#i think what we’ve learned today is that i think this show is adorable

[guardianspirits13]

Ok. I’m still trying to gather my thoughts and settle my hyperfixation after episode 3 of the Percy Jackson show, but one of my conclusions is that this is one of very few adaptations that actually understands the term ‘adaptation’ and furthermore what makes one successful.

On a fundamental level, understanding and respecting the source material is a must. You need to not just know the bullet points of the story, but you need to know the ‘why’s’- why does this story need to be heard, why do people like it, why does it stand out from the others in it’s genre, etc.

Second, you need to deconstruct the source material and piece it back together in a way that makes sense for the new format. Copy-pasting almost never works, since there will inevitably be discrepancies between the readers’ imagination and the adaptation that can distract from immersion.

Third, you need to provide something new. Why does this story deserve to be told in a different format? What can this add to the original themes of a story? What can we change to make the message come across more on screen? Will this dialogue really be as funny when it’s said out loud?

We’ve seen a lot of terrible “adaptations” of animation and books and musicals into movies/tv shows, and I think even among the better ones there is a dissonance between the desire to stay faithful to the source and the desire to make a good adaptation, with whatever changes that may necessitate.

I think while we’ve watched the casting of this series, the hints here and there, and final the premiere with bated breath, they’ve been playing the long game. They cast Walker as Percy before he was in the Adam Project. Many people expressed…unsavory…feelings when Leah was cast as Annabeth, but those of us that trusted the team behind this project- including the author himself- did our best to welcome her and were repaid tenfold with her performance in this episode particularly.

Most of the scenes in this episode were not at all how I imagined them in the book, but I adored it. They took what they were given and expanded on it. They created a mini-arc for the trio learning to trust each other. They gave Medusa a labyrinthine lair. Annabeth is a 12 year old walking into a convenience store for the first time in 6+ years with $200 in her pocket, of course she’s gonna buy as much as she can carry.

The love and care and artistry that went into this single episode brings me so much joy and gives me so much hope. Like I was already excited for a faithful adaptation, but seeing these characters come to life on screen, once you see their chemistry with each other and how they speak and push and pull at each other’s emotions, it has never been more clear to me the amount of care and foresight that went into this show.

Rick said that these kids are the characters he created and for like 2 years I’ve trusted that that was true, but today it was proven beyond the shadow of a doubt.

I am just…in awe.

[lustfulslxt]

ok, hear me out. so reader decides to try out the red nail theory and shows them to matt, and he freaking adores them, but adores the marks they leave on his back even more😏😏idk if you dont wanna thats completely fine, but i just got red nails for the holidays and all i can think about is scratching up matts back...

Say Thanks - Matt Sturniolo

warnings : smut, filthy matthew

—

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten my nails done, and I so badly want to go get them done right now. However, bills exist and with my roommate moving out, everything’s been piled on top of me all at once. It’s stressful to say the least, but I just need to find my footing. It’s not that I can’t afford it, I just have a really bad spending habit, that I didn’t realize is an actual issue until a couple of weeks ago. I used to just work, pay my portion of the bills, save a bit of money, then blow the rest of it on whatever I wanted. Now, I just have to learn to budget.

Saying that, I’ve not really been going out of my way to splurge on things that make me feel good. I’ll get back to eventually, but unfortunately, I can’t afford to right now.

Despite knowing that I should focus on getting my money right, I can’t help but look into my spare cash, crossing my fingers in hopes that I have enough. Before I can even begin counting, my phone flashes and vibrates, indicating I have a new notification.

Matt sent you $100 for your nails❣️.

My eyes widen, a gasp leaving my mouth as I read the words displayed on the screen. Immediately, I’m facetiming Matt.

“Hey.” He answers, instantly, a knowing grin on his lips.

“Don’t ‘hey’ me mister. Why did you just send me money?” I question, glaring at him through the screen.

“Hmm. I’m pretty sure I said it’s for your nails.” He answers, then continues, “You can say you don’t need it all you want, but I know how bad you’ve been wanting to get them done. And if you haven’t, then you just can’t right now. Which is why I wanna do it for you.”

“Matt-“

He cuts me off, “Y/N, shut up and accept my offering. Come over after you get them done?”

“Fine.” I sigh, giving in.

“Great, I can’t wait to see them. Maybe then you can show me just how thankful you are.” He suggests, his lips wide with a smirk.

My jaw drops at his proposal, completely bewildered at his comment, the underlying meaning far from missed. I can’t help but bite my lip as I look away from the screen, my skin ultimately flushing.

“I already scheduled your appointment with Analysse. She’ll be there in fifteen. I expect to see you no later than an hour and a half.” He informs me.

“Yes sir.” I say, unable to prevent the smile that pulls itself to my lips. “Thanks, Matty.”

“Of course, doll. I’ll see you soon.”

With that, we hang up and I’m left to sit in my puddle of confusion and eagerness. Matt and I are only friends. There’s always times where we’re flirty and we’ve always been close, physical touch being our love language. However, his actions and statements today threw me for a loop. I’m sure I’m not misinterpreting it, he seemed very suggestive. Honestly, I don’t even mind that, I just don’t know if he’s only messing with me or if he’s serious. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

“Hey babe, how are you doing?” Analysse greets me, unpacking her supplies.

“I’ve been good, just learning to adjust to new things. How have you been? I feel like it’s been ages since I last seen you.” I reply, sitting on the opposite side of the desk.

“I know! It’s been so long! I’ve been great though. Just living life and doing what I love.” She nods, a smile blossoming on her face.

“That’s amazing, I’m glad to hear.”

“Thank you. So, what are we thinking?” She asks me, all her supplies laid out in front of us.

“Probably just a simple red, maybe like medium length. Hm, not too long but long enough to leave marks.” I explain, smirking at the thought of digging my nails into Matt’s back.

“Ouu, okay.” She giggles, grabbing my hands to prep my nails. “So, are we talking about Matt? I mean, he is the one that reached out to me to book this appointment for you.”

I can’t help the warmth that rushes to my cheeks, “Yeah, I’ve been wanting to get my nails done again. Life just hasn’t been working in my favor.” She nods in understandment, listening to me rant. “Let’s just say, he’s got me thinking about a lot.”

Her mouth opens, laughter pouring out of it, “Oh, I get you. We’ve all had one of those.”

We continue talking and sharing stories as she does my nails. The conversation goes from boys, to makeup, to careers, to food, and just about everything under the sun. Once she’s done, I pay and tip her, and bid her on her way.

Since I still have some time before I have to be over at Matt’s, I decide to take a shower to freshen up. Seeing as I really only had around an extra thirty minutes, I decide to make it quick. I swiftly wash up and rinse off, hurrying out to dry off and get dressed. After applying deodorant and lotion, I slip on my shoes and grab my phone and keys, then I’m out the door.

It only takes me eight minutes to get to Matt’s house, so when I arrive, I’m eagerly making my way inside. We’ve been friends for eons, hence why I have my own key. Upon walking in, I instantly make my way upstairs and head back to his room. As soon as I open his door, his attention is on me.

“You’re late.” He states, his voice stern.

“Only by four minutes.” I shrug, joining him on his bed.

“Four minutes is still late.” He points out, raising an eyebrow at me.

“Won’t happen again, I promise.” I grin, tossing my hands up in defense.

He doesn’t say anything, only smirks as he grabs my hands to observe the nails he paid for. He plays with my fingers, looking at each individual nail, as if inspecting to see if there were any flaws. They were perfect.

“I love them, they look good.” He tells me, his voice now husky.

I look from my hands to his face, his eyes already being on me. His hands never leave my own, his warm fingers brushing back and forth over mine. The intensity of his stare has me clenching my thighs together in need. I don’t knew where this is coming from, but I want him bad.

“They’d look even better wrapped around my cock.” He whispers, his voice deep and raspy, placing one of my hands on his lap.

Only then, did I notice the growing bulge beneath his pants. His cargos now restricting his hard on, keeping it caged in below the fabric. I could feel him pulsating through the clothing, his erection rock solid. My mouth opened and close, suddenly unable to find words to speak.

“Don’t you want to show me how grateful you are?” He taunts, his gaze unwavering.

“Did you have a favor in mind?” I ask, licking my lips as I attempt to swallow in hopes of lubricating my now dry throat.

“Mhm.” He hums, standing up from the bed. He stands directly in front of me, his hands slowly working his belt off. “I want your pretty little mouth around my cock.”

I could feel my underwear becoming more and more soaked, my arousal seeping out of my pussy, completely and utterly turned on. His hand reaches my chin, gripping my jaw as he pulls me up from the bed, before dropping me to my knees. His thumb rubs against my lips before forcing itself in my mouth. I suck on it, my mouth immediately salivating from this situation I find myself in. He removes his thumb, dragging it down my bottom lip, letting it bounce back up as he moves to remove his shirt. I watch in awe, his lean torso flexing with every movement. Next, he unbuttons his pants. Once he pulls them and his boxers down, his dick slaps up, bouncing off of his lower abdomen. I’ve never been this intimate with Matt, meaning I’ve never seen his dick before, and boy was it something.

“Like what you see, pretty girl?” He teases, his hand engulfing his shaft and jerking it a couple of times. “Get over here and make me feel good until I say you can stop.”

I can’t help but frantically nod, instinctively scooting closer to him, eager to take his member into my mouth. One of his hands goes around my head, entangling in my hair, while the other one takes his dick and slaps it onto my lips, leaving drops of his precum behind. My tongue immediately flicks over my lips, taking the traces of him into my mouth, leaving him to toss his head back as a groan leaves his throat.

“Open.” He states, his hand pulling my jaw down.

As soon as my lips are parted wide enough, he’s shoving his entire length down my throat, pulling a gag from me. From his rough thrusts, my mouth is producing enough saliva to coat his dick, strings of spit connecting him to me once he pulls out. He then sets his tip on my lips, nodding at me to get to work, so I do.

My tongue swirls around his head, licking over his slit, causing him to tighten his grip in my hair and involuntarily buck his hips, his dick prodding at my mouth from the movement. I wrap my lips around him once more, my tongue continuously twirling around him, before taking as much as I could of him into my mouth, using my hands on the rest of him that wouldn’t fit. Peering up at him through my eyelashes, I see his brows furrowed in pleasure, his bottom lip held between his teeth.

“Fuck. You’re so pretty, doll.” He moans, running a hand across my cheek. “Sucking me so good, baby.”

I hum around his length, accepting his praise. Throaty moans continue to escape his mouth, encouraging me more as the desire in me burns hotter. I pull away from him completely, then take all of him in my mouth, deep throating him as much as I can without dying. His free hand wraps around my throat, making the feeling of his dick going down my throat all the more noticeable. He starts thrusting, matching my speed, his hips now sputtering as more lewd sounds come from his mouth.

He quickly pulls away, tugging me back by his grip on my hair. “Strip.”

I eagerly obliged, nerves building in my stomach, anticipating what’s to come. It didn’t take long for me to remove my outer clothing, leaving me in my bra and panties as his hungry eyes bore into me.

“Strip.” He repeats, his tone more demanding.

Without breaking eye contact, I reach back and unclasp my bra, letting it fall down my arms before falling to the floor with other clothes. The cool air hit my nipples, the buds hardening in response. I watch as Matt’s eyes follow my every move, soaking in every gesture. My fingers slip in the waistband of my panties, slowly tugging them downwards as I continue shimmying out of them, kicking them off my feet. Matt’s hand is now around his cock, stroking it as he watches me, intently.

“My turn.” He whispers, pulling me against him, skin to skin.

His mouth meets mine in a hot kiss, excitement bubbling between us. He walks me a few steps backwards, pushing me back on his bed and climbing on top of me. Our lips lap one another’s, before he’s shoving his tongue in my mouth, exploring behind my lips. We move together in such a hot and steamy way, his hands touching every part of me as my hands lace through his hair. His mouth then moves down my jaw, dragging open mouth kisses across my skin, leaving a trail saliva in his wake. My breathing was heavy, small whimpers coming through as he sucks and nibbles my sweet spot.

His hands then intertwine with mine, bringing my fingertips to his lips, pressing soft kisses against them. “I can’t wait to see the damage you do with these.”

He starts kissing down my chest, keeping his hands interlocked with mine. His mouth nips and bites at my skin, goosebumps spreading over me. He takes my nipple into his mouth, twirling his tongue around it, his teeth grazing over it, causing a sharp gasp like moan to come from my mouth. He moves on to the next one, repeating the same action. My legs squeeze shut, attempting to relieve the tension that keeps building and building with every little thing.

“Matt, please.” I whisper, attempting to grind against him for friction, to which he only presses his hands onto my hips to hold me in place.

“Shh, baby.” He mutters against my skin, lowering himself to my navel, his tongue leaving a stripe of spit.

His mouth meets my thighs, going back and forth between the two, peppering wet kisses all over them. His half lidded eyes meet mine, a smirk making its way to his face as he blew air onto my center, causing me to thrash beneath him. Instantly, his tongue is between my folds, pulling a loud moan from me as my hands return to his hair, tugging ever so slightly. He licks up and down my core, sucking all of my juices along the way. His tongue prods at my entrance, poking in and out, before he goes back up and wraps his lips around my clit.

“F-fuck, feels so good, Matty.” I whimper, thrusting my hips up for more.

His hands press down on my hips again, his grip now tight, holding me in place. His mouth continues lapping me, his tongue flicking every which way, bringing me closer to the edge. One of his hands leave my waist, his fingers meeting my heat. He slides them up and down, lubricating them before pressing two of them into my entrance. A loud moan falls from my mouth, my body jerking as he begins fucking me with his fingers. His mouth focuses on my clit, sucking with his warm tongue continuously flicking over it. His fingers pumping in and out of me, my arousal evident from the sounds emitting from my core and my mouth.

“I’m so close.” I moan out, pushing down into him.

Unfortunately, he pulls away, completely removing himself from me, a whine of desperation coming from my lips. He hovers back over me, his mouth pressing onto mine, my juices traveling from his mouth to mine as he kisses me hard.

“We’re gonna cum together, princess.” He says, one of his hands holding himself up as his other one rubs his dick up and down my folds.

I can’t help the gentle shaking of my thighs, my hole clenching around nothing as my eyes beg him to fuck me. Without words, he grants my wishes, slowly sinking his cock into me. Low moans escape both of our mouths as he bottoms out, my eyes closing in pleasure as he tosses his head back one again. My arms wrap around him, pulling him closer to me.

“I just knew you’d feel so good, baby.” He groans, his thrusts slow, yet hard. “So wet and warm, and tight around my cock.”

His thrusts remain slow, but not too slow, as he continues digging into me, hitting exactly where I need him.

“Oh, Matt.” I moan out, my face contorting in pure bliss as I drag my hands down his back.

He lets out more groans, enjoying everything about this moment. Instantly, I could feel the knot forming in the pit of my stomach, close to snapping from the building pressure. He picks up his pace, increasing the strength of his thrusts. His hand meets my center once again, rubbing tight circles onto my clit, ripping another moan from me.

“You look like a dream.” He moans out, his eyes never leaving mine. “I can see your close, baby.”

Words stuck in my throat, I’m left nodding my head, nothing but incoherent sounds coming from my mouth as I dig my nails into his back. His lips slam onto mine, bringing me into a passionate kiss, swallowing every noise that emits from me. His tongue roams my mouth again, quickly and eagerly, as if he can’t get enough. As he pulls away, he drags my bottom lip out in between his teeth.

“Cum with me, doll.” He groans, his finger on my clit applying more pressure.

And just like that, the knot snapped, unraveling, and I was letting go all over him, eliciting pornographic moans from my mouth. He followed seconds after, his dick twitching inside of me as his load spurts out. He continues pumping, fucking both of us through our orgasms, pushing our cum deeper into me with every thrust. Stilling for just a moment, he then slowly pulls out and lies beside me, both of our breaths erratic from the exertion.

“If this is what I get as a thank you, I’ll gladly pay for your nails every single time.” He chuckles, grinning over at me.

I laugh, rolling my eyes at him, pushing him away. He smirks, before starting to put his clothes back on, so that he could start us a shower. As soon as I catch glimpse of his back, a gasp leaves my mouth, causing him to turn around with raised eyebrows.

“What?” He asks, expectantly.

“Your back is fucked.” I laugh, covering my mouth, grabbing his phone from the nightstand.

I motion for him to turn around so that I can take a picture. Once I do, he grabs his phone from me and smirks at the picture, pleased with the aftermath of our moment together. He does some typing on his phone before tossing it back down and leaving the room. I pick his phone back up and see that he made a new post on snapchat.

After clicking on it, my mouth dropped, “Matt!”

—

a/n : here ya go! sorry for the delay, i’ve been lacking inspiration and motivation. i hope you enjoy it, and apologies if this isn’t what you had in mind. send in more reqs pls, love you 🫶🏼

[thecapricunt1616]

Im sick in the head another Carmy drabble in one day

Another Dad!Carmy Drabble bc I’m sick in the head and can’t stop thinking abt him. So imagine him going to his baby’s school for career day 😭🫶 he would be so so proud of his work bc his baby would be just GUSHING over him and I need this out of my drafts SRRY ppl who have sent requests this has been rottingggg (more below) 

Okay so firstly your daughter would excitedly wait on the porch of your house for him every day when she knew he would be home from work. She is a daddy’s girl from day one because ofc she is (Carmy spoils her rotten and physically can’t tell her no so you’re always the bad guy unless her safety is involved ofc) she could give an eff about whatever your career is because she grew up in the restaurant like Carmy did, so when they were told at school there would be a career day when you picked her up she proudly took the sign up sheet from her bag, and was like

“Mommy, daddy is gonna come to my school to talk about ‘The Bear’ isn’t that cool!!” 

And naturally this is the first you’re hearing of this so you’re like “he is?!” And she shoves the paper in your hand and points to the date 

“See mommy! And he has to sign off and- and I want him to make cannolis for my class! Teacher said yes, and he has to mommy!” 

You’re just like ‘oh! Alright honey well daddy is very busy we’ve talked about this yes? We will ask him if he can’ 

So Carmy gets home, she’s on the porch - charged. She’s vibrating with excitement. He gets out of the car and she sprints up to him, giggling happily and squealing 

“Papa Bear! Papa Bear!! Papa Bear!!!” The name she only used when she was buttering him up for something. 

He laughs, picking her up and swinging her around, kissing all over her face and throwing her in the air in the way you’d usually scold since it scared the living shit out of you - but in her 8 years he hasn’t dropped her— yet so it was acceptable sometimes. 

“My baby bear” he said happily and rests her on his hip “how was school, what did you learn today mm?” He holds his backpack on his shoulder as he carries her inside.

“I learneeedd” she shows him the paper “that we’re having career day and you have to come! Please daddy please daddy plllleeeeeaaasseee!!!” She begs puckering her lips for a kiss to further sweeten her deal. 

He smiled a bit, giving her a tiny sweet peck “yes my little love, I’ll come f’r y’career day, of course sweet angel girl. When is it hmm?” He carried her in the kitchen where you were at the stove, cooking Mac and cheese to go along with the chicken tenders that were air frying 

“Mommy!!! Daddy says yes!! Okay daddy- so you need to make cannolis for my class cause they’ll think it’s so cool” she said happily and points at the paper “look may 24 mommy says that’s 23 days away, and daddy you can make cannolis for us - and - and I can do my chocolate chip chef job daddy!!! I can help you, I'll help!!” She said excitedly to which he beams with love and pride. 

“Thas’right princess you can be my sous chef y’remember what that means mm?” He questions, rubbing her little back with a smile

“I’m second best!!! I’m second best to daddy in the kitchen. I’ll be first some day though daddy” she kisses his cheek sweetly and hugs him tight to which he pouts adorably, looking over at you with big blue eyes

“Thas’my smart girl” he says softly and kisses her head. “You will be baby. You’ll be the best ever. I know it. You’ll change the whole world with your cookin’ mmm?” He rests his cheek on her head sweetly, resting against the counter while they cuddled. 

You could barely stop the tears that gathered in your eyes. Seeing your husband and your daughter like this was something you didn’t think you’d ever get over.

 From the very first day they’d met, even when she was all - frankly yucky, and slimey after she was just birthed - Carmy didn’t mind the nasty cottage cheese like muck that covered her skin just minutes after delivery as she laid on your chest, easily finding your nipple to latch so soon after being born, still in the delivery room— as if she was the smartest baby to exist. 

He still kissed her head. Even with the nasty, cheesy vernix covering her skin, he gently massaged it into her back as she ate for the first time, sniffling at the sounds of her little huffs of breath against your swollen breast. “You did so good baby. Look at her-“ he rasped, his voice watery and loving. “She’s perfect” he said, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her little shoulders. 

“I’ll be the best at The Bear someday daddy” she promised and hugged him tightly “I love you” she mumbled happily  He cradled her as if she was still a little baby, kissing her face and swallowing back choked sniffles and sobs “I love you little bear- s’much” he whispered, so grateful and over the moon his little girl took such pride in what he does.

[tasteofthedivine93]

The Beauty of the Beast - Messmer x F!Reader - Elden Ring Fic - Part 8

TasteOfTheDivine // Masterlist

Ao3: archiveofourown.org/works/57094387/chapters/146235355 Fic Rating: Explicit🌶️🌶️ (Chapter: Mature🌶️ ) Category: F/M Fandom: Elden Ring // Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erd Tree Relationships: Messmer x F!Reader // Messmer the Impaler x F!Reader Warnings/Tags: Light self-pleasure, fluff, lots and lots of flirting, mutual pining. Words: 4428 

MASTERLIST // <- Part 7 // Part 9 ->

Author note: PLEASE NOTE THE RATING CHANGE! Sorry to those who wanted a cute fairy-tale fic. I can't help myself. Yes, Bridgerton inspired one scene. Ophis and Fidi are adorable but I sometimes forget about them, they're just... there. So cute little balled up shoulder snakes. Next chapter will be another rating change! I thought about keeping it M but that's boring. Back to BATB storyline but mixed it up a little.

Your stomach is in knots, but yet you feel so warm and content for the first time in years. You practically skip down the hallway back to your room. You fly inside and jump on your bed with grace, hair flying onto the duvet as you spread your arms wide. You smile into the fabric and let out a sigh. 

You think of Messmer, how intense the last week has been, today especially. But also you feel a twinge of anxiety in your stomach over how fast it’s all going. You sit up, biting your lip, you play with your fingers as you overthink everything.

Your mind racing with questions; Does he like you like that? Does he want you to stay? Will he be able to control his temper? What about his past, can you look past his war crimes? 

You start to breathe heavily, your chest feels as if a lead weight smacked you in the sternum. You feel a small sheen of sweat over your body and tears line your eyes. Your skin tingles with adrenaline. 

A small knock shatters you from your panic, your head shoots up to be greeted by one of the ghostly servants. 

“Excuse me, miss, we’ve drawn a bath for you.” The apparition mutters. You feel you’ve barely seen them around the castle, but in the back of your mind you know they’ve always been watching. 

You timidly smile, trying to hide your anxiety. You stand up on shaky legs and follow the ghost out to the washrooms. Inside was a large copper basin on clawed feet, hot steam rises from the milky coloured water, the surface covered in petals. The bath resides by a large bay window overlooking the grounds, the snow has already started to melt away showing the luscious greens of the grass and trees. Seeing the hues of colours calms you down a little. 

Slowly you remove your clothing, feeling the fabric fall from your body you feel lighter and less restricted. You felt exposed bathing in such a large room, but the dark walls and candle light made you feel peaceful. Slowly you sink into the warm water, the smell of blood-roses and green moss tickle your sinuses and ease the ache in your muscles. 

You recall back to the last few days with Messmer, how much your relationship has developed and how much he’s been open with you. You feel you’ve barely told him anything about you. You recall holding his hand earlier, how despite how he feels there’s blood on his hands and the char mark on his right palm, they’re still so soft and gentle on you. 

Closing your eyes you sink deeper into the water, the lapping of the small waves tickle at your breasts making you squirm. You’re reminded of this morning and how you felt a small warmth pool between your legs at his tenderness. You cannot deny he’s handsome, a strong nose, sharp jaw but soft eyes and carved lips. 

You feel a flush on your cheeks at your crush on him, he’s a Prince, maybe not of this land but a Prince nonetheless. He’s regal and noble, he must have been raised by the best and brightest, learning the ways of nobility and you learnt how to raise animals and live off a dying farm. 

You frown, doubting he would ever see anything interesting in you. 

You sink under the water, letting the warmth smother you, the weight of the water easing your anxiety. You hold yourself under the water till your lungs sting from the lack of oxygen. You quickly rise out of the water, splashing some over the side and onto the floor. You brush your wet hair from out of your eyes and relax back. 

Curiosity starts to build in you, closing your eyes you slowly let your fingers glide down your body, over the swell of your breast, you tease yourself and gasp at your sensitivity. You feel a tender pulsating between your thighs - you press them together to gain a little relief. Instead, you glide down further till your fingers rest on the apex between your legs, warm and wet despite the cooling water surrounding you. You let your fingers glide over yourself, letting out small pants and moans at the growing warmth in your stomach. 

You think of Messmer, how strong he felt when you were pressed against him, his strong shoulders and long fingers. You imagine his hands over your body, teasing you, having his fingers inside you. You let out another gasp at the thought. You’ve never felt this strongly about anyone before. You’ve had crushes in your youth and one lover, but this desire boils in your blood like no other. 

You keep teasing and touching yourself, when a small knock is heard at the door. You snap sharply out of your head and shout;

“Yes?!” 

A voice on the other side of the door is heard; “The Lord is waiting for you, m’lady. When you are ready we will escort you to the dining room.” 

“Okay, thank you.” You flop your head back onto the rim of the tub, running your hands over your face trying to calm your arousal. 

Shaking your head to rise from the tub, water splashing again over the stone below as you dry yourself down and towel dry your hair. You glance at the other side of the room to see a privacy divider, again as the same as the castle decorated with golden snakes and leaves. 

You plod around and hanging up was the most regal, breathtaking red dress, accented with gold and black trim. You gasp at the sight of it, you carefully feel the satin fabric between your fingers, you notice the shift of the red tone in the light, blending between red and black. 

You hesitate, you feel unworthy of wearing such a beautiful gown. You worry the shape wouldn’t suit your figure. You step away from the dress, but feel a strike in your chest as you wonder, no, you know that Messmer picked this out for you specifically. 

Taking in a deep breath, you carefully drape the fabric over your shoulders and down your curves. The neckline left nothing to the imagination, plunging down between your breasts. The rest flowed freely over your legs but hugged your hips. You feel your face blush as deep as the dress - you feel so exposed but at the same time empowered. You’ve never worn anything so daring, your dresses have been practical, made for hours of labour. 

You twist and fidget with the fabric till you feel comfortable. The idea that Messmer picked this dress made your stomach feel warm and the pulse between your legs returns. You shake your head and ignore the thoughts. Slipping on the pair of slippers you tie the ribbon around your ankle. On a small table you see a beautiful ornate bracelet you slip onto your wrist and a golden chain you drape around your neck. 

You look at yourself in the foggy mirror and smooth out the dress. With no undergarments or chemise you feel very exposed from what you’re used to. But you sigh and remember you’re a guest here and this must be how the gods in this world live. You feel overwhelmed all of a sudden, you forgot that Messmer is the son of a god, not just a Queen, you were more focused on his Prince title than anything. 

You scoop up your hair and tie it loosely around your left shoulder, still slightly damp from the bath, you twirl a few strands around your face. 

Letting out a final sigh, you head out of the washroom and walk down the corridor. You feel for a moment to dash back into your chambers and hide away. But your feet continue down the hall. 

You can hear Messmer talking, you stop before entering the landing and listen to him. Hearing the one-sided conversation was amusing. You let out a giggle and saunter out into the landing. 

Messmer has his back turned to you, instead of him getting the first look, Ophis and Fidi turn to see you. Despite the creatures not being human, their expression was that of shock and disbelief. 

Fidi turns and jabs Messmer in the cheek, the man swats the snake away.

“Stop that, the maiden will be down shortly, I need to think of what to say,” he mutters through gritted teeth. Fidi somehow frowns at him, gesturing his head towards you. Messmer turns sharply, scouring at the snake's interruptions but soon looks up and sees you standing at the top of the stairs. He stops in his tracks, jaw slacked and his hand grips the stair rail hard you worry he might break the wood again.

“Hello,” you whisper, the room was so quiet you knew he heard you. His eye shifts so fast around your body and face, it felt as if time stood still. You smile hard, blushing at his intense gaze and slowly head down the stairs. The dress pools at your feet and you worry you’ll trip, but slowly you step down closer and closer, you feel him radiating heat. 

He finally snaps his mouth shut as you stand a few steps higher so you’re eye-level with him. His ashen skin pink with blush, you can see his freckles and lines dot his face. He clears his throat and reaches for your hand, bringing it to his lips he gently kisses your knuckles. You feel a breath hitch in your throat at how soft his lips are. 

“Thoust look divine.” He whispers into your knuckles, hot breath warming your skin. You curtsey as best as you can. You finally notice he’s wearing a similar tunic tied together with a golden cord, this one all black and gold lining longer than his usual attire but still flowing and embroidered with stars and leaves. Around his shoulders he wore a deep red sash made of silk or satin. He also dawned gold and bronze cuffs and pendants. But striking to you, he wore his hair half up and half down, roughly tied in a bun at the back. 

The warmth between your legs grew, you bite your lip at him nervously. 

He still held tightly to your fingers, his eye staring at you as if he was painting a portrait of you in his mind. Fidi and Ophis suddenly appear in your view. You smile at the snakes as they wrap around you.

“They say you look like a goddess.” Messmer lets out a breath close to a whimper and looks away. Fidi nudges you with his nose on your arm, tongue tickling your skin. Ophis nods her head at you. 

“And you?” you mutter, parting your lips and looking at him with hooded eyes.

Messmer opened his mouth to reply, hesitating a little. 

He looks down at the floor and lets out a nervous chuckle; “I agree, thou looks angelic.” 

Messmer slowly raises his head to return looking at you, not before letting himself slowly trail his gaze slowly up your figure, when he catches a glance at the forbidden skin between your breasts. His fingers grip hard on your hand and you let out a small hiss at the pain. He snaps his hand back, eyebrows raised;

“Did I burn thee?” he looks at his charred palm. Reaching over,  you place your hand on his shoulder.

“No, you just squeezed my fingers, that’s all.” You smile gently, comforting him. 

“Apologies.” He reaches out to you with his left hand, letting you gently place your fingers on top of his. Slowly you draw a circle on his clean palm, watching as he shivers. He cups your fingers and slowly guides you down the rest of the stairs. 

You watch as Ophis and Fidi curl themselves up into Messmer’s cloak, wrapping around his torso and around his shoulders, their heads poking out from under the fabric on each shoulder. You wonder if Messmer asked for some privacy from his companions. 

Tilting your head, you observe how smaller Messmer can look without the snake’s body floating in the air around him, expanding his cloak off his body. He looks more human. You smile at the snakes, scrunching your nose at them. They flick out their tongues at you and wiggle. 

Hand in hand he walks you to the dining room. You hadn’t been back inside since the incident this morning. Your eyes immediately glace at the window, now perfectly fixed as if it was never broken.

The aroma of food makes you internally moan as in front of you on the table was a beautiful spread of all sorts of foods, too much for just two people, fruits and meats, breads and soups. The room was alight with hundreds of candles, making the room warm. The fireplace gently cracking away, embers slowly dying out. 

Messmer guides you to the other end of the room and pulls out the chair for you to sit. You frown as you sit, looking at your place setting and already feeling intimidated by the amount of forks and knives. You look up, lips parted to Messmer but he’s already walking to his chair at the other end of the table. 

He sits down and looks over at you. He notices a flustered look on your face.

“Is anything the matter?” he asks softly.

You open your mouth but close it. “It’s just…” you begin, not wanting to seem ungrateful at the place setting and the amount of food. You bite your lip and chew the skin, thinking carefully. You freely open your mouth and accept whatever words come out next; “You’re so far away.” You look sheepish.

Messmer replies timidly; “Oh, my apologies, this is custom.” 

You raise your head and look around at the table and food, your stomach growling. However despite your timidness, you suddenly feel a burst of confidence, standing up you turn around your chair and pull it by the back all the way along the length of the table till right next to Messmer.

Next you plod back to pick up one lone fork and the plate and walk back over to Messmer. You carefully place the cutlery down, smiling at him as he just watches you. You retake your seat and shrug your shoulders at him, tilting your head.

Messmer feels his heart stop beating at your adorability. You bat your lashes at him, smirking. 

He clears his throat and lets out a breathy laugh, reaching over to pick up some fruit and meats to pile on his plate. The clattering sound of metal on metal echoes around the room. 

“Please, eat.” he gestures to the spread. 

Messmer gracefully starts to cut at his food with the highest decorum. You look up at him, looking sheepish once again, your shoulders drop and you sink into yourself.  

“Is something the matter?” he asks, sounding genuinely concerned; “is the food not to your liking?” 

You snap your head up; “No, no it’s wonderful, I’m overwhelmed by the choices, it’s just…” you pick up your fork and twist it in your fingers. You wrap your whole hand around the handle and stab at the plate like a toddler learning to feed themselves. 

You can feel Messmer watching you, you drop the fork as it clashes against the metal plate. Messmer reaches over to you, cupping your hand in his, running his long thumb over your knuckles. Your face feels hotter than this morning, you know he can see your embarrassment.

“I’m used to using my hands or a spoon for stews.” You mutter, feeling soothed by Messmers tender grasp. “I am of lower-class” you fidget with the neckline of the dress, pulling the strap higher on your shoulder. 

Messmer remains silent as he nods. 

He takes a deep breath and without speaking, picks up his own cutlery and moves it to the side. He reaches over to a steaming pot and picks up a bowl, he scoops up some of the contents into the container and places it in front of you. He does the same for himself. 

You stare at the bowl, the liquid shimmering and reflecting the flicker of the candles around the room. You look back up at Messmer, who smiles at you and picks up the bowl with both hands and brings it to his lips. You feel your face twitch into a light smile at his actions. The idea of knowing he doesn’t want you to be uncomfortable was encouraging. 

Picking up the bowl, you do the same, cupping the warm vessel you bring the broth to your lips and drink down the warm contents. You’re reminded of home, your mothers cooking, the community of the village coming together in times of need. However you remain strong and hold your emotions at bay. 

Reaching over, you grab the largest bread loaf you’ve seen, you tear into the crust, bits creating a mess on the table and dip it into your bowl. You look up at Messmer who narrows his eye playfully at you. He smirks and reaches over to a pile of meat, plucking a cut and shoving the entire strip into his mouth. A little gravy dribbles down his chin but he scoops it up quickly and lets out a laugh. 

You smile hard and do the same, savouring the taste as you do. The pair of you don't speak, just exchange looks and laughs as you both pick at the food with your hands, getting messmer by the second. 

Finally you both have your fill, the table covered in food scraps. Looking down you’re shocked you were able to keep your dress clean. Messmer cleans his mouth with his napkin and tries to clean his hands laughing.

“That was the most fun I’ve had in years.” He stands up and walks over to the side of the room, grabbing a pitcher of water and bowl. You watch as he pours in some water and picks up a cloth, soaking the fabric. He turns to you and saunters over, he reaches out for your hands. Gently he cleans you up, your mind reminiscing on your rescue and how you cleaned him up first. 

Glancing at you, he notices a small bit of food stuck to your jaw, on instinct, he gently cups your chin and moves your head to the side. You feel a shiver down your spine at his gentle touch. You tilt your head more, exposing your neck. You feel the strap of your dress slither down your shoulder a little. 

Messmer just stares at your thin slender neck, wanting to reach out and touch the sensitive flesh, to kiss it, to taste it. You look over and catch him staring, his breathing becomes shallow. You feel your cheeks blush at his intense gaze and you twitch back into your seat, feeling that warmth pool back between your legs.

He notices your strap, letting go of your chin he lets his fingers glide over your soft skin, he hooks his finger under the fabric and pulls it back into place. He looks up at you, catching your eyes, dark and filled with longing.  

Messmer stands up abruptly and walks back to the basin, hands gripping the pitcher hard he shakes, nearly spilling water everywhere. He quickly cleans himself up, giving himself a moment to calm down as he feels himself twitch under his tunic. 

He takes in the deepest breath, trying to calm himself down before his situation gets worse. Calming his nerves, he straightens his back up and returns his stoic posture as he gets an idea, smiling to himself. 

He walks back over to you and holds out his hand, you take it without haste, he pulls you up and marches out of the room, your heart flutters at what he plans next, your mind racing with all sorts of thoughts. You try to keep up behind him, his long legs taking long strides and tugging you behind him.

You reach a larger door than the normal ones around the castle, this one not decorated with snakes but flowers and vines. He picks up your hands, looking down at you with the biggest smile you’ve seen him do. 

“I’ve not shown you this room, I hope you like it”. He pushes open the doors, they creak and groan under the weight, Messmer pushes like it weighs nothing. Inside stood a grand ballroom, giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, that is also painted with clouds and stars. Surrounding the room were pillars made of marble, the floor so shiny you could see your reflection. You look around in amazement, lips parted and head craned back. You spin in circles as you look around at the beauty. Opposite, Messmer just watches you. 

Your arms spread out wide, you spin and move lightly on your feet. Looking at the end of the room, you see the largest bay window filling the wall from top to bottom. Outside you see the purple night sky, stars twinkle and dance, the galaxy swirling against the velvet black. Distracted, you suddenly feel warmth on your arms as Messmer cups his hands on your wrists and turns you around. 

He smiles, steps away and bows at you. Nervous, you curtsey as best as you can. He steps forward and takes your hands again. 

“I don’t know how to dance,” you confess. He leans down and cups your waist in his hand, bringing you closer. Your face to his chest, he leans down slightly. You position your other hand on his bare arm, his skin warm. 

“No matter,” he squeezes you tight, “just follow my lead.” He smiles and starts to move slowly giving you time to learn the steps. You both walk slowly in circles around the room. It felt weird dancing to no music, but you hear a soft gentle melody play in your head.

You keep looking down at your feet, worried you’ll step on his toes. You feel his finger under your chin and tilt your head up towards him. You part your lips and let out a breath at his beauty. He pulls your arm over your head and spins you around, your hair circling around your shoulders. He guides you to step around him, fingers still intertwined and he watches you prance around him. 

He grabs your hands and turns you around, your back to his chest, you feel his strong muscles and you feel your knees go weak for a moment, you stumble and mutter your apologies. You imagine his arms wrapped around you, holding you tight. Instead he spins you back forward and you see the snakes gently unfurl from under the cloak. 

Before you can move, you feel Ophis and Fidi slither around your arms and hoist you up into the air slightly. You hold onto Messmer, fingers tight in his hand and your other hand flies to grips his tunic for balance. Level with his face, you realise how close you are, the details of his skin stand out. 

You let out a gleeful yelp at the swift movement. You both spin together, you throw your head back into a laugh. Messmer joins you in your joy, smiling from ear to ear. He cannot recall the last time he’s smiled and laughed so much. 

You feel Messmer let go of your hand and scoop you up behind your thighs, lifting you higher against his body. The snakes release their grip and you let your hands rest against his shoulders. You look up at the ceiling as he hoists you higher, your arms spread out wide for just a moment, you take in a breath. 

He holds you tight, until he realises he is face to face with your bosom, your dress gives a little and opens a little wider exposing more of your breasts. Also being so close he can see the outline of your nipples through the fabric. 

He quickly lets out a gasp and digs his fingers into the flesh of your hip as he feels you slipping. Trying to ignore his desires, he looks up at you and sees nothing but beauty.

His chest flips as you look down at him with hooded eyes and a gentle smile on your lips. He sees your once shining eyes are blown out, pupils taking over your iris, flooding your eyes with longing. 

Slowly, you lift your hand and cup his cheek, smoothing your thumb under his closed eye. Your fingertips lace in his red locks. You swear you feel him growl deep in his chest as your nails scrape against the skin behind his ear and jaw, his eye flutters.

 You inspect him again, his freckles, his lines, how red his lashes are. Your eyes meet the golden orb that highlights his face, you feel your stomach flip. The warmth pools between your legs again, you feel yourself become a little wet as he squeezes your plump hips.

Messmer stands back up, but lets his hands glide up your sides and down your arms. He cups your hands and he brings them to his face and kisses your knuckles again tenderly. The sensation of shooting fire through your veins. 

“I thank thee for a wonderful evening.” He whispers into your hands, the warmth of his breath sending a shiver up your spine. You feel your breath hitch and you simply nod, humming in reply. 

He takes your hand and leads you out of the ballroom, you glance back one last time at the grand architecture. You both walk in a comfortable silence, you notice that his companions have settled back into his cloak out of view. 

You both climb the stairs slowly, as if you don’t wish the night to ever end. You squeeze his fingers as you reach the top of the stairs, here is where you should part ways. You to the left, him to the right. 

However you both pause, enduring in silence once again. You look up at him, bashful but you still find yourself biting your lip. Questions linger on your lips but you don’t speak a word. You read his face, also silently screaming a thousand questions. Instead, he carefully lets go of your hand and bows to you once again. You blink a few times and curtsy, picking up your dress you slowly walk back to your room, your chest drowning you in a flurry of emotions. You don’t wish to ruin a perfect evening, you shouldn’t let your lustful desires overshadow the wonderful, dare you say - romantic evening. 

But you can’t stop yourself from looking over your shoulder at him, hoping he is still watching you. Your heart drops when you see him walking to his own room instead.

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Wednesday Fandom :) It's crazy we are over ten eps in s5 already. Just means we're closer to this premiere yay. (it's 34 btw...) I adore this episode. I think it’s highly underrated because it’s the episode before 5x12. There are so many reasons to love this one. Flirty times, Return of Genny and Lucy, We get a taste of them as parents in this one and Lucy is a Grade A BAMF. Let us get started.

5x11 The Naked and The Dead

We start out with Tim being perplexed by the new coffee machine. Asking what was wrong with the old one? Being her grumpy old man about it. Nolan and Lucy start listing off reasons. Like led levels and Lucy mentions a mice infestation. Eww lol The growth in this scene is pretty cute though. It's how he easily steps aside to let her do it for him. No fight in him about it whatsoever. Just lets wifey do her thing.

How far we’ve come. She shows him how to do it and he is impressed with her. What else is new? heh But he's extra impressed cause she is girl now hehe Lucy tells him she learned from a clip talk tutorial on how to do it. John asks what they got up to last night? Tim on the instant defensive. Says ‘Nothing.’ way too quickly.

My god Timothy it’s a good thing it’s Nolan and not Nyla. Captain clueless over here doesn’t suspect a thing thankfully. Lucy of course is far more prepared than her boyfriend is. Because well it’s Lucy. I adore her being so smooth about it. Doesn't miss a beat. Hands her man his coffee as she easily delivers her cover story. Honestly if anyone was going to blow their cover it was Tim LOL

John dips out and thanks Lucy for the bar and the recommendation. Minute he’s gone Lucy gives him such crap for his terrible answer. Saying he had all morning to come up with a cover story and that was it? Tim defending himself saying Nolan bought it. Yeah cause it’s Nolan... Had it been anyone else in their orbit they would’ve been caught. Lucy is judging him so hard for this. I love it so much. Such a wifey moment right here.

Tim challenges her and asks what Nolan has follow up questions? Lucy confidently telling him she read the catalog cover to cover. Of course she did. I expect nothing less tbh. Neither should you Tim ha His reaction is the best. Like if you weren’t my girlfriend be calling you a nerd right now. But we all know he loves his nerd and her brain. Her intelligence/intense drive is one of the reasons he fell for her. God they cute.

Tim mentions she has citizens academy today. Lucy says yes and asks for any tips? Per usual he warns her about screenwriters haha That she shouldn't give out her card or she will be up to her eye balls in scripts. Lucy then segues into their plans for tonight. Flirty af as she does. Asking what he’s doing tonight? So much behind her question. Looking so very excited to ask him it. Radiating happiness as she does.

They could not be more flirty if they tried in this scene and I love it. I remember squeeing because this was the place we we're in now. Tim flirting right back ‘Nothing. I hope.’ *heart clutch* Lucy shooting tons of heart eyes his way. Letting him know that ‘Nothing sounds perfect.' Who would've thought the word 'Nothing.' could sound so romantic? Yet these two did it. The smirk on his face as she walks away from him is everything.

Oh my lord this man is a goner for her. Never seen this man smile more this entire series than he has since he started dating Lucy. They are giving off teenagers sneaking around and in love vibe here. Their secret dating era is just a primo as their longing/pining one. I love this season so much. Could they be anymore adorable flirting in the break room? Talking about cover stories and doing ‘Nothing.’ Gah I love it so much. It's all so new and exciting and it's coming off them in waves. I'm soaking it up like a sponge of shippy happiness.

This next portion is adorable. I love Aaron literally running to Lucy to tell her about Tim coaching little league. He is so excited to share this with her haha I am a fan of trio not gonna lie. Tim rolling his eyes when she says ‘Nolan.’ I mean it is a very John Nolan thing to do let’s be honest… Aaron calling him ‘Sergeant Friendly’ and not being pummeled by Tim just shows what a good place he’s in with Lucy.

Lucy saying ‘Can she watch?’ doing things to me. Sounded way flirtier than I’m sure she meant it to. Or maybe she did mean it that way heh Like girl we know you wanna watch him for quite a few reasons...Also you know she’s proud of him for being the good uncle and stepping up. The heart eyes are infinite at the end from her. She is proud of him for doing this. If it was possible he became even more attractive to her because of this.

Lucy shows up to practice and see’s Tim in coach mode. She is looking so very amused. Especially with how soft he is being. Watching her boyfriend who she knows can be a hard ass be soft af with these kids. Also if they think Genny doesn’t know they’re out of their damn minds. It’s all over her face as they banter with each other. Platonic co-workers don’t show up to their co worker's nephews practice and 'bicker'.

Married vibes x 1000 here and Genny is picking up what they’re throwing down. Tim is so excited to see her when she shows up. No way his sister doesn’t see a shift in his demeanor. Lucy couldn’t have a bigger smile on her face as she teases him. Tim being the exasperated husband per usual. Saying they’re just kids it's supposed to be fun. Her teasing is extra smitten like I have to say. Showing all your cards today you two. Right in front of Genny LOL

The sister in law bonding continues as Tim walks away. Which I absolutely adore btw. Lucy asking 'This is weird right?' Genny regaling her of how their dad taught his team as a kid. Tim having literal scars from it. It’s then it all comes together for Lucy. Tying back to that moment in 4x09. ‘You’re nothing like him.’ Lucy immediately getting why he’s acting this way.

He will do anything not to be like his father. I could not relate to that more if I tried. I see you Tim and I so understand. Lucy instantly softens and says this back to Genny. Knowing exactly what’s bringing on this soft streak of his. We watch as the kids continue to suck lol. Tim doing a thumbs up and I’m dying of laughter. Lucy sees why he’s doing this but says he is also over correcting in this approach.

This scene is a look into them as parents and it's making me very happy. The control freak in Lucy can’t stand back any longer. I love this part so much. She takes control and provides the kids with some knowledge and structure. Also like to call this the scene where Tim falls even more in love with her. He couldn’t be more proud as she takes control. Not only that but is knowledgeable about the game he loves. Win win.

He is looking at her like yep that’s the future mother of my kids. I love her walking up and the kids just follow. Her leadership is on fire right now. Tim asks her what she’s doing? Lucy saying yeah they can have fun but they also need structure. She’s not wrong… Totally going to be them as parents. Lucy being the stricter one with structure. Where Tim will be the softie wanting their kids just to have fun.

So cute how bemused Tim looks when she calls herself his ‘friend.’ Knowing they are far more than that now. Gah love Eric and his expressions. I’m a sucker for them. Lucy breaks down what they’re going to be doing. Not only that but the confidence she exudes while doing that has Tim beaming at her. Like look at his girl taking control and being knowledgeable about baseball. Seriously it's like he is falling even deeper in love with her based on this alone. How could he not?

Don’t tell me that man wasn’t turned on by this whole display either. Heart eyes galore but a little hot under the collar as well. You know he loves when she’s assertive. It’s a huge turn on for him. He’s basically scoping her out in front of those kids haha It’s this mixture of pride and being so immensely attracted to her. The man is in awe of this woman standing next to him.

The way he looks at her I’m just a damn puddle. If that man looked at me that way I would melt. Instantly. Lucy does melt a little when she catches his eye in the first gif above. You can see her crack a smile when their eyes connect. It's so cute. Once again I ask have we ever seen this man this damn happy before? No. Not till Lucy. I love him telling them when she’s done. ‘You heard her.’ Like you heard my wife get going. haha

The teasing is the cutest. It’s like we’re getting on screen fanfic levels of fluff in this episode. I'm so here for it. Just beaming heart eyes at each before he teases her with the ball. Her ‘Oh.’ When he takes the ball out of her reach. I cannot. I’m dying with the how adorable this whole thing is. My god they’re basically screaming their relationship to Genny in this moment.

I must also note my god Tim looks good. Doing what he does best. Takes a simple outfit like shirt and ball cap makes it sinfully delicious. Sweet lord he looks SOOOO good in outfit. Mmmm break me off a piece. My fav color too so that definitely adds to it for me. *fans self*

We catch up with them post practice. Genny comments they should co-coach together. They both make little jokes about it basically flirting in front of her. Do they see themselves and their looks? No? Ok... Genny redirecting their attention to how well they work together. Tim stumbling over his words instantly. Thinking they're being caught.

Lucy swoops in to save his ass like she did with Nolan ha Now her reply is shaky as well but better than Tim’s LOL They’re so bad at hiding this it’s hilarious. Tim following up with a ‘Mmhmm….’ As transparent as glass you two. A blind man could see how in love you are. Sweet lord.

Just being idiots in love in front of his sister ain’t no thing….Fairly certain Genny knows but is just testing the waters with her comments. No way she doesn’t see a difference in her own brother. Sure she sensed something in 4x08/4x09. This entire interaction only heightened it. Tim being the least subtle person on the planet in this moment. I love him so much. He sure is trying. lol

Lucy gets a call from the shelter so she steps away. Her domestic she got in is causing problems. She goes back to Tim and lets him know something going on with it. He is the worried boyfriend and asks if she wants him to come with? Which I adore. He know she can handle herself but wants to offer it anyways.

Just wanting to be near her at all times right now which is adorable. Also that instinct inside him to want accompany her incase she needs him. Being the supportive lovely boyfriend he is. Lucy declines and he respects her wanting to handle it on her own. Because he knows she can. Gah I love them. It’s the little things.

We rejoin them at the baseball game and I’m dying how cute they are. Lucy is losing her mind over the game and it's hysterical to watch unfold. Tim tells her to be encouraging haha How far we’ve come from Grey telling Tim to do as such back in 4x02. Love seeing that translate into this. Lucy tries to correct herself but doesn't convince Tim very well on it. His reply of 'We're gonna work on that...' I'm rollin. This is so adorable.

Lucy’s competitive side coming out and he has to have her take down just a notch. LOL The biggest trip is Tim being the kind encouraging one where Lucy is being the more competitive intense one ha. The dynamic shift here is unreal. I just love how involved she gets into this. This is something he loves and she is right there with him on it. I just love that he now has someone to do this stuff with. Happily too.

Not only that but Lucy is very into it at this point. I adore him leaning in to hear her. Tim has to calm her down though. haha I love her telling him she’s excited and he says ‘I know.’ Just letting Lucy be herself 100 percent. He loves her for who she is and vice versa and I'm a puddle. I am also excited Lucy has someone she can be herself fully around. Each found their person and it shows.

Lucy is losing her mind over this game and he gets it. Gah I love them so much everyone. This was such a cute mini moment. He is loving her competitive energy but is trying to tamp it down a little as well LOL Just a husband trying to calm down his overly competitive wife. It’s so cute I’m dying.

The cuteness continues on as they try and hype up one of the kids. I love them cheering Blake on together. Serious married baseball parents vibes. Just being proud parents clapping together. Wearing matching outfits having the same cute energy. This is them as parent's I am convinced. We are looking into the future people.

I also don't hate seeing Tim's biceps in action in these shots Mmm. Yum. I saw someone make a comment that they felt Dad Eric vibes in this scene. I can see it. The way he posts like a proud papa about his kids this is totally in line with that. It's pretty adorable to watch.

The high five turning into a hand hold is adorable and subtle af guys. I did see a BTS post awhile back on here about this. Eric said he and Melissa had a bet. Something about who would have that piece of paper in their end by end of the ep. Something like that. So that’s all I see now when I see the high five and hand hold. LOL Such goobers and I love them for it.

Either way they are disgustingly cute to end this episode. Lucy being the overly competitive mom. Tim has to keep her from scaring the kids is gold. This episode was tons of cuteness and flirty times. Was the perfect episode to follow 5x10 and pre-cursor to 5x12. They got to just be them and have time outside the station together. Just to be a couple and hang out. I loved it sfm.

~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

I will forever adore how Lucy handled that whole Domestic solo. I made a post after this ep premiered about how proud I was of her. How deeply she has grown as a cop and a person. How she doesn't let that abusive asshat rattle her cage in the least. The way she flashes her badge at him and says they're not done talking yet when he is trying to pull her from Lucy. Hot damn. My girl crush is back LMAO

Not only that but take his ass down later. Solo. Has the matter in hand by the time the cavalry arrives. How far she’s come from that moment in the sewers with Nyla back in S2. How proud Harper would be of her. She already is with her UC work but she commands this entire situation. From Start to finish. Takes down a guy twice her size by herself. Just so proud of her growth. The confident BAMF she’s come gah I love it sfm.

Don't usually do gifs in side notes but there were some good side note gifs. LOL Eric at it again with expressions and I'm laughing so hard. If you wanted to see what Tim thinks of Nolan in a moment it's that expression above. Lucy calling John a bad ass and Tim isn't so sure he agrees with her LMFAO. I'm with you babe idk I do either...

The sole purpose of this gif is just to drool and gawk at how damn good Tim looks in the field in this scene. I could care less about the SL LOL It's the tight red shirt, the jeans with his cuffs in the back, the vest with his badge showing, those delicious fit biceps of his, that shot of his forearm as he opens the door and the way he climbs into that trailer flexing said sexy biceps phew lord. Field Tim does so many things to me. How Lucy waited as long as she did to have that man Idk LOL Imma go get some ice water....

Thank you as always to those who read, like, comment on these reviews you make my whole day every time I see one pop up. I shall see you all in 5x12 :)

[love1other]

My person // Rosé

Soulmate au

Genre - Fluff

Words - 2,991

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In a world where everyone is destined to have a soulmate, they possess the unique ability to share thoughts, views, and emotions telepathically. However, prior to meeting their soulmate, individuals have no control over what thoughts are sent to their partner.

—------------

No one mentioned how painful it was to be hit full force with someone else’s emotions and thoughts all at once. Of course, you've felt your soulmate's emotions or have heard their thoughts before but it was usually one or the other and wasn't as profound as it is now. 

Yet here you are in the middle of a target feeling like your head is about to burst looking at the most beautiful person you've ever seen. 

You recognize her, I mean how can you not, she’s part of the current biggest girl group. Beautiful blonde locks cascading down her back, and honey brown eyes staring back into your own. You never in a million years would have thought Rosé of Blackpink was your soulmate. 

You had a pretty good educated guess that your soulmate was involved in the idol world, but couldn't tell exactly what. You’d get glimpses of your soulmates' thoughts and realize they didn’t speak just English. Not gonna lie at first you were worried they didn’t speak English at all but you soon started hearing more of your soulmates' thoughts in English which you were really grateful for. 

You have a hunch that your soulmate realized you only spoke English so they started purposely thinking in English so when one of their thoughts got sent to you, you'd be able to understand. 

When images got sent over you’d see that your soulmate was in what looked like a dance studio and/or recording booth. There was a while where every day that was all that you saw from your soulmate or you'd only hear about how tired they were or how they needed to get steps right. You used to worry a lot about your soulmate but in the last couple of years it had calmed down and was more about food, traveling, and animals. 

‘Beautiful,’ I hear in my head, realizing it's my soulmate- it's Rosé. I feel a lot of emotions too, right now I'm so overwhelmed I can't exactly tell if it's my own or hers. I can tell it's the feeling of elation, adoration, fear, and gratitude.

The fear is most likely my own, I really was not expecting to meet my soulmate today, especially in a target of all places, or my soulmate being a freaking superstar. 

“Hi,” I mumble breaking the silence and our staring contest. Rosé smiles and my breath catches in my throat with its beauty. 

“Hello,” Rosé says still smiling at me. 

“So uh what brings you here?” I ask, and then immediately cringing, ‘common Y/n what was that? Could you be any lamer?’ I think and hear Rosé giggle, I panic realizing I'm not shielding my thoughts like we were taught to in school for when we do eventually meet our soulmate.  

Rosé goes to say something but is interrupted by who I assume is her manager. They speak in Korean and while I did pick up trying to learn Korean for my soulmate it's still not that good and I could only catch small things like “schedule time, show, soulmate,” and that's about it. 

It looks like Rosé is about to walk away and I panic, she can't leave just yet, we’ve not been able to properly talk, or exchange any information so we can talk later. And my chances of running into her again like I did today is very low. 

Before I can say something to get her to stop she turns back around and smiles her dazzling smile at me again. 

“If you could give me a couple of minutes to talk to my manager?” She asks placing her hand on my arm. 

Tingles erupt everywhere her hand touches and goes through my whole body making me noticeably shiver. I’m almost embarrassed until I see the same thing seems to happen to Rosé, as she drops her eyes from mine and stares at her hand on my arm after also having shivered. 

I feel better knowing I affect her as much as she affects me. 

After a few seconds, Rosé brings her eyes back to mine and before I get lost in them like a sap, I nod my head at her, knowing I'll sound stupid if I try to speak at the moment. 

Smiling once more and gently squeezing my arm Rosé retreats and walks back motioning for her manager to follow her.

After casting me one last look over her shoulder she rounds into a different aisle. 

—---------------------

Holy shit I found my soulmate! 

On top of that, it’s Rosé Park from Blackpink, I must have done some really good shit in my past life for my luck to be so good. 

But common Y/n you can’t act like an idiot in front of her again. 

When she comes back I’ll actually talk, and introduce myself to her. 

You got this Y/n, don’t think about the fact she has millions of fans who love her, and that she’s friends with other very attractive and better off celebrities… 

Okay maybe I actually can’t do this, I’m just going to disappoint her, I’m a broke college student who has no life, and ha- before I continue my spiraling I see Rosé making her way back to me.  

“Sorry about my manners earlier, I’m Rosé,” She says extending her hand to me. I grasp it and discover it's the gentlest hand I've ever held.

 “Hi, I’m Y/N.” 

“I believe I saw a Starbucks in this place, would you like to go and talk over a drink?” Rosé asks still holding my hand. 

“Yes!” I quickly say 

“I mean yeah sure that sounds good,” I try again not wanting to sound as desperate as I actually am.

Rosé stares at me as I try not to blush from my quick outburst, and then looks down at our still-enjoined hands. I withdraw my own after realizing we’ve been holding hands for our whole interaction. 

Giving me another smile Rosé mentions for me to follow her, and we make our way to the Starbucks. 

…. I'm so doomed 

—-------------------------

Neither of us has spoken yet, after having grabbed our drinks and sitting down at the small table in the corner. 

“You know,” Rosé starts and I look up from my drink.“I was starting to get worried that I’d be one of the unlucky ones who don’t find their soulmates until their 30s,” 

“Especially considering I’ve turned 26 and the most common time to find your soulmate is between 20 and 25.” 

Rosé takes a sip of her drink and then continues.

“But I realized you were younger when a couple of months ago I received the view of you blowing out a cupcake that had 23 on it. And was glad that you at least had another two years for us to find each other before we passed the timeframe where it became worrisome.” Rosé ends chuckling softly.

“Oh,” I mumble processing what she just said.

“Is it uncommon for idols to find their soulmates before 25?”

“Surprisingly no; It's usually just kept a secret until we decide to retire or think it's a good time to be more laid back in the idol scene.”

“That's understandable.” I fold my hands and place them on the table. “We’ll have to keep it a secret as well right?” I ask.

Rosé looks a little sheepish as she nods her head yes. 

It surprisingly doesn't bother me, I usually keep my private life to myself anyway, and I’m sure I'll be able to tell my parents who will also keep it a secret. 

However, I do realize one problem. She lives in South Korea, I live here in the States, and she's also currently on tour, we’ll have to do a lot of long distance. 

Before I can voice my concerns Rosé reaches across and puts her hand on top of mine. “Is that going to be an issue? I know it's pretty unconventional, and-” I stop her before she continues, “It's not an issue, but I did realize something.”

Rosé nods her head for me to continue.

“We’ll have to be long distance for a while, I live here and am currently in school. You live in South Korea and seem pretty busy with concerts and such.” I look back down at my drink before continuing. 

“And well I’ve heard stories of people not being able to make the long-distance work and just end up hurting each other,” I take a deep breath. “I just don’t want to end up burdening you.”

“That won't happen.” 

“How are you so sure?” 

“Because I’ve been dreaming about meeting my soulmate since I can remember and I won't let anything jeopardize us,” Rosé states gently squeezing my hand. 

I look back up at Rosé and see the sincerity in her eyes. 

 "Okay," I whisper, gently turning my hand to interlace our fingers, our palms touching as we hold hands.

—---------------

Rosé and I talked for a few hours before she had to leave to catch her flight for her next concert. We exchanged numbers and socials so we could stay in touch of course. 

The hug goodbye was the most bittersweet, I felt so safe and loved in her arms and to know it would be a while till I saw her again was just devastating, as was the emptiness I felt after she left. 

We stayed in touch for the next 4 months of her on tour, we Facetimed, texted, and talked on the phone every single day, even with the different timezones that occurred we found a way. 

We also got better at learning how to share specific thoughts, views, and emotions, with one another. I learned Rosé loved anything animal-related so I tended to share views of cute animals I saw around my campus. 

Rosé would send views of the different foods she ate, as well as the view she saw during her concerts, it was an exhilarating yet terrifying view that made me realize that I possibly have stage fright.

I got to meet her members, they usually liked to tease her while she was on the phone with me, it was adorable how shy she got. 

But each one of them would pop up during one of our facetimes and would talk to me and ask questions about my day, it was nice and made me feel less intimidated by them. 

Even Jisoo who struggled more with English would attempt to communicate with me and it worked with her limited knowledge of English and mine of Korean, which I picked up learning again and she took to helping teach me.

Rosé and I learned so much about each other and I could feel myself falling in love with her. Yet I still missed her even with us talking every day, I miss her touch that I only felt for a short time, I missed the safety I felt in her arms, and I missed seeing her eyes and smile in person and not through a phone. 

So I decided to fix it. 

I booked a flight to South Korea for her groups encore concert and was able to snag a ticket to the show.

I contacted Jennie and asked her if she would be able to get me backstage so I could surprise Rosé and she excitedly agreed. However, she ended up going a bit overboard by upgrading my simple back middle row ticket to that of a front row ticket. 

She also was able to upgrade my economy flight to first class, which I told her was not necessary but she brushed it aside and said I deserved it for making Rosé so happy and for the happiness I will bring her with the surprise.

—-----------

The flight to South Korea was long, partially because it was hard to sit still as I was so jittery. I land with enough time to check in at my hotel and then head to the venue to wait for them to open the doors.

I make it to my seat with a 30-minute wait period left before the girls start. I’m so nervous and excited that I fear I’ll lose the shield on my emotion and Rosé will feel it and question me. I’ve made sure to play it cool and not let her know I’m here which bothered me a lot having to lie to her, but it’ll be worth it in the end. 

The show starts and everyone is amazing especially Rosé who my eyes have been on the whole time. She looks and sounds absolutely immaculate. After a few songs, they walk to the front stage, introduce themselves, and talk about the show. 

Rosé is to the left of me and finally seeing her up close after so long has butterflies going crazy in my stomach. Gods she is gorgeous and I question every day how I got so lucky to be her soulmate. 

Rosé finishes talking and now Lisa has started. I’ve worn a mask so as to not be immediately recognized but I think now's the time. 

I usually make sure I don’t send Rosé any images during her shows but this is the only way I can think of to get her attention. I send her exactly what I’m seeing right now, which is her in all her glory. 

Rosé seems to zone out for a second and then immediately looks to the section I’m in, I take off my mask as the fans around me are screaming her name. 

Finally, we make eye contact and it’s like it’s just us in this arena that’s filled with thousands. 

Emotions rush through me: surprise, glee, awe, and adoration. 

Reality of where we are hits and I notice that Jennie is now talking and seems to be nearing the end and they’ll have to go back to performing. 

‘I’m excited to see the rest of the show, I know you’ll kill it.’ I send telepathically to her as Jisoo introduces the next song they are going to perform. 

Rosé gives me the biggest smile possible and sends me a wink before going to her place for the song. 

The fans next to me go absolutely crazy afterward and I don’t blame them, because holy shit her wink left me in a daze. 

—————-

Throughout the show, Rosé would make as much eye contact with me as possible and was definitely showing favoritism to my section. 

The other girls caught on to my being here, Jennie or Rosé having told them, and they would also come over a lot to wave and send me knowing smiles. 

The encore was my favorite, during As If It’s Your Last, Rosé came and sat down right in from of me and kept eye contact, it’s like I was being serenaded. 

‘Wait there and a guard will come and escort you to the back.’ Rosé says as she and the others are leaving the stage. 

I do just that, I sit in my seat and recall the look in her eyes when she first noticed me. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it or this show. 

After about 15 minutes of waiting a guard and the manager I saw with Rosé with when we first met came and took me to the back. 

It’s very chaotic, with people running around and others celebrating, we make our way past everyone and make it to what I assume is their dressing room. 

I go to knock but Kim, Rosé’s manager who had introduced herself, opens the door and says I can just go in. 

Walking in I was not expected to be immediately tackled into a hug, from the tingles erupting all over me I knew it was Rosé.

“This is the best surprise ever!” 

In response, I just wrap my arms around her and hug back with just as much enthusiasm. 

We stay like that for a while. I relish the feeling of safety and care that her arms bring me. 

“I’ve missed you,” I say leaning back to see her but still keeping my arms around not wanting to let go anytime soon. 

Rosé reaches her hand down and interlaces our fingers “I’ve missed you too.” 

“How long are you here for?” 

“Well I was able to convince my professors to let me finish the last of my assignments and exams online for the rest of this term, and then I was thinking of applying to the international university here.” I squeeze Rosé’s hand gently, “so for a while I suppose.”

Rosé then does something unexpected, she leans forward and places her lips on mine oh so gently. I stand still in surprise for just a moment, my heart racing, before I gently placed my hands on her hips, pulled her closer, and eagerly kissed back with passion and intensity.

Rosé reaches up and cradles my face, her tongue running across my bottom lip asking for entrance, which I abide parting my lips with a content sigh. I get my first taste of her and I’m overwhelmed completely, her taste, her smell, and the feeling of her pushed up against me has my heart doing summersaults. 

Before we can continue there's a cough heard and we pull apart both lightly panting. I don’t yet acknowledge the person who coughed I just stare at Rosé, lips slightly parted and swollen, her gorgeous eyes dilated and screaming with want. 

I can’t hold it in anymore.

“I love you.” 

Rosé gasps as she searches my eyes before rushing forward and kissing me again. There's an annoyed grunt from somewhere but I don’t care, I’m kissing my soulmate, my love, my person.  

[sacredsistersthree]

it’s The Morrigan devotional hour (that would be a great variety show) so I thought I’d talk a little bit about how my relationship with Her came to be

I had spent well over a month feeling like I had someone calling out to me. this feeling mostly came in the form of a cold, feminine hand on my shoulder, steering me. I thought a lot about the circumstances in my current life that could be signs or connections. I did a lot of research on different deities I thought it might be.

now I have to be embarrassingly honest here- many times in my contemplation/research, I thought “The Morrigan? no, it can’t be Her. next.” this came from a couple places- a) I’m deeply Irish and felt it very cliché. b) so, so many people devote themselves to The Morrigan that I wrote it off, saying that I probably just convinced myself it was Her because She’s popular. c) I was genuinely afraid. hey, I love Her, but She’s terrifying!

obviously blind to the real answer, my search for answers kept on and got me nowhere. eventually I was desperate, begging “I can feel You here, who ARE You? PLEASE. HELP ME.”

the next day, I walked outside and there was a crow feather, planted directly upright in the soil, at the base of the tree I give offerings to. as I walked towards the feather, knowing that that was a sign, a squirrel started straight up /pelting/ me with acorns. throwing them at my head. as if to say “you doubt it’s Me? who else could it even be at this point?”

I ran inside to do a tarot reading (after collecting the feather and all 9 acorns), hoping to get a confirmation, and every single answer pointed to yes, it was Her. I was overcome with full-body joy (which truly was a feat considering how tired and sad I was) and immediately laid myself down at Her feet. I also apologized profusely for my refusal to believe or accept it was Her (I don’t think She needed apologies, She got what She needed with the acorns pelted at my head).

we’ve been working together ever since. I have never felt more connected- apart from physically being there, the most spiritual experience I’ve ever had- to my roots in Ireland. I have not felt this strong in a long time. She keeps me in check and encourages me to go forward when I fear I cannot go on. She is building me- and helping me build myself- to be a better version of me. She has been with me a lot longer than I’ve known Her presence in my life; I think She just got tired of being in the background.

and that’s my slightly comical, mostly embarrassing story of how I finally came to accept (and adore) The Morrigan’s presence in my life. we’re an odd but oddly perfect pairing.

and today, for Her, I’m gonna start re-learning Gaeilge (the Irish language) because I have forgotten nearly everything I used to know 😅

[sooinbloom]

The Kingdom of Us

Chapter 7

pairing: kyungsoo x OFC genre: Royal!AU, nonidol!soo, crownprince!kyungsoo, romance, drama theme: arranged marriage, modern royalty, enemies to lovers, war, betrayal, smut (we’ve finally gotten to that point lol), fluff word count: 5,555 description: as the royal wedding approaches, Alina questions her feelings for Kyungsoo. Alina’s crown selection ceremony goes wrong, Kyungsoo starts training Alina in swordsmanship and they cross a line they never thought they would warnings: mentions of death, mentions of miscarriage, infidelity, oral sex (f. receiving)

author’s note: hello dear reader (: We’re 7 chapters in! Wow! Thank you so much for reading. Kyungsoo and Alina’s romance is rapidly developing, it’s been interesting writing such a fast pace love. I hope you enjoy this one… It’s a little bit spicy! Photos are not mine. Dividers by @saradika-graphics . Enjoy!

ALINA

“Someone is all smiles today.” Lisette smirks at me through the mirror. Today we had to do the final fitting of my wedding dress, and last-minute details had to be finished before the end of the day. The wedding was coming faster than I’d anticipated, but I’m ready for it. My cheeks warm at the thought of the events that occurred last night. My lips tingle at the thought of Kyungsoo’s kisses. His words danced across my mind as I relived each moment. 

Your existence consumes me, darling. I need you. I crave you. 

“It was a lovely night.” I sheepishly smile.

“Did something happen last night with you and the Crown Prince?”

“Lisette! No! We just… He just… He… He confessed his feelings to me, and we kissed. We kissed before that but this was different.” My blush deepens as I remember every second of last night.

“Different? How so?” Lisette pins the dress at the waist, muttering adjustments under her breath. 

“He kissed me like he meant it. Our first kiss was curious, this was different. He was being… Romantic. He was whispering sweet things to me between each kiss. Lisette, it made me feel so… I can’t even put it into words.” Kyungsoo has changed. He’s been showing more affection lately, and I don’t mind it. Being woken up to kisses and gentle touches is a dream come true. I found myself getting more curious of what it would be like to fully give myself to him. I tried not to think about it too long, because if I do, I’ll get lost in a cluster of what ifs and anxiety. It doesn’t stop me from thinking these things, but I stop myself wondering if it’s too soon in our betrothal (soon to be marriage). I’m afraid that I’ll ruin the moment by having a breakdown right in the middle of Kyungsoo and I… I can’t even bring myself to acknowledge that I want to get physical with him. It feels wrong, like I shouldn’t want these kinds of things considering what happened to me.

“Amiga, you look like you’re so in love!” Lisette looks up with pins in her mouth. I look at her through the reflection in the mirror, shrugging my shoulders. “Ya, no te muevas!”

“Sorry, I won’t move. It’s only been a month. Is it love or just infatuation?” I ponder aloud. 

“Well, these are my thoughts on all of that. Betrothals take out the weird, awkward parts of dating. Trust me, Amiga, you’re not missing out. It’s arranged, sure, but if it’s done right you can have a marriage that feels like a love match. Time isn’t necessarily on your side. Since you’re marrying a Crown Prince and you’re becoming the Crown Princess, you’ll be spending a lot of time together. You have no choice but to learn things about each other as you go. From what I saw at the Ball, the Crown Prince adores you. I don’t think I’ve seen your parents look at each other the way you two look at each other. In your world, alliances are first, love is last. But… I do believe that what you’re feeling for Crown Prince Kyungsoo is normal. Seems like he’s falling in love with you, too.” Lisette explains as she finishes up the pinning of my dress. 

“You really think so?” I reach for any confirmation, because I’m never sure of myself. Lisette rolls her eyes and stands behind me with her hands gripping my shoulders. 

“For once, stop questioning yourself and this love that’s blossoming. It’s far from traditional and believe me, I think arranged marriages are very outdated but the two of you seem happy. Nothing like Maria and Daniel.” The sound of his name makes me sick, but I shake it off and laugh. 

“Maria is definitely the one who loves more in that marriage.” I laugh. “Thanks, Lisette. I needed the boost. Wow, the dress looks spectacular! You’re going to add lace sleeves?” 

“I sure am, the finished product will be gorgeous. Now, get out of this dress. I have work to do and a deadline to make!” Lisette pushes me toward my closet. 

“Hey! Wait! Are you going to tell me what happened between you and Duke Chanyeol? I saw the two of you talking in the garden!” I push myself to a halt. Lisette giggles and unzips the back of my dress for me. 

“I will, just not right now. Go! You’re going to be late for your Crown Selection Ceremony!” 

“It’s a pleasure to have you here for the Crown Selection ceremony, Princess.” Queen Hyunae says through gritted teeth. She said that I was forced? I sigh and bow my head. The Crown Selection Ceremony is one of the more exciting parts of getting married as a royal. The excitement and wonder of seeing the beautiful crowns from the queens of the empires we’re marrying into. The women of the family sit on the floor as I kneel in front of the Queen and the Seoul crowns that are being offered to me for my coronation. My eyes dart back and forth at the rows of crowns in front of me, some more eccentric than others. I make eye contact with Queen Hyunae and force myself to accept that this is going to be anything but exciting and wonderful.

“It is an honor, Your Highness.” I reply softly. Boram giggles in the corner and Hyunae holds her hand out toward her.

“Enough, Duchess.” Hyunae warns. Her attention turns to me. “Princess, you are marrying my son quite fast. Are you hiding something? Did you manipulate him?”

“No, Your Highness. I have no reason to manipulate him and I have absolutely nothing to hide.” I eye the crowns again, unfazed by the pressure radiating from the woman in front of me. 

“Then why the rush?” She sneers. I smile, not missing a beat.

“The Crown Prince and I have fallen in love and do not wish to wait another moment to be husband and wife, Your Highness.” The women around us swoon, whispering about the dance at the Ball, and rumors of us sneaking away and kissing in the hallways of the palace. Part of those rumors are true, we may have been caught by a few maids once or twice. Boram rolls her eyes and the Queen huffs. Lady Daeun rests her hand on Hyunae’s lap, patting her knee but the gesture is waved off. 

“You expect me to believe the words that come out of your mouth, Princess? I have been made aware of the truth, and you’re nothing but a fraud.” Hyunae smiles as if she’s won the battle, but it’s just begun. Micha whispers to one of the Doh Viscountess’s I don’t move a muscle. I won’t let her push me around, or see me stumble. I refuse to break eye contact with my future mother in law, a soft smile turning up my lips.

“With all due respect your Highness, I am uncertain of how I can be a fraud when I am a member of one of the most noble families in the world. When it was you who chose me to marry your son. Anyone can tell a lie and assure you it’s the truth, which I am confident is the case with your source.”

“Are you challenging me, Princess?”

“I would never dream of it, Your Highness.” I reply coolly. I spot a silver crown with cherry blossoms dusted on top in rose gold, it’s covered with beautiful rubies and gold etchings. Everyone in this room wants this to be over just as much as I do, so to add insult to injury, I chose my Kingdom gifted Seoul so I can keep part of my people with me. I look up at the Royal Guard waiting for me to make my decision. I motion for the Crown and he nods.

“A lovely choice, Your Highness.” Lady Daeun says from the side of the Queen. She gives me a small smile and I lower my head as the crown is placed on my head.

“Thank you, Lady Daeun.” I smile back at her. Queen Hyunae scoffs and I bow to her. When I come back up, the crown is removed from my head. Queen Hyunae rises and pulls me to stand.

“We have things to discuss.” We go to an adjacent room and the Queen shuts the door. “I would like to make something very clear, Princess. I’m onto you. I know all of your secrets. Your sister didn’t leave out any details of how you tried to take her husband away from her. If I would’ve known, I would have called off this entire betrothal years ago.”

“Queen Maria is vastly mistaken. I never tried to take her husband away from her nor did I want him. I was a child, Your Highness. Those are all lies. I would never betray your son or this dynasty. Never. Is it not treason for you to maintain a relationship with your enemy?” I insist. Kyungsoo said she owed me an apology, and I want what I’m owed. “In fact, The Crown Prince informed me that you had an apology for leaving me vulnerable in my chambers without any guards.”

Queen Hyunae laughs. “I have no recollection of ever promising to apologize to you. I owe nothing to you. The thing is, Princess, you are nothing but a pedigree for my son. You will obey him and give this Kingdom an heir. That is your only job, if my son chooses to be faithful to you then let it be so. It’s not a requirement of an arranged marriage to foster any type of love. I know that the things you say about my son loving you are untrue, my son is not the kind of man who loves someone like you. He knows that a King in love is a foolish one. Understand your place, Princess. I’m watching you very carefully, if you as much as speak out of turn, I will have you removed from this palace and charged for your crime of breaking the betrothal and lying about it. The only reason I haven’t already is a kindness toward you, and I refuse to let this dynasty have an abomination such as a temptress ruin its reputation. Understand?”

“Queen Hyunae, I am very much aware of my place. I will be the best compliment for the Crown Prince, just as he desires me to be. I refuse to be treated the way I have been by you since I arrived here. I have done nothing but love your son and have been completely faithful to this betrothal. It’s funny how so many people who know not one thing about me have written my story for me. And it’s a pity a woman as great and intelligent as you falls for such stupidity. I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing for you to be concerned about. I know I am being honest, so there’s nothing to worry about. I am looking forward to being part of such a strong dynasty. Thank you for your kindness.” I smile and walk away from the Queen, there was nothing left to discuss. As much as I feel proud of myself, the thoughts enter my mind of how I just messed everything up by going against Kyungsoo’s mother. 

Will I be deemed not worthy?  Will she make my life a living hell? I’m an idiot.

KYUNGSOO

The sun is setting on a stressful day. I have been hearing the whispers of how the Crown Selection Ceremony went and disappointed doesn’t even cover what I feel. The last thing I wanted was for Alina to feel like she was just a pawn in this game of dynasty and legacy. If she was, I wouldn’t be willingly training her like this. I saw Alina nervously pacing across the Training Grounds, her hair tied back with a pair of black leggings and a sweatshirt I knew I left in her room a few nights ago. Watching her pace is amusing, but also very distracting due to her figure catching my attention. Hell, Alina could be wearing a potato sack and I’d still find her attractive. I have to focus on the task at hand: teaching Alina the basics of swordsmanship. 

Training Alina how to defend herself is more vital than ever. Alina turns and spots me removing my suit jacket. I offer a smile as I roll my button up shirt sleeves to my elbows, my dress shoes picking up dust as I make my way to my princess. 

“Princess.” I lower my head and meet her gaze. She’s so cute when she’s casually dressed, it’s almost cruel to make her fight and train with me when she’s bubbly like this.

“Crown Prince.” Alina bows to me with a cheeky grin. I take off my tie and unbutton the first couple of buttons on my shirt, throwing my tie atop of my suit jacket. “Your Highness, you’re going to train me while dressed in a suit?” 

“Do you think you’ll be always wearing a cute pair of leggings and a sweatshirt when the enemy attacks? Likely, you won’t be, Princess.” I wave over the Royal guard to hand Alina and I swords. I can see Alina struggle with the weight of pure steel and iron in her hands. 

“Don’t you think this is a bit… Heavy?” Alina asks innocently. She watches me grip the sword and settle it in my hand. I ignore her question and take a breath. 

“Alright, come here.” I beckon to Alina, her sneakers shuffling in the dirt. She adjusts to the weight of the sword and grips it with both hands. “Follow me. I’ll go slow. If I swing toward you, block me. You want to study your opponent. Where are their weak spots? Where is their guard down? They may catch you off guard…”

I swing my sword and Alina’s clashes with mine. She pushes forward with both arms, eyes focused on me. She pivots and shoves the blade away from her and shuffles backward. For a moment she stops, scans me with her eyes and takes a low blow toward my leg. We exchange blows and I watch in amazement at her graceful movements. Sure, she may not be an expert but she can hold her own. 

“Princess, why didn’t you tell me you’re well versed in swordsmanship?” I laugh nervously.

“I told you. My brothers trained me, didn’t mean I was horrible at it, Your Grace. I don’t like fighting.” Alina huffs. She takes her stance and drops her shoulders.

“You have some talent, Princess. Show me what else you got.” I shake my head and swing my sword at Alina’s side, she turns and pushes me back. With war slowly becoming a reality, it was highly possible that I would have to go straight to the battlefield on a moment’s notice. She only trusts the guards so much and I didn’t want her to rely on other people to keep her safe. With a loud cry, Alina kept pushing until my sword flew out of my hand. Heaving for breath, she rubs her arm with her hand with a slow nod. I reach out for Alina and rub her muscles gently. “Are you alright?”

“Fine, thanks.” Alina mumbles, “I just have to get stronger. I’m not a fan of weapons. I have no idea how you do this all of the time.”

I kiss her head and continue to rub her arms in small circles. “I do it out of necessity. Let’s hope you never have to, but to be safe darling, we’ll practice three times a week. It will take time to build your strength. We’ll get there, Princess. How do you feel?”

“Brave,” Alina laughs. “I… I like feeling brave. Like I could be strong.”

“My darling, you are strong. More than you realize that you are.” I nod, putting the sword back into Alina’s hand. “Now, let’s get back to training.”

“Why? I’ve done enough!” Alina whines through a pout. 

“Five minutes of training isn’t going to make you a good swordswoman. I’m sorry, but we have to continue.” I take a step back. I notice Alina is still pouting and I walk back to her, shaking my head. “Come on, don’t be like that. This is for the best, darling. Here, let me give you motivation.”

I move and clash our swords together, our eyes glaring at one another through the blades. I lean in and steal a kiss, my hand holding Alina steady. I pull away and turn, wielding my sword back around. Alina blocks every single attack that I launch, and every time she blocks me, she’s rewarded with a kiss. 

“This is nice motivation,” Alina says while mimicking my movements. I watch in awe of her skills as I direct her and motivate her to keep going. “I’m starting to like this.”

I swat the sword out of her hand and throw it to the ground. Alina looks up wide eyed and my glare intensifies. “What do you do now? Think. Where am I open?” 

Alina studies me carefully. She puckers her lips and grabs my wrist. I drop the sword and she loses her balance. I grab her waist and let her fall on top of me with her hands on my chest. Her lips are parted as we heave for breath, strands of Alina’s hair fall out of her ponytail and around my face. My hand slides up her back and I kiss my fiancée, holding her close. “You did good today.”

“Thank you…” Alina’s cheeks are on fire, she shifts and slides off of me, standing on her feet. I get up and dust myself off. Alina’s face erupts into a shy smile, she tries to lift her arm but winces at the soreness. I massage her arms and smile back. 

“Let’s go, darling.” I manage to say. I take our things and Royal guards hand me a bag full of towels and water. I keep Alina at my side and guide her across the Training Grounds and onto the path toward the palace. She’s quiet as we walk together, her arms hugging her chest. I can tell she’s losing herself in her own head. We reach the library and I shut the door behind us, locking it for privacy. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Alina replies as she sits on the leather sofa in the back of the room. She’s a terrible liar. 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Scratch that, she’s a horrible liar. I saunter over and kneel in front of her.  

“Tell me the truth, Princess.” I encourage her. She blushes and looks away, the words falling out of her mouth softly but I hear her loud and clear. 

“Would it… Be wrong if I wanted to take this relationship a step further?” 

“In what way, Alina?” I’m careful with my words. I know this conversation is a delicate one, considering her past. This conversation was bound to happen at some point, so I decided to do some reading on trauma survivors and intimacy. The last thing I wanted to do was make Alina uncomfortable or reactivate her trauma. It was disgusting how much shame comes to a survivor and their needs. Alina’s comfort is my number one priority. Anything I want will always be second. 

“I want to know what real love feels like. What physical affection feels like when it’s my choice. I want to know if it’s way too soon or if it doesn’t matter.” 

“What made you think about this?”

“It’s been on my mind for awhile, and that fall we took. Also, everything you told me the night of the Ball… It made me want… More. I liked how close we were. I don’t know if that’s okay because it felt wrong to want you like that. I’m conflicted because at the same time, I’m so scared to act on it. I have these feelings for you but I’m scared I’ll panic.” Alina laments. 

“It’s not wrong. You want to experience something on your terms. It’s not wrong for you to want me, Alina. Don’t let someone else’s ideas make you believe that. I want you to feel comfortable and in control. Whenever you feel like you’re ready, I can show you there’s more than one way to receive pleasure. Call me selfish, Princess, but I want your first experience to be all about you and what you want.” I rest my hands on Alina’s thighs, waiting for her answer. Her hands meet mine and she chews at her bottom lip with flushed cheeks. 

“Why does it have to be about me? What about you?” Alina asks, sliding her hands back and forth. My confidence boosts to new highs as I slide my hands to Alina’s face. 

“Intimacy is supposed to be pleasurable for both people. Not just one. And this isn’t just sex. It’s us coming together. It’s the moment that counts. And if you’re not ready for traditional sex… I could bring you to a climax with just my mouth if I wanted to.” I say lowly, the warmth of her cheeks settles into my palms.

“Oh…” Alina stutters.

“Tell me what you want, princess.” 

“I… I want… You said you could satisfy to perfection. Show me what that means." Alina shyly requests. 

“Your wish is my command, darling.” I give Alina a knowing smirk while busying one hand with the drawstring of her pants. I bring her lips to mine, kissing her while whimpers filter out of her mouth. I squeeze her thigh and slide my tongue across her lip, giving her a preview of what’s going to happen next. I break from her and stop before I can push her pants down. “Is it okay if I take these off of you?”

“Yes, take them off.” Alina nods quickly. I slide her pants off and groan at the sight of her in my sweatshirt and panties that hug her hips perfectly. I push her legs onto the sofa and leave a kiss on her stomach, keeping eye contact. Alina’s eyes widen and she presses her hand on my shoulder to stop my next move. “K-Kyungsoo… We’re doing it here?”  

“No better place to learn things than a library, Princess.” I mutter lowly. I nestle myself between her legs on the sofa, kissing her knee as I hook my fingers in her panties. I pull them down and she tries to hide herself from me. Lazily, I drag my lips up her thigh and stopping at her hip to plant a kiss on her flesh. It’s then I’m reminded she doesn’t know what to do, I look up at her and am taken by the sight of her drenched in the moonlight. She takes her hair down and her beautiful dark curls fall around her, shining in the light filtering through the window. I rest my palms on her knees, slowly working her legs apart. “I want to see all of you, darling. Open up to me…” 

 Alina’s body is hypnotizing, she’s so gorgeous. I groan at the strain in my boxers, to say I’m attracted to Alina is an understatement… I’m fully enamored with her. I have to take this one thing at a time. I quickly take my shirt off and gaze up at the beautiful sight before me. I inch closer to her entrance as she intoxicates me more and more. I barely touch her and Alina jumps back, her eyes squeeze shut. 

“Kyungsoo, stop.” 

“It’s okay, darling. We can stop.” I push myself up and rest my forehead against hers. I need to keep her focused on what’s happening in front of her, I can’t let her mind wander for a second. Alina’s eyes open and she grips onto my forearms tightly and desperately kisses my lips. 

“Kyungsoo… I want you to keep going… I just don’t know how to relax.” Alina whispers nervously.

"Darling, I want you to look at me. Don't stop looking at me. I’ll do whatever you tell me to, just don’t close your eyes." I softly instruct, resting her head back on the arm of the sofa.

"Okay… Okay." She stutters. 

“May I touch you, Princess?” I softly ask, the lull of a beg in my voice. 

“Yes.” Alina breathes. She supports herself on her elbows and watches me settle in between her legs. Our eyes lock as I press my fingers on her soaked clit. Her body jolts at my touch, then her head rolls to the side with small groans escaping her. 

“Don’t be quiet. I want to hear your beautiful voice. Tell me what feels good, if you don’t want to keep going, tell me to stop.”

“Okay… I can do that.” Alina says with a rapid nod. I go back to kissing her thighs and rubbing her clit in slow circles. I press my mouth along her soaking core, licking a stripe in her folds and stop to press my lips to her clit.

Fuck, she’s delicious. 

Alina’s melodic moans fill my ears and my God is it heavenly. 

I helplessly groan into her, drawing languid circles with my tongue around the most sensitive part of her body. I spread her open with my fingers and close my lips around her clit and alternate between quick licks and slow suckles, playing with pressure until I get it just right. 

Anything and anyone I ever knew before her disappears. Nothing can ever compare to her. I’m drunk off of her, my only purpose is to satisfy my princess and stay in this high that she brings me to. I slide a finger inside of her and pump gently, Alina wriggles and I lift her hips to keep her closer, allowing her perfect legs to fall over my shoulders. 

“Kyungsoo! There! Right there!” She screams as she grabs my hair. Her moans entice me to quickly lower my pants with my hand that’s soaked with her slick to wrap around my length and pump to the rhythm of her moans. It doesn’t take long to find myself at the edge, thrusting into my hand at each and every sound that comes out of her mouth. 

Alina clenches around my fingers and my release builds to a fever pitch. She’s going to drive me absolutely mad.

My body jolts to a stop as I release into my hand, her orgasm coats my lips and tongue seconds later. I heave and catch my breath and fall into the sofa. I take in a deep breath and tuck my bottom lip in my mouth. I fumble with the bag next to me, grab towels and a bottle of water to clean us up. I quickly wash my hands and return back to my beautifully dazed princess, gently cleaning her up. “That was…”

“Perfection?” I smile, leaving a kiss on her forehead. “How do you feel?”

Alina exhales and groans, searching for her clothes. I reach down and grab them from the floor, handing them to her. “I feel… Like I never had before.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“More than good.” She quickly replies as she dresses herself. I hold my princess in my arms and find myself in a place I’ve never been before with a woman: vulnerable and open. Within such a short period of time we went from being enemies to post-sex cuddles in my library. My hand slides under her sweatshirt and rests on the warmth of her skin. Feeling her is all I want right now. “You’re… Amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so.” I chuckle. "I have to know, darling. Do you... Really feel safe with me?" 

"I do. I suffered from nightmares for so long and you brought me solace. It felt like no one could get to me. You opened me up and made me see that I have more control than I thought."

I sigh and kiss her knuckles, resting them on my chest. "You'll always be safe with me, Alina. I will protect you from every single thing that has harmed you or threatens to. I must be honest, it’s terrifying to feel this for you."

"All of this scares me too, but let's find comfort in each other. We'll take it day by day." 

"I can do that, but please give me time." I whisper in her hair. Alina moves to get up but before she can get away, I sit up and pull her back, she gently land in my arms. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Of course, what is it?” 

“No matter what happens, we’re in this together. No secrets, no lies. Promise me you’ll be at my side and won’t betray me.” I wearily ask. 

“I promise you, Kyungsoo. Are you alright? What’s going on?” 

“I… There’s a reason why I never let you in before. Now that we’ve crossed a line, you have to know why I was so afraid of this and didn’t want it.” I start. 

“What happened?” 

“Have you ever wondered why Daeun is always with my mother?” As soon as I say this, Alina sits up and scoots closer to me. Her attention is laser focused onto me. I take a deep breath and continue. “First, I want to apologize for how my mother has been toward you. I heard about the Crown Selection Ceremony and it embarrasses me that she is treating you so poorly. She’s projecting onto you because of her mistakes.”

“Mistakes?” Alina tilts her head. I nod and take a deep breath. 

“My mother… Is a dishonest woman. Like us, my parents were betrothed. However, my father was a tyrant in his younger years. He wasn’t a good husband. My mother broke off a secret relationship with a Royal Guard, and a year later I was born. 

Things got worse because my mother started the relationship again and she got pregnant by the guard. 

I was a kid. I didn’t know what was going on when she came into my room and told me she was leaving. She told me I had to understand that there were more important things in life than our circumstances. Then she was gone. She didn’t get too far because my father found out what happened and brought them back to the palace. My father had every right to execute the both of them, but he decided that death was too easy for my mother. So, he made her watch her lover get executed. The stress was so intense that she lost the baby. 

Ever since my father has had my mother under lock and key. She isn’t allowed anywhere without Daeun. She’s not allowed to be alone with any guards. Then 2 years later, the betrothal happened. So, I was scared of ending up like that… Like my parents.” I hold my breath in wait and Alina tilts her head and cradles my face in her hands. Her eyes are watery. She plants herself in my lap and wraps her legs around my waist. 

“I am so sorry that happened, Kyungsoo. That must have been terrible to go through. I understand your fears, but I want to make it clear that you have nothing to worry about with me. I’m committed to you, betrothal or not. I won’t hurt you the way others have hurt you before. I promise you.” Alina wipes the tears that I wasn’t even aware were falling down my face. I lean and kiss her, holding the side of her neck. She slowly parts from me and I bring her right back to me. I don’t know how to say I love you, but this will be the closest I can get to that. I push her back on the sofa leave soft kisses on her cheeks and face, expressing silently how much I need her. Part of me warns not to let her in, because she can ruin me faster than anyone else. 

“Alina,” I mutter into her neck, leaving kisses while whispering in her hair. “Please, don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t hurt you, Kyungsoo.” She whispers gently. “And I ask you to do the same. We will be married by this time tomorrow, and my vow to you is to never betray you. The world can have their kingdoms, but all I want is you.”

“All that matters, darling, is the kingdom of us.” I kiss Alina’s face and rest my lips on her. “No matter what happens in this next chapter. No matter what this war brings us… I promise I’ll find my way back to you.”

“And I promise I’ll be waiting.” Alina’s smile is brighter than the moonlight spilling into the windows. I silently pray that she doesn’t break me, that she will be the one to hold me together. Alina keeps kissing me with her perfect lips and wander onto my jawline, something she’s never done before. 

“Mmm,” I groan, smiling. I gently brush her cheek with my fingertips. The moment felt right, I could trust her.

I can’t wait for her to be my wife. Only 12 more hours to go. 

[shirtlesssammy]

The Winchesters 1x11: Bullet Point Rambles

Dean: What we do at the crossroads………..is make a prequel!

John shows up in dramatic fashion (Boris: idonotfeelbadforjohnwinchester idonotfeelbadforjohnwinchester) and announces his predicament

We learn that Maggie had a bracelet that makes people tell the truth. Also Maggie was MYSTERIOUS about it. At this point, we’ve mentioned Maggie so often I have to stroke my beard and contemplate what she means to the show

Today is written and directed by women! Nice.

Carlos and Lata investigate Maggie’s room and contemplate the Akrida’s master plan. They continue to be adorable besties and I love them

John and Mary pack up in DAYLIGHT BABIES PLEASE. They’re confronted by Betty who “has been following them for weeks.” Boris: Creeper

John gives himself up dramatically. Betty is probably pretty sad that she can’t haul in Mary Campbell as well. 

Lata finds the bracelet in a hidden snack hiding place. She reaches towards the bracelet and it flies up and attaches itself around her wrist. Not good! Even more NOT GOOD is when the mysterious shadows fly up and blow out the lights

Lata and Carlos try to figure out if the ghosty thing was a lurking monster or bracelet-generated

Back at the Clubhouse, Millie and Mary try to break open John’s case. Mary drowns in guilt. Wherps.

Millie wants to trust Betty with Monster Club. Boris and I both think this is a TERRIBLE IDEA. (But it would make some fun soapy drama, I suppose)

At the precinct, John gets interrogated by a chuckling cop. I tell him to get an attorney but my advice goes unheard. Chuckles the Cop reveals that he’s the Akrida WHO KILLED KYLE. *mustache twirl mustache twirl*

Mr. Akrida sets out a photo of DEAN WINCHESTER (we flail silently) and demands info in exchange for his freedom. Boris: Every time this photo shows up, my brain vibrates at a high level

(Info update: John was a PoW???)

Lata digs into the bracelet further - the shadows will consume anyone who wears the bracelet and has a dark secret. Carlos is like YOU???? just before he’s taken by the monsters! ‘FESS UP GIRL!!!

Carlos gets zapped into a creepy crypt bedroom place? Is this like a ghost bedroom? They can hear each other. Is he in a parallel dimension like that witch from the second episode?

MAGGIE APPEARS!

Millie proudly shows Betty the Clubhouse. It’s time for Monster Skool! Millie tries to convince Betty that it’s all real. Come on, don’t you have some handy monsters hanging out? It goes…poorly. Mary shouts after her about the 3 marks on the back of her neck, as Betty storms off

Fake!Maggie and Lata reminisce. Maggie told her everything, and now Fake!Maggie wants Lata to tell her everything. Lata gets zapped to the cold room, and Carlos! WILL we finally learn Lata’s SECRET? Why the family estrangement, etc? Honestly, I’m surprised to learn this so soon, since I assumed Lata’s Dark Secret TM would be part of season 2

Lata lights a lantern as Carlos feels the creeping approach of DOOM. We learn that the dark room was a part of Lata’s old home

Meanwhile, Mary plans a good old fashioned jailbreak. Boris: John’s sons got out of the deepest darkest prison the Feds have to offer so…John can bust out too. Or did they get out because of their mom? Things to contemplate…

Carlos and Lata confront her dark secret. She weeps over it and Carlos begs for her to confess. Lata brings up her backstory. After a family dinner, Lata brought food to share with her family’s housekeeper Sonya. Her dad beat her housekeeper for it and Lata struck him with the lamp. 

Mary rings the Campbell residence for a little Lata/Carlos backup. Sorry, Millie! Nobody here but us shadow creatures!

Lata was shamed by both her parents for sticking up for the housekeeper. She ran away from home. In retaliation, her dad locked the housekeeper in the room and Sonya froze to death. (Boris: Seems like your asshole father’s problem, and not yours, girl.)

Guilt rises from Lata and Carlos and they find themselves back in the kitchen. “I guess the truth really does set you free,” Carlos notes. LOL. Millie runs in and seriously ruins the mood. Uh, go team!

John gets taken away. Mary and Betty confront each other. It’s a punching fight!!! Boris: TAKE HER OUT, MARY, SHE’S HALF YOUR SIZE

The team confronts Betty and Carlos “Drugs Should Be Legalized” Cervantez holds her while Lata chunks on the truth telling slap bracelet

Team Scooby Gang beat up all the cops and John runs. What’s the plan? RUN! That’s…that’s the plan. Betty’s gonna be their source on the inside. Mrow cat fight, etc.

Betty and Mary reconnoiter later. AND THEY HUG. Or…Betty apologizes. John gives Betty the plans for an Akrida-tattoo, and John and Mary head out ONCE AGAIN in broad daylight

In the clubhouse, I am desperate to own Carlo’s coat, and Lata tells Carlos that she wants to be more open with him. Her parents aren’t dead (they are just dead to HER). Aw, Carlos tells her that her parents are dead to him too! Besties! Carlos reassures her that everyone loves her because they DO

Mary and John drive and look disconsolate. They plot revenge, and plan to find DEAN WINCHESTER OUR BEST BOY

[parisian-nicole]

What Kirsten has said about GarVez!

Nerds & Beyond: As a Garvez fan I have to ask, will we EVER find out what happened on Penelope’s date with Luke in the season 15 finale?

Vangsness: So thank you for being a fan of that. One of my favorite things about Criminal Minds is that it lays things in and you might have to wait and wait, but it will pay off somehow or another. This season is 10 episodes. We’re shooting episode nine right now, and I can tell you, our relationship has evolved even during the pandemic. You will absolutely see acknowledgement of the time prior to this. I can also tease that I have had many scenes with Adam [Rodriguez]. We’ve done a lot of scenes together and you can see how it evolves and people might for a second be like, oh. and then you’ll be like, Wait, no.

From: nerdsandbeyond.com/2022/11/14/interview-kirsten-vangsness-talks-garvez-and-criminal-minds-evolution

**

One of Garcia’s gal pals apparently was curious, too, whispering something in her ear after hunky Luke crashed their anglophile baking party.

“It was one dinner, three years ago,” Penelope told her friend. “We thrive as frenemies, however.”

But is that the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Or could there be more to the story?

“How do I explain this…?” said Kirsten Vangsness when TVLine inquired about the Garcia/Alvez update. “You guys, it’s going to take a minute to explain the ‘One date, three years ago.’ You’re going to get some satisfaction.

“But between that satisfaction,” she excitedly avowed, “there’s a whole other thing — there’s much other satisfaction — that no one including I would have called.

“And it is time,” Vangsness cryptically asserted. “Thank you television, it is time for this to be happening. No one will be sad. You’ll think, ‘Aww, man…,’ and then, ‘Wait, what?’ And that’s the most I can tell you about it.”

From: tvline.com/2022/11/24/criminal-minds-evolution-recap-episode-1-garcia-luke-relationship-update/

**

It has to be asked why did Garcia and Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) only have one date?

Oh, you know what, I want to tell you that, but also, I want to give you the distinct pleasure of maybe learning that. This is what I can tell you, you get to see the evolution of their relationship. We have a lot of scenes together. A lot. And you get to see the evolution of the deliciousness of that relationship, even our relationship over the pandemic, I’ve got to say, Adam and I were friendly during the show, but during the pandemic our relationship got deeper.

We were at the point before the show was starting that we’re having double dates with our partners. So, we adore each other, and the energy has shifted. And don’t you worry your pretty little head, it’s just different. I want to tell you, but all I can tell you is other things. And then when other things happen, you’re like, “I don’t really care.” But then also I feel like it will be more deeply satisfying than anyone could ever possibly imagine. The constellation of things that occur are very satisfying.

From: parade.com/tv/criminal-minds-evolution-kirsten-vangsness-premiere-interview

**

I think I am going to go curl up and cry somewhere because I have lost all hope today :(

[starfall-spirit]

Renaissance Masterlist

Words: 1035

Summary: A marriage façade leads to a destination honeymoon in Florence, Italy. Vacationing in the Tuscan hills shows Feyre there's more to Rhys than meets the eye—maybe even a man she could come to love.

Chapter 2: Wine and Dine

“You look like a nervous wreck.”

Feyre sighed, refraining from telling him she had spent more than an hour getting free of paint and sweat—generally trying to look like a suitable date. As best she could, living out of someone else’s apartment.

There had indeed been an unexpected visitor at her apartment complex. A photo Rhysand’s eyes there sent back revealed Tamlin staked out just across the street. Were she the type to be careless about open curtains, he could have been watching her dine until he lost his patience and came knocking.

So, she had taken Rhys’ offer, accepting his guest room and taking the time their friends were elsewhere to get to know him well enough to survive this lunch. And she did. Whether his family withheld their nosiness today or thoroughly grilled her, she had learned all Rhys had deemed important for his wife to know.

Still, she was nervous.

Though he was right to comment on it, her displeasure must have been apparent, because he was quick to amend his statement. “You look lovely. Now you just need a bit of confidence. We’ve got a story, now it’s a matter of selling it to two hopeless romantics and my father.”

“I’ll be fine.” He nodded, leading her out to his car and opening the passenger door. “What should I be most worried about?”

“My mother and sister will adore you as a person. My father…” His father wanted Rhys to do better than a no name artist. Fake or not, that stung a bit. “Don’t let him get under your skin, darling.”

Feyre stilled both at the tone of his voice and his proximity, having stooped down to eye level. She couldn’t help but mark the new note to the endearment now. She supposed things should sound more advanced than flirting, if she was to play his wife.

“I won’t.”

Nodding, he shut the door, running around the front of the car and sliding in to turn the ignition. The downtown restaurant the Stern family had selected was small, classy, and far from the fast food places she and Mor frequented during and after college. Rhys cut the ignition. “Shall we?”

Joining him in front of the car, Feyre took his offered arm and let him escort her through the doors and up to the hostess. “Good afternoon,” a young woman greeted us. “Your name?”

“Stern. Josiah Stern.” The girl’s brows rose slightly and she rushed us through. “My father has been a regular customer for years,” Rhys murmured, hunched down so his mouth was at her ear. “He can be… demanding, as I’ve expressed.”

“He owns the place, doesn’t he?”

Rhys smirked, usurprised I’d seen the reality. “And expects his staff to be punctual and flawless.”

“Hosting us here?”

“Another display of control, of course. If you think I preen, Feyre, just you wait.”

~~~~~

Rhys watched Feyre taking in the fine details of the restaurant with that keen artist’s eye. Though she may be a painter before all else, the intrigue he saw in his date was understandable. Small as the place may be, it was extravagant in design. Balancing sleek and modern glass and steel with a classy layout brought a unique appeal to the place.

Just as he saw Feyre part her lips to remark on something, a squeal rather improper to the upscale setting was heard. The hostess had hardly cleared the space in front of them when his sister came barreling towards them. Rather than throwing herself into his arms as usual–since they saw each other so rarely–Avyanna’s focus was entirely on his alleged bride.

“You must be Feyre,” she said, the excitement in her voice hardly tempered by her respectful volume. An attempt to lessen their father’s scolding, no doubt. “My God, you’re even more gorgeous in person. How did my brother manage that?”

Rhys scoffed, watching Feyre’s lips pinch as she surprised a laugh, its mirth lingering in her eyes as she glanced in his direction.

“Avyanna,” their father finally barked, jaw tight. “You’ve made enough of a scene, haven’t you?”

Rhys watched the teen reign in a huff, dropping his hold on Feyre as Avy pulled her to the chair to her right, leaving the one to Feyre’s other side open to him. She smiled in thanks as he pulled the chair. The basic courtesies of a gentleman were one of the few lessons of his youth Rhys did value.

Perhaps because his mother had been the one to take the time to show him how to treat a woman.

He let his family note the featherlight brush of his thumb at the back of Feyre’s neck before he took his own seat, squeezing his mother’s hand softly. “Feyre, my sister, Avyanna. My parents, Victorie and Josiah.”

“If we’re finished with that spectacle.” Feyre stiffened slightly, perhaps only now realizing how serious Rhys had been when it came to his no nonsense raising. It was a blessing Avy was flying the nest with her high school graduation around the corner. Eight years ago he had done the same thing, regretting only the isolation from his mother and sister. “Feyre,” his father purred, "tell us about yourself.”

And she did, accepting his not-so-subtle challenge to meet or surpass the bar set. And she tried, chin high and rarely flagging as she told her story from her father’s highs and lows in the world of trade to her breaking from her family to forge her path as an artist.

“Mor and I have been friends since freshman year and she thought Rhys and I would hit things off from the start. It took a little work to woo me, but here we are.

“In hindsight, not projecting our relationship early on was a mistake, but…”

“There isn’t much to be done about that,” Rhys finished, trying his best to look apologetic.

“We can always plan a ceremony of our own in a few months' time,” his mother offered.

“Well, I—”

He squeezed Feyre’s thigh and she paused. “That sounds lovely, Mom.”

As they sat around the table, partaking in the interrogation and gossip, he could help but smile. This might not be so difficult after all.

Now he just had to win Feyre’s heart for real.

~~~~~

Tag List: Comment/ask/message me if you’d like to be added or removed.

@faeriequeensuriel // @reverie-tales // @pandavelaris

[the-fictive-haven]

Silly little TADC lyrics and tune I wrote. I prefer singing/VAing in Japanese, it just sounds nicer and the pronunciation is more natural for me. (Ignore my voice cracking okay I don't feel like re-recording xD)

Translation and characters;

Pomni: Ah? Huh? What is this?

How in the world did I even get here?

The surroundings are so bright they’re hurting my eyes

I don’t like this, I want to go home!

Ragatha: We all felt the same way, new stuff.

Jax: There’s no getting out of here, just give up.

You’re now a character in this freak show just like us.

Jeez, looks like it’s another wimp we’ve got…

Pomni: What even is this place? Who the heck are you people?

What do you mean, there’s no getting out?

Ragatha: Well, it’s not like we exactly want to be here either.

Don’t bother with the exit doors, they’re all just props.

(chorus): Trapped within this virtual world

We can’t even remember our own real names

The unfortunate we face our days, fighting to get through and move on.

Oh no, oh no

Even if you don’t understand, even if you’re scared, this is our home

Welcome to the digital circus.

Pomni: Um, that’s…

I still have a lot of questions…

I just can’t believe it, this is really real?

Even my dreams aren’t this weird, but, surely, it has to be a dream!

Jax: How adorable, she still thinks she’s dreaming.

(Chorus): We’re sinking deeper in this virtual world

Today again seems to be stranger than yesterday

We don’t have a clue if we’ll ever escape, so

From now on

Don’t forget your friends, and just be careful, okay?

The digital circus is,

This place is-

We’re going insane inside this virtual cage

One by one all of us will fall into the same fate

Please take my hand and never let go, you are my hope

Even if everything falls apart, we still have this small spark to hold onto

Welcome to the digital circus!

If anyone with actual musical talent (lol) wants to use this, go ahead just tag me and credit me please!

*I'm still learning Japanese there may be errors*

[lilliagradiewrites]

freedom (HS)

In which you and Harry rehearse your first dance routine the night before your wedding.

-

Pairing: Fiancee!Harry x Reader (non gender specified, though femme)

Content: Fluff. Disgustingly sweet, lovey dovey, sappy sloppy fluff.

Author's Note: HI BABIES! I missed y'all. I made a little bit of JOn Snow content, leaning on the steamier side... I'm afraid to try writing smut so I'm dipping my toes in by implying smut. Anways, in the meantime, I can always right darling sweet fluffly little fluff- which is exactly what this is. I had this idea while just going about my day today and I just HAD to write it. It is so fucking cute. I really hope you like this one. I promised you Harry content and I keep my word. Expect JJ content next! Maybe some spidey writings in our future as well.

I love yall, I hope you love this>

ENJOY!

“Okay, babe, we can do this. Right, left, spin. Are you ready to try?” Your voice was brimming with encouragement as you spoke to your fianceé, trying your damnedest to coax him out of his shell.

“I’m trying, lovie, I have two left feet.” Harry practically whined, dropping his hands from yours down to his sides like a child. You chuckled lightly to yourself at his protest, then pulled his hand back into yours. 

“You don’t, you’re just new at this. We’re learning together, C’mon, let’s try.” You counted off, then leapt into the dance steps, pulling Harry along with you. The piece was a short excerpt of a dramatic waltz. It was a particularly complicated portion routine, where your feet and Harry’s had to crossover in time with the music. The section was quick but required precision, and it ended with a flourishing turn in which your A-line reception gown would flow out towards your audience. Harry danced with a focused and determined expression on his lovely features, his eyebrows furrowing with attention. 

For the first time, you finish the section with complete success, and Harry spins you out over his knee. As you soon as you finished turning, you squealed and jumped into Harry’s arms, placing a firm kiss on his lips. “We did it! I told you we’d do it!”

Harry laughed at your excitement picking you up and planting another kiss. “It was great, darling.”

Once your husband-to-be lowered your feet back to the ground, you clapped your hands and began to speak. “Okay! So we did it, we got it, we can do it. It’s gonna be great. I think we should probably take a break and go enjoy the night with our friends. You ready to go?”

Harry’s eyes widened with a small inhale. “I-erm, well- I don’t know.” His cheeks went lightly pink with the statement. “Can we run it a few more times? I’m not ready yet, I don’t think.”

You smiled fondly at the love of your life. It meant so much to you that it means so much to him. “Of course. Try it with the music?”

After another hour of running and re-running the number, you finally decided to call it a night. “It’s great, Har. It looks really good. We’ve done it a million times not with no mistakes, it will be perfect.”

Harry looked at you with concern behind those green eyes you loved so much. “Are you sure we can’t practice with the choreographer one more time?”

You laughed, pulling your man close to you. His hands found their place on your hips naturally, your energies magnetic for each other. “The wedding is tomorrow, Harry. We don’t have any more time.”

Harry groaned and buried his head in your shoulder, feigning drastic disappointment. You laughed again, your hands finding his curls and twirling them between your fingers. After a moment, he looked up at you and wrapped his arms fully around you, pulling you closer into him. “I’m sorry for bein’ so nervous. I just want my first dance with my new, wonderful, beautiful wife to be perfect. I know it’s important to you. I want to make you proud and show you off right.”

As you gazed into his eyes, pouring adoration into them, you realized you may not be able to last one more night before this man was your husband. You placed your hand on his cheek, stroking your thumb over his cheekbones. “I love you so much. I cannot fucking wait to marry you. 

“I love you more than anything.” Harry replies, pulling you into the largest, tightest embrace. After a moment of holding you, he pulls back and plants a kiss on your forehead. “I’d better go. The boys are waiting for me at the bar, and we aren’t in the same room tonight, of course.”

You smile at him. “Go find your friends. Enjoy your final night of freedom.”

Harry leans down and kisses you. “You are my freedom.”

With that, he turns and leaves the ballroom, leaving you alone, smiling after him like a schoolgirl with a crush. 

As the silence filling his absence settles in, you realize that is the last time you will ever kiss a man who is not your husband.

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for the 1st Wed per annum  (I)

Heb 2:14-18; Ps 104; Mark 1:29-39

I hope that at least some of you will have watched The Chosen which is now in its third season and which portrays the life of Christ in a fresh and appealing way, bringing new life and insight to many familiar stories from the Gospels. The Chosen is available online for free. In one episode in season 2, Christ has spent the whole day healing and praying over the crowds who flock to him. 

I was reminded of this because in the Gospel passage we’ve just heard, St Mark depicts a very full day’s work for the Lord. Right after calling his first disciples, he enters a synagogue and teaches, and then he casts out demons, and “immediately” after, he heals Simon’s mother-in-law. All this has happened in one day, it seems, and at last we’ve come to the evening and still “the whole city” comes, and Jesus heals many and casts out demons from many. 

But after all this activity, Mark lets us into a precious glimpse of Jesus’ life: “And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed” (Mk 1:35). Prayer, time alone with God the Father, gives strength and new life and vitality to Jesus so that he can carry on his work. So prayer, the Lord is showing us, is as necessary as food and fresh air and rest. For prayer is, ultimately, resting in God, being with God, and so receiving from God all the good that he desires to give us. Prayer, indeed, is the “daily bread” for which we pray since prayer sustains the life of our souls in faith, in hope, and in charity. 

Tragically, we often think of prayer as a luxury, as something we fit into the gaps in the daily schedule of activities, but the example of Jesus shows that we need to make prayer part of our schedule - to set aside time to pray just as we make time for the other important things and people in our lives. I am reminded of a wonderful story in which a journalist had interviewed Mother Teresa and spent the day observing her works. At the end of a long and tiring day, he asked the Saint what empowered her daily schedule, and she said she spent an hour in adoration each day. The journalist said: “But what about your really busy days?” And St Teresa of Kolkata replied: “On those days I spend two hours in adoration”. 

The letter to the Hebrews today tells us that “because [Jesus] has himself been through temptation he is able to help others who are tempted.” So in prayer, coming before the Lord with all our weaknesses and addictions and temptation, we receive help from Jesus.  The saints, like St Teresa, all bear witness to the importance of prayer to enable them to do good works, to live their daily lives. 

But this help from Jesus may not always be the instant quick-fix that we want, in that our flaws and failings are not immediately removed, nor are the obstacles and problems of life instantly solved. Rather, we are helped in the manner that is best suited to us human beings, so that we grow in virtue and become better, more wise and loving people. And so this takes time, and perseverance, and a firm desire to change and improve, and to trust in God’s goodness and wisdom. Many people, it seems to me, give up on prayer and think it to be a waste of time because they do not see instant change and improvement. But maybe this isn’t because prayer is impotent, but because we human beings need time, because we need to learn patience and perseverance and fortitude, we need to mend and grow slowly so that the growth is durable and the break is well-healed. 

In The Chosen, Jesus is shown at the end of the exhausting day turning to God in prayer - but he does this in the arms of his mother Mary who silently cradles his head. We can do the same: pray the Rosary daily, set aside time for this, and pray it meditatively, and so let Mary cradle you and lead you into the rest that is our compassionate and loving God who, as the letter to the Hebrews says, has come to “set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.”

[rughydrangea]

I have been very behind on TV, so today I finally finished the Obi-Wan show! Four months later, I know. And it’s weird, I was watching the show very actively up through the fourth episode, but then that very afternoon my mother landed in California and we had to pack, I had to graduate, we drove across the country, I moved into my new place, started a new job... it was just a whirlwind and I just never felt like I was in the right headspace to finish. So tonight I just forced it through. And in the interest of not vomiting my opinions in the tags of someone else’s gifset, here they are. In somewhat incoherent form, I fear, it’s past my bedtime.

It’s not a good show, which I think was apparent quite some time ago. On a plot level it fails every logic test imaginable. Not in a cinema-sins way, just in the sense that characters’ decisions almost never make sense and sometimes the directing also doesn’t make sense. But what really drew me into the show at first was the Obi-Wan/Leia relationship, and to the extent that the ending worked (it didn’t, really), it was by channeling her and Luke as the real emotional stakes, as what matters most in the story. Ultimately, what worked in this show for me was its portrayal of how deeply, deeply loved Anakin and Padmé’s children are. The fact that they have this horrific, toxic legacy that they know nothing about, and instead grow up in warm families that adore them is just very meaningful to me, and seeing that was great. And the best episodes were the ones that focused on Obi-Wan getting to know Leia, appreciating her for who she is but also seeing that she truly is her mother’s and especially her father’s daughter. I liked all that.

The Obi-Wan/Anakin stuff? I mean, leaving aside the fact that Rebels did it better (the way they plucked the image of Vader with half his helmet gone straight from Rebels was really something), I just needed none of it. The problem wasn’t that we knew neither of them would kill the other, or whether it made sense in continuity. The problem for me was that I don’t think there’s anything new to say about that relationship. This show didn’t introduce a single new dynamic, it just replayed the beats that we saw throughout the films, to say nothing of TCW. Yes, Anakin is bold and overconfident and so aggressive it makes him dumb, and we’ve known that since AotC, so why exactly we needed to learn that again is just mystifying to me. Also, I do find Anakin consistently being so stupid that Obi-Wan can easily beat him kind of tiresome. Of course the fight I found the most fun was the one in episode three where Vader just whales on Obi-Wan. Reversals are fun!

Now I can move on to Andor, I guess, though I’m behind on a few other shows that I will probably try to get to first. It’s time I admit that the only new SW content I’m actively looking forward to is season 2 of The Bad Batch. I discovered too late that animated Star Wars is, at this point, far and away the best Star Wars, even when it’s not great. 

Still, if they made a show of Luke and Leia just being kids... I would watch it.

[another-random-object-show]

Another Random Object Show: SEASON 1

EPISODE 20: Death Penalty!

Sunny played with some toys as Cuby watched over him. David began to sign to Cuby, to which Cuby signed back. Through this, Sunny tried signing too and barely understood. “You think we could bring him with us?” David signed. “誰が？” Cuby signed. “Sunny, do you think we could bring Sunny with us to the finals?!” David signed. “なぜ？” Cuby signed. “Because he’s so silly! C’monn, please??” He asked, signing. “Just look at him!” He pointed after signing.

“Hello! もしもし！” Sunny signed, using both ASL and JSL, learning from David and Cuby. “AWWWWWW, LOOK AT HIMMM!!!” David signed, energetically. “...fine.” Cuby signed, using ASL. “YAY!!” David signed. Sunny then tried signing again, but it was broken and came out to “Orange give Orange yes?”, before he realized what he meant and signed “I love you. 愛してます!” in both languages.

Meanwhile, Moony, Question Mark and House were all sitting together in a therapy bubble.

“...so. We’ve lost many people.” Moony said. “First Star, then Starry… maybe not so much Lunartic, but still.” House nodded. “and I was doing so well… until Penta got… y’know?” He sighed. “I already miss him.” Question Mark now stood up. “Hey! Let’s not get sad! Listen, Exclamation Mark and Period may be waiting for me, Starry might be waiting for Moony, and Penta is most definitely waiting for House, but we can’t let their sacrifices drag us down! We’re SO CLOSE!” She exclaimed. “Besides, Penta never went to THE INBETWEEN, is that right?” She said, “Correct! I’m still here, by the by.” Penta said. “PENTAAAA!!” House went to try and hug him, and wrapped his arms around where Penta would physically be. “Ah. Nice to see you again, House.” Penta said.

“That's adorable… wait, you two are a couple?” Question Mark now asked. “...well, I may be dead, but the dead can still become infatuated with the living, y’know.” Penta shrugged. “Huh… y’know, I think I knew you two would always be like that. With you being so interconnected and all…” Moony said. “..why thank you.” Penta said, now scruffing House’s roof.

“OOOOhhHhHhH!! I’M TELLING THE GOURD! >:)” Mime said, spotting Penta, who immediately grabbed him. “Firstly, I already live here. Secondly, It would fail. I already escaped THE INBETWEEN, many, many years ago, and I’m overruled by a deep anger towards the family that cut my phone lines before my death so I couldn't call for 911, even though they broke in and robbed me after I had died.” He now glared at Mime. “and thirdly, I’m going to HELP you.” He says. “All of you, actually. I have seen Today’s Challenge, and it will become increasingly impossible, so if you want to STAY in the show, WORK with me.” Mime now thought, looking at Cuby and David, still with Sunny, who now told Mime; “C’mon Mimester! <D”

…with that, Mime agreed to the plan, just as Penta went invisible.

“FINAL 7!” The Gourd clapped his hands, summoning the contestants. “Today’s Contest is VERY special, it will be the most HARDEST, BONE-BREAKING, HEARTATTACK INDUCING CHALLENGE YET!” He now unveiled the challenge, which was being held up by numerous steel beams. “THE! OBSTACLE COURSE! OF! CERTAIN DEATH!” He unveiled a seemingly innocent Obstacle Course. “UNTIL ONLY 3 OF YOU REMAIN, THE CHALLENGE WILL GO ON!” The Gourd cackles. “Now.. go.” He snapped his fingers, summoning the 7.

“Listen, when it gets tough, I’ll carry you over the obstacles.” Penta told everyone. “I’ll reappear in 10 Minutes.” He said, as the Course Track activated, forcing everyone to get moving.

“This doesn't seem so bad! Hup!” Sunny told David. David nodded, and helped Cuby duck. Meanwhile, Question Mark was struggling. “ACK! NO!! EESH!” She yelped, avoiding the course. “My goodness! This is difficult!” She told House. “..House?” She looked around for House. “...what's this..?” She swiftly grabbed a sticky note.

“Out with Penta, be back I swear…?” She seemed confused, then realized. “...OH. What a fun time for him!” She jumped.

After 10 Minutes, the tracks were speeding up, Penta returned with House, who was utterly flustered, and began to carry everyone over.

“Wee!” went Sunny, “HOW AM I NOT DEAD?!” screamed Question Mark, “THaAAAaAAAaAnKs!” Mime gurgled. “...” Cuby, David, and Moony were silent, though Moony did thank Penta as he dropped her, and House went— “Heheheheeee… heeeee ^///^” when being carried by Penta.

The process repeated until…

“20 MINUTES ARE UP!” The Gourd said. “...and there's 7 of you… SUDDEN DEATH!” He said, as the Course now went backwards and repeated itself. Penta desperately tried to carry everyone over, but eventually…

“ACK!” Moony was flung off by a ball.

“MOONY! YOU! ARE! OUR! 7TH PLACER!” The Gourd said. “Say your goodbyes, meet me at the Elimination Ceremony!”

Moony stared as Penta came down to profusely apologize “I am… deeply sorry, I… caused all this trouble for you and—” Moony now stopped him. “No… it’s my time.” She stated. “..you’re leaving? :-(“ Sunny said. “...like Starry?” Moony kneeled to Sunny. “...listen, Sunny… you're far ahead of me.” She chuckled. “You might even be the better Moony… sigh. You've got this in the bag, sweetie.” She pats him. “Go on.” Moony now walked to the Ceremony.

“I’m ready to go.” Moony said. “...M-mom? I.. I uhm.. I..” Sunny tried to stop her, but Moony remembered something. “Sunny… remember him?” She pulled out a plush of a yellow dog. “...y-yeah… we found him in The Junkyard and… he was my best friend…” he said. “...remember me.” Moony said, giving Sunny the plush dog. “...I.. I will.” Sunny said, tearing up.

“..now, as a space object, you will simply disappear, so.. goodbye, Moony!” The Gourd snapped his fingers, sending her to THE INBETWEEN. “..now, I will see you all… next time.” The Gourd said, turning the Torches out.

END.

AROS was written by TheWiseGuest.

FIN.

“Halt!” Starry calls out. “Who goes?” She asked. “..I am Moony. This is Lunartic. We are… moons.” She explained. “...a moon?” Starry said. “...yes. We orbit planets and watch over them, gently caressing their oceans… but we haven't a planet, so here we are. Deciding to orbit.. your people.” She said, “...have some Moondust, it’s on us.” She nodded. “...alright… be careful, we have young ones.” Starry said, allowing Moony to pass.