#and Constantine did that exact same thing for his fucking brother.

[theenemyod]

Tbh I'd much rather your reason for shipping something is just "I wanted to" or "it sounded cool" or "I find it cute/hot" than "there is not platonic explanation for this"

[heauxplesslydevoted]

When The Shark Stops

Summary: Liam and Kendall have a long overdue talk. Follow up to my Liam x MC fic, posted here. I didn’t intend for this to become a multi-part thing, but I think I’ll make it a trilogy.

Tags: @senseofduties @lapisreviewsstuff @akacalliope @badchoicesposts @drakewalker04 @canknot @sirbeepsalot @hopefulmoonobject @texaskitten30 @eadanga @the-unconquered-queen @flyawayboo @aestheticartwriting @ao719 @zaffrenotes

~v~

A full night of sleep is something that Liam typically considers a luxury. He’s a king, responsible for the lives of tons of people, he has work to do. “Sleep is for the weak and the dead,” Constantine used to say. Crawling into bed late and waking up early is the routine he’s grown accustomed to.

But right now, he can’t sleep. His queen is tucked in beside him, snoring softly and their newborn is comfortably nestled in their bassinet right next to their bed, and he’s staring at the ceiling, unable to move.

He feels disjointed, in a way. He knows he should be happy right now, ecstatic even. He has a beautiful baby girl, and she’s healthy and Kendall is as well, but he can’t shake the melancholy. The overwhelming sense of dread crawls up and down his spine, makes a playground out of his mind, and disrupts any sort of peace.

It’s been like this for the past 4 days, ever since Eleanor was born, ever since he found out what Godfrey did to his mother, ever since he agreed to an alliance with Auvernal. If he’s not helping Kendall with their daughter, he’s in his study trying to formulate a plan. The other part of his time is spent like this, trying but failing to sleep. Now that he’s not actively doing something, his thoughts have ample opportunity to run rampant.

Your parents were murdered, one of you advisors has fled, Kendall is upset with you, and you’re one false move away from starting a war with Auvernal.

His breathing is hard and labored, his heart is beating 130 times per minute, and he can actually feel his pulse painfully throbbing at the base of his skull.

He turns and looks at Kendall. He envies the fact that she’s sleeping peacefully even though their daughter will be waking her up in the next hour or so. Her entire body is relaxed, and her hair is out of the way, fashioned in a bun so he can look at her gorgeous face. He gently runs a thumb along her cheek, careful not to wake her. She sighs in content, but thankfully she doesn’t stir.

She almost died because of you, you know, a thought flits into his mind. Multiple times. Assasination attempts, kidnappings, hell, she almost died bringing your child into the world.

Liam shoots out of bed, jumping away from Kendall. The adrenaline of the action makes his head pound harder and he doubles over in pain, wincing. He stumbles out of their bedroom on wobbly feet until he reaches their kitchen. His entire body trembles and he can’t pinpoint the cause.

“Pull it together,” He hisses sharply to himself. He rummages through one of their cabinets to retrieve a glass, hoping some cold water can calm him down. “You’re the king, for Christ’s sake!”

But he can’t. Now that he’s up, he’s opened the floodgates, the thoughts coming faster, each one more pervasive than the last.

You’re a horrible King, why do you think you can psych yourself up with a sudden reminder of your station? What was everything thinking when they told you that you deserved this job? That you would make a better ruler than your brother?

What type of King lets innocent people suffer through multiple assassination attempts? Why haven’t you learned your lesson yet?

You couldn’t even stop an old man—the man that murdered your mother—from leaving your own home! He was able to get the jump on you, and leave you trapped for good measure.

No wonder Bradshaw and Isabella were able to manipulate you so easily. Look at you. You’re weak-willed and pathetic. No wonder Kendall is so upset with you. She deserves a better husband, one who can actually protect her, and Eleanor definitely deserves a better father. Not even a week old, and you’ve already doomed her.

“SHUT UP!” Liam yells, to no one in particular. The glass he’s holding shatters, his grip on it entirely too tight. Tears prick the corners of his eyes and he laughs humorlessly. Why is this the straw that breaks the camel’s back? “Dammit!”

He hears shuffling and a few moments later, the light to the kitchen turns on. He sees Kendall out of the corner of his eye. 

“What’s going on?” She asks. “I thought I heard yelling.”

“It’s nothing, I promise.”

She sees the shards of glass littering their floor. “Did you drop that?”

“Yeah, I got up to get some water and I’m just a bit clumsy right now.”

Kendall doesn’t believe him. Something doesn’t feel right.

“I can help you clean it up.”

“Nonsense. I made this mess,” his voice cracks slightly betraying his facade, “I’ll clean it up. I always do.”

“Liam, what’s wrong?” Kendall asks.

“Nothing is wrong.”

“We’ve been married for almost a year. I know all of your tells. I know you like the back of my hand, and I can tell when something is wrong.” She takes a step towards him. “So I’m going to ask you one more time, what’s wrong?”

He clenches his fists together tightly, willing himself to calm down. But it’s no use as the tears start streaming down his face. “I’m a failure.”

“What?”

“I’m a failure,” Liam repeats. “I can’t protect you, I can’t protect our daughter, I can’t protect this kingdom. I can’t even properly avenge my mother’s death.”

“You’re not a failure,” Kendall argues.

“Look at my track record, Kendall! It’s been one horrible mark on my reign after another ever since I took the crown. Drake got shot, Kiara got stabbed, my father was killed, Applewood is barely starting to recover from the fire. I couldn’t even keep you safe on our wedding day, you had to encounter not one, but two assassination attempts. I blindly trusted Godfrey to handle our security, not even knowing he was the reason I grew up with my mother and a younger sibling, and look where that got us. Now for my latest fuck up, I entered us into an alliance with Auvernal, and you hate me for it. Every bad thing that’s happened to us is a result of my poor leadership.”

Liam slides down to the floor and drives a thumb into one of his temples, hoping to rid some of the tension. Kendall gets down on the floor with him, wincing as she does so. Liam stares at her oddly. “What are you doing?”

“You got on the floor, so I’m getting on the floor.”

“Kendall, you need to rest.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Kendall says stubbornly. She grabs Liam’s face and forces him to look at her. “I made a vow to you, in that fancy cathedral, in front of our friends, families, and God and I promised that I was going to be your best friend, your fiercest protector, and your soft spot to land.”

“You don’t need to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders all by yourself,” she continues. “I am right here with you. You know that, right?”

“Yes,” he answers.

“But do you believe me when I say it? There is nothing too heavy or too intense for me to tackle, not when I’m right here, right by your side. I’m not going anywhere, Liam. You aren’t alone.”

Kendall’s wipes away one of his tears. “What brought this on?”

Liam shrugs. “I don’t know. I think everything that happened the other night has really been weighing on me, coupled with everything that’s happened in the past year and a half. I can’t even get through writing our daughter’s birth announcement without spiraling into a panic.”

“I feel the exact same way. That 7 pound infant came here, and she’s made everything feel so much more...real. I can’t even get a glass of water without my mind instantly going to her.”

He nods. “I’m gad you understand. Her birth has brought up a lot of previously buried...stuff.”

“You’ve been through a lot, Liam. You aren’t Superman, traumatic things are going to weigh you down. And despite the privilege, you’ve been dealt a hand that most people couldn’t even fathom. Every person who doubts you or judges you couldn’t walk half a mile in your shoes. And in my biased opinion, I still think you’re doing an excellent job.” Liam manages to smile at that. “You aren’t a failure. You are strong, and brave, and loyal. You have compassion, you have integrity, you care about everyone, and while some people think those are weaknesses, I say they’re your biggest strengths.”

Liam leans forward, resting his head on top of his wife’s. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. You know you can always come to me if you’re feeling overwhelmed.”

“Sorry. I’m used to dealing with things alone. It’s still an adjustment, having you at my side.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Kendall asks. “Go over speeches with you, write something, call someone?”

“No. No, you’ve done enough for now.”

“Now, can we go to bed?”

“Yes, my queen.” Liam stands up, helping Kendall as well. “But first, I need to sweep up this glass.”

“Leave it,” Kendall orders. “We can get it in the morning.”

~V~

When Liam wakes up later, their bedroom is dark. The heavy curtains leading draped over the windows are drawn, blocking out any light. He rolls over and notices the time on the small clock on his nightstand. He jumps up. It’s almost 1PM! That can’t possibly be correct. He’s never slept this late.

Kendall and Eleanor aren’t in the room with him, but he hears noise coming from their living room.

After taking a second to gather his bearings, he gets out of bed and leaves the room. But instead of seeing his wife, he sees Regina and Leo. She’s holding Eleanor in her arms, gently cooing at the baby and Leo is in the adjacent kitchen making himself a sandwich.

“Regina! Leo! This is a pleasant surprise.”

Regina smiles at Liam. “Hello, Liam.”

“What’s up, little bro?

“Sorry, I’m still in my pajamas. I didn’t expect to sleep so late.”

“Kendall said you needed some rest,” Regina explains. “She turned off your alarm and let you sleep in.”

“Speaking of my wife, have you seen her?”

“She’s in her study, getting some work done.”

“Work?” Cordonia has a pretty decent maternity leave, which extends even to nobles and royalty. No one expected Kendall to return to work until Eleanor was 4 months old. 

“Yes, she said she wanted to meet with Olivia and discuss some things. I took it as the perfect opportunity to hang out with the newest member of our family. And the cutest.”

Liam walks over to the couch, where Regina and Eleanor are sitting. He smiles down at his daughter, who’s silently looking at her surroundings. “Hello, my gorgeous girl. I hope you’ve been good for grandma Regina.”

“She’s been an absolute doll.”

“Yeah, you made a pretty perfect baby,” Leo adds. “She clearly takes after her mother.”

“I know that’s meant to be a dig, but I actually agree with you. She looks more and more like Kendall every single day.”

After catching up with Leo and Regina for a few more minutes, Liam returns to his bedroom to take a quick shower and changes into actual clothes for the day. He steps out of their personal quarters and heads downstairs to Kendall’s personal office.

He finds her and Olivia at her desk, papers, a laptop, and coffee cups spread around them. “Kendall, Olivia, What are you two doing?”

“It’s about time you woke up,” Olivia quips with a smirk. 

“Leave him alone, Olivia,” Kendall chides. “He wakes up before the sun rises every single morning. He deserves a break.”

Liam kisses the top of Kendall’s head. “Thank you. So, when I was walking down the hall to get here, I didn’t see Mara stationed at your door.”

“Because I fired her.”

“You did what?”

“Liam, let’s not pretend for one second that she deserved to be security for the Queen of Cordonia,” Olivia says.

“She has a new station, at the American Embassy in the capital. I told Bastien that I need a new guard, someone who makes sure I don’t get kidnapped. Or shot at. And can keep paparazzi at bay. And actually oversees security at the palace so a random noble doesn’t have a kill switch.”

When Kendall runs down all the transgressions they’ve dealt with in the past year, he can’t really blame her. “Very well. What else are you working on?”

“I sent a few guards to Krona, in case Godfrey shows up. Madeleine and Adelaide are still at their home in Fydelia, and are cooperating with law enforcement and the King’s guards...for now at least. I don’t trust them. I’ve also called Betty…”

“Betty?”

“Queen Elizabeth,” Kendall clarifies. “I informed her and the Prince of Wales that Godfrey might try to flee to Karlington, and if he does, they have to tell us right away. They can’t afford to protect him and piss off a powerful ally, with all the drama their monarchy is facing, so they promised to comply. And all major European airports know to detain him immediately.”

“You’ve done all of this in the…” he checks his watch, “7 hours that I was asleep?”

“Yes. After you went to sleep, I breastfed Eleanor and got to work. I know you said you didn’t need me to do anything, but this is my home and this is my family, so I had to do something. You know sitting idly by isn’t my strong suit.”

“Well, it seems like the two of you have got a lot accomplished.”

“Oh this was all Kendall’s doing,” Olivia says. “But I did help her with phase 2.”

Liam narrows his eyes at the redhead. “What’s phase 2?”

“Olivia told me that you had her spying on Auvernal,” Kendall explains. The color drains from Liam’s face and he opens his mouth to explain, but she holds up a hand to silence him. “Save it, I don’t mind, and I don’t need an explanation. But she did reveal some interesting information about their King and Queen.”

“Like what?”

“Well darling, you’ll find out soon enough.” Kendall takes a sip of her coffee. “Because I invited them over next week so we can have a nice chat.”

[seriousfic]

Elseworlds

Well, Tumblr isn’t dead yet and the CW-DC just did a big crossover, so I think it’s time to make fun of the CW........ for the last time.

Did you know Tim Allen actually ended Home Improvement after season 8 because he knew the show couldn’t maintain its level of quality and was on the way downhill? Tim Allen has more creative integrity than anyone involved in the making of Supernatural. Think about that.

Anyhoo, lots to digest! Largely, this crossover felt to me weirdly lackluster and obligatory, like the whole thing was just a trailer for the oncoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. It just felt unambitious, which is the last thing an ‘event’ like this should feel like. In fact, it felt a little like I imagine the result would be of filming a bunch of people playing DC Universe Online. We visit Smallville and see Lois Lane! We go to Gotham and meet Batman...’s cousin, and fight a breakout at Arkham Asylum, complete with Mr. Freeze...’s gun and the Scarecrow...’s fear gas. Then, we wrap the whole thing up with an Evil Superman, because God knows, DC never gets bored of that.

-Petty nitpick department: Batwoman just standing around on rooftops looks weird. Not only does it give the odd impression that she’s spent the entire time between episodes just, uh, standing, but c’mon--you’re supposed to crouch. Or at least hunch. Everybody knows that!

-Weirdly missed opportunity to have Ollie do the Flash narration, considering all the other opening narrations are futzed with.

-The whole thing is pretty much a glorified body swap--Stephen Amell is playing Barry Allen and vice versa. I can see how TPTB would be too pressed for time to explain a whole ‘nother continuity where Barry Allen became Green Arrow and Oliver Queen became the Flash, but still, it’s not as much fun.

-They also wholeheartedly borrow the thing of Ollie having to be happy to use Barry’s powers and Barry having to be mad to use Ollie’s ‘powers’ from the episode of Teen Titans where Raven and Starfire switched bodies. So, I guess, congratulations on making the central plot point of your crossover the same as a half-hour episode of a children’s cartoon.

-Remember that time Barry was too happy and too confident in his abilities, so his dad died? ��

-They got a good actress to play the Lois Lane to this Clark Kent, considering they both just look kinda awkward? His chin looks like he had a face transplant done and her nose looks like someone is constantly Photoshopping it.

NHHHA, He-Man!!

-Don’t do a callback to Smallville, show. Oliver Queen has now spent more time in costume as the Flash than Tom Welling did as Superman.

-Direct fucking hit when Oliver said that Barry couldn’t take a crap without getting a peptalk from his team, but on the other hand, Oliver can’t take a crap without Felicity wondering what it means for their relationship. “Oliver didn’t tell me he needed to go to the bathroom! Why wouldn’t he trust me?”

-I’m just saying, last season on Agents of SHIELD, pretty much every character was in a relationship--there was not so much damn drama. It’s a fucking body-swap plotline, guys. You don’t need to treat it like it could lead to someone’s divorce! Really, at this point, if you’re in a relationship with a crazy superhero, you should be used to it. 

-(Although I suppose I’m a little hard to please here, since over on Legends of Tomorrow they suddenly expect us to care about Constantine rescuing the love of his life when we’ve seen their relationship for all of four seconds. But hey, like I said, Agents of SHIELD manages a happy medium and finds time for Ghost Rider to show up.)

-For the post-apocalyptic hellscape they make Gotham out to be, the police respond awfully fast to disturbances.

-”We’re on the corner of Burton and Nolan!” Groooooan.

-Ruby Rose, everyone: the Less Convincing Michelle Rodriguez. It’d probably a bad sign for how compelling Kate Kane is as a character that everyone would rather talk about where Batman is and why Batman would leave. And, speaking as someone who both watched Birds of Prey and The Dark Knight Rises--Rocky, that ‘Batman Retires’ plot point never works!

-(Is Batwoman even that popular a character to get her own spin-off? I suppose she’s ‘TV show’ popular, but still--I think she’s one of those Batfamily members that is somewhere behind Alfred but ahead of Ace, right next to Azrael. And I do think it’s hilarious that TPTB were insistent on casting a real, authentic lesbian!!!--and then immediately got complaints that they didn’t cast a Jew. Oh, Ziggy, will you ever win?)

-I don’t want to be too hard on Ruby Rose here. Yes, she doesn’t showcase anything other than one mode: Snide And Slightly Pouty (Stephen Amell ain’t winning no Oscars, but he can differentiate between Ollie As A Civilian and Ollie In A Halloween Costume). But the writing does her no favors in making a case for this character as being deserving of any amount of screentime, besides the fact that she dresses like Batman, the guy we really care about. She’s a heroine, as are featured variously in every Arrowverse show. She’s queer, as is Alex Danvers, Sara Lance, John Constantine, et al. She’s rich to the point of having unlimited resources, as are (sometimes) Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, Kara through her billionaire friends. She lives in a crime-ridden hellhole, as Ollie has done for several seasons. What makes any of this compelling? The Gotham setting? Arrow has already turned itself into an effective facsimile of that, to the point of having Ra’s al Ghul show up to make Queen into his son-in-law. Arkham Asylum seems completely generic, as does Wayne Tower. It’s all just a different part of Vancouver; who cares?

-Likewise, Supergirl, speaking to you as a TV show--you really should either be adamant that Kara is heterosexual or give her a weirdly flirtatious scene with Batwoman, but not both. I know you need, need, need to let the audience know Batwoman is a lesbian...

Pictured: The CW subtly letting you know about a character’s minority status.

But c’mon. We’ve been over this.

-Speaking of minority status, maybe it’s not the best idea to let slip that John Diggle is an AU John Stewart. Yes, there’s ten brothas in the DC Universe, and four of them are actually the other six. There are so few Negros on Earth-1 that they had to make Barack Obama into a superhero. The Batfamily has two black folks and they’re both related to Lucius Fox. There’s so few black people in Metropolis that Black Lightning knows who his father is!

Folks, the DC Universe is so white, the Black Lanterns are all dead. The DC Universe is so white, they don’t even have black Kryptonite. The DC Universe is so white, even Black Condor is a honky. The DC Universe is so white, they don’t even need a Justice League of Africa, they just have a Batman of Africa! The DC Universe is so white, the blackest guy on the Justice League is a refrigerator with one-half of a brother’s face on top of it. The DC Universe is so white, they named the black woman on the Teen Titans after a bug that’s half yellow! Now Milestone, the Milestone Universe is black. It’s so black, Aquaman is the most powerful superhero there, because he’s the only one who can swim!

(-I’m planning on being chased off of Tumblr like Indiana Jones after he snags an ancient artifact.)

-Would it be that hard for them to go to Arkham and run into the Ventriloquist or Orca or someone memorable, so long as they have access to the Batman toy chest? We got, uhh, Lady Who Can Pick Up Gun and Psycho Pirate I Guess? Like I said, unambitious. Wouldn’t it be so much cooler if they got someone from Gotham to film just one little cameo? 

-Also, considering the sex scandal these shows have had, maybe it’s not the best idea to joke about their EPs being depraved maniacs? (Was Guggenheim the one who actually got MeToo’d? Because if so, Dude--Not Funny)

-The show had to character-shill Batwoman so hard that Ollie and Barry stopped being fear-gassed just to reiterate that she is too an interesting character in her own right! (If the characters have all heard of Batman, wouldn’t they have heard of Batwoman too if she’s been an active vigilante more recently?)

-But who cares about four unstoppable superheroes teaming up when we can find out how Felicity feels about her relationship? Just a thought--if you fight with your SO all the time about nearly everything, maybe you shouldn’t be in a relationship. 

-Long story short, Doctor Destiny rewrites reality again to make Barry, Oliver, and Kara into supervillains in a world where he’s the hero. He also makes the other characters into pointless cameos, and weirdly gets criticized by Kara for... not giving himself a sex-change operation by becoming Superman instead of Supergirl? He doesn’t have gender dysphoria, Supergirl. I thought she was all about trans issues this season?

-Like, I don’t know, if a woman used a magic lamp to wish herself President, would anyone criticize her making herself a lady President instead of a man President?

-I guess it wouldn’t be Supergirl unless they crowbarred in an extremely awkward girlpower message where Superman and Lois agree that Supergirl/women in general are more useful than men, despite the fact that all Supergirl did was the exact same thing as Barry, while Superman and Oliver fought Dr. Destiny, and all Lois did was call in a bunch of men as reinforcements and then need to be rescued.

-But like I said about being unambitious--wouldn’t it be fun to see our heroes be forced to team up with a few supervillains to save the day? Instead, we just have Cisco playing a villain (something he’s done numerous times before). They get his help, have a weirdly poor showing in a fight against Jimmy Olsen, get Superman’s help again, yadda yadda. 

-We also get Superman proposing to Lois Lane. Yeah, considering they’ve been in a relationship at least since Supergirl Season 1, she’s carrying his child, and they’re planning to move to an alien world together, yeah, I should think so? I know Superman probably isn’t a Republican, but does anyone think he’d be so blase about putting a ring on it? Hell, if nothing else, he should want to tie the knot before Ma or Pa bite it. Couldn’t they have just made it that he wants to renew his vows with Lois in a Kryptonian ceremony or some such? 

[theroyalweisme]

Duties of a Prince - Chapter 22 - Leo x Liam x MC

A little AU of what would have happened at Leo’s fling before the social season to determine his bride kicks off.

Rating: For mature audiences… language and themes as the story continues.

A/N - I’m BACK!!! And I’m catching up on my writing! My plan is to go back to twice a week chapters. As long as I can keep up.

(A RoE and TRR Crossover)

Summary:

Two brothers who couldn’t be more different if they tried. One out to be the life of the party. The other understanding both of they’re roles and determined to fulfill them all. But what happens when they fall for the same girl?

MASTER CHAPTER LIST

Tagging: @youwontlikewherewewillgo @chrstbll @pens-girl-87 @xxrainbowprincessxx @queencatherynerhys @syltti78 @boneandfur @ranishajay @blackcatkita @bobasheebaby @pbchoicesobsessed @umccall71 @hamulau @drakelover78 @crookedslimecreatorpasta @jlouise88 @furiousherringoperatortoad @darley1101

Permatags: @mfackenthal @shirtlessbenpark @enmchoices @alwaysthebestchoice @writtenbycandy @diamond-dreamland

Constantine paced between his two sons, both with their heads bowed in shame.

“Of all the stupid, idiotic things you two have done over the years… this one takes the cake,” he seethed stopping in front of his eldest son. “You! You are the Crown Prince of Cordonia, Leo! Start acting like it! And where on earth did you get the idea to hand out roses to all of your suitors?”

“It’s in an American television show, Father,” Leo mistakenly grinned at the older man.

“A television show...” Constantine nodded thoughtfully before turning on his son in a fit of rage. “A television show?! You lowered yourself because of a television show?!”

“I thought it’d be funny,” Leo muttered under his breath. “Maybe make a girl or two smile.”

“Fucking hilarious...” Liam rolled his eyes at his older brother, gaining the sharp gaze of his father.

“And you,” he pointed at his youngest child. “Screaming at your brother, in the middle of a packed room! You are supposed to set an example, Liam. Be better than your emotions. Prove to people that you are above the antics that surround you in court! Have I taught you nothing?!”

“No, Father…” Liam’s head hung in shame as Constantine began to pace again.

“I will speak to the noble families here. I will ensure, Leo, that your slight is explained to them properly. And you will ensure that this does not happen again.” Constantine’s eyes narrowed at his eldest sharply, earning a nod from the son. “And you.”

He turned sharply to his youngest son. Liam straightened, awaiting his punishment.

“You will be attending a conference with the European Union in Switzerland for 5 days. You are not to have contact with anyone, except myself, while you are there,” he held up a finger as the young man began to protest. “Consider your free time a chance for self-reflection.”

“But, Father,” Liam started as Constantine’s eyes burrowed into him. “Yes, Father…”

Both boys sighed deeply as Constantine straightened his jacket.

“Consider this a lesson to you both,” he stated, looking back to the ballroom door. “You are the Princes of Cordonia. You need to approach every day with this knowledge and put yourselves forward as such.”

“Yes, Father…” Both boys muttered under the breaths as Constantine headed back towards the ballroom.

As soon as he was out of sight Liam turned to his brother, eyes narrowed.

“Just leave Sabrina alone, Leo,” he demanded, starting in the same direction that their father just left. Not giving the older man a chance to respond. “She doesn’t need your bullshit while I’m away.”

--

“Can you imagine,” Sabrina pushed herself tighter to the wall, listening to the women a few steps away from her. “Both princes fawning over her.”

“Well… I’m not too sure about that, Priscella…” the other woman tittered. “From what I hear, Prince Liam has been spending an awful lot of his time with Duchess Olivia.”

Sabrina’s heart sank as the thought that Liam could be spending his long hours away from her with another woman. He wouldn’t do that… she mused silently. Would he?

Hearing enough of Priscella and her friend, she pushed herself from the wall and started towards the doors. Her hand found her chest as she pulled long deep breaths into her lungs.

After a few deep breaths, she pulled herself up, flattening her dress against her body. An unsettled feeling sat in the pit of her stomach as she glanced around her, a spot of red caught her attention off to one side.

Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the tight coif on the top of Olivia’s head, her face tipped up adoringly towards Liam’s.

Sabrina could feel the tears prickle behind her eyes at what she was watching as Olivia softly brushed lint off of Liam’s lapel before speaking softly to him.

She straightened her back once more, wiping her eyes at the tears that had yet to fall. Purposefully she strode past the duo curled together.

“Sabrina,” Liam called as she brushed passed him. “Wait, we need to talk.”

She ignored him completely as she continued towards her room.

—

“Sabrina,” Liam sighed, catching her door before she had a chance to slam it shut. “Sabrina, talk to me!”

Killer’s head swung between her owner and her second favourite person on the planet, right now, as Sabrina refused to turn towards the man towering in her doorway.

“Why, Liam?” She sighed, silent tears dripping down her cheeks. “So you can run back to Olivia? I’m sure you have another ‘meeting’ to attend.”

Liam jerked back in shock at her words. Did she honestly think he was simply spending his time away from her with Olivia?

“No!” He cried out, stepping deeper into the room. Killer moved quickly to stand between the two humans. She may not have known what the exact problem was... but her lady human was sad and she was pretty sure the tall man, with skinny legs, was the cause. “Killer, move.”

Liam’s words were harsh as he directed the dog out of his way. Those simple two words were like a lightning bolt through Sabrina as she turned on him. Her mascara had started to streak, leaving two soft black lines trailing down her cheeks.

“Leave. Her. Alone.” The words escaped her clenched jaw as she took a step towards him. “You are in my room, Liam. Maybe you should keep that in mind.”

“You’re here on my word, Sabrina,” the words slipped out of his mouth before he could think about what he was saying. “Perhaps you should keep that in mind.”

It was as if the air was completely sucked out of the room as she stared at him wide-eyed for a solid three minutes, not a word uttered between them. Liam’s own eyes widened in complete shock as the words he had just spoken clues into him.

“Sabrina... I... I didn’t mean...” he stumbled over himself as he tried to pull the hurtful words back.

“Get out.” She growled, her eyes narrowing. Killer move closer to her owner as her hackles raised, providing a low growl of her own.

“B-but... I didn’t... I mean... that wasn’t...” he threw his hands up in frustration as he tried to find the words to explain his thoughts. Sabrina turned away from him again, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

“I can’t do this anymore, Liam...” she roughly wiped at her cheeks with her fingers, the mascara smudging even more in the effort. “You’re never here... I’m constantly on my own. I’m just done.”

Liam’s face played through his emotions in a matter of seconds... sadness, hurt, disappointment and finally anger. His brow furrowed as he replayed her words in his head.

“Do you honestly think this has been easy on me?” He demanded, stepping towards her and earning a louder growl from the dog at her feet. “Do you think I want to be leaving you? To have to run out on you at the drop of a hat? That I leave you with him!?”

“You mean Leo?” Sabrina laughed, bitterly. “Liam, the only thing happening between you and your brother is a mutual fascination with bad American television. But at least he’s always been there for me.”

“Because he does nothing but shirks his actual responsibilities!” He raged, pulling at his hair in frustration. “Do you not realize that Leo is the reason I have to leave you all the time? That he is the reason I have to go to fucking Switzerland?!”

“That’s not my issue, Liam!” She screamed back at him, her clenched fists hit her thighs hard enough to leave bruises. “I just want to go home.”

“Then maybe you fucking should,” he spat at her. “I will have a car take you back to pack and tickets back to New York provided to you.”

“I appreciate the car, your highness,” she curtsied towards him. “But I will arrange my own travel arrangements to New York.”

“Fine.” He nodded, turning on his heel and heading for the door. He paused for a moment at the door, barely glancing over his shoulder. “Safe journeys, Sabrina.”

“Thank you,” she whispered to an empty room, waiting for the click of the door closing before collapsing on the ground, pulling Killer into herself and crying into the dog’s soft fur.

[janiedean]

In a catholic country you choose Jules César over Christian troublemaker Constantine! Heathen ("The River" please, I know the lyrics by heart)

I’D HAVE RECOGNIZED YOU EVEN IF YOU HAD BEEN ON ANON ;)

that said: OKAY THEN also excellent choice as Caesar has an history with rivers ;)

(I’m linking the live version because I think this song becomes 10000% more powerful if you hear the story he told before playing it in the eighties sorry I don’t make the rules)

The River is the title track from Bruce’s 1980 double record (his first) which is incidentally the one I’d start people on if they wanted to get into his music. It’s been widely recognized as one of his best song if not the best (it’s certainly the favorite of a lot of fans) and rightly so because it’s a damn fucking masterpiece. It’s also a perfect blend of 70% of his thematics, as it brings together the following themes at least:

failed relationships

love stories that started out well and turned sour

politics (slightly but IT’S THERE)

the failure of the american dream

the blue collar protagonist whose life turns to shit and cannot get out of his failed life

which is like 70% of bruce’s non-romantic, non-obviously-political thematics which here are brought to a pinnacle of fucking perfect flawless song. So, with that said, let’s go into it.

So, as usual, we have the cinematic, lightening-like opening after an harmonica opening that is not upbeat music:

I come from down in the valley where mister when you're young They bring you up to do like your daddy done Me and Mary we met in high school when she was just seventeen We'd ride out of this valley down to where the fields were green

So: first-person narrator (same as in a lot of his songs) who comes from down in the valley ie small town, where mister (the narrator is obviously talking to someone of a higher social standing if they call him mister, so he’s not rich and we know it from the get-go) they bring you up to do like your daddy done, ie where you’re expected to do the exact same job your father had and then your kids are expected to take it up (like the people in Youngstown that we were discussing a couple days ago or like the guy in Adam Raised a Cain, same spiel).

This man has a girlfriend named Mary (other recurrent name, but while this is not the Mary from Thunder Road... she could be or could have been, let’s remember that Thunder Road guy wanted to get out of his town of losers - this is one guy that didn’t pull out of there to win) and they met when they were seventeen, so they’re high school sweethearts, and they’d ride out of the valley down to where the fields are green, which gives the listener an immediate picture of hope - green fields are a good thing/image, and they’d ride out of the valley ie leave their hometown behind for better things. Same as the people from Thunder Road, right? And where do they go?

We'd go down to the river And into the river we'd dive Oh down to the river we'd ride

They go to a river, ie a body made of water, which is the contrary of a valley, situated in a green field, where you go to swim supposedly (or to have sex while you do, I would assume, so they’re young and happy and in love and they look for a better life in the green fields and swim in the river like regular kids would do. But then why is the song sad?

Then I got Mary pregnant and man that was all she wrote And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle No flowers no wedding dress

It’s sad because as they’re young and stupid and haven’t used a condom, Mary becomes pregnant (presumably during one of the trips to the river) and of course they have to marry because otherwise it wouldn’t be acceptable and here starts trouble, because the narrator instead of going to college or get a better life, gets a union card (so he supposedly has a factory job that would pay to provide for the family and nothing fancy that would require going to college) and the wedding coat. They marry in a courthouse, so not in a church (because she’s pregnant already most likely) and the judge puts it all to rest, which is certainly not a happy wedding, which is confirmed to us in the next line - no smiles, no aisle, no flowers nor wedding dress, which are the basics things you have at a wedding. So, their love story starts to a very bad beginning as their wedding sucked, it was basically shotgun and just because she was pregnant and it basically forced both of them into a forever partnership even if they were too young.

Of course, they don’t go to their honeymoon. Instead:

That night we went down to the river And into the river we'd dive Oh down to the river we did ride

They don’t go to a honeymoon but to the river, ie the place where they had been happiest and where they were dreaming for a better life and consuming the happiest part of their love story. And they dive into the river, hoping that it’s a good beginning for the marriage or that it brings them some luck, or at least to have a last ride like when they were sweethearts.

So, does it work out? The narrator tells us that no, it really didn’t:

I got a job working construction for the Johnstown Company But lately there ain't been much work on account of the economy Now all them things that seemed so important Well mister they vanished right into the air Now I just act like I don't remember Mary acts like she don't care

First: he has a job working construction for a non-better specified Johnstown Company but Johnstown (same as Youngstown) was a leading steel producer so it’s probably the same area, which means it’s probably underpaid or average-paid, and there ain’t been much work on account of the economy ie the same crisis that then fucked people over in Youngstown and in all the midwest (Johnstown is in Pennsylvania but Pennsylvania also has a really high number of blue collar workers), so he’s not bringing money to the table while Mary supposedly cares for the family/keeps things together at the house. All the things that seemed so important, mister (so he’s still talking to someone else - maybe at a bar? we don’t know), vanished right into the air so everything that seemed important to them now doesn’t anymore in light of their failed relationship, the lack of money and the uncertainty of his work situation. So he acts like he doesn’t remember (acts like - he remembers exactly everything) and Mary acts like she doesn’t care (so she does care) except that if this is how they act then they most probably barely even talk over dinner, which is not the same thing as happily frolicking in green fields and skinny dipping in the river. So: their marriage has gone to shit because they married too young and were forced into it and there’s nothing that seems to be able to salvage it.

And so what does our narrator do?

But I remember us riding in my brother's car Her body tan and wet down at the reservoir At night on them banks I'd lie awake And pull her close just to feel each breath she'd take Now those memories come back to haunt me they haunt me like a curse

As the song’s tempo changes and becomes faster and more frantic, as if he’s in a hurry to go back there, he says that he remembers the times they’d ride in his brother’s car (not even his) and they’d have sex after (her body tan and wet suggests that it was after skinny dipping and it also suggests of how attractive he found her, which is not implied in the non-flashback narration anymore) and after that he’d lie on the banks with Mary pressed up to him, and count that as he sings that he sounds like he’s crying or he’s suffering, so it’s physically painful to remember the times in which they were happy and young and carefree, so much that those memories haunt him like a curse because they didn’t cash in on them and their relationship is terrible now and there’s no way to salvage it.

Is a dream a lie if it don't come true Or is it something worse that sends me down to the river though I know the river is dry That sends me down to the river tonight Down to the river my baby and I Oh down to the river we ride

And now we’re at the conclusion where after saying those memories haunt him, he says, is a dream a lie if it don’t come true or something worse?, as in: if a dream doesn’t come true, is it just a lie or have the two of them been betrayed not just by their hopes but also by everyone else around them who forced them to be in a relationship they didn’t want, and by the economy that doesn’t let have have financial security? They had a dream, it didn’t come true, and that dream is obviously the American dream but for them it was a lie. Or worse. And whatever it is, this - in a plot twist - sends the narrator to the river ie the symbol of his dream and his hopes, though he knows the river is dry, and what is a river without water? A river without water is dead same as his dreams and hopes as above, but he still goes there anyway because he can’t deal with the reality of having to accept that his life turned out badly, his marriage has failed and his wife seems to not care about him anymore and he can’t provide for either her or their kid (notice how he’s never mentioned in the entire song except the pregnant part, so they probably have a bad relationship), so the river has turned into a metaphor for his life which is Not Good. The only sort of hopeful thing in the end is that his baby and him are going to the river and it’s in present, not in the past, so maybe this time Mary went with him and maybe they’ll talk and maybe they won’t, but the river is still dry, so most likely the answer will be no and we know it as the last harmonica solo comes into the song and it ends.

Now, this is the quintessential ‘failed relationship’ Bruce song because it’s pretty much the sum of all those themes plus has a woman’s name that comes back more than once in his songs (Mary has been in Thunder Road and here and in Mary’s Place and in a lot of others and imo more than always the same woman it’s different faces of femininity when it comes to his themes) plus elaborates on the ‘blue collar worker struggling in the economy’ which had come into play in Darkness on the Edge of Town (but that was more about failed relationships and childhood dreams rather than the economical situation) and brings it here where it’s laid down with the usual clear, suggestive images and the synthetic storytelling packing a punch and a lot of information in five lines along with the usual cinematic imagery - don’t tell me you haven’t pictured the man and Mary on the reservoir in the third stanza because I won’t believe you - and again we have the theme of the guy who cannot get out of his crap situation because in his small town he was supposed to do just like his father done, so he cannot escape his legacy and the son most likely won’t escape his father’s, and all of his hopes have gone as dry as the river he can’t help going back to hoping that it starts filling with water again, and probably it never will, but thankfully we don’t know that and so we can choose to believe the contrary.

Spoilers: I personally think it’s an extremely sad song and tied with the speech about his father in the above version I don’t think it leaves much room to hope he and Mary have a chance, especially because after this record the follow-ups were Nebraska and BITUSA which are a lot bleaker than anything he had written up until that point and where things for the protagonists get possibly even worse. But hey, he did leave you the opening.

In conclusion: The River is a hauntingly beautiful, extremely well-composed song that is absolutely a great place to start for new fans (along with the record it’s on) because it has most of the Springsteen Approved Themes in a nutshell and is an excellent introduction to the man. And that harmonica just makes it even better. And damn if it’s not poetry when it comes to discussing failed relationships.

(PS: everything written in that idiotic article on jezebel that I won’t like to not give them hits about Mary in The River and Springsteen’s stance on failed rships is a total, complete lie and I will fight everyone on it. peace.)