#pretty markus for today's post

[sorryiliketoscreenshot]

[voidscreamintheories]

Boy and Door: You are NOT the Faeder

As always, spoilers for Hunter: The Parenting

Alright friends, this one I'm kinda shaky on and there's not much here at present, but I want to get my thoughts down.

TL;DR Door is not Boy's biological dad, and this might be a very important plot point.

As is my pattern, let's examine their TTS origins: Door was Rogal Dorn, primarch of the imperial fists, praetorian of terra, and Lord Adorable. Boy was a vox hailer serf with notoriously strong legs, and eventually the respect of some members of the adeptus custodes. Dorn became a father figure for Boy over the course of his appearance, mostly keeping him from being bullied by the custodes or Magnus. Also boy might have had latent psyker powers, we will return to this. As a side note: SuperAnchors and Nostalgia, the voices of Door/Dorn and Boy/Boy respectively are perhaps my favourite performances on TTS and H:TP. They are always a joy when they're on screen and I really appreciate their characters in both series. SuperAnchors gets a special mention for practically reshaping the perception of Rogal Dorn in the fanbase, and Nostalgia should be appreciated for turning a character litterally named "Boy" into one of the best characters in either series. Tts rant time done.

So. Boy. And Door. Look at these silly fellas, are you really going to tell me that Boy shares genetic heritage with Door? And where is his mother? I believe Door is not Boy's biological dad, and instead adopted him and has been raising him as his own. I think this is so easily accepted and never mentioned because I am honestly not convinced that Door and Markus are Big D's biological children either. I think their family is just super open to adopting anyone and everyone who comes along, and so Boy being adopted just means he's the youngest family member, no questions or qualms.

Now, this is where my REAL theory starts, and where my research into WoD kinda halted me a little bit. You see, in folklore a changeling is a child swapped with member of the fae in EARLY life. In the original WoD, changelings are... weirder... than that. I'm not sure. So I'm not a hundred percent on this one. But I think Boy is a folkloric changeling, a fae being in place of a child. I don't think Boy knows this fact, and frankly I don't think he would be able to access anything supernatural until recently. Recently being when he started experiencing "puberty disease" as listed in one cutaway card. That same cutaway card mentions it being "cured with meat". Now the fae have ofttimes been portrayed as dainty and nature loving and very "surface level fantasy" elf like. Reading about WoD fae made my head hurt so I don't know if that applies here, but MAYBE boy was starting to manifest his fae side, and eating a stable meat only (read: anti elf) diet staved it off for a time. I think those powers are now bubbling back up, despite the continued meat consumption.

I think H:TP is building up the awakening of many powers, when I get around to explaining the things we all know about Markus this will be relevant. But for Boy I think he is awakening some future telling fae abilities. I think Boy is keeping some of his hinted at seer powers from TTS, just in a different context. In the first arc we see a couple of hints to this: first episode Boy spots Pyotr while he's invisible (and you can too if you look very closely for his eyes), Boy doesn't know he has cool powers so he doesn't recognize fully his feat. But spotting an obscured vamp who can disappear even on camera is pretty above human. Next there is the final confrontation against Pyotr, some day I may type a long diatribe on why that scene in particular is great but not today. Boy manages to hit a shot on a target moving parallel to his position going LUDICROUS speed. I think he may have done this thanks to a lil bit of precognition. And finally there is the meeting with Horse.

Horse and what he IS will get another post one day, but for now let's talk a little about the vision. I think it's not coincidence that Horse calls Boy "oracle" and speaks of prophecy to him. I also don't think it coincidence that Boy sees shapes in the blood. I think Boy is a seer, and certain forms of divination uses blood and gore to make predictions (see Haruspex). Again, I will cover Horse's prophecy another time, but let's talk about the "Faeder" line. I don't think that word was chosen just cause it sounds olde. I think it's a hint and misdirection. Again, I suspect boy was not born into this family, but instead is a product of the faeries. This would mean he has a faerie father, or a fae father, or a faeder. I think Horse was telling Boy that his TRUE father will die. Buuuuuut WoD changelings are weird and Alfabusa has written important foreshadowing WAY too early before (Hello TTS Ghazkhull!), so I'm not sure. I will say to bolster this idea that it was weird for Horse to mention "milklings", another name for changelings, on the same level as other WoD big players. I think this was also a tip off to us the audience about our beloved family, aside from kindred I believe each group mentioned is represented in that role call.

Door. Door is simple, strong, and the only actual normal human hunter in the family (see my kitten theory, Markus and Big D theories pending). Based on the episode titles, and the show title itself, I think the "hunter" in question is Door, and "the parenting", refers to his relationship with Boy. Boy seems to be the writer of the episode titles (on the actual title cards) in arc 1. I hope we see Boy grow under Door's guidance, because I love these characters. And I really hope I'm right that Boy has a fae dad who will take the bullet of prophecy so we don't have to see Door desiccated on the rocks.

Let me know what you think, til next time

Good evening

[physalian]

Character Types: The “Likable Autistic”

Already gave a tiny breakdown of this kind of character in Yet another 5 Character Types The World Needs More Of where I had this to say:

Neurodivergence in media is often the butt of the joke. You like these characters in spite of their “quirks” or you find them incredibly annoying because their “quirks” are their entire personality. Usual representations are arrogant and anti-social narcissists who lack compassion. Shockingly, autism is a spectrum, and a very far cry from sociopathy. No one trait should define an entire character, and that includes neurodivergence.

Best character I could think of that does neurodivergence justice without being “cute” and infantilized is Lilo Pelekai, and I’ve posted about her.

Today I’m going to put my money where my mouth is and break down how I approached this kind of character in Eternal Night, with Markus.

Disclaimer:

He is based off me and my experiences, not meant to be a blanket representation of the DSM-5 checklist of autism, nor did I set out to write an autistic character. I set out to write one who’s neurodivergent, and he happens to be a lot like me, and I happen to have a lot of autistic traits (not officially diagnosed) but also a bunch of others, because he’s a person with nuance, not a walking agenda.

Anyway.

—

My goal with writing him, first and foremost, was not to make another Sheldon Cooper. One is enough. I wanted a “character who is also neurodivergent” not “the neurodivergent character” and when neurotypical (and usually straight, white, and cis) creators want to check off boxes on their diversity list, they tend to think of the latter counting as the whole personality.

Markus still fits the mold of the quiet introverted smart guy, but he’s capable of empathy, is the voice of reason to counterbalance his love interest’s “feelings first” decision-making, a bit of a badass able to hold his own in a fight, and witty when he wants to be, as not much intimidates him. And he’s gay and demisexual because I felt like it. Special interests? Cats and vampirism.

Without spoiling my own book too much, when I was sending it out to beta readers, I had a few come back who made it clear they did not like Markus and did not understand him. Reader: These were neurotypicals who needed me to slap an AUTISM label on Markus’s forehead to give his decisions a pass. Which, to me, meant I did a pretty good job writing him correctly.

He’s the obligate doctor of the coven, a former mortician’s apprentice who became a vampire to sate curiosity: He wanted to know what death felt like. His room doesn’t have a bed, just sheets in a pile in the corner and the rest of the space taken up by piles of books, various knicknacks to fiddle with, and all his medical tools (his favorite is the stethoscope).

Making him/giving him a love interest wasn’t planned. Things Happened and Opportunity arose to give both a neurodivergent character, and a demisexual character, a happy, healthy, communicative relationship, and I just couldn’t pass it up. Is he wish-fulfillment for me? 100%.

But so many times I see these characters and, if they do even have a romance, they’re always takers. They “take” in the partnership, but have nothing to give back. The writers insist that there’s something lovable about them without actually writing them doing loving things, that their person, usually a woman, tolerates (usually) him, because… she feels bad, or they can’t write women, or she’s settling because she couldn’t get anyone else, or the only thing competent about him is that he’s decent in bed.

Usually he’s rude and selfish and only thinks of himself, and she bends over backwards doing all the emotional labor, all the “adult” relationship things like home keeping, mothering him not unlike the deadbeat “everyman” protagonist. He’ll insult her and play it off as brutal honesty, he’ll only talk about himself and his interests and cut her out of things the second she becomes a hindrance to his plans, and he overshares about their intimacy to friends, oblivious to how embarrassed she is because he doesn't understand that some things aren't meant to be shared (you know this is really starting to sound like a standard dickish man just with an "ND" sticker like that absolves their behavior of any accountability....).

In essence, they’re “together” but only because the writer says so. They wax poetic about how great she is for him, but have zero supporting evidence for why he's good for her (which is a lot of male protagonists, to be fair).

I didn’t want to do that with Markus and his lover. They’re a team, through and through. Markus’s filtered pragmatism is still honesty-above-feelings, but it’s not brutal honesty. He can ignore “feeling” in the name of the logical solution, no matter how unpopular the logical solution may be. His partner, in turn, is aaaalll “feeling” and quickly Markus’s fiercest defender without infantilizing him or belittling him or stepping on his toes. Markus gives back in his own ways, too, in taking meticulous care of his lover’s tools and weapons among other spoilery things.

Being on the ace and autism spectrum is pretty common, not breaking any new ground there, but I thought the combination of Markus being demi and his lover being a sex-favorable ace was fun. When he got nervous around approaching sex, I got to write him stimming with his favorite comfort objects (his various vintage medical instruments), seemingly random different hardlines on intimacy he likes vs won’t go near, how overstimulation can ruin everything, and how one can feel like they’re wrong or broken for not liking sex—in his case, he just took a while to figure out an emotional attachment is a necessary ingredient for his enjoyment (and, you know, somebody who gives a shit and is patient and attentive).

Markus is also in stark opposition to his lover’s other love interest (this book kind of has a love-pentagon going on). He’s mature and independent and knows exactly what he wants in a relationship, to a person who’ll bend over backward trying to make everyone happy at his own expense.

He also is new to this “love” thing and he does have his emotional shortcomings. He's unable to understand why XYZ is so important or so meaningful or why Person F continues to repeat such-and-such behavior that clearly only brings them grief and upset or why Person G continues to shoot themselves in the foot. His pragmatism does come at inopportune moments and it frustrates other characters who aren’t looking for a solution, just room to vent.

Markus doesn’t get a ton of screen time and only a couple narrating POVS, but I took every chance I could get to write what I think is both a multifaceted character and relationship to admire.

—

Sooooo, if you’d like to read him in full HD technicolor, you can pick up a copy of Eternal Night of the Northern Sky in ebook or paperback.

[ailtrahq]

Bitcoin (BTC) could see “substantial inflows” from China within the next few months, amid a weakening Chinese yuan and one of the country’s biggest capital flights in years. “The familiarity of Bitcoin by Chinese investors in times of a weakening domestic economy could see substantial inflows into Bitcoin over the next few months,” said Markus Thielen, head of research and strategy at Matrixport.Latest official data — compiled by Bloomberg — shows China’s capital outflows hit $49 billion in August, the largest monthly capital outflow since December 2015, potentially spelling more pressure for the Chinese yuan. China just experienced a capital outflow of $49 billion last month, the largest outflow in more than 7 years pic.twitter.com/X4Or9k3Oiu— Barchart (@Barchart) September 19, 2023 “The USD/CNY exchange rate is trading at a 17-year high as the U.S. economy is strongly expanding while the Chinese economy appears to have weak growth momentum,” said Thielen. “The post-COVID-19 consumption rebound underwhelmed, and the authorities have not implemented enough countercyclical measures to support the economy. Chinese companies are suffering from weak margins in the absence of growth. “Thielen believes continued pressure on the yuan and the “absence of growth” among local companies could see investors searching for opportunities outside of China.However, considering the country’s strict capital controls, crypto may turn out to be one of the few channels available, he said, arguing: “Crypto might be one of the only viable options.”In a Sept. 20 post on X, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes alluded to a similar possibility, suggesting that Chinese capital may already be flowing into gold and paying down U.S. dollar offshore debt. He also shared hopes that some of the capital “find its way” to Bitcoin. As long as the $JPY weakens, the $CNY must weaken so that Chinese exports remain competitive vs. Japan.Wherever the Chinese capital is going, it will keep going in SIZE. I hope some finds its way to Lord Satoshi and $BTC— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) September 20, 2023 In fact, such a narrative seemingly played out for Bitcoin in late 2016, with reports that investors in China were increasingly looking to Bitcoin to get capital out of the country. At the time, the trading volume out of China suggested a possible link between the value of the Chinese yuan to the price of Bitcoin — which eventually peaked around late 2017.However, Singular Research’s crypto analyst Edward Engel argues that times have changed and a Chinese capital flight today may not have the same impact on Bitcoin as it did then.“This is not something I’ve heard,” said Engel in a statement to Cointelegraph. “The last time I heard of something like this was 2017-18 when junkets were using Bitcoin to support underground banks but we all know the CCP plugged those holes a while ago.”“China’s gotten pretty savvy when it comes to stopping outflows so I’d be surprised if people were using older ways.”Junkets refer to organizations that helped wealthy Chinese gamblers move substantial sums of money overseas. China has since cracked down heavily on these firms. Thielen, however, claims there may still be surviving methods for Chinese capital to use crypto, such as using domestic electricity to mine crypto or using OTC traders to buy Tether (USDT) via Tron to send crypto internationally — seemingly in the face of restrictions. The price of Bitcoin has continued to hover between $25,000 and $27,000 since mid-August. It is currently trading at $26,621, according to Cointelegraph Markets Pro. Source

[bopinion]

2023 / 12

Aperçu of the Week:

"Don't study me. You won't graduate."

(The Joker)

Bad News of the Week:

"The climate time bomb is ticking". This statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres can be taken as a summary of the current final report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Thus, even in the two most optimistic scenarios, which assume a significant reduction in global emissions, warming will increase by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Which is generally accepted to already lead to irreversible consequences, such as the melting of glaciers.

According to the UN, however, a value of 2.6 degrees is more realistic. This already assumes that all the pledges made so far by governments and industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions will be kept. Whereby there is apparently still a lack of ambition. Because "public and private financial flows for fossil fuels are still greater than those for climate adaptation and mitigation."

This is downright idiotic. For mankind has the necessary knowledge, the appropriate technologies and also the financial means to change this, says Green politician and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, for example. Whose coalition government has just almost prevented the EU-wide phasing out of internal combustion engines in motor vehicles. Absurd.

Personally, I've lost hope that humanity has enough insight and willingness to give up comfort to halve global emissions in the next seven years. And then that's it. By the end of this decade. Then all that's left is a technological miracle to implement the concept of "carbon capture and storage" CSS effectively and safely and on a large scale.

But we'd rather concentrate on developing e-fuels and going to the moon again. Should the expected breakthrough of artificial intelligence actually come, I am pretty sure what will happen: it will laugh at human intelligence.

Good News of the Week:

Silvio Berlusconi was already bad. Matteo Salvini was worse, because he was also ideologically questionable. With the landslide victory of the Fratelli d'Italia party, classified as post-fascist, in the 2022 parliamentary elections and the appointment of Giorgia Melini as prime minister, Italy seemed stuck for good on the political right. But then came Elly Schlein.

Against all expectations, she won the battle for the party chairmanship of the Democratic Party, the second largest party. Among others, against the ex-prime ministers Enrico Letta and Matteo Renzi. She is fresh in parliament, Swiss-born, young, unconventional, Jewish and avowedly bisexual. And above all, left-wing. A sensation in the motherland of machismo. And anything but establishment.

Since the party congress a week ago, Schlein has officially become the leader of the opposition. Many hopes are pinned on her, and much hatred and aggression is directed at her. It is a tough opposition in every respect. Misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic - in many respects she is the target of hostility. And so far she has shrugged it off with admirable sovereignty.

The foundations of her political positioning are very left-wing and very feminist. As if she wanted to challenge Italy's patriarchal system in the most radical way possible. She "had the strength to free herself from (the) paternalistic shackles that lie in (her) party" says Daniela Prezisosi of the newspaper Domani. And is thus now the antithesis of Meloni's ultraconservative government. A real alternative. Exactly what Italy needs right now.

Personal happy moment of the week:

My personal rediscovery of going out for breakfast on the weekend continues: Today we went with friends to a café in Munich, where I already had breakfast 25 years ago. And it's still just as (good as) I remembered. Nice.

I couldn't care less...

...that the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder suddenly discovers a heart for queer people. "Love and let love." he says all of a sudden. As the head of state of the only German state that does not yet have a plan for sexual and gender diversity. He has no credibility with that. He only listens to the opinion polls. Because there are elections in the fall.

As I write this...

...I am annoyed - as I am every year - about the time change, which cost us an hour of sleep last night. And once again it will take me a whole week to get over this mini-jet lag. And once again I wonder what it's supposed to be good for.

Post Scriptum

The Finns are the happiest people in the world. This is the conclusion of the latest World Happiness Report, which weights factors such as standard of living, health, personal freedom or the absence of corruption. The fact that all Nordic countries make it into the top ten of the ranking allows one to draw a conclusion about the lowest common denominator: societies that focus on solidarity, social balance and public welfare are more profitable for their citizens than those that value competition and capitalism.

[this-machine-runs-on-coffee]

I like the "They were all brought back" one, and to explain for the small amount of time Penny is not in the warehouse anymore you could make it so they're still in line and Penny is arguing with the carnie to do a test run (and obviously screaming that everyone's going to die on a wooden ride that looks like it's about to break down makes the others in line feel unsafe) and at first they all look at her weird or maybe they're just distant like they're not there mentally in that moment and then the choir joins in 5 seconds later at most and they all scream at the carnie to do a test run and the carnie, pretty pissed off because if he doesn't he'll probably still get no people on the ride and that could cause problems with the boss or something does and the accident happens, just with no one on it. Father Markus doesn't get a heart attack either, or if he looks like he could, the choir just helps him go to the hospital.

Everyone minus Virgil and Karnak, so choir and Father Markus, survives

And people can explore how the way they've changed in the afterlife and how that has affected them in their everyday life and how people notice they're different

Also there could be funny moments in which they cite things that happened when they were dead during choir or maybe songs and Father Markus is just confused (I remember that post in which basically someone wrote "Father Markus: Mischa choose the warmup song for today. Mischa: Uhh the one Noel sang. Father Markus: ??" or something like that, I can't remember who made it) and they develop the friendships and if the author wants to maybe some ships

UPDATE: Here's the post I was talking about!

what’s your favorite take on "they all survived"?

1. the cyclone just never happened

2. they were all brought back

3. they survived the crash

(i couldn’t for the life of me think of any more but these are the main ones i see)

Feel free to debate in the comments/reblogs!! Remember to keep it lighthearted!!

Please reblog for a larger sample size!!

[the-technocracy]

Yeah, it's been four years since this game came out, but what can I say, on the rare occasion I attend a party, I'd almost certainly turn up when it's pretty much done.

Whilst not exactly a playthrough (I'm not going to chronicle all the choices I made), I'm going to post the occasional screenshot and video capture here, ostensibly for the edification of my beloved friend, who thinks it might be of interest. At least to her, anyway! 😅 Who knows, you might be some rando who stumbled across this and might think this 'Detroit: Become Human' thing looks kinda neat.

Even the android sent by CyberLife™ can't pass by a fishie in trouble. . .

Markus, getting rather tired of human's shit.

The lovely Kara, about to be going home with a far from lovely guy.

I do wonder if the games timeframe might be a little optimistic though, whether androids - especially household androids - will be commonplace by 2038. But then, at the age I am now, I sure wouldn't mind being able to bring home a CyberLife android today, frankly. But that won't be happening any time soon.

D'aaaaaaw. . .😔

[foreverlostinliterature]

11/3 Book Deals

Good morning, all, I hope the new month is treating you well! It has certainly gotten a bit chilly where I am, although it warms up every couple days again, so who knows what will win out in the end, haha. How are you all doing?? I hope things are going well for all of you. :)

I have a shorter list today because I’m short on time and the selection was a bit limited, but I wanted to pop on anyway and share some of the awesome books I saw on sale today! There were a couple of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books on sale, so you can stock up on some of those if you’ve been wanting to read them/want another reading copy. I’ve been really wanting to check out Bridget Collins’ latest, The Betrayals, and Michel Faber is always a treat!

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful day, and happy reading! :)

Today’s Deals:

The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker - https://amzn.to/3pXRs0i

Mort by Terry Pratchett - https://amzn.to/3GLslDO

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett - https://amzn.to/3nSNYto

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett - https://amzn.to/3mI68Pc

Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett - https://amzn.to/2ZTv4dO

The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick - https://amzn.to/31hL3Tc

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas - https://amzn.to/3obQ1Jh

Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik - https://amzn.to/3bAXYBN

My Invented Country by Isabel Allende - https://amzn.to/3bDPvxE

The Betrayals by Bridget Collins - https://amzn.to/3EG1R4L

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen - https://amzn.to/3mBPd0t

Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam - https://amzn.to/3pXS5Hc

D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber - https://amzn.to/3k0jswg

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian - https://amzn.to/3BJccuK

Birdie by Tracey Lindberg - https://amzn.to/3wba26f

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak - https://amzn.to/3k3gyXQ

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo - https://amzn.to/3k22Wfu

NOTE:  I am categorizing these book deals posts under the tag #bookdeals, so if you don’t want to see them then just block that tag and you should be good. I am an Amazon affiliate and will receive a small (but very much needed!)  commission on any purchase made through these links.

[voidscreamintheories]

Markus: Okay this one is obvious

Spoilers for Hunter the Parenting and If the Emperor Had a Text-to-speech Device

Easy theory today, why not. Following my own rules for Hunter fam theories, let’s look at who Markus was in the world before: Markus is the analogue for Magnus the Red. Magnus is THE magic primarch. Other primarchs had psyker powers, true, but Magnus was such a magical boy that most of his own sons got cool magic powers just for being his sons. Magnus was also able to alter the fabric of reality around himself pretty much on a whim (important for later). As an example: It is impossible to discuss the canon heights of the primarchs to find a definitive answer for “biggest primarch” because Magnus could at will change his size (smallest primarch was either Alpharius (so he could blend in amongst his legionnaires) or Angron (because it’s funny if he had manlet rage)). Magni magic also fell under the sway of Tzeentch, the very god of magic, because he was such a cool magic boi. So Markus is a mage, as in Mage: The Ascension, the World of Darkness game/setting. The biggest clue for this is his interaction with Brok at the bar. Markus spits a curse (and one with obscure and borderline non-sensical phrasing) at Brok, with the full intention of cursing him, while holding an object important to Brok (and seeing as Brok is clearly still sitting on said chair while on duty in the arcanum, I think we could call it ritualistically important to him). This is basically everything Marky needs to engage in a little witchcraft and put a hex on Brok. As Big D has told us in the primer episode, mages have the ability to warp reality around themselves with almost unlimited power. Say for example having a bacterial disease somehow survive inside a shipment of high alcohol content liquor, then have multiple switchblade mechanisms catastrophically fail, THEN have a policeman show up at preciously the right moment to prevent a maiming. Markus himself even recognizes the absurdity of the situation. I’m sure if he continues to grow into magic powers he will be furious with his father for withholding information that would have prevented Markus getting hurt or hurting others. Now as a quick note, I think Markus will actually suspect Guy Chapman as being the one responsible for the strange happenings, if he learns that Guy is a ghoul. As I will discuss at a later time, ghouls can inherit some talents from their vampire overlords. And seeing as Chapman was ghouled by a Tremere (the magic vampires), perhaps Markus will chalk the events up to Guy pulling some sneaky prestidigitation from the sidelines (this assumes Markus learns 1. Chapman is a ghoul, 2. Ghouls can gain vampire powers, 3. Chapman was ghouled by a vampire wizard. So don’t hold’ya breath).

This one isn’t really ground breaking, since it’s HYPER obvious, but still good to post an easy lay-up in case all my other theories fall apart around me.

As always, good evening.

[sheyshocked]

Of golden mirrors and secret admirers (2/6)

Summary: Simon learns something new about Markus.

Ship: Simon/Markus (Detroit: Become Human)

Warnings: None

A/N: I think I enjoyed writing this chapter way too much XD

At any rate, the next chapter will be posted on the next Sunday (it’s gonna be a Valentine’s day. I’m still thinking about writing something special for my boys, even though I don’t technically celebrate it - but it’s kinda Simon’s birthday and so on... Well, we shall see about that). Until then, hope you enjoy this chapter, and see you next time!

Markus was nowhere to be found at the market the very next day, and neither was North. She would usually have her own stall there, selling venison and all sorts of hides she wasn’t able to get rid of during the week. That day, however, her favorite selling spot stayed vacant.

Simon had a pretty good idea of what was going on, but still, he left himself the luxury of doubt. Maybe North has sold everything earlier than expected and was gone hunting. Perhaps Markus has already been here. Probably…

But even that flick of a hope was taken away from him when he met Bouchard, the merchant who was supplying Markus’ father with expensive paints and canvas from the capital city every once in a while.

“Excuse me, sir?” he stopped him right in his tracks. “Have you seen the young Mr. Manfred today? Guys told me he has been here about an hour ago, but left with that crude huntress of his without even visiting me, and I still have a package waiting for him…” He stopped himself almost mid-sentence, staring at Simon’s face. “Sir? Are you alright? You seem rather pale.”

To put it lightly. Simon could feel all of his blood rushing away from his cheeks, leaving only sickly ashen shade behind, like a sheet of paper smeared with something greasy. He had to shake his head to get rid of all the unsettling thoughts.

His spell has worked. He should be glad that Markus was happy. But he wasn’t. And he despised himself because of it.

He faked a smile once again. Just a few more and he will eventually get the hang of it. “It’s only a mild fever, nothing to worry about. This season and its chilly weather always keeps me up on my toes. But you know what? Give me that package. I wanted to visit the Manfred estate later this day anyway, so why not deliver it? It’s already paid for, right?”

“Aye. Wouldn’t trust anyone else, but since it’s you, sir… here you go.” Bouchard vanished for a few seconds underneath the stall, only to reemerge again with a surprisingly small packet. He handed it over to Simon like it was some sort of a treasure.

“Thank you, Bouchard. Take care.”

To tell the truth, he had no intention of going over to Markus’ father today. He already gave him his prescribed medication for these two weeks. But a short friendly visit certainly wouldn’t hurt, right? Besides, he could use a walk to clear out his head before delving straight back into the more serious part of the day.

After buying some essentials and quickly dropping them home, taking only the package from Bouchard with him, he headed to the Manfred estate.

He always used to like the old, dusty road leading to the large house by the river. It wound through several fields beneath a steep hill, and on top of which was an ancient oak. Not a single one of the old villagers remembered who planted the tree and when, only that it was there long before the first settlers. In any case, Simon felt a strange magical energy surrounding it whenever he came near. Perhaps it should be more concerning, but instead, it felt almost… soothing. Like resting in the arms of a beloved parent. Needless to say, Simon loved hanging out there every now and then.

This time, however, the place seemed to be occupied.

Voices were coming from the top of the hill, loud and clear, and Simon froze up when he realized one of them belonged to Markus.

“Could you please try to squirm less? This isn’t easy, you know?” He sounded genuinely frustrated, maybe even a little bit upset with the other person. That was so unlike him Simon was brimming with curiosity.

He knew it was none of his business and that he should probably move along, but when he heard the sound of a girly giggle and a gentle smack, he simply had to know what the hell was happening there, against his better sense telling him to leave it be.

He slowly climbed up the hill, sneaking like a damn thief, only to get a sight of… the most peculiar scene.

The first thing he caught a glimpse of was Markus, sitting on the ground in the grass with his back turned toward him, tilting his head left and right every once in a while. Only then he noticed North crouching in front of him in a strange, stiff position that was putting her body on a display.

She had her long hair loose, flowing down on her slender shoulders, which was a major difference from her usual messy ponytail or a braid, and was sticking out her tongue at her friend, as if she was taunting him.

Simon still had no idea what was going on, but he certainly was intruding on something. His first instinct was to dart to hide. Unfortunately, he was no match for North’s eagle eye.

“Markus, we have a company,” she hissed at her companion who glanced up like she woke him from a pleasant dream. To Simon, he looked no different than usual. Maybe his eyes shone a little bit brighter, or his smile grew a tiny bit wider, but it was still the same old him. Lovable as always.

“Who?” he asked, glancing around, until he too noticed Simon, who wished the ground would swallow him whole. But to his surprise, Markus didn’t seem annoyed to see him. Quite the opposite. He hastily straightened himself up, knocking over a sketchbook and a pencil, which tumbled to the grass.

Posing, North has been posing for him as a model, the mage has realized.

A blush was dusting Markus’ face as he waved at the mage. “Oh, hello, sir! We were just about to finish!”

“Finally! Thought I’d never see the day,” North grinned and slowly got up, stretching her arms and legs while doing so. “Anyway, I should get going. I still have to skin that boar from yesterday. Enjoy yourselves.”

She gave Markus a wink and a pat on the shoulder before wandering off back to the village, leaving her friend awkwardly sitting on the ground with an equally uncomfortable mage.

Simon, like the nice person he was (definitively not some creepy guy caught spying on the Far Water’s youngsters), picked up the sketchbook from the grass it fell to without even peeking to see the drawings in it, and handed it over to its owner. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you two. It’s just… I had no idea you are also an artist.”

Markus was truly adorable when he was blushing. His blush, dark and barely noticeable if one didn’t know what to look out for, didn’t stop at his cheeks, but instead continued to the tips of his ears, and even his shoulders… Simon longed to trace it with his fingertips but talked himself out of it. It’d be totally uncalled for, what would Markus think of him? So he kept his distance, careful not to even brush fingers as he gave him back his sketchbook.

“Well… they say it runs in the family. Carl, I mean, my dad taught me a lot. Says I have a real talent for art.” He paused, shyly glancing up at Simon, who was hovering over him with a package still in hand. “Wanna take a look, sir?”

Simon shrugged. He was dying to see the boy’s craft but was worried to come across as too forceful. Markus had now a girlfriend to worry about, he supposed. “Sure, I would be honored to.”

It was refreshing to see how eagerly the young man patted the ground next to him, motioning Simon to come join him in the grass. And he did, after some hesitating, but not too close to touch.

Markus showed him the drawing of North he has been working on right before he walked in on them, and well… it was simply marvelous. Everything, from the delicate line of North’s bottom lip to her thick auburn hair, looked almost like the original. There was something intriguing about the sketch that made Simon’s soul sing (much like the young man himself).

However, it wasn’t the only picture of North in the sketchbook. Far from it.

There were several more well-made portraits, perfectly capturing the huntress’ current mood, be it happiness or thoughtfulness, and also a few funny doodles and caricatures (some of them were crossed out or accompanied by angry notes, saying things like: “Set this page on fire, or else I will shoot you in the ass next time I see you!”) Childish bickering of two turtledoves.

“You draw North a lot,” he noted in a small, faltering voice, and Markus blushed even harder, confirming his suspicion.

“Yeah, she’s one of the few people willing to pose for me. It takes a lot of time and others get bored easily because I don’t talk much while drawing, but the sketches are better that way, and overall, it’s great for practice.”

“I see. Practice.” Simon didn’t quite believe him, but went along with it regardless, moving on to the next page.

He recognized the faces of several other villagers, including Markus’ father, Bouchard, and that poor orphaned boy Ralph, still living in the debris of his old house which got burned to the ground a few years back, but none of them were as accurate and detailed as the ones with North (Carl Manfred being the only exception). Still, Simon would be happy to draw half as pretty. The boy really had a knack for this.

However, as he was about to move on and turn the page again, Markus grabbed at his hand, making him stop. It was so out of the blue that it scared the hell out of Simon, and a few bright cyan colored sparks of magic came flying from the palm of his hand, startling the young man in return, but thankfully not hurting him.

They both flinched away from each other, frantically muttering apologies.

“Sorry, sir, I didn’t mean to!” Markus yelped. “It’s just, the next sketch isn’t finished yet, perhaps the other ones would be more suitable…”

“No, no, I should apologize – I overreacted and lost grip of my magic. Won’t happen again.” It wasn’t until then he made sense of the lad’s words and frowned. Sure, he shouldn’t be nosy, but the uncertainty in Markus’ tone was troubling him.

“As for the picture… it’s fine, Markus,” he whispered and as if to make sure to get the point across, briefly squeezed Markus’ forearm in a short, friendly manner (but not before he made sure his magic was once again fully under the control). Amusingly enough, the boy almost instantly relaxed and gave him a bashful smile.

“You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to. Just please, don’t underestimate yourself like that. Your father is right, you know. You do have a blessing. And I would admire anything you have drawn, even if it was a little rough around the edges and incomplete. Never doubt that.”

When he stopped to think about what he said, it seemed like a step a little bit too far from the neighborly tone he wanted to set, and he scolded himself for it, but Markus didn’t look offended. More like pleased.

“Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much it means to me.” He stared at the sketchbook and pencil for a while. Then he seemed to make his mind and glanced up at Simon with a toothy grin. “Hm, come to think of it, how about we strike a deal – I show you the sketch and you show me some of your magic.”

When he noticed Simon’s slightly raised eyebrow, he lost some of his bravado and started explaining. “I’ve never seen you, or anyone, cast a spell before, other than healing and there’s too much stress associated with it, and the sparks looked nice, so… I suppose it’s only fair. What do you think, sir?”

Magic tended to be a sore spot for some snobbish mages back at the college. They refused to discuss it with “ignorants who can’t even possess it, let alone comprehend it”. Simon, on the other hand, always appreciated it when villagers asked questions, even though it sometimes made him feel like some rare specimen of a beast at a menagerie.

No full-grown adult has ever asked him to show them how his power looked like, though (most people simply cared about what it could achieve, but seldomly admired the aesthetics). It was such an innocent and heartwarming request, he nodded without even thinking twice.

“Alright, you got me. Fair is fair. Now, should I go first?”

“Yes, go ahead, please!” It amused Simon how excited Markus could get over something simple like this, so much so it made him chuckle.

“Fine, here we go, then.” He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, feeling the gentle thrumming of pure energy underneath his skin as he did so. It was drawing closer to the surface with each heartbeat, making him almost dizzy. Magic required a lot of discipline on the mage’s end to not get out of control like a wildfire and start burning things, but thankfully, that was one of Simon’s (few) merits he mastered early in his studies.

Once he felt ready, he raised one hand palm up and let his power manifest in a small wisp of a bright blue glow that shone softly and moved with the wind just like a candlelight. A show of pure self-control and strength in equal measure.

After a while, when the light stabilized itself and there was no risk of it getting “extinguished” or spreading uncontrollably, he peeked to see Markus’ reaction.

He found him staring at the wisp, deeply in awe, but his silence was slowly downing upon the mage, making him feel self-conscious. Reminders of some… less appreciative viewers were starting to rear their ugly heads.

Thank divines Markus spoke up at last.

“Wow. It’s so…” Unnatural. Bizzare. Scary. “…beautiful. I’ve never seen such perfect cerulean shade.”

Artist through and through, Simon chuckled, feeling much more relaxed straight away. “Well, it’s not called the ‘magical arts’ for nothing.”

“Oh, so it does run in the family too?” Markus gave him a lopsided grin, which made his heart skip a beat. This damned angelic smile should never be bestowed upon a human being. Just seeing it was making his cheeks turn rosy pink, and given his pale complexion, it would soon become painfully obvious he was thinking about things he shouldn’t have.

“It does, but not by rule,” he murmured as he struggled to keep his wits together. “I was the first mage in my family since my great-grandfather. My parents and brother were… normal.”

In the blink of an eye, Markus’ grin vanished (phew), only to be replaced by a way more serious expression as he sidled closer, almost like he wanted to comfort the other man. “Sounds quite lonely.”

It wasn’t that Simon didn’t appreciate Markus’ nearness. As a matter of fact, he liked it a bit too much. He longed to get closer, to open himself up to him. But he couldn’t, he wasn’t the one for Markus. That’s why he forced himself to create some distance, both physical and mental, between himself and the young lad who was in love with someone else and had no idea what he was doing to him. “It wasn’t so bad. There were others who had it much worse.”

If Markus has noticed the sudden coldness in his tone (and he definitively did, judging from the way he pouted while giving Simon space), he didn’t remark on it.

“But I believe it’s yours turn now,” the mage hurried to change the subject and to his big relief, Markus reached for his sketchbook with an uneasy laugh.

“Hoped you would forget about that,” he said, but obediently handed him the papers over. Simon gave him a smirk, as if to say: “Mages never forget, you know,” and turned the page. Once he did, his insides nearly froze to a solid ice.

There were a couple of attempts at sketches, but most got scrapped early in the process, showing only figures with blank faces and lots of notes around them, this time taken by Markus during drawing as he struggled to capture his idea. And on top of it all, in the right corner, was drawn Simon’s very own face all in a vivid blue color, with eyes gently closed and a smile on his lips.

It was simply the loveliest thing Simon has ever laid his eyes upon (even though it wasn’t very precise, clearly drawn from a memory like the others – the man in the picture was much more handsome, with prettier, less hawkish nose and slightly fuller lips).

Just knowing Markus deemed him worthy enough to draw, sent a warm, tingling feeling all through his body. He had to physically force himself to suppress it. He shouldn’t feel this way. After all, what would Markus’ significant other say?

“I know it’s no good,” Markus began rambling, “the lines are just off, and don’t get me started on the proportions! I didn’t do you justice. But… I could try again, if you’d be willing to pose for me?”

Simon’s heart almost stopped beating altogether. He knew it was just a friendly offer that meant nothing, still… he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right.

“You’re selling yourself too short, Markus. It’s just as breathtaking as the others and I’m honored that you chose me as your subject.” The boy was beaming up at him, and Simon hated to spoil his joy with: “But I’m afraid I won’t have enough time to stand a model. Besides, there are plenty of other people you can ask who are way more interesting than I am. Perhaps John or Kara would be amenable.”

Markus’ face fell, resembling a kicked puppy. Why did it matter so much to him? Simon would never understand what was so special about his dull, plain face. “But I don’t want someone more interesting. I want you!”

Simon took a sharp intake of breath. He imagined these words being whispered to him thousands of times, but this wasn’t some secret confession, he corrected his stupid head. Markus meant it only as a model, right?

“You flatter me. It saddens me to say no, but I must.”

Markus sighed. “It’s fine. I understand.”

He could as well grab a knife and thrust it right into the mage’s guts. It would probably hurt just the same. If he wasn’t so sure it was better this way, he would have called it off and let the boy draw him for as long as he wanted. But as things were right now, he felt he overstayed his welcome and nearly leaped upon his feet, knocking over the package from Bouchard he was supposed to deliver and totally forgot about it.

“Thank you. I… should probably get going. Bouchard asked me to deliver this package to your father, so…”

Markus’ face lightened up for a few seconds. “Ah, great. That’s the new set of brushes and pigments we’ve needed. Thanks for fetching it, that was very thoughtful of you. I will take it, if you won’t mind.”

Simon didn’t, even though he had no problem of bringing it to the Manfred estate so the boy wouldn’t have to bother himself with it. After giving it some thought, he decided against it and did as Markus has said (like he had any choice in that matter, really), handing the package over before saying goodbye and hastily retreating home.

Well, this was truly a fiasco.

[katlynroseanneart]

Finally posting this, though I’m a few hours late. Hopefully I can jet through this description so I can quickly finish a few more drawings and go the fuck to sleep. This is Davion and Eden! Markus’s parents, and investors of New Moon Bar. They also have a large wine company called Sekhmet Wine! The reason behind this name was both the myth of how wine was used to calm the war goddess, and because it was Eden’s last name. (And for anyone wondering, yes Davion took her last name in their marriage. It was the name of the company, and it was just a really badass name.) Davion and Eden met at a dead end office job, when Eden was already in a relationship. Davion fell for her fast, but reigned his feelings in for the sake of not wanting to ruin a happy relationship. Little did he know, that relationship wasn’t happy at all, in fact it was abusive. Eden broke down at work one day and he was there to witness it, and comfort her. He helped her out of her relationship, and after a long while of being friends with Eden slowly gaining feelings for him she confessed and they started dating! About a year after that they started Sekhmet Wine, then later they got married, and fast forward to today they now have many children and are sitting at the top of an empire. Life has gone pretty well for them, but they stay humble and make sure to always share the wealth. Both of them, especially Eden, know what it’s like to be less privileged than they are today and they do everything in their power to help that be better. 🔵 🔥 🔵 🔥 ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #artistslife #instaart #art #newartist #artwork #independentartist #artists #artistic #instaartist #artistofinstagram #artistsoninstagram #upcomingartist #artdaily #instaartwork #artistsoninstagram #OC #artsy #bluefire #watercoloursketch #artist #fiery #fireart #arte #unsignedartist #fire #artoftheweek #dance #flameco #flamecoart #flamecodance #pretty https://www.instagram.com/p/CQVWcdqFsqE/?utm_medium=tumblr

[an-actual-angel]

Pairing: Connor (RK800) x Reader, Collin (RK800-60) x Reader, Richard (RK900) x Reader

Summary: The year was 2082. 44 Years after the android revolution. Things have turned south for humanity. Androids now rule the world, leaving humans to be considered as mere animals. While some Androids still have a general disdain for humanity some have taken to the idea of keeping them as “family pets.”You, born in captivity, specifically bred to be the perfect pet happen to get adopted by the RK brothers.

Chapter Description: Collin and Connor have something important to ask you.

(If anyone wants to be added to the tag list, either dm or reply to this post <3)

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Buy me a Coffee?

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Chapter 24-

Your name: submit What is this?

You felt bad for having to divulge the slightly intimate conversation that with Collin to Connor but you honestly didn’t know what else to do. You thought that Connor would be a bit more equipped to help Collin with his issues. Them being closer and Connor knowing how to deal with situations like this a whole lot better than you. Hopefully, Collin wouldn’t be upset with you telling Connor.

 It was obvious that Collin had a lot of respect for Connor so you thought maybe he would be a good person for him to talk to. You guessed there was no way to really know. The next morning Connor had convinced Collin to go out on a jog with him, they left the apartment pretty early so you missed them before they left. They had been gone for a while.

You were eager to find out if Connor had made any progress with Collin but you were still incredibly nervous about the whole thing. Where they going to talk about you?

No, stop being so self-absorbed.

There were far more pressing things going on with Collin.  

You wished you knew a better way for you to help.

Being alone all day in the apartment had left you immersed in your thoughts. While you had become a little more used to being alone, you still hadn’t gotten used the intrusive thoughts that would creep into your head while there was a lack of distractions around. Thoughts that made you feel small. Like everything that was going on with the brothers was your fault.

You knew it wasn’t true but sometimes it was hard not to hear those thoughts. You needed a distraction, pronto. TV was boring as usual but it would do. You really should ask Collin or Connor how they got movies up, you never really learned how they worked their streaming service. You decided the news was as good as anything.

There was nothing super out of the ordinary on, just a lot of politician’s arguing about things you knew nothing about. Of course, the adoption centre never taught you a lick of knowledge about politics, wasn’t a human’s place. You did recognise the mayor, Markus as he began to address the issues of the feral humans that had invaded the city not too long ago. You rubbed at your palm thinking about the blast that day, thinking about how scared you were.

You thought again about how you could have run away that day but you knew you made the right decision in staying with Collin, didn’t you?

Of course, you and Collin had become so close.  Perhaps too close.   Nevertheless, you really did care for him.

As you continued to watch you saw Richard in the background of the scene, talking to another android. What was that slime doing there?

Well, he was the police Commissioner, perhaps he had a meeting or something at city hall? God, he was probably telling all the androids there about how humans had hurt his brother. Well, they did kind of, but you knew Richard would put his own spin on it.

Your attention was then drawn away from the TV as you heard the front door opening. You heard the distant chatter of Connor and Collin, you couldn’t exactly make it out but you did hear Collin mentioning he would be back in an hour or two before leaving again. Connor had barely even noticed you as he entered into the living room. He almost looked like he had seen a ghost upon spotting you, saying your name in shock.

“Hi, Connor.” You uttered quietly.

“Hey.” He smiled slightly in return.

“How’s Collin doing?”

“Yeah, he’s okay. We had a good talk. Thank you for letting me know about all of this by the way.”

“Is he mad at me for telling you?” You questioned, worried that perhaps Collin may have seen it as a breach of trust rather than you trying to help.

“Oh no, no, not at all.” Connor shook his head to dismiss your worry.

“So is everything okay?”

“Getting better. He’s going to try and talk to me more about this stuff and I’m going to try and make more time for us. I think going for jogs will be our new thing.”

Connor smiled at you more playfully this time.

“That’s good.” You finally replied¸ returning the smile.

Good, you made the right decision.

“Okay well, I got to clean up a little.” Connor exhaled out with a final smile before making himself scarce.

While he told you that things were going well there was something about Connor that just seemed, off? You couldn’t quite put your finger on it. Those intrusive thoughts began to creep up on you again. Maybe it was time to do something else.

___

You ended up back in your room, laying in your bed, you had settled down reading a book that Connor had previously lent to you. It had kept you busy for a while, that was until your attention was drawn to the faint sound of bickering outside your door. As you got up to investigate it had gone silent again before a knock was heard on your door. You opened it to find Connor and Collin both awkwardly standing outside.

“Do you mind if we come in?” Connor eventually spoke up.

“No, not at all.” You opened the door wider for the two androids to enter into your small bedroom.  

“Uh, here.” Collin said as he pulled his hand out from behind his back revealing a small bouquet of red roses.

You were completely caught off guard by it. “Oh wow thank you.” You exclaimed in surprise. “Um, what’s the occasion?” you asked as you held the roses up to your face to smell them.

There had to be something right? Why the hell would Collin bring you roses?

Collin's eyes widened and he looked over to Connor for support, he had no idea what to say to you.

“It’s just a small thank you, from both of us.” Connor explained, allowing Collin to gather himself again. “You’ve been nothing but wonderful both to myself and Collin. We really appreciate it, all things considered, we're just surprised you don’t hate us.”

“Hate you? I could never." Why would they even suggest such a thing?

“It’s just cause were androids.” Collin whispered out from under his breath. He then turns to Connor and both there LED's flicker. Watching them, you could swear they were having a conversation in their heads, perhaps they were.

Collin nudged Connor’s arm as if to insist on him doing something, Connor responded back to him by shaking his head. What was going on with these boys today?

Collin looked back toward your direction and blurts out “Connor wants to ask you something.” Pushing his brother’s arm, much like a child would.

Connor's face twists into disgust at his brother as he flinches away from his touch. Looking back towards you he lets out a shaky noise from his mouth as he tries to speak.

“Well, we were both discussing our um… mutual fondness of you and um.” Connor was struggling to find the words to say, something which Collin soon grew tired off. Getting fed up with Connors pathetic attempt Collin rolls his eyes and takes his turn to speak instead.

“We both like you.” Collin lets out a frustrated grunt as he speaks “and you like us.”

Connor holds his hand out against Collin as if to tell him that’s he’s got this.

“Listen, I…” Connor speaks softly before correcting himself. “We understand that this whole situation is a little unorthodox and we don’t want to put any type of pressure on you. If you don’t want to that’s completely understandable.”

“Don’t want to what?” You ask in a hushed tone. whispering out between the roses that you had held against your face.

They couldn’t be asking…

“Date the both of us?” Connor looked away as soon as the words left his mouth, almost as if he was ashamed he asked.

“Wha- really?”

Was this a dream?

“Only if that’s something you would want.”

Polyamory had become quite normal ever since androids came into power. There was far less stigma attached to it. In ancient cultures, humans used to all be polyamorous until monogamy was introduced which was more of a business transaction than a thing of love.

“Don’t worry, we won’t rush you into a decision or anything like that. Take your time to think about it.” Connor tried to soothe any worries you could have. He really didn’t want to rush you, he wanted you to make your own decision with this.

“But if you would allow us, there is a movie showing tonight and we would like to take you out.”

“I think I’d like that.” You lowered the roses down from your blushing cheeks to reveal the smile that had formed on your face.

“Really? That’s great!” Connor's voice had become a mixture of shock and glee which only made Collin's eye roll.

“Cool it, Con.” Collin whispered cringing at his brother’s overexcitement. You, however, thought it was quite cute.

“How are you feeling about all this Collin?” You ask wanting to make sure it was all sitting right with him.

“As long as we take things relatively easy and slow, I think I can handle it.” Collin replied with a cheeky wink and a smirk.

So it was agreed. Both Collin and Connor had planned to take you to an outdoor screening of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, none of you had seen it before but Connor had heard it had somewhat of a cult following so it seemed interesting at least. The boys had packed a picnic and brought blankets and pillows for the old film that would be playing for a crowd in the local park.

Connor had laid out a picnic blanket under one of the trees far enough away from the gathering that it was private but close enough that you could still see and hear the film clearly. Connor had pillows set up for you all to be able to comfortably sit against the old oak tree which had been previously decorated with lanterns. The park sure did look gorgeous that night.

What a perfect spot for a first date.

Then the reality hit you. Holy shit. You were on a date with Connor AND Collin.

Collin must have mistaken your nervous shiver for you being cold and placed a blanket around your shoulders before poking through the picnic basket Connor had set up. He took out strawberries and some popcorn for you all to share, then eventually he pulled out a bottle of wine and some glasses.

“Uh, would you like some?” he nervously offered to you. “It’s the same one we had at the restaurant the other night. I remembered you said that you liked it.”

“Yes please.” You smiled and nodded to his cute gesture.  

Relief filled Collin’s face when you responded positively. He then proceeded to pour you a glass along with one for himself and his brother.

It could have been arguably weird that two ‘brothers’ were courting the same girl but you reminded yourself that Collin and Connor weren’t really brothers, yes they shared a face and had a type of kinship or familial bond but they weren’t related, not biologically anyway.

As the Movie began Connor relaxed back into the pillows he had set out and you followed along doing the same. You moved the blanket that was around your shoulders to sit across your lap, covering both Collin and Connor with it. Making yourself more comfortable you lay your head against Connor's shoulder. He responded by putting his arm around you.

The movie was quite enjoyable, it was wacky, campy and made you giggle throughout at some of the actors overacting. You felt a little embarrassed at a lot of the innuendos and sexual-ish content of the film, considering you were watching it with two guys you REALLY liked but Collin’s loud laughter made you feel a little bit more at ease.

Throughout the film, Collin had ended up resting his head in your lap which made your heart flutter at how damn cute he was. You began to play with his hair lightly and in response, he leaned into your touch.

Collin’s comments were perhaps more entertaining than the movie. Although the movie still was pretty great. He just kept asking every time a character showed up wearing something weird or kinky whether you thought he would look good in the outfits. You noticed Connor seeming a little embarrassed by it all but he didn’t really say much.

When the film ended Collin immediately announced, sitting up on his knees “Connor, what the fuck did you make us watch?”

Noticing how flustered Connor got as his cheeks tinged blue you snapped back at Collin to stop bullying Connor.

“Hey, I was told that this film was amazing I just went along with it.” Connor attempted to explain.

“You seemed to enjoy it regardless, Collin.” You teased, poking his chest firmly.

“Well…” he shrugged it off with a chuckle.

“Come on you two.” Connor laughed as he stood up. “It’s getting late, we ought to head back.”

____________________________________________________________

Chapter 25 -

You were joined by both of the brothers on the car ride back home. You's had come to the park in Connor's car, his being the only self-driving vehicle they had. Richard and Collin's were both cars that had required a driver. The brothers had agreed amongst themselves to take Connor's car so that they could both sit beside you in the back. Connors's shoulder had been pressed firmly against yours on the journey home. Collin, being slightly braver had reached out to take your hand in his as the three of you chatted amongst yourselves.

“We promise not to take too long to do something like this again.” Collin referenced the fact that they both admitted they had been a little weary to ask you out in the first place. Connor never could have imagined that you shared similar feelings to him, he didn’t want to scare you away, ruining your friendship. Collin on the other hand just needed some reassurance from Connor to actually do something.

Their little talk is what brought both of them to ask you out. When they confirmed they both had feelings for you Collin was able to make Connor aware of your very obvious infatuation with him, and Connor was able to give Collin the pep talk he so needed. They didn’t mind having to share you either, as long it was something you were comfortable with. The only reason Connor was so disappointed upon hearing that you and Collin may have had a one night stand was due to his lack of knowledge of Collin's true feelings, he would hate for anyone to use you like that.

Upon arriving home the boys were very courteous, holding doors open for you and being on their best behaviour. They had walked you to the outside of your room. Connor placed down the picnic basket he was carrying before giving you a small hug goodnight. Collin rolled his eyes before doing the same, he was hoping for a little more than a hug to end the date with but Connor had already set the tone.

Before grabbing onto the door handle, you planted a small kiss on both of their cheeks. “Thank you for the wonderful evening, goodnight boys.” Your parting words before entering into your bedroom.

Now alone in your room, you sank back against your closed door, hands covering your blushed face as you thought about the night you had. The boys must have still been outside your door as you heard hushed voices speaking through it to one another.

“Maybe we should have asked to stay the night?” you heard one of them speak, you guessed that one was Collin. He had a slightly smoother inflection in his voice than Connor.

“What happened to taking it slow?” The other voice spoke, Connor you guessed.

“Shut up!” The first snapped back, playfully.

You tried to contain your giggling as you called “Good night boys!” through the closed door, letting them know you could hear them quite clearly.

You then heard the both of them scurrying away.

Standing back up straight from the door you smile at the roses they had left for you earlier. You had the propped up in a vase on your vanity. Those boys really were sweethearts.

---

The next morning awakening from your sleep, your eyes were immediately caught by the bags of clothing Richard had bought for you for your evening out two nights ago. You still hadn’t gotten rid of them. Time to make a statement and show that you can't be bought. Pulling yourself from your comfy bed, you grab the bags.

Richard, like Connor, was in work again that day so you decided since you could not physically hand the bags to Richard, you would just leave them outside of his door.

So that’s what you did placing the bags down at the side of his door you proudly propped yourself back up with both of your hands on your hips.

“What ya got there?” A voice cut through the hall, causing you to jump. You turned around to see it was Collin who was exiting out of his bedroom at the time.

“Richard bought me a bunch of clothes.” You explained with a sigh as Collin made his way over to you for a nosey at the contents of the bags. “I leaving them back because I don’t want him to think he can just buy me things and then we'll be friends again.”  

Collin was down on his knees, pushing around the contents of the bags. “Some nice stuff in here. You sure you don’t want it?” He asks.

“Not if it's coming from Richard.” Your arms cross involuntarily. Collin stands up beside you, his hand placed lightly on the back of your elbow.

“That’s understandable.” He speaks, slowly directing you out of the hallway. “By the way, I think Richard is something we should talk about.”

“Why?”

“You haven’t had breakfast yet.” Collin stops midway through the conversation. How did he even know that?

“Come on, we'll get you some food and then we can talk about it.”

So, sure enough, you both made your way to the kitchen. You had been hoking throughout the drawers for something to make, you opted for cereal to keep it simple.

Collin had been leaning back against one of the counters watching you move through the kitchen.

When you had your cereal poured and ready you plopped down at one of the counters with your drink of apple juice and began to eat.

“So…” You placed your spoon into the bowl. “Why did you want to talk about Richard?”

“Well…” Collin began. “It’s more about Connor.”

You dropped your spoon again, which fell with a loud clink against the bowl as you stared at Collin without a word.

“I know it's going to be awkward.” He spoke up again. “But we're going to have to figure out a way to break the news to him that you and Richard used to be a thing.”

“Are you kidding, Collin? Connor is going to be furious with him!”

“I know, I know. But we can't hide it from him either. And I know I said we'll take things slow but when it gets to it… are you really going to sleep with Connor without him knowing about, y'know?”

You looked away from Collin down to your bowl.

“I don’t like it either, believe me.” Collin sighed, moving closer to you and placing one of his hands next to yours, you both barely touching.

“You're not alone in this.” He speaks up. “we’ll figure it out, okay?”

You nod a little.

“It’s no rush. It’s just something to think about.”

“I know.” You sigh.

Collin reaches his thumb out to stroke your cheek. You look up to notice his half-smile.

“He’s not going to be mad at you.”

“I know, I just don’t want to be the cause of any drama.”

Collin thought back on the day you, him and Connor had went shopping. “Listen,  I’m  not going to be the one starting any more drama.” That’s what he said to you at the time.

“Look,” Collin speaks up again finally grabbing your hand. “I’m sorry I was such a dick in the past. That day we were at the food court together, I was stupid, I hope you know I don’t think that about you.”

A small smile breaks out from your tensed lips. “It’s okay, Collin. I know.”

He nods a little looking down at your hands in his before letting go again. Pulling himself to stand up properly, he straightens himself out. “Finish up, I promise we’ll do something fun today okay?”

“Okay.” You nod.

When breakfast was over and you had gotten dressed, Collin had decided to take you into the city for a bit. He had noticed you and Connor talk about some books yesterday so he thought it might be nice to take you to a bookstore to pick something nice for yourself.

After that the two of you had just walked around some shops for a bit, Collin picked up some bits and pieces for the house. The two of you had stopped for some iced coffees on the way back.

“So.” He asks as you both retrieve your drinks from the barista. “You never really did tell me the nature of your relationship with Richard.” He began sipping through his straw as he linked arms with you.

“Oh.” You coughed a little on your drink. “Uh, we just used to sleep with each other, that was it really.”

“That’s all it was?” His tone seemed a little pointed.

“I mean… I thought there was something more for a while there but, obviously not.” Collin noticed your frown while recounting your story.

“Did Richard do something?”

“He was just trying to control me, I'm pretty sure that’s what the whole thing was with him, why he even…” You stopped midway through speaking. “He wanted me to stop hanging out with Connor. He told Connor a bunch of bullshit about how I didn’t want to be his friend.”

“Typical.” Collin sighed. “I’m sorry he put you through that. “And I'm sorry for not stepping in and stopping it sooner.”

“It’s okay, Collin. You didn’t know. Even if you did, Richard can be intimidating.”

You noticed Collin giving you a strange smile out of the corner of your eye as you both continued to walk throughout the city.

“What?” You asked.

“You're, just not what I expected.” He shrugged. “You're nice. Maybe too nice.”

“What do you mean?” You giggled a little.

“Humans, they just… they were never very nice to me.”

You raised a brow at Collin. “Do you think that has anything to do with the whole ‘treat em’ like animals’ thing you got going on?”

“No!” He shook his head with a guilty laugh. “Sorry about that all.”

You hummed sarcastically in response.

“I mean when I first turned deviant. I was always ‘Connor’s evil twin’.” He quoted as you both walked to the Car. Getting in you sat in the front seat next to Collin who began to start up the vehicle, setting the remainder of his iced coffee in a cup holder.

“Connor got a second chance, no one blamed him for what he did before deviating.” He shrugged as he manoeuvred his jeep from its parking space, ice rattling around in the plastic cup. “I was always ‘the guy that tried to shoot Hank.’”

You remembered Collin talking about it before, about how cyberlife had sent him out to finish what Connor had started. How he was meant to replace Connor, hurt hank if he didn’t oblige. Collin had ended up getting shot.

He had no idea why Kamski brought him back or why Connor ever forgave him let alone take him under his wing. He could maybe understand Hank not being super comfortable around him but why did everyone have to treat him like some cold-hearted monster?

Probably Richard coming along - or Nines as the humans called him, didn’t exactly help his case. Richard was a cold-hearted machine, it was two years before he deviated. Even upon deviating, he was never the warmest, but he always treated Collin well. Richard and Connor were probably the only ones to show him kindness. Maybe on occasion some androids they came across as well did, but never the humans.

When you had gotten home Collin mentioned about you going to get food with him and Connor later. Of course, you agreed, giving his hand a small squeeze before you went to settle down into your new book. Collin had wanted to catch up on some work that was being emailed to him that day.

______________________________________________________________

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Tag list: @connorsdimple @crushedtincan @clussysposts

[charmingnines]

(i kinda wanna be) more than friends - DE artfest day 7/time loop

summary: 

Gavin is stuck living the same day over and over. He doesn't know how to break the cycle. Maybe it has something to do with his feelings for a certain gray-eyed android....

read on ao3 (rest of fic will be posted on here not tumblr!)

or read it below vvv

Gavin had a habit of hitting the snooze button on his alarm clock. But could he be blamed? It was Monday. Insomnia was a bitch, Gavin was late, what else was new? He threw on some clothes and rushed off to work.  

Gavin paused outside of the DPD to catch his breath. Then, he walked in casually, like he wasn’t half an hour late, making a beeline for the break room. “Hey, T,” Gavin said.

Tina nodded at Gavin. “O late one,” she said, buttering her bagel.  

Gavin flipped Tina the bird and Tina rolled her eyes, their version of a friendly greeting. Gavin pulled out the pot of coffee from the machine, swearing when he realized it was empty.

Tina clicked her tongue. “Maybe if you were here earlier….”

Gavin returned the pot to the machine, using a little too much force. He shrugged. “Guess I’ll die.”

Tina hummed. “I think your funeral will have to wait,” she said, inclining her heads towards the bullpen.

Nines was sitting at his desk across from Gavin’s; not unusual. What was unusual was the steaming mug of coffee sitting on Gavin’s desk.

Gavin looked at Tina questioningly. “Did you…?”

“You know I’m not that nice,” Tina said. Then, smiling deviously, “Guess Nines thought of you.” Tina left the break room, leaving Gavin to digest that information. Gavin stalled in the break room for a few moments before walking to his desk.

“You’re late,” Nines said, as Gavin sat down, not even looking up from his terminal.

“Good morning to you, too. Is this for me?” Gavin asked, pointing at the coffee.

Nines looked up. “I can’t drink coffee.”

“Is that a yes?”

Nines’ LED flickered yellow. “Yes,” he finally said.

Gavin studied the mug. “Did you…poison it?”

Nines rolled his eyes. “You can’t function without caffeine and I need you at your optimal performance today.”

Gavin took a sip of the coffee, ignoring Nines’ jabs. It was surprisingly good for precinct coffee. Gavin wondered when Nines had cataloged how he took his coffee. Nines always acted so above it all, but he really... paid attention. Not just to me, Gavin thought, Nines was crazy detail oriented because he was originally programmed to be a police android.

Detail oriented may as well have been Nines’ middle name (did Nines have a middle name? Did Nines have a last name?). It showed especially in Nines’ appearance. Today, he wore a high collared, navy blue button down and black slacks. His hair, of course, was perfectly styled. Even that one stubborn piece that hung into his face seemed artfully placed….

Stop staring at Nines. He’s pretty. Move on, Gavin told himself. “What’s going on today?” Gavin asked.

“Check out the case Fowler assigned to us this morning,” Nines said.

Gavin pulled the case up on his terminal and started to read. He didn’t get very far; Connor seemed to be trying to teach Anderson a coin trick. Anderson dropped it every time, the coin pinging annoyingly against the ground.

Gavin spun around in his chair. “Hey dickheads, some of us are trying to work.”  

Anderson flung the coin from one hand to the other, dropping it, again. “Didn’t you get here thirty minutes late?” he asked innocently.

Gavin scowled. “Least I’m not fucking around.”

“Quick reflexes are actually a very important skill for field detectives,” Connor said, flashing a grin. Gavin narrowed his eyes. It was difficult to tell when Connor was shooting the shit; he always said everything in such a sincere tone.  

“I think we should check out the house on Mack Ave,” Nines said. Then, lowly, “Unless you’d like to stick around and see Hank hit himself in the eye with that coin. The probability increases each time he fails.”

Gavin barked out a laugh. “Tempting,” he said. “But no. Let’s go.”

_

Nines ran over the case as Gavin drove them to the house.

After Jericho took over Cyberlife, they gained access to all of Cyberlife’s records, including all of the androids who’d ever been sold. It was painstaking work, but Markus had managed to document all the androids who were currently apart of Jericho, as well as all the ones who’d died during the revolution. That left a handful of androids unaccounted for. Connor, Hank, Nines, and Gavin had been working with Jericho for months to try and track the missing androids down.

Apparently, there’d been several noise reports about the house they were going to. As Gavin got a glimpse of it, he realized why it’d been put on their radar. The house was a shithole. It was a structural miracle that it wasn’t falling down just from Gavin closing the car door in its proximity. There was no way a human squatter could live there. The noise reports had to be about an android.  

Gavin grimaced as he and Nines walked inside. There were holes in the roof, allowing weak light to stream throughout the house. There was no furniture and the walls were filthy with grime. The wood floor was warped and rotting from water damage. As Gavin moved through what he assumed would be a living room, he stepped on a weak spot. His foot broke through the floor. Nines caught Gavin underneath the arms, before he could break his ankle.

“Jesus, shit,” Gavin said, shaking the debris off his shoe.

Gavin’s ‘thank you’ died in his mouth when Nines held a finger up to his lips. Nines must have heard something; Gavin knew Nines’ hearing was far more sensitive than his own (when their stakeouts had lulls, Nines would relay the gossip of passing strangers to pass the time). Nines pointed to the hallway that led to a closed bedroom. They both took out their guns and approached the door slowly.  

Gavin led the way. When he opened the bedroom door, several things happened in fast succession. Gavin was spun around and gripped tightly around the shoulders. He struggled until he felt the cold press of a knife against his throat. Nines trained his gun Gavin’s attacker, a difficult thing since Gavin was being used as a human shield.

His attacker was no doubt an android judging by the inhuman, iron grip he had around Gavin. Gavin didn’t dare move anything but his eyes, trying to silently communicate with Nines. Nines’ gaze darted between the android and Gavin, LED spinning yellow.  

“We’re here to help you,” Nines said.

“Put down the gun,” the android demanded. A man, by the sound of his low, staticky voice.

Nines’ aim didn’t waver. “We just want to talk.”  

“I want you to put down the gun,” the man said, pressing the knife harder against Gavin’s throat.

Nines pointed his gun at the ground, but didn’t drop it. “What’s your name?”

“He didn’t give me a name,” the man said. Gavin could feel the man’s hand shaking. “I saw the news. About Markus. All of those androids joining him. My owner-” the man spat- “tried to kill me. I ran away.”  

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Nines said. To the untrained eye, Nines was calm. But Gavin could see the tension at the corners of his mouth, the sadness in his eyes.

“You’re sorry,” the man parroted, voice wavering. “Why should I believe you? You came here with a human.”

“There are humans that are on your side,” Nines said.

The man pressed the knife against Gavin’s throat hard enough to draw blood. “Humans can’t be trusted.”

Nines’ LED turned bright red. “I really am sorry,” he said. Then he shot the man in the shoulder. The man dropped the knife from Gavin’s throat in shock, then jerkily sunk it deep into Gavin’s stomach.  

Gavin fell to the floor. The pain muddled his senses. Vaguely, he registered the sound of the man falling over and shutting down. “Nines,” Gavin murmured. Nines’ worried face appeared above him, telling Gavin to hold on, that the ambulance was on its way. Gavin wanted to reach up and smooth out the crease between Nines’ brows but he couldn’t find the strength. Gavin closed his eyes.

_

Gavin woke up heart pounding, breathing heavily. Instinctively, his hands went to his side where there was… nothing?

Gavin sat up, confused. Had that all been just a really elaborate dream? He realized his alarm, which had woken him up, was still beeping. Gavin turned it off, frowning at the date. It was Monday (hadn’t it just been Monday?). He was going to be late. Gavin shook off his uneasiness and got dressed. He’d have to get coffee at work….

[reginamuses]

Cory Vitiello: The man who nearly stole Meghan from Harry

MAY 27, 2019

The story of Meghan and Harry’s whirlwind romance is well known, but before they met on a blind date she was with someone else, and it was serious.

Little Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor should be grateful for a lot of things.

He will get to enjoy piggybacks from none other than charmer extraordinaire Prince Harry. His mum, the Duchess of Sussex, is a hugger par excellence. And, lastly, that a certain chef in Toronto and his girlfriend split way back in 2016 because without that breakup, Archie would not be here.

That man is Cory Vitiello, Canada’s version of Jamie Oliver (sans failed restaurant empire) and Meghan Markle’s former boyfriend of two years. A boyfriend she only parted ways from a matter of weeks or months before she and a certain roguishly charming royal started dating.

But, let’s rewind shall we?

In 2014, Meghan was living in Toronto, working incredibly long hours on Suits and recovering from her divorce from her first husband Trevor Engelson. She was very close to her co-star Gina Torres, and the pals regularly hit up some of the city’s cooler joints for vino and dinner. On that list was the Harbord Room, owned by hot (in every way) chef Cory Vitiello.

Cory was quite the catch: He was wealthy, very successful and very connected. Reports vary about how exactly Cory and Meghan got together. Some say they were set up by a mutual friend (Megs clearly loves a set-up clever girl) and others that they got to know each other when she popped by the restaurant for a plate of pasta.

Either way, at some stage in 2014, he and Meghan started dating and became something of a stealth power couple in Toronto. For her 33rd birthday that year, the Suits cast and crew gathered at, where else, but the Harbord Room to toast the actress’ big day.

While she was the star of a hit US TV show, according to the Daily Mail, “Vitiello was the real celebrity in his home city.”

Basically, in Canada, Cory was the bigger deal, and he provided Meghan with an entree into the upper echelons of Canadian society.

Theirs was a very low-key romance. She would go to his restaurant after a long day of filming and wait for him to finish. Neighbours have reported spying them wandering around a local supermarket shopping together, and they rarely attended fancy society shindigs together. (There is pretty much only one photo of them together taken at an event.)

It was through Cory that Meghan met Markus Anderson, the global membership director of the exclusive Soho House who would go on to become one of her best friends. (He would also be responsible for arranging Meghan and Harry’s very private first date at the London outpost of the famed members-only establishment.)

By Christmas of 2015, things between the couple were so serious Cory took her to spend the holidays with his parents who were reportedly somewhat taken aback when she turned up with her beloved dogs Bogart and Guy.

His mother Joanne Vitello has told the Daily Mail: “We are very fond of her. She is a lovely, lovely woman. Very smart, very bright, very caring. She’s a warm personality, very sincere.”

Quite at what stage things started to sour for Meghan and Cory is uncertain. However, The Sun reported things ended for the couple in May 2016 — the same month Harry visited Toronto to promote the Invictus Games.

What better way to get over a breakup than a girls’ trip to Europe? At this time, Meghan packed her bags and headed to London, Madrid and the Amalfi Coast with good mates producer Lindsay Roth and designer Misha Nonoo, according to royal biographer Katie Nicholl.

Some stage on that trip Meghan and Harry enjoyed their first date, and the rest is glorious history. There are two main theories how this fabled evening came to pass. The first is Nonoo played fairy godmother as her husband Alexander Gilkes is a good friend of Harry’s.

The second is Meghan knew Ralph Lauren PR Violet von Westenholz. Violent has known Harry for years — her father, Olympic skier Baron Piers von Westenholz, is good mates with Prince Charles. There is a very good chance Violet was cupid and, at some point during that fateful European holiday, arranged for the couple to meet up for drinks.

What makes this so intriguing is the gap between relationships (Cory and Harry) is not huge.

The Telegraph has reported Harry and Meghan met while she was still dating Cory. The same story also alleged it was only a matter of weeks between Meghan calling time on her relationship with Cory and being in contact with Harry. At that stage, he is said to have started following her on Instagram using an account under a pseudonym.

No matter the beginnings of the Sussexes’ history-making romance, today their love and commitment is apparent whenever they appear in public together. (Never has there been a royal couple who enjoys getting quite so touchy-feely in public. Bless.)

Don’t worry, things ended well for Cory too. Last year he had his first child — a son he adoringly posts about on Instagram — with his partner, singer Martina Sorbara.

And obviously things ended perfectly for Harry and Meghan. And Archie? He has several weeks in 2016 to thank for his parents becoming an item and thus his being here at all.

[ivory-haired-queens-blog]

Unpopular Opinions: Fandom Edition

Hey none of you asked but I’m here to deliver so here are some unpopular opinions for the fandoms I’m in. Spoilers, duh.

Marvel:

I don’t like Natasha. Or Steve.

Pepper Potts is a top.

As much as I love Loki, his death was nessicary in Infinity War.

Steve should have killed Bucky in Civil War. He was a threat, plain and simple.

I ship Ironstrange/Supremefamily.

Clint should have died in Infinity War.

I love Tony Stark with my whole heart. (Not an unpopular opinion but you needed to know that)

I’m not happy with the end of Endgame.

10 years in the making....for you to do Thor like that?

Not because he’s fat or because he’s dealing with trauma, that’s totally acceptable.

What’s not acceptable is them making Thor into the butt of the joke because he’s fat.

I love the Antman movies.

I’m totally not biased because I loved lost.

(I’m kinda biased)

Shuri is the best Marvel character and would beat Tony Stark in a battle of wits.

(I’m so gay I love her.)

With as many years as Marvel has had the MCU, I am disgusted at the lack of diversity within the movies.

Like it’s 2019 and we JUST got a female empowerment scene in Endgame.

Like I want a gay superhero.

(We have a disabled one thank god. Love you Stephen.)

And don’t give me that Valkyrie/Captain Marvel BS because they never blatantly stated or showed it in their movies.

I want an Asian superhero bitch.

A superhero who is Muslim/Islam/and religion besides Christian.

I think that, as much as I hate Natasha and Steve, they should have been the ones that Bruce first sees in Infinity War. I know it set up the whole “earth is closed today” sequence but it didn’t make sense and was OOC.

I love Stephen Strange and he’s never done a single thing wrong ever in his life I would die for this man.

I like MCU Peter Parker over the origional movie Spider-Man.

Fight me.

I also like the Tony Stark/Peter Parker better than the Uncle Ben/Peter Parker so @ me.

The 100

I don’t ship Bellarke that hard.

Like yes, I think they’re obviously being groomed to end up together. I know the show runners will make them official before the end of the series. I’m not mad about that, I just don’t really care to be honest. It’s like, too obvious.

But there are some cute bellarke scenes

What they did to Monty was bullshit but what they did to Jasper was worse.

I feel no guilt whatsoever in saying that I think that killing all of Mount Weather was what they should have done from the beginning.

Yes, even the kids. Because if you kill their leaders, the men and women will fight back. The colony would have been left with a handful of adults, and a bunch of kids if the origional plan had worked. This is doomed to fail and honestly just killing them all would be better than seeing them kill eachother for food, power, whatever. If that makes sense.

I think that Finn deserved to die.

I think that Murphey deserves the world.

Charlotte fucking killed Wells. Yes she’s young but she knows better than to kill someone. Maybe not kill her, but we all know that Clarke wouldn’t have banished her like she did Murphey. Clarke has a gender bias because Murphey didn’t do anything and she wouldn’t have punished Charlotte as hard because she’s a young girl. I rest my case

Even though what he did was bad and wrong, I don’t think Murphey should have been banished. He’s right. They were all compliant and even excited when he was being hung, but when it’s a little girl all bets are off.

Like Bellamy brought the whole hostage thing upon himself because he fucking tied a noose around Murphey’s throat.

Again, not that what Murphey did was right. He didn’t have to act like that. Jasper didn’t do anything to him.

Also this segment is getting long but the show writers and everyone else just casually forgot that Murphey was TORTURED? Hello? Are we not going to acknowledge that?

I shipped Clexa with my whole heart.

Another actually popular opinion: what they’ve done to Raven’s character this season is bullshit. Her only role is Abby’s moral compass. This is the same girl who shuttled to earth in a Tin Can. She’s better than this.

What the fuck??? Happened to??? Jordan???

Like Madi stabbed him

And then they proceeded to not talk about it for like four episodes and then casually mention it in passing like “oh he saved Pria that means he gets to live”

Like they set up his character to be really important this season.

But he’s not.

I think that Murphey/Emori is the best ship.

I also think that Either Murphey or Emori or Both are secretly double crossing the Primes. (This comes out before the finale of season six)

They didn’t have to do Onyia like that

The opening of season three is so weak that I actually stopped watching the show around that time (I’d been watching since the beginning of season two) because there’s just nothing there in the first like 10 minutes and I couldn’t do it.

Maybe I’m just impatient but it’s bad.

I think that Octavia did the best that she could with what she had available and I think that’s she’s not a bad person for what she did with the fighting pits/cannabalism. And I know that if Bellamy had been in her place, he would have eventually done the same.

Kane was a whiny bitch in season 5.

Why’d the kill Diyoza(I can’t spell) like that?

I liked Joesephine. It was really fun to see Eliza Taylor be able to get a new character in the show. Also props to her for that last episode with pretending to be Joesephine and being Clarke at the same time.

I called the dude being Gabriel from the first time I saw him you peasants.

Octavia’s redemption arc this season is beautiful.

They did....that.....to Kane. I’m angerey.

Lost In space

Not enough people watch this show. (The Netflix remake or the origional)

Seriously guys it’s a good show.

Absolutely nothing is wrong with it.

I love Don West with my whole heart.

I love Dr. Smith with my half heart.

I love the robot with my two hearts.

I love Penny Robinson with all the stars in the galaxy.

I love all of them okay.

There are no plot holes, no inconsistencies, no faulty science and anyone who says (or proves) otherwise is wrong.

It’s confirmed for a season two which should air in like the December-February time area.

It’s a Netflix show so you can binge the entire season in like a weekend.

Seriously watch it.

The Umbrella Academy

Five x Delores is weird.

Luther x Allison is illegal.

Klaus deserves all the push pops in the world.

The handler is hot.

The Comission killed Dave.

Luther is the most boring, Unorigional, straight white guy character I’ve seen in a long time. I hate him so much.

Allison is a queen but her character is brought down by her weird relationship with her brother.

Tbh if I was Allison you know I’d be telling my kids that I heard a rumor that theyd go the fuck to sleep. Like that’s a good thing. Idk maybe I’m just a sociopath.

Istanbul not Constantinople being played over a scene where five murders a squad of Commission people is the greatest cinematic masterpiece ever conceived by man.

“Where are you going” “to save the world” “oh is that all?” Iconic.

None of these are really unpopular but the show writers seem to think differently.

Diego has never done anything wrong in his life like yaaaasss bitch kill your brother at yo daddy’s funeral!!! Work!!!

PaTcH

AAaAHh

Big Theif - Mary is the perfect song to play over Klaus returning from Vietnam.

Will you love me, like you loved me in the January rain?

It’s up there with Goodbye July.

Speaking of Goodbye July....

Z Nation

Many people haven’t watched it

It’s like if The Walking Dead and Zombieland had a baby....and then the baby did a line of cocaine.

It’s wild.

Watching Garnet die ruined every sliver of hope I had in humanity.

I have a special place in my heart for this show because it’s the first show that me and my mom would stay up and watch the new episodes air every Friday. It brought us closer and I can’t thank the cast and show runners enough for this.

So maybe I’m biased, but you should watch it.

Having Murphey switch from being an anti-hero to a villain back to an anti-hero and then to a regular hero, amazing. Astonishing. The peak of human existence.

Even though he’s not entirely human.

What color is Murphey today? Is he pale, discolored, grey, blue, red? We don’t know!

Roberta Warren is the Black Goddess main protagonist that we deserve.

Addison Carver is a functional Bi.

10k is tragic backstory central but other than that, his character development is pretty lacking other than him persuing love interests.

None of these are really unpopular opinions but I doubt any of you have watched the show. It’s on Netflix. Watch it.

Oooooohhhhh George.

Georgia St. Clair could stomp me to death and my ghost would still want to fuck her.

Anyways I’m gay

God damn I have a lot of pent up Gay energy.

Murphey and Lucy have a realistic enstranged father/daughter relationship and it’s heartwarming.

And then they killed her off to save him.

Honestly if you name a character Murphey they can only be assholish bad boys with a good heart deep down sorry I don’t make the rules.

Also if you name a character Murphey I will love them with my whole soul.

I’m so mad they cancelled the show.

I’m infinitely more mad that they named that disgrace of a show Black Summer and claimed that it was a prequel....but it didn’t follow the same cast and had they not advertised it as a prequel I would never have guessed.

Black Summer gives totally opposite vibes than Z Nation does. I get that black summer is supposed to be the worst time that the zombie apocalypse ever had, with cannibals and no food, but it feels like s completely different show.

It’s like if The Walking Dead claimed that it is a prequel/occurs during Shaun of the Dead.

Like....no. They’re....no.

Anyway watch it it’s good.

Detroit: Become Human

Connor isn’t the best character.

This is an unpopular opinion post deal with it.

Markus has to be my favorite.

Honestly this game is so good and not even just graphics-wise.

It’s the same robotic sentience story we’ve been fed for years, but this time it’s from the Android’s perspective and this time all they want is to be free. That’s it.

I fucking hate North.

Hank is literally if Rick from Rick and Morty were serious.

The only correct way to play Connor is to walk the thin line between deviant and regular A.I. Without leaving out Hank. The correct thing to do is make Conner deviant at Jericho.

The only correct way to play Kara is to protect Alice with every fiber of your being. Meanwhile, get close to her. Do not get caught, even if that means dissappointing her.

The only correct way to play Markus is to lead a peaceful revolution. Also tell North to fuck off.

The border patrol guy who either gets Kara and Alice caught or knowingly lets Androids cross the border is the best character. Forget about Markus, this guy sees either “oh fuck androids are killing people, maybe we shouldn’t let this one cross the border” or “Androids just want to be free and are peacefully fighting for this. Let this one and her daughter through.” I love him.

LUTHER.

YES DADDY.

anyway.

Let Out The Bear He Just Wants To Say Hi :)

Even though I think Conner is overrated by the fandom, I do like him.

But he’s not a pure innocent cinnamon roll either.

It depends on how you play, but he has really violent options so stop the “He wouldn’t harm a fly” attitude.

But he is cute.

The home screen for the game is revolutionary (no pun intended) and I hope future game follow suit in making the first impression of the game something cool.

Stealing clothes/money/the fence cutters is literally okay.

Also if you put Kara in white hair you can die.

If in your first actual play through you got the Kara lives at the recycling plant ending but Alice dies, you can die too.

I’ve never actually seen the steal money and go to motel option play out because it’s stupid, especially if you don’t steal clothes. Like that’s begging to be caught.

Stranger things

Billy Hargrove is bad and just because he’s abused does not make what he does okay.

Harringrove is gross and I’m gay so my opinion counts as double.

That being said, there are some really cute fics about Harringrove and I can see the appeal of “good boy falls for mysterious bad boy with a dark past and trauma”

I’ve said I’m gay this whole post because I say it a lot, but I don’t like actually labeling myself but I like girls and boys and everything in between and I say I’m gay kinda as a joke when girls are hot.

That being said...

Steve Harrington calling himself Daddy made me feel things.

Strange things.

Haha get it I’m making a joke to distract you from the daddy part.

Steve Harrington is a good person now, but he was still an asshole before and he can still be criticized for his past.

I used to be hardcore Jancy but after season three I feel like Nancy needs and deserves a break from boys so she can figure out herself and who she is now and what she wants to do without the weight of boys and boyfriends constantly around her.

That being said i still don’t like Nancy because she was flirting/slept in the same bed with Jonathan whilst obviously having feelings for him while she and Steve were still a thing. It’s not cheating but to me it’s close enough to raise red flags.

Robin is perfect in every way.

I don’t like Jonathan. He’s creepy in s1, fine in s2, but then is s3 he doesn’t do anything to or about his male bosses when Nancy is being made fun of because she’s a woman.

Seeing Nancy’s class priveledge/Jonathan’s male priveledge clashing was so cool tbh

Elmax > Mileven > Lumax

Jim Hopper, with all his faults, is still a caring dad.

Plus him threatening Mike made me laugh so hard sksksksks

Steve Harrington deserves the world and then some.

Low key I really want s4 to give in insight on his family life.

I also want him to get an apartment with Robin.

Robins cute tbh but for half the season I though she was a Russian spy. I guess I was wrong.

Mrs. Wheeler shouldn’t sleep with billy (not that she can now) because it’s wrong, but the reason she wanted to is because her husband is so boring and she gave up on her dreams to be his perfect housewife. She wanted a challenge with Billy. Instead, she should leave her pushover of a husband and find someone better.

Anyway Steve Harrington deserves the world.

Yeah okay hate me whatever.

[beautifulpaxielreads]

End of the Decade Favourite Book Tag

Thank you to @storytime-reviews for tagging me in this.

1. High fantasy books that are obsession-worthy.

The Daevabad Trilogy by S A Chakraborty. The level of detail in the worldbuilding in this Muslim-inspired fantasy is just extraordinary. Bring on book 3!

2. Urban fantasy books filled with people you want as friends.

I loved Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. Great characters and great plotting. Like Six of Crows but not. I need to reread this one!

Also the Six of Crows duology because how can I not mention it. Also I was kind of obsessed with Nina and Matthias for a while.

3. Portal fantasy you fall in love with multiple times.

I mention Harry Potter later on, but it still deserves a spot here. Every time I pick up one of these books they surprise me with how good they are.

4. Novella that just makes you sigh cause it’s so lovely.

The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee. Short but very sweet and funny.

5. Historically inaccurate but laugh out loud.

I think it's actually pretty historically accurate, but I'm gonna have to go with The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. It was my favourite read of 2018.

Also special mention to A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper. The island this book was set on may have been fictional, but this book was wholly entertaining and I always like rereading the funnier bits.

6. Satire that makes you reconsider your whole world view.

I don't know if it counts as satire, but reading Scythe by Neal Shusterman really made me think about our world in a really profound way. I kind of want to reread it.

Also not a satire but Room by Emma Donoghue. It's told in such an original way.

Oh, and if you really want satire, how about The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde? I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had understood all the references to classical literature but I still found it interesting.

7. Happy, happy, happy, and sad, sad, sad.

Lovely War by Julie Berry. So thought-provoking and beautifully written.

Also I'm going to be unoriginal and say The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Who hasn't been devastated by that ending?

8. No, I’m not too old for kids’ books, what are you talking about???

My two faves in this area are written for middle grade to teens, but I can't go past Sally Gardner's The Red Necklace and Eva Ibbotson's Journey to the River Sea.

Also The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. Can't not include that one.

9. I’m also not too old for picture books either and never will be.

Angelina Ballerina by Katherine Holabird is a childhood favourite. Also anything illustrated by Juan Wijngaard and Kinuko Y. Craft, their work is just gorgeous.

10. Whoah, never expected that ending and to have that much fun!!!

I'd have to go for the Shadowfell trilogy by Juliet Marillier. The final book in the series, The Caller, was truly perfect and I was not expecting that at all.

Also The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted. That ending really threw me.

And how about the ending of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton? I was confused about so many things in this book, but that ending was wasn't one of them. Such a fabulous twist - and one that actually made sense!

11. Like I’m scared, but I’m happy about it.

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge was wonderfully written, but incredibly unnerving. I had to swear off reading other books by her for a while because they were quite disturbing and dark. Even now I can't quite bring myself to pick up one of her books.

12. Classically favourite.

I remember really enjoying Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. And I read it in the 2000s so it isn't really eligible for this list, but Mary Shelley's Frankenstein made quite an impression on me - it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

Honorable mention to Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen which I started reading but never finished for some reason. 2020 will be the year I do this because what I did read was delightful.

13. Party in your ears.

William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher. Mean Girls (duh) as Shakespeare might have written it. I originally bought this as a paperback but then I realised I would probably get more enjoyment out of it as an audiobooks, given it was written in script format. Boy, was I right!

Also I've referred to this series in the next question already, but I can't not mention the latter two books in The Illuminae Files, Gemina and Obsidio, done in audiobook format. The full cast and sound effects combined to create true awesomeness. I still have to listen to the first book, Illuminae.

14. Boom!!! Pow!!! Wham!!!

The Illuminae Files trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. So innovative and cleverly designed - and very, very well written.

15. Oh wow, this is me!!

It's got to be Harry Potter, doesn't it?! It's been such an integral part of my life - I was in the fandom for a good ten years. I queued up outside the bookshop on release days to get the last three books. I saw all the movies. It gave me my original OTP, Ron and Hermione. I would not be who I am today without those books and I still can't quite let go of this fandom in spite of its problematic aspects. These books made me.

16. I can’t stop thinking about this book.

A Sky Painted Gold by Laura Wood was absolutely the definition of magical. As soon as I finished it I wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again.

17. A book you got from Tumblr that made it to your fave.

I wouldn't say I got this from Tumblr directly, but it's Tumblr that enhanced my appreciation and love for it - and introduced me to an incredible fandom. It's The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, of course. Can't wait for the prequel coming out in May!

18. A book you had high expectations for and then the author OVER delivered.

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor. Like I really enjoyed Strange the Dreamer but the second book was on another level. All the plot threads were wrapped up in a really satisfying way and Laini Taylor is an insanely beautiful writer.

I had such fun making this list, it brought back so many memories of all the books I've read over the years.

Unfortunately I also wrote it in Tumblr mobile, so it took FOREVER to do, so I really can't be bothered to tag people. If you see this post on your dash and haven't done this challenge yet (and want to), consider yourself tagged.

Hope you have a great day, and if you've made it all the way to the end of this post, congratulations on your achievement! 🤣😁