#and at this point he's just friend with Isabela

[ustalav]

it is so fun how fast you can become friends with fenris even as mage hawke, he’s just like oh ur unexpected maybe i do like u

and it is so hard for me to get anders rivalry lmao he’s just handing out 5 points here and there, meanwhile i talked to fenris and got +20 friendship 🥲

[himbopunk]

was thinking about the healer thing cuz i realized st some point hakim would have to take off a few months from pirate + merc stuff to deal with top surgery recovery, though i could see if the raiders had a healer available they could help speed it up (i feel like this would not be an uncommon occurrence w injuries but surgerys a litttle different)

on the other hand i think that could be a good opportunity for him to sit and think and realize the raiders arent rly what he wants anymore. hes stuck in llomerryn or smth for awhile out of work and decides when hes back on his feet, hes gonna start doing merc work and stuff on the mainland maybe...dunno

[miriani-lavellan]

Ahh, Lucanis. So let me first say, his scenes make total sense and I'm happy with what we got - we all want more from our faves, but they did manage to compact a lot of trauma and resolution in some fairly compact quests. Here's what I think happened that wasn't made explicitly clear though:

Lucanis chooses the pantry to sleep in because he's been imprisoned and tortured for a year, and he's not ready to leave captivity yet, not inside his head. He locks himself in there because it's familiar misery to him, which is easier to deal with than scary freedom.

Lucanis' letter to Rook before he asks Emmrich to bring Zara back for questioning tells us he's suicidal at that point, and probably has been for a while. Spite, however, doesn't see him as a lost cause - he never uses that to take over Lucanis' body entirely. This is so interesting to me, when we know things like that pretty famously happen all the time in Thedas. He's determined to keep Lucanis alive - and he asks for Rook's help in doing so.

We are in the NORTH now BABY! Attitudes towards spirits and demons are different here, especially in Rivain, and it seems with our Rook too, who never expresses any chantry-esque hang ups (that I've seen). Seer Rowan greets Spite as Determination, and that's how he's introduced by Isabela (with some excitement) if you fight in the hall of Valor. What happened to Spite is just as sad as what happened to Lucanis. He was violated, perhaps corrupted, and definitely trapped - and hurts Lucanis sometimes in his frustration. But, I think he likes Lucanis! He's his host's little head gremlin, and I think the relationship they have (that we don't see too much of) is healthier than any of the possessed individuals we've seen before.

Because? Lucanis is not a spiteful person. He wants revenge, yes, and he's angry, but he doesn't hurt everyone around him because he's in pain. One of the first things he does when he becomes part of the team is go shopping for them. And despite how Ilario and Caterina have hurt him - and you can argue all day whether he's right to be like this - he still cares for them.

I think that when we help Lucanis leave the prison inside his head, we are helping Spite to return to his original nature as Determination just a little more. We're determined to help our friend, and you know what? Spite is too. For himself, firstly, because Lucanis's pain is hurting him, but in the end, he's done it for Lucanis too. There's an argument there that Determination didn't get corrupted at all - just hurt, and that Lucanis, with his loving nature, has been keeping him from turning into a mindless demon of pain.

I thought for a long time that when Lucanis breaks away from kissing Rook, it was because Spite said something horrible to him. But actually, I think it was Lucanis himself, remembering how trapped he is. Thinking about the eventuality of killing himself - I strongly suspect that's what he was thinking about before he fell asleep, and that's why Spite was trying to go walkabout - trying to get out from where Lucanis can't. Lucanis got lost in the moment, but of course he doesn't want to drag Rook into that.

Lucanis making dessert for Rook and thinking that's the same as asking them out (but not actually asking them out) is so completely on brand for him I laughed. He has no idea what he's doing. It would have been nice, though, for Rook to reply to one of the companion's 'so you're together?' banters with... 'we are?' Or for Rook to be able to ask him. Unfortunately, we don't get those convos where we can spam ask questions etc like in DA:I - I did wonder if that got cut and we missed some resolution to that.

Lucanis gives no shits about everyone knowing he's Rook's love interest. He's not ashamed of himself or scared he'll hurt them - Rook has helped both him and Spite. And judging by the way Spite's wings come out to embrace Rook as they kiss Lucanis, I suspect that Spite might love them, too.

[simpforsolas]

So I've seen a some discussion of people both criticizing and defending the DATV companions for being nice to each other. And I think the arguments from both sides are being a little bit misconstrued, which is honestly understandable. I think that often when something bothers us in fiction, it's hard to put into words exactly what it is. So as we try our best to express ourselves, it may not end up getting to the point of what the issue actually is (this is also why it can be tough for writers to properly address criticism - the readers providing the criticism might not be accurately diagnosing the root of the problem, so their attempts to fix it are shallow and don't actually address the issue).

Now I obviously don't speak for everyone, but I do think that a good amount of the people saying they want the DATV crew to be meaner don't actually mean they literally just want people to be rude and insulting each other for no reason. I think it boils down to three things that the new crew was missing:

Inability to really feel how the companion's backstories form their unique worldview

Lack of conflict between companions

Limited relationship dynamics between Rook and the companions

Inability to feel how companion's backstories form their worldview

In previous Dragon Age games, the characters frequently discussed and argued topics of philosophy, faith, politics, and beliefs. They came from all different backgrounds. You had Morrigan, a hedge mage raised to believe in self-preservation, teaming up with an Andrastian circle mage and former templar. Their beliefs and worldviews are, at their core, at odds with each other. The game doesn't necessarily try to make you believe one way or another, it simply drops you into the world and allows you to interact with these character, see their interactions with each other, and draw your own conclusions. In Dragon Age Inquistion, you have Cole, a spirit of compassion, teaming up with Vivienne, who believes the circle teachings that spirits are demons and want to possess people, and Sera, who represents the perspective of the common people that are afraid of all things magical or fade-related. You have Solas, a staunch individualist who believes in freedom for all, Cassandra, a faithful Andrastian who follows her own inner compass even when at odds with the institution of the Chantry, and Iron Bull, a Ben-Hassrath agent who believes in the Qun not because he's a philosopher and has decided that's what works best, but because that's how he was raised and so far, the Qun has worked for him. So in previous Dragon Age titles, you have people whose worldviews and beliefs are fundamentally at odds with each other, and whose actions and dialogues are a direct result of those beliefs. Veilguard really downplayed the importance of religion in Thedas, which isn't necessarily a problem in and of itself. In DA2, the only companion with strong religious beliefs is Sebastian. However, you had Anders who believed strongly in mage liberation, Fenris, who believed strongly in the dangers of magic, and Isabela, whose lack of belief and lack of respect for religion/beliefs led to one of the game's biggest conflicts. Discussion of religion and philosophy was always a huge part of the Dragon Age games, so when they almost entirely removed that element and didn't replace it with other types of belief that could lead to meaningful differences of opinion, we were just left with nothing of substance to really talk about. This isn't saying that the companions don't have things they believe in, but it's just not the same as characters from previous games. In general, their backgrounds don't form a unique worldview that results in differences of opinions and interesting conflict. Which brings my to my next point:

Lack of conflict between companions

There's a huge spectrum between "everyone is friends and always gets along" and "everyone hates each other and is happy when their ally is sold into slavery." In fact, fans often get really into fictional relationships that have quite a bit of conflict. Speaking for myself, I love relationships where two people may fight or disagree, but they truly care for one another and would willingly put themselves in harm's way to protect one another. So I think when a lot of people say the companions get along too well, they don't necessarily mean that they want them to all hate each other (maybe some do). They mean that they just want there to be interesting interpersonal conflicts. (I personally would love for a companion pair to argue a lot, but when it comes down to it, they actually really care about each other) Why do we want this? Well first, conflict just makes things more interesting. But I think that it also ties into point 1. In this game, the companions simply don't seem passionate enough about what they believe to argue for it, or, if they are, there's not anyone who challenges their beliefs and forces them to defend their position. I would say that Emmrich is very passionate about his love for spirits and necromancy, two things which are seen as weird and dangerous by most people in Thedas. However, there's almost no chance for him to passionately argue for his worldview because no one challenges it. There is that one scene with Taash finding his passion for working with the dead creepy, but as soon as the issue comes up, it's resolved. Compare that to Solas, where a big part of his characterization is love for spirits and frustration with fear and ignorance leading people to discriminate against what they don't understand. Having to face opposition to his beliefs, both in the world and within the inquisitor's inner circle (and sometimes the inquisitor themself), gives the writers the opportunities to emphasize core parts of his characterization.

On a final note for this section, it's just more interesting when different pairs of companions have unique relationships with each other. Solas and Cole's wholesome, mostly conflict-free friendship is made sweeter because you can compare it to Solas and Sera's relationship. It makes the relationships more meaningful when you can contrast it to how those same people click or don't click with other companions.

Limited relationship dynamics with Rook

The final issue I want to talk about is how all this ties into Rook. In previous games, you could learn a lot about a character's beliefs by seeing what they approved and didn't approve of. Anders approves of supporting mages, Fenris doesn't. Leliana approves of compassion for strangers, Morrigan doesn't because why should she help people who can't help themselves, and also it's a waste of time. Cole greatly approves of helping people, Solas slightly approves of you asking questions, Cassandra approves of expressing belief in the Maker, and so forth and so on. Then depending on the choices you make, your approval actually makes a difference in how these companions view you as their leader. But in Veilguard... well either the companions don't have strong feelings about things, or Rook isn't allowed to make decisions that oppose the beliefs they do have. Because of this, there's basically no conflict between Rook and the team. From my understanding, worst relationship you can get with the team is "distant boss whose employees don't invite them to their work parties," but that's not the same as Cassandra hating you so much she gets drunk or getting specific rival scenes like in DA2 where companions react entirely differently because Hawke consistently acted in opposition to their beliefs.

Final thoughts

So when people criticize the companions not getting along, I think it's less to do with the fact that people want them to hate each other, and more to do with the fact that we want companions who have a strong worldview shaped by their backstory, and for that worldview being challenged to lead to interesting conflict. Whether that challenge comes from other companions, the world, or Rook themself, I don't care - I just want interesting and meaningful conflict that is arises because the companions are strong characters who believe in something.

[maxx-the-queer]

On my post about Isabela in Veilguard, @robinstome made an excellent point about the poor way Veilguard dealt with Varric's death and I wanna springboard off of that to talk about it more.

Prior to playing the game, I know most people agreed Varric was going to die (and I reluctantly did as well), but the way in which he did die was such an insult to his character and his importance in the world.

Varric is one of the most beloved reoccurring characters of the entire franchise. He's gone through 2 games of world-ending situations, and been an easy best friend of the hero each time prior to Veilguard. He's witty, he's intelligent, he's caring, he's a necessary support in far too many ways to count, and he takes care of his people. He's Hawke and the Inquisitor's dearest friend, but he's also got friends in quite literally every circle across Thedas. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who didn't like him.

Rook is shaping up to be Varric's newest hero, the next protagonist of his newest serial, and the affection he holds for them is clear from the moment you see him in the bar in Minrathous. Even though we hardly spend any time with him, it's clear that Rook is soon to be just as friendly with him as Hawke and the Inquisitor were.

Except that Varric Tethras dies at the ritual site that unleashed the Evanuris, murdered and betrayed by another friend he still believed in despite all signs pointing to his hopelessness, and he dies becoming yet another symbol for the Dreadwolf's regrets.

But Rook has no idea. The game pretends everything is fine, and absolutely nobody addresses Varric's death properly because of the twist yet to come in act 3. Nobody is allowed to be seen to mourn Varric because Rook can't know yet that he's gone, for no reason other than to provide shock value and to vilify Solas.

People who knew Varric for 10+ years do their mourning in the background, off-screen, or do so cryptically to avoid bringing too much attention to the issue.

Meanwhile Rook looks like an absolute maniac, surging through like nothing is wrong and going to visit the infirmary frequently, and absolutely nobody calls them out on it.

We get no explanation as to why the companions and Rook never address Varric's death properly. The companions who knew him have already well and truly mourned at this point, so we don't get to see the immediate wound that his passing left.

And honestly the thing that tears me up the most? We have no idea how the most important people in his life mourned because the majority of them aren't present to react to it. Most of his friends in Kirkwall, the people who he cared for for 20+ years, get nothing. Isabela gets a throwaway line after the reveal, but that hardly counts for anything.

Hawke - the literal Champion of Kirkwall, who is the subject of one of Varric's most famous works and his best friend of decades upon decades - doesn't get to mourn Varric at all, because they're in narrative limbo and they aren't allowed back to address it.

I'm not even entirely opposed to Varric dying right at the beginning of the game, I think that could've been okay, if only they'd handled it the way they did with Duncan in Origins and allowed for his death to be more than a simple "surprise! We lied!"

[felassan]

Some thoughts on the character descriptions & other details from game files. DA:TV spoilers under cut.

[original source link]

Some of the char notes are v neat and interesting. ◕‿◕ (caveat to bear in mind of course: gamefiles info can contradict what is presented in game as plots and ideas naturally & normally can change a lot throughout development. what's in the game and other media is what's canon. that said they're still neat and interesting to think about.)

You can read Ghil talking to some of her "stock" in a/some Trespasser armor codex[es]

Like Dalish lore in modern Thedas has it (the Ascension of Ghilan'nain), Ghil had the distinction of being the only mortal elf uplifted into the Evanuris pantheon

" (in this case, Solas's murder of his friend Felassan by stabbing him in the back)" - "[TME quote] He never heard the blow that killed him." q.q

Spirits of Profit are a thing (note: this kind of thing I just like to take as canon as long as nothing in-game actually contradicts it being a possible thing in the world hh)

Spirits of Need are a thing

Spirits of Passion are a thing

Demons of Obsession are a thing

Spirits of Freedom are possibly a thing

Not just a General, Felassan was the second-in-command

The idea/possibility that the Caretaker is (or at one point during development was thought to be) what remains of a truly ancient dragon, who long ago took on the form of this spirit, then was summoned by ancient elves, slaps

"A spirit of chaos and freedom, unleashed by Solas to break through a labyrinth to his ally Mythal", "A spirit heavily implied to be the Caretaker in another era, speaking with Solas about the attempt to rescue Mythal. Speaking with the spirit, Solas makes it clear that he will sacrifice anything to save Mythal." - I wonder if at one point there was an idea to have a scene which was another relivable Solas Crossroads memory, where this Mythal-rescue scenario would play out? Maybe Rook would have 'played' the Spirit of Chaos in that memory similar to the one where Solas and Felassan call spirits to launch an attack on an Elgar'nan fortress

Inquisitor - "relatable leader and mentor", "confident, knowing" 🥺

Interesting to see that Charter at one point may have appeared in the game and had a role. There are still references to her and her work in some DA:TV codexes

The character descriptions for Varric and Dorian, and the Morrigan speech pattern note, are so fun hhh. some characters simply need no introduction

Two possible appearances, depending on how the player resolves her past: 1. Dark black dyed hair 2. Red hair with streaks of grey CHARACTERDESCRIPTION: Isabela from Dragon Age II

At one point there was possibly an idea to have further choices such as what happened to Isabela in DA2 be in the game.

"Manfred is curious, loyal, innocent, and wants to be helpful." 🥺

I had personally been hcing Lucanis as 36 so that is neat

the ages listed are age ranges meant to help inform the char info, & info players would actually see/hear in the games and other media like books etc would take precedence. I would place Teia and Harding as at least a few years older than what's given for example (Teia was 28 when she became a Talon, and it's now 9:52; and I don't really see Harding as having been as young as 19 in DA:I in 9:42 as a Lead Scout. young definitely, but not that young).

and this is more based on subjective vibes than any canon info, but I read Viago as being older than this, and older than Lucanis, Illario and Teia.

ACCENT: Hint of Italian, but not as strong as Zevran's. (He is from a coastal city in Antiva, which had an influx of Tevinter refugees from Seheron after the Qunari invaded 100 years or so ago. That’€™s why he looks and sounds different from Zevran and Josephine.) [Caterina] Older Korean-Spanish or Korean-Italian woman (from the same region as Lucanis)

This is neat worldbuilding. a hint at what people from Seheron or people with Seheron heritage may be like.

Lucanis now bears scars both physically and mentally from his time as a brainwashed executioner for an evil mage cult. No longer the pragmatic assassin always in control, he wrestles with becoming what he’s spent his life hunting: a demon-possessed abomination. He longs to return to his former glory, but the monster inside him demands blood and vengeance. With his future hanging in the balance, Lucanis must decide whether to give into the demon or control it.

some other ideas about what Lucanis' storyline may/could have been at a different point in time.

Taash is a Qunari agent with a specialization in infiltration -- a thief, basically. She can scale buildings, pick locks, and take out enemies with quick and brutal efficiency.

some other ideas about what Taash's storyline/character may/could have been at a different point in time. maybe Ben-Hassrath-y? infiltration and stuff reminds me of the 'spies and heists' version of the game that was reported on at one point.

This whole set of descriptions is so good, no notes ＼(￣▽￣)／

Spite was once a Spirit of Passion drawn to Lucanis's will to live, but years of torture and a desire for revenge has twisted him into a Demon of Obsession.

some other ideas about what Spite's storyline/character may/could have been at a different point in time. in-game we hear Spite referred to as a Spirit of Determination (Isabela, Rowan, Solas), and Mary Kirby has described Spite on social media as having the basic aspect of Defiance.

"The Godmother of the Antivan Crows" hhh＼(￣▽￣)／

Interesting backstory information on Rayan Ivenci

Dartonia's farming background and Timetri's military family background tracks with an in-game dialogue line Lucanis has in banter about how Crows often recruit from the army and the trades

Ivenci and Fletcher [Crows Merchant in the Diamond] are both non-binary and use they/them pronouns; they use they/them pronouns also in the game

The Crows are still recruiting and training minors, if a 15 year-old Crow is already well-trained in dual daggers. fledglings Dartonia and Timetri are given as 17.

"Chance is a stylish, dramatic Orlesian who joined the Crows to be their emmisary among the courts of Orlais. (French accent.)" - handy inspo grounds (just one example of many things you could hc) to hc why an Antivan Crow Rook doesn't have an Antivan accent, if you wanted. there is also the example of Heir, who is Orlesian (unless of course you simply hc them as having an Antivan accent :D)

The Treviso Market master's name is Sidestreet Alidare

Anaris had "half-possessed" Cyrian, via the mask as we saw

Anaris, an ancient elven "would-be" god. If you were a power-hungry and/or angry 'mortal' elf back then, it must have been maddening that only Ghil was granted ascension, and to live under Evanuris tyranny

Strife Dragonage is 50

Strife is a keen-eyed hunter who grew up in the elven city slums, but was taken in by the forest-dwelling Dalish elves and taught to be an expert woodsman. He's rugged, tough, adventurous, and doesn't suffer fools. He feels some disconnect between his city-upbringing and his current role as a hunter - somtimes Strife worries he's an imposter, not truly growing up with his people, but he's tried to take their teachings to heart. Strife is loyal to those who earn his friendship, and fiercely protective of his clan.

here I am simply quoting the Strife blurb, as a Strife appreciator. reference to his backstory as a Starkhaven City Elf and joining of Dalish Clan Morlyn, and the toughness he showed in Three Trees to Midnight. nice to see his perspective / thoughts explored a bit here as a City Elf who joined the Dalish and what that means to him and how he relates to the world.

IRELIN A Dalish elf who grew up in the woods, Irelin has learned the ancient and incredibly rare art of shapeshifting. She uses this ability to move secretly in the forest, scouting for her people. Practical and no-nonsense when it comes to defending her clan and her friends, she has a healthy distrust of outsiders, especially the humans who've persecuted and exploited her people for so long. Irelin takes a secret joy in the thrill and power of shapeshifting, however. She loves exploring as the different animals of the forest, and knows some of their paths better than anyone.

I loved seeing this info on/exploration of Irelin too. :)

Protect Evka and Antoine

Rook Thorne snippet: "If Rook is a Grey Warden, Greta [30] has met them before--they both became Wardens around the same time. Greta doesn't know Rook well--it's more like running into an old school mate--but she likes them". maybe this is simply in the game as dialogue ofc, but I haven't played a Thorne yet so I wouldn't know :)

"A cat" hhhhhh :D

Mae's age-range is 50

Dragon King: "Basically, a bad guy doing his evil bad guy best." lmao

Hezenkoss's creation is described as a "bone golem", taking me back to the flesh golems (Harvester etc) in prior DA games

Is "Sealed Spirit" the Formless One? since its description mentions possessing an undead dragon, and its in the Mourn Watch/Necropolis section.

Tarquin x Viper feels aaa

Vorgoth's whole segment (and Vorgoth as a character) is so fascinating. maybe they're a rogue, Thedas-loving member of the same type of entity as whatever the Executors are? some of the description here and their appearance in the game reminds me of the description of the Executor in TN and also the Executors' appearance in the DA:TV secret ending.

THE EXECUTOR APPEARANCE: Human-appearing CHARACTERDESCRIPTION: A masked and hooded figure that speaks like someone unfamiliar with language in general. Stilted, awkward, but with a low menace. SPEECHPATTERN: Stilted. Is trying to form words from thoughts that are far more complex than a regular person's.

also very intriguing, naturally. the way they're described (trying to form words from thoughts, being unfamiliar with language) makes them sound spirit/demon-y or adjacent.. it also reminds me somewhat of the description of the way the Cekorax was rendering speech (iirc) in TN. if the place they come from does indeed have empty settlements made of crystal and obsidian - well, entities unfamiliar with language etc in this kind of way might also be unfamiliar with regular settlements/mortal world settlements, no? at one point in time it may have been the idea that we would meet an Executor in-game as part of the story.

(like I said I know it being in the game files doesn't automatically make something canon, it's just fun to peruse and add to hcs or not etc. this post is just a bunch of personal headcanon/speculation really ^^)

[original source link]

[wendynerdwrites]

I like how in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Varric dies and no one has anything to say about it. And I don't just mean Harding, Isabela, Dorian, and the Inquisitor, who at this point have been his dear friends for at least a decade (TWO DECADES in Isabela's case). But also, like...

He's the best selling author in Thedas and THE FUCKING VISCOUNT OF KIRKWALL. He has helped save the world multiple times. HE IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PEOPLE IN THEDAS. HE WAS SURROUNDED BY FAWNING FANBOYS AND GIRLS AT THE WINTER PALACE THAT INCLUDED THE COUNCIL OF HERALDS. And yet, there aren't any memorials? No announcements? No news articles? No one discussing the THE VISCOUNT OF KIRKWALL'S DEATH IN THE CITY STREETS?!

The writing was so fucking cheap in this.

[matchalovertrait]

Alegría VS Caruso: Day 1, Part 3

Previous

Dulce’s lifelong friend, Matthew Fyres, agreed to take the stand in court to verify the digital evidence. He works in cybersecurity and is highly skilled in computer science.

Back in Italy, he lived a bit further from Dulce and Guillermo, so they didn’t get to hang out as much. However, their bond was as strong as ever. He was more than willing to help Dulce.

It was risky to use him instead of a random expert who would be undeniably neutral on the stance, but part of the strategy was to show that Dulce has a lot of support and loyal friends.

“Mr. Matthew Fyres, please explain your role and credibility,” Antonio calmly asked. He knew Matthew was quite nervous.

Matthew took a deep breath to soothe himself. “I work for the cybersecurity agency of Italy’s government. I cannot share much about what I do since I handle sensitive information, but I am a professional in this line of work.”

“And you have verified the digital evidence we presented thus far? Including Ms. Alegría’s cookbook project files and data from her channel?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Isabela smirked. It was her turn to question him.

“Mr. Fyres. I’d also like to point out the interesting timeline of the creation of these digital records. They only date back to about a year ago, correct?”

Matthew hesitated.

Dulce’s eyes widened.

It’s true! Still, it’s her work. She transferred everything over from-

“Yes..” Matthew admitted. He was stuck! He didn’t know what else to say to that.

The courtroom began to fill with a few whispers from the jury and audience.

Dulce was thinking of something, what was it???

Isabela took a sharp turn and faced the jury. “And the social media accounts? When the evidence was being presented, I noticed a small dip in viewership and subscriptions before Mr. Caruso’s video was published. There was one, correct?”

“Yes, because Mr. Caruso posted an Instagram story announcing the breakup. However, the percentages were an insignificant amount.”

“It was still a noticeable amount. Viewers and sponsors were already losing faith in her or only liked her because of Mr. Caruso. Her videos appealed to the masses because she was good at playing the part of a chef with humble beginnings. However, many comments in Mr. Caruso’s video prove that a good portion of viewers already had suspicions about her. He inspired other people to come forward with their opinions. Ms. Alegría is not a real chef. She is a liar and a manipulator. Her downfall was destined to come sooner or later–”

“Objection! Ms. Campos is making baseless accusations against my client.”

Too many objections can make a lawyer look like there is something to hide, but Antonio felt like he had to do it.

“Overruled. Continue, Ms. Campos.”

Antonio sat down, his mind racing.

“Here is my last question: So far, we’ve gathered that Ms. Alegría is rather skilled at exploiting others. Could she have persuaded you to fabricate or alter the evidence? Just like how she let Mr. Caruso believe there was a future between them AND persuaded him to let her take credit for his recipes?”

The courtroom burst with noise as people reacted to her bold claims. Some people seemed persuaded.

Antonio glared at Isabela. I miscalculated...

Dulce looked down. It was hard to concentrate with all the chatter. Gosh, can everyone shut up for a second?

The judge was exclaiming, “Order! Order!” to no avail.

Then, it clicked. Shit. My notebook! That’s where I originally kept all my recipes. Where did I last see it? Did I leave it in Tartosa?

She smiled.

No, of course I brought it! That's how I transferred everything from my notebook to my computer a year ago.

It’s in my office. It has the dates and everything.

Maybe we can do ink dating testing or whatever it's called!

Things look bad now, but her culinary friends would come another day. Her notebook could surely help too. She has to tell Antonio.

Previous

[vigilskeep]

how likely are the da2 party to have other friends, a discussion

varric: his character is the guy with lots of friends. or contacts, at least. obviously he’s not emotionally honest or vulnerable with any of them but that’s by nature of it being varric so it’s hardly news

isabela: similar to varric, knows a lot of people, likely not close with them. also knows a lot of people, wink wink, that she might consider friends. there’s zevran :) also worth saying that she looks out for marginalised women who seem to look up to her, because she’s that cool

fenris: several comments are made that he does not have a social life. also lives in a manor full of dead bodies, which is not conducive to hosting guests unless your friend is hawke who is apparently cool with this. however, has his own mercenary contacts, points out to merrill that some elves are willing to chat to him that will not with her, and by the end of the game is having regular game nights with people like donnic. we’ll call it a work in progress

merrill: it seems like it takes the alienage a while to warm up to her and that she doesn’t spend much time socialising at least at first bc of the mirror situation, but people are generally fond of her and there is canonical material to suggest this was true in the alienage eventually, not to mention that she took a leadership role among them after the end of da2, which is really cool

sebastian: probably, but they’re priests and, like, chantry-going old ladies who think he’s a sweet boy and try to marry their granddaughters off to him. does not seem like he gets out much otherwise these days except with hawke

anders: i don’t know that i would call them friends exactly but he does have entire circles (haha) of people that he knows outside the game npcs, like the mage underground, and all the darktown refugees who are apparently just up for killing for him whenever. there’s people like lirene. characteristically probably tries to hold them at a distance, may not realise he is considered a friend

aveline: canonically if you are like “why the fuck are you asking me” during her act 2 personal quest, literally outright says she has no other friends

[houpss]

Skz as romantic tropes hyung line ver.

thanks for the idea to my wonderful friends

maknae line¡!

gender neutral reader

Bang Chan.

"Friends to lovers"

Song:Older–Isabela Larosa

You and Chan have been friends for a long time, literally since childhood. You were always proud of him, simply because he does so much and takes on so many responsibilities since he was a child. You were always with Chan when needed. He considered you his ideal younger friend!

When he flew out to train at JYP ENTERTAINMENT, you wanted to fly with him, but there was no way. He promised to write to you! You missed him so much it was beyond words. You corresponded a lot, called each other and you were proud of Chan for his success in producing, singing, dancing and rapping. You're so proud of this guy. You guided Chan down the right path, even when he didn't see the point in it, and you were in Australia and he was in Seoul. You wanted to surprise him and fly to Seoul when Stray kids debuted as a group. Chan shared all the moments with you and you personally knew all the members because Chan showed you to them in your video calls. The times of debut were difficult, Stray Kids were not understood or accepted, but you believed that a great future awaited them.

I think you and chan will start a relationship at the beginning of his debut. Your relationship will begin very carefully and tenderly, perhaps both of you will be afraid of your feelings. This relationship will be strong and sincere, you have known each other all your life! you understand him perfectly, just as he understands you. Your connection is much stronger than it really is.

You will stay in Seoul with Chan, both of you will work on your relationship and rebuild it in a romantic way. Will you become his muse forever? you are his aphrodite.

(The members love you no less than Chan)

Lee Minho.

"Enemies to lovers"

Song:Sex for homework–MSI

You are in high school, and in your class there is a very smart and confident guy named Lee Minho. It's a strange name.

This guy with the weird name is always picking on you, whether it's because you have the wrong clothes or because you're too loud. Last time he slapped you because you dyed your hair too brightly, as if it was a distraction from your studies. You and Minho always had arguments and conflicts, but you didn't deny that he was handsome and sexy. You used to hit on him, to which the guy would just snort and call you names. You had a desire to get him, even though he pissed you off beyond belief. You deliberately followed him around and he asked you to get off. By the way, Minho also felt sympathy for you, a very strong sympathy, but he hid it under a mask of aggression and dislike.

One day, you followed him to the bathroom, he was very annoyed about it, but you didn't care so much. You trapped him in the restroom against the wall, your hands on his waist and your tongue slowly traced a path from his earlobe to the collar of his shirt. You left a hickey on his neck and successfully disappeared and stayed out of his sight for days.

Minho appreciated what was in the restroom, he liked it..Maybe thisAfter this incident you are ashamed of him, God, how shameful! he will take advantage of this and tease you, now he is flirting with you, not you with him. He will be so open with you, he is even romantic. hatred would turn into ardent love?

Your relationship is so chaotic and hot! Minho literally teases you so much and gives you love and hate at the same time.

"Let's go kiss in the toilet, and then we'll paint the walls in the classroom? - "Let's go, my love"

Seo Changbin

"School Love"

Song: Talking To the moon–Bruno Mars

At first, you didn't notice Changbin as much as he noticed you. This continued until high school. As is usually the case:After summer vacation, you returned to school and discovered how handsome Changbin had become, literally everyone noticed. He was getting a lot of attention. This is your last year at school, are you ready to let him go when you first felt the attraction?He was so sweet and talkative and had a protective and understanding vibe about him. You fell in love more and more

Changbin never noticed you, you spoke literally a few times throughout your years of high school. You wanted to get Changbin's attention like so many other girls. No! Changbin is not an arrogant and "cool" guy, he won everyone over with his kindness and simple-mindedness, and he has many friends.You were friends with his friends and wanted to be closer to Changbin.

You tried to talk to him many times, but it never worked. He was unavailable to you, your pipe dream. As the year approached, would you continue to look at him and keep silent about your feelings?

Hwang Hyunjin.

"Second chance"

Song: touch–cigarettes after sex

You and Hyunjin dated during your high school days, Hyunjin was always popular with guys and girls. Your relationship was always the center of attention, something like that would never hide, Hyunjin was so cool and sexy. That's a mistake.

It was stupid to trust a guy like that, but doesn't love forgive everything? Almost at the end of the school year you caught Hyunjin with some girl, they were making out or so it seemed to you.

Hyunjin tried to explain everything to you, he wanted to prove that it wasn't true, he loved you! But you didn't want to listen, you were upset by his actions.

You left Korea and Hyunjin stayed behind, he became a traini.

A few years later, about five years later, you will hear about him as the most popular member of the Stray Kids, as a talented dancer, rapper, singer and VERSACE Ambassador. Your heart stabbed with pain and old memories that were stored under a crust of dust and unforgotten pain resurfaced in your mind. You could never admit to yourself that your affection and love for Hyunjin never went anywhere, but only grew stronger with the separation, it's like he's your addiction. One day you fly to Seoul as a model for fashion week and you meet Hyunjin's eyes. Oh my god, he missed you. He hasn't forgotten you over the years, he's never forgotten you. You're firmly planted in his memory, he even dreamt about you.

It would be silly if you didn't talk and find out about everything. Starting a new relationship and trust is difficult, but in time everything will come back. Hyunjin is more masculine and serious, he'll get his own back. You're his.

[pupkinpumpkin]

Silly little headcanons for what all my DA protags are doing during Veilguard 🩷

- My Elena Cousland is NOT sitting back and watching Ferelden go to shit. She may have put the life of a Grey Warden behind her, but she and Alistair are protecting their country no matter what

- Before Alistair and Elena go on their 'save Ferelden' mission, they're getting the gang back together. Or, at least, as much of the gang as they can get. They're picking Sten up from Par Vollen, grabbing Zevran from wherever he is, and taking Sigrun, Oghren, Velanna, and Nathaniel away from the First Warden's grasp. Anders is busy, but he sends his love. While they're out grabbing their friends, their son Duncan is running Ferelden in their stead while their daughter Faith, a grey warden, is off in Weisshaupt, and then Lavendal

Morrigan and Leliana are busy as advisor and pope, so they mostly just send vital info to each other, but Morrigan does pop up once through an Eluvian to say hi.

Alistair and Elena take turns fighting battles so if anything happens to one of them, Ferelden still has a leader to rule.

- After Inquisition, once Varric becomes Viscount, he officially pardons Hawke from any of the crimes she may or may not have committed, allowing her to return to Kirkwall. They spend many years together, mostly rebuilding Kirkwall and annoying Aveline, with Hawke becoming much more mentally stable after literally everything that happened in DA2.

This makes the blow of Varric dying a lot less heavy and soul crushing, but soul crushing nonetheless. After about two weeks of going ballistic in the Hall of Valor matches out of grief and binge drinking with Isabela, Merrill, and Fenris, she returns to Kirkwall to help Aveline and very very begrudgingly agrees to work with Sebastian. Isabela stays in Rivain, Merrill goes to help the Veil Jumpers, Fenris is doing shit with the Shadow Dragons, Anders is with the Inquisition, and Bethany is with the grey wardens.

She mourns Varric and absolutely wants to kill Solas, but she's learned from DA2, fighting harder for her home instead of wallowing in what she could and couldn't have done to save him.

- Lavellan is obviously working hard to save the South, but it is harder with the Inquisition being disbanded and also having 4 kids and a dog. She, Hawke, and Cousland have all come into contact at one point during Veilguard. Hawke to mourn Varric, and Cousland to prepare and defend against the blight.

Lavellan gathers up old friends and gives them each a mission. Cassandra, Cullen, Blackwall, and Iron Bull all go to recruit people to join their cause, work with Ferelden's armies to set up defenses, make battle plans, and train any recruits

Vivienne, Leliana, and Josephine use their political influence to convince the Avvar, Chasind, Orlesians, etc, to band together

Cole and Anders help set up camps and hospitals to help those in need

Sera and Charter use their contacts, spies, and Red Jennys to find useful information about where the blight might be spreading or learn what towns may need the most help. Dorian is of course busy in Minrathous, but they communicate via message crystal, and whenever she meets up with Iron Bull, she lets him use the message crystal so he and Dorian can talk for a while. Babysitting duty goes to Leliana's guards, who did not sign up for this shit.

At one point, Lavellan and Cullen's youngest daughter Bunny gets kidnapped and ransomed, which isn't great, but after the bloodbath, Bunny is safe and Lavellan and Cullen are back on track. Almost all of Lavellan's friends say she can't redeem Solas and might need to kill him, which makes her job a lot more stressful.

Overall, their year is very busy and very stressful, but I'll be damned if they just stood back and watched their homes fall.

[privatebooth]

So, Night terrors and demonic temptations...

For this quest I always took Isabela and Merrill into the Fade, because both their apology dialogues are lovely and provide some great insight into the relationships.

The friendship with Isabela feels so much warmer and more genuine after this, it's got to be my favourite interaction out of them all!

With Merrill on rivalry path it lets Hawke show that he really cares about her and doesn't do things just to antagonize her. They are able to talk like adult mages and bond over their insecurities. and it's a great way to gain relationship points because Merrill is just too friendly for her own good

Fenris's apology feels rather underwhelming in comparison. Well, he's just laconic and I totally appreciate it! He messed up - he apologized, plain and simple. This conversation doesn't bring anything new into the relationship (and that's because their other private interactions are much deeper and more meaningful), and I prefer to see him stand quietly by Hawke's side as he doesn't voice his disapproval and gives us rivalry points over letting Feynriel go free. On the other hand it could sorta affirm Fenris's trust and confidence in Hawke. He sounds rather impressed when he notes that the demon failed to affect him.

Yet more and more often I find myself taking him along and having him betray us, because his interaction with the demon does things to me. It just... hurts so good?

Fenris has shared enough about his past that Hawke knows he's afraid. There is something incredibly intimate about watching Fenris react to the demon's offer, seeing his vulnerability he always tries so hard to conceal. But to face them as an equal? What Hawke always suspected gets confirmed, and it breaks his heart. Not Fenris betraying him for power, but seeing his friend break like this; knowing how scared he truly is and realizing he can't help him at all.

As a mage, Hawke knows what buttons demons push to get to you, and he must have quite the experience here. He doesn't hold a grudge against any of his friends who succumb to temptation. He understands and only hopes that he himself will be able to resist if push ever comes to shove.

Some time after this they have the QB heart to heart, and Hawke confirms his romantic interest.

[tell-me-a-tale-that-tells]

MI FUTURO

┏━ •���இ•◦ ━┓

Genre: Fluff

Quote: "Why would I want to see the future when I can't see the present?" and "If I knew what was coming.... how boring would that be?"

Summary : Curious, Bruno asks Reader (who's visually impaired) why she's one of only a few people in town that's never asked for a prophecy. Basically, she tells him she doesn't care about the future. That she's happy right now and that's all that matters. Happy cuddles and kisses ensue.

Notes:

This is the first time I wrote about someone visually impaired, I've made some research to know more about this condition. Please if I've written something offensive or inaccurate tell me.

┗━ •◦இ•◦ ━┛

It was a really hot day in Encanto, the usual joyful chatter of the villagers was replaced by complaints about the weather.

The stone pavement of the main street was able to give off such warmth that it passed through your sandals, but the scorching sun never hit your skin.

Besides you, arm in arm was your favourite person in the entire world, Bruno Madrigal, who was holding an umbrella with his free hand, preventing the strong sunlight from bothering you in any way.

You were heading home after a walk outside, even if the climate conditions were unfavourable when suddenly a thunder reverberated out of nowhere and in no time, more clouds obscured the daylight and rain began to fall.

"Well, that's just fortunate we already have an umbrella, mi amor." You said.

"It's better if we fasten our step, Y/N. This feels like one of Pepa's storms." He suggested.

The smell of wet dirt filled your nose even before your feet could splash into one of the fast forming puddles that cooled down the hot pavement.

Finally arrived at home, Casita greeted you first, with time you discovered that it knows about your condition and invented a sort of sound code just for you.

Casita would raise 3 tiles one after another and drop them and slam the shutter once when you returned.

You didn't have to get too close to Pepa to know that was her, as the sound of thundering and her shouting filled the entire house.

"Pepa, Bruno and I were caught in a storm, did something bad happen?" you questioned.

You know well that there was no need for a serious explanation for Pepa's storms, most of the time, her mood was just sufficient.

"I told Antonio to keep his animal friends in his room! And what did he do? He let a bunch of spectacle bears sleep on my bed! I got bear hairs everywhere!" Pepa shouted, rain was pooling at her feet and the electricity in the air was starting to get visible.

You and Bruno did your best to not laugh and almost failed so hurried into the next room with an excuse.

Bruno led you into the chicken "Did the rain wet your clothes?" You ask him, caressing his shoulders, feeling the fabric of his green ruana slightly damp.

He took your hands in his before answering "Just a few drops but don't worry" and nuzzled at your cheek, his light stubble scratched gently your skin.

"Y/N" a feminine voice called "It's Julieta, are you hungry, my dear? I just made some Milhojas" she offered.

"Yes, thank you." you accepted her gentle offer.

You and Bruno sat at the table one in front of the other, you shyly tried to feed him and he quickly took a bite, liking the idea, he did the same for you until you both finished your milhojas.

Bruno and you walked toward the stairs to the first floor.

"Isabela is growing cactus everywhere, even beside the stairs, be careful, mi vida" he pointed out for you, he was often helpful towards you even when you didn't need it, but you liked his sweet behaviour.

Once in the room you shared with Bruno you changed your clothes into something a bit warmer since the storm outside lowered the temperature, Bruno discarded his ruana.

When you moved in months before, Casita magically redesigned the interior of Bruno's tower.

Hundreds of steps were no more, same for the sand covering everything, all replaced by a two-room ambient, the one on the left was your bedroom furnished with a comfy bed, a fireplace and two armchairs, alcoves were created from the stone walls, full of candles and small bowls, some of which served as a den for the only friends who kept Bruno company for 10 years of his life and for whom he still felt affection, his rats.

The room on the left was a cave with a domed roof for Bruno to use his powers, some people of Encanto started to ask again for his predictions as they were less afraid of what could have been the outcome.

Bruno was so excited by the changes that he immediately helped you to orient yourself in the new room.

You heard the scratching noise of the gramophone before your favourite song started playing, Bruno placed his hands on your hips and whispered in your ear

"Can I have a dance, chica mas linda del pais?"

Bruno always made you giggle like a child due to his sweetness, he was surely awkward around other people but with you, he found himself at ease.

"I'm sure you can, yes" you smiled, resting your head on his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat as you two began moving to the music.

You positioned one hand on his cheek and the other in his curly hair, you always found its softness soothing.

Your feet moved to the notes until the songs ended and you guided him to lay down.

The two of you laid down on the bed, side by side, legs intertwined together and faces just an inch apart.

That closely, you were able to see your lover's face more clearly, his big hazel eyes shone brightly when he was watching you, his freckled cheeks were rosy and his lips were tugged in a soft smile.

You slowly stroked one of his arms, tracing unknown patterns and making his skin rise with goosebumps.

"I never asked you a thing, Y/N" Bruno murmured in a calm tone.

"You always knew about my power, but you're one of the few persons in this village that never asked for a prophecy. Can I ask you why?" He brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.

You took a deep breath "I don't judge the people who want to know how their future will be but...I can't even see the present, why would I want to see the future?"

Bruno hummed, considering your words as he caressed your arms and sides, sneaking his hands under your blouse to touch the skin of your sides.

"And besides" you continued " All I could ever want is right here with me and I'm the happiest person in the entire world, I have you and your familia."

You leaned and pressed your lips on his, feeling them shaking a bit from the emotion but soon he responded, sharing kisses that tasted like love and promises, adoration and joy.

"So you want to be stuck with me for your whole life?" He said playfully "Even if my rats will tickle you in your sleep?"

He started to tickle your sides and belly, making you laugh and thrash around.

"Please, stop! I surrender, but I won't change my idea!" You told catching your breath.

"I love you, Y/N" he whispered.

"I love you, mi futuro" you answered back.

[jacarandaaaas]

mirabels birthday so here’s some headcanons !!!🦋💘

- she zones out a LOT! whatever she’s working on/ thinking about takes priority in her mind so she accidentally gets so invested she could forget someone’s talking to her! (this doesn’t help in school)

- She’s a try hard on everything! probably stems from her giftless status but she gets frustrated if she can’t be up to standards! she ends up exhausting herself or burning out because she overworks herself!

- social butterfly! she’s a people person and loves talking to both the adults and the kids! she loves validation from the adults and being a role model to the kids!

- never stops talking😭 mirabels a professional yapper🙏 DONT ever ask her to explain what she’s working on because she will not shut up ever!!!

- carries around a sketchbook with her and goes to different parts of the encanto for inspiration! she might just doodle a motif or theme but it’s always something! she uses it later in her projects

- stealing @spooky-spextre-arts hc here but I love this one sm!! after Antonio’s plushie he tells the other kids and she makes a load of plushies for everyone!!

- she painted the mural in family madrigal! I think alma is aware mirabels artsy and would have asked her to do it! since it’s special commission that’s why the husbands are absent! mirabel was just so excited to be asked! Also it fits her art style

- she makes clothes! She designs them AND makes them!!

- she has friends! she’s incredibly social and I refuse to believe there’s only 2 teens in the encanto

- she likes cooking with julieta! even if she’s not the best at it she just appreciates the time with her mother!

- she helps Luisa discover her own style! since Luisa’s outfit is for work mirabel makes her other outfits to wear on her days off

- when she gets a crush she’s super annoying about it! Love language is acts of service!

- makes fun of camilo for being cringe (she is also cringe)

- Antonio is her fave cousin (this ones basically canon)

- a home bird!! she can’t ever picture herself leaving the encanto and this causes some friction between her and isa because isa does leave at some point!

- vents to casita about anything and everything (they are best friends)

- still struggles with opening up to people post movie. she’s not user to all the attention on her and gets overwhelmed often (she would never admit it)

- more street smart than book smart and is average in school but prefers art

- hates her birthdays (this one’s sad ik) but not only is it the anniversary of her ceremony but the day bruno left and in her mind the beginning of the cracks! she’s getting better but it’s still hard! (Her family spoil her for this exact reason)

- when she’s not playing music in the town she often plays with Felix and Dolores!

🌵isabela headcanons dolores headcanons🎀

[pedrithink]

love is not easy (2) ✩ kylian mbappé

summary: everything seems more difficult when you are the shadow of your older sister and Kylian and her are in love with each other.

notes: don’t worry, it will have a part 3 (with happy ending) :)

@nightlockcornucopia @gaviandgrizisgirl @blubffsd @philipetchebest @sunnytkm23 @topguncultleader @http-isabela @bisexualbith @laylaynaynay130 @lovekm

(part 1) / (part 3)

Ky <3: Hey, are we going out tonight? There's a new pizza restaurant that opened and I want to eat all the new flavors with you.

You: I can't today, sorry.

Ky <3: Oh.

Ky <3: Another time then.

Ky <3: HEEEY, pretty. I have tickets to see the Beauty and the Beast musical. Let's go?

You: Hey, Ky. Sorry, but I have to review for the exam.

Ky <3: Oh, got it.

Ky <3: How about we go for some sushi tonight?

You: I've already made an appointment with a friend :/ Maybe another day. Seen.

Ky <3: Ice cream Saturday?

You: Not today, Kylian.

You: Sorry!

Ky <3: What's your problem?

Ky <3: I've been calling you out almost every weekend and you don't even make a point to set aside ONE DAY to be with me.

Ky <3: If I did something at least tell me so I can fix it, but don't leave me in the dark. It hurts.

You: I'm sorry, Ky. You didn't do anything, I'm just full of things to do.

You: Call Ana, I'm sure she'd be up for it.

Ky <3: What the fuck? I don't want to go out with Ana, I want to go out with YOU.

Ky <3: Is that so hard to understand?

You: I'll talk to you later, Ky. I need to get back to studying.

You turn off your phone and take a deep breath. Kylian has noticed your behavior and knowing you well, he won't settle down until he knows what's really going on. You understand the frustration he's been feeling because you've shared an 11-year friendship and you don't want it to end. You just need some time for your thoughts to reorganize themselves and for the loving feelings about Kylian to disappear from your mind.

Your thoughts disperse when you hear some knocking at the door and the figure of Ana appears. "Can we talk?"

You frown and take care to agree with a brief nod.

"It's just that you haven't been the same…I don't know." Ana says with a frustrated tone of voice, she makes clear when she lets out a sigh. "Did I do something? If I did I'm sorry, but I don't want to see you away from me. It's always been the two of us together against everything after we moved away from Mom and Dad."

You feel a huge weight on your shoulders for having made Ana imagine she did something, she is your best friend, but you just needed some time to yourself. That's all. "Ana, no. You didn't do anything, I swear. I'm just really busy with college."

Ana walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. "I know it's not just that.” Ana stares at you intently. "Kylian texted me that you haven't had a Saturday night together in almost two months, and it's been a tradition since you guys were 14." You take a deep breath and try not to feel bad about it. "What about that day at the breakfast? And seriously, you ALWAYS have something to say over breakfast." She lets another sigh fall from her lips and affirms. "I just want you to know that if anything is going on, you can count on me. You'll always have my support, always."

You throw your weight on top of Ana and remain hugging her for a few minutes. "I know that and thank you for everything." You hold her hands. "I guess…I don't know. I just need some time to myself, you know?"

She smiles and nods. There is no reality that you don't love Ana, she is your best friend and best partner in crime there could be. Since you moved to Paris, away from your parents, you have witnessed every good and bad moment together. You need her as much as she needs you.

After this conversation you had, Ana had to leave for some things at work, and you decided to finish an article for college. You had so much to do that you felt a little lost.

Halfway through your article, you hear the doorbell ringing and get up, a little confused, to answer it. Who would it be at 6:30 PM on a Saturday? Ana had the key, so you couldn't think of anyone else. Until you answered and found yourself face to face with a Kylian Mbappé with two pizza boxes and a mischievous smile on his face.

"Since you are running away from me, I decided to come after you." You widen your eyes a little and let a surprised expression take over your face. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

You, still a little stunned, to let Kylian go into the apartment. He faces you and watches your expression. "Aren't you going to tell me anything?"

"I don't know, Ky. I'm just a little surprised you're here unannounced." You say following his figure as he walks over to leave the pizza boxes on the kitchen counter.

Kylian turns to you. "Well, if I said something, you'd make up some other nonsense just to get out of answering me."

"That's not true…I'm just busy with college." You swallow dryly and try to help him get plates and cutlery. "What do you want to talk about?"

Kylian washes his hands at the kitchen sink and turns a little sideways to face you. "You're the one who should tell me, aren't you?" He says with a tired tone. "What's going on? And don't lie to me, that's all I ask."

You wait for him to finish washing his hands and move over to wash yours. "I don't know, Kylian. I guess I just needed some time to myself."

"Does that time mean without me?" Kylian lets a sad look take over the face you love so much and his tone of voice…sounded so brittle that you tried to explain yourself.

"No one, Kylian. I can't explain, I just…" You turn to him and make it clear that the problem is not him. "I've been feeling weird about everything and I just need to figure myself out, the problem isn't you or Ana, it's me. I'm the one who has to sort out my thoughts and I don't want to hurt you with my crazy head."

You bow your head after talking a bit about how you feel and Kylian tries to take both your hands and bring them close to his chest, you could feel every beat of his heart through your fingertips. "It was always you and me against the world, remember? When I lost my ground during the World Cup you held me by the arms and were my greatest source of strength." He pulls you close to him and fits his hands to your face. "Don't leave me in the dark, I'll take it if it's just to stand beside you in silence. But please don't push me away. Because I don't know what to do without you."

You let an exasperated sigh escape your lips and can only nod at him as you stare into those dark eyes. Your heart just wants to scream at him, "I love you. And I could never imagine someone with such intimacy and intensity, I didn't even know I had the capacity to love someone so much," but your brain commands you to push him away so that you don't suffer from the 99% chance that he will say he doesn't feel the same way.

Kylian pushes away this direct contact between you and pulls you over so that you both can sit and enjoy pizza together, like every Saturday of every month. Saturday was the sacred day for you to reserve a moment to spend together. It was always like this, you together against the fucking world.

You try to concentrate on what Kylian is saying, you really try. But, it seems your mind just tells you to throw the weight off your shoulder and tell him you love him. You hold on for a few more minutes, but you can't. You've tried.

"Hey, can you hear me?" You lift your gaze to him and whisper a "Kylian…", he just lets out a "Hm?" and lets his gaze fall to your trembling hands under the table.

Kylian takes your hands and lets a look of concern assume his face. Just as he was about ready to say something, you let go like a bomb about to explode. "I love you."

Kylian understands the way you mean it. You have already said "I love you" to each other, but he knew this time was different. He knew it from the way your hands trembled, the way your eyes filled with tears, and the way your voice sounded pleadingly. He knew.

"And I know it may sound crazy, but…it's been like this for 8 years and I can't hold it in anymore." Your voice sounds brittle and you try to hold back your tears, but two escape from your eyes. You close your eyes tightly to try to pull yourself together and continue, "I promised myself that this would never leave my thoughts, that it would be the single most intense secret I would ever keep from you. I just… love you. They say that true love transforms. How then could I doubt that you are my one, great love? You transformed and continue to transform everything in here. You gave me the joy of living, the pleasure of loving. I hope I can give you back at least a drop of the ocean of happiness that you have brought me since you came into my life. Even if it was unconsciously, you gave me the most beautiful way to love someone and I just want to thank you for it."

Kylian stands stunned in front of you and stares at every tiny part of your face, he doesn't know what to say and doesn't know how to act. He just stands there with his breathing fast and shallow, he didn't expect this and you know it.

You just hold his hands and smile weakly. This hurts more than anything you have ever witnessed in your life, but at the same time it is a relief that this weight is off your shoulders after so long. "Hey…" You whisper with a smile that hurts more than a knife through the heart. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything, just go home."

"But what about you?" That's the only thing he can think to say after you unleash a baggage of feelings on him and it makes you smile in the truest possible way.

"I just need a little time to think about everything and so do you, but know that nothing will change between you and me." You pull his body to the door and hand him his cell phone that was lying on the table in the living room.

After Kylian leaves you can only put your hand over your mouth and try to hold back a loud cry, you can only feel a burning in your chest and the pain of knowing that things will never be the same. To love and not be loved hurts, and it's not that pain that you take medicine and it goes away, it's the pain of the soul.

Ana comes home and almost gets into despair after seeing you like that, she can only take you in her arms and hug you to see if she can stop that painful crying that makes you shiver and your chest hurt.

You finally gave up this war and it hurts more than if he had screamed in your face that he would never be able to love you like that.

Kylian leaves the apartment with his heart racing and unable to think straight. When he gets home, all he can think about is "what have I done?" He should have spoken what has been in his heart for years, he just couldn't. He just couldn't react. He stood there and left you with a feeling of sadness, a torn heart and the thought that you were not loved back.

[dragoneyes618]

I was thinking about an AU where Isabela never confessed that she didn't want to marry Mariano.

Confess to Mirabel, that is. She admitted it to Dolores at some point.

Dolores, in turn, told her that actually she wanted to marry Mariano.

And instead of doing the natural thing and telling their parents, because the Madrigal family is awful at communicating, they decided to pull a switch. At Isabela's wedding, it would actually be Dolores under the veil, and she wouldn't reveal herself until it was too late. They'd be married, and no matter the reaction of the family, they couldn't do that.

Except, of course, that the ceremony would be invalid, because Dolores would be married under the name Isabela Madrigal.

Unless they got the priest in on it. And he agreed to go along with it. And not tell their family.

A friend of mine suggested that they have Antonio's animals cause a distraction at all the points Isabela's name would be said in the ceremony. They wouldn't tell him what was going on - just "Hey, don't you want your jaguar to be with you when your cousin gets married?" And then said jaguar entering right at the moment Padre Flores says Isabela's name causes a bit of an uproar, so no one hears that he actually said Dolores' name instead.

And then after the wedding everyone realizes what happened.

Meanwhile, poor Mariano is stuck on the middle and has no clue what's going on.