#blame Raul

[leeleebear]

My sona y @patinhascinderelo y @cristorey100 sonas!

[professorwerewolfmcwerewolf]

I haven't even watched Hannibal yet ...nor have I actually watched any regular L&O... but I'd be rabid if these two shared an episode. Especially if Barba were to defend someone Price was prosecuting.

[battlevann]

Working on full refs for the three main players for @sexrobotsthateatpeople and examples of the different generations of pleasure bots lolsies

also I'd like to mention that only an extremely small (but quickly growing) portion of bots do actually eat or kill "clients", a lot of the sentient ones are working under BAPHOMET to free others of their programming and hopefully either kill Raul Morin themselves or collaborate with The Prototype (still unnamed atm) and get it to do it.

Raul "dies" at the hands of the prototype but not in any ideal way. Ex pleasure bots now have to deal with a deranged freak trying to kill his way up to BAPHOMET and eliminate her as well.

[falloutnewnobody]

what kind of drunk i think each of the fnv companions/honorary companions get

Boone: sad drunk. he drinks like once a year and when he does he has one beer and starts feeling like a mitski song. he always leaves the function/bar/club/etc to go stand in the yard and stare pensively up into the night sky.

arcade: horny drunk. mr "overt flirtation will get you anywhere," actually drinks fairly frequently but only really gets drunk once every few months. absolutely the worlds worst flirt and he knows it, his strategy is just to tousle his hair a little, lounge on surfaces in a slutty white button up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and wait for someone to come make out with him. it always works.

benny: also horny drunk, but in an obnoxious, over the top way. terrible flirt but earnestly tries his best. lives for drunk cigs and is usually the guy to go over and make out with arcade.

Cass: we already see this is game but crabby drunk who just kinda wants to sit alone in a silent room with her whiskey like an alcoholic white dad in his office on a weeknight.

Lily: sleepy drunk but she doesnt drink around the grandkids, she thinks it'll be a bad influence on them

Raul: chill drunk. he's pretty much the same but more tired and more jokey

Vulpes: "im not drunk," drunk. thinks he has the alcohol tolerance of a bull but actually has the tolerance of a waifish goat. spends the entire night confidently slurring out the phrase "i'm not even that drunk,", shit talking every single person at the function (to their face and behind their back), starting petty drama, and listening in on other people's conversations. All star flip cup champion. always throws up in the yard and finds a way to blame in on "being sickened by the profligate's behavior," rather than alcohol poisonig. thinks that anything he did during a blackout doesnt count because he doesnt remember it, therefore it didn't happen.

Veronica: supportive drunk: Veronica's the girl who sits in the club bathroom and cries with you while you tell her your traumatic backstory. usually the one to talk down boone and make sure Vulpes got home safe.

ulysses: infodump drunk/sad drunk. self explanatory.

rex: no

ede: NO

[everydayyoulovemeless]

fo4 or nv companions + sole/courier faking an orgasm with them?

FNV Companions Reactions to the Courier Faking an Orgasm

➼ Word Count » 0.6k ➼ Warnings » MDNI ➼ Genre » NSFW, Romantic

Boone will notice immediately that you’ve faked it. He won’t say anything but you’ll know something’s wrong by the way he suddenly freezes up. His eyes will hold a hint of worry in them as he gazes at you, silently asking if you’re ok. He feels awful and will slowly get off of you before gently helping you to bed. He doesn't voice his thoughts, but it's obvious that he's not sure what to ask or do in this situation. He'll silently be praying that he didn't cross any boundaries with you. Boone will remain quiet until you decide to speak up and say something, otherwise, you're both just going to be lying next to one another awkwardly.

Arcade looks at you in disbelief. There’s no way you thought that’d work. He can literally see if cum is spraying out your dick or not. Obviously, he’s going to catch you in your bluff. He’ll be more embarrassed than anything. The fact that you felt you needed to fake your orgasm stings him. He knew it’d been a while since he’d last done it with another man, but he didn’t think he was that rusty. It’s definitely gonna leave a dent in his ego. He'll help you get dressed then never speak to you again, not because he's mad at you, but because he's too ashamed to face you himself. If you want to talk to him again, you're going to have to initiate it.

Raul pushes himself off of you immediately and will look down at you in concern. He’ll ask softly if you’re alright, but won’t pry any further than that. You obviously didn’t like it if you had to fake it, and he doesn’t blame you. Not many people like the feeling of a ghoul and that’s perfectly fine with him. He’s just worried that you’ll feel too awkward to be around him any longer and switch him out for another companion. He'll greet you in the morning as he would any other time, hoping to just move past this little blunder in your relationship. He got the message clearly and won't try to prompt anything more from you, too afraid that he'll make you uncomfortable again.

Cass stops what she’s doing and will confront you about it immediately. She’s slept with WAY too many people to be fooled by you pretending to cum and she’s baffled that she somehow couldn’t get you off. You don't have any other choice but to go get a drink with her because she wants to know exactly what it is she needs to work on. She's more offended than anything. This hasn't ever happened to her before and she never in her life thought that it ever would. Just explain it to her quickly and she'll leave you alone.

It takes a minute before Veronica notices, but when she does she’ll begin apologizing profusely. She knows she can get a little excited when it comes to sex, but she never imagined that it might be too much for her partner. She's so scared that she's overwhelmed you and will immediately begin offering to do aftercare for you - whatever you want - because she feels so bad about the entire incident. If you never want to talk to her again, she'd completely understand, but she also wouldn't find it all that awkward if you decided to keep traveling with her. She can fix this, and she will fix it if you'd give her the chance and tell her what it was that went wrong.

[cherubcameron]

Love Espresso

Chapter 5: I Love You So

MASTERLIST

Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Synopsis: after her breakup with Rafe and him kicking her out. Her best friend offers her a new job and a place to stay. But when Rafe comes back from Morocco. He realizes he’d made a grave mistake. Will Sofia go back to him? Or will she decide that her new life means more to her than him?

Sarah tried to suppress her laugh, as Rafe told her what had happened with him and Liliana.

“It’s not funny! She didn’t even tell me where Sofia was!” Rafe said, pacing around the kitchen. Reaching for a glass and bottle of gin.

“That’s getting a little excessive.” Sarah says, but she doesn’t reach to get the bottle out of his hands.

“You sound just like Sofia. She would get mad at me for drinking so much.” Rafe says, his hand trembling.

“Did you try to text her or call?” Sarah asks, trying to sit down comfortably on Rafes couch.

“Oh wow, how didn’t I think of that?” Rafe says sarcastically, his hands are in the air. “Of course I did. I’m blocked on everything.”He was getting agitated by the second.

“You can’t really blame the girl. You broke her best friends heart. I would have done the same if anyone did that to Kie.” Sarah says, her eyes following Rafes form as he paced back and forth. He was mumbling to himself.

“Yeah yeah, I know what I did was… excessive.” Rafe said, “But I was rightfully angry. Imagine thinking someone is trustworthy and then boom. They… they break your trust.”

Sarah is quiet for a minute, he turned noticing the way his sister didn’t look at him.

“Yeah… I get it.” Sarah says quietly, now not looking at Rafe’s general direction. Rafe scratched his head, he squeezed his eyes shut.

“I didn’t mean.. you. I hope you know that. I know I can.. trust you now.” Sarah only nodded.

“Uh, do you want to go grocery shopping with me later?” She asks, trying to change the subject.

Rafe nodded, maybe it’ll help take his mind off of things? Sarah smiles warmly before finally finding a comfortable position on the couch.

“How’s uh- how’s the baby?” Rafe asks. Trying to keep his mind off of Sofia. The thought of her, made his heart ache.

Sarah puts a hand on her belly, she smiles down at her stomach.

“They kick a lot.. I still want to be surprised with their gender. John b hates it, but he respects my decision.”

Rafe nods again.

“You hear that, uncle Rafe wants to know how you are.” Sarah says to her belly. Rafe smiles.

“I hope they don’t come out as fucked up as me. You deserve… you deserve to have a baby who’s nothing like me or dad.” Rafe says, sadly.

“Rafe… the important thing is you’re trying to change. Yeah, your past is… very questionable. But what matters is who you are trying to be now.”

Rafe nods again, tapping his fingers on the island counter.

“You’re going to be a great mom, Sar.”

Sarah brightens at that, “Thanks Rafe.”

They stay in silence before Rafe decides to head to his room. He lets Sarah rest on the couch until they need to go to the supermarket.

Sofia eyed Hector suspiciously. He seemed more jumpy than usual. Like he knew something. Something concerning her.

“Hector? Whats going on?” Sweat was evident on his brow, his eyes stayed on the strawberry cheesecake he was finishing making.

“N-nothing. Nothing is going on. Not to me. Not to you. Or anyone.” He said, too quickly.

“Hector.. don’t lie to me.” Sofia says, now concerned. What was Hector hiding? He usually never acted this way. He was always so laid back and relaxed. Especially when making one of his pastries.

“I- uh.” He finally looked at Sofia. His eyes widen a bit. “If I tell you, you can’t get mad at Liliana.” Now Sofia was definitely listening.

“You know that ex boyfriend of yours. Raul?”

“Rafe.”

“Right, Rafe. He came by.”

Sofia heart nearly lapped. But now she was confused on what Liliana had to do with this. Her eyes scanned the way Hector looked guilty. The way his eyes didn’t really meet hers.

“Well?” Sofia asked, her hands on her hips.

“He was talking to Liliana. He accidentally knocked down the books in her hands. It was awkward, from what she told me. —She shooed him away. Told him to stop bothering you.” Hector said, Sofia stood there; stunned.

“She did what?” Sofia says, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She’d assume Rafe never wanted to speak to her again. Didn’t want anything to do with her. This changed everything for her.

“Please, please do not tell Liliana I told you. If she finds out, she will literally kill me. Chop my body up and turn me into one of her Love espressos.” Sofia eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“I highly doubt she’ll do that… unless that’s her secret ingredient.” Sofia feign shock.

Hector eyes widen and Sofia burst out laughing.

“You’re so easy. But no, I’ll try to not tell her you told me. Things like this always slip. If she finds out, you’re own your own.”

Hector gulped.

“Where is she?” Sofia asked, removing her hand from her hip and crossing her arms.

“Bookshelves..” Hector says hesitantly. Sofia turns on her heels and heads over to the bookshelves.

“Sofia!” Hector whispered yelled. Before hissing, “Sofia!”

She didn’t stop, she needed to know why. Sofia found Liliana, shelving books, the cart behind her. Her eyes glued onto the books she’d yet to see Sofia. Sofia tapped lightly on the shelf.

Liliana shifted her eyes towards Sofia, she raised an eyebrow at her as acknowledgment. “Yeah?”

“You saw Rafe?” Sofia asks, trying to be nonchalant. She flashed an eyebrow.

Liliana blinked at Sofia, her shoulders drooping. “Hector!”

A sudden sound of pots and pans falling towards the ground is heard. Hector let out a screech but not much else is heard from him.

Sofia is still staring at Liliana. “Well?”

“Yes, yes I saw Rafe.” Liliana says, turning back to her books. “He was a piece of shit. I don’t know how you dated that asshole.”

“Did you turn him away?” Sofia asked, trying to keep her annoyance hidden.

“Did you not hear me say, he was being a dick head.” Liliana says, “Don’t be annoyed with me, okay. He came in here like he thought he owned the place. Didn’t even know who I was by the way. Even though we’ve met. Just comes to show you how little he cares about—.”

“Liliana, that wasn’t your place.” Sofia says, her annoyance now turned to anger.

“He did you dirty! ¿Estás enojado conmigo?” Liliana asks. Her eyes surveyings Sofias. (Are you mad at me?)

“Si, soy enojado contigo, que carajo fue eso?” (Yes, I’m mad at you, what the hell was that?)

“Te estaba protegiendo, Sofia! Te trató mal!” Liliana said, her eyes almost pleading with Sofia. (I was protecting you, Sofia! He treated you badly!)

Sofia shook her head, she couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of Liliana’s mouth.

“That was my decision to make! I’m grateful you were trying to protect me. But you need to let me handle my own problems. This was my fault.” Sofia says, poking at her own chest.

“Sofia, please. He hurt you.”

“I hurt him too! I broke his trust! I thought I was never going to hear from him again! Then I come to find out… that you.. were you going to keep this from me?” Sofia asks, her eyes scanning Liliana’s.

Sofia thought she was never going to see or hear from Rafe again. So the fact that he came looking for her. It meant something.

Liliana’s jaw tightened, she held the book in her grasp tightly.

“Were you?” Sofia asks, wanting answers.

“Yes. Yes I was.” Liliana finally utters.

Sofia scoffs, “Why? Why the hell would you do that?”

“You deserve better than someone who would throw you out like that. Sofia, he is a rich white boy. Yes, his family name has been tainted. But that doesn’t mean his pockets aren’t still full. We—.” She points at herself and Sofia. “We had to scrap for every dollar. Our parents immigrated here. Yours from Mexico. Mine from Uruguay. That was a shit thing he did. He could have left you homeless and jobless.”

Sofia face crumbled completely. “Liliana—

“He used his power and his wealth against you, Sof. Don’t think he won’t ever do it again either. He’ll dangle that shit in your face. It’s always been a us against them.” Liliana walked away, heading to the back rooms.

Sofia angrily grabbed one of the limes on the rack. She couldn’t believe Liliana. She understood where her friends heart was. But at the same time, it hadn’t been a decision that Liliana was meant to make. Sofia wasn’t even sure if she did want to see Rafe or not.

She placed the lime in the palm of her hand, making sure when she squeezed it, it felt squishy enough. She then placed it in the plastic bag she’d taken from the bag stand. She’d been so focused on getting the right limes, that she didn’t realize; someone was staring.

“Sofia?” The voice, she could recognize it anywhere. Know it like the back of her hand. The way he gruffly spoke. It was unmistakable who it was. Rafe.

Sofia stared at Sarah and Rafe, Sarah had a small smile on her face. Sofia felt her chest tighten, they were the last people she wanted to see right now. She’d thought she’d cry in the supermarket aisles, she knew no one would be able to see her. She hated that she was wrong.

“Sofia, hi.” Sarah says, Sofia bottom lip tremble.

Sofia didn’t acknowledge Sarah, she’d apologize later. Her eyes were on Rafes. The way his face soften when he saw her. The way he licked his lips nervously. Her heart clenched again but then the anger seeped through.

“Fuck you.” With that, she dropped the bag back on the rack. She’ll come sometime next week. She didn’t want to anywhere near Rafe Cameron or his kook life.

Rafe stared, his heart sinking in his chest. He watched the girl he loved walk away from him angrily. He’d finally had found her. But… not in the way he’d hoped. He didn’t even look to Sarah to see her reaction.

“Shit, I’m sorry Rafe.” Sarah said, but he couldn’t look. He feared he’d burst into tears if he did. He held the apple in his hands. Could feel his nails dig into it, the juices spattering everywhere.

Did he lose his chance… forever?

Song Sofia is listening to on her playlist:

Song Rafe is listening to on his playlist:

Taglist: @percysley

[rahleeyah]

I do think it's interesting that Rafael was patronizing and insulting to Olivia and it wrecked their friendship, while Liv and El's relationship has survived them both being patronizing and insulting to each other ("a history of violence and a dead marriage" or w/e, "I'm the longest relationship you've ever had with a man" like ok!!!) and it's like. What is that? Ok like practically speaking Raul is booked and the last two seasons just haven't made room for him to come back but on a character level is there a reason for that? I don't think we can even just blame it on Olivia having romantic feelings for Elliot; their nastiest fights are in 1.0, where they are both staunchly refusing to see one another as potential romantic partners, and I do think there's a certain. Shade of romance or sexual desire or possessive inclination to the Liv/Barba relationship (though I think he reads more mlm to me and I think their connection is much, much messier than just "we want to fuck" and I also think their relationship would not have survived them fucking but that is an entirely different post) and I do think she loved Barba in a way. And he's right, when she loves people she loves deep - she let Cassidy crash at her place when he was hiding from the cops bc everyone thought he was a murderer and that was WELL after they broke up - she will forgive the people she loves for pretty much anything, but she didn't give ground to him. And it is, I think, bc she'll forgive the ones she loves for hurting her, but she can't forgive them for hurting others. If Rafael had only insulted her that would've been one thing, but he went after Elliot, too, and that was her bridge too far. Olivia and Elliot are so codependent and enmeshed that even when they're fighting with each other (Rafael told Liv to stand up to Elliot, but she already had; she knows their relationship is not great in that moment, my guy!) she will defend him to the death, will fight anyone, even her best friend, to protect Elliot, and when the dust settles she'll remain wary and on her guard.

But then again, maybe it's not all selfless, maybe it just is that an attack on Elliot is also an attack on her, and she will not forget it. And I do think. IDK Rafael has Elliot all wrong (the idea that Elliot is a bully...💡 really did not understand Elliot's character at all) and I think there's a part of Liv that feels like. Every accusation Barba makes about Elliot, he's making it about Liv, too. And she sees that, even if Rafael doesn't. Rafael is talking about her daddy issues like he thinks that's an excuse for her behavior but he doesn't see that if Elliot is a bully, then Liv is one, too. But she sees it. And she knows. If Rafael doesn't like or respect Elliot, then he doesn't like or respect her, either. It's like. Her realizing Rafael doesn't know her at all, and her being defensive bc she knows he won't like the ugly truth of her when he finally sees it.

Anyway. This a sort of contradictory ramble bc I don't actually have one solid answer in mind; as I'm going I feel like there's multiple arguments to be made and I'm interested in digging around in all of them

[serraphinm]

➹Chapter 5 - The War➹

WC: 9k

Warning: Blood, gore, and some NSFW stuff. Proceed with caution.

Taglist: @bready101

A whole moon has passed since Raul declared war... and things weren’t looking good. His armies had moved south towards us at an alarming speed. I also wasn’t well versed in war, and General Roe could only help so much. The Prime Minister decided to help take over some of my work so I could focus on the war efforts, but he wasn’t doing an excellent job. Who could blame him, though? He wasn’t exactly supposed to run the country. 

Ellie had healed a substantial amount and was already walking around helping wherever she could. I insisted she rest, but she would brush me off every time and say, “you should too,” and that until I rest, she won’t either. 

Why’d I have to fall in love with the most stubborn woman I could find?

Alas, I couldn’t get on her case too much since I didn’t have the time. She knew of my disapproval either way and just decided to do her own thing. Which I could respect.

Joel had decided to aid me in the war, which was surprising, but I guess Ellie had something to do with it. Currently, Jackson and Midiri were both at war with the Mortican Empire. Joel declared war two days after Raul did, which shocked even him. 

General Roe is droning on and on about where I should send troops and what strategies I should use, but I can’t help but worry about all the innocent lives that will be lost while I hide in my palace of ice.

“I’m going to the battlefield.” I declare to the whole board meeting. Their heads snap to me in utter shock. 

“-absolutely not!”

“Your Majesty, you can’t-”

“Midiri needs you!” 

Shouts overlap each other, but I’ve heard enough.

“There are many people who can take over for me while I am on the battlefield. I refuse to sit around and let Raul take over my kingdom. I want to fight for my people, so I shall.”  Standing on my declaration, the room erupts in complaints again—in one ear and out the other.

Pushing my chair back as I stand to my full height, the room gets quiet, and I pay attention with bated breath.

“This is not up for discussion.” My cold voice snaps throughout the room. Members of my council flinch as I make my way to the door.

“Your Majesty, please, think this through.” The Prime Minister’s voice reaches my ears.

I hesitate.

“There’s nothing I hate more in this world than having the power to change things and doing nothing about it. “A bit softer this time, “I will not think about it when I have already made my decision.” 

Staring at the door handle, I reach out, take it, walk out of the room, and slam it behind me. 

My little temper tantrum with the council caused an uproar of gossip. According to the nobles, I had become a Mad Queen undeserving of the throne. So, I may have upped their taxes in retaliation. Not my most mature moment, but I needed more money for the war anyway, and all they were doing was buying gems and clothes anyway. Rumors got worse, and I was leaving for the battlefield before I had time to fix them. The past month, Ellie had been teaching me all she had learned from Joel on fighting, so I was a little better. But I still mostly sucked. I was mostly heading to the battlefield to help commanders with troops and help in any way I could.

I was much better at controlling the darkness affinity but had no time to work on the weird exploding one. Using it came easy but controlling it did not. So, for now, darkness was yet again my best friend. Ellie helped me work on my sneaking skills, so now I could make a large area dark and stealth kill a bunch of people all at once. Well, at least that was the hope, as I’d never really tried it before. 

I had yet to tell Ellie about my plans but figured the night before I left would have to be good enough. She didn’t take it well…

“You’re going where?? Without me??” Grabbing my face, she shakes it a little.

“Is that brain of yours working right?” Her voice is concerned, and I can sense she’s hoping I’m joking.

“Ellie.. I’m not joking. You need to stay here.” My voice is barely above a whisper.

“Y/n, you will die out there if you go… tell me this is a joke..”

My eyes don’t reach hers as I stare at her cheek. 

“I can’t just sit back and do nothing… we lose if I stay… but if I try to fight by their side, maybe I can save some of them.” 

“That’s bullshit, and you know it; what makes their life so much more important than yours, huh? And what? You seriously expect me to stay here while you’re out there fighting?? To do the exact thing you don’t want to do??” Her tone is harsh as I finally meet her face.

“I don’t expect you to understand-”

“I do understand! You need to listen to me... Some people are better help sitting at a desk than they are putting their life in danger!” She argues.

“That may be, but I refuse to be the person sitting at a desk! I can fight Ellie!! I’m not some weak, helpless Queen!”

“No one said you were!!” 

“Raul believes that! I would rather die on the battlefield protecting my home than at a desk watching the numbers of my troops dwindle!” 

I watch as her anger subsides a little, understanding creeping in.

“I’m sorry, Ellie… but I refuse to be known as a Queen who watched her people die. I may die on the battlefield, yes… but I will for sure die behind a desk as Raul celebrates his victory.”

Her breaths are uneven, and I watch her contemplate something for a few moments before she says, “Fine.”

I beam a smile up at her. “But, I want to come with... And we go to Jacksons front lines. I’m sure Joel will happily fight alongside us.” She sends me a small smile, and I can’t help but agree to her terms.

“Great.. We leave tomorrow morning.” My voice was quieter now that we were no longer arguing.

“Good.. I’ll uh see you at bedtime then...?” She fiddles with her fingers and looks me up and down, hopefully.

“Yea.. you will…”

Ellie grins.

That went relatively well.

The battlefield was nothing like I was expecting. Most of it was trying to figure out how to give everyone rations and take care of the injured. As of now, there was little fighting. Joel had taken charge of the troops like a pro and was giving out orders. 

Currently, I was spooning some porridge to a wounded knight whose arms had been broken and who needed help eating.

“You’re a saint, miss.” His voice is scratchy as if he were parched, so I reach for the water.

“Thank you.. Just Y/n is fine. Thank you for your service,” I say, helping him drink from the glass.

He finishes drinking and signals with a nod. “That’s real kind of you; your husband is one lucky man.”

“Oh no, I’m not married. My girlfriend and I haven’t been dating long enough for either of us to propose anyway,” I say, my face flushed.

The knight raises a brow. “Well, you two better hurry then, don’t know how much more time you have left to be waiting.”

In a perfect world, his words would never ring so true or hit so close to home.

“Yea.. I know..”

Suddenly, sirens sound, and I stand up quickly. Setting his porridge down next to him, I call over a nurse to finish helping him.

“I must go help the others… but thank you for the lovely conversation.. “

He smiles at me, nods, and bids me farewell before I run out of the tent flaps. Once outside, I search for Joel and Ellie to see what is happening. They stand next to each other, looking over a map of the whole continent. The map is massive, with intricate details and figurines. There’s even a tiny me next to a tiny Joel and Ellie.

A soft drizzle soaks everything, including the map, but no one seems to care.

“This is where they’re coming from,” Joel says gruffly, his voice reaching the ears of all his commanders. 

Approaching the table set up in the middle of the open field we are on, I give the map a once over. Raul seemed to be coming in from the north while spreading his troops to the southern parts of the Mortican Empire. Closer to Midiri. It seemed Raul was attacking both of us at once instead of focusing on one. 

He was an idiot. 

This caused us only two problems: one, it would be harder to spread rations out, and two, it would be more difficult to go offensive. 

Other than that, we were doing well.

“Why don’t we force them to go through the mountains?” I ask, looking the map over once more. If we could hold them back like a wall and force them to take a risk through the mountains, we could gain an advantage. The people and troops of Jackson can maneuver through the mountains just fine, but only ’cause they know what they’re doing.

“If we can push them back enough, they’ll be forced to go through the mountains, giving us an advantage.”

Joel looks down at the map in thought. I can tell he’s thinking about something but is unsure how to execute it. 

“How many men have they sent our way?” Ellie asks one of the scouts we sent out. The scout stands taller at the sudden acknowledgment. 

“Around 2,000 men, Prince Ellie.” His voice is meek.

“Alright, Let’s take our troops up and block them. We’ll use Y/n’s idea and drive them into the mountains,” Joel says, leaning onto the table, his dark, wet hair dripping onto the map.

“I’ll go with them,” I say, gaining their attention.

“Fine, but then so are Dina and Jesse,” He doesn’t fight me.

Ellie speaks next, “If Y/n’s going, then so am I.”

Joel sighs but says, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Yea, yea, you got it, old man.”

I smile at their banter before getting ready to go. Jesse and Dina meet the two of us by the main tent, fully geared up. Opening the green flaps of the tent, Tess comes out in full uniform with an AN-94 strapped to her back. 

“I’m coming with you,” The way she said meant it wasn’t up for discussion. 

“Dina, Jesse, you guys never told me your affinities,” I say with a grin.

Dina grins back before flexing her muscles playfully and saying, “I have a strength affinity while Jesse has a glitter affinity.”

“It’s not a glitter affinity! It’s electricity manipulation!” he argues, crossing his arms. “At least mine does something other than enhance physical abilities.” 

His voice is full of contempt as we all chuckle.

“Alright guys, enough messing around, we gotta get going, “Tess breaks up the conversation, effectively reminding us of the current situation.

“You think the Wolves will be there?” Dina asks as we begin walking to the stables.

“I’m not sure.. They could be heading to Midiri instead..” Ellie says lowly. The Wolves were an elite team of knights Abby was leading. Their members consisted of a few well-known names, including Owen, Mel, Nora, Jordan, Leah, and a few other bastards. None of them were too noteworthy, though, so I wasn’t too worried. 

“I hope they’re with this group... I’d love to wipe their smug faces off with my knife,” Ellie mutters darkly. All of us turned to look at her, and she shrugged nonchalantly. 

“Well, alright then…” Dina says in response to that before grabbing Japan’s reigns. Ellie hops up on Shimmer and makes room for me. I get up on the block and hop on, swinging my leg over.

“Jesse, just ride with Dina,” Tess says impatiently as Jesse begins looking for his horse.

“But-”

“Jesse.” 

Tess was not having it.

Jesse gets on Japan.

We ride north for a few hours before we reach the front lines. People are screaming so loud I wonder how my ears aren’t bleeding. The battlefield sprawled across a commanding expanse of vibrant green, its lush grass covering the valley floor like a rich carpet. Towering hills flanked the field, their slopes punctuated by wildflowers that swayed defiantly in the breeze. Riding straight into battle, Tess starts firing her gun like mad. Knights drop like leaves in the fall. Ellie moves the earth from underneath hundreds of men and slams it back on top of them. Blood gushes from under the rock like a waterfall as I gape in horror. Dina hops off Japan and pulls her sword out of its sheath before running into battle. Jesse takes over Japan with ease and shifts so he’s no longer running into battle. That’s when I hear Ellie start to swear. I hold on tight to her waist and ask, “What is it?”

“The Wolves, they’re here,” Her voice is cold, and she hops off Shimmer.

“Stay here,” She orders. Not in the mood to fight, I decided to be of some use. Hopping off Shimmer and hiding her away, I move into the battle and follow Ellie. Watching her fight is mesmerizing. She knows she could use her affinity, yet she chooses to be brutal. Tossing a rock in someone’s face, she charges at them with her switchblade before hitting them with the machete she got from Joel. I wince and decide to stop watching. Running up behind her, I cast darkness over a small section and used my daggers on a few knights who were getting too close to her. 

“I thought I told you to stay with Shimmer?!” Ellie yells at me through the sounds of screams.

“We both knew I wasn’t going to listen!” I yell back, kicking a knight.

She rolls her eyes as she makes the ground shake and cave underneath a bunch of knights. 

Gunfire sounds, and I look to see Tess shooting men down.

“Does Tess not have an affinity?!” I yell.

“No! She was born a commoner!” Ellie digs the machete into a man’s chest before pulling it out and kicking his dead body to the floor. 

“So she’s just a badass then!?” I ask as a sword grazes my arm. Seething in pain, Ellie glances at me and gets cut on the thigh.

“Yea! Pretty much!!” She says through the pain.

“Focus on your own fight! I’m fine!!” 

I hear Ellie huff, but she thankfully listens.

“Oh yea! Ellie, one last thing!” I yell as I fight off a knight with a hammer.

I meet her eyes as she asks, “Yea!?” 

“If we make it out of this, I wanna marry you!” Dropping that out of nowhere, I stab my dagger into the knight’s temple. His eyes roll back, and he falls to the floor. I bend down and pull the dagger out of his head before flicking some of the blood off it in a downward motion.

Elle just stares at me for a moment before she finishes off the person she’s fighting and walks over to me. I look up at her in confusion before she grins and licks her dry lips.

“Deal… but I get to propose...” She doesn’t yell this time, but I can somehow still hear the nervousness in her voice.

I look behind her and shove her out of the way as a man swings. Rage consumes me, and I let both affinities come forth. I don’t know how it happens, but I snap his neck with a thought as darkness creates a protective dome around Ellie and me. Everything gets quiet, and I step closer to Ellie since I know she can’t see me.

“How did you-”

“I don’t know!!”

“I thought you exploded things?!” She asks with a panicked voice.

“So did I!!” I respond equally as panicked.

She pokes the darkness dome. “What now??” I ask, still letting the energy flow freely.

“Release it, try and use the other affinity again, but try and make someone fly.” She says as if she’s figured it out.

“You think it’s telekinesis?” I ask, letting the darkness return to my body.

The loud environment returns, and I feel slightly overstimulated.

“I guess we’ll find out, babe!” She says, jumping back into action. Taking a deep breath, I let the other affinity reach my fingertips before I use it to lift a knight coming my way. I twist and turn him in all sorts of directions before I send him flying across the battlefield, his screams disappearing along with his body.

“Guess that solves that mystery!!” I yelled to Ellie.

She grins and uses vines to hold the surrounding men down.

“No more messing around, I’ll go after Abby. Think you can handle these guys?” 

“Yea, I got them!” I say before she nods and rushes off to find Abby. With no time to watch after her, I focus on the knights she so kindly left for me and use my darkness to show them mercy. Suffocating them with it, I move on to a different tactic. Covering the entire battlefield in darkness takes me a little while, but I manage it. I grin as I watch my allies pull on their night vision goggles.

Dina turns and sends me a thumbs-up before she starts attacking relentlessly. I wasn’t sure how long I could hold this, but if it gave my allies an advantage, I’d hold it for eternity.

Thankfully, the land is flat and covered in grass as the rain pelts down, which allows me to see everyone in the radius of the darkness. I watch as Ellie begins full-on attacking Abby. However, upon looking at her, I realized Ellie wasn’t wearing the night vision goggles. She’s attempting to fight Abby one-on-one. Swearing, I glance at my surroundings before I spot a sharp rock. Checking back in on them, I notice Abby saying something to Ellie, causing her to get riled up... and sloppy. Abby may not be able to see right now, but neither could Ellie. I needed to act fast before she got hurt. Using all the energy I have left, I lift the sharp rock off the ground and send it flying straight towards Abby.

If I hadn’t been paying attention, it would’ve hit Ellie from how sporadic her fighting is. The rock ebbs itself in Abby’s side. She screams and pulls it out before throwing it on the ground. 

“I thought you said no more messing around?! Put the damn goggles on!!” I scream from across the battlefield. It’s almost as if she hears be because she pulls them down and flicks them on before grinning. Just as she does so, the darkness comes back to me despite my best efforts to keep it up. I had to hold out a little longer, so I closed my eyes and dug up the dregs of energy I had left.

The world is quiet in the darkness. Someone taps my shoulder, and in a panic, I turn around, holding up my hands. Jesse stands there, looking concerned, holding his hands up.

“Woah!! It’s just me!”

I let out a breath and glared at him, “Don’t sneak up on people like that! I could’ve killed you!”

His eyes roll, and I detect some sass in his tone. “Dina has already tried it. Now come on, the Wolves are the only guys left.”

He starts running off towards Abby and Ellie, so I follow. Letting the darkness return to me as I run, I feel some energy come back. Dina and Tess meet up with us, and we head over to Ellie, who is still fighting an injured Abby.

“Just give up, Abby! You can’t win this!” Ellie’s voice is drained, and I can tell she’s reaching her limit.

“Not until that motherfucker dies!!” Abby swings at Ellie, seemingly having lost her weapons.

Ellie dodges and kicks Abby in the stomach. She falls onto her back with a choked noise.

“Raul will kill all you fools- you may have won this battle, but I swear on my father’s life-”

“Can’t really do that now that he’s dead, can you?” Ellie quips.

Abby screams in outrage and tries tackling Ellie, but I hold her in mid-air.

“Sorry Els. Know you wanna fight fair, but I’m afraid I won’t allow her to hurt you.”

Ellie glances at me, gives me an understanding look and smiles. Dina walks over to Abby in mid-air and pokes her.

“So how does this work exactly?” She asks as Abby practically growls at her.

“Put me down!”

“No.. I don’t think so,” I say, moving her to be upright.

“What do we want to do with her?” Jesse asks, walking over to Ellie as well. Tess stands next to me and crosses her arms.

“I think we should kill her.”

All heads turn to Tess without an ounce of shock.

“We could keep her and torture her for information?” I suggest. Heads snap to me, this time covered in confusion.

“I’ll never tell you anything!” Abby says, spitting in my direction. Doing my best not to chuckle, I address her, “It wasn’t a suggestion for you, Anderson, more of an idea.” She gives me a pointed look, and I grin.

“Where are the rest of the Wolves?” Jesse asks, surveying the battlefield. Despite having their leader held up like a pinata, no one had attacked us yet. I supposed that was why.

“They ran into the mountains along with the remaining troops,” Tess informs.

We all look at each other, silently communicating that we should bring Abby to Joel. Nodding to Ellie, she summons vines to contain Abby so I can finally set her down. 

“I’ll bring the horses around,” Jesse says with a sigh before walking off, “Unless someone wants to help me..?” I follow his gaze to see him staring at Dina with puppy dog eyes. Dina rolls her eyes and walks after him. “Watch my ass as I walk away, guys. It's a great view, I promise,” She winks and saunters off with Jesse. Tess rolls her eyes as Ellie and I laugh.

Finally, walking up to Ellie, I match her post-giggle grin. “You ok?” Looking her up and down a few times. Tess walks over and shoves Abby away from the two of us.

“Yes, light, I’m fine; however, you-” She points to a cut on my arm that is bleeding down to my hand, “Are not.”

Currently, there is no pain, so I don’t mind it. “Tis but a scratch, a mere flesh wound, Milady. I swear I am perfectly well.” My tease causes her to roll her eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t fall out.

Grabbing my arm, she pulls me closer, and I hiss in pain.

“Now look who’s the liar,” she says lowly. I watch as she moves the tattered fabric to take a closer look at the cut. “It’s not that bad, Ellie. I wasn’t lying.” 

In my defense, it wasn’t that deep of a gash. Letting go of my arm, she holds her hands out and grows a small thing of Aloe Vera. She grabs one and flicks her switchblade open, slicing it along the side. 

“El, I don’t need-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll use some on myself too..” 

She gives me an expectant look, so I huff and hold the fabric out of the way so she can rub the aloe vera on the gash. It hurts for a moment, and I wrinkle my nose at the feeling before a cooling effect settles in. 

Ellie pulls out a med kit and wraps the gash securely before treating her leg. After helping her out a bit, I do the wrapping part for her.

“Are you ok to walk?” Glancing at the wrapped bandage as blood soaks it a little, I meet her eyes once more. “I was just fighting on it; I’ll be alright.”

“Yea, but that was with adrenaline. You should sit—” I looked around, and there was nowhere for her to sit except on the grass. “Uhhh, on the grass.” It sounded like a question, and I couldn’t tell if it was or who I was asking.

“Never mind, I’ll just carry you. We need to get back to Tess anyway,” I say, bringing her arm over my shoulder. She rolls her eyes with a smile but doesn’t complain. 

Joel didn’t seem surprised at all to know Abby wanted to kill him. In fact, he seemed more surprised by the fact we all made it out of that battle alive. Ellie and I had gotten our injuries healed as soon as we returned to camp. The pain now was non-existent. Joel had determined that- as soon as we could- we’d head back down to Midiri to finish off the rest of Raul’s army. 

Things were looking good as I went to bed in a cot set up next to Ellie’s. The blankets were thin, and I half-debated, joining Ellie in hers. Tossing and turning for a while, I ended up not being able to sleep. My thoughts were so loud—too loud. 

Throwing the blanket over Ellie, I walked out of the tent and went for a little walk. The stars were shining brightly tonight. A fresh breeze guided the scent of wildflowers to my nose, so I inhaled. Everything out here was so much simpler...

Footsteps sound from behind me, and I see Ellie half awake, wrapped in our blankets.

“El- what are you doing out here awake?” I asked, walking over to her. I saw that her eyes were a little darker than usual. 

“Why are you up, hm?” Her voice is groggy and low.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she says, taking a step closer. “That’s all,” I give her a small smile. That one stubborn hair of hers falls into her face, and she blows it out of her eyes.

“Hm.. wanna watch the stars with me instead then?” Her voice is low and soft.

“Sure, but only if you tell me what I’m looking at.”

She grins and lays the blankets down on the grass. “Deal,” she says, seeming excited. I lay down on the blanket, getting comfortable with her next to me. She starts talking about the stars and whether they are part of a constellation. I try to follow where she’s pointing but end up confused every time. 

“- and that is Hydrus..” She points to a random spot in the sky yet again. Scanning my eyes, I try to remember where it is from the books I’ve read in the past, but it’s all lost to me. 

“Got it,” Lie. I have no idea where she’s pointing, but if it makes her smile, then I’d do anything. “You know we’ve been to the moon 12 times?” she asks, looking at me now. Huh... interesting.” It really was. 

“I’m boring you to death, huh?” A chuckle. An inhale. 

“No, and that isn’t a lie. I like listening to you talk,” a glance at her mouth,” a lot..” She smiles before reaching over and messing with my hair.

Laughing, I swat her hand away. “Knock it off, you goof,” I tease. Ellie blushes like mad as I lean in closer. “So about our wedding… I was thinking we should hold it in the Midiri palace gardens…” My voice is softer than the breeze. She looks into my eyes before glancing at my lips and leans closer.

“Thinking about our wedding already light?” She whispers as her nose touches mine. “It’s only fair. I need something to look forward to.” A hum and another glance.” I haven’t even proposed yet.” Her face is red. With a small smile, I turn so my whole body is facing her. “Are you going to? Or will you get too nervous?” My tease affronts her. She glares at me before dragging her thumb across my lips.

“I can be bold when I want..” She whispers before kissing me softly. I kiss back as she wraps a hand around my waist to pull me closer. Leaning to be on top of her, I make a noise as she bites on my lower lip. Her fingers trail up my back before she pulls me wholly on top of her. It’s clumsy and messy, but we don’t stop; instead, her other hand finds its way under my shirt. She almost gets it off before screams reach our ears. We both stop and turn to see a fire spreading through camp. I get off her stand with such speed my mind spins. 

“Ellie?!” 

“Yea, I see it babe! Get behind me!” She yells over the screams. I help her get up before we start looking for our friends and family.

“How did they get past the guards!?” I ask, looking around for any troops. Dead bodies litter the floor, and I get my answer. Ellie says nothing as she leads me through the camp. We reach the central area of the fire when Raul himself comes along with a smug grin. Swearing, Ellie grabs me, and we hide behind a supply crate.

“Find the bitch. I know she’s here somewhere..” His voice is excited, and it sickens me to the core.

‘Yes sirs’ ring out as a response before Ellie makes a run for it. I do a double-take before rushing to follow her.

“I’m guessing I’m the bitch..” I whisper to her. She huffs. “You’re not a bitch so don’t listen to him,” Her voice is dripping with rage. I huff. “I wasn’t going to Moth,” My voice is barely above a whisper. All she says is good before she sneaks into the main tent at camp.

“Keep an eye out for knights; I’m gonna look for Joel,” Ellie walks further into the tent while I guard the door. A few minutes later, she comes back over and shakes her head. We keep moving. The fire continues to spread as screams come from every direction. Ellie grabs my hand and crouches through some tall grass with me in tow.  We manage to hear a short conversation between two knights on Raul’s side.

“They’re still looking for the Queen; I think I saw some group near the north end of the camp, though.”

“Think she’s with them?”

“Don’t know. Just keep looking.”

They both nod and start walking around the area. Glancing at Ellie, I noticed she was gone and sneaked up behind one of them before killing them quietly. I follow her lead, sneaking up behind the other knight and taking him out. We meet back in the middle of the area, and she whispers, “We gotta head north... seems like that’s where the others are.” Her breath tickles my face.

“Alright.. lead on.”

We managed to find the others despite all the chaos. Joel and a bunch of knights had fled towards the north but were sticking around to find me. Raul’s army had attacked with numbers we’d never seen before. Things were not looking good, and we couldn’t even determine how many of his men had been sent to Midiri. Joel had managed to secure a small section of camp. However, Raul’s men were making their way here while we had barely any defense. We all stood around a small table lit by torches at the edge of our secured space.

“How far away are Raul and his troops?” My eyes meet many familiar faces, and each one is more concerned than the last. This was it. Our final stand…

“Twenty minutes out..” Maria says lowly. 20 minutes till we fight to the death.

 Was there seriously nothing we could do?

We debated what to do, like rapid fire, but nothing sticks. Either we all die and lose, or we let Raul take over our homes with the hope he lets us live. Neither option sounded pleasant. Ellie stands closer to me, her face hollow. Looking back to the group, I notice everyone but Joel sporting grim faces. He just seemed mad. Tommy sets his gun on the table, and we all look at him.

“This is bullshit. I say we fight till our last breath,” His voice is strong as if he’s decided that’s how he wants to go. Dina yells out her agreement before Maria follows.

“I’d rather die than submit to that bastard,” Ellie says, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. 

I look at each and every one of them and make my own choice as well. Dying by their side is much more worth it than living a lie. 

“Then let’s take a stand here… as one, regardless of how cheesy that sounds,” My voice is as light as I can make it, and I feel Ellie squeeze my hand.

Tonight, we’d fight to the death.

The battle rages on for hours to the point I can no longer feel my arms. Somehow, we’ve managed to last this long despite the large amount of men attacking. None of them seemed to have affinities, so we were killing them off like flies. I hoped Oren and Nakir were ok. I had left them in charge of Midiri. As I’m fighting, a knight manages to get the upper hand and grabs me by the hair. I scream as he drags me off, but no one else can help me. They’re all fighting their own battles. The knight throws me into a field as I try and wield my affinity. Nothing. I’m weaponless against this bastard, and he knows it. He saunters forward and pulls me up by my hair again.

“Where’s your little affinity?” He gives me a fake pout, “All out of energy?” He slaps me across the face, and I grunt. Tilting my chin up, I smiled at him.

“What are you smiling about bitch? Huh?” He pulls on my hair harder and grins, so I spit in his face. Disgust covers his face, and he wipes it off before rearing back and punching me in the stomach. I cough up a bit of blood, tasting it on my tongue. Swishing the rest of it in my mouth, I spit it out as he lets go of my hair.

“You bitch.. I’m gonna make you regret that..” He grabs a dagger, and just as he goes to stab me, I roll out of the way. The dagger grazes my side, and I scream in pain. My hand flies to the cut, and warm blood seeps onto it. Wincing, I look up to the knight, who is grinning down at me. I wanted to cry. To scream. To do anything. But the pain was blinding, and I was losing blood fast.

“I’ll bring your head to Raul all pretty, don’t you worry,” He spits out as he leans down to me. But before he can make another move, an arrow flies straight into his temple. The knight flops to the side as blood sprays out. I scream and back away from him. Looking around, I spot a woman with blonde hair and a warm smile.

Lady Isabella.

She walks over to me and helps me up.

“I was afraid I hadn’t made it in time. Seems like I barely have,” Her voice is soft as she helps me stand straight... My hand is covering the wound with as much pressure as I can muster. 

“Isabella.. You came!” My hopes lift. She smiles and looks out to the battlefield a little ways away. A massive army begins attacking Raul’s troops along with Midiri’s and Jackson’s. Lady Isabella and I had been exchanging letters ever since we met at my coronation ball. She’s become a wonderful friend of mine.

“It’s actually Queen Isabella now," She says shyly. The ring on her finger is more prominent now, and I smile at her.

“That’s wonderful..but why did you come? You owe me nothing?”

“Because I want peace. Ruling during a war is no fun for me or my people. It affects all of us. And besides… you’re a dear friend.”

My heart warms. I wasn’t the perfect Queen, that’s for sure, but I had made changes that impacted my life. “Thank you, Queen Isabella… now let’s win this thing…” My body is growing weaker, and by the look on Isabella’s face, I’m fading fast. She catches me before I fall to the ground.

“Queen Y/n? Oh my…”

I flutter in and out of consciousness before my lovely darkness overtakes me, and I close my eyes.

My head hurt. A lot. 

I crack my eyes open a bit and feel silk beneath my fingertips. Looking around, I notice I’m back in Midiri palace… and in my room. Taking a deep breath, I hiss in pain from the gash in my side and attempt to sit up. The sun is streaming into the room in a breathtaking manner. My room looks the exact same as I left it. My maids are here right now as well, cleaning away.

“I wonder when Her Majesty will wake up,” Anais says, dusting my desk. I blink. Once. Twice. Assumed they were too busy to notice I was awake.

“Prince Ellie should be coming by soon, right? She always does around this time of day..” Mariah is working in my closet.

A knock at the door has me fighting to pretend I’m still asleep. I clear my throat and say, “Come in!” All four of my maids snap their attention to me with various shouts of surprise. The person outside the door slams it open, and Ellie stands there with a few flowers in hand.

“You’re awake!?” She rushes to my side before setting the flowers down on my nightstand.

All my maids rush over and begin asking me millions of questions. How was I? Did I want water? Pain meds? Food? “How long have I been out?” My voice is groggy, and I stretch a little.

Ellie glances at the maids before saying, in a grim tone, “Four years.” Her voice is so serious that I almost believe it.

“Knock it off Moth. How long, really?” She huffs before pouting, “I thought that was pretty convincing…” I watch as she adjusts to sitting on my bed, her button-down wrinkling under the change, “Don’t worry, just a few days. Doctors said you’ll be fine in a month, so take it easy.

“You weren’t, but nice try. What’s been going on while I was out,” I say, removing the covers and trying to get out of bed. Ellie grips me so harshly that I feel a bruise forming already. She pulls me back down into bed, and my maids chuckle.

“Honestly, miss, give yourself a second,” Ivone scolds. Man, I missed these girls.

“If you think I’m just going to let you walk around while you’re still bleeding, you’re dead wrong light,” Ellie says sternly. I huff and lay back on my pillow, flicking her arm. “Fine, but I still want to know what’s happening..”

I watch her eyes soften. “Alright… but no getting up, or I swear I will carry you back to bed myself.” Her tone is playful, but I know she’s not joking. “Ok, ok, I get it!” Putting my hands up in defense, Ellie finally seems satisfied. 

She takes a deep breath as she begins to recall the events of the past few days. According to her, Queen Isabella and King Alwyn have decided to ally themselves with us. Fortunately for us, they also have a large army due to the funds they get from trading. Our combined forces drove Raul to flee for now. Jackson is safe, and the knights who ran into the mountains have been dealt with as well. All was well—for now, at least.

“Well… I guess it’s a good thing we’re back home. We can do more from here for now since there’s no active fighting.” I still felt the need to be useful despite actively bleeding, but hey, I did that once a month—nothing I couldn’t handle.

“By the way, where’s Jane?” I ask the other maids. She was usually the happiest to see me.

“Jane felt sick this morning, so she opted to stay in and rest,” Ivone’s soothing voice said. 

Which was odd because even when she wasn’t feeling the greatest, Jane would be by my side. I guess she really wasn’t feeling well. “Well, alright then.”

Ellie studies me momentarily, and I shrink a little under her gaze. “When we need things, we use our words, Ellie,” I tease. But her expression doesn’t change. My smile falters. 

“Girls, why don’t you give us a moment?” My eyes don’t leave hers as I dismiss my maids. They curtsy and close the door behind them. 

“Are you ok, El?” I say lowly. She looks away from me, suddenly wiping her eyes. That’s when I realized Ellie was crying. I’d never seen her cry before. She’s always been private about showing people her emotional side. Shifting so I’m in her lap, I wipe her tears and kiss where the streaks remain.

“Oh, Ellie… talk to me.. What’s going on?” My voice is as soothing as I can make it. She meets my eyes, and my heart breaks. Puffy eyes, red nose, and a tear-streaked face.

“I thought… you were going to die..” she whispers before looking back down, “When Queen Isabella brought you back to us in such a condition.. There was so much blood… I just didn’t know if I’d ever see you again and-” Ellie starts to ramble before I can even comfort her,

“-Ellie, you need to breathe-”

“-and for days, I wondered if you would ever wake up-” My lips slam onto hers, and I cup her face. I feel her relax as she wraps an arm around my back, the other running her fingers through my hair. Pushing my tongue into her mouth, I hear her moan lightly. She moves a hand to my chest and the other slowly down my right side when she grazes my cut, and I wince in pain. She pulls away immediately and apologizes profusely. Shutting her up again, I kiss her before moving both hands to her hair and pulling on it gently. She moans. Alright, so Ellie has a hair-pulling kink. Grinning into the kiss, I continue kissing her while gently tugging her hair. I pull back to assess my work to see her breathless and puffy-lipped.

“Better now babe?” I whisper against her lips. She nods and bites her own before pressing her mouth to mine again. Moving me gently with her hands, she lays me on my back, careful not to aggravate my injury. Stupid right side. I moan into her mouth as she cups one of my breasts through my shirt and flicks the nipple. 

“Mmmm, Ellie-” I start but she shushes me. “Not while you’re injured my light..” Her voice is low, and I want to argue, but I know better. Damn, how well has this bitch trained me. “Fine..” I’m breathless and puffy-lipped, too, and can feel my growing arousal. Oh, how she tortures me so..

“Promise I’ll fuck you so well someday..” She whispers against her lips. The sincerity in her voice takes me by surprise, and my legs clamp shut. I wiggle underneath her as she trails her finger along my jaw.

“Kiss me again, Ellie... Kiss me till I can’t breathe...” I beg so quietly that I wonder if she hears. It seems she does as she smashes her lips back to mine. 

We spend the rest of the day in each other’s company.

A few weeks later, I’m doing much better. Ellie finally stopped following me around the palace, so I can actually get some work done. Walking into the Prime Minister’s office, I see he’s at his desk reading over some paperwork. He smiles when he sees me before standing to bow.

“Your Majesty, what a pleasant surprise!” His voice is cheerful and warm. I can’t help but smile. “Give me one moment, Your Majesty. I am just sending off some important information.” He writes a quick letter before walking over to a Peregrine falcon. Gently folding the letter, he hands it to the beautiful bird and opens the window. The Prime minister watches him go before turning to me with a smile.

“What can I help you with today, Your Majesty?” He asks, closing the window and walking over to me. 

“I just came to let you know I can resume my duties now. If you want to have the work sent to my office, I’d be more than happy to take it off your hands,” Truthfully, I didn’t want him doing the work anymore anyway.

“Ah, I see… I shall have it sent over immediately…” His tone has changed. I watch his face for a different expression... but he’s still smiling. My brows furrow a little, and I feel my gut screaming at me.

“Right... well, I’ll be going now…” Deciding not to ignore it, I head towards the door when he’s suddenly in front of it. With a beaming smile, he closes the door and locks it with a key. Tucking the key into his pant pocket, he pats the spot as if mocking me.

“Perhaps it’s best you stay…” 

Ok, now I was really freaked out. Maybe the Prime Minister had been replaced by a shapeshifter? But nothing seemed different about him physically. 

“What is the meaning of this Prime Minister... Let me out this instant.” My tone is demanding but wavers a little. He hears it, too.

“I don’t think so. You still don’t get it, do you..?” His smile was pissing me off now.

“Don’t get what? You are mental if you think this is ok-”

He sighs and rubs his temples. “I was hoping you’d figure it out before I revealed myself. But alas, here we are.”

“Figure what out? I don’t understand?” I’m beginning to panic. There was a high chance he was going to kill me if I didn’t get out of this room. I glance at the window, but it’s too high a drop. 

“I suppose I better start from the beginning. With Barrow..” My eyebrows furrow again. What did this have to do with the previous Duke?

“Barrow was working for Raul,”

“But that doesn’t make any sense-”

“Doesn’t it? Just as soon as he was no longer useful, you got the very thing you needed to get rid of him…” The Prime Minister’s words run chills down my spine, and I begin to question everything. Pieces of the puzzle were still missing.

“The late Duke Haleson was trying to hand Midiri over to Emperor Raul.. in exchange for the blackmail he had on him... His birth certificate.”

The very thing that destroyed him was what he coveted all along. My kingdom was the price. How fucking dare he… I clench my hands into fists and feel darkness swirl around them. The Prime Minister continues while I continue looking for a way out.

“Barrow knew that under Emperor Raul’s reign, he’d still get to live the life of a Duke.. he had nothing to lose and everything to gain!!” 

“I thought you said you two were friends!” My voice cuts him off. The Prime Minister seethes, “That was until that bastard forced me onto his side!! I was loyal to your parents. They were the best king and Queen there had ever been.. but Barrow couldn’t hand the kingdom over to Emperor Raul without them dead.. so Raul had them assassinated and you kidnapped.” All this new information was hitting me like a brick. 

“Why are you telling me all this?” My voice wavers once more, and I curse myself internally.

“Because now I’m going to kill you,” He says so simply as if it were about the weather.

I did a double-take to make sure I heard him correctly. Then it all made sense. Raul had something on him—something Barrow gave to him.

“Listen to me. Whatever it is Barrow gave him, we can get back…”

The Prime Minister looks so defeated, “There’s nothing you can do except die Your Majesty..”

Scanning the room once more, I realized I needed more time. So I started asking questions, “Why not have me killed like my parents?”

“If you were dead, so was the royal bloodline, and Emperor Raul couldn’t have that.”

“Why not? What is so important about me he’d rather have me live.”

“He wanted to marry you when the time was right. Your bloodline is the most powerful in the world, but you just wouldn’t marry him! You had to go and fall in love with that prince!”

The Prime Minister starts getting more and more upset as my heart begins to race.

“So he knew where I was the whole time? You knew, too?”

“Yes.. we knew everything about you..” Shivers run down my spine once again before I feel rage. Suddenly, another question pops into my head, so I ask it before I forget.

“What about Rose then? Was she working for you too?” 

He huffs before giving me a pitiful look, “Rose never betrayed you; it was Jane. The assassins Raul sent were supposed to bring you back to him, but Jane tried to have you killed... It was foolish of her, really. I ordered her to have you kidnapped and brought to Raul of your own violation..” Where was Jane now then? Was she even really sick? So many questions swirled my head, but I knew I had to be smart about this if I wanted to get the most out of him.

“Why did she want me killed..?” My heart breaks. Rose was wrongly accused and sent to death, all because I was too foolish to see what was really going on.

“If you were gone, Emperor Raul would have been mad, yes, but he would’ve moved on.” His voice is oddly calm now. It almost sounds like…

“The man in the hallway... with Barrow... That was you! You were the one defending me in the halls!” The conversation I overheard ages ago suddenly makes more sense now. They were talking about Raul and me. 

“Huh.. so it was you who overheard that… I did wonder who it was for the longest time.. But no matter, I still have to kill you now. Emperor Raul doesn’t want you any longer.. I’m sorry.”

His voice is low and a little menacing as he approaches me slowly. I back away from him, not wanting to kill him.

“Bennet, please..I don’t want to kill you. What do they have on you..?”

He doesn’t answer and pulls out a long, thin dagger. Deciding I can’t be kind anymore, I pull the dagger from his grip with my telekinesis. Before it reaches my hand, though, he swipes it from the air with a speed I’ve only seen from speed affinities. Suddenly, he came at me at a speed I couldn’t handle. Wrapping darkness around myself, I manage to avoid getting cut by the dagger. But the blunt force of his blows still hurt. Grimacing, I focus on his heart and slow it down with my telekinesis. He begins to slow down and coughs up blood. While he’s down, I kick him over and take the dagger from him. 

“Bennet… I’m sorry they took whatever is dear to you.. Just talk to me..” He rolls onto his side and props himself up.

“I can’t.. He’ll know if I do..” More blood drips down his chin before he wipes it with his pure white-gloved hand. I lean down to him as he slowly dies.

“You’re going to die, Bennet… you might as well tell me anyway…” Moreover, my curiosity was getting the better of me. 

“My daughter…” He whispers as tears fall down his cheeks. Dread fills my entire being as I realize what Bennet is implying. If he doesn’t cooperate.. His daughter dies.

Well, shit. 

No wonder he hates Barrow… I couldn’t imagine the rage I’d feel. My eyes soften, and I ease up on his heart. 

Bennet lays his head on the hardwood floor and blinks blearily up at the ceiling. My emotions overwhelm me a little, and I tear up alongside him.

“Save her..please..” His voice is fading, and I can tell he’s barely holding on. “Do what I couldn’t do.. And save my daughter.. please… “I start to cry and sit down on the floor next to him.

Oh, to be loved so much, you’re their dying thought. 

“I’ll try..” I whisper. He nods slowly, understanding I might fail. 

“If you don’t. I hope to be worthy of meeting her again in the afterlife. My precious daughter..Annabelle..” 

His last breath flows from his lips, and I close my eyes. So much made sense now. The photo of them on his desk was a constant reminder, not of what he had, but of what he was fighting for. The grief he must’ve had looking at that photo brings more tears to my eyes. Reaching over and closing his eyes for him, I stand and grab the portrait. Setting it on his dead body and grabbing the key, I unlock the door before closing it behind me. Somehow, I was not covered in blood, but my heart was bleeding. 

I was going to save his daughter… Not for him, but for the innocent life he left behind. Because, for some reason, I had to prove that I was the better person.

Besides... I had a plan. 

And it was going to end this war.

↞ Previous ⨾ଓ Masterlist ⨾ଓ Next ↠

[yukii0nna]

Dear Mother,

I know it has been years since we last spoke this that day the square but I simply must talk to you about this. More like I wanted to say why I did what I did that day or what I'm doing right now. I won't bore you with the details so I'll get right down to it. I wanted to be a ruler.

I am well read, the first born of our family and the most powerful. And yet, I was passed over for little Raul. The same fool who couldn't cast a charm to save his life, as you saw many times. I simply wanted to right a wrong done to me so long ago. I didn't want things to end up as they did but you left me with no choice in the matter.

So in the end, you are equally to blame for what I did after I left. All the lives that were ruined, lost and admittedly worse on my part are equally on your hands. From those I disposed of by framed to who families will never meet them or know what happened to them. They are on you as well as me. Of course I could have simply not have but it had to be done. Also it was a little fun.

Anyways, I best be off. The new recruits ruined one of my plans and they needed to be punished. This includes your grandchildren, Mother and Father. I hope you are watching in heaven so you can see what I have been doing.

Sincerely Your,

Kokorohime

@punkeropercyjackson @bakawitch @zexal-club @insomniac-jay @queen-of-twisted @kousaka-ayumu @abyssthing198

[jerseyluck]

DC's Terrors Through Time (2022) Readthrough

In the spirit of Halloween, I believe it is time to crack open one of DC holiday specials. It is time for DC’s Terror Through Time.

The book starts with a Phantom Stranger Story written by Paul Levitz and art by Raul Fernandez. This is basically a story showing Phantom Stranger fighting all types of ghouls and goblins on Halloween. And that’s it. A very mid story to start the book off with.

The comic then goes to a Super-Sons story by Sholly Fisch with art by Luciano Vecchio. Now this is a fun story. Superboy (Jon Kent) and Robin (Damian Wayne) decide to go trick-or-treating together and wear each other costumes. The pair go to various locations throughout the DC Universe to get candy, but none of the superheroes are there. So, they go to the Hall of Justice where The Justice League are captured by some demons who escaped from hell for Halloween night. The Super-Sons have to distract the demons until the spell that will send them to hell kicks in.

The next story is Gotham City Sirens story with plot and art by Peter V. Nguyen. The story starts in Hawaii in 1995 (there is no reason for it to be 1995, except for a bad joke Harley makes) with Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy meeting up. The trio discover that animals are going missing/dying. To solve this mystery, the girls go out to the jungles of the big island.

When they get to center of island, they discover the island god Pueo and the marching dead. And he tries to attack the girls, blaming man of the sickness on the island. But when they calm down a little, the Sirens realizes that it is the cats causing a disturbance on the isle. The god makes a deal with Catwoman to get the felines out of Hawaii or else Pueo will take more extreme measures.

Nguyen has a very distinct style that won’t be for everyone. This is a story where art will make or break it for you.

Then the book tells a story with classic DC supernatural force Swamp Thing. It is written by Zac Thompson with art by Andy McDonald. And this is a post-nuclear apocalypse story. Two people are gathering food out in the swamp when a two-headed gator monster attacks them. Swamp Thing arrives and manages to stall the creature until the pair escape. Many years later, the girl comes back to swamp and is attacked by the swamp monster, but this time Swamp Thing manages to kill it. A very simple, but well-enough told story for the season.

We go to the old school with JSA story by Charles Skaggs and Tom Mandrake. This takes place in 1944, and the JSA are afraid that the Nazis will get a power mystical artifact. However, the group is too late because the artifact is already active, releasing all types of horrors. The team is split up to face challenges from the supernatural horrors alone, but Dr. Midnight arrives to assist in freeing the rest of the team. Before the JSA can stop this menace, they have to awaken Dr. Fate to break the spell. The JSA wins the day and it the terror is over… OR IS IT?

The book then gets a little cosmic with a Green Lanterns story by Jeremy Haun and art by Juan Doe. In the far-out year of 2447, a pair of lanterns explore an empty sector of space. The two come across a large creepy tower. When they enter the Lanterns come across mysterious chanting and sacrifices being made. But weird insect-like creatures attack the pair. They fight off the bugs, but they fail to stop the sacrifice. An eldritch creature almost escapes but a Lantern sacrifices himself to stop it. However, before surviving Lantern can get breath, she is alerted to 6 more signatures matching the creature that attacked them.

A very good use of the concept of Green Lanterns without using characters modern readers might expect. Touches on the emptiness that space can hold. A real highlight of this anthology.

We lose the dawn of man with the rise of Etrigan with story by Matthew Levine and art by Jorge Corona. We start in the medieval ages in a village where kids are going missing. Luckily a wandering Jason Blood comes to town to stop this demon. He manages to go to the lair of the demon. Blood releases Etrigan to fight the demon. Etrigan saves the kids and buries the demon under rubble. The demon alerts Etrigan he will be back in several centuries, assuming Blood would be dead by then. However, Jason Blood does not play like most mortals and arrives to finally slay the demon. A fun story but nothing special.

The anthology ends with a tale by the most famous creators, Tim Seeley writing and Kelley Jones on art. They tell a Damian Wayne and Deadman story together. And yup, it is a banger of a story, with amazing creepy art by Jones.

It opens on Deadman haunting Wayne Manor, and he gets stabbed by Damain with a silver spoon. Brand came to warn Batman that a vengeance demon is after him. But in a twist, when the demon attacks, it goes after Damain: the boy who killed him. Deadman and Robin try to fight the demon, but only succeed when Deadman when something more powerful claimed his soul. Damain thinks Deadman was bluffing, but the truth is something evil has chosen Robin to do its will.

Overall, this anthology was a fun read. It was a bad choice to start off with its weakest story (The Phantom Stranger), but this has many strong stories in it (Both Damian ones, the future Green Lantern). Overall, while not scary, the comic makes for a fun reading experience.

7/10

[embrcssemoi]

starter — devika idaiyar

SETTING: val's house ; saturday night AVAILABILITY: closed starter for VALERIA JIMENEZ | ( @fairytailskies )

Devika smiled as she sat down on Valeria's couch. One hand held onto her glass of wine, while the other held onto the nachos and dip sauces tray, which, she placed on the coffee table near them. "So..." She began, crossing her legs under herself, then bringing her glass of wine to her lips. "Raul tells me you've already started decorating for Halloween?" Devi chuckled. "Can't say that I blame you. Halloween is only the best holiday ever, so, I'm with you on it." She did need to start looking through her Pinterest page for suggestions of decorations for the Bed and Breakfast. "Did you enjoy the customer appreciation week at Oasis, by the way?"

[dystopiangays]

Tw: Rape, Slavery, murder, and general Legion Stuff.

I have complicated feelings about the Legion. I don't think it got the attention it deserved in game. Of course, that is to be blamed on the rushed development, but it still makes me sad.

Joshua Sawyer said he regretted how black-and-white the slavery narrative was in the game, and I have to say I agree. It's incredibly sexist that basically all women are in a mostly gendered slave class. It's incredibly depressing that on a non-Legion run you can't speak to Siri. It's annoying as hell that you can't fight in the ring if you are a female courier, even though the final boss of it is a female soldier. Yes, I get that that's the point. It's frustrating that a female Legion courier is told that the legionnaires want to *rape* her. Yes, I know that's the point, but it's hostile to women who play the game. I feel just as frustrated and disappointed when I think about the fact a low intelligence female Chosen One can be raped by Myron. It's upsetting and uncomfortable, and not in a way I feel furthers the story, because it is subjecting female players to abuse that is all to real to their lives. Male players of the game, by design, will never experience that.

I feel like so much of this could have been solved with more time given to the Legion. There's no Legion companions - The closest you get is Raul, who's neutral on them. You get a tiny corner of the map dedicated to Legion territory, and far less quests than neutral or NCR quests. What about the wives, do the Frumentarii have wives?

The game puts emphasis on how unusual it is for a woman to have as much power in the Legion as the courier can, such as in the line "Last I checked, you needed a weapon between your legs to carry one for Caesar" spoken by Ulysses. It makes me wonder why a nonman Courier would choose the Legion in the first place. If I choose the Legion, what happens when I'm done with the main quest, when I don't have the platinum chip? Do I get enslaved? Do I have to escape and never see the fruits of my labor? Do I get killed? Raped? I know, I know this is the point but it still itches in a bad way.

[moralchampion]

If Raul actually ends up going to Aprilia I'm gonna blame Jorge Martin for everything bad that's ever happened because he basically destroyed my perfect Aprilia lineup

[fashionablylala]

Fashion Week isn't for the Weak!

What's twice a year and has a bob? That's right, it's fashion week y'all! It's the most hectic time of year for anyone in the fashion industry. From designers, influencers, celebrities, and even people like myself, journalists! This season highlights the fall/winter collections from some of the biggest names in the world, and introduces a few newcomers. Take a stroll down the runway with me as I break down the most memorable moments surrounding Black talent!

First off we have New York, home of Timberland boots and of course my favourite music genre, hip hop. Usually I really love NYFW because some of my favourite designer showcase there, but honestly this season bored me.

Thom Browne had celebrities like Janet Jackson, Queen Latifah, Alton Mason etc dressed head to toe in their brand for the FW24 show.

Along with some gorgeous campaign images all shot by Black photography duo AB+DM (Ahmad Barber and Donté Maurice). I love it when Black creatives are given the opportunity to thrive in their skills on a big platform; their photography is immaculate. Each celebrity was well put together, the styling was perfection.

I very recently learned that Luar was founded by Raul Lopez, a Brooklyn based designer originally from the Dominican Republic. The collection wasn't really my vibe so I'll just be quiet on that subject lol. No shade. In other news, we saw Beyoncé attending his show in support of her nephew Juelz, who debuted on the runway modelling for the brand. Miss Renaissance wore a full silver outfit (of course lol) by Gaurav Gupta. I hated the way it was styled personally, especially with the Luar bag. The handbag felt forced and probably was to some degree, as she was sitting front row as an invited guest that meant she had to wear something from the brand. Her team could have done a better job pairing the accessory with another outfit or choosing a different bag altogether. Also I'm very much over the cowboy hat, but I know she's currently promoting her new country music so I wasn't surprised. I wouldn't call Beyoncé a fashion girlie, but considering she's the biggest star in the world I hope that her glam squad would do a better job. Fix it Jesus.

Beyoncé wearing Gaurav Gupta Couture and Luar bag

LaQuan Smith is probably my most anticipated designer from NYFW, but this season I didn't even see his collection on my feed. I had to search for it, which is unusual for me as it's usually posted all over my timeline with everyone gagging and hyperventilating. I then realised why it was barely posted when I finally saw his collection, because it left me feeling uninspired. It wasn't innovative or exciting, just kind of regular and something that's been done before. This is a fabulous gay Black man who usually CLEARS every time, but this season left me confused. Where was the innovation? Where was the hoochie mama flavour? What was the extra razzle dazzle? It was barely there. It felt like an lazy afterthought and I'm even sad to say that about one of my favourite Black designers. If I compare FW24 to his previous collections you will see exactly what I mean. For example the FW22 collection was opulent, sexy, and vibrant. LaQuan is a true innovator who doesn't follow trends, because he sets them hunny! So I'm not sure what happened this season, but I blame Elon Musk. Somehow it's always his fault, don't question me lmao. I just know that my fav can produce better designs, but I won't let this low key mid collection put me off. I guess we all have bad days right? It wasn't ugly by any means, it just kept the hoochie mama flavour and unusual designs to a minimum. And my beloved friend and fashion partner in crime, keeps telling me that it's now a dying theme to make room for quiet luxury, which had me heartbroken. On a nicer note, the music on the runway however was GREAT! I loved that he used “The Player's Club” snippet as the intro, it's such a classic movie and a staple in Black culture. I would listen to that entire mix daily! It was a beautiful blend of Curtis Mayfield, Baby Tate, Nicki Minaj, Sadé, Missy Elliott and more. Plus with a piano performance by Babyface, who sang Two Occasions by The Deele. That was a very nice touch! I'm gonna need LaQuan to put it on Spotify asap so I can pop my puss 😜

LaQuan Smith FW24

LaQuan Smith FW23

While I was sad that I couldn't get an invite to see my favourite London based designers showcase their talent, I was quickly relieved when I saw what went down the runway. I would have sold my left arm to be at some LFW shows this season, but my disappointment followed from NYFW as I felt unimpressed by the usual showstoppers. Despite that, I quickly felt better once I spotted UK grime legend Skepta at the Burberry show wearing a BLOODY GORGEOUS fur teal coat by the brand. Every time I see that man at fashion week or on a red carpet he looks extremely good. I don't think he gets enough credit for his drip and we need to change that.

Anna Wintour and Skepta at the Burberry show

As I previously mentioned we also occasionally see newcomers during fashion week, and that brings me to introduce Tolu Coker. She's a British Nigerian designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2017, and hasn't taken her foot off the accelerator since! Tolu first showcased her FW19 collection at London fashion week, and she's worked with the likes of Stefflon Don, Burna Boy, Adwoa Aboah and more amazing names.

Her collections are always nothing short of fabulous and full of life. Tolu even had a collab with UGG for the footwear of her FW24 collection, which was definitely a BIG FLEX lol. Making it to Vogue Runway is already a great achievement, but to have a popular loved brand like UGG supporting your collection is very cool. UGG has also been known to collab with Telfar, another incredible Black owned brand. And I'm starting to see a pattern here and I love that for us 🥰

MFW

As we move into Milan, the first collection that comes to mind is Diesel. They had all the Black folks walking hunny! It was like a family reunion lol. We saw names like Alton Mason to Leomie Anderson and so many more! And of course everyone was killing it because that's what we do! 💅🏾 The clothes were fun but still practical, which is expected from Diesel. Leomie had on a gorgeous pink and orange number that was oozing with IT GWORL ENERGY. It was overall a great show. I'm a sucker for a fur coat especially if it's an usual colour, and Diesel was nothing short of that. Besides the weird music announcement thingy lol I have no notes.

Gucci finally produced something I liked after years of mediocre BS designs, but I'm still not buying clothing from a racist brand. I think a lot of people have forgotten why the household name was being boycotted some years ago, so here's a quick reminder…

Y'all can still give them your coins if you want to but I'm not a damn EEDIAT fool. You only need to insult me once. Thank you. Next.

It's now time for Paris! Some of you might know the city for their wonderful pastries, but I know it for some of the most popular fashion houses in the world! Supermodel Anok Yai, didn't walk for Mugler despite her recently being chosen as the face for the brand, and I definitely missed her presence! 😭 However our favourite curvy models Precious Lee and Paloma Elsesser did. I wasn't too excited by the outfits they were wearing, it felt like they gave them the safe options. I see this happening far too often with plus size models and it's frankly getting extremely tiring. It's rare to have bigger bodies on the runway at all, but if we do they're completely covered up. Plus size models are barely visible, we only get 1 or maybe 2 if we're lucky on the runway at a time, because yay tokenism! 🥲

Model and gamer, Paris HK said it perfectly. Bigger bodies deserve so much better. I say this at least 10 times a year smh.

Moving onto better news, my other fav Balmain, was brilliant… but I'm never surprised by that. Olivier Rousteing has been the creative director since 2011, and he's a Black French designer who always knows how to bring life back into the runway. His recent custom looks haven't been giving the same energy and I'm not sure why, but his collections are never a disappointment! He puts his foot in that sh** EVERY TIME! His FW24 show was gorgeous, however he could have came a little harder! His core ideas were based on heritage and his hometown, Bordeaux. His take was elegant and giving grown woman, which makes sense because some designs were inspired by his mother's wardrobe too. We saw lots of different ways he incorporated fruits and shells into perfect pieces of walking art. A few designs felt a tad bit unfinished, and I wasn't a fan of him pairing slouchy Chino style trousers with the corsets. However for the most part Olivier absolutely delivered. I liked his bags too which usually go under the radar. There was so much to enjoy with this collection. Olivier is a brilliant designer, and I always look forward to what he brings to fashion week because he rarely ever disappoints!

Watch the FW24 show here via YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/live/chUl7Gdr41E?si=qpHNziXA66_cOHhr

Off-White also has a Black creative director by the name of Ibrahim Kamara, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of Dazed. I completely loved his collection! Butterflies, pastels, fur, dice, lime green… and everything that makes me happy 😊 it had a New York edge to it and felt like an obvious nod to hip-hop and overall Black culture. It was a nice combination of basketball bags and the matching sneakers, and not to mention the hoochie mama designs, which y'all know that I love! His collection was giving “girly but keep it gangster” and that's definitely a bit of me. At first Ibrahim seemed like he lacked the confidence to really go for it when he debuted his very first collection for Off-White SS23. For those that don't know, he took over as CD when the incredibly talented, Virgil Abloh suddenly passed away in November 2021. Tbh I wasn't moved by Ib’s first collection but since then he's found his footing bit by bit. This season I definitely enjoyed the menswear a lot more than the womenswear unfortunately, which is crazy because the potential was totally there but it seemed like Kamara wanted to keep the girls more edgy. Models like Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn were spotted walking in the show, of course they came to f**k sh** up as per usual!

Off-White FW24

My girlfriend in my head aka Precious Lee, walked for the show wearing a trench coat that completely covered her up 🙃 yet again, why do designers always hire plus size models and cover them in excessive amounts of fabric? It's childish, like grow up! I wanna see her titties bouncing like a basketball on a court. Stop playing with me. It's always the same stupidness and as a plus size baddie myself, it truly jars me. The same thing happened last fw season and it needs to stop.

I want to see girls like Precious Lee wearing sexy bodycon dresses or figure hugging clothes that show off her shape, because that's more realistic. That's how I look when I'm wearing my favourite clothes and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. All bodies deserve to be seen regardless of their proportions. Have you seen her body?!?! Why hire someone as delicious as Precious if they're just gonna drape loads of pointless material to hide her magnificent curves??? Don't piss me off.

Precious Lee for Off-White FW24

Precious Lee for Off-White FW23

On a happier note, Halle Bailey and Willow Smith were spotted in front row. It was a nice moment that everyone seemed excited for, including me! I hope we can see a duo from them one day, because not only do they compliment eachother visually but musically that would be an iconic link up.

So fashion week this season was a bit chaotic as always, but in some ways quite impressive. I must always ask though, when will the day come when we see a Black woman occupying the role of creative director of a huge fashion house??? We've seen Pharrell takeover at Louis Vuitton for menswear and several other Black men are in that chair for Balmain, Off-White etc …so when will Black women get the opportunity? Moschino is one of my favourite brands of all time, but their recent decision to hire another white man has left a bad taste in my mouth. They've never had a Black CD and haven't had a female one in over 20 years! I think it's time for a change. Where's Gabriella KJ at? 👀 Or even the CEO of Black owned luxury fashion brand, Hanifa? It's 2024 and Black women are the ones who are buying fashion items THE MOST, but are leading in the big fashion roles THE LEAST. It burns me to my core y'all. It's hard to love fashion whilst witnessing this sh** to be completely honest with you. The only thing that keeps me smiling is seeing people like Tolu Coker being praised, and seeing more Black models on the runway. A win is still a win! So I will take those wins and skip all the way to the very last topic…

Here is my best and the worst of FW24!

BEST:

Susan Liang

Chen Peng

Balmain

Schiaparelli

Richard Quinn

Wiederhoeft

Harris Reed

Diesel

Tolu Coker

Stella McCartney

WORST:

Alexander McQueen

Moschino

Vivienne Westwood

Balenciaga

Louis Vuitton

Miu Miu

Loewe

Blumarine

Well I hope I was able to teach you something about fashion week that you never knew, or maybe you just enjoyed having a little kiki with me 😊 Whichever it was, I wish you all a beautiful start to Spring! And I hope you have your pastel outfits ready, because being afraid of colour is silly. Life is too short to only wear Black, and if it feels like I'm talking to you then I probably am... Fight me 🥰🥰🥰 Plus everybody knows that baby pink looks pretty on darker skin 😉

xoxo LaLa

[everydayyoulovemeless]

FNV Companions (+Yes Man and Benny) Reactions To Being Taken To The Sierra Madre

➼ Word Count » 0.9k ➼ Warnings » Dead Money spoilers ➼ Genre » Platonic/Romantic

Boone hates it there. All the bomb collars remind him of what the Legion did to his wife and he hates the way his hands start shaking because of it. Out of all the places you could've gone and this is where you decide? He'll be on edge the entire time, aiming whatever gun he managed to find at anything that moves. He refuses to die in a dump like this, and, as much as he blames you for taking him here, he's not gonna let you die on him. Not like this, at least. Boone genuinely hates everyone there and, if you asked him, he'd say that you both should just kill them all and leave. The mutant disgusts him, he doesn't trust anything Dean tells him, and Christine's in the Brotherhood. He couldn't care less about the gold bars, by the end of it, he just wants to get back to the Mojave as soon as possible and forget any of it ever happened.

Rex gets really confused when he can’t touch the holograms and is really scared when they start attacking him. He's helpful against the ghosts but he has a habit of running straight into areas that set off the collars. Not much changes with him beside him being a little more frightened and jumpy than usual.

Arcade starts to panic a bit at the beginning, the whole situation makes him nervous. He gets along surprisingly well with the other companions, he helps Dog/God out with his condition, matches Dean's snarkiness, and can even decipher Christine’s movements relatively well. Besides a few minor clashes with Dean, you could probably save all three of them, Arcade makes it pretty simple and his skills in medicine make him incredibly useful to have along.

Lily isn’t too excited about it. Leo is especially strong here and she can feel his urge to go maul Elijah. Although, she and Dog/God get along well enough due to their similarities. If she has any to spare, she’ll offer some of her medication to help him out a bit. She’ll end up adopting him, but having two mutants back you up was extremely helpful as you wandered the Villa and, eventually, the casino.

Cass hates Dean the second she meets him. She’s met people like him before and gets super defensive over you because of it. She’ll constantly be arguing with him and he’ll 100% try to kill you guys once you make it to the casino. She’s honestly just so annoyed the entire time, she hates being controlled and will kill Elijah the first chance she gets. (She’d also help you grab all those gold bars, ain’t no way she’s leaving empty-handed after everything you’ve had to deal with).

You can’t bring ED-E here, his radio frequencies cause the collars to go off.

The entire place reminds Raul about what happened in Mexico. He's scared and angry and just wants to ensure you both make it out of there. He's really good at picking up on the multitude of traps that have been laid around the Villa and is especially good at scavenging for supplies. He'll honestly help so much with keeping the both of you alive. He just wants to leave after it all, anything in the Mojave is better than this.

When you wake up, Veronica won’t even be there. Elijah would’ve had Dog take her to wherever he is so that she wouldn’t have to experience any of it. She’d ask a bunch of questions about where you went and why she's there, enough so that he ends up releasing you. She’s gonna feel so betrayed, especially when she discovers Christine is being held here as well. She’d reluctantly kill Elijah at the end, not wanting any of the gold or tech you both came here to collect in the first place, she just wouldn’t be in the mood for it anymore.

Yes Man’s positivity is a drastic difference compared to your harsh surroundings. He tries to get along with the others but his passive aggression makes it hard. He’s not all too worried since he can’t die, so he takes it upon himself to defend you at any cost. If you decide to kill Elijah, Yes Man will take control of the hologram monitor thing and you’ll both end up taking ownership of the Sierra Madre by the end.

At first, Benny sees it as an economic opportunity then gets really pissed when they take his suit. Especially since he's forced to wear these dirty rags now. In the beginning, he and Dean would get along well enough with their shared opportunistic personalities, but over time they start to clash. Dean gets very insecure around Benny and will try to kill him when he's not looking so that there's less competition for him to deal with. Once the two of you make it to the casinos, he'll just want to sit and gamble. He's so desperate to finally catch a break in this place and poker is something so familiar to him, that he almost gets nostalgic for The Tops. The two of you will end up sitting there for way longer than you probably should have and Dog ends up about one step away from setting the place on fire. You both also spend way too much time in the vault trying to decide how to successfully take everything back with you. Most of the others assumed you guys had already died, but once you agree on what either one of you should take, you sprint out of there, not even worried about killing Elijah anymore, you’re both too caught up in the fact that you successfully pulled off the greatest heist in America.

[epuiseeparmedia]

First Neville and mostly Carragher try to get Wayne Rooney admitting he could have done just as well as Ronaldo but he just wasn’t « selfish ». He waffled in his answer the intentions of the question was clear. Fun fact, Cristiano Ronaldo has more assists in his career. Other fun facts, Rooney is younger and had all the opportunities to score and win trophies once Cristiano left United : whose fault it is he couldn’t match his stats and retired before Cristiano?

Wayne Rooney is also currently out of managerial position because he sucks at it and won’t check out his ego to be an understudy in a coaching team for a few years, unless it’s a famous coach like Guardiola.

Now they got Ole pretending all was sunshine and rainbows before Ronaldo ruined it all, and it is the biggest pack of lies ever. The man who couldn’t qualify to ucl ko and lost a Europa league final to…check notes… mighty Villarreal. He couldn’t even get a carabao cup with his project. Too bad for him all European clubs know it’s bullshit and that’s why he too is currently jobless.

Greenwood is being average at Getafe despite all the PR, Martial couldn’t make it in Sevilla (!) on a loan and like shaw is regularly “injured” to evade blame and transfers, Rashford best season G/A was equal to Ronaldo’s worst and treated by the press as superior but now he is back to mediocrity standards, Cavani couldn’t make it at Valencia, Pogba was caught for doping (something everyone is happy to believe is unrelated to any organisations he played for, or an accident), Lingard just recently found a club in South Korea, Mata and De Gea retired.

All in a few years of the mighty project Ole was apparently « cooking » and Ronaldo somehow ruined by his mere presence. It must have been a solid project.

I am annoyed with Cristiano saying happy birthday to Real Madrid like a simp, but I don’t recall the real doing shit like that: they fluffed up Benzema and let his PR spread the lies Ronaldo was overshadowing him 🙄. They ghosted him when the Mayorga affair came out. But they didn’t send Gutti, Raul or Casillas out to Chinguirito to bash him.

Because there’s no way those interviews of club adjacent people by club adjacent people got made in short notice without at least tacit approval of said club.

The face of Roy Keane: he knows the truth and he is ashamed of those fools.