#he’s soooooooo Men Who Are Mother

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

today i’m thinking abt leonardo ikevamp :33

[crushedsweets]

Who are the people that Toby likes the most?

Natalie, Jack, and Ben!

Toby has known Natalie for about 5 years, and Jack for 4, and Ben for 3. ok now im gonna do long ass headcanons for their relationships bc im just soooooooo silly . .

toby and natalie knew eachother when they were at the height of like.. using murder as a relief/power trip. it was a really sick and fucked up thing to bond over, and it wasnt something either of them took lightly or as a joke. but it was something they did talk about, moreso 'let me tell you about my night' and they'd kinda just allude to the murder part of it. eventually, natalie stopped killing as much (and stuck strictly to freak weirdo men at bars/clubs who try taking advantage of ppl). toby doesn't have the luxury to stop bc he only did it when the situation/order calls for it.

they usually just lounge around together. watch trash reality tv, natalie was ashamed of her art for a while but toby loves getting her to show him her stuff. toby taught her how to axe throw and cut down trees. he helped fix up the barn she stays in so it's actually livable. he even got brian to help with shit like insulation cuz theres no heat/ac in it. sometimes he does her hair if shes having an awful night. she never had someone to brush her hair growing up, having no mother/sister/girl friends, and finds it to be insanely fucking relaxing. lulls her to sleep so quick. it reminds toby of lyra and he cried one time after she fell asleep from it. she never found out about it.

toby was the first proxy to be nice to jack. not that tim and brian were horrible to jack (only after he was . . 'tamed' i guess). but toby was the first one to like, bring him things, talk to him, actually attempt bonding. if tobys feeling lonely and natalies not in the mood to entertain, jack was almost always welcoming. ok maybe not welcoming in the like :) hiiii toby. way. but in the. 'ok yea whatever come in i guess' way.

jack used to cook a lot before he was sacrificed. now he doesnt have the same taste buds, and while he can eat human food, its all pretty bland to him. best he can enjoy is insanely spicy stuff, and thats more sensation rather than flavor. BUT TOBY. that fucking dude can EAT. he's brought like a fat steak and veggies and rice and random shit to jacks and asked him to make him dinner. and oddly enough jack was willing to do it. toby continued to do that stuff. jack didnt know about tobys CIPA for a while and was baffled when this white boy from rural colorado could actually handle the spice anytime jack made south asian food LOL.. ("how much spice do you want" "i dont care make it as spicy as you like" "toby are you sure of this" "yeah i can take it").

of the 3, toby is the least close to ben. mostly bc ben is best fucking friends w jeff and toby doesnt like jeff very much(who does?). plus toby figured ben was like a kid and wasnt exactly crazy about being besties with a 12 yr old. But then ben played some video games with him. ben doesnt really Act like an. ipad fortnite tiktok middle shcool type of kid so toby was like Oh he's cool i guess.!

they dont have much in common at all tbh, didnt have similar childhoods and toby didnt play many video games growing up. BUT toby finds so much joy in just having a fucking boyish childish fun stupid relationship where he could play video games and talk shit and eat like crap with yk. they have a very brotherly friendship and it's kinda weird for toby being on the big sibling side of something, but he's fond of it. they get into petty arguments about stupid shit, and went a while without talking bc toby punched jeff and jeff was bitching like 'uumm dont hang out with that prick' and ben was like lmfao ok. toby didnt even realize ben wasnt talking to him tho. . ("hey sorry i was avoiding u jeff was bitching" "u were avoiding me ?????")

[oldsargasso]

4 minutes ep 5 thoughts

can't believe we're over halfway through :( but how nice to be able to watch on iqiyi

a warning for flashing lights would've been good

bless. she played that perfectly because that was an expression every woman can recognise instantly but [straight] men have no idea

okay I love title's shirt. confirmation it's tonkla who takes him out then

the grass, the trees, it all has a very dream-like, unreality/hyper-reality in a way kinda feeling. the establishing shot of the grass just feels like a movie in an intentional way

omg they're glamping!! I thought it was a tent at the end of last ep but I didn't think it'd look like that lmao

[we haven't seen tyme wear a necklace yet have we? yet in the first visions of them having sex he definitely has one on. just thinking about it now because his shirt is like making it very obvious.]

they are soooooooo. I gotta go lie down on the floor. tyme straight up serenading great, the man does have moves. (where'd he get a guitar from? it came with the campsite)

the most insane thing is that they're both still wearing shoes and socks around. (<- might be assigning australian values here)

musician AU CONFIRMED.

just taking a moment to appreciate jes' acting. my goodness. my HEART.

NAN BACKSTORY!! bee I love you as well. miscarriage? oh damn. this is depressingly real. I hope Nan gets to burn everything down

the framing of tyme and great in these shots is so interesting. tyme always on the left, often higher. don't even need to mention the black&white.

why is what's on the picnic table so blurry or are my eyes going weird

"what if the next death is you?" "I don't have anything to lose." okay. pain.

I love Korn losing it.

oooohhh sa-marn. this is the one single thing I've liked him doing. (and not just because it means we get to see great's mother again 😍 the one sleeve look is perfect)

"the son of yours" number one thing not to say to your wife unless it's a cute joke

god great's even got a red number plate to match his car lmaoooo. actually surprising to me that his car doesn't have a GPS tracker or something. korn's gonna be waiting for great isn't he.

if it started as ~seducing great to get to his parents it's so far past that now. the look tyme is giving great….. the hand on the back of the neck. leave me here to die actually.

oh god this horror movie shot. oh lmaooo. den my guy. oh I don't recognise that dude hmmm. title?

great just straight up walked in front of that car. dude. if there was ever a time to be aware of your surroundings… oh it was korn so who cares. wait he's got a red number plate too, that does NOT match your car.

can't park there.

the man with his shirt unbuttoned down to his navel is taking about how serious this business is

there's that older brother "I'll do it so you don't have to" idc I live for this kinda stuff

honestly I thought korn was gonna be waiting inside great's apartment so that was way less intense than I was expecting lol

CLOCK'S BACK!!

OH MY GOD. holy shit great's dad is. incredible. awful. lovely little note that he said stay away from great before he said stay away from the company. (the like, heartbeat in the OST? gorgeous) take the money and then do your thing anyway, like what are they gonna do? call the cops?

I wonder if that's his maternal or paternal grandmother. it doesn't matter I just like knowing stuff

dude nan has been through it, let her have her revenge!! it's not like she's getting the 5 million so. I understand her.

aww manee's out of hospital.

korn getting slapped…you love to see it

since she mentioned her dad being powerful I am now assuming she and title are siblings lol. korn doesn't deserve this woman she should marry me instead

I'm way more into the idea of ep 4 being great's first time with a dude because that makes tyme blocking him now all the more delicious 😌

I wanna just. applaud all of this. the sound. the cinematography. the look on her face.

oh shit great's gonna get shot now isn't he

(did his mum kill korn's mum)

first flashback/flashforward in a little while. this guy is bold and dedicated to his job - nobody heard the first gunshot?

half of great's face covered in blood spatter….perfect. the clock has started.

hmmmm. okay. this better not turn out to all just be in great's head because that is the worst of all theories lol.

thank god den can recognise people from split-second glances he's the most powerful character ever

this is what tyme's wearing when he gets shot in ep 1. the BLOOD ON HIS FACE cutting in and out with the light? hellllloooo. next episode is tyme right?

[1eos]

reading anon's ask and ur response only serves to remind me how sickening it is for society to expect women and young girls to somehow be "naturally motherly caretakers instantly capable of taking care of children," to the point where mothers are considered the "default" parent and therefore the one expected most to do the child rearing while nothing is expected of men/fathers (in fact they are expected to be bad at parenthood which is why we have the whole "idiot dad" stereotype) 😐😐 reminds me of this reddit AITA where OP got sick of having her identity reduced to being merely a mother: she kept on getting gifts related to motherhood and nothing abt her own interests while her husband got gifts related to his hobbies/interests (like no father related items at all), which shows just how much the "the woman/mother is the default parent" crap has been normalized.

yeah....the 'all women are naturally amazing caretakers' is the bane of my existence tbh. the vagina to mother pipeline is getting a BIT better but the ideals are so ingrained in society it actually drives me crazy. and i saw that aita! that made me fucking sick like other adults in her life weren't even calling her by her name just 'mama'. 😭😭😭😭 i swear the more i hear accounts from women who have kids the more i feel like i would rather die than have kids. ppl really will act like you exist for nothing but popping out kids! dark sided! but this also raises my respect for ppl who DO have kids. like wow............you're made of sterner stuff

and speaking of reddit i feel like that's the easiest way to see just how fast ppl are to shit on a woman for not wanting to take a bullet for literally any child or infant on earth. they will light women UP for not wanting to swoop in and breast feed some other man's child regardless of how weird and manipulative he is abt it. a man could literally bring his children to a strangers house and if she's a woman someone will get mad that she didn't take them in and sacrifice her whole being to raise them when she didn't want to. it's VILEEEE

and even tho my family has.......issues.......i'm thankful p much everyone has seen my lack of """"""motherly warmth""""" from birth and accepted that it's not gonna change 😭 apparently when i was a kid i begged for one of them dolls that acted like a real baby and when i got it and it started crying i immediately asked my mom to get a refund lollllllllll. but even with this bare minimum im INCREDIBLY lucky like soooooooo many girls are basically being harassed by everyone around them to be a mother and if they're not perfect at raising a child they may not have wanted they get vilified.

which is my main problem tbh and shows that most ppl don't respect children like coercing ppl who don't want kids to have them and then do a BRUNT of the child rearing will inevitably negatively affect the kids? the kids you are so desperate for? 89% of shit around children i don't understand but it's like? by forcing ppl via societal pressure to have kids there's a slim chance these kids are gonna have the upbringing they need? and they think oh suck it up even if you resent having kids they'll suffer without you but they'll also suffer.........with you....bc you resent them? children are a gift but they don't raise themselves and the fantasy that everybody w a womb who don't want kids will change their mind when they look into the baby's widdle eyes is literally just misogyny lol

[gojuo]

ALSO (still me from the alicent anon lmao) people really aren’t able to consider the ever-so-famous historical context. they use it as an excuse all the time to ignore Daemon or whoever being total monsters but god forbid they actually remember that alicent wanting her own blood on the throne is actually a pretty good motive for a medieval queen. she really didn’t need much else as an excuse lol, why would she accept Viserys ignoring hundreds of years of tradition in the name of a “queens fix each other’s crowns🥰” mindset, like PLEASE. add to this the fact that her sons would legitimately be a threat to rhaenyra’s rule and therefore in danger, and that the only consolation queens got after living shit lives in service of men who used them as incubators was seeing their kids rule and she wouldn’t even get that. i would turn evil too after what she’s been through like, she literally was supposed to never win ever😭. the original motive for the dance to happen does make her a power-hungry character but the entire fucking point of the targ dynasty is that they’re power-hungry and ambitious and entitled so how would she be worse than everybody else? the prophecy excuse makes no sense, especially after that whole debacle of her disowning aegon because he’s a monster. and now she’s going to put him on the throne over her own morals?? obedience to her husband despite everything?? THAT’s her reason? THAT’s her redemption? i’ll continue rooting for her but what the hellllll. sorry for the rant <3

No but that's literally part of the job description ?? Being queen means being the mother of the next king??? That's literally a part of the job???? Or else you'd just be a concubine or a mistress not the legal wife of the king?????? Like having the queen's son be the next king is lit e rally what it says on the job application I dunno what to tell the Blackcels AND THE WRITERS because having Alicent misinterpret Viserys is just such a cuck reason to have her act, I agree with you. I mourn the cunning politician she was in F&B and who we didn't get in HOTD really... Her and Rhaenyra's friendship/"love"/whatever the fuck it was they had is just way too shallow or came across as way too immature for me to believe Alicent would just let Rhaenyra ascend after Viserys with Daemon at her side (the very reason why the Lords agreed to make Rhaenyra heir instead of Daemon!!!! Cuz no one wanted him on the throne!!!!!!)

You can rant to me all you like really, don't apologize. Would you mind if I rant also? This whole "women suffering from patriarchy" schtick Condal & Sapochnik have chosen to go for in HOTD instead of having women be the active players in the game is so .... patronizing to me. Like, we live in 2022 not 1822. Is there any Western woman suffering because of the patriarchy anymore? How the fuck is seeing women who are supposed to be queens act like headless chicks because evil men (who are in all technicality beneath them socially/politically/culturally, etc.) apparently oppress them and they are poor women who are stuck in this system while they are actually 2 women at the top of the food chain ... empowering? Alicent and Rhaenyra were active characters who went out and got what they wanted for themselves in F&B but in HOTD they get pushed around by other people while they 👁👄👁 all day. But yayyy! Having these two women who are at the top of the top of the social class be oppressed by "patriarchy" and "fighting against patriarchy" is soooooooo empowering, right? Instead of them being two cunning women moving the entirety of the Six Kingdoms whichever way they want because they want more power for themselves. THAT is empowerment to me. Women being allowed to just be characters that do both the best and the worst all in order for to achieve their own goals. Women taking active part in their own lives and their own fates instead of crying every single day about motherfucking "patriarchy" this and "patriarchy" that. Like .... come on ..... what kind of woman in the West actually buys into this lame "patriarchy" excuse in modern entertainment anymore?

[tellywoodtrash]

immj2 30+31.12.20 lbs

30.12.20

lmao ep starts off itself with vansh and kabir ka staring match.

vansh steady in first place, not having blinked for................ like 3 minutes now? this dude a fucking freak.

while riddhima gazes adoringly at him thinking bhagwaan ne mujhe itnaaaaaaaaaa achcha pati diya hai. pft. idk what the hell sins you did in your last life riddhima, to get a husband like this one in this life, but it had to be something reallllllllllll bad. like stealing from little orphans and kicking puppies or some shit.

thankfully dadi is here to put an end to this chutiyaapa.

countdown blah blah, no1 currrrrrrrrr.

itna pheeeeeeeeeenka happy new year. bhai-behen ho kya???

now we talking.

he just says some trite shit like new kahaani that will be remembered for ages blah blah and gives creepy looks. dude why can’t you be normal on oneeeee bloody day?

ahaana also giving random creepy looks seeing vansh/riddhima hugging. and she goes and............

i think i watch this show and rrahul a little too closely ki i instantly knew this isn’t his hand and thus it’s not vansh’s hand she’s holding.

yupppppppppp. bola tha na.

damn they make a hotass couple of shady bitches.

ok wow i’m really feeling it. wish kabir wasn’t a sociopath who is incapable of feeling attachment (“love” is too strong a word) for anyone but his mother.

lmao his reaction when ahaana tells him ki riddhima didn’t believe any of the pattiii she padaofied her about vansh.

ok but how do these two know each other??? matlab yeh le aaya hai issko? i thought vansh le aaya hoga?!!?

mereko kya kaunsa manhoos le aaya? i’m just here for the attractive ppl pressing their bodies up against each other. keep on keeping on, #KaHana

he’s warning her against ever double-crossing him and dude the angry/hate-sex vibes here are *~~~ExQuISiTe*~~~~

the way she’s confidently gazing at him all sexy tells me she’s a much more seasoned player than riddhima and i already love her more than the damn lead of the show.

damn. that’s a gnarly period you got riddhima. that’s an unusual amount of flow. go see a doctor about it, sis.

i’ve heard about ppl making art with menstrual blood and all, but this is fucking ridiculous.

anyway of course the dumbass goes investigating it. and got fucking attacked in the storeroom and SOMEONE HUNG HER UP. LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS MESSED UP HOUSE DUDE????/ WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU STILLL LIVE HERE????

Chehra Appreciation Break

asadkjasldjlaskdjlsakjdlas the way he’s yelling for everyone and interrogating them of their whereabouts coz riddhima’s missing.

lmao ishani and ahaana’s reactions at this temper tantrum are fucking amazing.

dang what’s with the suuuuuper orange lower half of his face???? ugh. the foundation woes are back now that the beard’s growing back in.

anyway he went barrelling off to find her after some more chabaaya hua dhamkis at his fam. ahaana already regretting moving into this pagaal khaana.

this scene is so fucking disturbing to watch that i don’t even wanna fucking cap it. but she was legit getting HANGED and he managed to get there in the nick of time and save her.

how, you ask? BY SHOOTING AT THE ROPE, INSTEAD OF JUST.......... DOING SOMETHING NORMAL LIKE RUNNING AND PUTTING THE STOOL BACK UNDER HER FEET TO STABILIZE HER. THIS SHOW IS JUST FUCKING BATSHIT INSANE, MY LORD.

this poor girl, my god. i don’t think i’ve ever watched a tellywood FL be tortured to the extent that this one is on a daily basis. it’s fucking ridiculous. there’s no redemption for any of the raisinghanias at this point. she just needs to fucking leave (and file several domestic violence cases against each and every one of them, except dadi.)

anyway she tells him whatever went down today, starting from the period blood fiasco onwards and he’s........ vibrating in anger. cool i guess.

some promises and shit about how who ever did this will pay, time for “humaara khel” and .......... dude. you say this shit every single time. and nothing changes. i don’t give a fuck anymore about your stupid promises. move the fuck outta this hellhole with your wife if you really mean it.

seedha jaake ahaana ke sar pe bandook taan di. based on what evidence? only the Good Lord above knows, coz vansh and the writers sure don’t.

no literally based on what is he accusing her and pulling the trigger??????? idgi??????

almost shot her and is saying “riddhima pe kharonchh nahi aani chahiye, baat ishq aur vishwaas ki hai” and ahaana is giggling and literally what the fuck is going on i’m so confused.

ahaana saying wowwwww, you want revenge also, and she shouldn’t get hurt also.

MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!! I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE’S THE ONE WHO BROUGHT AHAANA IN!!!!!!!!!!!!

literally what the fuck is this dude on???? badla chahiye, par dard nahi hona chahiye. bhai, kya phoonk ke aaye ho, humein bhi toh thoda de do.

ok this is tooooo fucking convoluted a game. riddhima thinks kabir is the one attacking her. but it’s kabir + ahaana. kabir thinks ahaana is on his side and brought her into VR mansion, but ahaana is double agent who was actually planted in kabir’s nazar by vansh to fuck over BOTH kabir and riddhima. i think?????????

ahaana be like re devaaaaaa, what fucking madness have i gotten myself into????????????? the things i have to do for health insurance coverage during a pandemic.

———————————————————————

31.12.20

first 5 minutes is some new year ka naach gaana bs. fwding.

ok this fucker is a legit motherflipping crazy. he just wants to keep torturing riddhima for god knows how long.

even ahaana is alarmed.

did he do absolutely noooooo research after the cliff chhalaang? like....... this revenge shit is so dumb at this point, when he knows she brought in vihaan to stop kabir from ruining the family, and took a second fucking bullet for him?!?!?!?!?!?! they shouldn’t have written the second gunshot plot point, coz now he looks like a reallllllllll unappreciative fucker for whom literally no good deed is enough.

WHAT PYAAR AND VISHWAAS, FUCKER???????? LITERALLY WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?????? YOU’VE PLAYED THESE GAMES WITH HER FROM THE VERY START OF YOUR MARRIAGE AND MAYBE TOOK A BREAK FOR A WEEK OR TWO IN BETWEEN - WHEN SHE GOT SHOT THE FIRST TIME AND DURING ISHANI’S WEDDING. THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT??????/ LIKE.......... THIS MAKES NO BLOODY SENSE. THIS CHARACTER IS JUST SUCH A SUPREME DOUCHEBAG, MY GOD. THERE’S ABSOLUTELY NO REDEEMING HIM WHATSOEVER.

also can’t say rrahul’s extra chabaaaaa chabaaaaaaa ke bolna is making this enjoyable to watch at all.

all i wanna know is what ahaana has on him that he’s indebted to her and thought her worthy enough to join forces with. SPILL SPILL SPILL SPILL!!!!!!!!!!!! what does ahaana get outta all this?!!?!?!!!!!!

riddhima on the other hand running around wondering whom vansh is gonna murder. SIS YOU JUST GOT STRANGULATED CAN YOU SIT DOWN FOR A HOT SEC AND REST?!?!!?!?

ahaana is like bro you gonna ruin riddhima’s life, and he’s like yeah, that’s what i want. jesus christ, dude. just divorce her then. why prolong this shit out like this????? truly psychopathic.

riddhima hears his voice and heads to the pool area..........

............. isn’t that his shoulder there behind the tree? is she fucking blind???????? HOW CAN SHE NOT SEE HIS 7 FOOT TALL HULKING ASS BEHIND THAT PATLA SA JHAADI?????? HE’S LITERALLY THERE LIKE........

........... she left. god. she’s really really REALLY stupid. like pretty sure these crimes against her count as extraaaaaaaaa bad....... like, pick on someone with your own brain capacity, vansh? leave the simple minded sis alone!

the only gift that’s acceptable from you rn sir, is divorce papers. and a self-filed restraining order promising to stay 3 whole districts away.

yikes, that beard is notttttt growing in well.

“tum mujhe apne saare stress de do.” BITCH YOU’RE HER BIGGEST STRESS. ASSHOLE. I HATE YOU SO MUCH.

“tumse door jaake jaaonga kahaan? abhi toh bohut kuch baaki hai.” fucking dieeee, you psychopath.

lmaoooooooooooooooo her face when she doesn’t understand wtf this gift is supposed to be. i’ve been there sis. trying to fake enthusiasm for some reallllll bad gifts from men is truly painful.

also she’s so dang cute when they let her use her face properly!!!!!! har waqt bechaari ko bass rulaate rehte hain iss show mein.

one ainvayiiii gift ke bahaane some random cuteness.

sis gazing at him some more thinking omg he loves me soooooooo much.

she remembered ahaana’s warning, and is like no she was lying to me!!!!!!!!! stupid stupid stupiddddddd. no matter whoever planted her, you should believe that sister over your haraami misters. motive jo bhi ho, bol toh behen sach hi rahi thi.

yuck that looks ugly af. why the hell would you want that on your bedroom wall? esp. when your bedroom is already so goddamn fugly.

anyway he’s gaslighting her some more about ahaana blah blah.

riddhima like i’ll prove it. le, iska jee nahi bharaa. she wants to do more jasoosi and go get stuck in random traps that try to kill her.

vansh promising he’ll throw ahaana and her partners out if she can prove it. meaning you’ll........... throw yourself out?????

whatever man, idk and idc anymore what this fucker does. i’m just here for the faces.

threatening notes planted in all these ppl’s rooms. everyone instantly like OMG VANSHHHHHHHHHHH DID THISSSSS. lol coz who else does this chutiyaapa of leaving random messages around like this.

but nope. chachi saw riddhima’s earring lying there and knows it’s her.

isko bhi mila.

lmao kabir rueing the day he set eyes on riddhima coz jeena haraam kar rakha hai ladki ne.

riddhima like mwahahahahhaha they must have got my notes and now they’ll come attack me! behen, woh toh note ke bina bhi roz karte aaye hain...............

there. promptly got jumped.

surprise, surprise.

lol attitude toh dekho behen ka. wish she was the lead of the show instead of riddhima.

[nastybuckybarnes]

A Broken Fairytale  -  Eight

Pairing: Prince!Bucky x Reader AU

Summary: Sold by your mother, you work as a servant for the King and Queen of Acadia. The Prince, much to his initial dismay, takes a liking to you. When a wicked woman intervenes, your life is nothing more than a prison sentence. With a war on the horizon and a betrothal to a missing Princess that he can’t escape, Bucky is forced to be the Prince -and King- that his father wants. A pawn in a bigger game than the two of you realize.

Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Violence, Injuries, 

Word Count: 2K

A/N: Soooooooo have this. :)

SERIES MASTERLIST MASTERLIST

~*~

“You grow restless, Child,” Erutan says from her spot by the window. You shake your head, smiling as Seileach licks your hand, her eyes playful and happy while her tail wags.

“I simply... feel as if something is missing from my life. I know not what it is and that bothers me.” She nods, smiling at you gently. “Go to town today. Gather some herbs from the old woman’s cart in the centre of town. I’ve been wanting to rest anyway.” You smile at her offer and bow your head slightly.

“Thank you. I have never been in Corona before. I have been wanting to explore the village.” She hands you a small coin purse and a little list.

“Gather what you can find. We can always go back together at a later date. But this is your journey. You must go alone.” You can sense a deeper meaning to her words but you've learned, in the few short weeks that you’ve been with the Sorceress, not to question her.

You smooth out the apron covering the skirt of your simple russet-coloured dress. Erutan had made it for you within the first day of you being with her. Her kindness and compassion towards you seem to be endless, and you cherish every moment of it.

With your head held high, you make your way out of the woods, small wicker basket in hand as you traverse the familiar path of moss-covered trees.

Above you, dark clouds roll in, signalling yet another storm is coming. You don't let that dampen your mood, not one bit. You’ve never been to the city, and your excitement is through the roof.

When the trees thin and soft chattering can be heard, you know you’re nearly there. You follow your ears until the trees are far behind you and people surround you.

It’s not like you expected it to be, that’s for sure.

The buildings are all run down and breaking, many people are sitting on street corners in nothing but rags and torn clothing, and the market square has only a few people at each stand.

You frown as you see some children huddled up on road, sharing a tiny sliver of what looks like mouldy bread.

Heart in your throat, you hurry over to the baker’s stand and buy two loaves of bread with the few coins Erutan gave you. You know she’ll be okay with it, besides, she has plenty of plants and herbs that she could trade if push comes to shove.

You crouch down carefully by the five children, smiling softly when they scoot away from you.

“It’s okay. I mean you no harm. Here, have these.” You carefully lower your basket, your heart breaking a bit as the kids gasp.

“I know it isn’t much, but it should last for a few days,” you whisper, handing them the bread. The eldest of the five, a young girl no older than eleven, takes the bread with a confused frown.

“Why? You wasted your money... why?” You shake your head and push the loaves into her hands.

“It isn’t a waste. Not to me. There’s nothing I’d rather spend my money on than the people less fortunate than me. You needed what this money could buy far more than I need it. Please, take them.” Tears fill her eyes and she nods, whispering a soft ‘thank you’ as she rips off pieces for the rest of the kids.

You’re about to stand up when you hear the metallic clank of armour. Slowly, you rise to your feet, head down and eyes trained on your feet as you try to find a way to escape without creating a scene. You turn to the side, fear filling you as you see the signature red and white of the Acadian knights.

“Not many would give all they have and more to the less fortunate,” a familiar voice says. You snap your head up, eyes widening as you see Steve. You nearly throw yourself at him, hugging him tightly and laughing softly.

“Steve!” He chuckles, spinning you around then carefully setting you back down on your feet. “We’ve missed you, (Y/n),” he whispers, pulling back to look at you with glossy blue eyes. You smile sadly and glance downwards.

“I’ve missed you all so much. I’m so thankful for what you’ve all done for me, helping me to freedom. I... I can’t thank you enough.” He chuckles and squeezes your shoulder.

“You’re family to us, (Y/n).” Your heart fills with warmth and you swallow the lump in your throat.

“What are you doing in Corona?” You ask, changing the subject. He sighs and glances around before leaning in closer to you.

“Many reasons. I’m here with Bucky and Sam to discuss business with the King, see if there’s anything to be done to prevent a war. Rumlow said he was on official business from the King, probably looking for you, if I’m being quite honest.” You shiver and look around, trying to find the man that wants you dead.

“I should... let you go then, I suppose,” you whisper, not wanting to leave one of the only friends you’ve ever made in your life.

“He misses you, (Y/n). A lot. Not a day goes by where you aren’t in his mind. He’s different since you left.” You sniffle, desperately fighting the tears that threaten to break free.

“Stay safe, Steve. I’ll miss you.” He nods, leaning forward and kissing your forehead.

“I’ll miss you too, (Y/n). You take care of yourself. And if you ever need anything, and I mean anything, don’t hesitate to write to me. Use a different name if you must, but if you need anything, I’ll be there.” You smile, a single tear sliding down your cheek as you step around him and hurry back the way you came, emotions overwhelming you.

Steve sighs sadly, watching you rush away before turning and heading to the Palace.

He tries not to look at the people in the city, saddened by the poverty around him.

When he makes it to the Palace gates, Bucky and Sam are waiting for him, the former with a scowl on his face.

“I want to get this over with. Let’s go,” He snaps. Steve and Sam exchange glances then follow the brunet into the Palace.

Bucky heads straight to the Throne room where he knows the King is, while Sam and Steve linger behind.

“You go ahead. Make sure he doesn’t say anything he’ll regret,” Steve says, smiling as the man rushes after the young Prince.

Steve takes his time walking around the long-forgotten halls of the Corona Palace, stopping when he hears a voice singing a shockingly familiar song.

“.... where the moon is made of gold, and in the morning sun we’ll be sailing...” The Queen seems to fade out of her daze and smiles sadly at Steve.

“Hello, Steven. It has been a while.” He nods, offering her his arm, which she takes with a bow of her head. “We have a war on the horizon, don’t we?” She asks softly, a faraway look in her eyes. Steve sighs and nods, “we do, most likely.” She nods, humming to herself.

“My daughter is probably so very beautiful. You know, when she was born we had a sorceress give her a necklace. It’s enchanted with a spell and engraved. It allows only her to touch it. It burns those who try to take it. We figured it would be something good for her to have, in case she ever found herself lost. It hasn’t seemed to help, though...” She trails off and looks down the hallway while the blood drains from Steve’s face.

“Y-you say she had an enchanted necklace?” He asks weakly. The Queen only hums, pulling him further down the hallway. “The King grows weary. He knows that we cannot stop the war. We will fall, and there is nothing that can be done until my daughter is found.”

“Your Majesty!” A female voice calls. Steve glances over his shoulder, smiling sadly as Pepper rushes down the hallway.

“Come, we must bring you back to your room.” She takes the Queen’s other arm and Steve watches as the two of them walk down the hall towards a series of doors.

He turns on his heel and sprints out of the Palace, desperate to find you and bring you to the Palace where you belong.

~*~

You approach the cottage, a smile on your face as you remember Steve’s kind words.

The forest around you is eerily silent, but you pay no mind to it, simply putting it to the oncoming storm. When you reach the cottage, you know something isn’t right.

Seileach isn’t rushing out to greet you the way she normally would. You hesitantly push the door open, dropping the basket to the floor and holding your hand to your face at the scene before you.

Erutan is crumpled on the floor, blood dripping from a gash on her forehead.

“Erutan!” You cry, sliding to your knees in front of her and fluttering your hands helplessly around her head.

“Run, child. I’ll be fine. It’s you they’re after. You must leave. Head for the Palace and don’t look back. Seileach and I will be alright, don’t worry. Just run. Run and don't you dare look back.” She pushes you with a surprising amount of force and you stumble back, grabbing handfuls of your dress and turning to sprint out of the cottage.

You’re running as fast as you physically can, fear pushing you harder than you thought possible as you jump over roots and fallen logs.

“I hear something! This way!” A man’s voice shouts from behind you. You run faster, adrenaline and absolute terror filling you as you run through the familiar trees.

You can hear them gaining on you, and you can’t help but glance over your shoulder.

The Acadian colours are running after you. Men of the King, no doubt. The one’s Steve was telling you about.

Your foot catches on a fallen tree and you go spiralling to the ground, catching yourself on your palms. A sharp pain shoots from your right wrist and you wince, pushing yourself to your feet and starting to run again.

It’s no use, though. In a matter of steps, the heavy body of a man is bringing you down to the ground.

“Thought you could get away, didn’t you?” A man pants in your ear, his warm breath on your neck making you want to throw up.

“You’re a pretty little thing, aren’t you?” He rolls you onto your back and grins a yellow smile at you. You struggle against him, thrashing in his hold as he brings his hands to your throat.

He presses hard, cutting off your airflow. You reach up and claw at his face, scratching red trails that blossom with fresh blood.

“Fuckin’ bitch!” He snarls, lifting one hand only to bring it down hard against your cheek, your fighting lessens for a moment of bright pain before resuming.

He continues pressing hard on your windpipe and your vision grows dark, your struggles gradually ceasing.

You’re about to give up and succumb to the comforting darkness when his weight is suddenly lifted from you.

You roll onto your side, panting and gasping for breath, your vision slowly returning to normal enough to see two figures quarrelling on the ground not five feet from you.

You push yourself onto your forearms and catch your breath, squinting to try and make out the two figures in front of you.

You catch a glimpse of a familiar head of blond hair and your eyes widen.

Steve.

You stand up, stumbling a few steps as your heart furiously pumps blood to your head.

You’re about to call out for Steve when you’re suddenly being grabbed from behind, hands covering your mouth.

Two more men join in on the fight and Steve’s quickly overpowered, crumbling to the ground in a heap after a particularly nasty blow to the head.

“Bring her back to the old witches cottage. I wanna take my time defiling her and I want the Prince here to watch,” the man who was strangling you says, a wicked grin on his face as he watches you struggle against the arms restraining you.

~*~

[matriarchcomputer]

ASKS about Bohdan Stashynsky & Defecting (update 4-29-20)

anonymous asked:

There's a good biography by a real life KGB defector called 'Next Stop Execution' that goes into detail about life as a KGB officer/double agent and the writer's ultimate decision to defect to the West in the 1980s and how he goes about doing it. About 10 years after publishing the book and 20 years after defecting the Russian government still tried to poison the guy. Life as a KGB defector would never bring anyone peace.

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll have to take a look at the book. Sounds like defecting would make Illya’s life far more difficult! Doesn’t sound like there would ever truly be a win scenario for him… he’d always have to look over his shoulder… I wonder what would motivate him to believe defecting was his best option….

anonymous asked:

Look up Bohdan Stashynsky. He was a real life KGB agent and assassin who fell in love with an East German woman and defected to the West with her just before the Berlin Wall went up.

Thank you for this!!!!! I read so much about him because of this ask and let me tell you it’s so interesting! And now it gives possible context on Illya defecting! And now I want another movie that explores a situation similar to Bohdan Stashynsky! Thx!!!!

anonymous asked:

Okay, now I'm convinced the TMFU 2015 writers were at the very least familiar with Stashynsky and loosely based Illya on him. The KGB's boy-wonder agent/assassin at only 24, the checkered family history, the cyanide spray gun gadget, the proficiency in German, doing a moral/political 180 the second he meets the person he would marry... If the writers didn't know about him then that's just one massive coincidence.

I’m starting to think they based Illya partly on Stashynsky as well! It’s too perfect. It just seems to fit! It seems like that was part of their inspirations for 2015 Illya. I can’t believe it was a coincidence—it just fits so well! Now I’m going to muse more about Illya’s psychology with Stashynsky in mind…

anonymous asked: 

There's a book about Stashinsky called "The Man with the Poison Gun". It goes into the details of his life and how so many young men were blackmailed into working for the KGB. In many cases it was spy/murder for the KGB or your entire family goes to prison. A lot of them had no choice. No wonder so many tried to defect, even if certain death was the punishment for getting caught.

Thanks, anon!!!!! That’s so intriguing! I learned about the young men being blackmailed into working for the KGB because Armie mentioned something about it in an interview; he said for the backstory of Illya, that the KGB threatened that if he didn’t work for them, they would do to him and his mother what they did to his father or worse. So at a young and vulnerable age, Illya was forced to make a profoundly difficult choice. To keep his mother safe, he would have to become the KGBs best weapon.  It’s understandable that Illya reacts the way he does when Oleg threatens him. And it’s even more understandable that he would want to defect… I’m presuming he wouldn’t defect if his mother was still alive, that way they couldn’t threaten to harm her to get to him. If she was still alive, would he be able to take her with him and still keep her safe? Even with defecting, there would still be no way for Illya to escape his past, the KGB, or what he became, would there?

anonymous asked:

Illya's (successful) defecting might not have been all doom and gloom. Plenty of agents on both sides successfully defected and lived normal lives, even if they had to look over their shoulders a lot. However, this would have depended on the agent's willingness to give up any and all info to the competing agency in exchange for asylum, protection and new identity. Everything they knew about their home agency's org chart, past missions, technology, moles, etc needed to be offered up. This info was often released to the media to embarrass the defector's home country who couldn't keep their own agents in order. Illya and Uncle are fictional so maybe in that universe he could defect to Uncle and not have to sell his soul and humiliate his home country in exchange for safety and maybe so long as he kept his mouth shut and didn't make the USSR look bad or give away all her secrets in the public sphere he'd be left alone.

This is very interesting! I like the idea of Illya defecting to UNCLE and seeking refuge with them. I don’t think Illya would humiliate his home country; I think he still loves home despite the situation. I wonder where he would make his new home though? Where would be relatively safe? Thanks for this information! I’m learning so much!

I bought the e-book of man with the poison gun after your stashinsky post because I'm way bored and wow, crazy parallels. My favorite -His east berlin wife had a dad who owned a garage and was a mechanic and she really did not like russians or being in the east but fell for her spy boyfriend anyway. I'm shook. Do we think this means the writers intended for Gaby/Ilya to get married had this been a franchise??? my gallya heart can't take it!

Oh, Oh, OH, WOW! ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS!!!?? The parallels though! That’s just too similar! I’m so convinced that Guy Ritchie knew about Stashinsky’s story! Now that you tell me that then yeah I think the writers were intending Illya and Gaby to be a series relationship!!! OW! My heart. This information is soooooooo good thank you!

[lessy86]

Madness of Love Vxofc Fanfic Ch.2

My My My! I am soooooooo happy that you like my fic so far. I have to continue. I probably gonna post this fic on AO3.org or wattpad.com or both. Also give a shout out to @thedyingmoon, @la-vita, @bianca41083, @light-dying, @heaven-on-a-landslide, @one-equal-temper @minteyeddemon, @my-joys-and-desires  @daemongal, and all others who followed me. Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart through the depths of my broken soul. I love you guys. Now let’s see if Dr.V can break these walls of mine, shall we?

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V’s Pov:

Five minutes earlier

This woman is a Goddess. No poems that I’ve read could even describe of what a true beauty that she is. My heart beats a lot faster than I ever expected. I can almost see myself in the future with her.  

“Dr. Sparda”, The warden broke me out of my daze about my new patient. I have to focus. I can’t afford to lose my job because of my feelings. 

I turn to the warden next to me, “Is that Celeste?”

“Yes, that’s her. She’s not used to open up to new people. Are absolutely sure you want to talk to her, Dr. Sparda?”, The warden turned to me when she asked me that. I nodded my head yes with determination. I want to get to know Celeste. I want to break down her walls and see if she could start trusting me. I have to try. 

I open the door to our private session and saw her turn to look at me. She is far more beautiful than I could ever imagine. She turned away to look back at the window. I shut the door and walk towards the empty chair across the table from Celeste. Well then, let’s see how sturdy your wall is, Celeste.

Celeste’s Pov:

This is my new male psychiatrist? This guy? He should be in the super model business than work in a place like this! He is very handsome, I’ll give him that. There’s gotta be the catch. I don’t really trust him one bit. He probably one of those guys that I’ve met that likes to make promises and then breaks them. I’m just an ideal to them. No way. I should not be doing this with this man. I can’t afford to get my heart broken again.

What is that warden trying to do? Is she really trying to test me with him? Come on now, Warden. You know better than that. Hmph. He better not play fire with me cause I can have him crying like the other male psychiatrists who are bunch of pussies. Oh great, now this guy really staring at me. Guess it’s time for me crush all hope he has to get to me.

Third person’s Pov:

V sat down at the table a cross from Celeste and looked at her file. He then looks back at her and stare for two minutes.

Celeste turned to look at him annoyed, “Are you gonna just stare at me all day or are we gonna get this session over with?”

“My apologies, Ms. Celeste. My name is Dr. Vitale Sparda, your new psychiatrist. We should get started right away. How are you feeling right now,” V asked her. 

“I’m alright I guess. It just boggles my mind that you’re Dr. Cara’s replacement. I hate to disappoint you, but I don’t like talking to men like you”, Celeste scowled as she fold her arms to her chest.

V chuckles, “Men like me, huh? Why you don’t want to talk to me or any other men, Ms Celeste?”

“Because I don’t trust them.”

“And why you don’t trust them?”

“Because they are like dogs without a leash and fuck everything in sight. To them, I’m an ideal.They have no heart or compassion of what I feel. They tell me about one thing and then they turn around do the next. That’s why I don’t trust men at all.”

“Does that include your father? You trust him, don’t you?”

Celeste glares at V, “My father made a mistake when he went overseas. He had no idea what kind of hell my biological mother put me through. So he made it up to me by taking care of my daughter while I’m here. I don’t care what you say, because there will never be another good man in the world like my father.”

Oh how wrong you are, my dear, V thought as he smirk at her, knowing that he’s pushing her buttons. He takes off his eye glasses and looks deep at her chocolate brown eyes, “I understand what you’re going through. But it’s not a mistrust that I’m seeing in your eyes, it’s longing. And you’re fighting it right now. I want to help you, Ms. Celeste.”

Celeste shook her head in denial and got up from her chair, “No, I don’t need your help! You don’t know shit about me! You have no idea what I’ve been through and if you have the slightest idea of what I’ve capable of and why I’m called the black Harley Quinn, you will stay the hell away from me!” Celeste opens the door and ran to her isolated room.

V knew that this might happened. She’s running away as her walls starts to crumble. He’s not gonna give up without a fight, oh no. He’s gonna help Celeste whether she likes it or not. She just needs to be tamed the right way. She won’t get away this time because the black Harley Quinn will meet her Joker real soon.

[hellolittleogre]

Billy Goody Jane Eyre AU

@lazaefair wrote a wonderful not!fic Billy x Goody Jane Eyre AU, which you can find here, and it was amazing and then my brain went but what if Goody was the mad wife in the attic? Because Wide Sargasso Sea is a thing. And then my brain went BOOM and spat this out.

Thank you @lazaefair for the inspiration, it was really fun writing this and I hope you don’t feel like I’m playing all over your sandbox.

The not!fic is under the cut because its a lot.

Soooooooo, it struck be that of course the real touchstone for this would not only be Jane Eyre, but also Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys about Bertha’s life before the attic, and the Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, about a woman who marries for love but her husband is a abusive and a drunkard.

Goodnight is the rich spoiled son of a Creole family on Jamaica who runs away with his brother to fight in the America civil war (they have family in Louisiana), he admires his brother and has always done what his he did. The brother dies and Goody becomes a celebrated sharpshooter but still comes home a disgrace, fighting for the losing side,  severely traumatised and having made friends with Sam Chisholm a free black man, and with alarming notions about equality and slavery.

The family marries him off to Bouge as quick as they can with a fat dowry and no questions asked. (Same sex marriages exist with the proviso that the leading partner is allowed to have one official mistress in order to have an heir, or the couple can joint decide to adopt a child).

Bouge, a nouveau riche robber baron is at first elated over such a social coup, a status spouse, old money, beauty plus the official allowance to have a mistress in order to get an heir but soon he realises he has been cheated. Once the honeymoon is over and they have settled on his new estate in England he realises the extent of his mistake.

Goody is too frail, too obviously damaged to help him get ahead socially and it's a scandal to have a mad husband, can’t even fulfill his marriage duties because he is so mentally frail (Think pretty vulnerable Ethan Hawke in the mid 90s), Bouge finds this unacceptable.

Goodnight has written letters tightly to Sam during the first year as married, trying to put on a good front (elements of the Tenant of Wildfell hall), too proud to admit mistakes. He tries to have optimism, maybe Bouge will have a child and the act of raising it will bring them together. Surely Goody is just to sensitive to his meanness, tries to be a good partner but Bouge will have none of it.

Then he has a bad period and Bouge locks him away, writes to Sam and tells him Goody has asked him to cease writing it that his emotional state is too easily upset to undertake this task himself.  Sam insists that Goody writes and Bouge gets pretty nasty.

“If you knew how he begged me, your attentions upsets him and you are a constant reminder of his unhappy past. I would not be so I gentlemanly to make further reference to your history but cease this contact, if only for the sake of the one you profess to love so.”

Sam realises he has to play the long game.

Meanwhile Billy has grown up in an orphanage, the son of a woman who came to work as a servant to a British explorer. The man was working and collecting in China, and even managed to gain entry to Joseon, where he took the woman on as houskeeper. When his mother died the man took Billy in out of good will and when he suddenly died too, Billy was bundled along with the rest of his belongings to his family back in England. The family was expecting a white child and are besides themselves when Billy shows up, it might be implied that the explorer had fathered him (he hadn't, Billy had a very loving father who unfortunately also died. If anyone feels all this dying is unrealistic I would please refer you to Elizabeth Gaskell). Billy is pushed off as quick as they can to a school. He is very learned due to the old gentleman and becomes a very good student. When he is grown he advertises as a tutor. The boys home taught him how to fight, he makes two friends a brash Irish boy called Faraday, illegitimate child and Vasquez, nephew of some Spanish noblewoman married to an English lord (everyone’s an orphan! see: Gaskell)

Billy has been working  as a tutor for a while when he meets Bouge, he wants a governess for a little girl but changes his mind when he finds Billy.

Billy is curious as to why,  as it turn out Adele his ward is half Vietnamese, her mother a French-vietnamese dancer who used to be Bouge’s mistress and Bouge figures one Asian is as good as another.

Adele is as vain and silly as she is in the book and Billy kind of loves her. Her airy head has lots of space for learning. She speaks french and english in a charming unselfconscious mix and Billy was worried how they might talk to each other but in the end he finds that his old tutors were right, the language of arithmetic is universal.

She is not Bouge’s daughter, his mistress in Paris left him and he killed her new lover and stole her daughter to torment her. She is now destitute in Paris and he sends her letters now and then to remind her that her daughter is entirely at his mercy.

He tells Adele that her maman is dead,.

Billy hears somebody crying at night. Adele is terrified of the crying ghost but later calms down,  and when Billy asks after a couple of days she says the ghost is telling her fairy stories in French and he's not dangerous, only sad. Billy is kind of bewildered by this. Sees a man spying on him in the library, looks like nobody in the household.

Bouge has come back, Billy startles his horse, and he twists his ankle and Billy has to help him home, Bouge says that he owes him entertainment for being responsible for his incarceration. There is something hungry in how he looks at Billy. Sends for him in the evenings and talk to him.

Taunts Adele, Billy tries telling himself that it is playfully.  “that's how she charmed the money straight out of my pretty pocket”. Pinches her nose and cheeks just a little too hard

Billy is teaching Adele how to fight and Bouge watches them, silent and approving, eyes roving over Billy. Presses him a little. Mentions in passing that he is dependent on him, that without reference he would never be hired again, and then how will he live. No relations and no means?

Flirts a little and makes promises, comes down one evening with his face scratched, “by an owl” but you'd always be sweet to me? It makes Billy smile. It's nice to be wanted.

Billy hears the ghost crying at night, sees a white figure in the hallways.

Then as a cold shower Bouge invites a party of similarly ranked men, McCann and Denali, hints that he might be engaged to McCann. That he might ruin Billy and leave him on the street. Your reputation is in my hands, you can never leave me.

Billy meets the ghost man. Himself and Adele are exploring the garrets when he hears a voice singing a drinking song, they can't decide from where the sound is coming from but Adele is not afraid, it is the Goodnight man, he helps me sleep. He speaks French like maman.

Eventually Billy, pretty stiff with fear at this point though he would never admit it, finds a little crawl space that leads into another stairs and they find Goodnight. (Goody is kept in a room which is bolted not locked from the outside and his nurse often dips into the laudanum and he goes wandering.) He is beautiful and confused, flitting between lucidity and imagination but the more Adele and Billy talks to him the steadier he becomes.

Goodnight are convinced they are figments of his imagination. A little girl as he imagined at the beginning of the marriage. To tell stories to and never never go to war. And their shared features convinced him, Billy and the child with the same dark hair, mere reality could never conjure anything so beautiful.

They meet at night, both of them still not convinced the other is real. Adele calls him The prince in the tower after the story of Richard III nephews and Billy secretly agrees.. Billy wakes up one night to find Goody at the foot of his bed, looking terrible. He startles and goes looking for him. Follows him into Bouge room and finds a candle overturned, saves him from the flames.

Bouge proposes the next day.

Billy accepts, he's tired of being at somebody else's mercy and charity all the time. Bouge is not too unpleasant to look at, his attention is flattering and being a married spouse offers a hell of a lot more protection than he ever thought he would have.  So he accepts.

(Bouge plans to marry him so he can become his legal guardian and force him to be his assassin, plus Billy is hot)

Meets Goody and tells him he is going to stay, and that they will have more time together. Omits to mention that it's because he's getting married. He feels reluctant to tell Goodnight that.

Billy brings wine up one night and becomes terribly drunk and kisses Goodnight. The last little bit of freedom I have left.

Adele tells Bouge about the ghost and Billy tries to downplay it and when Bouge won't be deterred he makes up a story about seeing a woman in white, an interred nun. However it makes Bouge confine Goody more securely and they can't meet anymore. Billy is smart enough to understand he can't let Bouge know he and Goody know each other.

The night before his marriage he hears Goodnight wailing in the tower, like a banshee or a condemned soul.

Sam and Red show up to stop the wedding. Sam has been living in the Indian territories (Bass Reeves!) and befriended him and finally has bided his time enough to come to Europe and track down Goodnight (they have agreed to go on a Grand Tour if it turns out Goody is fine), Bouge tries to say that he is dead but Billy puts two and two together and alerts them of Goodnight in the tower.

“There he is,” Bouge says with disdain, Goodnight white and crouched at the far end of the room, “Who would not change a vulture for a raven? Look at him, so hale and beautiful, who can blame me?”

Red and Sam bring the family lawyer who concludes that its not lawful for Bouge and Billy to be married but equally since Goody must be seen as mentally deficient its perfectly fine for Bouge to keep him locked in the attic. Like y’know, no problem.

Sam and Red tries to resist but are powerless to help, Bouge locks Goody away, very upsetting scenes between Goodnight and Sam, fighting to get to each other.

Goody comes to Billy’s room at night, tells him he has to go, go Bouge plans to do something terrible to him (possibly lock him in the cellar?) Billy doesn’t want to leave but has no choice, Goody refuses to follow him. Without me you have a chance but if I come with you Bouge will never stop hunting us, besides he has the law on his side if he chooses to bring me back while you can go where you chose and have full protection of the law.

Billy flees in the night and ends up on the moors with Faraday and Vasquez, who are living together in a cabin (coincidence!)

They plan to go back and free Goodnight (and Adele) but before that Billy finds out that the explorers family has all died and he is the sole heir, he is now rich enough to take up the fight against Bouge. He hears Goody call for him in the night.

They prepare but as they are travelling back the hear that the whole house has burnt down and the poor madman in the attic perished in the flames. Billy goes over to kill Bouge but instead finds Goodnight, the house (mysteriously!) caught fire (some say they saw a man with a bow and arrow but such talk is nonsense surely?) and Bouge died in the flames. Goodnight was rescued and inherited the lot.

Then they all live together and are disgustingly rich. They send for Adele’s maman and Emma comes to be Adele’s governess.

FIN

[aphrodite1288]

I just don't get it but actually I hate it when those STUPID fanfic writers write some goooood fanfics abt kAiSoO but instead make Kyungsoo as a GIRL???!!!! I mean WTF IS WRONG WITH U?? They do ship KAISOO but not in a gay way... But in a way in which they do want to see Kaisoo but with Kyungsoo being a girl to satisfy their HOMOPHOBIC HETERO STUPID FANTASIES! That's what is called "Fetishizing" them n not actually really sincerely loving n supporting them n their relationship! If ur HOMOPHOBIC and into HETERO STUFF Why bother shipping Kaisoo if ur gonna ship them not as BoyXboy but instead as a straight couple?? Becuz WUT THE FORK?? They're born men. Kyungsoo is a GUY n he is so happy to be a perfect one so does Jongin. And he is set as the best example for a caring, loving and cute man/husband to Jongin (yeah choke me! I KNOW U HATE IT BITCH) but seriously!! JONGIN LOVES KYUNGSOO BECUZ HE IS "DO KYUNGSOO" and JONGIN MAYBE IS "GAY" BECUZ THE FUCKN KYUNGSOO IS A FUCKN "MAN"!! BECUZ IT CAN'T BE CALLED A GAY OTP IF IT'S MENXWOMAN?? SO WHY THE FORK MAKE KSOO AS A WOMAN?? OR CALLING HIM WIFE INSTEAD OF HUSBAND IN FANFICS OR IN SOME REAL COMMON TALK WITH KAISOO SHIPPERS??? I get soooooooo annoyed when I talk to some Kaisoo shippers n they always believe n address Kyungsoo as Jongin's wife??? Excuse me?? Jongin maybe changed his WHOLE GODDAMN FUCKN sexuality JUST FOR KYUNGSOO BEING A MAN!! So STOOOOOP referring to him as a woman in fanfics or making Kaisoo Hetero fics! Like really I hope u'd stop writing them, it's so annoying when I read a fanfiction n find y'all referring to Kyungsoo as a "SHE". Plus Jongin is NOT GAY if Kyungsoo is a GIRL?? DUH??!! Plus why do y'all refer to Kyungsoo as a wife? OK a mother in Mpreg that is acceptable becuz every creature that gives birth is called a mother. But a wife instead of husband? Hey! It could be the other way around! It could be that Kaisoo in their real life are the complete opposite of what YALL fantasize!! (u know wut I mean :3 ) KAISOO might be SWITCHING HOW ABT THAT?? But some Kaisoo shippers are so annoying that they get all disgusted n Homophobically panicking when they read bottom jongin or topsoo or switching Kaisoo! I mean we don't know what's going on in their bed tho? *loud finger clap* I mean y'all have to support n love Kaisoo in all aspects n expect them in many positions not always Bottom soo n dominant Jongin or not accepting SWITCHING Kaisoo ! I mean they maybe switch who knows??

(✖﹏✖)

My point is we must support them in all aspects n in all the ways not just the way that satisfies our fantasies.Becuz if we don't, then if Kaisoo would ever have to come out to the public one day for example as a Switch couple or as Top Soo instead of all wut u fantasize, then I'm sure many would stop supporting them n get disgusted n so homophobic n I've seen this with my pure eyes! And I'm here to tell everyone who thinks of stopping supporting Kaisoo if they come out different to wut they think, that you're not real Kaisoo shippers instead you're just fetishizers! It's okay not to like Top Soo or cute bottom Nini or switch Kaisoo, but just don't get disgusted by it or stopping ur support for them if they really are, becuz u never know wuts in there in their private life?? And I'm sure they would be sad to know that their supporters would stop being by their sides if they come out differently to what fans think or fantasize about! So yeah.. It's totally fine not to like it but don't stop ur support to them n u must come to learn to love them despite the type of the sexual life they have.

I mean I can tolerate all that. But the KAISOO HETERO FICS IM SOREY NO. U CAN HATE ME, BUT IM DEFINITELY SURE JONGIN WOULDN'T N DID NEVER WANT KYUNGSOO TO BE A GIRL BECUZ IN THE FIRST TIME n IN THE VERY FIRST SIGHT... HE LOVED HIM AS A MAN! N HE MAYBE CHANGED HIS WHOLE SEXUALITY n RISKED HIS REPUTATION AMONG HIS FRIENDS n FAMILY n MAYBE LOST SO MANY PEOPLE FOR HIM, FOR LOVING HIM AS A MAN, FOR BEING GAY. BECUZ HE (KSOO) IS A MAN. So y'all must give credits for Jongin's sacrifices AT LEAAAAST!

I mean no offense. But u can still hate me I simply don't FUCKING care. But if u disagree with me n be polite then I would appreciate that n respect ur point of view.. But! Only if u come to respect mine! PERIOD ฅ'ω'ฅ

No gossip just TEA 🍵

[gaylortruther]

(many) tag games

saw someone else do this so i figured i’d go through all my tag games in one looong post instead of spamming you all with a bunch of separate posts!

i’m gonna tag everyone now and yall can choose which tag games you want to do or whether you want to do them all (or whether you want to do any)!!

thanks to everyone who tagged me in all of these! i LOVE being tagged in tag games and i am always up for more! <3

tagging THE SANCTION (including ppl that i haven’t gotten up on the page yet im sorry abfjffsdhsjbjsdf it will happen SOON):  @newdivinities @wolvesofarcadia @maskedlady @victoiirres @sancta-silje @bumblebeesonpaper @wasting-ink-not-youth @horrorspell @ya-lady-tauriel @awritinglen @purpleshadows1989 @ivonoris @theforgottencoolkid @the-ichor-of-ruination @grotesqu-e @lucacangettathisass @tea-ndi @hazeywrites @lunar895 @thewordsinthesky-andstars

[LAST LINE TAG]

TAGGED BY  @melwrotethat AND @hazeywrites

thank you both for the tags! these are the last few lines of the prologue-excerpt-thing i wrote for the page i’m working on for WHERE THE CELLAR MEETS THE SKY

Somehow, Collin hears them. Silently, she rolls up her sleeve, and Rowan feels the Collin Sutherland they knew is somewhere far, far away. The tattoos are black, geometric in design, two on each arm, and eerily similar to the ones Rowan has just discovered on their own left arm. They're sure if they were to roll up their right sleeve, they would find more.

"I should have told you a long time ago," Collin whispers. "I didn't know you were a part of it, but I should have guessed. I didn't want to put you in danger."

"I'm not- I don't- in danger of what?"

The waves crash onto the shore, and in the distance, a seagull cries, sending Collin into action. She grabs Rowan's hand and starts pulling, dragging them back behind the house.

"Come on. We don't have a lot of time, we have to get going. I can tell you everything on the way. I don't know why he brought me here instead of straight to the veil, damn it-,"

"Wait!," they say, wrenching their hand out of her grasp. "Just- stop! Where are we going?!"

Collin's eyes flash bright, despite the lack of sunlight. "Home."

yeah, a bit long, a bit unedited, but *shrugs*

[SPELL OUT UR URL USING SONG TITLES]

TAGGED BY @tea-ndi

thank you sage!!! <3

hard feelings/loveless | lorde

another one of those days | cavetown

let’s fall in love for the night | FINNEAS

ocean eyes | billie eilish

honey and milk | flower face

i know | king princess ft fiona apple

dreamz | sara king

iloveyou | BETWEEN FRIENDS

nobody’s home | gnash

greek god | conan gray

sycamore girl | rex orange county 

and there you have a small sample of my music taste! add in literally every taylor swift song (dont judge me), some lo-fi tunes without ANY words whatsoever, and the occasional fall out boy or panic at the disco goddamn absolute banger, and you have my XANDERS JAMS playlist on spotify. ENJOY

[11/11/11 TAG]

TAGGED BY @awritinglen <333333333333333333333333

thank you for tagging me len!!! your questions were so fun!! i’m doing this for WHERE THE CELLAR MEETS THE SKY

Name all OCs in your WIP

OMFG okay,,, wait do you mean full names?? POV characters as of rn are Collin Aisling Sutherland, Rowan Tilley (doesn’t have a middle name) and Avery Bristol Charter. then the next most important one is Isaac Michael Rosewell, even though he’s the antagonist. then the side characters that are still very featured are Noah Rosalyn Pratten, Reese Iseul Radley, and Sage Emarosa Delgado. THEN we get into the very very side characters, Willa Robinson and her son August Robinson. then we have Avery’s parents, Alaric and the late Octavia Charter. and thennnnn we have Beldane Moreno, Avery’s uncle and Collin’s grandfather (undecided abt that last name but going w it for now). i promise it all makes sense. i promise anfnfsjnfdjsfd

Name at least one hobby your Main character love

i’ll give this one to Collin, she is a musician! Avery’s mother always taught her music before The Accident (dun dun dunnn) and after Collin was abandoned in the Nigh she threw herself into music. she plays guitar mostly, but she secretly loves piano the best out of every instrument she knows

3 sentences about your current WIP

OOF. im so bad at summaries why would you do this to meee abfhshjbsbshfjsbf. “A determined believer wants to return to a home that never wanted her. Almost 4000 miles away, an incisive, intellectual outcast of a dreamer muses over getting out of their hometown. And infinities away from them both, a teenage revolutionary disappears into thin air, on his way to bring back his past and fix his (and everyone’s) future.”

Is there a romance in your WIP and did you plan it from the beginning?

yes! there are three! they are definitely a main focus of the plot, but not THE main focus. Reese and Rowan were definitely planned from the beginning. Collin and Noah were, too, but they weren’t originally enemies to lovers, and they are now (hehehehehe). and Isaac and Avery were DEFINITELY not planned from the beginning. in fact, Avery was originally paired up with Sage, but it’s literally so much better this way and i’m so glad it’s been changed. Isaac and Avery has been planned since about when Isaac’s character was thought up, one year into planning WTCMTS.

What genre(s) is it?

a mix of dystopia and urban fantasy. and it’s YA, borderline NA because some of the characters are 19-20, but i still think YA is appropriate because of the style of writing.

What’s the aesthetic of two of your characters?

fun question! Collin’s aesthetic is very emo-punk, with a splash of yellow towards the end of the series. piercings, blue hair, rips on clothing, dirty converse, smudged eyeliner, safety pins. the yellow comes in as part of her character arc, as she learns to accept that her childhood memories are tainted and not actually perfect utopia. Rowan is way more minimalist (sometimes). they’re into the bookstagram type aesthetic, and mom jeans with sneakers, jean jackets, plants against a white wall, colorblocked windbreakers, rain against a car window.

When did you start your current WIP?

WTCMTS was started in august of 2017 

How far along are you in the process (i.e 1st/2nd/3rd draft, worldbuilding)

still worldbuilding, unfortunately, for personal reasons

Who’s the hardest character for you to write?

OOOOOOF. sage or rowan?

What music genre best decribes your main character(s) and whats their favorite?

Collin - alternative (favorite band would be like twenty one pilots, p!atd) 

Rowan - ichillwave (clario, rex orange county)

Avery - emo (fall out boy, all time low)

Isaac - indie alternative OR instrumental lofi (jaymes young, birdy)

Noah - electropop (lorde, halsey, charlie xcx)

Reese - folk rock (the head and the heart, of monsters and men)

Sage - indie pop (lana del ray, florence + the machine)

Are you working on more than one WIP?

yes! i have four currently but only two are important lol, ILLUNIUS and WHERE THE CELLAR MEETS THE SKY (this one). WIP PAGE

MY QUESTIONS

how did you come up with the title for your WIP?

is there anything you want to change about your WIP but you are hesitating on?

do you have a favorite character? a character that is your baby?

write a tinder bio for one of your characters.

how do you feel about epilogues? does your wip include an epilogue?

what changes does your MC go through over the course of the story?

what is the most significant insignificant thing that happens in your story? don’t explain why it is significant if it spoils things ;)

do you know what will happen after the ending of your wip, or would you rather not picture it?

how long does your wip span? is it a novel? a series? does it have prequels or spin-off wips?

what is a major internal conflict for your MC? 

do you include flashbacks in your wip? do you like writing flashbacks?

[HOW TO KNOW YOU’RE IN A ______ NOVEL TAG]

TAGGED BY @writevevo​ AND @wolvesofarcadia​

thank you both for this tag! it’s so much fun and both of your novels sound like novels that would be very interesting to be stuck in :D

inspired by this post

HOW TO KNOW YOU’RE IN A HALOHIDINGS NOVEL

you’re an older sibling and you have a younger sibling. you’re extremely bitter towards your younger sibling for stealing opportunities from you, damning you to a life you never truly wanted. your younger sibling adores you and just wants to please you. they never meant to do it. 

you’re stuck in constant, wistful wanderlust, never feeling like you truly belong, never fitting in anywhere, not with friends, not with family, and when you finally find the place you’ve been looking for, you realize it’s nothing like you dreamed or remembered.

you’re not heterosexual. no one around you is. no one is cisgender either. where are they? no one knows. 

you have a peculiar capability dancing under your skin. it trickles from your pores and muddles with your mind. maybe you asked for it, maybe it was predestined, maybe you never wanted anything to do with it. whatever the reason, it’s there, and you don’t know what’s you and what’s it. maybe you’re not meant to ask. maybe you’re meant to succumb. 

your memories are as fickle as the rain, coming and going and breaking through the clouds, shattering the fog and disappearing with the sun. you can’t recall what you’re doing here, or where you’re meant to be instead. what’s your name?, they ask. you don’t know.

there are two worlds. one world is blissfully unaware of this, or at least, as unaware as any world of millions and millions of people can be. no secret can be kept forever, they tell you. you are desperately trying to keep the secret.

the one closest to you, despite your abhorrent denial of this fact, the one you would trust with your life, will betray you. because of their decision, their selfishness, you will either lose them, or lose yourself.

THOSE WERE SO FUN OMG. they all mostly apply to both of my major wips, which is probably bad. oh well LMAO

SORRY THAT WAS SOOOOOOOO LONG hope at least someone does one of these tag games lol <3 

xander out

[fortitude-sakura]

Noir [8/?]

AO3

previous | next

Sakura could hardly keep her eyes open. Whatever “sleep” she got last night could hardly be considered that. She spent most of the night awake, thinking about what had transpired earlier. By the time she actually got to sleep, it wasn’t long before she had to be up again to get to Milk Grind in time for the barista class she signed up for.

Milk Grind actually had a dedicated space for barista classes, set up with half a dozen coffee machines and a seemingly unlimited supply of milk. Jay went through the differences between types of coffee (including the Australian Flat White which uses microfoam and is more velvety, resulting in a stronger coffee). He demonstrates how to steam milk properly and that the proper temperature is 60-65 degrees Celsius (any hotter an the milk is burnt). The magic happens when Jay starts to pour. He pours a little flower (which he calls a rosetta) and explains the process in creating the pattern in the crema.

Sounds easy enough.

A few other sleepy individuals were also taking the class but they seemed to perk right up when they were allowed to drink their failed lattes.

“Remember, you want to hear the kissy sound as you steam the milk!” Jay says as he paced between the machines.

Her first attempt results in her burning her milk. Her second is not much better, still too hot. The third and fourth are better but the milk is too bubbly.

“You can knock out the bubbles if your milk has large bubbles.” Jay says, tapping the jug on the counter. “There you go.”

The rosettas she attempts to pour are milky white blobs with no shape. Jay spends time with everyone, guiding their pours and showing them how to get it right. By the end of the class, Sakura manages to get some resemblance of a ripple in her latte. The milk needs to be more glossy and smooth - right now it just resembles a sad, frothy cloud.

The class distracts her just enough not to think too much about what transpired last night. Her lips would flare up in heat whenever her mind wasn’t on steaming milk and she’s sure it isn’t from the burnt milk lattes she keeps producing.

黑

She goes home after class and Tenten ambushes her as she’s taking her shoes off.

“You have a lot to explain, young lady!” she mock chides, wiggling her finger as if she were a disappointed parent. “I’m making pancakes.”

Tenten serves the pancakes with strawberries and nutella and Sakura hands her a coffee she made in class (the ugly excuse of the latte art disguised by the takeaway container, but at least the milk isn’t burnt).

“So, the walk of shame. And with your boss?” Tenten asks, a hint of cheek in her voice. There’s no judgement there, just a barely contained grin. “When were you gonna tell me he was your boss?”

“Nothing happened!” Sakura said hotly, “I just helped him get home, that’s all!”

“Bullshit nothing happened! I saw the way he looked at you last night - he looked like he was going to eat you. You must be doing really well at your job.” Tenten says with a wink.

It’s funny how Tenten is so easily able to read her. But Sakura doesn’t plan on telling a soul about last night’s kiss. Saying out loud would mean that it happened and was very much real and it would make the remainder of her tenure as Sasuke’s executive assistant so much harder.

“I swear nothing happened.” She feels guilty lying to Tenten like this. She decides to change the topic. “So what happened with Neji?”

Tenten looks thoughtful before replying, intent on balancing a piece of pancake and a slice of strawberry on her fork. Much to Sakura’s relief, Tenten seems to forget the matter of her boss in seconds.

“We just talked and he drove me home. He says he came back to help his mother with her massage parlour businesses but Hinata’s dad offered him a position at the family company.”

Tenten explains that Hyuga Tea is run by the Hyuga family as a whole, which included extended family.

“So why isn’t his mother involved?” Sakura asks.

“His mother isn’t a Hyuga, his dad was. What I don’t get was that he came back years ago but not once did he try to look for me. I mean, there’s Friendbook now so there’s no way he couldn’t find me if he wanted to. He could have just added me on Friendbook!”

They eat in silence for a while and Sakura knows Tenten is debating whether or not to tell Sakura something else. Sakura waits patiently, knowing that pushing Tenten to say anything would be a futile effort.

“He did something weird in the car.”

“What did he do? Did he-”

“No, nothing bad . Just, confusing. He didn’t wake me up when we got here. He just, brushed my hair out of my face and just sat there. What do you think that means? I mean, he didn’t really do anything at the club before that creep tried to dance with me. Everything up until then, I would have just assumed that he just sees us as friends, but guys don’t do that for girls who are just friends .”

Seeing Tenten confused over the behaviour of men wasn’t new to Sakura, but Tenten would usually dismiss it easily with a shrug and a “Screw it!”. Tenten just looked puzzled and slightly hurt.

黑

Sasuke had woken up on Sunday with a killer headache. The next time Naruto tries to drag him to a nightclub he’s just going to straight up refuse. Nothing good ever comes out it. His hand is a little sore and he doesn’t know why. Hell, he’d be lucky if he remembered what happened after he started downing shots like a man dying of thirst.

All he remembers is seeing Sakura in a red dress and asking her why she was there. She had said something cryptic to him not that he remembers what she said exactly.

He spends a good portion of the morning trying to figure out what happened and considers calling Naruto to ask, but decides against it. Naruto would love nothing more than to lord his alcohol intolerance over him and he doesn’t want to provoke that conversation.

Instead, he downs a few pills for his headache and makes a call.

“Welcome to Zero.” a smooth female voice says over the phone.

“Is Karin available for lunch today at 12:30?”

“Hello Uchiha-san. You know she always has time for you. Do you have any particular requests today?”

He thinks over it for a moment.

“Tomato soup and grilled cheese.”

“Sure, I’ll let Karin know.”

黑

Uzumaki Karin had been busy finessing her menu for next week's dinner service when Suki walks in.

“Sasuke wants grilled cheese and tomato soup. He’s coming in at 12:30.” she says. “What are you gonna make?”

Of course Sasuke wants something that features tomatoes. It’s hot out today though - hardly appropriate weather for soup. Karin isn’t fazed though. She already knows what she has in mind. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she grabs her chef jacket and gets started.

Lunch service is always special for Karin since she rarely accepts lunch guests. Getting Karin to do a lunch service is notoriously difficult - even more difficult than getting a reservation for her dinner service (which has a 6 month waiting list and an additional waiting list for that waiting list). She only allows personal friends or family to request lunch services -  Kushina, for when she’s hanging out with her girlfriends or Hinata, her cousin Naruto’s fiance (who surprisingly is good company despite how quiet she can be) or even Suigetsu and Jugo. Of course Uncle Minato too - he was the one who helped send her to culinary school after her mother kicked her out of home for dropping out of university and had even helped her establish Zero.

Her favourite lunch guest however, is Uchiha Sasuke - Director of Uchiha Enterprises.

Naruto had brought him to lunch at Zero when they had first opened and she had been smitten with him since she laid eyes on him. She suspects most women are. He has a certain ‘bad boy’ type appeal - the suit (bespoke probably) and the watch (he favours his vintage Patek with the complications) contrasts with the somewhat disheveled hair and earring. Sometimes if he comes in on a weekend, she gets a glimpse of the tattoo he has, peeking out from the sleeve of his tee shirt.

While Sasuke may be by definition, handsome, his personality leaves much to be desired. He is always polite and cool, never going above lukewarm. Nonetheless, she enjoys looking at him when Suigetsu is being particularly irritating (like not replying to her texts within 10 minutes).

Today, he’s wearing a simple white tee, dark jeans and a bomber jacket. His sunglasses hide the hangover she knows he’s nursing. Naruto had drunk texted her last night.

NARUTO: omggg sauce ios soooooooo drinked

NARUTO: sauce

NARUTO: sauce

NARUTO:   sporry its the fjuking auto cucumber

NARUTO: i mean auto cucumber

NARUTO: GOD DONUT

Karin doesn’t think she had ever laughed harder in her entire life.

“It’s been a while since you’ve visited me,” she pouts mockingly, “I was beginning to think you’d have forgotten me.”

Even though her romantic feelings for Sasuke don’t go beyond a silly crush, she still likes to flirt with him.

“Sorry. Haven’t had the time to come here.” he says, climbing onto the stool at the counter.

“Alright, here we go. Grilled cheese and tomato soup.” she announces, placing a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich before him.

He smirks. Karin doesn’t just serve him a simple “grilled cheese and tomato soup”. The “tomato soup” is a tomato gazpacho - vibrant, fresh and cool. The “grilled cheese” is a few different cheeses and pickles between two slices of thick rustic bread, pan fried in butter until it’s crispy and golden.

“Well?” she asks as he tastes the soup.

“You never fail to exceed expectations.”

It’s probably the closest she’ll ever get to a compliment from Sasuke.

“Anything to drink?” she offers.

She likes to play a little game with herself when she asks him this question. Sasuke has a funny habit where his mood influences his drink choices directly. Wine if things are going smoothly and he’s reasonably happy (usually cabernet sauvignon although he has been known to ask for a white wine if the dish doesn’t pair well with red), tomato juice is for when he’s a bit grumpy and needs a pick me up, whiskey if he’s got a lot on his mind (tea is sometimes substituted if he has to go back to the office). If he’s here with Naruto for dinner they’ll order sake or tea if they’re being sensible. Today, she predicts that it’ll be-

“Iced coffee. Thanks, Karin.”

Well, that’s new.

黑

Sakura had been featuring heavily in his dreams as of late. Her face is usually a bit blurry but the pink hair is enough for him to make the conclusion that it’s his executive assistant. The dreams are usually generic and a little indecent. Not enough for a cold shower in the morning but just enough for his thoughts to wander just a little.

That night his dreams take a different turn.

Her face is clearly defined - he could see every lash that framed her expressive jade green eyes, her alabaster skin coloured with a dark pink blush dusted across her cheeks and her pretty lips were parted just a touch.

He feels her waist beneath his fingers and he realises just how petite she is. He feels every fidget and hears her breath. His forehead rests on hers and their noses touch. Her lips feel so soft against his and he swears she leans in to close the miniscule distance between them.

His heart feels like its soaring and suddenly he wants more. So much more. He wants to leave burning kisses into her skin as if to brand her with him. He wants to feel her hand in his as she squeezes him tightly in more places than one. He wants to see her hair messy, disheveled. He wants to get lost in a jade sea, consequences be damned.  

He wants her to want him as much as he wants her.

He wakes up on Monday morning at some ungodly hour, stiff and aching, wondering when the hell his imagination become so vivid and creative.

He arrives at the office and Sakura is nowhere to be seen. He’s worried for a moment, wondering briefly if he did something stupid on Saturday to scare her off but it dissipates when Sakura turns the corner, holding a fresh stack of photocopies and a mug of steaming hot something.

“Good morning, Dir-Sasuke.” she chirps.

Her reaction to him is her usual greeting and he sees his morning coffee on his desk, piping hot.

Business as usual,  he supposes.

黑

Sakura finds it easier than she thought to act normal around Sasuke. He makes no indication that he remembers what happened on Saturday and that in turn it makes it easier for her to pretend that nothing happened either.

This morning she opts to get him his usual coffee - not quite confident enough in her own skills to make him his coffee herself yet. She did however, buy beans from the Milk Grind after class (she isn’t sure whether to expense them or not).

She wants to dismiss everything that happened and just get through the internship but a very small (and loud) part of herself won’t let it go.

She does a Moogle search her boss and reads articles about him and the company. His handsomeness was only the tip of the iceberg. He graduated first in his class and won awards for academic excellence, the number of awards eclipsed only by his older brother who graduated 5 years before him. Uchiha Itachi was Director before him for a few years before Sasuke was made Director.

There were multiple articles on the matter - it seemed to be a hot topic at the time. Most were objective but some more gossipy trashy news sources implied that Sasuke was power hungry and ambitious and had “dethroned” his brother using underhanded methods.

The Sasuke she knows (what little she knows) doesn’t sound like the ruthless, cold Sasuke the tabloids paint him as being. Sure, he's ambitious - he wanted his company to perform well and holds himself to high standards. The decisions he’s made for the company have always been for the good of the company and its employees - there was nothing ruthless about it.

Subsequent articles are more favourable, complimenting Sasuke on his business acumen. While Itachi had started reforms in his short term as Director, Sasuke was the one who continued them and improved them. There are some articles about company culture and the internship program too. Uchiha Enterprises rank in the top 30 companies to work for nationwide as far as employee satisfaction goes according to a study.  

She sees and understands Sasuke’s vision for the future of the company from writing up documentation and doing preliminary research and analysis for him. Sakura can only feel admiration and a sense of pride that she’s a part of Uchiha Enterprises. The media vultures are only interested in selling ad space, views and daily sales.

As she keeps searching for articles, there are a few articles that aren’t about Sasuke’s professional work.

There are candid pictures of him in men’s magazines commenting on his style and ‘How to Emulate Uchiha Sasuke’s ‘Bad Boy’ Style’. It goes into excruciating detail as to which brands his ties, cufflinks and shoes are from. Apparently, his suits are bespoke. There's an article on a watch enthusiast blog that comments on all the watches he's been photographed wearing. Sasuke apparently collects watches because the article lists six, all of which adorn hefty price tags (some of which cost more than her intern salary).

There were pictures of him in women’s magazines of him out in public, touting him as one of the most eligible bachelors and speculations of his relationships. One article even has a complex looking chart with women suspected of being involved with him and a timeline to boot!

Sakura can’t help but be curious too. Even though she’s his executive assistant and she takes care of some of the more personal aspects of his life (like dinner reservations and dry cleaning), she knows absolutely nothing about his private life. She can only go off of clues.

Her initial observations of his staying at expensive hotel rooms don’t reveal anything about his private romantic life. His friend from Saturday - Naruto - is the son of the current Chairman of Uzumaki Resorts. It only confirms his close friendship with Uzumaki Naruto than anything else.

The flowers though, are another matter. The monthly bill for the flowers is from Flower Temple, an upmarket florist. A bouquet of mixed hydrangeas with gift wrapping. The delivery address is somewhere in the suburbs, one in which she recognises to be rather affluent. This reaffirms her “theory” that Sasuke’s lover or girlfriend or fiance or wife is most likely some kind of heiress or model. But if he really did have a girlfriend, surely she would have been with him on Saturday and that kiss wouldn’t have happened?

Whatever that was on Saturday, it doesn’t change Sakura’s professional admiration for her boss. It doesn’t change the fact that she should continue to do her best work for him, to take care of the small things so he can focus on more important matters. In the grand scheme of things, she’s a small fish swimming alongside a whale, a common tabby cat next to a majestic lion.

Back to work.

[azariel888]

The coolest thing happened the other day on my bus!

So a year or so ago I had an incident happen on my bus where two young men and an elderly woman ran up to my bus screaming “Help us! Help us! He’s trying to kill us!” and they had tried to get the train to open its doors to get away from a man who was indeed chasing them.

I opened my door get them on board where it was safe and long story short I found out the man chasing them was a homeless man who asked for money and when they said no he grew upset began to throw out gay slurs and threats at the two young men were a couple and taking their mother out to dinner. And when that didn’t get him money he tried to take a four pronged tire iron to attack them...which on of the guys managed to wrestle from him and ran to get away.

And they wound up on my bus with the crazy homeless guy screaming he wants his property back. Again long story short I made a deal with the man that he’d stand on the curb and I’d slide the tire iron out of my window and he was to stay there and let the bus go. He agreed we made the trade and I got us all out of there (which I had a full standing load of people on my bus) and was able to get police when I got us a couple stops away so the guy couldn’t just run and try to harm anyone.

Soooooooo fast forward to the other day I’m sitting at my bus stop on break and a guy steps on board and I say hello like I do everyone and his eyes go wide and he breaks out in a huge smile and loudly says “I REMEMBER YOU! YOU SAVED MY LIFE!” and I stare at him a moment and realize it was indeed one of the young men I’d helped that night. It was cute because he was just so thankful and I told him I’m glad I could be there to help and that I was sorry they ever had to deal with that. Then to lighten the mood I told him that when people ask me to tell them a crazy story that happened on my bus that it’s one of my top 10 stories and we just had a good laugh.

It was just neat to run into this young man and see that he was okay and was touched that he remembered me. It truly was such a wild thing to happen and it could have gone so wrong but I’m glad fate saw to keep everyone safe and mostly unharmed.

[brinnanza]

Hawkeye for the meme

bless u for indulging me

Headcanon A:  realistic

Hawkeye is a pretty good cook. He picked it up from his father – they’d cook together when Hawkeye was a kid, after his mother died. Whenever he got back to Maine to visit after he moved away, the two of them would spend a few hours in the kitchen, cooking and talking and laughing.

Headcanon B: while it may not be realistic it is hilarious

Hawkeye Pierce has been the instrument of SO MANY gay awakenings. His whole life is an inspiration to gay awakenings, basically. Like for a lot of men, because Hawkeye flirts with anything that moves and some of the guys he’s flirted with were like “…oh. Oh, I like this, okay, hmm” but with women also because when he’s really trying (and not trying too hard), Hawkeye is ridiculously charming. At least a couple of women have been on the receiving end of all that charm and thought, “Well I certainly feel Some Kind Of Way about this” and then realized, oh yeah, shit, I like women.

Also after Tommy kissed Henry in Sometimes You Hear the Bullet, Henry went to Hawkeye later like, “Soooooooo. How, uh. How’s this work then?” (They definitely slept together. At least once. Maybe twice.)

Headcanon C: heart-crushing and awful, but fun to inflict on friends

Hawkeye’s in California when his father dies. There isn’t a lot of lead up, but Daniel is in the hospital for a few days, he just didn’t want to worry Hawkeye, who he knew would absolutely fly back to Maine immediately. Instead of being there for his father’s last moments, getting to say goodbye, Hawkeye gets an impersonal phone call from the hospital because he’s listed as next of kin. Peg and BJ end up having to handle a lot of the funeral arrangements because Hawkeye just sort of… shuts down for a while, just absolutely refuses to think about any part of it. 

All five of them make the trip back to Maine, Hawkeye, BJ, Peg, Erin, and Benji. They spend a couple of weeks there, dealing with the estate and things, and when they’re set to fly back to California, Hawkeye tells them he’s staying in Maine, in the house he grew up in, because Crab Apple Cove needs a doctor. Peg and BJ try to talk him around, and they wind up having this huge, screaming row where Hawkeye tries to extricate himself from their life (because if he says goodbye now, he won’t have a chance to miss it later). 

But instead of leaving, Peg and BJ just… stay. They wait. Hawkeye keeps trying to get them to leave, and they just keep being there. Finally, one night he knocks on the door of the bedroom they’ve been using (Hawkeye was always welcome to join them, but he didn’t), and says, “I think I’m ready to go home now.” And they do.

Headcanon D: unrealistic, but I will disregard canon about it because I reject canon reality and substitute my own.

I have mentally rewritten Inga such that the thing Inga and Margaret get on Hawkeye’s case about is his tendency to view women as conquests first and people second, especially if they’re hot because this is 100% he does. It has nothing to do with Inga being a doctor and everything to do with Inga being attractive.

Also, giant nurse polyam puppy pile all the nurses are queer and they all smooch. (that's not about hawkeye but it is True)

[iabsolutelyresentthiswebsite]

The Duality Argument

(Note: I just have no life anymore so that’s why I respond to everything!)

I posted a semi-facetious, although accurate, quote post the other day that garnered some dissent. 

My argument in that post itself is basically “There is a Dark Skywalker vs. Light Skywalker pattern in all of the trilogies, in the Original Trilogy, it’s Darth Vader versus Luke and in the Prequel Trilogy, the duality of Anakin Skywalker accounts for both, so Rey is likely a Skywalker to complete the pattern already established.” 

The reason the post is semi-facetious is because I didn’t intend for it to be at all controversial. I was actually just being a lil’ sarcastic shit because I’m tired of people denying Rey Skywalker when, to me and to so many others, it is soooooooo obvious. I, do, however, believe 100% that what I said is true. The pattern is established and likely will be continued.

However, the part of the post that had some kick-back was the fact I allowed Anakin Skywalker’s duality to account for the dark Skywalker vs. light Skywalker in the Prequel trilogy, but will not allow for Kylo Ren’s duality. However, I believe for very good reason.

First and foremost, the reason I don’t allow for Kylo Ren’s duality to account for both is because he had someone and somewhere to go to. Anakin Skywalker did not. 

Anakin had no place to go. He never had a father, his mother was a slave whom he could not free, and he had no close extended family to speak of; he was entrusted to two men who happened to be Jedi, after he was won in a bet.

The Duality of Anakin Skywalker accounts for the pattern of dark Skywalker versus light Skywalker because he never, of his own volition, pledged allegiance to the Jedi Order. He, in that case, much like in the rest of his life, simply did what he thought he was supposed to do. He trained for about a decade to be a Jedi, but he never truly pledged-freely- to be one because he was always very conscious of the fact he had no place to go, especially that would grant him the freedom he became accustomed to. He was a freed slave, afterall. 

Moreover, he was not allowed emotional attachments- although that went to shit right quick- so he was not able to visit his mother often and when he did, she was murdered. That solidified the fact he had nothing to go back to. 

I think of Anakin Skywalker’s character as one that floats through life until things happen to him, similar to me, in some respects. 

By the way, please don’t confuse my compassionate description of Anakin Skywalker’s life as a negative view on Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn. They did their best with what they could do for him. They were convinced that he was The Chosen One, the one that would bring balance to the Force. They tried to do what they thought was the right thing, how were they to know that that is exactly what would lead to his turn to the Dark Side? 

More on that, by the way. Because Obi Wan, Qui Gon, and later, the Jedi Council was convinced or thought he was The Chosen One, Anakin was made very much aware of what they believed his place was. Anakin seemed to always look up to the Jedi when he was younger, thinking that the Jedi would free all the slaves on Tattooine, but had his dreams crushed at a young age for that. He always thought they were the good guys, but how good could they be the good guys if they couldn’t easily free the slaves? He was ready to be a Jedi Knight and free the slaves until Qui Gon said he couldn’t do that. That lead to great apprehension in becoming a Jedi. After he was kinda-forced into it because he had no place to go, he was kinda “in it” whether he liked it or not.

Kylo Ren had and has a place to go. We don’t know the means by which he fell to the Dark Side (and we should!), but we do know that he had a loving, yet mildly-broken, family, who loved him unconditionally. His father was willing to face him, likely knowing that he was placing his own life in jeopardy, in order to bring him back and welcome him back into the family. His uncle tried to help him, although yeah, Luke’s role in that was likely similar to that Obi Wan’s with Anakin. And his mother- his mother- has steadfast faith in the goodness of her son and will likely have a great role in the Kylo Rendemption. 

Kylo, theoretically, could leave Snoke and the First Order at any point and his mother would welcome him back with open arms- and maybe a slap across the face for killing Han. But love. 

Anakin did not have anything like that. He would have left freedom for slavery and after a certain point, left freedom for nothingness. 

However, there is rather a very important thing that would be negligent to not mention if I’m trying to prove that Kylo’s duality does not account for the light Skywalker versus dark Skywalker arc.

How his story is being told is vastly different than Anakin’s story arc. 

Yes, we were introduced to Anakin Skywalker as Darth Vader in 1977, but at the time, there was never an intent to make anything after the Original Trilogy. But then the Prequels happened and the movies were numbered 1-6. 

Kylo’s story starts in Episode VII, 30+ years after Return of the Jedi...it’s numbered. It’s chronological. They are likely not going to pull some bullshit and do the story as is and then use X, XI, and XII to tell his prequels. 

The reason Anakin Skywalker’s duality accounts for both the Dark and Light Skywalker is because he did not commit to either side of his own volition and had the capability to be either. He was a Jedi because he was freed from slavery by Jedi until he committed to the Dark Side by kneeling to Darth Sidious, likely because he always felt out of place and did not know what to do. 

Kylo’s duality does not account for both because he is committed to the Dark Side- of his volition. 

The entire first trilogy- the Prequel trilogy- is about how Anakin fell to the Dark Side. We wanted answers from the Original Trilogy and we got them. The major conflict in the Prequels is not major at all. There were various issues with Separatists, political structure and power, trying to locate the Sith Lord that was left, and the minor ruckus caused by Count Dooku, but there is truly no major conflict in the Prequel trilogy except for the conflict between the Good Side of Anakin that knows what he should be doing and the Bad Side of Anakin that wanted power and was excessively emotional and would eventually cause his downfall.

(Side note: Even the ruckus caused by Dooku further proves that Anakin’s duality accounts for the pattern because his whole presence in the series was to cause Anakin to be  full of rage, leading to the murder of himself by Anakin’s hand, while he was still a “Jedi”, intensifying the internal conflict that is so paramount!)

Kylo Ren’s duality does not account for both the Good and Bad Skywalker because this trilogy is not about how Kylo Ren fell to the Darkness, although I hope we find out. This trilogy is closely mirroring the Original Trilogy, the one with redemption, the one with the clear Dark Skywalker versus Light Skywalker, Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker. It is not about his origin story, his internal conflict between what he knows he should do versus what Snoke is telling him, and is clearly marketed as the major conflict being between Kylo Ren and Rey. 

When the major conflict is so clear and looking at the past trilogies and their pattern that I’ve spoken of in this post, it is clear that Rey is Rey Skywalker and Kylo Ren’s duality does not account for the darkness and lightness in the Skywalker family that is so standard as a major conflict and motif at this point. 

Each trilogy has a pattern of having a Dark Skywalker versus a Light Skywalker, the Original Trilogy being Darth Vader versus Luke Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker’s duality accounting for the pattern in the Prequel Trilogy, and if Rey is not Rey Skywalker, there is a considerable breach in motif.

So yes, Kylo Ren is a Skywalker in this trilogy, but likely not the only one.

At least, if the pattern is being upheld.