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theveryworstthing · 4 years ago

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So over on patreon Trevor asked for my take on the Addams Family and I grew up LOVING the Addams family movies so here we are. Instead of doing a straight up style interpretation, I decided to do a full on design challenge, using the characters as bases to make a black southern gothic Addams au. I actually drew the kids first, using the character bases of Wednesday and Pugsley to create some delightful kiddos I'm calling Sunday and Blanche. I of course then redesigned Gomez and Morticia into Carlisle and Mortesha.

The Addams have a very specific high aristocratic goth aesthetic (they've got a butler and nobody really works among other things) so in this re-imagining I wanted to go with vibes that run a little more middle class/upper middle class. I thought it would be interesting to think about what would be considered weird and off-putting in an entirely different culture, and how being a big ol' goth is way less controversial than it used to be.

I tried to keep this short (HAHAHAHAHAHA) so I didn't spin off into an essay about villain coded families, black people in the horror genre, and normalcy as it pertains to social survival, but just...bits of that are in these designs and lore. Keep that in mind.

Also I made the kids twins because they've flip flopped in age so much in different media and also twins run in my family (i'm the daughter of one). And let's face it, I'm pulling a lot of their southern gothic traits from living as a southern goth so *shrug*.

10 thousand pounds of lore incoming loooooooooool.

The Parents

From the moment he saw her he knew that there was a 50/50 chance of him either never making it out of that swamp alive or marrying the figure that was creeping out from under the distant willow tree in a black cocktail dress. The third time she found him trussed up in one of her traps, he complimented her rope work and asked if she'd like to go out sometime after his head wound stopped bleeding.

Or while it was still bleeding.

If she was into that.

Some kids and a mysteriously burnt down Piggly Wiggly later, their love is still as strong and inescapable as a bear trap in a sink hole.

Carlisle Guillermo (now Addams through marriage but I wanted to give him two first names for a name since Gomez has two last names) makes a vaguely described living practicing ‘law’ around town. A loophole king, people come to him from miles around with contracts signed in blood, fights over chunks of hair buried in their rivals’ yard, dehydrated primate hands, memories that seemed like dreams until the evidence of their happenings became too real, and other regular Legal Items asking for counsel which he is all too happy to give. For a price. Sometimes that price is a homemade pie and sometimes it’s a million dollars, depends on who you are. Whatever you’re asked to pay it’s worth that price, and if you try to scam him out of work or he just plain doesn’t like you? Well. He knows how to twist a contract better than anything at the crossroads.

And he always gets his due.

He doesn’t just serve the local (living)humans though, there are many things that need proper legal representation in this day and age. You wouldn’t believe how many city councils try to build on sacred burial grounds even after he lets them know that his ghostly clients are totally gonna haunt the FUCK out of the ensuing shitty condos and curse their families for all eternity. At least 50% of his energy goes towards dealing with real estate bullshit.

Carl is an excitable and good natured(?) man who loves his family, cigars, dancing, and his many knife-based hobbies. People find him very charming once they get past the feeling that they’re talking to a sultry gator badly disguising itself as a human. I didn’t put a ton of deep thought into designing him, mostly I wanted to make a middle aged dude who looked like he would have been voted ‘most likely to smooch the literal devil’ in high school. Tbh he probably has, but no demonic ex’s can compare to his lovely wife~

Mortesha Addams(her name was already perfect so I just tweaked it)is a woman of many talents. A self proclaimed homemaker, she prides herself on a greenhouse full of Concerning Foliage, a beautiful wasp apiary, and a coop full of what are probably chickens that she keeps for what are probably eggs. She’s also an avid creator of the outsider art that can be seen around the estate. She has taken on the family business of selling her homemade goods in a little stall by the road just outside the swamp with her mom, and makes pretty good money doing so. A surprising amount of poison gets bought in quaint southern towns.

Speaking of poison, people who come out to the edge of the swamp to buy it are usually carrying a lot of secrets around, and Mortesha knows most of them. It’s not like she pries the truth out of people, it just so happens that many nervous hellos eventually turn into the tragic backstory power hour if she’s alone with a client for long enough. She supposes that’s just how people are. Despite the fact that the Addams are very active in the community (whether the community likes it or not) she especially, as a direct descendant of the first Addams matriarch, is seen as…Well not an outsider because the community feels A Certain Way about outsiders and despite it all the Addams are their people, but maybe something like an exception. They feel like whatever weirdness they’re hiding can’t be weirder than any given Addams, so they get a little loose with their words.

This is amusing to her, since Addams’ don’t naturally keep the kind dramatic secrets that their surface level prim and proper neighbors do. It’s much more fun to openly talk about those things.

Do they have a sadly decrepit yet terrifying grandma up in the attic? Yeah, like three. They got a tv, all the creepy porcelain dolls they could want, and they’re close to family. Where do you keep your gram-grams?

Any bodies buried on the property? Yeah some, but most are thrown to the gators.

Any creeping through the balmy summer night with ill intentions? Yeah dude, everyone loves a nice family stroll.

What about dangerous forbidden love? If an adult Addams isn’t incorporeal then they’re either queer or in a torrid romance with some person/thing mysteriously drawn to that awful swamp. Sometimes both at the same time. Most times actually.

Mortesha would know.

The current head of the Addams family is just as outgoing as her husband but a lot quieter and harder to read. She never really seems to get mad about much and always has a genteel smile for everyone whether they deserve it or not. A seven foot tall human shaped “Oh, bless your heart”. A perfectly composed Lady even when she’s, oh I dunno, burning down a Piggly Wiggly. You know. A regular southern mom. Chat her up at the hair salon for 50% off a jar of wasp honey with your next purchase of a mysterious but foreboding packet of herbs.

Designing her was pretty easy because I just drew a lankier Grace Jones and called it a day. I had some problems with her outfit simply because if we were going HARD southern gothic then she’d probably be wearing a white/cream dress with a fuller skirt but I thought keeping the silhouette and the black was more important. She’s supposed to be an anti southern gothic southern gothic character anyway. A woman who looks like she has a million secrets who is actually the most open person you could meet. For better or worse. The red hair came from a coloring error that I really ended up liking (my mom had red hair her whole childhood that only darkened up in high school so I can buy that an Addams can be naturally fire engine red) and the veil was to get more of that classic Morticia silhouette in there.

The Children

Sunday and Blanche are the twin children of Carlisle and Mortesha Addams. Some say the Addams clan got their cursed homestead when a wealthy local businessman made a deal with the devil and lost, leaving his grand mansion to his least favorite maid and cutting his losses once he realized that the swamp would do everything it could to drag the house into the water and take what was owed with its horrible curse. Others say that the family has just always squatted there and no one really cares because man, fuck that particular swamp. Have you been in there? Absolute horror show.

Anyway.

Blanche is the more outgoing sibling and quite the engineer/mad scientist in the making. He started going grey at 2 weeks old but considering he was also rocking some extra fingers, toes, and a tiny tail (he takes after his dad), his parents just put it on the 'not life threatening' pile and decided not to worry about it. He's the kind of smart that teachers find utterly infuriating, less a dog eagerly learning and obeying commands and more a hyena who keeps teaching itself how to pick locks. He has a few friends in his school's robotics club (which they honestly allowed him to make so the school could contain his... creations) but mostly hangs out with his sister exploring the swamp. They find all sorts of neat things in there! wedding rings, suspiciously lumpy garbage bags, cloaked cultists who can't read private property signs, it's an adventure every day!

Blanche is all about experimentation with his creations, his look, and his tether to this mortal coil. Is lipstick a cool thing to try? Let's find out. Can he get out of a strait jacket fast enough after being pushed into the depths of the swamp by his sister? let's find out. He's not dead yet and confused local doctors can attest to the fact that he's rarely attained more than a bad bruise so he's pretty set on continuing to kiss rattlesnakes on their cute little heads and have his sister practice her knife throwing at him until that fact changes.

Blanche is very much a country goth. Cowboy boots (customized by his mom), knife, and lighter are daily accessories. He likes to wear the crusty swamp jewelry they find (the rust adds a splash of color!) and despite appearances he does try to keep himself neat. He's just got natural Grunge Colors and a tendency to wear clothes he likes until they fall apart. Pugsley always seemed the most modernly styled to me (which might just be because little boys clothes have been the same for a long time) so I wanted Blanche to be the most purposely fashionable Addams. Everyone else is goth by nature, but he's the only one truly familiar with goth as an alternative fashion.

I got really into designing Blanche because honestly, I find Pugsley to be the most boring member of the family. And he was hard to design! I had to mess with his vibe a lot to get him looking how I wanted. I know he's supposed to evoke an " 'evil' little boy next door who's parents never reign him in", but that's just goth Dennis The Menace. I's 2020. We can at least go queer goth Calvin.

Sunday was much easier to design. Wednesday was my favorite as a child (of course) and I really wanted to keep the spirit of her look while adding things like billowy sleeves (it gets HOT down here), big poofy twists instead of braids, and a nice tie. She's a professional after all, been running the local pet cemetery since she was 6 and the previous groundskeeper met with an unfortunate accident after telling her that tarantulas don't have souls. Her specialty is creating beautiful naturalistic animal funerals similar to those that Maquenda (https://linktr.ee/artofmaquenda) makes, and she takes pride in creating miniature dioramas of her subjects after each burial which she uses as a kind of 3D catalog for future clients.

She really wants to try out her skills on humans one day. Well. Publicly try out her skills. Lotta random bodies float into the swamp. None of them have turned down her requests for diorama models so far. Most seem downright flattered. Plus, she usually figures out which graveyard/crime scene they floated over from and gets her parents to give them a lift back. She'll even help enact terrifying revenge from beyond the grave on whoever put them there if she's not, y'know, busy.

Besides arts, crafts, and pet based funerary arrangements, Sunday is an avid lover of archery (any ranged weapon really), books where little fantasy adventure animals die dramatic deaths, and history. She is That Kid who eagerly raises her hand when asked who Christopher Columbus was and ends up being sent out of class after 15 minutes for making 'a scene'. Her favorite party trick is just picking an item in the room and talking about how it relates to either some obscure historical figure with a buck wild life or a horrible disaster. At least one charity pancake breakfast ended with children in tears after her vivid description of the Great Molasses Flood of 1919.

Social-wise, while Wednesday is the girl that people ask to smile because they think she'd, "look so pretty", Sunday is rarely asked anything at all. People just kind of assume from her quiet nature (in between horrible history facts) that she's angry all the time and that she hates everyone. This is untrue. She hates some people but she's ambivalent to most everyone else and even downright friendly if you bother to talk to her like a person instead of a terrifying cryptid. Like, she IS a terrifying cryptid but she's also a little girl.

That’s about it for now. One day I might do the other family members but for now I’m happy with the four I’ve redesigned. Making an au! Lurch in a family that doesn’t do butlers could be interesting. Over on patreon I put forth that he could just be Motesha’s mute little brother (similar bone structure) but Amy Crook had the nice idea of quote: “ a mysterious "cousin" that "helps around the house" whose origins are both long in the past and faintly unsettling. He's good for lifting heavy things, like that tank of propane you're about to throw into the burning Piggly Wiggly... “ which i now consider canon. Who's kid is he? How old is he? Not important. Anyone willing to commit arson with you is family.

Annnnyway. This challenge was a lot of fun! I love indulging in AU’s.

#long post #the addams family #Character Design #au #design challenge #i am incapable of doing a design challenge like a normal person #oh god i forgot the cut lol

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xo-cuteplosion-xo · 4 years ago

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I’m going through a rough time atm and I was wondering if you’re okay if I request some characters with a s/o who is just tired a lot, can’t concentrate and don’t really have energy to do stuff.

I wish I knew what characters were your comfort characters, so I could make this even better for you! I hope you feel better and the little quick drabbles help you a bit. I went with my 3 most requested, as they tend to be more often than not comfort characters. I hope that’s alright with you! Feel free to drop another request for a character that I didn’t include here.

For hard times |Dazai, Chuuya, Atsushi x Reader|

Warnings: implied depression, symptoms of depression.

Genre: comfort-

Total words- 1504

Dazai:

417 words

From the start of this, he had suspicions you were feeling a little down. Watching you sit alone and look less cheery with the passing hours, days, maybe it had been a few weeks. He wanted to make you feel better, but he didn’t know how to. He was after all in your position most of the time. Unmotivated and too tired to do anything, let alone want to move about. He wanted to know what was pushing your mood down. This need grew stronger the longer he watched your tired expression. There was nothing this man wanted more than to make you feel better. Even if he didn’t understand what it was, that was pulling you under.

With careful steps, he walked over to you with a soft blanket, woven with soft strands of silky yarn. He set it over your shoulders, wrapping it around you. Watching your half-lidded eyes look over to him from the unexpected gesture he simply shook his head. Pressing his hand to your cheek, he softly smiled. The slight lift to his lips was only ever revealed to you. This kind, gentle, serious expression was his vulnerability. He hoped you would open up your woes to him. Let you rant and pour whatever feelings were bottling up and slowly dragging you down. He didn’t care what it was, a co-worker, a friend, a relationship of some kind, an ex, your family life, he just needed to help you. So as he watched you with honest worry, he pulled you close, so your head rested on his chest. “When you're ready, I’ll be here for you to drop your pain.” His voice was softer, lacking his signature playful teasing. There was nothing but an oddly comforting smoothness to his voice. Low and slightly choked as he held you. He was unsure if this little reassurance; this little contact comforted you.

He’d hold you until you could no longer cry, or until you were peacefully asleep. Even then, he’d keep your body close to his. If he were to fall asleep, he would not let you go. He would never let you go, not until you felt safe and slightly better. Even if it was only half a percent of a change, he would be happy to have helped your mood lift. He’s never going to push you to tell him what’s bothering you. He won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to. Well, except eat, he can’t have you starving.

Chuuya:

474 words

He’d be too caught up with work to notice it immediately, the changes in your mood and behavior. That doesn't mean he never does though. Out of everybody in the mafia, you were the most important to him. He was willing to take any risk to keep you safe. If he finds out because you don’t show up and refuse to drag yourself from bed, he shakes his head, refuse wouldn’t be the right word here. It’s more like he understands you can’t. Something is crushing you like a weight, and he becomes determined to fix that issue. He hardly ever talks softly, but around your tired, nearly life-less form he’s soft. His steps aren't loud stomps, but instead a soft pattern of clicks. The heels of his shoes provide you a perfect rhythm. He’ll buy you chocolate because of the serotonin that they’re proven to induce. He never asks for details, he knows you would tell him if you needed to. However, just in case you are staying silent about the weight that’s causing this pain, due to the fear he’ll think you are weak. He hints that he would never see you in such a dull fashion. “Hey, you know you can always tell me if something is wrong, right? You know I keep my word, I won't judge or tell anybody else.” There was more he wanted to say. Part of that was an expression of how much he cared about you. He stayed silent in fear he would be selfish in doing so. If those words are the trigger for you to slip from holding it all in, he wraps you in his arms and lets you do what you need to.

He doesn't care if you shout, pound your fists against his chest, cry, or do a mix of all of that. He wants you to get it all out until that weight can start to loosen, and you can start to feel free from the troubles holding down your smile. He’ll hold you after your meltdown. He will not let anybody else see you. They will not get a chance to lay a finger on you. If a specific person was the cause, like an ex, a bully, a sibling, he’ll wait till you're peacefully asleep, then have a… talk with them. He warns them that if you’re ever hurt again, they won’t get off with simply being terrified for their life. He’s insanely protective of the people close to him. You get the front of that protective nature, you’re the one he cares for the most. Whether you return such feelings or not, it won’t change anything. He hates seeing your tears, so he’ll always be there for you to cling to in such times. You are never alone, he will always be there to support you.

Atsushi:

613 words

When he first noticed you were down, he was working; doing the work Dazai had shoved at him. He liked to think you were a hard worker, so seeing you so… tired was a slight abnormality to him. He noticed how you were struggling to stay concentrated. Every so often he’d look over and find you blankly staring off, eyes glossed over. When everybody else was gone, he walked to your desk whilst fidgeting with the hem of his gloves. Taking deep breaths, he was upfront about what he’d noticed. “Are you feeling alright?” "I-I could uh take you somewhere if you want.” If you tell him you're fine, he’ll hang his head before gathering the courage to confront the lie. Even your tone was different; it sounded almost as if you had given up on everything. He knew that low, depressed tone. He used to have such a pitch to his own voice before he found his place here. He remembered how much pain he had gone through. The mental baggage of the past, the fear of what he found out was his own ability. He didn’t want that to be the pain rising in your mind. He’d pull over a chair and swipe away the pile of unfinished requests. “You’re not though. I-I don’t want to intrude, but maybe… maybe you should take some time? You seem tired, I could get you some sweets and other things if you want.” He would mutter the words under his breath until you shrugged.

When he returned, he found you on the agency sofa doing nothing but holding yourself; too exhausted to attempt to do anything. You couldn’t, not with how you felt. The thoughts racing in your head were too much to hold on to on your own. You wondered how people got this far with such a mindset. So trapped in your thoughts, you never noticed Atsushi take a seat at the other end. Sliding down bags of candy and flavored sweet drinks. He knew sugar induced serotonin, but wasn’t sure if that worked with everybody. The next thing he decided to do was look to the side and speak to you again. “If you’re going through something, I'm… we’re all here for you. The entire agency, you know, we're kind of like our own family? If you're hurting or holding something all on your own, you can tell us.” Turning back to you, he inched closer and reached for your hand. With a slow movement, he rubbed the back of your hand. “I… really am here. I’ve felt like this before… I know how hard it can be to tell others what’s bothering you, but please… can you promise me you’ll fight?” When he noticed your confused face, he decided to say it. “You’re important to every single one of us. So please, if it gets too much and you want to take it to an extreme, please… please come to one of us.” His eyes sparkled with a plea. He wouldn’t know what to do if you did something to yourself out of this pain.

If those words cause you to rush in for a hug, he’ll return the embrace. Running his hand over your back in an attempt to comfort you. He’s not the best at comfort, but he does whatever he can to help. Whether you want to hear more reassurance or just have somebody to cling to while you're unmotivated.

These things will eventually get better, with the right people, the right comfort, the right hobbies. These moments pass and light will shine. He hopes you’ll be able to see the light peek from the clouds soon.

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petri808 · 3 years ago

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Quarantine memories fic hoarding craze for @thenaluarchive

— thank you to @phoenix-before-the-flame for helping jump start this fic 💜

It was Natsu Dragneel’s absolute favorite time of the day. 1 pm for him, and 8 am for Lucy, his… well, right now they were just online friends separated by distance and priorities. But judging by how he talked about her to friends, you’d never know it. They’d met three years ago on Twitch through a random chat stream about an anime series, and he continued following Lucy on her writing streams. Three years ago, she was a sophomore in college while he was in his senior year. Lucy later moved on to a graduate program, but they stayed in touch, growing close. To Natsu, she wasn’t just some girl online but a real friend he cared very much about. His friends called Lucy his online girlfriend. Pfft. He wished he could call her that.

Roughly two thousand miles away, Lucy Heartfilia was hating life. Her curtains were drawn, and a blanket was pulled over her head to drown out the light. The air conditioner was down to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, working against the low-grade fever and pounding migraine born yesterday. Migraines… the bane of her otherwise healthy existence. It was her fault after all, the temptation of a chocolate dessert knowing full well it was one of her triggers brought on said migraine and all she could do was bear it.

Why?

“Stupid hoarders!” Lucy groaned to herself.

As if dealing with a pandemic wasn’t bad enough, people’s selfish reactions to it were worse. A government agency had claimed that acetaminophen products could help with the virus’s symptoms, so what did people do? Panic buying anything and everything they could find containing that drug! The problem for people like Lucy, is the one over the counter medication that helped with her migraines was Excedrine… an acetaminophen product! And she’d just. run. out.

Lucy’s phone rang and she knew exactly who it could be based on the time. So, she clicked the answer button without opening her eyes.

“Hey, Natsu,” she groaned out.

“Morning Lucy! Oh geez, you sound like a frog.”

“Thanks,” she retorted sarcastically. “I’ve got a migraine.”

“Ouch.” Natsu genuinely flinched. He rarely got headaches, but this wasn’t the first time he’d talked to Lucy when she was going through one, so he knew what she was going through. “The meds aren’t helping?”

Lucy sighed. “I ran out. And did you see the news about all the hoarding? Every store here is bought out. It… sucks.”

“I could check around here and send you any I find,” he offered.

“Aww, that’s sweet of you Natsu, but I don’t wanna trouble you.”

“Pfft. Nonsense. I’m sure you’d do the same for me.”

“Thanks, Natsu. I appreciate it.” Lucy smiled through the pain. There’s a good reason her feelings for the man had grown over the years. His sweet and caring, yet fun and goofy, positive personality was an easy drug to get hooked to.

“Anyway, I gotta get back to work.” Natsu whined. “Good morning again, stay hydrated, and I’ll check on you again when I’m finished for the day, okay Lucy? Get some rest.”

“Have a good day at work Natsu.”

“Will now, after hearing your voice. Talk to you later Luce.”

She giggled softly. “Bye, Natsu.”

Lucy shifted under her blanket as she clicked off the phone to lie on her back. His sexy voice did wonders for her mood despite the pain still ravaging it. Now all she had to do was drag herself out of bed to eat something and drink water. She never had an appetite when she got these migraines, but it was a necessary fuel to fight it. All Lucy had left were extra strength Tylenol, so she could only hope it would at least take the edge off until the migraine ran its course.

Like so many others, this pandemic had really taken a toll on Lucy’s psyche. It’s not as if she went out a lot before it took hold, but just the fact it made going out dangerous brought different emotions to the situation. School had moved online which sucked all its own, she missed casually hanging out with friends on campus, and simply longed for the freedom of leaving her apartment as she pleased. But she understood the precautions of a quarantine. Frankly, she agreed with the city’s efforts to keep them as safe as possible no matter how many grumbled about it. Did it make it easier? No. But it was a necessary evil.

They weren’t completely trapped, could shop for necessities, visit family or friends, just encouraged to limit such gatherings as a safety precaution. If you went out, wear a mask, and just don’t stand too close to other people. Well, unless Lucy knew the person, why would she want strangers in her personal bubble anyway? And the mask thing? Have you ever been out shopping, and someone just sneezes without covering their mouth? Yeah— seriously, would it kill people to use one?! Why were people so selfish during times like this? Not everyone, but too many. Just like with all the hoarding frenzies that swept through cities, it was frustrating and— “Ugh…” being in a pain-driven bad mood was sure bringing her down today.

But despite all the external frustrations, the feelings of isolation from being in a quarantine for months were probably the most mentally exhausting part. It was lonely being so far away from home during a pandemic. Lucy’s been in college for five years and while she’s made friends in the new city, she was starting to crave comfort instead of an empty apartment. Her life online was one of the few things that made her happy, like Natsu’s daily calls, and kept her sane.

Natsu… her face heated up every time she thought about the man. They didn’t have a lot of hobbies in common, but he was always so supportive and made her laugh like no other could. Where they lacked in commonality, was made up in ease of conversation. It hadn’t taken very long for their online chats to feel more like an old friend and less like a faceless stranger. Over the years they’d talked about meeting in person one day after she finished school. It also helped that he was from a city not too far from where she came from, so if she chose to move back it would be convenient. But she also loved the new city she called home. Oh well, Lucy sighed. It was a decision still a couple of years away to make.

The next morning, Lucy woke up to find her migraine had finally given up. She could still feel the little bastard hiding, simmering somewhere ready to strike, but if it stayed mellow, it was something she could tolerate. Throughout the day, Lucy wasted no time in catching up on the homework she couldn’t finish the day before and making sure to stay hydrated with food in her stomach.

Lucy’s phone rang around 2pm.

“Hi Natsu, how was work?”

“Same ole, same ole,” he chuckled. “And how are you? Still feeling, okay?”

“Yeah, it hasn’t come back.”

“That’s great!”

Lucy could hear a lot of background noise, so she asked about it. “Oh, you’re not home yet?”

“Nah, and the commuters are being extra noisy today,” he responded benignly. “Anyway, tonight I won’t have time to talk cause I got a project due for work I need to finish.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Yeah, I’m still catching up from yesterday too and Levy’s dropping by for dinner.”

They chat for a few minutes about their day as Natsu waited for transportation. Lucy knew he used the subway to and from work, but today it sounded a little different, noisier and she swore there were engines instead of the normal train sounds. Maybe it was static. Finally, Lucy caught the muffled words now boarding.

“Shucks, time for me to go,” Natsu cut through. “Sweet dreams Lucy! I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Good night, Natsu!”

Lucy spent the afternoon relaxing online, chatting with friends and gaming. Her friend Levy McGarden later dropped by with take-out food for dinner and the two women caught up on random topics while movies droned on the television. They were both in grad school, so during the semester there wasn’t a lot of time to hang out, but they made do. Lucy was also doing a paid internship at a local magazine 4 days out of the week as part of her master’s program. She really enjoyed working there under one of the senior editors. He made it a fun learning experience.

Life was almost perfect except for the background isolation of the pandemic. Lucy was glad she wasn’t one of the individuals affected by jobs cuts, but it still got under her skin to feel trapped in a way. It was nice with her friend over... ‘Maybe I should see if Levy wants to become roommates?’ She wondered as she drifted off to sleep. The apartment would sure feel a lot less empty.

A knock at the door roused Lucy from her sleep. She blinked and yawned, looking at the alarm clock and that said 9 am the next morning. ‘Natsu didn’t call,’ she thought how odd. Maybe he slept in after working late.

Lucy dragged herself out of bed, throwing on a robe to answer the front door. “Gimme a sec,” she called out as she neared it.

“UPS delivery, ma’am.” The male voice responded.

‘UPS?’ Lucy grew confused. She didn’t remember ordering anything through them, but maybe she’d forgotten?

She peaked out of the peep hole, but all she could see was the box being held up. Okay a little weird, but some of the delivery people did that to show they were legitimate service people. Lucy slowly opened the door but kept the chain lock on while peering through the gap. But what she saw next brought on instant tears.

“H-How?” Her voice stammered out as her fingers quickly undid the lock and opened the door wide.

There Natsu stood holding a small brown box, dressed in a uniform of sorts, with a mask hanging under his chin, and wearing a goofy grin.

Lucy snorted a laugh as her eyes crinkled in happiness. “Is that a Halloween costume?”

“Yeah,” his smile widened, and hand scratched his head. “Surprise delivery,” Natsu held out the box, “for Lucy Heartfilia.”

“What is it?” She asked as she took it from him.

“Oh, I um found you Excedrine.”

Lucy opened the box to find 4 bottles. “You certainly did,” she laughed. “But why’d you bring it yourself?”

“It was quicker than the mail and… I hoped…” Natsu’s mannerism grew sheepish and tentative, “it was about time we finally met in person?”

Her face softened with a smile. “It truly is.” Lucy gestured into the apartment. “Please, make yourself at home.”

#nalu #nalu au #quarantine memories #hoarding craze #nalu fan fic #nalu fic #nalu fan fiction #Natsu dragneel #Lucy heartfilia #inspired by a true event #the nalu archive #the nalu archive event

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honiweii · 4 years ago

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[NejiTen] Written for each other : NejiTen canon (1/5)

After watching Naruto for the 1000th time...There is a thought that keeps spinning in my head... Kishimoto shipped NejiTen. from. the start (?)

NejiTen has always been my golden OTP. I just want to share some things that I noticed about them while watching Naruto. And without realizing it, I made a very, very long list .... So, I divided my analysis into 5 parts

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1. Neji and Tenten (Theme Song)

They are the only ones to share a same theme song (with a very slightly different beat, but it’s the same) !

youtube

This is not a coincidence ! Nothing is a coincidence, especially not when you have to work on a character like Neji who is obsessed with fate.

Neji and Tenten characters:

Neji is a character tortured by his fate. During his first appearances, he is bitter towards his clan. He wants to go against his fate, taking the path of hate and revenge (like Sasuke). He always wanted to rebel against his clan.

(↑ A/N: I emphasize this sentence because it’s clearly the purpose of his character, and that will not change. It's just the way to reach the end goal that will change. I will quote what he says in episode 412 :

“Naruto and Gaara both challenged their destinies and overcame hardship. They wouldn't turn their backs and say it’s someone else’s problem.”

Tenten was always by his side, even when he was arrogant and cruel. She knows him perfectly : his story, his moods, his techniques, everything (and vice versa: he knows her perfectly). Tenten is his sun, his balance and the way for him to rebel against his clan.

Remember, Kishi said Tenten was his favorite character. He must have taken a long time to design her character and I think he associated her with Neji from the start.

This is not new information, Kishi didn't give the girls much credit except Sakura who is the main character with Naruto and Sasuke (but that's normal, the story begins with them). What I mean is: he focused more on Neji (a boy) and so Tenten is kind of created for him.

There are many reasons like: the choice of the theme song, the fact that Neji and Tenten are always together, and that Tenten is always on Neji's side to support him. So really, Tenten is the girl who belongs to Neji and Neji belongs to Tenten.

* * * *

2. Symbols

I just realized they have a lot of symbols and that connects them.

Dragon and Phoenix :

Neji is symbolized by the Phoenix and Tenten by the Dragon.

In Chinese mythology, the phoenix (yang) and the dragon (yin) represent the perfect balance for a successful married life.

Also ! We can find the representation of the Dragon and the Phoenix in their physical appearance. But this time it’s Neji who has the characteristics of the Dragon (his eyes, the cold tone of his skin) and Tenten of the Phoenix (her warm tones : her skin, her hair and eyes are reminiscent of the flames that cover the phoenix)

Zodiac signs + Date of birthday:

Tenten = Pisces (Date of birthday : March 9)

Neji = Cancer (Date of birthday : July 3)

They are perfectly compatible ! Their zodiac signs are compatible, as is their birthday number (their birthday number follows the table of 3 😅 So, 9 and 3 are perfectly compatible 🤣 But, these numbers are really compatible in numerology, I checked it.)

Also ! Neji is obsessed with fate and Tenten’s hobby is fortune-telling. (She is also fascinated by the supernatural and ghosts.)

Blood type :

Tenten : Type B

Neji : Type O

Sky (天 ) and Bird :

The caged bird represents Neji trapped in his fate.

The name of Tenten in Chinese 天天 means "sky" (sky sky, or heaven)

And what does a caged bird look for ?

The sky.

Fly in the sunny sky.

(↑, this is not a coincidence. Neji could have had two Earth scrolls in his hands or another person on his team could have held the scrolls. But no. It’s Neji, and he was holding 天天 in his hands. Plus, Tenten was looking close to him.)

Also, in the manga and the anime, I noticed that before showing Tenten and Neji in a frame, there were birds shown right before.

(↑ zoom ↓), oh ! Kishi drew Tenten with lipstick for Neji ↑

. . .

* * * *

3. Nejiten reference

(A/N: I thought Hashirama and Mito were Tenten's parents.... but no...)

Another obvious sign slipped discreetly into the manga.

Which of these characters was drawn first ? No matter, Kishi implicitly plotted Neji and Tenten's fate. The guy with the long hair ended up with the girl with two buns.

I also don't think Hiashi would have objected. He seemed to like Neji's friends and like I said above, Neji was a rebel. He wanted to change the systems of his clan. His goal was to change his fate, be free. to make his own decisions.

The real change of the Hyuuga clan would have been done by him, and he would have married Tenten no matter how, because they were meant to be together since the creation of their character.

Tenten was the only one on Neji's side from the start. Just remember the battle of Neji and Naruto (episode 62), it was Tenten commenting on Neji's actions. She already knew him perfectly: his strengths, his weaknesses. She had faith in him, and he had faith in her too.

* * * *

So, when Kishimoto created their character, did he think about all of this ? Is it all a coincidence ? I don’t think so, but if it does, the fate is truly amazing ! I call it the red thread of fate.

#nejiten #detective Honiweii #nejiten canon #nejitenmonth2020 #neji hyuga #tenten #nejiten fever #sorry for my poor english #my investigation #nejiten analysis #nejiten theory

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delyth88 · 3 years ago

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Some quick initial thoughts on episode 2

Spoilers ahead.

Okay, so I’m gonna have to get used to the whiplash between this weird new version of Loki and serious Loki. At least this week wasn’t quite so aggravating as episode 1 in this regard. I find I can better tolerate this oddly lively Loki better than the weird posturing version.

One of my hobbies is historical re-enactment, not quite a Ren Faire North American style, but enough that that whole sequence was insane from my perspective. Loki… in that context…??! Brain… short… circuited…

Given my anxiety over his characterisation I was a wee bit relieved when it turned out that Loki’s whole spiel in the tent about the other Loki setting a trap was a ruse. It just felt even more... off, and I was worried it was going to be another level of ooc.

I loved that they showed Loki finding out about the fall of Asgard. ;’( Makes me wonder if we might get a few more moments of his past and identity in this sort of way. I’m still holding out for some acknowledgement of Thanos, but feeling less hopeful.

I have to admit I died laughing over Loki shouting at the poor terrified Pompei residents, about time travel and their doom. In. Latin! Perfect!

The “I know” line was less awful in context. The “I’d never do it again” line somewhat less so. :/

That explained the carton of fruit juice and the soft drink can thing.

I think I should not have spent so much time analysing the trailers – I found myself ticking off the moments we’d seen as they came up.

I was hoping for more out of the “It’s adorable you think you can manipulate me” conversation. They really are riding the line between lovable fool who happens to get lucky, and master manipulator. And I really don’t know where’re they’re going with this. This whole show has me so off balance.

I kinda liked the conversation where Loki described the difference between casting duplicates and illusions. Maybe not the context and delivery, but I like that he’s showing a detailed technical knowledge about it. Feeds into the beautiful headcannons about him being a scholar.

Also interesting to see the new variant showing a new (to us) power. Initially I was confused, thinking she had done something similar to Wanda in Age of Ultron, and so was mighty confused when she jumped bodies.

The whole sequence with the other variant gave me such Dr Who vibes.

The climate change joke hit a bit too close for home.

I did like that the guy who was beating up Loki actually was Loki. Makes so much sense now. So Loki’s powers transfer too? I’d still like to see, as @iamanartichoke has discussed in the past, some fun instances of Loki having super-human strength.

I did love Loki’s comment about how he can see why Thor would get so irritated talking to him! <3

I’m unsure what Loki’s actual plans/hopes are now. They have been very open about plans for taking over the TVA so I have to assume that’s not it. there’s definitely something up with the Timekeepers. [okay so apparently I can’t type Timekeepers without hearing it said in his voice. XD ] No idea wot tho. And the new Loki seems to be intent on creating the Multiverse again.

And that also puts paid to my previous thoughts that the Loki series might end up creating a multiverse and Dr Strange fix it. Seems a bit early to be creating a multiverse in episode 2 if that’s the state you need to finish the series in. ? I like that this is so far not going in a way I had expected.

I’m unsure whether Loki didn’t wait for Mobius because he was trying to get away or whether he just didn’t want to lose the opportunity to keep tabs on the other Loki variant and will prove Mobius’ trust in the end.

We seem to have covered off most of the scenes from the trailers now. Except for the purple ones, the flaming sword, and the Loki variants having a chat. Oh and the post-apocalyptic New York. Does that mean we get Purple World in the next episode? I do like that they’ve left a lot unknown from the promo material.

Overall I’m still getting more out of this than I’m disliking. Though still getting whiplash from the characterisation. Mobius seems a more consistent character than Loki atm. I do hope we get more of Dramatic Loki than Comedy Loki in future episodes as the stakes get higher. ‘Cause the bits we do get are so good!

Tagging a few folk since the amount of content these days and the timezone difference... 🤷‍♀️ I look forward to hearing what you thought of the episode when you get there. :)

@iamanartichoke @sparklegemstone @scintillatingshortgirl19 @projectprotectloki

#loki #loki episode 2 #loki series #spoilers #loki spoilers #my review

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darkdevasofdestruction · 4 years ago

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The Idiot ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

In which the reader is the last Russian princess from our contemporary times and Fyodor is there to watch, observe, analyse and write a novel while being the reader’s sort of guardian/mentor, all while reader finds herself in an impossible, almost-Anna Karenina-like situation that drives her to desperate decisions.

And yes, I’m very much basing this story Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot” novel, Tolstyi’s “Anna Karenina” and Katyusha, both the Russian song, and the “Resurrection” novel from Tolstoy that has Katyusha as an unfortunate, yet important character.

Also, a little nod to our dear Ana Lesko for her song “Anicyka Maya”, which will serve as a cute little nickname for our dear reader, although the song is Romanian, and it’s about a seductive woman.

Other nicknames will include: Kiska ( kitten ), Zaika ( bunny ), Kroshka ( little one ), Krasotka ( gorgeous ).

I’m not Russian, I don’t know about Russia’s culture, history and language as much as I know about my own, obviously, but as ex-commie & ex-USSR, we still have a shit ton of similarities. Nevertheless, I will try not to get into too many details that will compromise authenticity.

Luxury, glamour, wealth, gold, jewellery, diamonds, class, facades, masks, masquerades, social gatherings, lies, marriages, politics, horses, deals, gambling... These represent some of the few words people from everywhere around would describe the royal family.

Why do some still exist, anyway? Shouldn’t they have just completely disappeared at the same time with the Romanov family? ...Stupid cartoon movies and their resurrection of Anastasia...

Nobody truly cares about these rich rats who worked naught for their wealth, and would never understand the struggle and poverty of the normal citizens of Russia...They just live in their abnormally huge palace, having more servants than the population of Moscow and eat at one meal more than normal people do in one week altogether.

How utterly ridiculous.

Their lives are all perfect, they marry themselves to keep that ridiculous purity and their infinite wealth in the family...How atrocious! What about charity? Kindness? Altruism? Helping out the common folk?

All these thoughts, and you’d think a very bitter and vindictive, very poor and malicious person came up with, and yet, the reality was rather distorted.

From the top stair of the palace, in a dark room, sitting on the windowpane, a gorgeous young woman cast her dull eyes over the snowy city and the people hurrying down the roads, hoping to go home before it got too late and cold.

Maybe they were poor and hateful, and rightfully so, she’d say, but perhaps they can also be deemed happier, if they can take into account their freedom...As much as the government provides them, at least - Yet even so, even the poorest person held more freedom than this caged bird, forever trapped and shackled by fate from the second she was born...As if she had any choice, that is.

Perhaps she deserves this treatment, this hatred, this...Manipulation from her own family, who only see her as a political and financial pawn, planning her marriage from the second she first cried into this world... Like a martyr, she will accept all torture and live on, never knowing what ‘living’ truly means, only imagining it by reading all day and all night long, or when she plays the piano one of the many songs she learnt.

As the grandfather clock rang to 7 times to announce dinner time, Y/N dressed in a simple, yet elegant dress, put on a pair of classy black stiletto shoes, and went down to the luxurious dining room, sitting in her usual seat, only for a brunet stranger dressed in white to grace the sight with his unexpected presence.

She didn’t dare speak to him, yet her eyes couldn’t leave his form, no matter how her meek demeanour made her hung her head to avoid showing anything other than her demure expression.

Thankfully, her parents arrived, along with the waiters that served the food, so it saved some of the awkwardness of the unknown.

“Y/N, darling, this man here is Fyodor Dostoevsky. He is here as a writer, wanting to learn more about us and about people in general. As a compromise, he agreed to be your personal guard...Considering the other one was a sacrilege to our dear daughter...What a lecherous man, making advances on you...But, anyway, let us toast to the success of this young man’s writing career!” the mother raised her champagne, and the four of them clinked glasses. “I thank you for the unique opportunity to learn and understand society and people better. May you live a long and prosperous life.” this new stranger held a charming smile on his face, trying to impress and buy everyone’s trust. “Do you have yet any idea about the theme of your novel? Or, perhaps an idea for a title?” the father asked, making the brunet shake his head softly. “No, not yet, unfortunately. I prefer to study hard, and only then, when I am educated enough, to allow the flow of creation to take over me.” this Fyodor nodded in acknowledgement, while the girl kept completely silent for the duration of the dinner, waiting for everything to be over so she could escape back to the little faux haven she created and called ‘safe’. “Y/N, show Mr. Fyodor to your room, he will be sleeping there for now on. The butlers already brought a spare bed there, so it’s alright.” the mother waved her hand dismissively, and the girl could only bow quickly and go back to her room, making sure to point out what each of the rooms represent, before reluctantly inviting him to her bedroom. “Please, make yourself at home, Mr. Dostoevsky. I hope it will be comfortable and to your liking. Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to tell me so we can make your stay as great as possible.” she spoke to him in a soft, meek voice, not daring to make eye contact in any way. “Call me Fyodor, no need for formalities. We are going to room together, might as well become friendly. What don’t you tell me about yourself? Your hobbies, your interests, your dreams, your aspirations.” the brunet paced around the room, observing all of her personal objects, which, turned out, except for jewellery, books, a small, pink Gloxinia, and a pickup with 1920s British vinyls, there was nothing to represent her...Which was, in its own way, an intriguing peculiarity. “I...Like reading, flowers, music...And I wish I could get a dog and learn how to play the violin too. There aren’t many interesting things about me...I’m not special or anything out of the ordinary. I am not allowed to put myself out there in any way, so this is the little I could do to express who I am.” so tried to be as vague as possible, fidgeting on her feet uncomfortably, knowing that the punishment for embarrassing the family would be grave, should it be known. “Hmmm...I see, I see...Ah, you’re a Tolstoy reader, I see. Anna Karenina...Very interesting, yet tragic, wouldn’t you say?” he asked, picking up a book that was supposed to be hidden. “N-No! Don’t take that out of there...Nobody can know I have it. I was strictly forbidden from reading it...Please don’t tell anyone I have this book.” the princess snatched the book from his hands, hiding it further back in the bookshelf. “Ohh~? Why would you not be allowed to read a Russian book? You’d think the Russian princess would be urged to read Russian literature.” he stepped in front of her, picking her chin and raising her head slightly to allow him to look deep into her fawn-like eyes. “Because of the ending...And the controversial decisions Anna made, some of them even contradictory to her own beliefs, and yet, she made her own decisions, at some point in her life. When your fate is decided from before you are born, having opinions is the worst enemy of a puppeteer...Wouldn’t you agree?” she muttered, walking away from him, taking her nightgown and walking towards her bathroom.

This made the man think more about how dysfunctional this supposed perfect royal family actually was. The illusion of a flawless individual, living together, forming a flawless family, a flawless life, in a flawless palace.

Perhaps facades aren’t as obvious to see through, or understand, for while the parents are completely bland...This girl...So much potential locked away in a timid chest of massive oak wood, embellished with overly expensive jewellery, clearly unwanted. She could be a genius, shining in her happiness, glowing like her dazzling smile, and yet, there she is, eclipsed by chaff, when she could be burning brighter than the morning Sun.

Those parents of hers think he wants to be here and get dazzled by the infinite stream of diamonds that keep flowing around the whole place - And yet, perhaps they are the ones living in mental poverty, considering they believe financial wealth and fame is the sole reason for being alive - To uphold a certain kind of status that they worked naught for, but received hereditary, from one lazy deadbeat to yet another generation of useless people for this society.

They truly are like the plague, incredibly rare nowadays, but completely fatal once you fall grasp to their dark claws that drag you to hell to succumb to their completely fictional utopian world that they create only amongst themselves, as if whatever lives beyond these golden walls is putrid and deserves to rot to pieces.

As his mind wandered farther and farther away down the country, snowy roads he created with his own imagination of thoughts, he heard the bathroom door softly open, and the angelic creature garbed in a thin - Possibly silk, snow white nightgown - Stepped back into their now shared room, and just as before, her demeanour resembled that of a small, frightened fawn, or a bunny.

When you have to deal with such a pure being that could completely shatter, it’s difficult not to impulsively break down all walls around and snatch her away - It’s close to impossible not to attempt to test all existing boundaries and see the limits where she would break...Or, almost, at least.

However, abstinence makes for a great suspense and greed...You want more...And more...And the more you wait, the harder it is to resist, but the satisfaction you get when the frail creature trusts you enough to eat from your own palm, and you finally claim it as yours...

It’s Heavenly.

“Sweet Dreams, Fyodor.” she spoke softly, putting on a Tchaikovsky vinyl and picking up a book, getting in bed and reading it, the only light still open being a dim lantern on her nightstand. “How would you like to show me around the city tomorrow?” the brunet asked so casually that it shocked the girl enough to drop her book on her lap. “O-Oh...U-Uhmm...I’m not exactly to go out of this place unless it’s for Christmas shopping...I’m sorry I can’t properly do as you wish...” she quickly took her book back, hiding her face to hide her embarrassment and disappointment. “Well, then, what a gorgeous coincidence, isn’t it? In barely two months, Christmas shall come, and then, you can properly show me around, correct?” the man mused, the ghost of a smirk playing on his face. “..You’re right! My, you’ll get to see the beautiful fairy light and Christmas decorations all around the city! I can’t believe it, you truly chose the perfect time to come here. Oh, and, the ballet, the opera and the national orchestra are going to perform...I believe The Nutcracker is going to play this year...And Traviata. It should be beautiful, don’t you agree?” Y/N asked with a soft smile on her face, sparks gleaming in her eyes, and for the first time since he’s met her, it felt like she was finally alive. “Yes, yes, I would have to agree. And if you are there with me, the experience will be even better.” he hummed, teasing the poor girl who had no idea what else to say to such bold affirmations. “O-Oh...W-Well...Th-Thank you...I-I think...Your presence there will also make the going out more interesting...And nice.” she offered a comeback that pleased the man well enough. “Good night to you as well, Printsessa.”

What a lovely young woman, he thought, as he closed his eyes and let his mind fly at different aspects of life and of humanity, trying to decipher each and every person he met that day and wondering if his assumptions were correct, as they always are.

Morning came by faster than expected as a shy ray of of Sun creeped inside the room through the window, but Fyodor was already awake, writing at the desk rather rapidly - Most likely, he had some inspiration hitting him, so he proceeded to pour out his conflicting thoughts on the paper, all while stealing a peek from time to time at the girl sleeping peacefully, almost as if she was a Disney Princess.

The way the soft light caressed her face had him take the stray streak of h/c hair and pull it back so it won’t tickle her awake, while also being allowed to watch her peacefully inhale and exhale, a small smile on her face...Perhaps she was having a beautiful dream? Was that why she told him to have sweet dreams? Were her dreams her only lovely escape from this horrible reality she was forced to live in?

There were so many mysteries yet to be unveiled, but all in due time, as Fyodor noticed the gentle flutter of her lashes, and with a grace only reserved to a Swan Princess, she raised and stretched with a sweet hum, and the brunet man watched as his eyes felt absolutely blessed seeing such a beauty...

If people complained that Disney Princesses weren’t relatable, since they have messy hair when they wake up, just like Anna, they clearly haven’t seen how perfect Y/N looks, even as she blinks her sleepiness away.

“I see you slept well, Printsessa. Good morning.” she heard him speak, and she noticed it wasn’t as en garde and...It almost seemed...Pleased to see her. “Fyodor...You woke up before me. You should have woke me up. Please wake me up next time, I wouldn’t want you to feel lonely or upset. This place is like a piranha tank...Thread carefully, otherwise, you’re like a little animal who fell in.” she quickly got up, rushing through her daily routine so she could be by his side, not only because her parents assigned her to that, but also because this Dostoevsky man is the only little thing that could rip her out of her completely dull routine and show her a little bit of insight into what could be something out of her imagination entirely. “Aww, the little songbird wishes to spend time with me, how adorable. Very well, Printsessa, what is it that you want to do today? My job here is to observe and write, after all.” he asked, crossing one leg over the other, resting his chin on his fist, watching her with intense interest. “Oh, well, I have to practice the piano today, but other than that, I have nothing in my schedule.” she explained, guiding him to the music room that very much resembled a whole orchestra surrounding a place - Not too small, yet not too big either - Meant for ballroom dancing. “I bet the national orchestra isn’t as fancy as this place is.” he mused, walking up to the cello and tracing his fingertips across the chords. “...Do you know how to play it?” she asked, walking up to him, having the curiosity of a baby fawn exploring the world. “Would you like to hear?” he asked, sitting on the chair and expertly hugging the cello, he grabbed the bow and teased the girl with a mischievous look in his gleaming purple eyes. “Oh, yes, please, if it’s not too much to ask! It would be absolutely splendid.” Y/N clasped her hands together, grinning widely as she stepped a few feet away to give him enough space so he could start playing. “It would be my pleasure, Printsessa.” and with the nod of his head, he started playing the famous Sugar plum fairy song, making the girl gasp in surprise at how gorgeous it sounded.

She crouched to reach the perfect eye view of the bow gliding along the chords, her mouth slightly agape and she gazed with absolute wonder, not even realising when the song was over, for she was much too mesmerised.

“Well, Printsessa, how did you like it?” he rested his arms on the curves of the cello, leaning forwards for a better look at her. “That was better than even our national cello player! It was absolutely stunning, woaw...Just...You left me speechless! You’re...You’re...You are...Perfectly splendid!” she clapped for him rapidly and incredibly enthusiastic, making him chuckle in amusement at her cuteness. “Why, thank you, Printsessa. How about you entertain me now, little Anicyka Maya?” he carefully put the Cello in its place, stepping in front of her and caressing her porcelain skin, quenching his thirst for discovery by seeing her rosy cheeks. “Well...I can’t say I’m anywhere as great as you are...But, sure. I hope you will like it.” she looked down, fidgeting with her fingers as she hurried timidly to the piano, and taking a deep breath, cracking her fingers, she liter her fingers skillfully dance over the keys, as her voice followed every word of the song called “Katyusha”. However, she wasn’t expecting him to applaud and whistle to her, congratulating her for being such a beautiful nightingale. “You clearly underestimate your hard work and talent. Perhaps we should play together one day. I’m sure it would put a smile on your parents’ faces.” Fyodor bowed to kiss Y/N’s hand, only to hear the door opening. “Yes, Mr. Fyodor, we would quite like to hear the two of you dueting together. Since Y/N will have to perform both dance and a song at the piano, as a Christmas tradition, it will show how much she’s improved...If at all. I have to tell you the truth, Mr. Fyodor, over the past few years, she has been exceptionally disappointing...Well, perhaps you coming here will prove to give her a jolt in the right direction.” Y/N’s mother came out of nowhere in the music room, almost as if she was stalking the pair, and Fyodor could see how the Princess’ behaviour changed 180 degrees, and from the excitable and lively young girl, she went back to hide in her guarded shell, trying to protect herself from the numerous blows everyone throws her way.

And just as he expected, once they started playing, despite throwing in one or two intentional mistakes, while she had none of her own, the mother reprimanded her daughter, while praising him. He thought, at first, this was going to be some kind of tough love encouragement and determination she was trying to give the girl, but truly, it was nothing more than unrealistic dreams of an already flawless performance.

This family was nowhere close to being the perfect, or the most loving one, that was without a doubt. But being so horrible to your own daughter, humiliating her in front of a complete stranger, making her tremble softly while trying her best to keep herself from bursting into sobbing fits, was a whole different kind of cruel and unnecessary malice.

For some reason, Fyodor felt a certain kind of warmth in his chest...But not the same kind of warmth he feels when he is around Y/N, but something...Similar to fury. To rage. He was sure he never felt such a personal sort of offense, despite not being him that was belittled.

A terrifying sort of justice bubbled inside him, and he smirked, thinking about just one sole thing.

Crime and Punishment.

Fyodor hoped dearly that it would be only the maternal figure that was the problem, yet it seemed to be much worse, and the toxicity levels that kept vibing all over the place seemed to be equivalent to that of Chernobyl at the time of the explosion.

All throughout the week, he noticed the dirty looks all the staff was giving the Princess, possibly because she was being a shy and quiet pushover...But it went completely beyond his understanding how these servants would even dare be so rude to her, considering she is always so sweet to them, always forgives their mistakes and shares her whole allowance with them in equal parts...

But they complain it’s not enough. They complain others get more, or less, but clearly, they don’t care about that, they just want more and more money...They are greedy jackals who don’t care about the life or soul of a poor little lady who just wants to be happy...

But perhaps happiness isn’t meant for royalty.

A week until Christmas, and Fyodor was ready with the quick draft, and he left it on the desk for Y/N to read, and he couldn’t help but admire and drink in each and every emotion she would express on her lovely face with every word she read, every action, every chapter that stirred more and more conflicting feelings and thoughts battling together - Conflicts that she was trying so hard to hide, no doubt feeling his burning, hawk-like stare on her, analysing her as if she was a new specimen under a microscope.

She was great at hiding what she truly felt, yet her eyes betrayed her inner self, the sparkling of nostalgia and sadness crawling out, shrieking at the top of her lungs to be discovered and taken out of this well of darkness she was drowning in - She wanted to be saved, she was at her breaking point, and clearly, she was afraid.

Afraid of life. Afraid of people. Afraid of her family. Afraid of this society. Afraid her own self. Afraid of her actions.

And most of all.

She was afraid of spiritual, mental and emotional imprisonment.

As Christmas approached with rapid footsteps, Fyodor could notice how Y/N stiffer, more silent, flinching more, keeping herself in check, alone, barely speaking to anyone...Clearly, she was being stressed out and afraid of the consequences of screwing up anything.

Perhaps, the problem here was the fatalist and completely out of her control destiny she was thrown in, and she knew from the very beginning that, no matter how flawless her performance was, she would still be reprimanded and punished, so she resigned herself to this kind of treatment...The same as every year.

“It’s so beautiful outside...And it’s snowing...! So soft and cold...It’s almost numbing you entirely, but the beauty of Christmas still melts down even the most frozen of hearts.” she spoke with such sadness dripping from her tongue, that Fyodor felt the need to take his fur hat and put it on her head before taking a hold of both of her hands, rubbing them together and kissing her knuckles. “It’s not the day or the decorations that are supposed to move a person, but the kindness and altruism of people. From what I’ve seen in the past weeks, the only consistency in this place is the beauty of your heart and the cruelty of everyone else that keep eclipsing you. You deserve better than this, kroshka.” the man spoke simply, waiting to see the way she’d react. “...I didn’t choose this life, nor did it choose me, yet here I am, trying to keep my head above the water in a whirlpool. I have all my life planned and written ahead of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. From the very beginning, since before I was even born, they knew they will sell me out to some old, rich man, just so they could benefit, but they cared naught about my well-being, as long as I could keep him entertained in any way possible. The least I can do is try to enjoy the little things...Even if they are nothing more than just that...Little things.” she admits to him, taking away her hands and holding them to her chest, too afraid to trust her own heart. “You let the servants make a mockery out of your kindness. You let your family humiliate you in front of everyone. You let common folk bash you, even if you tip them greatly...Tell me, krasotka, have you read the draft to my book yet?” they continued to stroll down the cobbled streets, looking up at the snowflakes gently dancing in the light of the lamposts, as Fyodor carried most of her shopping bags that held Christmas gifts for everyone but herself. “Yes...I did...But I did not finish it. I was much too afraid to read the ending of it.” she nodded to him, biting her lip nervously. “Afraid? Why ever would you be afraid of reading some words made of ink on a piece of paper?” the man frowned in confusion and interest, hearing such a peculiarity of an answer. “Because...Because I know that Prince Myshkin actually represents me...And how life treats me...So I’m afraid the ending will hint to Anna Karenina’s ending...And I don’t want that. I don’t...That’s why I’m afraid...I’m scared that...I’m scared that I won’t be able to endure this madness anymore, and sooner, rather than later, I will shatter into an unrecognisable version of myself that not even I will decipher...And I will do scary things that I would otherwise be afraid of even thinking about. You know I read the book, I wouldn’t put it past you to tease me like that.” she smiled ironically, shaking her head to stop herself from shuddering at such a dreadful thought. “Congratulations, Printsessa, you are surely insightful. However, I must advise you to read it, and keep in mind that you are not entirely wrong in your thinking. While the ending isn’t identical to Tolstoy’s novel, it isn’t on the complete opposite spectrum either. What you read is one of the possible outcomes of your life, should you choose to remain a passive onlooker and let everyone control you, like a little, pretty doll. Should you, however, choose to take fate into your own hands and finally make your first choice of your life...I can promise you, you are going to be much happier.” Fyodor kissed her forehead before leading her back to the palace so she could take the day off...For tomorrow, she must perform.

But the author wasn’t lying, Y/N realised as she spent the last hours past curfew to finish the book, and she realised that while Myshkin didn’t kill himself, he was still dead inside, and just like the catatonic state he was stuck into, she has been living a life of complete comatose herself. Fyodor was right all along - A life without choices is not a life, nor is it one without freedom and happiness - And maybe, for the first time in her life, she would make the most difficult decision the universe threw at her, and that was to choose between Duty and Happiness, something every royal member, especially women all over the world, who were seen as nothing more than political and decorative objects meant to create heirs and nothing more, had to pick, and dutifully chose to sacrifice themselves to keep the family and the nobility going.

But not anymore....

“You look beautiful today, my little zaika. This velvet colour of your dress, the way it highlights you stunning silhouette...And this jewellery...And your hair and make up...You are above and beyond the most beautiful person to ever grace this life. How are you going to enchant us today?” Fyodor pat down his white suit so he would look completely impeccable...Or, perfectly splendid, as Y/N would say. “Does it truly matter, in the end? Nobody but you will pay attention, and at the end of the day, I will only hear critiques. It’s the same every year, so there is no point in bothering to stand out, have any particularity or give a name. It just...Is. So...Let me get this over with so I can go to my room and pretend this day never happened...Again.” she muttered, hooking her arm to his, entering the big ballroom together.

A ton of people were there, not only family, but enough family ‘friends’, all of them incredibly rich, with a combined fortune great enough to buy the whole Russia somehow...And all eyes were on her. She didn’t mind. She was used to the nervousness and the either critical or lustful stares she received - But only during these kinds of events, and because she was a Princess, otherwise nobody would have cared about her existence or her feelings...

Nobody...Except for Fyodor.

Until the time of his arrival, nobody cared about her, nor did they bother trying to understand or talk to her, and yet, here he was, always by her side, and frankly, she fell in love with him. She, for the first time in her life, cared naught about everything surrounding her, and she thought solely about him and their time spent together. That is all that mattered to her.

So, with that in mind, and a warm heart, she performed the Waltz of Flowers flawlessly at the piano, along with a few other songs, adding some festive ones. Fyodor was absolutely captivated by the spells she put on people whenever she radiated with such pure gentleness, just like Christmas’ true angel.

Her fingers glided so gracefully over the keys, as she hummed along the music, not even bothering to look at the sheet, for she new everything by heart - But somehow, it all sounded even more magical than before, and nobody could tell why.

But Fyodor knew, and he smiled, figuring out her trick. And he was going to call her out for that when this whole charade was over. But for now, he allowed himself to enjoy bathing in her radiating warmth, for she was shining brighter than the Sun itself.

By the time she finished her little repertoire, she did a pretty courtesy and walked to the man in the white suit, taking a glass of red wine and sipping from it, that gentle smile never leaving her face.

They exchanged no words, but there was no need for that, as the look in their eyes spoke more than anything else, and they danced the night away, together, in graceful and intimate waltzes, or swaying together, keeping their hearts glued together, beating in sync and feeling each other’s heat.

She might not have wanted to end up like Karenina, but she wasn’t too far away from her situation, and she knew very well, should she leave with this man, she was going to break down every rule, and find an identity for herself, after all these years.

But happiness is emphemeral in the life of a Princess, and just before the Christmas Ball ended, her parents dragged her to the table of this old man, so they would share gifts. This old man, who so happened to be the man chosen to be her future husband, and had fewer hairs on his head and teeth in his mouth than her age.

Most of the gifts were pretty basic - Jewellery for women, cigars, fedoras, watches for men...But for her...She received some of he oddest gifts so far - And yet, she thought life couldn’t surprise her anymore.

Several little outfits, fit for babies, were neatly folded in all boxes, sans one - The sole box being a small, velvet box, which revealed a sapphire ring that expressed the definite bond of marriage that must be officiated very soon, through papers and a church ceremony.

Frozen was the clock, frozen was the time, and frozen was life itself, for the shock was great - Being put on the spot is scarier than the anticipation and fear of venturing into the unknown - Yet here she was, with her supposed fossil of a husband, with several babies promised to be born, and a very angry author, watching the disgusting exchange of pleasantries between the elder people.

He noticed Y/N doing a little courtesy, excusing herself with a nervous smile, and rushing out of the ballroom, the clicks of her elegant heels giving away her location at all time. Following her, he saw her on the edge of the rood, barefoot, her back to the empty space, as she hummed, looking up at the clouds pouring snow, and swaying to her tippy toes occasionally.

“You sure like the feeling of being alive, don’t you? Otherwise you wouldn’t be staying there after being faced with such a disgusting situation.” he pointed out, clasping his hands behind his back and carefully stepped towards her. “Life is full of surprises. But it is not called life, unless you have a say in the paths that you go down by. Today, I realised what I have to do in order to achieve true bliss and happiness...Something ethereal, although utopian in its quintessence. I have to make a choice. And right now, I’m making it.” she smiled, extending her arms to the side, resembling a Goddess, as a few stray tears streamed down her face - But they were tears of relief, not of fear, anxiety of depression. She was happy. “You said you didn’t want to choose the path of Karenina, nor of Myshkin, and yet, there you are, on the brink of death, as the way to show that you are no longer a caged bird. Is it truly worth it, in the end?” Fyodor asked, frowning at the delusional words she was spewing. “Death is but the beginning of a new adventure, and with me falling, I will find out what freedom is, unlike all the other Princesses before me. It is not death I’m choosing, nor will I regret it as soon as I step into this free fall hazard, like Karenina, and, as you can see, I chose to wake up from my catatonic state, unlike Myshkin. I know what awaits me as soon as I reach the ground...But do you?” Y/N hummed in amusement, watching the conflict painted all over his face - And it was for the first time that Fyodor showed such confusion and inner turmoil, that much was obvious to her. “Stop this, Y/N, I don’t understand your reasoning, but don’t kill yourse- “ but he couldn’t finish his sentence, for the girl uttered just a few words - Words that changed even the rotation of the Earth around the Sun - And as she pushed herself on the tips of her toes, she embraced the cold wind of Winter being her guide down to the ground, as she watched the snowflakes following her down.

And she smiled.

Because love won, and life won, and she knew she chose correct - These weren’t the times to choose everyone else over herself anymore, and nor is she a saint, a martyr, an angel, or some perfect Christian role model. She was just a woman thirsting for happiness and for the tangible sensation of life and of flying, and with this jump, she got completely wasted.

The secure embrace of a white angel made sure she lived for another day, but not quite, for her guardian angel jumped to save her, yet had no idea himself that he wasn’t the only special one, after all, and just as they were going to reach the ground, time seemed to stop, and they reached the ground gracefully and softly, like two linked feathers.

She lay down on the crystal blanket of snow, laughing mirthfully, almost with a childlike charm, as her long hair was sprawled all over her, and Fyodor’s arms were fiercely holding her, and he looked down at her, his eyes wide in understanding.

“I didn’t choose death. I chose life. I chose love...I chose you, and I chose me. I knew you had an ability too, and that you were confident in it, so I was sure that, should you choose to, you could jump from the roof of the palace to save me - Which you did. I never really have the opportunity to use my ability, but it’s rather useful in some situations, if I can say so myself. So, by the way you’d respond to my feelings and actions, I’d know whether I chose right or not...I think we both know the answer now, don’t we?” she grinned mischievously, extending a hand to his face to caress it gently. “That’s the most idiotic, most reckless thing anyone has ever one...And yet, you strategised everything, as if we were pieces in a game of chess. How did you get the courage to reach such a conclusion?” his voice was low, like a murmur, trying to understand her impossible, labyrinthine mind. “Life offered me a Christmas gift today, and that was serendipity, so, I used it. Everything else was a perfect strategy of a game of chess I played myself - The White King versus the Black King - And, was far as my luck and the universe brought about, I believe I won. But you must still answer back, otherwise, the magic will vanish.” Fyodor noticed a smirk growing on her face - One that somehow resembled his, and he almost felt conflicted seeing her mimicking him in his demeanour, in a way...But he also felt incredibly proud. “I cannot take you with me, Y/N. The part I walk is dangerous, it could even be fatal, and I would rather you not walk down a boulevard of broken dreams. You just now achieved happiness, don’t throw it out of the window. It a world full of crimes, I choose to be both the justiciar and the executioner of the unworthy. In a world of crime, I shall inflict punishment upon the evil-doers and paint this world red with the blood of the guilty.” he wanted her, he truly didn’t want to leave without her, nor did he want to leave her alone, here, with these hyenas, but could he really have it in his heart to endanger her so? “Fyodor, my darling, it matters naught for me whether I live or die, as long as the journey is by your side, and I’m not shackled anymore. I want to see, I want to hear, I want to touch, I want to taste, I want to smell, I want to learn. Everything. Without exception. There is a whole world out there, open, waiting to be explored and unveiled, and I shall be its explorer. As long as I have you by my side, I will surely be fearless. Being a hero, being a villain, or anything in between is of no concern for me...However, I cannot deny that I would be rather...Interested in seeing you deliver the sentence down to...Some specific people.” she giggled, winking at him, as she obviously hinted towards her kin and the unlimited amount of gossips she has heard about so many people, over the years.

With a wide smirk on his face, Fyodor Dostoevsky helped Princess Y/N on her feet and gave her a passionate, fire-like kiss, before picking her up bridal style and making their way to her room, so she would start packing and leave at the earliest convenience.

There may still be a bit of official work to do at the palace, and as his ability is called, there is no crime without punishment, he was going to make sure of that. Until then, there was one thing certain, and one alone, that was going to guide the both of them to a path of exciting uncertainty and thrill.

“I love you, my dear Y/N.”

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popculturebuffet · 4 years ago

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Top 20 Animated Episodes of 2020 Part 2 (#10-#1)

And we’re back.. The first part is HERE, which includes the first 10 and my thoughts on this past year in animation, so we can cut the long intro and get right into it. This is the best episodes this year had to offer in animation, and it’s , without meaning to, at least a third bojack horseman. On with the show.

10. I Am My Monster (Steven Universe Future) “We all had Steven when we needed him, but the only person who's never had Steven is Steven. He's always been there for us, so... how can we be there for him now?“ Oddly “The Future”, a finale I did really truly enjoy.. is not on this list. Really good episode, it’s just Future was easily one of Steven Univereses best season, tightining up the pacing without loosing what made the series feel special and really digging into some of more unhealthy aspects of steven’s life. And while the future is good and certanily the needed epilogue.. this episode is the climax, the cumilation of EVERYTHING Steven had done and gone though and something fans sadly saw coming and just had to simply watch, unable to help as Steven slowly lost himself. Previously on this list we saw him hit rock bottom and it only got worse: He went to home world, attacked white diamond due to his pent up trauma and once again ingored attempts to help him, this time from the diamonds and spinle, angrily refusing to listen to his own words she she sang Change at him. This only got worse in the briliant and sadly edged out of the list “Everything’s Fine’ A really damn painful episode where steven tries to assert he’s okay and act normal.. only he cant and he destroys everything around him, and even repeats pearl’s text trick from a single pale rose with a pained voice message to connie saying to help steven. But the pressure of the LONG overdue intervension and the fact it came too late.. means steven confsses his recent sins.. and instead of taking them for twhat they are, spur of the moment acts caused by a toxic influence and a fuckload of ptsd and unreseovled issues with white that while certanly not okay are symptoms of a larger issues takes it to mean “Im a fraud”.. and thus he horriingly corurpts. So here we are as Greg, Connie and the main gems all gap ein horor as Steven has corrputed himself, reduced to a monster whose not even malcious just.. sad.. so full of self loathing he can’t function and at risk of STAYING like that. And the relization hits hard.. and hits everyone who joins in hard. The auxilery crystal gems soon join but attempts from both groups to stop Steven do nothing. The diamonds arrive.. and not only are saddneed by what htey’ve doned but equally powerfless to stop him. Everyone breaks down, blaming themselves for not seeing this sooner and for speding YEARS piling their issue on the kids, everyone ready to give up as they loose the person they care about most.. except one. Connie proves to be the hero of the episode, rallying the others with the above, pointing out Steven would happily help them if he could.. and that’s the problem. He’s spent his whole life fixing other peoples problems and focusing on that.. but never had someone to be HIS Steven. Fighting him’s not going to work.. he needs to know he’s loved... in the end the final battle of the series is not some struggle of life and death.. but of love. What wins the day isn’t a fight, though our heroes various powers do come in hand to restrain steven.. but it’s all of them, one by one telling them they love him in easily the most tearjerking moment of the series, cumilating in connie softly playing a kiss on his nose... and it’s this that FIANLLY frees steven from his self made prison.. finally realizing h’es not alone and that no matter who or what he becomes.. his family loves and forgives him. While we REALLY needed the next episode to wrap things up after this swell of emtitions. this was the climax the series desrved: after spending 6 seasons trying to help everyone ELSE and fix their issues he never should’ve had to.. it’s eveyrone else who gladly pitches in to fix steven’s own issues, to help HIM when he’s at his lowest point like they’ve been, and make it so he can FINALLY heal and finally find himself once and for all. IT’s one of the finest episodes of the series and easily the best of future.

9. The Perfect House (Close Enough) “I’m this close to connecting garfield, TO JESUS” This one’s just really funny, charming and creative. Simple as that.. I could move on but eh i’m a wordy bastard. Once again we’re focused on Emily, this time as we find out an endearing hobby of hers: She likes visiting open houses and fantasizing about affording a better place she likely never will afford, one with trash can nooks, a kitchen and a living room that are fully seperate, and indivudal bins for tea and sugar... and when it’s pointed out she dosen’t drink tea it’s only because she has nowhere to put it. But after Josh and Candace get them thrown out, if adorably so, Emily is forced to face reality... i.e. Alex, in one of the series finest gags, in his underwear with conspiracy boards trying to connect garifled to jesus and having a jug of his urine around for some reason. Did I mention I love this weirdo because I do. Brigette is painting in the ktichen.. using her body as the canvas, though in a bikini because the show wasn’t streaming only yet. You’ll have to wait a season for possible boobs. Naturally this just stresses her out so she goes to visit more houses while Josh vows to buy a family bike, a large circular bike for the whole family, as an activity because of course he does and of COURSE he also has a recurring issue of being mocked by some random kid about not having one.

So she escapes and meets dave and caitlin, a husband whose family life is miserable and a child star who got emanicapted and they quickly form a psuedo family to look at open houses.. only to, as if to remind you what show your watching, instead end up in a tgif sitcom... and trapped in a styigian void, with only Emily desperate to get out. Also she’s been missing three days and Josh has some thoughts on that and goes after her. Naturally given she’s crashing in on her fake sitcom family, this oly has him seen as a plot element, and Emily’s attempt at cursing and everything she can , while hilarious fail.. but the climax is what makes the episode and what inches it slighlty above quack pack.. which itself was fucking awesome. Instead of FIGHTING the format... Emily is forced to play into it, and realizes a cheesy moment of emtional honesty is what’s needed. She apologizes to her fake family, saying their nice but she has to face the world and to josh and much like Donald, seroiusly this episode was made years ago and there’s no way in hell frank knew about it, she just needed an escape but it’s more healthy: instead of wishing for a life she never had Emily just wants a break from the life she does for five minutes. She’s happy where she is, with her loving husband, wonderful daughter, impulsive but still carring best friend.. and well okay maybe not Alex, there’s somethihng really wrong with him, but as much as I love the guy I admit he’s not for everyone. I’m also a borderline feral man covered in hair who wants people to know i’m smart. I get him.

IT’s this that sets her free.. and we get another amazing gag as Dave’s family shows up and Dave chooses the fantasy.. though instead of this being thorughly pogiant it’s just “classic dave”. COmplete with title sequence. And of course it ends on a family bike with Emily getting those tins from Josh. Their relationship.. is REALLY what makes both this show and this episode in paticular work. Here while Emily screws up, it STARTS innocently enough, simply faking being a family and spirals into tgif because while this show isn’t, possibly, in the regular show cinematic universe, it’s defintely in the same multiverse. She just wants some peace of mind from a chaotic life, but dosen’t resent her husband or anything.. he just frustrates her sometimes which is fair. But he’s never portrayed as an abusive asshat which you think would be a low bar to clear but.. you’d be suprised. Point is it’s a wonderfully weird and somehow still unique despite being one of three tgif parodies this year. Seriously that shit is a goldmine. It’s how Dashieel Driscoll got half a season out of full house and a good chunk of a very special epsiode as a whole out of it. Though a certain incident helped.

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Point is good show, jolly good show... and ew’ll be right back with the rest afte the cut

8. Agony of a Witch/Old Bodies, Young Souls (The Owl House) “You always thought you were better than me! That I could never Beat you at anything! “ “I AM Better than you!” “Then WHY WERE YOU SO EASY TO CURSE?!” The Owl House was a show I took WAY too long to catch up on after missing the second half of season 2.. minus Enchanting Grom Fright which I caught first run and we’ll get to that story shortly. Point is my procastnation did me dirty here as this show , which was already fantastic just got better and better, cumulating in this epic, heartdestroying, soul punching, beautifully animated finale that takes everything the show has built up thus far, blows it up in some places and uses it to beautifully end in others, leaving us with a new road for the future. So yeah naturally it’s been a long ride as one of Owl House’s strength.. is that no episode is filler. No really, each one has a purpose great or small in the larger narrative, and every major arc has been expertly paced and crafted, bringing us to this point. The only major arc or plot thread left out is Amity, and that’s honestly for the better. Make NO mistake, she’s a great character.. but like fellow great Donald Duck, she was left out because the episode had a LOT of emotional stuff going on, a lot of plot to fit in, and a lot to do and it’s simply better for her character and for the moment’s she’s bound to have in response to well.. everything happening here, to let it breathe next season rather than try to shove it into an already stuffed two episodes. But this episode is one long string of payoffs, and payoffs creating more setups: So all season Eda, our loveable witch, has been grappling with a curse that turns her into an owl beast, one that’s been getting worse as far back as the mid season finale Escape from the Palisman. She’s been needing more and more elixer to combat it, a harrowing parallel to some real world diseases: Sometimes your meds can only DO so much to combat something actively killing you.. thankfully this time.. not speaking from personal experince. And Luz finds out soon into the episode as Eda makes a cloak of witches wool, which can deflect powerful spells, to protect herself.. only to black out and go owl just as she’s saying she’s fine. Like most parents would Eda hid just how bad things have gotten and it’s gone from needing just one bottle of elixer to needing their entire suply, and even that barely worked. Despite her mentor’s assurances, Luz is now PAINFULLY aware her mentor is on borrowoed time... not helped by the fact the coven attacked earlier that morning and she finds out by finding hooty playing tea party with them, meaning Eda is outgunned, outmanned and while Lilith failed, again.. the emperor can now easily find her himself and send whoever he wnats and however many people he wants to fetch her.. and Eda can’t use too much of her magic or else. So while Eda and King, touched by how much Luz has changed them, decide to throw a suprise party with King making a big cake to jump out of and Eda using witches wool she intended for herself to make her a cape. Meanwhile as you’d expect Luz.. is plotting a dangerous and life threatning mission: with a field trip to the Emperor’s Coven that day, one she was going to sit out because you know they hate her second mom for dogmatic and vile reasons the episode fleshes out, she finds out they have an artifact called the healing hat that can seemingly heal anything. So she does what Luz does and comes up with an impulsive plan to heist the thing.. but for once her impuslivness isn’t played for laughs. Her mother figure is slowly sucumbing to a fate worse than death, for once instead of just acting rashly because Luz.. she’s doing so because she KNOWS, that she has no other choice. Nothing else in sight and she’s smart enough to know that if Eda had a cure she’d of told Luz about it. Even if it was dangerous or required a sacrifice or something Eda would’ve just left that part out. But the trip serves a few other purposes besides getting Luz where she needs to be for the plot that makes it work: it elaborates on just what the emperor’s coven is like and WHY Emperor Belos gets away with everything: He claims to speak for the titan, the giant dead monster whose body makes up the boiling isles and who, as Luz has discovered, is the source of the magic there. So when he bloodily, I mean it’ sa kid show so they dont’ say so but given how violent this one is i’m asssuming bloody, took power, he claimed they were doing magic wrong, killed any hertiics and set up the rigid coven system. It explains just WHY the boiling isles limits themselves, gives the whole thing a creepy dogmatic religion vibe.. something that i’m REALLY suprised disney let them get away with as they had to fight for gays in the series.. but at the same time shouldn’t be because hunchback of notre dame exists and Soul , released the same year, was a big gamble against the bible belt. So their not afriad of religious groups.. but they ARE afraid of homophobic groups.. which have a lot of overlap.

Point is it’s a good storytelling device.. and cathartic given i’ve been playing Fire Emblem: Three Houses as I finally bought it with some christmas money. Good game, probably will talk about it in the future, not the point here.

The point is that the visit gives us some worldbuilding that helps show just how much of a threat the coven is and why their so intent on capturing Eda. We also finally meet belos, god emperor and man tired of Lillith’s shit and giving her till twilight to get Eda.. or presumibly die. I mean he dosen’t say it but he sure is implying it as loud as he can. That’s when things go pear shaped for Luz who finds the hat.. and LIlith who has found her barganing chip to lure Eda to her, which works as well as you’d expect and leads to the best figh tin the series thus far and one of , if not it’s best scene; A duel between edith and lilith. And while they fought back in Covention this time it’s not a petty squabble between siblings masquerading as one trying to capture the other.. it’s fight NEITHER can afford to loose. Eda can’t loose her protege and Lilith will loose everything, dying at best being cast out of the coven at worst, if she fails not to mention loosing what she feels is her only chance at saving her sister. But it’s also VERY clear Lilith is groosly outmatched, and while no slouch herself Eda’s constant bragging about being “the most powerful witch on the boiling isles”.. is entirely backed up. Lilith barely is able to hold herself and only gets ahead by using a child as a shiled, going even lower than her sister. However the stress of this, the build of having been the older sister of someone who constantly outshined her then turned entirely against her, finally causes lilith to snap.. and reveal the curse is her fault. Cissy Jones delivery here.. is jsut perfect, showing a mixture of rage and pain, showing that she’s spent YEARS hiding this, years resenting her sister for constnatly being better desptie working harder and doing the right thigns. Even when she’s trying to HELP Eda, genuinely trying to undo her mistake as we find out and as we’ve seen genuinely sees the emperor as the wise and benevlolent god he portrays himself as.. she can’t let it go. SHe can’t see past her own bitterness to see her sister is right and if she could just let this go and work on Eda’s terms instead of forcing Eda into her world, then maybe it wouldn’t of gotten this bad. Maybe she could’ve told her.

Eda takes it about as well as you’d expect, and Lilith.. uses this to threaten luz’s life and force eda to use up her magic to save her, leading to the series most heartbreaking moment and Wendy Mallick’s best acting so far as she bids her appretnince a tearful farewell. Luz RIGHTFULLY and angrily lashes out at lilith calling her a monster while Lilith takes Eda and urges luz to go home... and after a tearful ending with king realizing something’s deeply wrong.

So thus next episode after a history lesson from king and some suprisinging caution as he KNOWS what Luz is up against.. Luz still decides she dosne’t care. Eda’s sacrificed herself, to Luz it’s her fault she’s in this which while KINDA accurate missues some fine points such as her sister’s stubborness or the fact had lilith not shown up she could’ve taken the hat. And the fact LIlith saying the hat was junk was pretty unreliable. What i’m saying is maybe the child shoudln’t blame herself for being kidnapped while genuinely tring to reach the same goal.

But Lilith soon learns to her horror her sister was right. While Belos restores Eda’ss sentience even fully owled.. he has no intrest in helping her, eveyr intrest in publicly petrifying her, and not even the slightest hint of remorse at betraying lilith this deeply. After all her faith in the man.. Belos spat in her face and told her to like it. Meanwhile Luz goes on the warpath, and we see just how far she’s come.. and WHY Belos is probably so restrictive with magic and put it on such a tight leash: we see that with her natural power and just a handful of spells, the four she’s pciked up over the season, she easily curbstomps the conformotrium staff, gets to Eda fairly easily.. and fines sshe can’t free her and eda wants the door destroyed so whatever Belos wants with it, he can’t have it. Luz heads home, ready to destroy the door.. onlyt of ind two things. her magic dosen’t work there.. and Lilith followed her and grabbed king. After a breif fight and Luz angrily and rightously confroting the asshole, wish she was in Eda’s place.. Lilith admits luz’s right and gives her backstory: That her insecurity was so great that on the day before a duel with Eda to determine who got into the emperoror’s coven, she curfsed her own sister, with no idea it’d last this long or get this bad. And with no idea Eda had lost intrest in it and WILLINGLY gave her sister teh spot.. It’s very clear despite her masssive flaws that will need to be adressed.. lilith never stopped caring about her sister, and it took all this to make her realize that trying to fix the mistake on HER terms without including her sister.. instead has almost cost her it. So Luz and King relucntnatly take her help, though the other two are quickly capatured when theyt ry to get to hte exceution platform and thrown in the cage with Eda.. which dosne’t help the coven’s reputation as gus and willow try to make a case for Eda. Meanwhile we get the SECOND best fight of the series as Luz challenges Bellows.. and it’s UTTERLY chillling and while he’s had scenes before this it’s here we get the true scope of who he is ..and that like eda the god complex is something he can back up. Whlie Luz proves just how strong she’s gotten by keeping up with him it’s barely, and it’s clear from the moment go, and one of the series best shots, with Belos creeply materlizing behind her before announcing “sure, i’ll play” that this is a game. She’s no challenge to him and he simply wants to see waht she can do and is mildly impressed if a tad annoyed at her actually damaging his mask. But with Eda, King and Lilith’s lives in the ballance the only way Luz can save htem.. is to give him waht he wants.

Thing is, just like Lilith, just like everyone has, good an dbad all season.... Belos undereesitmated luz.. who left fire runes on the door, willnig to sacrifice ever seeing her mom again if it meant keeping him away from her. While he has no invasion planned whatever it is CANNOT be good. Luz saves them, and Eda flies them off with Belos saying the titan dismissed them. Also that Belos has a big penis.. super huge, size of a tractor that one. Yeah that’s the ticket.

But we get a happyish ending as LIlith does what she should’ve done a long time ago and apologizes, and Eda starts to fogive her, brought on by King earlier standing up to her as whle he’s not happy with her either, he realizes from her story she’s not a bad person.. just a very messed up one who couldn’t own up to her mistakes. One who belivied in the wrong person to fix her problem and finally takes repsonsiblity and part of the curse into her. So with the sequel hook of Eda having lost her internal magic power but still being able to use glyph’s like luz, we also find out the Emperor has the door and a mysterious masked minon,.. who i’m fairly certain isn’t amity only because it’s too obvious. This is simply how you end a season: It’s engaging, heartbreaking, well animated and pays off EVEYRHTING so far while setting up the season to come. It’s going to be a LONG wait till next time, mid-this year.. but I can wait. The high from this one’s going to last a while.

7. Good Damage (Bojack Horseman) “ That means that all the damage I got isn't good damage. It's just damage. I have gotten nothing out of it and all those years I was miserable was for nothing. I could have been happy this whole time and written books about girl detectives and been cheerful and popular and had good parents, is that what you're saying? What was it all for?! “

Bojack Horseman is one of the best shows of the last decade, and an important one to me. it was the first one I watched when we switched to all streaming. I really related to Bojack and his struggles with depresion and self loathing.. which backfired given he’s a much worse person than me and while I could relate, I also compared myself too much to a character who in retrospect is both far worse and has FAR MORE issues than I do and diffrent ones at that outside of the depression and self hatred. The point i’m framing is that the series and I have a complicated relationship and that coupled with how bad 2020 was meant it took until a few days ago to finally finish it, almost a year later. But I cannot deny how good the show is: it has faults, a bit of reptititon in some character arcs, casting a white woman as a Vietnamize-American woman (something both Ralph Paul Waskerberg and Alison Brie have apologized for to their credit), and .. I can’t think of a last one. They never brought Ralph back? Yeah let’s go with that one what the fuck there. So I felt I owed the show one last round and it payed off as the final stretch, while easily the hardest to get through due to covering the collapse of Bojack’s life, is easily one of it’s best.

But before the fall, we get Good Damage, which instead of focusing on BoJack focuses on Diane, said asian woman voiced by a white lady, neurotic writer and Bojack’s best friend, who has moved to Chicago to be with her boyfriend guy, a chill, charasmatic and likeable buffalo cameraman. Things are going better than they ever have: she’s in a supportive relationship and thanks to her antidipresenants, while still her loveably neurotic self, is now not obessing over shit as much and is solving her problems with applomb. Even the weight gain from her meds, which she dreaded in the previous half of the season.. has insteead only made her look healthier and happier, and more beautiful than ever.

The only problem is she can’t write her long promised Memoir, which Princess Carlolyn, her former boss, agent and loveable pink cat and single mother, has promised to a lot of celebrities. She TRIES, she puts lots of work into it, keeps trying to sit there but nothing comes out. And what makes the episode truly great is how this is presented. Bojack is no stranger to beautiful, visually diverse episodes, Stupid Peace of Shit being a notable example and one similar to this one but uniquely great in it’s own way, but this one is easly the bes,t using a squiggly crude style to show just how chaotic and uncomfortable diane is and how stuck she is. She’s TRYING, but she just can’t make her life’s story into anything GOOD, she can’t get the words out which as someone whose had reams of projects I never startd, even to this day and who has genuine trouble writing fiction.... I related to this like all hell. But even people who have never had an intrest in writng can just get the feeling thanks to the wonderful writing and animation, from cameos by the rest of the cast to Diane’s father showing up as a goblin to the word boxes showing what she’s writtne it’s just a treat. But what centers this amazing visual represtnation is Diane’s internal struggles as an encounter with a rude sales person leads her off on a tangent..and to Ivy Tran, a teen detective whose upbeat, optimstic, and in a great bit outlines who she is in jsut the right amount, and solves mysteries in a food court. It’s a genuinely good idea, one I honestly think could support it’s own series... seriously get on that Ralph-Bob. Get on that. Point is it’s good.. but Diane’s so hung up on what she SHOULD be making, she can’t see what’s right in front of her, despite guy saying the passages are good. Things come to a head when Diane makes a huge mistake and goes off her meds.. which from experince never ends well: for the entire episode she’s been under the impression she can’t write because of them.. only to be proven HORRIFYINGLY wrong. It’s a VERY necessary aseop: that your medication will always be with you and that going off it suddenly, or blaming it for writers block not only isn’t true but is DANGEROUS. Diane spirals, cries and her writing gets dark and full of self hate. It’s then Guy proves just how fucking majestic he is: he figures out what’s going on after she tells him, and helps her get to bed so she can rest, puke whatever she needs and they’ll talk about things after she takes her meds again and gets her head on straight, when she’s in a good place to do so. As someone with mental illness.. ti’s nice to see a character who not only supports someone fully, but knows how to handle it. Instead of a shitty third act breakup like many shows would do guy stands by her. He does however step SLIGHTLY over the line, if iwth good intentions and reason and send Princess Carolyn the Ivy Tran pages, because as he puts it he made an executive decision.. and when Diane is a bit annoyed by that as it does sound a tad douchey, he rightly points out she was in a really bad hole of a place, stuck in a loop doign something that even before going off her meds was clearly hurting her and going nowhere, and needed SOMETHING to snap her out of it, and did so not to hurt her or because he thought he knkew better or , like her ex husband, because he was oblvious to her needs; he did it because it was the hard but necessary thing to get her to seee she had something special and that she dosen’t have to constnatly tear herself up by diving into past traumas because of some internal obligation.

Naturally Diane dosen’t take it despite Princess Carolyn not only being impressed but PREFERRING the ivy pages, as she was genuinely unaware Diane had something so happy and charming in her. While Diane is worried about it when the two end up meeting in person, we soon find out why: If all the damage she went through wasn’t “good” damage, things she could writ eabout and use later.. what was it for? Could she of just been happy this whole time? Did she waste her life. And in a rare moment betwen the two PC helps Diane walk it back, explaning that she can do what she always wanted: write something that makes someone like her feel not alone. That she dosen’t HAVE to make her life story into something complicated, just make what makes her and other people happy. Something PC’s daughter could enjoy one day. So Diane finally accepts that maybe there’s something else for her.. and then we get a segue into the next episode with bojack having a panic attack and pasing out but that episode, good as it was didn’t make it so moving on. We also check in with Penny, the daughter of an old friend of bojacks who he nearly slept with and is stil haunted both by the decision and a drunken later visit to apologize... which isn’t helped remotely when max and page, two reporters inovlved in teh subplot that tears bojack’s life apart, start hounding her. While they have good intentions, exposing Bojack’s connection to Sarah Lynn’s death, the two’s methods still come off as creepy, following a, at this point , 21 year old girl whose been through ENOUGH home. While the two aren’t terrible people their actions.. are.. while getting hte story ismprotant is it truly worth genuinely harming this person. And penny wonders if she SHOULD air her story.. she ends up not.. but only because her mother, while lettiner he decide, poitns out it may not be worth all the pressure and possible trauma it digs up,especially since Bojack is getting what he deserved anyway. IT’s a decent subplot tha tties up a loose end but really makes our journalist characters feel like assholes for again, basically stalking and harassing a young woman who didn’t want to rehash the worst moment of her life. Otherwise top notch stuff.

6. Heart (Parts 1 and 2) (She Ra and the Princesses of Power) “Don't you get it? I love you! I always have! So please, just this once... STAY! Stay. “

Now we get to the gays winning.. and to one of the best series finale in recent memory. And given the other two titanic shows ending, one of which we’ll get to’s ending in a moment, last year, it’s a huge compliment. Heart is how you end a space opera... with big wonderful speeches, great payoff, a huge climax.. and a beautiful cathartic kiss paying off the relationship at the heart of the series that ends up saving the universe. So let’s just go ahead and crack open that pinata: The kiss.. was easily one of the best moments of animation this year and, at a time when the quarantine was starting, misery was spreading, and things looked pretty damn bad, having a major animated show, one of the biggest of the last few years, climax with an emotional moment between two women, one the series had been setting up since day 1... it was a huge step foward for gay representation in children’s animation, and warmed my big bi heart. And it’s not just good because of that: the fact it’s a giant pile of representation is wonderous, but it’s because it’s also well baked into the show. This is the conclusion of both their character arcs: Catra finally realizes Adora will not abandon her and her leaving the Horde was not choosing them over her.. it was simply doing the right thing. So instead of running or trying to escape she’s grown enough to fight for what she wants and fight for a future with Adora. Adora meanwhile finally overcomes her martyer complex, her determination, especially after Angela’s death, to make sure no one else is gone and she’s the only one that suffers and looses. To make sure there’s nothing else. It’s Catra’s confesssion that FINALLY gets it through her thick skull that she dosen’t have to be alone or bear anything alone.. she’ll always have someone with her to do that.. and even before Catra.. she’s always had friends for that. She dosen’t have to be alone. So the two embrace and it’s fucking beautiful..and gives adora the full power of the doomsday device they went to shutdown in the first place, restoring the planet.. and allowing her to destroy horde prime’s fucking soul. I just want to reiterate that because it understandably got lost in the shuffle of the gays winning, but our heroine fucking tears out the main villian’s soul.. and it is SO damn satisfying given what a truly repulsive , irredemible, asshat Prime was. So the two finally get a future together, a chance to build and to stop letting the past define them. It’s wide open. But while that alone would probably net it on this list but it’s damn good otherwise, an epic final struggle between our heroes and the horde for the fate of not just their planet but ALL of htem as Prime prepares to finally wipe everything else out in egomanical genocide. There are just.. tons of awesome moments in this one: Bow and Glimmer’s suprising but welcome love confession, Seahawk annoying mermista into fighting her chip, the people of etheria fighting back.. and the reason they do is easily the second best moment of the episode. With the chips down, not literally, and things looking bleak Bow hyjacks Prime’s egoamnacial hologram.. and broadcasts for everyone to fight, to fight back, and to END THIS. After spending most of the series as the one trying to keep his friends together, the glue of everyone.. it’s bow’s heart, courage, and voice, the one that lead his friends through some rough times and severed as reason when they needed it most wether they listned or not.. that frees the world and with Entrapta turns the tide at long last. It’s just a hell of a moment. And the only other moment equaling it is Hordak freeing himself and deciding he is his own man, he made himself tha tway for better and worst and kills prime, at least before adora finsihes the job with the badass “I am HORDAK and I DEFY your will. “ It’s just a wonderful, epic finale that pays off most of the shows major arcs, gives our heroes a MUCH deserved happy ending after spending their lives at war, and let it be said one last time, gave gay representation in children’s cartoon one hell of a win.

5. Nice While it Lasted (Bojack Horseman)

“ No, I need to tell you... thank you... and... it's going to be okay... and... I'm sorry... and... thank you... “

Back to back finales here and honestly both are REALLY close in quality, both satisfyingly paying off their series. But both take equal and opposite routes: Heart is an epic finale in scope size and impact... while Nice While it Lasted is a very stripped down character piece: there are other characters in the background but after the intro the only voiced characters in each segment are Bojack and one of the main cast, each one both showing how much said relationship has evolved since the show began, and giving Bojack time to reflect on his possible future. I say possible because one of Nice While it Lasted’s best aspects it that there’s no real concrete ending for Bojack. Ther’es still closure: after his life emploded and he nearly died, more on that in a bit, Bojack ended up in prison, offically for breaking and entering but unoffically for all the shitty things he did with him glumly accepting it. So one year later he’s out thanks to Princess Carolyn for her wedding, sober again thanks to prison and even started his own acting class at the prison he’s geninley invested in, inteding to continue it once he gets out. But otherwise.. his future’s in flux. HE’s sober for now, but he’s painfully aware that could change again, his friends while, with one excpetion, still having a place for him in their lives, have moved on, and his career is on the upswing again despite being a pariah a year ago because as I mentioned earlier and as PC brilliantly puts it

So he could become a better man, get his career back, make amends for what he did and stay sober.. or backslide and fall down into the same traps he always has. It plays into an aseop the series has always preached: There are no real endings, life just goes on. Even for the rest of the cast hteir lives aren’t over.. their just in a good place.. maybe bojack will, maybe he won’t. Tha’ts up to the indvidual viewer and I like that. While ambgious endings can be frustrating and I get while some preferred the more concrete if still somewhat ambgious ending of a view from halfway down, I feel this fits the series better: Bojack, like the end of every season is moving on to something new, but this time we don’t know what, and that’s okay. IT’s time for us to move on. Well okay not from this entry as each vingette deserves some praise: Our first has Mr. Peanutbutter pick up Bojack from prison, and even get him a new suit.. and then another one offscreen because predictably for his life BOjack got meatball all over it. He also calms our hero down when he wants to go back to jail, letting him know it’s okay and he’ll be there for him.. unless his friend Erica shows up but what are the odds... 1:1. But what’s nice about it is while Bojack still makes jabs, it’s clear he’s gone from truly hating and resenting PB for being the betterversion of him.. to truly seeing the guy as one of his best friends, his jabs having gone from hurtful and bitter to wry and warranted. I mean they were warranted a lot back then too he’s just a lot softer about them.

At the wedding Todd and Bojack finally reach some form of understanding after years of awkwardness, the two having reconclied but not being really remotely close or in each other’s lives hardly anymore after Todd’s understandable blow up at Bojack in “It’s You”. Here Todd has Bojack rush him to the beach to cary him on his shoulders.. to watch fireworks because he could tell he was overhwelmed, the two having found a rhtym again, with, like with mr peanutbutter, Bojacks jabs being a lot friendler and Todd having a respect for his own needs while actually being present for bojack instead of ignorant of how bad things were like he was at the start. He even helps BOjack see even if he DOES replase.. he can get right back on the horse, couldn’t resist that one sue me, and as the hokey pokey says turn himself around.

After, in one of the best payoffs of the series, finally trying Hondedew and finding it’s not so bad, Bojack dances with PC, admittingh e half hoped he’d have to help her go thorugh with it before the two run through the scenario, and PC expresses some honest fears with bojack helping her showing how the two hav egone from a horribly stiffing relationship.. to two close friends who are probably stuck with one another for life. Sunk costs and all that. And if bojack does want to act again she knwos some people. But for now PC finally really has everything she ever wanted:: A daughter, and a loving husband in judah.

Finally we have the most painful of the group because of course the Bojack finale wouldn’t be all sugar and would have to punch us in the gut. Bojack finds Diane again who hasn’t talked to him.. because he called her the night of his near death/sucidide and due to putting the blame on her due to being high out of his mind, made her feel like it was his fault during the 7 hours she could reach no one and thought he was dead. Diane is hurt, feeling betrayed that bojack promsied he’d be fine then possibly left her with the pain of his death on her concious forever. Thankfully she’s doing fine, as she’s now married guy and Ivy Tran is a huge success and probably a series now.. but it’s abudnantly clear her friendship with Bojack is over.. but even this bittersweet, and necessary, seperation, as Diane has moved past LA and Bojack needs to stop relying on her and stand on his own two hooves, still warms the heart as she thanks him and lets him know i’tll be okay, and endugles him in telling her one last story, a rathe rfunny one about prison movie night bfore the series ends on the melancholy and apporriate song mr blue as the two gaze out and they see each other and we see them for the last time.

4 The Wasteland (Infinity Train)

“I'm as good as dead, and if my last act is to bring you with me, sliver, I can't imagine a better way to go!” “Well, I can! “

So from a bittersweet ending to holy shit that’s depressing, we have our only entry from Infnity Train on the list. That’s not to say the series did bad this year. Season 2 was easily the series finest hour, taking the framework from season 1 and crafting a gripping story of a teenage mirror person who just wanted to live without assholes trying to kill her for what she fundementally IS, and be recognized as a person, with the help of a magical deer and a more optimstic teen grappling with his peer pressure issues. The series was still undoubtly silly with a parasite voiced by Bill Corbett, wonderfully so, and again a magical deer named Alan Dracula, long may he reign, it simply deconstructed the nature of the train and thus opened up the floodgates. By giving us a denzin who, after years of being someone’s reflection in both senses of the word, just wanted to live and how that clashed with the train and the racist assholes she met alnong the way, from the ones who wouldnt’ stop trying to kill her.. to humans who considered her as nothing more than a plaything at best and something to get rid of at worst. While Season 3 was not bad, if a bit way too strcuturally messy and trying to do too much at once, Season 2 still handled the same issues but in a much tighter frame storywise. And that’s why only one episode made it: Most of the episodes, espicially the later ones, are pieces of a large whole, with the show being heavily seralized. Which while a great approach intended for streaming, also means it was hard to find a chapter that worked that well on it’s own, steven universe future had similar issues. But I did and the wasteland is easily the darkest, harshest and most intresting episode out of the batch. The episode opens at MT’s darkest hour: The apex told the mirror police where she is, Jesse is gone, and MT is now running for her life from the sadstic assshole and his spinless partner who want her dead just for existing.. gee can’t imagine why a bunch of assholes refusing ot acknolwedge other peoples opinons, rights or even existance was a big topic last year.. or this year.

So while Mace, the main mirror cop, manages to handcuff her MT manages to throw him under the train. THe result is her trying to escape the train by wondering i’ts vast desert, forced to drag Mace along as he taunts her, bleeding out slowly from you know being bisected by a train. It’s a really moody peace as Mace mock’s mt’s dreams of escape and justify’s his own selling out, while MT pokes holes in that: he was so desperate to not nonexist.. he’s willing to kill others who just want the same. IT’s a damn hard watch but fuck if i’ts not compelling.

And the climax is what makes it. MT finds out she can’t leave the bounds of the wasteland, as it only projects so far and after escaping the ghoms ends up back on the train, with Mace, not long fo rthis world trying to kill her.. so we get a 13-14 year old GRINDING HER HORRIFYING ABUSER UNDER A TRAIN WHEEL. Just jesus.. I mean I kind of get HBO Max’s point that MAYBE this is a bit much for kids. I mean i’ve seen other really dark stuff but holy fuck a man died.. and we see his blood splatter. But it’s this horrible, harsh moment that makes the episode.. as is MT”s reaction.. not one of triumph.. but of exaustion and horror at what she’s done, before steadying herself to prove him wrong. A hard one to write about but damn it was good.

3. Enchanting Grom Fright (The Owl House) “Dear Luz, will you go to Grom with me- Amity” Now we THANKFULLY get to something lighter: the gays winning.. again. Coming out during pride month, phrasing, and only a month after the she ra finale we got this delightful episode. As I said earlier I watched this one first run: while I was super behind, I couldn’t resisit to the point I watched it before that week’s amphibia. I was that curious what was going to happen. See as i’ve given out about quite a lot.. and I mean a LOT, Disney dosen’t have the best track record with gay representation: they don’t do horrible sterotypes or anything.. but they also don’t do much of anything for the most part. Alex Hirsch has outright spoke about how much he had to fight just to get Blubbs and Durland firmly together in the finale, and how the symbols for the love god were widdled down to just male and female. And around the time this episode came Disney was coming out of a REALLY bad batch of pr stunt gay representation: They made a big deal about the first gay x in an x having gay characters in avengers endgame, star wars: Deep Hurting and onward.. but these were cameos AT BEST, with the endgame one being so minor I genuinely didn’t realize the character was talking about dating a man and only found out afterwords. Sure Ducktales had gay dads, which is awesome and always will be.. but none of the major cast was allowed to be openly gay. I mean we know webby and lena are gay but hell if disney would allow that. But miracoulsy.. shockingly and wonderfully.. Disney DID mange to finally just say fuck it and let some big gay rep in, something so obvious it can’t be ignored and that actually features the main character and one of the most major supporting characters. And what do you know, the good press and pats on the back outweighed the bad. It’s almost if giving up homophobic markets in exchange for doing the right thing.. is a GOOD thing while also being profable. Who’d a thunk. Point is via sheer perstiance, Owl House creator Dana Terrance got to not only make her lead bi, which Terrance herself is, but have her love intrest be a girl. And I find it genuinely wonderful that gay, bi, pan and what have you children can watch this and say “tha’ts me and this is okay”. But even minus Owl House saying gay rights.. the episode is just REALLY good and part of it is who it focuses on. Amity easily has the most character devleopment out of the cast going from someone who walls herself off from everyone, revels in her superiority.. to slowly opening up to heroine Luz, realizing Luz is not a bad person and that Amity herself dosen’t have to be, and right before this starting the road to patching things up with her former best friend willow. Allt hrough this said friendship had been prettty, prettyy, prettyyy gay. And that’s wonderful obviously, but part of why I watched this was while I HOPED they’d get to be couple.. I wasn’t convinced since see a fucking bove. But I was happy to realize that oh my god I was wrong, the gays won all along.

So with Amity a better person she’s naturally syampthetic when sh’es put front and center at hexside’s prom equvilent which while having a dance, gromprosals and a disco ball tha’ts also a sentient being, becuase boiling isles, it also has the queen or king forced to fight a horrifying monster that manfiests as your greatest fear. And, as we find out towards the end.. Amity’s is being rejected by Luz, having her love letter, which she fails to deliver due to running into luz.. and co (which is my faviroite gag of the episode and the adorable smiles gus and willow give in response are what make it). And . it makes sense. When you stop and think about it.. Luz is the best thing in her life. She got her to change as a person, genuinely cares about and adores her, just wants to be her friend and thinks the world of her. Given her siblings, while trying to be better, are two disaster bisexuals who just stopped a lifetime of untietonally harsh bullying and her parents are controlling asshats who made her abandon her best friend at a young age and she sees LILITH as a mother figure, just let that sink in given a few entires back.. yeah.. no wonder sh’es utterly terrified of rejection. Poor baby.

Of course WE know Luz wouldn’t. Luz may be many things, including oblvioius to thte freaking obvoius as this story line has revealed, but shes not cruel and even if she said no, which I higlhly doubt she would, she woudln’t be a dick about it. But being surrounded by cruel assholes for some time has made Amity a bit paranoid so Luz volunteers to sub in to both genuinely help her friend.. and to prove to eda she can do this. Eda is also chaperoning. and looks neat in a suit, while King and Gus get a wonderful b plot of mcing the dance with the egotisticl king having issues with stage fright. I will get more into that when I review the episode proper, come back in a month for that. But yeah while Luz does well when the time comes, and while sadly not wearing her otter suit does wear a wonderful tuxedo with a tutu.. she has her own repressed issues to adress as Grom takes the form of her mother, as Luz has been nursing guilt over not telling her the truth about what’s going on. Luz runs, and Amity ends up facing her fear to save her crush and the two get a wonderfully romantic, and desturctive dance together as they face hteir fear, untie as one and kill that motherfucker... well okay i’m not sure grom can die but it’s gone for now. The dance sequence.. is easily one of the best scene’s all year, beauituflly animated and painstakingly planned out, with wonderful music.. it’s just awesome and what takes the episode ove rthe top, with the two perfeclty in synch as they take grom out in less than a minute. Also king become prom king and queen, he is best of both as Luz’s own personal issues put a damper on things. Also someone’s been writing her mom.

Overall just a perfect episoe and a perfectly gay episode of one of the best shows going right now. Speaking of a perfect episode of one of the best shows going right now, tha’ts also on disney.

2. Escape From the Impossibin! (Ducktales) ”We have to keep them safe” “But not like this!” So from some emotinal torment mixed with some lovely shipping, we get a whole buttload of emotional anguish but with a robotic scrooge and the time loop room and the time loop room and the time loop room, and time l...

As I said in part 1, Season 3 is easily Ducktales best so far, having far better pacing, character ballance and bolder and more intresting stories than ever before. While the first two seasons are still excellent, this one has taken everything great and honed it and no episode shows off just how great this season is than this one. This one takes place in the fallout of “Let’s Get Dangerous!”, with the family dealing with finding out FOWL”s not only still alive, but is run by Bradford, head of scrooge’s board of directors former shush agent as we’d find out later, and asshole, who knows all their secrets. And given Scrooge is mildly paranoid on a good day and Beakly is extremley paranoid on her best day, it’s done a number on both as they’ve split the family minus launchpad, who just had a whole episode so fair enough, up: Scrooge has taken Della and Louie, wiht their see all the angels schtick, to test out his new security, while Beakly and Donald are securing the house while Beakly has webby throughly test the boys. Neither side goes well. The bin ends up locking our heroes out due to Scrooge’s password being changed, and forcing them to work past it. Louie rises to the challenge, as does della.. but as they beat a robot versoin of scrooge, because of course the final test would be a robot version of scrooge, Scrooge is instead of triumphant at not being dead, incredibly depressed and furious. Because when told he’s scrooge mcduck he tellingly replies “AND WHAT IF THAT’S NTO ENOUGH’. For once.. Scrooge is SCARED, up against someone who knows his every move and is one step ahead, iti’s how it’s always been, no matter what he’ll do, he’ll always loose and Bradford will always win. I REALLY need to watch spies are forever, point is he’s scared and Bradford PROVING the point by revealing he was behind it and taking over the robot dosen’t help. Our heroes win though in a damn impressive action sequence, but as it turns out.. it was just a distraction.. but we’llg et back to that. The other plot though is whyt his is so high. While the first plot is a fun romp with deep eomtional consequences.. the second plot is decidly far darker.. it still has some good bits as webby terorizes the boys and easily one of the best in the season when she horrifying imitates dewey, but its’ only when she does finally attack she realizes she’s taken it way toof ar. She’s terrorized her brothers, caused huey to break his leg and then turn her away when she tries to help.. all she’s done is turn them AGAINST each other and they can’t win this way. Beakly strongly disagrees and clealry lost in her own paranoia and fear, prepares to attack huey.. and thus Webby steps in... leading to one fo the most heartbreaking and tense fights in the series as grandmother and grandaughter fight one on one but both are outmatched.. but Huey and Dewey, despite everything, refuse not to help their sister and help pull webby up, with Webby panickidly realizing something’s VERY wrong and her granny usually isn’t like this when sparring... and is also chasing them. This leads to the roof, in a rainstorm no less, and Webby relcutnatnly ready to fight even though she clearly knows she both can’t win.. and dosen’t want to anymore. Despite her wilingless to scrap, fight and train.. Webby dosen’t WANT to hurt her granny she just wants to help her. Thankfully, the boys attempt to stop this, while failing horribly, catches donald’s attention as he catches them, ntocies what’s going on and furiously refuses to let this go on. While Beakly tries to ignore it and fight..s he instead slips and despite everything, the rest of the group rescue her, with Webby impressing on her grandmother that they aren’t fowl. They wont’ win acting like them and tearing each other apart.. they need to be the family they are. But if all that wasn’t enough turns out.. yeah, Bradford’s thing was a distraction and with the rest of the group distracted with Beakly, that meant his plan went off without a hitch: all the missing mysteries have been taken by FOWL, in a masterstorke that ties both plots together and brings what seemed like isolated adventures on their own in a tagnetally related plot into the fore. Everything so far has built up to this.. and despite the loss.. the family, having been through a dark night of the soul, is ready to fight back. They want the rest of the mysteries? Their going to have to fight clan mcduck in their elment. And it’s been glorious so far. A tense, well paced, hard hitting episode, this one’s a winner. and almost got #1.. ALMOST. But as much as I tried to not go with the obvious chocie, the one with tons of press and praise and that’s graced tons of best of lists... I had to go with what was honestly the best. So...

1. The View from Halfway Down (BoJack Horseman) “Oh BoJack, there is no other side. This is it. “ This episode was my main reason for catching up with the series and finishing it off once and for all. Awash with praise and hype I was curious about this one.. and my curiosity paid off. This is easily one of if not hte best episodes Bojack put out in it’s storied run: it’s creative, impossible to look away from and devistating: in short it’s the show in a nutshell.. and it’s a hell of a view.

Previously as mentioned before Bojack’s life blew up and he lost just about everything, from his friends, though as the finale bared out only one of them stayed away for good and for good reason, his only family in hollyhock, his house, even horsin around. He had nothing left.. so high on drugs and in his old house he passed out at the end of last episode.. and we wake up here with a recurring dream as Bojack has a dinner party at his mother’s house, another wonderful performance from Wendy Mallick. Everyone there is someone Bojack knew who died: his former best friend he betrayed Herb, Sarah Lynn his former child co start turned washed up 30 something he let die, Courdory, a co star who died trying to get off david caradine style, Crackerjacke, the uncle he never knew who die din the war and his parents, distant mother Beatrice as mentioned and his father, who is in the body of his hero secretariat who comited suiccide in this unvierse due to getting banned from racing, as that’s the kind of weird shit dreams do. Also Zack Braff, who has no real conncetion to bojack but still died during that time Mr Peanutbutters house sunk into the earth and his ex wife Jesscia bIel formed a death cult. The group play a game of best and worst, lay into each ohter and have some really intresting conversations with Bojack confident of when it’ll end: before the show their always mentioing. But this time, it’s diffrent.. Bojack is there for it so we get a trippy and horrifyimng stage show as Bojack watches the various people one by one vo into a black door, allt he while bojack coughts up sludge and is persued by it, unaware where he was before this. Sarah Lynn gives one last song, a reprise of a song from previous in the series, Courdroy does a ribbon dance and zack braff gets on roller skates. And bojack has a frank conversation with his dad, with his dad/secretariat revealing he DID care but was just so filled with loathing he coudlnt’ admit it to his son and thus was an abusive ass.. and then reveals to bojack he’s not waking up and bojack horryfigngly see shimself, drowning ina pool. And while he frantically, heartbreakingly tries to flee... he can’t. There’s no exit for him. As herb tells him, this isn’t the afterlife, this is his brain making sense of his last moments, and ther’es no way of knowing if he’ll get rescued, no way to do anything but watch.. watch as his father secretairat shows suicide in all it’s horror by letting it know he wouldn’t of done it if he knew “the view fro halfway down”, a horrifingly haunting poem that sells just how bad it was. As beatrice and crackerjack also go we’re down to herb who introduces bojack... before going in himself, claming there is no other side. Bojack tries not to go genle and runs, and in a horrfying sequence is surronded by the ooze as he tries his damndest to escape.. but in the end he can’t. As herb said.. he can’t do anything about this. So speaking to his min’ds version of diane he accepts he probbaly won’t be coming back and we hear a monitor as we fade out. While we know it’s not the end now... there’s no way of telling then.

The View from Halfway Down is a haunting, beatuflly animated, masterwork, taking 6 seasons worth of communinity and regret and shoving it in bojack’s face in an intresting way, while bringing back characters we thought we’d never see again for one last go round. It was patcually nice to hear LIn Manuel Miranda and Wendy Mallick again,, and Kristan Schaal is always great. The show ALWAYS had a horrifying habit of having it’s penutlimate episode be an utter gutpunch that broke you, with the finale picking up the peices and offering some hope.. and this was no exception. They literally saved the best for last, and it was worth the wait. The view from halfway down may be gahstly,.. but the view of this episode is hauntingly beautiful.

So that was the list, and it was.. a lot taking 2-3 days to finish all together over both parts. But it was worth it and hopefully we can get back to some regular stuff later today. For now, thank you for reading, and hopefully i’ll see you somewhere in the sunset.

#steven universe future #steven unvierse #the owl house #lumity #catradora #She Ra and the Princesses of Power #bojack horseman #close enough #infnity train #2020 #best of the year #animation #disney #cartoon network #hbo max #netflix #disney channel #lbgtq

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charincharge · 4 years ago

Text

Cruel Summer, Part 13

cruel summer masterlist

AN: I’m obsessed with all your theories. Hearing from all of you made this week a little bit better. Enjoy this chapter of booze, bowling and jealousy.

Rowan doesn’t know what God he pissed off, but he feels like he’s being actively punished. All he attempted was one single day without Aelin, and instead, he ends up in a group hang with Aelin and the new guy she’s hanging out with, apparently?

His teeth grit as he thinks of Sam. Sam, who looked around the bowling alley and turned up his nose at the cheap beer and smelly shoes. Sam who wiped his chair down with a napkin before taking a seat. Rowan barely knows him, but he’s a hundred percent sure that he hates him.

At least he’s vaguely comforted by the fact that Manon is in an even worse position than him. Before bowling, she warned him of her entirely complicated situation involving Rowan’s two coworkers – he’s never seen Manon so vulnerable as when she explained that she thought Elide was into her. When she explained it, Rowan was inclined to see how she could misunderstand.

When Elide had confided in Manon that she’d had a crush on “someone” for years, and thought they liked her too, Manon assumed that “someone” was her. She knows firsthand how hard it can be to come out, and she thought Elide was just being delicate about it – saying without actually saying that she had a crush on Manon, asking her to make the first move. She didn’t realize “someone” is actually Lorcan, and now Manon’s trapped, helping Elide with the plan she thought was a ruse.

Rowan uses his frustration to propel the ball down the lane, knocking most of the pins down. He turns proudly and grins at the twin pairs of golden eyes that smile back at him. He can’t get over how much Manon’s cousin looks just like her, except he assumes with her natural hair color – a dark, dishwatery blonde, instead of Manon’s bleached platinum.

He’s only met her a few times before, but Asterin is fun. She’s the warm relaxed mirror to Manon’s shrewd ice queen. And he loves seeing how much she cares for Manon. As soon as Asterin heard about the Elide catastrophe confession dinner, she insisted on accompanying Manon and Elide on their next night out. And she’s been Manon’s hype person all night.

He discards the ball and lets Manon step up to the plate. As she brushes by him she whispers, “Who’s the guy?” And Rowan shakes his head, shrugging her off. He doesn’t want to talk about it. At least not now. Not with Aelin in front of him. When all he wants to do is haul her into his lap and wrap his arms around her and let Sam know exactly what’s going on.

Rowan glances at Aelin, with her freshly dried waves cascading over her bare shoulders, which are exposed in her off the shoulder loose top that ends just above the waistline of her jeans, teasing him with a delicious strip of skin. Rowan frowns, wondering if the outfit is for Sam or for him.

Rowan takes his seat back at the table and tries to replace his emotionally turbulent insides with a mask of calm.

“Didn’t expect to see you tonight,” he begins.

“Clearly,” Aelin mutters under her breath, but Rowan hears her perfectly. He knocks her foot with his under the table, but she retracts it, moving her feet away from him and under her chair. It stings. He watches as her eyes glance around the table, landing slowly on Asterin.

“Asterin, I love your jacket,” Aelin says with a too-sweet smile.

Asterin removes her fringed suede jacket, revealing a threadbare t-shirt underneath. “Thanks!” she replies enthusiastically. “I found it at a thrift store last week and am obsessed.” Aelin smiles, waiting for Asterin to say something else. Asterin finally replies with, “I love your earrings.”

Aelin twists her long hair over one of her shoulders to fiddle with the large hoop on her ear and thanks Asterin. Rowan’s eyes bounce between the two women on either side of him, not exactly sure what the hell is going on.

“I’m going to grab a beer,” Sam interjects. “Can I get you anything?”

Aelin nods, asking for a Stella, and the knot in Rowan’s chest unfurls slightly as Sam departs from the table. Aelin’s foot finally returns a small nudge to Rowan’s ankle as she says, “I missed you at dinner last night.”

Rowan’s chest burns as he remembers the way Sam held Aelin’s hand over the dinner table last night, but he grins, regardless. He doesn’t want her to know how badly he’s bleeding. He’ll cover up all his wounds with smiles.

“Sorry. I was so tired from work,” Rowan says. “Plus, I had a new recipe for a bundt cake I wanted to try out.”

Asterin leans forward and puts her hand on his arm. He turns to her, her gold flecked eyes wide with wonder. “Wait, that cake Manon shoved into my mouth earlier was baked by you?” Rowan nods, and Asterin smiles widely. “Wow. That was like, professional.” She turns to Aelin and Elide. “Did you guys know Rowan is the best baker?” Asterin says.

“Yep,” Aelin says sharply. “I’ve had it.”

Her comment is interrupted by Manon’s loud strike, all the pins toppling over in a raucous heap. Elide leaps up from the table and squeals.

“My turn!” Elide pouts and asks Manon for help teaching her how to throw the ball. Rowan watches Manon as she helps Elide position her body squarely to the pins. With her hands on Elide’s hips, he notices that a distracted Lorcan, two lanes down, only downs one pin, much to his teammates’ chagrin.

While he’s looking away, Aelin grabs Rowan’s beer and takes a small sip. Her eyes peer over the rim, piercing holes into his carefully erected armor. “Busy day at work?” she asks casually, but her gaze is anything but nonchalant.

“No more than usual,” Rowan replies, grabbing his beer back and taking another long sip of his beer, and Asterin’s eyes flick between the two of them, curious.

“So, Aelin,” Asterin interrupts, attempting to diffuse the thick layer of tension settling over the table. “How do you know Rowan?”

“We’re friends,” Aelin says coolly, and Rowan tries not to let the word affect him. They are friends. Kind of. Maybe. “He works at my family’s amusement park.”

“Your boyfriend’s cute,” Asterin says, and he tries not to flinch when Aelin glances over her shoulder to where Sam waits at the bar.

“Oh, Sam’s not my boyfriend,” Aelin says. “Just another friend.”

Rowan tries not to flinch at the implication of her words, but he finds it impossible. He will be devastated if Sam is the same kind of friend to Aelin that he is. She pats his shoulder as she stands from the table, and Rowan can feel himself tense under her touch. Her fingers linger ever so slightly as she makes her way to the lane, and he can’t help but watch as her hips sway.

Asterin’s smile is feral as she looks between him and Aelin. “That’s the girl you’re supposed to be staying away from tonight, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Rowan grumbles, annoyed that he’s so incredibly transparent when he’s working so hard to hide his feelings.

“Need me to run interference?” she asks, and Rowan smiles at the kind offer but declines. He turns his attention back to Aelin, who grabs a hot pink ball. She rolls a perfect strike, barely even looking.

“I think Manon needs you more than I do,” he says, glancing at Manon’s arm wrapped around Elide’s shoulders, and the way Elide can’t stop glancing across the room at where Lorcan sits with his teammates.

“I can be both your cheerleaders tonight, babe,” she says with an overzealous wink. “If you need a helping hand, just let me know.”

Aelin freezes a foot away from the table and mouths, “Babe?” while quirking an eyebrow at him. He rolls his eyes and finishes the rest of his beer.

Just as Sam returns to the table, it’s his turn, and they watch him throw a truly horrific gutter ball. The whole table chuckles softly as Sam admits bowling is not his sport.

“What is your sport?” Elide asks, tossing her hair over her shoulder and glancing Lorcan’s way again.

“Sailing,” he says. Rowan smothers a sardonic laugh. Of course Sam’s sport is sailing. A sport where the equipment costs more than his yearly salary. Four times his yearly salary, actually.

“That’s not a sport,” Manon interjects. “That’s a trust fund hobby.”

“Tell that to my wall of regatta trophies,” Sam boasts, and even Aelin can’t control rolling her eyes at that, Rowan notices with satisfaction.

“Which reminds me,” Sam begins. “My family is throwing a big Fourth of July party on our yacht next week. It’ll be docked. No sailing experience required. You should come,” he says to Aelin. Then turns to the rest of the table. “All of you.”

“A yacht party?” Aelin says, and Sam flashes her a self-assured grin as he nods. “Oh, Dorian will die. He’s always wanted to do that, but his dad would never let him bring anyone on their boat.”

“Sounds fun,” Rowan says, forcing a smile.

As Sam continues to talk about the preparations for what is sure to be an extremely swanky party, Rowan begins to feel warm and in need of fresh air. He wishes he were a smoker, so he’d have an excuse to step out. Every time Sam name drops or makes an allusion to how much money he has, Rowan feels himself grow smaller. A few more minutes of listening to Sam talk and he can’t stand it anymore. He stands from the table, suddenly.

“Where are you going?” Aelin asks.

“Just gonna get some air.”

He bolts out the door before anyone can ask him anything else. The front of the bowling alley is far too well-lit with bright fluorescent lights, so he slinks around to the side of the building where the parking lot is mostly empty and he can remain covered in dark inky shadows. He leans against the concrete of the building and tilts his head back, trying to alleviate the tension that feels like it’s strangling him. He closes his eyes and breathes slowly.

His heart is finally starting to slow its pounding when he hears her voice cut through the darkness. “Rowan?” Aelin whispers. He opens his eyes and turns his head toward the sound, and he hears her soft gasp and jump. “There you are,” she says, approaching him slowly. Tentatively. “Are you okay?”

“Yup,” Rowan finally answers, his deep voice filled with gravel.

“Are you?” she asks, finally coming to stand in front of him. In the dark he can barely make out the shape of her face, but still somehow her eyes glow blue and gold, reflecting the moon lit sky above. “Your date was worried.”

“My date?” Rowan asks, perplexed.

Aelin laughs humorlessly and clasps her hands in front of her stomach. That small sliver of bare skin still distracting him. “Yes, your date. You know. Blonde, very pretty?”

Rowan chuckles. “Are you talking about yourself in the third person?”

Aelin shoves at his chest. “Are you being obtuse on purpose right now?”

“Aelin, I didn’t even know you were coming tonight,” he says. She tosses her hands up in frustration to gesticulate wildly as she talks.

“I’m talking about Asterin, you moron,” she snips at him, and his chest warms as he grabs her hands, which are flailing mid-air between them. “Give me my hands back,” she warns him, but Rowan just smiles.

“You’re jealous,” Rowan finally realizes, and Aelin scowls, trying to pull her hands free from Rowan’s grasp, but he refuses. Instead, he pulls them into his chest and flips them around, so Aelin is the one with her back to the building.

“Am not,” Aelin insists, and he finally releases her hands, only so he can finally touch the skin of her waist that’s been tempting him since she sent that picture of herself hours ago. She shivers as his thumbs rub against her soft skin.

“You are,” he says, leaning down to whisper against the shell of her ear. His lips brush against it, and she clutches onto his shirt, pulling him down toward her. “I didn’t know you could get jealous,” he says, letting his mouth land on the bare expanse of her shoulder. “It’s kind of adorable.” He snickers against her neck, and she tilts her head to the side to give him more room, and her hands wrap around his waist to pull him closer.

“Are you finished ignoring me?” she whispers, and Rowan pauses.

“I wasn’t ignoring you,” he replies, and he feels her fingers tense against his back and then loosen.

“Okay,” she says, resigned. His lips brush against her neck, then her chin, then her cheek.

He shifts back to look at her, her chest heaving with labored breaths, her body curled around his, wanton and beautiful. And he just has to ask. Has to know. Even if it kills him. He still needs to know.

“You called us both your friends,” he begins, and Aelin’s eyes search his, looking for some hidden meaning to his words. “Is Sam your friend like I’m your friend?” he asks. Understanding flicks over her face as she shakes her head.

“No. Oh my god, no, Rowan.” Her voice is a thin whisper, but it’s firm. Resolute. “No one else is a friend like you. I promise, I would never.”

“Are you sure? Because… it’d be okay if… I mean, I’d understand if…” He tries to reply eloquently, but he can’t find the words. He has the worst habit of tripping up his sentences in front of her.

“Would it?” she asks, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Because I don’t think I’d be as understanding.” She sighs. “I wanted to rip Asterin’s hand off you.”

Rowan smiles. “Yeah?”

“And like… maybe mount you in the middle of the room.”

“Mmm,” Rowan ponders. “That could be arranged.” He sighs, exhaling slowly as her arms wrap around his waist tighter. Rowan looks up into the night sky and then back down at her, trying to figure out what he wants to say. How he can say it without scaring her away. “I just didn’t know if being exclusive adhered to the rules of being casual.”

“Who says there have to be rules?” Aelin replies softly. “This is between us. We get to decide what that means. Fuck the rules. We make our own.”

Rowan wastes no time before crashing his lips to hers in a mess of lips and teeth and tongue. It feels like coming up for air again. The tension disappears from his shoulders as her fingers twine themselves in the back of his hair, which is almost long enough for her to pull. He feels like an addict, who’s getting his next fix. He breathes her in, letting her keep him as close to her as she wants. His hands go up her loose shirt, and he groans loudly when his hands come into contact with the underside of her breasts. She hasn’t been wearing a bra this whole time. He cups her as his thumbs run over her puckered skin, and she whimpers into his mouth as she grinds onto his thigh.

Rowan is about to slide his hands down the front of her jeans when a throat clears loudly in the distance. They both freeze, pausing and panting, waiting to hear who the voice belongs to.

“I’m not coming any closer because I enjoy my vision and don’t want to gouge my own eyeballs out,” Manon calls out to them. “But, there are three people at that table who realize you’ve both been gone for a suspiciously long amount of time, and I’m getting really tired of distracting Moneybags McGee. So come quickly.” Manon seems to realize her turn of phrase and groans at Rowan’s lewd snickering. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just… you know. Get back inside, please.”

“You could have come closer,” Rowan calls back. “We’re both fully clothed.”

“I couldn’t take that risk,” Manon says, and disappears back into the alley.

Aelin giggles into Rowan’s shoulder and leans her forehead against his chest. She kisses him through the thin fabric of his t-shirt and hugs him tighter. She looks up at him and tilts herself up onto her tip-toes and kisses him softly.

“I missed you today,” she says, and he hates how much his heart blooms with hope at her words.

“It was one day,” he replies, smoothing her hair and shirt, so she doesn’t look like she’s just been ravaged in some back alley – even though, technically, that’s exactly what happened.

“Ask me how many times I got off thinking about you in that one day,” she asks saucily, and Rowan nearly chokes at the image of her touching herself.

“How many?” he asks, and she smirks, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she begins to walk away.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Um, yes. I really would,” he laughs.

She saunters away, and he watches her ass move side to side in her tight jeans. He runs to catch up with her, but he keeps his distance as they enter.

Back at their table, Lorcan has joined, much to Rowan’s surprise and Manon’s clear displeasure.

Rowan sits beside her and pats her shoulder. She throws him an aggressive scowl, and he retracts his hand. “So, Asterin clearly failed at her job tonight,” Manon whispers, and Rowan shrugs. He looks at Aelin, who smiles at him, before resuming her conversation with Elide and Sam and now Lorcan.

“I think I’m a lost cause,” Rowan admits.

Manon sighs sadly. “Me too.”

“Maybe we’ll both get what we want,” Rowan says, as they both stare across the table at Aelin and Elide respectively. Elide’s smile is lit up at something Lorcan’s said, and Rowan watches how Sam’s eyes follow Aelin’s every little movement.

“Maybe,” Manon says, but he knows she doesn’t mean it. Despite that, Rowan holds onto the small kernel of hope for the rest of the night.

~*~*~*~*~

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#rowaelin #aelin x rowan #rowan whitethorn #aelin galythinius #manon blackbeak #elorcan #cruel summer au #amusement park au #charincharge writes #tog fanfic #throne of glass #jealousy #mutual pining #rowaelin fanfic

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omiscurls · 4 years ago

Text

bruises

oikawa tooru (fck yes)

the word count: 3680

it does get a little angsty in the middle, but don't worry, it's pure fluff.

and let's go!

"You have to stop doing this to yourself, you know, Tooru?" you asked in a soft voice, as you finished wrapping a bandage around his knee, him sitting on the edge of your bed, and you on the floor "Wait, hold on for a moment. Hey there, Elsa, get me your Frozen band aids, alright?" you yelled, and then heard little feet running around the house, so you assumed she heard.

"Why do you call your sister Elsa? That's not her real name" he laughed, running a hand through his hair, and then suddenly falling on his back.

"Ever since she's watched that damn movie, she won't respond unless you refer to her as Elsa" you explained, rolling your eyes. "Surely you remember from when your nephew was her age, if she sets her mind on something, there's just no coming back until she gets bored"

"And how long has it been?"

"Around two months? Everybody got used to it, honestly, except for my mom, cause she chose her real name, and now she's upset, because whenever she uses it, that little monster just throws a tantrum and screams and cries like she's being kidnapped or something" you sighed.

Around the time you finished your sentence, the little girl came running into the room, holding a small box of plasters with "Frozen" characters printed on them.

"Thank you sweetie" you answered, taking the box from her "You can go continue whatever you were doing now, we'll make dinner in a bit, and mom and dad will be home late, alright?" you explained calmly, almost mechanically adjusting her dress, because of course she god it all wrinkled after playing on the floor all day.

But to your suprise, she just stood in place, looking at your boyfriend, draped all over your bed like a fricking Armani's model.

"Alright, 'Kawa, you want Olaf or the reindeer?" you asked, searching through the box.

"It's Sven!" they both shouted in unison, making you chuckle.

"Alright, well you're getting Sven then" you said, taking off the package it was wrapped in, and sticking it onto the bandage. "Cute" you summarized, finally standing up, and sitting on the bed beside Oikawa, who was now back to a sitting position, just to admire the little detail on his bandage.

You noticed your sister was still there, her eyes all glossy, for some reason, and you rewinded the conversation in your head to make sure you didn't say anything to upset her.

"What's up, my little princess?" Tooru asked, a concerned look on his face. For someone as attention seeking and childish himself, he was suprisingly good with kids, or more so, with little girls, boys hated him for some reason.

"What happened to Tooru-san?" she asked, her voice shaking a bit, and her hands trembled as she held onto the box tightly.

He laughed it off.

"Nothing sweetie, it's just there because I like it that way" Oh, what a smooth lie, you thought, because looking at him suffer really made you tear up sometimes as well.

"No it's not!" she yelled "People only get bandages when they're hurt!" she stomped her foot onto the floor loudly, making him giggle nervously, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, I guess you got me there, doctor" he admitted, scratching the back of his head in stress, the nicest smile he could pull off painting his lips.

You only crossed your arms at the chest level, and watched the situation develope. If he wasn't going to promise to be careful to you, then you weren't going to help him out with the little devil. Let him clean up his own mess, you thought.

"Did someone beat you up?" she asked, tears already running down her cheeks, as she sobbed loudly.

"No, of course not!" he got really scared, watching her get all emotional like that. He kneeled down to her level and hugged her "Nobody could beat uncle Tooru up, I'm the best" he smirked, but she only shook his head.

You laughed. He got what he deserved.

"Look, it's nothing serious, alright? I just tripped at practice and have to keep it bandaged so that I could still play volleyball! You remember when your sister took you to my game, right? I always have it like this when I play, you just never noticed, my princess" he smiled, and gently wiped the tears off her tiny face. "Nothing bad happened, I promise, have I ever lied to you?"

"No" she mumbled.

You were right now, though, you thought, but stayed silent.

"Exactly. Now, go finish what you were doing and then I'll do you something extra for dinner alright?"

"Ice-cream?" her eyes lit up as she gasped in awe.

"No" he laughed "Not this time, your sister might kill me. But something special, just for my little princess" he touched the tip of her nose with his finger, making her smile, nod, and run off to her room.

He sighed, as he got back on the bed.

"So lying to children is your new hobby now?" you asked casually, a grin on your face.

"Oh shut it, I got nervous. When did she get so good with puppy eyes?" he whined, covering his face with his hands.

"I guess she's learning from the best" you mumbled, laying down next to him, and hiding your face in the folds of his shirt.

"I guess she is" he laughed vibrantly, then staying silent for a minute.

"You've got to stop doing it, Tooru, whether you like it or not" you whispered, your finger marking circles on his chest, his hand playing with your hair.

You felt him inhale deeply before answering.

"Just one more match, I've got to beat Tobio this time" he hissed, gripping the bedsheet with his other hand.

"You've said that before"

"I can't let him win. You don't understand, I just... I'd fall apart if I lost to him. I was afraid of it all middle school, and even now, he hasn't left me in peace. See, of course I want to beat Wakatoshi. Of course I want to go to nationals, of course I want to win, no matter who I'm playing against. But that's just because I love volleyball, and I'm the team captain, and a third year, on top of that. It's my job to want to win, and the competetiveness I was born with. But against Tobio, it's much more personal. He's like that little demon inside my head who just keeps hissing 'you can't do it', 'you won't make it, no matter what you do, you can't beat me, I'm a genious. Who cares if I'm a selfish little asshole who has no people skills whatsoever, I was born with it, so I'll always win. You'll just never be good enough', you know?"

You felt his hand slide away from your hair, as he was no longer able to focus on doing anything else, getting really caught up in his thoughts.

"Would it help to think he's a human being, too? He has to practice as well, he has troubles, and issues, and worse days, just like you, and just like the rest of the world. Nobody's perfect, Tooru"

"I tried that. Many times in my life had Iwa told me I'm a monster for hating a little hid like that, because he's two years younger and deserves help from his senpais, not hatred. And of course I know that, I know he's just trying to play, like we all are, but fuck, sunshine, I can't get him out of my head, it's like I suddenly can't catch a breath when he's around, I feel trapped, I want to escape as soon as possible, but I know I can't, and it's impossible for me just to forget it and be all nice and senpai-ish. I know you all don't get it, I'm fine with that, I get that nobody understands why someone would be afraid of the one person in the entire world that actually looks up to him, I know I'm dumb and immature, alright? I know all that, I'm fine with being called childish, I just need to win. Or I'll fall apart."

You felt his breathing become short as he started to talk louder and louder every sentence, his voice cracking from time to time. Your heart ached, because there was nothing you could do to help.

You know what he was doing to himself needed to be stopped, but then again, he'd be miserable if he wasn't able to practice before the match, he'd probably panic and start making mistakes he wouldn't do if only he was calm.

It was like an endless circle of pain, both mental and physical, that you just couldn't seem to know how to stop. Like he was stuck in a loop you couldn't help him get out of.

"Sit up" you only ordered quietly, moving away from him so he'd be able to do it. He moved to support his back on the wall beside your bed, looking at you with slight suprise. You decided to sit on his lap to be able to look him dead in the eyes as you speak. "Stop crying"

"I'm not crying" he said, so confidently, you knew he didn't even realize. You swiped your thumbs again his cheeks to wipe the tears away, and only then did he notice he was in fact, crying.

"Listen to me" you cupped his face with your cold hands, causing him to shiver, as he stared into your eyes in shock. "You're not a monster, you just have bad memories with the guy, and it's causing you to panick a bit when you think about challlenging him. Let me break it to you, it's normal. You're normal. You're acting normally. I do understand how you feel, I at least try to, but don't think I'll just let you continue hurting your body like that. That's as bad as hurting yourself on purpose. There's only one Tobio Kageyama and countless other opponents you'll play against in your career, but that is unless you decide to fuck up your knee completely now, and never play again. How does that sound?"

It came out more harshly than you'd want it to, but someone had to break it to him, and you were glad it was you.

"But—"

"No buts! Tooru, I love you, and I want what's best for you. We'll get through this together, step by step, and before you know it, you won't be scared before facing him anymore."

"I'm not scared of that little brat! See, that's just it, if you try to put my emotions into words, it just doesn't work, I tried that a thousand times already! He's a selfish little kid and I couldn't care less about him, I'm not fucking scared!"

"Shush, my sister is in the room next door, you idiot" you scolded him a bit, your expression becoming very harsh suddenly. He nodded, but continued, only in a lower voice.

"I can't name the emotion I'm feeling. I only know that I so desperately want to feel something else" he whispered, suddenly facing down, eyes focused on his fingers, intertwined together, and kinda sweaty. "Even if it's physical pain, I'll rather have that than this... whatever this is."

Upon saying that, his voice cracked for the last time, before he finally snapped, and started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I wasn't supposed to react like that" he only managed to say, but you didn't respond, only hugging him close to your chest, putting your chin on the top of his head.

"Shh, it's alright. I'm right here" you whispered, moving his head a bit to be able to kiss his forehead. "Stop being a baby with this, and let me help you, alright? We've been through so much together, and this is no different. You're not alone in this, Tooru, and you never will be, do you understand?"

He nodded, not wanting to speak yet, afraid his voice will crack again.

You knew how embarassed he must've felt, he hated crying in front of anybody, but you saw that build up within him ever since your babysitting "date" started; his eyes were watery and tired when he first showed up at your doorstep.

"I'm just glad to have you here today, and know you're not doing anything stupid, if your mind is spiraling like this. I'm glad you told me all that, instead of keeping it all inside, like you always do. I'm glad you're safe. And remember, it's not all that bad to open up sometimes, even if it means sheading a few tears. They make you look more like a man than ever" you smiled, raising his chin up. He giggled, wiping his cheeks.

"Stop talking to me like to a four-year-old" he whispered.

"I mean it! Look at my man, showing he's sometimes a human too, instead of sharing yet another example of toxic masculinity. The pride I'm feeling right now—"

"Alright, alright, enough" he full on laughed. "Shut it already, you sound as seriously as my mum when she says 'no Tooru, of course you were planned. What do you mean you're a dozen years younger than your sister? That was part of the plan!' Really, improve your lying game, sunshine"

You bursted out laughing.

"What're you even talking about, oh my god"

Suddenly you felt arms wrap around your waist, and could smell Oikawa's perfume again.

He held you like that for a second before he could say something.

"Thank you" he whispered "For seeing that something in me that I can't notice" you hugged him back, gripping the material of his shirt, and squeezing his body even tighter. "For being there for the better and the worse, for sticking by my side... for dealing with me. I know I'm a lot"

You pulled back instantly.

"Who on earth had told you you're a lot?"

"Everyone, I guess? I mean, am I not? Even I can see it"

"Well, we all have our good sides and our flaws, but no, you're not a lot. We're all different, and you're my boyfriend, who I love and who I don't have to deal with, I'm just with him because spending time with him is like my own personal drug that I'm addicted to and I don't even want to get better" you smiled widely, as he giggled again, hearing your statement.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, plus, you're hot, there's also that" you laughed, and he blushed just a little.

"I know, I have a mirror" he said, but deep down you knew he needed to hear that. Just as he couldn't see through the fact that he wasn't a monster, bullying a little kid, he probably had trouble seeing just how beautiful he really was, as well.

"Alright Mr Selfish, let me put my make up on real quick, if you so want to take Elsa to Pizza Hut" you sighed, moving to sit by your desk, and got all your cosmetics out.

"Hey, can I do it?" he asked, and you turned around, suprised, to see his eyes almost glow in the dark room.

"Am I going to look like a clown? Because if so, then no" you shook your head, but he was already beside you.

"No actually, my sister let me do hers back in the day, and I got kinda good, but I haven't done it in like, forever. It was always so satysfying to do" he said in a dreamy voice, so you took another chair from under the desk, and shrugged your shoulders in a 'you do you' gesture. You were kinda curious how it was going to work out, and after all, you had plenty of time to wipe it off and do again, if it was going to look terrible.

"It gets more annoying than satysfying if you do it every damn day, but you can try if you want to"

He took a quick look at your stuff.

"You use different things than Miko-chan does" he stated, already extremely focused. "Alright so, is this the concealer?" he asked, visibly curious, taking what truly was your concealer.

"Bingo" you laughed, and he opened it and started making dots under your eyes, your nose, and some spots you had on your face. You were suprised, noticing it were the exact spots where you'd put it.

"Where's your blender, though?" he looked around, but the foam was nowhere to be found.

"I don't have one, it was old, I threw it away and haven't gotten a new one. You're gonna have to use hands" you explained, closing your eyes.

It was a nice feeling, because he was extremly cautious, and only tapped your undereyes really sotfly, as if he was afraid to hurt you on accident. His fingers felt nice, touching your skin, but in a totally different manner than usual. It was more like a massage, honestly.

"Powder" he whispered, more to himself, than to you, and grabbed your powder and a brush. He tapped your shoulder, so you'd open your eyes, and showed you the product, with a literal question mark across his face. You nodded, and giggled, when you saw him so focused and serious, he looked like a cute little kid. "Stop laughing or I won't be able to do it" he pouted, and you managed to keep the smile off your lips, while feeling him gently stroking your face with the brush, again, as if he was afraid of breaking something on accident.

"Do you use an eyeshadow base?" he asked, when he finally put down the powder. He put on a little to much, you felt it getting kinda shell-y on your face, but you didn't mind.

"Yeah, but don't use it, we're not going to any sort of party, concealer and mascara will be quite enough"

"Shush, don't interfere in the artist's work" he mumbled, taking the base and tapping it against your eyelids, even more softly than before. He then grabbed a smaller brush and an eyeshadow palette, and sighed heavily before moving on to the hardest part of his job.

You were starting to get bored, and often shivered, feeling his breathing against your skin, for what he'd get all mad at you, because "You twitched, now it's ruined!" even if it wasn't. It was a great experience, though, and you as long as it was keeping his mind of spiraling on the Tobio Kageyama topic, then he could paint your face all day long.

He often cursed underneath his breath, for which you'd kick him slightly, under the desk.

"It's just so... it flakes off so easily! I'll buy you a palette for the next holiday there is" he mumbled, and you tried so hard not to laugh.

"You do know I don't even use it that often?"

"That's because you're the most beautiful girl on the planet without any make up, but what's the harm in making you shine just a bit brighter?" he grinned, focusing again on your eyelids.

Once he finished, he added some mascara, which was stressing for the both of you, and you often to do it for him twice, and then moved on to your brows, which didn't take him too long.

"Do you do contouring?" he asked, looking for the right products.

"I don't, it's too complicated for me. But if I did, I guess you should do that before the eyes."

"Depends on who do you ask" he winked, hading you the little mirror. "Now, be honest."

You were honestly amazed. Did Miko Oikawa train her brother into doing her make up each morning? There was no other explanation for him to be this good at it. He did a bit of a smokey eye, and even though the eyebrows were a little too thick, and the powder was weighting down on your cheeks, you were truly suprised it came out that well.

"So?" he asked, his hands covering his mouth, as he was waiting impatiently.

"It's great, Tooru, when did you learn that?" you said in awe.

"Miko-chan always said I have more control over my hands than she does, so she taught me. My dad didn't like it, though, but at least we had fun." he explained, getting up, and offering you his hand, so you'd get up as well. You put down the little mirror, and followed his lead. "I'm glad you like it" he said, pressing a soft kiss against your forehead. "Wow, did I put too much of that there?"

"Kinda"

"I told you to be honest!"

"I was!" you laughed, as he pouted, shaking his head in disbelief. 'The audacity', you heard him whisper.

You left the room.

"Princess, come here, time for your surprise!" he yelled, and the little girl sprinted out of her bedroom, a huge grin on her lips. He kneeled down to her level, and pointed to his back, and she instantly understood what was going on, and jumped on him. He got up, placing her legs over his shoulders, and grabbing her by the ankles, so she wouldn't fall off.

"I don't think you're supposed to do that" you said condesendingly, but he rolled his eyes at you.

"She's being grumpy, princess, right?" he asked, looking up. Your little sister nodded frantically, pulling his hair in all different directions.

"How come you don't get angry when she messes up your hairstyle?" you mumbled with fake jealousy in your voice.

"She gets special privileges for being my princess, duh" he answered, unbothered, and stepped aside, so you'd get downstairs first, upon seeing your deadly glance. "Ladies first, queen"

"Finally"

#haikyuu!!#oikawa tooru #oikawa #ff #haikyuu #fanfiction #haikyu #hq #hq fluff #anime #comfort story #fluff #haikyuu tooru #haikyuu oikawa #oikawa x reader #oikawa x y/n #oikawa x you

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bestillmyslashyheart · 5 years ago

Text

for @caitlesshea...Happy Birthday!!! I hope you have the most wonderful day

Forrest is a nice guy. He’s cute, he’s funny, he rocks a leather jacket like no one Alex has ever seen in person, and he understands Alex’s history with the military. On paper, he’s pretty much perfect. Off paper, he’s not perfect but he might be perfect for Alex.

Except for the tiny, inconsequential detail of Alex having a soulmate and it not being Forrest Long. But other than that small hiccup (which the other party seems to be ignoring just fine) Alex likes the guy. He likes spending time with him. He likes going on dates with him. And he’s really starting to like kissing him.

They’d had a nice dinner and Forrest had walked Alex to his car before slowly pressing him up against it and kissing him softly. The quiet din of the restaurant filtered in at the edge of his senses but Alex ignored it in favor of cupping Forrest’s face and kissing him back. He was just about to suggest heading back to his place when he felt it.

Lips crawling up the side of his neck. A moment later he caught a whiff of perfume and cheap beer.

Alex broke away from the kiss and focused all of his attention on slamming the door on the connection. Frustratingly, it wouldn’t close. Not all of the way.

“Alex?” Forrest sounded worried. Alex shook his head but didn’t answer, too lost in the link to Michael to form words. He’d managed to close the mental bridge between them for almost a decade before coming back to Roswell, and to Michael, permanently had forced it wide open for the first time since graduation. They’d each closed it a few times since then but neither one of them had tried to shut it off until the night they-

Alex pressed a hand to his forehead and imagined a heavy steel door slamming shut over the link, trying to stifle their connection through sheer will alone. The sensations ceased and Alex breathed a sigh of relief.

“Alex?” Forrest asked again. “What’s wrong?”

“Long story,” was all Alex offered. It was their second date. Not the time to talk about Alex’s soul bond to another man. He wasn’t exactly sure when the right time for that was but it wasn’t now. He hooked a finger in Forrest’s belt loop and tugged. Forrest went easily, his eyes darting from Alex’s hand to his eyes.

“Are you okay?” He asked, his hands gentle on Alex’s face.

“Yeah,” Alex assured. “Just a little headache, nothing ma-” Wet lips encircled his cock and Alex choked out a gasp. He pressed a hand over his crotch, the familiar denim under his touch grounding him.

“Alex?!” Forrest’s eyes were wide. “What’s going on?”

Alex rolled his eyes. “My soulmate’s an asshole.” It was out before he could stop it. So much for not mentioning that on the second date.

Forrest froze. Alex wasn’t even sure he was breathing. “Your what?”

He felt a kiss press to his tip and Alex opened the door wide open. STOP IT, he screamed down it. Michael physically jerked in response and Alex felt and heard Maria choke on the sudden motion. Michael hurriedly pushed her away and pulled up his pants. What the hell, Alex!? Maria kneeled on the floor, one hand pressed to her mouth as she cleared her throat. She glared up at Michael. “What the hell, Guerin?!”

“Alex?” Forrest asked softly. He sounded worried again and Alex had to wonder how many times he’d said his name. Ignoring Michael’s queries, Alex pulled out of the connection and back into his own mind. Forrest’s hands were back on his face, his face creased in worry. “You’re scaring me. Are you okay?”

Alex nodded and kissed him. Forrest didn’t react at first, not until Alex coaxed his lips open and slipped his tongue into his mouth. Then it was like a switch flipped. Forrest pushed forward until Alex was happily trapped between his body and the side of the car. As Alex’s hands wandered south, Forrest slipped his knee between his thighs and pressed up against his hardening cock.

Alex! Michael yelled. Alex slipped into their connection just long enough to see Maria yelling at Michael while Michael felt physically ill.

Not so much fun from the other side, is it?

I didn’t know.

Now you do. Alex came back to himself to find his hands down the back of Forrest’s pants and an asshole yelling at them.

“Maybe we should take this somewhere else?” Alex asked, panting lightly.

But Forrest shook his head. “As nice as that was,” he laughed lightly, “and believe me it was nice, we really need to talk about your soulmate?”

Alex dropped his head back with a poorly concealed groan. “Can we not? We’re not together, obviously, so I don’t think it matters.” Forrest’s hands were still tight on his hips and Alex didn’t mind it at all.

“I can see that,” Forrest smirked, glancing down at the obvious evidence. “But I think it might matter to me.” He let go of Alex’s hips and took a step back. “Your soul is bound to another’s. If what I’ve read is accurate, then you’ve got a telepathic and emotional link to them. One that can’t be severed.” Alex nodded. Forrest shrugged his shoulders, his hands shoving deep into his pockets. “How can you do what we just did if you’re bound to someone else like that?”

Alex looked around the parking lot. “Can we talk somewhere else?”

Forrest nodded. “I’ll follow you.”

Alex watched him walk away before unlocking his car and sliding behind the wheel. It was late and there were few places open but Alex wasn’t sure if Forrest would be comfortable going back to his place right now so he headed for the Crashdown. When they walked in, Arturo looked up and smiled. Alex waved and led Forrest to an empty booth in the back. Though it was late, the place wasn’t exactly empty and there was enough chatter in the air to give them some privacy.

“So,” Forrest started when Alex didn’t say anything. “Soulmate.”

Alex motioned to Arturo for a coffee. He’d prefer something a little stronger but the Crashdown’s menu hadn’t yet expanded to include alcohol so he’d take what he could get. “We bonded in high school,” he started. Alex twisted his fingers together and didn’t look up. “It was good for about a month and then I enlisted. He didn’t come with me so we spent a decade…” he cleared his throat. “Anyway, when I moved back we sort of picked back up but things happened and it became clear that despite the bond we’re not good for each other, not like that, so we agreed to move on. Be with other people.” A waiter Alex didn’t recognize brought over two cups of coffee and disappeared without seeing if they wanted anything to eat.

“I’ve never heard of a bonded pair not being together,” Forrest commented as he poured sugar into his coffee. His voice was free of judgement.

“Yeah.” Alex rubbed a hand across his forehead. “I know. But being together isn’t really an option for us.”

Forrest made a noise. “What happened earlier?”

Alex felt a flush creep up his neck and he quickly took a sip of his coffee. It was too hot but he didn’t care. “The connection. I used to be able to close it completely but lately it’s been creeping open. He, uh, he was with his girlfriend and…”

“Ah,” was all Forrest said. “That must be awkward.”

“Just a bit,” Alex agreed. He grimaced. “I might have kissed you to give him a little payback. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, I wasn’t complaining.” Forrest laughed. “It was good, even if you did have ulterior motives.” He looked down at his coffee and spun it around in his hands.

Alex reached out and stilled his movements. “It wasn’t all ulterior motives. I like you, a lot. I wanted to kiss you and I liked it. A lot.”

Forrest smiled and nodded. “But this is never going to be anything permanent.”

Alex pulled his hand back. “I’m sorry. I should have been up front about it.”

“I’m not sure how that conversation would’ve gone,” Forrest laughed. “I’m glad we got some time together first. And just because it isn’t permanent doesn’t mean it can’t be something at all.” Alex raised an eyebrow. “We could have fun.” Forrest paused and searched Alex’s face. “And now that I know about the ulterior motives, I’m more than fine with being used to piss off some other guy.”

Alex laughed in surprise. “Are you serious?”

Forrest shrugged. “Is he an asshole?”

“I love him,” Alex replied immediately.

“Not what I asked,” Forrest winked. “But yeah, I figured that part out all on my own.” Alex flushed. Of course he did, soulmates were never anything but hopelessly in love with each other. “I just figured if he’s with someone else when you can feel it, he’s gotta be a bit of a dick.”

Alex shrugged. “We’re both assholes,” he admitted.

“Fair enough.” Forrest took a sip of his coffee. “The offer still stands. We can have some fun for as long as you want. And if what you want is a little payback or to make him jealous or something like that, I am happy to oblige.”

“You really like pissing off assholes don’t you?” Alex shook his head, not even trying to hide his smile.

Forrest stretched. “It’s something of a hobby of mine.”

“Okay.” Alex couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this. He lifted his coffee cup and waited until Forrest did the same to clink them together. “To having fun and pissing off the asshole.”

---

Forrest was a lot of fun. He was quickly becoming one of Alex’s best friends, albeit one that Alex made out with on a fairly regular basis.

Alex’s connection with Michael was getting harder and harder to close. Every time he tried to shut it down, it stayed just a little bit more open. They never spoke about it, even when they did speak, and as far as Alex could tell, Michael was just trying to ignore the thing. Forrest started to recognize the signs of the open connection, particularly when Michael and Maria were together, and he was always quick to offer his help. Most times, Alex took him up on it. It felt good and had the pleasant bonus of making Michael sick to his stomach. Two months into their arrangement, Alex was pretty sure Michael and Maria hadn’t had sex once. Maria certainly seemed pissed off enough to be going through a dry spell when he ran across her. He couldn’t deny the little thrill it gave him to know he was effectively cockblocking her.

“Alex!” Michael ran out of the Crashdown as Alex walked to his car. Alex slowed and turned. “Can we talk?”

Alex shrugged. “What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

“What? Yeah, everyone’s fine.” Michael shook his head. “It’s about the thing.”

Alex arched an eyebrow. He knew perfectly well what Michael was referring to but he wasn’t going to let him off easy. “The thing?”

Michael rolled his eyes. “The bond.”

“Oh that thing.” Michael glared balefully. Alex sighed. “What about it?”

Michael looked around. It was late and the sidewalk was empty. He stepped closer to Alex anyway. “Why is it acting up?”

“It’s not,” Alex furrowed his brow. “I can’t keep it closed anymore for some reason but it’s not acting up.”

“Keep it closed?”

“Yes,” Alex said slowly. “I used to keep it closed so we wouldn’t have...this. But since I opened it back up when I got home, I’ve had trouble closing it again. Maybe you should try it this time.” Alex huffed. “Instead of making me do all the work.”

Michael glared. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I make you cut me off in the cold after disappearing in the middle of the night to join the military without telling me?” Alex looked away. Michael sighed. “How do I do it?”

“Just picture a door between us and close it.” Alex shrugged. “That’s what I did.”

“So what’s the problem now?”

“The door won’t close all the way. I’m not sure why.”

“Well if you can’t do it with a decade of practice,” Alex flinched, “how do you expect me-”

“Alex!” Forrest jogged across the street, waving brightly. “There you are. I was getting worried.” Alex felt Michael’s body tense up, his whole being radiating anger and anxious energy.

Don’t.

Michael glared at him. He didn’t relax.

“Everything okay?” Forrest had joined them by now and was glancing between them.

“Everything’s fine,” Alex replied, breaking away from his glaring match with Michael. “I was on my way.”

Forrest waved him off. “No worries. Just wanted to make sure we were still on for tonight.” Michael huffed and walked away without a word. Alex and Forrest stared after him. “Don’t tell me that alien guy is your asshole.” Alex closed his eyes. “That came out wrong.” Forrest looked sheepish when Alex opened his eyes.

“Yeah. Michael’s the guy,” Alex confessed.

“Isn’t he dating your friend?”

Alex hummed.

“What an asshole.”

“Yup.”

---

What’s a seven letter word for terrain ruined coach?

Alex was in the middle of an important briefing on base and so ignored Michael. After a moment though, he felt him in his head and closed his eyes. You don’t have a security clearance.

He felt Michael huff. Seven letter word?

Trainer

There was a pause. Huh. That fits.

---

Why is there smoke? I don’t like smoke when it’s coming out of my car.

Distantly, he heard a tool fall to the ground before Michael was in his head and looking through his eyes. Damn. What did you do to this thing?

I drove it.

Well that explains it. Alex mentally stuck his tongue out and Michael’s answering laugh rumbled through his own chest. Give me half an hour and I’ll come out with the tow truck.

Thanks.

Anytime.

---

They went back and forth with random innocuous conversations for about two weeks. Their interaction would usually last about 30 seconds, maybe a minute, and then nothing. Alex wasn’t sure what to make of it except that he liked it. He liked having this inside scoop on Michael’s thoughts, not necessarily because of their bond but because Michael was reaching out to him to show them to him.

---

You cannot honestly find this attractive.

Alex jerked in surprise. He’d been lost in his thoughts listening to Forrest perform his new poem and hadn’t expected to hear from Michael. It has its appeal.

To dying cats maybe.

Don’t be an asshole.

I’m not! I’m being honest. Like you should be. This is not good.

His words are-

Alex.

Okay, yeah, it’s not really my thing. Michael’s smugness positively radiated from him. So much so, that Alex knew he was sitting at the table three behind him and one to the left without having to turn around and look. Fuck off.

Make me.

Alex arched an eyebrow. Really, Guerin? On the small stage, Forrest caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. Alex jerked his head slightly backwards in Michael’s direction. Forrest followed the movement and shook his head at them.

Bring it on, Manes.

Alex waited until he heard Maria come over to Michael. He let Michael relax, let him ease into a conversation with Maria. After a moment, he felt Maria sit on his lap. With a twisted grin, Alex opened the connection up wide and remembered their first night together after Alex came home from his first deployment. They’d both been a mess of emotions and riding the highs of relief at Alex’s safe return and anger over the way they’d left things when he’d deployed and it had spiraled into one of the most passionate nights they’d ever shared. It was also the first time Alex had ridden Michael. Distantly, Alex heard Forrest finish up and the next guy step up on stage. A moment later, the chair next to him was pulled out and Forrest sat down. But Alex paid him no mind, lost as he was in the memory.

Eight years ago Alex rolled his hips into Michael’s and present day Michael shoved Maria off of his lap in response. She hit the floor with a grunt and the room fell silent. Alex felt bad, he hadn’t intended for Michael to literally throw her off of him, but he couldn’t regret it when the memory bloomed bright in his mind, Michael’s own memory of that night joining with his and becoming a vivid thing between them.

Forrest cupped his face, clearly reading the signs of an open connection and planning his usual response, but Alex brushed him off. Someone helped Maria to her feet while Michael hunched over in his chair, one hand pressed against his crotch. He was completely oblivious to her rage.

That’s playing dirty.

You asked for it.

Alex pulled back and closed the door between them. The world swam into focus around him, complete with a slightly worried, smirking Forrest. “What did you do?” He looked behind Alex at Michael. Or maybe Maria, Alex wasn’t sure.

Alex shrugged, unwilling to answer. Forrest’s smirk grew wider. “You’re a little bit of an asshole Alex Manes.”

Half an hour later, Michael got his payback by making Alex witness his and Maria’s fight. It wasn’t pretty.

Why don’t you just leave? Give her some time to calm down and talk to her tomorrow.

I can’t just leave.

You can actually. Tell her you’re going home and you’ll talk to her tomorrow.

I can’t walk out on her Alex. I hurt her. I embarrassed her. She gets to yell at me.

No, Guerin. She gets to be hurt and embarrassed. And she gets to be upset. None of that gives the right to yell at you. Especially not like this.

“Why can’t you act like a normal adult, Guerin?” Maria huffed. “Maybe stay sober for more than a few hours at a time?”

You’ve been doing so good with your sobriety. Alex told Michael. It’s not a crime to enjoy a few drinks, you know. You’ve cut back so much and you’re doing so well at being there for everyone. She’s upset and she’s yelling. Don’t take what she’s saying to heart. She doesn’t mean it.

She sure seems like she means it.

Michael. Go home. Talk to her tomorrow.

I-

You can.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Michael and Alex both focused on Maria. She stood not two feet away, her hands on her hips and anger in her eyes. “You’re too drunk to control yourself and throw me on the floor in the middle of my bar and you can’t even listen to me when I’m trying to tell you how upset I am? Are you kidding me?” She pointed at the door. “Get out.”

“Maria-” Go!

Maria glared at Michael and he went. At the door, Michael turned back to face her and Alex caught a strange look on her face. It was almost like she’d expected Michael to stay. For what, he couldn’t say. She’d made it clear he wasn’t welcome so unless she wanted him to beg for her forgiveness- Ah, there it was.

She’s not like that. Michael had obviously caught his train of thought. I hurt her.

You embarrassed her. There’s a difference.

Alex! She’s upset! Michael turned and looked forlornly at Maria’s door. I need to-

Michael. Alex thought about his front door and shoved the image at Michael. My door’s always open.

Michael hesitated. No Forrest?

No.

Michael got in his truck.

---

It was late. That was the first thing Alex noticed. He was usually up with the sun, old habits, but the light streaming through his window told him it was close to noon.

The second thing he noticed was that he was warm. Unnaturally so. Third, he recognized that he felt warm in more ways than just temperature. He felt warm and safe and soft, somehow.

Finally, Alex turned his head and took in the mop of curls currently sharing a pillow with him.

Early.

Alex lifted his head just enough to see the clock behind Michael’s head. 10:04 flashed brightly. Late.

Saturday.

Alex rolled his eyes. Late is late no matter what day it is.

Michael lifted his head to give Alex the saddest eyes in the world. There are not enough words to tell you how wrong you are.

Alex couldn’t help it, he laughed. Michael’s eyes crinkled up as he smiled in response. “Get up. I have to pee.” Alex shoved at Michael’s shoulders. His shirt was soft under Alex’s hands, his muscles hard underneath.

Michael rolled off of him and Alex escaped to the bathroom. A few minutes later he emerged to find Michael perched on the edge of the bed, his phone in his fist. “What’s wrong?” Alex hadn’t felt any major emotions from Michael but the white knuckle grip told him something had happened.

“Maria,” Michael replied.

“Is she still angry?”

Michael handed his phone over. “She wants to know why I spent the night at your place.”

Alex took the phone in surprise. “You told her you were here?”

“No.”

Alex’s head jerked up. “Then how did she know you were here?” Michael waved a hand at the phone so Alex read the message.

{From: Maria 06:31am}

Why is your truck outside of Alex’s house?

Are you sleeping with him behind my back?

How long has this been going on?

How could you do this to me?

The messages were one right after the other.

“What the hell was she doing here at 6:30 in the morning?” Alex was gobsmacked. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think Maria was spying on them. But she’d have absolutely no reason to. He and Michael had hardly seen each other in months. And Michael definitely hadn’t been over to his place since long before that.

Michael shrugged. “I should go talk to her.”

Alex tossed his phone onto the bed. It bounced once and then slid off the other side. “You should make me breakfast.” He left the room without waiting for a response. A sense of unease crawled up his spine. He wasn’t sure whose it was but it disappeared when Michael’s footsteps followed him a moment later.

Alex settled into a chair and watched as Michael fussed around his kitchen. Slowly, he felt a knot ease in his shoulders as Michael relaxed.

The knot came back as Michael set two plates in front of them. “So where’s Forrest?”

Alex picked up a fork. “I would imagine he’s at home.”

“You two didn’t have plans after the thing last night?”

Alex ate quietly for a moment. “He and I aren’t together.” Michael scoffed. “We’re not. He’s my friend and he’s not a bad kisser so we have fun sometimes but we’re not together. He wasn’t really big on dating someone with a soulmate and-”

Michael’s head snapped up. “You told him?”

Alex met his gaze evenly. “I’m not sure how Maria’s missed it all these months but it’s pretty obvious when our connection is open. Or at least it is to Forrest. He noticed something was up the first time it happened and he asked so I told him. I didn’t see any reason to lie, especially about that.”

“Alex-”

“Why haven’t you told Maria?” Alex cut him off. “You’ve been together for months. She’s gotta wonder if a soulbond is possible.” Soulbonds weren’t instantaneous. They formed soon enough, sure, but it always took a little while, as if the souls needed to be sure they’d found their match before bonding. People couldn’t control when a bond would form or with who but it was a common topic of discussion in new couples.

Michael shrugged. “She’s never seemed interested in the idea.”

“She used to talk about it all the time in high school,” Alex mused out loud. “She loved the idea. Found it super romantic.”

Michael was quiet. When his plate was clear, he sat back and waited for Alex to finish. “Maybe she just isn’t interested in bonding with me. Either way, the topic hasn’t come up.” He cleared his throat. “So if you’re not with Forrest, why are you always with him when Maria and I start something? Your timing is impeccable with that, by the way. I haven’t been able to-”

“I know.” Alex tried not to be smug but it was hard. “Such a shame, too.”

Michael looked away. “I didn’t know you could feel that. I’m sorry.”

“I couldn’t,” Alex admitted. “While I was gone, that whole ten years, I had our connection shut down. I couldn’t feel anything.” He stared down at his plate. “Just since the three of us...I had left it open before then but after that I tried to shut it and I couldn’t.”

“I’m sorry.” Michael paused long enough that Alex looked up at him. “For that night. I could feel how uncomfortable you were with her and I should have said something but I figured you would if it really bothered you.” Alex didn’t say anything. “And for all the times since. It sucks, feeling you with him.”

“I know.” Alex pushed his plate away slightly and leaned back. “I’m sorry too. He and I have been making out mostly to get back at you when you try to sleep with Maria.”

Michael huffed, his lips ticking upwards. “Yeah, I kinda figured that. The timing was a little too good.”

Alex shrugged, unrepentant. After a while, Michael stood and cleared the table. Alex thought about offering to clean up but Michael turned him down with a glance.

“So what now?”

Michael sighed heavily. “Now I go talk to Maria and figure things out.”

“Here’s an idea.” Alex stood slowly. “How about you figure things out and then go talk to Maria.” He entered the kitchen and stopped just behind Michael. “Michael what do you want?”

“I want to be good for someone. I want to make someone happy. I want to be happy.”

Alex swallowed his own feelings and laid a gentle hand on Michael’s shoulder. The touch burned his hand and his shoulder. “And are you? Happy? With Maria?”

Michael looked over at him. “I don’t think so,” he confessed quietly, his voice barely a murmur. “I don’t know what more I can do, though.”

“What about what Maria could do?” Michael looked at him in question. “Michael you can do everything right for her and it still won’t make you happy if she doesn’t do anything for you.”

“She does!” Michael turned around. Alex’s hand fell back to his side. “She lets me be there for her and support her. I’m good to her Alex! I’m good for her.”

“I know you are. But is she good for you? What does she do for you? Has she been helping you with your mom? Is she supporting you with the situation regarding Max’s health? It’s not just about what she’s letting you do for her, Guerin. What is she doing for you?”

Michael’s mouth opened before snapping shut. “She cares about me.” It sounded like an accusation.

“You’re easy to care about,” Alex told him. Michael scoffed. “I should know, I’ve been in love with you for going on 11 years now.” Michael’s eyes widened and Alex rolled his. “We’re literally soulmates, Guerin.”

“Yeah,” Michael agreed softly. “Didn’t stop you from leaving me behind for ten years.”

“No,” he agreed. “But it didn’t make you come with me either.”

“You never asked.”

“It was implied,” Alex defended. “We’re soulmates. Where you go I go, and vice versa. I never thought you’d let me just leave.”

“You didn’t ask,” Michael repeated.

“I should’ve. If I’d known we’d be here now, I would’ve waited for you to be released from jail and packed up your shit myself.” Michael looked away. “We’ve both made mistakes Michael. But the fundamental truth of who we are and who we are to each other hasn’t changed. I’m done ignoring it and I’m done fighting it. I don’t want to anymore.”

“What are you saying Alex?”

Alex didn’t answer. Not with words anyway. Instead, he opened his mind and his soul up to Michael and let him feel everything. The good, the bad, the terrible, and the brilliant. After a moment with no response from Michael, Alex started to close it all up again when Michael’s lips pressed against his and everything lit up. It was the first time they’d ever kissed with their connection open wide. There was no hiding now. Everything was there for the other to see. Alex thought he should feel self conscious or anxious, desperate to keep something for himself, but there was none of that. Just an overwhelming sense of peace and rightness.

The incessant ringing of the doorbell broke them apart who knows how long later. Michael’s hands were tight on Alex’s face, like his grip was the holding thing keeping him sane. For his part, Alex wasn’t sure when he’d grabbed hold of the back of Michael’s shirt but he didn’t want to let go any time soon.

The doorbell didn’t shut up.

Michael groaned and dropped his forehead against Alex’s. “Send them away.”

“I’d have to answer the door to do that.” A rush of NO crashed over him. Alex chuckled. He ran his hand up and down Michael’s back. “Give me one minute to answer the door and send them away.”

“One minute.” But Michael didn’t move.

“Michael.”

With a heavy groan, Michael let go of him. He leaned back just enough for Alex to slip out from where he’d somehow become trapped between Michael and the counter, but not so far back that Alex didn’t brush up against him on his way out of the kitchen.

Alex was so focused on Michael and on the bright happy feelings coming through the bond that it took his brain a few seconds to process what his eyes were seeing on the other side of the door. “Maria?”

“Where’s Michael, Alex?” Maria looked pissed. She stepped up into the doorway and craned her neck around him. “Michael!” Alex felt Michael stiffen, the happiness seeping from him as the tension leaked in.

She tried to push past him into the house but Alex didn’t budge. “Maria.” She didn’t react so Alex put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back a step. “Maria.”

Now she looked at him. “What the hell is Michael doing here, Alex? Have you two been fucking behind my back?”

“No,” he answered honestly. Maria scoffed.

“He’s been here the whole night.”

“And how exactly do you know that?”

Maria held up her phone. “I tracked his phone. I wanted to know if he’d pick up some barfly after I kicked him out last night. Imagine my surprise when he shows up at my best friend’s house and then doesn’t leave all night.” She glared at Alex.

Michael started to gather his things, his whole body heavy with anxious anticipation of seeing Maria, and Alex couldn’t have that. He pressed against Maria’s shoulder again until she stood outside his door. “Look. Michael and I haven’t done anything. He came here last night and went to sleep. Then he made breakfast. Nothing happened.” He held the door in one hand. “Now. I’m sure Michael will want to talk to you at some point but as for me? I’m taking my soulmate back. Have a good day, Maria.” And he closed the door in her face and locked it.

There was a palpable stunned silence on the other side and Alex took advantage of it to track down Michael. It wasn’t hard. He was in Alex’s bedroom flipping his phone between his hands. “I can’t believe you just did that. You just told her.” He didn’t wait for Alex to say anything.

“Yes,” Alex agreed. “Because it needed to be said.” Distantly Maria yelled something but Alex couldn’t make it out and he wasn’t particularly in the mood to go ask her to repeat herself so he ignored it. “Whatever you decided to do, we’re still going to be soulmates. Wanting to be good for Maria isn’t going to change that so hiding it from her serves no purpose.”

“Alex.”

“Yes?”

“Are you sure we can do this? Be together?”

“I didn’t realize we were talking about doing this, being together.” Alex slowly crossed the room. “That’s what I want but lately you’ve been pretty adamant about wanting something different.”

Michael looked past him in the direction of the front door. “I got different. And it was good. For a while. But it wasn’t as good. And it definitely wasn’t better.” He shook his head. “I want to be good for someone Alex.”

“I know,” Alex said softly.

“No, you don’t.” Michael shook his head. “I want to be good for you. But I don’t know how to do that.”

Alex stepped in close. “Be you. We’re literally made for each other, Guerin. We’re cosmic,” he smiled. “So now we figure out how to make that work. And we do it together. Not with other people.”

“You say that like it’s easy.”

Alex shook his head. “I don’t think any of it is going to be easy. But I can pretty much guarantee it’ll be worth it.”

“Yeah?”

The connection bloomed. Alex smiled breathlessly. “Yeah.”

#malex fic #with a little bit of #forlex #and miluca #rnm #my fic #anti maria deluca #anti miluca #long post #i swear i put a read more but its not showing up on mobile for me 😬

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