#anyway I know it’s only a cameo but I can’t help hoping for the husband to show up too

[mabsart]

[Star Wars Rebels: Garazeb Orrelios]

So I heard that the best purple boy showed up wearing blue~

[ppascalsstuff]

After All This Time II [Dieter Bravo x f!reader]

Summary: Some years ago, you and a young Dieter Bravo had a healthy relationship and almost became parents, but life had other plans for the two of you. Years later, you accept a cameo in Cliff Beats 6 thanks to your son, a fan of the franchise. What will happen in the bubble between you and Dieter?

Warnings: A bit of angst. Mention of drugs use and miscarriage. Failed relationship. Reader is not described and has an adopted son. Dieter is kind of a jerk but deep inside him there’s good, we all know it: He’s just struggling with his feelings. Please keep in mind this story will be +18 at some point. Minors please DNI. 

Word count: 2.1K

A/N: I wasn’t planning on making a multi-chapter fic out of this one, but I guess the movie gave a lot of ideas an a 2nd part was requested so... This fic will have (probably) 6 chapters. Dieter has a soft side and you can’t change my mind! Let me know if you want to be tagged on it!

English is not my first language, sorry in advance if there’s some typos or grammar errors. Hope you enjoy it!

- Part 1 -

“I just want to say, you were amazing in Our Hotel. An outstanding performance. It was incredible. Indescribable”

You smiled sheepishly. You’ve never been good at accepting compliments, and of course Lauren Van Chance had to come at you and talk about your work. It was driving you insane, but you talk to her politely anyway, as expected from you.

“You should have won the Oscar!”

“I guess?” 

“She doesn’t want it. The award, I mean”

Dieter approached you with a drink in his hand. The green robe was probably the ugliest item of clothing you had ever seen, and the purple tee was stained in some places. Sunglasses still hiding most of his face and his hair was somehow messier than before. You didn’t want to know what he had been doing since you last saw him when you arrived that morning, although you knew the answer. 

“Dieter! You were incredible in Hunger Strike as well. Your performance was… I mean, I think about it all the time. Congratulations.”

“I don’t watch my own shit” of course, you thought. “You should never watch your own shit. You just wipe, you flush and you move on” 

A heavy silence fell over the three of you, stagnating the conversation. You didn’t believe in God, but at that moment you wanted to. You wanted to pray for a miracle to happen. Maybe somebody would join you, maybe you would feel the urge to pee... maybe a meteorite would fall. Anything that would help you skip that conversation. 

“I heard you two dated years ago!” Lauren said cheerfully. 

You closed your eyes and clenched your jaw, counting backwards from 100. Even though you had long since gotten over the fact that you and Dieter were no longer together, it still hurt to think about what had happened. Dieter didn’t look at you, and you were almost thankful for that. You hadn’t reached 98 when he spoke.

“Yeah, nothing serious”

You wanted to shout, to grab him by the lapels of his stupid robe and shake him so hard that the only neuron he had bounced around in his brain. You did glance at him then. No, this wasn’t the same man you had crossed paths with that morning. You couldn’t tell if he was high now or if he was high when you first saw him, but it was making you sick. Did he have such an enormous ego that he was willing to forget he had loved you? That you lost your child?

“Where’s your husband?” he asked Lauren and you were almost sure you saw a glimpse of revenge in his eyes after asking the question. 

“My husband? We got divorced”

“I’m sorry, I have to go to the bathroom”

Excusing yourself, you made your way to the bathroom and closed the door behind you. The tears began to fall down your cheeks, and it didn't matter how hard you closed your eyes, you couldn't contain them. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you brushed them away roughly.

"Oh my God this is such a bad idea. What the hell I was thinking? Fuck!"

You grabbed your phone and called your agent. It was fine, you would quit before they began shooting so that they could replace you as soon as possible. You were pacing back and forth in the bathroom when your agent picked up the phone.

"Honey! How's it going? Everything all right?"

"Why didn't you tell me Dieter was doing this movie?"

"I tried to but you were so excited to do it... For Nick"

You tried to calm down. It was true, the only reason you accepted the role was because of your son.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Rebecca. Can I just like... quit?"

"Girl, I've been gone for like 6 hours and you already want to quit?"

Rebecca had to head back to her home after dropping you at the hotel, only the cast and crew were allowed there because of the pandemic.

"It's too much. I can't do it. I have to quit"

"You can't"

"What do you mean I can't? I won't be the first one to do it... or the last"

"If you walk out you will have to pay them”

"What?!"

"Yeah, apparently if you leave now you will be financially responsible for any overages that you create”

"And that means..."

"It means you will owe them 114 million bucks"

You froze. You didn't have the money, but you also didn't have the strength to spend your time next to that pantomime that was now Dieter.

Just a month. For Nick.

"I'll do it. Just for Nick"

"Atta girl. I have to hang up, Meryl Streep is calling"

"Ok bye! Lov-"

The line went dead. You look in the mirror one more time and took a deep breath before leaving the bathroom. You had this, you were an actress. Pretending to like those people for a whole month wasn’t by far the hardest thing you’d ever done. 

The only free seat at the table was right next to Dieter, who had changed his clothes. You couldn’t believe your luck, but you carried on as if nothing happened, taking a seat between your ex-boyfriend and Howie Frangopolous. The dinner was awkward to say the least. Nobody talked during the entire time, aside from the few complaints made by Lauren about the food. A young staff woman approached the table with a jar of water, ready to refill the empty glasses. Her first target: Dieter. 

“May I refresh your water?”

Dieter was quickly snapped out of his boredom, finding a new entertainment for the night. He looked up and down at the girl, and you were sure you’d never rolled your eyes harder. It was almost embarrassing to think that you were willing to give him a second chance this morning, when you offered him a coffee. How could you be so naive?

“Yeah, please. Thanks”

“Why you look at me with weird eyes?” the girl asked, her cheeks clearly blushing. 

When the girl refilled Dieter’s glass, she moved on to another cast member, Dieter following her with his eyes. You snorted, making Dieter turn around and look at you. 

“What?”

“Nothing” you replied, taking a sip of water. 

After a while, dinner was eaten and no more complaints from Lauren were made. The room was soon filled with the sound of a knife clinking against a crystal glass. It was time for the producer's expected speech, but all you wanted to do was go to sleep and put the day behind you. When the producer mentioned your name, you looked around you and smiled at everybody. 

To the beginning of new fake friendships. 

“Well, as you know she tested negative in the morning, so she can have dinner with us. Anyway, she and her son will be doing the mandatory quarantine for the next 14 days, then she will join you to shoot her scenes” 

“What? She can bring her son and I’m not allowed to?” Lauren shouted. 

“Her son is just a little kid. We discussed it and we agreed it would be harmless to bring him in” 

“I- He’s five. He’s struggling with some things right now and I don’t have any relatives so-” You tried to explain, but Lauren cut you off. 

“Bullshit! My son is also a little boy and he’s alone in our home!”

“Oh please Lauren we all know your son has probably more pubic hair than I do. He’s not a little kid anymore” Dieter suddenly replied. 

Lauren looked at him and stormed out followed by her ex husband Dustin, who was trying to calm her down. Dieter looked at you, his hand finding yours. 

“You okay?”

“I think I’m gonna go to my room. Long day. But... umm.. it was nice meeting you all, can’t wait to work with you” You said standing up, but Gavin, the producer, stopped you. 

“These are the keys to your room”. 

“I already have a room”

“Oh no, that room is for your son. You have to be in different rooms”

“But we both tested negative. Can’t we quarantine together?” 

“I’m sorry, it’s not allowed. Different rooms”

“He’s just a little boy, man”

“I don’t believe this has something to do with you, Mr. Bravo”

You looked back at Dieter and barely nodded, thanking him. But he saw it anyway, and it warmed his heart, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He didn’t deserve you, he wasn’t worthy of your love, but he would try his best to make your life a little bit better, even if that meant you hated him. It was his way of keeping you safe. Safe from him. 

Dieter couldn’t calm down. He hated himself for even think of you. But he couldn’t stop himself. Every time he wasn’t high, he was thinking of you, and it was painful. That morning, when he first saw you, he felt vulnerable again. It was a weird feeling for him. Maybe he felt vulnerable, but your presence alone comforted him. Then he smiled without realizing it, and he knew he had screwed up. There was no turning back now. He had lunch thinking of you, he had a bath thinking of you and that’s how he spent all afternoon: thinking of you. Until he decided to get high to calm his brain. 

But there you were again at dinner, sitting next to him because clearly nobody wanted to sit beside a moron like him. He felt his blood boiling every time Lauren spoke, and when she complained about you, he exploded. Then you were forced to isolate yourself in a different room from Nick’s, and he almost felt relieved when he didn’t punch Gavin in the face, although he wanted to.

He hated this industry, the same industry that have made him stay away from you when you’d lost your unborn son, the industry that made him a drug addict and the same industry that was now keeping you apart from your son. 

He took off his robe and went out his room determined to find somebody who could help him. No drugs this time. He knew you would kill him if you ever found out he was on drugs while doing what he was about to do. He went down the stairs as fast as he could to the front desk. Luckily for him, the same girl who refilled his glass and didn’t stop looking at him during the entire dinner was on the night shift, just as he had expected. 

“Hi”

“Hi Mr. Bravo”

“You look great in that uniform”

“Thanks” she blushed as she played with a lock of hair behind her ear. 

“I was wondering if you could help me with something”

The girl leaned forward over the desk, all her attention on Dieter's earring. This was going to be so easy for him. 

“Would you tell me where’s Nick? You know, the son of-”

“Room 202″ she giggled like a schoolgirl. 

“Thank you”

Dieter rushed up the stairs to Nick’s room. When he reached room 202, he froze. Thinking about it, this wasn’t his problem. He didn’t need to knock. He could just forget about it and carry on with his own problems and not get involved with you, because then he would have to get high again to forget about you. Hell, this boy wasn’t even his. But before his mind could go on, his fist knocked on the door and a mop of curl dark hair peeked behind it. 

“Mom?”

“It’s Dieter”

The door opened a little wider, and the clump of hair gave way to the rest of Nick. He was in his pajamas, hugging a stuffed elephant against his chest.

“Hey... what do you like to do in your spare time?” Dieter asked. “You know, since you’re gonna have a lot of it”

“I... I like to watch movies. And I like t-to draw” 

“What kind of movies?”

Nick shrugged, looking at his feet. 

“Action movies”

“So, like Marvel?” 

“I like Spiderman”

Dieter looked at him, but the boy didn’t looked up at Dieter. 

“Okay...um, it was nice talking to you. You should go to bed now”

“Can my mom come with me?” 

“I don’t think so” 

The boy looked up. The tears fell freely down his face and he quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of his pajamas, not wanting to cry in front of Dieter. 

Fuck me. This wasn’t supposed to make him cry. You’d have made an awful father, Dieter. Great.

“Okay. Good night”

“‘Night, kid”

Next morning, when Nick opened the bedroom door to pick up his breakfast, he found a collection of movies, a sketch pad and a couple of brushes on the hallway floor with a note. 

“Don’t ruin my brushes. Hope you have fun with it. 

PS: I really liked your elephant. Does it have a name?

D.B.”

[elizabeth-mitchells]

Journeys end in lovers meeting - Sam/Deena - Fear Street x Bly Manor AU - Chapter 2

Chapters: 2/10 Fandom: Fear Street Trilogy (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Fraser/Deena Johnson, Sarah Fier/Hannah Miller (Fear Street), Christine "Ziggy" Berman/Nick Goode, Samantha "Sam" Fraser & Deena Johnson Characters: Samantha "Sam" Fraser (Fear Street), Deena Johnson, Kate Schmidt (Fear Street), Simon Kalivoda, Josh Johnson (Fear Street), Constance (Fear Street Part 3: 1666), Christine "Ziggy" Berman, Nick Goode (Fear Street), Alice (Fear Street Part 2: 1978), Sarah Fier (Fear Street), Hannah Miller (Fear Street), Solomon Goode (Fear Street) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, The Haunting of Bly Manor AU, Not Canon Compliant, Haunted Houses, Ghosts, Character Death, Minor Character Death, Canon Lesbian Relationship, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Eventual Smut, Happy Ending, Au Pair Sam, Gardener Deena, Housekeeper Kate, Cook Simon, Josh and Constance as troubled kids, Ziggy and Nick in an unhealthy relationship, minor Cindy/Alice, Martin cameos, special appearances of all the Shadyside killers as ghosts, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, The Rest Is Confetti Summary:

The year is 1994. Samantha Fraser recently moved to Shadyside, and she desperately needs a job that will help her leave her troubled past behind. She starts working as au pair at Shadyside Manor, where she is not the only one tortured by ghosts. Grief, regrets, guilt, innocent victims, and an ancient curse. At the center of all of it... love.

Chapter 2:

Sam hadn’t been kidding when she said she would deal with the kids by herself. About nine years as a teacher were worth it. She knew exactly how to balance patience and authority, and exactly when to crack a smile. It wasn’t time for smiles though. It was time to let the kids of Shadyside manor know that their days of self-government were over. Sam was brought there to bring them an education, and that included rules, discipline, and consequences to their actions.

So, if they locked her in a closet, there would have to be a sort of punishment. If they were responsible for the muddy footprints that appeared on the staircase of the house, there would also be a punishment. Nothing too severe, of course. Sam knew even the word punishment seemed too hard for kids. But she knew this would be her only chance at asserting her position in that place.

That was how, after breakfast, Sam found herself with nothing to do while Josh and Constance worked on cleaning up the stairs. Luckily, she was quickly approached by two of her coworkers.

“So, since you have put the kids to do my work,” Kate said. “Why don’t you come hang us for a bit?”

Simon pulled out one of the chairs from the table and with a flourish offered it to Sam, “Miss Fraser, would you care to join us for a mid-morning shit-talking session?”

“Oh, sure,” Sam chuckled nervously and accepted the seat. “And you can just call me Sam.” She couldn’t help repeating herself. She didn’t exactly have good memories attached to her name. She only ever wished to be just Sam.

“Don’t creep her out, please,” Kate told her friend and two of them took a seat as well. “So, Sam, what do you think of the house so far? And the kids?”

The new au pair took her time to answer. “The house is… big. It’s uh, I mean, sure, it looks scary. But once inside, it doesn’t feel as bad as the rumors make it out to be, you know?”

Kate nodded firmly, seemingly satisfied with that answer. Simon grinned playfully and leaned forward on the table as if about to discuss a secret, “You don’t have haunted houses in Sunnyvale?”

Sam chuckled bitterly at that. Apparently, it wasn’t a secret for anyone the place she came from. If only they knew the full story. “No we don’t,” she looked down and shook her head. “Sunnyvale has its different types of hauntings though.”

“What about the kids?” Kate blurted out.

“The Sunnyvale kids?”

“What? No! Constance and Josh,” Kate scoffed, and sent an unimpressed look in Sam's way. 

“Oh, right,” Sam laughed nervously. She desperately hoped she wasn’t blushing in embarrassment. Kate was staring at her very intently, studying her. But it was, somehow, not getting exactly the effect she was hoping for in Sam. Because yes, maybe Sam was deeply intimidated. But she could also tell that Kate’s harshness came from a place of being protective of the kids and caring about them. “They seem great, really,” Sam eventually replied. “Constance is bold and Josh is an introvert, but I’ve dealt with kids like that my entire life. I’m going to try my best with them though, that’s for sure. I just… have to get to know them.”

At that moment, Kate and Simon exchanged a look. Sam had no doubt it was true that those two had been best friends for a long time. It seemed like a really important conversation was silently happening between them. Finally, Simon spoke up.

“No, you haven’t worked with kids like them,” he replied, suddenly very careful with his words. “No offense, you know? But, bold and introverted mean different things in Sunnyvale and Shadyside. Here they mean something more along the lines of survivor and traumatized.”

A not completely discreet cough from Kate got him to stop talking. “No, I know, I’m sorry,” Sam was quick to apologize. They weren’t completely wrong. “I know, it’s just, well… I don’t know anything… I mean, what, uh, why…” She ended with a sigh and slumping in her chair, knowing there was no right way to ask the questions she had in mind.

“Constance’s parents died two years ago,” Kate said. She was speaking almost in whispers, but it nearly startled Sam, who didn’t think she’d get any sort of explanation. Afterward, she would hope she hadn’t. “Cindy Berman and husband. Plane crashed. Then, last year… her aunt. Christine killed herself here on the property. Really gives you some perspective into all the fucking rumors, doesn’t it?”

Afterward, Sam was beyond speechless. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find a thing to say. That’s when Simon joined in.

“And Josh, he… uh, well, he is not one of the Bermans,” Simon was struggling to explain. “Look, he has his own fucked up past, okay? But I can’t tell you more because Deena would totally kick my ass. It’s their story to tell, you know? The past is the past anyway.”

Sam nodded thoughtfully. At least, she hoped she appeared thoughtful. Not too thoughtful though. Just thoughtful enough for someone that has perfectly normal reactions to hearing the name of a very particular co-worker. That momentary panic at least gave her an idea of how to reply to the tough conversation. A change of subject.

“What about you guys?” Sam asked. “How did you end up working at the manor?”

Instantly, Kate seemed to relax. “I just like bossing people around,” she grinned, earning laughter from the other two. “My aunt used to work here. Alice pays well enough. And if you don’t get scared easily, it’s not a bad place to live in.”

Sam smiled at her and then looked at Simon, noticing how he didn’t look half as relaxed as Kate this time. “What can I say?” he smiled in a way that kept a lot hidden. “It pays the bills. It’s close to home. And I fucking love food.”

The au pair decided it wasn’t time to push for more information. Instead, in that brief moment of silence, she turned her head to look through the door at Josh and Constance working on the stairs. They were doing well, but their day was far from over. From her point of view, she had no way of seeing the man standing on the other side of the stairs. Tommy Slater had been standing there for longer than he could remember. He was still wearing his red flannel shirt, still holding on to his axe, still looking impossibly sad, cold, and lonely.

--

As she made her way to the greenhouse, Sam tried to convince herself she wasn’t nervous at all. She had no reason to be anxious at all. Deena Johnson was another one of her coworkers. Sure, maybe she pulled Sam out of a pretty embarrassing breakdown the previous night. Yes, maybe she had an incredible smile that almost painfully reminded Sam of feelings she had spent a lifetime running from. But… she reached the greenhouse before coming up with a reason not to be on edge.

“Hi?” she called out, tentatively stepping inside the place.

“Over here,” a voice replied from the back of the greenhouse. A voice that was like no other Sam had ever heard.

“Um, hi, Deena,” Sam approached her slowly. “It’s me, uh, Sam.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Deena replied, a small smile on her lips. She stood up from the ground, where she had been kneeling down to work on one of the multiple plants that filled this space. “What do you have there?” Deena asked, nodding toward the plate Sam was holding in her hand.

Sam looked down, as if she had forgotten what it was she was carrying. “Simon,” she blurted out.

“Oh. He looks a little bit different than I remember.”

That made Sam laugh nervously. “I mean, it’s your breakfast,” Sam said. “You didn’t come down for breakfast and Simon asked me to bring it to you.”

Deena nodded slowly, and accepted the plate from Sam’s hands. Then she moved to one of the two chairs at the back of the greenhouse and sat down, inspecting her breakfast.

Afterward, Sam might chastise herself for it, but at the moment she couldn’t help but blurt out, “You’re welcome.”

That earned her an annoyed sigh from the gardener. “Listen, you don’t have to do this,” Deena said.

“Do what?” Sam wondered, taking a seat on the spare chair.

“Play nice with us, with me,” Deena explained, nearly whispering the last part.

“I…” Sam stuttered, she was definitely taken off guard. “Well, we are coworkers now, we live under the same roof, I think-”

“I think you have no idea what you got yourself into. This place, and everyone here, is doomed,” Deena interrupted her. “You’re Sunnyvale, we are Shadyside trash. I know your type. I only hope you’ll run away before the kids get attached to you.”

For a moment, all Sam could do was stare, frown silently at Deena, as the other woman nonchalantly got started on her breakfast, as if she hadn’t just put Sam’s entire mood upside down. It was interesting though, the way Deena chose not to mention the fact that she skipped breakfast just to avoid a set of blue eyes that were too dangerously pretty to wander into Shadyside.

Sam jumped out of her seat, and took a deep breath to reign in her feelings. “You don’t know me at all,” was all she said before walking out of the greenhouse.

--

The rest of the morning passed by in a blur of hard work, mostly for the kids. Surprisingly though, at one point they stopped looking so bothered about it. Josh wasn’t the kind to complain out loud, but Sam noticed from the way his shoulders relaxed and his lips almost started to smile. Constance, on the other hand, was pretty content complaining as much as possible, but she seemed happier doing something new, entertaining, and different from studying. They especially seemed to enjoy working outside.

Sam had wanted to avoid the unkind gardener as much as possible, but she had already planned this, so there was no turning back. This was part of the kids’ education, hard work, and Sam was proud of her methods. The one thing she wasn’t proud of was the way the gardener was making her feel. Her plan to avoid Deena had backfired. Deena, Kate, and Simon were lounging in the garden, while Sam guided Josh and Constance on their work.

As hard as she tried, Sam couldn’t stop herself from second-guessing what her new coworkers were talking about. Were they talking about her? Good things? Did Kate and Simon feel the same way as Deena? Were they criticizing her? Those smiles on their faces, was that a good or bad sign? Deena’s posture on that chair, the way she held a cigarette, played with the delicate chain hanging from her neck, teased her young brother, locked eyes with Sam precisely once… did it mean anything at all?

--

The rest of the morning went by easily. Sam dragged Josh and Constance back to the house to continue cleaning, and they had to comply. Tragic as it seemed, they couldn’t complain to anybody. Kate, Simon, Deena, even Alice in the safety of her own home, they all would have supported Sam’s teaching methods at best, would’ve laughed in their faces at worst. 

Things couldn’t be perfect though. Sam would scold herself for letting her guard down at all. She had been in one of the bedrooms, assisting Constance with cleaning the windows, when it happened. One second it was just a window, showing the green grounds around the property, nothing more. Then the next second, all Sam could see was his face. Dark. Just a shadow. Furious. Disgusted. Head tilted. Observing her. Unforgiving. Horribly familiar.

Sam let out a yelp of surprise and stumbled backward. She caught herself before falling down to the floor, but not before Constance saw her. At first, the girl chuckled, but she sounded somewhat genuine when she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m- uh, I’m okay,” Sam replied, voice trembling. “Give me a minute.”

She was out of that room before hearing the girl’s reply. She couldn’t move fast enough, but her legs were trembling. She couldn’t shake that image of her mind. Her own particular ghost. The monster that she hadn’t been able to leave in Sunnyvale. Following her reflection everywhere she went.

Sam stumbled down the stairs and out of the house. She finally found refuge behind one of the big bushes on the sides of the entrance. A place where she could break down in peace. She couldn’t stop the tears, and she could hardly breathe, and she was so scared.

“Are you okay?”

The question makes Sam choke one of her sobs. Of all people that could have caught her at this moment…

“I get it,” Deena cautiously added, from a safe distance away. “I swear I had the same reaction after I met Constance.” She could barely see Sam, hiding behind the bush, but she guessed that privacy was exactly what the blonde wanted. “If Josh’s the problem though, just let me know. You aren’t allowed to, but I can totally kick his ass.” That earned her a tearful chuckle from Sam, which was a very good sign. “Just so you know though,” Deena added, “That’s usually my spot for having an emotional breakdown. Now I have to go to this other corner and there are spiders and shit in there, no privacy at all.”

This time, there was a genuine laugh coming from Sam. The tears had stopped, and she managed to find the strength to look over her shoulder, show her face to Deena and say, “Thank you.”

Deena softly shook her head, dismissing Sam’s need to thank her. “You’re doing better than most people could,” she said. Seeing Sam smile sadly, acknowledging her tear-streaked face, Deena insisted, “I mean it.”

There was a pause then. Sam opened her mouth, desperately wishing she could say something else. All she wanted was to ask Deena how she could be so kind and so cruel as if a switch was flipped inside her. But Sam feared that saying more than two words would make her cry again. Deena took that as her cue to go on with her day.

“Back to work then,” Deena said, starting to march back into the house. “Stay strong, Sunnyvale.”

Definitely done with her tears, Sam was having trouble holding back her smile. She tried to sneak another glance at the gardener, but Deena was gone, leaving behind only a pleasant warmth in Sam’s heart and a firm smile on her face.

--

Nine years of teaching had taught Sam a lot. She knew how to handle kids, that was for sure. The unruly ones, the proud ones, the ones that struggled, and the ones that shined brightly. Simon had been right when he said she had never worked with kids like Josh and Constance. Still, she was prepared to deal with Josh picking up spiders from the garden, and trying to scare her. She didn’t lose her ground even when Constance’s attitude sometimes made Sam feel like she was the teenager out of the two of them.

What she did that day wasn’t the worst Sam had to do for one of her students. Still, it was pretty awkward explaining to Deena how her younger brother had massacred the rose bushes to give the flowers to Sam.

When the two women arrived at the scene of the crime, it was a huge mess. Josh had picked a few roses for Sam and destroyed the rest. He must have been pretty aggressive to earn that small limp he had when he walked toward Sam a few minutes earlier.

The teenager fell to second place in the forefront of Sam’s mind though. She was slightly more preoccupied about the furious gardener gripping the broken stem of a rose as if it were a knife.

“I’m going to fucking kill him,” Deena yelled, not for the first time in the past minute, and tried to walk away.

“Hey,” Sam stopped her with a firm tone and a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll deal with him, it’s my job.”

Deena took a deep breath. She was pretty much shaking with anger still. She pursed her lips, suddenly aware of the way she had been yelling at the innocent au pair for god knows how long now. She wasn’t good at apologizing though. She slumped her shoulders and exhaled.

“It’s just… he should know better than this,” Deena said bitterly. “We are lucky to be living here. He knows he has to stay out of trouble.” She looked up into Sam’s blue eyes and the careful attention she found there nearly turned her breathless. “That was the deal,” Deena added softly, taking a moment to gulp nervously. “I made a deal with Cindy Berman years ago, when we had nothing. Josh and I could live here, and I’d pay her by working on the grounds of the manor.”

Sam nodded slowly, with a barely-there smile that let Deena know she had listened, and understood. “It’s okay,” Sam said. “I don’t think it’ll be a big deal. I won’t say anything if you don’t.” The two women exchanged a smile. “It’s just a few flowers-”

“It’s not just a few flowers,” Deena protested immediately.

“I know, I know,” Sam quickly said. She was tiptoeing the line between fearing Deena’s temper and being endeared by how protective she was of her plants. “They’re also a weapon, apparently.”

Deena tilted her head in confusion. “Ah,” she said when she looked down at the rose’s stem she was still holding in her hand. She couldn’t say anything else though. Sam had taken the initiative to reach out and gently pry open Deena’s fist to take the stem away. That’s when they both noticed there had been thorns involved. “Shit,” Deena cursed.

“Um,” Sam mumbled pensively as she stared at the couple of red spots on Deena’s hand. “You know, to be a teacher, you have to learn a thing or two about first aid. Do you want help?”

Deena was already shaking her head. Her wild curls shook with her movement. “No, it’s okay- fuck!” She exclaimed in pain the moment she tried to close her hand again. Now there were a few drops of blood on her palm. “Fine,” she grumbled. 

--

Deena was so upset about having someone bandaging her hand, that Sam found the whole process much easier than she had expected. It was a little bit like dealing with a kid, not that she would ever admit such a thing to the gardener. 

“So, you really like those roses, huh?” Sam asked while cleaning up the little wounds in Deena’s palm.

“They’re some of my favorites from the entire property,” Deena shrugged. “I like all these plants more than most people, that’s for sure.”

Sam nodded, picking up the bandages. “Why would he do this?” she asked. “Josh, I mean. He doesn’t seem to be the type to vandalize the gardens.”

“He isn’t. There was one bad fucking influence and…” Deena replied. Her words were hiding a lot, but her resentful tone warned the au pair against making any further questions. Instead, Deena looked up and added, “or maybe… he just really likes you, Sunnyvale.”

Sam laughed at that, and ducked her head to avoid those gorgeous brown eyes. Surprisingly, she decided to admit something right then and there in the otherwise empty kitchen of the manor while holding on to Deena’s hand. “You do know I’m not even from Sunnyvale, right?” 

“What?” Deena asked. She looked caught off guard for the first time since Sam met her.

“You guys don’t fact-check your gossip, huh?” Sam chuckled. “I was born here, in Shadyside. I moved away when I was little, after my father died, but… I guess, now I’m trying to find my home, you know?”

“Right,” Deena replied.

She blinked slowly, and her eyebrows furrowed into a small frown as she took in the information, the significance of Sam sharing it with her, and the unknown reason why the word home sounded so perfect coming from Sam’s smiling lips.

After a brief silence that felt like it stretched for hours, Deena cleared her throat. “Well, uh, thank you, for giving me a hand,” she said. The mention of her hand made both women realize that this entire time they hadn’t let go of each other’s hands. They pulled away from each other quickly, but nothing could have wiped the smiles off their faces. “It’s not the worst I’ve dealt with so I better get back to work. I guess I’ll see you around… Sunnyvale.”

Sam didn’t even attempt to hold back her grin. Distantly, she wished she wasn’t blushing too much, but that was it. She turned around to watch Deena walk away from the kitchen. Then she was rewarded with the sight of Deena looking back at her once before crossing the doorway.

When she was alone again, Sam leaned her back against the counter and sighed. It was a mixture of contentment and exhaustion. She had tried her best to maintain a good impression in front of Deena, and now she could finally relax. She was starting to understand her better too, how Deena’s boldness came from a good place of being protective over her brother, and maybe even over the whole property. Sam’s exhaustion though, didn’t come from anywhere near Deena, the teens, or the house. She was only realizing how absurdly debilitating it had been to keep up a false version of herself at all times during those years in Sunnyvale. Slowly but surely, she was leaving all that behind.

Sam took a deep breath and straightened up. Then she started to walk out of the kitchen following the path Deena had walked a minute ago. She didn’t have to look back before crossing the doorway, she just kept walking. This way, she missed Ryan Torres’s presence in one corner of the kitchen. Lonesome, unknown, fumbling with the knife he still carried at all times.

--

“Josh! Constance! You guys are way too old for this kind of game!” Sam was yelling as she walked around the house. She didn’t understand how Kate hadn’t heard her yet.

She wasn’t scared. Just because they had turned off all the lights and she was only barely familiar with the house didn’t mean she should be scared. The kids wanted to improvise a game of hide and seek to avoid going to bed? Fine. Sam wasn’t scared of the dark. In the darkness she couldn’t see her reflection and whatever cursed company she would find there. If she had to drag a couple of teenagers to their beds from their ears then so be it. 

When Sam caught sight of the curtains of one room moving strangely, she hurried towards it and pulled at it, but there was nobody there. She sighed, disappointed, stressed, but not scared, not yet. She heard footsteps behind her, and when she turned around, she distinctly heard the front door of the house open. Chills ran through Sam’s spine. It was unsettling, but not too bad, right? She would be deeply upset if she had to chase a pair of teenagers out in the middle of a storm, but it could be worse.

It could be worse… Maybe it was much worse than she imagined. That was the thought going through Sam’s mind when, very slowly, she turned back around to face the window again. At first, it looked like a blur. Then, she feared it was that same ghostly silhouette that followed her everywhere. Somehow, it was worse. Somehow, the figure moved closer and it became clear. There was a man standing on the other side of the window. Tall. Dark hair. Hazel eyes. Smile that never, under any circumstances, would have been mistaken for friendly.

Sam took a step backward, so did he. Then she took off running. Not in the direction some might have expected. She wasn’t running away to hide. She ran out of that room, taking the fireplace poker from its stand and gripping it with force as she rushed out of the house.

“I’m going to call the police!” Sam yelled while the rain poured down on her. “I’m going to call the fucking police!”

She ran toward the window where she’d seen that man. He was nowhere to be seen but, as if it was all part of a pattern, she stumbled across the worst possible scenario.

“Sam?” Josh mumbled. He was just standing there, shaking with cold, drenched from the rain… then he just crumbled down, falling to the ground, unconscious.

[hookedonapirate]

Coming Soon!

Elisa’s dream was to follow in her mother’s footsteps and take the stage as a prima ballerina. And she accomplished exactly that. But when life throws her one too many setbacks, she flees back to her hometown in Waterville, Massachusetts in search of an alternative plan. And maybe a distraction. 

Which might be why she's leaping at the opportunity to run into her childhood crush by taking a Zumba class at Brooks Brothers Gym. She's been in love with her best friend’s cousin since she was ten, but fears he’ll only ever see her as that quiet, awkward teenager she used to be. She’s hoping to change that, though. Until the gym owner, Derrick Brooks, waltzes into her life and has her spinning in circles. 

Derrick is persistent and arrogant, which Elisa finds annoying, but he challenges her in ways she doesn’t expect. Despite the growing attraction they feel for each other, she keeps him at arm's length and focuses on other things, like making her childhood crush jealous. What better way to accomplish that than pretending to date Derrick? All she has to do is put on a good show. She’s performed on stage many times as a ballerina, so this should be a piece of cake, right?

What Elisa doesn’t realize, though, is that while their relationship is fake, her feelings for Derrick are real. But if her past has taught her anything, it’s that not everything is as it seems. Sometimes, what we think we want is only an illusion, leading us astray. For Elisa Roberts, she just has to see past the illusions in her path to finally see what’s in front of her.

I know I've been MIA lately. And I know I haven't updated my many MCs either, but as some of you already know, I've been working on finishing my novel I started writing two years ago. Some of you are even probably sick of me talking about it, but honestly, telling people about it and getting the word out has helped me push forward. Plus, the only way for people to know is to spread the word. So here I am spreading the word and self promoting my novel. It's finally written, and I’ll be published soon on Amazon! There will be a paperback and an ebook version. But first, I'll need your help. 

Okay, so I don't like asking for money. I've had a job since I was eleven or twelve because I hated asking my parents for money and I knew they did not have much as it was. But if life has taught me anything, it's to never be too proud or afraid to ask for help. Lord knows asking for help has saved my life. Literally. I would not be alive today if I did not ask for help when I needed it the most. 

Anyway, my husband suggested I set up a GoFundMe account for my book, and I know I can try to pay for everything myself to self publish this book, but I do not want to go broke in the process, so I went and set up an account. I'm not asking for much, my overall goal is a thousand dollars, but I don't necessarily expect to get that much. Every little bit counts. 

Even if you don't wish to donate and would rather just buy the book when it comes out, that's just as awesome! And if you can't donate or buy the book or don't want to, I will still love and appreciate you! I am already so grateful for all of you who have read my fics, commented on them, those of you who support me, encourage me, beta read for me, I am so grateful and it's because of ALL OF YOU that I had the courage to write my novel in the first place. And I'm literally crying right now so I will end this by saying thank you and by leaving you with links to my GofundMe page and my website. And if you want to, you can subscribe to my page and get updates on future books if this whole publishing thing works out. I have a second planned, which I originally wrote for captain swan as A Help Hand, and three of the characters (Harper, Audrey and Bryce) from that book have cameos in Follow My Lead.

I am tagging everyone I can think of and I will also tag people when I announce the release of the book, so if anyone wants to be tagged or untagged, please let me know. This is just a list of everyone I could think of who has either read my cs fics or showed interest in my book.

Thank you all again ♥️♥️♥️

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[mtvswatches]

Jane the Virgin 3x03 Chapter Forty-Seven

Click here for previous recaps!

Stray thoughts

1) I really hope this is not another bait...

There’s so much buildup that I wonder if this is going to be disappointing. Or if it will even happen at all…

Well, we’re back to where they got the go-ahead from the doctor, but...

2) People keep interrupting them, and I just wonder why Jane won’t just be open about it and tell her mom, dad, and grandma that they want some privacy to finally get laid!

3) “If you weren’t a singer, what would you be?”

It’s an interesting question indeed, considering she’s not really a singer and she hasn’t done much with her life so far. It’s a weird question to be asking yourself when you’re pushing forty, right? But I guess Xiomara always followed her impulse and that’s how she led her life, there wasn’t really much time to think about what she wanted to do. I’m kind of curious to see where they go with this.

4) New character, I guess?

So, this is Cecilia, Alba’s sister and the one responsible for telling everyone Alba wasn’t a virgin on her wedding day.

5) Oh, thank god!

I found the whole “You and I finishing at the same time” comment… odd? And tbh, Jane doesn’t look very satisfied. But at least she got it over with! Of course, he fell asleep right after, and it doesn’t feel as magical as she’d expected, I guess. But I mean, why should it? Expectations about the first time having sex should be very low, but culturally women are raised to make this huge deal of their “first time” and “losing their virginity”, and it’s very difficult to shed those expectations, right?

6) OMG she’s sending a sex tape of her first time with her husband to her advisor!

But… the most important question is, is she going to watch that video? Will Michael and Jane watch it? Will they do a play-by-play analysis? Will he notice that she didn’t really come?

7) “It was actually my first time” “Oh, that explains things…”

Well, the advisor (I’m sorry, can’t remember her name!) made it out to look like she was talking about her writing – which she might well have been – and how it was lacking something. I think I’ve actually mentioned this before, but It’s kind of odd for Jane to be a romance writer and to be writing sex scenes without actually having experienced sex herself. The advisor makes a good point – romance without sex is just fantasy. And I’m not saying that you can’t have romance if you’re asexual. But that’s not the type of stories Jane is writing or the audience she’s writing for. Anyway, I think the advisor was actually talking about her performance in the tape and not her writing. Or maybe both.

8) I knew it.

And of course, her friend tells her NOT TO TELL MICHAEL, and I’m like, huh? I just wish this would stop being a storyline? Both the faking and the not-talking to your partner about your feelings regarding the sexual experiences you share with them. Not having an orgasm is just part of the sexual experience and there’s nothing wrong with it, and sex can still be enjoyable even when you don’t have an orgasm. So let’s see where they take this storyline. I’m guessing Michael is going to be super supportive, and will try to make it up to her.

9) Why is this still a thing in this show? We get it, Luisa is a fucking moron, and she makes terrible decisions. I wish there was more to her character than that.

10) And I know that we crave representation for LGBTQ+, but… Rose is a fucking psycho? And this is almost a textbook abusive relationship? She’s literally kidnapped Luisa, isolated her, and keeps telling her how she’s alone and Rose is the only one there for her. (and I’m not even touching on the whole murderer/drug lord thing because that’s just part of the zaniness of this show.)

11) Okay, Xiomara is considering moving on from singing, but move on to what?

12) I genuinely laughed at this.

13) Okay, I liked this joke.

JANE: What’s the CW? Like a streaming thing? ROGELIO: No, no! It’s a huge network! Look it up! Amazing shows! Fabulous line-ups! 

Anyway, Jane is very intent on manipulating her mom into finding her passion for singing again, and I don’t know how I feel about this. Yes, Xiomara loves singing, but what is wrong with giving up? She hasn’t really made it, and there are other things she might be passionate about that she hasn’t figured out yet because she’s been pursuing her “singing career.” I know Jane is trying to be supportive, but if she truly were, she would just try to help her mom to find what other avenues she can pursue instead of tormenting her with her unfulfilled dreams. It just feels like another thing Jane does because it’s what she wants rather than being selfless and thinking of others.

14) See? This is why you should be honest with your partner about your orgasms or lack thereof…

At least it led to an honest conversation. Which led to this…

15) I’m loving this Cecilia character. I kind of wish she was the leading lady, actually. She’s so fun, even if she’s a figment of Jane’s imagination!

16) Rogelio is selling his show to the CW, but Rob Lowe will be the leading man, not him. I see how this could easily lead to an existential crisis for Rogelio, but I have so much faith in him, he’ll probably take it in stride and turn into a bigshot Hollywood producer.

17) Hm. Day two and Jane is already trying to spice up their sex life? This doesn’t bode well. And Michael is telling her not to discuss their glitch with anyone to protect his fragile ego? Because he tells her she can say they had sex, but that she shouldn’t mention how it wasn’t good? Double hm. And now Jane is with Xiomara, someone who could actually help her get out of her head and understand what she’s going through, but she keeps her mouth shut because Michael’s ego is more important.

18) And then she finds this…

I hope this sets her straight.

19) So… instead of getting on board with Xiomara wanting to move on after finding the list, Jane and Rogelio continue to plot to get her “back on track.” But why?

20) For a second, I thought Rafael had truly sent a caring, loving email to his sister, but it seems to be a ploy to get her to reply and reveal her location. Considering she’s a moron, she’ll probably fall for it, but it’s kind of sad? When she was reading the email, I was hoping it would be her wake-up call (if the fact that she literally jumped and gasped when Rose walked into her room wasn’t already a warning sign…) and that she would try and leave this toxic relationship. But if she’s being lured by false declarations of brotherly love… I don’t know, it feels wrong. Yes, she’s a fucking moron, but what makes her a moron is that she’s constantly looking for love and affection. That’s always her downfall.

21) Now, that is a cameo…

Loved the fan bit! 

22) So… Rogelio got freaking Gloria Estefan to help Xiomara, but it never occurred to him that it might have the opposite effect. Because Xiomara has seen Gloria and Emilio casually sitting there and watching her show and she’s freaking out.

You bow to royalty. 

23)  So… Lina Has just offered to help Michael and Jane and demanded a play by play, and Michael remembered the sex tape. He’s not going to show it to Lina, though, right? He’s just going to watch it and figure out what went wrong.

24) Oh, no she didn’t!

Why is she so intent on convincing Xiomara to continue pursuing a career that hasn’t really worked out for her? She hasn’t made it, and it doesn’t look like she will anytime soon, and that’s OKAY! What’s wrong with wanting to try other things? What if she’s really talented at something else and she’s missing the opportunity to shine because she’s stubbornly fixated on being a singer? And why does it matter so much to Jane? Why does she need to control everything and everyone’s lives?

25) So… this whole obsession with Xiomara’s career is because… Jane gave up her virginity? Huh? That doesn’t make sense? How is Xiomara’s singing career a metaphor for Jane’s virginity? I’m just confused! The show is usually very good at pulling off this type of parallelism and metaphors, but this time it just didn’t work for me.

26) See? Xiomara had the right answer all along:

“With sex, it can take time to find your groove and figure out what you like, what you need. You’re just starting out. You’ll get there.”

27) So… they end up watching their own sex tape, and finally have satisfying intercourse, I guess. I kind of wish this storyline hadn’t been resolved in an episode, though, it doesn’t feel realistic.

28) So, that was the reason for the riff between Alba and her sister Cecilia…

29) Why am I always so much more invested in Rogelio’s storylines?

He apologized for the way he broke-up with her, and then they decided to embrace their artistic connection. And now he has six months to become famous in America so that he can be the lead of his own show in the CW hahaha! I feel this storyline will be lots of fun.

30) Look what the cat dragged in…

…a moron thirsty for love.

31) So… I guess Rose lied about the whole “I’m not a criminal anymore” thing. Shocker.

Rafael’s mom was on her kill list, before she even killed her. And Muter died holding a bible and clamoring for her son. I guess this will be Rafael’s storyline, then.

32) To be honest, I wasn’t a fan of this episode. Usually, the plot A and plot B are connected in a way that makes sense, and this week, it felt a bit far-fetched to have Jane obsess over Xiomara’s singing career because she had let go of her virginity. I don’t know, what are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

33)  Hope you enjoyed my recap, and, as usual, if you’ve got this far, thank you for reading! If you enjoy my recaps and my blog, please consider supporting it on ko-fi. Thanks!

[hydrospanners]

fic masterlist: swtor

at the request of literally no one, i’ve created a masterlist of all my swtor fic. first is a chronological collection of all the swtor fic i’ve written in my “canon”. it’s broken up into snippets of time relative to the events of swtor. aus and gift fics are at the end. this is more for me than anything else, but if you have a bunch of time on your hands and want to read some fic--enjoy!!!

i am the most self-indulgent author known to man so there are numerous fics that don’t feature any canon characters in any significant way. i’m not sorry, but i did mark them with an asterisk for everyone’s edification. i also wrote actually vaguely descriptive descriptions instead of whatever bullshit i put in the descriptions on ao3. all links go to ao3 because tumblr was not designed for reading and it shows.

53 fics below the cut... what a trip, y’all.

backstory these fics are about things that happened before the opening of the class story. 

* a very velaran life day - snippets of different life days in the velaran family history. no canon characters in it yet, but maybe this christmas i’ll get to some fics that aren’t solely about my own ocs.

* the shape of things to come - the story about how rea finally joined the jedi at the ripe old age of sixteen.

* a dimming star - the first steps on rea’s jedi path. they aren’t fun ones, lads!

* necessary sacrifice - like three years down the timeline and still no canon characters! rea continues to struggle with this whole being a jedi thing, and it continues to struggle with her! this one features a haircut as a symbol of a turning point in the story.

bars and stripes - canon characters??? in my fic????? its more likely than you think. this is a shameless ripoff of an episode of m*a*s*h masquerading as doc backstory. does it have cameos and/or mentions of other healer companions? maybe!!!

prelude these are fics set during the prologue of the class stories, everything that happens between the start and completing the capital planet missions. 

* memories - rhese? do you finally get a say in all this??? this is the moment rhese and rea finally see each other for the first time since they were recruited to the jedi, set at the very start of the class story.

attachments - kira and rea talk about rhese. that’s it. that’s the fic.

act one all the stories set between killing tarnis and beginning preparations to capture the emperor (everything after coruscant ending and pubside balmorra starting). rip orgus. one day ill finish all those wips about how sad it was when he bit it. in the mean time, can i interest you in some gifsets?

lessons - now rea’s padawan, kira reflects on how bad rea is at teaching, though maybe without as much clarity as i just implied.

a tangled web - so stupid it’s basically crack, kira has to rescue rea from an embarrassing situation.

of flowers, failure, and the virtues of friendship - kira and rhese start to bond over the shared torment of having to be around rea. rivals to friends (one day i’ll write the “to lovers” part that comes after).

act two all the stories during the time when the knight is prepping for the assault on the emperor’s fortress and then assaulting it. everything between pubside balmorra starting and breaking free from the emperor’s fortress after that super successful plan to bring him in alive. great job jedi!

filling the table - is that shipfic????? the reason i started writing swtor fic in the first place??? this is rea being thirsty disguised as me sewing seeds for the eventual doc x rea romance. pazaak themed for some reason? (doc x rea)

when the wicked play - this is me being obsessed with the translation of video game violence to vaguely realistic circumstances posing as doc feeling some kind of way about rea murdering a whole bunch of dudes who wanted to hurt her but weren’t powerful enough. not primarily romantic but definitely some setup for their relationship.

night shift -  everything is doc x rea and nothing hurts. rea’s got work to do but who can work when there’s a horny mustachio’d doctor trying to persuade her back to bed??? it’s not love it’s just good sex!!!!! honest!!!!(doc x rea)

these nights never seem to go to plan - rea isn’t yearning for affection, she’s just too tired to get out of doc’s bed after so much boning. okay maybe this is about slightly more than good sex after all... doc x rea TENDERNESS.

somewhere we’ve not been before - this is the good shit lads!!!! doc x rea!!! first dates!!!! shenanigans!!!! honest to goodness falling in love between all that fucking that do!!!!!!!!!!!! (doc x rea)

no better taste - a sequel to the last fic featuring the morning after!!! some post-horniness introspection!! tenderness!!!!!! hints of yearning!!! god i miss the days before the mind control and the carbonite when the problems were normal things like commitment and abandonment issues. (doc x rea)

heart - rea sends doc a rocking “thanks for the great sex” gift!! rhese is disgusted by every part of it! this is comedy folks!!!! (doc x rea... i guess)

interruptions - rea takes a work call while she’s boning doc. that’s the whole fic. i think this was my first spicy fic?? i can’t remember. (doc x rea)

* where you go to rest your bones - sibling tenderness!!!! their relationship is super complicated, but rhese is reminded that underneath all the bullshit rea really does love him a lot.... it’s both sad and not sad at the same time. schroedinger’s sadness.

gifts - the crew tries to plan a gift for rea, but what do you get for the woman who’s banned from everything?? so dumb it’s basically crack and i’m not sorry for it.

crapshoot - the crew takes bets on what rea’s next Bad Idea TM will be. she shows them you can’t predict chaos. basically crack but i don’t care.

spoonful of sugar - vignettes about the jedi knight crew dealing with sickness. almost entirely comedy and/or fluff. doc x rea content is present and rhese x kira content is suggested.

a little eggstra - grocery shopping gone awry, based on an old tumblr text post. hella stupid, yet hella fun. doc x rea is in the background.

to break our bones for kindling - you thought we were just having good times??? you’re a fool. doc’s job is to heal people and rea’s job is to break them. sometimes they have work-related disagreements!!! be sad with me. doc x rea.

* when a problem comes along, you must whip it - i can only stop being stupid for so long, so here’s the story about how rea came to possess her lightwhip, the stupidest weapon known to man. these events do not go well for rhese.

things unsaid - a dumb doc x rea drabble about stupid shit rea says when she’s been mortally wounded. if doc were to just let her die, no one would blame him.

* the things you do for love are gonna come back to you one by one - a bit of a character/relationship study about what rhese is willing to sacrifice for love of his sister, no matter how complicated things are between them. a second chapter about what rea sacrifices for rhese is in my wips and will be completed... .eventually. 

lovesick - doc x rea ship content. my interpretation of that one conversation where doc’s like “hey would your jedi powers tell me if im going crazy also do you love me? check yes or no. i will not elaborate.”

* the things we left behind - oh no lads.... we’re building up to the fortress shit.... our good times are over. rea does some underhanded shit to make sure her brother doesn’t go on this mission to capture the emperor cause the plan does not seem like a great one.

act three wow wasn’t act two fun??? so much silly nonsense and love. now get a drink assholes it’s Time To Be Sad. act three covers everything in the class stories after coming back from that super successful assault on the emperor’s fortress (great job jedi!) to finally stabbing the bastard in the dark fortress and hoping that gets the job done at last. (spoilers: it doesn’t!!!!!) aka stories from belsavis to the final assault on dromund kaas.

everything we left there - it’s trauma time!!! rea’s fucked up from the fortress and feeling the pressure (thanks for the prophecy scourge!!! love that!!!!) so she hurts people she cares about to protect them. it’s her signature move!

the only thing that’s real - rea continues to be fucked up from what happened on the fortress but hey... at least she isn’t fucked up alone??? sad doc x rea content.

into the jungle - the gang is on belsavis and no one is having a good time! since rea isn’t herself, doc tries to pick up the slack and reassure kira that it’ll all be okay! it goes about as well as you’d expect.

interlude now that i’m looking at it, there are some serious gaps in my fic coverage. anyway, sad hours are over, the emperor is (kind of but not really) dead and there may still be a war on but things are looking up! this covers everything between the emperor’s death and the beginning of kotfe, including forged alliances and the shadow of revan.

hands too hungry - doc finally takes rea on that honeymoon she didn’t really care about in the first place! tragically, rea is way too horny to be impressed by what an amazing vacation he planned for himself them. peak rea x doc content.

no kind of romantic - it’s doc and rea’s one year anniversary but they are both working on opposite sides of the galaxy. sad! it’s doc x rea fluff disguised as angst.

a little help from a friend - rea and theron are worst/best friends and i recycle romance tropes into annoying friendship ones. this is the least sexy sharing body heat fic you’ve ever (not?) read. bite me.

retirement - rea has some feelings about her very violent, stressful job and how it interferes with her husband doing things that actually help and heal. doc x rea content.

the dreaded kotfe content these are sad hours!!! this is everything from arcann’s invasion on, cause i’m not breaking it up by post-carbonite storyline you bastards. i don’t know why i’m being so hostile no one asked me to do this.

every doubt we had - after watching what may have been his sister’s death by exploding starship, rhese is having trouble sleeping. no one is more surprised than him when seeks out doc for comfort! doc & rhese brothers by marriage solidarity. carbonite angst...

love is a waiting game - rea’s been MIA for six months since the ship she was on bit it and her crew is finally making some changes. doc is sad about it. doc & rhese brothers by marriage solidarity again. doc x rea angst.

waiting - some time has passed and now rhese is the sad one again!!! grief is so funny isn’t it??? hahahaha haha hahahaha why is no one else laughing? doc & rhese brothers by marriage solidarity yet again.

the greatest distance - rea’s back baby!!!! oh but this isn’t a celebration. she’s taking a tour of her long lost ship now that all the people she loved aren’t in it. it’s a sad one, fellas. 

* when the stars are the only thing we share - rea tracks down some people from her past to help her track down her brother since he went missing while she was having a nap. no canon characters were used in the making of this fic.

leave her sleeping a little longer - rea has a dream and wakes up missing doc even more than she was before. sad hours. doc x rea angst.

take back what the kingdom stole - after theron pulls some Shenanigans (you know the ones) his friendship with rea is in peril. they both break character and actually talk shit out for once.

a wish your heart makes - rea dreams a dream. so does doc. it’s a wet one. this makes it sound lighthearted but actually it’s angst with a side of porn. doc x rea supreme spicy/sad content.

overserved - back to crack baby!! rea gets drunk and acts a fool based on a joke made in a discord server. this is the best shit i’ve ever written.

thrusting back into my skin i feel anew - the band is back together again and everything is fine!!!! just kidding -- actually people change a lot in six years and rea and doc are having some trouble fitting back into the marriage they had back then. doc x rea angst but with a hopeful ending!

non-canon fics i’ve written a couple of things with my dumb characters that are too stupid even for me to put into their canon story or are otherwise aus. these are them, listed in no particular order.

the lies we tell ourselves - a sadder (yet possibly more realistic) take on the ossus reunion and what follows. a bit experimental. doc x rea angst au.

archiban frodrick’s kennel - a romance au where doc is a vet and rea has a pet with a health issue, inspired by my own stupid dog whom i love very much. doc x rea. spiciness suggested but not detailed; sorry horndogs.

fallen - a fun au where rea’s shittiness as a teacher and everything being bad leads to kira falling to the dark side... its angst lads.

the new recruit - rusk’s squad adopts a kitten. that’s the fic.

cruel - ever wonder how things would have turned out if rea was never smuggled off eriadu and got plucked up by the sith?? no??? well i have and i wrote about it. the self-indulgence never ends.

fill my lungs with sweetness - a gift fic for @hoiist; flower-themed vignettes about doc expressing his love for hoiist’s knight, vii. this is some real soft shit, lads.

remember me, love - another gift fic for @hoiist; this time some ossus-flavored angst about doc seeing through vii’s eyes in his dreams. what he sees is not comforting!!! all aboard the angst train--choo choo!!

[rex101111]

2, 3, 7, 11, 15, and 19 for meta fanfiction asks!

2.  Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

Once I have more time on my hands, I really wanna get back to writing the second chapter of “She is the moonlight”, like there’s so many fun scenes in my head I wanna write down (as you should know becc;D) and I really wanna get back to it.

Also I had a few Eri ideas and it has been ages since I wrote for my daughter, which is a travesty, and I need to get back on that XD

3.  What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

gaaaah which one??? Like, there’s one where Bakugou grows a moral center and gets on his hands and knees for deku to forgive him for telling him to kill himself (but that would take an entire fic’s worth of set up to properly build up and fuuu-).

Or I would really like to write this like short inbetween scene with Inko. Just after they get the news from UA that the students will move to the dorms but the night before All Might comes to visit to convince Inko it’s a good idea, but I wanna write a bunch about Inko’s life before that, maybe expand on her own personal experience with heroes? Maybe give her some prior reason to doubt Izuku would be safe with UA? Nana cameo to explain her earlier hairstyle like maybe Inko was a hero fan but grew out of it and saw a bunch of heroes get hurt and-...fuck it:

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

It isn’t. It isn’t even slightly okay, but Izuku has that smile on his face. That fragile one, the kind she’s broken before. She remembers that night, as clear as if it were yesterday; her little boy crying and shaking in front of a computer screen after being told all his dreams were worthless.

There’s a pit in the bottom of her stomach, and as it grows the urge to tell him no grows with it. She felt Kamino from her kitchen, her TV screen a peak into the apocalypse. 

Not even a week before he son was on a hospital bed with his arms broken in two dozen places, and then his teachers, and even some of his friends, were neck deep in something even worse.

She should say no.

She has every right to tell him no.

But he has that smile on his face.

“Of course dear.” Her mouth is full of lead, her smile feels heavy and fetid on her face. “Go see what you need to pack.”

He hugs her, kisses her cheek, rushes off to his room while calling her the best, and she can barely register any of it. She finds her way, somehow, to her couch, and puts her face in her hands.

Heroes die Inko, her mother’s voice echoes out, cold but afraid, they help and they save and they win, but at the end they die.

She was young before All Might showed up, very young, be she had memories of before; of early heroes crashing against overwhelming odds, of mass funerals and of hero agencies closing down not from lack of funding but lack of personal.

She thinks back to the summer camp (do you really need to come back?), to the shopping mall (he’s smiling put keeps putting a hand to his neck), to the sports festival (his fingers are a shade of purple so vivid she can see it even when they zoom out), to that last week before middle school graduation (Where did all that confidence come from, she thought she broke it all...). She remembers her little boy, covered in bruises and wiping away his tears (Mitsuki asking what her “brat” did this time, Inko doesn’t know what to say).

She thinks of him smiling and crying as he showed her his acceptance letter, of him pouring over his homework every morning, of unwrapping bandages from his broken fingers as he promises her (again) that he’ll be more careful.

She sees, as clear as day, her son, her baby, her Izuku, motionless and bleeding as the world burned around him and some monster without a face and without a heart laughs at him.

(All Might barely made it out alive. Kamino is a warzone. Her son, with broken arms and a broken smile and broken-and broken-and broken-)

She gets up from the couch in a rush, races for the faucet in her kitchen, and vomits so powerfully she starts coughing and tearing up.

She breathes heavily for a few moments, silently wiping her mouth as she waits for Izuku to rush down the stairs to check on her. He doesn’t, mercifully he didn’t hear her. She rinses the taste from her mouth, cleans her face, sobs, cleans her face again, and then goes to her computer with a stomp in her step and her lips in a thin line.

With a heavy heart but a steady, determined hand she types in “Hero School admittance and transfer” into the search engine and spends the next two hours reading about Shiketsu, and Ketsubutsu, and Isamu, and a hundred other names she only heard about in vague news snippets.

She’ll break his heart, that smile, like ten years didn’t pass and nothing changed, but she forges onward. He’ll feel betrayed, he’ll feel lied to, but she is done with UA, she is done with her son coming home with broken bones.

She is done and she afraid and she will not let her son be chewed up and spat out like he means nothing, like he’s just another sacrifice for the system that promises All Might but only fills out graves.

She won’t take his dream, he needs to know she still believes in him, but Inko Midoriya is done trusting her child’s safety to someone else who doesn’t know him, doesn’t know his wounds and scars like she does, doesn’t know his hopes and his heart and all the tiny little things that makes Izuku who he is like she does.

She doesn’t know who will come in a few days to convince her, but they will be wasting their time. She feels guilty for that, but only for a moment. She made a list, it has a dozen or so names on it. Options, choices, for Izuku to decide and not her.

She raises from her computer chair with a groan and a pain in her lower back and the bottom of her chest. She climbs the stairs to her bedroom, stopping briefly to look at Izuku’s door. The same childish All Might sticker proudly staring back at her. There’s no noise behind the door, he’s asleep, and after everything the last few days had thrown at him, she doesn’t have the heart to take even a minute of sleep away from him.

She lays down on top of the covers without changing out of her day clothes, exhaustion in her bones. She looks at her bedside table, sees the one picture she still has of her husband. A hand on her shoulder and a baby with grass green hair in her hands.

He’s smiling widely at the camera, reaching for it with his hands.

She buries her face in her pillow and waits for sleep to take her.

(FUCK DONE HERE HAVE IT BLAH)

7.  What do you think are the characteristics of your personal writing style? Would others agree?

Personally I think my style is descriptive. Like most of the time I describe what’s going on in like a “third person narrator” sort of way and dialog is actually relatively short and to the point. Like, there’s a lead up to what a person says, their expression and body language plus an action, the line, and then a follow through on that and then repeating with the next person and so on.

Also I can go on tangents if a story is character-centric, like focuses on a single character then I go ham on introspection...as demonstrated by the above ^^;

11. What do you envy in other writers?

The ability to write down and rely on an outline. Like, I just cannot for the life of me really stick to a plan for too long, like I have the general idea and just add to it as I go. Writing by the seat of my pants is the only way I know how and it either gets me something I like the look of or it doesn’t get me anything at all.

15. Which is harder: titles or summaries (or tags)?

Titles are the last thing I think of, so I guess that XD I usually try not to stress out about summaries too much, usually I just either pick an interesting line from the fic, say something vaguely deep, or depend on a template. Like with my Eri shorts I always use that Two Lines for the summary, “character does something, the result of that action in as vague wording as possible”

Tags are also kinda confusing, like, do I tag everything about it XDD that’d take me longer than it took to write the damn thing!

19.  s there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

Adding shit (like this) is so much fun, though I try not to over indulge XD Also a smile either “crawls” or “forms” on someone’s face, that’s the only way. Also long sentences. Also lots of “,”

Lots of short sentences describing something vaguely.

(Long paragraphs in parenthesis describing something that happened in the past or a character having deep thoughts because that shit can’t just be a fluid part of the text nooo it needs to be it’s own separate things it needs to break up the flow for a second that’s the whole point-)

and that’s what I can think of XD Call me out on other stuff I’m sure I’m blind to plenty of my bullshit XD

Thanks a lot Becc! 

[ladybugsfanfics]

Awkward Walk In | Tom Hiddleston x reader

Pairing: Tom Hiddleston x reader | cameo of Emma Hiddleston and her husband Jack 

Style: One Shot

WC: 5672

Warnings: cursing

Prompt: My neighbour’s sibling got the wrong house number and barged into my apartment on accident.

A/N: this one is like so long but i kinda love it? Anyways, hope you guys enjoy ^_^

If you want to be added to the taglist, please let me know.

“...like you’re always stuck in second gear. When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, but I’ll be there for you.” 

The Friends theme song plays in the background as you finish making your sandwich. After a long week, it’s finally time to just sit down on your couch, watch some ‘in-the-background’ TV and just relax. 

You sit down, snuggle up under a blanket and pull your plate up to under your chin as to not litter crumbs. Something easy to eat on a friday night is just perfect―not that it is night yet, it’s like five PM. 

Despite having the TV on, it’s really not that interesting and after you’re done eating you end up scrolling through your phone. Nothing is really going on, with the exception of everyone talking about the new Spider-Man movie (which you saw on the premiere). 

Friday nights are especially boring when there’s nothing to do. Your friends are all busy so there would be no get together (to be frank, sometimes a night on the couch was rather nice and you would’ve thought that was what you needed after your week, but… life has other ideas). There are your neighbors, one of which you’d grown rather close to and hung out with on occasions. The catch; her older brother is coming to town and he’s rarely home because of his work and she’d said maybe you could come over once but he would probably say no. 

So, you’re left to watch TV or read for the rest of the evening. Or maybe, left to scroll through social media. A shower sounds like a good idea, though. Or maybe a bath―you don’t have a bathtub though which complicates that last one. 

Therefore, it ends with a shower. You use rather a long time to take it. The hot water on your skin cleanses the stress; the little head massage you use to get the shampoo all in is just the perfect thing; taking the time to shave actually felt nice for once. To be able to not rush was perfect. 

Not having taken with you any clothes to when you’re done, you make sure you’re completely dry before getting out and going to your closet. Since you’re not doing anything other than slouch on the couch, you decide to skip taking on a bra―what’s the point they’re just annoying. 

You’ve managed to take on a pair of boxers (it’s way comfortable) before you’re door bursts open and a tall, handsome male comes in. “I’m really sorry I'm late―” He stops mid sentence and you’ve barely managed to react with anything but slowly cover your boobs. 

“I think you’re in the wrong apartment,” you say. How you can possibly be this calm―because the man has practically seen you naked!―you don’t know. To be honest, you had imagined it on multiple occasions as a chance meeting, but you’d never thought it could ever happen. Of course, the difference between those little dreams were the little sex ending, but that’s not really the whole big deal, right?

He flushes red, looks around and nods. “I think you might be correct. Do you know where Emma Hiddleston lives?”

You nod. “Yeah. She’s the apartment across the hall.” So this is the older brother, mind you, Emma, did you maybe do this on purpose? The girl had mentioned that he was single on more than one occasion; maybe she had hinted to something. 

“She must’ve pressed the wrong number, probably,” he said. He purses his lips and nods again, but he doesn’t leave. 

“Weren’t you late?” you ask, hoping that you can stop covering your breasts, get on some clothes and text Emma that she better have a good excuse. 

His eyes widen and he nods. “Yes, I am. Again, so sorry.” And then he turns and leaves, closing the door after him. 

You sigh and put on some clothes―a big t-shirt and some ‘sweater shorts’ as you like to call them. Basically shorts but really baggy and kind of cute and highly comfortable. Having clothes on, you turn the lock on your door so no one can suddenly burst into your apartment again. You also make a mental note to always do that. 

You take a last trip to the bathroom, getting your glasses―no twenty-twenty vision here―and finally get down to the couch to sit and watch some more Netflix. Whilst more episodes of Friends play in the background, you find Emma’s number in your contacts. 

You: Emma! Emma! EMMA!

Surprisingly, she replies right away. 

Emma: What? Something wrong?

You: Yes! Very much so, and I would prefer not to do this over phone but youre brothers visiting you so like, this might be my only option!

Emma: Hes busy, I can come over for like five minutes

You: Then come!

You stand up and lock open the door. It takes another ten seconds before Emma opens it and comes inside. She looks at you expectantly. “What’s going on?”

You take a deep breath. “Your brother. He’s tall, kinda good looking, wears like a blue jacket, I don’t know brands but I think like Ralph Lauren? And like black jeans and a white tee?”

Emma nods. “How… how do you know this?” She shakes her head. “You haven’t even seen any of his movies.”

“Nope, still haven’t. Uh, just he kind of came into my apartment,” you say. You look down at your feet and mumble, “and I was wearing only boxers.”

“No!” She practically yells. “No. He did no…” Emma looks at you incredibly, seeming to have lost her voice. 

“Yeah, that happened.” You nod slowly. “He’s hot, though,” you add and shrug. 

Emma playfully hits your arm. “Fuck,” she says. “Just… don’t tell me if you two start dating, please. He’s amazing and you couldn’t do better but it would be so weird.”

You let out a laugh. “I don’t think you have to worry about that.”

“Don’t be so sure. I know you’re his type.” She gives you a small, pained smile and leaves. And all you can think about for the rest of the night, is her little I know you’re his type. 

 __________

For the nth time you check the clock. 12.39 AM. Netflix has stopped with the ‘Are you still watching?’ question. Shrugging halfheartedly, you press continue and watch another episode. It’s Friday night, you’ve got nothing planned all weekend. It can’t hurt. 

Well, it can. You’ve already fallen asleep three times. It’s safe to say you’re tired, you just don’t want to move from the couch, nor do you want to actually go to bed. Sounds tempting, but really, you don’t feel like it. 

Knock. Knock. Knock.

You frown at your door. Who the hell knocks on someone's door an hour after midnight? Nevertheless, you feel intrigued and move to open it. Since it’s so late, it’s a shame you don’t have a peephole, who knows what the person on the other side wants?

So, you have other means to figure out. “Uh, who is it?” 

There’s a shuffle on the other side. A light cough. “It’s, uhh, the male from earlier.”

Your eyes widen, but knowing it’s Emma’s older brother, you don’t fear his intentions. The lock turns with a click and you open the door to see said male nervously staring at his feet. He’s lost the jacket he had the first time you met. This way, you could see the white tee cling to his torso in ways you hadn’t expected. 

He looks up at you. “Did I wake you? Emma said you usually stay up late on weekends and I felt for, uh,” he scratches his neck, “apollogizing.”

“No, you didn’t wake me.” You open the door further. “Come in, maybe we can talk it out so it isn’t so awkward.” What the fuck is happening to me? Since when did I get so smooth? I’ve never been smooth? This guy is hot as fuck and I’m not even stuttering? Or blushing? Or anything else to signal he’s nice? Your mind races with questions on how the hell you can be calm; there is no way this isn’t a dream. 

“Okay.” He steps inside and you close the door after him. “I am really sorry. Emma saw her mistake after you told her. Though, to be honest, she might have done it on purpose.”

You smile at him. “It’s fine. And I’m sure she did.” You walk to the kitchen. “Can I offer anything to drink?”

“Water is fine,” he says.

“No, don’t be silly. I have wine?” You take two glasses out of the cupboard. Where is this confidence coming from? 

Emma’s brother comes closer. “I guess I don’t have a choice,” he replies. 

You nod. “Correct. By the way, not sure if Emma told you, but name’s Y/N.” You pour two glasses and put the bottle back into the fridge. 

“No, she didn’t. Nice to meet you, Y/N. I’m Tom,” he says and accepts the glass you hand him. As he says your name, you can’t help but feel it roll of his tongue rather perfectly. 

You take a sip of wine. “So, wanna sit?” You point to the couch. “I’ll turn off the TV, too, maybe.” A chuckle escapes as you make to do just that. The remote control, on the other hand, doesn’t agree because you can’t find it. 

“Looking for this?” Tom asks and waves the remote your way. You nod, take it from him and turn of the TV. 

“Thanks,” you say. Despite your confidence (like what’s happening; you’re even wearing sweater shorts, an oversized t-shirt and no bra) from before, the air hangs for a while. You quietly sit and sip your wine. Tom does the same.

Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea? No, screw it, you’re gonna do this. Maybe life will take a turn for the better. 

You set down your glass on the coffee table. “Sorry about the mess,” you say, noticing that it is, in fact, not clean at all anywhere. 

“That’s fine,” replies Tom. “Not like you knew I would come.”

“Yeah. It’s like one am so can’t say I expected company,” you say. “But I don’t mind. Don’t really have anything better to do either. Maybe sleep, but I wasn’t gonna do that.”

Tom chuckles. “You sound like a college student,” he says. “Or just maybe someone who struggles with sleeping.”

You nod. “You’re looking at an insomniac, yup.”

“You have any help?” he asks. 

“Tried a lot of things, nothing’s worked so far.” You tuck your feet under you, turning more of your body towards Tom. “Kinda given up now.”

Tom takes a sip of wine. “Sorry to hear that.” Then he straightens up and puts down the glass. “Anyways, it’s late and I came here to apologize so that’s what I’ll do.”

You let out a small laugh. “I’m more than ready to hear this,” you say. 

“I am really sorry I barged in. Really, there is no excuse. Usually, I knock, but Emma told me a long time ago to just walk straight in, and I was already late―she cooked and it was cold when I actually could eat it―and I don’t know any other words to use other than sorry. It is probably the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done.”

You smile, finding him rather cute in his explaining. “Don’t worry about it,” you reply. “You didn’t see anything? At least, like a lot of anything?”

He blushes. Oh, my god! What a cute blush! “I might’ve seen something. But really, you have nothing to be embarrassed about, you are really beautiful.”

“O.M.G. Some movie star called me beautiful,” you say, and smile at him. “Thanks. Don’t know how I stayed calm during it all, but there’s a lot I do I can’t explain.”

He lets out a laugh, this little ‘hehe’ sound, and his mouth draws into a big smile. You can’t not look at his lips as his tongue graces over the lower one. “Well, as someone who’s not an insomniac, it’s getting late and I have a couch waiting for me.” Tom stands up and smiles. “Thanks for the chat, and for being this cool about me barging in on you.”

Your eyes crinkle as you smile at him. “You’re welcome. Don’t hesitate to come by again.” You stand up to follow him out―not that that’s necessary since it’s two meters from the couch to the door, but there’s something in the gesture. 

“I won’t,” he says and slips out. 

You lock the door behind him, sigh and bite your lip. God, he’s…. something.

 __________

The sunlight shines through your blinds, basking your apartment in an orange-gold filter. You groggily turn around, drag the cover over your head and press your eyes shut in a desperate attempt to continue sleeping. It’s futile. 

You throw the cover away and turn around on your back, looking up into the ceiling. Annoyed you blow away the hair covering your face and let out a tired sigh. You check the clock. 11.00 AM. God, it’s way too early. 

After Tom left, the clock being one am, you’d turned on the TV again. Not before four am had you actually gone to bed. Only to lie there for an eternity trying to find the right position, the right temperature―cover here or not? Yes, but not there. Fuck, like that one spot doesn’t need it, get off (that one spot was like on your leg and that’s hard to not have a cover over when the rest of your leg needs one. And, yeah, with a mind racing over endless possibilities of the future days, angst filled possibilities.

Safe to say, you’d probably gotten a good five hours of sleep. Six if you’re lucky. There goes the hope of sleeping in. 

Even though you’re awake, instead of getting out of a warm and comfy bed, you find your phone on the nightstand and start to scroll through instagram. Nothing really special had happened since you’d done the exact same thing at two in the morning, but there is still something to it.  Being bored, tumblr seems the better place, though. 

Instead of the usual feed scroll and trending scroll, you decide to do some research. In the search bar you type in his name. Tom Hiddleston.

The first thing that came up is a gifset of said man with longer black hair, slicked back to reveal his ears. Scrolling further down you can see it’s how he looks playing Loki. Something goes off inside you, an alarm of a kind. If he plays Loki―everything’s tagged with marvel―that means he has to be pretty popular. 

Most of what you see, is of him playing Loki. More gifsets, some text post you don’t bother reading―you haven’t seen the movie it’s about so what’s the point―Benedict Cumberbatch’s name pops up (nice, you’ve seen Sherlock) and then there’s a picture of Tom, but different than the one you met. Instead of curly, grown hair and a beard, in the photo he has shorter hair with small curls at the top and the start of a beard-growth. He looks pretty damn good. You double tap and see the heart come up. 

After about an hour or so of scrolling through tumblr (you stopped with the Tom tag after awhile, maybe rather get to know him?), you decide to get out of bed. It takes strength you don’t really have and the trip into the kitchen to get something to drink is a lot longer than you remembered. 

You sigh as you take the time to make coffee. As it brews, you open your fridge to check the contents. Although you were in the store yesterday after work so as to not have to today, you still don’t really feel like anything in it seems like breakfast food. Pretty annoyingly, your gut growls. Fuck, you think and make a grimace as you peek further inside. There’s not even any leftovers to heat up and eat. Everything has to be made. 

“Argg.” You take a deep breath and let out a sigh, one where your lips flap and a small, annoyed sound, comes out. Without much choice, you decide that coffee alone is breakfast and take with you a cup and settle into the couch. The wine glasses you and Tom drank of yesterday are still there. 

Another sigh escapes your lips (looks like it’s one of those days) as you turn on the TV, let your head fall back and think about everything you should be doing but probably won’t do. Much of that is cleaning. 

 __________

“Hey, Y/N.” It pounds on your door as you hear Emma’s voice. You turn down the music from your speaker as you make your way there. Despite previous statements of not going to clean, that is exactly what you’re doing. Currently, it’s the bathroom and it sucks. 

You open the door to a casually dressed Emma. She gives you a smile and a frown. “What’s up?” you ask. 

She eyes you from top to toe. “What are you doing?” she asks, the confusion spread across her face to highlight it. 

“Cleaning,” you reply shortly. 

She lets out a huff. “Okay, well, I was wondering if you wanted to join me, Jack and Tom out for lunch?” she asks. 

“Going out means I have to change, I have to stop cleaning the bathroom and I have to actually go out.” You nod as you list the things. “As much as I would like to not clean, I kind of feel like I have to see this through and I don’t really want to go out, so no thanks on lunch. What about dinner? Tonight, here? It’ll be clean.”

Emma rolls her eyes. “Fine, but like, don’t cook. Order.”

You give her an offended stare. “I can cook,” you say. “I won’t though because I don’t have the food for four people in here, but I can cook. You’ve tasted my food.”

“I’ve tasted your brownies. They’re heaven on earth, but I haven’t tasted anything else and since you’re the person who’s made the fire alarm go most in this building I don’t trust you.” She laughs. 

“I haven’t done that in three months,” you defend. 

“Yeah, and that’s not something to be proud of.”

“Well, to me it’s got to be some sort of record, so like, are you sure I’m not going to be proud?” Before she can answer you wave it away. “Anyway, dinner here at eight? Pizza sound fine?”

She nods. “Yup, no weird things. No pineapple,” she says and points at you strictly. 

“You got it. Text me what you guys want on and how hungry you are, please. Two big ones sounds fine, yeah?”

“Honestly, I’ll just text you toppings and it’ll probably be fine. We’ll bring something to drink, though.” She raises a brow at you. 

“Good ‘cause I got like wine, and that’s it.”

“Water?” 

You wave at her. “Doesn’t count.”

She shakes her head at you and smiles. “See you tonight.”

“Bye.”

 __________

07.27 PM. Finally done. 

You look at what was before a Mess™ and smile at the relaxation that falls upon the room. The coffee table is clean, only a book and a napkin holder―now full―on it. The kitchen, which has a dining room table, has no leftover dishes to do or old bread sitting on the counter collecting dust. The chair in the corner, also by your wardrobe that doesn’t fit in your bedroom, is finally free to use and not covered in clothes. And, the biggest ‘wow’ of all, your bed is made. 

The only thing not done is ordering pizza and getting dressed. You do the ordering first; two big pizzas with ham and pepperoni―the trio coming over didn’t have any preferences so you decide to go with something you know pretty much everyone likes. You also order dressing on the side. 

And then, with about fifteen minutes to spare, you go around to change. You should’ve taken a shower, but instead it becomes a last minute wash with a cloth and soap. Of course, the biggest question of all is what to wear. A very handsome guy you would like to fuck is coming over, but so is his sister and her husband and they’re your friends. How to be respectable and also tease the guy who has seen your boobs?

In the end, you end up wearing a pair of white, high-waist shorts (it’s summer) with a black belt that all around has holes in it and looks rather edgy and cool. With it, you go with a black crop top that accentuates your boobs but doesn’t look too much, and with that, you put on a flannel hooded jacket because you’ve had it forever and it looks great, plus takes away some of the flirty part of the look you know Emma won’t approve of. 

When you’re done the clock strikes 8.03. You find something to pay for pizza with, putting it in your pocket to make the whole ordeal easier, and you take out some dishes and―despite it being a disgrace―put out a fork and knife because who knows. You also find some glasses that you set the table with (not wine glasses, however you do have more of those than the ones you do use). 

And by that time, there’s a knock on the door. 

With nothing that can be called grace, you open the door and let the three in. Neither of them is wearing anything more fancy than you, but you do feel underdressed in some way. Emma wears a pair of blue jeans and a white tee with a denim jacket over. Jack has a pair of black jeans a white tee, no jacket. Tom, fuck, wears a pair of black jeans with a shirt that fits tightly to his chest, no tie and the top button opened―just the best freaking way to elude sexiness. 

Emma shakes her head at your outfit and Jack tries to hide a laugh as both of you catches Tom giving you a once over. After that, the difference in outfits doesn’t bother you as much; you got the reaction you wanted. 

“Pizza isn’t here yet, but it should be here any minute now,” you say and open up for them to come inside. 

Emma hands you a bag. “Soda, mostly, with a little surprise. And that’s totally okay,” she says as you take it. “But I hope it comes fast because I am hungry.”

Jack and Tom both nod in agreement. 

“Good, because I am, too,” you say. “Can I get you something to drink while we wait? I got what’s in the bag and wine.” You shuffle your way to the kitchen, putting the bottles in the fridge so they can keep the cold. 

“What about water?” asks Tom. 

You shake your head. “I don’t have that.” 

“What’s this then?” The man steps up to your sink and turns on the water. Perfectly fine drinking water comes out of the tap. 

“No,” you say, and turn it off. “There’s a rule that guests aren’t allowed to drink water because I want to be fancy.” 

Both Emma and Jack laugh at that, and you notice Tom trying to keep his cool but failing a bit. 

“Good luck with that,” says Emma and sits down. 

“Thanks. It’s worked so far.” You smile at her. Your phone vibrates in your pocket. “Ey, pizza’s here. Help yourself to the drinks, I’ll be right back.” You motion to the fridge and go off to get the pizza. 

You hope Tom doesn’t think you an absolute fool for saying no to water, but to be honest, you have no idea. 

 __________

“The worst part is that time you came to me for a band aid because you’d cut yourself at a pack of cheese,” says Emma and laughs. 

You stare wide eyed at her. “Why would you say that?” you hiss through gritted teeth. 

Neither Tom nor Jack manage to keep their laughter. “How?” asks Jack. 

“I don’t know. I just did it,” you reply, throwing your hands into the air. “I think it was about to fall of the counter and when I saved it I cut myself on, like, the hard part of it, one of the edges.”

“Still counts to your clumsiness,” says Emma. “What more could you have done?”

You sigh and busy yourself with one of the leftover slices of pizza. It’s grown cold, but it helps in not wanting to focus on Emma’s dead set mind on embarrassing you. 

“Oh!” She lights up. “I have another one, but it’s not about Y/N.” She turns to her brother with a smirk. “It’s about Tom.”

He sinks down in his chair and mutter an ‘oh God’ as Emma starts talking. 

“We were kids, don’t remember exactly how old, but I think I was around nine, making you fourteen.” You see on Tom’s face that he knows what she’s about to tell. “It was summer vacation and, uhh, we were at the beach. The only reason he and Sarah agreed to take me with them was because Mum promised they’d get another day without me. Tom, being his lovely teenager self, thought himself rather handsome and tried to pick up this girl. Only problem is he wasn’t as smooth as he’d like to imagine, and as the two of them walked into the water, instead of walking, he tripped over his own feet and fell face first. When he got up, he had a cut up his arm and the girl, who could’ve helped him, rolled her eyes and walked away.”

Tom sinks further down in his chair. “Why did you have to tell that story?” he asks and sends Emma a typical sibling glare, which Emma returns with a typical sibling smile saying ‘I know you love me’. 

You giggle at the story, not being able to keep the laughter in. “Well, now we have stories about me, Tom and Jack. Where are all the stories about Emma?” You raise a brow at the two people who knows her the best. 

Both men look down and make faces, probably in thought. Jack looks up first. “I have none. I know she’s suddenly had a band aid somewhere but she won’t ever tell why.”

Emma smiles devilishly. You actually recognize it as similar to one of the gifs of Loki you saw on tumblr. Maybe there’s some of that in the actual Tom as well, you think and bite your lower lip. 

“I have stories of our childhood, but none are really that embarrassing. Rather, I have one that she doesn’t remember, but all she really did was run around naked in our garden with the neighbour boy. We have video, though, that makes it better. But she was three years old, that doesn’t count for embarrassment.” Tom smiles, but it’s rather fond than anything else. 

“This sucks. She knows so much and we know nothing,” you say and squint at the girl across the table.

The girl just smiles widely. “Anyways, it’s getting late,” she says, looking at the clock. You do the same, seeing the long handle on eleven and the little one nearly on twelve. That was four hours around the same table, just chatting. Huh, how time passes when you’re having fun. 

“I hadn’t even realised,” says Tom. You all get out of your chair, and―old habits die hard―you take the dishes with you to the sink. Tom helps by taking the glasses, putting them down beside you. “I had fun,” he says, voice low and near inaudible. 

You nod. “Yeah, me too.” You shoot him a smile and get back to following the three out of your apartment. At least they don’t have a long ride or anything so there’s no feeling guilty for it being so long. 

“This was great. Gotta do this more often,” Emma says and gives you a hug goodbye. Jack nods in agreement and does the same. 

“We should. But let’s take it at your place because cleaning this shithole took more energy than I anticipated.” You let out a laugh and smile at them. 

Emma chuckles. “Yeah, sure. But an excuse for you to clean really is all you need to clean, right?”

You shake your head, annoyed at her constant correctness. “Get out, okay? It’s been a long day.” 

She smiles and the two of them walk over, giving slight room for Tom to say goodbye on his own. 

He stops by the door, leaning against the wall with a cheeky smile. “I would love to join the time you do this again,” he says. 

“Yeah,” you nod, “it was a lot of fun having you here. Wish you’d had more stories of Emma, though. She needs to be brought down a notch.” 

He laughs. The same ‘hehe’ from the night before. His mouth draws into a wide grin, though the tongue doesn’t appear. “I’ll see what I can do. There’s always Sarah, and Mum.”

“Yeah, your mother probably has the best stories though. Mother’s have a flair for that.” You smile at him. “Guess I’ll see you when you leave here, right?”

“Of course. I won’t leave without a goodbye.” His eyes crinkle as his mouth draws into a softer smile. “Will you be able to sleep when I go? Now, not leave-leave.”

You shrug. “Don’t know. Why?”

“I’m not feeling very tired, thought I could keep you with company if you wanted,” he says. 

“Never gonna say no to that. Now it’s clean after all.” You smile at him, and the tall man closes the door to your apartment from the inside. “What would you like to do? And can I offer you more to drink?”

He chuckles. “Whatever you feel like doing is fine by me, and perhaps, a glass of wine?” 

“Done, and done.”

 __________

You’re not really sure how you ended up in the position, but you’re sitting cozily in the crook of Tom’s arm. Surprisingly, with his toned chest, he is still rather soft to lie upon. The TV plays in the background, but you don’t focus on it. Instead, you’re focused on Tom.. How his hand mindlessly plays with yours. How his breathing is even and the quiet thump-thump of his heart. How he seems so focused on the screen when nothing really interesting actually happens. 

But, having been deprived of cuddles and the like for so long, you welcome it all with no questions. 

“It’s getting late.” His voice speaks softly in your ear, his breath cold on your neck. 

“Yeah,” you reply. 

Neither of you get up. Neither turns off the TV. Neither says anything more. 

 __________

For the first time in ages, you wake up feeling rested, feeling like you’ve gotten enough sleep. Groggily opening your eyes, you notice you’re in your bed. The last thing you can remember from the night before is lying in Tom’s embrace, changing a position so you can rest your head in his lap (on top of a pillow) and his long fingers gently combing through your hair. 

You smile at the thought of him carrying you into your room, and also look around for him. Who’s to say he didn’t stay? But he’s not there. 

Checking the clock and seeing it say 02.07 PM makes that more than understandable. Not only do you feel rested but you’ve actually managed to sleep in. Despite how good it feels, you can’t help but question it; Why now? And what did I do differently? 

You don’t have the answer to the questions and instead of pondering it further, you get out of the bed and drag yourself into the kitchen. There, on the other hand, you find Tom with a cup of coffee and his phone. He looks up as he hears you. 

“Good morning,” he says, “feeling okay?”

You nod, not sure if your voice actually works just yet. 

He chuckles. “I took the couch, if you wondered,” he adds. 

So he’d slept over. That’s something to note. But, you’d fallen asleep on him, why would he see it a problem to join you in bed? You would literally only sleep. Maybe he felt he would impose, it is an awfully small bed for two people. 

“You’re sure Emma isn’t worried about you? You came to see her, right?” You finally found your voice, and a cup of coffee is quickly in your hands as you ask. 

“She knocked on the door this morning and asked. I believe the only thing she was actually worried about was if we would,” he blushes, “do something.”

You sip the warm liquid. “Really? So, what about the coming-to-see-her part?”

“I saw her all Friday, all yesterday and I will probably see her today as well,” he replies. “And, well, I have to make up for walking in on you somehow. I believe keeping you company does that.”

“Thanks for that, by the way.” You sit down in the chair across from him. “Actually feel like I’ve gotten some sleep for once.”

His smile widens. “That’s good. Me as a pillow worked?” He purses his lips, sticks his tongue out for a quick walk (honestly, he has to stop). 

“Yeah, that worked. How long are you staying? You leaving today?” 

“I’m staying another couple of nights. Leaving Tuesday, why?” 

You take a bigger sip of the coffee, feeling in need of some boost. “I was thinking,” you start and avert your gaze from him, “if you’re not busy during the night, that maybe you could be my pillow again.”

His eyes wrinkle as he smiles at you, this genuine god-awful kind smile that makes it hard to swallow, hard not to look at him. “For as long as I’m here, I’ll happily be your pillow.”

Taglist: @inlovewith3 @mindlesschicca @bookgirlunicorn

[crazyscotsmanthe1st]

The Crown

You know me, I’m not a monarchist or a Royal-watcher. I view the Royals with a healthy dose of cynical apathy. I’m not necessarily in favour of getting rid of them, but I’m not necessarily completely against it. I’d have to be persuaded of the alternative - who would be our head of state, how would it be decided, how would our constitution be arranged going forward? Only when these questions are satisfactorily answered would I consider voting in favour of a Republican agenda. But I wouldn’t rule it out.

So I’m perhaps not someone you’d expect to be glued to Netflix’s glossy high-profile drama series, The Crown. But there I was, enthusing about the trailers for season 4, keeping an eye on the release date, and binge-watching it over a couple of evenings. For all the world like one of the muppets you see in the crowd at any Royal appearance, minus the union flag and the shrieking sycophancy.

When I first became vaguely aware of the series shortly after the release of season 1, I wasn’t much interested. I assumed it would be an exercise in jingoistic hero-worship, porn for Pimm’s drinkers. I turned my cynical, lefty nationalist nose up at it. Not for me, yer maj.

But then I saw a clip on YouTube with Winston Churchill, played by John Lithgow, making a scene at the wedding of the then-Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, i.e. the future Queen and Prince Philip. It piqued my interest sufficiently to watch a few more clips, then eventually to commit to actually watching the series.

The fact that an actor of Lithgow’s status had been lured, and was featuring so prominently, was a good sign. The role of the Queen’s first Prime Minister was not going to be a bit-part or a cameo. A lot of focus was clearly going to be on constitutional politics, and the social context in which the Queen’s early reign took place.

This was indeed the case, as we saw a young monarch, played superbly by Claire Foy, navigating her first steps with the help of a wily and experienced, but elderly and often truculent Churchill in his second period in office. She is beginning her reign just as he is approaching the end of his, and we see the dynamic change between them as she goes from relying on the wisdom of a grandfatherly mentor, to putting up with a silly old duffer who can’t accept his time is up. The story of season 1, aside from all the personal stuff between Elizabeth and Philip, is that transfer of energy as Elizabeth grows and Churchill recedes.

There’s also a lot of effort put into establishing background. Clothes, vehicles, aircraft, music, news articles... It’s all very 50s. For people who remember the decade, it’s probably very nostalgic. For the rest of us, it’s educational on the fringes. It gives us a good feel for the times.

Seasons 2 and 3 are also very strong in these departments, taking us through the political turmoils and social changes of the 60s and into the 70s. The cast change between seasons 2 and 3, when Olivia Colman replaces Claire Foy as the Queen, and a host of other older actors step in, is done as smoothly as was probably possible. You soon get used to the new faces, and any bumps in continuity are barely noticeable.

Special mention should go to the episode handling the Aberfan disaster in season 3. It’s powerful, moving television and I’d encourage anyone to watch it, regardless of whether they’ve seen the rest of the series. It stands alone as a poignant comment on the tragedy. The actor Jason Watkins gives a brilliant performance as Harold Wilson throughout season 3, and in the Aberfan episode in particular. Wilson’s exit in the last episode of the season, when he resigns because of deteriorating mental health, is another touching human moment.

You’ll notice I’m focussing more on the social-political events rather than the lives of the Royals, and of course that reflects my own interest. The personal and family dramas of the Royals play out alongside the bigger events, and indeed sometimes take up full episodes. But the makers of The Crown are very clever at including something for everyone. Royal worshippers and history/political geeks alike will be satisfied, and willing to put up with the “filler” to get to the good stuff.

Season 4 was built up to be the biggest yet, and the publicity was turned up to the max. We were given tantalising glimpses of Gillian Anderson as the devil Thatcher, and a young Diana played by Emma Corrin. For people of my generation, the show is finally dealing with events that took place during my lifetime, albeit that I was too young to care at the time.

Having watched season 4, I can report that it did not disappoint. Gillian Anderson was... spooky. She nailed the devil Thatcher’s rigidness, toughness and inability to compromise. The callous insistance that her policies were for the greater good, even in the face of immense opposition and human suffering, her social awkwardness at Balmoral, her bitterness and disbelief when her cabinet finally ousted her - all beautifully portrayed.

But even Anderson was eclipsed by the true star of this season. Even though I was more interested in the political stuff and usually don’t care much for the personal drama, Emma Corrin’s vulnerable, endearing and captivating performance as Diana completely stole the show. Even cynical old me was utterly swept up in the Shakespearian drama of a naive young lady who thinks she’s marrying a handsome prince from a fairytale, only to find very quickly that she’s become a prisoner in a loveless marriage, and is doomed to forever play second fiddle to her husband’s mistress. The joy turning to ashes. The fragile hope of youth giving way to bitter frustration and disappointment. Emma Corrin plays an absolute blinder.

There’s been a lot of discussion about “accuracy” in the press, to which the actors and production team have rightly responded that the show is a work of fiction, albeit heavily inspired by real events. Since a lot of the “accuracy” they’re discussing is to do with details of the Royals’ personal lives, most of it is hearsay anyway. And I don’t care.

I see the show not so much as a drama about the Royals, but more a social commentary on the last half century - told through the eyes of one posh family.

So if you haven’t watched any of it yet, I recommend you get stuck in. One won’t regret it.

[laws-yellow-submarine]

The Rubber Band

So uhhh…that Rock Band AU thing that I kept coming up with headcanons for? Yeah…I ran with it lmao though I’m establishing now that this in no way is meant to be GOOD and is instead meant to be SILLY and ENJOYABLE and FUN! I had fun writing it, even if it only took me like 2 hours haha

Credit goes to @ohpineapples​ for the initial idea (also 2 OCs make a very brief cameo in this, though I only own one, but for the sake of this AU they exist in the same universe and are best friends, if for no other reason than because Skylar definitely would take one look at Sophie and say “We’re best friends now”. She’s the extrovert I wish I was lmao)

Also featured: slight Frobin, because I can’t leave well enough alone lol 

Word Count: 1674, will include a read more but they hardly ever work on mobile so RIP sorry in advance lol

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the silliness! (all lyrics are taken straight from the One Piece wiki so if anything’s incorrect I apologize!)

Battle of the Bands: Sabaody Park City! Prizes awarded to the Top 3 bands! 1st Place awarded title of “Best Band Ever”.

… 

Zoro was by far the easiest to recruit. 

When Luffy had strolled into the music shop, old-as-shit hand-me-down guitar strung across his shoulders, the green-haired percussionist hadn’t had much thought beyond “drumsticks”. This is, of course, because he hadn’t even noticed the other boy come in, an amazing feat considering the volume he exuded; but when Zoro was focused on something, it took a lot to break that focus. In this case, that focus lay on a set of 5B, dark oak, drumsticks. Zoro fumbled with the almost-matching stick in his pocket, older now but no less powerful, similar build though lighter in color. These would go perfectly with it.

And so it didn’t take much to convince Zoro to join; especially after Luffy helped him “borrow” the set.

…

They tried to recruit a band manager next, eager to get the show on the road, but the orange-haired prospect they’d met at the local carnival practically laughed in their faces.

“You call this a band? There’s two of you! That guitar’s strings are tied in place! I’m not throwing my weight behind a couple of idiots who don’t even know how to maintain their instruments! Do you even know how to write songs?” “Why write them? It’ll come to us when we play!” Nami threw her hand over her face. “See, this is why we need you!” The boy smiled at her, brighter than the sun, and she sighed.

“What do you even call this ‘band’?”

“The Rubber Band!” 

She walked away.

…

They’d returned to her days later, a long-nosed, bass-playing, songwriter and a curly-browed keyboardist in tow, guitar strings neatly replaced. She sized them up, weighing the pros and cons, and crunching the numbers, in her head. Finally, she spoke up, dollar signs in her eyes.

“My rate is 70% of everything you make, plus a fee of $500 for every event I land you.” 

“Hey isn’t that-”

“Of course, Nami-swan!~ Whatever you want dear! Nothing is too unreasonable for you, my love!~” The blond, Sanji, twirled around her, hearts in his eyes as he continued asking if he could make her anything to eat. She could get used to that.

Luffy agreed as well, not seeing a problem with it, as of course they’d make plenty of money as they journeyed to become the Best Band Ever. Usopp was the only one to voice any concerns, saying that “clearly as the true leader of this band”, they should negotiate for a lower price. Nami’s glare quickly silenced any further complaint.

…

They played a few local venues, and along the way picked up a curious reindeer with an affinity for the tambourine. Growth was, unfortunately, scarce though, as Nami brought up one day after receiving a call for a gig in the big city.

“Well we’re not getting anywhere without transportation.” She was right. Usopp’s beaten up car had finally quit on them only the week before, and they’d yet to find something up to the task. They sat around a table at the bar they’d just performed at, munching on snacks that Sanji had snuck in. Usopp was working on some new material, as well as their logo (a pirate’s jolly roger with a straw hat, for personality, and to dissuade those who thought Chopper was their mascot), and Zoro placed his freshly polished drumsticks pristinely in their case. Their attention was diverted when a woman approached them, smiling in a way that set them both at ease and on edge at the same time.

“Hello, I just wanted to congratulate you on your set. You played very well, especially you young man,” She said, particularly speaking to Chopper, the inexplicable reindeer. 

“I don’t need your compliments, you dummy,” The boy gushed, blushing at the woman’s words. For her part she didn’t appear offended, and even chuckled slightly at his antics.

“My name is Robin. I overheard you need a way to get around?” Nami eyed her warily.

“Yes…we do, but there’s not enough in the budget to purchase a whole new vehicle.”

“Oh, my husband owns a tour bus. He used to travel with his own group before we met. If it’s no trouble for you, we’d be happy to help.” As she spoke, a large, bright blue headed man walked up, startling the group with his rather eccentric look.

“It would be SUPER no big deal! We’ve been wanting to travel for a while ourselves!”

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the band quickly said yes, and so finally began their trip to Sabaody Park City for the Battle of the Bands tournament.

…

They’d made only one stop for fuel on the way to the city, inadvertently picking up a probably homeless man named Brook, who was hoping to meet a friend in the city. Though most of the group had warned Luffy against it, there was no convincing the boy otherwise, and so far it had actually proved a fruitful venture. The man, thin as a skeleton, was proficient in music as well, and assisted Usopp with writing songs for the next show.

When they’d finally made it, their first real stop was the venue Nami had booked, in hopes of making some quick cash to prepare for the tournament. Robin had assisted with setting up the stage, helping to fight off Franky from installing pyrotechnics (“We can’t afford to pay for fire damages!” Nami had screamed), and despite Luffy’s insistence she stayed well away from the stage while they played. Along the way, they’d discovered she had a rather lovely voice, and seeing as how Luffy’s voice tended to sound like two whales fighting during a car wreck in the middle of a bagpipe festival, they’d tried to convince her to become the official lead singer. So far she’d shrugged them off, saying she wasn’t one for the spotlight.

For the next week, Nami continued booking gigs, somehow extorting extra money out of each new venue owner, until finally the day of the tournament had arrived. They’d walked in as a group, filing past dozens of other bands. They shuffled up to the signin, Luffy writing in big, bold letters “THE RUBBER BAND” across the paper, taking up at least five slots. They ignored the event coordinators’ griping in favor of finding a seat, as they waited for the event to start. 

One by one, bands began to play; the audience determining who would move on and who was knocked out. The Rubber Band managed to make it through the first few rounds, fumbling slightly in the round before the finals. Until this point, they’d mostly gotten by through Luffy shredding on his beat-up guitar. His energy was infectious, and if he missed a note or played a weird chord, most didn’t notice; but now it was the big leagues, and the competition was fierce.

It was down to three bands, and they watched as a man with red hair screamed into the mic while a masked blond man played the drums. When they finished, the apparent leader taunted the next performer: a tattooed guitarist with a curly blond drummer and a silver-haired singer (and was that a polar bear playing the triangle?). Overall, the semi-finals passed in a blur, as it became apparent just what they were up against. 

Luffy wasn’t discouraged at all, however, and merely used this as fuel to further insist Robin join them on stage. In his mind, if she sang for them they were sure to win! His pleas remained unanswered, until it was once again their turn to take the stage, and the dark haired woman followed them up to the mic. She smiled at Luffy’s excitement, and they all ignored the cries from an earlier band about the “new member”, instead settling into a quick, upbeat rhythm. As the crowd started to get into it, Robin launched into the lyrics.

“Arittake no yume o kaki atsume, Sagashi-mono o sagashi ni yuku no sa, ONE PIECE!” 

It was a song she’d memorized after helping the others work so hard to write it, and learn it, specifically for the Battle of the Bands. Robin was nervous, having never purposely put herself in the spotlight like this, especially so literally. But as the crowd grew more enthused, dancing along with their music, she found herself feeling more and more confident, even beginning to sway with the music in her own sort of dance, smile growing wide on her face. 

“Arittake no yume o kaki atsume, Sagashi-mono o sagashi ni yuku no sa, poketto no koin, soreto you wanna be my friend? We are, we are on the cruise! WE ARE!”

Before the group knew it they were finished, sweating and panting beneath the stage lights, the crowd roaring in their ears as they yelled “encore! encore!” Luffy raised his arms above his head, the biggest smile stretched across his face as he started cheering along with them. The tournament coordinator’s voice came over the loudspeaker, straining to be heard over the loud cheers.

“Well, I think we have a pretty clear winner, folks! Give it up for The Rubber Band!” The crowd’s screams grew deafening, and in the confusion Luffy had somehow snaked his way through the crowd to drag Nami, Franky, and Brook onto the stage with the others.

“Come on, guys! We did it!” 

“Luffy, why did you drag me up here…”

“Shishishi, come on! They want an encore!” He said, ignoring the groans of his exasperated manager. The song started up again, spurred forth by Sanji and Zoro (who seemed to be competing over who could play louder), and those without instruments joined Robin at the front, singing along with the lyrics that, at this point, they all knew by heart.

And with the crowd screaming along, it was pretty clear… 

They truly were the Best Band Ever.

[intrepid-asylum]

Thoughts and feelings about the first Live RiffTrax with Scener

People that write reviews sometimes go into incredible, thought provoking, wordy diatribes that round up their experiences to the subject at hand prior to writing their reviews. I’m a fan of RiffTrax. That’s kinda it. I don’t know if that means I can’t be objectively critical, so that’s why I’m writing my thoughts, and not a “review’. There’s no other way to say it really, it was a disastrous start. But our first jaunt into space would have been disastrous if NASA didn’t test if the modules could hold air. This was the first time using this technology. We’re human beings, we learn from disasters. And frankly the amount of adapting that was done, the amount of holding our attention until it was patched together, and their ability to come back and do what they set out to do in the end just shows how much they not only love what they do, but the audience that eats up every moment of it. Mike really pulled an audible here. He lost audio from the movie, Kevin and Bill, and just kept going. Just pulling stuff out of an invisible hat. Bill was upset at what was going on with the audio and left the call. I can’t blame him. I’m sure it was incredibly frustrating on his end. Kevin kept flashing signs to the camera and sending text to Mike (who admitted he left his phone in the other room). I think we got a Bridget cameo when she delivered it to him. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway, Kevin finally dropped from the screen as they were trying to get Scener working. I believe they were calling the developer to troubleshoot what was going on. I heard someone say they throttled back the chat and that seemed to help? Again, correct me if I’m wrong but that’s neither here nor there. Mike stayed on screen, and continued to be funny. Very funny. Rhyming “Stranger Things” with plots from other movies, “Lord of the Stranger Rings” for instance. My husband and I were laughing so hard. And then Kevin popped back in, and one refresh on Mike’s part later, they were bantering. And it was funny. They turned a disastrous situation into gold. They bought time because I’m sure Erik was running around like Chekov in the 2009 Star Trek movie saying “I CAN DO DAT, I CAN DO DAT!” getting everything fixed, working with the Scener developer.

I was very sad that Bill didn’t come back to be a part of the banter, but I think understand why. He was frustrated, and when you are a performer, you don’t want your people to see you frustrated, so he logged off. He did the right thing. Twice, really, because he came back and gave a FANTASTIC performance. I don’t know if they had to lead him out with cheese or the promise of a free beard trim coupon, or if they just said “Hey it’s fixed” and he’s like “Be right there!”. In the end, it doesn’t matter, because he did come back, and we as the audience were treated to three smiling faces, and a lot of funny lines.

I just hope that none of them feel embarrassed or upset or angry at what happened last night, nor soured to the prospect of doing this again. The entire thing kept over 3000 people captivated because they want to see them perform. And honestly, probably see them stumble, because they come up with some very funny things when they’re standing themselves up and brushing themselves off.

To conclude my completely broken and hard to follow thoughts, from beginning to end, my husband and I really enjoyed what RiffTrax did here. This was a chance they took, and I think they really benefited from it. I know we did. And yes, everything that could go wrong did. But they adapted, they held our attention, they fixed it on the fly, and they ultimately did what they set out to do, give their fans a live performance. 

I’m not an eloquent critic, I just know what I like.

[nomattertheoceans]

My thoughts on Kingdom of Ash

Ok I just finished the book (and yes, I slept no more than 5 hours since Friday night, but hey, what are you gonna do?) so all my thoughts may still be a bit raw, but I need to talk about all of it!!!! All of this will be extremely random though.

Ok so first of all, thank you thank you thank you Sarah J Maas for giving us once again a very well crafted story that satisfied me so much, that allowed us closure for every storyline and character arc established in the books. I loved every second of it.

So, where to start?

Lysandra disguising as Aelin: Ever since the end of Empire of Storms, I knew it wouldn't work, and it was likely to fall apart at the first battle because of Aelin's power (and the lack of it in Lysandra), and I was hoping Maas wouldn't find a weird reason for it to hold when it was destined to fail. She didn't, and the disbelief and betrayal the soldiers felt was very realistic and very sad.

Speaking of Lysandra: her relationship with Aedion was... I have very mixed feelings about it. I'm very glad of how it developed (honestly I never saw much development between them before so that felt good). Aedion was... such an ass. Like, I get he's pissed and all, but come on, you don't throw someone naked in the snow because they lied at you, that was such a dick move. But this allowed for a development I loved, the dynamic between them throughout the book: Aedion being an ass even though Lysandra tries to explain, then he realizing how wrong he was and going to her, and then her being all "are you kidding?" And refusing him because he was such a dick. I loved it, Lysandra held on to her pride and didn't crawl back to him the second he wanted her to. Instead they rebuilt a mutual trust together. So in the end I managed to be happy about their love, and I know I wouldn't have been if she'd accepted his first apology, because he wasn’t worthy of her affection at that point.

Aelin in the coffin: ugh every second of this broke my heart, it was awful all along.... the idea of her suffering so much that they had to rebuild her body was... oh everything was horrible. The worst, I think, was when Maeve told her Rowan had been spotted in Terrasen, and Aelin admitted to herself that she'd hoped he would come for her. I literally was talking to my book going "noooo he's coming, don't lose hope!" It was so painful. But the way they freed her was amazing, the fact that their plan allowed her to free herself at first and then they helped her, all this was the best way it could’ve happened. Also, the scene where she yelled to take off the mask and the chains was... again heartbreaking but necessary I think.

Her relationship with Fenrys was EVERYTHING. The fact that they supported each other for all this time, the bond it built between them through their trauma, I loved it all. The scene in the cave when they say they'll be here to listen if the other needs to talk about it, it was great. Also, I loved the fact that it helped them in the end, with her helping Fenrys against Maeve. Amazing, all of it. And Rown wasn’t jealous or anything (maybe a bit hurt at first because he thought Aelin might not want him again, but then it got resolved quickly enough to not ruin anything).

Rowaelin. Oh these two gave me ALL THE FEELS. At first when Rowan is low-key afraid that Maeve broke their relationship, but then Aelin gives him the wedding bands 😍. And then their entire conversation about Lyria and the mating bond was perfectly crafted. But oh my god did my heart break when Aelin was on the verge of dying and Rowan felt the mating bond slowly disappear... awful. I loved it haha. Rowaelin always made me feel a lot, and this book was no different.

I have too many thoughts honestly, I might forget a lot xD

Aelin losing her scars and then later her human body was so sad.... Rowan describes her as haunted and it's heartbreaking.

I can't remember in which chapter it was, but can we agree that we had a scene where Fenrys describes being raped by Maeve whilst his brother’s blood was still on the ground? It wasn't that explicit, and I can't remember when exactly it was, but it was awful and made me cry.

Oh and I don't understand how Dorian's shape-shifting power works? Like, Lysandra always swaps back naked, but he somehow manages to keep his clothes and his sword and all? I don't get it. Maybe I missed some kind of information?

The wave of power in Anielle: I loved the whole scene, Aelin's power was amazing (I saw it coming from far away but it was still good. I'm generally surprised by Maas' twists but this one I knew was going to happen ^^)

Oh Anielle makes me think of my lovable married couple chaorene: the pregnancy thing was... very cliche, but I didn't mind it. I want them to be happy and hey, if they're happy with getting married and having a kid this fast, I'm fine with it. I'm a sucker for fluff anyway so I loved it even if it was cliche 😂 I was low-key terrified that they would survived but she would lose the child somehow... thank God that didn't happen!

Another thing I'm once again very happy with one of Maas’ books: she is not shy around the idea of her characters having healthy, enjoyable, sexual relationships. In this book, I loved the way she described Manon and Dorian in particular. Throughout the whole first part, they sleep together just because they want to, they're not in love, they're not involved in any other manner, but they enjoy each other and they both want it, so yeah, they have sex and nobody blames them or demands they be more "serious." It's great.

Dorian deceiving Maeve so easily was soooo satisfying XD

The King of Adarlan being able to replace his son because he'd been cursed to forgot his name was a bit... far-fetched? But it allowed to save Dorian's life so I'm not complaining ^^

Aelin trying to exchange Elena against Erawan annoyed me. I know we're probably supposed to consider it this grand noble gesture but... Come on, Elena died literally a thousand years ago, and destroying Erawan has the potential to destroy his whole army (and as we see in the end, it does), so no, saving Elena's soul was not a good idea from Aelin's part. And we don't know if the Gods wouldn't have betrayed her anyway and not upheld their end of the bargain even if she hadn’t asked for it, but I totally get why the khagan royals are mad at her. It was a reckless move and she's very lucky it ended well after this particularly bad decision.

Completely change of subject, but.... Nox was back!!!! I'm so glad we got to see him again even if it was a small role!! Great callback to the first book!

Speaking of cameos..... Feysand!!! I loooooved it  XD Mainly because I’m in love with every little mention of Feysand because they’re perfect  😍 But also because it definitely disproves any possibility of their story happening in the same world but at different times. I never very much liked these theories personally. But the idea of them in different worlds connected was so good. Plus, it gave me this new headcanon that maybe this happened during Starfall in the Night Court, and that the spirits might be indeed travelling like Aelin was in that case. There’s no evidenceof this but I love the idea (and it would strenghten the reaon why Amren prefers to stay alone during Starfall...), so I’m keeping it ^^

Manon once again was amazing. Her character proves once more that she's not perfect, she's willing to sacrifice some witches to gain their trust, but she still grew into a better person in the end and she does manage to reunite the clans. She learns to feel even more than in the previous books and I love it. Her letting Dorian hold her and telling him that she misses the Thirteen was a perfect moment of sadness.

I kind of knew some of the Thirteen would die but.... all of them?!?! I cried during the whole thing.... All of them looking at one another, Asterin smiling and saying goodbye, the collective yelding while Manon shouts for them from the city, and then the whole homage... all of this was so emotional....

I was also very sad when Gavriel died.... less emotional in a way because we know he died proud of his son and happy that Aedion accepted him, but ugh still so horrible when you understand he's sacrificing himself.... right in the feels :(

On a happier note, this book was so full of love, it was like an giant balm to my heart. Chaorene are the sweetest; Rowaelin are the most intense and perfect couple; Lysaedion were just the right amount of angst I need, with Lysandra being a badass; Nestaq was awesome through and through. I'm glad Manorian didn't exactly go canon in the end, the future is open for the both of them and I love it. Elorcan... I never cared much about their relationship so I would have been fine if it had been only left as a possibility, but hey, I'm still glad they found each other in the end.

Yrene is such a great character. She's soft, she loves her husband very much and needs him when she's afraid, she's very happy to be having a baby and to build a home for her family. And yet she's an amazing healer, she's not easily afraid, she's strong and willing to risk her life for the greater good. And those characteristics are not in contradiction to one another, they fit perfectly well. I love her, I think she might be my new favorite character.

Chaol telling her "Go save the world, Yrene" gave me life. Before the release of the book, I saw a lot of posts criticizing Chaol, people being sure he would ressent her for taking away his ability to walk when she worked, and not wanting her to risk her life. Those posts annoyed me a lot because Chaol is (was haha now it's his wife) my favorite character, and though he deserves a lot of criticism, I feel like a lot of people hate on him for no good reason, and will take the opportunity to hate on his character even if it forces them to criticize things completely out of character for him. And him resenting his wife or prohibiting her to do anything would have been so out of character. Anyway, I'm glad Maas included this awesome line for them!!!

Also, the two Valg royals being killed by the powers of the healers was amazing. But I was glad Fenrys got the first blow at Maeve. God knows he deserves it.

Ok I'm going to stop here I think. I'm sure I forgot a looooot more but I can't remember everything ^^

EDIT because I already have more to say xD

Dorian mourning Sorcha was so on point, it felt strange to me that he seemed to not think about her in EoS but his grief in this book was very well written.

And also

The scene at the end with only Dorian, Chaol and Aelin. THAT was perfect.

Overall, I'm very, very happy with this book. The happy ending was just amazing, it made me so happy myself (and honestly that's all I'm looking for in a book, to all the characters to get their HEA after all their sufferings). Some small points gave me mixed feelings but honestly, the rest was so satisfying that I don't even mind.

I loved it.

Don't hesitate to tell me what you thought, I want to talk about this book so much!!!! I would love to hear what you all thought so if you want to write to me about it (by ask or by message) I will be thrilled!!!!

If you want to read my other thoughts on stuff

[tremendousartisanlover]

A Tale of Two Rulers: Royal Baby Chapter Twenty-Three

 A/N: Now we finally get to see the cameo of Skull Kid. This chapter is pretty much based off pages 186-187 of the ATOTR comic. 

Disclaimer: A Tale of Two Rulers is @figmentforms‘ original work. I’m simply writing this as fanfiction, nothing else.

*******************************************************************************************

Zelda woke up the next morning while Ganondorf is still asleep. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. He smiled as he opened his eyes. “Morning, handsome.” Zelda greeted. “Morning, beautiful.” Ganondorf greeted back. “I hope you’ve slept well.” she said, looking at him. 

“Of course I slept well.” he smiled, stroking her cheek. Zelda smiled and nuzzled into his big hand, “I’m glad, my love.” Ganondorf held her close and kissed her forehead. She blushed a bit as the couple smiled at each other. Then, they both got up and got dressed. Zelda struggles to close the back of her dress. 

Ganondorf helped her close it up. “Thanks, darling.” she smiled to him. “You’re welcome, my sweet.” he smiled back to her. Then, they started making their way to the dining for breakfast. Zelda holds Ganondorf’s hand as they walked. He held her hand a bit tighter just before they arrived. 

“You know something? Since before the baby shower, I noticed that Rinku has been acting odd lately,” Zelda pointed out. “Oh? Can’t say I have seen her behavior change much.” Ganondorf could tell Zelda is concerned about their daughter. “I’ve got a feeling that she must be hiding something.” she added. “Is she? That doesn’t seem like her at all.” “It’s probably just my imagination, but one time I heard voices in Rinku’s room a few weeks ago.” she said as they sat down. “I see. That is odd.” Ganondorf said before they began eating. 

“Definitely.” Zelda agreed. Later on after breakfast, Rinku walked into the foyer where Zelda is reading her book while enjoying a cup of tea. She asked,  “Hey, Mama. Can I ask you a favor?” Zelda looked at her, “Of course, honey. What do you need?” “Well, do you remember the other day I gave my friend a Triforce pendant, right?” Zelda nodded.

“His name is Skull Kid. So, I was wondering if I can borrow your piece of the Triforce so I can wish him back to life?” Rinku mustered up the courage to ask her mother for the Triforce of Wisdom. Zelda blinked a bit before clearing her throat, ““Hmmm..well, sweetie, that’s very nice, but first of all, I think you’re too old for imaginary friends. And second, you can’t just ask for my piece of the Triforce like that.”  “But, Mama, I didn’t imagine him. Skull Kid is real.” Rinku said before she pulled in Skull Kid to prove Zelda that he’s not imaginary. “Hiya, Queen-face.” Skull Kid said bashfully to the pregnant queen. Zelda gasped, frozen at the mere sight of him, “Oh... my God!” Rinku saw her mother’s reaction and chuckled nervously, “Well, he is pretty sneaky. For a dead person, that is.”

Zelda got a little confused, “Umm, honey, can I talk to your friend in private?” she asked. “Oh, by the way, before you go; about your other friend, he’s not real, is he?” Rinku replied, “Sure, Mama. I do have a writing lesson today, since I gotta do it..” Before she could leave, Rinku added, “Oh, you mean Kirby, the pink kid who swallows people to copy their abilities?” “Yes, him. Is Kirby real, too?” Zelda asked nervously. “Nope. I made him up.” Rinku answered before she went to her writing lesson.

“That’s good.” she said in relief. Zelda can barely imagine if that thing even exists. After Zelda composed herself, Skull Kid said to her, “Well, I’m, uh.. pleased to make your acquaintance.” “The pleasure is all mine, Skull Kid. So tell me, how long have you known my daughter?” asked Zelda. “About a few  thousand years, give or take.” Skull Kid replied to the queen. “Oh, I see..” she said with a small glare, knowing that he somehow known about Rinku being Link.

Skull Kid can see that Zelda has a feeling that she figured out that he knew. “So, you knew all along?” said Zelda as she stands up with her hand behind her back, with her Triforce piece glowing. “Of course I knew she’s Link. And I’d watch it with that spell if I were you, Queenie.” Skull Kid noticed Zelda’s hand glowing from behind her back. “I might’ve already known since Rinku and I first met, but I’m not gonna be a big blabber mouth and spill the beans for all Hyrule to hear.” She stared at him, “So you swear on my Rinku’s life that you’ll not let her find out she’s Link so soon and be breaking her heart? Because if you do, you’ll have me or my husband to answer and there shall be hell to pay. Is that clear?!” The undead boy gasped at the thought of being dealt with by Zelda and Ganondorf.

He pulled himself together before saying to her, “All right. Cross my heart and hope to die. (I’m already dead anyway) Besides, I wouldn’t dream of betraying Rinku.”  “Good.” Zelda’s expression changed to a little bubbly, now that she and Skull Kid came to an agreement. “Well, then, I’m glad we got this settled. Now, why don’t you run along, you..... sweet thing?” She waved goodbye to Rinku’s friend.  “Okay, Queenie. Bye!” He waved back to Zelda as he left the foyer with the fairy, Navi following behind. Zelda sat back in her chair and sighed in relief, now that her strange friend is gone.

Then after a couple of hours passed, Rinku is done with her writing lesson. Zelda was drinking more of her tea. Rinku went over to her mother, “Hey, Mama. I’m done with my lesson.” “That’s nice, sweetie.” Zelda motioned to the cookies on her tea tray, “Would you like to stay and snack on some cookies with me?” Rinku smiled, “Sure. I’m a little hungry.”

The queen smiles they started sharing cookies. “So, how was meeting my friend?” Rinku simply asked. “It went well, honey. He was quite a character.” said Zelda, trying not to tell her daughter what really happened. “That’s great, Mama.” Rinku is happy about her mother getting acquainted with Skull Kid. Zelda smiles and took a sip of her tea. “So are there any other projects you need to do today?” 

“I don’t think so. Just writing.” replied Rinku. Zelda said, “I see. What do you need to write about?”  “Just usual Hyrule History.” Zelda sets down her tea cup and said as she got up from her chair, “Well, if you like, we can go to the library and work on it together.” “Sure, Mama.” Rinku would love to have her mother’s help. Then, they made their way to the library. 

“Let’s go ahead and find the books you need before we get started.” said Zelda. “Okay, Mama.” smiled Rinku before they started to look around.  As soon as they found a few books, they got to the table and started working on the project. Zelda helped her the best she could. Soon, the project is all done. “Oh, goodness. It sure was a lot of work getting this done, but at least I managed to help you out, sweetie.” said Zelda.

“Yeah. I really appreciate that Mama.” Rinku said to her. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, why don’t you put your work somewhere safe in your room before dinner, okay?” Zelda smiled to the princess. “Okay, Mama.” She smiled back to her mother before she left the library. Zelda went to the bird librarian and said, “Excuse me, could you be so kind to put these books back in their shelves?” The librarian smiled, “Why, certainly, Your Majesty.” A while later, dinner was over and it’s nearly time  for bed. 

Zelda went back into the bedroom, wondering where her husband has been. Shortly, Ganondorf came into the room. “I’m sorry I am late.” “Oh, hi love. You got me a little worried. Rinku and I didn’t see you at dinner.” He replied to her, “Well, I was tied up with things today, making me late to join you for dinner. Must’ve been another meeting or something. I’m sorry to have you worried.”  “That’s alright. I’m just glad nothing bad happened.” Zelda said to him. “Of course not. There’s nothing to worry about, really.” 

 “Good.” Zelda smiled as she got into the bed. Ganondorf got undressed to only his pants and got right beside her. She cuddled onto him as they embraced each other. He then put his hand on her belly to fell their unborn child. Zelda moans to his touch as the baby kicked about. Ganondorf kissed her forehead, “Good night, you two.” 

“Good night, my love.” With that, they fell asleep the rest of the night.

[goodnightkisseu]

Yoon Jisung - Roses (Valentine’s Series 9/11)

Genre: Fluff, maybe overly fluffy for this one >///<

Series: [ Jihoon ] [ Daehwi ] [ Guanlin ] [ Minhyun ] [ Woojin ] [ Jinyoung ] [Sungwoon ] [ Jaehwan ] [ Jisung ] [ Seongwoo ] [ Daniel ]

Note: I’m almost done with the Valentine’s Series! We’re getting so very close! Only Ong’s and Daniel’s left! I’m hoping to get Ong’s up this weekend and Daniel’s done by the end of next week. Anyway, this ended up extremely sweet... maybe a little too sweet, but it’s Jisung, so it’s okay, right? Also there’s a cameo by barista!Jinyoung in this, for like a second, lol. Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoys this one! Please look forward to future scenarios/fics as well ^^

- goodnightkisseu’s admin <3

Today was definitely not your best day at work. You were completely distracted, your mind wandering from the notes that you were supposed to type up and send out to the entire team. You couldn’t help it though. This was the fifth day that he was going to be out of town and you couldn’t help but feel a bit…empty. The two of you didn’t have to be attached at the hip, but you were hoping that he’d at least be home for Valentine’s Day. Sure, it was a silly little holiday, but hearing everyone else talk about their plans for the night, the thought of Jisung being gone tonight was starting to weigh on you.

The two of you were newlyweds, married for a little over a year now. You had reached a point in your lives where your careers had become stable and getting married felt like the right thing. Not only that, but immediately after you got married, Jisung even received a promotion. This was great because it meant that the two of you could finally start saving for a home and your futures in general. Honestly everything just seemed to be looking up, it really was. The thing was, with his promotion came new responsibilities, and they often required him to go to other satellite offices to help get them set up, or to show them how to run the new equipment. The two of you had done a good job of making it work though. Usually you’d talk every night, but today… it just felt lonelier…

At least it felt that way… until about eleven o’ clock that morning when a delivery boy showed up in front of your desk and asked if you were ‘the love of Jisung’s life?’ You gave the poor boy the most confused look, but answered yes to his question. He handed over a single rose and a note before excusing himself.

‘To my lovely wife, to the love of my life. I’m sorry that I can’t be there with you on Valentine’s Day, but I do hope that this little gift will show you my sincerity. I promise to get you something far nicer when I get back. For now though, a rose to remind you how much I love you on a day where I can’t be there. I can’t wait to see you~ – Jisung’

The note was simple, and the gift was simple, but it still had a way of making you smile. Jisung had always been extremely thoughtful and this only further showed that side of him. You had thought that this gesture was a one-time thing, just a way for him to let you know how he felt… but that wasn’t the case at all. It happened again at lunch. Your team headed to one of your usual restaurants, and as soon as you were seated, the familiar waitress walked up to you and asked if you were, ‘the love of Jisung’s life?’ Perplexed again, you answered yes, and with a light giggle she handed over a rose and a note, much to the teasing of your coworkers.

‘Do you remember this restaurant? It was the place where we first met! Back then, you were out with your coworkers to celebrate the completion of your first project. You all decided that it would be good to go someplace close, so you came here. Little did you know that Daniel and I would be at the same place.

Daniel had just gotten his heart broken again by a girl at his university. I was there to comfort him, keep an eye on him, and make sure that he got home after drinking so much. But somehow, after coming back from the bathroom, he landed himself at your table, completely missing ours by about three tables. By the time that I realized that he hadn’t come back to our table and ran over to retrieve him, he was already in the middle of telling you and your coworkers the exact same story he had told me. Unsurprisingly, all of the women at the table were head over heels for him, telling him that it was okay, and that the girl had been in the wrong.

And that was when I saw you. You were sitting next to him, comforting him as well, but with a completely different look in your eyes. Your eyes were full of genuine concern for Daniel and his wellbeing. When I finally got the courage to speak up, you looked up at me with those beautiful eyes and asked if Daniel was my friend. I told you he was and apologized profusely that he had intruded on your dinner, but all you did was continue to smile, asking if I would like to join you, since it seemed like Daniel wasn’t going anywhere. And that was the moment my heart skipped a beat. That was the moment I knew I liked you… before I even really knew you…’

It happened again when you went on your late afternoon office coffee run at the small café that was just down the street from where you worked. The barista, Jinyoung, greeted you like he usually did, with that smile that caused his eyes to disappear. After your usual greetings and small talk were done and he started to work on the order, he asked you, ‘if you were the love of Jisung’s life?’ He knew full well that you were, but it seemed like they were asked to ask that each time.

‘This café, we visit it a lot, don’t we? When we were dating, it was a nice location because it was between our work places, and we could plan to meet at any time, choosing hours where we could vent about our coworkers without getting caught. Now we visit it every single morning, getting our usual. I then walk you to work before I had back towards my own office.

This was also the café where we made up after that huge fight we had.

I know that there were times when I didn’t understand you well. I always blamed the stress at work, but I knew that was just an excuse, one that you were tired of hearing. We had arguments in the past, but this fight was by far our biggest. I know I was insensitive, and it led us to not speaking for a whole week. We met here again to figure out where our relationship was going… if it should keep going. There was one thing I knew coming here though… and that was that I couldn’t let you go. Our time apart made me realize how much I love you, how much I needed you in my life. I told you that if you would give me another chance, that I promised to do better, that I would make an effort to get to know you better.

I could see it in your eyes that you were hesitant, but you still gave me a chance. You also promised to be more open as well, and I think our relationship really took a turn after that fight. I think we really became comfortable with each other after that… and I’ve cherished all the time we spent together, good or bad. There’s nothing I regret about it.’

At this point you were for sure that Jisung had planned all of this, just for you. He was leaving notes at places that were part of your past and it was obvious that he had gotten everyone to help him out. So after your coffee run, you were half expecting another errand from someone. But there was nothing. You were a bit perplexed, but you also knew deep down, that you couldn’t have been wrong. You knew Jisung too well. He had definitely planned all of this.

Still, with no other strange occurrences and the love that he had already shown you, you were able to power through your work day, in far higher spirits than when you got in that morning. As you were about to leave that night, Minki, one of your closest friends and coworkers, stopped by your desk.

“What’s up, Minki?” you asked.

“I mean, I’m sure that you’re pretty tired of hearing it by now, but, would you happen to be ‘the love of Jisung’s life?’” he asked, watching as your eyes widened. He chuckled, before revealing the rose and note that he held in his hand, gingerly giving them to you.

“He got you in on this too?”

“Of course he did. You know how hard it is to say ‘no’ to Jisung,” he replied, before telling you to have a good night and leaving you with a note that read…

‘I’ve sent you out to a lot of places today, so you must be so tired. I’m sorry about that, but I really wanted to show you how much you I care about you and cherish you, so please hang in there for just a little longer.

I wanted Mink to give you this card because he was the one that convinced you to give me a chance in the first place. At our wedding, he told me that you were hesitant at first because you had never felt this way about someone that you had just met. I’m glad he managed to convince you though. I was able to meet the love of my life because of him and I’ll always be grateful for that.

There’s one more place I want you to go. Could you please head to the park we went to on our first date? You know why that place is so special~’

The notes that Jisung had been sending you all day had you smiling like you were a high schooler again, but something struck you in that moment. That park… did he want you to go there because of the fountain. That fountain... Before you could fully process your thoughts your body seemed to move on its own accord as you pulled on your jacket and locked your computer, grabbing your bag before running out the door…

========

As soon as you arrived at the park, you made your way towards the fountain, as you assumed that was where Jisung wanted you to go. The park was rather full at this hour, particularly near the fountain, as couples walked around arm in arm, enjoying the nice displays that had been put up in celebration of Valentine’s Day. You kept yourself alert for the possibly that your husband might be here. On the way over, his cryptic message had led you to think that maybe, just maybe, he wanted you to come here because it really was a special place for the two of you, and that he might actually make an appearance. But there was no sign of him. You really thought he was going to be here. After all, this was where –

“Excuse me, would you happen to be the love of Jisung’s life?” a low voice asked you, the sudden question quickly spinning you around to see who the individual was. There stood Hyunbin, one of Jisung’s coworkers with a rose and note in hand, beaming at you as he handed them over. You thanked him and as he was leaving, he told you that Jisung really prepared hard for this, and that he hoped that you were enjoying it all.

Wait… Hyunbin… wasn’t he also part of the team that usually travelled with Jisung? Before you could even ask him, he was already turning to leave so you quickly thanked him and said your goodbyes before turning your attention to the note in hand.

‘I’m so glad that you made it to the fountain! I knew I wouldn’t have to tell you to come here directly. Do you remember when we first came here, after our first date? We had just spent the entire day walking around the zoo (I still remember you making fun of my penguin walk, hmph) and going from food stall to food stall, so we decided to take a small break. What neither of us was expected was for someone’s dog to get loose and for it to come running right at me, and knocking us both into the fountain. But all you did was laugh, making a joke about how you were glad that the fountain was shallow.

When I proposed to you, I also did it at this fountain, and it wasn’t just because our first date ended here. I did it because, the moment I saw you smiling and not making a fuss on that day, I knew that you were someone special. I know that you were someone that I wanted to spend my life with… and I’m so glad that I get to do that, each and every day. If you come home right now, there is a special gift waiting for you! ❤’

As you read over his last line again, it finally registered to you, and your body had never moved so fast before. You were out of the park in a matter of minutes, getting a taxi and giving the drive the address to your apartment. You had never felt the need to get somewhere this urgently in your life. But if Jisung’s words meant what you were sure they meant, then…

Your heart was racing and luckily for you, the ride wasn’t a long one. The taxi came to a stop in front of your building and you thanked him, paid him, along with giving him a generous tip, before you came rushing out of the taxi and into the building. You were at the elevator in a matter of seconds and the wait had never been so excruciating before. It was going to be worth it though. After all, if you took the alternative of the stairs… those eight flights would have just knocked the wind out of you.

When the elevator finally arrived, you got in, and were completely in luck when it didn’t stop on any of the floors on the way up. As soon as the doors opened on your floor, you were out of there, having to apologize to the couple that you almost ran into on your way out.

Your hands fiddled with your keys as you tried to open your apartment door, your excitement getting the better of you, so the process took a little longer. When the door did open though, you came running right into your husband, who had been waiting at the door for you with a bouquet of flowers. He lightly placed them down on the nearby table as he felt your arms wrapping tightly around him and he did the same, holding you firmly against him, his arms around your lower back.

“I thought you would still be out of town tonight,” you murmured softly, your face still buried in Jisung’s chest as he held you, a chuckle resonating through his body.

“That was the original plan, but we managed to finish early. After all, I wasn’t going to leave you alone on Valentine’s Day,” he told you gently, his thumb lightly stroking your lower back as he placed a tender kiss on the top of your head.

“Then why didn’t you tell me you were going to be back?” You looked up at him now, your arms still securely around him, afraid that he’d disappear if you let go.

Another chuckle left his lips. “I wanted to surprise you, silly. I spent most of the night and the early hours of this morning putting all of this together,” he explained. “I know that you probably think it’s extremely cheesy, even I do, but I wanted to show you how much I love you. I wanted you to know how happy I am to have you in my life. It’s not too much, is it?” he asked, getting rather nervous that he might have gone overboard with his displays of affection.

You quickly shook your head. “No, it’s just perfect, Jisung,” you told him, leaning up to give him a kiss that he eagerly reciprocated. It was so good to have him here…

[imjustthemechanic]

The French Mistake

Part 1/? - A Visitor Part 2/? - The Kulturhistorisk Museum Heist Part 3/? - Cutscene Part 4/? - The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 5/? - Breathless Part 6/? - Escape at Last Part 7/? - Fox in Socks Part 8/? - Things Go Wrong Part 9/? - Downey and Out Part 10/? - Road Trip Part 11/? - Temptation Part 12/? - An Awful Reunion Part 13/? - Unreality Intrudes Part 14/? - A Call for Help Part 15/? - Loki’s Guests Part 16/? - Stan Lee Cameo Part 17/? - Reassessment Part 18/? - Midnight Invasion Part 19/? - Elevator Fight Part 20/? - Courage Part 21/? - Unwelcome Back Part 22/? - Darkest Hour Part 23/? - They Are Here Part 24/? - The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Part 25/? - Word of God Part 26/? - Avengers Assembled Part 27/? - The Houston Underground Part 28/? - Houston has a Problem Part 29/? - Onward and Upward Part 30/? - The Chi’Tauri Queen Part 31/? - Through the Wormhole Part 32/? - Prisoners Part 33/? - Arm’s Length Part 34/? - A Moment’s Respite Part 35/? - Ravagers to the Rescue Part 36/? - What Happened to Hiddleston Part 37/? - Haven Part 38/? - Steve Has a Terrible Idea Part 39/? - Can’t Be Choosers Part 40/? - Stan Lee Cameo Redux Part 41/? - Shipjacking Part 42/? - The Gauntlet Thrown Part 43/? - The Queen’s Chamber Part 44/? - The Guardians Part 45/? - The Nest Part 46/? - Heroes Part 47/? - Homeward Bound Part 48/? - Loose Ends

Just a few things to tie up - like Johansson’s marriage, how they’re getting back, and what will happen to the tesseract.

A moment later Musa was called away again by a group of astrophysicists, who were hoping she could tell them about her home system.  Steve wasn’t alone for long, though – the next person to approach him was Natasha.  She was now dressed in a pair of jeggings and a shirt with a cartoon bone on it and the words I Found This Humerus.  Next to her was Scarlett Johansson, wearing a blouse and skirt.  Both had washed up and combed their hair, and they looked nearly identical, but Steve immediately recognized which was which.  The two walked differently, Johansson gliding along like a glamour goddess, while Natasha moved with a determined stride that spelled trouble for anybody in her way.

“How’d your checkup go?” Nat asked.

“Nothing but bruises,” Steve assured her.  “If I cracked any bones it was so minor they’ve already knit.”  The bruises would be gone by this time tomorrow.

She smiled.  “Good to be back?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.  “And possibly just a little more appreciative of how tough I am.”

“Oh, really?”  Nat smirked.  “Does that mean you’re going to start using a parachute?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Nat laughed.  “I’m going to Malibu with Scarlett,” she said.  “We need to patch things up with her husband and daughter, and it’ll be easier to explain if I’m with her.”

That felt like something that had happened weeks ago, and Steve had almost forgotten about it.  Now he groaned.  It was true, they should do something about that, but whatever it was they ended up doing would be very, very unpleasant.  “Do you want me to come with you?” he asked, praying that the answer would be no.

“Probably not a good idea,” said Johansson.  “Romain’s had a bug up his ass about Chris for a while now, and I don’t think he’d want to see your face.”

Steve tried not to show how relieved he was.  “Got it,” he said.  “Text when you arrive, okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” said Nat.  “Wouldn’t want you to worry about me.”  She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek goodbye.

Once she was gone, Steve worried he’d be alone again – but it was only a minute or so after Natasha left when Evans came up to him.  He had a few bandages and stitches, but he, too, had washed and shaved and changed his clothes.  With no beard, wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt which, thanks to somebody’s sense of humour, had the image of the shield on the front, he looked so much like Steve as Captain America that it was downright eerie.  He came and stood awkwardly facing Steve, hands in his pockets, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out how to word it.

“How are you doing?” Steve asked, deciding to take pity and give him an opening.

“Okay,” Evans replied carefully.  “That was a hell of a thing but I… I’ll get over it.”

Steve had heard that phrase before, from people who would very definitely not get over it.  Far too often, he’d been the one speaking it, himself.  “You sure?”

“Yeah,” said Evans.  He sat down on the bench next to Steve.  “My parents are coming to pick me up.  I told them guys, I’m thirty-five, I can buy my own plane ticket, but Mom wouldn’t hear about it.  She actually said, I won’t hear about it, like little old ladies do in cartoons.”  He chuckled.

Steve smiled back.  He was glad he hadn’t called Evans’ parents when he’d been tempted to, but lord, he missed having that kind of loving, unconditional support.   It would have been wonderful to steal just a drop of it, even knowing it was not rightfully his.  Loki really had meant what he’d said – this world was full of everything Steve had ever wanted.  It was just that to get it, Steve would have had to compromise everything he’d ever wanted to be.

“Sorry for freezing up when Musa grabbed me,” Chris added.  “I, um… I have some… I’m good with a script, but actually talking to real people is hard for me sometimes.  I almost turned down playing the role – playing you, I mean.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to be…”

“To be that kind of movie star,” Steve finished for him.  “Bob told me.”

“Yeah.”  Chris nodded.

“What changed your mind?” asked Steve.  Bob had offered an explanation, but he wanted to hear it from Chris Evans himself.

“Well… Captain America,” said Chris, with a shrug and a cockeyed smile.  “You’re everybody’s hero.  You’re… you’re everything I was raised to believe in.  It sounds corny, but all that freedom, equality, and justice stuff, you embody that and you make it look cool. When I post about politics on my twitter I get comments from people who say things like here we see Chris Evans actually being Steve Rogers and it always makes me smile.  I’m proud to stand for that, even if the fame part is kind of terrifying.”

“The fame part is terrifying,” Steve agreed.  “At least you got warned about it.  When I volunteered for the project nobody told me I was going to be a celebrity. Then they dragged me off on that tour with the chorus girls and the posters…” he shook his head.  “And I end up standing there…”

“Wondering how the hell this happened,” Chris grinned. “That’s what I figured you were thinking.  Reading the lines off the back of the shield was my favourite joke in the movie. Anyway.”  He sat up a little straighter.  “My point, which I’m getting to in a roundabout kind of way, is that it’s an honour to meet you in person, even if this is really, really weird.” He held out a hand.

“Thanks,” said Steve, giving him the handshake.  He had to agree – it was weird, but he also felt a sense of kinship with this man. Not just because of what they’d just been through together, but because he realized that Chris Evans must have spent more time thinking about Steve, and trying to understand him, than anybody else he’d ever met.  Which left one rather important question.  “Bob told me about something you said in an interview…” he began.

“Oh, no,” groaned Chris.  “This is about the teams thing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Steve said.

Chris spread his hands.  “Well, for one thing, I never thought I’d be having this conversation.  I thought it was all hypothetical.  And I was talking about our world, if there were superheroes here. Our world isn’t run by people who thought nuking New York or approving Project Insight was a good idea.  I mean, sometimes they’re not much better, but they’re not that bad.  I just feel like real superheroes would have to accept limitations and be responsible when they hurt people.  Even if it wasn’t on purpose.”

Steve thought about the pirates… they weren’t nice people, but nor had they asked to get into a fight with the Chi’Tauri.  He wondered how many had died, and supposed he would never know.

“Well, thanks for not getting me killed this week,” Steve said.  “I’m a rotten actor.”

“Same,” Chris agreed.  “I’m the opposite – a good actor, a rotten hero.  Better for you to live your life and me mine, even if yours does sound way cooler.”

Now there was a thought… would Chris Evans find the details of Steve Rogers’ life as tempting as Steve had found his?  He decided not to ask, partly because that would involve admitting how tempted he’d been to call Evans’ parents, but mostly because the whole subject was better left alone.

NASA offered them all dinner in the Space Center cafeteria, which was fortunately not one of the buildings that would have to be torn down from the damage.  Natasha and Scarlett had already gone to Malibu, and Scarlett had texted Chris Evans to let him know they would be staying overnight. Hemsworth also turned down the meal. He hugged everybody, and then left to catch a flight back to his home in Australia.  Most of the other actors who’d come in for the charade were already gone, but Hayley Atwell hung around, as did Bob Downey.  At dinner they all sat together and listened to Hayley tell stories about the props – and people – she’d accidentally broken while filming the Agent Carter TV series.

“I need to watch some of that before I go,” said Steve.  He would probably regret it… but he would regret it more if he didn’t.

“I’ll get you some DVDs,” Hayley promised.  “In fact, take them back with you and show them to Sharon.  I can get confirmation from Emily if you like, but for my own part I’m sure she would want to see them.”

Steve could bet she would.  “That would be great.”

“That gives me an idea…” Bob began, but before he could explain what it was, the conversation was interrupted as Thor and Steve moved aside to make room for Donny Glover and Kevin Farinas, who had come to join them.  Kevin was proudly holding a tablet and a stack of binders, which she dropped on the table in front of her.

“Good news!” she declared.

“Good news?  For us?” asked Steve.

“Careful there,” said Bob.  “He’s an old man.  Too much excitement might give him a heart attack.”  He winked at Steve, looking uncannily like Stark in that moment.

Kevin opened the top binder in the stack and passed around some photographs.  “I’ve been looking at the insides of your spaceship,” she said, “and it looks like their actual device for directing a wormhole runs on very similar principles to my hypothetical one.  Here’s the switches.”  She reached across the table to indicate a particular picture, which Hayley happened to be holding at the moment.  “They’re hidden under the console, probably so the people on board couldn’t mess with them.”

Hayley passed the picture to Steve, and he saw two rows of twelve symbols, one in pink and one in blue.  The symbols themselves were indecipherable to Steve, just messes of intersecting lines.  “What do these mean?” he asked.

“No idea,” said Kevin.  “They’ve called in some cryptography people, but figuring out will probably take longer than it would take to build a new one.”

“How is that good news?” asked Bob.

“I’m getting there,” Kevin informed him.  “Now, as you can see, there are two lines – two ends to the wormhole.  The pink one tells you where you’re starting from, the blue one tells you where you’re going.  If I understand this properly, the ones on the right refer to the specific destination universe, and the ones on the left are your exit point within that universe.  I have no idea how to program it.  The left ones must be a space-time coordinate system of some sort, but I don’t know what their reference point is, while the ones on the right must refer to properties of the target universe, whatever those are.”

“I’m still not seeing the good news,” said Steve.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” asked Kevin.  “Look, they’ve got this thing set up to take them between a chosen point in this universe and their home port in yours.  But if you can change the spatial destination coordinates for your universe to match the ones you leave from in ours, then when you activate it you’ll transfer to the other universe exactly where you left from ours with no programming or linguistic knowledge required!”

That did make sense.  “So we appear over Houston in our universe… and we can fly right out over the Atlantic back to Wakanda,” said Steve.  That would have the bonus that the Leviathan would end up in hands Steve trusted.  He wouldn’t have wanted any other country on Earth trying to reverse-engineer any more Chi’Tauri technology, even the United States.  Wakanda, however, would either destroy it or do good with it, whichever T’Challa decided was best.  “Perfect. Can you have it ready by the time Natasha gets back?”

“Definitely,” said Kevin.  “It seems to remember where it left from, too, so if it doesn’t work the way I think, you can just come back here and we’ll give it some more study.” She picked up her binders again, beaming.  “You know, it sucks that we can’t keep that tesseract things.  With that kind of energy we could explore the whole solar system and then head for Alpha Centauri.”

Steve blinked.

“Yeah, sucks,” Donny agreed cheerfully.  “I’d ask to go with you guys, but my alternate in the Marvel Universe is a guy who finds Spider-Man hanging out in dumpsters, so nah.  But!” he held up a finger.  “Kevin, can you get me into the Star Wars universe?”

They were joking around, so Steve made himself smile as if he were enjoying the conversation. But he couldn’t stop thinking about what Kevin had just said.

[doof-doofblog]

“CALLU-U-U-MMM!”

Friday 21st February 2020

Happy Friday everyone! So we're back with the final episode of what has been, in my opinion, the most epic week of EastEnders history! The 35th Anniversary comes to a close/climax tonight! But first, we have some Breaking News for you, I'm the majority of you have heard already but in case for those of you who miss out on seeing the news, it's been announced today that the legend that is June Brown, will not be returning to her role as Dot Cotton.

This news has come to light seeing as Dot has not been seen for since January! We last saw lovely June leave Walford to spend time with her grandson, Charlie, in Ireland. I, for one, am quite sad to hear we wont be seeing Dot again, but then again, I can understand why. Dear June has been involved in the soap for 30 fantastic years! At the age of 93, she still kept going strong to play the role of the beloved Dorothy Cotton/Branning ... If that was the last time we were to see Dot, then I hope June Brown has an amazing retirement, she well and truly deserves it! It's lovely to know that the door has been left open for her, if she'd ever decide to come back for even just a small cameo. --- Anyway, back to tonight's episode! We know it's the big one, we know someone is going to die, but who?! This is where everything comes full circle! So I think there are a few names we can mention who we are potentially going to lose tonight, the characters who seem to be at risk most are ... Linda, Mick, Ian, Dennis, Callum, Phil, Keanu and Ben ... I'm going to add Bex to that list, only because it's been revealed that Jasmine Armfield is leaving. I'm sure everyone has their favourites, i'm not going to mention mine just yet, you'll shall see who my favourite is out of those characters are in just a moment. 

However, shall we focus on tonight ... So no, 7 hours later, it carries on right from where last night ended. Oh crap, so those figures we saw in the water ... Ben and Keanu!!! To be honest, I was convinced one of them was going to be Phil! Oh god it's focusing on everyone!!!!!! Mick, Linda and Dennis are still trapped! The water is getting higher and higher so quickly! I'm amazed how much the water has risen so quickly! I was worried as the water was going past Linda's mouth, how is she going to take another breath? Mick was never going to leave his wife, when he pulled her foot free and he said "This is going to hurt baby!" he was certain we was NOT going to leave his wife there to die! When he was dragging her body in the water, for a moment I was convinced it was her lifeless body! So so happy they both got to safety! For a popular couple that Mick and Linda have become, EastEnders would've made a huge mistake killing either of them off, and then when they were back on the square, Linda finally admitted she was an alcoholic! "I choose our marriage, I choose you!" I hope she will now get all the help she needs. 

What's going to happen with Leo lying on Sonia's kitchen floor, now Whitney has handed herself in. But also, where the heck has Whitney been? Jack had been calling for her and looking for her for ages and we didn't see where the heck she was, only at the end when everyone was being brought to safety, she was just there? I would like to have known where she got to! For a moment I was so sure we were going to lose Bex, however it would be interesting for her to get killed off not just for being in the boat crash but for actually taking something she shouldn't have done! I'm happy to see we have Bex for just a little bit longer. Although, did you see the look Kat gave to Dotty?! Ooooo she was not happy! Oh gosh, Ben still has no idea where Callum is! Fighting Keanu and falling into the water, for a moment I hoped he would've swam somewhere near Callum, as Callum could hear the knocks of the boat. He's just lying there helpless, aching for his boyfriend to come and find him! I'm happy to see Phil get to safety, I'll admit now that Phil is and always has been my favourite, EastEnders would not be the same without him! Phil has come leaps and bounds and every tragedy that gets thrown at him, he survives! I know Steve McFadden can't play Phil Mitchell forever but I hope we have a good few years of Phil left! 

Now Ian, although he hated the little lads guts, he was determined to get Dennis out of there! When he was bashing the door through, I thought Dennis was going to steak himself by the door-frame and maybe get stabbed by a piece of wood, which would then make it 10 times harder for him to get free. Needless to say, I was very shocked that it was young Dennis they had killed off, but one of my predictions were right ... awful to say it, but how awful is it that when Sharon brings one child into the world, her other child is dreadfully taken away from her in tragic circumstances?! 

I think it's a sad ending for the main characters, Sharon, Phil, Keanu and Ben. Phil never got his revenge on Keanu, he got to confront him, but knowing how much he cared for Keanu as a son. He couldn't go through with it and let him free. (Plus also, Ben had a gun to his head!) It was heartbreaking to see Phil watching from the boat as the paramedics tried to resuscitate Dennis, the look of devastation in his face when he knew the poor boy was dead was heartbreaking. He loved Dennis as a son too, but also he must feel a sense of sadness and maybe guilt for Sharon, as both her husband and son (of the same name) both died in tragically. 

Keanu initially came back for Sharon, he knew he had to bring her the awful news. He also came to see his child, but to be then told to leave and never be part of that child's life either. Keanu has also lost out here, a father to two children and is now unable to see either of them! Sharon will of course blame him for Dennis' death. "If you hadn't come into my life, none of this would've happened!" ... Of course Ben is still looking for Callum, he has no idea where he is. Being completely out of it while being rescued to then being back on the square and realising Callum is still missing! 

Will Callum eventually be found alive? Will Linda seek help for alcoholism? How will Sharon cope after losing Dennis? How is Whitney going to cope in prison? Will Bex and Ian be okay? Will Ian and Max find out Peter is back? Wow! What a devastating ending to all involved, but again, left on so many cliffhangers! A fantastic week, I'm sure you'll all agree, to celebrate the soaps 35th Anniversary! Roll on Monday's episode to see the aftermath of Dennis' death and the events which happened on the boat! Have a brilliant weekend everyone! xXx