#don't wait too long: sophie / closed

[b0r3dtod3ath]

Hey Sophie, I hope you’re having the best week! I saw your requests were open and I was wondering if you could do something for either Lando or Charles. Where their gf is travelling a lot with them and is starting to get anxious and exhausted and she’s really stressed on a flight (maybe at the time, she’s flying with another driver whose her bestfriend) and they spill to Lando/Charles exactly what’s going on? Thank you xxx

an: Thank you for the request and patience! I'm sorry you had to wait so long.

The cabin was dimly lit as the plane flew through the night sky, its engines humming softly in the background. Seated next to each other in first class you, Charles and Lando exchanged tired glances. You were fidgeting nervously, your hands playing with your fingers or gripping the armrest. You had been traveling with Charles frequently lately, wanting to be close to your boyfriend and to support him during races around the world. You thought you could handle traveling and your online job. But as the miles accumulated, so did your exhaustion.

Tonight’s fight seemed particularly turbulent as there were some thunderstorms going on. You nerves were on the edge, you were feeling overstimulated and tired. You glanced at Lando, sleeping in his seat next to Charles. You two knew each other even before you started darting the Monegasque. You kind of wished to switch seats and be comforted by your best friends presence as you knew he would understand you. 

"Charles," you finally whispered, your voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning to look at you with concern.

"I... I need to talk to you about something," you began hesitantly, your gaze fixed on your shaky hands.

Charles reached out and gently squeezed your knee, silently urging you to continue.

"I... I don't know how much longer I can do this," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "The constant traveling, the pressure... it's all starting to take its toll on me”.

Charles listened attentively as you poured out your feelings, his heart aching at the sight of your distress. He had been so focused on his own career and responsibilities that he hadn't fully realized what you were going through. 

Meanwhile, Lando glanced over at the two of you, sensing the tension in the air. 

"Hey, is everything okay?" Lando asked, his brow furrowing with concern as he took in your tear-stained face.

You hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I... I'm just really tired right now," you admitted, words coming out in a rush. "Flying, racing, my job…  it's all a little too much”.

Lando nodded understandingly, offering you a sympathetic smile. "I get it. It's a lot to handle, especially with everything going on. But you're not alone. We're all here for you. And you don’t have to follow us to every race. It’s our job”.

“Yes. That’s true. I love having you by my side but if it’s better for you to attend only a few races then I don’t mind” said Charles stroking your hand with his thumb. 

Tears welled up in your eyes as you felt the weight of the spoken words sink in. As Charles kissed you tear-stained cheek, you knew that you could find a way to make it work. 

May 26 2024

[butchsophiewalten]

Twitter Space Recap July 28th 2024

Last Sunday Martin, Eva, Kyle did a Twitter Space, with intermittent appearances from Coral! Here are some of the Q&A answers and other interesting things they talked about:

-Someone asks if TWF5 is going to be longer or shorter than TWF4, and Martin says that he currently predicts it to be "a bit longer".

-Somebody asks how Laura Peony (Rosemary's sister) looks. He says that she looks similar to Rose, probably, but that he honestly doesn't have much of a design in mind for her. Something fun to me is that he calls her "Sophie's aunt", rather than calling her Rosemary's sister, which is interesting when remembering one of Martin's previous statements that Rosemary doesn't have a very good relationship with her family.

-Someone asks about something Martin said in a Q&A a while ago, about Jenny going through many redesigns before her current and final design, and if we could see any of them. Eva ends up sharing one of Martin's old drawings of one of these designs, even though Martin says that he really hates it.

He mentions that she looks "too normal" and that she "looks like she's straight."

-Someone asks, "Who or what was the thing behind Bon and Sha in the TV in TWF2?" and Martin answers that it's Susan. (slowed gif relevant)

-Someone asks about how the Relocate Project trio all met each other, and Martin explains how in his original vision for the characters, they were this really close and inseparable group of long-time friends, but that he's recently kinda revised that idea, thinking it'd be more realistic if they were just work friends, who met each other through their jobs and all had full, separate lives and maybe weren't so inseparably close.

-Someone asks how old Kevin is in TWF2, and Martin explains that the relocate trio's ages are something that he's kinda retconned. He brings up an old image of Ashley that gets passed around by the fanbase sometimes which says she'd be 19 years old in 1978, saying that in his mind now, she'd be 22 at the time. He says "-and there's a reason for this, there's a reason for this. There are things about, uh, Ashley, and some things about the rest of the episode 2 crew that we haven't seen yet."

-Martin and Eva joke back and forth about an idea they both like, which is that Bon can create or mimic noises with his animatronic voice box, and that he likes to do stuff like bark and people in K-9, just to freak them out. Martin says, "Wait, did you know that this actually happens, in one of the episodes? In episode 2, Bon fucking plays rabbit noises, to mess with Ashley. When the lights go out, Bon-- he's imitating a rabbit."

-Martin says, "Somebody asked if the baby doll we see in Souvenir and TWF4 will have meaning in the future. Ah, yes it will."

-Someone asks, "Are we gonna get wholesome Rosemary content in the upcoming episodes?" and Martin and the rest of the crew shoot the shit for awhile, alluding ironically to the torment (emotional and otherwise) she will almost certainly be met with in the upcoming episode.

-Martin mentions that he's working on something related to TWF7, and says, "I genuinely think that episode 7 is going to be the most hated episode of The Walten Files ever. I've talked about this with Eva before." Martin and Eva refer to it sneakily as the "yuri" episode, and we know from previous Q&As and spaces that TWF7 is most likely going to be about Sophie and Jenny's relationship, possibly detailing how they met. Martin says, "I think- it's not because of what is in it [that it will be hated], it's more like, it's the least 'Walten Files' episode of The Walten Files."

Kyle says, "To be fair, I feel like season 2 is going to be such a tone shift and it's gonna do so much, that it's gonna be like, "Woah!" You're gonna send people back, like, 20 feet in surprise."

-Somebody asks if Jack is addicted to smoking, and if Felix gets on his ass about it. Martin says "I don't think Jack is addicted, I think Jack just smokes because he thinks smoking is cool. I wouldn't say addicted, but I'd say Rosemary smokes out of like, a place of, like, stress and anxiety. Instead of just as a hobby, in a way."

-Someone asks if Susan is skinny. Martin says, "I don't think Susan is very skinny, I would say Susan is more--" and Eva fills in with "Muscular..?" to which Martin replies, "Yeah, I was gonna say that, I couldn't find the right word. Yeah, considering she usually helps build the stuff, and shit like that, while Charles sits on his ass and stays on his computer all day, like a fucking lazy bitch. Just programming shit."

-Martin openly laments that Charles doesn't have more of a fanbase for him as in individual character. He goes, "Do I have to wait for the next two episodes to drop, so I can fucking have a Charles fandom? That's so sad."

-According to Kyle, Charles' favorite Sonic the Hedgehog character would be Knuckles. Martin says he doesn't know a lot about Sonic, but that Jack's favorite character would be Doctor Eggman, because he's the only human character.

-Martin and Eva talk for a bit about who would win in a fight between Bon and a bunch of different animatronic characters from Five Nights at Freddy's, with him losing terribly to most or all of them. Eva determines that he could definitely win against normal human William Afton, and Martin says he could, at least, probably win against The Puppet. Martin says, "Y'know how dogs grab, like, a toy? And shake it around? Bon just fucking bites-- and starts fucking shaking the animatronics around."

-Somebody asks, "Do Brian and Kevin know each other?" and Martin says, "No, they don't. I don't think Brian knows anybody from the rest of the series. Why would he?"

-Martin says, "I like to think- in the apartment [Jenny and Sophie] live in- It's really funny to me, the idea that Jenny knows everybody in the building and is friends with everybody, and Sophie isn't. Like, it's like, imagine in everyone else's perspective, its like 'Ohh, there's Jenny!', and she's like this really sweet person, and then there's just Sophie, this fucking-- this silent, weird girl that's always seen next to Jenny."

-Martin asks Eva, "What to you think of episode 7?" to which she replies, "It's very yuriful." He responds saying, "That's true." Eva later appends saying, "It's also a very good episode."

-Someone asks, "Will there be a Walten Files 5 & 6 trailer soon?" and Martin replies, "I have an idea for a trailer, but I know know if it's necessary, considering I don't want to show what happens in the episodes. I want people to go in completely blind."

-Eva reads a question that she likes, but is worried is too spoilery. "What's Sophie's relationship with her medication? Does she resent having to take it? Does Jenny know that she's on it?" Martin responds, "We cannot answer that. Because the medication Sophie's on will be expanded on." appends later going "I love how my original idea for Sophie's pills was like, it was never addressed it any way. It was just like, 'oh, she's just taking pills.'"

-Somebody asks about Hidie the Raccoon from the Showstoppers Cartoon, and Martin says that he's a burglar who pretends to be a collector for charity, but just steals the money.

-Someone asks about Madness Meridian. Martin says, "It was a book that was like, a more realistic version of The Walten Files. And it was like, 'what if The Walten Files was, like, completely made up by Sophie?', and it was like, it was really bad. And I remember I worked a lot in the book, but I lost it on an old computer, so."

-Someone asks if we're ever going to see the Showstoppers singing for real, instead of just performing over a preexisting song, and Martin says yes!

-Someone asks about the Findjackwalten page that was recently discovered, /jennyslair-dot-com-worldwideweb, which is currently password protected. Martin says that it will be a page soon, so the page's content is probably not currently meant to be accessed.

[captainsophiestark]

Vigilante Book Club Part 3

Jason Todd x Reader

Part 1 Part 2 - Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober, and for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: DC

Day Four Prompt: "No, we're not doing that."

Summary: Jason and his new SO have their official first date.

Word Count: 2,216

Category: Fluff

A/N: Shoutout to @v1ckycheesue for commenting about wanting to see the date! I wasn't sure I was going to come back to this idea, but something just popped into my head, so now we're here :) No promises, but there might also be a part 4 at some point on the horizon!

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I stepped out of my building with a smile, waving as soon as I caught sight of Jason on his motorcycle, waiting for me right where he said he'd be. After months of friendship and forming a mini book club with the Red Hood, earlier this week, I'd learned his secret identity thanks to a phone call from one of his brothers. Thankfully, Jason didn't mind, and even better, it had led to Jason asking me out on a date. He'd had a bit of a family situation to attend to earlier, but tonight was the night, and having him meet me outside my apartment on his motorcycle was certainly a good start.

"Hey!" I called once I was close enough. "How did the family dinner disaster go?"

Jason scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It went great, once I got there and kicked everyone else out of the kitchen. Somewhere between five and ten of us regularly attending family events and somehow I'm still the only one who knows how to cook."

I grinned. "Well, from personal experience, I can attest that you are an excellent chef."

"Thanks, babe," he said, huffing a laugh as I finally reached him. He held out one arm for a hug, and I stepped into him, wrapping both my arms around his shoulders as he sat on his bike. He brought his other hand up to rest on my hip, giving it a light squeeze before moving me a step back from him. "You look great."

"Thanks! You do too. So... are you gonna tell me what we're doing tonight?"

"Not yet," he said with a grin. "I still want our first stop to be a surprise. But you do need one more thing before we go."

I raised an eyebrow as Jason turned around on the bike, digging into one of the side bags before turning back to me with a bright red helmet in hand.

"Here, let me help you get it on."

I smiled, Jason helping me pull the helmet down over my head before holding either side of it, giving it a little shake to make sure it fit snugly. He grabbed the part right in front of my mouth and ran his finger across it, giving me a satisfied smile.

"Looks good. Go ahead and hop on, and we can get out of here."

I climbed onto the back of the bike, wrapping my arms tightly around Jason's waist as he pulled his own red helmet on over his head. It wasn't the same as his Red Hood helmet, but it did look pretty similar. I grinned, even though Jason couldn't see me.

"You ready sweetheart?" he asked, his voice crackling over an in-helmet comms system. I nodded, then realized how unhelpful that was.

"Yeah, I'm ready. Although I do have a question."

"What's that?" Jason asked. He started the bike as he spoke, the engine roaring beneath us.

"As somebody trying to maintain a secret identity, don't you think it's a little conspicuous that you've got a motorcycle helmet the exact same color as your vigilatne helmet? And almost the same style?"

I heard Jason huff a laugh, and his response took a few moments to come through the radio. Part of that might've been Jason trying to focus while he merged with traffic, but he'd never be able to convince me that was the entire reason.

"Nobody's figured it out yet," he finally said. Now it was my turn to laugh.

"Well, there you go, I guess. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that nobody in Gotham suddenly becomes observant. You know, I could repaint your helmet in some sparkly colors for you, maybe put some stickers on it that say 'NOT Red Hood', help you keep your secret. We could make it a date night."

Jason snorted. "No, we're not doing that."

"Your loss babe."

I held tight to Jason as we swept through the city streets, looking over his shoulder and trying to figure out exactly where we were headed. I didn't put it together until we turned a corner and pulled into the parking lot for my absolute favorite bookstore in the city.

I gasped, and I heard Jason chuckle over the radio.

"I take it you're excited?"

"Jason, I got nothing but green flags from you from the moment you brought my favorite book back to me, but I cannot begin to tell you how amazing this surprise is. This is my dream date."

Jason chuckled again, pulling the bike into a spot near the front as he responded.

"I'm glad a bookstore date's as exciting to you as it is to me."

"Oh my god, you have no idea. You are actually a dream come true."

"Right back at you, sweetheart."

With that, he stepped off the bike and pulled his helmet off, taking mine from me a moment later when I did the same. I had a beaming smile on my face that I couldn't wipe off if I tried, and as soon as he saw it, Jason smiled too.

"Alright, I'll never be the one to put limits on getting books, but let me tell you what I was thinking for tonight," he said, taking my hand and helping me off the bike. We started walking to the front doors together, shoulder to shoulder and hands held tight. "I was thinking we each pick a book, ideally one the other person hasn't read before. Then we do an exchange and read the books the other person picked out for us."

Jason looked at me as we came to a stop just inside the bookstore, apparently waiting for my reaction. Like he hadn't just said something out of a romance novel.

I leaned up to kiss his cheek, squeezing his hand as I did. When I pulled back with a smile, Jason had one eyebrow raised.

"That sounds absolutely perfect," I said, and a minute later his face broke out in a wide grin.

"Okay, good. I'll go get your book, you go get mine. Whoever's done first finds the other."

"Deal. Let's do this."

Jason and I headed off in different directions, hunting through the bookstore for just the right book. A few weeks ago, he'd told me he'd never read Dracula, one of my favorite books and a classic that seemed right up his alley. We'd talked about reading it together for our informal book club, but we hadn't done it yet, and I couldn't think of a better book to get him for our date.

Unfortunately, we were in a bookstore, so I had to make a few detours on my way to my goal. I ended up with a small stack in my arms by the time I finally made it to Dracula, and I chewed my lip in thought as I stood betwen the stacks. What if he didn't have room for us to put these on the bike? What if we were going somewhere after this where the books would be a problem? I rarely managed to walk into a bookstore and walk out with nothing more than what I'd gone for, but maybe I could just take picture of the other titles with my phone-

"There you are."

I turned to see Jason behind me, a stack of books in his own arms. I grinned.

"I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who made a few pitstops on my way to the date book," I said. Jason scoffed.

"Of course not. I don't trust people who can easily avoid detours in bookstores."

"Neither do I. It's for sure a red flag."

"Well, I'm glad we both passed the test," he said, grinning again. "Now come on, you ready? I think it's time for the next part of our date."

"I'll follow you."

Jason and I checked out with both our stacks of books, which he carefully loaded into one of the bags on his motorcycle. It was a tight fit, but he managed to make everything work without any of the books being at risk of bent pages. The other bag remained conspicuously closed, and I raised an eyebrow at him as he helped me get my helmet on again.

"Is there a reason you didn't split the books between both bags?"

"Yeah."

"...And that reason would be?"

"A surprise." He grinned. "Come on, you'll know in a minute. It's not too far of a drive from here."

I climbed on the back of the bike behind Jason, holding onto him tight as we wound through the city streets. Before long, we were leaving the traffic behind, turning onto narrower and narrower tree-lined roads climbing up one of the mountains outside of the city.

"This is a pretty murder-y date spot, just so you know," I said over our comms. I felt Jason's chest rise and fall with a laugh under my hands the same time it came crackling over the radio.

"Are you trying to warn me about something, sweetheart?"

I shrugged. "I mean, you're the Red Hood. I think we're both probably pretty safe."

He huffed another laugh, taking one hand briefly off the handlebars to squeeze mine. I wrapped my arms around him a little tighter, and after a few more minutes of riding on darkened trails, we came out on top of one of the tallest hills. Jason parked the bike, then hopped off and offered a hand to help me. We both knew I didn't need it, but I took it anyway.

"Alright, this is one of my favorite spots in the whole city," Jason said, tucking both our helmets away before opening the tank bag that didn't have books in it. He pulled out a basket with one hand, then grabbed mine again with the other.

I followed him to the treeline, until we reached a ledge overlooking the city. I stopped short, letting out a little gasp. I'd never seen it from a vantage point like this before. All the lights sparkled like stars, while the forest around us was perfectly peaceful.

"Wow," I breathed. "Jay... this place is amazing."

"I know. And even better, none of my siblings know how to find it."

I laughed, watching as Jason took out a blanket and unfolded it, then started setting up the rest of an evening picnic.

"You know, I'd actually really like to meet your siblings."

"Oh don't worry, you will. They've been wondering for a while now who I've been meeting up with regularly. They're all nosy motherfuckers, they'll probably show up in disguise to crash our next date."

"...Is it weird that I'm kind of excited for that?"

"Yes. Extremely."

I just laughed again, moving to join Jason on the picnic blanket he'd set up for us. I sighed and leaned into him as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders.

"I have to say, this might be the best date I've ever been on. Buying each other books and a romantic picnic overlooking the city? That's impossible to beat," I said.

"That was my goal," he said, pulling me closer with a grin. "I'm glad I succeeded. Now come on, I don't want this food I packed going to waste."

Jason and I dug into the picnic, which was packed full of our favorite foods. We laughed and talked the night away, perfectly comfortable, just the two of us. It was technically our first date, but we'd been spending our nights together for long enough that a peaceful, romantic night together seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

"Jason, that was amazing," I sighed, leaning into him once we'd finished dinner. He leaned back on his hands, and I curled into his side.

"Yeah. It was. You know, I'm really glad that guy stole your favorite book."

"I guess that's one way to say you're glad you met me."

Jason grinned and leaned in to kiss my temple. "You get me."

I sighed, and the two of us just sat there together for a while, curled up on the blanket and looking out at the city. Finally, I sighed.

"So... what would you think if I proposed a finale for this date?"

"That depends. Is this a subtle way of telling me you're ready for the date to be over?"

"No! I just had an idea I think you'll like, and I want to pull my weight a little on making this the most magical evening ever."

"Oh yeah?" Jason asked, sitting up and moving me with him. I turned to face him, a giant smile on my face as his hands wandered to my waist. "And what might that idea be?"

"I was thinking we could go back to my place..."

"I'm with you so far."

"And then I was thinking we could make some tea and curl up on the couch and read the books we got for each other."

Jason grinned, putting one hand at the nape of my neck and pulling me in for a kiss. I smiled into it, leaning forward and resting my hands on his chest as Jason deepened it. When he finally pulled back, I was breathing hard.

"That sounds fucking perfect. You're literally my dream date, let's go."

I laughed, especially as Jason packed up our picnic with record speed, then took my hand and nearly dragged me back towards the bike. The two of us laughed the whole ride to my apartment, only to cuddle close on the couch while we started reading hand-picked books together. It was definitely too early to call, but I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my nights just like this.

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

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

DC Taglist: @gaychaosgremlin @v1ckycheesue @lavender-dinos

[isolde-illustrates]

Fintan and Bronte Headcannons

Fintan:

He needs glasses ever since the ever blaze incident. Fintan is neither nearsighted nor farsighted; his vision was mutually messed up in both ways. Incidentally, his hearing has gotten sharper because of how much he focuses on using it.

He refuses to wear his glasses despite having damage due to the bright burning light.

He also cannot smell anything except smoke faintly whenever he is near a fire. All of his nose hair has literally burnt off, so he gets a lot of sinus infections, too. The ice prison does not help at all, and he constantly has a runny nose (which he cannot stand).

Fintan sometimes walks into walls and somehow manages to pull it off so no one except the doctor who took care of him right after the incident knows how bad his vision is (the doctor was too afraid of fintan).

Everyone in the neverseen is waiting for him to admit that he can't see, but then Fintan does crazy stuff that makes them think that he actually has perfect vision and is just faking it.

Fintan does not wear shirts under his hoodies or vests because he can't stand the extra heat. (tw: scar) Fintan also hates whenever his chest is exposed because of a scar he has from the accident, so he always laces up whatever he is wearing really tight, or adds more buttons to his shirts and vests so that there are not any gaps that could show his scar if he bent forward.

His scar could have been healed, but he wanted to keep one of the scars from that day as a reminder of what happened. It's close to his heart, although the worst part is near his stomach. Bronte knows about this scar because he overheard Fintan yelling at the doctor for trying to heal that scar when Bronte was on his way to talk with Fintan about the Council.

He loves elegant clothing. That was the third thing he hated most about being kicked off the Council. Not only did he lose his ability and power, Fintan was no longer allowed to buy certain degrees of fancy clothes. As a result, he now knows how to sew very well. He still insisted on making someone else do the patchwork in the Neverseen while he was there. Alvar and Ruy normally ended up stuck with the work.

Fintan is killer in heels. He can wear those bright red kinky boots and run in them (unless there is a tree root that he does not see). Still, if the ground is visible to him, or if it is fairly level, then he will sprint in those boots. He would also kill song 6 of Kinky Boots. There is no denying it.

He and Vespera were besties and he started out borrowing Vespera's dresses, but then just went ahead and made his own. They are both fragil and frail creatures, so it definitely would have worked.

Fintan used to have hair down to his waist, but after it got burnt in the accident, he swore that he would never let it touch his shoulders again because that was the version of himself that died in the fire, the young pyrokinetic who thought that he had nothing to lose in a dangerous lesson. The only times his hair has gotten long again have been when he has been in prison, both in Exile and now ib the ice prison. In Exile, it was just past his shoulders. Fintan had cut it again, but his time in the ice prison has gotten his hair almost to his bicep.

Fintan has a thing for chickens. Besides tasting good (he can't help that he tried it when Atlantis had humans), chickens seem so trusting of him and recognize him. He had a couple at his house, and they helped with his gardening (fertilizer).

Bronte:

He has perfect vision, which annoys Fintan to the extreme, especially because Fintan sometimes has to listen to the voice before knowing who is nearby.

Bronte learned how to speak multiple human languages, which is how he was able to speak with Amy (I don't care what Shannon says about the languages being the same, why should English be the one that is exactly like the elven language and not Latin, Persian, etc).

He knows all of the human curse words that Sophie switches into when things are bad and does not call her out on it unless she forgets to switch and stays in Elvish (because he thinks it's funny when she apologies and immediately says a string of human curse words, mainly English and Spanish, but whatever she heard in a high school with the ability to hear human thoughts). She was fluent in those words before becoming a polyglot, and sometimes Bronte lets a word slip, forgetting that Sophie is there. It has become an inside joke for them.

Bronte loves layers. He will bundle himself up in longer capes and procede to almost trip on them.

He would not be caught dead in heels. (Bronte would have, however, been caught alive in heels if it was just around Fintan. Not anymore though, because he no longer trust him after the whole Neverseen thing. Bronte was the Charlie of the two, and Fintan was the Lola.)

Bronte started cutting his hair short because Fintan teased him. Originally, he and Finran both rocked the long hair. Bronte had a mullet that went to his shoulders. His cropped hair and short height reminds Fintan of a little chick (which makes sense as Fintan doesn't know if he wants to kill Bronte or keep him forever).

[epic-kotlc-crossover]

Survive

This is the second chapter of the Cyclops saga!! Hope you enjoy :)

(or cry. i did when I read this.) -cricket

Tags: @myfairkatiecat @ham-cheese-toastie @bookwormgirl123 @thesfromhms @justalunaticfangirl (let us know if you want to be tagged in the future!)

Fitz hadn't had his adrenaline so high in ages. He'd fought in a war, but this felt more... real. Instead of a bunch of people trying to kill each other—over a woman, even—he and his men were fighting against a cyclops.

A real life, hungry, cyclops.

"The rest of our crew wait for us!" Fitz roared out over the commotion. "If we get killed, they're as good as dead."

He lifted up his sword to the cheers of his men. "How great is your will to survive?"

600 lives to save. No backup. Fitz thought, narrowing his eyes and trying to think of a way to defeat the cyclops. I only have to kill him.

At the word "kill" he faltered, thinking of the infant. If he kept taking lives, how long would it take for him to become a monster?

This is different, Fitz reminded himself. But... instead of killing, maybe we can just maim him a little.

He reminded himself to reach out to Sophie as soon as this was over. She always helped.

Anyway.

"Don't die on me now, not when we're so close to coming home!" He charged forward, and managed to nick the cyclops on the leg, eliciting a howl. Fitz grinned, satisfied.

"Surround him!" The chorus of soldiers cried out. "Attack him from behind!" As they constantly stabbed and slashed at the cyclops, Fits was scanning for any way to take Polyphemus out.

He came up empty every time, and soon the thrum of frustration set in. Blood was flying everywhere, and he saw with grim satisfaction that the source of most of it was the cyclops.

"How great is your will to survive?" Fitz didn't know who said that, but it reminded him of why he was trying to survive.

Sophie.

Marella.

Ithaca.

Stay in his blindspot! Strike his heels! Fitz transmitted out the orders.

He's strong, but he's slow, he thought to himself. How could they use that to their advantage?

"No dying on me now!" He yelled. "We just need to take one life and we're free!"

He must've jinxed it.

A scream pierced the air, and Fits instantly realized that it wasn't the roars of Polyphemus that he'd been hearing for the past minutes.

No, he realized in horror, it was one of his men.

"He's got a club!"

That was....Dex. No. No, no no, no. Not Dex.

"He's got a club!" Someone screamed again.

"Captian, what are our orders?" Keefe asked urgently.

"Captian?"

"Captain!?" That was Dex. Fitz rushed over to where his friend lay on the trampled grass. Dex looked like he'd been stepped on, which he actually might've.... His torso was bleeding from several gashes, and his legs were totally crushed.

"Dex..." Fitz started, tears burning in his eyes

"Captian--" he said, then coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Please don't forget to--" he coughed a little more-- "greet the world with open arms. For me?" Dex pleaded.

Fitz nodded shakily.

Dex's chest fell still.

Fitz vaguely registered tears streaming down his cheeks as he stared at his best friend.

Dex was dead.

Six people were dead.

He was snapped out of his trance as another one of his men yelled for him. Seven. Sven people died under his command. He stood up, shifting his sword around his hand. The cyclops was going to pay.

Only, before he could do anything, Polyphemus collapsed, a cloud of dust rising from where he lay.

Fitz grinned sadly. He'd forgotten about the lotus flowers in the wine. At least not too many people had died, yet.

We have to do what it takes to survive.

[bookwyrminspiration]

Thoughts on Sophie’s love interests/their relation to her?

Okay I'm gonna try and cover a breadth, but let me know if I missed one! (this got long)

Sokeefe: Spoke about it more here, general idea is I think Keefe's become stagnant and is constantly inhibiting the plot/Sophie to an aggravating degree. He's unhealthily obsessed with her + praises her, yet is constantly meddling/steamrolling in a way I don't enjoy. I think he needs a life outside her and to actually experience consequences--Sophie should hate him for a while. As a treat. Sokeefe's execution was too quick for my tastes, but is still salvageable.

Sophitz: I'm biased; I love Fitz. He's shown remorse and growth, he spent his childhood looking for her while she spent hers wishing for someone like her. Sophie, without knowing or trying, completely annihilated all the pedestals Fitz stood on. Manifested younger, transmits farther, blocks better, etc. She's unwillingly everything he wanted to be. There's this tension, an undertone of subconscious jealousy to it all. Then the matchmaking makes it painfully clear what different worlds they come from, but it's gloriously frustrating because it didn't have to end like that, yet it was always going to, you know? They could've talked, they could've waited--but they were giddy and rushed in too soon (they never would've waited) and now they're further apart than ever. Really really hoping to see them re-find each other and establish something true and strong, non-romantically

Sodex: Sophie feels weird about it because they're technically cousins, so we're not starting strong (if Sophie didn't care, neither would I, but that's a separate thing). Furthermore, Dex fell hard for the first person in the world to not be a bigoted ass to him. Very low bar, very sweet and innocent, but entirely doomed to fail from day one. The crush was one-sided and built on nothing, the friendship forming later based on actual interactions and getting to know each other, which I think is a more compelling and sensible direction for the two of them. Dex is quick, stubborn, petty, and loyal. Big fan of what they've got now.

Sophiana: The pettiness of the first book, the push and shove. The nudge from Alden, the betrayal. Sophie consumed Biana's family's existence before she could walk, Biana always left out wanting until suddenly she was There. This thing she'd been excluded from made flesh to hate. A ratty, weird antithesis to Biana's princess reputation. The bridging of that gap and the sincerity they develop is beautiful. The ways Sophie opens Biana's eyes and Biana fights in turn to be there for her. Hoping we get more from them in-depth in the future

Solinh: Linh's resilient, caring, has spent a lifetime being an unwanted danger afraid of herself and hasn't had the time to find herself outside of survival. Sophie revolutionized Linh's world, enabled her to find the space she needed to grow and breathe easier. She's scary powerful, determined, and joyful--all of which Sophie would benefit from in turn. They could go on a journey of self-discovery and building confidence together, though right now their one-on-one scenes are a little lacking

Sopharella: Lot of layers to these two. One of her first friends, but despite that was one of the last Sophie actually got to know. Marella wanted to join and blamed Sophie for leaving her, decided it wasn't for her, then was dragged into it all anyway. They've never been super close, but are still tied together in ways they don't understand (Caprise's relationship to the Neverseen). Neither of them want to be in the situation they're in, and yet. They're in a sort of truce, but it doesn't seem either of them are doing anything to move beyond that

Hekster: Ah, rivals to lovers. Stina's unstable superiority, distancing herself from them in hopes no one remembers hey, weren't your parents...? The immaturity of "you laughed at me. you didn't even know me but you took his side" (paraphrased, Lodestar). The "We good, Foster?" Lot of hostility, but a lot of growth on Stina's part in this one (said because like 90% of Sophie's hostility is in reaction). Solid up until Stellarlune. However, I find the imbalance of that hostility to detract from the rivalry's appeal; if it was genuinely mutual instead of Stina being a bully and Sophie defending herself, I'd be more into it.

Sotam: Adore Tam. The defiance, the stubbornness, the way he'd rather fuck off and yet he's become part of this group almost against his will. The quiet burden he's given himself his whole life, the fear and responsibility. The way he'd choose Linh over the world. He's indebted to Sophie for saving Linh, for getting them out and getting her to an environment where she could connect and build her confidence. He's saved her in turn. They've got a sort of silently orbiting each other thing going on. I personally find their backgrounds (as Others), defiance, and humor to best serve a strong platonic bond.

Lopster: I don't even need to explain myself 100/10 no notes

[akariarda]

Not everything is as it seems

Thanks Sophie for the request!!Sorry for waiting.

Lord Ras tries to prevent Lloyd from being born by traveling to the past. He plans to do this by preventing Garmadon from signing Wu's love letter for Misako.

"Soon..." Lord Ras hissed through clenched teeth. "I will rid myself of you forever, green ninja!"

"I wouldn't count on that," Lloyd replied with a grin. "I have far too many good ninjas on my side!"

"That won't help you," Lord Ras retorted, his eyes flashing."Not if I travel to the past!"

"What will you do there?" Nya inquired. "Stop him from being born?"

"Precisely!" Lord Ras declared. "And I know exactly how."

"We must stop him!" Kai shouted.

"But how?" Sora asked desperately. "He’s already creating a portal!"

"Everyone, attack!" Lloyd shouted and bolted toward Lord Ras, attempting to strike him, but Ras threw him to the ground.

"How do you plan to prevent my very existence?" Lloyd panted.

"You remember that love letter, right?" Lord Ras whispered into his ear. "If that letter never reaches your father..."

"No!" Lloyd screamed. "Mom said that it isn't"

"I'm not saying she will marry Wu," Lord Ras grinned. "But she definitely will not marry Garmadon!"

"You can't know that." Lloyd shoved him back with his powers.

"Then let's find out!" Lord Ras yelled as he leaped into the portal.

"No..." Lloyd cried as he jumped in after him.

"Lloyd, wait!" Nya shouted, running after him. At that moment, the portal closed behind them.

"Nya?" Lloyd whispered quietly.

"Shh!" Nya gestured for Lloyd to be silent as they looked around.

"Wow," Lloyd breathed. "Ninjago looks so different 40 years ago... luminous."

"It really does," Nya agreed, helping Lloyd to his feet. "We need to find some different clothes... No one must see us."

"I agree," Lloyd said and rushed after Nya. ~~~~~~

"Aha, there you are." Lord Ras smirked as he took hold of the letter. "You're finished, green ninja..."

Saying this, he redirected the letter to Misako’s address.

~~~~~~

"We look a little strange," Lloyd swallowed as he observed what they had donned.

"It doesn't matter," Nya shot back with determination. "We will do our best to stay out of sight. If only we knew what Ras was planning."

"I know," Lloyd said sadly. "He plans to prevent Dad from ever signing Master Wu's love letter to Mom."

"Oh," Nya sighed. "Then we must intercept him!"

"Wait!" Lloyd called out to Nya. "I’m not sure..."

"What?" Nya looked at him with confusion.

"Mom has said multiple times that that letter is not the reason she married Dad..."Lloyd started, "And that’s not fair."

"I'm not saying they will never marry each other," Nya whispered. "But that letter brought them together...

The past is changing, the future is changing. Who knows, maybe Garmadon writes something of his own."

"I don't believe it," Lloyd said sadly. "If we must..."

"No," Nya said in a panic, grabbing Lloyd's arm.

"What?"Then Lloyd noticed.

"The portal..."Nya frowned."Let's hope you’re right and nothing really changes.

Lord Ras has certainly expedited his work."

~~~~~~

Misako frowned as she read the letter.

She didn’t know... Well, until now she hadn’t known Wu had feelings for her.

If only Garmadon felt the same. She sighed and placed the letter on the table.

If only it were from Garmadon...

She hadn’t heard a single word from him since he left to train under Chen.

~~~~~~

"Did you fix everything?" Kai panted as Nya and Lloyd returned.

"No..." Nya said sadly. "It was..."

"Lloyd, where is your hand ?" Arin shouted in alarm.

~~~~~~

"Misako," Garmadon pleaded. "I just want to talk."

"About what?" Misako shot back, avoiding his gaze.

"You know what about," Garmadon said softly. "About us."

"And now you want to talk about it?" Misako sighed. "You left to train under Chen for far too long and didn’t even send a word.

Now you show up when the war has begun and expect everything to be the same as before?"

"I... uh..." Garmadon swallowed hard. "I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disappear. I just didn’t know how..."

"Fine." Misako shrugged and turned to walk into the house.

"No!" Garmadon shouted, gently catching her arm.

Misako stopped and looked him in the eye this time.

"I truly thought about you every day," he confessed. "I didn’t have the courage to say this before... but I love you."

"Save that for when the war is over," Misako finally softened.

"Who knows when that will be?"Garmadon frowned.

"Soon."Misako looked at him thoughtfully. "When you're here, right? At least that’s what the others say about the element..."

"Don’t listen to what they say," Garmadon said sadly. "Right now, it’s not going well for us."

Misako fell silent, gazing off into the distance.

"I didn’t just come back for that at first..." Garmadon began after a while.

"And for what?" Misako asked, curiosity piqued.

"I wanted to ensure you were safe," Garmadon took her hand.

"Don’t worry about me," Misako told him.

"...And that you won’t get too close to Serpentine."Garmadon added,

"We’ll see about that."Misako replied, frowning,

"Please take care of yourself.Take care of yourself and others if we don’t succeed at every moment."Garmadon finished.

"I will," Misako affirmed, standing on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

"And you take care. Finish this as soon as possible." Garmadon smiled.

She hadn’t said she loved him, but he knew that kiss was more than just brotherly affection.

"Do you want to come in?" Misako interrupted his thoughts as she opened the door.

"Of course," Garmadon replied softly, stepping in after her.

~~~~~~

"Well, it’s good," Arin sighed. "I haven’t seen her beacouse of the rock.."

"How did you not succeed then?" Sora asked, puzzled.

Lloyd and Nya exchanged glances and smiled.

"Let’s just say that Lord Ras doesn’t quite understand the past like he thinks he does," Lloyd said to the others.

"You will tell us all about it later," Kai said. "For now, we need to deal with Lord Ras."

~~~~~~

"How are you still here?!" Lord Ras exclaimed in disbelief as he spotted Lloyd. "How did you stop me?"

"We didn't,” Nya shrugged. “You’re simply not as clever as you think you are."

"And you don’t know my parents," Lloyd added. "And now you’re over. Let’s go, Ninja-go!"

[alaydabug2]

Tag list: @sparklenarniawizard @imobsessed123 @thoughtlescat @ilikebookssomuch

Broken heart/Broken mind

Chapter Sixty-two

(Human AU)

Sophie and Keefe met in the children's hospital when they were little. Because of how long they were confined to the four walls of the hospital, they became very close during their stay.

As the years pass, they wind up being in the same classroom together due to their physical conditions. This makes their bond deepen.

But are they able to handle when life gets tough, throwing problems and complications their way?

Sophie collapsed into the waiting room chair. She pulled out her blanket she brought and started to get herself comfortable.

Ro took the seat next to her with a sigh. She rubbed the center of her forehead.

"I'm taking a nap," she decided. "I've been up for too long."

Sophie decided that was a good idea. She curled her knees into her chest, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself get drowsy. It was still dark out, but her anxiety kept her awake.

If she couldn't fall asleep, she took the next best thing. She pulled the covers up over her head and pretended that nothing else existed.

She wasn't sure how long she had stayed like that for, but when she didn't come back to the rest of the world until Ro's voice said, "I'm getting a coffee from the Starbucks down the street, Blondie. Wanna come with me?"

Sophie wiggled out of the covers, taking in a breath of fresh air. "Yeah, I'll go."

The drive there was painfully silent. They ended up stuck behind a car for ten minutes.

With the wait, Sophie asked, "How long will the surgery take?"

Ro pondered it for a moment. "Usually takes about eight hours without complications or anything unexpected."

"And if there are?"

"Could be a good while longer. I'm thinking it'll probably take nine hours, but it should go fairly smooth."

She glanced at the clock. It was eight am. Surgery had only been in for around an hour. It was going to be an extremely long day.

They made it back to the waiting room. Sophie decided to pull out her book and start reading. When lunch came around, her and Ro went downstairs to the Subway.

"Think he'll want a cookie when he wakes up?" Ro mused, staring at the baked goods.

Sophie shrugged. "Can always save it for later if he doesn't."

"Good point."

They sat down at one of the tables with their sandwiches. After a few minutes of eating in silence, Ro said, "I'm planning on moving back home."

That took Sophie by surprise. "Really? How come?"

She shrugged. "I just... wanna keep a better eye on Keefe. Especially while he's recovering. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to him and I could've been there to prevent it. Already talked to Bo about it. He figured it's a good enough excuse for his parents to accept it."

"How long do you plan to stay for?"

"Not quite sure yet. At least a few months."

Eventually, Sophie wasn't able to force any more of her food down. Her stomach was sloshy with her unspoken worries.

The two of them went back upstairs soon after. Sophie decided to give another attempt at sleeping.

It wasn't long after when a nurse had come into the room. Sophie was puzzled. It was only twelve thirty.

"Family of Keefe Sencen?" She said.

Ro raised her hand. "Yes? We're here."

The nurse turned in their direction, crossing the patterned carpet.

"Hello, my name is Livvy." She held a hand out. Ro shook it. "I wanted to inform you on your... son?"

"Brother," Ro corrected. "Fourteen years apart."

"Ah, sorry about that. Anyway, I wanted to give you an update on how surgery has been going so far. It's been more complicated than we were expecting." Sophie's heart dropped. "He's been bleeding more than anticipated. Needed a blood transfusion. He also flat lined on us for a moment a couple of times. Don't worry, we were able to get him back, but be prepared for waiting longer than originally anticipated."

The nurse turned to leave. Sophie tugged at her eyelashes. The thought of Keefe flat lining, made her lunch want to come back up. Tears burned her eyes.

Ro grabbed her hand. "Hey. He's alright now. They're taking care of him."

"I know," Sophie whispered.

"I heard what you told him before he went back earlier." Sophie froze. She hadn't meant for anyone else to hear that. "And I know you're worried, I am too. But he's made it this far. He won't go that easily."

She nodded.

Not much was spoken the next several hours. When Livvy came back to say they could come see Keefe, the surgery had taken close to twelve hours.

Keefe was still extremely drowsy when they were let back into his room. Sophie cringed when she saw the tube down his throat. The good news, however, was that he was awake and responsive.

Sophie hung back while Ro went to go see her brother. The nurses were working on him. When they were about to remove the tube, she came next to the bed. They started taking out a few of the IVs he had, one being in his neck.

One of the nurses loomed over him. "Can you tell me your name?"

He swallowed. "Keefe... Sencen," his voice was just above a rasp.

"Good job!"

A time later, the nurses finally dissipated, only checking in periodically. Sophie sat by his beside, massaging his scalp and holding his hand. Ro was running her hand up and down his arm.

Keefe reached out, trying to grab something. He whimpered a bit. Ro followed to where he was looking at.

"Water?" She guessed.

He nodded. She took the water and brought it down to his level. He drank it through the straw for a few moments before letting Ro take it back.

"I got a cookie for you earlier," she told him. "You want it yet?"

He shook his head.

After a while, he fell back asleep. Sophie curled up on the chair, trying her best to get comfortable.

"Do you want the pull out couch?" Ro offered. "I can sleep in the chair if you don't want to."

"I'm good," she assured.

Sophie pulled out Ella the elephant. She gazed down at her boyfriend. Her pulse felt like it was finally calming down now that she knew he made it through. The beeps of the heart monitor eventually lulled her to sleep.

[kellyvela]

I'm so glad there's news about The Dreadful. It's so sweet that Sophie suggested it, it shows that they are good friends. And I imagine that they talked and then Sophie tells Kit that there is such an project and Kit immediately agrees, because he has been waiting for an opportunity for a long time (as far as I remember, Kit wanted to shoot in something else with Sophie, but I don't remember when this interview took place). He sounds very exiting about this, so I hope that after his play, all issues will be resolved and filming will begin in the fall and we will be able to see it next year and let's not forget about the promos. I hope everything will work out and not be canceled. Oh, maybe Sophie will say something during Joan's promo. Good thing Kit shed some light now.

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!! Kit talking about the Jonsa Movie The Dreadful 👹 made my day ❤️

They are so sweet when they talk about each other. Here is the quote about Kit wanting to work with Sophie again:

Also this one from Sophie about both being parents now:

Thanks for your message 😊

[gemini-sensei]

What if Alexopoulos!Reader doesn't tell anyone who her baby daddy is?

Part One | Part Three Coming Soon

Because I feel like it, I'm going with cottagecore!Alexopoulos for this. @sensei-venus

Reader was relieved when her brother and mother weren't upset that she was pregnant. She didn't wait too long to tell them, but didn't want to do that alone. Luckily, Moon was by her side the whole time. She held Reader's hand through the whole time, rubbing her back when she needed to take a deep breath and helped her keep her head up.

As soon as she heard the news, Sophie Alexopoulos went to her daughters other side and hugged her. Reader cried on her shoulder as she apologized, knowing this wasn't easy for her single mother to hear. But Sophie just shushed her and told her not to be sorry, but Reader still cried because she was so uncertain.

Demetri was speechless. Of all the people he thought would have a teenage pregnancy, it wasn't his little sister. He was a mix of emotions in the moment; confusion mostly.

He was the one to ask who the father was and watched his sister burst into wailing sobs. As their mom and Moon had to calm her down from almost hyperventilating. His confusion soon turned to anger, understanding that someone had seriously hurt his sister and from that moment forward, he knew better than to ever ask again.

That's how things started, eventually leading to Moon joining her for appointments and shopping trips. She stays close to Reader at school and keeps her away from any karate drama happening, keeping her best interest in mind. Demetri becomes far more protective over his sister, and as they tell their friends about the pregnancy, so do they.

With them, so close, they notice things, like how she never wants to go out. It's never because she sick, she never gives them that excuse. "I just don't feel like it," she'll tell them and they're apprehensive to leave her at home.

When at school, she avoids certain hallways altogether. She doesn't want to eat in the cafeteria anymore. She's excused from gym class, but has the option to go outside with her class on nice days and won't. She tucks herself away in the library and hopes to not be found, but Sam or Robby or Moon always end up finding her.

Her big sweaters hide her growing belly. No one expects the bumb under the pale and creamy colors, behind the mushroom embroidery and charming overall dresses or long skirts.

The more she hangs out with Moon, the more their styles compliment each other. Moon takes her out shopping for maternity clothes as that time draws nearer, but Reader doesn't like any of the typical stuff. So they shop around at thrift stores until they find some things within her style that are just bigger and just right for a baby bump.

Reader doesn't talk a lot, which is odd when she's with her friends. Around new people, sure, but even with her own brother, she's quiet. They're usually so close, but ever since this started, she's been a little distant with everyone.

One day, the coach tells Reader she can't sit inside anymore, that the sun will be good for her and the baby. She makes Reader dress in her gym uniform and it's the first time her belly has been put on full display. Her shirt is tight around her whole torso, her belly peeking out at the bottom.

So when she walks outside, Hawk sees her. He sees the way her shirt is pulled taut over her belly, thinking about how she looks so different than he's used to seeing her. It's so obvious to him and everyone else there that she's pregnant. And as she takes a seat, he knows it's his baby growing in her belly.

He forgets everything and starts walking over to her, but she spots him and tenses up. Her hand goes to her belly and she starts breathing hard. Moon, who is close by, sees and hears her stressing out. She rushes over and sits beside Reader, trying to calm her down.

"Hey, whats wrong? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?"

Hawk stops, frozen in his tracks. He's bot far from the pair, able to hear Moon's gentle voice as she simultaneously rubs Reader's back and belly. She's nurturing and calm, but Reader is staring Hawk down, but only until Moon follows her gaze and sees him. She puts her head down and Hawk feels ashamed, thinking that he's done something very wrong if the girl having his baby doesn't want to see him or talk to him or even be near him.

And he knows the baby is his. He just knows it because Reader is loyal and kind and only has a few close friends.

He's heartbroken as he watches Moon stand with Reader and walk her away from him, the look on her face cross and rather unfriendly. It's odd coming from her, but it's obvious him her first priory is Reader and getting her away from him.

Moon doesn't ask what happened again. So long as Reader and the baby are okay, that's all she cares about. She just assumed Hawk's edge and attitude are threatening to Reader. After all, it isn't a far fetched idea given his rivalry with Demetri. So she doesn't talk about it, instead focusing on soothing her mind, using breathing exercises.

As Hawk watches them from afar, he can't help but feel jealous. That should be him either Reader, holding her hand as they sit in the grass field and talk aoftly to each other. Instead, he's yards away made to watch because he knows he's fucked everything up.

After school, Moon takes Reader to her next appointment. They're going to find out if the baby is a boy or girl, so she treats Reader to a little afternoon lunch to satisfy her cravings, then they're off to the doctor's office.

As they're sitting in the waiting room, Moon is gushing and fussing over Reader's belly. She has one hand on her belly the whole time, feeling the baby squirm around. She talks to the baby in a cutesy voice, which makes Reader smile as she watches. Reader just stays quiet and holds her belly, but greets the nurse that calls her back.

She's a excited to find out what the baby is, bjt a little nervous too. She doesn't know what she wants it to be, but knows she'll be happy with whatever her squirmy little baby is. So when she's up on the table with her belly slathered with gel and Moon holding her hand, she's antsy. She can't seem to sit very still and she wants to know already, a little more than a little impatient.

When they learn she's having a little girl, Moon squeals and hugs Reader. The technician thinks they're a couple and congratulates them, making the girls become a little flustered. They don't correct her for calling them a "happy couple" and she leaves. Moon helps clean Reader up, then they leave and they go to the baby store for clothes.

"Go crazy," Moon tells Reader as she grabs a basket. "It's on me."

Reader doesn't want to spend too much money, but as they go through the store, she finds cute dresses and shirts and onesies. Flower patterned dresses and little frilly socks, daisies and snails on top of sage green and cream colored clothes. Before she knows it, she and Moon have filled up two shopping baskets. They have everything imaginable in their hands and as they're checking out, Moon can't help watching the way Reader smiles.

She takes Reader home and helps her put away the clothes, folding them and putting them into the little dresser she has for the baby. Reader has split her bedroom in half to share with the baby, a little crib set up opposite of her bed, a bassinet right beside her bed for the first few months of her baby's life, and a new dresser that's perfect for all the baby clothes. It's not a lot, but it's a good start, and for the room that she has to work with, it's great.

Read and Moon are sitting on her bed, just talking about how cute the baby will be wearing the new onesies they brought. It's lots of giggles and sweet whispers, as if they're hiding a secret from anyone else around. As the baby starts to squirm again, Moon rubs Reader's bump and talks soothingly to the baby.

"Getting your daily exercise in, huh? Are you trying out yoga in there or is it a dance party?" she asks with a giggle.

It makes Reader laugh and it's the happiest anyone has seen her in weeks. She leans onto Moon, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder as they rub her belly in small circles.

"She's gonna be a cutie, just like her mama," Moon says softly.

Reader's cheeks turn hot and she hides her face in Moon's shoulder. "I'm not all that pretty..."

Moon lifts Reader's head with a gentle motion, holding her chin sweetly. "You're very beautiful, Reader, whether you see it or not. Inside and out."

Reader feeling her heart start hammering in her chest. It's the first time in months someone has ever said such lovely things to her and she can't deny that she also thinks Moon is beautiful. She takes a quick glance at her lips before looking back into her pretty eyes. Moon's smile widens and she leans into Reader, pressing a sweet and simple kiss to Reader's lips.

When she pulls away, Reader leans in to follow, but leans back again shyly. Moon laughs softly and it's like listening to an angel. She kisses Reader again, longer this time but still as sweet. Their arms come to wrap around watch other and they moan softly into one another's mouths. Then they're laying on the comfortable bed and just holding each other while making out. Moon rubs Reader's bump gently, showing her she likes all of her no matter what.

It's tender and sweet, beautiful, and for the first time in a long time, Reader truly feels wanted.

[alabamasweettea]

the daisy

Requested by @jungkookck! I really loved writing this, hope you enjoy! <3

Fandom: The Illusionist

Pairing: Eisenheim/fem!reader

Tags: fluff, canon divergence

All your life you've been a fly on the wall. Sophie's sister. The other von Teschen.

When you met Eduard, he made you feel like you. Not the spare daughter, not anyone's sidekick. You.

"You can call me Ed." He was nearing fourteen, loitering around the door of a perfume shop just to see you. You smiled over the stacks of dainty glass bottles in the window, catching his eye. His clothes were too large, probably handed down from a sibling. Or father.

But you didn't care. His eyes were big and brown and kind. They blinked owlishly from under a mop of dark hair where the boy scuffed his shoe in the dusty road, waiting for you and your mother to emerge.

When you did—finally, after what felt like days as your mother hmphed her way through numerous bottles—he held a flower in his hand. A daisy. Its white petals were already wilting, an hour since picked, but you treasured it from the moment he offered it with a bow and a cheeky smile.

"Can I come see you?" He whispered after he'd kissed your cheek, his mouth still so close to your ear. Your face felt hot.

"Perhaps. Come to the hawk's oak tomorrow?" You answered with a small smile, trying to choke it down before anyone noticed.

"I'll be there." Your mother was looking back by then, and he skittered away.

Needless to say you weren't allowed to go out the next day, or the next. You never saw Ed again.

Then.

Fifteen years later, you were in Vienna on holiday with your sister and her new husband, not much enjoying yourself. The weather was bad. There wasn't anything fun to do, except go to some delusioned magician's sideshow. Surely this couldn't be his real job, could it?

As you sat in the uncomfortable wooden seat, afraid to move too much for fear of making it creak but insistent on flicking your fan every so often in boredom, a minute detail encroached on your senses.

A daisy.

It was in the man's lapel, stuck through his buttonhole. Its crisp white petals fresh, unwilted like the one you remembered from so long ago.

Is it? It can't be.

Don't be stupid, you chided yourself. Surely many men wore daisies. But you couldn't help wondering.

After the show you wandered about, too sick of your new brother-in-law to stick to the pair's side. He was too old for her, you thought. Too crisp. Black bowtie always perfectly done up. Infuriating.

There was a low murmur in the crowd as you were pushed aside, falling onto someone.

"I'm sorry," you began, before finding yourself looking into eyes brown as molten chocolate. An old wound on his nose peeked out from under pale scar tissue.

The man blinked in that same way you had dreamed of for years, leading you to believe...

It was him.

You hesitated.

"Eduard?" It wasn't supposed to come out, but it did, soft and unassuming as a whisper of breath.

Brown eyes crinkled up at the corners, forever stamped by crow's feet. They burned with recognition, with rekindled affection.

"I know you." There was his voice. There were his eyes, glinting with something not unlike mischief, rather tainted by something else. He looked at you like you were the only other person in the room, on earth. He looked at you like he wanted to hold your hand and keep you forever.

So he did.

Taking your hand, he kissed your cheek again, just like he had all those years ago.

"Can I come see you?" Repeating the very same words--you nearly melted.

"Perhaps," You answered coyly.

He smiled, tucking the daisy behind your ear and you took his arm, heading off to face the world together.

[silverhallow]

Strangers All At Once: Leave me Slowly

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Pairing: Sophie Beckett x Benedict Bridgerton

Summary: Sophie is preparing to come face to face once again with the entire Bridgerton family...

Two heartbeats, never in time Two lovers over enemy lines I know we're broken but don't wanna believe it You're so close to saying the words Way past the point of any return It's such a shame and I don't wanna believe it Oh, if I could go back to that evening we met Trembling hands as I'd ask for your number again You saw me different then Oh, when I held your heart in my hand So, if you're gonna leave me Just leave me slowly

Warnings: Little bit of swearing Word Count: 2.4k Author's Note: this is going to be an angsty and yearning story... and a big ass misunderstanding. it can also be found on AO3 here

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Four weeks after Benedict had called in to visit Sophie at The Cottage cafe, they’d fallen into a routine and a strange sort of friendship. They laughed and joked like they’d used to, messaging often and it felt comforting. There was even a bit of flirting going on and Sophie couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he did feel differently about her now.

Kate and Anthony had set their wedding date and had decided to marry at Aubrey Hall and rather than waiting too long they’d decided to marry before the end of the summer which meant there was not much time to get everything prepared and Violet was planning the wedding with Kate’s step mother Mary and they’d decided to have a big dinner at Aubrey Hall to plan everything and as Sophie was both maid of honour and making the cake and arranging the catering, they’d insisted Sophie come.

Sophie had felt sick about the idea of confronting Benedict’s family, she had no idea what he’d told them when they split. Kate had told her that Benedict had been heartbroken when they’d split and Sophie had just brushed it off as lies, assuming that Kate thought it was what she’d wanted to hear.

She’d clearly remembered what she’d heard him saying that fateful night, she knew he wasn’t heartbroken but if he’d told his family that he was…

Then she dreaded meeting them. It was why she’d avoided every invite Kate had sent her way over the last two years and she’d even missed the engagement party but now she knew she had no choice.

Benedict had texted her to tell her that his mother expected her there, Kate had messaged her and when she’d replied to them both saying she wasn’t sure if she’d be free, Kate told her under no uncertain terms she had to be there and Benedict had replied: “mum said if you don’t come, she’ll come to the cafe and drag you there herself… I can give you a lift if you want?”

Sophie had pondered this but figured if she took her own car it would be easier to get away if things were getting out of hand. She knew she’d done the right thing two years ago, she’d left him before he could leave her so she had no idea why she was so terrified of his family.

3 months was barely anything, she must have been another in a long line of women that he’d introduced to his family but still, depending on what he told them… 

She knew it was going to be a rough evening so she’d declined the offer of a lift, promised to be there but vowed she’d find a reason to make a quick escape.

Benedict had been a little disappointed that Sophie had said she’d make her own way to Aubrey Hall but he had a feeling he knew that she’d want a quick escape route and assumed that was why she was taking her own car.

It had taken him two days to convince both his mother and two of his younger sisters, all of whom had adored Sophie in the short period of time they were together to be civil to her. Violet had seen the state Benedict had gotten himself in after the split but he’d never gone into details as to why she’d left or what she’d said as she’d left.

He barely understood it, the way he’d come home to find her things packed as she said  “it’s better this way. It never works out in the end and I’m just saving you a job”

Saving him a job? He’d been planning to ask her to move in properly, planning to ask her to marry him, to tell her that he loved her and to hell with it being too soon… it was far from the truth that he’d wanted to split up with her but now…

They were just two heartbeats that never seemed to be in time with one another, two lovers that seemed to end up over enemy lines… though he had been heart broken he’d never hated her and that was what he’d told his mother and sisters.

It had been that information that had made them promise to behave and be nice to Sophie.

Everyone was already at Aubrey Hall and Benedict was nervously pacing around the hallway, waiting for Sophie to arrive when his mother walked down “are you sure she’s actually going to come?” Violet asked

“Yes mother, she promised me she’d be here” he said

“She’s made promises before…”

“Mother…” Benedict said warningly

“Ben, I meant what i said, i will be polite, i will be a gracious host but I am first and foremost your mother and I do not want to see you hurt again” Violet said

“You don’t need to worry about that” Benedict said dismissively

“Do I not? Ben, you’ve spent four weeks messaging her, talking about her… I know you’re drawing again… I know you. I know your heart never left her… so just… be careful. I am not sure I can put you back together again” Violet said, placing a hand on his elbow.

“Mother, there is nothing going on between us. Just… leave it okay. I am a big boy, I know what I am doing. She might still be the most beautiful woman i’ve ever met and I miss her, I am pragmatic and i know it’s pointless” Benedict said in a tone that suggested he wanted to end the subject and thankfully his phone just vibrated and a message from Sophie appeared to say she was five minutes out and he walked off towards the garage to go meet her.

Violet sighed as she watched her son leave, she had always suspected there was more to the break up than he’d let on. Sophie had gushed only two days prior to their break up about how happy Ben made her and how she thought she loved him, so the break up had been a shock for her as it had been him and she’d wondered if Benedict had done something to upset her. They’d been at Aubrey Hall for the week with Anthony and the rest of the family for Benedict’s birthday.

It was the day after they’d gone home that Benedict had turned up at Number 5 saying it was over and it had never made sense to her.

She never wanted to think badly of her children but she knew that he had in the past had overlapping girlfriends but the fact he’d brought Sophie to meet his family and he’d never done that before and she had practically moved in with him had made her think, like Anthony had changed his ways when he met Kate… that Benedict had found the one.

Violet walked away towards the living room where the rest of her children were gathered and vowed that by the time Anthony and Kate married, that she would find out the truth. If she had to enlist Eloise and Hyacinth in her mission then she would.

~*~

Sophie had decided to make a peace offering before coming to Aubrey Hall. She knew the Bridgerton appetite well. The way to most of their hearts was through their stomachs.

Over the last few months since she’d opened the cafe and made Kate promise not to tell the Bridgerton’s she owned the place. She knew Francesca and Eloise would often come into the cafe, so she’d often hide in the back of the cafe and pretend she wasn’t there, and made Michael and Phillip promise not to say anything about her owning the place. Colin had come in once or twice with Penelope and Sophie had had to take drastic action to hide in the walk-in fridge to avoid them.

She knew they loved cake and sweet treats and she remembered that Violet was partial to her scones so she’d spent the entire day before the meal baking and making treats in the back of the cafe as Michael had teased her

“You know most people wouldn’t go through this much effort for an ex-boyfriend’s family” he’d teased as he watched Sophie mixing sugar and butter together for her cake.

“True but considering said family is going to be my best friend's family… and I am maid of honour, I can’t just rock up empty handed. I have no idea what Benedict said to them about our break up but I can assure you it wouldn’t have been pretty and I will be the villain of the piece so i need some sort of peace offering” she said

Phillip had rolled his eyes “You could just tell them the truth about it all” 

“Not you as well!” Sophie groaned “when I agreed to let you both come work with me it wasn’t for your therapist skills and sorry but neither of you are qualified to give me relationship advice” 

Michael grinned “actually i’d rather think we’re both well positioned to give you advice on the Bridgerton’s” 

Sophie rolled her eyes,  “just because you both flirt with Fran and El when they come in doesn’t make you experts and besides, you pretty much fuck anything with a pulse and have never had a relationship that lasts longer than a weekend so have never been in a position like this and Phil, no offense but you knocked up the first girl you had sex with and now have twins and haven’t had a relationship since… so neither of you… can talk” 

Michael and Phillip exchanged a look and when Phillip went to open his mouth to say something Michael shook his head and gave him a look that told him to keep his mouth shut, Sophie didn’t need to know the truth, she’d find out soon enough but he didn’t want the surprise to be ruined.

“Fair enough but still, this seems a bit overboard”

“You’ve seen how the Bridgerton’s eat. This is light compared to usual. And besides it’s a few wedding cake samples at the same time so i’m killing two birds with one stone but I do need a favour from one of you…”

“What sort of favour…?” Phillip asked

“Nothing awful, I just… if things are a bit… tense, if i text you with an SOS I need one of you to call me with a cafe related emergency so I can make a get away…” she asked

Michael burst out laughing “absolutely not. This is your bed boss. Lie in it… though i am sure if you asked Benedict to join you, he would”

“Fuck you. Phillip? Will you do it?”

“No. he’s right about it, you need to face them, you’re going to be part of the wedding party you can’t keep escaping, Kate would kill you and besides, I have it on the best authority that they’ve all promised to be on their best behaviour”

Sophie missed the last part of his sentence as she growled “i hate you both”

“No you don’t. But seriously, you know if you just told them the truth about it all, I am sure Ben would forgive you, as would the rest of the Bridgerton’s and you could have him back. I know you miss him” Michael said

Sophie rolled her eyes “I do not miss him” she lied

Michael and Phillip both snorted. They knew that most of the art work on the walls were Benedict’s, Eloise had recognised one of the paintings. Michael knew that the place was named after the home they’d talked about… but neither of them had said anything but now they could see they were pushing their luck and decided to leave it. 

They’d find a way to interfere at some point, it seemed stupid that Sophie was so reluctant to do anything especially now the evil bitch was dead… but they knew that Sophie was a stubborn mule when she wanted to be so they decided it was safer, and not worth losing their jobs over, so remained silent.

Sophie wished it was as simple as they made it seem and that it was just because of Araminta but the words she’d overheard Benedict telling Anthony would haunt her forever, she’d been so close to finding heaven on earth, she’d thought she’d found the other half of her soul.

Her mind kept going back to that evening that they’d met, how he saw her differently then, how he’d seen her in a way no one else had and the way, with trembling hands she’d asked for his number and he’d invited her home…

It didn’t matter anymore. She couldn’t go back to the start, to try again. It wasn’t something that could be restarted, she couldn’t go back and undo what she did. 

She left, she’d left quickly because there was no way she could have hung around and waited for him to leave her… she could have left slowly, she could have had one more night, one more dance around the kitchen and held him one for one more night, savouring that last moment, that last memory that would have to last her a lifetime.

She was lonely, she’d never say it but she was lonelier now than she’d ever been when she was with her step mother. She’d known and tasted happiness, she’d thought she’d been loved… she thought for the first time in her life she was experiencing what it was to be loved and wanted and it had all been a lie…

That was why, that was the real reason… not just because Araminta threatened her… she’d planned to tell him, to find a way to get past it… but when she’d heard…

She shook her head, she didn’t want to relive that… even though she was going back to the place she’d felt her heart break… where she’d lost everything she’d ever wanted… that was the real reason she wanted the escape. 

If it all became too much for her, she wanted a way out… but to tell Michael and Phillip the truth would make her feel vulnerable. More vulnerable than she ever wanted to be again…

It was why she didn’t date anymore. She didn’t want to be hurt. She never wanted to feel that level of pain again but little did she know as she drove up the drive into Aubrey Hall, that the pain she’d felt then… was all going to come flooding back.

[captainsophiestark]

Broadway Calling

Angie Martinelli x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Angie Martinelli's having a crisis of confidence before an audition. Thankfully, she has someone she loves to help pick her up.

Word Count: 1,746

Category: Fluff

A/N: Happy Friday the 13th everybody!

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I grinned as I watched my girlfriend behind the counter of the Automat, moving like a whirlwind as she took care of the last of her responsibilities for the day. The customers at the counter had all the water, coffee, and food they could ask for, the table was wiped, and Angie's apron got hung on the hook in the kitchen all in a matter of moments. Then she was moving towards me, leaving the job behind her before anyone knew what was happening, or had a second to bark another request at her.

Angie's eyes scanned the room as she left her work behind for the day, and the moment she caught sight of me, a beaming smile broke out on her face. My heart stuttered in my chest. I lived to bring that look to her face, and I'd spend all day, every day making her smile like that if I could.

This time, the smile and the little laugh that followed were down to the sign in my hands. I'd written out "Miss Angie Martinelli" in fancy print, holding it up like they did for famous people at the airport. I was picking Angie up to take her to a big audition today, and I wanted to help her feel as confident as possible. To me, she was already a star. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the world figured it out, too.

"Miss Martinelli?" I asked, grinning widely as Angie finally reached me. She gave me a stunning smile in return, dipping into a playful curtsey.

"Right here, honey." She straightened up, closing the rest of the distance between us, and I put down the sign to pull her in for a quick kiss. "You know, this is the kind of celebrity treatment I could get used to."

"I'm sure it's not far off. Chauffeurs, your name in lights, the works. You ready to head out?"

Angie huffed a breath, then gave me a grin that looked a little more forced than usual.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With that, she linked her arm in mine, pulling me out the door with her. She spoke and moved and smiled like the enthusiastic whirlwind I'd fallen in love with, but something wasn't quite right. She fidgeted in the seat next to me in the car when she didn't think I was looking, and when we got to the place they were holding the audition, her hand shook when she reached for the doorhandle.

"Angie," I said, stopping her halfway out of the passenger seat of my car. "...Are you okay?"

"What? Of course I'm okay," she said, just a little too quickly, waving me off with a laugh. "It's just yet another chance at the rest of my life, the start of my dreams, just waiting to go to some other actress who has god knows what that I don't."

I frowned, shifting closer to Angie across the car's center console as she closed the car door again, flopping back in her seat with a sigh.

"Ange, all the greats ever talk about is how many times they heard no before they finally got their yes. It sucks, and I'd be happy to fight every single idiot of a casting director who ever looked at you and didn't realize how amazing you are, but it doesn't reflect on you. Don't let them convince you that it does."

"How can it not reflect on me?" she snapped, whipping around to face me. "If it wasn't a problem with me, don't you think somebody would've said yes by now?"

"No! Angie, every interview you hear with all these stars is how long they spent working a shitty job, going to shitty auditions just to get shooed out of the room after two lines, before they finally had someone recognize what was hiding there all along. That's you, babe. You are such a bright, shining light of a person, and you're a goddamned fantastic actress, and some day you're going to be on a big radio show laughing about how many people told you no and missed out on signing the biggest star of the generation."

Angie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "That's not true. Hell, I was doing my best to keep it together the whole way here and even you could see through my lousy acting."

"Your acting was not lousy. The only reason I didn't start interrogating you at the Automat was because I wasn't totally sure something was wrong! You would've fooled everyone else alive, babe, but I know you. I've got an advantage."

Angie just sighed, shaking her head and sinking back into her seat.

"I just... I don't know how many more times I can take myself to the edge of reason, shaking out of my boots and putting on a show anyway, only for nothing to come of any of it."

"Angie Martinelli. You are a force of nature. I've seen you bulldoze through challenges, hurdles, assholes trying to cause you problems, and everything else in your way. You are an unstoppable whirlwind, and dammit, I refuse to believe there's anything in this life you can't go out and get if you really put your mind to it. Is it gonna be easy? Obviously no! But neither is a lot of the other stuff you've done! You've handled jerks at the Automat, including coworkers. You saved Peggy from a bunch of trained government agents who bought your act hook, line, and sinker. You convinced Miss Fry you're a demure, polite, quiet person that she should take under her wing! You're a fantastic actress, and more than that, you're smart and strong as hell. So fuck everybody who doesn't see it. Don't let them get to you. You're goddamn Angie Martinelli!"

As I spoke, a little bit more of the life came back into Angie with each word. By the time I finished, she wasn't totally back to normal, but she was sitting up straight again and facing me with the first sincere smile she'd had all night.

"You really think so?"

"Yes, Angie. My god, do I have to go in there and fight a casting director for you?"

She grinned, throwing open her car door without taking her eyes off mine.

"I'll let you know in a twenty minutes."

I laughed as Angie turned around and stepped out onto the sidewalk, back straight and chin held high. I saw her take a long, deep breath, just staring up at the building ahead of her, before taking her first purposeful step forward, gaining speed as she went. She only paused once, when she got to the door, to shoot me a determined nod as she disappeared into the belly of the beast. I grinned back at her and gave her a double thumbs-up.

Once Angie was out of sight, I went and parked the car, then moved into the lobby of the building to wait for her. I wished I could sit with her straight through the audition, but I'd just have to settle for seeing her the moment she got out.

I tried not to figdet or look at my watch too often, but it got harder and harder with each passing second. When I finally gave in, it had been almost fifteen minutes since Angie had left the car. She should've been done, or at least close to done, by now.

Ten minutes later, and I still hadn't seen my girlfriend. I stood up, at least to start pacing and maybe to go find Angie, when a door swung open and she appeared. She walked slowly, all of the energy taken out of her, and my heart dropped to my shoes.

"Ange?" I called, taking a few tentative steps towards her. She picked her head up to look at me, her eyebrows drawn and the corners of her mouth pointing down. "Babe, are you okay?"

Slowly, she shook her head.

"I have some bad news," she said, a humorless laugh on her breath. I closed the rest of the distance between us, taking her in my arms as I met her watery eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. We're not gonna get to spend as much time together, because I'm going to be in rehearsals every day starting next week."

A grin spread across Angie's face as she said the words, but it still took a second for them to sink in. When it finally did, my heart shot back up into my chest like a rocket, making the room spin under me as relief washed over me. I held on tighter to Angie, beaming at her as her act fell away at last.

"Angie, are you kidding me? CONGRATULATIONS! Babe, that's amazing!" I pulled her in tight for a hug, then after a few long moments, pulled away just enough to kiss her like my life depended on it. We finally broke apart for air, Angie laughing happily as she looked at me.

"Can you believe it? It still doesn't feel real to me."

"Of course I believe it! I never had a doubt."

Angie raised an eyebrow. "You sure looked like you had a doubt when I walked out here."

"Because you looked devastated! The fact that I believed you got rejected is just evidence of how damn good you are! But no more using it on me, okay? That's an unfair superpower."

Angie gigled, shaking her head at me as she smiled, and my heart started doing backflips in my chest. She radiated light and warmth like the sun, and having her look at me with all the love in her eyes made me the luckiest person on planet earth.

"Alright, I promise. As long as you promise to be front row on opening night."

"Are you kidding me? I'd never be anywhere else! Now come on, let's go out somewhere and celebrate. My girlfriend finally got her big break. I gotta go shout about it from the rooftops."

Angie just grinned at me as she took my hand, the two of us heading for the doors side by side and shoulder to shoulder, like we always were. I had her back, she had mine, and that's the way it'd always be. Come crazy secret agents or life-changing auditions or just Mrs. Fry finally getting wise to the fact that Angie and I were dating, we would handle it together. And like that, we were unbeatable.

I was already mentally planning the bouquet and sign I wanted to bring Angie for her opening night.

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

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

Marvel Taglist: @valkyriepirate @infinetlyforgotten @sagesmelts @gaychaosgremlin

[redpensandgreenarrows]

What do you think about the Bridgerton (show) changed the timeline and stories — especially Francesca's and Benedict's?

I'll start with Benedict...

So, the tl;dr is: not mad about it. I feel like the choices they've made 1.) fit pretty seamlessly with his book-canon personality, 2.) make sense based on what was added to his story in S1 (still bitter that Lord Granville and his wife haven't been back. I really like his and Ben's friendship). Not going to lie, the writers actually surprised me in Part 2, because from the beginning of this season I was very hesitant/borderline disliking Lady Tilly. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, because I applauded her confidence and moxie. And I 100% know that Benedict is attracted to that personality: someone who challenges him and takes none of his shit. But my worry stemmed from why she was pursuing Benedict... My prediction was that Ben was the one who was falling hard and was going to reveal his feelings to Tilly in Part 2. But he would ultimately be the one crushed, because I saw Tilly as an ultimate predator (I mean this in an animal sense, not creepy felony sense) - Big Cat energy - who ensnares men for fun and then crushes them when they get too close or clingy. Imagine my shock when it was actually TILLY who caught feelings and Benedict shut it down. (A "pleasant" surprise) And for sleeping with a man... frankly, I'm surprised it didn't happen when he was at art school.

But nothing about Benedict's sexuality - or I guess more defined sexuality from what the book gave us - bothers me. It makes sense. When it comes to Sophie, I'm not going to lie, I don't what her changed. I love my girl, and I want to see that story. But the reality is that decision is out of my hands, and if changes are made, I'll have to find a way to make peace with it. But I'll cross that bridge if we get there 🙂.

Oh, and as for moving Benedict's season around: I was a little bitter right after S2, but that faded as we waited for S3. I mean, I can't be mad about all this delicious Benedict development. Gimme as much Benedict for as long as we have him!

Moving on to Francesca...

Again, the tl;dr: my immediate reaction to meeting Michaela wasn't disappointment, just some shock. I didn't see that change coming either. Any disappoints I did feel were actually choices the writers made for Francesca. My initial reaction to Michaela was "Oh! She seems like a firecracker. This will be fun!". As for Francesca, I was a little disappointed in the writing for 1.) having Francesca be disappointed post-kiss with John, because in the books Fran truly did love John! And while I think she does love John in the show, I was just sad to see that they gave this couple something that "didn't meet all of Fran's expectations". And 2.) having Francesca "struck by infatuation" with Michaela immediately. Not that Fran can't or shouldn't have that experience, but just from book-canon perspective Michael/Michaela is the one who struggles with feelings for Fran. Because Fran does love John as well, and I just hope they don't sour John/Fran really quickly. But that's just my personal feelings.

As for the other big disappointment I see people discussing when it comes to Fran's story: fertility issues, I've struggled to think of a response to add to this conversation (also, it's been a while since I've read Fran's story and I completely forgot about this part). And I have stayed out of it because I don't really have anything to add. I'm not someone who has struggled with fertility or even attempted to have kids, so my emotions when it comes to that topic don't really exist, or at least nothing evokes a large reaction? *confused shrug* I completely empathize with those who maybe expected this story to play out a certain way, and thus they would feel seen. They are allowed to be disappointed. But I don't think we have to lose all hope. I don't have an answer as to what their story should be from here, but I have enjoyed Bridgerton thus far. They haven't killed my hope just yet!

Thanks for the question!

[bestofsophieturner]

I don't have Twitter, I think it's a toxic cesspool, you can rarely find positivity there, and it's hard to find it while walking past tons of hate, so I haven't looked at Twitter for a long time. I've had enough with Instagram, although it's getting on my nerves more and more and I'm thinking of sending it like Twitter. I'm not surprised by the stupid and toxic fans of joe and I don't even want to know what exactly they write. They are just worthless and envious. They cannot accept the truth that joe is not perfect, that he is a disgusting cheater, that he is a psychological abuser. Look at the latest rumors that his new permanent girlfriend may be pregnant, and the divorce is not even finalized and the issue of custody is still being resolved, this is the kind of scandal, if it is true. And by the way, this is not the first rumor about his girlfriend after the divorce, who was maybe pregnant and the other is more younger. And his fans swallow even such trash and try to fight back and justify joe. That's why they attack Sophie, they try toslander her so that joe can be better in the public yeys. But I'm sure all their attempts are poor. And it's so funny that they think joe is more popular than Sophie. It's funny, she's famous all over the world, she's a popular actress, and he's just a mediocre musician with his brothers, his fans should kiss Sophie's feet and worship her like a goddes, if it wasn't for her there wouldn't be a jonas brothers reunion and if it wasn't for Sophie joe now although he might not be popular, he is popular only because he was the husband of Sophie Turner herself and always followed her by the tail to all her events, but she was at his events only a few times, much less often than he was at hers, and he always called her to some of his interviews, etc., so that she would appear at least for a moment and increase his views, etc. etc. That's why his fans are poor mind. Without Sophie, joe was forgotten with his not very popular group, they seem to have had only one hit, nick was more popular solo. That's why joe is who he is now only because of Sophie and it pisses me off how he treats her and treated her, I never loved him, but I put up with it for Sophie's sake and now I'm glad that she's free from him and that she's thriving now. It's just a pity that because of the children she won't be completely free and she will still have to deal with him, and I really hope for a higher percentage of custody for her. Wait when the divorce and custody will be completed. That's why he and his fans are nothing but worthless and stupid. Sophie is so beautiful and her new hairdo suits her very well. Waiting for a promo for Joan. Sorry for so many words, accumulated over a very long time. Have a good day!

Hi !

Twitter can be a very toxic place, indeed. I don't use it that much. I barely post. I only check the Sophie Turner hashtag to read the news. I mean the movies announcement for example first started on Twitter.

I don't really want to talk about the pregnancy rumors. It only started because of a picture she posted on Instagram. I find it extremely weird when people (fans) start commenting on people's body. Honestly, they should talk about the fact Stormi started dating a minor, then married him and had a child with him. That's such a weird thing.

Oh yes, he was very much a fan of Game of Thrones and while I understand being overjoyed your girlfriend is on the show, it was always weird. Like his birthday cake on which he was sitting on the Iron throne and Sophie was just there by his side. And he was very happy going to LV shows with her. (I remember his family suddendly wearing LV when they started dating). He was her plus one at the MET gala too. Nick kinda did the same with Priyanka. But he seems far more respectfull towards her. But I don't know much about them.

The Jonas brothers got back together because Nick wanted to. It's Sophie being closed to her brothers that inspired Joe to accept. I remember him saying it in an interview. And Sucker was so damn successful because Danielle, Priyanka and Sophie appeared in it. Even the brothers know it. Their fans obviously less so when they claim Joe made Sophie popular. They probably don't even care that the Jonas brothers have a hard time selling the tickets for their concerts. It just shows they're not as popular as they were when with Disney...

For Sophie, I like her new haircut too. It looks pretty. And it changes a lot from long hair. I believe we have to wait this summer for promo if Joan really gets released in September.

[bookwyrminspiration]

do you ever do headcanons? if so, can you do some sophitz pregnancy hcs?

Sure! I'm not great with headcanons, but hopefully this is up to par! it is. a little longer than I meant to make it but i should've expected that. i think they're very sweet <3

I don't think Sophie would realize; she's too caught up in life, so it's Fitz who realizes her behavior has been...off, recently

He's worried she's mad at him for something, but can't think of what it would be

when he confronts her, she has no idea what he's talking about and promises they're fine, and says she's probably just tired

but now that he's pointed it out, she notices how off she is, too. and it keeps nagging at her for the next several weeks because it's just not going away

Fitz asks her to talk to Elwin about it, but she keeps pushing it off because there's nothing overt, it's just this feeling

but when the nausea shows up, he insists, and she agrees, but partially convinced she's just overworking herself

Spoiler alert: it's not that (though she could ease off herself once in a while)

They're both taken completely by surprise--kids weren't even on Sophie's mind, and since her belly button didn't pop like other elves, Fitz had no idea either

But you can bet he's thrilled out of his mind, and practically strangles her with a hug that lifts her off her feet before he comes back to himself and sets her down, incredibly gentle

Sophie simply stands there, staring into the distance, hands tight on Fitz's arms; surely there must be some mistake, and her mind is whirling a thousand directions at once before Fitz's voice in her head calms the chaos

And as terrified as she is, his whole face is lit up, focused on her, and his enthusiasm is infectious

But she's nervous to tell people--human upbringing is part of it, but it's also so personal, and there's so many feelings to sort through; Fitz simply presses a kiss to her forehead and tells her they'll wait as long as she needs

He tries not to be overbearing, but he can't help himself sometimes. He never wants to let go of her hand, holds her even tighter at night, and is always looking at her with this childlike wonder

It feels like he's constantly hailing Elwin with questions, doing what he can when the nausea and aches get bad, his mind never more than a thought away from hers

Sophie, for her part, just tries to live as normally as possible; she has a lot going on, and if she doesn't keep up, it'll tip people off; even though Fitz wouldn't mind that, and would like her to relax a little more

Keefe is ultimately their secret's undoing; when he'd quietly pressed her about the terrified excitement, he'd respected her wishes not to pry. But when he feels the nausea rearing it's head the next time they're all together, he pushes, concerned

Sophie freezes, and looks to Fitz; he breaks the news, grinning, and arm around her shoulder squeezing her tight

And even though Sophie's now the center of so much mothering and pampering, she's relieved to have the secret out

Fitz doesn't let go of her the rest of the night

And now that their friends now, Fitz begs her to let him tell their parents--he'd made Biana promise not to spill

They start with his parents, and there are tears in Alden's eyes as he pulls Fitz close; Della's delighted, but quickly gets herself under control and starts asking a million questions; how does she feel? is she sleeping well? why didn't you tell us sooner? any cravings? tell us anything we can do for you, my dear, and Sophie can't keep up

Sophie wants to take the lead with her parents, and she swears her heart is going to leap out of her chest--it's the first time she's said the words herself, and she nearly doesn't hear the response the way her ears are ringing

Grady's hug is even tighter than Fitz's was the day they found out, like he's never going to let her go, and he kisses the top of her head and looks over Fitz like he's never seen him before and needs to win him over all over again

Edaline's questions are less overwhelming, but Sophie's face burns anyways, and she's smiling as wide as Fitz as she assures her that yes, they've been talking to Elwin and following his advice

Now that others know, it starts to feel real to Sophie, and she has no clue what to do about that; Fitz's excitement is enough to dull the worst worries, and it rubs off on her, too, but not enough

One afternoon alone, she gets too caught up in her thoughts and breaks down; arms around her knees, she finds herself stretching her mind to Silveny of all people, and the exuberant mama alicorn helps ease her worries

To say Fitz is panicked when he finds her on the floor would be an understatement, but she just pulls him down to her and rests her head against his chest; his arms fall automatically around her, and a hand goes to her hair as Sophie finally lets herself press one against her stomach

they sit there awhile, not speaking, and Fitz's eyes are still worried when she finally pulls back, but he can see something's settled in her

When Sophie starts to show, Fitz tries very hard to be respectful about it, since she's shown a preference against touching so far; but he can't help it if he starts asking more, if he trails off when talking as his eyes linger on her stomach, and she swears every time it's like they've just found out all over again

Sophie wears loose clothes in public to keep it hidden, but she swears everyone's going to figure it out the way Fitz and her friends and their families keep looking at her

Fitz always has a hand on her; in hers, on her lower back, and arm around her shoulder, arms linked. And he's always looking for excuses to be nearby. it's both very sweet and incredibly annoying

When they're out, he can't help the longing glances at baby things--clothes, toys, you name it, he wants to get it; but if he did it'd be a dead give away for gossip, so for now he just yearns

Sophie wants to kiss him silly every time she sees that look on his face, and very nearly does a couple times

Once she leapt them straight home so she could wrap her arms around him, face in the crook of his neck because she's so glad it's him.

they're mid conversation in bed when baby first kicks, and she startles and grab's Fitz's hand, cutting off. in answer to his questions, Sophie silently guides his hand to rest where she felt it, eyes unfocused as he watches her, until baby kicks again and Fitz can't help pressing closer as their eyes meet, and he kisses her softly as she starts crying

She starts saying yes more when he asks permission to touch; every time he's unbelievably gentle, to the point it nearly tickles, and she watches his fascination with rapture

Fitz hates that there's so little he can do, so he's always looking for ways to help and brighten Sophie's day, especially when she's moody

He already did most of the cooking, but he starts bringing her breakfast in bed--especially when she starts sleeping heavier and longer

He even learns more of her childhood favorites when its what she's craving--and he does employ the help of friends to get the ingredients

speaking of friends, it seems like they're always over, or always sending messages checking up on her--though sometimes she has to kick them out, since she doesn't have as much energy to spare anymore

it frustrates her to no end, and she's ranted to Fitz many a time about how unproductive she feels, and he reminds her she's literally growing a person with her body 24/7, how could that possibly be unproductive?

she still complains

he still listens

they revisit a cognate skill long forgotten, and Fitz starts visiting her emotional center more and more to tune in to how she's feeling; it's nowhere near Sophie's experience, but it does help

Fitz's mind is almost always seeking out Sophie's, not making contact but just there, near, waiting just in case. he's not sure for what, but it makes him feel more at ease

because the further things go, even he's starting to get nervous--though maybe that's Sophie's anxiety bleeding over a little. her knowledge of human pregnancies and birth does not make this easier for her, even with all her experience with elven medicine

when they finally start collecting baby things to his immense delight, it seems like every time Fitz goes out he comes back with something new.

not only for baby, but he's spoiling Sophie, too. she tries to stop him after a while because it's ridiculous, but there's no reasoning with him, and she is flattered

one of her favorites is a balm he consulted Elwin on for her back, as baby's big enough its really starting to ache; he helps her put it on in the mornings and night, and it quickly becomes one of her favorite parts of the day

when he's done he always kisses her shoulder, and hugs her from behind once she's put her shirt on, and her hands rest on top of his for a moment over their baby

Fitz isn't sure exactly when the habit started, but he's started transmitting to the baby, not that they can hear it; but he likes to say it, doting on them and whispering sweet things just between the two of them as he and Sophie settle for the night

Sophie falls asleep easier, which he's grateful for, because she's always exhausted, which he's not

he brushes his thumbs against her skin as she sleeps, transmitting towards her stomach, and he can't help staying awake to stare at her in awe, still giddy all these months later, and hoping the baby will have her eyes