#marriage is her choice! but it does mean I cannot be completely sure of her current relationship status

[tj-crochets]

Hey y’all! My sister made her person* a fabric sensory toy/fidget toy thing that was pretty much a mini quilt made of minky but instead of batting it had magnets in each little “pouch” formed by the topstitching, and it got me thinking.  I hadn’t given much thought to making like sensory and/or fidget toys, and I’d never considered magnets before. Is that something y’all would be interested in? I don’t know much about either sensory or fidget toys, or how they are different or similar, but I would love to be able to make things that help people *I have no idea what their relationship name is? Idk if she’s her girlfriend or her fiancée or her wife or SO or what, but just in case she ever sees this post I don’t want to get it wrong, so if my sister sees this: sorry, I did my best lol

[calisources]

QUEEN CHARLOTTE: A BRIDGERTON STORY. sentences quotes from netflix's queen charlotte: a bridgerton story. these include mentions to royalty, high society england, babies and some foul language and suggestive scenarios. please change pronouns as you see fit. a reminder that bridgerton is a period romance drama in a quasi-historical setting. spoilers for the entire series.

"It is quiet here."

"(name) is going to he a father?"

"Yes. Your line will live on."

"Fancy meeting you here. You did not go over the wall."

"Do not feel sorry for me. I do not know anything else. I've always been this. An exhibit instead of a person."

"You are a person to me."

"You're breathtaking."

"It is pretty. But it has a thousand tiny buttons. I'm suddenly concerned that I may have made the wrong choice."

"I'm very good with buttons. (name)."

"Do you know what happens on our wedding night?"

"Ah, yes. I know everything. I've...seen drawings and had a detailed explanation as to what is to occur."

"I do not like the part where my head hits the wall over and over again. Is there a way to avoid that?"

"Yes, there is a way to avoid that."

"Impressionable? Trust me. No sexual innuendo makes an impression upon your sisters. "

"I wish it did, that they might get idea to marry and start fornicating."

"Perhaps, then, I might have legitimate grandbabies. Instead, virgins to the left of me, and whores to the right."

" You are doing it correctly? Making sure he's putting it in the right place?"

"Hello, my Lady. Are you in need of assistance of some kind?"

"If you must know, I'm trying to ascertain the best way to climb over the garden wall."

"Oh, well, that is impertinent. None of your business. The King. No one will speak of him. No one. He is clearly a beast or a troll."

"I'm a lady in distress. You refuse to help a lady in distress?"

"I refuse when that lady in distress is trying to go over a wall so she does not have to marry me. Hello, (name). I'm (name)."

"Not Your Majesty. (name). I mean, yes, Your Majesty, but to you, just (name)."

"I almost asked a footman to lie on top of me today".

"How joyful it is to be a lady."

"There are worse fates than marrying the King of England."

"You have good hips, you will make lots of babies."

"A problem is only a problem if the palace says there is a problem."

"By “business,” do you mean fornicating with your mistresses, or do you mean producing more bastards for me to ignore?"

"You are the (noble title); you can do whatever you like."

"I’m completely alone, and you prefer the sky to me."

"I’m not quiet; it’s simply that my husband is loud."

"They dangle joy in front of me and never let me grasp it."

"If you were not the (noble title), if you were not, your life here would be very different."

"You’re not some simpering girl. You are the queen."

"The king has not been himself lately."

"I thought that terror was a price of being royal."

"Every man and woman in the British Empire obeys the queen’s whim. We would go to battle to save her. "

"What does any woman of the ton know of true friendship?"

"We are untold stories. Yesterday, you told me some of your story, and I thank you."

"My garden did not die with my husband because it had never been planted."

"I want to be gardened as much as possible."

"Love is determination. Love is a choice one makes. You take someone in marriage, and you choose to love them."

"A queen’s first responsibility is not to her whim but to her people."

"I care not for his sanity. I care for his happiness. I care for his soul."

"Let him be mad is mad is what he needs."

"This darkness is my burden. You bring a light."

" I cannot breathe when you are not near."

"You are a rare jewel."

"A girl is wonderful. And a strong queen is just what this country needs."

"Come. Hide from the heavens with me."

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Liveblogs Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

The opening credits are beautiful, I'll give them that

"I know that no one who looks like you or me has ever married one of these people, ever." Bridgerton: Now Even More Suspicious When It Comes to Depictions of Race

Even permitting for the thirteen children, Queen Charlotte seems pretty neutral about her granddaughter's [redacted] LOL

"Very brown. Thoughts?" Me walking into parties in high school

Not Lady Danbury's Crypt Keeper-ass husband removing his teeth to sleep

"Lord Danbury. Imagine." [Tensely] "I am imagining." Lady Danbury knows that a title needs an heir

"You may be too beautiful to marry me. People will talk, given that I am a troll." George is handsome to the point of distraction

"Either way, the choice is entirely up to her." I know it's like bare minimum but I do appreciate George reinforcing Charlotte's autonomy in the matter of their marriage

Charlotte changing outfits is fun for two reasons 1) That she is showing that she will be her own woman as Queen and 2) The superstition around seeing the bride in her dress before the wedding

Honestly, honestly. Get u a man who will bequeath u an investment property and give u ur space whenever you want it.

"Do we not spend this night together? My governness said that is what happens on our wedding night." [Pregnant pause] "Fine. I shall stay." What is George's deal? Surely even the pretense of consummation is necessary?

George from Bridgerton 🤝Derek from Swan Princes: How to Offend Women in Five Syllables or Less

Charlotte does not mince words for her Virgin and Whore Adult Children:

"Your father and I made 15 royal babies all by ourselves. I do not see why the whole lot of you cannot make just one." Mad props for surviving 15 rounds of childbirth in Georgian England

Say what you will about Charlotte's currently loveless marriage, at least she's eating good food

HAHAHAH we finally get gay characters in this show and it's Five Steps Behind Brimsley and There's Nothing Wrong With His Bits Other Guy

Justice for Benedict and Eloise, who are bisexual and lesbian to meeee

"I do not know a single soul here except for you. I'm completely alone, and you prefer the sky to me." Even if George refuses to be a husband to Charlotte, he can at least be a friend

"What if he puts another one of his gigantic babies inside me?" Am I to take this as Lady Danbury has living children or nah

George sending Charlotte a dog is another green flag

Thank God for Lady Danbury, no one will ever tell the Bridgerton women what sex is when they ought to

"But it can be such a pleasure." "Or it can be a painful, lifelong sentence." Danbury vs. Bridgerton: Marriage dichotomy edition

"I do not like the part where my head hits the wall over and over again. Is there a way to avoid that?" "Yes, there is a way to avoid that." George said: I want to be on bottom 🥰

George said: I am about to ruin the energy of our whole marriage in less than a minute

Is the King's tremor meant to represent his already being in the midst of his disease? :((

"Mother was going on and on to all the ladies at tea that their love means we now live in an unnatural society." Violet's mum said: The energy of this show isn't rank enough, time to be racist

Violet's dad calling her both Beauty and Brains as she asks questions 💝I love him

"So they are exactly like us. Better in some cases considering that several of them are from royal families of their own, and have much more money than we do." Violet said: I'm an ally

HAHAHAH George and Charlotte working out their issues in classic Bridgerton style, via sex montage

"It would be difficult for you to hear about the Queen being with child long after the fact, would it not?" Lady Danbury said: I will go to ANY length to avoid spending time with my husband (fair)

"I planned some correspondence that I need to write, so the time was useful." Agatha, Master of Dissassociation

Not Mama Ledger dissing the Tween Mozart LMAO

"I told you that I enjoy science. Part of that science is agriculture. I enjoy farming." "So King George is... Farmer George?" There's the Farmer George I've heard so much about

"Why do you not understand that you hold our fates in your hands?" Something something the distance from the nobility to the class it rules something something labour from women of colour (and specifically Black women) something something Bridgerton bringing up the outward dynamics of racial inequity while refusing to interrogate the fact Nearly Every Single Black Female Character of Significance AND Simon Has Had Their Reproductive Autonomy Taken Away (Simon's mother, Marina, Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte)

Shout-out Brimsley and NWWHB (Nothing Wrong With His Bits) for being my emotional support background couple

"You can be a person with me." George and Charlotte uniting over their common understanding of their duty to support the nation ❤️

Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger ending racism one dance at a time

"Thank you." "You never have to thank me. We are a team." This line would've absolutely KILLED IT had it not been for the fact that Voltron already used this line in 2018, in a more emotionally substantive context (Shout-out my boy Shiro)

Not Lady Danbury and her homie Coral giggling and hugging because Lord Danbury is deceased (good for them)

Flhkfjhfkjhf Lady Danbury's 'Sorry I offended you about your dead husband, mine sucked,' tea is a social event on its own

"I was in the sky, but now I am going inside. Into Buckingham House." Charlotte immediately understanding that she needs to work within George's delusions :(

"Tell me, what would the people prefer: A royal baby, or cheap bread?" These principles do make for a good ruler, it is a shame about The Illness

"You command an entire kingdom. You can command yourself." George said: Friendship ended with early-onset neurological dysfunction, now personal affirmations are my best friend

(I really hope someone has done fanart from this ep with George and that meme 'I am no longer mentally ill')

Tfjfjhfjfhf imagine if instead of finding me the right meds for my nerve pain, my doctor just slapped me in the face and told me to get a hold of myself. Georgian England Medicine do be rough

"Her perfection is matched only by my deformity." Fuck. I did not anticipate how deeply Farmer George's story would hit from a place of like. Self-imposed exclusion due to living in a broken body. But damn

Did it really take until four episodes in for NWWHB aka the King's Man aka Brimsley's boyfriend aka Reynolds to get a name?

I am enjoying the retrospective on all of these events from George's side of things

"And just like an animal, I will break you." I no longer enjoy the retrospective on George's side of things

It really is the Ultimate Gesture that he's getting tortured so he can get be well enough to know his wife

If nothing else, the King has a solid homie in Reynolds

Really fair of Charlotte to be upset to be uninformed of what George was going through, but brutal that he's going back to Doctor Mon(ster)ro

"Do you suppose the Queen ever seeks...?" Omg I wouldn't expect Violet to be so saucy

Why are all the middle-aged women rising from their beds in the night is this going to be like that Glee song where everyone simultaneously discovers masturbation

"Loneliness is a battle even queens must fight for themselves." Penelope Featherington, somewhere: I gotta make fun of the Queen for having a mentally-ill husband

I'm pretty sure this captioning is incorrect, and what George is saying is, "Doctor! Doctor!" and not "Torture! Torture!" But both are accurate I suppose

Hahahaha not to add insult to injury for Violet, but Lady Danbury made eye contact with Violet's dad at Lord Danbury's funeral like she was thinking he was beekeeping age

"It's not surprising you should mourn him, he was your husband." You don't have to like someone to feel weird that they're dead

"I was three when my parents promised me. When a deal was struck. Three years old. So, I was raised to be his wife." Agatha's parents said have you heard of grooming? We have brought it down to a science

The People of Colour in Nobility raise fair points about succession

"I am sorry to report that she remains alive and well, Your Majesty." Brimsley said treason is allowed if it's funny

"Paint her skin lighter. Pale. His Majesty wants her to glow." 70% of fanart for any given fandom LMAO (also shout-out to the real world contention around images of Queen Charlotte)

"I will see you here tomorrow. Same time. You will wear better shoes. We can ramble together." I KNEWWWW there was some eye contact going on [Agatha as Animatronic Fox voice] I'm gonna fuck your dad, Violet

"Your garden is in bloom." "It is blooming out of control." It IS going to be like that scene from Glee

"Georgie, be a good boy and approve your brothers' marriages." "...I approve." The Princes forgot that there is one power that trumps even the monarchy: Being a mama's boy

"Your body is not your own." Welcome 2 having a uterus

At least Aldophus would be willing to intervene if his sister were in physical danger

"Rambles are there." "Rambles are there." "I am there." This would be so romantic if it were not directed at her future friend's dad LMAO

Agatha, somewhere in the present: My garden bloomed for your father once, Violet

"The hard part is done," said Princess Augusta, as if being married to a person losing grip on themselves for the remainder of their life is not a hard part

There is something that feels like empathy about Augusta saying that Charlotte never has to see her husband again, even if it's immediately followed by the clarification they could need another heir

Brimsley reaching out to Charlotte but unable to reach her due to Georgian social graces

I do feel for Reynolds, in his being caught and unable to do anything to help his partner or his friend/King

It is funny that we have not once seen Agatha interact with her children, given how family oriented the main plot of the show is. Historically accurate, mayhaps, but omg

"What do any of the women of the ton know of true friendship?" Agatha said: FRIENDSHIP IS FOR MEN AND THE POOR

"We are untold stories. And yesterday, you told me something of your story. And I, thank you." "You are most welcome." I love Lady Bridgerton and Lady Danbury's friendship ❤️

"It did not bloom until after he was gone." With your dad, Violet!

"I want to be gardened as much as possible." Violet said: Now that I have found my libido, I am open for business

Dominic Danbury is sooo cute I want a million more scenes of the world's tiniest noble:

I do love how they give specific context to what royal connections the Danbury family has in Sierra Leone, rather than leaving their noble connections in ambiguity

I know Charlotte's the queen but damn imagine having someone who has just stationed their whole business in your drawing room before you got home

"Where will Your Majesty go?" "Why, I have come here." Charlotte said: Be a pal and commit treason with me, Agatha

Agatha and Charlotte deciding to start their friendship sincerely 💗I love women

"I'm afraid." "Afraid of what?" "That I will not be able to love her." "Love is not a thing one is able or not able to do based on some magic. Some chemistry. That is for plays. Love is determination. Love is a choice one makes." Charlotte said: Love is companionship, William

"And these youthful fits shall become mere embarrassing memories." 1) Adolphus, you say this with the slightest bit of context as to why Charlotte left and 2) Not a good time to use the word 'fits,' it's a sensitive topic

"And I am not... coming inside." Finally the prophecy of dad fucking is fulfilled

Charlotte said: That's enough of this medical malpractice

You know, I didn't really keep a good count of Agatha's kids. Are there four already or does she potentially give birth to her homie's half-sibling LMAO

Also: It is deeply weird that Papa Ledger's method of hitting on people is the birthday hat he also makes for his daughter

Violet has now found the birthday hat; to be expected but unfortunate for all involved. Does she think it was her husband or does she know it was her dad?

"I see them. Do you not?" Brimsley is ride or die for Charlotte 4ever

"I love you. From the mo... from the moment I saw you trying to go over the garden wall, I have loved you desperately. I cannot breathe when you are not near. I love you Charlotte. My heart calls your name. I wanted to tell you. I wanted you to know." COMMUNICATION

I love the double meaning in the last two lines, because it bridges right into him telling her about his condition so it's both "I wanted to tell you (that I love you)," and "I wanted to tell you (that I have been bearing this)."

"Perhaps one day [Violet] will have an unimpeachable reputation. Just like yours." I think this is how Papa Ledger has chosen to break up with Agatha

"I do not remember names. I am female." Me when I lie

"You do not know us. Any of us. You do not learn about us. You do not care for what we care for." Generational trauma: Royal edition

"They will be together, have a marriage, grow old as one. We would serve them together." "A lifetime." Gay marriage: Royal aide edition

"Losing a husband is... inconvenient." Augusta said: Sorrows, sorrows, prayers

"I will not engage with the princess. I've promised the Queen friendship." Agatha said: Loyal homies before royal homies

"Brimsley. Have you any family? Did you never marry?" Incredible that after approximately 30 years, Charlotte has not once asked Brimsley about his personal life. Oh, rich people

Lady Danbury is too honourable to ask Charlotte for help, even though she needs help with title succession :(

"I have loved and been loved. And that is all I shall say." Lady Danbury said: I will never admit to sleeping with your dad, Violet

"There is womanly work afoot." HAHAHA me when I want a man to leave

Were I Charlotte, I would not take kindly to the horse comparison, no matter how helpful it was

"And over the years, I learned I need not be content to surrender myself to the uselessness of female pursuits. Instead, I secured my son as King." Augusta said: Crying is for women, we are politicians

You know, all this talk of Parliament has suddenly reminded me how anachronistic George's haircut is. I wonder if he will finally put on a wig

"You have been an admirable adversary thus far. Our battles bring me satisfaction. So this, will not do. You are not allowed to come here and sob. You may not quit. Cover your bruises and endure. Do not lose control of your fate, Agatha." HAHAHAHA I can't believe Augusta is giving Agatha a pep talk and a shot of alcohol mid-title negotiation. That's mentorship

"I am sorry." Is George hiding under the bed? LMAO

Update from ten seconds later: He is

Sometimes, love is not about who will pull you out from beneath the bed, but who will get under the bed with you

"Not a full me. Not a full marriage. Only half. Half a man. Half a king. half a life." "If what we have is half, then we shall make it the very best half." 💘Oh Charlotte

I know Agatha doesn't NEED to marry a Prince, but I think it'd be fun if she did

"I will not say words with hearts and flowers, because I know you are not a hearts and flowers woman. But there is something here. Between us. I believe we could be happy together." Yet another marriage of companionship about to be tossed over for passion. Why does no one on this show what to marry someone who simply wants to provide them a life of kindness!!! (I know in Agatha's case, Lord Ledger is also kind, but not kind enough not to cheat on his wife and introduce his daughter to his mistress. Soooooo)

Why do they cut to the back-and-forth between invitation and sex like it is necessary preparation for the ball hahahhaa

George is representing a very real mental health experience of when you spend a long time in your house and then you experience like mild agoraphobia when you have to be outside again

Literally no one at this ball has hair like George LMAO. But why am I seeking anything historical in the Shonda Rhimes Cinematic Universe:

"I cannot marry you, but only because I cannot marry anyone." I respect this position if it's coming from a point of independence rather than for a different man. I love her regaining agency over the direction of her life!

HOWEVER. HOWEVER. AGATHA. GIRL. YOU HAVE NO INCOME. WILD OF YOU TO DENY ALL SAFETY NETS FOR YOUR SURVIVAL

"You make him happy. Thank you, your Majesty." This is the closest thing to a compliment Charlotte will ever receive from her mother-in-law

This show is pretty bittersweet, given all that we know becomes of the Queen and King in the future

Shout-out to Brimsley and Reynold's relationship for being the saving grace of this show

Hahahaha Charlotte finally gets her one (1) legitimate grandchild after 50 ones that she does not care to know about

"I only did not wish to place my burdens on top of your own." Agatha 💞

"I suggest your shift your fear into faith and come to us with your concerns directly. To do otherwise would suggest we are incapable of addressing them." Charlotte is such a good Queen

Charlotte said: Your mum WAS right about my child-bearing hips!

"I believe you should leave the hats where they are. They are lovely. As you say, cheerful." This is as close as Lady Danbury will come to acknowledging the dad-fucking

GEORGE NOW BEING THE ONE TO JOIN CHARLOTTE UNDER THE BED. THEMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

"Your line will live on." "Our line." "Our line." Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

The splicing between the young version of George and Charlotte and their younger selves. This is really getting to my heart.

"You did not go over the wall." "No George, I did not go over the wall." I'M GOING TO CRY, THIS IS MY FAVOURITE OF THE BRIDGERTON SEASONS 😭😭😭 ROMANCE!!

[msfbgraves]

The cruelest thing Daniel’s Pop ever did was make him go back/playing with his feelings so that he’d go back to Terry after the rape, knowing how hurt and scared Daniel was. Using his 18 year old son to save the family via marriage to a murderer was bad, this was way worse. Pop is an interesting character, but a horrible person. Great story btw!!

I see how it can read that way, Nonnie, and if my parents would do something like Daniele's Pop does, I think it would be straight up cruelty. But I don't completely agree. You know how mobsters never say anything outright? The implication here is, "You want him dead, caro? Say the word, he's dead. You won't have to do it, or be implicated or even be sure that's what happened. But I will kill him for you, and you can come back home. Except I'm not sure that is what you want deep down." Because it's not, his Daniele wants a divorce. And that cannot happen. It would weaken the power of marriage as a political tool, but more importantly, as this is aboverse - Terry wouldn't stand for it. It would mean war. A hell of a lot of killing. Amanda says the same. Would the kindest thing have been to grant him that divorce anyway and help him hide? Sure, if he could pull it off, but this beautiful young man would be preyed on by Alphas and betas alike. It's not feasible, the pups could get hurt, it's all kinds of trouble. Also, if Daniele does not want him dead - and Antonio is more than willing to kill, as is Michael - isn't there something left they could at least try to build on? He'd take his son and his pups in, of course, but ultimately he'd have to wed him to someone again, there would be too many suitors to hold off forever... It's do or die, and that's what Daniel resents. He's more American than his Pop. Individual happiness can trump the concerns of the whole family structure in his head. To both his parents that's unthinkable. Family is everything. Everything. The only safety that exists. And if that means sacrificing some individual happiness, that's a price you'll have to pay for the unconditional belonging. Even canon Daniel isn't above that. Sure, Louie is a pain in the ass but he's family. Vanessa's family and if he has to bring them to California to have them near it's what you do. If Lucille has to drop her whole life to nurse Louie sr. she does. But in this story Daniel rightly asks: what's in it for me? How much personal happiness can I sacrifice before I can't bear it anymore? But he has an infant with this man, a toddler and three young children, whom he loves above all else. He can see in Michael what happens when that loyalty and warmth isn't there, or at least not enough of it to curb the ego. It's terrifying to Daniel. Still, loyalty has a cost, and so does love. It's a choice mothers face the world over. If he'd up and left - left the pups, left his family, everyone would think he was the monster. Society can make it so there are no good choices and yes, I think about the toll of a loving family too. It's not all Sunday dinners and warm hugs.

Still I understand where his Pop is coming from. To him, the family is worth almost any price and he's just lucky as the patriarch, other people pay it. He wasn't always, though. He's done unspeakable things to build a sanctuary and fight his way out of poverty, for himself and his wife and pups, for his brother, his neighbors, his countrymen.

[atopvisenyashill]

In a universe where Rhaegar wins and Jon becomes a Targaryen prince, how do you think the family dynamics will be between the siblings + Rhaegar/Lyanna/Elia? Really interested in your opinion on this

Um. Bad?

aksjdjdj. The last blackfyre rebellion wasn’t that long ago not to mention Egg wasn’t too fond of Brynden so I think in general, Westeros is just incredibly wary of boy bastards who are castle raised. And even if Rhaegar does some plural marriage stuff, I do think there will be some bastard stigma still attached to Jon regardless.

Bigamy has not been done by the Targaryens since Maegor the Cruel. THE CRUEL. Not a great precedent here.

The last Targaryen who worshiped the old gods was Bloodraven, which is again, not a super great precedent to be invoking.

The Faith is in general pretty shitty about bigamy.

There were rumors that Daemon Blackfyre wanted to do some old school Valyrian stuff like marry Daenerys, take a second bride, etc., and considering all that shit went, once again, bringing to mind Daemmy B. is just a colossally bad idea

Also, “winning” in this situation means Rhaegar has at minimum killed Robert & Jon Arryn, and sent Ned to the Wall (but honestly probably offed him too), and Lyanna has walked into a situation where almost her entire family was killed by Rhaegar’s. Benjen is probably feeling some type of way. Storm’s End is probably still in a siege, because even after Robert dies, I simply cannot see Stannis giving up, because he simply has to trust that they won’t slaughter him and Renly for rebelling and he's not going to trust in that after Aerys and Rhaegar murdered so many Lords without a good reason. Jaime has killed Aerys (but protected Elia & the babies). Elia has spent months as a hostage, only for Rhaegar to come back MARRIED AGAIN with ANOTHER SON.

it’s a mess. an a tricky, unsure situation. rhaegar winning the war doesn’t mean the kingdom is back together. this one is so much different than the blackfyres or the dance because people had real, legit concerns with his father beyond succession or "but I wanna be king wahh!" rhaegar (and rhaella!) completely blow past those very rational, legitimate fears just to say “we’re in charge bitch.” it’s going to make for a very unhappy populace and a very uneasy peace. it’s going to make the situation between his children incredibly tense & toxic. So…..

I get stuck here a bit. Lyanna IS a child and not at fault for anything that happens and I will die on that hill with my head held high but the rest of the realm will not see it that way. I’m unsure if Elia would either. I would like to think they’d have a similar relationship that Naerys & Melly Blackwood had, wherein Naerys doesn’t hold it against Melly that her father sold her virginity to the King because Melly is kind to her (and probably fairly young) and Melly grows fond of the sad, sickly, sweet Queen that is just trying to survive the humiliation being heaped onto her. But this is a different situation - Lyanna isn’t a mistress, she’s a wife. An equal. Her son, like Maegor, like Aegon II, like Jacaerys, is a tiny bit of a threat to Elia’s. While fostering love & acceptance between the three is the ONLY correct and moral choice, I don’t know how likely it is. Rhaegar has a lot to deal with, and since Jon is not Visenya, I think Rhaegar probably feels a bit duped - he did everything right to have his third head of the dragon and yet he was given a boy that looks nothing like him. Lyanna probably feels very alone. Elia feels incredibly betrayed and bitter. And there’s likely a large Dornish faction at court pushing Lyanna out in this scenario because I’m not totally sure how the North is going to react to all this, so I don’t know if Benjen sends a Northern faction down South to look after her or just washes his hands of the whole thing (would Rhaegar even allow them at court after half the Starks were in open rebellion? What does court look like in the face of a justified rebellion that is snuffed out?).

Anyways, I think even best case scenario, this is a really fucked up situation that is going to lead to a lot of strife. My money is on Lyanna and Jon spending most of their time on Dragonstone or straight up holed up in their own separate apartments, away from Court and trying to lay low. I think they’d be heavily traumatized, and have terrible attachment issues probably on par with Rhaenyra/Aegon. I think Elia becomes close with Jaime because of the incredible risk he took trying to protect her, and since Tywin doesn’t sack the city, I think there’s a not unlikely chance Elia tries to bring the Martells closer to the Lannisters politically because of it. Tywin & Cersei probably won’t like that but I think Tyrion might fare a bit better if Elia sees use in befriending Jaime’s little brother and the technical heir to Casterly Rock (and i’m not saying dorne is a egalitarian, no ableism paradise - oberyn in my opinion steps over the line with tyrion - but considering the use of a wheelchair for Doran and the comments about Elia being not to healthy, I think they’re a little more accommodating of disability, which means Elia is simply pragmatic enough to look at Tyrion and see an opportunity. I think).

Elia, Rhaenys, and Aegon come out of things fine. Elia looks after Viserys and Daenerys and probably they come out better. But Lyanna and Jon are in their worst case scenario here without Ned to protect them and with Jon as a threat to Aegon's claim. So what I want to say is that Elia sees this as a Naerys/Melly situation and takes Lyanna under her wing, protecting her from the whispers at court about how she's a grasping, upjumped whore who worships strange, silent gods. She would take in Jon (probably called Aemon) and encourage a closeness between the three children, comforting Jon when he feels out of place by pointing out that Rhaenys also doesn't look like a Targaryen. That Elia would caution forgiveness for Lyanna's sake, and encourage Rhaegar to have a Northern faction at court to support Lyanna - even if it's literally just a handful of ladies and knights to remind her of home - and to forgive Stannis and Renly, to name Stannis as Lord of Storm's End and make promises of peace, that Aerys had stepped over the line and Rhaegar has taken a wife from the North and a wife from Dorne to ensure that doesn't happen again, that they will call a Great Council to discuss together perhaps having a larger small council that can counteract the King.

But I think in reality it's likely that Elia attempts to freeze Lyanna and Jon out and they are both perfectly happy sticking to Dragonstone and ignoring everyone.

[lisiya-gori]

an in-depth analysis of war and peace baby names

one thing we don’t talk about a lot in the war and peace fandom (such as it is): the main characters’ canonical children. this is probably because they have very little significance to the overall plot, and most of them appear only in the epilogue, which most people hate anyway. this is all fair enough, but for the purposes of scholarship and entertainment, I’d like to compile some information on what, exactly, the war and peace characters have chosen to name their children, and to make a few general comments on the significance thereof

the data

by the time of the second epilogue, set in december 1820, the five main characters of war and peace (andrei, pierre, natasha, marya, and nikolai) have a total of eight children. they are:

andrei and lise (1 son)

nikolai (nikolenka): only child, born 1805. at least ten years older than his next-oldest cousin

pierre and natasha (3 daughters, 1 son)

marya (masha): presumably the oldest daughter—natasha jokes to pierre that the only time she’ll be able to wear the ornate comb he bought her is “when she takes little masha into society.” maybe born c. 1814?

elizaveta (lise/lisa): mentioned once, birth order uncertain

unnamed second or third daughter

pyotr (pierre/petya): baby son, born c. 1820

nikolai and marya (3 mentioned children + at least 1 more)

andrei (andrusha): eldest son, maybe born c. 1814-15?

dmitri (mitya): mentioned once, presumably the second son

natalya (natasha): only daughter, three years old in 1820, so born c. 1817

one unborn child to be born sometime in 1821, name and gender unknown

some points of analysis

by the end of the book, the next generation already has an andrei, a pierre, a natasha, a marya, and a nikolai, which really says something about the way these people live

nikolai and marya name their oldest son andrei and their oldest daughter natasha, which I sort of love. it very much feels like something they would do

both marya and pyotr have double meanings as baby names for pierre and natasha: marya b/marya d for masha, and pierre/petya rostov for petya jr.

only one child (petya jr.) is named after a parent, and two (nikolenka and natasha iii) are named after grandparents. neither nikolai, natasha, nor pierre have chosen to name a son after their fathers

which is sort of fucked up when you think of it, right? nikolai bolkonsky, objectively the worst of the fathers, is the only one who gets a grandson named after him

on that note, nikolai’s marriage to marya means that the nikolai-andrei-nikolai-andrei pattern is seamlessly continued at bald hills, to the point that the post-wap generation has both a nikolai andreievich and an andrei nikolaievich

also, and I cannot believe it has taken me this long to get to this, pierre names his daughter LISE? how are we meant to take this? what even are the optics of marrying your dead best friend’s ex-fiancée and then naming your daughter after his first wife?

but it’s also kind of sweet, right, and there’s some level of karmic justice in seeing lise get honored with an epilogue namesake

dmitri/mitya feels completely random. the only notable dmitri in the book is mitenka, count rostov’s incompetent lackey/business manager, who is implied to bear some responsibility for the rostov financial disaster and who nikolai openly dislikes. surely nikolai would not name one of his sons after this guy?

but then where does mitya come from, especially since there are so many other more obvious choices (ilya, petya—although maybe natasha reserved it?���even vasya after denisov)?

actually vasya rostov would be so cute. I just feel like it’s notable that nikolai doesn’t have an ilya. nikolai’s relationship with his dad at the end of the book is such underexplored territory

i’ve seen katya floated as a name for natasha and pierre’s unnamed third daughter before. it depends on your interpretation of the characters, of course, but my personal headcanon has always been...................sonya

[moseslikellamas]

Cinders in the Dark

Chapter thirteen

Pairing - Benjicot Blackwood x Whent!OC

Summary - Lucinda talks with the now unburned knight about what’s happening to them. Benjicot starts making moves towards alliances.

Warnings - Magic, delusions, trickery, frightening imagery, forced marriage, mentions of death, blood, mention of suicidal ideation,depiction of burns, depictions of panic attack, anxious thoughts, grief, violent fantasies, not canon, Kieran Burton fancast.

Word count - 2k

Lucinda looked at the man curiously. He was taller than her but not absurdly so, his skin was a faded brown like he hadn’t seen the sun in a long time and his dark curls hung in spirals around his face. He is beautiful, was her first thought. He stared back at her with equal wonder, his doe eyes round and searching. Then he began to speak rather quickly, the words spilling out in a rush.

“I was gone. I was gone for so many years and no one could find me. I don’t know where I went but you saw what I was. I was nothing and everything. So deliciously alive and yet…” He’d looked away then, the longing on his face was painful to witness. “Well anyway, you’ll know what I mean. The problem is, something changed when you showed up. Whatever that man did to you, it’s not right.”

She mentally laughed at that, what an understatement.

“What I mean is, people can see me again. Here, now, in the past. Do you understand? We’re not in your time anymore.”

The panicked look on his face paired with his words had her feeling like she was underwater. She couldn’t even begin to formulate a question for him. Not that she could vocalize it, she’d tried several times already. It answered her earlier question though, the flaming knight couldn’t talk and it seemed neither could she. Though she was not completely on fire like he had been. She was simply smoldering, threatening to break out into flames but never reaching the flashpoint.

“The problem with that as you can imagine,” He was pacing now, running a stressed hand through his curls as he did so. “You live a hundred years from now and in that future, I will never be seen again.”

She was starting to see his point before he finished talking. Benjicot had fundamentally shifted the sands of time, a divergent history would now exist.

“Two versions of history cannot exist.” The man threw himself on the ground, sitting with his head in his hands.

He was right to be worried but she was busy thinking about other things. If this man came back when Benjicot bound her to the castle, did that mean he had intended to kill her the entire time? She supposed it made sense, how could she be the corpse queen while alive? But it infuriated her, her dear husband had always meant to kill her. Giving her the illusion of a choice was a joke. But oh what she wouldn’t give to have seen the look on his face when he realized she was not dead. She was something in between now, bound to this knight of old. She was smiling, a horrible blackened thing that would strike terror into the bravest of men. Her companion, luckily, was too busy lamenting to notice.

On one hand being a half alive, half dead fire specter was not ideal. Sure, not what she imagined for herself when she was younger. On the other hand though, she wasn’t an undead corpse queen helping to bring about eternal night. And that was absolutely splendid. Anything she could do to delay or prevent her damned husband from committing crimes against humanity was a win in her mind. She knew he was probably fuming, waiting around for her to show back up. She considered just staying here in the past. If her partner in this thing weren’t so distressed by the situation, she might insist on it. If she went missing for a few moons, he could explain that away. But if she was gone for several years, not even the best liar could hide her disappearance. That would further serve to foil his plans.

Her companion decided to speak again saying, “We are bound now. I would like to share my name now that you know I am just a man. I hope you’ll do me the same courtesy when you can.” The smile he flashed her was waning. “My name is Obyn.”

She knew then with certainty that he was Dornish. It only made her curiosity grow and she cursed that she could not speak directly to him. She finally took a second to glance around the room they were in. The only light source was the soft glow emanating from her skin but she knew they were under the castle. It resembled her own familiar walls more than they should, with several walls missing bricks. They were still building then. What business did the dornish have in the riverlands before the conquest? It was the question that kept nagging her as she looked around. The rumors were that Harren had started to run out of riverlands, forcing him to send for men further away. But she never in her wildest dreams thought that meant as far away as Dorne.

Thinking hard about how to warn her companion, she grew giddy. She had a unique opportunity that no one else ever would. The conquest had not happened yet and it would soon. She could see and verify parts of history that were completely lost to the shifting of time. Benjicot had been able to see Obyn at the end there but he never had before to her knowledge. Though that wasn’t a guarantee as the lord was a superb liar. She resolved herself to stay in the shadows and avoid the man who cursed Obyn to this life. It wouldn’t do to have that insane individual peeking into the mess of things right now or ever. All they had to do was stay alert, lay low, and find a way to communicate. She was finally free of dread for the moment, a burgeoning hope growing in her chest.

***

“The fighting has surpassed our expectations. Slowly it has crept into the Westerlands. Silverhall has been captured and House Serrett has surrendered. They are calling it the battle of “Silver Spill” for all of the disrupted silver carts dumped out.”

Benjicot did not care about the name of the battle as he stared down at the map outlining the current troop positions. But he let Red Robb go on about it as long as he liked because he loved him. Robb was like an older brother to him and the best archer in all of the realm. The fact that he was here in person spoke volumes to the strength of their position.

“And where are the Lannisters in all of this?” He asked, finally looking up to meet Robb’s gaze.

The man scoffed from his seated position. “Inside Casterly Rock, fuming like always. Not much else to be done is there?”

One Lannister resided in King’s Landing, Tyland. An odd man who Benjicot neither liked nor disliked. He hadn’t been at court to garner Lannister support. Now he realized with relief how much it benefited them that Tyland was there. His brother, Jason, was stuck in the westerlands with little choice as to what to do. Benjicots men advanced on houses refusing to bend to the queen. The lack of royal decree didn’t stop their marching and Jason Lannister had two choices. Allow the Westerland houses to fall into the hands of rivermen or defy the Queen and meet them on the field. He knew the man would do neither while backed into a corner. His brother's life hangs in the balance. He was likely sending letters to King’s Landing every day now. Benjicot wondered if the man was getting any response.

“What about in the Reach?” He cast his eyes to the east, letting them flit over the pieces as Robb talked.

“It's up to you. I can make a route either way.” He moved two pieces, one on Red Lake and one on Tumbleton.

Benjicot took a moment to consider the options. Tumbleton was loyal to the queen, having pledged their support early on in the war. But he also knew the young Prince Daeron was residing there currently with his dragon, Tesserion. He did not want to provoke a dragon rider who was raised in Old Town. Least of all a green one raised in the Hightower. He cast his eyes to Red Lake instead. House Crane was silent on the matter of the Queen’s coronation. They, much like the Lannisters, were keeping to themselves. It would put them very close to High Garden as well, he frowned. High Garden was neutral as well, waiting for the Hightowers to make the first move.

“Hold your position and wait for my word.” He said at last, dissatisfied with either option. “I need to work.”

Dismissing himself the red haired man stared at him for a moment before clapping him on the back and leaving Benjicot alone in the cold study. He then began writing a letter intended to reach a certain wolf in the north. He knew the Starks would honor their pledge to the Queen and it was time he started another front in this war. His wife was nowhere to be seen and for the moment that was opportunistic for him. No ladies would be expected around during this portion of the war, in the fast and brutal beginning. It gave him ample time to plan and prepare for his response to Queen Rhaenyra when she called on him. And he knew she would eventually. By then he hoped to have conquered the realm again in her name.

While finishing up the letter, he thought briefly of his Aunt Alysanne. She was back at Raventree holding the castle together in his absence. As he tied the letter to a raven, he considered a plot to marry her off to Lord Stark. Watching the bird fly off he began writing another letter to Prince Jacaerys. It was time the crown began utilizing marriage alliances, and he implored them to find a way to get Queen Rhaenyra to start making them. His curiosity over the events taking place at court right now was burning him up inside. But he had no course of action beyond the one he was taking now. Resentment built up in his veins at his stubborn wife, he needn’t be trapped here with her if she would just listen.

Tired and frustrated he looked back at the map spread out on the table before him. His hands itched to hold his sword as his eyes swept over the many strongholds in front of him. He felt half crazed, his fingers twitching with the desire for blood. He wasn’t sure of the sentiments in the Crownlands or the Stormlands. There was no telling what Dorne would do but he wasn’t concerned with them. Likely they wanted to stay out of the whole conflict if they could and he had no desire to invade. Restless and annoyed he decided it was time to go visit the new lord of RiverRun. He couldn’t just sit around here waiting for his wife forever. He gathered his cloak tightly around him and began the long walk towards the stables.

Outside his breath was stolen from him by the bitterly cold wind that was howling past him. The night was dark as he carefully picked his way down the massive stairs leading down to the courtyard. He was momentarily mystified as he reached the bottom. A cold wet snowflake hit his cheek causing him to look up. A million tiny dots of white littered the sky, falling like shards of glass. He blinked them out of his eyes, clearing his blurry vision. A chill stole up his spine as he continued on his way. It was too early for snow. He knew it wouldn’t stick, not this early. But if the temperature kept dropping it wouldn’t be long before they were covered in gales, walking in heaps of snow tall enough to rival the north.

The stables were quiet and warm, the soft breath of the horses were the only sounds as he walked. His own horse had been stabled beside his wife’s. His slick black stallion was a stark contrast against her silver filly. He began to saddle his horse, speaking softly to him as he did so.

“Hello Antares, are you ready to ride?”

A soft snort was the only response he received and it indicated his horse’s impatience. He took care to set everything right before he opened the door and the two of them set out.

[aajjks]

mommy issues!JK

your eyes widen when jungkook asks you if you’re ready to leave and from the look on his face, he’s pissed. what nara did was completely on purpose and instead of walking up there and punching her in the face like you want to, you nod your head, grab your black purse, and give eunwoo and alina a ‘goodbye hug.’

“jungkook?” calls a frantic mr. gang “how could you turn down an opportunity as big as that? i think you’d make a great director. you’re loyal, determined, dedicated, punctual, and get along well with your colleagues. please, just think about it? if i had a choice about who would run that building, it’d be you”

“u-um, mr. gang? hi, i’m his partner y/n”

“o-oh, i’m sorry. it’s nice to meet you y/n”

“you as well. listen, can you talk to jungkook about this another time? we need time to think about this”

“oh! yes yes yes, that’s fine. i apologize. you two have a wonderful night. think about it jungkook!” mr. gang says before walking away and leaving the four of you alone. jungkook gives a hug to alina and daps up eunwoo before taking your hand in his and leaving the venue.

nara smirks as she watches you both leave the party. “i’ll be waiting on your response, jungkook!” nara says in the mic to get his attention because she really wants to put him in incheon. not only for his capabilities but to piss him off. something about his exit gives her an odd sense of deja vu because this isn’t his first time leaving her alone without turning back.

she could’ve loved him better than anyone else could. she knows can love him better than you. she’ll give his son, who should be 5-years old, a great future and love him unconditionally. you can’t do that. you can’t provide him that and she’ll sure that he regrets ever ending their marriage.

as the two of you walk through the long halls of the venue, you can’t help but take looks at jungkook. he hasn’t said a word since you both left the party. you didn’t want to say anything since he seemed to be cooling off but you always enjoy talking with him.

you gently bump his shoulder with yours and say “jungkook? i enjoyed myself tonight. sure, we had a couple of hiccups but i had fun and eunwoo is hilarious” your comment does make jungkook crack a small smile because he’s happy you enjoyed yourself here with him.

“i know this isn’t any of my business but are you going to take the position in incheon? it is a good offer and you basically manage a whole building. you’ll make twice the amount of money, i’m sure and there are so many good schools there. seol would love it there too and you could bring him back to busan when he’s on break…it’s just my opinion on it”

~🫧

You don’t care if he leaves with his son? His sons absence won’t make a difference to you? His absence won’t make a difference to you?

Jungkook looks into your eyes and he’s sure his eyes are glossy right now, because his biggest fear is almost coming, true and that is being away from you because he’s grown so attached to you. And he knows that Seol won’t accept his father, moving to another city with him because of you.

“Yn? I don’t want any more money…. For us two? this salary, package is more than enough. I can provide for him. He is into a great school and you’re the greatest teacher he’s ever had.” He says, stopping in his tracks, and he takes your hand and grabs them so he can calm down.

“I don’t know if you can tell, but she did this on purpose so she just wants to have her revenge, because she thinks that we’re really dating and she wants me to break up with you, she needs to send me to another city where we will have no contact,”

He really wishes that you were really dating so you would move with him too… he can keep you so happy but maybe this is all moving too fast for you, and this is not the right time for him to confess his feelings and ask you to be his girlfriend.

The kiss you gave him today means so much to him and maybe that’s why he’s a little calm, but he cannot completely have a mental breakdown in front of you because you’re gonna think that he’s insane

Jungkook traces his fingers on your palm. “I… I have to tell you something but I don’t think that you’re gonna like it.” Should he tell you the truth and get this burden off of his chest?

He’s liked you for almost 2 years and.. he really wants you to want him as well. So he decides to take a deep breath and you’re looking at him with your beautiful eyes. Full of sympathy.

He’s going to tell you everything he feels for you. And even if you reject him that’s OK because that will just give him a reason to move on but he’s not sure if he can actually move on from you.

That is not possible.

“Y-Yn you’re going to hate me for this b-but…” he takes a step so he’s really close to you, he’s still holding onto your hands, you’re face to face, merely inches away, “I… like you a lot yn.”

Correction: I love you so much, yn

“I… have liked you from the first moment I saw you. A-And honestly? I’m not ashamed to admit it- I don’t care if after this, you don’t want anything to do with me but I want to be with you. I want you to be mine.”

He is going to break down. “I.. know that I’m not the most ideal man to date because I’m a single father of a five-year-old and you’re his teacher- a lot of baggage comes with me and there’s nothing really special about me except for my fucked up past and family… who would want to date a man who’s got a child from another woman? But…. The way you love him and care for him has made me fall even deeper for you and I know you’ll treat all of the children the same but… you’re so special to me and my son.”

His heart is going to burst at any moment now.

“you’re probably never going to date me or be interested in me romantically because you’re really professional and.. I don’t know but.. I really want a chance to show you that I love you and- I can be the best man for you..”

“please just one chance.”

[shrikeseams]

Sure? I mean, I would argue that the nature of the Silmarillion, as a book, is that we get far less information about individual characters than we would in a typical modern novel, let alone those characters' internal thoughts and motivations. If you're not comfortable with many diverse and varied versions of embroidering/ adding on to the text... well! Sounds boring, but you do you! My post was to add detail to a specific interpretation, that I personally find compelling, and nothing about it was intended to force anyone to agree. :) I'm putting the rest of this under a cut to spare everyone:

I've elaborated on my conception of Celegorm's treatment of Luthien as revenge for Aredhel elsewhere, and I see no need to repeat myself, but in summary:

Using Luthien as a hostage against Thingol DOES seem like one of his clear motivators, otherwise why would he open negotiations with Thingol at all? The situation is a pretty clear parallel to Aredhel's marriage in my personal opinion, and Celegorm's choice to actively seek Thingol's "approval" to marry his only daughter serves as a direct contrast to Eol's complete failure to so much as notify Fingolfin that he has married Aredhel. If Celegorm's sole motivation was desire/sexual conquest, I don't understand why he spent time fucking around with diplomatic negotiations. There are obviously political motivations at play in addition to lust, and the political gaffe of Thingol's sworn follower / kinsman eloping with the daughter of the high king of the noldor cannot, in fact, be disregarded in the case of Nolofinwe's sworn follower/kinsman attempting to force a marriage with Doriath's princess! I have many thoughts and feelings about this political situation, where I have posted elsewhere.

Characters can, in fact, have multiple motivations for their actions! Luthien as a tool for revenge does not negate any sexual desire Celegorm has for her! I will fully admit that part of my personal motivation for exploring this concept is that I find the whole desire-at-first-sight/sexual motivation angle boring and tedious, but I do try to avoid contradicting it, and I apologize if I have done so. My intention is to add complexity in this case, not to contradict canon.

Anyway, the core of my post was literally that just because two characters are in parallel, does not mean that the characters have to recognize the similarity or feel any sympathy. Just because a woman has been a victim of sexualized violence or sexual assault does not guarantee that she will feel compassion for another woman in an equivalent situation. I deliberately phrased my past so as to offer a different interpretation, not to dictate one. I, personally, feel like a good chunk of fandom looks at the whole "not wholly willing" thing and feels like they need to make Aredhel a perfect and unobjectionable victim or risk invalidating any presumptive domestic or sexual abuse. I feel like that impulse comes from the ways our culture treats actual DV/SA survivors, and it's not unreasonable! But I'm getting tired of it. I'm bored with it. I want to rub some dirt on Aredhel. And I honestly don't see any particular reason that she would have any positive feels about Luthien (a complete stranger), compared to a cousin that she was, in fact, explicitly friendly with. No, Aredhel does not need to wish violence on Luthien to be a complex character! But my point is that she could very well be entirely on Celegorm's side without invalidating her own victimhood, and I find that tension crunchy.

I'm perfectly happy to let Aredhel cheer on every single act of Noldor violence after her death, including kinslayings! My interpretation is not exclusive of Turgon. I like Ardhel bloodthirsty. That is my preference. You're welcome to yous! But in that case, my posts are extremely not for you and that's fine.

Circling back, as ever, the the idea that Celegorm's treatment of Luthien was (at least in part) revenge for Aredhel.

Because often I see people responding with something along the lines of "Oh, Aredhel would be so mad at him about that!", and I am here to say: I don't necessarily buy that.

Aredhel's murder and (presumed) previous victimization do not make her some saintly bastion of virtue and Female Solidarity. It is perfectly normal and common for someone who has been wronged in some way to want revenge for that wrong, and not not care that others also become victims in the process. I don't think that's terribly uncommon among, for example, women who have been subject to domestic abuse.

Like many silm characters, I don't think we know terribly much about Aredhel as a fleshed out character/personality, but what we do know is:

She's one of the Exiled Noldor, and therefore at least superficially has a pro-revenge bias

She's actively friends with Celegorm and actively sought out his company, which suggests that to at least some degree they share values

At least by the end, her relationship with Eol had gone catastrophically, murderously bad

It is entirely possible for Aredhel to be cheering Celegorm on the whole time from Mandos. It's perfectly plausible for her to be angry, not because he wanted to rape Luthien, but because he failed to do so and thereby avenge her on Eol's kin.

It's ugly! But people so often are. And I personally think that realistic ugliness makes for more complex, chewy characters.

An Aredhel sainted and white-washed by her victimhood is so fucking boring to me.

[theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin]

Okay but I would LOVE to here your heretical opinions on Padame if you ever want to share them or any of your other views on star wars prequel characters. Your character analysises are INCREDIBLE and really fun to read <3

Oh boy, are you sure about that? Well, the ask has been made so here, we, gooooooooooooooo!

Padme’s one of those strange characters who appears as one thing but in actuality is quite different. Because she appears as the first thing, and it’s something people really like, most people accept that at face value and if she’s not always consistent--well, she came from a series of screenplays written by George Lucas.

Padme comes across as a very noble, kind, and courageous character who is also quite politically savvy. At fourteen, against all odds, she saves her planet from invasion when the Senate did nothing, secured herself an ally in the chancellor (nevermind him being secretly Palpatine), and even after relinquishing her title as queen remains a major player in the senate for years and is seen as enough of a threat to warrant several assassination attempts (one so bad she has to be guarded by Jedi and sent home to Naboo for several weeks). 

And I’m not saying she’s not any of these things. Padme is very courageous, is one of those odd politicians who... believes she stands for what she believes in (more on this later), and has a remarkable political career.

However, she’s also romantic to the point of being completely and utterly delusional, self-centered, and frankly a little nuts.

(Yeah, you knew you were waiting for me to say something terrible, WEREN’T YOU?!) Right, so what’s wrong with Padme?

Well, if you look closely at a few of her choices, the ones that never seemed to make much sense, then you can look at her other choices and... Well, it all sort of comes together. 

That’s right, I’m talking about “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith”.

Attack of the Clones we have the very lackluster and strange romance of Anakin and Padme.

On Anakin’s end, his infatuation with Padme makes a lot of sense. She was part of the party that rescued him from slavery, she was very kind to him, and was the prettiest girl he’s ever seen in his life. Ten years later, always having harbored a crush on her memory and keeping it alive through whatever news he hears of her, she’s grown into a very beautiful woman and Anakin is by chance introduced back into her life. I get why Anakin falls head over heels for Padme, I’ll get more into this later and how their relationship has some major issues (aside from the obvious), but I understand why he marries this girl out of nowhere even when it could get him thrown out of the Jedi. (As an aside, since this is more of a Padme post, I think Anakin was spurred on in part also by the death of his mother and his massacre of the Tusken Raiders. Anakin’s life was flipped upside down in a very short amount of time, one of his great emotional ties is suddenly gone, and I think he has this internal crisis that culminates in him deciding to marry Padme. Without this, he and Padme may have become lovers, but I don’t think he’d marry her).

On Padme’s end... it’s a little less clear. Anakin has grown into an attractive young man, yes. Take out all of George Lucas’ dialogue, and maybe Padme finds Anakin very charming. However, Padme secretly marries a Jedi she’s known for three weeks. Now, I’d be a bit more forgiving of this, love is love and we can’t always think rationally, but there’s some other things.

Unlike Anakin, Padme hasn’t been spending the past ten years romanticizing her memory of Anakin Skywalker. When they met in Phantom Menace, Anakin was not only five years younger than her, he was nine-years-old. To fourteen-year-old Padme, Anakin was not then dating material and was instead this poor boy in slavery. Which means while Anakin has build up justifying this rapid romance, Padme really doesn’t. What this means is that her romance with Anakin reads a lot more like a romantic fantasy. Cute dashing bodyguard shows up, saves her life, through contrived circumstances they’re sent back to beautiful Naboo where they spend time together, only cute bodyguard is a Jedi and can’t marry, which makes their love excitingly taboo! 

Everything Padme does, before and after this point, lends itself to this overdeveloped sense of romance. Padme wants to be whisked away, wants to have this secret unsustainable marriage with a man who cannot be married, she’s in love with the idea of being in love. Given how little time she spends with Anakin, how little they really know of each other, I’d say she’s more in love with the idea of Anakin than Anakin Skywalker himself. And this isn’t a bad thing necessarily, or at least not a grievous flaw, however, that’s not all. 

Padme chooses to marry Anakin knowing he murdered an entire village of men, women, and children. She marries him almost immediately after the massacre of the Tusken Raiders. Note, she does not learn about this later and have to come to terms with it, she is right there. She is on Tatooine with him and sees him go to do it and then return. 

Padme doesn’t take it... particularly well, that said, she also seems to shove it under the carpet immediately. She, first, marries Anakin within days after this event. She second, never really has a “holy fuck, Anakin” conversation with him. And worst yet, she never confesses to anyone else. Padme is a hypocrite and willing to sacrifice everything she believes in, albeit I believe unwittingly, for her romantic fantasy.

She tells no one about what happened. An entire village was brutally massacred, those who are already poor and oppressed and have no voice, by a man who is supposed to be a protector of all people in the galaxy. I’m sorry, Anakin, but if Padme was who you think she is then she would have to tell the Jedi Order at the very least if not the Republic. Instead, there are no consequences, only Anakin’s descent into guilt and madness as three years pass with it festering in the back of his mind.  Padme does not stand for the poor, for the people, or for justice. She only does so when it does not conflict with her own interests, i.e. her actions regarding the invasion of Naboo. More, I do not believe Padme has the introspection to realize this about herself, she never realizes that not narking on Anakin was very very very bad. Three years pass and she lives the whirlwind romantic fantasy that she and Anakin both want. They’re secret lovers/spouses, meeting up at the oddest hours of the day and... This is three years of this ridiculous affair. Three years to come to terms with the fact that something must change. And then the kicker, Padme gets pregnant, and this is where the extra delusional comes in.

The child should have been a signal of the end. There can be no more secret now. Padme is having a child, presumably out of wedlock, and even if space is very very very different from our society I imagine this would be quite the scandal that could even get her thrown out of the senate. I believe Padme mentions as much to Anakin. More, Anakin is no longer a lover, he is now a father. What’s supposed to happen now? They raise this secret child, instructing them that Anakin is only a father in private, never in public?

Anakin and Padme briefly flirt with the idea of Anakin leaving the order. Anakin even wants to do so, but it... never happens. Now is the time it absolutely should happen. Yes, Anakin’s a big part of the war effort, but he could at least start talking to the Order and they could decide if it’d be a slow or fast exit. 

My theory, Padme’s too in love with the fantasy. Anakin leaving means he’s no longer a Jedi, it means he’ll come to Naboo, be unemployed and be around. Anakin visiting will no longer be this romantic, fraught with the danger of being found out, passionate, short lived event for Padme. It’ll become real life. He’ll be a real, ordinary man, she’ll be a real, ordinary, woman, and that spark of romance will be gone.

I don’t think Padme wants that. 

Which is why, even with the child on the way, we see Anakin and Padme continue to play out this ridiculous secret lovers fantasy. And then, of course, Anakin goes insane off screen.

Padme is told that, once again, Anakin has murdered dozens of children. Of course, this is a terrible thing to be told and she can’t process it. She needs to find Anakin and confront him, but people always criticize Lucas here and feel it’s out of character for Padme to have run to Anakin in sobbing hysterics with no plan of enacting vengence.

Frankly, I think it’s very in character. She did nothing about the Tuskens, remember? I think at the end of the day, the murder of the Jedi children means very little to her. What hurts Padme the most is that the fantasy of Anakin she married is not real. The Anakin she married would never murder the Jedi children, betray the Republic, or do any of what he’s done. And I think Padme only has that strong, iron, will when she knows the world she’s in. With the Trade Federation, her stance was obvious. Her people were being oppressed, butchered, and invaded. In this case, the world she knew no longer exists.

The Republic is gone, perhaps hasn’t existed in thirteen years, as it turns out the senator who had always been her biggest supporter was a Sith Lord. The Jedi are gone, children murdered by Anakin while those in the field are picked off by their own clone soldiers. Padme’s world has fallen apart, and I think that makes it much harder for her to be the girl we saw in Phantom Menace. In time, perhaps, she would have joined the rebellion but... I do think Padme might have also given into despair.

So, yeah, that’s Padme for you.

[aspoonfuloffiction]

What do you think Edwina was actually looking for in a husband? She never listens to Kate about Anthony and whenever he’s there she chooses him over Lumley, Kate’s choice. She says she values Kate’s opinions but she constantly ignores them and only brings it up again when she realizes the truth (totally not hating on Edwina and I think she 100% has a right to be angry at the end of the season) it seems like the writers decided to keep that aspect from the book but then ignore it completely in the show

I actually don’t know what Edwina is looking for in a husband and I think she doesn’t know either.

I think its really interesting that when Anthony proposes she says “Yes I will be your viscountess” not “I’ll be your wife” and certainly no declarations of love.

Because sure Edwina didn’t know about the Sheffield plot but she knew that there was a very specific type of people that she could marry. Titled nobility. That is basically what she was told. Remember in episode 1 some Duke or Earl asks for a dance and Edwina looks to Kate and Kate approves because he appropriately titled so Edwina gets to dance.

So Edwina when states her type she’s like maybe he’ll be a Duke or a Prince but she never identifies what personality traits she likes. I get the sense she’s never actually thought about it.

And yeah Kate kept pushing Lumley on Edwina…but I rewatched that scene for this ask and I didn’t find anything Edwina seemed to like about Lumley. Everything about their day at the Ascot was Kate’s doing-she set it up, she chaperoned, she was the one furthering that conversation until Anthony shows up.

If you rewatch the scene Edwina doesn’t really talk to Lumley. They have one aside that Edwina loves to read, he brings up Byron, but Edwina says she doesn’t read poetry, so Kate jumps in about how he can teach her. But that’s the extent of Edwina and Lumley’s conversation because then Anthony crashes their “date”. Edwina with Lumley comes off bored to me

Edwina values Kate’s opinion—she agrees to not go near Anthony, she sticks to Kate’s list. But it is her marriage. Does Edwina have to marry a man just because Kate said so? Kate liked Lumley therefore Edwina must marry him? That seems cruel…

Ultimately I think it comes down to Edwina’s episode 6 speech. (I genuinely recommend just rewatching that scene in the chapel without considering the ships at hand just the content of the speech-I think it pretty well describes Edwina’s hurt) That Kate has been projecting her dreams onto Edwina (which we know is because Kate doesn’t believe herself to be worthy of her own dreams not until she talks to Mary in episode 8).

Kate bound down by her own trauma was living vicariously through Edwina. And Kate only ever means well, she truly has Edwina’s best intentions at heart but Kate forget Edwina has to live with that life. Because she has older sister blinders on. And from experience I know those are very blinding.

Kate likes Lumley so Edwina will like Lumley and marry him but Edwina barely talks to him. Kate doesn’t like Anthony so Edwina can’t go near him except that they had a connection at the Queen’s Ball. Kate thinks Edwina should be with Anthony so Edwina has to live with a man who’s admitted that he will want her sister for the rest his life.

At no point does anyone ask Edwina to make an informed decision about her own future until the DAY of her publicly fallen apart wedding.

TLDR: I think if Edwina is on a journey of self discovery one of the things she may consider is what it is she likes in a partner *cough*women*cough*. Maybe she like scholars or maybe she likes politicians. But that regardless she cannot keep living her mom or sister or society’s aspirations.

Sidebar though: I think its really interesting that at the little talent show-what truly interests Edwina in Anthony is the belief that he is the type of man her father would have liked. The kind of man he described for his daughters. And Edwina is right except she is just the wrong daughter.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

What if in the AU The non Alice cullens found out that she was almost killed by Edward, what would they do?

It's sad that I have so many damn AU posts in which Edward murders Bella it genuinely took me a minute to figure out which anon was referencing.

It's this one, by the way.

Well, part of the thing with that is Edward has Alice on his side. The Cullens aren't going to find out and it's not something any of them would ever guess either.

If rumor spreads, if the Cullens at some point visit Volterra and Aro takes Carlisle aside and goes, "You know, old friend, I don't know how to say this but... Your son murdered his wife." Then they won't believe it and Edward will easily poison the family against naysayers.

This would be believing the absolute worst of Edward and without irrefutable proof, they will not do it.

But Let's Pretend They Do

Maybe they catch Edward in the act somehow. His murder of Bella is pushing her into a beach bonfire in front of everyone. They rescue her just in time, even managing to save the leg Edward tore off and threw in there.

Well, if the other Cullens find out we end up here.

They'd be first horrified, confronted by this ugly, awful, truth and then the cookie crumbles and the coven falls apart.

Carlisle doesn't know who Edward is anymore, he doesn't know the truth about anything. Everything he thought he knew about Edward is a lie.

This is before Edward's met Aro, so he doesn't return to Volterra to find out the truth, but I do think he deliberately splits paths from Edward and offers Bella sanctuary with him.

Esme at first argues desperately against this. Edward must stay, he's unwell, he didn't understand what he was doing, they have to be there for him and help him heal. They can pull through this if they try.

Given Bella's life is on the line, Carlisle is unmoved, he's still leaving and Edward will not come with him. He's of course devastated inside, will need months to reflect on this and grieve over the Edward he's lost, but this choice has to be made.

Esme ultimately chooses to go with Edward, he needs her far more than Carlisle does, and is devastated at her marriage ending like this. Carlisle is as well, neither of them saw this coming, and yet looking at it in retrospect it seems obvious.

Rosalie and Emmett stay with Carlisle and Bella. Rosalie is appalled and horrified, in shock and not sure what to think, and still very conflicted over Bella. However, what Edward attempted was monstrous, and just as Carlisle doesn't know Edward anymore neither does Rosalie.

And where Rosalie goes Emmett goes. Emmett, for the record, thinks this is all extremely fucked up but doesn't want to touch it with a ten foot pole. If you asked him, which no one will, then he... may have seen a few red flags here and there. Just a few, mind you, Edward was always crazy when it came to Bella. Not crazy in love, either, just crazy.

Alice also goes with Edward which means that Jasper goes with Edward.

It's the divorce of the century.

Given the point of this is to save Bella's life and get her as far from Edward as possible Carlisle forsakes a) all the money b) all the properties. They all have ties to the Cullens and it'd be all too easy for Edward to track it down.

Granted, Edward also has Alice with him, which would certainly help him along but Carlisle also doesn't want to make it ridiculously easy. More, beneath all of this, is a need to break away from Edward and the Carlisle Cullen of the last century.

Edward is very dear to Carlisle and this is a huge blow.

All the memories he has of making this coven, Edward was there for, excepting his few years of absence. Edward was the first person Carlisle turned, the first person to come back to the diet, and such an important person in Carlisle's life.

Now Carlisle has essentially lost Edward, and everything he's built over this century. The homes with so many memories, Isle Esme, all of it has lost something.

Better to forsake all of it and leave it all behind.

As a result, the Cullens 1.0 get to live on Carlisle's doctor salary, the Cullens 2.0 get all of Alice's money and all the properties. Rosalie misses those cars so dearly. God, why does Edward, who tried to murder his wife, get rewarded with the cars?!

The Cullens 1.0

However, I think the first thing Carlisle does is move the family abroad. This will help with the clean break, the leaving the Cullen coven as it was behind and trying to move forward. They change their surroundings completely and go to Europe.

And they probably do visit the Volturi as Carlisle, a) needs a close friend he can talk to about all of this, b) Aro might have insight Carlisle lacks into how this could have possibly happened and why Edward would even do this, c) it's probably best he stay off the grid for a little while to let the Carlisle Cullen name die down while Edward's being... Edward.

Also, more pragmatically, for all Edward has Alice's visions he surely would not be mad enough to attempt to kill Bella while she's in Volterra. This will give time for Esme, Alice, and Jasper to get through to Edward and perhaps figure out why this even happened.

Bella's an absolute wreck, flip flopping between denial and numb apathy. She joins Marcus in the garden to stare at the wall for hours while she contemplates the fact that Edward, the love of her life, tried to murder her.

She asks Marcus if Edward ever truly loved her.

Marcus tells her that she doesn't want to know.

Carlisle tries to offer Bella therapy, but he's in desperate need of it himself.

Aro tries to offer her therapy, and then realizes that Bella's even worse off than he suspected. Though he is delighted at her gift as well as Carlisle's presence, and he enjoys Rosalie and Emmett. He schemes to get the Cullens 1.0 to stay in Volterra, to convince Carlisle of the necessity of Bella's gift for the guard.

Also helping is that while in Volterra she has sanctuary from her murderous lover. This is a very convincing argument that will see them in Volterra for a good long while.

Emmett challenges Felix to arm wrestling competitions and, while still weirded out, fares the best out of the entire family.

The Cullens 2.0

Edward has a complete meltdown. It's all falling apart. He never foresaw this, never wanted this. Instead of saving Bella's humanity she now knows he's a monster, sees him as nothing more than a murderer, and now he may never see her again.

And Carlisle, Carlisle knows just what he is! Worse, he not only knows, but he rejected Edward just as Edward feared he would. This time, it's not Edward leaving the diet and Carlisle, it's Carlisle leaving him and Edward cannot return the prodigal son. He will never see Carlisle again.

He personally ruined Carlisle and Esme's marriage.

He ruined everything.

Edward likely decides to kill himself. He has failed in everything, ruined everything he touched, and he is a monster worse even than other monsters.

Bella is now a demon and it seems she will be forever, Alice hesitantly tells him that she's in Volterra now, where Edward cannot reach her.

There is nothing for him now and he never should have become this demon in the first place. If he could kill Bella, the finest thing in creation, the least he can do is kill himself.

He forces Jasper to do it.

He blackmails Jasper, if Jasper doesn't do it, then Edward will break every law the Volturi have ever made.

He will embrace the monster he is, the monster they all know he is. He will turn hundreds of humans into newborn and set them loose on human cities, he will turn dozens of children in their cribs, he will walk naked in the sunlight and let every human see exactly what he is as he eats their women and children.

He will cause such terror and desolation that the vampire world will speak of him for decades to come.

And if Jasper relies on Alice, well, he will be forcing Alice to outmaneouver and out think Edward at every opportunity. And she will slip up, because Edward will act on impulse or else she might not be looking in his direction at a critical moment.

They have forever and Edward is patient.

Jasper, of course, does it as he does all hard things in life.

He tells Esme that Edward went to live on a farm.

The Cullens 2.0 never hook back up with the Cullens 1.0.

[elriell]

Some thoughts on Poppy x Cass x Kieran & The Joining.

After some awesome chats with the wonderful peeps ( @silverlinedeyes , @azriiel , @rhyssescups & @azrielisababe​ ) I think that there are several little tidbits that really hint at The Joining or potentially more, I know it is a pretty mixed bag of opinions but here are some of mine. [Spoilers: TCOGB]

Implication vs. Foreshadowing

“Casteel’s arm curled, tightening around my shoulder, drawing me closer. My breath snagged as his movement triggered Kieran. He shifted behind me, and my pulse felt like a trapped bird. A sleek, muscled thigh slid between mine, pressing in. I had no idea if it was Casteel’s or Kieran’s.”

“I didn’t know when I’d stopped thinking about the fact that it wasn’t just Casteel’s body that touched mine, it wasn’t his chest that my head fell back against.”

“But that wasn’t the only explanation for why I was so warm. Heat pressed against my back. A heavy arm lay over my waist and a leg was tucked between mine.”

The first time they... have fun, he does so with Kieran nearby.

She could have easily left the joining in the air, having implied it but not intending to follow through yet we get 23 mentions, alongside several moments of highly sexual/emotional connection between the three.

Instead throughout the book we are slowly introduced to the prospect of the three of them gently, coaxing them in to the storyline repeatedly through AKOFAF.

“Cass is too jealous...” 

“A ghost of a smile appeared. “And then he’d be…intrigued.”

My mouth opened, but my mind took that and leapt with it. I had nothing to say. Absolutely nothing, but I thought about what I had read about the wolven and the Atlantians. There was a bond between some of them, and while not much was known about what that bond entailed, I was confident that a Prince was of the class that wolven would be bonded to. I wanted to ask, but considering I was in a tub and naked, now wasn’t the time.”

There is way to much we do not know about their bond, or their past to make that statement in my opinion, I think ordinarily I would agree, except with Kieran, he is the one person I could see Cass trusting with Poppy.

Not to mention textually speaking, he brings it up plenty and never seems offended by the idea. 

“I’m not judging either.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You’re not?”

“I’m not,” I insisted.

“So, you’re interested then?” he murmured.”

“Did you bookmark the chapters detailing how Willa spent afternoons entertaining not one but two suitors, one in front and the other—?”

“You seem to know a lot about that book.”

“I love that fucking book,” he said, and my jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it. “So, you’re interested then, Princess. What a wild side you have.”

“Look, I know you’re not looking for this marriage to go beyond the necessary,” he said, and that strange, stupid ache in my chest pulsed. “So, it’s not even something you need to worry about. But the Joining is meant to strengthen the bond that’s already there, and ensure that the partner is also a part of that bond. It’s not done lightly, and again, it is not always a sexual thing. I know it’s been done where everyone kept their body parts to themselves.”

“I can always read to you,” Casteel offered. “I still have a certain diary with me. There is a chapter I’m sure you’ll be interested in. Miss Willa has the same sleeping arrangement—”

“No. Nope.” I screwed my eyes closed. “Not necessary.”

“Are you sure?” Casteel seemed to have wiggled closer. His entire leg pressed against mine.”

All of these instances are in reference to the Joining/Kieran. Never does he imply jealousy or something he would disagree with, if anything we are told how much stronger it would make the bond (though we have yet to see where it stands) and also include Poppy. You cannot convince me that she would bring this Joining up so many time only to have it never come to fruition.

 Potential Breadcrumbs

“A hundred different thoughts and emotions exploded through me, so many, so fast, I couldn’t make sense of them.”

This is during the cuddle scene, this really screams foreshadowing for her emotions and the tug-of-war she is going to undergo! 

“I…” I looked around, seeing nothing but thick fog and Kieran standing above us, staring behind me and breathing just as heavily as Casteel. Confusion swept through me.”

“Just as heavily as Casteel.” interesting choice of words.

So while we are on the topic let’s speak about Poppy & Kieran;

“Reaching for the blanket, I tugged it to my waist. A muscle flexed in Kieran’s jaw. “He didn’t force himself on you?”

“You’re okay?” Kieran asked, and I felt Casteel nod. “Penellaphe?”My tongue felt heavy, but I managed to work out a muffled, “Yes.”

He is not only focused on Casteel’s wellbeing but also Poppy’s. We also get significant growth between them and their comfort with each other...

“He lifted his brows. “Are you worried about me?” Crossing my arms, I nodded.

“Don’t be nice to me,” he replied, and I sensed amusement from him. “It weirds me out.”

“Sorry.” He smiled then as he walked to where I stood. “You don’t sound remotely sorry.” I grinned at him.

“Do me a favor,” Kieran said, looking down at me. “Protect your Prince, Poppy.”

They both understand each other because they both understand their love for Casteel and desire to protect him.

“Still caring for him would only lead to heartache,” I whispered, knowing the truth right then and there. I did care. I never stopped caring. And acknowledging that felt as if I’d slipped under the black water.

“It doesn’t have to,” Kieran said. “But even so, sometimes, the heartbreak that comes with loving someone is worth it, even if loving that person means eventually saying goodbye to them.”

The roughness in his tone spoke more than his words shared. “You sound like you have experience with that.”

This is so cryptic. Either way, it is a beautiful scene where they are opening up to each other and being genuine, not to mention the subtle hints at it being “worth it” despite the pain. Could Kieran have love/d Cas? We know from JLA that she said that most Wolven are Bi/Poly.

“I wasn’t sure how I could come to terms with it even when I had time. “I don’t...”

“You don’t want this.” Kieran finished for me, his wintry gaze meeting mine. 

We can only speculate what this is referring to but I don’t think it is strange to think it could be the Joining, not to mention JLA said she wrote a scene that was unlike any of the smut she has ever done before and it occurs at the beginning of the book or near it... I am guessing something will urge them to need to do the joining, perhaps to reform the bond between Kieran and Cass that was severed.

This goes hand in hand with my theory that something will happen that separates them and has Poppy/Kieran having to go on a mission for Cass either with or without him. I think this could be how she finds a way to balance out the scales in the development in their relationships as PoppyCass has a full book more than with Kieran.

Not to mention this early review of the book mentions “sharing” & “watching” this heavily implies the Joining could happen.

Kieran & Cass

“If I had turned to Casteel in my sleep, Kieran had also turned, as if Casteel were a magnet that drew both of us.”

I strange turn of phrase. My thoughts are if a Poly Ship or alike were ever to happen there would need to be complete trust, a lack of jealousy and be functional much like HeronGrayStairs. 

I truly believe the potential is there between PoppyCassKieran.

“Disbelief and anger radiated from him, but I felt something else, something deeper that was warm and stronger than the anger. “I know why you’re doing this,” Kieran whispered.”

“Casteel said nothing for a long moment and then said, “It’s not the only reason.” Words went unsaid between them, but were understood nonetheless.”

Their bond is undeniably strong and I truly believe there is more to it than meets the eye, unquestionably they love each other, the question remains how.

“When a bonded elemental takes on a partner, the bond can be extended to that person. It requires an exchange of blood between the three—or the four if the partner is also bonded. And the exchange of blood…well, it is quite…” He cleared his throat as his cheeks flushed. “It can become very intimate. In a way that would most likely make you very uncomfortable.”

I just can’t see why she would make such a show of the Joining for no payoff in the next book.

“First off,” he said, struggling for breath, “I don’t think anyone is going to expect that.” From you seemed to hang unsaid between us.”

Not to mention the fact there is little secrets between them, when no one else was told about Poppy’s gift Kieran was. When no one (Malek aside) knew about Shea but Kieran, and now Poppy.

It is a recurring theme that the three of are very open with each others secrets. 

And I can only imagine it growing in the next book. 

This ^^^^ just make me believe more and more we are getting some major Kieran development and book time, going along with my theory him and Poppy will be going to be spending time together for some reason.

So in summary, I think there is little doubt in my mind that the Joining will happen and potentially even a ship born.

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! A new month - so new fics for you to find and enjoy! I can’t say it enough: all the authors in this fandom are truly amazing! Thank you so much for continuously sharing your hard work with us ♥ Here are the 14 fics I read and enjoyed this month:

A Hungry Heart | jacaranda_bloom | Great British Bake Off AU - famous/not famous - cliches - pining - angst - smut - 27k Harry Styles, florist and Great British Bake Off contestant, loves many things. He loves his flower shop, he loves baking, and there’s also that little crush he has on pop star Louis Tomlinson. But when Louis arrives on set as the surprise guest judge, Harry’s worlds collide. Throw in a cup of cuteness, a teaspoon of teasing, and a pinch of pining, and there’s all the ingredients for an epic love story, or absolute chaos. Or the one where the Bake Off tent has never been so hot, and it’s got nothing to do with what’s in the ovens.

Teenage Rebellion Never Worked Out So Well | panda_bear21 | arranged marriage - friends to lovers - 55k “I’m an adult!” He glanced down at Harry, who seemed anything but at the moment, where he was definitely on the brink of a temper tantrum. “We’re both adults!” Jay glanced to Anne again, before breathing out a heavy sigh. “Yes, but you’re both adults that do not have jobs and who live off of our money… Which means, you have to do what we say… or you’ll have to find a new place to live.” “You wouldn’t do that.” Louis dared, hoping his glare was enough to guilt trip his mother into calling the whole thing off. Or to tell them that it had all just been a huge joke and they weren’t actually being forced into marrying a complete stranger. “Oh, but we would.” Or the super cliché arranged marriage fic where things escalate way too quickly.

Heartbreak Hotel | noellehenry | time travel - 1950s - historical - pining - 29k British popstar Harry Styles is thrown back in time after an unfortunate accident on stage. He wakes up in a small town in the US in the 1950's, where life is slightly different from 2015. With help from Niall and Liam he tries to adjust to his new life; without mobile phones and a world wide web to keep up with the world and where showing interest in nice cute boys with bright blue eyes is a no-no. Time travel and 1950's AU where Liam is an English teacher, Niall owns the Best Song Ever record shop, James runs Corden's Diner, Elvis fan Louis is the cute boy with the blue eyes and Harry..... just tries to survive really.

Playdate | Larry_you_know | getting together - misunderstandings - kid fic - fluff - 7k When Harry’s sister asked him to pick up her son at a kids' birthday party he sure didn’t expect to be stunned by the blue-eyed brother of the birthday twins. Using his nephew to see Louis again, he falls hard and fast. But how does one turn a playdate into a real date?

tread lightly on my ground | fairytalelights | a/b/o - mpreg - touch-starved - miscommunication - friends to lovers - touch deprivation - smut - 21k No, that's the tragic part of this, the part that makes Harry feel like the universe is playing a cruel joke on him. The father of his baby is exactly right, exactly who he always imagined himself having kids with. He just imagined them married, bonded. Happy. He didn't imagine them barely talking, tip-toeing around each other because neither of them is brave enough to talk about what happened between them. He didn't imagine the father of his child not loving him back. or, the one where Harry is having Louis' baby, but Louis doesn't know it's his.

Not Ready for This | berzerkshires | kid fic - single parents - smut - 18k Prompt for HLSummerFest2021: Louis and Harry are both single fathers and their children decide to go out on a date. The dads insist on meeting one another before they agree to let their child go out on this date.

Secret's Safe With Me | alltheselights | boss/employee relationship - secret relationship - toxic relationship (not h/l) - slow burn - smut - 59k But here’s the thing about secrets that people tend to forget—they’re deeply personal things. Tiny pieces of information about someone that they keep locked inside and only let out at certain moments, or to certain people, or not at all. Secrets have value, you see, even if only to the person holding them inside. If those secrets were to be told, if those tiny jagged pieces of someone, the parts they hold most dear, the parts they hide out of shame or fear or regret—if those pieces were exposed to someone, it would have the potential to change everything. When bad turbulence and three glasses of wine have Louis spilling all of his secrets to the man sitting next to him on the plane, it's embarrassing, sure, but it's also easy enough to shrug off and block out of his memory forever. Or at least, it was until Louis went into work on Monday morning and realized that the man from the plane is the new CEO of his company.

Marks On My Baby | thinlines | a/b/o - college/university - friends to lovers - hurt/comfort - angst - fluff - smut - 32k “What’s that?” Harry hadn’t meant for his voice to sound so sharp and even he winced at his own outburst. It was more of a hiss than an actual question, but for now, he was too surprised to care. “What’s what?” The omega asked, eyebrows raised and lips pinched. Harry knew he was probably mad at him for interrupting his rant, but the alpha was too on edge to bother pleasing the boy. “On your neck… Your bondmark spot…” His voice had grown low and deep, almost a growl. Who knew a single love bite on his omega friend's neck would trigger Harry this much? Certainly not the alpha himself.

Rogue | Laventriloque | a/b/o - werewolves - minor character death - hurt/comfort - past abuse - past rape/non-con - soulmates - smut - 95k “No, Liam! How many times do I have to… before you finally… NO WAY … a rogue in our pack?… cannot trust him … don’t care to know him … have enough members to worry about.” He hears more indistinct shouts before he hears pretty clearly: “His own pack didn’t want him!” Sitting here, his precious bag between his feet and everyone in the room looking at him, some with pity, some with disdain, some with curiosity, Louis feels like someone squeezed his heart in their hands and isn’t letting it go. He wills his head to stay up high and his posture to stay confident. He will not flee the room. He will not let that stupid lump in his throat get the better of him. He will stay here until Liam returns. He will take the rejection in stride and move on. Like he’s been doing all his life." -- Louis is a rogue Omega who's suffered through rejection and abuse for the biggest part of his life. He stumbles onto the Styles pack, quite possibly the kindest one he's ever met.

indian summer | docklands | strangers to lovers - hurt/comfort - banter - smut - 30k Harry runs a smoothie shop, which also happens to be an ever-moving caravan. He spends one week in each location and drives straight to the next, always eager for adventure. It isn't until his van breaks down and he needs to call for a mechanic that he starts to ponder his life choices. Louis, the said mechanic, is an anchor in Harry's wild sea, but his hard metal might be too much for Harry's unpredictable antics.

A Silver Lining In A Storm (You Were Lightning, I Was Born) | FallingLikeThis | arranged marriage - royalty - a/b/o - mpreg - minor character death - murder - non-graphic violence - angst - hurt/comfort - 7k Omega Prince Harry had always known that he was going to have an arranged marriage. But after the death of his first fiancé, a man who turned out far worse than Harry thought possible, his subsequent marriage to the man's brother leaves Harry finding it difficult to trust that everything will work out. Especially considering the only responsibility he’s aware of is to give his husband, the future king, an heir.

A Twist of Fate | myfearlesslou | a/b/o - strangers to lovers - soulmates - angst - 35k Since the moment Harry presented as an omega, all he's ever wanted was to have a baby. Fate had another idea in mind for him. Giving up on trying to conceive, he decides to adopt a new born baby boy. After months of loving and caring for the boy, a strange man comes into his life, taking him by surprise. Not wanting to lose the child he's loved from the moment he laid eyes on him, Harry does whatever he can to keep the boy safe and in his arms. Even if that means following the handsome stranger to a part of the woods he's never seen before.

Trust Me Tonight | 28sunflowers | historical - royalty - regency - arranged marriage - first time - mpreg - pwp - 10k After Harry’s eighteenth birthday, his father calls him into a meeting to say that he is to be married to Prince Louis of France in just over a week. Harry is excited, of course. The arrangement is better than any he could’ve hoped for, with such a young, handsome and kind husband. There is just one issue: Harry doesn’t know what happens on his nuptials, or how to get pregnant to give Louis the heir that he needs.

i got a heart (but i don't got a soul) | tempolarriefics | mythical beings Á creatures - enemies to lovers - childhood friends - famous/not famous - soulmates - angel/demon relationship - demon/human relationship - 19k “We’re soulmates.” Louis’ eyes flick from the tattoo back to Harry’s face, where his eyes are shining with excitement. Louis wonders if he is supposed to feel excited, too. He’s supposed to feel something, surely, besides his usual bitterness for Harry. He thinks back to how Lottie had described meeting Sam, how she had known in her heart that he was meant for her even before he said his phrase. He can’t help but wonder if he would be feeling differently if he hadn’t gone and sold his soul. Or, the one where louis sells his soul before meeting his soulmate, harry is a popstar with a heart of gold, niall is inadvertently responsible for harry's boners, liam is a meddling angel, and zayn is a demon who made a mistake

[msfbgraves]

Btw, thanks for giving Michael happiness in Mob, he’s one of my all time favorite characters in anything, so nice to see him not be unhappy :) . I always thought Kay was a good character, smart, attractive, classy, sensible…but far too different and far too “American” and modern for Michael. Traditional, beautiful Apollonia was always the best for him, well suited in every way, especially culturally. And I don’t think he loved Kay anywhere close to how he loved Apollonia. So here, I am glad that he can be with his true love.

Speaking of true matches, if given a choice, would Daniel choose Kumiko over Terry? I recall him speaking to Amanda when they were abroad that he’s never loved anyone like her, which surprised me (ngl lol, as a diehard Silverusso fan, it rubbed me all sorts of wrong ways lmao)…anyways, I’m not sure if he said that because he was so hurt by what Terry did, or because he actually feels that way. She seems the easier choice, and certainly the softer, sweeter one.

And lastly, would Terry, given a choice, choose Anna the “other” omega over Daniel?

Terry had all the choice in the world, and Anna the "other" omega (not to be confused with young Lady Anna, his niece, Amanda's puppy), no, not in a million years.

As for Michael, I think that if you put sweet Daniel LaRusso around Michael Corleone, it's going to do something to soften him, maybe even soften the Godfather. Again, there is a lot less violence through Daniel's sacrifice, so it may mean Michael has fewer enemies, which means Apollonia has fewer enemies... Apollonia too brings out Michael's softer, playful side, which will take even more of the edge off. And I think the Don in any universe would feel so incredibly at ease around Apollonia too. Kay was a good character, but Michael was never what she needed, as evidenced by her being happy in her new marriage. I've always wondered if Michael's offer of marriage to her was also an offer she couldn't refuse. People always remark how she was not what Michael needed, but Michael used her as a rebound and as a respectability token. He could have left well enough alone!

Whether or not Daniel would have chosen Kumiko over Terry is an entirely moot point because Kumiko would never have said yes! Also, you need to look at Daniel's exact wording. He has "never loved like that again", but what does that mean, exactly? There's two things at play: Daniel loves many people. He cannot love anyone like Kumiko because she is the only one in the world, he cannot love anyone like Terry for the same reason, or like Johnny, who he has a little crush on - but he's sworn fidelity to Terry. That means something and it came before the love even, and when that came, it was strong and so entirely different, more passionate, sharper, more all encompassing. But Kumiko was his first, completely all in, unreserved love. The only free love Daniel believes he's ever felt. Only that this wasn't true either; he simply managed to delude himself. There is real and lasting unspoken love between Daniel and Kumiko yet, but it's also safe to imagine some perfect pure nonthreatening love. Because what he is trying to do here is find some reason for what Terry did. A devine punishment for some imagined offense in loving Kumiko is better than the knowledge that his mate, whom he has given everything to, body, heart, soul, love, yes love, and his word before God, could do this. It's incomprehensible. It's, yes, terrifying. How can he live with him? But through this, he aches for him. You don't miss people you don't love! Still...At least if he did something to deserve this, it isn't random. I think Amanda's 'permission' to defend himself if this is indeed something random that could happen at any time gives him so kind of safety too. It's not something he must bear, or accept. Once is allowed to be the only time, even Amanda, who has given all she has to keep Terry alive, agrees.

And with that out of the way, he can love Terry again.

Completely.

[criminalmindzjunkie]

I Carry Your Heart With Me (Prologue)

Summary: When your college roommate asks you to be a bridesmaid at her wedding, you pack your bags and jump on a flight to Montana. What was supposed to be a relaxing week on the husband-to-be’s ranch is turned upside down when an old flame decides to make an appearance. Mix in lingering feelings, a meddling bride, and the mother of all misunderstandings, and your week out west turns out to be a whole lot more than you bargained for.

series masterlist

playlist

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of alcohol, mentions of sex

Word Count: 2.5k

           Spencer gets the email on a Tuesday.

           He’s fresh off of a quick trip to a nearby café that sells the most delectable scones, and he’s eagerly unwrapping one and lifting it to his mouth when he gets the notification. The quiet ping is enough to make him pause with the scone midway to its destination.

Because the thing is, Spencer Reid doesn’t get a lot of emails. In fact, there are approximately ten people that even know his email address, and seven of them are currently in the same room as him. Spencer peers over the top of his monitor and scans the room. No one is doing anything indicative of having sent Spencer yet another prank email (thanks a lot, Luke), so he deems it safe and clicks on the email icon.

           As it boots up, Spencer takes a bite of his scone. The warm, sugary dough tastes like heaven in his mouth, once again proving to Spencer that the fifteen-minute walk there is more than worth his time. He’s mid-swallow when his inbox pops up on the screen, and when he sees the all too familiar name on the sender’s address, he inhales a sharp breath that leaves him choking on his pastry.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Melville

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Sewell

Joyfully request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their children

Cassidy and Mason

Saturday, the twenty-seventh of May

Two thousand nine-teen

           His choking fit garners the attention of every one of his colleagues, but Spencer can’t bring himself to care. All he can focus on is sucking in as much air as possible in between coughs. It doesn’t help that his oxygen deprived brain is currently reeling. Long suppressed memories are fighting their way to the surface, and now it’s not only his lungs that are engulfed in a searing heat, but his heart, too.

           Cassidy Sewell. A fiery, opinionated redhead that Spencer hasn’t thought of in nearly fifteen years. But Cassidy isn’t the reason that he feels like a knife has been thrust into his ribcage, nor is she the reason he is currently aspirating his scone. The basis of his distress is another woman entirely.

           Spencer eventually regains control of his windpipe and when he does, he rereads the email several times. It’s wonderful news - really, it is. And he’s happy for Cassidy. His memories of her are plentiful and he thinks back on them fondly. The only problem is that he knows wherever Cassidy is, you’ll be there, too.

           He really should just delete the email and go on about his business - that would be the smart thing to do. But Spencer’s never really been smart when it comes to you, so he does the worst thing possible and clicks on the ‘view recipients’ button.

           And sure enough, your name falls just above his on the list.

           Which brings up another issue entirely; why is he receiving this email? And, more importantly, do you know that he’s been invited? Spencer can only come up with two possible answers to that question, and both are equally heartbreaking. Either you know he’s been invited and you’re indifferent to the fact, or you haven’t a clue and his showing up would be entirely inappropriate.

           He briefly entertains the possibility of a third option; one in which you knew he’d received an invitation and were hopeful that he might show up. Spencer allows this possibility to live in his mind for approximately two seconds before he’s stomping it out and killing it. That’s just… unlikely.

           “Ooh! Who’s getting married?”

           Spencer quickly exits out of his email and spins around in his chair to find Penelope pouting her lip out at him.

           “No one. Just a spam email,” Spencer lies. His efforts are in vain, however, because Penelope fixes him with an unimpressed glare.

           “I’m going to save you and I both the trouble of me hacking into your computer and offer you the opportunity to try that again.”

           Spencer visibly deflates and mentally curses the creators of the interconnected computer networks. He weighs his options. He could be completely honest and be subjected Penelope’s endearing, yet suffocating enthusiasm, or he could skim a little bit off the top and hope she doesn’t pump him for information.

           Spencer decides on the latter.

           “An old friend.”

           Penelope narrows her eyes at him and he shrinks under her gaze. She might not be a profiler, but she damn sure could be.

           “Then why do you look like you’re about to hurl?”

           “No reason.”

           They’ve reached a stalemate, and Spencer isn’t quite sure what to do with that. Usually, if this were a chest match, Spencer would already have the upper hand. He’s not used to being backed into a corner. At first, Spencer’s sure that he can outlast Penelope’s inquisition, but the longer those seemingly omniscient eyes of hers bore into his own, he can feel his resolve crumbling into nothing. All it takes is her lifting one perfectly plucked eyebrow in challenge for him to break.

           “An ex-girlfriend of mine will be in attendance.”

           Spencer knows he’s fucked from the way Penelope’s entire face lights up upon hearing that little tidbit of information. In a flash Penelope’s dragging over an empty chair and seating herself directly in front of Spencer, eyes shining excitedly.

           “Tell me everything.”

           So, he does.

           And an hour later, Penelope is booking him a flight to Montana.

--

           “I cannot believe you did this to me,” you murmur into the receiver as you stare at your computer screen. Your eyes are zeroed in on the email, but all the words are blurring together into an intelligible mess. All except two.

           Spencer Reid

           “Correction; I did this for you,” Cassidy replies, sounding awfully pleased with herself. If you could see her, you were certain she’d be grinning ear to ear. “You can’t tell me that you’re not the least bit excited at the possibility of seeing him again.”

           “That is exactly what I’m telling you!” you groan as you throw your head against the back of your chair. “Fifteen years is a long time, Cass. I’ve moved on, and I’m sure he has, too. That door is closed.”

           Cassidy snorts, “Well open that sucker back up, because I just got an RSVP from one Doctor Spencer Reid who, and I quote, ‘cannot wait to see everyone.’ This RSVP came without a plus one, might I add.”

           You jolt up in your seat and instantly regret it when your stomach churns painfully as a result. Suddenly, your decision to place your waste basket on the opposite side of the room seems awfully ill advised. The only thing keeping you from lunging for it and expelling the contents of your stomach is the fact that he isn’t bringing anyone with him, which is… something.

           “He’s coming?” you squeak out. “Why would he do that?”

           Another laugh from Cassidy floats out through the speaker.

           “Well, I’d like to think he might be going to see one of his oldest and dearest friends get married, but I think we both know that this has nothing to do with me, and a whole lot to do with you.”

           You’re just about to open your mouth to protest when a head of long, blonde hair peeks through the crack of your door. You only know one man with a head of hair like that, and that man just so happens to be the only other person in your life that lives for taking the piss at your expense. You can’t help but think that you must’ve done something terrible in a past life to be subjected to all of this before noon on a Tuesday morning.

           You wave Damien in, because why the hell not? He’d be hearing about it over one or several bottles of wine this evening, anyways. What was one more spectator to the worst moment of your entire adult life?

           As he takes his seat in a chair in front of your desk, you flash him a tight smile and turn your attention back to Cassidy.

           “You’re reading way too much into this. He probably doesn’t even remember me.”

           “You know that boy does not forget anything,” Cassidy points out.

           Yeah, you think, and that’s what makes not hearing from him for fifteen years even worse. That means the radio silence was a choice.

           “Doesn’t matter. You need to uninvite him. I’m being so serious right now.”

           “I absolutely will not. That’d be terribly rude of me,” Cassidy sniffs. “And you obviously have no choice but to attend, Miss Maid of Honor, so consider this your warning. I was going to keep this a secret, but Mason said that would be cruel. So.”

           You want to argue that the entire thing is cruel, but Cassidy’s indifference to your plight leads you to believe that your protest would fall on deaf ears. To make matters worse, Damien looks positively delighted at the prospect of something exciting happening. He’s literally sitting on the edge of his seat, leaning forward in an attempt to hear Cassidy’s end of the conversation.

           You really needed to pick more sympathetic friends.

           “I’m going to hang up now, because I physically cannot handle being a part of this conversation any longer.”

           “That’s the spirit!” Cassidy trills. “Trust me, you’re going to thank me for this later. Oh, and do yourself a favor and Google search him. You will not be disappointed!”

           At that, the line goes dead. You don’t even have the chance to say something embarrassing like too late, I already do that like twice a year, which is probably a good thing.

           You slam down the phone and let your head fall into your hands, adding in a dramatic groan for good measure. Usually, you like to think you’re a little more level headed, but the Spencer Reid sized hole in your heart that you’d been trying to mend for the last decade and a half was just ripped wide open, so you figure you deserve a moment to panic.

           Damien, however, doesn’t share that same belief.

           “I get that you’re trying to have a moment, and I respect that, but you know how impatient I get and I haven’t seen you this upset since One Direction split up. Color me intrigued. What did dear Cassidy do to get your knickers in such a twist?”

           You lift your head and fix him with a withering look.

           “She invited Spencer.”

           That wipes the smile right off of Damien’s face.

           “Oh, fuck,” Damien swears. Finally, someone understands how extremely not okay this situation is. You let out another despairing groan. “What are the chances he’s actually going to show up?”

           You chuckle bitterly, “Pretty fucking high, if you consider the fact that he already RSVP’d any indication.” You push away from your desk and begin to pace around the room, all while fanning your shirt out because holy hell did it get hot in here, or is it just you? “I mean, I could always back out. It’s Cassidy’s fault anyways. It’s not like she could hold that against me. She’s the one who did this, after all.”

           “Oh, she most certainly would. And you’re not going to going to skip out on the wedding - quit being so dramatic.”

            You snap your head to where he sits and narrow your eyes at him.

           “Oh, I’m not? Who’s gonna stop me?” you challenge.

           You can practically see the light bulb go on inside that blonde head of his. Damien gives you a saccharine smile and claps his hands together.

           “I am. Because I’m going to go with you,” he announces excitedly. You’d think he just came up with a way to end world hunger from the pride that’s practically radiating off of him in waves. 

           You raise an eyebrow at him, “You’re going to come with me? To Montana? Have you ever even been outside of New York?”

            Damien shrugs his shoulders.

           “No, but that’s about to change. Plus, weddings are fun,” Damien pauses, before tacking on, “-bridesmaids are fun.”

           If he weren’t such a damn good friend, you’d throw him out of your office.

           His proposition was tempting. Being in close proximity with Spencer for almost an entire week was going to be harrowing as it was, but add to that the inevitable sight of Spencer in a suit and harrowing graduates to fucking excruciating. Having Damien in your corner to keep you sane was more of a necessity than a want.

           But still, you hesitate, because the idea of both Cassidy and Damien conspiring against you for an entire week sounds like the undiscovered tenth circle of hell.

           Damien apparently senses your apprehension. He lets out an exasperated sigh and pushes up from his seat, walking over to where you stand and placing his hands on your shoulders.

           “I solemnly swear to be on my best behavior. You have my permission to fire me if I act up, Boss Lady.”

           Your shoulders slump under the weight of his hands.

           “You know I can’t fire you,” you grumble, pouting out your lip for dramatic effect. “If I fire you, then I’m stuck with fucking Brenda. And I doubt she’d be as agreeable a drinking partner as you.”

           Damien lets out a loud laugh and pulls you into his arms. You melt into his embrace, sighing in resignation. Might as well bring him along for the ride. It’s not like the situation could get any worse than it already is, right?

           “Brenda is the worst,” Damien agrees as he places a kiss to the top of your head. After basking in his warm embrace for several moments, you pull away and run a hand through your hair.

           “Okay. Okay,” you murmur, more to yourself than to Damien. “I can do this. Worst comes to worst; I can just avoid him. Five days isn’t that long. I can do five days.”

           Damien leans up against your desk and nods in agreeance.

           “Exactly. Five days, in and out – no big deal,” he breezes. Like the absolute bastard he is, he waits until you’re taking a sip from your travel mug before continuing. “And who knows? Maybe the two of you will pick up where you left off and have some slutty wedding sex.”

           Now, there’s coffee all over your white blouse and Damien’s laughing obnoxiously at your expense.

           “You did not just quote One Tree Hill at me,” you choke out between ragged breaths.

           Damien doesn’t waver under the weight of your death glare.

           “I so did. Best show of our time, truly. Chase hit the nail on the head with that one. Weddings are always an absolute bone fest - trust me. Something about all the proclamations of love and eternal commitment gets everyone all hot and bothered.”

           “There will be no slutty wedding sex,” you mutter as you dab at the coffee stain.

           “There will be if I’m going,” Damien trills as he pushes off of your desk and saunters to the door. “Don’t rule it out, babe. No need to miss out on all the fun!”

           You roll your eyes and toss the wadded-up paper towel at him. Damien is quick to shut the door, resulting in the paper towel hitting it with a wet plop.

           Damien’s absence leaves the room uncomfortably silent, save for the sound of your heart nearly beating out of your chest. You hesitantly lift your eyes back to your computer screen, and as irrational as it is, you pray that you’ll see that something has changed in the past ten minutes. Unsurprisingly, his name is still there, just below your own.

           You silently curse the tiny twinge of excitement you feel from seeing his name and exit out of the email.

           Five days, in and out. No big deal.

-

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