#luka and the fire of life

[leer-reading-lire]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge

April 10: Spring Colors

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie.

[fireandsparks]

Gepard, with one hand covering his blushing face, and the other hand holds up the number 10. || How hot is Luka? || @ofshielding

✦ »» -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

He had been waiting for Gepard to give him some sort of sign, and he wasn't going to waste it. The red head moves quickly while he's embarrassed and out of view. His heart leaping into his throat as he softly holds his wrists. Obviously in this action catches the blonde off guard and once his hand is a far enough distance from his mouth Luka steals a chaste kiss.

[anidiotonloose]

You can NOT convince me that the only thing in Till’s mind during R6 was Mizi and her missing status

Ive seen so many posts and reels saying how he was “so depressed during the 6th round because of Mizi and was ready to die without her in his life”.

WRONG

You’re telling me he’s ready to give up his life solely for the reason that his idol and his friend is most probably dead while the closest person in his life is put in a death game against himself in which only one can live?

Till was concerned about Mizi, very much too if I say so myself, but Ivan was also one of those concerns.

When Mizi lost the round against Luka, you could see the way Till looks at her - he was heartbroken. And then she went missing and who knows what happened to her. He was horrified, of course he was, she was his light, his sun, his idol, his hope, his everything. That doesn’t mean she was his only source of misery.

At the end of the all-in animation, we see Till punching the screen where his image is shown to compete against Ivan. He hated the fact that he would have to compete against Ivan, his best friend, the closest person to him in all of Anakt garden. Even though their relationship has been tumultuous, Ivan was still his closest link. Heck, when they were not fighting or bickering Till genuinely seemed to enjoy Ivan’s presence.

At the end of round 3 as Ivan is close to finishing his singing (and i must confess i saw this in a reel on instagram) we can see Till is conscious - with a serene expression too - and his collar has a very clear green light - indicating his mood is, well, good.

That light had NO reason to glow green considering Till was bleeding a lot.

But it was.

The only reason i can come up with is that Till was comforted by/liked Ivan’s voice, so much so that the pain of the wounds on his head was overshadowed by Ivan. Till did care.

and then he finds out he’s supposed to go against Ivan in round 6. What a joke. His idol was gone and they wanted to take away his (his what? Friend? Best friend? Enemy? Universe? Wait what-) too?

He weighed his options and decided his life was just not worth it without Mizi and Ivan in them. Both Mizi. And. Ivan. If Mizi was his sun then Ivan was his moon.

that was the plan anyway before Ivan said nope and sacrificed himself. Now that rekindled a fire in Till, a fire that had gone missing with Mizi and was supposed to die with him before Ivan thwarted his plans, a fire to give his best and to live, for Ivan. Not Mizi, Ivan, because Ivan gave his life for Till and oh Till could now see everything Ivan was in his life (his god, his universe—), Ivan who could have won against Luka at any given time, Ivan who showed him freedom and at last, Ivan who was his everything.

ahem. Point is y’all stop saying Till never cared about Ivan he loved him just as dearly as Mizi its just neither of them knew how to express their emotions in a healthy way and didn’t realise their true feelings since they never experienced normal and healthy human interaction

[sleepybugeyes]

I read through all of Elias/Jonah's dialogue (as you do) plus some relistening and mentions of him, so here's a big list of some fun things and behaviors I noted!

I thought he made a lot of eye puns/jokes, but he only does it once in mag161, however he does enjoy making jokes. "Creativity never was their forte." from mag80, "You want my account? My sworn testimony? My statement?" from 82, "If you die, I’m afraid you probably won’t be able to claim your expenses." in 116 and "I only have two eyes, after all." in 120. no one ever laughs at his jokes only he finds them amusing

His last words telling Jon a sarcastic or mocking "good luck" are mirrored earlier as he also tells Basira good luck the last time he sees her, and Martin, as he's getting arrested

He loves gloating. "I forget how new you all are to this." from mag92, "Coffee is not as good for disguising tastes as you might think." in 98, "She’s hoping that even if I see it coming she’ll still be able to overpower me. She’s wrong, of course," in 102, "A masterpiece, isn’t it?" abt his panopticon in 158 and of course his whole monologue in 160

He does his budgeting on tuesdays and his scheduling on wednesdays

He also likes getting lost in work

in mag40 he makes up proper incompetency (said he didnt know how the fire system works, while he later admits he was actively waiting) just that once, but more so he acts like he doesnt get the full picture (doesnt know whats in the tunnels, whats strange about the institute) or acts too late and apologises (not stepping into jon's stalking behaviour). Which makes me think he is quite fine letting people think less of him but unless he has something to hide hes not actively looking to give the impression

in mag92 elias slides the papers for basira across his desk, but you don't hear him take them out before, meaning he prepared and got ready for this before he called the police

in general he's a very preparing man, Lukas steps in when Elias is arrested so has has control over who'd run it. in mag118 he says he prepared something to hurt martin (my speculation is that he likely has some trauma that could hurt you prepared for any person that could cross him, just in case he needs it). When he gets arrested he has something prepared so he doesnt get killed and ofc s1-4 is preparing Jon for his grand ritual

Elias admits the idea for his ritual kinda fell into place after Getrude didnt do anything about the people's church in march 2015. He shot Getrude and appointed Jon shortly after so "when you came to me already marked by the Web, I knew it had to be you." is pure dramatics as Jon was hired 4 years prior

also he got his ritual in 2018 so he managed to acomplish his life's goal in only 3 years, love his grindset 🔥

We never get a number for how many people Elias has killed in his ritual, the real life millbank has held over 1000 people at once, but id imagine his one panopticon held less than a whole complex

its really interesting to me in mag92 that hes SO sure they all know he's talking to them of his own free will. is he just that dead set on being in control or making sure they take no credit for his confession

there is a clock in Elias' office (but it's only heard in mag98)

He has killed people but Elias is very much not a blood thirsty person. Getrude and Peter are both surprised when he results to that. He's very much just ruthless and does not care, if to get his way he has to kill someone. It doesnt seem like he's ever happy to do so, maybe this is a quirk of being eye aligned and getting rid of any type of knowledge is painful (he does for example never want Tim to die at the Unknowing), or he just finds covering those murders up a hassle

for the Unknowing Elias books them all hotel rooms, how thoughtful

something cute to me that Jon was too good at the Eye that Elias couldnt meet him face to face post coma

In mag158 he implies that even Institute employees not in the archives are tied to it, at least enough that they could suffer or die if it burned down

between finding other people just as tools to watch and discard and saying empathy holds you back he was definitely a very very lonely man

He is a very breathy person. He sounds breathy when he talks. He takes deep breaths to ready himself and before he uses his powers. And he often breathes through his nose before speaking or during pauses

He has said Jon's name 62 times, only twice calling him "Jonathan" and called him archivist 25 times (24 in the mag120 statement, 1 in mag138 and 1 in mag161)(he also kinda calls him The Archive in 160)

other fun amount of words: know (65 times), see (42), martin (35), detective (20), eyes (20) and eye (9), afraid (9) and "bullshit" (1)

its still insane to me they added all of those sound effects of Elias' cuffs in prison, thats something fun to appreciate. It also means its canon he gestures quite a bit!

[anastasia-selwyn]

i'm gonna pop your bubblegum heart !

Hello, my name is Anastasia Lynx Selwyn. Yes, you heard correctly, Selwyn. I am the only daughter born after centuries of sons, the pride and joy of our pureblood line. Pureblood royalty, if you please.

I am currently fifteen years old, and in my fifth year at Hogwarts as a Slytherin student, a prefect for my house as well.

My friends call me Annie, but if I do not like you or if we aren't even close to being acquaintances, do not refer to me as such or you will be hexed into the next century. It's Anastasia for the rest of you.

Here are some people I am forced to know.

Fellow SLYTHERINS

@vidiadelafairy - vidia carrington

@vszabini - valentina zabini

@antoniadolohov - antonia dolohov

@the-queen-bellatrix - bellatrix black

@andromedashoax - andromeda black

@flowers-of-narcissus - narcissa black

@whokilledevanrosier - evan rosier

@pandoras-nox - pandora rosier

@lucius-malfoy-back - lucius malfoy, bestie!!

@little-king-official - regulus black

@severusprince-snape - severus snape

@cas-not-the-band - dorcas meadowes

@averykissableguy - edmund avery

@fire-allayer - bruce mulciber

@aelius-with-a-quill - aelius fawly

@thathojamie - jamie min-ho, my amazing best friend!

@rodolphus-le-strange - rodolphus lestrange

@daughter-of-spring - persephone lylia

GRYFFINDORS

@flyasaphoenix - phoenix harvey, the love of my life ❤️

@james-the-amazing-potter - james potter

@thebr1ghteststar - sirius black

@looneymoonyy - remus lupin

@wormy-loves-ch33se - peter pettigrew

@marls-mckinn0n - marlene mckinnon

@hjonesworld - hestia jones

@mary-mcdeal - mary macdonald

@alicethekindone - alice fortescue

@k1ndest-keeper - frank longbottom

@lilytheginger - lily evans

@mollberryshortcake - molly prewett

@fabian-with-an-f - fabian prewett

@lialovergirl - lia matthews

@gav-the-rockstar - gavin prescott

@xoazalea - azalea anderson

RAVENCLAW

@mystical-magical-me - gilderoy lockhart

@xeno-graphical - xenophillius lovegood

@tjsinclairofficial - theodore sinclair

@emmelineandhervans - emmeline vance

@poison-penmanship - rita skeeter

@camille-laurier - camille laurier

@king-ofthe-crop - kingsley shacklebolt

@kingalexanderthegreat - alexander kemet-ali.

@gabbyjchen - gabriella chen

HUFFLEPUFF

@oxxen--free - olivier hrdina

@sybill-patrica-trelawney - sybill trelawney

@imogenmorningstar - imogen morningstar

@adam-lukas-morningstar - adam morningstar

@magandang-kaluluwa - elias smith

[mlbigbang2024]

ML Big Bang 2024 Fic Recs

Angst/Hurt/Comfort

This collection of fics were recommended by the contributors of the @mlbigbang2024 for their favourite fics of 2024 (posted in between Nov 2023 and Dec 2024)

Gen and Teen and above Fic

A Small But Stubborn Fire (Rated: T)

By @cardiac-agreste (KPG)

Main relationship: Sabine & Marinette

Tags: Angst, Mother-Daughter Relationship

Summary: What if you were the parent of a teenage superhero, but didn't know they were? All you know is the nightmares, the panic attacks, and the bruises. She's missing school, she's disappearing on you, and she's not telling you anything.

And what do you do when you realize you weren't thinking dark enough? Because your fourteen-year old daughter is the hero who flirts with death on the nightly news.

--

Come inside and read about one mother's struggles to raise her daughter in a dangerous world while avoiding the mistakes her own mother made with her.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: Such a lovely exploration of Sabine's character and the fascinating point-of-view that is being the parent of a superhero. Sabine's growth is awesome, and the passion and care of the author really shines through.

Holding onto the Memory of You (Rated: T)

By @fruitdragon1a

Main relationship: Juleka/Rose

Tags: Rose Lavillant has Cancer, Grieving Juleka Couffaine, Hurt No Comfort

Summary: Juleka and Rose are on the métro when something happens to Rose.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: It is gut-wrenching and so sad and I love it so much.  

Games of Destruction (Rated: T)

By DayRise1, ScribeOfRhapsody

Main Relationship: Gabriel/Nathalie, Adrien/Marinette

Tags: AU - Hunger Games, The Miraculous are Weapons in the Arena, Child Murder

Summary: Against all odds, Gabriel Agreste had won the Hunger Games at the mere age of fourteen. Now, years later, his worst nightmare has come to life in the form of his own son being selected for the Games.

Adrien didn't have a lot to worry about growing up as the son of a Victor. Until this year, that was. Now, he and the sweet baker girl from down the road have been chosen to represent their district in the 74th Hunger Games – a vicious battle to the death using magical artifacts where only one tribute may survive.

Marinette has spent a year comforting her best friend after her sister died in the Hunger Games, only for Alya to be reaped herself. Volunteering in her place, Marinette now finds herself alongside her crush and his father as she truly realizes the magnitude of what she's signed up for.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: It's a hunger games AU with Miraculous, and it is really well constructed. The way characters are portayed in this is great, and there is a lot of references to the Hunger games books. Also this universe plays with its own rules for the games added with the use of the Miraculous.  

All Wrapped up in a Bow (Rated: T)

By @trinketsinthesun

Main relationship: Adrien/Marinette

Tags: Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: Although Ladybug knew it was her imagination, the Christmas lights seemed to shine brighter in Paris after Monarch was defeated. Everyone was happier, and she couldn’t blame them. One huge Adrien-shaped detail aside, she was happy herself.

So why wasn’t Cat Noir?

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: The angst is so delicious!

You Matter to Me: A Miraculous/Waitress Story (Rated: T)

By writeanytime

Main relationship: Luka/Kagami

Tags: Inspired by Music, Unplanned Pregnancy, Bad Parent Tomoe Tsurugi

Summary: Kagami is content with her life. Sure, it's busy, predictable, and lonely, but she's fine! But when a one-night stand with Luka leads to an unplanned pregnancy, she is forced to rethink her entire life

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: Kagami grows out of her shell following an unexpected pregnancy and comes to terms with her damaged relationship with her controlling mother. 

The Beauty of Truth (Rated: T)

By @uptoolateart

Main relationship: Adrien & Emilie Agreste

Tags: Grief/Mourning, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, John Keats

Summary: Cat Noir visits his mother's grave, in memory of a visit they once paid together to John Keats's grave in Rome.

Inspired by a line from The Cap and Bells by KPG: 'When he’d met Ladybug, all knots and tangles and grit, he thought he understood what Keats meant by a steadfast, bright star.'

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: It's UNREAL how well this one-shot is written. It’s so good. I love it because it made me ugly cry. I’m a sucker for Adrien & Emilie relationship. EGADS, READ THIS.

What Cuts Through the Silence (Rated: T)

By @coffeebanana

Main relationship: Adrien/Marinette

Tags: Post-Break Up, Phone Calls & Telephones, Depressed Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir

Summary: “Adrien? It’s late, are you okay?”

His stomach twists. Because it’s not late, not really. Not for Marinette, who he knows will be up until the wee hours of the morning, even if it’s one of those nights where she swears she’s going to bed early.

He knows her. And so he knows what she really means.

It’s too late for him to be calling her.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: Adrien and Marinette have broken up. Adrien still relies on her. It’s sad and poignant and will make you teary-eyed.

Mature and Explicit Fics

Requiem for a Dream (Rated: E)

By @akumatisedhamster

Main relationship: Luka x Adrien x Marinette

Tags: Polyamory, Single Mother, Teacher!Adrien

Summary: Six years ago, the Supreme was defeated with the help of Shadybug and Claw Noir. But not without its consequences. Trapped in a magical coma using the power of jubilation, they were slowly tortured, reliving nightmares of their own design.

In an act of desperation, Hesperia wiped the memories of Shadybug and Claw Noir so that they could live the rest of their lives as normal teenagers.

What he didn’t know was that Shadybug was pregnant at the time.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: I love the post-Supreme reverse world and the whole memory wipe element!

Bubblegum Soul (Rated: M)

By @wehadabondingmoment

Main relationship: Adrien/Marinette

Tags: Post-Defeat of Gabriel Agreste, Sentimonster Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Mind Control

Summary:

"The impulse to throw away his ring, to slam it on the ground and watch its metallic splinters chap away at his soul, got more tempting by the second. Maybe, for a moment, he would learn what it meant to be alive."

(Or: Hawk Moth has been defeated and Adrien is suffering more than ever. Armed with unhealthy coping mechanisms and the knowledge that he apparently isn't human, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery.)

(Except that his father isn't quite ready to give up just yet.)

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: A lovely exploration of Adrien's feelings about being a sentibeing and his relationship with his father. Some really gorgeous writing that comes from the heart.  Hawkmoth has lost, and Adrien knows he’s senti. He has to deal with that knowledge. There are passages in this story that will take your breath away with the author's creativity and ability to evoke profound emotions.

Those We Leave Behind (Rated: M)

By @raspberrycatapult

Main Relationship: Adrien/Marinette

Tags: Character Death, Grief/Mourning, Child Death, Crying

Summary: Marinette dies suddenly. There’s no time to prepare. No time to say goodbye. She’s just…gone.

But she hasn’t quite left this world. She still lingers as a spirit, a ghost.

And the only person who can see her is Adrien.

Follows Marinette as she tries to process her death, Adrien as he struggles with the loss of his friend and partner, and her friends and family as they grieve.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: Marinette DIES. Now she’s a ghost. Everyone is sad, nobody knows what happened to Ladybug, and it’s just SAD AND PAIN (and wonderful). RC is so good at making my withered old heart happy even when I'm reading something full of pain. Powerfully evocative.

Maybe This Life (Rated: E)

By @coffeebanana

Main Relationship: Adrien/Marinette

Tags: Suicide Attempt, Depression, Dissociation

Summary: "Adrien's in the hospital."

Woken in the dead of night by a series of frantic phone calls, Marinette finds herself boarding a bus from New York to Montreal instead of flying home for winter break. Not that she has a clue how she'll navigate living with Adrien—who definitely wants nothing to do with her since the break up—for the indefinite future.

Adrien just wants to find the energy to convince Marinette he's fine—that she can leave. Because having her here hurts too much, and he's better off alone. At least, that's what he tells himself.

They're an ocean away from home, stuck together in a one-bedroom apartment, in a city suffocated by snow. The distance between them has never felt so insurmountable.

But maybe there's hope after all.

Read on Ao3

What we liked about it: Adrien attempts suicide. His ex, Marinette, is the only one able to get to him in the hospital. It’s claustrophobic, angsty, and well-written.

[iri-desky]

Hey so I HAVE THOUGHTS on the new All In Till Cover art. Kinda DUMB thoughts maybe... but I wanna get them out there.

In most Album Cover Till art so far, Till's symbol color is deeper teal it's closer to green than blue, but definitely still teal.

However, in the All-In Cover, Till is fully green.

Inconsistencies like this aren't really coincidental in a show like Alien Stage.

Anyway, in the cover art, Till also is wearing a tanktop and has red tape over his name branding on his neck, obviously in rebellion to the aliens. He still looks older. In a way, it almost looks like an evolved version of his current self that we last saw in Round 6.

All-In was sung by Hyuna, a member of the rebellion for humans, with the song itself being about taking your life for yours. It's basically a song about taking control of your life, pretty appropriate for Hyuna and the rebellion as a whole, and obviously, Till too (hence why a lot of people have been anticipating this utterly fire cover). The difference between him and her is that Hyuna is actually in the rebellion. Till isn't.

Or is he?

Back to the colors thing. Till used to be a blue-ish teal, but here is green. What colors do you have to mix to get green? Blue and yellow.

You know who's yellow?

Luka.

We're getting ready to see Till go against Luka in the next round.

So, here's the point; Luka will change Till fundamentally in some way that will lead to his eventual rebellion arc and him getting back his spark somehow, joining the rebellion. This song will finally completely fit Till once he gets through Luka and similarly his own reservations. Till needs to escape the past and push forward, and Luka's manipulation might be the final straw for him to snap, like Mizi.

[generalluxun]

What do you like about Lukloe?

What's NOT to like? :)

Honestly, I see it as a ship where they both bring a lot to the table. Pretty much everyone knows what Luka brings, serenity, quiet resilience, and patience. All things Chloe needs.

Fewer understand what Chloe brings.

Fire. Energy. Life. Force. No one can deny she has these things. Luka is a great guy, but he's also a kind of pushover. That scene where everyone is going to him like he's Paris's psychologist. He doesn't think highly enough of himself or his time. She would be an excellent muse. She would push him out of his comfort zone, to express and promote himself more.

Between the two you find a balance. Luka calls her his Sun, distinct from light. Sun is bright and brings good things but also can burn you. She thinks of him as the ocean. The ocean is deep, it hides many things, it swells and ebbs. It conceals immense untapped power.

They're just awesome together.

[shakingparadigm]

(this is copy-pasted from a ramble I had in sleepy's dms like months ago so please forgive the inconsistent grammar/punctuation etc!)

till's feelings are akin to an edelweiss, persevering despite the horrid conditions and all the forces that should have brought it down. it's around the same meaning as the clematis flower. both flowers are defined by their ability to bloom in harsh conditions, which mirror the behavior of loving and finding meaning within each other amidst an inhumane society. edelweiss are more associated with devotion though, and in My Clematis the clematis is seen as a source of hope and strength. mizisua and till to mizi are symbolized by flowers because they have (or, well, had) hope. their feelings bloomed as a result of an extremely human response to seeking some sense of companionship, connection, some belonging in such a strange and otherworldly civilization where it's incredibly easy to feel used and alone. which is why it interests me that even though he has this same desire, ivan's love is symbolized not by an earthy, organic piece of life, but by pieces of cosmos, falling stars. meteor showers are ivan's signature. (putting on my pretentious cap because once again I am going to apply meaning to something that probably isn't that deep)

Ivan is incapable (quite a strong word for it, but it's their words, not mine) of feeling proper human emotion, that much is stated in the patreon posts regarding his character. Why? I have no idea. I theorize it to be his harsh and ruthless upbringing that caused him to close himself off completely in order to protect himself. it started off very early too. or maybe ivan just had no concept of proper human emotion in general. I imagine that while he was growing up, there wasn't exactly any room for the humans he was surrounded with to exhibit any emotion lest they were targeted or punished somehow. Or maybe he was just born that way. anyway it's established that ivan is different from the other humans in this way, that's a similarity he shares with only one other character: Luka (Luka actually does have a stated reason as to why he seems so artificial however). It's why Ivan just goes limp in the grasp of the alien that held him over the edge, despite tears welling in his eyes he remains emotionally vacant and quiet. This moment is his first sight of the meteor shower. Ivan associates meteor showers with very significant experiences in his life (mainly near-death experiences according to the posts). Perhaps those meteor showers gave him some sort of relief, too, an escape from the hell he was living in. maybe he was just fascinated by them, the way they were so far beyond his reach yet burned so brilliantly. just like Till. he saw till's incredible resolve, his refusal to back down and remain passive. Ivan goes through the motions of his "life" doing whatever it is someone wants him to do. they want to sell him? okay. they want to throw him off a building? okay. sing this song, enter this competition, behave and pose for the picture. okay. But Till would rather be beat over and over again than to have his autonomy taken away. He doesn't even sing the songs he's assigned for the competition, he writes his own. His individuality is a blazing, passionate thing that's only bolstered by his natural talent. And to once again refer to the posts: Ivan is deeply fascinated by those who have qualities that he lacks. When he saw Till pick himself up off the ground, he saw stars in him. He saw the blazing fire, the brightness, the fascinating qualities that were far beyond his grasp, something he could only ever admire and hold onto in his hardest moments, but never to hold.

There's also the fact that meteor showers are fleeting. They're beautiful, ethereal spectacles, but they don't last. They're not meant to be held gently in your hands and cultivated like a flower. They appear in bursts of light and leave a lasting impression on whoever sees them, but eventually they disappear. Just like Till leaves Ivan behind, the palm of his hand disappearing from Ivan's grasp, his departure leaving a lasting impression. Ivan knows what they have together will not last, he knows Till's heart belongs elsewhere, yet he clings onto the imagery of the meteor shower because it's all he has. Even if Till doesn't love him back, he's the sole reason Ivan is able to feel to this extent at all. It's a blessing and a curse, so even if it hurts, Ivan continues to hold on. He even includes meteor showers during his performance in ROUND 3, sparkling gloves seemingly made of stardust reaching out to them as he desperately sings to his very own star. VIVINOS and QMENG said themselves that Ivan was persistent. He holds no anger towards Till's feelings for Mizi, he won't drive a wall between them because he respects Till's feelings and Mizi as a person, but he won't let go, either. Falling stars are fleeting, but the impact they leave behind? Not so fleeting at all. That feeling could last forever if it truly meant something to someone.

[stuck-writing-sickos]

In Poor Taste [P9]

(Yandere × Reader)

[Series link]

[Warning: obsessiveness, misogyny, sexism, harrassment, explicit language, violence, mentions of sex]

(Dead from work. Enjoy. Here is what u came for. Anyway, tell me what u think. Talk to me. Ik i havent been responsive (busy) but i wanna read ur comments ��� love u stay well and stay away from people like my OCs)

He never knew how good it tastes to bite the hands that fed him.

Better some of you than none of you, Lukas thought when his eyes refused to leave your body as you sat by the pool with a beer in your hands. The humid air hung heavy beneath rumbling thunder, but no rain yet. The villa was quiet sans the sound of wind and waves. Lukas felt sticky under his shirt as he shifted, trying to see your face but couldn't. The bedside lamp casted light through the uncurtained glass wall against your back, soft and yellow like saw dust. You didn't talk. He didn't know what to say - you had Yuki on your mind and he had your brutal fist on his. This wouldn't go anywhere nice.

He clicked his tongue and took a sip from his can.

"Something on your mind?" - you asked, face turned away.

"Nothing at all."

"You seem pensive."

No, you do.

"Maybe just the stress of trying to readjust to a new way of life."

"You're doing well."

"Well... thank you."

Words failed him. His head raced to piece together something to say that wouldn't make the friction between you and him worse. He couldn't. Lukas no longer wanted to make small talks about bullshits like "how do you like Phuket so far" or "how many siblings do you have". He was tired of trying to get to know you politely. He wanted to rip through the layers and get messy - "we're small and scared. Please, let me into your arms", he wanted to say, the fire in his stomach sending heat through his whole body, his fingers itching to reach for your skin.

You were angry at Yuki, no? He probably fucked up - men always do. Yuki probably did what men do best - use and discard. After all, sex is the ultimate currency in their sphere. Lukas wondered if Yuki felt good after having had you. Did he brag? Did he laugh about the way he made you buck and squirm with his friends?

Lukas turned his gaze away, feeling guilt brewing in his stomach. You wouldn't know about all that. You probably woke up in Yuki's arms smiling, thinking that the intimacy meant something. But Yuki would turn cold. They all do. He had you, and he had the nods and murmurs from the douchebags he hung out with. And now there you were, sitting by the edge of the small pool, wondering what you did wrong, asking yourself questions like "was that all I am to him".

Lukas wanted to throw up thinking about it. He tried hard not to realize the reason he could imagine the intricacies of your situation so vividly, but the thought had taken roots. He knew because he had done it all. He wasn't any better.

But he could learn. That was the difference. And what more... he could atone. He would gladly take your punishment. Lukas felt his fingertips playing with the silver chain on his neck, pulling it around as if to scratch an itch he had yet felt. His eyes found their ways back to you who had not said a word, your arms pulling your knees to your chest. He swallowed dryly.

He could learn. He could be good for you. Yuki couldn't do that - the man left you sad and confused, likely unaware that under your calm surface you were a storm. He didn't stop to see the look in your eyes now when you fixed them upom the sky - resilient, yet filled with disappointment. You expected better from Yuki and he failed to deliver. That was on him - he was flawed and spineless, unable to let you in.

But Lukas could.

Before he could think of anything to say, a flash of light cut through the sky. You didn't flinch. "This one will be loud", you said. Lukas braced for the thunder, his body tensing up. "Yeah", he replied, his voice suddenly weak. He jumped at the cracking thunder, his head ringing.

"Are you okay?" - you asked, sounding cold as usual.

"No, yeah", he tried to match your tone but couldn't, heaving, "Just a little startled."

"A Texan who's scared of thunder... what do you know..."

He laughed, barely containing the high he felt seeing that you had engaged in some sort of personal conversation with him for once.

"You got me."

"The thunder did. I'm just sitting here."

He was aware that he was smiling big, but he didn't know how to stop that. Lukas wanted to say something else, but before he could, he felt water on his skin. The rain came down hard and quick. In the moment he took to react, it had already curtained the scene white.

"Ah...", he heard you said past the rainfall. You were sopping wet like him, your thin summer clothes clinging to your skin, showing him almost everything he wanted to see. The rain was cold, yet he could not beat the heat.

You stood up. He followed. You didn't seem to be in a hurry when you pried your glass door open and let him in with you, spashing the curtain and carpet. Something inside him clicked when the sound of rain sounded distant so suddenly, leaving the air filled with your breaths and the dripping of your clothes. Standing around awkwardly, he watched you who returned his gaze. Lukas felt the hair on his arms standing up when you asked:

"Are you cold?"

___

Yuki wanted to peel the skin off his body to see if the crawling discomfort would cease. He felt restless. Squirming in the uncomfortable arm chair, he watched the storm rage on, thrashing against the window. He couldn't even go for a smoke when he needed it most. Biting on his nails, Yuki felt the uncomfortable queasiness all over himself like a swarm of spiders.

He wanted to talk to you.

Yuki knew he handled the first night he spent with you poorly. He talked of family too soon. He still couldn't think of one good reasons why he did it. When you looked away and avoided his question about regrets, a switch flipped in his braim and made him stupid. Did you regret sleeping with him? He would hate that. Perhaps that was why his first reaction was to lock you down with hints of family and marriage. Juvenile and stupid, no different than Lukas. Fuck. He was just afraid to lose you.

Even now, he still felt the lump in his throat. It sucked that he wanted you so bad. For a long time, he thought he was dead inside when it came to intimacy - he only knew panic, only knew to look for the door when someone got too close. Yuki couldn't find it in himself to put his lips on another's, much less doing what he did to you when he was still in office clothes, smelling of sweat and cigarette. He didn't vomit after. When he finished and look at you still holding onto him in disarray, Yuki thought that he was at the right place. It was simple and natural - he wanted you and you wanted him.

It didn't take him long, though, to flip the script. Maybe he wanted you, and you wanted to escape your family that lurked at the other end of your calls, their shadow looming over you even when their bodies were plane flights away. He thought of that when you fell asleep by his side, the skin on your face no longer carved in by your exhaustion. In that moment, he felt like just another giant of your bad dreams, casting his own shadow on you. Were you running away and just happened to find yourself in his arms? He couldn't sleep well that night, not at that thought, but at another more sinister one he failed to deny.

He would gladly be your safe haven.

The moment that thought took form, Yuki felt a twist in his stomach. He didn't bother to deny the idea - no excuses of "that was just an intrusive thought" or "I only wanted to support her". When he slipped out of bed and into your bathroom, he knew what he saw in the mirror. He was no misunderstood artist, he was no kindhearted colleague, and he was definitely no reliable friend. He was a spider waiting for you to flail your way into his web, and once you did he had every intention to keep you there. He wouldn't mind you getting in more troubles, as long as you come running back to him. He would make it nice and cozy for you. With him, you could surrender your guards and let him take the lead. No more calls from your brother asking for money nor threats from your mother to fly you back. He could legitimize your citizenship with marriage... maybe even a beautiful child. His family may push back, but he doubted they could disown their only son.

Yuki didn't like the way his reflection look, so he put those thoughts away only for them to come spilling out when you were vague about "regret". He hated that he couldn't contain his perversion for long - the desire for you to suffer enough that you would fall into his arm was a poison he wanted to seal away, but alas he didn't have any self control after all. He was just like the new brat that fawned over you, eager to gnaw and rip at your edges.

__

You didn't care for Lukas' begging eyes when he sat at the corner of your room, far away from you. "Go back to your room", you said for the second time yet, "you must feel less cold by now". Around him wrapped the gigantic towel you found in your bathroom, the one he asked for when you made the dumb mistake of worrying enough to say "are you cold". He looked down shamefully when he whispered "can I be here? I'm afraid of thunders."

You didn't buy it. No way a man this grown would be so scared of thunder. Your face scrunched up as you leaned against the bedside drawer, your arms taking the warmth of the lamp. He wanted to be near you, that much was obvious, but you didn't quite expect this display of pathetic pleading. You wondered if he ever tried it before and if he did, if it worked. You didn't like it.

"Lukas... look, I think you're drunk. Go get changed and sleep it off. I won't tell anyone that you're scared of thunders, okay?"

You felt like you were talking patiently to a pet that would not quite get your idea but may get your tone.

"No, I'm not drunk."

At that, you rolled your eyes and chuckled wryly, finding a twinge of amusement in your annoyance.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable", you tried to talk again, even slower this time, "but this isn't a good look, no? You and I in here... people will talk."

"Nobody is coming, you know?"

His voice was firm now, and much more sober than you expected. Your eyes snapped back at him who returned the favor, awfully calm now. At least you got your confirmation - he wasn't afraid. Never was.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nobody is coming. Not with this storm."

At that, he stood up, the towel slipping off him. Lukas did not stumble when he walked over to you, his footstep quiet and slow the same way a cat walked when it saw a bird perching somewhere in a backyard bush. You didn't find it threatening at all, though. Unlike a helpless starling, you knew what to do.

When he reached you and the modest distance forced you to push against the cold wall, you let out a tired scoff.

"I'm sorry if I ever gave you the wrong idea, Lukas, but I'm not interested in you that way. Please, just leave, and we can pretend that this never happened."

"I don't want to do that."

His voice was soft now, his warm breath brushing your cheek. He did not raise an arm. Neither did you. You didn't want it to come to violence.

"You're overstepping."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

You smiled bitterly, getting weary of his stupid games. Deciding not to escalate the situation, you looked away. He didn't let your lack of reaction stop him from adding to his stupidity:

"Really, what are you going to do? Do you realize what's happening right now?"

You couldn't help but laughed in his face. He didn't find it so funny. Perhaps you insulted his masculinity? They usually hated it when you did that. Curiously, the look he had on right now did not seem like one of anger or lust. He seemed eager... for what, you were not quite sure.

"I'm warning you", you bluntly said, dropping the smile completely, "you still have this chance."

"Seems like you gave me plenty of chances so far."

Your blood boiled. You didn't know from where he got the idea that this was endearing or sexy. This sucked, and you were getting impatient by the minutes. Your right eye twitched, and you could feel the corner of your mouth pulling into a nasty scowl. Getting hot from your anger, you let the way his eyes widen in expectation escape you.

"This isn't funny, Lukas."

"Isn't it?"

His hands reached to you. Instinctively dodging it, you found yourself trapped between him and the wall as he laid his palms to the side of your head, his heap of black hair tickling your forehead. He grinned smugly, baring his white teeth.

"I find it very funny...", he cooed, lifting his hand to try and touch your neck.

You decided that that was enought. Grabbing his wrist and pulling it, you forced his body down and landed your knee on his chest, hard. Lukas let out a pained groan and fell forward, collapsing to your feet. As you stepped over him to get away, you couldn't help but wonder if his body was limp from the alcohol, or if he never intended to fight back. You watched his back while he pitifully trembled, hand clutching where you hit him.

"Get the fuck out", you coldly demanded. He didn't say anything for a moment, still heaving from the shock.

You planned to grab him by the scuff of his stupid button down and drag him out. Before you could, you heard your doorbell ring.

Blood turning cold, you let your eyes dart between Lukas and the door, wondering how to deal with the situation. You didn't even stop to think who could be coming to you at this hour, in this weather. The silence hung in the air, heavy and thick. It seemed forever until you heard a voice trying to get to you past the storm.

"Please, if you don't mind... Would you let me in?"

Yuki.

If anyone would understand, it would be him. You felt a burst of relief exploding in your chest as you rushed to let him in. Your hands had reached the handle and cracked the door open when Lukas, still in pain, had managed to crawl on all four and throw himself at you, his wet arms clinging around your leg as Yuki stared in horror. "Help me", you choked out and swung the door open wide, letting Yuki in along with the rainfall. Under you, Lukas had broken down into sobs.

"Please... don't go. I will be good."

[leer-reading-lire]

JOMP Book Photo Challenge || November || 13 || Recommended

Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

[invisiblequeen]

Didn't even know this existed until one of my faves posted...

@pamsimmerstories : I've been obsessed with their landgraab gen 2 story since i stumbled upon it a couple of months ago. I'm constantly checking for updates and the one day I don't is when they upload a whole handful of posts! But I've been with them since this one couple I won't name was in teenager mode, and now that couple has three darn kids and one of them is already in child mode. I'm not ready to see time move on! I'm not ready to see their parents meet the grim reaper! I've gotten too attached!

@samssims : Yes, my contestant for the Mildred BC didn't stay long, but I love the concept of a Challenge like this for an elder sim who used to be a star back in the day looking for love after two divorces. I'm eager to see who wins!

@lindyloosims : Let's just say I'm lovestruck over luka, his personality, his rosy cheeks, his quirks and his interactions with the contestants here to win his heart. Lindyloo is great with the dialogue and narration--it keeps me engaged as hell. Also her simself is the host of the BC and I just love that detail!

@saruin : One of the first cc creators I found when i discovered cc at all. Her creativity knows no bounds, and the presets she's created have helped expand my own creativity when it comes to making sims. More often than not you'll find at least one thing of hers in any post I make. Hell, she made a set of teeth with color swatches for the TONGUE. How can I not "stan?"

@cinamun : Things Fall Apart, but not my commitment to this woman's story. I wasn't there when it first started all those years ago, but dammit, i'm here now (since dira's graduation arc) and i'm not going anywhere. From the dialogue, to the characters, to the style of shots themselves, she literally has me in a chokehold. And she's the one who was wheezing and screaming over Kendrick performing Not Like Us fifty times on Juneteenth! If that doesn't cement her as an icon IDK what does! (ironic that hers was the first tumblr faves post I saw that led to my own lol)

@cawthorntales : You all know I live for BC challenges. This man right here never, ever, EVER stops delivering on those. EVER. He always has an established storyline for the character he provides us to make a sim for, as well as a funny dialogue between said sim and the "cameraman" to start it off. I need for more people to know who he is so we can get MORE contestant for his challenges so I can witness MORE of my sims in his gameplay!!!

@akitasimblr : Found her during the Dreadful BC Challenge and haven't looked back since. She is VERY serious about this gameplay BC Challenge business. She gives you CLIPS formatted as live streams with "chat" on the side reacting to what they see. She has a leaderboard with a system to rank all contestants on friendship and romance and etc. And she's currently doing a crossover of the bachelor and SURVIVOR! go check it out!

@novapark : This one right here is a COZY Bachelor Challenge gameplay. Their shots are so deliciously saturated and warmly lit that it makes me wanna get a cup of tea and a snuggie to watch it. I like the style of a narrator popping in to watch all the ways Izan (the bachelor) wins and fails with his contestants (sims are so weird when it comes to their mood switch-ups i swear). And yours truly has a sim in there, too, so that's an added benefit for me, but just off the way they shot this challenge I'd still be checking it out regardless!

@jayveesim : You. YOUUUUUUUUUU. You have ruined me. You have ensared me. You have cost me my former life before I knew of your gameplay. You and that DAMNED BLAKE PARSONS! You've snatched my wig. You've dragged me across the floor by my eyelashes. You've scorched my edges! I have rarely been so fired up and passionate about a pixel baby the way I have been about YOURS and their DECISIONS! I won't even try to explain it to y'all, you gotta go check it out yourselves, and then we can scream about it together in this evil genius's comment section! LMFAO

This is a great chance for us all to big up fellow simblrs, so I hope to see more of these posts!

[ivanttakethis]

Round 7

Till doesn’t fight back as he’s fitted into his costume; a tailored, white suit.

Far more expensive than anything he’s ever worn or owned. Restrictive in a way he knows Luka’s isn’t.

He doesn’t argue when they slick his hair back. Or when they take out his piercings.

He doesn’t even look in the mirror once he’s ready.

Someone nearby whispers that he “looks like a prince.”

The collar of the jacket is too tight around his neck.

Don’t think about it.

The stage is dark when Till is shoved out to take his position.

A sea of stars unfolds above him, stretching out across the deep black yawn of space. Till allows himself a moment to look.

His heart stutters as something bright and fast streaks across the sky.

A meteor.

A shooting star.

He remembers when the sky was a brilliant orange and dozens of stars fell as easy as the rain.

Don’t think about it.

The overhead lights come on, nearly blinding him, and the crowd roars below. Luka must be making his entrance.

Till doesn’t look at the audience. He doesn’t look at Luka either.

His gaze drops to the stage beneath him, trying in vain to tune out all of the noise.

He blinks.

Once. Twice.

Blood pools at his feet. Soaks the soles of his boots.

Don’t think about him.

Till grips the microphone and squeezes his eyes shut.

The music starts.

Luka sings the opening lyrics… but it doesn’t sound quite like him.

This voice…

It’s higher. Sweeter. Familiar.

His eyes snap up, locking on to the figure across the stage from him. Glowing like an angel under the spotlight.

Mizi.

Still in her white dress with her long pink hair pulled back.

Just as she left them. Left him.

Till’s heart aches.

She turns to him, letting her golden gaze settle over his.

What he wouldn’t have done for her to look at him like that when they were kids.

Slowly, as she draws out the last note of the line, her lips lift into a gentle smile.

Something cracks.

Wait—

That smile doesn’t look right. It doesn’t feel right.

It feels like—

It feels like Luka…

Flashes of Round 5 hit Till hard and fast.

Mizi in a daze. Luka dancing circles around her. Getting too close. Smiling that same smile.

This is exactly what Luka did to Mizi. This is why she snapped.

Till doesn’t question who Luka pretended to be to get a rise out of her.

He knew it wasn’t him.

Luka comes closer, still wearing Mizi’s face.

He can’t move. Can’t run. Can’t think.

A strong hand cups his right cheek.

Till lunges.

He can barely hear the music over the thundering in his ears and the sound of his fists meeting Luka’s face over and over again.

That bastard is grinning up at him like he already won.

Till just hits harder.

Blood pours out of Luka’s nose and splatters on his suit.

For a moment, it’s Mizi looking up at him with a bloodied face.

Till doesn’t stop.

He won’t stop until they put him down.

Just like Sua. Just like Mizi. Just like—

Ivan.

Dark eyes bore into him as they slowly drain of life.

White suit. Slicked back hair. He looks like a prince.

They dressed me just like you.

His lips are still red.

Till stares back into the only gaze that ever wanted to hold him.

As if it could make up for all of the times he looked away.

The fire raging inside him freezes over. For a moment, everything is quiet.

At the end of this story…

There is only a cold spot stained with blood…

No gods. No worshippers.

[mochegato]

Thank You, But No

“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!” Marinette uttered in a combination of mutters under her breath and exasperated groans. She was running late to meet Tim for dinner, which admittedly, wasn’t new or surprising, for either of them.  It had become so common for one of them to be late, they had a punishment for it, whoever was late had to pay for the meal, or the next one if they missed the meal entirely.  Which was fine for M. Co-CEO of a billion-dollar company, but she could NOT afford another dinner.  Not even a Batburger dinner.

Not that Tim would force her to pay.  He’d brush it off and pay with a smile, but she didn’t want him to have to because he was being generous, which of course he always was.  He was the single most generous, thoughtful, considerate man she’d ever met, and she’d met Adrien, Luka, Nino, and her dad, so that was saying something.  He was brilliant and funny and understanding.  He was an absolutely amazing person and even better boyfriend.

Which isn’t to say they didn’t have issues… such as their propensity for getting wrapped up in whatever they were working on and being late for dates or missing them entirely, as mentioned previously.  But they always made it up to each other and made sure the other knew how important they were.  Or at least they tried.  Maybe they weren’t as successful as Marinette had thought.  That would explain why there was still an underlying feeling that something was off.  It was tiny but niggling.

That feeling always stopped her from feeling too secure in their relationship and her actions.  She wanted nothing more than to build a life with Tim, but that niggling was holding them back.  They were just short of fully trusting each other.  She knew why she was holding some things back.  She wasn’t ready to tell a man she didn’t fully trust about the nineteen little gods and innumerable troublesome monks that came with being with her.  But she couldn’t figure out what was holding him back if it wasn’t that her constantly being late made him doubt her commitment.

So she needed to get to the restaurant before him, but everything that afternoon seemed to be colluding against her.  She’d narrowly avoided having to go to the warehouse or to a customer to handle random issues several times throughout the day, the issues seemingly getting increasingly significant as the day went on.  She’d spent the entire day putting out fires and now was running late.

But!  She was only a block from the restaurant.  She could see the awning as she ran and although she was late, she was still earlier than Tim typically was, so there was a very good chance she would be able to beat him. She grinned as she picked up speed, weaving between people as she flew toward the crosswalk.

However, that is when Gotham struck.  Just as she reached the street corner, a car exploded in front of her.  Everyone immediately backed away and lowered themselves closer to the ground as they edged away from the explosion.  Marinette, however, froze after crouching down rather than backing away.

She studied the scene taking in every detail, searching for anyone in need of immediate help and calculating where her help would most be needed.  But nothing appeared to need attention.  The explosion was controlled and concise.  Only the car itself was damaged.  She couldn’t even see any bodies, not even the driver.

She cautiously moved closer to the exploded car waiting for the rogue’s next move.  But nothing happened.  She stood warily and moved slowly toward the restaurant.  In all likelihood, it would still operate as normal.  The incident wasn’t large enough to garner Bat attention.  The cops would appear eventually.  Nothing that any Gothamite would take note of the next day, really.

She kept her movements tentative as she crossed the street.  Something seemed off, something she couldn’t quite identify and it was disconcerting.  It almost came as no surprise when she felt herself suddenly drifting off into a black void mid-step.

><><><><><><><>< 

Sensation flooded back to Marinette with a drawn-out groan.  Her head was fuzzy.  Her limbs were weighed down.  She snuggled into the luxurious sheets wrapped around her.  She loved these sheets.  They were silky and soft and… she shot up into a seated position, eyes wide… and they were definitely not something she would be able to afford.

She instantly fell back onto the bed with a whimper, clutching her now throbbing head, and looked around through her fingers.  It took a few seconds for the scene around her to register.  She was in a grand room.  Her entire apartment could fit in this one room.  She eyed one of the paintings on the wall.  Just that painting alone was worth more than everything in her apartment combined.

There was only one family she knew personally who could possibly have a room like this.  She sat back up slowly to examine the room again.  It had to be Wayne Manor… some hidden, supremely pretentious room in Wayne Manor.  Oh no!  Did she pass out and Tim found her and took her home to Wayne Manor!  Instead of his own flat for some reason…  Oh, this was a catastrophe.  It was so embarrassing.

She collapsed back onto the bed with an embarrassed groan, her eyes clamped shut.  There was a lot more gold than she had ever seen in Wayne Manor before.  Why would he have taken her to Wayne Manor and this room?  What was she supposed to get from this?  There had to be a message in this bizarre behavior, right?

“Finally awake I see.”  Marinette’s eyes shot open.  That was not Tim’s voice.  That wasn’t even a male voice, so it definitely wasn’t Alfred’s voice or one of Tim’s brothers either.  She sat up warily, eyes darting around rapidly to find the source of the voice, which was considerably more difficult than it should have been in the cavernous room.  She froze when she finally located it.

A tall, lithe, impeccably put together woman sitting in a shadowy corner leaned forward, but didn’t say anything, choosing instead to stand gracefully and observe Marinette impassively.  After a few long seconds under her scrutiny, Marinette shifted uncomfortably in the bed, pulling the opulent sheets tighter around herself.  Her gaze broke away, nervously taking in the room around them in greater detail, now knowing with certainty that they were not in Wayne Manor.  “Where am I?”

The woman stalked closer to Marinette, her movements intimidating in their precision and control.  “Somewhere far away from any heroes.  Somewhere nobody can find without a guide.  Somewhere not even your dear Detective would be able to find you.”  Her voice was without the cruelty Marinette would have expected considering the content of her statement.

It was that contrast more than anything that made her register her words.  “Who’s ‘my detective’?  Do you mean Sabrina’s dad!  He’s not a detective!  He’s just an officer.  And he can’t even find his badge half the time.  Sabrina has to stop over and find it for him most mornings.  Saying I’m somewhere he can’t find doesn’t narrow it down.  It could be his guest room… except for the whole,” she motioned to the gilded room.

The woman studied Marinette with a complete lack of emotion on her face except for a single brow arching.  The effect was like being completely transparent before her, which was a feeling Marinette was familiar with from that glass akuma.  But this was worse.  This felt more invasive, more revealing.  “Interesting.”

“I’ve never had someone creepy say that to me and not have it mean something bad,” Marinette observed petulantly.

The woman’s lips seemed to strain to stay in their perfect pout.  “You may want to keep your mouth closed if you value your tongue.”  Despite the war on her lips, her voice was even and commanding, bordering on cold.

“You guys may have kidnapped the wrong person then,” Marinette grumbled.

“Oh no, no, I don’t believe we did,” she hummed, her eyes twinkled with something Marinette couldn’t identify.

The urge to reach up and feel for her earrings was overwhelming, but Marinette refused to give in.  If they didn’t know who she was already, the movement would signal the truth.  It was a clue Marinette was not willing to give.  A blank façade fell across her face.  “And I would recommend speaking clearly and sparsely when you are brought to the throne room,” the woman advised.

Marinette’s façade immediately dropped as her brows furrowed.  “The what now?”

“My father is not known for looking kindly upon fools,” she continued as if Marinette hadn’t spoken.

Marinette blinked at her.  “Did you just sa…”

“You will put those on,” the woman interrupted sharply and motioned toward the clothes laid out on the bed.  “There are no cameras or microphones in here, so you don’t need to worry about that, if my word means anything to you.”

“It doesn’t,” Marinette answered instantly but did turn in the direction indicated, noticing the clothes for the first time.  Even without touching them, she could tell they were extremely high quality both in the fabric and in production.  It would easily be the nicest, most ornate outfit she had ever worn.  It was truly an inspiration for her.  However, it would also easily be the skimpiest thing she’d worn in public other than her bikini.  It was so tight and skimpy, it looked like something a comic book artist designed for a female superhero.  It was most definitely not what she wanted to wear when she was brought to face whoever was behind all this.  “Thank you, but no.  No, I would prefer not to.”

“You will put it on, or you will wear nothing,” the woman warned firmly, “which I’m sure my father will also enjoy, both the result and the process of stripping your current clothes from your body scrap by scrap.”

Marinette’s eyes widened with every word, absolutely confident in the honesty of her words.  She looked back at the clothes that she would be wearing.  “Right… I will… put those on.”

“Wise choice, you may yet survive the night,” the woman nodded and turned.  “The dressers will be in soon.”

“I know how to…” Marinette ripped her eyes from the clothes to the woman, but she was already gone, “… dress myself,” she finished lamely to the empty room.  She finally allowed herself to reach up to her ears with a groan at the lack of earrings.  She was going to have to do this, whatever this ended up being, without her powers and then somehow search what she was positive was a ridiculously large complex for her earrings.

She let out a long, deep breath and started putting the clothes on by herself.  “It’s not like I’m a designer or anything,” she grumbled.  “Not like it’s my entire job to come up with an outfit, accessories, hair, and makeup.  What would I know.”

><><><><><><><>< 

Okay, so maybe she didn’t know what was expected for this particular occasion, because just like the room, there was considerably more gold involved in her outfit, accessories, and even makeup than she would have ever used on her own.  And in all honestly, she wasn’t sure she would have been able to get the hair accessories actually stay in their artfully styled placement, especially with all the sharp movements she kept making around the women helping style her and the guards escorting her to their destination, the throne room, if the woman was to be believed, which Marinette was inclined to do, about that fact at least.

As soon as she entered the room, pushed at the end of a few very sharp swords was actually a far better description, she had to fight her jaw dropping.  She’d thought the last room was ostentatious, but this new room made the last room look like a cheap, roadside motel that hadn’t been updated since the 70’s.  The room was covered in gold details and ornately carved, deeply stained woodwork.  The ceiling was far above her like the grand entryway of Wayne Enterprises.  Operas could be properly sung in this room.  Centered against the back wall, a raised platform towered, demanding attention in its size and ostentatiousness.

A single chair sat at the apex with an ancient man seated, just as impeccably dressed as the woman earlier had been.  A step down and behind the chair was a line of other chairs, a few fille empty.  One of the seated figures was the woman she had seen earlier.  As before, the woman gazed impassively upon her, like Marinette’s discomfort and fear was beneath her consideration.  The two others in line only vaguely resembled one another, some not at all, but Marinette surmised they were all his children and the empty chairs for even more of his children.

She stopped at the bottom of the short staircase to what must have been considered the throne and waited to be acknowledged.  The man, who had to be the father the woman had spoken of earlier, stared at her with a similarly intense gaze as his daughter, but significantly more sinister and creepier.  She had to stop herself from fidgeting under it. 

The longer it went on, the more uncomfortable it became until she had to say something.  “Um… hi,” she offered uncertainly, adding to her discomfort with a small, awkward wave.

“Hello…” he responded.  His voice was exactly what she had expected from his appearance, bold but empty and dripping with smarm.  “… Guardian.”

Marinette lifted her head slowly, eyes wide in horror.  “Oh no,” she gasped, barely louder than a breath.

“Welcome to my throne room,” he stated with no indication of warmth or welcome in his voice.  “You, my dear, you have the immense honor of becoming my bride.”

Her eyes somehow managed to widen even further at his words despite her actions being sluggish, the world around her not quite registering as real.  “Oh… no.  No, no, no, no… no.  No, thank you, no.  No, no.  Thank you but no.  No, no, no, no…” she shook her head woodenly then looked back up at him and pursed her lips.  “Noooo.”

“You will join me, and I will make you my queen.”  The sinister glint in his eye and eerie curl to his lips suggested he believed this was an incredible honor.  Marinette could not quite see what proof he had to back that up, but she suspected he was one of those men who based their personal value on delusion rather than evidence.

She was sure a statement like the one he had just uttered was supposed to be a request, but it was stated like a command.  A statement of fact, like ‘the sky is blue’, ‘water is wet’, ‘this situation is messed up.’  “Que…Oh, no.  No, I’m not really the royalty type.  Queen?  I wouldn’t be…  I hate velvet!” she finally exclaimed.  She stomped her foot and crossed her arms over her chest to accentuate her point.

His vile smile dropped, his lips instead forming into a hard, thin line.  “I realize you may believe you are unworthy of me.  Your ability to realize your inferior status is one of the reasons you will become a perfect wife.”

“Oh… no,” she muttered, shaking her head, her eyes unfocusing.  “Adrien warned me something like this would happen if I moved to Gotham.”

“But I assure you,” he continued, completely oblivious that she had said anything, or that she was no longer listening, “you are not as far beneath me as you may believe, Guardian.  With your given powers and my natural strength and intelligence, we will have many strong brilliant children.”

Marinette’s eyebrows disappeared under her bangs.  “Oh… no.  No, thank you.  No.  I think we should reevaluate that decision… maybe tweak it… just a bit.  I can’t… I’m already dat...” She stopped short, offering a strained smile instead.  It was a decidedly terrible idea to mention Tim to a madman.

What she wouldn’t give to have Tim there with her.  She wanted nothing more than to be able to bury her face in his chest and have him wrap his strong arms around her.  But at the same time, she couldn’t imagine anything worse.  He was safe where he was, far away from what was happening to her.  No, she didn’t want Tim with her.  What she wanted was to get out of that room, find her earrings, and get back to Tim’s embrace and not leave it for a week.

She shook her head to try to concentrate back on where she was.  “How about…” she forced air out of her lungs, “no.  No, no, no.  You have kids!”  She motioned toward the seats behind him.  “You already have MANY kids.  You do not need me to have ‘many.’”

“I need better,” he bellowed.

Marinette gasped and straightened up to her full height, which granted, even if the man had been on the same level as her and standing, would not have been much against the towering man, but she refused to accept his statement unmatched.  “Okay, rude.  I think maybe they need a better father.”

“Silence!” he thundered.  His voice echoed throughout the chamber with a ferocity and strength, she was surprised nobody except her flinched.

The woman from earlier almost imperceptibly shook her head, just enough to catch Marinette’s eye but not enough to catch anyone else’s.  “Right.  Silence.  Shutting up, sir,” Marinette grumbled grudgingly.

“Start the ceremony,” he commanded.

In the blink of an eye, Marinette was shoved forward and up the stairs, tripping frequently on her skirt she hadn’t been given time to gather up, a skirt that managed to cover almost nothing of her legs but still drag under her feet, until she was next to the ancient man while another man in a significantly less ornate outfit was ushered into the room in front of them.  “Wait, now?” she exclaimed, looking around frantically.  She could not get married!  Not like this.  Not to him.  It was supposed to be Tim.  They were supposed to build their relationship, develop their trust, then get married.

No, this couldn’t happen.  “Oh, no.  No, this is all happening a bit f…” the word died in her throat when quicker than she could track, a dagger dug into her throat, hard enough for beads of blood to appear at the knife’s edge, but only that much.  She wasn’t sure if the restraint was luck or because he didn’t want his ‘wife’ to bear visible scars, and she was not willing to find out.  Especially considering he was able to do it without standing and she still had no clues where her earrings were.

The new man cleared his throat and looked between the two of them anxiously, his eyes begging Marinette for forgiveness she was too dazed to be able to give.  He cleared his throat when she didn’t respond and continued anyway.  “We are…”

“Skip to the important part,” the ancient man growled.  Marinette tried to back away from him but the guards behind her must have anticipated the response as before she could move a millimeter, she could feel the points of their swords digging into her bare shoulder blades.

The man offered a strained smile.  “Isn’t the entire ceremony the imp…” he froze as the dagger that had been at her neck, suddenly appeared at his, drawing rivulets of blood.

“Do you wish to continue your insolence?” her soon-to-be-husband hissed.  He waited a few beats while he stared down the petrified man.  “Do you?” he demanded louder.  When the man shook his head sloppily, the dagger disappeared so quickly Marinette couldn’t say where it went.

The other man’s eyes darted between the two of them again, sweat mixing with the blood running down his neck and staining his collar.  “Do you…”

“I do,” the ancient man barked impatiently.

“Right…”  The other man nodded anxiously and turned to Marinette.  “Do yo…”

She shook her head so rapidly the man in front of her blurred.  “Oh… n…”

“She does,” her betrothed cut in loudly.

“Okay, yeah, I suppose that can… can count,” the other man stammered.  He was slowly inching away from the couple, putting as much space between him and them as he could before he was able to sprint out of the room, and Marinette had never been more jealous of anyone in her life.  “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

“What?” she exclaimed.  No.  No, no, no, no.  No.  She could not be married.  Not to this man.  This was not the future she planned.  Her heart sank as the man’s lips puckered and he pulled her closer against his body.

His predatory grin dropped when an explosion sounded nearby.  “What,” he seethed.  He glared at the wall closest to the explosion like it was solely responsible for the disruption and hissed when the sounds of fighting carried into the room.  “Impossible!”

The sounds increased in volume until it was so loud, they could almost make out the words being screamed in the fight.  It quickly became apparent the fight would breach the throne room in moments.  The ancient man shoved Marinette away with such force, she sprawled on the floor and scrambled to keep from falling off the stage, but his eyes never left the door to check on her, not that she would have expected him to.  He pulled out his sword from wherever he had secured it, she still wasn’t sure where that was, and wielded it in preparation.

“Father,” the woman from earlier said quietly but forcefully, “we must leave before he comes.”

“I am not afraid of him,” he hissed, his eyes still glaring at the door in anticipation.

“No,” she agreed, but Marinette could see the roll of her eyes behind her father’s back.  “But a battle that need not be fought is a foolish one.”

He hissed and tucked his sword away as he whirled toward the back of the room, rushing with his daughter toward a hidden door, his other children already long gone.  “How did he know?”  His voice was lower than it had been since she met him, but still managed to carry through the room.

The woman pointedly ignored Marinette as she moved behind her father.  “Likely a tracker.  Did you check her for a tracker?”

“Of course I checked for a tracker!” he thundered and turned on her, attempting to stare her down.

The woman raised an eyebrow but refused to cower at his vitriol.  “Then I suggest having your men do a better job next time.”

The man growled but moved through the door his daughter had been urging him toward with a final flourish of his cape.  And just like that, he was gone and the room empty as his guards had all disappeared without a sound and through some mysterious, possibly magical means, because they certainly hadn’t gone through the door at the front of the room or the door the man and his daughter had disappeared through.

She searched the room for their escape route, hoping to follow their lead.  Following that man and his family seemed like an absolutely terrible idea.  The last thing she needed was him remembering she existed and trying to take her with him.  Going out the front door would lead her straight into the fight, which without her earrings, seemed like a worse idea.  But she needed to get to her earrings and she needed to get them now, before anyone else found them.  And that was all assuming the man didn’t realize she was Ladybug as well as the guardian and take the earrings with him.

She started down the stairs swiftly, intensely inspecting every centimeter of the side wall as she moved.  She had just caught a slight irregularity in the wall when the front door slammed open and several figures rushed in.  She squawked and attempted to find a place to hide, but she had managed to position herself directly in front of the stairs when the door opened.  She could not have selected a more exposed location in the room if she tried.  Even if she’d been at the top of the stairs, she would have been closer to the back door and would have had the chance to get to it before they could get to her.

It took a full few seconds for her to register that the figures rushing toward her were not a threat.  In fact, she recognized them.  The Teen Titans were there.  The Teen Titans had come to rescue her.  She furrowed her brow.  No, that couldn’t be right.  There was no way they’d come just for her.  There had to have been something else going on and she was just a collateral bonus.

Red Robin rushed ahead of the rest of the team, directly toward her.  He reached her in mere moments and reached out for her like he was afraid she would disappear if he didn’t, but he stopped just short of touching her, his hands hovering over her body as though he would be able to sense any damage that way.  “Marinette!  Marinette, are you okay?”  She blinked at him and nodded numbly.  Maybe she was wrong.  There was no way for them to know her name if she wasn’t the objective.  “Are you sure?” he asked again.

She quirked her head to the side to consider his voice, his lips, his expression as he examined her.  The way his brow furrowed just slightly and his lips pursed a touch, like he was afraid of showing too much emotion and giving away his hand.  She wished she could see his eyes.  She could almost picture the frantic darting of his panicked blue eyes hidden behind the white lenses of his mask.

Her eyes widened as her subconscious realization became fully conscious.  “Oh my… Oh no.  No, no, no.  Really?” she exclaimed, taking a step back to get a better look at him and yep, there was definitely protective padding built into the suit, but she knew those arms, she’d spent a good half an hour tracing her fingers over the edges of those biceps, triceps, and deltoids just the night before.

“Mar… Mademoiselle?” he asked cautiously.

She closed her eyes and dropped her head back with a heavy sigh.  “I’m never going to live this down.”

He raised an eyebrow at her response, but his eyes quickly zeroed in on her newly exposed neck, almost reaching toward her neck, but diverting his hand to run through the hair she’d brushed out of his face that morning.  “Are you sure you’re okay, Mademoiselle?”

“Mademoiselle?  Really?”  She righted her head to look him in the eye, raising an incredulous eyebrow at him until his shoulders fell slightly and he smiled sheepishly.

He finally allowed himself to reach out and touch her, starting by tenderly tracing the skin around the cut on her neck, his touch so tender and cautious, she almost couldn’t feel it.  She slowly stretched her neck to give him a better view without ever taking her eyes off his, waiting for him to satisfy his fears and assure himself of her safety, knowing he wouldn’t be able to move on until he had.

His eyes slowly moved from her neck to her clavicle, arms, stomach, and legs, his fingers trailing the path his eyes forged.  His brow furrowed at the goosebumps that trailed his fingers.  His eyes jumped up to meet hers, realization dawning.  He quickly removed his cape and draped it over her shoulders.  “It’s insulated,” he murmured.  “I know how cold you get.”

He pulled the cape closed around her and ran his hands down her arms a few times, his eyes never leaving hers.  He took a breath and slowly reached up to remove his mask.  The look in his eyes took her breath away.  There was such a depth to them, almost boundless with emotion, almost limitless with devotion.  “How did you know?” he asked softly, close to a whisper.

Marinette cupped his face tenderly.  She gently traced the skin around his eyes where his mask had sat.  “I’d know you anywhere,” she answered in the same breathless tone.

He searched her eyes, hoping it conveyed all the relief he felt at finally having her in front of him.  “I’d find you anywhere,” he whispered.  Her eyes suddenly watered and she collapsed into his arms, body shaking as she cried and digging in deeper when he wound his arms around her.

“It’s okay.  It’s okay.  I’m here.  You’re safe,” he repeated over and over in her ear like a mantra.  He kept repeating it until her tears eased.  He pulled back just far enough to meet her eyes.  “I’m here and you’re safe.  I’ll always rescue you.  I’d tear the world apart to protect you.”

She was no longer crying but her eyes were red rimmed and broken.  He suddenly felt overwhelmed again and pulled her to him to reassure himself she was still there.  “I’m so sorry.  I’m so sorry he took you,” he muttered into her hair.

She shook her head.  She could feel his lips rub against her hair with each shake.  “It’s okay.  It’s not like it was your fault.”

He pulled away to meet her eyes again so he could convey how earnest he was.  “It… Marinette it was,” he affirmed, regret and guilt bleeding from his voice.  “He knows who I am and… has a bit of an obsession with me.  He took you because of me.”

She met his eyes firmly.  “He didn’t.  It wasn’t about you.  He thought I would produce good kids for him.”

Tim jerked his head back and wrinkled his nose at the thought.  “Ew.”

“Right?” she exclaimed with a false lightness.

“But Marinette…”  He groaned and removed a hand just so he could run it through his hair and immediately settle it back at her waist. “…you have to know, you came to his attention because of me.  It really was my…”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she repeated more forcefully.  “It wasn’t Tim.  I can’t exp…” she let out a frustrated groan and met his eyes with renewed determination.  “It wasn’t your fault.  I need you to believe me even if I can’t say why.  Not yet.  Not here.  But soon.”

He shook his head, his lips pursed unconvinced.  But, instead of focusing who to blame, obviously him, he focused on her; her safety, her health, her emotions, her in his arms when he was terrified he might never see her alive again.  His eyes traced her face, his fingers trailed after in a tender embrace until he slid them over to tuck her bangs behind her ear.  “How are you?  Really?” he whispered.

Marinette dropped her head onto his chest again and nuzzled into his arms, letting his warmth and security seep through her skin and into her bones.  “It was horrible.  I didn’t know when I would see you again.”

He tightened his arms around her as if it would protect her against that possibility.  “I’ll always come for you,” he reassured, his voice just loud enough for her to hear… and Superboy, but that was irrelevant.  “Are you hurt anywhere else?  Was it just your neck?”

She shook her head against his chest, refusing to reduce any contact between them.  “No, nowhere else.”  She suddenly jerked back and looked up with wide eyes.  “But he… we’re married.”

Tim blinked at her.  “Wait, what?”

She shook her head blankly as her mind started running through the repercussions.  “He… there was a ceremony,” she rushed out.  Her words were coming out so quickly, they almost merged into a single word.  “There was a ceremony and a holy person, I think, that didn’t want to but he did…”

“Did you say I do?” Tim cut in before she could spiral too deep.

She shook her head as she blinked, her mind still racing but on a different track now.  It was all a bit cloudy, but her mind ran through all the events of the past hour as well as she could remember it.  “I didn’t… it didn’t seem to be an important factor.”

“Then you’re not,” he assured her confidently.

“But…”

“She married?” he asked over her shoulder.  Marinette whipped around but Tim kept her in his arms, pulling her closer when Marinette squeaked and tried to jump away from the figure behind her.

“No,” the woman from earlier confirmed.  “Father skipped through that part.  Don’t worry my dear.  You’re not my stepmother.  You are uncorrupted.”

“Uh…”  Marinette tried to edge away from her, unsure how to respond.  But Tim held her tight, which had to mean he didn’t think she was a threat; Marinette however still wasn’t convinced.

“And I’ll keep him away.  I’ll convince him he is wrong about you… though we both know he’s not, don’t we?  Speaking of, here are your things,” she handed Marinette a Hermès bag filled with her clothes, “all of your things,” she said pointedly.  Marinette took the bag and looked in warily to find her clothes, but more importantly, her earrings at the very top.

“Thank you,” Marinette gushed, offering the woman a smile for the first time.

The woman nodded.  “Keep the bag and the outfit.  You’ve earned it.”

“Oh… no,” Marinette deferred and held the bag out away from her.  “No, thank you.”

The woman scoffed.  “The bag is mine, go ahead and keep that for yourself.  No association with my father.  Used Bruce’s money, actually, so no guilt.”  Marinette was so overwhelmed by everything happening she almost didn’t register Tim’s snort at the woman’s comment.  “Sell the gold from the accessories or donate it.  I suspect that’s the kind of thing you would like.  Father won’t notice.”

“Thank you, Talia,” Tim offered with a nod.

“You’re welcome, Tim,” the woman, Talia apparently, nodded back.  “Keep her safe.  She’s more valuable than you know.”

Tim looked down at Marinette, his gaze swimming in adoration.  “I intend to.”  When he looked back up the woman had disappeared again.  “Should I be worried about that?  About her interest in you?” he asked Marinette lowly.

“I am,” Marinette grumbled.  “It’s probably the smart move.”  She leaned her head back on his shoulder and let out a relieved sigh when he tightened his embrace and guided her out of the compound and toward their plane.

“She’s the one that told you where I was?”  He nodded without looking at her, his eyes scanning the area to ensure all threats had been removed.  His team seemed to have fallen into step behind them, keeping a bit of a distance to give them privacy, but Marinette could feel their eyes darting to her frequently.  “She mentioned Bruce.  You know each other well?”

He nodded.  “A bit too well sometimes.  Other times…” he kissed her temple letting his lips linger and pulling her closer when she melted into it, “other times I couldn’t be more thankful for her.”

Marinette cocked her head to the side with a hum.  “She’s a bit creepy.  Sexy!” she added quickly.  “But creepy… which is usually a combination I hear about from booktok men, not real women.”

Tim snorted “Booktok, huh?”

“Zoé,” Marinette shrugged.  “I know far more than I want to.”

“Ah, yeah, I can see that,” he snickered.  He urged her on ahead of him up the plane’s rear ramp, following close behind her, making sure he had at least one hand on her at all times.  He waited until she was at the top before speaking again.  “She’s Damian’s mom.”

Marinette whirled on him instantly.  “She’s what!”

“Yep,” he answered, popping the p.

“With Bruce?” she clarified.

He let out a deep sigh.  “My family is a bit of a mess.  This is really just the tip of the iceberg.”  He shook his head and motioned toward some seats, finally removing his hand to pull out a strapped in container, pulling out a few blankets and pillow.  “Ready to go home?”

She nodded tiredly and collapsed back against him, sagging against him until she would have fallen down if he hadn’t wrapped his arms around her waist.  He sat down, pulling her down into the seat next to him and wrapped the blankets around her with tender, gentle movements.

She watched him move, her affection for him growing with each soft pat and caring rub.  “Will you stay with me?”

Tim looked up from the blankets to meet her eyes with a fond, understanding gaze.  He brushed her cheek softly and opened his mouth to respond but closed it quickly with a furrow of his brow.  “Why don’t you stay with me?  Forever?” he added hesitantly.

She blinked at him.  “Tim!  Are you…”

“Yeah, yeah, I am.  Asking you to move into my home, I mean.  Well, no, it would be our home,” he rambled.  “I’ve wanted to ask you for so long.  The only thing holding me back was,” he motioned toward his suit and then around them.  “And now that you know…”

Marinette stared at him; mouth slightly ajar in shock.  Her mind tried to process all the possible implications, the benefits and dangers.  Was it too soon?  They hadn’t been dating too long, but they’d been dating long enough for her to know him and know that she loved him and that’s what mattered, wasn’t it?  The emotion, not the time.

Was it too dangerous?  If she moved in with him, it was going to be difficult to hide the kwami, and yeah, he was probably in a better position than most to understand what it meant to be a Guardian, but it still wasn’t a secret she was willing to share.  He would only be the third person she’d ever told.  Alya and Adrien were the only people she’d told and the prospect of adding another person to that list was terrifying.

Was she in the right place mentally to make the decision?  And if she wasn’t and if she made the wrong choice, would it destroy their relationship?  If she said yes just because she was in need of some stability in that moment, but then after a few weeks needed space, would going backward in their relationship harm it?  But then, it really wasn’t an in the moment decision.  She’d wanted to take the next step in their relationship for a while but had been too afraid.  It felt like Tim was hiding something and now she knew what it was.

But all the processing meant Marinette was dead silent for a while too long.  Tim’s arms loosened around her, not dropping, but not as tight as he started backtracking frantically.  “I mean, if you need some time… This was probably the wrong time.  I shouldn’t have…”

The uncertainty in his voice kicked Marinette into action.  “Tim?”

“Yeah?” he asked tentatively.  She could feel his hands clench almost like he was fighting pulling them back.

She pushed forward and placed a firm kiss on his lips, pulling away after a moment just far enough to whisper against his lips.  “Shut up.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” he grinned moments before he pulled her closer to kiss her deeper.  He wound his fingers into her hair as hers found his shoulders to hold him against her, reveling in the feel of him, the assurance that he was there, it was him and not someone else.  He seemed to need the same assurance, his hands running over her and squeezing her frequently.  They didn’t part until one of his teammates passed them and cleared their throat to remind them they were not alone.

Marinette settled back into her seat with a giggle and rested her head on his chest with a contented sigh.  “Please take me home… to our home.”

He grinned and dipped down to place a tender kiss against her forehead.  “Are you sure?”

She smiled brilliantly.  “Oh, yes.  Yes, please.”

[the-voldsoy]

Parallels/references/a couple theories about TMAGP EP1:

grouped in order of actual theories, vague things i noticed, and even vaguer comments! (using the same terminology as in TMA for ease)

HEAVY Spoilers !!

Stronger:

“Colin, mate, you know you’re never getting out of here” +won't leave until they figure out the errors “Or they finally kill me” → couldn't quit the Archives because they thought they just wanted to understand and know (but later found out they could only get out by dying or blinding)

Lena talks about cake → Mr Spider doesn't like cake + Elias seemed to love the stuff

pub called The Seward -> Peter Lukas vibes?

“There has to be a way to do this online” → haha ! you wish. (AKA supernatural interferes with internet so it cant be dont online)

“There's this box for a "Response 121" on the form.” → MAG121 is the episode Jon is woken from his coma/brought back to life by Oliver Banks

Talk about how there used to be a separate “Response” department → Elias tells Jon its their job to watch, not interfere (iirc)

Old as shit computer → old as shit tape recorders

AKA: the computer seems to be the only thing that can handle the supernatural

“ "Dolls comma watching" or "Dolls comma human skin" “ → violently Stranger and possibly Eye, has me in mind of MAG24 (the one the Calliope is first mentioned in, where the boyfriend is turned into a doll iirc) 

Barely understandable, long as shit file names →barely understandable, long as shit files names by Gertrude 

[in response to where the files go] “some long dead database that no one will ever look at or care about” → the Archives were unmanaged, decrepit and barely used by anyone outside of them

Work during the night - no sun, cut off from outside world → worked in a basement - no sun, cut off from outside world

Martin (and later Jon) taking the statements → did the same in TMA but in reverse (although I’d love to know if there's any reason behind them being called Chester and Norris, besides what's stated?)

Haha Martin and Jon (and Jonah) are now part of the World Wide Web → shit now they're part of the Web (just like with the tape recorders !!)

Someone talks about how they're sorry, they should've listened, couldn't face not hearing him again → martin @ jon and vice versa

Stranger statement with hints of the Dark → first TMA statement was a Stranger in the dark, and it does put me in mind of the Anglerfish tbh

Sorting system for the statements (although there's is a Lot more detailed and v different) → Smirke’s Fourteen

Gwen openly does not like Lena → literally anyone @ Elias

Asked if they were tricked into working here → well, we know the Archives and Elias

“The awful, terrible thing that landed you here?” → most of the Archives (excluding Sasha and maybe Martin) had something that made them Marked, that mostly led to them working there

Someone who's into spelunking listed the Institute as “cleared” → who could that be (if we know them at all)? Buried avatar, i'd guess, but we don't really know any of them

Photos of the Institute don't show up → photos of the supernatural don't work

The Institute was “weird”, made the subject paranoid → lingering Eye

Fire twenty years ago that burned the Institute → Like the fire at Hilltop Road? Or like that time Gertrude tried to burn down the Institute?

Third floor was the most burned → assuming that's the top floor (and correct me if i'm wrong), wasn’t Jonah in (and later killed) on the top floor?

“offices like little cells” → employees were certainly trapped ! also Millbank Prison

Worried non-existent doors were going to slam shut → the Distortion

Weren’t any papers → left behind before the Institute came to this Somewhere Else (assuming it's the same Institute)? (we need an actual name for the original universe and this Somewhere Else)

Suspicious stains on some floors → my darling, that is blood ! or possibly squished worms, or ink. or possibly something Else

“an old wooden thing with a bunch of similar symbols on” → genuinely unsure what this could be

Strange symbols → For all the Fears, or just the Eye, i wonder? I think i remember them saying something about an Eye symbol at this point, but now i can't find where

“you get a job, I get a fresh victim. It’s all in your contract.” → Elias @ his employees

 “To new beginnings, with old friends” → to a new beginning, with our old friends Jon, Martin and Jimmy Magma :)

“You’re not as clever as you think you are. You think you've got us all fooled, that no-one knows you're listening, But I do. I know. I’m going to find you and then…” → hi what did he mean by this

They (jon, martin & jonah) are Watching and Listening and following through technology→ just like Elias (Panopticon vibes tbh) and Sergey Ushanka

Vaguer (idk if theres anyhting here, but wanted to include it anyway):

Alice loves coffee -> Martin loved tea

Meeting in a cemetery → Sasha with Michael pre-prentiss attack, Naomi Herne 

Not wanting to stay at home because it's full of memories → Jon moving with Georgie, Martin moving to the Archives

Gwen Bouchard wants Lena’s job → Bouchard (appeared to) climb the job ladder quicker than he should have

Heh bug list → corruption

 “You don’t seem like the usual hopeless wasters Lena hires” “The awful, terrible thing that landed you here?” → okayy no need to be rude. But anyways the OG Archives crew were actually pretty disconnected from the rest of the world +were barely there by choice?

“freight cars near Brighton” → hey where did Melanie get her first Slaughter mark ?

“it’s not too awkward working with an ex?” → Georgie and Jon?

FR3-d1 -> i feel like there's something there, but i cannot figure it out

Just words that made me irrationally scared:

Stranger(‘s)

Distortion

Opposites:

Starts with a party for someone leaving → couldn't quit the archives

“ …you are perfectly within your rights to resign. No one is forcing you to stay here.”

please put any opinions/additions in the tags !!

[piwstri4]

un verano sin ti | ln4

pairing: f1driver!ex!lando norris x fashion designer!ex!reader

summary: you can't seem to find peace after success.

part one - part three

DUSK.CLOTHING

liked by ynclo, lewishamilton, lukasabbat and 97,673 others

DUSK.CLOTHING Yet again another successful project! We are very thankful for everyone who attended the show, we hope you enjoyed it at least half as much as we did setting everything up. Spring in a lavender field looks wonderful.

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ynclo thanks to everyone who supported this project!!! i hope we can do something as amazing as this sometime soon, for now cheers to all the crew behind this fantastic runway 🔥💥

user1 i LOVED it, by far one of the most spectacular shows you've done so far guys!!

lukasabbat fire project 🔥🔥

ynclo well i had gorgeous models

lukasabbat the designer didn't fail to surprise

user2 it's amazing how she comes up w everything i love her brain

user3 all she needed was to break up w the vroom vroom guy

user4 I didn't like him either but we should still respect him anyways

user5 well he was the love of her life, let's not trash him around

lewishamilton by far one of your best works, keep up the good job!

DUSK.CLOTHING We will!

ynclo im so happy u liked it!!!!! i told u the field was a good idea

user6 tell me im not the only one who saw her flirt w that one model on the backstage???

user7 she's flirting w him in the comments.....

user8 omg name?

user7 @/lukasabbat

user9 I wish I could have gone!! Looks like a fairytale

user10 im convinced that ever since leaving vroom vroom guy she's been thriving.

user11 I know you have good intentions but please respect them both, he was a very important part of her life

user12 she's what she is bc of him

ynclo

liked by lukasabbat, danielricciardo, arthurleclerc and 63,928 others

ynclo la estoy pasando bien no te voy a mentir (pero a veces tu nombre no me deja dormir)

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user1 i love the fact that now all her captions are in spanish

user2 queen behavior tbh bc redacted wont take the time to translate them

user3 now we have insta pages translating them!!

user4 for those wondering: "im doing great not gonna lie (but sometimes your name doesn't let me fall asleep)"

user5 I'm so convinced that it was for him

user6 of course it was for him, they were together for so long

user7 no one's gonna talk about sir mister man in the third pic?

user8 i miss her w l*ndo so much:((

danielricciardo Nice car

ynclo mine or his?

danielricciardo both

user9 yall they were gonna get married at that place 😭😭😭😭

user10 source??

user11 i might be wrong but they said that in a story + posted some pics

user12 could literally be any fucking field you are all delusional

lukasabbat amazing weekend, we should do that more ofter

ynclo waiting for ur call 🫀

lukasabbat wont have to wait too long 😉

user13 i refuse to believe they broke up 11 months ago

user14 I'm still mourning that relationship

user15 i miss my parents....

user16 who's that one in the third pic??

user17 new bf??

user18 is that luka sabbat??

user19 who?

user20 he modeled for her last collection

landonorris

liked by mclarenf1, oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1 and 99,729 others

landonorris I was enchanted to meet you

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user1 cmon say it say it lando SAY IT

user2 i just know he wanted to say please dont fall in love with someone else

user3 not everything has to be about yn...

user4 the girl in the second pic???

user5 ikkk i saw that too!!

user6 yn?

user7 fuck no they're totally different

carlossainz55 I'm still better at golf than you

landonorris If you say so mate🫡

user5 is he grieving or soft launching i dont get it

user6 new gf??

user7 i cant believe he's having another girl

user8 they broke up almost a year ago let it go

user9 man deserves to live his life too

danielricciardo Nice car

landonorris His name's Benito

user10 are you kidding me??

user11 is he @ u know where??

user12 not the same place, it didn't have a golf field

user13 please stop the delusions

user14 we were robbed of lui and benito being siblings

user15 it hurts to remember her say that he was forever a part of her soul and now look at this mess

ynclo

liked by lukasabbat, danielricciardo, DUSK.CLOTHING and 96,923 others

ynclo te juro que no me imaginaba lo que se sentía ni lo que sería un verano sin ti.

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user1 he got p2 today, this post was his

user2 she's allowed to move on...

user3 no bc why would she post this the same day of the race after he got p2??? i like to be delusional to think this WAS abt him

user4 so basically the caption says "i swear i didn't imagine what would feel or what would be a summer without you."

user5 in the picture "i wish her good luck, 'cause it's not like anyone can get to you"

user6 thank u for ur services

user7 This IS about him and no one can convince me otherwise

user7 the post the caption the race....

user8 she misses him i just know it

lukasabbat nice summer 🌞🌞

ynclo it always is with you <3

user9 i REFUSE to get over them

user10 we were robbed

user11 go on tell him ERES ARTE

user12 she called him a museum once

user13 i need a thread with all the beautiful things she said to him

arthurleclerc but when i invited u to monaco....

ynclo omg kids shouldn't be allowed to have phones

arthurleclerc ur so funny😐

landonorris

liked by oscarpiastri, mclarenf1, danielricciardo and 104,811 others

landonorris P2 BABYYYY!!!! Thanks to the team for making this possible and to OP81 for making this super special as a double podium. This one's for you.

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user1 THIS ONE'S FOR YOU????

user2 do you remember the "i wanted it on my own but i pictured us together"? yea this is probably how she felt

user3 the way he probably did mean this to be for her... the last time he was on podium was when they broke up

user4 hes seeing someone else please respect them.

user5 i miss her congratulating him in the comments:((

user6 i can't believe it's been 11 months since his last podium!! and now it's double for mclaren!!!

danielricciardo So happy for you!! Totally deserved

landonorris Thanks mate!!!!

user7 at least danny cheered for him..

user8 "I'll never stop cheering his victories"

user9 "may he find love, health and success in his new journey"

user10 "For all he had given to me I'm forever grateful"

user11 "AND WILL ALWAYS HAVE HIM IN MY HEART"

carlossainz55 Congrats champ!

landonorris Thank you Calos!!!!!

oscarpiastri congrats on p2 LN4

landonorris Congrats on P3 OP81

user12 remember when he posted lost my girl but she aint worth the prize? yea it meant a whole year without winning shit

user13 11 months (and 2 days but who's counting??)

mclarenf1

liked by oscarpiastri, landonorris, ynclo and 381,204 others

mclarenf1 Congratulations for P2 and P3, Lando and Oscar! Double podium for McLaren today, we're so proud of you guys 🍾 🍾🍾

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ynclo congrats guys!! absolutely deserved💥🎉

mclarenf1 miss u girly!! alpha tauri stole u from us

ynclo the best of both worlds!

user1 miss girly in the comments?????

user2 she also liked and commented on oscar's post,,, i dont like it here anymore

user3 is it really over just like that?

landonorris Let's goooooo

user4 i dont want to get over them

danielricciardo Another spectacular race, keep it up!

user5 do we collectively remember lqndo aiming the champagne to yn EVRYTIME he got podium?? bc i was just kinda expecting him to do that

user6 when he looked at the public and he got sad:(((

user7 wanted it on my own yet pictured us together 😭😭😭😭

user8 i know he's happy but doesn't look like it in the second pic

user9 used the whole bottle on the podium...

user10 she was in 2/3 of the relevant posts abt this... mclaren and oscar but not lando

user11 i was hoping to see her in the likes at least

user12 i think ppl forget that she liked f1 and was a huge mclaren fan even before lando signed w them://

user13 she's back at the paddocks???

user14 only in monza and monaco tho, she said she doesn't have the time to travel as much anymore

user15 and whenever danny wants her there too, she was there today

user16 she was????

user15 with the alpha tauri team yes

ynclo

liked by dusk.clothing, vogue, lukasabbat and others

ynclo I'm glad to say that even after all this time I can still let myself create the way I do, it's been three months since my last collection and I decided to take a break before starting again. A lot of things have happened in the last year and I'm still healing but with lots of people I love (and that love me back) by my side; it's not what you asked, but I got my first photoshoot as a model rather than a designer and wish to share it with you... It's a small project I had with @lukasabbat and now we can share it with you all. Please enjoy!

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lukasabbat amazing as always! told you modeling was your thing

ynclo it certainly was something, cant say im gonna take your job

lukasabbat im happy modeling for you then

lewishamilton Beautiful photoshoot and designs! Truly an all-rounder. This is your thing

ynclo thanks dude 😭😭

danielricciardo Great project, next time put more clothes on.

ynclo ur jealous that i can justify being naked on media

danielricciardo I don't need an excuse to be naked on media lol

vogue Next time with us? 😉

ynclo It will be a pleasure! ❤️

ynclo

liked by lukasabbat, dusk.clothing, vogue and others

ynclo y solo mírame con esos ojitos lindos (hace tiempo que no envío "buenos días, te amo")

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user1 so it's officially over now?

user2 i hate that she moved on

user3 it was officially over since last year

user4 caption "and just look at me with those pretty eyes (it's been a while since i sent 'good morning, i love you')"

user5 so it was luka sabbat after all

user6 i dont like this but i hope she's happy

lukasabbat yo no te busqué, chocamos en el trayecto

ynclo con tu alma es la que yo conecto

user4 lukasabbat "i wasn't looking for you, we met in the process" ynclo "with your soul i connect"

ynclo girll???

user7 no wonder she looked better than ever

user8 where is the "my soul cant long for someone else"???

danielricciardo Still can't believe he doesn't like fast cars

ynclo me neither 😞😞😞 honestly huge red flag

danielricciardo I'd rather sign with Ferrari if I were you

user9 FINALLY SOMEONE WHO CAN GET HER

user10 I agree!! This man's not only a model but a fashion designer as well, I'm sure she's gonna peak in no time

user11 ??

user12 why is she still dating men??

user13 no hate to lando cuz i respect him but luka looks like he's gonna be good for her

user14 idc who she dates i just hope her designs dont go downhill

arthurleclerc ask him when are we gonna play cod again???

ynclo get away from my man wtf

lukasabbat wanna stream with me tomorrow?

user15 do you think she's happy with him?

user16 cant believe her last interaction w l*ndo was three months ago and it wasn't even w him

user17 they interacted again????

user18 no the didn't, she just congratulated mclaren for the double podium

user19 what do u mean "with your soul i connect"??? girly didn't u say YOUR soul couldn't long for someone else???

user20 let the poor girl date whoever she wants omg😭😭

landonorris

liked by carlossainz55, oscarpiastri, danielricciardo and 99,712 others

landonorris and the best is me

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maxverstappen1 Get P1 then talk bro

landonorris Git P1 thin tilk bri 🙄🙄

maxverstappen1 💥

user1 where's the yn translator when we need them????

user2 fr is he starting to shade her in spanish now??

user3 bet he's asking carlos to translate things for him

user4 the pic is literally a benito song lmao it's called (in english) "wish you the best"

user5 AND THE BEST IS ME OMG

user6 bro mad abt her last post i just know he is

user7 girly hurt him so bad he learnt spanish lmao

danielricciardo Fire song 🔥

landonorris It's on repeat 🫡🫡

danielricciardo Bet it is

user8 not danny shading him😭😭

user9 it took him over a year to acknowledge that she was the best on his life

carlossainz55 I didn't know you liked spanish songs!!

landonorris Only this one

carlossainz55 You should listen to Chayanne

user10 character development?

user11 Focus on winning P1 bestie!! Maybe she'll talk to you then

user12 lando punching the air rn

user13 bet he's getting first place next race only bc of this comment

user14 Took him watching her move on to realize he was an asshole

user15 nice pics, looking hot as usual

user16 cant believe he wants her back????

user17 fr im so sure he'd be happier if they dont get back together

user18 so true yn deserves better

charlesleclerc 🔥🔥

landonorris 💥💥