#eleonora being a good sister

[zordanna]

little thought I had

So. I think Sebastian after killing Solomon and talking it out with the new fifth year would run straight up to Eleonora. She would be greeting him with a big smile as always, but seeing his lost gaze she immediately understands something is off (maybe the fact he’s covered in spider webs and idk dust yeah- that too).

a bit of angst🥲

Without much hesitation Eleonora would immediately close the door of her room, take a cloth and at least wipe his face clean. As she notices tears forming in his eyes she would wrap her arms around him trying to calm him down. Sebastian doesn’t talk for a good hour till eventually he just tells her he did an horrible thing. While caressing his hair Eleonora soothes him whispering he doesn’t need to tell her everything now, it’s ok she will just hold him for a bit. He falls asleep and finds comfort in her more than ever, she becomes his happy place let’s say. She won’t ask much, not because she doesn’t want to know but because she is terrified of pushing him away by asking too much like it happened with her sister Ofelia (abandonment issues over here cmon they are 15 and immature)

This is just to say that Eleonora won’t know he killed Solomon till seventh year, Ofelia will forbid Sebastian to tell her anything despite him wanting to, she will be threatening him in various ways in order to keep him under control for example by simply using dark arts or sending him to Azkaban thanks to her connections. He will love Eleonora without being fully sincere with her and when she will eventually discover the truth all she can feel is betrayal. Both her sister and the boy she loves murdered someone, they kept everything hidden manipulating her, lying to her for two years. That’s when things get darker but not for her, nuhu I want her to shine trough this like a damn star🌟

[loosesodamarble]

Picnics and Fireworks of Love

Summary: The Vermillion family go out to enjoy a picnic under the night sky. Fuegoleon and Solara are in for a surprise. Genre: general, family fluff Word count: ~1800 A/N: And here is the finale to the gift fics for @thoughtfullyrainynightmare! Also, these oneshts will be posted on my ao3 account. They'll be chapters to a fic titled "Summer Essentials with the Vermillions."

..........

“The night is gorgeous tonight, isn’t it?” Solara remarked.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sky so cloudless honestly,” Fuegoleon said in reply.

Fuegoleon, Solara, and their three children strolled through an open field out in the countryside of Clover. The grass was tall and swished with each stride of the family’s legs.

“Mom, Dad! Hurry up!” Eleonora called for several yards ahead. She waved her arms at them. “Are those long legs just for show?”

“We’re coming, Nora!” Fuegoleon answered. “You kids are just too quick and spry for us, I suppose!”

The walk brought the five of them to an area of the field where the grass was shorter, likely grazed down by wildlife. With silent nods passed between them, the family agreed it was the spot to settle down.

Cyraleona unfurled a picnic blanket she’d been carrying which everyone helped smooth out. Leonidas set down a lidded basket and pulled food from within, passing it around to his parents and sisters.

Each part of the meal was made by someone different. Fuegoleon made spinach salad with sliced strawberries mixed in. Solara had grilled meat skewers, and she mentioned that the seasoning was given to her by a friend so it wasn’t all her work. Cyraleona grinned from ear to ear as her family enjoyed the garlic knots she baked. Leonidas’s dish was quiche with a seafood filling. And Eleonora had made dessert, triple chocolate chip cookies. Each of them also got a bottle of water and a bottle of the Vermillion family’s special lemonade.

As Solara leisurely ate her meal, she noticed how her kids scarfed down their shares of food. They still ate with some sense of grace, not taking too big bites and using a fork for whatever food they felt called for it. But whenever she or Fuegoleon tried to get a conversation going…

“Yes, my friends in Thea did write back,” Leonidas said before forking another bite of salad into his mouth.

“And what did they write?” Fuegoleon pressed. Leonidas gave a mute shrug to that.

Cyraleona swallowed a mouthful of quiche before muttering, “He’ll be there for the concert. His word is his bond so…” She cut herself off with a sip of water.

“That’s good. I’m sure his parents are proud of his work,” Solara replied. “And I assume you’re happy that he’s still your pianist?” That only got Cyraleona to hum. “So… Nora, how was that one-on-one lesson with Sister Theresa? Was she everything your dad said she’d be like?”

“Yeah, Sister Theresa’s lesson was great!” Eleonora cheerfully said.

“Then maybe we can convince her to let you study under her another time,” Fuegoleon suggested with a smile.

Though Eleonora emphatically nodded to the idea, she still went ahead with eating instead of talking.

Fuegoleon and Solara glanced at each other.

What do they actually think of this? Fuegoleon wondered as he watched as his children were finishing the last items on their plates. They agreed to the picnic when Solara first suggested it. Though they weren’t enthusiastic about it the way I know some of their peers might’ve been, they certainly weren’t against it…

The suggestion had been a week ago, discussed over a more formal dinner. Eleonora had been the first to agree though she also threw in a comment of a picnic probably not being as fun as her camping trips with Mereoleona. Leonidas mentioned that his friends often talked about summer picnics. Cyraleona smiled and talked about how it’d be a refreshing change of pace from the tea parties she’d been invited to recently.

Did we do something wrong between then and now? Fuegoleon thought back but he couldn’t think of anything that he or Solara did that would’ve bothered the children.

Fuegoleon noticed the three leaning in close to each other. They were whispering something and he couldn’t make out what they were saying since he just now pulled himself from his thoughts. Fuegoleon raised an eyebrow.

They seemed enthusiastic only moments ago. Taking the lead on the walk. And they even made dishes all on their own. Solara picked at the quiche. It was the perfect amount of salty and spicy but also creamy from the egg. No way her son put in so much effort for a picnic he didn’t want to go on. But their behavior now makes it seem like they want to get this over with. Thinking more, Solara recalled something. They were muttering about what to do here a few days back… Were they worried about boredom? No, that can’t be it. Conversation comes easily between us. So then what—?

Solara’s thoughts paused when Fuegoleon nudged her elbow with his own. She lifted her eyes to him. Once their gazes locked, Fuegoleon flicked his eyes in the kids’ direction. Solara turned her head.

Leonidas, Cyraleona, and Eleonora had left the picnic blanket and were dashing away. The sound of eager laughter trailed behind them.

“Looks like they have a surprise for us,” Fuegoleon whispered.

“Mom! Dad!” Eleonora yelled, beaming like the sun. “Watch what Uncle Leopold taught us!”

The parents watched and their eyes went wide as their children began to write the runes used for Mana Method in the air. The runes formed the spell circles and seconds later, glowing balls of magic shot into the air.

The speed of the spells created sharp whistles. Then, those balls of magic exploded. Vibrant, warm colors contrasted brilliantly against the dark navy sky. There was a deep orange from Eleonora’s Fire Magic. The twins’ Burning Sun Magic were flickering mixes of red, orange, and yellow. More magic was shot into the sky, directed by the runes that the kids wrote. Some spells burst and scattered streaks of color into the air. Others flared out, elegantly unfurling like the petals of a blooming flower.

“Wow…” Solara blinked a few times to push back the tears coming to her eyes.

It was beautiful. The firework show. The smiles she could see on her children’s faces. The relief she felt knowing she’d worried for nothing.

“Indeed. To think that Leo was able to teach them that in just a few days.”

Without taking his eyes off the fireworks, Fuegoleon reached and wrapped his arm around Solara’s shoulders.

“The children sure are incredible,” Solara said as she scooted closer to her husband. “They’re eager to learn, each one of them. And they work hard for what they want.”

“Wonderful traits to have.” Fuegoleon nodded approvingly. “I’m glad they’ve gotten the best parts of you.”

“And you too,” Solara shot back with a grin. “I’m humble enough to admit that I needed help to raise them into the people they’ve become. I’m proud of who they’re becoming thanks to their own efforts too.”

It was true. As much as Fuegoleon, Solara, and their relatives raised and influenced Leon, Cyra, and Nora, the three of them were becoming their own people too.

Leonidas was growing more in tune with those around him and working to empathize with people regardless of their backgrounds. His ability to listen to others and use what he learns to make decisions were the signs that he could be a leader, if he so chose.

Cyraleona was coming out of her shell, not entirely abandoning her safety zone but learning to show more of herself. She was gaining a quiet boldness that felt right for her. Her artistic heart was adept at stirring the feelings of others and who knew what she could do with that talent.

And Eleonora’s fierceness and cleverness grew with each day, making her a loveable handful to her loved ones. She was ready for a challenge, be it physical or intellectual or even against simple boredom. Always changing, Eleonora would certainly change the world with her.

They had their traits from their parents, but they had many more traits that were their own.

But they were still Solara and Fuegoleon’s little cubs.

It made Solara’s heart swell and she was sure Fuegoleon felt the same. Solara rested her head on Fuegoleon’s shoulder and gazed up at him.

“Thank you, Fuegoleon.”

Fuegoleon turned his head and took in his wife’s smile, illuminated by the bursting fireworks. The flashes of light in the sky made the flecks of sun in Solara’s forest eyes stand out. Such a beautiful woman, inside and out, directing her adoring eyes at him. Her words were filled with gratitude and they held more value to him than any announcement of grand titles being awarded to him.

“Thank you, too, Solara,” Fuegoleon whispered back. “You don’t know how much you mean to me.”

“Couldn’t you always tell me?” Solara teased.

Fuegoleon took a deep breath but then sighed, “No, I don’t think so.”

Solara blinked. She was caught off guard by the admittance. Though she didn’t seem upset.

“No matter my words or my actions, I don’t think either would be able to truly capture the depth of my feelings for you,” Fuegoleon stated as his eyes flicked away from Solara and back to the flames dancing in the air. “These thoughts and feelings can’t be conveyed to you in all their truth. I’m sorry.”

Solara stared at Fuegoleon. She stared at the way the intermittent lighting truly made her husband’s hair look like vermillion flames. The lavender of his eyes didn’t get overtaken by the fiery colors. Rather, the soft, beautiful color she fell in love with seemed stronger against the red, orange, and yellow glow. And his words, his words confessing a sense of weakness, sank deep into her heart.

“Don’t be.”

Fuegoleon didn’t get a chance to look at Solara as threw her arms around Fuegoleon’s torso and buried her face in his chest. She gripped the back of his coat.

“Don’t—” Solara giggled and turned her head so her mouth wasn’t covered. “Don’t be sorry, Fue. Hearing what you just said… That’s enough for me.”

Fuegoleon placed a hand on the back of Solara’s head and used his other to caress one of her arms. He smiled at her. And he was sure his smile at the moment was the same as the one he saw on her face.

“Lara…”

Solara raised her head and sat back up. “Yes?”

Fuegoleon brushed aside a lock of hair that fell into her face.

The whistle of fireworks shooting into the sky resounded.

He leaned down and she tilted her chin up.

The sky lit up with flames and the light of a bright sun.

Their lips pressed together for a soft, chaste kiss.

The fires of love, whether they burned in a romantic’s heart or in the shared heart of a family, burned especially bright that night.

[diamondangelkitten]

Meet my FFXIV OC's:

Alinea Skylark

My main girlie!

Age: early 30's after Endwalker. She doesn't actually know when her birthday is, but after comparing to others, that's what she guestimates.

Unsundered life: She was happily married to Hades and Hythlodaeus, and her little brother, Themis, was the absolute apple of her eye. Her name was Emmeline, though once she became Azem, only the aforementioned people ever called her by her true name. She loved her work and got along well with everyone on the Convocation.

Alinea has full recollection of her unsundered life, but after the events at Ultima Thule, she's able to find peace and move on with her life as Alinea Skylark. Her and Estinien start dating shortly after, much to Alphinaud's delight and Alisae's horror. Currently, she's just trying to relax as much as possible before the next adventure sweeps her away.

Aurora Calypso

Age: 21 after Endwalker.

Unsundered life: She remembers bits and pieces of her life as Azem, and cares deeply for Hades, Hythlodaeus, and Themis, but doesn't remember any personal connection or attachment. The one thing she does remember is that her name was Echo.

The events in Shadowbringers and Endwalker took a heavy toll on Aurora's body. She's slowly recovering and is currently taking a tour with Erenville of all their favorite places across Etheirys. She loves her carbuncle, Monty, and he is absolutely spoiled.

Annabeth Rose

Age: 36 or so at the end of Endwalker

Unsundered Life: She was both Azem and sister to Hades. She knew that Hades was planning to propose to Hythlodaeus, but then the final days happened. Her name name then had been Eleonora.

Annabeth has a twin brother, Felix, who she adores, as well as many younger siblings that she also cares for and keeps in contact with. She has an extremely large extended family, most of whom consist of characters who I've saved from their in-game fates :P

Alira Thorne

Age: 32 at the end of Endwalker

Unsundered Life: Her name was Eris and she loved being Azem. She loved going from town to town, meeting and learning from the people, and helping wherever she could. Her best friends where Hades and Hythlodaeus and she had the great honor of officiating their wedding.

She had a very traumatic upbringing that caused her to push people away for the longest time. Only during Stormblood, does this come to a head and she starts working on the path to find inner peace. This comes in the form of becoming a Dark Knight. Thanks to Rielle, Fray, and the moogles, her and Sid work through their pasts together and eventually start dating. Her and Sid have a little girl after the events of Shadowbringers who Rielle names Sibbie.

AU

In an alternate timeline, all the girls work together, going from ARR to EW. Most of the above information holds, with the only change being that Aurora worked in the Capital as a record taker of the convocation of fourteen meetings. She was adored by all, and knew the goings on and kept quiet on them all. All the 14 would talk to her as an impartial party when they were musing on issues, and she was good at providing input and questions in a way to help them think.

They are all fiercely protective of each other and love each other dearly. They often go on trips together with their significant others and families too.

[contrabbandiera-di-elia]

Doodles

I’m full of Elippo energy recently, so I did this thing on my phone. It may be full of mistakes because I’ll probably bother my beta only if I decide to post it on AO3, but I guess it’s still readable.

Based loosely on this thing which made me believe Elia can draw really well, at least in the cartoonish style, and some ‘different style challenges’ I’ve seen recently.

Happy Birthday, @azozzoni! I hope you’ll like it! 🎁

—

“What’s that?” Asked Filippo, picking up a piece of the paper lying on the floor among Eleonora’s papers. She was doing general cleaning, as she used to do always a few weeks after the end of the school year. She was organizing the notes and other kinds of papers, deciding which ones she wanted to keep because they may be useful in the future, and which were to be thrown away because they’re useless. This year Edoardo was helping her, as he was so called cleaning specialist, or at least he claimed to be.

At first glance, Filippo thought what he had picked up was just a piece of paper full of unimportant doodles. But then he took a closer look and realized these were quite interesting drawings. All of them presented one person but in different styles of drawing. All of them were cartoonish. Some of them he recognized, like Winx Club or Adventure Time, but most of them he didn’t. They were mostly black and white, but he knew precisely who they presented. That hairstyle, that striped shirt, and most importantly – red lips, the only thing in every drawing that was not black and white. It was obviously Eleonora.

“Oh, I completely forgot about it,” he heard over his shoulder, as the person in question studied the sketches. “It’s Elia’s. One time he was waiting for Martino at the radio’s room. He got a bit bored and asked if he can draw me. It was not quite what I expected to see, but I liked it, and he let me keep it.”

“It’s good, actually. But I’d never tell Elia could be an artist.”

“Right? I was surprised myself. But when I asked him, he said it’s just a hobby.”

“Who’s Elia?” Asked Edoardo. He didn’t even look at them from where he was putting the notes Eleonora decided to keep into a binder, but Filippo could hear this minimal jealousy in his voice. Well, it was quite understandable. He probably wasn’t too pleased to hear that some random guy spend some considerable amount of time drawing his girlfriend even if these were just cartoonish sketches.

“Martino’s friend. Oh, please, don’t tell me you don’t recognize him! You saw him multiple times!”

Edoardo frowned, but then suddenly he seemed to match the name with the right face. His girlfriend's irritation probably speeded up this process.

“Ah, this Elia! Okay, that changes everything.” Eleonora rolled her eyes at that but didn’t say anything.

Filippo was still looking at the drawings. He wasn’t sure why, but he liked them a lot. They were done with a black and red fineliners (Filippo’s guess, and he knew a thing or two about artistic tools) and in a very clear way. There was no single line made with a pencil, everything was put straight on the paper using only the fineliners. Nevertheless, there were almost no mistakes. Well, maybe there were some slight shortcomings here and there, but Filippo had to pay close attention to even notice them. And the longer he was looking, the more fascinated he was. As he counted, there were seven different drawings, and he inspected all of them acutely. He was never a fan of drawings, neither cartoons, but he found these few little figures interesting and funny. He started to be a bit jealous of his own sister having something like that made about her. Elia had surely put some work and consideration into that, even though it was just a thing he did out of boredom.

“Filippo?” Eleonora’s voice brought him back to the reality out of his thoughtfulness. “If you like it so much you can have it.”

“I don’t need a piece of paper full of your face. I have too much of it every day, darling,” he sighed, putting the drawings aside. “I just think it’s nice. I like how it's done, the style and everything, but also I think it's quite interesting someone took their time to do something like that for the person he barely knows. You know, gazing at you for long minutes and everything. Are you sure Elia doesn't have a thing for you?”

“Elia? No way. He was just bored, and we were the only two people in the room, so it’s not like he had a lot of models to choose from,” she said, not even slightly bothered. Edoardo, on the other hand, seemed to be bothered for the both of them.

“I hope so!” He announced from the other side of the room. Eleonora ignored him, focusing on her brother.

“Hey... Is it me, or you look a bit down? Is it about Dario? Maybe you should talk to him after all or...”

“No,” Filippo answered quickly, shaking his head. “Dario is a closed chapter. It doesn’t make sense anyway. He needs someone calmer and more mature, he said it himself. And I need someone who’d be able to keep up with me. Someone more spontaneous, more confident, more... you know.”

“I know,” she claimed. She did. She knew her brother long enough to know what kind of person he needed in his life. And she hoped he’d find this person someday.

-

Filippo was never into birthdays. Or rather, he was never into his birthdays. It was simply not a big deal. His parents never remembered, and he never fully got over it, so there was this dose of disappointment every year. He was trying to get rid of it by getting his friends, hitting some club and finding someone to spend the night with, but it was never his dreamed birthday. There was no special birthday parties, no singing ‘Happy Birthday’ over the birthday cake with a group of friends, no more than one present, so it was pretty sad.

The only thing that made everything better was the existence of Eleonora. She always remembered, she was singing ‘Happy Birthday’ over the birthday cake or at least suitable replacement of a one, she was coming up with a present. So every and each year Filippo was grateful for having her because he knew without her none of his birthdays would make any sense.

But that year Eleonora outdid herself. Completely.

Filippo came home from a university with a plan of getting together with his friends and going out, and the last thing he expected to see in the living room was Eleonora with Martino and their respective significant others singing ‘Happy Birthday’ in the most unsynchronized way he had ever heard.

“Look what we have for you! And no, you definitely didn't expect it,” said Martino, as he and Eleonora came up to him with something that was supposed to be Filippo’s present.

It was wrapped in a paper, but judging by the shape, it could be a painting. Or a large photo. Or maybe some framed poster. He looked at Eleonora and Martino suspiciously, but they only hurried him to unpack it, both seemingly impatient. That made Filippo unsure because Eleonora and Martino being excited over the same thing couldn't end up well.

Fortunately, he was wrong.

After he ripped off the paper, he saw a bunch of drawings drew on a framed bristol board. He quickly realized it was exactly what he saw among Eleonora’s papers some time ago – a bunch of drawings presenting one person in different cartoon styles. Except that there was no seven of them, but probably about twenty. And they were sighed, so he knew which drawing was made in which cartoon's style. Moreover, no black and white with small additions of red, but colorful, and made with much more care and precision. And they didn’t present Eleonora. They presented Filippo.

He carefully studied his own face in multiple cartoonish versions. Winx Club Filippo, Adventure Time Filippo, Simpsons Filippo, Flinstones Filippo, Sailor Moon Filippo... And in the middle of the frame, slightly bigger than every other drawing, was Filippo drew in unsigned style. Probably author’s own style. Elia’s style.

“And? What do you think?” Asked Martino, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Filippo looked at him quickly before turning his eyes back to the drawings.

“It’s... wow, it’s great, seriously. I love it,” he said finally, his eyes tracing every drawing as if he couldn’t believe it was all him. It was a bit weird to look at his own face like that, but interesting nevertheless. “Did you get Elia to do that?”

“Well... yes. But we were helping."

“We just provided him with materials and occasionally some ideas,” commented Eleonora making Martino roll his eyes.

"Well, that's still some kind of help," he decided with a little shrug.

"I think we actually did him a favor, " Niccolò cut in, a mischievous look in his eyes. "He seemed to be quite eager to draw you. I'd say he enjoyed it definitely more than..."

"Oh, come on, Nico," Martino didn't let him finish, hitting his arm playfully. "The most important thing is that Filo enjoys it. Now let's get to the cake." That made Edoardo happy.

"Thank you! I went through a lot of effort to get a cake that has a rainbow both inside and outside. I want to see if it was worth it."

They all spent the whole afternoon eating and talking, but for some reason, Filippo couldn't get the author of his birthday present out of his head. He wanted to believe the reason for that was the gratefulness, but the truth was that Niccolò's words still lingered on the back of his head. He tried to ignore them, but they were coming back to him all the time. Finally, he decided it's pointless just to sit and think about it and decided to do something about it. He was feeling a bit stupid asking Martino for Elia's number to 'thank him for the effort and all,' but in the end, he got it, so he decided to at least try and see how the conversation will go.

After a third signal, Elia picked up with a simple “hello?” Filippo cleared his throat, suddenly feeling uneasy. He wasn’t even sure why exactly he wanted to call him in the first place. But there was no turning back. It’d be stupid to leave Elia hanging at the other end. Nobody liked dead calls.

“Hi, it's Filippo,” he said, but before he managed to add anything to that, Elia spoke up.

“Hi! How did you like the drawings?” He asked, seemingly excited to hear the answer. Filippo couldn’t help a smile forming at his lips.

“I love it, seriously. It’s amazing. Thank you so much for making it.”

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you like it. I’m not sure why Eleonora and Martino wanted so badly to have it as your birthday present, but I guess as long as you enjoy it it’s fine.”

“I’m thinking about hanging it on my wall, to be honest,” confessed Filippo, because he was, in fact, thinking about it. It'd be wasting art not to have it hanging on a wall.

“Woah, so much?”

“So much,” he nodded, even through Elia couldn’t see it. Then he decided to take the risk and try going a step further. It was his birthday, maybe he could get some birthday luck or something. “Listen... I thought maybe I could get you a coffee as a thank-you?”

“No way,” Elia said quickly, and Filippo wanted to punch himself for even asking that. Of course. But before he got to back off and say he was only joking or something, Elia continued. “That’s a present. You don’t need to get me anything in exchange. They asked me to do that, I had nothing better to do, I actually enjoyed doing it a lot, so I don’t need any sort of payment from you.”

“But still,” insisted Filippo, suddenly feeling brave again after those words, “I’d like to thank you in person. Don’t think about it as payment. Think about it as a... nice meeting with a receiver of your art.”

Elia’s laughter reverberated in his right ear and made him a little gooey inside. He closed his eyes to compose himself. That was interesting.

“Okay than. Let’s do that.”

-

When a week later Filippo was laying in his bed, Elia’s lips moving along his neck, Elia’s hand working on a zipper of his pants, Elia’s drawing hanging on his wall right above the desk, he vowed to himself he’ll never ever refuse Eleonora when she asks him to help her sorting her notes.

[capseycartwright]

we're staying at your parents house, and it's bad timing, but let's make-out and risk getting caught. we're grown adults after all

ao3 link

It was probably a bad idea, Eddie realised – everything with his parents, it had been sort of complicated, in the end, when he’d come out to them. They hadn’t exactly been homophobic, but they’d definitely been surprised, and it had taken them a few months to not be deeply weird about it all, but when they’d realised Buck was there to stay, they’d come around – especially when they realised just how happy and settled Christopher was, and how happy Eddie himself was.

All of that being said – making out with his boyfriend in his childhood home was probably not a good idea. They were in Texas, for Sophia’s daughters christening, which had been an experience in itself. Buck hadn’t grown up going to church – and described his parents as WASPs, and definitely not Catholic church goers – and so Buck had been deeply weirded out when Eddie’s mother had thrown a fit when she discovered Eddie hadn’t been to confession in years.

Explaining the finer points of Catholicism to his boyfriend had been a mental trip – and Buck hadn’t exactly been sympathetic to Eddie’s plight, thinking it was utterly fucking hilarious that Eddie was getting dragged to confession because he was the godfather to Sophia’s new baby. Buck had even gone as far as suggesting that Eddie could confess about all the sodomy (“Jesus, Buck, don’t use that word.”) he gets up to these days, at which point Eddie didn’t feel the slightest bit bad about the fact Buck was sleeping on a blow-up mattress on the floor of Eddie’s childhood bedroom.

Eddie’s parents had a rule – no sharing a bed until you’re married. It didn’t matter that pregnancy wasn’t much of a problem, with him and Buck – no, Sophia and Adrianna had kicked up a fuss because their boyfriends hadn’t been allowed to share the guest-bed until they were married, why was Eddie different?

Except –

Except that meant it had been days, since Eddie had been able to get his hands on Buck, and he as desperate to touch the younger man – Buck thriving amongst the Diaz clan wasn’t helping matters either. Buck had taken the initial odd few stares in his stride, being his usual charming self, wearing his best suit to the church and letting Christopher explain how mass worked to him, taking an excessive amount of photos of Eddie holding the newest Diaz (well, Johnson, technically) and winning plenty of brownie points from Sophia and Adriana as he entertained all of the kids at once.

Sue him, Eddie had a competency kink.

“We’re definitely going to get caught,” Buck breathed against his mouth, letting Eddie shove him up against the wall of the laundry room. He was still wearing his shirt, a crisp white one that emphasised every one of the ridiculous muscles Buck had, his tie long since discarded and the top few buttons open and Eddie wanted to fucking devour him.

“I don’t care,” Eddie panted against Buck’s mouth, kissing him furiously, enjoying the way Buck melted in Eddie’s grasp. Even now, after so many months together, getting to kiss Buck whenever he wanted was the greatest thrill of Eddie’s life. He was so convinced, for so long, that he wouldn’t get to have this, that he and Buck would never have their moment – and now, they had forever.

It made Eddie the luckiest man alive if you asked him.

“Are you getting off on the idea of being caught?” Buck teased, and Eddie couldn’t stop the way his face flushed bright red. “God, you are,” Buck was definitely teasing now. “Are we living out a high school dream of yours here, Eds? Getting caught making out with a boy when you thought your parents weren’t home?”

Eddie glared at him. “Do you want me to puncture your airbed?” he threatened, only half meaning it.

“I’m kidding – mostly,” Buck said, looping his arms around Eddie’s waist, making it so the other man couldn’t move away. “I think it’s cute. I’m glad you’ve got the confidence to do this here,” he said, the words meaning more than Eddie could ever possibly express – for a while, he’d wondered if he’d be able to do this at all, bring Buck to Texas and hold his hand in front of his family and be unapologetically in love.

“Stop being sappy,” Eddie said gruffly, leaning in to press another biting kiss to Buck’s lips. “Now hurry up and kiss me before someone notices we’re gone.”

“Too late,” and God, could Eddie not have five minutes alone to make out with his boyfriend before his annoying little sister appeared?

Eddie told Sophia exactly that, his sister simply grinning as she passed her daughter to Eddie. “Just be glad it was me, and not mom,” she grinned. “She’d never get over her – Eddie, her baby, her only boy – his virtue, gone!”

Buck grinned wickedly, speaking before Eddie could smack him into the next century. “Oh, that’s long gone,” he reassured, Sophia snorting in response.

“I think we’re going to be good friends,” Sophia grinned, taking Buck by the elbow. “Come on – let’s have some wine and gossip about Eddie.”

“You’re really – you’re really going to leave me here literally holding your baby? Your child? Light of your life?” Eddie called at his sisters back, looking down at his niece. “Well,” he sighed. “I guess it’s just you and me, sweetheart. How do you feel about getting a drink? A beer for me – some milk for you?”

Eleonora gurgled in response.

“Either you just farted, or you really love me,” Eddie tucked her into the crook of his elbow. “I’m choosing to believe it’s the love, sweetpea. Come on – let’s go find your cousin, he’s so excited to get to hold you.”

send me a kissing prompt

[unanuvola]

I see your true colors (and that's why I love you)

Pairing: Ethan Torchio x reader

Genre: Romance and a little bit of angst

Summary: Ethan had a secret and you unexpectedly found out

⁂~⁂~⁂

"Waitwaitwait!" you shouted while running towards the door of the building in which Ethan was living with his family.

Fortunately, the old lady waited for you, "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, miss." she replied, smiling.

At that moment you noticed the shopping trolley, "Do you perhaps need a hand with your…"

"Oh no, my dear! It's almost empty and I can do it by myself, but thank you for the concern. Have a nice afternoon." and she disappeared, with a brisk pace, in one of the doors which faced the courtyard.

The elevator was on the ground floor and you jumped in it, already savoring the afternoon you were going to spend with Ethan. No big plans, just the two of you enjoying each other's company.

As soon as you get off the elevator, you put some cherry lip balm, your boyfriend's favorite, and you hadn't the time to ring the doorbell, that the door opened.

"Mrs. Torchio!"

"Y/N! I didn't expect you. Ethan didn't tell me you were coming… Classic!"

"Classic!" you both exclaimed at the same time, causing a laugh, "In his defense, I arrived very early!"

"Come in! I don't have much time because of work, but how are you? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I started to study seriously for the maturità. Unfortunately, it's very close."

"You're such a good girl," Mrs. Torchio praised you, not knowing that his son usually calls you that when he's inside you, "if only Ethan would go into studying like that instead of always playing drums. Nevermind! He's in his room, but if you need anything, you know the house perfectly. Now I really have to go!" she was closing the door, when she reopened, "There are leftovers from the lasagna in the oven, bye!"

No matter how many years you knew her, you were always mesmerized by how she talked fast as opposed to his son.

Before heading to Ethan's room, you decided to stop by the kitchen for a glass of water. You took your favorite glass, the Nutella one with Speedy Gonzales on it, and poured some water into it, but you didn't have the time to drink because you heard a bustle coming from one of the bedrooms.

Your heart began to beat violently from the fright, however this didn't stop you from running through that room with the first book taken at random from the library: the Divina Commedia, 664 pages and you were so ready to throw it to whoever caused that mess.

You opened the door of Ethan's room, but you didn't find anything or anybody, then you heard noises from the twins room. On tiptoe, you approached the door and snapped it open, with the book above your head and you saw Ethan, dressed with a t-shirt and sweatpants, sitting in front of his sister's vanity, looking at you from the reflection of the mirror. He had his hand on his mouth and his eyes were a mix of surprise and fear.

"Ethan.. Is everything alright?" it was just after asking it that you noticed some makeup on the floor together with two crumpled up tissue paper covered with red spots. Without hesitation, you launched the book on the bed and reached Ethan who was still looking at you, shocked. "What happened?" you kneeled in front of him, a hand on his knee to reassure him, while with the other hand you took one of the tissues. You looked at him, searching for any type of connection, but Ethan was desperately refusing to lay his eyes on you. Preoccupied, you moved your eyes from Ethan's face to the tissue. If at first you were scared that those red spots were blood now, that you could watch them closely, you relaxed a bit because definitely it wasn't that, however.. "Is this.." you let the question unfinished, trying to not push Ethan.

"Please Y/N, don't look at me!" he whispered, his hand still on his mouth, "I don't want you to see me like that."

You quickly looked away, trying to respect Ethan's plea, but when you heard soft sobs, you lifted your gaze and you felt as if somebody had clutched your beating heart. Now Ethan's hands were on his face, letting you glimpse, involuntary, what was causing him so much shame.

You stood up and sat on his knees, embracing Ethan in your arms, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, Ethan," you whispered, while caressing his back. His tears were falling on the nook of your neck and his arms tightly surrounding your waist almost as if he was afraid to lose you.

"Y-you won't l-leave me for this, right?" he sighed in your ear, then he finally looked at you, "Please, don't leave me! I-I swear, I won't do this anymore, but please stay with me."

Seeing your boyfriend like this broke your heart. Your eyes flew from his puffy eyes to the red lipstick smudged on his lips. You passed your thumb on them, they were soft and wet from the tears. Your eyes were almost mesmerized by the redness on his skin caused not only by the lipstick, but also by the rubbing.

You were sure now that your arrival caught him by surprise. Probably, when he heard noises coming from the kitchen even though his mother must have already left the house, he tried to take off the lipstick, but then he made a fuss and the next thing that he saw was you ready to fight with a book in your hand.

He must have been so scared, you thought, caressing his long hair that was all over his face. You tried to comb it, putting some lock behind his ears. Now that his beautiful face was free of hair, you gave a light peck on his lips.Your hands rested on his cheeks, stroking gently his smooth skin, and forced him to look at you straight in the eyes. His cheeks turned bright red even more and you could see the flush spreading on the neck and disappearing in the collar of his light blue t-shirt.

"You won’t get rid of me easily, okay? This sounds like a treat and probably it is," Ethan let out a weak giggle, while you were still stroking his cheeks, "but I love you, Ethan Torchio. I love you so much and if you think that I'll leave you just for this.. Well, it hurts, you know?" your boyfriend was about to answer, maybe saying that he was sorry, but you kissed away his words, "Don't be sorry, you don't have to.. Yeah, I'm a little bit disappointed, not because of what you did, but because you didn't tell me about it. However I also understand that sometimes revealing your own desires isn't easy." you smiled sweetly, trying to comfort him.

"I was scared to tell you, even if I know that you’re pretty open to, you know, this kind of stuff.. But now, it's like a weight had been lifted," Ethan finally smiled and you could think of how beautiful he was, "and I'm feeling stupid for not telling you this before."

"I'm sure you would have told me when you would have felt more comfortable with yourself..."

"Yeah, you're right, but in the end things went like this and, frankly, I'm glad," he took your hands, turned them up and he gave you two small kisses on your wrists, "I never told this to no one, except to Erika, but that was a mistake."

"Oh my God, Erika knew it?!"

"She caught me while I was putting on my lips her precious Russian Red by MAC. She was furious! It was so expensive that no one could use it, neither Lucrezia or Eleonora, much less his annoying brother. Can you believe that she didn't talk to me for a month?!"

You tried to hold back, but you started to laugh as soon as Ethan looked at you like a kicked puppy, "I'm going to ask her some details next time!" you exclaimed, out of breath.

"Don't do this to me cucciola!"

"Of course I'm going to do it!" you teased him, knowing that you'll never ask anything to Erika.

The bedroom was filled with the laugh of both of you and you could cool down just when Ethan pulled you towards his chest, "I love you."

"I love you too," you kissed the tip of his nose, "and now, what do you think about removing all this mess and putting.." you turned to your vanity, trying to choose one lipstick from your collection, "What do you think about my Stunna lip? The Unattached one."

"If I can choose, I would prefer Rouge Vie."

"I see that your taste is still refined since you were a young boy!"

Even Ethan's ears blushed hearing those words and you couldn't stop thinking about how adorable he was.

He was reaching your makeup pads, when you stopped him, "Let me take care of you," he nodded.

First, you put some micellar water on the cotton pad and then you gently rubbed on his lips and the skin surrounding them. You took your time, enjoying feeling his lips under your touch. When his skin was completely clean, you leaned your mouth on him and sucked his bottom lip, letting the taste of - maybe too many - coffee filling up your mouth.

"Your lips are so soft."

"Uhm.. I love to hear you say that," he said, biting his lips and then trying to kiss you again.

"Wait! Let me finish first," you searched for the lipstick, but just after a few seconds you realized that it was one of the things that fell earlier. Quickly, you bent down and took it, "Ready?" you asked him, removing the cap.

"Yep!"

You placed the lipstick on his cupid's bow and you started to trance the edge, then you filled the rest of the lips. It was so beautiful watching those full lips getting stroked by the tip of the lipstick and the color was so rich that his mouth seemed even more plump.

"Here," you gave him a napkin, "put it on your lips, so you can get rid of the excess of the lipstick."

Ethan let your waist free since you sat on his knees and took the tissue paper. He did what you said, he put his mushy lips on it and left three pecks, his deep and desirous eyes never leaving yours, then he turned it back to you.

"Don't you throw it?" he asked, while you were putting the napkin in your pocket. 

"Nah.. I'm going to put it in my diary, so every time I have to write something, I'll think about your lips."

"What a romantic girl you are!"

You raised your eyebrows, pretending to be outraged, "I'd prefer naughty, but yeah, I can accept being your romantic girl!"

Your boyfriend slid his arms around your hips and you moved a little closer, feeling the warmth of his hands through your dark blue blouse. You put your right arm around his shoulder while with the other hand you were playing with the necklace on his neck. 

"My girl.." he whispered, his hot breath on your ear giving you chills, but when you felt his mouth dangerously near to your neck, you stopped him.

"Wait, wait, wait! You don't want to ruin your lipstick, right? Let me see.." and you moved away a little, just enough to see clearly his face, "I'm not a makeup artist, but I think that the final result is pretty good. What do you think?"

Ethan turned his head to the mirror and watched himself, "I'm.. I'm feeling beautiful," he looked at you, his eyes sparkling, "Thank you for not judging me."

"Thank you for trusting me."

"You know that I never kissed someone with lipstick on?"

You gasped, "What a coincidence! I've never been kissed by someone with lipstick on! Would you be my first?"

"Only if I can be your first!" and in no time he lifted you up from his knees and he brought you on the bed, his lips glued on yours.

You happily watched your meticulous work getting smudged on his face and certainly on your face too and you were the double happier at the thought that after this, hopefully never-ending, make out section there was the lasagna leftover waiting in the kitchen. Sometimes life is a bitch, but tonight you seemed to win the jackpot.

[fyeahnevilleslongbottomsocs]

STORY INTRODUCTION: ANCIENT HISTORY book one of the petals for armor series

❝Catherine Cullen had been alive for a very long time, roughly three centuries is the most accurate date she could give you, so she had been through a lot, and she had seen a lot. But, not much could compare to the likes of Bella Swan. Catherine had saved Bella from death at the ripe age of five and Catherine had stuck by her side ever since. Using her vampiric ability, she slips her way into Bella's life as her older sister, Eleonora Swan, she fills the role quite well with the only one able to see through her illusion being Bella, herself. Luckily, Bella was good at keeping secrets and was more than happy to let her 'guardian angel' watch over her.

Things go quite well until Bella decides to move in with her dad and Catherine has no choice but to follow because who knows what kind of trouble Bella Swan would run into by herself. And really, Catherine doesn't think her time at Forks will be horrid because it's Forks. But, she's completely mistaken for it appears that Forks, as dreary and small as it is, somehow has a way of resurfacing one's ancient history.❞

READ ON ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

( ancient history is coming soon but there are still one-shots of catherine's backstory you can read by clicking the link above! )

( message me if you want to be added to the tag list ) tag list: @fyeahtwilightocs @stefelias @lost-in-the-shelves @farfallasunicas @claryxjackson @ocappreciationtag @toalltheocsivelovedbefore @ocfairygodmother

[lgbtpopcult]

August WLW in Media Rundown

Movies

“The Macaluso Sisters” is about the slow-acting tragedy that is the passage of time, and its effect on relationships marred by regret and recrimination. But it starts in an un-self-consciously joyous register as five orphaned sisters, ranging in age from 5 to 19, prepare for a day at the beach. This rambunctious tribe, reminiscent of Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s “Mustang” — all hair and limbs and squabbling over sandwiches — is led by the responsible eldest, Maria (Eleonora De Luca), a rangy young woman who dreams of being a dancer, and who will, before the day ends in disaster, share a tender, delirious gay kiss with a pretty friend, while chasing the scattering leaflets they’re distributing in an open-air cinema.

The film is about the sisters, her sexuality is just there.

In Theatres August 6 (USA)

Fantasies

French film Fantasies will be in theaters in France August 18. It explores relationships through several couples including a lesbian couple.

TV

Control Z returns to Netflix for season 2, there's a lesbian side character called Alex who had an affair with a teacher.

The L Word generation Q comes back for season 2 on August 6. Hopefully it will be better than season 1 that failed to provide an interesting new generation of lgbt women and chose to abandon the light hearted fun that was the one good thing about the original.

Modern Love returns on Amazon Prime August 13. It's the stories of several couples meeting and it includes a lesbian couple too.

Comics, video games, music and more

Harley Quinn #6 comes out on the 24th

The last installment of the new America Chavez comic comes out, published:

August 11, 2021

The Dating Deal

A new visual novel on the Scripts App comes August 3rd

Marina Lin's new single will be available on August 13th and you can pre-save it on Spotify and Itunes here: https://fanlink.to/anxietyattackpre

[raelinn-berrystraw]

Hey there, I was the creator of an unfinished sims 3 series called “Teenly Tiny Problems”. With the upcoming DLC, I couldn’t help but recreate them and share all the stories I had in store for them. I gotta admit tho, that I’m not very good with finishing projects so let’s see how that goes!

Here is my old embarassing videos, if you’re bold enough to watch them (ep. 1 and trailer). 

TL;DW: Hazel is a clueless teenager who soon comes to find out her life is about to change. Her parents are taking a divorce and she has to make the decision with who she’s gonna live for the rest of her high school years. How will her decision turn out for her? Tune in to find out!

♡ Meet the characters ♡ 

(from left to right)

Rebecca Wilson: Rebecca’s dream is to become the school president, but a not-so-successful fling will stand in her way. Will she be able to succeed despite the circumstances?

Cindy Collins: Cindy & Matthew are the twins of Copperdale’s Mayor, Nathaniel Collins. So far, she seems to add to the stereotype of the basic rich white girl, so what could possibly go wrong for her?

Eleonora Leclair: One of Copperdale High’s brightest students, Eleonora’s duty is to help the ones in need. Being the new girl herself once, she knows the struggles of having to adapt.

Matthew Collins: Who wouldn’t wanna date Copperdale’s richest and most charming guy? Town’s biggest flirt, a guy with a heart made of stone. Could someone ever break it?

Megan Hawkins: Aspiring prom queen, girlfriend of the star athlete himself, Megan would do anything to keep the love of her life, Aaron (heavy scorpio vibes, if you ask me).

Aaron Jones: Your typical jock- nothing to see here I was only 16 when I made this lol

Evan Garcia: Evan is too busy flirting around, being quite the Steve Harrington of his era, to see that the potential love of his life has been there all along.

Riley Hutcherson: Rebecca’s sidechick and Evan’s childhood best friend, Riley has been always living in the shadows of her friends. Hopefully, some day she’ll be able to shine through.

Jake Garcia: Town’s mystery boy has gone real quiet lately, what could be bothering him?

Hazel Adams: Stuck between leaving her life in Newcrest to start a new one in Copperdale, will she make the right decision?

Michael Holmes: Hazel’s childhood friend along with his younger sister Adria, though he might’ve been more than a friend..

[thoughtfullyrainynightmare]

Fuelara children

Twins:

Leonidas & Cyraleona

Leonidas

Leonidas is the oldest and his name means depending on the source:

Lion

Lion Strength

Lion Like

He is the type to stop at a library or a bookstore after soccer practice. And he greatly admires his father, wanting to live up to him. But despite taking after his father in many areas of life, Leonidas never fails to have that little mischievous spark in the corner of his eye, ready to rely on quick wits to make a humours notation of a situation. As long as it’s appropriate for the situation. 

His likes include good food, spending time with his friends and family, sunny days and strawberries, while he hates stormy winter days. Because once he remembers having a snowy tree branch broke over him due to wind, and he got snow inside of his collar. In terms of personality traits he dislikes “brutally honest” people who seem to be more interested in brutality than honesty. Feedback can be give constructively. 

His nickname most often tends to be “Leon”

Cyraleona 

Cyraleona is the twin sister of Leonidas, and her name meaning, depending on the source is: 

Sun Lioness

Throne Lioness

She is more withdrawing, and prefers to speak only when spoken to, but that is not to say that she wouldn’t enjoy company. She does enjoy spending time with a small group of people, and crowds make her feel uneasy. But since she plays the violin and a harp, she is trying to little by little get used to being on display, as it is required from her to an extent. Or rather being on display is given because of status. 

Her likes tea (in general), spending time with her friends, listening to the sound of summer rain (as long as she can stay indoors), and being punctual and up to date. She hates being rushed, because she likes being able to concentrate on what she’s doing at a given time, but on the turn side, she’s also very patient, because she understands people needing their time. 

Her nickname most often tends to be:

“Cyra” or “Dad’s little lady”

Eleonora

She is the youngest of the family and her name meaning is:

Sun ray

She is unapologetic, adventurous and fearless. She’s the embodiment of “live every day as if it’s your last”, and isn’t afraid of voicing her opinions. She does become a bit more discrete while growing up, but as a toddler she has absolutely no filter. And the fact that she’s observant, and witty, most often doesn’t help, because her observations tend to hit the nail on the head. But, in the noble circles it has caused a bit of ... trouble for her parents. Which Mereo (unfortunately) finds highly amusing. 

She likes going on adventures with Aunty Mereo, and her other likes include sweets and summer. Dislikes “dumb people”. And her goal in life is: “Hmm... I guess I want to punch a god”. (Mereo is 100% behind her with this goal.)

Her nicknames include:

Le-le

Nora

“What did you do now?”

[korydarling]

headcanons // zoyalai babies

hi, i just finished row, and all i want is some domestic zoyalai & some zoyalai bbs, so have some of my headcanons that i have to just to satisfy myself

i like to think that when zoyalai has kids (bc they totally will), they’ll only have girls. like, nik would be such a good girl dad imo???

nikolai & zoya have three daughters.

the oldest is named inessa liliyana

her middle name is after zoya’s aunt (obvs), and her first name, inessa, was a name nikolai had loved since he was a child & had always been set on naming his daughter

inessa is beautiful. like drop dead gorgeous. but what else would you you expect with such hot parents?!

she’s got zoya’s dark hair and her skin is a little darker than nikolai’s, but in all other aspects, she’s his doppelgänger

they call her “nessa” or “nessie for short

as she gets older, she hates being called nessie, so nikolai does it even more just to get on her nerves

she’s firey like zoya, and she has nikolai’s sense of humor, so she’s def a handful as a child

their second daughter is named eleonora alina

eleonora was a name they stumbled upon whilst searching for a name for inessa. it was zoya’s top choice for inessa, but ultimately, they decided against it. when eleonora was born, they knew that it was perfect

alina was honored when she found out that eleonora was named after her. she may have even shed a few tears upon being told

she looks just like zoya, except for her hazel eyes, which she got from nikolai.

nikolai calls her elly, and her sisters & zoya call her nora. she loves both of her nickname, and prefers being called either over being called eleonora.

she’s sweet and shy, but sarcastic when you get to know her. eleonora rarely gets angry, but when she does you’d better watch out

the youngest daughter is alyona genya

nikolai and zoya knew that if they had a third daughter, they would make her middle name genya. and genya even picked out alyona’s first name without even knowing it

zoya and genya came across it when the pair were looking for names, whilst zoya was pregnant, and genya pointed the name alyona out to zoya, who immediately fell in love with it

alyona is the only lantsov daughter with blonde hair. she has zoya’s brilliant blue eyes. everyone says she looks just like a blonde zoya, but both nikolai and zoya herself say she looks just like nikolai.

nikolai and zoya call her ona, while her sisters call her aly. she is indifferent to her nicknames and is fine with being called whatever

personality wise, she is almost just like nikolai. she was a tornado on wheels when she was a kid, but mellowed out a little as she got older, even though she was still a tad snarky

i just really love the idea of nik as a girl dad. i think nikolai having sons just feels weird and wrong. i might make a separate post about him as a dad/ him & zoya as parents, so look out for that!

these are just my personal headcanons that make me feel all warm in the inside, but if you have a q or two, feel free to ask & i will be sure to elaborate ;)

[fatoujallovv]

gif maker appreciation tag: skamverse edition

tagged by @yaraaimsakul thanks for starting this it’s so cute 🥺🥺

rules: answer these questions and tag anyone you’d like (gif maker or not!) to help spread the appreciation. if you’re not a gif maker, ignore the first part

if you’re a gif maker...

a gifset you’re really proud of: this kieutou set from alt er valentines week i think turned out rlly nice and it was a very tedious process but i was super happy with the result 🥺 also this clip is an all time fave can’t believe i forgot about it for favorite clip day the other day 🤧🤧

a gifset of your favorite remake: i don’t know that i even have one? i have favorite seasons but they’re all over the place skdjfj so let’s go with skamfr s3 the classic ellie favorite 😌 this eliott coloring set turned out looking like cotton candy and i just love him and i usually struggle with big gifs bc i’m obsessed with giffing really long shots sjdjfj but im glad i went with it for this 🥺

a gifset that you wish would get more notes: this lil kieutou set was a lyric from a song my sister loves that she played for me and said this line was her favorite 🥺 and i just love the lyric so much like clicked your heels! and found your hand in mine! like you click your frickin heels and the ruby slippers take you home but home is !!!! a person not a place pls i cry 🤧

a gifset where you tried something new: i’m really proud of this glitch effect set i made the other day i just messed around and did lots of trial and error with textures and coloring etc that i’d never tried before and i think it turned out really cool 🥺 honorable mention to this kieu my set that i tried clipping masks on for the first time :D

spread the love!

a gifset of your favorite remake: let’s keep going with the skamfr s3 thing i present to you miss @luxandobscurus using those braincells to the max with this elu + xo set that genuinely gives me chills it’s soooooo good

a gifset of a remake you haven’t watched/don’t like/isn’t your favorite: i haven’t watched italia nor am i a big fan of noora seasons in general but whew is this eleonora set by bestie @lucasotteli stunning like . wow the colors n clarity are simply beyond comprehension also haven’t watched nl yet ik im ridiculous kajdjf but @rorygilmcre u popped off with this set like i haven’t even watched yet and the vibes feel Right like that’s the aura i get from that remake

a gifset with a cool layout: everything @tsjernobyl does is siiiiiick but the hotel patterns layout is just sooooo interesting!!!! also this polaris set by @smblmn !!!!!!! literally sooooo big brained and incredible like the story unfolds through the gifs i can’t imagine being that patient and talented

tag someone who does beautiful coloring: we don’t really know each other but @alinok 🥺 every one of your sets has such stunning and rich colors they’re all so so beautiful i don’t even think i could pick just one to highlight 🥺

tag someone who inspires you to make gifsets: jovana @yasminasrobbe does such clean yet complex sets and the coloring and the shapes and textures and little details are always so good every set of urs makes me want to open up photoshop and experiment 🥺

tag someone who you’ve discovered recently: @birthdaysentiment obvs i’ve been mutuals with u for a lil while but i feel like u started giffing really recently (correct me if i’m wrong) and you’re already making some seriously gorgeous sets n ur so good at coloring!!! idk if this counts aksjfj but i feel like i haven’t properly “discovered” someone in the past few weeks and my goldfish brain can’t think earlier than that lmao

tag someone who you’ve admired for forever: @nooraevas basically is the queen of everything and i’ve always looked up to her so much as a content creator 🥺 so so talented and lovely ily valentina 🥺💛💛💛 (also tutu i admire u a ton too tehe i hope u notice this all the way at the end of this insanely long post rip sorry for rambling as always)

tagging everyone mentioned + @vexedtonightmares @ijzerengels @buckywilsn @yasminaselamrani @arzkiya-hai @fatoudixon @genjasafin @lifeisevak @hidden-joy @sandersyasmina but pls ignore if ur not feeling like it 🥺💓

[inmyarmswrappedin]

Not sure if you are still doing rankings. But I am watching 19 and I am also really enjoying your recaps of them as well. It has got me thinking about siblings. So I am wondering what is your ranking of sibling dynamics in the skamverse, you can include parental or found family dynamics if you want.

Hi anon 🍪 I was going to say this in response to another ask from a few weeks ago (about ranking Isak and Sana pairings), but it was one of those asks where I started replying and it got so long that I sent the ask to the drafts where it’s still chilling. My drafts folder is a boulevard of partially answered asks gvhvh.

But anyway, what I was gonna say then, is that I’m pretty much done ranking stuff across Skams. For a couple reasons, one being that now that 2 of the 3 remaining Skams are doing a new gen, the shows have gotten harder and harder for me to compare. Like, Skam France and Druck so obviously have completely different goals and execution, that it feels ridiculous for me to compare Daphné and Lola, and Kiki, Zoe and Nora. They were handled so differently that, unless I really love Daphné and Lola despite the skamfr of it all (which isn’t the case), the scales are massively tilted in Druck’s favor.

The other reason has to do with how to handle the top spots. And, in this case, I also find it unfair to compare, let’s say, Kiki, Zoe and Nora, and Fatou and Ilai. Because Kiki, Zoe and Nora are all central characters, whereas Ilai is a supporting character. And one of the biggest parts of Nora’s season was the relationship between all three sisters, whereas the Fatou-Ilai relationship is mostly there to give context to Fatou’s personality. So, sure, I can like Fatou and Ilai better, but Druck has dedicated a lot more time and effort to Kiki, Zoe and Nora.

(Edit!: I forgot to say this, but thanks for letting me know that you’re reading and enjoying my 19 recaps. I don’t mind not getting a ton of notes, because I know 19 doesn’t have a huge audience, but notes are kind of how I know the posts are reaching someone. So having a person say they’re reading and liking them goes a long way. 💛)

That being said, I will now go over the different sibling relationships in the Skams, and I’ll keep it to actual siblings, because if I start including parents and found family, this ask would be fated to the drafts folder lol.

I generally enjoyed these relationships:

Sana and Elias: they were the first sibling relationship in Skam, and I think it was a more or less good portrayal of a nuanced relationship, that isn’t all peace and love, but also not hate all the time. I liked Elias, as well as the attempt to develop him and his friends through Hei Briskeby.

Amira, Essam and Omar: Really more Amira and Essam, since Omar had such dad vibes that he really seemed to relate to his siblings more from a position of “ha ha these children are so moody!!” Essam was such an interesting character, and I’m disappointed that he got axed when Druck went in a different direction with their new gen. 

Kiki, Zoe and Nora: I mean, they’re iconic! Along with Viri’s “season”, I think s5 has been one of the best attempts to make up for the Vilde season we never got. I think all three characters could realistically take the Vilde role in a Skam version. Once Mamachwitz is out of the picture, Nora becomes less of a Vilde, but I do think she’s one in the first part of the season when she’s still living with her mom. I loved the way Druck explored how siblings come together and apart when their parent can’t parent. 

Fatou and Ilai: I like when these type of shows make it clear that the siblings are subject to their own pressures, I also experienced impostor’s syndrome at uni for a time, so I could relate to Ilai. I think Druck did well with the time they had to dedicate to this relationship.

Emma and Nora: This was Eskam utilizing all their braincells. I think Emma is such an important character, I love that eskam was very clear in not blaming Emma’s SA on her drinking or partying, and that it continued to not judge Emma as she partied and drank. They walked a fine line with showing that Nora knew it wouldn’t be Emma’s fault if something did happen to her, but also being worried that something would happen to her. Because it’s only human to worry even if you know the theory. It was also a great way to illustrate Nora’s struggle with knowing the theory and applying it.

I generally like these relationships:

Dani and Cris: I don’t like Dani, but I’m glad he was a source of support and love for Cris.

Dounia and Kasim: They had so much potential tbh, even in their actual incarnation as non hijabi but practicing Muslim, and gay Muslim who doesn’t practice but does take comfort in Islam. 

Yasmina and Elias: I mean, it’s wtfck. Elias will drop gendered slurs because the writers are useless. But they’ve had a couple conversations so far, which is nice. It’s nice that wtfck is giving their relationship facetime.

I can’t really comment on Daphné and Lola, nor Sana and Rami from Skam Italia.

I didn’t like these relationships:

Eleonora and Filippo: I mean, I didn’t watch their Eleonora season, so that’s one strike. But the other is that Iiii hate it when the Skams make the William fight about fighting homophobes. And then Skam Italia took it a step further by wanting to be “nuanced” by making Eleonora’s brother be gay, so she’d look even worse for not approving of Edoardo fighting homophobes. Also, Filippo looked younger than half the teen cast, so lol.

Imane and Idriss: I fucking hate that Idriss took Ingrid’s side in the Ingrid/Imane fight. There are two special seats in hell reserved for David H and Niels.

Nora and Sporty Spice: I realize that they don’t know they’re twins separated at birth, but still, you’d think Sporty Spice would be less creepy about his sister. 

[440mxs-wife]

Shore Leave - Part 3

(Photo courtesy of IMDb)

Pairing: Pairing: Leonard “Bones” McCoy x Lt. Maggie Parker (OFC). Other Characters: Lt. Ruthie Warner (OFC, mentioned),  Eleonora McCoy (Leonard’s mother), Donna (Leonard’s sister), Ryan (OMC)

Word Count: 7100-ish (sorry)

Warnings: Fluff, fluff and more fluff. Minor run-in with an ex, but sooooo much fluff.

A/N: This is a continuation of the ongoing story between Leonard and Maggie, which started with Part 1: New Recruit and Part 2: Something More. Enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At first, Lt. Maggie Parker couldn't believe her good luck. The Enterprise was back on Earth in spacedock for extensive repairs and regular maintenance. This meant a two-week shore leave for all personnel. The ship's corridors were abuzz with excitement and everyone sharing their plans on how they'll be spending shore leave.

As soon as Maggie found out, she called her brothers, excited to have time to spend with them and their families. She was heartbroken to find out that they had already made plans to go on a Caribbean cruise. Their trip started the same day her shore leave started and was supposed to last for a month. Not only that, but the tickets were non-refundable. Ruthie was nowhere near Earth, still somewhere in the galaxy, on assignment on the USS Pegasus. With no one around, Maggie was left wondering how she was going to spend her shore leave.

She knew that Leonard was going home to Georgia and would be gone from the ship for all of shore leave. Their relationship was still going well, after almost two years. However, Maggie didn't know how ready either of them were for her to meet his family. She also wasn't too keen on being without his company for those two weeks.

One morning, Maggie was sitting in the mess hall having breakfast. Well, sort of. She had breakfast food on her tray, but hadn't really touched any of it except her coffee. Maggie had requested a hot vanilla latte from the replicator, but by this time, it had gone cold.

"You know, darlin', breakfast works much better if you actually ingest the food, instead of leaving it on your tray," he teased. He took the seat next to Maggie and reached for her hand, covering it with his own. "Everything all right, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Everything's fine, Len," Maggie said softly as she gave him a small smile. "I guess I'm just not that hungry right now. You can help yourself to whatever is here, though," she offered.

McCoy slipped his arm around Maggie's waist. "Are you sure? You've been a little quiet ever since shortly after shore leave was announced. I thought you'd be excited, making big plans and all," he remarked.

"Yeah, well, that was until everyone decided to ditch me and now I have no plans," Maggie retorted in a rare flash of anger. "I'll probably end up staying onboard the ship and using the time to get caught up on my reports. In fact, reports are what I really should be working on right now. Excuse me," Maggie abruptly got up and left the table.

The captain had witnessed Maggie's hasty retreat and joined the table, taking the seat she had recently vacated. "What was that all about?" Kirk wondered.

McCoy shook his head in bewilderment. "You got me, Jim. I asked her what her plans were for shore leave, and she muttered something about everyone deciding to ditch her," he replied.

"Well, I'm going home to Iowa, you're headed home to Georgia," he remarked then snapped his fingers. "You know, you should take her home with you. I mean she is your girlfriend after all. I'll bet Momma McCoy would love to meet her," Kirk suggested.

"Hey, that's a great idea. I wasn't looking forward to spending those two weeks without Maggie anyway. And I'll bet you're right, especially after everything I've told Ma about her. She probably can't wait to meet Maggie," McCoy grinned. "I'm going to go message her right now and tell her there may be one extra for Sunday dinner."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Maggie tried her best to concentrate on her reports to be turned in later to Cmdr. Spock. Unfortunately, this morning's conversation over breakfast with Dr. McCoy continued to run through her mind. I was upset, but I shouldn't have taken it out on my sweet Leonard, she thought. He was only trying to be helpful, and had no idea about my plans for shore leave falling through, Maggie inwardly groaned.

Around midday, Maggie went to the mess hall and picked out some items to take to Leonard for lunch. The MedBay was relatively quiet, not many patients for once. When Nurse Chapel saw who it was, she smiled and pointed Maggie towards Dr. McCoy's office.

Maggie nodded and tentatively knocked on the office door, hoping she wasn't disturbing her boyfriend. When she heard a soft, 'come in', she slowly opened the door and poked her head inside. Dr. McCoy was sitting in his chair, sifting through some papers on his desk.

At the sound of the door opening, he looked up and smiled broadly at seeing his girlfriend. He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his chest. "Well, hello there, darlin'. To what do I owe the pleasure? Is everything all right?" he asked.

"I come bearing gifts, or sort of a peace offering, if you will," Maggie replied, setting the food on Leonard's desk. She walked over to his chair, eyes cast downward.

McCoy unclasped his hands and held out his arms. As soon as Maggie got close enough, he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap. He draped one arm across her thighs and with his other hand, he guided her head to rest on his shoulder. Once she was settled, he brushed his thumb up and down Maggie's arm in a soothing motion. "Now, what seems to be the trouble, Love?" he questioned.

Maggie took a deep breath before answering. "I wanted to apologize for my outburst at breakfast. I was disappointed about my situation, but I had no right to take it out on anyone, least of all you. I'm so sorry, Len," she murmured.

"Oh, darlin'," McCoy whispered, then pressed his lips to Maggie's temple. "It's okay that you feel that way. You know you can always talk to me when that happens. So, wanna give it a try? Tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "I....have no plans for shore leave. My brothers and their families will be on a month-long cruise in the Caribbean with non-refundable tickets. Ruthie's nowhere close to Earth, still on board the USS Pegasus. Jim's going to Iowa, Spock and Uhura have plans and you're going home to Georgia. Once I added all of that up, I felt incredibly....lonely," Maggie explained, a few tears leaving her eyes.

"Hmm. I can see why that would make you a little unhappy. I have an idea, though. What if you came home to Georgia with me?" he suggested.

Maggie sat up in surprise to look McCoy directly in the eyes. "Are you serious? Wait, I-I don't want to intrude on your time with your family, Len," she replied hesitantly.

"Sugar, you would not be an intrusion whatsoever. Frankly, I've been trying to figure out a way for you and my ma to meet each other anyway. What do you say? Will you come home with me to Georgia and meet my family?" he grinned.

A huge smile broke out over Maggie's face as she threw her arms around McCoy's neck and kissed him soundly on the lips. "I would love to come home with you, Len. I love you so much," she replied, whispering the last part.

"I love you too, darlin'. Now, what say we have some of this delicious lunch you brought, and then we can tell Ma the great news?" he asked. Maggie nodded enthusiastically and started to dish out the food she brought with her to Leonard's office.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Soon, the day arrived for everyone to start their two-week shore leave. The shuttle took Maggie and Leonard to the station on Earth. McCoy's sister, Donna, had left his truck in the parking lot. He helped Maggie get up into the truck, then stowed their bags in the truck bed.

Leonard turned the key in the truck's ignition, bringing it roaring to life. He turned to Maggie and grinned, because he couldn't wait for his mother to meet his best girl. He knew that they would get along, with his ma fussing over her, wanting to make sure she felt welcome. Maggie would be as sweet as ever, making sure his ma didn't go to any extra trouble just for her.

Leonard stretched his arm across the back of the bench seat. Maggie slid over to the middle of the bench seat and snuggled up next to him. McCoy placed a sideways kiss to Maggie's temple and curled his arm around her, keeping her close to his side. Maggie placed her right hand on Leonard's chest and gave a contented sigh.

The more miles that ticked by, drawing them ever closer, the more nervous Maggie became. What if she doesn't like me? What if she doesn't think I'm good enough for her son? These were the biggest doubts screaming through Maggie's head as she thought of meeting Mrs. McCoy.

"You know, I can hear the wheels turning in your head, Sugar. Relax, please. Just be yourself, that sweet, loving woman I know you are. Within five minutes or less of meeting you, she's going to love you as much as I do. Hell, she'll love you so much, that she'll likely end up disowning me and adopting you," he chuckled.

His remarks seemed to reassure Maggie about meeting one of the most important women in Leonard's life. Before they knew it, they had reached the McCoy family homestead. Leonard put the truck in park and turned off the engine. He exited the vehicle and walked around to the passenger side, which was closest to the house.

Maggie also descended from the truck, but after she closed the door, she leaned up against it, choosing to hang back a little. She saw a woman of medium height with short, gray hair step out onto the porch, drying her hands on a towel. Upon sight of her son, Eleonora McCoy slung the towel over her shoulder and walked towards him, arms outstretched.

"As I live and breathe. Oh, Leonard, my son, it's so good to see you," she beamed.

"Hiya, Ma. It's good to be home to see you," he replied as he closed the distance and brought his mother into his embrace.

They clung to each other for a couple of minutes, then Mrs. McCoy stepped back to peer around Leonard. "Is that her?" she whispered excitedly, a gleeful smile across her face.

He chuckled and held out his hand for Maggie to draw her closer to his side. "Yes. Momma, this is my Maggie. Lt. Maggie Parker, I'd like you to meet my ma, Eleonora McCoy," he remarked.

Maggie held out her hand, which was shaking a little from nervousness. "It's a great honor to meet you, Mrs. McCoy. I've heard a lot about you," Maggie replied.

"Oh, you dear child, come here so I can give you a proper greeting," Eleonora gently chided, holding her arms out. "And please, call me 'Eleonora', 'Momma' or just 'Ma'," she added.

Maggie looked at Leonard, who grinned and nudged her towards his mother. Eleonora wrapped her arms around Maggie and gave her a little squeeze. Maggie could feel the warmth and welcome in the gesture and a few tears leaked from her tightly closed eyes.

The tears did not escape Eleonora's notice when she pulled back. "Leonard, I'm sorry, but I think I accidentally broke your girlfriend," she chuckled nervously. "Honey, is everything all right?" she asked with concern.

"Darlin', are you okay?" McCoy inquired, rubbing circles on Maggie's back.

"I'm fine, really. It's just that--your hug was so warm, it reminded me of the ones my mom used to give me. She and my dad have both been gone for six years now. I guess I didn't realize how much I missed them until right at this moment. Thank you for making me feel so welcome," Maggie finished.

"My precious girl, you are absolutely welcome here, we're happy to have you with us. Did Leonard happen to tell you how much I've been pestering him to meet you? I would've settled for at least a video message, but I'm much happier to have you here in person," Eleonora winked. "Now, follow me, and we'll introduce you to the rest of the family. Don't worry, dear, Leonard will get the bags," she grinned.

"Already on it, Ma," he called as he hoisted the bags from the truck bed to carry them upstairs to his old room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once inside the kitchen, a multitude of heavenly aromas assaulted Maggie's senses. "What is that divine smell?" she asked.

"That would be my secret family recipe for Chicken and Dumplings," Eleonora answered, beaming with pride. "Now that my son is home and with his beautiful girlfriend, I have been cooking up a storm since morning," she replied.

"What can I do to help?" Maggie inquired.

"You can let Leonard take you on a tour of the house, I'll be all right in here," Eleonora tried to assure the young lieutenant.

"I'm sure we can do that later, but there has to be something I can do to help. I'm pretty good in the kitchen, always used to help my mom. Please?" Maggie practically begged.

"Well....I was going to make a peach cobbler for dessert. If you'd like, you can peel and dice the peaches, then put them in this bowl right here," Eleonora suggested. She handed Maggie a bowl, while Maggie grabbed a knife and what would be the first of many peaches.

While Maggie and Momma McCoy were busy in the kitchen, Leonard was upstairs unpacking their bags. Once he was finished, he quietly came down the back stairs that led directly to the kitchen. His curiosity was piqued when he heard Maggie and his mother mention his name. By this time, Donna had joined them, so he paused on the stairs to listen in on their conversation.

"You sure seem to know your way around a kitchen, Maggie," Eleanora remarked. "I appreciate the help."

"My pleasure, Momma," Maggie replied with a smile. Leonard grinned when he heard that. To him, it meant that Maggie was feeling more comfortable around his mother.

After a bit, Eleonora wandered over to the sink to check Maggie's progress in dicing the peaches. "Once you finish that one, I think we have enough for the cobbler," she declared.

"I can't wait to taste the 'fruits of our labor'," Maggie quipped, throwing everyone into a fit of laughter, including Leonard himself, though silently.

Eleonora then laid a hand on Maggie's arm, causing Maggie to turn and lock eyes with Momma McCoy. "You know, after Leonard's divorce from Jocelyn, he threw himself into his medical studies. After that, he just concentrated on his work on the Enterprise. I'd get messages from him where he seemed happy enough, but I wasn't convinced that it was 100%. Even though he had Jim to help him through it all, I was really worried about him." Oh, Ma, Leonard thought.

"From what he's told me, the divorce was rough on him, especially since Joanna was involved. For anyone who loves Leonard, I'm sure that it couldn't have been easy to see him go through that," Maggie murmured. How right you are, my sweet darlin', Leonard silently commented.

"But now? Since he has you in his life, I see so many changes for the better. He's relaxed, he's content and he's in love, probably for the last time in his life," Eleonora remarked. "I want to thank you for seeing past his outer armor and helping to mend his heart," she added.

"That goes double for me. Len and I may not always agree on everything, as is usually the case with brothers and sisters. But I sure am grateful that he found you, Maggie," Donna chimed in.

"I appreciate the thanks, but the truth is, we've helped each other. I had an ex named Ryan that broke my heart by cheating on me with his high school sweetheart. But then I met your extraordinary son and brother, and he showed me what real love is. So please allow me to thank YOU for raising such a kind and honorable man," Maggie concluded.

As if on cue, Momma McCoy and Donna both swooped in and captured Maggie in a group hug. Gentle tears of happiness were shed between the three women as they embraced each other. Leonard recognized this as his opportunity to come out of hiding on the stairs. "I leave Maggie alone with y'all for five minutes, and look what happens. Y'all broke her again," he smirked.

The ladies giggled and stepped apart. Leonard got a playful punch to his arm from Donna and was pulled into a one-arm side hug with Eleonora. As they returned to their previous activities, Leonard took hold of Maggie's hand, then brought her into his embrace. They closed their eyes, rocking gently back and forth, lost in the feeling of being in each other's arms.

Maggie lifted her head from where it was resting on Leonard's chest. She reached up with her right hand and cupped his face, her thumb brushing gentle strokes on his cheek. "I love you, Leonard," she whispered, her lips curved into a shy smile.

"I love you too, darlin'. So very much," he whispered back. Leonard dipped his head and captured Maggie's lips in a soft, tender kiss.

"Oh, all right now, there's enough sugar in this peach cobbler without y'all dripping honey all over everywhere," Eleonora teased. She made a shooing motion with her hands as she guided them towards the door. "Go on, Leonard, show her around the place. But don't go too far, dinner's ready in about a half hour," she warned.

"Don't mind if I do, Ma," he answered. "Shall we go for a stroll, sweetheart?" he asked, holding out his hand for her to take.

Maggie captured his hand with hers, interlacing their fingers. "Lead the way, my love," she replied.

They left the kitchen through the door that led out to the porch. As they walked, Leonard began telling Maggie about his favorite memories of growing up on the family farm. After they were a fair distance from the house, Eleonora and Donna stepped out onto the porch to observe the lovebirds.

"She's cute, I like her," Donna remarked.

Eleonora nodded. "They're good for each other, and they make each other happy," she responded.

Donna placed a hand on her mother's arm. "I'm going to go in and check the cobbler," she said.

"Thank you, hun," she replied as she watched her daughter walk back into the house. "Oh, Leonard. She's a keeper. Hold fast to this one, my son," she whispered to herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dinner was a lively affair, with each of the McCoy women sharing quite a few childhood stories about Leonard. He was a fairly good sport about it, until at one point, Eleonora threatened to show Maggie his baby pictures. His protests were enough that she ultimately decided to wait, saying she'd save that for the next time they visit.

After dinner dishes were done, everyone retreated to the front porch for some relaxation. Maggie and Leonard were snuggled up together on the swing, lazily rocking back and forth. Off in the distance, the fireflies were out, like little glowing yellow embers floating in the air.

Maggie was wearing a worn-out Starfleet Medical sweatshirt that she'd once 'borrowed' from Leonard and 'forgotten' to return. He pretended to frown, saying he'd been looking for the shirt for some time, only to find that his girlfriend stole it. Then he softly whispered that while he loves seeing Maggie in his clothes, he much prefers her out of hers. A blush crept into Maggie's cheeks at his remarks, which caused Leonard to chuckle and press his lips to her temple.

"Well, lovebirds, don't stay up too late. Oh, by the way, there's a festival going on for the next few days at the fairgrounds just outside of town. If you're looking for something to do," Eleonora mentioned before going into the house.

"Been a while since I've been to one of those," Leonard remarked. "What do you say, darlin', should we check it out tomorrow night?" he asked.

"You're the expert on the local attractions, my love," Maggie replied. "However, I think it sounds like a wonderful idea."

"If it's the one I'm remembering, it should have music and dancing. Would love to get you out on the dance floor, sweetheart," Leonard murmured in Maggie's ear.

"Mmm, slow dancing with you is something I would definitely be in favor of doing," Maggie said softly. "I think I might have even packed a dancin' dress," she added.

"Did you now? Well, that settles it, we have to go. I'll pick you up at 8:00pm. I'll be the one in the white hat," he grinned.

"It's a date, Cowboy," Maggie giggled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, Eleonora had made a list of things that she needed from in town. Some from the Farmer's Market, a stop at the hardware store and a couple of things from the pharmacy. Leonard volunteered for him and Maggie to run her errands, which also gave them time alone together.

First stop was at the hardware store, where everyone seemed to know Leonard. They all said how proud they were that he was CMO of the fleet's flagship. He thanked them all, and took the opportunity to introduce Maggie as well.

Next, it was more of the same at the pharmacy, with all the warm greetings and well-wishes. When he introduced Maggie as his girlfriend, one woman in particular, Janice Rollins, didn't seem happy to hear the news. She fawned all over Leonard, completely ignoring Maggie and the fact that she had been introduced as his current girlfriend. It was all Leonard could do to extract himself and get done what he went there to do.

After their business in the pharmacy was concluded and they were outside, Leonard explained that Janice was a former girlfriend. He assured Maggie that she had nothing to worry about. "My heart belongs to you and you alone," he remarked as they walked to the Farmer's Market.

"Leonard, I know that, I trust you. My heart belongs to you and only you," Maggie countered. "So, what does your ma have on her list from here?" she asked.

"Tomatoes, Brussels sprouts and potatoes, for starters," Leonard answered. "I'd like to get some corn on the cob, if they have it," he said.

Maggie took the map from his hands to study it, so Leonard wrapped his arms around her from behind. He looked over her shoulder, plotting the best pathway to get what they needed in the shortest amount of time.

Thirty minutes later, they had purchased everything on Momma McCoy's list, plus some additional items. Leonard bought Maggie a bouquet of fresh flowers. She in turn found a vendor with some rare vinyl of Leonard's favorite music artist. For dinner, they bought some thick, juicy hamburgers to grill from the meat locker on site. With their mission accomplished, the couple climbed into the truck and drove back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back at the house, Maggie helped Eleonora once again with dinner preparations. Leonard was in charge of grilling the burgers, while Maggie made potato salad from her mom's recipe. Eleonora also made some Bourbon Baked Beans and there was also leftover peach cobbler.

After dinner, it was time to get ready for the dance at the festival. Leonard showered first, then shaved his slightly scruffy face. He was wearing his dark wash jeans, his boots and a burgundy-colored button down shirt with a bolo tie. As he promised Maggie, he put on his white cowboy hat and waited at the bottom of the stairs.

Then it was Maggie's turn to get ready. After her shower, she towel-dried her hair and left it to cascade down her back in soft waves. She pinned it up on the sides with crystal-encrusted barrettes. Her makeup and jewelry were kept simple, with hoop earrings and the bare minimum on the cosmetics.

Her dress was black with cream-colored flowers sprinkled throughout the fabric. It was nearly strapless, with only thin spaghetti straps to hold it in place on her shoulders. The dress had a high-low hem, with the shorter hem in front that hit just above her knees. A pair of black suede ankle boots completed her outfit.

Just before heading down to meet Leonard, Maggie paused at the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath, then slowly descended. She could see Leonard with his back to the railing, so he hadn't seen her yet. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Right on time, cowboy," she remarked with a soft smile.

Leonard turned to watch his girlfriend make her way down the stairs. As soon as he saw her, his mouth ran dry and all coherent thought temporarily flew out the window. To him, she looked more beautiful than ever, if that were even possible. Her dress flowed elegantly with her as she walked and the hemline gave him just a quick, teasing peek at her shapely legs.

He removed his hat and held out his hand to guide her the rest of the way down the staircase. Still holding her hand as she reached the bottom of the stairs, Leonard brushed his lips across her knuckles. "Well, bless my soul, darlin', you look absolutely gorgeous this evening. Since I have the pleasure of your company, that makes me the luckiest cowboy 'round these here parts," he drawled.

Maggie ducked her head shyly to hide the color spreading across her cheeks. She stepped back a little to give him a quick curtsy. "You may not be the only lucky one. For me, I'd say you're also the handsomest cowboy I've seen in my life," she replied.

She placed her free hand on Leonard's chest and took a step forward so there was very little space between them. She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Leonard, however, had other ideas, leaning towards Maggie to deepen the kiss. His decision was rewarded when he heard the tiny moan of pleasure escape from her mouth, and he smiled against her lips.

"We could just stay here, you know. Continue with what we're doing now, let the night take us wherever it leads," Leonard suggested as he started to gently sway back and forth.

"Mmm, as tempting as that sounds, you promised to take me dancing, Len," Maggie pouted.

"Ah, so I did, sweetheart. Your carriage awaits, my love," he gestured towards the door with the hand still holding his hat. "Ma, we're headed out to the festival. It'll be late when we get home, so we'll see you in the morning," he called over his shoulder.

Eleonora bustled out to the living room to see the happy couple before they left for an evening of dancing. "You both look amazing! Have fun tonight. And Leonard? Stay out of trouble, hmm?" she teased.

"I make no promises, Ma, but if anyone can keep me in line, it's Maggie," he grinned and gave his mother a wink. "Goodnight, Ma," he said as he dropped a peck on her cheek before heading out the door.

"Goodnight, my son. At long last, you've found your happiness," she murmured to herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At the dance, the music was lively, with a variety of genres represented. It was mostly the vintage country music playing, which was best for the two-step, the waltz and line dancing. Maggie and Leonard danced to a few of the more upbeat songs, but got out on the floor for every slow song.

After one of the waltzes, they decided to take a break and get something to drink. Leonard found them an empty table and pulled out Maggie's chair for her to sit down and rest. He took the seat next to her, then leaned over to press a lingering kiss to her lips. He asked her for her drink order, then headed for the bar.

On his way to the bar, Leonard thought about how perfect the past couple of days have been. He'd introduced Maggie to his mom and sister, who loved her right away without question. Earlier in the day, he took her out and showed her the town where he grew up. Tonight, he had the company of the prettiest woman at the dance. Lucky cowboy indeed, he thought to himself.

At the bar, he gave out their drink order. As he waited, he noticed another man sitting on a barstool, nursing a whiskey. The men locked eyes, nodded at each other in acknowledgment, then returned to their previous activities. Every once in a while, Leonard would see him cast longing glances in Maggie's direction, which brought his guard up.

He was wondering how to bring it up without having to break the man's face, when he felt a tapping on his arm to get his attention. "Hey, buddy, do you see that woman over there? The one in the black dress?" the man asked, pointing towards Maggie.

Leonard gritted his teeth and answered that yes, he saw the woman in question. "She's a pretty hot one, no doubt," the man remarked. "She looks a lot like my....my....hey, that's my ex-girlfriend, Maggie Parker. And she's sitting there all by her lonesome," he said, waggling his eyebrows. "I should go over there and say hello," the man grinned as he placed his empty glass on the bar's countertop. He got down from his barstool and started walking towards Maggie, but Leonard stopped his progress.

The man glanced down at Leonard's hand on his upper arm. "Uh, say listen, Pal, you wanna take your hand off my arm? I'm not gonna cause trouble, I just wanna let her know that Ryan says 'hello'," Ryan glared.

"I think you'd better leave the pretty lady alone, Ryan. She's told me about you, and besides, she's way out of your league," Leonard retorted.

Ryan gave Leonard the once-over, as if trying to size up his competition. "What, do you think she's more likely to be in your league, old man?" Ryan snorted.

"For your information, Maggie's in a class by herself. But what you don't know is that she chose me, so I'm tellin' ya, it's in your best interest to back off," Leonard threatened.

With a huff, Ryan resumed his perch on the barstool, muttering under his breath. By this time, the bartender had finished making the drinks that Leonard had ordered. He picked them up, one in each hand, and headed back to the table.

Once there, he set the drinks down on the table. Leonard took both of Maggie's hands in his and pulled her up from her chair so she was standing in front of him. He moved his hands up so they were cradling Maggie's face, then he leaned in and crashed his lips to hers. She responded by sliding her hands up his chest and locking her fingers behind his head.

When the kiss was finally broken, Maggie was left nearly breathless. She smiled as she brushed her fingertips across Leonard's forehead and into his hair. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" she asked.

"To thank you. For choosing me. You could have any man in the universe, yet you chose me," he answered softly.

"Leonard McCoy, you don't have to thank me. I will always choose you. Every day of the week, and twice on Sundays. I love you," she replied.

"And I love you, Maggie. You wanna get out of here?" he asked, holding out his hand.

She nodded, taking his hand in hers. Then she heard the opening bars of "Crazy" by Patsy Cline, a song which had always been among her mother's favorites. Maggie tugged on his hand to catch his attention. "Dance with me? Please?" she asked.

"Always and forever, darlin'," he responded as he led her to the dance floor. He put his hands on Maggie's hips and she put hers around his neck. Maggie rested her head on Leonard's shoulder and closed her eyes as they swayed in time with the music.

As the last notes of the song faded away, Maggie looked up into the face of the man she loved. "Shall we head back now?" she asked. Leonard nodded and kept hold of Maggie's hand, interweaving their fingers. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, causing her to giggle and blush.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of shore leave seemed to pass by in a blur for Leonard and Maggie. They went on picnics by the lake, some horseback riding, and more trips into town on errands for Eleonora. There were even a couple of occasions where Eleonora spent time at Donna's house. She didn't mind, saying that Leonard and Maggie should have some time to themselves at the house.

Then there were the nights spent laying on a blanket in the bed of the pickup truck, gazing up at the stars. Which may sound silly, considering that's where they spent most of their time. But, as Maggie pointed out to Leonard, the stars look different from Earth than they do in space. All he knew and could focus on was how beautiful Maggie looked by the light of the moon.

One night, they were sitting in the front porch swing, Leonard wedged into the corner and Maggie sitting between his legs. Her back was leaning against his chest, with her head rested on his shoulder. The lazy swaying of the swing would usually be enough to put her to sleep, but she was wide awake tonight.

Leonard had his left arm curled around Maggie under her chin, with his right arm draped across her midsection. Her arms matched his in position, and her hands were atop his with fingers interlaced together. Every once in a while, they would give each other a gentle squeeze, in part for affection and also for reassurance.

"Len? In case I didn't tell you, I've had such a wonderful time these past two weeks. Thank you for inviting me to come with you for shore leave," Maggie remarked.

"Oh, darlin', it's been a real treat for me too. Before I asked you, I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with being without you for two whole weeks. Thank goodness I didn't have to go through that," he chuckled, then placed a kiss to Maggie's temple.

"And your mother and sister are amazing, I already love them. I only had brothers growing up, and being around your ma helps me to miss my mom a little less. They were a good influence on you. Except where did you get your grumpiness from?" she teased.

Leonard shifted in the swing so he could look Maggie in the eyes. "It's sass, isn't it? You're sassin' me right now, aren't ya, little lady. Well, I'll fix you," he grinned mischievously just before he started tickling Maggie on her sides and under her arms. That sent her into a fit of giggles and nearly gasping for air.

"Can't....breathe!" she managed to get out.

"Say I'm not grumpy, and I'll quit," he promised but was still randomly hitting her ticklish spots.

"Okay, okay," she wheezed. "You're not grumpy. You're adorable," she replied before capturing his lips with her own. Their mouths moved together in tandem, pressing and pulling in a delicate dance. "I love you, Len," Maggie whispered when they'd finally pulled apart.

"I love you too, Sugar," Leonard whispered back.

"I want you to know something else, and I'm just going to come out and say it. Leonard, you're 'it' for me. When I see my future, you're the only one I see it with. I realize that we've both been burned before, and….and I'm not asking you for more than you're ready to give. Just know that I'm here for you and that I love you with all my heart," Maggie declared.

Leonard was silent for what felt like an agonizingly long time to Maggie, before he spoke again. "You know, after what happened with Jocelyn, I'd pretty much sworn off of women. I was afraid of making the same mistakes again if I got into a relationship. And I didn't want to put anyone else through that, let alone myself."

"Oh, Len," Maggie whispered, but then Leonard put a finger to her lips. "Hey there, shh. It's my turn now, Love," he playfully scolded. Maggie nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Then I met you, my little spitfire, and all of that changed. I'm not afraid to fall in love anymore, because I already have. Maggie, you're 'it' for me, too. I know that my future isn't complete without anyone but you in it as my leading lady. If you can be patient with me on the 'more' part, I know we'll get there eventually. I love you with all my heart, Maggie," he concluded.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

All too soon, shore leave came to an end. With heavy hearts, Leonard and Maggie packed their belongings and put their bags in the trunk of Donna's vehicle. Her car was big enough so that Eleonora could accompany them to the station. She wanted to be there to see her son and his girlfriend off before they had to catch the shuttle back to the Enterprise.

At the station, everyone hesitated for a little bit before finally climbing out of the car. Leonard retrieved their bags from the trunk and set them on the curb. He turned to his mother with his arms wide open. "Bye, Momma. It was great seeing you, and I wish we could’ve stayed longer. Thank you for having us," he murmured, holding her tightly in his embrace.

Eleonora rubbed her hands in circles on his back. "You know you're welcome at home anytime, Leonard. Just don't make it so long between visits, bring your lovely girlfriend with you, and everything will be fine," she remarked.

"I'll try and visit more often, and I'll definitely bring Maggie with me. Love you, Ma," he whispered, then gave Eleonora one last squeeze. Before he let her go, she whispered in his ear about the surprise she had tucked into his bag.

Maggie had finished saying her goodbyes to Donna, then moved to hug Eleonora. "I had a wonderful time, and I loved meeting and spending time with you all. Thank you so much for having us, and I hope we can visit again soon," she said, giving Eleonora a fond embrace.

"You take care of yourself, sweet girl, and keep watch after my Leonard. He's my son, but Lord knows that man needs someone to keep him in line," she chuckled, as did Maggie. "You come visit anytime, we'd love to have you. By the way, I slipped something into your bag. Just a small gift, from me to you. A little reminder of your trip here," Eleonora mentioned.

A soft look crossed Maggie's face as tears prickled behind her eyes. "Thank you, Momma. You know, I think you and my mom would've been good friends," she remarked as she moved in to hug Eleonora once more.

Overhead, they heard the announcement for Leonard and Maggie's shuttle flight back to the Enterprise. One last round of hugs for everyone, then the couple picked up their bags and headed for the platform.

Eleonora and Donna watched as Leonard and Maggie walked away, each with an arm slung around the other's waist. Donna moved to stand beside her mother, and sighed deeply in contentment. "They're so good together. I'm glad they found each other," Donna stated.

"Yes, I am too. Wouldn't be surprised, though, if we were to hear some news from them in the near future," Eleonora replied with a mischievous grin.

Donna looked at her mother with narrowed eyes. "You know something, don't you? What is it? Tell me!" she demanded, but Eleonora refused, just kept the grin on her face. "Fine. Don't tell me," she grumbled as they climbed back into the car and headed home.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in their respective quarters, Leonard and Maggie set about the task of unpacking. As Maggie separated her clean clothes from ones to be laundered, a piece of paper fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and started reading it, her hand flying to cover her mouth. She almost didn't hear the door chime, signaling a visitor. On the second chime, she murmured 'come in' and the doors slid open to reveal her boyfriend on the other side.

"Hey, darlin', whatcha got there?" Leonard asked before wrapping his arms around Maggie from behind. He peered over her shoulder to see that she was reading a recipe in his ma's handwriting for her Chicken and Dumplings. "Whoa. Where did you get this?" he whispered.

"Your ma said she slipped something in my bag, as a reminder of our trip there. I don't understand, Len," Maggie replied, a confused look on her face.

Leonard took the piece of paper and held it up to Maggie. "This....has never left my ma's kitchen, not to my knowledge...." he trailed off. He placed the paper on Maggie's desk, then taking both of her hands in each of his.

"I still don't understand, Len," Maggie stated.

"Giving you this recipe means she loves you, sweetheart. And she knows you love me, but more than that, she trusts you. I know you were worried about meeting her, if she was going to like you. Darlin', after meeting you just this once, she already considers you part of the family," he finished with a smile. Someday, I hope that we can make that a little more permanent, he said to himself, as he thought of what his ma put in his bag.

Maggie tucked the paper into a drawer with her other valuable paperwork, then wound her arms around Leonard. Her hands clasped behind his head, she gently tugged downward until her lips met his. Just before things could get too heated, she pulled back to gaze into his perfect hazel eyes. "Shall we head to the mess hall, see who's back and do some catching up?" she asked.

Leonard pressed a lingering kiss to Maggie's forehead. "Sounds good to me, Love," he replied. With their arms curled around each other, they walked down to the mess area to catch up with their friends.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @marvelouslytrekking​​ @spacedancer1701​​ @anna-phora​​

[ayellowcurtain]

What is your least favorite writing on a season? This is excluding any love for a season bc of the way a talented actor managed to make the most of it or bc of some electric on screen chemistry etc

Okay, this is a hard question, anon! So hopefully I’ll be able to express myself correctly and not change my mind after overthinking this answer after posting it hahaha

So! To start, there are a few seasons that I don’t like but that I didn’t watch completely so it wouldn’t be fair for me to take those into consideration, even if what I saw of them I didn’t like. So that excludes: Kato’s season, Ismail’s season, Cris’ season and Nora’s/Viri’s season. I would put Bilal’s season inside that list too but I don’t hate his season, at all, I just think in the end, there was so much potential wasted too. Still a good season in my eyes though. And Eleonora’s season was bad but not because of writing but because of chemistry so that’s not in this answer too.

With all that being said and all those seasons not considered, I think writing wise, Lola’s season was my least favorite.

I think we had two major Lola plots that needed more development, more thought, more screen time, more text/social media depth. The plots kind of meet in the middle or become one but the main idea would be: tackling her coping mechanisms, her past and present traumas and her struggles in the relationships she has/had/was trying to create. As a whole character, with depth and all, Lola was made to be an amazing main because you literally didn’t need nobody else.

We would be inside her head and her POV so deep because she had SO much going on already that we wouldn’t need anything else. For the ones that love to feel deep inside the main’s head and POV, Lola would have been the perfect main.

And we also had one Daphné subplot that also needed attention. If you’re making the main to be the little sister of someone who was underdeveloped already, I would imagine you would give them some development too.

So from the start - think like you’re writing Lola’s season, okay? - you would have three solid plot lines to follow and you would have over two months to develop those, to properly start, introduce this new character who turns out to be the main character of a whole new generation, you would have the conflicts in the middle, maybe some growth, maybe another smaller fall out around episode 7 or 8 and you would have two solid, long episodes to close all the plots you opened.

And if you’re okay with that, thinks that there are still breathing time for the viewer, why not add another important plot: a LI, that will also need to be deeply developed because we’ve learned in the first few weeks how Lola works, or not, her love relationships, but we don’t much deeper about that, so we would need screen time to understand how in love!Lola works, how it’s different from the random, drunk or high hook ups.

Those things never happened to me during Lola’s season. There was barely any breathing time - when I say breathing time, I don’t mean space between clips but about clips that feel like there are actually about Lola and not about what’s happening to Lola. To me she felt just like a reactive thing that would just respond to events or other people’s feelings. The breathing times I saw in her season: the clip between Lola and Baz when they were cooking, most of Lola x Daphné’s clips and most of the Lola x Maya’s alone clips.

So my main problems with the season, writing wise were: Eliott’s whole plot, the sexual assault that didn’t have consequences, or follow-ups, the lack of depth into Lola’s POV during her own season, how little breathing time we had.

And that stained a bunch of characters to me, as a tiny writer myself. Not related to your question but, after the season, unconsciously, my headcanons about some characters changed completely, even Lola herself, to the point where the characters during Lola’s season and before/or after felt like completely different people, so much so that I don’t even take much of the events that happened into consideration or that the events stained my viewing of these fictional characters so much that I can’t write them the same way I did before the season.

[incantavaxx]

Translation

Filippo: “So basically, what happened? It all started two years ago when my sister Eleonora met this new redhead at school, a super messy one, to the point where all her old friends hated her, they randomly flipped her off, just to let you understand. She also had a thousand problems with her boyfriend, who actually didn’t do absolutely anything to her *he’s such a Gio stan omg*, but she had convinced herself that he did, but whatever, let’s ignore that. So basically my sister and this Eva became best friends and they throw in the middle three other girls, Silvia, Federica and Sana, totally random. Anyway go with parties and fights and eventually Silvia even manages to do some dirty stuff with the hotty of the school, Edoardo, mark this name, too bad he’s under a train for my sister, who technically hates him tho because she says he’s a maschilist asshole and that he has shitty hair, which is true by the way. *FILIPPO IS YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY BLIND OR WHAT* But let’s go with order. At some point Eva convinces herself that her boyfriend cheated on her, and BAM, she cheats on him with one of Edoardo’s friends, a fuckboy, such as Federico Canepallo, Canecoso, something like that. *Filippo is not here for that Eva/Canegallo bullshit we stan* He finds out, she cries a lot, he forgives her but in the end she’s the one breaking up with him and honestly it’s not like we really understood why. Anyway he tries to get over it and hits -badly- on this Sofia, called the Argentina, just like all his friends, except Martino that doesn’t really seem drawn towards this Argentina or in general towards any girl. Martino all confused, Martino all alone, and of course who accepts this burden? Me. Maybe not just me *EXACTLY, LET’S RESPECT GIOVANNI GARAU*, but who had to listen for two months to all his paranoia, “and I didn’t know this was the gay street” “and I’m not gay but I date Niccolò” “and I have a borderline boyfriend” “and Niccolò had another lover before me”, so moral of the story, who is to thank if they’re now happy and live together? *CHICCO RODI, FILIPPO, I LOVE YOU BUT IT’S OUR LORD AND SAVIOR CHICCO RODI THAT WE HAVE TO THANK, JUST LIKE ALWAYS* Whatever. So everything seemed perfect…and what do I find out! I find out that my sister, quiet quiet, was secretly seeing Edoardo! And then: drama. And tell Silvia, and make up with Silvia, and accept that Edo is a little violent, but deep down he only does it to help his friends so he’s a good guy, and let’s survive all the blackmailings from his perv brother and when at the end everything seems resolved...he goes to study in America. And he asks my sister to go with him. And I’m even happy about that actually. Because I’m perfectly able to stay home alone anyway. Perfectly. *his face says he can’t, he’s probably eating with his hands because he hasn’t washed the dishes in three months* Anyway at the end everyone’s happy. Eva with Canepallo, Silvia with Luchino, Giovanni with this Sofia, *he’s so bitter about Gioeva omg* but Sana in all of this…Ah. Boh. Because no one knows what Sana thinks actually.” *Did you really list everyone Filippo? EVERYONE? NO DISASTER BISEXUAL MISSING FROM YOUR LIST?*

Random Guy: “Okay, and so you’d like me to believe that in all this mess you were alone?” 

Filippo: “Err, yes. Wait, I can’t hear you well, I think I’m losing connection, can you hear me?” *ACTUAL CANON PROOF THAT THIS ASSHOLE IS SECRETLY DATING ELIA SANTINI* 

Random Guy who is being refused because Filippo already has a boyfriend: “Whatever, anyway I’m telling you, no one ever invented such a lie not to go out with me before.”

Filippo: “Nah, what are you on about, come on. You don’t get it. This house is like a common house now, all these teenagers appear here without even warning me, this is the level we are at. One day it’s that one that broke up with his boyfriend, the next day that other one is throwing up all over Eleonora’s bed, what can I do? Now Sana called me because she doesn’t know where to BURY her brother, like, I don’t even feel that good if I’m honest, I’m getting anxiety, now I’m gonna go make a chamomile tea.”

Random Guy: “Yeah, sure. Whatever, bye bello!”

Filippo: “Wait, wait, wait. Wait. Do you trust me Rose?”

Random Guy “No.”

*NO ONE TRUST YOU FILIPPO JUST ADMIT IT ALREADY, YOU ARE DATING ELIA*