#still unsure how i feel about the show yet but at least it’s far more interesting and provocative than most of the disney Star Wars shows

[the-woman-upstairs]

You know, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from The Acolyte but “lesbian space witches perform immaculate conception through the Force to create our twin main characters” definitely wasn’t one of them.

[maybanksmusings]

THE WALLS ; JJ MAYBANK

SYNOPSIS ; when an unknown face appears in the outer banks searching for a father she's never met, she's unaware of how her life is about to be completely turned upside down.

WARNINGS ; jjmaybank x routledge!reader, strong language, depictions of violence, afab!reader, sexual content, mentions of abuse, drug and alcohol consumption, strangers to lovers, fast burn to slow burn, canon adjacent, not proofread.

AUTHORS NOTE ; buckle up pookies, as this is merely part one of a multi-part fic that spans as far as the end of season three ( on the fence about season four but we will see ). as noted above, this fic will be canon adjacent, mainly focusing on the storyline as portrayed in the outer banks chapters of the 'netflix stories' mobile app. without any more of my yapping, i hope you all enjoy!

you can't help but squint once you step off the bus, your dollar store sunglasses doing very little to shield your eyes from the burning, outer banks sun. you bring your hand up in an attempt to further protect your eyes, needing to make your way to the seahorse hotel and fast.

a flash of long, blonde hair invades your vision, something you don't think twice about until the body attached to said hair knocks right into you, saturating your white tank top with her oversized cherry-coloured drink.

there's a beat of silence between both of you, behind darkened lenses your eyes bore into the girl before you. if looks could kill.

"shit! i am so sorry!" the blonde apologises, face turning as red as the newfound stain on your shirt. her hand darts out in an attempt to miraculously wipe the stain away "oh god, this is so embarrassing."

a part of you feels empathetic, it was an easy mistake to make in hindsight. another part of you wanted to push past the girl and continue getting on with your day.

"my name is sarah," she continues rambling, her hand still frequently scrubbing at the stain, making it worse "i didn't get your name, well no shit" the last part is barely a mumble, but you still catch it.

an unintentional laugh escapes you, finding amusement in her panicked awkwardness "if i tell you will you stop feeling me up?"

it was a joke, at least mostly, yet sarah froze in horror as the realisation set in. she was feeling up a stranger at the bus stop.

before she can begin rambling again, you speak up "my name is y/n." purposefully, you drop the surname. sure, sarah seemed sweet, but that didn't warrant spilling your life story at her feet.

sarah nodded in acknowledgement, taking a step out of your personal space and taking a proper look at you "touron?"

your face screws up, it feels like she just called you a name you couldn't repeat "excuse me?"

"you're a tourist, right?" sarah clarified, gesturing towards the scruffy backpack hanging from your shoulder.

"not quite," you trail off, unsure of how to broach your new arrival without dropping yourself in hot water "just, in town for a while."

"unlucky you.."

"unlucky how?"

sarah links her arm through yours, all but dragging you down the street alongside her "i'll fill you in on the way."

your protests and kidnapping allegations fell on deaf ears, only being told to stop being dramatic as she dragged you along. eventually, the dragging falls back into you willingly walking with her through pristine neighbourhoods that housed buildings like nothing you had ever seen.

you listened as sarah explained the outlandish rules that accompanied living on the island. the outer banks were essentially split in half, the kooks and the pouges, the haves and the have-nots, the sarahs and the y/ns.

when her pace eventually stalls, you have to tense your jaw to stop your mouth from falling open. you had seen some serious houses on the way here, but compared to sarahs they looked like dives.

"welcome to tanneyhill" sarah beams, but you can feel the uncertainty bubbling inside her as if she was embarrassed "come on, i'll show you my room."

you follow her through the glass doors and into the manor, eyes intently scanning the walls as you climb the staircase "you make a habit of bringing random strangers into your house?"

"do you make a habit of going home with random strangers?"

"depends if they're my type."

your quick rebuttal elicits a laugh from sarah as she pushes the door open, waving you into her room and heading straight for the closet "and what is your type?"

"you sweet on me, stranger?" you tease, your playful tone making it clear you were simply messing with her.

"with my whole heart, newbie" she laughs, the contents of her closet being dropped to the floor as she rifled through it "but our secret love affair must remain hidden as i am a taken lady"

with a dramatic gasp, you slap your hand to your chest and fall back on the bed "you wound me."

"sarah 'the heartbreaker' cameron is what they call me." as you're processing her surname, a white cropped tank is flung at you from the opposite side of the room "now, come on, boy talk"

"what if i wanna girl talk?" you question, holding the piece of fabric up to examine it "sarah 'the homophobe' cameron more like"

as she crosses the room to sit alongside you, sarah rolls her eyes "my sincerest apologies, sex talk then"

"cameron now i really think you want me." you wiggle your eyebrows at her, huffing when she hits you with a pink pillow with a sparkly 's' "hey! watch the rhinestones"

"you know, i was gonna try play matchmaker at the boneyard tonight but if you wanna be like that.."

"you just said a lot of words with very little meaning" you tut, not fully clued in on the outer banks slang.

by now you have risen to your feet, standing between the bed and the window as you changed into the clean shirt, balling up the stained one and stuffing it in your backpack.

"its a pre-storm rager on the beach, the one place kooks and pouges get along. we party as long as we can and when the storm hits, run for cover"

you're only half listening to sarah, instead your attention hones in on the head of curly brown hair down on the dock as it moves along a boat named 'my druthers'.

you barely register the figure by your side, watching just as closely as you were as the brunette is joined by three others, laughing and joking.

"that would be john b," without looking you can hear sarahs grin, mistaking your fascination for attraction.

"routledge?" your mouth opens before your brain can stop it, you knew who it was, but you needed to hear it.

"you know him?"

finally, your brain catches up and you somehow manage to pull a lie out of your ass "not personally, saw him on tv. some appeal for his dad."

sarah bellows out a soft, sad sigh, letting her thoughts be known without saying a word. there's an unspoken air of silence between you, until sarah, literally, shakes it off and stands upright again.

"wanna meet him?" the blonde offers, despite the fact its more of a demand as you're being dragged along once again.

only this time your refusal is much clearer, practically begging the girl to let you go before she managed to get you out into the yard. again sarah is misreading the situation, interpreting your panic as awkward butterflies.

your demands persist, though much quieter as you're dragged further down the dock, closer to john b and his friends.

"hello, ladies" john b's blonde friend greets with a low whistle and a cheeky grin, shamelessly checking both you and sarah out.

for a moment your anxiety vanishes, your entire nervous system sparking still but for different reasons. this might be the most beautiful boy you've ever set eyes on.

this. this was your type.

"you're new" he speaks, gesturing towards you "that's for sure, yet to be a time i've forgotten a face like that." with a wink, he takes your hand to place a kiss on the back of it.

you curse god. why couldn't you have met this guy somewhere else? why wasn't he the blonde stranger that took you home?

"you done macking on the kook?" a girls voice echos from behind him, her words and her expression dripping with disgust as she eyed you.

"i'm not a kook." you bite back, sightly too aggressive for a first impression but you couldn't help it with the look of clear disdain embedded on her face.

sarahs arm links through yours, a mumbled "easy, newbie" falling only on your ears "y/n is new in town, i brought her down here while i found out what you guys are doing on my dads boat." despite her civility there's a challenging edge in her voice.

"lest ye forget, i work here."

john b, suddenly emerging from the ships hull and hurling a snide smile in sarahs direction. you had only ever seen him on fuzzy news broadcasts, he was taller than you had anticipated, confrontational too.

though, genetics could explain that one.

"can we help you?" the girl speaks again, sending your eyes rolling as you face john b.

"can you tell your guard dog to stand down? last i checked one of us was invited here and funnily enough it wasn't her"

you hear another boy mumble an excited "cat fight!" to your new, blonde, hyperfixation as they exchange money on bets.

"seriously? i expect this shit from jj but pope? disappointing" john b tutted, sounding like a disappointed father as he got off the boat "not looking for trouble, just bringing back the diving shit, full."

menial conversation is exchanged between sarah and john b, though your attention mainly resides with the newly named jj. he was leaning back against the boat, rolling a joint without a care in the world.

you try to keep the glances to a minimum, after all you had much bigger problems to wade through right now, but you simply couldn't look away. he was the definition of magnetic.

even when he catches you looking, there isn't a morsel of awkwardness, just a knowing look of curiosity that lingered far longer than it should have.

then, he winks. he fucking winks before returning to rolling with that stupid, insanely hot grin on his face. you were far from shy, and only for the audience around you, you would've jumped on him long ago.

any reckless ideas potentially coming to fruition is spoiled when sarah, still linked with you, retreats back toward tanneyhill. with a final glance back at jj, you hold your thumb and pinky to your ear and mouth 'call me', earning yourself a wink and a crossed heart in return.

maybe this wouldn't pan out to be a total shit show after all.

[muffinsin]

Hey, it's platonic anon again, I hope you don't mind me asking, as I have been feeling a little bit insecure lately, if you do one with alcina + daughters separate reactions to a fem head maid reader slowly getting deeper in depression because she has a little pudge that she doesn't like, but it just makes he look like a teddybear, and the maids have been making fun of her recently, and then she stops showing up to work all together, staying in her room and only eating one meal a day?

-platonic anon

Awhh, this is hella adorable, absolutely! :) Imma have to remove Alci though, hunny, I don't write for her though might occaisonally include her in pieces when I feel like it

Also oops, this got way longer than I thought it would, so imma have to split it into 3 parts. This one’s Bela’s

Let's get into it! :)

Masterlists found at pinned; rip, my linking is busted

Bela

Being involved with the maidens by far more than her sisters, professionally so even, Bela notices when you don't show up for work immediately

And at first, she's willing to turn a blind eye to it, thinking that maybe you're simply too tired too work, or in need of a vacation

She does admit, there isn't all that much of that at the castle

But, she likes you

And as such, she's willing to ignore that you aren't working as you should be

That is, for the first two days, at least

She is sure: you know to come to her when in need of a break

It's not like she won't grant you one, so long as it isn't harvesting season or the beginning of winter and all staff members are needed

But it isn't, and your disappearance starts to feel a little...odd

Now, she wouldn't describe herself as someone caring for the maids, head maiden or not

But, she likes you

A kind, loving, hard working woman

Someone she finds: she enjoys spending her time with, and someone she has enjoyed getting to know

Not showing up to work is so...unusual for you. So out of character

And as such, despite what she's sure her sisters would say, she seeks you out

Knocking on the door to your room- despite not having to knock at pretty much any door in the castle due to her status- she waits patiently until you open the door for her

What she takes in has her gasp in surprise and take a step back momentarily

Your room is warm, yes, but the air has adapted a strange scent that has her scrunch up her nose. She never thought she’d want to open a window

You’re curled in bed, underneath the blankets, but she still sees the thick clothing covering you

Briefly, she worries this might be too warm for a little human, but drops the thought again

- temperature wise, you seem well and healthy enough

She takes a step closer again, her golden eyes finding yours at last

You seem…off

Yet now that she stands in front of you, she seems at a loss for words, unsure what to say

It’s not like she’s used to cheering up anyone but her sisters

Glancing to the side, she sees multiple plates by your nightstand

One for each day you spent in your room

Is that all you’ve eaten?

In her mind, she recalls: humans are supposed to eat three days a meal. Especially those hard at work

You don’t speak, only stare at her, as if too tired and drained to do much

For once, she doesn’t mind the lack of respectful bows and what not

For once, she supposes she can let this be a casual, friendly conversation

Still unsure of what to say, she sits by your bed, her flies buzzing anxiously

You look up for a moment, your eyes trailing across her face, down her neck and to her exposed collarbone, her chest and slim hips and waist

You can’t help but fiddle with the blankets, can’t help but compare her build to yours

Normally, you don’t care

But the words from the maidens, the mockery aimed at you, hurt recently

You almost wish you could be like Bela, so confident, so strong, so strikingly beaufiful

You only ever want to be that, you think

“Did…something happen?”, she asks eventually, frowning slightly, as if unsure about her words

She really isn’t sure about this, or how to go about this, and just hopes her awkward words come out right

For once, she wishes she was a little more like Daniela and could effortlessly keep this conversation up and ask whether you’re alright without this awkwardness

You gulp, pulled from your thoughts

It’s a little unusual to see her like this- so…out of her element, almost

Still, you treasure her company, and see what she’s doing

“I’m fine”, you lie, pressing your eyes shut and refusing to whimper

You don’t want to lie to her

You want to tell her all about it, want to even throw your arms around her and cry

Bela’s just always had this aura about her that made you seek her favor and praise

At the same time, you don’t want to drive her away now, don’t want to “bother” her with your problems

She frowns, confused. Hearing your heart quickening and picking up the scent of your sweat, she’s hardly fooled by your answer

Only does she not quite understand why you’d lie. Especially to her

Instead, she does what she often does when her sisters lie to her and she sees through it. She stays quiet

You whimper as her golden eyes stay on you, a gentle gaze, but one that tells you she’s awaiting your response and giving you the opportunity to correct yourself

And, wise enough, you do so

You feel tears welling up in your eyes as you pull away the blankets and pull the hoodie covering you up just slightly, just enough to show her the small pouch at your belly from under your top

Alas, she doesn’t react, unsure what this means

While having been taught to express herself always, Bela is almost a stranger to insecurity- at the very least as it comes to her body

She’s never felt worried about the way she looks, paying little mind to it

You envy her

Then, just when you cover yourself up again, she asks again;

“Did something happen, little one?”

You crack

The nickname is enough for tears to run down your cheeks and- to your surprise- you feel her arm wrap around you

You’re pulled to her, sniffling

You pick up her scent, her elegant perfume and the metallic scent of blood lying underneath, only picked up this close to her

And briefly, just briefly, you have a dark thought, wishing she could just kill those that treated you so unfairly

With her arm around you, you feel impossibly safe- likely unlike most others that are this close to her

You begin to talk, begin to tell her of everything

Of the mockery, of the laughter

Of the little, stabbing comments made here and there

Of the looks

Of the mean glances and words

Of your insecurities and the growing feeling of anxiety and emptiness in you

And Bela?

She doesn’t interrupt, doesn’t talk. She only listens to you, humming occasionally to let you know you have her full attention

It’s a wonderful feeling

As you elaborate and cry a little more, she holds you tighter

She seems a little less awkward now, as if used to hold someone when they cry, and briefly you feel a strike of envy, wondering if there’s other maidens held by her and comforted like this. Then, the feeling fades when you figure; it must be Daniela, her younger sister, who you know cries easily from own experiences of holding and comforting the young woman after one of her episodes

You find, Bela offers the best hugs, though, and likely quite the rare ones

You stay close to her, breathing out a sigh of relief when you finish talking

It’s almost like speaking about it helped

She doesn’t quite understand their behavior, writes it off to the general behavior of scum

She finds, as such, they deserve to be treated just as certain way, too

You’re granted another day of staying in your room until Bela insists you return to work

More surprisingly, though, you find a maid, one of the newer ones, a little shy, but friendly, bring you a meal three times a day that day

She doesn’t say a thing, too nervous in the castle still, but you’re certain she was tasked to do so by Bela

And when you do return to work, anxious and dressed in slightly bigger clothes than normal, as if you could hide away, you find no trace of those who mocked you

Perhaps wickedly, you wonder what happened to them, whether they’ve been dragged away, killed, mauled, toyed with my the sadistic Dimitrescu sisters

Whether Bela in particular killed them. Is killing them. Is hurting them

But it’s like they never even existed, instead

You hear no screams at night. No whispers of what might have happened at all

It’s almost like your problems dissolved into thin air…

And you know you have none other than Bela Dimitrescu to thank for it

[liliths-missing-pen]

How They Are When They're In Love: Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, Jack Howl, Malleus Draconia

Character Pairings: Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, Jack Howl, Malleus Draconia x Reader (Separate)

Written for @oheyfox and @meliacamelia hope y’all enjoy your man’s <3

Warnings: None.

Masterlist

Trey Clover

The normal

I have physically never sat down once and written out a list of headcanons so this'll be interesting : )

Trey would be aware of once these feelings hit him immediately, however, he doesn't want to scare you off. He would prefer to keep these ideas to himself before he does anything rash

Riddle would notice a difference in his friend but wouldn't make a comment again when he did ask Trey replied with a "Nothing is wrong."

Cater on the other hand would be more persistent in getting him to spill the tea to know what's going on in the vice-housewarden's mind. As a result, Trey doesn't budge with Cater's asking. He only opens up to Cater about it after figuring out what he wants to do with it.

What is it you may ask? He wants to keep it on the down low. Both of you are still in high school. He doesn't see why he should tell you, he finds it unnecessary so he tucks it into his head for no one else to see/hear...

That's until Cater kept asking him about it and in an effort for this endless questionnaire to end he discussed with him that he wasn't interested in having a high school romance.

This, thankfully quieted him down, but he did give the odd comment one of these being "what do you have to lose?" He was aware of how common this phase was. The frequent use burns away the meaning of it. He knew what he had to lose with you... Yet it didn't stop him from at least thinking.

When Trey is in love with you that scenario could happen. Either way, he wouldn't treat you any differently than his dorm mates... At least to the eye. He'd had things going on in the backgrounds, the little things to show his love to you. Even if he knew it would never be seen or even returned..

You could hear the clicks of shoes in the empty hallways. You weren't sure who it could be this late at night on campus but you didn't have much time to think when you turned the corner and there he was. "Hi Y/n," Trey greeted you. He held a plate with tin foil covering what was inside. "I was looking for you... I know you tend to give your food away to Grim or he steals it from you and I just so happen to just finish your favourite pastry. Have it. I know you deserve it."

Cater Diamond

The schoolgirl who will reject the idea

I had this overflow of emotions to write him whilst listening to BABYMETAL so... Yeah, ngl kind of a fitting genre for him

This guy has his emotions tucked away so far away in the back of his head that even if he's spacing out during class and thinking of you at the most random times he will still reject the idea of having a crush on you and slowly falling in love.

He's a guy that does not put his emotions fully on display and it's quite hard to get a read on him if you express the same interest in him and are trying to figure him out.

He's denying everything so hard, yet everyone who comes into contact with Cater knows something is going down that isn't coming to light. The only one who knows what's going down is probably Trey or some best friend he has that isn't mentioned.

It won't even be because he told them. The only reason they would know is because they see how they look at you.

Mentioning you, he's avoiding you like the plague. Anytime he sees you walking around a corner he's going the direct opposite direction even if it means he would take longer getting to class or being late.

He knows he's hurting you but he genuinely is unsure of what to do. This guy will need someone to sit him down, probably Trey or even Deuce or Ace to get him straightened out and to help him to face what he fears. You and rejection.

They will need to hype him up a lot for this one...

"Sorry about not talking with ya for a while..." You stared up at the obviously nervous Cater. He wasn't typically like this. Something was most definitely up. "There's something I want to discuss... I'll keep it to minimal cringe 'kay?" He asks shining a bright smile but you and him know there's something underneath with all the clues being brought together. There was no way you were going to let this boy go, even if he wanted to run away like a school girl.

Jack Howl

The silly <3

He genuinely does not recognize that he’s fallen in love with you for a long time.

He’s heard of the idea so many times over by strangers in the wild, his peers, and even his parents how love was such a wonderful thing.

In the ghost marriage however, it's shown that this little beastman expresses want for love like his parents and as well his grandparents and how once they've fallen in love they're in it for the long haul

Even though he may be so sure that you're the one he may not recognize it while everyone else in his life may have already figured it out

I could make out the first years, particularly Ace making fun of him for his little crush on you.

Even Ruggie would get on the trend, picking at poor Jack. He would also use this as an opportunity to hang this over his head to get him to do stuff for him, yet Jack still would admit nor realize it.

Even with all of that Jack still wouldn’t recognize how he was in love with you, the slight wag and how his ears perk up your voice the immediate moment he could be heard

He would learn it on his own time, the teasing from his peers may only have only helped this process in its own time, not being the realization.

Maybe on one of his morning runs he would realize as he is running through campus he would any other day he takes a stop to admire some flowers or item that he’s reminded is one of your favourites. That is when it hits him…

He’s in love. He's in love and he doesn't know what to do

He most definitely asked his dad for advice and how he won over his mother and tried to figure out how to use those things he told him to win you over not even realizing that you were just as head over heels for him

As said, once they have a partner they are stuck with them for life

He would be a true gentleman, pulling together a bouquet trying to impress you, making sure what he brought you has the correct meaning he wanted to give you.

"Hey... Uhm, Y/n do you have a moment?" Jack towered over you while holding something behind his back. "I... Was wondering if you wanted to go to a restaurant and..." His face flushed he pulls out what was behind his back... A bouquet of baby's breath and violets. "It'll be a date?"

(Baby's breath - Everlasting love

Violets - Loyalty)

Malleus Draconia

Good old fashioned lover boy : D

Malleus has been locked away most of his life. He might've been free to have whatever he wanted in materials, but his experiences were locked away. Lilia mentioned how he travelled but Malleus never came along with him. Being the Prince of Briar Valley he wasn't allowed to have typical experiences. Once he'd gotten the taste of normal, he didn't want to go back.

How did he gain it? His relationship with you of course. From day one you didn't treat him differently. You treated him normally. He felt ruined when he messed up that he signed the letter he had given you "M.D." sure enough that you would clue in by then. Yet he felt relieved. He wasn't so sure if what he felt was endearment to you or worry from how clueless you seemed to be. He truly soured and believed that your friendship and what he enjoyed from you was gone once he showed up at the VDC

Yet.. You treating him like a normal human fae still happened? He never had a traditional friendship like others his age. So the fact that he started to gain feelings for you was much so unexpected, nor was it detected straight away.

Lilia never thought that he would have to go through this, explaining what love meant. He'd never say it to his face but he wouldn't have been surprised if his grandmother ever decided to put him into a arranged marriage because how much Lilia and her screwed up not letting him interact with kids his age that weren't assigned to be with him at all times.

So once Malleus started speaking of this Ramshackle prefect so dearly he had a cue that he would have to dust off the birds and bees story- In all serious though he decided that he had to have the talk asking how dearly he held this prefect of his. Malleus didn't know any better.

Once Lilia explained to him what was going... Dragon courting began. You were begining to collect many fancy jewelery that you weren't even sure what to do with. Malleus did have a hoard he could pick from and he surely did not cheap out when gifting. You were starting to get nervous from the way that Sebek would glare at you when passing in the halls. At one point Malleus gifted you a solid gold bar where you had to tell him he didn't have to gift you all these expensive things. Explaining him that it didn't matter he was a prince and could afford to give you all this you didn't want people thinking that you were using him. *cough cough* SEBEK

Yet through all of that you treated him as if he was a normal person. It made him so attracted to you. Yearning for you even. He wasn't sure if you were getting a message through with his courting though. However, he found it amusing so he decided letting this go another year or two couldn't hurt. After all you were his only friend. He wasn't going to let you go that easily and let something such as romance break it off so quickly. Even he couldn't take that hurt.

You stood outside of Ramshackle scrolling through your phone. You looked up as you noticed a shadow loomed over you. "Tsunataro!" Your immediate response hugging him. Malleus chuckled, "Hello prefect," he greeted. "I'm so happy you're here. I found a new gargole near here I have to show you it!" You exclaimed. "First, I have something for you," he reached into his pocket as he took out a small ring. "A promise ring. Lilia told me that it was very popular nowadays." You gawk at him as you slowly and careful take the ring from his hand and put it on your index finger. "It's beautiful, but Tsunataro... Nevermind, I like it a lot thank you." A smile graced Malleus "Of course my Treasure." You swore it was some sort of fluke that you weren't dating at the moment.

Requests are open‼️

[skzhua]

Episode five.

MASTERLIST

pairing: XO, Kitty's Min Ho x Female Reader

genre: Fluff, angst, enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, coming-of-age.

word count: 3.8k

warnings: Swearing, mentions of divorce, mentions of deceased parents, some cringey asf moments.

summary: Transferring to KISS was the last thing you had asked for and, yet, a certain tall boy made it seem both worse and better than you expected.

note: Bold - Korean, Italic - Over the phone

a/n: I am beyond overwhelmed by the amount of love this series is receiving. It means so much to me, you have no idea. Thank you <3

(let me know by filling the form in my bio if you want to be added to the taglist!)

There were bad days, and then there were bad days. And Min Ho was clearly having the second one. After you slammed the door in his face, he dropped on the couch next to Q. He might have hoped a little that his friend was going to be of any moral support but he couldn't be any far from the truth. Q was still pissed at him. In fact, almost everyone he knew was.

Dae came back to the dorm after Q left to go to bed. Seeing Min Ho alone, he greeted him kindly.

"You're here. How was your day?"

"It sucked." Dae gave him a sad look as Min Ho let out a sigh. "It sucked."

He went to sit across him and gave him a sad smile. "What happened earlier, I'm sorry... Things are crazy these days."

"I know, that's why I'm trying to help you." he said in frustration. "Why are you keeping secrets from me? You didn't even tell me you were dating Yuri all summer... And why did you tell Kitty about Poopy Baby?"

Dae gulped, not saying anything back.

"Are you really my friend?"

He let himself fall back on the seat in defeat. "I'm such garbage."

"Well, at least you know that."

"Hey. You still have feelings for her, right?" he was replied with a hum. "If I can be honest, I saw something today. On the Internet. Randomly! Accidentally!"

There was a pause before Dae hopped on his chair as he suggested they play Overwatch. After agreeing to order hot wings and do face masks, Kitty walked in and rushed to go see Q in his room. Dae's stare lingered to the door and Min Ho snapped him out of it.

Overhearing it all, you heard them call Kitty out of the room to show her something. Curiosity got the best of you, so you joined the others and walked up behind Q to watch what was going on. The sight horrified you. Why would someone stream their roommate in their sleep?

"What? My roommate put me on some weird website as I was sleeping." Kitty scoffed.

"I don't see the appeal." Min Ho sighed.

"And yet you somehow found the site."

He looked at you as you grabbed his attention but only received a death stare from your part. You definitely needed to work on your weird dynamic.

"Kitty, you should move." Dae said, more like an command than a suggestion. "You can't live with this girl anymore."

Q nodded. "Yeah, I agree with Dae. This is kind of sketchy."

She huffed. "I tried but there is no other room."

"Uh, how about a hotel? My driver could take you right now." Min Ho offered although he was well aware this wasn't an option.

"I can't afford that for an entire semester."

"I'm sure Dae can hook you up with a discount at Han Hotels."

"Shut up, Min Ho." you said, growing more annoyed with him by the second.

He raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "Just trying to help."

"You helped enough today."

Before another argument broke, Q's face brightened as an idea popped in his mind. He offered to switch rooms with Dae for Kitty to come live with the rest of you again. In secret. Though unsure, she agreed because of how much she couldn't take her roommate anymore.

Chuseok used to be your favourite day of the year. You would have a delicious meal with your parents at home, free of worries and problems. Your mom's japchae was what truly kept the tradition living. Needless to say, their death definitely left its mark on you but it became easier with time. And tomorrow, you were going to enjoy it to the fullest. At least try to.

Kitty had spontaneously offered to organize a Chuseok for the expats of the school and begged you to help her out. You would have turned it down but her pleas were almost getting on your nerves that you gave in. She asked you about traditional meals you'd cook with your own family and you put together a list of ingredients she would need to buy. As the list only got longer, you opted to go grocery shopping together.

"Can you get soy sauce? I'll get the gochugaru."

You went to the end of the aisle as she called out for you to ask which kind of sauce she needed to get. Being already in front of the gochugaru, you assumed she could wait a second more for you to pick it up. You crouched down to get it off the shelf. Satisfied with the brand you chose, you got up and were greeted by Min Ho standing in front of you, a basket in hands. His shoulders dropped as you stared back at each other, you doing the same.

"You're seriously everywhere." he complained.

"It's not like I intend on seeing you everywhere."

Kitty came next to you with her cart, having picked out herself a random bottle of soy sauce. "Min Ho."

"And Kitty? You two are like my own sasaengs." he scoffed which Kitty seemed to not have understood.

"What's a sasaeng?" she asked, confirming your thoughts.

"Like a very obsessed fan." you explained. "But we're not."

"Yeah, sure." he smirked at you.

"What are you even doing in a grocery store?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah." you added. "Shouldn't you be on a yatch being rich and annoying?"

He faked a smile. "My dad is doing that with wife number three with her new fillers. I have decided to stay here as a favour to all women who want a piece of me this Chuseok."

He sent you a look before pulling a box of chocolates out of his basket. You could do nothing but roll your eyes at how pathetic it looked.

"Strawberries and chocolate? I'm going to be sick." Kitty said in a boring tone.

"I'm sure Lulu would appreciate it."

This caught your attention. "Lulu? The pop star? You got her to be one of your Min Hoes?"

He scoffed as his infamous smug look appeared. "That's cute, puppy. And she's only the fastest rising popstar in the country."

"And?" Kitty said, not sure what point he was trying to make.

He held up his phone to show you a picture of Lulu but you only frowned.

"We've been flirting since her trainee days." he justified.

"What a surprise." you said sarcastically.

Nonetheless, you couldn't ignore the feeling in the pit of your stomach. It felt like it was ripping apart and you only hoped it didn't mean what you thought it meant.

"She's on break from tour for the holiday. Even K-Pop stops for Chuseok." he continued.

"Okay." Kitty said, unimpressed.

Min Ho analyzed the content of your cart and frowned at you. Taking a pack that laid on top of the rest of your items, he showed it to you.

"Do you even know what to do with this?"

You snatched it back from him. "We're fine, thanks."

"I am admittedly entering new territory but with the help of TikTok, Y/N, and a positive attitude, I'll manage just fine." Kitty said and you facepalmed. "If not, I've won awards for my mashed potatoes."

She was about to push her cart forward and walk away but Min Ho stopped her. "No, no, no. As a Korean national, I cannot in good conscience let you desecrate my native cuisine like this."

"You do know I'll be doing most of the cooking, right?" you asked.

He acted as if he hadn't heard you and dropped his basket in your cart before removing Kitty from her spot to push it himself. "Do you want to poison your classmates or do you need my help?"

"Min Ho." you exhaled.

"This is me being kind right now."

Kitty sighed. "Fine. But I'm still making my mashed potatoes."

You and Min Ho groaned at her words and walked towards the next aisle. She followed behind in panic, telling you to not mess her system up.

While she was watching you two add products to the cart, you kept on bickering on anything really. Disagreeing on certains articles, disputing over a certain dish he wanted to cook, complaining about what you wanted to make...

You managed to go up to the cash register and he insisted on paying for it all. Having fought enough with him, you didn't protest and he helped you and Kitty with getting everything back to the dorm.

You got up from bed earlier than usual, wanting to focus on the side dishes you planned on making. It was going to take a while to get everything done so the sooner you started, the better.

What you didn't expect was to see Min Ho already standing in the kitchen as he dressed in a black tank top with a funny-looking apron over it. He didn't see you right away but he was quick to do so when you let a laugh slip out of your mouth.

"Well, well. Who's decided to be an early bird this morning?" he snickered, referring to your usual moody self when you wake up.

"Looks like we've had the same idea. I wanted to start cooking right away." you said as you went to stand next to him. "Need help?"

He shook his head. "I'm good. You can start on the budae jjigae, though."

Doing as told, you took the ingredients out of the refrigerator and Min Ho moved his own material to leave you space to work. It was silent but unlike normally, it felt nice. You almost dared to think that you liked being this comfortable with him.

"What's this?" you asked about the basket on the stool.

"My mom got it for me, my love language is gifts."

"I would have never guessed." you joked.

"She sent it from Los Angeles since she couldn't be here." He looked down. "We usually spend Chuseok together."

You smiled sadly. "It must suck, I get that. My parents and I never missed Chuseok together. Well, until... yeah."

"Right."

He cleared his throat to ease the tension and continued to chop his onions. You watched him go at it and were pleasantly surprised by his skills.

"I would have never guessed you knew how to cook. Nor would I have expected you to help Kitty. I suppose you can be nice."

He gave you a side eye. "I'm famously anti-Kitty, I'm only doing this to honour our traditional food properly."

"Try to convince me. You have a soft spot."

He chuckled while shaking his head. "Well, if you want me to be nice so badly, should I ask if you're okay?"

You cocked your head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"With your parents and all. I bet it's not easy."

You nodded. "Yeah, definitely a difficult holiday." you breathed out.

"I'm sorry but can I ask what happened?"

You looked at him and saw his eyes softened. "It's..." you hesitated. "They had a business trip and never came back." you kept it short

He rubbed your arm and you shivered at the contact. "That's awful. I'm sure they're looking after you. They must be proud."

Your breath hitched as you felt his head hover yours. You didn't dare to look up but you knew he was looking at you.

"Thank you, Min Ho."

You felt him breathe on the top of your head. It was unsteady and hot, you felt like you were about to melt.

"Good morning." Kitty yawned, coming to join the two of you.

You jumped away from each other and focused back on your tasks, attempting to forget what had just happened. "Hey, slept well?"

"I guess." she yawned again. "Oh, Pepero." she said excitedly and reached out to get it from Min Ho's gift from his mother.

He slapped her hand away. "Don't."

Hours of cooking went by and you were happy to have almost forgotten about your moment with Min Ho. Almost. Having finished with your budae jjigae, you sat at the stool and watched Kitty make her mashed potatoes. Growing bored, you connected your phone to the speakers and scrolled through your playlists to find something to add to the ambiance. After selecting one song, you heard a phone buzzing. Min Ho took his device out and smiled as he replied to a text.

"Confirmed Lulu will be at the premises at 8pm." he said with a smirk before putting his phone away.

Your stomach felt weird again.

"I'm sure she'll love the chocolate." Kitty smiled sarcastically.

"The chocolate was actually for," he began to say and moved his gaze to focus on you. "someone else."

Kitty eye-judged him as she kept mixing her potatoes.

"Hey, don't judge." he exclaimed. "Not all people need to be star-crossed lovers to be compatible. Like, hot people, for example." he pointed to himself. "We can, and want to play the field."

You mentally thanked him for saying that as it gave you a reminder that he was nothing but a jackass. That helped the weird tug in your belly go away.

"That's because you haven't found your perfect match." she looked at you for a second and you coughed in disapproval.

Min Ho grunted. "I've found many, many matches."

"I'm just saying, I've seen the magic when people find the one." she smiled to herself.

"That's sweet to think, Kitty." you said in a bored voice, not believing in what she was saying.

"Y/N's right. My parents both thought they found the one." Min Ho continued. "They were the 'it' couple. Beautiful, young starlet. Chaebol heir. The tabloids literally called them the perfect match. Look at them now."

Visibly, the divorce of his parents seemed to have impacted him more than he would admit. You kind of felt bad but, again, this was Min Ho. He didn't deserve your empathy.

"I'm sorry." you let yourself spill out unintentionally.

He shrugged. "Whatever."

Kitty coughed to clear the atmosphere and served him a bowl of her potatoes for him to taste. He took a spoonful of it and hummed as it was better than he thought.

"It must be weird to have people know all about your family." you continued on topic.

You were glad that he didn't mind keeping on telling you about it. "They think they know, they don't really. That's my point."

You nodded in agreement and he continued.

"There's really only one thing that matters at the end of the day."

"Which is what?" Kitty asked curiously.

"The truth." he responded as if it was obvious.

You helped Kitty with organizing the place. As more people came to her gathering, you welcomed everyone nicely by offering them drinks. You saw Q and Florian arrive and joined Kitty's side to say hello.

"Wow." Q breathed out in amazement. "People are calling this Chingu-seok."

"What?" Kitty asked and you were starting to wonder if she really was working on her Korean like she told you she was.

"It's a pun with chinggu, which means 'friends' and Chuseok." Florian explained. "You started a new tradition."

She was in awe but it was ruined when her eyes spotted Professor Lee. "Oh, no. Why is he here?"

"Because he's sad and lonely." Min Ho answered making you almost choke in your orange juice. "Mind helping me, Y/N?"

You followed him to the main table where you had placed the food dishes. He passed you a bowl of cold noodles and asked you to bring them to a table. As he was placing a plate himself, Madison appeared out of nowhere and waved at him.

"Min Ho, hi."

He shut his eyes closed, clearly not wanting to converse with her. "Hello, Madison."

"I wasn't expecting you to be here." she frowned but then noticed the plate he was holding. "Oh my God, you cooked."

"Yes, but I'm not staying long. Got a date tonight."

You had heard enough and moved to the entrance to invite people in. The weird knot in your belly came back and you absolutely hated it. You hated even more that Min Ho was seemingly the cause of it.

"Y/N!" he called out for you again.

With a lack of enthusiasm, you came to him and he asked you to put the plates away with him. Madison had left so you saw no problem in giving him a hand. Happy with the result, you went to Kitty's table together and stopped to look for which seat to take. You sat at the edge of the table, two seats away from your professor. Although awkward, Kitty was going to be in front of you anyway. Plus, you were only there to enjoy the food.

"Hey."

You raised an eyebrow at Min Ho. "You're sitting here? Willingly?"

He repositioned himself on the seat next to you and shook his head. "No. Yes? Just drop it."

"My bad."

Q insisted for Kitty to make a toast and she did a great job as she mentioned sweet thoughts such as gathering together and her mother. She ended her speech with a 'cheers' and you clang your drinks together. With Min Ho's first.

"Happy Chuseok, little pup." he nudged your shoulder. "Thank you for the food."

"Thank you to you too." you smiled.

You started to serve yourself and were, honestly, overwhelmed by how much food there was. You wanted to taste each one of them.

"Can you pass the japchae?" Min Ho asked Q.

Your head rose from the mention of this specific food. "You made japchae?"

He put it down in front of you two. "Yeah, first thing this morning. Didn't you see?"

You shook your head as a no. "I haven't eaten that in years."

Min Ho brought your plate closer and dumped some in it. "Dig in."

The last time you had actual good japchae was at your last Chuseok with your parents. None had own up to it so far and you were curious to see if his cooking skills were as good as he claimed them to be. You took a bite and chewed slowly. Your eyes grew bigger and you shook his shoulder.

"This tastes exactly like my mom's."

He chuckled. "Really? She might have sent you my way so you could taste it."

You rolled your eyes. "Don't ruin the moment."

He shrugged. "I'm just saying." he checked his phone quickly. "I'm off... to fulfill my destiny."

"Ah, Lulu?" you asked and he wiggled his eyebrows at you while getting up.

"Can't wait to read about it tomorrow." Q commented.

"Wait, you're leaving?" Kitty stopped him.

"Hello, hot date with popstar? Later, sasaeng." he tapped her head and walked away.

You felt disappointed he left. Of course, you would never admit it out loud. To suppress the annoying tingle that seemed to never go away from your chest, you focused on the japchae. Taking more and more bites of it, you reminisced your parents. You missed them terribly. But you were convinced they were watching you and you wanted to make them proud. Min Ho said they would be, after all.

And there it was again, Min Ho coming to your mind. You tried to shake it off but he simply wouldn't go away. And now you pictured him being with his date at this exact moment...

Ping.

You took out your phone from your pocket and read the messages you had just gotten.

Min Ho: Y/N!

Min Ho: Y/N, answer!

Min Ho: Help me!

Min Ho: I don't know who else to call, come help me!

He was definitely going to be the death of you. Putting your pride aside, you left the dinner to head to the school's entrance. You looked around but there was no one. You yelled out his name a few times but you were left unanswered. As you were about to give up and go back to the others, Min Ho's head popped out of the bushes.

"What the hell did Kitty put in those potatoes?"

You looked at him curiously. "What the- Weren't you going out just now?"

"Y/N, answer, please."

You shrugged. "Milk, cheese... I heard her mention it."

He squinted his eyes in shame. "Really, that little piece of-"

"Min Ho." you stopped him but he then groaned in pain and you heard his tummy rumble. "Awe, Poopy Baby. Are you okay? Do you need help with the potty?" you teased him.

"Real funny." he said while his face stayed still. "Lulu could come any minute now. You have to get rid of her. She can't see me like this. But keep her hooked on me."

You scoffed. "And why would I do that?"

"If her fans find out, I'm done for."

"Sounds like a you problem." you replied and started to walk away.

The sound of a car brought your attention back to where Min Ho was and you immediately connected that this was Lulu. Cursing at yourself, you turned back on your heels and greeted the idol with a forced smile.

"Hi." you bowed at her as she stepped out of the car. "Min Ho's running late."

"Who are you?" she asked in a bored voice.

"Min Ho's fanclub president, first in line for a date night with him."

You wanted to die just then and there. Fanclub president, what were you thinking?

"Uh?" she said, confused.

"My date with him just ended. I can't believe I even got to see him up close."

And more will to bury yourself ten thousand miles deep.

"That jerk double-booked me?"

You smiled, almost afraid of what you were going to say next. "He is the most handsome guy at school. I'm not going to lie, he ruined me for other guys. He's just so... well, you know."

"Intriguing... But I refuse to come second. You tell him I come back at 6pm tomorrow night. And that he better clear off the rest of his schedule."

"Oh." was all that you could say.

"When he has a night with me, he won't be seeing anyone else after."

She got back into the car, not leaving you time to say something back, and took off. Min Ho scoffed in disbelief.

"How did you do that?"

"Talent?" you answered, although it came out more like a question. "You owe me."

"I know, I know."

You stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do next. "Well, I'll go now."

"Y/N, wait."

Halting on your steps, you looked at him, confused, and waited for him to go on. He cleared his throat and looked anywhere but at you.

"The chocolate. It was for you. You can take them when you get home."

You froze. "For me?"

"Yeah." he affirmed and finally looked at you. "As an apology for the other day when I yelled."

You let out a small laugh. "Love language is gifts, uh?"

He rolled his eyes. "Say thank you and we move on?"

"Thank you, Min Ho." you smiled.

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[queenie-official]

Chapter Two: ‘From Kingdom To Kingdom’ Bridgerton Au!Anakin

part 1

a/n: this one might be a little long 😀 but if we like the length let me know, anyway the palace/castle on the left is the kingdom of Tatooine and the castle on the right is Alderaan at least that’s how i picture it, thought y’all might want a visual 🫶🏼

a warm breeze swirled through the room, the faint smell of floral from the spring air providing a calming effect as you looked over the papers on your desk. for as long as you’d been doing so you truly didn’t have much to show for it. your mind to busy wandering back to the conversation with Barclay in the dinning room earlier.

that was when you heard it. two servants gossiping in the hallway clearly not knowing you where in your fathers study- well technically your study. “i heard there having a meeting right now” one of the servants said, piquing your interest. who where they talking about… “i don’t think her majesty even knows” oh no.

you where quick to stand up, the chair scratching against the floor alerting the two on the other side of the cracked door. making haste you push open the door making direct eye contact with two maids. “what do you know that i don’t?”

the sound of your heels clicking against the castle ground rung in your ears as it bounced off the walls. you could see the looks of confusion on the face of each guard and servant you passed but you paid no mind, continuing to speed down the halls. as soon as you approached the door to the meeting room you could hear voices, your stomach sank as you realized what the maids had told you was true.

a wave of anger flashed through you, giving you the confidence to slam open the two doors that separated you from the problem. “what’s going on here?” you demand whilst looking over each member of the royal council who sat at the table in front of you. once you found Barclay more anger ran through you and before you knew it you where marching down over to him. “what part of tell no one yet did you not understand Barclay.” you watch as he swallows nervously, before he answers but what he had to say was not at all what you’d expected nor was it what you asked.

“we’ve found you a suitor” he says cutting straight to the chase. “excuse me?” you say in absolute shock and confusion, it hadn’t even been more then 4 hours since you’d last spoken. he continued to say nothing unsure how to go on. “we were supposed to discuss this more later!” you can’t help but shout, feeling as if you wouldn’t be heard else wise. “i just figured i would help make your job easier-“ he begins but you quickly interject, “that is not your decision to make.” unbelievable this cannot be happening right now, just how far along had they gotten in this meeting before you arrived.

“i mean no disrespect your majesty-“ you scoff “i hear you say that more and more, yet i am increasingly failing to find truth in the statement” turning quick on your heel and moving to the head of the table where your seat is you attempt to address them all head on.

“you must at least see that i have the kingdoms best interests in mind” Barclay tries to reason his actions but you’re quick to shoot him down. “oh and i don’t? Barclay you repeatedly undermine my authority, i have half a mind to have you removed” you say with your voice still raised as you look him in the eye. to your surprise he doesn’t back down, the contrary actually. A firm look on his face as he puffs his chest up slightly “Need i remind you as of right now you do not have the authority.” you feel your face flush slightly at his reminder but your quick to push it down. taking a deep breath you clench your fist to redirect your embarrassment back to anger. “but i will and then what” you counter.

“your majesty, this is the best shot you’ll get. another opportunity will not fall so easily into your lap” the Lord high Chancellor pipes up, pulling your attention to him and away from Barclay. “what are you talking about?”

“we found the perfect kingdom that could be pressured into silence” The chancellor speaks again rather smugly.

“explain yourself Chancellor Valorum” you command. “well we need this whole ordeal to be kept secret do we not?” you resist the urge to roll your eyes at him “get to the point” you say curtly. the chancellor doesn’t seem effected by your attitude and continues like you hadn’t said anything to begin with. “im sure you’ve heard of the kingdom of Tatooine.”

you raise a brow “that kingdom? isnt it high in crime and poverty?” you had meant it to be a statement but both responses came off more as questions once they left your mouth. “yes- well i’m sure you can see where i’m going with this now” he gives a you a crooked smile.

“this is wrong” you state plainly not liking the way this was going at all. it wasn’t about the kingdom of tatooine and its many negative attributes, it was the fact the only reason the council wanted to try this with that kingdom was because they thought it insignificant enough to squash if needed. it was a disgusting way of thinking that you did not want you or Alderaan associated with.

“think of it as you helping a falling kingdom. you marry one of the sons for your kingdom to be happy and in turn they get our aid. their people can eat and the crime rate will go down in due time it’s a win, win” The more the Chancellor explained the worst the idea was in your mind. “it’s manipulative” you say with disgust, the entire council was corrupt if they thought this a good idea. you looked around the room again scanning their faces hoping for someone to agree with you, not one person- are these the people who are to aid you while you lead. you felt sick.

“have you any better ideas?” you wanted to scream how could he say that with a straight face. how did your father put up with these people, he was a good man and if something like this was suggested to him it would of been shut down immediately. “unlike you guys i’m smart enough to know this is not the way to do this. the idea of it makes my stomach twist! We are to drop this whole thing, it is not right and i will not tarnish the reputation of our kingdom”

“well… about that” Barclay began and you felt your heart drop. “what did you do?” you ask silently praying to anyone who would listen that whatever it was could be undone. “well me and the rest of the council here” he gestured around to the people around you both with his hand “decided it in your best interest to proceed without your approval. a letter has already been sent.” a deadly silence filled the air as you stared at them all, your mouth opening and closing unsure what to say.

not only had they gone behind your back to discuss such a matter but the proceeded without a care in the world as if nothing would happen if any of this got out and you wouldn’t be the one the people blamed. you where the head, the leader, the future queen. everything wrong is pointed to you and this would be no exception. even if they did find out the royal council did this the first conclusion they’d draw would be you being incompetent enough to let this happen without your knowledge. or that it was your fault for the councils corruption since nothing like this had happened before. “you what..” you finally spoke, hoping you heard Barclay wrong.

Chancellor Valorum piped up once more “your majesty you may concern yourself with your own personal worries but we on the other hand must place are worries with that of the people” you wanted to punch him, was he so deluded that he truly thought he was doing good with this. and to act like you don’t care for your people…it hurt, how could you be a good queen when you aren’t even being given the chance. you take a deep breath glaring at Valorum as you respond “so you go behind my back and practically blackmail a kingdom into handing over a prince for me to marry?” you try putting it into the same perspective the people will. “it’s a scandal” you add, pressing further into how bad their decision was.

“it’s only a scandal if people know, and those who do are not in the position to speak up” he quips, the way he can claim he cares for the people and then treat something like this as some kind of joke- i mean this whole situation was practically treason.

“this is so irresponsible, and wrong. honestly do any of you even have half a brain and are you sure what’s there is working properly” that statement seemed to irk them, good. what they’d done was stupid.

“it’s not about what’s right, it’s about what’s good for the people. And as the future Queen you have better start thinking in such a way or consequences are to come” oh so that’s how this was going to be, in that moment you swore as soon as your coronation happened you would call for the removal of the council members and replace them all. “you think i do not care for my people? you play a dangerous game Valorum. all of you do.” you say and make eye contact with each man seated at the table letting the hidden threat hang thickly in the air.

“your majesty” Barclay speaks up clearly wanting to defend himself for his actions. “Barclay this is low even for you” you say sternly.

“enough of this, what’s done is done” Chancellor Valorum says ending the whole argument. you stand up in an instant and storm out of the room, the weight of what just happened pulling you down the further you got.

you paced the entirety of your room, having just finished ranting to Eleanora about what just happened. she was one of your most trusted ladies-in-waiting which is why she stayed at the castle with you and aided in your daily routine. “i can’t believe they actually did this, i feel nauseous” you began again.

“should i get you some water your majesty?” Eleanora offered trying her best to help and offer you comfort. “no, no that’s alright. i don’t think i could drink or eat anything in all honesty” you say while taking a seat on the chair in front of your vanity, feeling dizzy.

“understandable, but your majesty you didn’t have breakfast i’m beginning to worry” you look up at the poor girl, she was right you needed to eat something maybe it would help. But truthfully the idea of eating anything felt repulsive at the moment, and you where sure anything you forced down would come right back up. she seemed to take your silence as an answer. “why not try to think about the positives from this.” she tried.

positives, where there even any positives? if everything went through you would be marrying a man you didn’t know. and then there was what got him to marry you- the letter what did they even write in that letter.

“god only knows what the letter contained…”you voice your thoughts aloud to Eleanora not wanting to keep her in silence. “and they had to of stamped it with the royal seal- oh i’m going to be sick” you place your head in your palms letting out a groan. “deep breaths” she says and gently rubs your back in a soothing motion. “this is so bad and the more i think about it i can only find it to be even worse.”

“it’ll be okay your majesty” she doesn’t sound to sure of herself as she says that though, so the reassurance falls flat. “that’s the thing it won’t be okay, not really anyway.” you groan again, dragging your hands down your face as you look up staring at yourself in the mirror. you looked a mess, the stress of the day clearly having got to you. ‘i need to speak with someone whos not afraid to speak there mind to me’ you think to yourself turning to look behind you at Eleanora. “can you send for Lady Padme?”

“yes of course your majesty”

as soon as Padme entered the tea room you quickly stood to greet her. Now Padme was your most trusted Lady-in-waiting overall, you both grew up together. she didn’t stay at the castle with you simply because she asked. she would rather be in her own manner with her husband and children, and you saw no problem in giving her what she wanted.

Padme’s smile warmed you and she quickly pulled you into a hug once you made it over to her. “is everything alright? you never send for me with such short notice unless it’s an emergency” she asks quickly, pulling away as she looks into your eyes searching for an answer. “it’s horrible Padme, i dont even know where to begin.” you sigh heavily, walking over to the tea table and taking your seat. Padme joins you sitting next to you rather then across. “what’s happened?” she asks as two servants pour you both a cup of tea before leaving the room to give you privacy.

“the entire royal council has gone behind my back” you begin, causing her brows to knit together in concern. the more you explain the more annoyed and disgusted she grows along with you. Padme was always politically head strong even though it was highly encouraged for most Ladies-in-waiting to stay out of politics. that’s one of the things you liked about her and one of the reasons you knew she’d be the best person to talk to about this.

“that’s horrible” she said as you finished telling her about everything that had happened so far that day, from the horrible conversation with Barclay first thing in the morning to you storming out of the council meeting room.

“i know, and i haven’t a clue what to do about it” you say frustratedly, neither one of you had touched your tea cups. the tea probably cold now but your throat felt impossibly dry so you forced yourself to take a sip as you waited for Padme to voice her opinion. “as much as i hate to say it Chancellor Valorum is right about one thing. what’s done is done” you practically choke on the tea you where sipping, which shockingly was still partially warm.

“so what i’m supposed to just sit here and let it all play out?” you ask her shocked that she of all People would suggest such a thing, it just wasn’t like her. “unfortunately, i think our best bet in all honesty is to hope the plans go through” she adds only furthering your confusion. “what?” you ask needing her to elaborate more and confirm what you where hearing. “as much as it is disgusting what’s been done, and i’m never one for doing what’s easy over what’s right but the worst outcome in this case would be Tatooine’s rulers declining.” you where speechless, having half expected Padme to suggest you hunt down the mail carrier and stop the letter from reaching the other kingdom before she ever agree with what Chancellor Valorum said. “i don’t understand.” was all you could say.

“the alternative of them declining means they’d lose more then if one of the princes married you. Alderaan is Well off y/n.” she says as if you should get what she’s saying already before continuing. “having an alliance to support them in need is one thing but an alliance built on marriage secures them even in the future. it’d be silly of them to decline” she finally finishes.

“that doesn’t make it okay” you counter, looking at her in disbelief. it’s not like what she said was crazy but more the fact that it was her that was saying it and not anyone else. “you’re right it doesn’t. but we’ll get nothing out of worrying over something we cannot change” she says and although what she’s saying is technically true you can’t shake that pit of a feeling in your stomach.

“i can’t help but think about it, it’s going to haunt me.” you say with a sigh, turning away from her as you continue “a decision that wasn’t even mine.” your eyes focus on the mostly full tea cup in front of you.

“we can worry more once we cross that bridge. but for now we have to wait it out” Padme says to you and she gently places her hand on your shoulder, pulling your attention away from the tea back to her face.

this wasn’t the outcome you where expecting from this conversation but Padme was correct and unfortunately so was Valorum there was not much else to say or do for that matter.

you tried to relax and enjoy the rest of your tea with Padme, not ready to face any more responsibilities for the day.

it had been days and your anxiety only worsened. pacing the length of your fathers old study as you tried to focus on the work you needed to get done, rereading the same pages of documents you had for the last hour. it was becoming increasingly difficult for you to get anything done.

"your majesty" Barclay barged into the study startling you enough to drop the papers in your hands. he looked apologetic and was about to speak when you cut him off. "I'm truly not in the mood to speak with you Barclay" you say still very rightfully mad at him for what he'd done. you reach down to pick up the papers you'd dropped when Barclay spoke again causing you to freeze.

"it's about the kingdom of Tatooine" he said quickly, hoping you would pay attention to what he had to say. you snapped up straight looking over his face trying to gauge wether he was being truthful or not.

"what" you ask but it was definitely more of a command for him to tell you what he knew.

"they've responded, their in agreement" he said quickly, lifting his arm up to show a a few letters in his hand. “you are to marry the second son Prince Anakin.” he finished and all you could do was stare blankly at him, frozen in place. this was really happening.

part 3

guys remember when i said Anakin would be introduced in this chapter 😀 SORRY LMAAOO, but hey at least we got padmé😋 i promise he will definitely be in the third chapter tho 💪 cuz i’ve set it up to lead into that- anyway that being said when he is introduced would you guys like if i did bonus chapters of his point of view? like this would be in the future of course but i want to know now so i could at the very least write them now and post em later 😗 so let me know huns 💋💋 hope you enjoyed Xx<3

tag list: @luvvfromme

[cinnamonest]

Male Majority AU brainrot has consumed me once again. Also cucking because we love it. Dropping this blurb here for no special reason, hoping you like it nonetheless hehe

Alhaitham is quite surprised when he finds out Kaveh got himself a girl. It was apparently, after his graduation right as the popularity of the architect spiked up. Before said architect fell into crippling debts as well. Only someone as brash as Kaveh wouldn’t see it coming, wouldn’t be prepared for that outcome. So it’s not as surprising to Alhaitham when his senpai beg him to house him and his girl. He accepts, though not without a price of course.

You see, Alhaitham has never paid much attention to the other sex before. Of course he has seen women, the Grand Sage, the Darshans, anyone of power has one always stuck to their side. Those higher-ups loves to brag, and frustrate Akademiya students even more since it’s practically impossible for anyone who hasn’t graduated to get a woman for themselves (and even then, it depends on how successful you are— beside, it’s difficult taking care of a being so delicate when you never have free time). But now that you’re here, living with him, he realises what he’s been missing.

You’re a bit shy, always worry about not bothering him, and you stiffen when he addresses you. You’re still adamant about showing how thankful you are for this housing arrangement though. While he’s working or reading at home, you always bring him water and snacks now and then. Always call him ‘sir Alhaitham’ or ‘master Alhaitham’. You try your best to greet him when he comes home, to compliment him, ‘W-well done at work today’ and it makes him laugh because you obviously have no idea what his job is. He acknowledges your efforts, but small things like you— they’ll never reach even an average man’s intelligence (you seem aware of that at the very least.).

He feels a bit bad for you too, your owner can’t see past his own nose. Kaveh does his best taking care of you, cuddling you, bringing you gifts, even ask your opinion on some of his architectural projects but he never tries to listen to you, does he? Anytime he finds you two interacting, the architect runs in-between screeching ‘Don’t speak to my darling you lunatic, you’ll corrupt my beloved! Are you alright sweetheart, he didn’t touch did he ?’. Such reaction only makes Alhaitham want to try to get closer to you more and more, see how far he can get away with things.

So he does, small touches here and there that ends up in cuddling sessions, bringing you some gifts now and then. ‘I need your presence at the Akademiya, please put this on and stick close to me.’ You’re unsure about putting the collar with a clear Alhaitham’s…. Yet you’re aware you don’t have a say in this, only following his order. You won’t do anything the whole day beside being arm candy, But what can Kaveh do about it, under the threat of removing him from the house? It teaches him a lesson as well— who is dumb enough to end up almost homeless while owning a girl? He truly doesn’t realise the danger he put you through there.

Perhaps Alhaitham should look into putting you into shared ownership. Stealing a girl is illegal of course, but cases of women who got a second owner because the first one fell under tough times aren’t unheard of. He’s getting tired of waiting, he’s been looking forward to bedding you for a while now.

AHHHHH I love this, Kaveh WOULD make a horrible financial decision like that lmao. Even in general it would be so awful, Alhaitham would absolutely be that third wheel that gets constantly inconvenienced because the other is constantly making adjustments and doing things without asking first lmao

Also since there's no like canonical heights to my knowledge, there's one part mentioning reader being comparatively shorter than them

----

To be fair, it's an act of benevolence to begin with. This unjust world is a constant weight on Kaveh's heart and mind, he's one of the most unfortunate people to have to exist in this universe, given he's such a bleeding heart. They have those charities and such that are supposed to advocate for better conditions and humane practices for the poor girls, and he's emptied his pockets for those more than once.

But buying one was not a selfish act, no. It may just be one, sure, and there are still plenty more suffering out there, but at least he can sleep well at night knowing he has made a difference, even if it's just in one person's life. After all, it was so pitiful and heart-wrenching, passing by those markets in town all the time and seeing them put in cages and look so miserable, he HAD to get one. It weighed on his soul, you know?

Such is how he justifies it, when questioned on it. He's doing a good thing. He's very happy about it initially, too.

Granted, it's not particularly normal for someone of his current economic status to make this decision, even pre-debt, it's not like he's super filthy rich or anything. He may or may not have taken out a loan... but no big deal... right...?

It's also true that neither of them have had any real opportunities to interact with the opposite sex — the Akademiya, of course, has no female students. Well, except for the fact that there's actually been a few cases of some particularly brazen, stupid girls being caught managing to disguise themselves for some time in attempts to get educational certification (presumably try to maintain the act long enough to become self-sufficient), but of course it never lasts long and is swiftly dealt with, given that students are incentivized by the policy that if someone discovers and rats a girl out to the institution, that person will get to keep her. But regardless, neither of them ever encountered such a thing.

Poor Kaveh is rather awkward at first, but he openly acknowledges that -- that is, he's more just awkward rather than shy, has no trouble being up-front and transparent about never having spoken directly to or been so close to a female before. He's pretty confident in his capability to be a good owner, though, he's done a lot of research and knows how to be sensitive and careful.

It's a fascinating experience, though. He's very touchy, and not even in a sexual way, often just reaching out to brush his hands over your skin, almost in a sort of awe. He realizes that for whatever reason, he had more or less subconsciously thought of them to be like inorganic objects, perhaps in part due to having spent almost more occasions seeing them portrayed in statues in architecture courses than in real life (which is very common -- no matter what nation you look at, one learns that in the anthropological sense of things, females are constantly made the subject of art, music, marblework, poetry, and virtually every other aspect of culture, often by men who have very little experience with real-life ones beyond their own mothers and the occasional few hours with prostitutes).

So it almost feels surprising to be reminded that you are made of flesh and blood, and thereby are, in fact, soft and warm and fleshy. It's an exhilarating feeling, holding onto you, even just the slightest touches and wrapping arms around you gives him a sort of natural chemical high, a buzz that's nearly overwhelming. Which, sure, he's heard described before, and has even read about quite extensively in anatomy and biology in the first years of general education, but experiencing it for oneself is totally different, and far more intense of a feeling than he had imagined.

He's really one of the best possible owners you could get, though. Very caring and doting, often to a point that it's suffocating.

And, of course, protective... which becomes an odd dynamic when he's forced to seek alternative living situations and you end up living with Alhaitham, seeing as most protective people probably would not be comfortable with a living situation in which one is living with another guy all the while.

Well, he is uncomfortable, but he doesn't have much of a choice. When his finances go plummeting, he knows who to reach out to... and while Alhaitham knows full well he'll give in and take you two in, there is some hesitation when he thinks about it. It could invite trouble, if someone sees you walking around the house and all... he'll just have to be careful.

Thankfully, Kaveh's still only paying rent for one person. Alhaitham did think about increasing it to something reasonable for two people, but... well, you're not really a "person," so to speak. When it comes to public transportation fees, usually females are considered a carry-on object, like a dog or a large suitcase, and only add an extra fee, which is less than the boarding cost for a person. So, out of generosity, he just leaves it as is.

Alhaitham soon comes to realize, however, that the decision to take you both in has some unforeseen consequences, namely being nagged and hounded about every little thing he does.

He's constantly getting chastised — they're fragile, you know, need ideal conditions. Yes, there needs to be a fire because your kind are very temperature sensitive (shouldn't he know that? Did he not pay any attention in biology??), yes he needs to buy (read: Alhaitham needs to buy) silk sheets because your skin is more fragile, yes they need to start buying (once more, read: Alhaitham needs to start buying) higher quality food for you because your it is critical that you get certain nutrients and vitamins or it will throw off your hormones and biles and all that and make you sick.

It's... irksome. He acts like every little issue that arises is the end of the world, exaggerates any harm that may come to you. And, of course, Kaveh tends to blame him for every negative thing. You get sick for a day and he claims it's because the house is too cold or too dusty, you tripped and fell and got carpet burn and it turned into a five minute lecture on how Alhaitham must have been the one to have mistakenly bunched up the edge of the rug and how he needs to be more careful, having a more fragile creature living here now. You knock something off the top of a cabinet (where they both tend to keep some foodstuffs), trying to reach it and it falls on your head, and soon Alhaitham finds his entire cabinets rearranged, optimized for your reach, and with the snacks you like placed in front of the other stuff.

Not to mention, of course, it's very awkward when he has to listen to you two go at it.

Kaveh's quick to justify that matter when Alhaitham makes some mildly passive-aggressive comment about it. No, it's not unethical nor coercion to have sex with you just because you depend on him for survival or anything. They NEED to have sex or they'll get sick... and in his defense, that's the common belief.

See, Sumeru is, predictably, the origin of a great deal of pseudoscience. Whereas other regions are more prone to bizarre and dumb traditional beliefs and stereotypes with no real basis that simply persist over time, Sumeru inhabitants prefer their misinformation to be peer-reviewed and doctoral-degree-verified, based on "studies" and "research" that is definitely not the sort where they intentionally set up the research to achieve predetermined results. You can even major in things of the sort at the Akademiya, like female medicine or female psychology, very lucrative fields seeing as they deal with primarily high-wealth clients (and otherwise men who are still willing to pay out the nose for the well-being of their beloved).

The Akademiya is also the world's leading institute on research for female hysteria, neurosis and psychosis, and cures thereof. The cause of such disorders is, generally, an imbalance of the humors and biles caused by hormonal deficiencies that are a direct result of the creature being undersexed. The Studies™ show that they become depressed and psychologically unwell as a result of several directly related causes, namely lack of orgasm and lack of having their pair-bonded mate's seed in them. Throws their brains off-balance.

Which is why Kaveh's not like the typical cruel, heartless person that buys these poor victimized girls just to use them like toys and objects, no, he's doing this because it's a necessary part of your care. The intention is what matters, and thereby makes it non-exploitative... also, of course, actually having mutual love for each other makes it non-exploitative, which he insists is the case... he's especially insistent of this after a certain someone muttered an unnecessary comment just loud enough for him to hear that 'she has every incentive to *act* like she loves you, you know,'  which left him upset for some time.

He's not wrong... you do gladly proclaim you do. That's how you've always been trained to act — even if you met your master ten seconds ago, you are ready at any moment to muster a smile and say you love him. The universally understood rules are simple: you love your master from the moment you meet him, you show no signs of discontentment, and you pretend as if you came into existence that very moment — never mentioning your past, acting as if any previous owners or living situations have been wiped from your memory, and above all, never comparing your current owner to a past one in a negative way.

Especially seeing as Kaveh is obviously... on edge. It's not like he isn't well aware of the ticking time bomb of a setup he's managed to find himself in. Staying in a home with some other guy, while having you around... it's asking for something to go wrong. Most people wouldn't dare, and would view the choice as a rather stupid one.

Thus, Kaveh is always trying to deter you from interacting, telling you that the man who owns the home is either too calloused and will be a bad influence, or too insensitive and will hurt your feelings; there's no way someone as thoughtless and dense as him would ever be able to appropriately, properly converse with your kind, known for emotionally sensitivity and all. Besides, you have no real reason to even want to speak to him, right?

So you can talk only when they're both around, when he's there to ensure Alhaitham doesn't say something stupidly insensitive or offensive. Which leads to some disputes, the two bicker back and forth even more than they would normally. And you... well, they can't be upset with you for at least trying to intervene, trying to be soft-spoken and sweet so as to not make it worse. It's very awkward for everyone involved.

His affection for you makes him that much more infuriated when he finds out that Alhaitham has been taking you out of the house and, in his mind, forcing you to spend time with him when you obviously have no desire to, parading you around as if you're his. It frustrates him, it upsets him, but... he can't really do anything.

On Alhaitham's end, though, it's only fair, so he thinks. Come on. What was he thinking? Knowing full well that Alhaitham doesn't have one, and yet he still basically wants to torment him by having you there? It feels like rubbing salt in a wound, of course he should know this was bound to happen eventually.

It's just slowly building up to a much bolder move, or rather, a compromise. Just... once a month, maybe. It's what he's owed, you know? And he'll be sure to fill out the paperwork verifying that he has partial ownership, meaning he's entitled to physical relations anyway.

With no other options, Kaveh is more or less forced to agree, albeit very very begrudginly... but, of course, with limits! He doesn't exactly have any right to set those limits, really, but Alhaitham agrees to them if for nothing else but to save himself the complaining and chastising he'd get otherwise. It's only a very small allowance, once per month and only once, no more than half an hour, and absolutely no other exchanges of any affection outside of that! Not that he can be there to enforce that, but he trusts you'll tell him if that bastard makes any move to touch you or kiss you or try anything whenever he's not around... won't you?

Not knowing what else to do (and stuck between trying to keep two rather stubborn individuals happy at the same time), you're very quick to assure him that of course you won't allow such a thing, and, of course, that you love him so much more, he's so much better and he's the only one that can actually make you feel good, so on and so on... he's not exactly happy about the situation, but your words placate him. For now, at least, until Alhaitham keeps pushing the bar for what he's allowed further, and further, and further...

[yanderes-galore]

How about a yandere concept or scenario for yandere follower! Narinder with darling who has a crush on the Lamb? <3

Sure! I don't write Follower Narinder often ^^ He's a broody cat.

Yandere! Follower! Narinder with Darling who likes The Lamb

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Cults, Religion, Stalking, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Isolation, Jealousy, Brainwashing, Marriage, Dubious relationship.

Narinder doesn't expect to be attached to any of The Lamb's Followers.

They're all pawns to The Lamb.

Although, as a Follower himself now, he's been slowly learning to get along with the mortals.

He doesn't have much of a choice, right?

He was humbled in their last battle.

Now he has to force himself to play nice with The Lamb and their cult.

At first he does it all begrudgingly.

He does tasks, listens to sermons, and plays good follower.

He doesn't entirely enjoy much of his new life.

Not until he started noticing The Lamb's most devoted Follower.

You are The Lamb's most loyal Follower.

You've been by their side for a while, long enough to earn a Skull Necklace and be brought back from death's claws.

Narinder would know... He swears he's seen you at least once.

He doesn't usually pay you much mind.

Although... Recently, at The Lamb's urging no doubt, you've been welcoming to him.

You've given him gifts, spoken to him, and always looked so curious.

It's almost... cute.

Such thoughts are quickly pushed from the cat's mind.

Cute? Seriously?

You... You aren't cute.

Narinder keeps telling himself such a thing.

Yet... He keeps looking over at you when you do your tasks throughout the cult.

You make flower crowns, you leave gifts for The Lamb, you're so dutiful... So devoted...

He's actually envious.

It's stupid, he really shouldn't feel that way.

He should also stop purring when around you

Narinder definitely seems like the type who's just in denial of his obsession.

He doesn't like you like that... That's a stupid mortal thing.

Yet at the same time he stares at you with wide eyes from a distance.

He can deny himself all he wants.

Although, nothing can hide the way he stares and follows you around.

He may be oblivious to it, or ignoring it, but Narinder does have feelings for you.

He can't help but wonder, if he was still a Bishop... would you ever have prayed and worshiped him as much as you do The Lamb?

Narinder tries to ignore the envy he had, but it proves difficult.

Even more so when he sees how you act with The Lamb.

You praise them, make them more valuable gifts, you hug them, show affection, let them pet you...

To anyone else in the cult, two things are clear.

Narinder has feelings for you... but you only have feelings for The Lamb.

To make it even worse?

Perhaps The Lamb even reciprocates.

There isn't a lot Narinder can do as a Follower.

It's not like he can attack and kill The Lamb.

So physical violence is out of the question.

However... Here's an idea.

Manipulation.

Maybe Narinder, as the original bearer of the Red Crown, tries to influence you.

You may like The Lamb... but what if he tries to change your mind.

Not enough to dissent, but to turn you off romantically towards The Lamb.

For example, encouraging another Follower to pursue The Lamb.

After all, if you can't get rid of the competition by violence, simply drive them away.

Narinder might plan on having The Lamb marry another Follower.

That way you'd be heartbroken enough to no longer pursue The Lamb.

Once you no longer seem interested, Narinder will swoop in to comfort you.

It's strange... having a past God of Death comfort you after your heart gets broken.

He's awkward with it, unsure how exactly to comfort you at first.

Yet Narinder gets the hang of it eventually.

He practices on making gifts and practicing what to say to you.

Narinder doesn't bother hiding his purr around you anymore.

If he's gone so far as to sabotage your budding feelings for The Lamb... He definitely adores you.

Sooner or later, his plan may even work.

Maybe you'll soon confess to Narinder, making the cat perk up once he hears your words.

Narinder would want to make things official as soon as possible to stake his claim over you.

He'd have The Lamb set up a marriage ritual with you, and Narinder would give you a ring at the altar.

It's a devious plan... having your old crush officiate the pairing.

By the end of it, Narinder never lets you go.

He insists you two sleep in the same tent, purring the whole time.

With subtle manipulation and brainwashing his obsession...

Narinder can make you all his...

Even without the Red Crown's power.

[sarahjtv]

My Hero Academia: Chapter 424 Spoiler Thoughts:

MHA is finally back from break and we have a calm after the storm chapter. Let me put my thought on Tumblr for a bit:

So, let's get this out of the way: Tomura Shigaraki/Tenko Shimura is dead. Like, DEAD, dead. Unless Kohei Horikoshi pulls the rug under us, I think he's made it clear that Tenko's not coming back. Those last 2 pages were it for his conclusion. He did add one more panel of Shiggy and some dialogue from Deku to say that maybe Deku really did "save" Tenko, but that's all we got. I'm still unsure how to feel about this, but I appreciate Horikoshi giving Tenko a bit more of a conclusion after the last chapter. But, the story isn't over yet, so we'll see if he's mentioned again.

Bakugo's parts were the best parts of this chapter. I'm glad to see him alive and well after everything (I highly doubt Horikoshi would keep him dead again anyway) and that his parents are there for him (Mitsuki yelling at him was funny ngl). Sucks that his right arm will never fully recover, but maybe that rehab will help him get to a good enough place. Also, his moments with Deku and All Might were incredibly sweet and a great conclusion to their little storyline. Seeing Bakugo genuinely tear up and look back on his and Deku's relationship throughout the years honestly moved me because it shows how far this young man has come (the artwork on his face is so good btw; Horikoshi has always been great at expressions in particular). Katsuki Bakugo's character development is one of my favorites in the series and he deserves #1 in every character poll he gets.

EDIT: OH, BAKUGO'S CRYING OVER DEKU BEING QUIRKLESS AGAIN AFTER THE EMBERS BURN OUT ONE DAY I'M GOING TO FUCKING CRY WHAT THE FUCK 😭

Deku continues to be Deku till the very end. I loved Izuku nerding out about how he gets to share a hospital room with All Might because of course he would. It's also nice to hear that A.) All Might reassures Deku that even though he doesn't feel like he saved Tenko because Tenko died, he still might have in the end and B.) Deku still has the embers of One For All which doesn't make him Quirkless. I assume this means that Deku is basically back at the start when he first got OFA. I'm sure his strength is still there at least, but it's probably not nearly as powerful as it was in the final battle.

Also, Deku's haircut 😭! I know they had to do it because it got messed up in the final battle and surgery, but please let his hair grow again before the manga ends, Horikoshi! I want his cute, bushy green hair back! There's also a scar on his right cheek covering his cute freckles I can't. His eyeball popping out of his socket when he sees Kacchan cry was hilarious, though 😂

All Might also telling Deku and Bakugo that they're the greatest heroes to him and everyone else is a really nice full circle on their initial dreams when the story started.

And then there are the two panels we get of Shoto and Ochako. I assume we'll touch on their epilogues next chapter, but I'm curious how they're doing because Ochako looks solemn and we don't even see Shoto's face because his back is turned to us in a dark light. I bet they're reflecting on what happened to Toga and Dabi respectively. We're still not sure if either of them really died, so it's a coin flip as to whether they did or not. There's also Shoto's whole family situation that needs tying up which is a whole other can of worms. I really hope this gets covered in the next chapter.

Finally, we see Deku and the others returning to UA which is currently being rebuilt. I'm guessing we'll see how everyone else is doing post-war too either in the next chapter or later. While we need to cover the main 4 (Izuku, Bakugo, Shoto, and Ochako), we also need to see how everyone else is doing because they weren't the only ones affected by the war. Everyone has battle scars of some kind.

And while the chapter is called "Epilogue", it's not over yet. We clearly have more story to cover and bows to tie as neatly as possible. Horikoshi can't please everyone (no one can, really), but I can tell that he's doing his best and that he still genuinely cares about his story after nearly 10 years. I'd say we have the rest of June at least and the end of summer at most until MHA finally ends. This was a really nice "wrap-up" chapter and we have more to go until the end. Despite its flaws, My Hero Academia is still peak fiction to me and some of the parts in this chapter cement that. It will always have a special place in my heart. I will be sad to see this series go, but I will be there until the end.

EDIT: I just saw Horikoshi's comment this week and it basically confirms that we have more story to come. He doesn't say how many chapter but he says "I'll keep going for a little while" and that we're returning to school life; the "Academia" part of the story. I'm really glad he's not rushing the conclusion because there's a lot of stories and characters to give finales to. I'm also really curious to see how school life is post-war, so I'm glad that'll be explored.

[veeketchum]

I’m rewatching Voltron rn (since I was thinking back and all I could remember apart from the names of all the characters was that one monsters and mana episode) and I’m only like three episodes in but I LOVE it

one thing though-

why has no one written a isekai fic for Voltron?? I would eat that shit UP

(this is all based off the vague memories I have of the show when I first watched it, so apologies if something’s are wrong)

imagine just waking up as a newborn but you fully remeber your old life, including watching Voltron. You can practically FEEL that something is off about this world compared to the memories of your previous life, but you don’t know what until you see a sign for Garrison recruitment.

Holy shit you’re in Voltron.

You have absolutely no clue what to do, because if any isekai trope is to go by, you’re going to get dragged into the events of the show, even if you haven’t seen anyone you recognize yet.

so you prepare. Better to be safe than sorry. You research outer space, you study how to pilot, you get your hands on whatever books you can about tech and try to get familiar with how to use it, and most importantly, you learn medical procedures and how to deal with situations quickly.

the healing pods aren’t always available in the show, the castle loses power or the paladins are just too far away to get to them.

mind you, you start this all at like age 4, so your parents are probably a little concerned. But you seem content with it, and what parent would stop their child from reading?

then your parents enroll you in Garrison, without your knowledge. Not that you were mad exactly, but you were unsure if you were going to try and stay under the radar or not. Now you have no choice.

you keep your head down most of the time, praying none of the paladins show up. They don’t, at least not your first few years. It’s your third year that you spot Keith, in the freshman class.

surprise surprise, somehow your class is shifted to help train the younger class (even though you’re barely more experienced then them? You’re seriously questioning these teachers). You, against all odds, are paired with Keith. Y’all don’t talk much outside of what’s required- Keith is Keith, and you’re still trying to figure out the best way to go about this. You ask him for a few flying tips once, since you know how good he is, but he stared at you for a while before saying “aren’t you the more experienced one?” You just shrug, and neither of you speak about it again.

It rolls around to when they get that new piloting simulator, and both classes are to use it on different days. Shiro, of course, is there, just like in show. You, by memory at this point (you can’t even count how many nights you’ve sneaked into the normal simulator to practice, or the deck to spar), ace it, soaring over everyone else’s score- and by doing that, catch Shiro’s attention.

there goes staying under the radar.

——————————————

(I’m totally going to add to this, especially as I get further into my rewatch, but this is all I can think of at the moment.)

Idk, I just feel like this idea would totally be fun and new to the Voltron corner of tumblr. Again, only in the first few episodes and most of this is relying on my really old memories of the series, so sorry if it’s wrong in places.

[chronicsyd]

Actually, I’ve got a few redactions + Add on's about the long ass post on the S2 trailer I made a couple weeks ago.

So while I still think Vi painted the gauntlets black to disguise herself, I’m thinking the fight with Warwick damages them again because when Vi’s with Ekko here, they are different than how they first appeared. So Ekko and Heimerdinger could repair them before fighting Ambessa, also it would partially explain why he's here fighting with her at all (so to the anon that asked, yes i do agree that Ekko/Heimerdinger probably fixed them)

I’ve been seeing posts about Jinx kinda sorta “adopting” a kid in the new season (you can kinda see them in that clip with Smeech attacking Sevika) and there’s the scene with Undercity people surrounding Jinx having blue hair so my thoughts are now leaning more towards that this is that child in question than something having to do with Jinx or Powder herself. it would also explain Sevika's new look and such.

I'm SUCH an idiot but the gem imbedded in Viktor's wrist is most likely for the arm they showed back in S1, much like how they showed the gauntlets that Vi would eventually be using. I just didn't give the arm a second thought until now despite knowing The Machine Herald already had the third arm (insert face palm here...)

Back to the lines from Vi and Caitlyn from the announcement teaser 3 years ago, it's clear that they're talking about the temple fight that happens later on. Caitlyn has to see this through but she doesn't want to do it alone because she knows that she or Jinx is going to end up dead as a result; but Vi feels she needs to fight Jinx herself because we're probably going to see a bunch of stuff happen before the fight (like the Kiramman tent fight for example) because Vi says "no one else needs to get hurt", but at first I just thought that Vi was talking about Jinx's attack on the Council.

I'm still unsure who's in the orange that Ambessa's talking to because no ones signature color in Arcane has been orange as far as i know (it's been mainly reds, blues, whites, and golds) so I'm thinking that it's a hospital outfit of some sort (I could be wrong, but that's where my thoughts are towards) and she's talking to someone in Piltover that Can implement Martial Law and there's really only 3 examples that could do that: Caitlyn, Jayce, or Mel (if Mel happens to be alive of course. and I'm pretty sure the other Councilor's are about as dead as dogshit, or should be because besides Cassandra did you Really give a fuck about the rest of them?).

someone else pointed this out and I for the Life of me can't find their account but the lines on the floor point to this being Stillwater Hold, so at some point that's where Jinx's base of operations is, or she's just breaking them out but at least in this scene i don't think so.

I'm changing my stance on this, this is happening right before Act 3 (or more specifically, before we see her in the Ambessa fight). mainly because while the lighting is damn near impossible to make out, i think her hair is cut in this scene, she's also missing the ropes on her top. Mainly because when we see her with the finger prosthetic she still has her braids and that's Definitely happening post Act 1. so she's crying about something different from Silco here and I'm having a dreading idea on what it is...

I don't think Vi is carrying Cait on her shoulders, mainly because with the lighting the vest looks brown but when we see Caitlyn her vest is very clearly black. So not exactly sure who it is, I'm kinda thinking it's the blue fish guy (is Arcane gonna give us the names of Caitlyn's comrades yet?!) and the explosion we see with him isn't the same one that knocked Vi down. but that's just hypothetical, the only thing I'm Sure about is that Vi isn't carrying Caitlyn at least.

I have NO idea Why and I have NO credible sources on this but for some reason my brain keeps telling Sevika's dying. No i don't know the how or the when but it'd just be another tally of grief for Jinx (because we're probably going to see them get close despite their animosity back in S1) (and let's be real anyone that takes on even a Slight "parenting" role to Vi or Jinx is getting the axe, i don't make the rules)

So far the only thing I'm having trouble placing is uhhh everyone that Isn't Vi, Jinx or Caitlyn. because they've been Massively marketing the three of them but when it comes to people like Viktor and Jayce not a fucking clue. We got that clip of Ekko and Heimerdinger sneaking into Piltover where they probably do some sorta hextech experimenting but that's really the limit of my knowledge. I know the people I was confused about have to do with Viktor and the Glorious Evolution thing but other than that, I've really only got solid thoughts on our three ladies for the season.

Also it seems like tomorrow they're probably going to be showing us what they showed at the Annecy festival for pit fighter Vi back in June so... can't wait for that!

and that's what i got for now...

[unearthlytraveller]

Babylon 5 Rewatch: Chrysalis

30 years ago, fans of B5 had to wait three months for the first season finale. I'm not willing to do that.

I'm going to break here, because if there is any episode from season 1 that should not be spoiled, it's this one. And I'm going to spoil it below.

I remembered this as the best episode of the season. And, it is. It's not even close. Everything the season has been putting into place comes together, and the world falls apart. That moment when Garibaldi manages to give that warning from sickbay, and the crew rush to warn about the assassination attempt... only to find they are too late. It still gives me chills all these years and rewatches later.

I was unsure how I was going to feel about this episode. Part of the reason for that is because I last watched this in 2010 or 2011. Back then, the idea of a return to fascism seemed laughable. Today... it does not. And I can't deny that real-world context changes things. It's hard to enjoy the sci-fi drama when it doesn't feel all that speculative. But there's a line Sinclair says that struck me.

"Just that I've had this feeling lately that we're standing at a crossroads, and I don't like where we're going. But there's still time to choose another path. You can be part of that process"

The first sentence I remembered from before. The second two... I did not. And as small as it seems, it actually made me feel more hopeful to hear it.

Another thing that struck me on this watch was Londo. Signs and Portents was his first step down the path to darkness; this is his second. And yet, he is genuinely shocked by the consequences of his actions; and we end with him keeping vigil with Ivanova. It won't last, of course, but it's a reminder that he's not an intrinsically or purely evil character; there is much good in him. That's why we like him, and why he is tragic despite all he will do.

G'Kar gets to really show the range of his character. He starts in strutting villain mode, and the scene were his latest sexual partners leave his quarters is one of the funnier moments of a generally dark episode. But as the episode progresses, we see his other side. He seems far less keen in his government's aggression when talking in his chambers; he immediately understands the implications of the attack on Quadrant 37; and in the shuttle scene, it is Na'Toth who speaks of retaliation while G'Kar offers Ivanova condolences and is more reflective.

Garibaldi has come under criticism in recent episodes for his actions, and justifiably so. So it's interesting that we start this episode with Petrov, who Garibaldi was apparently willing to help get a second chance. We also get to see both his investigative chops, figuring out the assassination plot... but also his blind spots. Or as Walker Smith said back in TKO,

"One of these days, Garibaldi, you're going to learn to watch your back."

Delenn starts a change that is in both the biggest and smallest of the ambassadors. I, of course, know what will come out of the titular chrysalis. And yet while the physical changes will be dramatic, Delenn as a person arguably changes the least among the main cast. A little something I've always found amusingly ironic.

Sinclair has a pretty rough time of it. He makes a pretty awful proposal, fails to save the president, fails to meet with Delenn and get the answers he wants... He gets the last line of the season, though, and it's a great one.

"Nothing's the same any more."

This is the season finale, and so we say goodbye to a lot of things. The last time that Mira Furlan will wear that specific make up as Delenn, for one. But we also say goodbye to Caitlin Brown's Na'Toth, Michael O'Hare's Sinclair, and Julia Nickson's Catherine Sakai. Some of these actors will make guest appearances, but even now I feel somewhat sad about these departures.

Caitlin Brown's decision not to return is understandable based on what I've read; that she only came on as a favour when the actress who played Ko'Dath developed an allergic reaction to the makeup, and would never normally be stuck in such a low-profile role. Still, I enjoy season one where her and Andreas Katsulas give such great presence to the Narn. I don't think they ever fully replaced her.

Michael O'Hare's departure is bigger, since he was the star of the show. And, of course, there was that scene in Babylon Squared. It's amazing that JMS made such a big deal about how B5 was planned in advance, and yet was able to handle this and still make a show with such compelling foreshadowing. Sure, there are places were things don't quite line up that the obsessive fan can see, but they're easy to overlook. As for O'Hare himself, I hope he acheived some respite from the mental illness that forced his departure before his tragic early death.

Least important to the show was the character of Cathering Sakai; Nickson only had three appearances this season, the last of which before Chrysalis was 16 episodes ago. I mostly just want to mention that, if you want to know her character's fate, read To Dream in the City of Sorrows. It's a good book; not great, not really able to stand by itself aside from the show, but certainly better than most of the tie-in novels.

With season 1 over, will I continue to season 2? Not immediately. The real-world connections will only get stronger, and I'm not ready for that right now. Later? Maybe; we'll see.

Finally, I've been adding my CCG cards, and let's do that one more time. What choice could there be, but this one:

[distinctlywhumpthing]

Unintentional 29

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We're finally on the way home kids...

CW: BBU-adjacent, institutionalized slavery. Beta-read by @alittlewhump <3

The clock on the dashboard of Delia’s Honda glows bright blue, digital colon blinking between the six and five every second like a heartbeat. Only seven more minutes until the CVS opens. Leo scans the parking lot for the dozenth time. It’s still nearly empty, unchanged since they pulled in ten minutes ago after a drive twice as long as it needed to be. The pharmacy is the only store with any lights on, the rest of the strip mall’s windows and signs are dark. Errant snowflakes flurry through the light cast by the street lamps, inconsistent and sparse, borrowed from a passing storm. It would be peaceful if it weren’t for the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. 

Leo drags a hand over his face and takes a deep breath. He can’t even remember the last time he pulled an all-nighter. It must have been back when he was young enough for it not to feel like he’d been hit by a bus. Beside him, Aiden is still and quiet, save for the just-audible exhales he forces between pursed lips. Measured and even like he’s trying to stave off tears or panic or pain or some combination of all three. They hadn’t spoken on the ride over, both tensely checking the mirrors to make sure they weren’t being followed. 

Not that there was anything to say. 

…

He couldn’t even look at him.

If Aiden were a normal teenager—whatever that means—he’d be giving him hell. How could you be so impulsive? I already thought I lost you once today and now you’re jumping at the next chance? Do you have any idea what that would be like for me? Trying to get on with my life after they’d taken you back? Can’t you see how much I care about you? 

But he couldn’t say any of that. Didn’t know what to say, so he couldn’t look at him right now. Aiden quietly resumed his charade. Sure, the raid wasn't over yet but Leo couldn’t help wondering if he was putting on an extra show of cooperation as a demonstration of goodwill. 

Did he regret what he almost did? Or just the fact that he got caught? 

When he was sure Aiden’s eyes were closed, Leo looked into his face. The ruse wasn’t at all convincing, Leo knew him too well. For starters, the overwrought way Aiden managed his breath was a dead giveaway. A far cry from the gentle, inherent rhythm of sleep even he managed. Leo had clocked more minutes than he was willing to admit frozen in the hallway, letting himself feel an undeserved modicum of relief when that smooth sound reached his ears.

Just as telling was the determination in the tension of his jaw, only a little diluted by the way he was holding the inside of his bottom lip between his teeth to keep it from trembling. He was braver than Leo could ever give him credit for. He barely understood the first thing about this kid, yet here he was, reading every twitch of his brows and hitch of his breath like he had the whole frame of reference. 

Thankfully, this charade didn’t solely hinge on his or Aiden’s poor acting skills. The devil was in the details on this one. It was the set that truly sold it and revealed just how much practice Delia has had at this. 

Greeting cards crowded the windowsill, all sure to have handwritten messages on the inside. Either abandoned and repurposed or manufactured for this explicitly. A handmade quilt was tucked over the foot of the bed, balloons filled one corner up to the ceiling, and fresh flowers sat on all three tables. A hand-painted ‘Keep Fighting’ sign stretched across the wall with messages and names written over handprints. He recognized Delia’s handwriting in one corner. There’s no way she had recruited so many sympathizers so at least half of those notes and wildly different signatures had to have been done by her hand. Again, he was unsure whether to be unnerved or impressed by the level of dedication. Which was about as terrifying as it was comforting because maybe it meant the agents really weren’t coming back.   

And that was about all the time he could spend distracting himself from what the fuck was going on and where the hell was that damn sister of his. 

It was all he could do not to compulsively check his phone every second. Was it on? Was it even still in his pocket? What if he didn’t get service in this corner of the hospital? 

By the time there was a knock on the door, he had wound himself up so much that he jumped to his feet. In his flat-out panic, he forgot any recognition of the cadence of knocks and was certain they were caught but he was just pinned to the spot like an idiot. When the curtains parted, of course it was only Noah and he knew that, but he had passed the useful kind of adrenaline-fueled exhaustion about five hours ago. 

“They’ve given the all clear. Everything good here?” Leo’s obvious lack of composure earned raised eyebrows from Noah. 

He cleared his throat and straightened, his lower back tight after trying to conform to the chair. “As far as I know…they came in but a nurse made them leave before—” He resisted the impulse to look at Aiden who hadn’t moved, save opening his eyes to watch them. A deer frozen on the edge of the yard, afraid bolting would mean certain death. Ironic. “Where’s Delia?”

Now Noah looked caught out. “She’s, uh, she’s got her hands full with a…patient…” 

Leo struggled to keep his voice even. “What? Did they find something?” 

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s…look it’s better if you don’t know the details. I’m sure you want to get out of here anyway.” He cast a meaningful glance at Aiden. “Here are some notes for the prescriptions. They’re ready to fill at the pharmacy, antibiotics and—”

“Wait a second.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “How deep into this shit are you two? I’m grateful for what you did for us but this doesn’t seem like something you should be making a habit of.” 

Noah had the gall to chuckle—little shit—but when he saw Leo’s expression he quickly swallowed it. “Hey, man, I get it. There’s a reason I don’t tell my family. But I’m sure you know Delia well enough to know she’s not a ‘follower’.” He even used air quotes around the word. “We’re not even in the same unit. We didn’t realize we were both doing this independently until one of our shelter contacts introduced us.” Leo didn’t even try to mask his doubt so Noah continued, “For what it’s worth, it’s a lot safer for both of us having each other’s backs. But as you well know, the risks are never zero when you’re on this side of the law.” 

On this side of the law. 

The phrase twisted and turned in his head as Noah led them out through the labyrinth of back stairwells, quiet wards, and service elevators. It pressed against his thoughts as they huddled in a supply closet from a rush of doctors responding to a code blue. It loomed over him as he rested his hands on Aiden’s shoulders when he nearly jumped out of the wheelchair at the slam of a door. It echoed loudest when he was behind the wheel and it was on him to get them home safe. And figure everything else out. 

…

“L-Leo?” Aiden ducks his chin when Leo looks over, like he didn’t intend to say his name out loud and isn’t sure what to do with his attention now that he has it. He picks at the cuticle of his right thumb, lips moving like he’s trying to shape his words just right before speaking. After a minute of that, he presses them together, flattens his hands on his thighs and meets Leo’s eyes. “Mmm’sorry…before…mmm…” His chin starts to tremble and it’s obvious he wants to look away but he forces himself to maintain eye contact. “I-I-I…mmm…mmm…” 

“Alright, it’s okay.” Leo can’t bear the kid’s self-imposed confession. “I’m not mad. I can’t say I understand what might have possessed you but, anyway, we’re good. Water under the bridge.” It feels a little blunt and more than a little awkward but he adds, “You’re not in any trouble,” like Delia said dozens of times throughout the night. 

“Mmm…but…I’mmm…I-I-I…” Aiden furrows his brow like he’s still trying to find a word, lips moving, but tears well in his eyes, threatening to spill the longer he searches. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Leo repeats gently. “It’s all good.” 

Aiden doesn’t look placated at all. He balks at Leo, visibly distressed, lips quivering as he pauses mid-silent-syllable. 

Shit. That’ll encourage the kid to communicate more, just cut him off like an impatient ass. But if this is just some other backwards Companion obedience thing… Leo’s out of energy for trying to wade through how exactly to handle this. He has so much research to do. Is it even safe to do research?

“I’m sorry, hon. Look” Aiden flinches when Leo's hand meets his shoulder. 

He grimaces at Leo apologetically, shaking his head at himself. He swipes at a tear with the back of his hand and shakes his head again, a ragged exhale escaping his lips.  

“I know it’s not easy, we’ll figure it out together.”   

Aiden looks up, biting his lips together as he tries to blink back the rest of his tears. It’s heartbreaking to watch. Leo hopes he doesn’t think there’s any problem with him crying when he needs to. At the same time, Leo can also understand why he wouldn’t want to always be breaking down. 

“For now, let’s just focus on getting home, okay?” 

Aiden nods, pulling his hands into his sleeves and wiping away the last of the tears. He puts on a brave face.  

“Good boy.” 

Aiden looks away shyly. Leo opens his mouth to take it back, to apologize for saying something so patronizing, so offensive. He meant it more as a ‘good sport’, ‘atta boy’. He— 

There, behind the fist Aiden rests his cheek against as he pretends to look out the window, is a hint of a smile. 

Only this kid can shatter his heart and melt it in the span of five minutes. 

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@cracked-porcelain-princess @meetmeinhellcroutons @briars7 @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @jo-doe-seeking-inspo

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@pirefyrelight

[crazykuroneko]

My IWTV S2E4 Watch Notes

Love the episode! I think this is my favorite so far, followed by E3 and E1.

Anyway very long note after the cut. But my main complaint now is: I miss the voice-over narration! It's basically gone after Ep 2 (except for Armand's flashback). I know it's probably a sign of how Loumand have "defanged" Daniel the Journalist and it's part of the mystery, but still! Without it, we don't get much idea about how current Loumand think on certain parts in the flashback. We don't know what exactly Claudia has said in her diaries. I feel so lost without it 😭

Oh, also, my fix-it fic for this episode would be Eglee helping Claudia get out of the coven and leave Paris along with Madeleine. Women support women 😌

• the difference of Loumand's accounts on the reactions to Claudia's play 🤭

• NOT EGLEE GIVING SANTIAGO A BLOWJOB BACKSTAGE

• I love how the founders of the 1927 company got to show off their acting as well

• God @ Claudia being so open with the coven about her hangup with the play and yet. And Louis just sat there being bitchy, giving her "well, /this/ is what you want" look.

• "This is not about Louis" Poor Claudia. people tend to talk about the men around her not her. Many such cases, even out of the screen, unfortunately.

• Santiago creating cracks in Loumand's mind. you have to give it to him

• No @ Eglee my princess catfighting over Santiago's dick.

• Dreamstat came up when Louis is unsure about their relationship. Louis is desperately trying to keep this casual because how bad it was for him the last time. Meanwhile, Armand has history of being abandoned multiple times. Ofc he wants Louis more committed to him. On top of the coven. Like, yknow, he has to risk it for Louis at least he wants to be sure the relationship is real.

• "Only works when I remember shit that pisses me off". Oh, Louis is pissed Armand hanging his history with Lestat over his head. Then Armand goes, "I try to find the vulnerability within the material". The balance is so precarious here

• Ngl the "i love you" sounds so ridiculous. LOUIS PLEASE

• "The fire?" Louis forgets about That?

* Claudia is their current biggest star yet she's still doing the wet room????! Oh fuck off

* Madeilene really matches Claudia's weirdness.

* The restaurant scene. That's what you got when you make a problem with a Black man growing up in Jim Crow NOLA! he's so done with the coven.

* Louis and art. He went into art once he arrives in Paris. I think it's to connect to humanity more. He said it helps freeing his mind as well. I wonder how much seeing Lestat connecting to humanity through art affecting his drive here. Whether consciously or not. But alas, he is businessman at heart. He's good at management and trades. Anyone has tried to guess AMC Louis MBTI?

* The addition in their archive though?? Is rashid a Talamasca agent confirmed? Or that's Armand miscalucating?

* Also that line about Daniel and a girl at high school. Once again a reminder that these men are misogynists first and foremost 🙂

* Oh I like the scene with Louis and Ghostat in the dark room. Ghostat really says everything Louis doesn't dare to admit to himself. He actually knew his weakness as photographer. There's also a meaning here Louis making those lines said by Lestat. Lestat likes to confront Louis about what he believes about himself, but he never does it the right way (which is the crux of their problems). Here he does it the right way.

* Sam giving 🥺 because Louis does that when they're good with each other is so 😭

* "Romeo!" Louis is SO mad about the restaurant if that's how he reacts to Armand romancing him

* "Are you their hostage?" Madeilene why are you so straightforward? (I like her)

* I know it sounds consensual, but Madeleine's body language when telling her story with that German soldier looks weird. Perhaps we'll see her more open later.

* "I don't enjoy using my power like that" he says, after flexing his power on security guards then float to the next floor. I think what Louis said in S1 that Lestat not using his power perhaps in consideration to not make Louis felt way weaker says more about his current situation than he was with Lestat. Like, I get him, you can't help comparing notes on your relationships.

* Oh, the Ghostat in the museum date is clearly Louis' reluctance to believe Armand completely. Or rather than believe, I think "putting his guard down" is more accurate. He did after Lestat told his story and yet he got betrayed. I think Sam does a good job here. As the story goes, Ghostat looks more anxious. Louis wants to let go yet there are still the coven, Armand's power, and the secret hanging over them.

* Assad's acting here 😭

* Going on a date with Louis then threatening Claudia. THAT IS WILD.

* I wonder if Delainey uses chest binder as Claudia. If not, I wish she did. ngl that line and the visual don't match.

* That period blood scene is something. Bet Rolin was very inspired when he read Memnoch

* "I pretended to be an actor for two years." When does Louis mean here? Lestat at Renauld's? He stayed there as an actor for two years before shit happened? I need an updated timeline already OML

* Not @ Ghostat aka indirect Louis calling Claudia a "poor decision"

* Louis knows it's doomed. But again, he's desperate to find happiness in Paris. Because him killing Lestat and choosing to go with Claudia has to pay off somehow. (Is she worth it?) He's desperate to make this work with Armand. He sees Armand is basically a lost child, shouldering this job he doesn't want just because he's older. So, Louis, good at running things etc, takes the wheel here. Trying to save the sinking ship that's the coven. Unbeknownst to them, the doom actually has started already (Santiago finding Lestat's last words). Louis also gives Armand a choice here, but Armand said he wants him. Well, we know what will happen with the coven members 🤭

* The Ghostat disappearing. Ngl the rain and special effects make it look ridiculous. And Hannibal (the show) did a better job with it by literally re-slit Abigail Hobbs' neck. But I understand that won't work in IWTV narrative wise. In Hannibal, it's not Will who slit her throat, so when they redid it it doesn't have added meaning. But Louis the one who slit Lestat's throat. And he doesn't want to re-kill Lestat. He has made peace with it. In fact, the fact he doesn't burn Lestat's side on that photo with Armand and his last words with Ghostat tell me that he's not forgetting Lestat. he's moving on, yes, but he puts Lestat safely in a corner of his heart. Just like Lestat did with his initials. And it reminds me to Louis' initials on the letter he sent Daniel in S2 look a lot like LDL, not LDPDL

* But anyway, isn't it sus Claudia just has her diaries out in the open like that? I mean, yes she doesn't live with Louis anymore, but there's a history of Louis reading her journal. If I were her, I'd at least save them in my coffin at the apartment for save keeping. This is sus.

* "Is that what makes you fascinating?" Oh, Armand is so insecure about their relationship for years. He saw Louis getting interested with this Daniel boy and he tried to crack his brain, finding the reason.

• Daniel isn't filed under suspected victims.

[forumgamer]

A Jane Austen moment

I am currently re-reading Northanger Abbey (not my favourite Austen, but also not my least - probably rank 3-4 I'd say), and I was struck with the realisation how ODD the notion of Catherine Morland's trip to Bath would be to many modern people.

Here is a young girl (17), going on a trip to Bath with a rich older couple that are neighbours to her parents - not as an au pair or governess or whatever, but as a guest and companion. Taken along to have fun, as a kind gesture of favour and goodwill. And they aren't even her godparents or relatives or something!

And I find that notion so very charming.

Catherine is not like poor Fanny Price, rather abused than cherished, used as an indispensable companion for a very silly and lazy lady (though Mrs Allen certainly has her share of silliness and indolence...). From how their relationship is presented, the Allens seem genuinely motivated by wanting her to enjoy herself. They don't mind her meeting new people and spending time with them, and she in turn refers to them when she is unsure about how to behave in this to her completely new and exciting world. And rich as they may be, they also seem to spare little expense in taking her to Bath and there to balls and plays.

We have today a weird aversion to inter-generational friendships, or so it seems to me. Yet when I was growing up, in a semi-detached suburban house, I was always welcome at our neighbours' house and table. Sure, mostly because they had a boy my age who quickly became my friend, but even now, when we have both moved out, I rarely visit my parents without also checking in with their neighbours, who are like an uncle and aunt to me.

And as for myself, I have no children of my own, and will never have any either. Yet working as a teacher, I get to interact with younger people on a daily basis, and you guys, young people can be amazing company. Sure, some of their concerns appear trivial to me, but I remember they weren't that way when I was their age - just as some of my views or hobbies might seem odd or boring to them, yet they also know I have seen more of the world than they, and apply to me for insights into issues that they feel unsure about.

And guys... I get it. I get what the Allens feel. I might still be a bit young to QUITE get it (I assume the Allens to be in their 50es or so, which I am not for another decade), but... imagine taking a seventeen-year old teenager, that has never been able to travel so far, to a prime holiday spot! Showing them Paris, London, Prague or Rome, seeing their amazement and delight, presenting them the art, cuisine, culture and pleasures of such an unfamiliar site... to find new enjoyment in these things yourself by witnessing their effect on someone younger and more excitable than yourself.

I doubt I will ever have the option to do so, because a) times have changed and b) if Mr Allen had been a bachelor/divorcee like me, the book's plot could not have happened back then either, but... I think I might like it. I really would.

[hughiecampbelle]

Succession Preference: Tattooed Baby Sibling

Requested: Hi! Hope you are well! Idk if you're taking requests atm, feel free to ignore this if so! But I was thinking of a preference for The Roy Siblings. In which the reader would be their baby sibling, but they have A LOT of tattoos and maybe how the family reacts to them or or how they deal with that part of their sibling? - anon

A/N: I love this!!! I only have about 30, so idk if I qualify as tattooed person just yet lol, but picturing this is fantastic! Thank you for requesting my love!!! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💜💜

Connor comes from a different generation. He's not used to seeing tattoos in the professional world. Knowing this, you keep yourself pretty covered until you can't. It's at Caroline's wedding you shed some layers, letting your skin show in the heat. He's taken aback. He knew you had a few, but you're covered now. You catch him staring, unsure of his emotions, ready to defend yourself like always: they won't stop you from getting a job, they're a freedom of expression and art, they make you feel more at home in your body, some are just funny and others far more sentimental, that it's your money and you can spend it however you want, etc. Instead though, he just gives you a small smile. "I like the one by your elbow, kiddo." He has a lot of questions, like what does it feel like to get them and why you gravitate towards them when others, like him, feel no need. He knows you get enough judgment from your mother and father. He's your biggest brother, he loves you no matter what.

Kendall doesn't really understand them. Like Connor, he has questions, though you're often reverting back to your childhood self when you answer them: totally defensive. You're busy showing them off to Kerry when you catch his attention. There are a few fresh ones, still raised and irritated. It makes his skin hurt just looking at it. You're completely covered now, working on filling in the gaps. He doesn't see the appeal. He thought, like most "phases", you'd grow out of it, but these things are permanent. Forever. It's a big commitment he could never make. What if he likes something today and hates it tomorrow? You assure him you've never felt that way, but if you ever do, it's something you liked once and that's enough. He makes some not so great remarks about professionalism and what happens when you get older, but they're all out of big brother concern. Eventually you tell him that they've never affected your ability to get a job and that they'll look cool just like they do now when you're older. End of discussion. He doesn't hate them, but he doesn't think they're great either, especially you being his baby sibling. He'll never approve.

Shiv has always wanted to get a matching tattoo with you. Something small, delicate, tasteful, probably on her ankle. You make plans for this, but it never happens. You can never agree on what you want. You urge her to hurry up since you're running out of space. She loves them, she thinks they're really cool and also a huge middle finger to your father. You're always eager to show her the newest ones. She wouldn't expect anything less from you. You've been drawing on yourself since you could hold a marker. Every time you came home from school covered in ink your father would order either one of your siblings or one of the nannies to scrub you til skin came off. He barked that this was unacceptable behavior, but it never stopped you from doing it again. Now look at you. She doesn't hold the same fears or beliefs as your brothers. She's under the belief that if it makes you happy, truly happy, and it doesn't kill Logan, then it's fine. Why should anyone try to stop you? It's a tattoo, that's all.

Roman is the least bothered by them. Why would he care? It's not his body. He calls Connor and Kendall old men for being so uptight about it. Does he make fun of you to no end about them? Of course. Oh no y/n, a Chipotle bag threw up all over you! Looks like you've still got some unused space right. . . there. Where's Waldo am I right? If I can find the end of the maze do I get a prize? He has a habit of poking fresh tattoos and feigning ignorance, too. How am I supposed to know what's new and what's not? He also loves to point out new ones to your mother and father, who both despise them. Oops, did I do that? He runs away before you can hit him. He understands, while also an aesthetic thing, it's about pain, too. There's something satisfying about the needle that you can't get anywhere else. That noise, the constant poking, the radiating ache. He gets it. You all have to do what you gotta do to get by. A need to go back, this inner wanting for the pain again. It's socially acceptable and you get permanent art to go along with it. Win-win.