#some kind of fairytale moment. i would get everything and everyone i've ever wanted and be okay but it's the same old shit EVERYDAY' 💀

[rescuefield-arch1]

somewhere in rebecca's archives there are probably a bunch of memo recordings about claire and her t-p situation and like, technically it's for research bc she asks claire questions abd whatnot, except that claire is an utter bastard annoying

[aletterinthenameofsanity]

"Ask me anything" huh? Can I ask you to rant about stuff you love about Doctor Who for a handful of paragraphs, with the additional requirement that you cannot use correct grammar NOR can your statements be fully coherent?

Doctor Who is like 50% fun nonsense and I think commentaries on it should reflect that. No elaborate and precise statements, just pure joy unhindered by foolish concepts such as "making perfect sense".

I was waiting until I was close to going to bed to answer this because this really needs my half-asleep brain to answer properly. (Or improperly, in this case.) Now, onto as grammatically improperly as I can make this (hopefully I pulled this off. like to think I did!):

you know what i love about doctor who? i love that this show covers every single genre in the universe. that it is horror and comedy and historical fiction and sci fi and alternate history and dystopian and myths and steampunk and biopunk and murder mystery and western and fairytale because genre doesn't apply, because the doctor is a mad man in a box telling the story, except that they're not, the doctor's not the one telling the story, because this is really a story about the companions of the doctor, the people who are reflections of them, the people who become the doctor, the people who were doctors all along, the people who were kind and brave and traumatized and curious and above all, wanted to see the stars, because this is a story about the stars, about the grand expanse of space and time, about everything that ever was and ever will be, but the thing is, the mechanics of the show and how seasons are shot and that no actor can ever stay young forever, because the show is made with real people, everyone has to move on, and that's the beauty of it, isn't it? that people have to move on.

writers and actors always have to move on but with doctor who, because some genius (affectionate) in the 60s decided that regeneration would get to be a mechanic in the show we get to have an eternal canon, we get to have renewal, we get to have companions reflect back on the doctor in an infinite number of batshit insane and unhinged ways, we get to see hope and grief and a bottomless fall and an infinite rise because the doctor cannot die even though everyone around them can BUT ALSO because this show is about travelling, about running, about having the entirety of everything that has ever existed or will exist or can't exist or might exist at our fingertips.

as a result you can have episodes like midnight and partners in crime in the same season and no one will bat an eye, you can have the farting calcium invasion-of-the-body-snatchers be the monsters that propel two of the best character pieces i've ever seen in my entire life, you can have capitalism critiques involving fish poop under the thames, you can have them visit the greatest people that will ever live and the worst, you can have them inspire artists and scientists before they die and that's just as important as the aliens or saving the world, you see, because at the end of the day doctor who is about love, it's about the small moments as well as the big saves, it's about wilfred staring at the stars and amy demanding her imaginary friend show up to her wedding and harriet jones worrying about her mother and about danny admiring the fact that a student said please and about ryan and graham learning to ride a bike together and about jackie being the last person that mickey said goodbye to in journey's end, it's about love and character development and charles dickens and vincent van gogh getting to smile and laugh before they die, it's about the love, you see?

doctor who is about running as far and as fast as you can because even though you're more afraid than anyone who has ever existed you have to see them all, you have to love them all, because you have so much love you can't contain it in one heart, that's why you have two hearts, because you love so much, too much, and you will never find peace, you will never find an ending, but right here, right now, you can have this. and that will never be enough, it can't be enough, but it still matters.

because the love was there.

[marzipanandminutiae]

I see you talking about ouat and it unlocked thoughts that have been neatly filed away for years so here I am, yelling them at you.

I assume at this point spoilers arent a problem anymore for you but you said you originally didn't watch past the frozen but a warning just in case.

I kept watching for quite a long time, but I quit after the whole thing with ruby and Dorothy because what? it just felt so incredibly forced and badly written? and I'd gotten so annoyed because before we'd already had the whole thing with aurora and mulan, which I was rooting for but okay, that didn't work out, too bad for mulan. then we get a perfect set up for ruby and mulan. and it's just. never mentioned again???? ruby comes back eventually but wtf happened to mulan? it annoyed me so fucking much let me tell you.

also I remember trying to write out family/relationship trees and stuff for ouat to see how weirdly convoluted everything got. was very impressed that it seemed they managed to avoid accidentally having incest or something in the show with everything that was going on there.

I have so many more things but this has already gotten way longer than intended. do you have a favourite part of the show? I'm assuming your favourite characters is either regina or emma?

Oh man all of that brings back memories. I didn't stick around long enough for Ruby and Dorothy, but I got the sense that they were doing it to try and counteract the "avoiding Swan Queen because homophobia" allegations.

(I actually don't think they WERE avoiding Swan Queen because of homophobia, necessarily. I think it was never their intent to begin with; they just happened to attract a sapphic audience who were deeply on the Enemies to Lovers train. I do think they may have indulged in a bit of queerbaiting, though, because of some Emma/Regina moments that happened after the writers definitely knew the ship existed. I think it was never going to be canon, but they handled it poorly once they realized that people saw it as an option.)

I stopped watching around Frozen for a couple of reasons:

On a personal level, I just got sick of seeing the characters I shipped with other people. That's not an objective problem; it's my opinion and not everyone will agree. But to me, Hook was a whiny insecure manchild and Robin had the personality of Clippy the MS Word paperclip, and damnit, I wanted Emma and Regina to kiss each other instead of them!

On a This Is Bad Storytelling level, I HATED how Frozen was integrated. Earlier stories had been a nice blend of traditional fairytales with Disney adaptation elements- Beauty and the Beast where Gaston and Chip are both kind of there but in subtler ways, for example, or Cinderella where her dress resembles the 1950s animated version but everything else is different. Frozen, though, was just...Frozen. The entire plot of the movie Frozen had happened before the characters entered the OUAT storyline, their costumes were identical to those in the movie, and while I've heard that they added some different backstory- it just wasn't the "Hans Christian Andersen story with subtle Disney touches" that I would have expected from earlier seasons.

Personally, I don't think the initial curse should have been broken in a season. I feel like that locked them into a pattern of having to continually invent a new Darkest Evilest Most Powerful Magic EVER!!!!! to top the previous season, and that took them to some really weird places (I heard they went to literal hell at one point?). The show had a cool premise and some interesting ideas- I loved how they managed to give individual kingdoms distinct cultures and even fashions. You can tell the "look" of Snow White's kingdom from Cinderella's and Cinderella's from Ariel's, etc.

Everyone who would watch an entire season of Abigail's Ancient Greek Steampunk-ish kingdom, raise your hands. Seriously, so cool.

But something went wrong, IMO around season 4. I'm not sure if the show had just outlived its original concept or had outside pressures pulling it in different directions or what. All I know is, as far as I'm concerned, the show ends when Emma and Henry leave Storybrooke in season 3A. Pity It Was Cancelled So Soon, etc.

(although OOC Matronly SnowTM would have been perfect for live slug reaction memes, so there's that)

[infatuate]

9 book recs meme! tagged by @roobylavender; ty faatima <3333. this ended up being longer than i wanted it to be but oh well

the bloody chamber & other stories - angela carter

angela carter quotes get circulated out of context on this site every 2-3 business days but i really do think everyone should tap into the bloody chamber at least once. i have written many a paper on this book & each time i uncovered some new aspect i had previously overlooked but which carter hadn't. i'm not sure what i could say about it that hasn't already been said; this is one of the best fairytale anthologies out there, period. not to mention, those quotes are so much better in context.

decreation: poetry, essays, opera - anne carson

the first book of carson's essays/poetry i ever read cover to cover after crashing against plainwater hard when i was like 16. decreation is very aptly named - it's disjointed & deconstructed & more than a little strange, moving from subject to subject, essay to poem to play to opera and back again, but it managed to capture my attention the way none of carson's other works did. decreation is a journey through the self (through sleep & the subconscious, the spirit & God) that doesn't really arrive anywhere but is worth reading for the journey. aside from showing me just what could be done with form, it also introduced to me to marguerite porete, who became my own personal medieval mystic-martyr special interest. i've since read a lot of carson, but i still think decreation is her most interesting (& maybe underrated?) work.

violence & the sacred - rene girard

a solid 75% of my essays in my last two years of undergrad used this text as scaffolding of some sort. even when i wasn't writing about violence, sacrifice, or mimesis, i was thinking about it. this is a dense book of theory that flies by because everything girard is saying is simultaneously insane & so so compelling. other people have if you're interested in rituals, the societal function of violence, the origins of the word scapegoat, or you just want to find a new jumping off point for your own thoughts on any of these topics, i think you would find violence & the sacred a really fascinating text.

the children of húrin - j.r.r. tolkien

i read the children of húrin directly after reading the hobbit at age 14; i wanted another 'short' 'standalone' tolkien book to read before diving into the lord of the rings or the silmarillion. (i clearly did not know anything about tolkien at this point in my life.) but i don't regret it at all, because it's probably the best thing he's ever written. CoH is, for the most part, about the tragic life of túrin son of húrin & how the curse on his family dooms him & everyone he crosses paths with. the tighter focus on túrin's various fuck-ups and miseries is more intimate, more detailed, and more character-driven unlike a lot of tolkien's first age work. it's also the darkest thing tolkien's written, in my opinion; this is his longest most extended greek tragedy moment & he leans into it 100%. hubris, unintentional incest, accidental murder, suicide - the children of húrin has it all. túrin turambar you will always be famous!

a master of djinn - p. djeli clark

this is my favorite new fantasy read of the last couple of years. i went into thinking i wouldn't like it at all—it's set in an edwardian-era alternate history magical steampunk cairo, for one—but clark's writing is incredibly immersive. he's very skilled at reimagining history in a way that both makes perfect sense & is wildly inventive. i thought some of its critiques of colonialism were a little shallow but otherwise it was fun. and lesbian! the main character is a dapper muslim butch, and while i'm not usually a 'representation for its own sake' kind of person, i couldn't help but be obsessed with fatma. it helps that it has a more refined perspective on islam compared to virtually any other muslim/arab fantasy novel i've ever read (this is not a high bar). a master of djinn comes with not one, but two short stories set in the same universe, so you can check out clark's writing for free & see how you like it.

as meat loves salt - maria mccann

this one was recommended to me by a twitter mutual almost 2 years ago and i haven't reread it since, but i think about it frequently anyways. it's a historical fiction novel set during the english civil war, following jacob cullen, a man initially of gentle birth who becomes a servant who becomes a soldier in the parliamentary army. characterizing it beyond that gets tricky; how do you properly describe the completely insane depths of rage, lust, love, & obsession that mccann plumbs? as meat loves salt is for the hannigram girls, the heathcliff/cathy girls, the girls who enjoy devotion & obsession going hand in unlovable hand. major tws for rape & violence, & i don't think i could read it again unless i was in the right headspace, but this one is really good.

ship of magic - robin hobb

i could have put any robin hobb book here, because i do think everyone should read robin hobb at least once. especially if you have even a passing interest in fantasy. ship of magic made the final cut because it's the perfect beginning for anyone who might be turned off by the slow character study that is the farseer trilogy. liveship traders is more fast-paced with a rotating cast of v unique characters and the best villain she's ever put to paper. it has talking ships, terrible parenting even for a fantasy book, representation for awful horrible teenage girls with no redeeming qualities whatsoever, & a truly original take on dragons.

beowulf: a new verse translation - seamus heaney

when i decided to minor in medieval studies, beowulf was at least 60% of the reason. i read the r.m. liuzza broadview translation for class (which i love, to be clear), but my prof recommended that we go read heaney's translation anyways, because it's both a good translation of beowulf & an exercise in poetic brilliance. to me, heaney's beowulf feels less like a translation & more like a free-verse poem he wrote while possessed by the spirit of a 7th century scop. i know there are better, more accurate/faithful translations, but this one has a spirit to it that's difficult to find elsewhere. honestly it's worth reading for the introduction alone.

the fortune men - nadifa mohamed

my token contemporary non-fiction fiction novel of the past couple of years. i'm always rooting for everyone somali but also? nadifa mohamed is just a great writer. this novel is set in 1950s cardiff, wales, and dramatizes the true story of mahmood hussein mattan, a somali man who was wrongfully executed for the murder of lily volpert. mohamed approaches the events with so much empathy for both victims and the extensive research she did shines through at every moment. the consistency and conviction and clarity of her writing will convince you that, even if you don't know anything about the city or the time period or the events unfolding, she definitely does. she was kinda robbed for the booker but that's just my opinion.

tagging @derelictship; @misericordae; @hesitationss; @yevrosima-the-third; @gawayne; @butchniqabi & anyone else who wants to do it!

[thenewpathfinder2024-2034]

"I was struggling with quitting fire dept before David was killed. Thought I was finding the light at the end of the tunnel & then that train hit. Trying to find a new perspective. Lots of his side pieces came out of the woodwork. Hell I didn't know he had a wife before Cary. She's acting like they were still married same as Cary. I've had some if his side pieces of David reach out & try to be friends. No thanks. Most of his were psychotic."

I've always felt that I have to be really close to perfect to get peoples approval or love. I made straight As in high school and college, metals in the US Marine Corp,  health and safety manager at a chemical plant, special operations firefighter, professional photographer and outstanding diver, it never seemed to be enough. Everyone has always expected more. It's exhausting if im being honest. Adds SO much stress to everything I do. I guess that's a big part of why I struggle so much with selfish people in my life. 

We did have a lot of fun. I told someone about that a couple of weeks ago when we were in Fl. Friend ordered prawns & I busted out laughing. They couldn't figure out what issue was. Told the story & then hers came the same way. She sent them back. Lol. Was talking about Thailand & the bad driving by the motorcycle driver. Thailand trip. Lol that was kind of a disaster but parts were fun.  We mostly had fun. Some days/times were better than others.  Don't think it was intentional but we were either both doing well or we were doing bad hustle wise.   We had our friends separate from us. Some days that was good & others it wasn't. We were either all in or didn't give a shit. I felt like I cared when I shouldn't have & im sure you felt the same some times. I will even admit that at one point I thought we would make a good family.  Then realized you weren't leaving the guys you found for confidants. Think that was my lightbulb moment that I should have moved on. I didn't which made me want to kick myself years later. I always hang on too long hoping that I can do something to make a change. What a dumbass!!!

That was how I felt originally but then we did a lot like a family over the years. It changed what I wanted. Some things happened & made me feel stupid for thinking that could ever be possible. I'm not a prince, fairytales don't come true. Communication was ALWAYS our problem!!!! We assumed we knew what the other wanted too much instead of asking. I'm not the same person I used to be. Learned some Really hard lessons along the way.  None I care to repeat. I honestly wondered some days what you were doing. Couldn't understand what you were trying to prove & to whom. Figured it wasn't my battle to fight so quit. I live in today. The past wasn't kind to me & tomorrow isn't promised. I make alot of plans b/c that typically leads to me doing almost everything spur of the moment. 

I finally have a great retirement. Probably something I should work on more but another complication. Everything I had invested I saved by movinb it in time. I will leave a big boy job with benefits less than a year. Until then who knows. There have been many horrible things said over the years by both of us. Just know that in all of our time together that I never cheated on you, entertained anyone else, I appreciated the things you did for me & I truly loved you. Despite all that has been said & what you thought or still think is true, that is the truth. I acted bullet proof. You were either in Go mode, or Sex mode. Seemed to be very little of in between. A lot of the time I felt like you were only with me when it was convenient. We would make plans & something better would come along so you left me hanging. I will never forget we had come home from work, showered, played & then went to sleep. Woke up & you had left a note that you were going to do something for a friend. You were going to come right back & didnt. Came back drunk and you said didn't know where you were at. We had had such a great morning & I was ready to pack all my shit & hit the porch. I was SO pissed I was fuming. I was at first dating a married woman who was never leaving her lifestyle. What else did I expect. I was done with you but let you come back a few days later. You said it was a miscommunication. That was probably the start of our demise. Just FYI... I always liked buttering your bread. LolI'm trying to learn to chill. My problem is when I have down time, I get in my head. NOT a good place to be. That's what happened to me this Sunmer. I wanted to be home all Summer & thought I would do a ton of cool things. Got what I wished for & liked it. Impossible travel plans came through like rain it was amazing. 

I've never been great at expressing my feelings. Makes me vulnerable. Only a few times I really fully trusted you. That's a big part of why I didn't share b/c I didn't want things to change. Anger, frustration & shutting down was b/c I didn't think I could tell you how I really felt or what I wanted. I knew you had others & if I didn't say or do the right thing you would give them my time. That's the last thing I wanted. You have to remember that i don't recall you asking either. Again too much assuming what was needed/wanted on both of our parts. I have nothing to lose now by being honest. Last time we spoke you said some really really mean things to me. Amongst those that you hated me. If you go away today & we don't speak again for several more years at least you will know how I feel for better or worse. Not saying anything to be mean or hurt your feelings b/c that's definitely not my intention. Just letting you know my perspective. You know I don't really think we ever said I love you to each other that i felt it was real from you. Nice to know hindsight. Sure would have been nice if we hadn't let our egos get in the way, huh? I did those things b/c I loved you. Wasn't big on saying my emotions then, more of showing my love. Funny I tell people all the time that I love them now. 

I don't do what I do for recognition. I do it b/c it's the right thing to do. These days that's few & far between. I was raised by some damn heathens but I was taught to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I would want others to help me if I was in the same situation. Luckily I've never needed much help b/c I can honestly say probably 90% of people I've helped wouldn't lift a finger. That's ok b/c I never expect anything in return. 

I come out on the other side of my problems doing well b/c there is no other option for me. I have no one to rely on. Nobody is going to do it for me except me. That is the realization I live with everyday!!! Sad state of affairs if I do say so myself. I love it due to the fact that I have honestly, responsibility, and accountability. 

Happiness & Joy sound great. I hope you succeed.. Many lessons learned on both sides. I'm glad you reached out. I'm quite content with having lunch or a drink if both schedules match but understand there will be walls & Armour as you like to call it. Nothing personal just protective. You really were my safe space sometimes but still felt judged a lot for not having my shit together too. I was just thinking while I was on the phone that I must have not thought you were being genuine. Or we weren't in a good place when you said you loved me. You used to do extra stuff to make up for when you had stood me up or acted crazy. Maybe it was one of those times. As a general rule a year or so into us I would have been over the moon. But the first of many "just friends" off of tender was the last of us honestly.

[johanna-swann]

I've been discussing how we would rank the Star Wars Episodes with one of my friends, we watched a film critic's take on it too, I asked my brother and cousin about it and it seems like everyone has a different opinion. My friend really like the sequels, my brother prefers the prequels and my cousin stans the original trilogy.

Eventually I always come back to the conclusion that it's not about actual quality. All three Star Wars trilogies have their ups and downs, strengths and weaknesses. Which of the weaknesses you're happy to bear and which ones you can't stand is personal preference.

The original trilogy often gets more nostalgia points than it probably deserves. Yes, it's cinema history and I kinda love the low-key trashy vibe, the characters are pretty basic yet very iconic, but the pacing. Oh my. I don't mind a little slow burn (Andor did this brilliantly), but there are often spans when for 20 or 30 minutes nothing happens. Then again the important moments often come on so suddenly and happen so fast that it feels almost anticlimactic. And Episode VI? Everybody complained when the sequel trilogy came along and copied Episode IV, but Episode VI does the exact same thing and it's fine?

All in all iconic, loveable movies (especially Episode V), but they do have substantial weaknesses (especially Episode VI).

The prequels are often more appreciated by younger fans, hated on by og trilogy fans and they have a completely different vibe. Less space-magic fairytale, more political intrigue and tragedy. This trilogy has a very low low and a very high high.

Episode I wasn't super exciting, but kinda cute. I love that we meet Anakin so young, Darth Maul is pretty cool in this movie and Qui Gon and Obi Wan's relationship is really touching. Episode II was a dumpster fire. Everything it tried to do was done 10000 times better in Clone Wars. Episode III then was really great again and very emotional. Was Anakin's fall to the dark side a bit sudden, yes. Some of the dialogue is still very cringe worthy. But this is the movie that gives you the real classic tragedy stuff. You're rooting for Anakin, hoping he'll come through when you already know where his story ends.

The sequel trilogy is a tough one and is strongly disliked by all kinds of Star Wars fans, but sometimes I think people are too harsh and unforgiving with it. Episode VII isn't bad, quite good even, the visuals are great (compared to prequel cgi...), it introduces a bunch of new characters really well and those characters are so interesting. I love the main trio so much. It felt in parts very Disney and the plot was copy pasted from Episode IV, but as I said, that's basically what Episode VI did too. It was a solid start, then came the problems.

I didn't mind Finn going of with Rose in Episode VIII all that much. It wasn't really that important to the main plot, but it showed that while the galaxy suffers there's also war profeteers living their best life. Both Rose and Finn have never really known anything but war and suddenly they're confronted with this high society living in luxury at the cost of innocent lives. I also wasn't annoyed with Rey trying to save Ben yet, that came later. Poe's story on the other hand was complete nonsense. Leia's friend (I forgot her name) risked the entire rebellion because? She wanted to teach Poe a lesson about patience? And Luke would never, ever, not for a moment raise his lightsaber against a sleeping child. Again, the visuals were great. That last battle with the red and white landscape looked amazing. There are worse Star Wars movies.

Episode IX is where it completely fell apart. Somehow Palpatine returned. Rey is his granddaughter. After not only having killed his father, having tortured Rey and friends and having declared himself the new supreme leader of the galaxy, Rey is still trying to save Kylo? Kylo made his fucking choice. Several times actually. The last hour or so it felt like watching a pingpong match. "Oh, Palpatine returns, but Rey is on her way! Oh, he has a fleet. Don't worry, the rebels are coming! But there's too few of them! Nevermind, they got backup. But Rey is still losing against Palpatine! But what is that? Kylo Ren with a steel chair!" It was like a drawn out back-forth-back-forth which then climaxed in Kylo Ren kissing Rey back to life? I think the only way to enjoy this movie is to be a Kylo Ren fan. Which I am not. So yeah, I can't say anything good about Episode IX. Except the trio looked hot. Not even Episode II sucked this hard.

This rant got out of hand, but oh well. My point stands. All three trilogies have at least one rather strong movie and one not all that great, pretty bad actually movie. Og has pacing trouble, prequel has dialogue cringe, sequel lost the plot halfway through. At least my friend, brother, cousin, the film critic and I all agreed that Rogue One is an unexpected masterpiece and that the worst Star Wars movie of all was Solo.

[demonsandmischief]

Our Moment Pt 2

Marvel - A Captain America Fairytale AU

King! Steve Rogers x Female Reader

Here's Part 1

1.2K Words

Here's my Masterlist.

Our Moment Pt 2

the beginning of the end - angst alert

---

The scent of books hit your nose and you grinned at the familiar comfort.

"I take it you like this room," Steve smiled down at you.

His smile was contagious, and you gave an eager nod. "I've never seen so many. The bookstore in town only has a small collection that I have already read through three times."

"You are welcome to borrow whatever you'd like. This shelf here are my personal favorites. "

"Really?" you asked shocked, a smile finding its way onto your lips. It was almost always there when Steve was around. "I've read most of these."

"You have incredible taste."

You and the king had been spending a lot of time together for the last few weeks. You were undeniable close, and that terrified you, even still, you absolutely adored Steve.

You pulled gently on a book that caught your eye, tracing your finger over the cover.

"Will you be coming to the ball in a few days?" He stepped closer. You could feel the heat of him on your back and you bit back a blush.

"I don't-"

"I would like you to be there."

You turned around so you were facing him, and meeting his solemn blue eyes.

"You would?" your voice is a gentle whisper, and Steve's features soften as his lips curl up once more. His thumb grazes your cheek hesitantly.

"They're not much fun," he admits, keeping his voice as quiet as yours. "but they would be tolerable with you there."

"I'll think about it," you said.

He nodded, stepping back. "I'll wait for you under the gazebo in the courtyard just before midnight. I wish I could meet you earlier, but-"

"It's okay, I understand," you reassured. He took your hand in his and you bit your lip to hide the giddy smile.

---

"Mother, if I finish my chores may I please go to the ball with you?" you asked as you cleared the dinner dishes.

The lanky woman with dark eyes and a polished face flashed you an assuming look. "Why would you ever want to go there? You know it's not a place for your kind."

"I understand," you whispered, even though everything in you recoiled at her harshness. "But I have never been to one and I would just like to see what it's like. That's all."

You swore she could see right through your sort-of lie. She sipped her tea. "I'll think about it. Continue along." She dismissed you.

You didn't expect her to give in so easily and it left an uneasy feeling in your gut.

The day of the ball, you were serving your step-mother and step-sister breakfast.

"You can go, but you must find your own dress and your own ride. You must get everything on this list done first."

You step-sister huffed, but you couldn't be more excited. You did your best to school your features as you took the folded piece of paper from her fingers.

"Thank you," you said, only to find out there was double the amount of chores as usual. There was no way you were going to finish before midnight. You didn't even have a dress.

Yet, you still did your best to remain optimistic and got started right away.

It was nearly ten at night when you finished, and an idea struck you about a dress. You yanked an old, dusty trunk from under your bed. It was the only box of things you had of your mother's.

You had kept her favorite dress tucked and wrapped protectively away. It wasn't nearly as fancy as some of the newer ball gowns, but it was perfect to you.

The soft baby blue bodice hung to your body before splaying out into a silky skirt. It felt like a dream, and luckily hid your tattered shoes.

You saddled up Peaches, and sped down the trail.

The large luminous clocktower in the distance was your only sense of time. The minute hand seemed to be moving faster then you could keep up with as you caught glimmers of it through the trees.

The loud croaks of midnight came just after you landed in the courtyard. You could hear the noise from the ballroom above, but the garden felt miles away as you focused in on the tall man with his back turned to you. He appeared lost in thought.

"Hello," you greeted gently, hoping he heard you approach. His body language unnerved you. "I know I am late-"

"I knew it was too good to be true. It was a set up all along," he said, his back still facing you.

"What are you talking about?" you asked, feeling your heart pick up speed.

He finally turned to face you, his blue eyes steely and unreadable. They gleamed from the glow of the party. "You don't have to keep up the charade. I know."

"You know what, Steve?"

"Don't call me that," his voice remained even, but you felt the bite to it as you took a trembling step back. "Your mother told me of your plan." He ran a hand through his hair, an aggravated sigh escaping his lips.

---

The presumptuous looking lady blocked Steve's sight of the door he was watching. He couldn't wait to see you tonight. He hoped you would show.

"Your highness," she greeted with an exaggerated curtsey. "I have something you would like to know."

"Alright," he answered, dismissing the men he was half listening to and shifting his full focus to her. "Please continue."

"My daughter had been sneaking out, and as a worried mother, I had to check in on her. She's never opened up to me, so I went to her diary. As it turns out, y/n has been meeting up with you."

He straightened. "You're her mother?" You didn't seem to have anything in common with this woman, certainly not looks. You were beautiful and natural and-. He shook his head.

She gave a fake charming laugh, "Don't act so surprised, My King." She dropped her smile to something that could only be seen as pitiful. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it's better to hear it from me. In her diary, she writes about how boring you are, and how much she dreads hanging out with you. She's only doing it for the crown."

Steve didn't want to believe her, but it was his worst fear coming into light. He felt his heart sink into his stomach.

Why else would anyone hang out with him? Should it really bother him that everyone was the same?

You though, he had expected different.

"Thank you for telling me," he said, turning away and missing the lady's evil, satisfied smirk.

---

"Why would your mother lie?" he asked you. He couldn't deny the miserable feeling in his gut from your hurt expression.

"She's not my mother. She's my step-mom."

"She found your diary," he pressed.

"I don't even have a diary," you whispered exasperated, smearing a fallen tear with your palm.

The silence was tangible.

"Why would you believe her over me?" The tears continue to fall and you decided to let them.

Steve extended his arm, but you stepped back, feeling the heartbreak close your throat. You struggled to swallow the lump.

You liked him a lot, maybe even loved him. You had spent an unbelievable amount of time together for how busy the both of you were, and maybe you should have clued him in on your home life. You just didn't want to be pitied.

Maybe this was for the better. You were world's apart, and you weren't ready to be something you weren't.

----

He called your name, but you were already walking away.

PART THREE

AN:

This was only supposed to be two parts but it got too long 🙈 a third is on its way. Hopefully it won't take me as long to get published.

If you want tagged in part 3, please comment on the FIRST PART. helps me keep track better.

Taglist:@lharrietg @eralen @animegirlgeeky @trudy-shams @liecastillo

Thank you for reading and comment and reblogging. I see every single one. It makes my day ❤️❤️❤️

[thewatercolours]

1 - Favorite fic.... ooooooh it varies, but top two is Goblin Graham and the other being that quiet talk between Graham and no2. Something about the former being so unknown to me that I'm dying to know how it goes and how it ends, how Graham manages to get out of this situation (if he does) and just... I have so many questions but I want to be a good reader and wait to see how it unfolds. Meanwhile, with the latter, it's so calming and pleasant and I love those fics where there's a quiet moment between characters.

6 - Something I remember vividly from one of your fics is actually the first goblin Graham fic. The confrontation he has with Manny is something that stuck out to me and hasn't really left, not sure why but I think it might be the anger or defeat in Graham's tone... something about it made it decide to live in my head. Within that same fic, Graham talking to Olfie also stuck out and I remember vividly because not a lot of people write Olfie (I'm guilty of that as well) and that entire scene I heard his voice and it was just.... -chef kiss-

8 - What I like the most about your writing is that there's something about it that makes me feel like I've stumbled onto a fairy tale I shouldn't be reading, like one of those books that's locked up in the deepest part of the library never to see the light of the day. And I mean that in the best way possible because your writing does have that Brothers Grimm kind of vibe, if that makes sense? Your writing also has this air of mystery to it that I can't help but want to know more of, which again falls back on that forbidden story vibes.

9 - Speaking of goblins, I am VERY excited to see the next part in this adventure, to see what the mirror is trying to share with Graham and now Olfie. I'm an eager little clown, what can I say?

11 - And now to be a wee bit selfish.... would love a fic of how no1 got into the state he's in with this supposed immortality. You dropped the hints and winks and now I want to find the darn book that has the story.

You are making my heart go all warm. Thank you so much! This makes me feel so so encouraged and loved. This is so very specific and kind and you took the time to write this out. Just -

As is probably obvious, Goblin Graham really grabbed my heart and ran off with it, so much so that (shhh...) almost everything in the Rippling Consequences arc relates to Goblin Graham. (That and about why the mirror shone golden in the game prologue but settled into purple waves afterwards - it's a long, roundabout answer.) I should really go and take out of the few scenes that don't and put them in their own space on ao3, to avoid confusion.

Oh gosh - for that scene with Number Two are you talking about "Solstice?" I had nearly forgotten about that one! Hm... Maybe I should have Number Three and Graham have a very soft chat up on the ramparts of the castle just so I can complete a hat trick.

Your talk of off-limits fairytales brought me back to a memory from when I was about seven or eight. I had a lovely book of traditional fairy tales, both well-known and obscure. I remember distinctly that there was one about a man who determined to find the Garden of Eden itself, to see if he could steal a fruit from the tree of life and live forever. Everyone warned him this could come to no good - it was a place forbidden by both man and God, ever since Adam and Eve's sin. I remember more vaguely that a stranger with a skull for a head helped him find the way. When he got there, he avoided the main gate with the angel with the flaming sword, and found a place where he could climb over the hedge. and he looked down into the garden, and saw... I can't tell you what he saw, because my small self was so overcome with the delicious forbidden of it all that I could not go on reading. I felt like I'd broken the lock to some terrible and secret sanctum, and that this story was not for my eyes. I was dying to read what happened next, but the storyteller had so thoroughly impressed on me that this was terrible and forbidden that I dared not. I... threw that book in the garbage, secretly. I think it was less that was I terrible prude as a child, and more that I had an openness to what I read that was capable of shaking me to the core. I wonder if I will ever find that book again one day? Hm. This is a tangent.

As for the story of how Number One got his immortality - now that's a good idea.

[aio-rya]

"Iris" — Malleus x f!Reader

「Requested by: Anon」

『This is the Iris version I used for this songifc, I felt it was perfect』

ー・Φ・ー

And I'd give up forever to touch you

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't want to go home right now

Once again, his path brought him to the human child's dorm. It looked so different by daylight, the view of the old building was not that bad but night in that place had another meaning: his encounters with his little mortal. He was unbelievable about his thoughts, flying around her, as if he could smell her sweet perfume and feeling the tip of her fingers grabbing his coat. A little laugh scaped through his lips as he turned around, taking his leave —unexpectedly, he spotted someone sleeping under a tree near the path that led to main street.

As he walked by, he realised it was his little human friend. She was so peaceful and quiet while sleeping, her pale eyelids and her pink lips made her look so innocent, like a porcelain doll. Avoiding any kind of noise, he sat down next to her, under the fresh shadow of the tree. He remained there the whole afternoon, watching over her sleep and even humming a lullaby he remembered Lilia used to sing for Silver.

Malleus was fighting with the impulse of caressing her soft skin, startled when she, still sleeping, moved her head near to his legs. Babbling quietly on her sleep.

"Tsuno-chan..."

As the sun was setting on the horizon, on the opposite side to where he and his beloved girl were facing, she woke up —even then, sleepy, she was beautiful.

"You look like an angel" he whispered, putting his book down on his legs while she sat down.

"How long have you been here?" she asked with drowsy voice, yawning.

He chuckled, "long enough to take care of you."

"Then, you are my guardian angel" she answered, getting nearer.

"I am no angel. I have lived in a cold, enormous and empty castle for centuries. But having a friend, loving someone like you... That is the nearest thing I have to heaven" he muttered, as if he was afraid of those words.

She smiled and his heart beat increased.

"Should we get inside?" she asked, standing up as he pulled her arm. Her tiny body landed over Malleus' legs.

"I'd rather stay here with you" he said, lifting her ching with a finger. "Do you feel it? The cold shiver running down your spine?"

She remained quiet as he started getting near, mixing their breathing. Is he going to...

"What are you thinking about?" he whispered almost against her lips.

She stared at his beautiful green dragon eyes, then at his lips, lightly blushed.

"You."

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

And sooner or later, it's over

I just don't wanna miss you tonight

They saw stars shining in the distance as night covered the sky, cold wind caressed their skin as moonlight witnessed their long unspoken love. Life was so different before, without him, and for the great prince, it was too without her. Everything he knew was loneliness as he only had Lilia by his side, for eternity, while the human lifes passed by in the blink of an eye. He never really cared about them, the sons of men, since there were millions and almost everyone of them were similar.

But she. She was an exception. He was condemned to the hell of a life that would last eons, such as Lilia, he will live as the people he loved died —and now, he was afraid of losing her, the young lady who laid down on his chest, the one who never feared him, the so daring and brave human he was holding between his arms.

"What is it, Tsunotaro?" she whispered, tightening her hold over his waist.

"You will never learn, won't you?" he laughed, kissing her forehead. "What should it be?" he answered, trying to keep the mysterious atmosphere.

"You hold your breath when you're worried" she stated, burying her nose on the collar of his shirt.

"How would you know that?" he asked, giggling. Oh, how happy she was, since no one but her coulg listen to him like that. So... Tender.

"I was told by a little bird~" she crooned, lifting her head.

"A silver one, pheraphs~?" he followed her tone, mischievously.

"Pheraphs not" she laughed, laying over him, looking straight into his beautiful emerald eyes, "What is worrying you, my king?"

My king, he taught. You only called him like that when you were serious.

"Human life is... Ephemeral. It has and end, sooner or later. That's why you live every moment with such intensity, so you can leave this life without regrets" Malleus started explaining, caressing her plum lips with his cold finger, "You treasure every important memory, every true love's kiss, every reward earned after taking a risk... And yet, we the faes live long enough to remember our humans with love and pain."

"Is... Is this some kind of... Farewell?" the young one asked, with some tears stuck on her throat.

"It is not. If fact... I want to do as you" he smiled, holding the back of her head, getting near to her face, "I want to engrave this moment with fire on my heart. Your smell, the smoothness of your skin, the taste of your lips..." his voice was deeper, not sad but nostalgic, his lips dangerously close to hers, "Breathing the same atmosphere as you."

He leaned forward to catch her between his lips, cold but sweet, tender but needy, fragile as strong. She was breathless, speechless —it was a feeling none of them had experienced ever before.

"I want to remember this night, so I won't ever miss you again. I want to remember every inch of you forever."

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming

Or the moment of truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies

Yeah, you bleed just to know, you're alive

"If that is what makes her happy, I'm willing to sacrifice my own happiness" he stated with powerful but polite voice, staring blankly at the letter on the table aside him.

"You have surely grown up, Malleus" certain ancient fae answered with a gleam of proud on his voice, leaning forward, putting his hands over the prince's shoulders. "But you will not be happy with her choise, you can lie her. But you can't lie yourself."

"I--"

"I know. Life is not as fairytales, you may feel you are near your 'happily ever after', but fate is unpredictable" Lilia spoke before his ward could, trying to understand how he must have been feeling about losing her, his beloved human child.

"I'm fine" Malleus stated once again. "I can't allow myself to break down, it is not proper of the Heir of the Valley of Thorns". He was lying to himself and he was clearly aware of that, not even his guardian, who knew him as the hilt of his very own sword, could be fooled by his unconcerned visage.

"Malleus... If you need to release those feelings, I--"

"It's fine, Lilia. I'll be fine. There's no need for crying nor overthinking the situation" he stood up from the chair at the Diasomnia's dinning room and made his way toward the door. "I'll take my leave. I need to prepare a farewell gift for the Child of Men. That is proper from a Prince."

I never mentioned crying, my dear. The short fae thought with a sigh , taking the letter between his fingers while walking towards the main door of the castle.

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

"What is this?" she asked, taking the black velvety box Malleus handled out to her.

"A gift. A farewell gift" he said bitterly, also tenderly as the eyes of her human watered.

"F-fare...wel..." she whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. "So it is true? Are you willing to sacrifice your own happiness for letting me go, then? I... I can't. An eternity thinking about this moment, heavier than our memories together..."

"We have to fulfil our own duties. And you have a world waiting for you" he insisted, taking a few steps back.

"I have a world waiting for me, but it is not in the other side of the mirror. It is here, with you" her voice was shaking.

"You are a human. Your life is as fragile as a leaf... It is made to break, you are made to die."

"That's how life works."

He suddenly felt her hands trying to reach his face, tip toeing because of the height difference. She lifted a black hair strand from his forehead, revealing his birth marks and caressing them with her thumb; he was astonished.

"You truly are a fearless human" he said, recovering from the initial shock. Leaning forward for her to touch his whole skin.

"I don't have to fear you" her eyes were now closed, as he made possible to touch each other forehead, "I know you. I've walked with you... Even in my dreams."

Her arms surrounded Malleus as she held him tightly, burying her nose on his neck.

"Even if the world doesn't see what I do, I will still love you. And if you ask me, I will stay. I don't care if they never understand, I don't mean they do--"

She was silenced by a sudden kiss. Something she never expected to be so rough yet too careful.

"And this is my gift to you: I will always love you..."

"Until my last breath."

ー・Φ・ー

It has been a while since my last songifc. So... It's up to you guys, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

[somersetmummy]

(A/N) This is a TNA one shot, taking place immediately following book 1 chapter 12 (the gala balcony scene). Characters, some storyline and some dialogue property of Pixelberry.

Story told from point of view of MC Katie Hide. Internal character thoughts are written in italics.

I tried to think about how they would get through the rest of the gala after their little extra curricular activities on the balcony….so here it is!

Original characters: Katie Hide (MC), Sam Dalton, Vivienne Dalton, Mason Sr Dalton, Carter

New characters: Laney, Ryan

Content warning: Some light adult language

Summary: Nanny Katie Hide and her boss Sam Dalton finally take their relationship to the next step on the night of the gala, but just when they should be feeling elated, things spiral quickly. Can they get through the rest of the evening together now that things have changed for good?

Word count: 3462 (I’m out of control!)

- Bonus social edits at the end -

Alone on the balcony, looking out over the city's twinkling lights, she should've been basking in the afterglow of the best sex of her life but instead she feels empty. Her resolve held strong in front of Sam as he skulked off seemingly full of regret but now, her mind races through every minute detail of what had just happened.

Instead of taking the time to carefully ingrain every delicious detail of their time together into her memory, she painfully second guessed every move, every touch, every whispered promise. Once her exhausted mind began to fray she decided to sweep the whole thing under the carpet determined to save face, for now. Collecting herself, she absentmindedly ran her fingers up and down her arms, goose bumps standing proud, finally giving in to the cold night air.

On her way back towards the ballroom, while wondering how the hell she was going to get through the rest of the evening, she prolongs her return to reality by ducking into one of the lavish bathrooms to freshen up.  The room is quiet, an older lady leaves as she enters, another younger girl, probably around her age, is refreshing her makeup by one of the opulent vanity's. She sits down on the plush velvet ottoman in the middle of the vanity area with a sigh, not really sure what to do next.

"Well you look like you've been through the ringer!"

Turning towards the kind voice, the girl who was doing her makeup, a warm glow pours out to her as the stranger looks her up and down with genuine concern. Her face is one of those which feels familiar, like someone she could’ve known her whole life. It is enough to encourage her to open up a little and feels like a relief to have someone to talk to after feeling so alone out on that balcony.

"I'm sort of having the best night of my life as well as the worst. And to top it all off I've left my purse in the main room..." She gestures towards her untidy hair and slightly smudged makeup by way of an explanation.

The stranger offers a knowing look in reply.

“So are you here with someone? Your dress is divine by the way."

Smoothing the front of her dress, Katie replies absentmindedly, "Oh no, I'm just here with my boss, filling in an empty seat at the last minute." Hesitant to share more with someone she'd just met, she kept the more intimate details to herself.

"Me too, well sort of. I'm a stylist, one of my clients insisted I join them to make sure they look perfect all night long, god forbid her dress creases when she sits down for dinner!" She waves Katie over to the vanity and the open make up case. "Here, use whatever you need." She continues watching as Katie gratefully grabs a brush and some powder. "I'm really just starting out but figure these sorts of events are great publicity if I can dress the right people. I mean they're all living on another planet of course but they love to be in the spotlight and gush about their outfits, which is great for me!"

The pair chat easily together for a while before Katie glances at the time on her phone screen realising she'd been gone much longer than anticipated. She’d enjoyed having an ally and getting her mind off the car crash of a moment with Sam, truth be told, she’d much rather stay here in the safety of her mirrored cave and the kindness of a stranger than plaster a smile on her face and return to the Dalton’s table. With a wistful smile she turns to the stranger.

"I suppose I should be getting back, although I can't say I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm Laney by the way." She holds her hand out to Katie and they share a gentle shake.

"I'm Katie. I've really enjoyed hiding out in here with you, thanks for everything." Leaving Laney to pack up the overly large purse full of beauty treasures, Katie heads back towards the bustling ballroom. Barely making it into the room, Laney breathlessly catches up to her holding out a business card.

"Hey, I thought maybe we could meet up for a coffee sometime, you know if you want to have someone in the real world to spend time with!" She points over to someone across the room and continues animatedly, "You said you went to NYIT right? I'm sure my friend Ryan would love to meet you too, he did his Grad course there and always loves a trip down memory lane!"

Taking the card, Katie’s eyes are drawn to Sam over Laney's shoulder. He looks just as he did before the balcony, the ever professional businessman, as if nothing had ever happened. He gives a slight tip of his head in Katie’s direction, motioning for her to join him back at the table.

The new friends share a quick hug promising to catch up soon and she makes her way over to Sam who won't quite meet her eye. Despite the frostiness between them, he's a gentleman at heart and doesn't think twice about pulling out her chair, tucking it in gently as she sits. As the bustle of dinner being served continues around them, the thorny silence between them grows thick with unspoken feelings.

After a whirlwind of Sam and his parents catching up over the exploits of various family friends and tales of the boys, Vivienne turns to smile at Katie.

"Now dear, we're being rude talking around you as though you're not here. Sam tells me you're quite the budding scientist yourself?"

She looks to Sam to see him offering a helpless smile and shrug of the shoulders and can’t help but wonder whether he’d shared anything about his previous employees with his mother, or if she was the first. As Katie pulls her eyes away from Sam’s, she pushes down all the feelings which bubbled up inside her and plasters on her most professional smile.

"Yes, Mrs Dalton, I have a Masters in Chemistry and up until recently was managing projects for Panacea Labs."

Being the expert that she is at reading people, Katie astutely notices how Mr Dalton’s ears prick, he clearly didn't know that there was more to her than being 'just a nanny', whatever that means.

"Please dear, you're practically family, call me Vivienne."

A warm glow fills her body at the thought of being accepted into the fold of the Dalton family. Smiling back at Vivienne, she continues to share stories of her experiences in the industry, her passion for science and her love for exploring through the twins eyes.

"Mickey and Mason are such a brilliant example of how a love of science can be developed at a young age. They're so curious and passionate about exploring, it's such a pleasure to be a part of."

Next to her, barely able to disguise the pride he feels for her, Sam tries his best to remain outwardly impassive while watching the rest of the table listen attentively, completely captivated by her storytelling. He'd meant it earlier on the balcony when he'd agreed that she was meant to be by his side, a partner not a secret he had to hide his feelings for. He just didn't know how to make it a reality, trapped within his own life. But in this moment, his feelings bubble to the surface and it takes everything he has not to take her in his arms in front of everyone and let them come flooding out for all to see.

After all, it wasn’t Katie’s fault that his true feelings for her hit him like a tonne of bricks earlier that evening while he watched her effortlessly talk Selene into keeping her shares. In front of his parents no less. Right there, everything he loves about her shone out for everyone to see and he realised he was deeply and helplessly in love. It just wasn’t with his fiancée. Hell that's the reason he took Katie out to the balcony in the first place, to steal a moment to share how he really feels but as always he was too much of a coward to do anything about it in fear or letting everyone else down and jeopardising his sons future.

He knows that the only way to try to push through it all is to detach himself from Katie as much as possible, even if it means becoming the bad guy. In his mind, she deserves better, she deserves the damn fairytale and that's just not something he's able to give.

As they move through the plentiful courses of dinner, Mason Sr continues to interrogate Katie on her knowledge and opinions of various scientific and business theories, although his directness falters as the meal goes on and they both seem to enjoy the lively debates. Vivienne occasionally interjects with questions of her own about Katie’s family, her life back in England and whether it's difficult to be far from home. To Katie, it almost feels like she’s on a 'meet the parents' date which in her mind could be going a lot worse.

When coffee is finally offered, Mason Sr stands abruptly, eyes focussed on Sam.

“Ladies, while this evening's discussions have been...interesting, I think it's time we get down to some business." He nods curtly at Sam before gesturing towards a quieter bar area off the back of the room.

Sam stands to follow him but not before turning to Katie and instinctively placing a hand on her shoulder. She involuntarily shudders at his touch as her mind races back to the last time they touched on the balcony.

"This shouldn't take too long, will you be ok here?"

"Of course she will darling, I'm not going to bite her!" Vivienne cuts in before she can reply. Sam nods in approval towards her and lingers for a moment before walking away to meet his father. Katie's shoulder still tingling at the memory of his touch.

Katie looks across the ballroom taking in the general splendour and jovial atmosphere while Vivienne takes the opportunity to really look at her, contemplating how much to share with her. After taking a few sips of coffee, she turns herself to fully face Katie and offers a warm smile.

"I can see why the boys are so taken with you...all of them."

The honesty of her comment takes Katie by surprise. Unsure how to respond, she slowly turns to meet Vivienne’s eye, raising her eyebrow slightly in question.

"You're all the things Sam said you were. He was right when he told me we'd get on well."

The intensity of Vivienne’s gaze is so strong Katie daren't look away.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for them all. They've come alive again since having you in their life. Poor Sara was taken from him far too soon, from us all really...it was all so hard on Sam and the boys." She trails off clearly lost in memory. "I know he cares for you and wants you to feel part of the family."

“Shit” she thinks to herself. Feeling like a rabbit caught in headlights, Katie's mind races. Does she know? How can she, they've only met once before, surely that's not enough to make her suspicious?

"I think Sam's just taken pity on me because I'm so far from home and he knows I don't have any family around. He and the boys have been so gracious in making me feel welcome."

Hoping she sounds convincing she takes a sip of coffee, relishing the opportunity to hide her blushing cheeks behind the cup. Vivienne suddenly looks up with Katie follow her gaze over her shoulder. Behind her, Laney is standing with a cowboy-next-door handsome man in tow, a welcome interruption. His dirty blonde hair is slightly unkempt, his frame more lean than Sam's but he still carries an athletic look, he smiles charmingly at Katie.

“Excuse me" Laney directs to Vivienne before turning to speak to Katie. “This is my friend Ryan who I was telling you about earlier."

Katie reaches out to shake his hand which he is already holding out towards her.

"I hear you're a fellow NYIT grad? You look far too respectable to have hung out in the sort of dives I used to find myself in!"

"Try me..." she challenges with a twinkle in her eye.

Laney rolls her eyes with boredom and escapes, business card in hand, to fawn over an awkwardly dressed woman at another table.

"Would you like to dance? I promise not to break out the old NYIT match day chant moves!"

She can't help but laugh at his natural charm. After looking to Vivienne, who waves her hand in approval, she lets Ryan lead her out to the dance floor where they sway together at ease in each other's company reminiscing. It’s a far cry from the intimate dance with Sam earlier that evening, instead Katie could relax into it knowing that she wasn’t trying to hide anything, and it felt freeing.

As Sam's discussion, or more accurately argument, with his father comes to an end he heads back to the table where he notices his mother is sitting alone.

“Where's Katie?" He asks forgetting to hide the panic in his voice, worried for the second time that evening, after she had disappeared to the bathroom for half an hour, that Katie had thought better of compromising herself for him and fled the gala.

Vivienne nods towards the dance floor, Sam's eyes follow and a bolt of jealousy hits him right in the heart as he sees her in the arms of another man.

With a steely glare he starts towards her but is stopped by Vivienne's hand firmly holding him back by his arm.

“Leave her be, she's enjoying herself."

Letting out an almost inaudible sigh he sits down next to his mother but can't pull his eyes away, so enthralled that his mother's voice is almost a whisper in the background.

"She really is wonderful darling, I know even your father is impressed, of course he'll never say it." Her arm still resting on his, she studies Sam's face before continuing, "What a shame you’d not met her sooner.”

Allowing himself for a moment to hope that his mother's glowing reference suggests she is in approval of his relationship with Katie becoming something more, Sam smiles and leans forward ready to gush even more. He catches himself just in time as the ever repeating voices in his head remind him of his responsibility and everyone else's expectations of him, instead he brings it back to the boys.

"Yes she's brilliant with Mason and Mickey, they're lucky to have her."

Dancing and talking together with Ryan, Katie had almost forgotten about Sam and their earlier tryst on the balcony, grateful for the distraction and if she was being honest the attention. It's not every day that she goes to the effort of dressing up at the last minute and schmoozes the un-scmoozable to help her sort-of-boyfriend look good, it's nice to have someone sweep her off her feet and put her first for once.

"Your boyfriend doesn't seem too happy about us dancing together" Ryan nods towards Sam who is trying to get their attention, his parents behind him appear to be getting ready to leave.

"He's not my boyfriend."

Ryan's eyes widen sensing an opportunity. “Well I guess that's good news for me...can I call you sometime, take you out for dinner?"

She drops her gaze, shaking her head slightly.

“I'm sorry, I don't think it's a good idea..." trailing off, he gently lifts her chin to look up at him.

"But you're single...?"

"No, I...it's...it's complicated" she stutters while looking over his shoulder at Sam, who looks less than thrilled.

"Well, if you change your mind, Laney has my number." With that, he kisses her hand and watches the silk of her gown cling to her hips as she walks away.

Returning to the table, Mason Sr takes Katie’s hand and shakes it almost warmly.

“Pleasure to see you again Katie. Excellent damage control with Selene earlier...very impressive."

He moves to Sam, impassively shaking his hand as Vivienne envelopes her in a hug, kissing each cheek.

"Wonderful to see you again dear, give those grandsons of mine one of these from me!"

Katie smiles tenderly back at her, nodding in agreement.

After the Dalton's leave, Katie and Sam remain at the table, sipping their drinks in awkward silence, steadily interrupted by acquaintances of Sam's wanting to talk business. Finally, noticing Katie’s arm propping up her tired head, Sam stands.

“I think that's enough shop talk for one night, let's get you home."

Waiting for the limo to pull to the front of the building Sam notices her shiver in the cold night air. He takes off his jacket and wraps it around her shoulders, the most contact they’ve had all evening since being intertwined on the balcony together. His gaze lingers on hers, neither able to look away. She tries to read his thoughts as she looks deep into his eyes but all she sees is a muddle of pain, confusion and longing. It doesn't make her feel any better.

"Mr Dalton..." the driver says with a small cough as he stands by the open limo door.

Sam pulls away and walks her over to the limo with his hand hovering behind the small of her back, not daring to touch. Once settled in their seats it doesn't take long for the gentle motion of the car to send Katie to sleep, her head lulling and dropping onto Sam's shoulder.

It takes everything he has for him not to wrap his arms around her, his mind conflicted thinking of the nights events. The incredible connection they shared on the balcony, the fire within him burning hotter and brighter than ever before, his mother's glowing review, hell even his father had been impressed and suggested during their conversation in the bar that Katie’s role within the Dalton empire might be wasted as just a nanny. But none of these thoughts could quite suppress his feelings of guilt at falling for another woman, his responsibility to his sons, the business and their legacies. At least not in his mind.

Back in the penthouse, Sam makes his way into the open plan living area to find, thinking him for his help with the boys. Katie hangs back, not wanting to make small talk in front of Carter, who is incredibly astute and would no doubt piece together that things were not as they seemed.

"Miss Hide, you're a vision!"

Walking towards the elevator, Carter beams at her like a proud dad seeing his daughter on her wedding day.

“I didn't get the chance to see you before you left, my my..."

"Thank you Carter. And thank you for watching the boys, I hope they weren't too much trouble?!"

He taps his nose, keeping secret whatever mischief they got up to that evening. She smiles back at him knowingly as he steps into the elevator and the doors close.

As she turns back towards the living room she is halted by Sam standing right in front of her, so close, she almost crashes into him. Sheepishly she hands him his jacket as he offers a bottle of water in exchange.

‘You should never go to bed dehydrated" he blurts out, trying to fill the gaping silence.

“Sam...."

"Goodnight Katie, thank you for your help this evening, I appreciate you coming."

Unable to muster up enough energy to argue push any further, Katie drops her gaze to the floor as she shakes her head disappointedly. She walks away without a word, her heart aching more than she thought possible.

TAG List: @shewillreadyou @chemist-ana @txemrn @silma-words @thefrenchiemama @secretaryunpaid @sfb123

- Bonus - photo posted by Katie the morning after followed by a conversation with Jenny (before Sam drops the Italy bombshell and she was supposed to have the day off!)

[marshmallowprotection]

Hey! Hey! I just read your answer to the writing reader x character fics ask and wanted to bonk you with a LOT OF APPRECIATION FOR CALLUNA!!

I'm so amazed by it still, it's so heartwarming that you've written something so beautiful inspired by one of my pieces and from where I'm currently at, the story, the plot, SAERAN, the MC/reader, every other character, they're all so on point. I just love it so much, your use of words is wonderful and the whole fic is incredible, I still cannot comprehend how good it is?? I can with no doubt say that you're currently my favourite MM writer out there, everything you come up with is just so incredibly well written and thought of. I've had to hold on giving any feedback till now because I wanted to finish reading it first before throwing all the love I have for it at you, since I'm currently just on chapter 11 because I was following it as it was getting published at first but then school got the better of me (since I always read fics at night and lately school has forced me to go to sleep way to early to do that, and I'm so deprived of fics oh my god), and as I'm only on chapter 11 I know that there's still a big storm coming because sadly someone happened to spoil something about the fic for me, but you bet I'm gonna throw even more love at you when school gives me time for that and you BET I'll be drawing some art for it too 😌💞 It's what you deserve

Also, the post itself really resonated with me, like the things you said about writing what makes you happy. It wasn't only relatable with me drawing things I enjoy, there's also the fact that I've been writing fics for myself lately. That writing has also kinda replaced my activity of reading them as much, but I really enjoy it! Idk why I never did it before honestly, but writing them just for myself is really...therapeutic in a way? There's no pressure of anyone judging you and you can do anything you've ever wanted, it's so comforting. I'm just not showing them to anyone because 1. I feel ashamed of them, I'm not the best writer but I find doing it fun 2. my headcanons are sometimes really different to others' and I sometimes feel bad for that or afraid of getting backlash/into arguments for my headcanons. But writing them is fun, and the same goes for you, I hope you continue to do what makes you happy! Though I do enjoy some good old reader x character fics, reading about Lila is also interesting and sometimes she sounds a lot like what Sunset would do so that's just a huge plus lolol

(also me 🤝 you

giving Saeran CMCs who like lolita fashion)

Pat yourself on the back! That Prince Ray art just lit a fire in me with an idea that was already in the back of my head for a while and it smacked me in the head the second that I saw that handsome boy. It was only the moment I saw a pretty boy in a crown. I am nothing but a simp.

That's the good thing about being in fandom. There are people in these places that make art inspired by writing or writing inspired by art. I love seeing that because it's a testament to the harmony in fandom and it is so easy to look to each other when we feel as if we're making an impact on everyone.

It just feels so good to create something from nothing, even if it's art or writing. The process is cathartic and we cannot deny making something makes us just feel accomplished! Your passion to your art is something that we all see and recognize! I'm glad to have been able to watch you progress with your art because you are very talented and you will only continue to better the more you have fun and practice.

Goodness Gracious, I don't know I'm prepared to see anything from the fic drawn out! I have all of these outfit references for Sparrow and for all of the other cast members in the story but I've not been able to flash them out myself. There's just something really sweet about the aesthetic that exists within fairytale AUs that I can't ignore. I am sorry to hear that someone spoiled you on one of the events in the story.

At least you don't know how it builds up or leads to that point in the story where the incident occurs. I've been spoiled in a few stories before and how I reason with myself is that: I don't know how we get to [Spoiler] and that means the full experience isn't robbed from me. I'm glad that you've enjoyed it! I put a lot of care into the story because it was such a great piece of art to work with.

I'm not ready, Seeme. Don't kill me. I don't think we can handle it. Prince Ray already kills me on sight.

Shfksnrowneoehe! Sunset is really cute. I always love seeing her on my Instagram or over here on DailySaeran. Her hair is really bouncy and sweet and it just makes me feel some kind of way. I just love frilly clothes and we need more cute MCs in big skirts. I'm very OC positive and I try to make sure that all kinds of people in this fandom know that they should shamelessly write what makes them happy.

I am glad to hear that you're exploring writing for the first time. I hope you know that you don't have to share with other people of you don't want to do that. You put your heart and soul into your writing even if there's spelling errors, translation errors, or what have you within the story, you put a piece of your heart into what you're writing. I say this with the utmost sincerity write for you and nobody else. Write what makes you happy no matter what anyone says.

I don't care if that means you're writing Self Insert Fics where you have cat ears, rainbow hair, or everyone loves you without question. Or If you're writing about an OC who loves without reason or can do "impossible" things without trouble. It's your story.

You create the canon. You create the universe. You put yourself into it. It is unashamedly you.

If it makes you happy, you write it. Put your heart into it. We put ourselves into the characters, not just our OCs. But, we put our soul into the cast of canon characters. So, just know that even if you do not share your writing, you should never feel like you have to share it for it to be proof of skill or talent. If anyone hits you with discourse if you do share it one day, let me know. I will mess them up with a Hello Kitty bat all the while wearing the cutest dress.

I've got a lot of Saeran x Reader story ideas, I'm gonna make a poll with my general ideas and let people vote on that later once I get home. It'll be a Google Form. I'll probably link it on my IG too. I hope you guys are interested in that! I hope that you're able to slow down and enjoy yourself soon here! I know that school must be really rough with everything right now. I gotta wish you luck with that.

Meanwhile, I gotta go smack myself or something, I admire you and here you are hitting me with the same thing. Djwkdhekdnodbeie

[oddaodd]

Hello I’m the person who requested “I Don't Go In For Sweets” and...just let me begin by saying thank you from the bottom of my heart, thank you for dedicating your time and your energy to write it, it was absolutely perfect and everything I wanted! I sent you this request the day before a huge exam (yes, instead of studying but that’s another story lol) and surprisingly, you posted the fic a day after I got my results and saw that I passed so it felt a bit like some reward and yeah I know you didn’t do it on purpose but still, it was amazing! Now let’s dive into a deeper analysis (I like to do this but it’s quite long, don’t feel forced to read it, no pressure!)

First, the very beginning: Polly and Tommy’s talk and how can I say this? It was so good, so well written I was actually seeing the scene as clearly as if I was watching the last episode of s3, I could actually hear them talk and see them move and it was too good to even feel like reading! I’m also so grateful you had the idea to bring the impact of Tommy’s mother’s death on him because...it’s not something we see a lot in the show but I’ve always been convinced that he had always been very affected by it and he would never want the same for his son.

Now, the wedding day: “The fact that everything about this wedding was so obscenely different from his first did soothe his guilt a bit�� this kind of sums up a lot: Tommy compares all of this situation to what he had and rejoices over the fact it’s not as perfect, as beautiful, as great as what he had with Grace because it makes him feel slightly better, he isn’t betraying her as much as if he was enjoying marrying a new woman but then...she arrives and he can’t help it but find her pretty.

You perfectly showed this inner conflict of always having Grace in mind, always reminding himself of her and how better she was, this is not something he’s doing because he enjoys it but because it’s the best solution.

And of course he makes sure his opinion is known, he doesn’t smile back at the the altar, the big wedding kiss he gave to Grace is here, a simple, almost nonexistent brush on the lips, he doesn’t try to get to know his wife, on their way home, he has this revelatory lapsus “I've already asked the maids to take them up to your-our room” because deep down, it’s not his room or their room, it will only be hers because he won’t sleep in it much and he shows it a moment later when he doesn’t even sleep in the same room as her on their wedding night! I mean the scene where she’s waiting for him all nervous and giggly because she knows what happens...or at least she thinks she knows but then she wakes up alone in the morning, no “husband” in sight. Then comes breakfast, Tommy introduces her to Charlie (who wasn’t even at the wedding!!!) like he would present his new nanny because in a way...that’s what she is. He didn’t marry that girl because he wanted it but because it was something he knew his son needed. I really loved the fact you didn’t make Charlie love reader instantly because as kind hearted as he may be, he’s still a child who suddenly lives with an unknown woman his dad doesn’t even seem to like but one little discussion is enough to make him warm up to her and yeah I liked seeing this, it was very well done!

Then we get to see Tommy couldn’t care less about his wife and a thing kind of stroke me: reader has insomnia sometimes and Tommy doesn’t seem to worry or even think about it, he just sees it as more occasion for her to talk to him and ugh please no! And it shows how detached he can be which is so so in character! Afterwards you wrote about how he didn’t invite her to family meetings and stuff which I think was important to mention and maybe you didn’t think it this way but he keeps her away of very important part of his life: the business and the local bar he spends time with his family which is quite a...special place because that’s where he met Grace, that’s where their story began and family meetings? Inviting her would mean she’s part of their family, they trust her enough to welcome her but 1) he doesn’t really care about her enough to trust her and 2) would grace really have been invited to these meetings? Considering what she did? Definitely not so in not inviting his new wife, he doesn’t give her an advantage of being more welcomed in the family than grace was because, again, she’ll never be enough, she’ll never be grace. And it was so important to show this and you did it so beautifully, so subtly, wow!

The birthday party is also a great way to show that reader has a great relationship with everyone except her own husband and their convo in the office afterwards bluntly stated that. Tommy is so heartless, so cold, so...awful towards the woman he married! I really hated him in this moment because clearly she’s trying, she wants to make things alright but he will not let it, he will push her away no matter how harsh he has to be. And there is no apology, no compassion, nothing, he doesn’t care. He knows how bad his words hurt but he owes nothing to her.

And even when he’s awful to her, she still offer her time and her attention. He comes home completely drunk and considering the way he treated her, she could let him deal with his terrible state alone but she won’t, he’s her husband after all...I really loved how you turned that scene, we can see some of reader’s... I don’t know what to call it but so far, she let him have his space and now, when he rejects her help, she still gives him a hand. And then he compliments her, out of the blue and yeah he’s completely drunk but it feels true. And even better, he apologizes and explains his awful behavior and it was essential to have this! It was essential for reader to hear it from him that she didn’t do anything bad, it wasn’t her fault or anything, he just struggled with understanding what her place was. Even better, she reminds him she doesn’t want to take Grace’s place.

It was everything he needed to understand because right after this, he allows himself to let go a bit and then...a little bit more and again...some more until finally the stables scenes arrives! And my oh my! How much more beautiful could this story get? The fact they bond over something Tommy loves is just...amazing! It allows reader to see a gentle side of him because we all know how Tommy gets whenever he sees a horse, it could and will make any woman fall in love with him. And this scene holds so much...power and emotion, she trusts him enough to let him guide the horse even though she doesn’t know how to ride it and he assures her he won’t let her fall which is so important because he accepts the fact that she trusts him and he want to be worthy of that trust which is a big step because it means he cares. And they have the loveliest moment, just the two of them, no grace clouding his mind, no hatred, no unnecessary talk, just a husband and a wife enjoying the nice weather. He helps her off of the horse and he grabs her waist but he doesn’t feel the need to take off his hand and it shows progress, it shows he enjoys having her close and he looks at her, it’s the first thing that came to his mind, her beauty and now he doesn’t feel guilty about it. He stares at her, he enjoys it and he doesn’t want to stop. And finally because well, this story couldn’t just stop there, it reached a whole new peak in beauty: their real, true first kiss. It doesn’t mean we have a fairytale and happily ever after but it feels like a true promise of better things coming up, the kiss he gave her on their wedding day (as a way to seal their wedding vows) was given...reluctantly to say the least but now, he was promising her to be better in the future and truly respect those vows and it’s just the most perfect ending this story could have! It was just a magnificent, so beautifully well written story I don’t even know what to say anymore (and I think I’ve already said way more than I should be allowed to!) than it was perfect, you’re so talented and I’m so thankful you agreed to write this! I hope I haven’t killed you with my pages of review lol! Have a wonderful day <3

Ps. I didn’t proof read this so sorry for mistakes and nonsensical sentences :)

Hello!

First of all, thank you so much for writing me to tell me how much you appreciated your fic. I really like knowing that the person who requested a specific fic enjoyed it so, It means the world!

And just look at that! I certainly didn’t know anything about your exam, but what a marvelous most serendipitious coincidence! It makes everything seem much more magical, don’t you think? The universe never ceases to amaze me! 🥰

Also, thank you for the analysis. I always like to write things so that they go beyond words in order to convey feelings and stir deeper emotions and I’m so glad you not only perceived them but also liked what I was trying to project!

I too, feel in my bones that Tommy’s mother’s death affected him a lot. Maybe it’s not something that keeps him awake at night (or all nights) but I definitely feel like it is one of the thoughts he keeps on the back of his mind and is constantly nagging him. And polly of course is one of if not the only one who can see it.

As for the wedding and their marriage in general, I did want to show Tommy having this conflict because as we know, our man doesn’t let go of things easily. And like Tatiana Petrovna once said, his fear is freedom. Im not saying that Grace stopped him from being free, but he insisted on staying in the past, and when the reader comes up she’s basically carrying with her this humongous banner that reads FUTURE.

He does think the reader is pretty and he knows that his family accepts her and his son loves her but he doesn’t want to give in, he’s almost afraid of doing it, so what is the easiest thing to do? Push her away. And still when he’s awful to her she helps him because I want to believe she can also look behind the walls he so desperately put up around him. In the end I didn’t want to make it like *poof! They magically fell in love! * but like you said, I wanted it to end with a promise of better things to come.

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to write. I enjoyed analyzing Tommy’s mind with you and I hope you have a lovely day as well!

P.S: Congratulations on your exam results! 🤍💐

[greenninjagal-blog]

currently vibing in a two-week lockdown, can you share some of your favorite fics? i need some new things to read, and I've got too much time on my hands-

Aw man, same! The rest of my actual Spring Semester got turned online… Let’s see…..Fic recs for the pseudo End of the World (Courtesy of AO3, arranged by most prominent ship!) Keep in mind that my descriptions are shorter and written mostly for comedic effect than the actual fics, so if something looks interesting Click it! Get more info about it! Don’t just take my word! I tried my best to get a lot of variety of fics and topics and tropes, as well as authors that might not be as well known! Uhhh here are the links to lists I’ve already made for various other reasons check out my Fic Rec Masterlist!

I also am including various of my fav authors masterlists for funsies!

jungle321jungle’s || Max-isTired’s || TrashficParlour’s || Lefaystrent’s || Mine!

Completed Fics

A Deal in which Virgil tries to summon a familiar and gets a Circle King instead. And he’s really pretty. (Anxceit)

Love Like You in which Virgil decides to give up looking for a romantic partner and considers adopting instead. He finds more than he’s looking for with a set of twins and the man who watches over them (Anxceit)

A Dragon’s Tail in which Logan is cursed to be a Dragon by his best friends stepmother, Virgil is struggling to learn a power he can’t control, Patton who’d rather marry a servant than the Prince, and Roman has no clue what is going on but the Prince he’s supposed to be saving can probably kick his ass. (Logicality, Prinxiety)

A Game of Vice in which Remus kidnaps Roman and turns it into a game of who can come save him from his lonely tower. (Logicality, Prinxeity) 

double down with the paradigms in which Logan tries to explain away his own OCD while dealing with the emotions he has for a certain Pre-Vet. Excellent depiction of OCD, made me cry, 300/10 would read again. (Logicality, Prinxiety)

It Takes Two to Tango in which Roman begs his brother, Logan, to let him go back in time to meet a famous dancer. Falling in Love was not part of the plan. (Prinxiety, Logicality)

A favorite star in the heavens in which everyone has at least one soulmate. They’re luckily enough to have three each. (LAMP) 

Forgotten Forests and Magnified Myths in which Logan finds out very suddenly that he has the passive ability to talk to dragons. (DAMP, Remilie)

Sense5 in which five people in different countries are suddenly psychically linked together and uh…yeah fun times. (DLAMP)

Stray Hearts Are Subject To Change in which black cat hybrid Virgil plans to die very heroically in an alley and Roman completely messes up that plan by being a decent human being. (Prinxiety, Logicality)

Hidden In Shadows in which Virgil is the boogieman every adult warned you about but he doesn’t actually enjoy being scary. Good thing the three Sanders kids aren’t scared of anything. (Not so good for their very confused Dad who isn’t sure what to do about their new imaginary friend)

Paved with Good Intentions in which the dark sides agree to send Virgil to the light sides as a way to get Thomas to listen to them more. Now if Virgil can just get along with the Light sides enough to actually start making some progress…

Absent Gods and Silent Tyranny or: How Logan Learned to Stop Over Thinking and Love Everyone in which Logan is a morally grey scientist who just works for supervillains because they pay well. He doesn’t expect someone like Virgil to change that.

Series

Clouds and Moss AU in which the sides are gods and its very gay and very good. (Intrulogical, Roceit)

Colors in which Logan is an excellent Dad, Virgil is an amazing son, and the world is very colorful. (Logicality)

Labeled in which Logan is a famous superhero, Patton is a doctor, and they adopt the would-be super villain and everything is soft and lovely and I cry at the purity. (Logicality, Remilie)

Fbi!au in which the sides work for the fbi and I diligently reread these series of oneshots for a daily dose of serotonin!  (Logince, Moxiety)

Growing Old is More Fun with You in which Patton is a PTA dad and so is Deceit and they have a “rivalry”. (Mociet)

Gilded Cage in which Roman is forced to dance for the fairy queen whenever she wants it. (Prinxiety)

Renegades! in which the sides live in a dystopia and fight the government while being completely in love with each other. (Prinxiety, Logiciality) 

Love and Other Fairytales in which a couple decides to keep their changling and their actual son, a child is cursed gifted a voice that makes people do whatever he says, a boy makes a rotten deal for the sake of his friend, and centuries before any of this, a fae prince is tricked into an endless sleep by his brother. 

The Vampire Hunting Vampire in which Virgil was turned into a monster and LPR slowly convince him he’s not as bad as he thinks he is. Through cuddles. (LAMP, DLAMP)

Wasteland, Baby! in which there are things in the woods and Patton gets,,, intimate with them. On purpose! (LAMP)

Destined in which Damian has successfully ignored his Soulmates for five years and he planned on doing it for much longer but on his twentieth birthday fate intervenes with a second soultrait that forces him to come face to face with all of them. (DLAMP)

Old Gods in which Gods sometimes walk the earth and Remus is pleased to hear that people are still making offerings to him– wait that is not a goat. And other fun stories!

Sit back and watch the world go by in which Virgil is a human abducted by alien smugglers, befriends Patton, breaks out, and everyone fears humans as space orcs, almost as much as Virgil is afraid of them. 

Teaming the Pieces Together in which Thomas is a pokemon trainer and eevees just…click with him.

Tales from the Dark Sides in which the author provides a lovely hub of works where Virgil is abused by OC dark sides and DLMPR are there to help patch him up.

Uncle Emile and the Super Nephews in which Emile gets custody of his six nephews and tries to bond with them. They in turn try very hard not to tell him they have superpowers.

Cuffed Universe in which Remus is a cop chasing after a hacker, Logan breaks the laws and Virgil would just like tO KEEP ONE JOB WITHOUT ONE OR BOTH OF THE OTHERS DRAGGING HIM INTO THEIR SHIT. (Analomus)

Ongoing Fics

The Origin in which space travel via Thomas Sanders’s ship SS Revelation gets more complicated when the Planets themselves turn out to be entities who aren’t all on board with humanity spreading to the rest of the solar system. (Remile) 

Delicato in which Logan and Patton are music professors with very different conceptions of music, and Virgil and Roman are students in both their classes who just want them to kiss already. (Logicality, Prinxiety)

Coming out of The Shadows in which a small mutant child Virgil is treated as subhuman because of his uncontrolled ability to manipulate shadows up until a scientist buys him. (Royality)

Falling Stars At My Command in which Roman wishes on a star and Patton reaps the benefits while Logan unfortunately gets dragged along for the ride. (Royality) 

Sugar in which Patton has three sons and no free time to bother with a relationship while he’s trying to manage bills. At least until Roman walks into his life. Sugar Daddy anyone? (Royality) 

A Man, a Snake, and a Rat in which Logan, Deceit, and Remus become college roomates (Intruloceit) 

a.s.h.es, ashes (We all fall down) in which after Logan almost dies during one of his recuse missions, him and his partner start to dig into the superhero agency they’re employed by and stumble into something far bigger than they expected. (Logicality, Prinxiety, LAMP? LAMP)

Keep him safe in which Detective Logan falls for the owner of his new favorite bakery while his partner Roman falls for the gang member they’re chasing. Ft: emotions, a pet rat, dealing with delusions 101, trauma, and family so gooey it literally makes me melt whenever it updates. I love this fic so much. (Advertises as Logicality and Prinxiety but theres so much LAMP I can’t not put it down here)

Multitudes in which Virgil works at a coffeeshop, pines over the customers that come in, and wonders why they all tip him so well. (LAMP)

Songbird in which the only thing keeping Virgil’s parents alive is his voice: the moment the (new) King gets tired of listening to him its off with all their heads. And Virgil’s okay with that, he is…. Until three visiting nobles leaving him wishing for his freedom for the first time since he was ten. (LAMP)

Shatter in which Logan gets fed up with not being listened to, and takes some poor advice from Rage, which ends with the entire Mindscape being turned upside down and inside out. Now its up to Deceit fix it all. (aka the author decided it was about high time Deceit got some love and appreciation and I’m out here living for it.) (DAMP)

Incredible Cosmic Power in which Virgil awakens some genies by accident and they refuse to let him go back to living a relatively normal peaceful life. (DLAMP)

Plea for my New Self in which Vampire Virgil decides he wants to start over again, and goes back to college to work on coding. There he proceeds to do reckless good with his absurd amount of wealth and a “fuck it” attitude. Actually one of my favorite things ever okay. I love this one so much. (DLAMP)

Your Wish Is My Command in which Thomas accidentally rubs six lamps and becomes the glorified babysitter to six jinn who definitely don’t trust him. But its fineeee. (DLAMP)

6 Dads in which Deceit, Emile, Remus, Roman, Thomas, and Remy make a relationship work and their children aren’t sure how but go along with it anyway.

Rebel Rebel in which Thomas, a well respected man, visits the Imagination, for some pleasure business as a one time thing. Except that he keeps coming back. Maybe maybe falls in love with one, two, thr– all of the men who work there. 

A New Kind of Experiment  in which Virgil runs away from home, and ends up kidnapped by merman, and somehow he doesn’t mind that much.

Becoming His Own Hero in which everyone has to juggle their superhero lives with their regular lives and sometimes…its just hard.

don’t wanna be a tragedy in which brothers Roman and Remus get a house and subsequently find out its totally, completely, 100% haunted.

Don’t You, Forget About Me in which the author recreates Breakfast club and does it spectacularly.

Heart’s Heroes in which Patton may be a villain but that does not mean he wants to see the child heroes of the city dead.

Mortals and Fae in which Deceit barely escapes the wrath of his town when they all turn against him. Dying, he stumbles into a fairy circle hoping that with his name the fae make his death short and sweet. Big Shock for him when he wakes up with a Fairy Prince swearing to protect him.

Sanders Family in which Thomas adopts six kids and has no regrets about it.

How Not to Go About an Important Inspection in which after a devastating betrayal the crew of the USS Bifrost is docked for repairs and the crew just wants to go back to being a normal family but Command is insisting on an inspection to ensure nothing so…drastic occurs again.

Symbiotic in which certain Vampires have a vemon that leaves with victims craving getting their blood drunken. Deceit, one of these Victims, continues to burn bridges because that’s easier than admitting he might need help dealing with this. 

[gayywords]

Hey, do you still accept prompts? If you do, can you write Waverly telling everyone how she met Nicole. Or Nicole's reaction when Waverly finally says I love you back. I've been reading your works on ao3 and if I could leave more than 1 kudos, I would lol

Thank you so much! I decided to write one where Waverly tells Nicole, because ever since that episode I have been thinking about it non-stop! So I just had to write it! 

They were sitting around and drinking. Drinking and sitting was kind of the BBD gang’s go-to hang out idea.

It’s late, and they’re going to close down Shorty’s and drink it dry. And Waverly has Nicole’s arm draped over her. And Dolls and Wynonna and Doc are all squished together in the booth. And Jeremy is watching “Wayhaught” - as he nicknamed them - with big eyes.

“I can’t believe you guys found each other,” Jeremy says. “And Purgatory of all places,”

“Yeah. I’m pretty lucky,” Nicole says with a loose smile.

“And Purgatory! With the limited dating options and lack of gay bars! It’s like fate,” Jeremy grins, all doe-eyed and tipsy.

“Horseshit,” Wynonna scoffs. “I don’t believe that for a second. How’d you two meet? Huh? Tinder? It was Tinder, wasn’t it?”

“It was not!” Waverly insists. “It was romantic and wonderful and right out of one of my movies!”

“No way. You’re awkward and Haught’s a useless lesbian. No way did you guys meet in a way that wasn’t clumsy and goofy,”

Jeremy’s eyes light up. “I bet they bumped into each other in town and Waverly dropped all her textbooks and Nicole helped her and when their hands touched, they looked into each other’s eyes and - “

“No way. If these two clowns were in that situation, Waverly would drop her books and scream at Haught for bumping into her. And Haught would apologize and be all nice and stuff,”

Neither Nicole or Waverly said anything in response to Wynonna’s comment, because honestly she was right. But they didn’t want to admit it.

“Look, ‘Nonna. It’s not like that at all. I was very smooth! And not at all awkward!” Waverly insists. “It was a meet-cute!”

“If you would indulge our curiosity, how exactly did you and Purgatory’s Finest meet?” Doc asks with a smile hidden under that mustache.

Waverly opens her mouth for a moment and she looks at Nicole and Nicole’s grinning, enjoying the flustered look on her girlfriend’s face.

“Okay. Uh. Well,” Waverly pauses for a moment, trying to figure it out. “Okay. So I was working at Shorty’s and Nicole heard stories about me and that I was a really big deal in town - “

“Okay. Easy there. Nedley just said if anyone was gonna show me what Purgatory was about, it would be you. So I decided to pop in,” Nicole interjects.

“Right. Right,” Waverly nods. “So, Nicole is about to walk in. And then the tap breaks,”

Plot twist!” Jeremy gasps theatrically. He ignores the deathly glares he gets from Wynonna, Doc, and Dolls.

“So my shirt is covered in beer. And Nicole walks in and says ‘I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet t-shirt competitions’,”

“Haught!” Wynonna shouts.

“It was a joke! Her shirt was soaked!” Nicole insists, face as red as her hair.

“Guys! Anyways, so, Nicole walks in and she orders a cappuccino - “

“You ordered a coffee at a bar?” Dolls frowns.

Nicole shrinks under his gaze. “I panicked!” she mumbles under her breath.

Waverly keeps going. “So, Nicole introduce herself. I introduce myself and then I needed to take shirt off,”

“Why?” Wynonna frowns.

“Because my shirt was soaked,” Waverly explains like it makes total sense but by everyone’s expression at the table, it didn’t seem this was a reasonable conclusion.

“So wait. A random girl walks in. Your shirt is soaked. And you decide to take your shirt off…right there in the bar?” Wynonna has never looked so confused. “Did you have a change of shirt nearby?” she asks.

“No. I had a shirt upstairs in my old apartment,” Waverly continues.

“So you - Let me get this straight. Wait, poor choice of words. Okay. You take your shirt off without a shirt even nearby. And what was your plan? To run up to your apartment and get a change of clothes? Why didn’t you just run up? Why change in the bar?”

“Well, I don’t know! I panicked!” Waverly squeaks.

“You’re first reaction when you gay-panicked was to take off your shirt?”

“Can we stop getting hung up on the specifics?” Waverly says suddenly. She can’t help but feel her face getting hotter and hotter and Nicole is smiling even wider and wider. And everyone at the table looking at her stranger and stranger. “So,” She clears her throat. “I try to take my shirt off. Nicole turns around,”

“Because I’m a gentleman,” Nicole nods.

“And as I try to remove my shirt, it gets caught in my hair. So I ask for some help,”

“Oh my God,” Wynonna face-palms quite hard.

“So Nicole comes behind the bar and helps me take off my shirt,

“Were you being a gentleman then?” Wynonna snorts.

Nicole doesn’t answer. She just downs her drink quickly.

“And then, after Nicole helped me, she gave me her card and said to call sometime and that we could get that coffee she owed me,” Waverly says. “See? See you guys! It’s fate! It’s destiny! It’s a meet-cute of the romcoms! It’s - “

“The beginning of a porn,” Wynonna cuts in. “I’m surprised you didn’t just go down on her right there, Haught,”

Nicole chokes on her drink.

“It’s not the beginning of a porn!” Waverly gasps, insulted.

“It literally is! I’m pretty sure I watched one just yesterday that had the very same plot!”

Doc is only one who chuckles at that, but stops when everyone is looking him oddly.

“What? Wynonna happened to say a funny joke,” And when no one responded, he continues with big eyes. “It’s funny, because the opposite sex does not partake in pornography,”

“Uh, Doc. It’s 2018. Girls watch porn,” Dolls says, giving Doc a big slap on the back.

Nicole can’t help but laugh at Doc’s lost expression. Sometimes the cowboy was so clueless.

“Look, it’s a fairytale beginning! A meet-cute!” Waverly insist, ignoring Doc’s bug eyes and Dolls’ smug smile.

“It’s a porn intro! You ripped your shirt off, flashed Bonnie and Clyde - “

“You named my boobs?” Waverly gawks.

“And then Haught was drooling for you. Face it, baby girl. I was right. It wasn’t a meet-cute. It was a meet-awkward because you two are anxious, gay, oddballs, not players,” Wynonna says, crossing her arms tightly.

“How - “ But Waverly doesn’t get a chance to finish that thought, because Nicole’s grip on her tightens.

“Baby,” Nicole says. “It doesn’t matter if we met in a porn-y way. What matters is that this - “ She motions to the two of them. “Is a fairytale for me. It’s a love story. And I’m so happy to be in this love story with you,”

“Me too,” And Waverly leans forward and kisses Nicole and everything, all her frustration and anger, melts away.

“God, please don’t create a porno right now!” Wynonna gags.

And Waverly laughs. And she looks at Nicole and kisses her again. Because nothing, not even her sister’s antics, could ruin this love story, because it was theirs and theirs alone. And Waverly loved it.

[aussiereader]

AUGUST BOOK WRAP UP

I had a pretty good reading month this month and ended up reading 23 books.

My thoughts are below.

First book I read was a graphic novel called 'This was our Pact' by Ryan Andrews. This was a cute little graphic novel about a friendship between two boys who go on an adventure to find out where some lanterns go, being the only two that stuck by the pact they made.

What I enjoyed about this book was the friendship that built between the two boys. And since the main character is a kid he makes a bad decision like all kids do. I like that this is a realistic story about kids and it was very adorable growing into the story.

I gave this book 4 stars.

The second book I read was called I'm With Stupid by Geoff Harbach. This was a book where a football player isolates himself from a town by picking a school that made them believe he was betraying them. He befriends and becomes a mentor for a kid who isn't as popular and he's trying to figure out his steps when he graduates high school.

What I enjoyed about this book was that he didn't let himself ignore a kid who needed help and let himself be a protector for him.

I gave this book a 3.5 star.

I then read the Twisted Tale of Frozen Let It Go. This book is a story of what if Elsa and Anna never knew each other.

What I liked about this story and this whole series was that they build the stories behind these famous stories more, and give some of them more personality and a bigger story then just the short and thrown together story. Kristoff was actually a more built out character and this book also answered the question about what would happen if Elsa and Hans were a couple.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

The fourth book I read was Mystery of the Midnight Rider by Carolyn Keene. This is a Nancy Drew Mystery. Nancy Drew is a child detective who solves mysteries around her town of River Heights with her boyfriend and best friends.

What I liked about this book was childhood purposes, I loved this series when I was a little kid and teenager. This story knows what it is, they are mysteries for young girls and teenagers.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

I then read Reckless by Gemma Rogers. This was a story of a woman who develops a relationship with a student and then ends up being stalked by that student when she ends it.

My god this book was dark. Izzy, our main character has just moved into this town with her family to have a fresh start. But this book goes alot into the dangers of those relationships. I enjoyed the dark feel of this book, alot more then I should have but there was something that kept sucking me in, and there were moments when I didn't like the main character at all because she was making so many stupid decisions, but when this book went dark, they did it right.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

I then listened to the audiobook of Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren. This is about a woman who gets betrayed by someone she trusted and then they meet up again years later and find their way back to each other again.

I don't read alot of romance but for a readathon I needed something to fill the prompt and I read this. My god I didn't like this book, why would any woman go back to someone who betrayed everything about their trust and hurt her so much. I kept wanting this girl to just stop going back to him, even though I knew where the story was going, but I really didn't like that as the main plot. I did like the writing of it though, Christina Lauren can write, but I just didn't like the story plot itself.

I gave this book a 3 star rating.

I then read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. I don't really know how to describe what this book is about aside from a woman who starts a bookclub and writes to many friends about it.

I wanted to get into this book, but it was written in a way I couldn't follow, which is why I was happy I found the audiobook of it so that someone else could read it to me. I do recommend this to someone who is into this genre of book, but it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.

I gave this book a 3 star rating.

I then listened to the audiobook of Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. This story is about a girl who realises her best friend is missing and is the only one who seems to care.

My god I loved this book. The way that it went into so many different topics and covered them well, and presented the story of trying to search for a missing black girl so well. This story was good from start to finish and I think more people need to read this book.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

I then read Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. This is the the 4th book in the Percy Jackson series and it continues to follow the story of Percy Jackson and his friends as they prepare for the final battle.

This was my favourite book in the story so far and it continues to tell the story quite well and is a great continuation of the story.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

I then read 17 Marigold Lane by R.M Gilmore. This is the story of a girl who finds out she's dying and befriends an autistic boy who has been hidden away from the world.

God, this book made me feel so many emotions. I went from feeling happy and sad, but then also angry because I met the parents and hated them almost immediately because of how they treated or didn't care about their son. Everyone should read this book because it goes into some deep topics and teaches quite well about aspererger's and what it actually does to people.

I gave this book a 4 star rating. It would've been a 5 star, but the parents annoyed me too much.

I then did an audiobook for the story Dead Girl Walking by Linda Joy Singleton. This was a story about a girl who dies and finds her way back to the wrong body.

I enjoyed parts of this book because it was funny, but it wasn't the most well written book I've ever seen. It was fine for what it is, but it could've been more and done alot better.

I gave this book a 3 star rating.

The next book I read was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. This is a story of a couple that turns dark when his wife turns up missing.

I kept this book synopsis vague because otherwise it gives away the premise of the story, but it is definitely worth reading. The twists in this book were semi predictable, but I still liked the way they played it out.

I gave this book a 3.5 star rating.

I then read Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. This is the final book in the 5 book series and what all of the book so far have been building up to, the final battle of the Gods.

I thought this was a amazing closer to the series and was executed well. Like this is what it's been building up to and this is what the story is essentially and I loved the way it was done. This is a story that I think everyone should read at some point, whether you, or your kids.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

The next book I read was Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea. I originally read this book because I read two more of Charlie Donlea's stories and enjoyed them, and I didn't really like this book as much as those. I think because of the ending more then anything else is what made me not like it much. Normally the endings are what I like the most about his stories, but this one just fell short for me.

So this became a 3.5 star rating.

I then listened the audiobook for The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J Klune. This is a book about a social worker that gets sent to a house to inspect and complete a report.

I wanted to like this book, but I think parts of it went downhill and wasn't the way I wanted it to go. I think my rating would've been lower if I read the book physically, and I can't pick why I didn't like it as much as I wanted to. But normally I do end up liking less hyped books more then hyped ones.

I gave this book a 3 star rating.

I then read The Taken by Inbali Iserles. This is the first book in a series called Foxcraft. This is a story of a fox trying to find her way back to her family who has all disappeared.

I thought this book was cute for what it was, but I was clearly not the target audience for this book since it's clearly made for kids. But for what it was I enjoyed it, as it's quite a fun adventure story and I would read it again if I ever had children around.

I gave this book a 3 star rating.

I then read Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly. This is a retelling of Snow White which goes more on the fairytale rather then the Disney movie, since it uses more then just the poisoned apple approach. I did enjoy this book and it definitely built on the naivety of Snow White as a child, and her building inside herself to become a queen. Some parts of it were cliche, but since it was based off a fairytale they were able to be slipped past in my mind.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

I then read the graphic novel 'Miles Morales: Shockwaves'. This is exactly what it was a Spiderman graphic novel that is based off the Into The Spiderverse story rather then the known story. I did enjoy this book for what it was but I can't really be too disappointed because it's a graphic novel so there wasn't much depth to it.

I gave this book a 3.5 star rating.

I then read Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This is a story of a young girl falls through a rabbit hole into a whole new world. I didn't like this book as much as I wanted to, and I know it was a book made for children, but it wasn't as good as it could've been even for kids.

I gave this book a 3 star rating.

Then I read The House by the Sea by Louise Douglas. This is a story about a couple who get sent back to an old house in England, that was left to them, but the house has haunted memories included. I don't really know what I was expecting from this book, but I kind of enjoyed it. I haven't heard people talking about this book at all, but I think it was actually quite a good story, even if I picked half of the ending, but the other half I didn't.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

Then I finally read the Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer. This is a fantasy story where magic has been banned in the world and our main character needs to change that. I actually didn't like this book at the start, maybe because of the sexist beliefs in it. But I did end up actually enjoying it, even if it took a few things from other fantasy stories.

I gave this book a 4 star rating.

The final book I read was the audiobook of Growing up Disabled in Australia. This is a collection of short stories from disabled adults in Australia. I don't like giving a strong opinion on non fiction, so I won't go into it. I also don't rate people's real stories so this is it for this book.

This is my wrap up and I actually had a very good reading month. The most I've read in a while.