#like its already a known fact but it really shows how shes connected to her source like that’s her source alright!!!

[lockaluu]

still cant get over annabel ward’s ghost apparating in lucy’s room by her hand slipping into the ring - its so satisfying I love it

[cherryrikis]

ONE LESS LONELY GIRL - 001 ! the left side

PAIRING idols riki x fem reader

SYNOPSIS fans always point out the chemistry between you and riki, and it only continues to grow after you become mc’s together on music bank. but as your feelings rise, so does the tension. and people begin to notice, so you try not to let riki know how you feel. but unbeknownst to you, he feels entirely the same way.

authors note reader’s official emoji is a panda! also most of the interview dialogue is real (from two videos combined) lol

previous <> masterlist <> next

you and your group had arrived at the scene. the entrance process was rushed seeing as you were all running a little late. but despite being short on time, the six of you still stopped to wave at your fans before heading inside.

“take your places. we are late after all, i would expect that enhypen is already out on stage.” your manager informed, ushering you all out from behind the camera.

and she was right after all. they were in fact waiting for your group, respectfully bowing their heads as you and your members made way to take the spot beside them.

luck was in your favor, as you were instructed to stand next to ni-ki. you couldn’t resist your stares, carefully trying to sneak a glance, only to see he was already looking at you. he smiled at how your cheeks flushed pink.

the mc’s, eunchae and sangmin, quickly adjusted their lifeguard outfits while they waited for the intro music to end before starting their introduction.

“we are the mansaez!” they announced together. “shall we meet enhypen, who is back with a sweet melody?” eunchae read off the script. “welcome!”

“one, two, connect! hello we are enhypen!” jungwon introduced the group.

sangmin quickly greeted them, before going to introduce newjeans. “this time, let’s meet the girls that the world has been waiting for. shall we meet newjeans, who are back with supernatural? welcome!”

“two, three. hello, we are newjeans!” minji spoke into the microphone.

“nice to meet you all. to start off the interview, let’s first go to sunghoon. sunghoon, as a previous mc of music bank, how does it feel to be back?”

“i’m happy to be back after a long time. i’m also happy to be back with our second full length album, romance untold, and the fact that we are able to share this with our fans.” sunghoon smiled to the camera.

“now, hyein. you weren’t able to participate in the last comeback. how does it feel to be back on stage?”

eunchae and sangmin took turns asking you all questions. but as unprofessional as it was, you felt yourself zoning out, still completely stunned by the fact nishimura riki was real, and right next to you. you were so close, your shoulders practically touched his.

the sound of your name being called by eunchae drew you back into reality, pulling you out of the clouds. “y/n! we’ve heard ni-ki doesn't show the left side of his face, but we finally got to see that in enhypens latest comeback. since it's known that you have admired enhypen for so long, how do you feel about this?"

and immediately, all the blood that was meant to pump into your brain, left, and rushed to your cheeks. you felt lightheaded, but you knew your face was burning.

you stood there frozen in shock, your mic jittering in your shaky hands. you suddenly felt more nervous than you were before, as you made the rookie mistake of turning to look at the boy next to you. he stared at you so expectantly, with a glimmer in his eyes.

“o-oh? i didnt know these types of things could be shared..” you awkwardly laughed, playing it off as you just being shy. “i think its charming because its not something we get to see often? i suppose.” you answered, playing it safe. because really, how do you respond to a question like that?

riki smiled at your response, nodding his head in approval.

haerin, who was next to you with her arm pressing into yours, gave you a small thumbs up of encouragement. maybe you didn’t do as bad as you thought.

“ni-ki, how do you feel about this?” sangmin asked.

“ah, me? sorry. i find it cute that you think i’m charming, even if it’s something i don’t do often.” he replied, looking at you the whole time he spoke.

you remained the eye contact for a few moments, causing the air to run thick as it stayed silent.

the mc’s shrugged it off, not thinking too much of it, before keeping the interview going by continuing to ask the other members their questions.

and before you knew it, the interview was over.

as soon as the cameras cut, you thanked eunchae and sangmin, then the enhypen members. riki reached out to shake your hand, his touch lingering for a moment before pulling away.

you smiled as he smirked at you while you both went your separate ways.

the music bank interview had ended 6 hours ago. it was now 10 pm, and you laid on danielle’s bed with your head in her lap as she braided your hair. hanni was sat next to you with her legs crossed, engrossed in some game hyein showed her the other day.

“my god. that was so embarrassing!” you whined as you saw a clip of today’s interview on tiktok, grabbing hanni’s pillow from beside to her as you screamed into it.

danielle quickly moved her hands away in surprise. “hey, i said don’t move! now the mini braid is all frizzy.” she pouted, undoing it to start over.

“it wasn’t that bad. at least you managed to not cause a dating scandal! fans are going crazy over the interaction on twitter.” hanni informed you in a comforting manner, handing you her phone.

“i don’t care about what people online think. it was more about the fact that i embarrassed myself in front of riki.” you mumbled, before scrolling through hanni’s phone to see what netizens were saying.

“that’s so humiliating. not them clipping my every movement..” you sighed with a frown.

at that moment, minji walked in with haerin behind her, from the other room that you three shared.

everyone was now together in the second bedroom of the dorm.

“come on y/n. let’s go get some snacks from the convenience store. you need some fresh air.” minji spoke, taking the phone out your grasp and returning it to hanni. she pulled you up to your feet, gesturing for you to put some shoes on.

“right now? i’m wearing pajamas.” you raised a brow, examining yourself in the mirror. you wore your long sleeve shirt, and your baggy pajamas pants, along with the slides you had just put on.

“so am i.” she shrugged. “come on, just you and me. you’ll feel better.”

reluctantly, you followed minji out the door, dreading the fact you may be recognized like this in public.

“i guess we’ll be back.” you waved to your other members who remained inside.

TAGLIST (italics = couldnt be tagged) @hannicorpse @luvvhaerin @itzningning @en-verse @ren2jay @choppedballoondetective @heartheejake @imanalien143 @istglevi-gotmesimping @yndairy @eleanorheartschishiya @lonelylandofan @gweoriz @jaemified @onlyhyunjin @softpia @frecklesbrownies @riksaes @wensurr @rikifordmiami @brideslit @ant-onie @yumilovesloona

[cornerdreams-txt]

quick headcanons about the new characters in the bo6 crew :)

black ops 6 was phenomenal, btw. i loved it. please come talk to me about it. please. please. please. please. please. pl

★ william "case" calderon

— known to dissociate or space out frequently, but is easily pulled out of it. it's on his record, but it's never caused enough problems for command to really get concerned about it.

— fidgets with his holsters when he's on edge. it's too quiet, or he's waiting for something to happen, he'll rub his fingers against the leather of the straps, or catch his nail on the metal of the buckles, over and over again. even if the weapon inside, blade or gun, is already drawn.

— seems uneasy around smoke or fog, shifty eyes and a pinched brow, but whenever its brought up, he's confused. seems like he has no idea that air that's... thicker, maybe, is a good descriptor, seems to put him on edge.

— unbothered by bugs, snakes, and any kind of creepy-crawly. seems to enjoy them, if anything - helped handle spiders and other insects or pests that found their way into the safehouse. biting insects seem to love him, though - mosquitoes especially. probably a blood type thing, right?

— avid horror enjoyer. seems uneasy about human experimentation, though. him and woods both seem to dislike that kind of trope.

★ troy marshall

— art is a coping skill, and hobby, of sorts. he keeps a pocket sketchbook and a handful of pens in his pockets whenever he can so he can pull it out when the inspiration arises.

— the longer the group stayed in the safehouse, the more that sketchbook filled up with portraits and still life sketches. people, interactions, architecture, sunrises, scenery. memories, ones troy couldn't help but want to capture.

— definitely a motorcyclist. did you see how he handled that bike with case on the back of it? that was NOT this man's first rodeo. 110% has a motorbike of his own. his biker jackets cycle in and out of his daily wardrobe at seemingly random.

— terrible cook. cannot make complex dishes to save his life. can follow instructions, sure, and makes a damn good sandwhich, but do not trust him to make soup or anything of the sort from scratch.

— ...isn't terrible at cooking meat, though. says he learned how to grill from his parents, but didn't really give the team many chances to see for themselves.

— seems to almost act as an older brother figure to the team instinctively. based on how he responds to jokes about him being a mother hen, it doesn't seem like he realizes he does it. (it is welcome, though. the compassion is nice, in such a harsh field)

★ sevati dumas

— very task oriented. you give her a goal and the right motivation, and she'll do it. very very headstrong, though. doesn't like taking orders unless compensated properly.

— food motivated. loves a good savory dish. enjoys exploring other cultures through that. but, no, she will not accept food as payment. nice try.

— good at acting lax and unbothered, but does, in fact, care very deeply. she's empathetic, but forces herself not to show it. she's had that be taken advantage of once, and she refuses to let that happen again.

— very reluctant to get attached or form connections to others, see her admitting she's only with the team until she gets paid. but she still hangs around felix, and she still tries to talk to troy when harrow's fellowship with the pantheon was unveiled. seems like she's not perfect when it comes to avoiding getting attached, is she?

— vibes only but like. i feel like she wants a little sibling. she wants someone she can take care of. she wants to be a good family member to someone, but having a child... no. she refuses to be a mother. she doesn't want to be a wife. she wants to be her own person. (she'd make a great godmother. or aunt. if she had the chance, and if she tried)

★ felix neumann

— if this man isn't autistic i am going to swallow a leather jacket whole like a snake. by the way. just sayin.

— the gloves were a paranoia result. they're metaphorical, sure, a reminder to himself not to harm anyone else, no taking another human life, but also a horrible, creeping paranoia eased in, of "what if they find your fingerprints," "what if you get blood on your hands again," "what if what if what if" until he could only ease it by wearing gloves. worked nicely, in the end. taking them off was... cathartic. to say the least.

— probably an anarchist? the vibes are there. hates society. hates government. wants to dismantle it all and start from scratch. that's the vibe.

— you... my special little man, get the nature autism. this guy can go on for hours and hours about the critters case finds around the safehouse, and case listens attentively and happily. also fantastic at foraging, has dozens of safe-to-eat and unsafe-to-eat plants stored away in his brain, and can rattle off the facts at a moment's notice.

— not the best hunter, but is, amusingly, better with a bow when it comes to hunting than he is with a gun.

— would code simple video games (think similar vibes to the chrome dinosaur game) to play for fun if he got bored enough. good thing he's excellent at finding things to distract himself with, no?

★ jane harrow

— photography lover. not fantastic about herself, but she'll sit and analyze photos taken by others for minutes on end, noting all the little details captured by a camera lense freezing the moment in time.

— does the same with drawn art. paint, sketch, whatever, she'll sit and analyze every little detail she can and point it all out. she loves noticing the details. calling attention to them. letting the artist know, if she can, that she sees all the effort they put into their work.

— her guilty pleasure? window shopping for stuffed animals. always writes it off as being for her niece, or a friend's child, but she wants to collect them. there's something soft, precious, genuine and uncomplicated about plush toys. but she's an adult. she can't afford to be so childish.

— ...alongside the drawing troy made of her, she still also keeps the little teddy bear he insisted on buying for her as a thank you gift, once. but that one isn't in her office. she hides it, away from prying eyes.

— mildly claustrophobic. she can push through it, and she will, when it comes to what her job demands of her, but she likes to avoid enclosed spaces when she can get away with it. it's... easier. feels less like being cornered. (she dances around the real reason she hates it. she never wants to be stuck hiding in a closet, or tucked under a little girl's bed ever, ever again.)

[in-my-feels-probably]

Home - Benedict Bridgerton x Reader

Home

Request: Have you considered Benedict falling for a friend of Daphne's? Like if they're as close as Pen and Eloise but maybe with a little less drama? I think it would be funny for Benedict to ask for advice on how to talk to her and Daph being done. Just "you've known her for as long as I have."

Hi! Thank you again for the request, this is such a cute idea. I hope you don’t mind, but I made the reader a Featherington. I went a little off track too, it was easier for me to write that way. If this isn’t what you were looking for, I’m happy to take another request or alter this one. Sorry for the long wait on getting this out, but I hope you enjoy this :)

(Warnings: insecurity, middle child trauma, nothing else i think? idk, let me know if i missed anything)

—

Living in Grosvenor Square certainly had its ups and downs.

On one hand, you were mere steps away from your best friends. The Bridgertons lived right across the street, and you could visit them practically whenever you wanted. On the other hand—the not so nice hand—your family is the Featherington’s. Which isn’t an inherently bad thing. You loved your family, and could ignore most of the negatives. It just certainly has its pitfalls, being a Featherington daughter.

The Featherington’s—while rich and somewhat dignified—aren’t considered to be the most respectable of families. There wasn’t any one main reason why members of the ton didn’t much like your family, they just didn’t.

It wasn’t a personal grudge with you they had. In fact, you were quite liked by the ton.

More often than not, however, they didn’t pay much attention to you. It was easy to forget you were there when the rest of your family was the center of attention.

You were born soon after Phillipa but before Penelope, making you a middle child.

Your Mother seemed to connect with her eldest far more than her youngest, and that put a strain on your relationship. Not only that, you were much more akin to Penelope, having a lot more in common with her than your older sisters and your Mother combined. You were a bit of a wallflower, like Penelope, and it was a hard trait for your Mother to get past.

It wasn’t all negatives, though.

One of the biggest perks of being a Featherington was the fact that you lived directly across from the Bridgertons. You had spent most of your life over at their residence since the day you developed the ability to walk.

And, subsequently, the ability to walk across the street.

Violet Bridgerton’s first girl—Daphne—was born right around the same time as you were, and she decided Daphne was going to need a friend. Being the first girl born to a family of three brothers was a challenge, and Violet thought it best that Daphne should be able to socialize with a girl her age.

By the time you were both able to talk, you became inseparable. Just as your sister Penelope had come to develop a deep friendship with Eloise Bridgerton, you had come to develop your own with Daphne.

And by extension, you became good friends with her eldest brothers.

Anthony was the oldest, quite a bit older than you. He was already a handful of trouble by the time you showed up, and he already had plenty of practice teasing girls with his sisters as victims. In your first few years, he’d make it his mission each time you visited the house to fluster you, and annoy Daphne. It was harmless fun, and it never really bothered you, although he tried his hardest nonetheless. But as you got older, he became quite protective over you. It was like you were another sister to him, and you definitely bantered and squabbled like siblings do. As annoying as he could be, you loved him like a brother.

Colin was a similar story, although you saw something more to him. It was easy to, with the way Penelope talked about him endlessly. She could ramble for hours, making you listen to every painstaking detail. You definitely understood her affection for him, though. He’s charming and kind, much like his other brothers, but he’s also fun and witty. Daphne tended to favor him the most. They were closest in age, after all. Between her and Penelope, you spent quite a lot of time with him, and you certainly enjoyed his company.

But—besides Daphne—you enjoyed no other Bridgerton’s company like you did Benedict’s.

Benedict was different. He was more.

He was just as kind and charming as Anthony, and just as witty as Colin—certainly as annoyingly beautiful as Daphne—but he was more than that, too. He was sensitive and sweet, far more so than the rest of the Lords of the ton. He was passionate about art and love and valuing the little things. He didn’t care about marrying the prettiest girl for advantage, or inheriting her dowry. He cared about pursuing his dreams, and inspiring others to do the same.

Just the way he talked about his passions and values was enough to make any girl swoon, and yet he was still genuine with his words. It wasn’t for flattery or manipulation, he meant every word. Everything he did, he did for himself and the people he loves.

If it weren’t for Daphne currently holding the number one spot, you’d consider him your best friend.

He’d consider you the same.

You spend just as much time with him as you do with Daphne, and over the years, he’d come to cherish your company.

You saw him for him, not for his title. You listened to his endearing ramblings about his passions because you genuinely enjoyed hearing about them, not because you felt obligated to listen. You treated him like a person, not a prize to be won. It was all he could ask for in a best friend.

But that’s just it. That’s all you were to him. A best friend.

He was so sure that was all you’d ever be. Perhaps one day you’d be his sister in law, considering how close Penelope and Colin had gotten. You’d be family, and that was alright with him. It was what he expected. And then the unexpected happened.

He started falling.

—

The first time he noticed his feelings for you had shifted was the evening of a ball the Queen was throwing.

You’d come over early to get dressed with Daphne, wanting to help make sure she was perfect. She had finally revealed to you her ruse she was sharing with the Duke, you being the first person outside of their agreement to know. You were shocked at first, but as you listened to her speak, you gave her a knowing smile.

“You love him.”

Her eyes widened in shock, her cheeks blushing a rosy pink. “What? Why would you say that?”

“You love him,” you said again, smiling gently at her. “I’ve never seen you speak with such passion. With the way you talk about him, there’s no other possibility. One couldn’t possibly think that highly of another without feelings being involved—”

“You speak of my brother like that,” Daphne interrupted, chuckling when you swallowed your words.

You chose to ignore her statement, continuing to advise her on the best course of action for how to get through the remainder of her agreed upon days with the Duke. If the way he looked at her without her knowing was of any consequence, you were sure he felt the same way about her. All she had to do was make him see that.

When it was time to leave for the ball, all the Bridgerton’s piled into carriages. Daphne was hurried out the door, and she left with her Mother and Anthony, leaving you behind. When you tried to head back home to be escorted by your family, Benedict stopped you.

He had opened and closed his mouth a few times before he was able to choke out any words. Normally, he found it pretty easy to talk to you. But for some reason, the sight of you standing by his front door made his knees weak.

“I’m afraid they’ve already left,” he finally said, stopping you at the door. “They must have assumed you’d be accompanied by us.”

You groaned, feeling a pit form in your stomach. “I have no other way to get there. I promised Daphne I’d be there for her. Pen, too. She seemed quite nervous about attending tonight.”

“Not to worry,” he smiled, offering you his arm. “You can ride with me.”

You sighed in relief, thanking him profusely. “Well, aren’t you a lifesaver? Thank you, Benedict.”

“Of course,” he nodded, helping you into the carriage.

As you settled into your seat, a thought occurred to you. “Benedict…why are you still here? Not that I’m not grateful, but I don’t understand. You’ve been talking about going to the palace for days to see the Queen’s gallery. I would have expected you to be the first one out the door. But here you are.”

He was quiet for a moment as he took in your words, his eyes softening on you.

There were many things he could have said to you to easily explain it away. I’ll see the gallery soon anyways, or, I promised my Mother and yours that I’d make sure you got there safely. Numerous excuses he could have come up with to satisfy your curiosity, and yet, all that was coming to mind was, I can see the gallery another time, but I may never get to see you alone and sitting in front of me looking this beautiful with your undivided attention again, and I won’t pass up on the opportunity for anything.

“I don’t know,” he finally said as he shrugged his shoulders, feigning innocence. “But here I am.”

—

He didn’t truly acknowledge his feelings for you until months later, after attempting to ignore it for so long.

The second time he noticed was when he found out that the only reason he got into art school was because Anthony made a sizable donation to the Academy.

You had found him alone during yet another ton gathering, sulking on the edge of the party. Daphne had already gone home to Simon, and wouldn’t return for some time. Besides Penelope—and occasionally Eloise—Benedict was one of the only people you actually liked enough to be around. And seeing as both Penelope and Eloise were nowhere to be found, Benedict was your only hope.

You just hadn’t expected to find him nearly in tears, anxiously tugging at the cufflinks at the bottom of his sleeve.

It didn’t take much to get him to spill, and you found yourself pulling him inside to keep him away from prying eyes while he was in such a state. He told you all about Anthony’s meddling, and you knew it had crushed his heart to find out that he hadn’t actually achieved anything on his own.

“I know he did it out of the good of his heart…but I wish he hadn’t done it at all.”

He brought his hands up to cover his face, groaning into them. You reached for his wrists and tried to pull them away, but he wouldn’t budge. He finally relented when you said his name softly, letting you take his hands in yours.

“Benedict, it doesn’t matter how you got in. You’re an incredible artist, that’s all that matters,” you said softly, squeezing his hand in yours.

He shook his head, sighing in frustration. “I’m not. My work is child’s play compared to the other artists at the Academy. They all knew why I had even been given a spot in the first place. I’m an imposter, Y/N. A fraud. It was humiliating.”

“That’s a bit dramatic, darling,” you lightly chuckled, your smile fading when his defeated look didn’t waver.

“Alright, that’s it. Fess up. This can’t be all that’s bothering you. I know you, and I know you’re not one to give up that easily. You’ve been flustered all week, so what is it? You can tell me. Not that I have anyone to tell, but I won’t tell. I promise.”

His eyes softened on you as you spoke, and you could feel his grip on your hand get tighter. “I just…I’m tired.”

“Of what?”

“Of being second.”

You frowned, swiping your thumb across the back of his hand. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s just something Anthony said,” he murmured, keeping his eyes on your joined hands. “How I may be the second son, but that it doesn’t mean I am any less required to do my duties to the family. It’s rich coming from him. I’ve been second to him literally my entire life, and he’s only recently started taking his role seriously. I’ve played Father’s role since his passing. Isn’t it just my luck that he’s getting the credit for it?”

“You may be second to him in birth, but that is the only way you’re second. You’re every bit as good as him, Benedict,” you said firmly, but you weren’t sure if your words were sinking in.

He was uncharacteristically quiet, though his grip on your hands hadn’t wavered. His eyes were still on the floor, and his shoulders were shaking as he took uneven breaths.

“I know what that feels like, you know,” you finally said, making him glance up at you. “I’m a Featherington. A middle child at that, and it’s no secret my Mother favors my older sisters.”

Benedict let out a small laugh, shaking his head. “She’s wrong to. I don’t mean to be rude, but you and Pen are worlds more interesting and gracious than your sisters. The eldest, at least.”

“You don’t even know them,” you said in shock, but you couldn’t stop yourself from laughing, too.

“I don’t need to. You’re the only one I’m interested in knowing. Middle child or not.”

You couldn’t help but smile, although his kind words weren’t enough. The more you thought about just how second to the world you were, the more your smile faded.

“It’s not just being the middle child,” you continued, speaking softly. “I love your sister more than almost anything in this whole world, but I have always been second to her, too. She was the diamond of the season the second she was let out of leading strings, and now she’s my Duchess. I’m so happy for her, but it does put a damper on your confidence. Watching your best friend grow into this person everyone loves, and it’s like she didn’t even try.”

“Y/N—”

“Sometimes I feel awful, thinking this way. I know she tried, I was there for her every time she’d get overwhelmed. But she made it look so easy. I don’t know how she did it,” you rambled, taking a shuddering breath as you stopped yourself from speaking.

Benedict’s eyes softened on you as you spoke, making you want to shrink away from his gaze. He was being kind, and you didn’t know if it was genuine or not. If he was faking it for your sake, that was much worse than his actual pity.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make this about me, let’s get back to you—”

“Y/N,” he said again, this time effectively silencing you. “You can’t possibly feel that way.”

It was your turn to look at the floor. “Why shouldn’t I? It’s true.”

“That is the furthest thing from the truth,” he said gently, taking your hand. “You’re every bit as good as my sister. I know she makes things look easy, but she spoke just as highly of you as you do of her.”

You raised a brow. “Really?”

“Really. She used to tell me how kind you were to her, even after Lady Whistledown printed her supposed scandals. You were never judgemental.”

“I have no right to judge anyone, especially not her. She’s never said a bad thing about anyone, it isn’t right that people just took a scandal sheet as truth. And, if anything, she was kind to me. She, Eloise, Colin, and you are pretty much the only members of the ton that treat me like a normal person and not an outcast because of who my family is.”

Benedict smiled, squeezing your hand. “I would never dream of treating you any other way.”

You fought the flush that crept up to your cheeks, feeling the heat settle in them. You cleared your throat, shaking your head.

“Anyway,” you smiled, meeting his eyes. “I don’t mean to keep you away. Should we go back to the party? Someone may be looking for you. You’re quite popular, you know.”

Benedict couldn’t help but smile. And as he watched you look up at him through gentle eyes and an open heart, he couldn’t bring himself to move. It was like his feet were stuck to the floor, and he didn’t want to do anything to pull them up. He shook his head, keeping his hand in yours.

“No,” he finally answered, taking a seat. “Let them look. I’d much rather spend my evening with you. If you’ll allow me to, that is.”

You shook your head, taking a seat next to him. “I’ve got nowhere I’d rather be.”

—

The third time he noticed was when you, Daphne, and he accompanied Penelope and Colin to promenade throughout the square. She and Simon had come to visit, and she wanted to spend time with you and her family.

This time, he couldn’t ignore his feelings.

You followed behind Colin and Penelope, giving them enough room to speak privately without feeling like their older siblings were on their backs. You smiled as you watched Penelope look up at him, Colin being as gentlemanly as ever.

“It took him long enough,” you said, making Benedict chuckle.

“I thought he’d never figure it out.”

“Me either,” you agreed, grinning as you watched Colin smile down at your sister. “I should bash him over the head. I’ve listened to Pen spend countless hours rambling on about how utterly oblivious Colin can be. He owes me a debt.”

“He isn’t the only oblivious person I know,” Daphne piped in, making your eyes widen.

You had told her countless times about your feelings for Benedict, and how he never seemed to reciprocate them.

What you didn’t know is that he had done the same, on more than one occasion going to his siblings for advice on how to address them. Pushing them down until he couldn’t feel them seemed to be working, at least until now. And as far as he knew, you didn’t reciprocate his feelings either.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said nervously, silently pleading with her to drop the subject.

“Neither do I,” Benedict added, making Daphne chuckle.

She just grinned, ever so slightly raising a brow. “I mean Anthony, of course. It took him quite a while to realize that what he felt for Kate was much more than rivalry. I practically had to beg it out of him.”

“You’re a little matchmaker, aren’t you?” You asked, smiling at her. “Who’s next? Eloise, perhaps?”

“Perhaps…you?”

You immediately stilled, making them stop, too. “Me?”

“Don’t look so surprised, Y/N. You’ve been my best friend for ages, and I know what’s good for you. You’re lonely. And as awful as it is, the ton will start to talk. If the only people you talk to outside of your own family are Benedict and I, they’ll begin to notice.”

You frowned, nodding. She was right. Harsh, but right. The threat of becoming a spinster was looming over your head every season, and it had only gotten worse after Daphne married in her first season. Your second season came and went, and you were now in your third.

Without any prospects.

And it was looking like your baby sister was going to beat you to the punch as well. You were silent, a small frown on your face.

Thankfully, Benedict broke the silence. Just the thought of you marrying someone—especially someone who didn’t deserve you—made his skin crawl. He felt like he could keel over, and by the look on your face, he could tell you were feeling similarly. He couldn’t keep himself from turning you away from Daphne’s advice.

“Why settle?” He asked cautiously, giving you a sympathetic look. “Don’t let the ton pressure you. You’ll know when it’s the right time.”

You had fully made it around the square, now back in front of your house. Penelope was saying goodbye to Colin, at least for the moment. His Mother invited you and Penelope to dinner to welcome Simon and Daphne home, and so they’d see each other again in mere hours.

You gave Benedict a grateful smile, nodding. “You’re right. Thank you. If you’ll excuse me, I think it’s time to pull our siblings apart before they actually become attached at the hip. Mother wants us home before we join you later.”

Daphne chuckled, taking your hands in hers. “I think you’re right. I’ll see you soon, dearest.”

You squeezed her hands in yours, before going to gather your sister. You gave Colin a knowing smile, turning and heading inside with your sister in tow. The Bridgerton’s did the same, filing into their house one by one.

The second Benedict shut the door behind him, he collapsed against it, groaning. “What was all that for, Daph?”

“What? I was simply giving you both a little nudge. God knows you needed one. You’re even worse than Colin was, brother.”

“I don’t need a nudge. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

Colin laughed, taking off his coat as he headed up the stairs. “I could hear your stuttering. It was laughable.”

“Oh, piss off,” Benedict pouted, waving away Colin as he chuckled the rest of the way up the stairs.

Daphne offered him a small smile, letting out a sigh. She took his arm, leading them to the sitting room. After promptly sitting down, she gave him an expectant look, and he reluctantly sat next to her.

“Out with it,” she urged. “Why did our conversation with Y/N bother you so?”

“I don’t know,” he huffed, shaking his head.

Daphne narrowed her eyes, speaking gently but firmly. “You do know, Benedict. Admit it. You feel something for her.”

“Does it matter? She doesn’t feel the same way.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Daphne exasperatedly asked, nearly bursting at the seams.

She knew of both your affections for each other, and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to tell either of you about the other. It didn’t feel right, going behind the other’s back. She had decided the moment she knew of each of your feelings to let the matter run its own course. What she hadn’t anticipated was it taking this long.

It was getting near impossible to keep the secret, and she decided a little meddling was excusable.

“She’s never said anything to me that would allude to her feeling anything for me. What would you have me do? Ask her directly?”

“There’s an idea,” Daphne shrugged.

Benedict sighed, trying to shove down the anxiety he felt at the thought of confronting you. “You saw me out there. I wouldn’t even know where to start. How do I talk to her?”

“You’ve known her as long as I have, brother. She’s your best friend! Just talk to her. She’ll understand, I promise. She won’t hurt your feelings if that’s what you’re worried about. You know she won’t.”

“Then why do I feel like I’m going to be sick at the mere thought of talking to her about it?”

Daphne smiled, her eyes softening. “Because you love her.”

Benedict’s shoulders fell, like Daphne just saying it out loud was the first time he was admitting it to himself. Like his feelings hadn’t fully sunk in, and now they were hitting him all at once like a freight train. It was a realization for him, and it both excited and terrified him at the same time. His emotion was clear on his face as his mouth fell open, making Daphne’s smile widen.

“Don’t worry, brother,” she reassured him. “It will all work out. I truly believe that. Take the afternoon to yourself, and keep your mind off of it till dinner. You’ll know the right thing to say when it’s time.”

—

That evening, you returned to the Bridgerton’s residence with Penelope.

The family gathered in the sitting room before dinner was ready, but Daphne pulled you away before you could follow. She took you all the way to the backyard, sitting down on the swing. She motioned for you to follow, and you took a seat on the swing next to her.

“I wanted to apologize about earlier,” she said softly. “I saw your face, I know I upset you. That wasn’t my intention, and I hope you can forgive me.”

You shook your head. “Don’t apologize. I needed to hear it. I might not like it, but I needed to hear it.”

“It hurt, Y/N. You don’t have to minimize that to spare my feelings. It’s alright to admit it. Do you…do you want to talk about it? I think there’s something more to it that’s bothering you, love.”

She was right.

Of course she was, she was always right. You sighed, turning to look back through the window into the house. You could see Penelope standing with the rest of the family, laughing at something Colin was telling her. He was smiling down at her like she had hung every star in the sky, just so he could have the chance to watch them sparkle. It was beautiful.

And it was painful.

“I just,” you started, keeping your eyes on Penelope. “I’m happy for her. I’m so happy for her. But I’m feeling a bit left behind.”

Daphne took your hand, leaning closer. “What do you mean?”

“I feel so selfish saying this, but…it’s what I want. She’s getting all that I want. All my life, I’ve wanted what you and your family have. You’re all so loved, and you love each other so deeply. Pen deserves that, I want her to have that. And I have no doubt that by the end of the season, she’ll have it. She’ll marry Colin, and officially be a Bridgerton. Part of the family. But she won’t be mine anymore. And I won’t be hers.”

Daphne frowned, squeezing your hand in hers. She turned you to meet her eyes, giving you a knowing look.

“I have a feeling this has more to do with a certain brother of mine. And I don’t mean Colin.”

You frowned, and she knew she was right.

“This is about Benedict. With Penelope being with Colin, it’s a reminder that you’re not with him. And you want to be with him.”

You couldn’t deny your feelings any longer. “I do. God, I really do. But it’s more than that. I want to be his family. I want to be your family.”

“And you’ve had to silently watch Penelope get what you’ve been waiting for,” Daphne said in realization, her heart breaking when you nodded.

Daphne stood up, pulling you with her. She wrapped you into a tight hug, refusing to relent until you hugged her back. You sighed in frustration, letting her gently rock you back and forth.

“Y/N,” she said softly, pulling away. “You’re already my sister. Regardless of who you end up with, whether it’s my brother or not. Wherever you end up, it doesn’t matter. You will always be my sister. You never have to worry about that. Not ever.”

You smiled softly, squeezing her hands. Just as you opened your mouth to speak, a throat cleared behind you. You quickly turned to see Benedict standing at the door.

“Mother told me to come collect you both. Dinner will be soon. Daph, Simon is asking after you.”

Daphne nodded, turning back to you. “Come along, then.”

“Actually,” Benedict interrupted, his eyes falling on you. “Could I have a moment alone with Y/N, please? If it’s alright with you.”

“Of course,” you said nervously, nodding towards Daphne.

Daphne smiled, nodding back. She patted Benedict on the shoulder as she headed back inside, closing the door behind her.

When she was gone, Benedict gave you a sheepish smile. He motioned for you to sit down, and you took a seat on the swing. He sat on the swing next to you, turning his body so that he was facing you. His knees brushed yours as he settled.

“What is it?” You asked, giving him all your attention.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

Your eyes softened on him, and you laid your hand on his arm. “I’m alright, Ben. Better now, since you’ve arrived.”

“Cheesy,” he smiled, but his heart was fluttering in his chest. “You know how to make a man smile, don’t you?”

“I didn’t think I was doing anything in particular,” you shrugged.

Benedict’s smile widened, and he couldn’t help but ponder his feelings for you. From the moment he found you alone on his doorstep, to when you took care of him at his lowest. From the way you treated his family, to the selflessness you never failed to put before your own wishes. From the way you made him feel, to the way he so desperately hoped you felt. He couldn’t stop himself from confessing, hoping his words wouldn’t come back to haunt him.

“I have to tell you something,” he murmured, taking a shuddering breath after he realized what he said, and what he was about to do.

You nodded. “What is it?”

“I think—and in case this is a huge mistake on my part, please forgive me—but, I think…I think I’m in love with you.”

You stiffened, standing up from the swing. “What?”

“I,” he stuttered, standing up as well. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was—”

You cut him off, taking his hands in yours. “Say it again.”

Benedict’s eyes widened, and you had caught him at a loss for words. He felt like you had punched him in the gut, sending him to his knees. But he nodded, squeezing your hands in his.

“I love you,” he said again, softer this time as he looked at you through gentle eyes. “I’ve loved you from the moment you got into that carriage with me, and I’ve loved you every moment since. I love you.”

Your shoulders fell, and you could feel the tears welling in your eyes. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, clinging tightly to his hands. You felt like your knees could give out, and the only thing holding you up was him.

“You’re not lying? You’re serious?”

Benedict almost laughed, nodding. “Yes, Y/N. I’m serious. Do you really think I would jest about this?”

You couldn’t help but laugh as well, bringing a hand up to cover your mouth. “All that time. All that time, and you couldn’t tell me? You certainly waited long enough.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, darling,” he said, cocking his head in confusion.

You were starting to worry him now, concern written all over his face. It made your heart clench in your chest.

You smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck. You were so happy, you couldn’t help but hold him close, smiling wider when you felt his arms wrap around your waist, despite his confusion. You held him tight, standing up on your toes so he could hear you loud and clear.

“I love you too, Benedict.”

He instantly pulled away, holding you back at arms length. “You what?”

“I love you,” you said again, taking his hands. “And I’ve been waiting ages for the day you’d finally tell me you felt the same. I never thought I’d hear you say the words, but I am so happy that you did.”

It was his turn to ask. “You’re serious? This isn’t a joke?”

You shook your head, and he squeezed your hands. You brought one of your joined hands up to press a kiss to the back of his, smiling up at him.

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my entire life.”

—

A/N - Hi! I’m so sorry this took so long, it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to write. Not sure why this one was so difficult, but I finished it! I hope you enjoyed it :)

[gachagon]

There's something worth saying about Ambessa's connection with death in the show, and I feel like because of her lore it was already kind of obvious that she'd have to end this whole show dead. And that's just because unknown to most Arcane watchers, she has this really strong connection with an actual aspect of Death in League lore known as the Kindred.

"Kindred" is a champion in League of legends who represents Death in Runeterra in the same way as a grim reaper who comes to collect souls. They are two spirits, a Wolf that likes to hunt, and a Lamb that wears a mask and wields a bow. Many of the nations in Runeterra believe in Kindred in some way or another, but each nation has their own way of viewing Kindred (because each Nation has their own views on death and what not).

Ambessa repeatedly says "A wolf shows no mercy" and that's mostly because of her warrior spirit, but its also quite literally how Wolf (the second half of Kindred) acts. The Wolf is a merciless beast that only craves violence and a good hunt, while the lamb is an emotionless hunter who can't understand the feelings of the ones she hunts down in the first place.

The splash art above is from the Chosen of the Wolf skin line that Ambessa got when she was first released into the game. In the Chosen of the Wolf lore, Ambessa basically brings about the end of the world and becomes "Chosen" by Kindred to carry on an endless hunt (Basically death for everyone...forever lol) In this lore, Lamb fully embraces the nature of the Hunt regardless of sense or reason. She even wears a "Wolf" mask, to symbolize how they're both "The Wolf" now and there's really no mercy in death anymore (at least in this timeline)

Its also worth pointing out that the Chosen of the Wolf skinline looks awfully a lot like the world Leblanc shows Mel. When Leblanc recruits Mel, she shows her a future that looks almost identical in nature to this future, where there's no mercy for anyone and Ambessa is fighting an endless war forever T_T

Because Ambessa is Noxan, it's obvious that her and a lot of other Noxans view death through the Wolf, as something violent, gorey, and painful. Merciless. However, when Ambessa passed away in Mel's arms she says "You are the wolf" which to me is actually her acknowledging that there is mercy in death, in a wolf specifically because Mel ended up trying to save her from Leblanc even though she was still upset with her.

A wolf may not show mercy, but the lamb does. And I think that Ambessa's death in the show was her finally coming to terms with the fact that she didn't have to continue on with the endless fight for legacy and to achieve greatness, because she had already achieved those things through her daughter. The tragedy is that she couldn't understand or see that until it was too late.

Anyways I just wanted to write this post about Ambessa because she's actually really cool and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her phrase "A wolf has no mercy" and how it was almost a direct reference to Kindred almost. But to show that this was also Ambessa willfully looking past the other half of Death, which is the Lamb who is merciful and wants to understand people even though she can't.

[blueikeproductions]

They finally posted a trailer and poster for the next batch of EarthSpark. And it’s described as S3, though experience with Netflix makes me think this is just the remainder of S2… Still according to the marketing, fans finally got a third season, so that counts for something. It’s only roughly 7 episodes, but G1’s final fourth season was a three part finale, so a very short season isn’t unheard of.

This poster is a lot better than the past main posters they’ve used over and over.

These are better also, but they don’t get used much.

But after RotB & TFONE, I think we can all agree decent advertising isn’t modern Hasbro & Paramount’s strong suit.

As for the trailer itself, it continues a trend I’ve noticed where most EarthSpark ancillary stuff tends to down play the Terrans. Twitch appears for a split second and Thrash appears in a gag where he gets shot… continuing his “just kinda there” vibe.

The trailer primarily focuses on the traditional Autobot & Decepticon conflict, with a big focus put on Prowl, the newest and seemingly only Transformer added to the cast so far.

A news article further describes Prowl as an “old world” Autobot detective who trusts the hard facts & always finds the truth. He is immediately distrustful of Optimus’ allies, so presumably that includes the Maltos, Terrans and naturally Megatron. It’s interesting how he’s specifically described as a detective, perhaps that’s to avoid ACAB allegations I could see the old writers attempt through him….

Prowl’s G1 profiles cast him as a by the books, semi prickly, military strategist. This doesn’t really get explored in the old cartoon, and while it was touched on briefly in Marvel, IDW went hog wild with it, casting its Prowl as a corrupt cop antagonist towards the end of the run. IDW2 cast him as more of a detective pre-war though, possibly where EarthSpark borrowed it from, and while he was still a hard-aft, he had a soft spot for his pet dinosaur-alien.

The main villains of the season, unsurprisingly, are the Quintessons. Their leader is a female Judge, who the blurb declares it “is her birthright to possess the power of the Emberstone. She’s wise, dangerous, and her ego is so large that it’s no wonder she has five heads”.

What exactly constitutes gender among the Quints has never really been defined before.

It might be safe to say as far as the G1 cartoon is concerned, they’re an all male race.

WFC & CV attempted to insert female gender among the Judges, having some of the masks speak in a female voice.

That adds another oddity to Judge biology, as the G1 cartoon or Marvel UK comics never stated the other faces being separate personalities, instead other media describes them as different emotional states.

Alpha Q in Superlink did have multiple personalities based on which mask was displayed, each one squabbling/talking amongst themselves.

Presumably WFC/CV borrowed from Alpha Q, but the ES Quintesson Judge might be operating on G1 logic, each mask being a single (female) gender, as she has a female voice actor only.

The other big G1 thing the trailer shows is the Hate Plague. The leaked synopsis already revealed it, but like G1, those infected with the plague glow an intense red.

Once infected, they turn incredibly violent and try to kill each other. Despite the G1 show’s violence, nobody actually died ironically, at least it was never confirmed. The synopsis implies the Quintessons unleashed the Hate Plague on the Transformers, and while the 80’s Quints were instead among the victims of the outbreak, they do have a vague connection to it.

The oldest known leader within the Matrix, only known as “It”, resembles a Quintesson, with Japanese media confirming that’s what they are. Optimus Prime asks this ancient Quintesson how to combat the Hate Plague, with It saying the Plague couldn’t be outright destroyed but contained, where a wise man trapped the spores in a star. The spores nevertheless has a weakness to pure wisdom, so Optimus unleashes the power of the Matrix and uses its eons long store of wisdom to eradicate the virus once and for all… Until it briefly returns in Beast Machines.

As mentioned before, the Hate Plague isn’t exactly a popular concept cartoons like to go back to. Comics don’t like using it typically either, so its inclusion here is both unique but also a little… peculiar. I’m leaning towards it being a vague, modern topical metaphor for something, as an infected Megatron is fighting Optimus in particular. Probably some hogwash about Megatron succumbing to his biases and own hatred, but we’ll see soon enough.

Perhaps the most utterly bizarre detail is the blurb seemingly confirming the return of Spitfire and Aftermath.

How…?

Starscream yanked out their Allspar-er-Emberstone Shards, and the rock itself is dust. You can’t get any deader than that.

The only thing I can guess, is similar to Sari’s key, the Sleeves are the repository of the Emberstone’s life giving energies (the sleeves do just about anything else now so why not), and the Malto kids are incentivized to revive the two Decepticon Terrans for some reason.

MetroTitans in IDW also can grant life and that was carried over to Prime Wars, so it’s possible Terratronus can grant life too, and she restores the Terracons.

Worst case scenario is the two hellions are back up and running like nothing happened, and their death is never addressed again.

Crap writing if so, but the previous two scenarios would be preferable.

Not much longer to wait now. This might be the final batch, as the Quintessons make sense as the final end goal in the struggle over the Emberstone. The show has never been super committed to showing what’s going on Cybertron that whatever Prowl and Cosmos have to add to the matter is probably the best we’ll get. Plus the Terrans don’t have much incentive or interest to even go to Cybertron anyway; Alex would get more out of going there than his kids. Only thing I could guess is the Quints took over Cybertron off screen and that loosely ties into the Judge’s role on Earth, but eh. We’ll see.

[atopvisenyashill]

sorry to bother you but do you ever think of theon’s arc as being sort of akin to an amalgamation of the previous generation of starklings in a way - he starts out lustful and wild like brandon, though raised apart from family, dead older brother(s) like ned and isolated in a tower with a sibling trying to save them like lyanna? like theon recieves a bunch of connections with the old gods and having weirwood dreams but i’m not too sure what it all means together.

oh that’s sooooo interesting.

okay so yes re: theon’s connection to the old gods and having weirwood dreams. that’s something i think about a lot. one thing i find interesting is the play between him, aeron, and patchface as prophets - aeron calls himself a prophet of the drowned god, and while i think its likely all of the greyjoys are capable of magic to some degree, it’s not aeron who is regularly having true visions in the family it’s theon who has shown this funny aptitude for magic and interestingly, it’s patchface who drowned, was revived, and suddenly became a voice for the gods. i have this theory that patchface is a prophet for the drowned god (or whatever magical being is thought to be the drowned god, the same way as for example the old gods are most likely not gods but hundreds if not thousands of greenseers connected to the weirwood hivemind system) and theon is a prophet for the old gods. patchface going through the ritual accidentally, imo, caught the attention of the drowned god. theon, meanwhile, i think is someone who was born with magical abilities, in a time period where magic seems to be reaching a boiling over point after spending several centuries simmering, surrounded by other similarly “have the aptitude but not the know-how” people in the starklings, having been intensely physically traumatized - like patchface, i think he caught the attention of the old gods bc he accidentally went through the rituals while In Their Domain. bran has his visions of the woman blood sacrificing the old man, and i’ve kind of loosely theorized that being capable of extreme magic means you must be capable of sacrificing yourself as well as others. dany doesn’t just burn mirri, she walks onto the pyre herself; melisandre doesn’t just use pyre victims to fuel her magic, she has to literally give birth to her magic; but to take it a step further, i think when people capable of magic are physically traumatized by others, it does kind of….get their senses tingling i guess you can say. i think this is why bloodraven goes from being just like a regular fighter to being known for magic and sorcery - losing his eye + his knowledge of magic sets off his senses. so as theon is already magically inclined, living in a place that is steaming with magic, tortured by ramsay…all of a sudden he goes from having visions in acok to talking to weirwoods. he’s caught the attention of the old gods (the old god being, of course, bran).

so that’s my theory on like, HOW theon’s third eye has slowly opened but the fact that it’s seemingly opening towards the OLD GODS and not THE DROWNED GOD is really interesting on a narrative level. i think when you ask “what will happen to theon” in the fandom at large, it’s a really bleak picture - some of that is the show, but i’ve seen people theorize that the last chapter we have of him in twow (the preview chapter) is the last we’ll see if theon since i got into the fandom when s2 was airing. and i know i’m biased bc i love him but i do think his connection to the weirwood magic is going to come into play. similarly, i see a lot of theon fans who would prefer an ending where he’s no longer with the starks or in the north but in the iron islands. but again - it’s not the drowned god who is speaking through him it’s the old gods! this signals to me that he is never leaving the north permanently, if at all. and i think that makes sense with his story on a narrative level; he can insist he is salt and sea, a greyjoy of pike, but even as he’s trying to prove himself as a greyjoy he’s calling himself the prince of winterfell! nothing will erase the reality that most of the formative years of his life were spent in winterfell with the starklings and when he pictures home it’s that place! that place that was full of love that he was not allowed to partake in! being able to go back to pyke and fully reintegrate back into the culture he was born into is, imo, too sweet of an ending. he doesn’t get to go back!

i’ve always felt like he will live a long life, longer than he’ll ever really want, and that’s the point - he gets to live and others don’t (and some of that is his fault!) and he has to keep trying because of it. forever. he can’t take the easy way out and exit the narrative. so i think it’s interesting you compare him to the older starks because the youngest is benjen and benjen was a man of the night’s watch. i think that concept of like, spending the rest of your life trying to do penance being what theon gets makes so much sense. specifically here i think it’s interesting that lyanna experiences some element of sexual abuse, and theon is both a perpetrator and a victim of it. and there’s that common theory that perhaps benjen helped lyanna sneak out of winterfell and joined the night’s watch out of guilt. i think you get that very interesting kind of dark mirror here - theon is much less well liked than brandon despite engaging in the same behavior, theon is never able to “rise” to the occasion as oldest boy and heir like ned nor is he respected by the iron islanders the way ned is by the northerners, theon is trapped by ramsay in a very twisted love story while lyanna’s story was more of a slow burning horror. always always never enough when compared to the starks. but i think an ending like benjen’s, not necessarily one where he’s specifically sworn to some order but maybe a more metaphorical one (not dissimilar to sandor on the quiet isle actually - less about WHO he is swearing to and more about what he does with his time), really fits everything theon is heading towards. can’t outrun and outfight his status as a hostage, his murders, his rapes, being raped, the greyjoy name or the stark one - but he can just stop and THINK for a second about WHO he is and WHY he’s wound up this way!

[crooked-wasteland]

Hazbin Hotel LiveBlog: Scrambled Eggs

So I’m watching Hazbin with my partner who has already seen the entire series. It took us 5 minutes just to get this episode to play from the beginning because it would just skip to episode 4 while the credits where playing before i could pause or rewind. That has nothing to do with the show, it just made me unbelievably enraged, so we ain’t going into this episode happy.

What is with the cat?

It’s been a week since the last episode and every ounce of progress Sir Pentious made last episode is just thrown out as an excuse to introduce yet another character in Carmella. Was there not another way to do this? Like I get Sir Pentious wouldn’t be reformed, but just having him be suddenly paranoid with no reason isn’t founded. Even just a background detail of Angel Dust watching him from a doorway would have been enough to found that suspicion. Especially when Pentious wasn’t shown to be paranoid as a trait. I get this is narrative utilitarianism, but it’s just weak and changing one character’s personality to establish a new one is poor writing.

Sir Pentious to his eggs just feels like fandom

“That’s a lot less hot” That feels out of character

So Trust exercises to tone down the sudden change in Sir Pentious’ character and also to give Vaggie a leading role. Got it. Very utilitarian, very disjointed from the previous episode.

Sidebar, I googled who wrote this episode and it wasn’t Vivienne, however I never would have known because the last episode was equally full of contradictions that it also felt like someone else wrote it. Now maybe that was because Adam had a hand in thing, but The fact I have to google this stuff to know for sure is a joke kin its own right.

I am so conflicted about Niffty. She feels less childlike here and I like find her demented fun, but last episode she was literally written as being child-like so the pain fetish going on is repulsive, despite it not being this writer’s fault. If I want to enjoy anything about this show, I really have to just see every episode as one singular complete entity without calling back on previous ones, however this is a series and thus needs to expand itself through subsequent episodes. To not do so is a failure of concept because this series is very serialized. So in a bubble I really enjoy Niffty. In the series she is a very uncomfortable character to give violent fetishes to and make them so overt. Vivienne ruined that for you all, don’t blame me. Someone should have said how this should have been scrapped before we got this far.

Zestial is suggesting that Alastor may have died at Heaven’s hand. Alastor looks away while laughing. So there is a connection between Heaven and Alastor.

Egg Bois are cute.

Carmella has a bad case of Character Design does not match vocal performance.

Velvette, please never speak again.

Velvette is now 5 inches tall

The yellow blood looks like piss

Can someone tell Lilli Cooper that a lot of British singers don’t have such strong accents when singing. Just please, it’s a great time top drop that bad accent.

James, hi, your singing voice lost the character

The kink shaming be real.

Even Charlie infantalizes Niffty. Geez

This scene in the Turf war was peak Angel Dust. I laughed.

I have to ask, was the music written before or after the singing, because for one, Carmella sounds like she is trying to be heard over it, and second the beat of the music is either lacking or there was an issue with the audio mixing because it just sounds wrong. Like there are melodies and harmonies to a score and one of those is missing. OR, the music is just out of sync entirely with the performer.

Again, just don’t have Vaggie sing. You directed the actor to perform out of her vocal range for her modal voice. Don’t do this to her.

They are not at all harmonized, this is the worst duet I ever heard. Don’t you usually have singers record duets together so they can harmonize their voices? Why didn’t that happen here.

So this big conflict for Vaggie was never a conflict. Best resolution ever.

I like Carmella’s concept. Her character design is kinda trash and the songs were terrible. There was a good idea somewhere in this episode, but from beginning to end every aspect was contrived to just make the story work for the greater plot, the dynamics between the characters be damned. There is a sense of someone wanting to have fun with it while Medrano’s stood behind them with a chokehold on the narrative. It’s disappointing and I feel the writing suffers from Medrano’s obsessive and frantic need for control. This writing feels so insecure and I can only imagine that comes from having a very narrow box to fill.

2/10

I’m taking a break.

[spagheddiesquash]

so today i was in the mw oc server talking abt some stuff i noticed about jawbone (+ some other theory stuff as well!!)

so first of all. two kind of obvious details:

he is green (“yeah no shit sherlock” i hear u thinking. trust me there is a reason why im pointing it out)

his pupils are triangular. nobody else in the show so far has had triangular pupils. (well. i mean commander tezzoree’s eye has a triangular pupil but she hasnt made an appearance in any episodes yet and i doubt the two characters are connected)

just making this point known for now. we will hold this thought for later in the post.

another thing: so in the ref sheet of him posted to the mw tumblr back in september i believe(?), his name is written as “jawbone (a.k.a. scythelord)”

you know where a character by the name of “scythelord” has shown up already?

on a wanted poster, thats where!! he has a bounty on his head!!!

which means that tyneen and her crew are probably after him, which probably explains why they’re at the thicc chicc casino. (how do i know jawbone is there? because ricket is there, which i know because he is shown interacting with both shrike and tyneen, who we know are both there)

now. remember that thought from earlier that i told you to hold until later? now is the time to bring it back.

ok so. we already know that colors and shapes each have their own respective significance in this show, and colors and shapes are chosen deliberately.

with that said:

correlation?? maybe???

ADDITIONALLY:

this further cements my belief that ep 4 will have a LOT in it regarding the cataclysm or some other related thing. why?

(2nd pic comes from the VA application doc. unfortunately i dont have any better quality pics of it)

despite the poor image quality in the second pic, you can still tell that both of these characters have some sort of magenta (or pink i guess?) type of theming going on in their designs.

also if we look at campions, like, the flower

you can see where im trying to go with this idea.

i did a whole bunch of examining colors today in light of this, actually!!! quick fun fact for those unaware: RGB and CMYK invert into each other.

and then after i made that image i started sorting things into what colors they are. (white and black have been omitted from the screenshots simply because there doesnt seem to be any significant things tied to them)

obviously this list is probably incomplete and i will continue to add to it, of course.

(my main inspo for even thinking about CMYK for theories in the first place was @toastedclownery btw!! GO CHECK OUT THEIR BLOG IF U HAVENT ALREADY THERES SO MANY COOL THEORY POSTS THERE!!)

one final not-as-relevant theory that’s really more of a prediction: i really think joel vargskelethor is gonna be in this upcoming episode, whether it’s in whole or in part. i mean, he already voiced the duende in ep 3, so it’s not like its impossible or anything. also “scythelord” happens to be the name of joel’s band as well (which you should DEFINITELY check out if ur into metal!!!!! absolutely amazing stuff) OH OH AAAAAAND

id like to direct your attention to the title of this update, which is “the bone zone,” which i believe to be a skeleton metal reference.

also jawbone/scythelord has the little sweden viking helmet thing on the wanted poster. AND HES GREEN! LIKE FREN!!

for those who dont know, this is fren (also known as vargfren i think)

so yeah. these evidence pieces combined with the fact that zeurel has made dozens of “vargskelethor animated” videos (which is how i got into zeurel’s animations in the first place actually!!) are what led me to make this prediction.

anyway, i hope you guys liked this theory post. it’s not an update on the web, but i figured id try doing something new. though, if youd like to see the web, here’s a view of the full thing currently:

but yea thats all i really had. ill reblog with some additions if i think of anything else. bye for now!!! :^D

[shiftingwithjaidyn]

🕸️,🍎, &🌊!

answering for my writer/fame dr

|| shifting ask game 🕸️; where will you be when you first wake up in your dr? what clothes will you be in?

very basic, i know, but i'll wake up in my room! i want to wake up somewhere where i am already comfortable in (especially since i mostly do sleep methods.). plus, i really want to wake up to my sweetheart princess of meow meow kitty kingdom mari໒꒰ྀི´ ˘ ` ꒱ྀིა i'm personally very obsessed in anything vintage and romanticizing my life in general/in every single universe being the drama queen that i amso i'll probably be wearing those pretty vintage slip-on night gowns/dresses

🍎; what are three songs that remind you of your dr and why?

● midnight city - m83 - this song reminds me so so sooo much of l.a. (it was a close tie between lady killers II by g-eazy) and the song itself is sort if adrenaline rush was a song which i'll most likely feel the moment i first shift. ● there she goes - the la's - this song is more on how i see myself in my dr/my vibes in my dr, y'know? i've always been a fan of 2000s rom-coms and i've always wanted to be sort of a main caracter in one, so i'm always so happy and thankful whenever someone says i do have that type of personality/aura and i'd like to have it in this reality as well! ● no 1. party anthem - arctic monkeys - this song can be interpreted in numerous ways and while majority of them are a pretty sad interpretation (and i can do a whole essay on every single one but let's do that some other time), i genuinely adore this song with my whole heart and consider it as a love song about me and my dr s/o. there's a specific verse in its bridge "the look of love, the rush of blood. the "she's with me"s, the gallic shrug. the shutterbugs, the camera plus the black & white and the colour dodge." that brings me to my knees and make me go "hey that's us!". me and my dr s/o sort of have a love at first sight (the look of love, the rush of blood) friends-to-lovers trope, so obviously there's a lot of mutual pining and slow burn there, but i think it's sort of bittersweet to have those moments. not in a "oh, i want to be cheesy and corny and blah" (which you can do obviously but that is not my intention here personally), but in a "we get the chance to understand each other to a deeper level that no one else can, but there's this risk, and it's up to us if we want to take it or not.". especially with the fact that we don't act upon our feelings until much later (thought a lot of our friends already speculate || "the "she's with me"s, the gallic shrug") also connects me to this song more for this song is a representation of longing and yearning for someone who you're unsure if they like you back especially knowing everyone has their eyes on the both of you (because he's a well-known actor and i'm a well-known writer || "the camera plus the black & white and the colour dodge") (there's so much words for the last song omg i'm so sorry y'all my lover girl slipped out of her cage.)

🌊; pretend your dr has one of those filler-beach-day episodes. what’s everyone doing?

omgg this reminded me of a scene in this show i'm a part of in my dr (yellowjackets) where it does have a filler-beach-day episode (well more like scene and they were in a lake but whateverrr) anyway, going back to the question! i'm mostly close with drag queens in my dr since i've worked for rupaul's drag race (the og and all stars) for about 10 years so i can only imagine most of the queens like shea couleé, trixie mattel, katya zamolodchikova, violet chacki, jaida essence hall, plastique tiara, etc. relaxing in the corner enjoying the sun and other queens like nymphia wind, dawn, gottmik, symone, plasma, kandy muse, xunami muse, morphi, naomi smalls, bob the drag queen, monet x change, etc. probably ready to drown each other during a game of beach volleyball. (i'm so sorry if this answer's like super messy and not accurate to the question my head is so empty rn HDJKFHSKFHDSJ)

this was such a fun questionnaire session tysmmm gaiaaa!!!! <3333

[mapoeggplant]

compilation of old ikoku nikki threads (chapter 46 to 54)

hi guys :) I know I published some ikoku nikki analysis here before, but there are some that were only published on twitter. so here's a compilation of all of them!! thank you so much for reading

(mind you, none of these were rewritten or revised. I decided to leave them exactly as I wrote for the first time. so I'm very sorry for every grammatical mistakes)

chapter 46 (published may 9, 2022)

i absolute LOVE how the chapter is open with the phrase "the path "I" walk on, the "you" walking ahead of me and the "you" following behind me are all connected somewhere" because it sums up the relationship between asa and makio beautifully.

and the phrase gain even more power when we combine with the chapter itself, since we follow asa having trouble with her future and what she wants to do with her life while having this close conversation with her past self.

the image of her talking with makio and her mom being separated by just one page makes her doubts even more dense and palpable. it's her past and present trying to reach for her future self, while trying to understand how she got where she is now,

moments like this really accentuate the feeling that asa has that she never really knew her mom, that every question she always asked were put aside. how could she believe the phrase "mom loves you" when mom wasn't even able to know what SHE wanted in life?

how much is she connected to her mom and her mom's choices? does the fact that her mom gave her a name that simbolizes freedom but never once proclaimed her own liberty will forever interfere her life?

asa is the one she was, the one she is and the one she'll be. her mom is her past, but makio is her present and future. it's too late to understand her mom now, but she can understand herself and the wolf while there's time

chapter 47 (published june 9, 2022)

“(…) things you thought you’d never forget for your whole life, you’ll gradually keep forgetting.” so what are you forgetting about, makio-san?

once again, yamashita-sensei did what she’s known for: created a bittersweet nostalgic scenario linking makio’s life to asas’.

for me, what shined the most was how she managed to connect two very fond memories of them: asa performing an original song versus makio being exposed as a writer for the first time. and although we can read just as it is (aka memories), what we need to put focus on is the way these memories were triggered. this was something that makio once thought she would forget, same as asa, who think this is “just another thing adults are going to say about teenage years”. they are both memories filled with a bitter undertone.

asa sang something that came from her previous doubts. makio had her beautiful memory mixed in with her ongoing war with her sister. both trying to say something more than they are showing, both carrying more depth than they think they do.

this is why ikonikki is so beautiful. because it manages to play with its own narrative and how two people with such different lives can have similar paths. both of them created memories with the same person present in both of them, as a form of mother and sister. makio carries the memory of her first big writing spotlight with her sister not caring about her passion. asa formed this new memory with a song she wrote because of things her mom left behind. using asas’ core memory to trigger makio’s is genius and delicate, as it should be.

they have each other now. makio can watch this small asa as she continue to grow. makio can learn how to love her dog without knowing she already know how to

chapter 48 (published october 9, 2022)

ikokki comes again with a class about writing, non linear narratives and how to transform feelings into words.

this chapter is really a play with narrative, changing points of views about the same relationship and same people. this all to explain that, even if people are so different and experience things differently, can’t they be tied by the same core? we don’t have much of minori, because she’s not here to tell her story. what we can manage to understand from her is thanks to the diary she left for asa and for the glimpse of memories we get here and there. are we seeing minori by who she really were or by what she wrote?

what we also have here, dissolved between the “light and carefree” conversation between asa and makio and the glimpses of minori’s memories, is a discussion about loneliness. minori was always surrounded by people, always being taken care of (she’s surrounded at the hospital, she’s always with friends, her mother understand her, she can relate to her husband) while makio was always the lone child, the one who could never be alone as long as she was left with a book. makio was the lone one, minori was the cared of. but who was, in fact, lonely?

if things were simple, minori would never feel depressed or alone. she finally managed to have the family she always wanted so…why does she feels like this? why does she feels the need to write? why does the feeling of disappearing one day never leaves her alone? the relationship and differences between makio and minori goes beyond what they liked, how they acted or what was so different about them. what made tem so incapable of relating to each other was how they saw loneliness. makio was never alone, minori was never with people.

minori is strong (minori is actually really frail). makio is a problem child (makio actually really had her way with life). if we could go back to the past…would they be able to love themselves even knowing that they would lose each other one day? if makio could go back knowing what happened, would her love for her sister feels fake now, since she knows her sister will die first? is the past really something that need to change just to soothe our present selves??

ikoku nikki is a masterpiece, a gem, a beauty in writing. ikoku nikki is a study, a metaphor, a concrete evidence. ikoku nikki makes me remember why i chose to be a writer in the first place :)

chapter 49 (published november 9, 2022)

““nothing” had me frozen with fear” finished with “that “nothing” will be proof of my freedom and become a sign”. what i’m building now is the foundation of my future, but just because i have “nothing” now, doesn’t mean i’ll never have something.

such a beautiful chapter about how society pressure young teenagers to chose their ultimate future when they can’t even decide what they are going to study first. yamashita uses her narrative power again on her favor, easily blending past - present - future together, but also mirroring the lives of the adults and the teenagers. while focusing the eyes of the reader into the girl talk, she plays with the message by the borders, with the pressure to turn the “nothingness” into something more, into a path that can be walked on.

while asa is talking with the girls, she’s also thinking she’s supposed to decide her whole life now, but has no talent whatsoever; while asking makio if she’ll ever be able to forgive and forget, she’s blaming her “nothingness” into her parent’s death; while she’s wondering if she’ll ever blossom, she’s thinking of she was ever “born” in the first place. and, when we focus on the adults, we have the question being answered: there’s questions we don’t really need to answer or we won’t even ever have the answer to.

“nothing is happening”, but she’s deciding her future. “nothing is happening”, but she’s questioning her past. “nothing is happening”, but…is it really like that?

chapter 50 (published december 9, 2022)

WHAT WAS THAT CHAPTER OH MY GOD what a BEAUTY in writing, in character development, in DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLOT!!!!!!!! every time i think sensei will stop surprising me, she does a 360 and surprise me even more. WOW WOW.

it’s amazing how we start a chapter entirely dedicated to asa and her thoughts about future with makio showing how she accepts her entirely as a human and as a life partner, not as “someone who’s living here for a while”. asa, who thinks she won’t have a home in a near future, is surprised with her name displayed side by side with makio’s. and that little simple detail is what sensei uses to open a huge debate about future and home on asa’s mind. it’s beautiful, impressive even. it’s the nostalgia of something that is waiting for you in the future, making you blond for the things on the present. and, in any given moment, asa says out loud to makio that she wants to stay because “saying things mean giving them life, making it real”.

if she finally admits to makio what she’s thinking/feeling, the idea of not being able to live there anymore will take a shape big enough to gain life. and, her only support of a possibility in staying there, aka being makio’s family, isn’t a very good ground to stand on, since she knows makio’s perception of family is different from hers.

gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous chapter about being seen, about being heard, about future and past. about making things alive even without the same blood. i can’t wait to see what 3rd year asa is going to show us.

chapter 51 (published february 9, 2023)

“loving itself is an act of overcoming fear”. despite the last chapters having a hiding grief, with asa’s future becoming present, we’re shocked with a chapter about…love

there’s no one in the narrative that knows makio like kasamashi; there’s also no one in the narrative that doesn’t knows makio like kasamashi: that’s how his satellite is able to navigate around the woman who challenged him the most. and, in return, makio is giving him his whole heart in a silver plate, talking about fears she doesn’t even understand. was she ever able to feel love? was she ever able to know love? was she ever able to let herself be loved? what emotion divides self preservation and rawness?

makio left a permanent mark on kasamashi, it’s undeniable. he, who never felt love form his parents, fell in love with the most mystical creature he could fine. she, on the other hand, didn’t even noticed her presence on his life. and, using their relationship to parallel with makio’s relationship with asa is genius.

kasamashi never questioned loving someone. makio never questioned her loneliness. that made her blind to all the scars she was leaving behind. and what now, when she’s the one being scarred? asa appeared on makio’s life to teach her how to open herself bare. she, with her little quirks and uniqueness, managed to change the life of someone incapable of love. she, with her young age, managed to force makio to create her first satellite ever, just to circle around her.

she’s scared to love, scared to be someone to miss. scared to be someone who will be missed when she’s gone. scarred of holding dear the one who carries her sister’s, the one she hates the most, dna. scared of finally being able to care deeply for another human. makio, the one who wanted to be left alone, now fear that she one day won’t be there for asa. asa, who had her whole life turned upside down, now have someone to call home. what they have to do now is open up their hearts for each other

chapter 52 (click to access)

chapter 53 (click to access)

chapter 54 (click to access)

[eyelessfog]

@frogsquire i actually was talking about the ren and joel connections yesterday with the help of our good friend vampireautism but basically

so obviously we can make the easy connection of dogboys. ren rendog [his name, his skin, how he refers to himself ect ect] vs joel smallishbeans [its generally the army of dogs and how important they were to his 3rd life character as the lone wolf who was loyal to no one but himself]

but loyalty between the two of them is SO good. because ren is known for his loyalty. he has it in all of his seasons - martyn and how it was the two of them to the end. lizzie and how she was his queen and he didn't harm her even after they went separate ways. bigb and how he trusted him and they were a team no matter what was going on on the side.

but joel is different. joel is more well known for his being alone - in 3rd life, he was, like i said before, a lone wolf. he put up his flag for the red army, but it was convenience, not loyalty. and maybe that's where this loyalty thing seems to break apart, but it doesn't. because ren gives his loyalty early. immediately, even. he needs someone else to be there with him. he works best with a partner.

but joel doesn't need a partner. not like ren does. so we go to last life.

in last life, joel and scar were set up to be partnered. and i think joel was ready to give his loyalty to scar. but he hadn't yet. <- actually i haven't watched that episode in a hot min but he might have actually. i don't remember if joel was or wasn't going to try to kill scar but im p sure scar was going to kill him. if joel wasn't going to kill him then like. bangs on the walls are you listening to me. that was the beginning of his loyalty.] but the thing is that joel then turns red and they can't be partners because it's not allowed and-

joel was turned away. he was going to give his loyalty- maybe he already had - and was turned away. in fact . do you even know how fairydog that could have been. scar had lives. joel only had the one. lizzie had lives. ren had two. he could have given one. she DID give one. scar and joel's partnership could have continued on. lizzie and ren's partnership did continue on.

whatever. who even cares. whatever. anyway

here's where stuff gets really fun. double life. loyalty is coded into the game. they give you partners - hand them to you on a silver platter. joel didn't need a partner in 3rd life. he had dogs. in last life, the person he wanted to be his partner pushed him away. in double life? he has etho. and he's loyal. the ship, the shirt, the amount of care he shows in his way. he isn't like ren in the way that he'll bow and promise his life and his love and his everything. joel his rough around the edges, and so his his loyalty. but its there and it's REAL.

when the ship burns, everything burns, because that was the image of his loyalty, and you can't get rid of that without paying for it.

[mars mentioned "it's you and me to the death" versus "if the ship burns everything burns" and like. you get it. you get it.]

and then - and this is the big one - limited life. his loyalty is so... here for this one. and unfortunately, ren isn't. anyway.

he teams up with jimmy immediately. he teams up with grian so soon afterwards. they're the bad boys and the bad boys bread bridge and - and the team, like i said, is rough around the edges. joel's loyalty isn't kindness. it's friendship and more. it's "i'll kill for you" and he does. it's "i'll die for you" and him TRYING.

because that's the thing. his loyalty can be giving up everything. because when he's loyal to someone, they're everything to him.

sound familiar?

[blackbloodteeth]

13th Sentence Game

@bcbdrums linked me this post (about sharing the 13th sentence from any WIP), and then ended up spurring me into sharing them from all my WIPs. I hope this chaos is what you wanted.

While this is mostly everything, I've skipped some WIPs for reasons such as maybe ending up as potential Resbangs™, but otherwise enjoy this absurdly long list I've put together over the course of like three hours.

You can play along and try to guess what each one's about, if you want hahaha

1, "2021 July 15"* You're sitting up, sweating like crazy, all you can focus on is taking in air.

*Technically my first fic, but it was scrapped. Never really posted it because it's too confusing and now outdated.

2. "2021 Sep 24"* As the previously stated unpredictable behaviour has led to only a small number of assessments on combat, the full extent of his abilities remain undocumented.

*Was originally for an event, but I've considering expanding upon it.

3. "(WIP) TBN" It was like the world here at DWMA was some kind of grand show, and he was just some background character.

4. Inner Strings They all called him the Soul Eater.

5. "be crime do gay" Just. Not like that.

6. Scythes don't make for practical weapons He had no idea if he was going to be able to make friends at all, let alone find a meister, someone willing to accept him for himself and actually be able to use him effectively.

7. "(simple au)" He had an odd combo of red eyes with white hair and tan skin, sharp teeth pulled into a defiant scowl, and a black jacket hunched over a frame that didn't look to understand posture for shit.

8. When Death City snows over "Come on, I doubt it'll actually snow; that shit never happens here."

9. I ain't Feline fine She gets him to stand in the center of the spell zone while instructing Maka to keep behind her, eagerly fixing her hat with her paws before starting.

10. Teeth So he'd take to his now familiar hideaway, a piano tucked away in a sparsely used room.

11. Happy Birthday, Soul Not even Maka.

12. "cursed hall" Given they've gotten to know each other to some degree before now, he was already pretty adjusted to seeing the two other members of this makeshift team: Soul and, well, Soul.

13. It's been a long night for my entire life There was always work to be done and he couldn't wait to get started.

14. One Word* Seeing all those intertwined neighbors, how easily they all sent signals together, that part of him craving to connect and belong made him feel hollow, made him wish he could have that just like everybody else.

*Let it be known that this is the notorious development hell WIP.

15. It was a dark and stormy night Of course with her literary weapon and the sudden jolt of her appearance, the figure seems to have been startled enough to give an auditory following to their jumping back, dull gleaming red blinking wildly back at her tense confusion while- Wait, Soul??

16. Ride by night only [6:19 PM] Kinda with him actually, why are you in a hurry then lol

17. The Very Hungry Soul “Well if the very hungry caterpillar would like to make sure we’re not late, he should hurry up and get dressed before I eat his breakfast for him before it gets cold.”

18. See you on the other side "Soul?"

19. The Dragon and The Moth He’s stopped entirely in his tracks when she abruptly goes in for a hug, snout nuzzling against his chest with a much softened sweetness.

20. Draconic Upon further noting its smooth surface he soon realized it wasn’t a star but in fact some sort of rock, blandly opaque like that of salt despite its odd moonlit shimmers, which even stranger still became steadily see-through in the absorbed heat of his fingertips.

21. "(wings made of arms)" Could it... really be......?

22. The Unknown Caller Caller unknown. But for him that was a lie.

23. The Exchange [8th] "Drink?"

24. Don't Escape Making his way around the back, his eyes glide along the sides until he reaches the pile of small logs, the ax resting up against them exactly as he’d left it.

25. The 42nd Story (Ch. 2)* The muffled talking of a woman, determined to be coming from a nearby room.

*As stated in The Ramble Room, this entire story was scrapped. While I didn't share the second and only other chapter despite it being finished, the first chapter was still shared.

26. "2023july11" He proceeds with actually cleaning himself up, a faint smile keeping him still awake and upright.

27. "(Aug31)" Her smile fades a little as she looks him over, a different sense of intrigue making her face bunch up funnily.

28. "hand pun" Her horrid fascination grew to the point of needing a new name for it (morbid curiosity, that's a classic) as the guy turns the hand around while it signs to him, eyes impossibly wide when she notices the similar skin tone under his hood and the missing space in his left jacket sleeve and the red of his eyes when he suddenly looks directly at her.

29. "WereWeek prompt 3" There's this girl – new student who moved in this year – who is so bossy.

30. "trees"* So much on his mind that he can't hold at bay and he can't even walk about it.

*Technically a small one-shot collection, but it's all going to be in the same fic.

31. "here and now"* His fingers stretch out from his palms in front of the glass, hurriedly ruffling through his hair, his tongue sticking out and then grinning ear-to-ear at her again with all the sunlight in the world.

*My current WIP! It's been slow-going, but I can't wait to see it through to the end haha

The rest are unsorted WIPs in my "drabble zone (2024)" doc:

32. 'Cause you are more than just a dream There's an odd look he pauses on her with after hopping off that she can really only describe as him expecting her to feel like he just sealed her in with a wild animal.

33. "blacksmith au" While his body shown well the signs of having dedicated much of his life to his craft, there was a strange affliction splitting much of it in twain, diagonally from hip to shoulder as if sliced by the very heavens itself in warning.

34. Devils don't go to Heaven (working title) “...Where is this?”

Anything else is so disorganized or only a small handful of sentences that I'm just gonna go ahead and stop it here haha

Thanks for tuning in, hope this was at least entertaining, or possibly even enlightening to the sheer amount of WIPs I've manged to collect over the past few years. I do want to go back to them eventually, but one step at a time, eh?

[archangeldyke-all]

I got hated indie this so I didn’t want to say it, but yes their relationship was too fast for me in season one. I don’t believe that ppl connect with each other that fast lmao. They’ve known each other for five days and suddenly they’re like ‘what about us ?’ What us??? Genuinely have felt left out of the fandom and lesbian community cuz I just did not understand them; I remember going to the last episode before their rain scene on Netflix just to check if I posed an episode. The feeling a were so high for two ppl that only met last week.

But I feel like season two will actually develop their relationship and give sth more than just that (imo) shaky foundation. I get connecting as friends and like having a bit of a crush and sexual attraction, but they both looked like they were neck deep in love with each other at the end of the series which was wild and confusing to me. They’re he first animated lesbians I didn’t ship and I feel so bad 😪

I love your reading on Cait. I don’t connect to her character but seeing other ppl’s perspectives makes it easier to like do that. Cuz she genuinely is cute and means well.

(Also I wondered if it was just me but do you see like Cait’s narrative purpose in the story ? Like, I feel like one of cait’s purposes as a character in season one was to create (unintentional) chaos between Vi and Jinx, given what she symbolizes for high of them and such, and that genuinely irked me. Though I could just be overthinking it.)

And can I be 🗣️ anon ? I always be talking lol

omg same i hope season 2 gives cait and vi some time to uhh... reflect? grow? go on like a normal coffee date and learn each other's favorite colors? simple things. cait didn't even know violet was an orphan and she was already giving her the lovey dovey eyes, they definitely skipped a few steps in their relationship in season 1 (but i get it, they were going through some pretty big individual and shared traumas at the time, they didn't really have time to get to know each other)

i think cait's narrative purpose is probably to give us an insight to piltover and how the majority of citizens up top think about the undercity. cait is completely clueless that people two or three miles from her home are living in despair-- it isn't until she goes to the undercity herself and learns from vi and ekko that she starts to realize. i think she is meant to show how piltover's managed to turn it's back on its sister city for so long-- it's people just live in pure ignorance both about the issues zaun's citizens face, and the fact that piltover's to blame for those issues.

and of course you can!! i love getting new anons heheeh

[lavender-long-stories]

Wedding to Save a Uchiha

Hinata lifted her skirts and ran up the stairs as sets of hands fiddled with her kimono. “I don’t think there is any helping it at this point.” She tried, but the branch members continued to try to straighten it beyond its capabilities. It was too big for her. She was shorter than her mother and thinner than she had been when she was married.

“This is ridiculous.” Neji came through the hall she had just had. “He can’t make you do this!”

“No one is making me, I agreed.” Hinata lifted her head, trying to stand tall with her decision, but her heart was rushing from the anxiety.

“You agreed? Why? You don’t even know who it is!” Neji demanded. “What would compel you to marry a stranger!”

“The Hokage would not ask if he didn’t think it was of the utmost importance.” Hinata felt her own voice start to go weak as his face turned red in fury.

“You’re doing this because HE asked you!” Neji shouted. “You are going to give yourself to a stranger to please the man that will be off limits to you with the very action.”

“I am aware!” Hinata snapped. “I am also late!” Her eyes filling with tears. “I trust that this is the best reason for both father and Naruto-sama to offer my hand to fix this problem.”

“Your father agreed to this!? Do you even know what the problem is?!” Neji growled.

“This will clear a man of his wrongful exile,” Hinata explained.

Neji wouldn’t have been given that information. “Are you sure he deserves it?”

“He’s convinced me,” Hinata assured him.

“And how has he done that? You don’t know who he is.” Neji repeated.

“He wrote, giving me the option to decline.” Hinata cast her eyes down to her hidden toes. The note was actually tucked into the folds of her kimono, keeping her from turning back.

“She is late already.” One of the branch members that was waiting so patiently despite the fact they were, in fact, in a rush. 

“You can’t.” Neji finally resigned to a low voice of pleading.

“I’ve already agreed.” Hinata allowed the woman to rush her through the door.

Hinata blinked at the man who was to be her husband. She understood now. She was guided into her seat. The ceremony was short. The kimonos were for show. A paper was signed, and then she just sat there quietly next to her new husband. 

Itachi Uchiha.

--**--

Naruto held her hand between his as he thanked her. “I hope you understand.”

Hinata nodded. Connecting Itachi to the Hyuga meant that he was less of a risk if he was under the power of the rival clan. Tying him to a wife made it seem more real.

“The Hyuga knew about the truth of the massacre,” Hinata assured him. 

“But you’re really okay with this?” Naruto asked. “I know it was a lot to ask.”

“You shouldn’t be trying to make me turn back on my wedding day,” Hinata smiled.

Naruto crinkled his nose. “Yeah. You look great.”

Hinata smiled. “Thank you.” And with that, he left her and let go of her hand, and with it, he took her heart. She stared at the closed door and sighed. She had to give it up at some point.

“You’re in love with him.” Hinata jumped as her new husband made himself known behind her.

Quiet and observant.

“Sorry?” Hinata asked. Maybe he would act like he didn’t say it.

Itachi nodded his head toward the closed door. “Why would you agree if you love him?”

And not one for reading the room.

Not the first conversation she wanted to have with her husband. “He’s not interested in me. This way, I am at least useful to him.” 

Itachi peered through her for a few seconds like he was reading her mind. He simply nodded.

I think I had an ItaHina phase where I thought of 101 ways for Itachi to come back to Konoha, but I never did any of them.

I think what stopped me was thinking of how to deal with Sasuke.

I am sure I could have figured it out, but better stories came up and these slowly got abandoned.

[the-cult-of-russo]

Such a Softer Sin (Part 10)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: I’m not specifically tagging this one, if you’ve seen the show, nothing will shock you. Smut will happen eventually so minors DNI, thanks.

A/N: I always get so tempted to post more than one chapter a day ‘cause I just want you guys to read the whole story lmaoooo

—--------

Billy wiped a hand over his face, his leg bouncing up and down as he sighed. He was ready to go, weapons strapped to him as he sat on the castle steps and awaited the others to be ready. He was stressed and worried and it was twisting him up in knots. He knew you were more than capable of looking after yourself and a part of him was excited to see you in action for real, to see the real you. But he was worried because despite all your grace and fury on the battlefield, you were still just a wolf. You weren’t immortal like him, not yet, that would come after mating. His hand flexed and unflexed as the urge to just mate you already tugged at him so he could go through with the ritual to make you immortal. The fear of you dying out there or in the war made his blood run cold and his wolf snarl and snap its jaws. He never really thought he’d have to worry about his mate dying like this, it hadn’t occurred to him. He just thought once he met his mate there would be the instant connection that usually happened. The connection was there for him but not yet for you and it made his chest ache. It drove him crazy to know you felt nothing for him, it ripped his heart into tiny little pieces that all you felt for him was friendship. He tried to tell himself he was lucky to even have that. You didn’t feel the mate bond, yet you still wanted to be around him, still wanted to be his friend, still comforted him when he was sad. His mind drifted back to meeting his mother for the first time. It had been overwhelming to see her in person like that and he’d felt so many things at once he hadn’t known how to deal with it. He couldn't help but be annoyed at her though for not helping you, he just didn't understand it. His mother knew how long he’d waited for his mate, had heard his desperate pleas as he begged her to just let him have her. She knew and yet you had no connection to your wolf, felt no connection with him and his mother wouldn't do a damn thing to help him. He’d wanted to ask her why she'd given him a mate that couldn't feel anything for him, why she would do that to him. He couldn't though, not with you standing right there, so he’d kept his mouth shut but he hated it. He tried to let the fact she’d said you would reconnect with your wolf at some point ease him. It meant at some point, you would feel something for him and he had to cling onto that hope. He just had to be patient and he had a shit tonne of practice with that already with how long he’d waited for you to come along.

He thought back to the kisses you’d shared during the ritual. He’d never been able to do the ritual before because he needed his mate to complete it. He hadn't been sure it would work because you didn't feel the bond, he didn't know what would happen, it wasn’t like he’d done it before. But it had worked and he’d kissed you and you’d kissed back. He’d felt wary and scared of your reaction and part of him wanted to tell you just what the ritual entailed so he didn't catch you off guard. But the idea of you saying no was unpleasant to him and while he knew it was wrong, he’d opted not to tell you. He’d been worried how you might react and he could tell you were shocked but then you were kissing him back and he felt like his soul had ascended. It was your first real kiss and it might not be happening in the way he wanted, but he cherished it more than anything. Cherished the way your lips insistently kissed him back, how your body leaned into him, the way you looked at him when he’d moved away. It made him more desperate to mate you, more desperate for you to feel the bond because he just wanted to kiss you senseless. He wasn't sure what would come first at this rate, fixing the damn moon or you reconnecting with your wolf. He was restless to go out and end the fuckers who were using the witches for their own gain. He wanted to burn the Vampire King’s Kingdom to the ground with him in the center of it for all he’d done. Karen had been heartbroken to know her own people were being used and killed like this and he didn't like it one bit. He had a lot of respect for the witches and he wouldn't let this happen to them. 

He rolled his shoulder and he saw Frank and Curtis by the gate as they got some men ready to go. He stayed on the steps though, waiting for you. It wasn't long after that he heard you and Kosmos talking and he stood at the same time you walked over. He wanted to tear out his beating heart and drop to his knees as he offered it to you and you had no fucking clue. 

“Where’s Atticus?” he asked curiously when no one else followed you. 

“Take a wild guess,” you muttered.

“He’s gone to his mate?” he asked and you smirked but it held no mirth. He could tell you were pissed off.

“Yep,” you replied dryly. He wanted to comfort you but there really wasn’t much time. He knew you felt like you were being left behind when it came to your best friend and he knew how that felt from when Frank met Karen, although he’d admit it hadn’t been this bad. But he knew it would eventually go back to normal. He knew how upside down you could feel when finding your mate, granted his didn’t fucking love him like she was supposed to. He couldn't imagine being away from you in the midst of a war so he couldn't say he blamed Atticus so much for going back to her. Karen walked over then and he presumed she’d just been saying her goodbyes to Frank. She was tearful as she approached him and gave him a hug. He held her tightly, a pain in his chest at how upset she was. 

“I promise I’ll save ‘em, alright?” he muttered firmly, squeezing her a little. She nodded into his chest, taking a shaky breath before she moved away. She gave him a watery smile and wiped her eyes, sniffling a little. She seemed unable to speak as she just nodded again and rushed up the stairs to the castle. He wanted the Vampire King’s head on a stick for hurting her like this. It was just the cherry on top of all the bullshit that bastard had done to him and his family and he was over it. Once she was gone, he noticed you and Kosmos had gone over to Frank and the others and he made his way over. Kosmos and Frank were talking strategy as you checked your dagger was strapped to you and he walked over to you.

“You got everythin’ ready?” he asked, concern dripping off his voice so obviously that you gave him a wry smile.

“It’s not my first time, Billy. I know what I’m doing,” you snorted and he nodded, his body tense as he looked over you, mentally cataloging your dagger and your sword. You raised a brow as you caught him and he gave you a sheepish smile.

“I’m worried, you can’t blame me,” he shrugged. Friends could be worried about each other, it wasn't giving anything away by caring. 

“This is what I do, remember? Your own Council used to send us on jobs all the time,” you remarked dryly and he nodded again. They did and you got the job done every time, only adding to the list of scary tales being told about you. He hadn't seen the Council since you and your people got here. They’d made themselves scarce as they carried on with their jobs with little interaction from him. He had a feeling it was to do with the telling off he’d given them about the comments about your people.

“Alright, we ready?” Frank asked. Everyone murmured in agreement so they all set off on foot. 

The walk was long and he knew they’d have to set up camp overnight. They wouldn't get caught in an ambush in the dark, he wasn't that stupid. He made sure to keep you in his line of sight at all times as he took up the back, Frank up front. By the time the sky started to go dark, he told everybody it was time to set up camp and rest up. He’d picked a few people to take watch so the others could rest without worrying and he stayed up too. While most of them went to sleep, some of them didn’t, too keyed up with restless energy to sleep and you were one of them. He watched you for a while as you sat by the fire, staring off into the flames. He could feel your restless energy a mile away and he found himself walking over and sitting next to you. You glanced at him as he sat down and gave him a small smile. You always did that. Every time you saw him you smiled at him and he doubted you knew how much that meant to him. You always seemed so happy to see him. 

“You alright?” he asked softly as he looked at you. He wasn't sure if he’d get a straight answer out of you. Sometimes you’d act brave, like nothing bothered you, but with him, you seemed to open up to him, showing the most raw sides of yourself and it touched him you allowed him that. You blew out a sigh, shifting where you sat to get more comfortable and it meant you ended up pressed together a little more. 

“I’m just worried about all of this. I’m used to battles and all of that, but this is a full scale war. Once we do this, we can't go back, it’s going to set it off. I want my people safe, I don't want them caught in the war,” you admitted with a frown and a thoughtful look on your face. He felt the buzz of worry coming from you under his skin like an electric current. You’d already lost so much, he couldn't take you losing any more, couldn't take you getting your heart broken again. 

“I’ll keep ‘em safe, you don’t need to worry. I’ll do whatever it takes,” he vowed earnestly and you looked up at him, wide shocked eyes as you blinked for a moment. Then a beautiful smile painted your lips and he wanted to kiss you again. Wanted to kiss you until your lips turned red and swollen. He couldn't look away from you and you seemed to have the same problem and it made his wolf howl in satisfaction that he had some effect on you, even without the bond. He tore his eyes away from you reluctantly because he feared what he would do if he didn’t. 

“I hope we can fix the moon,” you murmured after a moment of silence and the pair of you staring at the fire. 

“I don’t know what I’d do if I can’t shift. It’s the only time I’m connected with my wolf, I’ve been so excited. I look forward to it every time,” you lamented softly and he frowned. He wanted you to shift too because you’d recognize him as your mate.

“We’ll fix it,” he said firmly and you turned to him with an amused smile on your lips.

“You’re making an awful lot of promises tonight,” you snorted and he gave you a wry grin.

“Promises I intend to keep,” he said, his voice firm even with his smile. You bit your lip with a smile, gratitude shining behind your eyes before you looked away. Fuck, he wanted you. He wanted you so badly that it was making his bones hurt and he felt like he was drowning. It was like torture for him. Self restraint hadn’t been something that came easy to him and he was being put to the ultimate test here. He needed you more than he needed water and food to survive, more than he needed air to breathe. He’d give anything to be with you, he'd give up his whole damn Kingdom if that was what it took, he just wanted you. He was so lost in his thoughts that he tensed up, startled as your head rested on his shoulder. It took him a moment to realize you’d fallen asleep and he stayed as still as could be as not to wake you and have you move. It was such a simple thing yet his heart suddenly filled with warmth as he leaned his head into yours, allowing your scent to soothe him in a way no other could. He stayed there, stock still and unmoving all damn night as he soaked up every second of the contact.

When you woke, you lifted your head, rubbing your eyes as you glanced around confused, gathering your bearings. When you looked at him and realized you fell asleep on him, your eyes widened a little and you looked away.

“I’m sorry, you should have woke me,” you frowned and he could see you were embarrassed a mile away. 

“Nah, it was fine. I was pretty comfortable anyway,” he grinned and you gave him a sleepy smile that he found adorable. It was a lie, a completely bare faced lie because his back ached now and his ass hurt from sitting on the hard ground all night. He didn't regret it one bit though. Once everyone was awake and had breakfast, you all set off again to complete your journey. Everyone was ready for a fight, itching for one with the people trying to wage war on you all. Eventually, you all slowed down and Billy spotted the stone building between the trees. 

“Is that it?” one of the guys asked.

“Yeah, this is it,” Frank muttered as you all approached with your swords drawn. Nothing happened though as you stood outside the building, no movement, no fight, no nothing. Billy clutched his sword in his hand as he scented the air and a frown creased his brows.

“There’s no one here,” he bit out. The scent of vampires and rogues were long gone, they weren't here. He was confused, he knew his mother hadn't given him bad information, so why were they gone?

“Can you smell that?” you asked, dread coating your tone and he sniffed the air again. It hit him then, the unmistakable wisp of rotting flesh. He growled as he stormed over to the door, ripping it open so hard that it screamed as it came off its hinges. There before him in the small building were nine witches, all dead and in various stages of decomposition. The smell felt like it hit him in the back of his throat and he covered his mouth and resisted the urge to heave. Some of the other wolves ran back outside and he could hear one of them throw up. Frank roared, picking up a wooden chair before he launched it at the wall, making it splinter to pieces before he stormed out of the building. He knew what he was thinking though, knew Karen was on his mind as she was on his and it made him feel sick that he had failed. He’d promise to save them and he was too late. The anger he felt bubbled under the surface of his skin, making it feel like it didn't fit right. 

“This isn’t right. The moon was still waning last night but these have all been dead for a while. The freshest is probably two days. These can’t be the only witches they have. They left and they have more,” you growled and he was shocked by the fury in your voice. When he looked at you, he saw a fire in your eyes he hadn’t yet been privy to but had heard many stories about. His wolf was fighting to gain control, your rage spurring it on to take what was his, to claim you. He looked away quickly, shame coursing through his veins at even the thought in these circumstances. He was disgusted with himself. You looked at him then and his eyes widened a little as if he thought you could hear his vile thoughts about you. Instead, you gave him a defeated frown, shaking your head sadly before you walked out of the building. He heaved a sigh before he followed you out. Nothing bothered him more than feeling like a failure and that was exactly how he felt right now. The vampires were somehow ten steps ahead of them and he didn’t know how but it bothered him. 

He was at the back again as you all made your way home and with the way everyone was feeling, he was pretty sure no one was stopping through the night. They all just wanted to get back. His eyes were on you the whole time, the way your shoulders were slumped and didn’t respond as Kosmos tried to presumably comfort you. He wanted to be the one comforting you but how could he when he was the one who had failed here? Frank ended up falling back at some point and standing beside him. 

“I… I don’t know how I’m supposed to tell Karen,” he blurted, a panic stricken look on his face as he shook his head and Billy’s heart went out to him along with a heaping dose of guilt.

“I’ll do it,” he said firmly and Frank looked at him.

“You sure?” he asked warily. He knew how devastated Karen would be and he knew how much Frank didn't want to give her that news, to be the one to hurt her like that. But this was Billy’s mess and he’d handle it.

“I’m sure. Don’t worry,” he affirmed and Frank looked relieved, giving him a pat on the back. The journey took a while, trekking through the night as morale was low but eventually you all got back home just as morning broke. His men went off to sleep and after assuring Frank he’d tell Karen, Frank and Curtis went off to hide away until the news was broken so she didn't ask him. Before he spoke to Karen though, he went and approached you. You’d been deadly silent on the way back, even when Kosmos was trying to speak to you and he could feel the rage coming off you in waves. He wanted to check in with you and if he was honest, maybe buy some time before he rammed a knife through one of his best friend’s hearts. He was about to ask if you were okay when he got to you but you beat him to it.

“I want them all dead,” you seethed and his brows rose at the vitriol in your tone.

“These assholes are steps ahead of us and this whole thing just needs to end before more innocent people get hurt,” you muttered, your jaw tight as your fists clenched by your sides. 

“I know, we’ll end it. They won’t get away with this,” he answered seriously, his own anger obvious in his voice. You looked at him for a long moment before you nodded resolutely, blowing out a breath as if to calm yourself before you walked back to your pack house. He watched you go, wanting to do nothing more than to gather you in his arms and apologize profusely for not being able to do better, for being an awful leader and King. He shook his head as his eyes drifted to the castle just as Karen came out. He steeled himself before making a beeline for her before she tried to find Frank. He’d already broken one promise, he wouldn't break another. 

“How did it go? Where are they?” she asked hurriedly and she walked closer to him. Worry was etched all over her face and he felt his heart drop as he looked away, unable to take the weight of her hopeful gaze.

“Karen… They… They were all dead when we got there,” he admitted, his voice a mere whisper carrying in the breeze as pain gripped his heart in a vice-like grip. She was silent and it made him more tense. He expected her to start crying, but when he finally raised his eyes to her, she looked furious. He watched as she tried and struggled to contain herself, her chest heaving as she tried to breathe. 

“The vampires weren’t there either and the witches… they looked like they’ve been dead for a while, so we think they left but they still have some with them,” he added painfully. She nodded, pursing her lips as she straightened her back.

“Okay… Okay… I’m gonna get my girls to help me with a spell, try to locate who’s doing the spell on the moon so we can find the other witches. I won’t stop until I find out where they are,” she insisted and he felt a lump form in his throat. 

“Karen… I’m sorry,” he lamented, tears pricking his eyes as his nostrils flared. Her anger melted right off her face then as she frowned at him, eyes warm and soft as she moved closer and gripped his hand.

“Don’t do this, Billy. This isn’t on you. You didn't do that to them, he did that to them. He’s the only one to blame here,” she said firmly, giving him a look that told him she wasn't about to argue with it. He nodded, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere with trying to disagree with her. With a kiss to the cheek, she left to find Frank and he stood there alone. He could feel the pressure building inside of him at a rapid rate and he didn't know what to do to stop it. He’d never wanted anyone dead more than he did the Vampire King. That piece of shit got away last time and he wouldn't now. Not after everything. Billy had scoured the lands for him last time but it had been after he shifted, after his rampage so it was too late. The fucker had gone into hiding and he wasn’t seen again until now. And now he wanted a war again and Billy was going to fucking bring it to him. 

He found himself in the garden as he sat on the bench he usually sat with you. Flashes of Maria and the kids swarmed his mind and he felt the simmering rage prickling at him for all he’d lost. For all he hadn’t yet been able to avenge. He felt the wolf slamming at the walls he’d put him behind, desperate to get out of the cage. It was so overwhelming, he started to worry he might shift and was about to mindlink Frank when a sudden calmness settled over him. It was like a warm blanket wrapped tightly around him, making him feel safe and at peace. His head snapped to the side to see you standing there, hovering in the archway to the garden. 

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you,” you frowned, looking at him worriedly. 

“It’s okay, you didn’t disturb me,” he answered, glad you were here as he slid over to make room for you. You gave him a small smile as you walked over, plonking beside him on the bench. You were both silent for a while and he noticed your glances to the moon.

“Do you know where the Vampire King lives?” you asked and it caught him off guard, his brows raising a little.

“Yeah, I do. I don’t know if he’ll be there, wasn't last I checked but he seems to be gettin’ cocky. There's a price on his head though, I’m not sure if he’d be that bold,” he answered, looking at you curiously as you hummed and nodded. You turned to him then, determination and anger shining behind your eyes.

“I think we should storm the castle, get this over with,” you said simply and he blinked at you for a moment. He’d thought about it himself in the past.

“It’s not a good idea,” he murmured and he hated the angry frown that settled on your face.

“They have a lotta numbers right now, especially with the rogues and now they got magic on their side too. We gotta plan this shit carefully. We’ve got some good numbers too and I’ve requested more fighters from packs, I’m waitin’ for ‘em to arrive. We need more fighters before we go into this, I can’t fail, not again,” he insisted. Your jaw ticked and he was startled by the scathing look that was directed at him.

“I really didn’t think you were that much of a coward,” you snarled at him and he physically recoiled like you'd struck him. Your words cut deep, deeper than anything could ever do because they came from you. The person who was supposed to love him the most. He felt his pain turn into anger, unable to help himself as he felt like a wounded animal backed into a corner. 

“You think I don’t care? You think I don’t know what’s at stake here? That I haven't had this war before? We almost lost last time ‘cause I jumped the gun and I lost family! They died ‘cause I was too cocky, ‘cause I didn't plan better! There ain’t a chance in hell I’m goin’ through that again!” he exploded and your eyes widened, a contrite look coloring your face and you looked away quickly. He could see you felt bad, it was written all over your face and he felt a pang of guilt hit him right in the chest for shouting at you like that.

“I… I didn’t… I’m sorry,” you looked aghast at your own words, eyes wide in horror and shame and he tried to let it soothe the burn you'd given him.

“I know you care and you're a good King, a good leader who cares for his people. I’m just… I’m worried and I lashed out at you. I didn’t mean that,” you frowned, such a sad look on your face that he wanted to scoop you up in his arms and never let you go. He’d be a hypocrite if he didn't let this go, it wasn't like he'd never lashed out in anger or fear to those closest to him before. He knew you'd been feeling the pressure as he’d felt it from you, felt the worry and the stress and the fear. 

“It’s alright, we’re under a lotta pressure here,” he said softly and you relaxed a little, giving him a tentative smile. He smiled back, wanting to ease your guilt for the things you said as you both sat in silence one more. It wasn't uncomfortable but it was slightly tense. 

“I feel sorry for you, being King. I wouldn't wish the burden of royalty on anyone,” you murmured sadly after a long moment and his chest seized up. Sadness coiled around him like a snake, knowing you were to be his Queen. He had no idea how you’d take the news. You wouldn't just be finding out you had a mate but that you’d be royalty too. Panic clutched him tightly in its jaws as he wondered just how badly you’d take the news. He was broken out of his spiral by you taking his hand and he blinked at your joined hands for a moment before he glanced at your face. You were looking at him guiltily again as you clutched hold of his hand and he never wanted you to let go.

“I really didn’t mean what I said and I’m sorry. Whatever plan you make for this, I have your back no matter what. I trust you,” you said firmly, such a sincere look in your eyes that he ached all over. Those words meant the world to him.

“Thank you,” he murmured shakily and you smiled, leaning over and kissing his cheek, completely stunning him. He sat there with wide eyes and a dumbstruck look on his face as you got up and left the garden. His hand came up to his cheek, happiness bursting in his chest that fizzled out as quick as it came. He had no idea how to move forward with any of this and he felt the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders. He felt like Sisyphus, doomed to an eternity of a battle that would never end. He didn't have enough men yet and the vampires seemed to be ahead of them. They couldn't storm the castle, not yet at least and it left him feeling lost and hopeless. And then there was you. Would you hate him when you found out? Would you feel betrayed that all this time, all the moments he’d spent with you, he knew you were his mate and never said a damn thing? Would you hate him for cursing you with a life of royalty? His head was spinning as he glowered at the fountain and he’d never felt more cursed to be the Lycan Demigod King than in this moment. He just wanted to be Billy, wanted to be with you. He just wanted a normal damn life where he didn't have all this pressure laying on his shoulders. 

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

@firexfate

@blanchedelioncourt

@on-ya

@sunshinedaisies-anddeath

@snowkestrel

@music-indie-tv

@idaofinfinity

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