#this is genuinely so difficult. she's my sister and i love her but i can't let her keep treating me like this.

[girlivealwaysbean]

dni.

[postikortti]

i’m gonna go no contact w my sister. if that’s currently even possible. 

[unclewaynemunson]

“I need to tell you something.”

Shitfuckno. Eddie doesn't even know why he's still surprised. This is how it always goes, after all. He should probably just give up and stop dating altogether – again.

Steve looks at him exactly as ominously as the words I need to tell you something require. Perfect Steve. Funny Steve. Sweet Steve. Sexy Steve. Steve, who Eddie had genuinely believed to be different.

Eddie sighs, barely suppressing a dark chuckle while he turns away from that perfect face. He doesn't want to look at Steve when he'll tell him the undoubtedly messed-up shit he's about to spill.

“Lemme guess, you're married?” That was what the last guy he dated told him, seven months after they got to know each other. It can't be much worse than that, can it?

Steve grabs Eddie's hand, causing him to involuntarily jerk up his head and meet his eyes.

“How did you know?”

Jesus H. Christ. Not again.

Eddie roughly pulls his hand out of Steve's grip and laughs a joyless laugh.

“Apparently I'm a good guesser.”

He stands up from the park bench the two of them had been sharing. “Well, Steve, this has been a blast. You should go back to your wife, or husband – don't tell me, I don't even wanna know – and I should um, get going. Maybe tell the next person right away what they'll be getting themselves into. Would save them a lot of wasted time, just in case cheating and going around other people's backs isn't really their thing, y'know.”

“Eddie, wait, let me explain!”

Eddie picks up his pace, but Steve, stubborn as he is, easily keeps up with him.

“I'm really not interested, man.”

“It's not – I'm not cheating on her!”

“Okay, so you have an open marriage, good for you. Still the kind of information you could've shared with me, say, three months ago, don't you think?”

“She's a lesbian.”

And that makes Eddie freeze on the spot. It takes Steve two steps before he realizes Eddie has stopped moving; he walks backwards until he's standing right in front of Eddie.

“She's my best friend,” he says, immediately using Eddie's stunned silence to his advantage. “Robin, my roommate – I told you all about her. We wanted to buy a house together and that turned out to be very complicated when you're not... Well, when you're not romantically involved. So we got married. For the, um, practical reasons. We never – we're like siblings. I love her like a sister. But she's also my wife. Platonically.”

It takes a few seconds until Steve's words sink in. Then, Eddie leaps forward and basically collapses into Steve's arms, needing to hold onto him to prevent himself from crashing to the ground.

Steve's arms are warm, strong, and as safe as ever.

“Eddie, are you okay?” Steve asks softly. His lips brush against Eddie's ear while he speaks, and worry colors his voice.

Perfect Steve. Too-good-to-be-true Steve.

“Jesus Christ, Steve,” is the only thing Eddie manages to say.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,” Steve says. “It's just – I've gotten some, um... Less than ideal reactions, in the past, whenever I told this when I was seeing someone. So I thought it'd be better to wait until things were getting serious.” He sighs, tangling his fingers in Eddie's hair. “I didn't wanna scare you off. Are we – are you okay?”

Eddie nods. He lifts his head from where it's resting against Steve's shoulder and raises his hands to squeeze them around Steve's face.

“We're okay,” he says. “And I'm sorry I didn't want to listen to you. I–” He stops; he can't find the words right away. It's still difficult to talk about those things; to let himself be vulnerable. But Steve has been honest with him, so it's only fair to return the favor.

“I've been hurt, Steve,” he confesses. “More than once. I've had some really shitty experiences with dudes not being honest with me. I thought that that was what was happening again, and I couldn't – I couldn't go through that again. Especially not with you.”

“Jesus, Eddie, I'm so sorry.”

“It's okay,” Eddie rushes to say, pulling Steve even closer towards him. “I trust you.” And as soon as these words leave his mouth, he knows it's the truth.

“I do want to be absolutely clear about one thing, though,” Steve says.

Eddie leans back in Steve's arms to give him an expectant look.

“Robin is my wife. I'm not planning on that to change anytime soon. We've been through a lot together. She's been the most important person in my life for years. We own a house and a dog together, and I love her more than anything. I like you a lot, and I promise you I'm all-in with you, but... Robin is still my number one. And that's not gonna change overnight. I need you to be okay with that.”

Eddie swallows. He looks into Steve's eyes. All he sees is a man who is honest, who loves his friends deeply, and who refuses to make any compromises when it comes to love – whether it be the platonic or the romantic kind.

It doesn't scare Eddie off; it only makes him fonder of Steve.

He smiles, glances around to check if they're alone, and presses a quick kiss against Steve's lips.

“I think I can live with that,” he says. “As long as I'm the only one who gets to do this.” He closes his eyes and lets his lips meet Steve's again.

The sigh that Steve breathes into their tentative kiss is one filled with relief.

[goldenasirpa]

The thing about Ekko seeing other-timeline Powder is that, critically, she isn't all that different from Jinx.

Ekko spent his later childhood years convincing himself that Powder was gone, that Jinx had replaced her, and that she was an evil force. Of course life isn't so simple, and Ekko still can't kill Jinx when the time comes- something that is probably eating away at him even when he is thrust into another timeline.

But Ekko also knows that only Jinx can help him build the machine to send them back. As much as he was focused on how this Powder was different from his, he had to focus on their similarities in order to get home. Any incidental differences they have beyond that just proves, over and over, that Jinx is a product of circumstance, not some entity that was formed completely separate to Powder.

Because Jinx is Powder.

And that's why Ekko goes right to her when he returns to his own timeline, too. If he could believe that some part of Jinx was in (a completely different) Powder, so too he had to accept that some part of Powder was still in Jinx. It's interesting because, in a way, Vi has to come to terms with this same thing, in a different way. She also desperately wants to believe that her sister is gone, and that only Jinx remains, because it would make things easier for all of them. It would definitely make killing Jinx easier, anyway. But she can't do it. Because she knows that deep down, no matter what anyone says, they are the same person. But in accepting that, Violet is forced to confront how she contributed to creating 'Jinx' in the first place.

I don't think we talk about it quite enough; but Ekko is the reason that ALL of this happened. Ekko followed Jayce home and gave Vi and Powder the info that led to robbing him. Which led to the Hextech explosion, which led to the manhunt, which led to Vander and Milo and Claggor and Benzo's death, Vi's imprisonment, and critically, the creation of Jinx. Ekko is just as responsible for Jinx as Vi or Silco, and I truly believe that has been eating him up for years.

But when he goes to this other universe, he has to face an even more difficult reality; that these events were, in a way, also completely random. Because in this other universe, Ekko's actions were the exact same, but the outcome was different. Sure, he was guilty of Violet's death, but he also could see the direct path between that random tragedy and a significantly better future. What paved the path to this better future? What was critically different between these two worlds? Just Vi's death? No.

Forgiveness.

Silco forgiving Vander, sure- but also, presumably, Powder forgiving Ekko for the part he played in Violets death. To me, this is what their 'romance' story is about beyond any genuine feelings that Ekko may have for Powder. Ekko receives unconditional forgiveness, something he isn't expecting. And he goes back to his home timeline with the truth sitting right in front of him; that only forgiveness can save them now. And he knows that it must start where he is hurting the most, so of course, he goes straight to Jinx.

It's less that Ekko forgives Jinx, more that he forgives himself the responsibility for all that death. He let's go of his guilt, his anger, and he embraces... Well, love is the wrong word. Ekko embraces duty, and knows now that this duty includes compassion for those at the very fringes of society; in this case, Jinx (who represents the most mentally ill and traumatized among us, but my essay about how every character in Arcane is actually just a social archetype is an essay for another day).

But it literally saves everyone. Ekko, and his huge heart, spares their future.

[fruity-fruition]

My thoughts on Tenma Parents!

I am the Tenma parents' number #1 defender in a way. I still think they fucked up Tsukasa, but not intentionally.

(fyi, Tsukasa is definitely a mama's boy and I don't accept criticism. Saki's on the contrary)

I think Tsukasa's parents loved both him and Saki equally, unlimitedly, and wholeheartedly. The sad reality is that life handed the entire family a shitty deck of cards. And while love is unlimited, time and attention isn't.

They try their best, they genuinely do, but it's difficult juggling their job AND an ill child AND another child.

Due to Saki's (uncontrollable!! Remember!!) condition, one of the parents has to be with her nearly at all times and the other one has to work for the additional hospital bills (since the government can't cover some surgeries or procedures. Idk how it works in Japan but)

They try to be there for Saki and Tsukasa a lot but they do notice growing concerns abt both of them.

Saki's getting quiet, nearly bursting into tears every time Tsukasa or any of them leaves the hospital room. She clings on to people a lot to the point of where it hurts.

Tsukasa's getting quiet too. He thinks they don't notice, since he's trying to act upbeat and cheery in front of Saki to cheer her up, but they can't ignore... that. Whatever is happening to him.

They both don't know what to do.

Despite their best efforts, Tsukasa was still left home alone most of his late childhood and early teens.

They don't have favourites, but after a while, they can't say they know their son anymore. They saw him grow up without them, and it's the most heartbreaking thing to not be there.

--

They had to miss his middle school graduation. They tried to take time off work, but neither of them got off fast enough to reach the ceremony. Both only saw him that day at the hospital.

But Tsukasa lied. Lied to Saki's face, because he didn't want to upset her.

Tsukasa's mom: "Sweetheart, we're so sorry-"

Tsukasa: "-that you had to leave the ceremony early? It's okay!"

Their parents look at him confused because the issue is that they weren't even there. But Tsukasa gave them eyes, begging them to play along.

Tsukasa's mom: "...yeah. y-yeah, work called in and we really couldn't avoid it much longer"

Tsukasa lets out a sigh of relief before nodding and smiling "really! It's okay!"

When leaving Saki's ward, his mom asked him why he lied, and he just looked at her and shook his head.

Tsukasa: "...Saki does this thing, where she blames herself for stuff she can't control. I-I don't know how I know it, but I'm sure she'll do the same if she found out you weren't there. I don't want to see her doing that."

Outside, his mom pulls him into a hug, whispering apology after apology as she holds him. He kept insisting, it's fine! Really! He's a future star, with loads of celebration to come! Who cares if they missed one?

His mom looks at him, with genuine sadness, and asks him to be honest with her. Is he upset?

She noticed him froze, before shaking his head.

Tsukasa: "Not at all, mom! I understand why you both couldn't make it"

Tsukasa's mom: "...You can understand and still be upset. You're allowed to be"

But despite her best efforts to make her son open up, he still shakes his head and tells her it's alright.

She thinks he doesn't know that she knows. She knows that he wants them to worry less about him, which made them worry more.

--

She learned from Saki that Tsukasa doesn't have a lot of friends. He never mentions it a lot to Saki, but every time Saki asks him if he'd be hanging out with people, he just looks at her confused.

Tsukasa: "Why would I hang out with other people when I have the most incredible sister in the world!"

When he started to open up to her again, later in the future, when everything had settled down and life was beginning to move steady, she'll learn that his classmates think he's overbearing.

He wasn't getting bullied, nor was he actually disliked. But in terms of friends? They think he's a bit too loud, too tiring to deal with. Some even think he's a bit too selfish.

She would argue about that final point with her life. Because if anything, she wishes Tsukasa thought of himself more.

--

They learned more about him when he was 17. They learned about his friends, his troupe, his work, and how close he's gotten towards achieving his dreams. They're so unbelievably proud of him. He's grown into such an incredible person.

They just wished they could've taken the credit.

--

They loved their children equally. Even when Toya was pulled into the frame and they unknowingly gained a third, they loved him all the same.

But there's a difference in loving and knowing, because their son felt far more distant to them than their daughter. And they're trying their absolute best to fix that rift before it's too late

--

Both Tsukasa and Saki suffered majorly in their life, both in vastly different ways. But in terms of parents, I think Tsukasa got the short end. But not intentionally, y'know? It's like. Accidental child neglect.

[livingdreams97]

Tara Carpenter -- "The lies I keep" (Part 5)

Tara Carpenter x Male reader/oc

Summary: Having a normal life is difficult after the one she considered her best friend tries to kill her and causes distrust in everyone she meets. But something or rather someone manages to enter her heart and hiding that person is the best thing that occurs to her.

Words: 5.158

PREVIOUS // NEXT

Masterlist

Tara's POV

I can notice how the atmosphere changes radically as soon as I ask my question, becoming heavier and full of uncertainty.

I can also see how my boyfriend's face changes completely, his body completely rigid and the slightly lost look he has.

I clench my jaw tightly, trying not to jump to any negative conclusions and have my mind start creating reasons for Gale to know my boyfriend's name. The guy I'm completely in love with, who's one of the few people I trust the most and have allowed myself to be vulnerable with since what happened a year ago.

A boyfriend who, even before we started dating, was friendly and understanding of my story. Someone who has given me all the time, space and support I have needed since the moment we became close.

The boy who, when I admitted that I lied to him about everything I had told him about myself, from my origins to my last name in the beginning, just smiled at me and assured me that he understood my reasons.

The same person who comforted me when, after admitting my lies and learning my true identity, allowed me to cry on his shoulder. Who wiped away my tears and made a horrible joke, causing me to laugh genuinely for the first time in a long time.

For those very reasons, I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions , giving him a chance to explain himself and clarify why the hell Gale Weathers knows him by name.

Because I don't want to think that the first person I ever fell in love with was just using me for some unknown reason and that would break my heart.

Y/n: We can talk about it somewhere private.- he whispers looking at the driver and then back at me.

I stare at him for a few moments, seeing a whirlwind of emotions flashing in his eyes and I can only nod at his question. I look at him for a few more seconds, before I can't continue with the uncertainty and turn my face towards my sister, moving away from him a little.

But I don't know if looking at my sister is better or worse, as I can see the distrust and anger reflected in her eyes as she stares at my boyfriend.

So I decide the best option is to look ahead and ignore the two people sitting on either side of me.

The rest of the trip home passes with the four travelers in complete silence and an atmosphere so tense that it could be cut with a spoon.

When we get out of the taxi, Y/n pays for the service and both my sister and I start walking towards the building.

Y/n: Tara! - I hear him call me, causing me to stop walking and look at him over my shoulder. - Can we talk at your house? The three of us . - he specifies looking at me with a pleading look.

Tara: Let's go.- I nod quietly, shaking my head towards the building and resuming my march towards the apartment.

Sam: I don't think it's a good idea for him to come into our house.- she murmurs as she stands beside me as we walk up the stairs. -I don't trust him, much less seeing as he's related to Gale in some way without you knowing.- she whispers, looking at the person walking behind us with distrust.

Tara: But I'm the one who decides whether or not I trust him.- I reproach her firmly, not wanting my sister and her opinions to dictate what I have to feel or think.

Sam: Tara...- she starts to say but I stop her immediately.

Tara: Stop.- I deny, interrupting her.

We finish climbing the stairs and Sam opens the door with some reluctance due to Y/n's presence. When he opens the door, the three of us enter and my boyfriend, being the last to enter, closes the door behind him.

Tara: Quinn? - I call, seeing that there was no one in the living room. - Quinn, are you home? - I ask, knocking on her bedroom door without receiving any answer.

Sam: Mindy sent me a text. - She tells me with her phone in her hand. - She says that they are expecting us at your university campus. - She informs me, looking up.

Tara: Is Quinn with them? - I asked her walking towards the living room.

Sam: Yes, they are all together and she sent me the location so I know where they are exactly. - she explains to me, putting her cell phone in the back pocket of her pants.

I nod tiredly, letting myself fall onto the couch and closing my eyes for a few moments. I hear someone clear their throat, causing me to open my eyes and see my boyfriend standing in the entrance of the living room, shifting uncomfortably in his spot.

Tara: Come here.- I whisper with an attempt at a smile, patting the couch beside me and watching as he walks nervously towards me . -Sam.- I call her to join me and she sits in the armchair.

Once the three of us are seated, I watch as Y/n nervously plays with his fingers and begins to dig his nails into the palms of his hands.

I slowly move one of my hands towards his and gently place it between them, preventing him from further harming himself.

Y/n: Gale has known me since I was 8 years old.- he begins to tell nervously. -What I'm going to say now can't leave the room under any circumstances.- he says connecting our gazes and then looking at my sister.

Sam: I can't promise to do something if I don't know what it's about.- she denies, crossing her arms and looking at my boyfriend with her eyes half closed.

Tara: Sam.- I scold her for her attitude. -Nothing you say will leave this room.- I assure him sincerely, watching as his shoulders relax slightly.

Y/n: Before you told me, I already knew about the Woodsboro murders and Ghostface.- he admits with some guilt in his gaze.

Sam: Everyone with a TV, computer or phone knows about the murders and even more about Ghostface - she reproaches him with a certain bite in her tone of voice.

Tara: Sam, that's enough. - I scold her again for her attitude. -Let him speak and explain himself without interrupting him. - I ask her firmly.

My sister looks at me with some anger, but just keeps her arms crossed and lets her back fall against the back of the chair.

Y/n: What I mean is that I've been through the same thing you two went through last year.- he admits and I look at him with wide eyes, surprised. -When you told me what happened to you, I wanted to tell you that I had experienced the same thing and be honest. But no one else could know.- he assures me with complete sincerity.

Tara: But that's impossible.- I deny confused. - You're from New York, you were born and raised here. Besides, the last attack was 11 years ago, at that time you would have been...- I say trying to make sense of what he's saying.

Y/n: 8 years old.- finish the sentence for me .

Sam: That's impossible.- she denies immediately. -In 2011 there was no victim or witness that young.- she argues looking at my boyfriend with suspicion.

Y/n: Not publicly.- he agrees with my sister. -Gale, Dewey, Sheriff Hicks and Sidney made sure that no one knew of my existence during the Ghostafce attacks that year.- he explains with a sigh.

Sam: And how are you related to Ghostface? - she asks, leaning forward and paying more attention to him.

Y/n: Jill Roberts was my sister.- he admits looking at the ground and I can't help but let out a sound of surprise.

Sam: That can't be, Jill was an only child. - She immediately denies, implying that my boyfriend is lying.

Y/n: She was the only daughter my father had with Kate Roberts, but she wasn't an only child.- he says and I'm increasingly surprised. -My father left Kate when Jill wasn't even born yet, because according to him, Kate always had her head somewhere else and never paid attention to her marriage. So my father asked for a divorce and moved to New York for a great job offer.- he tells us with a small grimace when he admits that his father abandoned her daughter.

Tara: But I never saw you in Woodsboro .- I say trying to remember someone named Y/n Willson .

Y/n: Because I only went a couple of weeks during the summer since I was 5 years old.- he clarifies taking a deep breath. -That year my father took me to woodsboro later than usual because a work trip and that's why I was there when it happened. My father never wanted to have much of a relationship with Jill and he showed it every time he dropped me off and picked me up from Kate's house. But Jill was a good sister and I had fun with her, until she decided that being famous was more important than anything else in the world.- he tells us with some resentment in his voice and tears in his eyes.

POV You

I can see that the more I tell them, the more surprise and disbelief I see on the Carpenter sisters faces. But it is completely understandable, since what I am telling has been a secret of summary and I hope it will remain so after this.

Sam: But what happened? How .. no ..- she asks without knowing very well how to form it.

Y/n: Kirby invited my sister to watch some movies and spend the afternoon at her house, so Jill took me with her. - I begin to tell what happened that night feeling the sweat on my hands. - Charlie and Jill 's boyfriend-ex were also there when we arrived. Everything was going well, but from one moment to the next I am only aware of a strong pain in my back and head. I woke up in the hospital four days later with 3 stab wounds in the back and a mild contusion. - I explain trying to be as precise as possible.

Sam: So you already knew who Tara was when you met her.- she accuses me angrily, getting up from the chair and taking a step towards me.

Y/n: No.- I immediately deny, stepping back when I see her advancing towards me.

Tara: Sam, stop! - she yells at her sister, also getting up and standing in front of me.

Y/n: I didn't know who Tara or any of you were before last night.- I assure her with complete sincerity. -After what happened, my father and all the adults made me promise that no matter what happened, I would never get involved with anything related to Ghostface .- I defend myself. -If it weren't for what happened to Dewey, Gale wouldn't have even told me about last year's attack.- I admit, feeling the pain of last year when the reporter told me that her ex-husband had died.

Sam: And you never thought about telling your girlfriend? - she asks me angrily, pointing at her sister.

Y/n: I wanted to, but I made a promise to Dewey that no matter what happened, I wouldn't tell anyone under any circumstances.- I answer feeling a tear escape. -I promised him, i promised that i wouldn´t tell and yet I 'm breaking that promise so you guys know the truth.- I say feeling guilty for breaking the promise.

Sam: What if my sister is in danger now because of you? - she claims, starting to move from one side of the room to the other.

Tara: You know that's not true , Sam.- she denies in my defense. -Y/n didn't even know Jason or Greg, but I did and so did Mindy. It's more likely that she's in danger because of me, than I am because of him.- she reminds her sister with some logic.

The room goes silent after that, with Tara sitting back down next to me and her sister leaving the room.

After a tense silence, I decide that the sisters need time and space to process what I've told them. So I decide it's best if I leave them alone.

Y/n: I think it's better if I go.- I whisper, feeling guilty for breaking the promise and for having hidden the truth from Tara.

Tara: No, wait.- she asks me, grabbing my arm when I make a move to get up and pulling me to stay seated. -Don't go, please.- she begs me, looking me straight in the eyes.

Y/n: You're not mad at me? - I asked her a little unsure.

Tara: Were you angry with me when I told you the truth? - she asks me with another question and a slight smile on her face.

Y/n: No.- I deny in a low voice.

Tara: Then why should I be angry, when all you've done is keep a promise and protect yourself? - she answers, getting closer to me and caressing my cheek lovingly.

Y/n: But it's not the same.- I assure her, unable to take the guilt away. -When you admitted the truth, we were just friends and now we're in a relationship for more than four months.- I point out with a grimace.

Tara: I don't see any difference.- she says without removing the smile from her beautiful face. -I lied to you about my past and who I was for safety. You hid a part of your past for your safety and I will never blame you for that.- she assures me moving her hand from my cheek to the back of my neck and pulling me towards her.

Y/n: But... - I try to say but her lips interrupt me.

Her soft, plump lips feel like clouds against mine. Her hands slip into my hair and she massages it lovingly, causing any trace of stress or insecurity to immediately disappear from my body.

When air is needed, our lips part and she gently rests her forehead against mine. I feel her slightly agitated breathing hit my face, giving me complete peace.

Tara: I love you.- she admits for the first time and I pull away from her with my eyes wide open.

I look at her in complete shock, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water, not saying anything no matter how much my brain is giving the order.

Y/n: I ..y .. oo .- I try to admit that I love her too but my mouth doesn't let me.

Tara: You look incredibly cute.- She laughs at my attitude, pulling my neck again and bringing our lips together again in a kiss full of passion.

Y/n: I love you too.- I manage to say when we separate from the kiss.

Tara: Let's get changed before we join the others.- she whispers to me before standing up and grabbing my hand, pulling me towards her room. -And a shower wouldn't hurt either of us.- she says, looking over her shoulder at me with an amused look.

Y/n: Are you making me an indecent proposal? - I asked her raising an eyebrow with some amusement .

Tara: Separately.- she clarifies, moving her eyebrows suggestively. -What a perverted mind you have.- she shakes her head amused, entering her room and pulling me inside. -I can lend you a shirt, but you'll have to reuse the pants.- she tells me, opening her dresser and rummaging through it.

Y/n: Maybe I should go to my apartment to change.- I suggest looking at the blood stain on the side of my pants and the dirt from having dragged myself across the floor in them.

Tara: You're not leaving my side until this is all sorted out.- she tells me firmly, although it's more of an order. -So you're coming or what?- she asks, leaving the shirt against my chest and winking at me, before leaving the room.

I throw the shirt on the bed, hurrying up behind my girlfriend and picking her up as she's about to enter the bathroom. I walk into the bathroom with her in my arms as she giggles and lock the door behind us.

Tara's POV

After Y/n explained his involvement with Gale and we changed into clean clothes. At least Sam and I, since my boyfriend's pants were still a little dirty from the night before. We met up at the university campus with the rest of the group.

Quinn, Anika, and Sam are sitting on one of the benches on campus, while Chad, myself, Y/n, and Ethan are sitting on the other bench. Mindy, who has named herself as the expert on the Ghostface movies and spokesperson for the situation, is standing in front of everyone.

Mindy: Listen up, geeks.- She calls the attention of those involved. -As scary as all this is, I'm glad I can redeem myself for not having guessed the killers the last time.- she says with a slight smile on her face, while she adjusts her top.

Chad: Yep.- agrees with his sister, with a notebook and pen in his hands.

Y/n: Is this serious? - he asks me in a whisper so that only I can hear him from my left.

I respond with a nod and a light squeeze of his hand, which has been clasped together in my lap since we sat down.

Mindy: Very well.- she says, taking up the word again. -In my opinion, someone wants to make a sequel to the requel.- she begins to explain her theory to us.

Anika: What is a requel? - she asks after raising her hand with obvious confusion.

Mindy: You're so cute. The questions at the end.- she answers with a somewhat tender look, without really answering her question.

Sam: Stab 1 was in Woodsboro.- my sister comments with her arms crossed. - Stab 2 was in college.- she points to the locations from both movies.

Tara: Could it be that the killer is trying to copy the movies? - I ask at the connection between the movies and what 's happening now.

Mindy: It's a possibility.- she answers with a smile. - The heroes are at the university, Check. New mysterious characters that are introduced to fill the list of suspects and/or victims; check, check, check and check.- she comments pointing at Quinn, Anika, Ethan and my boyfriend.

Ethan: We're off to a bad start.- he comments upon being singled out as a possible suspect or victim.

Mindy: But it's not based on Stab 2. - she denies with some certainty that she doesn't like it.

Tara: Why not? - I asked confused by her assurance.

Mindy: It would make sense if this was just a sequel. But we're not in a sequel, because nobody makes normal sequels anymore.- she answers, gesturing with her hands. - We're in a franchise!- she exclaims with a somewhat worrying emotion after a few moments of silence, since we're in the sights of another killer. - And certain rules must be followed in active franchises.- she explains, moving in her place.

Sam: Here we go.- she sighs looking at his hands at what is to come.

Mindy: Rule number one: Everything is bigger than before, the budget, the cast, the number of victims. There are chases, there are shootouts, decapitations... We have to improve on what was before to attract the public - she explains with even more emotion than at the beginning.

Chad: Decapitations?- he asks with a certain tone of fear and insecurity.

Mindy: Decapitations.- she says pointing at her brother who writes something in the notebook. -Rule number two: What happened last time, now is the opposite. Franchises only survive if they subvert expectations.- she continues explaining.

Y/n: What do you mean by subvert? - he asks confused, just like the rest who haven't been through Woodsboro .

Mindy: Questions at the end.- she repeats with a hand gesture. -If the last killers were offended, whiny movie geeks with Letterboxd accounts instead of a personality, I can tell you that this time it will be the opposite.- she continues with her explanation. -And rule number three: No one is safe. Classic characters are cannon fodder at this point, they only bring them out to kill them in an attempt to pull on nostalgia. The future looks bad for Gale and Kirby.- she assures us and I can feel the body to my left tense completely.

I glance surreptitiously to my left, seeing my boyfriend's serious but worried face and I can't help but feel a little guilty for having involved him in all this.

Because even though he experienced it as a child, no one knows that he witnessed anything and that it is related to Gale or any of Ghostface 's victims in 2011. So he was safe, until he met me and we started dating.

Mindy: But that's not the worst part.- she assures, making me pay attention to her again.

Chad: Now is when she tells us the worst part.- he says confidently pointing at his sister with the pen.

Mindy: The worst part is that franchises are just a series of episodic installments designed to milk a brand, which means that the leads are now super expendable too.- she tells us, looking at us all. -Laurie Strode , Nancy Thompson, Ellen Ripley, Sally Hardesty, Jigsaw, Tony Stark, James Bond.... Even Luke Skywalker! They all died so that their franchises would live.- she exclaims with a smile on his face listing each character. -So it's not just the group of friends. Any of us could die at any moment, especially Sam and Tara.- she says with some insecurity and guilt for mentioning my sister and me.

We all fell silent at my best friend's explanation. I looked at my sister with some concern, seeing that she was looking at me the same way and that made my level of insecurity and fear increase.

I feel a squeeze on my hand, so I turn my face towards my boyfriend and see some fear reflected in his eyes as he looks at me. I offer him a small smile, trying to hide my concern and trying to reassure him.

He continues to watch me with the same worried expression, so I move closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. I immediately feel him let go of my hand for a few seconds, before feeling his arm around my waist and his other hand intertwine with mine.

My body relaxes completely against my boyfriend's, feeling his warmth envelop me and the feeling of security invade me, while Ethan speaks.

Ethan: Am I going to die a virgin? - he asks, somewhat scared, giving us all information we didn't need to know.

Mindy: Too much information.- she answers what everyone present is thinking. -But it brings us to the current suspects. Ethan, the shy dorky one that no one suspects, because he's the shy and dorky boy.- she explains looking at the boy.

Ethan: Why am I on the suspect list? - he asks immediately. - I was assigned to share a room with Chad by lottery. - he says defensively and I can feel my boyfriend's body tense up the slightest bit.

I look up for a few seconds, catching my boyfriend's attention and asking him with my eyes if he's okay. But he shakes his head and leaves a kiss on my forehead, letting me know he'll tell me later.

Mindy: That can be rigged.- she answers with some suspicion. -It could be a strategy to get you closer to us.- she says before walking towards our roommate. - Quinn, the slutty roommate. A classic in horror movies.- she comments giving her fingers a kiss, in a way of applauding the character.

Quinn: More like sex positive.- she corrects her on her definition. -But thank you?- she asks confused, not quite sure how to take it.

Mindy: And how did you end up living with Sam and Tara? - she asks with some suspicion in her voice.

Quinn: Responding to their online ad.- she answers unsure of the situation and the question.

Mindy: Okay, don't tell me any more. You've blamed yourself enough already.- she assures her in a celebratory manner.

Tara: The ad was anonymous, Mindy . - I inform my friend. - And we investigated her. Plus her father is a cop. - I remind her, knowing that Sam searched everywhere for her, to make sure she was someone trustworthy.

Mindy: And that makes it more likely that she's the killer, because having a cop father is a brutal cover-up. Don't you know how these movies work? - she points at me, raising her voice when I say that her father is a cop.

Y/n: Plus his father is the one handling this case.- he shares out loud and I look at him badly, while my best friend points at him with a proud smile.

Mindy: See, that makes it even more suspicious. What 's the coincidence that your roommate's cop father is assigned to a case in which his daughter is involved. -She defends her point of view and I continue to look at my boyfriend dirty.

Tara: You're not helping.- I whisper, somewhat annoyed with him for agreeing with her and playing along with my friend.

He just shrugs in response and makes a gesture with his lips, not saying anything else. I stare at him with half-closed eyes for a couple more seconds , before turning my face and looking back at the only person standing.

Quinn: Is she always like this? - she asks out loud to us.

Mindy: Then there's Anika .- walking towards her girlfriend and receiving an air kiss from her. -Never trust the love interest.- she says looking at her seriously. -Which also brings us to Y/n. The secret love interest that nobody knew of one of the main characters and that nobody knew anything about until a day ago .- she comments after walking to be in front of us and staring at him.

Tara: He didn't even know who I was at first.- I quickly jumped to my boyfriend's defense.

Mindy: And how did you meet, if I may ask? - she asks him, completely ignoring me.

Y/n: In the introduction to production class, they made us do a project in pairs and since we sat next to each other, we had to do it together. - he answers calmly.

Mindy: And who sat next to whom? - she asks, alternating her gaze between mine and my boyfriend's.

Y/n: Me, I was the one who sat next to Tara.- he answers without giving her words much thought.

Mindy: No need to say more, what a coincidence that in the only class you have together you sat next to her. That's very suspicious. - she claps her hands concluding with her main suspects.

Tara: How do you know that this is the only class we share? - I ask my friend, crossing my arms.

Mindy: Because we share all the classes except one? - she answers with a question of her own and I nod in agreement.

Y/n: The fact that I sat next to her doesn't mean anything.- he says without much importance. - That day there was a traffic jam and I was late to class because my parents insisted on bringing me to my first day of university.- he explains with some embarrassment, with a certain blush on his cheeks and looking very cute. - Besides, it was the only free seat in the entire class.- he explains calmly.

Mindy: It's still suspicious.- she assures him, looking at him with her eyes half closed.

Sam: Okay, so we already have the rules and also the suspects.- she says tiredly, wanting to end the conversation.

Ethan: Wait, wait. What's wrong with you guys?- he asks, pointing at the rest of us who haven't been named.

Mindy: I think we can rule out all four of us, because we went through the same thing last year.- she answers sincerely.

Chad: I agree.- he says pointing at his sister with the pen again.

Quinn: I don't agree.- she denies looking at the only one still standing. -What if the trauma you experienced caused one or more of you to go crazy?- she asks looking at all of us.

Ethan: That's it. Or the fame that the murders gave you left you wanting more.- he supports the redhead of the group. -I mean, to be honest, some of the theories about Sam are...- he starts to say but I interrupt him immediately.

Tara: Don't you dare.- I threatened him pushing my boyfriend back so I could look him in the face seriously.

Anika: Okay. Quinn's right, it's something we need to address. Because if we're suspects, then you're suspects too.- she says, pointing at everyone.

We all sat in silence for a few moments, processing everything that had been said and hinted at.

Sam: You will stay at our house, it is better that we stay together and avoid any danger.- she comments getting up from the bench and starting to walk.

Mindy: Good idea, this way we can keep an eye on them in case they do something.- she points to my sister with a smile.

Y/n: I have to go get some clean clothes.- he tells me when we get up too.

Tara: I'll go with you.- I tell him, interlacing our hands. -Sam, I'm going with Y/n to his house to get some clothes and then we'll meet up with you guys.- I tell my sister, pulling my boyfriend in the other direction.

Sam: No! - she immediately exclaims angrily. -Is what happened last night not enough for you?- she asks me walking towards us.

Tara: We're in broad daylight and if something happens I have Y/n to help me.- I remind her, pointing to the boy next to me, who also helped us last night.

Sam: You can't go alone with him, isn't anything that Mindy said or what happened last year clear to you? - she tells me, somewhat upset.

Tara: Oh my god Sam!- I exclaimed tired with her attitude. -This is what I meant last night, you have to let me go and live my life.- I say trying to stay calm and not make a scene on campus.

Y/n: It's okay, Tara.- he assures me, squeezing our intertwined hands. -I can go alone and then join you guys.- he tells me with a smile.

Tara: No, you can't go alone.- I immediately deny. -I'm going with you.- I say confidently.

Sam: Taraa...- he draws out my name with a deep breath.

Y/n: If not you can come with us, Sam.- he says getting my sister's attention. -My apartment is not very far from here, 15 minutes walk and then we can go to your apartment by subway.- he says pointing with his thumb towards where his apartment is.

My sister is silent for a few seconds, thinking about what my boyfriend just told her and looking over her shoulder at the rest of the group.

Sam: Guys, I'm going with Tara and Y/n, you guys go to our apartment.- she tells them, to which they all nod and start to walk away.

The three of us stand in awkward silence for a few moments, before my boyfriend lightly tugs on my hand and we head off to his apartment. My sister stands on my other side and we walk in complete silence.

[clownery-and-fuckery]

As promised, my commentary on Hunter.... to the people that like him, im sorry.

Spoiler warnings and the like, this is pretty negative aside from like maybe three sentences?? Feel free to leave you're own opinions on this too ofc !!! >:)

I dont like Hunter.

Actually, that's not entirely true, I liked him in TCW season 7, when he was that silly man who fucked droids around the place, took no shit, and loved his brothers. I like the Hunter who, not putting this nicely, had a personality.

This is not a dig on him as a character, it's a dig on how he was handled, writing wise

Listen, I totally get that the "rugged-man-adopts-a-star-child" trope is popular, and I do LOVE that trope, really I do- I just don't really think it was done that well here? It's bothered me since s1 of the Bad Batch, and I don't think it's going to get any better this season....

My only real problem with the writing inconsistency of Hunter being an older brother of three to "Omega this, Omega that" and while I agree childcare is SUPER difficult at the best of times, Hunter had four brothers who were equally capable of taking care of Omega, too. It just never sat right with me that taking care of her became his ENTIRE personality

Hes a soldier, who despite being completely out of his element, had a routine he strictly followed for the whole war. Yet he seemed to completely forget about that ?? Stressed or not stressed, that worn in routines and LIFELONG LESSONS should not have left his head as quickly as they seemed to.

The most obvious and frustrating example of the oversimplification of Hunter's character is with Crosshair. I cannot even BEGIN to describe my anger when it comes to Hunter and Crosshair. It mainly stems from the way he just FORGETS his brother is with the Empire. Conveniently never bringing it up unless someone else did it first.

As the oldest sibling and squad leader, I personally think Hunter should have been the one to bring him up. It should not have had to be specifically mentioned by another character for Hunter to discuss it. He loves his brothers, he loved Crosshair, broody or not, he should have brought it up AT LEAST once, imo.

We also see this complete disregard for Crosshair AGAIN in s3, now that we have seen Hunter looking for Omega and not ONCE mentioning Crosshair. Has he forgotten that they were originally going to find Crosshair??? That they never actually FOUND their brother ??????? Annoyed me so much, tbh.

What else annoyed me was the singular language he used during the whole episode. "She's part of our squad." "Hemlock took SOMEONE from us." He's completely and utterly disregarding the OTHER TWO SIBLINGS that the Empire took away from him !!!!! It genuinely frustrates me so much.

I know I'm DEFINITELY nit-picking here, but even when Hunter looked to Tech's goggles, it was in a "He should've been here to do this." Way, not a "He should be here." Way. That's his brother, who died looking for another that Hunter has forgotten.

Hunter's tunnel vision is probably one my least favourite things about the Bad Batch, if I dare even MENTION that- and I love this show. It means so much to me, but I just can't handle this particular part of it...

I have so SO much anger directed towards the treatment of Hunter by the writers. I want the Hunter who was devoted to his WHOLE family, who fought for ALL of them, who would have NEVER allowed Crosshair to leave in the first place. Give me that Hunter back.

(Saying this- I do not mind Hunter and Omega's father/daughter and brother/sister relationship !!! I do really enjoy it- in small amounts. The fact that Hunter became nearly an extention of Omega really just- threw me off his whole character, really)

I specifically pick to ignore this when I'm making anything. Hunter has been a sergeant of three idiots(named endearingly) for the entirety of the war. One child who wanders around should not have taken up 100% of Hunter's attention, ESPECIALLY when he was surrounded and supported. It just bothers me, idk

Anyway, thats my rant !!! Back to some positives soon, promise !! I just had to get this off my chest, it's been BOTHERING me.

[unma]

I'm not going to be able to write my typical long rambles for a bit (need to catch up on important work), but here's a short list of things I wanna talk about with the latest canto.

Spoilers, of course.

The entire Canto taking place after the ending of Don Quixote (the first Don, I will not call him the Actual Don because our Don is as much Don Quixote as he is) is not something I expected, but makes so much sense and made for a wonderful story. There are themes of identity, struggling to live under a broken system and GOD THE FAMILIAL TIES. THE FIGHT AGAINST THE TWO MIDBOSSES + THE PRIEST HAD SUCH MAGNIFICENT STORY BUILD UP. AND THE PRIEST'S ENTIRE MOVESET. UGGGH I WANNA TALK ABOTU IT

Hey. Outis. What did you mean by that. We all know what I'm talking about, right? This is the first time I know of that she's actually given even a smidge of info about herself somewhat directly. Somewhat. Everything else is just in how she knows things and acts. Here she is asking a very specific question and god, I need to know more about her now.

Good job Sinclair. And everyone else. But good job Sinclair.

Vergilius with Sanson's face/mask is cursed.

I continue to feel so so bad for the Bloodfiends. They did the best they could in a world that gave them only two horrible options. I couldn't help but compare La Manchaland to the Tokyo Ghoul:RE ending, because the hemobars reminded me of the artificial meat, except in TG:RE it worked and here, well. We saw how that went. I think it's a great idea to start with the after of their solution; this isn't a situation with a possible solution, they tried that and failed. Who knows if there is one that works? Does it matter now that they're all dead?

I'm going to be very weird about Camille once this is all said and done, but I do want to note that the pretty boy being turned into a flower and having a name very clearly gotten from Carmilla the flower (and maybe the book? Haven't read it yet so idk if he's taken from there) is very cheeky. I still wish I could've besting him up myself. This isn't me critiquing the writing, this is me being weird.

The QTE in the ending cutscene of the boss fight was cool and really added to the feeling of fighting against and overcoming a clearly superior foe.

I wanna hug Don Quixote the First. He's such a ray of sunshine and deserved better. Even if he was somewhat delusional, at least he genuinely cared for his family.

What happened to Hong Lu's sister? Did she just vanish? I didn't notice until later on, so I'll probably need to go back and check myself.

Bari is the Librarian of Death (edit: Nameless Bookhunter, thanks for the correction AE)? Idfk and idc for now. If Bari ends up showing up again or a moot of mine decides they wanna talk about it, maybe I'll look into it.

The familial themes here are most certainly also going to be related to Hong Lu's story, which once more is a reason I really should get to reading all the books for this game.

Ryoshu accepting death from the possibility of fighting Don Qui the second was really funny.

The abno fights here are really good, and I love how Limbus is making unbreakable coins the standard from now on. Makes it so you can't just blaze through fights taking no damage, and these battles genuinely feel difficult. That's good. Their designs and mechanics are also pretty easy to understand and match with their ego gifts pretty well. God I wish we had more Rupture ids that could stack as much count as the Lasso abno.

Sancho fight was cool as hell. The clashable 10 speed skill was so good and made it feel like a massive improvement on the Cassetti fight. So good. On use coin power did mess me up a little given it doesn't show up in the clash numbers, but that was on me for not reading tbh.

Fun fact: final boss can be Meatlantern soloed really easily. So easy in fact that that's how I cleared it. Doing it with a full team didn't end well for me. The solo's also really consistent, which is nice.

Mili song is really good. As usual. I need to go listen to it again. I need an in-game mix. I need it. The childishness of Sancho's side of the tune compared with the seriousness of first Don's side is lovely.

Also. Please, in the final clash where you use Don's base ego. I hope you looked at the name of the ego and the name of Don the First's attack. Please. It's such a good detail. And it's so much better when you remember that Sancho was always the one making weapons for Don. He calls Sancho's lances much more graceful than his. It's so lovely. You can tell these two genuinely love each other. It's so good.

Also the fact that basically every fixer we went in with got wiped out by weakened Bloodfiends really shows just how powerful these bloodfiends are. Camille had to resort to using ego gear to survive. Sheesh.

That'll be all for now. Expect a long ramble on any of these points when I'm more free, aka never.

[theresa-draws]

veilguard spoilers review

Part 1 of review (up to mid Act 2)

6.5/10 - it'll be a fine, even fun, game for newcomers but for old dragon age players who want some actual dragon age in their veilguard? if you squint a bit at some codex entries, and only focus on the dread wolf part of the story.

and i AM LOOKING (then the artbook killed me thanks matt rhodes)

so any way......

1/ Rook and Companions

i really wanted to love the new cast but the characters were not clicking for me (or my rook). idk if it's because we can't initiate convos like we could in dai but it really felt like rook was looking in at the companions from outside. everyone else is having fun existing in thedas but rook is an outsider (unless that's the writer's intent? parallels with how solas COULDN'T MAKE FRIENDS FOR 1000s OF YEARS.............

In DAI, we could argue and banter when quizzy initiate convo about various topics back in haven or skyhold. the companions banter and argue about things they disagree with. In VG, WE DON'T. the closest i felt we could get a bit of that was when my rook told neve to get off my back about minrathous (because they did not regret a thing but i couldn't tell her that). Or certain sass/pragmatic dialogue options with solas, e.g. my rook consistently shared nothing with solas (or as much as i could avoid), and solas dropped the line about oh but you have varric WHICH KILLED ME.

2/ Evanuris & Titans

We had some world-shattering revelations in this game, that I wanted yes, but the companions or the world don't.......... really........ react to it. No POV of the chantry(s) imploding at the lore implications, no civilians going we must raze the chantry to the ground, no elves looking at Elgar'nan and going yes that's our All-father coming to burn you humans for everything you did. (Although the party did ask the elves, Bellara + Davrin + Rook, about the spirit revelation.)

I know Isen (my city elf/veil jumper rook) was shaken during Blood of Arlathan, they would be genuinely tempted by offers of uplifting elves to greatness because the alternative is slavery or alienages. But nada.

Blood of Arlathan Elgar'nan you will always be my fav!!! Because if you were expecting more after that, I'm sorry, man's on a downward spiral since he lost his sister. We had to put old peepaw down.

BTW Maybe check out the tree in the crossroads to eavesdrop on Ghilly and Elgar, because the game doesn't give us any other way to find out who the remaining two Evanuris are besides codex entries. :(

---

The Titans were covered only in Solas' murals and Harding's personal quest, which takes us to a corner of Kal-Sharok once then never letting us visit again. I had to read the artbook for the actual genesis of the world stuff about the Titans and what that was about. That was only alluded to in the game itself.

3/ Combat Scaling

Combat took a bit to take to, but it was fun. I played a Spellblade because that was the closest to Knight Enchanter/melee mage. The mini-bosses were difficult since you can run into them severely under-levelled on the regular maps. The high dragons were easy because they ALL had the same attack pattern, just had a lot of health to chip away at. Even Mythal Dragon. Which made the fight with Ghilain'nain and Elgar'nan underwhelming as hell, when they took less time to kill than the mini-bosses.

4/ Romance (Bellara)

i can only talk about Bellara's romance since i've only finished hers, even though I flirted with Davrin and Lucanis all through act 2. she's a very awkward character, and her response to the flirt options reads as ACE to me, but the romance culminates in sex.

okay so, most of the flirt options are quite platonic in tone like encouraging her to talk about her research or telling her you like to spend time with her. things like "i trust you know what you're doing" makes her...... fall in love..... with rook.......... even though rook's the mediator and therapist of the whole veilguard. i don't understand but i went with it, although i was having more fun watching rook banter and flirt with Davrin.

she's had past (failed) relationships but her reference for sex/romantic relationships is fiction/serials to be exact. you see where i'm going here???

then the romance scene after rook comes back from the fade plays out and i'm like??????????? i love her vow of love in elven, nice touch, but ummm i don't have the option to not want sex? i didn't even think she was interested in any of that in the first place!

Then that was it, we don't get a proper send-off to the veilguard romance just one line in the credits scene. Even BG3 gets an afterparty set up by Withers, buggy as it is, but still a nice touching wrap to the entire adventure.

5/ Bugs & Glitches

I was lucky I didn't get any major game-breaking stuff, just a couple of clipping issues through the game.

then, I reached the FINAL SCENE OF THE ENTIRE GAME for the first time. my inquisitor arrived with the wrong face model and vallaslin that was not supposed to be there.............. at least they got her hair colour right? By the time I finished the game, and the marvel-esque credits rolled, I wanted to murder. Then I loaded the game to fight Solas just to feel something. Adios Asshole.

6/ Factions

What else can I say about factions that everyone else have already touched upon? They're very shallow insights into the world of Thedas for returning players, there aren't enough of Dragon Age in Dragon Age.

I do like Arlathan, very Annihilation-Shimmer kind of horror happening in there. I have some questions about the Veil Jumpers taking in non-elves and them being around Arlathan/elven history though............. we're just letting anyone join the Dalish now or???

Also Hossberg became my fav when I finished Davrin's quest. There was a despair demon that I ran into in the Ice/Fire dragon area, and it became a spirit of compassion/hope (?) again after the Isseya quest and the flowers return. The small things that turn utter despair into hope and will to keep going got me..........

AND THEN the Treviso/Minrathous choice. It was too easy playing as a Elf Mage, because the venatori-run Minrathous was more aligned to the Tevinter that I know it was from past games. In fact, I was actively sabotaging Minrathous every chance I got RPing my elf rook who was a Tevinter slave before joining the dalish.............. Not that it matters, since Elgar'nan obliterated the magisterium and the venatori and probably the entire city with blight by the end.

7/ Identity Crisis

You can tell from the writing and breadth of the game, Veilguard has been through development hell and back. Looking at the stuff from the artbook only confirms that for me. Ideas were played around for Veilguard to be an actual sequel to Inquisition, since the hook for this game was Trespasser. But now, there's some disconnect.

The Inquisitor's (disbanded or not) presence and relevance is severely diminished in-game, it's especially glaring during the final battle sequence. All the factions + Morrigan are fighting but Quizzy is nowhere to be found. A romanced Lavellan even less so, since the Mythal option is the same with a friendly Inquisitor, and the only thing that change is whether Solas is alone in the end. (Love that for my Miha but ummm..... she's a cameo in a story that she's heavily involved in.)

There's barely any substantial connective tissue between Veilguard and the rest of Dragon Age and this is how they're sending off this storyline that started in DAO? Before trying to move on beyond towards the Devouring Storm and Executors bullshit? I'm mentally exhausted just trying to connect the pieces we actually got to the rest of Thedas and you're telling me this shit doesn't matter anyway............................ could have given me the Tear Down the Veil option since we're doing that with the writing.

So when the marvel style credits scene started playing, like woah look at the dreadwolf vs lusacan over some modern song/music, i just about died. Solas and Elgar'nan was barely in the game about them, a huge chunk of the quests were about the companions and factions. The most interesting part of the game was Blood of Arlathan when the gorls were fighting in my head, because it was fun trying to figure out what were lies and what really happened with Solas & the Evanuris. They were both appealing to Rook to see their POV and join their side, throwing allies into the blender when it suits them, it's so fascinating they have the same methods and the same goal: bringing back Elvhenan. Just different motivations for doing so. Elgar'nan saw Solas as the hypocrite he is (I love him, he's fascinating) and Solas sees Elgar'nan as a dark mirror. I'm on board! Where's the rest of it???????

Because there's no rest of it. The next time they meet, Solas kills the Archdemon >> goes haha elgar you're mortal now pls die >>> Elgar dies, leaving Solas the actual last standing Evanuris.

(I'll leave the Mythal stuff for later, I've drafted another post talking about her.)

In Conclusion/

There were some great moments that survived the development hell like Solas' inevitable betrayal(s), some companion questlines, bits of Evanuris lore, the actual Dread Wolf, and.... the regret theme surrounding all the companions, Rook, Solas and to some extent, the Evanuris. You'll have a better and fun time crying going through the artbook, but none of those are technically canon since they're just concepts during the development phase.

The combat was fun, but Dragon Age was an RPG not an action-RPG. The writing is more important, even if this game has beautiful locales and hair physics. Music was boring, but did appreciate the return of the Lost Elf motif for the ending. Makes me want to go back and play Inquisition instead :Db

P.S. Tearstone Island was so mind-numbingly boring, but was redeemed by the Fade Prison Betrayal that followed. (My Rook doesn't regret all those choices though, sorry I thought we all knew the risks when we signed up for this :T) I endured the boring act 3 to give my daughter her ending, and the inquisitor doesn't even react to the DREAD WOLF outside her window................ I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF AROUND HERE.

[rainytypology]

A view of each MBTI type by an INTJ:

Saw a few of these lately so why not? Lol

___

INTJ: My type and the best type obviously. Kidding. Not really. Healthy/mature ones are interesting and helpful, nice and easy to talk to. I've noticed immature ones try a little too hard to seem edgy and cool to fit into the "cold" INTJ stereotype when that's not a flex at all. I think a lot of us are impatient and stubborn too.

ENTJ: Often driven and motivated individuals who put in a lot of effort into what they do. I admire their hardworking nature. I've unfortunately come across a very unhealthy one before who was quite possessive and narcissistic. I did not have to deal with them personally, but a few of my friends did and their horror stories of that ENTJ will probably be stuck with me forever.

INTP: Their minds are...unique. I wonder what goes on in there. Such weird yet interesting individuals. Sometimes a bit rude, unintentional or not. My younger sister is one and I have to resist the urge to fight with her a lot lmao, but maybe that's just us being siblings.

ENTP: Love them. ENxPs in general 🤌🤌. I've never come across a boring ENTP. Often so chaotic. Never fail to make me laugh. I can have the funnest conversations with them. So witty.

INFJ: One of my best friends is one and it's kinda funny how similar yet different we both are. Ni dom things I guess. Other INFJs I've observed seem to have a lot of patience and kindness. Genuinely have a good heart and want the best for others.

ENFJ: I've only met two personally. Can be funny and witty, really approachable people. Both are very loyal and care a lot about their families, they carry a lot of responsibilities for others. Do not like to show their struggles, will probably mention it briefly before changing the subject.

INFP: Probably my least favorite type due to having bad experiences with them. Unhealthy ones can be so whiney and pathetic. Always want to cry and complain but never actually do anything about it. Can burst emotionally without warning. They can be so exhausting to deal with. I'm not gonna automatically hate you if you're an INFP though, that's just stupid lol, but I will be wary. I only have one INFP friend for now and likely because she's a lot older than me, she's much calmer and more considerate compared to the previous INFPs I've encountered.

ENFP: Some weirdos fr but I love it. Always so talkative and excited. Why are you guys lowkey kinda sad though 😭

ISTJ: I haven't come across any irl yet, but a few of my favorite fictional characters are ISTJs. One of my fav kpop idols as well. Not really sure where the boring stereotype comes from as I think ISTJs are quite nice.

ESTJ: I don't think I've met any yet and have typed a few idols as an ESTJ. I know they get a bad rep, but I honestly just think it stems from ESTJ's tendency to be direct, no bs, which can be intimidating/overwhelming for people. They can be really weird and silly only if they're comfortable.

ISFJ: I don't know any ISFJs irl, but seeing ISFJ idols/celebrities, they're just usually nice and kind people. Quiet but do enjoy being with others.

ESFJ: Honestly think my other best friend may be one 🤔 I do think she has a high Fe for sure. They seem to care the most about their presentation and other's opinions of them.

ISTP: I've only met one and they were okay. Pretty chill and had immense "idgaf" energy. But that attitude was also what made them a bit unlikeable as it extended to having a disregard for feelings and morals. Nobody's perfect, but I don't think it's that difficult to have common human decency. I do like a few ISTP characters and celebrities though.

ESTP: One of my older siblings is one and we get along fine. She has a good eye for aesthetics. Her and other ESTPs I've seen don't really seem to be super serious people, they're just trying their best to enjoy life. Adventurous and open minded. Can't seem to stay still.

ISFP: Have only met a few irl and I've also typed several kpop idols as one. From what I've seen, they are a lot calmer compared to INFPs. They're quite passionate but more realistic individuals though, always going for what they want (likely due to aux Se). Also quite blunt lol but it does not top IxTP's honesty.

ESFP: Have not met any irl yet, but from observing an ESFP I follow and ESFP celebrities, I like their straightforwardness. Passionate and expressive. Funny.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for using my moms money to buy games?

The title sounds bad, but I'm not sure how else to word it. This is also going to be a weird one as, in advance, I know the other party isn't an asshole, however I think it's a similar situation im tone and I really need some feedback on this.

I'm 22 and live with my mom and cat. I've lived with her my whole life, and continue to due to disability. My mom has 2 jobs that she mainly works on weekends, and I'm unemployed. Ever since covid it's been incredibly difficult for me to find work because it is still very much a thing despite what people want to believe, and I can't be in contact with random people physically due to immune issues and the chance of getting sick. Online jobs are apparently very hard to find (my mom has tried) and many ask for a payment beforehand. I do however get social security income that pays most of our bills/utilities, and we're also on foodstamps for groceries.

My family has never been well off. I wouldn't call us dirt poor, we've never had to go hungry, and I always had toys to play with/clothes as a kid. But my mom has had to manage funds well and we've never had a lot of money for leisure or frivolous purchases. My mom will buy herself things like some new clothes, a phone charger, roku set, etc smaller things like that when she gets her paycheck but extra expenses such as furniture have to be planned out probably weeks/months ahead of time. We also moved recently and ever since then our budget has been more difficult, the down payment really screwed with my moms expenses.

Because of our situation, I never really had games growing up. I remember we had maybe 3 big family consoles during me and my sisters whole childhood (with like 3-6 games on them each, most of which were guitar hero which my mom and sister loved to play), and I would get a new handheld for myself every few years. I never got to play the new exciting games people were always talking about, and my gaming experience has really been limited to like. Animal crossing, the sims, and cooking mama.

I played a bunch of roms as a kid so that helped, but I was always kinda sad and felt left out that I never got to experience gaming the way other people did. I really wanted to try the "classics" people talked about but didn't have any way to. People (especially as I got into my 20s and started following streamers + nintendo direct for example) would always talk about the New Thing coming out and playing it the day it dropped, all the excitement and community people had around that, but if I really wanted that kind of game, I'd have to wait a few years before getting it and trying it out, and by then no one was playing it anymore anyways.

As time went on things got a little better. Especially because of my moms new jobs, both of which she genuinely loves doing, though it's still work, we have been a bit better off. It's only been recently we started struggling more again.

Recently I've been kind of asking for things from my mom. Mostly it's steam games. I found I've gotten much more into gaming as a hobby as I've gotten older, and I have a long wishlist of games that I really want to get into, but of course have no money to myself. I should also clarify that NONE of these are those big triple A $60 titles, as I still can't ever justify paying something so expensive for one game. So sometimes lately I've been asking my mom "hey, can I get this/these games?" And use her money/card to purchase them. I don't do it constantly, or even super often, but I feel like it's becoming more often and it makes me feel really guilty.

I have done this before, around high school I started asking my mom for certain things I wanted around the house, and usually she had no problem buying them for me. This also wasn't large stuff, nothing ever over $30 and usually only up to $20. But when I'd find something I *really* wanted, especially if it was a time limited thing like merch drops from a favorite content creator, often yarn for my knitting or art supplies I wanted to try, I would ask her.

I've pretty much always felt guilty about this. I would ask for something despite my better judgement, and for the most part my mom would say yes, and that it was okay, whereas I was the one apologizing and asking if it was "really alright". She has told me she has no issues buying things for me as long as I ask her. She says the social security I get is "technichally my money", and that she wants me to be able to use it. (Obviously we don't use the actual ssi to buy random shit, but her giving me spending money is the next best thing).

Every time I've asked my mom for something like this, I've told myself that it would be the last time, that I would get my own job and own money and not mooch on my mom anymore, but both with the stress of chronic illness and depression I never seem to get around to it. I try to do dishes and keep my room clean, take care of the cat etc as ways I can help without working, but for some reason the money really weighs on me. I know that it's really my fault, I haven't even been looking for jobs and I could always take art commissions again, but somehow a mental block always stops me.

I feel like I have a bit of an impulsivity problem when it comes to spending. The money I got from my one summer job and commissions would never last long, and honestly I couldn't even tell you what I spent it on for the weeks I had it. I have issues taking money from people, but when I realized that I may not have had the stuff I wanted as a kid simply because I never asked for/communicated that I wanted it, it made me more bold to actually ask my mom for things.

I never pester my mother about this. I'll ask once and if she says no I'll be dissapointed but won't continue. Sometimes she says that we don't have the money for it then, or that I'll have to wait until xyz thing is paid for, which is always fine. I also have *never* bought anything with her money without asking first. I get pretty much all the steam games I buy on sale (usually that's what prompts me to ask about them, actually) as personally I can't justify getting games for their asking price for the experience I'm going to get.

I feel bad as I feel like I'm wasting our money, mooching off my mom and not putting in the work to have spending money myself. I also worry that sometimes when she says it's fine, it's untrue and she's really just trying to make me feel better. I also sometimes don't play the games as soon as I get them, I have a sizeable backlog of games I have gotten but haven't "got around" to playing as I was excited to get them at a low price at the time, but then haven't felt like I'm in the right mood. This also makes me feel worse because I feel like I'm not being appreciative enough of her buying for me.

So am I the asshole?

What are these acronyms?

[bella-rose29]

Little Kipps (part three)

Quill finds out that his sister and Lockwood are dating.

Final part! Not gonna lie the ending feels off but I can't figure out how to make it better, but I hope you enjoy!

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: I don't think there actually are any, but please let me know if there are!

Tag list: @anathemaloren, @augustisintheair, @avdiobliss, @dangelnleif, @el-de-phi, @karensirkobabes, @mitskiswift99, @mrsklockwood, @mrsyixingunicorn10, @ran23sblog, @t2sh0, @taygrls, @tournesol77, @wandamaximoffbae, @wordsarelife

As always, let me know here if you would like to be added or removed from my Lockwood and co tag list! <3

Quill Kipps sat rigidly upright in the front room of 35 Portland Row, glaring at the couple opposite him over the coffee table.

"Tell me again what's going on here?"

Since seeing his enemy snogging his sister roughly five minutes ago, Quill had been in a state of shock. He'd come over with the intention of passing on a case (reluctantly; Fittes hadn't wanted it and he didn't have enough jurisdiction to go for it anyway, but he was genuinely concerned for the woman who'd reached out), but on seeing the two of them he'd forgotten all about his initial reason for being here.

"We went on a date, and we kissed. I like him, and he likes me."

"And tell me again why you like him?"

"I know that you don't like him, Quill, but I do. I get that it's difficult for you to understand that, but you're gonna have to."

"Yeah, sure, but why do you like him?"

Y/n sighed, clearly getting frustrated with him. "Because he's kind, and sweet, and cute, and-"

"You think I'm cute?" Lockwood interrupted her, dopey smile on his face. Quill fought the urge to gag.

"Uh, did I say that? I don't think I did-"

"No, you did! You said it in Arif's as well!" His sister went a bright shade of red.

"Wait, in Arif's? So this has been going on longer than just today?"

"Obviously," Y/n rolled her eyes. "How was he gonna ask me out if this started today? Although that didn't happen at Arif's, that happened when I came over the other day, and really it was Lucy that forced you to ask me out, because I'm convinced that you wouldn't have done otherwise."

Quill could only stare as his sister went on, eyes widening with every word she spoke. "When did you come over here?"

"Oh, just the other day, to give George that research. Ended up staying for a cuppa."

"Right." He sat in silence for a while, still staring at his sister and Lockwood, back still not relaxing. They were fidgety, he noticed, with Y/n playing with a loose thread on her jumper, and Lockwood looking like he was trying desperately not to hold her other hand, occasionally pulling his hands back into his lap when they drifted over to Y/n. Quill sighed.

"Look," he started, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't like you, Tony. I don't like you at all. But for some reason that I can't begin to understand, my sister does like you. Now, you are incredibly lucky that I love my sister, or I would murder you right now, then clean up the site so you couldn't come back to haunt me," he pointed a finger at the boy, who swallowed thickly in response. "But if Y/n wants to be with you, then I'm giving you one chance, just one, to prove that you deserve her. Screw that up, and you're never going near her again, got it?" Lockwood nodded, sweating slightly, and Quill relished the knowledge that the little shit was actually scared of him right now.

Good, he thought. Hopefully he'll refrain from breaking her heart if he's scared.

"So... does this mean you're okay with us being together?" Y/n's voice was hopeful, and she sat forward a little in anticipation. Quill sighed for what felt like the millionth time since seeing them, then reluctantly nodded.

"Sure. Just don't break her heart, Tony, or I'll break your neck."

"Quill!"

"Okay," Lockwood mumbled at the same time that Y/n exclaimed.

Satisfied, Quill stood, Y/n following suit. Lockwood pushed himself up a moment later, clearly unsure of where he should be.

"Y/n?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd like a private word with Tony, please." The boy swallowed again, and Quill would have felt bad for him if it weren't feeling too much like payback for all the times Lockwood had taunted him.

"Please don't kill him," she whispered as she left the room.

"No promises." She glared as she closed the door behind her.

"You're not going to kill me, are you? If you are, could I at least say goodbye to everyone first?"

"I'm not gonna kill you, Tony," Quill sighed (again). "I just want to make sure you know how much she means to me. Seriously, she's my world, and lord knows she deserves the universe. Don't mess this up, Lockwood, because she's the most incredible girl you'll ever have the luck of being with."

Lockwood was silent for a moment, mulling over Quill's words. "I know I don't deserve her, but I promise you I'll do everything in my power to make sure I never hurt her. And as much as it pains me to say this, you're right." Quill smiled triumphantly at the admission. "She's amazing, and she can do so much better than me." The smile faded as Quill took notice of the depth of sadness in Lockwood's eyes. "But," the sadness was replaced - no, joined - by an overwhelming surge of determination, "I really like her, a lot, and for some inexplicable reason she's chosen me, so like I said, I'll do anything to keep her safe and happy."

Quill was taken aback by Lockwood's words, unused to such sincerity coming from the boy. Normally he was all charm and smiles and big speeches, but now all Quill saw was a vulnerable kid who just wanted to be with a girl. Feeling a pang of sorrow (which he frowned at, why was he feeling sympathy for him?), Quill stepped forward, then awkwardly patted Lockwood's shoulder. "Thanks, Tony." The air felt even more awkward than the pat, and Quill quickly moved back, removing his hand and turning towards the door to leave. Opening it, Y/n fell forward, squealing as she windmilled her arms to stay upright.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Uh, just... inspecting the doorframe?" she winced, leaning against the aforementioned doorframe and slipping, excuse more of a question. Quill shook his head, fond smile on his face at his sister's antics as he stepped into the hallway.

"Don't be home too late, alright? In fact, within the hour would be amazing. Or within the next thirty minutes. Or, come to think of it, you could just come back with me now?"

"Within the hour is fine, thanks."

"Oh, Kipps?" Lockwood piped up.

"Yeah?"

"Why were you even coming over in the first place?"

"Oh. A case. I don't need your help, it's just a low level one that Fittes don't have time for. Figured you'd be so desperate for work you'd take the scraps."

"Quill," Y/n glared at him. "Try to be nice to my boyfriend."

"B-boyfriend?"

"You are my boyfriend, right?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Then my brother needs to stop being mean to my boyfriend."

"O-okay."

Quill rolled his eyes at Lockwood's stuttering and blush, then nodded. "Fine. Only for you. I don't care that much about him."

"Quill!"

"Ugh, fine. Lockwood, you're not the absolute worst person I've ever met. You're the second. How's that?" He turned back to his sister.

"...It'll do."

"Here's the files for the case," he chucked them onto the already cluttered side cabinet, then slung his jacket on and opened the front door. "I'll see you later, Y/n/n."

"Bye!"

Quill shook his head as he left, door closing behind him. He might not like Anthony Lockwood, but he made his sister happy.

So long as he remembered that she was a Kipps too, and fully capable of murdering him if needed, then Lockwood would do just fine.

[nicolesainz]

You are in love (CS 55)

Carlos Sainz x f!reader Summary: Carlos being the sweetest human alive, confessing how much he loves you, whilst having a chat with Lando and revealing past secrets Warnings: only damn fluff (inspired by ‘in between’ by gracie abrams and obviously ‘love story’)

"Man, I think you two have been stuck" Lando points to Carlos's arms with an eye roll following.

"What are you talking about?" Carlos was confused as he didn't understand Lando's supposedly joke.

"From all the honey dripping between ya" He lets out an annoyed tongue click and sips some of his coffee.

Carlos looked at me, wanting to hold back laugh and ready to respond to his friend with a snarky comment.

"I regret introducing the two of you. Well, it's all my mothers fault, so she's to blame" the Mclaren driver complains, scrolling through his phone, taking pictures of us.

"Remind me to thank her actually. I owe her for sending me to you. If it hadn't been for me moving to London, this may not had happen" I cup Carlos's cheeks, giving him a soft kiss.

"Well, it's Lando's mum and fate too! Maybe, well, not actually. I am sure our paths were aligned, that is why we found each other" Carlos holds me tighter and closer to his body, now on top of his lap.

"Since when did you become all cheesy and shit man?" Lando spits out, earning a giggle from me.

"You forget I grew up with three women in the house. Romantic stories, songs, books and movies were a Saturday traditions" Carlos explains as I envision a younger version of himself, sitting on the couch with his sisters and mother, watching movies which had happy endings between the main characters and my heart instantly fills up with sweetness.

"I think it's also because you are a lot in Italy. England hadn't gotten you this soft and sweet" Lando is true. Whenever Carlos isn't working but is still in Italy, we visit Tuscany and Verona. Carlos secretly wrote a letter to Juliet and stuck it in between the other letters, written by romantically helpless women. He still thinks I didn't see him, but I couldn't have a better vision of it.

Never in my life, had a man with such pure heart and feelings following it. Carlos is one of earths wonders and maybe fate did bring us together.

"Will it make you happy if I told you that he took me on a date to Bernabéu, so we could watch the semi finals between Real Madrid and Chelsea?" I say to the English man, with a smirk on my face.

"Did you? Cheeky man! Of course Real would be his first love. Sorry, Y/N, don't take this the wrong way" Lando burst out a loud laugh, holding his stomach.

"Please don't remind me of this day. I should have taken you somewhere else. I regret it" Carlos lowers his head and I still cant stop smiling. I raise his head, giving him a small pout and another kiss on the lips.

"You regret it because Real lost. Not because of anything else. Plus, I was an unlucky charm. My englishness erupted that day"

"And it's not true. I love you more than Real" he caresses my back and leans his head on my shoulder. I know he does. He has proven this more times than I can possibly count.

I can't think of a person I love more than Carlos. He brought me back to daylight after a really difficult period of my life and a heartbreaking departure of my ex boyfriend.

He had given me anything I could possibly ask for. He is an angel on earth.

"This is true. When I first introduced you too, not two months had gone by when he started asking me 'Is Y/N ever gonna visit again?', 'Will she attend another Grand Prix'. I was going insane. That's why I kept sending you tickets, hoping you accepted them. He wouldn't shut up"

Carlos may seem like tough and smooth on the outside, but on the inside he is the biggest sweetheart one can ever meet. So genuinely nice and humble. My heart stopped when I heard this part of the story I didn't know.

"You're not innocent either. You kept looking at his insta, asking me if he had a girlfriend or seeing anyone. Oh the nights I spent trying to convince you otherwise and praising him at your eyes"

My cheeks redden when Lando reveals this secret in front of Carlos. I don't really mind now that we are together. If we kept on hiding our feelings from each other, I would have felt embarrassed.

"Oh cariño! I only had eyes for you, since the moment we met. You took my break away and had to get to you somehow. All I knew was that I was determined to achieve this goal" Carlos exclaims, earning a childish giggle and grin from me.

Oh boy, I felt like a teenager all over again. Like the first time we met. My heart was fluttering as if I was jumping non stop on a trampoline. His words swooned me away!

“Being with you is the best choice I’ve ever made. Smartest, wisest and worthy of everything! I love you forever Carlos!”

My head is leaning on his chest, listening to the fast beating of his heart. I put my hand on my chest and the other on his, feeling the synchronicity of the two hearts.

It’s the most beautiful sensation in the entire world! Pure magic.

“Mi amor, I could never imagine a life without you. You are my life and hope you continue to be for years and years to come”

We share one final kiss before being interrupted by Lando once more

“I definitely ain’t third wheeling here, at all people! Please don’t let my presence interrupt ya”

Me and Carlos giggle, being removed from his lap but still holding hands.

Holding on to each other for as long as possible. Not wanting to lose one another.

[deadpool15]

Ch.2 To be loved

Seeing him was the highlight of my day. I remembered when I was nothing but an orphan, though I can't remember my biological parents. I sometimes like to think they died. It was the best way for me when I was just a kid. To accept the fact that even the ones who gave you life viewed as nothing but a mistake was difficult. My mother viewed her destiny as saving her country, getting rid of the drugs that were taking lives. In my opinion, people died all the time. Life was hard. We have no idea what someone is going through until they are pushed to the end. She would never understand that struggle. That pain. When I heard it was si-o behind all this, I had to know why. People have reasons, I had to be the one to see the good in him. Even if no one else could. I was falling in love, love makes you do dumb things.

Whether I was dumb or hopeless, I wanted to know him. Not the version he showed to the public, the fake smiles meant nothing to me. I wanted to see him truly smile, to be happy. I happened to be at one of my mothers many chain restaurants. And to my luck sitting there was the man I had hoped for, now I hadn't prepared myself to speak to him and I realized that when he had made eye contact with me. Stern, serious glare like he knew I was watching him. Talking to people wasn't necessarily the issue. I talked my way out of parking tickets, jail, and even school punishments as a child. I was a smooth talker, one thing I developed from my mom. Though he made me nervous, my hands were sweating, and I had the urge to convert into oxygen. I wanted to cry because as much as I hated to admit it, his opinion of me meant a lot. One accidental interaction, and I was hooked. He knew me as Tseg tseg rich spoiled friend. I wanted him to see me. It already pissed me off that he had eyes for my sister. She took everything from me without even fucking trying. I had to man up and fight for what I wanted.

"Hello sir, you probably don't know me, but my name is Danny. We kinda met before when I bumped into you at your company." He smiled though I could tell it was fake, after years of faking happiness myself. I knew a fake smile from a mile away. "Right, your Tseg's little friend, correct?" Irritation couldn't even be used as the word for what I felt in that moment, I wanted him to see me. "Technically, that's how we met, though I just wanted to say something t-to you. Please." I stood up drawing attention to myself truly not what I needed right now, but I had to tell him before anything else happened. My anxiety was through the roof, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die right then and there standing under his intimidating stare. I had to do this, though. He was the first person I felt genuine feelings for, and I didn't even know him personally. The effect he had on me was outrageous.

"I wanted to go out with you. I want to get to know you, and I know I'm not korean, and your parents may have an issue with that, but I mean Nationality vise I am. Everyone thinks I'm just this spoiled rich assshole, but i im not, and i want to show you that there is more to me than my money or parents' money. I have korean parents, so that counts, I'm well accounted for, and I have seen you before, and you're all I think about no matter what. I try to get my mind off of you, and my brain proceeds to show different connections to you. And if you p-plan to reject me, just sit here and silence, and I won't ever bother you again. Well, I hope so, I can try." He was astonished but my speech. Everyone had turned their attention towards us and started clapping. I hadn't even noticed at first. I couldn't handle rejection, especially not by him. I wanted to be with him, breathe in his scent, and help him with anything. Live a life with him. Silence was what I got, and I took the message. I had embarrassed him and myself.

Suddenly, walking out, trying to hold back tears, I was 5 years old me again. I'm sitting at my dance recital waiting for my mommy. She promised she would come today since I told her how much this meant to me. Sitting there for the next 4 hours in nothing but silence was the worst feeling a child could feel. The competition was over, I didn't even dance, missing a chance to get picked for a major academy. I saw dad pull up. Why did she hate me so much. "Honey, you didn't tell me you had a competition today, and I found the scouts there as well. I would've shown up, baby." I stared at him. I was a daddy's girl simply because my mother broke my heart before I could ever feel love from her. "I didn't tell you because I told Mommy. I wanted her to come watch me this time. To surprise her with my skills." Just glancing at him, I knew that look, the look of a father who was afraid to break their already broken child. I snapped out of it when I felt someone shaking my shoulders. Looking up, it was him. "I've been calling you for 20 minutes. You almost got hit by that truck. Are you even paying attention?" I stared at him, I didn't know what to say, would he care enough to hear. "You ran out before I could say anything. Scared? You're very pretty. And bold. I've never had someone confess their love for me in a public area at that. I admire that, while I don't really know you, I would like to get to know you. Experience something."

I was so happy at that moment that I completely ignored the world around me. I jumped onto him. He was startled at first but caught me with ease. I leaned back and cupped his face, pecking his cheek, and for that first time, I saw a genuine smile. A real surprise for me, I enjoyed it. "You look beautiful when you smile, like a hidden jem only made for the luckiest humans to gaze at." He stared at me, blushing. From that moment, we slowly got to know each other, getting closer day and night. Developing an unbreakable bond. I didn't care he was a so-called criminal. When I was with him, none of that mattered. I never asked about his business, letting him know if he wanted to tell me he could. I kept this from my family, I knew they would never approve of what we had, especially my mother. She didn't give a shit about me, but in a situation like this, she saw him as an enemy.

We sat at a Korean BBQ shop. It was simply nice to spend time at a place with no worries. "I could've taken you someone nicer, you know." I placed some meat on the grill what grabbing a piece and putting it in front of his mouth. He smiled and opened his mouth to eat it. "Is it good? And you know I don't care about expensive restaurants. I've been to enough in my lifetime. I just want to be with you. To be honest, you could've gotten fried chicken and took to me the beach to eat. It's the thought that counts, babe." He smiled at me, I smiled back until I realized the petname I gave him immediately going to apologize. "It's fine, I actually like it. Babe." Blushing, I gave him more meat. We talked about our days, he was stressed and I wanted to help. Thought he said I shouldn't stress myself. We finished eating and literally had a full-on battle over who would pay the bill. I won, "Maybe I'll let you pay next time." He laughed, grabbing my hand and walking out of the shop. While pda was no foreign concept to me, it still made me feel like it was the first interaction between us each time it happened. "Come home with me, please." I stared at him in shock. He had never asked me this. I had no experience in relationships, but usually, that leads to other things. I didn't know what was gonna happen, but I trusted him.

We showed up to his home. He told me to wash up for the night. I happily got in the shower to think I was happy. A foreign feeling. My shower lasted well over 30 minutes, I looked down and saw a towel and a button-up shirt. Luckily, I always kept a spare thong with me. Putting on the clothes, I walked out of the bathroom to find him already washed up and laying in bed. A blue robe and pajama pants on while he was on the phone. I walked out of the room to got place my clothes in the hamper, then grabbed a glass of water. I was drinking it while examining the home I had never been inside. Eventually, I walked back towards the room where he was done with his phone call. And looked up with a dropped jaw. I smiled at his antics. "You're still so pretty. With and without the makeup. Come here." Walking slowly towards his bed, he gestured for me to move closer. I crawled to him, and apparently, it wasn't close enough because he picked me up and placed me on his lap while holding my hips. I felt nervous. He noticed squeezing my hips with his larm hands.

I grabbed one of his hands, placing them in mine. Comparing the size and then kissing his palms, I looked up at him to see a bright smile. "I'm not tired yet." I told him it usually took me a while to go to sleep. I was just always up. He nodded and pulled me closer in a hug. Affection from si-o was always the best. I could tell he wasn't the most affectionate person, so I didn't push him. Though I craved his touch, I craved everything about him. Looking out the window, I saw the stars. "This reminds me of when my mom took me and my siblings camping once. It was weird, though it was fun." I continued to look at the stars until he spoke up. "You don't talk about your mother much. Actually, you don't talk about her at all. For a second, I thought she had passed." I was shocked by the thought of my mothers absence. Sure, I never spoke about her because there weren't any good memories, to be honest. "It's fine if you don't want to speak about it." I looked at his face full of concern he was so patient with me, but I wanted him to know and trust me like I did him. "It's ok, it's just.....there isn't much to talk about, you know. She was there but not there. She was always focused on my older sister. She was the amazing daughter who could do no wrong. And I was simply the girl that lived in her house, or that's what it felt like. Sometimes, it felt like I didn't have a mom to begin with. To think I used to pray to have a mother that would be there for me. Then my sister went missing, and as much as I hate to say it, I was happy, for once I though she would pay attention to me, realizing she had two daughters but it only got worse. I was just there, and I hated myself for the fact that I was happy my sister was gone. I've always been jealous of her she is better in every way. That's so evil of me, but I was so fucking lonely. She is such a good person, and makes friends so easily and everyone likes her but me they look down on me. I'm nothing more then a spoiled bitch using her parents credit card to fill the void."

Before I noticed, I was full on sobbing in front of him. I broke down, secrets I've never told anyone in my life. I was afraid of what the world would think of me. He grabbed my shaking hands, kissing them slowly, whining, moving up to wipe my tears. "Your feelings are normal baby, you went your entire life playing second place because your mother is a terrible mother, no offense. A bit of a bitch you know. No secret there since she is Hwang Geum Joo." Hearing that part made me laugh. Until I sat there shocked he knew of my parent. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." It was all I could say at the moment. He looked at me and pressed against my cheeks, letting me know it was ok. And he underdtood the urge to protect her even if she wanst good to me. Or cared for me, it seems."You are so amazing and kind and beautiful. She isn't better than you at all. I wish you could see the way I see you. You have lightened up my world as a whole. I was nothing but a cold, damaged asshole when I met you, then I realized no matter how my life pushes and kicks your ass its your choice to get back up. To keep going, you taught me that baby. All the drug business and shady stuff I do, you don't judge me at all. Sitting by my side supporting me no matter what I choose to do. When I was an orphan and Pavel took me in, trained me to become the person I am today, hit after hit. Missed meal after another, I prayed for a better life. You have provided that life." Hearing those words, my heart was swelled. I felt nothing but love for the first time someone chose me, loves me. I wasn't an option. I was a need. "I'm so glad you chose me or tseg." Hearing that, he laughing pulling me closer if that was possible. "I never liked tseg baby, she is a worker at my company that'd all. If anything, I had my eyes on you since you walked into the building." Similing in pure joy, I leaped forward, causing a groan to come of his mouth. Scared I hurt him, I tried to get up until he forced my hips back down. It was then I realized I hadn't hurt him. In fact, the moment u felt something hard poking me thigh, I blushed.

"How in the world did you get hard, sir?" He simply smiled at my words, moving me forward to the point where I was sitting directly on top of his hard on. My core pushed further into it slowly until he began grinding me against him. I couldn't help but moan. It all felt too good. "Have you seen my beautiful girlfriend sitting right on top of me in nothing but my shirt? If anything, it was difficult not to." Moans slipped from my mouth before I could let out a sarcastic response. Finally, I said the words I had been so afraid to ever tell anyone. "I love y-you." Hearing this, he sped up my hips against his, leaning in to capture my lips into a kiss. "I love you more, baby." We continued until we were left naked and bare before each other, and all the insecurities, abandonment issues, and pain left my mind. Leaving nothing but si-o. The night was a night to remember.

Stay tuned for chapter 3.

[silverynight]

The Sun hashira

<---Previous

Part VI

It's a little bit different with the last two, especially Muichiro. That one gets his chance to have a date with Tanjirou because, as Michikatsu mentioned, he reminds him of them when they were younger.

"It's weird, but I cannot bring myself to dislike that hashira," Michikatsu says as he slightly narrows his eyes at his own words.

Yoriichi is a little bit more strict when it comes to letting people near his little sunshine (yes, he knows Tanjirou is not that little anymore, but he can't help but see his son like that).

"Besides, I like when he's torturing the younger slayers with his crazy training," Michikatsu chuckles and Yoriichi can't even hold back a smile at that.

They're not cruel, but they have caught those slayers ogling at Tanjirou more than once and Yoriichi has disliked them ever since.

So Muichiro gets an opportunity without much effort on his part.

Shinobu is also incredibly skilled, as all of them are, even though Yoriichi finds it difficult to admit it

However, it's not exactly a test what gives her the opportunity to pay a visit to Tanjirou; it's the way she basically brings a couple of slayers back to life after a mission goes wrong.

She's terrifying towards demons, but very helpful and kind when it comes to tending and taking care of injured slayers.

Reluctantly, Michikatsu and Yoriichi give her the opportunity to see Tanjirou and the Sun hashira swears Ubuyashiki smiles with triumph when he hears them speaking to her about that.

"You have been on their side this whole time, haven't you?" Yoriichi asks Ubuyashiki one day and to his surprise, he sees him nod with a kind smile on his face.

"They are good people and after all they have done, I think they deserve some happiness," Ubuyashiki says simply, but in a way that makes it impossible for Yoriichi to argue with him.

"I... suppose you're right. But I still don't approve of them completely."

***

Kocho is kind and likes to spend Tanjirou in a peaceful silence; although he can smell sadness and anger in her despite seeing her smiling all the time.

He gently asks her about that and notices the surprise on her features when Tanjirou says it out loud.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," the redhead blurts out almost immediately, scolding himself for asking such a personal question. "I'm so–"

"No," Kocho cuts him off and this time the smile on her face is completely genuine. "It's fine. I want to tell you about her."

Tanjirou blinks in confusion for a moment, but gets a little bit distracted and flustered when the insect hashira takes one of his hands and kisses the back of it.

"My sister was like you. She had a kind heart too."

As Kocho starts telling him about his sister and how she died, Tanjirou gets closer to her and intertwines their fingers together; he knows about loss too and how hard it is to talk about a sibling who's not there anymore.

Eventually, Tanjirou pulls her into a hug and she stays in his arms for a while, nuzzling against his cheek. She sighs, relaxing a little bit in his embrace.

"Thank you, Tanjirou," she says. "I really appreciate this. I hope you allow me to come see you again. I'd like to spend more time with you."

"Of course!" Tanjirou beams. "I'd love that!"

With a chuckle, Kocho leans closer as her cheeks turn slightly pink before she gives Tanjirou a kiss on the cheek.

He can't believe almost all the Pillars are his friends now; he wishes he could see Tokito soon too.

***

"Alright, I'm starting to regret giving him a chance," Michikatsu tells his brother as they see how Muichiro shamelessly wraps himself around Tanjirou.

Yoriichi grimaces at the adoration he sees on Muichiro's face; it's so obvious he still can't believe Tanjirou hasn't noticed it yet.

The Sun hashira takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose as Muichiro starts batting his eyelashes at Tanjirou like his life depends on it. If he's being honest, he hadn't expected the mist hashira to be the most flirty one of them all.

He's even more insistent than Tengen, which is saying a lot.

They have promised not to interrupt, but they walk by every now and then just to make sure Muichiro isn't getting too handsy.

Tanjirou seems to be having a good time; the Pillar makes him smile and even laugh a couple of times as he speaks and makes hand gestures to explain something to the redhead.

Yoriichi even catches himself smiling when he realizes Nezuko has gotten out of her box, looking at Muichiro and mimicking the way he tilts his head to the side.

Even though she's not that enthusiastic like when Mitsuri was around, Yoriichi's knows she kinda likes Muichiro too.

Which means she won't oppose to him visiting Tanjirou again.

***

After the first "dates" they keep coming because Tanjirou wants to see them all again; sometimes they come together because, much to the twins' confusion and irritation, the Pillars are more than willing to share if it means they all get to be with Tanjirou.

"This is some sort of nightmare or punishment, it has to be," Michikatsu tells his brother a couple of weeks later as they both watch helplessly how the hashira start earing Rui and Nezuko's trust.

However, no matter how hard it's for Yoriichi to admit, Ubuyashiki is right: they all are good people and worship the ground Tanjirou steps on.

Reluctantly, he starts acting less grumpy whenever they're in the sun estate, especially after Tanjirou gets sick and Shinobu comes to take care of him herself and Kyojuro goes on the mission that was assigned to Tanjirou.

Yoriichi is not very fond of letting his son go on missions, but after all the training he's received from Michikatsu and himself, it's very difficult to stop him from helping the Corps.

Then he and even his brother start feeling almost relieved knowing they take turns to go with Tanjirou on his missions after the first time he returned badly injured.

Yoriichi even talks to Gyomei once and thanks him for saving Tanjirou from a powerful upper moon; the stone hashira didn't even hesitate to jump in front of the demon in order to protect the redhead or at least that's what Tanjirou's crow told him that day.

He must admit that there are benefits to Tanjirou having the nine most powerful swordsmen as suitors; Giyuu has even taken upon himself to get as much upper moon blood as he can so he can send it to Lady Tamayo and find a cure for Rui and Nezuko.

Even Tengen and Sanemi are not that bad, although Yoriichi always keeps an eye on the Uzui family whenever they pay a visit to Tanjirou because he doesn't trust any of them to keep their hands to themselves.

"Why does that girl have to be so likable?" Michikatsu complains, looking at the love hashira braiding Nezuko's hair for the second time that day. "She even makes it difficult for me to dislike her serpent boyfriend."

"I think it's time, Michikatsu," Yoriichi takes a deep breath and tries not to roll his eyes when he sees his brother shaking his head stubbornly.

They have to admit defeat, even though they are not used to it.

***

Yoriichi talks to them during a hashira meeting; he can see Ubuyashiki smiling even though he hasn't said anything yet. It's like he knows what he's about to say; he wonders often if this was all part of his plan.

"You can keep courting my son if you want," he finally says after a long pause.

Mitsuri claps and squeaks in delight, and Yoriichi can even see everyone's eyes glimmering with hope; Gyomei nods.

"Thank you. We'll do our best to make him happy."

"But if you hurt him..." Yoriichi warns with a growl because he can't help himself; Tanjirou is his precious son. Although he doesn't think they need more words to know exactly what he means.

However, Michikatsu finishes the sentence for him anyway.

"We'll skin you alive."

None of them laugh because they all know he means it.

"But," and this time Yoriichi allows himself to grin. "We're not going to help you court him."

Most of them look at him like they don't need any help, but the smile doesn't vanish from his lips because he knows his Tanjirou very well.

Next to him, Michikatsu snorts mischievously.

"Our Tanjirou is extremely oblivious; he still thinks you all are his friends so good luck with that." Michikatsu says and Yoriichi can't hold back a satisfied smile as he notices some surprised and worried expressions in front of him.

Yes, they have permission to court Tanjirou now, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy for them.

***

Thank you so much for supporting this fic and the others I've been writing by joining my patreon and/or just liking and reblogging this blog's content! Thank you!

Patreon

[poisonlove]

Miss Ortega | j.o

Par 11

They had just finished the Christmas vacation, and the next day we had to go back to school.

Overall, I had spent a wonderful Christmas vacation.

We celebrated Christmas with laughter and jokes, exchanging gifts. Jenna gave me a necklace, Natalie and Edward gave me a pair of quite expensive shoes, and Isaac gifted me a perfume. The latter flirted with me almost every day, and his family playfully teased him about my rejections. Jenna, clearly jealous, seized any opportunity to give him gentle taps on the back of his head, earning her older brother's indignant glares. On New Year's Eve, we set off fireworks, and unnoticed by the rest of the family, Jenna and I welcomed the new year with a passionate kiss in the kitchen.

Jenna's sisters had formed a connection with me, and whenever I could, I took them shopping around our city. Although I missed my family in Italy, during these two and a half weeks at Jenna's house, I can say it was a very satisfying vacation.

It was a calm morning when I woke up still wrapped in sleep. Jenna, my teacher, was sleeping peacefully beside me. However, the persistent sound of the phone disrupted the room's tranquility. Still groggy, I tried to ignore the calls, but after the fifth ring, I decided to answer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jenna's hand move towards my side of the bed, feeling for my body on the mattress. Jenna mumbled in her sleep and loosely held my hand, absentmindedly kissing the back of my hand.

"Hello...?" My voice sounded sleepy.

"There's something you need to know! It's urgent!" The voice on the other end of the phone was broken, conveying sadness.

"Enid? What's going on? Why are you calling so early?" I asked, concerned and slightly tired.

"I had a big fight with Ajax last night. I'm desperate and I need your help. Can I come to your house?" Enid asked, sobbing.

"Oh, Enid, I'm so sorry to hear that you fought," I looked panic-stricken at Jenna, who began to stir along my body, resting her head on my chest. "Maybe it's better if I come to your house," I quickly muttered and then hung up the call.

Upon hearing a voice in the background, Jenna slowly woke up and noticed the turmoil of her... girlfriend?

"What's going on, sweetheart? Who was on the phone?" Jenna asked, yawning and snuggling closer to my body.

"It was Enid. She had a big argument with her boyfriend and needs my help," I admitted, placing the phone on the nightstand.

"Poor Enid. I hope things get sorted out. How can I help?" Jenna's question is genuine, but she can't do much as she's my teacher.

"Thanks, Jen. For now, I'd like you to stay here with your family. I'll go see Enid to cheer her up and understand what happened. I'll keep you informed about how things are going," I lean over to Jenna quickly and press our lips in a sweet kiss.

Jenna nods, understanding that I need to be there for Enid at that moment, and she prepares to stay home while her student heads to Enid's place to offer support.

I get out of bed, quickly get ready, and head to Enid's house, ready to listen, comfort, and uplift her spirits during this difficult time.

(...)

I arrive at Enid's house, and when the blonde opens the door, I find her visibly shaken. I approach her with concern and affection, trying to comfort her.

"Enid, I'm here for you. I'm so sorry you're going through this difficult time. Come on, let me hug you," I wasn't a very affectionate person, but I could make an exception for those who truly mattered to me. Enid, in tears, launches herself into my arms seeking comfort.

"Thank you, t/n... I feel so devastated and confused. I don't know what to do," Enid cries desperately in my embrace.

"I understand that everything might seem overwhelming right now, but remember you have people who love you and are here for you. You're not alone in this," I stroke Enid's head and then kiss her on the neck. "Even Xavier," I smile, and Enid chuckles against my chest.

"It's just that... we had such a terrible fight... he... he was jealous and didn't understand why... I don't know if we can fix things," Enid sobs, visibly distraught.

"Relationships can be complicated, Enid, and fights are part of the journey. But remember, one fight doesn't define a relationship completely. Both of you are involved and need space to reflect and calm down. Communication and trying to understand each other are important," I'm a bit surprised by the words I've said; I sound wise.

"Yes, you're right. But I'm so afraid of losing him. I don't want the relationship to end," Enid trembles slightly.

"I understand your fear, Enid. Relationships require commitment and sacrifice from both sides. If there's love and sincerity, there's always a chance to overcome obstacles. Don't lose hope. I'll be here for you, no matter what you decide," wow, I'm really outdoing myself today.

"Thank you, t/n. I'm so grateful to have you as a friend. I feel a bit better having someone to share all this with," Enid kisses my cheek, and I look at her smiling. I almost feel guilty for hiding my relationship with Jenna from her.

"I'm here for you, Enid. Don't hesitate to call me or reach out whenever you need to. We've faced many challenges together, and we'll overcome this too," I admit, embracing the girl again.

I continue to hold Enid, providing support and a listening ear. The two of us support each other as we try to find a solution to resolve the blonde's problem.

"Do you want me to stay with you and watch a romantic movie? Maybe eat some ice cream?" I suggest with a smile. Enid shakes her head slowly, blowing her nose with a tissue.

"You know I adore you, but I need to be alone..." Enid looks at me through her long lashes, bloodshot blue eyes.

"I understand... anything... just call me..." I admit and, taking a glance at Enid, I leave her house feeling sad about the situation.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and when I see who the message is from, I pale.

It was Olivia.

***

While on my way back from Enid's house with the intention of meeting up with Jenna, I received a call from Olivia. Initially, I ignored the message from the girl, unsure of how to exactly handle the situation.

Surprised yet pleased, I answered the phone.

"Hello, Olivia! I just left Enid's house. How are you?" I asked, looking both ways down the street before crossing at the pedestrian crossing.

"Hi, t/n! I finally tracked you down. You know, I missed you a lot during the Christmas break. I was hoping for at least a message from you," Olivia's sweet voice sounded through my phone, making me feel guilty.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Olivia. I was so busy with the holiday events that I completely forgot to get in touch. Can you forgive me?" I bite my lower lip.

"I'm slightly offended, I must admit. It's not nice to hear that you were too busy to remember me," Olivia chuckles softly, making it clear she's only half-joking.

"I genuinely apologize, Olivia. I didn't mean to hurt you... you were always in my thoughts, you know? But I made a mistake by not communicating with you," I admit.

Honestly, I missed Olivia Rodrigo. She always managed to make me smile and was truly great company.

"I was hoping for a bit of attention from you. I hope you understand how I feel," Olivia murmurs softly, avoiding being overheard by her family.

"Absolutely, Liv. I'm really sorry. Our friendship is important to me, and I'll do my best to make it up."

Olivia fell silent for a moment, probably disappointed that I had referred to her as a "friend" without considering her feelings and how important she was to her.

"Oh... friendship..." Olivia's tone shows her disappointment, and I almost scold myself for being insensitive.

Olivia, aware that things between t/n and the mysterious girl had gone well, decided to put aside her disappointment and not complicate the situation further. Though she felt bad, she knew she couldn't force someone to be with her.

"I'm sorry, Liv... I...," I start with difficulty, not exactly sure what to say. I had managed to take my relationship with Jenna to another level, but I had no intention of revealing that I was with the teacher, although I wasn't exactly sure what we were.

"Don't worry... I understand... you told me a while ago that if things went well with the other girl, you'd take the opportunity," Liv admits, her voice a bit low. I could hear Olivia's heart breaking into a million pieces, and I hated being the cause.

"Besides, I wanted to tell you that I'm considering giving Dove a chance, the blonde girl I met at the dance. She seems like an interesting person," I smile upon hearing the wonderful news.

Dove Cameron is a girl with delicate features and charming looks. She has a fair complexion, vibrant blue-green eyes, and blonde hair, often styled elegantly or with natural waves. Her figure is slender and well-proportioned, with a height of around 5'3" (1.60 meters). The girl is known for her energetic and cheerful personality. She's often described as outgoing, friendly, and sociable.

"I understand. It seems the holiday dance brought interesting discoveries for both of us. I hope things go well for you and Dove," I confide with a teasing tone. Olivia bursts into hearty laughter, and I follow suit.

"Is it t/n?" the distant voice of someone I recognize as Emma reaches my ears. I hear Olivia's confirmation, and with a smile, I listen to the sweet interaction.

"Anyway... see you tomorrow, right? Maybe we can go get some coffee," the Asian-origin girl quickly adds, covering the microphone, almost hiding the sound of her voice. "And my mom misses you," she admits.

"I'll see her soon, don't worry," I chuckle softly.

In the distance, I see Jenna's house and smile as I spot one of her sisters in the garden. I furrow my brow in confusion as I see the rest of the family coming out with suitcases.

"We'll see you soon. Goodbye," Olivia says.

"Goodbye, Olivia. Take care," I end the call and quickly walk toward Jenna and her family.

"Hey... are you leaving already?" I ask with disappointment, looking at the sad faces of her family. Isaac walks in my direction and hugs me, catching me off guard. "We'll talk soon, you owe me a coffee," Isaac murmurs between my hair before breaking the hug. I see Jenna roll her eyes slightly annoyed before walking toward her car and opening the trunk.

"Yeah... we're going to miss you a lot," Aliyah and Mia hug me, and with a lump in my throat, I return the embrace, resting my head in the crook of the latter's neck.

"Will we see each other, right? I'll call you from time to time," Aliyah adds, breaking the hug. Mia continues to keep her arms around my waist. I look at Aliyah with a smiling nod several times.

Aliyah had very similar facial features to Jenna. On that day, she was wearing ripped jeans and a black hoodie, her brown hair gracefully falling over her shoulders.

"Of course... if I can, I'll come visit you this summer," I admit with a smile, not wanting to give false hope to those present.

"Will you come with us to the airport?" Natalie absentmindedly asks, and I nod in response to her request. The least I could do was bid them a proper farewell.

I'll miss Jenna's family a lot, and especially being in their house.

(...)

Olivia and I were in the cafe near Nevermore, looking forward to spending some time together before classes started.

"Ah, we finally returned to school after the Christmas break! What do you say, Olivia? Are you ready to get back to books and classes?" I ask Olivia with a smile as she savors her cappuccino. She rolls her eyes at my comment but looks at me with a smile on her lips.

"The holidays were nice, but if I have to be honest, I missed the school atmosphere and seeing my friends. I'm ready to tackle a new period of studying and having fun," Olivia admits, surprising me with her excitement about studying.

"Yes, you're right. Our laughter and camaraderie at school are priceless. I hope this new beginning is special and filled with unforgettable moments," I recall with a smile the times we spent together in science class, where we often got reprimanded.

"Me too! We have a lot of things to share, as always. And the holiday season has given us the chance to have new experiences. Did you do anything particularly exciting during the holidays?" I bite my lower lip as Jenna comes to mind and nod with a smile.

"Well, I had a nice holiday... I enjoyed some free time and went for a few walks around the area," I admit, telling a half-truth. In reality, I went on many walks with Jenna's siblings.

"Chill, I appreciated some time with my family and relaxed. It's important to recharge before heading back to school," Olivia finishes her cappuccino and takes a bite of her brioche.

"Liv, how about we raise a toast to this new beginning?" I lift my brioche and bring it close to hers, wanting to make a kind of toast.

"For our friendship and a fantastic return to school!" Olivia presses her half-bitten brioche against mine, and we toast amid laughter.

The store's bell rings, announcing someone's entrance.

I smile as Enid approaches and return her hug warmly. While I know Enid is going through a tough time due to the situation with Ajax, I decide not to bring up the topic directly so as not to make my friend uncomfortable. Instead, I'll focus on being present for Enid and spending time together as best friends.

"Enid, even though we saw each other yesterday, it's great to see you," I exclaim, trying to infuse joy into our encounter. "I've missed you so much. How are you?"

Enid feels the warmth of the hug and is slightly moved, recognizing t/n's intention to be a positive presence in her life. She tries to smile despite the lingering sadness.

"Oh t/n, I've missed you too," Enid responds sincerely. "I'm trying to move forward, but it's still tough. I'm grateful to have you as a friend. How have things been for you?"

I realize that Enid is trying to distract herself from her troubles, and I decide to respond positively, avoiding mentioning Ajax or other topics that might stir up negative feelings in her.

"Things have been pretty good for me, Enid. I had a nice holiday, and as you can see, I was just talking to Olivia," I look at Olivia with a smile.

T/n's words reassure Enid and remind her that she still has people who care about her. Her friend's hug and support are a soothing balm for Enid, who feels fortunate to have a best friend like t/n. We continue to talk, avoiding delicate topics but sharing joys and hopes for the future. I commit to being a positive presence and helping Enid through her period of sadness, even though it will take time.

Just as we enter the school, Olivia greets Enid and me with a wave and explains that she has to go to another class. We respond with a smile and wave back to Olivia as she continues on her way. Then we continue walking through the hallways.

My heart pounds in my chest as Professor Ortega walks past us. A shy smile forms on the teacher's face, and I can't help but feel a palpable attraction between us. Aware that I must hide my true feelings toward Professor Ortega, I try to maintain a neutral expression on my face, doing my best not to reveal my emotions.

As Professor Ortega enters the classroom completely, I suppress the urge to approach her and kiss her. I'm aware that it's important to maintain appropriate behavior at school and that our love must remain a secret.

Enid notices the subtle change in my demeanor. Recognizing that there might be more behind my behavior, she decides to ask. In a quick move, she takes my arm, preventing me from entering the classroom.

"Are you okay?" Enid asks me with concern. I try to disguise my response with a tense smile. "Yes, everything's fine. I'm just a bit tired today."

Enid doesn't seem entirely convinced by my answer but chooses not to delve further into the topic. She respects my desire for privacy and simply offers her support.

"Well, if you need to talk about anything, you know I'm here for you, right?" Enid says kindly. I nod, recognizing Enid's attentiveness and understanding.

"Thanks, Enid. I really appreciate it."

I'm faced with a difficult choice. On one hand, I feel the desire to share my secret with Enid, my best friend, to find comfort and support. On the other hand, concerns about the potential consequences of revealing the secret lead me to carefully consider the situation.

My relationship with Professor Ortega is sensitive information and could have negative consequences for both of us. There's a risk of getting into trouble, endangering my reputation, and jeopardizing Jenna's career.

After a moment of hesitation and deep thought, I decide not to tell Enid anything for now. I feel it's a prudent choice, at least until I've had a chance to better assess the situation and its implications. My secret is an emotionally heavy burden to bear alone, but for now, I choose to protect both myself and Jenna by maintaining confidentiality. I hope that over time, I can find the right opportunity to address the issue with Enid or eventually with other trusted individuals.

The decision isn't an easy one to make, but I reflect on my concern for the well-being of all involved parties. In the meantime, I'll strive to confront my feelings and the challenges related to my relationship with Professor Ortega on my own, attempting to strike a balance between my personal life and my school career.

We enter the classroom, and I take a seat in front of the desk, looking directly at Jenna. Jenna gives me a shy smile, and I return the gesture.

"Good morning," my eyes travel over Jenna's form, and she gives me a reproachful look. From the corner of my eye, I notice Enid positioning her book on the desk.

"Good morning," Jenna replies.

Jenna, Professor Ortega, realizes that our secret relationship is causing some frustration for both of us. Although she feels a strong attachment and a desire to openly express her feelings for me, she understands the need for caution to preserve our careers and avoid scandals.

As Jenna prepares to welcome her students to class, she experiences a sense of sadness and longing to freely share her happiness with me. However, she understands that we must be patient and manage our relationship discreetly for the benefit of both.

Jenna commits to focusing on her role as a teacher, striving to give her best to the students despite the turmoil of her personal emotions. She hopes that time will bring about changes and opportunities to openly live our love, but in the meantime, she works to maintain her professionalism and respect the rules governing her work environment.

Jenna's frustration is palpable, but she shares this challenge with me, and we mutually support each other in our decision to keep our relationship a secret for now.

Her eyes look at me mischievously, and she curses the unfortunate timing of getting completely soaked.

Comments please