#i bet they will given the time period she’s from

[silverfoxstole]

Argh. If I hear one more character invoke the name of Byron with regards to the Eighth Doctor I won’t be responsible for my actions.

He doesn’t look like Byron - if anything Eight’s initial appearance has more shades of Oscar Wilde - and he certainly doesn’t behave like Bryon (thank God). I forget where it originated (possibly with the EDAs) but I can only assume that somewhere along the line the term ‘Byronic’ got confused with the man himself, or at least his appearance. Yes, Eight has the traits of a Byronic hero at times (brooding, melancholy, having a light and a dark side) but that’s a different thing entirely. Calling his younger self ‘Lord Byron’ purely because of the way he looks has become a lazy cliche that I wish would disappear because it’s not even remotely accurate.

[cashmoneyyysstuff]

So, that deja vu fic got me thinking.. and what if katsuki has a childhood friend (obvi friends w deku too) where he is always trying to impress her and class 1-a notices or ( if you’d like them older ) the agency notices and starts betting on when he’ll confess to her. turns out, she actually confesses first and everyone is happy (and slightly disappointed… nobody got their money) 😋😋

Also, when i saw the notification “@cashmoneyyysstuff started following you” i have never hit a follow back button so fast 😭🫶

Remember you’re amazing, take care of yourself, drink water, stay safe, and know that you are loved ❤️

WAAAA @itzjustj-1000 this is soo cute ! especially since katsuki being a loser n tryin to impress us instead of just confessing is honestly adorable. ALSO ALSO ur LITERALLY THE SWEETEST !! ur the loveliest it's a given i had to follow u !! i tried to honour ur request as best i could, i hope you like it ! also say it w me yall: WEEWOOO WEEWOOO CHILDHOODFRIENDS TO LOVERS ALEEEEEERRTTT (yall r forcing my hand atp (not that im complaining tho))

fem reader, katsuki is a whipped little loser, katsuki likes getting praised by reader but acts like he doesn't challenge (fails miserably), kaminari n sero are little shits, m*neta (he doesn't say anything creepy don't worry <3) everyone is in their 2nd year in this one. lemme know if i missed something else !

for as long as izuku midoriya could remember, you and kacchan have always been a packaged deal.

deku remembers all the way back in primary school, how kacchan would bend over backwards to impress you, spending his days trying to win your praise like he was collecting it. whether it be showing off how good his reading skills were, or showing off his newly acquired quirk to you at any given chance. (away from the eyes of the teachers, of course)

or even with silly things. like the time he showed you how long he could hold his breath underwater. it didn't matter, as long as he could show it off to you, he would.

deku remembers how pride would fill his childhood friends face, cheeks practically glowing and a smile basically reaching his ears. a simple "woooah, you're so cool kacchan !" had the boastful blonde giddy for the entire day, chest puffed out as he walked ahead of everyone, with you right next to him, of course. (you were the only one worthy enough to stand by his side after all)

and though he spent his time trying to win your praise, he also needed your attention constantly. katsuki constantly demanded your attention. he's the only one who's allowed to sit next to you in class, you're always the one he picks first when it's time to pick teams to play dodgeball. he's your partner for every project and you're the one who walks beside him when you and your friends go venture out in the woods to go out on your adventures. and even though they would usually take place in the park, katsuki always claimed he'd be the one to protect you if anything were to happen.

as kids, deku was probably the only one who noticed how hard katsuki tried to impress you.

and he's probably the only one to notice how he still does it now.

"sooo...kacchan totally has a thing for yn, agreed ?"

"mhm. definitely."

"yup."

"'m suprised you just noticed that now, kaminari...actually i'm not really suprised." jirou drawled, twirling one of her earphone jacks around her finger.

okay, so apparently he isn't the only one who noticed.

kaminari pouts "i noticed ! i noticed, like, ages ago !" he huffs into his folded elbows on the desk " i just wanted to see if you guys did !"

"you'd be stupid to miss it." sero cuts in smoothly. their grouchy homeroom teacher somehow ended up absent, leading to an impromptu free period. which in turn caused for loads of gossip he had somehow gotten roped into. kirishima, kaminari and sero were talking about you and katsuki, happily chatting off about something they couldn't hear from where they were sitting.

"maaaannn, bakugou's way too lucky, scoring such a pretty girl. what's he got that i don't ?!" kaminari whines. kirishima shushes him lightly, afraid to rouse the attention of a certain blonde they just so happened to be talking about

"now that i think about it.." sero wondered, leaning onto kirishima's shoulder "midoriya, you guys are childhood friends, right ? have they always been..." he cuts himself off, pointing over at you both with his chin for midoriya to look back. ".. like that ?"

you're chatting about something that's apparently funny or exciting, with katsuki listening along attentively, his head resting in his palm like he's admiring you. his full focus entirely on you, as it usually was.

you're using your hands a lot while you're talking and deku recognizes it as the thing you do when you've gotten to the juicy part of the conversation, deku almost wishes he could listen in, then remembers it's not good to be nosy and shakes the thought away. every once in a while katsuki interjects with a subtle smirk on his face and his remarks have you either giggling or playfully pouting at him unable to hide your smile. the playfulness in his heavy lidded red eyes remains at any reaction you give him, though. kacchan's worked on his poker face over the years but it seems he can't control himself when it comes to you.

izuku realizes he's been openly staring for too long and quickly turns back to look at sero who raises an eyebrow, awaiting a response.

izuku chuckles to himself "yeah, pretty much." he hums, playing around with the ends of his tie as he speaks.

"oooouu~" kaminari sings, suddenly lifting his head up from where it was hidden into his shoulder with a sudden burst of energy, startling kirishima. "juicy details about kacchan, i'm in !"

"i don't know if it's exactly 'juicy'" izuku sweatdropped, chuckling awkwardly. "but kacchan and yn have always been really close. when we were younger, kacchan would always be seeking out yn's attention. he'd be really possesive..or protective over her, i guess ?—it was all pretty harmless though." he recounted, smiling softly at his childhood memories nostalgically pouring into his mind.

both kirishima and sero let out quiet hums when he finishes while denki simply pouts "s'not as juicy as i thought it would be" he huffs petulantly, receiving a knock on his head from jirou who hisses a "he told you that, idiot"

kirishima places his head into the palm of his hands and sighs dreamingly "man, that's so cute. bakugou's been a major softie for yn for so long.." he clenches his fist and izuku thinks he sees a little tear in his eye "so manly !" he exclaims through his sharp teeth.

"yeah, i don't know if 'manly' is the word i'd use to describe someone who's been whipped for so long and still doesn't have the balls to confess" sero ribbed, snickering to himself with denki joining in shortly after.

"hey, don't be assholes !" jirou shot "i think it's kinda cute y'know ? not really..manly..but—cute." she said.

"how much you wanna bet he's not gonna confess until graduation?" kaminari challenged.

"wouldn't put it past 'im." a voice suddenly chimes in. the five of them all turn their heads left, right then down at the voice that came from none other than mineta, who had somehow wormed his way into the conversation.

"and what the hell do you think you're doing sneaking into our conversation, freak" jirou sneers, glaring down at mineta who had already dragged his chair over, including himself into the group.

mineta decides to ignore jirou as he places his arms onto the desk seriously like he's imitating some type of mafia don. " bakugou's never gonna confess any time soon, he's too much of a pussy" he waves off nonchalantly "i bet he won't even have done it by the time we've finished school ! "

" and i bet you wouldn't say that to his face !" kaminari guffaws and the purple haired boy sputters. izuku can't hold back his grin as he watches them bicker.

" kacchan's always been pretty..sure of himself" he settles "i don't think it'd take him that long to confess" he guessed, pressing his thumb onto his chin "though maybe the fact that he's so sure of himself could hold him back.."

ah, there he goes again.. the rest of them thought as they watch midoriya babble on and on into theory land.

denki suddenly slams his fists on the desks, startling everyone. he sucks in a breath "alright ! i bet a thousand yen and the entirety of my lunch box that bakugou won't confess by the end of this year !" he exclaims, not too loud but loud enough so everyone in the group could hear him.

"oooouu~ what're we betting on ?" mina chimes in, suddenly appearing behing jirou and in turn startling her. she flashes her a little glare causing the pink haired girl to offer a weak apology and a hug.

"kaminari just bet a thousand yen and his lunch that bakugou won't confess to yn by the end of this year" sero smirked, clearly enjoying the drama

" ou, that sounds fun ! lemme join in too !" the pink skinned girl pleaded giving her best puppy eye and pout combo.

"sure ! just don't come cryin' to me when you lose" kaminari agrees, playfully jabbing at his friend.

"this is so stupid. i'm not betting money on this.."jirou scoffs rubbing at her temple. "c'moooonnn, don't be chicken, jirou ! " denki whines

"mhmm, c'moonn jirou give into peer pressure !" mina joins in, wrapping her arms around the purple haired girl and swaying her side to side.

jirou groans before finally conceding "..five hundred yen. that's all you're getting from me." she concludes sourly crossing her arms.

" i'm gonna go with kaminari's and say his balls won't drop 'till graduation" sero says simply, smirking almost mischieviously at the display of sudden chaos. he looks a little too pleased, izuku sweatdrops.

"i'm not betting on my bro, that's so unmanly." kirishima refused " i say just let them go at their own pace" he finishes, receiving a nasty look from his chaotic classmates.

needless to say kirishima gave in to peer pressure soon after, offering a modest 1,100 yen by this summer for his friend to confess.

"well i stand on what i said, i don't think he has the balls to say it at all. and i put that on all the money in my pockets ! " mineta proudly spoke.

"how much is that, like, one fruit roll-up ?" mina deadpanned, not missing a beat causing the group to erupt in laughter. mineta's objection's falling on deaf ears.

meanwhile, katsuki notices you've stopped talking all of a sudden. it takes him by surprise as you were so into it a minute ago. "what's up ?" he asks. his question snaps you out of your trance and you jump slightly, turning back to look at him "oh , nothing ! they just seem to be having fun " you gasp, a smile crawling up on your face as you look back at your friends having a good time.

katsuki on the other hand has a slight pout forming on his face, displeased at how his loud mouthed friends distracted you from your conversation. and from him he thinks, but that makes him feel like a snot nosed little kid again and his expression turns even more sour.

"tch. the fuck are those losers so loud for" he grumbles under his breath. you catch it though, and you giggle. his eyes brighten and his brows unfurrow the slightest bit when he hears it.

"don't be such a buzzkill katsu, s'not their fault you're no fun." you jest, chuckling to yourself when he scowls at you.

"fuck off ! m'not a buzzkill" he rolls his eyes, huffing indignantly "an' i'm plenty of fun" he finishes grumpily. you laugh a little more, covering your mouth with your hand when you catch a peak of him narrowing his eyes at you making fun of him. he simply rolls his eyes and sighs, shaking his head. he'll let it slide, he always does with you.

"right, right. my apologies, sir dynamight" you chuckle, bowing slightly at him, he huffs out a laugh "that's sir lord explosion murder god dynamight to you" he snorts. you throw your head back and laugh and katsuki feels the same pride he used to feel when he'd found something cool to show you back when you were brats. his stomach feels fuzzy and his head feels clouded the way it used to when you'd offer him your big, bright sparkly eyes and a "you're so cool kacchan !"

god, it never failed to remind him how much of a whipped loser he was for you.

and unfortunately still is.

you scoot your chair a little closer to his and katsuki has to use all of his might not to blush at the sudden proximity, as miniscule as the distance between you both was to begin with.

"well okay then, sir lord explosion murder god dynamight" you say rapidly, laughing to yourself. katsuki let's out a breathy chuckle, it's cute. he's cute. " i'm sure it doesn't mean much, but i at least think you’re plenty fun to be around"

katsuki feels his heart skip a beat too many.

you whisper, like it's a secret. you're in your own little corner while all your classmates are chatting away yet you say this to him like it's something between you and him. batting your eyelashes up at him. god, it's like you're out to kill him and honestly katsuki thinks for a second he wouldn't mind dying by your hand.

he's such a whipped loser.

he can't think straight. you're sitting so close to him, you're lips are glossy from that lip gloss you always have on you. you smell nice, katsuki feels like a creep for smelling you like you aren't a breath away from him.

"yeah, well.." he utters lowly. he licks his lips, feeling himself grow dizzy as he watches you watch the movement intensely and swallows. his adam's apple bobs and he can feel himself blushing like an idiot. " i don't think you're all that bad either" the end of his sentence comes out a little breathy, he barely realizes he's speaking. like his body is deciding for him, he doesn't mind much.

you give him a sweet little smile and your eyes shine like stars and you look up at him like he's everything, like he's the coolest. he wants you to look at him like this all the time.

you suddenly lean in and kiss him, right next to his lips, just at the corner. it lasts for about 0.3 seconds but katsuki feel his entire body exploding from the inside like he's let off his quirk onto himself.

"i take it back actually" you start "you're super cool to be around, kacchan." you whisper bashfully. katsuki huffs out a little laugh once his heart had stabilized itself a little bit, a small smile growing on his face—

" AW MAN? WHAT THE HELL ?!"

you both turn to the sound of your electric classmate, sporting a little pout on his face. proceeding to get dog-piled on by your other classmates surrounding him, causing him to let out whines and moans of complaint.

"i-ignore him !" mina waves off nervously "just keep doin' what you were doin !— i mean, we weren't watching or anything !" she splutters.

"nice one." jirou deadpanned sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "look, we don't mean to pry or anything, but who kissed who first ?"

at that, katsuki's cheeks flare up, turning a damn near violent shade of pink. he's about to yell obscenties at his classmates, about to tell them it's none of their business when-

" i did !" you giggle, a cat-like grin on your face

"you sneaky fuckin minx-" katsuki growls, shoving his index fingers into your sides and you let out a squeal mixed with a giggle. you're quickly drowned out by your classmates releasing a group groan, with sero and kaminari yelling and booing at katsuki, who in turn starts threathing them, his hands crackling and popping.

you don't exactly know what's happening, but you can't help but feel extremely joyful and happy.

"soo.." mineta starts "since i said bakugou wouldn't confess first doesn't that technically mean i-"

" IN YOUR DREAMS ! "

[brucewaynehater101]

Space Emperor Tim decides to take a break from Earth. He fills out the paperwork that he developed as Robin for official on break status. He fills out the paperwork for vacation from WE. He finishes his active cases and very valiantly restrains himself from taking up new ones. His version of vacation reading is a file cabinet of cold cases so he puts those together for his personal entertainment for his vacation. He sublets his civilian apartment. He makes rigged bets with Jason, Dick, and Stephanie to get them to watch over his part of Gotham while he's gone.

Then he, Kon, Cassie, and Bart jump in the spaceship and head for the empire. They have new costumes to show off and laugh at one another about. They are going to decompress and Cassie will be searching the empire for a therapist for each of them. While she understands Tim's reluctance, Gothamite, she would like the team birb to at least get some healthier coping mechanisms figured out. She would honestly like all of them to have some better coping mechanisms.

The thing is though that Tim never actually, verbally told anyone he was going anywhere, much less leaving earth. The only one who did actively let anyone on earth know was Cassie, she told her mom and she let Greta, Anita, and Cissie know. All four have been promised souvenirs. Mrs. Sandsmark let Diana know that Cassie would be on vacation and unavailable for hero things for a bit. Kon is distant from the Kents, if they even know he exists given Clark's hot and cold attitude towards him, but to be polite Kon left a letter for Ma and Pa that he was going on vacation with his team. Bart's guardian situation is also very up in the air so he didn't bother to tell anyone. All the Bats are in the dark. Only Young Justice even knows that Bart has a spaceship. And turns out that Tim is the only one who uses his official on a break paperwork. And Bruce never read any of his (very edited) reports from his time with Young Justice.

The first clue that the Bats get that Tim isn't actually there in Gotham is from a reporter who asks Brucie how Tim is doing on his vacation?

Meanwhile Tim and his life partners are touring the empire and they've added another planet. And there's an imperial design contest for the best palace for the empire because the empire is hoping that if their baby has his own home here in the empire instead of living out of his ship or using the residences of their former leaders, he might stay for longer periods of time or be there physically more often. Tim is trying to discourage the palace thing as a waste of resources and get people to design gardens instead. Bart may or may not be conspiring with scientists to create a Death Star without the planet destroying capabilities as his own entry to the imperial palace contest. Kon is making sure Tim doesn't notice Bart's plans by dragging Tim through markets and looking for the best examples of ugly-cute baby emperor and consorts merchandise. So far the winner is a set of dishes and each piece has what is presumably their very stylized faces on them. Cassie is taking her turn of being the imperial bodyguard and making sure none of their fans get too overzealous. She is absolutely getting the dishes for the people back home.

Fuck. I love this so much.

Also, referring to YJ as Tim's life partners??? Yes. Absolutely. Idc if people ship them or just see them as a queerplatonic poly relationship. They are for sure life partners. That's the most adequate description for the four of them. Even if some of them choose to date some of the others, if they all date each other, or none date each other, they have a very special bond. No matter the distance or time apart, they are life partners. Gods, I'm vibing with that description so much.

Anyways, Tim being the only one to fill out his vacation/time off paperwork makes so much sense. I also hc that half of the reason he "hides" so much is just that he forgets he has to inform people of shit. He's so used to not telling people what's going on with him that he legitimately gets surprised when they get mad or worried at him because of it. He also goes out of his way to keep tabs on his loved ones and doesn't quite understand why he would need to inform them since they don't need to tell him about their plans. For this hc, I think that YJ had some bumps with this tendency of Tim until they worked out that they just need to ask him. They have a gc where they will ask Tim questions to keep everyone up to date.

Also, hell yeah to the merch and plates ideas. I wonder how YJ is going to explain where they got plates of the core four's faces (since some folks, perhaps Dick, will ask where to get more).

If Tim did request for gardens, I'd love to see what different ones look like. Since they are alien planets, they probably have different ecological systems. They would also have separate ideas on what's considered "beautiful" or worth keeping in a garden-like exhibit.

Thank you for also going in-depth on Kon, Bart, and Cassie's backgrounds. It was cool seeing how they communicated with their respective social groups

[loulouwrites]

DIVULGATION . TOMMY SHELBY

summary: tommy's perfect life comes crashing down around him

warnings: angst, swearing, infidelity (sort of), talks of childbirth, terminal illness, child abandonment, infertility issues, period typical attitudes towards pregnancy and childbirth, period typical sexism/misogyny, loss of a parent, unedited

a/n: i will get to making a taglist, but life is a nightmare atm lmao

word count: 3.7k

In many ways, life had not been kind to Tommy Shelby. He had been raised in nothing more than a slum, in a town that saw no sunny days, any form of sunlight being covered by the thick smog of the factories that loomed over the town's residents - a constant reminder of their destiny. He had volunteered to fight for the King before he truly had time to understand what it meant, the thought of fighting men the same as him in a foreign country seeming better than being stuck in Small Heath for the rest of his miserable life.

He was meant for greater things, and he knew exactly what he had to do to get them.

As haunted as he was, Tommy excelled in nearly all aspects of his life. He had built an empire from nothing, he had secured a country manor for the cost of a shack in Small Heath, and he had a wife that had seemed to be put on this earth just for him.

Every decision he made, every step he took, was a calculated move to protect what he had built and to silence the ghosts that refused to let him be. Tommy Shelby was a man driven by both his aspirations and his demons, forever walking the line between triumph and torment.

She had married Tommy Shelby out of nothing but love. When they were wed, he had just arrived home from France, and people told her he was a shadow of the man he once was, though she never believed them. He was funny, charming, and clever; he just kept that part of himself hidden from everyone but her, which only endeared him to her even more.

They had come a long way since their wedding day. They had moved out of the terrace on Watery Lane into a mansion that was far too big for their small family. She no longer spent her days working in the shady betting office at the back of their house; now her days were filled with planning dinner parties and organising fundraising events for her husband's numerous charitable organisations.

Life was easier now, even if it felt a little emptier. She had thought her family would be bigger by now, expecting a few children to fill the vast house and keep her company, but it had never happened for her. She had wondered if there was something wrong with her, that her body was simply created wrong. It wasn't until she was having lunch at Polly's house that realisation dawned on her.

"You're pregnant," the older woman grinned behind her cigarette.

Her eyes widened at the words, and she dropped the china cup on the table. She had long given up on the thought of carrying a child, so the signs of her pregnancy had gone unnoticed. But the words Polly spoke hit her like a ton of bricks.

She was pregnant.

She left Polly's house hastily, barely glancing at the woman as she rushed to her car, a smile on her face, already imagining Tommy's reaction when she told him. She knew he would be thrilled. He had been pining for a child of his own even more than she had, and the hopeful looks he gave her whenever she was sick pierced her heart each time. But that didn't matter now, she was finally giving him a child, they were finally starting their family.

She called Frances' name as soon as she stepped through the door, asking if Tommy was home yet as she threw her bag and coat on the chair by the door. The housekeeper appeared in the foyer with a nervous look on her face, a rarity for the somewhat judgmental woman.

"Mrs. Shelby," Frances started, wringing her hands together in a timid manner, "you have a visitor."

"Who?" she asked, her joyful smile slowly fading.

"A woman," the older woman replied. "She claims to know your husband."

She understood Frances' apprehension in that moment. It was rare for Tommy to receive female visitors at the house, unless they were family or there for business.

She was about to question the housekeeper further but was interrupted by the front door swinging open. Her husband stepped inside, his eyes widening in confusion at the sight of the two women standing frozen in the foyer, their eyes burning into him.

"Mr. Shelby," Frances broke the silence. "You have a visitor."

"Who? I'm not expecting anyone," Tommy said, walking to stand beside his wife and placing a tentative hand on her waist, not missing the way she stiffened under his touch.

"A woman," his wife said, pinching her lips together.

"A woman," he echoed, his eyes flickering between his wife and Frances. "Did this woman happen to give you her name, Frances?"

"She said her name was Catherine, Mr. Shelby," Frances replied hesitantly. "There is something else..."

The husband and wife fixed her with such a burning gaze that the older woman had to lower her head to evade it, only daring to raise it again when Tommy cleared his throat, signaling for her to continue.

"She has a child with her, little thing, about ten years old."

The tension in the room thickened with Frances' words. All three bodies straightened, Tommy dropping his hand from his wife's waist to nervously rub along his lips.

He didn't notice his wife's absence at his side until he heard Frances' panicked voice call her name as she stormed towards his study, the skirt of her dress swinging from side to side with the force of her steps.

He joined Frances, calling out of her name, but she didn't listen, swinging the door to his study open, her heated gaze landing on the woman sitting on one of the seats at Tommy's desk.

"Who are you?" she spat out, shaking off Tommy as he caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

The woman's eyes widened. "My...my name is Catherine."

"I didn't mean your name," she hissed, approaching the desk. "Who are you?"

"I'd prefer to speak to Tommy alone," Catherine answered meekly, dropping her gaze.

"You'd prefer to speak to Tommy," she mocked, leaning a hand on the desk. Tommy called her name again, shaking his head at her when she looked at him.

"Do you know this woman?" she asked her husband, whose gaze flickered to the woman sat by his desk, a blank look on her face.

"No."

Catherine scoffed at his words, standing up from the chair on shaky feet. It was only then the frail state of the woman was clear. She may have been pretty once, but her sunken cheeks and pale skin aged her, and the drab clothes she wore made her seem worn and tired beyond her years.

"This," Catherine pointed to the child sitting beside her, and the other two adults in the room looked at the boy for the first time since they entered, "is Frank."

The young boy didn't look up at the mention of his name, his eyes fixed to his swinging feet.

"He's your son, Tommy."

"Ha," Tommy's wife scoffed. "I'm sure he is."

Your paragraph is mostly clear and grammatically correct. Here's a refined version:

Tommy called her name again, a warning in his voice that he seldom used when addressing her. She fixed him with a glare she seldom directed at him.

"It was before you went to France," Catherine interrupted the husband and wife's silent conversation. "You and your brothers were buying whiskey for the whole pub. I always remember you sitting in the corner, just watching everyone else have fun. I came over and asked you if you were drinking to celebrate or to forget, and you said..."

"Both," Tommy finished her sentence.

"Oh my God," his wife gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

Catherine ignored the other woman, turning her attention to Tommy.

"By the time I realised I was pregnant, you were already in France, and when you came back, everyone said you were different...I was managing fine so I didn't feel the need to tell you..."

"But now you need money," Tommy nodded, reaching into his breastpocket for a cigarette. "How much?"

"What?" Catherine frowned.

"How much?" Tommy mumbled as he lit his cigarette.

"I don't need your money," the woman had the decency to sound offended at the man's words.

"Bullshit," his wife scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't," Catherine insisted. "I'm sick, Tommy. Very sick, and I have no family. It's just me and Frankie."

The silent little boy in the chair finally lifted his head to look at his mother, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"He'll have no one when I'm gone."

"We run an orphanage," his wife spoke, her voice cruel and cutting, "we can reserve him a space."

Tommy's head snapped towards her, shock written clearly on his features. His wife was many things—sarcastic, witty, clever—but he had never seen her as cruel, not until this very moment.

"No," the boy shouted, getting up from his chair to stand beside his mother. "I won't go to an orphanage."

"You won't, son," Tommy addressed the boy for the fist time. "My wife was just joking."

His wife rolled her eyes, stormed out of the room, muttering a 'fuck you, Thomas' as she passed him on her way to the door.

It was late when Tommy finally entered the bedroom; his wife sat at her vanity, removing her earrings.

"They've finally gone then," she sighed, beginning to unpin her hair. "How much did you give them?"

He ignored her, throwing himself down on the bed and placing a hand over his eyes, doing anything he could to avoid meeting her gaze.

"Thomas," she warned, "how much?"

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Nothing? They left without a penny?" she scoffed.

"They didn't leave," Tommy snapped, raising his voice and slamming the arm that covered his eyes onto the bed. He groaned as the hairbrush she had thrown hit him in the chest.

"They're still here?" she hissed, standing from the vanity and approaching the bed as Tommy sat up.

"Just listen," he attempted to place his hands on her hips, but she smacked them away, pacing the floor with her hands in her hair. "I am that boy's father, whether we like it or not, I am, alright?"

She shook her head, muttering under her breath as she paced.

"I'm not going to throw him and his sick mother out on the street," he continued. "That's not the man I am, and you know it's not."

"No, your moral compass is a beacon to us all, Tommy," she rolled her eyes.

"What do you want me to do?" he shouted, beginning to lose his temper.

"Not get whores pregnant, for one!" she shouted back, throwing her arms up. "You've betrayed me, Thomas."

"Betrayed?" he repeated, the disbelief evident in his tone. "I didn't know you fucking existed then."

"Well, I still feel betrayed."

Tommy sighed, rising from the bed and approaching his wife the way he would a skittish horse.

"I know, I know," he sighed, placing a hand on her cheek. She didn't resist, though she didn't lean into it either. "It's a fucking mess, and I'm sorry."

She choked out a sob, dropping her head. "It was supposed to be a good day."

"I know," Tommy murmured, moving the hand that was holding her cheek to the back of her neck and pulling her to his chest. "I'm sorry I ruined it."

If only he knew what he had ruined.

The clattering of knives and forks was all that could be heard in the dining room, there were more than ten people sat at the table and it appeared nobody could find a word to speak.

It had been exactly three days since Catherine and Frankie appeared on the Shelby's doorstep, and the tension had only been rising. She had thought she was doing a good job of being civil towards the woman and child who had ruined her life—nodding at them politely when her attempts to avoid them failed, and choking out a 'hello' whenever she ran into them in the corridors.

Tommy had been less than impressed with her attempts to hide from the strangers, and insisted he throw a dinner party to offically introduce his son to the rest of the family, much to his wife's chagrin.

"Lovely lamb," Arthur muttered awkwardly from the other end of the table, his words met with half-hearted murmurs of agreement.

"Frankie loves lamb," Catherine responded, receiving eye rolls from the woman sat beside her, and Polly who was sat opposite.

"How lovely," Polly offered a fake smile.

"I don't eat it a lot, though," Frank spoke from his mother's side. "Lamb's too expensive for mum."

She and Polly sniggered at the boy's words, covering their mouths when Tommy threw them both a glare.

"You enjoy school, Frankie?" John asked.

"It's okay," the boy shrugged. "I'm not very clever, though."

"Takes after his father," Polly muttered, earning a laugh from the man's wife.

"That's not true," Catherine placed a hand on Frank's shoulder. "He's a brilliant artist, and loves to read."

"What about you, Catherine?" Polly leaned forward, puffing on her cigarette. "Tell us about yourself."

"Well...I was a secretary until recently, I'm from not far from you..."

"Fascinating," Polly dismissed her.

"Polly," Tommy warned, subtly shaking his head.

"Why don't we take Frankie outside, Tom?" Arthur interrupted. "Show him how to shoot a gun."

"Oh, I don't-" Catherine started, but was interrupted by Polly.

"That's a wonderful idea, leave us ladies to chat."

Catherine conceded, not wanting to offend the older woman more than she already had. The men all left the table, Tommy having to gently drag Frank away from his mother, leaving the three women alone.

"So, Catherine," Polly began as soon as she heard the door close behind the boys. "Are you planning on staying here until you die?"

"Polly," the other woman gasped at her bluntness, but couldn't help but turn her head to Catherine to await the answer. She had been wondering that herself.

"Well, I hadn't thought about it," Catherine laughed awkwardly. "I just...needed to know Frank would be okay."

"He will be," Polly nodded.

"I know, I know that now." Catherine nodded. "Tommy has been very generous." Her eyes flickered to Tommy's wife, sat beside her, the omission in her statement clear.

"You have no other family that could take Frank?" Polly question, and Catherine shook her head, sweat beginning to pool on her forehead.

"No, my mother died when I was about his age, and my dad passed a few years ago. I'm an only child."

"Bless you," there was malice Mrs. Shelby's tone when she finally spoke.

"It must be scary, knowing you're not going to be here for your child. Trusing two strangers to care for him," Polly continued, not noticing Catherine's face getting paler, nor the way her hands shook when she lifted them to rub her head.

"Polly, I don't think she's feeling well," the other woman frowned when she noticed Catherine's body begin to slump in her chair.

"She's fine."

"No," Catherine said. "I'm not, I think I need to lay down."

They called Frances over, instructing them to take Catherine to bed, neither woman standing up from their seats to assist. They watched as Frances struggled to hold up the frail woman's body as she hald carried her out of the dining room.

"She's a fucking good actress," Polly muttered.

Frances returned to the dining room to inform the two women that Catherine had taken a turn, and the doctor would arrive soon to examine her.

Polly sat unaffected by the housekeeper's words; her counterpart's eyes, however, widened in horror.

"Oh my God, Polly," she gasped. "Have we killed her?"

"Oh, shut up," Polly scoffed, stamping out her cigarette in the ashtray. "She was dying before she even got here."

"Polly," she sputtered. "Your interrogation has literally put her in an early grave."

"Oh, because you were treating her splendidly?"

"I was just ignoring her. You've fucking killed her."

The dining room door slammed open. Tommy stood there, his face red, his eyes stormy.

"What did you two fucking do?"

Two days following the dinner party, Catherine's condition had not improved. The doctor had told them that her illness was so advanced that it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Still, she couldn't ignore the guilt that was bubbling in her stomach when she thought about the way she had acted at dinner.

She knocked lightly on the door, opening it gently, careful not to disturb the frail woman that was lying in bed.

"I'm surprised to see you," Catherine choked out, weakly pulling herself into a sitting position.

"I'm surprised too."

"Is there something wrong? Is Frankie okay?"

"Everything's fine," she reassured the woman, moving to sit in the chair beside the bed. "I came to apologise."

She didn't miss the way Catherine's eyebrow's rose.

"The way I've behaved since you arrived has been terrible. I'm not a cruel person, I swear. I was just angry."

"I understand."

She paused, her breath catching in her throat at Catherine's words.

"I would be angry, too, if I were you."

"It doesn't excuse the way I've treated you."

"No," Catherine breathed with a laugh. "But I understand it anyway. You felt like you lost everything in a few minutes, and I was easy to blame."

"I am very sorry," she spoke through the tears in her eyes.

"I am too."

"Well," she coughed, standing from her seat. "I should let you rest."

Catherine called her name when her hand was on the doorhandle, and she turned to look at the sick woman.

"Look after Frankie, please," she said, her voice weak and teary. "He's a sensitive boy. Please look after him, and love him, love him as much as the child in your belly."

"How did you know?"

"I had the same mood swings when I was pregnant," she said. Both women let out a small laugh.

"I promise to look after him... and to love him like my own."

"Thank you."

She approached Tommy, who was leaning in Frankie's doorway, quietly observing the boy as he slept peacefully. She wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back. Tommy jumped in surprise before reaching to hold his wife's hands, which were clasped around his stomach.

"You'll be a good father," she spoke into his back.

"Just wish it didn't happen like this," Tommy mumbled. "It should have been you and me."

"It will be," she promised. "You, me, Frankie, and the baby."

Tommy unclasped her hands, turning to face her, a frown on his face.

"You're..."

"I am."

Tommy's expression softened as he processed the news, a mixture of surprise and tenderness crossing his features.

"You're pregnant," Tommy breathed, his voice filled with a mix of astonishment and wonder. He pulled her close again, holding her tightly against him. "We're having a baby."

She nodded against his chest, feeling his heart beat faster beneath her ear. "Yes, Tommy."

Tommy pressed a kiss to the top of her head, overwhelmed with emotions. "I love you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "I love you and I'm so fucking sorry."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she hugged him back, her eyes landing on the boy asleep in the bed.

Catherine's funeral service was small. There weren't many people close to the woman, the majority of the mourners being the Shelby family.

Frankie didn't say much the whole day, he just stood at his mother's grave, an empty look in his eyes that she recognised all too well.

They arrived home in silence, Frankie jumping out of the car as soon as it pulled up in front of the house, running inside before anyone could stop him.

"He just needs time," she told her husband, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"I know," Tommy agreed. He was no stranger to death, nor the solemn emptiness that came after.

She knocked on Frankie's door later that evening, popping her head in to see him sat on the carpet, still in his suit from the funeral.

"I'm just checking in," she offered him a small smile, kneeling down beside him on the floor. "How are you feeling?"

Frankie shrugged in response, his eyes downcast.

"It's okay if you want to cry, there's no shame in it."

"I don't want to cry," his voice shook, "I just want my mum."

"Oh, sweetheart," she breathed out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I know you do."

He didn't respond, he just kept his gaze pinned to the blue carpet beneath him.

"I lost my mum too, you know?" she said. Frankie's eyes snapped to hers for a moment, then snapped back down. "She died when I was a bit older than you. She got sick and died a few weeks later; there was nothing anyone could do."

"Do you miss her?" Frankie asked, turning to face her.

"Every day," she told him, "it doesn't get easier. You just learn to live with it. And then, someday, you'll be able to think about her and your time together, and it won't hurt so much. But you'll always miss your mum."

Frankie's lips pinched together in thought, and he nodded, accepting her ineloquent words greatfully.

"I know I haven't been very nice to you," she said. "But we're a family, and if you ever want to talk about her, you can come to me, and I'll listen."

"Okay."

"Okay," she rose from the floor.

"I'm sorry about your mum," Frankie said once she was standing.

"I'm sorry about yours," she replied, offering him one last smile before leaving the room.

Elsie Catherine Shelby was born in the early hours of the morning. She came quickly and was less fussy than other babies, according to the midwife.

Her big brother was excited to meet her, pacing the bottom of the stairs until the midwife allowed him to enter the room, a smile on his face as he greeted his little sister with glee.

"I'm not an only child anymore," he had laughed, poking the infant's cheek gently.

And just like that, the Shelby family welcomed their newest member.

[papercranesandpride]

Taylor Swift, quite possibly the most alloromantic person in the world, has written two songs that are so important to me because they are about the most alloaro songs I can think of: Style and Wildest Dreams.

The relationship in Style is very obviously not romantic. It seems more than anything that they just booty call each other periodically. They meet in the dead of night, they're not exclusive, they'll go a long time without hearing from each other, and when they meet up, it's right to taking off clothes. (Yeah okay Taylor, maybe you only said "taking off his coat," but it's very obvious that he's taking a lot more off given you also said "takes me home" and "lights are off").

The other thing with Style is that when she describes what she likes about him, it's all physical descriptors. The "look in his eyes," his hair, and his outfit. There's nothing about his personality. To be simple, it sounds exactly like my own attraction. She likes the way he looks, and the way they look together. That's all there is to it.

And despite how this is the kind of relationship that people tend to consider shallow, the entire point of the song is how attractive it is. They "never go out of style;" the relationship is just that desirable. I mean, this song was huge for a reason. This relationship that again, is purely about sex and aesthetic, is made into something just about mythical. "When we go crashing down/we come back every time." It's so powerful a force, so powerful a relationship, that it can't be killed. And all without a hint of romance. I love songs that revere and mythologize entirely sexual relationships, and Style does such a stunning job of exactly that.

And then, if that wasn't enough, Wildest Dreams does the exact same thing.

What kind of relationship is it? Well, judging from the lyrics, "I said, 'No one has to know what we do'/his hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room," yet again, they're hooking up but not dating. They're not even being seen in public. When she talks about the memories he'll have of her in the future? It's not of them doing anything social together, it's of her "tangled up with [him] all night."

What does she like about him? Mostly that "he's so tall and handsome as hell," which again, is all sexual attraction to his physical body. (I guess "he's so bad, but he does it so well" might be a romantic attraction line? But I tend to just ignore that one because I have no idea what that's even supposed to mean.)

But again, this relationship that's just physical is so perfect and memorable and sweet that she says "someday when you leave me/I'll bet these memories/follow you around." It's a relationship straight out of both of their "Wildest Dreams." It is not romantic, but it is worthy of romanticizing, and that means a lot to me.

[burr-ell]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't by any means begrudge anyone their own personal headcanons or interpretations, but I kinda have to get it off my chest that I'm personally not very comfortable with significant deviations from canon character design on CR, and I really tend to side-eye people who have declared their fanart to be "better".

And sure, some of that is because i'm a cranky old bastard. But some of that is that I also have an animation degree and have studied character design. Creators generally give artists a fair amount of input as to how they want their designs to connote the characters' personalities—not just in terms of clothing or hairstyle, but in the overall shape of the silhouettes and body structures. And in the case of CR in particular, that's coming from a place of much closer familiarity with the characters because the creator is actually going to be embodying them for a fairly long period of time, so when the fan response is heavy deviation from that, I think it can feed into some unhealthy fanon perceptions and projections.

Like, for example, it's not so much that I think fanartists are "disrespecting the creators" or whatever when they keep giving Imogen a sweet little round face and big hips/breasts and cute circular glasses, but I've also studied shape language in art. You're communicating something when you design her this way; if a character's silhouette has a lot of circles, visually that connotes being friendly, sweet, and cute. The person who first suggested drawing her with glasses explicitly said they thought it would look cute—and no shade to them! They can like whatever they want!

But canonically, Imogen is a woman in her 20s who's been dealing with unanswered questions, abandonment, loneliness, and sheer exhaustion from trying to hold back and control powers that she never asked for—and who simultaneously uses those powers even when it isn't necessary if she thinks it'll help her achieve a goal or prove a point. She isn't unfriendly, and she wants to do the right thing, but she's also someone who's consciously chosen to keep to herself for most of her life, and yet simultaneously she's quite adept at persuading and deceiving people. I think we're meant to pick up that sense of world-weariness and cynicism from her angular facial features and thin frame. That's...kind of just how character design works.

I think the trend of disregarding the official art and giving her softer features has had an impact on the perception of Imogen as a character. I see a lot of views of her that really remove a lot of her agency, treating her like she's only ever been a victim of circumstance who's never put a foot wrong. Some fans got pushback for pointing out that it really wasn't cool for Imogen to openly contemplate whether or not the Ruby Vanguard might be right in front of three people who were killed by Otohan, insisting that imogen was just dealing with a lot right then. And yes, she was, but that doesn't mean that the way she was dealing with it doesn't say something about her as a character. I don't know if I'd call it coddling, necessarily (even though perhaps there are some very coddling takes I just haven't seen), but there seems to be some resistance, in some circles, to the idea that Imogen isn't a put-upon martyr. And in those same circles, round friendly-looking glasses-wearing Imogen abounds, to the point of editing the official art itself to "fix it".

Truth be told I'd be willing to bet that the rounder cuter Imogen actually came about because of the initial impression of her, given how much fanon at the start of c3 revolved around poor baby Imogen with her scary nightmares needing the wiser, worldlier Laudna to comfort her and kiss it better, but those visuals also proliferated rather quickly and well beyond past the point where that fanon was feasible anymore, and I think both aspects of that fanon ended up informing each other. It's not lost on me that the rounder and cuter-looking Imogen performs the literal function of sanding down her harder edges.

And like I said, I'm not here to be needlessly negative toward what other people want to do. If you want to draw the characters differently to their official art, I don't think either the cast or the artist are especially offended by it. But I personally dislike it, in part because I think some of these trends are a way for fans to claim a certain amount of ownership over the characters, whether they intend it or not. And the ultimate outcome of that is that when creators inevitably assert their ownership over a deeply personal story in a way that fans don't like, the backlash is much stronger than it reasonably should be, which is something I think the CR fandom has seen often enough not to continue doing as often as it does.

[rainecreatesstuff]

hmmm.

this is no shade to tallulah. She goin through shit ok we love our poultry queen in this household.

but.

Sunny asks if Tallulah doesn’t like her. And asks why. They were never even given much of a chance to speak to her. Why doesn’t Tallulah like her?

and everybody says about the same thing. Tallulah’s going through some stuff, Tallulah is just wary, Tallulah just needs some time to warm up, give her some time.

Give her some time.

and. Those are accurate, fine statements to say. But. But if you ask Bad, or Bagi, or Phil (god, if you ask Phil) what Sunny is like, I would bet my life’s savings that they would summarize them as one of the following:

Spoiled

Entitled

Snobby

Now if I asked how much time those people had spent with Sunny, where would you estimate? A few minutes, maybe closer to a half hour for some?

people keep telling Sunny to give Tallulah time. And that’s fair. That is a fair thing to ask.

but not one single islander other than Tubbo has given her time before slapping a label on her behaviours and calling it a day.

she has gone from having nothing to having so much in just a few days. They are learning how to be part of a family, learning how to talk to people. She is mischievous, and passionate, and shy. They like flowers and steak and potatoes and they dream of having fancy lavish tea parties with their pa and his friends. She is a drama queen and she likes cats and she hides behind her pa whenever she meets someone new. They are incredibly perceptive, and fiercely protective, and sarcastic, and they are scared.

she is spoiled. They do act entitled. She can be snobby sometimes.

but they are also sweet. She is also kind. They hear people speak down to their pa and they jump to reassure him when people question his parenting. She sees a cat that’s been abandoned and asks to rescue it. They give out diamonds like they’re made of em, pays for people to be around them. She doesn’t want to be alone again. She doesn’t know how else to make sure that doesn’t happen.

There is so much more to Sunny than what people assume of them. And yes, other people deserve a grace period to warm up to a new person before a negative relationship forms.

but Sunny deserves to be given time too. Time to be known, and learned, and loved.

and if nobody has given her that

can you blame them for being apprehensive about giving it to others?

[autistic-writer-angel]

Octonauts Headcanons

May add to this, as I go:

Captain Barnacles:

Just everyone’s Dad™

All of them, except for Professor Inkling has called him Dad at least once. He doesn’t mind.

Nobody has ever seen him cry.

He spends one on one time with each of the crew members whenever he can (typically once a week with each of them).

Sings in the shower

Showers in the morning

Has pretty strict routines, but can also be flexible, given the unpredictability of life as an Octonaut

His birthday is in October. (I Googled when that flower that blooms every twelve years does so, to see if I could narrow down what time of year his birthday is. Apparently, the peak blooming period is in September/October and with OCTOber, I figured it fits!)

Sort of a joke headcanon, but I'mma add it anyway: He has reoccurring dreams about playing his accordion on stage, with hundreds of adoring fans cheering for him.

Kwazii:

ADHD

Not just afraid of spiders, but needles too (not that he’d ever admit it!)

Often takes the GUP-B out just for the fun of it, but will also do so to get out of something (normally cleaning or when the Captain’s playing his accordion)

Sneaks into the Captain’s room to play with his model ships

Such a sweet tooth

Messiest of all of them

Peso:

Intimidated by Captain Barnacles when they first met

Stopped feeling that way after a difficult mission, where the Captain told Peso he was very proud of him

Puts the Captain on a pedestal

Looks up to all the Octonauts, but of course, he looks up to the Captain the most

Youngest and most recent to join

Anxiety

He has hundreds of family members and he remembers the names and birthdays of every single one.

Shellington:

Autistic

Bullied as a child; Pearl stuck up for him and they were extremely close as a result

His satchel is a comfort item and a seemingly bottomless pit. If you see him pull things out of it, you’ll think, Wow! How did you fit all that in there?

Mother calls him Shelly; she’s the only one who does so

(I can’t remember where I saw this theory, but I think it makes a lot of sense.) In addition to marine biology, he has an interest in linguistics. That’s how he was able to learn Vegimalese.

Does not care if you interrupt one of his infodumps. He will just keep talking.

Clumsiest and most absentminded of the crew

Do NOT watch any nautical themed cartoon with him (e.g. SpongeBob or Finding Nemo). He will just spend the entire time pointing out all the inaccuracies.

Best artist on the Octopod

Dashi:

Octopod’s unofficial DJ

Loves strawberries and strawberry flavoured things

Completely ignores danger while trying to get the perfect photo

Second best artist

Just loves babies! Any kind of babies!

Tweak:

Mother passed away when she was young; Ranger Marsh raised her all by himself

Known Captain Barnacles longer than any of the others

Even though the Captain is her dad and Kwazii’s her brother, she’s the mum of the Octopod.

Plays the banjo

Professor Inkling:

Most painfully slow driver you can imagine

Gives the best advice

Shellington was one of his (most talented) students. That was how Shellington got the job with the Octonauts.

Never leaves the library unless he absolutely has to

Leave him alone with a child and he has no clue what he's supposed to do

Also the case when someone's crying

Vegimals:

Always make sure they have a supply of everyone’s favourite flavour of kelp cake in case anybody needs some emergency comfort food

Often sleep holding hands (they learned this from Shellington when they were babies)

Sometimes sleep with one of the Octonauts (mostly Shellington, but sometimes the others as well)

We know they get stuck in the kitchen vent. Well, I bet half the time, they get stuck while showing the other Vegimals how they got stuck!

[cant-get-enough-btr-forever]

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Big Time Rush Show Theories!

Okay, I'm not actually MsMojo.

But here are my theories, anyway. They get darker as you go down. You have been warned.

10) Mr. Knight's First Name Is Donald

This wouldn't be complete without a Kendall's Father Theory, so I included three of them.

In "Big Time Beach Party", Kendall's middle name is revealed to be Donald. I'd bet money that this is his dad's name.

9) Mr. Knight Is a Famous Athlete

Mr. Knight is probably a well-known athlete, at least in Minnesota. He was the kind of jock who got all the scholarships and trophies. Since Mama Knight was a cheerleader (revealed in "Big Time Pranks II"), she likely met him during a game. Since he particularly excelled at hockey, it became his main profession.

This would explain why Kendall loves hockey so much.

8) Carlos' Helmet Is a Gift From His Father

The age-old question: Why the heck is Carlos so obsessed with that helmet?

It's simple, really: His dad gave it to him when he was a child. As Mr. Garcia is a police officer, he was probably away from home for long periods of time. Carlos grew attached to the helmet during these periods, because it reminded him of his papi.

This attachment worsened after Carlos moved to California, for obvious reasons.

7) The Jennifers' Origin Story

I actually made a whole poll for this one (which is what inspired me to write this essay).

Until recently, I'd never given this question much thought: How did The Jennifers become The Jennifers? More importantly, why?

Well, I have a few theories. I'll list them in order of most to least plausible.

Theory 1: The Jennifers just happened to meet at the Palmwoods. Once they realized how much they had in common (right down to their names), they decided to form an alliance.

Why? They are insecure and ungainly on their own, so they find strength in numbers. Just look at what happens in "Big Time Prom Kings", when one of The Jennifers is separated from the others. She is shown to be an awkward weirdo.

Theory 2: They're victims of the Industry—that is, they were forced into this "mean girls" act. Their real names may not even be Jennifer.

Theory 3: They're adopted sisters. This means that their parents 1) took them in as babies and named them all Jennifer, or 2) only adopted kids named Jennifer. Either way, their parents are psychopaths.

6) Logan and James Are Only Children

Please don't cite me (or fight me) on this; I am not a psychologist. You can, however, cite this.

Being an only child would explain James' desire for fame/attention: He got undivided attention from his mom (maybe not his dad) as a child, so it carried over into his later years.

Or...maybe he didn't get enough attention as a child. This would've also carried over into his later years. So, really, it could've gone both ways.

It would even explain James' habit of talking to himself/the mirror. He had no siblings to vent to, and something tells me his parents weren't the listening types.

This is why Brooke Diamond was so against the idea of him leaving. Many people find it hard to part with their only child. And, in Brooke's case, the only heir to her company.

As for Logan, being an only child contributed to his social awkwardness. On the plus side, he was more successful academically, since he didn't have to vie for his parents' support. It's the opposite of James' situation, basically.

This is why no other siblings are mentioned in the show. Now, as for Carlos? Well...I got nothin'. He doesn't give off "only child" vibes to me. In fact, I can picture him as the youngest sibling in a big, happy family. Additionally, the odds of all three being only children are pretty slim.

Feel free to share your own theories as to why other siblings are never mentioned.

5) Logan Diamond

This is a wild one, but please hear me out.

In "Big Time Moms", Logan's real name is revealed to be Hortense. Brooke Diamond didn't like that name, so she ordered the boys to start calling him Logan instead.

But...where did Brooke get the name "Logan", anyway?

My first theory was that it's his middle name. Makes sense. Then I thought of another theory that isn't too far-fetched:

Brooke couldn't have just pulled the name out of thin air—she liked that name. That name was special to her.

What if "Logan" had been her second name choice for James? "James" may be Mr. Diamond's name, which is the only reason she went with it.

This would mean that we almost had a "Logan Diamond."

4) Gustavo's Wife Cheated on Him

It sounds funny. But it also makes sense, when you think about it.

Gustavo seems like this big, mean rock (pun intended) who is incapable of any emotion besides rage. However, in "Big Time Secret", he says (after eating Mama Knight's snickerdoodles),

So, clearly, he's been in love at least once.

Here's my take: He had a wife many years ago, before he was a famous producer. But once his fame increased, so did his job-related anger/stress. Growing tired of this, his wife became unfaithful. Eventually, she left him altogether.

This embittered him into the cynical, love-hating Gustavo we know today.

3) James Used to be Bullied

I think James was bullied as a child, before he met the other boys. Maybe he was made fun of for being underweight/overweight. Maybe he was one of those kids who had to wear headgear. Whatever the reason, he was ridiculed for the way he looked.

This is why he's so concerned with looks in his later years. He's afraid of being "ugly" because he's scarred by those bad memories.

2) Mr. Knight Cheated on Mrs. Knight

As I said in #9, Kendall's dad is likely a popular athlete. Famous athletes are often swimming in money...and fans. Mr. Knight would've had plenty of opportunities to be unfaithful. This is what led to his and Mama Knight's separation.

He left his family very little money, choosing instead to spend it on his mistress. Mama Knight was forced to wait tables in order to support her kids (she says so in "Big Time Demos").

So, it's easy to see why the Knights never speak of him. What makes this theory even better is that Challen Cates (Mama Knight's actress) kind of confirmed it in this tweet.

⭐⭐⭐

Before I unveil my #1 pick, here are some honorable mentions:

The Entirety of Big Time Movie Is Carlos' Dream

Think about it—Carlos didn't actually wake up at the start of the movie. The whole thing is just a continuation of his dream.

Jenny Tinkler Suffers From Spontaneous Human Combustion

How else do you explain the random fires she causes? There has been a surprising amount of research on this phenomenon, by the way.

Buddha Bob Comes From a Wealthy Family

This humble maintenance man mentions in "Big Time Fever" that he went to business school. He proves it by rattling off some genuine financial factoids.

Business school costs thousands of dollars. This leads me to believe one thing: His parents are loaded. I wouldn't be surprised if they bribed Mr. Bitters into hiring him.

(Of course, he could've also taken out a student loan. Maybe he's working at the Palmwoods to pay off his debt. I dunno.)

⭐⭐⭐

1) Logan's Father Is Dead

Why is Logan so bent on becoming a doctor? Yes, he's smart. But he doesn't quite fit the profile: He panics under pressure, is easily grossed out, and is indecisive. I would've expected him to pursue a career in astronomy, since it seems to suit him better.

So, I mulled for a bit, and this is what I came up with: Mr. Mitchell passed away from an illness when Logan was little. This is what fueled Logan's desire to help other sick people. It would also explain why we never see his dad—or even hear him mentioned.

This ties in with the "only child" theory, because Mrs. Mitchell probably never remarried. Thus, Logan never had any siblings.

Do you agree with my picks? Please share your own theories; I love to hear them! I've pinned a link to all my Big Time Rush essays (I plan on writing more). And to MsMojo: Please don't sue me.

[paleshroom]

Loo Loo Land may have some blink-and-you-miss-it foreshadowing for the upcoming Octavia episode, particularly Octavia’s relationship with Stella.

These are screenshots from right before Stolas sings You Will Be Okay to a young Octavia. On the wall are two major things: 1) Octavia’s drawing of her and her father, and 2) a portrait of the two of them together. Stella is absent from both. Note: this is a *different* father-daughter portrait from the one we see Blitz walk by during the Not Divorced party in The Circus. Thus, there are *two* known portraits of Octavia with just her father, and one drawing she did of just the two of them.

Neither Loo Loo Land nor Seeing Stars show any drawings or photos of Stella in Octavia’s room. There are zero portraits of Octavia with just Stella alone. We see two portraits of Stella with Octavia at all, but both of them include Stolas as well (the Loo Loo Land family portrait in the kitchen, and a more recent family portrait that can be seen in the background of Stolas’s room in The Full Moon and The Circus).

Also, in the opening scene of Loo Loo Land, although we hear her call “Mommy! Daddy!” after waking from her nightmare, when Stolas goes to her room, she says this:

“I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

Not “you and mom,” just “you.”

What does this mean?

I believe Stella and Octavia have always been distant and - given the line we see in the trailer - are only getting closer as a result of Octavia feeling betrayed by her father. I think Stella has primarily been using Octavia as a tool for power, including power over Stolas. Could she have some love for Octavia still? Maybe, but I’m willing to bet that’s not the only reason she has Octavia spend time with her on weekends.

I also think Octavia has probably had some inkling something was wrong for a while. She obviously doesn’t know the extent of the abuse, but there’s just no way she didn’t see or hear something at some point to make her pause and wonder what was going on (even if she couldn’t pinpoint what it was). You can try your best to hide what’s going on between you and your spouse from your kid, but kids know. Even if they don’t want to know - they don’t want it to be true, but they know. And from what we’ve seen of Stella, she’s not subtle period, let alone subtle about her distaste for “a boring stiff like Stolas.” And Stolas, as passive as he’s been with Stella until this point, can’t do anything to hide that part. And before I get someone saying something stupid, I am NOT saying Octavia is at fault in any way here.

As a final note - we know Octavia’s hurt comes from a fear of abandonment, but I think it goes further than that. I think it extends to not just losing him in general, but from a fear of having the same (or even greater) distance from him as she’s had with her mother. Stolas has been everything to her; she’s used to her mother’s (suspected) distance, but with him? After he promised so many times otherwise? That’s what really hurts. I think this is going to be the greatest contributing factor to her emotional state in that episode - the betrayal of a parent, who unlike the other, was supposed to stay.

[wrens-versus-the-world]

Intertwined with the inhuman (harbingers x reader)

Okay, hear me out

(Cross posted under Dontjudgemepels on wattpad)

Y/n L/n

the human, who has captured the hearts of some of the most powerful beings in this world

further details:

            -a college student on summer break

           -"All I wanted was a summer vacation"

Pierro:

A man who was once a human, cursed with immortality for a sin, he serves as number one of the Fatui harbingers.

the Fatui is a secret organization that serves to help the inhuman, but for a price that many deem to be far too great.

No further details available:

Il Dottore:

A vampire who has lived for several centuries, who also serves as number two of the fatui harbingers.

Dottore also happens to be called The Doctor.

Further details:

           - "You are quite the specimen, would you allow me to take a closer look at you?"

Columbina

 A siren who join the fatui along the same time as Dottore, she was notorious for luring sailors to their eventual demise. even outside of her watery home she is still one of the strongest Harbingers. 

Further details:

           -It is said that her voice has the power to hypnotize hundreds of people, even with a simple tune. 

           - "Say, would you like to hear a tune my dear?"

Capitano:

Capitano is said to have the face of a monster, although no one has seen it so no one really knows, what is known of him though is that he has been alive for several centuries, and has served as a warrior a different time periods. He currently serves as number four of the fatui harbingers. 

further details:

          - although he is said to be a war torn battle hungry warrior he seems to have a soft spot for animals and certain humans.

          -"No one has seen what is under my mask, nor will they, even you. "

Scaramouche: 

Scaramouche a man who has a perfect face he has lived for a few centuries, as is significantly younger than many of the high ranking harbingers (see numbers 1-4). although he is said to have a perfect face if you look to closely you may see the cracks of his past beneath such a beautiful face.

Further details:

                   -he has quite the tongue on him, but he can be quite soft when he wants to be

                   - "You are quite the anomaly human, I can see why the doctor has such an interest in you."

Pantalone:

Pantalone has lived for several centuries, although he has only lived in the human realm for a few centuries, he is a demon who wears the face of a banker. He often enjoys manipulating humans into giving up their soul for unimaginable wealth, along with watching many people going into bankruptcy 'mysteriously.' It is also said that he has worked closely with the Doctor number two of the harbingers. For his ability to get money he has been brought to the fatui and given the number of nine. Don't let such a low number make you think he's weak. 

further details: 

              -He almost never opens his eyes, many people place bets on what color they are

              -"you may as well be the most valuable thing that one can get."

Arlecchino:

Arlecchino, number ten of the fatui harbingers is one who was once a mother, as a human she had found true happiness, or so she thought, her child was taken away from her at such a young age and she was labeled as a witch, the two were burned together at the stake. Arlecchino woke up decades later filled with resentment towards the people who killed her and her child. It's said that the night she rose is the night that many villages who discriminated against women and hurt children fell, burned to the ground. For her history she aligned herself with the Fatui, reaching the number of ten, as a pontianak (these are actually really cool ->> from google:  It is often depicted as a pregnant woman who is unable to give birth to a child or as a vampiric, vengeful female spirit. The Pontianak lures in unsuspecting men to incite fear and enact revenge. Signs that a Pontianak is nearby include the sound of an infant crying, the smell of a decaying corpse, or the plumeria flower

but for the purposes of this story she will be a bit different...).

Further details: 

               - It is said that arlecchino will lure away children from abusive households and raise them as their own, they consider it to be a blessing but many debate about whether these children have stumbled into a blessing or a curse in disguise

              -"You are quite a beautiful human, your soul is pure, perhaps if I were a human we could've been together."

Childe:

Tartaglia better known as childe is a werewolf, the youngest of the harbingers only being a little over a century old. As a child it is said that he fell into a realm of the inhuman which lead him down a path where he eventually met a werewolf who turned him after they trained together. Since he is so young he can have quite the temper, especially when it is close to the full moon. 

Further details:

                -It is said that childe was very close with his family, but when he turned he had to leave them behind. he knew it was for the best, since it would just be torture to see them grow up while he just stayed the same. He still has nightmares about it and visits their graves from time to time, and carries a photo of them with him.

            -"Say it again, say my name. It sounds divine when you say it."

And so the show begins, let us see how it will end.

[i-amm-mj]

Anything for you - Katsuki Bakugo x Afab!Reader

A/N: This work was inspired by this request that i couldn´t accomplished 2 months ago due to a lot thing that happened to me in that period, but here it is now, and i hope this is of the liking of anyone who reads it. Specially, the person that send it. :)

Angst to Fluff to Comfort.

Warnings: mentions of non consensual sex with a past partner, mentions of consensual sex with current partner, mentions of drugs, mentions of symptoms of PTSD. READ UNDER YOUR RESPONSABILITY.

Words: 2k

No proofread so it might have some errors hahaha :p

It happened when you were 17 years old, almost 6 years ago. He was your first boyfriend, and it was the very first time you had a sexual encounter. To be honest, you don´t even remember how it happened, you just remember the tears your eyes spilled while begging him to stop, the way your body just froze, and how your mind shut down to protect you from more damage besides the one it was suffering. You were an UA student at the time, and the man that ruined your life an ex-classmate from your old school who you happened to know since childhood.

"Is it Christmas already?" a hoarse voice said behind you and your body automatically tense after recognizing it “Look what a cutie you turn out to become” it continued to speak in a flirty tone. You didn’t turn, you were in panic.

You and Katsuki had had a date that morning and you needed to buy some ingredients before getting back home to make dinner together. But your boyfriend had left to go to the bathroom just 5 minutes before it all happened. To this moment your life had been better than you ever imagine. You had a strong and handsome boyfriend who you recently moved in with; you accomplished your dream of becoming a hero and you were improving yourself constantly in every aspect of your life. So, this had to be a sick joke, right?  

“Hey, look at me!” the man forced you to turn around. You could have punch him, break his arm or something for the matter, you were a pro hero for God´s sake… but in that moment you couldn´t react, your body was afraid of moving “I heard you are dating Dynamight” he smirked “Is he enjoying my leftovers? I bet he is. You are a sweet little thing anyways.” Your eyes opened in terror, you didn´t know what to do, how to react.

“Leave me alone… please” you almost beg with watery eyes.

“Awn, are you going to cry? Weren´t you a strong hero? I think you are more like a fragile doll.” He mocked.

“Stop.” You murmured “please. Just let me go.” you were crying at this point.

“But we are just starting, pretty” the man pushed you towards the shelves, trapping you with his body. He bent over with a twisted smile and tried to reach your lips, but then a muscular arm shoved the man and made him fall on his arm.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing!?” the loud voice of Katsuki resonated along the market “Who the fuck do you think you are to lay a finger on her, huh!?” with heavy and long strides your boyfriend was on top of the man in less than a second, holding him by the shirt. He had a murderous expression on his face.

“Katsuki…” your voice was weak, you were shaking.

“Are you ok, princess?” Katsuki asked in a sweet and gentle tone without taking his eyes from the man whining of terror under him. You nodded even when he couldn´t see you.

“I wasn´t doing anything, dude” the man said with panic in his voice “She´s an old friend and I just wanted to say hello.”     

“You don´t need to be that close just to say hello…” Katsuki growled. And due to the loud voice of your boyfriend, other costumers started to accumulate around you three. If some customer took a picture or a video of what was happening and share it on social media, the career of Katsuki would be fucked. The press and his haters on social media were looking for an excuse to talk shit about him anytime given, and it was obvious that they weren´t going to take the time to investigate what was really going on. So, struggling to put yourself together you decided to act. You reached for your boyfriend´s hand, helped him to get up, and got out of the store the faster your trembling knees allowed you to.

The tension in the ride home was more than evident. Of course, Katsuki wasn´t mad at you, but he wasn´t happy either. He had a lot of things to ask you, but he couldn´t pressure you. He didn´t want to put you into more stress. Not after how you reacted to that jerk. He couldn´t comprehend. You were one of the best at martial arts of the heroes he knew, so that man had to be someone you were painfully scared of. A bully maybe? He tsked. That was plausible, you always have been sweet, and to be honest, a little naïve in your younger years.

When you entered the shared apartment, your nervousness took the better of you, and you ran to the bathroom with the excuse of feeling tired and the need of taking a shower before going to bed. Katsuki wasn´t a fool and you knew it, but you didn’t have the energy nor the courage to be confronted about what happened at the store just yet. Katsuki let you be for the moment. You´d open up to him later, you had to if you wanted to maintain the kind relationship you two had.

You love Katsuki, a lot. You could even say that you´ve never loved anyone like that before. That didn’t mean that you were that experience at the romantic department, because you only had two boyfriends besides him: Shinso and Yo, but to be honest, even when you loved each of them, you never felt the connection you had with Katsuki. If soulmates were real, you were sure he was yours, and you will do everything in your power to stay with him for as long as he wanted you to. It was that, right now… you just wanted to cry, and you didn’t want Katsuki to see you like that… You thought that therapy had helped, that it was just a bad experience and that you wouldn´t let it get in your way… that you had get over it and put it in the back of your mind so it would never bother you again, but you were wrong. That voice, that smell, that presence was… terrifying. 

Once you opened the shower, you let yourself being engulfed by the warm of the water and let your eyes spill the pain your soul and heart were holding. Bakugo could hear your crying clearly from the outside, and he would be lying if he didn´t had the instinct to run inside the bathroom and held you the better he can. His heart was suffering seeing you suffering. He couldn´t help but feeling enraged at himself for not being able to help you. The love of his life was in pain because of something an asshole has done to her in the past and he wasn´t there to protect you.

You were calmer right now. You´d cried enough and were ready lo leave the bathroom and face your boyfriend. You thought he was going to be waiting for you sitting on the edge of the bed to confront you about what happened a few hours ago, but he wasn´t there.

“Kats?” you asked peeking your head through the door.

“Kitchen!” he answered. You smiled and let your feet guide you to him.

“Hey…” you murmured. Your boyfriend was making dinner himself. He glanced to you over his shoulder and smiled “I thought we were gonna cook together.”

 “It´s ok, you can rest.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, sure.”

You knew that once he had decided something you could never change his mind, so you decided the wiser and made yourself comfortable on the couch in front of the TV. And after a couple of minutes scrolling aimlessly through Netflix, you decided on watching some new anime about zombies that has just been released. And when you pushed play, you felt the weight of your boyfriend sank besides you and his arm snake around your waist to pull you towards his chest. He then kissed your temple and let a deep sigh escape his chest. You knew what he was thinking about.

“You know I love you, right?” he whispered in the soft tone only you had been able to pull out of him.

“I love you too…” you answered with your eyes processing the images on the TV. Somehow the protagonist of the show reminded you of Izuku, you smiled softly.

“What is it?” he questioned.

“He reminds me of Izuku.” To that he let a giggle escape his mouth.

“You´re fucking right. He does looks and acts like Deku. Bet he is a loser too.”

“Hey, don´t be mean, I think he is cute” Bakugo groaned and raised a brow.

“You think Deku is cute? Seriously?”

“Well, yeah. He´s cute like a baby panda type of cute.”

“So, you are into nerds?” He said in disbelieved.

“Well, I´m into you.”

“I´m not a nerd.”

“I wasn´t the third place in grades at school.” You retorted while laughing.

“Oh, is that so?” he placed you on his lap with one swift movement.

“Katsuki!” you shrieked taken aback. You were now facing him. His face with a glint of joy and mischief on his features. “You could have injured me or something, you know?”

“I would never.” He spoke softly. His face turning into a sad expression. “I will kill myself before doing something that could hurt you.” You frowned. You knew exactly what was this about.

“That man…” you started, avoiding his eyes “He was my first boyfriend and my first sexual experience…” you stuttered, Katsuki adjusted his hands on your back so you could feel secure in his arms “I- I didn´t wanna do it, and he forced me to do it…” your eyes watered at the memory and the body of your boyfriend tensed, clenching his fist on your clothes unconsciously.

“What…?” his mind could not process the information properly.

“I begged him to stop, but he kept going.” You were crying at this point “I never said anything because I thought that no one would believe me, but… I took therapy and…” Katsuki wanted to murder him. Really. He was sure that it destiny put the bastard in front of him again, he wouldn´t let him go alive. But right now, he just wanted to comfort you “I´m sorry” you said weakly.

“For what?”

“Because I didn´t tell you…” you sobbed, and his hand landed softly on your cheek.  He brushed the tears away and with the softest voice he had ever spoken to you said “You have nothing to be sorry about. It wasn´t your fault. Thanks for sharing this with me.”

You embraced him, crying again but this time from happiness. The hand on your back held you close to his chest, while the other hand tried to sooth you, rubbing your back “It´s ok, love. I´m here. I´m never gonna let anyone hurt you ever again.” You sat straight to look him in the eyes, and then you squished his cheeks on both your hands. “What the fuck!?” he opened his eyes in almost panic.

“You are so cute…” you said with the biggest smile he´s seen on you.

“No, I´m not, you idiot” he tried to defend himself but wasn´t really fighting you back.

“And you make so happy…” you whispered leaning towards him to give a kiss on the lips that he responded to almost instantly.   

After a couple of minutes, the soft kisses turned into passionate kisses, completely forgetting about the show you were watching, the food Katsuki was making or the entire world outside. He caressed your face with both his hands, whispering little I love you´s between kisses. You sighed, glad to be in love and being love by a man like Katsuki.

That night, after eating dinner and turning off the TV, he made love to you. The sweetest and softest way he could. Worshipping your body, kissing the bruises of the battle, holding your hands in his, making you cum like nobody else would. Just reminding you that he was by your side from now on and that he would never leave you alone.

This week was your first week off in months. No hero duty, no filling documents, no calls from the police station to arrest a villain, just pure laziness at home. You loved this way of living, but you missed the heat of your boyfriend besides you. Unfortunately, he was the head of his own agency with Kirishima and couldn´t have many vacations, at least no when he was on a big mission about a bunch of villains related with very dangerous drugs. And today was the day he was going to put them under arrest, so you took a rest from the anime you were watching to scroll through social media looking for any news about the case, and you find them a couple of minutes after.  

You sheepishly smiled to yourself when you caught a glimpse of the gorgeous scowl of your boyfriend in his winter hero suit while talking to the police. You had to admit that his serious expression was sexy. You continued to scroll in search for some good pictures of him to download, until a video of him manhandling a resisting man came up. Your eyes almost popped out of your skull when you recognized who it was.

You search for more information about the man and the reason of his detention and found out that he was being charged for possession and distribution of drugs, plus the aggression towards a hero. All of that could cost him at least 12 years in prison. As the hero you were yourself, and above all the girlfriend of Katsuki, you knew that it was all a lie. That your boyfriend had incriminated this man for what he did to you, and while a part of you was mad at him for use his authority for this, the other part was very pleased to see the bastard behind bars even when it wasn´t for the crime he must have been paying for.

You truly loved Katsuki and everything he could do for you…

[petermorwood]

Crisps / Chips again

Associated with this post, here's an artefact, two anecdotes and an opinion.

The artefact is a slightly dented but still remarkably airtight "Charles Chips" tin.

It was bought, full, many years ago from the Vermont Country Store, from whom we subsequently bought reflll packs - given their size, "sacks" would be more accurate - which were shipped to Ireland in sturdy cardboard boxes.

VCS no longer carry Charles Chips in either tin or refill. I know. I checked. BUT...

The Charles Chips company, which per Wikipedia was doing just fine in 1990 then got sold and went bankrupt twice in less than three years (gosh!) is Back In Business, and note has been taken, with considerable interest - oh, you bet - that they do international shipping...

*****

Anecdote No. 1 is from when @dduane lived in Bala Cynwyd near Philadelphia, in what was known as "The House of Dangerously Single Women" (ahem). She tells me that the household used to get Charles Chips delivered to the door about twice a week, by the company's own vans.

Speaking as a long-time crisp fan, I found that both very neat and a source of mild envy. :->

Anecdote No. 2 is from 30-ish years ago, when we were in New York for something or other and, being rather jetlagged with our internal food clocks out of whack, did our usual thing and went out for a walk.

Curiously enough, this involved visiting several food stores and supermarkets where we bought a lot of Interesting Foreign or Much Missed (i.e. American, in both instances) junk food for grazing on back in our hotel room.

In one of them DD was about to lay claim to a huge bag of Wise potato chips (its bag would have been the design in the middle)...

...while nattering to one of the shop staff how much she missed them. He told her that a new delivery was expected in about 20 minutes and if she wanted to wait, she'd get much fresher chips.

And So It Came To Pass.

Well done, that guy!

*****

Finally, while Saratoga Springs may have been where potato crisps / chips were popularised, standardised, commercialised or whatever, it's definitely not where they were invented.

Even the oft-repeated "creation myth" frequently has its hard-to-please celebrity demanding to have his potatoes sliced and fried really thin "The Way I Had Them In France" - which kinda sorta suggests they were, um, being made there just like that well before the Saratoga thing happened.

Myths are okay, even marketing myths - so long as they're recognised as myths and not shilled as true by places with reputations like the Smithsonian.

*****

It's a bit like the still-current nonsense about spices being used in medieval kitchens to disguise bad meat. As far as I've been able to find out, this originated with a historian called J. C. Drummond in the late 1930s - yup, just before World War Two - simply because he didn't know his period terminology.

"Green" meant fresh - even nowadays, an inexperienced or immature person is "green" - so green cheese was newly made, and green meat was newly slaughtered, unaged and consequently tough and flavourless.

Just ask any steak fan the difference between a fresh steak and a 30-day dry aged one.

Drummond, in his overspecialised-scholarship wisdom, assumed that "green venison" meant meat which had gone off, and that a recipe to improve it with spices was to cover the bad smell and taste.

In fact it was somewhere between a marinade and a rub, meant to improve the tenderness and flavour of fresh meat as if it had aged for a while, thus shortening the waiting time between killing a beast and getting it to the table of a hungry court.

As I've said before, it's always easier for no-proofs-given pop history to dismiss medieval people as (insert derogatory observation here) than take the time needed to explain why and how they in their time were not that different to us in ours.

*****

PS: when looking for that previously posted stuff about green meat I found a post where, with even less evidence than Saratoga Springs inventing crisps, a Brit poster claimed Brits invented curry.

Snrk.

Among other more or less pertinent observations, I mentioned that what Brits invented was BRITISH curry, and anyone who has read "Nanny Ogg's Cookbook" will know what I meant by that... :->

[reashot]

Homo Homini Lupus Est.

Ruby can't believe that she's going to Beacon Academy with her big sister Yang. And right now she is busy packing all of her belonging but before she can finish doing so. Her father comes inside her room to talk to her about something.

Tai: Ruby wait! Before you go to Beacon, remember what am I about to tell you. Because this will save you in the future.

Ruby: What is it dad?

Tai: Ruby I want to warn you about boys. And why you should be cautious around them. No in fact you should just stay away from boys all together while in Beacon.

Ruby: But why dad. I met boys before. And you seems to be okay with them?

Tai: Yes. Boys around your age, Ruby. Not boys around Yang's age. And boys around that age only interested in one thing and it's disgusting!

Ruby: *gasp* You mean like weapons?! I knew it! Boys like talking about weapons after all. Ha, ha. I'm so glad that I decided to go to Beacon. *squee*I bet I can have plenty of "boy friends" to talk about weapons with.

After hearing the forbidden words Ruby coming out off Ruby's lips. Tai's mind Immediately wander through a dark place and Immediately assumed the worst. He imagined about how Ruby being tricked by a (blonde) scumbag Immediately after stepping into Beacon academy. First he will cajools her with talks of weapons. Ruby being her kind naive self will trust him and then he will bring her to his room and decides to "share" Ruby with the rest of his teammates...

Tai:

Ruby: Dad! Why are you screaming?!

Tai: RUBY!!!! *grabs Ruby* Promise me Ruby, promise me that you will stay away from boys while you're in Beacon. No! In fact you should stay away from any boy, period! Daddy doesn't want to see you being taken away by a (Blonde) haired womanizer! *violently shaking Ruby*

Ruby: B-but dad boys are half of the world population. How am I supposed to do that?

Tai: I don't care! Just don't okay. Please stay as daddy's little girl for the rest of your life, okay. Please promise me!

Ruby: Y-you're asking too much dad!

Tai: Shut up! Remember this Ruby all boys are Wolf. Given the chance they will devour you whole Ruby! So do your best to stay away from them okay!

Ruby: O-okay fine. I promise to stay away from all boys. Just please, stop shaking me, dad.

Tai: Oh thank you Ruby, thank you... *hugs*

Ruby: (I mean what are the odds that a boy would be interested in me or I will be interested in a boy?)

Meanwhile some times later in Beacon:

Jaune: Hi my Name is Jaune Arc what's yours?

Ruby: (inside of Ruby's head after meeting Jaune Arc)

Jaune: Uh you okay there? You been staring at an empty space for quite some time now.

Ruby: (I'm sorry dad, but I think I'm going to break my promise to you now.) Hi my Name is Ruby Rose would you want to be my boyfrie... I mean. Friends with me? 😘

[pandorasword]

Chaeri as the 8th and youngest member of BTS.

CHAERI'S MASTERLIST

Hiii 💌 sorry it took so mad long! I had busy weeks and even lack of inspirations. Hope that you still enjoy it and thank you so much for the request!

The night market

❒ words: 2.5k+

❒ summary: In which Chaeri and Jungkook sneak out of the dorms during the trainee period

❒ genre: Fluff; Slice of life

❒ warnings: mentions of poker

April 2013

Chaeri had been in a sour mood all day. 

She had sulked from the time she woke up for breakfast, to the hours spent practicing choreography for their debut concept, and even when she came back to the dorms. 

That's why Namjoon was surprised when he leaned in to kiss her temple goodbye and noticed her smirk instead of a scowl.

The bad temper seemed to have slipped away from her, which would usually make him suspicious that she was up to something; a troublemaker without equal.

But when Chaeri met his gaze, her eyes were so gentle and pure, he told himself she likely just grasped the situation and wasn't angry anymore

The day before, the older members of the group received an unexpected invitation from some staff members to join them for a friendly game of poker. Excitement filled the air as they discussed the invitation among themselves, looking forward to a night of camaraderie and friendly competition.

However, as they considered the nature of the game, they collectively decided that it wouldn't be suitable for Jungkook and Chaeri to participate. Poker involves betting and gambling, and they felt it would be more appropriate for the two youngest members, who were still in their mid-teens, to abstain from such activities, who had not been very cooperative with their decision. Jungkook had quickly given up on the idea; Chaeri had given everyone a hard time until just before.

The living room's chandelier flickered and dimmed, reminding Namjoon he needed to get a new bulb soon.

"You know I'm sorry," he said, gazing into her eyes "But it's an evening for..."

"Adults!" Taehyung, ever the bratty he was, came up behind them on his way out of the dorms. 

"Aged or nearly so", Namjoon added with an apologetic smile.

Chaeri rolled her eyes at Taehyung's comment but didn't say anything.

"It's okay, enjoy yourselves"

"We will" Namjoon said, eyeing Chaeri with a look of worry "Chaeri," he spoke in an authoritative yet caring voice, "I know you’re mature, but please remember to take care of yourselves while we're away. Lock all the doors and windows. There are snacks in the kitchen—help yourself but be mindful about how much junk food you eat."

Namjoon's gaze grew more serious. "If anyone comes to the door, don't open it unless you recognize them. Your safety is the most important thing; if anything feels wrong or if you need help, call one of us right away - me or any of the oppas. Don't hesitate to reach out, okay?"

He smiled and patted her on the head. "You'll be fine, Chaeri. Jungkook is here with you, and I trust both of you to look out for each other. Have a good evening, and we'll be back before you know it."

With a nod, Chaeri watched as the older members of BTS filed out of the dorm, leaving her - and Jungkook who was in the other room - alone.

Chaeri was not about to stay in, especially when the others had treated her and Jungkook like kids. If they were old enough to debut in the entertainment industry, they were old enough to play poker. 

Once the sounds of the boys straying in the alleyway had become faint, she made her way to the room, where all of them slept on bunk beds every night.

Jungkook was perched atop one of the beds, his head almost brushing against the ceiling. He had a comic book in his hands and was studying its black-and-white images.

Chaeri watched him for a moment, debating whether to tell him what she was planning. Jungkook always followed what the older members told him to do, perhaps with a little convincing she would be able to persuade him to join her.

She tiptoed up onto the creaky lower mattress to get a better look at Jungkook, who was sprawled across the top bunk. He snapped out of his comic book when he noticed her looking at him "You're bored" he said.

"Utterly and completely bored—can you tell?" She sighed

"Since the hyungs are gone, we have access to the TV. Want to watch a movie?"

"Actually...I had something else in mind"

Jungkook looked at her curiously, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"They left to play poker and did not allow us to go with them. They said we're not allowed to play because we're too young. It's not fair"

""I still don't understand what you're trying to say. What's on your mind?"

"I was thinking...we could sneak out and find our own way to have fun," Chaeri suggested, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Jungkook's eyes widened in surprise at her suggestion. He glanced nervously around the small dorm, as if the others could appear at any second to catch them in the act. "But what if they find out? They told us not to leave the dorms"

Chaeri shrugged, a devilish grin spreading across her face. "Isn't that all the more reason to do it? They treat us like children all the time. We deserve to have some fun on our own"

An eagerness was slowly growing within him and he nodded in agreement."Okay, let's do it. But...where are we going to go?"

"To play poker!"

Excitement pulsed through Chaeri as she and Jungkook slipped out of the dorms and into the cool night air. They walked briskly, eager to find a club or bar where they could play poker.

However, their excitement was short-lived as they quickly discovered that every club they tried to enter turned them away, citing their age as the reason. They had no luck at the first club, or the second, or even the third.

As they walked down the dimly lit street, Chaeri's mood started to sour once more. She had been so sure that they would be able to find a place to play poker, but now it seemed like all their efforts were in vain.

"This is stupid," she grumbled, kicking a pebble down the pavement.

Jungkook glanced at Chaeri, seeing her frustration and disappointment. He understood her desire to prove themselves as capable and independent, but it seemed that their age was indeed a barrier they couldn't overcome.

"I know it's frustrating, Chaeri" Jungkook said, his voice sympathetic. "But maybe they were right. Maybe we are too young for this kind of thing."

Chaeri halted in her steps, turning to look at Jungkook with narrowed eyes. "Don't tell me you're giving up too?"

Jungkook shook his head quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. "No, not at all. I just think that we should maybe consider doing something else. Something that won't get us into trouble"

Chaeri let out a huff of frustration, but she knew deep down that he was right. They couldn't keep searching for a club that would let them play poker; they needed to find a different way to pass the time.

"Fine," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you suggest, then?"

Jungkook's lips parted in a smile, his eyes twinkling as he spoke. "Let's go to the night market!"

Chaeri tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Night market? What kind of place is that?" She asked, intrigued by the unfamiliar term.

Jungkook let out a laugh and replied “It’s a huge marketplace at night! There are vendors selling all sorts of food and drinks, there are carnival-style games and rides, and some shops sell really unique goods. It’s one of my favorite places to go” He said as he hopped onto the nearest subway station platform.

Chaeri followed him curiously as she felt a spark of excitement light up inside her chest. She had grown up all her life in France, so any opportunity to immerse herself into Korean culture was highly welcomed. Jungkook began talking animatedly about all the interesting foods they could try at the night market, and she couldn't help but feel impressed by his knowledge of their native culture.

Deprived by her mother of her native culture and language, she had instead come to learn all about European culture; yet despite being Korean, by her teenage years she understood surprisingly little about her homeland.

As they rode the subway, he pointed out the city sights that caught his eye, ranging from ancient monuments to modern-day skyscrapers. Chaeri listened with rapt attention, feeling a sense of pride swell in her heart at seeing the city through an experienced local’s eyes.

Finally, the subway doors slid open, and they stepped out into the lively atmosphere of the night market. 

Chaeri's senses were immediately overwhelmed by the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds surrounding her. Above, strings of multicolored neon lights formed a mesmerizing constellation, casting an ethereal glow over the bustling crowd below. The air was alive with the infectious beats of K-pop music, their rhythmic melodies intertwining with the joyful laughter and chatter of the visitors.

Chaeri walked beside Jungkook, her eyes darting from one intriguing stall to another. The tantalizing aroma of street food wafted through the air, mingling with the scents of exotic spices and sizzling grills. Her mouth watered at the sight of vendors skillfully flipping skewers of succulent meat and frying golden dumplings.

Although Chaeri couldn't read most of the Korean characters on the signs, she attempted to decipher them, occasionally stumbling over unfamiliar words. She wished she had a better grasp of her mother tongue; speaking for her was easier, though occasionally she stumbled over words or mispronounced them. She felt a little ashamed for not knowing more about her Korean heritage.

Throughout the evening, Chaeri kept tugging at Jungkook's sleeve to ask questions about certain dishes, inscriptions, and trinkets that drew her interest.

"Kook!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm to halt their steps.

Jungkook turned towards her, following her gaze to a nearby stall adorned with an array of handmade jewelry. The owner, a skilled artisan, meticulously threaded delicate beads of various colors and designs, creating stunning pieces that sparkled under the glow of the market lights. Chaeri's eyes widened with fascination.

"Let's go check it out," he suggested, and Chaeri eagerly followed him to the stand.

As they approached the jewelry stall, Chaeri's eyes widened with wonder as she took in the intricate designs and shimmering pieces showcased. The array of jewelry sparkled under the warm glow of the stall's lights, casting enchanting reflections on Chaeri's face.

Jungkook could not help but think that at that moment, she looked more beautiful than usual and even blushed at his thoughts.

Among the captivating collection, Chaeri's gaze was caught by a small hairpin adorned with a delicate arrangement of tiny pearls and jewels intricately intertwined with strands of glistening gold wire. Mesmerized, she reached out and delicately picked up the hairpin, holding it up to the light to observe its craftsmanship. Every delicate detail seemed to tell a story, a testament to the artisan's skill and the beauty of the materials used.

"It's so beautiful," Chaeri breathed, her voice filled with awe. The combination of pearls, jewels, and gold created a stunning harmony that seemed to dance with the light. "I've never seen anything like it before."

When she lived with her mother in France, beautiful jewelry and accessories were never lacking, but she had never owned something so lovely

Jungkook couldn't help but smile, his heart warmed by Chaeri's enchantment. He knew he wanted to see her happiness bloom even further. "Do you want it?" he asked, his voice laced with a gentle eagerness.

Chaeri's eyes darted back to the hairpin, conflicted by her desire and the presumed cost that accompanied such intricate craftsmanship. She hesitated, her fingertips gently tracing the contours of the design. "I don't know... it's probably too expensive" she admitted

Jungkook, determined to make her dreams come true, reached into his pocket and retrieved a handful of coins and bills. His fingers swiftly counted the money. "I think we have enough" he said confidently, a hint of mischief playing on his lips.

Chaeri's curiosity piqued, and she couldn't help but inquire, "Where did you get all this money from?"

Jungkook's grin widened as he revealed his secret. "I collected it from the swear jar" he confessed, his voice filled with playful pride. 

Chaeri's eyes widened in surprise, remembering the times when their friends would playfully scold each other and contribute money to the jar as a lighthearted way to discourage swearing.

She couldn't help but burst out in laughter at Jungkook's brattiness, feeling proud for him for not following the rules for once. 

Jungkook's smile only grew wider at the sound of her laughter. He gave her a playful nudge with his elbow. "So, do you want it?" he asked again, gesturing to the hairpin. 

She knew it was silly to spend so much money on a hairpin, but she couldn't resist the temptation. "Yes, I want it" she said, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Jungkook slid a stack of coins across the wooden countertop to the stall owner, who bowed his head in gratitude and carefully nestled the hairpin in a small velvet bag. 

As she opened the delicate envelope and revealed the treasure within, Jungkook's eyes never left her. He watched in awe as her face lit up with pure delight, her eyes widening as she beheld the intricate craftsmanship of the hairpin. With a graceful movement, she secured it into her dark, silky hair, effortlessly blending tradition with modern beauty.

Using a small hand mirror, Chaeri admired herself, turning this way and that to catch the light of a nearby lantern. The soft glow illuminated her radiant skin, creating an ethereal aura around her. The hairpin, now nestled amidst her locks, sparkled brilliantly, accentuating her features and enhancing her innate beauty. It was as if the accessory had been tailor-made for her.

Jungkook found himself captivated by her, unable to tear his gaze away. 

In that moment, as their eyes met in the flickering light, time seemed to stand still. The bustling market faded into the background, and for an instant, it was just the two of them.

"Chaeri-ya, that hairpin you're wearing is beautiful. When did you get it?" 

Jin's compliment caught Chaeri off guard, causing her to falter in her movements. She momentarily forgot the lie she had prepared. "Um, I got it a while ago," she replied, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

Jin raised an eyebrow, a look of curiosity on his face. "Really? I don't remember seeing it before."

"I don't wear it often. Why are you so interested? It's just a hairpin. Do you want one too oppa?" she teased, returning to look in the mirror in front of her as she rehearsed for the umpteenth time the most difficult movements of the debut choreography.

"I was asking out of curiosity - You know.. the money from the swear jar was gone this morning"

Chaeri had to suppress a giggle, looking only for a moment into the eyes of the older member "Who knows, try asking Taehyung. I heard him say he wanted to borrow it." She had set out to make her best friend pay for the way he enjoyed the fact that he could play poker and she could not

"Aish, that little brat.. TAEHYUNG-AH!"

taglist: @alixnsuperstxr | @bts-dream | @enchantingbrowneyedgirl | @ycuvi

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So Saltburn: a story of obsession and control

Warning: spoilers ahead

You bet I'm gonna dissect this mfing movie. It left me scarred at 3 am on a workday so here I am, giving my own personal interpretation. Enjoy!

So as I've anticipated, I think the entirety of the movie is a battle between obsession and control. Specifically, Oliver's need to control everything and anyone, and his very clear obsession with Felix. But how does it unfold? And are the two conciliatory, or is Oliver a walking oxymoron? Why does he fuck a grave? We'll get to that.

Part I: Obsession.

We know nothing of Oliver's past. We come to know, very shockingly, that he has a peaceful-looking family, in an alright neighbourhood. The only hint we might've been given about his past behaviour is how his mother immediately tries to soothe the situation when he refuses lunch and wants to leave. But still, too little, so for the purpose of this dissection, Oliver starts with Oxford.

I believe that, at the beginning of the movie, Oliver is more inclined towards obsession. He picks his god (Felix) and yearns to please him. Still, we also notice his need to control very early (actually we do at the end, but yk, early). The control aspect is apparent in his manipulations, this new reality he carefully crafts, but all of it is to appeal to Felix. "He's a scholarship guy who buys clothes from Oxfam", he clearly doesn't want to be that. He doesn't want to be part of the equation-spurting loner group, to be a kid from a boringly simple family and a modest, row-house neighbourhood.

He needs to appeal to Felix, so he takes control of everything. Here, obsession and control go hand in hand. The only reason Oliver is doing what he's doing, is to feel seen by his god. To seat at the "olympus" table with all the trendy, rich kids and their godly-like aura. He threads slowly at first: he knows he can't become them, so he plays the poor-guy part. Crappy family, no money, but still so, so generous and ready to listen. His god is surely pleased; not only that, Felix feels protective of him. He's gained a spot in paradise, albeit due to someone else. Then he makes a mistake, he gets too comfortable and lets too much of his desire of perfection slip. Felix gets annoyed and he's kicked out of heaven. Therefore, more manipulation, more offerings: oh no my dad is dead. Please Felix notice me again, make my tragic story part of your entertainment, let me in again to delight you further.

And so he does.

Part II: Control.

It is a gradual event, control eclipsing Oliver's obsession. For a while, the two co-exist almost equally.

It is very subtle at first. He appears shy, but he's not: I reckon runny eggs don't really make him sick. But he gets to order someone around and he surely takes the chance. For the first time, the reality he's crafted doesn't only need to appease a "superior being" but also, himself.

Then, we have Venetia. It's the first time we clearly see what a little of control does to him, his first true sliding through the cracks of Saltburn like termites. Control is a high for Oliver, fusing with arousal. He likes telling her what to do, to share his excitement and make her do his bidding with it. And still, he is entertaining someone: he's the guy who doesn't cower around period blood and actually plays with it. He's stepped up, but he's still surrounded by higher beings.

Of course, we can also see how obsession remains in how he, uhm, slurps some delicious bathwater and also readily denies having anything to do with Venetia. Felix is still his god after all, and the fake reality exists to appease him. Not Venetia. She gets thrown to the side.

Then, Farleigh, who is actively trying to sabotage him. He wants him gone, he looks down on him, he likes to remind Oliver just how ephemeral he is at Saltburn. They already had moments of tension at Oxford, but now it's pathological: Farleigh is a risk of getting kicked out again. And so again, Oliver deals with it through arousal. Being able to bend him to his will is exciting, control is exciting. He's getting a better taste.

Then, the tragedy. Felix finds out about all the lies. Oliver's god is enraged, outraged. He's still in paradise, but on borrowed time and clearly unwanted. But the worst of it all: Oliver's object of obsession can never, ever accept his offerings again. His entertainment. Though he tries to salvage it, it's gone, the sparkle; and he's been getting skilled at control. So the night of the party, last night in heaven, he kills his god. If he can't please him, he'll conquer him. If he can't obsess over him, he'll take his place. (the symbolism is also very strong in this one!!! Felix having wings, and Oliver antlers to represent horns, or perhaps just earthly beings.)

So why does he fuck a grave? Quite simply, in my humble opinion, he's weeping the death of his god and getting aroused by his conquest at the same time. That's what I mean when I say he's a paradoxical character, and the conflicting nature of him is more prominent in this scene than in any other.

Now that Felix is gone, the road is easy. He's taken one of the highest spots and he wants more. Farleigh? Gone. Venetia? Disposed of. The plan halts upon the father's ultimatum (who, though apparently soft, is still head of this paradise) but when he dies, it is back in motion. The mother is too trusting, too desperate for a friendly face. Oliver is now the one with power over her, it's so easy to kick her out. Her slow assassination is partially merciful, partially ecstatic for Oliver, once again. But he's won, he has complete control (and so, he thankfully doesn't fuck her comatose body.)

His crafted reality is now real. He does not only belong to paradise, he runs it. He has become the god he's killed, and his last funky dance shows how control has definitely taken over obsession. No need for that, he sits at the top.