#he literally says he wants to give her what “she doesn't know she wants” and when in the epilogue she shows actual want and desire that

[nanamiscocksleeve]

heyy ray! first things first, i LOVE your writing. that's all i have to say like i literally go nuts every time

sooo this is not a kinktober request and i know you probably have TOO many things to write lol butttt if it's in your taste i'd really like to see your take on the lads man reacting to their lady not wanting to have sex because she hasn't shaved while being away on a mission or something and is feeling insecure about that ig???

and! if i can ask to be the little moon emoji🌙 then i'd like to, please! as always thanks for all the stories you're aMAZING

Hi there! Yes you can be moon anon. Thank you for the kind words! It makes me happy that people are enjoying my work.

Soooo it's actually such a coincidence that you mentioned the body hair thing because I have a story wip for Zayne involving that particular area and hair 😆😆😆 Keep an eye for it btw!

As for the general reaction of the men, I genuinely think all of them are mature enough to handle a little hair and they're not bothered by it. This is how I think this would go.

Sylus: He'll look at reader quite suspiciously. He knows she's not on her period and after trying to get an answer from her, he'll stop when she tells him to quit asking. For a little while anyway. They have a shared home delivery app and when reader makes a purchase later that night he sees all the hair removal products and instantly makes the connection. He'll seek her out, tell her he doesn't care and that his kitten can't be a kitten if there's no hair on her pussy 🤭. When reader protests, he'll pull her close and tell her he missed her and if it really bothers her, she can get a bikini wax tomorrow. He'll even pay for it, but he's needy for her NOW and nothing in his view can change how beautiful she is, hair or no hair.

Xavier: Will assume she's on her period and brings over stuff for her like tea, chocolate, and some selfcare stuff like scented candles and face masks. Reader will be amused at Xavier's assumption and after a few shy moments, she'll tell him in a very vague way that she feels unkempt and that's why she doesn't want to have sex. Xavier thinks unkempt = hasn't bathed and asks if maybe she wants to take a quick shower together. At this point reader shakes her head and admits that she hasn't had time to self-groom down there because of her mission. Things finally click in Xavier's head and he'll ask if he can look and if he doesn't think it looks unkempt then they have should have sex. Of course Xavier gets pussy drunk the minute he sees it and they end up having sex.

Rafayel: This man will straight up pout if you tell him you don't want to have sex. And he'll try to guilt you as well. He'll say you must not love him anymore or that you're hiding a secret from him. Then finally in exasperation, reader will ask him if he wants to fuck a shag carpet because that's what it looks like down there. And of course Rafayel, with his sarcasm and playfullness will say something like "A shag rug for a pussy? I've never heard of such a thing I have to see it now!" And you'll have to show him before he throws another fishy tantrum. When he looks at it he'll sigh dramatically and say "It's not even close to a shag carpet, you exaggerate everything. Now that it's out in the open, let's just have sex."

Zayne: Without giving too much away from my fic...Zayne doesn't care. He's a doctor. He's seen his fair share of hair on body parts and isn't fazed. Also, the vibe I get from them seems to be more of a long-term couple and they've seen each other through their ups and downs so reader will straight up tell him she feels self-conscious about having sex because she hasn't shaved. Zayne will say he respects her decision but removing the hair can cause ingrowns and itching and he doesn't want her to do it incorrectly in order to have sex as soon as possible. He convinces her that they should have sex at least once before she removes it because there's no telling how she might feel after the exhaustion of removing all the hair. You can remove it on your own time but right now he wants you and let's face it, you've popped pimples off his back and he's seen you trimming your toenails, are you really going to let a little hair stop you from riding this man? 🤭🤭🤭

[frogchiro]

Hybrid re AU again 😳

Leon is a lot less grizzled and harsh compared to Jack. He has something of a forbidden friendship with Luis— Jack would say that anyone who isn’t allowed in the house should never be let near kitty, but Leon has seen Luis fighting to keep other coyotes and foxes off the property— he knows the fox won’t hurt you. You watch them play fight sometimes.

Leon still won’t let Luis get his knot in you, but Luis tends to flirt his way around that. What I’m saying is that Luis definitely gives Leon instructions on how to fuck you while he watches. Leon is practically a puppy— lived his whole life on the farm, doesn’t always know what to do to make you mewl, and Luis is happy to help, giving you kisses while you’re stuck on Leon’s knot

Also— Alcina seeing you from a distance and taking a liking. Maybe she’s never seen a domestic cat before— she lives so far remote in the mountain. So to her you’re just like… a little baby. She’s a big cat after all, and you’re so little. And it’s so terrible how those stupid man-things mount and cow you all the time— you’re clearly a little regal thing, like her. She sees your frilly collar and how you’ll bat around a little mouse from time to time— her tiny little huntress. Maybe she thinks you need someone to teach you more— about how to be a big cat.

I'm so happy with the response to the revamped version of the farm au ;;

I actually imagine RE2 Leon for this particular au! Fiercely protective and determined to guard his farm, prove himself and protect but at the same time he is still the fresh faced, bushy tailed rookie! Still has the heart of a pup!

And yes you are right! Where Krauser is a retired military hybrid, huge and experienced, all grizzly bulk, a true wall of muscles, fat and scar tissue who doesn't take shit from anyone, Leon is...well, you don't want to say stupid but he has a boyish charm to him.

Him and Luis have a...complicated friendship. At first Leon chased after him the second he spotted the brown haired fox hybrid sniffing around you but after a while he realized that Luis isn't as bad as Jack made him out to be. He's not pest! In fact he saw him chase away other foxes and coyotes who tried to sneak onto the farm grounds!

And combined with that, Luis's natural foxy charm and his genuine friendly approach to the young hybrid really sold it to Leon. He even allowed Luis to get close to you and actually approach you. No mating or knotting! Just let you two get to know each other better >:( You even got to laze around in the warm sun and watch these two chase each other and play fight which never failed to bring a smile to your face <3

As for Luis's charm...Well, he likes and respects Leon very much and he doesn't want to overuse that trust and friendship so he puts off actually mating with you for later, however the sly fox knows some way to go around it...

I imagine that Leon, in all his labrador hybrid charm, has very little experience when it comes to mating. You were literally his first! And he would be yours too if Jack didn't call dibs on you first as the older and more experienced one :( In short, neither of you have a lot of experience and it shows, especially with Leon and how 'adorably eager' he is, as Luis says it.

Leon is still a young man, eager to please and extremely virile but he doesn't have the experience nor patience, he still thinks with his balls and the only thing on his mind is to stuff you full with his pulsing knot and pup you up and this just can't do, a pretty young lady like you deserves better <3

I imagine Luis slotting himself against Leon from the back, grabbing his hips and basically guiding them, moving his hips and purring into the dogboy's ear about all the best ways to pleasure you, how to cant his hips right to not cause you discomfort and instead bring you the most pleasure, all the best angles and spots to have you yowling and cumming your pretty head off <3

Later, when Leon made you cum at least three times and he himself had his knot stuffed deep inside you, the tip of his sensitive cock lodged firm against your cervix and he laid his soft body on top of you to keep you warm, Luis made sure to slink in next to you and kiss you until you were mewling and pawing at him, purring your head off with his name on you precious lips <3

And Cougar hybrid!Alcina!! She thinks you're just delightful, a precious young thing that should be cherished and prized! Ever since she noticed you, she's been quietly observing you from a distance; the precious kitty girl that's the princess of the...farm thing, or so Alcina thinks she heard someone say.

And it is in fact terrible to see how you're treated! These stupid knot-headed man-things who only think with their balls, thinking only about spreading their nasty seed are absolutely abhorrent in her eyes! Alcina saw how either those awful dog hybrids chase you and mount you, especially that ugly old blonde one, so roughly until you're mewling. Or her dumb brother who always bellows about how he almost caught himself a kitty for dinner, dragged her back into his den and pupped her good.

You're wearing adorable bows and delicate collars with precious stones in them, she knows beauty and actually can appreciate when she sees it, unlike those man-things who only know how to knot...You deserve to be treated like a regal young lady should, not some washed out tart on the corner of a street. She could treat you so so much better...

[drdrizzey]

Late Halloween drawing!!

The good old Creepypastas from the mid 2017s are what basically got me into drawing and art in general. I quite literally started off just to make fanarts of them and boy, I made so much. I know some of those characters are outdated now but I don't want anyone to feel offended from me drawing them, that's really just a really nostalgic Fanart for me with the classic found family dynamic we loved!! Then later on I really got into those slenderverse ARGs and especially marble hornets and again, I filled sketchbooks just with marble hornets comics and fanarts so thats also something lmao

I had a hard time choosing who to draw here arggh

My inner child heals a bit more every time I draw any Slenderverse and Creepypasta character or even my old Creepypasta ocs

Also I want to add a disclaimer that I do not ship Creepypasta characters with anyone and that to me, they always acted all like siblings to each other! (Saying that because I know some people are really sensitive about ship art in this peculiar fandom and I agree that's a tricky one, but for me they've always just been a big silly family in their spooky manor, having fun)

Here's some dynamics I love and loved picturing them with :

- sally is the cute little sister that nobody can say no to and she KNOWS it, she WILL make everyone play dress up with pink ribbons and no one can do anything about it

- Jeff is a really good big brother to her and really tries his best for that

- Masky is 100% the tired big brother having to care for all of his annoying siblings. Since he's a proxy, Slenderman especially asked him to keep an eye on them and to quote, "give them what they ask for and not letting them break stuff or argue too much" which leads him quite often to having to drive to MacDonalds at 3am, because one of them whined for it. He also pretends he hates it but in reality he really cares about them. Also headcanon, this is some alternative version of Tim/Masky from marble hornets because we'll, obviously this is supposed to be Masky and somehow some people literally dont know where he comes from and just twinkifies him (which is a jumpscare to me because tim is literally amazing, hello?but a lot of people seemed to not know where he came from, well go watch marble hornets if you havent its awesome (i'm looking at yall tma and mouthwashing fans, you WILL love it too)

- my HC for Toby is that the guy has a lot going on but he's also not a kid, i like seeing him in his twenties or so. And he loves ranting about really random stuff just to annoy pretty much anyone and especially Masky because he doesn't complain much, and if he does then Toby will just find it even funnier and follow him around, explaining to him like...I don't know random stuff like describing his whole feed of cat videos or something or internet drama

(also that's not a mischaracterization of them as characters it's just my version of them in the way my little autistic brain in sixth grade pictured them, which means very non canon inaccurate)

Here's the fun reference I used :

[rwby-encrusted-blog]

Can the RWBY Character say the Bad word for Gay?

Based on those shorts by Jake Blennings

Ruby: Yes, But she won't.

Weiss: Yes, and Has, originally as an insult, but now as a matter of pride in her bisexuality.

Blake: Yes, but chooses not to.

Yang: I cannot fathom Entertaining the Idea that she can't. She's a sapphic that catches on fire, the word was LITERALLY MADE FOR HER

Jaune: Yes, And has, but only because he didn't know what it meant so he asked his mom, and when he learned what it meant he washed his mouth out with soap and threw up because he was scared he was homophobic.

Pyrrha: Yes, but won't, both because she personally doesn't want to, and she'd be cancelled faster than Ruby eating a platter of cookies.

Nora: Yes, uses it as both a compliment and an insult.

Ren: Yes, but when he says it he more likely means a bundle of sticks.

Oscar: Yes, but when he says it he more likely means a bundle of sticks.

Emerald: Yes. She hasn't, but she could.

Mercury: Yes, but he thinks he isn't allowed to. Does anyway.

Cinder: Yes. Like Yang, but. Evil.

Neopolitan: Yes, but she doesn't speak, so no? Like, she can speak, she chooses not to, but-

Roman: My Man wears eye-shadow and acts like a theater kid. He can say. Even if he's cishet, I'm giving him a pass for the word.

Qrow: Yes. This man is SO Bisexual, trust me.

Raven: On one hand I want to say no because of vibes, on the other hand I want to say yes because I enjoy Rosebird and Hellbirds, and in a third hand, there's the ones that REALLY ship Rosebird and Hellbirds pointing a .38 Colt Revolver at me, so I think she can say it.

Taiyang: oh he can FUCKING Say it, if it mean she can take me out to dinner.

Summer: oh GODs Yes.

Ozpin: Yes, he can. He won't, but he could.

Glynda: I'm gonna be honest ... I don't think so, not just a faculty member of prestigious school, she's just ... I dunno. Not strong vibes for or against her saying it.

Oobleck: No he can't, and he doesn't.

Port: No he can't, but does because he means a Cigar/Cigarette

Jacques: No, does anyway knowing FULL Well what it means.

Ironwood: No, does anyway but he means a bundle of sticks.

Winter: Yes. She doesn't know she can, but she can.

Willow: Can, has, and will.

Whitley: See; Weiss, but with the understanding he hasn't realized it yet.

Robyn: I'm sorry, this woman is fighting against the Government with a band of other, strong, smart, capable women Of course She can fucking SAY it.

Kali: Yes, Doesn't because she's married to a political figure.

Ghira: Yes, IF IT MEANS HE CAN TAKE ME OUT TO DINNER-

[hishighnesstheprincess]

Had some thoughts over on twitter and wanted to post them here as well because I know how apeshit the tumblr side of this fandom goes over Shadow and Maria and the Robotnik family in general. Basically, I think this narrative has something to say about grief (shocker), moving on (another shocker) and tunnel vision (slightly more surprising). Massive fucking Sonic x Shadow Generations Spoilers btw

Sa2 and Gerald's Journal from this game make it clear that Gerald devoted himself to Maria. To the extent that, after she died, he said that he had nothing and decided to destroy the world at all costs, despite having still-living family members including Maria's younger sister.

He died with those beliefs. And what he did after Maria's death would have led to the destruction of several people Maria cared for deeply and the planet she loved. His tunnel vision was not just self-destructive. It was selfish, disregarding Maria's wishes entirely.

On the other hand, we have Shadow. In his intro game, Shadow is basically the opposite of Gerald. They have the same goal, but only because Shadow believes Maria wanted the world to be destroyed. When he remembers Maria's true wish, he changes his plans immediately, no hesitation.

In sa2, Shadow is entirely selfless, devoted only to what he thinks Maria wants, which Gerald manipulates for himself. By the time of Shadow 05, he's in a state of partial amnesia and trying to figure out both the mysteries of his past and what he wants to do with his own life. The true ending of Shadow 05 has Shadow rejecting Black Doom's intentions for him, as well as, to some extent, what Maria and Gerald intended for him. Shadow intended for this to be the last time he would have to think about his past, or let his past influence his future.

But, importantly, neither doing things 100% for Maria or trying to forget about her were good for Shadow. Tunnel vision either laser focused on something or directed away from it is not a good way to deal with complicated things like trauma, grief, etc. So in Dark Beginnings, we see that Shadow very much hasn't moved on. The dream in the beginning could be because of Black Doom, but when he's on the spacecraft he catches himself thinking about a life with Maria, and forcibly redirects himself to focusing on the mission.

He cannot stop thinking about his past. He is trying to move on, but he thinks moving on involves completely putting his past behind him. Even though he is very clearly affected, considering that Black Doom lured him to the ARK with a dream of Maria. He still has tunnel vision. And then we get to the main events of SXSG. The first time he sees her, Shadow refuses to believe Maria is even there. When he is directly confronted with evidence of this Maria being alive, he doesn't take it well. As soon as he sees Maria and Gerald, he vows to save them.

Also of note is this visual effect whenever Black Doom pops up. The edges of the cutscene get all hazy, with black and red creeping in at the edges. Almost like he's giving Shadow tunnel vision, making him think that he has to give in to his anger to accomplish his goals.

At Shadow's darkest moment in this game, he almost gives in to that darkness, quite literally- the visual effect is back, the light on screen is flickering, etc.

ut, unlike in Shadow 05, he doesn't have to face the darkness of his past alone. Maria is the literal light, drawing him out of that darkness. When she died, Gerald didn't have her anymore, so he was lost in it, but Shadow has the strength of will, and the help, to escape it.

So even when Black Doom has "perfected" Shadow, at what should be his most angry, there are rays of light coming through the darkness. Shadow may never have the same light Maria does, and may have his own anger from what's been done to him, but he won't lose himself to it anymore. He has the light with him now

He has Maria in his heart now, lighting his way.

Btw if y'all are confused about the subtitles in some of these images, that's because they're translations of the Japanese version of all these games, done by Windii who I don't believe has a tumblr account that I can link to. The JP -> ENG translations in this franchise have almost always been a little fucky (with the sole exception of this game, Dark Beginnings, and Black Knight of all games), and while I'm pretty sure most of the info here is present in the official ENG version, I just went back to the source to make sure. And even though Windii doesn't have a tumblr account that I'm aware of, I can link to her youtube and website, where I got all this info

That's all for now folks. Make sure to check Windii out, she makes some great content for all the true nerds in this fandom (aka me and like 17 other people)

[millieisawriter]

Little acts of kindness

kieran duffy x reader

summary: kieran is smitten with you, and you're oblivious to his feelings (and his attempt to confess them), you realize that love shows up in unexpected places, and now it's up to you to decide if you're ready to give him a chance

wc: 1.8k

all pics taken from pinterest

♡this wasn't requested, but if you wish to request something you're more than welcome♡

Kieran has been in the gang for a few weeks now, after having joined not by choice, but taken hostage. Fortunately, now that he proved to be trustworthy after saving Arthur's life, he was allowed to freely walk around the camp. Mostly, he just took care of the horses, maybe that was all he knew how to do.

Or maybe he actually loved it, and the horses were rather fond of him, too. Even your mare that was usually wary of others, especially strangers, seemed to not mind it when Kieran would brush her, or feed her.

Others would often joke about how alike you and your mount were – both with a short temper, a bit wild, a bit mean. Many believed your horse still wasn't broken, but you could ride her well. It was others that she didn't allow get close to her, especially men.

That's why you were more than surprised when you saw Kieran so close to her. He was brushing your mare's tail, and he could still stand on his feet, which was odd considering your mare's temper.

"O'Driscoll boy." You called out, causing Kieran to flinch, you could tell he didn't see you coming.

"I— I ain't no O'Driscoll, miss." He replied nervously, tired of everyone calling him that name. He didn't even run with O'Driscolls that long. "I'm— I'm sorry, I thought I'd just..."

Kieran trailed off as you approached closer, hoping you won't notice his breath becoming so shallow he could stop breathing at all. And, as you stood right next to him, you saw how beautifully he had braided your mare's tail.

Ever since Kieran has been let off that pole, he was trying his best to blend into the background. Doing just enough to contribute, keep the camp clean and the horses fed, but not enough to catch someone's attention and get yelled at for nothing.

Even though Kieran didn't mind it when you were the one yelling at him. Well, you didn't really shout, but even if you were just snapping at him, or nagging him to do something, he would secretly be happy, because at least you talked to him.

"Maybe you ain't that bad, Kieran."

Kieran knew these words probably didn't mean anything to you, but they made his heart thud in his chest like a train. And you were the outlaw his train was robbed by. And this was the first time you called him by his first name, instead of O'Driscoll boy, or something worse.

You continued, "She doesn't let others get close to her, not the men at least. Guess you're special." Your tone was teasing, but he took your words as a compliment.

"She's a nice horse," Kieran said, "I don't get why others say she's... mean."

Mean wasn't exactly how others described her, but you caught his meaning. "Guess she's very picky. I remember when we were out on a job in Blackwater and she literally bit Micah in the ass. He was so angry, it was priceless. Micah still says she should've been shot long ago, apparently that's what happens to crazy horses."

You laughed at the memory, and Kieran smiled. He didn't know why you were talking to him, but he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

"I just..." he hesitated, "I dunno, talked to her. It's kind of like talking to people, you gotta earn their trust."

You hummed thoughtfully, surprised by his answer. It was easy to forget that there was more to Kieran than his stammering and nervous glances. For all his skittishness, he was an intelligent and caring guy - something most men in the gang lacked.

"Or maybe she's just like a stick of dynamite," Kieran allowed himself to joke, "gotta be careful with those."

A short laugh escaped you before you could stop it. "So which one is it, Kieran? Is she nice, or a dynamite stick?"

"Can't she be both? Makes her a lot of work, but she's worth it..."

The look in his eyes caught you off guard. He was talking about the horse, yes, but his words could have a deeper meaning.

Your mare shifted in spot, her ears flicking as if sensing the tension, and Kieran's gaze fell back to her, as if he feared he said too much.

"Thanks for braiding her tail," you switched the topic, "it looks pretty."

The second time you didn't snap at Kieran, but instead were nice to him, was a few days later. There were some tensions in the gang, Micah trying to get inside everyone's heads, Sadie arguing with Pearson, Abigail nagging about John's lack of responsibility more than usually.

So you decided to clear your head and go for a ride. Grabbing the saddle and throwing it over your mare's back, you hoped to be quick so that no one starts nagging your ass about a chore that needed doing.

As you tightened the straps, you felt something was different. You ran your hand along the leather, frowning. The buckle near the stirrup, the one that had been coming loose for weeks, was now repaired. As if someone carefully mended it without telling you, and you had an idea who could have done it.

You've been meaning to fix it for ages, but never had time. Every time you came back from a job, there were chores that needed doing, or people needing something. You barely had time to eat, let alone fix the saddle.

Kieran, as always, was by the horses. Making your way over, you heard a soft melody he was humming as he brushed one of the horses.

"Hey, O'Driscoll boy." You said, but your tone had softened throughout the days.

Kieran's eyes met yours, and you could see the nervousness already setting in. "Yes, miss?" He asked, clutching the brush in both hands.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about a saddle that needed fixing, would ya?"

He gulped, afraid he overcrossed a boundary. "Oh... yeah, uh, I noticed it needed fixing. So I— I fixed it. Didn't want you falling and getting hurt or... something. I know you didn't ask for help, but—"

You interrupted him, "I ain't mad, Kieran. Thank you, I appreciate it, really."

Kieran's face brightened as if you just handed him gold, his eyes widening. "I'm just happy to help, miss."

The next few days were tiring. Dutch had you running errands for him, some business in Rhodes, and you were so tired you couldn't wait to have a moment to sit down and relax.

You had just rode back into the camp. There was nothing you dreamed of more than sitting down for a moment to drink coffee and talk with the girls. If you were lucky, maybe Grimshaw wouldn't be after your asses for being lazy for more than five minutes.

You had barely finished unsaddling your mare when Kieran approached you.

"Hey, uhh..." he started hesitantly, shifting in spot, "I was wondering if you'd like t-to go fishing... with me?"

You blinked at him, your tired mind only half-processing his words. Fishing sounded like more effort than you had energy for. Besides, you weren't that good at fishing anyway. Like, Arthur was better than you, and he wasn't good at all, which spoke for itself.

"Not sure, Kieran. Kinda just feel like sitting around today, y'know?"

Kieran's face fell just a little, but he quickly covered it with a nod, forcing a polite smile. "I see, I see. Maybe another time."

"Maybe another time."

You walked off to where the girls were gathered by their wagon, and you didn't see how Kieran walked away, his shoulders slouched as if he has just been scolded.

Plopping down beside Mary-Beth, you stretched out with a sigh, savoring the momentary peace. The girl beside you gave you a nudge.

"What did Kieran want?" She asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing," you replied with a dismissive wave, "he just wanted to go fishing or something. Told him I'm too tired for that. Not like I can fish anyway, never had the patience."

Other girls exchanged a knowing look, clearly amused, which only seemed to confuse you. "Oh, honey." Karen chuckled.

You looked between the three girls. "What?"

Tilly spoke, "You don't realize, do you?"

"Realize what?"

Mary-Beth leaned in, lowering her voice. "It wasn't just fishing he was asking you for. He was asking you to spend time with him. Alone."

You paused for a second, maybe too tired to process the meaning. "And?"

Tilly rolled her eyes, clearly struggling to hold back a laugh. "Girl, he likes you! He's been watching you for... well, as long as we've been out of Colter and he could take a proper look at you."

"What are you talking about?" Your tone expressed annoyance, but the blush that crept onto your face told a different story.

Karen interjected, louder than you'd like, "He's sweet on you, god damn it!"

Other girls laughed along as you let the realization hit you. You weren't the one to get involved with men, always too busy to focus on romance. Not like any man in the gang was your type anyway, but now... well, Kieran was a part of the gang too. Maybe it was the time to lay off the hard work to the side and focus on some romance in your story.

"You really think he was asking me... on a date?" You hesitated.

"Yeah," Mary-Beth nodded, "in his... odd, shy way. Probably the only way he knows. Kind of cute, it is."

Karen added, "Must've been the first time poor boy did somethin' like this. And he got rejected!"

Mary-Beth patted your shoulder encouragingly. "Go on, you can still catch him."

Hesitantly, you got to your feet, your heart racing as you made your way across camp. It didn't take long to find Kieran. As always, he was just trying to stay out of everyone's way. He was sitting down, fixing another saddle.

"Kieran?" You said, now with a completely soft tone of voice.

He looked up at you from his work, surprised. "Uh, yes, miss?" He asked, already bracing himself for another disappointment.

And just like that, your mind was empty and no words could come to mind. You bit your lip, thinking. "I was, uh, thinking... about that fishing offer, y'know? Is it still on the table?"

His face lit up, a bigger smile replacing his usual shy grimace. "Yes, yes, it is."

"I think I'd like to go, after all..."

"Great! I mean... good, good." He stood up, setting the saddle he was fixing aside. "I'll, uh, go get my fishing rod."

Your eyes followed Kieran as he rushed off to find the item. Maybe you were blind before, but you weren't about to make that mistake again.

You didn't even have a fishing rod anymore, not after your previous one snapped in half years ago. But you agreed to go, just to spend some time with Kieran. He was so nice, after all, so why not give him a chance.

[eyecan02]

I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone talking about this article. Delores is definitely in the Waiting Room and Rory is dead DEAD for good. Lol Beetlejuice knew exactly what he was doing when he redirected that sandworm toward Delores and Rory.

Beetlejuice literally said "Don't want your ex bothering you from now on? Say less, babe. The Juice will take care of him for good."

The implications are so good because him choosing sandworm death means that the Waiting Room and or even Rory somehow becoming a civil servant were (in BJ's eyes) never going to be punishment enough for using Lydia. So he wiped him completely out of existence. Very real, golden retriever and sweet of him to do for his Gothic lady love.

And in part, I think this reveals at least part of the plot for BJ3. Most of us had predicted Delores and Rory would probably become a toxic evil couple with a power imbalance but it looks like Rory is gone for good. As well as Justin Theroux played Rory, most of us agree, it's not essential for him to come back.

As for Delores, I don't see them creating a new villain. At least not a new one in the After Life. I get the strong sense that not only will Delores be the main/only villain but that the story is pretty much going to pick up pretty much right where we left off.

Judging from the end of BJ3, we know that Lydia dreamed up the entire Romania trip/Astrid marriage/ birth giving scene, that means we have no idea how much time passed between Lydia saying goodbye to her show and her waking up in bed with (her husband) Beetlejuice.

So I suspect that BJ3 is going to pick only a few days/maybe even a week tops from the events of BJ2. I say this because what do we know about Delores? She's a soul sucker- (like Beetlejuice she plays by her own rules) so dangerous that she has a whole chapter dedicated to her own kind.

Do you think the other dead folks in the Waiting Room are going to be comfortable sharing a space with a soul sucker? Wolf might have someone on the Goon Squad babysitting her in that room to keep her in check. But whether they have someone watching her or not, Delores is going to get impatient, suck out some souls, say "fuck this" and go back to searching for Beetlejuice within just a few days of being put in that room.

And judging by how Beetlejuice had no problem projecting himself to Lydia at the end of BJ2, it means the rules for Code 699 about him not being to travel to the world of the Living, have not effected him compete.

Maybe he can't do deals for now, but he doesn't need to make a deal to keep seeing Lydia. She had once mentioned she wanted to chop up the model and burn it, but we don't see this onscreen so more than likely the model is still in perfect condition. Also, more than likely, the Deetz house was sold and has new tenants.

This comes up in my beetlebabes fanfic where Beetlejuice leaves messages and Lydia's name on the walls and mirrors to scare off the new tenants and draw Lydia back to the house. I think this is where BJ3 is headed storywise.

[bibliophilesince2003]

Transformers One

Ok guys, I just realized something about Orion and Elita and their relationship. I've only watched the movie once and can't wait to re-watch it, but I do remember key scenes and have seen clips others have shared over the past few weeks that cover more and more scenes not included in the trailers.

Oh... I guess I better hide the rest of this post for those who don't want to be spoiled.

Most of us can agree that Elita's means of affection towards Orion are more dominant later in the movie. She crouches to get down on his level, she's encouraging when Orion is feeling down, she leaned towards the pit when Orion fell, she taps or puts a hand on his shoulder or arm to get his attention. She sticks close to him.

Orion is a bit flirtatious towards her in the beginning; it usually doesn't work or backfires. Most of the time, his actions mean more than his words, but here are three key moments I picked up on that really highlight his feelings about Elita, if it weren't already obvious...

He shoved Elita clear of danger at least two times, maybe more.

The first time was when the cave was collapsing and Elita was throwing the poles that activated and kept the cave from collapsing as fast. On the last one, she holds it above her head and is perfectly willing to stay there. Orion dives forward and quite literally grabs her middle and they both collapse to the ground; Orion immediately gets back up - if I'm remembering correctly - to help Jazz.

The second was in the midst of the battle right before D-16 and Bee were captured. At one point Elita wasn't paying attention, and Orion yelled her name and dove for her, sparing her from any damage. The pile of rocks fell on him instead.

Sure, sure. He's a leader and would likely do that for anyone. Still, it proves he cares about Elita so much he would be willing to die for her, and if that's not potential couple material I don't know what is.

When Darkwing fired Elita, Orion was extremely apologetic and tried to tell Elita he was sorry. After she walked away, those who have seen the movie are well aware of the "my finger can transform" scene. I just realized... he was getting back at Darkwing for firing Elita. He may be reckless, but he said "I'll give you a limited option" as an attack on Darkwing who said that since they were miners, they didn't have a whole lot of freedom in terms of where to go, which is why Elita ended up in Waste Management. Orion wasn't too pleased with Darkwing's treatment towards Elita, and I love that. I'm sure Orion wasn't too pleased with Darkwing's treatment of all miners, but this is one of the only times if not the only time we see him stand up against Darkwing, and I would like to think that caring for Elita had something to do with it.

Finally, another iconic scene is the train one, where Bee turns and bolts. Orion is the last one to turn and run. In fact, he looks to make sure the others are already running - D-16 and Elita - glances at the rising horizon again, and then breaks into a faster run. I guess this is more inclusive than just Orion and Elita, but I think you get my point.

Besides the physical and verbal proof, my favorite scene is when Elita surveys the surface for the first time and says "it's beautiful" and Orion immediately looks at her and smiles. He's either smiling at her awe or thinking the same of her, and either way it's just too sweet. That scene has already been pointed out by others, which is why I didn't really include it in my observations.

Optimus Prime is considered a "loner" by many, but it seems he's more vulnerable than I thought.

[rom-e-o]

Oof, our little conversation between the boys has got me considering things. Imagine Adonis and Connie double-dating with Bess before she and Wolf finally come together. I doubt it's every date, maybe mostly only on the ones where Bess is meeting with guys from dating apps (I doubt she had a very long stint trying those) or guys she's been set up with. If they don't meet the guy on the first date and he and Bess make it to the third and Bess is liking him, that's a double date, as she wants potential suitors to meet her friends fairly early. They are an important part of her life after, Connie especially. And usually the guy cuts things off quick after that for various reasons.

Just imagine Adonis watching all of these young guys flit in and out of Bess' sphere, most of whom she doesn't click with, the handful she does leaving her in the dust as fast as they came in. It reminds him a bit of Charlie when they grew up, actually. Then turning around and seeing Charlie and Bess together and him just trying his hardest not to wring his brother's neck for refusing to see what he so obviously sees. "These plonkers suck the life out of her and you give it back! And you still don't believe you're RIGHT for her?! You TIT!"

Okay, so ... I kind of ran with this idea. For 15 pages. I've been mulling this over for a long time. I ended up turning it into a little fic, with some additional help from the chatted conversations we talked about the Twins having, haha.

Adonis can see Bess serves better, and decides to take matters into his own hands. sometimes, you need the power of an outside perspective!

All's Well That Ends Well

“Yeah, um, this isn’t going to work, love.” Markus, age 31, at the jazz club.

“Have you thought about a push-up bra? You’d look bangin’ if you showed more skin!” Cesar, age 29, at the boat races.

“What chit doesn’t sleep with a guy on the first date nowadays? Prude.” Brandon, age 26, at the nightclub.

“Look, you’re nice, but … I just don’t think we’re clicking. I’m sorry. I-I don’t want to waste your time. Maybe I can … call you instead?” Ahmed, age 32, at the ice-skating rink.

Bess sighed. He’d never even asked for her phone number, but she let him go without argument. Truth be told, they didn’t have much in common anyway. He was a graphic designer with his eyes on his career. Plus, he had seemed more interested in casual banter than a seriously romantic relationship. A taciturn half-date was all it took to determine that.

“Sure,” she called back with a weak wave. “Be safe getting home.”

“You as well, Elizabeth.”

At least he was kind about it, she thought. That was way more than she could say for a lot of the others. I hope he finds someone he clicks with.

As Bess watched the tall, handsome man slowly skate toward the entrance of the outdoor ice rink, she reclined against the iron railing. Her body sank forward, heavy with disappointment in someone she didn’t even know. It made her feel … silly? No. Defeated? Yes, it felt much more accurate.

Hot tears burned her eyes, and she cursed herself for it. The last thing she wanted after another bad date was to cry in public about it.

“Bess?”

At the sound of her best friend’s inquiring voice, Bess lifted her head, the furred earmuffs jostling slightly atop her obsidian curls. She was met with the sight of Constance skating toward her, arms stuck out ahead of her and her fingers splayed. With her knees knocked inward and her ankles shaking more severely than windchimes in a thunderstorm, she looked completely helpless in a way that even her fashionable brown coat and pink cashmere dress couldn’t distract from.

“H-Help,” Constance squawked awkwardly, sailing forward at a snail’s pace.

The sight caused Bess to forget her tears and literally puff a cloud of laughter into the winter air.

“You’re looking a little lost out there.” She quickly yanked up the lapel of her powder blue coat and blotted a tear away. “Wasn’t it your idea to go skating?”

Constance laughed as she clamped onto Bess and held on. “I-It wasn’t my brightest, I’ll admit.”

The redhead then paused before glancing around, noticing the absence of company. Bess dreaded the inevitable question she knew her soul-sister wanted to ask, but it never came. Instead, she saw Connie looking out over the ice in mute understanding. That, for some reason, stung worse.

“He wasn’t into it,” Bess explained, answering the unspoken question, “And, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t either. We couldn’t find a single thing to talk about, Con.”

“I’m so sorry, Bess.”

“…Con, be honest, is something wrong with me?”

“No!” Her grip tightened as the word surged from her lips.

“You would tell me if there was, right?” Bess asked, the tears threatening to return. Her own legs began to tremble in her skates. “B-Because all these guys keep—”

“You’re putting yourself out there to a whole ocean of fish,” Constance reminded her softly, reaching up to help dab a warm tear away from her friend’s cheek.

“And I’m only attractive to the losers, I guess.”

“Oh, Bess—”

"Ladies?”

The deeper, London-accented voice interjected itself politely into the conversation. The inquiring voice belonged to Ebenezer Charles Scrooge (nicknamed “Adonis” by the lovestruck Connie), who had just successfully escaped from a young entrepreneur trying to use their chance meeting at the ice rink as a chance to pitch his extremely niche business idea.

Earlier in the evening, he’d been the one to serve as Constance’s lifeline on the ice so Bess and her date could have some time on the double-date to be alone and chat more. However, upon being dragged unwillingly into the earlier conversation, he’d turned around to find his girlfriend missing.

Seeing that she was clinging to Bess’ arm for stability, he initially felt relief, then was hit with a wave of uncertainty. He quickly noted that the young man that Bess had brough on their outing was nowhere to be seen. Not only that, but the ladies both wore twin masks of melancholy. That most certainly wasn’t promising.

“I say, is everything alright?” he asked again, more softly the second time.

Bess tried to nod with her usual spunkiness, but her misty eyes deceived nobody. His face fell at the obvious sadness in her eyes.

“Oh, my dear girl,” he started, but Bess shook her head quickly.

“No, no, no,” she said quickly, blinking her eyes rapidly in a desperate attempt to hide tears. “Please, don’t. It’s fine. I’m fine. I promise you. I-I was just telling Con. We weren’t really clicking, anyway.”

“Uh-huh,” he said slowly, studying her expression. She didn’t seem fully well, he noted. Not as well, and definitely not as casual, as he was pretending to be. “I see.”

“Plus, he was nice about it. Way nicer than a lot of the other guys.”

She sniffled again, despite herself, and Connie’s reassuring grip tightened. “Oh, Bess … what can we do for you, dear?”

“Shall we hang up the skates and go for a stroll instead?” Ebenezer posed quickly. His skill of thinking on his feet in business negotiations occasionally came in handy in other areas of life. “You know, I have an idea! We passed Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland when the sun was still setting – I’m sure festivities are in full swing by now. I can hail us a cab, and we’ll be there in no time.”

“Ah, that sounds wonderful! Come, why don’t we—”

“No, please, you two are still on a date,” she reminded them, inhaling with a hiss. A date I’m probably ruining for you, she moped internally, knowing that vocalizing that statement would only make her feel even more sour. This wasn’t even the first time this had happened.

“Please, enjoy yourselves. Go, skate.”

Even if she was having a miserable time, the last thing she wanted to do was ruin her best friend’s date with a man she genuinely seemed to like. Even better, he seemed to return those affections proudly and promptly.

She could never forgive herself if her own emotions even played a slight role in sabotaging anything.

“What about you?” Adonis asked in genuine concern. The prospect of leaving someone in a vulnerable state alone amidst a sea of people was unappealing, especially since she was becoming quite a close friend of his as well. He felt compassion and empathy for her.

After all … both he, and his twin brother, had been in similar situations.

She laughed, trying to make merry despite her resignation. “Dates are usually for two people, right?”

“Nonetheless—"

“I just … think I’d like a moment alone,” Bess finally admitted. “Just to think. Breathe.”

Constance tenderly laid a hand on her friend’s shoulder. The look on her face must have been exceptionally dire because Bess snorted fondly at the sight. A spark of playful sass returned as she said, “Con, it’s okay. Thank you for worrying, really … but it’s just a bad date. There are worse things. I’m not gonna go rogue or jet off into the night, okay? I promise.”

The words were delivered with such poise that both were genuinely surprised when she gently unwound her arm from Constance’s embrace and quickly stepped onto the ice. With an artful strut, she set off across the silvery surface like a swan slipping onto a frozen lake, her curls spiraling behind her like inky ribbons. Flecks of ice danced off her heels, sending small puffs of glitter into the night air with each swish of her legs.

“Bess, please wait!” Constance wobbled toward the ice to give chase but was quickly rendered off-balance without anything to lean on. She flailed her arms briefly before Ebenezer swept in and caught her. One arm circled her waist while the other grabbed the railing for added stability.

“Are you alright, dear?” he asked, but she wasn’t listening.

She only stared ahead at the silvery trails that her friend had left behind.

Ebenezer followed her gaze, his mind pondering what to do. After a moment of searching the crowds, he set his jaw firmly, his intention hardened. He urged Constance upright and, still holding onto her, walked her over to a nearby bench located just at the edge of the rink.

“I’m going after Bess,” he said, his hand lofting from her waist to cup her cheek. “I’ll make sure she’s okay. If she really wants to be left alone, I’ll respect her wishes and won’t pressure her, but…”

But he couldn’t just let her go off alone and in such a state, especially if there was something he could do to help.

“I’m sorry to leave you,” he said.

“No, please do,” Constance said, leaning into his touch. “Please check on her. I think it might be helpful for you to talk to her. From your perspective as a gentleman, I mean.”

It was an inappropriate time to color from praise, but he allowed himself the brief indulgence. He nodded, and after one last plea for her to please not try to move, he stepped onto the ice and drifted to the other side of the rink.

All things considered, the outdoor rink was larger in size than one might expect.

Despite being in London’s financial district, which was notorious for hair-wide alleyways and tangled footpaths, a decent chunk of the normally busy roadway had been temporarily blocked off for the short-term installation. The outdoor space couldn’t hold a candle in size to large skate-ways or rinks like the ones at Canary Wharf or Kensington Palace, but it was a lovely novelty for the many wealthy individuals who worked or resided close to the district.

As other couples held hands and skated beneath the archways of twinkling holiday lights, Bess found herself skating to an alcove off to the side. The area was somewhat desolate, its ethereal tranquility only slightly marred by the encroaching shadows of the nearby skyscrapers.

In fact, other than the unavoidable urban sprawl around them, the city had done a good job at making the installation feel festive. Lit sculptures of angels and icy archways lined the perimeter, and the feathery layer of snow perfectly dusted the overhang of wreaths and giant jingle bells suspended above the ice. It was a scene all too befitting of a holiday greeting card.

The spectacle of it all reminded Bess of when she’d watched holidays special of skaters in mink coats and pristine white skates dancing on ice at Rockefeller Center in New York. The setting had looked so … unreal. Like it was a movie set, not a place where real people would skate.

However, she’d never skated at Rockefeller. No, her memories involved her father taking her to a frozen lake back in Ohio, where she remembered him lacing her tiny ice skates and her laughing until her lungs were sore from all their antics. George would keep her little hands warm by caging them in his, and they would spend the entire midday practicing twirls and swoops.

She’d taken to ice-skating somewhat naturally back then, and even on a rink of crowded people, she’d been able to bob and weave through them without issue. The movements brought her no joy, however. Skating wasn’t something she liked to do alone. It wasn’t any fun without a partner.

“Get a grip on yourself,” Bess mumbled under her breath, clutching her gloved hands into fists.

As if the scenario of crying in public wasn’t humiliating enough, she didn’t want to be seen crying in front of her best friend’s boyfriend.

Yet, it seemed fate had other things in store.

“E-Elizabeth!”

The call made her breath stall in her frosted lungs. She turned quickly, operating only on instinct. “W-Wo…?”

No, it wasn’t him. The voice belonged to Ebenezer, who was skating her way, his cheeks (and nose) red from the cold.

That was right, she thought. If it would have been Ebenezar Charles Scrooge (nicknamed “Wolf”), Ebenezer’s twin brother, he would have called her ‘Bess’ without a second thought. The two had met and fostered a strong friendship since Bess’ time in London. They were close, and good friends.

Very, very good friends.

…She’d been so excited at the prospect of it being him that she had thrown logic out the window.

“W-What are you doing?” she asked him. “W-Where is Connie?”

“Sitting down on a bench,” he said with a light laugh. He bent slightly at the waist to catch his breath. “Don’t worry, I did not leave her stranded on the ice.”

“Well, thank goodness for that!” she replied, arching an obsidian brow. “…Did you come to check on me?”

“Yes.”

She sighed, sinking against the railing. “Please. I told you already. I’ve already made a royal mess of way too many double-dates—”

“I don’t recall you making a royal mess of anything.”

“—And now I’ve pulled you away from your actual date to come and coddle me.”

“I’m not here to coddle you,” he said, drifting beside her and assuming a post at the railing beside her. “I’m here to talk to you.”

Bess glanced up at him, her gaze forlorn … but slightly curious, perhaps? Perhaps cautious was a better word. “Eliza—erm, Bess. Apologies. I … I don’t know you as well as my brother does, but I feel like you need to know something.”

He cleared his throat and averted his gaze slightly. “I, erm, don’t know much about courtship or dating, I suppose is what it’s called now. I only dated one woman in my twenties, and it didn’t end as I would have liked it to. Now, with Connie … I find myself remembering what it felt like to be in the company of an admired lady. The way I want to hold and conduct myself has changed greatly, and I want to make sure that she feels respected and happy.”

He swung his head toward her. “When I see a woman like you struggling to find a man that treats you how you deserve to be treated, it is beyond frustrating.”

“Frustrating?”

“Yes. You are the type of woman any half-decent man would love to have as a partner. To see all these immature louts with no positive qualities brush you off as if you’re a leftover cut from the butcher? It’s a disgrace.”

She blinked her eyes slowly. “Y-You don’t think I’m the problem? Really?”

“I know you’re not the problem,” he said, his tone adamant as granite. “My brother would agree heartily with that, just so you know.”

“Wolf would?” Bess asked, perking up a bit. Now she was curious, Adonis noted with amusement. Not that he was surprised. He could obviously see that she fancied him. Constance could as well. As could everyone else in their growing social network. The only thing more obvious than her adoration of him was the fact that he knew his twin brother absolutely pined over her in return, and had for many months.

Perhaps he could get two birds with one stone, he thought.

“You recall me mentioning that I didn’t have much experience at dating, yes?” he started. “Well, Charlie does have more experience. He’s had a few girlfriends, some more serious than the others.”

He treaded carefully, unsure how much Bess knew. There was only so much of his brother’s dirty laundry he felt comfortable airing. When she remained silent, he continued on.

“Well, there’s a reason for that. You see, he always puts his whole heart into each relationship. He wants true partnership, not a fling. Oh, he’ll blush and deny it all day long, but after decades of loneliness, he wants to find someone to settle down with. To love, and to marry.”

Bess’ heart leapt in her chest as the words resonated with her.

“With these other ladies, it was obvious to see their priorities laid elsewhere,” Adonis said. “Certainly not in romance. He would plan lovely dates tailored around the lady’s interests, he would buy gifts … he would lay his heart bare for each one of them … and I watched each one stomp all over it. They always cracked and admitted that it was for the money and would leave. A shameless lot.”

“Multiple women rejected him?” she asked, unable to make her disbelief. How was that possible? She knew he’d dated before – they were friends, after all, so she knew that much – but not that his struggles had been so relatable.

“Yes,” he replied, the word more or a sigh than spoken sentiment. “Every time he introduced me to a new date of his, I knew how it would end. On some level, I think he did too.”

“Then … why did he keep …?”

Adonis’ brow slacked, the wrinkles smoothing and his gaze dipping to the ground. In that moment, he looked almost forlorn. “Who wants to be alone forever?”

He watched as the woman across from him fell silent, angling her face just slightly away. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought he saw her nod.

Just as words threatened to fail him, an idea sparked in his mind. Quickly, he turned in the dark to seek out a specific building tucked amongst the other financial high-rises and modern storefronts of London’s financial district.

As his eyes fell upon the set of tall windows belonging to S&C Financials, he saw that the lights in the office were all.

Specifically, the light in the room he knew to be his brother’s office was on. It glowed like a lighthouse beacon in a sea of otherwise black windows.

There was a certain someone that could lift her spirits more than he or Connie ever could.

“I’m sorry, but I have to step away for a moment,” he told her. His hand went to his coat pocket, as if he was fumbling for his phone. “A call, I’m afraid. I’ll be right back! Please stay on the rink, yes?”

Bess let him go with a wave, not paying his excuse much mind. After all, he’d given her many other fascinating points to mull over.

<><><> 

Wolf tapped away at his desktop keyboard with one hand while the other cradled his forehead, his fingers tapping an aggravated rhythm against his temple.

On the monitor was a long list of financial transactions that another London nonprofit had submitted for their review. They were having their expenses audited and had reached out to S&C Financials, who they saw as peers in a sea of red tape and building paperwork piles, for advice as budgeting for the next financial quarter quickly approached. It was a favor, through and through, and Wolf was now paying the price for kindness.

They posed the mystery that their donation withdrawal figures from their online accounts were vastly out of sync, but the accountant swore up and down the numbers from the reports were true. ‘I pulled right from a CSV report,’ they’d added, as if that would help.

For cash donations, yes, he’d been correct. The transfer rate was 100%.

However, for digital contributions, he hadn’t factored in service fees. Now, he was staring at a list of donations with 5% deductions, creating a different between the gross and net totals. The non-profit had submitted their figures based on the gross donation provided, before the deduction was ultimately process out of the overall donation cost.

Most charities enabled an automatic processing fee, similar to a tax, to be applied additionally at check-out as a loophole. This non-profit had not.

“How in the bloody hell did they make such an error?” he asked himself with a sigh. He reread the email and groaned, sitting upright. “Of all the—”

Beep, beep.

The sound of the office’s entry pad recognizing a valid I.D. snapped him out of his frustration. He blinked, checking the clock on his desktop to see if it could have been security making hourly rounds. No such luck – there were still thirty-six minutes left in the hour.

With that possibility null, he slowly craned his neck to peer out through his open office door. “Hello? Who is there?”

Footsteps approached his office, and for a second, he thought that perhaps one of the custodial staff members had entered the space. Yet, the footfalls sounded too awkward and fast. Was someone breaking in?

Just when he thought to maybe reach for a paperweight or letter-opener, a familiar silhouette appeared in the doorway. It was his face, his figure, his appearance entirely, except for shorter hair.

Wolf heaved a heavy sigh of relief, sinking back into his editor’s chair. His blunt fingertips steepled in front of his face. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“You must have heard me key in,” Adonis said.

“You never come in on Saturdays anymore,” he argued. “Not since you and Constance started courting.”

“Aw, this that an admission that you miss me?”

“Hardly,” Wolf replied sarcastically, his attention drifting back to the screen. His fingers began to type away at the keyboard again, the keys polished and dented from ample use over the years. “The last thing I need on top of our list of plentiful inquiries is you and our secretary canoodling outside my door.”

He chose to disregard that comment. “Ah, so you’re working.”

“I was, dear brother. Is there a reason you popped in?” Wolf paused his typing, then cocked his lead like a confused pup. “Gods, your nose is as red as a tomato. And … are those ice skates?”

“Yes, actually. From tonight’s double-date.”

“Ah, that’s right, Bess mentioned that,” he said, his demeanor shifting slightly as he spoke her name. “She said she was going one with someone. Never mentioned a name.” Or maybe she had, and he was too disappointed to remember.

“Yes.”

“But now you’re here.”

“Obviously,” Adonis replied, getting impatient. They didn't have infinite time.

“…Constance already dumped you, then?”

“No! She did not – ugh, no, but we did lose someone. Bess’ date. I don’t know the idiot’s name. Who even cares?”

“Wait, Bess’ date … left her?”

Without invitation, Adonis stepped inside and dropped the skates on the floor by the chair in front of the large desk. Small clumps of shaved ice flaked off on the rug, then melted instantly on contact. He sank into the chair, his heavy coat scrubbing against the leather backing, and sighed.

“Stop working and come to the ice rink.”

One of Wolf’s bushy brows lofted. “W-Whatever for?”

He knew what for, Adonis noted, patience waning. “For Bess.”

Realization sparked in his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Charlie, the woman dashed away from Connie and I to be alone, and I found her trying to not cry on the other side of the rink, all alone,” he said. “She’s bloody devastated.”

The note of silence was also deafening. “She must have really liked him, I suppose.”

“Oh, you are a bloody MORON!”

“What do you want me to do?” Wolf asked, splaying his arms out. “I’m sorry Bess’ date left her.  The man is a moron! But my presence would not help her feel better, I’m sure. I’d muddy things up and make things even more miserable, I’m sure.”

“You obviously don’t know how much she cares for you.”

“There is nothing but friendship between us,” Wolf said, his eyes glinting like the twin edges of a sharpened knife. “Stop pressing it.”

“No, Charlie, and do you know why?” he asked. “Because I stopped pressing the issue with you, and look what happened. You went on date after date with these obvious harpies of women for years, and then took advantage of you and left you in the dust every time. I held my tongue for decades, and I’m sick of it. Especially since Bess is facing those same challenges, and she doesn’t deserve it either.”

“Of course she doesn’t,” he conceded. He couldn’t argue with that.

“Then go down there and be with her, Charlie!” he said. “You want to go, don’t you?”

Wolf looked away guiltily. His affection for Bess had been something he had pushed down for too many months to count. There were challenges, he’d always say, specifically regarding their age gap. She was a young and radiant woman, full of life and energy.

She deserved some young, handsome, lucky young man that could sweep her off her feet and give her all the romantic dreams she desired. She deserved to be courted with flowers and outings by a man who knew she loved roses and browsing local markets. A man who would indulge her love of thrifting and antiques. A man who would make her lunches on busy days at the hospital. A man who would have the courage to propose to her with the perfect engagement ring.

She deserved a man who would want a big family, and to move to the countryside with her for a quiet life with all the animals and pets she desired.

He knew all her romantic dreams and realized with a pang in his chest that he also might be the only man in the world that she had trusted them to.

“You know, it’s a wild concept, but if a girl makes you sight wistfully every time you think of her … you’re supposed to ask her out,” Adonis interjected. “Woo her, yes? You’re familiar with the concept?”

Returning to reality, Wolf flashed his brother another icy glare. “Sammy, if I were 20, 15, even 10 years younger, I would. But, you know as well as I do, youth is no longer on my side while Bess is brimming with it. She doesn't want an old duffer like me. She deserves someone closer to her age. An old, washed-up man like me is not the future a woman like her deserves.”

“Charlie, all these men Bess has been dating and given up on? They were all close to her age.” Adonis reminded him. “The man who walked away from her today looked to be in his thirties, and all the dates prior? Also, in their twenties and thirties. Age doesn’t seem to be a key factor here, Charlie.

“All the young men I've seen give her attention, she doesn't look at ANY of them the same way she looks at you!”

That sentiment gave Wolf pause, his eyes widening in genuine surprise for the first time during that discussion.

“These men,” Wolf started slowly, “She … really doesn’t seem interested? At all?”

“It’s like night and day,” Ebenezer huffed, leaning bag in the chair and crossing one long leg over the other. “These men, they act like boys. Ruffians, even! They’re crude and handsy, or completely ice her out when she tells them that she’s not interested in going straight to bed with them!”

The idea of some brutish stag trying to coax Bess into sleeping with him filled Ebenezar with a potent sense of disgust.  

All the while, his brother continued, “She kicks them to the curb, as she should, but  … she looks so bloody defeated each time. Like she feels like it her fault.”

“Feels like it’s her fault? H-How could…?”

“Bess is an amazing woman. You know that. She’s witty, charming, strong and incredibly beautiful. But she’s also sensitive. Caring. She constantly puts the needs of other people above her own, and she’s humble to a fault.”

Wolf smiled sadly, yet fondly. That was all true, he knew.

“She’s a whole, complex person, not an amusing, shiny trinket. None of these boys can appreciate her. None of them pull out her chair, make her laugh, roll their eyes at her puns, or even hold her hand. None except you.”

Wolf closed his eyes against the final statement, as if he anticipated the blow it would deal to his heart. None of the pain was cushioned.

In a flash, he bolted up from his chair and went to the office window. He peered out and looked down onto the street below, spotting the rink instantly even amidst the darkness and snowfall.

He spotted her instantly, standing alone amidst the other skaters. Her raven hair, her creamy skin, her effortless grace as she stood there on her skates in a sea of pearly white frost.

“…Stop getting my hopes up, alright?” he repeated, his breath fogging the glass from how close he was to the pane. “If she happens to have a … small flight of fancy for me, I’m sure it will pass when she finds a suitor more like her. Bess still has her whole life ahead of her, and I won’t ruin it by interjecting myself into her story.”

“Age isn’t the issue here, Charlie, it’s your stubbornness and self-sabotaging streak. You fancy her too. That’s why you seek her out. Do you really want your stubbornness to rob you of a chance at happiness?"

His fingers gripped the sill until his knuckles turned white.

"Charlie, Bess is different. The way she acts with you … it’s different from the others. She could be the one. You could be each other’s—”

“Even if she’s the one for me, I can’t be the one for her. I care more for Bess’ happiness than I ever could my own.”

“But do you care more for her happiness than your stubborn pride and need to be right?” Adonis asked. “Because the fact is, Charlie, in theory she could have any eligible man in the world, and that includes YOU. And what if YOU'RE the one who can make her happy? What if you're the key factor of her happiness?"

“…It can’t be me.”

“Why not?”

Because it's too good to be true. “It just can’t.”

“Okay, well, I used to think the same thing, and I was wrong. Bloody wrong, and Charlie, it felt amazing to be wrong about being unlovable.”

His brother’s targeted word pinned his body, and mind, to stillness. “... You actually think Bess could... love me?”

“Think it? I believe with every fiber of my being that she could love you. In fact, I believe she does. Deeply. A woman doesn't just learn how to make a man's favorite lunch the exact way he likes and bring it to him at his office if she's just a friend, Charlie. No matter how good of a friend she is. She doesn’t stay day and night with you when you're sick as a dog with the bronchitis taking care of you, risking her own health all the while, if she's just a friend.”

He remembered that. His memories were hazy from the fever, but he’d remember her gentle touch anywhere.

“Charlie, that girl is in love with you. Madly. And she’s right down there, waiting for someone. It should be you.”

Ebenezar continued to stare down at her, unable to look away. Was it really possible, in some wonderful twist of fate that his happiness and the happiness of someone he cared for so much could actually be intertwined?

He didn’t spare the time to think. Without even turning his computer off, he strutted out of his office and to the coat rack near the front door. He practically sent the pole to the floor as he ripped the coat off and threw it on, walking forward all the while.

He only stopped briefly at the stairwell to check that he had his wallet. Once he felt its outline, he pressed on.

After all, he’d need it for the skate rental.

Standing so still was starting to make her cold. Even her thick socks and tights couldn’t keep the chill out for much longer.

Bess glanced around again, checking to see if Adonis was on his way back to her. She couldn’t quite remember why he’d made such a swift exit. Admittedly, she’d been distracted at the time, but she wondered what could have pulled him away from not just her, but also Connie.

“Maybe I should go back to her,” she muttered to herself. “Keep her company, at least until Adonis comes back.”

Then, she could make her own graceful exit from the whole night. She could leave the happy couple to the remainder of date, sparing them any further awkwardness, while she called a cab and went back to the cottage. She could uncork a bottle of wine and soak in a bath. That sounded nice.

After checking the traffic around her, she pushed off the railing and skated into an opening between the other skaters. She sailed down with her head down, keeping pace with the others, her eyes upon the ice as cold air tossed her curls pleasantly.

Her posture did not allow her to see a familiar silhouette follow her onto the ice, then quickly catch up to her because of his long legs. It was only when she saw an unfamiliar shadow approaching that she looked up. Thinking she had accidentally drifted off course and into another skater, she was ready to apologize. Yet the words froze upon her lips like the snowflakes themselves when she felt the stranger slip their hand into hers.

Even in its leather glove, she knew that hand anywhere.

Wolf smiled as their eyes met, and he pulled her from the path of the other skaters and into the center of the rink. There, he led her into a playful spin, twin fingers twined as he lifted his arm and watched her pirouette slowly.

When she resumed her normal stance, she was breathless. And delighted.

“Wolf!” she cried, her smile wide and eyes alit with surprise. “H-How did …”

“I was working upstairs and saw you on the ice,” he said, almost sounding sheepish despite his easy smile. “I … don’t know if you’re still interested in skating. I know it’s getting quite late and chilly out, but—”

“I’d love to,” Bess interjected. She almost cursed her own eagerness, but his own matching grin wiped any doubt from her mind. “I didn’t know you could ice skate.”

“I’m only average,” he said, “Not nearly as skilled as you. It was quite tricky to reach you, you know.”

He chuckled and winked at her as they moved. Hands still clasped, he led the way, skating backwards while she did another playful spin. With their bodies coming together like two dancers in a ballroom, they waltzed upon the ice, their legs moving in perfect tandem. All the while, they talked easily.

“See? You are quite magnificent,” he said, pleased.

“Says the man who can skate backwards,” she noted, arching a brow at him suspiciously. “’Only average’ my butt, good sir.”

“Haha, I can be humble, I suppose.”

“Too humble for your own good, more like it.” She punctuated the sentence with a smirk, and she swore his cheeks turned a shade pinker. Perhaps it was just the cold.

As they danced, Bess chanced a glance over to the bench where she thought Connie might be seated. Her desire to check on her friend was still present, after all. Sure enough, she was there, but Adonis was now by her side. She couldn’t make out the words being exchanged, but Constance looked delighted.

She saw her jump up and pull Adonis into a tight embrace. The poor man had to grab the back of the bench in order to not fall over, but judging from the resonant laughter he let out, he didn’t mind the snafu.

By the time she pulled him into a deep kiss, she reckoned he’d forgotten all about it.

Glancing up at Wolf, she saw he was watching the couple as well. When they kissed, he rolled his eyes and refocused on her, shaking his head slightly.

“Ohhh, don’t be like that, they’re quite the pair,” Bess said. “Your brother is very sweet, by the way.”

“He has his moments,” Wolf admitted with a light laugh. “Do not tell him so. His head is already too full. He’ll start giving you brotherly advice.”

“Aw, come now. Would that be so bad?”

He hummed in thought and leaned in to push a loose curse away from her lovely eyes.

“…Well, I suppose not,” he relented easily.

She stared up at him inquisitively, curious about his sudden tone change. Her gaze held him captive, and hand lingered on her cheek a bit longer than needed. For that moment, the world stilled, and she felt happiness.

Immense happiness. With him.

“No matter,” he said, smiling down at her as he led her into another spirited twirl. “All’s well that ends well, as they say.”

As she stared up at his inspiring blue eyes, for the first time in a long time … she felt like perhaps that phrase could be true.

I had way, WAY too much fun writing this! thank you so much for the suggestion @quill-pen. Adonis is already accumulating hours at the "good brother-in-law" factory, haha. <3

[tobiasdrake]

Here we go, it's Ranma time. Episode 5! The introduction to Ryoga continues.

God, I love how mournfully quiet this is.

This is what happens when women write women. Male writers don't often think about things like just how much a long-haired girl's hair means to her. Akane's been growing that out for years.

Look at how little she was when she started growing her hair. That is the product of years. Many years. Gone in an instant.

But she rolls with the punches. Akane has remarkable emotional fortitude. She'd kind of have to in order to survive all the shit she's had to put up with in her day-to-day life.

I love that they leave so much unstated, yet clearly implied, about the way her long hair relates to her longstanding crush on Dr. Tofu. When she says she wants to grow it out so she can be like Kasumi, there's an implication there that she thinks Dr. Tofu will like her more if she has Kasumi's hairstyle.

She's trying to walk in her big sister's shoes so that the man who likes her big sister might look her way. An idea that was doomed from the moment of its conception. She was never going to beat Kasumi at being Kasumi, and if she has to try, then she's already failed.

The manga's a bit more explicit about this, as Kasumi directly tells Baby Akane that Dr. Tofu won't like her very much if she keeps acting like a boy. From that, she draws the conclusion that having hair like Kasumi will make him like her more. But the reboot anime keeps it implied and understated.

So there's a lot going on here when Akane breaks down and cries into Dr. Tofu's chest. This is the end of an era. The loss of her hair symbolizes the death of a child's dream. The end of her efforts to be more like Kasumi so that this man would like her better, and the beginning of a new era where someone else out there will like her for being Akane.

While also demonstrating how much she leans on and depends on Dr. Tofu as a stabilizing figure in her life. She feels safe enough with him to finally let down her walls and cry out the grief over her lost hair, in a way she doesn't have at school or at home. Ironically mourning the death of her pursuit of him to him.

My dude, you desperately need to get a hobby. Supervillains are more considerate. Giving some real Vegeta energy here, but specifically the TeamFourStar kind.

And also the Tendo home desperately needs to get some door locks because he just strolled right on in here to do this.

And they both get punished for this.

Story of Ranma's life.

Takahashi's comedy remains incredible. Kasumi objects to Akane going out there not because she doesn't think Akane can take the mystery robber but because she wants Akane to hit him with something heavier.

I want that too. So Kasumi and I are on the same page.

She does, too. Nails Ryoga right in the back of the neck with a long-range shotput throw of that fucking barbell. Akane wins Ranma v. Ryoga, Round 2.

The moral of the story is to... not... do... anything that Ryoga did here.

...or, really, anything that Ryoga ever does. Don't be like Ryoga. That's sound life advice. (Not that the rest of the cast is any better.)

Immediately followed by Kasumi with another punchline. Man, I did not remember how funny she is.

Akane's rematch with Ryoga goes super well too. She is on fire.

Sincerely want to know what could possibly have possessed him to think jumping Akane while in piglet form was a good idea.

So begins the saga of P-chan.

AND ALL FOR BREAD AND BREAD-RELATED PRODUCTS

My dude.

The curry bun was not worth it.

Like.

Like. The part where Ranma knocked Ryoga into the piggy spring without noticing and then Genma tried to fucking eat him? Yeah. I can see being homicidally mad about that.

But he didn't even know that was them until literally this scene. Everything up to this point has been Ryoga blaming Ranma because he, Ryoga, stalked Ranma to China to avenge his curry bun.

Speaking of Genma.

I love how he just walks in on his son in girly form having Naked Bath Time with some random boy, and his response is to just... apologize and peace out. Whatever this is, it's none of his business.

Actually, not just any random boy. Specifically the random boy that got Ranma in trouble earlier tonight when he snuck into their bedroom for a late-night call.

Genma definitely thinks these two are up to shenanigans.

Literally the only member of her family that actually objects to Ranma sneaking into Akane's room late at night to do shenanigans to her (read: trying to fucking extract Ryoga from an unsuspecting Akane's bed) is Kasumi. Who merely scolds Ranma for moving too fast.

Is it any wonder she doesn't feel safe being emotionally vulnerable at home?

(Seriously, though, there is so much drama that could be avoided if Ranma would just tell Akane that P-chan is Ryoga. She has a right to know that, and not telling her makes Ranma complicit in Ryoga's shittiness.)

[discordiansamba]

"if you want to know the truth," yue told them, "-then go to shu jing village in the fire nation. don't let anyone know."

if it weren't for the messenger, they would have thought it was a trap. it had thrown them all for a loop- learning that lee was part of the blue spirit was one thing, but how was yue involved in all of this? she was the princess of the northern water tribe! literal royalty!

they went to shu jing village. they had to know the truth.

(they'd pulled a person out of that thing. it had been days since the attack, and they still hadn't woken up.)

they weren't sure what to do once they got there- or who to look for. lee, maybe? except lee was a wanted man now. there were posters of him plastered all over republic city- and all over the fire nation. the police had begun pouring over his records only to discover that 'lee' had been alias- and for that matter, so was 'mushi'.

a man who was not lee found them. he guided them to an estate on the outskirts of the village and lead them inside. he said nothing to them, other than informing him that the blue spirit was awaiting their presence. he guided them into a reception room. lee sat at the table, his choice of clothing leaving no illusion as to his identity- his tattoos on full display.

lee wasn't alone.

sitting next to him was toph, her legs propped up on the table to show off her tattoos- bagermoles climbing up her legs. lee invites them to sit. the man brings them tea. for a long time, they just sit there in silence, staring at each other.

(well, except for toph. she's looking slightly to the left.)

then finally, sokka breaks it. yue said you'd tell us the truth. so spill.

lee heaves a sigh. the next thing he says is like a blow to the chest- aang thinks he actively feels the air leaving his lungs. fire lord ozai has been secretly building up an army, and is planning to launch a full scale invasion against the rest of the world on the day of the great comet. he wants to fulfill fire lord sozin's dying dream, of a world completely under fire nation rule.

he also tells them ozai was behind the coup.

sokka asks for proof. lee shakes his head. he doesn't have any to give, other than his word. katara asks him how he knows so much. he says he was there when it happened. she frowns, and asks if he was a servant at the palace or something.

toph cackles. they wonder what's so funny.

"my real name isn't lee," he tells them, "-it's zuko."

thinking about how they have small scale mechs in korra. hey would it be fucked up or what if the fire nation was secretly producing its own mechs in the jazz era atla au, but like. infinitely more fucked up. they're powered by a firebender's inner flame. the pilot is the battery. especially since ozai would be working together with long feng he would have access to the dai li's brainwashing techniques.

time to bring 'die for your country' to a whole new level.

(or, ozai runs a test by sending one to republic city. what a hell of a way for team avatar to learn that lee from the tea shop is actually part of the blue spirit.)

[bumblingbabooshka]

My name is [BRUTUS] and my name means [HEAVY] so with a [HEAVY] heart I'll guide this dagger Into the heart of my enemy

Something about having absolutely no choice in who you marry. About being literally forced by the law to spill blood - to accept this stranger as your husband over a man you truly care for or accept the fact that the man you love might die because you put him in danger. Something about risking becoming the wife of a man you've never even seen before a few minutes prior because you know anything would be better than putting your beloved in harm's way. Something about the trust inherent in that decision and in the way she speaks of it after. Truthfully, T'Pring doesn't know the captain and she doesn't know Spock. Either one of them could have taken her as their wife but she does know Stonn. She knows that Stonn will remain by her side no matter what. They made a plan together. They have an agreement which T'Pring believes will be upheld even though the plan changed with the arrival of Kirk. Stonn will always be there, always, and Stonn will be hers. Something about the language used around T'Pring: Ownership, subservience, non-personhood. T'Pring is an object that Spock can win. She cannot reject him, she has no say in the matter other than having Stonn 'claim' her instead. Even when Spock leaves after being very clearly rejected by T'Pring he says "Stonn, she is yours." as if despite her clear rejection he still owns her and is must formally 'give' her to Stonn. But the language T'Pring uses around Stonn is a break from that: "There was Stonn who wanted very much to be my consort, and I wanted him." Stonn who wanted very much to be HER consort and she WANTED him. The language here is very particular - It's not, for example: "Stonn wanted me to be his wife" - he is HERS. And she WANTS him. There's a mutual affection there and a strong trust - a trust which seems to be well founded since Stonn (though silent) stands by her side at the end of the episode. <- That might seem small but if Spock would reject her for 'daring to challenge' (again, the language is not 'because I don't want you' but more of an implied disgust at her having the AUDACITY to reject him) then it's not a stretch to assume that it'd be considered an insult in the TOS Vulcan society to NOT choose Stonn as her champion after a prior agreement. Anyway T'Pring was a woman in an impossible situation within a society which saw her as more of an object than a person and she wanted Stonn and Stonn wanted to be hers and she trusted that he would understand if she had to publicly pick someone else to ensure his life would be spared and he did understand.

[jq37]

Descendants: The Rise of Red is kind of a bizarre movie to talk about critically because, imo, it almost doesn't make sense to talk about it in the usual terms of good vs bad or enjoyable vs not enjoyable when the way more obvious tension is finished vs unfinished.

Because, more than any other movie I've ever seen, it does *not* read as a full movie. And I don't mean in a "this movie has a cliffhanger" kind of way. The Empire Strikes Back and Across the Spiderverse fit that description. They end on big dramatic cliffhangers that point to a resolution in the third installment.

But Rise of Red just sets all this stuff up and then...ends without concluding anything. It doesn't feel like the first movie in a trilogy (or duology). It feels like the first act of a two-act musical. It very specifically reminds me of the end of the first act of Into the Woods where all the main characters sing the song Ever After about how they all fixed their problems with magic and nothing bad will ever happen to them again and then the narrator ominously says "To be continued" before the curtain drops. But in Into the Woods you know there's a second act and this movie wasn't sold as the first act of a bigger story. Like sure, it has the, "You didn't think this was the end" tag at the end like all the other movies, but those movies were complete, self-contained stories even though they had sequels. This was NOT a full story. It's half of one story.

Like, if we're supposed to take this as a full story, there are so many bizarre choices:

Why did they make sure to mention that Cinderella and Charming fell in love at the ball at the top if it wasn't meant to set up Back to the Future style, "Oh no, I accidentally got my mom banned from the ball so she's not gonna fall in love with Dad and I won't be born" shenanigans?

Why did Maddox very pointedly have that bit about "you could lose your mom completely" if that was never going to come into play? Red never did anything to endanger Bridget or endanger her own birth so it doesn't make sense as a warning in that way.

Why was there all this focus on this Carrie on prom night moment for Bridget if we LITERALLY NEVER SAW CASTLECOMING? Why dance around this moment and talk about it all cloak and dagger with no specificity if they weren't building up to some big reveal that it wasn't as straightforward as it seemed? And like, they leaned in HARD with making Bridget the nicest, sweetest, cotton candy princess as a teen so I need WAY more than, "She got pranked by known bullies she's been enduring with a smile very handily up to this point" to buy that she went from that to "murderous dictator". And even if she did become murderous, I find it insanely hard to believe that she'd include her best and only friend on the list of people she wants to suffer unless there was a betrayal. I find it INSANE that there wasn't a falling out scene at any point in this movie with how thickly they were laying on the admiration and camaraderie.

(Note: And adult Cinderella def has guilty vibes re: the Queen at orientation. Which I know I'm not imagining because it's literally spelled out in the Jr Novelization!)

Before the time travel element of the movie started, I thought they were going for something like they go to the past and realize that Bridget was bullied not by the VKs but by the spoiled royals, and Ella ends up joining in the bullying once she gets with Charming, betraying Bridget and justifying her whole "Love Ain't It" philosophy. Or Ella ditching her at the last minute to be with Charming meaning she has to deal with the monster prank alone and it was the being alone rather than the prank itself that hurt her (though that is NOT a good enough reason to go all off with their heads on your subjects). The fact that, as far as we know right now, it literally was just a relatively mild and reversible prank that caused all of this is just, such flat storytelling, you know?

But! All of this makes way more sense if this is meant to be the first act of a single contained story. And I don't wanna be all "Pepe Silvia, secret good 4th episode of Sherlock" about this but I did see this picture:

Which seems to indicate that this was written as a Part One. Which, if so, idk why they wouldn't advertise it that way but whatever. The point is, if that's the case then it means that we're potentially in bad pacing territory rather than straight up bad storytelling territory. Because this isn't a bad place to be halfway through your story:

The heroes, warned that time travel is dangerous, have gone back in time to change the heart of a brutal tyrant before she can stage a coup. They seemingly succeed in their mission and when they come home, everything is great! But then, the side effects of time travel start to catch up with them. Chloe realizes that, in breaking the vase, she prevented her mother from going to the ball and falling in love with her dad (who was conspicuously absent from the final scene btw) which means she's starting to be forgotten and erased from the timeline. And Red realizes that though this new version of her mom is as sweet and kind as the teen she once met, she's a complete stranger to her (fulfilling the Hatter's warning that she could lose her mom completely). So they have to go back in time once more to make sure the Ella and Charming fall in love again, perhaps at the cost of whatever bad thing that happened to Bridget happening again and bringing back the original version of her future self. But, now with more context of how her mom became that way, Red can now talk to her mother and persuade her to give people another chance.

Boom, that gives us time to go back and hit everything we haven't yet hit. We can pay off the time travel tropes that were set up but not explored. We can go to Castlecoming which feels so obviously set up to be the centerpiece of this story (like, come on, Back to the Future literally does the school dance thing. This is Time Travel Storytelling 101). We can actually get info about what the prank was and why it affected Bridget so completely.

(Note: This is a side thing but it really strikes me as so crazy that Bridget would so SUCH a big 180 here. Like, I know the Queen of Hearts is a silly, goofy, campy villain, but she straight up murders people and there's no way to get around that if we're taking her out of the surreal story she comes from and putting her in a (comparatively) grounded story. If I wasn't doing a betrayal plot, I would make the twist that the spell that turned Bridget into a "monster" didn't just have a physical effect, it had a mental effect and it magically twisted her personality to be the way it is now. So they broke the physical half of the curse, but neglected the other half and it's been festering the whole time, turning her as evil as she was sweet. Because like, a simple physical transformation isn't that big of a deal to have such heavy security--Bridget made cupcakes with a transformative effect and that was totally fine. I'm not saying that that's what's gonna be the case. I just think it would be an explanation that makes sense for why she changed so crazy much that makes more sense than a simple prank or even a betrayal. Her mom wasn't even evil! How did she go from zero to murder without even an evil mom to push her onto the path? But I'm super digressing right now.)

(Note #2: OK, one last thing. The trap on the book presumably would have hit the VK's and trapped them in Merlin's office regardless of what Chloe and Red did, right? That's like, net zero influence on the timeline. I genuinely can't tell if that's a straight up plot hole or set up to be like, "Oh no. Actually when she said that she was turned into a monster in front of everyone it was meant in a less literal way." Like she was just made to look bad and that was the real thing that pushed her over the edge. Like idk. It really feels like the only thing they really did that would change the timeline was get Ella banned from the dance and presumably out of the way where she couldn't hurt Bridget. OK NOW I'm done.)

Anyway, my point is that this is not how I would have structured my movie and I think this was a super weird way to go into the second era of Descendants movies, but they can still tell a complete story if that's their plan. I'm genuinely really curious to see if this pans out to be a fairly competently told story that just happens to be split over two movies or a complete fumbling of the narrative bag because it could really be either at this point and it's fascinating to me.

[hoshizoraorchestra]

idk man just thinking about how damsel3 literally just breaks the narrator. it is worse than the very thing that he will do Anything to prevent. that's how terrible it is to witness and to describe. man. man. i need to lie down.

[mortalscience]

Law and Order Criminal Intent - 1x05 - Jones Deakins: You can kick it over to the 1-5. Eames: Why? We got time for this. Deakins: Chief of detectives… needs a couple of bodies for the Mayor's Drug Task Force. Okay, I should know better. But it's a good opportunity. Eames: (waves Deakins off) Deakins: Suit yourself. (he leaves) Eames: (to Bobby) You like this case, too. Goren: Yeah, I like Angie. The captain's right, the task force is a good way for you to get noticed. Eames: I didn't take this job to get noticed.

[hauntingblue]

WATER SEVEN BABYYYYY

Look at robin reacting when luffy says he wont give her up.... 🥺🥺

This is a joke right now but its actually a one piece tenet aldjsisjka

Usopp aksbaksjakqk the foreshadow is foreshadowing... Also Robin being happy with the crew after the Aokiji incident... Fuck!!!!

Sanji thinking robin just vanished or flew away and suddenly usopp is soaring thru the skies... imagine

AAAAARGGGGHHHH YOU CAN SEE THE GEARS TURNING

Zoro talking to merry..... only while he is alone of course

Why are nami and sanji matching ajdhakjsk look at the citrus sisters

Carpenter: maybe it was the government

Gov agent: I don't think so, also don't say that they are everywhere

LUFFY SUPPORTS WOMEN'S WRONGS!!!

Don't scream att chopper like that!!! Look at him... So small....

Imu tease???? (No) (Also I've changed websites again bc the translation is kinda off , I can't find a good quality b&w spanish translation and the colors scare me (i want the real manga experience))

GET HIM ICEBURG!!!!

I truly forgor if this is just a lie about her wanting to find the rio poneglyphs or genuine because she wants to die and will do it for them... because in skypiea she says she is not interested in the weapons so maybe if the gov pardons her but considering what she wants is illegal then idk abdjabjs this is such a dumb thing to forget... like thats important girl where did it go (reading this after remembering and it's kinda funny... i will make any sacrifice to kill myself (and keep you safe)... she goes HARD)

Little paulie and mozu and kiwi.... omg hello (the SBS says the twins wanted to be shipwrights too omg)

Franky's backstory is small but it does so much for me like it is so central to the themes... boats and people...

DID SOMEBODY ORDER MORE TRAGIC BROTHERS?

The fact that franky needs to learn this lesson to pass it on to robin.... do you understand how big this is.... also Tom does exactly as he says and takes responsibility for franky and what he has done... because he has done nothing wrong AND THAT'S HIS SON and he just punched spandam bc he wanta him to feel the pain franky feels... Tom is such a man..... proud of having built eater 7 up with the sea train.... goes out with a boom.... should we all kill ourselves....

I am crying again................... franky my god.... and the fucking frog!!! And of course franky can't stop Tom's hope for his island... of course he can't.... he hasnt learnt the lesson yet but this guy isn't over yet!! He has a life of being a pervert cyborg ahead!!! Iceburg following Tom's footsteps but franky not being able to do that bc of his guilt....

This is one of the coolest things chopper has done btw...

NAMII 😭😭😭

Robin damning the world for her crew when all she has ever done is damn her companions for her own sake.... how big is this...

I can't take this...... it's always nami in these positions... it happens AGAIN in Zou with Sanji... there is no way

The love letter gag is too good like damn that's so funny

AND IT'S NAMI GOING THROUGH IT AGAIN!!!! SHE LOVES ROBIN SO MUCH!!!!