#she's so smart and ambitious and driven

[loser-of-the-idgaf-war]

How it feels to realize that you look EXACTLY like your mom. You and her are the same person

[i-yap]

Hi there! LOVE your thoughts on Jason like truly i <3 clingy Jason!!!!! What do you think a relationship would be like between Jason and a corporate baddie? Like she's serious, career-driven, and almost viciously ambitious, but for him? a total softie!! Like they just melt for each other despite the fact that they both put up a tough exterior to others!!

Omg i love that , here are my headcanons -

Jason todd x corporate baddie!y/n

I think the time schedules would be a mess. She works 9-5 and he 'works' 9pm-5am. But since she is a really career driven woman, I can see her sort of completing her extra or personal work/ international calls etc from the time that jason is vigilanting and therefore cutting her shift from like 9-3 or something similar. Since she gets all her work done, no one can say a word and honestly no one would dare to either way. Relstionship is about compromise and I think jason will cut down his vigilante time to get home to his stressed worker bee.

Jason prolly cant sleep without her so while she is at her job, he is working out or doing his other stuff. They catch up on sleep after her shift . This means afternoon cuddles !!( Ofc I am firm believer that jason should with time leave crime fighting and become an English professor )

I also love how most of her coworkers thinks she is prolly dating a Submissive type of guy or like a really serious professional dude cause she is so scary and strict . But then Jason- 6 feet something, huge asf, leather jacket, tattoos(maybe) and motorcycle dude walks in bringing her lunchbox( that looks so tiny in his hand). Yea now they're even more scared.

And I think everyone from jason's side also assumed that he'd either get a super cute-sy girl that will "fix him" or another vigilante girl that'll " make him worse". But he walks in with this poised, smart hardworking no nonsense woman and everyone's like DAMN

Damian loves you probably. He doesn't get how todd wooed you, like he thinks todd is a doofus. For once you are a normal (non crime fighting) girl that his brother is dating who is this career driven and also treats his brother properly. He loves talking business with you ( there was this scene where he figures out who is stealing money by looking at the finances at wayne enterprises) . and for once someone doesn't take him for a kid and actually wants to listen to pointers that he has. Tim prolly also loves talking to you about business cause he is a CEO too same thing for bruce.

Power couple fr.

but once you too get home...yea no one recognizes you.

Jason loves the fact that you show your soft side only to him. He has never been someones first choice in anything and this makes him feel so much more loved and cherished. and vice versa applies to you

he loves taking care of you after your long ass workday, helping you just be vulnerable and drop the whole tough act and be human. you do the same for him once he comes back at night. Just taking care of each other the way you guys need.

And you can bet jason knows how to be your biggest supporter. big raise? promotion? or just a good presentation?? He is genuinely excited for you.

Will give you back rubs when you've been sitting on the desk the whole day

will cook you brunch/snacks for when you come back and you will cook him breakfast/dinner for when he does .

it will take some compromise and adjustments but its all worth it and no price at all for loveeee.

[arielleslipgloss]

How to Study like Elle Woods!

Get inspired! We all know once Elle gets motivated or inspired she is driven, hardworking, and ambitious to get what she wants. Which then turned into discipline to keep going. So, if you’re ever tried and don’t want to study, do it tried. You need to have discipline to keep going!

2. Always be prepared! Before any big test, school year, class, always be prepared. Make sure you have all your stationery, books, tools before you start anything. Before a test ALWAYS study beforehand and pay attention in class for the correct understanding. Ask questions so you know if you do have a quiz, exam, or essay, that you are ready and understand.

3. Provide yourself with cute stationery! Getting cute stationery items will make learning more fun! Invest in pom pom pens, cute notebooks, a smooth writing pencil, or just anything that interests you.

4. Have your role models!

If you are ever doubting yourself or don’t have any discipline. It’s always great to have your fair share of role models. Role models can help us feel inspired, motivated, driven, and they are just great people overall to look up to. Elle Woods is a great example of a role model. She is smart, dedicated, hardworking, passionate, and enjoys her life. Make sure that your role models don’t influence you into bad things. Nobody wants to live a dreadful life knowing they wasted time doing what their “role model” did.

5. Trust yourself! A big trait about Elle that people might not notice is, that she trusts herself. She trusts herself that she will do wants right. She trusts herself that she will make it into Harvard Law School. Overall, trusts that whatever she does even, in doubt will be the best decision.

[miitokii]

can i post this for shuake week day 7 even though it’s late and isn’t really shuake (I LOVE SHUAKE) :,)

joker’s palace! i imagine he has one shadow for each confidant, and they’re all called their respective arcanas.

his palace is a theatre/masquerade, hence they all have masks and gloves

the first one (which i also posted before, is arsène/fool)

the last one is strength (the shadow for the twin wardens). it’s kinda just his inmate outfit so i didn’t line/colour it properly lol

i also have these, which i drew for a different purpose [which has now been posted!] (hence the lack of masks, gloves, and yellow eyes; and the drawings of the confidants; and the relative lack of detail) but if i were to draw them the designs would be similar

warning for long ass dump of my notes on each shadow lol:

each shadow is sort of like how ren tries to portray himself to each of his confidants, like their ideal version of him (at least in joker’s cognition)

joker (fool): his ‘joker’ persona - the leader of the phantom thieves, bold, flamboyant, confident (i.e. how he portrays himself in the metaverse)

ann (lovers): fashionista, model, veering into drag queen territory

i initially drew a suit version but then remembered ren canonically has crossdressed lol (we love the mementos mission manga)

haru (empress): a sweet and gentle prince, detached from okumura foods (like haru’s getaway, prince charming)

makoto (priestess): a model student, smart, serious, but also driven and follows own ideals (like makoto wishes she could)

ryuji (chariot): punkish gym bro

akechi (justice): righteous knight, intellectual and justice driven

morgana (magician): a phantom thief, a cowboy sort of image, sly, cunning, fast

yusuke (emporer): traditional japanese furisode (in modern times this tends to be worn by women, which yusuke could be more drawn to in his models) artistic, down to earth

there’s also a bit about his mother, since a furisode is mostly worn by unmarried women, and since we never hear about yusuke’s biological father, i’d guess she was unmarried? yusuke wants to recapture the beauty of the sayuri (which is a self-portrait) and thinks he could do so with a beautiful model - so ren wears a furisode like an unmarried young woman, like yusuke’s mother

futaba (hermit): otaku, nerd, older brother figure and fellow gamer

sojiro (heirophant): apprentice barista, 2nd boss of leblanc, charming, a ladies man (sorry sojiro your son is gay)

twin wardens (strength): just an inmate lol (focused on fusing lots of personas and filling the compendium, plus listening to igor)

sumi (faith): senior more experienced gymnast/trainer, ‘senpai’

mishima (moon): gentleman thief, but unlike fool and magician, moon would be more secretive and cunning like a traditional gentleman thief

maruki (counsellor): fellow researcher, curious and driven, but very kind and empathetic

maruki would also wish ren was more like him, and agreed with his ideas, since they both lowkey have a savior complex but use different methods. if ren agreed with maruki there would be no conflict in the 3rd semester, which is what maruki would want

sae (judgement): innocent and sweet school boy, model student, unlike priestess who is more self-driven and ambitious, judgement would be more conforming

[slaymitchabernathy]

Red

“I don’t like that color.”

Coriolanus sighs at the snippy tone. He’s gotten used to it over the years, how she still tries to poke at him, push his buttons, fight him on every decision.

She’ll learn one day.

“I always paint them this color darling,” he reminds her with a tone all too gentle for the way she just addressed him. But he’s patient with his girl. For the most part.

“None of my friends paint their toes red anymore. Now it’s pink.”

Coriolanus raises his eyebrows as he continues to paint even, red strokes of polish onto his girlfriend’s toes, acting as if he’s so interested in what her silly little friends are doing.

He’s met some of her friends. Seen how stupid those girls are, their boyfriends too. All so bubbly and not at all driven.

“Then you’ll be extra special,” he says, finishing with her left foot. It’s a good thing Coriolanus doesn’t mind feet. Not that he actively seeks them out, but he doesn’t mind his girlfriend’s small feet. Not when he gets little moments like this with her. And she giggles whenever he tickles her feet too, so that’s nice.

Soarynn huffs but doesn’t say anything in reply. He’s glad. He’s had a long day at work. He never thought such a domestic task would bring him such serenity, but for some reason, he truly enjoys painting his girlfriend’s toes.

It all happened on a whim. The nail salon she normally frequented got closed down—rat infestation— and Soarynn was without a place to get her pedicures.

Coriolanus being the economic man he was offered to paint her toes for her. It was a bit of a joke at first, what could he possibly know about painting toenails? But he knew how to make things work, how to overcome and adapt.

He was a Snow after all. And he’d been through a lot in his younger years, survived a lot, learned a lot.

Soarynn preferred white toenails at the time but he’s convinced her to go with red. It would be a one-time thing anyway. But then it turned into every once in a while until every three weeks Coriolanus Snow was painting his girlfriend’s toes.

In a way it was embarrassing. Here he was, the powerful Coriolanus Snow hunched over while his girlfriend placed her feet in his lap. But he didn’t mind. He did it out of love. And pride. But mostly love.

None of Soarynn’s friends had boyfriends who were as dedicated as he was to her. None of those sorry excuses for men were willing to come home after a long day of work and do something as tedious as this. But here he was.

“What did you do today while I was at work, my love?” He asks, gently taking her other foot and placing it on his knee. He’s learned to be more gentle over the years because of her, more kind, to smile more.

He’s usually so focused on the task at hand that he barely spares her a glance but he looks up at her just this once to truly admire the piece of work Soarynn Nightingale is.

Her head is tilted while she thinks. It’s cute. How she probably did two things today but has to think so hard about them. He likes that about her, how utterly clueless and dumb his girl can be sometimes. She’s smart when she wants to be. When she wants to run that mouth of hers.

“Well I woke up around ten,” she starts.

Coriolanus woke up at six. Like he does every day, six days a week. He wakes up to his alarm and rolls onto his back, wondering why he had to go and be so ambitious with his work.

He slips out of bed, showers, does his morning routine before putting on the clothes he picked out the night before. He sprays on some cologne before leaving the bathroom. All that’s left is to say goodbye.

Soarynn is always fast asleep. Her blonde head of hair peeking out from under the thick duvet covers. He presses a kiss to her forehead before leaving for work. Then she wakes up four hours later.

“Then I got lunch with Clemmie around one, maybe one-thirty.”

At one-thirty Coriolanus was in his fifth meeting of the day, buried in spreadsheets and concerns about the District’s production quotas.

“Oh and then I did a little shopping. Not too much I swear.”

Coriolanus smiles to himself as he paints even strokes on all five of her toes. As spoiled as she can be—which is his own doing—Soarynn is always careful when handling his money. He appreciates that about her. How she knows it’s his, not hers. That plastic card he gave her is a privilege and it can be taken away.

He never takes it away though.

He likes seeing her spend his money. Remembering when he had none makes him more proud to see his girlfriend carting around handfuls of bags all filled with frivolous nonsense. It makes her happy though. If that counts for something.

Her card is red.

He gave it to her on her twentieth birthday. She’d been so excited, jumping up and down and kissing him silly. He likes taking care of his girl, fixing all her problems. And goodness does she have a lot of problems. They’re all so easy to fix. The sink is leaking, she can’t find her favorite pair of heels, the restaurant she always goes to doesn’t have any available tables for her and her friends.

All such simple, elementary problems that he solves with the wave of his hand.

He calls the plumber who arrives in twenty minutes. Because when you’re a Snow, people tend to bend to your beck and call. He buys her ten new pairs of heels, all the same style as her favorites, but a variety of colors. He knows the owner of the restaurant who happily moves some people around until his girl and her friends have the best table in the house.

It’s easy to make Soarynn happy. And when she’s happy, he’s happy.

Because Coriolanus Snow isn’t a good man when he’s mad.

He sees red when he’s mad.

Soarynn’s only witnessed it a handful of times. Seen how mad he can really get, how mean and aggressive he becomes.

He thinks it’s a good thing though. She knows not to test him. Not to push him.

So when he insists on painting her toenails red, she doesn’t argue with him for long.

That’s when she’s smart, uses her senses, her charms.

It’s probably because she remembers the one time she got in his way, made him more upset, pushed him too far.

She remembers that night. How he yelled, how he pushed her, how he grabbed her.

They both saw the same color that night.

It’s the same color they’re seeing right now on her toes. The same color they don’t talk about even though it sits in the back of their minds. In a way it leads them to both despise the color due to the nasty memory it brings up.

But they don’t talk about it.

How it always seems to lead to red.

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

[yamcha-universe]

Yamcha cheated on Bulma or the bad script that I never believed

Let’s be honest: Akira Toriyama knows how to create iconic characters and moments, but he is weak creating narratives and scripts. Concerning to Bulma and Yamcha, it’s simple. They didn't have much in common. Bulma is smart, beatiful and decisive girl (who wouldn't like to be like her?) who at the same time is volatile and a bit rude, while Yamcha is shy, cheerful and a warm person (in every sentence -come on! He's hot-) who, at the same time, is a free soul with a bit of submission to the persons he found in his way.

It is a lie that "opposites attract", because there must always be things in common to grow as a couple (not only the gang, age, wanting a partner,...). That's why Bulma chose Vegeta: both are explosive, tough, ambitious and have a great passion for what they do. Easy.

Many times, Bulma consciously or unconsciously used Yamcha's own virtues to limit him: His loyalty (she would throw tantrums at him so he wouldn't go away so long to train, something she has allowed without restrictions with Vegeta), his kind heart (he didn't want to be rude to the girls who followed him but Bulma used this to say that he cheated on her while her hormones betrayed her and made her fixate on any new hottie that came along) and his submissive character (Unlike Vegeta, Yamcha was looking for ways to support himself and not live at his then girlfriend's expense, however, she didn't like that and the few times he wanted or was able to grow up were undermined by her control. This changed somewhat in Z).

It doesn't matter where you come from, if someone cheats on you over and over again and, you are an intelligent person (like Bulma) you would never want to have contact with that person again. But, as we can see, they are still good friends after all.

My opinion? Bulma and Yamcha spent 16 years together (as a couple and friends, and they got to know each other very well) and perhaps they managed to see that they were definitely not right for each other and that their chemistry was more that of siblings than a couple, which would explain the closeness and complicity they maintain after having broken up for good (like the fact that Yamcha consoles Bulma when she learns of Vegeta's death, or the affection with which he tells Trunks how his father was driven mad by Cell's actions).

So, my humble conclusion is, Yamcha never cheated on Bulma.

Image credits: WAYA

[herejusttosufferalong]

Alright, we talk a lot about Luke, but not enough about Nic and her personally. I

I beleive this tik-tok was intenational lol as well as jack's stories of her new photos. She's too smart to just post random stuff and then deleting it. I would never beleive she was like not like not on tik-tok, watching every single post after premier with that blue dress on his gf instead of reactions to the mirror scene lol.

She has also said she doesn't believe in love. Girl, fr? And she hasn't been in love for 9 years? The way she's working, very hard. I am totally rooting for her here, yeah. I get it! Tbh, she just doesn't need the partner to be happy, but at the same time I like... But isn't everyone sometimes longing for the feelings and intimacy? She is very 'put it together' person. She comes of as a strong person also, she is ambitious and career-driven, but at the time I feel like sometimes she is tensed. She works not-stop, and it's pure speculation or just the vibe, but the way she does projects and pr. I could be wrong, but it's almost she doesn't allow feeling to come to her head instead she dives deep into other things. Again I could be wrong, but sometimes she's a bit workacholic, u know haha Like she could works 7 days a week, no rest. And it's inspiring, yeah, but if try to analyze here a little, you know. Why do people work this much?

Maybe, she was dating smn, but with her insane schedule and the way she's touching Luke in the last interviews. I don't know.

The only impression I get that she hides her blind spots very well, and her whole bubbly self is just the cover, and not all people can crawl inside and really get what it's in there. She guards it. She needs someone kind and soft enough to cherish her. And I feel like during filming Nick and Luke shared something real and very emotional, and she allowed herself to open up. And that's why she's that grateful. I think as every woman out there with curves had at some point of her life a point, where she learnt how to love her body. And all these scenes, she mentioned she was a bit terrified, but then, the way she spoke about experience with him. It gives the sweet aching, because he really tried to make it comfortable for her. She mentioned the way how open they were in communicating feelings and ideas, how he wouldn't crash her with his weight during that sofa scene and how easy it was, because they laughed through it and discussed every detail. And like every other bridgeron actor saying that all that scenes were heavily choreographed as stunt, and she's just 'well, we improvised, cause it's not like do this and do that' .

'I don't have relationships like that with anyone in my life'

'unique bond', 'as almost we've been through war'

Well, Is it beaucse she let her guard down with him during filiming? It's just interesting, because I just really see the diffirence of her behaviour with other co-stars. Although, she is warm, but not that much, and as I said for her it's not really that easy to let any person see she's not that confident inside, as she seems to be.

He respected her, he made her feel safe during all of that. And it's beautiful, because things like that, when you trust the person like that and they saw you like that, it's just a lot. Yeah, some would say 'it's just work', but from her interviews for her it was empowering experience. And he was a part of it. And that's why I am again can't comprehend, how this man from her perspective(she is literally praising him every time she gets a chance, people are saying she's like that with everyone, but nah, it's like a lot with him again) is the same guy, who is still going through 'fboy' phase. Because Iistening to his interviews, his passion for Colin, and well-spoken and attentive he is, I believe Luke definetly respect and get women the way, that fuckboys don't. It's all so confusing for me. Cause I do see Luke through her eyes, and she's just very caring and loving, while I also see how Luke is in real life with his decisions, and I'm like? It's like Nicola doesn't see the perspective, does she? Or maybe we don't? Or just maybe he's in fact very diffirent with her and treats her as a something precious. Maybe not in a romatic way (yet, delulu again) , but in a sense of 'She's Nic', Almost like, she is divine, and she's not like the other woman. Like you know the way he looks at he, listens to her attentively, how responsive he is, and how behaves around her during interviews is almost like he puts her very high, and enjoys the way shines, reflecting her energy and feeling easyness and calmness around her. Almost, like his mind is always in montion(ahdh, hi), but when she's around, it's like starting to calm down. It's like they are in bubble, especially if they're just chatting only two of them. And that's not the dynamic I can see with other people from both of them. All of that thinking making me feel delulu things, but yup. That's the reason I also think L is just confused

Love this, thank you for sharing!

We don't consider N enough and why she views L the way she does.

Because right now it is very hard to reconcile the man we see with the one we saw on the press tour and the one she brags about.

Too many people have been quick to judge her for supporting L recently but we have to remember they have a bond that we have only had a glimpse into.

[swaps55]

Hi! I saw a post where you mentioned that your interpretation of Hackett is based off Chrisjen Avasarala. While Chrisjen still has close loved ones like her family, how do you see Hackett’s relations with other people? He’s detached when it comes to Shepard et al, but do you see there being anyone he is or could be attached to, or do you see him as consumed by job and goals? I suppose I’m just wondering what motivated him to ambitiously climb to the top, in your view, before the threat of the Reapers.

Oooh, this is a great question! I do not have a fully formed answer, but I do have a partially formed one that has been percolating.

As for what drove him to the top, I imagine part of it is being ambitious by nature, and perhaps another is as simple as the discovery of the relays. It's easy to forget how recent that is in human history, and I imagine a discovery of this magnitude that immediately catapults the human race to war with the first alien culture it meets would have a pretty profound effect on someone smart, ambitious, and driven. The opportunity was right in front of him to take humanity to new heights, and he seized it.

One of the big differences between him and Sam is that Hackett really is dedicated to The Cause, whereas Sam isn't. Hackett has a fixed goalpost: protect and elevate humanity in this strange, new galaxy we have discovered around us. Sam, on the other hand, is up against a constantly moving goalpost that can't be reached: "I have to earn the love of my mother and be worth the death of my father."

In some ways I see Hackett as a nice foil to the Illusive Man - both claim to champion humanity, but Hackett has a moral center where TIM doesn't. And I think what keeps Hackett's brand of ruthlessness more or less on the right moral path is that power isn't his primary goal, the way TIM's is.

So why is that? How does someone with an unforseen and unprecedented amount of power over the fate of humanity not fall victim to that power?

I don't envision Hackett as being a successful family man (though perhaps he tried), or having a plethora of close, personal connections. But I do think there is someone he is very attached to, and that's Major Farrow, his right hand. She's come up a few times in Opus, though her appearances have been brief. Their relationship is not romantic, but she means a great deal to him. I think perhaps maybe she does have a family, and her family puts a face on humanity that helps keep him from losing sight of what's at stake.

Hackett is the ultimate "I will plant the seed of trees whose shade I will never sit under." The trees he plants are not for him, but for someone else's children who may or may not even know he exists.

I've toyed with the idea of integrating this into the next Opus story, when the reapers attack and Hackett is faced with overseeing the largest loss of life in human history. I don't know yet what I'll ultimately do, but it's something that is definitely sitting at the back of my mind.

[onionjulius]

Alright so, ER rewatch is happening, but I'm swamped with work and so I'll have to wait for episode posts. For now, an initial inventory of my remembrance of the main characters/my opinion of them:

Love: Carol Hathaway, Mark Greene, Susan Lewis, Kerry Weaver, Abby Lockhart, Luka Kovač

Really like: John Carter, Doug Ross, Peter Benton, Elizabeth Corday, Lucy Knight, Jing-Mei Chen, Greg Pratt

Like: Jeanie Boulet*, Cleo Finch, Michael Gallant

Unlikeable but not devoid of complexity: Robert Romano, Dave Malucci

I remember your existence: Neela Rasgotra, Anna Del Amico

I don't remember your existence: Sam Taggert, Ray Barnett, Archie Morris, Tony Gates, Simon Brenner, Cate Banfield

*Jeanie's on the cusp between Like and Really like.

I'll be curious to see if my opinions change much watching this show 15-30 years after it initially aired. No doubt there will be cringe "Oh wow that aged poorly" moments, but hopefully also some that hold up well. It'll also be interesting to watch a pre-Prestige TV critical hit post-Prestige TV (and yeah, nostalgic, I'm getting quite nostalgic in my old age). And I'm wondering how my impressions of the characters will hold up in a close watch; I think I'm much more analytical now, and I'm pretty sure my opinions reflect the characters at their best without necessarily accounting for them at their worst. Although maybe that's not a bad thing as long as it's consistent.

More character recollections, some quite spoilery:

Mark's death slew me. It was so protracted too, he was suffering so much and his family was fraying at the seams and I just remember him trying so hard to handle things the best he could with that understated irony of his and just feeling so terribly for him. There was that thing with the guy in the elevator that he just let die, I don't remember what became of that ...

I love so much that Mark is really just Some Guy trying to do his job well while having normal Some Guy things like a wife and kids and basketball breaks. He's smart, decisive, dedicated, compassionate, a good teacher, and truly a deserving leader.

I know that Jeanie had at least one great story, which of course is the HIV story. I'm actually struggling to recall much before that, so that'll be fun.

I just ... I remember having such complex reactions to Kerry, and all these years later that has registered in my memory as love. I love Kerry, warts and all. You could feel so bad for her while simultaneously hate what she was saying or doing, and I do think she learned things over time. She was an outsider, a party pooper, ambitious and career-driven, a disabled lesbian, oil to Doug Ross' water. She was not easy to love, and so I loved her. Also, she was ER Mom. Love you, Mom!

I also loved Kim/Kerry. They felt so real and human and not simply an "issues" story. I find myself not recalling much of her relationship afterward, so looking forward to seeing if it is a worthy follow-up.

I loved Mark/Susan. They were such easy friends, so natural and believable together, so bright and breezy and (mostly) supportive and wonderful. I think they would have made a fine endgame, it was so easy to want good things for each of them, and what an unforgettable, lovely and bittersweet moment when she left Chicago on that train.

For all that though, I liked Mark with Elizabeth. It's true there wasn't the same will-they-won't they (and I remember feeling like her thing with Peter ended rather abruptly) but their domesticity was very sweet and she was a kick-ass character, strong and funny.

Romano was ... Problematic ... but his bond of some sort with Elizabeth was probably the best thing about his character.

I remember feeling that Peter was shafted, but that said he did last 8 years and I remember some good stories with his mother and sister, work vs parenthood, the custody battle, and of course (of course) his evolving dynamic with Carter.

Seriously though. Benton/Carter.

And on the topic of BroTPs: Mark/Doug!

There's something about the two most ambitious characters being Peter, a black man, and Kerry, a woman, that I kinda love.

Upon reflection, it seems to me that at least some of my affinity for Susan and Abby have to do with their family stories--particularly, having to deal with flawed family members, walking the line between loving and enabling, battling the desire to hope because of the need to protect against disappointment. It's ... interesting? ... because I don't have any deadbeat family members or family members who refuse to take responsibility for their illnesses, but something about how they use sarcasm to deal with life resonates with me, even though Susan in my head was a sunny character while Abby was a little black raincloud.

I loved Abby. Abby was a hot mess, a human disaster, a trashfire. Abby was strong, but also a coward. Abby was full of contradictions, Abby mistook self-abnegation for independence, Abby was only happy when it rained. Abby was hard to love, and so I loved her.

There was something about Abby/Luka that I found compulsively watchable. Something probably having to do with being really messed up and dysfunctional and full of maladaptive habits, but nevertheless wanting love like any other human being. There was a brooding intensity and understatedness to them that I remember just eating up. I was an undercover emo kid, what can I say.

That said, there was a phase in which he was truly insufferable (which I know was them taking a page out of the Doug Ross book ... but he isn't Doug Ross, even though he was brought on as a direct replacement). I'm curious if, on my rewatch, it will feel like an organic arc given how sweet, patient, gentlemanly and sensitive I recall him being at the start. Oh tragic little meow meow.

The final scene between Carol and Luka is so etched in my brain. "Because I'm still in love with him. I've been in love with him since I was 23 years old. He's everything to me. I feel complete when I'm with him and I feel empty when we're apart. He's the father of my children, and he's my soulmate." Yes, Doug was a manbaby and yes I was so hurt on Carol's behalf that he left her for Seattle, but really Doug/Carol were the Truth. You bought their connection so thoroughly and George Clooney's chemistry with Juliana Margulies was critical to that.

I remember thinking that Peter/Cleo's chemistry was nothing in particular to write home about (you know, not bad, but not special) ... but hell if they weren't beautiful together. Michael Michelle was just so stunning.

I really thought that they were heading for a lot of yummy Carter-denying-his-feelings-for-med-student-Lucy angst, which I was so there for. But I can't deny that what ended up happening (you know ...) was unforgettable television.

On that note, Carter was never the same after That. There's such a sad lost innocence about his character, given how earnest and caring and even hapless he was at the start. That's not necessarily a bad direction to go, narratively speaking, but one would hope for some eventual hard-won optimism for him all the same.

And yeah, at some point ER became darker and soapier, but I honestly have good memories of a few of those years, before becoming bored.

Like, another scene seared into my brain is Maggie Wyczenski turning on a dime and going postal right in the middle of the ER, screaming "I'm leaving! I'm leaving! I'm leaving! Iiii'm leaving!" and "You're my daughter you bitch!". God did Sally Field earn that Emmy or did she earn that Emmy. I wouldn't want to have missed out on that story, for all that it was such a downer.

Apparently Sam, Ray, Archie, and Tony came on more or less when Neela did, but she's the only one I remember. How'd that happen? Though I can't say I remember her stories, so there is that.

I remember watching with my sophomore year roommate the night that Romano freaking lost his arm to a helicopter. It was crazy. And I really thought it couldn't get any crazier, but then, as you know ...

The look of the show really changed from beginning to end, which, given that it lasted fifteen years, is probably to be expected. But I remember most the constantly moving camera in so many of the medical emergency scenes, and I hope that doesn't go away.

Mark's daughter and Peter's son were impossibly cute. Impossibly cute. So so cute. So so so so so cute.

Speaking of Chicago in the 90s, goddamn do y'all remember how incredible the Bulls were? I don't know why I'm putting that in this post, but I guess I am.

Carter/Jing Mei were such great friends, they never stopped being competitive with each other but they nevertheless grew up together and I love that the show never hooked them up.

I don't recall quite why but I feel like Doug and his dad were reminiscent of Riker and his dad from Star Trek. I don't know.

Okay yeah that's all for now.

[jugheadvarchoni]

𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗴𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀

This was soooo fun, but also really difficult! All the characters at some point, display attributes from all the houses. Everyone has moments of immense bravery, they’re all loyal to someone(s), they all have their own creative or intellectual abilities, and they display ambition or determination in what they do.

The trick was for me to decide which traits I thought defined them the MOST. And who knows, maybe I’ll change my mind one day, but rn, I think I’m happy with these decisions.

As always, let me know what YOUR opinion is if you want. This is by no means an expert opinion. Just my own thoughts. ✌️

- ᴀʀᴄʜɪᴇ: ɢʀʏꜰꜰɪɴᴅᴏʀ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜᴜꜰꜰʟᴇᴘᴜꜰꜰ)

I think the biggest thing that pushes him into Gryffindor is his reckless chivalry. He doesn’t think about the consequences before doing something and is unable to acknowledge the affect of those decisions long-term (his vigilantism, for example). He’s constantly making choices that are completely reactionary and not ever really thought-out, sometimes to his own detriment. But it’s almost always for the right reason, at least in his eyes. His loyalty to the people he loves is a strong motivator, but so is his need to do the right thing. His moral compass is incredibly strong and not only dictates the decisions he makes (which can be misguided for sure… GRUNDY) but also the friends he keeps and people he associates with. He is very passionate about everything he does, especially music/poetry and football, which can fully encompass his entire being when he’s locked into them. There is a big piece of Hufflepuff in him, with his strong determination, loyalty to his friends, and hard-working mindset, mainly thanks to his father Fred. But I do think his recklessly brave, honest, and trusting personality just leans more heavily towards Gryffindor.

- ᴠᴇʀᴏɴɪᴄᴀ: ꜱʟʏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʀᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ)

Veronica is VERY ambitious and cunning, confident and self-reliant in almost everything she does. When she cares for people she cares for them HARD! But not everyone is deserving of that loyalty from her. Her resourcefulness and cleverness, which go hand in hand, is unmatched, even without her parents money. She’s always scheming and thinking on her feet (thus the Ravenclaw aspects: wise, analytical, and idealistic) especially when dealing with her father, which happens soooo much. BUT, her schemes are almost always motivated by a desire to do the right thing by those she loves. She’s ruthless (tho not in the same hard, flippant way Cheryl can be) because she is DRIVEN to always succeed at everything she sets her mind to, it’s how she was raised for better or for worse. Her tendency for success is greatly aided by her resilience, charm, and clever nature. She’s a Slytherin for sure, but more open-minded, accepting, and meticulous than stereotypes about Slytherin’s might say.

- ʙᴇᴛᴛʏ: ʜᴜꜰꜰʟᴇᴘᴜꜰꜰ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱʟʏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴ)

Betty was kinda tough for me. She feels so different throughout every season. When it comes down to it though, I think her most defining attributes are how hard working she is, how fiercely she loves (even to a dangerous degree), and determined she is. She has a hunger for justice and finding the truth, TENACIOUS. She’s passionate about everything she sets her mind on doing and will see things through to the end. She’s smart like a Ravenclaw & sometimes reckless like a Gryffindor, but those don’t feel like defining characteristics for me. She could, however also be strongly considered for Slytherin as that hunger for justice can be seen as driven and determined, sometimes leading her to make ruthless decisions that hurt other people for her own gain or for the gain of her mission. Depending on the season, she does have a tendency to be very judgemental and deceptively manipulative or cruel. In the end tho, I think she is really just a workaholic, someone who just wants to do the right thing and see that people get what the deserve, an eye-for-an-eye sort of thing. She will do anything for the people she loves, ANYTHING. Fairness. Justice. Determination.

- ᴊᴜɢʜᴇᴀᴅ: ʀᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱʟʏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴ)

Jughead is ECCENTRIC. He’s weird, he’s a weirdo. He doesn’t fit in, and he doesn’t want to fit in. He’s very much an introspective wall-flower, who is not only quite intelligent, but also wildly creative. He’s a writer, tortured soul, he’s cynical. An inquisitive mind if there ever was one! This can sometimes lead him down a dangerous and condescending path where he holds himself and others to too high of standards, and gets upset when they fall short. He can be vain and maybe a little pretentious sometimes because he’s passionate about what he does. He seeks justice through truth and observation, often for the greater good. Like a Slytherin tho, he uses his intelligence to achieve his goals and is VERY determined, to the point where he can sometimes lose himself in the mystery and let relationships fall to the wayside. He’s incredibly ambitious and self-reliant, but that is by far overshadowed by his curious and creative nature that often makes him the driving force for the shows’ entire narrative.

- ᴄʜᴇʀʏʟ: ꜱʟʏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ɢʀʏꜰꜰɪɴᴅᴏʀ)

This one feels like kind of a no-brainer, because it’s what everyone says, but I actually think she’s more complicated than JUST being a Slytherin. Cheryl is confident! She’s ambitious and resilient, calculating, and can be very manipulative. Like Veronica, she’s a schemer. But her loyalty is INCREDIBLY selective. She trusts very few people in her life, but those she does, she gives her ALL to (see Toni & Jason) and she desperately wants to take care of them and be loved by them. She follows her own path, constantly trying to break out of her families’ dark, dark shadow. She is big on self-preservation and that can lead her to make selfish decisions that hurt others. BUT, I also think she has a major creative bone in her body that shines in the later seasons (she’s literally an artist). And I think a very strong case can be made for Gryffindor. She’s rebellious (especially against her family!), is stubborn as hell, proud to a fault, and can be quite boastful and arrogant. She IS red, it’s her aesthetic! In S6 & S7, she’s more reserved and kinder too, willing to give her life for the town. But in the end, her ambition, confidence, and ruthlessness to achieve her goals make her a Slytherin imo.

- ᴛᴏɴɪ: ʜᴜꜰꜰʟᴇᴘᴜꜰꜰ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ɢʀʏꜰꜰɪɴᴅᴏʀ)

This girl is LOYAL. Damn, is she loyal and patient and dependable. Toni is basically the textbook definition of a Hufflepuff. She has a crazy strong work ethic that stems from a prideful and practical personality. She may be one of the most responsible people on the show (forgetting about S6 and how they made her a bad mom). She’s giving and compassionate. She’s HONEST, not just to others, but with herself. She knows who she is and she’s doesn’t let anyone tell her otherwise. Her loyalty and kindness can sometimes get her into trouble tho, because she often lets people dictate or make decisions FOR her because she thinks it’s what they need (Cheryl & Anthony!). But I also think the Gryffindor in her is VERY overwhelming too. She’s rebellious, has a strong moral compass, is incredibly chivalrous, and very passionate about her hobbies and the people she loves. As a serpent, she is PROUD, overwhelmingly so. She takes pride in who she is and what she and the serpents stand for. I just believe her undying loyalty, patience, and dependability are what really makes her who she is.

- ʀᴇɢɢɪᴇ: ɢʀʏꜰꜰɪɴᴅᴏʀ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱʟʏᴛʜᴇʀɪɴ)

Reggie is extremely proud, reckless and is not one to think before he acts. Emphasis on RECKLESS. He’s loud and boisterous, every bit the stereotypical jock, especially in the beginning. Like Cheryl, he’s part of a family legacy and grew up conceited, with all the wealth and power at his disposal. It made him cocky and made him THINK he could do whatever he wants (arrogance). He’s playful and likes to crack jokes and keep things light, sometimes not even on purpose. Like typical Slytherin’s, he’s confident and charming, finding ways to achieve his goals at any cost. However, unlike a Slytherin, I don’t think he is often shown to be very cunning or self-reliant. He’s not particularly clever or calculating, and is usually more of a follower than a leader. BUT, I think he’s very protective of those he loves, chivalrous, one might say. He’s stubborn and refuses to back down from the choices he and his friends make, even if it puts him in physical harm.

- ᴋᴇᴠɪɴ: ʜᴜꜰꜰʟᴇᴘᴜꜰꜰ (ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ ʜɪɴᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ʀᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ)

Another tough one for me. I think his open-mindedness and kindness are what defines who he is and how he interacts with the people around him. His tolerance is motivated by his own life, by the way he’s grown up knowing he was gay and wanting to ensure nobody felt uncomfortable in who they are. Similar to Toni, he KNOWS who he is and is not ashamed to be that person. He’s often the moral support for his friends and just loves being around the people he cares about. He is proud, but not in a cocky way, like a Gryffindor would’ve. He has a full-fledged confidence in himself and the choices he makes, which can lend itself to being a Ravenclaw, as does his blindly accepting and loquacious nature. But his loyalty and unprejudiced outlook on life make him a definite Hufflepuff to me!

[tumblingghosts]

hello you’re the only person i know on here who likes harry potter so i’m sending you my headcanons for the mentors in their hogwarts houses

persephone- hufflepuff, i think she’s very loyal, kind, & patient

festus- gryffindor, he’s a lil impulsive but brave (sort of projected a james potter type personality accidentally)

livia- slytherin, i see her as ambitious and resourceful or ravenclaw, bc i also think she’s witty and creative

vipsania- slytherin, very ambitious and cunning

felix- ravenclaw, idk he’s just giving those vibes

hp x tbosas?? :D

(more under the cut)

i fully agree with the ones you mentioned-

persephone price - hufflepuff

what you said! i think she likely sticks close to her house for her earlier years but opens up to other houses once festus became her friend (after some group project that pairs them together)

festus creed - gryffindor

honestly didn’t even have to think about this one. festus just feels like gryffindor. 

livia cardew - slytherin

she has ambition, connections, self-preservation, pretty motivated by competition and doing better than people she doesn’t like and cunning when she wants to be

vipsania sickle - slytherin

she’s really competitive and driven. also i can’t explain it, but she kinda has quidditch keeper vibes.

felix ravinstill - ravenclaw

he tried for slytherin- he really did! (that’s a lie, he didn’t try that hard.) i’d say it was a bit of a toss-up between the two, and felix was fairly ambivalent since both were respectable enough- and that sealed it for ravenclaw.

more mentors!

coriolanus snow - slytherin

ambition. ambition for ages. the sorting hat didn’t even have to think about it.

clemensia dovecote - slytherin

ambition as well, but to a much less harmful degree than coriolanus. ravenclaw was probably floated as a potential house, but not long enough to cause a hat stall. unrelated to the sorting, but if we’re going with hp events as well, was likely the one to figure out the basilisk then got petrified before she could tell anyone.

sejanus plinth - gryffindor

he’s a hufflepuff in my heart, but he’d most likely be sorted into gryffindor. 

urban canville - hufflepuff

i would have said ravenclaw, except urban kinda gives zacharias smith (re: would urban push first years out of the way to escape the battle of hogwarts? probably.) so… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

arachne crane - slytherin

she was nearly a hat stall because the hat tried putting her in gryffindor. she adamantly refused until the hat gave in. it sorts, but students do get choice.

io jasper - ravenclaw

incredibly smart, but she’s most skilled at science-related classes. everyday, she thanks the founders that urban wasn’t placed in the same house as her. it’s bad enough that hufflepuffs and ravenclaws often have classes together.

lysistrata vickers - gryffindor

i could see an argument for hufflepuff, but she feels outspoken enough to tip the scales into gryffindor when considering the two.

i have no explanations for the rest, these are just vibes-

pliny harrington - slytherin

juno phipps - ravenclaw

hilarius heavensbee - slytherin

gaius breen - slytherin

androcles anderson - hufflepuff

domitia whimsiwick - slytherin

dennis fling - hufflepuff

palmyra monty - ravenclaw

iphigenia moss - hufflepuff

apollo ring - gryffindor

diana ring - ravenclaw

florus friend - ravenclaw

bonus! here’s where i think some of the tributes would go-

lucy gray - slytherin

jessup - hufflepuff

marcus - gryffindor

reaper - hufflepuff

treech - slytherin

lamina - hufflepuff

(the slytherin/hufflepuff vibes for treemina go hard- lamina swears that treech should have been a hufflepuff, but treech swears that lamina should have been slytherin. in a way, they’re both right.)

also, where would you sort the d4 tributes/victors (mizzen, coral, finnick, mags, annie, etc.)?

thanks for the ask!

[earlgodwin]

how well do you think the targtower boys and the borgias boys would get along? like with their most similar selves, of course. or with their opposites?? bonus question: how well do you think helaena and lucrezia would get along?

i honestly don't think cesare would click with aemond at first, and maybe he'd even try to poison him with cantarella, considering how much cesare has since loathed himself (at least in the first two seasons before he became conceited in s3), and he'd also be threatened of aemond's character since both of them are driven and ambitious lol. i also feel like juan would immediately vibe with aegon! their cocky attitude with so much bravado yet so much loneliness and inferiority. they'd definitely bond over how they feel like puppets in a game of ambitions. lucrezia would've found helaena's fascination with bugs bizarrely endearing! i imagine them braiding each other's hair and sometimes matching dresses <33

re: how cesare/lucrezia would react to targaryen's 'traditions', i don't know how they would react since they saw their love as something beyond incestuous; they were two people enamored with each other, completing each other in a way that transcended the thought of them 'sinning' (until they finally did after they had sex and cesare started to feel guilt because he felt like he was too vain and took advantage of her). personally i think rodrigo could have solved all his problems under the vatican roof by allowing an incestuous poly marriage for his two sons and daughter—[GUNSHOTS, FLATLINE, SCREAMING, GLASS SHATTERING] wait who said that??

re: helaena, aemond, and aegon clocking cesare/lucrezia's feelings for each other; i think both aegon and aemond aren't as smart as they believe they are. therefore it'd be helaena since she's prophetic! aegon and aemond would probably think there is nothing 'unpure' behind all those nose nuzzles and cheek pinching and they were just being platonic lol.

re: helaena, aemond, and aegon clocking juan's feelings for his siblings; juan is so transparent, always angry and childishly jealous when there's a potential lover or husband for lucrezia. his obsession with his siblings doesn't even need a prophetic girl like helaena to see through him so i'd say the three of them would clock it lol.

re: cesare and juan's reactions to aemond and aegon's treatment of helaena, they would be absolutely furious, considering how aggressively protective they are of their own sister lucrezia, and how much they want to see her smile (before they went to extreme lengths and unintentionally hurt her in different ways). no one pays attention to helaena from her brothers. Aegon completely ignores her (and allegedly rapes her while drunk as helaena implied in s1), while aemond was nonchalant about causing her pain by causing son's death through something he pulled. so yeah cesare and juan have genuine (and incestuous) love for lucrezia, and i think it would definitely drive them crazy (and cesare especially would go full beast mode) considering that even when they hurt lucrezia (specifically juan), they try to make it up to her.

[angelasscribbles]

Savage Love Chapter 33: Finally, a Break

Series: Savage Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake normally but for THIS chapter, there's a little Riley x Madeleine

Word Count: 2,549

Rating: NSFWish

Warnings: Lemon scented

My other stuff: Master List.

“Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner tonight,” I gushed as I stepped into Madeleine’s private room.

Her room wasn’t much different than my own. The small, round table situated halfway between the sleeping area and the bathroom was set with candles, silver covers adorned the serving dishes, and a bottle of chilled champagne rested next to the plates.

Oh yes, this was an intimate dinner. Any questions I had left about her intentions towards me vanished in a puff of smoke as I took in the room and her elegant, but revealing, dress.

I knew exactly how to get information out of her.

“I’m so happy you were available!” Her smile dropped as she produced a wand scanner, “Sorry, this has to be done first. It’s not that I don’t trust you…”

I gave her my brightest smile, “Trust but verify! I understand completely!”

I felt vindication that I hadn’t let Drake talk me into any type of device that would transmit as Madeliene ran the wand over every inch of my body. And I do mean every inch.

Her hand rested a bit longer than necessary on my hip. She clicked the wand off and stepped back with a smile, “I knew you’d understand! You really are one of us! I told my father we could trust you!”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, especially with your father! He’s the leader, right?” I kept my tone light as I made my way to the table.

Madeleine took the seat opposite me and reached for the champagne, “Oh, of the Cordonian branch, yes. Emmeline is his lieutenant.”

I opened my eyes wide in feigned surprise, “The Cordonian branch? You mean…there’s more?”

“Oh yes,” she tittered as she filled our glasses, “We have chapters in nearly every country in Europe!”

“Wow!” I breathed out as I batted my eyelashes, “That’s impressive!”

“It is and one day I’ll take his place as leader.”

“I don’t doubt that for a minute!” I gushed, “You’re so smart and driven! I like that in a woman!”

I mean, it was true enough. I do admire strength and drive, I just prefer those things to be directed at the greater good, not at self-aggrandizing and building criminal empires. But I was intimately acquainted with the latter, just about every target I’d helped take down was powerful and ambitious, in all the wrong kinds of ways.

Like most narcissists, heaping praise on her encouraged her to continue talking about herself, which was my goal.

“I could say the same about you,” her gaze lingered on me as she poured the champagne.

I lowered my eyes to the table, pretending to be caught off guard by the admiration. I licked my lips then slowly lifted my eyes to her as I raised the champagne flute, “To strong, powerful women then.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Her eyes stayed locked on me as we drank. She lowered her glass with a smile, “I hope you enjoy the meal, I wasn’t sure what you like, but Italian food is usually safe.”

I inhaled appreciatively as she removed the lids from the serving dishes. Chicken and mushroom risotto, focaccia bread, a simple salad and over roasted vegetables, an aromatic and colorful mix of yellow squash, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, and beets.

“Everything looks and smells delicious!” I told her honestly.

The meal was delicious, but then food from the royal kitchen always was. The Rys family understood good cuisine, I’d give them that. It seemed like a good way to steer the conversation back toward the royal family and hopefully more information on the Via Imperii.

“King Constantine sure knew what he was doing when he hired the kitchen staff! Good to know that when I’m queen, hiring good help won’t be an issue.”

That earned a smile from Madeleine, “You’re very confident, aren’t you?”

I gave her a self-assured smile as I swirled the effervescent liquid around in my flute.

This was it. The moment I solidified my position within the Via Imperii ranks and earned their trust once and for all.

It’s not like I was giving away state secrets. Everyone would know about the abdication come morning, but this tidbit of insider information would convince them that I was on their side and prevent the fact that I was present in that council meeting from ever biting me in the ass if it got out.

With a teasing lilt in my voice, I informed her, “Because you were right about Leo and Olivia, but I have news you’re going to want to hear.”

“I’m all ears,” she leaned forward with interest.

“Leo abdicated today! Which means Liam will be the next king and Liam and I have already….well…bonded.”

She watched me warily, “And how do you know this?”

“I was there!”

“You were in a council meeting? How?”

“I told you…Liam and I are close. I was with him when he got the call to meet Leo in the council chambers, so I went with him.”

She stared at me in silence for a heartbeat then her face lit up like it was Christmas morning, “I knew we could trust you!”

She was so very, very wrong.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” she took a long, slow sip from her glass before peering over the rim at me, “I already knew all of that.”

“What? How?” I demanded, my surprise real. No one outside of that council chamber should know yet.

“We have a source,” she replied vaguely, “May I ask why you advocated for continuing the social season rather than getting engaged right away?”

“Appearances,” I answered promptly, “The monarchy needs the support of the noble houses after all. Making them feel like they wasted their time and resources by sending their daughters is a mistake. One Leo already made. Liam can’t afford to compound that if he’s going to be a strong ruler. I don’t want to start out on the wrong foot with Cordonian elite society. I’m working on their behalf, after all.”

Clearly, there was a leak in the council, that was the only possible explanation. Relief flooded me that I had made the right call by telling her I was there so it didn’t look like I was hiding things from her. Which I was. But she didn’t know that.

I made a note to myself to let Liam know there was a traitor sitting on his father’s council. And to be a lot more careful with my comings and goings on the third floor.

I decided to shift the subject away from what had gone in the council chambers, “When will you reach out to Liam? I assume that’s the next step.”

“Oh, absolutely! Within the week! I’m not hopeful though,” she frowned as she pushed the food around on her plate, “He’s far too close to Drake Walker.”

“Wasn’t he raised as a member of the royal family?”

“Yes,” she tapped one fire engine red nail against the edge of her gold-rimmed bone china plate, “But his blood is still common. I don’t know how the entire Rys family became so enamored of the lower classes that they allowed one to strut around pretending he’s one of them…”

“It doesn’t matter,” I reminded her, “Even if he declines our offer, I will be the next queen, allowing us a foothold in the administration.”

“True…” her eyes traced my face thoughtfully, “He does seem quite taken with you…”

“We do get along quite well,” I agreed noncommittedly.

“How well?” Was that a note of jealousy in her voice?

I gave her a wicked grin, “Well enough. Don’t worry, I’m sure I can wrangle him down the aisle with no problem at all.”

“So, your alleged connection with Leo…”

I shrugged as I stabbed a forkful of salad, “It was true, we connected when we first met. But to be honest, you were right about Olivia, I couldn’t quite pry his attention away from her. Liam, on the other hand…”

“Hedging your bets,” she nodded, “That’s forward thinking, I like it!”

When the meal was finished, Madeline suggested drinks on the balcony, but before I could make it to the door, her body blocked mine. She leaned into me, one finger trailing from my throat to the valley between my breasts, her eyes heavy with desire as she asked, “Just how invested are you in Liam?”

I gave her a sultry grin as my hand went to her face, “Liam is just business. Why do you ask?”

Then she was kissing me and goddamn if it wasn’t a good kiss. I melted into it a little. Why did all the psycho killers kiss so fucking good? Rico had been a good kisser. Too bad he was out for my blood now. Just like Madeleine would be if she ever discerned my true intentions, so I grabbed two handfuls of her hair and made the kiss believable. I pushed my body against hers and slid my tongue past her soft, pouty lips into her welcoming mouth.

She moaned as her hands glided down my back, landing firmly on my ass. She breathed my name against my lips.

I released her hair, my fingers gliding down the velvety smooth skin of her back to tug at her zipper. I pulled the zipper down and then slipped my fingers under the thin straps of her dress, pushing them down her arms.

She arched her body into me as she returned the favor, stripping the clothes from my body and lavishing brutal kisses along every inch of exposed flesh her lips could find.

She was bare in front of me as my hand cupped one perfectly rounded breast.

I jolted forward as her hand slipped between my legs, stroking gently but firmly through my panties.

One day soon I’d be slapping cuffs on her, and not in the fun sexy way. But that day was not today, and I was ready for what she was offering.

A shrill chirping noise cut the silence and she cursed thoroughly as she pulled away from me with a shaky breath. “I am so sorry, but that’s my father’s ringtone. I have to take it.”

“It’s fine,” I told her as I stepped away from her, “We should probably slow down anyway.”

Always leave them wanting more. It’s not the giving it to them that gets their guard down. It’s the pursuit of it. Lust and frustration make everyone stupid. Careless.

She excused herself to the bathroom for privacy as I put myself back together. I straightened out my dress, fixed my hair, and reapplied my lipstick.

When she came back out, she was wrapped in a towel and her eyes were glittering with excitement.

“Good news?” I fluttered my eyelashes at her.

“Great news! But why are you dressed? You’re not leaving are you?”

“I didn’t want to intrude on whatever that was about,” I gestured toward her phone.

“Hmm,” she tossed the phone onto the bed and tapped a highly polished nail against her pouty lips, “I have to join my father for some Via Imperii business.”

“Then I’ll get out of your way,” I tossed my hair over my shoulder, making sure my cleavage was on full display as I did so.

She was clearly torn between wanting to finish what we started and whatever business was going down with the Via Imperii. She seemed to come to a decision. Reaching out for my arm, she stopped me in my tracks, “Come with me!”

“Go with you where?” I laughed.

“You don’t need to know the details.”

“I can’t just leave in the middle of the social season,” I protested as if I hadn’t just gotten back from Auvernall, “what would that look like?”

She regarded me with equal parts desire and frustration for several long seconds before blurting out, “If I tell you what it’s about, will you come?”

“Madi,” I moved closer to her, filling my eyes with concern, “I would never ask you to reveal anything confidential.”

My seeming disinterest was enough to convince her that I could be trusted, “We know where the missing heir to the throne is!”

My eyes widened, betraying my actual shock, “Really?”

“Yes!” She was positively squirming with delight, “Apparently leadership at the global level has always known where the heir is. They finally decided to let my father in on the secret.”

“And they’re sure this heir is legitimate?”

“Oh, yes. DNA testing has verified the child is a Rys, apparently living in Vallenheim all this time. We’re going to meet in Hidar to discuss possible next steps if Liam proves as intractable as his brother.”

My blood ran cold. They only needed another heir if they were planning to dispose of Liam. Leo had removed himself from the line of succession, so he was safe. Articles of abdication were permanent. He could not sit on the throne even if something happened to Liam.

Though technically by abdicating Leo had removed him and his descendants from the line of succession, Liam could appoint one of Leo’s children his heir if he had no children of his own. But neither of them had any children yet. That would make a sibling next in line.

But Liam would have to abdicate or die for the throne to be vacated. And I couldn’t see that man abdicating for any reason. He was too loyal, too dedicated, too fucking honorable.

Fuck!

“I’ll go,” I kept my voice light, “If it means I get to spend more time with you!”

There was nothing and no one that was going to keep me from pursuing this lead. Maybe when I found Liam’s sister, I could convince her not to go along with the Via Imperii.

There was always a chance she was being held by them against her will. I wondered again why Eleanor had hidden her away.

“Excellent!” Madeleine clapped her hands together, “You should go pack a few things! We’re leaving in two hours. Meet me out front in an hour and a half and we’ll head to the airfield together.”

“How long will we be gone?”

“Shouldn’t be more than a few days. We have to be back before the next court-sponsored event.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to the regatta.” The social season was winding down and I needed to take down the Via Imperii sooner rather than later. I probably had enough to take down the Cordonian faction right now, but they would simply regroup. They could easily rebuild and regain a foothold within the country once the GIA was gone.

But If I played my cards right, we could take the whole thing down.

I had to take the whole thing down, because as long as the Via Imperii existed anywhere in the world, Liam wasn’t safe. As long as they possessed another true blood heir that would do their bidding, his life could easily be forfeited and that was completely unacceptable.

I had to let Drake and Liam know I was leaving. Neither was going to be thrilled about it, but neither was going to be able to stop me.

Come hell or high water, I was going to Hidar.

[ellecdc]

hey girl! I’ve been reading your remus x whimsical!reader fic and it’s so good!!! I was wondering your thoughts on a whimsical slytherin? I’ve been trying to create an OC for the marauders era and she’s a slytherin…who is whimsical. I wonder how she would be contrasted to a ravenclaw. Idk just curious you don’t have to answer if you don’t want too. 😖🖤

Hmmmm idk how much would change! I find ravenclaws and slytherin’s to be quite similar? Both are smart and driven, both are resourceful and ambitious. If we believe her to be maybe Pureblood/from that ‘culture’, perhaps she’d be more quiet/withdrawn? People mistake her for being shy but she’s just learned to keep to herself and blend in, so she would surprise people when they get her to talk and she’s so ‘odd’ 🥰

I love our little whimsy babies

[stevesbipanic]

You were asking for prompts so here is one: what your fruity four's Hogwarts headcanons?

Wonderful question I love Harry Potter so I've thought about this. First off death to the author 1000% don't support her.

Secondly I'm gonna say that I can see any of them in two houses for different reasons.

Steve I can see in either Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Gryffindor for the classic hero complex and bravery and being able to just keep getting up after a fight and main character level of not dying every season. Hufflepuff because of his mama Steve attributes, he loves taking care of the kids, I hc that he loves cooking and baking, and the Steve we know now is also very silly and lovable.

Eddie I'd put in either Slytherin or Gryffindor. Slytherin for his misunderstood persona (I'm a Slytherin myself they're not all evil) he's smart but not the conventional way and he doesn't mind stepping on people's perception of him. Gryffindor for his bravery despite his fear, protecting his friends is a high priority of his in both school and the upside down and doesn't always see the full extent of the danger as long as his friends are ok.

Robin is either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff due to her bubbly and rambling personality that doesn't really care what others think as long as her friends love her. Ravenclaw for her intelligence, she knows multiple languages and picks up on clues others don't always see and she does better in small groups than big groups of friends.

Nancy I'd put in either Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Ravenclaw also for her intelligence, she's the "smart character" of the party often seen with the answer in the form of research or a book. However her intelligence is also why I would put her in Slytherin, she's smart cause she's driven to succeed and ambitious in her goals, she runs the newspaper, does well in school and wants to go to college, she also doesn't mind bending the rules in her favor whether it's to get the story or to get them clues.

If I had to choose one for each I'd say Hufflepuff Steve, Gryffindor Eddie, Ravenclaw Robin and Slytherin Nancy.

[my-dear-philo]

So, I just finished Carnival Row season two. Here’s my thoughts (spoilers ahead).

I really liked it at first, but it just kept going downhill. Season one had a twisty storyline, but pretty much all the pieces fit together in the end. This season felt way more convoluted and much less character driven. They tried to do stuff with characters’ motivations, like exploring Philo’s guilt over suppressing his fae heritage and “siding” with humans. It’s just that none of it felt as authentic or compelling as it did in the first season. As a writer myself, there’s a difference between “the characters did this” and “the writers made the characters do this.” It’s a hard difference to explain, but this season felt like the latter. Stuff just happened because it could, with little attention paid to actually exploring character depth in meaningful ways. Overall it felt too rushed and convoluted.

Other points:

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ll know I love Philo. This season, however, he felt far less humanized (which is ironic, because the writers were trying to do just that). His arc in season one was so focused on helping people — he was so defined by his compassion — and I really didn’t feel that was present in season two. He felt significantly less sympathetic.

I couldn’t bring myself to ship Vignette and Tourmaline. Their relationship was a major focus in season one, and it was established that Vignette chose Philo, and that she and Tourmaline were better as friends. I just really hate it when a show establishes two characters as a couple and then totally changes direction in the next season. Philo and Vignette were written as endgame in season one, including the finale, and this season totally erased that. It felt like narrative whiplash.

Why did they bother establishing a connection between Tourmaline and Darius and setting them up to be a cute couple to then do nothing with it? And then just kill him? Lazy writing. Make it flow.

I actually really liked Imogen this season. Her growth in season one was great, and it was cool to see her spunk and competence this season especially in the last few episodes. Also, having her kill Ezra felt narratively fulfilling. He had it coming based on how he’d treated her, and I didn’t feel sorry for him at all.

I will never forgive this show for killing Sophie Longerbane. She was 100% the most interesting character on the show, and just as she was getting even more interesting, they killed her. Let smart, fascinating, ambitious women live, thank you. Seriously. Her arc was so good, and I was so excited to see what she’d do next, and then she DIED. How dare you.

Honestly, the show was more interesting before Sophie and Jonah were killed.

What happened to Philo’s “I’m Breakspear’s son and I’ll be chancellor to help people” plot line? It disappeared after like episode two and only appeared again in the epilogue. For a show about fantasy politics, this season almost totally ignored the most interesting political stuff in its own plot.

Speaking of the epilogue. I like what it did, but holy crap that was too rushed. I need at least a few more episodes to explain how everyone got to that point. I love happy endings, especially to stressful stories, but this felt like a cop-out from actual storytelling. I want the story of Philo revealing his parentage and becoming chancellor. Do Imogen and Agreus get married? I need way more development for Vignette and Tourmaline’s relationship. I just need more. The middle of the season felt like a lot of filler; they could easily have cut that and done a couple more episodes to ACTUALLY wrap up the show.

As always, the costumes and sets were STUNNING. This season had better win awards for that.