#or the fact that they both died exactly a year apart. on the most romantic day in japan.

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

so utahime finding satoru annoying (and not in way she finds everyone annoying way) is her flirting but satoru literally being unable to keep his hands off of suguru can’t and shouldn’t be interpreted as romantic. right…..

[chaotic-tired-fox]

Okay so my last post blew up so here’s more obscure random Resident Evil facts for y’all!

Part one: here

Part three: here

☠️The white dog you save in Resident Evil 4 is a reference to Hewie the dog in Capcom’s other game Haunting Ground which was released at around the same time the original Resident Evil 4 was. The main character Fiona also shares resemblance to Ashley.

☠️ Chris and Claire’s parents both died in a tragic car crash said to be so bad they could only be identified by their dental records

☠️ Jill’s infection (and later cure) of the T-Virus significantly slowed down her ageing

☠️ Chris is the only main character without a clear romantic interest (Leon with Ada, Claire with Leon and Jill with Carlos)

(Edit: A few people have said Claire and Steve but Steve was only 17 at the time of his death so no I don’t care how much chemistry they might’ve had, he was a minor and Claire was 19)

☠️ In the original RE2 Jill had a picture of a man on her desk, in the remake it is changed to a dog instead.

☠️ Barry Burton is one of the only characters in the series to actually retire, moving up to Canada with his family. He and Claire still stay in contact.

☠️ Leon’s signature handgun is actually a modified Samurai Edge he named ‘Silver Ghost’ made by Joseph Kendo the brother of Robert Kendo you meet in RE2 and RE3. Originally the gun was created for Barry Burton but given to Leon instead.

☠️ One of Joseph Kendo’s books on firearms can be found in Ethan’s house at the beginning of Village.

☠️ Capcom’s other zombie series Dead Rising actually has a few references to Resident Evil in them though my favourite is a restaurant called Jill’s Sandwiches

☠️ Luis Sera was apart of Umbrella’s sixth laboratory in Europe which oversaw the creation of Nemesis.

☠️ A detail not many know about Hunk is that he possesses two hidden blades mounted to his wrists almost exactly like the ones seen in Assassins Creed

☠️ Jessica and Raymond are two villains from Revelations that are not only still alive but in possession of a T-Abyss sample and haven’t been seen in the timeline since 2005 what happened to them and the sample is a complete mystery.

☠️ Another storyline that hasn’t been explained yet is Natalia from Revelations 2 and if she may or may not be possessed by the consciousness of Alex Wesker

☠️ It’s implied in the Shadow of Rose DLC that Mia Winters lost custody of Rose sometime in her teenage years

☠️ Chris can canonically pull off front flips whereas Leon can backflip

☠️ Lobo, Tundra and Night Howl of the Hound Wolf Squad actually have little smiley face stickers on the back of their helmets whereas Canine and Umber Eyes do not.

☠️ In every main series game he’s been in (RE2,RE4,RE6) Leon has had to crawl through a sewer

☠️ All of the cgi movies as well as Infinite Darkness are considered completely canon to the story.

☠️ Upon the release of Operation Raccoon City, players could participate in an online ARG which gave away exclusive files on the characters including a psychological evaluation of Hunk which is the most information we’ve ever gotten on his character. The link to it can be found: Here

☠️ Wesker’s British accent was the result of each of his voice actors attempting to mimic the last. This was corrected in the remake of Resident Evil 4 (sadly)

☠️ You can interact with the play park in RE6 with Chris, Piers and Ada and each of them go down the slide differently

☠️ The HWS member that tackles Ethan at the reservoir is Canine and the one standing next to Chris is Night Howl.

☠️ Night Howl is also the author of the laptop reports you find in the Church and the secret underground area where the Mutamycete is in the village.

☠️ Canine is the youngest member of the HWS and the oldest is Umber Eyes

☠️ Lobo from the HWS shares striking similarities to Hunk (Read my full theory on it Here)

☠️ The Duke from Village and The Merchant from RE4 actually know each other and The Duke describes them as ‘old friends’

☠️ Sergei Vladimir, leader of the UCBS is the tallest human character in the franchise standing at 6’7.5”

☠️ Thanks to the Resident Evil 4 remake, Leon can now both speak and read Spanish

☠️ In the Heavenly Island comic, the man Chris sends to assist Claire is Parker Luciani from Revelations

☠️ In RE8 the Village is heavily isolated from the outside world thanks to Miranda and thus has remained primitive but Heisenberg had his own arrangements with the Duke for regular newspapers and cigars from the outside.

☠️ Wesker actually met Claire once while he was still leading STARS. He described her as a ‘lovely girl.’

☠️ That being said Claire swears more than any other main character (Chris, Leon, Jill)

☠️ Chris and Claire have matching leather jackets that both say ‘Made In Heaven’ on the back which is a reference to Queen (the band)

☠️ Although it doesn’t appear in the remake, Barry’s ‘Jill sandwich’ line is considered canon and referenced by his daughter Moira in Revelations 2

☠️ Revelations for the 3DS was so infamous for having its text misspelled on the side of the case Capcom had to issue replacement sleeves for all the buyers who had one.

☠️ Heisenberg calling Chris a ‘Boulder punching asshole’ means his feats in RE5 either made the newspaper or someone told him about it personally (one of the hounds maybe?)

☠️ Expanding upon an earlier fact of mine, Chris knows 7 fighting styles which are: Airforce Combatives, Karate, Boxing, Judo, Wrestling, Capoeira and Kali

☠️ Jill also knows 7 fighting styles which are: Modern Army Combatives, Taekwondo, Ju-Jitsu, Gymnastics, Tricking, Lucha Libre and Kali

☠️ Leon knows 6 fighting styles: Taekwondo, Ju-Jitsu, Wrestling, Kali, Krav Maga and Systema

☠️ The reason why there’s no children in the village in Resident Evil 4 is because Saddler’s blood ritual killed them all before the events of the game (that and the developers agreed child enemies would be far too disturbing)

☠️ The developer of the original RE4 suggests that the best snacks to have while playing the game is Diet Coke and lightly salted potato chips (eaten with chopsticks to avoid greasy controller hands)

☠️ Neither Hunk nor anyone in the USS wear Umbrella logo patches (as much as cosplayers tell you otherwise lol)

☠️ In the RE4 remake, Ashley refers to herself as a ‘master of unlocking’ which is a reference to Jill’s title given to her by Barry in the first game

☠️ Chris and Leon were designed to be complete opposites of each other and you can still see that today even with subtle details (Chris punches, Leon kicks. Chris smokes, Leon doesn’t. Leon is flirtatious, Chris is indifferent)

☠️ Wesker’s red eyes glow brighter any time he experiences strong emotions which is why they sometimes shine through his glasses

☠️ Chris’s zippo lighter was actually a gift from Claire given to him when he joined STARS

☠️ Chris can’t read piano sheet music but he can read guitar

☠️ Jill can play the piano

☠️ The story behind the basement music used in the directors cut of the original Resident Evil is so infamous and has a pretty wild story behind it. The music itself is horrendously bad and said to have been composed by a deaf composer but spoiler alert that composer wasn’t deaf at all and instead was fooling the world. The story is insane and I highly recommend checking out this video on it for the full story here

☠️ Beltway from the USS Wolfpack has a metal prosthetic leg

☠️ Beltway also swears more than any other character in Operation Raccoon City

☠️ The original RE4 has more releases than any other Resident Evil game because of its success

☠️ The original RE4 was also planned to be a lot more survival horror based like it’s predecessors but the remake of the original RE didn’t sell as well as intended so the game was reworked to be more action based instead.

☠️ Crimson head zombies were also completely unique to the remake of Resident Evil and also make an appearance in Operation Raccoon City

☠️ Leon’s relationship with Helena is unique in the fact that neither of them are interested in each other and Leon instead views her as a protege because she reminds him of his younger self.

☠️ You cannot shoot the merchant in the RE4 Remake

☠️ During his time working at the Spencer Mansion, Wesker used to take long hikes around the Arklay Mountains

☠️ Mr X isn’t the only Tyrant of his type in fact multiple of him were released around Raccoon City and it’s also implied two separate Mr X’s are encountered during the story of the RE2 remake

☠️ Out of everything, crows are the most effective carriers and spreaders of the T-Virus

☠️ Hunk’s name is actually an acronym that stands for Human Unit Never Killed

☠️ Leon S Kennedy is the only playable character with a middle name, that being Scott (in fact he might be the only character in the franchise with one but don’t quote me on that)

☠️ Originally Leon’s hair was depicted as brown but was later changed to blond which it had stayed as until Vendetta made it brown again. His canon hair colour is usually agreed to be blond however.

☠️ Same goes for Chris’s eye colour which was originally blue (like Claire’s) until they changed it to brown and back to blue again in Village.

☠️ Birkin discovered the Golgotha Virus by accident while experimenting with Lisa Trevor. In the REmake you can see the G Virus tentacles on her back.

☠️ The brand of clothing and gear the Hound Wolf Squad use is a real brand you can buy exact replicas from for Airsoft called Volk Tactical Gear. There logo is printed on HWS weapons in game.

☠️ Ghosts were technically made canon in the Resident Evil universe thanks to 7 and 8 but seem to only relate to the Mold and Mutamycete (You see a ghost girl in 7’s demo/prequel and in 8 Shadow of Rose goes in depth with it)

[sufferu]

Hey never read re zero I don't plan to for some time but I've seen a lot anime and light novel spoilers but why do you think Subaru has more chemistry with Julius than Emilia and rem

Okay first of all, obligatory shilling time: Re:Zero is amazing and I love it and you should absolutely give it a chance when you’ve got some time. Please.

And uh. I’m admittedly not sure how to put this for someone who’s never watched/read Re:Zero, but I’ll try!

At this point in the story, Subaru and Emilia are…very much a slow burn couple, and it’s mainly just Subaru having a huge ass crush on Emilia while Emilia tries to figure out what Subaru means to her. And it’s sweet and wholesome, but currently it’s reached a point where Subaru is doing all the work on a number of different levels — not just regarding his romantic feelings towards Emilia — to the point where it feels rather unbalanced sometimes. I’m holding onto hope that this is intentional and going to be the focus of some development for Emilia sometime soon, but it is what it is for now. But beyond that, it’s really just a matter of Subaru liking Emilia and Emilia wondering if she should return his feelings, and that’s FINE, but it’s not hugely compelling to me. (Also frankly I’m of the opinion that Emilia deciding that her feelings towards Subaru are actually platonic and that she values him more as a platonic soulmate than a romantic partner could genuinely be S Tier storytelling, so.)

Subaru and Rem, meanwhile… Okay, so, I kinda oversimplified things a bit, because those two DO have chemistry. Quite a bit, actually. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that they have one of the most layered, complex relationships in the entire series. But the thing is, it also happens to be INSANELY toxic, with both of them enabling the other person’s worst behaviors and basically leaning on the other in this incredibly interesting codependency that literally only gets shaken by one of them getting erased from existence. (Also Rem is unique in that she is the sole character who is not Subaru who has been directly responsible for an IF Route: one of the possible Bad Ends that the series can go down if the wrong choice is made at a pivotal moment. In almost all of them, Subaru is the one making that choice — except for Sloth:IF, in which the choice is between whether Rem agrees to run away to Kararagi with him or refuses and coaxes him back to his feet during his mental breakdown, thus losing her chance to have him all to herself.) it’s a really complicated dynamic that’s difficult to summarize in one paragraph (I didn’t even bring up how Rem literally tortured him for several hours in a previous loop, to the point where he references still having nightmares about it a full year after the fact) but I hope I’ve given SOME idea for how fascinating it is. Regardless of how interesting it is though, it’s not exactly Final Couple material: everything is pointing to the two of them learning to stand apart from one another on their own two feet.

Julius, meanwhile — there’s a lot here, really, and most of it is pretty woven into the story (which you have not read) but I’ll try and give a couple reasons lol.

First of all, Julius is unique in that he is the only character to actually remember doing something traumatizing to Subaru. He’s not unique in traumatizing Subaru — this man has been murdered, tortured, beaten to a pulp, humiliated, and so much else by like half the cast at this point — but Subaru normally dies and resets to sometime before that happens, and so Julius is the only one who actually did something that Subaru was hurt by and remembers doing it. This, ironically, gives the two of them a foundation for their dynamic that is arguably healthier than the ones Subaru has with most of his friends — especially because Julius has proven time and again that he is a safe person for Subaru to be angry with, because he’s actually been really understanding and tolerant about Subaru lashing out at him over it sometimes without being the kind of overly-apologetic that would guilt Subaru into being quiet. As such, Julius is the One Person who has done something horrible to Subaru that Subaru has allowed himself to feel angry and resentful towards, which is noteworthy because a lot of other traumas have been explicitly recolored as “good memories” as one of his coping mechanisms.

Beyond that: Subaru references his attraction to Julius so many times it’s practically a running gag. He waxes poetic about his long legs, graceful eyelashes, vexing voice, supple hips, and the “strange sensation” that his image inspires within him. I’d say I’m reading into it but I genuinely don’t think I am, because it happens SO MUCH, and (with a couple exceptions, like the guy he went on a two page “there’s another reason I’m on my knees right now” rant for) it’s ALWAYS JULIUS. Hell, even other characters like Emilia reference it sometimes, with Subaru responding by saying that they’re definitely not friends, but “something infinitely more annoying.”

And like — they’re just fun? Their dynamic is fun. They’ve got this playful banter going on every time they meet, they obviously respect each other on a serious level beneath that layer of mutual sass, Julius has this sense of being able to be his real self around Subaru in a way that he doesn’t feel he can with anyone else while Subaru has that aforementioned foundation of “I can finally actually be angry about something that traumatized me for once,” and it’s just — shockingly equal and healthy and wholesome. It’s nice. (I fully expect these two to have some plausibly deniable “very close” relationship by the end of the story that could be read in a number of different ways lol)

[cynth-madz]

HAPPY DECEMBER 24TH SATOSUGU LOVERS

MAJOR MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD Fun fact: December 24th is the most romantic day of the year for Japan, kind of Japan's equivalent of Valentine's Day. AND December 24th is the day both Gojo and Geto died T>T Exactly a year apart from each other. SO I thought it was only fitting I celebrate this occasion by making an amv of satosugu to the song Valentine by Laufey. Hope you enjoy :DD

Pls like, reblog, comment and share :D Thank you for your support

[topazadine]

OC Fun Facts Tag

Thanks for the tag, @illarian-rambling! I particularly liked that your villain has a New Jersey accent lmao.

I'll do five fun facts for each of my main characters.

Uileac Korviridi

His favorite Bremish festival (predictably) is Feast of the Horse, particularly the mounted archery competition. I mean duh. He makes everyone else look like pathetic losers.

He doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but Cerie does, so their house is usually filled with all manner of sweets.

Uileac has a bunch of weird little rituals he does before battle, like making sure he has an even number of arrows (lucky) and brushing his horse Erix's armor with blessed oils. I mean, I guess they've worked? He hasn't died yet ....

One would expect such a dextrous man would play an instrument, but he doesn't, he's too busy to learn. Though he thinks the fiddle is pretty cool.

If he did not have his beloved palomino mare Erix, he'd probably want a dapple gelding.

Orrinir Relickim

Even though he went through all the same training as Uileac did, Orrinir has never figured out how to fire a bow. No amount of training seems to make it stick.

His favorite Bremish festival is the Feast of Saint Mermina, where people throw flower votives of the saint into the water and swimmers try to retrieve them. Every damn year, Uileac intentionally designs his so they fall apart, but poor Orrinir tries anyway.

Orrinir LOVES to bake. He's very proud of his manly and cool creations in the kitchen. You know, like little apple dumplings shaped like hearts. Incredibly manly. Very brave.

Because he does not drink much, Orrinir is a total lightweight. As such, he typically is the responsible non-drinker who escorts his mildly drunk husband Uileac and embarrassingly drunk sister-in-law Cerie home.

Orrinir has been known to play around with a mini piano (kalimba) on occasion, usually when bored out in the field. He likes it because you don't really need any musical knowledge to get it to work.

Haniya Aina

Haniya is EXACTLY what you think when you think "horse girl." Kinda snobby, convinced that she has a unique bond with horses that no one else in the world could ever fathom, and obsessed with the latest and greatest in tack trends. Her horse Saelsie has tack that costs more than most peoples' houses, and can you blame her? Girlie is a literal princess.

Because her mother, Queen Susuma, was essentially absent throughout her childhood, Haniya was raised by governesses and teachers.

She loves music boxes and has quite a collection. Diplomats who want to get in her mother's good graces know to bring Haniya a pretty music box for her trouble. One of her favorites has a mechanical dancing horse.

Haniya's brother, Prince Daiski, was meant to learn fencing, but Haniya, who actually wanted to learn it, was told it wasn't a "women's skill." As such, she lied to Daiski about when his practices were supposed to be and showed up instead, threatening the instructor into silence. Those were her favorite childhood memories.

Her favorite books are about faraway lands, especially travel logs of distant places. Any time that a diplomat comes to visit her mother, she corners them and picks their brain.

Ono Kagan

Ono, being deeply socially awkward, is more comfortable around animals than people. Even animals that he's rather scared of, like dogs.

His first romantic/sexual relationship is with his wife, Vinanna, who is charmed by how sweet and shy he is. YES! The pathetic virgin gets the pretty girl!

The average Sinan outside of the upper classes is illiterate, but Ono taught himself after becoming a royal guard by taking shifts guarding the library. There, he read the children's books that Haniya and her siblings would have been told as children before working his way up to more difficult texts.

His most prized possession is his sword, Melikik ("the sea cutter"), made by his father, a blacksmith.

Ono can't hold his liquor. Like at all.

Mordrek Willets

Mordrek is somehow both the straightest and the least homophobic person in all of Sina. Gay men serve as great wingmen, and lesbians can teach him even more ways to romance a beautiful woman. Bisexuals? Why, he admires anyone who has enough eyes to ogle both sides.

He considers his mule, Carrot, to be his best friend and closest confidante. Carrot gets the best of everything, even when Mordrek can't afford to feed himself.

His greatest fear is heights. Maybe that's why Queen Susuma keeps sending him to high-altitude places.

Mordrek is agnostic. He jokes that all the gods probably hate him, so he doesn't want to believe they exist.

Though Mordrek gambles on occasion, he only plays games that he knows he can win with his wiles. Or by paying someone to fix the game for him.

Cerie Korviridi

Cerie is one of the most irritating overachievers you will ever meet. When she's working on something, you better leave her alone or you're going to get your head bit off.

Sometimes she likes to daydream about what she would have been if she didn't become a High Poet. Her top three alternate professions are horse trainer, potter, and leatherworker.

Cerie is messy af and is always forgetting where she put stuff. Orrinir yells at her about it all the time.

She's a night owl, which is unusual in a country that doesn't have artificial light like Breme. She just likes it when all the world is asleep and she can focus on whatever she wants to do.

Her favorite festival is the Feast of Snow Lights, where people go around and recite two-line traditional poems; if the homeowner misremembers it, they have to give the guest a drink. She, of course, has them all memorized, but sometimes she'll come up with her own just to screw with people, and then they have to call a "truce" and both give each other something.

Tagging @drchenquill, @the-golden-comet, @mysticstarlightduck, @davycoquette, and open tag

[denimbex1986]

'A writer is an essentially lonely person. Someone, in fact, who usually prefers to be alone. Except when they start to realize that perhaps they became a writer precisely because of that inherent loneliness in the first place. This seems to be the case for the mononymous Adam (Andrew Scott), living practically alone in a new building that still has yet to lease out any of its apartments to fresh tenants. The apartment tower seems to lie just out of reach of London, though Adam and his soon-to-be-lover, Harry (Paul Mescal), keep referring to how they live “in” London. Indeed, Adam admits that he’s the last of his friends to remain “in” the city, with everyone else surrendering to the inevitable move to the country, where they can properly raise their families. Adam, being a gay man, automatically counts himself out from “that life.” The so-called conventional one, that is. Because, even for as “modern” as these times are supposed to be, there are still so many judgments and limitations projected onto the LGBTQIA+ community. And for a man of Adam’s generation (X), there remains so many lingering insecurities about his sexuality as a result of a childhood spent not only in the “wrong” era to be gay, but the wrong place as well. For Thatcher-run Britain wasn’t exactly open and inviting to the homo set (any more than Reagan-run America was).

Which is why homosexuality started to feel like an “underground movement” rather than a mere sexual preference. The illicit nature of it, particularly in the late 70s and early 80s, served as a means to condition many gay men to get off on the secrecy and anonymity aspects of it more than the sex act itself. Not quite knowing how to “function” sexually once things became slightly less taboo. This is the transitional mind fuck Gen X gay men were subjected to, enduring the repression of sexuality in the 80s, the AIDS scare that lasted from the beginning of that decade and well into the mid-90s and the sudden about-face toward total gender and sexual fluidity in the twenty-first century. It would be enough to give anyone sexuality whiplash, particularly a British person, with their background so fundamentally steeped in stodginess and restraint. This is the place Adam (whose biblical name feels deliberately tongue-in-cheek [no BJ pantomime intended]) is coming from. And it’s compounded by the fact that he’s partially “stuck” at the age he was when his mother (Claire Foy) and father (Jamie Bell) both died in a car accident on Christmas Eve of 1987 (this year is also significant as it’s when the book the film is based on, Strangers by Taichi Yamada, was released).

Our introduction to Adam is one of palpable loneliness as writer-director Andrew Haigh (known for Weekend and Looking, among other things) shows him staring longingly out of his floor-to-ceiling glass window at the outline of London. Which is, again, just beyond his reach. The city hasn’t fully expanded to his neck of the woods quite yet, though with rising prices and a shortage of housing, London will make it to his “outskirts” soon enough. The building, in fact, was actually shot in East London’s Stratford. Which is at least forty-five minutes’ worth of travel into Central London. His perennial position as an outsider is thus solidified to viewers geographically as well. This “outsiderness” extends even to his chosen profession as a writer (though, as he says, not a “proper” writer, but one for TV). This being the most voyeuristic kind of profession there is. A skill rooted in observation and recording. Never being quite “in the story” yourself, though constantly trying to put “a version” of who you think you are in it. That Adam chooses to write scripts wherein he can control the narrative also has Psych 101 implications. Since he couldn’t control the death of his parents or the way in which he was treated by homophobes in his youth. But he can control everything in the scenarios he comes up with on the page.

Unlike trying to control Harry’s direct approach one evening after seeing Adam so many times staring up at his window from down below. This being the umpteenth time he’s done so after a false fire alarm goes off and Adam is the only person (out of two) foolish enough to fall for it by vacating the building. Knocking on his door once Adam goes back inside and essentially begging to, er, enter, Harry makes a final effort to win Adam over by riffing on Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “The Power of Love” with the line, “There’s vampires at my door.” This specifically alludes to the lyrics, “I’ll protect you from the hooded claw/Keep the vampires from your door.” While Harry likely wouldn’t have any idea what that song is (if we’re to go by Mescal’s own cusping between millennial and Gen Z age of twenty-eight), it’s nice to think that he could be attuned enough with British pop music’s past to make such a casual reference. To that end, there is a moment where he tells Adam he wants to “watch old episodes of Top of the Pops from before I was born” with him. Sit on the couch eating takeaway together like a right proper couple that’s surrendered fully to the dull comfort of monogamy. Because, yes, even the gays have settled for it by now. Gotten used to the idea that monogamy is for everyone. Even though, as Henry Willson (Jim Parsons) in Hollywood put it, “Sure, holding a guy’s hand in public, walking down the street, you know, you wait for a brick in the back of the head. It doesn’t come. Well, then, before you know it, your guy wants to play house. Have you ever spent a Saturday picking out some cheerful, daffodil-colored linoleum for the kitchen? I have, Ernie. And it is enough to make you wistful for the days of secretive sodomy.”

Adam is not necessarily “that type of gay,” but he is very clearly still imbued with the “gay guilt” of his generation. This being one of the reasons why he refuses Harry’s initial forward advances. That and, well, his heart sort of had to close entirely after his parents died. An automatic defense mechanism against ever attaching again. What with getting so badly burned the first time around via every person’s most formative attachment: the one with their parents. This is why Adam seeks so desperately to return to the past—the only known period in his life where he still had two (theoretical) protectors.

While Adam tries to wrap himself as much as possible up into the past by writing about it in screenplay form, he doesn’t seem to realize that he’s been trapped in it for quite some time. Perpetually locked inside that traumatic period of his life. Not just because of his parents’ death, but because losing them, in a certain sense, kept him frozen in a false identity. That is, a false hetero identity. One that didn’t allow him to ever fully be himself, or rather, be known as his true self. Because, although it’s “liberating,” in a way, to lose your parents and be forever free of any judgments they might have over you, it also means that you’ll never know if that formerly hidden part of yourself might have actually been accepted and embraced. As Haigh stated, “What I’ve always been interested in doing, and especially with this [film], is talking about queerness in relationship to family, and how complicated it can be in relationship to family…especially if you grew up in a generation of the 80s and into the early 90s, where it was very different than it is now—thank God.” And yet, there are times when it doesn’t seem that different. And the fact that a still-young Harry can recall his own childhood being rife with anti-gay sentiments (“It’s probably why we hate [the word] ‘gay’ so much now. It was always like, ‘Your haircut’s gay.’ Or, ‘The sofa’s gay.’ ‘Your trainers are gay, your school bag’s gay’”) speaks to how “drastic change” didn’t occur until very recently (something the present generation of twinks takes endlessly for granted).

This is part of why, when Adam tells his mother about his sexuality, she can’t believe he would actually “choose” such a life. Such a lonely life, at that. Still trapped in her 1987 Britain mentality, she asks, “Aren’t people nasty to you?” He assures, “No, no. Things are different now.” She asks again, “So they aren’t nasty?” He shrugs, “Not allowed, anyway.” But, of course, as Trump supporters (and Trump himself) have shown, people always find ways of getting around things that “aren’t allowed.” When Adam also informs her that men and women can marry the same sex now, she balks, “Isn’t that like having your cake and eating it?” Turns out, his confession to Mother isn’t going as well as he thought. Is actually bringing him a worse kind of pain than before. Compounded by her saying, “Oh God, what about this awful, ghastly disease? I’ve seen the adverts on the…on the news and with the gravestone.” “Everything is different now,” he insists again. Or so we would like to believe…

In an interview with Time, Haigh addressed one of the criticisms the LGBTQIA+ community has accused the movie of, which is that it reemphasizes the notion (which was only just starting to slightly go away) that being queer is the most isolating and alienating experience a person could have. But Haigh feels differently about the underlying message of his film, stating, “I understand that that can be an interpretation. Personally, I don’t feel that. There is hope in the fact that he has understood that, basically, he is capable of being in love and being loved and being there for someone else that might need him in that moment. By the end of the film, to me, it is basically saying that what is important in life is love in whatever way you manage to find that, whether it’s in a relationship, whether it’s with your parents, whether it’s with a friend. You go through life finding love, losing love, and finding it again.” And Adam has found it again, however ephemerally, with his spectral parents.

As for Adam’s mother, the more she thinks about it, the more his gayness makes sense to her. He was so “odd” and “sensitive,” after all. And apparently always trying to run away. When she asks where he was trying to run away, he tells her that he reckons London. Making him yet another Bronski Beat cliche. Luckily, Haigh stops short of featuring “Smalltown Boy” in the movie, instead opting for a “less overt” queer band in the form of Pet Shop Boys. Who have never much talked about their sexuality (why bother when all of their music is dripping with the subject and “lifestyle”). But as recently as their latest single, “Loneliness,” it’s clear the duo knows all about the distinct kind of loneliness that a man such as Adam suffers from. A loneliness that his mother is also convinced gay men are more prone to, even if, as Adam asserts, “Everything is different now.”

The past itself is, alas, as much of a ghost as his parents are. And it’s a kind of haunting that Adam seems to relish for its unique sting of pain-pleasure. For example, listening to Fine Young Cannibals’ “Johnny Come Home” as he writes, “EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE, 1987” on his computer, it’s easy to see that the past is the present for Adam. As it is for many other people who prefer not to admit that to themselves. Even Adam tries not to fully admit it aloud, brushing aside Harry’s heartfelt apology when he finds out that Adam’s parents died in a car accident just before he turned twelve. “It was a long time ago,” he tells Harry. “Yeah, I don’t think that matters,” Harry replies. And it doesn’t. For trauma and woundedness never really go away. Especially when ceaselessly suppressed.

And yes, listening to the music from his childhood is a key part of crawling into the “comfortable” pain of his youth. Comfortable because it is familiar. Seeing his room just as it was when he was a preteen leads him to thumb through records like Erasure’s Circus and Frankie Goes to Hollywoood’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome (which “The Power of Love” appears on). Even when Adam goes out to a club with Harry, the song playing for the dance floor, Joe Smooth’s “Promised Land,” is straight out of 1987. Everywhere he goes, that year, that time in his life haunts him. At one point during post-coital candor, he muses to Harry, “Things are better now, of course they are, but…it doesn’t take much to make you feel the way you felt.” It reiterates what he already told his mother, but with the admission that, if you grow up a certain way, are conditioned to have a certain “look over your shoulder” response to people, it doesn’t ever truly dissipate. Even in the late 90s, when things were starting to shift more palpably, especially with AIDS “calming down,” a Gen X man like Adam was never truly going to feel “safe” enough to be “himself.”

Talking of the 90s, Haigh’s decision to include 1997’s “Death of a Party” by Blur as the soundtrack to a very trippy portion of the club sequence is also pointed. For, in addition to Blur speaking about the end of Britpop’s reign, this song has long been regarded as a metaphor for AIDS. After all, gay men were only too happy to party in the late 70s and early 80s…until an unknown disease, a “mysterious illness” started making people—primarily “fags”—drop like flies. So much for the “party.” A word Madonna famously included as part of an AIDS awareness insert placed among the liner notes of her Like A Prayer album with the phrase, “AIDS Is No Party!” In other words, don’t think you can go around fucking freely as you used to in the days before the novel virus. With AIDS came yet more cannon fodder for suppression. To turn inward and avoid one’s desires altogether. As Adam seemed to do, telling Harry, “I’d always felt lonely, even before [my parents died]. This was a new feeling. Like, uh, terror. That I’d always be alone now. And then, as I got older, that feeling just…solidified. It just, uh, it did not…” He motions toward his heart after trailing off, finishing the thought with, “…here all the time.” Harry looks at him with teary-eyed empathy, prompting Adam to continue, “And then losing them just got tangled up with all the other stuff. Like being gay. Just feeling like…the future doesn’t matter.” Of course, it also felt like it didn’t matter when, as a gay man, death was all around. Pervasive. Perhaps, in some sense, Adam could even associate his parents’ death with the “gay disease” that caused everyone who came into contact with “queers” to die.

Getting the chance to tell his parents—even if only their ghosts—who he really is proves to be, if not “cathartic” then at least a release. When Adam’s father tells his son that he’s proud of him, Adam replies, “I haven’t done anything to be proud of. I’ve just muddled through.” His father rebuts, “No, but you got through it. Some tough times, I’m sure, and…you’re still here.” Even this, too, feels like a nod to the generation of gay men who were not only mercilessly ridiculed, but also forced to watch so many of their own fall prey to the cruelest kind of death. To survive through something like that would, of course, serve as a lingering trauma unto itself. Indeed, there are times when the viewer might think that Adam himself is a ghost who doesn’t know it yet (Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense-style), that maybe his telltale “fever” was a symptom he had while dying of AIDS. But no, that’s not the Shyamalan-oriented element here. Instead, Adam is subjected to a much more heartbreaking fate.

One that only Frankie Goes to Hollywood (“The Power of Love” is a subliminal essence during the tripped-out club scene as well, its presence seemingly omni—a punctuating motif to cut through the loneliness) can try to even vaguely soothe. The band’s lead singer, Holly Johnson, was himself diagnosed with HIV in 1991. But it was even before then that he sang on “The Power of Love,” “Dreams are like angels/They keep bad at bay, bad at bay/Love is the light/Scaring darkness away/I’m so in love with you/Purge the soul/Make love your goal.” Even when you’ve been burned in such an inexplicably horrible way by it in the past.'

[crimsonxe]

I can say that I will not be putting a single cent into DE, instead I'll watch select LP's on YT to see just how bad the trashfire is. So far:

Chloe is utterly character assassinated. Between the her leaving Max which she wouldn't do to her "joking" about a threesome with some rando ass dude that would be stretch for pre-LiS1 ending Chloe once she was serious about Max (cause I know some would point to certain jokes she made in LiS1, but key detail is it being before they were together). But its equally not accurate and actually disgusting to be put towards post-LiS1 ending Chloe. On top of that the notion that she blames Max at all for what happened to Joyce is again disgusting. In absolutely no world would she ever do that. Then there's suddenly she's debatably flirting with Victoria, like WTF. Someone mentioned how they think that the writers are writing Rachel not Chloe and its exactly how it feels.

Amanda is completely lacking any chemistry with Max and comes across as a more femme, more sanitized, more mainstream appealing knockoff Chloe LGBT+ option. Worse is from what I've heard her trash ass actually insults Chloe and fuck her for that. Also from what I've heard you're forced to either pursue romance with her or Vinh who comes across as damn Nathan Prescott type, which is SOOOOOOOOOOOO damn disgusting. Like if I were playing this game I would want NEITHER of these, either give me my blue haired punk option or leave my Max single.

This is kind of a sub-bullet to the above but tumblr doesn't have that sort of thing mixed with Pricefield. But it majorly feels like they shoved out Chloe to shove in new shiny romance options and disgustingly think that LGBT+ is interchangeable. LGBT+ fans ofc are going to love Amanda and Max cause they're LGBT+, completely ignoring that no LGBT+ fans love Pricefield because of their chemistry and story shown in LiS1,2, and True Colors in the Bae route. 10 years of loving the iconic DontNod flagship LGBT+ pairing and Decknine seems to think they know best to the point of rejecting/erasing player's choice that went romantic Chloe + Bae. In fact they seem very much anti-Pricefield and anti-DontNod, which should've been a dis-qualifier to have them writing an LiS1 follow-up since that pair is at the center of LiS1 & Max's story. Decknine seemingly decided that they weren't onboard with Pricefield and then filled in the gaps to break them up in the dumbest most character assassinating way possible. Disrespecting player choice, disrespecting DontNod, and even fucking daring to touch DontNod's gift to fucking Pricefielders in LiS2-Bae by trying to tie the picture to Pricefield fighting and ultimately breaking up cause Decknine can't stop themselves from shitting on Pricefield, Chloe, and DontNod.

Safi seems interesting and so far probably my most liked new character, Moses is cool too.

I love the concept of the world shifting but again haven't played it so no clue on how it actually feels

Last thing cause its getting long: It truly feels like someone at Dontnod scratched a Decknine writer's damn car, leading to them trying to single-handledly tear apart every single piece of their canon and legacy. From their core characters to their core flagship LGBT+ pair to their core canon continuance for them. Its exactly why I refuse this trashfire game as mainline canon (a term I'm using akin to "the sacred timeline" in Loki), instead its just an AU branch within the multiverse of LiS. Not only is it not from Dontnod that already puts it in murky territory, but also Dontnod had stated that Max's story was done after LiS1. They then did a cameo in LiS2-Bae that showed they gave a shit about and supported Pricefield continuing forward together and happy. But Decknine also they betrayed everything of Dontnods including their core tenet of respecting player choices and "respect both endings" my damn ass. Funnily enough Decknine themselves in their efforts to fuck over Dontnod and Pricefield managed to add to DE being kicked out of the main canon due to their changing the LiS2-Bae picture to Blue haired Chloe. So Green haired Chloe is main canon and is continuing on with Max happily ever after as per DONTNOD's canon; blue hair Chloe is part of this trashfire AU branch under Decknine's inept hands.

Life is Strange: Double Exposure- Initial thoughts

So. I bought the early access version and want to give my initial thoughts on this game, having played Chapter 1 and some of Chapter 2.

PLEASE DO NOT READ AHEAD IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GET SPOILED!! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

First of all, the biggy. The huge issue everyone on social media and who has seen spoilers/played the game is ranting about right now. Some people (actually, a lot of people) are even choosing to refund their purchase, or to not interact with the game at all anymore due to this...

Deck Nine have seemed to dismiss the player's major choice from the ending of LIS 1, where we either chose to sacrifice Chloe or Arcadia Bay. The way they chose to (pretty lazily) write in how Max and Chloe broke up- (via a letter from Chloe, if we chose the 'we broke up' dialogue option at the start of this game)?.....a pretty shitty decision, and, for the majority of fans, seemingly a deal-breaker. A lot of fans are also disappointed in Chloe seemingly not being in this game at all...but I'll write more on that in a sec.

As for my opinions so far...I'm not gonna lie, yes I was a little disappointed and I can fully appreciate why so many people are hating, but it was something I could personally look past (even though I chose bae over bay). Firstly, the trailers and teasers leading up to this early access release pretty much set my expectations for this going in- that Chloe would likely not be a main part of the storyline at all, and that the major choice made at the end of LIS 1 wouldn't be, either. Okay, yes, the writing connecting this game to LIS 1 could have been a lot better. But...

Max is much older, and the story is centred on her time at Caledon, with new friends, a new setting and a new storyline. I went into this game really excited about all of these new things, instead of having my heart set on a game centred around the continuation of LIS 1.

LIS 1- related things aside for a sec... I LOVE the new setting, it's really gorgeous, I love the design of the university and all the new characters we get to meet, the soundtrack is amazing, and I'm just having such a blast playing this game. It's so cosy. And it certainly keeps the charming, cringe-at-times but hilarious dialogue and vibe we get in every other Life is Strange game, and I love it so much. The characters are all pretty unique, too, and I am quickly growing attached to some (and already hating others...lmao). Max's new ability to switch between universes is really well-done. I love using it and seeing all the, often subtle, little differences that really add to the atmosphere and the story-telling of the game imo.

So...personally I am really enjoying Double Exposure so far!

Back to the whole 'Max and Chloe' thing... it feels as though the game could (take this with a pinch of salt) go a certain way in regards to Chloe. I have a theory (a VERY far-fetched one, but a theory, nonetheless). If there is a chance of them actually having Chloe be in this game in Chapters 3, 4 or 5, it might just redeem a bit of respect back from the fandom. I don't think they will, but something in the back of my mind, a slither of hope, if you will, is saying that they might just do this...

So, in Chapters 1 and 2, Max finds polaroids that neither her in the 'Dead World' or her in the 'Living World' have taken. Suggesting that there aren't only two alternate universes. Now, all of these other alternate universes may have only 'opened' to Max in the present, but surely they aren't only influenced by what has happened to Safi. What if an alternate universe, perhaps the one that these mysterious polaroids are from, had Max and Chloe's relationship (or breakup) happen differently? Who's to say that we won't get a sudden, unexpected change in a future chapter where Max and Chloe meet in an alternate reality, where they didn't break up, or where they did break up but differently, or something like that?...I don't fucking know. I'm rambling lmao. I don't want to give false hope. Maybe I'm clutching at straws atp. But in LIS 1, remember when they (Don'tNod) completely baffled us with the whole, sudden 'polaroid time-travel, William being alive and Chloe ending up disabled' reality? If Deck Nine really wanted to take that kind of route with this game, this would be a hell of a way to do it. Take a sudden turn in a non- early access chapter, have people fooled, and all that. But this is Deck Nine- they have a 'reputation', and maybe they just fucked up.

Unless I've missed a crucial point of LIS 1 or LIS: DE where this just would not be possible (?), I just can't help but think that there could still be a little bit of hope for the people who wanted to see Chloe, or who are immensely effected and disappointed by how her and Max's relationship played out according to this game.

Probably not gonna happen, though. Just food for thought. If nothing close to this happens then I'm still going to fully appreciate and love this game either way, as I already currently am.

This is a hell of a waffle, but I just wanted to get all my thoughts down. Would love to hear anyone else's opinions on this whole thing. Do you like this game? Are you avoiding it now after hearing 'the news'? Do you hate Deck Nine? Are my thoughts on a potential turn-around completely wacko? lol. Any and all opinions welcome!

(also, I stream on twitch occasionally. I've been streaming some LIS:DE early access, but I play all sorts of games. if thats your thing and you wanna check out my twitch, my channel is 'splritwolf') :)

[summercreolefanfictioner]

pov: you're a vampire girl who's unrequitedly in love with shuu sakamaki

"I always watched over you from afar because you seemed like my love. I thought you felt the same way, although you were looking somewhere else."

A/N: As part of celebrating Shu's birthday, I decided to finally post this headcanon that I've been having. Btw thanks to @crookedherringcolorclodthe2nd and @whitechocolatemochaasblog for encouraging me to continue this headcanon 'cause this one really sounds like a Wattpad novel lol

you were from a prestigious and reputable vampire noble family and as such, you were always expected to behave a certain way

like you're supposed to sit like this, you should never open your mouth so wide when you're laughing, you should never curse

you know... that sexism sht

it was until when you turned 13 that your parents introduced you to the Sakamaki bros

ofc you were kinda scared of them bcos they're Karlheinz's sons and one wrong move your head will be sent rolling on the ground

but apparently it all turned out well cause all of them treat you as their "onee-san" (esp the triplets and Subaru)

but you are mostly close to Shuu, like you two are practically bestfriends

though you end up having this crush on him bcos he looks exactly like your ideal prince charming from all those fairytale books you've been reading, plus he praises your singing skills

what's more, you could relate to each other bcos both your parents pressure you into becoming their perfect children

one day, Shuu told you that his mom opened the topic of him being in an arranged marriage, w/c kinda made you sad a bit

but then he said "You know, I wouldn't mind if you were my bride. After all, we already know each other. Plus, you're my bestfriend."

hmm you don't know if it's romantic or not

so your friendship continued... well, until they were sent to the human world to learn a thing or two abt mortals

but you two would still send letters to each other sometimes

and after many years, your parents told you they accepted Karlheinz's proposal of engagement between you and Shuu

ofc you were happy bcos you had a crush on him for a long time and you knew that he is willing to undergo this kind of situation as long as the bride was you

so you were sent to the Sakamaki manor to cohabitate with him and learn a thing or two abt his new life, and ofc you also go to school with them

ofc you knew abt Shuu's trauma and past experience, plus the pressure Beatrix had put on him, basically you thought you were the closest person to him

in fact you're the only one who still calls him Ririe

until you saw another side of him, like he makes perverted jokes, he worked as a cashier, he pretends to be asleep so he could prank Yui that he died (y do u do this)

and most of all, it was a shock to you that Shuu was in love with someone else

and with a mortal from the school nonetheless

this made you question yourself like why he's in love with a lowly mortal and not you, but at the same time, you can't blame him bcos the girl was a pretty ball of sunshine and you wanted him to be happy

so you distanced yourself from him, even moved out of the manor and rented an apartment unit near the school so you can stop yourself from falling deeper

and for some reason, things got a bit weird bcos Shuu suddenly showed up in his classes and even managed to get high grades (Reiji doesn't know if he will be relieved by this or not)

and whenever there are partner projects, you push him to choose that mortal girl, but he always picks you bcos you're his friend, he knows you better than anyone etc

you just wish he would stop being so kind so you can mend your broken heart easily

then a dance party at school was announced, something like going in pairs

during PE, you heard that this mortal girl was single, prob broke up with a cheating bf and decided to ask Shuu

and then a few days after that, you heard other girls from class say Shuu already has a date to the party

so you're dreaded going to said party like you can't pretend you don't like him and you're happy for them

the triplets were aware of your distress so Ayato said "If you don't come to the party, then it's like you're letting him get to you."

Laito "If you don't have a date, then we can be your bodyguards, you know? Plus, we have Subaru who will shoo away your pesky suitors."

so the party came and yes, you were guarded by Subaru and the triplets

Shuu was constantly asking you for a dance (woooow this is new) but you were like "Laito wanted me to dance with him" "I'm gonna go eat first." "I don't like the song. Maybe the next one."

like you're constantly pushing Shuu to that mortal girl

you even grabbed poor Kanato who was abt to eat his cake to the dance floor

thank heavens you didn't get murdered

"Why are you dragging me to your unprogressive love life issues?" "Sorry, Kanato-kun. But please, I don't want Ririe to keep pestering me. I want to move on, you know."

Kanato just sighed and when he twirled you around, he suddenly pushed you

ofc you felt someone catch you and judging by the way this person sighed, you knew it was him

oh no

so you and Shuu danced and you were like "Why are you sticking with me? You should ask that girl out. You said you like her, remember? Plus, she's your date, right?"

"She's not my date."

"Eh? So you didn't ask her?"

but before you could ask further, the mortal girl approached you two, telling Shuu how he lied that he doesn't have a date for the party when he's clearly dancing with you

it was a misunderstanding

he was supposed to ask her, not you

so you run off to the hallways to save face, with him following behind you

istg Reiji and the others watched the two of you like a movie scene ("Good grief, these two.")

when Shuu managed to catch up after you, he asked why you left like that and you kept making excuses like you had an emergency situation or you remembered leaving something in your apartment

"Y/N, just stop it. We need to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about, Ririe."

"Yes, we do. You keep avoiding me. What's wrong with you? You used to tell me everything."

and out of frustration and pent-up feelings, you kissed him... then it turned into a full-blown makeout session

but afterward you let him go, your face red and tears flowing from your eyes as you said

"I hope that explains everything that I wanted to say."

and he never saw you after that

you moved out of your apartment, you stopped going to school

he even contacted your parents but they said they don't know where you went

however, you informed them that you were still somewhere in Japan

and yes, you are still willing to go with the engagement (ofc you would bcos you don't want to face Karlheinz's wrath)

Shuu spent his days longing abt you, and it took him weeks before admitting that you were really special to him, even more than that mortal girl

but he wasn't in love with you... at least not yet

after 3 months, the boys were sent out by Karlheinz on a forced vacation in Hokkaido, something about bonding in a hotel with onsen and all that stuff

Subaru locked himself up in his coffin while Reiji proceeded to arrange all the things they've brought to the hotel

the triplets decided to go to an izakaya bar to have fun

and yes Shuu tagged along bcos he didn't want to be alone reminiscing thoughts abt his last moment with you

so when they came into the bar, the triplets suddenly stopped walking, making Shuu bump into Ayato

"Oi Ayato, move it-"

and then he heard that familiar singing voice and when he looked up he saw you on stage singing Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow

as you sang the chorus, your gaze met with his and it brought back all the memories you two had from the beginning until you ended it with a kiss

no worries because you managed to choke out the few last lines while staring directly at him

"I see it in your eyes, tomorrow never dies."

[curmudggeon]

Southern Hope (Arthur Morgan x Female Reader)

❝ If by any chance...in another lifetime, we happen to see each other again, I'll come and find you. And I'll make you fall in love with me, over and over again ❞

In which romance novelist, Mary-Beth under the pen name of Leslie Dupont, writes a coming of age love story based on her favourite gang members in the past, You and Arthur.

Trigger Warnings; Violence | Blood | Angst | Sexual Intentions

A/N: This is a project I've been working on for quite a while. I had the idea in mind when I had the chance to experience the musical composition of Aaron Copland's quintessential American Dream, 'Appalachian Spring' -one of my favourite pieces with such a beautiful storyline. And I wanted to retell it in the form of a book that is available on my Wattpad (ongoing) for you to enjoy from Mary-Beth's POV. I hope you show love to this book as much as I loved writing it. Have a sneak peek at the prologue!

Read on Wattpad here for more chapters to come!

PROLOGUE

Leslie Dupont; Mary-Beth Gaskill

Lemoyne, Saint Denis

November 1907

-

“Mademoiselle Dupont, we expect your next manuscript to be submitted by next summer. Now is not the time to be reminiscing.”

Here we go again

Mary-Beth sighed as her editor, Céline Laurent, had warned her once more for not meeting the deadline to her books. She was in a crucial position in her life. After her debut as a romance novelist, The Lady of The Manor was an instant best-seller across the country. It was the kind of thing she specializes in, silly ol’ romances.

“I promise you, I’ll get it done by then.” Or maybe, at least not for now. She shouldn't have promised something she couldn’t keep, especially in the meantime.

“I’ll take your word for that, if you don’t meet the deadline by then. Y’know what will happen to your contract, Leslie.” Céline stood at the door frame of Mary-Beth’s office with hands on her hips and raised eyebrows.

She knew exactly what she had meant. In fact, she knew the consequences on the back of her head when she first signed that contract with her publishing company. Two more books were requested of her. Or else she would be evicted of her apartment and be forced to live along the streets of Saint Denis for the rest of her life. A life of luxury slipping between her fingers.

“Yes, ma’am,” Mary-Beth disclaimed, the moment her editor slammed the door as she left her office. Heaving yet another exaggerated sigh, she crosses her arms on the grand rosewood desk, flopping her head on top of it. “What am I going to do now…” She murmured into the crevice of her arms.

Mary-Beth was in the middle of a major writer’s block for a few months now. She lost sight of that imaginative space of hers, consisting of the most swoon-worthy romances to the picture-perfect life she portrayed through her characters. A part of Mary-Beth that her readers absolutely adored. But, her head was now a clouded space of everlasting void. It was difficult for Mary-Beth to come into terms of writing again, but she couldn’t quite identify what had put her into this position.

Once she gathered the courage to write again, it all came crashing down like violent tidal waves when she came face to the daunting blank page of nothingness —almost drowning her.

It was as simple as that. Come to work, have a cup of tea, sit down, and a blank page.

Every. Damn. Time.

Maybe it was because she was already nearing her mid-thirties, and she hasn’t found someone to sweep her off her feet. Maybe it was when she first held Tilly’s baby that she found the need to be a mother someday. Maybe it was the overwhelming response towards her writing, she felt the need to hide away into an abyss. Or maybe she couldn’t stop thinking about the time she had come across John again after so many years that the memories just come flooding back.

Or maybe, just, maybe. It was because it’s November.

The most dreaded time of the year. November, in which the seemingly fearsome Van der Linde gang had officially broken up. Guns were fired, ties were broken and deaths were grieved. An unforgettable, painful memory.

She would often think about campfire songs, the girls and, Miss Grimshaw’s constant nagging about undone chores. Oh, how best of friends Céline and Miss Grimshaw would have been if she had heard Mary-Beth had been slacking again. It was her coping mechanism, think more about the good times to get rid of the bad ones.

Mary-Beth remembered when she took in her hands at being a matchmaker. Prancing around the camp, she would eye her two best contenders. You and Arthur.

She knew from the start when you had laid your eyes on each other for the first time, she could see through the inexplicable connection in between. You were both extremely awkward when it came to small-talk or addressing each other as you walked by across camp. However, it never stopped Arthur to come to camp as soon as he could just so he could see you, even just for a second.

The conversation would often start with Arthur while on his way to Dutch’s tent,

“Hey,”

“Hey.”

“I’ll leave you to it then.”

“Yea sure…”

—and that would be it.

At the same time, every single day, at the course of sunset.

You poor socially inept fools.

Mary-Beth, Tilly, and Karen would always see the interaction happen in the middle of their afternoon chores. Grinning from ear to ear. They would elbow each other whenever there was something different about the correspondence.

One time, you would walk past him, suddenly kissing him on the cheek and scurrying away.

Arthur would stop in his tracks, stunned, with a hand-over where your kiss tingled on his skin. Then he would look back at you as you laid down, smiling to yourself against a tree with a book in your hands. And Dutch would yell his name, knocking him out of his stupor before he noticed he was staring for a little too long.

The girls would start applauding for your heroic performance, it was like a groundbreaking plot twist Mary-Beth couldn’t wait to write about when the idea came into mind.

The both of you were like a walking excruciating slow, slow-burn romance novel. That was when Mary-Beth would cue in her entrance as matchmaker as soon as the interaction slowly died down. Your story had to have a happily ever after in her book.

She would pester you and Arthur separately, mentioning each other’s names and slipping in hints of romantic intentions from the other side so the both of you can address whatever this relationship was.

Mary-Beth knew it was a mission accomplished the night Sean was rescued back to Horseshoe Overlook. When she stood aside of the camp watching Dutch and Molly ballroom dancing into the moonlight, she caught a glimpse of you and Arthur behind them. Running into the woods, hand in hand, giggling to yourselves like prepubescent teenagers.

After that night, it was a considered job well done when your chance encounters slowly turned into planned ones. He would take you on dates, and you would show him affection like nobody’s business. A perfect couple, your American dream.

Until it became a nightmare.

And Arthur had passed,

your Arthur.

Ever since then, Mary-Beth wondered what had happened to you. Were you still alive after all these years? She couldn’t imagine how hard you must be coping with the news. Or what if you didn’t know at all? Even when she asked John and Tilly, they said you disappeared that night he passed.

Not even a single trace. Where were you?

Mary-Beth dismissed the thought out of her head, lifting her head away from the desk. She had to let go of these memories for her own well-being. For what seemed like yesterday were merely years ago. But it couldn’t have hurt to reminisce just a bit, for old times sake.

The story of You and Arthur was unwritten, left to collect dust from the lack of content. The perfect example of a sepia-tinted photograph, forgotten. Mary-Beth believed the both of you deserved something much more than a devastating ending. She wasn’t as ruthless as the other authors she had met that held an iron fist when killing off their characters. Mary-Beth wasn’t like that.

And the idea came to mind. She was a romance novelist for a reason; to fulfil all the possibilities for the unconditional love you shared.

And so Mary-Beth picked up her beautiful fountain pen,

She began to write on the great desk in her quiet room.

To write the most beautiful story of the century,

You and Arthur. Arthur and you.

A perfect couple. The American Dream.

A life that could have been so much more,

A life to remember…

[three--rings]

Extended Devil Judge Thoughts (Almost entirely about Soo Hyun.)

Spoilers below cut.  I’m going to make a non-spoilery review post as well.

gillianthecat said:                                                                                                                            I am curius to read your toughts on the whole Su Hyeon thing. I hated it at first, and now i go back and forth on it. I think if i took away the context of tdj being censored by homophobia (plus media’s habit of fridging women) that plotline in and of itself would have worked for me. But its hard to remove that context.    

Yeah so I really dislike them getting together only to make her death hurt more, because it only reinforces the fact that her death is a fridging.

Honestly almost everything I dislike in this show is about Soo Hyun.  First because HER ENTIRE CHARACTER revolves around Ga On.  Her only motivation is to love him and protect him.  It’s explicitly THE ONLY REASON she’s a cop at all, because she thought she’d need to get him out of trouble.  She regularly expresses ambivalence about her profession. 

Now, unrequited love stories can be done alright, but again, BECAUSE her whole life and story revolves around him, to me that means her personal storyline should be learning that you can’t live for other people and that sometimes even when people love you they don’t love you they way you want them to and she needs to prioritize herself. ( I SENSE/would guess that we’re getting into Korean ideas of femininity a little with her character, but can’t really speak to that. )

But that doesn’t happen.  Instead it’s Ga On who is written to change, to admit that he’s always wanted to be with her romantically, I guess?  Which I find unlikely and difficult to believe.  Because like, they’ve known each other THAT long and went through teen years and college and nothing every happened?  Like, we don’t get to know if either of them ever dated anyone else.  But if you go THAT long without getting together, when you supposedly both want to?  IDK I can’t believe it.  At least without having some exterior circumstance keeping you apart, or something like asexuality or sexuality confusion happening. 

Like, I think they make great friends and are BASICALLY siblings.  Which I want to be clear on, like, I’m not going EW INCEST like an anti, lots of people end up with people they know since childhood.   But I mean they can be the most important people in each other’s lives WITHOUT it having to be romantic. 

About the fridging.  I have a complicated history with the concept of fridging because I think it can be overused for ANY female death.  (Or even any minority character.)    But fridging is when a female character dies for no reason except for the painful effect it will have on the male protagonist.  Not anything to do with HER story, but when it’s done to motivate HIM.   It’s even originally when women are killed off IN TEXT to cause pain to their significant others.  So this IS explicitly that.  The reason she is killed is to manipulate Ga On and cause him pain.

Not because she’s a great detective who found out important information, although we sorta think maybe that’s the case.  No her death is USED to plant false evidence, but she didn’t actually uncover it.  She’s not a threat to anyone.  She’s just tied to Ga On and so she dies.  The fact that they have them hook up less than 24 hours before (ish...it’s not clear) is just insult to injury.  It’s like a female character having sex and then immediately being murdered.  (And it’s implied that’s exactly what happened since he wakes up in the bed when he WAS on the floor...)

So yeah, it gets a big fail from me.  Like, there are ways she could have died and it not felt so cheap and insulting.  But overall I think her character needed MUCH better handling.

Which is a SHAME because the other female characters in the show are awesome, so it’s not like the creator can’t write female characters.  Just female romantic characters, I guess.  (Which is sorta an industry problem, and one reason I am VERY wary of het romance dramas.)

Sigh. 

My other faults with the show are that there are a few plot points that...aren’t exactly holes but they don’t really end up making sense.  Things, especially lines of dialog that are clearly there to plant false suspicions but don’t make ultimate sense.  Like, in ep 15, Yo Han says that Ga On will regret it if he murders him and that he knows because he lives with that regret.  And like...for what?  I totally thought this was going to lead up to him having killed his brother because we kept hearing about his guilt.  And the only guilt there could be is like...not saving them, I guess.  Not exactly the same as stabbing someone for false cause. 

But overall, no, I really really like the show and am very satisfied and happy with the ending.  I mean I’m 2000 words into a fic set immediately after the last ep ends, but yanno, that’s cool.  That’s what fic is for. 

Anyway, that’s MOSTLY what I wanted to talk about, that I didn’t get around to initially.

[startanewdream]

The road home

Summary: Lily watches Harry and Ginny finding their way back to each other following the end of the war.

Note: For @madhulika18, who asked for more Hinny moments as seen by James and Lily. I could never decide if this is really part of Eyes Glistening (because Harry and Ginny have drama really, and I don't like them having drama), but it works either way, so I hope you enjoy these moments (also, I have a soft spot for Lily and Harry talking, so...)

_______

It’s all about the words that aren’t being said.

Once, a long time ago, Lily lived that with James. But it was different and, though, of course, it didn’t seem like that at the time, it was easier too. Her problems were unknowing her feelings, not understanding why she enjoyed his company and why she craved his smile, his light. She had fancied him for a long time before she understood what it was what she really felt for him — and until then it was only her heart beating faster when they would touch each other without meaning too (a brush of hands, sitting together closer than necessary), enjoying the perfume he’d left on his trace, finding excuses to be with him.

But after she had understood what she felt for him, somehow it had been easy. Awkward, sure, that first date when she was feeling stupid near him — until she remembered this was James, and being with him was good and blissful and then kissing him had felt as natural as breathing —, but there was never a question about how they felt about each other, never doubts that they would be together.

They had fought over many things, until they perfected the art of compromising, of understanding each other’s view, but there was never a breakup, never something that really kept them apart.

They are lucky on this, she knows.

Especially when she sees the look on Harry’s face, the way his eyes can’t help but follow Ginny as she walks around between the tables of the Great Hall, stopping to share words with her friends.

They haven’t talked yet. Lily knows this because Harry was gone with Ron and Hermione after the battle and then he slept for a full day. When he woke up, he called his parents and they talked then — the most difficult conversation Lily had ever had in her life and the one she knew she needed most. She and James. They needed to understand what had happened, why it had cost Harry’s life and what it had meant, but nothing had really prepared her to know her son had died.

Only the thought of it sends shivers through her body.

Harry is fine now, having come down to the Great Hall to lunch; there are fewer people at Hogwarts two days after the Battle, so they manage to find a place for them to sit quietly. It’s almost peaceful.

Except Harry is clearly not at peace.

‘Go talk to her,’ she whispers to him, and Harry turns to her with those eyes that are full of ghosts lately — he has seen and lived and died too much.

‘She doesn’t want me,’ he answers, breathing heavily as if the words are physically hurting him.

‘How do you know?’ James asks, exchanging a confused look with Lily.

‘Because she hasn’t come to talk to me.’

Lily thinks Harry didn’t go to her either, so maybe this is just a case of miscommunication. But she doesn’t say anything, because she believes things have to happen at the right time. And she has been watching Ginny too; every time Harry looks the other way, she glances in his direction, an expression on her face that Lily cannot understand exactly.

It seems to be ablaze.

_______

Later, Lily will define it as a dance where the dancers aren’t supposed to touch each other but still they synchronize their steps perfectly.

It’s unnerving, really, and she doesn’t know how they are really managing it, but if there is a quality she could attribute to both Harry and Ginny is stubbornness.

They can’t ignore each other, not really, not with how much they encounter each other — funerals and homages and dinners over the Burrow and rebuilding Hogwarts —, so instead they adopt a sort of relationship that’s just a shadow of how much they got along together.

Lily saw them before they even dated or had acknowledged their feelings for each other, and Harry and Ginny had shined together with chemistry as if they were two ingredients in a potion that demanded to be together. It was only friendship but there was sparkle and understanding and compassion and brightness. Lily remembers thinking that even if they didn’t develop romantic feelings for each other, they were truly soulmates.

And this is just one of the reasons why their current formal courtesy with each other bothers her so much. If they wanted to be only friends, there wasn’t much she could do. But they are not even friends lately, just two people who had gone through so much and hadn’t been able to share anything with each other despite wanting very much.

That’s the other thing that annoys her. They want more. Both of them.

She knows Harry, of course — he shares the same expressions and he wears his feelings on the same sleeve Lily does, so it’s easy —, and Lily likes to think she knows Ginny too, for the times they met, for all they’ve talked and for the fact that Ginny is usually blatant on her feelings when they are at the edge.

Usually. This time, it seems their stubbornness is getting the better of both of them.

They are alone most of the days of May. Hermione has gone to Australia to find her parents and Ron went with her, and Lily thinks this would be perfect for them to get together again – to have time to talk and to truly live their relationship without the threat of a storm above their heads.

But they don’t go to each other. They stay apart, even though Lily sees the cracks in their stubbornness when Harry breaks a glass after hearing Ginny talking about exchanging letters with an ex-boyfriend, and when Ginny suddenly leaves the room after Harry mentions Kingsley’s proposal to start the Aurors course.

James sees it too. He is always frowning when they are in the same room, and Lily knows no one rooted more for that relationship than James. So she is not surprised that he approaches her one morning when they are cleaning the mess the Death Eaters made in her office.

‘Do you remember when you forbade me from intervening in Harry’s love life?’ he asks in a nonchalant voice, cleaning a stain that looks a lot like blood on the carpet.

Lily nods with her head.

‘Maybe it’s time to change that rule?’ James asks then, now sounding hopeful.

Lily throws him the briefest of the looks, without turning away her attention from the cauldrons she is supposed to check if anything is worth saving.

‘Harry would hate it if we did anything.’

‘Harry would hate it if he knew we were doing anything.’

‘And James Potter can be discreet? How many detentions did you get just because you couldn’t help but flaunt your work?’

He raises his eyebrows challengingly.

‘That Slug Club dinner on my birthday. I was so discreet no one ever found out what we were doing.’

Lily blushes. He was absurdly quiet that night, indeed, despite her attempts otherwise.

‘Fine, you’ve got a point. Go on, but I’m warning you, if Ginny realizes what you are trying to do, she will hex you and I won’t stop.’

‘As long as she hexes me on their wedding day, I won’t complain,’ James says unabashedly, and Lily has to grin.

She is not feeling much confident — James’ love plans took him three years to her agree to date him, after all, and even then she had fallen in love with him when he had given up on any plan at all —, but she can’t deny James is creative and it’s better trying anything than watching Harry sigh all over the place, heartbroken and unhappy.

During the year they were out, their house has been searched over and over; their furniture is broken and there are spots of red ink — or blood — in every room, with curses or slurs written on every wall. They could just easily destroy the house and build a new one, but it feels good to clean the place; it feels like a new beginning.

Maybe this is what James is hoping to give Harry and Ginny because he asks for her help in rebuilding their house. Ginny accepts surprisingly quickly, probably guessing that Harry will still be occupied with the work at Hogwarts.

‘Thanks for the help,’ Lily says after she and Ginny manage to clean the debris away from the stairs, so now the first floor is available for them to start cleaning up the rooms.

‘No problem, it’s good to be out of the house,’ Ginny notes, drying the sweat on her face. ‘Sometimes it feels… too claustrophobic there.’

Lily raises her eyebrows, indicating around the hall, where the number of things still to be organized makes the corridor seem a lot smaller than it is. Ginny gives a small chuckle.

‘It’s just — Mom is trying to compensate, I think. Ron is not here and I am the youngest and she needs to take care of something, after — after everything that happened. So, yeah, I need some time to myself.’

‘Are you sure there is nothing else you would like to do?’ Lily asks, concerned now. Ginny just shrugs.

‘Since I can’t fly, this seems like the best available option,’ she says. ‘And it feels good to be doing something — and there is so much to do here. The Death Eaters made a mess.’

‘That could be said for everywhere.’

‘And everyone,’ Ginny adds softly, and she returns to the cabinet she is trying to fix without saying anything further, but Lily doesn’t think she needs to. She saw Neville’s bruises, she saw Luna’s scars and she has a pretty good idea of how it was at Hogwarts under Voldemort’s regime.

But Ginny keeps her marks quietly, and Lily knows there is only one person she will be able to talk to.

The next day, James comes home earlier from Hogwarts with Harry. There is an awkward moment when Harry and Ginny meet in the kitchen and James mentions that now the main work over Hogwarts is done, Harry volunteered to help get his home back again.

‘Any problem?’ James asks genially, making both Harry and Ginny jump.

‘No,’ they say at the same time, and it doesn’t convince anyone.

Lily never noticed how big their house was until she realizes Harry and Ginny still manage to avoid each other except during mealtimes, so she decides they can get past subtlety. She and James start to ask them for help for the same rooms until they eventually are paired in the same tasks.

She doesn’t hear them talking, but it seems to work, albeit at the slowest pace ever.

‘You won’t believe who asked Sirius for an interview,’ James says one night after they settled for the day and they are having dinner before Ginny returns to her house. ‘Rita Skeeter.’

‘What scoop does she want now?’ Harry asks, rolling his eyes. ‘I am still awaiting her biography about me.’

‘What will be called?’, Ginny asks, and Harry turns to her with his eyes already shining with the joke.

‘Easy. Harry Potter, chosen or undesirable one?’

She laughs – it’s a short tentative laugh, but it’s there, and Harry smiles too. James exchanges a look with Lily, but she shakes her head warningly to him.

‘What Skeeter wanted with Sirius?’ she asks, putting the conversation back into place. It was just a shared joke. There is still a long road ahead.

‘Oh, gossip on you and me, actually, which unfortunately is something Sirius thinks it’s too funny to pass – and also he has a soft spot for Skeeter.’

Harry chokes on his drink.

‘Soft spot?’

‘Oh, please, don’t tell me –‘ Ginny raises her eyebrows, exchanging a bewildered look with Harry. ‘Sirius and Rita Skeeter?’

James chuckles.

‘No, he just likes her because of the animagus stuff. He says he can’t fault her for being one.’

‘Oh, much better,’ Ginny sighs. Then she bits her lip before looking back at Harry. ‘Can you imagine them together? Rita Skeeter as your godmother?’

‘I would have to quit Sirius from his job as godfather,’ Harry says, pretending to gag. ‘He would clearly be underqualified.’

There is another small giggle and that’s it for the night.

They are talking again at least, even if it is still not like it used to be. There are no whispered words during their time together during the day and they don’t seem to be secretly snogging. But they talk sometimes, and once or twice Lily hears a laugh when she passes the room they are in.

But it’s only two weeks later that something seems to happen.

Lily is in her room, finishing to set up the bed so she and James will finally be able to sleep there, when the voices catch her up on her window.

‘You are bleeding.’

‘It’s just a cut, Harry, no big deal.’

‘It was a splinter, there can still be something there.’

‘I told you, I took everything off. I will just press it, it will stop bleeding in a minute.’

‘I can help you, I – I know a lot of healing spells.’

There is a pause.

‘Me too, but I also know that the bleeding will stop. It’s not deep.’

‘How do you –‘

‘Same way you know, Harry.’ There is a note of tension in Ginny’s voice. ‘I had to learn.’

‘Ginny –‘

‘What? Do you think you were the only one who had a hard time?’

And she storms inside, giving him no time to answer.

Harry is subdued that night, even more reserved than natural, and when she passes his room late at night, she sees the light is on. For a second Lily wonders if she should call James, but then she sighs and knocks on his door.

‘Harry?’

In answer, the door opens quietly. Lily enters his room to see Harry fully clothed on his bed; he is holding something and, with a start, she realizes it’s the Marauder’s Map. That’s a weird thing for Harry to be consulting in the middle of the night.

‘Can’t sleep?’ she asks, sitting on the edge of his bed and running her hand through his hair comfortingly. He shrugs. ‘Anything to do with that fight with Ginny?’

He raises his eyebrows.

‘Hearing behind doors, Mum?’

‘No need, you were talking under my window.’

‘Next fight I will make sure we are far,’ he says with a grimace.

‘There will be a next fight?’

‘I don’t know,’ he admits, and this prospect doesn’t seem to make him better. ‘If I asked you something, would you be honest with me?’

‘Wasn’t I always, Harry?’

He smiles for a second before his expression is grave and uncertain.

‘Do you think I am self-centred?’

Lily blinks.

‘No one would accuse you of being selfish, Harry, I mean –’

She doesn’t know where to begin, considering all the sacrifices she had seen Harry make over the years — he gave his life —, but Harry shakes his head.

‘Not selfish, I mean – the summer after my fourth year, when Voldemort was back, I said plenty of things –’

‘You were under a lot of stress, no one –’

‘I know, but I was complaining about how everything happened to me and now I am thinking that maybe, somehow, I never stopped to think that things happen to other people too.’

Lily squeezes his hand.

‘It is not a suffering competition, Harry.’

‘I don’t know if I see it that way. I mean, when I saw Neville for the first time, with all his bruises and looking so hurt, I still wished it could be me, staying at Hogwarts and fighting because it seemed easier and it never occurred to me that she could – they could – have had a difficult time too. It still seemed… just school.’

He pauses to pick up the Marauder’s Map, opening it even if there is no map showing there.

‘I used to take the Map last year to watch over her,’ he whispers, his face flushing. ‘And I saw her dot and I never thought that she could be in trouble. I knew they were rebelling, but… it didn’t feel like it was something real.’

‘Well, that’s why you should talk to each other. None of you will understand if you keep avoiding each other.’

‘She is mad at me.’

‘Of course she is. You are avoiding her.’

He doesn’t answer.

‘You need to talk, Harry. Go there. Try it.’

He blinks, a hint of a smile on his lips.

‘Are you suggesting that I go visit my ex-girlfriend in the middle of the night?’

‘I’m pretty sure you will just talk if she doesn’t hex you first,’ Lily says brightly. Then she smiles softly. ‘You could wait until tomorrow, Harry, but I have the feeling you both have been waiting too long. And this isn’t any of your styles. You are both people of action.’

Harry grins now, standing up.

‘I will go then. Thanks for the tip, Mum.’

Lily accepts the soft kiss he gives her on the cheek.

‘Just be safe, Harry.’

_______

Harry seems to be in a better mood the next morning, despite the fact that he slept a few hours that night — Lily knows he returned by five, just as the sun was rising.

But she doesn’t say anything, just smiling to herself when Harry’s face lights up when the fireplace erupts into emerald flames and Ginny appears, dusting her clothes. They exchange a look that it’s still not there yet, but it’s soft and promising. James looks in her direction, surprised, and she promises to explain later.

It’s not Summer yet, but the days of May and then June get warmer and then Harry and Ginny are spending more time outside, though there isn’t much to fix there.

At least, not material things.

James keeps an eye on them — he wouldn’t resist not doing so —, telling her that most of the time they just seem to be taking long strolls and talking.

One day they return from their walk holding hands, and Lily has to lock James inside the room so he doesn’t say anything. Harry and Ginny are still not there.

The road home takes time.

On the second weekend of June they have the hottest day yet and they take some time off; James transfigures a pool in the backyard that neither Harry nor Ginny seems to enjoy other than to sit at the edge of the pool and take off their shoes to wet their feet. Instead of helping to ease any tension, the pool seems to create some weight over them, making them more silent than usual, so James suggests they go flying instead.

‘My Firebolt is gone,’ Harry remembers, wincing, and Lily knows it’s not the broomstick he is really missing right now. Harry lost a friend that day.

‘Mine was burnt by the Carrows last year,’ Ginny adds, her voice casual as if it’s nothing important.

They don’t end up doing anything after that.

In the afternoon, James gets a call from Sirius and Lily decides to just stay home, finishing the Wolfsbane Potions she will need to deliver to Remus by the end of the week. She is quietly lost in her favourite potion world when she hears the voices, and it’s just because they are whispering, rather than talking normally, that it draws her attention.

‘Are you sure?’ Ginny is asking, her voice unusually hesitant.

‘Only if you are,’ he whispers, sounding just as unstable.

Lily approaches the window and withdraws the curtains as little as she needs. Harry and Ginny are still by the pool, standing facing each other, and without looking away from Harry, she takes off her shirt, to reveal her bikini under it.

Harry gasps, but Lily knows that what is taking his breath away are the marks on Ginny’s torso — faint scars of cuts and small yellowed bruises that remained from the battle, over a month ago.

Ginny bits her lip, her arms trembling as if she wants to cover herself. Harry finally takes a step in her direction, looking her in the eyes now.

'Thank you for showing me,’ he whispers and then he sighs. 'My turn'.

His hands are shaking as he goes to unbutton his shirt, until Ginny raises her hands.

'May I?'

Harry nods slowly.

Ginny keeps her head high, not looking away from Harry's eyes, until she finishes opening all the buttons from his shirt and taking it off.

Then her eyes fall to his chest and Ginny freezes.

Lily knows what she is seeing, even though Lily can't see it from her angle: Harry's new lightning scar, across his chest, over his heart, where the Killing Curse hit him for the second time in his life.

'Harry,’ Ginny sighs, pain evident in her voice. She raises her hand, looking at him, questioning him silently. Harry nods once more.

Then Ginny takes a step closer to him, touching his chest, and Lily knows that she must be feeling his heart over it.

She lets the curtain fall and returns to her potion.

She is not surprised when they return home holding hands and she only tells James later (so he doesn't say anything during dinner because she knows her husband) that Ginny kissed Harry softly on the lips when she thought no one was seeing them.

[earnestly-endlessly]

Cherik angst!

Ooooh the angst!! The cherik fandom has an abundance of angst fics and I could probably make a list of hundred fics to recommend, but these are some of my favourite angsty cherik fics. I should warn you though, some of these require tissues.

Cherik Angst

Everyday Love in Stockholm – tahariel

Summary: Magneto is the ruler of the posthuman world.

His only secret? Charles Xavier, the human he's kept locked in his bedroom ever since his right-hand woman, Mystique, came to him pleading for mercy for her stepbrother, who accepted her mutant form and protected her as a child. The human he started fucking after Mystique was killed in battle, despite the guilt he feels at contaminating even this last promise to the woman who was integral to his life's work and happiness.

Boden’s Mate – kaydeefalls

Summary: "Shaw has information that we need, and we need him alive to extract it," Moira says, and there it is: the job is on the table. Extraction.

XMFC/Inception fusion AU. Erik is an extractor, Alex is his point man. They're assembling a team to go after the most dangerous mind in dreamsharing: Sebastian Shaw. But unless Alex and the team can keep him in check, Erik's desire for vengeance might just rip the whole job apart around them -- and then there's the shade that haunts his dreams...

Ritual Self-Torture – TurtleTotem

Summary: Shaw is King, Charles is his royal consort and Erik is a Knight/Lord. Shaw is sterile but his kingdom can't find out, so he asks Erik to impregnate Charles.

He doesn't know Erik and Charles are in love.

The Winter of Banked Fires – Yahtzee

Summary: Charles Xavier has returned from the dead -- but is lost within his own mind. Rogue has cast aside her own power and doesn't know where she fits in the world any longer. The production of synthetic Cure means mutantkind itself is newly at risk. And Magneto, turned human against his will, is in despair until the day he feels a familiar consciousness tugging at his own

Us – Pangea

Summary: “Charles,” Erik says, and if his voice hits a pleading note then who can really blame him, “Charles, it’s me.”

It takes several longer moments before Charles musters up the strength to answer, breath stuttering horribly as he tries to breathe. He’s shaking, entire body trembling.

“Erik,” Charles says, his voice cracking, “Erik, I want to die.”

Enigma – Yahtzee

Summary: Erik dies, or finds a reversey-time mutant, or a magical time travelling device, and wakes up in the past. This time, though, it's before he ever met Charles - in fact, it's before his mother died.

He can save his mother that one time (thanks to his mastery over powers carrying back), but what does Erik do after that? Does he stick around, or escape and run to find Charles again (and hope everything doesn't go wrong)?

By Faint Indirections – kianspo

Summary: Erik is in his ~50s, and lonely and bitter. He survived the Holocaust and was only ~14 when the war ended; and even ~40 years later, living in a country that helped to end WW2 and the Third Reich, homosexuality is still a taboo topic. Then one day, he stumbles over Charles, who is young(early 20s) and bright and smart and cheeky and full of energy and beautiful. And moving in the same street where Erik lives.

Lonesome on the Shelf – ikeracity

Summary: After three years of marriage, Charles has to admit that his relationship with Erik has significantly cooled off. These days, they're barely ever home at the same time and it seems like every conversation they have turns into an argument. Charles misses the way they used to be, misses the spontaneous dinner parties and the surprise morning sex and the wake up calls in the early mornings to catch the sunrise. But it's going to take two of them to fix this marriage, and some days, it seems as if all Erik wants is to be rid of him.

A fic about rekindling marriage.

When the Spell Breaks – kianspo

Summary: Erik, a high-profile lawyer with a successful career, meets a 21-year-old grad student in a bar, and within a few short months marries him. He and Charles are blissfully happy, until Erik's boss runs a background check on Charles and discovers he's been cheating on Erik. Charles denies everything, as there was no affair, but Erik doesn't believe him and throws him out. As Charles tries to figure out how to survive and stay at school that he can no longer afford and makes a lot of bad if not plain dangerous choices, Erik has to fight his own battle of discovering the truth and winning Charles back.

The Tower and the Hurricane – dreamlittleyo

Summary:(Post-movie AU.) Five years after Shaw's death, Erik's predictions prove painfully accurate. Violence rages on both sides of the human/mutant conflict. In a world ravaged by war, it doesn't really matter who's more at fault. Charles struggles to teach his students a better way, but what choices will he make when peace really isn't an option?

The Attempt – Yahtzee

Summary: Charles knows everything about Erik, knows how obsessive and self-destructive he is, how Erik would do anything, give anything, in his quest for vengeance against Shaw. But he also knows that Erik loves him in ways that aren't exactly platonic.

I'd like to see a completely straight!Charles, out of pure love and care of Erik, initiate a romantic relationship with him. It can be because he wishes to give Erik something positive in his life or because he thinks it might help change Erik's mind about Shaw, the reason is up to author. Also, while Charles finds intimacy with Erik strange and awkward, he does enjoy the new, non-romantic layers that have developed in their relationship.

Apple Seeds – pprfaith

Summary: Charles, Erik, apple seeds and Shakespearean love affairs.

Ashes, Ashes – winterhill

Summary: Post-apocalyptic AU — When the bombs fall, and mutually assured destruction occurs, it turns out that Shaw was right and radiation does enhance mutant powers. Snapshots of the XMFC main ensemble in the time after the bombs: Erik decides to stay, Moira thinks she might be the only human left, Raven is having trouble sleeping, and Charles is losing his mind.

Warnings: nuclear holocaust: death (death in general, not a specific character), cancer, burns, medical procedure, mutant powers gone awry

Five Bullet Points – Sperare

Summary: It was supposed to be Erik locked away in a prison one hundred stories below the ground.

Charles was never supposed to be there with him.

Tequila on a spaceship – faerie_ground

Summary: In 2014, Charles Xavier gets brutally murdered and Erik Lehnsherr spends the rest of his life mourning his death.

In 3014, Captain Lehnsherr and CMO Dr Xavier are colleagues, best friends and maybe a little more besides that aboard the Magneto I.

The Tower and the Hurricane – dreamlittleyo

Summary: Post-movie AU.) Five years after Shaw's death, Erik's predictions prove painfully accurate. Violence rages on both sides of the human/mutant conflict. In a world ravaged by war, it doesn't really matter who's more at fault. Charles struggles to teach his students a better way, but what choices will he make when peace really isn't an option?

Simple and Uncomplicated – Pookaseraph

Summary: Erik and Charles had been fuck buddies for some, but when Charles is in an accident he figured their relationship would be over. Erik's visit to his bedside in the hospital changes his assumptions even as he has trouble believing Erik is sincere.

Lazarus – Clocks 

Summary: Erik is 19 when he says ‘I love you’ for the first time.

It would take five long years before Charles says it back.

Broken Eternity – CractasticDispatches

Sumnmary: It starts with being alone. It shouldn’t, perhaps, but it does because, of course, alone is what no one ever wishes to be.

Shout it Out Loud – dreamlittleyo

Summary: (Movie-Concurrent AU.) When Charles forges a telepathic link between himself and Erik, the two men find themselves bound together by more than just destiny. With the world on the brink of war, Charles and Erik struggle to cope with a psychic connection that may well be permanent.

Call Me By His Name – sinuous_curve

Summary: Charles wakes from the absence of noise.

There is an empty space in his room, beside his bed. Not quiet as in an abandoned room, but utterly, featurelessly blank. Like a box made of unblemished, impenetrable metal and Charles knows before he opens his eyes.

The Longest Word – septicwheelbarrow

Summary: "I'm Charles Xavier," he says, smiling from ear to ear. Then he gestures to his wheelchair. "Terminal spinal osteoblastoma, reaper due to collect in a year."

After some time, the man gestures at himself with a sardonic smile. "Same, one year. Lung." And then, reluctant, as if trying to keep his name to himself, "Erik."

I reject your reality and substitute my own. Doesn't really work that way, both ways.

Copy – chantefable

Summary: Charles wakes up without his memory. His sole caretaker, Erik, claims to be his husband, and tells him he's recovering from a car accident on their honeymoon.

Slowly falling for Erik again, Charles begins to regain his memories. He starts to notice strange things about his body, Erik, and their secluded mansion.

Myosotis – SomeCoolName

Summary: When Charles got back from Cuba, he lost the two things which made him stand: his legs and the love of his life, Erik Lehnsherr. Charles can get used to the wheelchair but he won't ever be able to get pass the loss of Erik.

"I wish I never met him" is something Charles says one night, maybe a bit drunk, absolutely wrecked for sure. It's a bit silly but Charles figures out his only solution is to use his own powers to erase Erik from his mind, progressively.

Except one day Erik comes back to the Xavier mansion to win him back. And even if Charles doesn't want to stop forgetting about him, Erik will do anything he can to convince him otherwise.

Das Haus am See – sareyen

Summary: The Lake House AU:

Erik is an estate planning lawyer who takes some time off to get away from the big city after his marriage fell apart. He lives in a picturesque lake house by Chautauqua Lake for almost two years, before moving back to New York City. This is in 2019.

Charles is a famous but very private author stuck in a creative rut, and moves to his lakeside estate for a short while to try and find a reason to write again. This is in 2017.

By magic or fate, Charles and Erik discover that the letter box at the lake house has the ability to send letters through time, between Charles in 2017 and Erik in 2019. Through letters that transcend the barriers of time, Charles and Erik fall in love. Charles vows to find Erik two years in his future, and Erik promises to wait for him. Two years - just two, meagre years.

But, fate is fickle, and time waits for no one.

Appropriate Boundaries – Yahtzee 

Summary: Charles has been having serious problems with back cramps in the year and a half since he's been in a wheelchair. His doctor prescribes massage therapy. But when Charles meets his masseur, Erik, in some ways they begin to heal each other. So how do you cross the boundaries between professional touch -- and the personal?

Unbound – Cesare, helens78

Summary: Thousands of miles apart, Erik Lehnsherr and Charles Xavier form a soulbond. But when that bond is severed five years later, they have to spend the next ten years trying to rebuild their lives alone.

Do You Love Me – cgf_kat

Summary: Charles and Erik have been married for 25 years, thrown together by a mandatory post-apocalyptic pairing system attempting to increase and strengthen the population. They have seven children. They have never spoken of love, but change is on the horizon.

A Quiet Riot – cloudstroke (aQuired)

Summary: Erik can't stand the fact that his father has brought home a boy less than half his age.

But mostly because he's madly in love with Charles Xavier himself.

[seabass17]

All that’s left | Pt. 2

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem! Reader

A/n: So, this is... a different reader in comparison from the one in the first part but I kinda like it? Anyway, Im considering making a third part and im thinking it'll contain some smut. I used google translator so please don't judge me. Tell me what you think. Happy reading.

All that's left pt. 1

Warnings: angst, mentions of scars, swearing, implied smut?

Word count: 3.263

Summary: After moving from her life in New York, away from the Avengers and him, she finds happiness and a life that she actually enjoys, but that seems to last little when she spots the familiar jet on the roof of the building she lives in. Is she ready to face them? To face him?

*Three months later*

The warm air surrounding my body made me take a deep breath and unconsciously smile. I was happy, I was free, I was whole. I was with my neighbor drinking coffee in our usual spot, which was a cafe near the main street of the place that I decided was going to become my new home.

“Продолжай рассказывать мне о своем боссе, который сводит тебя с ума” (Keep on telling me about your boss who drives you crazy) Andrei said making me laugh and shake my head.

“Не о чем говорить, он просто засранец, который дает мне слишком много работы и заставляет меня плакать” (Nothing to talk about, he's just an asshole who gives me too much work and makes me want to cry) I laughed. I had met Andrei a week after I moved in and there was an immediate connection. No, it wasn’t in a romantic one, god no, we were just really good friends that had a lot in common.

“Now now, that was not what i saw the other day when i went to pick you up from work” He said with a playful smirk plastered on his light brown face. I gasped, a fake indignant expression on my face while my hand went to my chest. He laughed loudly. “Don’t play that card, I saw you!” he added

“I don’t know what you are talking about” I said, trying to fight the smile that tried to come out but failing miserably, we both laughed.

He and I had become quite close in the little time that we had known each other. He was an American with a Russian name. He explained that his mother was from the states while his father was a russian spy, they fell in love against all odds and eventually, Andrei was brought to this world. When he was fifteen his father died and he and his mom went to America, where he finished high school and surprisingly, entered the military. He did two tours before he decided that he had enough and returned to Russia. Hence why he could speak both Russian and English fluently. As for me, I told him that I was in some sort of organization that worked for the government, and that’s why I knew russian. He believed me, thank God,  I didn’t want to talk about how I was part of the Avengers and why I left. Obviously I will tell him when the time is right and I know that he can be fully trusted.

“Oh, come on Ames, are you going to tell me that you don’t like him one bit? Not in the slightest?” he asked, smiling and I shook my head. He stayed silent for a second and stared at me, like he was considering whether he should ask me something or keep quiet. “Is it because of him?” he finally asked, watching me closely to see my reaction. I felt my stomach twist at the mention of him. Of course it was because of him, because of them, I couldn’t afford getting hurt and betrayed one more time. Andrei didn’t know his name, or theirs for that matter, so I smiled weakly and nodded.

“Yeah, I know it sounds stupid but… I just can’t afford getting hurt, not again, not anymore” I said looking at my hands.

“I understand, believe me I do” he said, his hand reaching out to hold mine. I looked up to find his brown eyes looking for mine, I saw nothing but genuine love -the friendly kind- in them. I smiled and squeezed his hand. He was going to say something but his phone rang; a notification. He withdrew his hand to look at his phone and the moment he did, people around us started getting up and running in the same direction. I looked at him confused to find him frowning at his phone.

“What is it?” i asked.

“The Avengers are here…” He said and my heart skipped a beat and my body went rigid. Andrei noticed. “What 's wrong?”. Well, there’s no use keeping him from the truth anymore.

“So, remember when I told you that I worked for an organization for the government? Okay don’t freak out and hate me but, here it goes” I took a deep breath. “That organization was called The Red Room were they trained me from a very young age to be a perfect cold-blooded killer, years later i escaped and was on the run until i got a new identification, name, address, new everything and then joined the avengers to amend the wrongs I made in the past. To my luck, it didn’t go great because it ended up breaking me the same way The Red Room did, so I left to find a fresh start and came here where I met you. Please don’t hate me” I concluded in one breath. Andrei was silent with a straight face, which was hard to read, and eventually after a few seconds that felt like an eternity and shrugged his shoulders. WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN.

“Believe it or not, I've heard worse” he simply said

“Worse than finding out that your best friend is a train killer and former avenger?” i asked incredulously and he tilted his head and smirked

“US Agent mother and Russian spy father” He said. I laughed and he followed right after. “So, I'm guessing we are running away?” he asked. Say what now?

“We?” I asked, almost in shock to which he simply nodded, “You don’t think im just gonna let you go like that, please, is not that easy to get rid of me” he snorted. “And I'm supposing Amelia is not your real name either, given the fact that you ran off,” he added. Damn, he is good.

“Y/n, y/n y/l/n” I said and he slowly smiled

“Well y/n, nice to meet you, my name is Andrei Petrova” he said, extending his hand, i repeated his action with the same smile. “I’ve got to say, I like the name y/n more than Amelia '' he added and laughed. We were brought back to the matter at hand when the screaming of the people were getting louder. I snapped my head up and saw the familiar jet on the roof of the building where I was living.

“Here’s what we are going to do, I’m going to my apartment and buy us some time while you go get a car and,” i handed him my card “you are going to get all the money from my bank account. I will meet you in front of the cafe that’s two blocks away from my place”

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked with clear worry in his eyes. I smiled and nodded

“Yes, I promised. Now go” I said before he got up and ran. I sighed and went to my apartment. Was I really going to do this? After months, was I ready to face them, already knowing the truth? Well, guess I'm going to find out.

Once in the building I decided to programmed the lights to go out in 50 minutes and then I went to the elevator, wanting to appear as normal as possible even though I felt like my heart was going to explode from how fast it was beating inside my rib cage. When the elevator stopped at my floor I walked until I was standing in front of my door. I didn’t need to wait and confirm, I knew they knew I was here, now there’s only one thing left to do. But before I did anything, the door creaked open.

*10 hours earlier*

Bucky paced from one side to the other, finding himself incapable of staying put. Natasha sat silently on her chair, Tony was in the front with his head in between his hands, Steve was resting on the side of the wall looking at the floor, Bruce was just standing there holding his chin analyzing everyone in the room. Sam sat on the couch looking through his phone, Vision was sitting next to Wanda on the other couch, while Clint and Thor were sitting on the other chairs. Peter had some school stuff to deal with like the teenager that he was. They’ve been looking for her for the past three months, and about a week ago, a picture was found of someone that looked exactly like her, all except her hair that was a bit shorter and the color was different, but other than that, it was practically her.

Not wanting to get their hopes -or rather enthusiasm- up, they decided to look deeper and found out that the picture was taken a month ago in the city of Magadan located in Russia. They found out that before three months, the name Amelia Agapov, didn’t exist. The more they looked into it, the more they were convinced that it was her.

“The mission report from Agent Carter arrived, should i put it on the screen?” the voice of the AI filled the room. The team had been waiting for that report for days, the nerves of the question that lingered in the air ‘was it her?’ being present for that time only grew stronger as Stark asked FRIDAY to project the report on the screen.

Pictures were shown, most of them were about this woman buying in the market, having coffee with a guy, but there was one, where her face was looking straight into the lens of the camera, and it was that picture that left the people in the room absolutely rigid. It was her.

“We found her…” Tony said in a whisper. Everybody kept their gaze on the picture on the big screen. After months looking for her, they finally had found her. To everyone, it was like someone just discovered something new, a kind of relief and anxiety all at the same time.

“Suit up, we’re going to get her” Steve said to the group, but see, it was the choice of words from Cap that Bucky found unsettling.

“Get her? Like she is some kind of criminal?” he said, looking at his best friend dead in the eye. Steve opened his mouth to say something but Tony beat him to it.

“She was trained by The Red Room to be an assassin, we can expect nothing more from her '' He said, trying to calm Bucky down, but instead it only caused him to get angrier, and not only him.

“So was I” Natasha said, her voice low that could scare anyone to the bone if they weren’t so used to her.

"It's different" Tony said

“How is it different?” Wanda said this time, “It wasn’t when you practically recluded me after I helped Ultron and tried to kill you all” she added.

Tony sighed and looked down, realizing that he might be overreacting.

“Let’s just get suit up and get on with it” Steve said, cutting the rather awkward silence that filled the room.

The avengers were suit up and on the quinjet in less that forty-five minutes, and they were in Madagan in nine hours, it took them an hour to find her building, and once they found it, Clint landed the jet on the roof and they all got out and looked for her apartment. Funny enough, it was the same number as the one she used to live in New York; 108. They waited for what seemed an eternity until they heard footsteps just outside the door. Suddenly, the air felt thick with anticipation, but Bucky couldn’t wait any longer so he crossed the living room in two steps and opened the door. She was standing there. Silence took over the entire apartment until she broke it.

“Well, are you going to move so that I can get inside my goddamn apartment Barnes?” she said expectantly. Bucky realized that he had been staring at her since he opened the door. Her hair was different, more wavy and a shade or two lighter. He moved to the side and she was able to see the rest of the team. This was going to be one hell of an evening.

Breathe. In… and out…

It was hard. Fuck. Okay i can do this.

“Well isn’t this nice. All the team back together again!” I said with sarcasm dripping from every letter.

“What the hell did we ever do to you?” Steve said firmly.

“Damn, getting straight into it. That’s okay” i shrugged as I went to my room but the sound of the blasters of Tony's suit stopped me.

“Stop, don’t take another step” He said, lifting his hands and I smiled.

“Really? Well unfortunately i have to change, so i’ll leave the door open if it makes you comfortable” i said as i continued to walk to my room, and like I said, i left the door open.

“Y-you don’t have to do that, you can…” Wanda said but trailed off. I had taken my shirt off; my scars were shown.

“So, Steve” I broke the silence as I put on a black shirt, “the thing that you did wasn’t as bad as tin man over there, but you still let Hydra take me the day we took out the helicaries” i added. His face got pale and started shaking his head.

“What? No, you made it out safe, you-” He started saying but i interrupted him

“You sure? Who do you think stopped Rumlow when he tried to interfere with the exchange of the chip when you were in the helicarrier with Bucky?” He started thinking for a moment until he realized what I said fell into place. “Yeah, I took one hell of a beating, and if that wasn’t enough, I fell to the water. I fell thirty floors down, and I alone got myself out, because I didn't have anyone to cover me or have my back” i concluded.

“Your scars…” Tony said this time and i turned to him

“Yeah, thanks to you Mr. Stark” i said and he looked at me. “Doctor said that 74% of my body is covered with scars, along with one or two burns”

“You were that girl in The Red Room” Natasha said, causing me to turn my head to look at her and I smiled cynically, “You are Eliza” she finished.

“Давно не виделись с Натальей” (Long time no see Natalia) i said and she looked at me in pure surprise in her faced. That’s something coming from the famous Black Widow.

“What about the rest of us y/n?”  Sam said this time, redirecting my attention from Natasha to the rest of the group. Thor was standing there holding his hammer, Bruce was next to the fridge, Clint was by the sink, Wanda was with Vision beside the kitchen table and Bucky was by the door. They were all looking at me. I took a look at the clock, I have to leave in less than thirty minutes.

“Long story short, Clint, Bruce, Sam, Wanda and Vision are the ones that didn’t do anything, so just chill out, you are still on my good side” I smiled and waved my hand.

“Hold on, but what did I do?” Thor asked and I looked at him.

“God it really is unfair how such a little thing can cause such a big problem. The first time you came down to earth, met Jane, bla bla bla… when her stuff was under custody of shield, and you took that notebook; they blamed me. I know it may seem weird because, how? Thing is, I was undercover at that time inside Shield, so when the notebook disappeared, guess who was the one that got beaten for it. I couldn’t move from the pain.”

Thor was standing completely still.

“Lady y/n…”

“How is it possible? I was there  and never saw you” Clint interrupted Thor.

“It was before the avengers, i was on the run and a girl's gotta eat. Don’t worry, I never gave them anything. Got the money and then killed them, they were nobodies” I shrugged off.

“So, that’s all you needed to know, so if you please leave my…” I said but then he interrupted me.

“No” I would be lying if I said it didn’t send shivers down my spine at his tone, and I hate even more that he noticed it. “You’re missing one doll” Well fuck me

I turned to see him and he was walking painfully slow towards me and I was praying for my legs to not give out.

“Barnes” I simply said, thanking God and all the saints that it didn’t come out as a whimper. I took a look at the clock once more. I have to leave. Now. “Such a shame, wish you had fought for us, I would have gone through hell and back for you, Buck” his eyes were looking straight to my own and I felt like he was staring at my bare soul. In a way, he was. I smiled and I saw behind my back that the team was looking at us, we’ve never been this close, not in public anyway. I standed on my tiptoes and reached for his right ear, he instinctively reached down so it was a bit easier for me.

“If you want to know, you’ll have to find me first дорогой” (Sweetheart) I whisper. Next thing, the light went out just like I programmed it to and I slid beside Bucky to reach out to the door and to the hall. I could hear the team screaming ‘what the hell just happened’. I ran to the emergency stairs, and once out I could still feel him behind me, getting close. I went into an alley, having to detour, knowing that he eventually was going to catch up to me and I couldn't have him follow where I was really going. A few seconds later, I felt him caging me to the wall on the alley, both of us breathing heavily. His flesh hand went to my throat and his metal one rested on the wall.

“Given a different occasion, I would have loved this, don’t get me wrong, I still love how you…”

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked huskily and I smiled.

“I told you, you’ll have to wait until you find me again. Alone.” i said

“Come on Barnes, do you really think that the charade of being your personal fuck toy would last forever?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t like that, i…” he said but trailed off. The pain in my chest starting and clenching my heart.

“There it is…” i said lowly, the hurt in my voice evident, “listen, i’d love to keep talking about how you used me, but like i said,” i got close to his face, my nose touching his, “find me to found out” after that,  I raised my knee kicking him right in between his legs.

He let out a pained groan and fell to the floor, causing his grip in my neck to give out. I took advantage and ran. Two blocks away, I saw Andrei. When he saw me running to him, he immediately got in the car and turned the engine on, then I got in.

“Drive, fast” it was the first thing i said

“Where?” he asked while we took off. I smiled and looked at him

“You’ll see”

-

-

-

Taglist

@silentkiller2374 @vikingqueenlove @girlfriday007 @supraveng

[bubby-paws]

[ORR] Ikemen Prince: Beauty and Her Beast - Chevalier Mitchel Route Review.

[EDITED, I wrote the first version of this at 5 am so it was so unclear, that I decided to edit it!]

Hello everyone, this is our first route review for Otome Games that I have personally played. For today, we will talk about Ikemen Prince: Beauty and Her Beast which is made by CYBIRD. 

MAIN PLOT: You are an ordinary citizen of Rhodalite that works in a bookstore, living life through the stories written in books. One day, your pure heart caught the eye of a Royal Minister turning you into 'Belle'. Your job is to discern which of the 8 Princes are worth to be the next King of Rhodalite. With their own charms, any blossoming love will be doomed by the Clause 99 of Belle's Covenant.

MAIN ROUTES: 1st Prince Jin Grandet, 2nd Prince Chevalier Mitchel, 3rd Prince Clavis Lelouch, 4th Prince Leon Dompteur, 5th Prince Yves Kloss, 6th Prince Licht Klein, 7th Prince Nokto Klein, and 8th Prince Luke Randolph. Minister and King's Regent, Sariel Noir and, Your Butler, Rio Ortiz.

Currently, Clavis, Luke, Sariel, and Rio's routes are not yet released.

My first ever route in this game is, 2nd Prince Chevalier Mitchel. He is the cold character in this game, portrayed as cruel, cold, beast and lack of human heart, his route definitely intrigued me the most.

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THIS ROUTE!

Chevalier Mitchel is one of the first characters in Ikemen Prince that is introduced during the prologue. Honestly, his type of character is the one which I am very attracted to especially in terms of personality. I just like how stories go with a personality like his.

In the first part of his route, you shouldn't expect anything romantic of sorts with him. Chevalier is described as cold and very beast-like (aggressive, no mercy, and no heart), although a very common archetype in Otome games, I like how his character is written compared to the other ones I have played before.

The background of Chevalier is heavy and deeply rooted in his childhood, as said by Prince Clavis, the 3rd Prince, Chevalier had no heart since he is a kid. This means his attitude became very hard to discern from Belle's point of view. Especially when Belle is starting to see the human heart within the 'beast'.

There are parts in the story where I, as the player of the game, even wondered if I did choose the right route as the introduction to the game. I felt like it was too dramatic, too complicated, and like he was a bad character to choose which is exactly what Belle felt like in the story. To see the human heart within Chevalier as a character and suddenly being greeted by his brutality on how he decides to do things for their Kingdom is definitely a rollercoaster.

One of my favorite moments in the story though is the part where he is seen during the memorial of the soldiers that passed because of the war he caused. Acted tough as if he didn't mind the death of those soldiers when in reality, he wanted to remember each and every name that has died for their Kingdom and to continue to become the best leader for them. This is the part where Belle also starts to realize what he is.

He has a human heart but choose to pretend he doesn't have it!

I like the fact that this route isn't the usual 'bad guy became good' story, since he has been this way as a kid, it took a long time for Belle to change his heart. To be able to listen to his people instead of acting on what's best for the Kingdom regardless of who he hurt. Belle made him realize that there is, after all, a middle way when making a decision for the Kingdom and its people.

This route definitely didn't have a generic ending either, I chose the Romantic Route for the ending because I genuinely can't handle any more drama from his route. Either way, the ending is that Belle and Chevalier followed the Clause 99, even when both of them have strong feelings for each other.

They are not together for a year, pretending to be happy for each other even when they are apart. Prince Clavis, as annoying as he is in this story, became an important part of them getting back to each other after a year. The ending was nice and actually pretty sweet especially the epilogue.

To be honest, there is a part of me that wishes there was a choice for a sad ending, where they both don't end up together and find lovers of their own. But, the ending was sweet and not rushed at all.

If I have anything bad to say about this route, it probably is that Prince Clavis is annoying, he is an essential part of his route for it to actually happen but his character is annoying for me. Other than that, it's a good route and I would recommend it to anyone, maybe not as a first route though, it is very stressful!

Anyway, that is it for this route review. I am now doing my next route which is Yves Kloss, the 5th Prince! I will tell you my thoughts about him when I do finish his.

[t3kandson]

Burn Play

Word Count; 3,406

Fandom; BTOB

Rating; Explicit

Relationships; Reader x Shin Donggeun Aka Peniel

Characters; Shin Donggeun, mentions of Lee Changsub, Lee Minhyuk & IM Hyunsik

Warnings; Smut, Rope Play, Temperature play, Dominance (Peniel), & Body marking

You dragged yourself to your apartment, work had been busy and long. Your mobile had run out of battery and you knew your boyfriend would worry. You had run most of the 2 mile Journey home. You fumbled through your bag for the keys. As you saw your apartment entrance, you hardly noticed the tall well built man sitting on the front step, not until he stood up when you got closer.

His concerned frown instantly replaced by a blushing grin when he noticed your relief beaming smile at his appearance. You slid your arms around his waist snuggling into his marbled defined chest, as he kissed your head. “I was worried about you, you haven’t messaged since this morning,” he explained, holding you tightly and safely in his embrace. “My phone died,” You simply replied, snuggling him even more. You took a mental note to smell your favourite smell of Shin Donggeun, a mix of citrus, spice and musk. You shivered as the cold air hit your bare legs. “As much as I love holding you like this, maybe we should go inside before we catch a cold,” he chuckled. You looked up at him smiling down at you and before You could leave him, he kissed you briefly. The warmth of his quick embrace tingled your lips and made you shiver, but this time not from the chill in the air. He gently swatted your butt as he took the keys from your hand and opened up to the warmth of your small one bedroom apartment.

You enjoyed an evening of takeaway pizza he had treated you to, while you enjoyed a romantic movie. As You snuggled into his lap, his left hand was laced with yours, as his right hand massaged your head, occasionally gently threading through your hair as you was lost in the movie. This was your favourite end to what had been an exhausted day at work. Donggeun knew exactly how to make those days end perfectly. You had only been dating for a couple of months but he was the perfect boyfriend. Always listening to you drone on about the hardship of working as a PA for a rather traditional moody Bank CEO. He would often laugh and mock you, but at the same time help you find a way to deal with any work related disaster that came across. He had become not just your boyfriend, but your supporter and best friend. Though You could never admit that to your actual best friend Minhyuk.

He had been the one to introduce you both a year ago at one of his party’s that he held regularly. Donggeun was the quietest out the noisy bunch of friends Minhyuk regularly hanged around with. However that wasn’t an underestimate as Donggeun was neither a quiet guy, just he merrily was the less noisiest. He was the member of Minhyuk’s sports team friend that You hardly spoke to. So You had been taken back when Minhyuk had informed you on Donggeun’s crush. Your blushes encouraged Minhyuk and Changsub to act as Cupid. It had taken just mere days for you to see the beauty beneath the guy that was Shin Donggeun. After Hyunsik’s encouragement You had your first date and after the seventh, your first kiss. He was a pure gentleman taking everything slowly before you started officially dating.

He was attentive, always their when You needed him the most. Your sex life was amazing and he was so gentle with you, in fact often sometimes too gentle. It was as if he was worried he would hurt you if he unleashed himself fully. You had seen his dance moves at party’s and knew he could easy break your small petite frame if he let loose on you. You had broadened the subject a few times to reassure him he wouldn’t hurt you but he always brushed the conversation away.

As the film came to an end you noticed the time. You really didn’t want him to leave. You felt his presence was the best relief from the stresses of the day you had just had. “Peni,” You whispered his nickname against the music of the credit roll of the movie you had watched. “Hmmm,” he replied still massaging your head. “Can you stay tonight?” You asked. “If you want,” he replied not taking his eyes off you laying their, that it caused you to face him. He looked as if he was struggling to hold himself together. As you laid on your side to face him you became aware of his hardened member beneath his jeans. You couldn’t help but instantly reach out to touch it, feeling it strain against the hard material of his jeans. “He looks like he needs releasing,” you teased. He moaned while softly thrusting his hip against your palm. Humming in reply, he closed his eyes to the way you was fondling him. You moved to an easier position so that your fingers could meet with his jean buttons.

He picked you up by your waist so that you was on his lap straddling him. He grazed his teeth against his bottom of his lips as he looked at you deep in lust. Your eyes locked in with his adoring dark chocolate ones. His hands on the top of your shoulder pushing your weight on top of his bulge. You was sure you had drenched your pants so badly that you was sure you was leaving wet marks on his jeans. He then trailed a finger down your spine causing your body to shiver. Your body fell into the crook of his neck moaning as he repeated with his other hand, as he laughed softly at your reaction. He cupped your face, “your so cute,” he whispered, before placing his lips against yours. The softness had you melt into him as his tongue slid against yours. Your saliva coating each other as you both fell into the passion of the heated exchange between you. His hands softly stroking your arms that was placed on his defined chest.

He suddenly stood up wrapping your legs around his waist as he held you, not leaving your lips or changing your position as he carried you to your bedroom. The excitement causing your kisses to become more frenzied as he softly chuckled. The hummed vibration of his chuckle causing your hands to pull him further against you, so your kisses was more passionate.

He gently released you on to the bed leaving your mouth empty. You pouted causing him to chuckle even harder as he stood back to see you in the hot mess his kisses had left you. His face then changed to more serious, “I want to try something with you,” he asked. “Yes you know I’m up for anything as long as it’s with you,” you replied. “Why would it be with anyone else?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You know what I meant,” you replied, attempting to swatt him but he moved backward smirking at you. His expression instantly became infectious as You smirk back at him. “What I want to do….. I’m scared i’ll hurt you,” he said lowly, changing his smirk to an more anxious expression. You got off the bed to cup his face. “I trust you,” you whispered smiling at him. He looked at you as if he was arguing inwardly with himself. “I’m not made of glass you know………… it won’t harm me being broken a little,” you teased. “I want this too, you know I want you to be rough with me. I want you to experiment with me in every way possible,” you added. He looked deep in thought as he looked at the bed behind you. He took his hands to lace with yours still cupped round his face. “If I become too much, you have to say,” he pleaded looking for a sign that you wasn’t ready for what ever he had planned. You smiled reassuringly, “yes I promise.”

He returned his lips to yours more harder as he gently stroked your shoulder but also encouraging you to walk backwards to the bed. As the back of your knee felt the mattress he slid his hands behind your knee causing your legs to collapse. You hurtled into the bed taking yourself by surprise. You grabbed onto his jumper as his hand caught your head from the unexpected movement. As he hovered over your body still taken by surprise. “If you want me to stop you have to say Red,” he said as he searched your face. You smiled and nodded. “What did I say?” he asked. “If, that’s if, I can’t take no more, I have to say red,” you teased. “Y/N I’m being serious, I don’t want to hurt you if I get too lost in your beauty,” he said seriously. You looked at him more serious and nodded. “Wait their then,” he said, taking one look at you as he left for a couple minutes, returning with his rucksack. He placed it by the bed. Looked at you once more and rolled his neck as if he unearthed his true inner sex godness

He prowled rather sexually towards you, throwing his lips against yours much more harder causing you to momentary giggle. He clamped his teeth against your bottom lip making you Yelp in surprise. Worried he would return back to worrying, he instead looked at you with a mischievous grin. Pinning your hands to the side of your head, lacing his fingers through gently as he rolled his body into yours. Your heart skipped a beat as you felt the tenderness of your heat. Feeling the hardening bulge in his jeans slam against you, you moaned. He leant towards your ear, “I’m going to fuck you so hard, but first Were going to play,” he whispered, biting your ear lobe causing another whimper. “Now let’s get these clothes off,” he said through light kisses on your neck causing your skin to tingle.

He removed your clothes caught between moments of his usual gentle Kissing till you was in just your underwear. He then reached in to his bag taking items out and placing them on the floor. He had scorned you when you lifted your head to investigate. He emerged with some red rope. Your eyes you sure was gleaming with excitement. Donggeun was focused on lacing the rope through the metal bars on the head rest, leaving enough rope at the ends draped over the corner of the bed. When he was finished attending to the rope, he looked at you. He breathed deeply as he took you in laying their with anticipation at what he had planned. He raised his eyebrow erotically and returned his soft kisses to your lips. Trailing them down your neck and without warning dug his teeth in, causing your body to jolt against him. “Fuck,” you screamed out between pain and arousal. His fingers gently lacing yours as he gently kissed his mark on your neck. He trailed kisses towards your lips. Biting down on your bottom lip before digging his teeth in to the other side of your neck, this time you prepared for it. Your pelvis lifted to meet his bulge causing him to gently growl. You tried to move your hands breaking them free for a second from his. “No I never said you could leave my hands did i?” he said, biting the exposed part of your breast. Another groan left you as your body thrashed underneath him. The sensitive roll of pain washed by tingling pleasure followed.

He left your hands to pull on the rope tying each wrist up tightly, which caused your wrist to burn if you pulled on it. “You rebel against me I’ll tie your ankles too,” he threatened causing you to laugh. He raised his eyebrow. “Are you laughing at me Y/N?” He said looking serious. He looked so hot and you felt the wetness in your heat increase. “Sorry,” you whispered causing him to evilly smirk. “That’s what I thought,” he said, returning his lips back to your shoulders. Kissing gently before sinking his teeth in again on your shoulder blade. The pain rippling through you as your hands instinctly thrashing, causing the rope to burn. Oddly despite the pain a wave of tingling washed over you.

You felt your body rebel against the torture confusing it with pleasure. Your Bud began to throb desperate for any contact. You raised your pelvis to meet his bulged cock, causing him to moan. He threw his head back before snapping his hip against yours. You moaned at the contact and pulled at the burning ropes, causing another wave of tingling. lifting your pelvis again to Donggeun, he repeated the same attack against your body. “Do it one more time I dare you?” he threatened, looking at you almost panting. You couldn’t help but challenge him and lifted your pelvis for that connection. This time he moved his body back so You couldn’t feel his bulge against you.

“I warned you,” he hissed. He leant to the side of the bed pulling another rope into his grip. This time he tied your ankles to the bottom of the bed, so that you couldn’t move. This time instead of attending to kiss your neck, he looked at you ripping your pants, leaving you exposed to him. “Oh look at you, your all wet for me,” he smirked, as he gently brushed his fingers against your sensitive bud. Your body tensed and fought against the rope. The burning tingling wave increasing as the rope burned against your ankles, adding to it’s affect. You threw you head as far into the mattress moaning as your body rebelled against the suppose torture of the burns.

Donggeun slipped his fingers into you, “so wet for me,” he smirked, as you nodded in reply. “Who owns this?” he asked speeding his fingers, ploughing then into you. “You do, you own this, you own me,” you said panting. You felt a second finger join, “look at you so greedy,” he teased, “Bet you want my cock in you,” he added, as he added a third finger causing your body to thrash and burn.

“I think your too greedy,” he hissed. “I think you should be punished for that,” he added, removing his fingers to your whimpers. “I’m sorry I’ll try not to be greedy,” you said, rocking your pelvis gently to avoid the rope biting as you attempted to keep your arms and legs straight. “Your pretty much getting off on nothing and you tell me your sorry for being greedy,” Donggeun sneered, Looking at your uncontrollable self. He left the room leaving you their tied to the bed and naked from the bottom. It wasn’t long before he returned with a bag and placed it on the floor, before you could attempt to guess what was in it.

He lifted a candle and a lighter from the side of the bed. He sat at the side of the bed as he lit the candle. Taking you in he looked at you adoringly before his mischievous expression returned. He kissed your lips gently before tipping the candle over your stomach. The burn at the instant touch causing you to jolt, repeating the rope burn pleasurable waves washing over you. He dribbled the candle over your pelvis repeating the burning build up. You was so turned on you felt your walls clench around nothing as you panted through the arousal sensitive feeling. “Please I’m sorry,” you pleaded. He dribbled the wax against your heat as it dribbled down towards your folds burning and tingling as it dripped.

He blew the candle out as he removed his top showing his warm chest. He was well defined and kept his body well. He undid the rope around your ankle your body shaking from excitement and anticipation. He wriggled his hands behind your body searching the clasp of your bra. “Maybe I should have removed this first,” he giggled as his usual gentle voice returned. You returned his giggle as he unclasped you. He looked at you his stoic face returning. “Are you laughing at me?” he spluttered. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to, I promise I won’t do it again,” you pleaded. Your body couldn’t take any more sensitive play and needed something a little more then air or fingers in you. He stood up removing his jeans and pants freeing his long thick cock. He pulled the skin back as he pleasured himself looking at your body.

He bent down into the bag and popped something in his mouth. He returned to the bed hovering over you. Taking your nipple in his mouth, icy coldness burning your skin as you realised he had an ice cube in his mouth. Keeping your hands still as you used your free legs to thrash underneath the wave of tingling following. He continued to torture you as he dragged the ice cube towards your other nipple. The burn biting you as you rocked your pelvis moaning out. Donggeun sunk his fingers back in to your wet pussy as they slowly fucked you. Dragging the almost melted ice cube to your belly button leaving it against the hardening wax that had deposited earlier. Your moans loudening at his fingers fucking you at a faster pace. He removed them as you gasped at the emptyness.

However, it wasn’t long before he sunk his cock into you causing you to fight against the rope around your wrist, your body extra sensitive around him. Your walls already clamping against his cock. “Look at your hungry pussy eating my cock,” he muttered against your neck. He yanked your hair when you didn’t reply, “answer me?” he spluttered. “Yes…. yes I’m hungry,” you whined as he thrusted in to you hard that you felt a pain in the deepest part of you, followed by that familiar wave of tingling as you screamed out. He continued to thrust into you hard and slow at first. Your body screaming out at him you had never felt so sensitive and aroused.

He gently kissed your chin as his hands laced around the rope, freeing your hands. His fingers found yours, lacing together gently. He sped against you the deep thrusts pounding in to you as his eyes locked in to yours. The sweat dripping off his face as he fucked you hard and fast but at the same time his hands and eyes adoring you. You felt your high closing in as he further sped up. Your screams growing louder. You felt from your core a burning heat rise through your body as you screamed through your building orgasm. Your head lolled back as you lost visual for a few seconds. Your body thrashing violently underneath Donggeun’s remaining sloppy but hard thrusts. His moans deeper as he chased his own high. Your body remained so sensitive that you orgasm continued as if it was never ending. Your vision returning but seeing stars as he thrusted heavily through his orgasm. Hot cum filling you as his pace slowed with your body still thrashing underneath him, shaking as your high began to calm down. It had been the best orgasm you had ever experienced because you let him get lost in you. He rolled off you and laid panting by your side.

He left to the bathroom returning minutes later with a cloth as he washed your body from the wax and cum. When he was finished he kissed your ankles from the rope burn and your wrists followed by the marks he left. He looked into your exhausted eyes, “I didn’t hurt you did I?” he said searching your eyes. “Yes you did….. but I bloody loved every minute of it,” you replied with a smile that mirrored his seconds later. He pulled you to his chest. “Oh I have plenty of tricks to play with you, if your up for it,” he said. You hummed against his chest before replying, “I can’t wait.” You closed your eyes listening to his thumping heart beat beneath you. He sensed sleep wasn’t far. “But your have to wait till then,” he said stroking your head. “For now just sleep,” he said kissing the top of your head as sleep washed over both of you

Masterlist

[sserpente]

A/N: Request by @nebulousfishgills. Let’s be honest, fluffy and romantic is what defines Thomas Sharpe. Have a lovely Christmas Eve, everyone! ♥

Words: 1438 Warnings: fluff

You were humming Jingle Bells. If there was one positive thing about being snowed in in midst of massive land in England inside a house in which only a few rooms were heated, then it was Christmas approaching.

When you had fallen in love with Thomas, the decision to move in with him had come quick. You were a young woman to be married and your father wanted to know you in the hands of a wealthy man. It had all happened a little too fast for your liking but then again, Sir Thomas Sharpe was wonderful. He treated you like a princess, making sure you were comfortable and had even promised to start renovating the house with you in the new year.

Only Lucille was not at all delighted by the fact you had become the third household member. One night, you had overheard him and her talking about you, about how they desperately needed the dowry of your father to keep the mansion in good condition.

It had all been almost too quick of an engagement for Thomas too, you realised that when you found out Lucille had pressured him into proposing to you so soon. You sighed. It is what it is. You would make the best out of the situation—starting with Christmas decorations and a Christmas tree which someone from town would kindly deliver to you in time for Christmas Eve.

“This looks lovely, dearest.” Thomas took off his coat. He had just returned from the attic, crafting away.

You smiled. “It’s not much but I like it.”

“You might like this then.” He announced, producing a small object. Your jaw dropped.

“It’s a nutcracker! Oh Thomas, it’s beautiful! I love it! Did you make it yourself?” It was wearing a red coat and black shoes, made of wood and painted by hand. Thomas must have used the filling of an old pillow to give it a bit of a beard and the gold chain of one of Lucille’s broken necklaces to complete his armour.

“That I did.”

“It must have taken you days! Let me put him on the nightstand. Thank you, Thomas.” Standing on your toes, you pressed your lips against his cheek. You had not exactly gone any further than a few chaste kisses here and there and the odd cuddling at night—that, you saved for your wedding night. It was due as soon as the snow melted.

“You are welcome.” Thomas answered, pulling you into a hug. “I was hoping to make the holidays a merry time for you, being so far away from home, here with us. Consider it an early Christmas present.”

“All this house needs is a little love and warmth. You are my family now. Now,” you began, quickly depositing the nutcracker on your nightstand. “I am done here. Let us head downstairs and decorate the living room. I believe a wreath would look pretty on Lucille’s piano, and some stockings above the chimney.”

Thomas’ sincere expression faltered.

“Is… is there a problem?”

“No. No, not at all, dearest.” But his smile did not quite reach his eyes this time. “Let us decorate.”

-

By the time Lucille returned from her shopping trip in town to get new supplies for cooking (along with your polite request for turkey, for you wanted to make a proper Christmas dinner for everyone), Thomas and you were almost done. Only one corner in the living room had remained untouched to leave some space for the Christmas tree.

Utter shock spread on her face when she spotted all the garlands and baubles which you had brought from home.

“Thomas, what is all this?”

“Christmas decoration?” You chirped.

“This is… Thomas and I don’t celebrate Christmas.” She announced coldly. Your lips parted, your gaze darting to Thomas. So that is why he had been hesitating about decorating the living room.

“Lucille…” He began.

“We don’t celebrate Christmas, Thomas. Not since mother died. You said nothing would change when you confessed to me that you love her.” She spat, pointing at you as if you were some sort of vermin. You sighed. You had always known that Lucille didn’t particularly like you. Thomas had told you about their both tragic and traumatising backstory too and that she was both protective and possessive when it came to the younger Sharpe sibling. That, however, had not stopped you from falling in love with Thomas. In fact, it made you love him all the more.

“…she is away from home, I wanted to—“ Thomas was just saying.

“This is your new home now!” Lucille spat at you. “Get used to it.”

“Lucille. I will not let you stop me from celebrating Christmas with my fiancé. Either you calm down and join us or you retreat to your room but let us be.”

“This is ridiculous.” With pursed lips, she darted forward and ripped the stockings off the chimney, tossing them into the open fireplace. You gasped. Those had belonged to your grandfather. He had loved American traditions which was why you had put them above the chimney in the first place. Tears formed in your eyes, worsening your sight.

As much as you had grown to love Thomas, you truly hated this place.

“Lucille!” Thomas bellowed.

“I got your bloody turkey, is that not enough?”

Suppressing a sob, you turned on your heel and fled, back upstairs and into Thomas’ bedroom. You had not expected him to follow you so soon, only a minute after, however, the baronet entered and shut the door quietly behind him.

Your heart jumped when he muttered your name. “I am so sorry. I will get you new stockings. The most beautiful ones I can find. In fact, I will head to town right now and see if—“

“No! No, don’t go.” You sat up from the bed, your face reddened and eyes swollen from crying. “Don’t leave me here alone. Thomas… it’s… it’s not just about the stockings. How will I ever be happy in this place if Lucille spends every minute trying to make my life here a living hell? She hates me, Thomas.” You sobbed, allowing him to pull you into his embrace. He wanted to object and tell you that you were wrong, that his sister did not hate you… but he couldn’t. Because it would have been a lie.

“Thomas… why don’t we leave? Lucille is suffocating you and you know that.”

“I…” He paused, unsure of what to say. “Would you already like to open your Christmas present? Just the two of us? Would that cheer you up?”

“But… you already gave me the nutcracker. Tell me you didn’t spend any money on me.” You complained half-heartedly. Thomas shook his head with a smile. He stood, walking over to his side of the bed and producing a white envelope from his bedside table.

His expression was so sincere and loving that you feared your heart might melt, despite of what Lucille had just done.

“Open it.”

With trembling fingers and after drying your tears a little, you did as you were told, revealing a piece of paper which looked a little like a postcard.

“It’s… a picture?”

Thomas chuckled. “It is about what is in the picture. I sold a few of my old drafts for machine parts, it was enough for a deposit. The drawing of this little seaside cottage right here—it will be ours. It lies south of London, near Brighton.”

“W-what do you mean? You bought it?”

“I paid the down payment. I thought… I know you don’t feel at home here—I understand that. But the house is all the Lucille and I have left, this property… I thought perhaps we could spend the warm months together in the cottage, the cold months in Allerdale Hall with Lucille… or… or the other way around, if you’d prefer—”

You interrupted him with a passionate kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck and climbing on his lap and straddling him.

“This is wonderful, Thomas.” You said when you broke apart again, your lips swollen. “I love it. It will be our own little kingdom, just the two of us.”

“Yes.” He confirmed, still breathless from your kiss.

“Let us… let us put up the Christmas tree here, in your bedroom. Lucille doesn’t need to see it if she is so uncomfortable with the idea of Christmas. As long as you are here with me?”

Thomas nodded. The idea was reasonable. “I shall never leave your side again.”

“Merry Christmas, Thomas.” The baronet smiled.

“Merry Christmas, my future wife.”

-

I hope you’ll all have a peaceful Christmas Eve with your friends and family! ♥

A/N: If you enjoyed this story, I would appreciate it so much if you considered supporting me on Kofi! It’s either for caffeine or red wine, I’ll take both. ko-fi.com/sserpente