#and I will be traveling home when the first episode arrives

[myfanfictiongarden]

Guys, there is only 26 days left until season 2 of Rings of Power.

Let the countdown begin!!!!

[flowersforjude]

𝐇𝐞̄𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐫𝐢̄

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 | Jacaerys Velaryon x Sister!Reader

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 | During your shared grief, you and Jace find solace in each other. 

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 | 3,880

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | Mature Content-Explicit Descriptions Of Sex | Twin incest, Emotional hurt/comfort, Grief, Smut: Piv, Oral(fem receiving), Multiple orgasms, Implied loss of virginity, One use of y/n.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 | Something I’ve been thinking about since the first episode. Sad sex is something I didn’t know I’d be into, but I’m not mad about it? This obviously isn’t connected to my other Jace fic, Dangerous Disposition, I just used the same name for the reader’s dragon. 

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞² | Reposting because...I can.

masterlist | read on ao3

Varaxs was restless. The closer you got to Dragonstone, the more ill-at-ease your mount grew. Your boy was a normally calm dragon, but something had him on edge. You were traveling home from The Vale, having secured Lady Arryn’s support for your mother. You would have expected him to be just as anxious as you were to be home after two weeks of treating with Jeyne Arryn.

You were gone longer than the week your mother had allotted, but you wanted to return only with the strongest alliance for her. You had sent word of when she could expect your arrival back, so she did not worry.

The waves crashed against the rocky edges of the island with relentless fury. Seemingly taking after your dragon’s nervous mood. You circled above the palace once, wanting to give him a chance to settle a bit before cooping him up in the pit.

Landing Varaxs on the grassland at the front of the palace, you took notice of how no one awaited you. A pit of dread dug its way into your stomach. Something was the matter.

Your footsteps upon the stairs did nothing to quiet the blood rushing through your ears. Rationality battled with your worry, trying to convince yourself that everything was as it should be.

But once you spotted your cousin Baela as the heavy doors swung open for you, your heart told you nothing short of a tragedy awaited you. The sound of your feet on stones echoed through the entry hall. Baela looked comforted to see you, but her eyes couldn’t hide their distress.

“Cousin,” you greeted with apprehension. “Where-”

“Come.” She simply said, taking your arm to link it with hers.

As she walked you through the halls, your hands shook with the weight of the unknown. “Who is it?” You urged her to tell you.

Baela said nothing. She just looked at you with sympathy before directing you to your mother’s rooms.

Jacaerys was the first person you saw as the doors opened.

“Jace!” You called out to him. He halted his nervous pacing, turning his eyes to you with a relieved gasp.

He met you on the threshold, hands shooting out to draw you to him. “Y/N.” He sighed into your hair as you clutched his shirtfront with trembling hands. His fingers dig into your waist, keeping you from pulling away.

“What has happened?” You whisper urgently into his shoulder.

You heard his breath hitch before he spoke. “Lucerys.”

He needed only to mutter your younger brother’s name for you to realize what was going on. Grief split your chest open as you wailed into the fabric of his shirt. Your lungs seized up in an attempt to draw air.

Another set of arms wrapped around you and Jace.

“My darlings.” Your mother said as she drew her two oldest children to her. No words about alliances were spoken. All thoughts on your shared grief and desperation for the comfort of each other. You stood there wounded around Jace, being held by both him and your mother for a century it felt like. Eventually, your limbs untangle from one another. Your tears stained your cheeks as your heart ached in a way you didn’t know was possible.

Lucerys was born just a year after you and Jace. With only that little time separating you, the three of you had been practically inseparable. Many nights were spent with each of you piled into one of your beds, refusing to sleep anywhere but together. Now you would have to learn to live with the space he left.

“You should go rest.” Your mother said gently, cradling your cheek. Her gaze flickered to Jace. “Both of you. I must attend to the Council before Daemon gets too far ahead of himself.”

“We’ve won The Vale, mother. Your Grace.” You corrected yourself.

She nodded proudly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head before doing the same to Jace. You went to reach for your brother’s hand again to take your leave, but your mother stopped him for a moment.

“Watch over your sister.” She whispered to him. “We only have each other.”

He nodded, his face set with determination. He took your hand in his, your fingers linking together tightly. Drawing you closer to his side, as if even an inch of space between you was unthinkable, he began to lead you from the room.

You looked back at your mother one last time, seeing a small, pleased smile spread across her sorrowful expression.

Without a word spoken between you, you and Jace made the walk to his chambers. Your grip on his hand tightened as you crossed the doorway into his room. Your breath still hadn’t fully returned to you, and the same suffocating look mangled your twin’s handsome face.

“Jace.” You spoke with a broken voice before he pulled you to him once again. He took your face in his hands, his eyes roaming wildly over your features like he was attempting to discern if you were truly alright or not.

“I was afraid… I thought…” He couldn’t even give voice to his fears. That you had been slain as well. That he not only lost his brother but his sister too. The girl he loved.

You gripped at his shirt again, needing to touch some part of him with your own hands. “I cannot-” You were breathless, trying to regain control over your emotions. “I cannot breathe; cannot think, Jace.”

You were collapsing into yourself as he surged forward. His lips claimed yours in a way only someone who knew the very essence of your soul could. You whimpered as he slid his hands from your face to secure you against him. Wrapping around your waist like a coil.

You clung to any part of him. His chest, his shoulders, and finally resting your hands in the curls of his hair. His lips molded over yours in a messy display of your desperation to ease some of the hurt with something pleasurable.

Under all your overwhelming feelings, there was a strangeness to having Jace’s mouth on yours. You and your twin had shared a single kiss before. It was your last name day and you had found yourselves with only each other for company. In the darkness of the hall outside your chambers, he had kissed you. It was soft and quick. Nothing like your current hurried hunger.

It felt right in a way nothing else ever had, though. You didn’t know anything beyond that and frankly didn’t wish to.

Soon, the clothes separating you became too great of an annoyance. You let your hands fall from his curls to unfasten the constraints of his doublet. He caught on and went to work on the clasp of your riding gown. Bit by bit, your clothes fell away, bearing you to each other.

“My heart fell from my chest when I returned, and you had not.” Jace told you as he slid his hands up your sides. You sighed when he started to undo the laces of your shift. He pulled the fabric from your body pressing heavy kisses across your collarbone to your shoulder. He dropped to his knees to continue his path down your chest to your stomach.

Wanting to see him as well, you reached down to pull his shirt over his head. He helped you by yanking it off once you got it over his shoulders. He switched his focus from kissing your skin to the laces of your riding trousers. Pulling the strings undone before shuffling them down your legs. His eyes never leave yours. He stopped for a moment once they and your boots were off, taking you in bare before him. His gaze was drawn to the space between your legs. It was tinted with a pink blush. He just looked for a moment before standing in a rush. Kicking off his boots and then hurriedly working the laces of his pants open.

His lips devoured yours once more. Bringing your naked body flush with his. His cock rested against his stomach, rigid with want.

“I need you, Jace.” You pleaded into his mouth. Both knowing and not knowing what you were begging for. All you knew was the chasm of emptiness that grew larger every second. And the fact that Jace and only Jace could make you whole again.

Circling an arm snuggly about your waist, he picked you up. Lips still pressing into yours with a frantic need as he made his way over to the bed. Tipping you down and gently situating you atop the covers.

Opening your legs, you welcomed him as he settled between them. Hips flush with yours, and his hands going to thread through your hair. Pulling on the strands to tip your head back so he could gain access to your throat. He placed harsh, bruising kisses along the column of your neck, making you gasp when he grazed the flesh with his teeth.

You were dizzy with desire and desperation. “You can never abandon me. Swear, naejot issa. Kivio issa īlon jāhor va moriot sagon hēnkirī.” (Swear, to me. Promise me we will always be together.) His cock rocked against your bundle of nerves, making that abyss of hollowness grow larger with yearning.

“I swear it,” he vowed. “I will never part from you again.” He kissed a burning path down your body. From the pulse of your throat to the valley between your breasts to your stomach. And finally, nudging your legs further apart to continue his exploration to the sensitive skin on the inside of your thighs.

You hadn’t noticed he’d gotten off the bed until he pulled your legs to dangle from the edge. You looked down and met his eyes as he kneeled before you. A question waited on your lips, but before you could voice it, Jace lowered his head to press the lightest of kisses to your center.

Any and all inquiries dissipated from thought as his tongue flicked against your pearl. His movement was hesitant, as if testing the waters of the newly discovered thirst for each other. He didn’t stop, though. His tongue returned to rake across your cunt. Licking a wide stripe from your entrance to your clit.

A gasp tore from your mouth. Your reaction seemed to encourage him as he took a second taste of you. He then wrapped his mouth around your bud, swiping his tongue over it as he gently sucked at it.

You whine at his touch, fists clutching the sheets at first, but then deciding that’s not enough. Your fingers find themselves in his hair once again. He switched from using his tongue to taking your clit in his mouth every few seconds. Not giving you time to grow used to anything he was doing. A particularly harsh tug on your pearl had your legs closing around his head.

Moving from your clit, Jace turned his attention to your entrance. Sliding his tongue between your folds, gathering your arousal with groans sounding from him. Your back arched to move closer to his face.

“Jace!” A shameless moan slipped from your mouth. You couldn’t find it in yourself to be embarrassed of the sounds he was pulling from you. Every pull and tug of his mouth on your center filled that chasm inside of you just a little bit more.

His nose nudged against your clit as he dipped his tongue briefly inside your entrance. The sensation was quick, but it had a whimper slipping past your lips and your nails digging themselves into his scalp.

Jace felt the tiny pinpricks of your nails but made no indication of discomfort. No, instead, the pain aided in driving him farther away from the cliff he dangled from. Losing himself in you as opposed to losing himself to grief or anger. The breathy gasps and whines he took from you, he collected as glittering treasures. You were perfection in his eyes; you always had been. And now he was able to show you.

The light flickering of his tongue across your clit was driving you mad. The feeling was heavy, and it was accompanied by a pool of molten fire growing in the pit of your stomach. It spilled from you, only to be collected by Jace’s tongue. He couldn’t even think about letting a single drop go to waste. He hummed against your cunt as he drank from you, his grip on your thighs becoming impossibly tight. Still switching between lapping at your entrance, to teasing your clit with the lightest jolts of pleasure. You could do nothing but lay there and whine at his every movement. Your head turning from side to side restlessly, hips moving not but an inch in his hold.

The low groans sounding from him every time you tugged on his curls only fueled your desperation. There was a cord drawn taunt in your belly, begging to be snapped free. Each kiss and pull on your pearl wound the cord tighter and tighter.

You glanced down and caught his gaze from between your legs. His eyes were dark with lust and desire as he continued his sweet torture on your cunt. “Please, Jace. Just…oh gods.” You breathed out, noticing a satisfied glint in his dark eyes.

A smirk you’ve only seen on rare occasions made an appearance, your pleading appeasing him on some level. He pressed a worshiping kiss to your clit making you jerk away from his lips slightly. “Beg like that some more, and I’ll give you anything.” His voice was low and coaxing.

You wiggled your hips, growing more and more desperate for that cord to release. And Jace found no issue with teasing you with it. “Please.” You sighed, fingers digging farther in his curls, trying to move him closer to you. “I need it, Jace. Please.”

Who was he to deny such a saccharine request from you of all people? His sweet princess, who deserved nothing less than reverence.

The peak was just within your grasp. You just needed a little bit more.

A loud cry tore from your lips as Jace took your pearl back into his mouth. He scraped it with his teeth, whether on purpose or by accident, you did not know. But by the gods, it felt good. His lips pursed around it, suckling and running his tongue over the bundle of nerves at the same time.

There was an obsessive determination in his ministrations. That unquenchable hunger strengthened its hold on him. His tongue lapping over your clit then moving to tease your entrance. His teeth kept catching on your pearl. Your thighs closing around his head told you the release was coming upon you quickly.

“Jacaerys,” you whispered breathlessly. He buried his face into your cunt, impossibly closer. The fire spilled over, causing high-pitched whines to leave your lips. As roll after roll of pleasure went through you, he continued to drink you in. Helping the bliss to stretch out longer. It lingered for a few more moments, making your thighs twitch with Jace’s head still between them.

You looked down with hazy eyes, but you could still make out the sheen of your arousal upon his face. The almost drunk look in his eyes as he rested his cheek against your thigh.

He held your gaze for a time before standing. You moved to lay back on the pillows as he rounded to the side of the bed to join you.

Now that the blazing pleasure had subsided almost completely, that emptiness returned with vengeance. Jace had laid beside you, making no movement to continue onto other things. He only pulled the blankets up to cover you. But you couldn’t stop the ache from spreading.

Grief dug its claws into your heart again. Piercing you until the pain was unbearable. You didn’t allow yourself time to think before you pushed the blankets from you, reaching out for Jace.

You pulled him down for a kiss, your arms going around his neck. He returned your affection. His lips slotted over yours and his hands coming to rest on your waist tugging you to him. The second his mouth left yours to trail down your neck, a small sob broke free.

Jace’s head shot up at the sound, eyes filling with worry. “What is it?” He asked.

You shook your head, not able to give words to the grief.

Understanding replaced the concern as Jace nodded once. “I feel it too,” he confessed. “What can I do to help?”

What can I do to help?

It brought more tears to your eyes to hear Jace’s selflessness. No thought for his own sadness; just wanting to rid you of yours.

You kissed him again, slowly this time. “Just make it go away.” You pleaded, angling your hips to press against his.

He hitched one of your legs around his hips, aligning your bodies perfectly together. Your hands danced up his arms before settling around his shoulders. Your mouths molded together, igniting the hearth of your desire for each other.

The ridgid hardness of his cock pressed into you. His breathing quickened each time you shifted your hips, trying to find some kind of friction. Soft groans slipped from his mouth to yours. He braced his weight on his forearms by your head before guiding the tip of his length just slightly into your cunt.

He looked up at you from where your bodies were joining. A question he didn’t need to voice for you to hear in his eyes. Nodding your head to let him know it was alright, that you were alright, he pressed forward. He was sure to be careful with you; your desperation not enough reason to risk hurting you.

His cock pressed deeper and deeper into you, the feeling of being split apart burning through you. But there was an underlying pleasure that came with the stretch.

A sharp exhale escaped both of you as he finally seated himself fully inside you. His arms trembled with the work of holding himself still. The blissful feeling he had was overwhelming, but he had to think of you.

Something tore inside you as he shifted, drawing out and then back in slightly. The burn was still there, but the feeling of him filling you was all you could think about. Every corner and crevice of your being was nothing but Jace. You realized that even if tragedy had not driven you both to this, you would have found your way to it eventually. There wasn’t a world where you didn’t belong to him, and he didn’t belong to you.

After checking to be sure you were ready, he pulled back slowly and began to move in a languid rhythm. You sighed out his name as you wrapped your other leg around his waist. Hands in his hair tugged at the strands, drawing a hissed curse he spoke into the crook of your neck. Your lower back arched to meet his sluggish thrusts.

Your name fell from his mouth like a needy prayer, sending a shiver through you. Your body reacts to the feel of him by erupting goosebumps down your spine.

He pressed kisses to your throat, nipping at the skin here and there. He reached a place where your shoulder and neck met, drawing the skin between his teeth. You gasped a little as he settled there.

“Jace!” You keened as he picked up his pace. The sounds of your coupling bringing a blush to your cheeks. You let one hand fall from his hair to search for his. He tangled your fingers together before flattening your joined hands beside your head and pressing them into the mattress.

Your core clenched around him suddenly, causing his breath to be stolen momentarily. He moaned lowly, thrusting into you harder, hitting against some spot deep within you that had you crying out and clenching around him again.

He looked up from your neck, locking his eyes with yours. “Ao issi ñuhon. Ao’ve va moriot issare ñuhon, pār īlon drew īlva ēlī breaths hēnkirī.” (You are mine. You’ve always been mine, since we drew our first breaths together.)

He quickened his pace more, driving into you in a way that would surely leave you sore. But you didn’t dare tell him to slow down. Chasing his strokes, you rolled your hips up to meet his, sighing as he squeezed your hand with his.

Jace had always thought you to be beautiful, but there was something otherworldly about seeing you like this. Writhing and crying out beneath him. Breathless as you greedily took the pleasure he gave you. He meant what he had said too; you were his. You came into the world together; it was only right that you remained linked throughout your lives. When he reached his hand up to withdraw yours from his hair to press it into the mattress, he imagined a ring resting on your fourth finger. The thought had him shuddering as he steadily thrusted into you.

Time lost all meaning, and neither of you had any way of knowing how much had passed. But when Jace’s pace started to falter, you knew he was close. You could tell he was trying to compose himself, maintain what control he had left. But you wanted to see him unravel. He tensed his jaw, breathing harshly through his nose. His brows were drawn together, and he had little will to put up a fight when you pulled him down for a kiss.

“Hēnkirī.” (Together.) You whispered into his mouth. “I want to do it together.”

He nodded, trailing a hand down to rub at your clit. A few more moments of Jace rocking into you, combined with his fingers on you, drove you to the end. He followed with a broken moan muffled into your neck. You felt his cock throbbing within you, thrusting gently once, twice, three times before he pulled out.

You panted heavily, his breaths ghosting across your heated skin. You threaded your fingers through his hair as you both took some time to come down from your shared high.

A giggle came from you when he began to softly kiss on your collarbone. You could feel him smile a little as he pressed his lips to you a few more times before raising his head to look at you.

His expression was one of affection, but there was a question swimming in his gaze as well. “Do you feel better?” He asked, not really knowing how to broach the subject just yet.

“I don’t want to talk about it yet.” You answered, not wanting to risk dispelling this illusive moment. Simply wishing to lay here with Jace for as long as you could and not think about anything. Because you were sure that as soon as you left this room, reality would come rushing back in.

Jace nodded in understanding before resting his head on your chest. “It can wait until tomorrow,” he agreed.

You wish you could stop time completely or turn it back. But you couldn’t, and all you could do was cling to Jace’s comfort until the pain came knocking again.

I debated heavily on posting this or not, but I don't have anything else ready to post so enjoy!

[pinkiemachine]

How would you do Batman, I'm just wondering because Batman's my favorite character

OH HO HO!! I HAVE WRITTEN SO MUCH ABOUT BATMAN!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

*ahem*

His show is called BATMAN: GOTHAM FILES, and I have the basic outline for each and every one of the seasons! There’s 9 total, plus a movie finale. Here we go!

SEASON ONE:

Most of us should know basically what Bruce’s backstory is, so I’ll keep this part brief. Bruce Wayne was eight years old when his millionaire mother and father were gunned down in front of him in an alleyway in Gotham City. They never found the killer. The family’s loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth, took care of Bruce from that point onward. Bruce started taking self-defence classes in-between going to the schwanky Gotham Academy and learning how to run his father’s business, Wayne Enterprises (a massive conglomerate that was famous throughout all of America, but especially the East Coast.) The young man had hardly healed from his traumatic experience, though, and after graduating college (something he was practically forced to do by Alfred), he decided not to stay in Gotham. He hated the city. Instead, he took off in a plane… and secretly never intended to come back…

EIGHT YEARS LATER…

It was a welcome surprise when Bruce Wayne turned up in Gotham, seemingly in a much happier headspace and eager to finally, finally take his father’s business seriously. The Prince of Gotham had returned. Months after that, there was a new legend lurking in the streets of the city. Something called “the batman” or “the bat.” Criminals were getting caught and arrested left and right, and half of them were scared out of their minds about this spectre. The police force didn’t know what to make of it… except for one Captain Jim Gordon. He knew that the legend was true… and occasionally, he would sneak into his office and scare the living daylights out of him. He and Batman had been working together for a little while now, (we get an episode later that explores how they first met), but Gordon doesn’t know who he really is under the mask, and no one else in the force thinks that Batman is even real. But Gordon is eager to help him because the police force is falling apart. They’re completely unable to do their job and keep the streets safe, so Gordon agrees to help Batman stop crime in its tracks. He wants to make Gotham safer for his wife and daughter.

Shocking literally no one, the audience discovers that Bruce Wayne is Batman, working out of a massive secret base underneath Wayne Manor—his ancestral home. But, he must balance the life of a vigilante with the life of billionaire Bruce Wayne, which can be difficult at times. We get several episodes just laying the ground work. Who runs the company when Bruce isn’t around? Lucious Fox. Who manages Bruce’s affairs and schedule? Alfred. Who makes all the gadgets and gear that Batman uses? He does. Using plenty of materials and goods he can buy since he’s a billionaire. When did he learn how to make all this stuff? Hmmmmmm….

We meet our first few villains—Penguin, Two-Face, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Riddler, etc—Batman is still trying to track down who murdered his parents, and we’re having a generally good time until THE MID SEASON FINALE. You see, there’s a circus coming to town.

Haley’s Traveling Circus was famous on the East Coast, being one of the oldest circuses in the country, as well as boasting the Fabulous Flying Graysons! A family trapeze act! However, this smiling troop of clowns was actually hiding some pretty dark secrets. When they arrived in Gotham City, they were asked to help out known mob-boss Tony Zucco with some… not-so-nice things. John Grayson, head of the Flying Graysons, had been feeling conflicted about how much behind-the-scenes shady dealings the circus had been involved with over the years. So, he thought that maybe if he just let the tiniest bit of evidence leak to the police, maybe they could handle everything and the Graysons wouldn’t be caught in the cross fire. This is what brings Batman to the scene. He investigates the circus, meets the Graysons, including their son, Richard, aka Dick, and eventually goes on to solve the mysterious crime, pinning it on Tony Zucco and getting certain members of Haley’s Circus arrested. (The ones actually involved in the crime.) However, Zucco manages to avoid jail time. Not only that, but he discovers who snitched on him. That night, after the case has been solved and Bruce shows up to catch the Flying Graysons perform, everything is going great until the unthinkable happens: the lines on the trapeze snap and Mr. and Mrs. Grayson go falling to their deaths.

Dick Grayson is an orphan… and he’s angry. He’s about 11 years old, but he’s smart enough to know what’s going on. He knows why Batman was coming around asking questions, he knows who Tony Zucco is, and he knows that his father made him very unhappy. After the police have arrived, but before social services do, Dick sneaks out and climbs to the top of the building with the Bat-Signal on it (yes, by this point in the story, that’s a thing). He flashes it on and off, rain pelting down, until the caped crusader arrives. He demands to know if this was Zucco’s fault. Batman refuses to say anything, but Dick doesn’t care. He says he’s going to make Zucco pay, whether Batman helps or not, and he tries his hardest to remain true to his word. After that night, Dick runs off through Gotham several times, trying to get in touch with Zucco and attempting to enact revenge, meanwhile Batman has to keep swooping in to keep the kid from getting himself killed. He recognises the pain he’s in—he completely understands his anger—and realises that he needs a teacher—a mentor—a father figure who can lead him through all of this and keep him out of trouble. So, as Bruce Wayne, he decides to adopt Dick. At first, Dick doesn’t want anything to do with this stranger—he’d rather stay with his circus family if he’s going to stay with anyone—but then, in court one day, Bruce says something—something only Batman said to him once—and all of a sudden, it clicks in Dick’s mind. He instantly asks to be placed in Bruce’s care and not a few hours after arriving at Wayne Manor, Dick manages to discover where the Batcave entrance is. Sneaking down there, he plans to become his own kind of vigilante, just like Batman, and get revenge… until Bruce catches him and tries to knock some sense into him.

It’s here that Bruce has to confront his own past. His sense and reason are saying, “Don’t let the kid try to enact revenge!” But then, he has to ask himself, “why am I still hunting down the man who killed my parents?” He has to tell himself, “it can’t be about revenge. Only what is just and fair.” When/if he finds the killer, he will turn him over to the authorities and let him face proper punishment. Zucco… he’s too powerful. There needs to be a lot of incriminating evidence against him before the police can take action, and even then, that’s not what Dick wants. Dick wants Zucco gone. Permanently. THAT is what needs to be dealt with inside of Dick. Bruce refuses to let this boy make himself a killer. Instead, he decides to channel that anger and drive into training him. You see, when Bruce vanished for eight years, it was during that time that he met many teachers and learned many new skills. Through bettering himself and learning these skills, he felt he had grown as a person and had worked through some of his emotions. It was therapeutic. He hopes it will be the same for Dick. He also teaches him about the justice system and detective work so that they can bring down Tony Zucco WITHOUT killing him. Little by little, over the course of the next year, Dick starts to turn into the infamous side-kick Robin, following Batman on small cases and learning about fighting crime… from a distance. (Mostly.) Dick does have a knack for getting into trouble.

On the personal side of things, Dick still needs to adjust to living in Wayne Manor, going to a new school (Gotham Academy) navigating being a wealthy, famous person’s adopted son, etc etc. And then… Ra’s Al Ghul shows up. Now it’s time for Bruce’s past to be revealed. He had traveled the world, and he did have many teachers, but none quite as legendary as the Demon’s Head, leader of the League of Shadows. A secret organisation (cult, really, Bruce later realised) that had mastered martial arts, ninjutsu, and so much more. Each member was a peak specimen of the human race, with no genetic weaknesses or flaws, especially their leader, Ra’s. Bruce had been one of his top students, but then he had revealed his grande scheme for the world. Ra’s wanted to wipe out the rest of humanity (which he deemed as impure and flawed) and then the only people who would be left to inherit the Earth would be his perfect family and his perfect followers! All he was missing was a male heir to his throne. His daughter, Talia, most perfect of his children, had fallen in love with Bruce during his time in the Shadows, but before anything serious could come of it, Bruce had snuck out and left the League, meaning never to come back. Now, though, Ra’s had found him and wanted him to marry his daughter. Bruce refuses. Ra’s tries to take him by force, Robin helps save the day, it’s a big exciting grand finale to the season, and it ends with Ra’s and Talia retreating… because while Bruce was captured, they managed to steal some… “DNA”… and test tube baby Damian would be thus conceived, unbeknownst to Batman and Robin.

(Like, he’s a test tube baby from conception. Talia was never physically pregnant with him.)

Anyway, things are looking up for our main characters. They saved the city, they saved each other, they’re working on their personal growth, and everyone is excited to see Season 2 because—

JOKER TEASE!!!! DUN DUN DUN!!!!

I’mma make more posts, this is a long one, strap in…

I also have a sketch of Talia…

Part 2 👇

[bangtaninborderland]

KNJ- Not so dinner date.

It’s late when you arrive home, the lights are off and the regular sounds of your boyfriend are null. You sigh as you shake off your jacket, sliding off your shoes only to replace them with house slippers.

The clock above the refrigerator is the only light in the kitchen and as dim as it is you don’t flick on a light, instead you slouch at the table snacking on the random fruits Namjoon had piled into a bowl.

The truth is you loved your boyfriend with your entire heart, there wasn’t ever a time when you felt as if you wanted to be away from him. Of course, his job as an idol was one that put distance between you, your own job not accommodating time for you to travel as often as he did but you still made it work.

“Baby?”

You almost jump out of your skin as you whip your head around to see him sulking towards you, his shoulders hunched over.

“I thought you were sleeping joonie, did I wake you?” You stood up, closing the space between you to wrap your arms around his middle.

You breathed in his smell, finding comfort in it. He had been addicted to this new rain forest scented fabric conditioner that Jungkook had introduced him to, he had explained to you for the hours BTS had to wait during music shows just how the different scents were drawn from different plants and trees and although you didn’t completely understand it you did your best to keep up.

“You didn’t wake me, I waited up. Do you want to order some food or did you eat?”

You shake your head reluctantly. “Joon it’s 11 pm, you have work tomorrow.”

“However could I work if I starved to death?”he groaned frantically, feigning a laugh.

You quirked an eyebrow. “You haven’t eaten?”

“I did. Sort of.”

“Ramen does not count.”

“I did not.”

“How about we order fried chicken?” You smile.

Your first date had been at a park with awful fried chicken that you had gotten from a definitely dodgy van. You had both gotten stomach aches and ended up being treated at the hospital for food poisoning, through your short but required hospital stay you were put next to each other and despite the way you were both doubling over in cramps every few minutes you made the most of the time with one another, learning as much as you could.

He leads you over to the couch, pulling you into his arms. “You really want fried chicken?”

“It’s fast, just chose a good place.” You shrug earning a playful pinch from him.

A lot of your firsts happened over the simple meal, your first fight had occurred over it. You had only been dating a few weeks and Namjoon had gotten extremely busy planning a comeback with his members, it had left you barely any time with the man responding once a day if you were lucky. He had hauled himself up into his studio for almost a week straight refusing to do anything other than work on music. You were worried when Taehyung, whom you had only met twice prior, had called to ask for backup. You had stormed into the hybe building holding a box of fried chicken from his favourite place, you punched the code into his studio earning a harsh reprimanding from him as you demanded he saved his work and step away from the computer. He had argued how you couldn’t understand his stress and how it wasn’t going to work out between you, he had told you to leave and that you were just like everyone else; misjudging him. You remember the way his jaw fell open as you threw a pillow straight at him mid-rant. Soon enough he sat beside you on his little couch and picked at his chicken before devouring it in minutes. You had forced him to take you home where you had a three-hour-long conversation that ended up in him falling asleep in your lap.

“I ordered, it will be here in a little.” He threw his phone against the table.

You run your hands through his newly dyed hair, you always loved how black hair looked on him. “How was work today baby?”

“We filmed a run episode and I nearly won.” He smiled pridefully. “When will you come next?”

“I have been given tomorrow and Friday off if you want me to come with you?” It wasn’t a complete lie, you had requested the days off in order to make time for him.

He pushes you back a little, allowing a clearer look at your face. “Really? That soon?”

You smile at him nodding. “I guess I got lucky.”

“I don’t have work tomorrow, though.”

“Then stay home with me?” You smile, placing a kiss to his lips.

He says nothing but affirms by kissing you back before pressing a few more to your forehead.

You sat talking about your days until the food came 25 minutes later. As always you had requested to have it left at the door, it was always safer that way. After waiting for the driver to place the food outside and to leave the building Namjoon snuck outside to grab it.

You help set it out on the table as he put on a random show. You ate In silence watching the tv until a thought crossed your mind that you had to resolve.

“Joon can I ask you something?”

He looks at you worried, pausing the TV before turning to you. “Anything.”

“Do you ever wish we were different people? Maybe just farmers or something..” you half-joked, pushing your almost-finished meal aside.

“If you want a farmer you should try Jin Hyung or Taehyung.”

You can’t help but laugh as he flashes you a dimpled smile. “No I haven’t, amidst all the stress and lack of time we have with one another I could ever imagine being with someone different.”

“Why?” You watch his face twist in thought.

He hums for a moment before responding. “I love you. I liked you and then I loved you and in that time I learned that I’d rather have one day with you than a hundred days with anyone else.”

You let the weight of his words settle before responding. “You know joonie we have a lot of firsts over fried chicken.”

“What’s the first this time?” He laughs pushing his own food away before leaning back against the couch.

You started. “I could come home to an empty house for the entirety of your tour but I wouldn’t have it any other way because my heart is with you always and I know for every day you go we will have a week to make up for it. I was scared at first, scared we wouldn’t work, that you’d get too busy and forget about me but it’s small moments like these that give me the most clarification on my wants for the future.”

“And what are those wants?” He holds your hand in between his, something he does to show he is paying the utmost attention to you.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want to eat fried chicken with you at midnight even though we have to be awake at 6 am, I want to share the excitement of what trees have their DNA stolen to make up fabric softeners you like, I want to be the one to give you comfort and happiness along with my unbridled support.”

“I want to give you the world.” He says the words softly but you know there’s a weight that they bare. “And I will but for now can I have your last wing?”

You scoff shoving the man off the couch onto the floor. “Unbelievable.”

“Unbelievable enough that I can have your last wing?” He eyes your chicken box and you raise a threatening finger.

“Don’t you dare.”

Before you could say anything he had already grabbed the box and ran halfway through the house, you cursed his long legs for aiding his getaway.

“Touch my chicken and your Pokémon cards get it.” You threaten.

You can’t help but laugh at his footsteps slap against the tiled flooring. “LEAVE MY CARDS ALONE”

“Give me my chicken wing.” You hold your hand out, as he does the same. You hand over his extra large Pokémon folder as he does your chicken box.

“Hey?” He calls as you turn to head back to the couch, box in hand.

He grins at you, before holding his arms out, one hand bearing his folder and the other your chicken wing.

“KIM NAMJOON!” You throw yourself over the couch as he scurries off.

About twenty minutes of play fighting and chasing later you both collapse on the bed in a laughing bundle. “I can’t wait to tell Yoongi Hyung we wrestled over a chicken wing.” Namjoon giggled.

“He would be horrified.” Your eyes widened.

“He would, he would probably lecture us on why we should never eat fried chicken again.”

A bout of silence befalls you before a great idea comes to mind. “Let’s call him and tell him we broke up over fried chicken.”

“You have such a sexy brain. He will go insane.” He agreed rushing to grab his phone.

You smiled at the ceiling, memorising the events of your not-so-dinner date. This is exactly why you made it work, because even at midnight you could run around and laugh with him, you could have thorough discussions and most importantly you would both indulge e in listening and sometimes enacting your wildest thoughts. Even if it did mean annoying a poor Min yoongi over Fried chicken on a Wednesday night.

[demelzathemer]

Rewatching Dead Boy Detectives for the 6th time and I STILL have so many thoughts, so let's do this

Episode 1

1. That's everything Crystal has on her for the rest of the season, right?

She must have had some money and her passport on that bag because she did change clothes and traveled half-way round the globe. But Jenny talks like Crystal doesn't have a credit card, so how much cash did she carry on her on a random day in the tube??

Well not enough to pay rent for the cheapest room in town when they arrived. (She wears a borrowed Tongue & Tail t-shirt from Jenny later, that's cute.)

I like how her original look is much darker and more mature, reflecting her mean girl personality. The long jacket later is still purple, but a light color with a colorful floral patterned turtleneck underneath.

(If she had her passport she has her full legal name and social security number to identify herself though-??)

2. I REALLY want to know what happened during those "two flights, one ferry ride" - where did the boys sit? Did Crystal buy a whole row of seats so they could sit together? (And was seen talking to herself alone the whole time lol)

Have the boys ever been on a plane (they haven't been on a ferry)? HOW DID EDWIN REACT... Please I want a fanfic

3. When they start investigating, Charles says to Crystal "I know you don't fancy this part, deep-diving into someone's brain. We can figure out another way if you'd like." Which is sweet, so Charles, but also, how did he know what she prefers? (They must have talked about it on the ferry ride.)

4. I thought it odd that Edwin would stumble out of the mirror, when he's always so careful and carries himself with such poise? But then I saw Kassius and Jayden, they both have the biggest grins on their faces just short of laughing. It's definitely a blooper, but George stayed in character so perfectly they left it in.

(George did confirm in an interview that due to Ghost Rules, the boys don't trip on treestumps etc, they would just phase through. So definitely not a scripted move.)

5. "Not exclusively my internet. (Charles laughs) I'll explain again later."

Crystal was the one that taught Edwin the concept of internet?? Did this happen on the ferry ride too??

6. THE VISUAL STORYTELLING. I'm obsessed how the costume department specifically adds visual cues to the boys' wardrobe depending on their emotional state.

We all know Charles' polo darkens when he goes through tough times, only returning to his original bright red after they're back from Hell. We understand that Edwin being in his Edwardian undergarments in the confession scene makes it so emotionally raw and vulnerable.

We don't see Edwin without his coat after they arrive in Port Townsend. There's the scene in the beginning when it's just him and Charles at home in their office, where we can see him without it. He can be his real self there, because he's safe and comfortable.

The heavy coat is Edwin's armor, a visual metaphora of the emotional walls he puts up against the world. He always wears it around Crystal.

Here, in the upstairs, where the topic of David upsets Edwin and he storms off.

Yet right after, we see him without it! I believe ghosts appearance may change to reflect their emotional state (or maybe Edwin just shucked it off, who knows)

It's a fantastic scene altogether but just by his clothes we can see that's he's being vulnerable with Crystal for the first time. I only noticed this detail now and I love it.

(In the next scene of making their plan together Edwin is still wearing this look. We can see they're not enemies anymore, but a team.)

7. When Crystal agrees and offers peace, Edwin actually *looks at Charles* for confirmation. He's out of his element here and needs his support. Charles is the one who knows how to hande people, so Edwin doesn't make any decisions before checking with him. Edwin only forgives Crystal when he sees Charles had approved of her.

(After he does, he glances back at Charles again, like he still needed that last bit of validation that he did the right thing.)

Their bond is so strong. There's always consideration for the other, whatever they do. The acting is also incredible.

Nonverbal communication has a huge role in this series, as much as the dialogue does. So many things are conveyed with just looks and sighs and the many close-up shots that make us emotionally connect with the characters.

8. Charles having beef with Monty right at the start will never not be funny. "Everyone likes me eventually." It's just a bird.

Even on top of the list of his day's heroic feats is "smack-talking a crow." I love him sm

+ As a bonus, look at this gorgeous shot of Charles with the neon light reflecting on his earring. Chef's kiss

[lou-struck]

Seat 14F

Atsumu Miya x reader

WC: 1.3k 

~You are peacefully getting ready for your flight home in your long awaited window seat until your talkative seat buddy arrives. 

A/n: I am having so much fun finishing some of these WIPS. I hope you enjoy this one.

The terminal beneath your feet echoes the hollow yet eager sound that is created by your footsteps. The beige hallway twists and turns until you see a fight attendant gesturing you into the cabin with a large red-lipsticked smile. 

“Welcome aboard,” he beams as you step onto the plane.

“Thank you.” You smile back and readjust the strap on your backpack so it’s tighter to your back and at less of a risk of smacking the others in the face as you pass them. Their crumpled boarding pass is in your hand as they make their way down the long aisle. They had only started boarding minutes ago, but already, you see people slumped in their seats, softly snoring into their neck pillows. 

You are in Seat 14F, a window seat. There is something so comforting about having an extra wall to lean up upon in case you were to find yourself drifting off on this flight. 

Your eyes scan the row makers as you pass,

Row 9, 10, 11, 13. 

Row 14 is completely empty as you come to a stop, sliding past the first two seats on the right-hand side of the plane and tucking your travel backpack underneath the seat in front of you to save yourself from a lecture from the flight attendant later. 

You feel your phone in your pocket as you sit down in your seat, which apparently can be used as a flotation device should the plane come down over a body of water. Knowing you’ll most likely forget to do it later, choose now to turn the device into airplane mode and slip it into the mesh netting in front of you for later. With your phone gone, you choose to entertain yourself by watching out the little oval window as airline workers load the bottom of the plane with everyone’s luggage. 

Peering at the little cart, you try to see if you can spot them loading the suitcases you checked. Your white plastic one and the other one…

“Well, isn’t this my lucky day?” a honeyed voice drawls from behind you. “Looks like I got myself a cute lookin seat, buddy.”

“What brings you here?” you ask, watching as a handsome man with faux-blond hair slides into the seat next to you. He unceremoniously slides a gray backpack underneath his seat before wasting no time in making himself at home. 

“14E,” they beam, flashing you their paper boarding pass. Already, the parchment is crumpled beyond recognition and speckled with droplets of what you assume to be coffee. 

You roll your eyes and send him a playful smile. “Atsumu, I printed that boarding pass for you less than an hour ago. How have you managed to beat it up so badly?”

“Who’s Atsumu?” he asks, cocking his head to the side in mock confusion, obviously wanting to keep flirting terribly with you for as long as he can. “I’m uhhh.” he scratches his head in thought, “Mr. Handsome Stranger.”

You sigh as he continues this little ruse of his. “Well then, Mr. Stranger, have a seat.” You place your earbuds into your ear and try to keep a look of disinterest on your face as you scroll through your downloaded podcast episodes. 

“It’s Mr. Handsome Stranger.” He pouts, his cheeks puffing out comically, and he sits down in the seat next to you. From the corner of your eye, you see him looking at you with the biggest puppy dog eyes he can muster. When they spot something shiny on your finger, they gleam, and you can practically see the cogs turning in that pretty head of his. 

“Well, that’s a real nice ring on yer finger,” he hums, leaning well into your personal space; now that he’s closer, you can smell the mint gum he’s chewing, and you can’t help but wonder if it’s his attempt to cover his coffee breath. 

“Thank you,” you sigh, shifting in your seat and admiring the gem yourself in the light of your small oval window. “I got it from my Fiance.”

“Not husband?” he winks, “I guess I still have a chance with you then.”

You laugh at his terrible flirting like the hypocrite you are. Because that same flirtiness that (unbeknownst to you) is causing the other passengers to cringe in their seats was able to ensnare you over two years ago.

“Is there a problem here?” the flight attendant from earlier comes over with a stern expression. Their eyes narrow when they see the way your goofy fiance is practically on top of you, fiddling with your engagement ring. They make eye contact with you, looking for any kind of discomfort in your expression. “Is he bothering you?”

Atsumu slides off of you and into his seat quickly. His cheeks flush pink in embarrassment. “I-it’s not what ya think.” he starts to explain but he is silenced by the commanding gloved hand of the flight attendant who you now think is one of your favorite people on earth. 

People are watching, listening, just waiting for the moment to step in and rescue you. If it wasn’t some big misunderstanding, you would feel that your faith in humanity was restored. 

But you’re not in any danger, so just for a moment, you may as well enjoy this little in-flight entertainment, 

“Sir, did you know it is a crime to interfere with the takeoff and departure of an aircraft?” they ask with a vicious customer service smile. “Is this behavior of yours really worth jail time?”

“Wha?” No, I was just messing around..” Atsumu says in a smaller voice. His tone pulls at your heartstrings, and you know you have to come to his aid. 

“Tsumu, I got this.” You murmur, placing a hand on his bicep as a grounding touch and giving your would-be hero a genuine smile. “I am so sorry about this; this doof is just my fiance. He likes to use those cheesy lines to make me laugh.”

They look between the two of you with a discerning glance before. “Do you promise?” they ask. 

“I promise.” you laugh, relieved that Atsumu is feeling a bit less freaked out now that he isn’t at risk of being dragged off the plane and thrown in jail for his cheesy pickup lines. 

“Here’s my lock screen.” the volleyball player adds, showing the attendant a picture of the two of you wrapped in each other’s arms after one of his games. “We’re together, I swear.”

“Awe, cute.” the attendant says, shutting the luggage compartment above your head. “Glad you’re not a creep. We are about to take off soon, so don’t forget to put that phone in airplane mode, hon.”

“R-right, thank ya.” he breathes his fingers, fumbling with his slightly cracked screen protector to switch his device. 

“I see; one moment, please,” they hum, turning and walking down the aisle away from seats 14 E and F, leaving the two of you rather confused at his sudden exit. 

They come back a few moments later and sneakily slides two prepackaged snack boxes over to you. The ones that are only available in first-class cabins. This sly gesture of good faith is very much appreciated by the two of you. 

“Thank ya,” Atsumu whispers happily, unwrapping his miniature charcuterie snack. 

“For what? The attendant asks, looking innocent. “You two enjoy the rest of your flight.” With that, they turned and left to do their pre-flight duties. Now alone, you and Atsumu lock eyes and fall into a fit of laughter. 

“Oooh, you almost got in trouble.” you tease, leaning your head against his shoulder.

 “What do ya think plane jail is like?” he hums, fiddling with your engagement ring. 

“Hmm, I don’t know,” you murmur. “It’s not too late to find out, though, if you want to call the flight attendant back.”

“Oh shuddup,” he chuckles, turning in his seat and kissing the crown of your head. “You wouldn’t do that to me; ya like my flirtin’ too much.”

“Whatever you say, baby.” You smile, prepared to spend the rest of your flight in the arms of the man you love. 

Tagging: @enchantedforest-network

[juleswrites223]

The Good, The Bad, and the Undead

Season 1: Episode 3

Context: The truth is out. You have to leave your humble abode behind. You run into a figure of your past, who was thought to be long dead.

1k

F1 apocalypse masterlist

"FERNANDO" You call out as you walk towards the man who has just arrived on his motorcycle, "We need to talk."

He all but grunts, he knows this conversation is inevitable, it must happen. After all, Fernando knows that you deserve to know the truth, he knows that even though you're young, you are smart and capable.

"Alright, can't keep you in the dark forever. Vayamos adentro (Let's go inside)." Fernando says.

Carlos and Charles are also called inside, as their sparring lesson comes to an end. You are all seated on the dining table, a thick air of tension is in the atmosphere, just waiting to be cut by someone. Fernando takes that step and begins,

"I have been telling you all the half truth." He pauses then continues, "Every time I go out, there have been more and more of these monsters, around our perimeter. We may need to leave soon or we'll be overrun."

You did have a rising suspicion that this may be the case but hearing it, you felt your stomach drop and disappointment seep in. You finally thought you wouldn't have to move anymore, finally a place you could call home. Should've known that in this world, home is nothing but a distant dream, you thought to yourself.

"Carlos, llévalos y sal a hacer compras, yo empacaré todas las municiones y cosas necesarias para el camino y será mejor que nos pongamos en marcha pronto (Carlos, take them and go out for a grocery run, i'll pack all ammo and stuff needed for the road and we better get moving soon)." Fernando instructs Carlos as you sit still thinking, mentally preparing yourself for the exhaustion that is to come in these days of travelling, reminiscing the horrifying memories of when you were on your own, fighting to survive and barely making it, if the two spanish men hadn't found you.

A tap on your arm gets you back to reality, it's Charles. He seems to notice your mood and the anxious look on your face. While Carlos goes to prepare the car and Fernando gone to pack all essentials for the road, you two are the only ones left at the table.

"You okay?" Charles asks you tentatively.

"I..." You are at a loss for words. You honestly don't know if you are okay. "I am just so tired Charles. I was by myself for quite some time moving from place to place in some hope of finding someone alive. I would have died if they had not found me."

"Listening to you, I can't help think of what my little brother is going through. Hell I don't even know if he's alive, I just want to find him." Charles says wearily, putting his head in his hands.

You put your hand on his back soothingly and envelope him in a hug, in hopes of comforting him. Before you can say something, you're interrupted by Carlos, "Get ready. We have to leave so-" He pauses a moment analysing the position you and Charles are in,"Am I interrupting something?" He says through gritted teeth in hopes of hiding his burning jealousy.

You guys part and get up from your chairs. "I'll get my sword." You say as you leave the two men alone, with tension brewing in the air to which you are oblivious to. As you take your katana and come downstairs to see the two men still waiting.

The car is so silent and you can definitely sense the tension between the two men now.

"Soooo..." You begin but you're not sure of what to say.

"So?" They both say at the same time.

"Do you reckon we'll run into someone alive on the road?" You ask.

Carlos speaks up first, "It would be unlikely, if people are alive they would likely be hiding. I mean no one would be stupid enough to be roaming around."

You and Charles silently agree to his words. They're likely dead or zombies, you both think dejectedly to yourselves.

As you arrive to the desolate gas station, while Carlos is keeping watch and filling up gas in the car, you and Charles go inside to scavenge for food items.

When you're done, you suddenly hear a some commotion outside. You guys carefully go outside to find Carlos with a gun pointed towards him, the man, with shoulder length blond hair who is pointing the gun, has his back faced to you. You indicate to Charles to pull out his gun but stay hidden as you quickly pull out your katana, tread lightly towards the man and place the sharp blade right in front of neck, lightly nicking the man's throat.

"If you even attempt to move, I will slice your throat." You threaten the man.

He seems to be muttering something in german and you get a strong sense of familiarity from this man.

You feel as though you know him but how?

"Schatz is that you?" The man says.

Your eyes widen, there's only one man who calls you that, a man you thought was long dead.

"Seb?" That's all you can say as you drop your sword on the ground.

The man, Seb, turns around and you quickly envelop him in a hug. He reciprocates the action. You start to break down and soak his blue shirt with your tears. While Charles comes out of his hiding place, he and Carlos both are staring at you and this Seb.

Who is this man and what is his relation with you?

Taglist: @thefuckwasmyname @sam-f1 @authentiqsunsets @fefa-la-printcessa @ameliashideout @neilakk

[charlotte-of-wales]

"Royal Family persuaded Queen to end her days at Balmoral"

Princess Royal discloses Elizabeth II feared making life difficult if she died in Scotland

by Hannah Furness, Royal Editor

The late Queen was persuaded to spend her final days at Balmoral as she and the Royal family made preparations for her death, it has emerged.

Queen Elizabeth II had initially feared "it would make things more difficult" if she died at her beloved Scottish home, the Princess Royal has disclosed. Her family eventually convinced her to put her own comfort before her concern for others after a lifetime of duty.

Speaking of her mother's last days in a BBC documentary about the coronation of King Charles III, the Princess described how the family had tried to persuade her that practical issues "shouldn't be part of the decision-making process".

It is the first time the Royal family has spoken of arrangements for the late Queen's death.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral in Scotland on Sept 8 last year, aged 96, after reigning 70 years.

She had extended her annual summer stay at the Aberdeenshire estate, where the Prime Minister asked to travel to Scotland to spare her the journey back to Buckingham Palace for what turned out to be her final engagement.

Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had visited Balmoral over the summer, as concern for her health grew. The Duke of Sussex and his family did not make the trip, having fears over their security.

At the time, the palace described the Queen as having "episodic mobility problems", with a series pf cancelled engagements in early 2022 giving way to a peaceful summer without expectation she would appear in public.

In September, she invited Liz Truss, her 15th prime minister, to form a government from Balmoral, breaking with a lifetime of holding the audience in London or Windsor. Then, it was said the Queen had been advised not to travel, with plans for Boris Johnson and Ms Truss to make the 1,000-mile round trip to Scotland instead.

Now, speaking in the documentary, the Princess Royal has paid loving and characteristically practical tribute to her mother.

"We always enjoyed being at Balmoral", she says in a programme to be broadcast on Boxing Day. "We spent a lot of time there in our youth and a lot of it was probably a more independent life than anywhere else. I think there was a moment where she felt it would be more difficult if she died at Balmoral. I think we did try to persuade her that that shouldn't be part of the decision-making process. So I hope she felt that was right in the end, because we did".

The Princess was the only member of the Royal family to be at Balmoral when it became clear the Queen was entering her final hours.

The then Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall made an emergency journey from Dumfries House in Ayrshire, with other senior members of the family arriving after she had died.

Speaking of the moment at St. George's Chapel when the Crown Jeweller removed the crown, orb and scepter from her coffin, the Princess told BBC One programme Charles III: The Coronation Year: "When he takes the crown off the coffin, I rather weirdly felt a sense of relief. Somehow that's it, finished. That responsibility being moved on".

Speaking of her brother, who became King instantly, she added: "To be honest, I'm not sure that anybody can really prepare themselves for that kind of change. At least no easily. And then the change happens and you go OK, I know need to get on with it".

The documentary will share behind-the-scenes footage of the King's preparation for his Coronation in May.

The Princess Royal is the only member of the Royal family to be interviewed on camera. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh appear in footage, with no sign of the Duke of Sussex or Duke of York.

[mythserene]

I've been rereading The Beatles' sections of Cellarful of Noise in between re-listening to the episode while I make a ring, and I disagree with Phoebe that “[Brian] also seems to be offering a bit of a mea culpa" in his version of the story, because I don't think there's a way to read this anecdote as anything other than Brian using it as an example of how he messed up early on by showing favoritism, leading to Paul getting upset and himself overreacting and all of them missing a show... and then calming down, them working it out, and Brian picking everyone back up at their homes to play the last show. (Happy ending.)

So it's more than a bit of a mea culpa.

I mean the thesis statement is, “I have no favorites among the Beatles and this they realize now, but it wasn't always so.”

I have no favorites among the Beatles and this they realize now, but it wasn't always so. A manager dealing with a close-knit foursome has to be as fair as and as cautious as a father of four children. And one night very early in my management of the Beatles this was brought home to me with an unpleasant thump.

It neither acquits nor condemns Paul for being late because the point of the story—bookended by others about the other Beatles—is the different personalities and bumps in the road with each one. (Except George, who he says he's never argued with.)

They're all, essentially, “we can work it out” stories.

The next example is the story of John in the studio telling him, "We'll make the records. You just go on counting your percentages,” and how Brian left the studio afterwards “in a sullen rage” and never got an apology.

"We'll make the records. You just go on counting your percentages." And he meant it. I was terribly annoyed and hurt because it was in front of all the recording staff and the rest of the Beatles. We all looked at one another and felt uncomfortable and John turned away, indicating that there was no apology coming. I left the studios in a sort of sullen rage.

Ringo's anecdote seems worse than Paul's, or at least as bad. (And a train is involved again.)

It was January and the Beatles were due to tackle a country in which —compared to, say, Scandinavia or Germany, they were an unknown quantity. Therefore I was anxious to make a good initial impact. This can be achieved, and the U.S. trip proved it, at the arrival airport.

But fog descended over Liverpool and Ringo Starr could not leave for London to catch the connecting aircraft to Paris. The other Beatles and I and a score of journalists were in London when we heard the news. Naturally I was very disappointed that three Beatles instead of four would descend the steps at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. I telephoned Liverpool and asked Ringo to catch the train so that he could join up in Paris as soon as possible.

He refused, possibly because he believed that a Beatle shouldn't travel by train, and said he would catch the first available plane. I didn't want this because I didn't trust the weather and I said so.

I said, "Ringo, I have never asked you to do anything especially for me before," and he replied: "Oh yes you have. You know bloody well you are always asking me to do things— to see the press, or travel for this or that. I'm not doing it and if you don't like it you can do the other thing." ...

Why was Ringo trying to sabotage Brian?? (Could it be because of Stu?) 🤔

...I was very angry and when, eventually, he arrived in Paris there was quite an atmosphere. But sulking has no place in a group like the Beatles and with just a couple of meaningful looks and a grin, all was well. And, as with other difficulties, a frank talk helped.

But all the little stories end with them understanding each other better and a compliment for the Beatle he's telling a Bump-in-the-Road story about.

Which is, of course, how his Paul story ends:

This was the only time any one of the Beatles refused to play and it could never happen now. But it was not the only time one or more of the Beatles fell out with me. It would not be normal or reasonable to expect four artistic men to glide through life without a clash of views, and although rows are rare, they happen.

So, Brian's takeaway is that “a manager dealing with a close-knit foursome has to be as fair as and as cautious as a father of four children.”

But Lewisohn's takeaway is:

John saw a bigger picture, and it would be surprising if it wasn’t equally obvious, or made obvious, to Brian and George. He likened Paul’s enduring snag with Brian to his other long-standing difficulty: “[Brian] and Paul didn’t get along—it was a bit like [Stuart and Paul] between the two of them.”

Inevitably, this wouldn’t be the only dispute to arise between Brian and a Beatle in their years together, but it is one of the few to be known, and its timing is telling. Brian devoted more than a page to it in his autobiography, saying how “worried, angry and upset” he was.

What?

One of the few to be known except the other two on the very next pages??

John causes Brian to storm out of the studio in a “sullen rage” and with Ringo he was “very angry” and there was “an atmosphere.” But Lewisohn makes it sound like Brian singled Paul out to tell this one story, so it must be a big deal.

I thought I had a very quick point to make, but somehow the moment you start to unravel any part of this you discover it's like a bottomless plate of spaghetti. (I should probably say, “the moment I start to unravel...” but from listening to the podcast I feel pretty confident that I am not alone in this.)

But at some point you just have to cut it off.

💡 🌚

[justin-chapmanswers]

Hello Mr.Chapman!

I wanted to bring this to your attention with the newest episode! I loved it, it was very good! however, there was this one scene that rubbed me and a bunch of other disabled people in the community the wrong way.

The scene with bot and telling Cabby the wrong information about them and then asking Cabby to not write anything down felt very off,, as someone who suffers bad memory loss from amnesia and such and tends to write things down to remember really threw me and a bunch of others off! i’m really hoping you and the team can bring this up and talk about it and listen to us on this topic! it would mean a lot to me and the other disabled people in the community ❤️

Hello!

Sorry for the delayed response to this conversation, we've all been traveling and I just arrived back home. But yes! Received a lot of questions regarding this here on Tumblr (as well as positive messages that I super-appreciate but of course this deserves to be addressed first), and I definitely want to hit on it before I get swept away again.

Thank you (and everyone!) for all of your messages regarding this topic. I have been reading and ingesting so much of this conversation and am very glad for everyone who's spoken up on the topic. I understand there had been debate regarding what's right and what's wrong with this angle of the Bot-Cabby story, and Cabby's depiction as a whole, but I'd like to put all the comments on the side of "I don't see it that way because xyz" to the side for the purpose of this post (although I appreciate your perspective as well, especially those who personally connect to the material).

I do want to start the dive-in with a sorry to who felt overwhelmed by this conversation as a whole, because clearly elements within the writing could have been tweaked and we wouldn't be needing to have this conversation. But absolutely a good one to have, anyway, because the show's history has been far from perfect in this regard. And, even more-so, want to say sorry to anyone who felt personally hurt by anything in the episode that read as ableist. While this was far from any intention, it certainly lead to plenty of hurt.

I figure I'll try to lay out as much of this conversation as I can, so it's clean and transparent all in one place, but of course feel free to keep the conversation going. It shouldn't end with me, whether that's more asks here or in your own circles.

I'll start with intentions within the writing regarding the more common talking points of the episode, and then hit on where things could have been corrected in execution. As Anonymous noted earlier, there's the segment where Bot presents Cabby with incorrect information. Understandably, leading a lot of people to feel uncomfortable with how this affects Cabby, who has difficulty with information. On my end, this was never really desired for this to come across as good normal healthy behavior. With the queer narrative in mind, Bot is insecure and uses this as a device to cope with their stress over being put under a microscope while they're still learning to feel confident. And have a Bow file in front of them. Hence Bot rejecting open-communication about Test Tube, offered by Cabby early on, to continuing to make outlandish claims about themself, as well as opening up authentically with true statements once they felt that safety and connection that they've needed. Starting the two off in a really rough place, and eventually getting the two to hear each other a little better and start communicating more healthily.

But does that make it any more comfortable to watch when you have Cabby's history in mind? Probably not. Perhaps out of all criticisms that had been laid out, this is the only one that I had not considered coming up in the many months since this episode's been written, until episode release. No excuse, that's on me. I think a lot of it was softened in my head by the fact that Bot had been completely unaware of all Cabby goes through, and that when Bot finally gains some insight, they soften up towards Cabby. I've seen others levy that note in these discussions, but ultimately it's not my place to say. I completely see now why this can be discomforting, especially in its presentation as being doing in such a light playful manner, no matter whether or not it was intended to be seen as a flaw that is fixed in the context of the episode.

There's also the other note that Anonymous mentioned here, regarding Bot telling Cabby to not write anything down. Intentions aren't too different are exciting, all very similar to last time regarding queer insecurity, Bot not understanding Cabby's situation, and the goal for the episode being to show they start in an unhealthy place and land in a good one. I think where a lot of that falters, were that to be the right starting place for the story at all (and understandable if you argue that it shouldn't have been) is not giving Cabby more support before the end of the episode to show that Bot understands them as much as Cabby gets to prove she's gotten to understand Bot.

There was initially space given to that in the episode but to try to tighten things a bit, we figured it'd be okay to hold onto that since there's still time to explore that. But I've given the advice before, even within the II team, to make sure that these types of issues conclude within the context of the episode as to not give any wrong ideas as-to what the takeaway should be. Unfortunately, I overlooked my own advice this time around. I do like the moments given to Bot and Cabby to show that they have learned to support one-another after learning about each other on an intimate level, but I think it's important to vocalize what these understandings are more explicitly.

Aaaaand also in general I've been wishing that I had made that moment a little softer, were it to be there at all. Between script completion and episode release I'm always poking holes in what I've written, especially as I watch it go from page to screen and things may get adapted in ways I didn't (but often should have) anticipated. That line in particular I've found to be pretty harsh in vibe for a while now, so we're on the same page. If it had to be a beat, I think something softer and more communicative could have been helpful. I do think it's fair for Bot to want to put up boundaries, but it could have been an open dialogue on the subject.

The thought then was that while Bot has discomfort with Cabby, due to their difficult history, they would offer Cabby an alternative accommodation via a more healthy form of communication and repetition that could then work as a compromise. But yeah, completely see why that's also a point of iffiness too, as the files are the intended accommodation. This was all less intended to be another finger-wag at Cabby's files in the way that was presented before Cabby returned to the game, but more-so to highlight how difficult the subject is for Bot. But the way that this could ignite both side of the coin should've been accounted for.

On a similar note, there was another point brought up in a separate ask-

"did she really have to us her file as a ramp? i hope that this isn’t going to go into the direction of ‘oh she’s cured now!’"

Similar to above, it's another case of me mentally prioritizing the story of Bot for their concluding-ish episode and their bond with Cabby, as opposed to Cabby as an individual. I had a visual in mind for a very long time of the Bow file crushed at the end of Bot's journey without any intention of it reflecting on how Cabby uses files, but rather about Bot feeling more comfortable in their robotic skin and others understanding them as an individual.

That is to say, no, there was never any intention that this would indicate that Cabby is done with using her files to collect information for better-navigating their life, and for her broader love of information-gathering. it is just to say, whether correct or not to implement, that they understand Bot's boundaries and see why having a Bow file for Bot can be seen as distasteful, now that they better understand who Bot is. Cabby still has the files, and there's always been every desire to continue to shed light on her story and perspective in the future. And now, with more consideration.

An aside, I suppose, but I do love Cabby. One of my favorites, always has been. In every episode I've written with her in which she is a notable character so far (10, 11, 14), I've wanted to lean into exploring how Cabby navigates difficult social scenarios in which, no matter how strained it may be at the start, we land in a place of others learning to see the plentiful good in her and/or show that they're willing to stick by her side wholeheartedly. With the Indefinite Islanders, Yin-Yang, Bot, etc. I say all of this to try to clarify that I've never had any intention of vilifying Cabby, and I'm really sorry to all of those who connect closely to her who feel as though I was trying to make her out to be a bad person. Again, although the intention was never negative, it's the outcome that matters most- so I am sorry.

And I'm not looking for anyone to write to me "great, all good now, all forgiven" or anything. I'm just looking to continue an important conversation. I know even before the episode's release, there's been plenty of this discussion here on Tumblr, which I am appreciative to have been able to look through and analyze as thoroughly as I can to understand every angle.

But yes, thanks for bearing through this long block of text. If anything comes across as messy, apologies, running on two or three or so hours of sleep, but I am happy to hit on anything that needs clarification or other elements later after work. I don't see myself making any big posts like this again soon, but at the very very least I'll read over what's sent in the ask box as always.

While I'm good with any and all continued conversation, my only request is that you all please just go easy on the rest of the crew. It's been a very emotionally-intense last few weeks, and a lot of the team is just in an overwhelmed state at the moment for a thousand different reasons. They're all trying their best to do and handle everything. But it can be a lot, especially when it's dealing with the Internet, and when it's thousands of voices screaming in your direction all at once. Thank you!

[sinkingteethinwhitenoise]

Loving You Easy - Nick Folio (18+)

Pairing: Nick Folio x fem!Reader

Warnings: SMUT 18+ MDNI, Fluff, Kissing, Fingering, Nipple Play, Unprotected p in v

Word Count: 1.6k

Notes: This is just a late ass Valentine's Day one shot. Sorry it's so late. ): Credit to @cafekitsune for the dividers.

It wasn’t Nick’s fault. You knew that. But you couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. What person in a relationship wouldn’t be if they had to spend Valentine’s Day alone? You knew he couldn’t control when the tour ended, travel time, and unexpected flight delays. That didn’t mean you weren’t allowed to be upset, though. 

The plan for your very lonely Valentine’s Day was originally to just rot in bed, watch movies, and order takeout. However, your friends seemed to have other plans. About halfway through your first movie of the day, the group chat you had with your friends started blowing up as they began to plan a Galentines outing. They decided on a plan in record time, and then began to practically beg you to come out with them. You figured that it would be better to get out and hang out with your friends instead of wallowing in your own self pity; so you agreed.

Apparently, one of your friends managed to score a 6 o’clock reservation at one of the best Italian restaurants in town. You decided not to question how they managed that on such short notice, instead finishing your movie and watching a few episodes of your comfort show to kill time until you had to get ready. 

By the time 5:30 rolled around, you were all dolled up in your cutest little red dress. Your hair and makeup were done to perfection. Well, as close to perfection as you could get it. After a quick once over in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place, you were off. You made it to the restaurant about ten minutes early. Strangely, there was no sign of your friends when you arrived. They had said they would wait outside of the restaurant, and while there were people waiting outside, you didn’t know any of them. 

As you scanned the crowd with your eyes, you felt a tap on your shoulder. Expecting to see one of your friends, you spun around. When your eyes met the person before you, your jaw dropped and your eyes welled up with tears. There before you stood Nick, who wasn’t supposed to be back until sometime tomorrow, in slacks and a dress shirt, holding a single red rose. Without saying anything, you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tight. He held you close with a nearly suffocating grip. 

“How are you here?” you asked him, in awe. “I thought your flight got delayed.”

“I was able to get on a different flight,” he explained, pulling back from the hug. “I had your friends cover for me so I could surprise you.”

You held his face in your hands. “I missed you so much,” you breathed, leaning in to kiss him. 

“I missed you too, darlin’,” he murmured against your lips. 

The kiss was slow, sweet, and soft. It was filled with so much love that you started to feel like you were floating. When you pulled away, you delicately dabbed at your eyes so as to not ruin your makeup with unshed happy tears. Nick finally handed you the red rose he’d brought for you and you took it with a smile. He then wrapped an arm around you and led you into the restaurant.

The moment the two of you got home, your hands were all over each other. Nick’s lips moved against yours eagerly. His hands gripped your ass and began to knead at the flesh through the fabric of your dress as you worked to unbutton his dress shirt. Once it was unbuttoned, you slid it down his shoulders. He moved his hands to shrug it the rest of the way off, then his hands were right back on you. They started at your hips this time and moved their way up and onto your back until his fingertips hit the zipper of your dress. 

“This dress is fucking beautiful,” he murmured. “But it would look so much better on the floor.” With that, he unzipped the garment and you let it fall to the floor. The cool air hit your bare breasts and caused your nipples to pebble. He took a moment to look over your body, fully take in the sight of you standing only in your panties in front of him. A groan sounded from the back of his throat. “Fuck,” he breathed. “You’re so fucking beautiful. I missed you so much.” He pulled you flush to him and kissed you again, all eagerness and need. 

You whimpered against his lips as your nipples brushed up against his warm, flushed chest. Your hands found their way into his hair, gripping it as he sucked on your tongue. You felt his hands slide to the backs of your thighs. “Jump,” he mumbled on your lips. You did as he said, your legs wrapping around his waist as he held you up and carried you to the bedroom. 

Nick placed you on the bed gently and kissed down your neck. He sucked at the spot that he knew would get you squirming, reveling in your whimpers and the way your breath hitched. Once there was a deep purple mark decorating your neck, he kissed down to your chest. He took one of your pert nipples into his mouth and sucked at it, running his tongue around it. He used his hand to play with and pinch at the other. Your back arched and soft moans escaped your lips. 

He looked up at you as he released your nipple with a soft pop and ran his tongue across it. “So sensitive,” he teased. “That feel good, baby?” 

“Mhm,” you whined, nodding your head, your bottom lip pulled between your teeth.

He switched to your other breast and swirled his tongue around the nipple. “How about we use our words?” he hummed before taking your other nipple in his mouth, sucking just like he did to the other. 

“Feels s’good,” you whined, involuntarily grinding your hips upwards. 

He groaned into your skin and began to move his hand from your breast down your body, his fingertips ghosting down your stomach on their way to where you needed him most. He ran a finger through your folds and immediately moaned, popping off of your nipple once again. “Baby,” he groaned. “You’re fucking soaked.” Before you could even respond, he plunged two fingers inside of you. 

You gasped and let out a trembling moan as he immediately started to scissor and curl his fingers inside of you. He pressed his lips to yours and sloppily kissed you as his fingers worked inside of you. You mewled into his mouth as his palm continuously bumped against your clit. He swallowed every sound you made while you clenched around his fingers. 

“You close, doll?” he murmured on your lips. 

“Mhm,” you whined into his mouth. 

“Go ‘head,” he whispered. “Come all over my fingers. You can do it, baby.”

You clamped down on his fingers like a vice, nearly sobbing as you reached your peak. Your back arched off the bed and he slowed his pace to let you ride out your orgasm. “There ya go,” he hummed. “Good job, doll.”

You whimpered when he finally removed his fingers. He brought them up to his mouth and sucked them clean, moaning at the taste. “You wanna taste yourself?” he asked with a smirk. When you nodded in response, he pressed his lips to yours once more, slowly kissing you and slipping his tongue into your mouth. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against yours. “Tastes good, huh?” he murmured, lips turned up into a small smile. 

“Yeah,” you breathed out, staring into those big brown eyes. “Nick,” you whispered. “I need you inside of me. Please.” 

“Yeah? You want it?” 

“I need it.” 

He sat up enough to get his pants and boxers off, then he lined himself up at your entrance. He slowly began to push inside, groaning once he was all the way in. “Fuuuck,” he moaned. He leaned down to capture your lips in another kiss as he began to thrust, deep and slow. 

Your back arched off of the bed as he buried himself inside of you, his hips flush to your ass. He began to grind into you while staying completely inside of you, hitting that deepest spot with each movement. He pressed his forehead to yours, “Look at me, doll.” 

You opened your eyes to look into his, whimpering with each thrust of his hips and forcing your eyes to stay open. “S’good,” you whined breathlessly. “I love you s’much.”

“Fuck,” he grunted. “I love you too, baby. So fucking much.” He began to pant as he got closer and closer to his peak, which was coming a lot faster than it would have had he not been away from you for so long. 

His rhythm began to falter and you wrapped your legs around his waist, keeping him in place. “Want you to come in me,” you breathed. You were close to your own orgasm as well, your walls fluttering around him. 

“Oh fuck,” he nearly whimpered. “I-I’m coming, oh fuck.” He made sure he was as deep as he could be as he spilled rope after rope of hot cum inside of you, moaning throughout his climax. “Fuck, I love you,” he moaned out. 

The feeling of him coming undone inside of you triggered your second orgasm of the night. Your nails raked down his back and your eyes rolled back, chanting his name as you spasmed around him, milking him dry. Once he pulled out, he quickly went to get something to clean you both up and hurried back. He gently cleaned you, careful not to do anything that would overstimulate you. Then, he laid next to you and pulled you close. You felt at home in each other's arms. And fell asleep feeling safe and loved.

[lol-jackles]

Walker episode 11 review

For the last two episodes I theorized Cordell was setting himself up as bait in order for his team to catch the Jackal who eluded them for 5 years.  It's why he won't loop them in, especially Cassie, because of course they would never go along with the hairbrained plan.  But I'll have to wait for the next episode to see if I'm right as this episode takes an unique approach (for this show) by taking place mostly in the beautiful nightmare that Cordell is trapped in where Emily and Hoyt are alive, their two families intact and happy, yet also emotionally charged and distant.

The reunion between Cordell and Emily is done to the soundtrack of mournful melodic strings that made me think of Ireland against the ocean's cold wave. Disclaimer, I've never been to Ireland.

It's August's graduation day and Cordell and Emily arrive at the farmhouse where everybody is, including Stella and August who didn't travel with their parents.  A call back to the start of the season when Cordell's worried about "the quiet' with his kids were already out of house or on their way out.  

Cordell asks Liam, who arrived from New York City, if he knows why Stella isn't talking to him.  In the real world, Cordell went looking for his wayward daughter before he was abducted by the Jackal.  Liam brushes off Cordell's concern and gives him a disgusting-looking smoothie to drink, a concoction that the Jackal feeds his paralyzed victims.  The front door of the farmhouse opens on its own and Abbie complains that the unseen dogs will get out.  In the real world the Rangers find Cordell's motel room containing files of the Jackal's first victim. The ranger figure he must have been grabbed as he was leaving through the door.  Back in the dream world, Cordell walks through the door and spots a shirt on the ground (is it his?) and he's immediately grabbed from behind by Hoyt.  While it's a callback to season 1's reunion between them, the tone of the scene plays differently, telling us that the Jackal must have ambushed Cordell from behind.  Then Hoyt says Stella is Cordell because she's "not here".  

Que title card, which is done inverse of its usual color.

We are treated to the first scene of Abbie, Emily, and Geri together cleaning mushrooms from Abbie's famous secret mushroom hunts.  Emily is sad and doesn't want to face with what comes after.  Cordell overhears from another room and is surprised by how emotional Emily is over August's impending graduation, which reflects Cordell's own quiet dread over his youngest child leaving home.

The scene switches to Cordell and Bonham playing a poker game using chips Emily gifted him before her death. But Cordell is distracted because he's forgotten something important.  Bonham tells him to retrace his step and Emily is frustrated that he doesn't look at his "what if" list and says she tired over doing everything herself.  Cordell asked if he had taken her for granted.  They're facets of Cordell's identities talking to him, perhaps Cordell is tired of trying to be there for what everyone needs.  The front door opens by itself and Emily complains that the still unseen dogs are going to get out.  

When ever Cordell asks what is wrong, the front door opens.  Twice when Cordell goes through the door he finds Hoyt, who remenist when he was a lad he came to the ranch on Abbie insistence during a time when Cordell supposedly didn't know he was there, though Cordell must have known because this is his mind.  Abbie told Hoyt how Cordell holds on to the quiet, which Cordell insists he never told his mother.  Of course Abbie and Hoyt knew, he is Abbie and Hoyt in the dream world.  Abbie kept telling him that he "doesn't have to be here" while Bonham is being sassy, again facets of Cordell's personality as we never seen Bonham be sassy, just Cordell.

Hoyt says he will ask Geri to marry him because she deserves the best, which Cordell agrees that she deserves the best though not necessarily agreeing about the two of them marrying.  I don't think Cordell wants to marry Geri just yet, they barely moved in together before he freaked out over the missing shirt gift by the late Emily.

Liam joins Hoyt and Cordell, bringing drinks.  More food by the Jackal?  After Bonham, Liam is behaving very un-Liam like.  He's distant and also focused on the present.  Liam says, "it's time to go" and Hoyt claps his hands, and the scene switches to the Jackal clapping over an unconscious Cordell to test his awareness.  Immediately afterwards they arrive for August's graduation ceremony taking place at Ranger HQ.  Stella is in near tears, unsure she could be brave as her father, whom she misses so much.  Stella is the only one not wearing black and instead wears a bright red dress. The auditorium type room is flanked by rows of potted plants which represent the forest where he's being buried in the real world.  We see from Cordell's pov from the ground as Hoyt and Sadie studies him from overhead and complains about underestimating the length of the grave to accommodate Cordell's tall stature. Me: Ha I knew it, Jackal had a partner which was why 1) he/they were never caught and 2) of course it takes two of them to capture Cordell. 

Cordell sees August on stage and for a moment Cordell thought he missed his son's graduation. There's been an underlying fear of missing August's graduation through the episode like when he missed Stella's graduation because he was abducted by Grey Flags.  

Me: Oh that's right, bad guys are kidnapping Cordell right before his children's graduation. Once was bad enough but twice? Stella and August are going to feel like curses to their father.

August is trying to hold back tears as he gives an eulogy while Cordell, flanked by the late Hoyt and late Emily, watches with growing denial as the scene changes into his funeral.  August talks about his father's love for Shakespeare, a call back to season 1 and 2.  I'm convinced if Lindsay hadn't left, the show would have expanded on the Shakespear reference in Cordell and Linday's banter.  Emily passes out rosemary flowers to everyone for remembrance, earlier Emily asks Cordell to remember his "what if" list.

All the characters in Cordell's dream have to act like their real-world counterparts, but also not like their real-world counterparts because they're actually facets of him.  Emily and Hoyt are most like their characters, likely because they're dead.  I debated if they are really Emily and Hoyt visiting Cordell from the afterlife because he's close to death.  They interacted with the rest of the Walker clan to give him strength through them: Stella "my love" is told she is brave, August finds strength in his emotion, Abbie and Geri told everything will be alright, that Geri deserves the best - because Cordell deserves the best and he needs to know everything will be alright when his kids fly the coop and sometimes he's tired of being the one who is supposed to be there for everyone but feeling he has failed them.

Cordell sees his black casket covered with blood-red roses, the same color as Stella's dress.  In the real world, the Rangers are searching the forest and Luna finds an empty shallow grave.  He calls Cassie to say Cordell must have been moved from the grave, so not only is he near but still alive.   Luna and Cassie celebrate too early and Luna gets attacked from behind.

Cordell and Emily are left alone together. He opens the casket only to find it empty.  Emily pleads for him to wake up, but he rather be with her.  Dirt begins to fall on him, which doesn't seem to bother him.  Emily says, "He's right there". James, Trey, and Cassie arrives at the now-filled grave and Luna no where to be found.  James and Trey dig Cordell up as Cassie follows a blood trail to look for Luna.  Trey, putting his military medic skill to use, gives an antidote to Cordell and his first words are "He's right there". 

James stays with Cordell while Trey runs, following Cassie's screams upon finding Luna on the ground, bleeding. She cradles Luna as he appears to die in her arms against the same mournful melodic strings music when Cordell was reunited with his late wife.

Score: 8.5 out of 10. I point deduction for Cordell not saving himself.  Half point deduction for giving Cassie the Sam Winchester treatment and killing off her boyfriends two seasons in the row.  If the next episode says Cordell set himself as bait, then I'll return a point.

ETA: speculation - Cordell set himself up as bait by using the first victim's profile, which acts as a kind of notification alert to the Jackals. My guess is the Jackals killed bunch of unconnected random people to hide their true target and hence why they can't be found. Back in 2002, John Allen Muhammad wanted to kill his ex wife so went on a sniper killing spree in DC, killing 17 people, with the intent to make his ex wife look like just one of many random victims and he will remain undiscovered. It was almost a fluke that he was discovered sleeping in a rest stop.

[moirindeclermont]

Today's episode, "All Polin First Times We Didn't See " is brought to you by the lovely request of @spaceorphan18 on Tumblr, who asked me for the first time outside England.

The first place they stay for more than a couple of days is Paris, and Colin is practically vibrating with excitement while showing everything he loves about the city. Pen, bless her, matches his enthusiasm, endlessly curious about the place—and the people he met, as well as all his adventures. They arrived just last afternoon, taking the rest of the day and the night to rest. Today was all about exploring, but finally, they were back at the place they were staying.

They eat dinner quietly, but their quiet is of electrical quality. Both were too tired to do anything last night, and they were travelling for several days before their arrival, meaning besides kisses and stolen touches, they haven't been intimate since leaving Mayfair. Adding to that, the walls were thin in this place, so thin they could listen to the remarkable performance of the couple next to them. Their passion evoked shivers down their back.

The servants bring the dessert; by now, Penelope knows how to spur her husband. She eats slowly, looking Colin in the eyes. The spoon she is using gets a lavish treatment that Pen would prefer to reserve for something more alive... but all in good time because she knows that Colin absolutely can not resist the combination of Pen plus food. She closes her eyes and enjoys the decadent taste of the confectionary when she hears a chair, and a moment later, Colin is standing right next to her.

"Are you still hungry, husband?" she asks, hoping he will do what she discovers she loves to do. Colin must be on her same wavelength, as usual, because he takes the spoon out of her hand and presses something else again in her small hand. Yes, exactly what she wanted. "Yes, Colin -- I'm still hungry. Can you help me?" And Colin - her sweet husband, bites back a moan at her words and then actually moans when he sees her moving around, fumbling with his pants.

It takes a moment to free him, but then she has him in her hands. "I fear I might be growing addicted to your taste, husband," she says before taking the tip in her mouth. She isn't lying. She has felt addicted since the first time they did this, and now they are in Paris, and she seems she cannot stay a couple of days without him inside her mouth - and her centre as well.

While she pleasures Colin, her other hand goes to herself, taking some time on her breasts and her core. She doesn't want to wait. Pen thanks whatever deity she can remember. She forgoes a stay tonight, meaning she can lower her neckline to reveal her breasts, knowing Colin would not miss the chance to tease her. As on cue, Colin whispers a "bloody brilliant Pen" before touching her.

She takes her mouth away from him, looking at him from her position. "Would you like to take me to this table, Colin?" He doesn't even answer. He helps her get to her feet, lifts her skirt, and makes her sit on the table's edge—a moment after he is inside her, finally. "Be loud, Pen," he says as he moves. She knows he has entered them in a competition to be the loudest against their neighbours.

She should scold him, but she doesn't care, not when he is giving her exactly what she wants. She feels carefree as he pushes inside her, and she follows him with her hips. She is loud. Louder than she ever was back at home, but something about this moment compels her to give it all to him. "Fuck, Pen", almost shouts Colin when she squeezes him with her core, something they discover makes him go feral.

It's a matter of minutes, and then Colin comes on her stomach. She spurs him on by taking a finger and tasting his release. "Why don't you take your dessert?" she says after sucking the finger in her mouth, and Colin is practically drooling at this point, going on his knees and touching her with his finger and mouth until she is coming once, then twice. Then, he smiles and crooks his fingers inside her, making her gush out. Colin loves making her release like that.

The place is now dead silent; only their breaths fill the space. Colin claims they won the competition, smirking. "And this is nothing," he says, a bit drunk on her. He lifts her and brings her to their bedroom, disrobing both. "Colin, I think I want to go to that place you mentioned... the one dedicating to those parties you mentioned in your journal," and he looks at her, stunned. "Really?" Pen nods, shy.

"Let's talk about it tomorrow, what do you say?" She smiles, and they both get under the covers. Pen caresses his chest for a few moments before falling asleep. He quickly follows her while thinking about what she said.

(Part 2 tomorrow)

[soothinglee]

even if my heart stops beating⏤✰

seungmin x reader | 1.6k✔︎

my notes⎯ hello everyone ! I know it's been a while since I've actually wrote something ! I actually got hit by a bus! yeah I had to sue this company called "writers block" and I finally got a settlement! (also happy new year!) I recently (like a week ago) got into Kpop, specifically Stray Kids ! I've read some fan fictions (shameless) about some of my favorites and got inspo to write one! thank you @soobnny . also I haven't wrote anything in a while so i'm a little rusty, i'll be as good as new soon!

warning⎯ mentions of vomit (used as word vomit) and crying.

genre⎯ angst to comfort.✔︎

songs⎯ six feet under; billie eilish | pretty boy; the neighborhood

the old rusted clock that came with the condo you and seungmin bought sits perched on the top of the fridge. Its old, wooden frame slowly caves in on itself as time goes on.

not even an hour or two ago you had happily entered your home to start cooking dinner, not even worrying about showering first because you were so excited to have dinner with your boyfriend.

even going out of your way to spend a hundred dollars over the amount you usually spend to give seungmin the greatest 'welcome home' feast. he and the rest of stray kids had been on tour for the last couple months, traveling all over the world to perform at concerts and do collaborations with other idols to promote their new albums.

sure, it had been lonely, being by yourself all of the time, the only glimpse of your boyfriend you could get is when he could facetime you for 2 minutes or when he responded back to a text 4 hours later. but you understood, you knew what you were getting yourself into even when you started becoming friends with him.

if anything, you were strong, understanding, and flexible to when he couldn't make it to something like a movie night or date when his plane arrives later or practice runs over.

the only thing now, is that he had promised you that he could make it on time to dinner. sending countless 'I swear ill be there' texts and swift calls ensuring his presences at the dinner table during his dance rehearsals.

but now you were sitting at the table alone. a cold jajangmyeon sits in the platter in front of you, a similar on across the table from you. looking up at that old clock the hour turns to 10 and he's officially 2 hours late. it wasn't unknown for him to run a little over his time but this was unbelievable. you curse yourself for being naive and truly thinking he would keep to his word.

as you get up and clean the meal that you created you feel a little piece inside of you break, watching your hard work spill into the leftover containers like your tears. this was embarrassing, waiting around like a puppy in hopes your owner comes home. you were loyal and hopeful to a fault but wasting time and money like this was just unacceptable.

by the time seungmin walked through the front door it was half pass midnight and you had situated yourself infront of the t.v watching a new drama a colleague from work recommended.

"(name)." he calls out, you hear his shoes hit the wall as he takes them off, and then theres a shuffle as he organizes them on the shoe rack. you hear him leave his keys in the bowl on the desk that was by the front door, his footsteps growing louder as he nears the living room.

"(name)." he calls out again, seeing you lay in a cocoon of blankets in the dark, he think maybe you're sleeping so he quietly discards his winter coat on the back of the couch. he flicks on the lamp on the other side of the couch to bring in some light. though when he comes around to sit down he finds your eyes wide open, "why didn't you answer me when I called?"

"why didn't you come on time like you promised?" you quipped back quietly, suddenly too exhausted to have any conversation with him. you try and sink further into the thick blanket as you watch the Netflix symbol load and the next episodes intro plays.

you can't see his face but when he sighs and shifts in his spot you can hear the hesitance, "you already know why, practice ran late, like always."

"whatever."

"'whatever?' what's going on with you?"

"nothing." your tone is snipped but honestly you couldn't care less. somewhere in your soul you feel as though this might be a little extreme of an reaction but there is only so much patience you can give one person. you constantly make time for him and this relationship, so why couldn't he move things around and do the same for you? your eyes remain on the television.

seungmins eyes dart quickly to the t.v and then back to you, noticing that your full attention isn't on him, so he leans over you and goes to grab the remote from your hands. at the sudden loss of contact you make a move to try and get the remote back from him but he effectively powers down the t.v and discards in on the coffee table.

"I'll only repeat myself so many times, what's going on?"

it was like a newfound energy fizzled at your toes and pushed itself up and towards your head, your body springs up from its sideways position and you angle yourself to face seungmin.

though the light was somewhat dim due to only the lamp being on, he could see the red-rim of your eyes and the dried streaks of tears sticking to your cheeks. obviously, it had been evident that you had been crying.

seungmins eyes soften for a moment, he reaches out to try and smooth out the puffiness of your cheeks but as soon as you see his hand coming you push it away, "you were crying?" it comes out more of a statement than a concerned question, but the worry was still evident in his tone.

"duh," you start, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in the tense space, you find comfort in the carpet on the ground. you were feeling...nervous. you didn't want to cause anymore problems but things won't get solved unless they are discussed, which in all honesty, the thought of confrontation in the first place is feared.

you need to get it out, you can't stop living like this. deep down you know he cares but you have to stop going off of assumptions. either he's going to show up or not, it was clear already that you showed up no matter how busy you were.

"do you even still love me?"

the question tumbles from your lips before you could even process what you were saying. maybe it wasn't what you wanted to convey exactly but it was definitely a start.

"what?" his airy voice sounds dumbfounded which makes sense. the intense look you're giving him plus the profound, out-of-the-blue question throws him off guard.

of course he loves you, why would you ever think anything different? "where is this coming from?"

"well it's just that every time we have something planned your work gets in the way. I spend hours and hours getting ready, trying to look my best, just to waste the day sitting on the couch waiting for you to come home. sometimes I'm waiting so long I fall asleep! I put so much effort into being a good girlfriend! hell, I even spent over 100 dollars on dinner tonight because I knew you had a hectic day, it took me two hours to make it just for it to go cold and put into a container,"

your voice chokes up, full of exhaustion and disappointment. you feel the tears pooling in your eyes but have no energy to stop them. you really want to quit the word vomit but there's no point, theres more to be said.

"I try so hard to not get disheartened but it gets so hard when you don't even try. sometimes I feel like you don't even care about this relationship anymore, like you don't care about m-"

just as you were about to finish your words were muffled by hands on your face, and lips on yours. seungmin had kissed you to stop your rambling. you couldn't help but to feel relieved and somewhat offended.

"stop." he whispers as he takes a breath, his hands still on your face, foreheads connecting, "please stop." his voice crack under pressure, its subtle but at the lack of distance between you two you can hear it so well. your eyes are closed, trying to get your own tears at bay but hearing how emotional he's becoming breaks you. a sob teeters at your bottom lip but you force it still.

"don't you ever think that I don't care. I always have." he pauses and wipes the stray tears on your face with his thumbs, "I'm so sorry I've made you feel like this. god I'm such a bad boyfriend, this is my fault."

you try to move away to comfort him but he holds you in place gently, you sniffle and reach up to brush the bangs from his face.

"I promise you I'll be more attentive, ill take you out everyday, spend as much time with you, cook for you, miss practices all the time just to make sure you know I care about you."

"you promised earlier but you didn't come!" you cry, recounting how long you waited.

"I know!" his voice quivers as his hands tremble, lightly shaking your head, "I know...and i'll never forgive myself. you don't know how much you've shaped me into the person I am now and I- I have no clue what I would do without you. I just have a poor way of showing it."

you grip on his wrists, mimicking him with your eyes squeezed shut, you stopped trying to keep the tears in awhile ago, letting them fall freely into your covered lap. "how do I know I can trust you? I'm so sick of feeling like this."

"I promise you I will prioritize you more than anything, Idol life, dancing, singing- whatever, does not come before you. I won't leave you hanging like this anymore, i'm sorry I didn't pay more close attention to your feelings," his bottom lips shakes as he takes another deep breath, he opens his eyes and you can see pass the tears and sorrow a new found determination.

"even if my heart stops beating, you're the only one I need."

past your wary judgement...you believe him...

[bluemoon1331]

Hello, hello! Welcome to my main blog, where the DCA fascination consumes! My alt blog is @sharetheartman, go check it out if you wanna see the amazing art this community has to offer!

My Ko-fi (if you're able to help a struggling writer, very much appreciated. Can request written commissions if you want): BlueMoon1331

Below is a list of all my current fics on A03 and planned AUs! Give them a read if you love fantasy and the DCA! (Updated to divide between the SFW and NSFW stories)

<<<<<First up, the SFW section!>>>>>>

Finished Works:

One Lost Star- You are a bit of a hermit, living solo off the land since the death of your grandfather. Until you draw certain godly attention, that is.

Scarlet Masquerade- The sole heir to your kingdom, you find yourself caught in the tangled web of the automaton emperor's plans. However, things are about to go from bad to worse when you catch the interest of the deadly automaton assassin sent to end you.

WIPs:

Cosmic Journeys- Trapped in the depths of depression, you seek an unfortunate out. The nearby land owner won't let that happen, though. Thus begins a journey of self-worth and finding hope in a world of madness and compassion, monsters, saints, and everything in between.

Come and Go- A Megamind-inspired AU with Sun as Metroman, Moon as Megamind, and Eclipse as Titan, while you are a delivery driver caught in the middle.

Unusual- An oceanographer, there is no place you'd rather be than scouring the depths of the seven seas, studying its plant life and creatures, in particular the infamous mers, beings most of your co-workers are quite wary of. They don't seem to mind you too much, though, a fact you try not to put stock in until an encounter on the beach near your house flips your entire world upside down. Strings of fate and a battle to rule the oceans with you as the key? Ridiculous. Right?

Of Metal Parts and Roadside Shenanigans- You are a trucker traveling home before unwittingly tripping headfirst into a giant mystery. (More of @deceptiveshadow's Blood Moon cause I love him and cannot help myself.)

One-shots:

Party Crashing 101- A piece inspired by the mafia episode from Helluva Boss. Badass, protective reader ftw XD

Blooming In Adversity- You and the princesses were great friends in your youth, until you had to move away. Years later, you return, your friendship blooming anew. However, dark plots turn in the background, and it may be up to just you to save them.

Phantom Tide- You are a siren, crushed under betrayal. Sun and Moon are brothers recovering from the throes of grief. Perhaps you may be just what each other need.

Connotations- Your duties as a druid are fairly life-consuming, but you have happily devoted yourself to them. Keeping the peace is not the easiest, but you do it all the same. Unfortunately, the arrival of contesting priests threaten your efforts, setting you on a collision course to meet three of the forest's most powerful caretakers.

Diamonds and Iron- Being a rather big-time mafia boss, of course Eclipse needs places to stash away his income. As an outdoor enthusiast, you love visiting the local motorsports arena when you can afford it. Oh, who's that standing in the middle of the track, where you can't see?

<<<<<<<<<NSFW area ahoy!>>>>>>>>>>

Finished Works:

Never Play Cat and Mouse With Vampires- Living alone is a necessity, your skills in hunting, magic, and evasion giving you all you need for contentment, or so you tell yourself. In your newest home you, unfortunately, find that your capabilities only draw the infatuation of three local creatures that are intent to finally capture you and make you theirs. Annoyingly, they may just get that chance.

Dancing In Orbit- The lunar vampire is the last of his kind, a deadly plague on the Earth that refuses to yield despite the uncountable years that have passed since the last of his kin and kind died off. You, running from your intertwined past, seek to finally put an end to that, with some help from friends old and new.

Familiar Constellations- The vampires get a bit quirky about you, especially when you egg them on. Mature. Very, very mature. Good gods they are rough, but you love it. After all, you can get a bit rough with them, too.

WIPs:

Embers and Ash- Ghost hunting is your profession, and you are damn good at it. Which is why you don't think twice when you're hired to cleanse an abandoned mansion of its otherworldly resident. Too bad this job is not the cake walk you thought it would be.

Burning Stars- You run your farm alone on a world teeming with aliens and humans, content with your animal family and helpful community, even if you keep the latter at arm's lengths. Until your peace is interrupted by a certain intergalactic bounty hunter, anyway.

Rosewood's Serenade- The eldest child of your kingdom, you have trained since birth to be all your home needs and more, intent to take the throne when the time comes, marriage or no. However, your parents harbor a secret, a deal struck when disaster threatened to destroy all they hold dear, and you soon find yourself meeting a most intriguing being...

Demonic- The saying of Hell is empty for all the demons are here has never been more apt. Caught smack dab in the middle of the infamous Hell-Day event, you come out with an unexpected passenger woven into your soul. Now, you secretly fight to preserve the fragile balance between mortals and the demons trapped on Earth, all while contending with the fact your new neighbors are the very ones responsible for sealing the gates, the infamous Celestial Graces. They also happen to be the mortal enemies of the one currently living in you. Fun times all around, especially with devil himself on your heels, seeking to reclaim what he lost.

Along the Akesh- Blessed with visions since your youth, you were taken and raised by the temple, becoming one of the highest-ranked priests, second to only the grand heijut himself. With an awe-inspiring festival and ritual that happens only once every five centuries under way, you are eager to meet the moon god, one of the many you have had the pleasure of conversing with throughout your prayers and oracles, in person. Things take an unexpected turn, however, when the temple must pay recompense for an accidental screw up with a gift left by an old friend. You are about to learn just how intrigued you and the moon god truly are with each other.

One-shots:

Bleeding Feathers- You weren't supposed to go into the exclusionary zone, but that's never been a problem for you before. This time, however, you might just get more than you bargained for. Fan piece for @deceptiveshadow's harpy au! (Not TSAMS)

Color Theory- Moving back to your late grandma's cabin, you pray for things to finally settle down. Unfortunately, her myriad of secrets seek to come back and haunt you, but hey, it might not be all bad this time. You could use the comfort of an old friend. Another fic inspired by @deceptiveshadow! Their god Blood Moon this time. (Not TSAMS)

<<<<<<<Lastly, miscellaneous potential AUs!>>>>>>>

Lich King AU- With the three realms in shambles, cut off from each other, it is up to the most powerful warriors of Earth to fend off the lich king and his Elite army, including his own brothers. You, whom offers them a secret safe haven and relaxation when they need it, cannot deny your love for Sun and Moon, nor they you, but with Eclipse hounding for any weakness he can use against his kin, is the danger really worth it? You find the answer may be coming sooner than you would like when the two go missing after a fight.

Spirited Away AU- You have moved to a more remote region in hopes of forgetting a troubled family life. Content to spend your time among the lush jungles of the land, you inadvertently stumble upon an obviously long-forgotten temple. Curiosity eats at you, and you cannot help get closer, initially unaware of the myriad of eyes watching you, until you spot...an icy blue leopard? It's a good thing you helped those snakes and that spider on your way here.

Harem AU- You saved them from certain death, and now the clan of vampire brothers serve you. For years uncountable, you have pulled the strings, quite happy to cause chaos around the world when it becomes too dull for your liking, going from hero to hero. On blood soaked ground, you are content with your helpful vampires, though can things really stay the same forever?

[gx-gameon]

As you know Chazz is my baby boy, my cinnamon apple, so to see you mention that the DM crew adopt him immediately makes me so happy.

I know you haven't seen season 4 but Chazz is probably the most understanding of the og friend squad about Jaden's trauma and AAHH I just love him and he deserves good friends and people who care about him so it makes me so happy 🤣

My and my friends also joked about how Chazz and Jaden's rivalry feels more like a sibling rivalry then anything so the idea of him becoming Jaden's unofficial brother is one I hold dear to my heart!!

Love the au as always!! Keep up the amazing work!!

No I’m really loving Chazz in my rewatch.

He just needs to be around people who make him feel safe. He needs to know it’s okay for him to be silly. Because he is silly.

But his brothers pout so much pressure on him and wouldn’t accept anything but perfection out of him. It wasn’t a safe environment.

He’s so used to trying to be ‘A Princeton’ that I don’t think he evened learned to be Chazz. Until Jaden and North Academy, until he returned to Duel Academy and made friends with the people there.

Jaden telling his brothers off after their duel is a big deal and I’m pretty close to watching the episode where Chazz’s brothers come back and I’m excited because I don’t remember that episode at all.

But ya after three years together Jaden and Chazz go through a lot. Because he’s ’the rival’ he’s more active than most of the other characters. Meaning he’s actually helping Jaden. He’s not standing by his side the way Joey or Kaiba do for Yugi when they face major villains. But he is helping. (I’m thinking about the end of Season 2 where Jaden is fighting for the world and Chazz is just kicking the cult off of campus. They aren’t ’working together’ but that is a huge weight lifted off of Jaden. He can focus on saving the world while Chazz saves their friends/school.)

And your right the way they talk to each other and interact is way more like brothers who push each other’s buttons/push each other to be better.

So ya once they graduate and all run back into each other at some torment held in Domino.

Jaden and the others are all talking and they all go their separate ways for the night.

Syrus and Zane have a hotel room together.

Atticus and Alexis do as well. They actually booked in the same hotel so it’s a sibling party!

Hassleberry has loggings at a different hotel but it’s okay because it turns out that’s where Jim and Axel are staying. They all ask where

Jaden is staying and he’s just like “with my dads they living here.” And while people are suprised since Jaden didn’t mention living in Domino the last time they were here there was also a crazy cult and it’s Jaden so they all shake it off without asking to many questions (please ask questions, maybe who are your parents or what do they do?)

Jesse isn’t arriving until the next day but Jaden already invited him to stay at the manor. Perks of being the one ‘friend’ who knows who Jaden is.

The others all walk away and Jaden turns to Chazz who hasn’t said anything yet. “So what fancy hotel you staying at?” Jaden teases knowing his friend only likes the best of the best.

But Chazz has been financially cut off by his brothers and the pro leagues haven’t started up yet for the season so he hasn’t been paid yet. He came to the tournament because his friends were talking about it in the group chat and he wanted to see them and to hopefully win some money. He wasn’t planning on telling anyone about his situation. No one else asked. But here’s Jaden asking him where he’s staying for the night. Jaden who has a home here….

At first he tries to lie and say ‘ya I got a room at the best place.” Jaden is like great I’ll walk you there.” The city is big and can be dangerous, Jaden doesn’t want his friend walking alone. But he also has eyes and has been traveling a lot himself recently he can tell it’s been a while since his friend has had a good nights sleep.

Chazz tries to refuse but Jaden is stubborn and finally Chazz cracks and tells him. “My brothers cut me off okay! I don’t have anywhere to go so if you would just leave me alone.” And no Jaden’s having none of that. He was planning on telling everyone at some point during the tournament about his family. Might as well start now.

He grabs chases arm and starts pulling him. “What are you doing you slacker unhand me!” But Jaden is not listening and pulls out his phone.

“Hey Oto-san can you send the car to my location. Also I’m bringing a friend home…. Ya everything is okay he just needs a place to stay…. It’s Chazz and his brothers are being jerks again….Thanks Oto-san love you.”

Chazz can only hear half the conversation but he’s put somethings together. 1) Jaden comes from money if his parents are “sending the car” so all the times he called Jaden poor were not correct. 2) he’s apparently staying with Jaden. 3) Jaden’s parents know his brothers are ‘jerks’

Before the can truly process any of that Jaden turns to him and give one of those small smiles he gives now not the mega watt grin he used to have but a rare soft smile. “You’re going to stay with me. Don’t worry my family’s going to love you.”

Chazz wants to argue but where else is he going to go. Besides how bad can a family full of Jaden’s be… on second thought maybe he’ll sleep under a bridge.

Too late the cars here and it’s fancy. Like nicer than what his brothers and him used to call…. Oh so not only is Jaden not poor, he’s richer than the Princetons. Okay Chazz didn’t not read this kid right at all. But to be fair what rich kid is excited to stay at the Slifer dorms? (These two rich kids)

They take the ride to Jaden’s and Chazz is trying to make himself look presentable. He wants to make a good impression. This is Jaden’s family after all. And while he’s not Jaden’s best friend, Jaden is his. And they are being kind enough to let him stay. Jaden is talking softly about different places they should visit while in town and trying to distract his anxious friend. Chazz is so in his own head/distracted by Jaden he doesn’t even realize they are at their destination until Jaden goes “oh we’re here.” And jumps out of the car.

Chazz follows, and almost falls down when he sees Kaiba Manor in front of him. ‘There is no way that Jaden is…. No he would have know that…but” Chazz is having a crisis.

Jaden is already walking up the stairs when he notices Chazz isn’t following him. He turns around and head back to his friend. “Uh Chazz are you alright?”

Chazz slowly turns to look at him. “You’re the Prince of Duels.” It’s not a question.

Suddenly Jaden is nervous. He should have told Chazz in the ride over but his friend had looked pretty stressed. “Um ya I am, though I don’t really like going by that title.” Jaden said as he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly.

Chazz opens his mouth and closes it a few times as he processed… everything. He doesn’t get long as the front door is thrown open and Yugi Muto, the King of Games, comes out and runs to Jaden. “Jaden! It’s good to have you home.” He calls as he pulls his son!!! Into a hug and oh wow this is really real now. Chazz is standing in front of Thee Kaiba Manor with the King and Prince of Games right next to him. His brain might melt out of his ears. Yugi then turns to him and smiles. “You must be Chazz. Jaden’s told me a lot about you.”

And Chazz’s brain kicks back in. The King of Games has heard of him!! He bows quickly and lowly to show respect. “Yes Sir. It’s an honor to meet you.” Then his brain kicks back in. He raises his head to look at Jaden through his bangs. “Jaden. Why didn’t you tell us about this?” And he is hurt and a little mad. He’s trusted Jaden with a lot of information about his family and his life and it hurts to know his friend didn’t trust him in the same way.

Jaden tenses. His friend is mad at him. Jaden has done a lot of things. He’s failed to listen to and protect his friends in the dark world. He’s struggled with the guilt of his actions and his PTSD for the whole year. He’s had anxiety and PTSD since freshman year. And he’s always been afraid that his friend would hate him once he told them. He could have saved them all so much pain if he just let his family take care of all of their problems. But then his family would have been in danger. He tried his best to protect everyone and he always came up short.

Yugi feels Jaden tense and is about to go into over protective dad mode. He is very aware how badly revealing Jaden’s identity could go.

Jaden speaks before he can. “I- I was scared that people would treat me different.” It’s a weak response and Jaden is ashamed that he failed to protect everyone and chose to protect himself instead (no Jaden bad) and he’s expecting Chazz to tell him off

But Chazz can see how small Jaden is making himself. He also knows about family pressure and having to present yourself a certain way because it’s what people expect from you. He also knows how desperately he hid his connections to his duel spirits because he didn’t want to be seen as different. “That makes sense.” He says as he straightens up. He can physically see Jaden and Yugi relaxing and figures he said the right thing.

Then another thought hits him and he grabs Jaden by the shoulders startling the poor boy. “Who else knows?”

Jaden looks at his with a small hint of fear in his eyes. “Um well Chumley found out the summer before our second year.”

“Chumley knew before me!” Chazz is furious. How did Chumley earn Jaden’s trust faster than him. What did he do wrong (note Chazz’s fury is at his own short comings not Jaden but Jaden is seeing it as him being mad at him)

“I didn’t tell him he came to Kaiba Corp with Pegasus and we ran into each other.” Jaden tried to justify.

Chazz’s fury seems quelled by that. “Well that makes sense, it was an accident. Any one else.”

“Um Jesse.” Jaden says nervously.

And Chazz wants to be outrage, because Jesse only knew Jaden for a year, but honestly that tracks. “Sound right. Anyone else?”

“Um no you’re the second person I told.” And Chazz puffs up with pride at that. He’s the second. Not Syrus or Hasselberry who claim to be Jaden’s best friend, not sweet Alexis. The Chazz got to know before any of them. Maybe Jaden does see him as his best friend to, after he can see that Jaden and Jesse are on the fast track to more than friends.

Then a wicked idea comes to him. He send Jaden a Cheshire Cat grin. “So Dr. Crowler doesn’t know yet?”

Yugi who had been watching the whole exchange starts laughing. Because okay there is nothing to worry about with this kid.

Jaden matches Chazz’s smile. “Nope not a clue.”

“Oh this is going to be awesome.” Chazz cackles “you have to tell him in front of me. I have to be there for this.”

And now their all laughing and Jaden grabs his friends hand. His friend who isn’t mad at him for keeping a secret from him and is treating Jaden the same as he always has. “Sure thing. But first come meet the rest of my family.”

And suddenly Chazz is nervous again. He’s about to meet some of the biggest names in dueling. But Jaden is smiling at him, really smiling and theirs a hand in his shoulder. He turns to see Yugi with a gentle smile on his face. “Don’t worry. Jaden’s told us all about you. They’re excited to finally meet The Chazz.” And Chazz is over whelmed because Yugi is being so nice to him. And then they walk inside and Yugi pass him with a little “welcome home” and oh. Oh he hasn’t had that before.