#traditional flirting has failed me w girls

[just-sp-in-inginthevoid]

So I was thinking how so many girls in the fandom love and fawn over Shinichiro but in the Tokyorev universe it’s the complete opposite. Even with basically everyone saying how a perfect old brother and leader he is, he still got rejected 20 times.

This also goes on why Shin wants to be in a romantic relationship so bad? It is him just a romantic at hear or is this somehow related to his parents relationship and he just wants to prove himself that he can be different than them (more in how he can be different than his father and by that proving that it is possible to have a fulling relationship without cheating).

Ah, the infinite amount of answers to those questions... I mean, for why he is so unpopular it's probably cuz he sucks at flirting and since we as the audience never saw that part of him, we focus on what we know of him which.. for the most part is far more noble and cool (even if some questionable actions of his remain - but we love him and his flaws anyway). The girls he was after probably never saw these other sides of him (if they did, he'd have had experienced smth similar to Takemichi (w/ Hinata, Yuzuha & Senju). Altho I guess we know so little about him back in BD that we can't say for certain if that didn't happen)

The 'why Shinichiro wanted a relationship so bad'-question is even more difficult to figure out. I've got my own headcanon about it, but that's only speculations ofc and pretty much baseless.

Shinichiro wants a relationship very very much. But he doesn't actually catch the concept of falling in love and being interested in someone beforehand. He'd 'fall' for girls but he'd actually not know much about them. Being rejected hurt still, because his intents were genuine and not deceitful but even if his heart gets hurt, he recovers pretty quickly and steadily: because he's craving the relationship, not the girl. He only knows them on surface level, and god knows if they are even aware of his existence

He's raising Mikey and Emma, right? He's their father figure, but they've got no mother figure. they need one. and we know how japan works, nuclear 'traditional' family all the way, how else do you want the kids to grow up 'normally'? and he has to raise them good. thats his job

Shinichiro also looks up to his father (not for the cheating part, let's hope really hard--) so he probably tried to (consciously or not) act like him when he tries to flirt. except he's likely awfully bad at it. And Shinichiro is a momma boy to me so ain't no way he's in favor of hurting women emotionally (and physically ofc ofc), he's far to attached to his mom for that (I will not. have any thoughts about how Shinichiro may feel about his father. I do not have the time for that. No. Nope. nopety nopes.... Heloveshimlotsbutthere'sstillthebitterresentmentanddisappointmentthatlotsofpplfeeltowardstheirparentsforfairjustifiedreasons)

Once he manages to - actually, fully - fall in love he's 100% head over heels, hopeless romantic all the way. He's corny. He's pathetic. He's a loser. We love that for him. But I don't think he falls that easily, I think he tries (as a teen at least) to trigger his falls (and fails. which girls may have picked up on, too). He has a very specific idea of romantic relationships, too so if it doesn't look like what he imagines, he may be a bit lost

[britneyshakespeare]

me, tryna hit on a girl: ‘cause there’s nothin like the sound of sweet. soul. muuu-sic.... to change a young laaady’s mind~ and there’s nothin like a walk on down,, by the,, baaaayou... to leave the world bee-hind~~

[writingsbychlo]

💭hi chloe, congrats! could u do a dating ff!tommy head canon (like the ones you have for stiles and mitch) i miss him 🥺

under the cut! i will also link this to my masterlist, because I know how much y'all like these!

PDA

Tommy is kiiiiinda in a middle ground about PDA

He doesn’t feel the need to go over the top, but he isn’t shy about it either

He’ll kiss his girl when he wants, and he isn’t shy of affection either

Little nudges and pokes and a lot of random hugs

On a call together, he keeps it professional, of course

But in your own time? He’s a free man, and he’ll love his girl if he wants to

At the house, he can be extra with PDA, just to annoy everyone

If he gives you a little kiss, or does something which anybody teases him for, he goes into overdrive, just to annoy them

A lot of ‘my love’, ‘angel’, ‘light of my life’, ‘love of my life’, ‘hey pretty girl’

A lot of flirting too

“Oh, damn, good thing we’re firemen because you are smokin’.” and such

He will one hundred percent grab your ass and run away

You’ve actually become pretty used to it, actually

Little slaps, or pinches, or grabs, and then he just runs away laughing

Thinkin’ he’s doing something

But he still blushes when you flirt back, in literally any situation

Using a fire-related pick-up line

“Well, damn, lieutenant, you’d better come over here and handle me then.”

And his jaw would drop and he’d get cute pink cheeks

Which definitely leads to some PDA because he’ll grab your face and kiss you

The PDA gets more after a hard call but nobody says anything then

Hand holding and cuddling and playing with hair

Soft kisses and whispered reassurances while holding each other’s faces

Honestly, he’s not big on making an exhibition, but he will give out a lot of love

HANGING OUT

Hanging out happens a lot

For starters, there’s all day at work, especially on slow days when you might not even get a case

At the beginning of the relationship, that would be awesome, because ‘honeymoon phase’ and all

But once you’ve moved past that and into a more serious relationship, that can be an issue

Like if there’s been a dispute at home or one of you is on edge

So hanging out is pretty much never alone at work

And you try to break it up into chunks too

Making sure you have a girls night with Brenda at least once a week

And once a week he has a guys night, and you plan them on separate days

You actually have too much hang out time on your hands, and it can be a strain

Once you’ve got it down, though, it’s easy

Having TV shows that you binge together, and will never watch without the other

Cleaning and doing household chores together always becoming fun

Especially when you build a playlist for these jobs, and end up dancing and singing together

Also, cooking together

Which is actually usually just one of you cooking, and the other sitting on the counter just to chat

Grocery shopping alone, and making appointments alone

Just so that you always have time apart, to keep things distanced

DATE NIGHT

Date nights are hard to plan when you live together and have such busy jobs

You rarely ever actually feel the need to go out and about to have a date

Really, you just want to get in your comfies and relax together

At first, you both kind of force yourselves to go out

Making bookings and dressing up and going out for dinner

You feel like you owe it to yourselves at the beginning

Even though you don’t need to do the small talk and whatnot

After that, drive through dates in the middle of the night, or going on walks in the park count as dates

And after that, you honestly stop counting dates

You’re just together

Long before you move in together, you’re already basically living together

You drive home from work together, and choose who’s place to crash at

So dates as a concept are pretty irrelevant after a pretty short amount of time

SEX

Oh, don’t even get me started on this

He’s always horny after regular cases

Watching you go into ‘action mode’, he loves it

And you feel the same about him

Definitely having hooked up in the showers a few times at work while you were still in that phase

His hand over your mouth and trying not to let the sounds be too obvious

Trying to keep quiet and failing at it

You’re pretty sure everyone knows, but nobody said anything

Also fucking in one of the firetrucks and the ambulance

When you get a little more self-control, morning sex is usually the way forwards

Because you’re both always so tired after shifts

So morning sex is usually the way to go

If it is morning sex, it’s always sloppy and clingy and passionate

Slow thrusts and wandering hands and deep kisses

Shower sex is also a regular visitor in the morning sex regime

“It’s hot, and easy clean-up, and it’s hot. I see no downsides.”

He loves shower sex

However, if you’ve been out with the team, you’re probably both a little tipsy

Team nights lead to drinking, lead to Thomas openly saying how much he loves how hot his girlfriend is and getting wandering hands

Also kinda sloppy and clingy sex

But a lot hotter

Because you have more energy than mornings, and you’ve got a little liquor behind it

So it’s the times when you both get a little wilder

Day off sex is different, though

Day off sex is much more like making love than just fucking

Because it’s a lazy day, so you’re both in pyjamas

And he’s just turned on because he loves you so much

It’s quite literally just ‘seriously, you’re so cute and I love you so much’ sex

Wearing his oversized shirts and sweatpants and odd socks

And he’s wearing plaid pants or sweats and old shirts

Literally nothing sexy about it but damn you just have so much love

So those are the days where he takes you apart piece by piece

Slow and deep, so much love and kisses

Dirty talk is more just loving confessions

It’s not “I’m gonna have you screaming my name” like drunk sex or morning sex

But it more like “I’m gonna love you forever, I swear it”

Yeah, he’s always clingy, though

AFTERCARE

Big on aftercare. Big big big.

He’s always affectionate but he’s extra affectionate after sex

Brushing your hair back out of your face

If he got messy, he gets a cloth and cleans you up

Plus a lot of cuddling

“You want anything? Some water, I want some water. You want a snack?”

Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t

If you do, he helps you out on some loose clothes and makes something simple like poptarts

If you don’t he gets you water when he gets his own and brings it to bed

Always helps you get back into some kind of pyjamas afterwards

Even if it’s just throwing them to you if you’re not completely fucked out

Cuddling under the covers afterwards

And it doesn’t get awkward, either

two seconds later, once you’re all cuddled up, he’ll jump right in with “so, guess what my mom texted before-”

And he just skips into the gossip and chatter without any awkwardness

THINGS YOU STEAL FROM EACH OTHER

Ohhh a lot

You wear a lot of his hoodies and shirts and coats

He likes things to be comfortably big on himself, so they’re quite large on you

He steals your slippers and fluffy for a while

Your place has hardwood floors but his has carpets, so when he comes over, his feet get cold

He stretches out your socks and slippers

So you start buying them bigger so they’re comfortable for him

He doesn’t realise until he sees you trip over the extra-long toe length one day

So he buys you your own

You now have like 15 pairs that are alternated around

Honestly, each other’s phones

What do you have to hide from him? You work together, you live together, you have the same friends

So, you use one another’s phones

To get in the groupchat and just reply, or to call someone or send a text

It’s really just about whoever’s phone is closest

He steals your netflix account before moving in

And you steal his spotify premium

His car

It’s cooler and has a smoother drive and you like it

So you like to drive his car around a lot

He always subtly complains about it

“That car is my baby.”

“I thought I was your baby.”

“You’re my angel.”

But he always hands over the keys willingly

And he complains about adjusting the seat after you’ve used it

But he buys the air fresheners you like

PICK UP LINES HE LIKES TO USE

A lot of straight-up firemen puns

“Get rid of your smoke detector, sleep with a fireman.”

“The fire might be out, but you’re smokin’ hot.”

I’m a fireman. I’m an expert in what’s hot.”

But he’s also soft and cheesy and in love with his paramedic girlfriend so

“I’m glad you know CPR, because you just took my breath away.”

“Do you have a band-aid? Because I scraped my knees falling for you.”

“If you’re here, who’d running heaven?”

“Your hand looks heavy, want me to hold it for you?”

“I just stole a kiss. Want it back? Come get it.”

GOING ON CALLS TOGETHER

He's a professional little baby

He won’t let his love for you get in the way, because he knows you’ll yell at him for it

He has a job to do, and he learned the hard way that he has to prioritise that

A lot of arguments and tearful confessions and deep chats made the understanding

But that doesn’t mean you don’t have a few traditions

If it’s just a regular case with him going into a building and you staying outside, it’s the usual

Whispered reassurances as a plan is formed

Before you lock your pinkies, and pull each other close, and kiss your thumbs

It started because you kept bumping your head on his helmet when you tried to give him quick kisses

And then getting in trouble for kissing on the scene when one of the local papers reported on workplace romances

And you aren’t technically doing anything wrong but it made you both mad

So it became a pinky lock, and kissing the edges of your own hand

Because that’s the best you could get

However, if you have to go into a building, he checks your kit himself

You gave up fighting him on it

The only way he was gonna feel reassured was if he’d checked it all himself

Just allowing him to do so at this point

Bumping your helmets together softly before you go inside

When you go inside, you always walk behind him

He never directly demanded that when you were working out boundaries after an argument

But you know it makes him feel better

Always sticking close to his side, and remembering the flashlight technique he’d taught you if you wander off

After cases, when you get back to the firehouse, you always have reassuring little kisses

And that’s his time to support you

Always letting you check him over, even when he’s not hurt

Because he knows that it makes you feel better

And if you have to take a detour to the hospital with patients, he makes sure he has a mug of tea and a snack ready for you when you get back

[shotosgaychangemymind]

words fail

___________________________________________________________

Oikawa x Iwaizumi

genre: angst

warnings: cursing

summary: a simple annoyance causes every word that Iwaizumi has wanted to say to come tumbling out.

a/n: @dearazumane i hope this is kinda what you wanted :)

___________________________________________________________

After searching the building for a solid 5 minutes, Iwaizumi finally find the person he's been hunting for: Oikawa. The idiot was supposed to walk home with Iwaizumi, but disappeared before he could change.

Now, he was found chatting it up with his fan girls. They were always hanging around somewhere after a game--and practice most of the time--and Oikawa normally just thanked them for coming and left it at that. But, today, he was talking with them as though they had been his friends longer than Iwaizumi.

One thing about Iwaizumi: he hated when Oikawa would stay behind to talk to groupies. And today was no different. Fuming, his footfalls heavy as he marched towards Oikawa, he grabbed the other by the wrist and pulled him along. "Come on, Shittykawa. We're leaving."

"Aw, but Iwa-chan, I was having such a good conversation with them," Oikawa pouted, trying to turn back to his groupies.

"I don't care. We were supposed to leave a while ago, so lets go," Iwaizumi stated, no room for argument. Oikawa knew when he got like this, it was pointless to try and change his mind so he just let it go and followed Iwaizumi willingly.

Stepping into the gym to grab their bags, Oikawa realized they were the only two left. Using that as an opportunity, he decided to finally speak his mind. Turning towards Iwaizumi, he said, "You know, you don't really have a right to control who I talk to."

Iwaizumi's face twisted into offence. "What?"

"Every time I go to talk to people, you always get mad and pull me out of it. It's annoying and you don't get to control me like that," Oikawa started to shout, staring his best friend directly in the eyes.

"I'm not controlling who you talk to. Those groupies of your are just annoying and talk too much. I don't want to have to wait around forever for you," Iwaizumi said. He was trying to maintain his usual nonchalant composure, but having his best friend come after his character like that caused a wincing pain in his chest.

"Then don't wait for me. No one said you had to wait, just let me live my life." Examining his face, Iwaizumi could tell Oikawa was furious at the moment. After years of being so neglected and hated as a person, Oikawa finally had a group of people that wanted to be around him, wanted to get closer with him. Yet, his best friend was pushing them away. His best friend wouldn't let him soak in the compliments so desired and was deprived of earlier in life. His best friend wouldn't let him create a better life for himself; he wasn't allowed to live his life.

"Oikawa, we've been walking home together for years. I'm not just going to stop because of some fangirls," Iwaizumi stated, his voice starting to betray his composure slightly. To him, Oikawa was suggesting breaking a tradition just to have a simple conversation with an airhead. He felt like Oikawa was abandoning him; leaving him in favor of a group that always makes him feel welcome.

"Then it won't kill you to hang around for a few minutes while I talk to them."

"But there's no reason to, it's always the same thing anyway." Iwaizumi was drifting back into his usual defense mechanism: insulting. "They only talk to you to praise you for the most simple things, it's not like any of you have actual conversations."

"I need that! I need the praise, Iwa. If you can't deal with that, then there's a bigger problem," Oikawa shouted. His eyes were becoming red and watery, tears threatening to drip down his red cheeks.

"Maybe there is something else, Oikawa. But you never look away from yourself long enough to realize that!" Iwaizumi was shouting now, too. His own anger manifested itself in his clenched fists, fingernails digging into the palm of his hand. The words he had just spoken were a direct attack to his best friend's character, something Iwaizumi had never done before. But, it needed to be said; he couldn't keep making this a one-sided thing. Yet, he was horrified at what just came out of his mouth. Horrified for the reaction, but mostly scared of the explanation he's going to have to give.

No longer holding back his tears, Oikawa responded, almost in a whisper laced with bitterness, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh my fucking god, Oikawa. Do I really have to explain it to you?" Iwaizumi pleaded, hoping he wouldn't have to speak the words himself. However, through his clouded vision, he could see that Oikawa was latching on to his eyes, looking for an answer. And he gave it: "Ever since we were kids, all I've wanted was for you to see me. I wanted to be the one person you would confide in; the only person you would run to when you needed something. I fucking loved you, okay? Maybe I am just being a jealous bitch, but seeing you flock to those girls so they can validate you makes me want to puke."

Every possible emotion was flowing through both people standing in that gym. The walls bouncing their argument between them, creating a slight echo as all hope was drained from both parties. Each felt remorse for their old actions. Each felt the pain that the other was conveying, clinging on to any sign that they will be able to repair their relationship. In the quiet gym, the sound of pounding hearts and racing breaths could be heard. It was deafening; the anger and anguish spreading throughout the space with every beat.

"I'm sorry," was all Oikawa could manage to get out. His voice cracked and his hands shook, abandoning the bag they were once holding. "I-I didn't know...I w-wish I knew."

"Of course you didn't know. You were so caught up in your own life and your own relationships, you never took the time to step back and look at ours," Iwaizumi explained. Even though the hardest words he ever thought he would have to speak were out, he couldn't stop the anxiety that flowed through him. Every part of his body was tremoring in anticipation for Oikawa's words.

"I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry Iwaizumi. Here I am, pushing you away because I thought everything was so one-sided," Oikawa chuckled a little, wiping at his eyes. "I ran to people who wanted me because I thought you didn't. I spent my whole fucking life pining over you, and I didn't want it to take over anymore. I'm sorry."

"Save it." He had finally heard the words he's been dreaming about for ages, but Iwaizumi couldn't take it. His shaking had ceased, numbness filling the place of the anxiety. "Just....save it, Tōru. I can't spend the rest of my life following behind you like I have. I can't sit here and watch you flirt with everyone or say you don't have people who appreciate you when I'm right here. I just can't do it anymore."

"Iwa.....I-. Please just..." Oikawa thought for a second. His sobbing filled the gym, the angry heartbeats replaced by aching ones. "I love you. I just listened to you tell me that, too; you can't just leave now! I'm sorry for every single thing I've ever done to make you feel like you were just following behind me, but please Hajime, just stay. We can try and see where things go. We can fix-"

"There's no fixing it! There's no way to patch this up, Oikawa. We can't fix each other. We don't work together; years of trying to stay in a friendship taught us that much. No matter how much you mean to me, no matter how important being around you is for me, I can't keep doing it. I love you so fucking much, but I have more respect for myself than to let it take over my life."

They met eyes, each set pleading for the other's understanding, pleading for a compromise. But, they both knew what was going to happen.

Iwaizumi couldn't find it in himself to look at Oikawa's broken heart any longer; the puffy, bloodshot eyes and excruciatingly hopeless expression being too much to bear. "I'm sorry."

With that, Iwaizumi reached down with a shaking hand to grip onto his bag. His hand clutched the straps as though they were the only things keeping him from falling, life suspended solely on their strength.

"Please, Iwa-chan," was the only thing Iwaizumi heard before he stepped out of the building. The words were filled with agony, laced with plea. They were the last words that held any meaning for their lives together, the last hope.

"Please."

[kaleidescope-writes]

Winter Mistakes-- Chapter 4; Dilemma

Biker!Bucky x Reader

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, Soft Bucky, mild freak out, cliffhanger

Masterlist

“What the hell happened last night?” Bucky demanded as soon as the bar door opened. You looked around the room, taking in its unkempt appearance. Bottles, cans, and glasses littered the floors and tables. Random napkins, straws, and pieces of clothing sprawled out across the room as well. The bar itself was lined entirely with glasses from the night before. It looked different from what it looked like last night. Maybe that’s just because it wasn’t full of people and you weren’t presently drunk. Focusing your attention back on the three men at the bar, you recognized them as Steve, Sam, and Clint. Nat probably had to go to work early. 

“There you are,” Sam greeted, “The love birds are here!” Bucky glared at him, still holding on to your left hand. “Piss off, Wilson,” he hissed, “Tell me what happened!” Steve stood from his stool, “Relax, Buck. I’ll tell you, just don’t start a fight. Tony’s already pissed.” He motioned for the two of you to sit on the two vacant stools. You sat down cautiously, Bucky mimicking your actions as he gave you a small apologetic look before turning his attention back to Steve. “Steve,” he breathed, “What happened last night?” 

Steve sighed, looking away briefly as he tried to find the right words to say. “Last night,” he began, “You both got a bit drunk. You were all over each other, to the point where you were practically giving each other bedroom eyes the entire time.” You remembered flashes of what he was saying, the headache slowly creeping up to the back of your head. “You two were all over each other! And most of the time, you weren’t even dancing! When you got tired from dancing, you went back to the booth to make out,” Sam laughed, “We had to stop you from tearing each others’ clothes off in public.” A sudden heat made its way to your cheeks, causing you to look away. Bucky groaned softly, motioning for Steve to continue. “That’s true,” Steve said flatly, “But it’s not the only thing that happened.” You turned to him again, pleading eyes encouraging him to continue. “Y/N pulled you back to dance after the make-out session. After a few songs and a few more drinks, she asked you to marry her,” Steve explained cautiously. “For fuck’s sake,” you sighed. You knew you would do stupid things while drunk. It’s why you avoided drinking past your limit. Stupid things would happen whenever you did and you’d have to deal with the consequences the next morning. “Fortunately,” Steve continued, “Bucky said it was too soon to get married.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. Bucky seemed relieved too, slouching a bit after the words fell from Steve’s lips. “I wouldn’t celebrate just yet,” Steve cautioned, “Instead of driving to the nearest chapel, Bucky suggested you performed the Union.” Bucky sat up in his seat once more, eyes going wide. You felt him tense up next to you, signaling that whatever the Union was meant a bad thing had happened. Or at least in this case. “What’s the Union?” you asked, trying to understand the severity of the situation. Steve went to explain what it was but was stopped by Bucky putting his hand up. He turned to you, taking your hand in both of his.

“The club has this tradition,” he began, a soft tone lacing every word, “Every time one of the club members gets into a serious relationship they want to take into the next level, they perform something we call the Union.” You eyed him cautiously, the words ‘serious relationship’ catching your attention the most. “That means that both parties sign papers so that the member’s motorcycle falls under dual ownership, belonging to both parties involved. It’s a way of sharing the member’s life,” Bucky explained, “From there, they publicly announce their Union to the rest of the club, usually at the bar. After that, it’s up to the couple to decide how much further they want to take it.” You froze. You didn’t know what to think, say, or do. It was a lot to take in. Without thinking, you opened your lips to speak, “How far did we take this?” Bucky huffed, turning to look at Steve again, waiting for a response. Sam was quick to interfere, “Well, both of you signed the papers and made a very clear announcement that you were together. I think Bucky even said something along the lines of ‘I wanna marry this girl’” Bucky mumbled something under his breath, holding your hands a little tighter. 

“What happened after that?” you asked, still in shock. Steve looked at you, voice a bit softer as he spoke, “I can't say exactly what happened last night, but I can tell you that you never left each other’s side. It was kinda cute.” You nodded. Under different circumstances, you’d smile at the thought of someone caring enough to never leave your side. Not now, though. You were more concerned with the idea of drunk you performing some tradition of serious relationships after having just met the guy. “You can’t say exactly what happened, but I can,” Clint made his presence known, “See what Bucky and Steve failed to mention is that the next step to this would be directly saying your vows of undying love to the entire club right after you make your relationship known to the rest of the club. It’s a kind of oath. You did the oath, it’s basically like your vows. You both agreed to do it. By the standards of the oldest of the club’s rules for performing the Union, it’s valid.” 

You took in a sharp breath. The words sounded eerily similar to the way people would describe a Vegas wedding. “S-so, you mean w-we’re…” you stuttered, unable to complete your doubt. “You’re Technically married,” Clint finished for you. You saw Steve punch his arm before looking away from the group. Your mind began to flood with thoughts of what this meant. You’d just gotten through a break up with your cheating ex after three years of being tied down to him. Now, you committed to a relationship with a complete stranger you met at a bar the night before. Lovely.

Letting go of Bucky’s hands, you stood up suddenly. All four men focused on you as your eyes avoided them, fixated on the floor. “I uh, I think..” you took in a deep breath, attempting to calm down for a moment, “I need some air.” You didn’t wait for a response, you just turned around and left, leaving the men to look in your direction as you opened the doors and stepped out. 

Once outside, you took in a long, desperate breath as your nerves began to betray you. Your hands began to shake and your breathing was uneven. How the hell did this happen? Yes, you did really stupid things while you were drunk but it didn’t go past flirting with a security guard at a club. You surpassed that last night, apparently. But why? You had to subconsciously remember how hurt you felt after Brock. Did you even care last night?  

“Hey,” you heard from behind you. Turning around, you were met with Bucky slowly making his way to you. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly, wrapping his arms around you. Taking in yet another shaky breath, you began in an uneven tone, “I’m sorry about last night. I’m not normally that wreckless while drunk. I don’t know what came over me last night, I’m so sorry.” Putting his left hand under your chin, he lifted your head to look at him. “Hey, it’s alright,” he soothed, “I’m not upset about last night. Hell, I had the time of my life.” You smiled, wrapping your arms around him. “The best part about this whole ordeal was that I met you,” he reassured, pressing his forehead to yours, “And now, I want to get to know you. The real you.” Your smile faltered slightly as you took a small step back. “What about the Union?” 

“It doesn’t have to affect our interaction,” he suggested, “It could just be an excuse to maintain contact with each other.” You thought for a moment, unable to shake off Clint’s words. In the eyes of the club, you were married. Even if you decide to take whatever the two of you had slowly, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you’d be constantly reminded of your premeditated union. Sensing your uneasiness, Bucky took your hands in his, tracing your knuckles with his thumbs. Your eyes met his for a moment, searching for a hint of forming words. Finding nothing, you sighed and looked down. Shaking your head, you parted your lips to speak. Before you could, however, the bar’s door opened again, causing both of you to turn to the door. 

“Y/N, I just got a call from Nat. She wanted to know if you were with us. She called you a few times, but you didn’t answer,” Steve interrupted. You pulled away from Bucky, taking your phone out of your pocket. Five missed calls from Nat. Great. You turned up the volume on your phone, realizing it was on silent and that was why you didn’t notice. Almost as soon as you did, your phone rang. Figuring it was probably Nat, you answered it. “Hey,” you greeted, preparing to apologize to Nat. “Good morning, Ms. Y/N,” an unfamiliar voice replied. Confused, you stuttered out a question, “W-who is this?”

“It’s Elanor, from last night,” she replied, “I just wanted to let you know that the papers went through and you now officially have a license.” You grew more confused, face contorting as you processed every word. Bucky approached you, silently asking you what was going on. You put the phone on speaker, allowing both Steve and Bucky to listen in. “I’m sorry, I’m having trouble remembering,” you responded calmly despite the uncertainties of the situations. “The papers went through earlier this morning. I’d like to meet with both of you later today if that’s possible, so I can give you the certificate and the pictures of your special day,” she explained.

“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.”  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: It’s finally here!! In all honesty, it took me a while to figure out where I wanted this chapter to go, but I was able to work through it. Let me know what you think about this chapter as feedback is both appreciated and encouraged. I’d love to know what you think! Also, stay tuned for more overdue chapters. I hope everything is good in your corner of this bat-shit crazy world. Stay safe, Stay Proud, Be careful out there, and I love you! Please remember that! See you tomorrow for more well-overdue chapters. 😘💜💜

And to all my new followers, Welcome to the family😘💜💜💜💜💜

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Sky’s story Pt 1

Sky was born in a city far away from the Tree of Feelings. He was forced into doing what his parents wanted. Sky hated everything that his wealthy parents wanted. He was worried about what his parents were trying. He was storing what little gold he could as well as making an escape bag for the day he could flee from his toxic parents.

His last straw was when his parents said that they had a marriage proposal for him, but they were trying to force him to be more like a girl. He was so done with them, he finally gained the courage and ran away.

He managed to run far before his gold started to run low. He sighed with worry. What is he going to do? He couldn’t go back. Would becoming an apprentice in the next town work? He decided that is the best course of action and ventured towards the next town.

He starts up again on the side of the road. Why was there so much traffic now? He was being forced into the forest from the abundance. So he started traveling in the forest as a result. As it was starting to get dark, he slept safely there. Upon waking, he spotted something in the forest when the sun rose. Was that a house in the forest? He thought.

He slowly went to what he thought was a house, and realized that it was not a house. It was once an out house. So grossed out, he tried to get back to the road. But he found out he was lost. He groans at himself, irritated.

He picks a direction that he was hoping that would lead to the next town. By midday he was tired and hungry. If it wasn’t a tree or bush he had stopped paying attention. He ran into another.

“Hey! What are you doing here? This is private property.” the stranger yelps.

“It is? Oh freak. I'm sorry. I was lost and trying to get to a town or road.” Sky explains and then his body makes a growl. “Sorry, I am a bit hungry.” He mentioned as he placed his hands over his abdomen.

“Hungry? So what are you going to do when you get to the nearest town?” the other said then sighs, “here, have some of my lunch.” the stranger gave him a portion of food.

“Thank you.” Sky said, smiling and eating what he was given. The other ate as well as Sky explained. “I was planning on becoming an apprentice. I don’t have much gold left.” 

“Do you know that you have to pay for an apprenticeship?” the other says.

“No, how much is it?” this news hurt Sky, he didn’t know this.

“It can be anywhere from twenty to fifty gold depending on the skill.” the other said, then he flinched as Sky started tearing. “Hey hey, calm down. I can get you a free meal and stay at the local inn, just do what it says on the paper and maybe things will go well for you.”

“Huh? Do what the paper says?” Sky was confused, wiping his tears away.

“Yes, maybe things will go well.” the other said. “The road is that way and then the town is only a few more minutes of the way.” he points to the road, then to the town.

“Thank you, so much.” and with that, he took off the way that the other said to go.

“Really. Why didn’t he flirt or act like he was going to get the guardianship?” the other asked when Sky was out of earshot. And he went back to his home.

Sky made it to the town and read what the paper said. Go to the golden apple for your evening meal, and the Purple apple inn for the night. On the marrow go to Holly and do what she says. Sky grins, this seems easy enough, and hopefully he can be safe from his evil family.

He settles and looks at the town and how it seems so different from where he grew up. He saw that the kids were running around happily. He counts how much gold he has left and found… he had ten left, half of what the other said was the minimum of what an apprenticeship costs. Maybe he could ask for leniency?

He does what the paper says and shows them the paper. They serve him something hearty and filling. And then the inn gave him a small room. He doesn’t even fight about the size, glad that he had a room to sleep in. When morning arrived he walked out, hearing everyone talking about something dealing with guardians. He didn’t pay them any heed as he went to the innkeeper to ask where he could find Holly. He was pointed to where he should go.

As he went straight there, he met Holly. Holly was an elderly woman. He flinched but came to her, “So what am I to do?” He asked.

“Well, touch an apple and come back to me. But not any apple, one that calls out to you.” Holly said, remembering what her beloved Birch did so long ago.

“Touch an apple? Wait as in the old legend of Nim? Isn’t that dangerous?” Sky seemed alarmed, where was he and if this was a prank? Was this to be a recreation of the old legend and if so that would mean he travelled far enough.

“Ah you know that legend well, this is a test of you.” Holly said, smiling at how this young one is at least aware that the apples are dangerous.

Sky steeled himself and sees the Tree of Feelings. He was shocked, but he ignored the low hanging apples. He was sure that would lead to death. He didn’t like this. Why doesn’t he get a chance of actually doing anything? He touches the trunk, and like a being with a mission, climbed the tree. He avoided all the apples til he got to the very top and reached for an apple. Now that he touched one everything is over right? He screamed and fell from the branch, his soul hurting badly. Holly caught him and laid him down.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! The new Guardian has been found! The contest is over!” Holly says with tired yet happy eyes.

“Wait he passed? He couldn’t have Auntie.” the one that told Sky where to go and helped him the day before, sounding very upset.

“Star, he did know that the apples are dangerous, and didn’t go for the easy path. He did touch a negative apple so he must be the new guardian.” Holly explains.

“But he… he must be like the rest, only wanting power!” Star was not happy. He looked at the crumpled Sky with fear.

“Star, stop. All you have to do is ask the village if he did anything like the rest, but the tradition has been fulfilled.” Holly said sternly to Star.

Sky had listened to this as the pain finally ebbed. “Guardian? That can’t be right. I can’t be a guardian. W-what is going on? I thought that I was going to have an apprenticeship with Holly! N-not do something that deals with this!”

Holly snorted from this. He reminded her so much of Birch. “What is your name?”

“S-sky, I am Sky.” Star made a funny noise hearing the name. It matches like all the past guardians.

“Well, with you completing the test, you and Star are married.” Holly said with a laugh.

“What?!” Sky was floored, fainting right after. Star just looked at Sky in confusion. He really didn’t know anything. And… he then scoops up his now married spouse and takes him to the Guardian’s Cottage.

Holly smiled; she was glad that one that didn’t want the powers actually got them. More and more were just wanting access to the apples. She understood Star’s reluctance to Sky, but Sky was much like the Nightmare from the tales. What made this happen?

When Sky regained consciousness, he looked over at Star. “If I failed, would I have been killed or would I have been stopped?”

Star looks down. “We don’t stop people from fate.”

Sky looks down. “So, I was actually sent to die? Where does all this, besides me accidentally entering your lands, say I deserve this fate?”

“Look I’m sorry. I was tired of everyone hitting on me and asking me to help them get the correct apple to be able to be the next guardian. I put that all on you thinking that you were lying about being there accidentally. Uncle Birch dying so suddenly was big news. I am sure you heard of it.” Star sighed out. He gave Sky a look and when Sky was blank, “You had to have heard about his death, right?”

“He died? I… no, I haven't. That would explain why I was being forced off the road and those people in the inn. I just thought that it was an influx of trading.” Sky said truthfully.

Star now felt guilty. He should have figured that the other was saying the truth instead of actually thinking the worst. He did feel the desperation and pain from the other, but thought it nothing but a ploy. “I’m going to go to town and get some things. You need some time to recover from being turned into a guardian.”

“I… alright.” Sky was a bit worried about this marriage. He ran away to prevent himself from getting married. And given how his parents were, he was scared.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 7

• More YEEHAW with a dash of bachelorette action, a sprinkle of rollin'-in-the-hay (literally) and one big dollop of "oh we're poor" to set up for next week's chapter.

• Screenshot credits:

Hana: @pixieferry

Drake: @thefirstcourtesan and BizzysChoices YouTube channel (@thefirstcourtesan also sent screenshots for Penelope's dancing scene from her Liam MC playthrough).

Maxwell: @thethots-plicken

• These are the tags you can block if you don’t want to see these posts: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs.

• This is the only chapter that could potentially have no men in it, and you deliberately force the focus away from Hana? Now if that doesn't sound like the TRR writing team then I don't know what does.

• Why is Madeleine here? Go climb a pine tree in Fydelia or something.

• If you're going to give Drake a whole extended family, PB, at least get the family straight? Who is Leona, is she Bianca's sister? Jackson's sister? WHOSE SISTER IS SHE.

• Title: A Night Out In the Town

Alternative Title: The Mandatory Annual Courtly Maidens Meetup

Alternative to the Alternative Title: Hana Lee and the Audacity of this Bitch

(you know which one)

• This chapter works mostly for the nostalgia factor. There's plenty of it in these scenes.

• Bachelor parties and bachelorettes have pretty much been a long-standing tradition in TRR - there's always going to be that one chapter where someone gets a sendoff via a wild party (exactly how wild really depends on whoever is throwing it). The MC meets most of the original gang (except Hana) at Liam's bachelor party, and there have been at least 5 bachelor/bachelorette parties in the series so far (counting this one). I won't be surprised if they gave Penelope a dude in TRR Book 3 just for the express purpose of having another excuse to have another bachelorette party next book.

• The one really good thing about this chapter? It's that Hana will not stand for any nonsense from Madeleine:

She's not going to pretend Madeleine deserves to hold any space among her circle of friends, or even of acquaintances. She's not going to allow Madeleine to get away with not following the rules of an event she's planned, not when Madeleine failed to show the same courtesy to women in her court. If Madeleine insists on badgering the MC about her 'pregnancy', Hana is here to defend you. The message is loud and clear. This is Hana Lee's show, she is running it, and if you can't listen to what she says you can fall on a cactus.

• I only wish we were able to give her the kind of loyalty and protection from Madeleine, that Hana deserved. She did not deserve for us to allow the bullying done to her, to be brushed aside as a hazing ritual. Hell, even while knowing what Madeleine did to her, we didn't even get to check up on her.

Hana did not deserve for us to pretend that never happened to her, and she definitely did not deserve to have her own pain be treated over and over in the narrative like it didn't matter. Even now, her no-nonsense behaviour is rooted firmly in her concern for other people, like the MC and Savannah. Why can't the team ever allow Hana to do this for herself? Why can't the other characters ever step in to defend her the same way? Why am I allowed to (optionally) coddle Penelope twice in today's chapter in a way I never can for Hana?? Why should Hana always be the one protecting but hardly ever the one protected??

• So the ladies of the court have arrived, leaving a puzzled Bianca and a perpetually pissed-off Leona in their wake. Hana explains the situation: she invited Kiara, Olivia and Penelope along. Madeleine invited herself for the sole purpose of being nosy.

• ...in what universe is Madeleine a "public relations angel". Have you SEEN how badly you did your own job the last book??

• Olivia and Madeleine can't last two minutes without sniping at each other and this makes Savannah sad (not that they care, they're enjoying the back-and-forth banter) The MC elicits a promise from the two that Olivia will not stab Madeleine, and Madeleine will not "mentally and emotionally break Olivia". What's with Madeleine and constantly wanting to break people?

• Also you really think you can emotionally break Olivia??? She's from Lythikos, you pineapple!

• Hana mentions shopping to Bianca and Leona, and we have yet another hint that all is not well at the ranch.

• The ladies change at a store nearby, to outfits that suit the rustic theme for the event. Which means Savannah gets the opportunity to dress a little more glam on this day, and the ladies of the court get to dress down a bit. Well...except for Olivia, who prefers to change into her red Coronation gown. Here are the girls in order of preference:

Okay first off - I have to say this - FULL BODY SPRITES FOR THE LADIES FINALLY OMG!!! It's the first time I'm actually seeing them all like this: the last time we managed to see a change of outfits was when we had to choose their outfits for the wedding, and even then only the half-body sprites were used. The fact that we never get to see Olivia in a different outfit kind of makes me feel like they might be saving her sprite for a bigger diamond scene? Idk.

• Also how did no one either notice nor point out that Olivia was still wearing a gown?

• Hana stays in the outfit she wore the previous day, and you get to choose whether she keeps the hat or not. The denim short skirt and brown shrug is a lovely outfit on Kiara, and I like the necklace Penelope has on. I think my favourite is Savannah's? I love the rhinestones, the embellished belt, the flower design, and it's a beautiful silver colour that compliments Savannah's skin tone.

• Savannah may annoy the hell out of me but one thing you can't deny about her is she's HELLA fashionable (remember the Drake engagement scene where he says the lavender coloured dress was her choice? That dress was super pretty).

• The MC wearing gold for bachelorettes is kind of a theme with her now lol. Started with the gold theme for Madeleine's bachelorette, then a theme where she wore gold and everyone else was supposed to wear black for her own, and now every going country - but she and Savannah get to bring on the bling.

(Fun Fact: Both Madeleine's and Savannah's bachelorettes take place in Chapter 7 of their respective books, with very different outcomes)

• Our first stop after the country makeover is the bar! Which is Hana's choice, because she is the kind of lovely, wholesome human being who will fully commit to research for her friend's sister's bachelorette party.

Why are you lying Hana.

• So the MC helps Hana out first my selecting drinks. You have 5 options to choose from: beer, cocktails, champagne, one of those fire drinks, and sparkling water. Savannah is doubtful and then excited to try the fire drinks, loves fruity cocktails and enjoys the bubbly. Olivia is impressed when Savannah chugs her fire drink. Kiara is amazed at the sight of beer coming in bottles. Penelope is disappointed if we decide to order a very tame sparkling water. Madeleine raises her eyebrows if you try to take anything even remotely alcoholic because she has already decreed you pregnant.

• Next stop: dancing! You get to choose which lady you'd like to dance with, and if you're romancing Hana this opens up to a romantic scene!

Hana: is happy and enthusiastic if you're friends, whoops and giggles as you spin her. More slow dancing happening if you're married to her...definitely more romantic.

Kiara: is nervous at first because she doesn't know "the social mores of this establishment", but when the MC reassures her that no one cares, she lets go of her inhibitions and shakes her hips, enjoying herself.

Olivia: very competitive, is confident she can dance circles around the MC, starts doing martial arts instead. Savannah reminds her it's not a duel and Olivia's like "EVERYTHING'S A DUEL". I should take her to Kerala and have her learn kalaripayattu 😁 (also I'd be interested in seeing a three-way dance battle between Hana, Maxwell and Olivia plsthnx).

Savannah: Also enthusiastic and excited, v much the 'happy bride'. Both Savannah and the MC are comfortable in this setting.

Penelope: This comes with a reference to her social anxiety, because her initial nervousness has to do with the crowds. The MC makes space for her through dancing, and she winds up having fun while still feeling comfortable. Madeleine tries to make a smart-alec comment but pretty much no one gives a shit about her so it's okay.

Madeleine: does not exist.

• After this, Savannah shows the girls how to do a Texas Two-Step, which is baffling to them. Hana gets it down in like two minutes, and the MC depending on options can either do it perfectly, go off-beat then claim she created her own trend lol, or trip over herself and hurt her feet, following which Hana assumes she is doing the robot, and does it alongside her. Apparently she learned it during a summer class she took while her embroidery instructor was sick.

• I don't get it, what's with all these random embroidery references they keep throwing at Hana these days.

• Olivia and Kiki are still baffled by the two-step dance, so Savannah recommends more drinking! Madeleine and Olivia are competitive with each other and loving it, and Penelope and Kiara are confused about how they're supposed to drink tequila. The MC gets to show them how it's done. She can either do it right (pour the salt, drink the shot, suck the lime), or get it wrong (pour the shot, suck the salt, drink the lime). The highlight of this is definitely the last one (pour the salt, drink the salt, suck the salt!). Like, the MC actually tips the contents of an entire salt shaker into her mouth! Failplay MC is the very definition of chaotic energy.

• Kiki, like the awesome friend she is, asks Savannah if she'd like to flirt or do anything hot-guy-related, which Savannah laughs and refuses. The topic then comes around to her relationship with Bertrand and his insecurities regarding Chuck. She says she barely had a thing with him but she's afraid Bertrand might do something stupid (he might, actually). The MC can choose to reassure her.

• I don't get it like...okay? Why am I the one you're telling this to rather than your own fiancé? If he's the one having the insecurities, and you know they're there, what are you doing to alleviate that? I mean as far as I can see your aunt is pretty much dragging him the whole time for not magically acquiring ranch skills and I hardly see you even talking about that. I don't see you actually trying to talk to him. So why tell me all these things - go tell him and sort it out yourself.

• Because Savannah speaks about wanting a happy family in the wake of this conversation, the topic then returns to that of the MC's ongoing attempts to get pregnant.

• Madeleine is a nosy, entitled piece of shit. She just is. Raises her eyebrows at me when I'm drinking, makes terrible apple puns for a fetus that probably isn't even there yet, comes for a trip she's not even been fucking invited to so she can poke her entitled nose into my business. Even her show of 'sympathy' revolves around her and her problems. All this while she acts like a martyr for following a dress code (remember how she dragged Penelope for not getting a metallic dress on time and 'ruining' her dress code, but came to our bachelorette making excuses for not following our dress code?). I'm glad Hana was having none of it at least now.

The only differences between this scene in a Hana playthrough vs in the others is that Hana tries to get Madeleine to stop before the MC gets to give her answer ("Madeleine, please..."), and that she reacts sadly to the MC if she chooses to be openly sad about it.

• ...so the scene in the hotel in Chapter 5 (where the MC and Hana could talk about what Dr Ramirez said, if Hana was your LI) always had a "there, we spoke about it, now shut up" feel to me. Because now they've given the MC a voice regarding how she feels about this pregnancy (we can either deem it invasive, speak normally about it or be very, very sad and spill out how disappointed we are. The last option's dialogues is the one I put up).

It's surreal...to see an MC who can say this openly while Hana's condition and how it's affecting her is barely even addressed. It's even more surreal that even now we're still coddling Penelope to the high heavens, and how a lot of aggressive importance is still given to Olivia, while still ignoring what could be happening to Hana if she's married...or making even a chapter that has potentially no men in it about literally anyone but her.

• The nice thing is Savannah is quite supportive in all three options. Olivia diffuses the tension/seriousness by suggesting we have more drinks.

• Aha! Queen Amalas.

• So she claims she came down not to pressurize us into anything but to see the MC in an environment outside of the palace/estate and court, including how she behaves with other people. She has no friends but treats her servants well (and apparently tipped her waiter a thousand). But the little bits she adds in about our origins can be a little unnerving. While offering a Sarzac she mentions our home state New York and asks if we'd prefer a Manhattan, and suggests we would know about how important a good tip is since we worked as a waitress. The MC's reactions can range between friendly, curious or accusatory. Overall the general impression is that she's mysterious and alluring, but there's something about her that spells danger.

This is me rn:

• Anyway...so we leave with our drinks, and join the girls. Penelope is drunk and talking to a mechanical bull, Kiara is drunk and trying really hard to talk country to the same bull. Savannah deeply (I'm kidding) regrets not returning Kiara's kindness in teaching her French by teaching her American English, coz it would have saved her this moment of cringing in a bar rn.

• They raise a toast to either Savannah, or friendship, or "putting the past behind us". I don't want to raise a toast to any of these options.

• Savannah is emotional and speaks of how hard it was to fit in and how much she missed Cordonia and the people she knew in court when she was away bringing up Bartie, and how the MC "changed all that" (how??? Again, a lot of what she does is optional, not default! Plus a bulk of the work of finding her went to her own brother, and later a fumbling Bertrand - not the MC unless she really chose to help. My MC Esther gets these dialogues despite not bothering to help Savannah in any way) and how she is now friends with all of them.

• Diamond scene! The ladies of the court have never had sleepovers (for various reasons), so MC-who-had-a-way-more-normal-life to the rescue!

• We start off with a drink. Three are on offer and we get to choose one: Hana's special Hot Chocolate recipe ("like drinking a minty chocolaty hug"), Olivia's Lythikos Nog ("like drinking a buttery, spiced cloud") or the traditional Walker Hot Toddies from Savannah (basically hot water and whiskey made with lemon, honey and spices).

• Once that's out of the way, we start off with, as the MC calls it, "gossiping about our love lives". Penelope is asked first, and she gets to tell us about her ongoing relationship with Kiara's brother Ezekiel. Olivia is next, and depending on your choices she can openly speak about the fact that Liam didn't choose her, twice, and how she needs to move on. She can also choose not to talk about it if the MC tells the other ladies of the court to back off (which is funny, because the whole thing was her idea to begin with). There's not a lot of change to this dialogue in all the playthroughs, except for mentions of whether Liam was engaged to the MC or not.

• After this, the MC can choose to ask either Madeleine or Kiara the same question:

- Madeleine is defensive and reminds the MC that she "interfered" with her relationship status (wasn't even much of a relationship to begin with), but eventually makes it known that she doesn't believe in "sappy romance" and would rather marry to benefit her house or country instead (nice save there, PB).

- Kiara is surprised and fumbles with her answers, speaking at first about how busy her life currently is. But eventually she does tell you she has a type. The dialogue differs depending on whether the MC is married to Drake or not:

(Screenshots on the left are from my playthrough, and the ones on the right are from @thefirstcourtesan's Drake playthrough).

...I look at Madeleine's dialogue in this scene and need to remind myself that even broken clocks can be right twice a day.

• Repeat after me, Kiki: I deserve way better than a dude who might throw me under the bus just so he can kiss a Duchess' ass.

• Also most guys in Cordonia must have rippling abs, right. Considering that 90% of the male LIs in PB have six-pack abs.

• Interestingly, Olivia is allowed her feelings - and the confusion and mess that comes along with loving someone and not having that love returned - across playthroughs, but Kiara's has to be adjusted and shrouded in vagueness according to which MC she is speaking to. There are two factors at play there:

1. More often than not the narrative has taken Olivia's feelings more seriously than it has ever taken Kiara's. Of course part of it could be the childhood memories and the amount of time she spent with Liam, but we need to remember that the general attitude in the narrative towards Kiara's feelings constantly bordered on dismissiveness - and that wasn't even the worst of the treatment meted out to her.

2. Have you seen the amount of hate Kiara got from some Drake stans for as little as looking in the man's direction?? They'd tear her apart if she dared to even mention her crush in a Drake MC's playthrough!

• The ladies of the court now want to play literally anything else, so the MC pulls out the tried-and-tested Truth and Dare game out of her fancy cowboy hat. Here's the way it goes:

- The MC nominates Savannah, since she's the bride-to-be. Savannah goes for dare, and has to go by a nickname for the rest of the night (default: Bridechilla. I was really craving something so I went for Fried Chicken 🤣), or pose for a sexy photo which she can text to Bertrand. No response, but you can hear him faint upstairs. When asked to nominate someone, she nominates Penelope to ask a question.

- Penelope chooses Kiara, who picks 'truth'. She makes the MC choose for her instead. The MC does what the Choices universe calls a Wed, Bed or Dead which is really a way of saying FMK without having to write the F. You can give her an option between three women (Olivia, Penelope and Madeleine) or three men. Based on your playthrough, Kiara's list of men will vary (Liam, Maxwell and Bastien in a Drake playthrough, and Bradshaw, Bastien and Drake in other playthroughs). Her 'bed's are Olivia, Maxwell and Bastien, her 'wed's are Penelope (obviously), Liam (to be Queen) and Drake (also obviously), and her 'dead's are Madeleine (but obviously), Bastien and Bradshaw (coz CORDONIA RULEZ!). It's interesting to note that Kiara seems surprised/shocked by the idea when you ask her to choose between the girls, and Hana eases her into it by stating that they're all friends here. Which I found really sweet. Kiara then nominates Madeleine to choose someone.

(note: why is Savannah acting so shocked about Kiara choosing her brother for 'marry' when she spoke about liking him barely ten minutes ago???)

- Madeleine chooses Olivia, hoping to wriggle out any information about the mysterious mission Olivia seems to be on. Olivia cleverly tricks her, by reminding Madeleine that she didn't say truth or dare, and picking dare. With no option she asks Olivia to prank call someone. Olivia has three options:

1. Give Maxwell a phone call pretending to have tickets for a Celine Dion concert. He has to choose the best noble house. Sweet Maxwell cannot choose between his own house and ours, but loses out because the correct answer (obviously) is House Nevrakis lol. Savannah's best line comes from here: "Don't worry, his heart will go on" 🤣

2. Give Bertrand a call claiming to be a representative from the Cordonia Philharmonic Orchestra, and Olivia asks the same question to him. His answer is House Beaumont, without question, and Olivia gives him the same answer. The nice thing about this option is that it's coded such that if you chose Savannah's 'sexy photo' option, the narrative mentions that his voice is 'woozy' and he sounds like he recently came back to consciousness. Whereas if you chose the nickname option, these lines would not be included.

3. Give Drake a call claiming to be from a "secret whiskey enthusiast society". Drake somehow figures out that the caller is Olivia, thus leaving her very, very annoyed.

Once this is done, Madeleine nominates the MC, who chooses truth or dare instead of a person like the others did. Hana makes the suggestions this time.

If you choose dare to a single Hana, she asks you to pretend to lasso Savannah.

If you choose dare to a married Hana, she will ask you to kiss her.

If you choose truth, she asks you what law you'd pass if you had a chance, and you have to choose between a serious one like "restrictions on paparazzi", or jokey ones like naming a day after the MC or getting fancy hats from her subjects. The last one yields this adorable exchange:

- Before we can go any further, the girls notice Savannah feeling drowsy and decide to call it a night. The only people who have basically not been asked anything are Penelope (but she already did get to speak about her beau) and Hana (because no one bothers to ask her anything, she isn't even nominated).

• We return to the kitchen, where our LI is waiting for us. The MC tells them about the visit from Amalas, which the LI also views as suspicious, and the MC has a choice again in how she wants to react to this (the visit was invasive, she is impressed with Amalas' guts, she doesn't know what to make of her). They assure the MC that they'll alert the Walkers.

• LI Diamond scene! A cute scene at the hayloft where the MC and LI can have some private time away from the ranch. Those walls must be paper-thin. The first half deals with the couple talking about loving this glimpse of simplicity, and the second half has the MC choosing how she would have them seduce her. The closing bit mostly has the couple talking about how they feel at home with each other no matter where they are.

Liam: Gets a bit of a hero moment at the start of the scene, where a stray beam almost falls on the MC and he catches it. They joke about a couple of things, such as how 'adventurous' the barn is, and whether or not a rendezvous in a barn would qualify as being in the 'outdoors' 😂 In the second half of the scene, the MC can choose between a 'rough-and-tumble', or have Liam sleep with her in his usual tender way. He clearly has a preference for the second, but is more than game if the MC wants to try the first.

The music for Liam's scene, for some reason, is different (his background score for the first half is the romantic one from High School Story, and Drake's and Hana's is the romantic one from Big Sky Country. I'm not sure what Maxwell's is like because I have only seen screenshots of the scene) and he is the only LI who gets the option to keep his hat.

Ending Caption: Hay-pilly Ever After

Hana: The MC notices that Hana seems happy and at home at the ranch, and Hana points out how different the environment of the countryside ("cows outside, open air, no display cupboards") is so different from her home, where "there's gilt on the walls and silver in the display cupboards", and how she loves this space. The couple imagine together how it might have been if they met in a more humble setting (with the MC as a cowgirl and Hana as a salon owner), and how they would fall in love. In the second half, Hana expresses her desire to go a little wild, and the MC can choose between having her hands bound, or being blindfolded.

This scene tells us that Hana does an amazing impression of a Southern accent and I personally would love it if she could coach Kiara on doing one xD

Ending Caption: Country Courting

Maxwell: As he leads her to the loft, the MC has the option to point out that they have a bed, to which he quips that she's obviously not had as much camping experience as he does. They do a little dance in the barn, and they admit that they missed each other while she was gone. In the second half of the scene, the MC has the opportunity to tease Maxwell, beckoning him to chase her around the barn and catch her. I think he also tells her to "use your words" at one point.

I think this scene has the cutest ending, because they both have an impromptu yodelling duet after that.

Ending Caption: Oh, Darlin'

Drake: This scene is more nostalgic in nature because Drake is reliving his childhood, and admits that he didn't know how this trip back would turn out, or feel. He had no idea how different everything would be, nor what his emotions returning to the ranch would be like - and which Valtoria will always be home to him in some ways, the ranch's simple charm means something special to him. The couple can imagine this place to be either perfect for romance, or for bringing back their future children. In the second half of the scene, he confesses to fantasizing about the MC in the palace stables, and the couple indulge in a bit of role play. This also includes an option to take her against a wall.

The end of the scene has Drake tell the MC that being with her itself feels like a fantasy, one that sometimes still feels too good to be true....and therefore he never wants to take it for granted.

Ending Caption: Making Hay.

• We then see the couple going downstairs the next morning, where the MC manages to overhear a conversation between Leona and Bianca that indicates the ranch has no helpers before an auction that is supposed to bring in money for the wedding, and is in deep, deep trouble.

• So our next chapter will probably involve the people of the court working together to help save the ranch, perhaps some flashbacks? Idk. And perhaps because of their contributions, Leona may thaw a little. Who knows.

General Thoughts:

• Plenty of callbacks this chapter!!

- The bachelorette party itself has plenty parallels and could almost be seen as an inverse of Madeleine's bachelorette. Back then, the ladies of the court each began to express frustration and hurt at her controlling, bullying behaviour, Hana's confidence was left in tatters, Olivia was an outsider to the court not bound by their rules.

Here, Madeleine is a largely unwanted presence and pretty much everyone makes it clear that what she thinks no longer matters. Hana is at the peak of her confidence here. She makes it clear that if Madeleine wants to stay she has to follow their rules. Olivia still manifests as a mysterious outside figure, but more out of choice than out of necessity.

- The other indicator of this parallel is what Amalas tells the MC about wanting to know who she is dealing with. She mentions that she wants to see how the MC interacts with her "friends and servants", and it kind of gets me wondering just how much trouble Madeleine would have been in if a figure like Amalas managed to see her behaviour in Italy with courtiers like Penelope and Hana.

- The fire drink which the MC can optionally suggest for both Drake and Savannah to drink. Drake drinks it in a competitive spirit in his birthday party scene in Book 1, Savannah looks doubtful at first but sees it through, to which the MC will remark that "your brother would be proud".

- Savannah mentioning Bertrand giving someone at Cordonia Philharmonic Orchestra a "severe tongue lashing" 🤣 Which kinda was a term Bertrand used for himself in Book 2.

- Lady 'I didn't know I could dance until I actually did it' Kiara. In Book 2 Hana can compliment Kiara on her dancing skills, to which Kiara laughs and mentions that she had no idea she could dance either. She was super drunk back then, now she knows it while she's sober too! 😅

- Some bits in this chapter remind me of our time with the Beaumonts in Book 1? Like the scene where Penelope speaks to the mechanical bull while drunk, while kiiiinda resembles her drunken behaviour at the Beaumont Bash. Also the whole situation of helpers/staff dropping off at the last minute seems a little parallel to what happened twice to the Beaumonts? Once with the MC's boat and then with the Beaumont Bash to host the court. I kinda find that interesting because Bertrand has been in a similar situation and hopefully could feel...somewhat...useful? If he can manage to string more words together, that is.

- Hana daring her wife to kiss her during Truth and Dare, which is (if you bought that scene and actually picked that option) exactly how their first kiss happened 😁😁😁

• I kinda like it when we have chapters like these where the women of the court have a chapter to themselves, because the dynamics are fun and the women are all different in ways that tend to complement each other.

• Honestly, Savannah asking my MC to become her maid of honour was pretty jarring considering my MC doesn't care a single bit about her and has honestly done very very little (if at all) to help her. I mean I can kiiiiinda understand if the MC is her sister-in-law/future SIL via Drake or Maxwell maybe...but otherwise why couldn't Kiara be an option? How is it that Savannah mentions her struggles to fit in, yet Kiara genuinely helping her never even features? Not even once?

I honestly think that Kiara could have been as good a choice to be MoH - we could have either coded it based on our diamond choices with Savannah, or split it between MC for Drake and Maxwell stans, and Kiki for Hana and Liam stans. Or at least more of an acknowledgement of how they were friends before she left? Beyond an offhand "oh yeah you taught me French, not like that helped me in that completely foreign place where I was bringing up my baby, maybe I should have taught you to speak country". Because having Savannah give me a grand speech about how amazing I've been to her was nothing short of weird and it would have felt a lot more natural to see her at least remembering the friendship(s) she did make in court.

• In at least two points in the chapter, Penelope requires someone to handhold her into certain things. You have to create the space for her while dancing. You have to decide on what questions to ask Kiara coz Penelope doesn't want to decide those herself. I'd actually be glad about their commitment to writing her that way, if I didn't understand how much they've let Penelope get away with, and how much other characters in similar positions have to suffer because the same amount of thought is never given to them.

The failplay I did of all three books brought up a couple interesting (but also disheartening) points about how they dealt with Penelope's condition, and how they dealt with difficult situations other characters had to go through (esp Kiara and Hana). At this point Penelope just sounds extremely entitled to good treatment, without wanting to really give back much in return.

• Kiara...well...I love her in this. She was fun, tried new things out, got out of her comfort zone, and she had some marvellous lines in this chapter. I just think it's funny how huge the differences between the way Olivia's feelings are acknowledged regardless vs the way Kiara's can only be acknowledged if it doesn't affect the MC...and it kind of says something about how those feelings are viewed by those writers. Because as a reader who has been following this story thread closesly, I know the writers have either conveniently forgotten - or take very lightly - how shitty Drake has been to her.

• I mean...had it been just about him not being interested, I probably wouldn't have cared much. I would have either turned to fanfic to change that around a bit, that's something you can always do for a pair you want to see but know you can't in canon. But realizing that the man could openly suspect a woman he knew was stabbed at the same event he was shot, optionally pander to the MC's whims and dismiss what she was going through in the process, and to not feel any fucking remorse for it...I mean, Kiara doesn't deserve better just because Drake doesn't isn't interested in her - because no one should have to be obligated to show interest for another person...Kiara deserves better because this man has done very little for her in their few exchanges (esp Book 3) besides ridicule, mock, act rudely and unfairly to her, and finally getting away with the worst possible behaviour without any consequence (some of it is optional, but the suspicion was definitely default). And I know the writing will never admit that because Drake is their golden boy.

• Madeleine causes minimal damage this time and Hana totally owned her a couple times today...so I'm kinda happy with that. At least they made sure never to bring back any hints of that story they were planning with her for Hana...if there is one thing I'm only too happy they are retconning, it's that!

• Speaking of Hana - there are maybe a couple of things I'm happy about and a lot that I'm not. I like that that she can throw shade (though I wish to God they would have let her do it much earlier) at Madeleine, and my favourite bits involve Hana not allowing that woman to get away with shit that she never allowed other people to get away with when she was in power.

But there's also the fact that she's pretty much treated like the least important person in that room? Like I would have personally loved to see her be asked a cute fun question. I mean, by now both Liam and Drake have gotten individual character scenes, and I only get to see Hana in the context of a group scene with the ladies where she is mostly helping the others? I loved that we got the barn scene afterwards...but let's be honest the barn scene was mostly about the sex.

I honestly just found it weird that the one chapter with (optionally) no men in it still couldn't have some focus on her, or much effort put into her. Is asking for more than scraps for her, too much to ask for? (I feel like the answer to that would be yes).

• Olivia is upto something, and the livestream apparently hinted at her being important to the story. I mean what's new about that? Olivia is a favourite of the writers and they will continue to favour her while Hana is still relegated to the sidelines (and so will a huge chunk of this fandom). No lie, I really like Olivia, but why the heck aren't you giving the lone female LI that much attention?

• I also wonder how much of her mysterious work has to do with the reading up she was telling us about in the last book's epilogue.

• Queen Amalas...I still don't know what to make of her - she's a pretty interesting mix of intrigue and invasiveness I think. She's flirty and teasing, but the way she slipped in those tidbits about our past definitely raised my hackles a little bit. Could be a red herring...could be more. Who knows.

• The Olivia and Madeleine dynamics were great...Kiara is still an awesome, encouraging friend to Penelope, but for me the highlight was Hana and Kiara's bonding (that exchange about hats definitely was a winner).

(Is part of my joy because I ship them? Yes. Yes it is. You can pry that ship outta my cold dead hands PB!)

• The barn scene was lovely: it was nice that the couples got to explore their more adventurous/homely sides in the first half of the scene, and were able to go completely wild for the second half of it. I think it's nice we got to see what they'd mostly like to experiment with in bed from time to time.

• I guess that's all for this chapter. Texas might possibly take a week or two more? Idk. Let's see. Rescuing the ranch may take a chapter, and so will the wedding...there may be one in between probably to figure out BertVannah's relationship but I'm not going to spend diamonds to make them talk to each other, no.

• I kinda like the subtle shift to childhood experiences to certain scenes in this book, because it gives the MC who doesn't know what the place is like for a child an idea of what the others had to grow up with...and therefore how she may need to approach her parenting. A number of the group scenes in this half of the book have had to do with childhood experiences the royals and nobles may have missed out on (pets, sleepovers) and the return-to-childhood narrative is a smart way to deal with that, I think.

• That's it for this chapter, guys! See you on Friday (hopefully) with a Book 1 QT, and next week with the next chapter!

[cocoisbestgirl]

Fanfic I can’t think of  a name for pt 10

“Lynna, please I have to-”

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Lynna interrupted, “ I know about you and Alan. If you don’t agree to my terms I’ll-” 

Magda already began to walk away and she rolled her eyes.

“Hey! We’re not finished,” Lynna grabbed Magda’s arm and she whirled Magda around.

“Listen! This is important, Lynna we can talk later.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure we can. No. We’re talking right now!”

At this point, a small crowd began to form around the two girls. More so behind Magda. The nobles surrounding then whispered to Magda,

“Now’s your chance!”

“Show this little brat the Ellenstein spirit!”

“Put her in her place!”

They were all too happy to see Lynna in harm's way. Magda looked back at the crowd. Then back at Lynna.

‘That woman from the last night….no….it can’t be… Lynna would never go to the slums...’

“Lynna, I don’t have the time for this,” Magda didn’t make any clear expression at the green girl, she just turned around and began to walk away. That is what made the green lady see red.

“How dare you turn your back on me!”

Magda felt a hard tug on her hair, and she fell backward on right her back. She heard the seams of her dress ripping and snagging on her jewelry. She gasped and tried to regain the air that had been knocked out of her, Lynna was...strong...

“You are nothing but a slums girl! Stop trying to act like you’re different or special!” Lynna screamed as she kicked Magda as hard as she possibly could without aiming.

Magda let out a loud yelp as she felt the air being forced out of her lungs violently, and she saw Lynna going for another hit. Magda instinctively covered her face from another blow the first hurt bad enough. Only to find Lynna being tackled to the floor, by a familiar blur.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lynna laid in her small cell, awaiting her mother’s arrival. If she would even come in the first place. She looked down at the floor of her cell, water dripped from the cracked ceiling that clearly hasn’t been touched up in years.

Drip...Drip...Drip

The sounds near made Lynna go insane, it was the same repetitive drip...drip...drip. She had counted them at one point but gave that up after hitting triple digits. Her mascara had dripped down her face, whether it was because of her tears, or the water she would never know.

‘Why am I so stupid!? I knew that wouldn’t do anything good!’ Lynna yelled in her head.

The bottom of Lynna’s dress was soggy from the cold puddle that gathered beneath her feet. The only thing protecting Lynna from the cold was that dress she had on. It used to be a cream-like color, but now it was a light grey and stained with filth.

Lynna put her head in her hands and let out a little sob. 

‘Why can’t anything go right?’

‘Why am I like this….’

‘Why does everybody hate me so much? What did I do to them?’

Just as she was about to finish her thoughts, she heard a light clicking of heels. She recognized it...

“Mother!” Lynna ran to the door of her cell and held the bars.

A guard quietly escorted her mother to the cell where she was being held. Lynna’s happiness quickly turned to fear. She had a...to say the least a not-so-happy face put on. It was even scarier than Tilla’s normal angry. Lynna could tell she.was.furious. 

Tilla barely even looked angry. That was the scary part. She just looked down at Lynna. There was no emotion behind Tilla’s eyes. Only Lynna could see the anger and frustration in them. The guard was untrained, he would never have known...

“Mother, I-”

Tilla put her hand up, and like a well-trained dog Lynna shut her mouth and backed up from the cell door a few feet. She dare not speak.

Tilla sighed, “Lynna, I tried with you. I truly did.”

Lynna’s blood ran cold just at her mother’s voice alone, It was a true monotone. No emotion behind it. No strength to them in the slightest.  It was like words just falling out of a robot’s mouth. Even worse... It was combined with her stance. Tilla stood completely straight up without any curve to her back. Her arms were clutched together tightly, she barely moved not even a shiver from the cold. She kept her head up and looked down at the little girl.

“Mother, please let me explain. I didn’t mean to- I just- I just got so angry I promise this will be worth it!”

Tilla looked over at the guard, and he walked away from the two.

“Lynna, I tried so hard to make you a proper noblewoman,” Tilla began pacing back and forth as she spoke, “Yet, I failed. Every single time. I disciplined you, I gave you advice, for the Goddess’s sake I even gave you gifts for good behavior! Ugh, and I even hired that white-haired girl to punish you and even she left because even she hated being near you!”

Lynna remembered her childhood in a few agonizing flashbacks. She remembered Tilla’s version of ‘discipline’. It was more like torture. Lynna’s mouth opened to speak but nothing managed to come out except a small whimper for mercy.

She remembered Shana...she was kind yet Lynna had driven her away...

“Even as you sit rotting in a jail cell you cannot even have the respect to make eye contact with me!”

Lynna closed her eyes tightly in protest to her mother’s words. It may be her only way of protesting. 

“Hm… I don’t think you can be saved anymore. I can’t help you anymore. I won’t waste my time anymore. In the time I spent trying to make you a proper noblewoman I could have had a daughter that was actually worth anything.”

Tilla stopped pacing, “Yet, because of my husband I got stuck with a bastard. I got stuck with a mistake. I got stuck with you.”

“I didn’t ask to be a bastard…”  Lynna put her head down to the floor and looked at her shoes.

“Hm.. you spoke. Say it again to my face!”

“I never asked to be born a bastard!” tears gathered in Lynna’s eyes, and her heart began to race.

Tilla paused as she heard Lynna fight back. Her smug face turned into shock.

“Whatever, you act like that matters,” Tilla scoffed “ Maybe if you were just obedient, I may have actually cared about you. It’s too late for that now. You've assaulted one of the most popular nobles, not once, but twice now. This time you attacked her personally. There’s no excuse for you anymore. You’ve trampled the family’s reputation. Now they all see me as an unfit mother.”

“That’s because you are an unfit mother,” Lynna stood up in her cell and looked up at her mother.

Tilla didn’t respond she just smiled and tilted her head, “Now, you’re actually going to pay the consequences of your actions. I paid that very sweet guard a lot of gold to keep you here indefinitely. Or at least until I believe you deserve to leave. Anyway, I must be getting back to Gonzalo. He does love my company.”

Lynna grasped the bars of her cell, and fell to her knees with her hands covering her mouth. She could barely see through her tear-soaked eyes anyway….

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Magda, this is the second time she’s attacked you!” Alan said as he pressed a bandage around Magda’s bruised eye.

“Alan, keep still. Please do not speak until her eye is wrapped,” Barris quickly grabbed some medical tape ,and snipped a piece off to put over Magda’s bandages.

“So, Mr. Barris, I’m not gonna go blind,right?”

“Miss Ellenstein, I hate to inform you that I don’t know.”

“W-what!?”

“You have about a 1% chance of going permanently blind in your right ,but vision loss is more likely and even that would only be around a 10% chance.”

“So… she’ll be okay right?” Alan said as he looked up at Magda’s pseudo-doctor. 

“Oh, she’ll be fine. Maybe some eye injuries but nothing severe. I suggest going to a real doctor though.”

“Ah! Barris you’ve helped me so much, how can I repay you?” Magda said as she smiled brightly at him.

“The presence of such a beautiful girl is more than enough.”

Alan looked at Barris for a few seconds. Barris either didn’t know Alan was looking at him ,or ignored it. Something in Alan’s mind told him that Barris knew. Even Magda was somewhat shocked by Barris's words. He never flirted. At least not that she had ever experienced. He was a Sakan after all.

“Miss Ellenstein, I would be honored if you’d be able to join me for tea tomorrow.” Barris grabbed Magda’s hand and smiled at her. He tilted his head slightly to the right.

“Ah! Mr. Barris with the bandages on my head I’m afraid I would embarrass you!” Magda had had these types of outing with Barris and they always bored her to death. More or less she was just looking for any type of excuse to not go.

“Being seen with an Ellenstein is one of the highest honors. You have made a very big impact on Finsel since your first ball. I would also very much enjoy it if you brought your sister along. She may not be the most traditional lady, but I do enjoy seeing her.”

“Ah! Of course, I’ll bring her!” Hearing that Felicity was invited made Magda feel better.

“Magda, I have to get back to guarding before anything else happens…” Alan stood up from his chair and headed towards the door. 

As he looked back at his love and Barris….he swore he saw Barris...smile? His stomach dropped instantly. Something didn’t feel right, about any of this. He had a feeling in his gut that maybe he should just arrest Barris….but that would be wrong. As much as Alan wanted to he knew that Barris was far too powerful for him to get away with arresting him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“Ah! Ivan, my man! How’s things going? It’s been a fat minute since we’ve talked.” Felicity walked her way over to Ivan, who was currently on break.

“Felicity, you do know-”

“Mag’ got ran over by Lynna again. Already spoke to Alan, she’s gonna be fine. Alan did seem kinda psyched out though.”

“That’s just kinda something he does, Fel”

“I know I know, trust me. Doesn’t help that he has the hots for my sister.”

“Ah?”

“Pfft! Yeah have you not noticed his lovey eyes whenever he sees Magda? His face lights up like a holiday tree! Kinda funny to be honest.”

“Oh, yeah. You know I used to know Magda when she lived in the slums?”

“Not surprising.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Magda knows everybody! I swear she can make friends with near anybody she wants. Gotta say it. I’m jealous.”

“I mean Magda is good and all but she’s no Felicity. There’s no other Felicity alive!”

“Thanks, Ivan. If I had a drink I’d toast to that. You know it almost feels like Magda is the Ellenstein now.”

“Well, she’s really popular gotta give her that.”

“I know this is gonna sound selfish, but I kinda wanna be an only child again. I get Magda’s scraps when it comes to attention now. They always ask about Magda! Magda! Magda! Why can’t it ever be Felicity? Sometimes my old friends, Melissa mainly, come up to me and talk just so they can get the news on Magda.”

“Don’t you hate Melissa?”

“Yeah, the point still stands though.”

“I uh...know how you feel there. My parents never really paid much attention to me. When I was little, my sister was the only one they really ever cared about. She got Piano lessons, vocal lessons. I got stuck with whatever I could get from eavesdropping on her studies.”

“Whoa, whoa I didn’t mean it like that. That’s different, Ivan.”

“Ah, what does it matter. I’ll get you a drink.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alan walked over to his bed and slipped under the covers. His mind still thinking of Magda and Barris. Those Sakans always did have a way with women. A seemingly magical gift from the Goddess to seduce any women that saw them.

A gift Alan was secretly very very jealous of. He had loved tons of times, yet nothing ever came of it. He had fallen for noblewomen, which never usually went anywhere. He fell in love with a farmer girl who was already taken. One of the better relationships he had ever had was with Gonzalo, they just weren’t right for each other. At one point he had even had his eyes set on Lynna...

Now the one person who he had managed to go somewhere with was being courted by a Sakan. Most people would consider that a death sentence for the chances of any relationship really, but it obliterated the chances of  Alan and Magda becoming official. A very popular noblewoman and a guard….

His mind wandered to her smile for only a few seconds, before moving on to Barris’s.

‘I’ve never seen him smile like that before, I don’t think I’ve ever seen in a smile at all.’

Alan looked over at his clock, 11 P.M… It was getting late. Alan still looked over at his door and waited for one of Magda’s visits… 

‘Maybe she’ll come in a few minutes, I’ll just wait for her. I’ll stay up.’

Alan swung his legs over the side of his bed and looked over at the door, then the clock, then the door, then the...

‘This.. isn’t going to work...is it? She won’t just magically show up if I wish for it.’

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“Ah, Mr. Barris how has your day been? Thank you for waiting for me for so long. Mother thought my hair needed a few touches before seeing you.” Magda walked up to Barris, who was currently sitting down at a table with nice looking teacups and a teapot sitting on it.

“Oh...was Felicity not able to make it?” Barris’s smile dropped a bit in disappointment.

“Oh I apologize, she’s sick right now,” Hungover was a better word.

“Do you want me to check her out after we finish here?”

“I think it’s just allergies, summer did just start after all,” Magda chuckled a bit as she pulled out the chair across from Barris and sat down, “What type of tea is this?”

Barris poured some tea into Magda’s cup. Barris’s cup was already filled when Magda arrived. While it was basic courtesy to wait for somebody to arrive to start drinking the tea but it was also a basic courtesy to arrive on time so while a bit confused she understood. 

‘Shouldn’t the Barris know the rules? He’s usually pretty uptight about all the rules revolving courtesy….’

 She tried to hide her slight confusion she looked down at her cup. The tea was a light bluish-purple in color, a color Magda had never seen before. 

“Is it lavender?”

Barris looked up at Magda and nodded his head before drinking out of his own cup.

“It’s a new blend from Mandaria, it’s a mix of lavender, honeysuckle, and ginger. It’s quite popular with my sister.”

Magda flinched a bit as she managed some of the liquid down. Magda had tasted her fair bit of alcohol,teas,wines, and other beverages but even by her standards this tasted a bit off. It was sickly sweet that almost made her gag, but at least there was definitely some lavender, though. At least she could try to enjoy the taste of lavender. She looked up at Barris, who was smiling widely.

“Did you enjoy it?”

Magda’s vision blurred for a few seconds, and she grasped her teacup with all of her energy in order to not drop it. Magda’s heart raced as she looked Barris up and down. His eyes were evil inside, and were away deeper blue than they should be. Whoever this was looked exactly like Barris...

“You’re not Barris..” Magda stood up off of her chair, “What did you do to me?”

“Who do you think has been sending you the letters?”

[worldofmuses]

💘 thorfinn and glenda ofc

where they first met and howThey probably met in school but the first notable meeting was in a record shop, both hoping for the same one. (Which Thorfinn only really wanted to be difficult)

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involvedMonths? We haven’t reached it yet but it will definitely be a looot of months, maybe even a year before they ever admit anything.

who fell for who first ( if applicable )I would say it was pretty much the same but Glenda definitely realised it first.

where their first date was and what it was likeUhhh this is a tough. I feel like they just went from friends with benefits to boyfriend/girlfriend, without any in between. I don’t know if they’d have any sort of official sort of first date. Maybe they’d have one for show, where he brought her to some event to sort of show her off. Or maybe the first holiday he takes her on.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? )Again sort of doesn’t happen. But, it will be Thorfinn who does the official, ‘lets be together’ talk, because he’s the one who originally shuts it down.

who proposes firstGlenda! But Thorfinn does it back, a bit more romantically, just seconds later.

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right awayLolllll definitely a secret

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? )Naked in bed, v tired from sex and v happy in each other’s arms. Glenda suggests they get married and Thorfinn is quick to agree and give a proposal of her own, that probably makes her cry.

if they adopt any pets togetherI don’t think so? I honestly don’t think it even kind of crosses their mind because they have very busy lives and a pet wouldn’t even really be fully nurtured.

who’s more dominantLol Thorfinn

where their first kiss was and what it was likeIn her bed!! On a brand new mattress that they had just bought her so they decided to test out. It was... unexpected. And very much desired. They had done many (many) things up to that point but had never kissed, so finally giving in and doing so was quite honestly a kiss like no other. (At least for Thorfinnn)

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? )Idk I was going to say no but Glenda probably loves that shit so she probably buys it without him knowing.

how into pda they areNot at all surprisingly.

who holds the umbrella when it rainsOmg Thorfinn, 100%. Could you imagine him trying to fit under if Glenda held it? He’s be doubled over

where their usual ‘date spot’ is ( if applicable )Whoever’s bed is closest

who’s more protectiveIt’s kind of pretty equal??? Thorfinn is a bit more consistently vocal about it, but honestly Glenda has a protective nature to rival his, it just comes out more sparingly.

how long it is before they sleep together ( can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’ )It was not long at all, and would have been sooner if it could have been

if they argue about anythingJokingly? Constantly. They argue every ten seconds without fail but it’s never serious. Serious arguments are a lot more rare. Right now that’s just because they’re very surface level acquaintances, but even as they grow closer that won’t change. They’re very good at talking things through and listening to the other when they’re mad, rather than getting mad in return. Even if Glenda angry cries out of frustration, Thorfinn quickly learns better methods to deal with it then getting mad back at her.

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. )Glenda?? I feel like he probably leave a looot of hickeys, but if you’re adding everything else into the list she probably wins.

who steals whose clothes and how oftenGlenda and always. Thorfinn couldn’t fit in anything Glenda owns.

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? )Honestly probably facing each other a lot? Especially when they’re officially together. There’s def some spooning too though.

what their favourite nonsexual activity isDoes travelling count? 

how long they stay mad at each otherLike 3 minutes max

what their usual coffee / tea orders areThorfinn’s is probably black and Glenda’s has sugar because they are Stereotypical but honestly I don’t know for sure

if they ever have any children togetherThey dooo. Three girls; Elsie, Isadora and Aurelia. and maybe a boy later who knows everyone pretend you didn’t see this

if they have any special pet names for each otherPlease don’t ask, it’s a touchy subject for them both

if they ever split up and / or get back togetherSooorta? Before they’re officially together they have a ‘let’s never sleep together again’ sort of thing, (spoiler: they fail) before the get together properly.

what their shared living space is like ( messy? clean? what kind of decor? )Clean because Thorfinn won’t have it any other way, but much more Glenda’s style. Sort of elegant and stylish but with splashes of colour and unique items to make it their home and not just anyone’s.

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was likeFirst one as a couple I’d imagine was spent apart honestly? Unless maybe they’re engaged by then and they spend Christmas is one of their parents houses

what their names are in each other’s phonesG Spot and Zaddy TNot that either knows it

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? )Having sex every time they go somewhere new probably. Date nights preferably once a week, at least once every fortnight. Going to one new place every year. When she has a podcast episode she’s really excited about they listen to it together after it’s officially released.

who falls asleep first and who wakes up firstProbably both Thorfinn

who’s the big spoon / little spoonThorfinn is the big spoon and Glenda is the little spoon always

who hogs the bathroomThorfinn

who kills the spiders / takes them outsideThorfinn kills people, I don’t think he’ll have any problem with spiders.

send me 💘 + A SHIP and i’ll tell you—

[margarittet]

Destiel romantic parallels: Luke x Lorelai

My favourite character parallel for Dean Winchester may be Lorelai Gilmore from “Gilmore Girls”.

It is not such a far jump from Dean Winchester to Lorelai since they practically stole Jared from “Gilmore Girls” mid season five. I was an avid fan of the show at the time (I still am), and the parallels between Dean/Cas and Lorelai/Luke are so obvious to me now, expecially after season 12. It also was a slow burn romance between two friends with CRAZY chemistry, and I wouldn’t mind Dean W./Cas relationship’s portrayal to be based on it.

Btw, there is A LOT OF PLAID between the two shows!

LORELAI/DEAN W. PARALLELS:

A person who became a parent way too young.

A parent of a prodigy “child” with their eyes set on an Ivy League college, and a better future.

Hard working single parent, who sacrifices everything to give the “kid” all they can at the expense of their own personal growth and happiness (but they are happy when the kid is happy.) They have been fighting financial struggles their whole “parent” lives, but they always made sure that the “kid” gets everything they need, even if it meant doing things they were uncomfortable with (like borrowing from Lorelai’s parents/hustling pool and stealing).

A person who has to navigate the line between a sibling relationship, and a parent relationship with their “kid”.

A person who, due to their single-parentness and personal issues, has a huge difficulty with creating healthy romantic relationships with people, settling for casual sexual encounters and close friendships.

A person who has a turbulent relationship with their parents, mostly because of the fact they expected them to follow in their footsteps, and continue the kind of life they have. The person is struggling with it, and eventually rebels.

An extremely intelligent, well-read character who drops out of high-school because they can’t combine a single parent life with education - but they still go back and get a degree later on (which is downplayed, but admitted in canon.)

A character who can excel in any situation they are thrown into, due to their talents, great personal charm and wit.

The ABUNDANCE of pop-culture references the character uses, which highlights their intelligence and wit, but also shows how this kind of entertainment is used as a coping mechanism for people who are in extremely difficult personal situations.

A person who uses casual sex, alcohol, food and pop culture as coping mechanisms in difficult times (and also, just for fun).

A person who has extreme problems to say “I love you” to anyone (except their kid), or even admitting to themselves that kind of love. They use actions to show what they feel.

A person who finally lets go of their kid long enough that they can for the first time focus on themselves, on WHAT they want and WHO they want.

And they both love pie.

Luke/Lorelai - Dean W./Cas parallels:

A close friendship streched over several years before anything even slightly romantic is admitted by either side.

The sparkling sexual tension between the characters who are “just friends” EVEN THOUGH EVERYBODY KNOWS EXCEPT THE TWO OF THEM!

The sassiness, the wit, and the flirting in their interractions is obvious.

One of the characters is the “teacher” to the other in what it means to have fun. (Sometimes it fails.)

So married!

The characters are a mixture of traditional gender roles, even though it looks like they are stereotypes the first time we meet them.

The characters are emotionally stunned, but they are working through it, and they influence each other in a way that leads to more communication and openness about their feelings and personal wants.

They support each other, even though the other one often doesn’t think they deserve it.

They think of each other as family.

They can’t stand any chance that the other person will disappear from their lives, but they don’t realize it until it actually happens and it’s too late.

They DO GET a second chance to show their true feelings.

AND THIS IS ALL BEFORE EITHER ONE EVEN WENT CANON  <3