#i definitely see Hyacinth doing this

[sarcasticsweetlara]

I definitely see Hyacinth doing this

Mystery of the sexy paintings au

Today on another episode of aus I talk about with @seaowl when I am high on energy drinks

Mystery of the sexy paintings au

In which 17yo Gareth St Claire, good for nothing, except painting riske pictures that get him into trouble in the uni, comes up with a plan to con the ton into buying his amateur paintings for an exorbitant price, so he can get the cash he needs to pay for tuition. Enter, his friends/models. Who were nice enough to model for him for free.

The problem is, that the Bridgertons may have made mysterious French painter Gautier-Gautier / 17yo Gareth, rich overnight, but also, now they’re trying to discover his identity. How was Gareth supposed to know his friends attracted so many lunatics.

Sophie, he can understand, Benedict was the initial target of this whole fake art show business. Con the delusional rich guy into buying the painting of odalisque Lady in Silver (wearing a mask and a transparent sheet). But what he didn’t expect was that Benedict would fall inlove at first sight and make a shrine for the painting in his room. Benedict also makes his sister’s lady’s maid clean the shrine, who happens to be Sophie. The very same Sophie who got so fed up with Benedict’s Lady in Silver delulu after a masquerade a year ago, that she was willing to pose semi naked for Gareth and was 100% unapologetic about conning the Benedict out of millions in cash. Now she’s cleaning a shrine to the painting of her own semi naked body and this close to killing Benedict.

  Kate, well Gareth doesn’t even know why Kate agreed to let him paint her naked back and buttocks in all their sultry and exquisite glory. All he knows is that she felt sorry for him and that some guy she disliked said she was uptight and priggish and hadn’t done one wild thing in her life, so Kate told Gareth to paint her buttocks on top of a mushroom and get as much cash as he could manage from auctioning off her likeness. Gareth thinks Kate may hate him, because a furious Anthony Bridgerton saw the painting and immediately had people looking for Gautier-Gautier. Gareth knows Anthony can’t prove the naked back-buttocks model in the painting is Kate, but boy is the man trying his best to make Kate confess to her evil misdeeds. He also knows from Sophie that Anthony keeps Kate’s painting in a secret place only he can enter and that he spends way way too much time there. On the bright side, Anthony paid a lot of money for the faceless mushroom fairy, so Gareth has to thank Kate for her honorable, if spiteful gift of charity.

Penelope volunteered to help Gareth because she thought his paintings of Sophie and Kate were beautiful and she was even fine with her face being visible because in her reasoning, nobody would recognize HER wearing negligee anyway, she was a wallflower, if people saw the resemblance, well, redheads were a dime a dozen in popular paintings, nobody would think it was her. Gareth thought so too, and he was happy to help Penelope get in touch with her desirable femininity by painting her as the goddess of love. He was proud of the redhead seductress he painted. That is until another furious Bridgerton walked away from the art show with the painting AND the woman he clearly recognized in tow. Gareth doesn’t know much about Colin Bridgerton, but he looked about to shoot somebody the moment he saw Penelope, and the painting of the goddess of love that everyone was admiring. Penelope at least tried to explain, but Colin was fit to be tied. Gareth really hopes his friend is okay and not locked away somewhere being ravished by Colin Bridgerton. the man did pay an exorbitant amount of money for the painting, but Gareth is okay with accusing Colin of kidnapping Penelope if he doesn’t hear from her in a few days.   

Phillip, okay yes Gareth did it on purpose, he painted the man as a dark sexy demon wearing a loincloth, but to be fair Gareth asked for help, Phillip said no, because #thinkOfMyChildren, so Gareth had to resort to blackmail. And while, yes it is wrong for Gareth to use Phillip’s sad depressive diary against him, it was also wrong of Phillip to say no to posing semi-nude for Gareth’s moneymaking schemes. What better way to celebrate being in London for a hot widowed father than to do Gareth a favor.  In the end the bidding war among the thirsty debutantes made loin cloth fire demon the hit of the night, I mean Eloise Bridgerton probably bankrupted a few years of her allowance with how much she put on the pot to take the painting. Now Phillip is complaining that Eloise is sniffing around too much when he’s shirtless in the gardens trying to teach his kids about plants. Honestly for Gareth that sounds like the opposite of a problem, but Phillip has this thing called modesty that Gareth can’t quite get.

Look at cousin Simon and his boxing buddy Michael, they were both good sports about being part of the art show. Sure Simon almost fainted with Daphne Bridgerton began arguing with her brother about the whole ‘if you can take the mushroom fairy, I can take the semi naked warrior, so give me the money’ ordeal, because you know, Anthony was Simon’s university pal and could recognize those warrior biceps anywhere. But in the end, he couldn’t deny Daphne her wish without explaining that she was thirsting over semi naked Simon, and giving up the mushroom fairy painting that other gentlemen were eying with envy was a non negotiable. Daphne walked away with her painting and so did dowager duchess Francesca Stirling, who took one look at Archangel Michael’s painting, paid a king’s ransom for it and walked out without so much as looking around, you gotta admire a woman on a mission really.  

Lucy’s painting was probably the less risque of the lot, because while she was only a year older than him, she still wanted to participate in the gautier-gautier moneymaking scheme and help Gareth, so Gareth painted her as a beautiful mermaid, in honor of their childhood friendship. She was dressed…sort of. I mean look at Greg Bridgerton, he bought it for her didn’t he? He thinks the art looks pretty. He thinks the art looks like Lucy. And with the way Greg talks about the mermaid, Gareth wonders how the man can be so dense. But that’s Lucy’s problem to worry about.

Enter his current problem. Debutate and diamond extraordinaire, way too perceptive to be sixteen, Hyacinth Bridgerton, who apparently knows all about Gareth’s secret identity as Gautier-Gautier and is threatening to let her siblings know, unless Gareth gives her a self portrait… for free.  

An: I’m thinking about writing a drabble about this, mainly just the part of Gareth and the fabulous seven coming up with the idea and actually implementing it. tagging @sea-owl my au loving buddy who is okay with hearing me ramble

[nimblermortal]

@athingofvikings they're heeeeeere!

So, the payment of wergild is divided among rings, which are basically degrees of relation, and perhaps tomorrow I will draw a family tree and color it according to which ring each relation has. To further complicate it, ounces are broken down into bits, but we don't know how much a bit is or how many are in an ounce, which would be the same thing.

But to break things down according to the main ring:

-standard wergild is 3 marks (24 ounces, 1.5 pounds, 600g) -for a freedman, 12 ounces -for a slave, twenty-four bits

These are accompanied by a supplement, and I have only glanced at this so I'm not sure what that is, but my guess is it's a court fee.

Regarding bits: "A supplement of half a mark goes with the twenty-ounce ring, and thirty-two bits" is the largest number of bits I see written in a quick scan. So there are more than 32 bits in an ounce, probably. If only I had a silver penny to weigh...

But anyway, I looked that up! And it was easy! And now I can read them front to back and just know things like what it means if you hit someone and blood falls to the ground!

[burnthoneydrops]

Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly (c.b. x fem!reader)

pairing: colin bridgerton x fem!reader

word count: 1.9k

warnings: none? but let me know if i missed any!

a/n: Ah! the first of my "if i was a girl in a book" series is here with sound of music meets colin bridgerton! there will definitely be more parts to this (at least i think there will) but i wanted to introduce the idea of the series with this part first! hope you enjoy, let me know what you think! pt 2

The Bridgerton house is terrifying. Not necessarily the contents of the building, though you can not exactly speak for that as you had not entered the house yet, but the actual building is terrifying. It is beautiful and warm and spectacular and terrifying. You take a deep breath and close your eyes before marching up the front steps, placing your two bags down on either side of you, and knocking on the door. It takes approximately two seconds for the doors to open and expose the wide foyer and many footmen seemingly standing around waiting for your arrival. What ensues is the most awkward staring contest of your life; the man who opened the door stares seemingly into your soul, the blankest of stares on his face. 

“Good morning, my name is Y/N and I am here to see Lady Violet Bridgerton,” you finally break the silence, hoping he will stop staring at you if you say something regarding your presence. 

With his arms stuck to his sides and his neck turning only when his body does, the footman marches down the hall and announces your presence in the doorway. The shuffling of many feet against wood and carpet sound soon after, and you are greeted by two little heads staring from the doorframe. You wave delicately, readjusting the bag you had yet to put down in your clenched fist before deciding to put everything down in hopes of looking more welcoming and open. 

“Ah, Miss Y/N, what a pleasure it is to have you!” An older woman in a beautiful periwinkle dress makes her way over to you. Looking down quickly at your brown frock, you push any insecurity out of your mind before sticking your hand out to shake. “Oh no, we’re a hugging household if you don’t mind,” Violet interjects your inner monologue. “Oh, not at all,” you put your arm down and let her initiate the hug, feeling both increasingly awkward and welcome at the same time. 

“Your timing is impeccable, as all my children actually happen to be in the same place at the same time,” the woman laughs. So this is Lady Bridgerton.

“Well, when one has a home this exquisite, I would be partial to staying here as much as possible,” you compliment. 

“I have a feeling we shall get along quite well Miss Y/N,” Lady Bridgerton smiles at you, and you feel like you have gained a victory, if not a very small one. “Children! Come greet our guest!” Oh. You are going to meet all the children right now. Splendid. 

A cluster of frenzied bodies makes their way out into the foyer, the two younger ones that poked their heads at you earlier leading the charge. They soon formed a line, appearing oldest to youngest– though you could not confirm– and you hold back a laugh as the two littlest ones battle it out for a spot in the lineup. 

“Gregory! Hyacinth! Stop that at once, we do not want to be confusing your new governess on her first day,” the oldest–or at least the first in line– yells while leaning over the back of the line. 

“Apologies, they are not always like this,” Lady Bridgerton comments to you, standing by your side and looking disappointedly at her children. 

“Mother, do not lie,” the second in line crosses his arms over his chest as the third suppresses a chuckle with a cough. You try not to laugh along with him, and he catches your shared moment, smiling at you while rolling his shoulders back and tucking his arms behind him. 

“Well, I believe it is time that you should all introduce yourselves,” Lady Bridgerton waves her arm down the line in demonstration. 

“I am Anthony, the oldest and the head of the household,” Anthony starts, stepping forward slightly then stepping back like a soldier. 

“Very pleased to meet you,” you nod, smiling lightly.

“I am Benedict, second oldest,” he goes to readjust his vest and you notice the charcoal marks under his nails and the paint on his thumbs. 

“An artist too I see,” you comment, and his eyebrows raise in amusement and confusion. “Your hands give you away,” you explain, nodding to the signs you gathered. His mouth forms a silent ‘ah’ before tucking his hands behind his back. 

“Colin,” the third one nods at you with a sly smile on his face, “third, one and twenty, and without need of a governess”. 

“Though some may beg to differ,” one of the girls further down the line pipes up, causing the two youngest to giggle under their breath. 

“Well, I am sure we will get to know each other well on adult terms then,” you nod, trying to keep the situation light. 

The girls keep the line going, Lady Bridgerton informing you that Daphne, the oldest daughter, was to debut this year and that while you would mainly be watching over the smallest two children, it would be much appreciated if you were to aid the girls in their more accomplished skills as well. 

“It would be a delight ma’am,” you smile, and when Lady Bridgerton announces that you will need to be shown to your room, Gregory and Hyacinth (whose names you now have committed to memory) are quick to grab a hand on either side of you and drag you up the stairs. Eagerly waiting to get to know their new companion better, you are left to wave a hasty goodbye to the rest of the family as you nearly trip over the initial stair for the children are oh so speedy.

The first night finds you unable to sleep. The space is unfamiliar and the job so incredibly daunting. Though you have faith that you can achieve what you set out to do, it does not make the prospect of having to live with eight children, one mother, and who knows how many staff any less immeasurable. When the Bridgerton family had written to the greater community that they were in search of a new governess, you had never imagined that they would select you, but you were of course more than grateful. Coming from humble beginnings yourself, the cavernous environment and the sheer amount of people in it were enough to spike your anxiety. After tossing on your side for the 100th time, you finally strike a match, lighting the candle on your bedside table and grabbing your diary from beside it. Writing letters to family and friends had become a habit of yours when you could not sleep, which you are not eager to admit happens frequently. You begin writing a letter to your mother, the words spilling out of you as the ink bleeds through the page and onto your hands. Paying no mind to anything other than writing, you are shaken out of your mental tunnel with a quick knock on your door. 

“Yes?” You call through, quickly shoving your diary under your pillow. 

The door opens hesitantly, and Colin peeks his head through the frame. “My apologies, I saw the light under the door on my way down the hall and feared someone had left it burning in their sleep”. 

“Oh,” you laugh awkwardly, “do not fret Mr. Bridgerton, it was merely me”. 

“Were you unable to sleep?” 

“Yes, but not to worry, it was merely,” you pause and realise there is rain tapping at your window, “the storm”. 

“Ah. I know a few of my younger siblings are unable to sleep during storms as well,” he nods in understanding. 

As if responding to a cue, Hyacinth runs up to the door and Colin opens it wider. Her creased forehead and pouted lips are enough for you to open your arms, sending her flying onto your bed. She ducks her head into your pillows, covering her ears further as thunder claps outside your window. You rub your hand along her back, looking between her and Colin who still stands at your door. 

“My dear, did the storm frighten you?” It feels like an obvious question, but one must cover all bases when dealing with new children. Lest you forget when, two families ago, one of the middle children was not scared of the storm, but of the fact that his older brother was chasing him down the hallway with a fish head. How they had even come across such a thing you will never know. Hyacinth nods her head and you pat the space next to you, whispering quiet shushing sounds in her ear as you hear another set of feet approaching your door. Colin looks down the hall as Gregory comes to join the party. 

“Were you scared as well darling?” You ask, scooting your legs to the farthest edge of your bed to make more room. 

“No! I wasn’t scared…I was merely coming to check on Hyacinth,” he sounds unconvinced. You nod in agreement, muttering ‘of course’ to save him his image of masculinity when another round of thunder rolls through. That masculine facade is quick to fall as Gregory runs up onto your bed, taking up the space behind Hyacinth. Colin chuckles and you send him a death glare to avoid him making fun of his siblings. 

“Now now, the storm cannot hurt us inside. We have light, and windows from which to watch the storm pass if we so choose,” you try reassuring them, but it seems to do little good as the children keep in their tucked positions. 

There is suddenly a fourth Bridgerton entering your room when Francesca makes her way in, her head down in fear and shame. You open your arms wider, allowing her a safe space in which to take refuge, and she joins the cluster of Bridgertons on your bed. “Couldn’t sleep,” she mutters before wrapping her arms around Gregory.

“You know what always makes me feel better in times like these?” You look between the three closest to you. None of them give a verbal answer, but Hyacinth raises her head from the pillows, looking at you with the saddest eyes known to man. “My mother used to sing to me when I was scared of the storms. Would you like a song?” Francesca is the first to nod, then Hyacinth. Gregory is last, first trying to keep a tough illusion but quickly dropping it when lighting flashes into view from your window. 

“Lavender’s blue dilly dilly, lavender’s green. When I am queen dilly dilly, you shall be king,” you begin. When you aren’t watching, Colin closes your bedroom door, leaning against the closest wall. “Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? Twas my own heart dilly dilly, that told me so”. He hadn’t been expecting much when his mother informed the family of the new governess that was to join them, in fact he had rather been irritated by the idea. The youngest children always found a way to scare them off and it seemed like a waste of time and money in his opinion, but his mind is slowly being changed. Watching you interact with his siblings in such a kind a heartfelt manner, especially with it being less than 24 hours since your arrival stirs something within him. He does not quite have a name for it yet, but there is something compelling him to stay in place rather than walking the few extra steps to his room. 

Perhaps he could get used to having a new member of the household.

[musicalsiphonophore]

I am wanting to start a Picrew chain! This is really lovely and has a phenomenal range of choices of background.

It is me in the process of explaining something.

I am going to tag @rosybetta @goofyjellyfishguy @borgr-queen @charcoalowl @ajfoxships @nosolaceofastraightanswer @thevampirecrow @0ctogus @waitafrikk @placentaeater999 @most-definitively-a-human @donuts4evry1 @nautilus-that-eats-hyacinths and also anybody who sees this and wants to do it!

[ijustwant2write]

Reunion Of Sorts-Anthony Bridgerton x Basset!Reader

(GIF credit to @mrsbridgerton)

Requested by anonymous: ‘Hi! If your requests are open I'd love to request an Anthony Bridgerton x Basset!Reader where the reader's Simon's sister. Prompts 14 and 15 please? Thank you so much, your works are amazing!’

14) 'It's only good news depending on how you look at it.'

15) 'I just wouldn't have expected this!'

Characters: Anthony Bridgerton x Basset!Reader, Simon Basset x Basset!Reader (siblings), Daphne Bridgerton x Reader (platonic), mentions of Bridgerton family

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name

Warnings: Just extreme fluff!

                                            *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Are you quite alright, (Y/N)?" Simon asked his sister as they journeyed in their carriage.

(Y/N) had started fanning herself a little faster."I don't know why I'm so nervous. I just hope to make a good impression."

"Of course you will. I'm sorry you haven't met them sooner."

"I could have at least met your wife at the wedding, if I had been invited."

"We have been through this, (Y/N)."

"Yes, and I'm not trying to argue with you, Simon. I know you married in haste, and I know why, but you must admit, you've left this far too long. You have a son now!"

"You have been cooped up in that house with your matron as father intended. I think she would have had my head if I tried to get you out of there."

They laughed together.

"Simon?"

"Hm?"

"I am very excited to meet your wife and my nephew."

As usual, the Bridgerton house was abuzz with excitement and chaos. Eloise didn't understand why she had to dress up so much for this visit, Gregory and Hyacinth were bombarding everyone with questions about Simon's sister, Colin and Benedict tried but failed to escape the madness, Anthony watched everything unfold and Daphne nervously bounced her baby boy on her knee.

"Daphne, do not fret. His sister will love you." Anthony tried to reassure his sister.

"What if she's like their father? What if she heard all the rumours about us and judges me for it? Simon has never spoken of her, I have no idea what to expect."

"I met Simon's sister many, many years ago. She was nothing like the things you are dreading. (Y/N) was a lovely, respectable young lady, I'm sure she hasn't changed."

Daphne let a small smile grace her face, trying to convince herself that everything was fine. Simon had kept his family such a secret, she just wanted to ensure that his sister would want to stay and be part of theirs.

Simon playfully rolled his eyes as (Y/N) asked how she looked, not in vain, but in anxiety. Her dress was beautiful, her hair perfectly in place, her jewels glistened but they weren't ghastly, nothing was wrong. Her nerves were getting the better of her. Just as she was about to ask again, the carriage stopped. Simon chuckled at her panicked look, already stepping outside.

He held out his hand for her."You'll be absolutely fine. Just be you."

(Y/N) took a deep breath before taking her brother's hand, being extra cautious to not fall on her face, especially since the entire Bridgerton family were stood on their front steps.

As head of the household, Anthony was ready to start introductions, until (Y/N) lifted her head, showing her dazzling features. He had only admitted to himself that he had a fancy for her when he was younger, though who wouldn't? She was beautiful, smart and didn't try hard to impress anyone; she was just joyful to be around. (Y/N) had never pined for Anthony or tried to grab his attention at every moment, or any man for that matter. He definitely considered her a friend, he was somewhat angry at himself he hadn't written to her over the years. But seeing her now, it was a mystery as to why she hadn't been married yet? That was quickly solved when he remembered Simon was her brother.

Simon stuck beside his sister until Daphne stepped forward. They shared a short but loving kiss, before Simon took their son into his arms, cooing and laughing as the baby gurgled. (Y/N)'s heart melted at the sight.

"Oh, how we've missed you." Violet beamed, greeting her son-in-law.

"I apologise for the delay, the weather was not suitable for travelling. Nevertheless, everyone, this is my sister, (Y/N) Basset."

(Y/N) curtsied as all eyes were on her."Thank you for welcoming me into your beautiful home. I have been so excited to meet you all."

"Well, why don't we go inside? We can have proper introductions in the warm." Daphne hid her nerves, presenting herself well.

Everyone agreed, leading (Y/N) inside. The family lined up like soldiers, with Anthony stepping forward to introduce everyone.

"I hope I don't have to reintroduce myself." he teased.

"Of course not, how could I forget you, Anthony? After all the trouble you and Simon got into?"

He chuckled, but cast a worried look towards his mother. He quickly continued.

"My mother, Violet, sisters Daphne, Eloise and Hyacinth, and my brothers, Benedict, Colin and Gregory."

"And your nephew." Simon added.

(Y/N) reached out a finger for the baby to hold."Yes, he's bigger than I thought he would be."

"Children do grow so fast." Violet said.

"But you're here now to see him grow." Daphne quickly added. "And we're all very happy that you're finally here."

Everyone knew that it was Simon who had kept (Y/N) away. He loved his sister with all his heart, which is why he never saw her; she was living a happy life, he didn't want to dampen that.

"The chefs have prepared a marvelous lunch. The table is all set if you are hungry now?" Voilet asked.

"Oh, yes, as long as everyone else is."

As soon as (Y/N) agreed, Colin, Eloise and the two youngest were off. They were starving, even though they had eaten only a few hours ago. (Y/N) giggled to the relief of the others. They slowly followed behind, but Simon was hesitant. (Y/N) gently nudged him forward.

"Go, see your family. I have all the time in the world to get to know Daphne."

Simon thanked her, still carrying his son as his other arm wrapped around his wife. Another arm appeared in front of (Y/N), ready for her to take it.

"May I escort you to the table?" Anthony said.

"Thank you, I much appreciate it."

They both knew they were being dramatic, though it was sweet of Anthony to make the gesture.

"How many years has it been?"

"Too many."

"I'm sorry your brother hasn't involved you. If the...situation between him and Daphne had been different, I know you would have been here straight away."

"I know. And I understand how stressful that all was. But as said before, I'm here now. I must say Anthony, I have missed you."

"Really? Even after all those times Simon and I riled you?"

"Yes. Although annoying, you both had your tender moments. I remember one evening, you and Simon were returning from your club, and you both had found yourselves in a quarrel with some other members. They followed you home, and I was waiting by the back gate to sneak you back inside. They were closer than expected, and do you remember some of the horrible things they said to me?"

"Unfortunately I do. And I unfortunately remember what happened next."

"It was very chivalrous for you to defend me, though you needn't have fought. Your nose wouldn't stop bleeding!"

"But you were right by my side, holding a handkerchief for me."

"Yes, because if you got blood on the carpets, you would have something worse than a bruised nose."

The pair were laughing to themselves as they walked into the dining room. Most were already seated. Anthony guided (Y/N) to her chair, next to Simon, who stood to tuck it in, but Anthony beat him to it. Simon watched his friend's moves very closely, knowing deep down that Anthony was just being polite; however, he wasn't too fond that they were sat opposite each other, able to gaze into each others eyes.

Simon tapped his glass with a knife once everyone was sat, standing with said glass in his hand."Before we begin eating, I would like to propose a toast."

Everyone immediately grabbed their own glasses, except Eloise, taking her time as she huffed; couldn't they at least toast after the meal?

"To my sister, (Y/N). I am so happy that you're here with me, with us. I'm sorry I haven't been a better brother but that will change now. And I can't wait for you to get to know this loving family, who made me one of their own, as I know they will you."

"To family." Benedict finished.

"To family." Everyone cheered.

"Now the food. Please." Eloise needed a plate in front of her.

All through lunch, Simon kept a close eye on his sister and Anthony. He was awful at keeping up with conversations, slow at eating, he just had a weird feeling when he glanced at them both. Simon constantly apologised to Daphne, blaming the long journey for his daydreaming.

However, Anthony and (Y/N) might as well have been dining at their own table. They were in full conversation, of course others chimed in to join, but they couldn't stop reflecting on the past and laughing. It was impossible to not notice how well they were getting along, and Violet had a glint in her eye as she saw how much Anthony was smiling. He never smiled this much, and the way he was looking at (Y/N) reminded her of how her husband used to look at her.

After dinner, they retired to the drawing room, sipping on fresh lemonade as Hyacinth showed off her new skill on the piano. Simon sat with his child in his lap, Daphne by his side, and although he was thoroughly enjoying the time with his family, he couldn't stop gazing over at his sister.

Unsurprisingly, (Y/N) and Anthony were cosied up, still smiling ear to ear as they continued talking. How could they have so much to talk about?

"Let's put him to bed Simon, for a nap. He's getting fussy." Daphne interrupted his thoughts.

Simon didn't want to cause a scene, agreeing to put their son down together. Even as they left the room, Simon's eyes lingered, and he immediately became tense once they were out of sight.

"Has my brother dazzled you?"

Simon was quiet as he laid down his son."Hm?"

"Well you haven't stopped staring at him all night."

He sighed."Was I that obvious?"

"You were indeed. Would it be so bad?"

"What?"

"Would it be so bad if my brother loved your sister?"

"Daphne-"

"Has he been disrespectful? Has he done her wrong? Has he done anything that we did?"

He was stumped. Although his brotherly instincts were kicking in, wanting to protect (Y/N), realistically he knew Anthony would never hurt her. Anthony was trustworthy, he knew him inside out and just from tonight, there was something there.

Simon didn't reply, but Daphne knew he wasn't ignoring her. She could see him thinking it all over as he walked to the window.

"It's only good news depending on how you look at it."

"I know, but it will be fine-"

"No, look!"

Daphne quickly joined her husband at the window, trying to see what he was looking at. Down in the gardens was Anthony and (Y/N) taking a stroll. The pair were lit by the setting sun which was casting a beautiful orange and pink glow across the garden. Although they had not stopped talking through the afternoon, now they were silent, both silently worrying that the other had no more to say.

"(Y/N)-"

"Anthony-"

The spoke at the same time, pausing for a moment before laughing. Anthony said nothing, being a gentleman and letting (Y/N) speak.

"I was just going to say how much I have enjoyed our time together. It feels as if no time has passed since the last time I saw you."

"How long will you stay?"

"Sorry?"

"Well, are you staying for a short visit? Or perhaps an extended time?"

"Simon and I have not discussed that as of yet. I am to be staying with a friend of mine who lives in the Ton, so I shall be here for a little while."

Anthony couldn't help but smile."Good, that is good news."

They were quiet again as they continued walking, only taking small steps as they wee nearing the end of the garden. They were standing close to one another, and although they had linked arms before and been sat on the plush sofas, this held more tension. Perhaps it was the way neither of them wanted to startle the other, despite their desperate want for affection. As their minds drifted off to where this was leading, their hands ever so delicately brushed. Both were startled, halting their steps and looking at each other.

"My apologies-"

"Anthony, it's fine. I...I just wouldn't have expected this."

Anthony thought for a moment, glancing down at their hands that were no longer close. He didn't like it. He wanted to be bold and take the next step, even if it was just holding one another's hand. But this was Simon Basset's sister. And it was (Y/N), who he had the upmost respect for.

"Miss Basset?"

"Anthony, why are you calling me that?"

"May I enquire into the address of your new lodgings?"

"Yes? Why?"

"So that I may call on you in the morning?"

[psychesalcove]

„ but I'm in so deep, you know I'm such a fool for you ”

𝜗𝜚 percy jackson x child of apollo reader

synopsis: percy invites you to spend a evening at camp by the lake with him. and, you definitely do not have any feelings for him. nope, not at all. he just has a really cute smile, thats all.

⚠️: reader not admiting she likes percy, kayla being sick of reader not admiting her feelings, percy being a dork as usual, small mention of will being a protective brother, percy making atrocious ocean jokes, super soft percy twords the end, not proofread AT ALL, percy getting pushed into water

requested: yes, by swifthazed (accidentally deleted the request but hope you enjoy!!)

"he's definitely going to be asking you out," your sibling, kayla mused as the two of you watched percy leave through the doors of the infirmary.

you rolled your eyes at her comment as you turned around and went back over to the cabnit that stored bandaids. "im sure he is kayla," you said sarcastically, grabbing a box of my little pony bandaids. "there's probably gonna be other people there, not just us."

percy had come marching into the infirmary, no doubt scaring the younger camper sitting right by the door. at first, both you and kayla thought that he or someone else got hurt, but when he asked for you to join him at the lake later in the evening, your thoughts were proven wrong.

"oh please, did you not see the way he was blushing and avoiding eye contact with you? and, he didn't say anyone else would be there. he said, and i quote, "would you want to go to the lake with me later today, just to yknow, hangout" kayla repeated the words of percy while doing air quotes.

"i don't even like him like that kayla, and again, no way he's asking me out. he'll probably ask annabeth out if anything." you replied, walking over to the younger camper, who you believed was a child of hermes, and applied the bandaid on a small cut she had gotten doing who knows what.

"im sorry, did you just say you don't even like him? honey, not to break it to you, but if you're talking about him at breakfast, lunch, dinner, in the infirmary, in our cabin, im pretty sure you like him." kayla said in a deadpan tone, crossing her arms and smirking lightly at you.

you rolled your eyes at her once again as you quickly ducked your head down so she didn't see the shade of pink now tinting your cheeks. "you should be all set, and, try not to get hurt again, okay?" you advised the demigod, who gave you a couple of firm nods in response before running out the door.

"i'll tell will to take over your shift this evening, so y'know, you can get a boyfriend," kayla said. she started walking away tword other patients before you could get a chance to object.

ᝰ

percy came to get you later in the evening at the apollo cabin. you saw him through the front window of the cabin, recognizing his silhouette even with the hyacinth flowers overtaking majority of the outside view.

you quickly walked twords the door of the cabin before will could start interrogating percy and embarrassing both percy and you. kayla gave you a quick thumbs up before you headed out the door, mouthing 'go get your boyfriend ' to you.

percy was waiting at the bottom of the short case of stairs when you walked out. his face immediately lit up and he smiled at you. "hope i didn't come to early?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the sun setting. "just figured this would be considered evening, because, well, the sun is setting?" he said.

you chuckled lightly at his rambling. "is perfect timing, percy," you walked down the stairs and met him at the bottom.

"well, i guess we should get down to the lake, it's always pretty during sunset time, yknow?" he said as he started to walk in the direction of the lake.

"i do know percy, and so does everyone at camp," you joked, referring to the comment he just made as you started following him. you saw him roll his eyes playfully at you before he changed his pace and started running.

"last one to the lake is a pufferfish!" he yelled behind to you.

ᝰ

"well, running isn't really my specialty," percy said to you out of breath. he, somehow, ended up behind you when running to the lake; even though he had a huge head start to you.

"mhm, sure." you said crossing your arms as you looked at him smugly. "guess you're a pufferfish then," you joked, your face shifting to a more soft look as you saw him smile. he did have a really cute smile.

"guess so," he hummed, his breath finally coming back to him. "wanna head down to the dock?" he said, tilting his head in the direction of it. you smiled and nodded your head, following percy, who had already started walking away.

even though you knew the lake was bueatiful during sunset, you always forgot just how bueatiful it really was. with your shifts in the infirmary, the lessons, and everything else, you sometimes forgot that you could hang out at the lake.

"it's really pretty, isn't it," you mused, looking out to the far ends of the water as you sat down next to percy at the end of the dock. you saw percy nod his head in agreement, but didn't see how his eyes were on you and not the glistening water.

you just then realized how hot it felt being directly in the sun, so you quickly untied your low top converse you had on and put your feet into the water. "ykow you could just,go into the water if you're hot," percy said as he looked at you.

"you also realize that i'm not a son of poseiden who's immune to getting wet, right?" you laughed, looking back at percy who just blushed and starting looking down into the water. from the corner of your eye, you saw percy wipe his hands on his cargo shorts, before moving his hand to be close to yours. not exactly touching, but close to.

you heard percy take a deep breath that he was obviously trying to be quiet about, before you felt a comforting heat over the top of your hand. you moved your head so you could look at percy, and, surprisingly, he wasn't looking into the water,but he was looking at you. percys hand was laying on top of yours, not holding it but just resting there.

"so, uhm.." percy started. you noticed a small shake in his voice, so you nodded your head lightly to show that your full attention was on him. "gods this is going to sound so weird, but, ive been thinking for a while and, while i'm not the best at, well, anything, I think I finally understand what I feel when I'm with you," he countined, smiling softly as the two made eye contact.

"you make me feel like i'm actually important, like, important for who i am. and not what i've done, or what i stand for. i feel like a lot of people only think of me as the kid with a big prophecy and all that. they don't think of me as percy. but, i think you do," percy said, moving his hand that was ontop of yours so that your hands were now interlocked with eachother.

"obviously, that's not the only good thing about you. gods, no. i don't even know if i could list everything i love about you. there's so many things I adore about you. i mean, you help people so much every single day in the infirmary, i see you play guitar at the campfire and I don't think I've ever seen anyone play that well, and during capture the flag you just look amazing in your armor with your bow, not that you don't look good other days, you look amazing every single day, even if I can tell that you're tired or something, you still never fail to be so bueatiful and–" percy stopped his rambling, his eyes quickly moving down to your lips.

he looked back up into your eyes, silently asking if he could kiss you. you, even in your dazed state after hearing what percy said to you, about you, you nodded your head and smiled lightly at him.

the kiss would probably forever be the best kiss you'll ever had. you've never kissed anyone before, unless it was one of your siblings, and on the cheek or head only. but when you and percys lip collied, it did feel like the world stopped right then and there.

it wasn't a forceful or aggressive kiss in any way. it was soft but hesitant at first, both of you testing out the waters with each other. it showed all the love you shared for one another and how both of you had been longing for the other, longer than either of you would like to admit.

you pulled away first, wanting to respond to what percy had said earlier. percy chased for your lips once you moved, but quickly went back to where he was before when his brain caught up with him.

before you could say anything he said, "so, uhm. would you wanna be my girlfriend? i mean, if that's too soon we can always just go on a date first, or something, i really don't care, but ..i assume you feel the same way?" he rambled, once again.

you laughed and shook your head at him. "oh yeah, kissing someone is definitely not saying you feel the same way about someone" you joked, lightly pushing your sholder into his.

"and yes, percy, of course i'll be your girlfriend." you said, smiling fondly at the son of poseiden who you could now call yours.

percy smiled, allowing the biggest grin you had ever seen someone make to be on display. his smile was really cute, now that you think about it. really shouldn't mention that to kayla, you thought, making a mental note in your head for later.

"so, now that we're like boyfriend and girlfriend.." he started, already giggling slightly. you raised an eyebrow, but signaled for him to countine.

"are we on a beach?" he asked, "because i find you sand-sational, " he said, now fully laughing at his own pick-up line he just used on you.

a loud splash filled the summer evening air, along with a loud screech, only some would recognize as percy.

[satoruhour]

🪻ugh your drabble about sore reader reminded of this one hc I think of so much that it’s embarrassing. Imagine gojo getting on sorcerer!reader’s nerves to the point that she and utahime almost have an anti-gojo hate club, and one time while bantering with him she jokes about his size or how he’s so self centred he probably can’t even make a woman cum.

Satoru only says “wanna see what I’m all about?” and safe to say she gets dicked down like there’s no tomorrow. Throughout the night he also makes fun of her for being all talk in the beginning but cumming so easily, makes her beg for it, will never let her live it down. Next day Utahime’s real pissed she lost her club’s vice chairperson.

My kitty isn’t even purring atp she’s meowing loud and crystal clear. Satoru who’s smug and a big tease in bed is so unbelievably sexy to me

a/n: discussions of incompetent dick game LMAO, oral f! receiving, fingering, p -> v sex, unprotected sex, creampies, multiple rounds

OHHHH MY GOD YOURE SO RIGHT ACTUALLY HYACINTH ANON sorry i took so long to get to this sobs. yes yesyes id like to think sorcerer was with them before but left the scene like nanami and never truly kept in touch with the students at tokyo high. id also like to think this happens before the actual series starts (ages 24 - 25) bc gojo might still be honing his technique and theres still that playful banter at that age. god and they have a school reunion and he does some annoying crap dude.... utahime is DEFINITELY debriefing with you after that whole thing. shes by your side the whole night recalling on the stupid shit gojo did as a hs kid, when he collapsed that mansion without putting up the veil. you had to calm her down LMFAO

but at the reunion there was alcohol and you both get hiiiiigh and all things get 18+ almost immediately, talking about how gojo def cant find the clit and he fingers women wrongly and cant make any use of his dick thats probs small 😭😭😭 which is like ... you also have an inkling that he might not be that small because he is .... 2 metres tall but ya never know with how cocky gojo is. and that inkling is gone instantly when u hear him talk cause his voice is so ANNOYING and dripping with cockiness. he also has that certain lilt in his voice that you realise he uses only with you, overly teasing and silky smooth and u hate how you notice that

gojo is fucked up as well, u know he doesnt hold his liqour well but hes sober enough to ask “wanna see what im all about?” and you especially hate how you look around to see where hime is at and when u just catch a glimpse of her heading into the bathroom, youre nodding slowly and you do nooooot know what youre getting urself into !

needless to say, gojo is already getting u so hot and bothered just from a simple kiss. he warped you two back to your apartment (bc he rather die than get found out by megs and tsumiki), which he has been to before !!!!! gods even the tension back then was so palpable but gojo was in a vulnerable place with geto and everything and didnt want to do anything that would hurt his heart more. you two make out for A WHILLLEEEE and if ure wondering if hes alr so good at kissing, what else is he good at ....?

youre proven wrong time and time again when gojo goes striaght for your clit, rubbing slow circles and he has u begging for more, more something just mere rubs. gojo has the gall to lick a stripe up your soaked panties and sucks a little at your clit and god he is LOVING the way all your previous insults about him fall short of your lips and doesnt have the same punch: “still doesnt prove your dick’s b-big—” gojo lips your panties to the side and eats you out. he eats. you. out. to prove a point but also he falls in love with your pussy, slobbering all over it and shit. “didnt tell my your pussy was so good, baby.” “cat got your tongue? do i live up to your standards?”

you realise hes cocky for a reason and that his tongue game is fucking insane. the same goes for his fingers, locking eyes when he first inserts his digits in and your moan is like heaven to gojo bc he likes nothing more than to prove people wrong. and this is the best way to do it !!!! “cum on my tongue, sweetness.” oh YOU DO !!! YOU DOOOOOO

and then you think gojos done with making his statement. nah. youre so fucked out just from oral and hes smirking down at you, bringing your hands to his crotch.

“what?”

“wan’ you to open my pants yourself.”

“so it’s small?”

gojo scoffs with a smile, he already finds himself addicted to you and your taste. “no. just curious to see your surprised face.”

it gets him off every time (even after dating. and cmon dont tell me you WONT be his gf or at least his fwb after this?) you react like that, mouth open and eyes never leaving his exposed cock that he could probably slam it inside.

wee woo and once he starts to fuck you ooohhhhhhggggghhh eveyrthing you say is INCOHERENT. you try to string words together, insults and name calling here and there but it’s always interrupted by moans and whines. “you’re so— mmhfuck— insanely anno— satoru!” its words and words but none of them make sense. youre drunk on his cock. he fucks you in every position imaginable and the first time he wants to pull out bc he isnt an asshole, you're trapping him between your legs and begging him to cum inside, inside, inside WOOOOWWW HE GOES INSANE.

“i’m on the pill, s-satoru! wan’ your cum inside, please, please—”

“you’re driving me fucking c—crazy. i will, i will.”

anyway yeah you guys go multiple rounds and youre rendered speechless at every turn, surprised at yourself that even when youre spent youre sinking down on his cock and riding him yourself right after you both came. everythings sticky and gross and gojos still sensitive but hes hooked on your pussy and lets you do whatever <33

the next morning u wake up caged in his arms and hes saying something annoying again. “wanna make this a regular thing?” and you attempt to reject him, pushing him away and getting up from your bed but youre sore everrywherreeee and he swoops in just as youre about to fall. “dick too good, huh?” you roll your eyes and just let yourself be pampered by him. you spend that next day just making out and being close to each other and u wonder what to tell utahime LMFOAAOAOA

you end up getting a few missed calls after gojo had sent a selfie of you both, blanket covering your naked bodies after doing the obvious and he just chucks ur phone to the side and continues to kiss you LMAOAOAOAO. oh sigh thats such a nice scenario maybe ill write it properly one day

hello hello!

[fancyfeathers]

lol I saw the pregnancy headcanons and immediate thought of all those victorian and regency movies where the labor process is bad and the doctors asking the husband who to save, the child or the wife. It's always fun to see period drama yans realize that their darling could just die due to their greed

Oh my gosh, the darling would be absolutely terrified and so would almost every single yandere, like not going to lie I could picture this happening with Albert and his darling when she had the twins because that would have been a high risk pregnancy at the time and I can just imagine the pure panic all around the house when it was happening. Besides Albert, I imagine Louis would be busy trying to keep the other children in the house distracted, especially Andrei because he does not to know that there is a possibility of him not having a mother tomorrow. Then Albert is holding his darling’s hand when the doctor asks him that question and it looks like he saw death himself and honestly it takes him a few minutes to recover from that question and when the doctor asks him again he nearly looses it, terrified to loose any of them.

“My Lord, you need to-“

“Save them both!”

“My Lord-”

“Save them both, do what you have to but neither my wife or child will die here.”

The doctor probably thought Albert was in hysterics due to the shock but when seeing the look on Albert’s face, dead emotionless and staring into the soul of the doctor. Honestly the doctor probably thought Albert was out of his mind requesting something like that, most would save the child because they were the heir but Albert already had his eldest, Albert was just terrified of loosing them…

Eventually morning did come and the house was at peace again, and when little Andrei peaked into his parents room he saw his mother asleep with one of the two little girls asleep in her arms with her mother and the other being cradled by her father who was running patterns on her skin with the covert tip of his fingers. Albert definitely notices his sun in the doorway and gestures for him to come here with his head.

“Meet you two little sisters, I am holding Hyacinth and your mother is holding Marguerite.”

“…May I hold her?”

“Not just yet, let everyone sleep a little while longer.”

[noellawrites]

Become A Bridgerton - Yandere!Colin Bridgerton x reader

requested by: @ilovechickenwings & anon

summary: Colin does something horrible to you on your eighteenth birthday which forces you to marry him.

warnings: rape, noncon, somnophilia, manipulation, drugging, baby trapping, forced marriage, breeding

author's note: this is really dark so please take care of yourself before and after reading <3

As you entered the Bridgerton home, you were struck with awe. Even better, today marked a special occasion. Today, you were celebrating your eighteenth birthday with your best friends, Eloise and Penelope. Your parents had allowed you to have a small sleepover to celebrate your age, and of course Viscountess Bridgerton and the elder brothers would be watching over you three.

You walked in through the foyer to the parlor, where most of the family was gathered.

"Oh, (y/n), welcome and happy birthday," the Viscountess said, embracing you in a warm hug.

"Officially marrying age, how exciting?" Benedict teased as he turned away from his easel and looked at you.

"Leave her alone, Ben!" Eloise groaned. Her and Pen stood up from the settee and hugged you as well.

"Do you ladies have any special plans for tonight?" Viscountess Bridgerton asked the three of you.

"I thought we could roam around the gardens and read a bit. Perhaps play pickleball or another yard game," Eloise said.

Behind you, Anthony and Colin entered the parlor. Hyacinth all but jumped into Anthony's arms, and Colin walked right over to you.

"Happy birthday, (y/n), and congratulations," he added, smiling at you and making intense eye-contact. You hadn't seen him since before he had left on his travels, and you had to admit he was now very handsome.

"Congratulations? What for?" you inquired teasingly.

"You are now marrying age, correct? Your mother told mine that you would be entering society next season."

"Oh, well yes, I suppose. I don't feel ready yet at all," you confessed, twisting a lock of your hair.

"If we want to walk in the gardens, we must leave soon," Eloise urged impatiently.

"Oh, right, sorry. I'll see you later, Colin," you added before being pulled away by your best friend.

Even long after, you were left daydreaming about how tight Colin's shirt looked, allowing you to see the outline of his strong chest. You liked the light facial hair he had grown and the new styling of his hair, which suited him much more. You thought about him even while Pen and Eloise were debating about Lady Whistledown, and all throughout your garden walk. What was this feeling blossoming in your chest?

---

"I'm not ready to be a wife, I feel like I have so much more fun left in my life!" you groaned, stretched out on one of the parlor settees. The Viscountess had allowed you three some time to socialize in the parlor alone after dinner, so you all took the opportunity to get comfortable and talk.

"Being a wife can be fun sometimes," Pen volunteered.

"And how would you know?" Eloise snapped, setting her book aside.

"El!" you scolded.

"There's the marital act, which none of our mothers have explained to us, but it is supposed to feel good. And if you have a nice husband, he might let you enjoy it, too," Pen shrugged. She began to take some of the pins out of her hair, causing red locks to fall around her shoulders.

"The marital act," you shuddered, "those words alone scare me enough."

"Colin, Benedict and Anthony know but they won't tell me. And of course Daphne won't, either. But I assume it has something to do with the process of carrying children," Eloise said.

All of a sudden you heard a loud knock on the closed door. The three of you gasped.

"Bedtime, ladies," Anthony commanded in a stern voice.

"Fine, brother!" Eloise shouted back, rolling her eyes and standing up from the settee she had been laying on.

---

The Bridgerton house had a quite a few guest rooms. It was one of the reasons you enjoyed staying there, as your home was definitely not as fancy. You made your way to a small guest room the maids had made up for you at the order of the Viscountess.

Taking a deep breath, you shut the door behind you and turned on the oil lamp. You changed into your nightgown and began undoing your hair, twisting the pins and decorative ribbons out of the style. Your mother had done your hair in a special style for your birthday.

A slight knock sounded at your door. Who could it be? Perhaps Penelope needed more sanitary napkins.

"H-hello?" you asked, opening the door slightly. Colin.

"Good evening, (y/n). I was wondering if we could talk? I brought some tea for you."

"This isn't a good time, I'm getting ready for bed," you whispered.

"Just a few minutes?"

"Alright," you agreed. Colin closed the door behind him and sat down on the bed. You sat down next to him, taking the tea saucer from his hands and sipping tentatively.

"You never told me, how was Greece?" you asked, looking up at the man beside you. Although he was only twenty-three, he felt like a grown adult compared to you. Even at eighteen, you still felt like a little girl.

"It was beautiful, (y/n). Maybe I'll bring you there someday. Would you like that?" he asked, eyes trained on you as you took another sip of the tea.

You nodded, wanting to speak but finding yourself unable to. You tried to set down the tea saucer but Colin took your hand and raised it up to your mouth again.

"W-what are you--" you stuttered before he made you take another sip.

"Shh, it's okay my love. Just drift off to sleep," Colin urged. After you finished the tea, he helped you lay comfortably on the bed.

You fought to keep your eyes open, but the last thing you saw was Colin staring at you with a sickly smile.

---

You awoke to the sound of birds chirping and the sun streaming through the guest room's shades. As you rubbed the sleep from your eyes, you realize there was a sharp pain in your lower region. It was not yet time for your monthly cycle, but perhaps you were early?

The shooting pain was still there as you hobbled to the washroom, hoping a quick urination might relieve the pain.

You looked into the bowl after you were finished, a small bit of blood there. You must be starting early, there was no other explanation. Maybe Colin knew something, as he was there with you before you fell asleep. You went to sleep a lot quicker than you'd been meaning to, but perhaps it was because you had a long day.

---

About six weeks later, you still had not gotten your monthly cycle since before you'd stayed at the Bridgerton's, aside from the small bit of blood from the toilet. You felt fragile and constantly sick. You looked bigger and your breasts felt heavier. You'd never felt anything like this, and you were scared. Did you have the plague? How could you have even gotten it?

After a few weeks of worrying, your parents were able to get a doctor out to your house to check on you.

The doctor, a stern old man, examined you, asked questions and inspected you thoroughly. When he was finished, he took your parents aside.

"You stupid, stupid girl!" your mother yelled from across the room. You looked at her, confused and surprised.

"What are you talking about?" you asked innocently.

"Who did you have sexual relations with?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"The marriage act, who did you do it with? Oh my, we must find the boy and ask him to do the honorable thing and marry her. Or else she'll be a soiled spinster!" your father shouted.

"I didn't do the marriage act, I promise! I don't even know what it is, I've never even kissed a boy!"

"If you will not be honest, we must take this into our own hands as soon as possible. You are pregnant, stupid girl," your mother spoke. She yelled back and forth at you with your father, but your brain couldn't comprehend it anymore.

You were confused, having been sick for almost six weeks straight. Six weeks ago was your birthday, when you had fallen asleep by Colin. Could that be the marriage act? You would have to speak with him as soon as possible. How does one get pregnant?

---

"I need to see Colin," you tell the butler urgently once you arrive at the Bridgerton estate.

The butler nods and escorts you to what you assume is Colin's study, as he is sitting there at a desk, writing in his journal.

The butler leaves and you make a guttural noise, alerting Colin of your presence.

"Oh, hello! It's great to see you again, (y/n). I've been expecting you."

"Y-you have?"

"Yes. I heard the doctor was coming to your home to check up on you. I knew it meant my seed had taken."

"What?"

"Marry me, my love. We can travel with our baby and eventually settle down. You will have a luxurious life with me, more than with anyone your parents could pick for you. Come on, (y/n). Become a Bridgerton."

"What did you do to me?" you cry, reaching your hand gently down to touch the tiny bump of your stomach.

"The tea I gave you put you to sleep and boosted your fertility. I picked it up at a bazaar in Greece, when I first had the idea to do this. I consummated our marriage, though a bit early. You would be wise to accept my proposal. This is your only chance at a good life, (y/n)," Colin explained with a slight smirk on his face.

You slid to the floor, dress cushioning your fall. You nod through the tears, in disbelief that Colin had taken advantage of you. You didn't even know what he'd done to you. You weren't sure you wanted to know, either.

[acey-wacey]

OMG congrats on the milestone!!!!!!

So excited you're back too, missed seeing you on my feed!

For the event, if it's not too much trouble, could I get

Hyacinth with Either Ace or Trey? Don't stress if you got nothing for it, and feel free to ignore if you need to!

CONGRATS AGAIN!!!!

Thank you for participating, lovely! I'm actually so thrilled to be back too! I forgot how much I loved writing and hopefully I'll be here for a little longer before my fall semester starts and I get swamped.

...

Pairing - Trey Clover x Reader

Prompt - Arranged Marriage

"Alright, Y/N, you can do this."

You whispered a pep talk to yourself as you rolled up your sleeves. You looked up at the stone wall before you and gulped at its imposing height. It was 8, maybe 10 feet, which wouldn't have been that bad if you weren't in a dress. There were many things that could go wrong. You could lose your footing and fall to injury if not your death and if you were caught trying to sneak out, you would likely be punished harshly.

"Certain doom, marriage to a stranger," you weighed the two options in your head. At least if you died, you would be free of the dreaded prince you were meant to wed. "Definitely certain doom."

It wasn't as though you had anything in particular against the Prince of Clubs. Very few of his subjects had anything bad to say about him, except that he was a notorious flirt. You didn't really remember what his name was nor had you ever seen what he looked like so he was a complete stranger.

He wasn't the exact problem, it was the principle of it all. Your parents had practically sold you to the Club Kingdom, knowing you would never find a match better than a prince. Your mother was a countess of Hearts, high enough on the hierarchy to be rich but not enough to really be important. You had no idea how she had bullied the poor Prince of Clubs into actually accepting your hand. No matter how comfortable your life was going to be in the Club Kingdom, you refused to be a bargaining chip for your parent's power and wealth.

You hiked up your skirt and set your foot on the first foothold you could find. Luckily, the stones of the wall stuck out in some places so it wasn't too difficult to gain your footing. You huffed with newfound confidence and continued up the wall, grasping at the harsh stone. You were definitely going to have blisters after this.

About halfway up, you realized you had run out of footholds. The closest one was closer to your head than your feet and you didn't know whether to risk it.

"Giving up isn't an option," you thought with determination as you braced yourself. You swung your leg up and exclaimed in joy when it caught the high brick.

It didn't take long for your excitement to wear off once you realized you were quite stuck. You groaned and tried to pull yourself up by the leg but you couldn't seem to get enough leverage.

"Son of a-!"

"Hello, my lady."

A deep voice from behind you made you freeze in your tracks.

"Are you in need of assistance?"

You huffed and tried to pull yourself up once more, your leg beginning to lose feeling as the blood rushed from it. When you failed, you slumped back to your very uncomfortable resting position.

"No, sir, thank you!" you called, praying that the person was not a guard who would take you to the prince.

"Are you sure?" the voice asked. "You appear to be in quite the pickle."

You tried to look back at the man who had walked in on your escape attempt, but you could move very far without losing your grip.

"If you're really asking, I am a bit stuck."

"I can see that." You could hear the smile in his voice.

"Well?" you called expectantly. "Are you going to offer your assistance or just stand there gawking? I wonder how you can call yourself a gentleman!"

The man laughed and you heard him step closer.

"I would never want my status as a gentleman to be in question. How many I help, my lady?"

You shifted around, suddenly aware of the fact that your dress had ridden up around your thigh where your foot hung helplessly from the stone in the wall.

"Perhaps if you gave me a boost, I could make it over the wall," you deliberated, gauging how much farther you needed to climb. "Yes, one last push should do it. Climbing down the other way should be much easier. If you grab me by the waist and lift me up, I should be able to make it."

"You must forgive me my questioning, but might I ask why you are attempting to climb the palace walls?" the man said, now directly behind you. "Perhaps I should be worried. You are not a prisoner, are you?"

"I will be if I do not make it out of here before the wedding," you called down, getting quite frustrated with this inquisitive stranger. "Will you not help me? My leg is getting quite exhausted and I would hate to fall from this height.

"Is there any particular reason you must leave before the prince's wedding? Do you hold disdain for him?"

You scoffed at that.

"Do I?! I've never met the man and yet my entire life will be lost to the most insufferable and determined flirt in all of Wonderland!"

"Is that what they say about him?" the man laughed out loud and you briefly wondered what his smile looked like.

"It matters not what they say, only what he is," you huffed, growing more irritated by the second. "My waist, if you please."

You heard a soft chuckle before you felt strong hands grasp your waist and lift you up, freeing your leg from its perch. You were so thrilled to be free you almost didn't notice you were being pulled back down.

"Hey, hey, hey!" you yelled as you were set back to your feet, not without quite a bit of kicking and squirming on your part. "I told you to lift me over!"

You whirled around and were immediately met by the brightest hazel eyes you had ever seen. You gasped at the closeness of the man, though it shouldn't have surprised you, considering he just practically picked you up.

Your mental picture of what the mysterious stranger looked like did not do him justice. He was taller than you expected, with dark green hair and a gentle smirk on his face. You were so encapsulated by your savior(?) that it took you about 10 seconds of staring to notice the club painted on his cheek. You were filled with momentary anxiety, assuming he was a courtier of Clubs. Hopefully, if he was close to the king and queen, his good nature so far was an indication that he wouldn't call the guards on you.

"You refuse to help a lady in distress, good sir?" you straightened defiantly, refusing to let your moment of weakness and the man's closeness incapacitate you. "Though you would save her from a lifetime of misery?"

"Come now, misery is a bit harsh," he smiled with insufferable knowing, like you were missing a joke. "I'm only a prince, not a dragon."

"Yes, well, you-"

You stopped short. He was... the prince? Your eyes widened and you dropped to your knees as you realized all the things you had said about him.

"Please forgive me, your highness," you stuttered, keeping your eyes glued to the dirt as your feet. The best case scenario at this point was not being executed. After all, the Queen of Hearts was so fond of her guillotine, perhaps the Queen of Clubs had her own special device for taking care of rule-breakers. "I know my impertinence cannot be forgiven, but I only ask that you punish only me and not my family. I will accept whatever punishment you deem fit."

A hand grabbed yours, lifting your gaze to the man, no, the prince, in front of you. Despite all your expectations, he was smiling.

"Apparently, being married to me is punishment enough," he laughed exasperatedly. He pulled you to your feet and bowed curtly. "Hello, Y/N. I'm Trey."

"Forgive me, your highness-"

"Trey," he said, his eyes sincere.

"Prince Trey-"

"Just Trey," he interrupted again. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, tousling it ever so slightly. "If we are to be married, we may as well be on a first name basis."

"Sorry, your- Trey." You had expected his name to feel odd in your mouth but it didn't feel that way. It suited him much more than any honorific you could think of. "So... you will not punish me?"

"If you will not rest until I do, then I sentence you to dinner," he smiled, a glimmer of mischief hidden in the gold of his eyes. You furrowed your eyebrows.

"Dinner?"

"With me," he finished, amused at your shocked expression. "You see, I would like to get to know you before I share the rest of my life with you. That is where most people start with these sorts of things."

You were stunned silent by how nonchalantly he spoke, almost as if he really were just a lowly courtier attempting to court the countess' daughter.

"I-" you could barely bring yourself to speak. Trey raised his eyebrow in amusement which only flustered you more. "I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"Dinner would be an acceptable punishment."

Trey smiled and offered his arm to you. You took it hesitantly, still stiff as he walked you back to the palace you had just been so desperate to escape.

"Do people really say I'm an insufferable and determined flirt?"

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

In the spirit of Valentines Day, I come bearing headcanons. Specifically, the mercs favorite flowers, plus how they'd react to getting said flower as a gift! Also, bonus Miss Pauling because I like her too.

————————————————————

Demo- Buttercups

I'd like to think that when Demo was younger, he lived in a house near a field that had wildflowers. Like he could look out his window and just see flowers, and out of all of them, he found himself being drawn to buttercups. I think yellow is his favorite color, so he was naturally drawn to them based off color but something else draws him to them that he can't describe.

He will cry if he gets a bunch of these. He knows that buttercups aren't a traditional flower to get in a bouquet which means, the person giving him them had to, not only remember whatever one off drunken comment Demo made about his favorite flower, but also had to go out and spend time picking flowers for him.

————————————————————

Engie- Hyacinths

I think he’d be a big fan of hyacinths because they were his mom’s favorite flower and now, seeing them reminds him of her. He may have not had a great home life growing up, but something about seeing small things to remind him of his old home does make him very happy. He likes blue hyacinth more than any other, which do represent loyalty and patience, so that’s fun!

If he receives flowers he’s immediately a little pink, the whole, “Aw, you shouldn’t have.” schtick, he is very happy to have received any gift at all. Not happy about how out of the way this must have been, but knows better than to argue when presented with a gift. He likes how they, at least a little bit, brighten up his work space. 

————————————————————

Heavy- Marigolds

I genuinely think he just really likes how they look. No deeper meaning. He just thinks that they are one of the prettiest flowers he’s ever seen, and he adores them. I think he really just likes flowers in general, and it’s hard for him to pick a favorite. This man just appreciates the beauty of the world! I think he is a little drawn to the color and shape, he thinks it's such an interesting flower. Something about it is unique in a mundane way. I also just think he’s read a lot of books on flowers and plants and has always been drawn to them.

If he got flowers as a gift he would be very appreciative. I think at first he wouldn’t really realize someone put the effort into buying him his favorite flowers. I like to think that his sisters would pick wildflowers for him when he was younger and he would always be appreciative of the “Thank you for thinking of me, this is the eight time this week you brought these, where are you finding these.” type of way, so he’s conditioned to feel that way at the sight of flowers as a gift, but is genuinely very happy when he realizes that someone remembered his favorite flower and bought them for him, small things mean a lot to him.

————————————————————

Medic- Chrysanthemums

Similar to Heavy, he is also a big fan of plants and flowers! I think he definitely minored in botany at one point after developing an interest. I think he actually grew to love chrysanthemums specifically because when he was going to college, he found that there was a small patch outside his dorm window, and he would occasionally watch the flowers moving, the life around them just living. He used watching the flowers as a break, a distraction, so his mind just associated them with good times.

He is posed with a… situation. He appreciates the gesture immensely! But… he does have birds, and as smart as the birds may be, they are still a little stupid, and he would prefer his plants NOT to be eaten. Also, he can’t risk coating his gift in blood, despite how much he loves the stuff, he knows that a blood bath probably isn’t the best for flowers. Fret not, however! He most likely keeps them in his room, or in a common area. He is very meticulous in caring for them, if he puts them out, the gift giver may see him watering and caring for the flower as often as he can between his other work. Maybe a bit more stress than originally worth it, but he definitely appreciates the effort!

————————————————————

Scout- Roses

Scout is a fan of roses, like his mother actually. He isn't aware of the symbolism of the color of roses though, he just always knew orange was his favorite color for roses, for some reason. It's just interesting that orange roses can represent energy and pride.

If he finds himself on the reviving end of these roses, he will get very defensive. He totally doesn't like them, why would you get him these, he doesn't want them, no, no no wait don't take them back- He keeps those flowers around until they rot, and even then he doesn't want to give them up, he loves the gesture.

————————————————————

Sniper- Tiger Lilies

Sniper likes flowers well enough. He’s more of an animal fan than anything, but he can appreciate the beauty of nature in all forms. I wouldn’t say tiger lilies are 100% without a doubt his favorite, I think he just likes seeing them a bit more than others. They represent prosperity and positivity, and he’s fine with having a little bit more of that in his life at any given time. Might give a half smile at the sight of one,

Hey, no, no no no, HE is the gift giver! Very uncomfortable receiving gifts. He’s appreciative, yes, but it;s just very hard for him to express that! People remembering things about him is very…new. He’s already very quiet and reserved, so the fact that someone managed to remember something so insignificant (in his mind) is confusing, but not entirely unwelcomed. He’s not very good with plants, so hopefully the gift giver won’t take offense to the fact that they might already be wilting by the next day.

————————————————————

Spy- Lily of the valley

A mix of a few things makes this Spy's favorite flower. I think Spy became attached to them after receiving them a couple of times. He attaches to them because any time he's given a gift, it changes a little part of his brain. Also!! Lily of the vally are symbolic of rebirth, and maybe Spy has always been ready for change.

If you managed to find out his favorite flower, you are instantly a threat (/hj) Spy does NOT like people knowing about things he likes, nor does he like them being “used against him” (<- having to feel an emotion one time), He’ll take them with the promise of not keeping them, so your money was a waste and you’re stupid for even doing this- he keeps them in his room along with the other plants he keeps. He loves the gift, like Scout, would rather die than admit that.

————————————————————

Soldier- Forget Me Nots

Calling these his favorite flower is almost a stretch, I don't think he particularly cares for flowers. I just don't think he really pays attention. But if he finds himself sitting on the ground, most likely with Demo, his eyes will be more focused on these than anything else.

If given as a gift, he doesn't really understand what the sentimental value is supposed to be, but he is grateful for the present. He most likely keeps them on his nightstand or somewhere where he can see them regularly. He enjoys looking at them and reminds him he's being thought of.

————————————————————

Pyro- Daisy

If given as a gift, immediately joy! They will definitely reciprocate with flower crowns made from the daisies. Just enough for it and the gift giver to have matching ones. They definitely like being given flowers to make crowns with, but much like Soldier, probably doesn't exactly understand the sentimental value of someone remembering/gifting it's favorite flower

It adores daisies! Something so simple but so beautiful makes them really happy. It really enjoys them and definitely always has some laying around either in a vace or just lying around. Gives them in all forms as gifts regularly, either by leaving them in the places each other merc is at the most, or by giving them it directly.

————————————————————

Miss Pauling- Lilac

Probably not the most original, but whatever! I think her favorite time of the year is a mix between spring and summer already, and when it's just getting hot enough to have warm, breezes and flowers blooming, she KNOWS lilacs are going to come out and she is so excited!! She loves the smell more than anything, the sights are also beautiful and make her very happy.

She never really gets flowers as a gift, who would have guessed, but she is overjoyed if someone gets her a bouquet of lilacs. Something about people remembering her favorite flower makes her feel... cared for and just a little less stressed out. She will smile at those flowers each time she sees them.

————————————————————

Went heavily on the symbolism, hm?Anyways, I am SO glad I finally wrote something and that I feel motivated again. Hope you guys liked them! Now, I'm going to bed.

[catboymoments]

no thoughts, only an appreciation for Hyacinth and the way you draw Hunter. It makes me cry /pos cuz I rly relate to Hunter so it just makes me giddy to see him happy and being such a good dad to Hyacinth 😭i apologize if I'm rambling but I just love ur artstyle so much and it makes me happy every time I see it on my feed (especially if its hunter- and especially the trans hc hunter- no I definitely haven't cried over seeing the art you've done wahttt noo that'd be crazy-) UHH ANYWAY TYSM FOR UR ART AND COOL VIBES UR AWESOME

THANK YOUUU WAUGHHHHHHHH 😭😭😭 I DO MY BEST

[spadecentral]

🍦 Ice Cream | Malleus Draconia x Reader

>> requested: yes, by an anon >> a/n: yay ive returned from break!

>> masterlist: 400 fllr. special , here!! >> summary: you spot malleus eyeing an ice cream vendor >> reader prns: they/them >> warning(s): none, i hope

You know that your boyfriend, Malleus Draconia, never had what would be considered to be a ‘normal’ childhood. You wished that he did, most definitely. But since you couldn’t just magically change the past–even if you really want to–you were going to make his teen years the best ones ever. Currently, the two of you were on a date walking through the streets of the town below the school that the two of you attended.

“Tsunotarou, what’re you looking at?” you questioned, trying to follow your fae boyfriend’s gaze. 

“Nothing of importance,” he shook his head, focusing on what was in front of him rather than the thing that had previously caught his attention.

“Hmm…” you mumbled. You knew that your boyfriend was not telling the truth and was lying to your face. But you weren’t mad about it. Instead, you just tried to figure out what had entranced him so much. That was until you saw children laughing. Ice cream.

“You seem…” you started, trailing off and gaining a smirk that settled nicely on your lips.

“Hm?” Malleus looked over at you, humming to ensure you that you had his attention.

“You seem like you want ice cream!” you said, slightly teasing him.

“What is an ‘ice cream’?” he asks.

“I’ll show you!” you start to drag him over to the ice cream stand that was crowded by a bunch of kids. Well, until they saw Malleus. They were then too intimidated to want ice cream, and one child started crying. Poor Malleus.

“Hello! What can I get for you?” the cashier asked you.

“Two vanilla ice creams would be great.”

The person on the other side of the stand nodded, putting two scoops of ice cream onto two waffle cones. “That’ll be eight thaumarks, please.”

“Ah, sure.” you reached into my pocket and grabbed your wallet, before handing the cashier the owed amount. “Thank you!”

“Have a good day,” they smiled in return.

Walking away from the ice cream stand, you handed one of the cones to Malleus. “Here you go. And don’t bit–”

It was too late. Malleus had bit into one of his scoops of ice cream. You winced, practically feeling the coldness hit your teeth, even though you weren’t the one to bite into an ice cream scoop. The fae gasped, not expecting his teeth to hurt, and accidentally dropped his cone of ice cream.

“Aw damn…” you mumbled, watching the ice cream fall. You looked up, to see Malleus’s hand over his mouth. “Tsunotarou, are you okay?”

“I was not expecting the dessert to be that cold.” he said.

“Yeah, I can see that,” you joked, glancing down at the dropped ice cream. “We can share mine. Here.”

You held up your own ice cream cone to his face, which had a conflicted look on it. “Lick it, this time.”

He glanced at you, wary, before doing as you instructed. 

“Good, right?” you smiled.

Malleus paused for a moment, fully tasting the frozen dessert. “Yes. Yes it is.”

>> twst taglist: @tulipluvlettr | @strawberry-hyacinth | @oseathepebble | @wisteriainslumber | @villaim | @pastelmages | @xphantasmagoriax | @atlasnessie | @divinesapph | @ze-maki-nin | @silly-ez | @l1vyatan | @savanaclaw1996 | @cupids-chamber | @queerlordsimon | @kyraxiyn | @nem0-nee | @rayisalive

[crescentcampbell]

definitely not but probably maybe bridgerton season 3 antics

Benedict Bridgerton: *coming home, minding his own business* Benedict Bridgerton: *spots carriage moving oddly* Benedict Bridgerton: *spots Colin getting out of carriage, hair mused, cravat slightly undone* Benedict Bridgerton: *hides behind wall* what? Benedict Bridgerton: *peaks around wall again* Benedict Bridgerton: *spots Penelope getting out of said carriage five seconds later* Benedict Bridgerton: oohohoo WHAT?! Benedict Bridgerton: *watches Penelope and Colin part ways in the most awkward way possible* Benedict Bridgerton: *follows his brother inside the house* Ahem! Brother! Colin Bridgerton: Ah, Benedict. I just came in for a walk. What are you doing home so late? Benedict Bridgerton: Oh, you know. I got distracted picking up some FEATHERS... Colin Bridgerton: *tenses* Not a damn word, brother. Not a damn word. Not to Eloise. Not to Mother. Or Francesa. And ONE word to Hyacinth and I will---- Benedict Bridgerton: Oh, I don't need to tell anyone. I was walking with Lady Danbury on the street. She's already gone to talk to Lady Featherington. Colin Bridgerton: WHAT? Benedict Bridgerton: *laughs* Oh that was worth it to see the look on your face. Don't worry, brother. Your secret is safe with me. Colin Bridgerton: You are a complete ass. Benedict Bridgerton: That's what brothers are for. Enjoy dipping your quill in her ink pot. Colin Bridgerton: One more Feather pun and I kill you.

[spaceorphan18]

The Lady Whistledown Papers: 1x04 - An Affair of Honor (Part 2)

Welcome back, Gentle Readers, to The Lady Whistledown Papers, where I’m taking an in-depth look at Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton’s character arcs and romance within the show Bridgerton!

For previous issues, follow tag : The Lady Whistledown Papers

Picking up where we left off, where Penelope spent her evening watching Marina dance around with Colin. Fun times, I'm sure.

Sisters

You know, I do not know how, at the minimum, Penelope's feelings weren't ever found out. She's trying to stay very calm and held in while Marina lists attributes about Colin that she's very well aware of already. He is kind and funny - that is why Penelope loves him. She does know he can dance well, she's been dancing with him, too, when she's not watching from the sidelines. And, while I have no idea - really - when Marina would have seen him with Gregory and Hyacinth, Penelope most definitely has. And she knows. She definitely knows.

As upset as she is, she's also a bit irritated. Because up until then, Colin has almost been her little secret. Sure, there have been flirtations before, but nothing ever serious. And the startling thing is now Marina sees him for the wonderful option that he is. And that stings. And is annoying at the same time.

The thing about this is that Marina is over the moon overjoyed to have found Colin. But there's a difference between Pen and Marina's feelings. I don't actually doubt that Marina is fond of Colin in this moment. That she thinks he's a pretty cool person. That he's a person she doesn't mind spending time with and maybe someday she could grow into loving him. But that isn't what matters to her in this moment. It's the fact that he's the perfect match for her situation that has excited.

And Penelope knows that, which does make it extra hard for her. Yes - there is a bit of selfishness in the fact that she is deeply in love with Colin, and she doesn't want him taken away. But she also really does care for Colin as a person, and does not want him tied to Marina under false pretenses. And thus she begins to push back.

It was important to set up Marina and Penelope as allies at first -- to show that they each found a kindred spirit in each other. Because it shows the complexity of this no-win situation. Penelope does care about Marina -- because she does care about Marina, she doesn't go to her easiest tool first -- Lady Whistledown. But it is a pivot in their relationship. And Marina doesn't seem to notice it.

Pen pushes that Colin's too young (and I think Colin is around 20 at this point?). But Marina says something really key -- that despite him being young, Colin is set on making a connection and settling down. He isn't like the rest of the guys his age who are spending their time flirting and screwing around with many girls, many of them hating the idea of marriage and being tied down. Colin is an idealistic romantic -- he wants marriage and a family and once he's got that idea in his head, he'll stick with it no matter what. Marina gets that about him.

So does Penelope, honestly, but she had always wished and hoped that maybe he'd figure it out over her. Which again, makes all of this feel like a knife to the heart.

Marina also understands his hero complex. She states outright -- did you see the way he rescued me tonight? And it'll tie in later when he admits to her -- had she come to him in the first place about the situation, he would have helped her anyway. From this point forward, Marina is going to begin to manipulate the situation in her own favor. She understands Colin well, and his own youth, naivete, and romanticism is going to be used against him.

And this is where Marina is so lost in her own fantasies of saving herself from a terrible marriage to Rutledge or some other old man or being thrown out onto the street. Her plans of having a good life are coming together and she wants Penelope to be with her on this.

Penelope feigns tiredness and climbs into bed, wanting to get away from the situation. Marina has got to know something deeper with Penelope is going on -- though how Pen's actions don't completely clue her in here, because Pen can't keep her emotions in check, is kind of funny. But Marina continues to try -- attempting to placate Pen with the idea that she and her, along with Eloise, would be sisters. It's an idea that makes the reality of Colin slipping away to her all the more real -- and all the more painful. Getting Eloise as a sister through Marina's marriage would be gut wrenching when she would be near Colin all the time and never truly be able to have him. It's a mockery of something she would like -- Eloise as a sister.

Penelope winces when she says 'imagine that' to Marina's insistence of being sisters. It's truly the worst outcome imaginable.

The minute Marina leaves, Pen straight up has a panic attack. She gets out of bed and paces around, torn between having a full on crying breakdown, while mulling it over what things she could possibly do. It's an a heart wrenching moment, for sure.

Of course, she isn't going to have that much time to process (which is key) because Eloise is throwing rocks at the window, wanting her to come down.

I have to wonder -- how many times did Pen or Eloise sneak out of their houses to go visit the other one? I feel like as children it is something they would do -- maybe meet in secret after dark. There is such a comfort and ease between the two of them, when I would think -- it'd be a bit scandalous for anyone to be meeting in the middle of the night.

Anyway... Eloise is excited that her detective work on Lady Whistledown seems to be working, and she's got new leads. Pen has humored her about the LW business up to this point, and even starts out this scene humoring her here, but while when there weren't other things weighing her down, she could take a little satisfaction of Eloise's fruitless hunt, she isn't in the mood.

As Eloise goes on about LW, Penelope grows impatient. Not helping is how Eloise describes LW -- as a woman of means, as an elderly widow who is able to do what she wants in society unincumbered. How LW has freedom and yet is able to stay invisible to society. And this pushes Pen to lash out.

Eloise is taken aback, because Eloise is the type of person to ramble on and sometimes gets so self involved she doesn't always notice what's going on with those around her. She has no clue what's going on with Pen, and was under the impression that she'd be with her on this discovery, so it's shocking -- not only that her often doormat of a friend is speaking out and cutting her off, but invalidating her interests.

Penelope throws it out that some 'silly' writer's identity isn't important. Part of it is self protection. Part of it is the fact that playing detective and playing such games does feel childish. We're reminded that Pen was pushed out into society and is being forced into that world -- a world that Eloise is not yet in nor ever desires to be. And this is really the rift that keeps coming between them.

The crux of this scene is that Pen's being forced to grow up -- forced to reconcile the reality of her life and all her dreams and fantasies with what the real world actually has in store for her. Eloise does call her out on her claims of maturity. No, Pen isn't being the most mature -- when she can't keep her emotions in check, can't keep herself from a venting tantrum or holding her back from hurling hurtful insults.

But Pen is coming to terms with adulthood.

The last bit of this argument is difficult to watch, because it's Penelope at her lowest and most scathing. Something Eloise probably doesn't see very often -- if ever.

Pen has probably held on to a lot of these deep rooted feelings for a long time. Eloise can go on and on about not wanting or needing marriage, but Penelope seeks it. For a multitude of complex reasons. Yes, a big part of it is her romantic nature -- that she loves love and love stories and marriage seems like romantic happily ever after she's always desired. But also, marriage is a form of validation -- that someone wants her. And Penelope has spent a lot of time being ignored and when she isn't, she's being ridiculed. The idea that there'd be someone to actually push against that thought, against her own inner demons of self worth, has always been a foundation of her fantasies.

The line Pen throws at Eloise about how not everyone can be a pretty Bridgerton is said out of jealousy. Something she thinks Eloise takes for granted -- even though it's a thing Eloise has pushed back against, wanting to be taken more seriously than what she looks like. In a way, it's a perfect dig at Eloise, and Pen knows it. It's a line thrown out in anger and frustration of her own situation -- if she was prettier maybe she wouldn't be in this situation, maybe she would receive love, and it's not really about Eloise at all. Of course she instantly regrets it as Eloise runs off.

And I'm glad they let Pen have these moments of ugliness. It makes her character more complex, more human, more identifiable. We all lash out, we all say things we don't fully mean, we all end up hurting people we care about. Pen and Eloise always bounce back, but there are differences between them that sometimes test their friendship.

This whole sequence is a really wonderfully done part of Pen's arc.

The Duel

This might be one of my favorite Season 1 Colin moments... The show does a pretty good job of layering in some humor even when the show is going to push in heavy with the drama.

I love that Colin is helping his mother return home safely. I'm amused that Violet is kind of trashed in the first place, tbh. But Colin is the one who will make sure everyone will get home safely. And I love the teasing nature of it -- and that Violet knows her son well enough that she can call him out on it.

But, the best part of this scene is really Anthony and Benedict hiding away in the other room. They're discussing duels and honor and Benedict taking over and it's all very serious stuff. But the minute they see Colin, it's like they're all children again as Anthony and Benedict rope Colin in. Colin's line :

Good god, did someone die?

Always has me laughing. But it's also so telling of the nature of the ABC brothers. You know that this isn't the first time that Anthony and Benedict have been up to something and have pulled in Colin, most likely, against his will. Colin's had a nice evening with a girl he likes and now his brothers are being dramatic, as they always are. I love it. And I love that Colin is always the one to bring humor to the situation.

Just as an aside, I kind of like this little, cozy study area. This is Anthony's study, I believe? And it's different than the one in Season 3. How many rooms does this place have, exactly?

Anyway, Colin and Daphne don't really get screen time together -- being in two different plot lines and all, but it's a shame they didn't explore this dynamic a little more (something you can't do when you only have 8 episodes in your TV season), especially when they're close in age, and probably did a lot of their growing up together.

So, it's fascinating that Colin is attempting to be the voice of logic and reason. He so often does not care to adhere to any of society's rules -- just that night, he danced around the room with Marina in a fanciful way that was uncontained and not following the rules of dance that society has laid out, but honor and respectability are important to him.

To Colin - Simon has dishonored Daphne, and to make it right, he'll come to his senses and marry her. That is the proper thing to do. And when Daphne pushes back against that idea (because she does know better) Colin claims that they'll both do the "gentlemanly" thing and fire wide. Because that's how you're supposed to deal with these things. With logic and not emotion.

And again, I find it such a fascinating take take that Colin believes that this is how everything will play out -- that his brother and Simon will just go through the motions of this drama and not be pushed by emotion. That their honor will win out.

Of course, Daphne does know better. She understands that emotion wins over logic -- and it's something Colin will someday understand, too. But in this moment, interestingly, it's honor and logic that gets Colin to fold. Daphne mentions that Cressida did see Daphne in the garden, and if Cressida says anything, their whole family will be ruined.

And Colin can't have that.

So he helps Daphne -- as a way to save her, save his idiot brother, save Simon, and save all of them. Colin will always try to do what he thinks the right thing is -- whether it work or not, he'll always try.

The whole duel sequence is really well done - the suspense building as Daphne and Colin ride their horses to intervene. It's visually captivating and the tension is brought so high.

The drama of it all!

But I think, watching this back from a post-Season 3 perspective (and as someone who prefers Colin to Simon) there's such an interesting contrast here.

And it's been hard to put into words - I've been thinking on it for a good twenty minutes now, and not quite coming up with the best way to put it.

Honor is a key thing to this time period and this society, and Simon understands that as well as Colin does. But when it comes to matters of the heart, they deviate considerably. Simon would rather die protecting the honor of his word to his father, than to admit he has feelings for Daphne. Colin, meanwhile, would die if he was unable to express the feelings of his heart. There's more honor in being true to oneself.

Simon is the expectation of society. He is stoic and distant and guarded. He plays the roles society expects him to play. And is protective of his affections in a way that's deemed acceptable. Eventually -- Colin's bleeding heart will get stomped on and he'll try to be a Simon, only to realize that he isn't that kind of person, and never will be.

Alright then -- half way through Season 1! :)

[fangsforiris]

I Want To Be You [Shū]

Prompt: Idolization & a Desire to Become.

Person: Ayato Sakamaki, Shuu Sakamaki

HC’s:

🍷 Ayato has always idolized Shuu from a very young age.

🍷 As in, he’d do everything he could to mimic the blond, but would fail constantly, as Shuu was an enigma to all.

🍷 Ayato wants to become Shuu.

🍷 No sugar coating it at all. He wants Shuu’s title, he wants his aura, he wants everything and anything connected to Shuu.

🍷 This is all influenced by Cordelia and Beatrix’s rivalry, which heavily influenced and became Ayato’s life, whilst Shuu remained unaffected.

🍷 The rivalry was Ayato’s world, as he did anything to attempt to become the better one out of the two.

🍷 It would always follow in constant failure, however, since Shuu didn’t care, nor did he let up in the high pursuit of the throne.

🍷 It was as if Shuu never saw Ayato as competition, like he could see right through the red-head.

🍷 Overtime, idolization became akin to envy and utmost desire. It was obsessive. It was unhealthy. Ayato dabbled and crosses the lines of sane and normal ages ago whenever Shuu was involved.

🍷 Ayato knew that whatever he did, he needed to be just like Shuu. Didn’t matter how he got there, he just had to overtake him somehow.

🍷 Shuu would know of his… project or obsession so to speak, but never would he outwardly say anything.

🍷 “My whole life, you were a teacher and friend to me

Please know my actions are not motivated only by envy

I, too, have a destiny

This death will be art

The people will speak of this day from near and afar

This event will be history, and I'll be great too

I don't want what you have, I want to be you” — Brutus by The Buttress.

🍷 Ayato desired it, craved it even.

🍷 After all, his abuse he went through would be all for nothing if he didn’t overtake the Great Shuu.

🍷 It would all be in vain. All of the tear stained nights, the ones spent isolated from his triplet brothers, the attempted drowning attempts his mother threw at him. It would serve as a reminder that Ayato had a clear, set goal in mind. And neither Reiji, or Shuu, would get in front of it.

🍷 He couldn’t care less about Reiji’s stance on the throne, all because Ayato knew that his real, main opponent was Shuu. It always was. And always will be.

🍷 You know the quote “you either wanna be him or be with him” Ayato will always choose the first when it’s about Shuu.

🍷 A broken mirror represents jealousy/envy.

🍷 Ayato has definitely broken a few mirrors when deep into his comparison mindset, unable to recognize or bear the thought of the red-head looking back at him through the looking glass. It was far too much. Red could never turn into blond.

🍷 Yellow Hyacinths also represent envy.

🍷 Laito once brought him those flowers as a joke, unknowing of Ayato’s deeply rooted anguish. (He lied, Laito knew.)

🍷 It can go both ways, as Laito is also envious of Ayato, but Ayato is far too consumed with Shuu.

🍷 Ayato secretly keeps a board consisting of pictures of Shuu.

🍷 He would sometimes draw big, gaunty red ‘X’ marks across his face, or find a knife and stab it repeatedly.

🍷 It differs on some days, as for the ones where he feels nostalgic and his envy dies down to a ‘healthier’ level of obsession, he’d draw hearts and circles, emphasizing what he wants and appreciates to gain.

🍷 Ayato even collects pictures and paraphernalia of Shuu just to go the extra mile of what it is he lacks inside himself and how he can change it.

🍷 He once thought of dying his hair blond, and perhaps getting coloured contacts, but it was then when he realized that he could never fill Shuu’s place.

🍷 Even more on this, he once bought box dye of bleach, toner, and purple shampoo to dye his hair.

🍷 Ayato did this in secret, and once he did so, it came out streaky and he quickly went to buy red hair mix.

🍷 Ayato drinks to cope. Specifically the same brand of alcohol Shuu particularly enjoys. Hennessy is a go to, as well as some champagne shockingly.

🍷 Shuu hates the classic beers, so Ayato never even looks at it.

🍷 Ayato used to try and dress the same as Shuu, but would gain strange looks and small remarks. He’d burn all of the clothing he’d bought with his allowance in the next week.

🍷 Shuu wears black and brown eyeliner, kajal (kohl,) and sometimes mascara to accentuate  his blue eyes.

🍷 Ayato saw this and would pick up the same brands as Shuu did.

🍷 It was safe to say that Ayato didn’t suit it as well as he thought he would, and aimed for the brown instead in his outer corners as the full thing made him ‘emo.’