#the host was like 'I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to the child bride' but even if she was being mean to him. who cares

[llycaons]

oh my god I have this asoiaf character alignment chart youtube video up and they're talking about sansa and how she's not really in the position to be a moral actor and someone in the chat was like "she screwed over tyrion at the wedding!" like im sorry the 14 year old child hostage who's been terrorized and abused for months doesn't want to kneel to make the adult man who helped murder her family and who she is SUDDENLY BEING FORCED TO MARRY feel better about himself??? WOW yeah she's evil for SURE I hate asoiaf fans

[sonicboomseason3]

a brief recap of what has been going on with the sonic movieverse in the past several months:

paramount has come out in public support of israel

keanu reeves, a man who has publicly rubbed elbows with none other than benjamin netanyahu, reportedly gets cast as shadow for the upcoming third movie

james marsden, the guy who plays tom, got exposed as having written a letter of support for a convicted pedophile

there's fucking??? zionist propaganda in the knuckles series???

kind of connected to the last point but adam pally, the guy who plays wade, is evidently pro-israel too

this is a complete and utter joke.

EDIT AS OF 4/30/24: if people see this version of the post, i'd really appreciate it if you reblog it instead of the other versions, as it's the most updated one with all the information that i want included. thank you :]

you know, it's been a few days since i've made this post, and some of you (not most) are staying determined in defending/justifying/giving the benefit of the doubt to keanu for that photo with netanyahu, whether it's because "it was a decade ago," "him being civil to someone he ran into at a party one time doesn't mean anything," "he's probably just silent because his pr managers won't allow him to speak up," etc. i've made my thoughts on the matter quite clear by directly responding to these people, but at this point, i'm tired of both seeing them in my notes and repeating myself, so take this as my final word on the issue.

i can't help it if you don't think the photo with netanyahu is damning, and i'm done engaging with everyone going out of their way to tell me that. i obviously disagree, especially after finding out that 1. the host of the party, arnon milchan, is a former israeli spy who has a history of developing israel's nuclear program and promoting apartheid in south africa (information that had broken out a few months prior to the party and thus would've been fresh news around the time keanu chose to attend) and 2. keanu has been caught hanging around at least two other weirdos, but if you don't find any of that to be cause for reasonable concern, then there really is nothing else i can say afaik.

with all that said, i'm beginning to realize how strange it is that these people's first instinct when seeing this post is to start debating about keanu's political stances without ever acknowledging any of the other bullet points. you guys realize that this isn't just about him, right? i know tumblr reading comprehension is known for being piss-poor, but like… you realize that i was trying to make a point of how there are MULTIPLE terrible things that have broken out about the people and company involved in the sonic movies, right? and yet, a lot of the people leaping to speak on keanu's behalf in my notes are completely ignoring the parts where i bring up paramount, pally, etc. all in favor of zeroing in on the singular point about keanu and making bad faith assumptions about me for holding him accountable. really makes one wonder where your priorities lie if, in a post that talks about so many other things, me accusing an a-list celebrity with, according to google, a net worth of almost $400 million is where you draw the line and apparently the only thing worth your acknowledgment.

ultimately, what i'm trying to say is that the intention of this post was just to gather up everything that i had been hearing for the past several months and put it all together in one place. there were a bunch of people who didn't know about at least one of the bullet points before seeing this post, and i'm glad that i could help inform them, that was what i was hoping to do! but as for the keanu thing, i've said pretty much all i can say for now, and i don't want to derail the original post even more than i may have already. unless something new comes up, i'm done talking about him.

[hellofears]

wasn't me no one in this home of mine voted for anything of the sort and most likely anyone I know didn't either. I forget how many ppl live in the uk sometimes peace and love to the william wanters well and truly

[lexirosewrites]

Okay not slick Sunday related but you like angst and I got inspired. Sorry it ran away

So it's post s4, Eddie starts withdrawing. Steve thinks it's from the party in general, but it's just him. He's kind of hurt/insulted and decides after trying to reach out that if Eddie doesn't want to know Steve and all that if what he said in the UD was bs then he doesn't get to know him as a person, though it kind of hurts cause he has a small crush on Eddie. He’s bi, thought Robin and Eddie were aware at least even though they’ve never talked about it.

Well cut to him finding out that everyone else is hanging with them, inviting them separately to things until Steve find out that the party, including Robin went to go see a movie (the lost boys) and Steve was so excited to see it with Robin. (They do this as to keep the peace not malicious intent) So when she's not available Steve goes by himself to stare at the guys and ladies in the movie, except when he gets there he sees the whole party front row and it breaks everything he got left. He feels excluded, like everyone was kicking him out.

So Steve withdraws, the few calls that come he ignores, or he rejects offers to hang out. He starts switching shifts with Kieth and then just stops showing up and quits. I like to believe his mom is a good but misguided mom, so she's worried about her boy. She takes him to Indiana for a doctors appointment.

He goes on these meds to help with his depression episode, (I'm basing this off how my therapy worked) once a week he has to go to Indiana for therapy appointment. So on top of that, his mom starts to think maybe he’d be better off in a larger city, closer to his therapist, maybe find a school that she can persuade her husband to let Steve attend. She knows her husbands is just an attachment best that runs her parents company. She brings it up as softly as she can and Steve promises to think about it, give his friends the benefit of the doubt.

So it’s the end of summer, the kids are going back to school for the 1987-1988 school year, everyone is getting together before everyone goes to schools across the country, Steve decided to host the party. Robin is over the moon that her platonic soulmate seems back to his old self (once again basing this on my own history with antidepressants) if not more bubbly. His mother is there, tanning as all the kids play in the pool, keeping an eye on her boy.

It’s the happiest she’s seen him in the last few weeks, even though his bad days are still prominent. Alls good until Eddie and his Uncle show up, cause he had invited them, he was part of the party, but there was a lingering atmosphere about them. The kids and Eddie are splashing in the pool, Steve just withdraws watching them letting Robin do the rambling she does. She’s going on and on about stuff and starts a story where Eddie had taken her to Indiana to her first gay club and she got to kiss her first girl and she’s just so excited and happy and Steve is just frozen.

That’s what he was planning to do, help Robin meet her own community other than he and Eddie, to branch out. He’s happy for her she’s finally gotten a kiss, but she just gushing about how Eddie did this, Eddie did that, and some part of Steve’s brain just gave up. To him he was finally replaced in Robin’s life.

Without a word and shaking hands, Steve just walks to his mom and whispers that he wants to go to Indiana and start a new life. She just nods and walks him inside and away from others, of course Robin follows (I don’t know, maybe worried or angry that Steve just blew her off after ignoring her for so long). Either way, his mom lets him lay down in the downstairs guest room, away from prying eyes.

She’s already planning the move and her connections while shooing Robin outside. So plans are made, after the party, the week school starts there is a for sales sign and moving truck.

I feel like Dustin would be the one to find them on the way out, ready to tell Steve about his exciting first day as a sophomore. Steve just tells him that he’s gotta move on, that he’s just a phone call away. He’s all but begging Steve, asking who he’d spend time with and watch movies. Steve just tells him they can do that over the phone or he can get Eddie to hang out.

Steve leaves with his mom while Dustin goes and begs Eddie or the others to stop him from leaving. Of course no one knew and the only thing left was a note on the door to Eddie asking him to watch over the kids.

Steve lives better, going to school to be a teacher. He’s got an apartment that he lives in just off the school Campus. It’s been a few years, calls between the group and the kids are graduating. Of course Steve has to go back for graduation, he surprises them. Dustin refuses to not let him go and Robin and Eddie sit and catch up. He comes clean about how he felt pushed out and needed help to work through everything and once he finishes school he may come back.

Let’s just say when Steve talks to them about his last few relationships and they’re just shocked cause they had no idea that Steve was bi. Steve just plays it off that but admits that he had the tiniest crush on Eddie which makes him sputter and ask why he hadn’t said anything. Steve just says he knew Eddie didn’t like him so he wasn’t going to bring it up which leads to both talking out their misunderstandings and apologize.

Let’s just say if there’s a few trips to Indiana for Eddie in the future and then when Steve decides to go back home they become “roommates”

god i am such a sucker for steve suffering and thinking nobody loves him🥺 (don’t read too deeply into that)

[stayteezdreams]

An Honest Mistake

Plot: During an ordinary Halloween party, your evening and life are changed when a stranger mistakes you for someone else.

Prompt: They mistake you as their friend at a costume party and accidentally kidnap you.

Pairing: Jung Wooyoung x Gn!Reader (strangers to ???)

A/n: I was super vague about the reader's costume, so just imagine you are dressed as whichever masked hero you would prefer. Also, do people actually use the term "pursue"? Or is that just a show thing?? lmao

Words: 2.1k

Wandering through the party, you waved at some people that were looking at your costume. You were dressed as your favorite superhero, mask and all. The costume itself was good quality and you liked it, however, the downside was with the mask on, you had to practically yell for anyone to hear you talk.

This led to you taking the mask off a few times throughout the night to save your vocal cords from the strain.

It was getting late in the night at this point, and you were considering going home. Walking from room to room, you were looking for the host, a friend of yours, so you could say goodbye before leaving.

Entering the main room, where a lot or people seemed to converge to dance and play various drinking games, your eyes caught on someone walking your way.

He was attractive, his hair was tied back, and he was wearing an old style royal outfit. It suited him.

You began growing more and more confused as his eyes locked on you before they widened in recognition. He waved at you and began approaching you quickly. You hesitated in your steps out of confusion.

Did you know him? No, definitely not.

Stopping in front of you, he smiled widely, his features even more attractive close up. You tilted your head in confusion as he spoke to you.

"There you are! I've been looking for you!"

"Huh?"

Your heart started pounding as he took your hand in his and began dragging you along to follow him.

"Come on, we should go!"

You shook your head in confusion, "I'm sorry, who are you?"

He frowned as he looked back, "What?"

Before you could speak again, he spoke to some other people that greeted him as he passed.

You were growing more and more confused. You tried to pull your hand away, but he kept his grip tight. You tried calling out to him again, but between your mask and the loud party around you it was pointless.

You continued to doge various people as he pulled you along, never hearing your questions, and his grip never loosening enough for you to pull your hand away.

Seeing he was heading towards the door, you let him finish leading you there. It would be quieter, and you could finally figure out what the hell he was doing kidnapping you in the middle of a party.

As soon as you stepped out of the door, you yanked your hand away and he looked back surprised.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

He furrowed his brow as he heard your muffled voice, not recognizing it. He watched as you pulled your mask off, revealing the confused face of a stranger.

"Oh!" He yelled out and you stared at him stunned.

"Oh?!"

He rose his hand to his mouth, now understanding why you were trying so hard to pull your hand away from him. And why he thought he kept hearing you try to talk through your mask.

"I'm so sorry! I thought you were my friend!" He looked you up and down, his face full of surprise and guilt, "You're wearing the exact same costume."

You frowned at him, unsure if you should believe him. But seeing the look on his face, you couldn't help but give him the benefit of the doubt.

Running your hands throw your hair to fix it, knowing it was probably wild after being in your mask, you missed how the stranger's eyes raked over you.

Wooyoung had to admit, you were very attractive. "I am sorry!" He said again as he repressed a light laugh.

You caught this and looked at him dumbfounded. "Did you just laugh?" You tried to sound serious, but amusement was evident in your own voice.

He shook his head, "Sorry, sorry, it's just... It's not every day I accidentally kidnap someone."

You let out a laugh, feeling a bit less tense at his humor at the situation. It could have been a lot worse.

"Well, it's not every day someone accidentally kidnaps me."

He grinned, and you felt your heart flutter. You cleared your throat, "Why don't you try calling your friend instead?"

He let out a sigh. "My phone died, and I can't remember their number."

"Ah." You stood there in silence for a brief moment, "Well. This was fun, but I should-" as you gestured that you were gonna head back inside, he suddenly stepped forward.

"Wait!" You paused and he smiled softly, "What's your name?"

You thought for a second, "You first."

He smiled brightly as he waved his hand at you in greeting, "Wooyoung!"

You held back a giggle at his actions, he had a much brighter personality than you were expecting.

"Y/n."

"Nice to meet you Y/n, sorry for dragging you out like that, I must have scared you."

You saw guilt flash across his face, and you smiled, "A bit, but it was a misunderstanding, so it's okay."

Another moment of silence passed between you, before you let out a soft breath, "I'm gonna head back in, I was looking for someone too."

He grimaced a little, "Sorry." He started to follow you back inside, "I should try to find my friend again."

You gave him a small head nod before you walked into the crowd. Wooyoung felt an urge to stop you, but let you go, ignoring the instant regret that washed over him as you disappeared in the crowd.

Your heart was still fluttering as you weaved through the crowds, looking out for your friend. Should you have talked to him more? You shook the thought away as soon as it came.

Suddenly, your eyes caught on a figure nearby, dressed exactly like you. You let out a soft laugh as you walked over to them. Tapping them on the shoulder, they looked over at you. You gestured for them to lean in. When they did you spoke up loud enough for them to hear.

"Your friend Wooyoung is looking for you!"

They looked over at you and you gestured to where you had left him. The stranger gave you a thumbs-up before you waved and left.

Just as you were about to give up hope of finding your friend, you spotted them across the room. After saying your goodbyes, you headed back to the front door, ready to go home after a fairly eventful night.

As you made it out the front door, you began walking towards the road before you heard your name called. Looking back, you saw Wooyoung, and his now unmasked friend standing nearby.

He ran up to you and you felt your heart flutter again. "Oh, hello again."

He grinned as he stopped in front of you. "My friend told me you found him in the crowd and pointed me out." You nodded and he continued. "I told him what happened, and he smacked me." He rubbed the back of his head as he said this, and you chuckled.

"Hey, uh, this might be a bit out of the blue, but.... do you think I can get your number?"

You felt your brain short-circuit for a second as your breath caught. "You want my number?"

He nodded with a shy smile, and you felt your heart skip. You bit the inside of your lip before you nodded softly, "Okay."

Wooyoung repressed a grin as you took his phone, typing in your information. He was jittery all over as excitement radiated through him. He really wasn't expecting you to say yes. Maybe you felt the same thing he did when you met earlier.

Handing his phone back, you smiled softly at him. He happily looked at the phone and you couldn't help the butterflies that filled your stomach.

"Do you know the host well?" You nodded and he seemed to grow a bit more exited. "Are you going to their party in a few days?"

You let out a soft breath, "Actually I offered to help set it up, so yeah I'll be there."

He grinned, "I'm going too! Do you mind if we meet up during it?"

Your heart was now hammering heavily in your chest as you shook your head, "I don't mind."

"Awesome." He grinned.

You couldn't repress your smile at his bluntness in showing how he was really feeling. "Anyways, I'll let you go." He began stepping away from you, smiling one more time, "See you later."

You smiled and waved, "See you later, Wooyoung."

Walking away and getting ready to call an uber, you glanced back one time to see Wooyoung still watching you. Your heart jolted as you quickly turned back, your neck heating up from the interaction.

Your mind seemed to linger on Wooyoung for the next few days, the frequency rising as the part grew closer and closer. He messaged you the morning after you met, and consistently over the next few days. Casual conversation and various questions, as he seemed fairly interested in getting to know you.

When the day of the party finally came around, you helped your friend set the party up, all the while you nervously counted down when Wooyoung might arrive.

The party was more of a casual gathering, taking part during the day and focusing more on Autumn than Halloween, though everyone was expected to wear a costume.

This time, you came without a mask, deciding to dress up as another one of your more casual-appearing favorite movie characters.

As you set up various pumpkins on the porch, you weren't aware of the person watching you from nearby. Not until you accidentally snapped off the stem of a pumpkin and heard a soft muffled giggle behind you.

Looking back, your heart jolted at the sight of Wooyoung, dressed in a military-esque outfit. It suited him, of course.

"Wooyoung! Why are you here so early?"

As you rose, he approached you, his charming smile captivating. He hummed softly as he stopped in front of you, his smile becoming a bit shyer.

"I may have asked if I could come early so I could see you."

Your heart jolted in your chest as you repressed a grin, "But you were going to see me later though."

He nodded but smiled almost slyly, "But I couldn't guarantee I'd get you all to myself."

You were a bit stunned by his blunt response and he chuckled softly at your reaction. "Too much?"

Letting out a soft breathy laugh you shook your head, "No, not too much, just a bit unexpected."

"I just wanted you to know my intentions."

You peered at him as you bit back a smile, "Your intentions?"

He hummed and nodded, "Yep."

"And those would be what exactly?"

He smiled slyly as he took a small step closer to you and leaned in, as if he was going to tell you a secret. "That I intend to pursue you."

You almost choked, as you met his eyes with a stunned gaze. He chuckled as he raised his brow, "What?"

"You- you don't even know me!"

He laughed, "I know, but I know enough to know where I want this to go. And we'll get to know each other along the way."

You let out a bewildered scoff as you bit back a bashful smile. Wooyoung could tell you were a bit overwhelmed and smiled almost proudly.

"Plus, we have a good meet-cute story."

"You mean when you basically kidnapped me?"

"It was an honest mistake!" He defended himself, making you laugh. "And it was a mistake I don't regret making." He added on softly, making your heart flutter.

"Sure you won't regret it?"

He nodded his head confidently. "I'm sure."

You hummed teasingly, as if you weren't convinced, and he tilted his head and smiled softly, "I'll prove it."

"Oh really?"

He nodded, "Mhm." He leaned in again, and spoke softly, making your heart beat heavily. "Will you let me?"

You remained silent for a moment as your eyes met his. His gaze both challenged you, and told you his words were in earnest.

You bit the inside of your lip, before you spoke softly, your tone betraying your feelings as you tried to sound equally challenging. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

He grinned at your response, his eyes grazing across your features, making you feel nervous under his gaze as he remained close to you.

You were both challenging each other in a way that excited you. Neither of you fully understood these strong feelings for someone you barely knew, but somehow, deep down, you knew it was gonna last.

xx End xx

The second half sucks, I am sorry. I forgot about this and am hurrying to write it the night before it goes out.

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[arizonaconservativegal]

Hi, I'm Anon from the earlier ask- you can call me Matt, if that somehow makes me seem more authentic. (Not linking my Tumblr b/c the last time I used it was almost a decade ago and it's embarassing af.)

I'm just going to ask you to say what's going to stop the people who align with the right from getting their way at this point? Surely, you don't think this is going to be a normal presidency (and if you do, please explain!). With all three wings under the control of a pretty far right wing government, we don't really know what's going to happen. I know everyone is tired of hearing about it, but the overturning of Roe doesn't exactly portend well for Obergefell. And I don't think either of those decisions have/had been opposed without the overwhelming drive and support of the Christians you say don't matter.

I do know what GOP stands for and what that means. I don't understand how you're okay with some of the horrible people under that tent. And your side does attract more horrible people than ours. For every dumbass tankie, there's at least five people with reprehensible (and whether you accept it or not, racist/homophobic/bigoted) professed beliefs on your side. I don't understand you in this sense, and I don't think I'm going to be able to tonight. I appreciate you answering my earlier ask even though I was rude.

Okay Matt-the-Atheist

I'm just going to start by saying I think your idea that there are more bad people on the right than on the left is absurd. That's just patently ridiculous. I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and chalk that up to naivety rather than say you you think the horrible people on your side of the aisle are acceptable. Shitty people exist in roughly equal number across the board, with some minor variation for how we personally define 'shitty' people.

Okay that said.

I'm not that worried about our 'horrible' people because they're a pretty small group (as they are on the left) without much power because no one really likes them (not as much the case on the left - y'all seem to be afraid of yours for some reason). And I'm not worried about our Christians because there's nothing wrong with them by and large. I think you have conflated the two groups into one and deemed all conservative Christians 'problems' because you don't understand them.

I do think this will be a pretty normal presidency. The reason for that is that we just had four years of Trump so I feel pretty confident in my estimation of what the next four years will look like. I don't know why some people are acting like this has never happened before when it literally just happened.

Anyway.

There is really is not widespread support within the party for going after Obergefell. That is a media boogeyman, nothing more. Even if we did want to go after it, there wouldn't be much point since there is also an actual law on the books to protect same sex and interracial marriage (another thing no one is trying to overturn but the media likes to harp on anyway) which passed with more than enough Republicans voting for it that I can guarantee you will not see it overturned either. On top of that, you really mean to tell me that Trump, who hosted a gay wedding at his house, is gonna sign a bill to ban gay marriage? Really?

Which brings me to my final point.

Trump is many things but a traditional conservative Christian is not one of them. You don't have to like the guy but he's probably the last person I'd expect to try to usher in a theocracy.

I think we'll be fine.

[prettyboykatsuki]

extended authors note for another name for homesick

hey...lmao

first of all. i want to give a shoutout again to @ficsforgaza for hosting this event and giving me and my followers a nice way to fundraiser through our community. i just wanted a place to promote them and encourage people to donate and participate in the event. thank you for your hard work!

second, i'm writing this preemptively. i.e. before the fic is even finished. the way things are going right now, i have no doubt that i'm going to need some kind of authors note

this fic got more serious than i thought it would. which yeah, makes sense. i initially just planned on making this a horny fic with a little hint of bi4bi undertones but somewhere along the lines it started being about queerness and growing up on the whole.

there is definitely some sexism and homphobia relevant to omegaverse lore in here. there is also a lot of references to puberty.

specifically, though - there's a scene where reading experiences sexual harassment while very underage. and i felt that needed more context.

the scene itself is reader being on the train home while experiencing their first heat and their feelings of disgust in relation to their body's instinctual response to touch / sexual harassment by an older alpha.

i wondered if i should include this scene a lot before writing it but ultimately, it felt like betrayal to this readers struggles and characterization to not as it shapes their life and worldview.

the scene itself is not strictly necessary for you to read. it's intended to be more true to life in a way i know might be triggering so i will include an indicator for the scenes stop and start. but i wanted to give some explanation before that.

in general, i hope this fic doesn't upset anyone. i write a lot of incredibly dark content but it's very different imo to be writing something that handles such serious real life subject matter and i wanted to at least try to handle it with some level of delicacy.

it's really not my strong suit, nor is world building. im actually so dogshit at both its hilarious so imagine my horror and dismay when this fic won the poll. fdkjfskjd.

either way, i wanted to at least try to handle these themes with some care and i hope at the very least you can give me benefit of the doubt when it comes to how i've written.

this fic isn't meant to dismiss labels, but rather to emphasize that labels come secondary to acceptance and that love takes a lot of different forms. and i hope to any young queer people who don't full know which way they land that you're not obligated to put yourself in a box.

anyways. thank you for letting me yap and i hope you enjoy the fic. if nothing else, i hope the porn is hot.

love,

fang.

[loggiepj]

FORBIDDEN

Part 1

Part 2

It didn't fare well the following day.

Wanda treated the normies as if they weren't there. Y/n suffered far worse fate because she was the only one brave enough to approach the witch, delivering meals to which the woman rejected, offering a tour around the camp seeing the witch was bored, or taking care of the wounds around the witch's wrists she hadn't noticed before, which took almost hours before Wanda finally relented and let Y/n touch her, even when there were wincing and pulling away every time. Y/n guessed Wanda was mainly the reason why the former wasn't sent out to missions yet.

Y/n learned from Pietro that he and Wanda got separated when the Deviants attacked their small town. It was midday when it happened. Wanda was away on a trip to a neighboring place to replenish goods. When she arrived back, little did she know that hunters were already residing in their house.

Pietro was grateful to Y/n for not giving up on finding his sister once the former shared about his worries since he set foot on the camp. Y/n got lucky though, thanked the heavens for listening to her instinct. She was supposed to head back to camp that night she saved Wanda when she heard the commotion.

The new witch still ignored the entire camp and only talked to her brother, albeit short and wary, from time to time. Although, Y/n suspected it was primarily to convince Pietro to leave the camp with her.

While others could tell that Wanda exuded hatred towards Y/n and their lot, Y/n gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Y/n would have regarded her as an asshole for not even thanking her hosts, the ones who actually saved her and put a roof over her head, but Y/n understood what she had gone through. Pietro had told Y/n during his first night at the camp that he thought all normies were awful since he was a kid. Their parents were killed by Deviants. Slaughtered was the term Pietro used. And the normal citizens didn't even attempt to help them.

Pietro admitted he was wrong though. But Wanda hadn't realized that part yet.

Y/n tried to make the female witch feel welcomed, even inviting her to have her meals at the pavilion where every night, the normies would perform a serenade, and witches were welcomed to share their talents, which was surprisingly more, especially one male witch named Peter who knew how to play the bagpipes without sounding like a wildcat was being murdered.

Worried that the Deviants might hear the noise, Wanda gave a small comment about it, making Y/n smile because the witch appeared to be listening to her after all.

Y/n assured Wanda that the Avengers camp were now comprised of normal humans and witches, and they were all bound to protect the camp. That meant the entire camp was surrounded by protection charms enchanted by the witch members. The outside world wouldn't see the place nor hear any sound coming from inside the camp.

Y/n had managed to convince Wanda to come out of her tent on the third night she was there, but when the witch finally saw her other friends who didn't join the movement yet, she immediately left Y/n. At least, Y/n was comforted to know that she wasn't alone anymore. With her brother always away on missions, Wanda had no one else to talk to.

"Hi!"

Y/n jumped from her seat, her cheeks red from getting caught staring at Wanda. She didn't want anyone to find out about her silly crush on a witch who despised her entirely.

"Hey, Layla," Y/n replied with a forced smile, moving to the side so Layla could sit beside her. Layla was also a witch, and had been taking a liking on her since the time Y/n saved the former from the Deviants.

"What are you up to tonight? I think I'm going to sing a song," she said, sitting unreasonably close to the human. "It's dedicated to humans."

"Wow, that's cool," Y/n chimed in, hurriedly finishing her food. When the witch invited Y/n to sing with her, she immediately shook her head. "I... I don't sing."

"Rubbish... It can't be that bad, considering you have a pretty voice." Y/n almost choked on her food. She wasn't dumb. She knew Layla was definitely flirting with her.

In fact, Layla wasn't the only one. Ever since the newcomers found out that Y/n only preferred women, it seemed like some of the female witches were interested to try. And Y/n was too kind to just ignore them, but it didn't mean that she would give up to their advances. It wouldn't hurt to just talk.

Wanda didn't see it that way, of course. To her, Y/n was a womanizer. At first, she figured the normie was a mentor around the camp, always helpful and being looked up to by others.

Through time, the witch noticed that Y/n was only talking to females, ignoring the unexpected turmoil in her stomach. And when she found out from her friends she hadn't seen since the attack that Y/n was into girls, Wanda's distaste for the human only intensified.

Was Y/n trying to flirt with Wanda on their first meeting then? Does Y/n always say those sweet innocent compliments to every female witch she has saved?

Wanda knew Layla. She was their neighbor next town. And every party she had been to through her teenage years, Layla always got what she wanted, even her brother Pietro for a very short period of time. It would be a surprise if she hadn't had Y/n wrapped around her fingers yet.

That was why Wanda wondered when Y/n stood up and hurriedly left when Layla got distracted by her friend.

Where are you going? Wanda thought as her gaze followed Y/n sneakily heading into the woods after leaving the dishes by the kitchen.

The witch still didn't trust humans that much, even when all they ever did show to her was kindness. But she hadn't met any nice human before, making her wonder if the Avengers camp was all an act. Maybe her brother was bewitched. Is that possible? Can a witch be bewitched by humans?

So after bidding goodnight to her friends, excusing herself for still having a headache, she quickly went to follow Y/n.

Y/n hadn't gotten that far yet a million thoughts had crossed Wanda's mind, suspecting Y/n to betray and report to Deviants on the witches' whereabouts, expecting the campfire as their killing ground. Focused on being discreet, Wanda didn't even notice someone else was there when she bumped into her.

"Hello there," another human greeted her, a taller one with a bandana wrapped around her head. "What brings you to my garden?"

Wanda must had looked like a deer caught in a hunt.

"Oh, don't be scared, darling... My name's Pepper, I'm the nurse at Avengers camp... are you new here?" Pepper asked.

The witch immediately nodded and lied, her tongue slipping the words before she even realized it. "I got lost."

"It's okay, newcomers still get lost around here... Come with me, I'll accompany you back to your tent," she said. Wanda let herself be ushered, giving one last look to where Y/n went.

When Y/n had too much of the world, she'd go to her favorite hiding spot just beyond Pepper's botanical garden. At night, she'd lay on the ground and watch the beautiful painting in the sky, twinkling before her. She learned from her father at a young age that earth wasn't the motionless center of the universe, contrary to what her mentors told her at school. That the earth was a planet, one of the planets of the galaxy and they revolved around the sun, which was the nearest star to the earth.

It made Y/n wonder how many planets there were for each star she could see on the sky, thinking if there were also people living in it, and if they had no division between humans and witches like the earth did. If peace even existed somewhere else.

On that night though, Y/n just wanted to get away from Layla. The witch couldn't just take any hint that Y/n didn't want to sleep with her, knowing that last week, Y/n's bestfriend Yelena, told her that Layla slept with Yelena's ex-boyfriend on her first day at the camp. Apparently, it was Layla's objective to bed everyone in the place.

Y/n was her latest target.

What Y/n didn't expect was to be followed by someone as she hurriedly went to her hiding spot. Much less, someone like Wanda. She knew the witch still didn't trust her but she couldn't really blame the woman. Y/n had went through the same things she did.

So while she could still control it, Y/n buried the feelings she had for the witch before it became worse.

She tried though anyway.

The following morning when Y/n went into Wanda's tent to change the dressing of the latter's wounds, Y/n found the tent empty. Not putting much thought about it, she headed to the pavilion to see if the witch was having her breakfast early, but she wasn't also there.

Y/n knew she shouldn't worry, but if the possibility that Wanda had somehow ran away from the camp made her fear for the witch's safety for a second. So much that she didn't even notice the sound of waters splashing around as she walked by the nearby lake, heading to return the medical supplies to Pepper.

There the beautiful witch was, in broad daylight, swimming through the waters with wet skin and hair glistening against the sun. Y/n must had lost it for she didn't immediately realize the expanse of pale skin being shown that Wanda was fully naked until the latter faced the normie behind her, her perky supple breasts bouncing as she moved.

"Shit!" Y/n gasped, her eyes abruptly closing and the supplies falling out of her grasp.

"Are you following me?!" The witch exclaimed, her voice accusing.

"No! Of course not! My apologies! I d-didn't mean to see y-you like this...," Y/n nervously stuttered. "I didn't even know it was you."

She could hear Wanda scoff before her, the sound of the waters told the human that the witch had ascended herself from the surface. "So you spend your morning hours lurking behind bushes just to peep?"

"I wasn't peeping-"

"I know what you are," Wanda interjected, her voice seemed nearer. Y/n heard footsteps against the dirt, knowing the witch was walking towards her.

"Of course, I'm a human-"

"You're an insatiable seducer who have had countless women on their knees. I will not be part of such atrocity."

Is that what Wanda think of her?

Y/n laughed out loud after five seconds of utter silence. Without even opening her eyes, she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, you're certainly wrong about that... I've never been with anyone since birth."

Y/n heard the witch scoff again. "I find that too hard to believe..."

"Okay, it was a lie, but I haven't been with anyone, serious or not, for years now," Y/n added. "But it's nice to know you thought otherwise."

Wanda glared at the human even when she knew Y/n couldn't see her. "What are you doing here anyway?"

The human suddenly lost her composure as she tried to explain. "I was going to return these to Pepper, seeming that I couldn't find you in your tent earlier."

"Fine," Wanda said. "Get on with it."

"Get on with it? You mean tend to your wounds?"

"Yes, what else?"

Y/n's heart thudded so loud, it was deafening. She could hear scrambling before her but she didn't dare open her eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Wanda exasperatedly called her attention.

Thankfully, when Y/n opened her eyes, Wanda had worn herself an undertunic. But it didn't even make it better when Wanda was still dripping wet before her, and the cloth stuck to her skin, her nipples and other curves visible through the fabric as she sat on a nearby boulder.

Y/n focused on her task as she hurriedly tended to the witch's wound, which was almost healed. It was one of the things Y/n was good at, she could almost be mistaken as Pepper's young apprentice if she wasn't keen on archery. Y/n was careful, treating the wound with delicacy as if Wanda was fragile.

She licked her lips nervously as she dabbed the ointment made by the nurse from the herbs in her garden unto Wanda's reddened skin after cleaning it with myrhh. She could tell Wanda was still wincing from the antiseptic.

"Does it still hurt?" Y/n asked in a soft voice, now wrapping Wanda's wrist with fresh new bandage, her fingers adept as she arranged the cloth around her.

It took Wanda long before she answered. It wasn't because she couldn't hear the normie before her, but because she hadn't expected the close proximity between them.

The witch intended to fool the human, not believing a single thing she had said, even the confession of her not being promiscuous, so she could prove to herself and to every witch there was in the world that humans were deceptive and liars.

But Wanda didn't expect the goosebumps Y/n left on her skin as she tended to her, even the gentleness she portrayed made the witch melt, her breathing ragged but she could always reason out that she had been swimming for hours. She didn't even notice that Y/n's lips were moving, which seemed inviting at the moment as if urging Wanda to lean in.

"It... It doesn't hurt that much," Wanda finally answered.

When Y/n had finished, she smiled then chuckled softly, proud of her work. "Done... It will heal in no time... Hey, we have the same lines on our palms."

"What?" Wanda's eyebrows furrowed, as Y/n held their hands and aligned the palms close together.

"It's a silly belief, actually," Y/n went on. "If the long straight lines ending beneath the ring fingers on the palms of two persons  meet or connect with ease, it is said that they will have a long lasting and strong union..."

Wanda kept silent as she listened attentively, her mind focused on the beautiful sound of Y/n's voice and the touch of her skin against hers, her heart beating at a pace close to fear but also far from it. The witch couldn't decipher what she was feeling. She hadn't felt like this before.

"See?" Y/n's finger gently traced the skin of Wanda's palm heading to hers, like drawing an imaginary line. "A connection... We're basically soulmates..." She chuckled softly, not noticing the flustered state of the witch.

A witch and a human together. That would be quite a scandal. That would raise Wanda's parents from their graves.

Wanda immediately pulled her hand away from the human and stood up. Y/n could tell she had overstepped so she apologized and began arranging the supplies.

"Have you eaten your breakfast yet? Bruce made deer pottage this time." When Y/n looked up, Wanda was nowhere to be found. Her shoulders immediately deflated. At least, she tried.

Y/n's spirit heightened when Yelena came back from their mission later that day, entering the camp with Pietro and more witches they had managed to save from Deviants.

Much to Wanda's displeasure when she saw Y/n and another girl hugging in front of her, as if proving how much of a flirt Y/n was.

"So, who's the girl?" Yelena immediately chided, her face sporting a teasing feature.

"What do you mean?" Y/n remained to act dumb, pretending she was interested on the new weapons her bestfriend had concocted while away.

"You're my bestfriend, Y/n... I can tell when someone has your eyes or even has occupied your mind."

Y/n didn't mean it but when her eyes instinctively drifted to where Wanda was, sitting with her group of friends and Pietro, she was surprised to find the witch already staring at her, abruptly looking down to avoid the human's eyes.

"Ohhh, I can see she's definitely your type," Yelena added, following where Y/n's gaze was at.

"Shut up, she's not-"

"I never thought you're into witches."

Y/n attempted to playfully punch Yelena on her shoulder, to which the latter avoided, ending with her wrapping her arm over the former's shoulder instead. She pulled Y/n with her as they ventured further into the camp. "C'mon, I was only playing with you... Good thing, Layla still had not made you surrender to her reins yet."

Y/n laughed. And they talked more about the mission Yelena had been to, unaware of the daggers Wanda was throwing towards their way.

[britt-kageryuu]

The result of a funny thought after watching a video. I don't know what I'm talking about in this, the idea was just funny.

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

April was slightly annoyed, but still excited as she enters the building in front of her which pushing a rolling cart with a carrier on top.

The building was hosting a Cat Show.

Mikey had heard about it and wanted to enter Sunny, but couldn't get the day off, too many people wanted that day off already. The others had similar schedule problems, and/or they had streaming obligations on top of that.

So he begged April to go in his place. So here she was,entering a cat show as a favor for her Little Brother, who now owes her a Gourmet Lunch Bento everyday for 2 weeks.

She approached the checkin area to ask what she needs to do.

"Name, Breed, and category?" Asked the Receptionist.

April for a second almost said her own name, but caught herself, "This is Sunny, she's a Short Hair, and the category House Cat. She's my brothers cat, but he couldn't get the time off since he just learned about Cat Shows recently." April relays as she fills out the necessary papers, and whatnot.

"Okay, here's your number, just keep your ears and eyes out for when your group is called for judging." The Receptionist says while handing April a couple packets of information, and points toward the room where people were setting up their waiting area.

April gets to her table, and sets up the little popup tent with a letter tray, cat bed, and some small toys. All while giving Sunny pets, treats, and making sure her bandana/collar was on properly. It had one of the 2 or 3 tracking devices in it, you can never be too careful.

The day goes on with April talking with others there, all showing off their cats, showing videos or pictures of said cats, and talking about how things work.

Sunny is fairly popular among, getting lots of compliments, and requests for pictures. Some asking about the lovely feline.

And April would tell them, "My Brother found her after she somehow got into the car in a closed garage. We took her to the vet, clean bill of health, but she had no chip. And after not finding any missing cat posters, or getting responses for our Found Cat. So We kept Sunny and the rest is history. My Little Bro believes it was the cat distribution system choosing us."

Things of course got a bit tense when it was time to bring the cats up for one of the multiple rounds of judging. Some people were more dramatic, and claiming bribery when their Precious Kitty didn't get any ribbons.

April just tried to keep her cool, and be glad that Cass and CJ were to busy to join her, though sadly Sunita was at a family event so had to opt out of this event.

"Is it always like watching one of those kids pageant shows? Or am I just 'Lucky' to witness this drama?" She asked one of her table neighbors while sending an update to Mikey about how things are going.

"Well, it's not always this dramatic, but it happens pretty often. Why did you ask if you were 'Lucky'?" One of them who had a Maincoon.

April sighs with a flat look, "I was known for my weird Luck in school. Once had the sprinkler above me go off, and it was the only one to go off."

Her table neighbors were trying to tell if she was joking or not, but gave her the benefit of the doubt.

Once the next few rounds were done, and the final Judgment. Sunny now proudly had a ribbon, but let's not elaborate on which color or place it was for. They were all proud of Sunny anyway.

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

Masterpost

I was recommended a video of someone going to a Cat Show for the first time, and remembered that they existed. Then thought 'Any Mikey with a cat would want to enter them in one, but then remember the turtle thing... then ask April for Help'.

But I don't know how Cat Shows work, so I just kinda worked off the video I watched, and some of the comments under it.

[sansacherie]

it is so disheartening to hear the opinions of people online (i.e., podcast hosts and youtubers) i usually respect, offer the suggestion that nettles be "replaced" by either baela or rhaena just because she's not in this season.

it smells like racism basically. I'm sorry anon that you have to experience that :/

I'm going to give these writers the benefit of the doubt until it's 100% confirmed and there's no hope of her being in the show.... but even then i'm concerned about her writing.

as for baela and rhaena it's an insult to them to try and pretend they can replace nettles, it implies that their stories aren't good enough which isn't true. they can definitely expand on it and adapt it but completely cutting out someone as important as nettles for them would be so gross.

[runawaymun]

I also have been frothing over the spa center comment.

…would love to hear your pj shade regarding Elrond and Rivendell pretty please though?

I'M GLAD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE FOAMING AT THE MOUTH

okay so...regarding PJ shade............where the hell do I even begin.

I wanna preface this by saying that I do love the films. Like they're my childhood. They have a very special place in my heart and they remain my favorite films of all time. I also really love Hugo!Rond -- like I should think that's obvious considering my art and characterization are so largely based off of Hugo's portrayal, but that being said the films really did Elrond so dirty and I'll never forgive PJ for some of the choices he made and the things he chose to leave out -- not only because they hurt Elrond's characterization, but because they hurt all lot of other plotlines and characters as well.

So let's just start with the most egregious issue, which is by-and-large a directorial issue and not necessarily a script or acting issue: Elrond is kind as summer. And while we see that peeking through in certain moments (enough that those of us with daddy issues and/or a precursory knowledge of the character latched onto them...), this doesn't define Peter Jackson's Elrond. Peter Jackson's Elrond is cranky and tired and while that is a fundamentally interesting characterization, it isn't Tolkien's. Tolkien's Elrond isn't like this. He laughs with Bilbo! He tries to stop Pippin from going on the quest (but allows it in the end). He offers friendship to Thorin and hospitality to literally everyone. He carries his harp around with him and offers little tidbits about himself (I was the herald of Gil-Galad and marched with his host...). Elrond on the page just exudes warmth and generosity. Maybe he's tired & worn out and maybe he has lost a bit of hope by the time we get to the Third Age. Maybe. But that certainly isn't a defining trait. Tolkien's Elrond enthusiastically supported Aragorn (vs. Men? Men are weak. Etc. Etc. Etc.) -- there are just so many weird choices that were made in line delivery and energy that are directorial choices for the story which PJ wanted to tell. Hugo Weaving is completely capable of carrying the right energy when directed to! It's not a Hugo problem! We see him teasing Bilbo a bit in Unexpected Journey and being kinda snarky with Thorin and having some playful energy there. It's that Peter Jackson decided that wasn't how he wanted to portray Elrond. And so we end up with this weird stiff character that doesn't look anything like Tolkien's Elrond unless you squint and do a lot of mental gymnastics (which I constantly do).

And the thing is, I would like to give the portrayal the benefit of the doubt and say 'well it really isn't THAT bad', because I look at it through the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia and my own love for my blorbo. But people who are casual watchers of the films, or people who are getting introduced to story for the first time (I've had the joy of getting to introduce a lot of people to the films, and have seen a lot of first reactions on Youtube) -- the knee jerk reaction to Peter Jackson's Elrond is what's his problem? if you don't have the context. And that makes me really sad.

And I really do have to put it down to Peter Jackson wanted to tell a certain story. Because it isn't hard to fix this. Most of the lines are fine. You just have to tell Hugo to exude a different kind of energy in them. That scene in the extended edition with Elrond and Aragorn at Gilraen's memorial is awesome, but you never get the sense that Elrond raised Aragorn. There's no warmth to that scene. And that comes down to direction. Viggo and Hugo are amazing actors. If you told them "hey, you guys have a father-son relationship and you're reminiscing over someone that you both cared about" then they could have played it that way and it would have been so good. But you never get that sense.

That comes down to the weird completely contrived conflict Peter Jackson wanted of "Elrond as the antagonist to Beren & Luthien II electric boogaloo" -- which is...such a strange decision. Why make him Thingol 2.0? It's literally just an extra contrived plot point for added conflict and it isn't like we needed it. The films are three hours long each. Aragorn and Arwen didn't need an antagonist to their love story. It's lazy characterization and lazy storytelling and lazy direction. Again, Hugo Weaving is an excellent actor. Masterclass, in fact. And I understand the thought process of "he's afraid to lose his daughter" and I think that's really tasty characterization! I love playing with that characterization! But there is a way to direct and write that without making him an antagonist. You don't even need lines to show that. Maybe just one. Maybe two. But to be honest all you need is a LOT of strong acting on Hugo's part to show the internal conflict as Elrond is outwardly supporting the two of them because he wants them to be happy!

And then there's the uh...nerfing of Elrond.

To be fair, Elrond really is background on purpose in LOTR. He chooses to be a guide. He chooses to be the Dad Everyone Goes To rather than The Big Damn Hero, and that's awesome. That's why I love him! But again there are just the teeniest tiniest changes that could have been made to fix the fact that he's heavily nerfed. SWEET, so "thanks to the skills of Lord Elrond you are beginning to mend!" -- hey can we just, add a bit more weight to the fact that Elrond needed to use Vilya to do that and it pretty much sapped all of his strength? Can we add a bit more weight to how LONG that surgery took and the fact that NO ONE ELSE could have saved Frodo from a Morgul Blade. How about instead of "he needs Elvish medicine", say "we have to get him to Elrond" -- like, I know Arwen says this, but it just takes a few edits to make it abudantly clear that this has less to do with Elves in general and more to do with rings of power.

And then we get to the fjord with the Ringwraiths. I'm not one of those people who is mad that they gave the chase to Arwen rather than Glorfindel. I understand why that decision was made. Do I miss Glorfindel? Hell yeah! But I understand why that decision was made. I just wish that Peter Jackson hadn't also given Arwen the "call the river in fury" superpower. Why not have Elrond be the one to do that? Girlpower, sure. But Arwen's cool enough for having the chase scene against all nine nazgul. Let Elrond have his moment. It takes like one 50% opacity overlay edit to show us he's the one doing it. And this isn't even an Elrond issue so much as a nerfing the worldbuilding issue. We hear about the Three Rings in the prologue and then Peter Jackson promptly never mentions them again save for one deleted scene with Galadriel and Nenya. Until I read the books as an adult I had no idea Elrond and Gandalf had the other two. That's...a pretty egregious thing to leave out.

Peter saves himself somewhat with the faux Silm plot in The Hobbit films. TBH I forgive absolutely everything else about the Hobbit Films for the purpose of that tiny moment where Elrond teases Bilbo and invites him to stay (except it's only in the extended so....again, we see where PJ's priorities lie), and Elrond in that armor saying "you should have stayed dead" like adlkgh--- thank you my crops are watered and my skin is clear.

But it should not have taken Peter six movies to fix how badly he nerfed Elrond, and he didn't even really fix him.

All that to say: so many of my favorite Elrond scenes from the films (the Gilraen memorial, Elrond teasing Bilbo, etc), are scenes from extended cuts, meaning when editing Peter Jackson decided these scenes weren't essential to the story he was trying to tell. And sure, this sure as hell isn't "The Elrond Trilogy" -- but it doesn't have to be. Elrond has so little screentime in the books and Jirt still takes those few moments of screentime to tell us Elrond laughed. Elrond was kind as Summer. Elrond's house was safe and cozy and Evil Things Did Not Enter That Valley. Elrond raised Aragorn as his own son and loved him dearly. Elrond was Kind as Summer. Elrond was kind. Elrond was kind. Elrond was kind.

And that isn't how Peter Jackson chose to portray him. I can't fault the man for not having Elrond as a blorbo. We all have different blorbos and that's okay. The trouble is that Elrond is Jirt's blorbo. And Elrond, at his core -- just like Bilbo and Sam and Frodo -- carries the essential message of Tolkien. It isn't great flashy Acts of Heroism that save the world, but rather quiet courage, and kindness, and gardens and laughter and good food and cheer. Places of safety. Gentle guidance. Healing. Healing. Healing.

So that's why I just will never forgive what Peter Jackson did to Elrond. Elrond is good. He is kind. He is extremely powerful -- but he chooses to use that power to heal and guide. And the reason it makes me so mad is not because he's my blorbo (okay maybe it is a little bit), but because breaking Elrond's character in the films was completely unnecessary and completely avoidable. It's just that Peter Jackson chose to do things his way and tell the story he wanted to tell, rather than taking the time to make some small and easy directorial choices to make sure he got it right. And the end result is there is a depressingly large number of people who live their lives thinking that Elrond's that cranky "MeN aRe WeAk" killjoy dad who hates happiness and runs a glorified hotel, and it just kills me.

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Previous Husband AU, Pt 7

((Content warning for abuse/domestic violence))

When the sun rises, Kara valiantly ventures out in search of pastries, giving Lena time to shower and dress without an audience. She must have needed it, because Lena is still in the bathroom when Kara returns, arms laden with krullers and claws.

A flash of white on the coffee table catches her eye as she deposits her spoils in the kitchen. It's Lena's journal from the night before, she discovers when she goes to investigate, still lying open to the page full of scribbled notes.

Kara knows it isn't meant for her. But her eye can't help but skip over the page, when she goes to close it. Itemized points of the red flags Lena had mentioned the night before sear themselves into her vision, mostly various arguments instigated and escalated by either side-- and then she sees it.

Insisted on sex.

Underlined, and followed by a series of tick marks tallying the number of instances Lena could apparently recall.

Kara snaps the book shut, then straightens with a hand over her mouth as her stomach churns. Guilt claws at her, wrapping around her stomach like a python until she can hardly breathe.

She should have fought harder. She shouldn't have taken the snubs personally. She should have given Lena the benefit of the doubt, over and over again. Because she's earned it-- hasn't she? They may not have known each other as long as some, but there's no denying that their connection ran deeper than just casual acquaintances.

Kara should have stayed with Lena. If she had, maybe--

"Hey," Lena calls, stepping out of the bathroom. Wringing the water from her hair with one of Kara's towels, she looks at her host in concern. "Everything okay?"

Turning towards Lena, Kara moves towards her and wraps her arms around her friend without a word. Lena's arms reflexively wrap around her in return, squeezing her firmly.

"What brought this on?"

Kara just shrugs. "Just needed a hug. I've missed them."

She feels Lena smile against her. "Well, in that case..."

Lena's grip turns vise-like, nearly suffocating her. Kara melts into it, unable to help the giggle that bubbles up in her chest. Lena's own giggle joins in a moment later.

"Careful," Lena warns. "A girl could get used to this."

Kara smirks into Lena's shoulder. "You better," she mumbles.

They stay there for a long moment, neither of them interested in stepping away. The guilt comes back, clicking in Kara's throat, strangling the whisper that eventually issues its way out.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I let you go..."

"Don't." The word comes sharp and sure. "I wasn't treating you like a friend should. You had every right to put yourself first--"

Kara withdraws, wiping her eyes as surreptitiously as she can, which is not much when she's unwilling to move more than a step from her friend.

"I ghosted you. You deserved to know what I was feeling, and why I bailed. I'm sorry I just shut down instead of trying to talk to you about it."

Lena gazes at her thoughtfully. After a moment, she nods.

"Okay," she says firmly, using her non-toweled hand to grip Kara's fingers. "You need me to be here for you, and I will be, as much as I can. And in return I need you to communicate with me-- the good and the bad. Because you're right, I'm not a mind reader, and I can't guess at what you're feeling if you don't talk to me."

Lena holds Kara's gaze intently, then smiles. "The rest we'll figure out together, okay?"

On the cusp of tears again, Kara responds by surging towards Lena, wrapping her up in another big hug. Lena returns it just as fiercely as before, and this time her head rests against the side of Kara's.

"I'm glad you're here," Kara murmurs. "I'm only sorry it took this long for it to happen."

Lena nods. "Me too." Then, "but that's it for apologies, okay? I'm tired of crying."

Kara laughs, pulling back with a grin.

"Agreed." She tilts her head towards the kitchen. "Bear claw?"

"Oh, god, yes."

[theladyofbloodshed]

I still don't understand how Amarantha was able to trick ALL the high lords.

Honestly, they must all be pretty dumb to even think to eat or drink at an party hosted by an enemy they hate. They must be pretty dumb to not even consider to use their powers and check if the food and drinks are poisened because WHY WOULD YOU EVEN TRUST SOMEONE LIKE AMARANTHA??!

I always thought Amarantha's plan was soo dumb. No more- Now i actually truly believe it's smart enough because it's only meant for dumb people like these high lords, especially Rhys who's suppose to be the smartest and most powerful high in the whole universe. Amarantha must've know what a sh*tty writer Sjm is so she thought "Let me trick them the easiest way possible. No point in making overly complicated plans when they're dumb enough already"

Everyone knows that you should never accept a drink by a stranger, MUCH LESS by your biggest enemy unless you actually saw the bartender make the drink and even then you contuine to keep a close eye at your drink.

I don't even understand why Rhys or the others went there, given how she is. I also don't get how that even works.. Did they all one by one drank or eat? Did some of them not saw that anything is off right when they watched Rhys or some other high lord acting weird?

Like, I'm sorry but I can't fault Amarantha for this no matter how cruel she is, because who tf is THIS dumb as an f*cking centuries old adult?

It's lazy writing!

She returns centuries after the war saying her sister's death changed her and she somehow manages to charm all the courts. We never see this charm. Courts know her as the deranged general from the war. But sure, they'll ALL believe she changed.

The cleverest man in the world is suspicious enough to go alone and leave all of his inner circle behind, but still drinks and falls under her spell... like okay

(of course because nobody else is as smart as rhys, none of them suspected anything)

and tamlin who knew she was close with his father and has tried to hit on him since he was a child was like yes, sure, i'd love to have a drink with you

then later, she hosts ANOTHER party to say sorry for hurting lucien (even though all high lords are still trapped under the mountain as part of her spell) so the entire spring court goes - including lucien who lost his eye last time he was there - and gets masks put on them

We could give the benefit of the doubt and say that the high lords are so arrogant, they think they would never succumb to such a fate... but it's just a weak and lazy plot

Like it's no wonder that Jurian is so successful at scamming the fae, they're all dumb as shit

[thegeminisage]

it's star trek update time!! last night* we watched tng's "gambit part i" and ds9's "invasive procedures." *earlier tonight but i am typing this at stupid o clock and letting it post itself tmrw.

gambit part i (tng):

had high hopes for this one initially. i love it when they put on civilian clothes, for starters, and also we got a little riker e worf e deanna before we ALSO got e beverly and the joke about her 1. being riker's sister (shoutout to that trill episode where she wouldn't fuck him at first because she said he was like a brother to her) and 2. picard getting her knocked up BECAUSE LIKE HE ABSOLUTELY DID KNOCK HER UP WITH WESLEY CRUSHER THEIR AFFAIR BABY really sent me to the fucking stratosphere. tng's been pretty watchable lately so i was giving it quite a lot of benefit of the doubt

unfortunately, we went directly from that to riker yelling at deanna for no reason...i always really disliked riker's relationship with picard. he's so weirdly hyperprotective of him in a way beyond his job duties. it doesn't feel like coworkers or friends or equals or even like it's supposed to be secretly shippy the way spock and jim were - riker is too overprotective for it to even be likened to a lover's realtionship. it also doesn't even really feel fatherly, like picard is stepping in for riker's shitheel of a dad. actually, riker almost acts like picard is HIS child. it is SOOO fucking unsexy and uncomfortable

physically grinding my teeth once picard DID show back up because with ANY other two characters this would have been fantastic. riker and worf. riker and deanna. riker and literally anyone because he has that kind of chemistry and down to clown attitude. even picard could have been ok paired with beverly or data or someone he actually works well with. it could have been ANYONE. even two people who don't talk to each other much like geordi and deanna or whatever. instead we got these like truly fantastic moments of noverbal communication and mutual scheming and pretending not to know each other while actually knowing each other sooo well and it was with the LEAST fun combination of characters out of the ENTIRE cast!!!!!!! augh

AND!!!! IT'S ALL FOR STUPID ARCHAEOLOGYYYY

PICARD GET A LIFE CHALLENGE!!!!!!!!!!

it's not even that the writing was bad. i'm annoyed because the writing in this section was GOOD. but picard and riker's relationship is bad, so it soured the whole experience

anyway, i think riker should have battled his eyelashes at that wrinkled little alien when he wanted info from him. instead of whatever that was. also he was making REALLY good faces when they were torturing him with that neck thing and he was on the floor. that's a rage glare. a kill you look. mwah

oh side bar i physically could not look at geordi this episode. so that's been fun.

invasive procedures (ds9):

oh girl we are In It

firstly, odo's little bucket prison. that was SO sad because he doesn't goop in front of people. i felt horrible for him. my poor best friend odo

i really like how ambiguous it is like how much of jadzia dax is jadzia and how much is dax. does dax have his? her? their? own personality and all, or are they just the sum of their past hosts? when dax was inside that other guy, did part of them want to get out and go back to jadzia where they chose to be to begin with? to save jadzia's life? or do they not care? is dax themself not super sentient unless they're inside a host and then that host's personality is sort of dominant? so many questions.........trills are fascinating conceptually bc there's no clear definitive answers, so i was really dismayed that dax was easily the most boring character in season 1. but now!!!!!

ok, before we get into it, i have to say also, the cast rallying around dax/jadzia...really really good. actually, all their interactions with one another were spot on. bashir being SO NICEYS with odo's little bucket prison and then quark also springing odo from the bucket prison, bashir absolutely chomping at the BIT to treat o'brien's phaser wound, kira threatening quark on jadzia's behalf, quark tackling that klingon to save her/redeem himself. oh yeah and kira saying with her Whole chest that if odo's free there's no way any of the bad guys are escaping the station. my future otp......................

speaking of quark i did say the worst thing in the world to catherine while we were watching which is "this is what he sounds like when odo's plowing him" and the longer the noises went on the worse it became for her and the funnier it became for me. cathy when you read this you have my apologies

i did feel a little weird about julian stroking jadzia's face when she was naked and vulnerable recovering from worm surgery (the worm surgery was GREAT by the way) when she has explicitly and repeatedly turned him down in the past, but i'm giving it a reluctant benefit-of-the-doubt pass on account of he felt terrible about what he'd had to do and probably just wanted to comfort her, and considering the state she was in there weren't very many other ways/places to touch her except her head and maybe her hands. also i forgive him because him talking back to that klingon was sooo fun

i would have also liked for this episode to push on the insanity of being bonded to a symbiont and then being forcibly unbonded. like its just now striking me that curzon died alone. beverly's little trill boyfriend died alone. jadzia would have died alone, too. and the dax part just has to move on. like that's crazy. does dax grieve for past hosts? or would it be like grieving for yourself? what is it like seeing dax inside another body when they've been inside yours for almost your entire adult life?

but actually what i really wanted was to see this bad guy's insanity reflected in jadzia. instead of saying oh man i feel so alone she could have been like. more of a wreck. and conversely, he would have been that same kind of wreck after dax got taken back out of him. that would have been cool.

i would also like to know how the dax part felt about forcibly being put in another body they never wanted to be. are they fighting with themselves? himself? the host wants things to stay as they are but dax doesn't, so what happens? does it not feel like an awful violation? i could have used 5 more minutes of that episode

also. sorry. dax and sisko................"i wish we could have made it three" it's, sorry, toph and aang and korra core. do you think friendships can last more than one lifetime...........

icing on the cake was that he was so mad at the bad guy whose name i keep forgetting that he was like DONT CALL ME BENJAMIN and shot his ass stone cold. bc that was better than letting his friend be taken by this asshole lol

anyway, my final dax question is when does her hair get smaller. her head is such a weird shape. is she wearing a wig, is that's what's happening? and the rest of her head just looks weirdly big because of it? it's making me crazy.

NEXT TIME: tng's "gambit part ii" and ds9's "cardassians" AND I LOOKED IT UP AND GARAK IS FINALLY BACK!!!!!!! i can't wait....................

[yukidragon]

Hey, I've had the idea for my own interpretation of the sdj events and I wanted to know your thoughts about Jack's reaction to a much more seasoned Sunshine (the type one can technically describe as a sex-positive demiromantic on top of that) who firmly believes in mutuality and reciprocity when it comes to wants/needs, trust and honesty in a long-term relationship. Something keeps telling me that their ride might be a little bit rocky, especially at the start

I actually touched on what Jack might do with a sunshine who is on the aromantic spectrum, but also interested in sex, which you can check out here. Also, my own MC Alice is demi-romantic, but also demi-sexual.

I think Jack can handle a demi-romantic MC. The issue is seeing them with someone else, especially sexually. With them being sex positive, he would most likely try to encourage them to enjoy sex with him rather than anybody else. After all, he's their best friend! They know him and they can have whatever kind of sex they enjoy safely. He'll be sure to make them feel loved appreciated.

I doubt Jack would make MC feel ashamed for enjoying sex, though they might be surprised given that he's a kids TV show host and he seems way too innocent for that. If anything it's natural. After all, he certainly wants to enjoy doing that with MC. The issue just comes with the idea of anyone else having sex with MC but him.

Jack feels compelled to love MC more than anyone else ever could, provide them with everything they need, take care of them. It's his entire reason for being there in the first place. Given how much he desires his sunshine sexually and how he seems to relate sex to love, seeing them have sex with someone else would be something I doubt he could tolerate unless it was in an effort to win their heart in some way. Lose a battle to win the war, so to speak.

I imagine if MC has any regular friends with benefits going on, suddenly they decide to make themselves scarce due to horrible nightmares. They don't have to worry though, since Jack is still there, still their best friend, and he'll be happy to give them everything their friends did, and so much better. All those other friends were inferior after all.

When it comes to an MC who believes in mutuality and reciprocity, I think Jack would appreciate that a lot. I mean, hell, that's the route I'm going with Alice too. Jack wants to take care of his sunshine, but I think he would find it nice that they want to take care of him too.

The trust and honesty part, well... Jack never directly lies to MC, right? They can trust him, I'm sure he'd insist.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur

[scottsummersevents]

For the Sexy Days of Summers Event happening right now we've invited Scott Summers (Cyclops) fans to take part in spreading more love for him out there on the internet by creating fanfiction, fanart, fan works, etc. to celebrate our favorite X-Men leader and the possibility of what if. For the duration of this challenge so far we've received some really incredible submissions with super rare pairings that are new to us. For the month of September we'd like to share some of those and also share some various fandom creations along the way in terms of content. Some might be an old favorite pairing while others might be something in terms of shipping you've never considered before.

Today's spotlight pairing is another pairing that picked up some traction during the last couple of years in the rare pairing world with the possibility of what if between this X-Men and Avengers hook-up.

Below under the cut you can take a look at this pairing and see what fun it could prove to be!

Also if you have a favorite Scott pairing and a fanfic that you've written or that you love, then feel free to drop us a note and let us know so we can showcase it in the future!

Stay tuned for more duo spotlights coming soon!

If this is what we've got, then what we've got is gold by StormXPadme (Rated E) In which Tony and Scott accidentally get married and decide to consummate said marriage while they're at it.

Meet the creator by StormXPadme (Rated E) Running into Tony in his sex shop more or less by accident gives Scott a chance for getting into mood for Pride.

Making the Grade by scottxlogan (Rated M) Scott is overwhelmed with grading papers until Tony decides it's time to deliver him a different kind of distraction.

Lost in Fantasy by scottxlogan (Rated E) Scott Summers has always had a secret fantasy that he wasn't brave enough to share until his new boyfriend encouraged Scott to be honest with what he wanted. In doing so, Scott's boyfriend pulls together a sexy night of fun with a guest sure to turn Scott's world around as the two Avengers are more than ready to show Scott exactly what he needs.

I haven't had a drink this morning (but I'm all lit up like a Christmas tree) by Wolfsheart  (Rated T) Tony's hosting a Christmas/Yule party and has invited the X-Men. He enjoys the company of many of the X-Men, but there is one in particular he wants to get closer to.

Winner Takes All by scottxlogan (Rated M) Scott and Tony's game night together takes a surprising turn as the two find that winning the game is the last thing on their minds in being this close together.

Take a chance with me? by KiAnLake (Rated T) Scott wonders about his life while Tony wants to be more than a friends with benefits.

Against The Odds by scottxlogan (Rated E) Some addictions are harder to get over than others, but when Tony Stark discovers the truth about mutant resurrections in Krakoa starting with the reemergence of Scott Summers, he can’t help, but give in to a curiosity by going to the Hellfire Gala even knowing that it will no doubt take him under. Reunited at the party Tony and Scott are forced to face what still remains between them.

Run With Me by GammaGaze The Avengers and X-Men take a vacation only for Tony and Scott to escape on an impromptu mini-mission.

Beautiful Disaster by scottxlogan (Rated M) Set after the events of the comic X-Men Forever. After Logan's death, Scott is rejected by Jean and blamed for her being unable to share her life with the man she 'truly loved'. Knowing that his marriage is over, Scott goes back home to Alaska to be with his family and start over. Struggling to find a new meaning in his life after he's quit the team, Scott runs into a familiar face. When Tony Stark works his way through town after having reached his breaking point, he's looking for an escape. Ready to shut his world out for a little while, fate lands Tony on Scott's doorstep. Together will they find a way to a new beginning as sparks fly?

Would you like to cross-dress for me? by KiAnLake (Rated E) Scott come to see Tony for their date but he get an interesting box from Pepper

Outside is just a larger cage by GammaGaze Arrested for crimes committed while under the influence of the phoenix force, Scott Summers has been locked up in a mutant-hating prison to defend himself. Billionaire Tony Stark only wants to understand Scott's powers, but he discovers something more.

What's your gift again? by KiAnLake (Rated E) Scott wants to get one simple thing for his lover's birthday. Why is it so hard to get it? How did he and Tony end up in the hotel room? Tony: All I want to do is blow a candle.

Birthday Surprise by KiAnLake (Rated T) Scott decides to take day-off but Tony decides to follow him. He finds out something new about his boyfriend

Masquerade by KiAnLake (Rated T) Scott become Emma's plus one for Tony Stark's costume party. But instead of being with Emma, he get hit on by the host himself. Should he ignored Tony or go for it?

I hope that my gift cheers you up. by KiAnLake (Rated G) Tony remembers when he was little kid, he got a toy from a little boy with blue eyes.

Must be the Moonlight by scottxlogan (Rated E) Scott and Tony reunite at the Hellfire Gala only to discover that the passion they once found in secret is still alive between them. After they give in to temptation revealing their true desire for one another, Tony is delivered a proposal to win Scott's heart that is almost too good to be true. Will he accept or are they fated for an unhappy ending?

Season ticket on a one way ride by Wolfsheart (Rated E) Scott Summers outbid Tony Stark on a classic sports car; Tony pays him a visit to check out the car. They go for a drive. Things get interesting.

Spinning on that dizzy edge (I kissed his face and kissed his head) by Wolfsheart (Rated E) Scott stayed the weekend at Avengers Tower while his and Tony's "first date weekend" commences. There is mingling with the Avengers that goes better than expected, Tony proves he's good at romance and sweetness and massages, and many topics are discussed in the three days of getting to know one another.

Freedom by scottxlogan (Rated M) In the aftermath of his divorce, Scott Summers decides to step outside of his comfort zone and fall into temptation with an unlikely potential lover. Will his night on the town be the wild, hot fling he's hoping for or will an unsavory reminder of his past drag him back to misery?

Date Night by scottxlogan (Rated T) After skipping out on team bonding for the night, Tony reaches out to Scott in the hopes of enjoying date night only to discover that things don't go entirely as planned. Will a small mishap prove to be a disaster for them or bring them closer than they'd imagined when the night began?

Better Together by scottxlogan (Rated E) Tony Stark and Scott Summers have been taking their time engaging in a series of flirtations leading up to the beginnings of a romance, but will their time together be cut short by an unexpected twist? Will their relationship grow stronger or will fate tear them apart before they can truly begin a new life together?

Blinded By The Light by laetificat (Rated E) Scott Summers visits Tony Stark; they find they have a few things in common.

Mechanical by BlackEyedGirl (Rated E) Tony gets to know his new team-mate a little better.

Playing Hard to Get by st_aurafina (Rated T) Tony Stark is trying to break into superhero society. Scott Summers can't get away fast enough.

This Close to You by st_aurafina (Rated T) Scott and Tony do some training.