#the scenes with her and alexander at the end were EVERYTHING

[inafieldofdaisies]

A Gentleman in Moscow (2024) | Season 1, Episode 6 “The Fall” | Favorite scenes (vol. 2-2)

[aphroditelovesu]

Issus

❝commission: something that happens after Alexander wins the battle. I believe he checked out the Persian war camp and the King's abandoned tent. It would be interesting to see how that would go down with Y/n at his side and something that shows more of the interactions between Y/N and the Persian royal. Ideally, it would involve some interaction with Stateira and Parysatis as well as Sisygambis. — requested by 💻 anon.

❝ 📜 — lady l: I disappeared for a while but that's because I got sick again, I swear my immunity is a joke but I'm better now and I'm finishing up some requests and stuff. I hope you like it and forgive me for any mistakes since it's almost 5 am here lol.

❝tw: none, I think.

❝📜pairing: yandere!alexander the great x female!reader, platonic!sisygambis, stateira, parysatis and stateira x female!reader.

❝word count: 2,234.

The shock of battle still hung in the air, the echoes of screams and the clash of metal against metal fading as Alexander's army took control of the field. The ground was stained with blood, the smell of iron mixed with the dust of the disturbed earth. It all happened so fast that the soldiers themselves barely had time to process the victory. The great Persian king, Darius, had seen his defeat unfold before his eyes and, instead of fighting to the end, had fled without hesitation.

But his escape had come at a price. In his desperation, he had abandoned not only his soldiers, but also his own family — his mother, wife, and daughters — leaving them at the mercy of the enemy.

Alexander had been warned almost immediately about the presence of the Persian royals as soon as his army took control of the enemy camp. He was supposed to go see them, deal with the consequences of his victory, and decide the fate of the women. But before anything else, there was something more important to him.

(Y/N).

He had known she would be worried. Alexander remembered the night before, when uncertainty had been reflected in her beautiful eyes. He had promised to return to her. And now here he was, alive, victorious. Undefeated and with more spoils than he could count.

Wasting no time, Alexander removed his blood-covered armor, feeling the weight of his actions leave his body along with the cold metal and cloth. A hurried shower freed him from the blood and dust, but not from the exhaustion that settled in his muscles. Still, he did not hesitate. He dressed quickly and headed to her tent, which had practically become his after so many nights spent together.

Every step he took increased his anxiety, his desire to see her, touch her, feel her warmth and the comfort of her arms. He pulled aside the curtain at the entrance and, for a brief moment, just watched.

And there she was.

You and Alexander walked side by side through the newly conquered Persian camp, your firm footsteps echoing among the looted tents. The smell of smoke, spilled blood and iron still permeated the air, remnants of the battle that had transformed this place into a field of death and victory.

Alexander watched everything with the watchful eye of a conqueror who knew he had been victorious, assessing the spoils that now belonged to him and his army. You, on the other hand, saw that scene in a different way — not just as the end of a battle, but as a fragment of history unfolding before your eyes. You were really curious.

How could you not feel fascinated by witnessing something you had only read about and seen in series and movies?

As you approached the tent that truly mattered, a strange weight settled on your shoulders. Inside were the women Darius had left behind, figures you knew not only by their titles, but by the fates history would reserve for them. Anxiety and curiosity mixed within you, creating a tight knot in your stomach.

Hephaestion was waiting for you at the entrance, his posture relaxed, but his blue eyes held an attentive and perceptive glow. He smiled slightly as he saw you approach, and when you returned the gesture, you realized that his gaze remained on you for a second longer than necessary.

Alexander, however, didn't notice — or didn't care. His attention was focused on the situation before him.

"Who exactly are they?" He asked his friend, his voice filled with interest.

"Darius's wife, mother, and daughters." Hephaestion replied, his tone calm and steady as ever.

Stateira, the queen. Sisygambis, the matriarch. Stateira, the young princess. And possibly Parysatis, the Persian king's other daughter.

Alexander nodded, absorbing the information. Then, without hesitation, he took your hand in his. You felt the roughness of his skin, the calluses that had become familiar to you when he touched you. A shiver ran down your arm, but not just from the touch — there was something else. Something you didnt dare name. Not yet, at least.

He smiled at you, and without thinking, you smiled back.

"Well," Alexander declared, his voice firm and full of decision. "Let's meet them and decide what to do with them."

And with that, the three of you walked through the tent entrance, where four women waited, eyes wide with fear of what might happen to them.

As you walked through the entrance to Darius' tent, the first thing you noticed was the luxury.

It was a stark contrast to Alexander's tent, which had always reflected his personality — simple, functional, almost spartan. Darius's tent was the very embodiment of Persian wealth and power. Fine fabrics, some dyed the rare purples of Tyre, covered the space as a silent reminder of the empire's opulence. Gold embroidery gleamed in the lamplight, and gold gleamed everywhere — cups, jars, ornaments, even the frames of the furniture.

The Macedonian generals were already there, exploring the room with varying degrees of interest. Some were talking excitedly about the riches before them, their eyes shining with greed, while others remained more reserved. Ptolemy and Perdiccas stood apart, keeping a low profile in the corner of the tent, but you could tell that Perdiccas's attention was not on the room or the treasures.

He was looking at you.

The look he gave you was a mix of longing and pain, and your chest tightened with the silent intensity of that unspoken emotion. But you didn't let it bother you. You took a deep breath and returned your focus to the present, squeezing Alexander's hand almost instinctively. Your gaze then found the richly dressed women in front of you.

Even without introductions, you knew immediately who they were.

Stateira, Darius's wife, had a beauty that lived up to the legends. She was said to be the most beautiful woman in Asia, and now, seeing her up close, you understood why. Her coal-black eyes held a mysterious depth, her tanned skin contrasting perfectly with the gold ornaments that encircled her wrists and neck. Her every movement exuded grace and dignity, even amidst her fear and uncertainty.

At her right hand was Sisygambis, the queen mother. Though older, she was no less impressive. There was an aura of wisdom and control about her, a shrewd gaze that seemed to see beyond the surface of things.

The other two young women, whom you assumed were Stateira, Darius's daughter, and Parysatis, were clearly terrified. Their bodies were tense, their eyes wide with fear. They were so young. Children forced to face the brunt of war and politics, dragged into a cruel game where their fate now belonged to other powerful men.

It wasn't fair.

But that was the reality of the world they were in. And somehow, you knew that even in your own time, some things just didn't change.

A sudden movement brought you back to the present.

Sisygambis watched Hephaestion closely, her eyes assessing every detail of his posture. Then, with a firm gesture, she signaled for the women beside her to be silent. They obeyed immediately.

You held your breath, knowing what would happen next.

The Queen Mother took a step forward, the luxurious fabric of her gown billowing around her feet. And then, without hesitation, she fell to her knees before Hephaestion.

Shock rippled through the tent like a spark igniting a flame. The air seemed to grow thicker as everyone watched in disbelief.

Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. Hephaestion's eyes widened in shock and discomfort. The generals froze in their places, some chuckling in the background. You didn't even need to look to know it was probably Nearchus and Cassander.

And then, Sisygambis's firm but pleading voice cut through the silence like a sharp blade.

"Great King Alexander, I beg you to spare my daughter-in-law and granddaughters."

Hephaestion stiffened in place, his discomfort evident as his eyes sought Alexander's in a silent plea for guidance. The low murmur of mocking chuckles echoed through the tent, and you noticed how Sisygambis paled as she realized the mistake she had made.

Fear filled her body. She began to tremble, and her gaze shifted from Alexander to Hephaestion and then to the ground, as if she expected severe punishment for mistaking the king for one of his generals. Her voice wavered as she hurriedly apologized, the words coming out in fragmented pleas.

But to everyone's surprise — except yours — Alexander merely smiled.

Not a cruel or mocking smile, but a genuine smile, full of amusement and even tenderness. Without hesitation, he reached out and gently took the Queen Mother's arms, helping her to her feet.

"There is no need to apologize, mother," He said, his voice firm but reassuring. "For he is Alexander too."

The silence that followed was absolute.

The generals glanced at each other, some clearly displeased with the king's statement. You could see Philotas frown slightly and Cassander's expression hard, but you just mentally rolled your eyes.

Sisygambis, for her part, looked around, taking in the reactions of the men in the tent before turning her gaze to Alexander. For the first time since the capture had taken place, her lips curved into a slight smile.

Alexander cleared his throat and continued, his posture imposing but his voice soft.

"Don't worry. No harm will come to you or your family. You are safe with me. You will be treated like the royalty you are and nothing less."

You watched carefully for the exact moment Sisygambis's body relaxed, as if a crushing weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her eyes shone with relief, and a shaky sigh escaped her lips.

That was when you knew: she was beginning to respect him.

Alexander released the Queen Mother's arms and then, as if remembering something, turned slightly to you, his smile growing warmer.

"This beautiful woman," He said, a glint of pride in his eyes, "is my wife and Queen, (Y/N)."

The warmth of his words coursed through your chest, and a small pride filled you. A soft smile curved your lips as you looked at Sisygambis, trying to convey trust and kindness.

The Queen Mother held your gaze for a moment before lowering her head in reverence.

Following her example, Stateira, Darius's wife, and her daughters stepped forward and bowed respectfully to you and Alexander.

And it was at that moment that you knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that you would get along very well with them.

As the days passed, you discovered that the women of Darius’s family were surprisingly pleasant. Though their Greek was halting and full of mistakes, there was effort in every word they said to you, and that was something you genuinely appreciated.

Whenever you could, you visited them in the tent they had been assigned within the camp, enjoying the brief respite from the atmosphere dominated by soldiers and generals. For the past few months, your life had been surrounded by men — brutal men, battle-hardened warriors, ambitious strategists hungry for power and wealth. You had learned to deal with them, even to enjoy the male camaraderie, but there was something comforting about having the company of other women. You missed it. Missed the softer conversations, the gentle, controlled gestures, the quiet understanding that only another woman could offer.

Sisygambis was a serene presence. She spoke little, but when she did, her words were filled with wisdom and refined manners. Through your interactions, you learned much about Persian culture — details and traditions that were not recorded in scrolls or in the histories told by historians. She was a well of knowledge, and you absorbed it all with genuine curiosity.

Stateira, Darius's wife, was different. More talkative, but still serene, she carried a gentle calm that belied her status as an abandoned woman. Yet there was something about her that could never be erased: an air of innate power. She had been raised to be a Queen and continued to behave as such, even in captivity. You respected that.

One day, during one of your visits, she took one of her own gold bracelets — finely crafted, adorned with tiny precious stones — and placed it gently on your wrist.

"A gift of friendship." She said in her halting greek, but her gaze spoke volumes.

You understood the gesture immediately. It wasn't just a gift; it was a sign of goodwill, an attempt to build a bridge between you. A bond.

In response, you removed one of your own rings — simple, but precious to you — and placed it delicately in her hand.

Stateira smiled, and there, a silent understanding blossomed between you.

The younger ones, on the other hand, were a hurricane of energy.

Stateira, the daughter, was more reserved than her sister, but she still carried a vibrant spirit within her. There was a sparkle in her eyes, a curiosity and a latent strength that you appreciated.

Parysatis, on the other hand, was like a restless bird, always talking, always moving, always overflowing with an almost chaotic energy. Often, her accelerated speech made it difficult to understand, but you tried to follow as best you could. She laughed when you were confused, but never cruelly — there was only genuine joy in her expression.

And so, between exchanging gifts, fragmented conversations and shared moments, a bond grew between you and those women.

A rare bond in the midst of war and a very welcome one. Friends.

[34to42]

Okay. So.

It’s no secret that I’ve been eagerly anticipating season 2 of The Night Agent so I made the very adult decision to take a vacation day from work and binge watch the whole thing in one day. And I have some thoughts.

Obviously spoilers lay ahead so please be aware of that before you continue reading if that’s something you care about. There might also be some swearing.

It’s not often we see a Netflix show get to season 2 and more importantly, have a season 2 that either lives up to or exceeds season 1 but I think The Night Agent is one of them. Season 2 is SUCH an experience, one that I was desperately worried about before it aired, and one that I am so happy I got to participate in now that it’s done. I was worried that the show would forget the events of season 1, that Rose would play a less integral role, that the show’s bigger and better storylines would be overdone, that they would play America as the hero when dealing with plot lines regarding international relations - none of those fears came true.

Though the showrunners were in uncharted territory having no other Matthew Quirk novels to adapt, they did a fantastic job in creating a new situation that felt similarly dire and equally as convoluted as the events of season 1. And the events of the previous season are directly referenced, and Rose continued to be integral, and the bigger and better storylines were handled well, in my opinion at least.

The overarching result of the events of season 2 however, has to be… tragedy. So many different characters have their lives upended, affected, or changed and it’s all just tragic. The character of Noor, an outstanding addition to the show, risking everything to get her family into a better situation only to lose her brother, traumatize her mother, and receive a cheque from a smiling bureaucrat for her efforts. Warren’s son Ethan, having to go through the betrayal of a friend (David), meeting his estranged father, getting so much conflicting information about his dad, only to lose him and be traumatized forever. Rose, desperately wanting a normal life but unable to fully process her grief and trauma because the only person she fully trusts left her and isn’t coming back. Even Alice’s family and the way they had to deal with their broken hearts when she took the Night Action job and stopped keeping in contact with them.

And finally… Peter.

Peter, who is a good man and wants to do the right thing but keeps getting into situations where the right choice has consequences. Who desperately wanted to clear his father’s name only to learn that it was all true and then have to make the same choices to save the one person he loves. The soul crushing tragedy of the scene with Peter and the broker in the rail car as he taunts Peter with the knowledge that by making the choices he did, he will become his father and follow in his footsteps. The absolute fucking agony on Peter’s face.

And then the tragedy of Peter telling Rose to forget him, because he knows that he cannot keep her safe and she will be used against him even though she means “everything” to him. 😭😭😭😭

My poor shipper heart.

Although I, and I suspect a lot of people, would have loved to see a happier ending for Peter and Rose, I will say that this one felt true to the story they were trying to tell. I can think of other ways this could have gone to get them that ending which I will definitely be exploring in fanfic but I can see why this choice was made. That scene in the hotel broke my fucking heart. Again, the absolute agony on Peter’s face.

So… yeah. Just, tragedy all around with this season.

I do want to mention a few things that I really appreciated about the new episodes. First, that Rose continued to not be a damsel in distress but rather continuously came to Peter’s aid and helped him out, much as she did in the first season. Second, the character of Javad was INCREDIBLY acted by Keon Alexander and made for an excellent villain, even if not the ultimate one. Holy shit, watching the shifts from romantic interest to quiet, seething menace on his face and in his demeanour throughout the show were so compelling. Third, all the scenes between characters at the Iranian mission. I was really worried this storyline would feel rushed but instead we got so many sweet moments between characters such as Haleh and Noor and an insight into their relationships.

Some specific moments I loved:

- Noor wearing her friend’s headscarf to the event at the mission

- Haleh warning Noor that Javad knew she was at the UN even though it could have cost her her job

- The ambassador’s handling of how to get Javad out of the mission, such a stroke of brilliance

- Rose’s conversation with Catherine where she told her off for talking about her aunt and uncle because she didn’t know them

- Peter holding doors open for Rose even when they were trying to get away from gunmen

- Peter immediately crawling into bed with Rose when she was having a nightmare

- Basically ever scene with Peter and Rose

- the fight scenes, they felt incredibly realistic and used a lot of elements from around the scene

- Peter and Rose’s silent communication regarding shooting Markus, it was so awesome to see them in sync like that

- Rose’s speech to Tomăs regarding the chemical weapons, she was able to get through to him even without any type of training because she is awesome

- Peter’s immediate confidence in Rose when Catherine asked “who knew she could do that?” Fuck, that was an awesome moment

- Peter and Noor’s conversation on the steps of the UN where she understood why he did what he did and accepted his apology by holding out her hand. The number of times Peter did and tried to apologize to Noor for her brother because he wants to do the right thing

Despite how much I loved the new season, I do have a few lingering questions and complaints that I also wanted to write out in case anyone else is struggling with them:

- How did the broker know to contact Rose at the beginning of the season if Peter’s name and involvement in Camp David were scrubbed?

- that President Travers wasn’t in more episodes. I really, really appreciated the way she stood up for Peter in front of Catherine at the beginning and wish there could have been some follow through later on in the season

- it feels like Rose and the doctor could have maybe thought of knockout gas a little earlier? I understand why the show did what they did for the plot but it didn’t ring quite true that they would both make so many cannisters of KX without trying something to get out of there

- Soloman’s speech to Peter as he was taking him to meet the broker regarding the one agent of theirs Peter killed in Bangkok. How they all attended his funeral and he had 40-some people who loved him. Dude, YOU killed Peter’s partner!! That whole speech just felt off.

- the character of Catherine. Things improved towards the end of the season but I really didn’t like the character at the beginning and especially didn’t like the way she spoke about Peter. It isn’t his fault that they sent him in without a lot of training and it was her job to make sure he was ready

- Peter’s tattoos being gone. I understand why it makes sense that a spy cannot have very identifiable tattoos but come on. I think we can all agree that Gabe’s tattoos are incredibly hot and we should be able to see them

So, those are my thoughts. I’m sure I’ll have more once the dust settles from watching all the episodes in one day but for now, I hope you enjoy the new season as much as I did.

[blondejellykitty]

₊♡ ˚⊹ it's all so unfamiliar ₊♡ ˚⊹

୨୧ percy jackson x unclaimed reader ୨୧ who would've though your english teacher's step son was the hotter than the sun? a/n: (2.1k words) reader is 17 while percy's 18 (not directly mentioned but hinted to) first fic of 2025! pls ignore that it took so long lol series masterlist

Sitting on the couch of your English teacher's living room wasn't exactly how you thought you'd be spending your late afternoon.

Mr Blofis assured you that calling him for an emergency was what he was there for.

He'd said as much at the start of the school year, when he wrote his phone number on the bottom corner of the whiteboard that still, after a year of prank calls was still written on the board to this day.

You'd never thought you'd need it, sure maybe if your bus ran late and you needed him to know why you weren't in class on time but definitely not for this.

To be completely honest it wasn't even your fault, you were walking back home from the bus stop when some strange lady approached you.

At first you thought she was going to ask for directions as she seemed out of place. But she instead hissed out a threat in a language you didn't understand and launched for you.

On any other day you would've thought she was just some crazy junkie or something but the claws from her hands that sliced your arm told you otherwise.

You tried to run away but she leaped on you. Just as she was about to stab you with her murderous claws, strange vines wrapped themselves around her dragging her away from you. They started to tighten, squishing her so tight she actually poofed into golden dust.

If it wasn't for the bleeding claw marks on your arm you would've thought you went utterly mad.

And there was no way in hell you were about to call your step-dad away from his work over something as bizarre as this. Hence the call to your English teacher.

After the school year you'd had, you've seen Mr Blofis more in detention than in English lessons.

Was it really your fault when English was your least favourite subject though?

It was hard enough to read it let alone then figure out what the author meant by 'what does the red dress symbolize?'

Luckily Mr Blofis was very understanding with your struggles to read. Most teachers weren't as helpful or caring.

Even though you knew he'd pick up it still shocked you that he answered a call from a random number.

Maybe it was the adrenaline wearing out or perhaps the relief of someone to talk to, you spilled about everything that had happened.

You vaguely remember him asking where you were half way through your comparison to an insane wolverine.

He told you to wait there and he'd be there soon, true to his word. Less than twenty minutes later his car pulled up next to you.

You rushed in, wanting to leave the scene of the crime as soon as possible.

Instead of dumping you off at the nearest hospital he took you to a beautiful looking apartment.

He'd mentioned someone he'd like you to meet, his step-son as well as mentioning something to 'heal up that arm of yours' as if that made any sense.

He sat you down at the kitchen table and began looking through the kitchen cabinets. He pulled out a sealed zip lock bag with golden squares.

He called it 'Ambrosia' saying how it'd help your arm.

As if it was magic it actually worked.

Not only did the strange squares somehow taste like the candy your step brother would sneak you after dinner as a kid but slowly your wound helped up as if it'd never even been there.

After a while of silence he began talking like he usually does during one of your detentions. About everything and anything.

It served as a good distraction from the hectic events.

You often enjoyed talking with Mr Blofis, never really knowing where the conversation will lead.

One time you recall telling him about a bag you saw in the mall and ended with the conversation talking about who in history you would want to talk to most?

He picked either Stendhal or Alexander Pushkin, there's really no wonder why he's an English teacher.

You however couldn't pick between Plato and Cleopatra. It seems being around him during detentions has an effect.

You both were in the middle of another one of these long talks when a beautiful woman with brown hair walked through the front door.

She greeted you with a warm smile and she introduced herself as Sally.

She quickly leaned down and placed a small kiss on her husband's cheek before disappearing into the kitchen to put down the bags she'd brought in.

It's one thing to be in a teacher's home but to also see them act domestic with his family, it was weird.

Or maybe it was just weird because that wasn't how your family acted.

Mr Blofis or as his wife called him, Paul excused himself to catch Sally up on the earlier events of your day.

They quickly returned and then you noticed Sally had grabbed a plate of... blue cookies? She placed them in the middle of the table before nudging it closer to you.

You hesitantly picked up one to try. You nibbled the circular treat. It was delicious! Not too dry, not too soft.

It was the best cookie you'd ever had. It definitely bet the half stale ones your step father left in the cupboards for you.

"Thank you ma'am" You spoke in between bites.

She smiled warmly and softly shook her head.

"No need to thank me sweetie. And please call me Sally, you know Paul's mentioned you before. I'm just glad I finally got to meet you." She said it so genuinely it made your heart clench.

This wasn't like the put on show your family would do for others, Sally truly meant her kindness.

"Now, about what happened today" She reached out and put her hand over yours.

Here it was you thought bitterly, she's going to call me crazy just like all the others.

"It might not make sense right now, but I promise it will in due time" She continued.

Huh. That is not what they usually say.

"My son Percy, he can explain everything to you when he gets home. He's out taking his sister to the park, though she's still too young to play there he was adamant to take her" Her eyes held an adoration you'd never seen before in a parent.

It was both soul warming to see and heart breaking at once.

Both Mr Blofis and Sally looked at you for a response. You fought the urge to fidget in your seat.

"What's her name?" You questioned the brunette woman.

"What do you mean?" She threw a confused glance to her husband.

"Your daughter, the one with Percy, you didn't mention her name." You quietly explained.

Her comforting smile returned again.

"Estelle, it was my mothers name" You repeated the name silently after her.

Huh, you couldn't think of anything worse. Naming your daughter after your own mother. The thought that then your child would belong to her. But if Sally's mother was even a fraction like her daughter, you could understand the sentiment.

It was then that the front door opened again. For the second time a person was revealed behind the door.

So, this must be Percy. . . Wow.

He had messy black hair and was tall but not lanky, no he was muscled not like a bodybuilder more like a- a swimmer. His eyes took the cake however, they were blue-ish green like a murky rockpool or the sunlit ocean. He wore a white t-shirt with blue writing you couldn't see along with a pair of well worn basic blue jeans and black converses.

In his tanned arms was an adorably pink toddler, whose attention was solely on him. She seemed to be as infatuated with him as you were.

"Uh, hi" He said rather awkwardly, clearly not expecting someone over.

"Hi" It seemed awkwardness was in the air as you quietly greeted him back.

Mr Blofis stood from the table and walked over to Percy, grabbing Estelle from him while not-so discreetly talking to him in a whisper.

You could see the way Percy would look between him and you. Clearly getting an embarrassing update on who you were and why you were here.

You saw Percy nod before walking over to the table sitting down where Mr Blofis once sat. His breathtaking eyes locked into yours.

"Hey" He said again, slightly more confidently than last time.

"Hey" You spoke shyly. You were never really shy, especially around pretty boys but the way he was looking at you was like he was trying to find something.

And he really wasn't anything you'd seen before. He was absolutely gorgeous.

"Well, we'll leave you two to it then, We'll be in the upstairs study if you both need anything" Sally spoke as she got up and left the room with Mr Blofis and Estelle not far behind her.

"I'm Percy" He said with a slight smile, it seemed empathy ran in the genes. After you told him your name he continued.

"Okay, I'll explain everything to you but it'll be a lot to take in at once" You nodded at him to start explaining.

"You're a demigod. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. I am too. The gods are alive and real. Greek, Roman, Egyptian, all mythology was true. Monsters and Heroes. All of it. That's what attacked you. From what Paul told me, it sounds like it was a fury. I know from experience those things aren't nice. But they come after you because they can smell you. They smell the godly DNA in us, so they come after us. The good news is, you're not alone. There's camps for us to be safe. The bad news is. . . Long story short, the Gods promised to claim their kids, so we knew who our parents were. They promised to claim them all by the time they turned thirteen." A tense weight covered the room.

Gods.

Gods were real.

As hysterical as you thought you'd be at the insane news. It all seemed to just fit into place. Like the last piece in a very large puzzle. It sends an adrenaline rush through you, like when you finally finish a rubix cube after hours of trying to finish it.

But like a rollercoaster it plummeted. Thirteen. They had to 'claim' their kids by thirteen. You were closer to twenty than you were thirteen.

Why hadn't your parent kept their promise?

"I'm not thirteen" You said deadpanned, you kept your expression guarded but you could tell it wasn't good enough for him.

"I know, I'll figure it out." His eyes darkened and for a moment you were afraid, not of him but of those he planned on facing.

"How? They're gods?"

"Yeah, but I know where they live" He shrugged nonchalantly before sitting up straight.

"Paul can drop you off at your house to grab some of your stuff before we head to camp"

"No- Nah, that's okay I've got most of my stuff I need in my backpack." He looked at you questioningly but thankfully left it at that.

"You said everyone gets claimed at thirteen right?"

He nodded his head so you continued.

"Who's your parent?" He looked stunned as if he was shocked it hadn't said it yet, must've slipped his mind.

"Poseidon, God of the Sea" He said tiredly like he was sick of saying it, but there was a hint of pride too.

Suddenly as if you were there yourself, you saw moments like memories.

Of floods, of droughts.

Of a tall man who looked similar to Percy. He looked older than him, about thirty but his water coloured eyes held an ancient oldness in them.

You saw a large powerful trident used to help drowning people get to shore and as a weapon soaked in blood, gold and red alike.

You felt a name whispered in your head. Ποσειδων. It repeated in your head until you finally mentally screamed at it to stop.

You opened your eyes, you hadn't even realized you'd closed them. You saw Percy looking at you in concern.

"Sorry, headache" You shrugged it off. Somehow whatever happened seemed to coax you in like a bad habit.

"It's okay, i got them a lot when i first found out about all this too" He smiled and reached over to grab a blue cookie from the center of the table.

Maybe everything will be fine. Well you'd been attacked by a monster and you were starting to have crazy visions but at least everyone seemed nice.

You didn't doubt that if you told Percy right now about what you'd seen he'd try to help you figure it all out. You wouldn't of course, something in you told you this was something you had to do on your own.

The world of gods, monsters, heroes and demigods so far seemed dangerous but it was welcoming of their own.

Kind of like a cult.

This- It wasn't a cult though.

Right?

[lalavenderangel]

It Will Always Be You - Nicholas Alexander Chavez x Fem!Reader

a/n: i didn’t mean for the beginning to be so angsty omg, sorry i’m advance but enjoy! tbh i kinda hate this but it’s fine i’m letting it be

summary: as Nicholas started blowing up, it was a bit hard for you two to really keep up with your relationship. with him going all over and you wanting to stay right where you were. so things were ended…but then one night you ran into Nicholas at a party and it was like old times all over again.

warnings: 18+!! some angst, eventual smut so yes there’s a plot, oral f!reciving, unprotected PIV (wrap it up folks), some praise, one ass smack, breeding kink, cum eating, and i think that’s all if i missed anything please let me know!

word count: 2.5k

“I mean, it’s the right thing to do, right?” Nicholas asked as he looked at you. You were focused on the ground, your heart pounding loudly you swore Nicholas could hear it. This came out of nowhere, but at the same time you were not surprised at all, in fact you understood.

Nicholas was blowing up from his two recent shows, he wasn’t just Nicholas Chavez the soap opera star, he was everywhere, people were literally referring him as the ‘internet's boyfriend’ and you could not be anymore happier for him, this was everything he ever wanted and you of course supported him along the way with it all. But that didn’t mean him saying you two should break up didn’t break your heart. It’s been three years after all and you were madly in love with him. Again though, you understood.

“Doll?” His voice almost sounded like an echo as you came out of your thoughts and looked at him with the best fake smile you could muster.

“It is, I understand Nicholas, we are on two different life paths and I know it’s been hard for us both. It’s the right thing Nicholas.” You say softly. He frowns a little. He knows that this was his idea but he had hope that you would fight harder but he also knew better. When it came to his dreams you always put how you felt about anything aside to support him. You even put your accomplishments on the sidelines to focus on his accomplishments. He never liked when you did it but anytime he tried to talk about it you shut him down, telling him they were not a big deal compared to his, so he eventually gave up.

He grabs your hands in his and brings them up, pressing kisses to your knuckles repeatedly over and over again. “You’re too good for me, you know that? I always thought I didn’t deserve you and I will always think that. Please know that I will always be in love with you, literally for the rest of my life and I promise I will find my way back to you.” He says softly.

“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep Nicholas.” You say but he shakes his head and just leans in and kisses you.

And that had been the last time you had seen Nicholas.

*8 months later*

Things had finally gotten easier, granted you still see his face all over but that's a given but now you were able to scroll past like it was nothing. Well okay not nothing, you will always love Nicholas, hell you were still in love with him but you managed and that was all that mattered. You walked into your apartment after a long shift, ready to take your clothes off, shower, and lay in your towel all night long but your best friend had other plans.

As you stepped out of the shower you grabbed your phone to turn the music off when you saw a text about a party tonight. You rolled your eyes a little and sighed. You weren’t much into the party scene and she knew that but when you reminded her she claimed you needed this. You sat on your bed for a moment before getting up and getting dressed for this party anyway. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to have fun, like real fun.

You threw on a deep red cami like cropped top, a black mini skirt, and what actually was one of Nicholas’ leather jackets that he had left behind, knowing it would complete the look. You went over to your shoes debating on comfort or heels, not taking long before you grabbed the heels and threw them on. You fixed your hair up, did minimal makeup and called it good as you grabbed your mini purse and phone, letting your friend know you were coming down now.

With a few drinks and a couple shots, you were letting liquid courage take the reigns of your night. You had been flirting left and right and it felt good. You were worried you were off your game but the current guy you were talking to proved otherwise. He was currently whispering something in your ear making you giggle before he was abruptly pulled away from you.

Then you saw the reason why. God he got hotter, and his arms looked even bigger than you remember them being. And that facial hair? For fuck sakes it would always be the death of you even when it was just a little bit.

“The fuck are you doing hitting on my girlfriend?” Nicholas asked.

“Hey man, she was hitting on me, I didn’t know she had a boyfriend.” The guy said. “I don’t want any trouble.” Nicholas chuckled lowly before pushing the guy away and looking at you.

“Girlfriend huh?” You question, raising a brow.

“Trust me sweetheart, you didn’t want to go there.” He says sitting down next to you and calling over the bartender. He orders you both a drink before he fully turns to look at you. He had a hard look on his face, as you noticed he did a lot lately before he smiled, showing you the old Nick you knew. “You look stunning.”

“I know.” You smiled, your cheeks growing hot as he stared at you.

“There's my confident girl.” Him saying that made your heart flutter. The bartender sets the drinks down and you both grab them.

“How long are you in town?” You asked him.

“Few months, filming a movie.” He says and you light up a little.

“That’s great Nicholas!” You say.

“It’s no big deal, I don’t want to talk about that, please. Tell me how you are.” He asked, almost begging. You sigh a little before you tell him about what you've been doing, and as you do the smile never leaves his face. After a while he stands up and offers his hand to you. “Come on.”

You knew you shouldn’t but you grabbed his hand anyway and he dragged you out. He calls for a car and looks around before pinning you against the wall, a smug look on his face as he leans down and kisses you. Within seconds the kiss became needy and a bit desperate. You knew you missed this but you didn’t realize how much until this moment right here as neither of you came up for air basically. But his phone buzzes and he pulls away, the both of you panting.

“Car’s here.” He says softly. He kisses you again before grabbing your hand and leading you to the car quickly, letting you in first before he gets in as well. Once the door is closed he looks at you, the same loving look in his eyes was there once again. “Is that my jacket by the way?” He asked and you both laughed a little.

“It is, you can have it back.” You say softly.

“Nah, keep it, it looks better on you than me anyway.” He says and you lightly shove him making him laugh a little. There was his typical charm.

The car pulls up to a house and you look at him for a moment and he just shrugs a little before scratching the back of his neck. “I told them an apartment would have been fine but here we are. Don’t judge, let's go.” He says, grabbing your hand and helping you out of the car.

Once you both got inside, Nicholas barely waited for the door to close before he was kissing you again, pinning you against the wall. “Fuck I have missed this so much, I’ve been needing this so bad.” He mumbles against your lips. He reaches down and grabs your thighs in his hands and you wrap them around his waist instantly. Nicholas couldn’t be bothered in the moment to take you to his room as he lays you back on the couch before he steps back for a moment. You go to say something but he stops you.

“Let me have this sweetheart.” He says lowly, his eyes filled with lust as they roam your body. He quickly unbuttons his shirt before tossing it somewhere in his living room before getting on his knees, hooking his arms around your thighs and yanking towards his face. He inhales deeply before he pushes your skirt up and over your waist. He can see the wet spot on your underwear. He growls softly before he leans down and press hot open-mouthed kisses to your thighs, wanting to tease you a little bit before he moves to your pussy finally, mouthing at it making you whine.

“Nicholas, it has been so long, please don’t tease me.” You beg softly. You thought with how he was wasting no time he wouldn’t want to do this but then again it was Nicholas. He loved teasing you and getting you all worked up.

“Shhh doll, you know you love this.” He says smugly as he continues, placing his hands on your thighs to hold you open as he feels you trying to close your legs around his head. He looks up at you, watching you writhing underneath him. He laps at your covered pussy, groaning at the taste as he continues to tease you, sucking on your clit a little making you whine.

“Nicholaaaasss.” You whimper. He chuckles before he grips onto your underwear and yanks them down your legs finally before he puts them into his back pocket.

“Mmm such a pretty little pussy.” He whispers before he dives in, eating your pussy like he’s been starved for days, which in his mine he has been since he hasn’t been able to taste you in so long. You reached down and gripped at his hair tightly as your body arched up off the couch.

“Fuck needed this so bad Nicholas.” You moan out, trying to close your thighs again but unable to. When Nicholas aye pussy he really went all in, honestly he ate your pussy like he made out with you and it always sent your mind reeling. The lewd sounds filled his living room and it just made you even more soaked.

“Always tastes so sweet, like my own personal drug.” He mumbles against your pussy, holding you tightly against his face, not letting up on his ministrations. He swirled his tongue around your clit before sucking it harshly into his mouth, groaning as he kept his eyes locked on you. Your legs begin to shake and he pulls away making you cry out.

“No, please!” You whine and he chuckles a little, setting your legs down as he gets up.

“Shh, I just want you to cum on my cock doll.” He says working on his jeans before yanking them down, not even stepping out of them before he pulls you up and turns you adjusting you just how he always liked you. He lines his cock up before he pushes in all the way, the both of you moaning loudly. He places his hand on your head, pushing it down as he starts thrusting into you quickly, instantly getting lost in the feeling of you wrapped around his cock.

“Made for me, you will always be made for me. No one will ever make you feel this way will they? Not even close.” He grunts out. “You’re mine, all fucking mine, say it, say you’re mine.” He demands.

“All yours Nicholas, always will be.” You whine out, gripping the couch cushions tightly. He pushes your head down a little more, the other hand gripping your hip tightly as he feels you clenching around him.

“Are you getting close sweetheart?” He asked you, letting go of your hip for a moment and smacking your ass.

“Yes, don’t stop, please!” You cry out. Nicholas moves his hand from your head, gripping your hips and pulling you up a little, leaning back to get a better angle as he pounds into you.

“Come on, be a good girl and cum for me doll, wanna feel you make a huge mess for me.” He groans out as you clench around him again. A few more deep, hard thrusts and you’re cumming hard all over his cock, crying out as you do, your body shaking. “Fuuuuck, that’s it.” He grunts out not letting up at all.

“Cum for me Nicholas, fill my pussy, please.” You whine.

“Holy shit, you’re going to be the death of me.” Nicholas groans, always loved when you let him cum in you. “Of course you want me to breed your little pussy huh? Miss being stuffed full of my cum. Mmm, imagine this time it stuck, fuck you would look so sexy carrying my baby.” He hums, making you moan even more as you already feel another orgasm building up.

“Oh my God.” You moan out.

“You like the thought of that don’t you? Filthy girl, don’t worry, I’m going to fill you up real nice.” He grunts, picking up the pace before he stops, holding you against him and cums deep inside of you. “Fuuuuuck, that’s it, take it all.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” You moan out as he cums inside of you. Nicholas continues thrusting into you, feeling you getting close again from the way you’re clenching around him.

“Look at you, getting so worked up from being filled with my cum.” He chuckles a little. You start meeting his thrusts a little before you’re cumming again, screaming his name. “That’s my girl.”

Once you calm down from your high, Nicholas pulls out finally, a whimper slipping from your lips. He sees the mixture of your release leaking out, a smug look on his face as he takes his fingers and pushes it back inside of you making you moan softly. He pulls his finger out once he is satisfied, before putting them in his mouth and sucking them clean and you turn around, laying on your back as you look up at him. He cups your face, squeezing your cheeks until your mouth pops open, leaning down and spitting the mixture into your mouth making you moan again.

“Swallow.” He demands and you do, making him smile with pride. “Good girl.” He helps you up and finally takes you to his room and cuddles up with you, pressing kisses all over your shoulder, making you hum in content.

As the night went on you and Nicholas kept having sex on and off, catching up for lost time as he called it. But of course good things come to an end and the next day you both had to go back to your normal lives.

About a couple weeks went by before he was hitting you up again wanting to see you, wanting to be inside you, wanting to wake up next you again. You knew you should probably say no as you knew you should move on but he was hard to resist, and you still loved him. Of course he still loved you too and for him he wanted it to be more than sex, he wanted you back but he didn’t know how to approach that so he took what he could get.

Regardless of how things were, you and Nicholas would always go back to each other even if it wasn’t the same as before you guys were drawn to the other and the love you two shared will always remain and you both knew it.

taglist: @iamsebastiansstan @nicholaschavezslut69 @nicholaslut @hoffmansgirl

[gffa]

People shouldn't be too hard on Mon!

I absolutely love and is grateful of Freed's understanding and appreciation of the Jedi, apparent in the book, apparent in the interview he'd given for the book:

"For me, the excitement of the time period here, is that I tend to think of 'Star Wars' as a setting with plenty of room for grey area stories and moral ambiguity, but there are very clear lines of good and evil as well. There's no version of 'Star Wars' in which you look at the Emperor and go, 'Well, maybe he had some good ideas.' No, the Emperor is evil. And the Jedi and Luke at their best are good. Everything else exists somewhere in there. This is a period where the remains true but no one really knows that the Emperor is evil.

"As far as the public is concerned, this guy just won the worst war in living memory. The Clone Wars were this horrendous affair and Palpatine has put an end to it. Yes, he's declared himself Emperor but he's not the embodiment of all evil. There's not even a Death Star out there. On the absolute good side, the Jedi have sort of been tarnished in recent years. War scrapes away at the shining morality of any organization."

I think Freed really understands what Lucas meant when he said "The Jedi have been corrupted by this war."

...but I still don't hold it against Mon cause she's going through hell and she spoilerspoilerspoilerspoiler in the later half of the book. I think she's fascinating, wonderful, equally valid character with equally valid viewpoints as Bail within context of their own worlds and experiences in this novel.

The editor of the book said it best:

Bail – knows the truth about Palpatine, the Empire, and the fall of the Jedi. Caught between his commitment to truth and justice at any cost, and the duty he has to the daughter he’s been entrusted to protect.

Mon Mothma – a master politician, who believes – like so many – that opposing Palpatine is part of the regular game of politics. She doesn’t yet realize, Palpatine stood up from the game board years ago, and she’s playing against shadows.

Mon and Bail are allies, but not really friends (at this time). Padme was their link, and now, she’s gone. Where does that leave them?

For Mon and Bail especially, the secrets Bail holds that he cannot reveal leaves a gulf between them. And what does it mean when they find themselves at odds with each other, over truths they cannot speak?

prev anon) I'm talking about their different mindsets and experiences and viewpoints born from those and I'm not excusing Mon's... *spoilers* anyway I hope you enjoy the rest of the book! It's so nice seeing an author like Freed, who usually writes non-force side of sw, handling the jedi with such warmth, understanding and awareness

This was such a reassuring message to get, thank you! I've been avoiding spoilers for the book as best I can, but I'm only a quarter of the way through it and I was wondering how the various themes were going to go, but Freed's interview quotes and your comments have made me glad that I'm picking up what this book is putting down, because that's exactly how I've been reading it. (And why I'm hoping to encourage more people to read it--though, I will give a warning that this book can be uncomfortably prescient about current events in a way that I wouldn't say Alexander Freed Is A Witch, but that can be very hard to read about if you're not in the headspace to deal with a lot of reflections of the dumpster fire we're currently in.) As for Mon, I hope nobody comes down on her for this, because as much as I scream, cry, throw up, etc., over Bail's scenes, in general I lean a bit more towards Mon's way of doing things, because I think her approach is her answer to the question, "But what can actually be truly achieved?" That she is looking at an incredibly shitty situation with only shitty options and asking herself what can she actually get done, what does she have a snowball's chance in hell of success with? And she knows clearing the Jedi's name at this point in time is not on the table, not when there are a million other things that might actually do tangible good for the galaxy. And I don't disagree with that! I love the Jedi more than anyone, but clearing their name isn't more important that, say, trying to stop the Wookiees from being classified as a non-sentient species! Clearing their name isn't important enough to blow all your political capital and having nothing to show for it when there are people who you can help, with a chance that will actually succeed! Bail's idealism isn't stupid, he's incredible and the galaxy needs a shining light like him, it's necessary for the bigger hope for the future, we can't make it through the dark times without bright, shining hope. So even when they don't always think positively of each other, I never get the sense that Bail and Mon don't understand that the other is doing what they think is best. They just disagree on what that is. And it makes sense! Bail knew and was friends with the Jedi! He knows the truth about Palpatine and how important all that Force shit is to what's going on here! Mon is operating with the idea that this is a political battle--and she's not entirely wrong, she's necessary to the recovery of the galaxy, too, just as Luke is necessary to save the day, so too is Leia, and I sort of see that reflected in Bail and Mon's approaches--one is focusing on the mystical and one is focusing on the political and I think both are important here. So, I have nothing but hearts for Mon Mothma and what she's trying to do for the galaxy.

And I don't see them as antagonists here, I see them as two people who look at each other with the understanding that there is deep love and compassion for people in the other, that they want this other person on their side not just for political alliances but because they care, and maybe they want to scream in frustration that the other person can't see what they see, but I don't feel for a second that this is going to end with them anything other than them as friends. Their scene in Rogue One implies she knows about Bail knowing a living Jedi, if not directly knowing about Obi-Wan Kenobi, which isn't something he would tell just anyone. I'm hoping for the same with Saw, there's going to be conflict about their approaches, and I love that that's clearly a theme/why these three characters were chosen as the pillars of this book, that each of them are shown to have their reasons why and that each of them serve a purpose. I scream/cry/throw up more about the Jedi because that's the most fun for me, but I am enthralled with Mon's chapters just as much, the political tightrope she's on, and I would encourage people to read for those aspects just as much as I would encourage them for crying about the Jedi. ANYWAY, EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK FOR YOURSELF, I'm having fun with the snippets I'm posting, but the book is so much more than those things! It's one of the best SW for rounding out the characters and filling in the transitions between the movies and TV shows, but in a way that keeps the tension and emotional gut-punches despite that we know where it's going. ALSO, MON MOTHMA AND BAIL ORGANA ARE THE BEST, I'M WILLING TO FIGHT THE INTERNET OVER THIS

[piratekane]

Angie get bent? Like over by isles or something bad in the timeline that is our stupid reality?

Oh no, we’re forgetting the ancient lore. (Though, you’re forgiven, because I think three queer people and my grandparents watched this show and it *is* from 2010-2016.)

Angie Harmon famously denied there were any queer undertones to this show, despite her insane acting choices (????) and got angry with fans who held onto this narrative. Like, really doubled down on the “there is nothing but family love between Jane and Maura” card. (During this time, she also attended the RNC and spoke about the sanctity of marriage…) She was a denier to the point of discomfort. Which was weird, because was she not watching the same show we were??? I know she’s just acting what was written, but her face (and hands!) didn’t get the memo. She has a pattern of this kind of behavior, too. Don’t get me started on Women’s Murder Club…

Sasha Alexander, on the other hand, loved the idea and definitely supported fans who thought that Jane and Maura were madly in love. She has talked about it in interviews somewhere but I’d have to do a deep dive to find the sources and I’m typing this with one eye open, still in bed. She also stopped interacting outside of the show with Angie during this. (I’m pretty sure, at least?)

Overall, clown behavior on Angie Harmon’s part. I mean, for goodness sake, the whole ending (can you ‼️ spoiler alert ‼️ a nearly 10-year-old show??) is Jane chasing Maura to Paris—on Maura’s miles! They nearly raise multiple babies together. Jane can’t marry Casey because it would take her too far away from Maura. Maura considers moving to Maine and Jane immediately says she’ll give up her very tight-knit family dynamic to go with her. Maura’s crime boss bio dad threatens Jane because he knows it’ll get Maura’s attention. Maura meets her bio mom and when she disappoints Maura, Jane goes up one side of her and down the other. Jane’s mom lives with Maura. There’s a scene where Maura thinks she might be attracted to Jane’s brother because he’s an attractive chess master and it turns out that Jane taught him everything she knew and Maura gets this look on her face and Jane smirks and Maura’s attraction to Tommy is never brought up again. And this is just what I remember off the top of my head. I could name a hundred more examples, but I’m tired.

Anyway, “get bent” not in a fun way. Very much in a “Angie Harmon you were not watching the show you were acting in and there are legions (read: six) queer people mad at you about it” way.

(Wow, this is a long response. Sorry.)

[ts1m1kas]

Original Ask: how about sweet Erling taking reader on a date in Norway? they’re not together but they’re dating, and that is the date when Erling decides to talk about his feelings. I didn’t have any particular setting in mind, just whipped Erling that likes to hold hands and kiss her forehead 🥹🥹 (anonymous)

Word Count: 694 words

(author's note: realised i misread the ask so i hope you still enjoy it + i kinda hate the ending, but i hope the erling fans enjoy anyway xoxo)

One thing Y/N loved about the end of the football season was returning to her boyfriend Erling’s family home in Norway. The rolling hills and scenic views instantly relaxed her and made her forget the stress of city life. 

The rising sun shone through the window in the couple's room. Erling awoke first, his eyes scanning over his girlfriend’s sleeping face. He smiled at the peacefulness that adorned her features. He always thought Y/N looked the best in the morning when she hadn’t yet been disturbed.

Y/N began to stir and opened her eyes slightly. 

“I can feel you staring,” she mumbled softly, “Creep.”

Erling laughed, “Not my fault you’re so gorgeous.”

He wrapped his arms around Y/N’s waist and pulled her closer to him. Pressing a gentle kiss to the crown of her head, Y/N brought her hands up to rub her eyes.

“Wanna take you out today,” Erling said, “We can go get a drink or something?”

“Okay, sounds good to me,” Y/N replied, “Anywhere specific in mind?”

He nodded, “There’s this coffee shop in town that I used to go to all the time. They have the best hot chocolate.”

After lazing in bed together for a little longer, the couple began to get ready. They took advantage of the slow morning and enjoyed the company of one another. When they were both ready, they pulled on their shoes and coats and headed out of the door.

Walking down the winding street, Erling gently grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and laced their fingers together. He squeezed her hand softly as they carried on down the path. They talked about anything and everything throughout their walk to the local town, laughing and joking like children.

As they pushed open the doors to the cafe, the barista looked up, and his face broke out into a smile.

“Erling, I haven’t seen you in forever! How are you?” He exclaimed, wiping his hands on his apron.

As the couple made their way over to the counter, Erling smiled back.

“Hey Alex, I’ve been good, how about you?” 

“Not too bad, who’s this?” The man asked, gesturing towards Y/N.

“This is my girlfriend, Y/N. Y/N, this is Alexander.”

Y/N smiled at him, “Lovely to meet you, Alex.”

“What can I get you guys?” Alex asked, moving towards the till.

“2 hot chocolates, please, extra cream,” Erling said.

Alex nodded and went to make the drinks. Y/N and Erling found an empty table and sat down. They resumed their conversation from earlier whilst waiting for their drinks.

Alex brought over the tray and placed them down, “Enjoy you two.”

Y/N brought the cup up to her lips and took a sip of the velvety liquid.

“You weren’t joking. This is incredible.”

Erling laughed, “I told you so, it’s still great after all these years.”

The pair fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying not only the drinks but also the company of each other.

“I love you,” Erling said after a while.

“Where’s that come from?”

“Bringing you to places I used to come as a kid just makes me realise how grateful I am to have found you.”

“I love you too, you big softie.”

The pair finished their drinks, said goodbye to Alex, and headed back outside. They took advantage of the calm weather and walked slowly through the streets of the town, hand in hand. 

They ended up in a park and found a bench in a secluded area. They sat down, and Erling wrapped his arm around Y/N’s shoulders. Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, he stared at the tranquil scene ahead of him.

“I didn’t realise how long we stayed out,” Erling commented, referring to the sun that had begun to dip lower in the sky.

“We can start walking back soon. It shouldn’t be too dark.”

Erling nodded, pulling his girlfriend closer to him. Y/N rested her head on his shoulder and let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She slipped her hand into his as they watched the sun set further.

[insanityclause]

The second installment of Jamie Lloyd’s stint at Theatre Royal Drury Lane is officially open. From tragedy to comedy - this time Lloyd takes on Shakespeare’s greatly adored Much Ado About Nothing and it’s a million miles away from anything we’ve seen from the company in the past year. I was eager, yet hesitant, to see how Jamie Lloyd Co would take on this play, having very much settled into the Jacobean tragedies, or musicals with sombre tales - would Lloyd’s now penned signature style be reused once again? 

Walking into the auditorium was a wildly different experience to last year’s The Tempest, this time the stark bare stage was lit by neon pink strobe lighting and paired with Ibiza classic tunes pumping through the theatre. The tone for the night was immediately set, and intrigue built.

Now, I must admit I have not been the greatest fan of Lloyd’s Shakespeare productions of last year, although conceptually I hugely adore and admire his pushing of out-of-the-box ideas, I felt they were a little off the mark, feeling a little too constrained that Shakespeare’s rhythm was lost. However, I was blown away by this production - it was everything and more I could’ve hoped for - THAT is how you modernise and reimagine Shakespeare for the 21st century. 

The story, following two couples - one immediately head over heels for one another, the other - your classic enemies to lovers, is a wonderful tale and one which you can understand why it still feels so relevant hundreds of years later. We are first introduced to Hero (Mara Huf) and Claudio (James Phoon) who play the young lovers with great passion and humour, playing into the gushiness of their text. Phoon’s anguish ridden monologue in Act II is particularly impressive, full of energy and understanding. 

Our second couple, Beatrcie, played by the stunning Hayley Atwell, and Benedick - played by Tom Hiddleston - are a match made in heaven on stage together. Their study of their characters makes them feel so relatable and personable, despite the grandeur of the theatre, you feel so zoned in on their story. Atwell’s Beatrice is a wonderful modern take of the character, delving into the societal injustice of her script, and mocking the constraints placed on her as a female - it’s a joyous mockery instead of the classic “damned woman” narrative. 

Hiddleston’s stage presence is sublime - he effortlessly leads the production with an air of coolness, and he feels like a natural born Shakespearean actor. His ability to play the fool makes the production such a joy to watch. Both Atwell and Hiddleston repeatedly break the fourth wall, which makes the production feel even more like the audience are encouraged to fully immerse in the fun of the night.

Originally set in 17th century Messina, Lloyd has transported the play into an ambiguous modern fantasy of electric pink madness. The cast, draped in Studio 54-esque costumes, continuously break out into dance breaks to Ibiza classics which act as scene changes that are incredibly slick and ensure the energy never drops. 

The incredibly talented Mason Alexander Park returns to the stage after their role in The Tempest, as Hero’s attendant Margaret. After their success in their previous show, it was wonderful to see them returning with more musical additions to the show, this time performing dance floor hits such as the finale’s ‘When love takes over’ which I'm sure will have been seen already across social media. 

Lloyd’s camp, flamboyant and electric take on the play seems like it shouldn’t work but it is just so magically mesmerising I found myself wanting more at the end. Act I plays entirely into this high energy mood, and is wonderfully contrasted by a more austere Act II - allowing the meddling scheme of Don John - and its effect on the characters to really be focused on. 

As always with a Jamie Lloyd Co production, the staging is intentionally bare, with only chairs and a singular table used in way of props. However, the floor is covered in a sea of hot pink confetti, which continues to drop throughout the show, and a giant inflatable pink heart lowers halfway through Act I. Hiddleston hilariously uses the confetti to disguise himself whilst Don Pedro and his men speak loudly of Beatrice’s “love” for Benedick, it’s a fantastically farcical scene which had the audience in bouts of laughter. 

Credit must also be given to the recent addition of lottery tickets for this show, and also the £25 tickets for key workers and younger theatregoers. Lloyd's productions has earnt (at times) ridiculous costs for seats, making them feel inaccessible to many, so it's really great to see many efforts being made to try make theatre as accessible as possible.

It was so refreshing to see a production of Shakespeare done with such success. Having seen so many openings in the past year alone - it’s started to feel slightly repetitive of “another celebrity cast Shakespeare”, and many have found that a big name doesn’t equal a box office hit. However, this production truly made me eat my words for many reasons. It is brimming with talent, as joyful as theatre can get and a true testimony of why Jamie Lloyd continues to be one of the greatest names in theatre of this century. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[justthemis124]

My opinion on "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story" PART II

Hello everyone! I'm back for the second part of my opinion on the show "Monsters". If you haven't read the first part, go check it out right here :)

III. THE PORTRAYAL OF THE PARENTS

If I previously talked about the brothers’ portrayal in part 1, I also have a LOT of things to say about how the parents were portrayed.

Like I mentioned in part 1, I do believe that Ryan Murphy produced the show with the idea in mind that Erik and Lyle were liars. So, ultimately, it wasn’t that surprising to see that José and Kitty (in my opinion) weren't exactly portrayed as the monsters they truly were.

First things first, I would like to address the very last scene of the show, when they are on the boat shark fishing. In all honesty, I really did not understand that scene and the reasoning behind putting it at the very end. The feeling that I got when this scene came on was that, somehow the show was trying to depict José and Kitty as a nice couple that was trying to overcome their past difficulties, a depiction that I, obviously, absolutely hate. In my mind, it was just so weird to put that one scene at the end, after everything. You know what they've done, who they really are, and still there is that clip of them as a happy married couple spending the afternoon on a boat. If anyone has any insight or an opinion on that scene please don't hesitate to leave a comment!

Now there is one main episode where we get to see a lot of José and Kitty, and that's episode 7 when Kitty is seeing a therapist. She proceeds to talk about how Erik and Lyle scare her and don't care about her at all. In my opinion, this is just a sickening stunt of Ryan Murphy to try and get us to have empathy towards the parents. And I truly felt that this specific episode was just full of moments like this, moments that depict Erik and Lyle as spoiled kids, undeserving of what they have and not appreciative towards the parents. While Kitty and José are shown as parents trying their best, giving their kids everything they ask for, but ultimately powerless against the anger and ungratefulness that their children hold against them. No need for me to explain how such a representation of literal child m*lesters is extremely dangerous.

In that episode we also learn that, apparently, José was also m*lested by his parents when he was a child. Now I did some research on that because I was quite shocked to hear that in the show, because I don't remember hearing that anywhere. Now I wasn't able to find anything, so if anyone has any informations on that please leave a comment! Because here's the thing, my fear is that RM might have lied about this part to try and justify the abuse that Erik and Lyle suffered from José, which, if that's the case, I genuinely have no words to describes how vile, sick and straight up psychopathic it is. So again if anyone has any information about that, please leave a comment!

IV. THE ACTORS' PERFORMANCES

Having said everything that I said up until now, I wanted to dedicate a part to the actors' performance and all the work that they put into it.

I mentioned at the end of the first part, that all this criticism was directed at Ryan Murphy and not at the actors, because at the end of the day, actors have to follow a script and do the best they can with the instructions that they've been given. So If we forget for a second everything that's wrong with this show, I think it's important to salute the incredible performances that Cooper Koch (Erik Menendez) and Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Lyle Menendez) gave us. As we've seen before, yes, the portrayal of Lyle was not accurate at all and quite defamatory, but still as an actor, Nicholas did an amazing job. Especially during the trials scene, when he is taking the stand, that seems to be the only accurate thing they got of Lyle.

Of course I have to mention episode 5, where Cooper Koch delivered an outstanding and heartbreaking performance in a 35 minutes monologue in one single take. It almost brought me to tears, and for me this is one of the few scenes that does the brothers justice. I also have to mention Cooper Koch's involvement with the actual case, you all probably know this by now but he went to visit Erik Menendez in prison, he said that they had a long conversation, that they hugged and Cooper told him that he was standing with them (Erik and Lyle) and that he believed them. He also told Erik that he did everything he could to try and portray him as best as possible. And I'm so happy that at least one person of the project actually understood what it truly meant to do this show.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, I can only express disappointment and disgust towards this show. I was really pumped at its announcement and couldn't wait to see it. Because for me, the name "monsters" was obviously directed towards the parents, but then I saw that it was actually for the brothers and I really couldn't believe it. And no amount of billboards trying to turn this around with "are they monsters?" can make up for anything (see below).

As you all probably know by now, a Netflix documentary about the brothers and their perspective is coming out on Monday 7th October, and after that show I am glad Netflix gave them a chance to express themselves.

Alright guys that was it for my opinion on the show, I hope you liked it! Again if there is anything you disagree with or if you'd like to add something, another point of view or another insight please do and leave a comment! Thanks to everyone who read this post all the way to the end!

See you in the next post!

FREE THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS

[missielynne]

CBS Ghosts Review: Alexander Hamilton and the Ruffle Kerfluffle

This episode gets props for the awesome wordplay in the title but as far as it's one of Isaac's big moments...I wish I could have been more impressed.

Like, it's good to know what his and Hamilton's rivalry was about since that's such a big part of his character, but at the same time...I was underwhelmed by the reason, even though it fit Isaac's personality very well. I wish they would have gone with something more serious, like Isaac had arrived to sign the declaration and Hamilton had locked him in the closet to prevent him from getting to it or something. But just having it be over something as trivial as a ruffle when we've waited four seasons for our answer...no. And it's especially jarring when the episode's B plot is so much more engrossing.

I am really surprised that they relegated Elias to a B plot when he's been front and center in his other appearances. I've seen some people say they wish he would just stay in Hell and not come back, but I find him an incredibly entertaining villain, and the stakes he brought with him in this episode were so great! They should have gotten the whole episode to play out and I'm kind of peeved that didn't happen.

Watching Thor especially beat himself up for everything bad he's done was so sad but I was glad that the others were there to remind him of how he's improved. (And I was very surprised and pleased with Hetty for bringing up her past with Thor in front of the other ghosts because I thought that would be the sort of thing she'd keep to herself, and I was so glad he listened to his friends and not Elias cause he deserves better than that. (Also, would he actually go with Elias, or to Viking Hel, which is different? One has to wonder. Although seeing the look on Elias's face if Thor DID go somewhere else and not with him would have been so funny.)

It surprised me, however goofy the reasoning for the rivalry was, the moral of it was played straight. Isaac told Jay not to let being right ruin his chance at success and that...that was good. That was real, and that was helpful. I just wish the path to it was something I could have taken more seriously. It was interesting that it did reveal Hamilton to have taken Isaac's ruffle on purpose, but I have to wonder how reliable a narrator Isaac is about this, given how much he wants to look in the right for his friends? I'm probably thinking about it too much, but I do wonder.

And as for that ending with Jay and Elias...I screamed. That was really awesome. I read in a summary that Jay didn't take Elias up on it, but in the episode, it just looks like he's in "let me think about it" mode. Could this become something that leads to issues in Sam and Jay's marriage if it continues? Or was it just a one-off end scene to add shock value? I hope it's the former, but I bet it's the latter.

Next week, we get an Alberta episode, which IMO are some of the best ones and I really can't wait to see what happens then.

[tia-amorosa]

Episode 3 "Where is Bella?" (Part 3)

While Cassandra goes about her work at the institute, Alexander enjoys his day off with his father. Even though the boy is not so artistically inclined, he is still interested in art. He knows from stories that his mother was passionate about painting. But he is also surprised that there is not a single picture of hers hanging in the whole family home.

“Why aren't there any pictures of mom hanging here? Didn't she want them to be seen in the gallery?"/ ”She's… She didn't get around to putting her pictures in the gallery, Alexander. But she would have liked to… It just wasn't quite enough for an exhibition.” Mortimer found it difficult to give his son explanations that weren't even entirely true.

“Then why don't you just paint a few pictures and show them? You can paint beautifully too, I know that"/,,I know that too. But I… Would you like to have a look at the old covered wagon?”. The boy noticed when his father became uncomfortable talking about certain things. So he preferred not to probe any further. “Yes, and I want to have another look at the founder's statue.”

Mortimer worked at the institute himself for many years. He carried out many groundbreaking research projects and experiments. But there was one area that he preferred to keep his hands off in the end. He no longer knew what to do, the loss almost broke him completely. But he caught himself, for his children. “And that's what they used to drive around in, Dad?”.

“Hn-hn, yes, and sometimes whole families traveled in a thing like that//,,I find that hard to imagine. How did they go to the toilet? Our caravans have toilets in them“/”well, there were no toilet blocks by the roadside back then. Then you went into the forest“/”mmh, and what about toilet paper?"/ ‘My boy, necessity is the mother of invention’.

To change his own mind a little, he told his son what life was like in the past, in the countryside, in the cities. Completely different from today, where so many things have become taken for granted. And Alexander listened curiously and patiently to the stories his father told him. They spent a little longer in the gallery.

short Change of scene

Strangetown

While Mortimer is on a trip to the gallery with his son, his daughter is on the phone in her lab. As she needs help with her own experiments, she has contacted a few experts whose contact details were not exactly easy to obtain. She is currently only in telephone contact with them.

And in this laboratory at the end of the Strangetown desert, work is also being done, well, more or less: “What did you do again to cause the box to crash?”/"I didn't do anything, okay? What bothers me most is that it happened again during calibration. And I can't find the error"/ ‘Have you ever asked Bert?’/ ‘He's busy in the lab at the moment…’.

Then Pascal's cell phone rang. Hello? Oh, hello, Cassandra, how are you? I'm glad to hear that. Yes, everything's the same here. I'm sorry to disappoint you… Yes, there's nothing new in that regard. All the sightings have turned out to be fakes. The ladies have all been checked, none of them are your mother. Mhm…”.

“I can't explain it either, but they're all clean. They have valid birth certificates, each of them has their own genetic code, no two are alike, and neither is your mother. Apparently it's just a freak of nature that some of the women here look very similar to Bella. No, Polli has also confirmed everything to me in detail. I think we'll have to start all over again, step by step… Hey, I know you don't want to give up“/,,haach, crap crutch,” was heard from the background. “No, that wasn't me haha”.

“Oh, I'm having problems with the main computer here at the moment. And my little brother is the only one I trust when it comes to technology… Oh God, mercy, no. Hmm, yeah, I'll definitely contact Polli again…. oh, I believe you on that, no question. Tycho? Oh, he's doing wonderfully, he's learning incredibly fast,” / ‘who knows what he's doing with the babysitter right now, hehe’….

“Oh, that's Lazlo, he's always cracking some kind of joke. What's the situation?"/ ”Your Holy Grail is operational again, all the data is still there, nothing has been lost. What do I get for it?“/”uh, I don't know, we'll talk about it later… Cassandra? Oh, good, you're still on. Well, I'd suggest we go back to the beginning. When did she disappear and everything”.

“back to the beginning? We've already been through all that. oh man, hhh, all right. I'm meeting Don today anyway… maybe I can do some more questioning there… Yes, the wedding is soon. Mhm…did you actually receive my e-mail with my theory? And what do you think? OK, then ask your brother… It's okay. Give my regards. Yes, see you then”.

After she had finished the phone call, she collected her thoughts once again. She has been dealing with Pascal for several months now and she currently has a suspicion as to where her mother might be. But that's just a theory. It's all about her soul. Her ghostly existence. A ghost that is nowhere to be found must still be somewhere. Maybe even stuck somewhere? But for now, Cassandra makes her way to her meeting with Don.

@greenplumbboblover, @solorisims, @plumbobgothica🙂

[rin-sith]

So, the Ithaca saga and especially song 40 unfortunately disappointed me very much, and I am finally coherent enough to yap about it... I am not even gonna attempt to talk about song 38 and why I pretty much hated it yet; that's for later.

So yes, if you don't want to read about someone being disappointed in this saga, then please stop reading :3

First of all, the performances and the music in this saga were STELLAR. Absolutely breathtaking. Stunning. Second of all, the storytelling and lyricism were extremely weak. To the point where it felt like a betrayal of the brilliance that was the Vengeance saga, and technically also everything that came before.

Idk, maybe I'm dumb and/or missing something, but it felt like an enormous whiplash after everything else in Act 2 so far to the point where I genuinely don't know how to feel.

DISCLAIMER: ALL OF THESE THOUGHTS ARE KIND OF JUST MY CURRENT THOUGHTS AFTER A FEW LISTENS AND MAY SHIFT AND/OR CHANGE AFTER SOME TIME. Please don't come at me; just, I felt really let down by this saga, and I wanted to talk about it.

First, Penelope feels really underdeveloped as a character. Her song (The Challenge) is essentially just a narration of events that doesn't give us much insight into her internal world (the way that character intro songs like Legendary or Wouldn't You Like usually do.) The most personality actually comes out of Lea's stunning performance, but even that can't really salvage something that doesn't have any substance to begin with.

Hold Them Down was ... a positive surprise, somehow. I don't know why, but I genuinely loved that song. The atmosphere is on point, and the performance is easily Alexander's best in the musical.

Odysseus was ... a negative surprise, but also not really. I don't think I'm ready to talk about that song properly yet, but so far it's made me tear up and/or full on bawl every time I listen to it, especially the ending (I have never actually cried over EPIC before.) Do with that information what you will. All I know as of now is that it has to be some kind of disassociation and for some reason, a Polyphemus reprise (I can't even begin to wrap my head around why this, of all things.) I genuinely hate some of the scene- and/or dialogue choices in it; they feel really off. As someone who vibed very hard to both Different Beast and Six Hundred Strike, I disown this song, sorry. All it does is make me want to cry (not in a good way.)

On the other hand, I Can't Help but Wonder is easily my favorite song in the saga. Especially also compared to song 40, the Odysseus & Telemachus reunion felt so genuinely heartfelt. The fact that the transition between songs 38 and 39 is so seamless while also being a 180° tone shift probably means something ... And then there is the Athena return, which is easily my favorite moment in the saga. I was not expecting a WotM reprise, and it was the best surprise in the saga, and it made me very happy. Her "very well" (+ 3 second pause) also broke my heart, but we don't talk about that. The only thing that irritates me about this moment is what Odysseus actually replies to her. Idk how to elaborate on that, because on one hand, he would feel this way after all that he's been through; on the other hand, it's not actually true. Worse, it feels like one of the few thematically significant moments in the saga, but in a bad way somehow.

And then Would You Fall In Love With Me Agagin was ... easily the greatest disappointment of the saga. I want to talk about this one a little more, I think, because I have a lot of things to say.

Disclaimer: I actually ADORE the instrumentals in this song. @glisten-inthedark did some very good preliminary examinations of it, and I don't really have anything to add to that, so go check out her posts if you want. I also adored the vocal performances (but honestly, there is no bad vocal performance in all of EPIC.)

I am strictly going to talk about the lyrics and the storytelling and what kind of impression it gives of Penelope. I don't know, but to me, the whole song feels like he's trying to share with her the things that hurt him (describing them as monstrously as possible, because of course he would.)

Like, on one hand, it is really kind of her to not judge him and to accept him again so readily. On the other hand, the way she phrases it feels really dismissive of his pain ("You’re mine / Don’t tell me you’re not the same person / You’re always my husband")

To me, this sounds essentially like, "What are you talking about? You don't have any problems! Stop telling me you've changed! No matter what, you're still my husband; I love you." (Girl, you don't even know him anymore. I'm sorry, I had to.)

Honestly, I feel like he desperately needs someone to be rational about his deeds, the way that Athena was in God Games (I really wish that he could've heard that somehow ... or that she sits down with him to tell him all of those things in person and why they don't actually make him a monster.) Because while Penelope's unconditional acceptance may feel nice on the surface, I feel like it will only bury the issue and isn't actually going to help with his self-demonization.

And maybe it's just me, but the line "But all of that was to bring me back to you" icked me out. Like, yes, Odysseus would describe it as that; that's not my problem. My problem is that it is never brought back or examined again in the song, because it leaves the impression (at least to me) that all of his deeds are fine "because they were committed for love," which is wrong on so many levels. It actually does the whole story of EPIC a disservice, in my opinion, since so far it's been genuinely brilliant about honestly and rationally making all of his acts feel justified. But this saga deviates from that too, so I don't even know anymore.

I don't know; I am just really disappointed by this song (and technically the whole saga, even though it had some brilliant moments.) I feel like I could probably describe what I wanted out of it at a later point, but my brain isn't functioning enough for that yet.

Another thing that I am unsure of what exactly it implies yet, but it feels significant: Penelope never once calls Odysseus by his name, while he says hers a lot. Very few people in this musical use his name, so I feel like this matters somehow.

Honestly, besides just that song, my main problem is that this saga feels really empty, thematically. Where all of the sagas before have had really strong thematic threads, both in themselves as well as in the grand scheme, this one feels very disconnected and very ... almost undermining everything that Act 2 has built so far. I'm really confused by it, honestly.

Anyway, I am gonna shut up now and probably relisten to it a few more times before we get the actual visuals. Please ignore if you happen to have loved this saga, but I needed to get all of this out of my system.

[onlyseokmins]

Spicy things I think abt a lot in rc...

Vying for Versailles:

All of it tbh specifically ft the amount of threesomes and Alexandre's debauched yearning and long ass smut scene whew

Hearts of Trespia:

REINHOLD

Whoever wrote that meme of "man loses everything and becomes 10x hotter" so true

I love Wyatt but reinhold is super special to ME his scenes were hot and kinda unhinged for no reason grrr

The first smut scene is so intimate and tender :(

Rage of the Titans:

Considering mc's goddess incarnation and yet she can sleep w/ like every character past, future, present and enemies before deciding on a main LI in s3????? 😭

And despite how many spicy scenes there were, they were all pretty damn good for no reason

Marshall's was unfairly hot with a bit of angst at the end ffs might replay just for him, Murphy's def a certified freak, Jason's a menace, Adrian's had me feeling emo, and Theo's got me gasping and reeling STILL from the whole "five-two thrusts" and making her COUNT the slow ones....

Chasing You 1 & 2

Alexander's freaky ass w/ his bondage teaching, attic scene, boat scene, and the greenhouse scene in CY2!!

His god complex makes me wanna d-word but we move

Sam's were spicy in CY1 but I really don't remember them all that much idk he kinda annoyed me but I like him much better in CY2 😋

Ezra's choking is wack 💀 can't wait to punt his ass sorry not sorry

Heaven's Secret 1 & 2

Tbh Lucifer's spicy scenes were kinda random and wack 😭 HS2 def sold me tho w/ his stupid angst self

The whole fingering outside his jail cell got me weak tho

Mimi tasting like raspberry!!! I knew that first Christopher!! F U!

FALLING DURING ANDY'S SCENE BUT STILL GOING GOD BLESS U FREAKS

Dino's flying scene too ok pop off or fly off king

Malbonte's scenes 💯 BITING AH

His post wedding scene convinced me I picked the right man it had me kicking and screaming when I saw the options 😭

I refuse to romance and satisfy Astaroth's perversions but he is a freak and their reactions in the memory isles got me dead

The Flower From Tiamat's Flower

Tbh still not sure if mc took the Dragon dong mad respect if she did 😭

Song of the Crimson Nile

THE SEXUAL TENSION GO BRRRRR

I JUST KNOW IN MY TIDDIES THAT SET'S GONNA MAKE A REFERENCE TO RIDING AND NOT HORSE RIDING AND IF HE DOESN'T I'LL CRY BUT I'LL PROLLY WIFE LIVIUS UP FIRST OH WHALE

Also Set's fuckin reference to a peach (if u pick that perfume) for no reason what a heathen

Amen is such a thirsty mfer my god I only took his scenes to laugh at his thirsty ass 😭 I *need* to know how this ends rn

Legend of the Willow

KAZU

YEAH HIS FIRST SCENE DAMN WOW I CRY LIKE SIR ALSO THE YEARNING?

Also also him tying up his hair before going down on Mei OKAY

Soulless:

Threxio u dumb tease 😭

[blueaetherr]

could you pls write a second part to “to love and to be loved”? maybe a continuation where trent confesses or where they’re already together? you choose<3

when fates align

pairing: trent alexander-arnold x gn!reader [they/them]

warning(s): none

summary: the one where trent and y/n unknowingly witness their fates fall into perfect position

author's note: part two to this imagine

now playing: favourite by nicki minaj ft. jeremih

During the early night, Trent and Y/N were up in the hills of LA overlooking the grand sight of the City of Lights. Up there, alone together as an unbothered pair, there was amusement and enjoyment as they smiled and laughed at whatever and drank whatever they wanted, vibing to the music they chose to play aloud for everyone yet nobody to hear.

Considering the end of the season Trent decided to on holiday, and with Y/N. It was not only his chance to drift away from his daily life but to also spend some valued time with his friend. Fortunately, Trent knew his dear Y/N so well, so well that he understood that they were still in their feelings about their ex-lover even if they refused to say it. Either way, Trent wanted Y/N to feel better about themself, to have them neglect their past lover in mind and thought.

The open environment, the calm scenes they had sight of almost every day, being some miles away from their relationship problems, blasting their favourite tunes without fear of judgement, playing both childish and explicit games—it provided Y/N with enough assurance that let them decompress and relax for a minute, letting Y/N enjoy the time spent together with her friend, something Trent deeply cherished for some right and wrong reasons.

"I remember playing Just Look Over Shoulder while I was getting ready for some party and he told me you know it's sampled, right?" Y/N started with their focus on the picturesque views of LA. "And obviously I knew 'cause you can just hear MJ's voice throughout the song, but I didn't know what song was sampled. So he introduced me to the original song and from then on, my appreciation for sampled songs went to another level, especially this one," they exhaled softly before turning to Trent with a hopeful glance. They clasped their fingers together. "So what do you think?"

After listening to the I'll Be There, Trent took the earphones out of his ears. Then he nodded in approval, his facial expression remaining positive and bright. "Yeah, I think it's really nice."

"Oh yeah?" Their eyes gleamed with excitement. Not that Y/N expected their music taste to be turned down, but rather she cared a lot about his opinion— because it was Trent.

"Of course," Trent said with a small laugh, adjusting his position on his car's hood. He cleared his throat, before folding his arms. "I don't think you can go wrong with the Jackson 5."

"I know." Then there was a slight dip in their smile, their eyes falling to their lap. "I hate that I love it though, and every other sampled song."

"Wait, why?" Trent wondered as a frown settled across his lips, his eyes clouded with sympathy. For a minute he thought he had done everything to let Y/N destress and relax. I mean everything had been going so well for some time until some moments ago. It was a mild guess, but he could guess it was caused by the thought of a past lover.

Y/N shook her head. They knew they would find some level of shame in their reasons. "I love them 'cause of him." And I'm correct, Trent thought. With their fingers picking at their shorts, they explained, "Every time I listen to them– some even being my favourite songs– my thoughts go back to him. I think about him and I don't want to, you know?"

Trent's eyes wandered around the scenery before they returned to Y/N, asking, "Do you hate your ex?"

"No. Not really." In truth, Y/N could never hate their ex-partners, both more and less recent ones. Their relationships never ended with arguments, hateful words or with resentment. Instead, the two parties always ended on mutual terms and exchanged their best wishes before parting ways. There was nothing to hate or even dislike about their partners when respect was a given for all of them. 

"It's the fact that everything we had—which was something really good—has kinda been left for me to hold for now," Y/N held their hand up as if they were holding something. "From what I've seen, he's kinda moved on."

Trent nodded slowly, carefully thinking out his response. In simple, he wanted to restore his friend's happiness and confidence. "Your liking towards sampled songs shouldn't be burdened by your ex introducing them to you," he assured, moving his shoulders up and down. "I mean unless you can, I can't see you unliking them any time soon."

They bit the inside of their cheek. "Then what do you suggest I should do?"

"Redirect your feelings about sampled songs towards other things and people," Trent advised, "That way you can enjoy them without having your ex in mind."

Y/N hummed, "Other things and people, huh?"

Noticing the humour and suggestiveness in their response Trent's lips stretched upward, his dimples on perfect display. "Anything and anyone you want."

Y/N tilted their head slightly. "Like a new partner?" When his face dulled Y/N let out a chuckle, holding their stomach. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding, relax," they reached their hand on the nape of their neck and leaned back a bit. "I know I'm not in the right place to be in a new relationship."

Although Y/N wasn't quite over their ex, their self-worth and confidence still remained. They understood well that they were lovable and all their other relationships were just simply unfortunate and temporary, and not wastes of time. That there would be a time, maybe after a few more relationships, when they would remain in a stable one. That somewhere there was someone who they sooner or later could define as home and experience, fulfilling their desire to be loved. They just had to be patient and willing to be given the right person rather than trying to rush fate.

"Remember a few weeks ago when you told me you had someone in mind?" They asked as their eyes settled on the views in front of them. They couldn't help it—so mesmerising and delicate to the eye from a high rural position.

"Briefly, yeah," Trent coughed out a response, his words opposing his thoughts so well. He hadn't expected the two to return to the conversation. Not only was it a few weeks ago but he thought Y/N would take it as him speaking hypothetically (even though he wasn't). "What about it?"

"Well, I've been thinking about it, you know, 'cause I love and value your opinion so much. So I've been trying to imagine the next person I might be with, trying to guess if you were describing one of our friends or maybe someone I haven't met yet. And it's been hard 'cause everything you said I mean..." Y/N stretched their words as they lifted their hand above their head, "You set the standards high like that."

Monitoring their facial expression Trent was quick to notice their mild sadness. He patted their shoulder before assuring softly, "You've always had high standards." He didn't just say that to reassure his friend—he truly believed Y/N held high standards when it came to dating. This was evident in the fact that he never found himself hating or disliking any of their ex-partners. What they saw as their low standards was the fact their relationships failed to last for significant lengths of time.

"Yeah, but they're always kinda redundant by the time the relationships end. Anyway, I've thought, and thought, and thought and... I don't know. But whoever it is, wherever they may be right now, they do sound wonderful," Y/N nodded, their recent frown forming into a smile. And though it was small, it managed to reach their eyes perfectly. Then they directed their words towards Trent, "Just like you, so really, I have nothing to stress about, right?"

Something quite evident about the pair's friendship was the fact that Y/N highly appreciated Trent, in both platonic and otherwise ways. He provided their bests through their worst, he provided them reassurance when their confidence was low. He always went beyond the expectations of one's typical friend and for that, they would forever remain grateful that he was involved in their life every day.

For some time there was some quiet between the two, soft music from the speaker brought along lounging in the air. The blend of everything, the soft music, the default romantic scenery they found themselves in, the invisible feelings in the air, and Trent's loud thoughts overwhelming his judgement—was enough for Trent to say what had been on his mind for some time, somewhere as early as Y/N's first relationship.

"I didn't want to tell you a few weeks ago 'cause I thought it would be cruel considering you just broke up with your partner, and I also didn't want to pressure you into feeling any type of way and I'm not expecting anything in return. That wouldn't have been nice, would it? And to be honest, I feel like I shouldn't be saying this now either since you still seem to be getting over your ex. But I just wanted to let you know, that's all."

Y/N's face fell at his words, some confusion yet understanding falling over them. They didn't know exactly what Trent was saying, but they were willing to tune in carefully.

"I'm the person I've had in mind for you. I'm this wonderful person I was talking about a few weeks ago. I'm the wonderful person you're talking about now, the one who set your standards high apparently. Again, you don't have to say anything. I-I—" Trent exhaled deeply as he closed his eyes. His lack of sight gave him some clarity, letting him focus. "Clearly, you've taken my words seriously, so I feel like it's only fair to tell you so I don't lead you astray when everything I was talking about was about, well, me."

Opening his eyes Trent was faced with Y/N. Slowly, realisation dawned on their face as their mouth fell open. It was then that Trent felt panic cross over his face. Did he just say all that for everything to not work out in the end?

But then they came through, their facial expression beginning to open up. "I don't know, Trent... I feel like you're forcing fate right now."

"Really? You've been thinking and wondering about that? " Trent scoffed out a small laugh, one full of relief and happiness. Relief and happiness in finally knowing that the feelings he had been holding towards someone for some time weren't all for nothing and one-sided. "I don't know about you but it sounds like everything's falling into place just right."

Y/N shrugged with a smile, one shy yet somehow still mirroring Trent's. "Maybe is it, you know." They declared, "You're one of my favourite people, Trent. Well, you are my favourite person." Unconsciously, their exes were based on their dear friend, Trent. His vibrant personality, his dull humour, his high standards. That's why Y/N's ex-partners were all so perfect in not only their eyes but also Trent's eyes; Y/N liked everything that was Trent while Trent would, obviously, love everything that was him.

Together, the two shared kind smiles, laughter and conversations. There wasn't anything different about them, but the fact that both Trent and Y/N learned something new about one another—something both of them had wanted to be true for so long—just made their interactions now seem like a different and new experience, something where their visible emotions and feelings were involved.

There was so much to say, so much the two wanted to say, so much that needed to be said. For understanding, to ease minds, to learn all the details there was to know. 

But Trent and Y/N would wait. In that moment, emotions were overwhelming and one wanted to say this and that that it would be too chaotic. Allowing what the two wanted to happen right now would ruin the events that were supposed to happen, rushing fate. So Trent and Y/N would be patient and willing for when it would be okay to move forward, and for once, together.

In the meantime, Trent and Y/N would enjoy their time together somewhere in the hills of LA. They would cherish their final moments together as just friends, knowing that when they would return to their holiday home, when they would return to England, or when a few weeks or months have passed, the two would get to spend time together as everything they have wanted for each other and for themselves—loving (Y/N) and being loved (by Trent).

[rags-and-riches-for-life]

Rags and Riches

Chapter 1:

It was all supposed to be normal. It was all supposed to stick to the routine she had scraped out for herself. But a weird, stupid ball had planned otherwise. And she knew she should've stayed outside of that weird, stupid boat that appeared out of thin air. Outside of whatever adventure had manhandled her by the throat.

But with some rushed convincing by an elderly grape and his two friends, she obeyed out of the sheer hope that this little game of theirs would end.…

It didn't.

And now here she was with her three companions; falling from a great height, into what looked like a huge library. Screams from all four passengers erupted from them as they plummeted to the floor.

The three royals occupying the space had just beenin the middle of your run of the mill family discussion. Which also happened to include the hopes of the kingdom's heroes returning sometime soon.

And as fate would have it, that's when the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, and their carryon -quite literally- dropped onto the scene. The King and his children had enough brains to flee from any thing hurdling toward their direction. So they made quick work of running out of harms way. The same could not be said for the veggies descending from the study room's ceiling.

George had the luck of smashing himself into the base of a very expensive looking heirloom, Sedgwick face planted onto the table and flopped onto a hastily deserted chair, and poor Elliot just went straight into a large bookcase. Causing many volumes of many books to slide down with the bruised and battered cucumber.

The new face however, didn't reach the floor just yet. In her panicked state, she saw a large curtain just close enough to reach and just far enough to hold onto for dear life. Her invisible hands clawed at the looming curtain and managed to get a fistful of it. Her brief breath of relief was cut short when she heard the unmistakeable sound of fabric tearing.

"NO!" she cried out!

That immediately caught the attention of the prince. Alexander raced over to the distressed damsel without hesitation! He didn't miss a beat with sliding over the large table blocking his way, and neither with standing under the dangling stranger.

The threads snapped loose! The girl screamed!

And...

She didn't fall?.

She didn’t fall...

Wasn't there supposed to be a nasty splat afterfalling from a ripped curtain? She was also pretty sure that she was supposed to be on the hard ground, and not in a pair of arms...

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. And what she saw was a face looking down at her. One with blonde hair, a bit of stubble on the chin, and worried eyes.

"Uh. Hi?" she said to the unfamiliar face.

"Are you alright?" he asked. The concern was still on his face. Even though the danger was well under way. This young woman must've been scared out of her mind. And it was only decent if he asked this simple question.

"Ph- Physically or mentally? "Cause I'm not doing too well in either department right now..." she responded point-blankly.

"Ugggh." George sat up with some effort. Looking around for his hat and snatching it off the floor. "You couldn't have picked a better place to land?!"

He was understandably miffed with his royal friends.

"You got that right!!" An even grouchier gourd peeled himself off the toppled chair. "You think that being heroes would give you a friendlier welcome, but NO! We just needed to crash in…. Literally!!"

Sedgwick was right. Sharp bits and pointy pieces of of the obliterated dinghy were scattered all over the King's meeting room. Eloise had to watch her step as she made her way to help an ailing Elliot.

The bruised cucumber rose out of the sea of books like the undead. "Coulda been worse." He gave a grateful nod to the princess helping him up.

"WORSE??!" Sedgwick suddenly gained the strength to storm over to his friend. “What could've been worse than almost breaking everything in my body?!"

"Shut yer yap, Sedge! We made it, didn't we?" The grape dusted himself off and adjusted his glasses. He sighed once he noticed the obvious crack in one of the lens.

All the while the heroes were bickering, their friend was growing bewilderingly confused. But not enough to distract her from the fact that she was still being held. She hesitantly grabbed the young man's attention as if this was an inconvenience for him.

"Um... Sorry, y-you can put me down now...

Alexander was brought back to the present predicament.

"Oh! My apologies." He gingerly lowered the brunette rhubarb down. Her eyes still darting from place to place. Not unlike a cornered animal, he noted.

"That's- uh. That's okay." She cleared her throat and smoothed her dress down. Courtesy of the Pieces-Of-Ate dinner theater. Which led her to wonder how on God's Green Earth she got wrapped up into all this. At first it was another night dealing with crappy customers and cleaning up after messy families. The next, she's…. She didn't know where she was.

“Hey, um… George?"

And she was trying her very best to keep the panic out of her voice. She really did.

It obviously wasn't working.

"Where- I mean, I-I don't know where we- What's going-“

It was almost concerning to see her slowly losing her grip. Bringing on the attention of everyone in the room.

Including a curious Eloise.

"Were you not called with your companions?" she asked the stranger.

"Sorry?" The brunette whirled her head to the young girl. She would notice that the girl looked similar to the man that broke her fall, if she wasn't getting more anxious by the second.

George could plainly see that the princess' softball question wasn't any help to the newbie. "Eloise-" he tried to say. But to no avail.

"You were called by the Help Seeker. Correct? How else would you end up in our Kingdom?" she asks as if this was easy to catch up on. Surely if this lady was with her father's heroes, she was mealt to be here.

"Help Seeker? I'm- I don't think-"

"What she means to say is that we're in the past.” Elliot unwittingly said. Fumbling the bag with all its contents spilling out.

The brunette was on the precipice of believing she lost her mind. She held her hands out to steady her wobbly knees. "I need to sit down."

George caught her before she could faint. The physical and mental impact of this all was catching up to her. And quick.

"Easy, kid! Easy.…” The old grape did his best to keep the tall rhubarb up. The burden being relieved when Elliot quickly dragged a chair for her to sag in.

"What's happening?" she helplessly asked the three men fanning her off.

"I believe I can explain."

A new voice broke through the room. One that demanded attention, but could ease qualms. The rhubarb looked towards a figure that perfectly matched the voice. As did everyone else.

The figure was a jovial looking zucchini. Despite the destuction his meeting room just endured. He stood tall with a decorated overcoat and a powdered wig. As he walked over to the group, he introduced himself to the pale-stricken rhubarb with a disarming smile.

"I am King Horatio. And welcome to Monteria."

And here it is! the first chapter of my fanfiction that I wrote FOREVER ago. I may rewrite it soon. Who knows.