#so you probably should work out why you’re calling to not vote for her

[sapphia]

tumblr telling everyone to not vote for kamala over israel like the US election decides the war and kamala herself is netanyahu. meanwhile netanyahu is sitting around the negotiating table trying to draw out the talks and so he can use them as an opportunity to massacre more palestinians.

eagle eyed focus on the real issue as always, guys 👍

[imagines--galore]

||Theatrics||

Summary: During a little impromptu training session, you happen to sprain your ankle. Luckily Zuko is around to help you back to Katara so she can help. Unfortunately for Zuko, you have a tendency to be slightly dramatic about your injuries.

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. Fluff. Slight mention of injury but that about it.

A/N: You guys voted, so here it is! Also gif is definitely Zuko’s reactions to reader’s.....theatrics :3

"I’m dying!”

“You’re not dying Y/n.”

“Then why is the world growing dark!?”

“You probably have your eyes closed.”

"I do not need your sass while I am dying Zuko!”

“Well maybe you should shut up before I drop your dying butt.”

Smack.

“Ow!”

“Rude Zuko!”

“Thats it! You can crawl back for all I care.”

“No! Wait! Zuko! Wait!! I’ll be quiet.”

“One more word out of you, and I won’t carry you back.”

Katara looked up from where she had been mending Sokka’s shirt, again. There was no one in sight yet Zuko and Y/n’s voices were loud enough to echo along the path leading up to the main courtyard of the Ember Island Summer House. She stood, dropping her sewing to side as she quickly made her way towards the door and peered outside.

It took a minute or so, but then she saw the approaching figure of Zuko with.......you on his back. An amused smile played across the young waterbender’s lips as she watched the Fire Nation prince approach with you slung over his back, your arms wrapped around his shoulders to keep yourself in place.

“Katara! Oh! Now I won’t perish! Or perhaps I will? The pain is too much.” You moaned, throwing your head back for dramatic effect, the force of which nearly made Zuko stumble in his steps. Katara giggled as Zuko huffed in annoyance.

“She twisted her ankle.” He explained as he carried you into the courtyard with Katara trailing behind.

“And who’s fault is that? If you hadn’t startled me during my practice then I wouldn’t have twisted it.” You snapped back. Clearly the pain was making you more then a little cranky.

Zuko rolled his eyes, turning around and dropping you, rather unceremoniously onto the wooden platform that led to the rooms. You gave a little yelp, glaring at the Prince who smirked back as you rubbed your tailbone a little. Katara, ever the kind soul, carefully removed your shoe. You let out a soft hiss as the leather was slipped off.

Removing the cork from her water pouch, Katara made quick work of assessing the damage. “Well you definitely twisted it. I’ll try to heal it as much as I can, but it’ll be a little while before you’re able to walk on it properly. Probably a day or two.” You turned to glare at Zuko who rolled his eyes. “I’ve blasted you off the side of a flying bison Y/n. I don’t see you holding a grudge about that against me.” He said, referring to the days when he had spent chasing Aang and the rest of them.

“Yeah, well I got my revenge when I knocked you out with a blow to the back of your head.” As Katara started her healing process you held up a threatening finger in his direction. “You better watch out Princey, I will have my revenge.”

Zuko smirked. “What will you do? Hobble after me waving a crutch?” You growled under your breath, looking like you would leap at him at any moment. And if your ankle wasn’t throbbing so much you would have.

“Now now children. Lets not fight.” Katara said in a mocking tone as she tried to contain her laughter. You let out a small sound of relief as some of the throbbing was alleviated as Katara worked her healing abilities. “You’re a spirit-send Katara.” You said, gratitude shining in your eyes as you grinned at the girl.

Zuko frowned. “What am I? An ostrich-horse? I carried you back and you don’t call me a spirit-send.” You turned your attention back towards him, an annoyed frown creasing your forehead. “And who’s fault was it that you had to carry me back?”

“Don’t be so dramatic.”

“I am a performer, I’m supposed to be dramatic.”

“Over dramatic you mean.”

“Need I remind you, the acting company I worked for won awards for being one of the best in the Earth Kingdom.”

“Probably when you weren’t working for them.”

“As if your dramatic self is any better? Out of all of us, who’s the one moaning about his so-called honor all the time?”

“That was in the past.”

“The past was only a couple months ago, Princey.”

“Shut it Drama Queen.”

“Ah! At least I’m a rank above you, you fire-breathing-”

“Er.....guys?”

You and Zuko broke eye-contact to glare at the poor unsuspecting Avatar who had just arrived from the market with Sokka, Suki and Toph from an errand run.

“What?” The two of you snapped in unison, prompting Aang to let out a nervous laugh and slowly back off, holding his hands up in a surrendering manner.

Taking the lull in the argument, Katara quickly finished bandaging up your ankle and patted it in a reassuring manner. “There, you’ll be all better tomorrow.” You gave a small smile in thanks to the girl before gripping the sides of the wooden platform and slowly starting to stand. You tried putting some weight on your bad ankle, only to wince at the pain that radiated from there. It was much better then what it had been a few moments ago, but it still hurt.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I shall be retiring to my room.” With a haughty look in Zuko’s direction, you turned towards where you room was.

"Isn’t our room upstairs Y/n?”Toph helpfully reminded you, causing you to pause from hobbling forward. Your face fell, shoulders slumping, causing Sokka to let out a bark of laughter, only to shut up when Suki gave his shoulder a light punch.

“Hey Aang? Can Appa drop me into my room through the window?” You asked, turning to the younger boy with a pleading look. Before Aang could reply, Zuko let out a loud groan, throwing his head back to stare at the sky as he growled.

"For the love of Spirits!”

With that he stomped forward, and before you even got the chance to say anything, he had lifted you off the ground, one arm secured around your waist, the other under your knees to keep you from falling. Meanwhile, you had let out a shriek of surprise, your arms coming to wrap around his shoulders.

“If we want to defeat the Father Lord, you’d better start laying off from the FireFlakes.” He grumbled as he began to carry you towards the stairs.

“Its Fire Lord, and are you insinuating that I am fat?!”

“I said that! And I’m not insinuating, I’m stating a fact.”

Thwack!

“Ow! Will you stop hitting me?!”

“Then stop being so rude. I thought Prince’s were all about manners and chivalry when it comes to ladies.”

“Lady? You? Please! Toph is much more of a lady then you are.”

Thwack!

“You hit me one more time and I’ll drop you on these stairs.”

“Do it! I’d rather crawl up then be carried by you anyway!”

“Ungrateful brat!”

“Pouty prince!”

“Drama queen!”

“Honor bound jerk!”

Your voices started to muffle to the rest of the group as the two of you walked further into the house. The younger members of the group stood where they were, a little dumbfounded at what had just occurred.

“I bet you anything these two are gonna be even worse with their flirting when they get married.”

Sokka gaped at Toph, who stood there smirking.

“That was flirting?!” He exclaimed, prompting his girlfriend to roll her eyes at her boyfriend, smiling at how oblivious Sokka could be. Aang blinked his wide grey eyes. “You know, now that I think about it, whenever we fought Zuko in the past, Y/n always had something to say to him.”

“And he always said something back.” Katara added, the laughter obvious in her tone as she continued to listen to the muffled arguing through the wooden floor above.

[morgana-larkin]

Alright peeps! So I took a look at the poll and saw that most of you wanted the second part of 'Don't Call Me That' the most so here it is! There's everything in this one, heartbreak, angst, smut and fluff. A bit of a rollercoaster so good luck!

On another note: I'm working on part 4 of 'Mine' as that was the second most voted on. I also realise the poll is still open for another 4 hours but idc, you can still vote though!

Part 1

Don't Call Me That - Part 2

Warnings: Smut, angst, lots of fluff (Not in that specific order lol), happy ending

Words: 4.2k

Melissa didn’t get any sleep last night. Everytime she closed her eyes, all she imagined was you kissing her, and nothing was on her mind except the thought of you saying you love her. You still love her, even after her breaking up with you.

Melissa walked into Abbott a little earlier, she needed extra caffeine considering she got 0 hours of sleep last night. She barely survived the day, not only from lack of sleep, but seeing you multiple times, and everytime all she thinks about is your lips on hers.

The next day she barely got any sleep, about 2 hours. The next day was the same. She thought that at least it was Friday and she could sleep in on Saturday. On Friday, everyone can clearly see the bags under her eyes as they’ve darkened over the week, and the way she can barely stay awake. Melissa thinks that it’s good her students have a test to do today and a book report coming up, and a couple other things she can get them to do instead of teaching.

At the end of the day, you go to walk to your car and you pass by Melissa’s classroom and you can see her asleep at her desk. You walk in and you see there’s no one else there, so you walk over to her and shake her a bit. “Melissa?” you say and she groans but doesn’t wake. “Melissa!” You just about yell and she opens her eyes but doesn’t move her head. You kneel down to her level and look at her. “Hey, saw you sleeping, you ok?” you ask her and she looks at you with the saddest eyes you’ve ever seen.

“Am I dreaming?” she asks you and you tilt your head.

“What makes you think you’re dreaming?” you ask her.

“Because you’re here, you wouldn’t talk to me otherwise. If I was awake then you would just avoid me because I’m an idiot.” she says and you look down and sigh.

“Ok, come on. I’ll drive you home and then you can continue dreaming ok?” you tell her and help guide her up from her chair. You take her purse with you and help guide her to your car, as well as buckle herself in as she didn’t have the strength to do it herself. “Why have you been so tired this week?” You ask as you get in the driver’s seat and start the car.

“Because I’m being haunted by my stupidity.” She says and you snort, you then back out of the parking spot and pull out of the parking lot.

“What stupidity have you done?” You ask her.

“Breaking up with my girlfriend, Y/n.” She tells you and you then realise she has no idea where she is and might still think she’s dreaming. You know you probably shouldn’t but this might be your chance to figure out what’s really going on with her.

“Why was that a stupid decision?”

“Because I still love her so much. All I think about when I try to sleep is her kissing me or her saying she loves me. I can’t do this anymore, I need her.” She says and a few tears slip. “I’ve barely slept these past 4 days, I probably got no more than 8 hours of sleep combined. I’ve barely eaten as well. I broke up with her 3 months ago and I was still able to sleep and eat, I don’t know what changed.” She says and you think about it, you should probably help her out.

“Do you feel guilty all of a sudden?” And she lets out an airy laugh.

“I’ve felt guilty ever since I thought I should break up with her?”

“Ok, so not that then. What about the fact that she told you she loves you?” You ask her and she doesn’t say anything. “Maybe you thought her feelings for you would disappear when you broke up with her cause you thought that she would just find someone else?” You tell her and she still doesn’t say anything. You thought maybe she fell asleep so you glance over at her and she’s still awake. “Melissa?” You say and she looks up at you. “Did you really break up with me because you thought I should be with someone else?” You ask her and she sighs.

“Ya.” she says and takes a deep breath. “I was holding you back from everything you’ve wanted so I let you go so I wouldn’t be in the way because I love you and I want you to be happy, even if I had to watch someone else make you happy and give you what you want.” she tells you and her eyes slowly close and she falls asleep.

The rest of the car ride, you think about what she said. You’re honestly surprised by what she said. She thought she was doing something selfless for you, but instead just ended up hurting you both, she never meant to hurt you so much. And now you see the toll it’s taken on her to stick to her decision to try and make you happy. She’s willing to sacrifice her happiness for yours, you never thought anyone would do that for you.

As soon as you pull into her driveway, you gently wake her up. “Come on Melissa, you’re home, we should gotta get you to your bed and you can sleep comfortably, ok?” You tell her and she nods. She unbuckles herself but can’t open the door fully so you do that for her. You unlock her door with her key and you help bring her inside. You set her keys and purse at the door and you close and lock her door while she attempts to take her shoes off. You end up helping her with her shoes when she falls down and you help her back up and to her room. She falls on the bed when you get there and then you tuck her in, you go to leave after but she grabs your arm and you turn to face her.

“Will you stay with me?” She asks softly and you sigh.

“Ok, but only until you fall asleep.” You tell her and she nods. You get on the bed but stay on the covers instead of under and she wraps an arm around you. You admit that you do miss this and you miss her and her craziness. You turn around to face her and she’s still awake and looking at you.

“I do want you back, y/n.” She tells you and strokes your hair.

“What’s stopping you?” You ask her and she yawns and is slowly closing her eyes.

“The fact that you won’t be happy with me.” She says and falls asleep. You stay looking at her stunned and go over everything she’s told you, thinking that you weren’t you or she was dreaming. You then slowly crawl out from her hold on you and you replace it with a pillow so she doesn’t wake up.

A few hours later Melissa wakes up. She opens her eyes and realises she’s in her bed and has no idea what happened this week that well as she’s been so tired that the whole week has been a blur. She looks at her phone and sees that it’s 5:43pm and it’s Friday. She gets out of bed and hears some noises downstairs, she then grabs her bat and carefully goes downstairs. She gets to the middle of the stair when she sees you on the couch watching tv and she tilts her head and stares for a few seconds. She then continues down the stairs and you look over at her and chuckle.

“Were you planning on hitting me with a bat? You were friendlier when you were falling in and out of consciousness.” You tease her and she looks confused. “Do you remember anything from the end of the day to how you got home?” You ask her and she stares at you then shakes her head. “I found you asleep at your desk and then I drove you home. If you want I can drive you to the school parking lot to get your car and then go home.” You tell her, you don’t want to scare her if what she said while on the verge of sleep was true.

“You drove me home?” She tells you and you nod. “W-why?”

“Because I want to make sure you didn’t fall asleep at the wheel or stay at school overnight.” You simply say. “I bet you’re hungry since you also haven’t been eating, so I made you some mac n’ cheese.” You tell her and you go and get it.

“How do you know I haven’t been eating?” She asks when you reappear with a bowl.

“Cause you told me.” You tell her when you hand it to her and sit back on the couch. “Come sit.” You say as you pat the couch cushion.

“I wouldn’t tell anyone that.” She tells you as she obeys and goes to sit beside you on the couch.

“Wow you really don’t remember anything you told me.” You say and she freezes as she was about to take a bite.

“What do you mean?” She asks and takes a bite of the food.

“I mean we had a whole conversation while you kept falling asleep. In your classroom, my car and here, at your house.”

“What did I tell you?” She asks and prepares for the worst.

“Now I don’t want you to get freaked out ok? Cause you had no idea where you were or who I really was.” You tell her and that makes her feel worse.

“Y/n. What did I tell you.”

“You told me that you still love and miss me and you want me back.” You say and her eyes go wide. “You also told me the whole reason you let me go.” You add and she drops her fork. “And why you haven’t been sleeping, and you confessed that you’ve also barely ate in the past 4 days.” You finish and she’s just staring at you. After about 10 seconds she gets up and walks to the kitchen with her mac n’ cheese and you follow after her. She puts the bowl on the counter without much thought and she puts her hands in her hair. “Melissa?” You say to get her attention and she turns around looking scared and concerned. “What’s going on with you?”

“With me? It’s the fact that you weren’t supposed to know anything that I told you.” She tells you and she’s breathing hard like she’s on the verge of either a breakdown or lots of tears.

“Why? Because I’m just supposed to be happy with someone else as you suffer?” You tell her.

“YES!” She shouts and then looks surprised when she catches up with what you told her and what she confessed. “Since I already told you then I might as well say it. All those things that you want, you won’t get with me. But you will with someone else, someone else who wants to get married, have a family with you, wants to go out and be young and stupid with you. I don’t want those things anymore, and yes I do love you very much and do want you back. But I’m willing to put aside my happiness, if it means you get everything you want.” She tells you and you burst into tears, she immediately wraps her arms around you and hugs you. Your knees buckle and she guides you both to the floor gently and she keeps her arms around you the whole time. When you get to the floor, you place your head on her chest and she brings a hand to your head and strokes it soothingly.

You slow your crying down and sniffle a few times before you speak. “I don’t deserve you. You’re willing to give me everything at the expense of your own happiness. I really don’t deserve you.” You tell her.

“No, it’s me who doesn’t deserve you. You have been the bestest friend to me for 2 years before we got together, and after we got together you have shown me the best of love and care that I could ever ask for.” She tells you, and you look up at her and immediately kiss her. She automatically kisses you back before she has time to think. Once her brain catches up to what she’s doing, she doesn’t have the willpower to pull away, she used it all trying to stay away from you. Before she can register what she’s doing, she leans forward, bringing you back until you hit the floor of the kitchen. You make out on the kitchen floor for a good minute until you both pull away for air and you look at each other. Melissa suddenly is aware of what she did and she gets up before you could stop her and she scurries to the living room, you run after her.

“Melissa, would you stop running away from me!” You tell her and she’s turned away from you with her head down.

“You should leave y/n.” Is all she says and you walk up to her and spin her around.

“If you want me to leave then tell me while looking at me.” You say and she raises her eyes to your face and she’s crying.

“I can’t.” She says and you put your hands on her cheeks and wipe the tears away.

“Melissa, I want to be with you. If being with you means that I don’t get married, have kids or go to the bar every now and then with you then so be it. Because I’m only wanting to marry the right person, and that person is you. So if I’m with you or not, I’m not getting married. I don’t need kids to feel fulfilled, or to be able to say I have a family. I mean we can always get a pet like a dog, but you’re all the family I need. And I can go to the bars with my friends and be young and stupid with them from time to time if I really want.” You tell her and she starts crying even more.

“You shouldn’t have to sacrifice everything just to be with me.”

“Melissa, it’s not a sacrifice if what I’m getting is a life with you.” You tell her and you kiss her. Melissa immediately pulls back and looks at you, her hands on your head.

“Are you sure? You have to be 100% sure y/n.” She tells you and you think it over for all of 2 seconds and you nod your head.

“I’m 100% sure, I want to be with you Melissa.” You tell her and she smiles.

“I want to be with you too.” She says and this time she goes to kiss you. The kiss deepens and you start putting your hands all over her and you think you want to touch her skin and she’s wearing too much clothes, so you put your hands under her shirt. Melissa immediately pulls her shirt off so you can touch her and you unclip her bra and take it off. She’s always been the dominant one but at this moment, all you want to do is kiss her all over, so you walk forward until her back hits a wall and you go down to her neck and kiss and suck all over and she’s gasping under you. You then travel down to her chest and leave kisses all over until you attach your mouth to her nipples and start to suck and lick them. 

She’s bucking her hips under you and you know she’s not far away from pulling all her clothes off herself and guiding you inside of her. You’re working on her second nipple when she pushes you off and guides you to your knees. You go immediately into submissive like always and you pull her pants and underwear off. Melissa leans back against the wall and spreads her legs a little further so you can put your mouth there.

You attach your mouth to her clit and she starts bucking her hips right away and you pin her to the wall. Her hands go to your hair and she’s gasping and moaning at your touch. “Oh god, Y/n, that feels so good baby.” She says and when you know she’s getting close, you pull away and stand up. You push your body into hers and immediately insert two fingers in her and put your thumb on her clit. “God Y/N, I missed you so much.” She says and kisses you. She’s so close as she starts shaking but she doesn’t pull away from your lips like she usually does, you aren’t complaining though, you missed her as well and you’re enjoying kissing her again.

She comes not long after she starts shaking but you don’t stop, you keep fingering her and circling her clit and she lets out a high pitched gasp. “Oh god baby, yes, omg, don’t stop.” She says as she pulls away from your lips and gives into the over sensitivity.

She comes again not too long after the first and then you withdraw your fingers and put them in your mouth to lick them. She looks at you as you lick your fingers and you moan and that’s when she takes action. She picks you up and brings you to the couch, you’re so glad that she decided to remove the plastic as this wouldn’t be comfortable. She put you so you’re sitting in the middle with your back resting on the back of the couch. She starts kissing and sucking your neck and pulls your shirt off. She unclips your bra and yanks it off  right after then immediately brings her mouth to a nipple. You’re moaning and gasping under her and she smiles as she’s so happy that she’s back with you, she’s fully aware of how lucky she is right now and she won’t take it for granted. She takes more time on your nipples then she usually does and your patience is running thin as you’re dripping wet and you have a strong ache between your legs. 

“Melissa, please, I need you inside of me, please.” You tell her and she pulls back from your chest and smiles at you. She gives a quick kiss on your lips then leaves a trail of kisses from your chest all the way to the top of your pants. She quickly removes your pants and underwear, spreads your legs, leaves a few kisses on each thigh and then attaches her mouth to your entrance. You gasp as soon as her hot wet tongue is where you need her the most and she starts moving her tongue all over your entrance before entering her tongue in you. You moan as she starts sliding her tongue in and out of you and you're holding onto her hair for dear life. You start grinding into her mouth to try and get more friction so you can come and for once she lets you keep doing it, normally she would pin you down when you start grinding. Even in the middle of amazing pleasure, that fact is not lost on you, you notice it immediately then start to think of everything else she’s done differently. 

She kept kissing you when she was about to come and even when she came, when she usually pulls away as you love to hear her when she comes. She let you keep fingering her after she came and it seemed like she needed it as well, she only lets you make her come once as she usually ends up grinding your thigh when fingering you as she loves to watch you and it turns her on. She spent more time on your nipples then she usually does, to the point that you begged her to continue, and now letting you grind against her mouth. You put it all together and came to the conclusion, she’s letting you do whatever you want and making sure you feel good as she feels guilty. You reluctantly pull her mouth away and she looks at you confused,

“What is it baby?” She asks and her lips and chin is covered in your juices.

“Stop doing things differently, you don’t have to feel guilty ok. I feel really special about why you did what you did. No one has ever been willing to sacrifice their own happiness for mine.” You tell her and she smiles shyly.

“Of course, I’d do anything for you.” She tells you and you lean in closer to her.

“Then stop fucking me differently and start being yourself again.” You tell her and something flickers in her eyes before she pushes your head back to lean on the back of the couch then dives down to your clit and starts licking and sucking on it. Your fingers are still in her hair and you start grinding against her again, but this time she does pin your hips down. Then she does something she’s never done before, she snakes her hands around your hips and hooks her hands on your ass then pulls you up a bit and that gives her a perfect angle with your clit and you gasp her name out as you come.

She then immediately comes up and positions herself so her clit is on your thigh and she slides a finger in you and you moan as she starts sliding it in and out of you slowly. She then adds two more fingers and starts going faster while her thumb is on your clit and she brings her mouth near your ear.

“Unfortunately the strap is upstairs and I don’t have the patience to go get it, so we’ll have to make do with my fingers.” she says then adds a fourth and you cry out.

“OH MY GOD!!” You cry out as she fills you up with her fingers then her mouth goes to your neck and so much pleasure is coursing through you right now and you feel like moving but her grinding on your thigh is preventing you from doing that. So you do something else that will help stabilise you, you put your hands on her boobs and squeeze them. You don’t feel like that’s enough so you wrap an arm around her back and pull her into you more.

“Ooo” She says as she’s caught off guard by your actions. You come again about 5 seconds later and she doesn’t stop, she just keeps going until you come again and again and then you pull her away.

“Melissa, I can’t take anymore.” You tell her and she nods and gently pulls each finger out at a time. 

“Sorry I got lost in the moment.” She tells you and you smile but your body is shaking from the amount of times you came. She notices and then goes to your side and brings you both to lay down while she cuddles you to give your body the chance to calm down. You turn around in her arms then nuzzle your head on her neck and chest and she holds you tighter. “It’s ok baby, I got you, and I don’t plan on going anywhere again.” She tells you and you only nod as you’re falling asleep. She notices that you fell asleep and she gently strokes your hair. “I promise I won’t leave you again.” She whispers to you. “I won’t make that mistake again.” She says and presses a kiss to your forehead.

*3 years later*

You and Melissa are both standing in front of the house as you unlock it then Melissa grabs your waist before you walk in and she pushes the door open.

“What are you doing Mel?” You ask her as you’re smiling at her and she smiles at you.

“Well shouldn’t I carry my bride across the threshold?” She asks you and then picks you up bridal style and you let out a small squeal and then she carries you inside then gently puts you down. She wraps her arms around your waist and you lean into her touch and she puts lays her chin on your shoulder. You both then hold out your left hands and smile at the ring on both your third finger.

Melissa kisses your neck and then your puppy comes running in and Kristen Marie running after her. You and Melissa decided to adopt a little puppy a few months ago and you both are really happy with your lives now. Melissa re-thought her decision about getting married and proposed to you a year and a half ago, much to your surprise. Then you both agreed on adopting a dog and Melissa named her Bella. Kristen Marie takes Bella out one more time before leaving her with you guys. 

“Are you still alright with the fact that we got married?” You ask her.

“Oh, it’s more than alright baby. Cause I got to marry you, my happily ever after.” She tells you and you both kiss.

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[p-artsypants]

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When Astrid goes missing after a patrol, all seems hopeless for her return. That is, until an unexpected ally appears with a ‘token of goodwill’. Astrid!Whump

This is a lot like my one-shot ‘The Pit’ in the ‘The Vikings Have Their Tea’ series. I’m a sucker for this stuff. I prefer my one shots to contain confessions of love. So this is RTTE, where Blindsided didn’t happen. Also I haven’t watched the show (in order) in a long time, so events aren’t canonical. *shrug* This was DEFINITELY supposed to be a oneshot, but it's just way too big. THIS IS MY 70TH FANFIC WHHHHOOOOOO!!!!! (The one that you guys voted for.)

Ao3 | FF.net

She didn’t come back. 

Astrid had gone on patrol hours ago, and hadn’t returned. A simple mission, she said. An easy, no conflict, no engagement, scouting mission, just a few islands away. Hiccup had nothing to worry about! She was the best fighter of them all, she could certainly hold her own. 

But she didn’t come back. Not by nightfall. 

Worse still, Hiccup hadn’t noticed because he had been so busy. He’d even taken dinner in his hut and elected to not socialize. 

It was Fishlegs that clued him in. “Uh, Hiccup?” 

“What’s up, ‘Legs?” He asked, with half-baked enthusiasm. He was exhausted. 

“Astrid hasn’t come back yet.” 

He frowned. “From where?” 

“From her patrol?” 

Hiccup’s eyes blew wide. “Her patrol?! The one she left on this morning?! Why didn’t anyone say anything?!” 

“I don’t know!” Fishlegs cried. “I was experimenting with Gronkle Iron, and Snotlout was sprucing up Hookfang’s stable and I don’t even know where the twins were.” 

Hiccup shook his head. “Doesn’t matter! We round everyone up, and we go looking for Astrid!” 

—-

The island was about an hour's flight away, and Hiccup lamented and feared the entire time. Of course, since it was so dark, it was hard to tell where the island was. At least, that’s what Hiccup expected, but when they arrived, there was a fire blazing on the beach. 

“There!” Hiccup pointed, before going in for a landing. 

“Is it safe!?” Fishlegs yelled back. 

Hiccup didn’t care. He swooped in, his eyes sweeping the beach for any sign of life. So far, it was just debris burning down, the remains of a hunter camp. It looked like the fire had been much bigger earlier. 

He saw a smear of blue, and raced to it. 

Stormfly laid on her side, unmoving. She looked awful, bloody from where her scales had been scraped. Her tail was bare of spines, and her horns were sawed off. 

Astrid was nowhere to be found.

“No…” Hiccup was quick to hop off of Toothless, and ran to investigate. He knelt at the Nadder’s side and petted her snout. Thank the gods, she was still alive, just gravely injured. 

“You’re okay girl, you’re going to be okay,” He calmed her, while Toothless nuzzled her side. 

The rest of the riders arrived then, looking just as horrified as Hiccup had felt. 

“I’m going to look for a net or some rope,” Snotlout said, hollowly. 

“ASTRID?!” Hiccup called out to the surrounding area. “ASTRID!” His hope for her being hiding around here was small, as Astrid would never voluntarily leave her dragon. “The rest of you spread out! Search everywhere!” 

There were no arguments as the riders fanned out and searched the island. Even Toothless joined the search, while Hiccup tended to Stormfly. 

There was no sign of her. They spent the whole night on that island, combing every cave and bush for Astrid, but she was nowhere to be found. 

“Hiccup?” Fishlegs finally asked. “We should take Stormfly back to the edge. I think…they probably took Astrid.” 

Hiccup wordlessly nodded. 

They worked carefully to maneuver Stormfly onto a net, and then each dragon took a corner and flew her back to the Edge. 

Though he was exhausted, Hiccup was the only one that didn’t retire to rest. He continued awake through the day, massaging oil onto Stormfly’s irritated skin and stitching up the worst of her wounds.

Astrid would want her to be pampered. 

—

It was a while before there was activity from the hunters. Until then, the riders had to suffer in silence, not knowing, only assuming the worst. 

Hiccup withdrew into himself. Each rider took turns bringing his dinner to him, and keeping him company. Even if he didn’t speak, they just sat with him. 

He spent most of his time not out searching in the dragon stables, helping Stormfly. She and Toothless were about the only beings he spoke to. 

When Snotlout returned from patrol with a hunter sighting, Hiccup knew it was time to get to the bottom of things. 

They flew straight at the ship. No talking, no scouting, just started blasting. When the sails fell and the ballistas were shot to pieces, Hiccup shouted down. “Who’s in charge here?!”

“That would be me!” Ryker called as he emerged from the ship. “You’ll pay for all the damages you caused, boy.” 

“I’m only returning the favor. Where’s Astrid?”

“Who?”

“Astrid Hofferson! Are you deaf!? The blonde viking that rides a Nadder with us!” 

Ryker chuckled. “Oh that’s her name? I thought her name was Mud.” 

Toothless sent a plasma blast into the ship at his feet. “I didn’t come here for jokes! Where. Is. She?” 

“Ohh he’s so angry!” Ryker chuckled. “Well, I must say, that whore of yours is long gone by now. Imprisoned at one of our camps and beaten for all the knowledge she had. Then, disposed of. No need to waste precious resources, right?” 

The sound that ripped from Hiccup’s throat was horrible, agonizing, down to the soul pain. He sobbed, covering his face with his hands. 

“Boy, if you can’t handle the death of one of your riders, you shouldn’t be fighting this war! You’re over your head.” 

Hiccup grit his teeth and snarled, “Sink the ship.” 

“But Hiccup–” Fishlegs tried to protest. 

“SINK IT!” Hiccup shrieked, as Toothless loosed two more blasts into the hull of the ship. 

The other riders obeyed, feeling not too remorseful either. Then they headed back to the Edge. 

—

Hiccup did everything he could to keep busy. It wouldn’t do to break down. Not with everything they had been working so hard to accomplish on the Edge. 

The team was falling apart. While everyone was sad that Astrid was gone, things started to pick up as they had been. Snotlout was bullying the others, the twins were causing chaos, and Fishlegs was too scared to stop any of it. Hiccup didn’t care. He wasn’t leading. Wasn’t issuing commands. Wasn’t distributing chores. He just did whatever he could by himself. 

He spent plenty of time on Stormfly though. 

The Nadder was beginning to perk up. She didn’t seem strong enough to fly yet. 

Hiccup changed. Became hardened, cold. He didn’t even use sarcasm these days. The other riders just gave him time and space, knowing that Hiccup was dealing with his grief.

He had loved her. Everyone knew it. They obviously loved each other from back in the days of the Green Death. How much time had they wasted with uncertainties? They could have had more. 

But now it was too late. 

Hiccup showed no mercy to the Hunters. When a camp or operation would crop up, they would destroy it. Hiccup didn’t even care if people died. 

Word got around the Edge when Fishlegs made the observation that Viggo hadn’t been seen in a while. 

“Maybe he got reassigned?” Snotlout mused. 

“Maybe he got eaten!” Tuff suggested. 

“Would serve him right!” Said Ruff. 

“What do you think happened, Hiccup?” Asked Fishlegs. 

The other boy continued to compare maps on the table in the corner. 

“Nice try, Fishface, but you know he doesn’t talk to us anymore.” 

“I try to include him when I can. Maybe one day he’ll come around.” 

Then after three months of absence from Astrid, hope dawned on the horizon. 

Hiccup was on the watchtower. No one else had duty, and instead of forcing someone else to do it, he took it himself. Toothless was free to go visit Stormfly or the other Edge dragons. 

The hunter activity had been very low in the last few weeks, and Hiccup hoped they were making a significant dent on their plans. Either way, he expected a boring watch. 

Instead, at some time mid-afternoon, he caught a glimpse of a small boat making its way towards the Edge. 

“What is that?” He wondered, as he took out the spyglass.

It was a boat, but only in the most literal sense. A dingy, rigged with a sail, some oars, and one occupant. It was still too far out to tell who it was. But considering the size of the boat compared to the vast seas, it was either a scout, or a lifeboat. 

Hiccup sounded the horn and then descended from the tower to greet their ‘guest’. 

“What is it?” Fishlegs asked, appearing winded. 

“One tiny ship. Not sure if it’s a scout or someone in peril. Where are the others?” 

Fishlegs shrugged. “Off racing maybe?” 

Hiccup snarled. “Of course they are. Look, I—can you and Meatlug take a wide lap of the island? See if you see the others or any other ships?” 

Fishlegs saluted. “On it, Chief!” 

Feeling at least a little more composed, Hiccup descended further down the Outpost. 

Toothless appeared not long after, warbling curiously. 

“We’ll wait on the docks. You stay close, okay bud?” 

Toothless nuzzled his hand in response. 

They stood at the end of the dock, waiting. A scout would come close, just close enough to look, and hopefully see them and retreat. But if this was a lifeboat, it would try to dock there. 

Depending on the occupant, Hiccup may even show compassion. 

The ship only came closer, and through the spyglass, Hiccup watched as the sailor struggled to stay afloat and on course. They wore a hood, no, a blanket tied into a hood, concealing their face and probably protecting them from the harsh sun on the open ocean. The boat was roughshod, cobbled together from scraps. The sail had so many holes in it, Hiccup wondered if it was even doing anything. 

Once the boat was close enough to speak to, Hiccup shouted out. “Who goes there?!” 

The sailor jolted, seemingly not even noticing that Hiccup was there. He tore his hood off, revealing a face Hiccup never wanted to see. 

It was Viggo, but so badly scarred on one side of his face, he was almost unrecognizable. “Hiccup Haddock, I throw myself at your mercy!” 

Hiccup snarled. “What do you want, Viggo?!” 

“Refuge, sanctuary, a warm bedroll, or even some food. Whatever you deem merciful enough to give me.” 

“And why should I? After what your men did to Astrid, why do you think I’ll even give you a crumb?! Why shouldn’t I have Toothless blast you to bits where you stand?!” 

Viggo sighed. “Please Hiccup, understand I had nothing to do with what happened to Astrid. I had already been relieved of my duties…and on my way to punishment.” 

“And I should believe you, why?” 

“Because I’ve brought you a sign of goodwill.” 

Hiccup shared a look of suspicion with Toothless. 

“Show me your hands!” Hiccup demanded. 

Viggo withdrew one from inside his makeshift cape and held it up. 

“Both hands!” 

“I must regretfully state I only have the one.” He untied his cape, revealing he wasn’t wearing a shirt. His torso was marred with hideous, infected scars and wounds. His left shoulder had a pitiful amount of bandage over it, but clearly showed an empty socket. No arm whatsoever. 

The sight made Hiccup’s stomach lurch. If this is the way the hunters treated one of their own, what had happened to Astrid? 

“Oh gods…”

“I have no weapons. I’m sick and dying. I am no threat. Please, I beg you, just hear me out.” 

Despite the immense grief he was dealing with, Hiccup admitted he still was merciful. “Fine. Do you have a rope?” 

“I’m afraid not.” 

Hiccup took one from the dock, and tossed it to Viggo, who immediately tied it to the front of his boat. One mighty tug from Toothless, and the boat was in front of him. Now, he could see inside the boat, where there was seemingly no supplies, but something covered by a woolen blanket on the floor. 

Hiccup held his hand out to Viggo, who took it and weakly pulled himself onto solid ground. He immediately collapsed on a crate, breathing harshly. 

“Now what’s this token of goodwill?” Hiccup demanded, rather callously. 

Viggo simply pointed at the blanket. 

So Hiccup knelt, and pulled back the cover, only to recoil in disgust and cover it back up. 

Viggo had brought the body of a dead woman; blonde hair cut short and partially shaved, brutally tortured, mutilated, and mostly naked. Her leg was broken, and bent awkwardly. She was horribly skinny, and not only were her ribs visible, but there was a harsh indent for her waist. Huge, thick lacerations decorated every part of her body. The rest of her skin was some sort of gruesome purple, blue, or green. 

“Is this some kind of joke?!” Hiccup snarled. 

Viggo seemed rather surprised with the reaction. “Hiccup…that’s your beloved Astrid.” 

His shoulders fell and tears sprung to his eyes. He took another look, putting his disgust aside to actually look. 

It was. It was Astrid. Without her beautiful golden hair, and all the blood…he hadn’t recognized her. 

He hung his head and covered her back up. “It…it is…sorry, I just…” he sniffed, not sure what he was feeling. Grief? Rage? Disgust? “Thank you for bringing her body back. She deserves a proper burial.” 

Viggo protested again, staggering forward, “no! She’s still alive!” 

“What?!” For a third time, Hiccup removed the cover, and this time, leaned down to search Astrid for any sign of life. He felt her neck, and her wrist, feeling the faintest pulse. Then she breathed a short, hollow breath. 

“Oh gods, Astrid!” 

“I’m sorry, Hiccup,” Viggo elaborated. “She could speak when we left, but three days at open sea…” 

Hiccup said nothing, but loosely wrapped Astrid up in the blanket and lifted her into his arms. She was so light, so frail. He stood with ease and started towards the clubhouse. 

Viggo decided to just follow, and he confessed everything. “We were held at Bleakrock Isle, a prison for traitors and enemies of the hunters. I was thrown in there after our last encounter. Apparently, my failure was seen as treason, and they thought I was going too easy on you and your riders. They assumed that meant I was working with you and that I was a mole. So…off to prison.” 

His story sounded genuine enough. The wounds and missing arm looked to be inflicted by man, and not by dragons. 

Hiccup said nothing, only continued up through the Clubhouse and over the bridge to his hut. 

Viggo walked right behind him, and continued. “I was there about a month before they brought Astrid in. Bleakrock has a few areas, depending on the perceived crimes of the prisoner. Astrid and I were the only ones in our area, with cells right next to each other. At first, she doubted that I was being honest about my incarceration. She thought it was a trick, maybe to lull her into a false sense of security, which I must admit, would have been a good tactic…” 

Hiccup flickered his gaze over in annoyance. 

“But, she came to realize I was just as trapped as she was after a few days. We never left our cells. The cruel justicars came to us and inflicted all sorts of torture upon us. I think after she saw me flogged for the eighth time and I cried like a child, she realized then that I had been fired.” 

Viggo paused, hoping to see any emotion on Hiccup’s face. Maybe he’d smirk at hearing that he cried? 

But no, he remained stony, and continued walking with purpose to what appeared to be his hut. 

“I was there to be punished, but your girl was being interrogated. They demanded knowledge, anything. Weaknesses, locations of outposts, plans, names of family members, but she didn’t crack. Your girl didn’t say a peep. She barely screamed.” 

Hiccup breathed deeply, not sure how to feel about that. “Would she be in this state if she had talked?” He croaked. 

“They probably would have outright killed her,” Viggo said honestly. “Gotten what they needed, and…well.” 

At this point, they arrived at Hiccup’s hut. Hiccup switched into work mode. 

“See those furs in that crate in the corner?” He asked Viggo. “Put them on the ground.” 

Viggo did as commanded, intrigued by Hiccup’s uncharacteristic stoicism. He was used to anger and to his, frankly pathetic, attempts of intimidation. 

But he was not used to blank-faced Hiccup.

Hiccup set Astrid very carefully down on the furs. Then he went over to his desk and cleared it with a swipe of the arm, all manner of tools and scrap metal clattering to the ground. He then picked Astrid back up and laid her bare on the table. He adjusted the lamp to see better, and then began to cut away the scraps of cloth that hid Astrid’s wounds. 

They weren’t doing much for her modesty anyway. 

“Toothless, go wait outside,” he said calmly. “Let the others know where we are, but don’t let them come in. We want to give Astrid some form of privacy.” Though that last sentence was stated bitterly, like it didn’t even matter anymore. 

“Viggo,” he snapped. 

“Yes?”

“Up those stairs, in my bedside drawer, I have a medical kit.” 

“I’ll get that.” 

Hiccup huffed in frustration as he studied Astrid once more. Where were the others? He needed supplies, but also needed to get to work! And he also still didn’t trust Viggo to be remotely helpful. 

But Viggo dutifully returned with the medical kit. “Anything else?”

“Do you know how to work a forge?” He pointed to the one within his hut. 

Viggo sauntered over to it. “Rudimentary. What do you need?” 

“Bring the heat up and place those three pokers in it. I’m going to stitch up the larger wounds, and cauterize the rest.” 

Viggo winced at the thought, but did as commanded, thankful that the bellows could be operated with one hand. Once the pokers were in the ash, he returned. “What next?” 

Hiccup pointed to the chair. “Sit, keep talking.” 

Viggo was really just grateful to sit for a second. He watched in a daze as Hiccup wetted a rag from a waterskin and started cleaning the blood from Astrid’s skin. 

Once he caught his breath, he continued, “I’ll skip over everything they did to us. I’m sure Astrid will tell you in due time. But eventually, they stopped coming. That meant they were giving up on us. Or rather, done with me and giving up on Astrid. There would be no more food, water, or any patrols. Basically, we were as good as dead. And I thought we would both die there. Astrid maintained a stiff upper lip the whole time, even when I told her they were leaving us to starve. She persisted that she wouldn’t die. Either you would find her, or Odin would send a miracle.” 

Hiccup’s face screwed up in agony. He felt awful that she had been waiting for him. He had looked for her. He had done everything in his power to find her. But…it just wasn’t enough. 

“The miracle came in the form of an old friend of mine,” Viggo continued. “He served faithfully under my command and said he owed me a favor from back then. He had been assigned the unfortunate task of disposing of our bodies once dead and preparing the cells for the next occupants. He said as long as the cells were empty, no one would be the wiser. He had prepared that pathetic boat you saw, and gave us a way out of the prison without being spotted. I was the one that demanded that Astrid come with.” 

“So you could have a bartering chip?” Hiccup sneered. 

“Well, yes, but also because I started to grow a little soft spot for her. Three months of captivity is plenty of time to talk.” 

“I thought you said she didn’t speak.” 

“Not to the justicars, no. But she eventually started talking to me. Loneliness? Boredom? I didn’t ask. But she started reminiscing about your lives on Berk. She told me about how you introduced her to Toothless, how you kidnapped her and took her flying.” 

“She called it kidnapping?” He balked. 

“Was it not?”

He had a point. Hiccup shrugged, and switched over to a needle and silk thread. 

“She told me how you lost your leg,” Viggo said quietly. “I actually asked her about it, and she told me. I had always been curious. Now I must say, I always respected you, but to find out you took on that beast of a dragon? Remarkable.” 

“Save your flattery,” Hiccup snipped. “I certainly don’t need it.” 

“Of course. I only meant that…well, Astrid’s stories were so detailed, so intimate, it felt like I was there. She has such a high opinion of you, you know. I think you might be her hero.” 

Hiccup tried not to let his words affect him, but his mouth pulled hard into a frown. 

“I’m no hero…I thought she was dead. Your brother said she was dead, and I believed him.” 

“But she’s not,” Viggo said, softly. “And she’s tough. She’ll recover.” 

Hiccup sighed, finishing off his first line of sutures. Only a hundred more to go. 

“I always guessed there was something between you two. The chemistry was unmistakable. But as Astrid told me of your adventures, I figured it out. My life with the hunters is over. I’ve lost my home, my family, my very purpose. I was prepared to die in that dungeon, but Astrid’s words gave me…something of a reason to keep going. I decided that I was going to reunite you two. And hopefully find my next mission once I had.” 

“How noble,” Hiccup murmured. 

“But I respect your suspicions, so once I regain some strength, I’ll be off.” 

“Let’s just see,” Hiccup said, less harsh this time. “You brought Astrid back to me. I’ll want to know her opinion before I decide anything.” 

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” He swallowed thickly. “Could I perhaps have some of that water?” 

Hiccup tossed him the waterskin and he fumbled with it, trying to catch it with one arm. 

“Hiccup!” Fishlegs’ voice came from the bridge. “I still can’t find the Twins, but Snotlout’s here.” 

“Yeah, and I was doing something important, so what’s the big deal?” 

“Viggo’s here. He brought Astrid. They were imprisoned together—“ 

“Astrid’s here?!” Snotlout cried, opening the door. 

“Wait, don't come—!” 

Snotlout burst into the room, only to freeze in abject horror at the sight before him. 

“—in,” Hiccup finished lamely. 

“W-wh-wh-wha…?” Snotlout blubbered. 

“She was tortured,” Hiccup spat. “And I need you to get the med kit from the Clubhouse so that I can tend her wounds.” 

“Sh-sh-she…” he pointed. 

“Move!” Hiccup demanded. 

Snotlout snapped to attention and hustled away. 

“What can I do?” Fishlegs asked, standing in the doorway, but not looking in. 

“Write a Terror Mail to Berk. Ask for Gothi to come, and let the Hofferson’s know that Astrid’s here and alive but gravely injured.” 

“I will. Do you still want me to look for the twins?” 

“Only if they’re going to be helpful. I don’t need to worry about their mess right now.” 

“Got it. I’ll let them know what’s going on if I see them. I’ll be back once I send those letters.” And he closed the door behind him. 

Hiccup let out a sigh, this time of relief. Things were moving, people were being helpful. 

Hiccup moved onto another deep cut, cleaning it first before starting to stitch it closed. But as the needle pierced skin, Astrid let out a terribly sad cry of pain. 

Hiccup stopped moving, his breath in his throat. 

“…V-Vi…go?” She murmured. 

Hiccup tried not to be angry that she asked his name first. 

“I’m here, Astrid,” Viggo called over calmly. 

“Wh-where…are we?” Her voice was so dry, so cracked, it was hardly audible. 

“We made it to the Edge. You’re home, Astrid.” 

Her breathing picked up, her chest shuttering with a sob. “H-Home? H-H-H-Hiccup?” She squeaked. 

“Hi,” he whispered, petting her messy hair with a gentle hand. 

She sniffed and tears started rolling down her cheeks. “Hiccup…” she sobbed. “Hiccup…” 

“Yes Astrid,” he spoke tenderly, his face so close to hers. “I’m here. I’m here.” 

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and blearily looked at him. Those big beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot and full of sorrow, but still so full of life. 

He smiled at her, running his knuckle over her cheek. 

She started weeping, full body, gut wrenching sobs. “H-H-Hiccup…” she whimpered. 

He shushed her, a warmth forming in his chest, right where his heart used to be. 

“I n-n-never thought…” she choked out a sob. “I never thought I’d see y-your stupid face again!”

Hiccup couldn’t help but bark a hapless laugh. “Oh come on, really? You just got back and you’re already being mean to me?” 

“I-I-I love your stupid face!” She wailed.

He leaned forward and pressed his cheek to hers, the closest he could get to hugging her in this fragile state. 

“I m-m-missed you…” her hand weakly reached out and grabbed him, only able to find a loop in his armor. 

“I missed you too,” he whispered in her ear. “More than you could ever know.” 

“Hiccup!” Snotlout called, “I’m back with the med kit! I think I found every bandage on the Edge!” 

“S-S-Snotlout!” Astrid called. “Is that my Snotlout?!”

Hiccup straightened up. “Astrid, you’re naked. Let me get you something—“ 

“Don’t care…w-w-wanna see Snotlout!” 

Hiccup shrugged. He was about to tell him to come in, but it seemed like he heard it all from outside. 

“No offense, but I can’t…look at her. All the––gore.” He gulped. 

Viggo got up and picked up the wool blanket she was wrapped in earlier. He brought it over, and both he and Hiccup draped it over her carefully. 

“You can come in, Snotlout,” Hiccup called. 

Sheepishly, Snotlout slunk in, arms full of medical supplies. He dropped them on the table by Hiccup and then approached Astrid from the other side. “H-Hey Astrid, how’s it going?” 

“Snotlout…” she cooed, raising her hand out to him. Hiccup had never heard her say his name with such affection.

Apparently, neither did Snotlout, as he got teary-eyed. He took her hand, holding it gently. “It wasn’t the same around here without you. Never thought I’d miss having you pick on me all the time.” 

The corners of Astrid’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Were you good for Hiccup? Did you help?”

“No,” Snotlout laughed weakly. “Same old pain in the neck as always.” 

Astrid still had her finger hooked in the loop on Hiccup, and she tugged on him. “I leave for a few months and everything falls apart?” 

Hiccup nodded. “Yeah. You know I have no authority over these muttonheads.” 

Astrid chuckled, but the laugh turned to a grimace and a whimper. 

“Alright, Astrid, I’m going to have to continue bandaging you up. It’s not going to be fun, I can promise you that.” 

Snotlout shuffled away, standing over by the door, but not really ready to leave yet. 

Hiccup peeled back the blanket, but kept her bottom half covered. Might as well keep her as comfortable as possible. “You’ve got…some of this skin is black and dead. I have to cut it away before I stitch it up.”

“I trust you,” she breathed. “It can’t hurt more than…than what they did, right?” 

He frowned, feeling guilty. “I hope not. I’ll try to be careful, but a medic, I am not.” He took out a knife and held it up to the light, checking the edge. “Snotlout, could you take Viggo to get some food?” 

“What? Me? But he’s scary!” 

“Trust me, this…is going to be so much worse.” 

Snotlout grew pale. “Yeah, okay…um…you like chicken?” 

“I’ll eat a rock if I have to,” Viggo responded, getting up and leaving with Snotlout. 

Now alone, Hiccup took a deep breath and let several tears fall.

“H-Hiccup?”

He wiped his eyes just as quickly. “It’s fine, just uh…just not something I ever wanted to do.” He picked up the knife and forceps from the medical kit and got to work. 

By the gods was Astrid ever tough. She groaned, and dug her fingers into the blanket. She curled her toes and gnashed her teeth. She cursed Hiccup, his family, his lineage, and every Berkian that ever lived, but she did not scream. 

Hiccup went somewhere in his mind. A coping mechanism he had gone to before when he had to deliver stitches. Astrid was made of leather, that soft, warm, tough material. Her wounds were rips in armor, and they needed to be patched. 

It was better than the alternative. If he really thought about what he was doing to Astrid, he might have another mental breakdown. And he had had enough of those lately. 

“B-break…” Astrid croaked. “I need a break…” 

Hiccup set the tools down, his own hands shaking. He retrieved the fresh waterskin Snotlout brought and took a little sip, before bringing it to Astrid. He slid his arm underneath her shoulders and lifted her to half sit up, half lean against him, then brought the waterskin up for her to drink from. She weakly held it with her trembling hands. She’d pull away for a moment to take deep breaths, but she ended up drinking the whole thing. 

“We’ll get you more water soon, and some food,” Hiccup noted as he took the skin away from her. Then he attempted to lay her back down, but she protested. 

“W-wait…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Would you…just hold me for a minute?”

His heart fluttered, stirred by her innocent request. “Of course.” He kept one arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest so he could wrap his other arm around her waist. Her face fell into his neck but she seemed thankful for it, as she nuzzled him gently. 

“Thank you,” she breathed again. 

“Anytime. Really.” 

“I’m…not going to be very useful around here for a while,” she chuckled slightly, but Hiccup heard it for what it was, an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. “Or ever,” she added with a choked sob. 

“I don’t care,” he tried to comfort. “Wherever you want to be, we’ll take you there. If you want to stay on the Edge, I’ll take care of you.” 

“But Hiccup…”

“Astrid, I was so lost without you. You’ve been with me since the beginning. You were the first person I showed Toothless to. I want you in my life, in any capacity. Even if you were blind and paralyzed from the neck down, I’d strap you to my back and carry you with me everywhere.” 

“You don’t mean that…” 

“I’m pretty sure I do. I’ve always been honest with you, Astrid. I found out how much I depend on you for strength, so feel free to depend on me for anything. Don’t worry about what comes next. Just worry about getting better.” 

Astrid took a shaky breath. “Okay, I’m ready for you to keep going.” 

“Okay. I know it’s not pleasant, but the sooner we get these open wounds closed, the sooner you’ll start feeling better.” 

She nodded. 

Gently, he laid her back down. But he was courteous enough to fetch his pillow for her.

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

I just read a bunch of Owl House Criticism and have to say… a lot does make sense. I still rate the show very high and honestly I blame the pacing for a lot of the issues we DO have with the show. I also think people are taking this way more seriously then they should and some do the complaints feel nitpicky.

One thing a lot of people brought up is Luz’s character and how the first episode showed her casual dismissal of others and their safety occurs. Then there was a few comments on how Vee is right to call her out on running away and other things.

I don’t fully disagree. Luz fucked up big time her first episode where she brought live animals and fireworks to school. It’s just… no. I don’t deny people should have punished her for it. I vote that the Shakespeare play and the cheerleading thing aren’t worth punishment though. Because both are honestly just quirky kid things. She wanted to be cool so she did something she liked to try and impress others. They thought it was creepy and reacted to it. Good reasons for her to be kind of shoved aside by some people. The spiders and snakes though? Yikes.

But to just call her a bad character puts a nasty taste in my mouth because I think she is one that is a good character and whom I think would have been fun to explore. It’s just… she’s kind of a concept that was tried but fell flat.

I think the summer camp thing was handled badly and I would have liked to be explained why they never tried to talk to her about what a reasonable amount of creativity is in her school work. If it turns out they had attempted to do so multiple times but she never listened: the camp is probably a better idea then not. More so given her actions could have gotten her arrested. Honeslty leaning on that idea would have been interesting. Luz being told she had to go to camp or face probation or something would have been an interesting hook.

My friend said she felt therapy would have been better and yeah that’s a good point: but what if they did try and it didn’t work? What if they felt a camp was less expensive ? (Which it probably was.)

I would have liked more evidence that Luz was an outcast. I saw a lot of criticism on this because if you just look at the show face value: Luz does seem like she’s whining about a lot of stuff. Her mom turned out to be like her and only wanted her to not get bullied as Camila did in school. She could have made friends at camp. There’s just so much there that does make Luz seem like a bad person for being upset. And honestly it would be interesting to explore that to, to really pick apart the dramatic ‘me against the world’ mindset of teenagers who see themselves as outcasts. But the show is supposed to be about weirdos and found family.

So: I would actually nix Camila being a nerd. Manny was the nerdy one who loved fantasy, encouraging it in Luz. I would have had him be the one who was more open about Luz’s everything while Camila was more wary and put off. Sure, she could still laugh at the snake skin incident, but I would want her to be less accepting of the other stuff. I said that the first episode reminded me of my mom when I got my diagnosis of autism and she didn’t understand it. I would want to lean in.

Manny and Luz should have been canonly neurodivergent. Camila is neurotypical and she constantly compared her two family members because Manny could mask very well. Luz couldn’t. But I would have Camila struggle to understand that her daughter’s own brand of autism/ADHD is vastly different then her husband’s because it’s so common. I can’t tell you how many time people are like: oh you’re lying about being this cause you don’t act like BLANK.

Camila and Luz then have a conflict which makes it more understandable why Luz is willing to lie to her mother about not being at camp. Because Camila is set up to not understand Luz and possibly she would be pushing her daughter to act ‘normal’ because she doesn’t understand. Again this is inspired by my mom. I have vivid memories of her worrying about appearances and how others think of us, with her pushing me towards things I didn’t like. Some of it was out of concern for me, but there was a huge lack of understanding that drove a wedge between us for a while.

I would then have the idea that Luz is bullied be obvious. Luz would reference it or recall incidents. And I would have them be unpleasent. Being ditched by so called ‘friends’, name calling and mocking. Maybe having her things stolen or random crap dumped in her locker. I would have her be the outcast from the start. I would also address her being a POC person in a small town. Luz could have met Masha or the other two kids: I want a reason why she didn’t connect.

I grew up with almost no friends but people generally didn’t hate me. I got bullied a bit but most of the time I was ignored and happy about it. When I was a kid I was very particular and drove people off due to this. When I made friends I was with other weirdos: some of whom were alone because they were just… I can only call them very weird and slightly disturbing. One of whom was a girl who’d flip on a dime if she liked you or not.

Masha in canon is goth and is there to be the ‘cool goth kid’. I would have had them be dismissive of Liz’s fondness for the Azura series and possibly the type to mock her for liking a ‘gushy girly book’ because take it from this enby: a lot of us go through the phase of shunning anything feminine and romantic to be ‘cool’. I would have a reason why two people who could have totally been friends weren’t.

Luz would be an outcast among outcasts. Just that shade of different.

I want her to have suffered in school. I want her to have to explain that it’s true no one understood her. I want her to be able to look Vee in the face to go: you know nothing. Because Vee only sees a surface and not the full sum of it. Vee who isn’t into Azura and thus gets Masha being: oh you matured cool. I want to hang now. Who goes to Camila who is thankful her baby seems able to mask now.

I want Camila to be able to mistake Vee for her own kid because ‘oh god yes she’s finally normal’. And I want Luz to point this out. I want Luz to point out to Vee the other kids said camp was prison. And that ‘you might have liked it for some reason but can you say I would have? Masha thinks I’m a freak for liking Azura. They told me I was a loser for it.’

I want there to have been a damn good reason more then we got for WHY Luz stayed in the isles.

Not to say I don’t want Luz to feel bad about lying or anything. I just want the whole outcast thing to be more apparent. Luz feeling awful about lying and about resenting her mom who does love her versus the fact she never felt safe in the human realm is an idea worth exploring!!

[sarahwroteathing]

Maple Latte

A Continuation of Coffee and Cinnamon

Word Count: 1419

Summary: You make a special delivery to the bakery next door.

Warnings: Fluff and foolishness

A/N: The winner of this week’s poll! Thank you to everyone who voted! I hope you enjoy it

“We got a package while you were out,” Natasha calls to you as you enter the shop after your lunch break. “Should I be offended that it only has your name on it and not both of ours?”

You scoffed, moving quickly to hang your coat and scarf on the rack, a spark of excitement flaring to life in your chest. You knew exactly what that package was.

“Apologies, my dearest darling, I ordered something for a customer and forgot to add your name to the shipping label. It won’t happen again.” 

She was leaning in the doorway of the back office, small box in hand, eyeing you speculatively.

“Where did you write down their information? I’ll call them and let them know their order is ready.” 

“Uh…” Your voice went up two octaves despite your best efforts, and you cleared your throat, schooling your face into a thoughtful expression. “You know, I don’t remember. I’ll have to look. You mind manning the desk while I take care of it?”

Just as Natasha was about to answer, the bells over the door gave a loud ring, announcing the entrance of a small family. Her mouth closed into a pleasant smile as she gave a wave. 

“Sure thing. I’ll just open the box and get the order bagged and ready for you.”

Her voice was nonchalant, but her smile was entirely too self-satisfied as she moved past you to reach the desk. You caught the edge of the box in your hand as she passed, bringing her to a stop.

“I don’t know how you know…” you said slowly, “but you obviously do know. So give me the box.”

She let you wiggle it out of her hands, her smile growing into a full grin.

“You know, you could try buying him a book he’d actually like.” 

“Where’s the fun in that?” you laughed, turning towards the front door.

“Acting like a grown woman with a romantic interest in someone can be very fun, actually!”

“What was that? I can’t hear you!” you called over your shoulder.

You regretted leaving your coat behind almost instantly, the cold wind cutting right through your thin sweater, but you weren’t interested in returning to the lion’s den that was Natasha’s “I know your secrets” smile. It was a quick trip anyway, less than a dozen steps to the bakery door. 

Sam was behind the counter when you walked in, the overhead speakers stuttering out fragments of songs as he tapped impatiently at his phone, searching for the music he wanted. 

He glanced up at you, eyes catching on the box in your hand before rolling dramatically.

“Again?”

“Well, hello to you too. It’s lovely to see you,” you said pointedly.

“Mhmm, but you’re not here to see me, now are you?” 

“Take it as a compliment. I choose not to irritate you because I like you.”

“And yet there’s still no customers allowed behind the counter. And definitely none in the kitchen,” he said, following you to the edge of the counter to block your path.

“I’m not a customer, I’m a -”

“I can't let angry mobs into the kitchen either. There are knives back there.”

“Well, I promise not to stab him.”

He raised his eyebrows at you, clearly unimpressed.

You sighed, narrowed your eyes.

“What kind of bribe would you like today?”

“For access to the kitchen? The works.”

You looked down at the package in your hand again. Was it worth it? Probably. Earning the Steve Rogers Bitch Face was the height of entertainment. 

“Fine,” you said with a frown. “Box me a slice of your most expensive cake, and come get a free book any time before I close today. With a sticker price less than $20.” 

Sam smiled, slow and wide, reaching his hand out to shake yours.

“Pleasure doing business with you.”

“You’re a menace. Why do I like you?” You grumbled, squeezing past him towards the kitchen door.

“Because I’m cute.” 

You grimaced, and Sam’s laugh followed you through to the kitchen, where Steve was huddled at a small table in the corner, reading and eating his lunch.

He stood immediately on noticing you, confusion clearing from his eyes when he noticed what you were carrying.

“Again? Do you have a list somewhere? Of books you want to inflict on me when you get bored?” 

Steve held his hands out impatiently, and you laughed as you tossed the box to him.

“Inflict? Seems a little harsh. They’re books, not gunshot wounds.”

“Still,” he mumbled, finding an untaped edge to wiggle his fingers under. “You’d save so much money if you stopped buying me books I don’t want.”

“Don’t want?” you repeated with a smile, dropping into his recently vacated chair as you watched him. “That would be so much more believable if you weren’t trying to rip that box open with your bare hands.”

He looked up at you, blue eyes alight with challenge as the tape gave way with a loud pop. You raised your hands in surrender but made no attempt to hide your laughter as he refocused on the book now in his hands.

Latte Art for Beginners

And there was the expression you were waiting for, in all its glory. Clenched jaw, pursed lips, eyes with a vaguely dangerous shine. 

“Just trying to support a fellow small business owner,” you said innocently.

“I don’t do latte art because I don’t want to, not because I don’t know how.”

“Sure,” you said with a light shrug, patting his arm condescendingly as you stood again.

“I can do it,” he said insistently. 

You smiled, but just as you were about to use the coffee cup on the table to make your point, your stomach gave a little flip.

Because that wasn’t one of the bakery cups. It was one of yours. 

Your to-go cup, your cardboard sleeve, stamped with your logo. 

… Interesting.

“Steve,” you said slowly, reaching to pick up the cup. His face went blank as you did, and he eased half a step back.

“Probably from one of our customers. I dragged this table from the front.”

“And you decided to eat lunch beside a stranger’s coffee cup instead of throwing it away?” you asked, popping the lid off of it. The steam still rising from the surface carried a very familiar scent.

You took a small sip just to be sure.

“This…” you said, “is a maple latte.”

He wasn’t even looking at you anymore, eyes fixed somewhere above your head as he shrugged.

“Mystery solved, I guess.”

“I’ve only sold one of these today. To Bucky.” 

“Must have left it here.”

You raised an eyebrow, looking back down at the cup. Still over halfway full. 

“You know… I make one of these for him every single day. But now that I think about it, I’ve never actually seen him drink them.”

“Well, he gets them to-go, and then comes here to visit me and Sam,” Steve said defensively. “He doesn’t stay in your shop long enough for you to see him drink them.”

“Not even a taste though? Most customers take at least one sip before walking away.”

Steve sighed, his eyes dropping closed for a moment before settling on you.

“This isn’t gonna go away, is it?”

A confirmation if you’d ever heard one. 

If you smiled any bigger, your cheeks were going to start hurting.

“No, no it isn’t. Do you have something you’d like to tell me, Steve?”

The muscle in his jaw jumped.

“Can I have my coffee back, please?”

“Of course,” you said smoothly. “Anything for a loyal customer.”

He grumbled something unintelligible as he took the cup back from you, draining at least a quarter of the coffee left inside before setting it down on the table again. 

“It’s good,” he said stiffly. 

“I agree,” you said, softening your smile a little. “It’s a very cozy flavor combination.” 

“Are you going to cut me off?” Steve asked, finally meeting your eyes again.

“No. You’re welcome in any time you’d like. Bucky, however…”

He sighed.

“I know. Seeing me every morning will be a terrible burden.”

You finally caught a smile at that, a tiny one. The slightest curl at the corner of his lips.

“I’ll find a way to cope.”

“Good. Because I enjoy making coffee. But if you want one, you’ll have to come in and buy it yourself. Deal?”

The smile grew a little as he took your outstretched hand. 

“Deal.”

------------------

Oooooooooo boy

Two more pieces to come, my friends, and they’re both super fun! Who’s excited?

Replies, reblogs, and asks make my heart happy! I’d love to hear from you <3

Part 3: Apples and Cherries

------------------

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[riverstardis]

the best day of my life:

this episode🙄

“the camera is not my friend, it tends to give me the look of an undertaker. hardly a vote of confidence for prospective patients” the wording “prospective patients” is funny to me bc yknow i’m not sure the patients tend to shop around a&es prior to needing one sjdkfkf

aww david baked a lemon drizzle cake and called it “lemon misery”

SJDKFKKF lily comes in saying “man with a 12 inch—“ and max interrupts to say “guilty” 😭😭 but she just carries on “—laceration”

how did hanssen know elle again?

charlie’s still got the pills in his locker😬

ah there’s glen!

cal saying he’s due a hair of the dog and ethan’s like noo can we just have a quiet one and cal goes “what? no. where’s your stamina ethan?” he doesn’t have any because his body is NOT used to the amount of drinking he’s suddenly started doing😭😭

oh look there’s the delicatessen lady🙄

cal tries to convince ethan to ask her out but he says she’s a patient and cal goes “well that’s never stopped me” soo effie was just ethan being more cal? i don’t think this ethan would like 2018/19 ethan very much

“try not to be yourself. channel that knight magic. and don’t do anything i wouldn’t do” “…so anything?”

top 10 moments before disaster

i can’t watch this🫣

“anyone ever tell you you look like the milkybar kid?” “er my brother used to make me wear a neckerchief to school. which probably explains why i got beaten up so often.” poor ethan :((

i really don’t understand how anyone thought this was okay…

what gets me is that ethan sounds genuinely terrified which means that either that was written in the script and the writer somehow managed to justify ethan being terrified and playing it as a joke or it was an acting choice and george was trying to change the tone of the scene to what it should have been. not that it not being in the script would make it any better, it would be bad enough even without the fear in his voice😭

it’s funny how some of the background nurses seem to literally just be there for the male staff to flirt with. like there is absolutely no overlap between the ones we see actually working like tash and the ones who we see flirting

elle going snooping in charlie’s locker

she lured ethan in there to be a sperm donor🤬 who tf approved this

ethan saying “you don’t know anything about me” makes me think they did this just to highlight that if she had gotten pregnant the child could have hd without her knowing???? could they really not think of a better way to do that wtf😭😭

she apologised to him as if that makes it all fine wtf😭😭

“do you know how hard it is to make friends when you’re made to gallop into school pretending to be a cowboy?” 😭😭

sometimes it just hits me that cal’s dead😥

hitchhikers guide to the galaxy reference sjskfkk

max beating dylan at chess sjdkfk

on one hand it was weird that elle went looking in charlie’s locker but on the other connie saying she went on a witch hunt against him is a little dramatic and i do feel bad for her because she genuinely believed she was doing the right thing

rita’s tyres have been slashed :/

[femmmie]

THE ISLAND

Chapter 6: The debate

Amanda interviews Ian before he has to go and debate the big guy.

Author's note: This fanfiction is not endorsing any candidate for president of the USA :o) not even Ian x) maybe especially not Ian... he seems more preoccupied with how hot Amanda is. I mean, who can blame him amirite.

Chapter word count: 1.700

Rating: general

Ian felt claustrophobic. He tried to control his breathing, which wanted to ramp up to a pant. It took a lot out of him to keep up a cool demeanor.

Of course, Courtney knew what was up.

“Hey, Ian. You’re okay. You’re gonna be fine. We’ve rehearsed a thousand times. You’ve got this.”

They patted his shoulder encouragingly. Ian took another controlled, slow and deep breath. His eyes were closed, that’s why he didn’t see her coming.

“Mister Hecox! Thank you yet again for gracing us with an interview on this exciting afternoon.”

Ian gasped without sound. Amanda looked absolutely stunning in a red bodycon dress and high, red heels. Her makeup was done to a t, her hair was loose, and her long, wavy strands were bobbing up and down as she animatedly interviewed the candidate.

Her photographer had apparently been promoted to video-crew. He filmed her and Ian as they sat down in a sweaty studio in DC.

“The polls have you neck and neck with your opponent, after that brief spur ahead because of your speech last month. But lately your campaign has been plagued with a, well, questionable social media campaign. The, ah, talking giraffe was not well-received. Will you sway the audience back to your side tonight?”

Ian wore a black and white suit with a blue tie that really didn’t suit him at all. He kept trying to fix his cuffs while stress-burping.

“Miss Lehan-Canto, I should thank you. No, really. You’re one of the fairest reporters and one of the few people I really trust to paint a realistic picture of this debate…”

Amanda fixed one of her manes behind her ear and shot Ian her widest smile.

“So, I feel comfortable in telling you, that yeah. Those videos were a bit cringe. And I can’t control what a superPAC does, after all. However, we ARE talking about it right now, so it works in a way.”

Ian involuntarily glanced at the clock. Still an hour to go. He felt sick.

“Your opponent has been mocking your campaign relentlessly. Are you worried about your ability to stand up to such a bully on the debate stage?”

Ian scoffed. “Please. I will show America clearly what a clown he is and why they should vote for me instead.”

“What is your opinion of his nickname for you, ‘Eeny Weeny Hecox’?”

Ian snorted. “It’s actually really funny and I appreciate it.”

Amanda raised an eyebrow. “That’s surprising.”

“I don’t think so. Don’t I have a track record of telling the truth and calling things how I see them?”

“You do, mister Hecox. You’re right. Do you think you’ll get to the topics of policy, or do you fear it will just be another mud-slinging contest?”

“I mean, realistically, it’s probably going to be the latter. But that doesn't mean I won’t try.”

“Well, mister Hecox, thank you for your time and good luck!”

“Thank you very much.”

The interview was over. Amanda gave Ian a tight hug. He enjoyed that a lot.

“I mean it, Ian. Good luck out there. It’s all fun and games until you’re swimming with the big fish. I’ve seen it happen before…”

Ian smirked and playfully raised his brows. “Are you concerned for me, Amanda?”

“Oh, shut up! You know I am…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”

“God, your eyes are blue.”

“Bye, Amanda.”

“Bye…”

~

Ian had some time alone before he went on stage.

“Let’s put on a show,” he told himself. If he could actually win this, not the debate but the election, he’d finally be able to change the course that his beloved country, the United States, was heading for.

But for that to happen, he couldn’t be honest. He had blended in quite well with all the gatekeepers and power players. And he hated each and every one of them. They way they cared about themselves and not their country or fellow countrymen. It made him sick.

He took a few breaths, in and out. Then he walked out to meet the crowd.

~

“Welcome everyone! My name is Grace Helbig, your host and moderator. With the stakes higher than ever, we’re expecting the ratings to be high as well, as America and the world are watching this debate tonight. Please everyone at home, remember to check your air-conditioning settings: the temperature should be as warm as possible at night so we can cool more during the day.”

They went to commercial. Ian and his opponent got mic-checked and shot each other a few glares already.

Then, it was finally time.

“Good evening, everyone. You’re watching the presidential debate and it’s looking to be a heated one, although not as heated as the weather in California right now!”

Mild laughter.

“So, gentlemen, let’s start. Please begin with your opening statements. Why don’t you go first, mister Hecox.”

“Thank you, miss Helbig. Well, this year officially marks the death of half the species on our planet in the last ten years...”

Ian’s opponent cut him off. “Can you believe this? He opens with a statement about animals. He doesn’t care about people, he’s a dangerous eco-freak.”

“Please, mister Trump, we’re still in the opening statements.”

“Yes, Grace, I know but I have to call BS when I hear it. They all try to sell you this green horror show, while most normal Americans like it hot!”

Some boos and some cheers.

Ian continued, a bit distracted, though. “And worse, people all over the world are fighting to hang on for dear life. But are we doing anything at all to try and stop this freefall into hell?”

“Eeny’s party are a bunch of Satanists, they would love it if the gates of hell opened…”

“All I’m seeing the current administration do, and yes, I’m talking about my own party, is lie and fearmonger about other countries and wars. And the guy over there? He’s trying to convince you that your neighbor is the source of all your problems. Great uniting sentiment. Stop the madness, I say.”

Trump stayed on the offence. “Stop the madness? Has he looked in a mirror? A little, tiny man in a suit two sizes to big for him. Who seriously thinks the American voters want to vote for a little man like that?”

“SHORT KING!” someone in the audience shouted. Of course, Ian could count on his campaign team. And Shayne had a booming voice. The audience laughed loudly.

Grace tried to regain her grip on the debate. “A very surprising opening statement, mister Hecox. Are you not in support of the current administration?”

Ian shrugged. “Have you tried to walk outside lately? It’s near impossible. I can’t pretend that it’s all fine. It’s not.”

“Thank you, mister Hecox. And now for mister Trump.”

“Well, I don’t think I have to say anything really, after listening to that disgrace of an opening statement, not once mentioning normal Americans’ problems. This guy is a worse joke than the loony memes he posts online.”

“Do you, do you have an opening statement?” Grace desperately tried to keep on track.

“The American voters want this administration gone!”

Some cheers.

“And there is just one person in this room who can really get America back on track, and that person is me. When I was last president, we were thriving. The economy was flourishing, people were happy. And look at us now! It’s a disgrace, it’s horrible really what they have done to us. No more!”

“Do you have a response to that, mister Hecox?”

“Yeah. Are you serious? Your presidency set much of our current misery in mo-”

“All I can hear is a small child nagging, he can’t even respond to a simple question.”

“Please let mister Hecox speak,” Grace tried her best, but she was no match for Trump. And neither was Ian if he was being honest with himself. But he wasn’t trying to beat him in the debate. He was trying to relate to the viewer.

“You didn’t stop any wars, you didn’t help the American people. And now you want them to give you a second chance?”

“A vote for a strong, powerful America is a vote for Trump.”

“A vote for a little guy who is genuinely trying to help is a vote for Hecox.”

“He wants open borders!”

“What? I didn’t even say that.”

“A vote for this country to be forgotten and taken over by China and India is a vote for Hecox.”

Trump was getting on Ian’s last nerve.

“Weren’t you responsible for making us all less safe with your drone murders all over the world?”

“You don’t know the first thing about war.”

“And I’d like to know as little about it as possible!”

“See, he’s ignorant and wants to stay ignorant. Eeny-Weeny Ignorant Hecox.”

“Thank you, gentlemen, we will be right back!”

The rest of the debate went much the same. It was a mud-slinging fest, just like Amanda had predicted.

~

Ian was back in the campaign bus with Courtney and Shayne. They were watching the ratings and first polling after the debate.

“Wow, that is incredible,” Courtney commented on the sky-high ratings. “Grace was right.”

“It seems like you’ve performed well, Ian, congratulations!” Shayne patted Ian on the shoulder.

Ian smiled at the ground. “Thanks. I don’t know, it’s getting really close to the election, and I don’t know if I like it.”

Courtney took Ian’s hand in theirs and rubbed it. “It’s normal to feel anxious about this, buddy. It’s a big job you’re auditioning for.”

“Yeah, I’m proud of you, Ian,” Shayne added. “I loved how you took the wind out of Trump’s sails bashing our administration before he could. It’s a bold move but they kind of deserve it.”

“I loved your ‘short king’ moment, dude. That was awesome. You won the debate in my opinion.”

Shayne glowed. His phone rang.

“Yes, hi Kiana! Oh, you already put it on t-shirts and mugs huh. We were just talking about it. You’re a real one. Haha, yeah. Bye.”

Ian fondly shook his head. “Guess I have a new nickname!”

Courtney and Shayne chanted “short king! Short king!” at him.

[heather-chandlers-weirder-cousin]

How’s your DC guy die again and why is this the second time

well. I had a whole explanation typed out but I lost it. Approximation below:

I should disclaim that I know very very little about his most recent death, but I can catch you up to speed on the whole… thing that is Jason Todd.

So, there are five Robins, but only three of them will be relevant here: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake. (The other two are Stephanie Brown and Damian Wayne/Al Ghul. Do not ask me about Duke Thomas.)

So, Dick Grayson is the first Robin. You probably know at least a little about him but even if you don’t it’s not really necessary for this explanation, so don’t worry about it. Really the only thing you need to know about him is that he was fired from the mantle of Robin. (But that’s a whole other story.)

So by the time our story begins, there is currently no operating Robin. Dick is off being Nightwing with the Teen Titans. Enter: Jason Todd.

Jason was born to Catherine and Willis Todd. You don’t need to know who that is. Put a pin in them, though. Catherine was addicted to [nebulous stuff, it changes from writer to writer I think] and overdosed a while before this. Willis is in jail. Jason is left on the streets of a neighborhood in Gotham called… I want you to take a minute to guess the name because I promise you you cannot predict just how ridiculous it is:

Crime Alley. The worst neighborhood in Gotham is called Crime Alley. You didn’t guess something outrageous enough, did you?

So the thing is, Crime Alley lives up to its name. It’s to the point where Batman himself doesn’t go there often. He hasn’t abandoned the place, but he… avoids it.

So, where our story starts, Batman is going on the rare patrol of Crime Alley. And he just. Leaves the Batmobile. Parked. In the open. And this would be a bad idea even if you weren’t in Crime Alley because A) you’re probably still in Gotham and B) it’s the goddamn Batmobile, but! It works out for us.

So, Jason Todd, bright kid that he is, takes a look at the vehicle of the man who is notorious for routinely beating up criminals, and decides it’s a totally good idea to steal the tires.

This, shockingly, does not end horribly for him!

Batman catches him, of course. Otherwise we’d just have an issue of him having to walk home and then figure out how to get the Batmobile towed without compromising his identity. I would read that. But anyway. He finds Jason trying to steal the tires. Jason immediately, without hesitation, denies he was stealing them and then hits Batman in the gut with a tire iron. (Foreshadowing!)

This, shockingly, does not end horribly for him!

So Batman finds this really funny. He decides he likes this kid, and after a failed attempt to get him off the streets, (Crime kindergarten. Long story.) he decides to take him on as Robin (Dick Grayson was understandably upset about this. That’s another story, though.)

So, skip ahead a few years, Jason is twelve now. (Did I mention he was ten when all that happened?) it’s mostly been typical Robin stuff, comic book things, Etc.

Now, remember that pin we put in Catherine and Willis Todd? Yeah. So, Jason finds out Catherine isn’t his biological mom! Surprise!

Now, being down a few parents, he understandably wants to meet his birth mom. So he tracks her down: her name is Sheila Haywood, she’s an aid worker in Ethiopia.

Sheila Haywood, unbeknownst to Jason here, is working for the Joker. He’s blackmailing her for medical supplies, she’s embezzling, you get the picture.

She sells him out, of course. He’s Robin, it’s a comic book, these things happen. He gets tortured half to death by the Joker with a crowbar. The building he’s in blows up. He dies, of course.

Now, this isn’t quite part of the story, but I feel it should be mentioned: Jason’s death was very much a toss-up. There were two endings to this issue written beforehand: one where he died, and one where he didn’t. Readers were allowed to phone a number, and vote on whether he would die in the next issue.

He lost by a mere seven votes.

So, he’s dead. And listen- every DC character and their grandma has died at some point. It’s practically a common cold, they’re usually fine by the end of the week.

But most DC characters, when they die, can return to the status quo once they get back and have a little chicken noodle soup. Jason can’t, because a little after he dies, Tim Drake comes along.

Saying he comes along is a bit of a misnomer- he’s been here the whole time. Tim Drake is a bit of a freak- I mean that complimentary, of course. He’s been stalking Batman and Robin since Dick Grayson’s run in the mantle. He allegedly saw the flying Graysons perform before they died (this is a lie. He is lying about this, he is too young to have seen them perform, and his character is also a massive liar who would make that up, but. Not the point. The point is he's been here a while.)

So Batman has been understandably depressed since Jason's death. More violent, more reckless, and Tim notices this. He's worried. So he essentially shows up at the front door of the manor and demands to be made Robin. And. He is. And then actually succeeds in fixing Batman. He's. Idk. He's insane.

So Jason Stays dead for twenty years, our time. Stephanie becomes Robin, 'dies', (Stephanie is a great example of a character that was treated horribly as Robin and tortured by the Joker and didn't pull all the shit Jason did once she got back, by the way, it's literally not that hard,) Tim is Robin again, and then Jason... wakes up.

He's been gone for about three years, in universe, and he wakes up in his grave.

So he claws his way out, and for a while he wanders around Gotham as a sort of shell, not quite knowing who or what he is, until he's found by a woman named Talia Al Ghul. (Mother of Damian. That's not relevant to this story.)

She dumps him in something called a Lazarus Pit, which is basically a really good bath that fixes all your problems. So Jason is properly back! Yay! One thing, though: he’s angry.

So, Batman, as you may recall, has a pretty strict rule against killing. It’s kinda a whole thing. So when the Joker murdered Jason, he… didn’t avenge him, of course. (In fact, Jason doesn’t know about this I think, but he actively protected him- Dick Grayson beat the Joker to death after he found out and Batman resuscitated him. It was a whole thing.)

So Jason is angry that Batman won’t even bend on his killing policy for the person that murdered him. He gets doubly angry when he finds out about Tim Drake. And, to be fair, it doesn’t paint a very pretty picture. I would also be mad if I came back from the dead and saw that someone else was walking around in my clothes.

Now, here’s where we get a little less understandable: Jason, mad that Batman is seemingly just employing children to be good, replaceable soldiers, (I could go on a whole rant about this. I will not right now but I could) decides that the best course of action to teach him a lesson is to… drumroll please… murder the child sidekick!

You may immediately notice several leaps of logic there. Unfortunately for Tim, Jason did not.

So Jason, now armed with the knowledge of how to shoot a gun, (Talia taught him that. It was a questionable choice but I have faith she had a good reason,) tracks down Tim Drake, several times, and tries to murder him, several times.

At some point, through events I am not privy to, he cools off. Maybe he just got bored. But he settles down, probably due to realizing that he’s never gonna manage to kill this kid. He becomes a regular Batman villain known as the Red Hood, who is a crime lord running… guess what neighborhood… that’s right! Crime Alley! Who woulda guessed. They didn’t even change the stupid name.

There’s a lot of reasons Red Hood and Batman don’t get along, Red Hood is very fond of murder, all that stuff I just rehashed to you, etc. But yeah. That’s about where we are now. Jason has become more of a fickle ally of the Bats than an antagonist lately, so I’ve heard, which is. Probably not great for his character but fine.

And then he dies again. I’m gonna be honest, I have no idea what that’s about.

[oblivious-aro]

I once heard somebody say that ‘the inability of the left to distinguish between an imperfect ally and an enemy is the height of privilege and will be our downfall’. I’ve completely forgotten where I heard it from, but I really think that it could help with your whole mercilessly harassing and shitting on an Terrace and her incredibly diverse, LGBTQ+ show here. Seriously, this isn’t JKR retroactively calling Dumbledore gay. This is somebody who’s proven that the gay rep can be there. They’ve put the work in (Lumity exists, Raine Whispers exists AND they plays an important role in the story, Hunter has a bi patch on a jacket he made, etc.), and sometimes LGBTQ+ and trans characters should also just be ALLOWED to exist, you know. What we have with The Owl House is just about the most exact, polar OPPOSITE of “CrUmBs” that you could possibly fucking get for LGBTQ+ representation in a cartoon.

Have you ever considered that maybe you’re just an incredibly bigoted person, and THAT’S why you find yourself so often hating the LGBTQ+ rep that you see in the shows that you watch, no matter how good and positive that it is?

First off, I have not harassed Terrace in any way. Harassment is a serious issue, and you shouldn't trivialize others experiences by calling benign critisism harassment.

Second, LGBTQ+ and trans? Hmm...

Now, you're saying you agree that Terrace is imperfect, but we just shouldn't criticize her? Because that would be... the downfall of the left? A little overdramatic, but I suppose that's what happens when you interpret a quote that's supposed to mean "the lesser of two evils is objectively the best option, go vote" as "don't criticize the show I like".

Terrace didn't "prove" anything, either. Sixteen and Brace Face were amungst the first cartoons with gay rep over a decade ago, but if you needed it proved that gay rep in cartoons was possible in the first place, then your probably not very smart. Or disingenuous. I'll let you figure out which one I think you are.

Also weird how the only rep you didn't defend was the aroace rep, ya know, the main one I was criticizing? It's almost like you don't actually care what I say and are just having a knee-jerk reaction to seeing something you like being criticized.

You see kids, this is what happens when you get to emotionally invested in a show. Anon saw me complain about one character and decided that painting me as some kind of raging demon that hates all lgbt+ rep ever (just ignore all the rep I praise in this blog) was a more rational course of action then maybe asking if Dana Terrace wasn't 100% perfect like God just because she made a show that gave them some serotonin one time.

No show is perfect. Speaking from experience, the sooner you accept that fact and diversify your media diet a bit more, the happier you'll be. If you ever find yourself wanting to rage in someone's inbox like anon here, maybe try taking a moment to self reflect.

[archivalofsins]

Kotoko second trial interrogation question two be like. Oh no, more shit I knew and pointed out already. Kotoko, I feel I've gotten to know you so well over this short period of time.

Q.02 Have you heard of the "Justice Alliance"?

Kotoko: What. I don’t know what that is but it’s probably useless if they need to band together to achieve justice.

Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Google Oxford Languages Definition

20/07/01

Mikoto: Hey, hey, Koto-chan. I’ve been thinking this ever since I first heard your name, but don’t you think the names “Mikoto” and “Kotoko” kinda sound like siblings? Kotoko: No. Mikoto: Don’t say that! Let’s get along well from here on as the Koto-Koto combo! Kotoko: I’m not doing that.

Union buster, boot licker I feel like I've used these descriptors before too actually. But I have no clue where at this point, I talk a lot of shit about Kotoko and every other character here. So, that's not surprising but like would be nice to find it eventually. I've been looking for it but no dice.

She blatantly says whatever this group was doing was more than likely useless because they needed to band together to do it. Directly reinforcing her actions and statements towards Mikoto have highlighted Kotoko does not believe in unionizing or allying herself with other individuals. In fact, she thinks doing so is a sign of weakness.

She has a "Fusion is a cheap tactic to make weak gems stronger mindset." Children programs from decades ago far before the one I just referenced have proven her wrong. That's wild. Oh, but she wanted to team up with Milgram and work beneath Es. That's not an alliance that's a business relationship but alliances can be with corporations too.

Yes, they can be. However, alliances between a corporate entity and those made amongst individuals are different. Kotoko's answer is highlighting that she recognizes the difference between the two and does not think favorably of a bunch of individuals banding together to fight evil.

Which goes well with her previous statements about how she never asked for anyone else's opinion in her second glitched voice line. Then why in her second voice drama she states that Es should just stop thinking about all of this and leave everything to her. Because Kotoko is not aligning herself with individuals she does not have to take said individuals opinions into account. She just needs access and backing from entities that will allow her to either gain power or have closer proximity to it.

This could be applied to why she refers to Es as Prisoner 011 and puts Milgram before them when discussing whom she's working with. Because like many of the other prisoners she's come to recognize that Es isn't the one in power here Milgram is.

22/08/05 (Kazui’s Birthday)

Kotoko: ……Mukuhara Kazui. Thanks to you, I wasn’t able to properly serve justice to those who did something unforgivable. I’m currently acting as an agent for our prison guard Es. Don’t get in my way next time. Kazui: Oi oi, don’t be silly, Yuzuriha-chan. There’s no way I could just look away from your outrageous display of violence. Anyway, even disregarding the fact violence against those voted guilty isn’t a part of Milgram’s system, what you’re doing is just acting recklessly based on a broad interpretation. As long as I’m free myself, I’ll stop you. Kotoko: ……what a pointless argument. Hmph. Since Es forgives you, I have no choice but to forgive you myself too. If you to keep to your words, then you’d best do what you can to keep being forgiven. If you’re not, then next time you’ll be one of my targets. Kazui: Oh, how scary. That girl truly is frightening. ……well then, I wonder what the guard will decide to do with me. That’s the one thing I really can’t make out. Honestly……

This plays into why Kazui highlights what she's doing isn't apart of Milgram's System instead of calling to attention the guard didn't ask her to do any of this. Because he recognizes the guard's opinion to her is secondary to Milgram's rules. Something Kotoko has no issue highlighting herself when she states that Kazui is making a pointless argument.

His argument is pointless because Milgram is neither in favor of them using violence against each other nor against it. The only time that this behavior is prohibited is during the trials when the prisoners can't attack to harm or injury each other but only to incapacitate. As shown in Kazui and Mikoto's first voice dramas. Yet anything goes after the trials have concluded.

So, Kotoko hasn't broken any rules. She highlights that it isn't exactly not allowed either later just as she did with the rooms not having locks in her trial one interrogation. Because Milgram allows the prisoners to attack each other as long as there is no trial going on, their cells have no locks, and the facility has given them a supply closet full of tools at their disposal to use how they see fit.

Kotoko's free to do as she pleases just like everyone else is. Her mindset is if Milgram were against any of them acting in this way it would have stated such or enacted measures against such behavior. Since the facility hasn't and has instead made it easier for people to act in such a way that means what she's doing isn't incorrect or prohibited exactly.

Kotoko regards Milgram first when talking to Mikoto on her birthday, further emphasizing how she's come to understand the hierarchy in this situation. Milgram is at the top, then Es after, and then her. This is why she makes a bid in trial two to be allowed to be the guard instead of Es who she doubts can do a good job. Though this is something she's wanted from the beginning.

22/12/15 (Kotoko’s Birthday)

Mikoto: Ah, Koto-chan. It’s been a while. Both of us have kinda split off from the group, but how’ve things been? A lot’s happened, but for now let’s try to get along. I mean, it’s your birthday today, right? I got the feeling nobody else was going to do anything, so I came to celebrate. Kotoko: ……how carefree. It doesn’t matter, a villain like you won’t be forgiven next time either. And when that time comes, it’ll be the end for you. I’ll make sure of it myself. Mikoto: Ahh?? Just try and do it, you nutjob. I’ll crush anyone who hurts me…… You’re gonna be totally beaten at your own game……![TN: The word “me” here uses first person pronoun “boku”.] Kotoko: Hm. The border between the two is getting a lot vaguer. Your entire existence is a crime. And I will see you’re punished for it. That is what Milgram, and Es, and I have chosen.

If the Justice Alliance were a real entity with renown and power as Milgram has proven itself to be she'd respect it more. Hell, if Milgram was called the Justice Alliance instead of Milgram, she'd be all for the Justice Alliance. Just like she was quick to respect Es enough to offer teaming up with them for their benefit of course yet when Mikoto someone in the same situation she is in offered to join forces with her she brushed it off completely.

Because to her the fact that he wants to team up already means he's weak. Which given the whole I'll beat you at your own game thing might not have been a good assumption to make. Especially since in that Birthday interaction between the two Mikoto is quick to highlight that neither of them really has allies at the moment.

Though taking into consideration Kotoko's talk with Haruka it's hard to say she's completely isolated.

Ultimately my point is that people who ignore, belittle, and further dehumanize others going through the same circumstances as them to better align themselves to the groups in power or differentiate themselves from the bad ones... Are not individuals likely to consider independent unions/alliances made by weaklings (people living under an abusive system who do not have the power to change it on their own in this case) dependent of the status quo a legitimate means of fixing the situation or obtaining their goal.

To change things, they believe the most important thing is power and they will position themselves in whatever way that allows them to get more of that. So, Kotoko and Haruka working together makes sense because like Haruka said in his second voice drama-

He can kill anything smaller than him and Kotoko did kind of fail at doing that during the first trial intermission. Because she just didn't have enough power.

It's good to see that she's still the same person as usual. Though I wonder how that's going to work out for Amane. Since she's the antithesis of Kotoko's mindset. Plus, she's actively been trying to align herself with others more to spread her beliefs.

It really all depends on how well those efforts to sway people to her side works out and how many people she gets on board.

[sylviakent]

How Hinge Disrupted Online Dating with Data

The sites below cater to an older demographic and make it easier for seniors to try online dating. Action Step: If you’re looking for love, make sure to mention it on your profile. They're just looking to hook up. You can specify the age range of people you're looking to meet in your profile, and you can even see when potential dates were last active on the site, saving you from messaging dead accounts. It depends on how long the long-distance thing is going to last. Which of the following romance movies are you going to watch? For sure, but it's much more practical than romance movies would have you believe. How much jealousy are we talking about here? Too much drama to keep straight. נערות ליווי במרכז Yes, I keep in contact with all of them. No, I don't keep in contact with any of them. Since November 2014, contact and interaction beyond the first message per person requires a premium (i.e., paid) subscription. So if you're curious about what type of person you should be dating, then take our romantic relationship quiz right now!

If you don't sense this kind of "fireworks" feeling after the first few dates, then they're probably not the ideal person for you. Then we agreed to meet for happy hour drinks that weekend. Signing up to the service is pretty easy, all you need is an Android or an iOS device and the app itself. Users typically reach out to the company, often through Support, when they need to fix an issue. What stood out about them? It's out there, but most people will never find it. The next time you find yourself engaging in one of the following behaviors, consider how you could turn the situation around and approach it from a more mindful perspective. I could have drawn them separately, but it will turn out that presenting them as overlapping bars makes it easier to think about the overall fraction of Democrats voting for the Civil Rights Act. Well, think about someone that you may have been attracted to in the past. These types of people will not only grab your attention, but they may be the key to making your ideal relationship an everlasting one. Nora DeKeyser is a professional matchmaker and relationship coach and has helped over 20,000 singles.

This is referred to as "romantic chemistry," which is the spark between two people in a relationship. Sometimes, this spark is ignited through mutual interests and in-depth conversations, but some people can simply feel this through their instincts. If you’re an active blogger (i.e. at least once a month) yet don’t feel like you would call yourself a creator, it would still be great to have you participate in IndieWebCamp. ’ or ‘Would you feel comfortable if I kiss you? Yes, but I don't take it that seriously. But understanding what the heart and mind require to work through the process can help when figuring out the next steps and finding the courage to take them. Maybe you're a geek in the streets and a freak in the sheets - there are plenty of apps where geeks can just find a hookup, too. We have a lot of options and lists from which you can choose from, you are welcome to click here and find out why we are the best dating service in town. Vangelis himself was absent, due to influenza, but the doors eventually opened and the guests were welcomed in with champaign and delightful little snacks including little balls of chocolate that were so good they're actually worth mentioning here.

A good profile also increases your chances of meeting someone special sooner than you thought. Would you classify them as a nerd, athlete or someone who is just plain popular? But, have BTS had any girlfriends and if so, who were, or are, they dating? So, what do we mean by "types" of people? Dua's boyfriend is a professional model, so, what better excuse to get him in her music video? Which of these would you call your famous boyfriend? Yes, I'm so ready for this. Yes, a few times. It's really nice, but I wouldn't say it's phenomenal. He went on to say that Filipina girls are not materialistic and were only concerned that their partner be truthful, responsible and devoted. Flamingoes because their mating dances are lit. When it comes to the dating world, guys and gals are often spending time with people who aren't their type. Who knows what happened. It depends on who I'm around. It depends on why they aren't family-oriented. Q: Why does this cost $25?

[mademoisellehypergamy]

✨ CREATING A PERSONA FOR HYPERGAMY & SOCIAL CLIMBING  ✨

The votes are in and “Persona” won! Ladies, get the notebooks out. Class is in session. And this is gonna be a long one.

Be honest with me: Are you currently your ideal woman? The majority of you will probably answer honestly and say no. And there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. The harsh reality is most women on their hypergamous journey aren’t even close to being the ideal woman they aspire to be. Hell, the average woman (hypergamous or not) will probably live her life never being able to become that woman, if we’re being completely honest here.

I believe every hypergamous woman should create and adopt a persona. You are who you believe to be. When I was younger, my teachers and parents told me I was academically gifted. So guess what? I believed the same! That pushed me to work even harder in school. Same concept applies here. You are who you believe to be. A persona isn’t a “fake” version of you. It is you. Your ideal person. It is malleable, so it can change at anytime. Just like you changed throughout your life.

STEP 0 - WHY YOU SHOULD ADOPT A PERSONA

✨Not Everyone Will Win the Birth Lottery. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rewrite your past, and repave your future path. Let’s face it: some of you were born into bad circumstances; abusive families, poverty, toxic relationships, obstacles and barriers, etc. And some of you are living lives currently that you aren’t satisfied with: stressful job, health issues, bad environment, *insert sob story here*, blah, blah, blah, woe is me!  But should your current and past conditions get in the way of your hypergamous journey? No! Absolutely not. 

✨You Can’t Be the Same Basic B*tch Forever. Okay b*tch, when you were being “true to yourself” in the past, look where it got you. Probably in a less than favorable situation. Congratulations for being an authentic basic b*tch! 🥳😊

Ladies, change is necessary. When you started your hypergamous journey, you underwent a change. Are you saying your hypergamous self is fake? Of course it isn’t! It’s still you, just an “elevated you”. One that is more aware and knows what she wants. 

✨ Most People Don’t Even Know Who TF They Are. It’s sad, but true. Most people are lost and suppressing their true desires and personality. I’m here encouraging you ladies to create your ideal persona and to become this woman. Because this woman is who you are deep inside, who you want to be. Stop hiding her! Create her, and become her! As long as this person isn’t harming anyone, there is no reason you shouldn’t chase your dream self.

STEP 1 - CHOOSE & CREATE YOUR PERSONA

This is the fun part ladies! Time to choose and create your new persona!

✨ What Kind of Woman Do You Aspire to Be?  Have fun with this ladies! What kind of woman have you always dreamt of becoming? Is she wildly intelligent and beautiful? Or perhaps she has a heart of gold and is adored by all?  Nothing is off limits. This is you.

For those of you who are truly struggling, below I have included a few examples of common personas. If you don’t know where to begin, choose one as the “foundation” and build on it. Make it your own!

*Disclaimer: Anyone that I mentioned/included below is simply for inspiration. Not all of these women are hypergamous. This is just for inspiration*

1. The Socialite/ The “It” Girl: This is the girl that everyone knows. She’s always at a party with a glass of champagne, wearing the latest styles, and living the BEST life. She’s glamorously unattainable and few have access to her, but somehow she’s a part of every social circle.

Inspiration: Jamie Chua (https://www.instagram.com/ec24m/)

2. The Traveler: This is the girl that travels constantly. Whether it’s across the globe or to a different state/town, she’s always on the go! No one seems to know how she funds her lifestyle because she always appears to be traveling and never working. Her pictures are always on point and high quality, with a combination of bikini pictures, relaxing scenery, exotic foods, and endless hotels.

Inspiration: Jennifer Tuffen (https://www.instagram.com/izkiz/)

3. The Influencer: Think of the ultimate Instagram Baddie; perfect body (usually because of surgery), full lips, carefully applied makeup, nails always done, hair on point. She is sponsored by all the clothes brands, and lives lavishly. She’s always out at a restaurant and traveling. Typically dresses in more revealing clothes/lots of bikinis.  What differentiates her from the Socialite? The degree of elegance and class. While the Socialite gives you an “heiress” vibe, the Influencer is more on the “flashy celebrity” side.

Inspiration: Kaylar Will (https://www.instagram.com/kaylarwill/)

4. Femme Fatale: She rarely posts on social media, but when she does, it only makes you question her existence more. This girl is beautifully sensual, and her social media only reveals bits and pieces of her life. She is an entire mystery, no one knows about her private life. One day she’ll be flying from London, the next she’ll be visiting an art gallery  She’ll sometimes post images of gifted roses with poetry captions. She oozes seduction and dark mystery. 

Inspiration: Dita Von Teese (https://www.instagram.com/ditavonteese) Now I thought long and hard about who to choose for this one, and if you take a moment to look at Dita’s IG account, you will understand why. You will notice that the ONLY thing she posts about is her clothes/lingerie brand or things relating to business. She reveals nothing about her personal life. Every post is promotion about her business. In fact, the last time she posted something about her “life” was on October 8th when she posted her CAT modeling another designer’s scarf. She’s a very discreet woman, and it works in her favor.

5. Girl Next Door: You know that basic b*tch that’s SUPER popular for no reason? This is her. From her Starbucks to her Tiktoks, she’s just your average girl living her life. In a way, she isn’t a threat because she seems approachable, relatable, and friendly enough through social media. Something about her aspires others that they can achieve a similar lifestyle. She’s terribly basic, but somehow, it works. 

Inspiration: Loren Gray (https://www.instagram.com/loren/)

6. Exotica: *This persona is best suited for women of color* She is exotically beautiful and unique. She is a trendsetter, not a follower. She has an air of heightened sexuality, with a touch of grounded-spirituality. Something about her is wild and untamed, and she oozes excitement and adventure. 

Inspiration: Monica Leon, or “Danger”. Now if you’re in my generation, you may remember the reality show “For the Love of Ray J” (which was ghetto btw💀). To this day, one girl that I will NEVER forget on that show, was “Danger”, the girl with the tiger tattoo on her face and that NO ONE liked, but Ray J was obsessed with. Although she no longer is on Instagram (and has since legally changed her name), I still believe she naturally embodied that exotic and mysterious woman persona. I recommend watching the show for free on Youtube just to observe her (and only her because the other women were pickme’s  💀)

7. The Luxurious Diamond: This woman is the epitome of class and elegance. She exudes femininity and grace, and holds an air of mystery by only showing us bits and pieces of her life. What we see is soft luxuries, wineries, beautiful clothes/scenery, and a life of comfort. She balances a mature, elegant, ladylike presence, with subtle girly-youthfulness. 

Inspiration: Г-жа Анисимова   https://www.instagram.com/creme_de.la_femme/

✨How Does She Look Like? From her hair to how she wears her makeup, be able to create a vivid description of her appearance. Being able to do this will show you where to work on with your current appearance.

✨Personality We all have traits about ourselves that we don’t like. This is your chance to identify your traits that you love and maximize them, while also working on the aspects of your personality that are a bit more problematic.

It’s important to recognize that some “negative” traits are not really negative. Society just shames us for them. For example, “The Socialite” persona may be polite, but that doesn’t mean she’s super open and friendly with everyone. Not everyone is her friend, and she is naturally unattainable. So why would she be super friendly to everyone? Some may call her “standoffish”, but I call it “selective”.

✨Past Self? Not a Problem.  So let’s say you had a less than perfect childhood and endured a lot of trauma. Not a problem, just reinvent your past! Now I’m not saying to straight up lie and make up a crazy story about how you grew up with billionaire parents and traveled the globe. I’m saying adopt a realistic story that’ll help you on your journey. 

For example, if your date were to ask about your past, instead of telling him how tragic your childhood was and how you were homeless and abused by your parents, and no longer have a relationship with them, you can say: “I moved around a lot as a child (“homelessness”), so I really enjoyed being able to interact with a lot of different people (make the negative seem positive). My parents still move around a lot, so it’s hard for us to meet (explains why you aren’t in contact with your parents). 

Reword and reframe, ladies. Not everyone needs to know everything.

STEP 2 - BRING HER TO LIFE

✨Remove. You cannot embrace your new persona, your new IDENTITY, if you are still stuck in the past. And that includes past connections that do not serve you. Some of your old friends (college friends, childhood friends, etc.) are not meant to accompany you on this journey. And that’s OKAY. Same with other toxic relationships in your life, family included. You will have to decide who to keep, and who to distance yourself from.

✨ Social Media! I’ve mentioned this in an earlier post, but social media is the easiest way for you to push your new persona. You control the content that goes on your social media, so even if you haven’t fully embodied your new persona, you can sure as hell fake it on social media. 

- Unless your persona is a socialite/influencer type, avoid posting too often. - Be consistent; if you retouch your images, make sure its consistent with all your photos. - Be mindful of what people tag you in/post about you. You know that “friend” who always posts the ugliest pictures of you? Yeah. They’re not your friend, hun. 

✨Dress. The. Part. Okay, sis. You can have the personality down perfectly, but if the look doesn’t match, no one will buy it. Your look is the first thing people notice, so invest in it. It doesn’t cost a lot, especially with fast fashion sites like Shein that sells clothes for $5. Just be able to keep up the appearance.

✨ Immerse Yourself in the Environment.  Looking the part and having the right personality is not enough, ladies! It wouldn’t make sense for you to be a “Socialite” sharing pictures of you eating at Red Lobster and Olive Garden every night. It wouldn’t make sense for the “Traveler” persona to share only bathroom selfies in her apartment. You have to live like the woman you aspire to be, and that includes placing yourself in those environments.

If you are not in the place financially to do so, learn to project the image without spending money. Ex: If you can’t afford to go to Hawaii, go to your local beach and take bomb ass pictures. Don’t tag the location. People will automatically see a beach in your picture and assume you are on vacation traveling. Get creative, ladies. 

✨You Owe Them Nothing. Ladies! Remember you don’t owe anyone anything. Not an explanation, not your time, nothing. So if you are living this new persona and people are asking questions you don’t want to answer: don’t. This is your life. 

STEP 3 - YOUR PERSONA WHILE DATING HYPERGAMOUSLY & SOCIAL CLIMBING

So now that you have created your ideal persona, and taken the steps to incorporate it into your life, how can you use your newfound persona to aid you on your hypergamous journey and while social climbing?

✨Infiltrate New Circles. Your persona should be someone exciting and enticing. People love befriending people who are happy and adventurous. Use your persona to befriend others and enter new social circles. You can do this through: - Social media; follow similar accounts to yours and interact with them. - Activities related to your persona; Let’s say you adopted the “The Luxurious Diamond” persona and started visiting wineries. You may notice when you go that there are regulars; identify the regulars and use your common interest of wine to strike a conversation. -Interest groups; join clubs/groups that help you reach your goals. For example, “The Traveler” may have always wanted to travel to Bali, but didn’t want to go alone. She joins a travel group to meet other likeminded inviduals and meets a travel buddy. This person ends up introducing her to others who also enjoy traveling.

✨ Be a Chameleon. You should  never be set on just one persona. Like I said earlier, your persona should always be malleable. You should be able to change yourself to your benefit, and always be open to expansion. When it comes to dating, a man may “want” a certain type of woman, but the secret is that most men just want a woman who is open to possibilities.  I remember a man who used to be on my roster who loved music. This man was always insisting on taking me to operas and symphonies. And he too was a musician (I really don’t like dating musicians, but that’s a topic for another day), so whenever he was performing he would have me sitting in the box so I’d have an “undisturbed” experience.  Now ladies, I’m not into music AT ALL.  But I was open and willing, and guess what? The man adored it, and he adored me even more! He spoiled me like crazy and would serenade me with music he wrote about me because I was his “muse”. Although I ended up ghosting him, I definitely appreciate a good opera now! 

✨Be Larger than Life to Entice. The attractive part about these personas is the fact that it feels almost fake. The image that is portrayed is almost mythical, like something out of a fantasy. You can’t believe this girl is traveling so much, or you can’t believe this girl still has a social life in the middle of a pandemic! It’s unbelievable, but that’s what makes us so intrigued. Men especially love fantasy. That’s why many men have a “dream girl”, a woman that embodies their physical and emotional fantasies. They love the impossible. It’s also important to remember that you are always being watched. People see you, whether in person or on social media, and when they see someone or something more interesting than their mundane life, curiosity will get the best of them. They’ll be drawn to you and want to know you.

✨ The Persona Advantage. Creating a persona is supposed to help your journey. The purpose is to reinvent yourself into someone who will help you better navigate your hypergamous life.  For example, if you are trying to get into more exclusive, affluent circles, creating a persona who is skilled in social and dining etiquette would be more beneficial than a persona that’s an Instagram Influencer. Being an Instagram Baddie that wears Fashion Nova won’t help you at a Charity Gala. So be sure to think of what you desire in life to shape yourself into that. Don’t just become someone who won’t get you to where you want to be. 

This post will definitely have a Part 2 in the future, but in conclusion: You can be whoever you want to be as long as you play the role. Be an actress in your own life, and live the life you desire.

Well ladies, I’ll be away for Valentine’s day weekend. Wishing you all a wonderful and safe weekend ❤️ Lots of love.

Follow my IG for more: @mademoisellehypergamy

[dorianwritesthings]

Senate Party - Wrecker’s Ending

Link to Part 1

You finished tightening the dress and turned to look in the mirror. It felt quite fancy, but the fabric fell out from your waist at just the right point. Someone probably could have hidden under the skirt if they wanted to. The material was beautiful and you took a moment to admire the color.

With one last deep breath you opened the door to the changing room.

No one spoke and you folded you arms, suddenly uncomfortable in the quiet. They’d seen you in civilian clothes before, but you supposed that this was…quite the change. 

“Umm…So what do you think?” You asked, fluffing out the skirt a bit as you stood there.

“Looks nice. How do you feel?” Hunter offered and you raised your arms, moving around the same way you’d told Omega to earlier.

“It’s not restrictive.” You smiled, “Feels nice.”

------

You looked absolutely stunning. Wrecker couldn’t stop himself from staring, but as soon as he could speak again he did. 

“You look beautiful!” He said it quite loudly and while that normally didn’t bother him, he was very aware of it now.

“Well we know which one Wrecker votes for.” Echo nudged him with a smile.

“Thanks, Wrecker.” You said. The smile on your face hadn’t faded, if anything it had gotten wider. That made him feel better.

“It’s a good start. This one will be hard to beat.”  You took a few more moments to look it over, then nodded at everyone and disappeared into the room again.

Wrecker watched the door close. Seeing you in that dress hit him like a transport ship. He didn’t know much about fancy clothes, but he knew that you looked wonderful in them, still as strong as ever but so…elegant.

He didn’t know he liked elegant until just now.

As you came out in other dresses he also realized how that dress was perfect for you. They were all nice, but none of them seemed to make you light up like that first one. Wrecker felt himself grinning when you decided to buy it.

------

“What is this thing made of?” Echo asked, dropping your dress onto the table. He and Crosshair had gone to pick up everyone’s newly tailored clothes. “It’s pretty heavy don’t you think?”

“Not any heavier than my armor.” You tilted your head a bit.

“Ugh, you and Wrecker have the heaviest armor. I should have known you wouldn’t have noticed.” He sighed. 

Wrecker gave you a high-five and Echo rolled his eyes.

You lifted up the dress with ease, going towards your bunk.

“Omega.” You called, “Come hang up your dress with me. Being in the bag can wrinkle them a bit.”

“Alright!” Omega had been playing a game of Dejarik with Hunter, but got up to grab her dress and follow you to the bunks.

“Wrecker,” Hunter said, grabbing his attention, “I think you and y/n should pair up tonight.”

“Me?” He asked, “Are you sure?”

“Why not?”

“Eh…I don’t know, Hunter…Wouldn’t she rather be paired with someone else?”

Hunter raised an eyebrow at him.

“You two work together all the time, Wrecker.”

Wrecker shifted a bit in his seat. 

“Yeah, I know but…this is supposed to be a fancy night. Do you really think she’d want to spend it with me?”

“Oh come on…” Crosshair rolled his eyes from his spot in the corner. Wrecker turned his attention to him.

“What’s your problem?!” 

Crosshair kept gnawing on his toothpick, but his eyes flicked over to Hunter.

Hunter put a hand on Wrecker’s shoulder.

“What I think Crosshair is trying to say,” Hunter shot the sniper a glare, “Is that y/n enjoys your company. You’re friends. So don’t worry about it.”

He smiled at the encouragement. 

“Besides.” Crosshair smirked, “We all know you like her.”

-----

Wrecker had opted to skip the suit jacket while shopping, so you’d found him a nice vest that had color all the way around it instead of just in the front. It actually matched the color of your dress now that he thought about it.

His black pants and tie were both made of a crisp material that almost shined in the light. He’d worried that the white button down shirt would be uncomfortable or not fit, but you had also found him something both soft and his size.

Wrecker bounced his leg nervously as they waited for you and Omega to finish changing. They’d gotten a hotel room to make sure everyone had room to figure out their outfits rather than cram together on the Marauder.

“Don’t be nervous, Wrecker.” Tech said. His own suit included a vest with an interesting illusion fabric that he prattled on about once they got back to the ship. Was there anything he wouldn’t research?

“Who says I’m nervous?” He snapped.

Before Tech could answer, Omega came rushing up to them. You’d paired her dress with a sparkly head piece that draped over her hair.

Wrecker looked up and for the second time in two days he found himself helpless at the sight of you.

If he thought you’d looked good in the shop, now you were absolutely radiant. He didn’t often see you in much makeup as it wasn’t really practical for running around a battlefield, but you’d really gone all out for the occasion. You’d also gotten some jewelry for yourself that paired perfectly with your dress. Your hair had been styled too. 

But the thing that really got him was how happy you looked. You seemed so confident and excited, even if this was just supposed to be a mission.

“Try to breathe, buddy.” Echo chuckled. Wrecker blinked a few times, trying to keep it together as you finally reached them.

“Well you all clean up pretty nice.” You raised a teasing brow at them, “Are we all ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Hunter said, handing you two invites, “We’ll be arriving at different times. You and Wrecker will get there last.”

“Sounds good.” You said, grabbing the invites and walking toward Wrecker. He hoped you couldn’t hear his heartbeat as you stood next to him.

Without much more fanfair, Crosshair and Tech left to get a Cab. The rest of you milled about the lobby for a while, chatting a bit to pass the time.

“Excited?” You asked, waving to Omega as she left with Echo and Hunter.

“I guess so.” He said, “Haven’t ever been to one of these. Are you excited?”

“It’ll be fun.” You said, “Especially since we’re going together.”

He felt that same fluttery feeling in his stomach again. You always made him feel that way.

“Don’t mind having me as a date, then?” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Date?”

You repeated the word and he thought his heart stopped. Ugh, he felt so stupid. He hadn’t even been alone with you for a few seconds and he was already making things weird.

“Do you…” You spoke the words slowly, and he noticed how you couldn’t meet his eye, “Do you want it to be a date?”

“I…uh…look if you don’t want to then I get it. We’re just paired up for the mission and-”

You put a hand on his arm, silencing him.

“Wrecker…Do you want it to be a date?”

“I…” He sighed in defeat, “Ugh, yes I do! I know it’s a mission, but…”

You finally looked at him, eyes sparkling, “I’d like it if you were my date.”

--------

You were sort of surprised at the sudden turn of events and your forwardness in the face of your crush. But you could tell he was just as nervous as you were. 

Wrecker smiled.

“Really?” 

“Of course.” Your cheeks were heating up again but the smile hadn’t fallen from your face.

Wrecker let out a relieved sigh and you two waited in a silence that was somehow both awkward and relieving. You didn’t anticipate this “undercover” plan would work as well as your commanding Jedi insisted it would, but maybe it would be fruitful for you after all.

“Oh, looks like it’s time to go.” You said suddenly, looking at the clock on the lobby wall, “Let’s go make an entrance.”

“Yeah!” He smiled, hopping up and walking to the door. He paused for a moment and then turned to hold it for you.

You giggled a bit at him, but thanked him nonetheless. He followed you into a waiting cab.

The droid at the door scanned your invites and beeped approvingly. 

“Oh, perfect.” The protocol droid next to it said, “Right this way, I hope you find the party to your liking.”

You looped your arm through Wrecker’s as you proceeded into the hall. He looked at you with wide eyes.

“What?” You said innocently, “You’re my date remember.”

He nudged you playfully, but his smile didn’t escape you. He put a gentle hand over yours, securing you at his side.

The hall was absolutely huge. You’d been to a few functions like this for missions before, but this place was even more extravagant than you’d imagined. Suddenly you were doubly grateful to have Wrecker beside you, it made you feel less out of place.

You both continued further into the building and stood next to one of the walls. At one point you spotted Echo, who had given you both a knowing smile. You mentally prepared yourself for potential teasing when you all got back to the ship. Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if Crosshair commed in during the damn gala to point out how close you two were getting.

“So…now what?” Wrecker asked looking around at all the spectacle. 

“Well, we just have to keep our ears open.” You said, “Why don’t we grab some food and get a seat with some other people. We can wander around later.”

“I like the sound of food.” 

A few minutes later you both had plates full of the galaxy’s finest cuisine. It was quite a bit of food but, for Wrecker especially, you were showing restraint.

You both sat down with another couple, hoping to start a conversation. Fortunately for you both the other guy at the table was pretty chatty. Apparently he and the woman were work associates, but they weren’t giving you much useful information. Eventually they excused themselves and left. You sighed.

“Well that was a dead end.”

“Food’s good though.” Wrecker said, “We should get invited to this sort of thing more often.”

You chuckled a bit at that, but your thoughts were interrupted.

“I think I found our guy.” Echo’s voice sounded in both of your ears and you tried to keep your face neutral. Wrecker started looking around immediately.

You leaned your head on your hand to look at Wrecker, discreetly pressing the button for your comm. 

“Do you need backup?” You asked calmly. Wrecker glanced back at you and smiled a bit. It’d be nice to get some action in.

“I should be fine.” He said.

“I’m with him.” Crosshair added.

You sighed a bit, “Got it. We’ll stay here.”

You took your hand off the button and gave Wrecker a look.

“We always miss the fun stuff don’t we?” You asked.

“I don’t know.” He said, “I’m the one hanging out with you. That’s pretty fun to me.”

Damn. That was surprisingly smooth. Your heart started beating a bit faster as Wrecker continued talking.

“I…look this probably isn’t the time. They could still need our help and all, but…” He grabbed both your hands, “Look I really like you, y/n. Like, really like you. You’re so smart and nice and you always know what to do in a fight and I’m…”

You smiled at him and put a hand on his cheek.

“I like you too, Wrecker.” You could feel his scars under your fingers, “You’re so sweet and strong. I’m always laughing when I’m with you.”

It took awhile for him to process your words, but when he did he leaned into your touch.

“Can I…does that mean I can kiss you?” He asked suddenly. You chuckled a bit at the sincerity of the question.

“If you want to.” 

Wrecker didn’t wait, placing a quick but sweet kiss on your lips before putting his forehead against yours. You went back to holding both his hands and for a while you just sat there, enjoying the moment.

“I’m glad we’re together.” You sighed. 

“Yeah. Me too.”

[redisaid]

Sylvaina Poll #2 Results

The spam subsides, for now, and my delicious suffering begins. Poll #2 is now closed.

If you missed the results of the first poll, check them out here!

For poll #2, we got 127 responses, and everyone voted in all the multiple choice categories. Nice!

Our winning scenario, pulling away at the end, is Mid-BFA!

The summary I gave for this one is:

“The terrifying truth was that Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore always knew who her soulmate was. The problem she faces now is that she’s pretty sure that woman hasn’t had a soul in over a decade, and they now stand against one another as enemies. So why has she started to feel a connection over that age old bond again?”

I did enjoy your write-ins, so thanks for submitting those. I’m still going to go with the popular choice, but might incorporate some things if I can.

Also you guys do realize that this means we now have a fifth major trope in the fic: Exes Getting Back Together...

You are all very mean to poor Jaina, by the way. You’re making the secret meeting place be the Ruins of Theramore!

Again thank you for the write-ins! Cape Cod AU anon, I want to read this, so you should write it!

Only this third option was never a contest. Our winner for what soulmate marks do once soulmates connect is that...They Glow!

However, Shiny/Metallic gang, I have your back. The chosen scenario is going to give me some opportunities, which I still have to think about. Also I’m biased because I liked this option, so we’ll work it in too.

I also already had plans to incorporate a couple of ideas from the write-ins, so you guys are in for a treat too.

I’ve already listened to a ton of your song suggestions. Thank you so much for including those! I won’t mention all of them, but here’s some that were highlights:

I love this song, but we’re gonna use the OTHER moon song from the Crane Wives, along with a bunch of non-moon songs.

I was not prepared for 00′s pop country. Thank you making me spit out my water at this one.

Somehow I had no awareness of this song, became utterly obsessed with it, and then looked it up to see if meant what I thought it did, and was delighted to be correct. Thank you for that journey, whoever you are.

So, you’re probably wondering why I asked for moon songs. Well, our fic will be called: Beneath the Blue Moon

And I now have a lot of work to do! 

Thank you again for everyone who participated in the polls. Watch this space for the first two chapters of this fic to come out, and then I’ll be offering some additional polls to ask for help again!

[a-casual-kpopfan]

Our Twilight - Chapter 2

Previous Story: Part 1

Next Story: Part 3

~~~~~

A/N: Hello boos, it's me again with my fellow ghost writer here, posting up the next Haseul chapter in this series. (:

Just want to thank @ifeelsounsure0 and @gangplanksorenji for the edits and looking over <3

------

A few days later…

With their hectic Queendom schedule, Haseul has been constantly training over the past few days. Today is her first day off, and her first chance to find out who this mysterious MJ is. And to do that, she requires the help of a few people

Haseul is sitting in the living room with Hyunjin and Jinsol. Haseul stares intently at Hyunjin while the girl makes a phone call, and Jinsol just messes around with her laptop.

“Mhmm, mhmm, thanks unnie! Sorry for bothering you on your day off!” With that, Hyunjin hung up the call and turned towards Haseul “You were lucky unnie! Apparently, there was a ‘MJ’ as a trainee in Polaris back then!” “Really?” Haseul looks at Hyunjin, her face practically screams ‘tell me more’, which is quite adorable.

“Mhmm! He joined a year after our debut as Loona 1/3, and according to instructor unnie, he really had the talent to be an idol. In a few short months, he got the support of almost all the instructors after all.”

“How is there a trainee like that, are you sure you didn’t hear it wrong?” Jinsol chimes in on the side, seemingly unconvinced of the story. “Unnie! I swear I didn’t hear it wrong! You must have seen it firsthand at the show, right? His vocals were amazing!” “…...I didn’t pay that much attention…” Jinsol mumbles to herself.

“Hyunjin-ah! Get back to the topic please! If he was so talented, why didn’t he debut?” Haseul quickly steers the conversation back to the main topic, prompting Hyunjin to continue: “He would have debuted as a soloist the same time we fully debut as ‘Loona’, but suddenly, he decided to quit.”

“Quit?” Both Haseul and Jinsol ask at the same time.

“Yeah, according to instructor unnie, he said he ‘lost the spirit and motivation’ and decided to quit that very day, not to be seen again.” Hyunjin frowns slightly as she recalls the conversation, “Such a shame, he could have been as famous as us, maybe even more. Just look at how he’s trending right now!”

Hyunjin isn’t wrong, after that episode was broadcasted, social media exploded with posts about the mysterious ex- trainee MJ, some even made a poll voting to make him an idol. But like every mystery, he disappeared without a trace… Until now.

“Well, I don’t know how he did it, but that guy didn’t even register with his real name! just ‘MJ’ and that he worked at a library? Oh yeah, they did mention in the show that he’s a librarian right?” Hyunjin scratches her head, looking at Haseul and Jinsol.

“Pfft, just a library, how hard can it be to find a library in Seoul?” Jinsol says as she googles on her laptop. ‘300+ searches found’

“Oh….it might be hard to find a library in Seoul… Ehe” Jinsol says with a cheeky smile as she scratches her cheek, earning a glare from Haseul.

“Anyways, thanks for your help, Hyunjin-ah, as promised, I’ve already ordered bread for you” “Thank you unnie!” Hyunjin gives you a big hug before moving to her room, humming happily.

“Now…we should probably get started on finding that library?” Haseul looks at Jinsol “Oh no, you’re the only one looking for it, I’m just here to offer you moral support!” Jinsol replies almost instantly with a bright smile, leaving Haseul flabbergasted. “…. Didn’t you promise to help me?”

“Well, this is your journey to find your Prince Charming, so it’s more suitable if you search for him, correct? Besides, I already got mine~” Just as Jinsol says that her phone starts to ring with a “Hubby <3” ID. “Speak of the dev-” Before Jinsol can grab her phone, Haseul reaches for it instantly and answers the call.

“Oh, hi oppa, Jinsol is currently busy with helping me right now, so she’ll call you later, have a good day oppa!” And with that, Haseul hangs up and returns Jinsol’s phone to her with a mischievous grin. “Yah! What if it was something important?!” Jinsol angrily pouts, which honestly looks more cute than angry, only to see Haseul focus back on the laptop. “If it was important, he’ll ring the doorbell.”

~~~~~

And so, start the journey of Haseul and Jinsol into the depths of Google, exploring every nook and cranny of the map as they search for whatever hint they have about that mysterious library. Meanwhile, the Loona dorm is as lively as always…

“YAH, LEE GUNGJEON, DON’T YOU DARE RUN! GIVE ME BACK MY SNACK OR ELSE YOU’RE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT!” Sooyoung’s voice booms through the hallway of the dorm, showing her might as a vocalist although for an entirely different reason.

“IF GUNGJEON OPPA IS SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT, CAN I SLEEP WITH YOU UNNIE???” Haseul doesn’t even need to look up to know whose voice it is. Only one person can be that daring in this dorm.

“W-wait! I was just kidding!” Of course, Gungjeon quickly voices his complaint and tries to give Sooyoung her snack back, but Sooyoung has already wrapped her arms around the younger member, puffs her cheek and scoffs at him.

“Too late, I’m sleeping with Jiwoo tonight. Have fun with no pillows and blankets.” And walks away with Jiwoo while the younger giggles in delight. Leaving Gungjeon standing there, looking like a lost puppy with a bag of snacks in his hand.

“He should have known not to mess with her snack, not to mention Jiwoo.” Jinsol can only offer sympathetic words before going back to helping Haseul.

Ding Dong

The sound of the doorbell breaks the concentration of both Jinsol and Haseul. Both turn to the door so fast, almost causing them to have whiplash from how fast they turned. Sweat starts to form on Haseul’s forehead as she remembers her previous words about Jinsol’s boyfriend as Jinsol herself glares at Haseul, preparing to stand up.

“Oh! It must be my bread!” Hyunjin bolts straight out of her room to the front door, like a predator chasing its prey, but in this case it’s bread.

After heading out for the delivery, Hyunjin enters with a piece of bread already in her mouth, and an opened pack of bread in her hand, only to be met with her two unnies’ stares. “Ish sumthin wron unni?” (Is something wrong unnie?) “Nothing Hyunjin, nothing at all…”

As Jinsol says that she glances at Haseul, who is looking up the ceiling in order to avoid Jinsol’s glare, then back down at the laptop, feigning ignorance. “Sorry, you were saying?” Jinsol only scoffs before turning her attention back to the laptop, leaving Hyunjin standing there, confused, but very happy to have her bread. 

Haseul and Jinsol research tirelessly through the night. Mostly Haseul, Jinsol is still pretty salty about how Haseul didn’t let her call her boyfriend.

“Yah, Haseul! It’s already late!” Jinsol points to the clock on her phone, which clearly stated 11pm. “You can head to bed first Jinsol, I’m just going to look a bit more….” Haseul only spares a glance at her phone, then back to the laptop.

“Why are you doing this Haseul? There’s no need for you to go that far, just for a guy who you never met” Jinsol pouts slightly, worrying about her leader’s health as it’s been a while since she has seen Haseul this serious about something. “I-… I honestly don’t know, Jinsol-ah. When I look at him, I feel like…” Haseul stops a bit, trying to find the right word. “I feel like he can make me… Whole again.”

“Huh, what do you mean?”

“Ever since I joined you girls as Loona, it’s been the best time of my life, but somehow, it doesn’t feel… Complete to me, like something is missing, forgotten, and that guy might know about it.” Haseul hesitates as she sees Jinsol’s confusion clearly on her face “I know what I’m saying doesn’t make sense, Jinsol-ah, but I can’t ignore it, otherwise it will keep gnawing away my mind-”

Jinsol interrupts her with a gentle hug as she envelops her leader in her embrace, her arms hugging Haseul’s back and soothing it with gentle strokes. “It’s okay Haseul…. You don’t need to say anymore, I understand you….”

“Y-you do?”

“I do, because it’s the same for me and Daewon,” Jinsol smiles softly at Haseul. “The girls might be family, but I can’t imagine my life without him. I will never be the best version of myself without him by my side~” Haseul can see a warm gaze in Jinsol’s eyes when she talks about him. Her eyes look soft, incredibly soft, combined with the passionate love that she has for him, and a touch of longing.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t allow you to answer him earlier, I was too focused on my own things…” “It’s okay Haseul-ah, I promised to help, so I will, but probably another day, ok? It’s late now, and we need rest.”

“O…kay?” Haseul glances briefly back to the laptop in defeat, but right then her eyes catch a social media post: ‘Anyone know this librarian? I want to express my gratitude to him for helping me. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to catch his nametag, only a glimpse of his armband.’ 

Attached to the post was a picture of a young man, seemingly running away in a hurry. His back was turned to the camera, so his face couldn’t be seen but Haseul knew.

It’s him.

Jinsol, observing Haseul’s face ever since her eyes got glued on the screen, makes a comment “Are you sure that it’s him?” Only to be met with a firm nod from Haseul. “So, where does he work?” A quick stroll down the comments gave them the answer. “Silent Haven? It does sound like a library” Jinsol giggles at the name, but the same can’t be said for Haseul.

Her head starts to ache as if someone is pounding a hammer relentlessly against her skull. She suddenly remembers something….

A flashback plays out inside her mind, of a young boy and girl at a sitting area of a library.

“Yah, stop reading! Go out and play with me!”“… But I like reading….”“Pfft, you’re such an old man M̸̠̊̈̑į̴̥̈́̈́n̸̜̖͕̳͛̋́̃-̶̬̹͌̚J̷͈͂́͗͠o̵̡̢̰̐̽͌͛o̸̮̰̮̹͛̏n̶̛̦͈̈̀̾. Are you going to work here when you grow up?”“Maybe….? I like quiet places.”“You’re boring! C’mon, let’s go get some ice cream!”

And with that Haseul suddenly snaps back to reality, with her hands still clutching her head, and Jinsol looking at her with worry. 

That girl… Was I… Then what about that boy??? Haseul starts to analyze what she just saw remembered . Could it be? Haseul is deep in her thought when Jinsol snaps her out of it “Haseul, I think that’s enough for today, we have schedules for tomorrow” 

“Yeah, you’re right, we should get some rest….” Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Jinsol slams the laptop shut before pushing Haseul towards the bedroom, making sure that both will get some rest. Although for one of them, sleep might not come anytime soon…

“I will find you, and I will find out what is wrong with me.”

To Be Continued.