#it's so hard trying to write a resolution where she ends up on his side again without feeling cheap lmao

[atlabeth]

im gonig to scream. this chapter really is gonna be fuckin 10k or more huh

[ty-bayonet-betteridge]

I think you should take this as blatant endless encouragement to write a snippet from our aufest universe btw if you feel so enclines :3

enclines

(~600 words. galaxy duo, intended as platonic. silly fluff. Cleo also appears. set several months after the events of half of me is half of you now (i'll have to cut myself in two).)

Scott sat, cross-legged, on the couch, with C next to him. Scott's eyes were closed in concentration, while C looked on with a resolute and supportive smile.

"Alright, Scott," they said. "What's Pearl doing right now?"

Scott felt out through his senses - no, their senses, his and Pearl's. He searched what he could hear and feel and smell, looking for any sign of Pearl's actions.

Scott and C heard the sound of Pearl's door opening. "I'm practicing juggling!" she shouted down the stairs.

"I wasn't talking to you!" C yelled back. She shook her head and muttered, quietly enough that only Scott could hear it. "How does she do that?"

"By being better at this than he is," Pearl said, descending the stairs.

With a sigh of frustration, Scott opened his eyes again. Pearl had joined them, a juggling ball clutched in her left hand and two in her right.

"We have the same brain," he said, "shouldn't we be exactly as good as each other?"

"Nah," she said. "my parts of it are better than yours. But at least you can juggle now."

"I've never juggled before in my life."

"Nope! But you can do it anyway." She grinned and tossed the balls to him. He reacted quickly - they always reacted quickly to each other - and caught them without issue. "Muscle memory. Try it."

He rolled his eyes and stood up. "How do I start?"

"Toss one of the balls in your two-ball hand up in a wide arc towards the other hand."

He took a deep breath and tossed the ball up. He let his hands take over from there and... began to juggle. "Huh."

"Woo! Scott!" Pearl clapped.

C chuckled. Tilly followed the balls with her head, sitting patiently, her tail wagging across the floor.

"Alright, that's more than enough of that," Scott said. He threw Pearl's juggling balls back to her and she caught them. "Got any tips on telepathy?"

"It's not telepathy," she said.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I just like giving you a hard time."

"I know."

"Aw, don't be like that, Scott," she said. "Honestly, I don't know how I do it. It just comes easy. I wish I had advice."

"Well, thanks for the sentiment," he said, sighing.

"Tilly will help you concentrate while I'm out," she said, setting the juggling balls down on the counter and grabbing her coat. Tilly jumped up onto the couch on Scott's other side.

"This monster has never helped anyone concentrate in her life," he said, but he rested a hand on her anyway. Pearl laughed.

"Where are you going, Pearl?" C asked.

"Ask Scott," she said with a smirk. "He needs the practice, doesn't he?" She left without another word.

C put their hand on Scott's shoulder. "You've got this."

He closed his eyes again, focusing. Walking made it easier - if he really concentrated on his legs, he could feel her moving, feel the footfalls against the pavement and the shifting of her weight. She got to the end of the street and turned the corner, and he chased that feeling into his mind as if it was his own. He interrogated it: why had he turned that corner? Where was it taking him? And he remembered her route, as if it was his own and he'd forgotten it.

Scott opened his eyes. "She's not going anywhere," he said, annoyed. "She was just planning on circling the block until I figured it out."

Somewhere on the street outside, Pearl giggled.

[boltlightning]

So, Pinterest found out my love for Jorrington. However it showed me some other aesthetic scenes of AWE. Which makes me wonder, if he was still alive and survived, or perhaps kept alive by David Jonathan.

What side do YOU think he would be on in the stand off, why, and what would his response be?

Does this differ to you depending on how he would be alive (escapee or enslaved by Dave Johns)

I imagine angles could be: Civil yet sassy, violent either by skill or having more numbers, obedient (to whomever is his leader).

david jonathan..............

i've definitely thought about this an inordinate amount, and my biases are on fully display as i say norrington would be at elizabeth's side, or at least hovering behind her glowering, when dealing at the parlay.

i've gone through a lot of mental turbulence over a version of events where norrington ends up a pirate, because it's so antithetical to what he stands for both as a vessel of themes and a character with feelings, i have a hard time wrapping my head around it. i think he needed to die in the canon narrative. HOWEVER. i think there's a lot of good theme resolution if he metaphorically dies on the dutchman to save elizabeth, survives and escapes with her, and casts out his former self to become a pirate, even if just to kill cutler beckett in revenge. it's more about loyalty to elizabeth and revenge than it is actually believing in what the pirates stand for than anything, but even getting to that point requires a major ego death.

for all that the title is hollow, norrington is an admiral and a lifelong seaman. he could outgambit beckett in a fleet vs armada situation, were the fleet at his disposal not a pirate fleet, and i think he'd have real valuable input at the parlay...just nothing he'd want to reveal out of hand, like everyone else.

(more thoughts below this got out of hand)

furthermore: consider that the pearl and dutchman have their final standoff during a maelstrom. his canonical ego death happened while chasing the pearl into a hurricane; if he follows elizabeth, he can help steer the pearl out of a storm to safety. the bookends! the parallels!!!

in this consideration i do imagine he's somewhere between the snarky-yet-stuffy cotbp and scruffy-and-blunt dmc norringtons, as you say. that's a great read, and a fun little thought experiment about who he is without the blade of duty/expectation hanging over his neck. civil with a sharp tongue and little reason to hold it back, but with renewed purpose and less of a vendetta against the world at large.

tldr: swap out his literal death with a metaphorical one and he'd follow elizabeth anywhere, especially to battle

(not to self-promo on an ask from a friend but i did write a 20k fic about this very subject; i'd change some stuff now but the bulk of my thoughts are in this big ass thesis. thank you for your time now back to the show)

although..........i am thinking very hard about the idea that he, like jones, is still being forced into service here? like maybe beckett keeps swann as a hostage not to keep elizabeth compliant, but to keep norrington compliant, to make sure the dutchman follows orders in the big fight.

(aside: i don't think norrington fears death or would want to live as anyone besides himself, so he'd never accept jones' offer of undeath unless it was to protect someone else from the same fate. hmm hmm much to consider)

either way: beckett brings norrington to the parlay just to flaunt "look how many of your people i have in my charge! haha!" maybe norrington is trying to drop hints to elizabeth that her father is still alive during the parlay, but she's focused on will being there ALSO trying to drop hints, and it gets messy fast.

having received confirmation that everyone ignores the puppet admiral and uses him for leverage, norrington frees both jack AND governor swann and escapes into the narrative. or something. hmm i'll workshop it

this is a very interesting idea!!! thank you so much for the ask

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Another Level rant/update 😬

I'm posting the rant that I started the other day when responding to an ask!!

You can read it below the cut 😊

When it comes to Another Level, I love the story so much. Obviously, I adore the characters. Another Level gave me Rinko. And I never imagined she'd become what she has. She's grown and taken on a life of her own that I never expected, and it's made me love her so much more. What's getting to me recently is that I honestly am just tired of the conflict in canon. It's stressful and exhausting to deal with.

As I've been trying to write for Horizon of Chaos, I realized that the events in the manga have really shaped how much I feel about writing anything for the month in between. It's really hard to write cute and happy when I know something that big is coming up. Our proverbial 'beach episode' is so much harder with shit like that looming on the horizon, even though they're going to make it through.

It makes me want to skip past it completely and go to the happily ever after. But that would feel wrong. It would feel half-finished. It wouldn't feel like the proper resolution after so much has happened.

It's also, if I'm being honest, getting a bit outside of my comfort zone. Because I've stuck as close to canon as I possibly could throughout the entirety of Another Level, and diverging so heavily now is a bit daunting.

To give a bit of a "behind-the-scenes" perspective, I'll share a secret that might not be that much of a secret: When I first started writing Another Level, back when I wasn't even sure if I was going to post any of it, I was determined to stick with canon no matter what. Meaning if Gojo died in canon, he was going to die in Another Level. I even had two plans for endings. For if he lived or died.

But, after writing a bit, and figuring a few other things out, it felt cruel to rip that chance at happiness away from them after they've been through so much. They've worked so hard and been through so much, and while JJK itself isn't meant to be a bright and happy story, I started writing Another Level specifically to deal with all that shit, so why make it darker than it needs to be when I don't have to?

I don't remember exactly when I made the decision, but at some point very early on I decided, 'Fuck canon if he dies. Gojo and Rinko are getting a nice happy ending together where they live long lives together and have cute lil babies.'

Another Level Gojo feels so close to canon that he feels like canon sometimes, as many of you have pointed out and said you like about him (thank you so much btw, it is greatly appreciated 🥹). But he has layers of character depth that he's gained through knowing Rinko that canon Gojo doesn't have.

Canon Gojo was perfectly happy dying to someone stronger. Because that meant he got to just be 'Gojo Satoru' and not 'The Strongest.' He was fulfilled and happy to die that way, leaving the rest to his students.

Another Level Gojo is tired. He's been fighting his entire fucking life. He's been blamed for shit his entire fucking life. And he's found the one person in the world who loves him and sees through all that bullshit, and he wants to finish this garbage and just have some quiet time to live his life being an idiot with this woman who has stayed by his side and seen the human in him since the beginning.

Another Level Gojo is going to want to be truly selfish. He's going to feel cheated dying now. As you saw in the most recent part of Horizon of Chaos, he's not ready to leave just yet. He wants more time with Rinko.

Because Rinko has always seen Gojo Satoru, the dumbass who does stupid shit and is just an overgrown child who never got to be a kid. And she's indulged him by giving him cookies and letting him have those moments of vulnerability with zero judgment for things that others spent years blaming him for. She was one of few people who never faulted him for not killing Geto sooner. Gojo knows how much she hated Geto by the end because of what happened to her kids, to Touma. But she has still maintained that she understands that he was his best friend and expecting him to react any differently than he did would be asking too much of anyone.

Remember one of the things she's told him during a moment of vulnerability?

"Even the strongest fail."

She has always seen his moments of genuine weakness as something to love and not something to break him down for. And he is so ready to just spend the rest of his life showing her just how much he loves her for it. So he will.

[sapphire-weapon]

Hi again! I'm the RE6 anon. Thank you so much for providing such a lengthy and detailed explanation; I really appreciate it. And as expected you're totally right and you schooled me lol that's why I came to you anyway. I have to say I've had those thoughts for a while, Aeon giving married couple vibes in RE6 for a while now, partly due to popular opinion in the fandom and also because I watched Damnation before playing RE6 a few months back, so I do admit I went into the game with my Aeon glasses on lol BUT sth about it just felt wrong to me, like I wasn't analyzing this the right way, and you filled in the gaps perfectly.

Looking back at it, Damnation has this playful, intimate undercurrent between Leon and Ada, and it's all fun and games but then here comes that ending omg. It's so depressing. You have Ada being Ada on one side and Leon drowning his sorrows on the other. But instead of being like "ok this is the major conflict between them, he knows she's out there doing mercenary stuff but he doesnt seem to care but he's also tired of this life and Ada perpetuates it with her actions SO WHY ISN'T HE DOING STH ABT IT, WHEN IS HE GONNA STOP BEING SO FUCKING STUPID???", I went into RE6 focusing on the rest of their interactions, the flirting, that night, the game they always play. But like I said, it felt wrong. So I guess I should've listened to my gut.

Bc even when I was playing and trying to be all like uwu look how Leon's standing up for her, I always went back to the Damnation ending in my mind. Like nothing had changed since then. The conflict reached a boiling point, and Leon was even more fucking stupid. And there was another little voice in my head saying yeah of course he wants to save her, it's Leon, he wants to save everyone, and this is Ada of all people, he really cares about her... but where does it go from there? Does he trust her? like 100% trust her? He's doing the most for her but does he ever stop to wonder what she did to get into this mess? does he know her at all? And the answer was immediately fuck no. But I was so used to the fandom opinion and the Aeon dynamic, so used on focusing on the big shiny things when it came to them, that I thought those were the only things that mattered. I was honestly holding onto Aeon as hard as Leon was lmao. But when Ada sends him the message I was like oh ok she really doesn't give a fuck kfjdjd and I felt like a sense of closure bc Leon seems very resolute after that.

Still, I focused on him having her number, her calling him hun, him saving her, Helena implying he will see her again, big shiny things like that, so that's why I was unsure.

Those doubts wouldn't leave my mind tho, and I know nothing is accidental in writing, so that's why I thought I'd bring it up to you bc you just know your stuff.

Thank you so much, that was truly an eye opener 🧡

I think that part of the nuance that's lost is that, like.

Leon is also working for people who perpetuate the problem of bioterrorism. It's not like he's on one side of the fight and she's on the other. Morally, in his mind and his heart, Leon is on one side of the fight. But he can't act on that, because he's trapped by the government.

That was the whole point of his fight with Claire at the end of ID. She knows that Leon feels and thinks a certain way, and she knows that his actions are in direct opposition of those feelings and thoughts. That's the point of the "that suit doesn't suit you" line.

But there's nothing he can do about it. So when Helena gives him the opening to disappear with his legally dead status and run away with Ada, he declines not just because he realizes that he never knew Ada -- but also because nothing in his life would change if he did. He'd still be on "the wrong side" of things. That's another part of the reason he asks "Why are you helping us?"

So like. What we really see at the end of Damnation is Leon and Ada's reactions to fighting the same fight. Ada's thriving and happy to live a life on silk sheets stuffed with money. Leon can't cope with what he's doing, morally. Ada has a choice. Leon doesn't. And so, at the end of RE6, when he's given a choice, he makes sure he makes the one that actually does some good. He can still save Helena if he stays, but running off with Ada would just keep him trapped in place while stripping him of what little power he does have.

And then he won't be able to save anybody.

But when people lose sight of the broader picture of Leon's character because they're so laser-focused on Ada, they miss all of this.

[kotonoba]

Miscellaneous Chapter (part 2); [Jushiro/Fem!Reader] - Not Related to ISYT

My New Year resolves to pass my classes.

-------------------------------------------

“What’s my New Year’s Resolution? World Peace! You expected as much, huh?” 

“Well, of course I did. You wish for that every year, and we’re one step closer to achieving world peace with the help of all the viewers!” 

You stood outside on the cold winter night, watching through the glass of the local technology store. You sipped your hot chocolate, disregarding people passing by you in the background. You thought to yourself, what was your New Year's resolution? 

You shrugged and returned to your apartment; everything was closed for New Year's. Naturally, dropping by your internship wouldn’t give you anything to do. You kept your eyes down low, eyes trailing from your black-gloved hands to the ground, where you saw flashes of blue and red with spots of white; you looked up from your position; a grin formed on your lips as you quickly approached. A familiar sound of a siren piercing through the quiet night. 

You may have grown up as a quiet child after a few traumas here and there, but who doesn’t grow up with trauma and learn to cope with it? You rushed to the caution tapestry as the police tried to tell you that a child should not be looking at a crime scene, but you ignored them, trying to peer behind them, waving at your mentor, who caught a glimpse of you.

“She’s with me,” he cleared, ushering you to his side; you hurried by his side, crouching by the bloodied ground with nothing but a hand gripping onto what seemed to be a clump of blonde hair. “What do you make of this, y/n?” 

Your eyes shone brightly as if you were a child waking up on an early Christmas day for their Christmas presents opening. You thrived in a location of pure gore, and you lived for the smell of blood. You knew what you wanted for your New Year’s Resolution. You wanted to graduate from school to be officially badged as a crime scene investigator. You had a knack for these things. 

“A gruesome murder that I can help you solve,” you responded eagerly; aside from your mentor chuckling, you heard another chuckle. You turned towards the sound and spotted a man dressed in a white haori with a black undershirt. His hair was snowy white, and his sword peered through his waist. 

You knew he was always nearby, but you wouldn't notice him if you didn’t try hard enough. For New Year, you knew not only was graduation your primary goal, but your secondary was to find out more about the white-haired spirit. 

“Well? Enlighten me then,” your mentor urged you, a smile reappeared on your face. 

“Then, excuse me, let me peer into your memories,” you ungloved your hand and reached to hold onto the only limb the gruesome murder had left you – the hand – a flash of darkness overwhelmed your senses immediately.

----------------------------------------------

This is not related to ISYT, but just a modern AU for Jushiro/F!Reader, this is the story that will follow directly after ISYT ends. So I thought I should just write part of it as a New Years special for you all. Tell me how it makes you feel.

Cloudy's AO3

[vinca-majors]

hello lovely :) for the fanfic ask game: A, G [there’s a science to walking through windows without you], L, and W! hope youre having an excellent Saturday <3

thanks friend and back atcha!! it's been a nice chill day over here - finally got the sleep i've been needing for four weeks, the sun is shining, i cleaned up the place, there's a window open in every room :) and after this i'll pick up ballad of songbirds etc - i just got to the start of the games.

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

probably reprise - i still remember the excitement of starting it and feeling out what it might be. i loved being in hero's head, i enjoyed refashioning canon into something new but recognizable, the language came together the way i wanted it to, and it's the happy ending i would choose for them over any other.

G: If you wrote a sequel to [there's a science], what would it be about?

very little conflict - i think the main source of conflict between them in the og is that they're always trying to tell each other the truth but never say it in a way that the other hears correctly. so now they're on the same page, and he finally has her and he's not stupid enough to jeopardize it with his pomp and circumstance. it would probably begin with both of them in a bit of shock - they didn't see this coming and are completely rerouting from where they thought they were going, and they have to figure out how to be together - but they're ridiculously happy. they fall in love quickly and intensely and without much fanfare - they're not shouting it from the rooftops but anyone who looks at them can see it. they figure out how to do life together. eliza gets a job and it's not a good fit. higgins wants a career change but is uncertain about leaving a tenured position. they don't always know how to help each other get what they want. they say the wrong things. they work hard, together, to learn how to communicate. one night he gives her a ring. they consider eloping but decide to have a huge party instead, and it's joy-packed. she drags him to new restaurants and he grumbles about unknown foods but always ends up liking them. they learn together how to cook and get so into it that they start reading cookbooks in bed. they get a dog. they have a miscarriage - they grieve differently, he isolates himself, she buries herself in her work. they move to the opposite side of the country. pickering gets cancer - it's bad, takes him fast - they grieve together this time. it's about two selfish people learning that love is selfless and discovering the joy of giving and receiving that love, and about the importance of keeping themselves vulnerable when they want to close up and hide, and figuring out how to consistently give themselves to each other while still being able to grow and change individually.

L: Which of your fanfics was the most emotionally challenging to write?

after the storm was like a constant state of soul excoriation. we only have each other was my take on elsa's uncontrolled emotions, and the resolution to the major conflict drew from personal experience, so needless to say writing it was a rollercoaster.

W: What is your favorite pairing to write? Favorite pairing to read?

when actually writing: eliza/higgins are probably the most fun to hang with. for both: i'm pretty much always here for snark/sunshine, whoever that may be. severus/hermione is one of my go-tos d/t the trope and it's popular enough that there's usually always something new to read. my WIP folder is positively bursting with villain/sweetheart AUs, mostly in the form of hero/john ♡

[phosphorescent-naidheachd]

 @goblins-riddles-or-frocks replied to your post:Sunday Snippet

I love this!! I think my favorite take on these two is just throwing them together post r&r and seeing how they claw their way out of their respective traumas. and idk second choice romance is so poignant to me.

I love what a gut punch it is for her to say “I thought I was” there. where do you even go from that! especially after already getting married, and the nature of royalty being what it is I get not knowing how to resolve it tho, I’m stalling on pretty much the same issue myself alas

Ahhh, thank you!! I love the dynamic between these two, and doubly so during and post R&R. They have #CompatibleTraumas, and I think it’s a lot of fun to explore the ways the characters’ traumas and emotional needs interact—both for better and for worse. 

And yes to your statement about second choice/second chance romances!

IMO, even more than her feelings for Mal or the Darkling, the main obstacle to canon Nikolai/Alina is that canon!Alina is unsuited for life as a political figure. From a Doylist perspective, this unsuitability boils down to Bardugo’s desire to have Alina end her story by returning to Keramzin with Mal at her side—an ending that wouldn’t work anymore if Alina was allowed to fully grow into her leadership role. 

I think you’re the person I’ve discussed this with before, but while I understand what Bardugo was trying to narratively achieve, and I don’t wholly disagree with it, it still frustrates me to see Alina start to reach her potential, only to repeatedly have it cut off and watch her start from scratch over and over again. I’ll freely admit that this is a matter of personal preference as much as it is objective critique! 

I’m sure a thousand metas have been written about how Alina’s different love interests symbolize different parts of herself and different paths she could have taken, but it always hits me anew each time I think about her canonical relationships.

ANYWAY.

I feel like Nikolai could respond to Alina’s accusations by retreating behind his ‘perfect prince’ veneer, or he could be emotionally open with her, as he has been in the past. Likewise, I can see Alina either retreating from him or having a real conversation with him. Despite the rocky start to their acquaintance, the two of them have been pretty low-drama together when it comes to the personal stuff!

Yeah, the nature of royalty means divorce or even an official separation aren’t really options—especially not without the existence of an heir and a spare!—which would only make Alina feel more trapped. That said, I can see Alina going on a PR tour/diplomatic trip/secret mission by herself (albeit accompanied by guards/friends) as a solution of sorts, as that would temporarily give her space from Nikolai, the palace, and her ordinary duties. Likewise, I think it would help Alina if she did more work with the common people, as that’s something that feeds her soul in the same way working with the nobility drains her. 

The role of queen can’t be completely changed without creating problems for the Lantsov reign, especially since Nikolai came to the throne under the circumstances he did, but I think Alina and he could get away with tweaking it some. Alina’s sainthood would aid them in this, as it lets conservatives write her off as the exception rather than the rule, while also gradually accustoming everyone to a different type of queenship.

That said, I think my resolution might simply be adding Zoya into the mix (and potentially moving the entire scene into my WIP Nikolai/Zoya/Alina fic). 

Zoya tosses her dark, glossy curls back. “Self-pity isn’t a good look on you, Starkov.”

“Self-pity?”

“None of us forced you to stay; no one forced you to marry Nikolai. This was your choice. And now you want to quit because, what, it’s too hard?” She sniffs derisively. “If you’re going to run away, do it now before you’ve established yourself any further. I’m sure someone will step up to fill your place.”

Alina sputters, furious. “I—I’m not running away.”

Even if I wanted to, I have nowhere left to go.

“If you say so.” Her tone is infuriatingly, airily dismissive. “But then, that’s your modus operandi, isn’t it? Running away when things get too real?”

“I’m not a coward,” Alina spits back.

Zoya smiles, all teeth and disdain. “Then prove it.”

[regarding-stories]

When the books are even better: "Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki"

A few days I posted an article claiming the anime series for Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki was great. It covers the first three volumes of the light novel series. I was itching to go on. So I checked out the books - after finally finding a store willing to sell them to me digitally. (Capitalism these days is broken. I give you money, you give me convenience. Is that so hard? Sheesh.)

So I breezed through volumes 4-7 since day before yesterday.

The writing is that good. The characters are richer. It had me hooked the whole time. I didn't even sleep that well...

Some spoilers will be necessary, but I'll try not to give everything away. You really should read these books.

What an anime can't transport

One of the funniest things in the books is how Tomozaki describes Kukuchi-san, the girl he started meeting and bonding over her interest in books and writing. Meeting her seems to be an outright spiritual experience for him. It's a bit much, but somehow it endeared me a lot. How could you possible put that scene-setting into an anime?

You can't.

Someone on reddit had asked why fans of the books were so much more emphatic about Fuuta Kukuchi than people who only knew the anime. It's because her character is hard to transport.

And yes. She's shy. She hides her rich inner life. I find such female characters endlessly enthralling and empathize with them. I regret nothing.

But there's more to Kikuchi-san. She's a fully defined person - a person with a place she starts from, a character arc she struggles with, somebody who interacts with others to find her own place in life and not simply by somebody's side. The way her relationship with Tomozaki evolves in Volume 7 is beautiful and deep and works on several levels, including the novel and play she is writing. Given the many layers the story already has, this is nothing but astounding.

She's Tomozaki's guide and Tomozaki is hers. This is the second such dynamic he finds himself in after Hinami, his "game of life" sensei.

Challenging if you feel it

At the end of of Volume 7 I felt a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for how the story evolved and climaxed. Every character in it was needed. Whether it's Hinami, Kikuchi, Tomozaki, or Mimimi - they all have my heart.

It was a dynamic where someone I treasured was going to be hurt, and I was bracing myself.

I was kind of anxious for that - how the heightened romantic situation would resolve. I was bracing myself for impact, knowing how badly I took such a choice in The Quintessential Quintuplets. Because again I love all of them!

But this is what separates the true masters from the rest. The situation honored everybody's feelings. And it was fair to all. The resolution of the romantic tension built over Volumes 6 and 7 wasn't random, and the characters impacted weren't clueless. And the stakes also hadn't been put so terribly high, either.

I will not spoil it, but these two volumes together tell a fascinating story with a wonderful resolution, rewarding ups and downs, and a lot of heart and soul.

It's funny that this series wasn't that romantic to begin with - but when it revved up its soul train, it turned it up to 11. How's that for an eclectic metaphor?

Characters and truths

What also was very rewarding - and a tad challenging - were all the truth bombs characters dropped in the author's stead. Yuuki Yaku seems to have a lot to say about what matters in life. But even more about the impact low self esteem and self-denigration has on oneself and on others. You may find it profound or not. But it hit home.

A lot of characters get love in these stories. If you want to learn more about Tama-Hanabi, be prepared to see her at the center of her own volume. If you never get enough of the lively Mimimi, brace yourself for more contrast. If you want to see behind Hinami's curtains a bit more, you'll be teased mercilessly. And if Mizusawa is not speaking deep truth, he's the slick charmer he ever was. Heck, even Nakamura lets slip once in a while.

What I wasn't prepared for was how much I would also love puppy-dumb dude-bro Takei. Never change. (He gets that a lot.)

The series has several strengths. It grows its cast and its cast grows. As Tomozaki "levels up," so does his impact on the world around him. But more importantly - he's not just getting somewhere. In the process he finds himself - something Hinami can obviously not teach him. The story takes on soul after initially being bathed in purely mental brilliance. And it manages to transport complex social situations and a lot of interactions.

I have to read some more. Just a bit.

[saturnsorbits]

Play Away: Epilogue

Fandom: My Hero Academia, Warnings: Fluff, Resolutions, Word Count: 2.1k.

A/N: Writing this thing has been a fucking ride, but I just want to say thank you to everyone who has given this a little read... It's been so much fun watching everyone's reactions and reading people's comments no matter which side of the fence they came down on... But, if anyone sees me change the ending in a few days, no you didn’t. Okay?

I'm still toying with the idea of writing a commentary for this piece, to kind of go over my aims/how that translated into the writing; and what I came to realise through peoples input and thoughts on the piece as a whole, too. So, keep an eye out for that if you're interested!

-> Series Masterlist.

'And you're sure this looks okay?' You twist in your bedroom mirror and smooth out the front of the dress again. 'It isn't too much for a date?'

Mina rolls her eyes from where she's perched on the edge of the bed, she leans forward feeling the fabric of the skirt between his fingers before laying one Hell of a slap on your ass. She chuckles when you screech. 'I think it's just enough.'

'So let me get this right...' Kaminari sits up like the walking dead from where he was laying prone on the bed. His hair is a mess, sticking up at odd angles and he has the full-faced blush of someone who has been thinking far too hard. 'Kirishima -.' He locks eyes with you before flitting to Mina as to ensure he has the entire rooms attention.

'Kirishima kissed Bakugo and then, you fucked Sero -.'

'Raw and on the couch, may I add.' Mina chimes in, squawking.

Your eyes blow wide. 'He did not tell you that.'

She shrugs, chuckling. 'He tells me everything.'

'I'm going to -.' Your rant is cut short, stopped in its tracks as Kaminari clears his throat and slaps the bed beside him.

'You fucked Sero... Kirishima and Bakugo...' He waits for someone to fill in his intentional gaps, but when no-one seems willing or able to input, he continues on listing events on his fingers like he's counting fuck-ups. 'And then, what?'

'And then, we got back together.'

Kaminari groans and tosses his head back to the bed. 'Why am I only finding out about all of this now?'

'We weren't exactly advertising it.' You shake your head and turn back to the mirror, toying with the dresses straps.

'But, at the cafe... When, when you where...' A metaphorical light bulb blows up over Kaminari's head. 'You where crying, was that – oh fuck, was that why?'

The question hangs in the air for a moment unanswered before Kaminari lets out an unholy scream as Mina jabs him in the side with one of her stiletto nails.

'What the fuck -.'

'Stop asking stupid questions.'

'I'm just trying to stay up to date with the lives of my friends, what's so fucking bad about that?'

'It's the way you're going about it, dipshit.'

'They're not even together any more, I didn't think she'd still be, y'know.'

'You didn't -.'

'Black or nude.' Spinning on a heel, you hold up two pairs of shoes and cock an eyebrow interrupting their bickering.

They stop immediately to observe the options with awkwardness before Mina chews at the inside of her cheek and clearly declares: 'Black.'

'Black it is...' Sitting on the bed beside her, you begin to work at the shoes as you feel Kaminari shift to his knees behind you. Energy radiates off of him, tainting the air as he shuffles closer and closer.

'Just spit it out Kami, I'm not gonna be mad.'

'I'm sorry.' He mutters. His hands touch your shoulders, pausing for only long enough that he's sure you're not going to push him away before he drapes himself across your back.

You chuckle, but hold him back, scrunching your shoulders to push his cheek against yours. 'You don't have to be sorry. I'm okay now...'

'Okay enough to go out and get some.' Mina knocks into your shoulder almost sending both you and Kaminari tumbling over.

'Which brings us back to...' Shaking Kaminari from your shoulders, you stand again and do a neat twirl in front of both of them. 'Do I look okay?'

Both nod vigorously, eyes shining as they admire the way your dress falls over your figure.

'I'd fuck you.' Kaminari grins.

Mina leans back on an arm and grins. 'You're gonna knock him out of the water, Doll.'

Relaxing, you finally let the excitement you've been holding back bubble to the surface. You are, after all: excited. Why wouldn't you be? Your first date in almost nine months, if anything, is a cause for celebration – especially with the fallout surrounding the break-up. From your night-stand, your phone screen lights up letting out a short chirp and attracting your attention. It's a text message:

From: Katsuki 'Hope your date goes well, tonight. You know where we are if you need an excuse to leave and a ride home.'

A smile takes your lip as you swipe up on your screen to answer.

'Ooh.' Mina hums. 'Is that lover boy?'

Shaking your head, you twist your wrist to show them the message.

Mina cocks an eyebrow. 'And you're... Okay with that?'

'What?' Your eyes flicker up to hers. 'The fact we're still friends or the fact there was a royal 'we' in that message?'

'Both?'

Pausing for a moment, you chew at your lip while you try to summarize the mess that has been the last few months of your life.

'I'm glad he's still in my life... I know that much, even - even if it did take this long for us to be okay again.' You tap back a quick response, thanking him for the offer and inquiring about his night. 'And I'm glad he's got Kiri.'

For a second it looks as if Mina might argue, but there's something about the way you smile at your phone that stops her.

It wasn't easy. Breaking-up with Bakugo barely a month after falling back together had felt a lot like losing a part of yourself, but things just hadn't been right after everything had happened. You'd tried. You'd tried so hard it had hurt and yet, nothing either of you did seemed to shake the ghosts of other peoples kisses. Your love for each other had changed and that was just something you had to deal with. All things considered, you'd both decided that a salvageable friendship was worth more than a broken heart and pocket full of resentment. Now, nine-months later, it doesn't hurt seeing the creeping blossoms of his and Kirishima's relationship bloom. In fact, you're happy for them. You'd stand by anything that made Bakugo smile the way Kirishima did.

'So...' Switching the conversation, Mina stands and shoulders her bag. 'Does this mean we're dismissed for the night?'

You nod, but knit your fingers. 'In all honesty, I think I just needed the moral support.’ A grin takes your lip. ‘I already knew the dress looked good.'

Mina throws her arms around you hugging tight and rocking. 'You're gonna have a ball.' She kisses your cheek and steps back, allowing space for Kaminari to wrap you up in a hug too. 'And... I wanna know all the details tomorrow...' Wiggling her eyebrows, both her and Kaminari gather their things and wonder back towards the front door.

'You got any plans for your night?' You cock your head, holding the door open and trying not to make it obvious that you're peering through them to look down the path.

Kaminari laughs and nudges Mina with a sharp elbow. 'Me and Shin are taking this one to meet Tetsu... Finally.'

'Oh.'

'It's not a double date or anything...' Mina blushes. 'Just a few drinks, y'know.'

'A not-double date with a couple and the guy they’re trying to set you up with. Okay.' You smirk. 'I won't keep you any longer then...'

They're half-way down the path before Mina twists over her shoulder to call back a cheeky: 'Use protection.' and then, they're gone lost to a night of drinking and potential connections.

You've barely managed to turn away from the door before there's another knock. You check the time and feel the unfamiliar swirl of anxiety rise in your stomach. He's early. Hauling in a breath, you check your hair in the mirror in the hall before summoning the confidence to open the door.

Sero stares at you with wide eyes and a jaw that is almost on the floor. He swallows. 'Oh, shit. Is that tonight?' His eyes rake up and down your body slowly before he catches himself and blushes, rubbing at the back of his neck.

You bite down a smile and blink up at him through your eyelashes. 'Do I look okay?'

'You look...' Stepping into your space, he shuffles into the hall when you step back to let him in and shuts the door behind him. 'Holy shit, you look incredible.'

'You think?'

He nods, eyes still eating greedily at you. 'I – uh... Fuck – I -.'

'Hanta...' You push him gently in the shoulder and giggle when he rocks on his feet. 'You're mumbling.'

'Am I?' His eyes flicker for a moment before finally being drawn back to your face. As soon as your eyes connect, a grin breaks his features, heightening the blush on his cheeks.

'You are.'

'I – Well, fuck... I thought, I thought this would be easy. Huh.'

Seeing Sero still gives you butterflies. Despite the obvious shift in your relationship, he'd never demanded space when you'd rekindled things with Bakugo and in the aftermath, he'd been a rock. For almost three months he’d worn permanent tear-stains on his shirts, badges earned from the times he comforted you and let you lay your head on his chest to cry. He hadn't pushed, hadn't even mentioned the fact you knew he still had a pair of your underwear hidden in the bottom of his bedside table draw, even if part of you had wanted him too. 'Is everything okay?'

'Yeah...' He's unconvincing, he knows he is, but he hadn't expected the violent tumult of emotions that was currently making him wish he hadn't eaten lunch. 'Yeah, I'm fine – I just -.'

In your palm, your phone chirps lighting up to tell you that your date is only five minutes away.

'Is that your date?' Sero tries to smile, but it doesn't quite meet his eyes. His heart hammers in his chest, making a mockery of his ribcage.

'He's five minutes away.'

'Oh, fuck. Okay, then...' Licking his lips, Sero reaches out and lets his hand trail down your arm until he can interlace your fingers. Your touch steadies him, makes him feel as though he's not going to fall apart as he hauls in another breath. He’s agonised for months about this: about you. Even after Bakugo, himself, had told him to ‘Fuckin’ make her happy, already’ one night last month after a few drinks, he’d been walking a tightrope. Nothing seemed to convince him it was the right time to come clean, to give himself to you in the way he’d always wanted. Not seeing you and Bakugo slowly warm up to your new friendship, not being told of Kirishima turning up on your door-step, almost seven months later, with a bottle of wine, another apology and a question on his lips, not even the warm smile you grew into again as the wounds of a broken heart faded into nothingness… Then, he’d heard about your date. 'Maybe, maybe I should have done this sooner, but I didn't want to – fuck, I didn't want to push you, or fuck it all up again by getting the timing wrong, but when you said you where going on a date I thought, well, I thought now or never.'

The butterflies in your stomach are going hay-wire. They flap their wings, beating them violently inside of you as you stare open-mouthed at Sero as he fumbles his way through his sentences. Hope grows like ivy around your organs and squeezes. 'Hanta...'

'I...' He smiles again before relaxing. It's you, he reminds himself, just you. 'I just wanted to see if you'd like to go out sometime.'

'Like a date?'

'Like a date.'

Your brain doesn't engage quick enough for you to formulate a response, so instead you do the thing you've been dying to do for the past few months. Lifting your hand to his chest, you take a fistful of his t-shirt and pull him in, pressing your lips to his in a flighty kiss.

Sero wraps his arms around your waist and presses you to his chest. Kissing you again feels a lot like coming home.

'Is that a yes?'

'Yeah... That's a – why... Why now?'

Pressing his lips to your forehead, Sero smiles too big and crooked. 'I wanted to do it right. Things didn’t exactly start - y’know. I didn't – didn't want to rush you or anything... ’

Your eyebrows knit on your forehead as a pang of something hits out in your stomach. 'You waited.'

He nods. 'For you...' Releasing you, he knocks a finger under your chin. 'You're worth waiting for... You’ve always been worth waiting for.’

The elation rising inside of you makes you want to punch the air, or toss yourself to your bed and kick your legs like a school girl, but before you can even think about indulging any of your theatrics there's another knock at the door. 'I -.' Your head snaps towards the sound, but you can't quite tear your attention from Sero. 'I – but – I.'

Sero laughs all croaky and crooked, but smooths a thumb over your shoulder and gestures the door with his head. 'Go...'He insists. 'I'd be rude to stand him up now.'

'Will you be here when I get back?' You whisper, but Sero just chuckles and kisses your cheek.

'I can be.'

'Please.'

'Now, go...' He slips past you, letting your hands slowly slip apart as he makes his way towards the couch and tosses himself down on it.

‘I'll be an hour, tops.'

'You'll give yourself indigestion.'

You lick your lips, feeling the thrum of excitement still fizz in your muscles. The idea of coming home to Sero fuels you, making your head light and you body weak. 'I don't care.'

Sero shake his head and shoos you away with a hand. 'Go.'

'Fuck.' You relent, weak to the grin still breaking his mouth almost clean in half. 'Fuck, okay. You'll stay?'

'Right here.' He rocks up his eyebrows and points down at the couch.

'Okay... Okay.' You don't bother checking how you look in the mirror again. There's no point. Instead, you storm straight down the hall and step out into the cold night, preparing to have the quickest date in the world.

You already have the feeling you won't want to see him again. Not when you have Sero Hanta waiting for you at home.

Sero stares at the ceiling, not even bothering to try and squash down the violent whirl-wind in his chest that has him cheesing like a 14-year old boy who just got his first kiss. He bites his lip, letting his head rest against the back of the sofa as he thinks about all the places he could take you to, but before he can even begin a mental list the sound of keys cuts through his thoughts.

The door slams shut and not two seconds later, Sero has a lap-full of you.

'I cancelled.' Your hands tangle in the hair at the back of his skull and tug, gently easing his eyes to yours. 'I'm not going.'

Sero's hands fall to your waist immediately, thumb smoothing over your dress. 'But -.'

You shake your head, hands shaking as you hold him close. 'I don't want to wait anymore...'

Lifting one hand to your face, Sero smooths his knuckles across your cheek before pressing his thumb to your lip. He can feel his pupils swelling, his smile stretching wide and almost burning his cheeks as a deep chuckle vibrates in the back of his throat.

You nudge your nose to his and swallow. 'Don't make me wait, Hanta.'

<- Previous Chapter

-> Series Masterlist -> Full Masterlist

[witch-hazels-musings]

zhongli, albedo, diluc and xiao with an s.o who is clingy, but also is closed off and has a hard time showing affection and just their emotions in general, and also isn’t generally well liked by their peers?

our affection is different

Warning -> SFW 

Character X GN Reader | Anthology 

Includes: Zhongli, Albedo, Diluc

Zhongli

For someone so reserved and universally liked, people find the contrast between his demeanor and your own clashing - while he is pleasant, greeting others with a steady bow, a kind expression, you look uncomfortable to even be there. You avoid all eye contact unless it comes from Zhongli, you turn your head, fiddle with your thumbs if they aren’t already holding onto the fabric of his jacket, and practice short, quick conversations 

Most try not to talk to you for very long - which you don’t mind; small talk isn’t really your thing and it’s hard to connect with others when they are displaying the emotions that you find hard to grasp 

You find comfort in the repetitious actions of your day. The few things that always come up and need attending to, there is no stress there and so you can get it done quickly. Luckily, your profession doesn’t give you many opportunities to communicate with others. You show up, do what you need to, and leave. It’s proficient, the work that you can accomplish so no one complains, other than to suggest you be a bit warmer (a comment which sets your bones on fire). 

The benefit of your personality means that if anyone needs to hear the truth, you are the best person for the job. You state what needs to be said and move on, resolute like the mountain you tell people what you see. It's the way you’ve always been, and the way you always will be. 

There is one person who perpetually seemed to appreciate your honesty, telling you stories and listening to your earnest reaction to them: Zhongli. His patience and interest in you was a shock to everyone, including yourself, and as he started to share his feelings for you - it took you a while to reciprocate them. Though, when you did he felt the happiest man in all of Teyvat. 

It was hard for you to tell him how you felt, to ease his mind that you held feelings for him - so you found yourself getting closer to him. Standing at his side, holding onto his clothes, or resting your hand in his. Placing a hand against his arm - lingering longer than you would with anyone else and at times forgetting that you were doing it in the first place 

He thought it was endearing, the way you hung around him. If he went on a walk, you were sure to be there, if he read a book, you were following close behind, if he was anywhere he knew you’d be there too - at this point, you were a fixture in his life - a fixture he would treasure for all eternity 

Zhongli wandered through the streets of Liyue, a checklist in hand and yours in the other. You had found him earlier in the day and decided to tag along; even though you weren’t sure how much you could help other than carrying a few items for him. He had several things to collect for a funeral ceremony: incense, flowers, tapestries, and the like. It kept his whole afternoon busy, and, even though he was told to keep the expenses to a minimum, he was choosing rather costly options which he explained, “best suited the life which was to be celebrated.” 

When he made it back to the parlor and settled all the items down in their proper place. He assists you with the ones in your hand.

“Your assistance today was invaluable.” He commented, reaching for the items and placing them on the table in front of him. When he finished, he leaned in and placed a kiss against your cheek and admired the way you reacted. Confused, unsure, and perhaps a bit embarrassed. 

“It was nothing …” You mumble, for a person who already had a hard time finding the right words, he had a knack for making that skill fall to the bottom of the ocean. 

It didn’t matter what others thought about you, Zhongli’s opinion was always the most important and he loved you, every day, every night, through all lifetime: he loved you 

Albedo

There isn’t a day that goes by when you aren’t around, whatever is happening in the Knights of Favonius, out in the field, you’re there - ready to go 

Even though most find it hard to talk with you, considering your natural facial expression is off-putting: the way your mouth turns into a frown when it’s at rest, the disinterested eyes and generally bored features as you go about your day - you still seem to offer support in whatever way you can, so they do their best to let you be 

Shifting through the papers in front of you, your jaw moving as you focus gives the impression that you are upset to even be here. Still, you diligently organize the papers where they need to go, jot down notes and requests which still need to be fulfilled. You’ll probably hand those requests to Sucrose when you’re done, she seems to always be okay with your disposition and doesn’t get the wrong impression. 

It’s warm, the summer sun is beating down onto the building and making the rooms get a bit toastier than normal. So, you run your hands over your neck and fan yourself to cool down which gives you a moment to look around. Though there is only one thing that catches your attention, and that’s the Chief Alchemist who is busy with his work in the corner. It’s the only spot he will gravitate back to, and if you could, you’d invade it every chance you could get. 

Instead, to keep yourself together, you sigh and return to the work in front of you. 

You loved Albedo, you had for so long that to be on the receiving end of his attention was stronger than the heat from the sun, more overwhelming than standing in a crowded room, and as rejuvenating as much needed sleep

It was the last thing that you imagined - him falling for you - because most people have a hard time conversing with you, so the fact that he was able to get to know you, the real you, was a miracle 

Albedo never once looked at you with eyes other than compassion and kindness and he seems to know that your intense affections - when they do slip from your grasp - are stronger than the words that seem to come across as unclear 

The day was coming to a close and even though most everyone had left, you stayed in the room. It was some of the only times you could have a moment alone with the alchemist, and since he was bound to continue working late into the evenings, it was the perfect opportunity. 

Setting your items down onto the counter, you moved toward him. His hands moved quickly over the blackboard as he jotted down notes and drew small diagrams. Watching him as he drew was an activity you rather enjoyed, he was unbelievably talented in more ways than one. 

Slowly, you slid your arms around his waist and rested your head on his back. He's short, but you don’t mind, he’s the perfect size to hold for you. You feel his hand move your own, his thumb slipping to rest against the inner side of your wrist. The only sound that fills the room is his scribbles as the chalk scrapes across the board in a steady rhythm. 

He has never once pushed you away. This physical contact that you sometimes drown him in is always welcome, plus it’s gotten better and if it means he can continue to work while you get what you need, he’s onboard. 

You hear him whisper to himself, mouthing out the words he’s just written and thinking out loud what the next steps will be. There is a lull in the movements of his writing, his arm hovers in front of the board and you shift to rest your head on his shoulder to watch what he is doing. When he finally figures out the answer, your head rocks as he continues his notation. 

Diluc

The level of intimidation that seeped from the two of you as you walked through the streets was incredible - people already felt the disinterested and irritated eyes of the bachelor of Mondstadt was enough, but to add yours to the mix - archons … 

Since both of you were naturally closed off, stunted in your ability to show affection, emotion, it was a wonder how you were able to come to terms with your feelings

Diluc started to notice how you were around more than before, how you would offer to help around the winery or the bar, and if it were possible, how you stood right at his side --- you started to notice how his touch lingered, when he thanked you with a pat on the shoulder but kept his hand there, or when he stepped behind you, resting his hand against your back to let you know that he was there and taking his time removing it when he was done

The two of you had it bad, even if you couldn’t see it - the rest of the town did 

You were lost in thought, as you normally were. It had rained recently and the smell still lingered on the stones which passed under your feet. That subtle musky smell mixing with the flowers that climbed the building walls made you feel at home. Mondstadt became your home years ago, even if it took a while for others to accept you and the guards to leave you alone. Especially that Cavalry Captain, he seemed to be the most curious to your arrival but after seeing that your disposition had nothing to do with potential devious actions, he left you be. 

Though, he still seemed to be around since most nights you found him at the bar of Angel’s Share. He explained how entertaining it was to have two unhappy-looking bartenders tend to his whims. His goal was to make you smile, to make you crack, and to see just what type of expression you could make. He’d have to wait a long time because the only person who could flip the corners of your mouth was the red-headed pyro user whose expression was a mirror of your own. 

Citizens spread rumors about the moment under the streetlights where Diluc and Y/N smiled. They make jokes about how the action was so powerful it birthed a thousand stars in the sky. You sigh every time you hear these stories and continue as if it’s not happening. 

Diluc was a private person, and so were you - so it was fortunate that the two of you shared your interest in one another by just being in the same space 

Tied at the hip they would say, tethered by fate

You hated being away from him for longer than a few hours and he couldn’t stand the thought of not being at your side - so, for the most part, that’s where you two always were

It was a busy day, the patrons were more hectic than normal and it was likely due to the new drink Diluc developed a few days earlier. He didn’t expect it to be so popular, especially since it was a non-alcoholic beverage, but the sales spoke for themselves. 

You made your way down the stairs and he tracked you. Placing a cup back on its wrung before turning his attention back to you. The way you dried your hands with your apron as you - with almost an irritated expression, though he knew you better than that - walked up to check on the rowdy party near the back. Luckily, their inebriated states distracted them from the movement of your hand to press the bridge of your nose. You’d been working for hours now and he was sure you were starting to get tired. 

When you made your way behind the bar, you got to work on the drinks and he watched how diligently you worked. Setting the glasses on the counter, pouring the alcohol and mixers, the way the liquid made its way through the ice cubes and changed colors as they combined. You’d picked up this skill so quickly, he found it hard to believe that you had never done this before. 

You dropped the drinks off at the table and returned, jotting down notes on the order sheet before closing it and slipping it inside your apron. Stopping on the other side of him, you leaned against the bar, your hand gripping onto the edge and eyes trailing up to the second floor. 

Words didn’t need to be shared between the two of you. He knew ...you knew, it was the way you communicated and through your glances, your body language, your closeness, nothing was ever left unsaid. He took a few steps toward you and placed his hand over yours. The heat that spread over your skin eased the ache in your legs, relieved the weight on your eyes, and made your chest warm. You closed your eyes, sighed, and smiled slightly. 

As the sounds from the patrons filled the bar, Diluc’s hand covered your own and for as long as time allowed, the two of you took a breath in each other's company. 

--- 

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[themissinglynx]

Potentially hot take: adaptations of written media should act as, in some way, fix-it fics of their source material.

What with the new WCAnimated casting call, it got me thinking about the future of the project and the nature of adaptations as a whole.

Let me get into a side-tangent, I swear this is important.

I watched the anime Beastars back when it was released in 2019 (well, I watched it in 2020, but shortly after it was released). Excited for the next season, I went ahead and read the manga up to its latest release.

Then the manga's ending came out. And people were rightly pissed at the series' resolution. Character arcs were foregone, societal notions went in backwards directions, and I'm having a really hard time wording this without spoiling anime-only fans.

Now that the anime has a complete manga to draw from, it has every opportunity to take what the manga failed in doing and avoid that or rework it. Although in all honesty, they really should've written the snake out. What narrative purpose does she serve? Nothing. You can write her out and replace her scenes with something else with the same result.

I've been rereading The Prophecies Begin, and there's a lot of bad writing, illogical plot directions, lore that never gets touched upon, and a heavy dose of Early Installment Weirdness on top of it that drag it down. In light of this, I desperately wish that WCAnimated does what it can to add fix-it fic elements to its adaptation of Into the Wild (and, if it's doing the rest of TPB, to the rest of its plot).

Some suggestions I'd make include:

Enable Dustpaw and Sandpaw to become warriors before Firepaw and Graypaw. Also wait about three more months for Firepaw and Graypaw to be apprenticed. At the bare minimum, two months.

Let Frostfur's kits all be apprenticed at once. Not in Fire and Ice. Similarly, let them all graduate at roughly the same time.

Write the kittens (Frostfur's babies, Brindleface's babies, Swiftkit, Lynxkit, and Mistlekit) to have more of a presence.

Similarly, give Rosetail a presence, or say she died before Into the Wild.

Write the nursery more like the modern nursery, Frostfur is there because she has her babies to take care of while Speckletail and Goldenflower are "perma-queens" as the fandom likes to call them. May I propose the name "matriarch"? Brindleface isn't pregnant yet, and hasn't had any children of her own, so she can be a warrior in Into the Wild.

Have Lionclan, Tigerclan, and Leopardclan come into play more often. Let Fireheart hear of more tales of the Mythical Clans rather than just being mentioned every other book and then forgotten once the arc's over. One could take the Watership Down approach by having the mood of the tale play into the upcoming events, much like the placement of the story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé. It's more interesting than the thirty-thousand hunting and patrol scenes where nothing of import happens.

Have Fireheart tell people things, but have people not act upon his warnings for damn good reasons, or at least have them try, but fail to do so in time.

If you're keeping all of Graystripe's actions from Fire and Ice to A Dangerous Path intact, I strongly recommend he should not be chosen as Firestar's second deputy. Instead, I'd advise the team to make Longtail Firestar's deputy for sticking to his Clan, actually investing more than enough time into his apprentice, and it'd close up a nice little redemption arc for Longtail. In this vein, I'd like Longtail to get a proper redemption arc.

Kill Brokenstar at the end of Into the Wild or Fire and Ice. This BS about "If we kill him, we'd be no better than him" is stupid and they should've just shoved yew in his mouth the moment they had him. He murdered kittens, and he later went on to provide the tools Tigerclaw needed to throw his coup. Kill that heartless son of a bitch.

Instead of exiling Tigerclaw, sentence him to death. He can get away from his execution and cause fear and worry like normal.

Snowkit still has a good shot at being a warrior, so let him live long enough to be apprenticed. Brackenfur's willing to take him on, let him. Speckletail doesn't have to move to the elders' den since she's too old to care for kits. She can move since she's just old, and still care for her son.

Let Sandstorm mentor Fernpaw or Tawnypaw. Preferably Fernpaw. Fireheart gave Ashpaw and Fernpaw to Dustpelt (good choice) and Darkstripe (bad choice), then took on Bramblepaw's training and gave Tawnypaw to Brackenfur since he was scared Tigerstar would lash out at her.

Properly explain the family tree and have characters react to each other with those proper dynamics. Have Bluestar and Whitestorm properly act like aunt-and-nephew (with that undercurrent of adopted mother vibes). For the family tree's sake, I'd advise to ignore Dustpelt being Ravenpaw, Frostfur, and Brindleface's brother (and Ravenpaw being the girls' brother for that measure). Treat Redtail and Sandpaw like actual father and daughter (it's your decision if you want Brindleface as her mom).

After getting comfortable living as a barn cat, have Ravenpaw either drop the -paw and just go by "Raven" or gift himself a proper warrior name like "Ravenwing".

Tigerstar could actually be faking the fact he's blessed with nine lives, threatening Runningnose into silence about it. Scourge doesn't kill him nine times over, it could just be an incredibly grievous wound.

In that vein, Nightstar could have eight lives like Sunstar did. Maybe because of his age and with greencough and carrion-sickness ravaging the camp, he dies multiple times over. Maybe Tigerclaw discreetly kills him?

[the-bau-quinjet]

My Only Girl

Summary: request! Reader has to decide between keeping her secret and saving the man she loves. In the end, it's not a hard choice.

Warnings: violence/blood

Word count: 3370

a/n: I really enjoyed writing this one! I put a screen shot of the request at the end just because I didn’t want to give away the whole story :)

You never would have guessed that today would change everything. It started the same as any other Thursday. 

You were seated at your desk right outside of Tony’s main office working on his schedule for two weeks from now. Your music was playing softly through your earbuds causing you to bob your head as you read email after email. 

Suddenly, a Starbucks cup appeared in front of your face, a metal hand wrapped around the cup. 

You swiftly pulled the earbuds from your ears, turning in your chair to greet Bucky with a hug. 

“Hi.” You whispered into his chest during your hug. “You are truly a gift.” You smiled, taking the cup with your go to order. You press a quick kiss to his lips only to be pulled back in for a deeper kiss by Bucky. 

“Y/N, do you know when my next press conference is?” Tony asked, walking out of his office while still looking down at his tablet. 

Bucky let you pull back from him just far enough to answer Tony. “Next Thursday. You wanted to announce the new post-mission protocol for ‘Damage Control’.” You chuckled at the title, knowing Pepper was still trying to talk him into changing it. 

“Right! Thank you.” He finally looks up, taking in the sight of you in Bucky’s arms. “Barnes! Let her work.” He nearly whined, playing up the annoyance. 

“I will.” Tony leveled him with a pointed glare, looking between you and your computer. “I will! I just wanted to say good morning to my best girl.”

You scrunched your nose at the term of endearment, leaning farther back from Bucky to look in his eyes.

“You don’t like being my best girl?” He sounded genuinely concerned, earning a small chuckle from you. 

“I like being your only girl. Best implies that there are others, and though I would love to be the best of them, I don’t want there to be others.” You nodded your head resolutely, taking on a serious expression. 

“Please, you’ve had this man wrapped around your finger from the second he saw you.” Tony scoffed. 

“He’s right, doll. And you are my only girl. I love you.” Bucky pressed a quick kiss to your lips, letting you remove yourself from his arms to continue working. 

“I love you too. See you for lunch?” He nodded as he walked backwards to the elevator, keeping his eyes on yours until the doors closed.

“Wrapped around your finger, I swear.” Tony laughed when you glared at him, retreating back into his office to make some phone calls. 

-

Sometimes it’s really easy to pinpoint the exact moment everything went to shit. This was one of those times. 

22 minutes before you were due to meet Bucky for lunch, the red emergency lights started flashing with an accompanying alarm blaring in your ears. 

Friday announced “The compound is under attack, enacting lockdown protocol.”

“Shit.” Lockdown meant you needed to use specific codes to get into or out of any room. It definitely makes your life harder. 

Tony left to meet Pepper 15 minutes ago, so to your knowledge you were the only one on this floor. 

Glancing up and down the hall to double check, you swiftly enter Tony’s office, pulling up the security footage to see who you’re dealing with. Three different sides of the compound are surrounded by mercenaries clad in black fighting gear. 

You watch the screens, contemplating the best course of action to subtly help when one of the mercenaries pulls out a missile launcher. He aims it quickly, firing into the side of the building. 

You feel the walls shake as you watch part of the wall collapse, giving them an opening to enter the compound through. 

“Shit.” You run from Tony’s office, heading for the action without another thought even though this is definitely the biggest problem you’ve ever helped them with. 

You phase through the walls, doing your best to make sure nobody will see you when you come out on the other side of the wall. If all goes well, you’ll be back at your desk before anyone even notices you were gone. 

Your powers are a secret, even from the team. The powers that be, meaning your boss, don’t want the Avengers knowing they have an Angel on their side. It took you enough negotiating to get yourself assigned to this “project”, you were willing to do it without telling anyone that you are a angel. 

You basically had to beg your boss to let the Avengers be the people you watched over. Typically, angels are assigned to help those who can’t help themselves. Your logic for this assignment was that keeping the Avengers safe would, in turn, protect millions of other people. 

The one stipulation you faced when finally being assigned the the Avengers, was that you couldn’t tell them what you are.

At first, You had no problem keeping the secret. Being Tony’s assistant hardly meant spending ample time with everyone. You didn’t need to befriend them to keep them safe. At least, that’s what you kept telling yourself. 

Overtime, Tony broke down your walls. He convinced you to go to one of his galas, ultimately starting your demise. One look at Bucky had your heart soaring. Not telling him the truth has been eating away at you ever since he first asked you to get dinner with him. 

You pushed your guilt to the back of your mind, refocusing on getting closer to the attackers so you could figure out what to do. 

Typically, you use your powers to slightly change the path of bullets or hold off a bomb for a few extra seconds. It gives the team enough time to escape, not necessary unscathed, but with recoverable injuries. Plus, it keeps your powers hidden. 

It’s hard enough to hack into the video feed from various super suits without alerting anyone, you were definitely concerned about how to keep your powers hidden while using them so close to everyone. 

You skid to a stop just around the corner, listening as two of the mercenaries instruct the others. 

“Split up. You know who we’re looking for. If you find him, report in. First priority is getting out of here with him alive. All else fails, kill him.”

Immediately, you’re mind jumped to Bucky. Of course, Hydra scrum could be looking for anyone to use as a weapon, but Bucky made the most sense. When would they finally realize they can’t control him anymore?

You used your powers to confuse the men, making it look like whatever blueprints they studied were outdated. It would hopefully give everyone else enough time to get here and fight them off. 

You hid in a closet when you heard people approaching from behind you. 

“Sam, find Wanda and get to the east side. Nat and I will handle these guys.” 

You relaxed at the sound of Steve’s voice, waiting for the group to disperse before sliding out of the closet.

You ran back through the compound, heading for the lab. It was the closest place for you to retreat to in order to look through the security cameras again. 

“Friday, give me a rundown of what’s happening please.” You looked between the screens, intently listening to the AI’s voice. 

“The east side is being secured by Ms. Maximoff and Mr. Wilson. Based on projected outcomes, they will have everything under control in 7 minutes. Captain Rogers and Ms. Romanoff are fighting on the south side, near the blast sight. They will have the area secure in 6 minutes.”

You nodded, following along as you looked between the cameras. 

“The west side is secure. Mr. Stark and Mr. Barton have cleared the area and are holding off any additional attacks.”

“Good. Where’s Bucky?” You looked between the cameras, but couldn’t find him. 

“Sergeant Barnes is on the roof, engaged in hand to hand.”

“What the hell is he doing on the roof?” You panicked, clicking between camera angles until you could see him. 

There were ten Hydra agents on the roof, surrounding Bucky as he did his best to fight them off. 

“How did he get singled out so fast?” You mumbled to yourself, trying to think of a plan. They had Bucky backed up to the edge of the roof, slowly pushing him further and further. 

You could see what was about to happen nearly in slow motion. You acted quickly, not thinking about keeping your secret, but rather solely focused on helping Bucky. 

You broke through the window in the lab, wings appearing on your back as you flew to him. Just as you arrived, one of the agents shot him three times, propelling him backwards off the roof. Sending a shockwave over the roof, you knocked out the remaining agents as you dove, hurtling through the air to catch Bucky before he hit the ground. 

You grabbed him around the waist, lugging his body through the air with some difficulty. It wasn’t the most convenient position, plus you were slightly rusty from hiding your wings for so long. 

“Doll?” Bucky questioned, glancing at you through fluttering eyelids. “I knew you were my angel.” He whispered before his eyes fell closed, the blood loss getting to him. 

You swung around the building, re-entering through the broken lab window and laying Bucky on the lab bench. 

“Lifting lockdown protocol.” Friday announced, the noise barely registering in your ears. 

“Ms. L/N, Captain Rogers is requesting a check in from everyone on the team, would you like me to update him on yours and the Sergeant’s situation.” Friday asked. 

“Yeah, go ahead.” You muttered, not really paying attention to the question as you did your best to slow the bleeding. You haven’t tried healing anyone in years, so it was taking more effort than it should for you to fix this. 

You closed your eyes, hands hovering over Bucky’s body. Your wings were still present, although no longer fully extended. 

You channelled everything you could into healing Bucky’s wounds, drowning out any outside interference. Your hands began to glow, a warm golden light surrounding Bucky’s body as his bullet wounds healed. 

A few minutes passed as his wounds fully healed. You nearly collapsed from the relief of seeing him no longer bleeding out. His color was returning to normal, heartbeat speeding back up. 

“Y/N?” You jumped at the noise, turning around to see nearly the entire team staring at you. 

Your eyes went wide, hand still clutching Bucky’s as you stuttered in an attempt to come up with an explanation. 

“You have wings.” Wanda pointed out the obvious, everyone still wearing matching expressions of shock. 

You looked over your shoulder, nearly surprised by their presence on your back yourself. You had been so focused on healing Bucky, you forgot to hide them again. 

“Your hands were glowing.” Sam’s brow furrowed, looking between you and Bucky. 

You nodded, still unsure of what to say. 

Suddenly Steve barged into the room, unaware of the tension. He ran right for Bucky, yelling for someone to get a medic. 

“Why are you all just standing there? Friday said he was shot! Three times! Get a medic!” He looked at everyone in a panic before turning to look for wounds on Bucky. 

His brow furrowed as he tried to find any of the bullet wounds. “Wha- Where are the bullet wounds... He’s covered in blood, but not bleeding? Even we can’t heal that fast, what’s going on?” Steve turns back to the team, mouth slightly agape. 

They all point to you. 

Slowly, Steve turns finally noticing your presence. “Y/N?” He looks between the team and you again, a double take so fast it would have been funny if not for the situation. 

“You have wings?” He says it with much more confusion than Wanda’s point blank statement. 

You nod, voice still eluding you. You finally manage to get the wings to disappear. 

“Care to explain...” Tony asks, pointing to where your wings just were, your hands, and Bucky, “All of that?” 

Before you can reply, Bucky jolts awake with a groan. 

“What the hell?” He looks around the lab, taking everyone’s confused faces. Even Nat looks surprised. “How did I get here?” He rubs his abdomen, slightly sore from the bullets. 

Everyone shakes their heads, looking to you for answers. 

“Y/N?” He turns to you, hand squeezing yours slightly. “You were an angel. I thought I was dying...” He trailed off, trying to makes sense of everything in his head. 

“An angel?” Steve balks. Everyone else nods, various expressions of understanding on their faces. 

“I mean, that makes sense.” Nat chimes in, ready to accept it. “Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that ever happened.”

“What?” Bucky asks, sitting up on the counter. “She’s not actually an angel. I just saw that as my... I don’t know, dying wish?” His face scrunched in confusion, trying to make sense of what he saw. 

“Well, I’m not dying and I saw the wings. And the glowing hands.” Clint speaks up, turning all eyes back to you. 

A voice in your head is suddenly booming. Your hands fly up to the sides of your head, trying to dull the ache of the screaming voice in your mind.

“Y/N L/N, you have broken the only rule bestowed upon you. According to contract 71, you are no longer permitted to enter the Angel Realm. Any attempts to return here will result in termination of your capabilities. Misuse of your capabilities on Earth or any other planet will result in termination of your capabilities.” Your boss’s voice was instantly recognizable. 

You didn’t notice the team crowding around you while you doubled over in pain, rubbing your temples as the message repeated. 

“Ugh, why did you have to say it twice?” You suddenly stared up at the sky, annoyed with the whole system. 

“Um, who said what twice?” Banner finally entered the lab, having been avoiding any anger inducing scenarios. 

Before anyone could jump in with what little knowledge they had, you started talking. 

“My Boss.” You winced, looking at Tony as he raised a brow. “My other boss... well, I guess not anymore. My former other boss.”

“Which is...” Tony gestured for you to continue. 

“Maybe you should all sit down, this could take a while...” 

Everyone followed as you lead them to the kitchen and living room. 

“Okay, I’ll just jump into I guess.” You took a deep breath, looking around the room at everyone’s curious and slightly impatient expressions. 

“I’m an angel.” You nodded, trying to reassure yourself that it was okay to say out loud. 

“Yeah, and? We figured that one out fifteen minutes ago.” Tony huffed, wanting more information. 

“Four years ago, I found out about the Avengers.” You looked at all of them, nervous for their reactions. “Angels are supposed to protect those who can’t help themselves, but I wanted to protect you all.”

“Why?” Steve asked, eying you curiously. 

“Would you all stop interrupting and let her explain!” Wanda whisper yelled, gesturing for you to continue. 

“It’s a valid question. Um, I guess I just thought you all put your lives on the line to help everyone else and I wanted to do what I could to help you. I convinced my former boss to let me come here. I told her protecting you guys would protect all the people you were bound to save, and that’s a lot of people.”

Everyone nodded, seemingly taking in the information. 

“I wanted to tell you. I really did, but it was my only rule. I wasn’t allowed to.” You nervously wrung your hands together, biting your lip as everyone took in the information. 

“That’s why it’s former boss?” Nat questioned. 

“Yes. She fired me?” It was a question to your own ears. “I’ve never heard of an angel being fired before. That kinda sucks.” Everyone chuckled at that. 

“And that was why you doubled over in pain in the lab?” Bucky questioned, concern in his voice. 

You nodded. “Yeah, she has a habit of yelling in my head. And she always says everything twice.” You glared at the ceiling again, knowing she had probably moved on from you already. 

“You’re not mad?” You looked back at Bucky, practically forgetting about everyone else in the room. 

“You caught me after I was shot off of a building and then healed my three bullet wounds. I think you’ve made up for the secret.” Bucky smiled, pulling you into his lap for a hug. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” 

You nearly burst into tears at the relief you were feeling. “Oh thank God.” You squeezed him as tight as you thought he could handle, needing to feel him close to your for a second. 

You then turned to face the rest of the team, giving them an equally nervous look. “Are you guys mad?”

“Well, I didn’t get any magic healing.” Sam huffed, a smile on his face. 

“Nobody flew me around the compound.” Tony added on. 

“But, you can fly?” You gave him a confused expression. 

“Dammit” Tony muttered, thinking on his feet. “Tell you what, tell me what else you can do and we’ll call it even.”

“Deal... Maybe we can meet back here in half an hour?” You looked at their bruised and bloody bodies. “You all look like you could use a shower, and I for one would love to get this blood off me.” You gestured to the blood covering your jeans and shirt.

-

A half hour later, you were back in the living room. Tony ordered pizza, everyone crowding around the coffee tables and couches. 

“Alright. Get to it!” Tony called out, excitement clear in his voice. 

You stood up, turning to face the crowd. “Well, you know about the wings.” Your wings extended from your back with a woosh, spreading out before settling in a resting position. 

You heard various mutterings as everyone took in your wings in their full glory. You then floated slightly above the floor, wings gently flapping to keep you suspended. 

“How’s it feel birdman, her wings are part of her.” Bucky jested at Sam, a proud smile on his face.

“Yeah, well mine are bulletproof.” Sam sneered, a smile on his face. 

“Actually,” you winced, “Mine can be bulletproof. Basically, I can do whatever I want, but only for short periods of time. Like if someone surprise shot me, it would hurt. But if I was prepared, it would bounce off.”

“Wow.” Steve looked at you, a mixture of surprise and wonder in his eyes. 

“Um, I can also walk through walls, create shockwaves, move things with my mind, hack into any computer- although it takes some actual knowledge to not leave a trail... I mean, I’m pretty strong, but I don’t have much training for fighting hand to hand or anything. Oh, and mind manipulation? Not like mind control or anything, that is definitely frowned upon. Just... like earlier I made the Hydra agents forget the blueprints so they wouldn’t be able to get around the compound as quickly.” 

Everyone jumped in with questions. You answered every single one, talking well into the night. You did your best to give examples of your powers, like moving the rubble around to fix the giant hole in the south side of the compound. 

After a few hours, Bucky cut in. “Guys, she’ll still be here tomorrow. Wait, you will still be here, right?” He looked at you in a panic.

“Yes, unless you all want me gone, I’m here to stay.” You smile at them. 

“Good. Now as I was saying, she’ll be here tomorrow. Ask her the rest of your questions then. Hell, make a list if you want. Just let me take my best girl to bed.” Bucky pulled you up from the couch, leading you out of the room. 

“Goodnight!” You called back to the team before turning to Bucky. “What did I say about being your best girl?” You playfully hit his side. 

He pulled you into his arms, hugging you while you waited for the elevator. “I’m sorry. My only girl.”

“That’s better.”

Permanent taglist:

@averyhotchner @jesuswasnotawhiteman

[sxfik]

let's talk about episode 16 and why it confirms solhwi endgame

back to masterlist

a/n: as always, this is just my opinion and what i interpreted from episode 16! some of this might be a stretch (or wishful thinking lol) but ya know, feel free to start discussions etc.

just through my time scrolling here on tumblr and on twitter, i've seen many viewers be disappointed with the last episode and it's lack of confirmation for solhwi (and also like understandably so, we'd all love to see a more "firm" confirmation). but i genuinely think that this whole episode was a confirmation of their feelings for each other, that there was something there.

the most important thing to remember about this show is that it is not a romance. the main plot is centered around the mystery but also these students learning how to navigate the law and trying to show the different sides of the law (ways the law can be used to help vs. ways the law can be used to harm). we, of course, also get to explore the relationships of the group with their family, their professors and with each other. so overall, i think we can all agree that we weren't going to get an "explicit" confirmation of their feelings for each other.

i think one of the things law school does really well as a show is that it doesn't give a "perfect" ending to every story. for example, in many shows, we see every plot line resolve in the show with no open endings and in general, it ends up all resolving with in the span of two episodes. but with episode 16, especially the ending scenes, we see that not everything is resolved. we don't get an answer for every single mystery, such as seung-jae's story line or the full extent of professor seo and assemblyman koi's relationship. what we do get instead is a "set-up" to show or hint at how the relationship might develop in the future. this also applies to the relationships within the story: for example, we don't really get a full ending for kang sol B's issues with her family. rather, we see that they are going to therapy and working it out together. we don't get a true ending to the court case with ji ho's dad. even with kang dan and her story, we don't get to see a "full" resolution to it, but we do get a hint/a sense that everything is on track to be resolved. many people might argue that this is a sign of bad writing but i disagree. i believe that this is realistic writing, because the issues that are faced by the students in the show is not resolvable in one year and neither are their relationships.

with that in mind, i would apply the same logic to solhwi. like i said, i didn't think we'd get a kiss scene or anything similar to that in their 1L year. through this season, we are tracking joon hwi and sol A's relationship as it grows from classmates to acquaintances to friends to in like to in love (especially for han joon hwi). if you go through and rewatch the show, you can see that as the episodes go on, we see han joon hwi and sol's relationship develop into something that is based on trust, care, appreciation and communication.

i've seen many people say that we've over hyped their relationship in the last couple episodes but i don't believe that's true. i believe that the show is trying to display that both of them are falling for each other, they're both seeing each other in a "new light." for joon hwi, that moment came much quicker; like i said in this post, joon hwi is realizing the extent of his feelings towards her when he says that he owes her. and this last episode proves it! this whole episode we see the camera focus on han joon hwi's reactions and his love for sol, except he's actually aware of himself. earlier, the reactions came out without him realizing or being aware that he's in love with her. but this episode? he is aware of his feelings for her. throughout this episode we watch as his admiration for her grows louder and louder, from smirks and soft smiles at her to appreciation for her knowledge and talents. we see the hint of defensiveness cross his face when ji ho insults kang sol (which by the way definetly felt more like ji ho was taunting joon hwi that he was actually insulting kang sol). even sol B knows when she asks to start but he makes her wait for sol A.

and in the end, we see that sol is realizing her feelings too. i believe for her, the change came through ye-seul's trial. some part of her always loved his company and his friendship but after the trial, and their friends teasing their jealousy, i think sol definitely took more note of joon hwi. i think it's evident in their 1L year in this episode, the looks of appreciation she gives him, the way her eyes seem to always land on him in the end. and ESPECIALLY the courtroom scene where sol and joon hwi were practicing her argument, we can see her feel the tension and his presence as he grows closer to her, we can see her getting flustered and nervous around him in a the way you would with someone who's position is your life is graduating from friends to a crush. the beginnings of this episode definitely show that solhwi is starting to full on fall for each other.

THEN during their 3L year, we can see how they're full blown gone for each other. i genuinely think that at this point, they are in a relationship with each other and here is why.

one: the moment sol sees joon hwi walk by, she calls out his name asking him what he's up to. then when he responds "i want to wind down" she follows him. when they get out of the elevator, she says "you said you wanted to wind down?" and he lets out a teasing laugh at that. i definetly think that she was talking about/expecting something completely different when he said he wanted to wind down, because as he explains that he wants to wind down by "watching the trial," you can watch the gears turning in her head before answering "right, i should wind down too" in an embarrassed way, with joon hwi teasingly smiling at her (obviously he knows where her mind went to). and then after stretching, sol makes her classic "you're so annoying/you're so frustrating" face at him.

two: as kang sol and joon hwi provides counsel to the old man, we see joon hwi once again watch kang sol but the expression on his face this time, is a lot different to the expressions that we've had previously. before, the reactions and expressions were more distant, more "in admiration" and in amazement (about her and his feelings for her). but in his reactions this time around, we see it's more firm, it's more confident. it's a completely different expression of love than what we've seen before. it's a lot more similar to one that a boyfriend or a husband gives their significant other than the expression a boy gives to his crush. it's a lot less amazement and enamorment and more content, proud expression.

(honestly it's kinda hard to describe how different the expressions are in words, but if you watch the moment around 1:00:00, you'll see what i mean)

here's the thing: the concepts and issues that law school is showing us are not resolvable issues in one year, and they are not "easily" resolvable issues either. that is what this show has been trying to show us: that the law is complex and it's application in the real world is even more complicated. so it would not make sense for this show to wrap everything up in a neat bow and present it to us in the final episode. moreover, solhwi has forged a friendship through the pressures of law school as well as the overarching mystery and plot of the show. this season was centered around watching them develop a relationship together and this show hints and shows that solhwi are soulmates, their relationship will not be an epic love story where there are grand gestures or confessions of love. it is a gradual change from friend to lovers, while having independent development and maintaining their own goals in life. the very ending, we see them reach their goals as lawyer and prosecutor but they still come together. if they were to have a confession scene in the very end of the show i believe that it would have been too rushed without enough development on both sides. i think that law school ended in the best way for both characters without reversing or skipping their development while leaving room and hinting at the possibilities for the future.

[asweetprologue]

Nili’s Benchmark Geraskier Fic Rec List

hey yall! I officially hit 750 followers (a few days ago, I blew past the benchmark without even realizing!), which is... insane. I truly can’t believe that so many people over the last year have enjoyed my presence in this fandom enough to continue to follow my work. you guys are so great and I love you all so much, so I decided to put together a gift for you!

this is a list of my favorite geraskier fics from the fandom, which I have been putting together over the last year or so. a few of these are big in the fandom, but a lot of them are smaller pieces that I feel deserve more attention! I have provided ao3 and tumblr links where I could find them, as well as ratings and summaries. Most of these are canon!verse because I’m not personally a big fan of modern au’s, but there will be a few of those scattered throughout as well. I’ve divided the fics into two sections: oneshots and multichapter. See the list below the cut!

Being in this fandom truly has gotten me through the pandemic in a big way and I have made so many good friends while here. thank you all for validating my weird obsession with these characters and enabling me in these trying times <3

Oneshots

all that was good, all that was fair (all that was me is gone) | M | 7517 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions Of Violence | @xdandelionxbloomx

Somewhere, deep in a forest, a man drags himself from his grave by sheer power of will. He lies gasping on the forest floor and does not know who or what he is. The world is wide and wonderful, though, and there is so much to see.

Or, Jaskier is so stubborn that he literally comes back from the dead.

Another fascinating addition to the mythology of the Witcher. Jaskier’s slow rediscovery of himself is so well done here. One I’ve come back to again and again. 

As Fast As Love Can Go | T | 9628 | @bygodstillam

There are Faeries in the Wood.

That's what everyone said, at least, not that there was any solid proof. Jaskier had tried, more than once, to find some. Just a hint somewhere, of a real story, of real magic. But all anyone seemed to have was stories.

Jaskier was determined to find proof. He wasn't expecting to find a witcher in the process.

Fascinating fic with some really interesting worldbuilding, and a fresh new take on True Love’s Kiss. Also with some great art by @hehearse!

beautiful, he stirs up still things | T | 2575 | @alittlebitmaybe

“You’re not asking me to dance,” says Geralt.

Jaskier turns his palm up on his knee, offering it. “I think you’ll find I am.”

Just them dancing. This is a lovely sort of pre-relationship dynamic. So soft.

Dialogue Prompt | NR | 2932 | @reinvent-and-believe

Dialogue Prompt 48: “You make me want things I can’t have.” Wordless I-love-you 50: buying them a special treat when you go out shopping

Geralt gets Jaskier a gift, which prompts some confessions.

Even a small love | E | 22,272 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con 

“Well,” Jaskier replies distractedly. “Lots of things want to strangle you.”

“You don’t.”

It isn’t a particularly troublesome accusation, or even necessarily an accusation at all.

This is one I read early on in the fandom, and it really stuck with me. The dynamic between Jaskier and Geralt is perfect, and the misunderstandings between them feel so realistic. The non-con is not extreme, but do mind the warnings. 

For the Space of a Heartbeat | T | 2021 | @drowningbydegrees

As it turns out, falling into bed with your very best friend who you are privately very much in love with isn't nearly so nerve wracking as waking up with them the morning after.

Just sweet, morning after discussions. I love to see them talking for once.

Greensleeves | T | 10,414 | @rebrandedbard

When Geralt crosses paths with Jaskier in the spring, the world is dressed in green. Quite literally. Everyone everywhere is wearing green, and it all comes down to a song Jaskier has written that, to his mortification, has become popular throughout the Continent. It's torment, being forced to preform the song over and over again and have his heart broken anew. But who is this Lady Greensleeves the people say Jaskier is so maddeningly, heartbrokenly in love with? At the baron's wedding party, Geralt is determined to find out.

This is one of my personal faves - there’s just something about Jaskier’s feelings being put on blast while Geralt remains totally oblivious that I think is so very them. And the resolution at the end is delightful.

I Don’t Wanna Fall (If It’s Not In Love) | E | 13,902 | @writinglizards

The first time it's out of desperation. Things get rapidly out of hand from there.

OR the building of a relationship through mutual wank sessions.

I love everything Ashley writes, but this one was the first fic I read by her and it still has a warm place in my heart. I also highly recommend It’s Been A While (makes me cry every time) and Tell Me Honestly

Like a Storm, Like a Flood | T | 1065 | @valdomarx

Jaskier is leaving for the winter, and Geralt can't bear the thought of not seeing him for months.

It was soooo hard to pick only one fic by George, but this one is so soft and sweet and yearning I just had to go with it. This is really just about Geralt finally hitting a breaking point and saying enough is enough.

one flesh | E | 10,763 | WARNING: MCD 

“Well, then. I’m a ghost.” Jaskier spread his arms grandly. Geralt held his gaze for a moment, then dropped his head and laughed. Jaskier put his hands on his hips. “Do fill me in on what’s so funny.” It wasn’t funny. It was just so - ridiculous, the things Geralt’s fucked up brain would invent. This had to be the last nail in the sanity coffin, it just had to be.

Or: Jaskier is a ghost, and Geralt is a mess.

Jaskier dies and comes back as a ghost to haunt Geralt into taking care of himself. Geralt does not handle this gracefully. This fic is so sad and heartbreaking, but the ending is so sweet.

to render it transparent | E | 23,901

Geralt wakes up warm, peaceful, and utterly content, which is how he knows that something is severely wrong.

Sigh. This fic. This is a time travel fic - Geralt ends up in the future living with Jaskier on the coast, just after the mountain. It’s slow and beautiful and extremely bittersweet, all about how we choose to love people despite how much it can hurt us.

With All the Continent A Stage | M | 4745 | @greyduckgreygoose

Later, Geralt learned that the play was four hours long. Four hours long. It didn’t feel like it. Most of it passed by in a fever dream of ominous music, dance-fighting and dryads in gossamer leaves, swinging from hoops attached to the ceiling. Yennefer made an appearance, played by Priscilla in a glittering negligee. She sang a song to Geralt about putting him “Under Her Spell”, and they had a sensual dance number which was made a little strange by a sickened Jaskier (played by Jaskier) coughing loudly in the background.

(Jaskier invites Geralt to a musical production inspired by his own life.)

Jaskier basically writes Geralt a love letter in the form of a four hour long play. Geralt is an idiot about it.

Multi-Chapter Fics

A Lover’s Lament | M | 25,364 | @somedrunkpirate

So,” Jaskier begins, as casually as he can, “you are telling me, that in theory, if I were to be in love with someone — anyone — that person could well be in terrible danger?”

Of all terrible and ridiculous things that have threatened Geralt’s safety, Jaskier’d never thought that loving him might be what will get him killed.

I honestly can’t count the number of times I’ve read this fic. The monster is so interesting, and the mythos of it fits seamlessly into the world of the Witcher in my mind. Jaskier being so afraid that his feelings are going to put Geralt at risk, clearly unable to see that Geralt is going through the exact same thing. I think about the scene with them looking at each other almost daily. 

A Pair of Gloves, the Scent of Roses | M | 24,134 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence

In the bustling days before the Midsummer festival, Geralt is sent into the countryside to deal with a monster - with Jaskier once again by his side. But the bard has not forgiven him, and while he's not hiding his contempt for the Witcher, he is recalcitrant about revealing his true motives for joining him. As the hunt turns into a desperate mission to save an innocent man and the monster is not what is seems to be, Geralt learns a few new things about his old friend and decides to finally attempt to mend the rift between them...

This is one of my favorite’s in the fandom - it feels so believable, the world is so rich and the oc’s are convincing and charming. Geralt and Jaskier feel so honest here, stumbling around each other but still drawn together. Beautiful beautiful beautiful

Bearing the will of the flower | NR | 11,449 

The way Jaskier sees it, his hobby of following a witcher around was always pretty likely to get him killed.

The fact that it's happening now because the witcher in question doesn't love him, he thinks as he coughs up crumpled flowers, hardly makes a difference.

My favorite hanahaki fic in the fandom. I’m such a sucker for these, and these two idiots being so incapable of talking about their feelings really makes them prime candidates. 

Food of Love | T | 22,488 | @wallatile-qvibbler

I brought a dead princess back to life through the power of song is the kind of thing that would have got an eyebrow raise even from the stone-faced Geralt of Rivia, so it's a good thing he and Geralt will probably never see each other again.

(or: the one where Jaskier channels magic through his songs, and it almost never goes as expected.)

This is a Jaskier and Renfri centric fic, which wasn’t something I knew I wanted until I read this. Jaskier is a bard which in this AU comes with magical powers, but it feels so well integrated into the universe that I wish it was just... how the Witcher is. Renfri is so good here, and even though Jaskier and Geralt barely even interact you can feel the tension and love between them. Cannot recommend highly enough.

friends and allies of the witcher | T | 10,312 | @theamazingbard

Yennefer crawls over to her newest cellmate. They’re curled up on their side. Breathing, but only just. She’s not sure what she’s hoping for when she turns them over. Still isn’t when she sees that it is indeed Jaskier.

“Shit."

Yennefer and Jaskier each suffer in more ways than one at the hands of Nilfgaard.

Yennefer and Jaskier get capture by Nilfgaard and tossed into a cell together. Exactly what I want out of season 2 honestly. Their interactions are gold.

I’d Be the Choiceless Hope | E | 45,188 | WARNING: Rape/Non-Con | @lesdemonium

As a baby, Jaskier was visited by a fae, who gifted Jaskier's mother with Jaskier's obedience. As Jaskier grew older, the "gift" became more of a curse.

You know I’m not gonna make a rec list without listing Zoe’s Ella Enchanted au. Need I say more?

Silver and Copper | M | 56,139 | WARNING: Graphic Depictions of Violence | @kaer-cuan

Geralt is just supposed to pass through the quiet Lettenhove area. He's not anticipating being begged by its people to help save their viscount from a curse that keeps him from daylight. Lord Jaskier, they call him, and he's likely dying.

As Geralt struggles to untangle the ugly web of history that has lead to the increasingly complicated curse, he finds himself spending more and more time with the strange young viscount and wondering just what he might have been before the curse, and who he might be after. But things are not always as they seem, and as the curse tightens its grip on Jaskier, Geralt is forced to face the fear of failing yet another person whose choices were stolen from them.

Or-

Jaskier is kept from becoming a bard. Geralt finds him anyway.

This is a fic that haunts me. It’s very scary in parts, and mind the tags - there are some very heavy themes here. But it’s beautiful and touching, and Jaskier feels very true to himself even though his origin is so different.

we could be married (and then we'd be happy) | E | 50,222 | @a-kind-of-merry-war

Jaskier reached into his pocket, fingers grasping around the little box. He pulled it out with what he hoped was a romantic flourish, flipping it open to reveal the simple gold band inside. “Geralt,” he said, confidently, cooly, like this wasn’t terrifying, “Will you marry me?”

Geralt and Jaskier fake marriage proposals to get free deserts and shit but it goes tits up when Vesemir catches them in the act. Not knowing how to fess up, they go along with it for a while, which is hell because they’re both pining like mad. As I said, I don’t love modern au’s, but it’s merry so of course this one had to end up on my list.

~

And that’s it! 20 fics for you, and hopefully you can all find one or two you haven’t read before. There are a lot of people and fics that I didn’t include in this list only because I was trying to not put a million down (which I could). I highly recommend anything by @wherethewordsare, @julek, @contemplativepancakes, @witcher-and-his-bard, and @inber, as well as those linked to fics above, and I’m sure there are others I forgot to mention. Yall have truly made being in this fandom worthwhile <3

[wheelsup]

coffee is the sixth love language | part two

Summary: Over three cups of coffee, Spencer realized his feelings for you. And over three cups of coffee, he acts on them. gn!Reader.

A/N: the italicized this time indicates Spencer’s thoughts, not reader’s. part of this story is inspired directly from these comments made by @doctorthreephds on the reblog! thanks for letting me incorporate them :)

category: fluff, sfw

warnings: technically none, but the “profiling” part is kind of a reach.

word count: 3k

     Once Spencer was firmly resolute on asking you out, he knew he wanted it to be special in a way that only the two of you could appreciate. He realized that he had yet to be the one bringing you coffee, and so it felt only right that it should be how he makes his first move. He woke up extra early on a weekday morning to stop by your favorite coffee shop on his way to work because he knew you loved their banana nut muffins and double-brewed coffee. It was an extra twenty-five minutes out of the way for work each way, so you only got to go there on the rare occasion that you had a day off and were not out of town on a case. It might have been ridiculous to drive fifty minutes for a single damn muffin, but Spencer wanted to make this perfect for you by any means necessary. This was one of the special times that Spencer drove his car, needing the extra speed in order to complete his mission.

     He picked up your regular drink order and the muffin and was anxiously on his way back to Quantico. As per his plan he arrived at the office before you did, though not too much earlier because he wanted to make sure your coffee was still hot by the time you got it. If Spencer’s calculations were correct - which they almost always were - you would arrive within a two to four and a half minute window from when he did. Spencer took out a sharpie from his desk drawer and delicately scrawled a message onto the top corner of the pastry bag holding your muffin. He thought it felt like something out of a cheesy romance novel, the kind of novels that you could find in the fifty cent clearance bins, but dammit if Spencer didn’t deserve a little cheesy romance in his life. The other benefit of this was that he thought he would almost certainly choke on his words if he had to ask you himself. He set the two items on your desk and returned to his own to sit and observe. Spencer hoped it would be the first of many coffees he could buy you.

It wasn’t until you had already walked into the bullpen and were halfway to your desk that Spencer realized he had forgotten to sign his name to the bag. How were you supposed to react to him asking you out if you didn’t actually know it was him? And oh God, he left unsealed food on the desk of an FBI agent, with no indication of who had put it there. That is infinitely more suspicious than it is romantic. He wouldn’t be surprised if she took it straight to the trash can. So long for cheesy romance, Dr. Reid.

     But Spencer was absolutely elated when your first reaction was to peek into the bag and gasp out of joy at what was inside. He watched you break off a piece of your beloved banana nut muffin and chew it gleefully, and all he could think of was how cute you looked when you were happy. Shortly followed by concern that a federal agent would so readily eat unmarked food that could have been tampered with. That’s something I should bring up to her on the date. 

     Spencer’s stomach was in knots not knowing if you would pick up on the message. You swallowed that chunk of the muffin and turned the bag over to find an almost illegible black script that you had nearly missed: Would you like to have coffee with me? It just felt like all of the air had been knocked out of your body. 

     It didn’t even take you half a second to know who this was from; there were so many tells it was Spencer. Before you even noticed the note, you knew it was from him when you saw what was inside the bag. The whole team knew what your favorite coffee shop was because you had talked about it enough times. Hell, you even owned a oversized tee with their name on it that you kept in your go bag as a sleep shirt. But nobody knew what your favorite muffin was because you never mentioned it. In fact, if you thought about it there were maybe only a handful of times over the six months you’d been at the BAU that you even elected to eat this pastry in lieu of a real breakfast. But if anyone was going to detect a pattern, it would have been Dr. Reid. Of course he would pick up on the fact that you only picked those out at cafes when you felt like having a sweet treat, or that when Penelope brought in baked goods for the office you would only indulge if you saw your favorite item in the lineup. 

     You already knew it, but in case you had any doubt, the note itself confirmed your theory twice. One indicator was the phrasing choice would you as opposed to will you. Use of would posits a hypothetical, as in hypothetically, would you have an interest in drinking coffee together, rather than a hard, come with me to get coffee. The hesitance in the tone came off as if the sender were testing the waters, wanting to put the idea out there without coming off as too strong. Because it was reserved, it gave you room to think if you would genuinely enjoy doing so as opposed to making you feel like you should oblige. That level of respect screamed Spencer to you. And though it was so glaringly obvious, if you needed some concrete evidence it was the fact that nobody else had such endearingly atrocious handwriting like Dr. Reid. It was something you always found hilariously ironic for a man who often analyzes other people’s writing styles for work. You wondered what his way of scribbling said about him, and hoped he could tell you on that date of yours. 

     You looked straight at him, finding that his eyes were already fixed on you.

     “Yes.” 

     One word was all you had to say to make the lump in Spencer’s throat disappear, replaced by the sensation that his heart was leaping out of his chest. He was going to keep that memory stored in his brain forever, just to replay the moment when the future of your relationship changed with a simple word. Little did he know that when you finished that muffin, you neatly folded the pastry bag and tucked it into your desk drawer, saving it for the exact same purpose. 

_____

     Spencer had gotten to see your favorite coffee spot already, so for your date you requested that he take you to his to make it even. It was small, but incredibly cozy under the soft ambiance provided by string lights and charm of their mismatched furniture. There was one exposed brick wall adjacent to another that was a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf; it housed copies that loyal patrons left behind for others to pick up. All of those books had different colors of post-its peeking out from the pages. It was almost too eclectic and disorganized for what you would expect Dr. Reid to be into, but at the same time it made perfect sense to you.

     “You know, I think I just learned something about you.” You leaned gently into his side to tell him, both hands wrapped around your coffee cup because you were too nervous to know what else to do with them. Spencer was the kind of guy to sit adjacent to you at a table, rather than across, and you loved that about him. You loved having him as close to you as possible. 

     Spencer’s lips pulled at the edges to form a perfect, lazy smile. “What did you learn about me?” The team had an agreement not to profile each other, but under your gaze, Spencer never felt the kind of scrutiny that came with picking people apart. He trusted that whatever you had to say was going to be kind.

     “I think this place says so much about you. Something about how all those books are donations passed on from locals, and that people feel comfortable taking a book off the shelf and opening it up to read what others recommend. The fact that they leave little notes in it for the next reader to share what those stories meant to each of them. Nobody asked those people to do that, but they all chose to take part in these small actions that ended up creating an entire community.” It was one of the most beautifully human things you’d ever witnessed. A group of people engaging in understated and innocent gestures of love between perfect strangers, completely unprompted. “I think you value simple acts, the kind that can take on profound meaning without even intending to. Like when silence feels so comfortable when you’re with the right person.” You paused to take in his reaction as a gauge for how right or wrong you may be. He gave no objection to what you had posited, eyes simply glued to you in intense focus. Spencer was hanging on everything you said, wordlessly encouraging you to divulge more theories you’d developed on him.

     “And, visually, this furniture reminds me of a family home. The kind where some items were handed down for generations, some bought new, and others gifted by a distant relative who has no idea what the family likes.” Spencer’s soft laughter mirrored your own at your very accurate description of the shop’s decor. The room truly could not be more disjointed in its aesthetic, but that was entirely its charm. “It probably reflects that there are some aspects of your life that just don’t make sense to you, that almost seem to conflict with each other. For a guy so smart, I’m sure it’s scary to feel like you don’t understand something, and there are probably dark spots in that brain of yours that you try to hide from the world. But in this room, these things that don’t seem like they work together actually amount to something so lovely. And just like the charmingly hideous suede couch and the oddly fur-covered armchairs, every facet of you deserves appreciation because without them you wouldn’t make up to be the beautiful person you are overall.” 

     Neither of you could pinpoint the moment which your hands had drifted together, fingers loosely intertwined in gentle embrace. There was too much to unpack in what you had said for Spencer to know where to begin. The only thing he could say for sure was that he was astounded by how deeply you understood him without him ever saying any of those things. He considered that maybe you understood him better than he did himself and wished that he could spend his whole life observing the world through the same rose-tinted lenses with which you viewed him. At a loss for words, Spencer chose not to say any right then. The silence I have with you is the most comfortable I’ve ever had. 

_____

     After each of you consumed one too many caffeinated beverages, you still were not prepared to let the date end. You were willing to sit there and have as many espresso drinks as you could to keep talking to Spencer. 

     The universe must have been in support of your romance as the overcast skies broke and began to rain just minutes after the two of you had left the shop. Spencer was walking you back to your apartment, clearly forcing his long legs to slow down their naturally fast stride so to extend how long it took to get there. He could get an extra thirteen minutes with you this way. Spencer was given his perfect excuse to keep the date going in the form of heavy downpour; his apartment was far closer than yours, and he proposed you two should seek shelter together until it stopped. I hope it never stops. 

     Spencer held tightly onto your hand as he ran with you through the rain, giggling all the way to his apartment. He may not like wet, cold climates, but he sure did like holding your hand. Being next to you made him feel incredibly warm somehow when the temperature outside was very much not. And you felt completely at peace sitting on Spencer’s couch wearing one of his sweaters that he lent you. Truthfully, your own clothes weren’t so wet from the rain that it was necessary, but you both pretended it absolutely was just to be able to experience this. 

     It was clear that the rain would be going for a while and all you wanted to do to pass the time was continue listening to Spencer talk. You discovered that when he’s not interrupted, he loves to go on runaway tangents, often bouncing between different trains of thought as one idea sparked him to remember another. It was almost a sport to keep up with him, but it was perhaps the only one you’ve ever enjoyed. It was so easy when everything he said interested you. You loved that Spencer taught you something new every day, but no matter how niche a piece of trivia or shocking an unknown fact was, it could not beat the things that he taught you about himself. He was letting you in on so many unseen dimensions of himself whether he knew it or not, the explicit ones revealing implicit ones. 

     You had happily stayed in his home for hours, absorbing every word he spoke. What entertained you the most was the ability of your conversation to jump from deep, serious places to lighthearted stories filled with jokes and teasing and back again in a way that felt completely natural. Your favorite anecdote of his was the story of how he got addicted to coffee. It was the BAU’s favorite inside-joke that Spencer liked his coffee sickeningly sweet and you always wondered how he could tolerate it. Just looking at it made your teeth ache. When he told you why, you thought that the backstory was even sweeter than the coffee.

     As a twelve year old college student, Spencer found himself experiencing sleep deprivation for the first time in his life. The course load was more rigorous than he had in high school and even the boy genius needed to readjust to the new expectations of college. More importantly, he needed to cope with pulling late nights at the library if he wanted his first degree by the time he was eligible for a driver’s license. The Red Bulls that the other kids seem to gravitate to seemed far too aggressive for Spencer, their potent smell of chemicals a huge turn off. They were definitely not for him. 

     He remembered how often his mom used to drink coffee, always in the morning while Spencer got ready for school. Being at CalTech and away from his mother, who remained in Las Vegas most of the time due to her condition, made him so homesick that he took up a coffee habit as a reminder of her. He loved the way it smelled like every comfort he had ever known. 

     Though he appreciated its smell, Spencer, of course, was not ready back then to love the way it tasted. He was still after all a twelve year old boy who had a sweet tooth like any other kid. The bitter drink was almost offensive to him, so he always made his coffee with extra, extra sugar. He was a menace to the baristas at the campus coffee cart because they would have to refill the shaker every time he stopped by. As it turned out, Spencer was actually a little troublemaker in his youth. 

     You utterly adored this story and the way it humanized Spencer in a way that other people did not consider often enough. Yes, he was the genius in incredibly advanced classes for his age, but he was also a little kid who behaved as all little kids did. He also experienced struggle and had to cope with it just like everyone else. He was not, as some chose to believe, a complete anomaly beyond understanding. Those many misunderstood idiosyncrasies Spencer had started to feel grounded as you learned more about him and could appreciate how and why they came to be.  

     But the night was dwindling down and two of you had gone through many stories since the start of your day together. Hitting a caffeine crash, you found yourself unable to keep some rogue yawns at bay. It was only eight o’clock in the evening, not an unreasonable time for you to ask Spencer to drive you back home. The rain was letting up to a mellow drizzle. Spencer was running out of excuses to keep you here.

     But you thought about how still hadn’t heard about his first pet lizard, which he caught in his backyard, and you didn’t yet know what kind of music he listened to when he was fourteen. And you no longer thought you needed to make excuses to stay with him longer, so you told him honestly that all you really wanted was to stay the night with him and keep hearing his stories. So you asked him if he would set on a fresh pot of coffee, just so you both could sip at it, staying awake all night together.

     He happily did so, and while he set the large coffee pot on and took out two cups from his cabinet, he thought, this is the first of many wishes of yours that I’d like to make come true.

______

PART THREE

Tag list: @rexorangecounty @rachel-voychuk @snitchthewitch @spencer-blake-supremacy @happyreid187 @rainsong01 @librarymagic