#and theyd go to heart island together

[meirisuu]

something something comfort characters as that steven universe meme

[eego0]

Part 2 of the rant and why I have a problem with Laurance in MCD season 2

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why Laurance is outwardly jealous in season 2. He thought he secured Aphmau and it seems like she reciprocated his feelings for awhile. It was only natural that he got angry. The problem became a problem when he endangered (physically and mentally) the people he SWORE to protect because he got jealous.

I’ll go into why Laurance being plain mean to Aphmau about a relationship he knew NOTHING about was so upsetting after I cover the endangering of his loved ones.

1.) We’re gonna start at the end and work our way backwards- when he made the decision to not only JOIN THE SHADOW KNIGHTS IN THE NETHER (obviously it’s not that cut and dry since he was a rebel and actively doing things to piss off Shad and make his life more difficult), BUT LET OUT THE TWO PRISONERS OF PHEONIX DROP THAT HAD PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO BE LETHAL. He could’ve left Pheonix Drop without letting out Sasha, the woman who tried to kill Aphmau’s infant son because he was a descendant LOOOONG down the Irene bloodline, and Michi, the woman who not only drugged and sold Aphmau, Katelyn, AND LAURANCE HIMSELF to werewolves that were either going to marry them off or kill them, BUT THE SAME WOMAN WHO KIDNAPPED APHMAU’S SONS AND WIFE TO TRAFFICK THEM….

Now this next part is going to be the longest section in this rant so buckle in if you plan to keep reading!!

2.) One of the scenes that makes me feel PRIMAL rage for MCD Aphmau is when she had to kill an imp that impersonated her DEAD lover and the father of her adopted child. She’s sitting on the alliance island beach with his bandanna in hand, still very shaken up. This situation happens after FINALLY she’s finally begun adjusting to life without Aaron once again, but her progress feels useless since her heart was plucked out of her chest and stomped on at his brutal reappearance. This is when Laurance feels the need to interrogate her on why she cares so much that Aaron is dead.

I don’t give a FUCK about all of the defenses people make for Laurance. “He’s a shadow knight!” “He couldn’t control his words!” “The calling made him more jealous/angry/unpredictable!” “He kissed her first!” “He liked Aphmau at first sight and she reciprocated his feelings at one point so his question was valid!” - It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship he thought Aphmau and Aaron had. It doesn’t matter if Laurmau didn’t go through in canon and he was upset. Laurance KNEW Aphmau and Aaron were friends. They lived in the same house and took care of Lilith together. They bonded over being lords and found comfort in each other when they couldn’t find comfort in anyone else. They were good friends to the public eye, and Laurance was a part of the public eye, though he saw them as more than good friends since he had a reason to pay extra attention. Point is, he only REALLY knew what Aphmau told him (outside of his inference) and she was set on keeping her relationships to herself. No matter what he thought their relationship was, he was being an asshole and had no right to talk to her like she was overreacting when she had a completely valid grief response to her friend DYING.

HE WASN’T EVEN THERE IN THE VILLAGE WHEN AARON DIED… HE WASNT THERE TO SEE THE DRAMATIC REVEAL OF AARONS SWORD AND BANDANNA IN THE HANDS OF GARROTH, THEIR BEST FRIEND THAT THEYD BEEN TRYING SAVE SINCE THE VERY BEGINNING OF SEASON 2. HE WAS ON A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY THAT HE TOLD NOBODY ABOUT. THEN HE SHOWS UP AND HAS THE GALL TO ASK HER WHY SHE WAS “making such a big fuss” OVER AARON AND HAVING TO KILL HIM WHEN AN IMP TOOK HIS FORM?

In any case, Aphmau would’ve likely reacted the way she did had it been anyone else in her group who died, but in that situation, at least Aaron would’ve been able to help her through the hurt and empathize with her emotions. Nobody else could talk to her on that kind of emotional level without expecting something back. But no, god forbid Aphmau ever feel any emotion aside from happiness and hope. She can have anger, but only the motivational kind that led armies. God forbid she chose her own love. That would dampen the mood and ruin the narrative everyone needed her to follow.

3.) Hyria’s forest. Aphmau is tired, pissed off, and scared. She’s spent days acting as a thief to get information on her son’s and wife’s whereabouts only to find out they’ve been taken out of the area and brought back around a village that’s close to their home. She knows they’re in danger and with Michi, the woman who trafficked her and her friends. She KNOWS the same fate or worse is going to fall on her family if she doesn’t find them in time. She’s in Narahka Village which has EXPLODED into chaos over the Tu’la invasion going into their nextdoor neighbor, O’khasis. And she can’t find Aaron. She just BARELY found Vlyad and they decided on their route home through a forest that people are KNOWN to get stranded in. And Aaron is missing.

Laurance was already upset that Aphmau was looking for Vlyad but he REALLY wanted to escape once she brought up Aaron (I definitely understand why he was pushing to leave since there were armed troops marching to Narahka but he also knows that Aphmau would gladly put herself in danger to save a friends. He’d do the same thing). Aphmau knows that she last saw Aaron in the ruins of Falcon Claw and he was out of it, but she doesn’t know if he’s still there.

She says, “Laurance, I can’t lose him!”

He replies, “I can’t lose you!”

They get to the edge of the forest and Aphmau is still frantically looking around to see if Aaron’s caught up. Laurance and Katelyn point out her behavior.

Laurance asks if she’s even paying attention to their planning knowing she’s preoccupied with her thoughts about Aaron’s whereabouts.

FINALLY, Aaron dashes through the forest and Aphmau calls out to him, running up to him just thankful that he’s okay. He says he knows a place to go.

Laurance stops Aphmau for this conversation that I’m going to transcribe here as a refresher for everyone:

———

L: What was all that about? The whole “worrying about Aaron” thing?

A: I was glad to see him..? I was incredibly worried about his safety.

L: So going up to him and practically embracing him is how you show that?

A: What..? Nothing even happened! Does it even matter?

L: I don’t like you getting so close to him.

A: wait. Are you- Are you jealous?

L: I wont lie, yes. It makes no sense.

A: First off Laurance, I don’t see why that’s any of your Business. I understand that you’re my guard, however, you allowed me to join a thieves guild and didn’t get upset, yet one small sign of friendly affection towards Aaron and suddenly you’re questioning my motives?

L: I just think you should be careful around him is all.

A: you don’t have any idea of who he is or what he’s been through, so I would appreciate it if you kept your jealousy to yourself on this one.

L: Hmph

A: Just remember what happened last time you got jealous Laurance, and the promise that you made me.. what’s going on?

L: It’s nothing, I’m sorry..it’s just, this situation is really stressful. The fact that you embraced Aaron and before that were obsessed with finding Vlyad…I don’t see why you need to care about any of them.

A: I think you’re letting your emotions get to you right now. Just know that if it were you, I’d do the same thing. i…know that we’ve shared some moments in the past, but my life isn’t as easy as just caring about a few people. Now, enough of this bickering, we’ll talk about this later.

——

I get it. People are into the possessive lover thing. Part of Laurance’s development is how he progressively gets more possessive as the calling gets worse. His coping mechanism for staying human is imagining a world where his perfect life is reality. We’ve all been there. But it’s an issue, and I’ll stand by Aphmau any day of the week defending her right to have other friends and find new love. She doesn’t owe anything to Laurance, which people on the Laurmau side of the fandom don’t consider often and fight with me about a LOT. Laurance became a Shadow Knight to buy Aphmau time in the nether during season 1. He died. But HE MADE THAT CHOICE. APHMAU DOESNT OWE HIM HER LIFE BECAUSE HE MADE THE CHOICE TO BUY HER AND CASTOR TIME. And you know what, even if she did, she repayed that debt by thought, action, and word every chance she got after he was out and safe. THATS WHY THEIR FRIENDSHIP WAS BEAUTIFUL! THEY SAVED EACH OTHER A LOT AND REPAYED EACH OTHER EVERY TIME!

Final thoughts (as of rn):

I love Laurance’s character as much as the next person. He’s charming, flirty, sweet, and has a VERY interesting downward spiral. Him and Aphmau would’ve made a good couple had they been official, but they weren’t. Aphmau reasonably fell in love with someone that made her feel stable and could truly empathize with/get through to her, which is important to remember.

It really bothers me how hard people in the fandom defend him even after seeing how he talked to Aphmau after Aaron died but even before. “It was justified!” Mmmkay..

To any Laurance lovers who’ve stumbled upon this post, I love him too, but understand that I can’t physically bring myself to love him more than my pookie bear Aaron💕💕💕 (please don’t dox me if you don’t agree🥺🙏🔥🔥🔥)/Lh

Thank you again for reading all of this and hearing me if you got this far- I love you all very much<3

[ultra-raging-ghost]

I have an idea for an animatic but i dont feel well enough to do it rn so yall have to hear about it until i have the energy for it

I have this hc that bad creates disasters and foolish is the bandaid that comes in afterwards to heal the land basically and my whole idea is like..... this song is very repetitive and cyclic, and it would just be about bad continuously getting his heart broken over and over cuz thats basically what happens to him in cannon.

It would go in timeline order like Atlantis sinking (Optional) -> Vesuvius erupting (his lover died) -> the start of the salem witch trials (we know he was fucking sexting someone at the time so we can assume they died) -> lmanburg blowing up (Skeppy's lava bath) -> present

and it would be like.... his lover dies, he attends the funeral (hes death obv hes attending) and then his emotions overwhelm him causing another disaster to occur and then foolish comforts him and heals the situation and then they move on bc i cant imagine theyd be welcome there anymore, and after the events of lmanburg in the last verse foolish and bbh would be riding the train to quesadilla island together as kinda a foreshadowing or whatever, foolish speaks the last line obv

uhhhh thats kinda all, i might do concept art for this bc i want to put foolish and bad in cute but inaccurate time period based outfits :33

[dancingkirby]

In which Bolin plays with toys and Eska fails at flirting

I’m going to have to think up a title for this story soon.  I was thinking maybe “Into Open Waters.”

“How dare she? How dare she?”

Eska paced around the room, trying her hardest to keep her voice low so as not to disturb Kinalik.  The stress of the previous sleepless night, their escape in the wee hours, the sheer physical effort required to waterbend all the way to Republic City with a toddler and luggage in tow, the energy required to interact with people in a strange place…all of it was consuming her.

She collapsed in a chair, her body shaking and angry tears streaming down her face, which made her feel all the worse; like she was no more mature than her daughter.

Did their courtiers think that the twins did not hear the snickers and whispers of “half breed?” And yesterday…they had all looked at Kinalik like she was a monster. They felt that their only option was to get her out of there.

“I was trying to explain, but she wouldn’t listen!” she moaned to her brother.  

“Perhaps she felt the same about you,” Desna offered cautiously.

“Perhaps,” Eska muttered, making an enormous effort to control her crying.  “I have no harsh feelings towards our cousin’s significant other; she is not nearly as uncouth as the others.  I was just…trying so hard not to cry in front of them that I forgot to thank her.   People only seem to care about what I do incorrectly; not what I do the appropriate way.  Yes, I know you are an exception, brother,” she hastily added to ward off his protests.  She furiously scrubbed the tears away.  

“I recommend that we go to sleep right now and ponder the matter further in the morning,” Desna said.

“Yes…that would probably be wise.”

Eska was worried that she’d have problems falling asleep like she often did in locations that weren’t home.  However, the rhythm of Kinalik’s breathing soothed her, and the trio was soon huddled together in a deep slumber.

When Eska woke up who-knows-how-late in the morning, her back was throbbing in pain.  She supposed it was to be expected with all the exercise and lifting that she did yesterday. Even attempting to roll over caused her to moan. Thankfully, Desna had already awoken, and was ready with the bowl of water. He and Eska silently healed each other, then Eska also healed Kinalik, who was uninjured but wanted to do what the grownups were doing.  It didn’t get rid of all the pain, but reduced it enough to allow her to perform the usual morning functions and help Kinalik with hers.

When they got downstairs to the breakfast room, Korra was sitting there alone.  She had finished her own meal, but there was still a pot of tea and a plate of steamed buns filled with bean paste on the table. Eska was impressed to see that they’d remembered about Kinalik’s noodles, and that the child’s chair had a pile of cushions on it in lieu of a booster seat.

“Asami’s in the shower,” Korra said in response to their unspoken query.  “She likes to fiddle around in her workshop first thing in the morning when she’s feeling upset.”

Even Eska could tell that the last few words were pointed.  “Hm,” was all she could trust herself to say in response as she grabbed a bun.

“Does she eat anything else?” Korra asked, referring to Kinalik.  That was a somewhat safer topic, at least.

“Rice. Eggs.  Apples peeled and cut to slices exactly ¼ inch thick.  Arctic hen.  Some types of fish; she seems to change her mind about exactly which types by the day,” Eska answered.  She stopped to think.  What else was there?

“We have been having modest success in getting her to eat kelp,” Desna reminded.

“Oh yes.  The first time she ate that was a triumphant occasion indeed.  And before you ask, cousin, we do give her a daily multivitamin.”

“I wasn’t going to ask,” Korra said quickly.  She took a sip of her tea and said, “I wonder if she’d like Narook’s?  They have a kid’s menu.”

“Is it noisy?”

“Dinner can be…lunch is usually quieter.”

“We will consider it.”

They were spared from doing further chatting for the moment by Asami entering the room, fully dressed but with a towel wrapped around her head.  Korra looked at Eska expectantly.

Eska supposed that this was her cue to apologize.   Damn it.  She’d never cared about the feelings of anyone outside of her family before.

“I’msorry,” she mumbled while looking down at her hands.  This seemed to satisfy the requirements for now.

“It’s okay,” Asami said.  “I know you must have been under a lot of stress.  Now, is this enough food for you?  We could have the cook make something hot…”

“This is sufficient,” Desna assured her.

Asami sat down as well and got her own breakfast, and apparently decided that it would be best to get right to the point.

“So…Korra said that you were concerned about Kinalik’s safety…”

“That is one way to phrase it.”

“So exactly how deep into hiding did you want to go?”

Good question.

“We hadn’t thought things through that far yet,” Desna admitted.  “All we were hoping for was to buy a few days of time to strategize. That was why we chose not to stay at a hotel.”

“Simply arriving at this destination was the main objective.  They will discover our location sooner or later, but I doubt that they would take our lives here.  Nevertheless, we should take precautions,” Eska added.

Korra and Asami stopped to think, and then Korra said, “Well, you do have one thing going for you.  You’re fairly obscure.  Probably all that most people in Republic City know about you is that you’re those creepy twins.”

Eska clenched her jaw, and willed the angry words ready to spring from her back down her throat. She didn’t want another argument to start so quickly.  Desna appeared to be having a similar struggle, but was able to state in an even tone, “We do like our privacy.”

While they had been talking, Kinalik had finished her noodles and was getting bored.

“Down!” she commanded.  Eska rose to help her off the cushions, and sat back down with her daughter in her lap.

“And that’s another thing,” Asami said.  “I didn’t even know of Kinalik’s existence until yesterday, and I don’t think Korra did either.”

“They may have mailed something,” Korra said.  “But I was kind of distracted at the time.”

“We did air a birth announcement on the radio,” Eska remarked.  Granted, it had run only once.  At 6 AM.  Neither the twins nor their advisors had wanted to call much attention to it.

“Well, anyway, if all that the general public knows about you is that you’re twins, we’d want to make you look as unalike as possible.  Plus, the weather’s much too warm right now for your regular wardrobes. We’ll need to shop for new clothes, and one of you might have to cut your hair.”

Asami looked over at Desna, but Eska quickly said, “I’ll do it.”  Desna had done so much for her; it was only fair that she should be the one to make this sacrifice.

“I have to go get the rest of my stuff this morning, but…hold on, let me write this down,” Korra said.”  She retrieved a notebook and pencil from a side table.

“Asami, could you take them downtown this afternoon?  I’ll probably want to rest, and you’re the one with the style sense. And um…I still can’t drive that well.”

“Sure, but maybe one at a time?  Whoever is after them would be looking for twins.”

“No prob. Desna, you okay with waiting until tomorrow?”

“Whatever you think is best,” Desna answered, albeit apparently with some unease about them being separated.  The twins squeezed hands under the table.

“Bolin might want to join us,” Asami remarked.  “You know how he is about makeovers.”

“Oh, yeah, whoops, I forgot about Bolin.  And we were going to do a proper introduction today.”

“I wonder…” Asami trailed off as Korra scribbled away.  

“Hm?”

“I was just thinking about how to make all this more pleasant for Kinalik.  I think I have an idea.  You go over to Air Temple Island.  I can take care of arranging things.”

“’Kay, love you.”

They kissed.  Eska was relieved.  All of the talking had been making her dizzy.

After Korra had finally departed, Asami got Eska, Desna, and Kinalik situated in the living room. Unlike the more formal parlor they’d seen on the tour yesterday, this room was stocked with comfortable furniture, which was a blessing for Eska’s back.  It was decorated with plush carpeting, wooden paneling, several paintings, and a tall bookcase in the corner.  Eska made a beeline for the latter and thumbed through the selection.

While Eska was busy with her browsing, Asami used one of the mansion’s many phones to call Bolin.

“So what do you think about coming over here shortly?  Makeovers may be involved.”

Eska could hear Bolin’s shriek of joy from clear across the room.  Asami had to hold the receiver at arm’s length until he calmed down.

“I take it that’s a yes?  Okay, what time?  Yeah, I think we can do that.  So see you…oh?  What is it?”

She listened for a few seconds, then said, “Well, I’ll ask them,” and covered the receiver with her hand.

“Eska, Desna, Bolin says that Opal wants to come meet you.  Is that okay?”

Eska was intrigued in spite of herself.  She wanted to see just what sort of powerful woman had managed to ensnare her ex’s heart.

“It is all right with me.  Desna?”

“Me as well.”

“Great!” exclaimed Asami.  She turned back to the receiver and said, “That’s a yes from both of them.  See you in a few, then?  All right.  No, Pabu had better stay at your apartment this time. Bye.”

She hung up the phone, then left the room, saying vaguely that she had to “get things ready.”

Eska, in the meantime, had found several recent issues of Republic City Style.  She had first encountered this publication in the storage room of the library back home, and knew that it was trash, but had been unable to stop reading these chronicles of uncivilized famous people and their clothing.  And it definitely wasn’t because she was jealous of them and their hedonistic lives!  No, if ever asked, she would claim that it was simply anthropological studies.

“All right, let’s see who Ginger is dating now,” she murmured as she sat down to look at the pictures with Kinalik.

“May I have one?” Desna asked.

“You may.”

They were deeply engrossed in their reading material, with occasional snorts of incredulity from the twins and squeals of “Pretty!” from Kinalik, when they heard something being hauled down the stairs and dragged into the living room.

“I found that box of t-o-y-s that I was telling you about yesterday!” Asami said as she beamed. She had removed her towel, and looked no worse for wear from the exertion.  Eska wished that she could look that put-together.

“So I was thinking that Bolin could help Kinalik look through these, and that maybe she would warm up to him more if she associated him with a positive thing like that.”

Kinalik perked up at the mention of her name.  Eska thought that this was actually a clever idea, and wished that she could have thought of that herself.

“Shall we see what is contained in here?” Eska asked Kinalik. Her daughter didn’t answer verbally, but appeared happy for the first time since they’d left the palace.

As Asami left to get some scissors with which to open the box, the doorbell rang.  The door was opened shortly thereafter, presumably by the butler…what was his name again?

“We have arrived!” Bolin announced as he bounded into the living room, followed closely behind by Opal.  “And…hey neat, what’s that?”  He gestured at the box.

Asami explained her idea to him as Kinalik removed the first item from the box: a stuffed animal in the form of a cat-owl.

“Great, sounds great!” Bolin enthused as made to sit down right next to Kinalik, then caught himself in time and picked a spot a respectful couple of feet away.

Asami had certainly never been lacking in any amusement as a child; Eska felt a twinge when she remembered how her own toys had been taken away when she wasn’t too much older than Kinalik.  There were stuffed animals of all sorts (yes, including a turtleduck and a koala otter), dolls, and Satomobile models.  Thankfully, nothing was in that box that would pose a choking hazard; Eska presumed that Kinalik was smart enough not to put toys in her mouth, but one never knew for sure.

Kinalik was insistent on doing the unpacking herself, and kept most of the toys to herself, but every so often she would shyly offer one to Bolin.

“Thank you!” he exclaimed at her latest offering of a stuffed animal that was so worn that Eska couldn’t even tell what it was supposed to be.  “Do you wanna know something, Kinalik?  I don’t remember what toys I had when I was your age.  I wish I did.  So this is really as exciting for me as it is for you!”

Kinalik scrunched her nose, and either because she didn’t know how to respond or didn’t have the words, settled for “Okay.”  But she did hand over a toy truck to him.

“Oh, she’s just adorable!” said Opal, which slightly startled Eska because she’d been so focused on the scene across the room.  She was seated at the opposite end of the couch from the twins.

“Yes,” Eska answered.  She and Desna switched places so that there would be no one between Eska and Opal. Then she remembered.

“I have on my possession a copy of Kinalik’s birth certificate,” Eska stated as she took the piece of paper out of her pocket.  “It contains proof that Bolin was not being unfaithful to you.  Not with me, at least.”

Opal didn’t move to take it.

“It’s okay, I believe you.  Really,” she said.

It was just that easy?  Eska had been anticipating a more frosty reception.

“So what do you think?  Can we be friends?” Opal asked as she smiled gently.  She extended her hand, and Eska forced herself to make eye contact while tentatively reaching her arm out as well.  But she only had the nerve to brush Opal’s fingers with her own.

Just then, there was much excitement from the duo on the floor.  Having removed all of the toys from the box, they had reached the best part…the packing paper.  Kinalik reached for a particularly large piece and gleefully ripped it in half.

“That makes a cool sound, doesn’t it?” Bolin observed.

Kinalik studied the two halves in her hand, and then crumpled one up, walked over, and reached up to place it on Bolin’s head.

“Oh wow!  A hat!  Just what I always wanted!” Bolin said with all evidence of sincerity.  He tossed his head ever so slightly, and the paper fell to the floor.

“OOPS!  It fell off!  How clumsy of me!”

Kinalik looked at him, then at the paper, then back at him.  And she laughed.

This was something that even Eska herself rarely elicited from her daughter.  She wished that she could telepathically transmit to Bolin the significance of this event.  But as he glanced over it her, it seemed that he already knew to some extent.

Shortly thereafter, Korra returned, and while the servants transferred her things, Asami herded them all into the main dining room for lunch.  Evidently, Korra had informed her partner of Kinalik’s preferences, because the meal was omelets…plain for Kinalik and with vegetables for everyone else.  Kinalik actually ate most of hers, and even sampled a piece of mushroom from Eska’s plate without spitting it back out.

When that was concluded, Desna put Kinalik down for a nap while Eska ventured out into the great unknown.

For what felt like the millionth time, Eska felt the ends of her now shoulder-length hair.  It felt exceedingly strange to not have it hanging halfway down her back.

Also, the hairdresser had insisted on using hair clips to pin her bangs back.

“You have such a perfectly-proportioned forehead!” the older woman had gushed.  “And such delicate eyebrows.  Why would you ever want to cover that up?”

At least it might work as a disguise.  And Asami and Opal had wholeheartedly agreed with the stylist.  They had tried to get Bolin’s opinion as well, but he held up his pointer finger for silence.

“Please don’t disturb me.  I have attained manicure Nirvana,” he stated in an exaggerated whisper.

When Bolin had finally descended back down to Earth, they went clothes-shopping.  First they got some everyday items.  Eska was rather embarrassed that she had to wear clothing from the Juniors section due to her petite frame, but she managed to tolerate the shopping long enough to attain several new outfits.  The store had a changing room in case one wanted to wear an outfit out of the store, so Eska had changed her regular tunic and leggings for a sky-blue shirt with cap sleeves, white pants that fell just below the knee, and white sandals.  It was odd to have so much of her skin exposed in public, but it was amusing to imagine how the dreaded councilors back home would react.

She was taken aback when she realized that she would have to help carry her own belongings for the first time in her life, but decided not to argue.

Then Asami had remembered about Korra’s party, to which Eska hadn’t realized that she was invited, so they went to a more upscale boutique that specialized in Water Tribe inspired designs to find a dress.  Of course, the one that caught Eska’s eye was too large for her, so she would have to come back later for fitting.

By the time that was over, all of them were loaded with shopping bags and getting tired, and Eska’s back was acting up again.  She still didn’t understand why some girls and women did this for fun.

“There’s a bubble tea shop just down the street.  Let’s stop there,” Asami suggested.

Eska was about to inquire what bubble tea was, but her thoughts slammed on the brakes as a horrific sound rose from the corner next to the tea shop.

“What. Is.  That?” she demanded as she jammed her fingers inside her ears.

“That’s a trombone,” Opal answered.  She and Asami rolled their eyes at Bolin, who was edging nervously closer toward the tea shop door.

Even leading such a sheltered life, Eska had heard of street musicians.  But she had been under the impression that most did it for money.  There was no tip box beside this man’s feet, so either he was just doing it for fun or wanted to cause all pedestrians an agonizing death.  Probably the latter, she thought.

“I am going to ambulate over there right now and inform that man that he must cease and desist immediately,” she declared.

“Maybe…just going inside would be a better idea?” Bolin offered.  “Come on quick, before he sees us!”

Bolin dashed inside, and the three women had no choice but to follow, Opal and Asami both making noises of disapproval.

They got their orders and sat down.  Eska had assumed that the bubbles would be some form of carbonation, but they were actually solid spheres.  She guessed that it was not called “sphere tea” because it didn’t roll off the tongue as easily.  In any case, the spheres had a pleasantly chewy texture.

Meanwhile, Asami was still scolding Bolin.

“He’s a much better person now and you know it!” she said.

“He still scares me!”

“Well, I invited him to the party, so get used to him.”

“You what?  Oh frick…here he comes.”

The door abruptly swung open as if accompanied by a musical cue, and Trombone Man walked in like he owned the place.  To Eska’s relief, he had put away that torture device for the present.  Wait…why was he making a beeline to their table?

“Hi, Tahno!” Asami said cheerfully as Opal waved.  The latter elbowed Bolin, who squeaked out a “Hi!”

The name rang a bell.  Eska tried to recall where she’d encountered it.

“Now who is this lady here?” Tahno the Trombone Man asked.  “I don’t believe that I’ve seen you here with the Uh-vatar’s crowd before.”

Eska assumed that he was referring to Opal.  But after several seconds, she realized that he was looking at her.  Just in time, she remembered how she knew of him.

“I saw you in the magazines,” she said.  “Except then you weren’t there anymore.  And then you were, but not quite as often.”

“Guilty as charged.”

Was he flirting, or just making fun of her?

Eska rose from her seat and affixed her best glare.

“Your subpar pronounciation irritates my auditory receptacles.  As does your so-called musical talent.”

The look she was giving him would have sent a whole room full of courtiers fleeing.  But Trombone Man just laughed.

“Oh, did I offend you, Ice Queen?”

Did he know?  At any rate, Eska realized that he towered over her by at least a foot, despite her drawing herself up to as full a height as her back would allow.  This would not do.

“If I am the Ice Queen, then you are my subject.  I demand that you swear fealty to me by kneeling.”

She heard three sharp intakes of breath.  But kneel Tahno did, after only a brief pause.  He kept his eyes and his smirk on Eska.  Eska remained outwardly composed (at least she hoped so), but her heart was starting to pound…from anxiety or from something else?

“Of course…you do know what this means, Ice Queen?  Now I must kiss your hand.”

Eska barely had time to process the words before Bolin leapt in between them.

“O-kaaaayyy!” he exclaimed louder than he had to.  “I know we’re all having a wonderful time here, and it was great seeing you again, but look at the clock!  We really have to be going now, so bye and see you at the party, I guess!”

He herded the trio of women out the door, drinks, bags, and all.  Eska didn’t know whether she wanted to thank him or throttle him.

“That was interesting,” Eska mused as they walked back to the Satomobile.  “However, I doubt he would show the submission required to be my husband.”

Bolin choked on his last sip of tea.

“Mental images, Eska!  Mental! Images!” he gasped out.

At least he was starting to show his true self around her.

[dominionleathershop]

Third Story

The second of two stories that were part of the final three that my wife had to pick from.

by LETSSEEYOUGRITTHOSETEETH

Our tale of meetings first starts On a night full of horror, creepy gaunts. One Halloween night There was held a great fight To be crowned king or queen of the haunts.

The annual Halloween Festival Was the towns greatest and most edible. Where greyhounds would enter Nimble and slender, Theyd float off like a Macy’s processional.

The lad cantered up to partake. The lass strode up through the wake. A waiver was signed “Be fair and be kind. All cheaters will be thrown in the lake.”

“Welcome one welcome all to these games!” Shouted organizer Merriam Jones “This year’s contest is odd Find partners not a squad And heed my instructions in rhyme.”

The lad looked about in dismay. All nearby were taken away. Till he spotted the lass On an island of grass Alone near the massive buffet.

“Want to partner” asked the lad with a smile “Lets do this, we’ll win by a mile” Said the lass with a shout Which was louder than thought. Several heads turned and stared for a while.

Dressed as a chef was she. A cowboy with holsters was he. The pair was made. Neither were maids. The contest was starting, what glee!

Feedback from the mic rang out. “Our first contest will be all about Eating chili with beans, So unbutton your jeans. Devour 10 bowls before time runs out”

“To make this no easy feat.” Miss Jones said on repeat “You eat with your props, (The chilis not hot) No hands can touch this meat.”

Better off were those two then Dracula. Water guns had those dressed as Yakuza. While some go face first Those two were not cursed The lass had brought her spatula

All lined up to begin the challenge There was chili brought by the gallon “Im ready”, “lets go” Then came Mrs. Jones “But first from our sponsor, Valium!”

“Are you tired of seizures and spasms?” “Then shove this pill down your wet chasms!” “Side effects may occur” “Such as dizziness, vision blur” “But with Valium you’ll keep your enthusiasm!”

The gun sounded off with a blast. To signal to all that amassed Eat, swallow, and chew Till your face turns blue. The lad and the lass took off fast.

With her spatula she gulped down each bowl The lad followed quick to their goal. The clock was near done. Five four three two one “That’s time! All hands up! We’ll patrol”

The lass looked to him and laughed. “You’ve got beans on your face. they’re all smashed!” On his cheeks he drew A smile-like tattoo Even harder she laughed falling back.

As the judges came round she got up “Well done on completing your cups!” “You came close in second, But just by a second. We’ll see how you fare in the next setup.”

Together they talked and made jokes. Funny stories of friends and their folks. The next session was near “Together we’ll smear The others and dash all their hopes.”

Next up was a three-legged race. Their legs would be tied in embrace. The lad and the lass Became one big mass As they waddled at a clumsy pace.

Ms. Jones made it up to the stage. “Quiet down all including the teenage.” “Next up this sponsor. Just ask your doctor Of the wonderful cream named Avage!”

“Slather this white creamy goo When acne just will not do. Dry skin or a rash May start to last, With Avage your skin will renew!”

This race would prove most difficult. Cowboy boots were not used by Usain Bolt. Locking arms they made way, But soon found they lay On the ground with a quick sudden jolt.

“Well partner” she said with a wince. “Together lets walk and convince These monster and ghouls That they are the fools” They ran as one ever since.

They waltzed to the starting line. All groups held fast for the sign. Then off went the gun To start all their fun Each raced to the finish twine.

The lad and the lass were fast. Most couples they already passed. Close behind they were To a count and a purr Till the end when they did bypass.

Loud cheers from the crowd did sound. Now both of their hearts did pound. First place they had won Yet they were not done One last test before they were crowned.

The mic rang out with Mx. Jones. “Don’t these two rattle your bones?” “This lad and this lass Are kicking some ass! Forgive me my French overtones.”

The lass hugged the lad in excitement “We’re winning!” he said not so silent “A great team we make” She smiled as she spake “Its great so well we complement”

At last the last trial awaited. All stood around fascinated. The stage was clear Loud music appeared. “The finals a dance” old Jones stated.

“To sponsor this lovely diddy, It makes me so happy and giddy. The sponsor for this Dance floor bliss The one, the only GoLytely”

“Before doctors can check your rectum Swallow this laxative concoction” “Sometimes vomiting, cramps Will leave you like gramps” “GoLytely makes colonoscopies awesome!”

The lass and the lad took the floor. They held hands and waited for The music to play, And start this display. A dreamy sax, George Michael did roar.

The first up was Careless Whisper. The lad took her lovely figure. Together they danced Feeling romance. He felt so great to be with her.

The next songs were far more lively. To Faith they danced more brightly. They swayed and moved Feeling the groove Her steps being much more sprightly.

George Michael played on for a while. His Go-Go and Freedom compiled To make this soundtrack. Their moves were all whack. The judges watched all through this trial.

The lad and the lass grooved on. His cowboy boots aiding his motion. He tapped and two stepped To Fastlove he moved it. She shim shammed and jived with vibration.

The music began to slow down. “We are close to giving the crown.” “You all did so well! The judges can tell These are the best dancers in town.”

Trying to catch their breathing The baker and cowboy were sweating. “The winners will be, The judges agree, The couple of Bat Girl and Swamp Thing”

Startled, the two turned around, To hear cheering and hooting abound. Bat Girl was so jolly, Swamp Thing was so swampy, They ran up to claim their new crown.

The lad and the lass were dismayed. Their best had they tried, had they played. “That’s just a shame There goes my fame” Joked the lad to the lass as they strayed.

The two of them walked round the fest. An end had come to their quest. They talked, they hung out. Both thinking about, The feelings for each other they possessed.

[trashy-greyjoy]

am i the only one who lost complete faith in bellarke the shows been om air for 4 years and the one final opportunity they had to kiss shouldve been right b4 they separated for 6 years they both were walking into their potential deaths and it just makes no sense how there wasnt at least a confession. then i remembered the writers are still pandering to antis who never shut up so it pretty much made me think that legit every small moment that has been given to us is bait for us to stay watching

2/2 you seem like one of the voice of reasons in the fandom and i just had to get it off my chest im just pretty sure the writers are baiting us all along for when they bring you know who back in the series finale or something its so sad bc we stuck around for so long and idk im pretty sure everyone has this feeling that bellarke will never happen so the antis will be happy. i wish theyd realize most of general audience prefers bellarke idk im just sad i wasted my time on this show for 4 yrs

Hello nonny! Not worry I am here to restore your faith in all things canon blarke and s5 is our time! I totally feel your pain, sometimes even I get in those ‘blarke is never gonna fuck what’s even the point’ moods, but i have some long ranting posts ill shoot your way so you have some things to think about and hopefully it'll raise your spirits! (also you saying I'm a voice of reason made me laugh because in all honesty I'm a huge emo mess )

About the kiss being in the s4 finale. at first I really thought it would happen too, since if they think they're gonna die they should confess and make out, except, they didn't think that, at least Bellamy didn't. He thought they were gonna have 5 years of the 2 of them stuck in space to figure it out and be together so he didn't feel the pressure to have to confess before they went up. Clarke probably didn't do anything because she was almost certain she was going to die and she probably didn't want to put all that on Bellamy if he was just going to lose her anyway. Thats especially easy to notice if you pay attention to the face caress scene where she seems light hearted and happy looking at him and then she remembers her mom’s vision. And if you recall there were two separate instances where one of them tried to either confess or say goodbye and the other wouldn't let them (Bellamy before clarke went to the island and Clarke before the head and heart convo). ALSO leaving the confession up in the air gives the opportunity for them to add a lot of conflict with bellamy not getting to tell her going into next season. So when you think about that, it makes a lot of sense for them not to have kissed in the finale.

About the writers pandering to a certain audience, I agree. they name dropped L at unnecessary and excessive points last season to pacify the antis as best as they could. I get it, I hated it, it hurt Clarke’s character, and it wasn’t needed, but like i get what they were trying to do, unsuccessfully. HOWEVER I don't think that'll be a problem going forward. The time jump allows time for Clarke to have grieved and moved on in the last 6 years. She’s not fresh off the loss of a loved one and she’s been able to come into herself and move on essentially. AND the writers have been active on Twitter, and talking about Bellarke for the first time since S2 which is a big deal. They’re out of their Post-L Hibernation and they feel safe, well at least safer, talking about Bellarke on social media, meaning they’ve moved on from trying to pacify the antis in that regard. I think we’re pretty much over seeing them directly pandering to the CL’s at this point. 

Running off of that there’s also the scripts that the writers release, which have so far been pretty Bellarke heavy with the “another piece of her soul on the line”, “kill another person who she loves”, every part of the finale scripts and Bellamy’s “heart screaming”. Like... they released a script canonically saying Clarke loves Bellamy (and in a romantic way since the only other person she loved that she killed in canon was Finn). They’re putting it out there.

There’s no way they’re going to bring L back. Jason said she’s dead and not coming back. ABC has said it. And she’s trying to stay as far away from this show and that character as possible right now, she’s moved on she’s not going to come back. 

As for baiting, yeah they stretch it out and a lot of people think 4 season is unrealistic, but I say time and time again, when you look at canon slow burns and how long they take, 4 seasons, not even full seasons let me remind you, is child’s play. Mulder and Scully took 7 seasons to kiss and almost the whole 9 seasons to be fully canon on the show. Stiles and Lydia took 6 seasons to be canon, Rick and Michonne took 4ish seasons to go canon (still more episodes than The 100′s current 58). Booth and Brennan, Fitz and Simmons, Harvey and Donna (I see you Ana), Ron and Hermione, they all took years and almost twice as long as Bellarke have. It’s how television works. It’s annoying and it’s unrealistic a lot of the times, but its a trope, it follows a pattern, it’s how television shows grab a certain type of viewers and and ensure that they can keep them for the run of the show. Because it’s widely believed by the tv industry that once the ‘will they won't they’ aspect is gone, viewers lose interest so they string it out as long as they think they can. Whether its true or not thats how it works. 

There are also two more major reasons I think, or rather I know, Bellarke are endgame. The 6 Year Separation, and the fact that That’s The Story Jason Is Writing. 

I have separate long posts for these on my blog so I’ll be brief and link those for further reading, but to start off, extended separations are romantic tropes. Being separated for years and thinking the other person is or could be dead is a tried and true romantic Hollywood trope. Almost every example of this in entertainment, be it tv, books, or film, has romantic connotations surrounding it. The entire post about it can be found right here, if you want the low down, which I suggest. I list off other examples and proof in it. 

Moving towards Jason writing romantic Bellarke, it’s what he’s doing. If you look back at all the pivotal ‘Bellarke’ scenes in the past, Jason or Aaron have written a good portion of those episodes. Jason, the show runner, and Aaron, the guy he was ready to have take over if his other show got picked up. That combined with how many times he’s said that this is ‘Clarke and Bellamy’s story’ and in the past (S1-2) how free he was when speaking about Bellarke on social media. It’s always been the plan. He just likes to pull a Chris Carter (show runner of The X-Files, and the OG JRoth) and try to drag it out and deny it as much as possible. Seriously look up some of the stuff CC has said about Mulder and Scully in the past and it fits the same pattern. You can find the full post right here, where I give quotes and explain everything further. 

Taking a turn for a second, you can also think about the fact that tv shows almost NEVER put their big endgame together until the end of the show is approaching, especially if it’s between the two series mains. They don’t give that to you early on, that’s why most bigger ships in tv are at least partially slow burn, they don’t put the big couples together in the first season or two.

And I guess to close out, you can think about the fact that S1 Bellamy is set up as a romantic interest for Clarke from the beginning. His character and their relationship follow the ‘enemy/bad boy isn't actually that bad and actually has a heart and realizes that when he meets the good girl that challenges him’ like come on my guys... they’re set up as a trope from episode 2 when he saves her, and then episode 3 when he stares at her killing Atom and he gets all soft and realizes she’s not who he thought she was. It even comes complete with the jealous canon love interest and the ‘we’ve been through a lot together”

Never mind, I have one more point. Look at the sizzle reel for next season. It’s set up to make Bellarke look romantic or at least intimately connected. I have another long post for that one right here. 

I hope that did the trick for reassuring you at least partially and now we can all stew in this hellatus for a few more months before this hell shit returns to us!