#otp: maybe we were never meant to be

[vir-bellanaris]

I love your blog and I hope this doesn’t come across rude but I feel like you and a lot of people are overlooking the glaring issues this game has. The writing is abysmal and they are clearly trying to pander the series towards a new audience. Whatever lore they had built up has not been addressed or has been trickled down into crumbs. That ending with Solas and the inquisitor was ridiculously bad and I don’t think we should praise them for giving us fans crumbs when they had built up this idea of a solavellan reunion and us getting a satisfying resolution. Ghil Dirthalen, a massive creator has openly been shitting on people in a recent tweet because we are ‘upset’ and put it down to people getting too invested into their headcanons. No, it is because we have been waiting for SO long, (some people who have been OG fans since Origins) and their beloved series gets turned into this? I’m tired of seeing empty praise and people not calling out Bioware’s shortcomings. This is the worst dragon age game we have ever gotten and at this point, I hope the IP dies.

Hey, normally I wouldn't post this to my blog cause I'm trying to stay positive but I do agree with everything you've said!

I don't think anything I've seen was "well-written," and I do think people have a right to be disappointed.

But hear me out now, if you will. I am simply thrilled we got a Solavellan resolution. A happy one. One where they don't both die, because honestly fam, that's what I was expecting.

To be frank, I don't care about the game as a whole. It will probably be quite a while before I play it, if I even do. I was solely invested in what happens to Solas and Lavellan.

Bestie, we got a kiss. A kiss. I can't even complain because a year ago I never thought there'd be anything ever again aside from fanwork for those two, my OTP since I was 18.

Am I peeved about some things I've seen, like the lore being messed up, etc, yes. But again, my expectations were rock bottom, so maybe I'm feeling it a bit less.

I'm sorry so many people are so upset, and I'm trying to spread positivity where I can for those who felt let down ❤️🫂

I know how much these stories have meant to people for literal decades. I know how much Solavellan means to so many people. And now, because of the ending we were given, it opens up a whole world where we can explore what happens next for those two.

And as an aside, I know there are people who are LOVING the game and are thrilled with the Solavellan ending (myself included) and the last thing I want to do is take that joy away from them.

[sisterdivinium]

You know, for a show with so many female characters that so many of us love given how they all get time in the spotlight one way or another and they fill that time up rather wonderfully since they are deeper and more developed than what we're used to seeing in general media, it is peculiar (to say the least) to see so few "alternative" ships to the main one.

I'm not saying the canon ship doesn't deserve its attention -- I'm wondering instead why the canon ship and it alone seem to guide the WN fans who just so happen to enjoy writing/reading fic or fanart or whatever.

You'd think all these cool women would inspire more ships or combinations thereof, but those of us who aren't invested in avatrice just... Float along, around one another, ignored (and, yes, mostly undisturbed too; being unpopular does have its advantages and that includes a lot less weirdos leaving you strange or awkward messages -- it does not, however, shield us from people flooding our goddamn tags on AO3 with fic that has nothing to do with our little ships and I do wish such negligence of the pairing itself meant we didn't have to deal with this spam...)

I am also not saying that fandom activity should be based solely on shipping (and recently someone on Reddit was rather confused by the fact that a lot of it is, which is quite an interesting topic to discuss in itself -- after all, there is more to fan creativity than shippy fic... Or there used to be), merely that, here, it appears that a canon relationship can outshine interest in the other, non-canon ones. It's already there and it was doubtless well-done by the show, so it's natural that it should claim people's attention, sure. It's just that being canon was never the parameter for whether people were interested in these or those two (or more) characters maybe being involved and trying to explore what that could mean through fanwork.

There has always been a complaint haunting fandom spaces concerning the minuscule amounts of f/f fic, art, discussion, w/e based on how few (interesting or sympathetic or relatable) female characters there are in media at large. So what I'm curious about is why fan creations made around WN -- a show that finally gives us a whole cast of female characters that are what we have been craving for decades -- don't also reflect its diversity.

There are alternative ships (I'm here, all happy in my tiny Doctor Superion bubble, and I know there are Camila/Lilith, Ava/Lilith, Mary/Shannon, Mary/Lilith shippers out there, so a warm hello to you if you're reading this), but go on AO3 and compare the numbers of things tagged with these proper pairings to the grand total of WN stories. Better (or worse) still, do so with the "otp: true" trick or simply by excluding avatrice from the search to see how many are left.

It's... A considerable difference. And a mystery, at least to me.

[arkiwii]

for the ask thingie!

exusiai 1 and 8, silence 3 aaand 17. 17 seems like a fun one.

the thingie!! thanks for the questions OM NOM NOM

1. Why I love Exusiai, like her or hate her.

ok, I don't do Exusiai justice. like at all. I don't do justice to a lot of my favs actually. but I swear that she's one of my favorite characters and the first character I got invested in. she was my first 6-stars, so of course! and also, fun fact, the very first Arknights fanart I did was her.

but why i appreciate her so much?? well she's silly! yeah there's not much, but it's like, she's a character i'd love to be friend with IRL. she's easy going, really cool, funny and so lively, but also very nice and generous, also very pretty!! not in an attracted way, more in a Gender Envy way. anyway, she's just so cool!! and quite a simple character to follow around and understand. big thumbs up for the apple pie queen 👍

also with my bestie we tend to joke that "ahah my bestie is literally Exusiai irl" because of how both look like each other in term of personality, so naturally I'm attached to the character pfft

8. A headcanon I have about Exusiai.

mmm but despite how I appreciate her, she's not the character who takes a whole lot of place in my head, so I don't have many headcanons about her. BUT as I mentioned earlier, I headcanon her as being in the arospec. I dunno! I just don't imagine her getting into a relationship, but more being platonically affective with about everyone she appreciates. I just can imagine that she's not interested in it, and that anyway, she wouldnt like the idea to give "more" to someone in particular. life's more about having fun and living it at its fullest rather than finding love! and she's not in need of affection anyway, she has really reliable friends around her.

but YEAH, you will probably notice that I have a lot of arospec headcanons in Arknights LMAO I just think they're as valid!

3. If I have an OTP for Silence.

is this a serious question

have you looked at my blog in the past 6 months.

obviously its silence/ptilopsis

(jokes aside, MAYBE you meant to ask the question 4? if I have a NOTP with her? unless you were genuine with the question. in that case well uh. gesture at my +40 art pieces of Silence/Saria. I think that I'm normal about them)

17. How well Silence would do if she was dropped in a horror movie.

oh boy. it will HEAVILY depend on WHICH Silence we're talking about.

Pre-Diαbolic Experiment: very bad. she would need someone stronger than her to rely on. never leave her alone, she would panic. she would mostly be that one character who will try to solve the mystery and be nerding around. but god, she would be so insecure and paranoid.

Post-Diαbolic Experiment: final girl. she will try to rationalize what is going on. she would go on on her own, or will be protecting someone. she will try to carry all the responsibilities, fear and such, but it will become way too heavy for her, and she will often show weakness when danger is not around - and no one else is around, tbh.

Post-Lone Trail: EVERYONE is getting out of there alive or else she will make it everyone's problem. she will act like a guardian or leader, will try to take every best solution and think rationally, make sure everyone is fine and safe. she wouldn't be that much scared, honestly; she's not all strong, but way stronger than before. of course, she still needs her comforting moments, and she's far from the best physically speaking, but her will is of steel.

in all cases anyway, if someone died in front of her, she wouldn't be able to take it and will be broken on the spot. especially if it's someone she was meant to protect, she will blame herself for being too weak.

[lusthurts]

sebastian and blaine for the character asks <3

ahhh hi bestie im so excited to yap about these two <333

sebastian smythe

how I feel about this character

Sebastian is the love of my life <3 I'm obsessed with writing this character and reading this character and consuming any and all content related to this character.

I have sooooo many head canons about him, and the way I feel about him/his backstory/his personality has evolved a ton over the years, even since I've been writing about him. He has that snark and edge that I love to a character with a clearly very interesting past that we have complete creative liberties to explore. it's so fun and I love him !

all the people I ship romantically with this character

BLAINE! seblaine is of course my otp, and no ship will ever come close to them for me in terms of the extreme brain rot obsession I have because of them - I love that they sort of balance each other out and have this undeniable chemistry that's pretty monumental for both of them and leaves a lot of room for us to explore

I don't think anything will ever come close to them for me, and I fully cannot bring myself to get behind kurtbastian no matter how much I love enemies to lovers as a trope (though when my mutuals write kurtbastian I still try to read it lol)

I did enjoy writing jeff x sebastian in how bright we burn (totally snuck up on me on accident - he needed to be with one of the other warblers for plot reasons and I picked Jeff because they're always in shots together in canon) but that's not something I think I'd ever be super into on like,, a bigger scale - I love it as a platonic ship though

my non-romantic otp for this character

honestly, the warblers as a whole - I really like the idea of Sebastian not really fitting in anywhere/never feeling at home anywhere before dalton and being very reluctant to get close with them at first which resulted in him coming on a little strong/trying to take control rather than trying to develop meaningful friendships, but then by the end he's found he really cares about them and wants them to succeed and finally feels like he's found a home and core group of friends

OH and i ADORE his friendship with cooper in the I'll be there for you series - their dynamic together is fantastic and I think probably the best written friendship for Sebastian that I've ever read

my unpopular opinion about this character

I'm not sure if this is unpopular or not, but I do really like that he's an imperfect person who clearly has a lot of growing up to do. He acts like an asshole and he is one kind of a lot of the time, but even the things he does maliciously aren't meant to be that harmful, and there's clearly a complicated person beneath the surface. I love slutty Sebastian and snarky Sebastian and bullying/blackmail/assault Sebastian so so much

I also don't like the idea of him being "soft" or immediately comfortable in a relationship with blaine just because he's the person he's meant to be with - a lot of my head canons about him revolve around him having a kind of unhealthy relationship with love/relationships, and I don't think it's realistic that they'd just immediately be in a happy relationship. I love fluff as much as the next person, but I definitely don't think their problems end when they get together.

one thing I wish would happen/had happened with this character in canon

obviously seblaine - even if they'd just given us a little bit behind the scenes (what were those phone calls and texts??? they were clearly good friends!!)

I wish he'd been around more after season 3 - I realize because of real life reasons this was impossible, and he probably would've been back quite a bit if it wasn't for the flash, but I would've loved to see him develop friendships and plots and sing more songs and maybe have a relationship or two

blaine anderson

how I feel about this character

he's one of my first favorite glee characters and one of the main reasons I still love this show

I think I relate to him more than I relate to any of the other characters in the show - he has that passionate, overachiever, ruthless drive for success thing that Rachel has but he's also clearly very anxious about things and experiences depression and has some attachment issues, and I think all that makes him a much more complicated character than he's given credit for

all the people I ship romantically with this character

Sebastian ofc - see above lol

I used to be a huge blam fan - I haven't read or written them in a long time but I still think this is probably my second favorite blaine ship - they have a lot of chemistry together with a lot of fantastic scenes and development in season 4 specifically, and I think this would've been a cool path to go down during their senior year in the post-kurt/mercedes era

I also used to love klaine (prior to realizing how toxic that relationship was lol) - they were def cute in season 2, and they were probably one of the first queer ships I saw on tv that I felt that attached too. I think if handled better in the later seasons they could've been great, and I think if they're written well they can be a lovely ship - I played blaine in a glee rpg during covid (dark times lmao) and I found writing klaine with a person who really cared for writing Kurt's character well to be super fun

my non-romantic otp for this character

definitely sam & tina! blamtina is my favorite trio in the show, and I think their friendship felt very realistic and well-developed, especially for something that really only existed to that extent for one season

a close second would be rachel - I think blaine and rachel definitely get each other in a way the other new directions don't really, and I enjoy their dynamic a lot, especially in the beginning of season 6

oh and the warblers. he referred to that group as a brotherhood and then just,, left ? makes it hard to believe they were as close as he said, but I also will die on the hill that he must've had strong relationships with those guys if they got him from how he must've felt post Sadie Hawkins to the guy that was confidently singing the lead at every performance

my unpopular opinion about this character

while I do think he was occasionally too whiny and treated as a caricature in the later seasons, I also think a lot of that was the natural progression of his character given the circumstances he was dealing with. I think it's very natural for insecurities to come up when you go from where he was at in season 2 (star/lead vocalist of the warblers, admired and beloved by his peers, confidently helping Kurt through the bullying and trauma of McKinley) to season 3 (ignored/disregarded by ND's leaders like finn, only getting the occasional line or two in performances, treated almost exclusively as Kurt's boyfriend)

he was more interesting in seasons 2 & 4 when he was single than he was at any point during his relationship with kurt

one thing I wish had happened with this character in canon

seblaine !

or honestly getting to see him in any romantic relationship with someone other than Kurt (karofsky doesn't count lol we all collectively pretend that didn't happen)

why do we know like nothing about his life !! he's one of the major characters in the show (second in solos only to Rachel I think?) and yet all we get are a few one off and very concerning lines about his dad??? then his mom randomly shows up at the wedding??? and cooper's there but only for an episode and then never brought up again??? girl what I need to know his lore

[kyouka-supremacy]

Ryu for the ask game?

Omg thank you all for asking this character I totally didn't specifically ask to be asked about and who I love a perfectly normal amount giggles and twirls hair

Favorite thing about them: He really strives to be good. Good at something, anything, but just good. He constantly fights against his own narrative and I find it very admirable. He was doomed from the start to fail and I feel like he knows that, and I don't know how he finds the strength to keep trying anyway but he does and it's really neat. Maybe his skull really is too thick to listen to the words of a predetermined fate. Just the whole thing about being the tragic character of all time is very compelling to me. Also, his inherently meaningless seeking a validation to live he shares with Atsushi makes me like him for reasons similar to Atsushi.

Least favorite thing about them: MMMHHHH,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Like I really like his flaws, I'm happy he has them, I wouldn't like him the same if he didn't? But at least I can safely say it's someone I wouldn't like to deal with irl lol.

Favorite line:

<3

brOTP: GIN AND RYUUNOSUKE!!!!! They make me go insane. Holding hands while working in the darkness fr. Being lonely together. Someone who's seen you at your worst FOR REAL but still hasn't abandoned you for some unfathomable reason. I don't know what goes through your mind but I see your eyes and they're the same as mine. Also mmmmhhhh sskk. Chuuaku. Kyouka and Akutagawa though I'm not sure that can count as brotp. Lucy and Akutagawa.

OTP: Sskk is like, pretty cool if you ask me <3 Imagine a fully rotten individual who was never meant for anything but killing and making people suffer since they were born, loving someone. Imagine the “I will kill you” being replaced by “I will love you”. But also imagine being so deeply interlaced with another person, your existence just can't escape the other. Destined to be together and destined to fall apart at the same time. I'll never be able to move forward until I've denied your very being but if you die my existence will stop having a meaning. Don't tell me what to do. I will follow you to the end of the world. I will kill you. I will die for you. I just think them <333 Chuuaku too, have already spent countless words on them but. Finally a ship that's real and relatable. Finally something that doesn't feel ethereal and idealized and distant and untouchable, but real and stained and messy and human. What if I didn't understand you but I wanted to. What if we walked together home. They're neat <333 Other Akutagawa ships I vibe with would be Akutagawa × Beast Atsushi, Akutagawa × Tachihara, Akutagawa × Kajii, akuatsulucy...

nOTP: 🤨🤔🧐

Random headcanon: I think he's numb to pain. And I don't mean it in the “oh no he suffered so much he's used to it at this point :((( ” pitying way, I mean it in the “he's felt such very strong spikes of pain in multiple occasions, his pain detectors just gave out” way. The “he won't notice a wound because he just can't feel it” way.

Unpopular opinion: In the last period, it's been bugging me a little how Akutagawa and Dazai's relationship is portrayed in fancontent. It's just always so black and white, while actually I feel like there's so much nuisance to it that just gets lost in fandom. Yes, the way Dazai treated Akutagawa was horrible and inhuman. Yes, to an extent Dazai thought highly of Akutagawa's abilities and cared for him. Yes, Akutagawa was victim of Dazai's heavy abuse. No, Akutagawa isn't entirely subject to Dazai, he explicitly gave his consent to an hard training (which, I reiterate, doesn't justify it at all; but does give more nuisance to the whole situation) and did oppose him in multiple occasions. I just think sometimes Akutagawa is framed as this helpless damsel in distress and Dazai as this inhuman monster whereas their relationship is indeed unhealthy, but still so much more complex than that. And just, really, I feel like portraying Akutagawa so helpless in Dazai's hands makes him a disservice? Even though in canon he said to be willing to kill Dazai on multiple occasions, has punched him more than once, has told straight “no”s to his face. I just think... People tend to make Akutagawa a lot less aware than he actually is. Here, there it is, that's what really troubles me. Akutagawa does know Dazai hurt him. He does know Dazai's treatment of him was cruel, and unfair. He is aware of what Dazai did to him. That just can't stop him from seeking his approval, even against his will. But to think that Akutagawa is blind to everything Dazai did to him does him a disservice, because he really is not that stupid or with completely null self-awareness. The fact that he tends to run after Dazai despite knowing how much he's hurt him is just further proof of how complex and human-like Akutagawa's psyche is. Also, he does NOT like reading. All my homies hate booknerd Akutagawa.

Song i associate with them: Well, I associate with him songs I definitely shouldn't associate with him alcfjyalfiygaslfiya. One song I always listen to that infallibly makes me think of Akutagawa although it really DOES NOT fit Akutagawa is Patchwork Staccato by toa, with its delicious sewing symbolism and words of toxic codependent relationships and the line you, I'd really rather you just stop existing I just can't help but link to him. Or Vampire by DECO*27, which. self-explanatory. but really shouldn't be associated with Akutagawa. On the side of songs that do fit Akutagawa, Tokyo Teddy Bear (AKUTAGAWA SEWING SYMBOLISM MY ULTIMATE BELOVED) and Lost One's Weeping (“Who stained that heart black? Who was it? Who was it!?” “Can you untie the rope around his neck? Can we keep going like this? What're you gonna do? I don't care anymore!” “But why does this lump in our hearts // Say we want to disappear? Say we want to die?” “Can you remember the dreams of your childhood? Who threw those dreams in a ditch? Who was it!? You know who it was! When are you going to grow up!? What is a grown-up anyway? Who has the answers? What're you gonna do? I don't care anymore!”) and basically everything from Neru. And Rolling Girl by wowaka, obviously.

Favorite picture of them:

Favourite panel from the manga: The one above LMAO. I. Really like that scene and think it's the most beautiful climax Akutagawa's character arc could have ever had. Here's my second favourite though:

Favourite illustration: There's a lot of beautiful ones...

Favourite illustration in the anime art style:

BUT ALSO this please don't make me choose. And various anime screencaps. I feel like I'm cheating but maybe it's unethical to ask from me to pick a favourite Akutagawa picture in the first place.

Favourite Mayoi card:

Send me a character?

[cleverthylacine]

Okay. Wow. (also feel free to circulate this post to people even if they don't like me)

I didn't want to make a post like this but things have gone too far. I am still not mentioning names. If you know you know, if you don't know, ignore this post and be happy that you don't know.

Yesterday I went on a blitz of blocking people I was told had been sharing my private DMs and talking shit about me behind my back with an artist who is freaked out that I told them I wouldn't take down a reblog, and then explained that they are popular with RavWave shippers, and that I didn't know who they were until other shippers sent me their stuff, because their art does look shippy to us.

It seems that a lot of the people who are really mad about this (and you're welcome to share this one post of mine with those people, though I do not appreciate that their friends have been stalking my blog in general) think that I was trying to ARGUE with that person.

Much as their motivation in drawing the art was not to depict my OTP, my motivation in telling them that they accidentally did was not to argue with them about how they should view the relationship. It was information about why people get what is apparently the wrong idea about their art.

If I were writing or drawing something that was being misinterpreted all over creation, I would want to know why.

Then I would be armed with the knowledge to decide whether or not I wanted to do things differently in the future.

"I don't care what those people think" is a valid decision. So is "hmm, maybe she has a point." Whichever decision I made, I'd want to make it as an informed decision.

I feel a little sorry about this giant misunderstanding, but I'm absolutely disinclined to apologise because:

Their first message to me was insulting. Many people believe that it was a "polite request". But polite words can be used in a thoroughly rude and nasty way. There is no nice way to tell someone that you think they're so nasty you don't want your public posts appearing on their blog.

Saying no to requests is a thing that people are allowed to do.

Their second message to me, which evaded my block because it was sent to another account, was blatantly offensive and went into the quality of my family and relationships. I didn't respond to that because I'd have gone off.

They have their friends stalking my blog and have admitted to doing so, and have responded to venting on my part by vagueblogging in my own blogs by telling everyone that they're the person I am annoyed with and here are the receipts. Seriously, wtf?

I only know this because I'm trying to block all the assholes who are reposting my personal conversations with them, a thing i only know because a friend of mine told me so after receiving a demand they unfriend me.

This person and their friends are sending anon asks to my friends, or in one case, publicly demanding in an RP community, that people who want to interact with them unfollow me, because they will not interact with anyone who interacts with me. Go the fuck back to high school, Regina.

Don't put icing and sprinkles on a pile of shit and tell yourself you gave someone a chocolate cake. This person has never been "nice" to me.

Under the cut: why IDW Ravage would never allow herself to be handled like a pet cat, and why RavWave shippers feel the same way about the Earthspark deleted scenes, even though we know that's probably not what the showrunners meant us to think.

I have come to the conclusion that's it's just another case of antis thinking that if you can see two people in a non-platonic relationship that they think of as family, you're just nasty. Especially if the feline shaped character is being handled like a pet cat.

But the person who said "I look disrespectfully on anyone who ships this, that's just a goof and his cat" has missed the entire point of these characters' relationship. Soundwave would never treat or handle Ravage like she was a pet cat.

Anyone else who says RavWave shippers are nasty because "it's NoRMaL to handle your cat that way" is fundamentally not getting who Ravage is and how she feels about being touched.

Ravage is a sapient adult mech with a full range of sapient adult feelings, and touching her like she's an animal is a microaggression or a macroaggression, depending upon where and how you touch her. The oppression of beastformers is a big fucking thing in IDW 2005. Other beastformers also complain about constantly having to deal with unwanted and disrespectful touching. (Fortress Maximus is a known offender.)

IDW Ravage is sleeping in Megatron's bed throughout MTMTE (when she's under it, she's guarding him). She only allows him to touch her neck in front of others...because behaving like a pet cat increases the chances that people will treat her like one.

(She almost cut Nautica several times. That's another character I ship her with, because what would be funnier than her realising that this actually is a whole ass person and if she can't stop touching her, she might actually be attracted to her?)

(Note: Canonically, Ravage in IDW uses he/him, and I do know that. However, about half the fandom writes Ravage as female. I'm in that half.)

BTW, I feel exactly the same way about the Earthspark deleted scenes. Every RavWave shipper on the planet does. We've talked about it. We realise that the artists and showrunners probably intended it to be innocent on the grounds that she is a cat. But we are also people who like to write her as an adult Decepticon officer with agency and self-respect who wouldn't behave like that in front of other people unless they knew he has privileges they don't.

I am aware that half the fandom draws Ravage art that's basically cat memes. (I hate that so much. But as a proshipper, I recognise people have the right to depict characters any way they want. That doesn't mean I haven't had to vent to people like @bitegore and @miner16 to keep myself from saying something.)

Also, I strongly suggest that people who get this worked up about misinterpretations of their art or writing do not become professional creators. As a member of fandom since the 1970s, I'm kind of super extremely aware that most of what fandom does is counter to what the creator intended, and frequently that's the point.

I'm also kind of super extremely aware that if you don't have loads of people reinterpreting and remixing your work and your characters, that actually means nobody cares about your work enough to have blorbo feels about your characters.

(The side poll, which came from another blog and mentioned no names, was an irritated attempt to find out whether people really do think it's normal to cuddle your mom that way, because the second message insinuated that my mother and I must have a terrible relationship because we don't touch each other like that. I kinda wanted to know what people who were not predisposed to take my side and did not know what was going on would think of that idea, because I really do not think most people touch their mothers like that; their mothers aren't nonsapient animals and would thus consider it weird and inappropriate.)

[dreamtydraw]

i am asking about derek and cerise. tell me EVERYTHING!!

WELL HELLO FRIEND !

First off, thanks you for asking about the babes 😔💕 i shall over writte about my otp for everyone's delight.

But before that here little doodles.

OK NOW DON'T MIND ME i'm gonna ramble becausethis ship is pining.

Sure, sure, cove x cerise was pining but they confessed when they were 13.

Derek and Cerise ??? took them 10 years to realize the other liked them.

As shown, Cerise did not talk but she was nice and she has her charm, she was a cute girl with a kind heart so that is why the first time Derek managed to make her laugh this was a huge victory.

After some time talking around him became easier to try. She said hi, she asked for the ball and slowly she started to talk with him and have full speaking conversation together.

Then one day summer started to approach its end and it felt sad. Cerise didn't like school and she didn't like the idea of not seeing her friend and them Derek asked "do you like boys ? I mean would you consider being with one"

cerise brain went :

"maybe?"

So they made the 10 years pact. It was sweet, to have someone who you could trust to have in your life in the future, and at that moment, even with all the signs, it occurred to neither of them that in the present, someone wanted to be here.

They saw each other less and less until they both got their phone. Age and distance occurred and it was during this period that Cerise realized her feelings toward her friend. It was hard to find time to see each other but they kept calling and texting.

She tried her way to show affection by sending letters and taking pics "oh this reminds me of" "I think you may like it" and "would be nice if we went here". Sadly even with all the effort they could make, distance was here.

Derek loved cerise, he knew she liked crackers and had terrible balance control, he knew she liked green and that every week she would send him pictures of seagulls or sunset after school.

Cerise loved Derek, she knew when he had games and tried to send messages before the events, she tried to learn about what sport he liked the most and how his family was doing, how school treated him.

They both knew and loved each other, but couldn't realize that they were also loved the way they dreamt they were.

"he's just being nice, derek has always been polite"

"she's just being friendly, she likes to share her stories"

also with distance: miscommunication and doubt

Derek had a lot of friends back there, Cerise didn't know what it might feel like to be that liked, but she knew that meant there could be people who liked him as she does and there is nothing she could do about it because of that life. For a long time, Derek's selfless attitude just make him think he had no chance, then one day... Baxter arrived (yeah causing angst here too, I will talk about Baxter and Cerise when his DLC comes out ).

Baxter is really a special person in Cerise's heart. He is the first friend she managed to make by herself and engage with on her own. This role of his first step toward being more sociable is something she badly hides, Cerise openly shows affection and interest toward her friend. This lead to Cerise's talk drifting from what she did that day to Baxter, talking a lot about Baxter. How they hang out that day, how he offered her a ride, how she gifted him a bracelet.

The more she talked about Baxter, the more a little feelin' started to grow on Derek's side. Any hope was dead at this point.

They both think they have no chance with each other Derek totally throws away any possibility as he wants to be suportive but Cerise still holds to it with her new confidence. Both have a lot of conflict regarding school and career at this point in life, so their relationship isn't on the radar at this point. When summer 2021 rolls in and they have a chance to meet after all this time there is a mix of so many things, maybe it's not the right time and it will never be.

It's been so long since they hang out only by themself and this meeting is planned purely platonically. I won't develop here to not spoil the events of Derek's DLC but to the one who read it, the Park scene hit hard for both. They kept so many things for themself and worries mixed with support made it a hard night.

Regardless Cerise view Derek as a very important person to her, so even though it's been years, her ease to interact with him staying, and being around each other felt natural again. It's nice to know that after all this year, they do have someone here for them. During this reunion, she finally confesses her feelings and they both feel a lot of things but mainly they think of how dumb and oblivious they have been for years.

Still here? Oh helloooo there, thank you for reading. Fun facts about this idiotic couple will arive soon

[lifeaftermeteor]

INCOMING: HIATUS

I debated whether to say anything here, but given the proximity to the @gundamzine’s 2023 release, I think it’s probably wise. 

TL;DR—yours truly is taking a break, which I haven’t done in earnest since April 2019.  Might lurk a bit, but before I do, I wanted to share some parting words.

Some additional thoughts under the cut.

It’s a common refrain in these parts that fandom should be fun—once it becomes not fun, it’s a sign that you’re dealing with something and need to step away.  Maybe it’s personal life, work life, or some health matter; maybe it’s creative burnout; maybe it’s the fandom spaces you’re occupying.  If fandom isn’t fun, you need to be able to step away to figure out why.

I can confess that fandom hasn’t been fun for some time now for me.  Instead, it’s been work, it’s been a service.  I’ve taken two big steps this year to address this. 

I decided to close the so-called “Big” / “OG” Gundam Wing server and relinquish ownership. This came as a surprise for many, and I myself went through the five stages of grief over it.  I had envisioned the server being a general open space, like a town square or some other central meeting place; but the bigger it grew, the more our members wanted and needed it to be something different.  That disconnect spelled its eventual doom, because it would’ve meant building a bigger team…which we were never able to do.

I also decided to end my tenure as the head of the Rhythm Generation zine project this year (2023) instead of pushing for one final fifth year as I had originally planned.  We ran a tight project for four years on the premise that all fandom creations were welcome regardless of medium, shipping preferences, or personal creative voice.  I’m proud of the work the Zine Crews did (both moderators and contributors) and am so grateful for our times together.  

But heading into this year’s project, I had had a long conversation with another fan about misinformation that had been spread about the zine—specifically that we did not allow certain ships or would force creators’ hands.  This was the very antithesis of the entire endeavor, so I engaged in good faith to explain the behind-the-scenes management that isn’t widely advertised (i.e. OTPs were always respected, no one was ever asked to create something they didn’t volunteer to do in the first place, and spreading the love around across fandom interests and ships was important).  I spent hours in tears over the whole situation, and looking back that is what spelled the end of the project…at least with me at the head.  

I feel like I’ve lost my North Star—that fandom to me was above all else a community, a neighborhood of sorts.  You didn’t necessarily like all of your neighbors, but you always waved to them in passing at the very least and empathized when they were dealing with something.

So I leave you with this: It is always important to make space for fellow fans whose interests do not align with yours.  It is always important to encourage one another to create, to build, to make space, to join, to organize, to share, to try.  That’s how fandoms survive; that’s how this fandom has survived.  

I’m hoping that an extended hiatus will help me reset, and by taking care of myself I can figure out what I need in my fandom experience going forward.  And when I come back, I hope I can be part of building that. 

[augment-techs]

Hope this isn’t being rude but you don’t like Tomberly? Or rather the fans of the ship? Is it okay to ask why? Genuinely asking.

....Well, I'm gonna get eaten alive for answering this, but I'm so bored right now I also do not care. How to put this.... It's not necessarily that I find Tomberly to be an inherently bad pairing, or find that the people who have this for their OTP to be especially unpleasant in every facet of their being. No, it's more like...a very specific type of Tomberly shipper that can--and HAS--ruined my day because they cannot FATHOM these two characters, SPECIFICALLY, being in a relationship outside of each other and making it the entire rest of the fandom's problem. Like, in the 90s, I could understand it. I was in kindergarten, but it was literally one of the first ever kid show pairings that delivered a kiss and felt like they were perfect. Fine, great, awesome. But it is 2023. They are now the ONLY Rangers LIVE that have kissed, and a lot (and I do mean A LOT) of these shippers feels like that's destiny, it is written in the stars: They were Meant to Be. They Are The Best. There Will Never Be Another True Pairing. They are the LOUDEST and MOST ANNOYING about this when literally anything in media shows the characters in another, different romantic relationship (Tommy) or perfectly happy and fulfilled being on their own (Kim). And I am stuck with that one scene from the Birds of Prey/Harley Quinn movie just BLASTING in my brain every time one of these fans crosses my dash with a snide remark about Tommy/Kat in ANY narrative, or making heart eyes at Kim just standing next to Drakkon in the comics in any dimension ever:

And this is not even bringing up how they are generally dismissive of other characters outside of these two, because where one goes, the other follows. (Examples: Trini, Zack, Jason, Kat, Tanya, J.J., Hayley, Bulk and Skull--not getting into it with these two, but it is a PROBLEM--and on and on and on.) Not to mention they have a tendency to dismiss any flaws (Kim being selfish, a little manipulative, dismissive of other people's feelings, too into her looks, sometimes being too one-track minded vs Tommy's lack of any personality outside of being a Ranger, being secretive and dramatic in the early days, constantly picking fights, making everything a big deal, being a doormat, being too submissive, being jealous) as just bad writing/bad acting, instead of just... Understanding that maybe there is a POINT to this? These are the inconvenient shippers mind you. These exist in every fandom, it's just a little harder to avoid them when you're in a SMALL fandom. And I have my own biases; as a consummate multishipper I see characters are beneficial only if they can branch out into BETTER characters, with better options and plots ahead of them than just Good Girl Meets Rugged Guy, They Kick Ass, They Fall in Love, They Live Happily Ever After blah blah blah blah. Also, and I cannot stress this enough: I am almost exclusively a fan of the PR COMICS. And the comics are doing their best to make all their characters multidimensional and slightly different from what we had in the 90s. Which means I can look back at the live action MMPR series and say, "Both Kim and Tommy Were a Dumpster Fire, I Don't Think I Like Them Very Much," and happily skitter back to their current comic selves and say, "You're a dumpster fire, too. But that's okay~ You're teenagers who make mistakes and are still growing into yourselves and can make new choices. Nothing is set in stone and the multiverse exists. What are you going to do about it?" * * * tldr; I don't HATE Tomberly. I don't HATE their fans. I am a multishipper who believes in options and not dunking on any other possible relationships they might have outside of each other. I like Kat Hillard, I like Matt Cook, I like Tommy, I like Kim. These are not mutually exclusive and I am okay with anyone as long as they're not needlessly cruel to other fans and what they like. I might find Tomberly boring, but so what; I also thought every relationship in FRIENDS (outside of the basic Chandler/Monica), Beverly Hills 90210, the Superman Animated Series, and the ENTIRETY of GLEE (that wasn't roasting Rachel Berry) was boring. I don't like it, I skip it and move on. If I happen to be a little snide myself in posts about them...

[talaofthevalley]

for "send me a yugioh character", i could go with the obvious one (your wife), but instead i will pick: blue angel! (only if you want)

How dare you tease me with questions regarding wife. Jail for Sam, jail for ONE THOUSAND YEARS-

But yeah I can do Blue Angel.

Why I like them/why I don’t Blue Angel/Aoi is fine. I don't like or dislike her necessarily. I think she's interesting to think about from a writing perspective (glances at the giant analysis post in my drafts), and I can easily write walls of texts about her motivations and behaviour. But that doesn't really translate to me being invested in her? I don't think she's a bad character, just underutilised, and one of the characters who got off the worst from not getting a complete character arc.

Honestly the only thing that makes me irritated with her is solely caused by fandom influence. Like god speed to the people who wish she got more and think the world of her, I would never look down on ya'll or claim you should stop. This is 100% a me problem and I try my best to not make it other people's problems. But this is my post, so.

My irritation comes when people make her more noteworthy than she actually is. It's a common occurence with female characters in fandom, where rather than work with the flaws and hurdles they have, they're made more competent and stronger instead. Or making bonds with other characers that don't make much sense or have any meat behind them. Like putting the character on god mode and calling it a day. And that doesn't automatically make for interesting writing.

Frankly I like Aoi best when she's kinda pathetic. I think it's funniest that way.

What I like about their appearance Since she's the poster girl of "gees Aoi how come your brother lets you have two FOUR designs?" I'll do all of them.

Aoi: The standard blend. She's cute! A little bland maybe? I like her short hair. Wish she had some colour somewhere though, like in her hair or eyes. As is she doesn't much look like a Yugioh character in her civilian form except for the artstyle of the show she's drawn in.

Blue Angel: My idol girlie. I really like this design, it's cute and kinda gaudy but in the best way. The way her hair is done I especially love. That she's clearly inspired by Hatsune Miku without looking like a rip-off is very fun too.

Blue Girl: Again, fun short hair! It's very Ghost Girl inspired, which makes sense since Aoi is taken under her wing in S2. Not much else to say really, other than I like the colours and the sporty vibe.

Blue Maiden: I think this design would be great were it not for the lipstick. I've made a low effort edit removing it and I think she looks so much better without it. And again with the hair, I really love it. The light shade of blue is very pleasant to look at, and I like the half up-do she has. The wet suit look fits her archetype change and partnering up with Aqua, but it does sometimes feel like it was meant for a different character and was tweaked to fit Aoi better.

Do I prefer their dub names or original names? Sub name. I don't watch the dub nor do I like it, so I don't like any name changes either.

OTP Zinniashipping I guess? But the one with the depiction of Miyu I have in my head. It's not a ship I seek out.

NOTP Angelmakershipping.

OT3 None.

Favourite card they use Trickstars my beloved. My favourite Trickstar monster ever sadly didn't appear in the show, but Trickstar Bloom is another one of my favourites so I'll go with her.

Favourite moment they were in I think.... the scene at the very start of S2, when Aoi and Yusaku talk at the Cafe Nagi truck. It's by itself a very funny scene because of how uninterested Yusaku is in interacting with her. But I like it because we see Aoi bracing herself before thanking Yusaku for helping her when she collapsed on the roof. Aoi's very self-centered in S1, and she clearly struggled getting the words out to a person she claimed was trying to suck up to her last time they talked months ago, but this shows she's grown a little. And again, it's very funny how obvious it is Aoi has no clue how to interact with Yusaku when he is giving her nothing to work with.

Least favourite moment I did have a part in mind for this, but the more I thought about it the more I realise it's less a fault on Aoi's part as a character and more on the writers.

So I'll go with the other option; the scene before Blue Girl vs Soulburner. It's a moment that's not out of place with how Aoi's been written until now imo, and that's why I like it in a way despite how bullheaded she's being. Trying to offer assistance to Playmaker's team and the Ignis, saying Akira will definitely be of help to them. But when Playmaker refuses their help and Soulburner points out they have zero reason to trust SOL Tech, she gets offended and demands they hand over Ai and Flame. And it turns into a duel, despite Playmaker being confident they could talk this out since Ghost Girl was there. And Emma gets upset with Aoi for escalating the situation to this when it didn't need to. And I know this is in my least favourite moments for her but that's interesting character writing!! It's fun she's being a stubborn and petty teenager.

[pocketsonny]

for the character ask game : how about a throwback to the girl meddy 👁️

Send me a character and I’ll answer these!!

MEDDYYYYY <3333 i still have the icons i'd made back when i rped her...

1: sexuality headcanon: bi bi bi also demiace

2: otp: tie between meddysearch and meddyroll…i love both a lot

3: brotp: aside from the above (bc most otps are also brotps for me), meddy and jasmine 🥹

4: notp: hmm can't think of any but i don't really ship her romantically with rock or jasmine

5: first headcanon that pops into my head:

HHH all my old old hcs about nurse navis being originally created to be disposable / meant to be like tools (in the company/hospital that created meddy) cause hospitals needed a lot of them and they would be assisting different patients all the time. so they were programmed to fulfill their purpose only: that their patients were their priority (yet without attachment bc caring too much for patients would "get in the way of their work", as they would die or leave eventually), they had to always obey doctors etc. and if for whatever reason they were unable to fulfill their duty or were considered to become defective they were quickly discarded and replaced by another. so their emotions were kept very in check.

meddy's creator was a kind doctor that considered meddy like a daughter, and who couldn't help being attached to the navis he made. but he worked for that company so after they were done making navis, they were sent off to hospitals, so he and meddy never met again. but his hope was that meddy would meet someone that cared for her, just as he had, and that she could care for them too; that she could understand what he meant when he spoke of love.

this hc is a mix of anime/game verse cause in the anime we see meddy with a previous appearance

from when she was jasmine friend's navi (who i called Mei); so my hc is that she used to be a nurse navi at a hospital, but got assigned to mei as a personal nurse navi. and mei considered meddy a friend from the start, didn't treat her like a tool, and meddy inevitably came to care for her, and experienced loss for the first time when she died. she felt that without her, her purpose also died, because she couldn't bear going back to working at the hospital and caring for another patient and potentially watch them die; and the moment she refused, she'd be deleted, and another would take her place.

but then mei's mom gave her to jasmine, and in their mutual grief over the loss of their friend they decided to stick together; and jasmine encouraged meddy to find a new purpose, a dream of her own :'')

(oop i rambled, maybe someday i should revisit these ideas and brainstom again...)

on a lighter HC, i think she and searchman meet occasionally for cybercoffee when they are on break from their duties <3

6: favorite line from this character: it's been a while since i played bn5 or watched the anime so i can't remember KASKJD

7: one way in which I relate to this character: we both like to help people!

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character: girl why you fighting with roll over a boy when you two could kiss,,, just saying

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave?: i think she's neither xD

[kiwibirdlafayette]

Hey there! What happens in your Mamma Mia/Trollhunter AU? And how do you feel about the Childhood Friend Romance trope, have you seen it done poorly or good? I’m thinking of how to write Draal’s death for my own fanfic, but what kind of heroic sacrifice should I give him?

Heya! Sorry its taken me a hot minute to get to this ask I honestly kinda forgot I had a TH Mamma Mia AU its been so long xD

From what I can find (since I dont believe I ever wrote anything down and only really made one drawing for it xD) I remember it mainly followed the plot of the musical, with Deya as Donna, and Aaarrrgghh as Sophie (and ofc Blinky is Sky because troll dads solos i've never faltered on that) IIRC, the changeling trio (Otto, Strickler and Nomura) were the mystery dads, but it was more about who 'created' him because I might have been goin by canon troll creation headcanons with the whole rock magic shit xD I also didnt ship any of em with Deya but it still couldve been crack at that. GummGumm experimentation couldve been a thing too.

It was nearly a fully troll dads AU but my OTP brain was like nah man I don't wanna make potential other pairings besides Blink n Aaarrggghh so theyre Soph and Sky (plus. lay all your love on me troll dads. can you just imagine AOUGH /pos leavin yall w that image)

Childhood friends to lovers is a really good trope! I've definitely seen it done really well and also not that great, and I've used it myself as well (Trollhunters marching band AU, c!Skizzpulse, origins Syndisparklez) I find it tends to work better when its not so much a blatant "ok now were older and adults we obviously have to go beyond just friends its obligatory" but more like "ive known you a long time, and maybe i fell in love you for other reasons then that but you're still my friend and we just get each other because we're already so close", like its gotta develop beyond just growing up in someway for me to really be invested in it xD

and oo sacrifice love me a good sacrifice :eyes: I don't know the plot of your fic, but if ya do wanna have him sacrifice himself, doing so against the will of the others is always peak angst (i.e., like Jim is meant to die or something, and Draal takes the fall instead before anyone else or him can give in)- that could be stuff like being the vessel for taking in the evil to prevent it from harming anything else, or taking out the big bad with him to save the rest of them :3 Trading his soul for someone else to live would also be kinda cool, or if you want it a battle scene, using himself as the weapon that ends the final boss smiles

[khoicesbyk]

The Royal Romance.

Forevermore.

A/N: this is the next chapter in the journey of my OTP. Follow along for the fun.

Rated: Mature (at times can and will be Explicit. I'll be sure to change the rating when and if that happens). | Contains sexual content and strong language. (You know? The usual. Y'all should be used to this from me by now 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Miller-Rys (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me and/or other authors [their characters have been mentioned and/or used in the story with their permission] ) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 16.4K words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or dm me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘

This series is rated Mature and/or Explicit. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!

Tag List: @choicesficwriterscreations

Chapter 7.) Ripple Effect. Part One.

It had been a few days since Their Majesties had gotten the news that Khari’s friend Elena Charroux had died and they had to break the news to their daughter. Khari took the news hard and was heartbroken. She didn’t understand why it happened. 

At breakfast one morning Khari barely said three words to anyone before leaving for school and it started to worry her parents, specifically her mother. 

“I don’t like seeing Khari like this,” Shanelle said to her husband as they walked with the twins to the throne room. 

“I know. She’s heartbroken. Elena meant a lot to her and now she’s gone. And it’s a lot for her to process. But we will help her get through this.”

Shanelle shook her head sadly. 

“That poor little girl. She was so young.”

“Agreed. She fought for as long as her body would allow but her body was just too weak.”

Shanelle sighed heavily. 

“And her mother. My God. I can only imagine what she has to be feeling.” 

“I know. Losing a child whether born or unborn, is a tragedy that I would never wish on anyone.”

Shanelle cleared her throat. 

“Speaking of, what is the status of the injunction?”

“It’s been blocked and the funeral home holding Elena’s body has turned her over to her mother.”

“Good. I can only imagine the relief Lady Selene is feeling. Thank you for getting her back to her mother.”

“It was my pleasure. Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do to Lord Phillip.”

“Why not?” Shanelle asks. 

“Because as insensitive, callous, and cruel as his actions were, there is no law on the books that actually makes what he did punishable,” Marquise replied. 

“Maybe it’s time to change that.”

Marquise snickered. 

“That would make you very vindictive.”

“In this case, I don’t mind being vindictive. He should’ve never been able to file that injunction in the first place.”

“He had the backing of the Heads Of State of Comery Isle. Much like the hospital, there wasn’t much the courts could do to fight them.”

“Speaking of those two, have they answered the summons that was sent?” Shanelle asked. 

“No. It was delivered but they haven’t bothered to answer it.” Marquise replied. 

“They will.”

His Majesty raised an eyebrow at his wife. 

“And what do you have up your sleeve?” He asks. 

“They submitted the islands’ fiscal budget for the year for my approval and I will not approve it until they have responded to the summons.” She replied. 

“That means their current budget will run out on the 29th.”

“Yup.”

“Genius. A tad vindictive but no less genius.”

“It’ll force them to answer the summons. That’s all I care about.”

That’s when their youngest son spoke up. 

“Daddy! Outside?” Zyon asked as he tapped on a glass window. 

“It’s too cold right now my love. Besides, you don’t have your boots on.” He replied.

Zyon looked down at his shoes.

“Boots?”

“Yes, my little one. You need your boots on.”

That’s when he turned to his brother. 

“Amon (come on)! Go det (get) boots!” 

“Let’s doe (go)!” Kylo replied before the two took off running down the hall. 

“What? No! Come back here you two!” Marquise said before he and Shanelle chased after the boys.

The boys made it a little way down the hall before their parents caught up with them, and their Daddy scooped them up before sitting down at a bench to catch his breath. 

“Who knew tiny humans could run so fast on short legs?” Marquise asked as he caught his breath. 

“Nooo Daddy! Outside!” Zyon said as he tried to escape his Daddy’s arms. 

“Now now my love. It’s too cold for you two to go outside right now.” 

“I doe (go) outside!” Zyon said before he put his heave in his hands and started to cry. His Majesty knew he wouldn’t be able to tell him no. 

“Okay, you two come here,” Shanelle said gently. 

The two hopped down from their dad’s lap and ran to their mother. 

“Now Daddy’s right. It’s too cold for you two. You’ll freeze and then turn into Mommy’s abominable snow babies. So no outside for right now.”

“No outside?” Zyon asked. 

“Maybe later baby but not right now. Okay?”

“Otay (okay),” Zyon replied. 

Shanelle snuggled her babies close. 

“Now let’s go sit in the big chair.”

“Big chair?” Kylo asked. 

“Yup. You ready?” She asked them. 

“Let’s doe (go) mommy!” Zyon said as he grabbed his brother’s hand and began to run down the hall. 

“Wait for me and Daddy!” Shanelle shouted as she took off after them. 

Marquise groaned. 

“Just as I was catching my breath!” He complained. 

“Move it you old goat!” His wife shouted over her shoulder as she ran down the hall. 

Once in the throne room, the boys were their normally curious and playful selves. Stealing the show as they played hide and seek while their parents conducted multiple council meetings. 

“Pee boo (peek a boo) Daddy!” Kylo said from behind the curtains. 

“There you are my little one! Come here. Come say hello.” Marquise said to him. 

Kylo came out from behind the curtain he was hiding and climbed onto his father's lap. 

“Say hi my love,” Marquise said to him. 

Kylo smiled at everyone. 

“Hellyo (hello)!” he said with a small wave. 

When it was lunchtime the boys were ready to eat. 

“Mommy! Eat yunch (lunch)?” Zyon asked.

“I think so. Right, Papa Bear?” Shanelle replied. 

“Sure.” Marquise said to his wife, “Everyone! Let's take a lunch break and we'll resume our council meeting after.” 

Once everyone had left, they went to a small dining room next to the throne room, where Margo was waiting. 

“Hello! Hello! Good afternoon my loves!” she said in greeting. 

The boys ran straight to their grandmother.

“Hello, my sweet turtle doves! How are you?” she said as she hugged them. 

“Gammy (Grammy) eat yunch (lunch)?” Kylo asked. 

“You want me to have lunch with you?” Margo replies. 

“Pease (please) Gammy?” Kylo asked. 

“I would love to have lunch with you, my sweet dove,” Margo replied. 

“Gammy sit. Eat yunch.” Kylo said. 

Margo sat at the small table in between the twins. The boys pushed their high chairs up to the table and sat next to her. Zyon started looking around for the attendant to take their lunch orders.

“What are you looking for, baby?” Shanelle asked Zyon. 

“Dotta (gotta) find yunchman (lunchman) mommy.” Zyon replied before he spotted him, “Oh! Helyo yunchman! Helyo!”

The attendant bowed with a smile. 

“Bonjour Your Highness! Good afternoon! Are you and your brother ready to order lunch?” the attendant asked. 

“Yeah yeah!” Zyon replied as he grabbed his menu that was upside down. 

“What would you two like?” the attendant asked. 

“Nugdets (nuggets)?” Kylo asked. 

“Chicken nuggets? Of course Your Highness. And what about you my Prince?” The attendant asked Zyon.

“Pisa poctect (pizza pocket)!” Zyon replies. 

“Pizza pockets it is! And what else would you two like?” the attendant asked. 

“Fench (French) fries!” Zyon replied. 

“Okay, French fries. What about fruits and vegetables?” the attendant asked. 

“Apple slice?” Zyon asked. 

“Apple slices? Okay. And what about you, Your Highness?” the attendant asked Kylo.

“Gapes (grapes)!” Kylo replied. 

“Grapes as well. What about your vegetables?” 

“Tarrots (carrots)!” the twins replied. 

“Anything else?”

“Dolfish (goldfish)?” Zyon asked. 

“Petzels (pretzels)? Kylo also asked. 

“Goldfish and pretzels. Now what to drink?”

“Chocate mill (chocolate milk)!” Kylo replied. 

“Gape duice (grape juice)!” Zyon added. 

“Very well my Princes. Now I have to get the orders of your parents and grandmother and lunch is on the way.” The attendant said to them. 

Margo was impressed by her grandsons. 

“Very good my loves, thank you for using your manners.” She said to the twins, “Now if only your father was as good at that age.”

Marquise made a face. 

“I wasn’t that bad.”

“You weren’t always that good either.”

Once lunch was delivered the twins were ready to eat but they had to do one thing first. 

“Gammy say gace (grace)?” Zyon asked as he and Kylo put their hands together. 

“Yes, my love. Let’s say our grace.” 

After lunch, it was back to council business for The Royals but it was building time for the twins. 

“Bocks (blocks)!” Kylo said to his grandmother as he picked up the bag of blocks, “yook (look) Gammy! Bocks!” 

“I see my love. What shall we build?” she asked him. 

Marquise occasionally would look over to the twins to see them play with their grandmother with a smile. 

“I take it you and Leo used to do that?” Shanelle whispered. 

“No, we were too busy declaring war and throwing blocks at each other between the chairs,” he replied. 

Once the meetings were done, it was time to pick Khari up from school. When Shanelle got to the school pick-up line, she noticed Khari walking slowly, and when she got into the car, she was silent. Just holding her book bag close to her chest. And when they got back to the residence, Khari went straight to her room. Not saying anything to anyone. Not even her brothers. 

“She hasn't said a word,” Shanelle told her husband. 

Marquise sighed as he shook his head. 

“She's taking Elena’s death a lot harder than I thought.” 

That's when Margo spoke up. 

“May I try? She might open up to me.” 

Marquise nodded. 

“Go right ahead if you think it'll work,” Shanelle told her. 

Margo nodded before walking down the hall to Khari’s bedroom. She knocked but didn't hear any response so she opened the door and when she looked, she saw Khari sitting on her bed clutching her stuffed dragon for dear life. 

“What's wrong, my sweet darling?” Margo asked as she sat down next to Khari. 

Khari looked up at her grandmother sadly but didn't say a word. 

“Why are you so sad my love? Did something happen?” Margo asked. 

Khari chewed her bottom lip before nodding her head yes. 

“What happened, my love?” 

“I had a bad day at school,” Khari replied quietly. 

“Oh?” 

“Some of the older kids were being mean about Elena and I didn't like that.” 

Margo shook her head sadly. 

“That's just awful.”

Khari laid her head on her grandmother's lap and started to cry. 

“I miss her Grammy. I miss her so much.” she cried. 

Margo rubbed her head as she cried. 

“I know you do my love.”

“It's not fair Grammy. It's not fair!”

“You're right. Death is never fair. Especially a death from cancer.” 

“But why Grammy? Elena was a good girl. She never did anything bad!”

Margo thought for a moment. 

“Because, my love, cancer is never fair. It doesn't care who it hurts or worse who it kills. Especially when it kills someone who had just barely begun to live their life. Trust me I would know.”

Khari looked at her grandmother before hugging her tightly. 

“I’m sorry. I didn't mean to forget about you, Grammy.”

Margo kissed the top of her forehead.

“No need to apologize, my sweet love.”

“I didn't get to say goodbye. And I feel bad for her mommy. She must be so sad now.”

“Bless you for caring about her mother, sweet child.”

Khari grabbed her backpack and pulled out a drawing. 

“What is this?” Margo asked. 

“Our teacher, Mrs. Thibodeau gave us these to color in honor of Elena so she could hang them up on a wall. It's a penguin. They were her favorite animal.” Khari said sadly. 

Margo gently took the drawing out of her granddaughter’s hands and studied it. 

“I think it is absolutely sweet that you all would do this for her.”

“I asked my teacher if I could keep mine so I could give it to Elena’s mommy and she said yes.”

“You want to give it to her?” Margo asked. 

“Yes. Daddy will speak at Elena’s memorial so I wanted to give this to her mommy.” Khari replied. 

“That is a wonderful idea, my love. I'm sure she'll appreciate your kindness toward her.”

“You really think so?” Khari asks. 

“Yes, my love. Even the smallest act of kindness can mean the world to someone in their time of need.”

Khari nodded before hugging her grandmother.

“Thank you for cheering me up, Grammy.”

“My sweet darling, I am only doing what Grandpa would've done. He would not let his little sunshine walk around being sad.”

Khari smiled softly at her. 

“You know what I think?” Margo asked. 

“What's that Grammy?” 

“I think that when Elena got to the happy place with all of the angels. She started looking around for someone she knew. And guess who found her?”

“Grandpa?” 

“Yes, that's right. And when he found her, he took her by the hand and told her that they're together now. And that they'll watch over you together.”

Khari smiled. 

“I like that Grammy. That way she's not alone.”

Margo nodded. 

“Thank you, Grammy,” Khari said as she hugged her grandmother, “I gotta go say hi to the boys. Since I didn't do that when I got home.”

Margo kissed her forehead softly. 

“Be off with you now.”

Margo watched as Khari ran off to see her brothers and parents. When the Princess got to the living area the boys were playing with the dogs. 

“There's my girl. How are you feeling?” Marquise asked. 

“Better. Thanks to Grammy. I'm sorry I didn't say anything to anyone when I came home. I was…really sad.” Khari replied. 

“Come here, my love.”

Khari climbed into her Daddy’s lap. 

“Your mother and I were beginning to worry about you.”

“I know and I’m sorry.”

“It's okay baby. Death affects everyone differently. And how you grieve and process is how you grieve. We just didn't want you to totally shut down. That's all.” Shanelle said to her. 

Khari nodded. 

“Daddy?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Before we go to Elena’s memorial, can we stop by one of the toy shops? I want to get a gift for Elena’s mommy.”

“Of course we can, my love. What did you have in mind?” he replies. 

“I want to get her a stuffed penguin if we can find one.” 

Marquise nodded. 

“I will put a call in to find one. How's that?” he asked. 

“Thank you, Daddy,” Khari said before hugging him and then going to play with her brothers and their dogs. 

On the day of Elena’s memorial, the Princess was quiet on the ride to the church. When they got to the church Khari was slow to get out of the car behind her father. When the Princess looked up at the entrance she squeezed her eyes shut while clutching the stuffed penguin close to her chest. Her father knelt to look into her eyes.

“Are you ready?” he asked her softly. 

“No,” she replied as she shook her head no.

“Look at me, my love.”

Khari looked at her father with tears in her eyes. 

“Your mother and I are right here. I know you’re sad but you’re not alone. Alright?”

Khari nodded before drying her eyes. While holding the stuffed penguin in her right arm, the Princess slipped her left hand into her Daddy’s right hand. Khari looked at her mother beside her, who smiled softly and rubbed her shoulders before they made their way into the sanctuary. At the altar was Elena’s casket and her mother’s receiving line. When Lady Selene spotted them walking down the line, she smiled softly. 

“Hello, Your Majesties. Thank you for coming,” she said to the royal family in greeting before looking at Khari, “hello Princess. Thank you for coming as well.” 

Khari smiled sadly as she looked up at her.

“Hi,” she replied softly. 

Selene noticed the penguin toy in Khari’s arms. 

“What's that?” she asked Khari pointing to the toy. 

Khari looked down at the toy before looking back at her. 

“This is for you. My mommy and daddy helped me buy it.” Khari replied. 

“May I?” Selene asked. 

Khari nodded slowly as she handed Selene the stuffed penguin. 

“I know that penguins were Elena’s favorite,” Khari said sadly. 

Lady Selene smiled at Khari. 

“Yes, they were. Thank you for this most precious gift, Princess. And thank you for being her friend. Your friendship meant the world to her. You were her best friend.”

“She was my friend too,” Khari said sadly.

“Come here.” Lady Selene said softly as she opened her arms to Khari. Khari looked up at her with tears in her eyes as she went to her. 

“You poor thing,” she said as she hugged a crying Khari. 

“I miss her. I miss her so much.” Khari cried. 

“I know you do, sweetheart. We all do. You meant the world to her.”

“I never got to say goodbye.”

“I know. And I’m so sorry for that. But I do want you to know that I cherish the friendship you two shared. And you know what else?” she asked Khari. 

“What's that?” Khari asked. 

“Now that she's with angels, she can watch over us as our guardian angel.” Lady Selene replied. 

“Really?”

“Yes, my dear. She's our little guardian angel. Yours and mine. Your kindness to her is immeasurable to me. You didn't have to but you did. And I can't thank you enough for being such a sweet, kind-hearted little girl. I want you to know that you are always welcome in my home.”

“You mean it?” Khari asked. 

“Yes, sweetheart. My home is always open to you.” Lady Selene replied with a smile. “Thank you for this precious gift. It will bring me so much comfort and joy in the coming days. Thank you for thinking of me.”

Khari nodded with a small smile. 

“And thank you both for coming.” Lady Selene said to her parents before addressing Marquise, “Your Majesty, I can not tell you how thankful I am that you agreed to speak today. You didn't and don't have to.”

Marquise bowed to her. 

“My lady, it is my honor. I assure you.”

Lady Selene smiled. 

“I should let you three go so I can greet other guests but from the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you for the kindness you've shown me and especially shown to her.”

The Royals smiled at Elena’s mother before making their way down the line. And running into Jean-Marc. 

“Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” Marquise said to him. 

“Likewise, Your Majesty,” Jean-Marc replied as the two shook hands. 

“It's good to see you old friend. Welcome home.”

Jean-Marc nodded gratefully.

“Thank you, Marquise. Truly I can't tell you how much it means to me to be able to be home after all these years. Thanks to you lifting our family’s exile, we’ll be able to properly bury my father.”

Marquise nodded. 

“I’m happy I could help. I'm just sorry I never asked what happened to you and your family.”

Jean-Marc nodded before looking at Shanelle and Khari and bowing to them. 

“Hello, Your Majesty. It is an honor to meet you. And hello again Princess. It's good to see you.”

Khari smiled softly at him. 

“Hello, Jean-Marc. I've heard so much about you. And do accept my apologies on behalf of His Majesty for stealing a goal from you.” Shanelle replied. 

Jean-Marc snorted while Marquise rolled his eyes good-naturedly. 

“You hear that Your Majesty? Even Her Majesty knows you stole that goal from me.”

“You two will never let me live that down.” 

“Nope.” Shanelle quipped. 

“Please do not let me keep you all. Again, thank you, Marquise. For everything you've done.”

“It was my pleasure,” Marquise replied. 

Jean-Marc nodded before stepping aside to let them pass. When the family got to the end of the line, there stood Elena’s small casket. Marquise picked his daughter up so she could see.

“She looks like she's sleeping,” Khari said quietly. 

“She does. She looks peaceful.” Marquise replied. 

“Sweet girl. She looks beautiful.” Shanelle added. 

“I wish she could wake up so we could play again,” Khari said with a sniffle. 

Shanelle rubbed Khari’s back. 

“We know you do.”

“Wake up Elena. You gotta wake up. Please wake up. We’ll play all you want I promise. You just have to wake up.” Khari said with tears in her eyes. Marquise held Khari close as she cried. 

“It's okay my love. I know you miss her. It'll be alright.” Marquise whispered in comfort to his daughter. “Come, let's take our seats.”

As they made their way to their seats, they were greeted by Elena’s grandmother and a woman Marquise hadn't seen in years. 

“Hello Your Majesties, thank you for coming.” Countess Gladys said to them in greeting before smiling at Khari, “Hello Princess. I hear you and my granddaughter were great friends.”

“Hi,” Khari replied quietly. 

“Your Majesty,” Countess Gladys said to Marquise, “I’d like to introduce you to my sister-in-law, Lady Freida Eriksson-Archambeau. Freida, you remember His Majesty don’t you?”

Lady Freida bowed her head with a smile. 

“Your Majesty? My goodness. You were His Highness the last time I saw you. It's good to see you. Thank you for what all you've done for our family.” she said to Marquise. 

“My lady, it is good to see you as well. And please it was nothing.” 

“No, it was definitely something. Your reversal of my family’s exile is what brought my husband home where he belongs.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t know sooner so that when I did lift the exile, I could’ve told him personally, but, I am happy that you all are home.” 

“When you took the throne, he believed in you. He knew how horribly your father treated you. He also knew that you would never be anything like him as a King. He knew that one day you would find out, and would work to let us come home. So again, I thank you.”

“It was my pleasure, my lady.” 

Lady Freida smiled at him as they took their seats. Just as everyone else was finding a seat in the sanctuary, there was a commotion at the entrance. It was Lord Charroux and a woman. Lady Jacqueline Yearling. 

“Get out of my way!” He shouted as he stormed down the aisle. He stopped when he got to Elena’s casket. “No! No! No! You can’t be gone! You can’t be!” 

That’s when he turned his rage to her mother.

“You! You did this! You tried to ban me from saying goodbye to my daughter! You no good harlot!”

“I didn’t ban you from anything! You were clearly occupied with other matters!” She hissed at him while giving the woman he brought with him a death stare. “You shouldn’t be here Jacqueline!” 

“Don’t you dare drag her into this!” He snapped at Lady Selene. 

“Why not? She’s half the reason you left!”

“Selene, please! Not now!” Jacqueline tried to say to her. 

“Not now?! Okay, Jacqueline, when do you suggest we do this, hmm?” Selene asked her. 

Jacqueline took a deep breath and cleared her throat. 

“I didn’t come here to start a fight, Selene.”

“Good, then you can leave Jacqueline.”

“Absolutely not! She stays!” Lord Phillip proclaimed.

“I will not have my soon-to-be ex-husband's mistress at my daughter’s memorial!” Selene said as she stood her ground. A hush fell over the crowd. 

Jacqueline shuddered at Selene’s words. 

“Despite what you may think of me, Selene. I loved Elena.”

“No, you didn’t. Because if you did, you wouldn’t have stabbed us both in the back.”

“I am her Godmother—” Jacqueline tried to say before Selene cut her off, “You were her Godmother. Until I found out you were sleeping with him behind my back! After everything I did for you! I was loyal to you! When your brother was convicted in Italy, I was there for you! When your parents cut you off and you had nowhere to go, I opened up my home to you and got you a job so you could support yourself! Meanwhile, you were plotting against me! You knew how rocky our relationship was! And you took advantage of it! I confided in you! I trusted you and you preyed on that! You sat back, watched, and happily helped to destroy the family I was trying desperately to save!” 

“I never meant to hurt you, Selene. I swear it. It’s just…Phillip and I…when we fell in love…it just happened, it wasn’t to spite you.” 

Selene scoffed. 

“Well, that’s good for you. I’m glad you found your happiness. Even if it did come at the expense of me and my daughter!”

Lady Selene then turned to Lord Phillip. 

“And you! How dare you decide to show up now! Our daughter was sick for years, and you were nowhere to be found. When I needed you, you were busy living your life however you saw fit. When Elena begged you to come home, you constantly lied to her! You put yourself before our daughter! The only reason you decided to come around now, is because your lover and her incessant need to be kept has put a strain on your finances. Thank God for Their Majesties getting involved and putting a stop to you terrorizing me.”

Lady Selene took a steadying breath. 

“Phillip, the only reason I will allow you to stay is because of Elena. Because before she took her final breath, she made me promise that I would honor her very last wish. She wanted to see you one last time so this is your last time seeing her. Now sit down!” Lady Selene said to him before turning back to Lady Jacqueline, “but you? I will not have you here! You’ve done your damage so now you can leave and go straight to hell while you’re at it!” 

“I will not have you speaking to her in any kind of way.” Phillip sneered as he took a menacing step towards her. He stopped in his tracks when Jean-Marc and Marquise both stood up. 

“You will not take another step towards my cousin,” Jean-Marc warned him. 

“It’s alright Phillip. I’ll go.” Lady Jacqueline spoke up. 

“Jacqueline please!” Lord Phillip pleaded. 

“No, Phillip. I don’t want there to be any more conflict. I’ll see you at home.” She said to him before speaking to Selene, “Selene please believe me when I say this, I never meant for any of this to happen the way that it did. I never meant to hurt you or Elena. I love you both. I still do. I always will. I just hope that one day you’ll forgive me.”

“Never. I will never forgive you for betraying me. Now get out!” Lady Selene snapped at her. 

Everyone watched as Lady Jacqueline made her exit. Lord Phillip shook his head before leveling a glare at Lady Selene. 

“You always were jealous of her. That’s why I left. Because she is a better woman than you will ever be. That’s why I can’t wait to be divorced from you. So she and I can start our own family.” He sneered at her. 

Selene raised an eyebrow at Lord Phillip. 

“I’ll let you in on a little secret that she would never tell you. She’s infertile. When we were younger she found out that she has a rare genetic condition that prevents her from ever conceiving children. Because much like the Heads Of State Of Comery Isle have to, you also have to have a blood heir to pass on your position in their administration to. No exceptions. So good luck with that.”

Lord Phillip stared at her with his mouth open. 

“Now sit down Phillip!” She hissed at him. “And oh! You will not sit anywhere near me and my family!” 

With a nod from their King, security escorted Lord Charroux to a seat in the back of the sanctuary. The memorial went smoothly. And as requested by Lady Selene, Shanelle gave a solo. She sang Elliot Yamin’s ‘A Song For You’. And Marquise gave the eulogy.

“I give speeches all the time so you think this would come easy for me. But this is not easy. When I was asked by Lady Selene to give the eulogy I was honored, grateful, and moved to be asked. Because she could’ve chosen anyone but she chose me, so to you my Lady, I say thank you. Grieving the loss of a child is a pain I can not describe. It is constant. It is indeed like a wave. Sometimes you feel nothing, other times you feel like you’re drowning and can't breathe. So I want to offer words of comfort and encouragement to you, my lady.” 

Marquise said before clearing his throat.

“Admittedly I didn’t know your daughter long but my daughter did. They were the best of friends. And when they saw each other that day at the hospital, I saw how both of them lit up. When they spoke to one another, there were giggles, and jokes, and smiles, and joy, and happiness. And I cherish the time they spent together. I will always cherish it. I mourn with you. I mourn for you. We all do. As I said, losing a child is a pain I can not describe and I will never be able to. But I encourage you to hold onto and remember the enduring love you had for her and especially the love she had for you. You will have days where it will be harder than others but in that moment, I hope you will remember her bright smile. Remember the beautiful light in her eyes. Remember how much of a joy it was to be with her.”

Lady Selene smiled up at him. 

“I want to end this eulogy with an action instead of a word. My Lady, with your blessing and permission, I’d like to honor your beautiful daughter and her memory, by naming the new child cancer center, The Elena Charroux Treatment Center.”

Lady Selene looked over to Shanelle in shock who merely smiled encouragingly.

“But wait there’s more. In addition to naming the new child cancer center after her, I would like to establish a cancer research fund in her honor as well, so that we can finally find a cure.”

“Yes. You have my permission, my King. Thank you so much.” Lady Selene replied in tears. 

“And to the sweet angel that is now watching us all, I hope you are smiling and giggling. I hope you’re running through the endless fields of flowers in heaven. I hope you are surrounded by as many penguin toys as you can stand. I hope you can slide down all of the rainbows. I want you to know we will take care of your mother and grandmother. We will watch over them. We will encourage them. We will protect them. We will give them love. As you would have. You will be missed but know that you are always loved. Your job on this earth is now done. Enjoy your rest amongst the angels. We’ll see you when we get to the other side.” 

When Marquise stepped down from the podium, he laid a hand on Elena’s casket. When he faced her mother, she hugged him. 

“Merci mon roi. pour tout ce que vous avez fait.” She whispered to him. 

“De rien madame. cela a été un honneur.” He replied before taking his seat next to his wife and daughter. Khari looked up at him with a small smile. 

“You did good Daddy.” She whispered to him. 

“Thank you, my little love.” He whispered back before kissing her forehead softly. 

Everyone watched as Lady Selene prepared to say her final goodbye to her daughter. 

“My baby. My sweet angel. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you from this monster. I miss you terribly. But mommy will be strong. I promise you that. I will be strong for us. I love you. I love you so much. I’m sorry my baby. I’m so sorry” She said as she watched her daughter’s casket close for the final time. Lady Selene closed her eyes before taking an unsteady step back and falling to the floor. 

Her cousin and Marquise sprang into action, rolling her onto her back. Marquise checked for a pulse but he couldn’t feel one. 

“She’s not breathing.” He said to Jean-Marc, “My lady, can you hear me?”

She didn’t respond.

“Guards! Get Emergency Services in here now!” Marquise called out to his guards before starting CPR.

Meanwhile, Shanelle did what she could to keep their daughter calm. 

“Mommy, what’s happening?” Khari asked. 

“I don’t know baby but everything will be okay,” Shanelle replied. 

“Her mommy is gonna be okay right?” Khari asked. 

“Yes, baby. She’ll be fine.”

When Emergency Services arrived, they were able to revive Lady Selene and get her on a gurney. As they took her outside to the ambulance, Shanelle pulled her husband aside. 

“Go with them.” She whispered to him. 

“Are you sure?” He asked. 

“Yes. I’ll take Khari home. She's seen enough for one day. Let me know how it all goes.” She replied. 

“Alright. I’ll see you later.” 

Later that day, Marquise returned to the palace and gave his wife a rundown of what happened at the hospital. 

“Lord Phillip showed up at the hospital?!” Shanelle asked. 

“Yes. Showed up and caused a scene. Accused Lady Selene of wanting to ruin him. Called her every name in the book. My guards had to restrain him.” Marquise replied. 

“Where is he now?” She asks.

“In the dungeons of Comery Isle until I figure out what to do with him.”

Shanelle nodded decisively. 

“Leave him there to stew for a few days. Then we can address this issue properly once he's cooled off.”

“Very well. How is Khari?” He asks. 

“She’s okay. She was worried about Lady Selene though.” Shanelle replies. 

“I’m sure she was. Where is she by the way?” He asks. 

“Taking a nap with the boys. They played Spyro until they all got sleepy.” She replied. 

“Good. I’ll speak with her after she wakes up.”

“Okay. How are you by the way?” Shanelle asked. 

“I’m alright. It’s been a long day. My heart goes out to Lady Selene and her family. As tragic as this was, I did find a silver lining for today.” He replied. 

“What’s that?” 

“The family will be burying the former commander with Elena’s casket.” 

“That’s really sweet.”

“Since Lady Gladys kept her brother’s plot at their family cemetery, they’ll be buried together.” 

“I’m glad you were able to lift the exile order and allow them to come home.”

“I am as well. I will never understand why father dearest banned him for a mistake he made on his own.”

Shanelle paused as they sat down. 

“If you don’t mind telling me, what exactly happened that made him unfairly hate the former Commander?” She asked. 

“It all started back during the Great War between the kingdoms. The Dialgosa Pass was a territory that was initially controlled by King Mordecai but because of his alliance with your grandfather, he allowed King Dominic to station troops there. It’s a small valley that runs through East and South Cordonia.” He replied. 

“Okay, so what happened?” She asked. 

“Your grandfather had planted a mole in the ranks, and that mole gave him information that my father would be advancing troops in that area, so King Dominic set a trap for them. Sebastian’s unit had set up camp there that night intending to go further into East Cordonia. But they never made it. Your grandfather’s troops ambushed them while most of them slept. Killing them all. It was said Sebastian was the last to die but there was no real confirmation of that.”

“I never knew that. I knew that Sebastian was killed but I never knew that part of it.”

“Commander Archambeau found out that the mole had been supplying your grandfather with troop information, so he went to tell my father to pull Sebastian’s unit back before it was too late but he wouldn’t listen. Instead, he listened to Barthelemy who was adamant about this being the right decision, and went ahead and unknowingly sent Sebastian to his death.” 

Shanelle shook her head. 

“What did your mother think?”

“She was furious. From what mom has told me, my mother ripped into my father for being naive enough to listen to and trust someone, meaning Barthelemy, who had no military experience or training whatsoever to make this decision. And when my father decided he wasn't going to tell Nadia that it was his blunder that got Sebastian killed, my mother hit the roof. He planned to lie to her about what happened but my mother wasn’t having any of it. She made him tell Nadia and all but forced him and the Monarchy to take care of her and Carlo for the rest of their lives.”

“The Monarchy wasn’t trying to take care of them?”

“No. They were prepared to give him a General’s final send-off but that was it. So she put it in her will that they would be taken care of. It’s one of the reasons why they were given Sebastian’s duchy instead of it going back to the people.”

Shanelle let out a breath. 

“I always knew your father was a coward but this? Not even I thought he’d be this.” 

“Unfortunately he was,” Marquise said as he shook his head. 

Over the next few days, the Royals watched over their daughter who was slowly becoming herself again. By the time it was time for the Royals to head west to Las Vegas, Khari was herself again. 

“Now promise you’ll be good for your grandmothers. Okay?” Marquise told her. 

“Yes, Daddy. I’ll be good. Me and the boys will be on our best behavior. Just promise me that you’ll bring me back a football.” Khari said to her dad.

“I’ll see what I can do. We’ll see you Monday. I love you.”

“I love you too Daddy! Go have fun!” 

With a sweet kiss to each of his children’s foreheads, Shanelle, Marquise, and her father were off to Las Vegas for Super Bowl weekend. They were staying at Shanelle’s Las Vegas hotel. While the men were going for the game, Shanelle was going for the Usher Halftime Show. 

Because of the money Marquise paid, they were given a tour of the stadium, where he and Damien took several pictures. When they got to their skybox, His Majesty couldn’t help but FaceTime Logan and tell him about the view. 

“Hello?” Logan said as he answered. 

“I got something to show you,” Marquise said to him. 

“What?” Logan asked. 

That’s when Marquise turned his camera around and showed him the view. 

“That!”

“Oh shit! Where are you?”

“Vegas! Live and direct!”

“Oh man!”

“You coming?” Marquise asked. 

“Oh, you got jokes. You got me on tickets?”

“Logan. I bought a 2 million dollar skybox. You don’t need tickets. You just need to show up.”

“On my way!”

“Move it, Ellis!”

“Be there in a few!”

Not even an hour later Logan was walking through the door of the skybox with his father-in-law in tow. 

“So this is how the other half lives? And you got Lowyn on deck too? You are the best brother-in-law a guy could ever have.”

Marquise snorted as he lit his cigar. 

“You make sure you tell Sam Dalton that.”

Logan took a swig of his drink. 

“But for real, thank you for inviting me.”

“Always. This is about to be one of the best Super Bowls on record. It would be criminal to miss it.”

“True.” He agreed before calling out to his father-in-law, “Chief you good?”

“Yup. I’m perfect. This view is unmatched.” He replied as he toasted with Shanelle’s father. 

“Okay, Logan. Who wins?” Marquise asks. 

“NFC all day my guy.” 

“Pity. And here I thought you were smarter than that.”

“You think Mahomes will repeat?” 

“Yes. He’s looking to build a dynasty. And he’s got the team to do just that.”

Logan raised an eyebrow at Marquise.

“How much you wanna bet San Francisco wins this year?”

“$2,500.00”

“Get ready to lose Your Highness.”

“My good man. I don’t lose. I either win or I learn.”

“Nelson Mandela said that.”

“I know. He’s the one who told it to me.”

“You met Mandela?”

“When I was a child.”

Just as Logan started to speak Shanelle came walking into the skybox with Dee in tow.

“Oh no! Trouble just walked in.” Logan teased.

“Shut up boy!” Shanelle snapped at him. 

“For the record, I was talking about Dee but hey if the shoe fits big sis, rock it.”

“Like she said, shut up Logan,” Dee said to him. 

Marquise snorted at the look on Logan’s face.

“Did you girls see him?” Marquise asked the ladies. 

They both started talking all at once. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Marquise said with a chuckle. 

“Man, I still don’t see the hype with him,” Logan muttered a little too loudly.

“That’s because you have two left feet,” Shanelle said to him. 

“I do not!” Logan protested. 

“Who can ever forget little Logan trying to breakdance?” Dee asked. 

Shanelle snorted. 

“And nearly breaking his neck in the process,” Shanelle added. 

Logan sucked his teeth. 

“Y’all can go sit down now.” 

“Aww poor baby bro. You’ll be okay. How was your flight?” Shanelle asked. 

“Short,” Logan replied. 

“Like you?” Shanelle teased. 

“I’m 6’1!” He replied. 

“I don’t know that’s still pretty short, Logan,” Dee added. 

The girls cackled at the look on Logan’s face. 

“You two are so mean to me!”

“We love you, Lo!” The girls said to him. 

“Yeah yeah. Love y’all too.”

The girls took their seats as the game got underway. But all the girls cared about was the Usher Concert at Halftime. And true to his form Usher did not disappoint during his halftime show. And by the end of the game, which had gone into overtime, Marquise’s premonition was correct. Kansas City won which meant the AFC won and Logan lost their bet. 

“One of these days you’re gonna learn to listen to me,” Marquise said as he counted his money. 

Logan snorted. 

“Yeah yeah. But seriously, thanks for inviting me, man. I had a great time and I’m sure the Chief will be bragging about this for days.”

“Anytime. Thank you for joining us. I’ll see you in a couple of days. And don't worry I'll send a check to cover what you lost.”

“Yup yup.”

Before he left Logan got a hug from Her Majesty. 

“Thanks for coming babe.” She said to him. 

“Thank your husband. See I knew you marrying him would be the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes. 

“You make sure my angels get their signed jerseys.”

“Yes, mom.”

Shanelle sucked her teeth and then smirked. 

“I love you little bro.”

“Love you too sis.” 

With one last hug, she watched her baby brother and his father-in-law head back to Los Angeles before they headed back to Cordonia. 

You've reached the end of Part One. Stay tuned for part two.

[sug4r-melon]

For the "Give Me A Character ..." Ask Game feat TFA Yoketron because I want to see the world on fire

how I feel about this character

hate him and love him at the same time. he's a really interesting character despite being on screen for maybe 5 minutes. and it leaves a lot of room for me to play with his personality and motives

all the people I ship romantically with this character

you already know.... my beloved oc Darkseer. I am free from cringe and do not fear giving him a goth monster wife

my non romantic otp for this character

Ultra Magnus. they were probably friends at some point, and I can also make up whatever I want bc his backstory was never really explained XD

my unpopular opinion for this character

HE WAS A TERRIBLE FATHER FIGURE. I know it's popular in fanon that he was a wise and kind master who treated his students well, but we know that isn't the case just based on Prowl's flashbacks. literally the last thing Yoke did before he died was tell Prowl that he wasn't good enough

one thing I wish would happen/had happened to this character

more screen time definitely. he wasn't meant to be a major character and kinda felt like an afterthought to the plot but I would have lived to see more of him

[m-y--p-a-s-s-i-o-n-s]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

Thanks for the tag, @lizzy0305 <333

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

162

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

622,263 - surprisingly low for how many fics I have, but a bunch are drabbles so I guess that checks.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

What fandoms don't I write for? XD

Supernatural. Sherlock. Star Trek. Teen Wolf. Marvel. Harry Potter. Merlin. James Bond. Lucifer. House MD. Primeval. Doctor Who. Venom. The Witcher. The Old Guard. Ted Lasso. Detroit Become Human. Good Omens. Our Flag Means Death. Hannibal.

Plus a few others.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Meant To Be - AOS Star Trek

5 Times Jim Forgot About Vulcan Hand Sensitivity & 1 Time He Didn't - AOS Star Trek

Making Love - Venom

Lunch Break - House MD

Truth Or Dare - Supernatural

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to respond to every comment provided its not hate, I ignore hate. I want people to know that their comment is truly appreciated from the bottom of my heart. Comments are food for the writer's soul.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably either The Void (TOS Star Trek) or Forever (SPN) or most of my SPN Endverse fics.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of my fics have happy endings, I live for them! Hmmm trying to think of particularly fluffy ones though... The Prince and The Princess - (AOS Star Trek) What No Man Has Done Before - (AOS Star Trek X HP) Good News - (DBH) Afterlife - (TOS Star Trek)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not too much, but it happens every so often. Why people can't just exit a fic or not interact with it if they don't like it is beyond me.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Sure do. Um, explicit and M/M but the specifics vary depending on pairing and fic. Been getting more detailed and more adventurous with it over the years though.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Ohhhh boi have I ever written a crazy crossover XD

Convergence - where I brought many many fandoms (and even more ships) together in a story with an actual plot.

Its not my only crossover, but it's by far the craziest.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Not that I'm aware of, but I have been asked if some can be translated before, just never heard from them again.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

In a way with @lizzy0305 who started Fragments ages ago and then I finished it because we both knew she wasn't going to finish it.

and also Double Date with weegie8 a long long time ago.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

My OTP of OTPs is Spirk <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Theres a johnlock fic that could be the first wip i never go back to.

and an SPN and a Stanner fic that both could stay wips forever, but honestly it just takes one spark in my brain and the right mood and I could finish any of these, so never say never.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Not sure really. My fluff is extra tooth rotting? XD Also once I get used to a character their voice is easy to channel I suppose.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Feels like everything when you're trying to write a damn fic XD um, maybe not putting in enough details into a scene.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I often use Vulcan language in Star Trek fics, I think it adds to it. However I get that it can be annoying to not understand a piece of likely important dialogue cause its in another language. It doesn't bother me though.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Technically HP when I was teen, before I knew what fandom and fanfiction were. But when I was in the know it was Supernatural.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

How can I just pick one? I'll pick a multichapter and a one shot that I love.

The One That Got Away - TOS Star Trek

The Update - DBH

Tagging: @dayspring-askanison @heartshapedvows @doonarose

[wind-becomes-lightning]

Temporary OPEN requests

Hello friends, I am in a writing low and since I miss the only hobby I am good at, I thought maybe you all could help me get my ass out of my seat. So I will temporarily open requests. This is open infinitely, or at least until I stop feeling like doing some. I hardly get asks these days so I doubt I will be overloaded.

Answering these might take as long as they might take. Depending on what fandom it is I might post on @konohamaru-sensei instead of here.

Rules:

Send a prompt!!

Fandoms: Nart, Fairy Tail, HQ, BNHA, JJK - if you want others please ask first

Ships, everything thats not incest, teacher x student, or insanely large age gaps. (OTP and YES ABSOLUTELY level ships: ObitoxKakashi, ObitoxYamato, YamatoxKakashi, SaixIno, ObitoxKakashixRin, ObitoxKakashixYamato // JellalxErza, GrayxJuvia, GrayxJuviaxLyon // SatoruxSuguru, MakixNobara)

Of course reader insert is alright! Please add a gender, if none is added I assume gn.

Every post will be at least 1k long, I won't promise longer.

Non anon asks get preferential treatment.

OC's of moots are fine.

I retain the right to say no to everything I don't want to write and I owe nobody an explanation.

Too many prompts under cut:

K, thanks bye.

Currenlty in Q - 14 fics.

The prompts are all lyrics choosen from my favourite songs playlist.

prompts to choose from:

"And don't you dare say we can just be friends."

"I didn't know I was lonely until I saw your face."

"Someone's gotta be the lighthouse and that someone's gotta be me."

"Home is whenever I'm with you."

"And you know for me, it's always you."

"If we loved again I swear I'd love you right."

"Who you are is not what you did."

"So tell me Darling, do you wish we fall in love?"

"Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand?"

"I hope you're always happy like we were."

"You can drag me through hell, if it meant I could hold your hand."

"You make me strong enough to stand."

"And we were never enough, though we hoped to be, so hopelessly."

"It's a heavy burden on me, baby, a heavy burden that will always stay with me."

"Goodbyes are bittersweet, but it's not the end, I'll see your face again."

"When the morning wakes me all this will fade away."

"Who cares if we will meet again? It's obvious that we're not friends."

"If we sleep together would you be my friend forever?"

"You left me more dead than you'll ever know."

"How could a heart like yours ever love a heart like mine?"

"And we all look so damn happy, even though we're all so lonely."

"What a wicked thing to say, you never felt that way."

"I'll be there for you through it all."

"Life was like atipping scale, like an abacus I played with, counting every win and fail."

"I will never stop choosing you, babe, I will never get used to you.

"I'm not saying I'm sorry - one day maybe we'll meet again."

"I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin."

"I won't surrender until you give me back my life."

"I'm drowning in the flood I know as you."

"This is not who I want you to see, it's just adding on weight to the darkness in me."

"I just want you to know who I am."

"Everything led back to you."

"I fall apart but the memories never die."

"I'll see you on the other side."

"We come alone and alone we die."

"I'm falling even more in love with you."

"I'd do anything to make you stay."

"I guess I was just a little too late."

"Why does being so free mean so far away from me?"

"I will stay - nobody will break you."

"Washing your hands with blood wont take away the stain."

"Aren't you sick of wasting so much time?"

"How do I get away, when you are begging me to stay?"

"Keep me by your side, we'll pretend that we're alive."

"We will never dance in the spotlight."

"Why do we always get so far before we let go?"

"Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse."

"Your love is changing me."

"When will the voices in my head stop and let me rest?"

"Something inside this heart has died."

"I can whisper, I can yes, but I know I'm just talking to myself."

"Ditt liv vilar i vinden." (Your life rests in wind.)

"I wish that you could see that I have my troubles too."

"You set my heart on fire."

"Tell me please all is forgiven."

"Life and love I don't deserve."

"All I ever do is run."

"Ich weiß, ich weiß und ich ertrage es nicht." (I know, I know, and I can't take it.)

"Dein Gewissen ist betrunken." (Your conscience is drunk.)

"Tę wojnę wygra tylko jeden." (This war will only be won by one)

"I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you."

"I've loved you three summers now, but I want them all."

"You said we'd leave this place in dust and fall from heaven straight through hell."

"I'm chemically drawn closer to you."

"You're the anchor that is tied to my brain."

"Every minute and every hour I miss you more."

"I wanna waste all of my time with you."

"I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you."

"Wiesz, że Twój ogień już zgasł" (You know that your fire has already gone out)

"Du warst ein Polaroid im Regen und mein erstes Lied." (You were a polaroid in the rain and my first song.)

"その昨日の下の変わらない景色の中からここまで繋がってる." (The unchanging sceneries behind our everyday lives on with me)

"Du gibst mir Zeit und dann denk ich, dass es vielleicht, vielleicht für immer so bleibt." (You give me time and I think then, that maybe maybe, this will be forever.)

"You are the reason that I dream."

"And I won't let you down, I swear this time I mean it."

"How could she say to me, love will find a way?"

"But of all these friends and lovers, there is no one compares with you."

"I'm a drifter's body in an open sea."

"You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead."

"But to love her is to need her everywhere."

"I need you so much closer."

"I've become what I always hated."

"Everybody lies, but I'd never doubt you."

"Every road and ever yhighway led me right back to your door."

"I told you to forget me, but you stayed by my side."

"They said all of my cages were mental, so I got wasted like all my potential."

"There'll be happiness after you, but there was happiness because of you - both of these things can be true."

"Someone to watch me die."