#to me being friends doesn’t need such grand gestures I think truly the depth of things is measured the lack of hesitation to do the smalles

[kavehater]

Truthfully it would be easier if I just isolate myself from everyone simply because after so long of just shoving things down and being told to shove things down and being told to get over it and stop being sensitive I’ve become so much more sensitive after being so unfeeling and it’s ruining everything

Not even having aventurine could fix this 😔🙏 LOLLL

[misha-moose-dean-burger-lover]

written for anon who asked for a fic where dean has a huge crush on cas, cas is asexual, and that changes nothing :) happy ace week <3

Dean finds out his crush is asexual, one fine Monday in a group chat — when everyone's wishing Castiel a >>> happy ace week. And it's not the most ideal setting, but at least now he has a timeframe to figure out his next move within.

(Figure out how to ask the most beautiful, awesomest dork on campus out. During Ace Week — because it's memorable that way, that's why. Basically, look into those unbelievably blue eyes, and somehow manage the words, "Please go out with me, Cas. Please." (but less lame, hopefully) without spontaneously combusting.

Easy.

Sure, he wants to flee already, but easy. Stupid, glorious eyes, laugh, voice — nope. No drifting away, Winchester. Easy.

He's got this.)

Charlie's a blessing, and it's not like Dean didn't know that already, but it feels like a realization of even greater magnitude when she sits with him through coffee after coffee, patiently (and kindly) dismissing his ideas.

It is what it fucking is.

Charlie's a blessing, and Dean Winchester is a chick-flick-saturated, ridiculous romantic.

("You've got to remember." She'd stressed, sympathetically. "Grand gestures can't be how it begins. We don't even know yet if he's a Blue French Horn kind of guy."

"I'm not a Blue French Horn kinda guy either."

She'd just tsked. "Well, you're a boombox serenade guy, so trust me, it evens out."

Dean had proceeded to sulk through the rest of that evening, obviously, but he'd come back to his dorm with the meaning of his best friend's words clear in his head. Lowkey it is.)

And here he was.

Parked outside Castiel's apartment — one year Dean's senior, same branch (engineering) — with sweaty palms and cold feet.

(It's not like he didn't know how stupid it was to overthink something this trivial, but also not like he could stop.)

His phone rings, and Dean jerks back to reality.

"Hello?"

"Dean, is that your car —"

Holy shit, it's Cas.

"Uh, I —" Before he can process words, or explanations, his hand decides the best move would be to turn completely incompetent at the moment, and he drops the phone. Rummaging for it immediately in the depths between the seat and the door, he feels his heart thud in his chest.

Goddammit, he hates crushes.

When he finds his phone finally, the call's ended — fucking obviously, he's such a mess — and he drops his head on the steering wheel.

Great.

Now Cas thinks he's a creep who spends time staring at random apartment buildings. Exactly the boost his confidence had needed.

He'd typically wallow a little (way) longer, but there's a knock on his window and Dean whips around to see Castiel blinking at him.

Ever the genius, Dean rushes to open the door — and freezes entirely when he sees Castiel's eyebrows pinch as the door up and slams into him.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so —" He chokes, horrified, beginning to roll down the windows but Castiel's already begun to walk to the other side, curving around the front of the Impala, laughing for some reason.

He pulls open the passenger's door, and gets in, still shaking with mirth.

"I opened my door in your face." Dean points out.

"I am aware."

Castiel returns, simple as that. He's wearing a hoodie with a local diner's logo on it — and either he won it being the millionth customer to order black coffee, or just woke up and decided to support small businesses. Either way, it's clearly overworn, bulky, and a shade of grey that matches his glasses, and he's too fucking cute for Dean's sake.

"And I'm hoping you didn't do it on purpose, because if so, I'm afraid I just defeated your motives by coming in." He adds, and Dean rolls his eyes. (Funny. Why did he have to be funny too?)

"Nah, you're always welcome."

Castiel beams. "Why thank you." At this point his eyes leave Dean's to check out his surroundings — and Dean mentally prepares himself to modestly receive compliments on his Baby, but Cas just stills, staring at the space between them.

Oh no, Dean recoils. The flowers.

"Are those —"

"Look, I can explain —"

They start at the same time, but Cas pauses, and allows Dean to go on with a hint of urgency in his frown.

And Dean — well, he does go on.

He goes on once he's picked up the bouquet, cleared his throat, and forced down the annoying heat rising to his cheeks to the best of his abilities. He goes on, holding the flowers for Cas.

"Happy Ace Week."

The tension in Castiel's brow evaporates as he brightens. "Dean."

"I - I think you're aces."

Castiel bites back a laugh, eyes shining. "That's a good gaydar you've got there. I am asexual."

"I know." Dean blushes. "And I meant the 'awesome' kind."

"They're both the awesome kind." Castiel teases.

"I know." Dean ducks his head, looks up at the other through his eyelashes. "I just meant, uh, the 'please go out with me, please' kind."

(Huh. Turns out he doesn't phrase it less lame after all. But Castiel's smiling, wide and happy, so maybe it doesn't really matter how he said it.

Of course, it will, but he doesn't know yet that this'll continue to plague him in friendly and family gatherings whenever Cas recounts their getting-together tale for posterity, but that's something else entirely.)

"You're way too adorable."

Castiel laughs, and takes the flowers from Dean — leaning in to kiss his cheek after he does, and as Dean blushes again, he knows all those coffees and embarrassment from the dismissed ideas was truly worth it.

Because anything that makes Cas look as happy as he does right now, is always going to be worth it.

Who knows, maybe the next time, he'd even show up with a less wornout pun?

"So that's a yes?"

"More of an of course." Castiel tells him as he smiles, and Dean smiles back, his insides still fluttering, but at least his chest feels warm instead of frozen.

"I can live with that."

[ibelieveinharrystyles]

Strawberries On A Summer Evening

A soft imagine in which YN is one of the extras in the watermelon sugar music video and Harry can’t take his eyes off of her [2.2K Words] I hope you all enjoy this lovelies make sure to stream watermelon sugar! Masterlist

“And cut!” The director shouted, “That’s great ladies, go get yourselves some water and then we’ll go again in ten minutes. Harry can I run through a few things with you?” You made your way over to the table where bottles of water waited for you and the rest of the cast. There were spare slices of watermelon lying about, but you weren’t sure if you could face eating any more watermelon after the amount you had got through during filming. It was your first high profile job, the other music videos and projects you had been in were mainly for unsigned artists, so being in the Harry Styles’ music video was a pretty big deal. All the girls taking part were beautiful and so lovely to talk to, at first you had felt extremely out of your depth, but they had all gone out of their way to make you feel incredibly welcome.

“So we need a few more shots of you and the extras on the beach before we do the shots on the benches,” Blake, the creative director explained.

“Sounds wonderful, do you know who that girl is?” Harry replied, gesturing towards you as you spoke to a couple of members of the cast.

“Not sure, I think Lambert recommended her,” Blake told him, “We’ll be back on in five.” Blake walked off leaving Harry gazing at you, the sun capered over your skin, quite frankly Harry was in awe, he hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of you during filming, he was bold enough to look right at you when he was singing, but you were yet to approach him. He didn’t want you to think he was coming on too heavy so he just left it, it wouldn’t exactly be a great first impression to ask for your number straight away, whether he was Harry Styles or not.

“Hey Lambert how's it going?” Harry asked his stylist as he approached him for an outfit change.

“Things seem to be shaping up well, I reckon your fans will go mad for this video.” He replied, handing Harry a new outfit, Harry Lambert had known Harry for a while now, and they were pretty close, meaning he could read him like a book, “But you didn’t come over here to ask me about that did you?” Harry looked up at his stylist with a confused look on his face, “You wanted to ask about YN didn’t you? The girl in the blue bikini.”

“How did you know?” Harry asked, pretty impressed by his friend’s skills of deduction.

“Many reasons, firstly you’ve literally been staring at her throughout the whole shoot, you’re even doing so now, secondly the way you bounded over here like a puppy with a look inyour eyes that I haven’t seen in a long time, and thirdly I had a bet with Blake that you would ask me about her.” Harry Lambert smirked, folding and putting away Harry’s outfit.

“If this stylist thing doesn’t go anywhere for you Lambert I recommend you become a private investigator.” Harry laughed at his friend.

“You are going to talk to her aren’t you?”

“What, now?” Harry asked.

“There’s no time like the present.”

Harry shuffled across the sand awkwardly to where you were sitting on a step reapplying sunscreen. “Is this seat taken?” Harry asked, gesturing to the space on the seat beside you.

“Help yourself,” you smiled, rubbing suncream up and down your arms.

“How are you finding the shoot so far?” Harry asked, leaning back on the steps, the warm breeze from the sea hitting both of your faces.

“It’s been good, everyone’s so lovely, I think I expected everyone to be strictly professional, but I’m having a lot of fun, this is my first video shoot for a signed artist you see,” You explained.

“Really? Well I heard you came highly recommended.

“Been talking about me have you Styles?” Harry felt put on the spot, you had only known each other for a few minutes and you were already keeping him on his toes.

“No, I um, well-” Harry stuttered, unable to think up a plausible excuse.

“I’m messing with you, the last artist I worked with knows your stylist, he sent him my portfolio and it went from there.” You assured him, he was different to most men you had spoken to before, yes he was as charming as the media said he was, but he was also clearly nervous, stumbling over his words and offering you small smiles every so often. “Nice sunglasses by the way.” You told him as you struggled to rub sunscreen into your back.

“Thank you, do you want me to help you with that?” Harry asked politely, clearly not wanting to overstep the mark.

“If you don’t mind.” You replied, he took the bottle from your hand, squeezing some of the cream into his hand before slowly rubbing it up and down your back, his hands felt strong against your back which sent shivers up and down your spine, he made sure to cover your shoulders too, gently rubbing the suncream along your shoulders, his fingers lightly dancing along your collarbone.

“I think that’s all done, wouldn’t want my leading lady getting burnt now would I?” Harry smiled, admiring how well your bikini complimented your figure, but he didn’t mention it because he had just rubbed sunscreen into your back, and any other sudden advances could be too premature.

“Leading lady eh? Can I put that on my resume?” You teased.

“I mean one of my leading ladies, you look wonderful, you all do,” Harry stuttered, you were having that effect on him again, when you looked at him whilst he talked all he seemed to do was trip over his words, “We should probably get back down to the set, they’ll probably call time on the break in a minute.”

Filming was resumed as you and the rest of the extras laid sprawled across picnic blankets, Harry in the middle of you all. As the director shouting action Harry’s eyes were on you, “Baby, you're the end of June, I want your belly and that summer feelin' getting washed away in you.” As he sang to the music blaring out of the surrounding speakers he couldn’t take his eyes off of you as the two of you lay opposite each other, he sang the words to you, there was no question about it, he was definitely singing it to you, you bit your lip in response, which ultimately sent shivers up Harry’s core. “Harry that’s great, keep working with that!” Blake called from behind the camera, “Yep Harry get closer to YN please, the camera is loving that!” Harry moved towards you, you adjusted your positioning so that his body was sprawled across her as he sang into the camera, and clearly neither of them had any complaints about the arrangement. Harry could feel your heartbeat and it was truly comforting, he could also smell the scent of your perfume that was a mixture of strawberry and vanilla, whatever it was he thought that it’s sweetness suited you perfectly.

Filming had come to an end and the sun was slowly setting over Malibu beach, most of the cast had already left, with flights to catch for other jobs, but you were still there, talking to a few of the other girls about your previous jobs, “Sorry to interrupt you ladies, could I possibly steal YN away from you?” He asked, you turned to look at you, the slight wind catching the ends of your hair, he thought your smile was beautiful, but the golden rays of sunlight made it even more so. “Did you have a good day today?” Harry asked as the pair strolled along the edge of the beach, the waves lapping up onto their bare feet as they walked.

“It was incredible, everyone is lovely, I really enjoyed it,” You smiled, he was a little bit taller than you, so you would glance up to talk to him, taking in every inch of him as you did.

“I hope you don’t think of me as overstepping the mark, but I’m inviting some friends back to my house for some drinks and some food, you are more than welcome to come.” Harry told you, somehow he had gained more confidence in talking to you since your conversation on the steps, well lying across someone’s chest is a pretty plausible reason to get closer to someone.

“See I could interpret that in one of two ways, either that’s you telling me you are having friends over and I could come, or that’s you indirectly asking me to come to your house.” You replied, running through the soft waves of the sea.

“Yeah, it would be the latter.”

Harry’s house was impressive, really impressive, it made your apartment look like a shoebox in comparison, but the company was what completed it. Harry’s friends were lovely,most of them were from the shoot, meaning their faces were familiar, you had been there quite a few hours and honestly Harry was fine with it, you slotted in with his friends perfectly, like you had known them all for ages. He made a conscious effort to check that you were alright and kept offering to top up your drink if you wanted him to. After a lengthy conversation with the group about the best ice cream parlours in Santa Monica you realised it was just gone 2AM and you should probably be getting back to your airbnb. You excused yourself from the conversation, making your way out into the grand hallway of Harry’s home, putting your shoes back on along with your denim jacket. “Leaving so soon?” You heard Harry say as he appeared in the doorway.

“It’s 2AM, and I have a job in less than six hours.” You explained, your head feeling weary as a result of the constant sun exposure mixed with the two glasses of wine.

“I could drive you if you like,” Harry offered, desperate to spend more time with you.

“You’ve had like five glasses of wine, do you want to get stopped by the police or something?” You replied, “I’ve already ordered an Uber.”

“Well will I see you again?” Harry asked.

“Depends.”

“On what?” Harry asked.

“Whether or not you ask me on a date.” You replied.

“Well, would you like to go on a date with me?” Harry asked, unable to hide the massive grin on his face.

“How does Friday sound?”

                                                       ***

And there you were, spending your Friday evening on a date with none other than Harry Styles. You were wearing a white summer dress, while Harry wore a yellow patterned shirt, buttoned halfway, being the hopeless romantic he was, he had taken you back to the beach where you first met, accompanied by a picnic that of course featured watermelon pieces and strawberries. “I’ve got a lot of memories on this beach you know.” Harry told you, admiring you as you dipped a strawberry in the melted chocolate.

“Is that so?” You smiled, glancing at the butterfly tattoo that poked through his shirt.

“Yeah, we filmed the band’s first music video here when I was like seventeen,on this very balcony,” he declared, gesturing at the beach house you were sat on, “and we filmed watermelon sugar here obviously, which is where I met you.”

“I like the last one the best,” you replied, but I can think of a new one that could trump it.” You replied.

“And what might that be?” Before he could say a word your lips were on his, taking each other in, the sweet taste of strawberries lingered on your lips as Harry kissed you softly, his hands wandering up and down your body, “You know something, I think that might be my new favourite memory sugar.” Harry whispered, pulling away from your kiss.

“Did you just call me sugar?” You giggled.

“Yeah, because you’re sweet like sugar.”

                                                       ***

“H baby, the fans are going mad for it!” You called from the kitchen, sat at a barstool at the kitchen island, four months had passed since your date and you and Harry had only got closer. The last few months had been a whirlwind, so much so that Harry had asked you to isolate with him, he got lonely easily, and the idea of living with you was enough to make lockdown pass quickly.

“They like it do they?” He asked, wrapping his arms around your shoulders, kissing your neck softly, “What did your mum think of it?”

“I think she liked it, she said that her friends from work thought it was erm, interesting.” You giggled.

“I’m glad she enjoyed it sugar.” He replied, squeezing you tightly.

“I’m quite surprised she was so positive about it, considering it was basically a fully clothed orgy.” You laughed, holding onto his arms.

“Excuse me, it was a very tastefully executed orgy thank very much.” Harry told you, spinning the bar stool so that you faced him, “But what was your favourite bit sugar?”

“You, all of you.” You whispered, placing kisses along his jawline, “As lovely as it is reading what your fans think, how about I show you how it’s done.” You continued, knowing the feelings it would stir up in Harry, “Bedroom?” You muttered into his ear.

“Bedroom.” He replied, scooping you up into a bridal carry, trying to get you up the stairs to the bedroom quicker than you could say Watermelon Sugar High.

[the-astro-ace]

Alrighty, for @spiritofcamelot who asked for snippets from my giant list of WIPs lmao

SO HERE WE GO

9 - Dragonlord Gwaine

So, uh, funny story

The first chapter of this one is up on AO3 X’D

Basic premise: Gwaine is a Dragonlord, but he doesn’t know it until he happens to run across Balinor in a tavern one day

Ummm, yyyyyyyyyyyyyyeah.  I’m stuck on this one X’D.  I had Plans, but then the further I got in the Plans, the less I liked the Plans, and now I don’t know what to do this one laskdjfklasdf

I would love to give a snippet from Chapter 2, but as it stands right now I have no idea how much of my current WIP of chapter 2 is actually going to make it in/get released

So

Yeah

I hope to finish this one, but I have no idea how soon that’ll be ;-;

~~~

19 - Spymaster Merlin

Basically: Arthur realizes Merlin knows what he’s talking about when it comes to enemies, and decides to make it official by appointing Merlin as spymaster

Merlin then turned back to Arthur.

Arthur was watching him, his brow furled in thought.

Merlin glanced behind himself - was that where Arthur was looking? - but when it revealed nothing, he turned back, utterly confused.  “Arthur?  Is something wrong?”

Arthur stared at him for a moment longer, before sighing and leaning back in his chair.  He gestured to the empty one across the desk from him.   “Have a seat, Merlin.”

Merlin was taken aback.  He gestured to the clothes that still needed putting away.  “But I -”

“Now, if you please.”

Merlin blinked, but he nodded and set out the half-folded shirt on Arthur’s bed, before making his way to the desk and taking a seat.

Arthur was silent for several moments, staring at Merlin with that expression of consideration.

Merlin’s stomach began to twist.  Did… did Arthur find out somehow?

Merlin shifted.  “Arthur?”

Finally, Arthur spoke, “Merlin… you knew about Valiant.  You tried to warn me of him before he attacked.  You were investigating the men who impersonated Sirs Ethan and Oswald long before anyone was suspicious of their true identities.  You knew Lady Catrina was a troll before anyone else -”

Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “Arthur -”

Arthur held up a hand, and Merlin shut his mouth with an audible click. 

Arthur paused, then he let out a breath.  “What I’m trying to say is that… you have good instincts, good reflexes, and time and time again you have proven your loyalty to me and to Camelot.  You have a way of figuring things out before anyone does, and you are able to make connections with people that I am incapable of.  You take things into your own hands, and if there’s a threat, you’re one of the first people who know about it.”

Arthur clasped his hands on the table, and met Merlin’s eyes with an intensity Merlin wasn’t sure he liked.

“I have a proposition for you, Merlin.”

~~~

37 - Gwaine Emrys

I AM SO HAPPY YOU ASKED ABOUT THIS ONE BECAUSE I LOVE THE PREMISE SO MUCH

This is another attempt of mine for a comedic fic, and, here, I’ll just paste the first bit and hope it is self-explanatory 😆

There were a lot of things that led to the situation Gwaine was in now.

First and foremost, he supposed, was that several years before, he had jumped into a fight in a tavern to help save a handsome, raven-haired young man and his companion from surely being killed.

That, of course, led to him waking up in an unfamiliar castle and an unfamiliar bed. And that led to many more moments with the raven-haired young man in question, bringing Gwaine to a life that he never thought he could have had, but would never give up for the rest of the world.

Now, several years after that initial day in the tavern, Gwaine’s life was looking very different.

Very different indeed.

For starters, he was now a knight for that raven-haired young man’s companion.  One noble, albeit very prattish at times, King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot.

And that raven-haired young man in question, one quite handsome Merlin Emrys, was Gwaine’s husband.

His name wasn’t Merlin Emrys when they met, no, for Merlin had had no surname to speak of then.  

But when magic had been finally, finally returned to Camelot and Merlin had been given the role of Court Sorcerer, Arthur had asked Merlin to pick one.  To appear more regal in the eyes of the council and of the neighboring kingdoms, he explained.

Merlin could have chosen the last name of his father – and that of the Dragonlord Clan Ambrosius – but as people knew him by his other name, Emrys, already, Merlin went for convenience and simply opted to make his second name his surname.

And when, about a year later, he proposed to Gwaine and asked for them to be married, Gwaine was faced with a decision himself.

He had never told Arthur – or anyone other than Merlin, really – his true surname, wishing to keep that part of his past buried and forgotten.

He was Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot and nothing more.

But when it came time to sign the marriage papers, Gwaine found himself adding on a new part to his name – one that made him completely and utterly Merlin’s.

Gwaine Emrys.  Not too shabby sounding if you asked him.

However, thinking back to that moment when Gwaine chose his new name, he never could have predicted what would transpire because of that choice. Most everyone in Camelot knew Merlin, and most knew Gwaine was his husband and a knight.  A mundane, magic-less knight.

But, there were still people who did not know Merlin on sight, especially in the outer villages.

In hindsight, Gwaine supposed they should have realized mix-ups like this would occur.

“Everyone! He’s here!  The great and powerful Emrys!”

The faces of the villagers lit up, and they all turned to Gwaine with broad smiles – cheering and clapping with the belief that the great sorcerer was among them, and all their problems would soon be solved.

Oh dear.  

This would take some explaining to do.

~~~

65 - Selkie Gwaine

I remembered this one having more - whoops

Okay so this file has a grand WHOPPING total of 43 words, so I shall just use a description I already wrote lol

OKAY SO I'm uh, not sure how this is going to start

But I think the basic set up to start will be that Merlin+Gwaine+the others are all living in a seaside village.  Merlin and Gwaine are good friends, and often hang out

Somehow I'll establish that Gwaine never talks about his past - he's referenced a couple things, but he never goes in depth, and Merlin's never heard him mention going to visit his family.  His dad's dead, but other than that Merlin doesn't know what happened to them (So actually not too different than canon alksdjfasd)

I think just...one night a storm's coming in.  And Gwaine's just...sad.  Maybe it's an anniversary, or maybe it's his mother's birthday, but point is Gwaine's just being all melancholic That night the storm comes in, and as Merlin's on the beach doing, uh, Something, he spots a figure sitting in the shallow waves

And Merlin, upon closer look, finds it's Gwaine

Merlin is of course ASLKDJFLKAJSDFLKJASDF "GWAINE WHAT ARE YOU DOING"

Gwaine doesn't move (I'm trying to decide if he's inebriated at this point too but idk), and Merlin approaches him, to get him out of the water before he drowns, gets struck by lightning, or gets hypothermia, ya know? And I just have this idea of Gwaine, when Merlin gets close, is all "Can't you hear it singing?"

Merlin's all ???

Gwaine: "The ocean.  Can't you hear it?"

But point is Merlin grabs his arm and is all "Come on we need to go" and at that Gwaine gets up and follows

So Merlin gets Gwaine back to his house - Gwaine just seems out of it this whole time so he's probably inebriated oof - before Merlin gets him out of his wet clothes, gets a fire going And of course he's a bit 😳 at the idea of cuddling for warmth with Gwaine (because this is me lol) but point is he's certain Gwaine's going to get hypothermia if he doesn't

So they get all comfy and go to sleep aslkdjfjlaksfjklasdf

The next morning they wake up and Merlin's just "Do you want to tell me what that was all about??"

And Gwaine just sighs

"I'm not human, Merlin

"I'm a selkie"

~~~

77 - BODY SWAP

Merwaine Body Swap AU.  Pretty self explanatory I think

Merlin looked into the mirror.

He expected to find two Merlin’s staring back at him: himself, and the figure with his face next to him.  But instead, he found one Merlin standing to his right side -

And Gwaine, taking the place where he should have been.

“W-what?” Merlin breathed, before reaching a hand up to his face.

The Gwaine in the mirror did the same.

Merlin’s breathing grew ragged, and he ran his hand over his face - feeling his cheeks, his nose, the scruff covering his jaw.  While there had been mornings he’d desperately needed to shave before, there had never been anything like this.

The most damning thing, however, was when he moved his hands to the sides, and found long hair there - brown and curled, and definitely far longer than Merlin had ever let it grow.

And it finally began to sink in what all this meant.

If - if he was in Gwaine’s body, and the figure with Merlin’s face thought Merlin had stolen his -

Merlin turned to the person next to him.   

The figure with Merlin’s face was doing the same thing Merlin had been, running his hands over his face with a shocked expression, as if unable to believe what he saw in the mirror.

Then he slowly turned to look at Merlin, that shocked expression still there.

“Merlin?” the figure asked.

“Gwaine?” Merlin responded, stomach sinking at this confirmation of who it was that was truly standing next to him.

They stared at each other for a moment longer.

Then they screamed.

[wrestledwiththegods]

I see you do yandere requests and 💦 so what do you imagine the darker papas and Copia are like?

Okay. So. Without going too deep into it, in the time between me writing my original rules, and getting this ask- I had a long and meaningful conversation with a friend about yandere and how a lot of its hallmark traits resemble stereotypes of certain mental illnesses. How this has been harmful to those groups, the stigma, etc. Please know this is not me talking down about your ask or saying you cannot enjoy that content, but I've decided to not write that specific thing for my hcs.

That being said, I am still MORE than happy to write villainous or "darker" hcs that dont involve that specific "obsessive" yandere feel. If that makes sense.

Sorry I hope you still enjoy this!

Also note: most of these have multiple outcomes depending upon certain factors. Ill be tagging anything villain or "darker" as darkau so people can blacklist!

Papa Nihil is a mad king type of villain. It's his world, baby, and maximum hedonism is the goal. He may be older but that does not at all stop him from seeking pleasure even at the risk to his own health. Fucks everything that moves. Holds parties to an extravagant degree. Definitely the kind of bad guy to monologue about past exploits and deeds with the turn of his hand like they weren't horrible things to do. We all (read: other people who aren't him) have to make sacrifices for the church. When he first sees you, you seem like a fun new toy, so to speak. "Cute" is the first word to come to mind.

Likely he first tries to buy your affections. A wolfish smile on his face as he asks if you want a taste of the good life. You two could have some fun. Yet even if you say yes, he soon finds its not enough. Why? He asks himself with a frown. He tries harder, takes more of your time if you let him. You get pulled away from work to have meals with him. He actually asks personal questions about *you* that normally he wouldn't give a shit about in a plaything. But you're not just one of those silly siblings of sin he plays around with.

He hasn't felt this way in a very long time. Its the most serious he's felt in a long time. He still wants to fuck around and basically be his worst self, mind you. But he wants you to be at the top with him. You two can burn brightly together, taking in the best of what his awful actions have bought you. This is if you say yes. If you say no… he smiles. No hard feelings! You'll never be forced to do anything you don't want. It's like he turned off his personality at the drop of a hat. You'll still get gifts after that. Feel his eyes on you around the church. The parties get louder, his screwing around more apparent when you walk in a room. Still, you'll feel his focus on you and nothing else. Almost like he's anticipating for you to change your mind. He'll be waiting.

Papa I - Papa I has always been assumed to be the least threatening of the Emeritus family. He likes to garden, kept to himself after getting off stage. Much of his real "work" is private, you see. Whether it's preparing a poor lost lamb for a ritual after they had betrayed the church for some personal gain. Or slowly and intricately cutting into their skin sigils for the Morningstar. Hes even been known as the best if you need a torturer (although thankfully it is rarer in these days).

You probably take his notice when you express interest in one of his many poisonous plants- lily of the valley. Only if ingested, he tells you. But if you think those are beautiful, he has a lot more he can show you- his private collection.

Its shortly after that you find your duties reassigned to his office. Its out of nowhere, but definitely a step up. The way he phrases it to you is that he needs more help with the garden as one of his previous assistants needed a change of pace. And from what he's heard of you plus your interest, you seem perfect for the job! Really, he just craves to be beside you. Listen to you chatter as you both work the soil, see the sweat roll down your neck on hot days-

The difference between Papa I and everyone else on the list here is that he probably won't make a grand move or gesture. He pines. Hopes that you'll see his feelings and his darkness and love all of it. But deep down he knows how unlikely that is. That one day he'll show you the beauty of ritual hands on. See the blood glisten oh-so-beautifully on your skin. He still sighs happily thinking on it.

If you never express feelings for him, he basically devotes himself to making your life better, in his perspective. Changes your work schedule so its timed well for you to get a good night's rest. Looks out for things you might *need.* If there is anything you want to learn, he's more than happy to show you himself or help you get the resources you need. When it might get bad is when someone expresses interest in you, or you to someone. Ah… well. They're just not good enough for you. Not in his mind. He'll tell you rumors he's heard. Talk to them directly to get them to back off. He has an entire checklist in his mind that they have to meet. Pretty much no one will.

If someone does (its possible but unlikely), however, he feels his heart break. He still pines. And longs. But he lets you go to that person. After all, no matter what horrible things hes done, he wants you to be happy. His heartache is worth that.

Papa II- Papa II as a villain is actually a lot closer to the steteotypes and rumors about him normally- ruthless, cold, and seemingly doesn't care about others. He has this anger deep in his core that is never fully expressed. Truly, he is a sadist in that he usually enjoys the pain of others at his hands. Likes helping out on those rare occasions torture is a thing with Papa I in the lower underground sections of the church. Always seems like hes looking for someone to punish, and usually in a very unpleasant way. Yes, this has extended to death if he deems the "crime" severe enough. The sadism extends into the bedroom for harsh "games"- however he's not a monster when it comes to sexual partners. Still gives them aftercare, even if its a tad on the unfeeling side and more out of obligation.

It probably wasn't just one thing that put you in his sights. He noticed you one day probably doing something kind and kept running into you. He likes picturing your heart racing when you see him, like prey in the face of danger. Over time he starts developing a fondess that he can't quite deny. It's strange. Its been so long since he's genuinely felt this way about anyone, he doesn't know how to react at first. So he pulls out some stops. You get letters, at first, delivered by a ghoul. Later they come with expensive gifts he thinks you'll look good in or enjoy. You should wear it. It pleases him so much to see wear something he got you. Its sort of a subtle claim in his mind. He does expect replies delivered to a certain ghoul or place. Eventually the ghoul comes and there isn't a letter. You're being summoned.

He asks you straightforward to be his prime mover. He's honest in his intentions that he wants you exclusive only to him. He would give you the same if you asked. In fact, he would give you almost anything if you asked. At first this might all seem business but you might notice the slight flush in his cheeks, the unusual hesitation in his voice- little tells. Also the fact he's never asked anyone to be his prime mover, as far as you know. If you say yes, you find he's more gentle when its just the two of you. He has this warm smile in bed you'll catch. He kisses your forehead softly and its this aching tenderness. When others are around, no one would ever know.

If you say no, you are dismissed and he thanks you for your time. Its as if you don't exist to him after that. He just… walks past you like a ghost. Won't acknowledge you if you were to say anything, though I certainly wouldn't. Basically the walls he let down for a brief moment are back up and reinforced. It hurts to see you around, but hes stronger than that. There are things to do in the church. He'll take out these feelings on someone else.

Papa III- As a villain, Papa III is a siren. He's beautiful, says all the right things and pulls lost souls down to the depths with him. On a quick glance, he just seems like someone very devout to the principles of the church and/or hedonistic party guy. His favorite thing to do is lure new people to the church, have them do horrible things and then offer shelter from the other world who will no longer accept them. All with a cute wink or a few silver laced words. This applies to his relationships. He moves fast and likes whoever is interesting at the time- platonic, romantic, alliances. If he decides you're not fun anymore, you get a kick to the curb if the former. The latter usually just ends up to some horrible fate. He thrives on people wanting him so badly they would do anything.

Which is why you as a concept is frustrating. Likely he's already picked you up as someone to have around as a casual fuck or in his "entourage", so to speak. He doesn't fuck around when he wants someone. But you've lasted so long, held his interest. There's a shitty little mercurial part of him that keeps denying what should be obvious. Some days he thinks he'll get rid of you in the morning. Other days he thinks how he can't live without you. He probably has his epiphany when someone else suggests it might be time for you to go. His reaction is filled with anger and aggression. The person seemingly disappeared the next day.

Suddenly he'll be a lot more affectionate. Act like you're his partner in how he conducts himself instead of a follower. All his other sex partners are dumped but not replaced. He asks you be exclusive and practically fucks you to oblivion when you agree. He took after his father in the wolfish smile department. That's what you get from him if you start questioning any of this. Why wouldn't he? You're his favorite. He loves you. The truth of the matter is, even if you didn't love him back, as long as you don't betray him- it stays like this. He adores you and wants you at his side.

If you had answered no to any of it in the first place, he would have gone on without a thought. Oh well!

Papa Copia- Copia is pulling all the strings. He has been for quite a long time. That's why he's papa now, no? Everything and everyone is bent to his will, at least for now until they need another reminder. He's had others killed or just plain framed to get them out of his way. But through it all, the shy and incredibly awkward mannerisms he exaggerated to put peoples guards down, were the most real around you. In gatherings in the church he'd find himself staring, quiet and calculating. He'd slip into fancies about what it would be like to have you romantically. Something about you makes him feel… like an ordinary man. The vulnerability made his heart race and dangle over an imaginary precipice.

Once the new Papacy is official, he comes to you, privately. No, you're not in trouble, he smiles and gives a nervous laugh. He has a proposal. He wants you to be his prime mover. His jewel above all others. If you accept, you'll be treated like royalty in the church. Hanging on his arm at events where no one would dare to touch you or speak ill of you. Sometimes when you're alone he just likes to hold you. Out of all the terrible, rotten things on this earth, you're actually his. Once he realizes he can trust you, he tends to have more vulnerable moments. Things he's probably never told anyone. No matter how stained his hands, he will make sure you are never hurt.

However, you're free to tell him no- He'll be shocked, perhaps try to charm his way. If you still say no, he leaves to think on it. As much as it pains him, if he cannot have you, he would rather not see you at all. He's not going to kill you or hurt you though, no- you might think so for a moment when you're pulled into his office with Imperator behind him. Instead he tells you with some regret that you are to be transferred to another church. He'll miss you, as will the members of the main church of course. But you're needed elsewhere. That's it. As if it was just routine. The next week you leave and he watches you from a window, something in his chest aching. You are his soft spot. And he can't risk having that exposed if he can't have you.

[loopy777]

Thank You! Finally someone who also understands he hardships that Mai went through! A lot of people thinks that Mai is a bored spoiled rich girl and I’m like “Did you not understand the scene in the Beach episode???” Mai is explaining how she was emotionally and mentally suppressed during her childhood. Do they not know how that can really damage a person? Mai’s childhood, similar to Toph’s, explained her upbringing as a person; and they don’t see that? But the thing is I think they do. [1/3]

Like everybody understood that Toph’s childhood was rough too despite herself being an upperclassmen daughter who could technically get whatever she wants. Is it because people don’t really jive with Mai? Or is it because the shipping wars have to do with this lack understanding of Mai in the fandom? I also remember seeing a post here saying how “Mai is toxic to Zuko and here’s why”. What? Toxic? Are you serious?! Like they stated how Mai shouldn’t be with Zuko due to her lack of- [2/3]

-expressions and that Zuko needs someone who can openly show affection. Um... Do you not see how Mai would Smile Around Him?! How She would physical Express her affection via kisses and touches? One would argue that she is dismissed toward Zuko and would source the scene with the “I don’t need to hear your life story” and the Beach episode where she dismisses Zuko attempts to pleases her. I should end it here. I guess I’m asking is: “What’s your personal take on why Mai is misunderstood?” [3/3]

Well, to be fair to some of the Mai-haters out there, I think a big part of the problem is that The Beach has terrible writing. As I jokingly allude to in that post, Mai’s explanation of her childhood is a vast understatement compared to what I described about the abuse she suffered. Here it is in full, with Azula’s own take on it:

MAI: What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only-child who got anything I wanted. As long as I behaved and sat still, and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about.

AZULA: Well, that's it, then. You have a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself.

Naturally, Mai can’t also detail about how she was controlled and abused by Azula, nor can she get into everything she hates about Fire Nation society. And it fits with her character that she would understate things, leaving it for those who would truly empathize (Ty Lee, at least, and perhaps she’s testing to see if Zuko will get it) to understand what she’s leaving unsaid.

So only an audience really paying attention to Mai will see the shadows behind her relatively innocuous words. Yes, she’s not describing a good situation, but it’s easy to mischaracterize what she’s talking about as mere “teaching discipline.” And then Azula jumps in with her take, which is going to be colored by her own experiences and issues, and I think The Boiling Rock makes a good case that Azula does not have Mai fully figured out. ;)

We have to also keep in mind that there was a space of 9 months between the airings of The Beach and The Boiling Rock, so that’s an extra opportunity for people not paying attention to Mai to miss all the dynamics in this conversation. Heck, even Azula’s abuse of Mai was only glimpsed through innocuous reminders like breaking up a Sunset Maiko Date, compared to her ordering Mai to give up her brother to rebel terrorists in her introductory episode- which aired 13 months before The Beach. Even the Fountain Incident in the flashback of Zuko Alone can be seen as a mere prank by those not connecting the dots. The perception of the fandom was largely that Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were real friends, from what I saw of it before the TBR came around. (I was only in the fandom for 4 months before Mai’s big moment.) It’s only in hindsight that most people realized that Mai was making daily evaluations as to whether it was time to die gloriously trying to ram a stiletto in Azula’s ear.

Toph, by comparison, is easier to understand because the cartoon outright shows us her father calling her weak and declaring that he’s going to lock up her so that she can’t risk herself. Mai’s background is something we glimpse in the way her mother ���politely’ shuts down her opinion of living in Omashu, and then her own understated confession on Ember Island. It’s a perfect illustration of the storytelling fallacy of “Show, Don’t Tell.” A more accurate and helpful version of that advice is to dramatize the important stuff rather than leaving it in dialogue, and Mai’s issues are largely undramatized.

All that said, I have no idea how anyone comes away from AtLA with the impression that Mai is expressionless. I still see it today, despite the whole story being available; I just got a review on a story the other day that praised my ability to find depth in such an “emotionless” character. Right in her first episode, when Ty Lee teases her about meeting up Zuko, Mai can’t hold back a smirk and turns her face away so that no one can see it! That’s the entire character dramatized in one scene! Never mind how she does allow herself an outburst in The Beach in response to Azula’s trying to psychoanalyze her, or everything in The Boiling Rock where she’s clearly hurt by Zuko’s leaving her to the point of nearly being in tears at several moments- or her grand romantic gesture of choosing to die to save Zuko’s life.

Maybe people are confused by Mai not actually dying thanks to Ty Lee’s intervention?

Also, while I’m not enough of an expert in humanity to say, the rest of Tumblr has plenty of theories about how Mai is probably the victim of unconscious sexism. She’s not traditionally feminine, so some people don’t empathize in the same way they do characters like Katara or Ty Lee or even Azula. Even Toph sheds tears for the audience! Mai, however, will hold back those tears no matter how much she’s hurting.

You have to look directly into her eyes to see her pain.

Another factor, which again other people could elaborate on with more expertise, is that the abuse I described for Mai is what I called a ‘soft’ kind. She wasn’t physically beaten, so it’s not a kind of abuse that people are used to recognizing. It’s hard for people to see manipulation as a form of abuse, but it certainly can be one. An entire childhood of being told that your opinions are wrong is definitely a form of abuse, but it’s not the kind we usually see in stories, so Mai’s story doesn’t fit the patterns we’re trained to recognize. The result can be audiences simply missing what’s going on with her, or even outright disliking her for the ‘oddness’ of her story.

Which, ironically, is kind of like what Mai’s life was like in-universe. She didn’t fit the pattern that was expected of her, so she was pushed to either conform or become invisible. And when she does finally allow herself to stand out, a portion of the fandom becomes Azula to kill her with lightning.

Which leaves the Mai-fans as a metaphorical Ty Lee.

Which I think makes us all uncomfortable. XD

[sloshed-cinema]

Double Indemnity (1944)

I need Billy Wilder to write all of the witty, damaged dialogue for my life.  Though from a contemporary perspective the film noir is a collection of tropes, a formula, Double Indemnity is one of those masterpieces that demonstrates its power as a storytelling mode.  The characters are snappy and whip-smart, doing battle with words far before any bullet is fired or murder is committed.  Though it doesn’t have the iconic scope of, say, Casablanca in terms of quotable lines, the dialogue bounces dexterously between witty moments—football burns and quintessential Medford, OR—and grimmer content that speaks of the depths of human depravity.  This isn’t a grand gesture, it’s a couple committing a crime, becoming entangled in their own perfect web, and that’s what informs the core of this film’s success.

The anchor of the film truly comes down to the characters, both in their writing and realization.  Though Walter controls the perspective of the film largely, Phyllis emerges as the true focal point.  Barbara Stanwyck’s sultry, cold performance speaks to both profound frustration and anguish as well as something darker lurking beneath the surface.  Her stony-faced reaction to her husband’s murder and everything in between gives credibility to Lola’s claim about Phyllis’ previous methods of getting what she wants (or thinks she wants, at least).  She is introduced as a sex icon, wrapped in a towel, but quickly emerges as the puppet-master.  Walter is a simpler man, motivated primarily by his attraction to this woman, even if he tries to convince himself otherwise later on.  His primary sales pitch is not about insurance but about sex, a slick series of pickup lines and rebuffs about the woman whom he’s only just met.  Even being told directly to pump the brakes doesn’t faze him.  Completing the trinity is movie MVP Barton Keyes.  He is a man both fanatically dedicated to claims work, an absolute policy wonk, and one driven by his steadfast moral compass.  This man shrieking at length about suicide statistics is me trying to convince my friends about the virtues of the latest weird arthouse flick I’ve seen.  In the end, his admission of disappointment in Walter, that the salesman is closer to his bosom and its Little Man than he might think, is the ultimate nadir of the film, even moreso than the murder itself. 

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says ‘claim’ or ‘dame’.

Voiceover narration begins.

Someone names an appointment time.

A hangup or obstacle in the plan occurs.

Medford, Oregon is mentioned.

BIG DRINK

The film returns to the desktop confessional.

“Straight down the line.”

One-handed match lighting.

[slow-smiles]

The plan to tell Emma’s parents about her relationship with Killian gets derailed when she is kidnapped by the Dark One. Captain Duckling. Revelations, reunions, adventures, and smut ensues. ~10.7k The grand finale to the My Princess, My Pirate series.

Read on AO3. Read on tumblr Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

The Swan of Misthaven. Part Four.

When Killian had stepped up to her and asked her if she trusted him, Emma had been moments away from hurling herself in the opposite direction. She could feel the sun inside her, splitting her skin, feel the heat and power and danger of it barely held in check. The dam had been about to break.

But his certainty had drawn her in. This insane curse on her might not be the sleeping curse that had once afflicted her mother, but it is still a curse. She knows the stories better than anyone. Her parents lived it. True Love’s Kiss can break any curse.

Any doubt she might’ve had about their feelings for one other has long since melted away. She’s known his love for her and hers for him for years now, felt the strength and courage and empathy it’s given her. How it has made her softer and stronger all at once. Besides, he’s always made her feel like she’s capable of achieving the impossible.

“I love you,” he whispers. The naked vulnerability in his eyes makes her heart ache.

Everything fades away, and her view of the world narrows to him.

“I love you,” she replies.

She kisses him.

And feels magic.

A ripple goes out from them like a shockwave, a wave of rainbow light that rushes away them like a sharp breeze. Warmth and love and their depth of feeling rushes over her like an ocean wave, and she feels, for a moment, like they are one.

Quite suddenly, the power that had been threatening to tear her apart is extinguished like a snuffed candle’s flame. Simply gone.

She smiles into his kiss because it worked. They will be okay. Everyone is safe and unhurt, and the Dark One is gone for good in a land where he can do no more harm. A different feeling rises in Emma’s chest, not the burning power from before, but magic in it’s own way. The love she has for the man in front of her is overwhelming in that moment, affection blended with relief and happiness.

He makes a sound deep in his chest when she brings her fingers to his hair and grips tightly, and his arm around her pulls her ever closer. She would keep kissing him forever, but the rest of the world has come bleeding back, and she just barely hears her dad’s pointed cough from behind them and is reminded of their audience.

Emma reluctantly breaks away, loathe to do so but practicality making it a necessity. She looks up at Killian, everything much sharper, easier to focus on now that the power of Urd is no longer holding her captive. The blinding smile on his face is infectious. He pulls her in for a hug, and Emma can’t resist it, letting her chin rest against his shoulder and the side of her head rest against his.

“You’re all right,” he marvels, sounding wrecked by what they just accomplished. “You’re okay.” Urd’s curse is gone. Everyone is safe by virtue of the love they share for each other, and if that isn’t something to marvel at while she has him in her arms, she doesn’t know what is.

“Yeah,” Emma agrees softly. “I never thought—” Her fingers tighten against his coat, and she doesn’t finish her thought before she’s pulling away from him. She gives him a look that conveys a promise, a this isn’t finished, a we’ll talk later.

He’s reluctant to let her go, and she isn’t eager to do so either, but he isn’t the only one who has feared for her safety.

Snow and David rush to where they stand, their arms going around her and clutching her close to them. A different kind of love rises in her chest at the feeling of their embrace. “We were so worried about you,” Snow whispers.

“I’m sorry,” Emma offers. She has a lot to explain. Distantly, a wounded part of her wonders if they were responsible for the suppression hex that Rumplestiltskin had mentioned, but those are questions for later, questions for a time when the relief of being held by her mom and dad doesn’t feel so raw and necessary.

“Don’t apologize,” Charming says, his voice thick with emotion. “Gods, don’t apologize.”

A chunk of the ceiling falls across the room from them, startling them all and Emma and her parents jump apart.

Regina looks up. “We should probably get out of here. Wouldn’t be a very fitting end to this journey if the castle collapses on top of us,” she finishes dryly.

Her parents look like they aren’t ready for their hug to be over, but Emma nods at Regina. “I’d rather not hang around here any longer than I have to.”

PAGE BREAK

Snow is conflicted. 

On one hand, Emma is safe. Relief is an inadequate word for what she’s feeling after Hook and her daughter shared True Love’s Kiss and saved her from the cyclical curse. To hold her daughter in her arms after fearing for her life is indescribable. To know that she will be alright, to know that she has someone who truly loves her, enough to create magic and break curses, is everything Snow could’ve ever dreamed.

On the other hand, magic has caused them no small amount of grief in their lives, and she can’t say she’s thrilled to find her daughter to be such an apparent natural at it. She’s been trying to come to terms since Regina told them, point blank, that Emma has it. On one hand, magic nearly cost Regina her sanity, resulted in the deaths of thousands, drove Rumplestiltskin to dark madness, cursed Ruby with her wolf form that killed Peter, and countless other cautionary tales from their lives. On the other hand, it was magic from the love she shares with David that awoke her from the sleeping curse. True love is magic, and as Regina described it, Emma’s magic is cut from the same cloth.

Still, Emma did come perilously close to killing Rumplestiltskin in the way that Regina had killed so many of Snow’s subjects, friends, and allies.

It’s an uncomfortable image, one that Snow knows is going to linger in her mind long after today.

Regina gives Emma an impromptu lesson on teleportation and doesn’t let her try to transport anyone aside from herself. (“You’re a lot less liable to leave behind your own arm or leg compared to someone else’s when you’re new to magical transport.”) She picks it up without much of a problem, teleporting herself out of the castle without a struggle.

“She’s talented,” Regina says before she makes a few quick gestures, and her own magic is rising around them and transporting the rest of their party outside the castle. She promptly collapses against a nearby tree when her magic dissipates. 

“Regina!” Robin cries, and he rushes to her side.

“I’m okay,” Regina says, unconvincingly. She braces herself against the trunk, her breathing heavy. She wipes a hand across her nose and checks her knuckles, as though she was anticipating blood. “It’s been a long time since I’ve used this much magic.” She chuckles. “I’m out of shape.”

Robin says, “You’re riding with me. Emma can take Junior.” His tone brooks no argument, but Regina doesn’t seem keen to offer one.

Emma casts a longing glance at Hook--Snow remembers the desire to be close after a True Love’s Kiss. As much as she still has so many questions surrounding their relationship, that kind of magic can’t be faked. Whatever it might mean for them going forward, Captain Hook truly loves Emma, and she truly loves him.

Emma doesn’t complain though, and agrees to take Regina’s horse instead.

“Junior doesn’t like having a strong hand on the bit,” Regina says as Emma mounts up. “She responds to leg cues better, so be sure to--”

“Darling, I think Emma will be able to handle her,” Robin interrupts. “Relax.”

“Sorry,” Regina says, and it makes Snow smile a little. For all that Regina’s changed over the years, it’s comforting to find things that are still familiar. Still reminiscent of the kind young woman who loved horses and saved Snow’s life.

They set off away from the castle, Robin leading the way, and as though gravitating around each other, Emma and Hook end up side by side. Snow and Charming bring up the rear. There’s a thousand things she needs to say, but she can’t put words to any of them. She looks over at Charming, whose expression is hard to read, but she has a feeling his emotions are a close match to hers.

“Lovely day for a ride,” Hook comments with a grin, and Snow looks forward again to see him and Emma smiling at each other. “Almost as lovely as my riding companion.”

Emma laughs. “You know, I think your flirting game has gotten weaker over the years.”

He dramatically clutches his chest. “Emma, you wound me. The ‘explosive chemistry’ line was some of my best work.”

Emma lifts her leg from the horse’s side and pokes Killian’s calf with her toe. “‘Best work’ my ass. I’ve heard your good lines. That was lower-mid tier at best.”

Their light banter continues on and off for the duration of the ride, and Snow can’t help but devour everything they say. It’s like these conversations are puzzle pieces, small windows into the relationship that has meant so much to Emma for years. They mention places Snow has never heard of, people she’s never met. She’s heard the old adage that once your children reach a certain age, you will never fully know them again, and it’s only now that Snow feels like that is the truth.

They reach Robin and Regina’s village before long, the sun still high in the sky, though it has long since slipped past high noon.

“You are all more than welcome to stay,” Robin suggests. Regina doesn’t have the same naturally welcoming disposition as her husband, but she manages to look agreeable to his offer.

“We should be able to reach home by nightfall,” Snow says. “You’ve already done more than enough for us.”

“We can at least draw your horses some water before you go,” Regina offers, and once her husband dismounts, he helps her down. Regina looks a bit steadier than before, but she’s still far too pale. Robin makes sure she’s securely leaning against the fence before he goes to a nearby trough to draw some water for their mounts.

“Charming, would you mind taking Claudius over for me?” she asks.

“Of course,” he answers. Once they’re both on the ground, Snow hands over the reins to David and walks over to where Regina is staring at her with one eyebrow cocked.

“Claudius?”

Snow laughs. “Emma named him after her favorite character from… oh, which one was it that she was obsessed with that year… The Pauper in Armor! That was it.” Gods, how many discussions had she and David endured from teenage Emma about how the Lady Alyssa had been better off without Sir Peter, whose fated match was alluded to be Sir Gregory anyway, and should’ve chosen Claudius instead.

“If it’s any consolation, we let Eliza name my horse when we first brought her home. She was four and decided that ‘Juney Booney Dooney Dots’ was the perfect name for our newest foal.” Regina smiles wistfully. “I wasn’t going to overrule her, but I did reserve the right to give her a nickname.”

Snow snorts softly. “The things we do for our children.”

“Indeed,” Regina agrees, quiet.

Snow looks around--at Hook and Emma making eyes at each other leaning on an opposite fence, at Robin chatting animatedly with David who seems to be concentrating very hard on not looking at Hook and Emma--and is struck quite suddenly by a sharp sense of appreciation.

“Listen, Regina--”

Regina holds up a hand and shakes her head. “I know what you’re going to say and--” she cuts herself off with a sigh. “It was the right thing to do. I’m not the Evil Queen anymore, but my scales are far from balanced.”

Snow smiles a little. “Scales balanced or not, I do owe you a thank you.” She can see Regina about to protest. “We wouldn’t have been able to get Emma out if it weren’t for you.”

Regina scoffs a little and looks over at Emma. “She did a pretty good job of saving herself there, at the end.”

Snow tries to hide her wince at imagining Emma nearly killing Rumplestiltskin, but apparently doesn’t do a good enough job.

“I know she scared you, what with the whole--” Regina mimes crushing a heart, “--you know, ‘reminding you of me’ thing. But go easy on her,” she says, and both of them cast their gazes over at Emma, whose smile is bright enough to rival the stars. Hook says something that makes her tip her head back and laugh. “What she chose to do wasn’t easy.”

Snow lets out a breath. “Choosing kindness rarely is.” She turns away from Emma and looks at Regina. “Thank you.”

She lets out a frustrated sound. “I told you--”

Snow chuckles. “I know, I know.”

Before long, the horses seem ready to get going again. Robin offers an extra horse so that all of them may have their own mounts heading back, but Emma is quick to turn him down. “We’ll be okay doubling up. We wouldn’t want to impose any more than we already have.”

Robin chuckles. “Well, we certainly don’t have a shortage of good horses around here, but I won’t insist,” he says before heading to Regina’s side, clearly intending on escorting her inside.

As they begin to mount up, Regina calls out, “Wait!”

They all freeze and glance back, but Regina’s eyes are focused solely on Emma.

“Wait,” Regina repeats before she turns to Robin as says, “I’m not going to keel over. Would you mind going to make some tea for me?” 

Robin sighs, but acquiesces. “If you do happen to keel over, I reserve the right to hold it over you for the rest of our lives.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less. Emma,” she says, turning back, “come here for a minute.”

“Oh,” Emma says, “uh, sure.”

She walks over to Regina without the hesitation that had colored her voice. Their conversation is brief, and Snow can’t make out any words, but Emma comes away from it looking pensive.

Hook also notices, and he beats her to the punch in asking, “Everything alright, love?”

“Yeah,” she assures, absently. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just… really want to go home.”

As they set off towards home, Snow’s heart is weighted with all the things she wishes to say to her daughter, and her mind occupied with what Regina might’ve said to her.

PAGE BREAK

Silence descends as their group of four winds through the forests at the outer edge of Misthaven. Emma quietly stews, tension in her shoulders as she thinks over Regina’s words to her once more.

“I have a few things I want to say before I go pass out,” Regina says once Emma is in front of her. “First, there’s the matter of the suppression hex.”

Emma startles. “How’d you know about that?”

“Because I made it,” she answers brusquely. “Now before you jump to any conclusions, no, I didn’t put it on you. I just made it.”

“You made it but didn’t cast it? But that… I don’t understand.”

Regina rolls her eyes. “Right, because you never got trained.” 

Emma feels annoyance rise sharply. She might owe Regina a lot, and she’s certainly a better person than Emma had always assumed the Evil Queen would be, but the rudeness chafes at her. “And that’s my fault, how?”

She shakes her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong.” Her tone shifts to that of a tutor, an expert who is simplifying something that is probably quite complex, “A hex is a spell that must be crafted by a dark magic user, but can then be cast by anyone if they have the incantation to place it.”

“Who asked you to make it?” Emma asks, half-dreading the answer. Please don’t say my parents. Please don’t say they asked for it.

“The Blue Fairy.”

“I--what? Really?”

Regina nods. “I don’t want to tell you who to trust, but…” Her look turns piercing. “Be careful. Magic is… complicated, but I can tell you that it’s a sharp blade--one that can be used to either shear a sheep or cut its throat.” 

“Rumplestiltskin said something similar,” Emma remembers. “Power to destroy or save, or something like that. Had to do with some weird prophecy.”

Regina looks interested at that. “Destroyer or Savior?” she asks, as if quoting something.

“Yeah. Why? Is that important?”

Regina’s lips purse, then she shakes her head. “Maybe, but don’t worry about it now. I only wanted to tell you that you have people on your side who love you, and that--” Regina swallows, a far off look in her eyes, “--that can make all the difference in the world. Don’t shut them out. The pirate clearly adores you. Your parents might be nervous about your magic at first, but they will be there for you no matter what. And if you would like more lessons on how to refine your control, you know where to find me.”

Blue has never been her friend, but she is certainly someone her parents have trusted. She has an open seat on their Council if she wishes for it, though fairy business keeps it vacant far more often than not. She apparently helped them innumerable times in their conflict with Regina and the Dark One. Since Regina’s turn, peace has been more common than strife, so Blue hasn’t been needed as urgently as she had been back then, so Emma doesn’t really know her.

That doesn’t make it any easier to swallow that one of her parents’ trusted allies willfully concocted a plan to suppress her magic using a hex, all in complete secrecy.

Her arms tighten around Killian’s waist.

“Swan?” he asks softly.

The old nickname makes her shiver. It’ll take some time to forget what it meant to Rumplestiltskin.

“Did Regina tell you about the hex?” she whispers.

“She did,” he replies, keeping his volume as soft as hers.

It takes her a moment to gather the courage to ask, “My parents didn’t know anything about it, did they?”

“No,” he answers. “Not a chance.”

His certainty makes her relax a little. Her life has suddenly become very strange, with magic and prophecies and curses, it’s nice to know at least some of the foundations she’s come to rely on are still there. Killian, her mom, and her dad. She doesn’t want to imagine a life where she doesn’t have them, and thankfully, she won’t have to.

They arrive back at the castle with little fanfare—it is nighttime, the sun having dipped below the horizon a few hours prior. The stars seem to shine with a particular intensity tonight, highlighted rather than drowned by the glow of the nearly full moon. Emma’s attention is more focused on the man in front of her than the night sky.

Even in the soft, blue light of the moon, she can see that he looks pensive. They hadn’t had much of a chance to speak to one another, truly speak to one another, since they’d come for her. She doesn’t know what she’d say exactly, the experiences of the last few days an unexpected avalanche of discoveries.

With the late hour, it’s not until they are close to the gates and visible in the orange light cast by the torches on the path that they hear shouts of “The Queen and King have returned! They have the Princess with them!”

They’re quickly escorted through the gates by a small contingent of infantry, and are greeted in the palace courtyard by two stablehands who take their horses once they dismount.

All around them, guards scurry about, runners take messages to their various posts, and her family’s personal servants are starting to buzz around them. They take outerwear and swordbelts and weaponry, and Emma is quite suddenly overwhelmed by the noise. Every well-wish uttered by one of her ladies’ maids is like a needle to her skin, every offer of assistance like a pebble in her boot.

Killian seems to notice that she’s gone tense beside him, and he reaches for her. His hand fits in hers with practiced ease.

“That’s enough,” he says quietly to the servants. “We can handle the rest ourselves.”

They look at Emma, then back to Killian, then at each other before they acquiesce; they bow before taking their leave.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen have been divested of their many accoutrements by their seasoned staff and turn towards them.

“We’ve sent word to the kitchens,” Snow says. “There will be some food waiting for us there.”

Emma wants to protest, because she is more exhausted than she can ever remember being, but her stomach quickly reminds her that her sleep isn’t the only thing that’s been neglected since she’d gone with Rumplestiltskin in the meadow.

She can also tell that her mother is dying to talk to her alone. They hadn’t had much of a chance, what with Emma’s reluctance to leave Killian’s side since they’d left the Dark One’s palace. Honestly, she still doesn’t want to part with him, both of their brushes with death leaving too deep a wound to yet be fully healed.

However, she knows that she’s been a bit selfish with her time, and her parents had been desperately worried about her too. “Sounds nice,” Emma says softly, tightening her hand around Killian’s in a silent confirmation that he’s staying with her.

She sees the tension around his eyes ease; she knows his fears about her parents’ approval, but if he thinks she’s going to tell him to go back to his ship after everything that’s happened, then he’s got another thing coming.

Their walk to the kitchens in silent, from exhaustion more than anything else, but Emma suspects that her parents don’t quite know what to say to her. There’s a lot they must want to ask.

She’s not angry that Killian told them that they were in love—it’d be silly of her to get mad about that with the circumstances, especially since they’d been planning on telling them anyway. But she made her bed when she decided to keep him a secret even after it became quite clear to her he wasn’t just a casual dalliance or a friend with benefits, and now she has to lie in it.

In the kitchen, they see a tray of brown, seedy bread, an assortment of yellow and white hard cheeses, cold smoked ham, a block of churned butter, as well as fresh sliced fruit including oranges, mangoes, and strawberries set on the small table meant for staff meals, and without much fanfare they all take seats and begin eating.

It’s an informal affair, eating with their fingers and straight off the tray. The only cutlery in sight is the knife for the butter. Emma can’t help but smile when Killian goes straight for the fruit. Despite not having much of a sweet tooth, her pirate has confessed he won’t say no to a delicacy like that when it’s put in front of him. 

Emma puts together a sandwich loaded down with ham and cheddar and butter and when she takes a bite, she damn near moans. It tastes like the best thing she’s ever had the pleasure of eating, and she’s had delicacies the realm over from the best cooks in innumerable royal kitchens.

She catches Killian’s expression out of the corner of her eye. Apparently she did not stifle the moan as well as she thought she did, and his quirked brow and suggestive smirk nearly make her laugh around her mouthful of food.

She looks across the table to where her parents appear to be having one of their silent conversations—probably trying to debate who’s going to break the silence.

Emma decides to take the leap for them. She swallows her bite of sandwich and says, “Just ask what you want to ask.”

Snow and Charming startle at her unexpected interruption, and both turn to face her with relieved looks.

Snow takes the initiative. “So where did the two of you meet?” she asks, and it comes out in a rush, as thought that question has been on the tip of her tongue since Killian announced his love for Emma in the throne room.

Killian huffs a soft laugh beside her. 

“Outside The Cat & Crow. A little ways off from the thirteenth pier,” Emma answers.

Her parents’ eyes widen at the mention of the somewhat infamous bar in the seedier part of the port district.

“A couple drunk guys followed me out,” Emma says and cocks her head to the side, “Killian saw and wanted to make sure I was okay.”

“My concern was unfounded, I might add,” Killian says, a touch of pride in his voice that warms Emma to her core. “I came upon her knocking them out with utter aplomb in an alleyway.”

Her parents still look a bit scandalized on her behalf, but they both seem comforted by Killian’s assurance.

“He offered to walk me home,” Emma continues, “and then we kind of just… kept walking.” She leaves out the enthusiastic makeout session at the end of said walk.

“You didn’t recognize her?” David asks.

Killian shakes his head. “Believe it or not, most commoners don’t make a habit of memorizing portraiture of their monarchs.” He shrugs, “Even if they did, who would expect to see the princess, the Swan of Misthaven herself, dressed down in trousers and drinking pirates twice her size under the table?”

Snow chuckles a little at that, and rubs a hand across her eyes before saying, “Oh, honey, you are more like me than I ever could’ve imagined.”

Emma is a little stunned at that. She’d heard plenty about her mother’s time as a bandit, and her parents’ turn as renegade rulers who brought down the Evil Queen, but she’s never been privy to any drinking stories. She isn’t really sure she wants to be privy to that, at any rate.

“So when did he find out that you were the princess?” David asks.

“A few months on in our acquaintance,” Killian answers.

Emma adds, “We didn’t—” She cuts herself off with a huff and tries to find the right words. Killian’s hand finds hers under the table, comforting and steadying. “We didn’t jump right into anything,” she finally says. “We were friends first. It was nice to have someone who had no idea who I was. Someone who was nice and charming because he wanted to flirt with me, not the Princess of Misthaven.”

Killian blushes. She gently elbows him, his shyness uncharacteristic but incredibly endearing. Her parents witnessed their True Love’s Kiss—it can’t be shocking to learn that their daughter’s true love flirted with her. Hell, they’d done enough light flirting on the way back that it shouldn’t come as any surprise.

“If he knew who you were all that time, then why didn’t you tell us?” Snow asked, poorly disguised anguish in her voice.

Emma bites the inside of her cheek and puts the remainder of her sandwich down on the table, not meeting her parents’ gaze.

“Did you not trust us?” her father asks, and the tone of naked hurt makes a wince zip across Emma’s face.

“Not… exactly,” she answers haltingly. “At first, I wasn’t… I don’t know, I wasn’t sure where this was going. Then it became something more--a lot more, and then I just--” She runs a frustrated hand over her hair. “Telling you would make it real. I was so scared that it would change everything, but I realized that if I kept letting my fear control me, we could never move forward.”

She looks over at Killian and finds an open expression of tenderness on his face. The confession she’d given her parents was very similar to what she’d said years ago when she’d admitted to denying her feelings for him, and she can still hear his answer ringing in her ears.

(I’m ready for it to be real, Emma. Just tell me you want this as much as I do.)

“And then we have the practical reason,” she continues, “It’s one thing to marry a shepherd, and another to marry a wanted criminal. And before you say something like ‘well, we don’t care about that,’ don’t lie. You do, at least a little. You guys have had some strong opinions about villains over the years. And I know you don’t play politics that much, but your heir courting a pirate would literally cause anarchy. I might hate it, but I pay attention to court drama. We would get eaten alive.”

Emma’s next sigh is heavy, contemplative. “I just could never see a future without having one and the other. I couldn’t tell you until I could figure out a way to have him in my life in the public eye.”

“So,” David says, “have you? Found a way.”

Emma straightens herself and puts down the remains of her sandwich. She lays out the particulars of her plan in as great detail as she can manage. She already has drafted paperwork to make the Jolly Roger an official privateer vessel of the crown of Misthaven--sealed with the crest of the Royal Family, and carefully filed into the Royal payroll. Dated a year previous than when Emma actually placed it under the Independent Contractor--Single Payment--Fulfilled category. (Here, her parents had gaped for a few seconds before Emma waved them off and said she never paid Killian for anything.) 

Then would come the commission from Misthaven’s Navy, which would be only slightly more difficult to procure. “But after our daring privateer’s heroic actions in helping to save the Princess from the much-hated Dark One,” Emma explains, “it wouldn’t be too much for the King and Queen to ask the Admiral for an official military commission for his efforts. After all, he helped us rid the whole realm of a dire threat. It would be the height of foolishness for us to allow such a valuable military asset out of our grasp,” she says, exactly how she’d say it if she was the one with the power to ask for such things.

She continues, “As an officer of the military, Killian would be far from an objectionable match for me, though I already know which members of the Court will get fussy.” She wrinkles her nose thinking about them. “Their complaints will hardly be legitimate, and I have strategies in mind to deal with any rumblings about it if the need arises.”

Snow and Charming sit frozen, looking equal parts shocked and impressed with her thoroughness.

Snow says slowly, “You’ve… certainly thought this through.”

Emma loves her parents, and she’d never tell them to their faces, but their lack of playing politics is part of what made it so easy for Regina to take over in the first place. “Someone’s got to.”

(She’s already taken the first legal steps to start stamping out his criminal record in neighboring kingdoms. In all honesty, it shouldn’t be terribly hard; Killian might be an extremely adept pirate, but his moral code does make him at the very least a respected adversary. He is lenient with crews that surrender, does not pillage or rape the way many of his contemporaries do, and is quick to take slaving ships without mercy. The ones she likely won’t be able to sort out in court are from the kingdoms doing the slaving, who Killian targets mercilessly and purposefully, but not having an amicable relationship with those places is no great loss.)

“We’ll run it by the Council,” David says, “but I don’t see any reason why they will object.”

“It’s more of a plan than I had when I married David,” Snow says.

“Good,” Emma says. “So does that cover everything?”

David and Snow share a glance. When they look back, it’s at Killian. “We still have questions for Hook--or Killian, rather.”

Emma despairs a little--she wants to go to bed. Not that spending time with her parents is a chore, exactly, but retreating to her bedroom with Killian in tow sounds like paradise at the moment. She reminds herself that she owes them this time, and stays quiet.

She looks over at him, his expression neutral and open, despite the tiredness she can see lingering at the corners of his eyes. “I’m an open book.”

They ask him how old he really is (somewhere between 200 and 300 years--he lost track in Neverland), why was he in Neverland so long (trapped in Pan’s service, and his escape cost him dearly), where was he from originally (a large kingdom called Northumber across the sea), what was his family like (his mother raised him and his eldest brother until she passed in his seventh year.) 

“What about your father?” David asks. 

Killian immediately tenses beside her, and she holds his hand a little tighter. “Not worth mentioning,” is his response.

Her parents seem to sense that this isn’t a topic that can be easily broached, so they move on.

“Emma’s plan for the two of you,” Snow says, “You are all right with it?”

“It’s well thought-out. I think it will work.”

“And you’re prepared to be consort to a future queen?” David asks.

Killian chuckles. “Admittedly, it’s not where I’d envisioned my life going.” Emma glances over to find him already looking at her. “But it’s all worth it as long as I can spend my life with her.”

David and Snow appear satisfied by his answer. “We’re glad to hear it,” David says.

“Forgive us for the inquisition,” Snow adds.

“An explanation was the least we could give,” Emma answers, then takes a deep breath. “And if you want to ask about my magic or Rumplestiltskin, then I can do my best to try to answer.”

Another shared glance between her parents. “I think maybe we should save that for another time. It’s late, and these old adventurers are ready for bed,” Snow replies with a wry smile to cover her discomfort with the topic. 

It makes Emma bristle a little, but she won’t press. She doesn’t want to cause a fight when she’s so relieved to be back home with her family, no matter the new, uncomfortable circumstance that is her magic. It’s hard to remind herself of Regina’s assurance that her parents would accept her magic eventually with their uneasiness on display in front of her.

They all rise, and Emma lets go of Killian’s hand so that she can hug her parents once more. In spite of it all, their embrace is no less tight, no less comforting, and she relaxes into their hold. You have people on your side who love you. 

“We’re so glad you’re safe,” David murmurs.

“And no matter what happens, we love you,” Snow adds.

“I love you, too.”

When they finally part, Emma steps back and takes Killian’s hand. “Come on.”

She can see her father about to protest, but he seems to decide against it and just nods.

They exchange polite goodnights, and Emma sets off towards her quarters without further backwards glance.

Their walk is quiet and quick, only disrupted by a few remaining staff who tell Emma they’re glad she’s safe and sound.

When the door finally closes behind her, Emma sags against it for only a moment before she launches herself into Killian’s arms, hugging him again. She can feel the desperation in the way his fingers clutch against her, and his lips move against her hair when he asks, “Are you okay?”

She realizes with a start no one has asked her that yet.

“I--I don’t know.” The stability of his shoulders and back under her hands is a comfort. “I got held hostage by the Dark One. I have magic. I nearly died at least a few times. I--” she pulls away from him slightly, hands running to his chest, where her fingers trip over the hole in his vest and shirt. “Gods, and you almost died, if this stupid magic thing wasn’t working or I was weaker than Rumplestiltskin or if I couldn’t open the portal and I had to kill him--”

“Emma,” Killian interrupts softly, “Slow down.”

“If I do, I’m gonna come apart at the seams.” She sounds a little hysterical; a distant realization that she doesn’t feel empowered to stop.

“You won’t. You’re made of tougher stuff than that.”

She tips her head against his collarbone, the lapel of his jacket pressing into the skin of her forehead. “Made of magic, apparently. I don’t know if that’s worse.”

“Is it really worse?”

A yes is on the tip of her tongue, but it doesn’t come out. Instead, she leans back, meets his gaze and says, “Magic nearly ruined my parents’ lives. It did, for a good chunk of their younger years. Sure, True Love’s Kiss broke my mom’s curse but if magic had never been involved, she never would’ve been cursed in the first place.

“And now I find out I have it from Rumplestiltskin of all people, and that I’m powerful enough to warrant him finding me and trying to use me?” She shakes her head and pulls out of Killian’s grasp. Absently, she begins to pace. “And then with his heart? I probably would’ve killed him if you all hadn’t stopped me and I don’t--” She huffs out a sharp breath. “I don’t even know if I would’ve regretted it. I don’t even know if I am happy I sent him to the Land Without Magic.

“And I know my parents are scared of this. My mom can’t hide anything, and my dad’s almost as bad. It’s just another thing on the list of reasons why I’m not the daughter they hoped for--”

“Hey now,” Killian says, almost scolding.

Her pacing comes to a stop in front of the fireplace. She can’t handle looking at him right now, so she stares at the flames, low and banked for the night. “It’s true.”

“Those two desperately love you. They were willing to risk their lives on the slightest chance they might’ve been able to help save you.”

“I know,” Emma swallows thickly; the poisonous thought that’s been lingering in the back of her mind needs to be spoken, and Killian is the safest repository for her darkest, sharpest insecurities. “But just because they love me doesn’t mean they’re not disappointed in me.”

“Emma.” She hears his footsteps behind her, but she doesn’t turn to face him. She crosses her arms in front of her. “Back in that castle, we didn’t force you to do anything. You chose to save him yourself. If that’s not something to be proud of, I don’t know what is.” His hand closes over her shoulder, not demanding, but a reminder that she’s not alone. “You are so, so strong. You having magic doesn’t change that.”

One of her hands comes up and closes over his where it rests on her shoulder. “You’re not disappointed are you?”

“What in the world could I have to be disappointed about?”

“Rumplestiltskin is still alive. I giftwrapped a happy ending for the man who murdered Milah.”

She can feel him step closer to her, but she can’t turn around yet.

“I let go of my vengeance long ago--I’m not sure forgiveness will ever be in the cards for me, but now that book has officially closed. He’s gone from this realm forever, and you gave an innocent boy his father back. It’s more closure than I’d ever hoped to receive. For a story that began with so much tragedy, it feels fitting for it to have a hopeful ending, no?”

He kisses the back of her head then, and she leans back into him. “I have never been more proud of you,” he whispers. “And I know your parents feel the same.”

Emma turns and kisses him. Her lips are urgent and his pliable, letting her take what she desires from him. He doesn’t wilt against her, but follows where she leads, his hook at her waist and his hand at her jaw, thumb stroking idly at the skin near her ear.

She breaks away from his lips long enough to say, “I think I just needed to hear you say it out loud.”

“I��ll say it as many times as you need me to,” he replies.

PAGE BREAK

There is, quite frankly, nothing so enjoyable as kissing Emma. Their lips slide together with practiced ease that still manages to feel new and exciting, and he can’t believe that he has the good fortune to do so for the rest of his life. He has yet to ask her to marry him, but that’s a formality at this point. They belong to each other in all the ways that truly matter.

Emma breaks away from him again, her breath hot against him, and says, “I never thought I’d have this.”

He tips his forehead against hers. “This?”

“Love,” she answers, “True love, or whatever.”

“Or whatever,” he repeats playfully.

She gives him a quick peck before she continues. “I just--when I was younger, I literally couldn’t see myself marrying anyone, let alone marrying for love. I didn’t trust that anyone would actually… stick around for me.”

“You’re enough,” he murmurs, “Titles be damned, you are more than enough.”

She leans in to kiss him again, and he walks them backwards so that he can press her into the wall next to the fireplace, his hips pinning hers. Her lips open for him easily, the taste of her more intoxicating than any brew. She vibrates with a deep moan, her back arching away from the wall and into him.

“Gods, Emma,” he pants. “Do you want--”

“Yes,” she answers, “And you?”

“More than the breath in my lungs,” he answers, which makes her laugh.

“You’re dramatic.”

“But of course.” He leans in to her lips again, her jaw dropping as she permits him entry. Her hips press up into him, and the limits of their current position become quite clear. He bends slowly, trying to not have their lips part as he reaches for her thighs and lifts her. Emma’s legs go around him easily.

She huffs at the change, the way it makes their cores grind together in a better angle than before. The new position also puts her head a bit higher than his, and she takes advantage of the dominant place and kisses him with renewed vigor.

They’re forced to break away when their hips start to get ahead of them, and breathing becomes too much of a necessity.

“What happened to wanting me more than the breath in your lungs?” Emma teases, and he can tell she’s just been waiting to use that line against him.

He trails a gentle line of kisses under her jaw and down her neck, speaking between each one. “I will gladly devote myself to showing you just how well I can hold my breath in service of pleasuring you.” He looks up at her through his lashes. “If you’ll permit it?”

Her answering smile is blinding. “Yes,” she says emphatically, and that’s all he needs.

He makes sure she’s secure in his grip as he turns her away from the wall and walks them over to her bed. He lowers her with as much grace as he’s able, but he still falls on top of her. Her delighted laugh is a balm to his soul.

“Clothes off,” Emma says. “Now.”

He cocks a brow at her, and places a chaste kiss to the tip of her nose. “So demanding.”

“I am the princess.”

“And what would the princess like?”

“What the pirate promised,” she answers, and he is only too happy to oblige.

He leans back to study her, a sudden smile overtaking him when he realizes that there’s no rush. They’d made love in this bed plenty of times, but this time will be different. This time, there’s no hurry or lingering fear of being caught.

He leans back far enough that he can drop his large coat to the floor. When he leans back down, he resumes kissing her--how could he not? Her hands go to the front of his vest, deftly undoing the clasps there with an ease that almost offends him--shouldn’t she be more distracted? He certainly is.

He cooperates in getting the vest off, tossing the garment behind him to join his coat on the floor. Meanwhile, Emma’s fingers dip inside his loose shirt, caressing the skin of his chest. Much as he likes the feeling of her hands on him, he’d like to return the favor.

Killian puts enough space between them that his hand can reach the buckle on the belt resting at her waist, and it’s soon tossed away. Her indigo calfskin vest is next, and he takes his time unclasping the closures. He teasingly lays light kisses down her neck, and noses the linen collar of her shirt to the side to run his tongue along her collarbone.

Emma’s hips undulate impatiently into his, and he swallows a groan. “Patience,” he says instead, and draws the backs of his fingers just over the waistband of her trousers, teasingly brushing the skin of her belly.

For all his talk about patience, he doesn’t waste much time in getting her bare from the waist up. He spends some time on her breasts, running his nose along the delicate skin and allowing his breath to wash over her nipples. They harden in the slight chill, and Emma’s breathing quickens at his teasing. Her back arches up towards him, an invitation that he gladly takes and draws a nipple into his mouth. Her answering sighs are soft and make her chest press up further into him. Her fingers go to his hair and tighten in the strands, and he moans against her. The sounds she makes in response and the gentle writhing of her body underneath his goes straight to his cock, but he can wait.

He leaves her breasts after they’re flushed red and both of her nipples are wet with his saliva and standing stiff. Gods, she is beautiful, chest heaving and green eyes pleading with him to get a move on.

He smiles up at her, dragging his stubble down her belly, detouring to her ribcage and pressing his lips where her bones press into her skin. When he reaches the waistband of her trousers, he nudges it down with his chin just enough that he can kiss low on her belly.

They work together to take off her boots, then her pants, leaving her fully naked. With a wink, Killian grasps behind her knees and pulls her hips to the edge of the mattress. “Show me,” he murmurs, and kisses one of her knees. Emma props herself up on her elbows, eyes boring into his as she drops her knees open. Her hair mussed, her breasts flushed, her wet cunt fully on display--she is the image of debauchery and vulnerability.

“You were saying something about showing off your impressive breath control?” she asks, perfectly innocent, but the wicked smile ruins it.

He winks at her before slowly dropping to his knees. Emma slides her legs over his shoulders, pressing her heels into his back in a silent invitation forwards. She stays propped up on one elbow, her other hand traveling downwards. She makes a cheeky pass over her clit, teasing herself. Her mouth drops open, a quiet exhale, as she makes a tight circle with her fingers, but Killian growls, and reaches up to grasp her hand and pull her away.

Without breaking eye contact, he ditches his plan to tease and goes straight in. His tongue runs along the seam of her, the wetness there making his pass slick and easy. Just one-two passes and then he zeroes in on her clit, just a lick at first, and her hips jump when he catches the very tip of her.

He shifts so that his left arm can wrap around her thigh, his hook resting just on her pubic bone. He gives her one last lick before he fastens his lips down and sucks hard, and Emma’s answering moan makes him thrust his hips into the bed, his cock desperate for friction. He sucks her once, twice, thrice, before backing off, languidly kissing her, letting his tongue run across her sex with practiced ease.

Although, no matter how many times he’s had the pleasure of tasting her, he can’t help but notice how beautiful Emma is when she’s ignited with pleasure. Her eyes are dark as they meet his across the expanse of her belly, and the fact that she wants to watch him makes him thrust fruitlessly into the side of the mattress again, and he moans against her clit. She answers with her own groan, and Killian giddily thinks that this is it--nirvana, heaven, the afterlife, whatever form paradise might take--it’s right here between her legs. Being with her, enjoying her, pleasuring her, making her smile and gasp and moan and grip his hair--this is their life now.

He starts to pick up the pace of his sucking--going longer, harder, more frequent--and even if he couldn’t hear her, her hips trying to ride his face would be a clear indicator that she’s drawing closer to that precipice. She’s strong, pressing up against his left arm in a forceful rhythm. He lets go of her hand long enough to frantically unscrew his hook so the force of her thrusts don’t make him accidentally puncture her with it, and he throws it towards where his jacket lay. He straightens himself up a bit, and presses his now-hookless forearm into her hips, effectively pinning her to the bed.

“Gods,” she murmurs, “Fuck, that’s hot.”

Killian almost laughs.

He’s sucking her clit almost constantly now, and her thighs are shaking on either side of his head. Her eyes have closed, her head has tipped back in ecstasy. Aborted thoughts spill out around her small moans and heavy breaths, a myriad of gods and fucks and gods, right there. He grabs her hand again, trying to bring her back to him.

Her eyes find his again, frantically wide. “Killian,” comes next, breathy and light, “please don’t stop. Please--”

He groans against her core. Fuck, if Emma begging doesn’t make him rock hard.

While he’s sucking at her clit, he dips his tongue to lick at the very tip of her, and the answering sound she makes it high-pitched and loud, an unfamiliar keen, almost a squeal, that nearly makes him come on the spot. Killian has to break away from her core and press his forehead to her thigh, focusing on keeping his breathing even.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that one before,” he says breathlessly, and then looks back up at her.

She looks a bit startled. “I don’t think I’ve ever made that sound before.” She laughs breathlessly. “Maybe true love sex is better than normal sex?”

He smiles and kisses the damp skin of her thigh. “Well, the only point of comparison we’d have is your parents, so if you want to ask--”

She groans. “Oh my god, do not talk about my parents right now.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t stop?” she asks, and he grins.

“Of course not, darling.”

He shows no mercy after that. The high-pitched keen doesn’t make a reappearance, but Emma’s volume grows with each determined swipe of his tongue and focused suck with his lips. She’s close, her hips pressing up violently against his arm, her fingers tight on his hand, a litany of praises and pleas spilling from her lips. Please, Killian, please, I’m so close, gods, fuck, so good, please don’t stop, please--

Emma isn’t much of a screamer--only when it’s perfect, and only if she’s feeling particularly giving because she knows how much he likes it when she’s loud--but it’s a near thing on this one, her voice going hoarse as she shouts her pleasure to the ceiling. He pushes her through it with lips and tongue, gentler, slower, letting her float down from her high. He almost has to stop again, the taste of her, the feel of her unraveling under his touch almost too much for him to bear.

She lets herself fall back down on the mattress, the arm that was supporting her going limp, and she says on a sated laugh, “Fuck, I love you so much.”

Killian places one last kiss against her sensitive core, red and swollen and soaking from his touch, and she twitches.

“Love you, too,” he answers softly. He rises, letting her legs fall from his shoulders. She reaches for him, pulling him down to kiss her. She moans softly at the taste of herself on him.

When he pulls back, she combs the hair back from his forehead. “Now can I get you naked?” Emma asks.

He snorts. “Still not satisfied?”

She grins up at him. “Oh, very. But--” she looks meaningfully down at the tent in his trousers, “--I think I could be more satisfied, don’t you think?”

He smirks at her, and nods toward the head of the bed. “Lie back for me, love.”

He begins to strip quickly and efficiently, and is pleased to find her hungrily watching him. She’s propped up against a pillow, a fingertip resting on her lip, and by the time he’s dropped his brace and is completely bared, another is running light circles around one of her nipples.

“Bloody hell,” he whispers, and hastily joins her on the bed.

He settles on top of her, enjoying the feeling of her thighs stretching around his hips. His cock feels as though it’s been hard for hours, and when it slides over the wet lips of her cunt he nearly loses himself, a pained groan escaping him and shakes going through his whole body. Emma’s hands come up to his cheeks, bringing his eyes back to hers. “Easy, tiger,” she says, and leans up to leisurely kiss him. He exhales through his nose as he leans into the kiss.

His hips start to move of their own accord, picking up a slow and steady rhythm of rutting against her.

“You feel so good,” Emma says between kisses, and he groans.

“Gods, Emma.” He could laugh at his staying power. “I’m not even inside you yet and I’m already on the edge.”

As he kisses down her neck, she says, “I’m definitely not against you fucking me so hard and fast we break the bed.”

He groans again. “You can’t say things like that to me right now.”

She combs her hand through his hair again, her nails lightly scraping his scalp and letting him gather himself.

“This’ll be the first time I’ve ever been able to fuck you in this bed as slow as I damn well please,” he says.

He must catch her clit on one of his strokes, because Emma jolts underneath him, and she gasps sharply. “Want to talk about it some more?” she asks.

He chuckles. “Not particularly, no.”

Emma reaches down, hand wrapping around his cock and nudging the head of him to her entrance. He props himself up enough so that he can look down at her face. Her mouth drops open, eyelashes fluttering, as he pushes slowly inside, the stretch of her around him exquisite. He could’ve thrust all the way in one hard push with how wet she is, but instead he stutters his hips, gently working his way inside until their hips are flush. She clenches around him when he’s fully seated, and his forehead drops to hers.

“Fuck, Emma,” he moans. “So good.” Fuck, she feels incredible, wet, tight heat consuming him and sending sparks up his spine.

He needs the taste of her as he begins to move in deeper, fuller strokes, drinking from her lips like a man parched. Emma’s movements counter his, pressing her hips up to meet him, but she lets him dictate the pace. She lifts her legs up to wrap around his waist, allowing him to sink into her at a new angle.

As they slowly and tenderly fuck, he simply enjoys being with her--he’s not one to think much about his own mortality, but it’s starting to hit him that he almost lost this forever. Emma almost lost him, and if things hadn’t gone their way, she’d be mourning now. He doesn’t want to think about that world, where he might have forced Emma to go on without him. The slow connection of their bodies, the deep kisses, the heady eye contact, it’s an intimate connection, tangible evidence that they are both here, both alive, and they will have a future.

He laughs with the sheer joy of it. “Gods, I love you.”

“I know,” Emma whispers, “Gods, I know.”

He picks up the pace then, giving her a bit of that hard and fast that she’d wanted before, though certainly not hard and fast enough to break the bed. Emma makes these gorgeous sounds, pants and moans and words of praise, and he can’t stop himself from making some noise of his own.

“You feel so good,” he murmurs, and drops his head to suck a mark onto her neck. “So wet, so warm for me.”

“Fuck,” is Emma’s shaky answer, and her walls flutter around him in a way that makes him groan before he continues.

“Do you feel it love? How good we feel together?”

“Yes,” she answers, “I--fuck--I love how we feel together.”

Gods, and he can hear the sound of how wet she is, the sound of her body welcoming him in. “Touch yourself,” he says, and Emma is quick to oblige, her hand darting down to where they’re joined, and she tightens like a vise when she reaches her clit. He manages to not finish then and there like an inexperienced cabin boy, and he ducks his head so he can watch her.

Her hand is rubbing in quick back and forth motions over her clit--she’s close. Her cunt is tightening sporadically around him, her voice getting that much louder and more wanton with every thrust.

She’s so beautiful, so amazing, so incredible, this woman he loves, and he kisses her again because he can’t not. 

Her fingers slide over him, feeling where they’re connected and Killian knows he’s not going to last much longer. “Please, please, please,” he whimpers against her lips. “Come on, Emma, come on, love, come for me.”

Her fingers pick up the pace on her clit, and he can feel her straining for it, reaching for her peak. He goes harder, faster, forgetting about his promise to fuck her slowly because he needs to see her come, needs to feel her release around him.

He braces himself on his left arm, and his hand goes down to where hers rubs frantically. He slides his fingers between hers, feels the wet flesh underneath their fingertips, and presses down as hard as he dares to go on her clit. “Come on, love,” he says again, and this time she does.

Emma has beautiful orgasms--she cries out and tosses her head back, her breasts press up into his chest, her skin glistens with sweat, her eyes close and her mouth drops wide open as he fucks her through it. Her cunt clamps around him and he doesn’t hold himself back anymore. He grasps her hip, fingers still slick with her, and drives into her a handful more times before he too is coming. 

For a brief moment, he can feel magic again, just like when they’d broken Emma’s curse. His whole world is reduced to where he is touching her, and the sheer depth of feeling he has for her becomes all he knows, all he can think. The love, the ecstasy, the sheer euphoria drowns out everything else.

When he comes back to himself, he’s kissing her, slow and sweet, his thumb stroking her hip and her hands are on his cheeks.

He takes a moment to enjoy the afterglow, but his cock is slowly softening inside her, so he carefully pulls himself out before rolling to his side next to her.

He then notices that the fire that had been very low and nearly reduced to coals when they first entered the room, is now blazing. He chuckles. At Emma’s look, he nods past her towards the fireplace. “Should I withhold my comment on our ‘burning hot chemistry?’”

She looks over at where the flames, regardless of the lack of fuel, are blazing warmly. He worries briefly that this will reignite her insecurities about her magic, but instead, she laughs, one of her hands going to cover her eyes.

“We’re gonna need to try to put that out,” she says. “Way too big for a nighttime fire.”

“It’s magic, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it won’t, you know, accidentally light the rug on fire.”

She moves to get up, presumably to tame the fire she’d started (and if he feels a little smug for making her lose control like that, then he can hardly be blamed), but he catches her elbow before she can.

“What? I have to go clean up anyway,” she says.

“I’ll grab a cloth for you,” he says, “but you should try to put it out from here.”

“What?”

“You started it from here, didn’t you?” he answers. He rolls off the bed, despite the wobble in his knees, and goes over to her vanity where a bowl of water and a cloth lay. He uses them to clean himself up before he dips the cloth in the water and wrings it out again and brings it back over to her. She’s been watching him carefully, and he smiles at her.

“You can do it, love, I’m sure of it.” He holds out the cloth for her. She takes it and cleans herself quickly.

“Thanks,” she says softly before handing it back to him. He replaces it on the vanity before he returns to the bed.

“I might not know much about magic,” he says, “but I know you.”

She bites her lip before she says, “Okay, fine.” Emma sits up and scoots herself to the edge of the bed, eyes focused on the fireplace. “See it,” she murmurs to herself. 

He comes up behind her, unsure if he should distract her, but if she lit it while he was touching her, surely touching her will help her put it out? He puts his arms around her waist, and she leans back against him.

Her hand goes out, and she slowly lowers it. The fire lowers with the motion of her hand, and she gasps.

“See?” he says, pride blooming in his chest. “I told you so.”

She brings her hand back and stares at her palm for a moment before she says, “I did that.”

In a move he wasn’t expecting she veritably tackles him back to the bed and kisses him like she plans on going for another round.

“Not that I’m complaining, darling,” he says when she breaks away once the need for air becomes urgent, “but if you plan on another round, then you’ll be flying solo, because--”

“No, I’m--” She smiles, but it’s not a post-coital teasing smile, it’s something warmer, something deeper. “I’m more than satisfied. I’m just… I’m happy. I’m really happy, and it’s because of you.”

“A fair exchange then,” Killian replies, “because so am I.”

They draw back the covers of the bed and snuggle into its depths. Emma’s back fits nicely against his chest (“You got to be the little spoon last time.”) and their day starts to catch up with them, their eyes drooping.

With softness surrounding him on all sides, Killian realizes, “This will be the first time I actually get to sleep in this bed.”

Emma chuckles, and cuddles back further into him. “The first of many,” she replies, and Killian can’t help but feel settled. Certain.

This is real. They’re doing this.

Starting tomorrow, they can finally, finally, step into their future.

[recentanimenews]

The 42 Greatest Anime Moments of Monkey D. Luffy

  May 5 is the birthday of One Piece's main character Monkey D. Luffy, and over the past couple of decades of his existence, he's given us some moments that will stay in our minds forever. And so I've decided to chronicle 42 of his best ones, antics that will hopefully remind you how much you love the free-spirited, determined, ridiculous Birthday Best Boy. One note, though — while this list does contain some of those sweet, sweet fight scenes, I've already written a list that ranked his 20 greatest knockouts against bad guys. So, in order to not repeat that list entirely, I've tried to mix it up a little bit. 

  1. Luffy Wakes Up From A Great Nap

I can't think of a better anime debut for Monkey D. Luffy than "wakes up in the barrel that he miraculously survived a whirlpool in and immediately knocks out some pirates by accident." It's everything fun about the dude rolled into one.

2. Luffy Gets Coby To Hit Him

    One thing that doesn't get mentioned enough about Luffy is his haphazard, yet skillful ingenuity. He knows that Koby will never get to join the Marines if he's associated with pirates, so Luffy, his one brain cell working overtime, gets Koby to punch him in order to prove that they're not friends because would friends brawl on the floor of a restaurant? 

3. Luffy Gets The Straw Hat

A moment from the first chapter of the manga that was delayed until Episode 4 of the anime, Luffy getting the straw hat from Shanks is iconic. It sets in motion his entire journey and creates a symbol that represents freedom, adventure, and destiny.

4. Luffy Gives Nami The Straw Hat

  Luffy giving Nami his straw hat is more than just a simple, comforting gesture. It's Luffy telling Nami that if she wants, she'll be a Straw Hat now and for the rest of her life. Nami may have problems, but she'll never have to deal with them alone ever again.

5. Luffy Gets His First Bounty

    By gaining a bounty when he takes down Arlong, Luffy is introduced to the wider world of pirating, the World Government, and eventually the Grand Line. Though Buggy's reveal that he knew Shanks and Mihawk's appearance hinted at a wider world, this is Luffy's first real step into it.

  6. Luffy Smiles At Death

    Luffy obviously doesn't want to die. But as he smiles at the crowd and his crew while Buggy brings a sword down onto his neck, he grins. Because he didn't die in vain. He never became Pirate King and he never found the One Piece, but he did live his life exactly the way that he wanted to. And that's more important than any title or treasure. I'm glad he didn't die, though. They never would've found the Grand Line if Zoro had ascended to the role of Captain. They'd probably still be arguing in the Loguetown harbor.

7. Luffy Holds Up Hiriluk's Flag

   Wapol wanted to destroy Hiriluk's flag and thus eliminate his legacy. But Luffy — smoking due to being recently shot by a cannon and holding up the flag — proved that's not something you can just do. As long as someone is there to fight for it, a flag is forever.

  8. Luffy Disagrees With Vivi

   Vivi, frustrated, enraged, and embarrassed about the treatment of her country, was more than ready to sacrifice herself for it ... and only herself. But Luffy wasn't hearing it. If she was going down, they were all going down. It wasn't just Vivi's fight anymore. The Straw Hats had reached Ride or Die status.

  9. Luffy Beats Crocodile

  I did a list of Luffy's best knockouts so I'm not gonna list every major punch here. However, the ones that are especially meaningful deserve recognition. And this one, where, after two defeats, Luffy battered Crocodile up through the streets of Alubarna, is inarguably one of the most memorable. It's a triumph that's a long time coming, equal parts brutal and satisfying.

  10. Luffy Lets Himself Get Beat Up And Meets Blackbeard

  Mirroring Shanks' restraint when he let himself get harassed by the Mountain Bandits, here we see Luffy decide not to fight Bellamy and instead he listens to Bellamy's foolish proclamations about why dreams suck and why you shouldn't have them and why Mylo Xyloto is the best Coldplay album, probably. However, even if he didn't need the pick-me-up, Blackbeard meets him outside to reaffirm that dreams never die. It would be a super nice remark ... if anyone but Blackbeard was saying it.

  11. Luffy Is Immune To Enel

  Until this point, Enel is borderline unstoppable, able to strike down anyone in his path and — with the help of his "mantra" —  barely takes any damage in the process. And it's made him pretty cocky. But to see Enel's face distort in cartoonish disbelief when he realizes that Luffy is a Rubber Type Pokemon and that he's impervious to Electric Types is so joyously satisfying.

  12. Luffy Decides To Get Rid Of The Going Merry

    With the Going Merry slowly becoming unusable and actually becoming a handicap to the crew, Luffy figures that it's time to find a new ship. It's a sad moment, but you can't help but see Luffy's side. A good pirate crew needs a good pirate ship. And if the Going Merry suddenly sinks, Luffy is dead. Like very, very dead.

  13. Luffy Faces Usopp

  Usopp relates to the Going Merry, fearing that its "weakness" and "inadequacy" represents his own. And so when Luffy decides to get rid of the ship, Usopp lashes out, causing Luffy to have to "put down" Usopp. It's a difficult decision, but it shows that Luffy isn't all laughs and "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" declarations.

14. Luffy Does Not Recognize Sogeking

    And then, after the most heartfelt showdown in the series, Luffy doesn't even recognize Usopp's Sogeking disguise, despite the fact that he has most of Usopp's traits, most of Usopp's weapons, and showed up only a little while after Usopp left. Oh, Luffy. Never stop being you.

  15. Luffy Goes Second Gear

  Power-ups are pretty common in anime. But Luffy saying that he needs to take his skills up another level so that he won't lose his friends still feels pretty special. And then the music kicks in and Luffy beats Blueno to a pulp and it's one of the most hype scenes in the entire series.

  16. Luffy Declares War On The World

   He'll always have a target on his back, he'll never be able to rest easy again, and the World Government will pursue him as long as he draws breath. Luffy knows this, but when the time comes to save Robin from CP9 in Enies Lobby, he doesn't hesitate to take on the whole world. It's just what friends do.

  17. Luffy Refuses To Fall

  When Luffy and Lucci fight, it isn't a quick contest. They go to absolute war on one another. And when Lucci thinks he's won, having left Luffy spitting up blood on the floor, we see that ... no. Luffy will not leave his feet. He has too much pride, too much grit, and too much determination. Defeat is not an option here. He will stop fighting to retrieve Robin when he's dead.

  18. Luffy Is Reunited With Garp

  For a long time, Luffy's actual flesh and blood family was a mystery. Shanks is kind of a cool uncle and Ace is someone that Luffy considers his brother, but where did Luffy, ya know, come from? As it turns out, his grandpa is the cannonball-throwing Marine Vice Admiral Garp, who is not only just as goofy as Luffy, but also really, really, really strong for being 76. What's his secret? Low carbs? Eiichiro Oda, please let me know.

  19. Luffy Punches The Celestial Dragon

  Luffy can't stand bullies or anyone that relishes the misery of others. So when a Celestial Dragon shoots Hatchan in the auctioneering house, Luffy walks right up to him and turns his face into a catcher's mitt.

  20. Luffy Loses His Crew

   Luffy's darkest hour (so far) comes when, in a fight with Kuma, Kizaru and the Pacifistas, his whole crew eventually gets wiped out and spread across the world. All the while, Luffy is powerless to stop it — his Gum Gum skills no match for Kuma's abilities. It's a truly pitiable thing to see Luffy beat his fists on the ground in futility, something entirely unlike any scene in the series before.

  21. Luffy Covers Sandersonia

   Back in Little Garden, Luffy agreed it wasn't necessary to actually have a reason for the fight between the giants. They were having an honorable contest between warriors. That was enough. Later when Sandersonia's scars were about to be revealed after a battle, Luffy covered them up. He had no interest in killing them or exposing their secrets. That is not what the battle was for. The contest was simply one that he wanted to win so he'd eventually get back to his crew.

  22. Luffy Decides To Save His Brother Before Reuniting With His Crew

   When Luffy learns that Ace is to be put to death, he must make a choice: Get the gang back together or dive into the depths of Impel Down and try to rescue his brother. He ends up choosing the latter, which shows a great deal of trust and respect for his crewmates. He knows they're strong enough to be OK without him for now.

23. Luffy Embraces Mr. 2

    This is just plain wholesome. Luffy's love for his friends is might be the best thing about him.

24.Luffy Falls From The Sky

    Luffy's story isn't just about his quest to find the One Piece, but the formation of a legend. And when Luffy and the other Impel Down escapees plummet from the sky into the Marineford war, you can practically see that legend being written.

  25. Luffy Faces The Admirals

  Yes, Luffy's attempts to kick a frozen log at them goes nowhere. And yes, Luffy is almost immediately knocked down by Kizaru when he tries to rush past him. But the guts in that kid! Facing down three of the most powerful men in the One Piece universe and demanding they give Ace back to him. That is moxie, my dudes.

  26. Luffy Goes Comatose

  Ace is dead. The mission has failed. A brother is lost. And all Luffy can do is go numb and lifeless. He has no words or actions to explain or react. A chunk of his soul has been ripped away.

  27. Luffy Realizes He Still Has His Friends

    Yes, his attempt to save Ace was a bust. But in the most hopeless of times, Jimbei asks him what he still has. And Luffy remembers he still has his friends — friends he has been there for in the past and who will most certainly be there for him later. They are still there. And because they are still there, Luffy's existence has worth.

  28. Luffy Gets An Upgrade

  Reuniting with his crew in Sabaody, it doesn't take too long for Luffy to find a way to show off the results of two years of training. He's been doing some grinding, so his skill tree has some new branches. He's unlocked some new abilities, and he's reached his evolved form. When a Pacifista comes at the Monster Trio (Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji,) they beat the bear out of it.

29. Luffy Decides To Make Fish-Man Island His Territory

    For the most part, Luffy doesn't really care about the dominance sought by other powerful characters. But after he's gotten to know the citizens of Fish-Man Island and he sees the terror caused by Big Mom, he tells her straight-up he's gonna defeat her and take Fish-Man Island under his protection. It's the closest that Luffy has ever gotten to being a character in Goodfellas.

  30. Luffy Allies With Law

  And then, shortly after talking trash to Big Mom, Luffy teams up with Trafalgar Law in a plot to overthrow Kaido, another Emperor of the Sea. It's a real leap forward for Luffy. One day, you're just a kid from East Blue punching everyone that seems mean. The next, you're taking an active role in changing the power structure of the entire world. That's just how it is sometimes, though. As Logic once said, "Who can relate?"

  31. Luffy Has Been "Picking Fights All Along"

    Luffy knows he doesn't just tumble from one situation to another. He isn't just a poor guy caught up in the gambits of powerful evil forces. No, Luffy has definitely chosen to live a life where he will interfere with your best-laid plans if he feels inclined to. And if that includes a lot of fighting, well, so be it.

  32. Luffy Reunites With Sabo

  It's been pretty much non-stop action since the beginning of the Post Time Skip era, and that hasn't really allowed for a ton of emotional moments for Luffy. But when he reunites with Sabo in the coliseum and his scream comes out as a mix of happiness, confusion, and surprise, he finally gets one. Cry it out, buddy. We love ya.

  33. Luffy And His Allies Head For Doflamingo

  From orchestrating a breakout in Impel Down to creating a charge toward Doflamingo with all the allies he met in the tournament to win the Flame-Flame Fruit, Luffy has slowly gone from being the captain of a small crew on a ship with an animal head on the front to being the full-on leader of a Pirate Alliance. Luffy 2020 is what I say.

  34. Luffy Goes Fourth Gear

  Years after the reveal of Second and Third Gear, we get Fourth Gear, a power-up that even more freakishly transforms Luffy's body. It's not graceful, nor is it particularly beautiful to behold, but it gets the job done.

  35. Luffy Beats Doflamingo

  Doflamingo — a man that's been a thorn in the side of nearly everyone in the world for about 15 years of anime history — finally gets taken down. And still, it's only a stepping stone to Wano. Somehow, Eiichiro Oda creates these moments that seem like the biggest events in history, and yet, they're only just the beginning.

  36. Luffy Refuses To Fight Sanji

  Luffy knows Sanji is conflicted and not really a bad guy. And he's also aware of the fact that he'll be creating an even bigger issue if he fights back against his chef. So he just takes the kicks, hoping Sanji sees there's another way out of this. Sadly, it'll be a few episodes before he realizes that.

  37. Luffy Waits For Sanji — And Then Punches — Sanji

    Sanji finding Luffy because his captain's stomach is grumbling super loud is so cartoonish and lovely — because what is Sanji's role if not to feed his captain? Of course, Luffy enjoys Sanji's rain-soaked cookin' and then he punches Sanji for still being a twerp that won't admit what he really feels.

38. Luffy Clashes With Big Mom

    Luffy stood beside Whitebeard, but this is his first real showdown with a Yonko. And it doesn't go very well. Big Mom is easily able to block him, which shows that, while Luffy has come a long way, he's still got a bit farther to go.

  39. Luffy Places The Hat On Katakuri

  Much like the previous covering of Sandersonia's shame, Luffy covers Katakuri's mouth with his hat after their duel. The two combatants fought and earned each other's respect. And so Luffy leaves Katakuri with his pride.

  40. Luffy Knows He's Arrived In Wano Due To The Swords

    That giant baboon is using a sword? Obviously this must be Wano, the land of samurai. That's Luffy logic at its most pure. 

  41. Luffy Promises Tama She Will Not Be Hungry Again

  For the most part, heading to Wano seemed like a pretty impersonal act. The only reason he thought about going there in the first place was because Law seemed pretty confident it was a solid idea. But then he meets Tama and learns that she — along with most of the country — is starving. So his journey to take down Kaido gets some personal stakes. He's now shouldering the hopes of an entire group of people.

  42. Luffy Is Beaten By Kaido

  OK, so Round 1 didn't go so well. Luffy pummeled Kaido with everything he had and Kaido one-shotted him with a melee weapon attack. Luffy has to rethink his strategy and expand his move-set and maybe, with some luck, Round 2 will be a tad more even. I can't wait to see what Luffy moments we have in store when One Piece returns!

  What is your favorite Luffy moment? Do any on this list stand out to you? Let me know in the comments!

      Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

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[flying-elliska]

Elu feelings

I cope by writing meta, so expect a lot of it this weekend. I think I’m going to be processing s3 for a long time tbh.  I feel like all ships have a few core emotions they run on, you know ? 

The first one I can think for Eliott and Lucas is relief. Like look at them after their first kiss, hugging and laughing. It’s like this big stormcloud of tension that has just broken into rain over their heads and is now watering their crops. Relief because they’ve both been lonely for a long time and they just found each other and it’s downright miraculous.

 It’s that corniest of corny tropes, love at first sight, except for them it really works, because they show us time and time again how perfectly they fit together. They both want something committed and deep, they’ve got artistic sensibilities, they’ve been hurt a lot by life but still want to believe, they’re both so passionate. Eliott’s romantic playfulness manages to reach beyond Lucas’ walls, Lucas’ fierce devotion is able to reach through Eliott’s pessimism and self-hate. They can be themselves together after a lifetime of hiding. Eliott gives Lucas signs that it’s okay to be goofy, and Lucas shows appreciation for it. During the piano scene, Eliott looks at Lucas like water in the desert. And Lucas just blossoms as soon as he doesn’t have to bother with shallow, bullshit pretend relationships anymore. I don’t like the ‘we complete each other trope’ usually, but those two, they really do. They went on their own journey but it’s really like something wasn’t right with the universe until they got together. And look at how relieved they are to see each other again after being pulled apart. The minute by minute becomes that too in the end, as does the parallel universe metaphor - there could be so many ways and so much time for them to be apart, and they’re going to make damn sure they never have to be apart again. It’s fragile and it’s beautiful and it’s the most right thing ever. They just fit. 

The second one is...probably yearning, working along with the first one. They’re both just so needy. Eliott is in general ‘a lover of all things’ (like Maxence said) - and as shown through the Polaris video, he desperately wants a true soul connection, something that goes beyond appearances, beyond fears. He puts that film out in the world like a message in a bottle. He doesn’t get funding, but it does reach the one person it needed to. The story could be hella sappy and it would fit the whole artsy teenager with too many feelings thing, but it’s just so earnest. He’s terrified of ‘the dark’ (ie his issues with mental illness) and what it would do to people around him, and yet he’s still willing to take his deepest, most desperate desire and put it into the palm of the world. There’s something so brave about that. And Lucas ?  He starts out as disconnected and adrift, pretends to be tough and a player but scratch the surface even once and wow. The way he clings to his mask speaks of his fear of being left alone. And the way he just opens up to Eliott so fast - he’s been looking for that forever, really. Someone to really see him, and see that need. The way things went in his family probably hurt him so deeply because under his grumpy façade, Lucas strikes me as someone incredibly loyal and caring, and what his father did probably shook a lot of his core beliefs. Because of this and his internalized homophobia, he took on a ‘feelings make you weak’ demeanour. So it’s so important that him and Eliott made it through - it allows him to believe in love again, that he is worthy of being loved, it’s some deeply existential shit. (even though the part with his friends was also crucial.) And it’s why it never seems rushed that they move so quickly. It’s really like a spark comes and starts a wildfire in a few moments because everything was ready for it already. I would buy them moving in together, for real. Obviously they might have issues down the road because of this. Lucas’ abandonment issues and Eliott’s troubled self-image and issues linked to bipolar are not going to just vanish overnight. They just care and want this so much they might rush into things. But you really believe they’re going to pull through and spend the rest of their lives together, anyway. 

I’m also thinking of faith. That’s the whole point of the Remember montage. The beginning of their relationship is really messy. Eliott cheats on his gf and bails on him and sends him all sorts of mixed signals, Lucas says some really ignorant things about mental illness and pretends to be into girls and uses Chloé and says mean things about him to his friends. Lucas is forcibly outed, then there’s the whole houseboat which might have been very traumatic for the both of them - someone else in their shoes might have said, this is too much for me, and they might not have been entirely unjustified. I feel one important aspect of this pairing is that you’re never entirely sure they’re going to end up together. Sure, they’re perfect for each other, but their issues interact in ways that mean they’re uniquely suited to hurt each other as well. When you look at Lucas’ past, Eliott on paper really isn’t an ideal partner. Lucas too can be sharp and mean and reckless, or he can go overboard when he cares about something. They’re both very aware as it develops that this could end up being dangerous for them, that they could wreck each other. This version of the story just has so much more tension and uncertainty than the other remakes, for some reason - maybe because Lucas is more isolated, or Eliott is less cool on the surface than Even, or maybe it’s down to technical choices too. The amount of feelings between is overwhelming right from the start, it’s like, it could easily become too much. And then there’s the whole stigma from society thing. And of course, love, between anyone, remains one of the most terrifying things in life, because of the trust and openness and vulnerability it demands. So faith is important, because it implies making a bet that things will turn out alright in the end. It’s about compassion and moving on from the past but also learning from it. And choosing to put the positive possibilities above the negatives. They choose to have faith in themselves, too, when they choose the relationship. That they’re going to figure it out, be better at communicating. The church montage makes a lot of parallels between religious faith and love, as being a refuge in times of sorrow, something true and sure when everything is uncertain.  It should be the meaning of ‘christ-like’ love. And this is not about Lucas being some sort of savior figure for Eliott in spite of his ‘flaw’ - it’s for himself too, that compassion and that faith. That he can be better than his father. That he recognizes the faith Eliott put in him by telling him about Polaris - now he probably understand fully what it means, that Eliott was telling him he was stuck in that darkness too, that he gave Lucas this key because he had faith in Lucas’ capacity to love. It’s about people’s faith deserving to be rewarded in kind.  It’s so beautiful, I want to cry.

And last but not least - tenderness. If I had to pick only one, it would be this one. And it’s not (only) about them being so cuddly and prone to PDA as soon as they get together, it’s a much deeper thing. It’s like they look at each other and go ‘hello, your soul is beautiful and belongs with mine, let me make some room for you’. It’s in the way they approach each other - Lucas makes the first move, then Eliott shows his interest in a way that is ‘chelou’ enough to signal something more is going on - repeats his name only for him - but never pushy. It’s the entirety of the piano scene, and the way they keep unveiling little bits of who they truly are to each other - Eliott’s wacky music and moves are incredibly important for that, and so is Lucas’ playing - it’s them creating a space for each other saying, look you’re safe with me, I am weird and intense and passionate and artistic and I know you are too. It’s that conversation as they walk home, the carefully worded sentences where they’re pushing each other towards the conclusion of ‘not necessarily a girl’. And it’s of course the first kiss - Eliott pushing at Lucas enough to show him how much he cares and get past his walls, but letting him do the first move. And Lucas letting Eliott know he has seen Polaris. And obviously the entirety of Samedi 9 : 17. Lucas knowing what to say to reach Eliott, his emotional intelligence. Eliott’s little drawings, and his romantic gestures that show Lucas he deserves a grand love story. Lucas taking care of Eliott after his episode, the croissants and the flowers and the meals. The playfulness, the care, the attention. They want to help each other be as free and happy as they could be, they care so much about each other’s developpment ? The way they’re constantly checking in with each other - minute by minute, and the reciprocity of the bus stop scene - Eliott knowing how to use it to soothe Lucas’ fears as well, showing the truth of the concept that they both will have difficult moments. They’ve bruised each other’s hearts, it’s heavy, but they also handle it as a privilege - it’s so much better than not being in each other’s lives. When they’re together, it has the carefree vibe of young first love, joyful and clumsy and rowdy ; but you catch glimpses of them as old souls, too, with a maturity and selflessness and depth of love that is just awe inspiring. It’s love as sanctuary and refuge, and love that opens the doors to the world. 

I’m never going to be over it tbh. 

[calliecat93]

One month into V7, and it's already been a crazy ride. IDK if I’d call it crazier than V6’s first few episodes, but it’s certainly close. There’s been so much talk in a short amount of time. Ruby’s lie to Ironwood. Ironwood in general regarding his choices. The villains and their schemes. The state of Mantle and it and Atlas’ potential fates. Pretty much everything has been discussed in depth in one way or another. And I’m sure that this chapter will give us even more things considering what happened. So, I guess we better get to it, huh?

Overview

With the Dust Mines all cleared, the military brings Amity Arena over while our heroes are busy gushing over the badassness of the Ace-Ops. Though Ruby s surprised to learn from Harriet that they aren’t friends, they just work together. It doesn’t help when Ruby tries to convince WBY to go exploring when they get back to Atlas, but none of them are interested due to either being tired or the fact that they did exploring all over Anima. Worse? Ironwood speaks to Ruby, Jaune, and Qrow, telling them about a recent string of murders which includes Forest from last week (RIP #FRWBY). This has only made Ironwood’s image, as well as Atlas’, even worse and Jaune points out how maybe it wouldn’t be as bad if they didn’t put out the Dust Embargo. Ironwood… actually agrees, and he is hoping that RWBYJNR can do some good within Mantle. The talk is cut short, however, when Ironwood is informed of someone landing. Someone that he is not looking forward to talking to.

We cut to the area where the ship landed… and a familiar company logo is on the hangar door. Out comes… ugh, Jaques Schnee. Yep, this asshat is back and he is furious that Ironwood took over the mine site, even after Ironwood tells him that since it’s a military operation there was no council vote required. Jaques starts to go off… until he sees Weiss. He’s furious that she’s been back in Atlas and not told, assuming that Ironwood has something to do with it, but Weiss makes it very clear that she’s there by her own choice as it was when she left. Jaques is pissed… but then calms down, and cue the gaslighting when he comments on how Mama Schnee is doing badly due to Weiss leaving. He turns to then thank Ironwood for screwing himself over as poor Weiss is left utterly derailed. Fortunately, the other three girls stand by her with Blake holding her hand, which encourages Weiss to call them her family when Jaques turns back to her.

Winter arrives just as Jaques leaves… as does Penny, who sends our girls flying. Oops. She’s there to congratulate them. Why? Well, we cut to inside Amity Arena, the location where everything changed for everyone. Why are they there? Well, Ironwood speaks of RWBYJNR’s actions from the Fall of Beacon, to defending Haven, to now and says that they aren’t acting as students. They are acting as Huntsmen and Huntresses. As such, he grants them their Hunting Licenses. That’s right everyone, after seven seasons, our kids are FINALLY official Huntsmen and Huntresses! Yay!!! Ironwood is relieved that he has fighters that he can trust helping him, which haha… that sure isn’t plunging the knife in deeper regarding Ruby’s lie or anything! Ironwood has to return to managing the current operation, leaving the kids to enjoy their cake and celebrate their accomplishments. Despite this, they all feel it’s almost trivial now after all that they’ve been through, but Qrow encourages them to take the time to enjoy themselves for once.

Everyone celebrates… well, almost everyone. Ruby has opted to sit alone in the stands while the others enjoy themselves. Qrow goes to her, clearly proud that his niece has made it to this point, but he can tell that this, the current events, and the lies have gotten Ruby conflicted. Ruby expresses how she’s worried that she’s acting like Ozpin, though Qrow tells her that while Oz only trusted himself with the truth, Ruby does still trust others and is just waiting for others to prove themselves. He says that Summer would be proud of her… which gets Ruby to ask a question that we have wanted to hear for SOOOO long now. Was Summer’s last mission, the one that she never returned form, Oz related? According to Qrow… no, it was not. We confirm that Qrow was NOT with Summer on that mission, and Oz appeared as lost and confused as him and Tai. But of course, now that Qrow knows the extent of Oz’s lies, he can’t be for sure. But he does know that had Summer found out the truth, she’d do as Ruby is now: press on.

So as the kids sign up for Huntsmen missions (with poor Jaune getting saddled with escorting children XD), we cut to the Schnee Manor where Jaques is drinking in his study. He’s interrupted by Whitley informing him of a visitor. One who invited himself in. It is, of all people, Watts. Jaques is stunned by this, sending Whitley away and says that Watts is supposed to be dead. But we don’t get any more details on that as Watts is there for business. Why? Well, you know how Jaques is running for council? Well… let’s just say that Watts knows of a way for Jaques to have his cake, and eat it too. Ho boy, things are about to go insane…

Review

A calmer episode compared to the past few, but still really good! 

So let’s go into Schnee drama first. I hate Jaques. I didn’t think that I could have him more than I already did, but I was proven wrong. That’s not a complaint either. Jaques is very well-written and a perfect embodiment of an abusive asshole. He not only lashes out angrily when things don’t go his way, but he’s even scarier when calm. The way that he tried to gaslight Weiss after her open defiance, bringing up Mama Schnee and ‘how she gets’ when upset. Trying to make Weiss feel guilty, even though it’s HIS fault that his wife is in such a state and he clearly doesn’t care. It’s just cruel and incredibly scummy, but not a surprise coming from him. We also see at the end that even though Whitley is his favorite and has groomed him to the point that even Watts notes the similarities, even he isn’t immune to being talked too harshly and we see that the kid is clearly afraid of him. Is it any wonder why Winter stayed in the army van until Jaques left? I don’t blame you, hon.

I loved seeing Weiss stand up to him though. She spoke up for herself and made it clear that she wasn’t going to let Jaques control her anymore. Yeah, his gaslighting brought her back down, but he didn’t beat her either as she has RBY there beside her. Seeing all three supporting her was so sweet and so perfect and Weiss calling them family? Beautiful. Special mention to Blake though. You can tell that she absolutely knows the game that Jaques is playing since… well, that’s what Adam did to her. Her holding Weiss’ hand was such a sweet gesture and just shows how much these girls love and support each other. It was such a well-done scene, and I loved it!

So… our kids are Licensed now~ This was, honestly, a long time coming. Yes, we can debate on if they’re truly ready for it or not. But at this point, they’ve gone far and beyond what was expected out of them. They fought in the Battle of Beacon. They went to Haven and defended it. They reached Atlas. They’re now fully a part of this larger conflict and, despite any rough patches, are all committed to it and their duties as Huntsmen and Huntresses. It only makes sense that they are granted their licenses at this point. But the question is, is Ironwood giving them the licenses because he believes that? Or is he aware that they’re not telling him something, and trying to do things to get their trust? It could be either one or could even be both. Either way, that’s where we are now.

But the event is treated with little fanfare, tbh. Which again, isn’t a complaint. I honestly quit thinking about them getting their licenses since about V4, since RNJR at leat were pretty much acting as such by then. There have been so many other things that have happened that I gotta agree with Yang, it does feel trivial now. I’m glad that it happened, but it just feels like ‘oh this happened, that’s cool’ over anything grand or triumphant. Still, I’m glad that they are licensed and it was nice that they could take it easy for a moment. That much they’ve absolutely earned. It was cute too, like Nora piling up on cake, Yang playing the removable arm trick on Penny, and Bumblebee selfies. I liked it~!

The highlight though is, of course, Ruby and Qrow’s talk. First, it’s so nice to see Qrow be an encouraging uncle again. I did not like Qrow during V6, even if I get why he was like he was. So seeing him in a much better headspace and being able to support his niece really helped remind me of why I like Qrow as a character so much. Jason Liebrecht has been doing such a great job voicing Qrow as well. He just puts so many little touches in the performance that lets him express so many emotions, and it’s fantastic. It was especially needed since Ruby’s clearly struggling. She tried to get the others to do some fun stuff like they used to, but they aren’t interested. She finally got her license, the thing that she’s wanted since a little girl, but at that point so much has happened that it didn’t really matter anymore. She’s worried and feeling guilty about her recent decisions, and is worried that she might end up like Oz, lying to everyone around her and making decisions that ultimately do nothing and lead others to their deaths.

There’s a lot weighing on Ruby right now, and I’m fairly sure that it’s only going to get tougher for her. But it was so nice to see Qrow comfort her, especially after how much Ruby tried to make him open up and talk to her last volume. Say what you want about her speeches, but they clearly helped Qrow as demonstrated here. But of course, we finally have Ruby ask about Summer. Nothing too major is revealed except that her last mission at least appears to not be Oz-related and Qrow wasn’t with her. Which… leads to something I’ve been wondering about for a while. Is Summer dead? All that we know is that she never came back, so maybe she was just presumed dead. But if she’s alive, where is she? I have some ideas, which I talked about here if you’re interested. But if she is alive… then why did she never go back home? Plenty of questions, but we can only wait for the answers. But hopefully, it won’t be too much longer now.

Then we have the ending. Ho boy… so Watts knows Jaques. And he’s supposed to be dead. Wondering why that was necessary, but it doesn't seem like Jaques is surprised that he’s alive. That he’s in his house? Absolutely. Alive? Mmm… not to me. But then what the heck happened that caused Watts to fake his own death? And what’s Jaques’ involvement with it? It was probably something bad, but still. But yeah, Watts is going to help Jaques out it seems. What for? Well, I've talked about what I think the big plan would be, and if I’m right… ho boy, it's gonna be America during 2016 all over again. It’s gonna be interesting to see how this plays out, especially on the Mantle side of things. Which may be coming soon, going of the thumbnail for next week...

As I said, this was a calmer episode compared to the first three. But that’s not a problem at all. The pacing was good. There were some great character interactions. It helps push along the narrative and allows characters like Ruby, Weiss, and Qrow to show off their character development. The animation was good, especially with the more cartoony moments. Thunder Thighs makes me cackle every time. This was Eddy Rivas first episode as writer, and he did a fantastic job! As did directors Dustin Matthews and Paula Decanini. They did an excellent job here, and I loved it. If V7 keeps up the level of quality, I think that it can rank up there with V3 and V6 as the best~!

Chapter Five Predictions

We saw in this episode that two individuals were spying on the Amity Arena activity, one of them being a Faunus girl who has a certain emblem on her clothing. It appears to be Robyn Hill’s emblem. This, as well as Robyn being on the thumbnail for the episode, confirms her finally making her debut. She’s likely going to be informed of the recent activity, though whether she’s aware of Ironwood’s plan (at least the satellite part) remains to be seen. But if not, she’s likely going to want to know why. Which hopefully means that we get to see how she leads/operates the Happy Huntresses and how she’s running her campaign for council.

Speaking of, we’ll probably get to see the actual election and what the respective candidates are doing. Since Jaques is now with Watts, I expect plenty of smear campaigns and corruption going around to make Ironwood and perhaps Robyn look worst. Like I said, the American 2016 Election all over again. It likely also means seeing more chaos and protest in Mantle, ones that I doubt are going to be peaceful. And then we have Jaune on his first mission, and I thin that Miles’ ‘thirsty moms’ comment is about to come into play, haha. Not sure about the rest of the gang, or even if we’ll see Oscar after he was absent here. Guess we’ll find out soon~!

Episode Stats

Favorite Character: Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Qrow Branwen Favorite Scene: Weiss facing Jaques/RBY supporting her Least Favorite Scene: The Mission Board since it just kinda dragged. Favorite Voice Actor: Jason Liebrecht (Qrow Branwen) Favorite Animation: Thunder Thighs Rating: 8/10

Final Thoughts

A slower episode, but a great one nonetheless. Great character writing, great accomplishments, and of course more development of the plot. Moments like Weiss against Jaques, Ruby and Qrow’s heart-to-heart, some talk on SUmmer, and our heroes getting their Huntsmen/Huntress Licenes made me smile so much, and all without feeling cramped or forced. I think that we earned a breather, and this one delivered without feeling boring. Eddy did a great job and since he confirmed that he also wrote Chapter 5, which is 20 minutes BTW, I am super excited to see what else he brings us~!

[neverwatchedonepiece]

511-513: "Unexpected Relanding! Luffy, to Marineford!", "With Hopes It Will Reach My Friends! Big News Spreading Fast!" and "Pirates Get On the Move! Astounding New World!"

Lafitte showing off his soft skills.

Now these three episodes were worth every minute! This is, hand on heart, my favourite part of any arc epilogue: when the seeds of new plots are sown and you get to see what everyone else is up to.

And there was a lot of that in 511-513.

I’m still messing with the format. I’ll stick with the three days a week posts but watching six episodes at a time was too much. The post ended up way too long and I couldn’t get into much speculation (which is the most fun part). Three at a time might be a better balance. :)

Luffy’s Message

This was the Main Event for me. It was why I was so keen to watch the next lot of episodes. That cliffhanger drawn out over so many episodes! What could have caused the Strawhats to react so spectacularly? What the hell was Rayleigh up to? Why all the secrecy?

And most of all...

Why the hell would Luffy go back to Marineford?

The answer? He wanted to send a message. And Rayleigh had crafted his plan so skillfully that this message would be different depending on which side a character was on.

The build up was great. 511 opened with a Marine debriefing meeting. Marines were getting the hairdryer treatment because Monkey D. Luffy, the notorious rookie pirate, had not only escaped their grasp but had the audacity to return to the scene of the crime with the Traitor Jimbei and The Dark King Rayleigh.

This was not good PR. And we all know the Marines are all about PR.

What happened was this: a lone Marine ship sailed right into the bay without clearance and fired a blank. Then three figures were spotted on board: Luffy, Rayleigh and Jimbei. Of course, they were fired on. The ship caught fire and sunk, but Luffy leapt ashore with Rayleigh and Jimbei and set about... doing some really weird stuff.

He rung the Ox Lloyd’s Bell (a Marine tradition, apparently. It’s rung at New Year: eight times to salute the passing year and another eight to welcome the new). Okay, I thought. I have no idea what this means. Let’s see where this goes.

It became a bit clearer when Luffy walked through the dumbstruck crowd, laid flowers into the chasm and removed his hat in a gesture of respect. Okay, I thought, this is funeral stuff. He’s returning to Marineford to pay his respects to Ace. This was to give Luffy closure so he could continue to live his life without being crippled by guilt and depression.

Except it was bigger than that, but I didn’t realise it until Luffy, Rayleigh and Jimbei exited via getaway whale sharks and the action returned to the debriefing meeting. The Marine in charge was Oda’s mouthpiece. Ringing the Ox Lloyd’s bell was a challenge. Luffy rang out the old Pirate Era and rang in the new one. That Rayleigh (symbol of the Old Era) was at his side was Significant. The Marines believe that Rayleigh has backed Luffy to be Roger’s successor. (This might be true. It was Rayleigh’s plan, after all. He knows all about pirate symbolism and how to make a statement. He was on Roger’s crew.)

Annoyingly, I didn’t realise the Return to Marineford would also be like the bat signal to the Strawhats until Vivi picked up the newspaper and I saw that photo of Luffy (I’m still salty she didn’t join the crew).

And I noticed something interesting. Those tattoos Vivi mentioned. 3D2Y. I have seen that combination of numbers and letters before on the CR arc list. Does this mean Luffy will only reunite with the Strawhats in 3D2Y (whatever that is)? According to the arc list, I have Fishman Island to go first.

I also have no idea what 3D2Y could mean. Maybe it’s a calendar thing? 3D is crossed out (the old pirate era) and 2Y is the new pirate era? Maybe it’s a new model of Star Wars droid. I have no clue.

But I can’t wait to find out! :D

The Strawhats

Of course, the Strawhats picked up on it right away. (Vivi did too, which is why you should have joined the crew, Vivi, why do you have to be such a good and dutiful noble?)

Zoro’s and Chopper’s reactions to the Marineford Return were most in-depth, so I’ll talk about them here just now. I’m assuming from the 514 preview that we’ll get Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Robin, Franky and Brook later.

They didn’t give us much of Zoro here. It was a short scene but his reaction was the most interesting. While the other Strawhats said: “Awesome, Luffy. Got the message!” Zoro was actually suspicious.

“Luffy doesn’t do sneaky, clever stuff like that!” he said to Perona. “This must be Rayleigh’s plan.”

Clearly, Zoro knows Luffy so well at this point that he can tell Luffy’s style of planning. I liked that.

And Chopper...

I still have that major soft spot for Chopper. I still cannot watch the flashbacks of his past without tearing up. Every time Chopper cries, I kind of want to take him aside and say, “Shhh, Chopper. I can’t handle your little reindeer tears.”

It was when Chopper returned to Birdie Kingdom that the penny dropped. The Strawhats wouldn’t reunite yet. They all have to go through training. Now everything from the last few episodes made sense. Maybe the Strawhats I thought would get away without training will have to do it after all.

And Chopper definitely got a good deal here. That library! I was as shocked as Chopper (but at least I didn’t say it out loud, haha, that was funny).

Chopper’s loyalty to Luffy and the Strawhats has upped a few levels post-Sabaody. He said something really interesting (and kind of worrying). Remembering his past, when he was reviled as a monster - outcast from human and reindeer society - he never wanted to go through something like Sabaody again and is now willing to “become a real monster for Luffy.”

Wow... Chopper’s about to get an upgrade. I mean, he’s always had so much potential. Monster Point, anyone? Those Rumble Balls? And he’s a great medic? Hopefully, Oda has good things planned for Chopper.

And speaking of plans... not all is well in the World Government hierarchy! I wouldn’t like to say they deserve it, but... they deserve it.

The Gorosei?

I think that’s who these guys are. I counted five in the shot and they are all old guys in suits, so I’ll go with it for now. There was no confirmation in the episode. Neither were names given, so I’ve made some up. I feel like I need to distinguish them because they all seem to have a different take on the post-Marineford situation.

Ringlets was worried about Luffy. He is a controversial figure. Of course, Luffy is Garp’s grandson, so that is a given.

Saruman was concerned about smoke rising from Mount Doom... Nah, kidding. He’s worried how Luffy knows Rayleigh. He thinks Rayleigh won’t return to centre stage but implies that maybe Rayleigh will support Luffy from the shadows.

Handlebar was salty about Jimbei. Was annoyed he finally turned against them as he was a symbol of intertribal peace. (The ‘finally’ implies they always suspected Jimbei would snap one day.)

Baldy was concerned about the imbalance of power in pirate society. There is a vacant Yonkou seat and THREE to fill in the shichibukai. How to fill those vacancies? Is there anyone qualified left? Glasses was also annoyed that the D. names were receiving so much PR lately and making the WG look bad.

Blonde has his eye on the New World. The power structure imbalance there now Whitebeard is gone is troublesome. They will have to choose the strongest to be Shichibukai. He also gave us an update on Blackbeard, which was nice. Wasn’t expecting to hear from Teach for ages!

Apparently, Teach has already made waves in the New World. He has an advantage over others who want that Yonkou seat because he knows everything there is to know about Whitebeard’s territory.  No one has ever eaten two Devil Fruits in history except for him. Only another Yonkou or Marco and the remaining Whitebeards could take him out. Is that a statement on Blackbeard’s new power level? Is he training too, so he’ll be an effective adversary for Luffy by the time they inevitably clash again the New World?

I have my fingers crossed for it.

And there’s something else the Gorosei should be worried about...

Human Resources Will Be Snowed Under Right Now

I forgot who Kong-san is, but I bet he has his work cut out for him right now.

There are a lot of changes afoot at WG and Marine HQ. The biggest shocker is that SENGOKU HAS RESIGNED!

I am so happy about this. Now, all he has to do is join the Revolutionary Army and I’m all set.

Garp continues to exasperate. He has “virtually resigned” but lacks whatever he needs to be truly brave and take that final step. He has kept the Vice Admiral title and is now tutoring younger Marines. I suppose it’s good he’s still around to keep whippersnappers like Akainu in check, especially now Sengoku did not recommend Akainu to succeed him.

Aokiji, the mystery wrapped in an enigma, will be Fleet-Admiral.

I... it’s weird. I can’t see it yet, but it’s definitely a better choice than Akainu. Maybe he would’ve been better with Kizaru. Oh well, it’s Sengoku’s choice. I trust him. He’s a wise man. “Old soldiers shouldn’t cling to power,” he said. “Justice is based on values and those change every generation.”

He ain’t wrong.

And I’m guessing now Garp is training young Marines that Coby, WHO HAS AWAKENED HAKI, will be first on the list. Here’s another one who will go through training to become a worthy opponent of Luffy.

Smoker also went to see Aokiji and requested a transfer to G5 branch. Aokiji had doubts. “That’s not a place you go voluntarily.” Apparently, G5 means Grand Line, 5th Branch. It’s in the New World. Smoker wants a New World placement.

I cannot handle this much awesome.

To Top It All Off, The Pink One Is Also Causing Trouble

How can he sit like that? Surely that is not in any way comfortable?

Remember when he ambushed Moria at Marineford? Turns out he didn’t quite get the job done (phew!) I should stick to my No Corpse, No Death rule more often.

In the words of Doflamingo.... “Poof!”

Moria disappeared just before Doflamingo landed the final blow. He insisted Moria was dying, so even if he did get away, he wouldn’t go far. Unless he came back as a zombie. (You joke, Doflamingo, but I would not put that past Moria for one reason: Hogback!)

The WG official accused him of sloppy work. Then Doflamingo lost his cool. I’ve never seen him act like that before, so it was interesting. “Who do you think you’re talking to? When did you become my boss? When I lose interest in doing business with you guys, I’ll quit being a Shichibukai at any time.”

I guess this really highlights the tenuous relationship the Marines have with these guys. Plus, Doflamingo seems like he’s Mr Chaotic Evil (or at least Mr Neutral Evil) incarnate, so maybe not the best guy to rely on?

Especially when the New World has descended into utter chaos.

So Who’s All Enjoying The New World?

Everyone who is anyone will head there eventually. Crocodile and Daz Bones will have another crack at it. Law has plans but is content to wait for his time (smart). The Strawhats, obviously, are a Work in Progress.

Buggy has reunited with his old crew (I forgot about Richie the Lion. How dare I?) and also has a massive bunch of Impel Down followers. Maybe he’ll have a crack at it too, now he has Alvida and Galdino to be the strategists? Plus, he just got that letter from the WG. Maybe he’ll end up on the run.

The rest of the Rookies have ventured out.

As for the Supernovas (sans Law and Luffy) I have predictions.

Who Will Make It:

The most obvious candidate is Kidd. He’s made for the cruelty of the New World, has already crushed another crew and has declared himself an enemy of Luffy. Sweet. Battle points.

Hawkins is another one who has crushed a crew. Again, battle points.

Apoo isn’t dumb. He’ll run if he has to. Smart points.

The Jury’s Out:

Urouge has stumbled across The Thunder Plains (from Final Fantasy X) and met some weird old ladies who look like they’ve just stepped out of Macbeth.

Who’s Probably Not Okay:

Gang Bege’s ship is in fragments. X-Drake has just clashed with Kaido’s crew. I don’t see them lasting much longer.

And Jewelry Bonney...

When Your Fave Is Problematic

Hard pass, Teach. A very hard pass.

I loved how the intro caption to this scene was: “Some Burning Island”. Then I saw the Blackbeards and thought, “Praise Oda! My villainous faves have returned in style!”

I thought the only news I would get on them was from the Gorosei. This was a nice bonus.

Of course, they were bickering. The Blackbeards always bicker and snipe at each other. There was a definite tone change here, though, as though Oda wants to step their villainy up a gear.

Take their argument over the ship they sailed in on. Teach said, “We should have stolen a Marine ship. The Raft wasn’t great.” Shiryu’s retort was tolerated: “You guys don’t prepare for anything.” But Avalo Pizarro’s (I finally know his name!) joke, “Want me to be captain, Teach?” earned him this response from Lafitte: “Shut up or I’ll kill you. We are Blackbeard Pirates.”

Teach is gaining more authority and loyalty from his crew. The ones who have always been with him are fiercely loyal and the newer ones have yet to learn the ropes. Lafitte (is he the first mate?) is also flexing. Do I sense tension between the established and newer members of the crew? Maybe, but they seem to get along well enough.

Among the new ones, I already have the ones I like (Shiryu and Catalina) vs the ones I’m not keen on (Avalo, San Juan and Vasco. Their personalities haven’t really emerged yet, so there’s time).

While the island burned, the Blackbeards stuck around necking Jacky D (haha!) because they were waiting for the Marines.

Why? Were they about to do another deal?

Yeah... but not one I was expecting.

They had crushed Bonney’s crew, chained her up and were about to trade her in for a ship.

That was shocking. I hadn’t expected Bonney to catch up to Teach so quickly and be defeated, but the outcome wasn’t surprising. Of course Teach would do that. He’d done it to Ace before and it worked. Sasuga Teach, I guess. What he did next stepped up his villainy a few notches.

He turned on lech mode, which I didn’t know was in his repertoire.

“I can’t believe they gave you a hundred million bounty! The New World is the sea for the chosen strong ones. You can all the way from South Blue. But you’ll go no further. You’re too weak to join my crew, but you can come with me, if you become my girl.”

Her response was excellent. “SCREW YOU, YOU BEARDED PIG!”

Honestly, Teach. You deserved that. And you were shocked at the rejection? You were going to get the Hard Pass. Apart from being a traitorous, murdering scumbag, you’re also a rubbish flirt. I mean, expecting her to go out with you after you beat up her crew, called her weak and laid her out as bait for the Marines? Not a great sell, Teach. Work on your people skills, like Lafitte.

Their plan went awry when Van Augr spotted Akainu on the approaching ship. Obviously, he would not do any deal (and I bet he’s steaming mad Aokiji will be Fleet Admiral before him). So they scarpered.

I’m worried for Bonney, though. Akainu picking her up? That’s the worst luck... :(

TEAM SELFIE AFTER A HARD DAY’S PILLAGING! #blackbeards #nofilter #okayonefilter

[digikate813]

My Little Pony Re-Watch: Episode 51 & 52 A Canterlot Wedding

*I’m just going to be up front here. This is the episode, that made me a brony. This is the episode that made me realize how great My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic really was. For a long time, it was my favorite episode. So of course it’s one of the most divisive episodes in the whole series. So we’re going to approach this differently. Rather then go over events individually, I’m going to stick to talking points more in the style of my video reviews. If i didn’t we’d be here all day. So let’s do this.

*A big complaint about this episode is how Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor, kind of comes out of nowhere. Maybe it’s just because I grew up with a lot of sitcoms, where siblings kind of appear out of nowhere with no previous establishment, but I just kind of accepted Shining Armor’s existence. Though it would have been fairly easy to introduce him sooner. Between the Grand Galloping Gala and Twilight holding her birthday party in Canterlot, it is weird in hindsight that he was nowhere to be seen during all of that. But again, it doesn’t really bother me.

*And i like the touch that his cutie mark is a shield and his most powerful spell appears to be a protection spell able to encase the entire city of Canterlot. It just adds more to my working theory of how talents and magic work.

*Twilight does have a bit of a right to be mad that she wasn’t told about this wedding until days before it’s supposed to happen. But hey, maybe that message that got burned in “Dragon Quest” was the announcement, idk.

*You want to sum up Pinkie Pie in one moment? The confetti sneeze. That is all

*Another criticism of this episode is the other character that appears out of nowhere, Princess Cadance. Now i don’t think the existence of another alicorn comes completely out of nowhere like many claim. Because there was that illustration in “Hearts and Hooves Day” that shows us other alicorns exist besides Celestia and Luna. And as far as we know, they’re all princesses. So this doesn’t break the lore necessarily, but I will agree that this at least was poorly established.Then again the show was never great at presenting Cadance’s role in the world, as we’ll go more into in the next episode.

*I will admit that her supposed love spell is both underutilized and morally questionable, but that’s not a discussion for this post. I think Silver Quill has covered everything on that topic.

*I used to hate the “Sunshine Sunshine Ladybugs Awake” rhyme and dance, but now that they don’t do it anymore, I feel a bit nostalgic towards it watching this again. Is that weird? It feels weird.

*And personally, I think the mystery behind why Cadance is so different from how Twilight remembers her works. Because while Twilight may know Cadance, we don’t. And therefore we can’t really tell what exactly is wrong even when the show tells us something is off. It’s not obvious what’s going on on your first viewing is what I’m saying. We’re just taking Twilight’s word for it that, if nothing else, Cadance has changed a lot. Being dismissive, insensitive, and hypnotizing her fiance to stop asking questions. But that last one probably isn’t that big a deal.

*The rest of the girls may be a bit too dismissive of Twilight’s feelings on the matter, especially after what they learned in “Lesson Zero” but Twilight does have a tendency to exaggerate and be paranoid. So I do get why they wouldn’t just take her word for it. It’s something that they could easily brush off as Twilight being Twilight and not as a red flag.

*Plus not Cadance is pretty good at being manipulative. Getting rid of her old bridesmaids so the Mane Six could fill in. Such a gesture makes it easier for the girls to get wrapped up in the planning and see Cadance in a better light instead of listening to Twilight. 

*Lyra speaks! That is all, but when a famous background character finally talks, you acknowledge it.

*I love this episode, but Spike playing with the cake toppers constantly is a really lame way to keep him out of the story.

*Twilight confronting Cadance the way she did might seem like a dumb move, and maybe it was. But keep in mind. Twilight has tried alternatives. Her friends wouldn’t listen to her, the princesses are busy guarding the city, and when she tried to talk to her brother about this, she saw Cadance put a spell on him. She’s in crisis mode here, and wants something done to stop her. So she takes action into her own hooves. The only problem with this plan is that Twi doesn’t really have, proof that Cadance is evil. 

*How much this plan backfires is kind of devastating. Even Celestia scolds her for this stunt! By the way the facial expression on Twilight when that happens is one of the saddest faces in the series.

*Then we get a really sad reprise of the previous song, but all anyone cared about was the cute little pointy pony style. It’s crazy how popular this style became! Some fan animation series are made just in this style. It is really cute, I’m just always blown away at just how popular it got, and still is.

*One of the best things to see reactions to in regards to this episode is when not Cadance engulfs Twilight in a ring of fire and sends her to the depth of Hell to cover her tracks! Okay it’s not Hell, but still. It was the best cliffhanger from the show for a while.

*How has the show never used these caves beneath Canterlot since this? I know there’s a line where they say that most ponies forgot these caves even exist, but could you imagine if maybe,  the Diamond Dogs wanted to get down here or something? There’s potential to use these caves again, and I’m shocked the show hasn’t.

*And here’s where we learn what’s going on. That Cadance was replaced by an imposter. Now I knew what was going on because I knew who Queen Chrysalis was. That’s what led me to watching this episode. But the story is clever at revealing this twist. There are hints to fake Cadance’s true identity, but since we don’t know Cadance, we wouldn’t notice things like her magic looks different, unless you were paying very close attention to the flashback.

*Ah, This Day Aria. I’ve said that this is quite possibly the moment that sold me on the show for good. And i stand by that. The Disney Renaissance vibes you get from this gorgeous duet are powerful. Between the villain celebrating maniacally and the hero racing desperately, it creates tension and an amazing contrast, performed by the same voice actress. There’s even this clever bit in the melody of contrasting between an Authentic Cadance and a Deceptive Cadance. Everything about this song is marvelous! It’s a beautiful moment to watch play out, and a great way for us to see what the real Cadance is like. I love everything about it!! Obviously.

*I don’t think the way Twilight and Cadance escaped the hypnotized bridesmaids should be as funny as it is, but it is. It’s so funny.

*Queen Chrysalis’ reveal is epic! Her design is incredible and eye catching, her voice s sinister and distinct (I really miss that modulation though), and the introduction of Changelings into this world is such a great concept! The only part that’s kind of weird is that they never say Chrysalis’ name in the episode itself.

*Celestia finally gets to do something and fights back! Only to be immediately defeated. This is one of the most controversial scenes in the episode and i get why, but as far as the moment itself goes, I don’t really feel the same way. In the moment it’s a way to show just how much of a threat Chrysalis is while giving Celestia some agency. For the sake of tension, it works. No what bothers me is the larger trend this started of Celestia getting her flank whooped whenever possible. 

*And I get why Chrysalis was surprised it worked. She would have had to take on Celestia eventually, but she might have figured she’d have her army with her by that point. So being able to get the job done herself gives her more of an ego boost in this grand plan.

*And do I even need to comment of the Mane Six battling the changelings? It’s AWESOME! The combat is exciting, there are a lot of funny moments, and between the return of the Party Cannon and using Twilight as a weapon of mass destruction, Pinkie is a master on the battlefield.

*This episode is also unique by being the first two part episode where the major threat isn’t defeated using the Elements of Harmony. Giving a great twist on expectations that I think gets taken for granted.

*Another major point of contempt with this episode is that Chrysalis just stands there and lets her enemies plot to defeat her. And I get that too. I do, but to me it’s not, completely unjustified. After all, Chrysalis’ plan has gone without a hitch. She’s managed to stop anyone in her way at every turn. Now that she’s taken away all major power, why should it be any different now? She’s deluded by her success and doesn’t see a way she can be stopped.

*The only way she is defeated is by something she wouldn’t expect. True and pure love. The changelings manipulate others to gain power from their love of the person they’re impersonating, and Shining Armor was their latest victim. Not believing his own sister because he’s literally being controlled by someone who says they love him. And it’s not Twilight or any of her friends who break that curse, but Cadance. The one who truly loves him. Simply by being there and expressing how much she cares about him. Add to the fact that Cadance’s magic centers around love, something Chrysalis might not have known, and you get an even bigger power boost. It’s pretty cool when you see it at first  and beautiful when you think about it any deeper. 

*Plus I love cheesy stories where love and friendship and bonds that make us stronger save the day. It’s really my jam and why i stick with the show. And this is one of the best demonstrations of it’s power.

*And the fun little trope twist of the princess saving the knight in shining armor. And then it’s both of them together that stops the villain.

*I know everyone’s made this joke, but because one of my most well know loves is Pokemon “Looks like Team Rocket’s Blasting Off Again!!”

*Hey Twilight and Shining Armor’s parents are back! And they still don’t get any lines. Hooray!

*Props to Dashie for pulling off a Sonic Rainboom so flawlessly!

*Luna?! Where the hay have you been??!! Okay this is another complaint about the episode but this time I have to agree. Where were you??? The only props I’ll give here is that at least they acknowledged she exists. Unlike Return of Harmony.

*I personally think Twilight should’ve gotten more of an apology from her friends, but at least the message still comes across. Not only is there the power of love in it’s toxicity and purity, but also Twilight journey to persist even in the face of doubt. If something seems suspicious to you, especially when it effects the ones you love, pursue it. Investigate and see what you can do to help. And it’s because of Twilight’s actions that she’s able to reunite her brother with someone who genuinely loves him. You might not be able to save someone you love from someone who is just using them on your own, but you can do your best to find someone who can help them. Twilight may not have technically saved the day this time, but she played a very important part.

*Ending with a fun reception with a really catchy song and the reveal that Vinyl Scratch’s eyes are magenta and not red. Breaking the hearts of fan artists the world over... And isn’t that what we should really take away from this episode?

Screw the haters. This episode is amazing! I should really do a full video on this one because I truly love this episode. If anything, the criticisms has made me realize in other ways why I love it so much, and why it sealed the deal for me on this whole magical pony thing. So I suppose I should be grateful for that. There were a lot of other things I could have mentioned, but again, these are just supposed to be short thoughts. Like I’ve said, this is the episode that made me understand why so many people loved this show for little girls, and i will always be grateful for that. Next Time: The Crystal Empire!

[ravenhexxx]

Not many witches are into like getting the low low down of their signs...honestly MOST Witches or people in general don’t go beyond their Sun Signs or if they do delve a little more in depth...they will not look beyond their Sun Moon and Ascendant signs...that seems to be enough....NOT so in my case...anyway...if you have been smart enough or just curious enough to go beyond the normal scope of your astrological sun sign and actually calculted your natal chart and have a Venus In Virgo aspect.....this is for you. For me it resonated here and there but it did give me some insight as to why I do or think a certain way. I feel that astrology in itself is definitely a science and has more validity than some hokey bullshit that often plagues occult philosophy. Slainte. 

Venus in Virgo Venus in Virgo people are not the flirtatious sort. Instead, their appeal lies in their dedication, their willingness to work on the relationship, and to make the relationship work in real terms. Unlike Venus in Leo, they won't try to impress you with grand gifts or promises. Their gifts are less showy, but perhaps far more generous -- gifts of devotion and attention to details about you. Venus in Virgo natives quietly (and often slowly) make their way into your heart. They are quite sensitive in love -- even insecure -- and this reserved, loner-like quality is part of their appeal. They prefer to play it safe in their relationships, and they need to be confident that you like them before they make a move. They are great listeners and they make it a habit to observe and learn all of your ins and outs. Their love can be of the Kindergarten variety -- they show they care by nagging or criticizing. Remember, though, that they are not trying to hurt you when they are pointing out the flaws in your thinking, plans, or even character. They truly are trying to help! Venus in Virgo is attracted to nondescript people who have largely gone unnoticed. Show-offs and know-it-alls turn them off. Pleasing Venus in Virgo involves showing you appreciate them for all the little things they do -- and they do a lot. The problem is, they do these things so quietly that you may not always notice or credit them for all these kind gestures. They do need some space (after all, they're generally quite busy making everything work), so give it to them. Be genuine, not ostentatious. They are really not difficult to please after you have taken care of these basic needs. Avoid pushing your friends or family on them too fast -- remember they are a little shy. They aim to please, and are easily intimidated by your experiences. Let them know how much you value them, and they will reward you with devotion and a charming willingness to talk things out. Short description: He is very devoted, does not show emotions: he and doesn't always let himself go, either through fear of ridicule or through fear of not being loved in return as much as he loves. He is therefore sometimes too undemonstrative. May give off the sense that his love is not for free. Caring but worries that he is not exciting enough. Careful with money.

[dracdad-a]

New Beginnings.

something cute i wrote at like 3 am because my mind was yelling at me to do it lmao

  The quiet atmosphere unnerves her -- she's gotten used to sleeping during the day like every other monster, of course -- carefully training herself for the time when all those disgusting and annoying creatures got on board the Legacy.

  But even then, she'd still had the company of the soothing sounds of velvety waves crashing against the side of the ship, and the occasional creaking noises all plastic, wood, and metal made whenever the large vessel gently rocked from one side to the other, and slowly back again.

  However, now, alone in an empty enough room in the famous Hotel Transylvania, a slight sense of panic and loneliness starts to wash over her as she lay awake. Though her mattress is comfortable, and the sheets wrapping her body are warm and very cosy, the stillness of the place make her inwardly feel rather twitchy as well. Ericka has never been on land for too long. This place is unfamiliar, and although it had been warm and welcoming, she is still surrounded by both humans and the very monsters she'd been taught all her life to hate and hunt.

  Dracula had been kind; he'd given her space, and her very own room to settle in for now, which she had been endlessly thankful for. They hadn't wanted to rush things, and inviting her to share a room with him just as they'd arrived would have been too much, too quickly. But now, she finds she can't sleep at all, in spite of all of this. The hotel is beautiful and huge -- providing her with a warmth she hadn't known she needed -- but now the emptiness of the room seems to be asphyxiating her.

  A heavy sigh escapes from between her lips and she sits up on her bed, glancing around to subconsciously ground herself to the here and now. Well. Perhaps... she should make herself some tea.

  Her fingers move one piece of clothing aside from inside her neatly organised suitcase, and then another, trying to find something comfortable and appropriate to wear around the building instead of just her white pyjamas. She is a stranger to most, and making bad first impressions is something she definitely wants to avoid. Finally, upon finding something to put on over her top, she stands up and slides the piece of clothing over her head, and her arms through the loose sleeves. This should be okay, for now.

  The old door loudly creaks open a minute later and she peeks into the empty hallway to make sure she hadn't bothered anyone with all the noise. "Can't sleep?" A voice startles her; she glances down to find the shrunken head hanging from her doorknob.

  "Oh, I -- not really. But it's fine! I was just... going to get some fresh air." She offers the other a smile, which is kind of pointless considering the monster had its eyes sewn shut a long time ago. She steps outside and closes the door behind her, informing the door-knocker that she'd probably be back soon. The human feels awkward and really out of place, in spite of everyone's kindness and reassurances, and she's not sure what to do or who to talk to about that.

  She could try talking to Drac but... she has a strong feeling she knows what he'd say anyway.

  Now, what had Mavis told her? Where is the kitchen, again? Thank God for her good sense of orientation, for she doesn't have to ponder too long on which way to go this time around. The hotel is gigantic, and she is pretty certain more than one guest has lost their way more than once before. Endless hallways and rooms make up the majority of the stone-walled building, and it is quite easy not to know where one is or where they are actually headed to, but she thankfully finds the elevators relatively quickly.

  Some humans were up and about -- creatures used to sleeping at night instead of during the day -- and she greets them with a smile, a little salute, and a polite, "good morning!" of hers. It feels somewhat comforting to be around some of her kind, though Ericka has never really had true friends to begin with.

  She'd grown up with her great-grandfather on board the ship and socialising with other humans isn't something she has too much experience with when her primary goal was an entirely different one. But then again, monsters and human beings aren't as unalike as she'd always thought they were, aren't they? People are people, she'd come to understand recently, no matter the species they belong to, and whatever differences she might find are mostly simply general cultural ones; ones anyone would even find between humans themselves.

  She slips into the kitchen with ease, finding that some of the staff members are already up and working this early -- or is it late for them? -- but soon finds herself being ushered out of the room by a short pointy-nosed gargoyle who gently insists on preparing the soothing beverage for her in her place. They all know perfectly well who she is -- news had spread rather quickly about all that had happened in the city of Atlantis, and yet no one here has so far brought it up or even looked at her badly for being a raised monster hunter.

  And... now she's back to square one, she notes, sitting down at one of the tables of the large dinning room. Feeling useless, alone and uncomfortable yet again, her long fingers impatiently drum against the flat surface of the wooden table.

  "... Miss Ericka?"

  Ah. She recognises that voice. Blue eyes find the boy's wide curious ones staring up at her. His red curly hair is as messy as it always is, but some warmth spreads through the Van Helsing's chest then, and the woman smiles. She's never seen herself much as a family person, but she can't help but care about the Dracula family very deeply already. "Dennis? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be asleep?" A quirked brow from her part makes the child fumble awkwardly with the rolled up piece of paper he's apparently holding in his little hands.

  "Uh... I was just getting a snack. I know I should be in bed, but I... got hungry and I didn't wanna' wake up mommy."

  "Well, shouldn't you go back to bed now? I'm sure she's going to worry if she happens to wake up, and finds out you're not in your room, honey."

"I guess." He seems to momentarily hesitate before speaking again, "and why are you up?"

  "I..." What should she say? She has so very little experience with children, it actually makes her frown to herself, albeit slightly. "... I couldn't sleep. So I decided to come down here and get something nice to drink."

  "But why not?"

  A pause. Oh, darn. She shrugs; briefly looks away. "I don't know. Maybe it's the whole time-zones change." The kid nods, but she isn't sure if he understands what it means. Perhaps he does, but she doesn't truly know how clever children are these days anymore. "What's that?" she asks in spite of herself, trying to change the subject and get the boy to go sleep after this little chat.

  "Nothing!" He quickly hides the paper behind his back.

  "Mhm."

  "Uhm..." he shrinks a little, slowly pulling the rolled up paper from behind his back. "... It's a surprise."

  "A surprise? For whom?"

  "My dad."

  Aw.

  "Can I see it?" she inquires.

  "You won't tell him, will you?"

  "Of course not. I promise."

  "Stake your heart?"

  "Stake my -- ? Sure." She closes her hand into a fist and places it over her chest in what she hopes is the correct gesture. Dennis' smile is a big one as he cheerfully hands her the paper.

  "He said something really cool before, and I wanted to make him a drawing."

  Her eyes carefully scan the colourful drawing, and her lips curve upwards before she can help it. Ericka glances down at him. "This looks really good. When were you planning on giving it to him?"

  "Jus' tomorrow. I finished it before you walked in here."

  Her smile turns into a little knowing smirk. "So you weren't here just to get a snack, then?"   "I uhm..."   The doors behind her opens, and the gargoyle steps into the room with a tray resting on his dark grey hooves.   "Oh, ah -- thank you." She gives the piece of paper back to the boy and gently takes the offered tray with the tea and sugar.   "No need to thank me, Miss." A brief but toothy smile shows the monster's pointy set of teeth before he leaves, and her stomach immediately drops. Does she really deserve all the good treatment she'd been getting?   "Are you okay?" Hearing such a sweet voice is apparently a good way to snap her from her troubling thoughts.   "Oh. Yes, I'm fine. I'm just tired, I think."   "Why don't you go sleep?"   "Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?"   She receives a sheepish look from him. "Yeah, I know. I think I'll go back to bed then."   "Okay. And be careful."   "Sure!"   It's after Dennis is gone that she's free to swim in the depths of her own mind again. The warm liquid she drinks soothes her nerves right away, but she notices she's not as gloomy as she was before. Ericka is part of a warm, open and beautiful family now, and she notes she can't stop smiling upon coming to that nice realisation on her own. Her great grand-father, though he'd taken care of her and raised her had never really done anything for her out of the kindness of his heart like this new family of hers has.   Sure, she might still feel lonely at times, for the adaptation process will not be brief, but she does have a lot of people around her who truly care about her. And more importantly, Ericka finally knows she's not alone anymore, and she can't wait to start making new amazing memories with all of them.   She might just be able to properly get some shut-eye tonight after all.

[motiveandthemeans]

Laurelworth

Chpater II: The Riddle of Love

“The impending delivery of John and Mary Watson’s child brings me to Laurelworth. My companion in solving crime is refusing to go on cases during the last trimester of gestation and will not likely return to my aid till six months after the child is born.” Sherlock elaborated between sips of coffee.

“I am sorry, truly. I’m sure it is a great disappointment as you find London so diverting.” Molly replied with a compassionate smile. “What will Mrs. Hudson be doing with her days now that you aren’t bumbling above her?”

Such cheek? Sherlock inwardly mused. Perhaps this would be a simpler endeavor than I assumed!

“I suspect that she’ll enjoy the alone time. I believe her sister will be coming to visit for several weeks as well.”

Molly nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer as she dug into her eggs. As the pair ate in silence, Sherlock Holmes studied his wife. It had been some months since he’d last seen her at Christmas and while she had been beautiful then in her red evening gown amongst the candlelight, she was stunning now. The notion didn’t seem to make rational sense given that Molly was wearing a plain blue riding habit, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, but his heart still soared at the sight all the same. Perhaps it was because he’d not seen his wife in so long that any dose of her was refreshing to his senses. Either way, it did not matter the reason; she was lovely with a glowing tan and freckles across her nose and cheeks, auburn hair lightened by her time in the sun.

Having been so caught up in his assessment of Molly, he’d not noticed she had already finished her breakfast before him and stood, calling the dogs and Mrs. Lyle.

“Yes ma’am?” The older woman asked, her graying hair pulled back in a tight bun, black uniform crisply ironed.

“Will you have Gabriel or Jean ready Gypsy and bring her round in a half hour? I’m going to walk with the dogs for a bit.”

“Of course, ma’am. Do you have a preference for lunch?”

Molly gave an indulgent laugh, resting a reassuring hand on the head house keeper’s shoulder. “Whatever you’ve prepared for the house will be fine. I would ask that it be rather large, after I tour the peach orchards I am to meet with our accountant, Mr. Ivanov, and from there I will head to surgery till about eight o’clock tonight. Naturally, that will not leave much time for dinner.”

“Surely we can wait for you?” Mrs. Lyle insisted.

“No, no, Mrs. Lyle. Just fix something for Mr. Holmes and be off for the evening, the cooks as well. I’m sure we can survive the night without you.” The brunette winked, pulling on her leather gloves and whistling to the two dogs waiting patiently around her ankles. “Come along then, we must find you pair a stick! Thank you again, Mrs. Lyle!”

“Yes Mrs. Holmes, anything you need!” She smiled.

Sherlock watched the exchange with rabid fascination, the staff was sure to love their mistress with the kindness and smiles Molly so freely bestowed upon them. Envy coursed through him like he’d never known. His wife had scarcely acknowledged his presence, not even bothering as to inquire after his activities planned out for the day. He had not expected Molly to drop all her responsibilities, however, he would’ve thought she’d have at least attempted to entertain his audience.

There was a coolness to his wife’s demeanor, while she flashed him sunny smiles and a friendly enough greeting, the Consulting Detective got the impression that she was…indifferent, to his presence here at Laurelworth. Clearly she expected that they would live the next nine months as though neither had existed, much as they has the previous fourteen months. Sherlock did not begrudge Molly her ambivalence, while he had expected ire at his unannounced arrival, the apathetic manner which she regarded him with was somehow worse.

Sherlock cleared his throat.

“Mr. Holmes, I beg your pardon-“

“Does Mrs. Holmes often traverse the estate unaccompanied?” He interjected, taking one last gulp of coffee.

The older woman flushed, in embarrassment or anger, he could not tell. “N-No, sir! I would never allow for it! The shepherd, Herr Schaper, or the game keeper, Mr. MacDonald, or-or one of the farm hands goes with her always!”

“I am not familiar with this Schaper.” Sherlock replied suspiciously. Mercy, did his male bravado know no bounds? “How long has he been in my wife’s employ?”

“Nearly a year, sir.” Mrs. Lyle answered. “When the mistress arrived at Laurelworth, she made a great many changes to the staffing, all of which have been for the better, Mr. Holmes.”

Frowning, he nodded, rising from the table. “I shall be in my study, do not disturb me till Mrs. Holmes has returned for lunch.”

“Of course, sir. Generally, she takes her luncheon in her study or on the deck…”

“Either will do, just inform me of her return immediately.”

Sherlock had not lied to his wife when he told her of his reasons for returning to Laurelworth, but it had not, strictly speaking, been the entire truth. After a rather intimate conversation with the Molly living in his Mind Palace, a revelation about the potential wonders of being married -happily married anyway- struck the genius like a ton of bricks. Could he have perhaps been falling for Molly all along? The year they spent together at Baker Street was difficult for Sherlock to adjust to. He’d been rude and short and dismissive of Molly’s presence in his life. However, there were times Molly was doing absolutely nothing but sitting on the loveseat reading and his heart would race. Once when she’d gone downstairs for tea with Mrs. Hudson and her laughter had filled the entire townhome; Sherlock remembered feeling a pang of guilt that he had not been the one to elicit such joy from his wife.

So, upon discovering that he had, in fact, been harboring feelings for his spouse much longer than he had realized, Sherlock did what all good Consulting Detectives do when out of their depth.

Annoy John Watson, friend and confidant.

“Sherlock, I do not know if it is wise to just…drop in on Molly.”

“Why not? Mary said herself to make a ‘grand romantic gesture’! What could be more ostentatiously sentimental than presenting my person when she least expects it?” He had exclaimed, pacing the floor of 221 B as his man, Billy Wiggins, packed his bags for Laurelworth. “You have been known to stop in unannounced at St. Bartholomew’s Midwifery when Mary was working to bring her pastries or packed lunches. How is this any different?”

“Well, for one, Mary doesn’t despise my blooming guts…majority of the time anyway.” John had answered uneasily. “Look, you and Molly parted under horrible circumstances of your own making. She loved you, deeply, and you all but threw it back in her face the moment Irene Adler wandered back into your life.”

“So what do you suggest then, John?” Sherlock growled in frustration. “God, this is miserable! I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, all I can think about is ‘Molly This’ and ‘Molly That’ and ‘I wonder if Molly is enjoying the early spring weather’…it’s unbearable! Truly, I cannot fathom how I have gone so long not recognizing that I was…I was…”

John smiled, hoping against hope that Sherlock was comprehending just what it was he felt for Margaret Louise Holmes.

“...In love with her.” Sherlock finished with a dumbfounded smile. “B-But my work…it’s never been better! How has love not afflicted my case success rate?”

“Ever consider that perhaps it is what has aided in its prosperity? Sherlock, when you are trying to work out a problem with a case, you throw yourself into composing. Maybe you threw yourself into solving crimes the past fourteen months because, subconsciously, it helped you solve the riddle of your love for Molly.”

He swallowed nervously. “I’m…I’m scared, John. I’ve made an awful, terrible mess of things.”

“Yeah, you have mate.” John rested a comforting arm upon Sherlock’s shoulder. “But it’s not hopeless, the easy part was confirming you love her, now you just have to convince her of your affections.”

“Will you…will you help me?” Sherlock’s voice hoarse with emotion. “Please, John?”

“Of course, mate. But I’m warning you, it’s not going to be pretty or pleasant at first.”

“I am willing to do whatever it takes to win back Molly Holmes’ heart.”

Molly was still out touring the orchards, leaving Sherlock to his devices. He’d already arranged his study to his liking, cleaned his smoking pipe and hidden away his valuables in the safe, including the large parcel of unsent letters he’d written to Molly over the last fourteen months.

Now he had one singular task ahead of him: Learn what Molly likes. Deciding that snooping about her room would be a gross invasion of privacy, Sherlock opted for her personal study instead. Surely if the maids were allowed to freely enter and exit, he would be allowed to as well!

Conveniently, there was a hidden door behind a bookcase that lead to the adjacent room his wife had taken over as her study. Sherlock entered, his senses instantly struck with the overwhelming presence of everything Molly. The room smelled of juniper and peonies, the sofas and love seats plush velvet and carved in delicate, feminine patterns. The roaring fire told him that a servant had not long ago been in here, meaning that time was probably on his side.

The walls were covered in bookshelves, hundreds of texts filled the space. A human skeleton sat in the corner, dressed in an old morning suit. Sherlock smirked, Molly always did have strangely morbid sense of humor. In another corner sat a large globe, inherited from her father after his death. On the walls hung various paintings of her kin or works of art she’d purchased or been gifted. Above the mantel was a portrait of her mother, Abigail, who had died of Malaria in Bombay when Molly was nine. Another painting displayed upon the wall was a birthday gift from Mycroft, a real Hashimoto Gaho. Sherlock frowned, remembering how Anthea had gushed over Molly’s enthusiasm upon receiving it.

“She wept she was so touched! Truly it was the best gift we have ever bestowed upon a person. A more deserving recipient there could not have been!” Anthea had exclaimed smugly, earning an affectionate eye roll from his older brother.

Two large cathedral windows framed Molly’s desk from behind, the dusty rose curtain’s drawn to bring in as much natural light as possible. The desk contrasted his own greatly, where Sherlock’s had been messy and chaotic, Molly’s was neat and organized. Few sentimental knick-knacks littered the desk, a large map of the grounds took up most of the space. The desk was punctuated by several pen and ink wells, a wax seal stamper with the monogram ‘MLH’, a bouquet of fresh wildflowers in a Chinese vase they had received as a wedding gift was placed on the corner, and a solitary silver picture frame was angled for her to see directly when sitting in her chair.

Sherlock felt his breath catch, it was a picture of him on their wedding day. Looking down at the thick platinum band on his left hand, it dawned on him that Molly still wore her Welsh gold wedding band. Surely if Molly truly despised him, she would not have set his likeness in such plain view or kept his Grandmama’s ring!

Hope soared through him, taking one last sweeping glance around Sherlock exited through the secret door and back to his study, it was time to make a plan.

A light shake on the shoulder brought Sherlock out of his Mind Palace.

“Mr. Holmes, the Missus has returned for lunch. She’s taken it out on the porch.” Mrs. Lyle said.

He grinned, leaping from his supine position on the sofa. “Excellent, thank-you, Mrs. Lyle.”

The head house keeper beamed, no doubt pleased she could finally appease the insufferable Master of the house. “You’re very welcome, sir. It is summer chowder in bread bowls and greens today, will that be to your liking?”

“Is that a favorite of Mrs. Holmes?” He asked, removing his dressing gown and straightening his collar.

“Yes, she enjoys it very much. She wrote the recipe with Mrs. Honeycutt, our cook.”

“Wonderful!” He called back, racing out of the study and down the hall to the main doors, earning curious glances from the passing staff. He slowed upon his arrival to the large front porch overlooking Bass Lake and the mountain forest upon their doorstep. As beautiful as the view was, none could compete the sight of Molly. She’d removed the jacket of her riding habit revealing her fitted high collared linen blouse, her beautiful thick hair, now free of its usual ponytail, flowed down to her slender waist.

“Mr. Holmes, is something the matter?” She questioned curiously.

“No. No, why would something be the matter?” He sputtered, moving to sit in the chair beside her, a table between the two housing a bowl of peaches and a pitcher of sun tea.

“Well…it’s just that…I assumed you’d be taking your lunch in your study, if you ate all.”

“It is true, I do not typically eat lunch. However, given that this is a special dish to you, one you help create no less, I thought I might try it.”

Molly blinked, clearly shocked by his statement. “I-uh, yes. I did. How could have possibly known that?”

Sherlock gave her a wry smirk. “Mrs. Holmes, surely you know me well enough now to know I’m a fairly observant man.”

Molly opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the servant coming out to deliver their lunch. “Thank-you, Gillian, it looks wonderful?”

“Is there anything else I can get you ma’am?” She asked with a friendly smile.

“I’m fine, truly. How is little Gerogie feeling?”

“Oh, much better, Missus! That tonic you gave me did wonders for him. He’s sleeping so much easier now that he’s breathing easier. Not that I am getting any sleep, of course. I still stay up at night paranoid that he’s going to stop breathing any second.” Gillian gushed.

“Well you make sure to get some rest, Gillian! It won’t do him any good to have sick Mummy.” Molly smiled.

“Yes Missus ‘olmes. Is there anything I can get you, Mr. ‘olmes?”

“No, thank-you, that will be all for now.” Sherlock replied in as warm a tone as he could muster, wanting to impress Molly with his newfound tenderness.

The pair were silent for a while, eating their lunch in peace as they listened to whippoorwills sing and butterflies flutter around the flowers flanking the front stair leading up to the porch. Workmen walked to and fro, dropping a hello or a wave to Molly and (if only by association) Sherlock.

‘This is it, Sherlock! Take your chance to make conversation with Molly. She needs to know you take an interest in her life!’ John’s voice cheered him on.

“I trust the orchards were in good condition? The peaches look very appetizing.”

“Yes, they were.” Molly gave him a perfunctory smile.

“Mycroft once ate a whole peach cobbler by himself in our younger years.”

“Mmmm.” She hummed between spoonfuls.

‘Don’t give up!’

“Will you be going on horseback to the village or taking the carriage?”

“Horseback, did you want to venture down to Northbury? I could arrange for a footman to take you.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I’ve plenty to entertain myself in my study.” Sherlock answered with a small smile, locking their gaze. Molly’s breathing quickened, a becoming flush rising to her cheeks.

Oh, she is lovely. Sherlock thought inwardly

“I should be off.” She stood abruptly, leaving her food half finished. “Mr. Ivanov is a patient man but I’d never forgive myself if I was late to surgery.”

“You’ve not finished your meal.” He stood, catching her wrist in his hand. Her brown eyes widening at the voluntary contact.

“Really, it’s so warm. I don’t have much appetite in this heat.”

“You grew up in India, how is late March in Northern England considered warm to you?”

“I’ve acclimated.” She huffed uneasily, her hand still in his.

“Well, at least allow me to help you with your jacket.” Sherlock reluctantly released her hand to fetch the blue riding jacket from the arm of her chair. He held it up, Molly turned her back to him, moving her thick hair to the side. The sight of her exposed neck made his blood thrill.

“I’d nearly forgotten it, thank-you for reminding me.” She blushed with embarrassment, letting her hair swing loose once she’d slipped her arms through, buttoning the front as she turned to face him.  

Unable to resist the urge, Sherlock rose his hand and gently brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, folding it behind her ear. She had not slapped his hand away yet, but her posture went stiff as a board at the contact. Not wanting to push his luck, he did not venture further, though the desire to run his thumb across her cheeks was over-whelming to say the least.

“Thank-you for taking lunch with me. I enjoyed our time together.”

Molly tried, and failed, not to look flabbergasted at his words.

“Y-You are welcome. Have a good night, Mr. Holmes, I shall see you on the morrow.”

Molly turned to leave just as an idea struck him.

“Will you be riding home alone tonight?” He blurted out once she was a few paces away.

“Usually one of the stable boys or footman come and escort me home.” She answered. “Did you have a need for them this evening? I could arrange for two to stay overnight-“

“PerhapsIcouldcomeandfetchyou?”

“I beg your pardon? I didn’t quite catch that, Sherlock. You spoke so quickly.”

He let out a nervous laugh. “I-I was merely suggesting that…perhaps I could come and fetch you from surgery this evening.”

At first Molly appeared dumbfounded, then her face flushed.

This time, not from embarrassment or physical attraction. It was most assuredly in anger.

“What game are you playing at, Sherlock Holmes?” She snapped, marching up to him and glaring up at him squarely. “Never, not once, did you walk me home during my time at St. Bartholomew’s. Need I remind you that it’s a large public hospital in the middle of London? Why the sudden concern for my safety when we are in a safe country village and not drenched in the industrial hustle of Town? Is this some sort of social experiment-”

“Molly, please, let me-“

“No! I do not want to hear your excuses! I have been respectful of your solitary lifestyle and will not be made a punching bag for your frustration when my presence becomes too much to bear.”

“That is not my desire any longer, I wish to-“

“We may be married, but we are not a couple, Sherlock.” Molly continued with a humorless laugh. “We are not even friends! So please, let us just spare the façade. Do not feel pressured to act as a doting husband would. I freed you from that responsibility months ago.”

Ah, that one stung. Sherlock inwardly sighed.

“You are my wife, we are married, and therefore we are a couple.” He said in earnest. “I apologize if I was too…forward, for lack of a better term, in my attempts to be close to you. It was not my intention to anger you.”

“I will not be made a fool of in my own home, Sherlock Holmes. You and Mrs. Adler did a fine enough job of that in front of the Ton in London. I’ll not have you speak to me as though I were some human abscess in front of the servants or villagers.” Molly drove on. “You smeared my reputation in London society and made a mockery of our marriage. Do not act as if the last fourteen months of separation change the facts.”

Sherlock inwardly sighed, there would be no winning this argument.

“I apologize for the inconveniences I have put upon you, believe me it was unconsciously done. Good afternoon, Mrs. Holmes. I hope your time at surgery fares better.” He said before turning to leave.

He did not look back for fear of seeing hatred burn in her fine dark eyes.

Sherlock watched as Molly locked the door to the surgery behind her, then walk over to where he held her horse, Gypsy’s reigns.

“Thank-you for escorting me home this evening, Jean. I know it’s later than I said but we had an emergency case.” Molly said, mounting Gypsy, giving the broodmare an affectionate nuzzle.

The doctor had not realized something was suspicious till she noted the horse her companion was riding.

“Jean, I’m not sure Mr. Holmes would approve of you riding Dante-“

The Consulting Detective smirked, watching her eyes widen a fraction as she took him in.

“Mr. Holmes, what are you doing here?” Molly demanded.

“Escorting you home.” Sherlock commented. “I hope we are not going to argue about this again, I’m already here. No sense in quarreling over it.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Molly nudged Gypsy into walking. “I suppose you are right. But this doesn’t mean I’m speaking to you.”

“Well, that’s rather a shame, I was hoping to hear about your time at surgery.”

Molly gazed at him with a mixture of surprise and suspicion. “Who are you and what have you done with Sherlock Holmes?”

“I am still him. However, it is my intention to be the Sherlock Holmes you deserve, Margaret Louise Holmes. The one I should have been all along.”