#he looked so terrified and sad in season 1

[runningmunson]

Can we just talk about the stark contrast between these two clips? The persona is so different

(GIF by @aegonx )

[ladysharmaa]

Kate mini version

Sharma!sis x Queen Charlotte's son

Summary: After the ball, everyone knows what happened between Y/n and Prince Charles. With the attention of high society members and the Queen, they face new obstacles as they fall in love.

part 1 part 2 part 3

Dearest reader,

The tone is abuzz with the latest gossip, and so it's my honor to impart to you.

Miss Y/n Sharma came to England after Kate Sharma's marriage to Viscount Bridgerton. In such a short time she managed to do something that no one else has managed to do: capture the attention of Queen Charlotte's youngest son, Prince Charles.

Dearest reader, this author finds herself compelled to share the most curious of news. It seems the two seemed to be quite close during the last dance, having danced together until Y/n walked away. But Prince Charles didn't take his eyes off the young woman for the rest of the night. Is a new romance brewing? Let's not forget that at the beginning of the season, her Majesty made her intentions clear of joining her youngest son with the princess of Austria.

In addition, Miss Y/n is here at her mother's request, living with her older sister, Kate Bridgerton, and her husband, Lord Bridgerton. Is it permanent or will she return to India? There are many mysteries yet to be unraveled.

On the other hand, the diamond of the season did not dance with any suitor, which may have made her Majesty uneasy. This author is left to wonder what shall her next move be, now that everything seems to be connected to the Bridgerton family.

Yours truly, Lady Whistledown

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"This is not good." Y/n muttered nervously, looking over Kate's shoulder to read the latest edition of Lady Whistledown. And to his greatest horror, she was the main topic. "How many people read this?"

"Too many." the older sister sighed, before placing the paper next to her and turning to Y/n who had her eyes increasingly wide. "Everything's fine. Most of the family has already suffered from Lady Whistledown's words and we support each other. And everything ended up being fine, the ton has short memory and will forget all about this by the next scandal."

"But what if they don't forget?"

"If they don't forget what?" a new voice intruded into the conversation.

Y/n let out a small scream, immediately recognizing Anthony's voice, and hurried to hide the paper behind her back. "Nothing. It's a beautiful day, I'm going to the gardens. Maybe hide there all day. Or all year."

"Y/n, no. You have to tell Anthony, he won't blame you for anything."

Bridgerton's eyebrows rose upon hearing that, turning to Y/n with a frown upon noticing her terrified expression. "What happened?"

"My apologies, Anthony. The last thing I wanted to do was associate the name Bridgerton with scandals. Lady Whistledown wrote about last night. About… About Prince Charles and I." She looked down, not wanting to see Anthony's disapproving look, and handed him the paper.

The minutes dragged on. To Y/n it felt like hours had passed. Long hours with just the silence in the room. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she tried to control the tears from reaching her eyes. Her head was running with different questions that only made her anxiety worse. Would they send her back to India so they wouldn't suffer any more from this scandal? She didn't know that dancing with someone could cause so many problems.

Just the thought of returning to her homeland, despite having loved growing up there, brought her great sadness. Her life was in England now. She adored her sister's family, having grown up close to many of them, especially Francesca and Hyacinth. And the truth is that she had enjoyed meeting Prince Charles. Y/n finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

She snapped out of these thoughts when she heard Anthony sigh. What was that? Disappointment? Anger? Sadness?

"Look at me." he said, but Y/n refused, knowing that as soon as she looked at the couple she would burst into tears. She shook her head, pursing her lips. "Y/n…"

"Please don't send me back to India."

"What?" the Viscount questioned in shock, almost not having noticed her from how quietly she spoke. He felt Kate hold his hand, looking sadly at her sister. "Y/n, look at us. We are not going to send you back to India."

"Really?" She raised her head shyly, her eyes red from holding back tears.

"Of course. You're part of the family. I haven't told you yet, but Mama sent a letter. Edwina had problems during the birth, so she's going to stay there until at least the rest of the year. You're going to stay with us. Here."

"Y/n, we would never send you away because of Lady Whistledown's news. You're a Bridgerton now." Anthony assured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her smile upon hearing those words, although still small, released some of the stress that Anthony and Kate were feeling.

"Hey, Anthony, I was wondering— Oh, sorry!" Hyacinth entered the room, stopping when she saw the three of them and the tense atmosphere it was in. Then he noticed the sad face and the paper his brother was holding. "Is that from Lady Whistledown? What does it say?"

"It doesn't matter what it says. What did you want to tell me, Hyacinth?"

"Oh, I was wondering if we could go horse riding. I am so bored, Gregory is training and Benedict isn't paying attention to me." she pouted, causing Y/n to giggle and rush over to Hyacinth, intertwining their arms.

"Fear no more, I shall give you attention."

"Thank you, kind lady." Hyacinth laughed. "Please, Anthony, take us horse riding."

When he offered to teach Y/n how to ride a horse, the rest of his sisters were also invited, since the men already knew how to do it. As expected, only Hyacinth accepted with great enthusiasm while Eloise preferred to read and spend her time with her new friend, Miss Cressida. For her part, Francesca was never much for outdoor sports and Daphne was obviously busy with her husband and son. Thus, Y/n and the youngest Bridgerton both formed a special friendship, and were now a feared duo in the Bridgerton house.

"What do you say?" he whispered in his wife's ear, looking at the two girls who were giving them the best puppy dog ​​eyes. "I'm afraid I can't say no to them."

"I think it's a great idea." Kate smiled.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The four then ventured into the forest. Anthony and Kate were ahead, lost in their own world while Hyacinth and Y/n followed a little behind. The younger girl curiously questioned Sharma about the night of the ball, upset that she was still too young to attend one.

"I wish I had gone yesterday. Did you dance with someone yesterday? I tried to ask Francesca the same thing, but she wouldn't leave her room."

"Unexpected things happened. Francesca is just a little discouraged. As diamond of the season, she has a lot of pressure on her. And I… Well, I danced with someone."

"Prince Charles?! I saw you both when we went for a picnic, I think it was love at first sight." Hyacinth giggled.

"Sometimes I forget how good an observer you are. Yes, I danced with him." Before her friend could get too excited, Y/n hurried to add. "And I was naive, because although I enjoyed being with him, he has an enormous responsibility. I doubt people would want him to spend his time with me."

"Please, I think you are in love."

"What? Of course not, I barely know him. We just had fun dancing, but that must be over by now. I doubt her Majesty will let him dance with me again. Lady Whistledown made sure of that."

"If you say so. I, on the other hand, do not agree. Prince Charles has shown that he is interested in you. Or he would have danced with other girls after you. But he didn't."

"Well, maybe he was tired." Y/n shrugged, while Hyacinth rolled her eyes. They continued the walk in silence, enjoying the forest landscape.

“Girls, let’s do a race!” Anthony shouted, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. Y/n chuckled, knowing he had never met a family as competitive as the Bridgertons. But she was one now too, and she loved winning.

“Very well. But make sure you don’t get too sad when I win.” Hyacinth teased, despite being the one with the least experience riding a horse.

“We’ll see.” Kate joined the teasing.

The four positioned themselves next to each other, letting the man count down. Y/n grabbed the reins tighter, and as soon as Anthony finished, she let her horse run. For a moment they were all balanced, but Hyacinth quickly fell behind. The couple competed a little ahead, trying to reach a certain narrower entrance. So, with their attention diverted from her, she took the opportunity to step over a fallen tree trunk, arriving earlier at that entrance, continuing at the same pace.

She felt free on a horse. The wind hit their face, the landscape blurred from how fast they were going. Y/n petted the animal, feeling like they could conquer the world.

When she realized that the others had already stopped, as no one had yet reached her, she also slowed down so she could wait for them to catch up. They probably had to go back to help Hyacinth control her horse.

“That was impressive.” she heard behind her.

Although she felt a second of fear, thinking that an unknown man had found her alone in the middle of the forest, she quickly associated it with the voice of the person she least wanted to see at that moment. As such, she just closed her eyes and hoped it was just her imagination. But when he cleared his throat, she knew she had to face him. Finally, she commanded the horse to turn around, finding herself face to face with Prince Charles, who was also on top of a beautiful black horse.

“Prince Charles, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” she smiled shyly.

“You as well, Miss Y/N. I didn’t know you were so talented at riding. Did Lady Bridgerton teach you?”

“She and Viscount Bridgerton. And since then I haven’t wanted anything else.” she shrugged uncomfortably, both not knowing what to say. In this way, Y/n focused on the horse that the prince was riding, being shocked by its size. “Beautiful.” She looked at Charles, noticing his look of surprise and a slight blush appearing on his cheeks. “I mean, the horse— The horse is beautiful.”

“Of course.” he looked away, clearing his throat. “It seems we both had the same idea after the paper published by Lady Whistledown. A nice walk was exactly what I needed to get away from my mother.”

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to interfere with your marriage with the Princess of Austria.”

“Her Majesty wants me to marry her. But I don't. You see, a beautiful, fierce, remarkable girl has already caught my attention. It may seem sudden, but she is constantly in my thoughts.” he looked intensely into her eyes. Out of nowhere, it seemed like it had become much hotter, her breathing coming in muffled.

“Oh… I—”

“Y/n! Where are you?” Kate's voice was heard through the forest, breaking the atmosphere that had formed between them.

“I’m here, Kate.” Y/n replied, closing her eyes in despair when she realized that she would have a lot to explain once they arrived.

She had already taken a risk with Lady Whistledown, and now they were alone in an isolated place… It's a good thing no one outside the family would see them, or the scandal would have become much more serious. A feeling of guilt coursed through her body again. She had promised Anthony that she didn't want to associate the Bridgerton name with scandals, and here she was doing exactly the opposite.

“Prince Charles, we can’t talk anymore. It’s not right.” she said before the others appeared.

“Why not? Because of Lady Whistledown? Ignore her, the ton will quickly forget about this.”

“You don’t know that!” Y/n exclaimed exasperated at how calm Charles seemed to be about this situation.

“I know that I want to be with you.”

“You are crazy!” she put her hand over her mouth when she realized that she had “insulted” a member of the royal family. “Apologies, Prince Charles. I didn’t mean that.”

“Call me Charles.”

“I take back my apologies.”

“Finally, we found you, Y/N. We had to go back because Hyacinth’s horse refused to move.” Kate appeared, followed by the others, stopping when she saw what was happening. She made a small bow, looking at them suspiciously. “Prince Charles, I didn’t expect to see you here. Especially with my sister.”

“What do you think you are doing?” Anthony wasn't as friendly as his wife, narrowing his eyes and approaching Y/n to stand slightly in front of her.

“Lord Bridgerton, I guarantee nothing happened. I was simply, like you, taking a walk when I saw Miss Y/n. We only talk about what Lady Whistledown wrote.” Charles assured, sending a comforting smile to Y/n, who was watching the two nervously.

“It was mere chance that we found each other. We can go back to the house now.”

Anthony signaled to Kate, who nodded. They had mastered the art of speaking with just their eyes, it still left Y/n quite confused when they did that. But this time, she understood perfectly. Lowering her head slightly, she followed her sister and Hyacinth home, while Anthony and Charles remained behind. Over her shoulder, she mumbled a quick apology to the boy, hoping he would understand what she meant.

When the women were out of sight, Anthony turned to the Prince , who appeared unaffected. “I hope you’re not trying to ruin my wife’s sister’s reputation. You know very well what the ton would say if they found you in this situation. And I guarantee you, you don’t want to duel me.”

“I agree. That's the last thing I desire. Miss Y/n would certainly never speak to me again. And I don't want that. Lord Bridgerton, we were just talking, and on horses for more. But, for all the respect I have for Miss Y/n and the Bridgerton family, I assure you this will never happen again.”

"It better not."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

After a tense conversation with Kate and Anthony, they believed Y/n when she said it was a coincidence to meet Prince Charles, but that she understood the gravity of being alone with a man.

So, she spent a few days locked up at home, hoping that the scandal had already been forgotten. However, this isolation couldn't last forever, so she was forced to join the Bridgerton family on a walk by the lake.

She had her arm linked with Benedict's, Eloise beside her, while they listened to Collin's travel stories. He had seen so much, experienced so many new cultures, that Y/n just wanted to know more. Eloise, in turn, seemed envious that only men could have the pleasure of traveling alone wherever they wanted, and Benedict asked about the art of each country, something that Y/n barely understood.

However, Collin ended up rushing the end of the story, seeing a group of girls walking, giggling when they saw him. Eloise groaned in disgust, while Benedict shook his head, changing direction so he wouldn't have to watch his brother flirt. Y/n also went with them, not wanting to see that scene.

But she noticed that they had been stopped by Lady Wilson, whose daughter was participating in the season along with Y/n, Francesca, and Eloise. "Good afternoon, Lady Wilson."

"Good afternoon." she said. "I noticed you didn't go to the ball yesterday. I haven't yet had a chance to talk with Lady Bridgerton to know if everything is alright."

"Thank you for your concern." Benedict said sarcastically, taking control since Anthony wasn't around. "We had other matters to attend, but I assure you that we will be present at the ball tomorrow."

"That's wonderful news." the woman said with a fake smile. "In that case you will be able to see my daughter dancing with Prince Charles, just like yesterday. They form a beautiful couple, don't you think?"

Y/n had to control herself not to roll her eyes. It was clear what Lady Wilson was trying to do, but there would be no reaction from her. Eloise and Benedict looked at her from the corner of their eyes, waiting to know if Y/n needed them to interrupt the conversation.

"I don't know. I didn't see them together nor did I have the opportunity to know about it since Lady Whistledown didn't write about them. And we all know that she writes about everything that happens, and it seems especially important if the prince is interested in someone to court. Looks like we'll have to wait and see."

"Yes, we shall wait." Lady Wilson clenched her jaw. "I'm certain that the prince loved to dance with my daughter."

"If you say so. Please excuse us, we shall return to the rest of our family." Y/n said dryly, hurrying to walk in the opposite direction with the two Bridgertons behind her.

"Jealous, dear sister?" Benedict asked with a sly smile once they were far enough away from the woman.

"No. Why would I be?" Y/n pretended not to be bothered, but in reality the thought of Charles dancing with someone else didn't sit very well with her. But what could she be expecting, she had said that they shouldn't talk anymore and he had to get married this season. "I'm just surprised that Lady Wilson is so confident in her daughter with the prince when the Queen wants him with the princess of Austria."

"Hmm." was the only response she received from Benedict. Eloise, already fed up with just hearing about the season, changed the subject and Y/n was also grateful for that. The last thing she wanted was to think about the next ball.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"What are you going to do?" Hyacinth asked as she helped Y/n and Francesca get ready for ball. The two had already put on their dresses and now all that was left was the jewelry. Kate had already come to say that they would have to leave soon, smiling calmly when she noticed the nervous state of her sister who had changed her dress about five times already.

“About what?”

“About the prince, obviously.”

“I don’t know. I am a little confused. This is all happening so quickly. And the fact that Lady Whistledown wrote about us didn't help. But the truth is that when I'm with him, I don't know, I feel different.” Y/n tried to explain, but realized she couldn't describe her feelings in words. It was something foreign to her, but not unwanted.

“I know what it is. You like him.” the Bridgerton dropped onto the bed dramatically.

“But liking may not be enough. Don't forget that the Queen has a lot of influence on these things. And I wouldn’t want to piss her off, it would only hurt all of you.”

"You are exaggerating. Francesca, what do you think of this?”

“What?” the girl snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

“What are you thinking about?” Y/n sat next to her, taking her hand.

“I haven't had almost any suitors yet. And the ones I have seem incapable of having a conversation. What if I don’t find anyone?” Francesca revealed with a sigh, her voice tinged with sadness.

“Nonsense. Everyone would love to dance with you. In fact, I have a feeling you are going to meet someone today.” the Sharma said. “And for that to happen, we must leave and go to this ball. If you need to, we can stay together all night.”

“Thank you, but it won’t be necessary. I want you to have your chance with the prince.”

“After all, you were listening!” Hyacinth exclaimed, groaning as the two left the room and left her there. Now she had to wait until tomorrow to find out everything that was going to happen!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

The ball was already full of people, from nervous mothers to innocent daughters who giggled when a suitor asked them to dance. Y/n and Francesca walked in together, both of them taking deep breaths and looking at each other in encouragement. They could do this.

While Francesca's nerves increased as she saw the Queen's eyes fall on her, Y/n's heart began to beat faster when she noticed Charles, who was standing next to his mother. However, he was not alone, finding himself in conversation with the princess of Austria. From what the Sharma could understand from the few moments in which she let herself focus on them, they seemed to be getting along well, sharing polite smiles.

"Maybe we shall get a refreshment first?" Y/n said, seeing that the family had already dispersed.

"A great idea." Francesca swallowed, nodding several times.

The two hurried to a corner of the room, sending a quick smile to the people passing by. Fortunately, no one engaged them in a long conversation, allowing them to mentally prepare themselves to face that night.

They stopped next to Penelope, who looked at the dancing couples with a sad look. "Are you alright, Penelope?"

"Yes, of course, Francesca." the redhead replied shyly, offering a small smile to the two girls. "You ought to take the floor."

"Ought we?" the Bridgerton chuckled humorlessly.

"Once one finds oneself on the wall, it is difficult to come off it. No matter what one does." Penelope looked down, pursing her lips.

"Better to be on the wall than to make fools of ourselves." Y/n she murmured, discreetly looking at the boy who had invaded her heart, still talking to the beautiful princess. Only this time, almost feeling her gaze on him, he glanced at her, showing what appeared to be a genuine smile. "This is so confusing."

"I agree. At least the wall doesn't ask me about what makes me tick." Francesca complained, still upset about the failed conversations from the last ball. The older girl looked at her understandingly, noticing that Francesca was more reserved. Maybe that was what made her rare, different from all the other girls.

"And why are you on the wall, Penelope? I'm sure there are lots of gentlemen here who would be more than willing to ask for your hand in a dance!"

"Oh no. Nobody wants to dance with me. Believe me." she replied with a slight blush, embarrassed that she didn't have any suitors when this wasn't her first season, unlike them.

"They must be blind, then. You are beautiful." Y/n confessed honestly, really confused that they let such an incredible person like Penelope escape. If she could, she would drag the redhead and Francesca to dance, but she knew it was against the rules.

The three fell into a silence, not uncomfortable, but as if they all had more to think about than trying to carry on a conversation. From the other side of the room, Charles watched Sharma as if in a trance, quickly leaving the conversation he was having to go to meet her.

However, he was interrupted by Charlotte who discreetly held his arm. "What are you doing? Must I remind you that you shall marry this season?"

"Why are you putting so much pressure on me with this. You have so many other children, but I'm the only one who has to suffer with this."

"Your siblings reproducing bastards for me to ignore. You are my last hope, son. I have made sure to give so many heirs to your father, and none of my children seem to be fornicating." she said. When she noticed that she was being too harsh with her youngest son, she sighed. "Bridgerton, Charles?"

"What seems to be the problem? You've already accepted many of their marriages, including naming two Bridgertons as diamonds of the season and ignoring the scandal between Lord Bridgerton and Lady Bridgerton." Charles controlled himself not to roll his eyes.

"Yes… But that was until my son was mentioned in the paper of Lady Whistledown because he was just interested in a girl. Especially when the princess of Austria traveled here just to meet you."

"And I enjoyed meeting her. But I enjoyed much more meeting Y/n Sharma." he admitted, his voice conveying the confidence he felt in those words. "She's the one I want. The one I'll follow to the end of the world if necessary. Don't make me marry someone else, mom, I want her. Just her."

"I believe the boy is in love." Lady Dandbury appeared beside them, looking at the boy with knowing eyes. Charlotte glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "The dance they shared was remarkable. The London Season is already terribly monotonous as it is. Therefore, these cases of passion make it more enjoyable. Don't you agree?"

"Indeed, Lady Danbury." Charles nodded, appreciating her help in convincing the Queen. "May I go now?"

Charlotte watched him for a few moments, noticing how he was restless, his body tilted towards Y/n. Almost as if he had no control over himself, unconsciously wanting to always be close to her. This wait was killing him.

The woman didn't respond verbally, just offered a small nod of permission, and her son was gone in the blink of an eye.

Almost running, the prince arrived next to Y/n, who continued to watch people dancing. She was now only with Penelope, as Francesca was taken by Violet to meet some suitors. Charles approached silently, placing himself in her line of sight and simply offering her a hand.

"What are you doing?" she whispered with wide eyes. Beside her, Penelope excused herself, giving the couple space. Not that they paid much attention, appearing not to have even heard her.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm asking you to dance with me."

"You don't give up, do you?" Y/n let a small smile appear, pretending to be upset by the boy's persistence. Inwardly, her heart was beating furiously fast. She didn't want to dance. She wanted to get away from there so she could be with Charles alone, the two of them talking all night.

But their moment was interrupted by Lady Wilson's daughter, who suddenly appeared and grabbed the prince's arm. "Prince Charles, you promised me a dance. Shall we?"

Y/n took a step back, trying to hide her sadness. Charles hadn't even removed her arm from his. This was a reminder that Charles was not yet hers, and with her indecision, that was becoming increasingly difficult. He had so many good options for marriage, why would he choose her? What made her special from all the others?

Trying to make sure no one saw the tears that threatened to appear, the Sharma decided it was best to leave for the rest of the night. Perhaps Anthony and Kate would believe she was feeling unwell and needed to go home.

But before he could move away completely, Charles snapped out of his shock, grabbing Y/n's hand to pull her closer while shaking the other woman's hold.

He clenched his jaw, upset at not being able to have a single moment of peace with Y/n. "My apologies, Miss." Y/n had to put her hand over her mouth to hide her amusement when Charles didn't remember the girl's name. "Right now, I would like to dance with Miss Y/n. So if you will excuse us."

"But—"

"What do you say, Miss Y/n. Shall you give me the pleasure of having this dance?" Charles asked quickly before the annoying girl spoke again. His attention was on Sharma, who was looking at him adoringly. Was this what people felt when they were in love? It felt like he couldn't breathe. In a good way.

"We shall… Charles." she laughed. Charles' mouth opened in shock, appearing to have frozen to the ground. In a playful way, she rolled her eyes, guiding him to the dance floor, which was now empty as people saw the two walk there.

Despite the nerves she felt, Y/n felt good with Charles, so she decided to ignore ton's opinions on this. The boy bowed as he offered her his hand, followed by a bow from Y/n, and immediately the music began.

"You called me Charles."

"A very good observation."

"You know, I thought Lord Bridgerton would kill me the moment I looked at you. It would be worth it." he twirled her around, loving it when he heard her little giggles. When she landed on the ground, her eyes found Kate and Anthony watching them, but instead of upset, they looked happy that Y/n was happy. "I must say that when you said we couldn't meet again, it hurt."

"My deepest apologies. How could I have said such absurd things?" Y/n said dramatically, noticing Charles' amusement.

"All is well now. As long as you promise to not run anymore. Even if Lady Whistledown or someone else writes about us. I promise I won't let anything hurt you or your family."

Y/n focused on his eyes. They were honest and had a glow of adoration about them. "What about the Princess of Austria?"

"As I also told her Majesty, I have no interest in her. My heart already belongs to you, Y/n. No one else can take your place."

The music was slowing down, indicating that it would end soon. The boy gripped Y/n's waist tighter, fearing that he would have to let go when he was enjoying savoring every moment of their closeness.

"My heart belongs to you too, Charles." she scrunched her eyebrows and Charles could feel his heart close to bursting. He wanted to marry her.

Instead, he controlled himself from saying it right away, knowing that he would have to talk to Anthony first and ask for Y/n's hand in marriage. Or he feared the Bridgerton wrath. For now, having Y/n in his arms was enough.

[ironyscleverer]

One aspect of Stolas and Octavias relationship that I think deserves a little more attention is the fact that Stolas is traumatized as Fuck, and growing up with a traumatized parent can have a pretty profound impact on you as a kid. Even if they’re a good parent, even if they try their hardest in every way, their issues always seem to have a way of making themselves known. So even though Stolas clearly loves Via to bits, and she him, I wouldn’t be surprised if her relationship with Stolas was more complicated than what we see onscreen, even beyond the “abandoned her for some random imp” of it all.

There’s not a lot of discussion of this in canon, understandably since most of Stolas and Octavia’s immediate issues stem from the divorce, but there’s a hint of it in Loo Loo Land, when Stolas talks about how much Via used to love seeing RoboFizz:

It’s pretty clear in this scene (at least to me) that Stolas is projecting his own love of clowns onto Via, who was in fact terrified by RoboFizz as a child. He goes so far as to misinterpret her tears as “tears of joy.”

That’s a pretty weird detail, and doesn’t really have anything to do with the Divorce, so there’s any number of ways to interpret it. At first, given Stolas’s character in season 1, it comes across as self-absorbed, but looking back, i could see how that self-absorption might be Stolas’s response to always ignoring his own needs and wants for the sake of others. Think about it—Stolas spent 17+ years believing he couldn’t make choices about his own life, and constantly sacrificing his freedom and well-being for others (his father, his wife, his daughter). He spent well over a decade being abused in order to give his daughter a normal, happy childhood. If he’s convinced himself his desires don’t matter, one way around that is to do things because “Octavia likes them.” So if he convinced himself Octavia liked clowns,,, you get the idea.

So anyway, in Sinsmas this side of Octavia’s childhood isn’t really the main issue, but I like to think she is starting to realize not only how weird and sad her dad always was, and how much that may have affected her upbringing. We see a tiny hint of this when she confronts Stolas about his pills:

Of course, Octavia doesn’t know the full story, but she knows enough to be upset. She knows that Stolas was unhappy enough to need the pills, and he stayed in that environment for her. Thats a lot to process at 17. It’s not a nice feeling to realize your childhood was an extension of your parent’s trauma. It’s also not fun to realize your parent chose to harm themself for you, even if they did it to protect you. It makes you feel used, like you’ve been made into an accessory to hurting someone you love. In my mind, Octavia is processing all of this, AND that her dad ran off with a random man.

All this is to say, by my wildly non-canonical interpretation, I really feel for both Stolas and Octavia in this situation. For Stolas, making his own choices and following his instincts for once was important for him to do. For Octavia, it’s reasonable for her to feel upset at her dad, perhaps for more reasons than she realizes. She’s looking back on her relationship with Stolas, and how he raised her, and reevaluating everything. Their relationship is changing, and I hope we get to see a bit of that reflected in season 3.

[winchestersisterimaginessss]

Request: John is being an abusive jerk as always, but can you set this in season 1 idk make up your own scenario but I imagine them being season 1.

Sam and Dean Winchester x Sister!Reader

Warnings: Abuse? Asthma Attack kinda?

A/N: Okay I think I actually hate what I did for this UGH. Please lmk if you guys like it. I also have asthma so I added that little part in there it just came to me when I was writing so I was like okay let’s make it even more angsty.

A hunt had gone wrong and your dad was currently driving you and your siblings to where you had left Dean’s car before the hunt. The tension in the car was thick and it felt as though you couldn’t breathe. You had your long sleeves pulled out and had your hands tucked inside of them as you bundled the ends of them. You had them tucked under your chin as you rested your head on them— something you’ve always done to comfort yourself. Your leg was bouncing rapidly— something you’ve always done when you’re anxious and you’re trying to self soothe.

“Would you fucking knock it off? You’re shaking the whole damn car.” John grumbled angrily. You immediately jumped at his harsh voice piercing through the quiet car and quickly stopped bouncing your leg.

“Yes sir, I’m sorry.” You said quietly. Dean sent you a sympathetic glance through the rear view mirror knowing that’s how you comforted yourself. His first instinct was to protect you and stick up for you, but your pleading eyes shut him up. You bawled up the ends of your sleeves even tighter and subconsciously started wiggling your toes. Your anxiety was on high alert around your father and you hated that the most. You felt safe with your brothers, but when your dad was around you felt as though you could suffocate. Your thoughts of worry were interrupted when you felt a hand on your knee. You looked up and Sam sent you a sad smile. You knew that your dad was going to blow up any second about the hunt gone wrong and the future of that was terrifying you. You couldn’t handle more yelling and the dreadful feeling of your family falling apart in the aftermath. When you turned down the random dirt road you almost sighed out loud in relief. Dean’s car in your view made you feel calm. As soon as your dad stopped the car, you practically leaped out. It was like the weight lifted off of your chest and you could finally take a deep breath. Sam followed behind you and put his arm around your shoulder and you instantly felt better. Your brothers knew you better than you knew yourself.

“We’ll meet you at the motel.” You heard Dean say before you heard the car door shut. You got into the impala and as soon as all the doors shut, you spoke up.

“Dad’s mad.” You stated, quietly. Dean snorted and you snapped your head in his direction.

“What’s new.” He shrugged before turning to face you.

“Don’t let him get to you kiddo.” He said softly. He was concerned for you. He knew that their dad spiked your anxiety and he wanted to make sure you were okay. Your dad was always especially hard on you. Since Dean always had your back, it often led to even more problems and you didn’t want him to have to deal with that.

“Well- I just-“ You started, unsure of how you wanted to word it.

“I just hope he’s not going to blow up. I- I don’t know if I can handle that right now.” You finished weakly, knowing anything could set your father off.

“Everything’s going to be okay, bug. I will take you somewhere else no problem if you don’t feel comfortable going back to the motel. Just say the words.” Sam stated strongly, wanting nothing more than to protect you from your father’s wrath.

“Yeah kid. You can go with Sammy and I’ll go back to the motel and deal with dad.” Dean said, glancing back at you through the mirror.

“No, no it’s okay I didn’t mean to cause a problem. I’ll be fine, I promise.” You said, not sure if you’d be able to keep that promise, but you’d never let Dean deal with dad alone.

“We’ve got your back kid, always.” Dean reassured and just then you noticed you were bouncing your leg up and down. Your breath hitched and you immediately stopped.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t realize I was bouncing my leg. I’m sorry!” You said, panicking. The last thing you wanted to do was annoy your brothers. Before you had another second to even think, Sam spoke.

“Sweetheart, don’t apologize for that. Sometimes we just need to move a little when we’re anxious and it’s totally normal. It doesn’t bother us in the slightest okay?” Sam asked. His heart hurt at the thought that you were now hyper aware of your anxiety tic because your dad had yelled at you and called you annoying for it. It’s something you’ve always done and your brothers are fully aware of it. When they see your leg bouncing, they know there’s something bothering you and it helps them know where you’re at mentally.

“Oh okay. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t annoying you too.” You said quietly, now feeling embarrassed.

“We’re here for you bug alright? You know you can always be comfortable around us.” Sam said softly.

“Yeah I know.” You sighed. Your brothers hated how you became panicky and scared whenever your father was around. When it was just the three of you without your dad, you were a completely different kid. As the motel came into view you let out a loud gasp.

“What’s wrong?!” Dean asked panicked at your fearful outburst.

“I couldn’t find my inhaler before we left and dad was mad that I was taking so long so he left the room to go help load up the car with you two so I was rushing around and I ripped all my clothes out of my bag and I left the room a little bit of a mess and it’s going to set him off. He’s going to get so mad and he’s going to yell at me.” You explained as fast as you could, hoping you’d have enough time before your dad got back to clean up.

“Okay we’re a few minutes ahead of him so it’s okay. Just go inside and shove everything into your bag real quick. It’s alright.” Dean reassured you as he whipped into the parking lot. You didn’t even wait for him to fully put the car in park before you were running to the room. A few drawers were open and your bag was torn apart all over the floor. You were just starting to shove things into your bag when the door burst open. You looked up in panic and saw your dad. You turned back towards your clothes and tried to throw more into your bag before you set your dad off.

“What the hell is this fucking disaster?” Your dad barked, charging at your bag that was in the center of the room and kicking it at you. Before you had time to answer, Sam and Dean walked into the room. They immediately noticed your terrified expression, but you knew if you acknowledged them before your dad then you would get into even more trouble.

“I-I-I couldn’t f-find m-my inhaler. I-I’m sorry.” You said, scared. Dean started making his way toward the both of you, seeing the anger in his dad’s eyes and the terror in yours.

“I-I-I don’t give a shit! Clean this mess up!” He yelled, making fun of your nervous stutter. The only reason for even having one was because of him. You only ever had one around him. You were cowered on the floor with your dad getting closer to you. Dean immediately placed himself in front of you and put his hand on his Dad’s chest.

“Back up.” He said, firmly.

“No Dean, this is bullshit!” Your dad yelled back at him. Dean looked towards you and your eyes immediately shot to the ground.

“You need to frigging chill the hell out right now.” Dean warned. Your heart was pounding and you knew that it was only going to get worse. You scrambled to put your clothes back in your bag as tears stung your eyes, but you couldn’t let them fall. Crying would be a sign of weakness in your father’s eyes and another reason for him to berate you. You heard a pair of footsteps walking towards you and you looked up to see Sam. As he squatted down to help you pick up your clothes, you saw Dean walking your dad out of the room.

“Oh so you wanna play the role of daddy now?” Your dad asked, stopping in his tracks.

“Stop. Don’t you dare go there.” Dean warned once again.

“That hunt was a fucking disaster, this room is a fucking disaster, she’s a fucking disaster so have fun taking care of that.” He yelled before he stormed out of the motel room. You flinched as he slammed the heavy door shut, but you continued to force your eyes on the floor. You were fighting back a river of tears and were biting the inside of your lip so hard that you started to taste the metallic blood pool in your mouth.

“Y/N/N.” You heard Dean say.

“Hmmm?” You asked, still not looking up from the floor as you continued to shove your clothes in your bag.

“He didn’t mean that.” He said softly, knowing that you would never believe that he didn’t mean it and that the damage was already done.

“Oh I know, I’m okay.” You said unconvincingly and looked up at them for the first time to send them a quick smile that immediately faltered.

“Bug,” Sam trailed off before you burst into tears. Sam who was still on his knees from helping you put your clothes away, immediately scooted over to you and embraced you. You gripped onto his shirt and buried your head into his chest as sobs wracked through your body.

“Shhhh, shhh, I know, I know, I’m sorry sweetheart.” Sam said, knowing all too well.

You sobbed harder, gripping his shirt tighter, afraid that he’d somehow disappear from under you.

“I’m here, I’m here bug, I’m not going anywhere.” He said, feeling you grip his shirt tighter. Sam looked at Dean whose jaw was clenched at the scene before him.

“I-I’m trying my best!” You sobbed, your father’s words of him mocking you and calling you a disaster ringing in your ears. Dean couldn’t handle seeing you in this kind of distress any longer.

“Kiddo.” He said as he put a comforting hand on your back. You tearfully turned away from Sam’s chest and looked towards him.

“Don’t you ever let him make you feel less than you are, especially not when it comes from his own frustration and you certainly don’t deserve to carry that weight.” He said, his eyes piercing through you to make sure you understand.

“B-but De!” You sobbed. “Y-you don’t deserve it either! None of y-you do! I’m sorry, I-I’m just so s-sorry that I’m a-always causing problems with d-dad and y-you’re f-forced to fix it.” You cried, trying to catch your breath.

“Those problems aren’t because of you and they will never be because of you, kid.” Dean reassured, bringing your shaking body into his. You cried harder into his chest.

“I know, I know.” Dean said softly, knowing you needed to get these emotions out. With every cry, it got harder to catch your breath and Dean immediately caught on.

“Hey, hey, hey, breathe for me kiddo.” He said, rubbing your back, but you continued to gasp for air.

“Sam, grab her inhaler. She’s going to give herself an asthma attack.” Dean said calmly, supporting your weak body. Sam rushed to get your inhaler and puffed the medicine into your mouth. As your lungs opened up, you visibly relaxed into deans arms.

“Atta girl.” Dean said, sighing in relief. Your face was stained with tears and your eyes were bloodshot.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered, resting your head on his chest.

“Don’t be sorry. I’m always here for you, and I’ll always have your back, no matter what. You’ve got so much to offer kid. Sammy and I believe in you more than you can imagine. You’re not alone in this.” He said. You lifted your head up to look him in the eyes.

“Thank you.” You said before looking towards Sam.

“You two mean so much to me and I don’t know what I would do without the two of you. Thank you for always having my back. I love you both so much, more than you’ll ever know.” You finished.

“We love you too bug.” Sam said, coming over to you and kissing the side of your head.

“Grab your stuff, I’m getting us a different room from dad.” Dean said, walking towards the door.

“Okay.” You said, not arguing with that.

“We should probably get some candy too for our big movie night we’re going to have.” He said. You snapped your head in his direction with a big teary smile. He shot you a wink and walked out of the room. You smiled to yourself. No matter what your brothers would always be there for you and pull you out of the dark.

[cringefailvox]

Sometimes it makes me so sad nobody went looking for Alastor after the battle. Sure, maybe they knew he was still alive from Husk, and that he likes his privacy , but your hotelier goes MIA after fighting an angel only the devil from the Bible can beat? And you don’t follow up on that?

“So long as I have all of you with me!” 🎶 she sings, notably NOT having everyone with her.

I really hope they bring this up in season 2. Does it get to Alastor that he is not considered part of the group? That nobody was thinking of him after all he did to get the hotel started?

Can Vox use this point to discredit the Hotel? “ The Hazbin Hotel, where everyone is welcome and everyone deserves a shot at redemption! Unless, of course, we deem you too far gone, in which case, you can go f*** yourself while we eat pancakes” ( side by side videos of Al beaten up and the crew recovering with Lucifer’s promised pancakes)

i ALSO think about this all the time. on a practical level it makes sense that we'd have to trim the finale down to something manageable, and really all they had time for at the very end was a resounding musical finish, which necessarily glosses over some loose ends like this, BUT. on a personal level i would've killed to see whether the hotel actually thought alastor was dead or not. because as soon as adam joins the fight, charlie says "alastor was supposed to handle him! oh, no, he must be—" MUST BE WHAT??? and then we simply never mention him again. they're all clearly delighted to see him (except lucifer and husk, of course) when he comes back, which makes me think they at least knew he was alive, but might be unaware he was seriously injured—it seems possible that they wouldn't really consider alastor could be genuinely harmed, after all the time he's spent building himself up as the terrifying guardian of the hotel that can't be fazed by anything. think blitzo's "he can get hurt?" moment in western energy: the radio demon can't be dead. he can't be hurt. he's alastor.

now, would alastor himself be bothered that they didn't look for him? one hundred percent. perhaps he tells himself good riddance, he didn't want to form genuine bonds with these people anyway, friendship makes you vulnerable, friendship invites intrusions on your life and privacy that you never asked for, etc. but the night before the battle he basically confessed to niffty that he's grown accustomed to the hotel gang and enjoys being around them. he's not antisocial, he's just maladjusted and values his independence, and it visibly stings when he learns that not a single overlord cares to investigate his disappearance at the meeting in ep 3. whether or not he would have told the truth or welcomed any line of questioning is irrelevant. it's the principle of the thing—he wants people to be curious about him, he likes to cultivate a mystery, he wants to be chased. and then... no one does.

so ohhh yes i think it gets under his skin, and he absolutely resents that it does. i'd also love for this to get brought up in s2, i think it could make for a scene where charlie pulls him aside, thanks him for helping them during the battle, and that they were worried about him in the aftermath, because i'd LOVE to see alastor 1) immediately brush this off and redirect her energy somewhere else, and 2) have a Moment of conflicted emotion about how that open statement of affection makes him feel before visibly crushing it to dust. repressed king

i'm very intrigued by the vox thing too. that'd be such an interesting tack for him to take, to discredit the hotel by trying to form a wedge between alastor and the hotel through a kind of warped sympathy. like "i'm not a fan of the guy either, but yeesh! sure does paint a picture, doesn't it?" which alastor would fucking hate, but can he really bring himself to disagree? SO delicious.

[soneblomsblog]

Hi, could you do cha Hyun su x pregnant fem reader just were reader doesn’t tell Hyun su she’s pregnant in season 1 but find out after a small boy runs into the hospital lost but hears Hyun su am,Ah-yi and Eunyu voices and you come in shortly after finds him and it’s revealed after thinking she died

In the desolate corridors of the transformed Green Home, where monstrous creatures roamed freely, the I stumbled upon a discovery that would forever alter the course of my already horrible life well expect I founded out I'm pregnant with Hyun-soo child.

The revelation came with a mix of fear and hope. Fear, because bringing a child into a world overrun by abominations seemed almost cruel, and hope, because the unborn life within me held the promise of something beautiful amid the chaos.

As the days unfolded, I kept the secret guarded, grappling with the uncertainty that surrounded our survival. I couldn't bring myself to burden Hyun Soo with the news, unsure of how he would react in a world teetering on the edge of madness.

After the collapse of Green Home apartments I decided to spilt with the group without anyone knowing it definitely brought with it new challenges, but I had to protect my baby and keep my secret safe. Then, one day, a small boy, lost and frightened, stumbled into the hospital where Hyun Soo, Ah Yi, and Eunyo was. I turned my back for a second and when I looked back my little boy ran into the hospital making me ran after him fearing for our life when I didn't know what was behind those doors

Heart pounding, I raced into the hospital, only to find chaos and confusion. Hyun Soo, his protective instincts on high alert, attempted to calm the boy while Ah Yi and Eunyo watched with wide eyes. I quickly scanned the room until they locked onto the person I thought I would never see in my life agian.

Without a second thought, I rushed into the room, breathless and terrified. Hyun Soo turned to me, his eyes widening in disbelief. For a moment, it felt as if time had frozen—his gaze locked with me and looked as if he'd seen a ghost.

"I thought you were...," he began, unable to finish the sentence as a whirlwind of emotions played across his face.

"I'm here," I said, tears brimming in my eyes. "I'm alive."

The lost boy, now safely in Hyun Soo's arms, looked between the two with innocent curiosity. As the realization sank in, Hyun Soo's eyes widened further, a myriad of emotions settling in his gaze.

"Mommy!" yelled my little boy as he saw me standing there. Shocked still Hyun-soo asked "You were pregnant? But who-" "its you" thats all I said as I picked up my son looking Hyun-soo in the eyes. Alot has changed I noted.

Cha hyun soo eyes flickered to their blue color making me stare in surprise and wonder.

Why didn't you tell him you're pregnant. Oh how happy he no sorry we would be. We were so angry and sad when we couldn't find you.

Hyun-soo walking closer looking at my son in my arms then at me. Unexpectedly he pulled me into a hug. He looked at us especially our son with admiration and at me with look of love.

Don't ever leave us agian. You're ours Mine our child and no one will separate us agian or I'll kill them

[anonymousewrites]

Lavender for Royalty; Sage for Wisdom (Book 1) Chapter Eight

Kyoya Ootori x Reader

Chapter Eight: Rhododendron for Danger

Summary: The Host Club goes to the beach, and (Y/N) and Haruhi have their worst experiences with the club yet.

            “(Y/N), why don’t you come in the water?” said some of the guests as they walked down the beach.

            “Yeah!” said another girl. “Haruhi, you should join us!”

            “Haruhi and I would rather just watch,” said (Y/N), smiling.

            “Are you sure?” said a guest.

            Haruhi smiled. “Go on and have fun.”

            “You all look so cute in your swimsuits, we don’t want them to go to waste,” said (Y/N).

            The girls blushed before squealing and running to the water. (Y/N) shook their head in amusement, and Haruhi deadpanned about how easy it was to fluster the guests.

            “We were so tricked into this,” said Hikaru. “I didn’t think we’d have customers here.”

            “We should’ve caught on when Kyoya greenlighted the trip,” said Kaoru.

            “Don’t you know him by now?” said (Y/N), chuckling.

            “Fools of summertime!” said Tamaki, grinning proudly. “This is all according to plan. Why would the general public view my daughter in her bathing suit?”

            “Tamaki, you really do need to stop referring to Haruhi as your daughter,” said (Y/N), leaning back on their arms.

            Tamaki ignored (Y/N) as he sighed dreamily. “In the evening, when everyone else has gone home, I shall walk along the beach with Haruhi, who will wear a fetching white sundress.”

            The twins deadpanned.

            “Summertime fools are one thing,” said Kaoru. “But to be one year round is sad.”

            “So true,” said Hikaru. “Anyway, why are we in Japan instead of the Caribbean?”

            “What is our budget, again?” said (Y/N), frowning.

            “I can assure you we are perfectly within our means,” said Kyoya, barely looking up from his notebook.

            “It must be rich means,” said (Y/N). Who else could get a beach?

            “Are you all having fun?” A spooky voice appeared over Tamaki’s shoulder, and Tamaki screamed. Nekozawa had arrived.

            “We’re at Nekozawa’s private beach,” said the twins, looking at (Y/N) with a shrug.

            “Aha, a discount,” said (Y/N), looking at Kyoya.

            “Precisely,” said Kyoya.

            “Kyoya! We were going to visit your beach!” said Tamaki (he was terrified of Nekozawa).

            “Unfortunately, one of my father’s clients is using it. It was a sudden request, and Haruhi preferred somewhere within the country,” said Kyoya. “She doesn’t have a passport.”

            “Nekogaiwa is a sacred spot for the guardian of the Nekozawa family,” said Nekozawa. He gestured to the strange formation of rocks that looked like a cat (as did everything in his family). “According to legend, anyone who jumps off the rock will never rise again. Nice, huh?”

            Tamaki looked terrified, and the twins just rolled their eyes.

            “There seems to be a courageous challenger,” observed Nekozawa.

            “Haruhi!” shouted Hikaru, Kaoru, and Tamaki.

            “Oh, dear, those are jagged rocks,” said (Y/N), frowning.

            The three men were already running to get her down before she hurt herself, though, so they didn’t have to move.

            “(Y/N), you should come seashell hunting!” said Honey, running up to them excitedly.

            (Y/N) smiled. “Sure, Honey.”

            “But, senpai, it’s not the right season or tide—” whispered Haruhi.

            (Y/N) pointed at the police squad putting out sea urchins, shells, and clams while Honey happily picked them up. “They’re apologizing to him.”

            Haruhi deadpanned. Rich people…

            “Come on, (Y/N)! Come on, Haru!” said Honey.

            (Y/N) and Haruhi smiled and headed over to help Honey.

            “So cute,” said Tamaki, watching the three collect shells with stars in his eyes. “Right, Kyoya?!”

            Kyoya looked up from his notebook to watch (Y/N) pick up a shell and hum pleasantly as they listened to the sound of the ocean within. “Mm.” He hummed noncommittedly.

            “Here, Haruhi,” said Kaoru. “It’s a huge scallop. Do you like scallops?”

            “I like it.” Haruhi smiled. “Thanks, Kaoru.”

            “Haruhi, a turban shell!” said Tamaki, trying to get a cute reaction. “Do you like them?”

            “Look here, a blue mussel! Do you like them?” said Hikaru.

            “Haru, a clam!” said Honey happily.

            “Octopus,” said Mori.

            “Enough already!” shouted Haruhi as she was crowded.

            “Here’s abalone,” said Kyoya, holding a smooth, iridescent shell out to (Y/N).

            “Very pretty,” said (Y/N), smiling. They reached out and glanced at him. “May I?”

            Kyoya dropped it into their palm, and he watched them put it in their bag at their towel. He stood a tiny bit straighter.

            “Look, Haruhi, a giant crab!” Tamaki was still trying to impress Haruhi. “Do you like crabs?”

            “Eee!” The guests screamed as a millipede crawled out of the crab. “Gross! A bug!”

            “Where’d that come from?” said Haruhi, picking up the bug. Calmly, she tossed it back into the bushes.

            “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you’re a kind of girl who likes bugs…” said Kaoru.

            “I don’t like them,” said Haruhi.

            “Who was going to help? You two?” said (Y/N).

            “But couldn’t you at least let it go on the grass or something?” said Hikaru.

            “It’s a fine. A fall won’t kill it. And I threw it to the grass,” said Haruhi, shrugging.

            “Haruhi, you’re so manly!” said the girls, hearts floating around them.

            “It’s alright, girls,” said Haruhi to them.

            The twins huffed. They had been looking forward to Tamaki’s antics “protecting” Haruhi. It seemed she wasn’t afraid of anything. A lightbulb went off above their heads, and (Y/N) sighed. That couldn’t be good.

            “Hey, Boss, we thought of a game.” The twins leaned towards him with identical smirks. “It’s called, ‘Who can find Haruhi’s weakness?’ ”

            “An evil-minded game!” said Tamaki.

            “You two need to work on boundaries,” sighed (Y/N).

            “I’m sorry. Do you two not have the confidence to play? You’d have to be pretty close to her to find out her weakness, huh?” said Hikaru and Kaoru, easily goading the pair.

            “Still no,” said (Y/N).

            “The rules?” Tamaki fell for the trap.

            “The deadline is tomorrow at sunset,” said the twins with smirks. “Whoever finds her weakness first wins.”

            “And? What’s in it for the winner?” said Tamaki.

            “Assorted photos of Haruhi’s middle school days,” said Kyoya, holding up a packet.

            Kaoru, Hikaru, and Tamaki were extremely invested and ran off to make plans. Honey saw them and excitedly chased after them, Mori not far behind.

            (Y/N) leaned on the back of Kyoya’s beach chair and raised a brow. “How do you have those? No, more importantly, why do you have those?”

            “It’s quite easy to get them to leave me alone with some incentive,” said Kyoya with his closed-eye smile, very signature Kyoya but oh-so evil at the same time.

            “Poor Haruhi, getting pulled into your plans,” said (Y/N), shaking their head.

            “Would you rather I used your middle school pictures?” said Kyoya.

            “I doubt Tamaki would get excited over those,” said (Y/N). Thankfully. No one needed to see any middle-school phases of theirs. (Hey, experimentation in fashion is valid. It’s also embarrassing). They paused. “Do you really have those?”

            Kyoya smirked. “Do you want to find out?”

            “Nope,” said (Y/N) easily, smiling. “I’d rather not.”

            “Pity. I’m waiting for a chance to use them,” said Kyoya.

            “I can’t tell if you’re teasing me or not,” said (Y/N), looking down at him.

            “Do I tease?” said Kyoya, raising a brow.

            “Absolutely,” said (Y/N), grinning.

            “Then perhaps I am,” said Kyoya with a light smirk.

            (Y/N) chuckled.

            “(Y/N)!” said a guest, smiling. “Will you come with us up onto the cliffs?”

            “We wanted a view of the sunset,” said a second girl. “It will be so romantic!”

            “Of course I’ll come,” said (Y/N). “I’m sure it will be beautiful. And I can take some photos for you all if you’d like.” Plenty of the guests were active on social media and would love the opportunity.

            “You’re so sweet!” squealed the two.

            “Bye, Kyoya,” said (Y/N), turning away to walk up the rocks with the girls. It wasn’t a tough hike, luckily, just a few minutes’ walk, but (Y/N) was a gentleman, so they helped the guests up the rocks all the same.

            “Thank you, (Y/N),” chorused the pair, blushing as (Y/N) held their hand to guide them.

            “Wow, it’s so beautiful,” said one of the guests, sighing as she looked out at the sunset.

            “Imagine having a date here,” said the other girl.

            “With Nekozawa? I’d be scared…”

            “He’s letting us use his beach. It’s very nice of him,” reminded (Y/N). “Who knows? Maybe he’s a gentleman with a penchant for magic.” They winked playfully, and the girls squealed. “Now, who wants pictures?”

            “Are you sure we look good?” said a girl nervously.

            “You’re always beautiful,” said (Y/N), smiling and taking one of the guest’s phone to take photo of the group together. They smiled shyly, and (Y/N) snapped the pictures from several angles while the girls blushed. “There.” They handed the phone back

            “Thank you!” said the girls.

            “Hey, look what we found.”

            (Y/N) bristled and turned, eyes narrowed. Three boys were walking up the rocks—trespassers on the beach. The two guests’ eyes widened, and (Y/N) moved in front of them.

            “Wow, it’s a party,” said one boy, grinning widely.

            “With only pretty girls, too,” said the second. “You must be bored.”

            The third leered. “Well, not all girls. But still pretty.”

            “Leave,” said (Y/N), standing in front of the girls. “This is a private beach.” The way the boys were looking at them and the girls sent a disgusted shiver down their spine, but (Y/N) had to remain firm and strong in front of the boys.

            “Ooh, rich kids, huh?” One of the boys stepped forward and tried to grab a girl’s wrist. She stepped back, and (Y/N) stepped towards him to get him to back off.

            “Oh, come on, we can have some fun,” simpered the second, reaching for (Y/N).

            “Not a chance,” said (Y/N), slapping his arm away.

            “You little—Ow!” He jumped back with his friends as spiky urchins hit his shirt.

            Haruhi stood, stone-faced, behind them with an empty bucket of shells and urchins. “Leave them alone, please. They don’t want to spend time with you. You’re a nuisance.”

            “You brat,” said one of the boys, reaching for her.

            Instantly, (Y/N) grabbed his arm and twisted, putting it into a lock. He squawked angrily as (Y/N) pulled his wrist back and braced his elbow, pushing one and pushing the other uncomfortably.

            “Go and get the other hosts,” said (Y/N) as the girls’ eyes widened. Instantly, they nodded and ran, and Haruhi moved to help (Y/N), but another boy grabbed her. “Hey!” (Y/N) threw the boy they were holding down and moved to help Haruhi as she struggled.

            The third boy grabbed (Y/N), and they twisted, slamming their heel into the top of his foot. He let out an angry yell, and his grip on their arms tightened as his friend got up and slapped their face.

            “(Y/N)!” said Haruhi, eyes wide.

l

            “Tamaki!” The two girls ran back to the towels with wide eyes. “Haruhi and (Y/N) are in trouble!”

            Tamaki’s eyes widened, and he, Kaoru, and Hikaru jumped up. Honey’s sunny smile turned sour, and Mori’s eyes narrowed. Kyoya’s grip on his notebook tightened, and he threw it down as he followed the rest of the hosts up the cliffs.

l

            “You rich kids, thinking you can push us around,” sneered the boy, glaring at (Y/N) again. “Where do you get off ordering us around?”

            “Where do you get off thinking you can treat women like that?” shot back (Y/N).

            “Why, you—We’ll teach you a lesson!” The boy grabbed them roughly and wrenched them from the other’s grasp.

            “Wait!” Haruhi’s eyes widened, and she pulled against the third boy.

            The boy pushed (Y/N) from the cliff, and their eyes widened. The wind rushed past them, and they hit the water with a splash. Their mouth opened in shock, and water flood them. They coughed and floundered, sinking farther as the shock of hitting the waves settled in. Their vision blurred as seawater stung it. The last thing they saw was a figuring with dark hair diving in after them.

l

            Kyoya had reached the top of the cliffs a moment too late. He saw (Y/N) falling from the rocks, watched their eyes widen in fear, and immediately ran forward. He was tempted to hit the boy who had pushed (Y/N)—when had he become tempted to violence for another person—but his concern was for them.

            Kyoya threw his glasses to Tamaki and dove over the rocks. He landed in the water with much more elegance than (Y/N) and swam downward to them. His hand closed around his wrist, and he pulled them to him. Thankfully, their eyes fluttered as they broke the surface, and they coughed up the water they’d swallowed. With powerful strokes, Kyoya supported (Y/N) and swam them to the shore. As the water got shallow enough, he tucked a hand under their knees and picked them up bridal-style.

            (Y/N) coughed up seawater, and they groaned as their head lolled and leaned against Kyoya’s chest.

            “(Y/N)!”

            “Oh my god! Kyoya, (Y/N)!”

            (Y/N)’s eyes blinked as they heard Haruhi calling for them and the sound of the guest’s concern. Their eyes opened fully, and they looked up at Kyoya’s face. Their heart stuttered. He had come to save them? Kyoya had cared?

            Oh. Oh. Oh, no. They liked that. They liked…him. Oh, no.

            “(Y/N), are you alright?” said Haruhi, looking at (Y/N) in Kyoya’s arms.

            Their panicking thoughts were broken by Haruhi’s words, and they looked at her. “Oh. Yes. I am.”

            Haruhi breathed out a sigh of relief as Kyoya put (Y/N) down but kept an arm around their middle to steady them. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t more help, senpai.”

            “You were plenty of help,” said (Y/N). “It was three versus two.”

            “Hikaru, Kaoru, arrange for the guests to go back to the hotel,” said Kyoya, his hand remaining firmly around (Y/N). “Tamaki—”

            “We got their IDs. Nekozawa got the police and is taking care of them,” said Tamaki, nodding.

            “Good.” Kyoya’s grip relaxed slightly. “Honey, have Nekozawa call a doctor—”

            “I’m fine,” said (Y/N), reaching up and touching his shoulder gently.

            “You’re fine?” Tamaki’s eyes narrowed as he looked at (Y/N) and Haruhi. “Are you a martial artist? Do you have diving experience?”

            “I know some self-defense. And I was startled,” said (Y/N) firmly.

            “No, you were unprepared to fight three men,” said Tamaki.

            “They did a great job. They helped the guests get away!” said Haruhi.

            “You don’t get to talk, either,” said Tamaki, whirling on her. “You didn’t call us, even though we were right there! You and (Y/N) don’t have the strength to fight them!”

            “There’s no time to think when we’re on the spot,” said Haruhi.

            “Well, think a little, idiot!” said Tamaki.

            Haruhi’s eyes widened, and she glared. “We’re sorry for troubling you guys, but I don’t see why we should be scolded for anything! (Y/N) and I did nothing wrong!”

            “Is that so?” said Tamaki angrily. “Fine! Do whatever you want! I won’t speak to you until you admit your mistake!” However, it only took a few paces away until he looked back at Haruhi.

            Everyone looked at Haruhi.

            “I don’t want to talk to him,” she said. “We didn’t do anything wrong.”

            (Y/N) nodded. “We didn’t.” They turned away from Tamaki and looked at Mori and Honey. “Hand me a towel. I’m heading back to the house.” Tamaki and his opinions of their strength could go to hell for all they cared.

            Kyoya’s eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly as (Y/N) walked towards the mansion. They didn’t care for their safety at all.

Taglist:

@roo024

@jmclouds

@yappydoo

@ramblingsoftheill

@girgal73

@rockerica

@nosoyyo1213

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@grippledee-galaxy

@rory-cakes

@neenieweenie

@k03ume

@constellationguy

@paastaboi

@introvertathome

[lune-moon-nuit]

The ending of s3 is so fun to analyze. Mike having his eyes open in the kiss is interesting to me because if he was truly happy and shocked that she felt the same way I can see why his eyes might be opened for like a split second or maybe at most 3 seconds before they flutter closed and he grabs her and pulls her closer but he doesn’t do any of that. It’s a one sided kiss and his eyes are open the entire time and even after she leaves he’s expression doesn’t get any better. He looks lost. The camera is also panning away from him making him look really small and alone in Will’s empty room just to drive home that lost feeling. When he goes home to hug his mom he looks numb. I don’t think he looks up or at her once. His walk from the front door to the spot where his mom hugs him with this zoned out numb expression the entire time. I do believe the hug to be a parallel to the s1 hug after Mike believes Will to be dead but this one in s3 is a different feeling because he’s not just upset or sad that Will is leaving. I think he finally realizes that he feels more for Will than he does El. For so long I think Mike wanted it to work out with El and maybe he even thought it could and then she tells him that she loves him and he realizes that it never will but he obviously doesn’t want to hurt her. That must be such a terrifying feeling to deal with by yourself. Who do you confide in when you’re a scared closeted gay kid in the 80’s.

I absolutely agree 100% with everything you said. Ironically, season 3 is the season with the most "Mileven" moments as a couple, but it’s also the season where it becomes most obvious how Mike is forcing conformity through his relationship with Eleven. It’s clear that it’s all just a show for him. He deliberately shows up late to the regular movie outings with Lumax and Will, spends the whole summer making out with El but never integrates her into the friend group. This is evident when El clearly doesn’t know Max well when she first approaches her (and the same goes for Will). Even when El finally joins the group to welcome Dustin back, Mike convinces her to leave and make out on the hill under the pretext of curfew, even though Dustin has just arrived. Why would they waste time climbing a hill only to leave when they’ve nearly reached the top? It’s because all of this is just a performance for Mike—he wants everyone to see that he has a girlfriend. It’s pure overcompensation.

That’s also why he seems more emotionally invested in his argument with Will than in his breakup with El. The signs are all there, and the most telling, as you mentioned, is that famous scene at the end of season 3. Why would Mike remain completely still, eyes open, not kissing back, not saying anything, showing no facial expression, no smile, after his girlfriend—who broke up with him three months earlier (a situation he supposedly found frustrating, based on what he showed his friends)—tells him she loves him back? Why does his expression seem so confused after the kiss? And all of this takes place in Will’s bedroom, in front of an open closet with a light shining directly over Mike’s head.

Hopper’s letter, which applies perfectly to Mike, Mike going into his mother’s arms with that same lost expression, mirroring the hug he gave when he thought Will was dead in season 1... It’s clear that this scene was crafted to show that Mike, with that kiss, realizes he doesn’t feel what he’s supposed to feel while kissing his girlfriend (someone he had claimed to “love” three months earlier in the heat of the moment, fearing he would lose her). He didn’t feel what he’s been trying so hard to feel throughout season 3 and in the unseen months between the end of season 2 and the start of season 3. Despite all his efforts, he doesn’t feel what he thinks he should—and yet, he does feel what he’s looking for when he’s with Will.

The Mike at the end of season 3 is a Mike who realizes he doesn’t feel what he’s supposed to feel with girls, while also living in a time when being queer was synonymous with illness and death. Indeed, our poor Mike is hiding so much fear and pain because of this.

[lunabug2004]

Something I've noticed recently is the difference in which people notice or think/talk about Nancy and Mike's survivor's guilt.

People seem to be much more open to the notion of Nancy having survivor's guilt, also they tend to pick up on it easier, and I think the reason for this Nancy actually kinda demonstrates herself in s2, when talking to Jonathan when she says "Yeah, but it's different for you. Will came home."

Now, Mike feels survivor's guilt in connection to both Will and El, and Nancy for Barb, and the difference between them is that both Will and El actually survive. But the thing that people tend to forget is that Mike saw Will's "dead body", he saw El disappear in front of his own eyes just to not hear from her for almost a year, he saw his best friend's body and mind be taken over by a terrifying monster (who he had just told he wouldn't let happen to him a day or so before). So, yes, El and Will may not be dead, but in any case, esp in Mike's 11-14 year old brain, that doesn't really mean much at all. Mental illnesses don't go away just because the thing that caused them did. I mean, that's legitimately what PTSD is!

Talking about s2 specifically for example, even at the beginning of the season, most of the GA already knew that El was still alive, but knew for sure that Barb was dead. The show parallels Nancy and Mike in ep 1, with Nancy crying in Barb's house and Mike looking terribly upset while boxing up toys in his basement. Despite this parallel though, most people I've watched only pick up on Nancy's survivor's guilt. Even though Mike goes on to try and contact El, who he still (mostly) believes is dead, lots of people just go "aw that's sad" or "aw that's sweet" and move on.

Idk if it's just because he's younger, or that, as I said before, the audience knows El is still alive, but it's always seemed to me that people don't take Mike's mental health problems as seriously as they take Nancy's when really, they're in a very similar boat.

[nerdasaurus1200]

The hug scene is just too good to not ramble about so let’s get into it

So naturally we’re thrown right into Jinx’s POV here. We start with complete darkness, with the only source of light flickering on and off, her one source of comfort and safety. Just like her, we have NO idea what happened at first. Whether Vander is okay, whether Vi is okay. You can see in her face, Jinx is so alert. And this is so different than usual because in season 1 whenever she was alert like this she still had a very blank look. She was still always kinda teetering on the verge of an episode, the lights were on but no one is home. And here she is FULLY in her mind, fully in the situation, and the poor girl is terrified. Because did she Jinx it again?

She doesn’t know

All she can do is hold Isha close in the darkness and listen as she slowly steps closer to the eerie green light of Vander’s mechanics…

To find by some miracle of the fates, both her dad and her sister are okay. More than okay, they’re reunited. Jinx made Vi understand.

I can’t even begin to fathom the utter relief Vi must feel in this moment. Knowing that despite it all, despite watching him die, her dad is alive. He’s okay, he’s here. And after the few years she’s had this hug is exactly what she needs. She need that moment to let go, and just be in her old man’s arms again and finally stop being a fighter. And it’s just so heartwarming, the way Vander still just cradles her head and holds her so gently and dwarfs her despite being an adult now. No matter how old Vi gets, she’s never gonna fully outgrow Vander. She will never stop needing her dad.

But something’s still missing…

“What are you waiting for? He’s your dad too…”

I’m certain Vander’s thinking the same thing here cause even before Vi addressed Jinx you could see those poor sad eyes looking her way. They both still acknowledge Jinx as their family no matter what, this hug wouldn’t be complete without her.

And you can see this just shatters any walls Jinx had left. All she can do is break down crying, that’s the only way she can let out all the pain and joy and utter relief she feels in this moment. Cause that line is just so meaningful, with those four words, Vi says so much. Naturally it’s a callback to Jinx saying it earlier but Vi saying it back…that’s her saying “You’re still my sister.” That’s her saying “I forgive you.” That’s her saying “You’re safe, it’s okay to move on from the accident.”

And Jinx knows that and you can see it in her eyes, she’s silently asking “Really? You really mean it?”. And that soft look in Vi’s eyes only solidifies that yes, she absolutely means it with every fiber of her being.

So of course Jinx does the only thing she has left to do. She and rushes to join the group hug. She leaves her own light and gets drawn in to her dad’s, leaving behind her own source of comfort and accepting another. She’s finally allowing herself to open up and trust other people again, to seek other sources of comfort. And look at the way Vi instantly holds her, her arm is around Jinx almost as soon as she’s within reach.

And honestly the theme of not being able to outgrow Vander applies just as much to Jinx cause she’s arguably smaller than Vi in some ways and he dwarfs her just as much. And the way Jinx holds onto Vander’s finger, something about that totally reminds me of like…that moment dads have when their newborn baby holds their hand for the first time.

The look on Vander’s face here too is just chilling in the best way, the way his eyes harden just a little. He may not be all the way there thanks to Singed, but he’s there enough to to that his little girls are there with him. They’re okay, they’re alive, they both made it out. And NOTHING is gonna hurt them again, not so long as he draws breath.

And I couldn’t fit it here cause I hit the screenshot limit but the fact that Isha joins too and none of them even prompt her to. Because this is her family now too. The family’s not only complete but enhanced now. They’ve restored what was left of the family and even added to it with new family members.

And the song is just perfect, the constant “What have they done to us” playing in the background. The world has done so much, too much to everyone in this family. They’ve all been starved, beaten, and destroyed emotionally and physically. They’ve grown distorted, they’re no longer the people they once were. I like to think that the chorus is kinda reflecting what all four of them are thinking, they’re all just thinking “what has the world done to us?”

But despite it all, they’re still alive. They’re still here, and NOTHING is gonna tear them apart again, not even Noxians.

(Let me hope XD)

[rightpastnowhere]

more thoughts on TLOVM season 3 episode 3. still insane.

PART TWO: that TLOVM perc'ahlia scene, mostly in terms of its TLOVM context, with some campaign 1 comparisons

spoilers below the cut for TLOVM AND campaign one moments that will likely happen this season lol

her initiating this fling is fascinating to me. we all know vex has a fear of commitment and being hurt by relationships right? EXCEPT!! except, i think this is her trying to deal with that. which is insane but it makes sense for her in TLOVM. To Me.

cause like. in the first two episodes we have MULTIPLE close calls with percy, which are technically happening all in the same day?? and you have vex, who's admitted to a creepy fey and herself that her heart is not her own, who takes these, processes these, and says, "thinking i lost him even now was awful; if i start a relationship with him, it will only hurt me 100 times worse in the end. so i'll just fuck him casually and pretend i have no emotions about it whatsoever."

which i think can have TWO possible explanations, yknow beyond the way she's afraid of relationships and considering herself a bad omen - explanations that explain why sex is a line she's willing to cross before emotional confession, almost instead of it, whereas in the campaign she won't cross either.

one: she's trying to convince herself that she can just. make it casual. force it into something different, choke the feelings down until they fade away eventually. i don't have as many thoughts on this idea but it DOES bring me insurmountable pain to think about.

two: she's basically struck a bargain with herself.

after two episodes of multiple close calls with percy, it’s almost like she’s trying to wrestle herself into a deal. she looks at her hungry heart which doesn't belong to her anymore, and is terrified of the decision it wants to make, terrified of the idea of a relationship with percy that will one day crumble, and she says, “okay. one thing. we can have one thing. we can have a casual fling, some friends with benefits, we’ll know what it’s like to kiss him and have sex with him and even wake up next to him but that’s it. we’ll pretend we’re asleep in the morning. we’ll distance ourself from him the next day. we’ll pull back, keep enough of a barrier to not let him any closer, but sex can be casual, right? it doesn’t have to mean anything. it won't mean anything. it's casual.”

and even then it’s only “casual” in the sense that they’ve agreed not to say anything about how they feel. they both know how the other feels, they’ve said it in every way you could without explicitly saying i love you. percy downright admits that he feels something and knows there is something between them and he wants emotional connection. vex says that she cares for him, that she can’t say what he wants to hear, and that everyone she’s ever loved, it ends badly - implying, all but directly saying, that he’s one of those people!! she ends up admitting it even more directly than he does!!!! this is so sad it’s almost hilarious. they’re both admitting and committing to the facade of a casual fling. vex because she’s terrified, and percy because he would do anything for her.

she would rather have a facade of a casual relationship, would rather ask percy to help her lie, help her pretend this means nothing, even as she lies there and admits that it does mean something but she's too scared to let it become anything significant. and even that statement, where she refuses to show vulnerability, is showing so much vulnerability. she's trusting percy with this fear she's kept close to her chest, she's trusting percy with her fear of trust. asking percy to hold that fear and keep it safe, hold it close to his chest, right where his heart sits. where her heart sits, now. the amount of trust it takes to do that. the way those words had to be clawed out of her, only when she was lying down, hurt, and couldn't run anymore. she trusts percy with this thing she's only trusted her brother with, if that - and at the same time, she can't even trust herself with loving and being loved without ruining it all.

it’s like. if she doesn’t get too close, it won’t hurt as much when he eventually, inevitably, leaves. whether he dies or walks away or makes a deal with a demon or a death goddess or whatever, he will leave, because they always leave, and the further she is, the less distance she’ll have to fall from. the softer the landing will be.

and then, if this is going the way i think it is, if we are building up to glintshore and the resurrection, then it won’t be soft at all. percy is going to die, and it is going to hurt vex so fucking horribly, and the distance will have meant nothing. all it will do is give her less memories to hold onto, now that he's gone. she will not hurt for the size of the hole in her heart, but rather for the lack of memory she has to fill it. a hole torn further open by the weight of the breadth of love unspent.

and then they're going to try and bring him back. and she will beg for another chance to do it right this time. she will give him her heart and everything she has, because she tried to do the casual distance, and she's learned that it hadn't done anything but hurt the both of them.

but she's not going to make that same mistake again.

[stoicman-wbk]

What’s your favorite Wind Breaker arc?

OOH! So far, my favorite overall arc is the Post-KEEL arc!!

Windbreaker manga spoilers below!!

We immediately get sick Sakura and learn a lot about him and his home life during that scene. Like....this fifteen year old child is living all by himself in a crummy apartment with essentially NOTHING but the clothes on his back?? (This really shed new light on the fact that he'd been walking around in his school uniform prior to the semester starting. He literally had nothing else to wear.)

We also get to see how he reacts to his classmates' love and care for him!! And it was SO SAD how shocked he was. I think this was a super important stepping stone for Sakura's character development. Like, the first step into realizing that the way he'd lived before wasn't normal and that there are people who care for him.

And this realization immediately prompted him to seek out one of his upperclassman for help figuring things out! And he chose Kaji of all people, partly because it was Kaji who had called him out during the KEEL fight and also probably because he felt a sense of similarity with the other due to them both struggling to be vulnerable with others. And the whole talk with Kaji also left a huge impact on Sakura's growth.

And that prompted him to confront his classmates, which were the root of his issues. Because Sakura felt responsible for getting them hurt during the fight with KEEL. Because he felt he wasn't worthy of their love. And they immediately shut that train of thought down (as they should). And to show how sincere they were, all of class 1-1 dragged Sakura into an impromptu outing where they all shared their own fears with him so he wouldn't feel so alone 😭

And this prompted one of my favorite scenes in the arc, where Suo jokes/lies about his weakness/fear, immediately gets called out on it, and Nirei (the terrifying lil info gatherer) instantly digs up info on Suo. Cue the whole class teasing Suo about his fear of natto. lmao (it was SO funny)

And the best part? Seeing the teasing reversed onto Suo (the person who teases Sakura more than anyone) was so genuinely funny that Sakura got caught up in the moment and genuinely laughed.

And everyone was so in awe of the sight/sound that they couldn't help but stop what they were doing and just. Stare. Because holy shit, they made Sakura laugh. And it's such a precious moment ahhhh I am SO looking forward to this scene in season two. I wanna hear his beautiful laugh!!

So yeah, that's why the post-KEEL downtime is probably my favorite arc thus far. Just. So much love and care from everyone. So much growth for Sakura. He finally realized how loved he is & learned that he loves his friends too.

Thanks so much for this ask <3 And very sorry for the late reply!

[utilitycaster]

I'm at a similar place than you, I think, regarding Scanlan's departure in the campaign vs the show.

Do you think, however, that Pike's presence throughout the show is possibly why they didn't go for the more violent Lament that people were expecting? Her support with regards to Kaylie was, I think, a big difference from where Scanlan was in the game.

(Also kinda sad that we're probably not getting Taryon, though cutting him makes sense especially if season 4 is the last one)

So, if I recall correctly, Scanlan's departure was much more motivated by the fact that he'd died in the Thordak fight, again in the Raishan fight, and everyone mocked him in Ank'Harel for the whole spice situation (and more generally that he was genuinely terrified throughout the entire conclave arc). It also, out of game, was partly inspired by Sam wanting to play another character for a while! I believe Sam at one point said that Scanlan's intention was not originally to spend time with Kaylie but just to leave; he brought that up while lashing out at everyone because he brought up anything he could because he was hurt and angry and scared and full of self-loathing, and when Percy said "then GO SPEND TIME WITH HER YOU FUCKHEAD" it changed what he was going to do. So I don't think that changed it.

I think what changed it is that, to be blunt, a lot of things that work in actual play don't work well in scripted narratives, and this is really one of the first cases we've seen of an adaptation where the original is fully available as well (I never watched Adventure Time but I know it's based in part off the creators' D&D games). Like...Scanlan messing around with suude works in-game, but it's kind of underbaked if you look at it. It's the same thing with Glintshore, and D&D combat in general. It's the same with Scanlan dying multiple times, which was a factor in him leaving, and frankly that kind of was an issue in-game: the amount of resurrections Vox Machina had was fucking bonkers, and everything CR has done since has made it clear they want to tell stories where character death is much more possible, likely, and permanent, from Candela to Daggerheart to the choices made in C2 and C3. Like, I don't think "oh it's an adaptation" is an answer to everything and I don't think that's how you should address people who are disappointed, but I do think that the changes made are in service of adaptation. It is really hard to write a S3 TLOVM script where a Bard's Lament makes sense, especially since my guess is S4 will be the last season.

Perhaps an unpopular opinion but while I adore Tary, the stretch of episodes he is in is the weakest part of the campaign since the pre-Briarwood arc days and as mentioned it's hard to write him in in a way that makes sense. The Vecna arc in-game is narratively great, but Vax's death comes quite early and it's GRIM. It's essentially an extended dungeon crawl where no one really thinks they'll make it out. I think the cast, to be clear, was still having fun! But Campaign 1 ends where it should have ended; Vox Machina's exhaustion by the end is palpable, and I think the improv nature and slow pace (not a bad thing, usually) of Actual Play lets the audience tolerate things far longer than they will in a scripted narrative and S3 of TLOVM seems to be thinking ahead in a very smart way, despite some of my personal critiques of Vax in particular.

[cluelessbees]

Mike's Anxiety in Season 2

OKAY, I really wanted to explore/discuss Mike's anxiety in season 2. Specifically around losing Will. Because the show really focuses a lot on Joyce's anxiety but rarely does it touch on Mike's (even tho its clearly hinted at).

You can see throughout the season that Mike is really protective over Will. Whenever Will gets a vision and Mike snaps him out of it. He always hugs him the exact same way. Like outside the arcade and on halloween.

It's the same huge. I don't thing it's just a sign of comfort. I feel like its also Mike's way to coping. He's ensuring himself like I got him. He's here. He's holding him close because he's afraid of letting go and losing him again.

And if you think about it. It really makes sense because Mike was one of the last people to see Will. He disappeared after leaving Mike's house. There is a sense of guilt from that. And if you remember the next day of school, he was the only party member who felt something off about not seeing Will.

Everyone else brushed it off and so he did too. And he went about his day as normal, only to find out his gut feeling was right and that Will was gone. And that stuck with him. He was right and he ignored his gut. And in season 2 you sort of get a parallel to that moment when Will goes to the doctors.

The same thing happens where Mike has a bad feeling and Lucas just tries to reassure him its nothing/downplay it. But this time Mike doesn't ignore the feeling. It sticks.

Because he knows that the last time he ignored it, he was wrong.

Along with all this you also see how much more Mike panics compared to everyone else when Will is sort of unaccounted for.

Like when he finds him in Halloween he's FRANTICALLY asking if Will was okay. He even mentioned how he couldn't find him and that scared him. He was terrified that something happened to Will again. Same thing happens when Mike notices Will wasn't there when they were looking for dart. You can see the rush of panic flood through him. He is terrified.

Like– you can't tell me that in those moments he wasn't experiencing flashbacks to when Will disappeared.

And the next day at school, when Will didn't show up . We see Mike notice and we see how much it affects him. And, unlike season 1, the first chance he gets he calls their home.

And when no one answer, he plans to immediately head to their house the second school is over.

And he doesn't just ask nicely/quietly. he keeps pushing to see Will.

Is Will here? Is he okay? Those were the first thoughts that came to his mind. He wasn't even listening to what Joyce was saying. He just needed to see Will and make sure he isn't hurt (You can literally see him try and peer through the door).

I don't know it's just so sad to see how scared Mike is of losing Will! Like the events of season 1 really affected him mentally and I just really wanted to explore it more in depth.

[le-sapphic-artist]

Nevermore season 1 Finale spoiler below

Warning: more of my rambling just slightly more concentrated. Prolly delete later

Poppet when she makes an announcement was beautiful. Also the fact that she can just go BAM SHIELD HA HA FUCK YOU is crazy, I love it. Will got there strangely fast too. Was he lurking outside, was he already on his way, is his dorm really just that close??? William???????

ALL THE MISFITS FACES WHEN THEY HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENT AHHH MY HEART!! Pluto’s especially broke my heart. I think (my personal interpretation) was that Lenore was trying SO HARD to keep it together but just lost it when she heard the part abt the hunt. Did that give her a hint that it’s Theo?? Does she think she can stop it? Was it the Raven’s warning “you’ll be bones by morning”??? Did I miss smth and it was another thing he said??? THE PEOPLE WANNA KNOW

oh the look of terror that washed over Lenore when she heard abt the casualties. AND IT IS JUST ME OR DOES THIS

FEEL LIKE A PARALLEL TO ONE IF THE FIRST FLASHBACKS TO LENORES COTTAGE WHEN SHES BEING HELD DOWN??

AND THIS

FEEL LIKE A PARALLEL TO THE ANNABEL FLASHBACK WHEN SHES W HER FATHER AFTER SHE FOUND OUT ABT LENORE’S “DEATH”

AND THE MISFITS FACES WHEN LENORE WAS TRYING TO RUN!! DUKE LOOKED TERRIFIED, PLUTO LOOKED SO SORRY AND CONCERNED AND SAD BUT IN THAT DEAD AND TIRED WAY, EULALIE LOOKED SO DESPERATE TO KEEP HER THERE SO SHE WOULDNT GET HURT

also I’m sorry I have to make the joke: Theo being pissed abt his sister marrying a Brit CONFIRMED???

[choster33]

Gambit- X-men 97's Romantic Hero

I love Gambit and after watching X-men 97 I'm sure that he's a lot of people's favorite right now. After watching and rewatching, season 1 I think that the writers have set him up as the Romantic Hero which is not just that he's a main part of a love triangle which he is but Romantic in the Byronic literary archetype way of "possessing the qualities of being larger than life, enjoying suffering, being isolated from society, being always haunted by an unseeingly unidentified sin and is known for being quite cynical" according to Brainly.com. Not to mention having a long suffering love interest!

He is not in the series for a lot of time, but his arc through episode 5 and the impact that he has throughout the whole show is monumental. He begins with a splash looking hot in his iconic pink crop top. I mean, there are very few people who would make this look good and he really does. He also comes off as way more interesting than Scott who bores me to tears. I sometimes skip Scott and Jean stuff to be quite honest and that comes from Remy being a good guy, but not boring. He has a sense of humor, a sense of adventure, and an all around down to earth personality. He is a strong fighter and loyal X-men, but even from the beginning he is seen as charming, funny and right. There is less of a threat after Xavier's death and Scott, Bishop and Ororo did have it handled.

Then we get to the club and Gambit is the ultimate lover in that he pairs up with Rogue and then proceeds to look at her lovingly whilst telling her what any worthwhile man would do to be with her. Swoon.

Then we have episode 2 where Rogue and Magneto reestablish their connection. We may cheer Rogue for being able to touch someone, but look at Gambit's hurt and sad eyes. Long suffering relationship indeed. Romantic heroes seem to love suffering and what is more painful and self inflicted than falling in love with someone who can't touch, but also is full of insecurities about love and commitment. I love Rogue, but she's afraid of love and terrified of hurting someone else which shows in how she handles relationships.

Mon dieu, it's freaky Rogueneto telling him what he tells himself, his deepest fears. A good Romantic hero always has demons and haunted by past sins and who is more haunted by his past than Gambit. I have to say here that some people might be thinking who is more tortured than Magneto, but I disagree. Magneto has a dark past, but he thinks he's right. Whereas Gambit is wracked with guilt and feelings of not being worthy of being called a X-man and being Rogue's man. He grew up a Cajun swamp rat from a Thieves guild raised by thieves, assassins and other nefarious people and lived most of his life as a thief. What makes him interesting is the tortured guilt and modesty that Gambit has.

He goes to Genosha because he's jealous and wants to make sure that there is nothing going on between Rogue and Magneto. Magneto even says as much. He wasn't even meant to be there and might have been safe on Earth, but we know what happened to him tragically. Plus we see how he is not cowed by Magneto and willing to ask questions no one else is willing to ask. Another reason why Magneto is not the Romantic hero, is that he is mutant MVP in this show, the heir to the X-mansion and the X-men, asked to be king of Genosha, and etc. where Romantic heroes are on the fringes of society like Gambit, who is a hero as a X-man but not wanting fame, glory, or power like Magneto.

Kurt is so observant and sees instantly the connection the two have and calls Gambit out on being theatrical. Gambit calls himself a scoundrel and yet again dismisses the possibility of a happy ending for himself. Then we get that iconic line of "There is no love without sin. Love is best measured in what we forgive." Gambit again falls into the Romantic hero trope of thinking he is too low for love, but isn't going to necessarily change his ways, just accepts that he is on the fringes of society and all that entails. One of the things I love about Romy is their understanding about one another. They both have murky pasts and are filled with self loathing and self doubt. They are strong attractive X-men but they are best friends because they GET each other.

Oof, the breakup scene. How more Romantic and tortured was this? He showed how amazing a man he was by patiently listening to her tell her story and then at the end not blowing up at her or making her feel like shit, but just wanting the truth from her and showing how much it hurt him. He played the Swamp Rat, because a lot of that was a game, a way for her to feel OK with keeping him at arm's length, dangling on a string, never fully letting him in because intimacy was too scary.

It's scenes like this that make me wonder if they have touched before even accidentally because Gambit as a character is so self loathing that if she touched him even by accident, she is holding so much of that loathing in her which may be something contributing to her doubts. A part of comic!Rogue leaving Gambit in Antarctica was because she absorbed him and was filled with self loathing.

He is such a gentleman that he even kisses her hand and agrees to be friends. And granted that the Magneto and Rogue dance was hot, but that must have been torture for Gambit. Then our Byronic hero becomes a man of action and hot damn we get James Bond level action and heroics. He shows his strength and does whatever is necessary to save his lady. Despite his differences with Magneto, he doesn't petulantly sulk but does what is required of him because he is a hero at the end of the day. He is brave and selfless and chivalrous. He is giving old school knight chivalry here and I'm here for it.

Then my heart breaks as does every other viewer at the death scene and the "can't feel you" line. It's very soap opera-y and dramatic to kill him after breaking his heart, but here we are. Rogue is the long suffering love interest and most Romantic stories don't necessarily have a happy ending. He wasn't even meant to be in Genosha and because of love and circumstance ended up dying tragically as the ultimate hero. He died a hero's death dying to save thousands, but more importantly to save the love of his life.

In later episodes, his death is a catalyst for Rogue taking action and even turning darker. Her love for Gambit shows more when he is gone and is going to be a fundamental chapter in her life. One that might make her think twice about being commitment phobic and using her abilities as an excuse not to feel intimacy and how wrong she got it with Gambit. It was love, true love and she didn't see it until she was too late.

This may just be a chapter in their story and we may have more drama and angst with Deathbit in Season 2, but even dead Gambit was the troubled Romantic lead that made X-men 97 work and be so interesting. Episode 5 was my favorite and probably the best episode next to the finale and that's due to Gambit. We relate to him and feel deeply in his pain, self loathing, jealousy, and love of Rogue. I find Magneto interesting and Rogueneto is fun to read and write about, but Romy is the OTP and Gambit is Lancelot.