#emma: HE KNOWS I'M DEFLECTING?? WHAT DOES HE KNOW

[smiletimeisrunningout]

"No, I can be a girl-general, we'll share," Emma joked, waving her hand to dismiss that fake worry. She snickered, though, over the accurate observation that she could've asked far worse from him.

It seemed he had let her words reach him, and that touched her in ways she couldn't explain, more used to finding the wrong ones to express herself with him, or at least to have him respond with less certainty. Now he had just accepted her attempt to comfort him, and it meant the world. "I wish I could tease you about calling me the perfect leader, but... it means a lot to me that you'd say that. That you'd accept my words and that you'd think that. It's... almost a life-mission for me to make sure my people feel safe..." Which was why she would kill Regina some day, because George only threatened her life, Regina got other people killed to get to her, and it was time to end it. "Don't forget, thanks to grandma, my people had a violent tyrant before. And because of that I never want people to feel like I'm above them and can't be asked for help. I want to be respected, sure, but that should be a given regardless of my title."

but any time you try and deflect, I can smell it from over a mile away. Her curious smile turned into an alarmed look for a moment - what had she deflected? Was it a safe topic for her to discuss? What did he know? "Is that-really? What did you... what did I..." she paused in her awkward half questions, then picked her glass again, "I'm going to need more liquor for this one. When do I deflect?" She had wanted a honest, real night, after all, and there were downsides to that.

For Caleb, she'd have happily sung. For everyone else? "Hey, I have never said I'm good enough to perform, just that I can carry a tune," she pointed out amusedly; people did love her singing, but she couldn't be sure it would be the same on this side of the ocean. "I'm worried it may not translate as... nicely here."

He took his hand away with his typical blush, and it made Emma want to hug him and tell him it was alright; could a person really live well if so untouched? But then he brought her attention back to his words when mentioning poetry, and it was the sweetest thing Emma could imagine hearing. He had actually found a poem that made him think of her.

"It's... probably too beautiful for me," she murmured softly, "I'm not sure I deserve being compared to the moon, but yes, you can always speak your mind to me... and you can't imagine how happy it makes me to know that I'm a constant to you." She tried to contain how pleased she was, but she knew she was failing, unable to stop smiling. "You are just... I think you may be the only person I've ever met capable of making me stay so long in one place. I get antsy every couple of months, but with you..." There was always something to discover, a reward here and there, even just in the form of his surprising approval or the adorable looks on his face when he was being messed with, and as much as she missed her other loved ones fiercely, she just wasn't ready to go. "I'm not used to that. I have no idea of how to deal with it. So I'm glad I'm not overstepping," she decided to say, just to avoid ending the sentence at such a vulnerable place.

"General?" Benjamin echoed, suppressing a laugh. "Careful now: if Washington finds out you're gunning for his job, he may be far less amenable to you in future endeavors. Even so..." He waved a hand. "I suppose calling you by your God-given name is the least provocative thing you could've commanded, so I accept. For now."

You'll find him again... It was a nice sentiment. Even if Benjamin didn't entirely believe it, he was grateful for the reassurance, and with a soft little smile, he lowered his gaze toward his lap. That was when Emma reached across the table. Her fingers entwined with his own, gentle and squeezing, and despite his initial instinct to pull away, to withdraw, to hide, he found himself squeezing back.

"You wouldn't be able to have the same best friend if war had truly changed you that deeply."

A lump filled his throat and Benjamin exhaled, looking back up at her with glassy eyes. "Thank you," he murmured. "For as much as you deride yourself, you really are wise where it counts...the perfect leader. Your people should consider themselves lucky -- they will never have to fear tyranny."

Emma spoke of the stage, and Benjamin found himself grateful for the dip into levity. He chuckled, lifting his shoulders. "Would you resent me if I said I wasn't surprised you can't act? Because no offense, Swan -- er...Emma -- but any time you try and deflect, I can smell it from over a mile away. You're the rare type who wears her heart on her sleeve."

He, too, was guilty of this, but the hardening of his emotions had lessened such instincts. Expression softening, he added, "Why have you never sang for the officers? I imagine they would enjoy it...in fact, I feel certain Caleb would demand it, seeing how he's fond of song and making merry."

Suddenly realizing that he was still holding her hand, Benjamin retracted his touch and drew back, a hint of embarrassment stinging his cheeks as he avoided her eyes. "I, uh...I suppose this is a good opportunity to shift into poetry. I'm quite fond of this art form, because it expresses sentiment far more beautifully than I could ever hope...and in this moment, your wisdom reminds me of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's work, ‘Hymn to the Moon.'" Shifting in his seat, he softly recited, "'By thy pale beams I solitary rove, To thee my tender grief confide; Serenely sweet you gild the silent grove, My friend, my goddess, and my guide.'"

A moment of silence followed, and Benjamin cautiously lifted his gaze again. "I'm not sure just yet if it's the poem for you, like I promised, but it's assuredly a start...and although it's quite literally referring to the moon, the sentiment expressed is exactly how I feel about you." Wincing, he quickly amended, "I-I mean, I feel safe enough to speak candidly in your presence...just like the moon, you've become a constant in my life."

[bonjourxrenae]

Some .hack//YGO AU thoughts under the Read More, bc if I don’t breathe it into existence it will NEVER BE………

I'm drawing self-indulgent arts and strips about it... might make it a fic someday...? idk

My partner Quill (@themadcaptain) and I are putting characters in situations again, and we’re here in the hit online MMO The World

*Yuki Kajiura's The World playing softly in the background*

We've really only ever seen .hack//SIGN and between us, we've maybe played 3 out of 4 of the PS2 games (we started replaying .hack//Infection again recently!) so our knowledge of the series is vague and limited at best... I'll look into the rest, but .hack is just a large multimedia franchise with SO MUCH BACKGROUND STUFF HAPPENING

anyway, BACKGROUND STUFF (.hack is a niche little project so I’ll summarize a little bit of what’s going):

The story of .hack takes place in an alternate reality in which there’s a technological rise of a new version of the internet following a major global computer network disaster, and the mysterious events regarding the wildly popular fictional massively multiplayer online role-playing game The World.

The World is a fairly standard VR-enabled MMORPG, but otherwise functions as any other MMO does. It was originally created by programmer Harald Hoerwick under the name Fragment.

The story behind The World itself is largely based on an epic poem known as the Epitaph of the Twilight, written by fictional poet Emma Wieland. Hoerwick was infatuated with Wieland, and when she died, he created Fragment in order to immortalize her work. Fragment, and subsequently The World, contains a secret black box project he had been working on: the ultimate AI named Aura. In universe, this black box data exists within the game, but it is unable to be analyzed. CC Corp, the company that buys Fragment from Hoerwick, beta tests it (with beta testing ending early for unknown reasons), and releases an upgraded version known as The World.

Because of the presence of this Ultimate AI, a lot of mysteries crop up in game, and some players are met with disaster as a result (ie. many fall into comas, have their consciousness trapped in game, etc etc.) and CC Corp is trying to cover up these disasters by deflecting responsibility. However, the AI has been aiding hackers within the game in stopping the mysterious corruption in the game's files.

...SO WHERE DO THE YUGIOH DUDES COME IN?

The parallels between Harald Hoerwick and Pegasus are obvious. It would also be really cool to have his dead fiancée have more of a role other than being Pegasus's muse and motivation. (Also, if you've played the .hack games and seen the creatures in game, then you know this is something he would have absolutely created.) I don't know much about Wieland, but it's implied that she was using Hoerwick's research and talents for her own ends, which is fascinating.

I like the idea of Kaiba Corp collaborating with I2 on this game, with I2 selling it to KC... I also imagine KC still having Gozaburo and The Big Five who would be dismissive of the players' concerns about the comas and such, going so far as to delete forum threads and accounts just to save face...

Then we have Seto Kaiba. The future CEO of Kaiba Corp. Current leader of the Cobalt Knights (group of admins in The World working for KC), and this AU's stand in for Balmung of the Azure Skies Eyes (hehe). I imagine he has NO IDEA what's going on behind those closed doors, but eventually learns what role KC is playing in regards to all of this, and vows to put an end to it on his terms. I also like to believe Mokuba is also part of the Cobalt Knights, and is one of the victims who gets his consciousness trapped in the game, very much like Tsukasa from .hack//SIGN.

And Noa Kaiba? Big Morganna Energy... In .hack//SIGN, Morganna was created to oversee the birth of the Ultimate AI, but would ultimately rebel from this purpose, stalling the development of the Ultimate AI and setting off a lot of disastrous events. I imagine Noa would also be, like, the consciousness uploaded into the system - the one who could access the black box data - but could not export it to KC. With his own father abandoning him within the mainframe, Noa is working to destroy the game from the inside out... and he's responsible for trapping Mokuba in-game.

I feel like if one's consciousness can be uploaded into the MMO, I think it could stand to reason that ghosts and spirits can exist there too...

Alright, so there's some background info... and sadly we're a bit intimidated trying to tackle it all, and also trying to keep up with the different continuities between the different anime and the video games... one day, we'll figure it out... and one day I won’t be too intimidated to tackle this story from Kaiba’ POV…

I’ll probably make a separate post about what everyone else’s role is in The World a bit later!!! owo;;

[lingeringscars]

⭐ as is tradition

Akilah- gigi because I think I could put her in yj if I think about it and there is something about her quickly viewing violence as a means to an end vs akilah not even picking up a weapon, ryan. i still don't know how we'll do that without creating a whole sep verse just for them or akilah lives au but yeah <3, leoni. oh you know nothing about this but YEAH THEM. she's actually described as walking sunshine but also has contributed to destruction. she's devoted her life to helping other people because she was saved from death + as a result someone died to help her. as for yj chars, I feel like we don't talk about shauna as much. and then gen.

Travis- if i don't say shauna here who even am i? can't explain this one as well but my gut does say percy too. or maybe i just miss him. I do think harper and travis would be really interesting because she has that directness and kindness where she'd be like dude wtf at his outbursts while also extending empathy to him bc she's been there re taking shit out on other people esp after dads dying. she would also initially want to help look for javi but would taper off as more time went by and it became unlikely he was still alive rip. tyler. that same teenage boy anger at the world, shitty fathers, not able to regulate emotions well and reactionary because of that. ryan. feeling responsible for siblings deaths. he's really good at just adapting to whatever needs you have so if you wanna talk or sit and drink or explode he got u travis. miller. being part of the in group to survive.

Melissa- shauna and van because there is so little and we can go wild thinking about it. her and spencer would have played a sport together or like if we stick with rival team, would have met against each other across multiple sports growing up. melissa would you have tried field hockey at some point. also harper. they can be snarky together. then ofc mari and gen. akilah vc: duh.

Allie- layla is my gut reaction because of how they were supposed to be somewhere that turned disastrous (the plane crash, her mom's car crash). i think allie would get completely on her nerves though and would Try to be understanding because it is a vicarious trauma while also like oh my god i can't stand you. christian would be like oh my god you weren't on the fucking plane. sorry allie. lydia. i'm not really sure with this one i was just thinking about them being tertiary to some stuff but still affected by it.

Van- finch or hope m if just because I am thinking about landon and van being friends. i just think while you were streaming would be such an important place for spencer but also going to the movies and parents that don't notice you weren't home. maddie because needing to be the one that takes on that caretaker role and isn't taken care of when they need it, running, etc. thinking about van & rachel having different arcs almost. them both going through something traumatic that results in a disability but while van becomes harder and deflects with humor, rachel leans more into humor and becomes lighter and freer. gen & shauna. harper + mothers that don't really notice you're gone. she wouldn't understand most of the pop culture references and would ask. like mari. love u van sorry about that. emma duval. reclaiming identities, disdain for modern technology after All That, almost dying 432 times. lucy and van should hook up.

Jessica- christian/adrian/sonya. i can see her having connections to their powerful families, basically. being hired to manage things by christian's extended family, covering up adrian's escapades, sonya's fall. idk! same with tyler. his dad was mayor so. you sent a meme for melinda but yeah her & may. doing what needs to get done, i can see her getting mixed up with shield stuff too. michael bishop because this reeks of nikita. lmao spencer. her loose connection to the team so trying to talk to her like those at the beginning of the pilot but like. she's been through shit of her own because of A so she's not gonna talk about that or the yj team but also that being a whole other thing.

Hayden- kaley. idk they could meet at college or something. striving for independence. christian. moving after traumatic events, family member (sister, aunt) that means everything to you and helped raise you. JAYMEE. they could have worked together but also they just have a lot in common. i have zero thoughts about lydia/hayden in yj but like why not. all <3 gen, shauna, van, nat, mari. jenna. jenna studying psychology and hayden for social work.

Callie- hey cal wanna meet your mom's friends? kaley, ryan. just want her to have friends. also they would listen to her talk if she ever wanted to do that. christian. family secrets are the hardest kind are they not? sally because closeted lesbians who sometimes do the wrong thing because they're just trying to cope with their families. thea because navigating Life. Mariana also understands going through it because of family drama. don't know how to explain it but lydia and callie + the way they interact with their moms. oh also emma duval and the way your mom's life comes for you personally (sorry maggie ily).

@itchose sent ⭐for potential dynamic combinations / always accepting

[honorhearted]

"No, not poor."

Benjamin arched a brow, discreetly observing her from the corner of his eye. He knew a backhanded compliment when he heard one. "And have you received many accolades for your dancing, Miss Woodhouse?" he asked. "I'm just curious who deemed you the expert on such matters."

Emma's eyes gleamed and she turned toward him, almost as if she finally deemed him a subject of interest. "Reformed?" she echoed, intrigued. "You speak as if you're an expert on the subject, Mr. Tallmadge. What reformation do you require?"

Benjamin snorted. "As if I would tell you," he deflected, lifting his shoulders. "You should know better than most, Miss Woodhouse: the gossips of this town are ruthless. And being an American, I trust I already have their barbed arrows at the ready. There's no need to tempt them." Turning toward her, he added, "But for the sake of argument? Let's just say I have a penchant for verbal combat."

Emma hummed. "No matter. My former governess Miss Taylor, now Mrs. Weston, would very much digress if asked her good opinion on the subject. She's in need of no reformation at all, especially not now that she's become wed to a most gentile acquaintance."

For the second time that evening, Benjamin snorted. "And just who is Mrs. Weston to make her the head authority on what does and does not work?" he asked. "I'm sure she's a lovely woman, but you'll have to forgive me since my opinion remains unchanged." He swirled the glass of wine in his hand. "I'm glad of her happiness, naturally, but something tells me your support is a bit more self-serving. Far be it for me to listen to whispers, but it's been said that you are responsible for her match."

Unruffled as ever, Emma divulged, "It's to my understanding that those in the vicarage are more often in need of reform than us sinners cast aside after Sunday morning."

Benjamin was taking a sip of claret when she spoke. Nearly choking into his glass, he grimaced once the acidic beverage shot up his nose, leaving behind a tart, unpleasant burning sensation. Bringing a gloved hand over his mouth, he scowled at her before revealing, "My father is a man of God. I don't know who's twisted your opinions to such a...a heinously colorful degree, but I must ask: what authority on sin do you possess, Miss Woodhouse, that you can so readily judge?"

"Is my method so poor?"

"No, not poor." Not good either, but she was uncertain she could locate a more fitting adjective in the recesses of her memory.

"Do I seem like I only converse with students, Miss Woodhouse? ... if you feel that students and teachers are the only ones who can learn from one another, then I must unabashedly disagree. Sometimes, it is the educated who are the most in need of reform."

"Reformed?" She turned to face her companion fully, a brow raised in curiosity. "You speak as if you're an expert on the subject, Mr. Tallmadge. What reformation do you require?" her tone one of playful challenge; she was fond of a bit of verbal sparring, something she'd become practiced in as a child, "No matter. My former governess Miss Taylor, now Mrs. Weston, would very much digress if asked her good opinion on the subject. She's in need of no reformation at all, especially not now that she's become wed to a most gentile acquaintance."

A wicked thought came to her, one involving the poor character of a vicar she knew all too well, one perhaps better left unsaid in mixed company but subtly was a virtue Emma did not herself possess. "It's to my understanding that those in the vicarage are more often in need of reform than us sinners cast aside after Sunday morning."

[drakenxemma]

my moon light ;💜

nothing but loves, kithes and hugs for you! congratulation again for your milestone AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA drakemma for life lets gooooo~!

for the milestone event, may i request a headcanon for reader x inui seishu with drakemma in university au? (lets pretend they live a normal life here eh) like what do they do together when they arent in class? random student shenanigans? how they support each other?

fluff please, unless you feel like throwing in some spices, then please go ahead!

summary: (read the request) pairing: draken x emma, inupi x f!reader characters: draken | ken ryuguji, emma sano, inupi | inui seishu, f!reader content: fluff, and funny! warnings: // a/n: to my 🌻, thank you for existing. 💕

›› Of bicycles and sunflowers

Classes are tiring and hard, studying medicine certainly turned out to be the most challenging choice of your life. However, it's nothing that a good lunch and some fresh air can't soothe.

You don't even need to look for a quiet place, since you know this one spot in the campus where nobody ever goes to, except for you and some guy that is always there in a peaceful slumber as if university life is the least of his worries. You're not bothered by him at all, anyway, since he's pretty quiet and only minds his business.

As soon as you stop there, and park your bicycle right in front of the bench where you usually take some rest, you pay the guy sitting on the grass a quick glance, but you're too concerned about the pedals of your bike — which just suddenly conked out, — to even care about his presence.

«The hell is wrong with you now?!» You curse at the bicycle. «You stupid wreck!»

«Mind to lower your voice? I'm trying to sleep.»

«Sir, does this place bear your name? No, huh?» You're livid enough to forget about manners. «Shut up and get lost!»

As soon as you go back fumbling with the pedals, the guy stands up, only to stop by your bike and look down at you in silence.

«What?» Your patience starts to vacillate, as you raise your head and meet a pair of droopy eyes and an overall — too pretty — stoic face.

«Move aside, leave it to me.»

«And what are you? A mechanic? A cyclist? No, thanks. I'm calling my friend.»

You hear him sighing, before he crouches down next to you. «I'm a mechanical engineering student and a biker, for the record.»

The breeze makes his cute blond hair lash against his scar. He bites his lower lip, as he observes the pedals up close. For some reason, you just can't help but stare at him. What's with the butterflies in your stomach out of the blue? And what's with the urge to yell in his annoying face at the same time?

«There's no need to call your friend.» He says in the end, pointing a finger at the source of the problem. «The chain escaped the chainring, you see? Let me just—» And with a short clack he puts the chain back in its place. «Done.»

You're dumbfounded, half relieved and half annoyed. «Thank you, I guess.»

He shows no sign of standing up, tho. Your faces are a few inches away, and you can feel the tip of your ears getting hot as he looks at you with his absolutely blank face, which makes it difficult to understand whether he is judging you, or he is just thinking about how good the weather is today.

«W— What do you want?»

«Nothing at all.»

«So why don't you just stop staring? You look like a maniac.»

«You've been staring at me for minutes, honey.»

At this point, you don't even know what's preventing you from punching him. «I'm not honey, I'm y/n. Watch your mouth, sunflower boy.»

«I'm Inui Seishu, Inupi to my friends.» He replies, a hint of amusement in his voice, even though his stoic face never flexes. «But if you want to call me sunflower boy, go ahead.»

«Inupi? Who would go by that name these days?»

«Koko came up with it.» He proudly states.

«What's even a Koko?!»

«Buy me a coffee.» Inupi deflects, and he looks dead serious.

«What?» A hysterical laugh. «Why would I?»

(Un)luckily, a loud voice interrupts your conversation, — or maybe your flirting?

It's Emma, calling your name and waving at you in her usual cheerful attitude. Draken is right behind her, holding her hand.

«I— Inupi and y/n?» Ken looks quite surprised. «Do you know each other?»

«Do you know each other?» You retort. Of course they do, they both study mechanical engineering. And judging by the way he casually called him Inupi they're not just acquaintances.

Draken nods, then he asks: «Why are you all over each other down there, anyway?»

As soon as it hits you that the two of you are still that close and crouched down on the grass, you gulp and flinch, but before you can even open your mouth to offer an explanation, the Inupi guy beats you to it. «y/n apparently doesn't know how to properly oil the chainring of her bike.»

«Actually, I—»

«Great! We were just passing through!» Emma tightens her grip around Draken's arm, to draw his attention and give him a knowing look. «My boyfriend promised me to spend the break between classes with me, right Draken?»

That girl is always one step ahead. It's no surprise Draken is head over heels in love with her.

«Huh, right.»

«Bye bye!»

They walk away, hand in hand just as they arrived, and Emma sends a teasing wink and a flying kiss your way from a distance.

«They must have gotten the wrong idea.» You comment, rubbing your face, as you stand up.

Inupi shrugs, following your example and getting back up on his feet himself, his droopy eyes scrutinizing you as if nothing happened. «Or maybe they got the right idea.»

There's something tremendously endearing in the way he gives off absolutely no emotion, yet he manages to make it very clear that he truly wants to have that coffee with you. And for a reason that's unreasonable to you, you crave that coffee, too.

«Bold of you to assume I'd spend another minute of my day with the likes of you.»

«That's why you're holding my hand and we're heading to the campus café?»

«I'm a girl of few words and lots of actions.»

Inupi chuckles. «I like the way you're so feral.»

[duthea]

Cab you talk about the Unova protags please? Especially grey.

Sure! If I'm talking about Black and Grey, I might as well talk about White and Gray too. So, to preface this, in my AU Unova has two alternate universes, with the differences them mostly being the games' version differences, like one universe has White Forest and the other has Black City. Gates rarely open between the two universes, and scientists have been researching the phenomenon. They managed to create a function that should open the gate, but for unknown reasons fails to function. Fennel, who helped develop the X-Transceiver, decides to include a button on a few test models of the device that would open the gate, and hands it to a few trainers in hopes of one of them getting it to work.

Black and White are each others' alternate universe counterparts, and so are Grey and Gray. As some of the only people whose counterparts are different, they have the ability to open the gates with their X-Transceivers. They basically just use it to visit each other and check in on their journey, and seeing all the differences between their worlds.

That's the basics, now to talk about the actual characters! I've drawn their family trees before so here they are! Pics and character info behind the readmore since this got long!

So, Black and White's dad is Looker. (Emma's a character Looker meets in XY postgame, in case you haven't seen her. It's my AU and I decided he adopts her. In canon Looker disappears into another universe but by the time that happens his kid(s) are experts in dimensional travel and go get him back.)

Black and White are very different people. Black's a shy, awkward kid with social anxiety who can barely order in restaurants, but around his friends and online he's more confident and outspoken. His hobbies are gaming and music, and he's a mod at a chatroom Cheren started for their friend group. White, meanwhile, is confident and says whatever comes to mind, and prefers outdoor hobbies like hiking and biking. She's in her universe's version of Cheren's chatroom, but barely ever checks it, though she likes hearing Cheren and Bianca tell her what's been going on in there.

Finally, the character you actually wanted to hear about, Grey! Her and Gray's father is dead in both worlds, nobody talks about him, and everyone in the family is better off without him. That's all you need to know about him.

When they meet, Grey decides on "E" and "A" as their nicknames since their names are pronounced the same.

Grey's the type of person who seems to barrel through everything with the self-confidence of someone who always gets her way. She's constantly joking about everything, including her bisexuality, but usually avoids talking about anything serious about herself or her feelings, deflecting anything like that with more jokes. She does have the emotional maturity to notice if somebody's hurting and take things seriously to help them. However, she also has a bit of a short temper and may start fights to defend somebody, as well as think her way of helping someone is the only right way, so it may not always turn out well, but she tries her best.

Gray, on the other hand, is nervous and shaky, and has a hard time asserting himself even around his closest friends in fear of offending them. He's also got serious reoccurring short-term memory issues, and usually has to rely on his mom or his friend Hue for help. (Hue being Hugh's name in this AU because I wanted to make the color theme more obvious. His little sister's named Tint!) Also, unlike Grey, Gray has DID, and an alter named Nate who usualy comes out whenever Gray is in serious mental distress and needs somebody to just take over. Nate's more calm and collected than Gray, though still has the same memory issues, he's just more likely to make deadpan jokes about it. Nate usually makes his appearance obvious to others by putting on his visor and putting his hair up, looking more like his canon design.

I realized I didn't actually have any good pics of him outside paper drawings so I quickly whipped this up just now! DID is kind of a touchy subject since it gets misrepresented in media so much but I tried my best to research actual DID for my boys Gray and Nate... If I still get something horribly wrong with them at some point I hope someone will tell me.

I hope that was enough! If you've got any questions feel free to ask, it's getting a bit late here and I'm tired so I'm gonna end the post here lol

[katnissmellarkkk]

Okayyyy here comes the next chapter ! Number .... lemme look. Okay, number six! 🥳🥳🥳

And yes, my thoughts as usual will be a messy, very Everlark-biased and full of typos. Letsss gooooo 🥰🥰🥰

Is this the first time Katniss and Peeta have been to their floor or is this just the most opportune time to explain and introduce the Tribute Center living quarters?

Also why are they called tributes anyway? That word suddenly seems weird to me after nine years... 🤔🤔🤔

“I've ridden the elevator a couple of times in the Justice Building back in District 12. Once to receive the medal for my father's death and then yesterday to say my final goodbyes to my friends and family” .... 😶😶 so only good memories and connotations to elevators then, huh?

“The walls of this elevator are made of crystal so that you can watch the people on the ground floor shrink to ants as you shoot up into the air.” My mind is just imagining the elevator in Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s Spider-Man movies 🤗.

“It's exhilarating and I'm tempted to ask Effie Trinket if we can ride it again, but somehow that seems childish” this is so cute and innocent omg. Katniss, like I said in my last chapter blog, still has some childlike innocence left in her 🥺🥺🥺. I’m a sad.

Also excuse the unnecessary extra gif use but 🤭🤭🤭

Oh wow, so Haymitch hasn’t been around since they were on the train? No wonder neither Katniss nor Peeta fled they could trust him for basically the entirety of the first book. 😐😐😐

You know it’s bad when Effie being around feels like a blessing to Katniss. Girl has more restraint than me, I’d have ripped off this woman’s janky wig by now without remorse. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Effie acts like they’re her purebred show dogs. I know I know how is this news, that’s a blatant fact. The movies really softened her up tho for the general audience. And I bleed the movies and books together more than I should 😔😔😔

Well at least she’s made herself useful, trying to get Everlark sponsors ... even if it’s ultimately to benefit herself above anyone else .... 😤

Effie calling Twelve barbaric while she’s preparing them for the slaughter isn’t even ironic it’s like literally just brainless. Johanna probably had the nickname floating around for a lot of people before she officially knighted Katniss with it 😭

“Everyone has their reservations, naturally. You being from the coal district.” Is this how they refer to Twelve? So basically if a district makes a better item, it’s a more worthy one in the Capitol’s eyes? So essentially, if District Eight made like diamonds or pearls or whatever then it would be more worthy? So are the districts assigned their numbers (one, two, three, four, etc) based on their order of importance to the Capitol’s lifestyle? I always thought it was based on their distance in relation to the Capitol? Okay so I didn’t really pay much attention to these facts previously when I read these books ok look away I’m an idiot

Omg 😭😭😭😭 Effie is such an idiot. But the coal turns to pearls thing is my favorite line from her only because it serves as the cutest inside joke when Peeta makes a callback to it in Catching Fire and Finnick is just like “why are these two teenagers so stupid who did I ally with? 🥵😳🥵😳🥵”

“I wonder if the people she's been plugging us to all day either know or care.” After reading Songbirds and Snakes, I’m sure they don’t have a clue, boo. 😑😑😑😑 although not everyone was an idiot back then ... maybe Snow is putting lead in the drinking water?

“But don't worry, I'll get him to the table at gunpoint if necessary.” I know she’s trying to help and I know we say this kind of thing today, but considering this is two kids she’s well aware will be heading into a death match this is just bad wording I know surprise surprise 🙄🙄🙄😬😬😬😬

“Although lacking in many departments, Effie Trinket has a certain determination I have to admire.” Katniss really does see the best in people. What’s sad, y’all, is I think Katniss unconsciously really tries to like people and that’s why she has her guard up so high. Because the softer you are, the easier people will step all over you. Terrible phrasing here, Samantha, I’m so sorry to any of my readers ... okay now that sounded arrogant, implying I have readers 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤣😅🤣😅🤣😅

“My quarters are larger than our entire house back home.” Omg? I mean, yes, I knew this already obviously no duh but like also. Just the fact that three people live in a space smaller than a bedroom and bathroom arena is saddy sad sad. Also do they have indoor plumbing in the Seam or is their backyards just full of—okay, I’ll see myself out. 😶🤭😅🙃

“The shower alone has a panel with more than a hundred options you can choose regulating water temperature, pressure, soaps, shampoos, scents, oils, and massaging sponges.” I’m just imagining a Spongebob scene ngl.

I’m sorry there’s so many gifs this time around it’s probably taking us out of the reading headspace I’ll never do it again 😩😩😩😩 I talk like I have a class of people listening to me 🤭🤭🤭

“Instead of struggling with the knots in my wet hair, I merely place my hand on a box that sends a current through my scalp, untangling, parting, and drying my hair almost instantly” I need this someone invent this NOW my brush is yanking out my hair 😔😩

“I program the closet for an outfit to my taste.” ‘Yes, Alexa, I’d like a hunting jacket, some boots and a green shirt. Yes, it can be brown.’

“You need only whisper a type of food from a gigantic menu into a mouthpiece and it appears, hot and steamy, before you in less than a minute.” I like this idea because it means that Peeta could order hot choccy to comfort Katniss after her nightmares in Catching Fire from the comfort of her their own bed. 🤗🤗🤗 also I want this for myself. The bad people are giving my greedy self ideas look away everyone 😬

“I walk around the room eating goose liver and puffy bread until there's a knock on the door.” 🤢🤢🤢🤢 Of everything you could have chosen, child, this is what you decided on? Someone help my girl and her rotten tastebuds now.

“Effie's calling me to dinner. Good. I'm starving.” Baby, you were just eating. She’s so nutritionally messed up. 😔😔😔

Katniss trying wine 🥳🥳🥳 she’s so funny, trying to find a way to improve the taste 😅. She’ll make a good taste tester for her baker husband one day.

Hahahaha Katniss not liking the feeling and judging Haymitch for always being tipsy. Also this is sad because she ends up addicted to morphling later one which is far worse than a little wine.

I’m glad to know Baked Alaska survived the apocalypse 😅🥳

Katniss just constantly trying to decipher the recipe of every meal and how to recreate it reads cute on a surface level but it’s actually so tragic because everything to this girl is based around food. Like even more than is typically noticed. They really should have given a hint at this in the first movie. Good thing she marries a man who can always keep her full.

I’m just forever side-eyeing you, Gare Bear.

That’s Gary Ross for the confused kids in the back.

Why does Katniss yelling mid-sentence, “oh! I know you!” add to her innocence? 🥺 it’s because she was overwhelmed by all the food and new luxuries she’d never even been able to imagine ... and also this is pre her first games so she’s still got some childhood left in her 😩😔

I wonder how Lavinia felt seeing Katniss volunteer and knowing she’d be her Avox? I wonder if she, like Cinna, somehow volunteered to be her Avox?

I mean ... talk about convenient placement that this specific girl was assigned to Katniss’ district—oh wait, y’all, I just caught myself. She’s from Twelve. She was assigned to Twelve’s tributes because she’s from there, duh. I’m such an airhead omg just call me Effie.

Don’t you actually dare.

“When I look back, the four adults are watching me like hawks.” Meanwhile, Peeta is just like 😬😬😬 eating his dinner.

Actually, ngl, this could be such a reach and it probably is but like maybe Peeta sensed a confrontation coming and, because of his implied upbringing, he naturally becomes silent or makes himself invisible when trouble starts looking like it’s gonna arise. 🥺🥺🥺 I don’t know why I say these things I’m just hurting my own feelings but ya know the drill. I thought it so I said it.

Why is Effie yelling at Katniss for saying she knows the Avox girl like omg overreaction much? And I know, the sky is blue 🙄🙄🙄 she’s prejudiced against basically everyone, I know, I know

Rip her wig off, Katty Deen 🤗🤗🤗

Oh I stupidly forgot that Avoxes are supposedly known by everyone to be traitors or criminals. So I suppose this isn’t Effie’s worst offense but I’m keeping a tally anyways

Katniss is blaming her stuttering on the wine but my girl just has social anxiety 😔😔😔

Peeta coming in with a save 😭😭😭 he’s already trying saving his girl 🤧

Alsoooo the unspoken friendship, the covering for the other and teaming up against the adults, is still riding high and going strong here 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 look away, y’all, the shipper comments are coming in strong

Also why is this the first real interaction with Peeta in this chapter yet? My baby needs more page-time 🤭🤭🤭

“Delly Cartwright is a pasty-faced, lumpy girl with yellowish hair who looks about as much like our server as a beetle does a butterfly.” Now why did Katniss just tear Delly to shreds for no reason at all 😭😭😭 this was a surprise assault on the poor girl 🙃🙃🙃🙃

“She may also be the friendliest person on the planet - she smiles constantly at everybody in school, even me.” Okay not to tie absolutely everything back to Peeta ... but to tie absolutely everything back to Peeta ... this description of poor, sweet Delly is actually indicative of Peeta’s character? Since Delly, we find out in Mockingjay, is Peeta’s childhood best friend, her personality being this sunny, kind, good-natured person tells us Peeta has always probably been somewhat like her and perhaps not as much like the other town kids Katniss implies to be stuck up or snooty. Maybe Katniss is just shady and deflects onto others 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️.

Also the fact that she gives this like ... mean description of Delly but saw Peeta as popular, even though surely Delly and Peeta spent time at school together, implies further that Katniss did indeed harbor a secret crush on Peeta even before the reaping. A very mild comparison of his on her though, of course 😅😅😅

“It must be the hair” “something about the eyes too” their piggybacking on the other’s comments really is just chiefs kiss 😘🤗🥰🤧 FYI I know the saying is chefs kiss but I made the typo once a long time ago and decided to add it forever to my brand 🤗🙃🥳

Also though this Everlark interaction is reminiscent of when two kids get caught by their teacher goofing off in class and covering for each other 🥰 only it’s a lot more deadly stakes

“A few of the other couples make a nice impression, but none of them can hold a candle to us.” She’s so modest 🤧🤧🤧 her narration here and during the Tribute Parade just has the vibes of ... well .... sorry in advance

Haymitch’s comment “Just the perfect touch of rebellion. Very nice” leads me to think he and Cinna and maybe Portia were always in cahoots about the rebellion even before Katniss and Peeta came along and well ... lit their match on fire 🥁🤗🤣🤭

Katniss is like “rebellion??? Rebellion where??? What’s that you old people speak of???” And yet, girlfriend goes out to the woods and hunts illegally every day of her life 🤣🤣🤣🤣.

“But when I remember the other couples, standing stiffly apart, never touching or acknowledging each other, as if their fellow tribute did not exist” too lazy too look it up but there’s a quote from Ballad about Lucy Gray and Jessup being distinguished by their visible friendship too that set them apart from the other tributes.

Either Suzanne thought of drawing a nice parallel showing what a failed Everlark attempt looks like, because I firmly stand by the fact that without their real feelings behind their act, even Katniss’ unconscious ones, they wouldn’t have pulled it off, or Suzzie just reused her own content. I prefer the former but I think it’s probably the latter 🤭🤭🤭

“Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk." I know Haymitch is being facetious here but this quote reminded me of the fact that the movies would have hit differently if they’d cast actual sixteen year olds in the roles.

“When we get to my door, he leans against the frame, not blocking my entrance exactly but insisting I pay attention to him.” This is such a flirty, high school boy pose, you cannot convince me otherwise 😭😭😭

Also I definitely feel like Peeta is getting more and more confident here because he’s oblivious to Katniss’ inner monologue as much as she is his actually we all are his sadly and he probably thinks she’s starting to like him 🤧🤧🤧

“So, Delly Cartwright. Imagine finding her lookalike here." 🤣 He honestly cracks me up idk why this line isn’t even special or that great. He’s just so ... subtly nosy / funny. Which brings me to that quote from Mockingjay where Katniss talks about his sense of humor because it’s one of the things she loves most about him 😭😭😭

But he’s like, “I can keep a secret, Katniss, tell me who that tongueless chick is to you 😬”

Katniss stop talking about debts, friends cover for the other all the time 🙄🙄 I know it’s in her character stop yelling at a fish for swimming that’s not a real phrase I know that too

Okay first of all, they’re about to share a secret 🥰🥰🥰🥰. My shipper goggles are on tight and obstructing my vision. I know this and am proud 😬🥳🤗

And secondly, “Maybe sharing a confidence will actually make him believe I see him as a friend.” Hey, butthead, you two are already friends. She doesn’t even recognize that the girl who constantly sits with her, talks to her, eats with her and trades with her is her friend either though, I’m shocked she calls Gale her friend

Does Peeta get to know Cinna too? I don’t think so but it’s mentioned now a couple times in this chapter alone that Peeta has interacted with Cinna. Katniss never interacts or has a conversation with Portia.... then again, is that even surprising? Katniss isn’t ... what you would call ... social. Hashtag relatable.

Awww, they’re communicating so effectively together 🥰😭🤧🥳

Also rooftops belong to Everlark only 😍😊😉 I mean, seriously, Katniss never goes up on a rooftop with anyone else. Besides Haymitch in the first movie but we ignore.

“Electricity in District 12 comes and goes, usually we only have it a few hours a day.” Earlier she said the Seam didn’t often have electricity, in particular, so either she’s not specifying her section of the district anymore or Suzanne is backtracking.

“But here there would be no shortage. Ever.” I’ve had two power outages recently so clearly the Capitol isn’t based on us currently today then 😐😐 I’m just joking ok

“I asked Cinna why they let us up here. Weren't they worried that some of the tributes might decide to jump right over the side?” .... boyfriend, where does your mind go sometimes? Peeta’s darker than we realize, y’all 🤭🤭🙃🙃

“He holds out his hand into seemingly empty space. There's a sharp zap and he jerks it back” between this and Catching Fire, Peeta is addicted to getting shocked by forcefields 🤧🤧🤧

“I wonder if we're supposed to be up here now, so late and alone.” If this was a romantic drama or comedy, that line would have meant something a lot more fun 😒😔😬😉😏

“On the other side of the dome, they've built a garden with flower beds and potted trees.” Is this meant to resemble Snow’s grandmother’s garden???? Like he had them put a garden there to like ... put a piece of his Grandma’am in the games? Idk this made zero sense it was a stupid thought

Two people in a garden at night, with wind chimes, sounds romantic in any other context. 🥺🥺

Ummm does everyone in the entire district know Katniss and her father used to hunt together?

Oh nevermind, Lavinia is not from District Twelve. My bad, guys. I should go up and edit my previous thoughts but that’s a lot of work. 😅😅😅

Katniss, stop being so hard on yourself. You and Gale were kids. 😣😣

Ummm, Katniss for a girl always complimenting Peeta’s storyteller, you’re pretty good at painting a picture yourself...

Peeta noticing she’s shivering 🥰🥺

He gives her ... his jacket 😭😭😭😭 such a romantic troupe Samantha, get over it there’s literally children dying

Oh wow, Lavinia was from the Capitol originally. Hmm, it is sus now that she got District Twelve this particular year.

But also 🤧🤧🤧 “he secures a button at my neck.”

His hands .... are .... often .... at her .... neck .... 😶😬 .... look away, y’all

Oh wow, Katniss is over here thinking, “who’d leave the Capitol if they were from here???” And Peeta’s like instantly, loudly, without hesitating, “well I would 🙋🏼‍♂️”

Hot take, y’all ready? Peeta was a bigger rebel than Katniss from the start. At least internally.

Awww, Peeta is so jealous 😭😭😭😭 and kind of nosy 🤭🤭🤭

Katniss : “me and Gale are not related” Peeta : “😬🙃😭😩😶”

“I'd set out to tell her I was sorry about dinner. [...] my apology runs much deeper. [...] I let the Capitol kill the boy and mutilate her without lifting a finger. Just like I was watching the Games.” I feel like this is actually a good comparison though, because of you grew up in a society where you have to watch kids die, your whole entire life you’ve watched it in a glorified television show, you would be really desensitized to it...

“You don't forget the face of the person who was your last hope.” Here she’s talking about Lavinia but it applies to Peeta too. Katniss was Lavinia’s last hope and she feels like she let her down but Peeta was her last hope once and he came through. And, as she said in chapter one, she’ll never forget him for it. And for other things too. Later on. 😏

Of course my last bullet point was focused on Everlark 🤣 is anyone surprised you shouldn’t be we all knew who this post was written by right? 😅

And once again, if too made through this marathon, congratulations 🥳🥳🥳🥳 maybe next chapter I’ll talk less not likely though so don’t count on it 😅

[elizabeethan]

I'll happily devour all of your WIPs but I'm particularly stoked about the post-CS movie hurt/comfort fic ❤️

I’m excited for this one! I’ve yet to decide whether I’ll add smut or not, but here are a few lines:

“She just lost someone because of me.”

“And what… that means you can’t ever allow yourself to be happy?”

With a breath and a laugh, she asks, “Are you implying that you make me happy?”

“You’re deflecting.” He takes her hand from the rock it’s sat on, picking it up and examining it gently before he speaks again. His skin is enigmatic, soft yet calloused as it holds her tenderly. “Doing something you grow to regret doesn’t make you a bad person.”

“I don’t… I mean…”

‘You’ve a way about you, Swan,” he starts, drawing her hand to his lips and pressing a soft, lingering kiss to the top of it. “You tend to think in black and white, I think. Regina does, too, perhaps in a different way, and I’d say that makes for a dangerous combination.”

“When did you get all… perceptive?” she asks in an almost-whisper, her voice catching in her throat in response to the way his thumb runs smoothly over her knuckles.

“Centuries of practice,” he grins delicately. “She shouldn’t have said that to you.”

Emma shrugs, staring out at the open ocean, at the waves slicing the light off the moon. “I know you said it wasn’t a good idea-”

“I was wrong, Swan. You did the right thing.”

Want another preview? Check out my WIPs!

[lucasbarr]

What if in the spn universe there is also a tumblr, and it has it's own fandom for Supernatural, like for fans of the books. And one day Dean's curious so he decides to scroll through his world's spn tumblr but somehow, what he comes across is a bunch of Emma lives au headcanons. And he has to read through post after post about the life he could have had with his daughter and how he could have found her in purgatory and what she might have been like and all the potential things that could have happened with her. Anyway now I'm just imagining him reading post after post about Emma at like 3am, alone, in his room, and completely breaking down

So I was gonna answer this with something witty about someone complimenting Jack’s shoelace and him being like “Thank you! I stole them from the president who is also technically my biological father” because he would. But then you hit me in the gut with the Emma Lives AUs and like I wonder if that’s included in all the stuff Becky publishes later…like it ended at season 15 because that’s all Chuck wrote…but the ending we see him write is his true ending *Chuck Wins Truthing intensifies*

Like what if he stumbles upon it not on his own but because of like Charlie. What if like after Pac-Man Fever, with her whole quip about the books, Charlie pulls him aside. Sam is off doing whatever and she quietly asks him about her.

Dean, naturally, deflects, but Charlie is insistent. She tells him about how some of the new material that was published…she asks about Emma. He freezes and glances at Sam, who is oblivious.

He quietly asks to see what she found and I assume he does just what you said. Going over fanfic, headcanons, and art of what his life could of been. Not just with Emma, but with Ben & Lisa, and Bobby-John.

I think this would crush Dean, especially when it comes time for Jack. I def think that is was jacking choice for Emma to influence how he treated him (I KNOW there’s a post out there because I rebloged it where he mentioned Alexia Fast & Emma in relation to that season). And then the thing with the telescope which was a one-off about seeing multiverses. I think it would have gutted him (not in the Padalecki sense) to know that there was a universe out there where he got to be a husband, a dad, an uncle, and a brother to a wonder sister he never wanted.

[highgaarden]

Lizzie/Landon - "I think I'm the first girl to break a bed with a guy, without even having sex with him while doing so." (pls let them break a bunch of other stuff while actually having sex)

two-shot! read and comment on ao3, please!

where you cast those stones you wear;

rating: explicit chapters: 1/2 characters: lizzie/landon; background klaus/caroline, background hope/landon, background josie/penelope; the whole SS gang.

where you cast those stones you wear

part i

----

“There you are.”

Lizzie’s smile is the fakest ass fake smile he’s ever seen, and he’s seen a lot of them.

It’s how she smiles when Wade asks her for donations to his Anime club. Or when Dr Saltzman caught all of them at the Old Mill trying to make moonshine (Kaleb’s idea). Her smiles are especially at their fakest when she wants to pull Hope away from him for some magical assistance to whatever trouble she’s managed to get herself—

—and Josie, and Alaric, Raf, MG, (himself, though she’ll never count him) and probably half the school along as well—

—that week. “Just the person I wanted to randomly bump into in study hall.”

“Really,” he deadpans, not believing her one bit.

He shifts his book just a little closer to his chest. He’s not nervous, but her energy is full of it sometimes, and sometimes it’s just energy personified that bounces off the calm he tries to fill his study hall with.

You know, where they’re supposed to study – in silence, preferably – but with Lizzie, there’s never much of silence.

It’s with a bit of a niggling discomfort that Landon realises he’s learned her tells: Lizzie can talk up a storm, always, but it’s in tense moments that she can’t seem to shut up. Not that he’d ever tell her to shut up; he doesn’t know why he always just wants to be nice to her, despite her printing out posters of VOTE ARTISANAL JAR OF MAYONNAISE FOR HOMECOMING KING last semester and sticking them all over school.

 —

 “Well?” Lizzie prompts, clicking her tongue.

Landon’s just sitting there, and for all his humble bragging about being at the top of their classes he’s just… sitting there, with a look that tells her he’s not quite registering what she’s just said to him.

“I’m—I’m sorry?” he finally says.

Lizzie sighs loudly enough for the entire study hall to send glares their way. Landon attempts to tamp down on their aggression, but all Lizzie does is just sigh louder.

Sorry, Landon mouths apologetically again, raising his hand at Wade, who looks close to crying over exam revision.

“Landon,” Lizzie says with finality.

“Lizzie,” Landon matches her tone. “I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to repeat yourself.”

Murder is the only word that comes to mind with the glare she sends his way. But she decides to humour him.

“Wow, that’s so weird. I feel like I’m just mishearing you. Again, please—hey, I said please.”

Lizzie’s mouth moves around the words she’s telling him.

Landon continues to stare at her blankly. “Sorry, there’s just this weird ringing in my ears. It sounds like you just asked me to be your boyfriend?”

 —

 Elizabeth Jenna Saltzman.

Asking him, resident emo-boy, a marginally competent bird as she always ‘fondly’ calls him, to be her esteemed partner.

“Am I hearing this right?”

Lizzie hisses right through her teeth, “Do not insult me, you moderately competent bird.”

See?

He lifts his book as if to deflect the blow of her mighty glare. “Look, I’m not! I’m just – are you feeling alright? Been getting enough sleep?”

“Two weeks have passed since my mom’s come back, and I have thoroughly exhausted every single mother-daughter bonding activity ever, and she’s moved on from Oh Lizzie, my favourite daughter, I’ve missed you so much snuggling to Who is this Sebastian your father keeps mentioning lectures.” Lizzie adds flippantly: “I’m not vibing with it.”

“Sebastian?”

“Super sexy perma-teen vampire but a complete misjudgement of character on my end.”

“And this isn’t?” Landon mumbles.

“I need to get my mother off my back, keep up.” Lizzie inches forward in her seat. The ends of her hair graze the table with how much she’s leaning towards him, making him look her in her wide, blue eyes. Always with the theatrics. “You’re just about at the exact opposite end of the Sebastian spectrum. Mopey, dependable, not obviously good looking, but your other qualities probably can make up for that. And you’re the kind of guy would probably wake up super early to get me a coffee and croissant before school, because that’s just how cheesy you are.”

“Thanks?”

“Don’t interrupt me. Anyway, it’s not just for my benefit either.”

“Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

Lizzie’s smile widens just a touch. “Heard your little crush on Hope just went up in flames.”

So is his face now, all puffed out and embarrassed. He lowers his voice and hisses, “How do you know about that?”

“Oh Landon. My sweet thrift store hobbit,” Lizzie sighs. “Everyone knows about it. You wear it like a badge of constant glumness. You didn’t speak to Jed for a whole week after he bought her a sandwich last week.”

“I could’ve bought her a sandwich too, big deal,” Landon mutters.

Lizzie raises a sharp finger and looks smug. “Ah, but you didn’t! See, my boy, you’ve got no game. Now imagine how much cooler your image would be if you were seen with resident popular girl,” she gestures to herself. “Your reputation would shoot up the ranks.”

“There are ranks?”

“Duh,” Lizzie says like it’s the most obvious thing. “And you, being a phoenix without actually possessing any unique phoenix qualities other than resurrecting – ”

“That’s not unique enough?”

“—looking like a pale artichoke in gym class doesn’t help, either. I am your salvation!” Lizzie finishes, hands on her hips and jaw raised like she’s standing centre-stage at their annual talent competition.

Landon narrows his eyes. “You think people will like me more if it looks like I’m dating you?”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Move a little.” She takes a seat next to him gracefully, tucking her skirt under her thighs. “Listen. I need my mom to stop breathing down my neck. She’s been looking at me like she wants to give me the birds and the bees talk, with visual aid, flash cards and mini-theatre and I’d rather not go through that again. Once was more than enough. Pretty sure Dad wants her to exact power over my social life, since he doesn’t really have any say in that, and I’m looking at two semesters of constant surveillance. Or a twelve-step programme. And Professor M isn’t helping either—”

Landon shuts his book. “How does Professor M know about your love life?”

“Everyone knows about my love life, Landon. I’m interesting.” She rests an unwilling hand on his shoulder with a grimace. “And soon you will be too.”

“Because I’ll be dating you.”

“Fake dating,” Lizzie corrects primly.

“And you think Hope will like me, even though I’ll be unavailable?”

“There’s something to be said about wanting the unattainable, Landon. And trust me, you will be unattainable once you’re standing by my side.”

“Yeah, because everyone will think I’m nuts.”

“I resent that. Say yes.”

“Lizzie, I—” a panicked, helpless sort of look crosses Landon’s face. “This is really dishonest; I don’t think we should be…”

“Let me do the thinking for both of us, alright Little Bird?” Lizzie snips. “Getting back in my parents’ good books, the teachers off my backs for any sort of inevitable breakdown, and you… get to be Professor M’s potential son-in-law one day.”

“This is extremely coercive, you know,” Landon points out, but the protest is feeble at best. “And making me really uncomfortable. Nobody will buy it.”

“We’ll just have to put on a really good show,” she swears. “Say yes.”

 —

 Two things happen the next two days:

Landon attempts to say hi to Hope, who looks right through him to greet MG a good morning.

During lunch break, by some kind of miracle, he joins Hope and Lizzie for lunch just in time to hear Hope say, “You were right about the bio homework, by the way. Your ideas aren’t that bad, Saltzman.”

Lizzie cocks an eyebrow at Landon. “Welcome, Kirby.”

“Oh, hey Landon,” Hope greets warmly.

Landon takes all of thirty seconds to make up his mind.

Lizzie’s phone vibrates in her bag. When she checks it, it’s from Landon.

Just one word.

Yes.

 —

 Every Friday evening, the rag tag group of upper-secondary students meet for some dumb study group Emma had made them all participate in, in an effort to like, ‘bond’ as ‘one’ ‘community’ or something.

It’s astonishing that all of them consistently make it every single week, but no one will admit it’s because they appreciate each other’s company. They’d chalked it up to Stockholm Syndrome.

Rafael comes when he feels like it, but he’s usually stuck in detention helping Dorian jar newton eyes or something, but even he tries to be on his best behaviour so he doesn’t miss much of these.

It’s during one of these study groups that MG, having been not-so-discreetly been spying on Lizzie and Landon whilst they all parroted off chemical equations to each other, demands: “Why are you touching him?”

He’s probably been watching them really closely since the Bomb had Dropped.

Lizzie makes sure to have Josie walk into them in the courtyard one day with her hand placed very carefully on Landon’s thigh, and shocks her twin so much she goes running through the hallways until she bumps into Penelope, and blurts out the scene she just witnessed, swearing her to secrecy.

Penelope, of course, tells everyone else.

Lizzie pretends to fidget with the hem of her shirt. “Excuse you?”

MG narrows his eyes. “You just… keep putting your hand on Landon’s arm. Willingly. Why.”

“Haven’t you heard?” Penelope smirks, whilst Josie turns red and avoids Lizzie’s glare, “they’re the Salvatore School’s It Couple right now.”

“Fake news,” Jed coughs into his notes, and Kaleb guffaws.

Hope doesn’t do anything but watch the entire exchange with curious eyes.

“Look, Penelope, you don’t have to believe it,” Landon begins, but he’s making mopey eyes at Hope, so Lizzie decides to cut in.

“As devastated as I am to admit it, Frodo’s been growing on me,” Lizzie sighs, the vision of a woman distraught. “Who knew I was into nerd porn?”

MG’s ears might as well be whistling, and Jed’s cough sounds like a choke now.

“Girl, say what,” Kaleb says in one disbelieving breath. “Tell me you’re not serious. You okay? Been getting enough sleep? Is this a breakdown thing, ‘cause Emma said we have to like, show solidarity and help you visualise your inner child and shit—”

Lizzie smarts at that, just a little. Her lips part to shoot some of her automatic sass bullets, but surprisingly nothings comes out. Landon secretly puts his hand on her knee in a secret show of solidarity.

“Kaleb,” Josie says sharply. “People can change.”

Lizzie eyes Landon curiously. He shoots her a small smile, which she looks away from.

“Exactly,” Penelope nods, but she’s smirking in a way that says she doesn’t buy a single thing, and is enjoying every second of watching Landon squirm under everyone’s scrutiny. “Who’d you lose the bet to, Lizzie?”

Lizzie, despite herself, starts to feel annoyed. “I’ll have you know, Penelope, Landon isn’t the short end of an already short bunch of sticks—”

Landon tries to figure out the compliment there.

“Then – then prove it!” MG blurts out. “Kiss. If you’re really a couple, then – Kiss!”

That stops Lizzie short. “Milton. Ew.”

“Really gross, MG.” Hope shoots him a look of distaste.

“Voyeur much?” Penelope smirks.

“Nah, I’m with MG,” defends Kaleb. “This is really entertaining and all, but it’s kinda starting to weird me out. Suck his face. No way you’d do that willingly.”

“You’re all wrong,” Lizzie tells them politely. Or as politely as she can. Things are a-movin’ and she’s excited; she can already feel her legs tingling when she accidentally siphons some of Landon’s magic from his hand on her knee under the table. She swallows down the smugness in her voice, because this is exactly where she’d hoped the day would go. She turns to Landon, and wills him not to look so pale.

“Pucker up, ‘90s,” she coos.

Keeping her face as forced-smiley as possible she leans forward and gives Landon a peck on his lips. A small little one. A peck really, bird to bird.

Landon, to her discreet pleasure, kisses her back.

When they part their chaste, publicly-acceptable form of display, everyone is looking at them, shell-shocked.

Penelope steals Jed’s can of Coke just so she could do a spit-take.

 —

 “That plan worked out awesome. Score one to Saltzman,” Lizzie sighs victoriously as she plops down onto her bed. “Now on to Phase 2.”

“I really don’t want to know what Phase 2 is,” Landon mumbles. He’s got his arm slung over his eyes as he slumps three inches down into Lizzie’s plushy pink armchair.

“Phase 2 is Mom walking into us. She’s about to start baking downstairs. I know. It’s Tuesday. Ready?”

Slowly, Landon removes his arms. He stares at her. For like, a really long time. “What do you mean,” he widens his eyes, “by walking into us.”

Lizzie smiles deviously. Without warning, she lets out a very soft moan.

“Lizzie,” Landon hisses harshly.

“Yes, exactly, keep doing that,” Lizzie responds in a breathless voice, whilst she grins manically at him and flaps her hands, motioning for him to go louder.

“Lizzie,” Landon groans now, completely exasperated. “It’s barely been two days, I really doubt we’ll be having sex right now—”

“Yeah, keep talking dirty to me!” Lizzie all but bellows and jumps up on the bed, the mattress squeaking. She glares at Landon, who sighs, and very reluctantly joins her.

They jump up and down, and every so often Lizzie punches Landon in the arm so he lets out a believable grunt.

The mattress springs keep squeaking. Lizzie keeps up her panting.

After four more minutes of that, Landon’s a little out of breath, puts some spring in his jump, and lands in a pile of Lizzie’s haphazard pillows.

“Give it up, Lizzie,” he says, resuming his previous moping position of arm-over-eyes. “I think I pulled a muscle.”

“Sexy,” Lizzie says the way one might say ‘rancid foot’, but drops down next to him anyway. She stares at the ceiling, and they let out a long sigh.

After about another four minutes of moping, Lizzie turns to her side and swats Landon’s arm off his face. “Enough! Tomorrow night is another day.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” he points out, before propping himself up on one elbow to face her. “About that kiss just now—”

“They totally bought it,” Lizzie can’t resist interrupting.

“You sure you okay with this?” he mumbles in that Landon way of his. He studies her face. She notes the dark circles framing his obsidian-blues.

“Getting cold feet already, Kirby?”

“No, it’s just that—”

Her door swings open. “Elizabeth, do you remember where your mum put the…”

Lizzie and Landon whip around to see a very livid Professor M, staring at them, at the space between them, at the sweat beading on Landon’s forehead, at Lizzie’s once-sleek French braid that has now shaken loose, at the two of them again, at the space between them, and once more at Landon.

“Professor Mika-Mikaels—” Landon squawks, turning white as a sheet.

The growl that emanates from Professor M seems to make the room tremble, and Landon all but stutters to a stop. Lizzie, however, is coming up sunflowers. She practically bounces to her knees and throws her hands up, eyes crinkling warmly, exclaiming, “What did you need of me, my beloved stepfather!”

“Well, darling, I was looking for your mother’s ridiculously expensive sea salt but now I’m looking for something else entirely,” he grits out through clenched teeth, despite being slightly mollified by Lizzie’s welcome.

“And that is?” Lizzie all but croons, making a very conscious move towards Landon. “We’re kind of in the middle of studying right now.”

“Banishing objects, hm? Your books are missing.”

“Invisique,” Lizzie sings in reply. Landon just wants her to shut the fuck up, right now.

Landon’s head disappears, which is a good thing, because he looks like he’s holding in from puking his guts out, the way Klaus observes him like he’s a piece of meat.

“You’re the phoenix, yes?”

“Yes,” Landon says squeamishly.

“Alright,” Professor M seems to deliberate, before flashing over to Landon, grabbing him and throwing him out the room and right down the stairs.

“Niklaus Mikaelson!” comes her mom’s furious bellow.

“For FUCK’S SAKE, KLAUS!” She hears Dad yell. “WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THIS.”

Screams erupt, there’s a clattering of feet, and Lizzie falls out of bed in a perfect traumatised swoon, back of her hand rested delicately on her forehead. “Stepfather! Can we not with the dramatics!”

“We’re going to have a talk about this later,” he warns with a finger wagging her way, his undisguised rage making his accent thicker.

“I’ll miss you when you’re suspended again,” Lizzie pouts.

He groans, already hearing Mom’s boots stomping up the stairs. “As shall I, my sweet.”

 —

 At least Landon’s gotten used to resurrecting. Cause of death: the ire of Professor Klaus Mikaelson.

Lizzie’s waiting for him with a warm blanket when he starts to stir, her head facing the sky like she’s enjoying the sunset. Blinking groggily, he turns onto his stomach and rubs the back of his neck. He feels the weather-worn wood of the docks pressing into his face and he groans. That’s going to leave a mark.

“Welcome back,” Lizzie quips.

“Just because I can’t die doesn’t mean I wouldn’t appreciate some sympathy, Lizzie,” Landon mutters, throwing her a murderous look. “So what’s your damage.”

“Let’s see,” Lizzie says as she drapes the blanket over Landon’s crumpled heap of a body, face and all. “Two weeks of grounding. Mom suggested making it three weeks, but Dad intervened and said he’d rather us be on library duty instead for the rest of this semester.”

“Us?”

“Professor M also suggested throwing you out the window and have me try to levitate you before you hit the ground—”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

“—but Mom was all Oh, maybe that’s a little too harsh,” Lizzie continues thoughtfully.

“A little?” Landon squeaks underneath the blue and white embroidered quilt. “Literally dying wasn’t enough?”

“But on the plus side, they were yelling so hard the entire school now knows we were caught post-doing the dirty.” Lizzie shoots him a grin. “On to Phase 3!”

“No!” Landon yells and clambers to his feet. “Lizzie, so far all your plans have kind of sucked for me, you know? How the hell is Hope supposed to like me now that she thinks I’ve slept with you!”

“Easy, lover boy,” Lizzie says, frowning. “This is the 21st century, she’s not a prude.”

“You don’t — you don’t know her like I do,” Landon says, burying his face in his hands and turning towards the water. “She’s not like y…”

He whirls around, hands already halfway lifting up like a gesture of apology but Lizzie’s already standing up, facing him squarely. Her eyes are narrowed as she takes him in coolly. “Not like?”

“Nevermind,” Landon says quickly. “Let’s grab some dinner, I’m starv—”

“Finish your fucking sentence, Frodo,” Lizzie says in a voice that is low and dangerous. Is it weird that he’s seeing some Klaus in the shadows of her face right now?

“Lizzie… let’s drop it.”

“No. Let’s hear you say it. Not like what? You were saying she’s not like me,” she hisses. Her fists are bunched into tight fists and he’s so glad she doesn’t have anything to syphon right now. He really hasn’t tried dying twice in the span of 12 hours.

“Look, I’m sorr—”

“Invisique,” she whispers.

“Lizzie!”

He hears the wooden boards squeak as she runs away, and when her feet hit grass there’s no telling where she might be.

“Fuck you, Landon!” he yells and heaves a rock into the water with a loud splash.

 —

tbc

[honorhearted]

All at once, the deceptively docile look in Emma's eyes slanted, and they became darker, more viperous within the candlelight. “I beg your pardon, Mister Bolton, but is that what you think of women? That we surely must be so low in intellectual aptitude that we only speak of ribbons and silk, that our simple female minds could not comprehend the complexities of, what was it? Hog business?”

Benjamin stiffened, immediately realizing his misstep. "Forgive me, Miss Dunster, but I'm afraid I don't know much about women at all," he deflected. "I have no sisters to speak of, and my mother passed when I was very young. In result, I'm forced to lean upon opinions from friends and associates...all of whom seem quite adamant that womenfolk enjoy gowns and musicales and the occasional pastry or carriage ride."

Including a half-truth in this instance was safe. Benjamin hadn't quite given John Bolton a deeply interwoven family history, so to speak of his own made the lie much more natural and sincere.

Emma, unfortunately, seemed no more impressed than she was before. She spoke of being her father's greatest supporter -- that wasn't surprising, so much as her claim to find his business of great interest.

"Funny," Benjamin said, finally tiring of her tone. "You may be interested in your father's pursuits, but it would seem that he isn't interested in yours, Miss Dunster. It isn't that I don't find you intelligent -- I would much rather speak with a bluestocking than some frivolous, bottle-headed dullard -- but the fact remains that your father was quite adamant about keeping you involved in...well..." Here, he nodded toward the dancing partygoers. "The festivities. He does not approve of your interest in enterprise, and I don't think it would be a good look for me, were I to engage you in fiscal banter."

Glancing down into his empty wine glass, and mourning the loss, Benjamin sighed before lifting his shoulders. "Even if you have no interest in 'playing the part' of a lady, I'm afraid you won't be readily accepted as a businesswoman either."

If Emma had learned anything about business from her father, it was that keeping the customers happy was important. However, if her father was so hesitant on allowing her to be a part of the business, she wondered how easy it would be to upset one. No, she reminded herself. As easy as it would be to enact a temporary revenge, she knew that being petty and immature would only prove her incompetence. And the last thing she needed was word getting back to her father about Emma being rude towards strangers.

“I would only find it dull if you made it as such, sir.” She wore a tight-lipped smile as she listened to him, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Just like every other man who worked with her father, they all saw her as a benign woman with little use. Such assessments of her character drove her up a wall and, if they weren't in such a formal setting, Emma might not have been so inclined to bite her tongue.

“I beg your pardon, Mister Bolton, but is that what you think of women? That we surely must be so low in intellectual aptitude that we only speak of ribbons and silk, that our simple female minds could not comprehend the complexities of, what was it? Hog business?”

Despite the subtle tone of venom laced in with her words, Emma wore a smile. She'd often found that the easiest way to unsettle a man was to beat him at his own game. If they found it appropriate to insult womenfolk under the guise of a compliment, it was only fair that she give a retort of her own.

“Mister Bolton, I am my father’s greatest supporter, so, naturally, I am curious to see how well, if at all, your business is set to benefit ours. Unless you would rather speak of gowns and shoes, that is. Though, I confess, if that it your preferred topic of conversation, you might be better suited to go speak with a different simple-minded young lady for I have little interest of playing the part of such."

[honorhearted]

"Take your heart?" Benjamin echoed, stunned. "Emma..." Expression softening, he appraised her with a different sort of invasiveness -- one he knew she wouldn't appreciate, given her stubbornness, but he took her hand all the same. "Don't you realize how much you've already endured? You are resilient, you are a fighter -- infuriatingly so." Here, he offered a lopsided smile. "It would kill the rest of us far less if you weren't so determined to dive headlong into danger."

"You are the kindest," Emma grumbled, a soft furrow forming between her brows. "You said... you said that me being unsure means you have your answer. I'll never stop being unsure, so... that means you'll feel unloved even if you are. Especially with someone like me who can't... say romantic words."

Benjamin hesitated, his heart both rising and falling akin to a skipping stone. "That might be true," he cautiously allowed, "but I think it helps that I know where you stand. When we first talked, I had no idea that you...I-I didn't realize the wounds ran so deep." He squeezed her fingers. "Your admittance of 'even if you are' is as much of a declaration as I'll ever need. I don't require loud and splashy displays of affection...your smiles and gestures and thoughtfulness let me know precisely how you feel."

You and no one else.

The words danced between his ribs and lit up his entire face, a shy, boyish grin lifting the corners of his mouth. "Does this give me bragging rights over all the other men?" he teased. "Such words will assuredly break some hearts."

The sentiment seemed to prick into Emma like a thorn. "What if I break your heart?" she deflected.

Benjamin's smile faded and he scooted in closer. "I'm an adult," he assured her. "Well...maybe not always in my approach, but I think I can handle it."

Emma shook her head. "What if I'm not enough and you break my heart again? Not... not that you did it before, but it was broken by someone else, and I can't take another--If only I could be sure that I can give you enough, Ben..."

He winced, his eyes burning with a hint of pity and helplessness. "You know we can't guarantee anything," Benjamin whispered. "And isn't that the beauty of life? That there are no guarantees, and that everything is an adventure? One that's meant to be experienced with the ones you love?"

Emma chuckled, the sound tinged with disbelief. "You couldn't be closer than I wish, Ben, you could never be close enough. I would want nothing more than to keep you by my side, take you home with me, and never let you go... But that matters little if... if I can't give you... more."

Benjamin swallowed, the pleading look in his face reflecting her own. "But what if I want all of that?" he pressed. "What if I've considered everything before? Coming home with you, and just...w-well, not abandoning the Cause, per se, but allowing myself a modicum of peace -- giving myself the chance to simply be."

The desperation in Emma's eyes grew. "A man should feel like... the woman he's with feels safe. I can't give you that. I can give you my heart, but I can't stop being scared of you throwing it away. Can you accept that? Knowing it's because another man has done it before?"

"But what about these past few months?" Benjamin pressed. Throat raw, he asked, "Haven't you felt safe? Secure? Happy? Why must all of that change just because our feelings have? Are we not the same two people? Could it not be argued that affection makes a bond stronger, and not worse?" He exhaled. "Because yes, Emma, I'd love nothing more than to say I can accept that, but I feel as though you're trying your very best to dissuade me...and I'm unsure if that's because of your residual fear, or if you genuinely believe I won't be able to handle you. Well..." Here, he offered a lopsided smile. "I suppose we all could use a lesson on how to handle you."

"I have," she revealed with a smile that should have been guilty, but very much wasn't. "Just wait until I get stabbed for a preventable reason. Not that it actually happens often, technically the worst offenders were the man who tried to take my heart, and I wasn't a real fighter just yet, the one who pretended to be in love with me and left the scars on my hips, and, well, Randall counts. But August doesn't know about the last one." Thinking about it, she didn't get properly stabbed as often as a warrior normally would, she usually only got scratches in battle. As an adult woman, the only men who had gotten that far were the ones who had tricked her, and August couldn't be mad about that.

Any silly, easy, comfortable, talk about August and their fights was gone over their attempts to reassure each other. She hated the idea of Benjamin taking any blame for what had occurred between them, she had started it, continued it, and then pulled away without being able to properly explain. If anything, he should be the one yelling at her.

"You are not defective. You were hurt. There's a difference...and I haven't been the kindest in my understanding. In many ways, I still don't know how to help you, nor what I can be to alleviate your pain, but...I'd like to try. If you'll let me." And God, she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to tell him that yes, he could try, he could be with her as long as he wished, that knowing she'd have to leave soon had only proved to her just how much she needed him and didn't want to be a continent away. "You are the kindest," she grumbled, still refusing any attempt he made to say he was in the wrong. "You said... you said that me being unsure means you have your answer. I'll never stop being unsure, so... that means you'll feel unloved even if you are. Especially with someone like me who can't... say romantic words."

"You would?"

"Of course I would. You and no one else." He sounded so soft, so hopeful, and Emma's heart hurt even more as she reached out to brush his cheek, wondering if she was even worse than she had thought, because he was doubting such a small thing, that she would if she could. And telling him that she didn't care for him that way was just too big of a lie for her to say. "What if I break your heart? What if I'm not enough and you break my heart again? Not... not that you did it before, but it was broken by someone else, and I can't take another--If only I could be sure that I can give you enough, Ben..." That was her biggest fear, of course, to be at the receiving end of a relationship based on pity or left behind because she wasn't, in fact, worth trying.

"But...what if 'as close as I wish to be' isn't as close as you wish? Do you even truly realize what you're asking? Or rather, what you're allowing?"

That did earn a disbelieving chuckle, as she thought of the past days without him. And she had almost died, he had said enough now, that she didn't see the point in being too vague to protect her feelings. "You couldn't be closer than I wish, Ben, you could never be close enough. I would want nothing more than to keep you by my side, take you home with me, and never let you go... But that matters little if... if I can't give you... more." She gave him a pleading look, willing him to understand what she meant. "A man should feel like... the woman he's with feels safe. I can't give you that. I can give you my heart, but I can't stop being scared of you throwing it away. Can you accept that? Knowing it's because another man has done it before?"