#to potential pope lmao

[astronicht]

I was DMing a friend yesterday about how the lotr films (imo) do a great job of making Gondor look vaguely Carolingian — I was kind of holding it up as a positive example of intuiting and extrapolating on what Tolkien might have meant when doing adaptations — but said I wasn’t personally sure whether Tolkien was pulling from the Carolingian Empire or maybe the very shaky papacy further south or Visigoths or something. Or all of it!

Anyway then I settled in for my evening pop-nonfiction read, and got to find out why I’m always mixing up the Merovingians and Carolingians, a thing I will never do again. Bc yes they were two ruling families, but one was originally the fucking… stewards. I mean mayors. Haha.

(From The Private Lives of the Saints, Janina Ramirez, 2015. pp. 346-7)

Several points:

- I KNOW I made a post back in Rohan about how it’s very nice and wholesome that Tolkien wrote a fix-it for the brutal sack of the Saxons (Rohan*) by the big post-Roman southern kingdom but I didn’t know how thoroughly he did that. He really said what if Carolingians Gondor and Saxons et al Rohan bonded together to fight evil 💗 instead 💗

- So I don’t actually think Tolkien goes 1:1 with characters and historical figures, but I’m weeping at the idea that Boromir was a sort of Charlemagne but stuck in an AU where Charlemagne touches a magic ring and dies (despite being cool ☹️)

- Alternatively, it was actually Charlemagne’s dad who made a deal with the pope (NO idea on this one lmao good luck everyone) and seized power. Which would make Boromir something of a… potential.. Pippin figure.

Like he’s not, it’s not 1:1! But each Tolkien character does sometimes feel like an avatar of 3-5 medieval characters in a flashing and beautiful and strange palimpsest, while still utterly being themselves and not a symbol etc. it just so happens that you could, I guess? Make this argument for Boromir if you really really wanted to. Or Faramir! Charlemagne really tried to be both brothers, actually, which is— oh it’s fascinating again. Damn.

- Final incredibly important question: Wh at constellation was on Aragorn’s sword. I need to know the constellation on Aragorn’s sword immediately.

*I sound increasingly insane the further I get in these books but as… as established in previous posts there’s no English Channel in Tolkien’s world so Rohan is sort of the Saxons, Doggerland, and the Angles, Jutes, etc (English kingdoms), running up to Wales (the hill people + where Aragon goes on a Wild Hunt). God it’s so ancient aliens sounding but I cannot disavow any of this at this point.

[moremaybank]

oh goodness, imagine jj’s little baseball team coming to the chateau for dinner or something and you’re barely waddling up the stairs and you’re like “pope, can i please just sit there for a few” kick him out of his seat to breathe because jj keeps knocking you up 😫

please i just KNOW pope's fed up 😭 like he adores your kids but there's just so many maybanks now and jj alone is all he can handle LMAO

Family dinners at the chateau is always something that you and the pogues look forward to. Especially now that you and JJ have inserted your little ones into the group. It's just nice to have the whole gang back together.

John B and JJ are manning the grill and watching the kids run around and play. Sarah, Kie and Cleo are relaxing in the hot-tub, and you...you're running around inside the kitchen trying to get the rest of the meal set up.

Normally, this is your thing. You can bang out appetizers and half of the main course with the snap of a finger, and look good while doing it (as JJ likes to remind you). But this time around, with a fetus resting right on your bladder, kicking at your ribcage and practically begging for their exit...let's just say that you're not up to your full potential.

You walk out onto the porch, momentarily bracing your hand against the wall, in need of a quick break. These days, it's hard to breathe while standing, let alone operating like a mad man chef.

You continue your way down the steps and over to the only lawn chair in the backyard. Pope's occupying the seat, and you hate to ask, but if you don't sit down soon, you're sure you'll end up passing out and giving everyone a scare.

"Pope, I'm sorry to do this but I need to kick you out of your seat for a sec."

He nods. "Yeah, come here."

His hands help guide you onto the chair carefully, and you sit down. You let out a sigh of relief, your hand coming up to rest at the top of your bump.

"Thank you," you speak, still huffing and puffing away.

"Don't you think you guys have enough kids? Five with one on the way is kind of insane, not that I don't love them."

You laugh softly, "You should ask mister wannabe-Nick-Cannon there. He's the one who keeps knocking me up."

He hums in acknowledgement. "Maybe he's trying to beat his record."

concepts

[marlenesluv]

Ken and Barbie. (LL)

summary: reader is an actress in outer banks as sarah cameron’s younger sister, and while filming in New Zealand, she meets Liam Lawson.

note: idk if they ever filmed in New Zealand, its j for the plot 🫶

pairing: liam lawson x actress!reader

fc: ava alfaro (avaalfaroo on insta) (picked her bc she genuinely looks like madelyn clone a bit lol)

warnings: minor cussing

masterlist here -> masterlist link

^ check my list for all posts! ^

liked by: liamlawson30, rudeth, and 1,244,913 others

y/n.user: i <3 🇳🇿

view comments…

obxfan5: THE LAST PICTURE??

y/nfp: you’re actually a goddess

cline9edits: her and madelyn are literally siblings

↳ user3: huh? they are..?

↳ cline9edits: omggg no, im j saying they look sm alike

↳ user3: ohhhh, yeah. the casting department did sooo good here

madisonbaileybabe: i’m the best photographer 💁‍♀️

↳ y/n.user: you really are

f2edits: *liam lawson likes a post* *i spawn there to see what’s going on*

user7: LMAO rudy and drew😭

↳ starkeysgf0: my bf’s asf

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

liked by: y/n.user, yukitsunoda0511, and 213,193 others

liamlawson30: 🇳🇿❤️

view comments…

user2: what is it finna play…? WOAHHHGG

liamledits: holy shit, who is this girl??

f1editpag3: guys, we know she’s blonde!! FIND BLONDE GIRLS WITH A BLONDE POTENTIAL BF

↳ y/nfp4: …………….@y/n.user

↳ f1editpag3: OMG, and they are both in new zealand and soft launching a bf/gf, suspicious

f1wags: ik liam isnt in f1 (yet) but i am totally posting abt them 

y/nfp111: anyone else see y/n liking this one?? 😏

yukitsunoda0511: do i know who this is?

↳ liamlawson30: shut up, just text me mate

user6: whoever this girl is, she’s lucky asffff

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

your instagram story:

seen by: liamlawson30, madelyncline, and 1,013,824 others

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Liam On a Podcast:

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

liked by: liamlawson30, francisca.cgomes, and 1,301,813 others

y/n.user: ken & barbie 💗💐

view comments…

f1wags: it’s literally them🥺😩😭

liamlawson30: and i don’t have a good day unless barbie looks at me🙃🩷

↳ y/n.user: but you’re kenough☹️🩷✊

user3: hellllooooo?? they are the cutest, your honor

editf1p8: living for the shirt, y/n!!

drewstarkey: mmm slay icons

↳ rudeth: hm, yeah slay!

user8: the way y/n could literally play barbie and liam could play ken💅

austinnorth55: ik im not ur actually big brother, but i will kill him if he hurts you💪

↳ liamlawson30: i wont, why would i??

↳ austinnorth55: don’t be snarky, you’re on probation

↳ liamlawson30: what??

↳ madelyncline: oh yeah, you’ve entered a tight knit little family, let them warm up to you

↳ y/n.user: don’t scare him off

↳ liamlawson30: nothing will scare me off

user4: they are so cuteeeeee, i need this tbh

lailahasanovic: pretty girl!!!

↳ y/n.user: 💜

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

liked by: y/n.user, logansargeant, and 347,048 others

liamlawson30: babe took my to the outer banks for her shoot💓

view comments…

y/n.user: the outer banks🙃🫶

↳ hichasestokes: paradise on earth ☀️⛱️

↳ rudeth: WOOHOOOOOO BABY

user3: them getting so hype abt the next season gives me LIFE

f1wags: y/n is actually so gorgeous wtf??

obxedit2: petition for liam to be on obx 😋

↳ y/n1fp9: no literallyyyy. they are too cute i need them always

oscarpiastri: not sure why i wasn’t invited 🙄

↳ rudeth: come next time! the more, the marrier!

↳ y/n.user: merrier*

↳ rudeth: we sure she shouldn’t play popes little sister? always correcting me

↳ jonathandavissofficial: i wouldn’t have been upset about that. she’s my favorite out of all of you

↳ rudeth: that’s actually fucking rude

↳ liamlawson30: …..yikeys mate

user9: cutest couple ever, thank you

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

liked by: liamlawson30, madisonbaileybabe, and 1,460,024 others

y/n.user: that’s a wrap!! obx is yours…soon☀️🩷🐚

view comments…

liamlawson30: my beautiful actress😇❤️

↳ y/n.user: my handsome driver😊❤️

user5: ugh, y/n is actually so pretty it’s unfair. plsss

f1wags: nothing guys, just me crying over their cuteness

user4: lfgggg, you’re an icon UGH

obx5: plsss i love how y/n is just merging with f2 and f1 fans. shes gonna be so cute in the paddock fr

↳ llfp3: wishing i was her fr

paddockgirls1: y/n!! can we have a release date 🙏😇

↳ y/n.user: i wish i could, but i’ll get in trouble🤐 keep your eyes peeled tho!! :)

↳ paddockgirls1: HOLY SHAT- okay queen🫠🫠

user7: LOL YUKI AND LIAM

francisca.cgomes: prettiest girl everrrrr. can’t wait for the new season❤️

↳ y/n.user: awww kika, ily. i cant wait for you to see it either😁❤️

wagcityf1: kika and y/n hangout when??

*liked by creator and francisca.cgomes*

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

your instagram story:

seen by: liamlawson30, pierregasly, and 1,129,024 others

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

(reposts, comments, and likes are appreciated!^-^)

[sanctus-ingenium]

answering asks vol 2.

'Smiths' can encompass enginesmiths (mercury), armoursmiths (mars), alchemists (saturn) and some others - generally a smith is someone who works with engines or metal in any capacity, whether by constructing them, managing their fuel, making armour, etc. all of them have a completely degendered role in the church. They are supposed to be wholly devoted to their craft & church, to the point of becoming almost unpeople, sexless.

-

I like pantera :) he's the main character beast sure (alongside leun) but he's got a lot of interesting history and has been through a lot.

To start out I do some basic sketches while looking at bestiary diagrams of the animal type. Then I draw the base proportions over a photo of the animal's skeleton. Once the joints are all in place and I could imagine it moving relatively freely, I pick a motif and design the armour shapes with that in mind (i.e leun's trefoils, taurus's waves). The motifs come from a bunch of sources - if I see them in medieval art around that animal, the beast's use purpose, the culture that built them and how it might differ in art styles to the 'basic' designs from the heart of the Mezian theocracy. Fun stuff like that.

As an exercise I have taken (human) characters from other settings and made holy beast versions of them, trying to imagine what animal it would be, what weapons, what armour designs, etc. Behold, Bowman:

It's a fun exercise! I recommend :>

-

Hi! Thank you for the suggestion! I actually did try to use OneNote for my thesis but I found that it ended up an extra step that got in the way. Instead I organised my reference papers manually (and wrote up all my bibliography by hand as well). I haven't heard of Notion so I might look into it :> as someone with adhd I find that the best way for me is to make it stupid easy, which is why discord works because I already use it for talking with friends and I like the mobile app.

-

SO true!! You can make whatever the hell you want forever and that sounds really cool, I'm glad I was able to help in some little way >:) (although, holy beasts are not robots.. i think the best description for them is just. exotic vehicles.)

-

lmao it's totally fine!! I love to talk

Sir Heaven had such a profoundly negative experience with Leun that he struggles with the concept of making anybody else do what he now considers to be his burden. He also feels that taking any new people inside Leun would endanger them.

The bishop of Salvius cathedral is the guy Heaven answers to, and his superior officer. The bishop has reported the matter to the pope and they're still working hard presenting new potential novices to Sir Heaven, but the thing is that Sir Heaven rejects them for seemingly valid reasons. He doesn't just say 'no I'm not taking apprentices', he says 'this one's reaction speed isn't good enough' or 'this one is too prideful'. But the longer he tries to keep this up, the more suspicion he heaps on his shoulders. If the time came, no, he would not be able to deny a direct order from the pope.

Ketjan was selected at random, one of a large group of other children who were not raised in the church. This is to ensure that there is no per-existing bias or knowledge of how holy beasts work. And he just happened to be the only one of the group who could master Leun's very demanding dialogue tattoo. The recruiting enginesmiths, who designed Leun's systems, were the ones to train him, but Ketjan was the one to write most of the procedures for operating Leun based on feedback from the dialogue.

-

Replies from THIS post:

@ospreyonthemoon @kicks-tiktaalik-back-into-water

Krokodilos had an amazing high-tech ventilation system that used active air pumps to keep it circulating. But exactly like the second reply says, it broke down frequently. And because of how it worked, the interior of croc had to be air-tight so that the pumps could work efficiently. And, of course, if it broke down, and it was air tight on the inside, it instantly became a more dangerous deathtrap than your average passively ventilated beast.

There were valves that could be opened in an emergency but these were only added after the first Incident. The pumps would break down from the fabric seals degrading, lose efficacy, and then the parts furthest from the pumps would suddenly not get enough air anymore because air couldn't be moved such a distance with faulty pumps. The reason his enginesmiths want him to be re-commissioned is because the only barrier was the material used for the seals, and they believe they can innovate some new materials or try something different and have it work. They were even thinking of trying natural rubber, which would have worked perfectly, but they never got approval for it.

[hardlypartying]

S4E6 spoilers (in pretty much chronological order)

Okay right off the bat— I’m not loving this rando potentially being JJs real dad. If they wanted to do this storyline I feel like it would’ve been way more fucked up if it were Luke manipulating him/maybe telling the truth about him being a kook. And to make it hurt more he could’ve played into JJs obvious guilt and made him an accomplice in this by telling him about an “inheritance”. We see how loyal JJ is to any family he forges so it would’ve been a cool thing to see how far he’s willing to go. Just don’t understand why they brought Ward 2.0 to maybe be his real dad, it’s way too convoluted. Maybe it’ll make sense later (doubt it).

Sarah walking John B through her theory so he can reach the same conclusion as her… I love them sm <3 This was very early Jarah of them, the mysteries and uncovering it :))

Happy that JJ is finally opening up to Kie! Progress!! Hate how he’s not sharing it with the rest of the group and now looks like he’s been slacking 😭 they need to give him a break, he’s been going through ittt

🔊🔊🔊

Kiara saying Rafe’s name was a jumpscare—I really did not expect that! She never acknowledges him lmao I was so shocked that scene actually exists for her haha, part of me thought she’d just ignore that whole thing but let’s fucking goooooooooo.

So funny to me that for someone who pulled out the knife and was all >:( at him… she’s still relaying the message hehehehe. Is that a little crack I see in her hmmm 🤨 she’s soft launching a potential alliance hmmm 🤔

“Rafe Cameron, CEO” PLEASEEE HES SO PRECIOUS. BUSINESS CARD AND EVERYTHING HES TRYING SO HARD TO BE A SERIOUS GUY LIKE YOUR LINKEDIN IS ENOUGH KING

Sofia side plot with Hollis 😎 love to see it!! Idec if they’re scamming, let them!

RAFE WITH SARAH 😭 MY HEART. He’s so broken he has no idea how to apologize to her. This is such a mess. His love language is so acts of service, he’s trying to bury his guilt by bringing Sarah into this deal as a show of his trust. Maybe that’s mutually exclusive to him, trust being an act of apology. But Sarah is so scared of being there, the part where she flinches when he hits the desk :(( she really just wants an apology. Rafe’s coming at it from a Ward angle and she just wants her brother.

Stop the music. The gold cross was gold plated?! I’m pretty sure they said it was solid gold in s2. PLEASE WHY ARE THEY ALL SO FUCKING BROKE AFTER ALL THE SHIT THEY DID. Rose was the real mvp in all this wow.

Love to see the Pogues getting together and spreading the word abt this bullshit zoning. Super important to mobilize their community for this, and it’ll get them the pay off they want— more voices and support = less the “officials” can do whatever the fuck they want shrouded behind laws that protect them. Love how Kie and Pope’s parents sat with them; but at the same time it breaks my heart to see this— how distant they are from them. At least there’s some effort being put now.

Anyway that riot was necessary. Also JJ is so goneeee, the way the camera keeps lingering on him and his relationship with everyone is shown 😬 It’s giving season 3 of the OC when that happened. But maybe it’s a misdirect 🤞 everyone helping JJ get away was so :’) <3 Anyway Rudy’s acting was amazing here! He’s such a full body actor, always using up the space he’s in— super compelling to watch!

Pls he’s in goblin mode and it’s sending me. Talking to himself. Tearing shit up. Welcome back JJ Maybank but also, it’s so heartbreaking to see him deal with this identity crisis that he might be a full kook when being a pogue is all he’s ever had. Idk I think he needs to pick up meditation or smth his mind is a wicked place for him to be in 24/7. He’s so hard on himself. Doesn’t help that he’s villainized by everyone and if they’re not making him the bad guy, they’re pitying him.

If he actually dies this season I’m gonna be pissed actually. Like this is no way to go 😭 I’m gonna be even more pissed off at Rudy for not being able to handle a fan-serviced ship to do this to JJ. If he’s alive and well by the end of the season I’m gonna be annoyed that I spent so much time stressing out.

Come on, the utinsels in the microwave?? He’s a pogue through and through 🫡

Pope taking the bullet (so to speak) for JJ 😭 brooooo it’s literally them in season one with JJ taking the fall for Pope after sinking Topper’s boat. I’m sick. This is sick.

Rafe is so smart but he’s gotten so bad at trusting his instincts now— I think he’s too nervous about trusting any part of himself that gets a little too crazy after his s1&2 arc. Maybe he’s taken up meditation.

“If you’re screwing me, I’ll come after you” 😎 tell himmmm 🗣️ the best part is that this guy has no idea how fr Rafe is. He’s such a vengeful person, no way he’s gonna screw him over and get away with it. Ugh love this bc it’s really setting up the Pogues + Rafe arc I know is coming. Foaming at the mouth for it. They need someone like him in their group to be the #realist and play bad cop bc they’re all WAYYY too loosey goosey. The pogues have a pocket full of dreams while Rafe’s got a pocket full of cash.

Also where tf is Barry?! Is he not a part of this season at all? I swear to god I feel his absence so bad it’s giving me war flashbacks to watching succession and lighting a weekly candle to see stewy on my screen :’( maybe it’s just the silver spoons story in me and I want to see more of them being crafty little cockroaches

Rafe waving at JJ is so…. More of that pls. I want him to be a little cocky and a dickhead to the Pogues 😋

TLDR; This got away from me and became more of a JJ review than a riara review, sorry! I hope this crumb of riara wasn’t what everyone was going crazy for!! If it is, I’m going to keep thinking about how she’s lowkey encouraging Sarah to reunite with Rafe (kinda just for money) but still, a win is a win. She wouldn’t send Sarah to see Rafe if she didn’t think he was a safe person to be around. That says more to me than the little knife scene earlier hehe. She acts like she’s terrified but then tells her best friend btw your brother came around, yeah the one we all hate and I pulled a knife on him you should go see him to check if he can help us out. Careful Kie :) you’re getting soft for Rafe

Either way I’m livingggg bc she acknowledged him 🥰 without as much venom as she usually has 🥰 #progress

I’m gonna watch the next two episodes tomorrow! It’s going slow because I’m watching it with someone and have to wait for them 👹👹👺

[lesbianbeliever]

Ok so don't get me wrong I absolutely LOVE Luce and her little pope approved friends, they're ADORABLE and I'm glad the Vatican introduced them! (I love God, I love cute things, literally WIN-WIN!) But there's one detail that totally trips me up about their designs.

Why are they wearing rosaries? As Catholics, we're taught how rosaries should NEVER be worn as necklaces. Like, NEVER-never. We were taught that to wear one like that is a massive insult to the Lord, and to the decades of the rosary itself. That it can tarnish the purpose of the rosary, which is to pray the hail Mary's and the Our Father's (along with the apostle's creed) and reflect on each miracle with direct prayer.

Yet here are official catholic church and pope approved mascots that are literally just wearing them AS necklaces? Every other Catholic I know also find this design choice...odd. Like, why not just give them a regular cross necklace? Why not design them holding the rosaries in their hands or having them peek out of their pockets like the saints, for example?

This doesn't diminish my enjoyment of how sweet they are, but it's something that totally puzzles me. Is this the Pope's way of saying that the rosary is no longer potentially as strict? I'd never wear a rosary as a necklace even then, but like??? I'm still super hung up on that lmao.

[weebsinstash]

HONESTLY just male concubine being obsessed with Empress gives me life. Like he takes one look at her wardrobe and hires a seamstress so they can coordinate matching outfits, he escorts her by the arm wherever she goes when the Emperor isnt around to do it himself, wants to take fancy baths together, brushes her hair, likes to have sleepovers... And the Emperor is like See?? Why would you treat him so coldly leaving him in the rain like that, he absolutely adores you >:( oh he punished a servant? He must have had a good reason, he only has your the Empress best interest in mind.

OOOH BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE. Like yk how in some manhwa concubines can be given as gifts to establish good diplomatic relationships? Imagine if a foreign sovereign sent a male concubine but for the Empress. And like. Its not like they can straight up refuse the gift, because that would be seen as extremely rude/hostile, but it is clear that as soon as they come in with a handsome dude saying he is for the Empress the temperature in the room just DROPS. Male concubine literally goes from 😊 to 🙂 to 😐 and the Emperor is FUMING on the inside. Ofc they accept the gift and the new concubine is put in the Empress palace, but now Male Concubine needs to think of a way to solidify his position (ummm.... baby?) without being found out by the Empress, cause he would hate if she got angry at him again, and just turns into even more of a menace along with the Emperor who all of a sudden has time to visit the Empress every single day and night.

And imagine if the new concubine is just an overall sweet guy :( like maybe the Empress doesnt necessarily like him in a romantic way, but he is a breath fresh of air as she can feel at ease with him, laugh with him, etc. Oh that would drive them insane.

I meant to swing back to this ask much sooner because it has such supreme drama potential 🤌 because really, I'm starting to wonder if I feed off of the satirical toxic energy lmao (also this ask can refer to the Saintess Reader/Emperor scenario with or without specific characters but I answered this as the bakugou/izuku thing people have been sending asks in for out of habit

So what I've considered before is, is, having our gifted male concubine be either from a specific culture or be practicing a certain religion where he holds the Reader who is the Saintess in extremely high regard if not an outright holy figure, like Reader is basically the Pope except you know she can actually perform miracles. He's essentially devoted his life to the concept of serving the Saintess in every way possible that his body has to offer ( 😏 ) and considers it his duty. And to round out our main protag trio I thought, it would be pretty appropriate to have this concubine be Shoto (can literally never remember if it's Shoto vs Shouto vs Shōto). Maybe Shoto even has extra privileges or protections: perhaps he's not just a gift from the ruler or leader of the land he hails from, perhaps he's even a prince, making him even more immune to any potential threats or dangers

I just imagine Bakugou being initially dismissive, kind of laughing at the concept. A man to be akin to a handmaid to his Empress? He might as well be a lowly slave, or a dog. I wonder if he'd be so full of himself that he doesn't even consider Shoto any sort of threat until a certain lil marimo boy is whispering paranoid suggestions in his ear

Really though, the drama would be absolutely dripping from Izuku and Shoto, because you have an obsessive clingy needy dweeb who wants to devote himself to you vs someone ALSO in his own way much more subtly obsessive and clingy and devoted to you AS A LIFESTYLE. I can just picture so many different scenarios where the two of them go head to head. Like, can you imagine that Shoto notices you're looking stressed and tired, and he encourages, no, insists that you lie down and take a rest, and who else but the green embodiment of so many of your troubles is trying to barge into your palace right after you've finally fallen asleep? You wake up to the pair of them basically trying to slug each other out in the courtyard because Izuku refuses to leave and Todoroki refuses to let him inside

Then there's the added drama of "is Reader or isn't she allowed to sleep with him?" Or if they decide to risk it for love or lust or what 👀 you're just all extremely stressed and bent out of shape and Shoto consoles you, and he sees you and hears you and you feel so understood and he comforts you, and you start feeling like he's literally the only person in this awful country you can trust. I can only IMAGINE the chaos if, even if Reader was allowed to have "connections", if Reader sleeps with Shoto and Izuku finds out, full on barging into your bedroom to find the two of you naked if not still in the middle of the act outright. Izuku just rushing to the Emperor in tears because, it's terrible, you'll never believe it, he can't even believe someone would do something so terrible as to DEFILE you (even if he wants Bakugou to do the same and also maybe himself as well), can't you do something Katsuki, Shoto is DIRTY and WRETCHED and he will TAINT YOUR HONOR obviously

It really has it all. You've got the potential angst for Bakugo just outright having Shoto executed (maybe he's perfectly innocent and just a good friend, maybe he's another yandere), you've got Izuku and Shoto being catty and trying to backstab each other and get the other in trouble, you've got drama between Reader and Bakugou as an arranged marriage couple/"I actually do love you but I'm emotionally constipated and fucked up and can't communicate without being a raging prick"

Deadass, I bet Bakugou goes from maybe seeing you once or twice a week to, once Shoto is in your palace, every single day if not multiple times a day. Obviously he has to keep an eye open in case that stupid monk tries anything with you or tries to trick you into something. You're so soft hearted and nice and stupidly naive that of course you need someone rough like him to balance you out and keep you on track (or so he rationalizes). This is just... a temporary setback! Clearly you love him, and you're HIS wife, no one else's. You're just being a brat and throwing a tantrum for some reason he hasn't figured out yet, but he'll sort this out and get you back on his side, even if he has to kill your new friend to do it. You'll come around. After all, you've stuck with him this long haven't you?

[bumblesimagines]

will you be watching the newest season of obx??

Probably! But more so out of curiosity rather than excitement lmao.

The last season was a big letdown if I'm honest. It feels like the characters development and such were on the bottom of things they cared about. It simply lost the found family summer feel the first season got.

I'm tired of the women's plots revolving around one of the guys, I'm tired of the women and men can't be just friends trope, I'm tired of the rushed romantic relationships and killing off villains cause you can't write them a proper ending. It feels like their primary concern was filming locations and seeing as they were filming in Morocco for this next season... Hm.

John B has been such a prick to Sarah and she's stuck with him throughout despite the bullshit not to mention JJ and Kiara feeling like a last minute addition to appease fans. Cleo and Pope had potential to be the cutest slowburn friend to lovers and yet they had like four scenes alone max and were suddenly head over heels at the end.

[shinraalpha]

15 Questions + 15 Friends

Thanks for the tag @stochastiz!

Are you named after anyone?

not even slightly. my first name has an unusual spelling which i think is 99% a mistake by my parents but oh well.

When was the last time you cried?

LMAO i have cried three times today because i had a panic attack this morning so that's left me emotionally Strung. Out. then the god of war dlc said it would take 2 hours to download and i cried over that because i am having a Hard Time lol.

Do you have kids?

none. i can't imagine having kids. i've worked with children and i write for children professionally but i am such a hermit with a need for space and isolation that i can't even the appeal in having a partner let alone children.

What sports do you play/have you played?

me and sports don't mix much anymore, but i used to swim a lot and i still love being in the water.

Do you use sarcasm?

does the pope shit in the woods?

What is the first thing you notice about people?

usually their clothing. I like people's style and the way they dress tends to signal fun little things about them, as well as potential common interests.

What's your eye color?

a pale blue-grey that gets me a lot of comments

Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings bore me, i like a bleak as hell ending. and an unsettling middle.

Any talents?

i've been playing music since i was 12 and if i dare say i'm pretty good now. i play bass in a band called Pigeon Lips, we're on spotify and youtube and junk. i also love storytelling and i like to think i'm half-decent writer and dungeon master (though fatigue has taken that last one away from me).

Where were you born?

that beautiful tory cesspit known as the United Kingdom

What are your hobbies?

i read a lot, i play a lot of music, and i play a lot of ttrpgs and video games. i'm trying to get back into the cinema this year. i collect spores molds and fungus.

Do you have any petss

not yet but one day i will own a large grumpy old cat called Renfield

How tall are you?

i am 5ft 6in

Favorite subject in school?

i have always loved science - i find science endlessly fascinating, be it plants or chemical reactions or deep space or quantum mechanics. i also adored english, telling stories and picking apart how narratives work

Dream job?

i am lying on a rocky shore, the sound of the waves pulling through the pebbles is like white noise. it soothes me. i can feel the mycellium and roots of countless mushrooms and moss burrowing into my skin. i am returning to the Earth. i breathe out, and for the first time in my life, i feel calm.

Tagging?

@dreamalottie @voidspacecowboy @quasi-normalcy @bae-owyn @excitedrainbow and idk anyone else who wants to do it i'm not your mother

[strawberrybyers]

just finished season 1 of outer banks and i wish i started the show sooner!! i had no idea it was an adventure type show— it’s so much fun!! buttttt here are some of my thoughts about s1 before i go into s2

in the first half of the season, sarah and kie were giving enemies-to-lovers vibes idk. i KNOW ok I KNOW they would not end up together, BUT the setup for a potential romance between them was kind of good ok?? like at first they were bffs then betrayal occurred and they hated each other and then they were trapped on a boat and smoked weed together. idk a relationship between them would’ve been fun. those are just my thoughts lmao

pope is my favorite character. he’s so funny and sweet. and my fav friendship is jj + pope. my fav trio is jj + pope + kie.

my heart breaks for jj, john b, and sarah. they need a stable, healthy family structure and they’ve been through so much. i just want them to be safe, healthy, and happy 🫶

in the beginning, i thought ward cameron was a bit of a dilf 🫣 but then seeing what kind of greedy POS he is, i’m not getting the dilf vibes anymore

i hope the show continues to be good?? i’m curious to see how the rest of the plot plays out for 2 more seasons

[jojameswinter]

17, 19 and 27 for AO3 wrapped! 💕

TIFF MY LOVELY! TY for the ask!

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

I answered that one here, but ofc, it's JJ! LMAO! He's my all time favorite character ever and I just love him. Anyways! I've become fond of writing for Kie too! I also surprised myself by how much I enjoyed writing for other fandoms. I really enjoyed writing Riven (both describing him from Musa's POV and from his POV), as well as Ricky from hsmtmts!

19. What’s one pairing you want to explore next year?

OOH this is a good one, Tiff! I have a couple of fics that explore JJ and the Carreras, but I'd like to delve into that even more! The potential for that dynamic is just SO fascinating to me. I'd also love to do more of the Pogue friendships. One of my fics rn is heavy on johnkie and has pope/sarah. I often have jj/jb in my fics too. But I'd love to explore any of the Pogue pairings more. I've spent some time with Luke/JJ too, but I wouldn't mind doing even more and including his mother more than the bits I have. So that was more than one, LMAO.

27. What do you listen to while writing?

I answered that one here - you and Robyn are same brain! 😍 But anything and everything! Depending on the mood or what vibe I am looking for. I often listen for inspiration though or to search for ideas if I'm stuck somewhere.

***

Come play! ao3 wrapped [writers edition]

[excelsior9173]

I get to finally come to you!! With a sleep token dream of my own:

It finally happened yesterday morning. It was soooooo dumb sadly. In the dream, I was with my dad and we randomly stopped somewhere on a road trip, they happened to be playing at this place? It wasn’t like… it was a concert hall but it was like itty bitty, we got to go in, and then when I was explaining it all to my dad they (sleep token) got like… not mad?? But they where like ‘why you doing this Right Now?’ And then the dream changed cause I was waking myself up cause I knew it was a dumb dream🤣🤣🤣🤣 my dreams are either epic tales or so dumb lol, but I thought I’d share anyway that I finally had a dream involving Sleep Token! Also I will NOT be telling my dad what Sleep Token is, he thinks Tron is evil lmao. He would NOT like Sleep Token😂😂🤣🤣

I hope your weekends been going well!

omg hi!!

i would love to be totally selfish right now and claim this as my amazing influence 🥰 figure if someone talks about dreaming about something enough then someone else will have the dreams too 😂 (i’m totally jk but i love the thought that my ramblings could potentially influence)

but also that sounds like a hilarious dream! i love the ones that end up being incredibly dumb because you get to wake up and laugh about them! i keep a dream journal and literally have an entry that says: “i was the spider pope. i slipped on ice. my leg kicked in real life and i woke up” like idk what was going on in my brain that night lmao

and also i totally feel that on the whole ‘not telling dad’ thing. my dad is aware that i am a fan, but his side of the family is convinced i’ve joined a cult 😂 my cousin jokes about it constantly. anytime i’m like “omg!” she’s always “is it your cult again?”

my week/weekend has been okay, i’ve been house sitting and while i’m glad i won over the mean cat (we spent today snuggling!) i am ready for my own bed. and also i have to take my laptop to the repair shop tomorrow because it crashed really hard today 😬 but otherwise i’ve been good! can’t complain when i’ve gotten a tattoo!

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

LJJJJJJJJJJJJ I love you so much and you absolutely midwifed Grays so of course it's dedicated to you!

We hardly see any of Pope and Frankie's dynamics in this part, but you absolutely nailed it with the two of them grumbling while the former begrudgingly cuts the latter's hair, calling him a cheap bastard who refuses to pay for a haircut at a professional's lmao.

It took me a while to find the tone with the grays conversation. Shiv jokes and teases him so much that it's hard to switch gears to be something more sincere and serious, but I'm glad it worked itself out in the end!

So the ex's wedding is a twist that I thought of when I was almost done writing the first draft. It just adds a bit more potential room for drama and exploring some deeper themes beyond the joking around in the second part.

I know right, why is Shiv so obsessed with getting Frankie laid WHY 😏 I'm so excited to get started on Part 2 next year, thank you for reading and thank you for always being so supportive bestie ❤️

Grays

Frankie Morales x f!reader

{ Main Masterlist }

Rating: M

Summary: Frankie wants you to cover up his grays. You want to knock some sense into his salt-and-pepper head.

Warnings: Insecure Frankie in need of self-love comes with his own warning, Reader is a hairstylist and has a related nickname, no physical descriptions other than that Reader has hair that can be dyed, not-quite-friends to *respectfully looking* dynamics, mentions of hair, gratuitous descriptions of the male body, sexual innuendos, lots of teasing and banter.

Word count: 4.8k

Notes: The origin story is here if you missed it. This is dedicated to my Frankie soul sister LJ @prolix-yuy who encouraged me to write this many months ago ❤️ As always, I’m an anxious mess writing for a new-to-me Pedro boy, so please be gentle with me (cos it's my birthday week) 🥺

I have a part 2 (with smut) in mind. I love where this leaves off, but who am I kidding. I probably won’t be able to help myself 😂

The bell on the door chimes with a sweet tinkle, cutting through the low, insistent purr of the hair clipper buzzing in your grasp. You don’t look up as you spy broad shoulders and a battered Standard Heating Oil cap crossing the threshold out of the corner of your eye.

‘Are you lost, Morales?’ you drawl indifferently, focused on the task at hand. ‘I have an appointment with Pope today, not you.’

‘He booked it under his name. Thought you’d take it as a prank if I called in myself.’

You look up to meet his gaze reflected in the mirror sitting in front of Greg, your current customer. ‘I wonder why he’d think that.’

Frankie shrugs, leaning against the reception counter with his arms crossed. ‘Beats me.’

You snort. ‘Really? You’ve insisted loudly and repeatedly for as long as I’ve known you that you don’t see the point of going to a hairstylist when you can have Pope cut your hair with kitchen scissors in his bathtub.’

‘C’mon, Shiv.’

‘Oh, he knows my name,’ you gasp sarcastically. You turn to Greg, who’s clearly amused by this exchange, and loop him in. ‘He usually just grunts at me.’

At this point, Ashton - your apprentice and all-round salon maverick - makes an appearance. Clearly having caught the tail-end of your conversation with Frankie, he glances between the two of you with an arched eyebrow. ‘Are we back to chasing customers away, boss?’

‘Sit his ass down but he doesn’t get a free drink,’ you instruct. ‘I’ll get to him when I get to him.’

Ashton goes ahead and ignores your orders point blank, per usual. After hanging up Frankie’s jacket and settling him at the station furthest away from you in the far corner of the salon, you see him sneakily give him a coffee. He can never resist the handsome ones.

You take your sweet time with Greg, cleaning up his sideburns, even though you’re basically done with him - just to tick off your waiting customer.

Not that it works, and you know it won’t. He just sits there, his wide frame filling up the chair, still as a rock. The dog-eared, months-old magazines strategically placed on the table for idle reading lie untouched. That’s Francisco Morales for you.

You’ve been orbiting each other since sixth grade, as all kids in your close-knit neighbourhood do. In fact, most of your customers went to your school. 

You don’t even remember how it started - probably at a sleepover - you discovered one day that you’re handy with box hair dye. By freshman year, you were colouring your fellow classmates’ hair in the girls’ toilets after school, earning enough pocket money to keep your cabinet at home fully-stocked with new hair products on rotation.

Your ever-changing hair colour got you into trouble with the headmaster more times than you can count, who nicknamed you Shape Shifter. Your friends abbreviated it to Shifter, then over the years, whittled it down to Shiv, and it stuck.

After being gifted a set of styling scissors for Christmas one year, you started hanging out at the neighbourhood salon, hustling for an apprenticeship. You practised what you observed on your fellow students, giving out haircuts on the bleachers on non-game days for a couple of dollars (the fee waived if something went disastrously wrong).

That’s how you first met Benny - his then cheerleader girlfriend took him in for a haircut when it got too long for her liking. When you eventually opened your own salon years later, he was your first paying customer, having come home after being honourably discharged from the army.

During the early days, when you struggled to fill your appointments and he couldn’t win a fight to save his life, you made a pact. You would do his hair at a heavy discount for his posters and promotions, and in return, he would let you use his photos for the salon’s marketing.

And it worked. Well, not that you had anything to do with him turning his fortunes around on the MMA circuit, but he had everything to do with getting customers through your door. It only got busier when Santi joined the ranks a couple of years later, and even though Will only shows up when his hair gets really unruly, they both sit in front of your camera with no complaint in return for mate’s rates.

Having these guys on your salon’s social media keeps both the gents and the ladies booking up your appointments.

Frankie Morales, though, is a different animal.

When you finally appear over his left shoulder, his coffee is all gone and he meets your eyes in the mirror nonchalantly. He’s leaning his whole weight on his right elbow on the armest, his left arm outstretched and blunt nails tapping on the table, the only hint of impatience he’s giving away.

He’s good at that - he’s the laid-back one out of the boys, the one who hangs back and observes with arms crossed, but quick to crack a grin and throw in a wicked barb when the occasion calls for it. Nothing ever seems to faze him, and probably nothing does - you hear that makes a good pilot, and from what Pope lets on, he’s a damn good one.

It also makes for highly effective bait for the ladies. He’s a popular fixture on the local bar scene - let’s face it, all of the boys are. You’ve seen him in action more than once when Benny or Pope invites you along on a night out, more often than not without Will since he had a baby girl with his high school sweetheart last year. Frankie’s brooding, quiet, beer-sipping act often works better than Benny’s over-the-top flirting or Pope’s Casanova bit.

But that’s neither here nor there.

Hands on your hips, you goad him, ‘Alright Morales, how do I know you’ll pay up, you cheap bastard?’

‘Pope says to put it on his tab.’

‘Music to my ears.’ You tap him on the shoulder. ‘Sit up and off with the cap.’

With a grumble, Frankie lifts the cap up by the beak, ducking his head as he does so. He tosses it onto the table offhandedly and shifts in his seat, but you’re not fooled by his unconvincing air of indifference. From the way he plasters his palms to the top of his denim-clad thighs, as if to stop them from fidgeting, you know he’s feeling vulnerable. 

You can’t say you’ve ever seen Frankie without his headgear - now that you think about it, he’s been wearing it since high school. Heck, he might have gone through several incarnations of that blasted hat in the years in between. You’ve caught glimpses when he lifts it up to fix his hair, but otherwise, all you see is what peeks out from underneath, the longer wisps that coil around his ears and the curls at the back. 

As it turns out, there’s really nothing to hide - sure, the cut is blunt and his hair lacks shine, but both can be easily fixed. You step into his space and comb through his locks, starting at the base of his skull and working your way up the sides. 

The contact startles him - he practically jumps out of his skin, and you don’t miss the way the veins on the back of his hands pop and he digs his nails into his legs.

'Easy, boy,' you soothe with a teasing undertone, earning yourself a glower from the pilot. As much as you enjoy needling him, you do want your customers to be comfortable. So you let slip a deliberate but genuinely appreciative hum as the dark tendrils, subtly tinged with grays, part softly at your prying fingertips. ‘Wow, your curls are really thick.'

He looks up, an unsure frown on his brow. ‘Oh. Is that bad?’

‘No, Morales, it’s definitely a compliment,’ you tell him encouragingly - your bark has always been worse than your bite. ‘What do you use to wash your hair? It’s a bit dry.’

He shrugs. ‘Shampoo.’ At your insistent stare, he snaps, ‘What?’

‘Don’t lie to me, Morales,’ you warn him in a stern voice.

He huffs and gives in. ‘Fine. It’s a 2-in-1 body wash. I get it at the gas station, happy?’

You shoot him a smug grin as he rolls his eyes. ‘Well, you’re using proper shampoo from now on, and conditioner.’ He opens his mouth, a complaint on the tip of his tongue, when you hold a finger up at him. ‘Don’t argue with me, mister. I’ll throw in a couple of bottles on the house to get you started.’

‘Fine,’ he concedes. Unfailingly polite even when grumpy, he adds, ‘Thanks, Shiv.’

Your trusty swivelling stool screeches in protest when you drag it over on its wheels, before you take a seat and address the elephant in the room. ‘So - I’m guessing you’re here because of the wedding.’

You get a grunt in response. Scratching a particularly scrappy patch of his beard that has turned prematurely silver, he says, ‘My ma says I should cover up my old man grays for it.’

You snort, shaking your head. ‘Ha! And you tell your mother I say - hell no, ma’am! I will do no such thing.’

Frankie blinks at your unexpectedly adamant response. ‘What?’

‘I said, hell no,’ you repeat. Turning his head to the side with two fingers on his stubbled cheek, you comb his locks upwards to study the way the grays blend in softly with the umber, matching the ashen flecks in his beard. He doesn't start as badly at your touch this time, but there’s a telltale tick in his jaw, and you can almost hear the tension that thrums just below his skin where a late summer tan still lingers.

‘See how your grays are mainly coming out on the underside?’ you point out. ‘I like the way they just peek through the brown, it gives more depth to your curls. Natural highlights, if you will.’

He looks unconvinced and swipes at a smattering of silver with dismissive fingers. ‘Dunno. Thought the grays make me look old.’

You chuckle. ‘You’re no spring chicken anymore, Morales, and I mean it in a good way. Grays are natural - they will look even better when you start using actual shampoo and conditioner. Trust me, the salt and pepper works on you. I’m not dyeing your grays, and that’s that.’

For the first time today, Frankie turns his head and looks directly into your eyes. ‘My mother’s coming back to town for the wedding, you know. And she remembers where you live.’

You laugh. ‘Go ahead and send her my way, you know I’m not scared of her.’

He scoffs at your big talk. ‘You should be.’

Your relationship with the Morales matriarch is complicated, to say the least. She was always hard on you when you were a kid, thinking you were too wild and undisciplined. Now that you’re grown, you’re still torn between your admiration for her as a single mother who raised a good man, and the woman who never tires of dishing out criticism, warranted or not.

You give him a reassuring pat on the back, solid and warm under your touch. ‘Leave your mother to me, Morales. The grays stay, and I’ll make sure you steal the show at the party.’

‘Your funeral,’ he quips.

‘You just worry about getting yourself to the wedding,’ you retort, cracking your knuckles. ‘Now, are you ready for some pampering?’

Frankie rolls his eyes, but you see the corner of his mouth tick up in a vaguely upward direction - and you take it as a win.

‘Relax, Morales.’

‘I am relaxed,’ he insists through gritted teeth.

‘You’re about as relaxed as a cow on the butcher’s block. Unclench.’

For someone as economical with words as he is, his body certainly says a lot. Every single part of him seems hellbent on making his discomfort known. He breathes a frustrated exhale through his nose, brow deeply furrowed, his glare burning holes into the ceiling.

The leather seat of the backwash barely contains his tall build, his t-shirt stretched to the seams across his chest as he leans back into the basin. He’s bouncing his left leg irritably, the tight denim straining against his lap.

You try - valiantly - not to gape too obviously at the conspicuous bulge nestled snugly between his thighs under his belt buckle. But you can’t avert your eyes from something of that size. It’s against the laws of physics. Or something.

Even from where you’re standing, at the top of the basin peering down the slope of his body, its heft is clearly testing the structural integrity of the zipper of his jeans. Imagine the view from the other side -

Clearing your throat, you bodily press down on Frankie’s shoulders which are coiled up like the hood of an angry python, forcing them to loosen up. He jerks as if he’s a copper wire and you’re electricity. You tease, ‘So sensitive. You act like you’ve never felt a woman’s touch before, Morales.’

‘You know that’s not true,’ he growls at you, the prominent vein in his neck starting to pulse in frustration.

‘No, you’re right - I do know,’ you smirk, dragging out your syllables.

Your tone has him frowning at you, upside down. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘I mean - I know,’ you repeat with a conspiratorial wink.

He narrows his eyes at you. ‘What do you know, Shiv?’

You wriggle his eyebrows at him suggestively, enjoying yourself far too much. ‘I own a salon, Morales. I hear things from the ladies about town.’

One large palm reaches up to shield his face in embarrassment, a pained groan escaping between the gaps of his fingers. ‘For fuck’s sake - kill me now.’

You laugh, wrestling his hand from his face to with an impish grin. ‘Don’t worry, I’ve only heard good things so far - Frankie big boy Morales.’

He blushes so hard that his ears and neck go a livid red, and for a minute, you’re actually worried that he’d pass out from not enough blood reaching his heart. Not keen on the prospect of having to explain to the emergency services that you teased the poor man into an aneurysm, you turn on the water and cut short your little chinwag with a good-natured chuckle. 

His hands are still tightly clamped around the armrest when you carefully run the shower head along his hairline and behind his ears, soaking his curls. His biceps flex from the tight grip and the lean muscles strain against the sleeves of his t-shirt. 

At least he closes his eyes when you start with the shampoo. The velvety lather froths as you patiently wash his hair, which clings to his wet curls like vanilla frosting. The deep crease between his brows eases with each gentle swipe into his locks, and the invisible force pulling his lips downwards slackens. By the time you rinse out the bubbles, you don’t miss the way the tension in his body unwittingly goes with it down the drain.

When your nails slide slickly into his hair with the conditioner, his stubborn body finally, slowly unfurls. His head tips back of its own accord, baring the column of his strong neck as he leans inadvertently into your touch. Colour returns to his knuckles when he releases his death grip on the backwash. 

You smile to yourself, scraping your fingertips along his scalp in a firm massage, watching his chest rise and fall as he teeters on the brink of consciousness.

As your thumbs trace a confident path down the back of his skull, they appear to find a particularly sensitive spot near the base of his neck, and it's as if a switch is flipped. You witness the exact moment he breaks - his back arches off the leather seat, his obstinate lips part with a strangled half-sigh catching in his throat as he yields his full weight into the palm of your hands.

If you're not careful, you could get used to this.

‘Still with me, Morales?’ you tease quietly.

He garbles incoherently, and you grin.

Frankie practically molds into the chair like warm wax when you shepherd him back to the styling station. You’re so chuffed with yourself that you don’t even feel the need to gloat at the way his eyes are glazed over and how his head lolls into the soft pressure when you run a fluffy towel through his hair. The man recoiling at the mere brush of your fingers a distant memory.

You run an assessing eye over him, brushing out his locks to gauge your game plan. ‘I like this length on you, so I’ll just trim the split ends and tidy up your sideburns. You’ll benefit from some layering too - it’s a bit heavy on top right now.’

From the way he blinks owlishly at you, you know he doesn’t catch a single word. He shrugs and says matter-of-factly. ‘You can’t do worse than Pope.’

The salon is quiet this afternoon, as it tends to be on Wednesdays. You let him enjoy the peace for a little bit and tap your foot to Ashton’s playlist as your styling scissors move over his curls in metallic snips.

‘Tip your head forward for me,’ you instruct, sliding around the back of his head on your wheels as you probe, ‘So - how are you feeling about the wedding?’

The fabric of his t-shirt bunches over his shoulders as they quirk noncommittally.

‘It’s just a few days away.’

He makes an indifferent noise. But you’re not so easily dissuaded from conversation, and he knows it.

‘Can’t be easy - watching your ex get married.’

Frankie pins you with a long-suffering stare in the mirror. ‘We broke up a year ago.’

Getting onto your feet, you ruffle your fingers through the crown of his curls. ‘Yeah, but you dated for years. She sure moved on quick.’

He huffs a sardonic laugh. ‘Thanks, Shiv.’

Swapping out the styling scissors for blending shears, you argue, ‘What? It’s a legitimate observation. I’m just making conversation here.’

‘Or we could just sit here quietly.’

Ha. As if you ever listen to him. You press on, ‘Why did she invite you anyway?’

Frankie’s sigh sounds a lot like surrender as he humours you. ‘It’s a damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t kind of situation, I guess. The whole town’s invited.’

‘You sure she isn’t trying to flaunt it in your face or something?’

‘Flaunting implies I still care. I don’t.’

You give him a juvenile nudge nudge, wink wink. ‘Well, on the bright side, you’ll definitely get laid, being the heartbroken ex and all. Chicks love that shit.’

He dispatches a side-long stare in your direction. ‘I’m not heartbroken, and that’s not why I’m going. And you know none of this is any of your business, right?’

‘You’re no fun,’ you pout.

He quips, ‘As a professional hairstylist, you really should be better at making polite conversation.’

You snort. ‘Do you really think it’s a good idea to call me rude when I have scissors in my hands?’

Frankie watches you work in the comfortable lull that’s settled between you, gliding the blades along strands of his curls pulled taut, before running a fine-toothed comb through to brush out the loose tufts. Soft coils land on the floor around his chair as you work your way methodically through his layers.

‘Are you going to the wedding?’ he asks eventually.

You shrug. ‘Maybe, depends on my schedule. I gotta say, I’m kind of curious to see how tacky it will be.’

At his eyebrow sternly cocked, you argue, ‘I know she’s your ex and all, but she’s always been a bit tacky. I mean, that remodel of your house was just tragic.’

Frankie frowns. ‘How do you know all this? You’ve never been to my house.’

You wink. ‘Benny tells me everything when I do his hair.’

He pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘Of course. Benjamin fucking Miller.’

You give him a pat on the shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, I’m on your side, if it helps.’

‘I don’t need you on my side.’

You flash him an insufferable grin. ‘Too bad, Francisco. I am and there’s nothing you can do about it.’

The hairdryer drowns out any further conversation, and Frankie quietly studies you as you cord your fingers through his hair, ruffling it as it dries.

It’s still a bit damp when you switch off the hairdryer and reach up to pull a couple of jars from the shelf above. ‘On the day of the wedding, I want you to wash your hair just before you style it. You have a hairdryer at home, right?’

He throws you a pointed look. ‘I’m not a heathen.’

You grin. ‘Down boy, just checking. Now, you’ll dry your hair until it’s still a bit wet, like so.’ Presenting the styling mousse to him, you say, ‘Then go on and grab some product - you only need a dollop.’

He dips his index finger into the pot, scooping up a generous blob. Your attention is unexpectedly piqued at the sight of his hands. 

Have they always been so big?

Realising he’s staring at you in wait, you shake yourself out of it. ‘Ok, rub the mousse onto your fingertips and run them all over your hair, combing from root to end.’

Frankie does as he’s told, face set to a serious scowl as he impeccably goes over each section of his locks, staring into the mirror to make sure he gets every strand. For the first time, you see the pilot in him up close, and you wonder if he’s this thorough about other things, like -

Laundry, your mind interrupts as it careens on the brink of the metaphorical gutter. Get your shit together, Shiv.

‘Good,’ you smile when he’s done, hoping he doesn't see the strain in it. ‘Now, I want you to rake your fingers through the roots when you dry your hair all the way.’ In demonstration, your nails burrow into the base of his thick hair, then you wriggle your fingers upwards towards the ends. ‘It will give you lots of volume and really show off this cut.’

Passing him the hairdryer, you watch him critically in the mirror. He imitates your movements, a bit clumsily and far too cautiously. Leaning down to his ear so he can hear you over the whir, you instruct him, ‘Don’t be gentle, Francisco. C’mon, harder, deeper - don’t hold back.’

He chokes and pins you with a wide-eyed stare in the mirror that glances right off your oblivious self. Along with your words, nothing about this exchange would register in your head in any other way until much, much later tonight, when you replay the conversation in your head in that limbo between sleep and wakefulness. 

It may or may not have you squealing into your pillow in latent embarrassment - and something else.

But for now, you’re happy with the way his hair has set, and you gesture for him to switch off the hairdryer. Turning his chair towards you and away from the mirror, you scan your eyes over him and make small adjustments - tucking a couple of strands behind his ear here, a couple of final snips there. 

As a final touch, you bury your fingers into his locks, dragging your fingertips through the roots to impart a final tousle so that the curls are loose and soft. You preen at the way he sways into your contact, all shyness gone, his hooded eyes half-closed - before he seems to catch himself and sits up with a self-conscious ahem.

Grabbing a small bottle from the shelf, you say, ‘Last thing - your beard is a bit dry as well. This oil will keep it nice and moisturised, just two or three drops after you wash up in the morning will do.’

Tipping his face up by the crook of your finger and opening up his neck to you, you smooth the ointment along both sides of his jaw, rubbing circles into his neatly trimmed whiskers and all the way up his sideburns. Sliding downwards, your hands seek out the closely shaved stubble tucked beneath his chin. Then, by sheer momentum, your palms continue down his throat in a slow, sticky descent, until the pads of your thumbs slot into the hollow between his collarbones, your fingers resting at the base of his neck where you feel his pulse rabbiting underneath. 

The air thickens and shifts between you. When he swallows, you feel the ripple of the moment against your fingertips. 

His eyes are on you, and suddenly he’s too close, his skin too hot under your hands. To your horror, something akin to shyness rears its head and you almost stumble backwards to put a safe distance between you.

Scrubbing the oily residue from your hands on a towel, you break the moment with a wink and a steadier smile than you actually feel. ‘You look good, Morales. Ready to take a look?’

‘As if you would take no for an answer,’ he mumbles under his breath. Fondness might be too strong of a word - but you don't think you're imagining the faint trace of amusement in his voice.

With a dramatic ta-da, you spin his chair around with a flourish.

Frankie Morales is obviously not a vain man - he most likely owns five pairs of jeans that he’s worn on rotation for the past fifteen years, his t-shirts are washed ragged, and his trusty leather boots have seen better days. He probably doesn’t use a mirror other than for purely utilitarian purposes, like checking if there’s something stuck in his teeth from his last meal.

But right now, by the way he’s holding his breath as he meets his own eyes in the reflection, you can tell that he’s really looking at himself for the first time in a long while. 

You pretend to busy yourself with tidying up the styling station as you discreetly sneak glances at him, feeling strangely bashful for intruding in this moment. When he remembers to breathe again, he tilts his head left then to the right, and back again, even swivelling his chair from side to side so he can peer round the back.

You’ve parted his waves to the side, the lighter cut allowing his curls to carry their natural shape. The healthy sheen, courtesy of the mousse, tempers his grays to a softer, burnt silver that catches the light fetchingly as he moves. Reaching up, Frankie pushes back a stray curl that falls over his eyes, and his back straightens in a quiet show of confidence.

Running a salon is hard work and often thankless. But on days like this? You know you’re meant to do this.

A dramatic gasp draws both of your attention. Ashton is clutching at his chest, backed up against the neighbouring styling station, gaping at Frankie. ‘Mister - you look good enough to devour. Look at that salt and pepper, I’m living for the grays. Doing the Lord’s work, Shiv!’

You laugh as Frankie flushes, scratching an invisible itch on his forehead. You brush the loose hairs off his shoulders with a towel and give him a nudge. ‘See? I’m not the only one who thinks you look good with the grays. You better stock up on the condoms, Morales, the ladies will be all over you at the party.’

He shakes his head self-deprecatingly as he stands up, rubbing his palms on his jeans, uncomfortable with the scrutiny. ‘I doubt it, but - thanks. I appreciate this, Shiv.’

He shrugs on his well-loved burnt yellow jacket, the one with the sleeves perpetually folded up above his wrists and grabs his cap. You hold out a paper bag with the free shampoo and conditioner you promised him, throwing in a jar of hair mousse for good measure. ‘You’re welcome, and you better not put your hat on again this afternoon after all that hard work.’

His fingers brush yours when he takes the bag from you, then, as if it’s the logical next thing to do, he leans down to press a chaste kiss to your right cheek, his stubble coarse against your skin - and you know without looking it’s the gray patch in his beard that brushes against your jaw as he draws back. You fumble, feeling heat prickle the back of your neck and blooming in your rib cage. 

He flashes you the most self-assured smile you’ve seen on him this afternoon, which has you biting your bottom lip. ‘I won’t. Maybe see you at the wedding, Shiv.’

It takes you five full seconds to regain motor functions. By the time you unstick your tongue from the roof of your mouth, Frankie’s already out of the door with a spring in his step.

In companionable silence, you and Ashton watch the pilot strut - because that’s what he’s doing, he’s strutting with a confidence that becomes him - across the road through the glass front of the salon.

‘What a dish,’ Ashton sighs dreamily, flopping into a chair as if his limbs have given out. ‘I hope he comes back soon.’

You smile. A girl could always hope.

Notes: It's the first time I'm using a nickname for a Reader, but I have a real soft spot for Shiv, and I think she deserves one. I'm not sure where the fandom stands on this, does it disqualify the fic as a reader insert? If anyone has an issue with this, please let me know! For me, Shiv has no physical descriptions so to me she's still a reader insert.

I don't know if anyone expected this kind of dynamics between these two, but it's been so much fun to write with a bit of antagonism in the mix. I hope you enjoyed this, reblogs and comments are so, so appreciated as always. Thank you for reading ❤️

[alphinias]

Do you think they even did a Chem test between pope and kiara? It feels like they wanted a second romance on the show but they didn’t really put a lot of effort into it.

I genuinely don’t see how they could’ve. If they did, they should be very embarrassed for going ahead with it lmao. But honestly I think the only chem reads they did was Jarah and then the friendship dynamic of the whole group.

I agree that they just kind of threw it in there as sort of an afterthought and had no idea people would be so critical of it. It’s still so weird to me that they established right away that they all have a thing for Kie and didn’t just slow down with that and measure audience reaction to potential ships before jumping the gun, but oh well. Men in the writers’ room.

[nellygwyn]

Alexander Pope really thought describing Lord Hervey’s fashion sense, gender and general appearance as an ‘amphibious thing’ and saying ‘Now master up, now a miss[....]Now trips a lady, now struts a Lord’ regarding it all was an insult when actually, that’s fucking badass thank you Alexander

[phantomuss]

Okay so lets talk about how absolutely down right hillarious (to me at least which is all that matters) Executor is during this event and the event's potrayal of him-

-Spoilers for Guiding Ahead(?)-

Let me preface this by saying that he's not trying to be funny! He's just so hardass that its funny! Nokia 3310 blushed when it saw him because while its a brick it can't really compare to our favourite terminator, whose first words might as well be a line of C code.

To understand him its VERY simple his prority is:

- Law

- Protocol

- You're his boss and protocol states to be cordial

The law, however, vastly outstrips the things below it; If you're obstructing his ability to carry out his duty to the law then he'll exercise his right to disregard your position to uphold it. He DOES NOT care that you are his superior. If you broke the law you're going into the slammer- if it was against the law to like Cactus tarts he would've dragged the pope down to the slammer if he had to.

The dude doesn't even have time to use the art of Kalt'sitese(TM) Executor just goes that's not a yes, which means....its a no! And its very cute that he asks like this by the by- he does the equivalent of "Hello good sir did you smuggle cocaine into the country? If you did in accordance to the law I must ask that you follow me down to the office"-

-and he expects them to comply. That's because that's something he would do. I stated the laws please respond.

By the way did I mention the 'if' part? That's right. He wasn't sure. The arrest of this legatus versus the arrest of Oren is VASTLY different in tone- that's because Oren is 100% busted when he went to hunt for him but for this one? he had No concrete proof. Nil. Nada. But he's determined to bring them in because if you're not completely innocent then you're guilty of Something (source: just trust me bro)

This is also NOT the first instance of source: just trust me bro during the event- the first instance was actually at the beginning of the event with the introduction of Cecelia. Federico's first line is his request for entry.

But his second scene is him being in the room. (We later find that he was confronting her for potentially being involved with a sarkaz which was his grounds for investigation). Cecelia would not open the door for a suspicious man asking for entry- and to cement that fact the narration had her hiding under the chair when Executor was in the room with him being none the wiser.

What did that mean?

He broke in without permission.

The narrative does not show Executor as he's absolutely wrecking havoc while going through the grapevine. He arrested a Legatus for peeps sake- that's an official delegate stamp approved by the Pope! People see him crashing though windows and if you know even a tiny bit about the Notarial Hall's executors then you would have Definitely Heard About Him.

And the cherry on the cake? He wasn't even here for Cecelia or the fact that Oren and Andoain was plotting something during the summit. His appearance was for something completely different entirely, he was on a damn vacation! This wasn't a mission of his!He was really vital to cornering Oren in all of this but its portrayed like he's on a sidequest- all his scenes was him trying to arrest people! He just happened to be caught up in this hoo-ha trying to catch the person that MIGHT have a lead on the fugitive he was tracking.

And when the dust settles he's like damn that was a waste of time- Oren goes 'oh wait I literally met this person you're looking for lmao'

-surprised Exe.jpg-

^ one pixel of difference btw.