#that’ll be the place holder

[h-didanart]

can I give nexus a hug

please

bro got exploded he needs a hug

Sure thing!

Uhh, here, you get two drawings

First off the most canon compliant one, Nexus as a ghost post-death

They aren’t exactly thrilled but at this point they don’t care about anything, so they accept the hug

And second, the one au where I’ve thought their story through, they’re alive and well here!

A bit confused but they accept the hug nevertheless

[heavenbarnes]

in an alternate universe, you meet older bf!simon through a friend- well, a friend’s brother.

your friend’s brother, johnny. he overhears you whinging to his sister about how fucking hard it is to find a place to live. so he tells you about this guy he serves with.

‘L.t’ he calls him.

since he and L.t are on deployment so often, there’s a tidy re-purposed council flat that’s often empty. johnny says he’ll chat L.t about your predicament and see what he thinks.

L.t allows you to live in his home- problem is he’s leaving on deployment literally tomorrow so you have to exchange agreements by text.

you’ve got money going into his account, some basic agreements about no parties, no partners, no smoking, and no mucking about.

L.t gives the key to johnny, who gives it to his sister, who gives it to you- opening the door to an almost pristine little home. not a thing out of place.

military precision.

so you move in and you’re shocked to find more than a flat pillow and plaid duvet cover. there’s 3-in-1 in the shower but easily replaced with your own products.

the pantry and fridge are bare but soon filled with your favourites. your undies are drying over the dining chairs and your blanket is draped across the couch.

you’ve got your own profile on the netflix and your toothbrush is in the holder. you’ve done what you were told.

“make yourself at home”

so much so that you almost forget deployment will end at some point, hard to remember when you don’t even have the faintest idea when that’ll be.

johnny said it could be weeks, maybe months. he didn’t tell you that it could be at any moment.

you think you hear the door in the deep of your sleep but your brain reassures you it’s in the back of your dream- you don’t even wake.

it’s actually the weight dropping beside you on the mattress and shuffling up to your back that gets you. it’s a miracle you don’t scream.

L.t lands a rough hand on your back, something about “calm down, s’only me”

only him? he who’s name you don’t even know?

as if he can read your mind, he’s following up with a grumbled “simon”

simon ‘sans-last name.’

before his breathing begins to even out.

your heart is beating out your chest- perfect stranger climbing into bed with you?

the voice in your head that always wants you to be polite reminds you that this is actually his house, after all.

he was also kind enough to let you stay, charging a rent way below going rate.

he had just been away serving this country, duty to protect and all.

and johnny knows him, vouched for him- sure johnny can be a bit of a perv but he’s harmless.

simon must be too, right?

you decide to settle back under the duvet, telling yourself it’s you that’s being weird. you need to be more grateful!

mans tired, if he wasn’t absolutely shattered he would’ve taken the couch.

right?

you’re almost entirely convinced until you feel a strong arm loop around your waist, pulling you back into something unbelievably hard.

harmless.

right.

[harrywavycurly]

What You Deserve Part 5: Details

Masterlist: Here

CW: brief mention of toxic ex

Tag List: @littlered0000 @saramelaniemoon @ali-r3n @sapphire4082 @sweetmoonlove0214 @eddies-girl-22 @darknesseddiem @peaches-roses-sins @blckburd @comeonatmebruh @daisy-munson @cultish-corner @mrsjellymunson @aol19 @micheledawn1975 @2000babies

A/N: I hope y’all enjoy this update it answers some questions and shows another side of Eddie, it’s a long one and I broke it up into sections!✨

“What…are those?” “They’re called flowers.” “And who..are they for?” “They are for you…you didn’t expect me to show up to our first…date empty handed did you?” “This…this is a date? You’re calling this a date? We are on a date?” “Hey hey relax a bit please it’s okay…I just…I mean yes? I’d call this a date because it’s…well it’s when we are going to discus our…relationship so yeah…it’s a date.” “Okay…” “is that okay? It doesn’t need to be a date if it’s too-” “No no it’s a date…yeah we…are going on a date.” “Perfect…uhm do you want to maybe…get in the car now?”

“Holy shit.” “What’s wrong?…are you cold? You can wear my jacket if you’d like?” “Sorry I’m fine it’s just….I didn’t get a good look at you in the car because I was distracted by the flowers but…seriously…do you always just look like…this?” “Uh…yes?” “You…you look like you just walked out of a magazine and…well I look-” “Amazing…you look amazing…now unless you have anymore questions…we do have a reservation that we are almost late for.” “This place looks nice…you come here a lot?” “Oh yeah…I take all my first dates here.” “I can see why…” “you…do know I was joking right?… I’ve actually never been here before.” “Oh yeah…yeah I knew that.”

“So…uhm what are some things you…don’t want me to do?” “Oh right to the point huh? Can’t even let me order you a glass of wine first?” “You want to order…for me?” “Oh forgive me….I didn’t mean for it to sound like you can’t order yourself a glass of wine I know you’re more than capable of telling people what you want.” “It’s okay I’ve just…never had someone offer to order for me before.” “Well I’m more than happy to if you want…” “thank you…so-” “hi welcome to Enzo’s what can I get you to drink?” “Hello…I’ll have a glass of your house red and a water to start.” “Perfect…and for you dear? What would you like?” “Uhm…uh…there’s a lot of uhm choices…uh-” “if you’re not sure I can just come back?” “Uh Eddie can you-” “I’ve got you sweetheart…she’ll have a glass of your white wine and a water with lemon please.” “Excellent choice…I’ll get those right out to you.”

“So you asked easier what are some things I would prefer for you not to do…and that’s actually a tough question to answer because I don’t want you to feel like you have a set of rules to follow because you don’t…” “Okay…well there are uh some things…that uhm I’d like if you…didn’t…do.” “Such as?” “I don’t like being around uhm…men when they drink too much so…if you do want to go and get drunk please just…don’t invite me along or…show up at my house banging on my door or yelling my name from the front porch.” “Has…that happened before?” “Yes…several times…and each time it ended…badly.” “It ended badly?…do you mind explaining what that means?” “I don’t want to ruin…the mood by talking about what an asshole my ex is.” “Understandable…so what else would you like for me not to do?” “This one might sound a little odd but..I don’t like being called babe…it just…I don’t like it.” “It’s not odd…we all have names we don’t like to be called…is there anything else?” “I don’t think so.” “Well if you think of anything else…just let me know because I don’t want to do anything or say anything that’ll upset you.”

“How was your dinner?” “It was great…that place was really good and so cute I can see why you picked it for our…uhm first date.” “I’m glad you enjoyed it…do you mind taking a walk with me? I know we have a few more things to…discuss.” “A walk sounds nice…oh you’re a hand holder? I didn’t see that coming.” “Really? Why? Do I not look like someone who likes to hold hands?” “No you look like a…shove my hands in my jacket pocket type of guy or…let me act like I’m busy on my phone so no one bothers me kind of guy.” “I see…well your hands just looked too good not to hold.” “I have been told I have nice hands once or twice.” “You know what? I actually believe that…so I was wondering if we could talk more about what we both want out of this…and maybe set up some…boundaries of some sort?” “You start…what do you want from all of this Edward?” “Ah back to Edward are we?” “Oh shit sorry Eddie.” “It’s okay…well what I want out of this is just…to spend time with you doing things as simple as this…a walk around downtown or more…extravagant things like trips to wherever you’d like to go…but most importantly I just want to make your life easier.” “And…all of that would make…you happy?” “Yes…it would.” “I just don’t see how spending money on me will make you happy?” “It’s not necessarily about spending money on you…yes I have the money to spend but it’s about having someone to do things with…and knowing you’re not stressed or worried about things that I can…easily take care of for you.” “Okay…that kinda makes sense.” “I have managed to build this wonderful life for myself and…I just want someone to enjoy it with me that’s all.” “And that someone is me?” “If you want it to be.” “Okay…but you just have to know this is going to take some getting used to.” “I understand…you’ll have to be patient with me as well because I’m used to doing things alone.” “So we both have to be patient with one another…that can be one of our ground rules.” “Okay…if we are making ground rules let’s add honesty to that list…that’s a big one for me because I don’t have time for games…just tell me the truth…even if you think it’ll hurt my feelings.” “That’s a good one!”

“So…what about you? What do you want out of this?” “I just…I just want to know what it feels like to be…treated well.” “I promise you I can do that.” “Oh trust me…I know.” “Is there anything else you want or…need from me?” “There is one more thing.” “What is it?” “I need you to save Dave.” “You…need me to save…Dave?” “Yes because he means a lot to me and I just…I need you to save him.” “Okay sweetheart…I’ll save him.” “You promise?” “Yes…even if it means he gets a whole heart and brain transplant…I’ll save him.” “Oh thank god…I was so worried you’d tell me you can’t do it.” “Why wouldn’t I be able to do it? You don’t trust my abilities as a mechanic? That hurts…that actually hurts.” “Oh no no I’m sure you’re great with your hands and…getting dirty and…stuff i just…thought maybe you’d say it was a waste of money or something.” “I’ll be honest with you…I could buy you a new car for what it’s going to cost me to fix Dave but…I get it…he means a lot to you.” “Thank you Eddie.” “Anytime.”

“This…was really nice Eddie…thank you.” “I’m happy you had a good time.” “I just…I have one more question.” “I was waiting for this one…go ahead and ask it.” “What do I call you now that we…have set up the ground rules and are actually…moving forward with…this.” “What would you like to call me? Besides Edward.” “I…don’t know? What…do you want to call me?” “Is it wrong that my first instinct was to say mine?” “You…want to call me…yours? Like…like…I’m…yours?” “I would…but if that’s too assertive or makes you uncomfortable-” “I’d like that.” “You would?” “Yes…uh I…would.” “Okay…well you can call me whatever you’d like.” “Uhm does…that include like…boyfriend or…something?” “Sure…whatever feels comfortable.” “Okay…thank you again…for everything.” “You’re welcome…have a goodnight sweetheart…don’t forget to put those flowers in a vase with some water.” “I don’t own a-” “I’ll bring one by tomorrow.” “You don’t have to do that.” “I know…now I have a question for you.” “What is it?” “What time do you normally get up in the morning?” “Oh uhm…like nine or so on weekends.” “Perfect…I’ll be here at ten then….goodnight.” “Goodnight…uhm can you uh text me when you get home?” “Sure…can’t have you up all night worried about me.” “Exactly…” “You’re going to have to go inside or I’ll stand out here and find an excuse to keep talking to you all night.” “Oh..right…goodnight Eddie.”

[ihavetoomanyocsdealwithit]

Azul pt 1

The fact that he waited until the next day to find her was a bit surprising, but that didn’t make it any less scary when Floyd Leech catches Yuu outside class.  

“Shrimpy.” his tone is flat. The hand around the collar of her uniform isn’t tight, but it’s clear she isn’t going anywhere. “With me. Now.”  

“Ah shit, he’s actually pissed.” Ace mutters, stiff beside her.  

“Floyd, how you doing?” Yuu smiles. Nope, definitely not in the mood.  

“Wait,” Deuce puts a hand on her wrist. “We still have class. She'll get in trouble if she skips.”  

“It’s not skipping, Azul can write a note as house warden.” He picks her up again, no more than a ragdoll. “If you pull the same trick you did yesterday, it’s not going to be pretty. Nobody has escaped my squeeze before, and we aint starting with you.” He bares his teeth, tapping her nose with his free hand.  

Yuu can’t recognize if he’s genuinely angry or just annoyed with her escape. She isn’t willing to test it, and she knows she is too tired to do so again. Mary had already warned her off of doing so outside of Ramshackle for now, until she got used to Underground magic.  

“Um, I’ll see you guys later?” she waves, hoping that this will be quick at least.  

He doesn’t put her down once, even when she politely asks. He isn’t quiet though. He seems more annoyed that he had to pull in Idia to provide camera footage that she actually disappeared and didn’t just decide not to get her. The twins don’t seem to enjoy arguing with Azul, though the lines look fuzzy from the outside.  

The bubble always feels odd going down, and then the coolness of Octavinelle settles in. It isn’t always a pleasant feeling when you are warmblooded, but maybe that’s why she rarely sees any Octavinelle student without a jacket on?  

Azul’s office is the same as ever, clean down to the last dust speck on the nearly excessive bookshelves surrounding the whole room. The soft glow of the aquariums below offer a nice touch that she’s always enjoyed though, and finds it difficult to not relax when looking at them. 

 He sits at his desk with the strange fishbone pen scribbling over a softly glowing contract. The laptop, some type of the line model probably, almost stands out like a sore thumb amongst the antique designs.  

It better not be for me, she thinks.  

“Thank you Floyd,” Yuu mumbles as her feet finally touch the ground.  

“Ah, Shrimpy gonna be all grumpy now?” He teases, pulling at her cheek.  

“Floyd, please.” Azul says, almost smiling at her swatting hands doing absolutely nothing. “We have business to discuss.”  

“Yea, I never got a text yesterday, so it must not have been that important.” Yuu crosses her arms.  

“Oh, that’ll come later. I am far more interested in what this was. A unique magic perhaps?”  

He turns his laptop monitor to show the footage of her turning into glitter, her wide eyes the last thing to literally blink out of existence.  

“Even if I had a good idea what happened, I wouldn’t tell you. It was a fluke, I haven’t been able to do it since.” Half of it was true at least. She wasn’t able to recreate the distance, though it may be the desire just wasn’t strong enough.  

“Ah, no need to be coy.” Azul smiles, the polite one that makes her eye twitch. “If your magic base is expanding that’s something to celebrate! How about a drink and dessert, on the house of course.”  

“What do you want?” she asks bluntly. “Nothing comes for free with you.”  

“Prefect!” he places a hand on his chest, “Do you think me so low as to not celebrate my friend's accomplishments?”  

“Are we friends?” Yuu snaps, “I didn’t know that friends made each other homeless.”  

His mouth snaps shut with a click. A huff of air behind ear reminds her that Floyd is still behind her, not at his usual spot beside Azul’s desk. Making sure to guard the exit?  

“I-” Azul takes a deep breath, twirling the neck of the fishbone pen before carefully setting it inside the holder, putting a lid on the ink bottle. “I’ll admit, not my best moment.”  

He sighs, walking around to the front of the desk and leaning against the ledge.  

“Ms. Yuu, you clearly have an expanding magical core, which is wonderful. I congratulate you on effort and achievements. But it’s clearly powerful magic.” He adjusts his gloves, avoiding her eyes. “I, of all people, understand powerful magic without a medium to balance it out. We both know what it looks like when there are...no guidelines.” 

Azul was capable of his spell without the contracts. The contracts are what allowed him to keep his sanity and mind. His step father had been the one to teach him and help, the best gift he had ever received from him truly. But there was something addictive in the power, and to see Yuu overblot, even by accident? 

“I...I do apologize for my transgressions in the past.” Even Floyd raises his eyebrows at him. “I’ll admit that I did not think of the repercussions of my actions as I was self-assured in my own victory. And, at the time, it was the only thing that mattered.”  

There are some deals that you prevent from happening, for the sake of his own skin of course.  

“I have teachers that are helping me.” Yuu relents, “Though I understand your concerns better now. If, and it’s a big if, I need help, I will...actually consider your offer?” 

He laughs, something a little softer than his usual one. “Well, as a show of good faith.” He pulls out a small metal piece from his pocket, “Take this. A representation of our benevolence, guided by the Seawitch and her two beloved eels.” 

It’s a simple band, two dark eels wrapped around a small nautilus shell. It was in the style she preferred, something elegant but minimal. It didn’t look like a cheap tourist thing either, she could feel that the shell was smooth, thin but strong. It wouldn't shatter easily at least.  

“Are these actual eel scales?” she asks, feeling the bumpy texture.  

“Why yes!” he smiles, “I thought something handmade would be of preference. You do seem to prefer things of a more sentimental variety.”  

She huffs, raising her pant leg to wear it as an anklet instead.  

“Alright Azul, I’ll choose to forgive, but I won’t forget. Afterall, forgetting how powerful you are would just be stupid for me.”  

A surprised huff leaves him, but he allows her to leave at last. Jade meets her at the door before she can even turn the knob, Floyd staying behind.  

“Huh,” he mutters, “Went better than expected.” Floyd stretches his body out, small pops along his spine that wouldn’t be there in a human body. “You get what you needed out of it?”  

“Enough, though not all.” Azul nods. “We do need her to trust us, and if that means giving away a token to show good faith, it’ll be worth the small energy exchange.”  

“Also allows us to keep an eye on her.” Floyd adds, rubbing the small spot along his upper arm. They were eel scales. Specifically, theirs. Azul wouldn’t be able to see through her eyes the way he could with his or Jade’s, but with a sprinkle of their scales and a small sample of all three of their magics in the shell itself, they’d always be able to have a vague idea of where she was at least. With the way she was progressing in and out of class, she was becoming a threat.  

And the best way to neutralize a threat was to make them a friend.  

“It’s for her own good.” Azul goes to sit back down. He thinks it is for her good at least, and it’s not totally invasive. “Besides, I would like to know more about these teachers of hers. Perhaps they are looking for more students.”  

Floyd shakes his head, making sure that Azul has a drink before heading out himself. He can’t afford to fail this next test if he wants to stay in the advanced classes. At least the advanced classes aren’t as boring as the main ones, but damn if they don’t test his patience some days.  

[theother-victoria]

mille-feuilles have never tasted so sweet

SYNOPSIS: an ice-skating outing with your girlfriend takes a very sweet turn

CHARACTERS: furina

NOTES: for @reilly34 as part of favonius library's secret santa event- I hope you enjoy!

The holidays in Fontaine have always been a special occasion. The air always smelled of freshly-baked desserts and hot cocoa within the city and by Lady Furina’s orders, the streets were to always be decorated. Lampposts, trees, and archways would be covered in lights. The aquabuses would receive a fresh coat of paint and large ribbons that would flutter in the wind while the Melusines would receive a special holiday uniform as they ferried curious visitors in and out of the city. 

(“Let the children of Fontaine be merry!” she would say. “‘Tis a joyous occasion worth celebrating. It is only just that I, their great archon, give the people what they want during these special times!” Or something along those lines.)

Even though Lady Furina has abdicated the throne, it seems as if her wish to spread some holiday cheer continued to live on. Quartier Lyonnais is busier than ever with people doing their holiday shopping. (a large Blubberbeast plushie on display makes you pause. It would make a nice present for her. You mentally remind yourself to buy it later today if it's still in stock.) Boulangeries and patisseries are drawing large crowds from their mouthwatering goods. You make the impulsive decision to snag some holiday-themed mille-feuilles that are on sale for Furina. She’d like them for sure.

You circle around the area in front of the Palais Mermonia, which had been converted into a public outdoor skating rink with the help of some Cryo vision holders. It’s crowded with families and their children. Past that and a block down is a quieter residential area where the former archon’s apartment is. Though the curtains are drawn, you can see that a light is on inside. She’s been acting nonchalant about your visit all week but as you approach the front door, you can hear her muffled pacing and talking to herself.

“Do these boots…? No, they clash with my coat. How about…?”

You knock and you hear her startled yelp.

“Lady Furina, dear. It’s me,” you call out. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long.” 

You can hear her scramble to get the door and a moment later, the door flies open to reveal your dearest Furina. 

“Perfect timing! I need your help on deciding what to wear.”

You walk inside and place the bag of freshly-baked desserts on the coffee table. (You don’t miss how her eyes follow your every move and light up once she smells what’s inside.) 

“Hmm… I don’t think my taste in fashion could ever compare to you, Miss Furina de Fontaine.”

“Naturally,” she declares, her head held high in the air. But the facade quickly melts away, revealing the mellowed-out and humbled person your girlfriend had become.

“But I’d say you come a very close second. Now, tell me what I should wear.”

“Just choose something that’ll be easy to slip on and off. I have faith in your aesthetics so I’m not too worried about that.” 

She looks at you strangely. You shoot her a little wink.

“You’ll see why.”

“So, what’s this all about?”

“I wanted to do something for the holidays, but I know big crowds aren’t your thing anymore.”

You walk by the public outdoor skating rink from earlier and you don’t miss how she hides behind you. Luckily, everyone was too busy having fun to notice their former archon just a few feet away from them. 

“... But that doesn’t change the fact that I still want to do something special for you. Come on, we’re heading outside the city.”

With a gentle tug, you pull her along with you. You weave between the streets and alleyways, eventually ending up on the outskirts of the city. After consulting your map, going in circles several times, and getting lost at one point, you eventually arrive at your destination: a beach on the northwestern coast of Fontaine. The sand is covered by thick sheets of snow and the water has frozen over. 

You stride toward the waters and test out the thickness of the ice. Meanwhile, Furina looks at you as if you’ve lost your mind.

“... But there’s nothing here?”

“Nothing here but the two of us, and that was the point. I wanted this to be a moment shared only between us and no one else.”

You grab your pair of ice skates and toss your bag to her. Catching it, she realizes there’s a pair inside for her too. 

“I-Ice skating?” she stammers. “But I’ve never done this before…”

“Never thought I’d hear you say those words,” you say as you lace your skates up. “What happened to the Furina I know, who learned surfing in record time despite not having any experience with it beforehand?”

Your Cryo vision, which had been resting dormant atop the back of your hand, comes to life with a bright glow. Thick ice spreads out before your foot and you harshly stomp on it- it doesn’t even budge and with how cold it is, the ice should last. 

“Besides, I’m here as well. Do you trust me?”

Without hesitation, she grabs your outstretched hands with both of hers. 

“With my life now that I’m mortal.”

“Then, keep your eyes on me.”

You slowly glide along the ice, pulling her with you. The ice generated by your vision spreads out until it extends as far as your eye can see. It’s calm and quiet, only disrupted by the sounds of your skates against ice.

Furina’s legs start to wobble and her hand begins to slip out of your grasp. Without missing a beat, you 

After some time, you can tell she’s getting used to the rhythm of skating and has even tried mimicking your movements with some guidance from you.

(“Try to mirror my footwork. Think of it as a dance. I move back, you move forward.”)

“I’m going to let go of you now, ok?”

She nervously nods and… promptly falls on her ass the moment you let go of her hands. Naturally, you help her up but not before laughing a bit first. 

“That hurt,” she whines as you lift her back up onto her feet.

“Need my help again?”

She furiously shakes her head.

“No. I want to learn how to do this by myself.”

She dusts herself off and tries skating again on shaky legs, like a newborn foal. Knowing how stubborn she can be, you leave her to her devices, only returning every time you hear a loud yelp and a thud before lifting her off the ice again. 

“(Name), look! I think I’m getting it!”

You look back to see your girlfriend skating her way toward you- slowly and shakily- but still doing it nonetheless.

A light snow begins to fall overhead. It’s just the two of you skating in lazy figure-eights. You pull her to a stop and point toward the city where even out here, you can see Fontaine all decorated and lit up for the holidays. 

“Look at how beautifully Fontaine shines,” she whispers, her shoulders bumping against yours.

“Look at how beautifully you shine,” you respond. It’s true. Underneath the moonlight, her white hair shines like silver and the blue streaks shimmer like the ice beneath your feet.  Your dearest Furina looks like those legendary water nymphs you’d read about in storybooks as a child, renowned for their bewitching beauty. 

I am so lucky to call her mine. What did I do to deserve her?

I am so lucky to call them mine. What did I do to deserve them?

The walk back is a joyous one. It’s getting late and stores are beginning to close down. You pass by the shop you saw earlier selling the Blubberbeast plushie and remembering your mental note from earlier, you stop in to buy it for Furina. Was it pricey? Yes. But did seeing the starry-eyed look on your girlfriend’s face make the hefty price tag worth it? Also yes.

You come to a stop in front of her apartment, the street lamp flickering to life above you. 

“I’ll be heading home now, Furina. Good night, and-”

“Wait.”

You look back to see your girlfriend glancing off to the side with an adorable pout and flush on her cheeks. 

“... Can I have a kiss?”

You laugh lightly at her request and in a few strides, you’re standing in front of her again. 

“Haven’t I already told you? You don’t need to ask.”

Only the light snow is witness to your shared kiss. Her lips are soft and they taste like peppermint and dark chocolate. They’re just as cold as yours from the freezing winter winds. 

When you finally pull away from each other, gasping for air, you rest your forehead against hers, warming her hands up in your equally-cold ones.

“Did you sneak a bite of the dessert I brought you?”

“When you weren’t looking,” she cheekily replies. Her expression softens, losing all its playfulness as her sincerity shows through.

“Thank you, (Name). For the first time, the holidays don’t feel as lonely anymore.”

She giggles. 

“I’ve always liked mille-feuilles, but I never knew they could taste so sweet.” 

[storiesofsvu]

A Dangerous Game Ch 21

Emily Prentiss x reader Warnings: language, i think that's about it.

The following week you honestly felt like the heaviest weight had finally been lifted off your shoulders. You started to realize just how down you’d been and were now eternally grateful that it hadn’t been any longer. The next morning you were sat at your desk wrapping up paperwork when a coffee was discreetly placed onto your desk, you glanced up to barely catch Emily striding through the bull pen on the way to her office. From across the room Garcia managed to catch your eye, a wicked grin on her face as she glanced between the two of you.

*

That evening when you got home you were cursing yourself for having not bought groceries, having nothing edible but eggs in the fridge when there was a knock on the door. Your faved penne primavera with extra garlic bread on the side and a mini lava cake all fresh and hot and fully paid for. You scooped up your phone while digging into the bread,

‘You don’t have to buy your way out of this ya know. I already accepted your apology.’

‘Think of it as a double hitter. I… wanted to make sure you were eating.’

‘Turns out my appetite is back in full force this week.’

‘I’m glad. Enjoy your dinner.’

‘Thank you.’

You spent the rest of the evening texting, making each other laugh, watching the same shows from different houses before finally saying goodnight and crawling into bed.

*

You were almost running late the next morning, racing out the door and practically directly into a delivery man, the most gorgeous bouquet of roses and lilies you’d ever seen in the package. You had just enough time to leave them on the entry way table before running to the car, your phone buzzing in the cup holder the moment you sat it down.

‘Don’t worry, those ones are from me.’

You managed to slip into the elevator at the BAU right before the doors slid shut, letting out a breath when you noticed it had managed to trap you and Emily alone together.

“Thought I said you weren’t in the dog house.”

“Still allowed to spoil you, aren’t I?” She replied with a shrug and you laughed, “I’ll stop if you want, it’s just… making me feel a little better about the whole thing. I want to make sure you know how much I actually do care about you.”

“I do.” Smiling, you leant in, kissing her cheek softly, “thank you. They’re gorgeous.”

Emily had just enough time to squeeze at your wrist before the doors slid open and you went your separate ways.

*

Halfway through the morning Derek rolled his chair over to your desk, a bakery box finding home on top of it.

“Brought your favourite.” He greeted and you looked over at him with a small smile.

“You don’t need to feed me Derek, I ate breakfast. But thank you.” You lifted the lid to find that he did indeed get your favourite and began picking bites off the muffin.

“Just checkin’ in.” He replied with a shrug, “you know you have been in a helluva better mood this week.”

“That’ll happen when you manage to escape a toxic ex and get to sleep in your own bed again.”

“You really hate Seattle that much hey?”

“I’d rather move back to Florida.”

“Ouch.” He surveyed you for a moment, practically studying you to see if this was some kind of cover up or if you were actually doing better.

“What?” You laughed.

“Nothing.” He shook his head, “just, whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. A smile looks good on you.” He squeezed your shoulder affectionately before wandering back to his desk and it took all of your willpower to not look over to Emily’s office. You could feel her eyes on you and a few minutes later when you risked a glance up in her direction you found them still on you, doing your best not to laugh as she blushed. You shot her a quick wink and returned to the paperwork at hand.

*

Penelope managed to coerce you into drinks on Wednesday after work and you were thankful it was just the two of you, you knew she was likely going to grill you and that would be almost impossible in front of anyone else from the team. You’d settled in with your third drink when she finally couldn’t hold it back anymore.

“Okay, so I take it from the very improved mood this week that you’ve talked things out?” She asked, a wicked grin on her lips.

“We have…” you took a sip of your drink, “she explained everything, a very big apology was given that I accepted.”

“Oh please tell me you’re back together, you have to be back together, you’re just so friggin cute!”

“I dunno if I’d call it ‘back together’.” You laughed, “but yeah, we’re like, officially together now.”

“Oh thank god!” She squeezed at your arm, “so when are you gonna tell the rest of the team?”

“I… uh.. once we figure out the politics of it I guess? At this point we’re just like, not sneaking around.”

“But the sneaking around kinda makes it hotter, doesn’t it?” She smirked and you laughed.

“Yeah I’ve gotta admit, sometimes it does, knowing someone on the team’s in the next hotel room so you’ve gotta stay quiet…. Adds some spice.”

“And spice is something the two of you most definitely have.” She smirked and your eyes widened.

“I told you to fast forward that shit!”

“Didn’t need to listen to any more than I’d already heard sunshine. I knew daddy issues were a thing, but I’ve always kind of wondered how that would translate to lesbianism.”

“Well you’re welcome for educating you.” You replied dryly, rolling you eyes before taking another sip of your drink.

“All teasing aside, I am really happy for you.” Her hand slid across the table to squeeze at yours, “you deserve happiness and love and you’ve found that, even if it kinda went to hell and back on the way.”

“Thanks Penelope.”

*

You let out a soft sigh, scrawling your signature across the bottom of a sheet of paper before flipping the case file shut and pushing your chair back. Crossing through the bull pen you knocked on the door jam of Emily’s office, pausing a moment before entering, flashing her a small smile.

“Papers fully filled out and everything documented.” You stated, placing the file down into her inbox.

“Thanks.” She smiled back at you before you turned to leave, “hey… good work today. No one else could get through to that girl.”

“Thanks.” You shrugged, turning back to her, “I’ve always been good with kids despite not having the desire to want my own.”

“No?”

“My track record with family isn’t exactly great.” You laughed, leaning against one of the chairs in front of her desk.

“Me neither.” She chuckled in response, “but just because you had shitty parents doesn’t mean you’d be one.”

“I know.” You smiled softly, “but with this job? The hours alone are enough to make me feel bad much less the risks and baggage we bring home.” Your brow furrowed as you realized something, “oh… we’ve never talked about this… it’s not a deal breaker or anything, I just don’t see it being a great idea.” Emily smiled softly, looking up at you.

“There was a time I entertained the idea, but like you said, it wouldn’t be easy with this job. Besides, you know how whiney Sergio gets when I’ve been gone a while, I can’t imagine an actual child.”

You barked out a laugh at that, the smile remaining on your cheeks as Emily’s lips curved into a knowing smirk.

You were acutely aware that outside the office you were being watched, you could feel the eyes on you but weren’t sure who they belonged to. It was Derek, leaning against his desk with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the two of you through the office windows.

“What’re we staring at?” Penelope asked, settling in beside him.

“Wilson’s been in there too long for just dropping off paperwork.” He replied without looking away.

“Well, she took the interview with that last vic, maybe they’re talking about the case?”

“No.” He frowned, “they’re way too casual for that. Look at the way she just laughed.”

“Aww.” Penelope smiled.

“A week and a half ago Wilson was going through hell.”

“And now Emily’s making her smile, that’s a good thing.” She nudged at his side with her elbow, “I mean, just look at them, Wilson should spend the rest of the afternoon in her office.”

“Why are you so happy about this?” He finally managed to drag his eyes away from the office to look at the blonde.

“Because they’re so freaking cute! Just look at them,” she gestured toward the office, “you can’t tell me they’re not crazy about each other!”

“Baby… Prentiss fucked her up royally, you can’t be okay with this. Wilson was a wreck while we were in Seattle…”

“Oh my love,” she squeezed at his arm, “you have it all wrong.”

Back inside the office you were finally turning to leave, knowing there was only one tiny pile of paperwork sitting between you and the ability to punch out when Emily spoke again.

“Hey… uh.. you have plans tomorrow?”

“Just this little thing called work.” You turned back to her with a grin and she laughed.

“No, I meant tomorrow night.”

“Not a thing.”

“I meant it a couple of weeks ago when I said I wanted to actually take you out…” She began hesitantly, sucking her lip into her teeth.

“Are you asking me on a date Agent Prentiss?” You grinned, moving back closer to her desk so your voice wouldn’t carry through the door.

“Yeah. I am.” She let out a breath, unsure why she was suddenly so nervous, “and I’m really hoping you’ll say yes.”

“If we weren’t getting stared down by Garcia and Morgan… I’d be kissing you right now.” You chuckled, “of course it’s a yes.” She smiled warmly at you, a light shade of pink tinging her cheeks, “you sure this isn’t just about that dress?” You asked and she scoffed.

“Oh c’mon.”

“Your brain short circuited when I opened the door that night and you cannot deny that.”

“Fine.” She grumbled with a smile, “but this is about me wanting to take you somewhere nice, you deserve it.”

“As long as it’s not too fancy.” You teased.

“Pinky promise I won’t order for you.” She smirked back and you laughed, playfully rolling your eyes, “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Sounds perfect.”

*

At the end of the day Emily was stuck a little later than she’d planned, a phone call with the director taking loner than expected and a little bit of extra paperwork because of it. She was finally emptying her inbox, tossing the folder into her outbox when there was a knock on the open office door and she looked up to find Derek stepping into the room.

“Hey.” She greeted, “thought you’d taken off already.”

“I was about to, but I didn’t want to leave without talking to you first otherwise this’d be eating away at me all night.”

“What’s up?” She asked, sitting back in her chair and Derek let out a heavy huff, dropping into one in front of her desk.

“Don’t be mad at Penelope… it’s thanks to her that I’ve been fully looped in now.”

“Okay?” She raised a brow.

“You and Wilson.” He sighed, “I was confused, and honestly a little upset to see how civil she was being to you, I didn’t think you deserved it from her, but now I know what really went down. Emily… I really hope you’re doing the right thing here, and for the right reasons. I know that your personal life and what you do outside of this office is literally none of my business, but I was also witnessing first hand when Wilson hit her absolute rock bottom breaking point. And I don’t ever want to see her that low again, so if you hurt her, again, and for real, you’ll never be hearing the end of it from me.”

“I don’t have a single plan in the world to ever pull something like that again, especially to her. And I’d expect you to, I’m glad she’s got you in her corner.”

“She doesn’t have many other options. This team is her family, like it is for a lot of us. I wanna make sure she knows that and that she doesn’t leave because something went south between the two of you.”

“I just…” Emily sighed, chewing on her lip, “I didn’t know what to do so I went with the first instinct I had. I didn’t know how much time I had, how close Dewald was. I didn’t want her to get hurt or killed just because of her association with me.”

“And you suck at communicating your feelings sometimes.” Derek stated, and while he was right, there was a teasing grin on his lips that she couldn’t help but huff a small laugh out at as she rolled her eyes.

“I’ve made a promise of open communication for what it’s worth.” She defended and he laughed quietly, “I just needed her safe…”

“Emily, I get it, I really do. That kind of a case? An unsub who had history with someone on the team, who made it very clear they were coming for you, and that meant her. You were flashing back to Doyle. It makes perfect sense that you wanted to protect her as much as possible, even doing it the way you did. You even made sure that Dewald would know, and then shipped her out of state just in case he didn’t believe it. You didn’t tell her about it because you were afraid she’d pull a you and take it on herself and end up getting herself killed. Hell even if you didn’t realize it, your subconscious did and this time we caught the guy and no one got hurt.”

“Yeah…” she murmured.

“As mad as I was before, I understand it.” He let out a breath, “can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Are you happy? Like truly, really happy?”

“More than I ever have been in my entire life.” She replied, a soft smile on her lips.

“Make sure she knows that. Because that girl cares about you more than anyone in the world.”

“I know.” She nodded, “and I will. She means the world to me.”

“Good.” Smiling, he pushed to standing, “I’m happy for you Prentiss, really.”

“Thanks.” She watched him start to leave the office.

“Oh, and promise me one more thing?”

“What?” She asked with a small laugh as Derek turned back in the doorway to face her.

“For the love of god could you two maybe keep the jet sex free in the future?! I’ll never be able to sit on that couch again.”

Emily felt the colour drain out of her face but the mortification was immediately usurped by wanting to get one in over Derek, a smirk breaking out on her lips.

“Alright, no mile high club. But I can’t make promises about what you might overhear otherwise.”

“What does that mean?”

“Remember back when she first joined the team and we were out in Atlanta? You complained on the way home about not getting any sleep thanks to someone else in the hotel being too noisy…” She grinned and Derek made a face of disgust with a grimace.

“That’s it, I’m bunking with Wilson for the foreseeable future, keep you two apart while we’re on the road.” He quickly backed out of the office, not wanting to hear anymore, leaving Emily laughing.  

__________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @melindawarnersgf @itisdoctortoyousir @emilyprentiss4life @somethingimaginative17 @temilyrights @alexxavicry  @daddy-heather-dunbar @aliensaurusrex @rustyzebra @ilovemycrayons @mandy-asimp @thegrantwater @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @m00nkn1ghts @supercriminalbean @daffodil-heart @msvenablesbitch @its-soph-xx  @going-gray @just-a-torn-up-masterpiece @hopelesslyfallenninlove @peanutbutterprincess  @kdaghay @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @awolfcsworld @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @s1ut4nat @midnight-sapphic @scorpsik @thisisraes @prentiss-theorem @unsubologyy @strongsassysexysloane @svushots  @overtrred28 @happenstnces  @sapphicprentiss @heidss @geekyandgay98 @pagetboobstarcomments

[kiiyunz]

a look into kihyun’s bag(s) ☆

whatever bag kihyun has chosen to sport for whatever he’s doing—whether that be a casual backpack hanging off of his back or well-worn shoulder bag bouncing around him as he runs from one place the next with his usual endless energy—there’s always two things that’ll be completely certain: one, that said bag will be filled to the brim, occasionally spilling over with everything he’s attempted to cram in there, and two, it’ll be absolutely covered in decorations. stickers, keychains—his favourite is a candy era mark keychain, and he has about 3 of them—pins, you name it, and he’s probably stuck it on there in some capacity. even when he’s in his low-effort outfits and feeling a little lazy in his dress, the one thing that’ll always be colourful is his bag. it’s loud, too, and while he might be able to creep up on his members and give them a fright without the addition of one of the countless bags and backpacks he’s acquired over the years, when he has them on you can hear him coming from a mile away (which he finds mildly annoying when he wants to scare jisung but the maknae has already turned around and levelled him with an unimpressed stare by the time he gets there, alerted by all the jangling the singer is doing).

inside his chosen bag for the occasion, as previously mentioned, you’ll probably find enough knick-knacks for a lifetime. of course there’s the essentials: his phone, laptop, wallet, keys, charger cables, headphones, his passport if it’s for the airport, and his shitty & nearly-broken 3DS (which he uses mostly when he's bored, and only for a few select games he’s found he can tolerate more than any of the battleground games jeno is always trying to get him into. his go-to’s are tomodachi life, mario kart, luigi’s mansion, and, on occasion, mortal kombat). but there’s also quite a few things he usually has on him as well. the compact digital camera he’s began to take places more often, occasionally a manga volume or two, sunglasses, jewellery, packs of playing cards, odd photocards in their various holders from his extensive collection, stickers, lighters, both half-empty & brand-new flavour cartridges, extra laces for his shoes, random lego figurines from one place or another, at least one pair of extra headphones, and of course general items he's just never gotten around to getting rid of: things like receipts, or train tickets, or beads or gems that have fallen off one thing or another—the list only goes on.

safe to say, it’s never a boring experience going through kihyun’s bag. he wouldn’t be much help in a crisis (unless renjun has reminded him to stuff his various vitamins and painkillers in there, along with a few plasters for good measure), but he would be a great source of entertainment if anybody was in need of a little lift-me-up. he really doesn’t mean for it to get to such a mess, but over time it just piles up and he can never quite bring himself to sit down and properly empty it all out again. renjun and mark have definitely tried to help him when he comes to them with a determined look in his eyes and says that that day is the day, but about twenty minutes in he usually ends up either getting bored and playing on his 3DS for the rest of the time or making excuses for every single little item inside by providing the older members with some sort of anecdote to let them convince him to keep it (even if it’s completely ridiculous—because with mark especially, if kihyun looks up at him with wobbly eyes and begs him not to throw away an old & empty pack of gum, he’s not going to do a thing).

overall, while it’s a complete mess, to kihyun his bag makes perfect sense. it’s almost like a magic hat, with the way he can dive a hand into it and come up with just the thing he was searching for. he acts overly devastated when he loses so much as a button from any of them, and uses every one he gets until it’s on the very brink of falling to pieces in the middle of the street. a few people have referred to him here and there as the ‘korean jane birkin’ with how well-loved all of his bags clearly are.

[tortoisebore]

okay hear me out remus and sirius at IKEA pretending every room is their house and pretend making food it’d be so chaotic

SO TRUEEEEE SO TRUE

omfg imagine

they go in the first time to grab a kitchen table after they move apartments bc the one sirius found on the side of the road two years ago finally broke during the move across the city. so their apartment is still full of boxes and they venture out early one morning and before they go in remus puts his hands on sirius’ shoulders and makes him look at him and he goes “we are here for ONE THING. we are here for a TABLE. nothing else.” and he makes sirius audibly confirm that yes, they are there for only a table and they’re going to get in and get out and that’s it, no dilly dallying. because he’s been to an ikea before but sirius hasn’t and he knows what’s about to happen so he assigns himself as their supervisor for the trip

but then six hours later they’re calling an uber XL to the front of the ikea and they’re standing there with a box that supposedly contains their new table and another one that contains a bookshelf and four of those big blue tarp ikea bags and two lamps and they’re both just standing there on the curb like ‘🧍……..,what the hell just happened’

so they set up their new place over the next few months and they make it all cozy and warm and sirius’ records are all over the living room and remus’ books have migrated from his new bookshelf in their bedroom and they’re taking over every corner of the place, like they’re practically sentient.

so one random weeknight they’re having takeout on the couch and sirius is looking around like 🧐 and he goes ‘u know…..,you could use another bookshelf.’ and remus is all ‘lmfao yeah, i know’ and sirius is like ‘………we could…..we could go to ikea………’ and remus goes ‘😐………………yes’

so then the next saturday they’re back and they’re having another pep talk outside and they’re both going ‘we’re here for a bookshelf we’re here for a bookshelf we’re here for a bookshelf’ and people are passing them and staring at them bc they’re chanting it louder and louder like they’re casting a fucking spell on the place

and they get inside and they do really really good for a while and they’ve almost made it to the storage section where they found remus’ first bookshelf last time when they stumble upon all these showrooms??? and they both stop in their tracks and they’re going 😧😦😲🤯😮😯 and then all hell breaks loose

they leave that time with four more tarp ikea bags of random shit, like a planter shaped like a marble statue even though they don’t have any plants, and a set of stainless steel mixing bowls even though they have absolutely no need for fucking mixing bowls, and a toothbrush holder (because the other week remus opened the drawer in their bathroom to see their toothbrushes touching and he had a meltdown about germs while sirius loudly explained that they very regularly have their mouths on every part of each other’s body) and two more bookshelves for remus and a vinyl organizer for sirius and a new little stand for his record player that’ll go nice next to the window in the living room

so they’re good on furniture for a while but now they go to ikea for entertainment purposes because the showroomssssssss

they’ll brainstorm a new backstory every time they go—sometimes they’re newlyweds looking to furnish their first home just outside the city, other times they’re roommates with extreme levels of sexual tension that haven’t admitted they’re in love with each other yet, and a couple of times they’ve roleplayed as a very picky and argumentative elderly couple that can’t agree on curtains

one saturday afternoon they’re in this living room setup with all these floor-to-ceiling dark gray glass cabinets and a sleek steel electric fireplace and a bunch of orange-tinted lamps. and sirius is lounging in the gray tweed chair in the corner and remus is opening the cabinets and testing the soft-shut hinges, and sirius goes ‘i don’t think your brother will like the couch.’ and remus doesn’t have a brother but he sighs all big and goes ‘it doesn’t matter if my brother likes the couch, sirius, it’s our couch.’ and sirius is all ‘yeah but i don’t want to hear all his yapping about structure and lumbar support and shit when they come for christmas—‘ and remus drags a hand down his face and he’s all ‘baby, can you at least pretend that you don’t hate him for two seconds while we get a fucking couch—“ and sirius stands up and huffs and stomps his foot and goes ‘it was never about the couch!!!! this is about you taking my side for once!!!!!’ and everyone in the vicinity is eavesdropping because this is some juicy relationship drama to be happening in the home section of this ikea right now

and another time they’re in this bedroom setup with a big light birch wood wardrobe covering the entire wall. and it lights up when you open the doors and there’s shelves for shoes and drawers and a fucking jewelry drawer?? in it and sirius is like ‘you need this in your room, remus.’ and remus goes ‘i do not. this would not even come close to fitting in my room,’ and sirius is all ‘it absolutely would, i know exactly how big your room is and this would fit great on the wall across from the window, you need more shit in there anyway, it’s sad and empty.’ and remus leans against the wardrobe door next to the one sirius has open and he’s all ‘how do you know what fits in my room, huh?’ and sirius blushes a bit and he backtracks and he’s all ‘no i mean i just think it would fit. like i think it would look good. our rooms are close to the same size and and and—‘ and remus is crossing his arms and getting up in his space going all ‘it is kind of empty, huh? maybe you should do something about that?’ and sirius is all ‘😳 like what….?’ and remus shrugs and goes ‘maybe i should just let you do it. put shit on the walls and all that. you know, make it nice.’ and sirius is shutting the doors and crossing his own arms and leaning against the wood to size him up and he goes ‘you want me to make your room nice for you?’ and remus goes ‘mhm yes yeah i do,’ and sirius is all ‘why don’t i just put a giant picture of me on your wall, that’d spruce the place up, right?’ and remus is biting his lip and going ‘mmmm that might not work actually, what if i bring someone home? what would they think?’ and sirius laughs really loud and rolls his eyes and goes ‘yeah rightttt you haven’t pulled anyone in months, remus—’ and then remus is crowding him up against the door and going ‘keeping tabs on me, huh?’ and then they’re getting chastised by security for making out in the fake ikea shower attached to the bedroom with the giant wardrobe

and one friday night when they don’t feel like going out they wander around the home section and fight about curtains. like sirius is all ‘i can’t watch my shows in the evening with the sun coming through that damn window remus, we need curtains.’ and remus is all ‘well fucking excuse me for enjoying some natural light every once in a while’ and they bicker about what color to choose for the rod because the beige matches the walls and will blend in nicely but the black matches the legs on their dining table chairs and eventually remus goes ‘holy fuck sirius just get the beige jesus christ it never ends—‘ and sirius scoffs and goes ‘all you do is complain, it’s like listening to a toddler—‘ and then they’re going home with and getting wine drunk on this pinot noir remus bought the other week and trying to hang up the pretty new sheers in the living room and sirius nearly cracks his skull open and has to be caught out of mid-air by a very tipsy and clumsy remus while trying to hang them up standing on a chair and they’re both laughing so hard they’re crying

sometimes they spend the whole trip in the fake kitchens pretending they’re at their vacation home in the south of france where sirius spent summers as a kid and sirius will bumble about the kitchen and send remus to the attached living room to finally fix that squeaky hinge on the tv stand. and they actually do quite a lot of shopping in the kitchens so they have to be careful about spending too much time in there, because sirius loves all the little gadgets and spice racks and electric can openers and display jars because ever since they got those mixing bowls he’s been dabbling in baking and their kitchen has gotten more action in the last six months than it probably ever has but remus always makes sure to stop by the grocery store and grab another bag of flour when sirius texts and asks for one, even when he’s had an annoying day and just wants to go home, because sirius likes to keep his hands busy and remus loves coming home and finding him making a giant sticky mess on the counters

they’re in this green kitchen one day and it has a big huge rack above the island for pots and pans to hang off of. and sirius breaks character and goes all starry eyed and remus immediately knows where this is going when he turns to him with big eyes and goes ‘look at it!!! 😲😲’ and remus is like ‘it is very cool but it’s like six hundred fucking—‘ and sirius is moving around the room looking at it from all angles like ‘oh but imagine how great it would look, we could put your stainless steel pans up there, they’d look so nice!!!’ and then remus is going to talk him down and immediately almost cracking his head on the corner of the giant rack. and he goes ‘look, see, i’m too tall for it, i’d break my head open the first week we had it in there—‘ and then sirius is pouting, shuffling up close and wrapping his arms around remus’ middle and looking up at him with his chin on his sternum and he’s the living embodiment of ���🥺🥺

so remus spends the next weekend supervising while sirius installs anchors in their ceiling and hangs the rack above the tiny island in their kitchen because he’s a saint and he’s too in love for his own good

[sadhours]

“I look for love in all the wrong places”

prequel to wicked sensations

a/n: this is my present to you all for 300 followers!!!! Thank you so much for enjoying my series. i hope i dont make y'all too sad with this one

word count: 3.7k

warnings: 18+ minors dni, messy Billy, sad billy, abuse mention, addiction, underage drinking, drug use, cocaine, marijuana, brief smut, Neil, homophobic slurs, sexism, angst lots of angst. This was sad to write.

masterlist (i accept requests)

taglist: @blue-eyed-lion @bbyhargrove @sweet-villain @actuallyspencerreid @trapistani @sierrahhh @likeanimagepassingby2

Fingernails stained yellow from nicotine, Billy brings yet another Marlboro Red to his lips while Jennifer pours him another another shot of Jameson. He’s been here every single night for the past three months, the days bleed together but he’s under the impression he’s having a good time. Every evening folds out the same way and Billy likes a rigid routine. The liquor goes down without so much as a wince, the fiery sensation spreading down his throat and over his entire body. A comforting, numb warmth that’s become his most favorite feeling. In fact, Billy couldn’t go a day without it now. There’s a necessity to it, some might call it an addiction, but Billy thought it made the beatings guaranteed to him more bearable, therefore it’s a form of protection. Getting sucker punched by his dad didn’t hurt as much when he couldn’t feel anything.

The next bit of routine was also made certain by a woman double his age cornering him every night. Not usually the same woman, but always one old enough to be his mother. They’d all kind of bled together, dyed hair, heavy makeup and the same pickup lines. Are you old enough to be in here? or What’s a young handsome man like you doing alone in a place like this? And Billy would accept their advances every time, looking for attention anyway he could get it. Sometimes he wished he didn’t like compliments. The way these broads looked at him and talked to him made Billy feel powerful.

Tonight was no different, a woman he pegs to be roughly 40 situating herself between him and the jukebox as he’s flipping through songs.

Turning on the charm, Billy smirks, “Well, hi. Just what I was looking for.”

It’s a lie, he likes getting off and these women provide an escape but he always feels disgusting afterwards, so he drinks more to bring the numbness back. Regardless, he continues repeating the cycle.

“Does your mother know you’re here?” the woman teases and luckily Billy’s buzzed enough for it not to sting and spiral him into another episode. She never knows where she is. And he wonders where she is all the time.

“I’m a big boy,” he retorts, leaning closer to the woman.

She gives him what he thinks was supposed to be seductive laugh but it’s a little too deep and it brings him out of the moment, panic rising through his throat while he realizes this bar is dark and he can’t really be sure if he’s attracted to her.

Then she lifts up a tiny baggie filled halfway with an off white substance he’s beginning to indulge in most nights, “Want some?”

Billy knows he shouldn’t, he knows he’ll wake up tomorrow with the emptiest feeling in his chest that’ll drive him to chase after good feelings but no matter what, he won’t be able to get his serotonin back up for days. Nevertheless, he nods and follows the woman to the dingy, sticky men’s bathroom. She locks the door behind her and dumps a bit of the baggie out onto the toilet paper holder. Billy begins to think about what other disgusting substances have been on it as she cuts them each a line and pulls out a rolled dollar bill. He goes first, needing the courage from the drug to follow through with what this woman really wants. He snorts the cocaine, standing and hands her the dollar bill while he rubs his nostril with the back of his hand. He tastes the drip immediately as the warm numbness begins to wash over his mouth and descend down the rest of him. Then the excitement comes, his heart pounding out of his chest while he’s filled with a newfound confidence that was languidly slipping away minutes before. He watches as she snorts her line and when she’s finished, he hitches her foot up onto the toilet and undoes his pants. He fucks her quick and hard, glancing away when she turns her head to look at him. He doesn’t give a shit if it hurts her feelings. Billy pulls out and cums on her thighs.

He tucks himself in his jeans and tells her, “Thanks, sweetheart.”

However that’s not their only interaction of the night, like a fiend, Billy keeps returning to snort all the blow she has and let’s her buy him drinks all night. She gives him a crumpled napkin with her number on it and he purposefully misses his pocket, dropping it on the dirty bar floor.

As per his routine, he doesn’t stumble out of the bar until it’s closed and he drunkenly attempts to help Jennifer close it up. He drops a barstool on the bar only for it to come tumbling back down on his face, pushing him to the floor with it.

“Alright, Billy…” Jennifer sighs, “I think I can manage it myself. Get home safe, kid.”

He does, though he won’t remember the drive in the morning. His body crashes through his window, face planting on the hardwood floor and from where he lies, he can see a light flicking on from the crack under the door.

“Shit,” he mumbles, grappling to his knees and pressing his palms into his thighs.

He’s pleasantly surprised when a small redhead opens his bedroom door with wide eyes. His intoxicated smile falters when he hears Susan’s voice calling out for her.

“Sorry!” Max calls out, “Bumped into something. It was dark.”

“Go to bed!” his Dad yells and Max turns off the hall light after glaring at her drunken step brother. She closes his door and retreats back to her room.

She was a little shit but she was a really good sister, covering for Billy whenever she could. He stands to his feet and turns on his lamp, looking in the mirror to see his lip and nose are bloodied from either the barstool or the face plant, he’s not sure. He sighs, wiping his face with his sleeve before collapsing in his bed, succumbing to a hard sleep.

He’s not sure how long he’s been out when he wakes up, having no idea what time he even got home. But his heads killing him and the post cocaine blues hits hard, flashes of the older woman piercing his brain. He groans, reaching under his bed for a warm can of beer and sits up. He cracks the beer open and gulps it down, reaching for his pack of Marlboros to discover he smoked every single one last night. He winces as he stands up from bed, dropping the empty beer can to the collection strewn across his floor. He peeks out the window to see his Camaro parked halfway on the lawn and he cringes.

Billy strides to the bathroom, keeping the light off as he reaches for the rinsing cup and fills it with tap water. He drinks it and fills it again, repeating the process until his stomach churns and empties into the toilet. Over and over. Billy’s not a quiet puker either. He knows whoever is home can hear it but it’s common, they’ve got to be used to it. After collecting himself, he stares at his reflection in the dirty mirror and dim lighting seeping in from the tiny vent window. His lip is swollen, he’s got dried blood under his nose and massive bags under his eyes.

“God,” he groans before splashing water into his face. He braces himself as he exits, glancing up and down the hall before strolling back to his room. Before he can get there, he hears Susan’s hushed voice and he freezes.

“He’s a problem, Neil. Stumbling in at ungodly hours and he always reeks of alcohol,” she whispers.

“I know,” Neil responds, “I don’t know what else I can do.”

Billy shuts his bedroom door quietly, not wanting to hear the rest of the conversation. He digs through the pile of dirty clothes on the floor for a pair of jeans, pulling them over his legs and hopping into the rest them. He grabs a white muscle shirt, bringing it to his nose and wincing at the stench. He keeps digging through the pile until he settles on a black muscle tank instead. Then his phone rings, the shrill pitch of it sending a shockwave of sharp pain through his head.

“Jesus Christ,” he mumbles, lifting it off the hook to be greeted by his girlfriend. Oh, shit, he’d forgotten he had one.

“Veronica, calm down,” he groans, slipping his Converse on. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I was busy.”

“Busy?!” she yells, “We had a fucking date, William.”

“Ugh, don’t fucking call me that,” he looks in the mirror, fixing his hair with what little energy he has. “Listen, I’ll be at your house in twenty. Bring weed.”

“You’re gonna make this up to me, Billy. I’m so sick of you leaving me high and dry.”

“Whatever you want, baby,” he quips sarcastically before hanging up, hopping out his window and stealthily strutting to his car. He speeds off down the street before Neil and Susan can run outside to stop him. He takes a detour, stopping at a gas station to fill up his car and retrieve the ever needed pack of Marlboro Reds. “Ya know what, give me a shooter of Jack,” he adds, handing a wad of cash to the clerk who despite his disheveled appearance gives him fluttery eyelashes and blushed cheeks.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he winks to the girl as he shoves his change in his pocket. When he’s back in his car, he downs the shot and lights a cigarette before filling up his tank.

-

“You said twenty minutes,” Veronica scolds as she gets in the front seat, her blonde hair pristinely styled in big curls.

Billy snorts, “Hey, I showed up.”

“Yeah and you fucking reek of booze,” she complains. Billy shrugs, speeding off down the street. He whips through the neighborhoods, ignoring Veronica’s incessant yelling to slow down. He wonders why she even likes him, all she ever does is complain. He arrives to their usual spot, a parking lot a ways out that faces the ocean, no shore beneath it.

“Where were you last night?” she demands, sounding like a parent. She’s always like this. Well, she wasn’t at first. She liked Billy’s danger at the beginning, she used to call him wild child. She used to laugh hard at all his jokes and sing at the top of her lungs with him to his cassettes. She used to look at him with stars in her eyes. She used to love him.

“I was hanging out with Jennifer,” he deflects, not mentioning the coke or the middle aged woman he’d fucked without a second thought.

“You know she thinks you’re a loser, right?” Veronica reveals and Billy doesn’t doubt it. He knows he’s been going a little overboard since Susan and Max moved in. He know his dad grew to truly despise his mom over the years but he never dated another woman until he met Susan. Billy didn’t want to subject his mom to more abuse but he selfishly wished she’d come back, that they’d get back together.

“You are a loser, Billy,” Veronica seethes, “You’re turning into a total fucking burn out. We don’t even surf anymore.”

Billy takes the verbal censure. He always does, he’s heard the words so much they don’t even sting anymore. He no longer cares that he’s a huge wasting, disappointment to everyone around him.

“Did you bring the weed?” he asks, unbothered by the dumbfounded look on his girlfriends face.

She heaves a sigh and digs through her purse, imparting the bag of weed to Billy. He takes it, opening up his glovebox to grab his rolling papers. He grinds the weed between his fingers, hovering above the open paper, using his pinky to disperse the broken up buds. He rolls it expertly, eying his blonde counterpart as he licks up the side of the paper before sealing it up.

“Voila,” he sings, proudly holding up the joint to admire his handiwork. He brings it to his lips, flicking his zippo up to light it. He takes a deep hit, choking lightly as it stings his throat before offering it to Veronica. “I didn’t put any tobacco in it, just for you.”

“Oh, you’re so kind,” she sneers, her expression frozen in indignation. God, she’s such a bitch, Billy thinks.

He won’t let her ruin his high, he needs this. He’s gotta charge up before he can head back over to the bar.

“Do you even have a job anymore?” she wonders, venom lacing the question.

Billy snatches the joint from her lips before she can take a second hit, “I do. I work tomorrow.”

He dreads to think about doing any strenuous labor with a hangover. Maybe he’ll claim window washing and tire pressure duty when he arrives. His boss is getting suspicious of him, though. The other day, he made a snide comment about Billy having a long night when he locked himself in the bathroom to spew for thirty minutes.

“Good. Our anniversary is coming up,” she reminds Billy, “I expect jewelry.”

He bogarts the joint, not passing it when he’s supposed to. He sucks more than half of it down before she notices.

“Hey! Give it here, it’s mine anyhow.”

Billy obliges, turning the stereo out and shoving a Metallica cassette into it and turning the dial to tune out any more of her whining.

Luckily, the joint seems to get to Veronica and she’s quiet for a while. Billy gets to admire the waves, the vastness of the ocean as the blue of it fades into the sky. It always calms him, helps him forget about Neil, Susan and Veronica. He can stare at it and even forget he exists.

Alright, he’s pretty stoned.

All part of his rigid routine, Veronica moves to the backseat and pulls him with her. He lays her down and hovers above her, his head fuzzy while they awkwardly situate themselves. It’s rushed, quick and to the point. Like it always is. She’s a means to an end and he is to her.

When they’re done, she tells him he needs to get a grip before Senior year starts in two weeks. He ignores it, Billy thinks he’s doing just fine. He wouldn’t have his life any other way.

-

He takes it easy that night. Which means he still stumbles through his window drunkenly but he’s not blackout drunk. He remembers the panic of the drive home, constantly checking his rearview mirror but blue and red lights. He showers after his morning hurl. Standing under the hot water a moment too long, making him late for his shift.

He grabs his work shirt from his backseat and begrudgingly makes his way into the garage, clocking in under the judgmental eyes of his boss.

“I know,” he mutters before he can be ridiculed, “I slept through my alarm. Won’t happen again.”

Unfortunately, Drew beats him to calling window washing and tire pressure checks. Billy’s stuck downstairs draining oil. It’s so hot down there, he yaks a few more times during the day. On his drive home, he’s particularly introspective. Finding he’s actually disappointed in himself for the heavy drinking and late nights.

When he walks into the door, he’s met with his dad, Susan, Max and his grandparents sitting around the table. An intervention? Seriously?

Billy groans, barreling through them to his room. Neil’s quick to follow, pounding on the door when it’s slammed in his face.

“William Ocean Hargrove, get your ass out here now!” Neil bellows behind the think particle board. Billy revels in his mom giving him that middle name, forcing his dad to say it whenever he was pissed and no doubt bringing Billy’s wild-spirited mother to his mind.

Billy opens the door. “I’m covered in oil. Let me change,” he spits at his dad before slamming the door again.

“Neil,” Susan says pointedly.

He hears his dads footsteps walking away and he glances to his window, debating if he should run away again. He’s embarrassed with his grandparents sitting there and he’s sure Neil won’t hit him in front of them. Not until they leave.

He changes into a clean pair of clothes before making his entrance out, standing in front of five pairs of concerned eyes. He heaves a sigh and motions to them, “Go ahead. Tell me how my life’s going down the shitter and I’m a huge fucking disappointment to all of you.”

He thinks it’s unfair Max and Susan are here. They’ve known Billy all of six months. They don’t fucking know him yet they’re trying to be family. Well, as far as Billy was concerned he had no fucking family. This house, these people, they had no warmth. They didn’t truly give a shit about him, they just wanted to control him, didn’t want people to look at them differently because he was an embarrassment.

“Billy…” Susan starts and he laughs.

“Listen, I barely fucking know you. You can’t waltz into my life and expect to be my fucking mother. You aren’t and you’ll never be,” he spits.

“Maybe I should start…” his grandmother says and it breaks his heart. She was the tiniest bit of solace in his life. She was the escape when things had gotten too bad. When Neil couldn’t even fathom looking at Billy, he would ship him off to his parents. He spent every summer there until he was fourteen. Then Neil wanted him working.

Billy sits down at his grandmothers request, his breathing labored as he’s stricken with guilt.

“Honey… we’re all so worried about you. Your dad tells me you’re never home, you’re drinking all night and,” she can’t finish, choking out a sob as she looks to her disheveled grandson.

Billy feels tears threatening his eyes but he’s quickly reminded about all the times Neil bullied him for crying. Calling him a faggot, a fairy, a pansy, every name in the book. He told him men don’t cry. Last I checked you didn’t have a vagina, he’d said. Billy steadies his breathing. He won’t cry, he can’t cry.

“Your behavior is unacceptable, son,” Neil chimes in and Billy keeps his face stoic, doesn’t want anyone to know how deeply he’s hurting inside.

“You’re a bad influence on Max,” Susan says quietly and Billy feels his blood boil. He never agreed to being any kind of influence on her. He never agreed to having them forced into his life.

Billy doesn’t speak, he stares at four consecutive holes in the table and remembers how they got there, his dad stabbing his fork into the table during a heated argument at dinner when Susan and Max had first moved in. He wonders if they’ve even considered why Billy is acting out. He assumes not, his feelings never a concern of theirs.

“This has to change,” Susan pleads.

Neil puffs his chest out, “William.”

Billy knows what his dad is getting at, looking up at him and holding his domineering stare.

“We’ve got a solution. We’re moving,” Neil informs him, “I’ve already got a job lined up.”

“What?” Billy asks, hurt present on his voice and then panic, “Where?”

“Indiana,” Susan states.

Indiana? No ocean. No waves. No calmness. No one he knows. He’ll be even more alone. Billy’s stomach churns, the emptiness of it of no concern to the bile rising in his throat. He abruptly moves up from the table, stomping to the bathroom where he collapses in front of toilet, and he heaves. The fluorescent yellow fluid forcing its way up his throat, burning his eyes and tearing up his airways.

He rests his cheek against the seat, unmoving as he realizes his life is over. Neil can control him better so far away. He’ll be so isolated from everything he knows and loves so well.

-

Billy stares at his Camaro packed to the brim with his belongings. It’s so wrong. The October breeze chills him as his eyes fall on the scratch along the side of the midnight blue finish. Veronica keyed his car and he’d attempted his best to buff it out but it was still faintly there. A reminder that he’d lived up to her shitty expectations of him.

Neil pats his shoulder, “We’ll get that fixed in Hawkins.”

He was annoyingly chipper since the intervention, clearly excited at the prospect of a completely isolated Billy.

“Max is riding with you,” he shoots his soon a pointed look. “Can’t have you running off.”

Billy sighs, realizing just how trapped he is.

This is it. He gazes back to the house he’d grown up in, his chest stinging at how unalive it looks. He stands outside of his car and looks around while Max sits in his front seat. His feet are stuck. He can’t possibly move them.

“Billy! Let’s get a move on! We’re on a schedule!” his dad calls from his truck and Susan honks from the U-Haul.

Fucking bitch.

Billy cries quietly as he drives away from home, not caring that Max can see it. He fucking loathed her and her mother for doing this to him. He doesn’t say a single word to her the entire drive. He doesn’t speak to any of them when they sleep in motels where Billy’s given a pillow and small throw blanket to sleep on the floor in each one. He’s disassociated the entire three days it takes to drive there.

He thinks Indiana is ugly and he’s unbelievably distraught when he sees the size of Hawkins. A town like this, everyone knows each other which means higher expectations from Neil. They drive past the school, Max commenting about how that’s where they’ll go, and Billy remains silent. The only bright side is no one will know who he is so he can be anyone he wants. And he’ll be damned if he’s not worshipped in this town by the end of his first week here.

a/n: thank you so much for reading. i really appreciate all the love i'm getting for the series. i hope you enjoyed this lil look into billy's life before the move

[firespirited]

I was asked to put together a beginner reroot kit so I’m going to cut needles for myself too and that’ll be today’s use of shoulders.

as specified in the previous needle cutting tutorial, you’ll want safety goggles.

Here are a few things I forgot to add:

The tool to cut needles is a memory wire cutter ($8-10 at craft stores) - if you don’t have that but do have heavy duty* diagonal cutters or large pliers with a cutting area, you can place the needle at the base and press with both hands. *We’re talking much larger than jewellery tools.

Do not hold the foam AND the wire cutters: align the wire cutters and press with both hands: let the foam fly backwards that’s why the needles are in foam to begin with. you need both hands to get a clear cut that doesn’t bend or snap the needle eye.

If you can’t cut the needle stem with both hands (especially the thicker needles, place the wire cutters on the cut and pliers above and pull in opposite directions to snap-cut the stem.

The kit itself is

an exacto knife holder (rebranded as a microblading tool)

5 needles: 1 for yarn, 2 for thin plugs, 2 normal.

3 crocodile clips for holding hair.

some electronic twistie ties

saran from trendy and bendy Teresa (not enough for a full head)

nylon from  rainbow high amaya (dyeable)

kiwi nylon from mermaze orra (dyeable)

black saran scraps for eyelashes

test head

[celestiall0tus]

Miraculous Absolution - Chapter 9 - Loyalties

Beginning || Previous || Next

            “Alright, we need to discuss what happened last night,” Adrien started. He glared down at his computer screen at the video call. Nino was barely awake, Chloe was on her phone with Lila lingering just on the edge of the screen, and Juleka and Rose were cuddled on their couch.

            Nino yawned. “Couldn’t this have waited until later?”

            “This is important. We have a rogue holder claiming to be a messenger of the ladybug,” Adrien reminded.

            “I don’t get what the big deal is,” Nino remarked.

            “Are you kidding? This is competition. We can’t let these upstarts take over our duties,” Adrien spat.

            “She certainly did a better job than you ever could for an upstart,” Lila remarked.

            “Lila, honey, I said you can stay so long as you don’t antagonize Adrien,” Chloe commented.

            “Oh, I’m so sorry. Did I hurt your wittle feelings?” Lila mocked.

            Adrien’s eye twitched. “Chloe.”

            “Lila, please, stop. It’s too early to deal with his shit,” Chloe begged.

            Lila huffed but kept quiet.

            “Finally. Now, we need a plan on what to do about these rogue holders that’ll be popping up,” Adrien said.

            “What plan could we need? Why don’t we just work with them? Wouldn’t that be easier? Better for the people to see their ladybug working with Chat Noir?” Rose asked.

            Adrien sneered. “I will never work with that creature.”

            “But in fighting, we are prolonging the suffering of the people. On top of that, we are giving our enemy more fuel for the fire. If we come to blows, what of the city? What of the people? Haven’t they lived in enough fear?” Chloe pointed out.

            “But-!” Adrien started.

            “But nothing! Adrien, please, this has to end. We are given a chance to finally end this bullshit. Bring the world some peace. Bring the people peace. Isn’t that more important?” Chloe continued.

            Adrien grumbled. “I… can’t. I won’t. Not the ladybug.”

            “And why? Why not the ladybug?” Chloe demanded.

            Adrien didn’t answer.

            “Adrien, please, see reason. We owe it to the people to end this. Was that not the promise we made taking up arms? To do what was best for the many.”

            “Your Queen Bee is right. This needs to end,” Alya said.

            Everyone paused and looked at Nino’s screen. He was pushed to the side, passed out snoring in his seat. Alya had pulled up a different chair and took his place.

            “Put Nino back on,” Adrien commanded.

            “You hold no power over me, cat. My loyalties belong to Ladybug.”

            Adrien sneered. “Are you here to spout more nonsense about the ladybug?”

            Alya smirked. She brushed back her mane to reveal a gold ear cuff. A chain dangled from it with a deer print charm. Adrien stiffened as his stomach dropped.

            “Now that I have your attention, know this. Ladybug fully intends to end this farce with Papillon. You all can join her, assist us in finally bringing peace to the city, or you can remain with the cat and be nothing more than pinup models.”

            Anger and contempt tore through Adrien. “If you think I’m just going to concede defeat and allow the ladybug to take over this, you’re dead wrong. I will never side with that charlatan and neither will my team.”

            “Is that so, Jule and Rose?” Alya asked.

            Juleka pursed her lips, remained silent.

            Rose grimaced. “I don’t know, Alya. We made a deal with Adrien.”

            Alya bowed her head. “I understand that, however, don’t think you can buy the rest of us so easily. We will stand by Ladybug and see this all finally end. You have until I take the field to make your decision. So, roughly about, say, three months. After that, Ladybug will arrive.”

            “Well thank you for the timeline. Now we have time to prepare,” Adrien hissed.

            “You four do. Though you will have lost a member starting today,” Alya commented.

            Adrien opened his mouth but was cut off by Lila.

            “Good for Carapace. He’s better off with Ladybug than the stupid cat.”

            “Chloe! Get rid of her now!” Adrien roared.

            Chloe groaned. She muted her end and spoke with Lila. While her back was turned, Lila flipped off the camera and left the meeting room.

            “My, what a fire. Think we should introduce her to Alix?” Rose asked.

            “No,” Juleka and Alya said together.

            “Enough! Listen here, Nino and I made a deal. I-!”

            “I know all about your deal. You basically pay for his living expenses and everything else. However, we have family who’ll help us now. We won’t need you, cat. Nino. The city. The people. No one will need you. You failed us for the last time. Ladybug will arrive and she will succeed where you have failed. We will finally be free of this hell. And I, for one, will revel in your downfall, stupid cat.”

            Alya flipped off the camera and left the call.

            Adrien lowered his head as rage and fear tore through him. He flexed his fingers then balled them into fists. His body shook with anger that slipped from his control.

            Rose opened her mouth, but Juleka covered it. She hurried and left the call.

            Silence lingered for a brief, blissful moment. Adrien snapped his head up and screamed. He flung his laptop at the wall and broke it. He sent clutter flying everywhere, broke vases, glass, and other fragile items, and tore through his apartment, destroying it.

            Plagg phased out of the fridge and sat atop the counter. He watched Adrien in his fit of despair. He calmly groomed himself until Adrien collapsed into a heap of tears.

            “Are you done?” Plagg asked.

            Adrien glared up with tear filled eyes. “What more could I have done? Was what I did not enough? Where did I go wrong?”

            “You didn’t. You did everything in your power with the knowledge you had. That fact hasn’t changed.”

            “Then why does it feel like I failed? Why does it feel like I could have done so much more? Given so much more to the people. Why?!”

            Plagg sighed. He jumped down and approached Adrien. “Come on, I know this part. Just let it all out.”

            Silence hung between them before Adrien spoke.

            “I’ve never done anything right. I was a failure of a son. The only thing I was good for was standing still and smiling. People loved my smile. Always told Father how much it made their day seeing such a happy boy. Father never seemed to care. Was almost annoyed by it. Beat me down until I didn’t want to smile, then people didn’t seem to like me anymore. I lost everything until you found me.”

            Adrien paused for a breath. He reached up, grabbed Plagg, and held him close.

            “You changed everything. People liked me again because of you. They enjoyed looking at me, having me around. It was amazing, but then the attacks got worse. I did what I could, but the casualties got worse. Until that day when aid that was promised was deterred. Papillon unleashed his madness upon the world and set it ablaze. The world crumbled before him and abandoned Paris to appease Papillon. Is that what I should do, Plagg? Should I bow to Papillon’s whims?”

            “Do you want to?”

            “I… I don’t know anymore. I wanted to save the city. I wanted to be a hero the people loved. I just wanted to be, well, wanted. I didn’t want to feel like a burden for once in my life. I just wanted to be loved. I just don’t want people to hate me. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I… I just want to be happy for once since… since….”

            Adrien broke down. He clung to Plagg and buried his face in Plagg’s side. Plagg grimaced but put up with it for Adrien.

            “P-Plagg? Why… why do I bother trying? What’s even the point?” Adrien whimpered.

            Plagg’s eyes widened. “Life is difficult, but full of wonder. There are bad moments, but there are also good.”

            “Then why has my life been an endless nightmare? What did I do to suffer like this? Why do I even bother existing?”

            Plagg opened his mouth, but Adrien shot up and glared at him.

            “Look at me! What am I? Who am I really?”

            “You’re Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir,” Plagg answered.

            Fresh tears fell from Adrien’s eyes. “I wish I could believe that. I really could, but I can’t be Adrien. The Adrien I knew was a happy little boy. One that ran about the mansion without a care in the world with parents that loved him. This? This is just another Gabriel Agreste. His temper, his hatred, his bitterness, his everything. Even his face. And just like Father, I’m about to lose everything.”

            “And when you do, will you be like him? Or will you be better?”

            “What can I even do? Nino has already left me. Juleka and Rose are sure to be next. And Chloe… dammit. Why me? Why did I agree to this? Why didn’t I stick to the only thing I was good at?”

            Plagg sighed. “I wish I had the answers you seek. I really do. But I want you to know something.”

            “What’s that?”

            “No matter who has turned against you, I will always be here. The world can turn against you, but I will always be in your corner at your side. Nothing in this world will keep me away from you as long as breath fills your lungs, and your heart carries a beat. I will be here. Whether you like it or not, not that I carried if you did, of course.”

            Adrien snickered through the tears. He scooped Plagg up and cuddled him. “I can always count on you, Plagg.”

            Plagg smiled. He nuzzled Adrien, then paused. An idea formed in his head. He bounced and flew up out of Adrien’s arms.

            “That’s it! We will only count on each other!”

            Adrien raised a brow. “What do you mean?”

            “Who needs a team? They only slowed you down. I mean, they couldn’t ever do what you did, and things didn’t go wrong until they joined you. So, we can take on the world just the two of us.

            “I don’t know. I don’t want to abandon them.”

            Plagg scoffed. “They’re going to leave you for Ladybug anyway. Might as well toss them to the curb and go solo, right? Save them the trouble and make the decision for them, like a real leader.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “I always am.”

            Adrien hummed. He did start alone but slowly built a team. He wouldn’t deny that when he started it was easier. However, when the others joined, there was a strange burden that came with it. Things got harder and they lost favor with the public. Perhaps he could leave the ladybug to lead a team while he went solo. He could prove on his own that he is more than a mangy, stupid cat.

            Adrien stood and searched through his mess. He uncovered his damaged phone. He sent a text to the girls, informing them that the team was disbanded, and they could do whatever they wanted. A flood of messages came in, but he turned off his phone. He moved over to Plagg and offered an arm.

            “Let’s go. We have a day job to get to.”

            Plagg meowed and hopped onto Adrien’s shoulders. He nuzzled Adrien and purred.

            Adrien smiled, nuzzled Plagg, and left.

~~

            “This is bad. This is bad. This is very bad! What are we going to do?” Rose freaked.

            Whisper sat on the couch as she looked out. She watched Adrien’s tantrum and breakdown. A heavy weight fell on her heart hearing his struggles.

            “What are we going to do?” Rose asked Whisper.

            Whisper’s eyes fluttered and she returned to the apartment. She looked into Rose’s fearful eyes and considered. She didn’t want to leave Adrien alone, not completely. She wasn’t sure how to help him and didn’t believe Rose could help him right now. He would need someone that was more stranger to him than they were.

            Whisper paused and considered getting Luka. He wasn’t supposed to arrive for a couple more months, but this was an emergency. Adrien was spiraling and needed someone that wasn’t the embodiment of destruction. It was nice that Plagg was there for Adrien, but true to his nature, he was helping Adrien destroy everything.

            Whisper considered again. Even if Luka did help Adrien, what of the others? What of Marinette, Alix, and Alya. They are still hurting and will take it out on Adrien. She’d wager Alix was looking for any excuse to beat his ass. She needed to get them to see reason so Luka’s work wouldn’t be for naught.

            “Jule?” Rose asked.

            “I’m going to see Marinette, then get Luka.”

            “What? But how? She’s not coming back for a while yet and he’s not supposed to be here for another couple of months. Jagged won’t-.”

            “To hell what Jagged likes. Adrien is going to destroy himself if we don’t have someone intervene. He won’t open up to us willingly, so perhaps it’ll take a stranger.”

            Rose considered and nodded. “Do what you can to save Adrien. To save our livelihood.”

            Whisper kissed Rose’s cheek. “I’ll see you for lunch.”

            Whisper ran out and headed for Alix’s place. She knocked and waited until Ondine answered the door.

            “Ju-, I mean, Whisper? What are you doing here?”

            “I need to see Alix’s kwami.”

            Ondine hesitated.

            “Please. There is news that needs to be shared.”

            Ondine considered, then sighed. “Come in.”

            Whisper darted in as Ondine left. Whisper waited when Ondine returned with Fang.

            “What can I do for you this fine morning?” Fang asked.

            “Can you take me to see Marinette? Then my brother, Luka?” Whisper asked.

            “I very much can.”

            Whisper’s eyes lit up. “Oh, thank you. Please, can we go now? It’s urgent.”

            Fang bowed her head. She transformed into a wolf and stood beside Whisper. The apartment faded away and they appeared in the middle of the Cheng estate.

            People gasped and jumped back at their arrival. Whisper grimaced as she looked around and heard their foreign words. She took a breath and focused. She searched the estate for Marinette, finding her in a training room. Marinette’s training paused when someone new entered the room with some news. She assumed it was about her as Marinette’s eyes widened in shock and ran out of the room. She watched Marinette emerge from a far-off building in the compound into the main courtyard where she was at.

            Whisper’s eyes fluttered as she returned to her surroundings. She headed towards Marinette, meeting her halfway. She let out a laugh and scooped up Marinette in a bear hug.

            “It’s so good to see you!” Whisper cried.

            “Juleka, please, what’s going on? Why are you here?” Marinette asked.

            Whisper put Marinette down. “We have a big problem.”

            “What’s the problem?” Xiu asked.

            Marinette and Whisper turned as Xiu joined them.

            “I… I was part of Chat Noir’s team, but he’s disbanded the team. He is going solo as suggested by his kwami,” Whisper said.

            Marinette snorted. “Is that all?”

            “What? No. Please, I need you to listen. I know you hate him, but please don’t attack him or anything. Just… let him be.”

            “What? Why should I?”

            “Because I want to help him. I bore witness to his demons and the weights he carries. I will bring Luka back early just to accomplish this. To save Chat Noir before another monster is created. Before we have to deal with another Papillon.”

            Marinette opened her mouth, but all arguments died on her tongue. She growled as she paced back and forth. Xiu approached and placed a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. They exchanged words before Marinette left. Whisper started towards Marinette when she was intercepted by Xiu.

            “Follow me.”

            Whisper followed Xiu to Xiu’s garden into a pavilion.

            “I apologize for Mar-Mar. Please understand that she is still in mourning and that the cat’s words still have power over her.”

            “I… had a small feeling, but I just wanted her to understand.”

            “And she will in time. For now, you will work with me in this regard.”

            “Uh, why?”

            “Because I see your concerns. This Papillon is indeed a threat, but you need to take measures to ensure you don’t face a threat equal to or greater than him. And you see clearly what danger the black cat possesses, don’t you?”

            Whisper nodded.

            “Good. Then we can work together. I can give you all the information we have learned about the black cat and the holders it chooses, but I will want something in return.”

            “And what would that be?”

            “Understand that Mar-Mar comes from a long and prestigious line. Because of her blessed blood, she is a very valuable and auspicious match that any man should be proud to take. And while the snake has its own benefits and what if offers, it’ll never be the black cat.”

            Whisper furrowed her brows. “And you want me to, what?”

            “Bring the two together, the ladybug and the black cat.”

            Whisper took a sharp breath. “But… but she has a boyfriend.”

            “I’m aware, but I don’t approve of the match. Not when there is a better option on the table for the family. Do you understand?”

            “I understand, I just don’t approve.”

            “I don’t need you to approve, just to understand, girl. Now, if you want the information you seek, you’ll ensure that Mar-Mar and the black cat are together. Otherwise, you’ll watch your friend destroy himself.”

            Whisper gritted her teeth. “I will, but only if you have something else.”

            “And what is that?”

            “Information on the butterfly. If you can give me information on the butterfly and the black cat, then I will see Mari and Chat Noir together.”

            “Hmm, I suppose it would be in your better interest. Very well. Get comfortable girl while I prepare the material.”

            “How long will it take?”

            “Oh, not long. I’ll be back before long.”

            Whisper nodded and took a seat. Fang joined her once Xiu was long out of earshot.

            “You’re not actually going along with her demands, are you?” Fang asked.

            “Not exactly. She just wants Mari and Chat Noir together for appearances. There doesn’t need to be anything between them. Well, perhaps at least friendship, but that’s no easy feat. Besides, I’d never betray Luka like that. Mari is his everything, his very heart. I wouldn’t dare break him like that.”

            “Others would, so guard him well,” Fang remarked.

            “The only others there could be is our enemy, but I’ve never seen him pull such tricks.”

            “Would you show all your cards immediately, or play smart and keep the aces until the perfect moment? And for your enemy, what would that perfect moment be?”

            Whisper’s stomach dropped. “Oh no. You don’t think he knows?”

            “We’ll find out. The coming months will be the most telling. Don’t you agree?”

            Whisper pursed her lips. She sat in quiet contemplation when Xiu returned with a pair of grimoires.

            “Here we are. A tome on the black cat of destruction and the butterfly of transformation.”

            Whisper took the tomes and bowed. “Thank you. I promise to put these to good use.”

            “I know you will. Just don’t forget our deal.”

            “I don’t renege on a deal, ma’am. I will see your wishes carried out. Fang, let’s go.”

            Fang howled and teleported her and Whisper away.

            Xiu frowned and turned away. She stepped out of the pavilion as an owl perched carefully on her shoulder.

            “Do inform me should she renege on our deal, will you?”

            The owl hooted and vanished.

[jellyfishinajamjar]

Tau units that I think would be baller as hell please hire me James Workshop

The Tau, despite having been around for longer than the iPod mini, Webkinz, and the scramjet engine, have a strangely truncated model line. This is partially attributable to unique deficiencies in the army’s intended method of play, but nonetheless do exist. I want to fill those gaps and make Tau cool as fuck. Here’s some ideas

Plenty of armies in 40K have a simple ‘one army, three sub-armies’ make up. For example, the Drukari have the wonderfully alliterative and easy to remember Cabals, Covens, and Cults, each taking an aspect of dark eldar philosophy and filling a role in the larger army. Cabals are your boats and baddies playstyle, Covens having twisted abominations, and Cults do something that I would know about if I was a Drukari player

Necron have Dynasties, Flayers, and Destroyer Cults, with flayers filling fast attack roles and destroyers being self evident

Tau have 1 and a halfish sub-armies. You’ve got the Tau, who do shooting, Kroot, who do fast attack and some melee, and a Vespid, who have one unit. Clearly, something went wrong here. Why do we have two fast attack sub-armies despite having fine fast attack in our main army? Why do we have Kroot as bad at shooting and at melee? Why don’t Vespid exist?

I want to fix this. To do so I’m going to propose a frankly radical solution GW would never do, but I want to see anyways. Give us five sub-armies

We’ve already got Tau, Kroot, and Vespid. I’m not changing any already existing model lines, cause that’ll never happen. Instead, I’m going to round off incomplete lines and introduce a few new ones

Tau. Tau are fine as is. I’d love to see melee battlesuits, but this isn’t the place for more sword mech propaganda. Tau having gaps in their line is the whole point of having auxiliaries, so it’s fine

If I might make a personal request, I would love to see burst cannon equipped infantry. Not all of them, maybe like one in 10 strike warriors could replace their pulse rifle with a burst cannon, or have a wargear option to replace the sms on the support turret with a burst cannon. Trade indirect fire for direct anti infantry. That would be especially useful in boarding action, and not having the turret is a hit to fire warrior’s strength there

Kroot. Kroot are the second healthiest Tau Empire model line by virtue of being the one that actually exists. I think it’s good as is. I have two suggestions here, mostly for my own desire to see Kroot fuck. Give us big Kroot and enormous Kroot.

I want a Kroot melee elite unit. Elite both in unit designation and like Elites from Halo. Gimmie big beefy boys in a 3-6 unit that absolutely slaughter in melee. These will be our melee heavy hitters, our line holders, our brick shithouse with arm swords made of bone and chitin. Like a Kroot ate a space marine and got jacked. Size of a terminator big. These guys should have baller models and fill a much needed gap in the Tau as immovable objects you can park on objectives and laugh as your opponent tries to melee you off.

The other Kroot unit I would want is a dinosaur. Look, James, if you aren’t going to give us exodites at least let our Kroot be dinosaurs. I’m thinking a Knight equivalent, melee focus with big tau guns mounted on it, like that one tau’nar kitbash with the t-rex body and the tau’nar arms. Give use dinos.

And lastly for Kroot, we don’t need it but I think it would be funny lookin as hell, so I’ll mention it. Kroot flyers. They’re already lizard birds, I want to see a Kroot plane equivalent. Like a pterodactyl with a Kroot face and a Shaper on its back holding a pair of reins. Give it transport capacity so it can drop off Kroot or Krootox, or like if it overflies and enemy it can make a claw attack and if it hits it picks up a model or two and eats them to recover wounds. Just be wild with it. It’ll never see competitive play outside of Kroot only lists, but it’ll be a cool looking shelf piece and will give more for the three exodite diehards to kitbash so they don’t go insane waiting for official confirmation that they exist.

Vespid. Of the existing lines, Vespid definitely need the most work. They’re supposed to fill a fast attack role in an army that already has two fast attack infantry units. Here’s some ideas to start us off on a decently well rounded sub-army.

Vespid tank equivalent. I think we should keep with the wasp ascetic, and make a vespid tank. Big ol honeycomb on hover engines, stinger looking gun on top, that sort of thing. We’ve already got IFV and light tank roles filled by the devilfish and hammerhead respectively, so this will be our medium to heavy tank. Our Rougle Dorn equivalent. Slow, heavy hitting, tons of staying power, but weak to melee, so you can counter by rushing it. It’s not going to be taking points by itself, and you’ll want to screen with vespid to keep it safe. Anti infantry guns, big gun on top, with an alt build as a transport for Vespid. Give it some kind of energy shield to take hits and you’re golden.

Vespid shaper equivalent. Make it some kind of vespid queen or princess or something, an hq choice you would only ever use with vespid. Buffs vespid, maybe some pusdo-psychic abilities if you’re feeling generous.

Vespid melee equivalent to the current model line. Can even be one of those ‘one box, but you can build it two ways!’ things, like how the fire warrior box builds a strike team or a breacher team. Cheap trade pieces you throw at your enemies infantry to soften them up. I’m thinking some kind of stinger spear, hits once then you get shot and die for that bee experience. Maybe for every wound you do to the enemy unit, they’re moral test is worsened by one, cause the poison makes em want to run away and die. Moral tests aren’t really around in 10th, so maybe something like reducing oc on units they wound, so they’re really good at weakening enemies holding points but have like OC 0 so they’re never gonna hold it by themselves, they need other vespid to push up behind them and hold

And now, we’re truly in uncharted waters. No existing GW model lines to guide us. These last two sub-armies are going to be less standardized, and I think somewhat smaller

Gue’vesa. Was there ever any question? It’s like the most famous auxiliary, with no official table rep. Give us literally anything. IG units with an upgrade sprue, upgrade sprues for fire warriors with human legs and heads, rules for proxing in IG units wholesale, I’ll take anything. Hell, even just confirmation you can have humans in regular fire caste units, anything.

If we’re going to have a dedicated gue’vesa sub-army however, it can’t just be IG but in Tau colors. It needs its own flavor. I’d actually prefer human auxiliaries get absorbed into other castes rather than making a new one just because humans don’t have a designated shtick. But that’s just my preference. And I’m doing it anyways, so you can’t stop me.

And lastly, my final suggestion for a sub-army. This one isn’t actually it’s own ‘you could run this as it’s own army and do reasonably well in low points games’, it’s mostly just a place to stick everything else Tau need. Give use more weird one off units that fill gaps. We don’t need a full sub-army for phychic, that’d be insane. But we do need some phychic phase rep. Give us like one model that’s a psychic jellyfish in a fish tank carried by a drone that gives you deny the witch and smite. It doesn’t need to be the best pycher in the game, in fact I don’t think it should be all that good. But just something to get around the fact that we have nothing phychic going on.

A jokero weapons smith that’s buffs shooting in an aura or attaches to a unit or something. Adds ap and damage, bypasses invulnerable, just like something to make one big gun crazy good

Sentient mycanoid blob that spawns an equivalent to tyranid bio-mine balloons so you can make objectives deadly to retake

Just more weird Tau auxiliaries

[wordsandrobots]

IBO:Urdr Hunt part 17 has been fansubbed over on Youtube by @trafalgarlog (who you’ll note is now on Tumblr).

Oh, I misspoke on my post about the Soup Party side-story -- I believe we’re due one more side-story from the game, featuring McGillis and Almiria. Though given events in this episode, there is an outside chance that’ll actually be in the Urdr Hunt.

Speaking of those events, it’s only a flipping beach episode. Sort of. IN SPACE! Sadly we are not treated to Montag [swimsuit edition] but he does stick his oar in properly this time, as Katya’s past definitively catches up to her, the Afam gang do some pool-side market research, and serious questions are raised about how exactly the Seven Star family lineages work.

Hajiroboshi  (Part 1, Part 2)

Departure (Part 1, Part 2)

598 (Part 1, Part 2)

Corridor of Betrayal (Part 1, Part 2)

Holder of the Ring (Part 1, Part 2)  

Unexpected Encounter (Part 1, Part 2)

Venus’ Worth (Part 1, Part 2)

Brothers’ Ship (Part 1, Part 2)

Horn and Flower's Shadow (Part 1, Part 2)

As we are wont to do, we open on the bridge of the Erda II where the crew are remarking on the lack of instruction regarding the next stage of the Hunt. The ring has been dormant for a month and a half, leaving everyone at a loss for how to proceed. While Korunaru believes she would have been told if everything had been called off, they are talking about someone who can casually hand out a hundred million meria as a deposit. Dexter and Sinister point out this is chump-change next to the hundred billion prize. Perhaps it has just been written off?

On the plus side, the free time enables what is presumably a great opportunity to spend some of Wistario’s deposit: visiting a near-Earth resort colony to look into what it has to offer with a view to replicating that on Radonitsa in the future.

Or at least this is what Katya and Korunaru claim they’re doing as they have a whale of a time testing out the colony’s water-park. Range chides them on treating this as playtime when there is serious work to be done -- while seated on an inflatable, sipping a cold drink through a straw, and wearing his swimming trunks.

And yes: Range is absolutely ripped and yes, his swimming trunks match his poncho. What a guy.

Wistario is fine with everyone having a good time: they’re here to study the facilities after all. And Range is in fact fully committed to doing so, having checked out the A-plus service from the staff and established there’s a cinema and casino in easy reach, not to mention the large-scale docking port to accommodate passenger liners.

I do wonder - only partly because I love the manga - if this is meant to be one of the Avalanche colonies from IBO:Gekko. Avalanche 5 at least is indicated to be a resort and the position close to the Moon would make it an easy destination from Earth. That would also place this in Arianrhod Fleet territory, which might have a bearing on later events.

Anyway, no way is Venus able to copy a place like this given its current circumstances. Katya is amused by how much Range is throwing himself into this -- he’s even been getting details on the permit system that Gjallarhorn uses to control travel to Venus (since it’s used as a penal colony), in the hopes of finding a way to bargain for greater access. It’s kind of endearing, honestly. Range is, as ever, jumping both feet first into the challenge before him.

But enough fun: Demner has spotted some suspicious characters watching the party. It appears intrigue is afoot!

Seeing as they need to know what’s up -- it could be another Urdr Hunt rivalry in the offing -- Wistario, Korunaru and a reluctant Katya draw the spies into the open at the back of the pool buildings.

To everyone’s surprise -- through perhaps not the audience and definitely not the girl herself -- the two men are here for Katya. But with Range causing a distraction, Demner is able to sneak up behind the men and overpower them (have I mentioned that the old chap is a scarily dab hand at beating people up? It bears repeating).

Unfortunately, it turns out these two were carrying genuine Gjallarhorn IDs -- and a fully-uniformed officer arrives to raise the alarm.

Everybody Scooby-Doos it out of the water park, running into the requisite nearby alleyway. But just as Range is thinking they might be in the clear, an impressively large blonde-haired gentleman judo-throws him clean across the alley. This is Captain Londo Bron and he is here for Lady Katya.

That’s right -- Lady Katya, who a tearful Londo remarks is the spitting image of Lady Carta when she was young.

Katya, of course, point-blank refuses to leave with him. Unfortunately, with Londo’s men blocking the way back, things are looking sadly inevitable. Demner offers to handle Londo while the others escape, but Wistario won’t leave him behind.

Which is when a familiar voice speaks from a nearby hatch: down here!

The gang scramble through the open door, finding themselves in an emergency escape tunnel designed for evacuations in the event the colony is damaged. Shutters close after them, allowing them to evade Londo and the other soldiers. But who is it that came to their aid in such dire straits?

I mean, no prizes for this one. ‘Humble businessman’ Montag steps from the shadows with his best insufferable smirk, congratulating himself on the success of his spur-of-the-moment decision to help.

Range is surprised anybody would go against Gjallarhorn like this, only for McGillis to smoothly move the subject to the fact that Londo’s next move will probably be to blockade the ports. So maybe they’d all better be running along, hmm?

Katya and McGillis exchange a last look as the group hurries away from him, and he notes that she really does look like Carta . . .

(I remain delighted by the fact that Mackie’s masked stranger act continues flies purely by virtue of him never giving anyone time or space to call him out on it.)

Remarkably, the Erda II is able to safely undock and leave. Wistario speculates that Londo’s unit might fall under a separate jurisdiction and therefore not have been able to halt a departing ship. However, they’re not in the clear yet, as a Gjallarhorn Halfbeak cruiser sends out a stop signal and is promptly dwarfed by the gigantic Skipjack-class battleship emerging from behind the colony. (Err . . . small note here, I’m not actually sure what the correct equivalent for Gjallarhorn’s ships would be in modern naval terminology. I tend to default to ‘cruiser’ to describe the Halfbeaks and the Skipjacks as ‘command ships’ though I think ‘battleship’ would be correct? These things are all part-aircraft carrier anyway, so there might not be a direct analog.)

I’m pretty certain the Halfbeak is in ‘default’ colours rather than those used by the Outer Earth Orbit Regulatory Joint Fleet (oh lord, I can type that from memory now) under Carta Issue’s command, but the Skipjack has the Issue Family crest proudly displayed on the side, so there’s no question of who it is has come after Katya (she herself calls them out by name). Incidentally, this is I think the first time an animated IBO thing has really conveyed just how bloody massive the Skipjack is. It’s twice as long as a Halfbeak and about thrice as tall, so it’s little wonder Wistario and the others are struck dumb at the sight of it.

With more mobile suits than Dexter can count approaching, Katya takes imminent capture as well as you might expect and flees to the mobile suit bay with a half-formed idea of taking Hajiroboshi.

Wistario intercepts her as she’s flailing in the zero gravity and she tells him she’d rather die than be captured. He says that must mean they’re some fairly horrible people. So she’d better leave this to him. And Range, who he orders into battle: they’re going to break through Gjallarhorn’s line so the ship can escape.

Katya looks up to find Demner and Korunaru there as well, readying themselves for a fight. In the middle of everything, it’s good to have friends.

We get the stock-footage of Hajiroboshi and Asmoday launching, which is cut in a bit inelegantly since we go from Wistario and Ranger entering the ‘suit bay to them entering it again in their flight gear. Could have been finessed, I feel. But anyway, it’s fight time!

The two Gundams manage to make a dent in the force of Grazes sent after them (which are tan-coloured, something previously only seen with the Dáinsleif archer variants in Season 2; not sure if that’s significant) and thus create the required opening for the Erda II. Regrettably, that’s when Captain Londo joins the fight.

His Graze Ritter (commander’s variant) instantly obliterates Wistario’s rifle with a Giant Fuck-Off Axe. He is, it turns out, a crack pilot and not a bad tactician either, as he is able to hold the pair’s attention long enough for his troops to encircle them.

Aboard the Erda II, Demner and Katya can only watch helplessly, since turning back to assist would undo everything they’re trying to achieve. Luckily, a certain red mobile suit zips past in the opposite direction, announcing that it’s there to help . . .

Londo is suitably thrown by seeing the Grimgerde bearing down on him, swords drawn, and McGillis joins the fray, confidently taking charge and ordering Wistario and Range to regroup then divide Londo’s forces. With the masked man’s help, they’re able to disable everyone except the captain himself. McGillis tells the others to go on without him -- he’ll see them soon -- and engages the Ritter directly.

It’s a fierce duel but McGillis is quickly able to get the upper hand, disarming his opponent, headbutting him, and then dropping a quick bit of psychological warfare on him before peacing out: is Londo aware of Okina Uroka’s ambitions?

(Incidentally, I think this is the first time we’ve seen the Grimgerde’s visor open to expose the monocular eye inside - this feature wasn’t ever shown in IBO proper but McGillis does it here for . . . some reason. Possibly just to show-off.)

As he leaves the battlefield, Mackie reflects that Londo’s loyalty will be of use to him. He’s also intrigued to see a couple of extra Gundams knocking around (because he is a nerrrrd).

Aboard the Skipjack, the sensor operator reports the loss of the Erda II’s signal to an elderly gent with familiar eyebrows: Lord Uroka. He is not pleased with Londo’s blundering, who does not make excuses for failing to ‘protect’ Katya. But Katya herself refused to come with him . . .

Uroka is unphased. She’s too young to appreciate her position. Londo remarks that she nonetheless seems smart, to which Uroka responds by saying that while Carta was special, Katya might come close, if she learns from the right people. This will be his final duty as Issue Family patriarch.

To this end, he sends Londo out with a Halfbeak and a platoon of mobile suits. But he doesn’t seem all that impressed with the good captain, remarking in his absence that he’s more loyal dog than loyal subject.

Back on the Erda II, the subject of conversation is most assuredly: what the fuck? While nobody blames Katya for the actions of others, she has run out of room to squirm around the question of what she’s running away from. The Issue Family is currently without a heir, owing to a slight Mikazuki-induced curtailment of the bloodline. Carta Issue was going to replace the head of the family due to his being on his sickbed -- but if that sick patriarch happened to have another, illegitimate child . . . well.

Yes, Katya confirms dourly: she is the final Issue heir.

Which if nothing else raises a massive question-mark over who exactly Lord Uroka is. Up to now, all the heads of the Gjallarhorn noble houses have borne the name of their Family. Does this mean Uroka is only an Issue by marriage? But if so, how does that square with keeping the bloodline going? If Katya has a claim, it’s surely got to be via the Issue Family line. Or are the rules flexible in that regard? We’ve had no hint previously that Carta’s dad was anything less than the outright head of her house prior to his illness. His illness was severe enough to have required her to be placed under Iznario Fareed’s guardianship, sure, but you’d think a more complicated family situation would have come up before now. Or is that situation *why* Fareed could get his hooks into the matter?

Actually, while I assume this is a blind-alley for speculation to follow, we’ve no confirmation as yet that this *is* Carta’s father. Uroka looks old and sickly but he’s up and about. Could it be that this is in fact another relative who has stepped into the void left by both father and daughter?

Well, hopefully we’ll find out next time. I’m not wholly convinced how beneficial it will be to Urdr Hunt as a story to have McGillis’ political maneuvering thrown into the mix. But I am certainly intrigued by what’s going to happen here. While the obvious conclusion is that Uroka intends to use Katya to perpetuate the Issue Family, Mackie’s parting line to Londo suggests something more is going on. And we do know for certain that whatever Uroka is planning, the Issues are a spent force by the time of Season 2. We have a foregone conclusion without a clear picture on what the middle part is yet.

As for Londo Bron himself . . . well, he’s obviously a survivor of Carta’s, um, what is the masculine equivalent of an Amazon Brigade? Whatever, he’s a blonde hunk fanatically loyal to House Issue and honestly, I like where this is going. Carta’s Mackie-clone squad beautifully walks the line between joke and heartbreaking detail, so exploring what became of a remainder of them after the fact is an intriguing line to follow. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he ends up pitted against his boss before this is done.

Katya’s opinions on all this have been clear from the start: she does not want anything to do with the Issues, with her affections being squarely for her mother. This ramps that up, with her being willing to effectively leap into space rather than be dragged into her father’s schemes. Obviously we get the note of everyone rallying round to protect her, which is fine if rote. I really hope wherever this goes, she’s able to settle it on her own terms and isn’t reduced to a damsel in distress . . .

[toonyfando-archives]

New pen-Name change update!

Hey folks! I hope everyone’s having a good time right now as the Christmas festivities are right around the corner. With that said this post is indeed about an important change that’ll be happening soon here on my channel. Im retiring my old pen-name Toonyfando, and referring to as K.Roseartt starting as of the next year and forward.

I’ve had my previous username, Toonyfando for the longest period since high-school. Since then my interests have branched out extensively outside of cartoons and animation. I feel strongly this new name change will benefit me more as a person of who I like to be referred as.

The name transition as you can tell is kinda in the process, I recently changed my insta holder to that. Toonyfando still has a close place in my heart, otherwise hopefully this will erase some confusion.

[brooklynislandgirl]

Advent Calendar: Day 18 @morgansmornings​

It isn’t the fact that Jay lives above her coffee shop that makes her loft smell like a gingerbread house. It’s the fact that she has sheets and sheets of fresh baked bread in carefully shaped walls and floors, roofs and a whole host of things Beth doesn’t really have names for. There’s coloured frosting of every type, gumdrops, peppermints, and enough other little treats and tasty bits that could incite hyperglycemia for the entire state of New York. Her tree is up, there’s lights in all the windows and several other places. She’s got stockings hung and Jenna’s is possibly the biggest of all, as befits a queen of the Tervuren’s nature. Currently, they’re listening to a mix of new and old classic carols and holiday songs, and Beth can’t help but to sing along around a mouthful of peppermint bark. Tomorrow will be the official Jayden Christmas party, an annual tradition since Jay was a freshman at Columbia, and everyone they know is invited. But tonight, it’s just a more or less quiet evening with just the two of them. A chance to reconnect that they often miss these days because of their insanely busy lives. Beth does wonder though if sometimes Jay ever wants to celebrate Hanukkah, or if maybe Harvey had kept things secular. She knows Jay made Uncle Luis two dozen sufganiyot, and spent at least one of the nights at home with him. She can imagine them singing together and cooking, lighting the menorah with all the solemnity that one might feel at mass, but as far as she can tell, there really aren’t any nods to it in Jay’s home. And maybe she’s just a little too shy to ask out loud. “Head’s up, kid,” Jay calls out, interrupting her thoughts while at the same time warning Beth of the incoming set of pot holders flung her way. Beth manages to catch them ~only just~ and sets them on the last remaining clear surface that isn’t specifically set aside for construction of the village about to begin. “Good catch.” “Mahalo.” Sticky grin and all. “Now, your job is going to be taking those three silicone baking mats, and I want you to cover them in the white frosting. That’ll act like the glue and the foundation, so it needs to be a couple inches thick.” Panic screams from behind Beth’s eyes. “Ya sure you wan’ me t’--” “Do you want me to text Andy and tell him you just couldn’t-” Beth’s already got the white buttercream and spatula. They don’t even need to finish their own sentences. Jay could absolutely be an evil mastermind if running the world depended on manipulating extremely competitive siblings. And maybe the thing that absolutely escapes Beth is that this is exactly what it means when it comes to the tradition of spending the holidays at home with one’s family.

[dominionproperties]

Spice Up Your Apartment: Seasonal Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces

As the seasons change, so can your apartment’s vibe. Don’t settle for the same old décor when you can freshen your space with a touch of each season’s flair. Let’s dive into seasonal decorating ideas for small spaces that’ll keep your apartment looking novel and nice!

Month by Month, Make It Pop

Why stick to one theme when you can have 12? Each month brings its own unique charm, so let your apartment reflect that. Swap out a few key pieces to keep things fresh—no need to overhaul the entire place. For example:

October Happy Harvest: In addition to the usual orange pumpkins, paint some in shades of matte black, deep plum and gold. Add a touch of the unexpected by filling glass jars with dried flowers, sticks and spices.

November Gathering Table: Use a wooden tray filled with faux antlers, scented pinecones and rustic candle holders as a centerpiece. Complement this with earthy-toned table linens and a few strategically placed faux fur accents.

December Winter Wonderland: String white paper snowflakes across windows and fill clear glass vases with branches dipped in white paint, along with a few simple Scandinavian-style star ornaments. For a unique twist, hang floating tea lights from ceiling hooks to create an ethereal effect.

DIY Your Way to Décor Bliss

Nothing says “home sweet home” like decorations you’ve made yourself. They’re a great way to personalize your space without breaking the bank. Ideas include:

Unusual Wreaths: Welcome people to your space with a one-of-a-kind wreath. Think a black cat or candy wreath for Halloween or use fall-inspired materials like feathers or leaves.

Mason Jar Lanterns: For a warm, inviting glow, fill mason jars with fairy or tea lights and line them along counters or windowsills. For autumn, add dried leaves and tiny pumpkins inside. For winter, swap these out for fake snow and mini pinecones.

Fabric-covered Pumpkins and Acorns: Use old sweaters or scarves to wrap pumpkins of all sizes. Create the cutest accents by doing the same with acorns—just cut fabric down to size, wrap and glue if needed. It’s an easy, no-sew project that adds a textured and unexpected look.

Make Every Inch Count

Balancing your love for seasonal decorations with the reality of apartment living can be a bit tricky. The key? Keep it simple. Choose seasonal decorating ideas that don’t overwhelm your space.

Go vertical by stacking three different pumpkin sizes on top of each other. Hang seasonal art on your walls, like framing a piece of fabric (or wrapping paper) in the season’s colors. It’s easy to switch out seasonally and it adds a pop of personality.

Store it Away, Save it for Another Day

Once each season’s over, you’ll need a smart storage solution. Breathable fabric storage bags with clear labels for easy identification are ideal. Use these to store smaller items like ornaments, garlands or candle holders, and hang them in your closet for easy access.

Sliding drawers that fit under your bed or couch are perfect to store larger items like pillows, blankets, tablecloths or wreaths. These drawers make it easy to pull out seasonal items without hassle. Or, use vacuum-sealed bags to reduce those items’ sizes and store them flat under your bed or the top shelf of your closet.

Small Space, Festive Place

Grab a pumpkin spice latte and get going with these seasonal decorating ideas for small spaces. Your apartment deserves to look as spicy as the season itself!