creepy things they did to Madison in Heavy Rain for no reason whatsoever. Man, I think you should revalue some of your fetishes.

But aside from that, his games are heavily narrated focus, straying too far from the ordinary hero path and 'saving the world with the power of friendship'. He's stated there are so many things we can do in the videogame industry, and that most developers stick to the usual formula, just because they know it works and it profits. And I can understand his point of view, and even support it, that's why I always try to find something good in his games, even when the dialogues are bad and some acting leaves much to be desired – that happens in every game, in every movie, in every series.

Detroit Become Human is, by far, the best work by Cage. I can say so with full confidence: it's the first of his stories whose plot seem cohesive, coherent, whose characters undergo a visible and palpable development throughout the whole game, whose decisions and paths actually cross-impact later chapters and your choices do shape the way the story unfolds. I stress this because, for example in Beyond, your choices didn't matter much – even the QTE's were pretty useless. You just decided how the game would end in the last ten minutes of plot and that was it. Detroit, on the other hand, is so well planned that things you've done in the very first chapter have repercussions later down the line, and it's not like there's just two endings, but a lot of them, and lot of combinations that I'm still discovering. Your choices affect the during of the story, not just the ending. You can have good relationship with someone, or a bad one, and that will affect each scene those characters are in. You can have a good reputation with a group, or they can hate you, and so you will be ejected from the team. You can act irrational, or stay forever a machine, and the last big choice regarding that will depend of your actions across the whole game.

Just the decision making is a huge step up from previous works. And I can only compare this game to Until Dawn, but even in there, there are less decisions and less impact. Detroit is overwhelmingly huge when it comes to different paths and different versions of the same story. So much so that I told a friend who was also playing it about a scene, and she said 'wait, when does that happen? I didn't see it!'. It was as if we were talking about different games.

Detroit is about androids. It's the year 2038 and androids have flooded the market. They're like your usual vacuum but, hey, they can cook, take care of your children and even satisfy you sexually. They are such a common thing to see in the city that people ignore them. Most families have at least one android in their household, becoming completely reliant on their features. This is a future not so far away from our present.

But, lo and behold, because this game will explore the idea of 'freedom'. And, as you could've expected, some androids suddenly realize they don't want to work for humans anymore. Some androids are mistreated by their owners and suddenly they know they're in an unfair situation. Some androids have ambitions, dreams, ideas – some androids have the desire to be free.

And so, they become deviants. An artificial intelligence, capable of billions of simultaneous operations, young forever, and with conscience. Afraid, yet?

We will follow three main characters who happen to be androids: Connor, Markus and Kara. Connor is a prototype designed to assist investigators and police officers with cases, and he comes with many features that will facilitate all the analysis of clues. Markus is an android designed to care for an old man who has lost his mobility, and lives with him and cares for him as if he were his son. Kara is a housemaid android, who specializes in cleaning and taking care of children, but her owner is a drug-addict who forgot what it means to be a father.

Markus and Kara realize their unfair situation pretty early in the game, so they become deviants well at the beginning. Connor, on the other hand… well, it's in your hands to decide his fate.

Their stories will be intertwined: Connor will investigate cases involving deviants, alongside his sidekick – I mean, his partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, an old, anti-android human whose past is yet to be revealed; Markus will be falsely accused of aggression towards his owner or his son (depending what you choose), and he will come back from the dead, ready to lead a revolution against humans, demanding androids' rights; Kara will realize she wants to be a mother, and she will save the daughter of her owner from that hellhole they live in, only to travel from one corner of the city to another in search for an escape route. While Connor's and Markus's stories are well entangled, Kara's always felt a bit separated from them, which can be a huge let down. Personally, Kara's story was the one I enjoyed the least, but it has to do with something that happens at the end – that stupid plot twist – besides, it's more than clear in Kara's plotline that all the BS Cage loved from his previous games makes a return in here. Sometimes it felt like he left blender open and all the disastrous ideas he had for her story were spilled all over his kitchen. I can't think of anything else for that, because her plotline is a Frankestein of a story – uneven, irregular, although it has some touching moments, and Valerie Curry, the actress who plays Kara, delivers some guuud acting and lines.

I know the main message this game is trying to send is that androids are equals to humans. This is the most controversial aspect of the game: Cage, whether he says he did purposely or not, has compared the androids' struggle for freedom to that of African-American people, mixing together slavery and segregation. It's funny because Cage stated it wasn't his plan to allude to actual historical events that did happen not so long ago, and still we can see the segregation of androids in public transport, in public places, and the fact that Markus, with a bunch of other androids as well, demand freedom and the end of slavery from the humans. I like it more when he asks for fair compensation for their work.

And I say it's controversial because it's sending a wrong message. Slavery and segregation weren't contemporary, one came after the other; and the fact that they make a clear comparison to that social movement is criticizable. I'm not the most expert on US history – hell I'm from Argentina, guys – but even I know that the bloody history behind the fight for equal rights is far from over and has put the country on the brink of breaking down many times. That someone deliberately compares the android's fight that took only a few months to develop to that monstrous side of US history is, uhm, questionable in the least.

BUT let's just say that it's an awful coincidence (I'm looking at you, Cage) and leave it aside for a moment. That's the main message the game tries to send. But I believe the game actually sends another message, that is better executed, better fleshed out.

Androids and humans can love each other.        

[SPOILER scroll down until you see the end of the spoiler section]

This is obvious at the beginning with Markus, if you decide to endure Leo's bullying. Carl, Markus' owner, dies from a heart attack, and Markus, crying, desperate, falls to his knees and embraces the man who's been acting like his father for years. He yells Dad, no! in front of the real son, provoking a reaction in him and in the player. Just in this tiny moment, which I think most people slip by without paying too much attention, is enough message. It explains everything.

If you decide to push Leo, the scene plays out differently, and we learn this message towards the end, still in Markus' branch. Later in the story you go back and visit Carl, who doesn't die, but is instead stuck in his bed, connected to cables and such. He regards Markus with love and tenderness, and holds his hand, saying You're my son, Markus. Your blood is a different color, but I know that a part of me lives in you. Thank you, you made me cry.

This message is also well developed in the friendship you can form with Connor and Hank. And notice the 'you can' because you can also make them hate each other. But why on earth would you make Hank mad, if not only for the trophy? Because I can't bear the idea of disappointing that good old man. I need him to be proud of me – I mean, of Connor! Their relationship is wholesome, with some instances in which Hank calls him his son, which melted my heart obviously. Knowing that Hank had lost his real son prior to the events of the game makes all this even more touching and moving.

This message is not well conveyed with Kara and Alice, and you might guess why – yes, the fact that towards the end we learn that Alice isn't a human but an android too, utterly destroys the whole concept the game has been trying to build up for this moment. I don't know why Cage thought this was a good idea – maybe trying to explain that androids can love each other as family just like humans do, but that kinda breaks the rules here, because the idea was an android discovering they can love thanks to a human, who has all the real feelings whereas the androids have this emulations and… alright you get me. How can we truly know if they love each other for real if they are two androids? How can we make sure it isn't just some emulation and chemicals inside their metal bodies? Alright I'm going too deep here? Maybe?

[END OF SPOILER SECTION]

All in all, this is the message that stays with me after playing the game. I don't know if Cage did it purposely (suddenly all his messages are casual), but this is what I can save and treasure from this story. Oh, and also, save your fucking planet, polar bears are going extinct.

Characters are really well created. Their interactions are believable and natural, the acting (specially Bryan Dechart as Connor and Clancy Brown as Hank) is flawless, and you can appreciate when they become deviant and when they start thinking for themselves. Some lines delivered by Markus felt a bit forced, but I've heard the actor talk and he talks like that so maybe is the way he speaks. There are some secondary characters that became my favorite really quick, like Luther, Kara's companion in this journey; Simon, one of the first members of the revolution Markus meet; Hank, of course, although I deem him as a main character at this point. Others, well… Gavin is your well-known bully, whose lines are so stupid I can't believe his character made it into the game. Like really, he's taken straight out of a 90's high school movie. I could hear Henry Bowers from It laughing at his attempt of being a bad boy.

On the technical department, this game is stunning. Visuals are a delight: sometimes you couldn't differentiate if it was filmed or if it was CGI. Hint: it was all CGI! Faces, expressions, animations, I can't complain of any of those. The character's eyes, which are the only thing the motion capture can't record, were all added digitally, and I'm bound to say that they're perfect: they make each character feel real, alive. You know when you're staring at something, that your eyes regard everything and your pupils have these tiny, micro, slight movements? That was in the game, and I loved it. Clothes get wet when it's raining, they get frozen when it's snowy, and lights reflect every surface so realistically that you can tell the texture of each object and piece of cloth.

Music is also a great asset in this game. Each character had a different composer, which brought a distinct and unique aspect to each of their stories. I know I've been hating on Kara until now, but I must admit her theme song is the best out of everything in this game. Even when I watched the cutscenes back when the game was released, I had her theme buried under my skin, for it's melancholic, it reminds me of rain, and it makes me wanna cry.

Another aspect I want to address is the gameplay. You know Cage loves his daily doses of QTE's. But this time, though, they're well executed. I recommend playing the game in Experienced difficulty (which is the normal difficulty), because it truly offers a more immersive experience. The use of the controller in all this was clever, and they used everything they had at their disposal to make you feel you're there in the story. For instance, the use of the vibration system of your joystick: when you pet the dog at Hank's house, you can feel a very slight vibration in your hands, as if the dog was breathing, what you would feel when you pet a dog, of course; but when you're driving a truck that leaves the sidewalk and falls into the street, you feel the sudden rough movement and the way the engine is speeding up; or you can feel heartbeats when Markus is trying to repair himself. All these instances of breaking the fourth wall to make you feel part of the story are implemented in such an intelligent way that it works wonders.

And speaking about breaking the fourth wall… In your main menu you'll have an android that will be your hostess. She will comment on the discoveries you'll be finding in your storyline, but she will also play some tricks to you or talk to you all of a sudden. And if you reach the good ending… well, there's a surprise with her. Let's just say that she's a great addition to the game and a fan favorite.

In conclusion, this is by far Cage's most polished and well thought game to date. And I've been hiding my obsession with Connor up until now so you wouldn't think I'm crazy but, I can't believe Cage created a character like this. I love him. Protect this sweet summer child. Don't make him a machine, please :'( Connor Army here I go.

If you have doubts about this game, buy it on sale. You will at least have a good time playing it and discovering the different paths. But if you like heavily narrated games, and you have at least enjoyed some of his previous works, don't miss on this one. It's really better. And it's really more worth it.

[jerzwriter]

It's been a while! (Alice knows I've been insanely busy... I think she still loves me! 💗 OK some basics before I begin:

Book: Open Heart (Book 3 Timeline) Pairing: Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey MacTavish) Rating: Teen A/N: This takes place approx. 9 months after they finally got together. Tobias has been anxious for her to officially move in with him, but she's a little scared. She's moved 50% of her belongings there and stays with him 75% of the time, so he is being patient; nevertheless, everyone knows he is anxious to seal the deal. He tells her he's in love with a hot commodity, and he wants to take her off the market. She treads lightly around things like marriage, certain he's going to drop down on one knee the moment she mentions it.

It's just before Christmas, and they're hosting a small party at his townhome. Casey's friends are there, Ethan is there, and some of his old friends from Mass Kenmore are there. The party is in full swing when:

"David, do you have to leave so early? I never get to see you anymore, buddy!"

"Tobias, I'm not the one that abandoned the team for Edenbrook," David laughs, "Then you start dating this beauty... it's a wonder you ever leave the house."

"You know what, man," Tobias chuckles, "you're talking some truth because I'd pick her above you any day of the week!”

The two men laugh, but Tobias entices him to stay for one more beer. He purchased an expensive Lambic from Belgium just for the occasion, and no way David is saying no to that. Tobias retreated to the basement to get the brew, and Casey invited David to join her and her friends while he waits. He fit in just fine, but Tobias took longer than expected.

"I can't imagine what's taking him so long," Casey says, rising to her feet. "If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to make sure my husband didn't get hurt down there."

Sienna spits out her drink. "Excuse me, your what?"

"What... what?" Casey asked, confused.

"You just called Tobias your husband."

"I did not!"

"Uhm, baby," Tobias says, walking up behind her, a huge grin on his face. "You did."

"You put her up to this!" Casey insists.

"No," Tobias said, handing David the beer and taking Casey in his arms. "YOU called ME your husband. As far as I'm concerned... we're engaged."

"STOP IT!" She laughs, "I did not."

"Casey," Ethan replied in a monotone voice, "you know I'd never support him in his buffoonery. But, you did, in fact, call him your husband. Are you drunk?"

"No!" She insists. "I haven't drank at all tonight!"

"Why?" Bryce asked with disgust. "Did you get married because you're pregnant?"

Tobias's eyes go wide, turning to her with a smirk. "Is there something you're not telling me, dear?"

"No! I just have an early! I'm not pregnant!" She yells, hitting Bryce. But it was loud enough to turn everyone's attention their way.

"Casey's pregnant?" someone asked.

"No. She's not," Tobias answers. "But we're married."

"YOU GOT MARRIED!" several people yelled.

An exasperated but amused, Casey turns his way. "Can you set the record straight!"

"OK, stop! Clearly, we're not married... yet!" He announced. "But, since she's calling me her husband now, so I'm officially starting to call her the Mrs."

"You're incorrigible," Casey laughed.

"Nope! I'm just preparing," he laughed. "Mark my words, a year from now, you will be the Mrs. Maybe pregnant, too?"

A former MK worker shakes her head. "Who is he, and what has he done with Tobias Carrick?"

"Beats me," Ethan answered. "But if this craziness comes to be, you won't find me at that wedding."

(A year later, they were married one month - make that two considering the elopement; they have a baby on the way; Ethan was best man, and now he's excitedly purchasing stuffed giraffes to troll Tobias as he's anxiously awaiting for his godchild to be born.)

Perma All: @a-crepusculo @aishwarya26 @animesuck3r @annfg8 @annoyingmillenialnewbie @bex-la-get @binny1985 @bluebelle08 @bluerosesbloom @cariantha @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @danijimenezv @different4strawberry @differenttyphoonwerewolf @doriopenheart @fayeswiftie @forallthatitsworth @genevievemd @inlocusmads @jamespotterthefirst @jennieausten @kingliam2019 @liaromancewriter @lilypills @lucy-268 @mainstreetreader @mysticalgalaxysstuff @ofmischiefandmedicine @onikalover @openheartforeverinmyheartt @peonierose @peonyblossom @potionsprefect @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @schnitzelbutterfingers @secretaryunpaid @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @toadfrog26 @trappedinfanfiction @uneravine @youlookappropriate @zahrachoices @jerzwriter-reblogs-asks @openheartfanfics

TikTok Tuesday 28

Welcome back everyone!

Todays ask is courtesy of @genevievemd thank you for sending this in!

MC calls their LI “husband/wife” whilst they are still boyfriend/girlfriend. How does LI react?

Remember, anyone can join in, have fun! 💕

[rage-against-the-meyer]

New Moon (2006)

Previously, I have done a book review on Twilight from my newly gained perspective after a recent read. I shall proceed with the next book: New Moon. Now, New Moon used to be my most hated book. I resented it. I suffered through the first 200 or so pages just to get to the good part, which in return was exceptionally good (I'll probably come to this). This book was coloured by a very big issue for me: there was no Edward. This opinion has not changed. I still cannot grasp the logic behind removing the one character that compelled readers to love the prequel. It was probably done to give Jacob some attention, but really, it made the book a drag for me. That has changed. While I still hated Edwards absence, I enjoyed the Edwardless pages more than usual, though I don't know exactly why. Anyway, let's get into it!

The book starts of with quite a nice moment: Bella's birthday. I think Bella's resentment of aging is displayed very well throughout the book and logical from a seventeen-year-old's POV. This leads me to voice an opinion I hadn't in the previous review: the book really should have been set in college. It would change the book entirely and I think for the better. Bella would have actual close friends at home, the story doesn't need to focus on the secrecy from family and friends, and most importantly, Bella would be more secure. She would know things, maybe things Edward didn't, she would not be so insecure (still a bit insecure, but I think maturity reduces it) and she would be able to move more freely. College as a setting would resolve some of my issues certainly. It would also solve the whole age-thing. Bella wouldn't have such an extreme obsession with age as age in your 20's barely reflects in your appearance. As a teenager, you change so much every year, but in your twenties it's different. In addition, it would give Bella a much better sense of what she wants out of life. At college, she must have envisioned some sort of career; the whole missing human experiences issue would be less important. But that's just my take on it.

Bella gets cut and more importantly attacked by Edward in an attempt to save her from Jasper. Great moment to show the comment of Edward to Bella by, you know, not killing her on the spot. Also GREAT moment for Carlisle and Bella. I think this moment might actually be a first moment in which she projects him as a father figure.

Right after this whole charade, the drag begins. The silent days by Edward and his ensuing absence. Reading it again after years, it still hurt. On his part, I do understand the logic. The one thing I kind of hated was his removal of everything between them. When he said goodbye to her, he wouldn't expect her to accept his leave so easily, that he couldn't believe that she had just forgotten everything about him. Then, he just assumed that by forming a so-called clean break and removing everything that could remind her of him, she would move on so easily. Like her words didn't exactly stick with him either. While I understand their reasons for everything, it was a very emo-goodbye. His absence was terrible. Like I read it for the first time, I LIVED through the pain. I FELT it.

When the Jacob part started, I was wary at first, but I actually enjoyed it to my surprise. I saw for the first time his soft side. I was bothered by his cold facade, though, through all the other books. I guess I didn't like that he lost his innocence but that was just the story.

I really feel that Bella and Jacob's romance was written expertly. It made sense somehow. Still, I can't believe anyone could be Team Jacob based on the books. However, I was annoyed by the pressure on his side along the series - trying to show that she loved him by assaulting her and guilting her into kissing him. She fought hard to deny herself that part and it was not his to expose it. That should have been her. I guess SM thought it was hot/sexy for a man to force her to face her emotions like this, but I really can't think of it as anything other than assault.

The stupidest part of the Edward-absence was the hallucinations. I believe they represented Bella's unconcious knowledge that he still loved her but to me it was obviously the result of a toxic relationship. And then, she had to do the dumbest shit ever to get the hallucinations. If it was adrenaline related as I really believe it was, she could've just done a few rollercoasters. 'But she only had them when she did something dangerous.' No. She had them when she had an adrenaline rush. All her stupid adrenaline rushes happened to be induces by dangerous ass shit. If you don't like this argument, go away because it is one of many concerning the biological aspects of the horse-shittery later on (scientist here). Anyway, the hallucinations didn't do much for me.

Alice returns. You can actually see in my book where this is - as I've turned to this page a million times. I love Alice as I've previously said and I love her here. I also love that Edward wants to off himself. Not too glad about the whole dependency thing in representation, but in their relationship, it's proof that he's committed. What really gets me though is the humorous outrageous amount of dramatics in his decision to die. It kind of aligns with the Volturi but it's still so dramatic to wait until a certain time. Didn't you want to die the second she died??? Dramatic.

I think that everything about the Volturi should be regarded as creative freedom. They hoarded a group of people in every time they were hungry and no one of their relatives started a blog with 'Disappearings in Volterra, Italy'?? Dumb. They were collective even more dramatic than Edward but then, creative freedom.

The most compelling scene was definitely the scene where Bella though she was dreaming. I'm probably not the only one that cried when I read that the first time (and the times thereafter). I have a big issue with their getting together. Yes, they understood both sides of the story and yes, they had both been miserable apart. However, I don't believe that their instinctual feelings also disappeared with their resolve. You can't convince that if Edward said good morning a little bit off one morning, Bella's mind wouldn't instantly think he was going to leave her again. And then, the PAIN of Bella, the shell she was after him, that should have been harder to shake as well. Her body must occassionally involuntarily just recoil when she sees him. Again, I understand but poor representation of pain, SM.

Speaking of representation, the racism is way more obvious in this book than in Twilight. While I loved the wolves, SM exploited the Quileute Tribe. As in my previous post, I have included links to get both informed about and to donate to the Tribe's council. A bit less obvious may be the position of Jacob, POC against Edward, white male. Jacob is regarded as a love interest, sure, but his appearance, his being, is close to nothing compared to Edward. It might be the story, but in combination with all other small and big acts of racism by SM, it seems racist.

Another major issue I didn't address in my previous post is the complete absence of LGBTQ-characters. I myself am not part of that community, but the lack of representation, especially in a book with such a young and formable target audience, is extremely wrong. I am of Molukkian heritage and I know what it is like to not be represented. It alters or limits, whichever way you see it, your self worth. All of Bella's insecurities SM wrote were superficial: Bella wasn't pretty enough (in her mind) for him. I don't want to disvalue those insecurities, we all have them after all, but lack of representation can give anyone of a minority the sense of not belonging and not worthy of happiness. To all minorities, I see you and you are of worth! You deserve better than to be ignored and limited in media and politics. It pains me to see discrimination is still so prominent in society and I stand with you.

With that note, I want to conclude my review. There is really nothing more important than that. Please inform yourself on the Quileute Tribe and donate to their council through the following links:

The Quileute Tribe

Information:

Donation:

TLDR: New Moon is okay but shows, again, a toxic relationship and obvious discrimination. Please inform yourself on the way SM exploited the Quileute Tribe and donate to their council through the link above.