#not saying anyone is a bad person for getting caught up in beauty culture its almost impossible not to be; just focus on yourself and all

[eirxair]

Hi! Js letting you know im not trying to debate you, im just here to understand your point more.

I think youre right. But short clothes arent really sexualised clothes and besides there are clothes available for modest people. I feel like the fault is more on the beauty standards and societal expectations rather then clothes cause I can just buy shorts that are bigger for me (similar to the boys shorts one) but then people would be wondering why im not wearing a two peace or sth. Also isnt plastic surgery completely someones choice?Shouldnt the the blame go to the people making other people feel like they NEED plastic surgery?And that the act itself of getting plastic surgery is completely up to a person and should be judgement free?and Instead of like. Judging the already existing halloween costumes (that some people like and do feel comfortable wearing. I, for one, have been forced to wear modest clothing my entire life and would like to dress like something one would call "slutty") Shouldn’t we instead pressurize the companies to make more modest clothing so that it can be available for everyone?Cause calling lesser clothing and short clothing = sexualised clothing isnt sittinh quite right with me tbh. I get where youre coming from and i do know that youre probably right though. Idk maybe im too dumb to get this but lmk what you think!

hiya! thank you for the ask thingy! <3 to start off im really sorry nonnie this might be all over the place (i had a long exam today and im pretty sure my brain is fried, please bear with me here, i'll do my best to try and explain my views i promice😔✊)

For starters I actually agree with you that short clothing isn't inherently sexual. (I'm not sure what you mean by lesser clothing, but I'm pretty sure you're referring to Halloween costumes so I'll leave it for now.) but that doesn't negate the fact that girls' clothing is sexualised. Don't get me wrong, boys' clothing can be sexualised too but I've seen it more often with girls' clothes.

"I can just buy clothes that are bigger for me." More power to you for that. (I love oversized stuff fr especially to sleep in) but that doesn't negate the way that children's clothes are sexualised.

On average girls' clothes are normally shorter and more form fitting/tighter than boys' clothes, to the point where (mostly) mothers have launched campaigns against it. (i think one of them is let girls be kids or something like that. the name has gone away from my mind.)

I think it's highly obvious that the female body is incredibly sexualised in today's society. In my opinion, that starts from childhood. We're all so exposed to sexuality in media because 'sex sells' and companies like to make money. Meaning we are constantly fed sex in the media, whether you are looking at sexual content or not.

Little girls are not only provided with shorter, more form-fitting clothing from a young age, but they are also being pressured or influenced by social media to be adults. Which I'm pretty sure every kid wants to grow up (e.g 'when im an adult im gonna eat all the sweets i want/buy all the toys i want') but the issue with little girls being almost groomed in a way to 'grow up' and act like adults leads to things like 'Sephora Kids' who believe that they need retinol, as like, ten year olds. Even if you want to argue that little girls' clothing isn't sexualised, then you can atleast acknowledge that these types of clothing help to put a greater emphasis on looks, which; lets be real here, will lead to insecurity and has no doubt helped the rise of things like 'Sephora Kids'. My heart geniunely breaks for the new gen of girls.

"I feel like the fault is more on the beauty standards and societal expectations rather then clothes cause I can just buy shorts that are bigger for me" The thing is, clothing is influenced by societal expectations* and beauty standards, or even just social trends, which often overlap with those two things anyway.

*I don't know if expectations or attitudes would be a better used word here, sorry about that

Whichever way you want to put it, clothing is shaped and influenced by the society creating it, and in a society where certian things are so normalised, women who do choose to dress more modestly are often called into question, you said it yourself, "...people would be wondering why im not wearing a two peace or sth." It's normalised and even expected of women (in western countries) to wear more 'revealling'* clothes, to the point where often women who don't are questioned.

*again, i dont think revealling is the right word, my brain is fryed rn 😔✊, also though i dont have an office job seeing as im still in highschool i'd imagine its a little different for 'office attire' (business attire?) man idk

As for Plastic Surgery, I brought it up once and in passing in my previous post, as you can see here:

Although I'll go more in depth on my dislike for plastic surgery but to clarify, I am not talking about people who get plastic surgery who really need it for restorative/reconstructive purposes, for example burn survivors or women with severe backpain who get breast reductions etc.

"Shouldnt the the blame go to the people making other people feel like they NEED plastic surgery?" Great point, societal beauty standards often lead to bullying of 'unattractive traits'. I don't think we should blame anyone but the Cosmetic Surgery corporations and the Beauty Industry.

My problem with people getting plastic surgery is that our choices don't exist in a vacuum and can influence so many things around us. This is especially true for social media. The very premise of cosmetic surgery as we see it popularised today is shady. We should not be teaching young people, inadvertently or not, that their natural faces need to be 'fixed' for their insecurities to just magically disappear.

That being said I would never harass or shame someone for getting cosmetic surgery, but we shouldn't act like cosmetic surgery is completely harmless. Most people who get surgeries like that are deeply insecure about themselves, which leads them to receiving plastic surgery in the first place.

Which is another problem I have with the industry. It profits off of your insecurities, creates new insecurities and then offers women the 'solution' along with a price tag. That is extremely prefatory, no matter how you present it.

I have a question: Why should removing your ethnic nose make you feel more empowered or pretty?

I would mention (cosmetic) labiaplasties which I remember hearing are really really painful. But honestly as a minor I don't really feel comfortable going into depth about it. But still I just would like to mention it in passing.

The industry perpetuates a really weird mix of fetishising certian features of women of colour and demonising others. On top of this it also manages to reinstate eurocentric beauty standards.

Said beauty standards are often unattainable without Cosmetic Surgery, and I've seen people discussing how plastic surgery creates a 'class divide' but honestly I don't really know a lot about that, so I'll just mention it in passing.

The thing is, all of these issues are connected from societal perception and socialisation for example. Many women and girls attempt to fit into these insane beauty standards and often are unable to reach them. It's a lose lose situation for women and girls. The plastic surgery industry further raises that already unattainable bar.

I don't like the normalisation of plastic surgery in society because it is insanely predatory and I'd even go as fat as to say it's misogynistic in nature. (Especially referring to internalised misogyny.)

No one needs lip fillers or fox eye lifts.

Moving onto Halloween costumes and judging the 'existing halloween costumes'. (in my original post I mentioned 'sexy' nuns and 'sexy' schoolgirl costumes for context.)

the original post:

To be insanely honest and blunt with you,and I'm sorry if this comes off as rude but I could give less of a flying fuck if 'some people like and do feel comfortable wearing' when it comes to people wearing things like 'sexy schoolgirl' costumes.

I will gladly judge anyone who thinks it's okay to dress up in a 'slutty schoolgirl' outfit, again, our choices do not exist in a vacuum. The sexualisation of schoolgirls and school uniforms has had serious consequences for girls worldwide.

Call me controversial but I don't think anyone should ever feel 'sexy' dressing up as a child or acting like a child. The words 'child' and 'sexy' exist on completely different wavelengths and should stay on different wavelengths. It is not empowering in any way shape or form to sexualise little girls, especially when little girls suffer all over the globe from sexual exploitation.

Not to mention 'sexy schoolgirl' costumes are borderline p3d0philic and at the very least normalising p3d0philic behaviours or p3d0bait.

In terms of nuns, I will also gladly judge anyone who thinks that it's okay to sexualise and essentially mock a group of women who have taken vows of chastity, dress modestly, devote themselves to their religion and do almost everything as to not be sexualised.

From a secular/non-religious POV, it is insanely clear that nuns do NOT want to be sexualised. Even if you think you're sticking it to christianity by wearing a 'sexy' nun costume, surely you can recognise that the people you're really disrespecting are women who mainly dedicate their lives to helping the needy. While yes there are and were bad nuns, that doesn't excuse fetishising and dehumanising the profession as a whole.

I wouldn't wish objectification or fetishisation on anyone no matter what they'd done.

Seeing as this is tumblr I really don't think many people give a shit, but, sexualising nuns is also insanely disrespectful to an entire religion.

If adults feel comfortable wearing something revealling/sexy on halloween more power to them. My issue is when that 'sexy and revealling' costume is a characiture of literal children or women who make it their lives mission to not be sexualised.

Another honourable mention that I didn't touch on in my original post is Native Americans. Have you seen halloween costumes of Indigenous Americans? Especially the sexualised ones. They're geniunely disgusting, and the choice to wear those costumes doesn't exist in a vacuum either. MMIW is still a prevelant issue.

I'm sorry you were forced to dress modestly all the time that must've sucked, if women feel confident wearing more form-fitting or revealling clothes more power to them liek but if you're feeling 'sexy' by dressing up as an oversexualised child or religious figure then you need to look inwards.

To end as well, the issue isn't with getting companies to make more modest clothing, while yest that would be nice, that doesn't take away from costumes that are produced by these halloween costume companies that are down right fetishistic. The issue is with society at large.

Women and girls are already so sexualised in media and on a personal level. Companies aren't our friends, and they certiantly aren't the friends of women and girls.

Tbh every single one of the things I've spent like half an hour yapping about is connected to the Patriarchy, do with that what you will.

anyways nighty night i'm going to bed hopefully i'll wake up with an unfried brain tomorrow

[outplacedwriter]

things I think frozen does very well that were forgotten by the anti-hype crowd

It is a natural occurrence that the breakthrough of a piece of media will eventually end up in its own anti-hype crowd culture. We have reached a point, long ago, in which saying that Frozen is bad or that Anna and Elsa aren't as great as the hype says became a sign of...

✨ status, intelligence, not-like-other-girls revolutionary warrior ✨

It's impossible to say "Frozen" anywhere without someone popping out of thin air to preach how they don't like it and how flawed and annoying and how X is better, because reasons.

But after Frozen II, this crowd became louder. I just can't find a single video on YT about Frozen that is not about someone dashing or overly criticizing the movie and its characters because it's cool, and different, and oh-so-clever to be one of the superior ones who weren't caught on this Disney trap.

Yet I feel like the hype made people forget *why* the world was so impacted by this story in the first place. I have my own whys, and some popular whys, here is a list of a few of them that I care to discuss.

Sympathetic Neurodivergent Character. In all fairness, Elsa might still be seen as a villain by some people -- usually because of their inability to understand nuance, analyze a text, or just self-righteous ignorance. But it is very obvious in the movie that the whole narrative and the artistic choices try to paint Elsa's struggle and personality in a positive, or at least in an understanding light. She's not the monster who people fear, who she fears, and who another story would make to be a villain. She's a traumatized child dealing with a burden too great for anyone. Let's remember that back in 2013 the talk about mental health wasn't as nearly as spread as it is today, and having a queer-coded, canonically neurodivergent Disney PrincessTM was unthinkable. Dare I say, Elsa's significance and symbology were completely green-lit by accident. Maybe the artistic force behind it was aware of that, but Disney Corporation just wanted the cute girls to sell dolls and hopefully pay itself. This is a win for the mental disable community and for the queer community that is forgotten and downplayed everywhere. After all, we are woke now!

Complex and Shattered Sibling Relationship Getting Healed. I swear to heavens if I have to hear anyone else compare these two to Lilo and Nani, and try to force them against each other like it's some kind of necessary comparison I will-... Anna and Elsa are sisters who love and care about each other. But they are in a very specific context in which their relationship is broken. This exact premise is what makes the movie excels. It was original -- as far as originally is possible or real. And such a breath of fresh air. The premise of this conflict in which the problem did not have an easy solution, was enough for a very compelling tale. It's so beautiful and wholesome to watch these young women struggle and find healing. Their undying affection and genuine love for each other make us hope so hard that they can finally find peace. I won't even touch on the matter that sibling relationships are complex and nuanced and how Frozen showing that to kids might help them to mend their own conflicts because it goes without saying. Just in the matter of narrative alone, this is a story that had to be told and should be praised again.

The Soundtrack Slapped Everyone In The Face Repeatedly. The song is good. The Broadway vibe is delicious. It's a fact.

[alostwanderernotfound]

Hostile Power Takeover? Learnings on Urban & Domestic Warfare I :

Covering the dreaded & borderline sacred building: the hospital.

This is not an exhaustive list, but it covers some very important points about the selected topic.

———-

Hospitals when used correctly can be beautiful places of healing, but when studying military history & warfare it’s important to remember that these special qualities are ALSO the reason hostile powers like to abuse this trust. It doesn’t mean all hospitals are bad, it just means people should be aware of how some very harmful people think.

One of the biggest resources that this type of Hostile Power would want to dominate would be hospitals. This is a method already done in the modern day during land warfare that we have see practiced even as recently as Hamas taking over Palestinian hospitals.

Hospital offer many benefits. The biggest obstacle is usually resources & staff. But, once you are able to front these types of costs then it’s an incredibly difficult type of practice to root out.

—-

>The first advantage is medical care that can be provided to injured members of your group without anyone else being aware. When this is done on “enemy” territory and you are providing medical care for spies then it helps avoid a chance for this individual to get caught.

> But a lot of this information can be found through public record or through insurance companies or other ways, right? Nope. The second advantage with this type of system is that you have let’s say for example 100 spies. If 100 spies have 100 different names & like 100 different lives with 100 different medical conditions, if you have the ability to move consciousness into different bodies you could effectively move 1000 people in and out of the country with your 100 spies in the hospital through rotating. Rotation of people allows seemingly silent movement in and out of countries that could bypass customs & immigration. Things we currently consider to be unhidable unique identifiers per person, like let’s say an allergic reaction, can actually be explained very easily. If an entire body is organic except for “consciousness”, everytime you are in a new body then you’d really have those new diseases and those allergies. This is because your bone marrow & immune system is determined by the organic tissue/body you occupy. With an advanced technology like this, the allergies & diseases you currently have would only be experienced when inside certain bodies. Foreign spy agencies do elements of this practice already CONSTANTLY. Using fake identities that are established in a country since birth & rotating people through them is a foundation of spy culture since its very beginning (they just used costumes & disguises instead!) “well they ask you what your name is and all this other information! How would they know” Please reference the FBI’s investigation on Russian telepathy/Havana syndrome weapons. Unfortunately there’s technology to speak to people inside their heads & they are being disoriented & then fed information.

> The third advantage would be as a “pit stop”. This means you could transfer someone into a new body without their awareness & then transport/human traffic them to the location you need them to be at as a patient. They would wake up drugged & disoriented & there is a high chance they would just go along with it. This allows movement of people without the ability to track.

> The fourth advantage if you are a hostile power that produces half robot/half organic beings is that you can potentially siphon resources. This means organic materials hard to manufacture, such as blood, can be covertly stored. Lab draws & wasting blood is a process that could harvest blood, which then can be sent to a lab or other area, & then traded out with a blood substitute. For example, This doesn’t necessarily mean this type of hospital wouldn’t be seen giving blood- they could give the equivalent of IV fluids/plasma with dye & thickener that is just labeled blood. ***This is a rough example to display its possibility & not necessarily an exact replica of how this process would work***. This could be done with multiple organic materials. If this hostile power also produced fully mechanical bodies with synthetic skin then a blood transfusion that you were to give on another patient would potentially be going into the equivalent of a reservoir for storage instead of into the circulatory system of a body. As long as you have the capacity to physically move people around, two people that look alike could occupy a bed at different times. This type of system actually could have quite a few ways to avoid detection & accomplish its goals.

> The fifth advantage is that you can control/alter scans to prevent detection of body modification. Any potential media/news/investigative service would have to use that building as their point of contact to access medical records. If they thought there was some sort of body modification occurring then imaging would have to be used & if taken to certain hospitals then it would be continuously covered up until the hostile power eventually controlled all the hospitals. Another important reminder is that other methods to avoid detection exist. Imaging on scans is not 100% accurate & there would be ways to hide things on scans that you’d only be able to actually see by cutting open inside someone’s head.

> The sixth advantage is if you control at least an entire unit of a hospital, you’d be able to use it to get away with various crimes with a built in coverup system relatively undetected. Screaming, blood, bodily fluids, messes, & privacy are all common place in these types of areas. Screams with no response are common. Lots of irregular behaviors are a lot more common in these types of places & allow lots of people in and out at all times of day & night with a reasonable explanation. This is a highly volatile mix that can be abused. Unfortunately this type of system can lead to very horrible outcomes.

> The seventh advantage is unfortunately another horrific one. The actual patient’s bodies could be used as torture apparatuses. Instead of GITMO, your torture would be *having a specific medical condition*. It’s actually one of the most gut wrenching on the list in terms of what that means for the people that would have to endure this. An exhausting & emotionally draining thought.

>The eight advantage is the ability to constantly be aware of pathogen strains with production of blood cultures & the ability to produce super pathogens. There are certain practices that encourage the development of antibiotic resistance bacteria & novel viruses like COVID- it is currently NOT that difficult to encourage pathogens to develop to be more harmful. THERE IS ALMOST NO OVERSIGHT IN AMERICA IN REGARDS TO THIS FOR ALL HOSPITALS. There is currently NO federal organization or law that does universal & consistent oversight on this topic. Without that oversight or enforcement, pathogens will continue to get worse & we are all going to get sicker… this is perhaps one of the most scary. But it’s probably the most reflective of how serious & deadly things can spiral out of control without regulation, oversight, & the proper safety mechanisms.

Almost always when these types of events occur vulnerable & innocent people get hurt. Exhaustive systems & bureaucracy exist to help prevent these abuses. Illicit practices almost always are rampant with abuses because they fundamentally lack those protective elements by their very nature. When life & death hangs in the balance, desystemization can lead to catastrophe.

[dankusner]

Is it ever okay to film strangers in public? panopticontent

The experience of realizing you are being surreptitiously filmed by a stranger is now a relatively common one, but this is how it happened for Mitchell Clark: The 25-year-old was working a shift at his Atlanta Target when someone propped up a phone nearby.

“I thought it was for some dumb prank channel,” he says.

It wasn’t until a young woman bent over directly in front of him, her dress short enough to expose her entire bare bottom, that he realized what was going on.

The resulting video captures his shock — his eyes widen and his hands grasp his chest, agog — and later ended up on the OnlyFans model’s Instagram account.

“It made me look like a creep,” he tells me.

The video was an extreme example of a trend where women secretly film men’s reactions to them, often in the gym or in public spaces, either to shame the men for being inappropriate or to highlight the power of their own beauty — in Clark’s case, arguably both.

But this time it caused an uproar:

After Clark made a video about how uncomfortable he felt, other accounts reposted and responded to it, highlighting the ways in which public filming culture had gotten out of control.

(Vox was unable to reach the model for comment.)

It’s been a decade and a half since social media made it possible for anyone’s camera phone video to go viral.

But it’s TikTok, a platform where overnight fame is more achievable than ever, that has turned filming strangers in public into a controversial cottage industry.

While influencers on Vine, YouTube, and Instagram have long used passersby as unwilling background actors to gain clout, TikTok has also allowed those people to offer their sides of the story and actually get heard.

This is, in part, because of editing tools like stitching or dueting, and also because you don’t necessarily need to have a large account in order to go viral on the app.

Viewers are invested in watching all sides of the drama unfold.

Thanks to these responses and a handful of watchdog accounts, a major backlash against public filming has been brewing: Outlets from the Guardian to The Verge to Vice have issued pleas to quit filming strangers, while BuzzFeed christened the unsettling genre with an equally unsettling name: “panopticontent.”

Ask pretty much anyone in the world if they’d like to have someone film them without their permission and post it on the internet, and it’s difficult to imagine a normal person saying yes.

And yet, these videos continue to rack up millions of views, forcing us to reckon with the fact that in 2024, some of the most-viewed content on social media is essentially nonconsensual voyeurism.

There’s clearly an appetite to watch as strangers are shamed, ridiculed, gawked, or generally caught off-guard, even when we know it isn’t exactly morally sound.

A precursor to the form came in 2009: The blog People of Walmart was devoted to making fun of customers wearing embarrassing clothing (unsurprisingly, much of the humor relied on classist, fatphobic, and transphobic stereotypes).

Instagram wrought the rise of many more of these types of accounts, like Subway Creatures, with nearly 3 million followers, which collects images of bizarre-seeming people and circumstances on the New York City subway; Passenger Shaming, for videos of plane freakouts and other bad airport behavior; or Influencers in the Wild, which has more than 5 million followers and invites people to laugh at those who dare film themselves in public. Its website encourages viewers to submit videos by promising “Your clip could be seen by millions!”

The irony that it’s objectively worse to sneakily take a photo of someone else taking a photo of themselves comes secondary to the main goal: driving engagement by laughing at people who don’t know they’re being filmed.

Even supposedly wholesome content has fallen into the same trap.

In 2018, an influencer posted an Instagram Story saga about a potential romance budding between two people on a plane seated in front of her, then later had to apologize when the woman felt that her privacy had been violated.

The “Plane Bae” story went massively viral before anyone questioned whether what they were watching was exactly ethical.

It would be easier if we all collectively decided that it was never acceptable to film random strangers in public, under any circumstances.

But rarely are social questions, especially ones that collide squarely with the ever-evolving norms of our online lives, this uncomplicated.

You do, in fact, have the right to film in public places; as the ACLU points out, the ability to do so “creates an independent record of what took place in a particular incident, one that is free from accusations of bias, lying, or faulty memory.”

This is especially important when filming the police or recording an encounter that could become violent:

The video of George Floyd being murdered, for instance, was crucial in sparking the wave of protests against police brutality in the summer of 2020.

Camera phone videos depicting racism and harassment, particularly during and after the lockdown period, have also opened important conversations about acceptable behavior in a uniquely distressing time.

Do arguments about First Amendment rights and social justice really apply to people who make strangers uncomfortable for engagement on TikTok?

That depends on who you ask.

Most will say they’re simply trying to “spread love” or that they never expected the content to go viral, while refusing to ask themselves tougher questions.

It’s not difficult to imagine, for instance, someone being concerned about their digital privacy for more serious reasons, such as avoiding a stalker.

One woman who was filmed being approached for a high-five by a dancer in Times Square and then began crying was both mocked for her reaction and accused of being racist because the dancer was Black.

Her sister then made a video explaining that she was autistic and has contamination OCD, and therefore doesn’t like being touched.

Another woman was falsely maligned for riding the subway with monkeypox after someone made a TikTok of her, but the reason for the bumps on her skin was actually due to a genetic condition.

There’s little legal recourse for people who find themselves unknowingly caught on camera.

As Derigan Silver, chair of the University of Denver’s media, film, and journalism department, explains, a successful defamation case requires proving that the material contains a “false statement of fact” — but a video tends to show events as they happened, even if divorced from crucial context.

Clark is hoping to get the help of a lawyer to get the original video taken down, but he’s aware that that’s likely as far as it will go.

“It sucks that we’re so far behind with our legal system that not more can be done about this right now. But it’s real, and it’s getting worse,” he says of the scourge of content creators who use strangers as background props.

The idea that privacy laws should evolve to incorporate situations like Clark’s, however, could be a dangerous one.

“We want the ability to record things in public and to document them because it supports very important First Amendment ideals,” says Silver. “The flip side of that is not everybody is doing this with good motives.”

Silver notes that where the law could catch up is by differentiating between newsworthy and non-newsworthy events — say, an encounter with police versus recording an anonymous Target employee — and making it harder to prosecute people who film matters of public consequence.

In a paper on what she coined “forced faming,” British intellectual property law scholar Hayleigh Bosher also points out how the legal system must contend with the rise in deepfake content, which creates real-seeming content out of unwilling people’s likenesses.

No law can solve the problem of people being assholes on social media, but there are other ways to influence people’s behavior online.

“There’s the law, there’s technology, there are cultural norms, and there’s the market,” explains Silver. “We can exert pressure on platforms and say, ‘Stop monetizing these accounts.’ Or they could write technology that makes it more difficult to upload material that violates someone’s privacy. Or we could have people online saying, ‘I’m going to stop watching this stuff.’”

Right now, it’s the cultural norms that are shifting most quickly: This moment has given rise to a number of accounts that call out public filming, like Joey Swoll, with his 7.7 million TikTok followers (his was one of the accounts that drew attention to Clark’s case).

YouTubers like Kurtis Conner, meanwhile, have made videos calling for the end of filming strangers.

But there’s hypocrisy at play here too.

Swoll’s account ostensibly exists to maintain a certain ideal of gym culture, but the majority of his content is dedicated to shaming (usually) women’s behavior — even influencers who are innocuously filming themselves without involving anyone else.

Some of the instances he calls out are indeed objectively horrible, like the woman who pretended to take a video of herself in order to mock the man exercising behind her, but others are more cringeworthy than anything else, like the girl who did a TikTok dance in front of someone using a bench press.

Swoll also seems to have a special interest in objecting to women who claim that certain men at gyms make them feel uncomfortable, and then film the alleged “creep.”

These examples aren’t always black-and-white: The evidence of the alleged harassment or creepy behavior isn’t always clear from the videos, but never does Swoll allow for any interrogation or curiosity about what might have occurred off-camera.

Instead, he’s positioned himself as the head vigilante of the digital Wild West, shaming surreptitious gym recorders by bringing greater attention to them — ironically, the very same thing the women appear to be doing with the “creeps” they film.

The fact that both Swoll and Influencers in the Wild tend to have millions more followers than the people they’re criticizing also adds another layer: When is calling out those who film strangers creating a barrage of attention on bystanders who never wished to be dragged into the public eye in the first place? (Swoll did not respond to a request for comment.)

The thirst for voyeurism content — whether you’re watching a stranger unknowingly get filmed or watching someone scold a stranger for doing the filming — means that accounts who engage in it have a higher likelihood of going viral and scoring lucrative brand deals. Influencers in the Wild, for instance, has its own merch and board game, while Joey Swoll regularly promotes his brand of low-calorie sauces.

Knowing that the demand for “panopticontent” is so high leads creators to produce more of it — often by using TikTok’s stitch or duet feature, which allows them to milk as much clout as they can from a single trending topic or video — whether or not they realize it’s ethically murky.

Faced with questions like, “Is it worth it to pull my phone out right now?” or “Am I a shitty person if I film someone without their knowledge?”

Silver recommends resorting to the golden rule.

We’re already being recorded all the time — by security cameras, by our phones, which track not only our location but every keystroke we make online, and by other people’s cameras — but we’re the ones who decide whether or not to post our own videos online.

Platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram could theoretically step in to demonetize accounts that make money from non-consensual voyeurism, but this is almost an unimaginable scenario, in part because it feels impossible to enforce.

Until then, it’s up to audiences to shift cultural norms around what’s acceptable behavior online and what isn’t, but given the astonishing popularity of these videos, that doesn’t seem all that likely.

After the incident at Target, Clark’s first thought was that he wanted to make sure it wouldn’t happen to anyone else.

“Working in retail, you get used to people harassing you. I’m not seen as a person anymore, I’m seen as an object,” he tells me.

Increasingly, this is how people on social media view each other: as NPCs, disposable, as background actors with no desires or interests of their own.

While TikTok has allowed Clark to respond publicly and have thousands of people rallying behind him, it’s also responsible for helping to create the problem in the first place.

“There’s a lack of decency, and I think it may be the allure of getting famous and going viral. People think that justifies the means, but it definitely does not.”

[superhero--imagines]

Part 1 Here! / Part 2 Here! / Part 3 Here! / Part 4 Here! / Part 5 Here! / Part 6 Here! / Part 7 Here! / Part 8 Here! / Part 9 Here! / Part 10 Here! / Part 11 Here! / Part 12 Here! / Part 13 Here! / Part 14 Here!

Donate to Higher Ground HERE!

* “Everyone in school thought you were dead.”

* Jessica says bluntly as you walk down the pink streamer filled hallway

* you offer her a fake yawn and a smile.

* “My dad came by for a surprise visit.” She looks confused before her expression smooths

* “Oh your real dad, not Carlisle”

* Carlisle contacted his counterpart, Eleazer to tell him you were running away with a man 300 years your senior

* So of course Eleazer came running -after he probably had a spat with Carmen about who would handle this situation better- to Forks on the first flight he found

* Only to burst through the door to see you and Emmett playing kingdom hearts in the living room

* “Oh, I see the rumors have been vastly exaggerated.”

* Cue -figuratively- sweating Carlisle who takes a sip from his mug

* Since he was already here you figured you would take a few days off from school and show him around

* “Is there anything in particular you might want to see?”

* Edward and Carlisle are looking pretty smug thinking that they’ve already shown you everything of note in the area.

* “I’ve always wanted to see the space needle in Seattle.”

* They both falter when they hear that. All the things they’ve shown you are things humans wouldn’t be able to see, hidden meadows, waterfalls, underwater caverns

* They never thought to show you human landmarks. Eleazer nods a growing smile on his face

* “Seattle has a lot of museums that I’ve wanted to visit as well”

* Carlisle let’s out a sigh of relief, none of his kids would be caught dead at a museum outside of a field trip

* To their dismay and Eleazer’s delight your eyes sparkle

* “Can we go to the pop culture museum and the arboretum too?”

* You don’t even pack, Eleazer tells you you can just buy whatever you need when you get there. You do take a duffel bag full of blood bags though

* And then you’re gone, you leave care instructions for your animals with Edward and you and Eleazer drive off towards Seattle in the rented Mercedes he got at the airport

* “Is it just me... or do they look happier with Eleazer than they are with us.” Edward’s only talking to himself, but Carlisle hears and the oncoming doting parent verbal and mental sputter makes him regret saying anything at all

* “it’s okay Carlisle, I’m sure they’re happy here with us too.”

* You guys stay at a pretty upscale hotel downtown, in the penthouse

* “Are you here on a trip with your boyfriend?” The receptionist asks, and Eleazar straight up starts laughing

* “This is my dad.” You say with a straight face and you can tell the receptionist wants to die

* “I-I’m so sorry, we usually get couples this time of year.” Right, it’s almost Valentine’s Day. Makes sense.

* Still there’s something super gross about people thinking you’re romantically linked to Eleazer

* The penthouse is very nice. There’s an infinity pool on your balcony, and three different bedrooms.

* The trip is really fun, you have a -pretend- meal at the revolving restraint at the needle, and spend the rest of the week museum hopping

* “She feels so familiar....” you mumble to yourself as you gaze at a portrait of a woman with long dark hair

* “That’s Carmen” Eleazer tells you

* “What?!?”

* “She was popular with artists even before she turned, it’s always been a hobby of hers to model” You’re just glad it’s not a nude portrait

* You take super cheesy pictures at the natural history museum, and even better pics at the pop culture museum

* On one of your last nights in the city Eleazer took you to a laundromat

* “I know we’ve been running out of clothes, but I’m sure the hotel has a laundry service”

* Eleazer just grins, talking to the attendant, who takes him to a hidden door.

* Well this isn’t sketchy at all

* Eleazer takes your hand in his as he leads you down a long narrow hallway. When you teach the end there’s a pretty nice bar and what appears to be a jazz club

* “It’s a speakeasy, I thought it might be a little fun for our last day”

* Being beautiful has its perks because the waiter doesn’t even card you, just brings you your dink

* “So...Garrett huh?” You groan, and Eleazer smiles

* You knew this was coming

* “Don’t worry, I’m not like Carlisle, if you like someone I like them too.”

* Well at least he isn’t acting like a total freak about the whole thing

* “I am surprised someone like Garrett is more your flavor though” you raise an eyebrow.

* “In comparison to who?” Eleazer gives you a funny look

* “Edward of course”

* You almost spit out your drink

* “Oh, is this one of those situations where the three of you are a couple together?”

* You start coughing and the waiter brings you a glass of water

* “We’re not together!”

* “Well of course you and Garrett aren’t together yet-“

* “Edward and I aren’t dating.”

* Eleazer just looks at you like you told him you’re pregnant

* “That can’t be right” he mumbles and you sigh

* “Why would you think we were dating?” The jazz singer belts out a high note and Eleazer patiently waits for her to be done so he can talk again

* “Well you went with them to Forks, and when you came to visit last year with him we all just figured it had happened naturally”

* Besides, Eleazer see’s the way he looks at you.

* Like you’re the epitome of your gender, like there’s never been anyone like you and there never will be again

* “We all? The entire coven thinks that?” Your fingers thread through your hair.

* What does Tanya think about that? She must be feeling pretty smug what with that talk she gave you all those years ago about how you would eventually date Edward

* Edward probably knows and just doesn’t even care, the criminal probably thinks it’s funny

* Eleazar watches you have a breakdown, taking a small sip of his brandy. It looks like you haven’t realized the way you look at Edward yet

* You look at him like you don’t have a single doubt. You trust him unconditionally, you know exactly who he is and where he will be.

* You look at him like he’s home

* “This is so embarrassing” you mumble and Eleazer smiles

* He guesses it’s not time yet for you to realize your feelings. Maybe it’s for the best, he’s not as bad as Carlisle, but the thought of giving you away at your wedding makes his heart ache.

* “The best cure for embarrassment is alcohol, drink up.” He grins when you clink your glass against his before gulping down the contents of your drink.

* Who knows, maybe in a few years someone completely different will show up and sweep you off your feet.

* You do talk about something really important with Eleazer though

* “Eleazer when do you think Aro will send for me?”

* Eleazer stops mid motion, his glass halted halfway between the table and his mouth

* “If I’m being honest, I don’t think he will for many years” Eleazer has an awkward expression on his face. “I think he’s afraid of you”

* You sputter

* The great and powerful Aro?! Alive for 1000’s of years. AFRAID OF YOU?!?

* “Oh don’t look at me like that, try and think about it from his perspective.”

* Your power is on par with Janes, but unlike her over the decade you’ve been a vampire your power has only gotten stronger. Your body’s natural despair and your desire to be human feed off of each other, compounding on each other to make your power that much more potent

* The only difference is that now you’ve learned to hide it, keeping your emotions in check so others aren’t hurt

* There isn’t a person alive that stands a chance against you at your full potential. You’re the strongest known vampire

* “Chelsea can’t bind you to coven with her loyalty like she does the others,” Eleazer takes a sip of his drink. “his only choice is to let you come back on your own volition, otherwise he risks a war.”

* A war he wouldn’t win, on your own it was dicey, all of them against just you could go either way

* But you weren’t alone anymore, now you have Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen, Eleazer

* And Edward. You know without a second thought Edward would follow you into hell if you asked.

* “Saving any discovery of remarkable talent”

* A discovery like Bella

* You’re not 100% certain, but you’re pretty sure your powers don’t work on Bella, the same way Edward, Jane and Alec’s powers won’t work on her

* And if she can really spread her shield to others-

* You’re f*cked

* “but the chances of that are slim to none.” Eleazer reassures you

* You give him a reassuring smile

* “Salud” you raise you glass and he smiles

* “Salud” he grins as your glass clinks

* You weren’t expecting the week to go by so fast, or to be having as much fun as you did.

* You were pretty sad when the end of the week rolled around and Eleazer dropped you off home

* “He’ll be back before you know it” Edward says, his arm over your shoulders, giving your arm a comforting squeeze

* “Yeah I know, it still feels bad though”

* Edward doesn’t say anything, he just holds you a little closer

* You’re thankful to the Cullen’s for taking you in and giving you an opportunity you might not have had otherwise

* But they’re not your coven, they’re not really your family

* And so now you’re here, walking in a bright pink and red construction paper covered hallway next to Jessica who’s talking about Valentine’s Day

* Ah right, today’s Valentine’s Day

* “Do you think maybe...Mike bought me a carnation?” She asks twirling a strand of hair around her finger

* “I’m sure he did”

* You’re actually sure he bought one for Bella, but you’re hoping the courtesy extends to the whole friend group

* You bought all your friends valentines, and that includes the Cullen’s and everyone on the cheer team

* The money wasn’t the worst part, they were only a dollar each, the worst part was having to write notes for all of them, it wouldn’t have been so bad if the girl at the table wasn’t giving you a dirty look as you pretended to struggle through writing 30 cards

* “How much do you want to bet Bella gets the most flowers out of all of us?”

* You would bet the entire contents of your bank account, but you’re pretty sure Jess can’t match your bet

* “Well, she’s something new to look at, and boys are dumb”

* Jessica blows a strand of hair out of her face. You know she’s probably a bit bitter since she’s started to notice Mike is interested in Bella and not her

* But you kind of get it

* Bella’s cute, but she’s no Cindy Crawford. And to add...she’s really shy, not exactly someone with a charismatic personality.

* The attention she’s garnered will fade in due time, Edward had told you as much

* “It’s the same thing as when we moved to town, most of these kids have gone to school together since childhood, so when someone new gets here it’s all they can think about. They don’t really like her, they just like the idea of her. The illusion of a choice”

* It made you a little sad to be honest, even worse was that Bella didn’t seem to enjoy the attention. She seemed uncomfortable every time a boy flirted with her

* “I almost feel bad for her, I get the feeling she’s not really into any of these guys that are chasing her” Jessica says, so you’re not the only one that’s noticed

* You’re a little surprised that when the student comes by with carnations you get two entire bouquets worth

* And then they come back the next period and give you another bouquet

* “Oooo someone’s popular!” Angela teases and you shrug. Most of these are from Alice and Rosalie, they each bought you three each

* You got a whopping 12 from Conner which feels a bit surprising

* You knew he was going after it, but you didn’t think he would bother to actually put any effort into his attraction outside of flirting with you

* You’ve got one from everyone in your friend group, a handful from others on the cheer team, Emmett and Jasper both bought you one

* The only person who didn’t get you one was Edward

* You wonder if he got Bella one? The thought seems unlikely since they were basically at each others throat the last time they were together

* So imagine your surprise when you walk into the hall to see Bella and Edward talking

* You’re gone for a week and it’s like they’re suddenly insta-friends

* In fact, Bella’s actually blushing, a carnation twirling between her fingers

* A light red carnation

* So he did buy carnations after all, just not for you

* And Edward...his eyes are sparkling as he looks down at her. A lopsided grin curling onto his face

* Oh, there’s that smile

* He says something to her and she pouts, slapping him lightly with the carnation

* They’re getting along just fine without your matchmaking efforts

* So you were the problem

* You should be happy, relieved even-

* But all you can feel is the sharp twist in the bottom of your stomach

* “Hey (Y/N/N), I see you got my flowers”

* You turn around to see Conner who’s looking at your half zipped bag, 3 bouquets of flowers popping out of the top

* “Oh, yeah thanks they’re beautiful.”

* “I’m glad you got them, I noticed you weren’t at school and for a second I was worried you wouldn’t be here today too.”

* He really is cute. He’s got chocolate brown hair and clear blue eyes, a splatter of freckles across the bridge of his nose. He plays tennis or baseball or some other irrelevant sport.

* He’s popular with the girls too, he dated Lauren a few times, and Jessica admitted she had a crush on him freshman year.

* “Are you feeling better now?” He asks, he looks genuinely concerned and it takes you back a bit

* “Yeah, my dad came for a surprise visit so we went to Seattle”

* “Oh that’s cool, what did you guys do?”

* You’re a little surprised that Conner O’Malley, f*ckboy extraordinaire, is Trying to engage you in an honest conversation

* “We just did all the tourist stuff, space needle, museums, food, the usual.”

* Conner smiles at you, hands fidgeting together

* “That’s cool, did you um-did you read the note with the bouquet?

* You didn’t notice there was a note, you swing you backpack around, picking out his bright red bouquet with ease.

* You hadn’t paid attention to the note attached than reading the name on the front to see who they were from.

* “Will you be my valentine” you read the note out loud, feeling confused. What does that mean

* He fidgets in front of you, from here you can see his ears are bright red

* “So would you want to go out sometime?”

* He’s asking you out? On a proper date????

* “We could go watch a movie, or um I know you like to ride those bikes in Port A-“ you do like to ride those bikes in port a

* You watch the his human boy fumble over himself. There’s no future with this boy, one day he’ll grow old and want things you won’t be able to give him.

* “I have a ton of homework to catch up on-“

* “Oh, yeah no, I get that”

* But maybe... maybe it’s okay just to pretend and let yourself be entertained by the experience

* “Would you want to come with me to the library? I’m totally lost on Trig”

* You know it’s not the most romantic place, but that’s part of the reason you suggested it. You want to give him an out

* He looks a little surprised but recovers quickly.

* “I’ll meet you after school then, we can drive to the library together”

* You don’t bother telling Edward, you just look to the spot where he’s with Bella, he must have heard

* His eyes meet yours, his mouth pinches into a slight smile and he gives you a nod before turning back to Bella

* What so just because he’s got a new friend you’re invisible now?

* Stupid Edward. Not like you care, you just wanted him to know he’d have to ride home with the others

* Maybe his new best friend Bella can give him a ride home

* “So you’re going out with Conner tonight huh?” Mike asks when you take your seat in biology

* Edward doesn’t so much as spare you a glance

* “He’s just helping me catch up on school work.” You shrug, pulling out your biology homework

* “I bet he’ll help you catch up on-“

* “You’re going out with Conner?” Bella interrupts, you’re grateful for it but at the same time: those doe eyes and innocent face irritate you

* “He’s just helping me catch up on homework I missed”

* “Couldn’t Edward hell you do that?”

* You try to not look at Edward

* But what the f*ck?!?

* Last week the two of them couldn’t even sit in a car together for a short ten minute drive, and now all of a sudden she’s asking why you’re NOT spending time with Edward?

* It’s so... irritating

* You feel a tap on your arm, and turn to look at Edward

* “Control yourself”

* Oh great so the one time he decides to acknowledge your presence is to tell you to control your powers because he’s worried about his little human girlfriend getting the whiplash?!?

* Seriously, f*ck off Edward

* “Mr. Barnes I have to go to the nurse.”

* You don’t even wait to hear his answer, you just grab your bag and walk out

* You keep walking, practically fuming until you get to the parking lot

* Well you can’t leave, you already told Conner you’re going with him to the library after school

* Not to add it’s going to look real weird if you don’t go the nurses office eventually after storming off like that

* But you don’t want to go there yet

* Queue you discretely crouching under a window, lightly tapping the glass

* “Rosalie, Rosalie can you hear me?” You whisper

* Rosalie head turns to the window, her eyebrows threaded together, you poke your head just slightly above the ledge and give her a small smile and a wave

* Well at least it’s always interesting with you around

* “What are you doing?” Rosalie asks when she meets you under the school staircase

* You give her a nervous smile before collapsing onto the floor

* She gives you a knowing look before sitting beside you

* “So what did king Brood do now?”

* Queue the Edward rant

* “I leave for one week and all of a sudden he’s besties with some human, when just last week he told me not to get to close to her”

* “That’s Edward for you, king of the brood and hypocrisy.” Rosalie leans her head back against the wall

* “You know he didn’t even get me a carnation?”

* Rosalie rolls her eyes

* “That sounds like him, if it helps he didn’t buy me a carnation either, he just doesn’t think things like this are important”

* “He bought Bella one.”

* Rosalie sputters at that, so you retell her all about the flirting you had to watch

* “What color was the carnation?” Rosalie asks, and your eyebrows thread together

* Why is that important right now?

* “Um I don’t know, not quite pink, not quite red, something in between.”

* Rosalie’s expression smooths

* So that’s his game

* “Don’t worry about it too much as long as it’s not a deep red it doesn’t mean love”

* Now it’s your turn to sputter

* “W-what why would I be worried? Edward can do whatever he wants, even if it is with some human”

* Rosalie gives you a knowing look, and you avert your eyes

* If Rosalie were cruel she might ask why you’re sitting out here with her instead of in class, if you don’t care about what Edward does

* But Rosalie isn’t cruel, at least not to you

* She pats your shoulder, and you sigh

* “Come on let’s go to the nurse so you can pretend you have cramps or something” you nod

* “Besides don’t you have a date with the hottest human boy at our school?” You groan and a teasing smile curls onto her lips

* “Not you too.”

* The date is over hyped for sure, it’s mostly you and Conner sitting at the end of a small table asking each other questions about the trig homework

* “So...are you supposed to use the radical formula for this one?”

* “I think so..do you remember the formula?” Conner scratches his head

* “Um I remember there was a story about a mixed up guy going to a party that’s supposed to help”

* Basically it’s more like you’re helping Conner with home work than him helping you Totally underwhelming

* “Sorry, I bet there are better ways to spend your Valentine’s Day” Conner scoffs

* “Are you kidding? I’m spending it with the hottest person at Forks HS, as far as I’m concerned this is a win” he grins and you smile back

* Well, it wasn’t completely a waste

* You roll around back home around 11:30, everyone’s gone, on with their own Valentine’s Day plans.

* You’re not surprised to see Edward’s not in his room either He’s probably out watching Bella or doing god knows what

* You know this is the way it supposed to be, it’s the best thing for you too, you know even with Bella in the mix Edward would never betray you

* Once she’s on your side you don’t have to worry about the Volturi. But still, there a twist in your stomach You don’t like this new Edward, even if it is who he really is.

* You want your Edward back

* You sigh as you walk down the hall and into your room Stopping in the doorway when you flick on the lights

* There on your desk is a bouquet of roses

* You have half a mind to think they’re from Eleazer or Garrett or something

* So imagine when you pull off the card to see Edward’s name attached

* “Glad to have you home, happy Valentine’s Day” - Edward

* You toy with the card, a small smile curling onto your lips

* Maybe he’s still your Edward

* Your Edward just more anti-social

Tags:  @moonlights27 @thebluetint @the100thtwilight @awesomebooklover17 @oneofthepotterheads @smileygirl08 @imdoingathingmom @iconicgguk @yrawn @alyciaswhore @little-horror-show @wicked-watering-can @lazydreamers @ xxxmuxxx @ideas-for-you-to-adopt​​ @poisoinedhope @maryleigh8796​ @moose-squirrel-asstiel​ @hotmessgoodness @jaimewho @corabmarie @what-am-i-doing10​

[sorcerersofnyc]

The Last Thing Left (Zemo x F!Reader) 1/9

Ghosts weren’t enough to hold two people together.

While they wait for Torres to locate Donya Madani, Zemo reflects upon his relationship to you, his only tether to his wife and closest friend.

Slow burn, previous relationships, angst, various mentions of death & mourning. You both lost your spouse. You're a regular civilian person. Zemo's wife's name is Heike because of comics.

Note: Main Character is neutral in most regards but the story was written with my own cultural background in mind. (In other words, I won't say what she looks like but I envision her as being black.)

I meant to write a one-shot but, as it turns out, I have feelings for this man.

I'll have part two by the end of the day and hope to update steadily.

***

He looks forward to coming face-to-face with Karli, the girl responsible for the birth of a new faction of Super Soldiers. His plan for her was simple really: He would find her, and then he would end her—just as he did Nagel.

Sam and James lack the conviction to do what needs to be done, and it’s that weakness that makes Helmut invaluable (that and he’s the one with the private jet.) So he bides his time and waits.

Helmut would put an end to Karli and her acolytes. He would make sure of it.

But it’s night now, and he’s tired, so instead of plotting, he prepares a meal in the little kitchen near the cockpit.

James relaxes on the couch and Sam sits across from him in the lounge area, discussing something not meant for his ears. So as he does his work and delicious aromas permeate the air, Helmut decides to let their food cook a little longer than he usually would. By the time he decides to turn off the heat, Sam is contacting an associate—someone he hopes can help them locate Karli’s mentor, Donya Madani.

It isn’t a bad plan, enlisting the help of others, but Helmut knows how strenuous locating displaced persons can be; locating the dead was a much easier feat.

Sam’s associate wouldn’t find Donya as long as she’s alive.

“Now what?” James asks, his voice and disposition bitter as Helmut hands him the plate. He eyes the meal with suspicion.

“We wait” Sam can barely withhold his frustration with James, but he accepts the food with a nod.

“For how long?”

“For as long as it takes.”

Helmut has no burning desire to listen to Sam and James argue on and on about symbols and shields. It’s clear whatever they have between them is fraying—ripping at the seams.

If it wasn’t so painfully ironic (and hilarious to watch,) Helmut would find the relationship between Sam and James a little sad.

Ghosts weren’t enough to hold two people together.

“I know of a place we can go until then.” He says, settling down into his chair. Helmut doesn’t give them a moment to ask questions, instead, he asks Oeznik to adjust their course towards Spain.

He’d know exactly where to port.

And though the journey would be long and annoying, he would handle it as handled every arduous thing: with patience and a glass of whiskey.

Besides, his impending headache will be well worth it; he’ll get to see you again.

***

Before she was his wife, Heike was his girlfriend, and in those days, she longed to see the world outside the trappings of nobility. So she studied abroad for University and adventured out into the world. But despite her dazzling personality, she never expected to have met a friend so quickly. (She confessed as much to him the day after she arrived.)

So when she ran into you—quite literally—while searching for her class building, she was overjoyed. You were headed to the same lecture (as Heike would recount later,) and decided to share a bench as you looked over a ridiculously simplified map.

Heike couldn’t wait to tell him of the ‘lovely Fine Arts major’ she met that day (and every day afterward.)

You were all but joined at the hip ever since; you were there for all their important dates — their engagement, their wedding, the birth of their baby.

But despite your somewhat frequent presence in his home and in his life, Helmut never thought to consider you a friend, not really.

You were his wife’s friend, someone who came to town, swept her up, spoiled Carl, and left days later.

But when Heike hosted dinner for one of her milestone birthdays, your life became entangled with his further. Because on that day, you caught the eye of his closest friend, Dominik.

Dominik had no title. His family had been nobility once, many years ago, but their words no longer held sway in politics or court.

So society wouldn’t care if Dominik married a Sokovian woman or if his partner came from old money. There would be looks, of course, and there would be whispers, (Sokovia was a fairly homogenous society, after all, and with that came many old-world sensibilities,) but most were content to let him be.

Dominik was free to live his life with impunity.

So he might have married anyone he liked—in fact, he might have had an easier time courting a woman more easily swayed by his charm and vast amounts of money—but you enchanted him from the beginning, he didn’t want anyone else.

“They would make such a cute couple, wouldn’t they?” Heike asked that evening, her large eyes filled with mischievous glee. They both had the misfortune of watching Dominik flounder as he spoke to you and Helmut often wondered if she set you up on purpose if she somehow knew that love would run its course.

*

Helmut remembered one particular day; it was hot and he found his friend tucked away in the stuffy library of his family’s estate. He looked studious, thoughtful, things he rarely expected Dominik to be.

The annotated books were arranged in neat piles, obscuring Dominik’s tired eyes.

“What are these?” Helmut asked him, inspecting the pile with curiosity.

He said your name with a sight, almost dreamily.

“She said she likes to read, so I asked about her favorites,” he told him, gesturing “She told me these were ‘essential reading.’ ”

He was never meant to read them all at once, but he was determined to impress you.

Endlessly curious and amused, Helmut decided to read them too. (He found the one on Pre-Columbian art extremely insightful, as was the one on the political importance of diasporas, and of course the one on Marvin Gaye.)

But it wasn’t until a year later, when EKO Scorpion was deployed, that he realized the true depth of Dominik’s feelings for you.

Because usually, when Dominik received one of your amorous letters, he would grin and gloat and parade himself through camp.

“Look,” he would say, waving the envelope around as if it were your banner, “I have someone waiting for me.”

But then one night, after a back-breaking mission near the border of Lithuania, Helmut watched his friend pull your letter from the pocket of his uniform. The night was damp and cold, but he read the letter quietly, thumbing at the wrinkled page.

And he was happy for him, he was happy for you.

It was nice, Helmut remembered, watching your courtship from afar and offering advice where he could.

He was proud to stand beside Dominik on the day of the wedding, proud to watch see your love take root.

Though it took a great deal of compromise for you to move to Sokovia (you didn’t like the idea of living in a country so bloodied by war, you were worried about exclusion and monotony, and you found the film culture’s lacking,) but once you did, he and Heike entertained you on the holidays.

There had been no children between you and him, but there was plenty of love.

There was so much love, in fact, someone found your letter in the pocket of his uniform the day they pulled him from the rubble of Novi Grad.

“Does anyone know where his wife is?” An officer asked.

“Does anyone know where anyone is?” Another replied.

It was an endless cycle of death and sorrow as people dug soldiers and civilians from the wreckage and debris.

Some were alive, most were dead.

People cried.

Families broke apart.

People begged and fell limp in the streets.

Helmut buried his entire family.

You buried your husband and his father.

You had no one left.

*

You made a beautiful speech at the service, one that spoke volumes of love you both shared.

“I loved him,” you said, “and he loved me.”

But when the service was finally over and you stood at the site of his freshly dug grave, you lingered almost absentmindedly, at a loss for something to say.

Helmut joined you, after a while, standing in silent solidarity. You’d done the same just a few days prior. He waited for you to speak.

You keep your eyes cast down as you do.

“I’m standing here and I... I still can’t believe it. I can’t believe they’re gone.”

All because of the Avengers, he thought. They took everything from you both.

“What will I do without him?” When you looked at him, your eyes filled with tears, Helmut knew better than to say what he was thinking. He couldn’t tell you he longed to watch the world burn, that he wanted those so-called ‘heroes’ to have died in the place of those he held dear, that he wanted revenge.

So he said the next best thing instead:

“I’ll take care of you,” he promised.

“Thank you, Helmut. But… I…” You wanted to tell him you’d be alright, but the lie lodged itself in the back of your throat and a sob pushed forward instead.

“Please…” He beckoned softly, “It’s what they would have wanted. Heike and Carl… they adored you. I can do this much at least.“

You were the only thing he had left of the ones he loved.

He didn’t want to let you go.

***

Thanks for reading! Look out for part two! The reader will have more interaction with Zemo.

Next

[anime-academix]

Dating Mexican Reader

Headcanon

Characters: Midoriya, Bakugo, Todoroki, Kirishima, Aizawa, Shigaraki, Dabi

Warnings: minor swearing, minor nsfw (it’s extremely brief, you’ll see it if you squint)

Requested by: @peachyhonxeey​ Thank you for your request! :)

A/N: I’m so sorry, I took so long to post this! 😭 But I hope you all like it! I will admit, my knowledge on Mexican culture is limited...so I asked a few friends more knowledgeable in that area for some help! So, if there are any spelling/pronunciation/translation errors, I apologise in advance! But, I hope you guys enjoy reading this! I will definitely be going back in and doing some much needed revising though lol and then maybe a part 2!

Midoriya

Shy when it comes to dating outside of his race, but claims he’s the luckiest person in the world once he’s with you.

ALWAYS asking questions about your family, culture, and even the language.

Writes down all of your answers.

Actually enrolled himself in a Spanish class so he could surprise you with what he’s been learning.

If Japanese isn't your first language, he will offer to help you with your Japanese.

The two of you end up spending hours just teaching each other phrase in your native languages.

During times like these, this boy is so madly in love with you, just observing the way you are, the way you’re just existing.

Wants to meet your family and will even ask how he can please your family members.

Listens to you in awe when you converse with your family in your native language.

Will try and repeat some of the words/phrases he hears you use to himself.

Once you’re done talking to your family, he’ll ask you how to pronounce a word he heard you say or what a phrase means.

Will ask you about how Japanese culture is different from your own culture.

When it comes to PDA, Izuku is EXTREMELY shy and gets flustered so easily.

He’s shock when he finds out that you’re culture is significantly different than Japanese culture.

Especially when it comes to PDA.

In public, as far as the two of you go are hugs, hand holding and cheek kisses.

Most times you initiate it, but after a while, he begins initiating it on his own.

He’s always sending you recipes he comes across and asks if you two could make it together on the weekend.

You’ll have conversations concerning your own experiences with racial discrimination.

Will almost always start crying.

Hugs you tight and reassures you that you and everything about you is beautiful.

Bakugo

He is so fascinated by you and your culture, but he won’t ever say it aloud.

You’ll see his fascination through little things:

Started eating Mexican food, even when the two of you were just friends to understand you a bit more.

Even learning words, phrases, and slang words in Spanish when he could.

He absolutely loves it when you switch to speaking your native tongue.

Especially when you guys get into an argument, he’s left speechless because you’ll curse at him in Spanish but he has NO idea all of what you’re saying.

“Excuse me? ¡Siempre haces esto! Te voy a romper la cara con mis puñetazos. No me jodas. Ugh! Vete a la mierda, pendejo. Eres tan jodidamente molesto.”

“W-what...what the hell did you just say to me?!”

You can honestly out argue him.

Will almost always lose the argument because he wouldn’t know how to reply.

Honestly would think it’s really hot and badass that you switch languages when you’re upset.

Usually won’t be the first to apologise directly, but after giving you space to calm down, he usually starts by calling you ‘Mi Amor’ or ‘Princesa’.

His pronunciation is actually so on point.

He’ll act as though he’s indifferent but he LOVES Mexican food.

On RARE occasions, he will even attempt to make a simple Mexican recipe to impress you.

He’s actually so good at cooking and when you praise him, he’ll say:

“Tch. Don’t make a big deal about it; it wasn’t that hard.”

Was actually hella nervous that he would do it wrong and you wouldn't like it.

Blushes HARD, but will pretend like its nothing when you praise his cooking.

During late night talks, usually with you laying on top of him, his arms wrapped around you and he’ll ask you if you feel comfortable in Japan.

Then will eventually ask if you’re comfortable with him.

Todoroki

Is 100% nervous to date outside of his race, or anyone for that matter.

So, once the two of you start dating, he is very attentive and takes the relationship seriously.

Very traditional when it comes to dating, but at the same time extremely shy.

Especially when it comes to PDA.

If we’re being honest, he’s really awkward when it comes to being around you, so it’s hard for him to express affection and his emotions directly.

So majority of the time, you’re instigating hand holding, hugs, and eventually kissing a lot of the time.

Expresses his love and affection for you through other ways.

He will take so much of his time reading about Mexican culture, the languages, and will even learn your native language to converse with you at times.

Constantly asking you random and unexpected questions about yourself and background.

Most of the time, he won’t give an explanation or context for the question.

Over time, he becomes more comfortable with affection and will start making the first move, such as: cheek and hand kissing and hugs.

When he’s around his friends, he usually sticks to hugging because this boy is honestly so awkward.

Whenever the two of you are in public, he prefers to always be holding your hand.

Some times he’ll have two of his fingers wrapped around yours.

He finds it so interesting when you speak in your native language whether you’re talking to family/friends or talking to yourself.

When you guys have an argument, it definitely would be over something serious.

Todoroki tries to remain calm whenever the two of you do fight, which usually resolves the argument as quick as it started.

But on rare occasions, during an argument he’s caught off guard when you switch to your native language when you’re upset/frustrated.

He’ll understand even more that when you switch to your native tongue, you’re extremely upset about whatever the two of you are arguing about.

Even then, he usually doesn’t argue back and will let you get out all of your feelings until you’ve calmed down.

If he thinks the two of you need some space, he’ll leave for an hour or so and then come back so the two of you can talk.

Regardless of whoever started the argument, he’s almost always the first to apologize, which usually results in the both of you apologizing at the same time.

Kirishima

In all honesty, the two of you just clicked instantly.

Picks up on your native language incredibly fast.

The two of you can hold entire conversations in Spanish.

Confuses the others because they have no idea what you’re talking about.

As if Kirishima wasn’t already romantic enough, once he starts learning more about your culture, his art in the romantics sky rocket.

Like this boy will tell you pick up lines in Spanish with a smirk on his face in front of your friends.

Will even ask if you can teach him any Mexican dances that you know.

When/if you do, he won’t stop practicing that dance(s) and he gets INTO it, emotions and all.

But honestly, the two of you are always dancing, especially when you’re alone together.

Kirishima doesn’t care about what others think, so therefore, he has no problem showing you off in public.

He will almost always initiate PDA and it doesn’t even bother him if other people think it’s weird.

Your family absolutely loves him, he honestly fits right in quite well when he meets your family.

Has at least a question every day about your culture and/or family.

Aizawa (slight NSFW towards the end)

Same with Kirishima, he has no problem showing you off.

LOVES listening to you speak in your native tongue.

But also loves hearing you talk about your culture and family.

Though he’s very educated on Mexican culture, he also learns alot from you--more intimate and personal details.

Aizawa knows a good amount of Spanish, but is kind of shy when it comes to responding back in Spanish because he’s self conscious when it comes to pronunciation.

His pronunciation is actually really good, but he doesn’t seem to think so.

You lowkey love when he speaks in your native language.

At times, when you ask him a question in Spanish, he will answer in Japanese and/or English.

Whenever you guys argue, you tend to switch back to your native tongue especially when you’re angry/upset.

He actually knows exactly what you’re saying, but usually won’t say anything.

Wants to let you scream out your anger/frustration as effectively as you can.

BUT NOW HEAR ME OUT, Aizawa WILL speak Spanish but only on rare occasions, like really rare.

Happens mostly on late nights when the two of you are cuddling that he’ll call you Mi Amor while holding you in his arms.

The other times he speaks Spanish to you are the nights when you two are doing the deed, he will whisper dirty things in your ear because he knows that it will turn you on instantly.

His deep voice + Spanish = ⚰️

He’s extremely protective of you.

Whenever the two of you are out in public, tends to hold you close to him by your waist.

Shigaraki

He may act like he’s all big and bad, but he becomes so shy whenever the two of you are alone.

Though you’re immune to his quirk, he’s always scared that one day he’ll touch you and you’re going to decay in his hands.

Because he’s always thinking that, you’re the one to take his hand and remind him that you’re not going anywhere

When you’re around the other League members and he’s acting out, you’ll put that boy back in line.

You’re honestly the only person that can keep him calm the most effectively.

Kurogiri is so lucky to have you, because he knows Shigaraki will listen to you.

Becomes a huge softie when you speak in your native tongue around him

Very interested in your culture and background.

He’s extremely shy when it comes to him asking you questions about your culture.

If he feels too embarrassed to ask you a question, he’ll spend a good amount of time researching the topic and he will inform you in hopes of impressing you.

Loves to see the happy look on your face when he tells you what he’s learned.

He may be a soft, pouty baby when it comes to you, but if anyone even dares to disrespect you, he will dust them in a second.

Will occasionally ask if you’re comfortable being with him or if you’d rather be at home.

He’d become flustered asf when you tell him that he is your home.

Spends hours cuddling and talking about everything and nothing.

Okay okay okay, one night he will ask you if you can give him a nickname in Spanish.

When he asks you that, he’s blushing like CRAZY.

Dabi (slight NSFW)

Okay, if we’re being honest, he honestly was the one to make the first move when he saw you.

Jokingly says dating you was a bad idea, but doesn’t regret meeting you at all .

Dabi won’t ever admit it, but he is SO in love with you, even if he tells you you’re a pain in the ass.

Whenever he gets an attitude, you have no problem reminding him of his place.

“What are you gonna do? Kick my ass? Doll, I’m not scared of you.”

“I don’t know who the fuck you think you talking to, but it ain’t me. So, you better watch yourself before I knock you out into next week.”

He’s almost always caught off guard with how fast you snap back.

When the two of you argue, he tends to lose the argument because at some point when your anger/annoyance heightens, you’ll start swearing at him in Spanish.

He’ll just stand there smirking at you while you’re just full of frustration.

Finds it so hot when you switch back to your native language.

Asks you so many times to speak in Spanish to him.

Knows a generous amount of phrases and words native to your culture.

Okay, I will tell you, it turns him on so much if you talk dirty to him in Spanish--it’s definitely one of his weaknesses.

Has no problem asking you questions about your culture.

Loves hearing you talk about your stories about your home, background and even family.

Though he’s a little rough around the edges, Dabi is EXTREMELY protective and especially observant when it comes to you.

Whenever the two of you are in public, he always has his arm around your shoulders or waist.

Dabi doesn’t care too much for PDA, but if he notices someone staring at you, he’ll glare at the person before kissing your lips then your down your neck.

[pikemoreno]

a lovely night

pairing: cassian andor x gn!reader

word count: 2k

warnings: nothing at all

a/n: really really excited to finally write for my main man cassian andor. this takes place before the events of rogue one, obviously, i’d say multiple years before. and it’s loosely inspired by the song ‘a lovely night’ from la la land, feel free to listen to that before or as you read for the ~vibes~.

wanna join a taglist? | masterlist 

You hated this planet already.

Well, not the planet necessarily. 

Alderaan’s title of “the planet of beauty” was well-deserved. You’d spent the better part of the day traipsing through the Alderaanian wilderness in pursuit of an Imperial arms dealer who supposedly had a secret store in the Isatabith rain forest, but to call it all “wilderness” seemed too unruly a word. Even the mossy trees and rocky slopes had a certain elegance about them. The waterfalls fell in gorgeous curtains and the trees formed natural, breathtaking rooves above the forest floor.

Now, the cities, you were finding, were just as breath-taking. Here in the capital of Aldera the landscape remained unspoiled-- industry and nature working in harmony, growing together. The water that completely surrounded it shone with all of the colors of a sunset as the golden light fell behind the great peaks on the horizon.

No, you loved the planet, It was the company that was the problem. You looked to your left at the aforementioned offender as he checked you into the beautiful silver-towered hotel you were staying at-- a gift from the Alderaanian government in return for you helping them weed out the Imperials. His dark hair was wind-tossed from the long day in the mountains. His eyes were tired but still crinkled at the edges as he gave his most friendly smile to the person at the front desk

Captain Cassian Andor. 

To say you hated him was an overstatement. You didn’t. His gruff demeanor and barking orders when in “Captain Mode” did not tend to win him any favors in the friend department for anyone, but he wasn’t a terrible person. In fact, you’d been friends as children, though that fact didn’t necessarily help his cause. He was so annoying back then, so loud. He was always bothering you and getting you into trouble-- and yet there came the paradox that you continued to seek out his companionship until you split ways as teenagers. You had been fond of the skinny little kid, filled to his very brim with fierce energy.

He’d come back into your life two years ago when you formally joined the rebellion. He had mellowed out an insane amount since then. However, he was just as much of a nuisance in your eyes now as he had been as children-- just in a different way. Now he would contradict everything you say. Any thought, any stance you had, he seemed to automatically take the opposite approach. You would often catch him smiling as he did so, making it more than clear that he was only doing it to get a rise out of you.

At least for the sake of missions, you couldn’t complain. He was a more-than-competent partner. Frankly, he was really good at what he did and there wasn’t anyone else you could think of who you’d prefer from a strategy standpoint. 

So, no, you didn’t completely hate him. You just hated it here. With him. 

It all could’ve been such a dream: a half-mission, half-romantic getaway with the elegance and beauty of the planet’s scenery and culture inspiring a wanna-be couple to take leaps and bounds forward in their blossoming relationship.

But you were here with your local nuisance, the man who frustrated you more than anyone else in the galaxy.

You’d have to come back with someone else. 

Cassian’s hand on your shoulder brought you out of your musings as you appeared to him to simply be looking thoughtfully at a hand-sculpted stone pillar’s delicate flower design. 

“Ready to go up?” 

You nodded, hoisting the small bag of your personal effects up onto your shoulder. “More like ready to collapse.” 

“What? You’re not going to stay up and party?” Cassian supplied with a distinct tone of sarcasm as you stepped onto the elevator.

“A party?”

“They just warned me about some big “Founder’s Day” party that’s happening throughout the city tonight and said they hoped it wouldn’t bother us. That’s all.”

“I see. Well, if it bothers me enough, I might just have to go out then,” you teased. “Are you joining me?” He had never been the type. Never. You had been forced to drag him to the last party celebrating a huge win against the Empire-- a party that was mostly to celebrate his accomplishment.

“Of course not. I’m with you. It’s been a long day.” 

“Did you just agree with me?” You added a fake gasp for effect. “You? Captain Cassian Andor, Rebel Intelligence heard me say something and agreed with it?”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it,” he muttered with a crooked smile, his hand hovering at your back as you stepped off the elevator and into your designated room directly across from it.

The Alderaanian government was far too kind. The suite was beyond luxurious, looking more like an expensive apartment than a hotel room. It had a full kitchen and living space, all decorated to the nines. Chandeliers were hung throughout; there was a water feature in the middle of the space for kriff’s sake! But your focus was on the view directly ahead. On the far side of the living space, the wall was made up of floor to ceiling windows leading out to a balcony. The purples and pinks and oranges of dusk filled your vision and you momentarily forgot your tiredness, walking in a near daze to open the door to the balcony and step out. You felt Cassian’s presence beside you as you reached the railing and looked to the streets below, filled with color and exquisitely decorated people like you’d never seen before.

“Not much to look at huh?” Cassian deadpanned.

“I’ve seen better.” You shrugged. Yet you both stood there awed at the celebrations happening around you underneath a sky that seemed to celebrate in swirling hues of its own. A moment later you murmured before you could even realize what you’d said, 

“‘s so romantic.”

“What?” The word was breathy with a laugh, but his body language was as if he had bristled-- back-stepping feet, shoulders squared to you.

“It’s romantic. It’s just too bad I’m here with you,” you teased, sticking your tongue out at him. He visibly relaxed, crossing his arms. 

“Is that so? I have to say I agree. I’ll have to remember this for… Future romantic endeavors.”

You scoffed. “You? Romantic endeavors?”

“Is that so hard to believe?” 

“I can’t say you seem like much of a romantic Mr. Married To The Rebellion.” 

“Perhaps you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”

“Perhaps not,” you conceded.

“And what about you, hmm? You seemed very adamant about being here with someone else.” 

You smiled, giving an over dramatic sigh.

“It’s a shame really. I could’ve been here with that new pilot. But instead I’m here with the life-long pain in my ass.”

“Kenan? That new pilot?” 

“Yeah.” Cassian matched your earlier scoff and you turned to face him, matching his crossed arms. “What? What’s wrong with Kenan?” 

“He’s a hot-shot,” you rolled your eyes turning back to face the party below as he spoke, “He never listens to orders. He’s arrogant. And a notorious flirt. And--,” you see him shake his head out of the corner of your eye, “He’s just not good enough for you.”

You shrugged simply in return. His surprisingly scathing response had caught you severely off guard.

“It was just a joke,” you offered after a moment, “I’m not interested in Kenan. At all.” He nodded, but didn’t respond further.

The silence that followed was interrupted as blue and silver fireworks suddenly bursted into the air above you. You held your breath, watching the sparks rain back down and disappear into the darkening sky. The music grew louder to keep up with the controlled explosions fighting for airspace, an up-tempo, fiery melody that made your fingers tap on the ivory colored rail. 

A hand came to rest on yours, stopping the movement. You froze, looking over to Cassian who offered no hint as to what he was going to do next. He readjusted his light grip so that his hand was under yours, gently lifting it and leading you in closer.

“What are you doing?” you asked as calmly as you could though your voice shook with sudden nerves.

“Dancing,” he said simply, “We used to dance all the time as kids. Remember?”

“I do,” you grinned as both of your hands followed muscle memory to their proper placement: hands joined out to the side, a hand gently holding your waist, and your left hand resting on his shoulder. He grinned back at you as he started to move. He led you in a way that felt so natural, twirling you, laughing with you, trying to bring back to memory all of the little tricks you could do, just like it always was. It was so normal, yet so new. You’d truly danced about a hundred times before, but this was something different entirely. 

It was, in a word: romantic. The view, the elegant suite inside, the music, the… The companionship. It sent your heart aflutter in a way that was entirely unexpected and absolutely annoying. 

“It’s just Cassian!” You yelled at the butterflies in your stomach. 

But there was something about it all that wasn’t “just.” It hadn’t been “just” since you reconnected with him two years ago, though you had previously been reluctant to admit it.

You’re not quite sure how long you danced; you didn’t stop until the music did. All of the partiers below now paused their movements to watch the finale of the fireworks. You both likewise dropped the hands that been clasped together at shoulder height, but the hand on his shoulder and the one on your waist remained, keeping you close as you watched new colors and shapes rise and fall in the now-starry sky. 

“That was fun,” you whispered, giving his shoulder a light squeeze and gazing out to the mountains. “You do continue to surprise me, Cassian Andor.” You saw him look over to you in your peripheral and you turned to meet his gaze. The sparks bursting overhead reflected in his dark eyes so they shined, highlighting their mischievous glint. You were almost too close now, it would only take you leaning in to- 

“You questioned my romantic abilities; I had to prove myself,” Cassian explained with an unmistakable confidence. His thumb drew the smallest of circles where it rested on your waist. It seemed to be an unconscious action, but you’d be a liar if you said you wanted him to stop doing it. 

“Point made. But you never have to prove yourself to me. I knew you during your ‘Kade Genti, Master of Section Nine’ phase and I’m still here aren’t I?” 

“Oh not the cartoons phase,” he groaned, but his eyes were bright with memories.

“The cartoons were fine. It was the ‘never taking off the costume’ part.” 

“I remember Sura Tik making fun of me for it.”

“And I made her eat dirt for making fun of you,” you smirked.

“Yeah, you did.” A beat. “You were always there.” 

“I tried.”

There you stood in front of the bursting sky and just looked at each other-- at your old friend. You weren’t speaking, but the moment was anything but silent, thoughts from both sides equally loud. 

Maybe it’s been always been you.

It only took him making the smallest of glances towards your lips for you to close the fragile gap that remained between you, an action which he did not hesitate to return, a hand moving to rest against your cheek.

Thank goodness for that grounding hand, you thought, or else you might just have collapsed. For there in your midst were fireworks: louder and brighter than any on Alderaan.

[thebibliosphere]

My Heart’s In The Highlands by Amy Hoff (Book Review)

Hey fam, we ready to talk about a Scottish lesbian time traveling romance? 

Also, just an upfront disclaimer on this one: I received an ARC (advance review copy) copy of this book from the Publisher and am writing this review voluntarily.

A Quick Summary:

My Heart’s in the Highlands by Amy Hoff is a sapphic time travel romance set in Scotland, starting in the late 1880s.  Lady Jane Crichton is a learned woman of science (based on the historic ‘Edinburgh Seven’), who has spent her lifetime railing against the restraints of Scottish Victorian life and the expectations placed upon her. Fortunately for Jane, she finds herself in a marriage of convenience (he’s gay and needed a beard to protect his political career, and she needed the financial freedom and support of a wealthy patron. They’re buds about it.) and with the help of her husband, Jane is able to fund her own research and builds a functioning time machine. 

Unfortunately for Jane her time machine malfunctions during one of its voyages, and she finds herself thrown back in time, crash landing into the 13th century. And also into Ainslie nic Dòmhnaill, who is next in line to inherit the great Clan Donald. Which is one hell of a way to find out your a lesbian, but also 10/10 would willingly fall back in time and into the arms of a buff Scottish warrior woman. But Jane also holds a secret. She knows what will become of these lands, and to the people that live on them, and she must choose between her fairy tale romance, or the harsh reality of history that lies ahead. Can her and  Ainslie’s love survive? Or will they be torn apart by time? 

Review:

Okay, so for some perspective going into this review, I am a Scottish editor, and I have worked extensively in the realms of Scottish Historical Romance. Most of you have probably heard of the term ‘Britpacker,’ so if it helps, think of me as a ‘Scots Sifter’—I catch chunks of inaccuracy and gently nudge the phonetic (mis)spellings toward the realms of the accurate. And as a Scottish person who reads romance for both fun and work, it’s a breath of fresh air to read someone who knows what they are doing in this regard. The historical details many readers crave are there in spades, lovingly rendered through beautiful and flowing prose. The (accurate!!!) use of Scots and Gaelic are also masterfully included in the dialect without feeling contrived, and overall enriches the narrative. Hoff is someone who loves Scottish culture and knows it well, and it shows.

(A note for history foodie buffs: I caught one slip-up in the form of potatoes being mentioned in the 13th century when they didn’t arrive in Scotland until 1739. I am, however, willing to concede that perhaps our heroine Lady Jane is perhaps not the first time traveler to have crash-landed into the Highlands. The others were merely better supplied. EDIT: I’ve been informed this error will be corrected in the next print.) As a heroine, Lady Jane is charmingly out of time and place even before she sets foot in her time machine. A woman in her later thirties (a novelty I’ll never tire of in Romance), she holds many convictions and beliefs, both about history and herself. All of which are proven wrong the moment she is flung back in time and meets the charming (and I cannot stress this enough) incredibly buff warrior woman, Ainslie nic Dòmhnaill. Setting aside my more analytical interests in this text, allow me to just say, I would die for Ainslie; something which I feel secure in saying would not happen, as Ainslie would murder anyone that tried. (And I would hold her golden torque and flower all starry-eyed while she did it.) However, there were one or two things that jumped out at me, both as a reader and an editor. While some scenes are concisely eloquent, there are a areas where pacing (and grammar) fall down, and the book feels like it could use with tightening up with another pass at editing. There was very little build up to the romance itself, which is fine, the instant true love trope is a well-loved trope for a reason. But it felt out of character for Jane, who presents initially as either on the demi or ace spectrum, but then falls immediately, if not in love, then certainly in lust with Ainslie. If this was intentional, I cannot say, but her sudden switch in dynamic is jarring and could have used a little gentler development.

Once the romance begins, it is sweet and enjoyable for the most part, but also again not without issue. There’s a distinct lack of verbal consent which modern readers might find discomfiting, especially in the LGBTQ+ spheres which paved the way for better consent and relationship dynamics in modern romance, and if I were asked to tag this book, I’d likely opt to tag it as “dubious consent” just to cover any potential triggers for people who would be unsettled by that sort of thing. (“Tell me no” being met with silence is not the same as consent. It might have worked 20 years ago in publishing, but it wouldn’t/shouldn’t fly now.) I like the characters dearly. Ainslie is smitten with Jane the moment she sets eyes on her, even if Jane is initially very awkward and prickly. Jane is also taken with her glorious redheaded warrior, and frankly, who could blame her? The book also has several of my favorite romantic tropes in it, including the all-time favorite “There’s Only One Bed”, though I wish more had been made of them. The sex scenes are hot and also sweetly endearing at times, though again I would like to see more explicit consent. Overall, it’s not a bad debut novel into the forays of Romance for a first-time Romance author. It’s enjoyable, but I am left with nagging the feeling that it could have been so much more. To my mind, where this book truly excels is Hoff’s love affair with history and Scotland itself. Their narrative shines in moments of reflection, and the subtle and nuanced injections of historical detail, which in my experience, are rarely done so well in this genre. But this is however a Romance novel, and the time-traveling scientist lesbian and her buff redhead warrior girlfriend felt second fiddle to the history at times, which was disappointing because how often do you get to say those words together? Not enough, in my opinion. Overall, I’d rate this as 3.5 out of 5, though it would have been a solid four were it not for the issues surrounding pacing and consent. If Hoff chose to continue the series, however, I’d absolutely be down for more of it. I want to see the characters grow and thrive. I just think a little more experience with the genre (and better editing) is needed first. My Heart’s In the Highlands is available now on Kindle, Paperback, and most other online retail stores. You can also buy directly from the Publisher.

[pixxiesdust]

“Shall we, Princess?” • Todoroki Shouto

Summary • You know absolutely nothing about Prince Shouto, but as the princess of a neighboring kingdom, you’re going to marry him anyway. A conversation with a stranger in the palace gardens sheds some light on Prince Shouto’s personality, and maybe this marriage won’t be so bad after all.

Pairing • Mer Prince!Todoroki Shouto x Mer Princess!Reader

Word Count • 5.1k

Tags and Warnings • Mer and royalty au, arranged marriage, fluff, mer culture, kissing, and a wedding.

Note • A fic for @bnhabookclub’s Mermay event! The wonderful members of the book club helped me brainstorm, sprinted with me, and a special thanks to the lovely @rivendell101​, @katsukook, and @sadistiks​ for beta reading this fic! I am a sucker for mermaid aus, so this was a joy to write.

–

The palace is large and luxurious, gleaming with wealth from top to bottom. Jewels and large pearls glimmer in the walls, and most of the decor shine of gold. Although you live in a castle too, you can’t keep your eyes from widening as you swivel your head back and forth to take everything in. 

“This way, Your Majesties, Your Highness,” a mermaid says, bowing. She straightens up and brushes soft brown hair out of her eyes, smiling at you and your parents, her cheeks pink.

She escorts you and your parents to the wing of the palace where you are to stay for the week until the wedding is over. Your expression sours at the thought of the wedding as you sink into your bed, staring up at the ceiling that’s embedded with little shells. How are you supposed to marry someone you’ve never met before?

The only things you know about the Todoroki Kingdom are things you learned from your history tutor and from listening to your parents’ discussions. You only know a bit about the King and Queen, and absolutely nothing about your soon-to-be husband: Prince Shouto.

What is he like? Is he kind to his subjects? Does he only seek power and glory and fame? Or is he like your parents: caring and just?

You’re pulled from your thoughts as your bubbly, pink-haired attendant bursts into the room. “Why in the seas are you already in bed? Haven’t you heard? You have a welcome celebration to get ready for!”

You groan but push yourself off the bed, swimming to a stop in front of multiple woven baskets, all filled with clothes and accessories. “What am I wearing for the celebration, Mina?”

She starts digging through the baskets and you move to help her, lifting up various pieces of clothing and stuffing them back when she shakes her head. 

“Aha! This one!” She pulls out long stretches of dark blue fabric that are the same rich shade as the main color of your tail, although your tail is sprinkled with silver scales that shine against the midnight blue. Like all traditional mer attire, the cloth can be assembled in different styles, draped artfully across your skin. Mina wraps one strip of fabric around your chest. She tucks the other pieces under the first one, letting them flare out behind you, swaying in the ripples that your tail makes as it gently fans back and forth, keeping you in place.

You’re quiet as she moves to another basket, pulling out strings of pearls and delicate shells. She drapes some around your neck, weaving others into the cloth so they glitter like stars in the night sky.

As a finishing touch, Mina sets a thin circlet of silver, sapphires, and pearls on top of your head that pairs well with the blue of your tail and the cloth. “There,” she says fondly, “You’re ready to go.”

As if on cue, a knock sounds on your door. Your father’s voice tells you that it’s time to make your way to the ballroom where the welcoming celebration is taking place. 

You swim behind your mother and father, keeping your shoulders back and chin tilted slightly up. Although you never asked to marry someone you’ve never met, you will do it for your parents and for the sake of your kingdom, and you will do it in a way that will not bring shame to anyone. 

A young merman with bright blonde hair and a dark stripe running through it bends at his waist to you and your parents. “Your Majesties, Your Highness, welcome to the Todoroki Kingdom. On behalf of the royal family, I hope you enjoy the festivities.” He straightens and pulls open the large doors, swimming out to the little balcony overlooking the ballroom filled with mer dressed in their finest outfits. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, esteemed guests from a neighboring kingdom: the royal family!”

All heads swivel towards you and your parents as you swim into the ballroom, down from the balcony to join the mer.

You stay by your parents’ side as you look around the ballroom. The floor, walls, and ceiling all reflect the light of the crystal jellyfish that float around the room. Glittering gems are embedded into the surfaces, an obvious display of wealth. A mat made of woven seagrasses and shimmery cloth stretches from one column to another, forming a surface that holds all kinds of foods and delicacies. Mer swim by and pick their favorites off the mat–ooh is that seaweed-wrapped cod? You perk up at the sight of one of your favorite finger foods and open your mouth to tell your parents that you’re going to go get some, when your mother hooks her arm in yours, and places a hand on your father’s arm before slightly tilting her head in the direction of three mer. 

They’re all finely dressed—well, all the mer are finely dressed, but they stand out the most—and crowns of gold, rubies, diamonds, and pearls rest on their heads. 

The royal Todoroki family. Or at least three of them.

The mermaid with soft white hair and a purely white tail seems to notice you first. She rests a hand on the older merman’s arm, drawing his attention. The younger merman turns to look at you and your parents, and you straighten up as you study him. 

His hair is something you’ve never seen before, half white like his mother’s while the other half is the bright red of his father’s. And his tail is beautiful, a mix of red and white scales that form a pattern unique only to him. Your eyes trail up from his tail to stop on his face, and your gills stop filtering water for a moment. His eyes! One is a silvery grey, the other an icy blue, but both are narrowed at you as you take in the skin around his blue eye, red and puffy and scarred. He’s waiting for your reaction, and you can only tilt your head in his direction in a small nod to hide your embarrassment at being caught staring. It’s not that the scar makes him any less attractive—in fact, your face has grown hot from studying him—but you’re curious as to how he got it. Very few things in the ocean could get hot enough to burn skin badly enough to make a permanent scar. 

You’re pulled out of your thoughts when they come closer and your parents move to meet them halfway, you swimming beside your mother. “Welcome to our kingdom,” the mermaid says, “We hope you’ve found everything to be pleasant so far.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, your majesties. You have a magnificent kingdom and we are honored to be able to see it for ourselves,” your father replies.

“Please, call me Rei. This is my husband, Enji,” she says, resting a hand on the older merman’s arm, “and my son, Shouto.”

Your eyes stray to the younger merman at the sound of his name. So he’s the one that you’re going to marry. Your father introduces himself, your mother, and you, then starts talking about the celebration and the wedding, though you tune him out as you continue your study of your fiancé. His tail keeps capturing your attention, although you had already looked at it once. Then your eyes move up to his torso, chest, and arms, and you watch as his muscles subtly flex with the small movements of his tail. He’s certainly fit, and the gold cuffs around his left bicep only emphasize that fact.

Your eyes move further up to his face, once again looking into his eyes. He’s staring right back at you and raises an eyebrow, his lips tilting up in the smallest smirk. You blink once, then turn your head away, now intently focusing back on the food.

As you mourn for the last piece of seaweed-wrapped cod that gets picked up by a passing merman, no doubt an important noble, you don’t notice your fiance’s eyes move up and down your body, from the silver circlet on your head to the deep blue tips of your tail. 

Rei notices this interaction out of the corner of her eye and can’t help but smile softly at her son. Her future daughter-in-law certainly seemed to be attracted to him, and, well, it wouldn’t hurt for them to be attracted to each other.

Your parents draw deeper into a conversation with Rei and Enji, and you slip away from them to finally take a look at the food. As you swim, with the pieces of cloth floating behind you in an elegant trail, you notice some of the younger mer looking at you with curiosity, but the mermaids especially seem to have a bite of viciousness in their eyes.

You’re familiar with the type, so you keep your back straight and your head high with pride, letting a mask of indifference settle over your face. 

Their whispers travel to your ears as you swim past them.

“That’s who the prince is marrying?”

“I’d be a much better fit than her.”

“I can’t believe the prince is going to leave this kingdom for one like that.” This comment bothers you the most. Yes, your family’s kingdom isn’t nearly as big as the Todoroki Kingdom, but it has its own culture and atmosphere that is special to it. But the mermaid who said that is right. Shouto would have to leave this place of splendor and wealth for yours. Since he isn’t the oldest, he isn’t the crown prince, and the arrangement your parents had made means that he’ll have to move to your kingdom and will take his place by your side on the throne.

The mermaids grow louder in the rude comments, and you force yourself to keep swimming to the spread of food. As much as you would like to snap back at them, it wouldn’t reflect well on you, your parents, or your kingdom, and would only enforce their opinions that your kingdom is full of “barbarians” and “savages.”

So you float near the woven mat that bears the weight of all the elegantly plated snacks and pick up one half of a mussel shell with glistening orange salmon roe resting on it.

“She’s such a prick, too, all rude and stuck up. His Highness doesn’t deserve to get bound to a sea hag like that.” High pitched titters sound behind you, and the water seems to press into you from all sides. 

You need to leave.

Clutching the shell in one hand, you maintain your calm expression and perfect posture as you head toward a set of open doors that leads to someplace that is not here. To anyone else, it would seem like you were going out for a gulp of fresh water, but a set of observant grey and blue eyes catches the slightly faster flicking of your tail that gives away your unease.

–

The doors lead to a beautiful garden, with all types of brightly colored corals and seagrasses. Fish dart in and out of the swaying foliage and you forget your worries as you spin around in a slow circle, wonder filling your eyes. Like the rest of the castle, the garden is resplendent and well cared for. You swim further into the garden, stopping to peer at the more exotic looking plants. 

A large rock rests on one side of a row of densely growing kelp and has been sanded down so it’s round. You settle on it, tail fitting into the dips and curves of the rock, and start picking at the salmon roe on your mussel shell. 

You put one orange sphere into your mouth and bite down, relishing the pop it makes and the salty flavor that spreads on your tongue. You eat a few more, and despite the bit of joy it gives you, your mind wanders back to the mermaids’ comments in the ballroom.

Blowing bubbles out of your mouth in frustration, you start talking to yourself. “Sea hag,” you scoff. “Isn’t she the hag for saying those things? And my kingdom isn’t ‘uncivilized, undeveloped, and barbaric,’ it’s perfectly fine, thank you. Though it isn’t as large as this kingdom,” you gesture out in the general direction of the garden, “it has its own charm.”

“Size shouldn’t matter,” a voice says, low and calm from the other side of the seagrasses. You shriek and jolt off the rock, nearly losing your salmon roe in the process. “I apologize for startling you,” the voice continues, “but I couldn’t help overhearing your frustrations.”

“Who’re you?” you ask, settling back down onto the rock. It’s a little funny talking to someone you can’t see, but the mystery of it all fills you with excitement. “Are you one of the visiting mer from the other countries, or are you from here?”

“I’m native to the Todoroki kingdom, but I have been to many other kingdoms before, including yours, Your Highness.”

You sputter at the term, unsure how to feel about the merman knowing who you are. “Please, don’t call me that.” You hesitate for a second but make up your mind, so you open your mouth and tell the stranger to call you by your name.

“Are you sure?” he asks. “If someone comes by and hears, would that not be bad for your reputation?”

“Oh! You’re right.” It’s not like I have much of a good reputation to begin with, you think bitterly, but keep your voice lighthearted as you speak again. “You can just call me princess then! Your Highness is too long, especially since we aren’t in a formal setting right now.”

“Very well, princess.” The voice nearly purrs out the last word, making your face heat up like it did when you had studied Prince Shouto.

“And what shall I call you?”

“If you’re ‘princess,’ I suppose ‘prince’ will have to do.”

You laugh a little at that, then fall silent.

The stranger starts to speak again. “I meant what I said, the size of a kingdom shouldn’t matter. We all know the blue-ringed octopus isn’t a large creature, but its venom can take down a full-grown mer in minutes. You clearly treasure your kingdom and I’ve enjoyed the things I’ve seen there myself. So don’t let the displays of this one discourage you.”

Your heart grows warm at the words of the merman. “You’re right,” you reply. “And it comforts me to hear that you liked the things you’ve seen of my kingdom. I’m just worried that the prince, Prince Shouto, I mean, won’t be accustomed to my family’s palace.” You pause as you hear an awkward cough from the other side. “He’s the one I’m engaged to, though I’m sure you already know that. What’s he like, the prince?”

It’s silent for a long moment and you’re starting to wonder if the merman left you when he starts speaking again. “What do you want to know?”

Humming for a moment, you pop another salmon roe into your mouth. “How does he treat the mer of this kingdom?” 

“Well,” the merman says, “he doesn’t look down upon them. He wants to do what is best for them, to keep them all safe, and to help them prosper. He visits as many parts of the kingdom as he can every year, and he’s argued with his father about doing more–” he cuts off, then adds on quietly, “He gave up the left side of his face for the kingdom.”

Your eyes widen and you sit up straight on the rock. “The scar?”

“Yes.”

“Can you–” you stop. “Nevermind.”

“Can I tell you about it? I can if you’d like, though it isn’t a very pleasant tale.”

“No!” you exclaim, then wince at how harsh you sounded. “I just think it’s better to hear it from Prince Shouto himself. I’m grateful that you’re telling me these things, and I didn’t know that you’re so familiar with the prince, but something like this sounds really personal and I’d rather hear it from him. But thank you.”

The merman is silent. You wonder if you were too rude, or if you hurt his feelings.

“Don’t you think it’s ugly?” he finally asks. “The scar?” 

The merman’s voice sounds a little strange when he asks the question, but you disregard it as you think carefully before answering. “No. It’s part of him, just like the sunspots we get if we stay in shallow waters for too long, or the dimples on mer’s faces when they smile. He shouldn’t be ashamed of it, especially if he got it for a reason as noble as saving his kingdom.” You pause for a moment, then add on quietly, “I saw him for the first time tonight and I think he’s really handsome, from his hair to his tail to his eyes.”

There’s no response from the merman. “Um, are you there?” you ask hesitantly. “I didn’t scare you away by saying that I think Prince Shouto is attractive, right?”

“I’m afraid I have to go. Thank you, princess.”

“Wait- wait, don’t go! I’m sorry if I offended you!” You shoot up from the rock, tail flicking powerfully to rise up above the wall of kelp to peer over the other side. 

But the merman is gone. The only sign that he was there is the stirred up particles of sand that slowly sink back down to rejoin the others on the ocean floor.

Your face falls in disappointment. You had enjoyed talking to the merman. If you saw him again—or heard him again, you’d make sure to apologize for anything you did. Maybe you made him uncomfortable by talking about the attractiveness of your husband-to-be.

Blowing out bubbles in frustration, you turn around, only to watch a few orange spheres of the salmon roe fall onto the rock and into the sand. Does everything have to go wrong today? “Not only did I scare away an excellent conversation partner, I dropped my snack!” 

It is about time for you to head back anyway, so you swish your tail and shoot up above the garden. Holding the now empty mussel shell in your hand to dispose of later, you return to the ballroom, gracefully swimming past all the other mer who were making fun of you earlier, no longer upset by their previous comments. 

“Blue-ringed octopus,” you whisper to yourself as you rejoin your parents who are now talking to other visiting dignitaries and noblemer. Smiling pleasantly at them, you allow yourself to get swept into conversations for the rest of the night, traveling from mer to mer.

But somehow, whenever you look away from the mer you are talking to, you always catch a glimpse of red and white scales, sparkling under the light of the jellyfish. And you can’t help but think back to the conversation you had with that mystery merman, and think that maybe this arranged marriage won’t be so bad at all.

–

Little do you know, those same thoughts run through Shouto’s head. “It’s part of me,” he whispers to himself as he joins his older siblings, who immediately start teasing him about swimming off during a celebration to welcome his fiancée.

–

The rest of the week seems to pass by in a flash. Your days are filled with events, one thing happening after the other, all in preparation for the wedding.

You only get to see Prince Shouto a couple times over the days. Though you wish to stop and talk to him, Mina always catches you and rushes you to your next location. All you can manage is a nod and a smile before swimming on.

And soon enough, after days of parties and meeting all kinds of important mer and trying on your wedding outfits—why you need more than one is beyond you—the day of your wedding is upon you.

Mina bursts through your bedroom door well before the first rays of sunlight have struck the ocean, using her pink tail to flip the woven seagrass blankets off your sleeping body. “Wake up! It’s your special day, princess!”

You groan and bury your head in the soft sea sponge you had slept on, trying to block out her excited chatter. Her hands come down on your shoulders and pull you off the sponge.

“We have to start getting ready!” Mina drags your body through the water and out the bedroom door to another room two doors down where your wedding outfits are. She lets go of you to open another door in the room, poking her head out to call in the other attendants.

As the other mer swim in and start pulling out the pieces you’ll need to wear first, you rub the sleep out of your eyes and stretch so you’re more awake. Hands help you undress from your thin sleepwear, and start draping the layers and layers of pure white cloth in artful arrangements over your body. The cloth makes one loop around your neck before coming down to cover your chest, leaving a wide expanse of your back bare. Then they wrap around your waist and trail down around your tail, fanning out behind you like the graceful tentacles of jellyfish and sea anemone. 

Mina helps you slip on thin, silver bracelets onto your wrist and attach silver cuffs around your upper arms. She pulls out strand after strand of small pearls and little shells and sparkling diamonds and threads them through the cuffs and bracelets, forming priceless sleeves that softly clink against each other when you move your arms. The other attendants weave more strands of pearls and diamonds into the pieces of cloth, which sparkle and reflect the light of the crystal jellyfish all over the room.

Finally, Mina removes a crown from a box. It’s made of white shells and more pearls, and it’s just as beautiful as the rest of your outfit. Mina swims before you, holding the crown gently in her hands. “I’m so happy for you,” she says, blinking hard.

“Are you adding to the ocean again?” you tease, though you’re also blinking rapidly. 

Mina raises the crown above your head and gently settles it on you, using both hands to make sure it is in place. “There,” she says, then swims a tail length back. “You look perfect.” She looks at all the other attendants and thanks them for their hard work as they smile, nod, and exit the room. “If Prince Shouto’s jaw doesn’t drop to his tail, I’m gonna slap him with my own.” 

“Mina!”

She grins and flicks her pink fins before taking your hands in her own. “I’m so glad to have grown up by your side. Your kingdom couldn’t ask for a better princess, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend. It’s been an honor, Your Highness.”

“Oh, Mina,” you say, swallowing hard to keep your voice from wavering. “I love you so, so much.”

“Of course you do! Now come, let us go see your prince!”

–

As per tradition, the to-be-wedded parties are to meet at the entrance of the throne room. So you swim behind your parents, who are also dressed in elaborate outfits that glimmer when the light shines on precious jewels. They come to a stop in front of Enji and Rei, and the four of them converse, blocking you from seeing your fiancé. 

Then the grand doors to the throne room swing open, and the Todoroki King and Queen enter the room. Your own parents kiss you on your forehead, and your mother tells you how proud she is, before they enter the throne room. 

You get your first look at Prince Shouto in his wedding outfit, and your lips part as you stare.

He’s wearing the same silver cuffs and bracelets that you are, though they lack the strings of pearls, shells, and diamonds. The rest of his arms are bare, and your eyes trace over his sculpted muscles before sliding down his bare chest to where his abs meld with white and red scales. The only piece of clothing he wears besides the bracelets, cuffs, and matching crown of shells and pearls on his head, is a white cape that fans out behind him, mimicking the pieces of fabric of your own outfit.

“Wow,” you breathe, and his own eyes—which had widened as they traced your body—snap up to meet yours.

“I’m pleased to meet your approval,” he says, voice low and calm, carrying a hint of amusement. “You’re stunning yourself, princess.”

The purr sends a shiver up your spine and you stiffen in realization. “It’s you?” you exclaim. “You were on the other side of the kelp!”

Shouto nods, then looks at you with uncertainty. “Does that disappoint you?”

“No! Of course not!” You shake your head rapidly, unknowingly dislodging your crown with the movement. “That makes me feel a lot better. To know that I’ve talked to you before, and that we can get along, and that you truly don’t mind my family’s kingdom.” 

You stop for a second, watching as Shouto looks at you with soft eyes. Then your own eyes widen in horror and you bury your face in your hands. “I told you that I think you’re handsome!” you wail. “And I’m pretty sure that scared you away!”

A gentle hand wraps around your wrist, and you let Shouto pull your hands away from your face. “I was flattered,” he says as he reaches to grab your crown that has started to drift away. “I was shocked to hear that my scar doesn’t bother you, and that you still find me attractive anyway. And I was especially overwhelmed to hear that from someone as gorgeous as you.”

He sets your crown back onto your head, and you smile as he concentrates on making sure it is secure. His hands move down to cup the sides of your face, and he runs his thumbs over your cheeks. Your own hands reach up and cover his own, and you smile and tilt your head more into his hands.

“I am honored,” you say, “that someone so caring and thoughtful and someone that would let himself get hurt for the sake of his own kingdom will be by my side and help me rule my own.” You let go of his hands and he lets his fall back to his sides, watching as you rest your hands on his shoulders. A small flick of your tail draws you two even closer together, so you’re pressed chest to chest, faces a mere scale’s width apart, and you lean in to press a gentle kiss to the scar. 

Shouto’s eyes flutter shut, his chest both warm and tight with emotion. You slowly pull away, and his eyes open again, flames of passion burning in them. One arm slides around your waist, the other hand cupping the back of your head, and his red and white tail wraps around the dark blue and silver of your own. He slowly pulls your face back towards his, eyes flickering from your own eyes down to your lips, which part under his heated gaze. 

“Can I kiss you?”

“Please do,” you whisper, and your eyes close as he leans in.

Warm lips press against your own, which soften and mould around his. One of your hands leaves his shoulder and slides up his neck and into his hair, tugging gently. A soft sigh escapes his mouth at the action so you do it again, the corners of your lips turning upwards at the sound. Shouto notices your amusement and takes it upon himself to kiss you harder, lips moving together until he nips just the tiniest bit at your lower one. Your squeak of surprise makes him chuckle, and both of you pull away slowly, lips darker and swollen.

An awkward clearing of the throat makes you jolt and turn your head towards a green-haired merman, who looks just as embarrassed as you are. Shouto turns slowly, unwinding his tail from yours, though he keeps his arm around your waist.

“Y-your highnesses, it’s almost time for you to, um, enter the throne room,” the merman says, sunspotted cheeks turning red.

“Thank you, Midoriya,” Shouto says, giving his long time friend a small smile and a nod.

The throne room doors slowly swing open, revealing hundreds of mer dressed in elaborate clothing, all who turn to face the two of you.

“That’s our cue,” Shouto says, and offers out his hand to you, palm up. “Shall we?”

“We shall.” You smile at him, which he returns with an upward quirk of his lips, then place your own hand in his.

Your tails flick in tandem as you swim into the throne room, with high ceilings and walls that glitter and gleam. Many crystal jellyfish float and bob around, illuminating the room. Strings of pearls and precious jewels stretch from column to column, scattering light. The mer clap and cheer, fanning and swishing their tails in ways that create millions of bubbles that brush past your skin on their way up, causing the cloth of your outfit and the cape around Shouto’s shoulders to spread out behind you, creating an elegant trail of white.

You see your parents, King Enji, and Queen Rei waiting at the other end of the room. Hand in hand, you and Shouto swim to them and stop before them. 

As King Enji starts to speak, you tilt your head to look at Shouto who smiles softly at you, which you return brightly. Queen Rei swims to you and you watch as she threads a strand of pearls and diamonds from your bracelet to Shouto’s.

Rey swims back to her husband’s side. “With this, they are bound for eternity, even when they become one with the sea,” Enji announces, voice booming through the throne room.

“We are bound for eternity,” you and Shouto say together, “even when we become one with the sea.”

“And now, this promise is to be sealed with a kiss.”

You turn to face Shouto, who arches an eyebrow playfully. “Shall we, princess?”

As you pull him closer to you and twine your tails together, red and white against midnight blue and silver, you slip your untied hand to his dual-colored hair, and he gently cradles your neck, drawing your face closer to his.

When your lips are just about to meet, you smile at him sweetly.

“We shall, my prince.”

–

Taglist • @bnhatrashh​ @simplybakugou​ (thank you both for being so encouraging during the sprints!) @bnha-homeroom​ (and thank you so much for helping me with the kiss scene!)

[eryiss]

Ship: Freed x Laxus

Rating: Teen

Prompt: Fruity

Summary: Being personal security for the president, Laxus always had to be alert, particularly in a foreign country. This would be fine, if it weren't for the beautiful waiter who kept catching his eye at every moment.

Notes: This is for day five of Fraxus Week 2021. As normal, check out @fuckyeahfraxus for more content.

Links: Event Masterlist ||| Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction

From the Fields of Italy

Year: 1922

Location: Rome, Italy

Dissasosaition was a key part of Laxus' job. Being a member of the President's personal security team meant he was privy to multiple private and politically significant conversations. Debates, arguments, and compromises would be made in front of him, and he would learn things that a man of his station had no right knowing. Another man might have taken the opportunity to eavesdrop, but Laxus cared little for that. His entire focus was to be on protecting his charge, and as such the politics were unimportant.

Particularly when the dick seemed to stand against everything Laxus cared about.

It had become necessary to learn to focus on other things. Counting the bricks on a nearby building, watching as people passed by, and sometimes going so far as to make up little rhymes and brain teasers in his head. It all allowed him to drown out the bullshit the president was talking about, and better do his job.

Of course, he did focus. Anyone approaching the president was immediately a danger, and Laxus had to watch every move they made, particularly when they were out of country. When Laxus had been told that the president would be undergoing a European tour to better connect with the other countries now that the war was long over, he had known it would be difficult. Anyone might take issue with the president's international opinions, and as such Laxus needed to be wary of everyone near him.

This would have been acceptable – it was his job, after all – but an issue had arisen. The waiter.

The beautiful waiter

Even thinking of the man as beautiful was unprofessional. Laxus was there to do a job, not indulge in his own interests. It was why he'd been consistently given small rooms, cheap and uncomfortable seats in the flight, and little to no respect from his employers. He was there to do a job, not to enjoy himself.

But there was something about the man that was alluring. He was of a good height, with slighter features than Laxus' own but strong in his own sense. His skin had the slight tan that came with the European sun, and a single mark below his eye was the only break from perfect symmetry. His long hair swished down his back in long, silky strands, and Laxus had found himself wondering what it would feel like to run his hand through.

The man was serving the president, who didn't give him a second glance. He brought water, food, and cutlery without making his presence known, and yet Laxus was transfixed. He was quietly elegant in his movements, walking with the slightest sway and it felt like he was dancing around the room with each step.

How was nobody else being affected by this?

Maybe they were, and just hid it. That's what Laxus was forced to do. He stood as part of a circle of six, allowing the president to eat safely in the public restaurant. No doubt the people around them posed no actual threat; even if the stop in the restaurant looked impromptu, it had been planned months in advance and no doubt all the people had booked upon hearing it, and had been checked over time and time again. It was all for show; just a gentle reminder that, although the Italian people might not be pleased about the president's actions during the war, they couldn't do anything about it. They needed to look stone faced and intimidating.

The waiter wasn't at all intimidated. He was completely uncaring towards the fact the president was before him, and instead acted as though he was any other customer. He'd even asked the president a question directly, and was unblinking at the glare he was given for his rudeness.

Watching the man was like watching a show. Laxus just didn't know how it would end.

By the time, the main course had been brought out, Laxus had regained his focus. He was there to protect the man sitting and eating, not to be quietly fascinated by the man who was bringing him his food. Laxus got passing fancies on men often, it was natural given his inclination for men and the inability to actually follow through on anything because of his duties. This was no more than seeing a man he would like to dance with at a club. The waiter just had the unfamiliar addition of not being American, and therefore felt somewhat exotic.

He'd told himself that, and convinced himself it was true, until the desserts were brought out. The waiter placed them before the president and his party and, just as he turned to return to the kitchen, he looked to Laxus and smiled.

Laxus felt like he'd been struck.

No smile had affected him, not in any way. Laxus was hardly a romantic person, and the idea that someone might smile at you and turn your world around was overly sweetened crap written in books to appeal to lonely people. But as the waiter looked at him for just the smallest of moments, hair falling across his face slightly as his white teeth split apart, he felt nauseous and ignited all at once. He couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

The man went back to the kitchen, and Laxus knew his stance had wavered and his concentration gone. For a moment he stood in a gaping silence, wanting to both flee the scene and to storm into the kitchen to demand an explanation for what had happened. Instead, he caught the eye of his commander, who glared him back to attention.

He just had to ignore the waiter. Push him to the back of his mind, and within the hour he'd be gone.

---

"What are you eating?"

The words were a silky-smooth sensation, and deeply Italian. Laxus took a moment to realise that he was being addressed, and turned with the smallest of frowns to see who had spoken to him. He was alone, and he certainly didn't know anyone who spoke in such a chocolatey accent. Nobody on his team had even half the rumbling baritone, and he found himself wondering who that voice would belong to.

When he turned and saw the waiter, he froze.

How was the man here? It was the evening now, and Laxus was nowhere near the restaurant the waiter worked at. He was somewhere tucked away, not in the tourist areas of the city but not exactly near the residential areas. He supposed this was where a pretentious man might call the 'Real Italy.' Did the man live here?

Before he could fall into questions, he realised what the waiter had asked. He looked down to the chalky lettuce and cheese sandwich he'd been given for his evening meal, then back to the man who was frowning at him.

"A sandwich," Laxus said, because what else could he say.

"A sandwich," The waiter parroted.

"Yes."

"You realise that you're insulting everyone from my country by eating that here, don't you?"

"If you wanna take it up with my commander, feel free."

"You could not buy something more respectable?"

"Not allowed to carry money around."

Why was he talking with the man? Well, he knew at least in part it was because he had been truly spellbound by the man, and the revelation of his incredible voice had only further added to the man's majesty. Laxus was not one to shy away from strong emotions – not that he felt them often – and he wasn't going to cower now that an opportunity had presented itself to him. But why were they talking about his dinner?

The man, in the dimming sun, looked radiant. He still wore the uniform of the restaurant, but his hair hung loose now, and he seemed more relaxed. Now, without the need to watch his charge, Laxus could see the sharp cut of the man's jaw and the deceptive fragility of his skin. He truly was beautiful.

"That is ridiculous, and certainly not acceptable," The waiter sounded affronted. "Come."

Laxus processed the demand a moment later, and found himself following him before he could think. Both survival instincts and training deemed this a stupid idea – he was following a total stranger through an unfamiliar city – and yet he did it anyway. The man had authority, and Laxus had been attracted by it.

"I would have thought you'd be looking after that repulsive man you deemed fit to lead you," The waiter commented when Laxus was in step with him. So he had remembered Laxus then; he hadn't been sure.

"Night off," Laxus shrugged. "And I don't think he's fit to lead. But the vote said that he was."

"And yet you still serve him?"

"It's a living."

"Hardly seems like living when you're leaning against a building eating bread and cheese because of your commander while in a cultural monolith known for its delicacies," The man hummed aloud, turning a corner, and increasing his pace. "In my mind, that it more a way to get money than a way to live."

"It is what it is."

"Your employer ate at a lavish restaurant, had four courses and larger servings than normal," The man shrugged. "It was expensive. The money could have been diverted from him to you."

"That's not how it works."

The waiter didn't say anything after that. He kept walking, and Laxus kept following.

Eventually, an open-air marketplace appeared, and the waiter walked directly towards it. Laxus kept in pace, allowing himself to be guided through the vendors who shouted for their attention and custom. Laxus' Italian was bad at best, and so the shouting merged into a mess of unfamiliar slang, and so he let the waiter take the lead completely. He spoke to vendors, passers-by, and did so with beautifully fluent Italian. Logically Laxus knew that would be the case – the man was Italian for god's sake – but it was beautiful to hear.

Quickly, they were at the other end of the market, and the waiter had accrued a hamper of food and a bottle of wine. He'd paid for it all himself and, as their conversation hadn't continued, Laxus found himself wondering where his place in the situation was. Still, he followed.

"Sit," The waiter said again, motioning to a small stone wall overlooking a stream.

"You're demanding," Laxus commented, but he did sit.

"And you work a job where you follow orders of a man you don't like, so I suspect it won't bother you," The waiter sat on the wall also, and placed the hamper between them. "My name is Freed. What's yours?"

"Laxus."

"It's strong," Freed commented, unwrapping some of the food from the hamper. He made a gesture towards the food as he uncorked the wine. "Eat."

"What?"

"Eat."

Laxus looked down to the hamper of food. It was filled mainly with fresh and colourful looking fruit, but also wrapped packets of cheese, biscuits and two small pastries. He hesitated for a moment, and glanced up towards Freed. The man was looking at him with a peculiar mix of intensity and patience, and Laxus felt himself flushing slightly as he reached into the hamper and tentatively picked up a strawberry. Freed waited patiently, watching Laxus as he slowly brought the strawberry to his lips and bit into it.

Well, he certainly didn't expect it to taste quite so… vibrant.

Apparently, his expression must have betrayed his shock, as Freed laughed openly. Laxus wanted to glare, but instead found himself hypnotised as Freed lifted the opened wine to his lips and drank straight from the bottle. Good god, did the man know what he was doing to Laxus?

"You must have travelled a lot over the past few weeks," Freed stated, reaching into the hamper, and pulling out the wrapped cheese. He pulled out a chunk of it, crumbled it and placed it onto a cracker. He then picked up a single grape, placed it atop the cheese and ate it. Laxus found himself following the movement of his neck as Freed swallowed.

"Suppose so," Laxus nodded.

"Anywhere particularly interesting to you?"

"Not really," Laxus replied. He hesitated for a moment, then looked down to the hamper of food and pulled out an apple. He bit into it before he could second-guess himself. "It's my second night off since we landed, and the first night was at a docking town so hardly beautiful."

"Good," Freed commented. "Rome will look rather good in comparison then."

"So far, yeah."

"Perhaps one day you will return as a tourist?"

"Doubt it, can't afford it."

"Shame," Freed hummed, looking towards Laxus with the same beautiful smile that sent a flicker through Laxus' spine. "You should make the most of your night here."

"Suppose I should."

They were quiet, and Laxus could feel Freed's eyes roaming over him unapologetically. Laxus didn't do anything to stop it, and instead took a bite of his apple and allowed the man's eyes to wander. He might have tensed his bicep when he knew Freed was looking at his arms, and Freed laughed but made no complaint.

He looked beautiful when he laughed and Laxus wondered how he could get better. He was quickly answered because what Freed did made him radiant.

It was nothing, really. He simply had taken one of the large peaches that he'd brought and bit into it. That was hardly anything, and yet it made Laxus' stomach churn. The way the mans eyes closed, the way his teeth closed around the fruit, the way the juice seemed to intentionally drip down his throat, coating it in an indescribable sheen of fruit-flavoured droplets that reflected the flickering lights surrounding them.

When Freed's eyes opened again, he looked directly to Laxus. He paused for a moment, eyes scanning Laxus' face, before he grinned a little. It was a private sight, and Laxus found himself copying the expression.

"As I said," Freed spoke again, voice quieter. "Make the most of it while you're here."

Laxus didn't need to be told twice. He leant forward and pressed their lips together, the tantalising taste of fruit and cheese melding as they leant into one another. Laxus did what he'd wanted to do the moment he saw Freed, and wrapped a hand deep into his hair, and slowly began to stroke it as he leant into the man. Freed groaned slightly, tilting his chin, and kissing him deeper.

He didn't care that someone might see him, it didn't matter. He was in an unknown city from a foreign country where nobody knew him, and he would indulge himself. He would take what he wanted, and delight in the company of this beautiful man and take whatever he would be given.

He deserved this, and if nothing else, he would always have the memory of kissing the enchantingly handsome man. An untainted memory for him to cherish.

[recurring-polynya]

I have to say I knew that at one point renji, ikkaku, yumichika and iba were in the same squad with kenpachi but good god you managed to paint a beautiful picture for me. I simply assumed that for them it was simply party time all the time along with a few bald jokes but this is much better. Emotionally healthy squad 11 which still love fighting more than anything. I always cringed when someone would just describe them as hooligans that do nothing but fighting. I mean they do that too but I love the idea that they are all emotionally healthy and mature, a loving and supportive family to their own - in their own wakka doodoo kind of way thats endearing - and of course they are in my opinion they single capable force against sexisim. Because they don't care about anything else - gendere, sexuality, gender performances, race, mentality or anything - other than if you fight good you respectable and if you fight good in squad 11 you family. ( like when kenpachi just became captain he made yachiru his lieutenant and no one was against it no one thought it was beneath them, sure thru nag at her sometimes but that's mostly in a banter like way because she call them stupid nicknames but no one hates her for being unrightfully their superior. One day they got a new captain and a new lieutenant that's a child and they just went with it.) I admit their disdain and disrespect to squad 4 is still frowned upon but I do believe some squad 4s can handle their own, it's just that we saw the really peaceful ones. Anyways sorry for ranting. Just wanted to say that yeah, I really like how the past squad 11 with iba and renji in it was a great place in general. I think if they found out some one was being sexist - for whatever reason - they would be there right next to nanao - or iba's mom protesting. Kenpachi and yachiru as well. And that makes me want to be squad 11 ,despite not being much for fighting, so bad.

So, for starters, thanks! I try to have fun whenever I write Squad 11, and I’m glad you enjoy my take on them.

My Squad 11 is just... really not very canon, though. Canon Squad 11 is actually pretty gross and sexist. Yumichika is transphobic, Kenpachi makes homophobic remarks about Yumichika, they bully Squad 4, there’s a filler episode devoted to a guy that Ikkaku bullied for, like 100 years because the guy lost his reiatsu saving Ikkaku’s dumb ass.

When you write fanfic, you occasionally run into these more problematic aspects of the source media, and you can choose to dig in and analyze them, or just... remake them in your own way. Take for example, Gin. If you read fanfic about Gin, there are some people who will peel away the layers of him and his fears and insecurities and still make him be a horrible gremlin, and it’s really stellar writing. Other people prefer to write him in an AU where maybe less bad stuff happened to him, and he’s more mischievous than sociopathic, and this is a less meaty interpretation, but it’s also more fun. Sometimes fanfic is a meal and sometimes it’s candy. It fulfills different needs and different fantasies and all of it is welcome.

Yumichika, who for me is the fulcrum of Squad 11, presents this problem. I really don’t like the way his “appreciation for beauty” plays out in canon. He doesn’t actually appreciate beauty, he just likes telling other people they’re ugly. I don’t think he’s ever pointed out beauty in anyone else aside from himself or his zanpakutou. I remember the first time I watched his fight with Charlotte and it struck me as so off -- why wouldn’t he find her beautiful? I mean, I know it’s a transmysogynistic joke, that’s why, men dressed as women is funny, hurr hurr, but Yumichika is gender nonconforming himself. This was an opportunity to make a cool character point, and Kubo took the cheap laughs road instead. Going back to what I said last paragraph, a skilled writer could, in theory, write about his insecurities and his brittleness and meanness and write a pretty compelling story, but a) Kubo certainly doesn’t, and I have never actually found a Yumichika-centric fanfic of this nature, and b) this doesn’t fit the role I need him to play in my stories. I am rarely really interested in writing about Squad 11 for its own sake. I like to write them as a backdrop for the period of Renji’s afterlife where he hit absolute rock bottom and bounced back up again. We already know the role Ikkaku played in this, except that Ikkaku is a complete moron in terms of mental health, and I really, really felt like this is where Yumichika needed to come in.

I like to massage Yumichika’s character a bit, but I do want to keep the flavor of some of his character flaws-- he’s still shallow and mean and judgy, and I love that for him, but I like to add in a positive side to his appreciation for beauty. Having Yumichika make fun of Izuru’s pores is funny but it’s even funnier if he’s just given Renji a compliment on his hair first. The idea that a Yumichika compliment is attainable makes all his drags the more vicious. Yumichika also judged people by their beauty instead of their moral character, which is humorous to me. He dislikes Byakuya as a person, but is obsessed with his haircare regime. I like to have him treat Rangiku as an equal, beauty-wise, and a person whose opinion he respects based on her aesthetic. Rangiku is actually a pretty savvy and very emotionally intelligent person whom many people write off because she likes to present herself as a lazy airhead, so in an extremely convoluted way, this all works out. I like to think that Yumichika’s ideas of beauty are also caught up in boldness and risk-taking and having one’s outward presentation ring true to their inner self. To me, this is the core of why he loves Ikkaku. To him, Ikkaku’s devotion to doing the most Ikkaku thing at all times, no matter how stupid, is irresistibly sexy. 

Aside: At some point, I decided that the fact that a lot of people in Bleach have colorful marks on their faces and elaborate hairstyle and accessory games implied that make-up in Soul Society is gender neutral. I like to think there is actually more of a divide between the nobility, who like their make-up to follow rules and be classy, and, well, Squad 11, who like to get make-up ideas from Jem and the Holograms. I don’t even wear makeup (I don’t know how and it’s expensive and I am ashamed of myself, we can talk about my own gender presentation later) but I like to write about both my male and female characters wearing make-up. I don’t actually know how my readers feel about it, but it just falls under the “Is that what people want?”/“It’s what we do” philosophy of all my writing.

I think one of the theses of my writing is that middle management is more important to the character of a squad than the person at the top. Captains sort of act as ideals to strive for, but they are generally unapproachable for one reason or another. Yachiru is more like her captain in this respect (which makes sense, since she is, in fact part of her captain). Ikkaku and Yumichika present this dual idea that 1) strength is awesome, fighting and being the best is awesome, and 2) part of strength is presenting yourself to the world in a bold and confrontational way. (The fact that both of them are hiding huge parts of themselves is laughably ironic). Kenpachi and Yachiru are shining examples of Do Whatever You Want and Be So Strong That No One Can Stop You. 

What really makes this work is that you need someone one layer down-- does anyone actually subscribe to this nonsense, and that’s why Iba - Abarai Squad 11 is Best Squad 11. I really, really enjoy the genre of Reddit posts where a total bro will find out that his girlfriend is trans and react by becoming a vehement advocate for trans rights. I love the bodybuilders typing encouragement to each other meme. Our world is flooded with disingenuous messages from concern trolls trying to tell us why being kind and inclusive to one another is bad or that you should reject help because struggle makes you stronger and the idea of a Himbo looking at something like that and saying “that seems dumb" is delightful to me.

I actually feel like there are a lot of awful people with bad ideas in Squad 11, it’s just that Renji and Iba don’t put up with their shit, and over time, that becomes the culture of Squad 11. I think that Squad 11 has incredibly turnover, but the ones who stay are the ones who subscribe to the ideas you mentioned-- fighting is what matters, if you wanna go argue about shit, go join Squad 5. In the IkkaYumi story I wrote, which happens shortly after Zaraki takes over, a ton of people leave. The Bount Arc (which I know a lot of people skipped) features a dude who was extremely pissed off because he had liked the old Kenpachi and thought Zaraki sucked and was so mad about it that he betrayed Soul Society. You might think that this arc would feature Zaraki caring about this in some way shape or form, but he really didn’t. So, I think there are a lot of Soul Reapers that took issue with serving under a little girl as a vice captain, they just aren’t in Squad 11 anymore.

Oh, one last note on Iba’s mom. I am of an age where a number of my friends have mothers who were Second Wave Feminists. The moms in question are a real mixed bag, because they Came From a Different Time, and on one hand, you have to respect what they went through, and on the other hand, they are very difficult to get along with. I liked the idea that Iba has always chafed against his mom and her big personality, and then Renji comes in, and is like, “hey, your mom is strong as hell and she has a lot of ideas that I never thought of but they make sense” and Iba realizes that, even though she’s still a huge pain in his ass, his mom is the person who made him who he is. Moms are complex.

Uhhhh, I have definitely lost the thread of wherever I was going with this post. Thank you for enjoying my Squad 11, which is nothing like canon Squad 11. Hopefully maybe this year, I will actually finish my Squad 11 Self Care story, where Renji stops being a drunk disaster person after Yumichika teaches him how to fill his brows; I got stuck on a part where Rangiku gives Renji a talk on ethical sluttery.

[etoileholland]

La vie en rose

Pairing: Tom x female reader

Warnings: none, just fluff

Word count: 2.8k

Summary: while at a museum in Paris, you meet Tom, a boy so beautiful that the masterpieces pale in comparison to him.

A/N: This was originally a series that I made for @scarletxwidow​ back in 2017 (long before I ever had this blog), but I recently found it and decided to give it a new life. I have another part to this story written out, would anyone care to read the rest? Let me know! And as always, please let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist.

(The photo is not mine; all credit goes to its respective owners)

Wow, it’s even more beautiful up close. You thought, admiring the Monet painting that encompassed the entire wall. Her eyes traced the swift veridian brushstrokes, appreciating the tranquility of the water surfaces encapsulated onto the expansive canvas.

After university you had booked a plane to Paris to experience the art and the culture firsthand. One of your first stops was to the Musée de L’Orangerie, to see Monet’s “waterlillies” painting. You had worked different odd jobs and saved money to afford a plane ticket, but it seemed well worth it.

It was a particularly rainy Tuesday night and the museum was practically empty. There were a few people around, but the rain was so bad that it seemed like everyone had stayed home. The museum had a dreamlike feel to it, with the beautiful paintings adorning the walls, and the room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop; it was surreal to say the least.

Your ears perked up when you heard a tour guide explaining a painting to a couple at the other end of the room. Looking over at the elderly couple, you noticed that they walked hand in hand; something that had warmed your heart instantly. It was rare to see love that has stood the test of time, but then again, it made sense in a city that’s known for love. The tour guide quickly finished reciting the history of the painting, motioning to the couple to follow him to another section of the museum, leaving the hall silent again.

Sitting down at the bench that was in front of the waterlilies painting, you set your bag down next to you and pulled out a well loved book that you had purchased at a used bookstore back home. The book, titled ‘guide de visite’, was slightly outdated, but went into great depth of the paintings here at the museum. You had immediately fallen in with the book, having read it many a time, each time vowing to yourself that you would see these paintings in person. Flipping through the delicate pages of the book, you stopped when you found the descriptions for the waterlillies painting, becoming entranced with the printed text.

Face buried in the book, you hadn’t noticed the figure standing behind you until he had moved into your peripheral vision. Shifting your gaze slightly upwards, you saw that the person was looking over at you. You observed him curiously, noticing his curly brown hair that was lightly tousled, and his long black and white tweed overcoat. He seemed around your age, and had a certain allure about him. He smiled when your eyes met, but instead of smiling back you averted your gaze back to the painting.

“Excuse me love,” his soft voice lightly echoing through the empty room, “would you mind if I sat next to you?” He asked, standing there as he awaited your answer.

Nodding your head yes, you carefully picked up your bag and set it gently on your lap. He was close enough for you to smell his cologne, his sneaky side glances not going unnoticed by you. You could feel yourself blushing as you tried to keep your focus on the painting instead of the handsome boy sat right next to you, which proved to be quite difficult.

Nervously touching the watch on his wrist, he cleared his throat, before saying, “I was admiring the Monet, but it was taking away from your beauty.” His cheeks were pink as he smiled, as he was scanning your features to make sure that he didn’t weird you out with that comment.

Flustered, you brought the book up to your face so that he wouldn’t see you blush, and you uttered out a small “Oh, um thank you.”

“I’m Tom, by the way.” He said, smiling as he waited for you to say your name, which you did.

“Enchanté.” He said as he continued to admire your features. You didn’t know why this very good looking guy was paying attention to you, let alone admiring you, and the thought of that alone left you feeling flustered.

The two of you sat there for a while, taking in the painting, but him sitting so close to you made you feel slightly uncomfortable. You cleared your throat as you stuffed your book in your bag and stood up.

“Wait, hold on a second.” He pleaded, “I just need to know one thing.” He asked while you nodded, sitting back down next to him.“You’ve been looking at the painting for a while, is it your favorite?”

“Definitely. It’s just do beautiful, you know? The colours blending together beautifully, and the brushstrokes are just pleasing to the eyes.” You let out a small laugh, and all Tom did was smile.

“Do you know a lot about the other paintings here?” He asked, his voice soft, along with his gaze.

“Yes, actually. Years ago I purchased this,” you motioned to the book on your lap, “and it tells of a lot of the paintings here. Although, some of the pieces aren’t here anymore but it’s nice to have a little piece of history, I guess.” You smiled nervously, mentally telling yourself to not sound so nerdy. Tom smiled softly at you, enjoying how passionate you were about art.

“So you’ve probably memorised the whole book then if you read that on a long flight.” He responded in an effort to keep the conversation up.

“Yeah, maybe so.”

He smiled again, and his smile was so adorable that in turn, made you smile too. Maybe he was the real masterpiece here, you thought. The masterpieces in this room don’t compare to his beauty.

“Well then,” he paused, nervously looking down at hands, “maybe do you mind being my tour guide? My brother Sam brought me here but then ditched me to get coffee with some American girl, can you believe it? It was his idea to drag me here but then left me the first chance he got. Typical.” He let out a small laugh, and you mentally thanked whoever Sam was, because if he didn’t leave Tom, then you probably wouldn’t be talking to him right now.

“So I’ve been wandering around, admiring the art, but it would be nice to be with someone who really understands art.” He hinted, his eyes twinkling under the museum lighting. You didn’t realise that he was closer to you than before, but you didn’t mind.

“Well you could have gone with the tour guide, I’m sure they know more than I do.”

“True, but the guide isn’t nearly as beautiful as you, darling.” He responded, the ‘darling’ rolling off his tongue like caramel. Thank god you were sitting, because if you were standing you would have melted into the floor.

“Well, alright then, follow me.” You said, gathering your belongings, while Tom held out his hand for you to grab so you could get up. His hands were soft yet firm, and as you stood up you let go of his hand immediately. He frowned when you let go of his hand too quickly for his liking, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets and followed right behind you, as you began your tour.

You two made your way around the museum, admiring the Picasso’s and the Matisse’s. You had your book open as you showed him the pages, reading the description from the book to him as you two admired the paintings. You often caught him staring at you instead of the art, and you playfully pushed him. “Oi mate, pay more attention to the artwork.” You exclaimed as you mimicked his accent.

He laughed, throwing his hands up like he was surrendering. “I can’t help but stare at how beautiful you are, and how adorable your accent is. The artists would understand that I’m basking in the beauty of the real artwork here.” You two blushed as you uttered out a small “thank you,” and continued the tour.

At that moment, one of the museum workers came up to you and Tom and spoke. “Excuse-moi mademoiselle et monsieur, le musée ferme ses portes dans quinze minutes. Merci beaucoup.” He left as swiftly as he came, leaving you both as Tom stood there puzzled.

“What did he say?” Tom asked as he looked over at you, and you replied, “The museum is closing its doors in fifteen minutes.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.” Tom said as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking down so that you wouldn’t see his visible frown.

“Mmhmm.” You added, clearing your throat.

You were sad in knowing that your nice afternoon with Tom was coming to an end. You were enjoying his company, and it seemed that he was enjoying yours as well. The workers were ushering you two closer to the entrance, turning off the lights in the back part of the museum to signify that it was closing.

“Darling, thank you so much for the lovely day, and for being such a good tour guide. I should probably call Sam to make sure he’s alright, and to see if he needs saving or not.” He laughed, although there was a hint of sadness laced in his voice.

“Thank you as well, I had a really nice day. And thank you for letting me ramble on about the art pieces.” You laughed, and Tom just looked at you and smiled.

“Of course, I could listen to you talk about art all day.” He said, and you felt that you were blushing again. You played with your hands nervously as you two walked towards the front entrance of the museum.

You made your way outside, noticing that it was still pouring, so you and Tom stood underneath the awning so that you wouldn’t get drenched. You were about to speak when someone interrupted you.

“Do you need a taxi ride home, mademoiselle?” The doorman asked you.

“Yes please.” You responded. He nodded and went to the curb to hail you a taxi.

You were hoping that he would have a hard time hailing a taxi so that you and Tom could speak some more.

“Do you need a ride back home?” You asked Tom as he nodded his head no.

“Not yet, Sam said he was going to a café right next to the museum, and I think it may be that one right there.” He pointed at a quaint café right down the street. “I should call him and make sure.” He said glumly, realistically knowing that this may be your last encounter together.

Tom contemplated asking for your number, and as he worked up the courage to do so, the doorman ran back with an umbrella in hand. He opened it and motioned for you to get underneath it.

“The taxi is here for you, mademoiselle. Have a safe travel.”

“Okay, one second please.” You turned to Tom and placed a small kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for everything, hopefully we’ll see each other soon.” You said, as you handed him your museum book. “You can have this to remember me by.” You waved to him, being led away by the doorman, towards the taxi.

Tom admired the book, knowing that it was one of your favourite things. He looked at you one last time as you turned around and waved goodbye. He waved too and stood there, holding the book close to his chest. He sighed as he watched the taxi drive away, knowing that he would probably never see you again.

——

The next day was bright and sunny, and you decided to go shopping at the Champs-Élysées. It was a famous street lined with expensive stores, and although you couldn’t afford much, you wanted to walk around and at least pretend you could. You also needed a distraction from Tom, knowing that you may never see him again. Paris is a large city, and for all you know, he could’ve flown back home. And even if he was still here, the chances of running into him again are quite slim.

You took a taxi from your hotel and made your way to the eighth arrondissement, staring out the window to take the whole city in. To say it was breathtaking was an understatement; words couldn’t describe the beauty of Paris.

After a short taxi ride, you first went to Ladurée to try some of their famous macarons, as well as to have a cup of coffee. You walked into the small café and was immediately hit with the aromatic smells of macarons and desserts. You found a small table to sit at, and ordered an espresso and an assorted plate of macarons.

You pulled out the Great Gastby from your bag, and made yourself comfortable. You imagined how F. Scott Fitzgerald must have felt back in the 1920s in France, and wondered if he had sat where you are now, writing little pieces of stories on a napkin and enjoying the ambiance. From outside, you could hear that a street performer was playing “la vie en rose” on a violin, and in this exact moment, everything was perfect.

You basked in the sunshine and listened to the conversations around you. There was more English spoken here than at the museum, which made sense, since this was a tourist hotspot. One thing you didn’t notice, however, was a familiar voice of someone a few tables away.

“You know, I never thought I would say this, but I’m glad you ditched me at the museum.” Tom said, grinning.

“Hey I’m glad I ditched you too, the American girl was cute. Her company’s much better than yours anyway.” Sam laughed as Tom tossed a piece of macaron at him.

“I mean it though, it was seriously perfect yesterday. Well, almost, at least until the doorman whisked her away into a taxi. I didn’t even get to ask for her number.” He said, flipping through the pages of your book. He carried it around with him, in hopes that he would run into you again.

“I know, you gushed about her all day yesterday. I get it, she’s like your soulmate or whatever.” He scoffed as Tom flicked another piece of macaron at him.

“I’m serious though, she was perfect. The masterpieces paled to her beauty in comparison. I think even the Mona Lisa would be jealous of her.” He sighed, sinking dramatically down into his chair.

“God I wish I had asked for her number sooner, like right when I first met her.”

After hearing that, Sam shook his head. “No because then she would have thought you were a creep or something, and you know, she wouldn’t be entirely wrong.” He laughed as Tom shot him a glare. He slumped backwards into his chair, staring up at the ceiling as he placed his arms over his face.

“God you’re dramatic.” Sam stated, staring at Tom, who let out a small groan. People sitting around them were staring, and Sam poked Tom in the stomach, causing him to shoot back up in his chair.

“I hate you, you know that?” Tom retorted.

“No you don’t, you love me.” Sam grinned as Tom rolled his eyes.

“Okay, I’ll try to be more help to you. What did she look like?” Sam asked, looking over at Tom who now had a smile on his face.

Tom described in great detail your height, hair color and what you were wearing. He described how your hair was up in a ponytail, with little strands of hair framing your face, and how there were light flecks in your eyes. He gushed about the freckles on the bridge of your nose and how when you laughed, your eyes crinkled. He mentioned how you loved to read and that you loved art, and that you weren’t from France.

He rambled on as Sam looked around the café to see if anyone met his description. He saw you sitting in the corner, reading your book and eating your macarons, and Sam had a feeling that may be you. You matched the description, but he also noticed that your bookmark was the admittance ticket from the museum they went to yesterday.

“So basically the girl sitting over there?” Sam smirked, and Tom quickly turned his head to see who he was referring to. He snapped his head around so quickly that he practically gave himself whiplash.

“Yes exactly!” He exclaimed a little too loudly, and the the older ladies sitting by them glanced at him disapprovingly. He jumped up, nearly running into the server as he made his way to your table. You didn’t even notice Tom standing in front of you, until he slightly cleared his throat.

“Oh, hello.” You said shyly while grinning at him. You motioned for him to sit down across from you, and he didn’t hesitate to do so.

“Hey.” He answered as he tried to keep his composure. “Must be fate, huh darling?” He added, popping one of your macarons into his mouth.

——

Mes anges (taglist): @scarletxwidow​ @sunflowerhollands​ @fangirlwithasweettooth​ @musicalkeys​ @lmaotshollandd​ @taciturnspidey​ @graceluvsyouu​

[silence-burns]

Please Hate Me //part 29

Fandom: Marvel 

Summary:  Based on “Imagine having a love/hate relationship with Loki.” by @thefandomimagine​

Life is one of those complicated concepts that usually take years to master its basic truths, and even then one can never be sure if any random, unexpected turn of events won't bring new factors into the equation. 

Loki was far from understanding the universal truths of the universe, but his mind often wandered into the more philosophical aspects of reality. On one of his journeys though, and one seasoned with the tiniest bit of wine at that, Loki came to a rather rattling conclusion that to wreak chaos, your own two hands were sufficient, but if you truly needed to unravel a catastrophe, you needed a team.

Loki liked his current team, even if it only consisted of one person.

"Oh dear," you mused sweetly, putting your cards on the table. "It looks like I am, indeed, lucky tonight." 

The card Loki slid into your hand a few seconds ago was right in the middle. It was a beautiful sight. 

"Who doesn't love a little luck?" the thick accent of the man barely covered the growl rumbling in his deep voice. He was a mountain of a man that apparently went by the self-explanatory title of Boss. 

Boss had little hair and even less patience. Loki was sure he used up the last of the latter when he had to deal with two people suddenly invading his private booth and inviting themselves into his round of cards. There was a moment when things were a breath away from escalating, when two of the bodyguards rose with an intent very clear on their faces. Loki braced himself for the impact, and had already shifted his bodyweight for the upcoming fight, but as it was very common amongst men of culture, this situation too was resolved with the most universal argument - the money. 

Whoever you grabbed the money off in the crowd, was up for a very nasty surprise - Loki's favorite one. He laughed as you slid into the booth with that wicked smile of yours and threw the money over the cards. The two of you must have looked like madmen, at least if the reaction of the crowd was any indication. The glances thrown in your direction were quick and wide-eyed, but no expected bloodshed followed. Not yet, at least. Not if Loki and you had anything to say in the matter. 

"I absolutely love having a good time with you, guys," you said, pushing the money you won onto your side of the round table. "We should do this more often." 

The two bodyguards had to leave the booth to make room for you to play with Boss. They didn't venture far, but stood right behind the cushioned couch circling the table and stared with growing anger. It spread like the stench of sweat, evaporating through their pores. Loki blew another kiss in their direction. 

"You sure are a lucky pair," Boss rumbled. His eyes scanned you from underneath his thick brow. "I rarely see someone with so much attitude in this place. To be honest, I think I'm seeing you for the first time." 

"It's never too late to make friends," Loki flashed his most annoying half-smile, making sure to pour some of his drink on the floor before another guard "accidentally" passed the booth. You were both walking a very thin line, already stretched and taunt. 

"Friends - yes. But I'm starting to think your intentions might be a little different." 

You gasped. Loki looked offended. The line grew thinner. 

"I swear to god," you put a hand over your heart. "We have no evil intentions towards you or anyone in this place." 

The god solemnly approved. He liked you. You earned your pass. 

"Are you up for another round?" he asked, pouring you more wine and then serving himself. "Oopsie, looks like another bottle is gone. It really is a good night." 

The bottle flew over his shoulder and crashed with a satisfying sound that made it through the booming music. Someone cursed. 

A muscle twitched in the Boss's jaw. 

"Get out." 

"Oh, dear," you leaned into Loki dramatically. "Look at what you've done. I think he lost his temper." 

"It appears so," he admitted indifferently, brushing your arm with his free hand. Sure, it was a part of your performance, but it still felt good when you didn't flinch or pull away. He tried not to think too much about it. 

The flashing lights did wonders to your features, though. 

"Don't worry, Boss, I'll get you a new one," you crooned and slipped out of the booth before anyone could stop you. 

You sent a meaningful look in Loki's direction before disappearing into the crowd. It must have held a significant meaning - that much was obvious. But for a reason completely unknown to him, Loki had no idea what it was about. 

He cursed you softly in the safety of his thoughts, but without ill intentions. 

"Smile, darling," he addressed the Boss to cover his feelings. "The night is only growing more beautiful with each passing minute." 

"I wouldn't be so sure." Boss lit another cigarette. The thick smoke filled the secluded confines of the booth. Loki wrinkled his nose with pure, unfiltered disgust. 

"As if the general smell of this rathole wasn't bad enough," he rasped dramatically, waving in front of his face. 

"If you're so unhappy here, I'd usually suggest leaving, but with you two…" Boss leaned closer. "I'd actually prefer for you to stay a while longer. I'd really like to hear your stories." 

There were three things that Loki realised at that very moment. 

First and the most important one, was that your so-called plan actually succeeded. There was no way Boss would let you go now. 

Second was the reason behind your very meaningful stare. The man seemed to be missing one of his clue elements. And Loki knew precisely the sneaky bastard who'd dare to put their sticky fingers over Boss's phone without him noticing. 

The third and the least pleasant one, was that Boss was even more hideous from up close. 

Loki turned his eyes off his face, and by chance or blind luck, caught sight of you by the bar. You had your back towards the booth, but you seemed to be very occupied with something - either the phone or buying time. Loki wished he had a way of telling you time had just run out, but it seemed like once again, things would get heated without any forewarning. 

Boss caught his gaze. 

"Don't worry," he said. "We'll find a nice place for your partner too." 

Something tightened in Loki's chest. "What did you just say?" 

The man barked a laugh, leaning back on the couch with a grand gesture. It was probably meant to distract Loki enough for one of the bodyguards to slip in behind him. Loki pretended he didn't catch the reflection in his empty glass. 

The music was deafening, but over the bass and strange, sharp sounds, the blood started to pound in Loki's veins, despite his hands growing colder. Boss didn't notice the change in the atmosphere. He didn't notice the air halt and the people closest to them disperse, subconsciously giving in to their instincts.

 Instead, he said:

"You thought we wouldn't notice that we somehow got ourselves cops in this place? What, you couldn't get a warrant so you went undercover and thought no one would bat an eye?" he sneered, puffing a greyish cloud of smoke. "You better have some fun tonight. It's your last chance." 

Well, time had run out. Loki wished you good luck on your side of the club. 

And started the fun. 

You, on the other hand, noticed very little of what was happening back at the booth. You were lucky enough to use the few seconds of distraction and the general mess on the table to snatch the phone, but you were sure that was where your luck ended. 

Peter was right, and something was definitely going on in the place, but without hard evidence, it would be difficult to prove anything. Your best guess was somewhere between drugs (exchanges of which you could spot a few places even now) and maybe some smuggling business. But there always could be more, right? 

For more, sadly, you reached out without a second thought and now had to deal with the consequences. Especially as the correct password ideas were running thin with each of your guesses. 

You wanted to smash the phone over the bar, but you did your best to smile nonchalantly as you waited for the barman to get the booze you requested. Playing with a phone could not be suspicious by any means, but you felt like you were holding a ticking bomb. It was not how you expected to spend the night, and neither, apparently, did the barman. 

He put the bottle in front of you, casting a glance over your shoulder. You had a nasty suspicion he noticed who you had been residing with for the past half an hour. 

He cleared his throat and you held the phone a little firmer, ready to smash his face. 

"I think your friend dropped something," was at the very bottom of the list of the things you expected to hear. 

He was holding something out. You looked at the note with an unmistakable line of numbers on it and then back at the barman, currently looking away. You slipped the note into your pocket. 

"I'll make sure he gets it back," you said. Maybe the night wasn't so lost. 

Some relief was seen on the man's face as the tension left his shoulders. "Do you think he—”

You would never get to know what was about to be said, because that was the precise moment when the aforementioned "he" decided to snap. Along with the table, from the sounds of it. 

The stool turned smoothly underneath you as you steered yourself to face the chaos. Unsurprisingly, Loki was in the center of it. What did surprise you was the rate at which the chaos was moving toward you. 

Screams and curses pierced the air from those standing in the way of the chaos. Bodies were pushed aside, drinks spilled, and dresses ruined as the hurricane erupted. The flashing colors bathed the scene in an ethereal aesthetic, making you wish you had a camera. 

It truly was a sight to marvel at, you admitted as you watched Loki's nimble figure move between the guards, avoiding some punches and looking unfairly good while taking others. 

An arm was yanked the way no limb was supposed to be bent. The man tumbled into the dissipating crowd, clutching it to his chest. Another was coming from behind, but he too wasn't spared from the gracious violence the god unraveled on his way. Sweat and makeup glistened on his skin, and his hair was blown to one side from the speed he moved at. 

The force of nature incarnated moved closer. You jumped behind the bar, grabbing a bottle as you did so. Loki soon followed. Something suspiciously similar to gunshots sounded on the other side not much later. 

You slipped on the floor, hip colliding painfully with the surface, but it didn't ruin your mood as you turned to Loki. 

"That was amazing. I want to get you painted." 

"If we had time, I'd suggest a nude version," he said, a little breathlessly. 

He wiped his hair off his face and slipped further down the thick steel and polished wood as glass rained down. Countless bottles on the huge, ceiling-high shelves behind the counter, now being crushed into pieces by the shots. 

Your arm stung as the shards bit into your skin. You kept your face down as Loki pulled you underneath him, holding you tight to his chest. You watched the alcohol pool over the floor and the loose shards of colorful, thick glass littering the floor in a thick layer. There was little space between the counter and the wall, and you felt your clothes start to soak as the two of you cowered into as small a target as possible. It was not the best moment for such reflections, but you had to admit, Loki had the perfect body to be pressed into. 

Under Loki’s arm, you met the eyes of the barman, kneeling two steps away. Whatever happiness he had half a minute ago, now seemed to perish along with the priceless bottles shining on the floor. 

"You guys are nuts!" he yelled over the uproar, Army crawling someplace safer. 

You watched his bent back leave only the two of you behind the bar. He must've truly believed in his luck to risk leaving cover. Or, which was far more probable, he just wanted to get as far away from you as possible. 

You couldn't blame him. 

"We have to move," you tried to yell over the noise. "Before they come and take us out." 

"Thank you for your input, and how do you plan to execute it?" Loki snarled, showered in liquor. 

He should've known that asking you for a plan was a bad, terrible, not good idea, but in the moment he asked, his patience was worn thin and his focus was elsewhere, so really, it couldn't be blamed entirely on him. 

Asking you for a plan was actually a great idea in your humble opinion. There was a certain amount of talent and pure genius involved in coming up with a way of getting out of such a situation. All you needed was an upturned stool previously occupying the other side of the bar, and the spreading puddle of alcohol. 

Before Loki protested, you untangled yourself from his limbs. There was little space behind the bar, but you managed to push yourself from one of the shelves to gain speed as you slid on the slippery floor to the left. 

The shield of the counter ended right when you reached the abandoned stool, grasping it with both hands. The glass bit into your legs, but you ignored it for the time being. Swinging the stool at the closest bodyguard was far more attention consuming. 

It hit the target with a satisfying, if a little nauseating, crunch. You felt the impact in your hands. The stool slipped from your wet fingers, but you were already moving to the next man, dangerously close to where Loki and you had been hiding moments ago. 

The man started, not expecting to see you fighting back. He backed a step, and turned the gun in your direction with an unnerving smoothness. The lights blinded you for a moment, flashing straight into your eyes. Your foot slipped on the wet floor and you fell to the left with all the grace of a bag of potatoes.

A shot pierced the air and deafened you, but the bullet didn't meet your flesh. Your elbow, not yet healed, screamed in protest as it hit the floor first. You saw yourself moving back up, but you also saw the gun turning to point at you again. The gun was faster. 

The world was spinning and colors merged, but you could have sworn a hand reached out from behind you, whether to push you or shield you, you'd never know. 

What you saw in more detail than you ever thought possible, was the thick, grey metal of a bracelet around its wrist. Something collided with it, by skillful placement or mere luck, denting the metal in what must have been a painful hit. 

And then the bracelet broke. 

The lights dulled and for a moment the air felt too heavy to breathe as your lungs screamed under the bone-cracking pressure. And as cracking static prickled the men's skin, something shifted deep in the fabric of reality and then surged to the surface and broke out fully. 

Magic rushed from the bottomless pit it'd been locked in for too long, freezing everything in its wake. It stung Loki's skin, as if a conscious part of his soul, angry, lonely and immensely powerful, finally found him and reconnected with what was unrightfully severed. 

The god smiled. And struck. 

[mando-and-child]

Hi I'm new to the starwars Fandom and I've been looking for someone to take fic prompts! I'm so glad I found you! So, cobb/din Post chapter 16 team comes to mos pelgo and asks Cobb to come with them. That their new king wishes to train Cobb personally in the ways of the Mandolore. They don't yell Cobb that din is the new king and Cobb is pleasantly surprised when he gets to the newly retaken and now thriving Mandolore. A year later, Cobb comes back as a mandalorian and with a new husband.

Sorry for the long wait, I love your idea so much though and I hope I have done it justice! If you are okay with it, I would like to put this on Ao3 of course with credits.

Cobb Vanth and the Mand’alor.

Cobb frowns when he reaches Mos Pelgo, he had been out to negotiate with the Tusken Raiders. He had been with them like he had promised Mando, and now Mos Pelgo was doing better than ever. However that didn’t mean that outsiders came to them though. That is why he is ready to fight the second he notices the ship outside the town. He speeds up his bike and rides into the town. “Marshal!” Cobb turns to where his name was called and finds Lock gesturing to the cantina. It seems the strangers are making themselves feel right at home. Cobb nods his head to Lock and walks towards the cantina with all the confidences he can muster without the armor to protect himself.

He is shocked to find two mandalorians sitting at the bar. “If you are here for the armor you are to late and I will have to ask you to leave.” He says standing in the doorway like he had done with Mando once upon a time.

“Well it’s good we aren’t here for the armor then.” The smaller of the two says. “We are here for the Marshall.”

“Well here you have me, what can I do for you.” Cobb tries to not tense up, he is ready to defend himself. He knows though that their armor is very effective against blaster fire.

“Oh we know, our Alor had been very clear on who we were looking for.” The heavier build of the two says, sounding almost amused in Cobb’s opinion. “Ner’alor requested for you to be brought to him.”

“I’m sorry I’m afraid I don’t know who ever Ner’alor is but I have a town to look after.” He can hear the snort coming from the bigger mando. The smaller one comes to his rescue though.

“Our Alor is our king, the king of Mandolor. He has requested for you to come to Mandolor he had an offer for you. Your town will be protected while you are away, up until your return.” Cobb looks at the two unsure of what’s happening. The smaller mando must have picked up on his hesitation and brings his hands up. “It’s understandable that you don’t trust us but our mutual friend has arranged this.” Mando Cobb thinks, they can’t mean anyone else right? No it must be Mando.

“For how long will I be leaving if I decide to come with you both?”

“That depends on your conversation with ner’alor but for now two weeks. We need a few days to arrive back home.” Cobb nods his head. He had never expected for his first trip up to the stars would be with two mando’s. Because he isn’t going to say no and potential piss off a powerful being.

“Very well, I will come but let me pack my stuff and explain it to the town.” The two mandos look at each other and nod their head.

“Alright, we got some time. We will be waiting by the ship.”

—————————

After having said his goodbye’s and having explained why he was leaving, he stood in front of the mando’s again. Though he is surprised to see a second ship, with the way the first one was placed he had never seen the second ship. The two mando’s from earlier gesture him closer. “Marshall, you will be leaving with us. These two will be here for protection in the meanwhile.” The bigger mando says. Cobb nods his head weaving at the two others who just stare back. “We should get going if we want to reach mandalor on time.” They walk on the ship the bigger one makes his way up to the cockpit while the smaller stays behind with him. Cobb looks away from him though when he notices his hands coming up to his helmet. He can hear the hiss of the air seal being broken, not soon after he hears a chuckle coming from the mando. He sounds very young.

“You can look Marshall, I have not yet sworn to the greed.” Cobb hesitates, mando had been very clear that they couldn’t take off their helmets in front of others. “Do you know what it means that I haven’t sworn to the greed yet?” He asks and Cobb shakes his head still looking away. Another chuckle at that. “It means I can take my helmet off without the worry of not being able to set it back up again. I’m too young to swear to the greed in a few months though I will be able too. Our Alor thought it would make you feel more comfortable if you talk to another person instead of beskar.” Cobb slowly looks over at the young mando, and Cobb was right; he is young. He can’t be much older then maybe 16-18 years old.

“So after you swear to the greed you never show your face again?” Cobb asks.

The young mando drags a hand through his blond hair, green eyes sparkling with mirth. “We can take the helmets off in front of our close aliit or family in basic. If you were to marry your spouse can see your face too. Only after marriages though.” Cobb nods his head in understanding, feeling a thrill about learning new things. “Come on let’s take a seat and you can ask me some more questions.” The blond Mando says smiling. Cobb nods his head and follows him.

—————————

After three days Cobb got called up to the cockpit. The mando’s thought that he would like to see Mandolor when they get out of hyperspace. Cobb had nodded eagerly, making the two brothers laugh a little. Cobb had been surprised when he had learned that the two mando’s were brothers, but not by blood though. They had explained the concept of foundlings to him after he had found out they were brothers. The younger of the two had been a foundling where the older one had been a blood born mando’ade. They had explained the concept of foundlings and how much children mean in their culture. He likes that they try to find the family still even when they take in the child.

They come out of hyperspace and Cobb and help but stare. He had never seen a planet from space. It looks so big and it makes him feel so small. Well here goes nothing right?

—————————

Cobb looks around the room surprised at the beauty of it, even in its simplicity. The room has beautiful big windows where light comes into the room. In the middle of those windows a drape is hung with one all too familiar symbol on it. What really caught his eyes though was the impressive throne right under it and of course the person sitting in it.

“Ner’mand’alor, we have brought the Marshall as per your request.” Mando nods his head standing up from the throne.

“Thank you both, you are free to go. I will see you for training later.” Both of the mando’s nod and walk away. Mando turns to him, Cobb wishes though that he could see his face. He doesn’t understand why he is here. “It’s good to see you again Cobb, how has Mos Pelgo been?” Cobb frowns is Mando really trying to make a small talk?

“We have been doing great, the tusken raiders are still our friends so that helps a lot. I don’t want to be rude but why am I here mando?”

“Din, my name is Din. It will get confusing very fast if you call me Mando. As for why you are here, well I have an offer for you. Know that Mos Pelgo will stay under protection if you choose to take my offer.”

Cobb looks surprised at being given Din’s name, but tries to listen to what he has to say more. “What is this offer Man.. Din?” Cobb saves himself at the last minute, using Din’s name.

Mando sighs seeming to be nervous. “My offer is that we will train you in our way, so you can earn your armor.” Cobb blinks at Mando feeling like his heart stopped beating for a second. Din seems to take the surprise as a bad thing and reassures that Cobb can take his time thinking about the offer.

“I will do it.” Cobb interrupts Din. “I take your offer Din.” Din's shoulders relaxed and Cobb realised that Din had been nervous about Cobb’s answer.

“Well in that case welcome to my home Cobb Vanth, I will teach you to the best of my abilities.” Cobb nods his head, feeling like he is dreaming. “How about we go somewhere more comfortable and I will explain it some more?” Cobb nods his head.

“Show me the way.” He says smirking

—————————

-One year later, Mos Pelgo.-

Two mando’s walk down the ramp of an old ship that had seen better days. One of the mando’s decked out in silver armor the others armor also silver but with red accents. Both look at the small village in front of them.

“Ready Riduur?” The silver mando asks. The other nods his head, his gaze only on the village he had left a year ago.

“Yes, I’m ready it’s time to say hi.” Cobb says looking over at his husband. “Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum Din.”

“Ni kar’tayl gar darasuum Cobb.” Din answers nodding to the village. “Let’s go.” And both walk into the village ready to see it again.

[travllingbunny]

The 100 rewatch: 5x04 Pandora’s Box

Another excellent episode, maybe a little less action-packed than Sleeping Giants but still fast, full of tension, new information, and many warm reunions and nice character moments - which are important to see before all these characters start having conflicts and many of these relationships get strained to the point of almost breaking later in the season. 

This one picks up immediately after the last scenes of both 5x02 (the bunker - cliffhanger with Kane as one of the fighters in the pit) and 5x03 (Eden with Bellamy, Clarke and the prisoners after Bellamy has negotiated with Diyoza, Raven and Murphy on Eligius 4), brings everyone together*, as the prisoners open the bunker and Wonkru finally gets out - and ends with the conflict that means that war between Wonkru and the Eligius prisoners is imminent. The Pandora’s Box has been opened, to use another one of Bellamy’s Greek mythology references. (Oddly enough, he makes that reference in the next episode, not in this one.)

(*Well, not everyone - Monty, Harper, Emori, Echo and Madi are MIA this episode. hiding somewhere in Eden, before they also reunite with the rest of Spacekru plus Clarke plus Wonkru in the next episode.)

If I hadn’t seen season 5 before, I’d be thinking “Will this be the best season of the show?” It is by far the season with the strongest beginning - before the plot starts to drag, building conflicts within both camps. so that war would not happen until the two-part finale. Strong beginning, strong ending, poor middle part.

After the epic Bellarke scene at the end of 5x03, this episode delivers their actual reunion, with another one of those incredibly intimate and intense hugs that Bellamy and Clarke are known for. They tend to grow in intensity, and I’ll just say this: when Tumblr flagged gifs of this hug as “explicit”, well - for once I could see why poor Tumblr bots were getting confused:

A reunion after 6 years, during which Bellamy believed Clarke to be dead, while Clarke didn’t know if Bellamy was alive but still called him on the radio and talked to him every day for 2199 days, has to be pretty epic, and this scene delivers. It seems almost like Clarke - who had been badly tortured - wasn’t entirely sure if that was really Bellamy who emerged out of the darkness to save her, of if she was imagining it, with the way she says “You are really here!”, while crying out of happiness. The intimacy in the body language and the way they look at each other is also reflected in Clarke telling him “And now you’re home!” This goes way beyond how platonic partners and non-romantic best friends interact with each other. The scene is not just acted but directed and shot in such a way that anyone who would see it without knowing Clarke and Bellamy’s actual relationship status, would get the wrong (?) idea. For a moment, they even look like people who have been caught making out, like they don’t want these strangers to witness such an intimate moment.

Even if she did not see this scene in particular, it’s no surprise that Diyoza assumed Clarke and Bellamy were a couple (“the hostage taker and his girlfriend”) after what she saw of their interactions. Really, who wouldn’t?

Bellamy quickly updates Clarke on how everyone is - Madi, Spacekru, acknowledges that Clarke has saved them all (something multiple people do in this early part of the season) and that all of the people who went to space are safe. (”Murphy, Monty, Raven?” “Echo and Emori”. - But why the Harper erasure? This is one of the very few lines in this episode that feel wrong. She’ one of the Delinquents both of them have known since they landed on Earth and Clarke would logically care about her more than Echo, who, she barely knew and who was her enemy 90% of the time. )

Another beautiful reunion happens by radio - Murphy and Raven learn that Clarke is alive. Murphy smiles the moment he hears her voice, and Raven, teary-eyed, thanks Clarke for saving their lives. The Spacekru have been criticized a lot in the fandom for not appreciating Clarke’s sacrifice, but it has to be said that, right after they learned she was alive, they all acknowledged it and expressed gratitude. (Some of them were just later angry at her and not so ready to try to understand her perspective after living isolated for 6 years.) This is one of the very few moments of happiness in season 5 (whenever I see that screenshot of Clarke and Bellamy’s big smiles, I mistake it for a moment for a BTS photo. That’s how rare it is to see characters looking happy on the actual show.)

…………………….

Meanwhile, over in the bunker, no one is happy. and everything is dark, sad and disturbing. Octavia is full Blodreina and acting like a Roman Emperor, deciding if gladiators get to earn their freedom or not. because even being “the last” doesn’t necessarily earn you freedom now - it all comes down to the Queen’s whim. Kane is forced to fight in the pit again tomorrow. I suppose they already have the next batch of fighters ready - it would be a bit weird if she expected a bunch of new “crimes” tomorrow. But things must have gotten progressively worse if they’re now having death matches every day. If they had been condemning people to the pits at that pace throughout those 6 years, even more than 1/3 of the Wonkru would be dead. 

One thing I had not noticed before - there is a singer, singing an anthem or ceremonial song before the fights start, and it is the same woman who sang the Coalition anthem in 3x03. This somewhat changes my views of the way Grounder clans chose 100 people to survive the bunker. At least one of the clans was smart enough to include a musician, rather than a bunch of warriors. There should have been even more musicians and other entertainers (you’d expect a culture like Grounders to have some sort of epic poetry!), as that would’ve helped the life in the bunker much more than warriors (and there could have been entertainment that does not include killing). But this was probably an exception, because this person probably had a high status as a ceremonial singer.

Our first look at Abby after the time jump - and she is obviously in a bad state and pill-addicted, and both she and Kane look tired and worn down. He is protecting her and taking the guilt for her crime - stealing pills, since Abby is obviously in no state to fight - and on her part, Abby wants to confess and spare him. But Indra - who has been helping them and is clearly unhappy with the way Blodreina is ruling - is more rational and knows Kane winning is the only way to save them both. Kane, however, is choosing to take a stand and refuse to fight.

Kane and Abby got a lot of flak from the fandom and were accused of hypocrisy for their attitude to Octavia later in the season - with the argument that Abby was the one who persuaded Octavia to go through with cannibalism and killing people for refusing to ear, and that Kane knew Abby’s role in it but blamed Octavia. All these arguments presume that they were blaming Octavia for the cannibalism and everything else that happened the Dark Year. But in fact, there’s zero indication that this is what they blamed her for, and it’s pretty clear that the reason why they - and others - have issues with Blodreina is that she’s been ruling by fear and throwing people into fighting pits for all sorts of reasons, and generally being a scary tyrant/leader of a cult of death and violence. Yes, as we learn later, Abby was a crucial part of how Octavia turned into that person, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is that person now, that she has absolute power in the bunker, and people have been living in fear of her. 

Kane tries to plead with Octavia when she comes to tell him he has to fight, and at this point, he seems to still believe she could change and start making better decisions. What feels a bit off to me is that he says he’s been silent for too long - this can’t be the first time he’s tried to change her mind? He would have probably had a lot more chance to succeed if he tried much earlier.  We get the first mention of the infamous “Dark Year” (this is also the episode where we first hear “All of me for all of us”) and see Octavia getting upset at its very mention (a reveal will be dragged out for 6 more episodes). It’s interesting that Jaha and Kane both mentioned Aurora Blake’s fate in their speeches to Octavia, but they used it to say completely different things. Jaha was saying that this is what you have to do, execute everyone who is the “enemy” because they endanger your survival in any way, even if it’s having one more child. Kane was saying that’s what they shouldn’t be doing anymore, she shouldn’t be doing what they did on the Ark, but do better. Octavia ended up taking Jaha’s advice, which shaped her as leader, for better or worse. (Mostly worse, IMO.) She could have maybe taken Kane’s advice years ago, but now it’s clearly too late. 

If anything, Kane’s refusal to fight makes her more determined than ever to break him - she doesn’t want to condemn him to death, she wants to break his resistance and his stubborn insistence on morality. I don’t approve of all of Kane’s later actions in season 5, but it’s really not hard to see why, after these experiences and everything in the bunker, he thought Blodreina’s rule was the worst thing that could happen.

And then - like a Deus ex machina, the bunker door opens and Bellamy is literally coming down from above, into the darkness of Octavia’s underground realm, as the savior, bathed in light, It’s the second episode in a row where he comes as a Big Damn Hero in almost dreamlike scene, from a POV of a woman in his life, this time his sister. For a moment, Blodreina is Octavia again and hugs her brother. Clarke comes down a moment later (but she is not bathed in light - she looks at the Blake siblings from the shadows.)

Instead of hugging, Clarke and Octavia greet each other with a forearm handshake - which is quite an interesting choice, particularly since (thanks @jeanie205) this is apparently a type of greeting associated with Roman generals greeting each other. (But only in Hollywood movies, It wasn’t a thing in actual Roman history.)

In addition to all the reunions, some characters meet for the first time - such as Octavia and Diyoza, who are about to become rival leaders on two sides of the war. Who could have known what their relationship would turn into in season 6 and season 7?

I love the way that everyone - Bellamy, Clarke, Diyoza and the rest of the prisoners - have the “WTF is this” look when they see the fighting pit (which is all covered in blood - apparently, they don’t wash it. It’s an aesthetic, I guess.) Bellamy soon asks Octavia what the heck she’s doing (and guesses exactly what inspired her: “Someone must have read Ovid one too many times). It’s an experience she hasn’t had in years - to have her decisions questioned by someone who’s not one of her subjects and not afraid of her.

More reunions follow: Clarke and Abby, Bellamy and Miller (another relationship that will turn sour in the rest of the season), Clarke and Kane. 

Meanwhile, on Eligius 4, Raven finds more info about Diyoza backstory - Colonel Diyoza was "something called Navy SEAL" (it makes sense that Arkers wouldn’t know about such things), decorated for valor three times, before turning into a rebel/terrorist, and leader of a movement called United Liberation Army. As we see in these articles, civilians died in these attacks, which is something Diyoza regrets in season 7 - even if her cause was right, her means were wrong.

Raven and Murphy have some fun playing soccer, but they’re also worried about the fact they may need to murder 283 people. Raven finds it hard, so Murphy offers to do it to spare her. It’s typical for their relationship that Murphy tends to see Raven as someone better and more moral than himself (in spite of the fact that she once tried to sacrifice him instead of Fin), while Raven often says disparaging things about him, even though she is fond of him.

One thing I found a bit odd that Murphy at one point says: “Why do you have to always be the one to sacrifice?” - even though this was just the second time Raven has decided to sacrifice herself, and he wasn’t even around for the first time - trying to blow the bridge in 1x10. But Murphy seems to have a somewhat idealized view of Raven, driven by his guilt over crippling her and his self-loathing. Or maybe he meant the others in the group in general. as he sees himself as the selfish cockroach as opposed to them. (Note: I initially wrote this in my 5x03 review, before I realized it was actually said in this episode. That’s what happens when you finalize posts after having seen two episodes ahead.)

Raven and her future love interest Shaw try to outsmart each other in hacking (Raven even kind of flips a bird at Shaw at one point - it’s like they are having a digital meet cute without having even met.) 

But when Diyoza finds a way to outsmart Spacekru by suffocating Raven and Murphy - Raven tells Murphy to pull the lever (usually Clarke’s job) and kill the prisoners; and when he hesitates, she goes into her fierce/ruthless mode and goes “Fine, I’ll do it”, before Murphy comes up with the smart solution that prioritizes survival and also doesn’t include mass murder - a win-win, except it also takes away Bellamy’s leverage. 

I wonder where the standoff between Wonkru and the Eligius prisoners would have led after Diyoza took Abby and Kane with her and announced her people were taking over Eden? Would war still have been inevitable? I can’t see Octavia giving up on Eden so easily. In any case, the war here was started by an idiot who shot an incredibly destructive weapon at Octavia just because her arrogant Blodreina grin pissed her off. (This guy, called Szybunka, is a part of McCreary’s faction, and here we first learn that they are preparing a rebellion against Diyoza, though McCreary thinks it’s still not time for it.)

A lot more deaths were prevented by Shaw, Major props for him in this episode both for that, and because he is the first person to finally make the point that there are so few people left of the human race and that it is incredibly stupid to kill more of them

Octavia immediately blames Bellamy for everything - even though he was the reason why she and Wonkru got out of the bunker instead of being stuck there forever/  And this time, I’m sure this was 100% meant to highlight that she has a habit of unfairly placing blame on Bellamy whenever something goes wrong in her life. 

Body count: I haven’t been doing these for a while, but now I’m doing the body count for the entire season 5 so far:

Wonkru - we learn in this episode that, out of the 1200 people in the bunker, there are 814 remaining. So, 386 - almost a third - died during those 6 years. That includes 3 people who died in the fighting pit. An additional Wonkru member is killed by the idiot Szybunka while protecting Octavia, leaving 813.

Eligius prisoners - two of the party on Earth were killed by Madi and Clarke in 5x01, Four more were killed in 5x03 - one shot by Clarke, another one mercy killed by Diyoza after getting into one of Clarke’s traps, two more shot by Madi to save Bellamy, Monty, Harper, Emori and Echo. On the ship, Kodiak, the big guy Diyoza activated as a weapon (”activate Kodiak!”) was killed in self-defense by Bellamy with help from Echo and Raven. And in 5x04, Szybunka is killed by McCreary for his stupidity. This leaves 282 prisoners on the ship and an unknown smaller number on Earth. 

Rating: 8/10