#truly could not care less and find him unlikable is my problem

[cuntstable]

i am self aware enough though to acknowledge that it is pretty funny that i love some of the actual main villains in jojos but have such a viceral 😒 reaction to analsui or however u spell his name….it is what it is

[hargreeves-duncan]

Hey! I saw that you’re taking tua requests and after season 4 I’m in desperate need of fluff fanfics. May I request a Five x Y/N where Y/N looks exactly like how Five envisions Delores but they haven’t met yet and right when Five and Lila were about to kiss in the greenhouse, Y/N appears with a gun because this two strangers invaded her greenhouse and Five would be utterly shocked and immediately let go of Lila and went to Y/N calling her Delores and she would say something like “I don’t know who Delores is but the two of you better start explaining what you’re doing in my greenhouse or I’ll bury a bullet in your skulls.” And after that it could be all fluff with a happy ending. Maybe Five takes her to meet his family when he finds a way back?

a/n: thank you for your lovely request! the idea of reader as a dolores variant is so sweet, i just had to write this! i hope you love it!!

summary: five mistakes you for dolores, you turn out to be quite the opposite

warnings: reader has a gun😟

word count: 2.4k

Trying to traverse this damn subway was driving Five insane. If he had been keeping track accurately, he and Lila had been stuck down here for seven years. For someone that had made it through forty years alone at the end of the world, you’d think that he’d be able to hack it, but a couple of key factors had changed since his first time around.

1. This time he wasn’t alone.

When he’d brought Lila down to the station, the thought of getting stuck there hadn’t even crossed his mind. Every other time Five had visited the subway, he’d made it home with no problems whatsoever.

It was typical that when he was accompanied by the one woman he’d never want to be around for a prolonged amount of time, that the universe would screw him over and trap them there.

He did have to admit, the more time that they had spent together, and the less likely getting home seemed, Lila had become tolerable. He might even go as far as to say he liked her now.

She was smarter than he’d given her credit for and painfully determined in working out their way home. Lila had always kept them both going, insisting that if they’d gotten there in the first place that there had to be a way out. Five wasn’t so sure anymore.

2. Dolores wasn’t here.

Whilst Five could pretend that if he stopped looking for a way out and settled down with Lila in a new timeline he would be happy enough, he knew that in reality, he wouldn’t be. There was no way that his friendship with Lila would ever measure up to the company of Dolores and the love he had for her.

She had been his everything for more of his life than not and his connection with her had truly meant something to him. Unlike whatever circunstancial friendship he had built with Lila.

For a long time, Five’s daily routine had revolved entirely around making sure that Dolores was cared for and making sure that they were always one step closer to finding a better way of life. Because he would be damned if his girlfriend had to live a life with anything but the very best.

This time, without the motivation of holding Dolores in his arms at the end of a long day, Five had found little reason to keep searching for a way to get home. He was beginning to lose all hope entirely as he and Lila had got off the subway for the fiftieth time that day.

As they stepped out into the sun, it became clear that of all the timelines they’d been to, this one was, without a doubt, the most peaceful. They were surrounded by woodland that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Somewhere above their heads Five could hear birds twittering. That was a good sign, this timeline was still habitable, many of the last ones hadn’t been.

Five walked out into forest. The trees there shot up almost 70 feet into the sky. It was breathtaking.

Somewhere along his stroll, Lila, had ended up off course, discovering the new world around them, “Wow.” She whispered to herself.

Five chuckled and raised an eyebrow as he walked towards her, “If you’re done here, there’s something much more interesting that we ought to take a look at.”

He pointed to the bottom of the hill that they stood on, where a small cottage sat. It looked as if it came from a fairytale, with its thatched roof and adjacent greenhouse, that housed all sorts of plants and flowers.

A small seed of doubt planted itself in his head the more he looked it over. It looked too nice. What if it was some sort of trap?

Lila clearly didn’t have the same trepidations. She gasped with excitement, then turned back to him, saying, “What’re you waiting for? Let’s go.”

As suspicious as he now was, he wasn’t strong enough to crush Lila’s hopeful expression. He hadn’t seen her look this spritely in weeks and if this didn’t end up being what they wanted he needed her to be okay to keep going. So, he followed her down the hill.

By the time he’d reached the bottom, Lila was already waiting, hands on her hips as she laughed at him, “Come on, old man, what is taking you so long? I want to explore this cottage before someone comes and tells me that I’m imagining it.”

She reached out, pulling on his arm impatiently and he couldn’t help but smile back at her. He supposed he could entertain this fantasy of normality for a while.

Lila grinned as she led them up the steps, peering in through the glass at the throng of shrubbery packed into the building. With a tug on the door, Lila led them into the greenhouse.

Five had to appreciate the organisation of it. One corner of it hosted a mix of plants and herbs, another held flowers, another for vegetables as well and even one for- “Strawberries!” Lila gasped, dropping his arm and rushing over to them.

In that moment, there couldn’t have been a better sight in the world than home-grown fruit. It’d been a painfully long time since they’d last eaten real food and Five suddenly felt starving.

He watched as Lila picked a strawberry, taking a bite. She groaned in pleasure, closing her eyes. Mouth still full, she beckoned him closer, “Five, come here, you have got to try these.”

Five obeyed, walking over to her. Lila took another enthusiastic bite, as she declared, “I think these might be the best things that I’ve ever eaten.”

Tossing the hull of the strawberry behind her, Lila reached for another. She smirked at Five, waving the strawberry in front of his lips tauntingly, “Open up.”

Five rolled his eyes, trying to repress the smile that was creeping onto his lips as he relented, opening his mouth. Lila pressed the strawberry to his lips and as he bit down…

Click.

Five froze, eyes snapping open. Lila spun around and her lips parted in shock as she took you in. There, you stood, shotgun cocked and pointed at the pair of them.

You were a sight for sore eyes, with your tousled hair around your shoulders and polka dot dress that fell effortlessly around your hips. Five was completely mesmerised.

Your soft hair, the polka dots that covered your dress, it was all so familiar to him. Your presence felt like a greeting from an old friend and he smiled lovingly at you as he said, “Dolores.”

Lila’s presence was entirely forgotten as you stood in front of him, just as beautiful as he’d remembered. Lila raised an eyebrow, asking, “You know her?” at the same time as you asked, “Dolores?!”

You looked them both in the eye, stepping closer and aiming the barrel of the gun at their heads, “I don’t know who Dolores is but the two of you better start explaining before I shoot you both.”

You had to admit, you were slightly intrigued by the appearance of the two of them. More specifically, the man in front of you. Even more so when he audibly laughed at your words.

You raised an eyebrow at him, smirking with amusement as you said, “You do realise that you’re trespassing, right? That I’m well within my rights to pull this trigger and put a bullet through both of your skulls?”

Five was still looking at you as if you’d hung the moon and the stars and not just threatened to shoot him.

Lila shoved her elbow into his chest and he groaned, clutching it, “Jesus… Lila!” He said, glaring at her.

“What?” Lila groaned, looking over at him with a huff, “She asked you a question.”

“Yes, thank you.” You said with a small nod as you watched her. She nodded back with a pleased smile, holding her hands behind her back.

You look back at Five, expectantly, gun still raised, “Well?”

He smiled saccharinely at you, being sure to emphasise his words as he said, “Me and my friend here just got a little lost, that’s all.”

“Hm… getting lost is what we’re calling breaking and entering now?” You challenge and your combative demeanour only made Five want to get to know you more.

He grinned, shrugging his shoulders innocently, “It would appear that way.” He said, making it impossible for you to ignore the cockiness in his tone.

You simply laughed at him, lowering your weapon slightly, “And Dolores?”

“She’s…” He paused, thinking it through. He couldn’t exactly say who Dolores really was, you’d think he was crazy and that was the last thing he wanted.

If he ignored the fact that you were the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, he could also tell that you were exactly the kind of woman he wanted to know and he was not going to mess up any chance he might have with you, “…my ex-girlfriend.”

That wasn’t entirely untrue, he thought to himself. Lila’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Slowly, a look of realisation spread across her face and she stifled her laughter as she asked, “Hold on, you don’t mean that manne-“

“Please, excuse my friend.” He hastily cut Lila off with an infuriated glare thrown in her direction.

“She has terrible conversational etiquette.” Five offered, smiling politely at you as if he hadn’t just completely shut Lila down, “I’m Five, and that over there is Lila.”

You nodded in return. Lila smiled but made no more attempts to initiate a conversation as she wandered off deeper into the green house.

Five, happy to have the chance to speak you alone, stepped closer, “It’s a nice place.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets.

You lowered your gun, slinging it over your shoulder and offering him a warmer smile, “Thanks, I think so too.”

You were funny. He felt himself grow more smitten with every word you said. He brushed his hair out of his eyes, raising an eyebrow at you, “What did you say your name was again?”

“I didn’t.” You answer, brushing off your skirt. His eyes followed your fingers as you did.

You walked by him to pick up a bag of compost and dropped it onto the countertop beside you. Five walked after you, placing a hand on the table in your eyeline, practically begging you to keep the conversation going.

The last time he’d gotten so quickly attached to a girl, he’d been with her for forty years and he was already thinking about what that might look like with you, “Are you going to tell me it?” He pushed, tilting his head to the side as he smiled at you.

You stopped breaking up the soil, laughing softly as you looked over your shoulder at him, “You know, you’re very interested in knowing about me for someone I just caught breaking into my house.”

“I thought we’d agreed that we were just lost? I can confidently say that there was no ill intent on my part.” He replies, smirking at you.

“Maybe not.” You say, smacking your palms against each other to dust them off, “But there is intent of some kind.” You bend down, pulling out an empty plant pot from below the counter.

“True…” Five hummed, tapping his finger on the counter as he watched you place the pot onto the table and begin to fill it with compost.

He looks around the room some more - noticing the lone chair and table in the observatory by the back door, “You live here alone?”

He asked, watching your nimble fingers form a well in the centre of the pot. He looked over his shoulder to where Lila was prodding a venus flytrap and then back to you for your answer.

“I do.” You reply as your fingers continue to press deeper into the soil. Five nodded, rolling his sleeves up and leaning them on the countertop with a sly smile.

You dust off your hands again and go back to kneeling on the floor. Five watches with interest as you sift through pots and packets of different flowers.

“Okay and why is that?” He asks, bending down beside you as you consider which flower to pot.

You look over at him and notice how his eyes lingers on the bright, yellow marigolds tucked away to the left. You take them out.

“Because…” You say, hauling the smaller pot onto the counter again, “I’ve never been much of a people person.”

“Hence why you live in the middle of the woods.” Five nods along, smiling to himself. He was beginning to get an idea of what kind of girl you were and he liked it.

“Exactly.” You nod, gently prying the marigolds from their original pot and settling them into the divet in their new one.

You scooped some compost into your hands, sprinkling the marigold with an extra layer of dirt, “That’s me, but what about you? What makes a guy like you take a wander in the woods?”

A guy like him? Five glanced down at himself, suddenly feeling very self-conscious of his dirtied appearance. He hadn’t looked in a mirror in a while but he couldn’t imagine that seven years without a shower had done him any good.

Then again, your arms were buried elbow deep in dirt right now, so he figured he couldn’t look that awful, “It’s a long story but… simply put, my friend and I are looking for a place to stay.”

“I see.” You hum, touching up the marigolds. You pull open a drawer, taking out some pruners and making tiny adjustments to the flowers.

Five appreciated the precision with which you worked on them, he imagined that you treated all of your plants with the same amount of time and care. He was beginning to feel a little jealous of them.

You tilted your head to the side as you looked back at him, “So, you just thought that you’d crash here?”

Five looked slightly embarrassed as he stood up straighter, searching for the right answer. Lila smiled, yelling from the other side of the room, “Yeah, pretty much. It’s a really nice place.”

You laugh at her bluntness, placing down your pruners and dusting off your hands again, “Good to know.”

Five chuckles and looks back down at the counter. Taking in the sight of the finished marigolds, sitting plump and pretty in their new home, he smiles, “They’re beautiful.”

“Consider them a welcome gift for the two of you.” You say, pushing the pot towards him. Then, you wink, walking past him and back into the house.

Five is rendered speechless.

[leviathans-body-pillow]

“But what about my kitten!?”

The new exchanged student asked looking anxiously at Lucifer.

“As I said we have made arrangements for all your human world responsibilities.” He answered, not quite sure what part of they made arrangements you didn’t understand.

“No you don’t understand! They’re only a few weeks old! I’m like their parent and litter in one, we can’t be apart right now!” You try to plead your case. If you have to spend a year in hell fine whatever but you refuse to do it without your kitten.

“I’m afraid we’re not able to accommodate a cat, surly it will be fine in foster care until you return.” Lucifer didn’t like the way you looked at him, it was just a cat. It’s not like they asked you to leave behind your human child.

“But they’ve already been abandoned once,” you start to choke up. “They’re gonna think I abandoned them too.” Now you’re crying. The human exchange student has been in Devildom for less than five minutes and they’re already crying.

Diavolo speaks up, “surely there’s room at the house of lamentation for one little kitten.” He doesn’t wait to Lucifer to object before he continues. “We’ll make the arrangements for you kitten to be brought with the rest of your personal items.”

“Promise,” you ask between sniffs, wiping the tears from your eyes.

“You have my word as prince.” He assured you.

*************************************************

How the brothers react

Lucifer

He’s not pleased. It’s not that he has anything against cats. He’s just not mentally prepared for the chaos having one in the house will cause. Surely his brothers will find a way to make it his problem. He’s not sure how yet but he’s got a bad feeling. He’s not quite sure what it takes to care for such a young kitten. Truly he’s impressed by how responsible and nurturing you are for it. Although he is worried about it getting in the way of your lessons. Or his brothers getting in the way constantly bothering you to spend time with your cat.

Mammon

Our first cat person. He already spends a lot of time hanging around you being your first and all. But now he has even more reason to spend time in your room. He loves playing with them so you can study. May buy too many cat toys for them. Will definitely act like you two are a couple and your kitten is your child. If you ever argue or try to kick him out of your room he’ll pick them up and say shit like “but think of our baby” in the end he spoils them and become just as attached to your cat as he is too you

Leviathan

What shut in anime nerd doesn’t like cats? You kitten definitely helps Levi warm up to you. It’s not that he wants to spend time with a normie like you but he does want to see you kitten. He actually becomes essential in taking care of them when you first arrive. Kittens that small can’t be left alone all day. Thankfully Levi takes a lot of classes online and is able to watch them throughout the day. He still keeps them in your room, he can’t have them trying to jump on his shelves and knock down his precious collection.

Satan

He could barely contain his excitement at how it worked out. If Diavolo hadn’t spoken for Lucifer he would have. Even if it took a legendary tantrum, he was not going to pass up on the opportunity to have an little kitten living at hol. This leads to you and Satan becoming close very quickly. He’s pretty much always in your room. At first just for your kitten but this eventually lead to him wanting to be with you as well. It gets to the point Lucifer has to come pull him away so he’s not getting in the way of your studies.

Asmodeus

Asmo’s not really a cat person. But he can’t deny that your little kitten is adorable! He snaps hundred of photos snd videos of them of his devilgram story. Will try to steal them away to use as a prop. You have day by day documentation of them growing from how often Asmo photographs them. Unlike his older brothers he doesn’t stick around very long, getting bored of your kitten as soon as their attention wonders away from him. But his visits are still fairly frequent.

Beelzebub

He tries to eat them. They’re just so tiny and bite sized. At least he didn’t want to eat your kitten anymore than he wanted to eat you at first. Even after he gets over his initial hunger he’s not any quicker to warm up to you. He’s just not a cat person so he doesn’t go out of his way to hang around.

Belphegor

After the whole incident, he’s disappointed he missed out of seeing the kitten when it first arrived. By the time he’s free your kitten is already a few months old and very energetic. He’s not a huge fan of them when they’re running around bouncing off the walls. But he does adore when they finally burn out and want to cuddle. Loves taking little cat naps with them but isn’t too thrilled when they jump on him or swat at him in his sleep.

[incorrect-mtg]

The Warlord and the Artificer

There's a saying among the Keldon, that a friendship is only true when it is forged in the fires of battle.

Radha would argue that Venser was never a warrior, so his contributions in battle were laughable, but saving the multiverse together should count for something.

That is why when he arrives severely injured on Keld, almost a decade after the mending, she orders her people to take care of him as they would herself, clearing a room for him to use and affording him the best healers Keld and Skyshroud could provide.

It takes him 3 days to heal enough for a coherent conversation, which is good enough for her to demand an explanation of what happened to him and what led him to Keld in the first place. The answer involved places and people she didn't know — from another plane entirely — but boiled down to Venser being unprepared for an ambush and almost getting himself killed, then not knowing where to go for help.

"So" she says, when he's done "your best plan was to seek charity from Keldons?"

"Well, it was more seeking charity from a friend, but yes" is his reply

Her answer is to snort and roll her eyes, before leaving the artificer to finish healing. Unlike him, she has a nation to wrangle together.

When he fully recovers days later, she does make sure to tell him he can come back, if he gets himself almost killed again in the future. Venser apparently takes that as a general invitation, showing up every few months to supposedly recover from his planeswalking mishaps or the miasmic atmosphere of his workshop in Urborg.

At some point the room he had first stayed him becomes HIS room, filled with random trinkets.

His stays are always short: it hadn't taken them long to realize that, no matter how much respect they might have held for one another, their personalities were just incompatible enough that they would inevitably find the other grating when interacting for long enough. Usually this would end with her calling him some variation of a "machine-obsessed coward" or him calling her a "battle-obsessed brute" and things descending into almost (or sometimes actual) violence.

So Venser would come, they annoy each other, he'd go away, rinse and repeat. One would think the constant annoyance would lead to her kicking him out for good. And yet…

One thing she is sorely lacking in her quest to rebuild her home is perspective. There is wisdom in both Keld and Skyshroud, but not the kind she needs to build a nation. Venser is the type of man who might not know everything, but who will voluntarily think and research in a way that would have her wanting to punch down a wall. Moreover, he's from Urborg, a place where people make a life out of scraps and gumption, exactly what Keld needs.

For his part, Venser seems happy to share all he knows freely, be it obtained in his workshop or on any of the many planes he keeps visiting and bringing back souvenirs from to decorate his room. As the years pass he even decides to teach her people directly, showing them how to build machines for farming and manufacturing and put to use the many scraps of phyrexian machinery that litter the land. It is the kind of knowledge that can truly change their lives, that means less people go hungry in winter, if any at all.

As for how she repays him, well…

"Training for the newest recruits will start tomorrow," she tells him one day "you should join in. My healers are tired of patching you up from your interplanar adventures."

"You want me to train… With a bunch of hotheaded Keldon kids" is his incredulous reply "You do see the problem in that, right? At best they'll laugh at me."

"You're a foreigner, they'll assume your lack of training is due to that. Also you don't look much olderthan them, which I've been meaning to ask about. What's up with that?"

"Exposure to the time rifts?" he says, shrugging. Her guess is as good as his, but it is undeniable that something is up with his aging. She is a a half-elf keldon and yet Venser doesn't look any older than her, despite the fact he should look like the human adult he actually is.

Regardless, she won't take no for an answer and the next few months see him going through all of the battle training anyone she calls a friend should have. The fact that the number of times he arrives in Keld injured drastically decreases afterwards only serve to validate her.

Things settle into a routine afterwards with her consolidating her position as "de facto" ruler of Keld ("maybe if I can sit you down long enough to write a proper legal code you can be de jure as well!") and gradually unmaking and remaking centuries of Keldon traditions into something new with Venser's help and constant planeswalking anecdotes ("Youd love Zendikar. Its like if a plane had your temperament"). Sure, they're a weird pair of friends, the keldon warlord and the ageless artificer. But she appreciates his wisdom and he's probably annoyed everyone else who'd listen to his tales.

Then one day he arrives from Urborg with a look on his face she knows means he either has a genius idea or a stupid one. The kind of look that means he's better left alone until he's thought his way through it and either decided on something or came to her for her perspective.

"Do you ever think about Karn?" he asks her, a day after arriving. "how he told us not follow him, all those years ago?"

"Not really" is her reply "I couldn't follow him even if I wanted to, why would I care?"

"But don't you ever wonder where he went? If he's still alive, even?"

She shrugs "He told us not to follow him. If he wanted help, he'd have asked for it."

"But what if he needed help? Or got himself into something he couldn't deal with?"

"Then that's on him, Venser" she says, the topic already irritating her "If I went out and told my people to not follow me, it means I don't want help. If I got myself killed that's on me, but if someone went after me when I told them not to I'd rip them a new one! Now, why are you thinking about this? We haven't thought about Karn in decades, what brought this on?"

He's quiet for a moment, before sighing and finally explaining "Some planeswalkers found me in my workshop. They want me to go with them to Mirrodin- that's Karn's plane" he explains when she gives him a questioning look "apparently it's been taken over by Phyrexians. I assume that's why Karn was so alarmed in the first place."

There's only thing to say to apossible return of Phyrexia.

"Shit."

"Yeah… They think I can help, somehow, and I got the impressioneither I go with them or get very far away to shake them off."

"Huh… Ok. So, you going?"

"Wha- Radha, if they're right, this would be like planeswalking directly to phyrexia! It would be suicide!"

"Maybe. Would be dangerous for sure. So, you're not going?"

"I don't know! If they're right, then Karn might have been caught by them. He might be dead" he says, now rubbing his temples "or he might need help, and nobody knows."

"Look, this is going nowhere" she says, thinking she might soon get a headache of her own "so Karn might be in trouble. Or maybe he's dead. You want to go and check. So go, what's the issue?"

"It's not that simple, Radha!" He replies, almost shouting.

"Yes. It. Is. What's so complex about it?!" she answers in kind.

"Not everyone is a suicidal keldon! I. Could. Die! Probably will, if I go!"

"Then make sure to die gloriously while taking down a legion of phyrexian horrors, Venser! If you want to do something, do it. If there are consequences, face them. If there's a cost, pay it. That's all there is to it. If you think Karn might need help, then sitting here complaining about it won't save him. If you think he's dead, either let it go or avenge him. End of story!"

As she ends her impromptu speech, she sees he's barely containing his anger. Good, if he punches first she might as well knock some sense into his stubborn head.

"Fine!" he finally replies "I'm going. If I come back I'll make sure to bring you the head of a negator or something. If I don't, get your bards to write a song about how I died gloriously against the ultimate enemy or whatever!" And then he's gone, planeswalking away in an instant.

It's the last time Radha sees him alive.

Radha doesn't have time to wonder about his whereabouts in the years that follow. Be it her ongoing duties as warlord or the resurgence or the Cabal, there is never a time to relax, to focus on the past. Not when people are counting on her.

Keldons learn not to mourn the ships that leave port never to return.

She does wish he would come back, of course. Particularly when she's foolishly captured by the Cabal herself. If he knew he'd probably plan some elaborate rescue just to laugh at her for getting caught in the first place.

When she is actually rescued by the Gatewatch, when she sees Karn among them, she lets herself hope just a bit. When all is done and Belzenlok is defeated and the Gatewatch leaves to handle Nicol Bolas of all things, she asks the golem about Venser.

Coming back to Keld, she takes the time for a funeral, even if there's no corpse. He might not have been born keldon, but he lived among them long enough to count, and what is more keldon than dying against the greatest of all enemies, making sure they lose their prize?

At least he was considerate enough to leave some phyrexians for her. The second phyrexian invasion comes with a wave of sleeper agents and whole new mechanical horrors, and apparently they dedicate a significant portion of their forces just for Keld. She'd be flattered if she wasn't busy unearthing sleeper agents and tearing apart ground soldiers. It takes her people weeks to find their footing and finally clear out the core of Keld and Skyshroud, which is when the enemy deploys their omenpaths, each spewing wholes armies of new enemies.

Leading them is a familiar face, if covered by layers of phyrexian butchery. Most of his body is gone, surrounded by a floating shell whose tendrils move every which way. Even as it appears to send out orders to its soldiers, the face at the center barely moves, like it is nothing more than a blank mask or decoration.

She has seen far too many familiar faces put to use by phyrexia. Their sleeper agents had sunk deep in Keld before they'd even realized something was wrong. She knows what phyrexian deception looks like.

This isn't deception. This is mockery.

Keldons do not take kindly to mockery.

The cold anger she had been holding onto since the beginning of the invasion heats up into an inferno but, for once, she does not let it down immediately. She's smarter than that: Phyrexia had fought them tooth and nail, but this is not a battle of attrition, it's an overwhelming show of force. A final act to break her and her people, in body and spirit. So she needs to throw all she has back at them.

Rather than roaring at the sky above, she closes her eyes, reaching back to the oldest lessons she had been given. The knowledge of the elves of Skyshroud, of reaching out to nature itself. She calls for the anger in Keld's mountains, and the indignation in Skyshroud's forests. Draws the mana from the leylines themselves to her. It is crude and painful, but good enough for what she needs.

When she finally lets out a war cry, it is with the power of all the earth under her feet. The mana shining so bright it is almost blinding as it spreads from her to each person standing beside her, then everyone already fighting then every non-phyrexian she can reach. As one, they charge.

And at last the phyrexians learn fear.

[murfpersonalblog]

Thanks for tagging me @little-desi-historian! ❤️

YES, all of this takes me back to something I wanted to touch a lot more on in my original post when it comes to the historical male image, Percy, Lestat, and Matadors; because it truly does link back to how AMC is playing with dandyism and society's expectations about effeminate men.

Dandyism is a form of resistance culture. As I've said before, Lestat flouts gender norms because HE CAN do whatever he wants & get away with it. His androgyny's on a different level: effeminate or masculine, he's still a vampire, a SUPERnatural creature elevated beyond the bounds of social mores that determine what men & women could or SHOULD act/dress like. MANY people across social media have pointed to Lestat's limp wrists, long blonde "Barbie" hair and ESPECIALLY him dressing in drag in Ep7 as proof that he's the "wife/mother/woman/femme fatale" in Lousta's relationship, and THEN claim its either gender essentialism or homophobic/racist to say Louis is CANONICALLY female-coded one in BOTH the books and show (as AR said so). But no, Lestat in drag was a power move, because he doesn't care what anyone thinks/says/does--he'll just eat them. Mockingly eating the baby in a dress was a deliberate bastardization of motherhood/womanhood. Louis is called every homophobic name in the book by those expecting the black man to just take being insulted, but MARQUIS de Lioncourt DEMANDS being crowned KING of Mardi Gras, Krewe of Raj, & he'll show you exactly what he thinks about your silly homophobic hypocritical human society: You're just "the MEAT," let them eat KING Cake--you're his FOOD. Eff y'all, I'm dressed to KILL you, & laugh doing it.

Lestat's behavior is not only derived from the time period he was born & raised in (the Rococo era of so-called "effeminate" high class dandies--a la Percy Blakeney, etc). Lestat is the embodiment of PRIVILEGE: a powerful rich white male vampire, who leans into being foreign/French White to excuse anything he does that people find strange/off/unnatural/dangerous--all the red flags. 🚩🚩🚩

And red flags brings me directly back to matadors/toreros.

@toscrollperchancetomeme

😂 TYSM! Sam Reid dropped so many juicy deets; I couldn't resist! There's so much depth to the Matador outfit, beyond the gendered aspect of bullfighting that I discussed before. Let's go back to what Sam said about Lestat, and delve deeper into matadors:

The most iconic apparel worn by toreros ("bullfighters") / matador de toros ("killer of bulls") in Spanish bullfighting is the Traje de Luces, the "Suit of Lights." The colors are usually bright & vivid, as part of the showmanship & pizzazz. Darker palettes are less common, as shiny sequins (the luces/lights) became part of the standard fit.

However, Lestat's all-black Matador outfit from what Sam called the "villain sequence" in Ep5 seems to be loosely following the style of a different but very closely related outfit, the Traje Campero "Rural/Countryside Suit" aka Traje Corto ("Short Suit").

(These costumes are typically worn during ceremonial parades and a very specific festival I'll get back to in a moment, cuz it's important.) Unlike the Suit of Light's sequins & silk, the Rural Suit is made of suede, leather, or velvet, in dark muted colors. The pants can be light or dark, striped & patterned, with or without chaps (also found in gentleman's uniforms of military officers and cowboys).

The trajes originated from "the flamboyant costumes of the 18th-century dandies and showmen involved in bullfighting, which later became exclusive to the bullfighting ritual." (Wikipedia)

The ancestor of both trajes (luces/campero) is traditional 17th-19th century Andalusian clothing (Andalusia being the home of Spanish bullfighting), closely associated with a very particular type of masculine dandyism. (The campero/corto is also the costume worn by Andalusian male flamenco dancers.)

"Before the 17th century the profession of bullfighting did not exist as such, and the fighters did not wear luxurious & shiny trajes de luces, but instead normal clothes of the time according to the social class to which the bullfighter belonged. The first bullfighter trajes de toreros appeared in the 17th century, when professional bullfighters from Navarre & Andalusia wore characteristic garments with their gangs to participate in performances and thus differentiate themselves from other bullfighter bands." (translated/truncated from Spanish website)

In the mid-1700s, Francisco Romero revolutionized professional bullfighting by establishing the first matadors who fought on foot, heroically fighting the bull face to face with swords & the muleta (iconic red flag) in a dance-like performance, dressed in a suede/velvet coleto (jacket), a precursor to the traje campero. Romero (from a carpenter family) wanted to show off & stand out from the nobility, and changed the game entirely, through a form of social resistance-turned-innovation.

"At that time, bullfighting on horseback was more important, which was considered a sport and not a show. Bullfighting on foot was not yet widely recognized." (translated from Spanish website)

Bull-killing on horseback was practiced by Spanish noblemen, attended by lower class assistants on foot. Romero was the first to make on-foot matadors the stars of what was increasingly becoming a dandified show/performance/dance. Matador Joaquin "Costillares" Rodríguez introduced even more showmanship, competing against Francisco Romero's grandson Pedro Romero (famously painted by Goya--bottom right).

For his matches, Costillares (middle) dressed in flashy silks, threaded in shiny silver braiding; the precursor to modern traje de luces. Like Francisco Romero (left), Costillares wanted to show off & stand out; and revolutionized the male image of the bullfighter through clothes.

In 18th-19th century Andalusian Spain there were 2 types of dandy: the French-imported upperclass petimetre (effeminate dandy), and the indigenous working class majo (masculine/macho dandy).

Noyes, Dorothy. “La Maja Vestida: Dress as Resistance to Enlightenment in Late-18th-Century Madrid.” The Journal of American Folklore 111, no. 440 (1998): 197–217. https://www.jstor.org/stable/541941

The majo, like many dandies, became the peak of Andalusian fashion, across all social classes; and torero/matador outfits weren't the only ones to take cues from them:

18th-19th century majos "distinguished themselves by their elaborate outfits and sense of style in dress and manners, as well as by their cheeky behavior. The majos outfits were exaggerations of traditional Spanish dress. The style stood in strong contrast to the French styles affected by many of the Spanish elite under the influence of the Enlightenment. Majos were known to pick fights with those they saw as afrancesados ("Frenchified" – fops)." (Wikipedia)

The majos' flamboyant/cheeky/saucy/exaggerated behavior was aggressively masculine; a lower/working class resistance to social mores imposed on them by (foreign) elites, whom they saw as more feminine, and FOUGHT against, to reaffirm their masculinity. These dandies were violent, brazen non-conformists; as beautiful & stylish as they were dangerous. And matadors/toreros knew that the bullfight was the perfect arena to exemplify the spirit of the majos through the dandified performance art/sport of killing bulls--a universal cultural symbol of masculine prowess & strength. Spanish bullfighting used to belong solely to the aristocratic equestrian sphere. Lowly pages/assistants like Francisco Romero (dressed in the precursor to the Rural/Countryside Suit), were the first to buck the system by killing bulls on foot--he likely didn't own a horse. The Romeros were from a carpenter family. Costillares was the son of a butcher. But through bullfighting they gained social status and became icons of masculinity--and dandies.

Lestat--the nouveau riche son of a poor country marquis--insists on being all the beautiful things he is without apology: masculine & effeminate alike. But like I said, it was no coincidence that Carol likened Lestat's Ep5 villain outfit with matadors--he's fighting Louis for dominance in their household, and reaffirming his place at the top of their very gendered social hierarchy, as a warning to BOTH "the housewife" AND "the prodigal daughter" he feels are threatening his authority as their Maker, so he defeats them BOTH.

Carol Cutshall initially designed Lestat's matador pants as pajamas--loungewear. (Lestat's CASUAL & comfortable in his ability to KILL--matador means "Killer" in Spanish--and remember what I said about Louis & Claudia being put on the same parallel level in Ep5, when Claudia's attacked by "Killer" aka Bruce.) Sam said Carol made several versions of the pants; and yup, they're foreshadowed in Ep5 when Lestat first starts arguing about Louis' depression, then they pop up again in Ep7 during the Murder Plot--two instances @dwreader brilliantly linked Lestat (& Stanley Kowalski) wearing wifebeaters. (Listen, Carol, I just wanna talk.... 😅🔫)

And here's my last points about Lestat's matador outfit. First there's the irony of Lestat (who grew up poor in rural France) wearing the something very similar to the matador/torero's Rural Suit, traje campero (aka Short Suit (traje corto)). But what's more interesting is that that type of Short/Rural Suit is usually only worn during special festivals called the Tienta ("trials"), not the regular corrida ("bullfights").

These Tienta are trials for young and immature bulls to be tested in the ring, to see if they're fit for breeding/fighting. 🤯 FLEDGLINGS. And who's Lestat's young bull? "Built-like-a-bird" Claudia. Who's the immature bull? The "biggest rat eater of them all," the under-developed "botched" vampire Louis. During these trials, veteran matadors can show off their skills; and novice bullfighters are shown the ropes and prove themselves. Like I said: the matador wins again.

God, even the way Lestat dragged Louis' bloody body out of the courtyard by the jaw/neck resembles the way the defeated bull--bled out & stabbed in the neck--is dragged by the neck out of the ring.

And remember what I said about Lestat and FOOD. Cuz what happens to the bulls after the matadors kill them? They're sent to the slaughterhouse to be butchered for FOOD. People EAT the bulls.

So yeah, my whole point in this post and my first one is not to sleep on guys like Lestat, Percy--or even other famous dandies like Valmont from Dangerous Liasions/Cruel Intentions (mentioned by both @little-desi-historian and @dwreader)--just because they're effeminate--especially when they're emulating mannerisms from a time period where the model of what made a fashionable gentlemen/good breeding/elite society did NOT match modern expectations about gender. People are getting distracted by Lestat's yaasified manner, not what the show itself is signalling through the relationships he has with others.

This show is deliberately painting Lestat as a villain through Louis' & Claudia's perspectives, as they were the ones who suffered under his Reign of Terror. The symbolism behind the matador-inspired costume used in Ep5 reflected gendered social hierarchies embedded within bullfighting culture (in Spain, women only started being allowed to fight in the 19th-20th centuries). Dressed in clothes resembling that of a matador, Lestat beating & defeating Louis mirrored the defeat of the emasculated bull, and the reification of the victor's masculine prowess at the top of the foodchain.

[abbyromanoff]

Love Like No Other (Trouble Chapter 5)

Pairings: Natasha Romanoff x f!reader

Word count: 6960

Warnings: TW!!!, angst, homophobia, shame, guilt, arguments, all characters are 18+, Nat finally confessing for R, fluff, happy ending, Nat finally being a good person

Series here:

No one is permitted to steal, copy, or reblog my work as their own!!

“What the hell is going on in here?” Your father stated, sounding seemingly calm but with hints of anger in his voice. The two of you were only covered by the blanket, your clothes forming a small pile on the side of the bed. Nat was lucky enough to still be wearing her undergarments unlike you who was completely bare.

“Dad-”

“Don’t ‘Dad’ me, Y/N, what the fuck is going on here?” Your breathing increased the more his voice rose. You never liked yelling yet he never cared what you liked anyways. Your mother came upstairs, standing behind him and asking what the problem was. Her question was answered when seeing you both. It was a sight she prayed to have never seen, her only daughter sinning with a girl she despised.

“Get dressed and meet us in the living room. Now!” You both rushed to grab your clothes once he left the room and shut the door with a loud bang behind him. Nat rushed over to you, embracing you in a tight hug. You both knew the consequences but you couldn’t stay away from each other. Not only did you commit adultery but you did with a woman, a woman disliked and hated by your own parents.

“What are we going to do, Natty?” Your quivering tone made her almost break. She never wanted to get you hurt or cause trouble, but she did wherever she went. She was always just a troublemaker, nothing more and nothing less.

“I wish I knew, baby, I wish I knew.”

“God, why couldn’t I just ignore you? Then we wouldn’t be in this mess.” You whispered to yourself, not intending for her to hear you. Nat pulled back to look you in the eyes, you could see her brain racking with hurt and sorrow.

“You regret it?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I don’t regret you, I just wish this never happened, then neither of us would have to deal with the consequences.”

“Hey, look at me.” She paused, taking a deep breath to block the tears from arising. “Even if this hurts us, even if I can’t be near you in public anymore, no matter what happens, I’ll never regret a thing with you. The fights, the kisses, just now, even just seeing you. I’ll never regret one thing.” Before you could even think of a reply, you heard your father yelling for you both to hurry up and that you were taking too long. You grabbed your last article of clothing and opened the door, pausing in your steps until Nat rested her hand on your back, leading you forward. The two of you walked down the stairs together, your hands occasionally touching as your parents came into your eyesight. Your father was pacing around the living room, a hand over his mouth and his other resting on his hip. Although your mother was sitting on the end of the couch, elbows resting on her knees as she tried to calm down her husband. When he saw you both, he stopped. Your mother couldn’t even look you in the eyes; you felt like an outsider.

“Do you know how embarrassing this is? Our family image is in danger because you couldn’t stay away from her! What’s going to happen when people find out, hm? I and your mother could lose our jobs!” he threw his arms up, anger seeping through him. He cared more about what people thought of you than you, he wanted the good look but he didn’t truly care about you.

“M-Mom? You don’t agree with him, do you?” She only sighed, but it was enough to answer your question. You looked at Nat with fear and worry, she shared the same emotions. It wasn’t like her to be afraid of what others thought, but it being with you made it hurt a thousand times more.

“Me and your mother need to have a chat about you. For now, I want her out of my goddamn home and I want you to sit in that room and think about what you did.” Nat glanced at you before she hesitantly left, not wanting anything to happen to you while she was gone. Would they do something to their own daughter? Seeming how they reacted, she wouldn’t be surprised if they did. When she got home that night, she broke down in her mother's arms. Her parents knew about her sexuality, and while they didn’t love it they were still supportive of their daughter. Melina held her there for nearly two hours before Nat passed out from exhaustion.

When you awoke it was due to loud banging from the wall. Your father was boarding up your window, you guessed he found out that Nat snuck in through there. He didn’t speak one word, only looking at you for less than a second before leaving. When you ate breakfast, it was silent. Nobody spoke and your mother could still not even look at you.

“Y/N, I and your mother came up with a way to help with this…phase you’re going through.” You flinched at his voice but listened nonetheless. You were scared to see what he would say, but how bad could it be?

“We’re sending you to a camp, they’re known to fix people like you.” People like you…God, that hurt to hear.

“You’ll stay there for a little while and then you can stay with your aunt down in Colorado, that way you’ll be far, far away from Natalia.”

“Her name isn’t Natalia. It’s Natasha.” She had told you how much she hated her real name and ended up being called Natasha her whole life. You often teased her by calling her Natalia, you were the only one she didn’t mind hearing it from. And you were the only one ever allowed to call her that.

“Whatever her name is, she’s still just a train wreck-”

“God, why do you decide who’s good and bad for me?”

“Hey! Don’t use The Lord’s name in vain.” It was the first time your mother had shared a word with you since last night. She was too similar to your father, the only time she spoke was when she was mad. You prayed you’d wake up from this nightmare in your bed soon enough.

“Really? That’s all that you care about? What about me, hm? Or the camp your husband and my own Dad wants to send me to? Or maybe the fact that you guys are basically disowning me for loving someone? You both are fucking crazy!” You had never sworn around them, and never did you even speak a word to them that could’ve come off as rude or full of attitude. So hearing you scream those words right in their faces was a shocker. They couldn’t even come up with a response, too flabbergasted to even think. You scoffed, not even grabbing anything you needed before walking out, slamming the door on your way. You had no destination in mind, but you knew you couldn’t go anywhere your parents would expect. You couldn’t go to Nat’s or Kate’s. And beside them, you had no one. So, you walked. You walked until your legs were sore and you had no idea where you were. It was cold; your body shivering as goosebumps erupted all over your skin. You had no idea the time, you didn’t care either. All that filled your mind was everything they said. The way they screamed with no regard for how you felt in that moment, or ever. But on top of it all, Nat was the main thing plaguing your mind like a disease. She wouldn’t leave. Even when you’d beg your mind to let her go, it wouldn’t listen.

Nearly two hours later you could see the sun starting to rise behind the trees. You knew you couldn’t go home, you’d only be screamed at more. But you also knew you needed your bag for school, there was nowhere else you could go during the day anyways. It was school or home, neither were good options. But, you only had a few weeks left, what harm would one day do? Maybe you could finally see Nat or Kate, you had missed them more than anything, even if it had only been a few hours or days.

But the moment you walked through those doors it wasn’t just Nat and Kate looking at you, it was half of the upper and lower-class men. You wondered what had happened, it’s not like you were popular, so why was everyone looking your way? You locked eyes with Nat, only to see her look down at the ground in shame. And when you looked at Kate, she turned to speak to someone else. What the fuck was happening right now? You walked over to Nat, calling out her name loud enough so she could hear you to make sure she couldn’t walk away.

“Nat! Do not walk away from me-” You grabbed her shoulder, turning her body so she faced you. There were still few who looked at you, but most had already returned their attention to their friends or lockers.

“What is going on? Why is everyone acting weird?” Nat sighed, grasping your arm and dragging you into the bathroom a few steps away. She didn’t want anyone to see you. Of course, she didn’t.

“Nat, just tell me-”

“They know.” Fuck. The words you dreaded hearing had just escaped her mouth. It was like you were living in a nightmare. People had already disliked you, now they had all the more reason to.

“But how? I didn’t tell anyone,” Nat looked as if she didn’t believe you, so you tried again. “Please, you have to believe me, Nat. I didn’t tell a single soul.” She seemed to pity you by the desperation in your voice, shushing you and kissing your forehead, yet still watching the opening for anyone who could see you both. You were scared, and she wished she could say she wasn’t.

“I believe you, baby, I do. I just- I don’t know how someone could find out if neither of us told anyone.”

“You didn’t tell anyone? Anyone at all?”

“Well, only my family. My mom, dad, and Yelena. That’s it.” She brought you in for a hug, pressing the back of your head into her neck. It seemed to just hit her the state you were in; no backpack, messed up hair, droopy eyes, and your clothes. They weren’t what you normally wore. You never dressed in your pajamas to school, it was clear something was wrong. But before she could ask what had happened, you spoke.

“Do you think there’s a possibility that Yelena told someone?”

“You think Yelena, my sister, did this?”

“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s just that if I didn’t tell anyone, and you didn’t tell anyone but her, it seems like the only option.” Nat sighed deeply, clearly troubled by the thought of her sister doing such a thing. She refused to believe she would, but you were right. Unless your parents had told the school, there was no other option.

“Maybe it was your parents. After all, they do know now.”

“You really think they’d want to ruin their reputation around here just so everyone can be aware of the fact that we slept together?” That did make sense, your parents only cared about how others viewed them, so why would they ruin that?

“Look, I think we should just talk to Yelena and ask her if she knows anything.” Nat hesitated but eventually agreed. The bell was about to ring so you both knew you’d have to wait to ask her. But now, you had to walk through the halls filled with the same people who couldn’t keep their eyes off you guys. You felt like prey to them all, having them stare you down as if you were nothing all because you loved someone.

But Nat wasn’t worried, the two of you would be leaving this school in a few weeks anyways and it’s not like any of them knew you personally. She knew it would all be okay as long as she had you by her side, that’s all she ever needed.

“Well, you ready for Chemistry?” She stood next to you as you both made your way to the classroom on the second floor of the building. You had your head down, not being able to face the crowd of people that you hoped wouldn’t notice you two. Nat however kept her head held high. You were confused, all this time she had tried to keep your relationship a secret, hiding you and shaming you around her friends whenever she could just to keep the heat off of her. You wanted people to know, but you also knew the dangers of it all. And those same dangers are exactly what you ended up with in the end. All your sneaking around and arguments had led to this. You’d never regret being with Nat, not even after all she had done, but you just wished this could’ve never happened.

The moment you stepped into the class you made eye contact with the only other person you liked here; Kate. Unlike in the halls, she didn’t direct her focus on someone else or scoot away, but there was something else. You could see guilt in her eyes as she tried to hide her face by looking at the paper on her desk, but she couldn’t help the glances she made at you. You racked your brain for what could’ve happened with her until it came to you. No, she wouldn’t, she’s your friend. And you hadn’t even told her about you and Nat. But, it was pretty obvious after the party that there was something between you and the redhead. The way she grabbed you harshly and tried to take you away from her, almost trying to state the control she knew she had over you, no ‘best friend’ would do that.

Nat followed your eyes and looked at Kate, noticing the guilt painted across her face. She knew that look, it was one she knew too well. She paused, not averting her eyes from the girl across the room as she studied her facial expressions. Of course, it was her. God, how could she be so stupid in letting you near her in the first place? She knew she would’ve only caused trouble, yet she still felt a sense of pain when taking you away from Kate.

“That bitch. I thought you said you didn’t tell anyone?” She whisper-yelled, making sure not to draw any more attention to the two of you.

“What do you-” You noticed the way she glared at Kate and quickly came to the realization of what was happening. “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“But, I didn’t tell her, I barely even spoke about you!”

“Then how does she know? I warned you about her, I told you she was just trouble and you didn’t listen, all because you needed to have friends, well look where it got us now.” You tried to tell yourself that she was just angry, that she didn’t mean the things she said. But it was hard to convince yourself when you knew she was right. She warned you and you refused to listen, all because you were blind to the truth. You stayed silent as Nat awaited a ‘sorry’ or any other pitiful response you could come up with. She had no right to be mad, you weren’t the blame here, but she just needed to let her frustrations out. She needed to yell at someone or something, and you were the only one close to her, everyone else not wanting to even sit near you both.

Nearly twenty minutes later Kate asked if she could use the restroom, and a minute after her you asked as well. You knew this was your only chance to speak to her without everyone seeing or hearing your conversation. Nat gave you a skeptical glance that you quickly shot down with a small smile. You sped-walked to the girls' bathroom, walking in just as Kate was washing her hands. She saw you through the small mirror that was just above the sink she occupied. She knew this would happen, and it was time for her to come clean.

“What did you do, Kate?”

“I- nothing, Y/N-”

“I know you did something, how else would you explain your obvious guilty conscience and the fact that everybody is giving me dirty glares?” You whisper-yelled, watching discreetly as Kate picked at her nails, a nervous habit of hers you picked up on.

“Look, I told one person; one! I didn’t expect most of the school to find out.”

“How did you even know? I never told you that me and Nat were a thing.”

“Do you know how obvious you two make it? First of all, what happened at the party? Then when I took you to that diner and you smiled every time I mentioned Nat. Oh, and not to mention the way she looks at you like you just held up the goddamn moon.” I guess it was pretty obvious the more you thought about it, but it still wasn’t clear to everyone that you were in love. Nobody had ever brought it up before today.

“But you still didn’t know. You assumed, Kate.” She moved from the sink, going to the paper towel dispenser and grabbing two to wipe her hands on. When she was done, she turned to look at you once more, rushing to get her words out of her brain and finally be freed from what she kept a secret.

“The other night, your parents invited me to have dinner with you and them. They must’ve seen how excited you were to hang out with me and called us to see if I wanted to come over. Well, I saw Nat’s car in front of the house and heard some noises near the side window. My curiosity got the best of me and I went to go see what all the ruckus was. But when I got over there, I saw what seemed to be Nat kissing you. She was holding your face and you two were holding one another while practically making out. I guess I got a little upset and well, the next day, I told Steve. He must’ve told someone and they told someone and now most of the entire town knows. So, I’m sorry for invading your privacy, it was wrong of me.” You were left flabbergasted. Your own friend was the one who ratted you out to everyone, she betrayed your trust all because she was upset.

“So, what you’re telling me is that you practically ruined me and Nat’s life all because you were upset?” Before she could try and defend herself, you were there to stop her once again. “You delusional bitch! Do you know what that does to a person? My family found out about us that night, and guess what, I’m being sent away all because I love her. And you know what is the perfect cherry on top of this amazing week? The fact that not only do my parents know, but the whole fucking school knows too! Do you have no regard for what this could do to me? I might not even be able to get into any college because you couldn’t keep your mouth shut for one minute!” Kate hadn’t known the true results of her actions and how they damaged you, she didn’t even think twice before telling someone who she knew wasn’t one to keep secrets.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. It was wrong and I wish I could take it back, I do.”

“Well, you can’t, Kate. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive you for this.” You walked out of the bathroom and soon entered the classroom, an ashamed and regretful-looking Kate following suit. Nat gave you a weird stare, only to notice the tears in your eyes forcing themselves to hide away. She wanted to apologize for what she had said earlier, but she could tell it wasn’t the time. You had a hard day already; no sleep, arguing, shame, and everybody treating you as if you had done something wrong. She grabbed a post-it note seeing as the teacher had already scolded her for not paying attention and whispering to you the whole time.

The note read, “Meet me at my house after school, I need to talk to you. Love you <3” You smiled seeing the little heart, giving Nat a small nod to confirm your soon appearance at her house.

The rest of the day went by slowly, your mind going over all the possibilities that could happen when Nat and you would talk later today. You could tell it wouldn’t be something sweet and simple like it usually was, it was going to be serious. And it could determine your relationship, you just hoped you wouldn’t lose her again. But you knew you had to tell her about the camp and that it would more than likely be your last time seeing one another.

And when the dismissal bell rang loudly, you were one of the first to leave, shoving into everybody as you ran out the doors. You sped-walked to her house, taking the long way to make sure you wouldn’t walk by your own home, it would be hard to see it after last night. When you arrived, Nat’s car was already parked in the small driveway. When you knocked on the door, it only took about ten seconds before Nat hurriedly opened it.

“You made it.” She stated the obvious, relief swimming through her body. She thought you’d end up not coming, especially after today.

“I did.” She grabbed her coat before walking with you to the treehouse in her backyard. Call it stupid, but it was your favorite place to hang out. She had told you about her and Yelena always going up there when she was younger and how she helped her dad build it. Well, she gave him the tools and he assembled the pieces together. You used to have one at your old house before you moved, so having one here always brought back waves of nostalgia.

“So, um, what did you want to talk about?”

“I think you know.” She was right, you did know. You knew exactly what she had wanted to get off her chest, you just couldn’t bring yourself to mention it.

“What did you and Kate talk about today in the bathrooms?”

“You were right, she was the one who told everyone.”

“I figured that.” Nat said, “But, how did she know?” She was much calmer than earlier, placing her hand on your thigh soothingly and genuinely showing interest in her questions answer. You could see in her eyes that she was upset, although it was mainly with herself. She was ashamed of ever accusing you of such a thing when you hadn’t done anything wrong, you could never do wrong in her eyes.

“Apparently she was supposed to have dinner with us the night my dad caught us. She heard you coming in through the window and saw us kissing. She told Steve and he told more and more until, well, most people knew. I yelled at her and got my point across, but I just feel so bad about it, I don’t know why.”

“Because you’re a naturally caring person, Y/N. You’re so sweet and always worried about others, even when they hurt you. Even when I hurt you over and over again, you still forgave me, even if I didn’t deserve it.”

“But, you did deserve it-”

“No, I didn’t. I manipulated you, gaslighted you, and made you feel less than you are, and I was the biggest idiot for that.” There was a beat of silence, the words you wanted to say were trapped in your mind, debating on whether they wanted to be expressed or not. But you let them free.

“Why? Why did you do it?” Nat sighed, scooching closer to you to pull your body into hers. She hugged you closely in her arms while you rested your head on top of her shoulder.

“Because I was afraid. I’ve never been loved the way you loved me. Sure, I have family and friends who love me, well, friends who used to. But I never had someone like you. You brought out the best in me, even when I tried to keep it in. I was scared of how much I loved you, it was overwhelming. I’d wake up thinking of you and go to bed thinking of you. You never left my mind, not even for a split second. I tried to push you away and hurt you, but you didn’t care how horrible I was, you were still so sweet and so fucking irresistible. I knew you liked me but I refused to admit I’d ever like you. So, like I always do, I turned to drugs and partying to try and get my mind off of things. But even when I was high out of my mind, you were still the only thing on my mind. And seeing you with Kate just- God, it hurt so bad. I wanted you to be mine but I didn’t want to admit that I wanted to be yours. I’m sorry, love, if I could take it all back, I would.”

“I wouldn’t.” Nat gave you a confused look before you continued, “No matter how crappy and how stressful the situation was, I still wouldn’t change it for the world. If it means that I get to be with you, I’d do anything. And I’m just so glad I got to have you for the time being. I’m gonna miss you, Natty.” Nat smiled to herself when hearing your words but it quickly came to an end when she finally registered in her mind what you said. Miss her? What did you mean by having to miss her?

“Miss me? Why would you need to miss me? I’m not leaving you again.” You regretted the words the second they left your mouth. You wanted to wait to tell her so she didn’t need to worry about you, you wanted to cherish the time you had together before you were to leave her all alone with no one to hold and love.

“My parents they- they told me they’re going to send me to a camp to help people like me. And, after, I’ll go live with my aunt down in Colorado. You may not be leaving me but I have to leave you.”

“And you chose to tell me this now?” Nat was furious, not exactly with you but with your parents, who were they to strip away your freedom like it was nothing? She needed to figure out a way to keep you here with her where you belonged. You didn’t need to get help, you needed to be loved and Nat was finally willing to give you that, but it was too late, you’d be leaving soon and she’d be left all alone with the memories you shared haunting her.

“I’m sorry, I only found out last night.” She took a moment before asking,

“When do you have to leave?” She asked, her voice quivering as her lip jittered. She didn’t want to lose you, she couldn’t handle that.

“I don’t know. All I know is that it’s going to be soon, maybe after our graduation.”

“But that’s in two weeks! There has to be something we can do, right?” You shook your head with defeat, feeling a drop of wetness hit your shoulder from above you. Nat tried to hide her sorrow but you could read her like an open book.

“I’m gonna do whatever I can to be with you, I can’t lose you, Y/N.” You both knew this would most likely be one of your last encounters, maybe even forever. It ached your heart to even think about it. But there was simply nothing you could do except accept your defeat and hope to see her again someday in the future.

The day of your graduation was filled with tears, happy, and sad. You and Nat both knew what this meant, it was most likely your last day together. And while you didn’t know how to deal with it all, Nat was there to scoop you up and make you forget everything else. She took you to a secluded space in the park with two Coca-Colas in hand. You were never one for soda but seeing as it was most likely your last day of freedom you didn’t disagree to having one. The bubbly, acid-tasing drink filled your tastebuds causing you to scowl in disgust. Nat drank the soda with no problem, she must have these a lot.

“Well, congrats on finally graduating.” You teased, knowing she had to stay back for a year due to her lack of intelligence.

“Oh shut up, you know I’m smart.”

“Yeah, yeah.” There was a comfortable silence that bestowed upon you two, the sunset in front of you and the light sounds of birds in the background. Nat and you had swapped your graduation hats earlier on, hers was a bit larger than your head, but you didn’t complain.

“I can’t believe this will be our last night together,” Nat spoke, looking down at her now empty can, held by your intertwined hands. “I’m gonna miss you, you know?” You knew that if you spoke, you wouldn’t be able to stop the tears from flowing. So, you just nodded, a small smile painting your lips. You wanted to hate the world for causing you two to be split apart, but you couldn’t help feeling grateful to have the luck of ever knowing the woman. Even if she hurt you time and time again, you were just glad to have her.

When you woke up, your bags were already packed and ready to leave. You only had a few hours before the long-awaited road trip. You cherished the time greatly, having a small breakfast before quickly rushing out the door. Nat’s car was already parked outside, much to your parents' dismay. They watched you get into the small, beat-up truck with a smile on your face. Surprisingly, they let you leave. And even when knowing what the end of the day would bring, you still smiled as if it was all okay.

But three hours later when you finally returned home, lugging your way inside and trying to stop the fast beating of your heart. Your parents greeted you without a word being said, already having your suitcase in the trunk of their car and letting you have a few minutes to say goodbye to your home. It brought back a feeling of nostalgia for only a few months ago when you had to say goodbye to your childhood house. Nat stood not far from you and your parents. She watched with a heavy heart as you neared minutes till you were to be gone for good. The time had flown by so fast, way too fast for her liking. She tried not to say anything, but it was too late.

“Mr. and Mrs. Y/L/N, please, you can’t do this.” Nat knew your parents would never listen to her, but she needed to try.

“It’s the only way she can get the help she needs, Natalia.” He said in a bitter tone.

“But you don’t get it, sir, I love her-”

“Don’t say that about my daughter-”

“But It’s true! Sir, I love your daughter more than anything and anyone. I-I can prove it to you! Her favorite color used to be bright pink, the same color as her room, but now she loves Teal and a lighter green. Uhm, her favorite movie is The Breakfast Club, even though her two favorite genres of movies are horror and comedy. But it can’t be a gorish movie or she won’t be able to sleep or eat for a while. Her favorite fruit is strawberries and watermelon but her favorite food is Mac and Cheese, especially the kind her mom makes. Her favorite childhood memory is when you both would swing her in the air with each hand and push her on her old swing set in the backyard. She used to have a treehouse, and that’s why she loves mine so much. The only way she used to play board or card games was if you both would go in the treehouse with her to play. Her favorite sport was always Baseball because she loved playing catch with her dad in the backyard and watching her favorite team play. She used to have a pet cat that she got when she was five years old that she got to name Sparkles. Even though you hated the name, you just wanted your daughter to be happy. when she was nine, the cat went missing and she learned a few months later that he got hit by a car while she was at school. Her favorite stuffed animal is the little piglet she got from her grandmother when she was born. She always wanted a sibling, she didn’t care if it was a boy or a girl but she’d prefer it to be a girl. She still keeps the shirt she stole from you when she was ten that used to look like a dress on her because she was so small. Her best friend was a girl named Maria but they eventually grew apart. And when she moved here, I was the first and only person to get to know her. I know I did some bad things, Mr. Y/L/N, but I really love your daughter. I’ll stop smoking and drinking and-and partying, I’ll stop it all! I admit I’m not the best person, but I’m trying because I’ve never loved someone the way I love her. And as a father, your job is to protect and love your daughter, your only daughter at that, wouldn’t you want her to be with someone who truly loves her instead of some man who wouldn’t treat her right all because it’s the ‘normal’? If you just give me one chance, I promise to change. Please, sir, I can’t lose her.” You had never known how well she truly listened to you, you thought her silence always meant she didn’t care to pay attention. Everything she said was correct, and it was more than anyone had cared to find out about you. Your parents could barely even remember your birthday most years, yet Nat knew your whole life story. Your parents were just as surprised. They didn’t even know four things about each other off the top of their heads, but Nat just listed several. She had cared, and she had listened to you since day one.

You walked over to her, looking into her beautiful green eyes and enwrapping your arms around her tightly, refusing to ever let go. You could smell her heavy amounts of cologne on her plain black shirt, it brought you more comfort than anything ever has. Your parents examined the scene with a sudden regret filling their minds, it was clear you both love each other dearly, and they were about to ruin that. But you still needed help, and they couldn’t be seen knowing others were aware of your secret.

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do now, I already got in contact with them and we’re already running late. It’s best if you move on, Natasha.” But she didn’t want to, and neither did you. You never wanted someone else to have the things she gave you, to be able to see the side of her only you had gotten to see.

Nat knew there was nothing else in her power that she could do, she had lost you for good. All she could do was hope and pray that someday you’d return. You both knew you couldn’t share a passionate kiss goodbye in such an open area with prying eyes, so, with one last look, you walked to the car, giving her a broken smile and closing the door. She watched as you drove off, her heart numb and face reddened with tears.

It was nearly six years ago that she had watched you leave her, and she had still never forgotten about you. She still thought about you, worried, and imagined the life you were living now. Had you moved on? Did you have a family? A boyfriend? Girlfriend? She finished wiping down the counter in the small shop she occupied. She was a manager now, choosing to skip out on college and find a career on her own. Her friend had always dreamed of opening a cafe one day and she finally achieved her goals. So, it was almost obvious that Nat was the one to get the job. She yelled out to her boss that she was leaving for her lunch break now, getting a mumbled response in return that she hoped was her approval.

It was a busy city, the streets, and sidewalks being filled with traffic and pedestrians. She was too busy watching the small argument between two Taxi drivers to see what was in front of her and accidentally walked right into someone. She looked in front of her now, getting her fake apologies ready but stopping once she saw them. It was you. Your hair was a bit longer than before and you looked older, not in a bad way, you still looked as beautiful as ever.

“Oh- I’m sorry, miss!” You said, not looking up and only walking past her. She quickly went after you, grabbing your arm as you did to her back in high school. You were ready to yell at whoever it was stopping you until you looked at her completely, her red hair sculpting her face beautifully.

“Nat?” She smiled a toothy grin and didn’t hesitate to pull you into a hug. You were slightly taken back but didn’t deny her, engulfing her in the same way she did, emotions pouring out of your body as you refused to let go. Only when others yelled at you two to get out of the way did you guys release one another of your holds.

“God, It’s been so long. How are you?” Nat asked. She secretly hoped you would say you were single, even after all these years she still missed you. But she wanted you to be happy, and if that wasn’t with her then she would understand.

“I’ve been well, yeah. I actually am working two blocks down, I’m a financier.” She pulled out her box of cigarettes making you giggle.

“I thought I told you those are bad for you?” She rolled her eyes playfully and took a small drag before responding,

“You know, I am still older than you. If anything, I should be telling you what to do.” You checked your watch, widening your eyes when realizing the time.

“Shit! I’m sorry, but I’m running late. Well, it was really great seeing you, Nat, I hope to see you again sometime.”

“Wait. Uh, my shift ends at four PM today. Do you think we could meet here? I’ll wait for you to be done if you want.” You nodded, taking her hand and writing down the estimated time of your arrival with your pen.

“Hm, I’m surprised your hand hasn’t fallen off with how much you drew on it.”

“Okay, now you’re really starting to sound like my mom.” You both shared a laugh before you left, leaving Nat standing there with a smile stained on her face. She already passed half of her lunch break, deciding on grabbing a quick snack from the store down the street and heading back before her boss could yell at her. She arrived with one minute to spare.

The day went by miserably slow, her heart beating a mile per second as her mind filled with images of you. You looked so good and so happy, had you been just as miserable as her? Or did you move on that fast?

The time had finally come and you were not to be seen. She waited twenty more minutes before giving up and leaving, turning off all lights and locking the door behind her, only to hear yelling in the back. She turned around, seeing you speed-walking towards her. She let out a relieved sigh and met you halfway, trying and failing to hide her excitement.

“I’m so sorry I’m late! I was trying to finish up and then my boss came over to me and tried to talk to me when I was leaving. And then there was so much traffic and I accidentally took the wrong turn like an idiot-” You were stopped by a peck to your lips, quickly melting into it as Nat held you by the waist. When she let go, you were speechless. It had been so long since you’d been kissed like that, and it’s been even longer since you’ve been kissed by her. Every day you spent trying to get over her went down the drain when feeling her on you.

“Wow, uhm-” She chuckled at your mumbled words, grabbing your hand and interlocking your fingertips together.

“So, you still like Mac and Cheese?”

Taglist: @arualdcg @pancakefan7529 @natsxwife @kksalexa

[antiromanticbaby]

Roses - Lucifer

Crown Prince! Lucifer x GN!Reader

[✧] ー Just a short scenario with soft Luci <3 set in victorian era. Reader is GN because my man doesn't care about gender. Let's imagine love between the same sex wasn't taboo, alright? Danke :3

[✧] ー Reader is also innocent and of course, adhered to the society's beliefs and etiquette. (Did I use the word 'adhere' correctly? My first time doing it and it's so late already goodness me.)

Summary: Lucifer wishes to give his lovely betrothed a sweet little kiss. But it seems like they're not really up for it. Oh well, his beloved has a very endearing idea to solve this problem.

The two of you had been courting for a while now, and had yet to share any intimate moment. It was given of course. The both of you had decided to keep everything until your wedding. That way, it would be more special. It would hold much more meaning than something either of you could get anytime they wished.

Being engaged to the crown prince seemed perfect from afar, but it was harder than what it looked. Eyes were on you n matter where you went, and danger lurked around anywhere you stepped at. It was only natural for the crown to have enemies too, no matter how silent they were. But at the end of the day, the stress was worth it. Both for you, and your Lucifer.

"Is it appropriate for us to be alone like this, dearest?" You asked, gazing around at the private garden of his castle. You had heard from many of those servants just how mesmerizing the garden was, designed and cared after by Lucifer himself, but you had never seen it on your own. At least, not until now. The garden was truly a sight, with black and red flowers filling the ground, and the trees full of colorful blossoms. Even the rest of decoration, such as the marble fountain and the vases added to the garden's beauty.

Still, it was no appropriate for an engaged couple to be alone together without the supervision of an elder. You looked back at Lucifer, awaiting his reply. You didn't want to get on his nerves, but you knew that he cared about etiquette a lot too.

"Do not worry yourself, precious." He spoke calmly, putting an arm around your waist with a hint of possessiveness as he guided you to the center and near the fountain. "I just wished to have a private moment with my lovely betrothed."

You nodded, not that calmed down by his way of reassuring you. It wasn't long before you had let go of his arm and began admiring all the different and magical kinds of flowers in his garden. Of course, you didn’t expect any less of a private garden that was only for Lucifer, your beloved fiance. A certain rose caught your eyes in the midst of black roses and flowers. It had fallen down from its place, not having the natural glow of other roses but having its own kind of messages. Like a deep story hidden within those red petals. You bent down, picking it up and staring at it lovingly. 

Lucifer couldn’t help but gaze at you as you stared at the fallen rose, wondering what you were thinking that had you so deep in thought. He stepped a little closer, peering at the rose. He saw nothing special with the fallen rose, unlike you. 

“Your eyes.” You looked up from the rose and towards him, handing the rose to him. Fallen, like your fallen star. Red, like his ruby eyes. And magnifying, even at its worst.  “It is the same shade as your eyes, Lucifer.”

Lucifer’s eyebrows lifted up as he took the rose from you. Although he couldn’t help but smile when you said that. You were such a lovely little creature, always thinking of him before everything else. His eyes moved from the rose towards you, stepping even closer. Close enough to make you just slightly uncomfortable. You wouldn’t push him away, though, as you did crave his touch as much as he craved yours. “How very observant, beloved. Would you like me to speak of my own observations?” 

He then put the rose behind your ear, making sure the thorns wouldn’t hurt you. He couldn’t help but find your innocent smile lovely, in that moment.The Elegant prince cupped your cheeks, the pair of red roses residing in his eyes looking into your own gems. "You look so precious, love. Did you know that?” 

You knew where this was headed. He wanted to tease you, make you blush, and have you a stuttering mess. You then noticed his loving gaze on your lips and not your eyes. He continued. “May I kiss you, my sweet?” 

"But... it is not appropriate..." You whispered softly. But you had an idea how to do it, not to disappoint your fiance. You wanted that kiss too, after all, even if you would never admit it. You brought the rose out of your hair and put it on your lips, looking into his eyes softly. “Let us do it this way for now, until the day the bells of matrimony ring above us.” 

Lucifer opened his eyes in surprise, as he saw the red rose on your lips. It was something he never expected and he was both surprised and pleased to see that you still cared for your innocence and proper etiquette, even so much so that you wouldn't let just anyone get a taste of your lips, not even your soon to be spouse. Lucifer then smiled warmly, while still caressing your cheek. "Thank you, my beloved. You are right, this isn't appropriate, but a rose like yourself deserves a kiss nonetheless." 

Lucifer then pressed his lips gently against the rose, his hands holding yours as you held on the rose’s stem. 

A sweet and innocent kiss, for his true love. For his beloved betrothed, and the one he chose to share his life with. As soon as he pulled away, he put the rose back on your hair like a hairpin. You were truly his, and he was glad to have such a caring little betrothed on his side. He grasped both of your hands and brought them to his lips, planting a soft kiss on the back of them. 

“Until the bells of matrimony ring above us, my darling. I shall only wait and dream of that day.” 

Check it out! [cursed records] [sweet dreams] [heavenless]

[emeyuko]

Not to rant about a very flawed game but Yosuke Hanamura's struggle is more than just "i am bored", his boredom isn't just bc he was stucked in a town in the middle of the nowhere, but bc he felt lonely and treated like trash by lots of people. In his social link number 9, he starts talking about how he felt about Inaba and how he loves It now "this town i hated so much? Now i love It, there's still nothing in here but i have family, friends and you" making it more clear, and another thing is when he talks about Konishi.

The reason why he got attached to her was bc he made him feel like he had someone and realize he should care less about what people think of him, and even if It wasn't genuine, she never openly judged him, like if he didn't felt fully lonely thanks to her, he always wanted to be "special" to someone, that's why he wanted her to give him a chance, to know her better, all of this was more like finding a place where he could feel a sense of belonging, he couldn't feel a sense of belonging at first in inaba bc he felt *lonely*.

His attachement towards Yu/Souji, is smth extremely similar to his relathionship with Konishi, i would say he did even more for Yosuke than Konishi did, he didn't only saw his real struggles and did everything to keep him safe from them but he also actually finds him likeable and the only one in the team (except maybe Teddie?) That tolerates him, he feels safe and comfortable with him, and it's shown multiple, how he tells him he doesn't need to be the funny clown of the group when he's alone with him, he can be just Yosuke (and then some people say him liking Yu would make no sense smh).

And my issue with Yosuke's character is similar to what happends to how the girls treats Naoto or how Yosuke himself treats Kanji, the team barely tolerates him, he's only truly close to Yu and he barely opens up, as well as getting constanly insulted, you may say he can be an ass too and you are right, but this doesn't justificate some of your friends (ehemCH*Eehem) telling to your face how unlikeable you are and how no one would likes you, when your character main conflict is about how you act happy and carefree bc you are afraid of being alone, that people would abandon you for your personality. Persona 4 has the tendency of not taking seriously his entire main cast after they accepted their shadows and that's a big problem

[notyour-valentine]

Any headcanons about older Emma and Charlie? 🌷

🍷Join me for a Drink 🍷 - TBITW: Grown Emma and Charlie

[Celebration] [Celebration Masterlist] [Masterlist]

This was written as part of my Series The Boy in the Window and contains spoilers

Warning: WWII, Bombings, Injuries, mention of death and violence, medical treatments, sexism, mental health problems (18/21+). I do not consent to my work being translated, copied or posted elsewhere on this platform or any other.

Words: 1333

Tommy wants his children to go to the best possible school, which are mostly boarding schools, but can’t bring himself to send his children away. It is tricky to find a school, which takes both boys and girls but he won’t have them separated. 

In the end, they find a school which not only has both boys and girls from the age of sixteen, but also a looser boarding system, allowing them to come home on the weekend. 

For the first weeks, both parents are living in a rented house barely fifteen minutes away from the school in case the children need their help or want to go home. 

Especially Charlie is homesick at first, but he has Emma and knows he can go home every weekend, which makes the transition easier. 

At school, Emma excels at writing and speaking, at debating, mathematics and dramatic arts, while Charlie is excellent in biology, physics, chemistry, philosophy, literature and, like Emma, mathematics. He also starts to take an interest in drawing and poetry. 

She becomes an excellent equestrian, so good that if she were a man, she could have made the Olympic Team by a country mile. She isn’t though, and there are some things even Tommy can’t change, even if it makes his skin itch with anger. 

She is also an absolute heartbreaker, truly. But thankfully for Tommy’s nerves, she is never half as interested in a boy as she is in her horses, at least not until she is in her mid-twenties and falls head over heels

In my mind, independent of this story or any other Charlie becomes a doctor. He doesn’t seem to be all too like his father and I would love to see him pursue a more caring profession. It would also align with the charity work of the Shelby Family Foundation and while during WWII he would see more than his fair share of war, it would be vastly different from Tommy’s. 

By the time war breaks out, he would still be studying. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he would not be sent to France but stay in Birmingham and quickly rise through the ranks. He has nerves of steele and steady hands and is soon in the operating chamber day and night to save the lives of the people of Birmingham that are caught in the bombings

He comes of age during that time, not just legally, but emotionally. He sees things just as bad if not worse than his father has seen in France, has decisions to make that are tricker than his fathers, different, yes, but no less easy. Practise makes perfect and soon he has the duties of doctors far his senior. He has the talent, the cool head and the dedication

During that time, he falls in love with a nurse. She is just as tough as she is and not at all content with keeping her mouth shut. She knows exactly what she is doing and is not shy to stand her ground, against anyone, no matter how rich or powerful or threatening. 

He falls for her when they are in a bomb shelter and she is helping a woman deliver a child - it is the one time Doctor Shelby is close to losing his cool - an operation is one thing, but an unmedicated childbirth in the middle of an airstrike is a whole other thing, but she has nerves of steel and takes charge. 

Within weeks she becomes his closest companion and ally. They pull each other through the war, after which they get engaged, however it would be years before they get married. She goes off and studies medicine in her own right first, and is one of the first women in England to keep her maiden name as a professional name since it would be very confusing to have two “Dr Shelby”s working at the “Shelby Family Hospital”. 

The war causes Tommy’s mental health to turn for the worse; he blames himself for everything that happens, every death, every injury, every ruined building in the city. He has plans of course, for evacuation, for rebuilding, but he doesn’t have the strength to carry them out. Guilt, fear and PTSD renders him incapable of most things, even of engaging with the general public - of being the Tommy Shelby the world, and especially the city knows and respects. 

In this time, it is (Y/N) that holds him together, if so barely. She is the one behind the scenes, caring for him, caring for others, managing his housing project, that turned into a refugee project, but behind the scenes work is not good enough in a situation like this. 

So Emma steps up. 

And how she steps up! Having always been a charismatic, charming girl, she had grown into a confident young woman, adopting a signature red lipstick and matching red ribbon in her hair to keep it out of her face. It looks strange at first, but before long it is the single most recognisable style in the city. 

Many people are sceptical about leaving their city homes for refuge in the country, but the Shelby name, the Peaky Blinder’s reach, Ada Thorne MP’s influence and Emma’s charm is enough to convince most, even if it means she has to go knocking from door to door. 

It isn’t known how many lives they saved, but when the bombs fall on all industrial cities, a large part of Birmingham is already empty, having relocated to all those country mansions Tommy had bought up earlier. 

Those are managed by (Y/N), while Emma becomes pivotal for moral and communication in the city. The Major, the MP, the Home Secretary and the War Minister, they are all well and good, but Miss Emma’s word is more often than not the deciding factor.  This irks some of the old guard in the ministeries and when they send a young officer from an old family, to investigate, and to ensure that everything runs in the proper order of things while removing “that girl” without any official position from influence. The visit goes as bad as possible, and he makes an utter fool of himself, and has to eat his words within an hour of meeting her. Birmingham is a Shelby city, and he quickly learns that Emma’s word holds much more sway than any official piece of paper. 

It is only incidental that he requests leave for a follow up and quickly puts in a recommendation to grant more power and presence to community leaders instead of solely to military officials in this city and others. 

When he asked Emma if she would go dancing with him, she said she would only go if he could beat her in a horse race. In the end, after the war was done, she beat him at an embarrassing scale, and he lost his chance to take her dancing. So she took him instead. 

The war turns Tommy into an old man. There is no other way to put it, and even after it is finally over, recovery is slow, but still he doesn’t want to let go of the reigns of the company completely. 

Charlie was practically running the foundation and the take over was only a formality. He would expand the medical care for impoverished families, healthcare, medical research etc. 

And Emma’s charm, people skills and general knowledge are decisive in shaping the company in a post WWII world. They mainly take on the task of rebuilding infrastructure, mainly housing, in the big cities. Before long, he realises that Emma has what it takes to lead the company with Ada. While he never leaves an advisory position, he keeps handing her more and more control. This happens due to his age, his trust in both of them, his acceptance that the world is changing too fast for even him to keep up and the arrival of his grandchildren, who keep him more than busy enough.

End

I want to thank you for participating in my celebration and for expanding on this. I hope you like this little headcanon.

Taglist

Overall

@lilyrachelcassidy @jyessaminereads @chlorrox @watercolorskyy @books-livre @quarterpastmidnight  @lilyevanswhore  @polishcrazyone  @zablife  @just-a-harmless-patato  @stevie75 @flyingjosephine-blog @runnning-outof-time @babayaga67 @butterfly-skinnylegend @shelbydelrey @mrkdvidal1989 @raincoffeeandfandoms

Tommy

@knowledgefulbutterfly @babayaga67 @signorellisantichrist @lespendy @geeksareunique @look-at-the-soul @lothbrokcore @rangerelik

[quotergirl19]

Deep dive into Penelope & Eloise’s perspectives:

In many ways, Eloise and Penelope are suffering through the same thing during their fight: resentment & heartbreak. Eloise called her friendship with Theo, “one of the only good things in my life,” and she feels she gave it up because of Penelope’s self-serving behavior (keeping her Whistledown secret).

On the flipside, Penelope calls writing Whistledown, “all I have had,” because she only has one good thing in her life apart from her friendship with Eloise, and she gave it up because of Eloise’s self-serving behavior of taking every opportunity to rebel simply because the opportunities have presented themselves (which she did by visiting Theo unchaperoned often, even during her brother’s wedding which is how she was caught and presumed to be Whistledown forcing the events that followed leading up to Penelope ruining her to keep Eloise from making things worse by lying to the Queen).

Both women were pursuing their own happiness, and sense of purpose. For Eloise her happiness was spending time with Theo who had interesting ideas and new perspective, and their relationship also brought her closer to what she was tasked to do by the Queen, which gave her purpose.

If Eloise managed to discover who Whistledown was, she would be able to look back on that accomplishment for the rest of her life. Even if she’s not allowed anything else because she’s a woman. Even if she has to marry someone and conform because of the expectations of the society and family she was born into, she would have done something instead of just talking about doing something which is all most women could do at the time.

Investigating and figuring out the big mystery of who Whistledown is at the request of the monarchy itself would have been the way Eloise Bridgerton was remembered by future generations. Not just because she was mentioned in Whistledown’s columns, but because she discovered who the anonymous writer was when even the queen’s Bow Street Runners (who were men) failed.

Eloise said that she, “gave up Theo,” and while she didn’t give him up for Penelope. She gave him up because of Penelope through Whistledown. So while Eloise’s anger and resentment is directed towards Penelope, her real problem is the cage she feels society has trapped her in. Whistledown (Penelope) serves as the enforcement of the rules that Eloise finds so restrictive because Whistledown will reveal what you do that doesn’t conform which is stifling when most people are just trying to live their lives and pursue their interests and happiness.

Unlike Eloise, Penelope truly has no outlet other than her writing and her relationship with Eloise. Her family is not as big, loving, supportive, powerful, connected, respected or wealthy as the Bridgertons. Her mother and siblings have shown Pen no genuine affection or respect, Portia does not care about Penelope’s interests or education and she has even less interest in securing a good match to safeguard Penelope’s future the way Violet Bridgerton has done for her children. Penelope is not encouraged to be herself, she’s told to be quiet and put down her books, and where any other mama would be eager to use their daughter’s friendship with a popular, handsome and rich man like Colin Bridgerton as a stepping stone towards making a match between him and her daughter, Portia assumes the same position that society has which is that he would never choose Penelope. Portia won’t even entertain the notion that Colin is even truly Penelope’s friend. Pen has no one who encourages her or tries to help her find purpose or happiness. She found that for herself in secret through writing Whistledown which has been a massive success and has secured her the fortune which will ensure her future. Giving up Whistledown because of Eloise would naturally bring about feelings of resentment for Penelope but it’s a testament to how much she loves her friend that she would do that to help Eloise from doing something as dangerous as making an enemy of the Queen.

Both women are just desperate to find happiness and purpose when society doesn’t care about what women want or need or if they’re happy at all. Their fight is deeply rooted in the fact that they have tremendous love and trust for each other but have also contributed to taking from each other the joy and freedom they’ve each secretly secured for themselves. Maybe that could have been avoided if their respective secrets had not set them apart, which was exactly what Eloise didn’t want to happen and that was her reason for confiding in Penelope about Theo in the first place.

I’m eager for these two to reconcile, but there’s still a lot we don’t know about how Whistledown began and why, and I believe that is going to weigh heavily on how Peneloise move forward from this.

Jealousy also plays a huge part. Because while on the surface Eloise has everything, beauty, support, love from her family, respect from the ton, admiration from eligible gentlemen, money, and intelligence, Penelope is not considered beautiful because she plump, she is talked down to by her family, gentlemen ignore her completely, her family is known to have been in debt, and nobody cares about whether she’s intelligent or not. In the eyes of society there are the “haves,” and the, “have nots,” Eloise has and Pen does not. Yet Penelope’s success with Whistledown is something Eloise is definitely jealous of.

Penelope is jealous and resentful of the fact that she wasn’t born a Bridgerton but she’s also aware that she can’t help what family she was born into and she recognizes that neither can Eloise but that doesn’t mean that she’s not frustrated by her own more challenging circumstances. Eloise however, seems oblivious to the plight of the “have nots,” because she’s never needed to consider it. She needs a massive reality check with regard to her privileges as a Bridgerton. I like both Eloise and Penelope a lot but Eloise has a sense of entitlement to do what she pleases as she pleases which is entirely due to her privilege as a Bridgerton which makes her consistently oblivious to the feelings and perspectives of others. That will have to change if she’s going to mature.

Time apart for personal growth and gaining perspective will do these two a lot of good. The same can be said for Polin but I digress.

Thoughts?

[my-writings-and-musings]

Personal head canon that mtmte tailgate, swerve, and firstaid are ftm. Thoughts? Perhaps a mini story on one of said bots comforting a trans human liaison after a rough call home to unsupportive family? Thanks in advance, I love your writing and I’m glad your inbox is open again

They can be whatever makes you happy! My blog will always be a safe space for trans headcanons, and while I don't really have any myself, I love writing them. Thank you!

Small note on my dinged up little soapbox, because the state of the world absolutely merits being clear about this always but especially at present; my blog will always be safe for everyone but TERFs and those who support them. No bigotry will ever be welcome here. I shall now climb down from my little box to write some robots...

I went with First Aid because I've got a soft spot for medics. <3

First Aid knew enough about you to tell you were upset, and that alone was enough to motivate him to try his very best to help, even if he didn't yet know why you were in such a foul mood. You'd been most unlike yourself the past few days; securing yourself in your room and answering his messages with clipped replies if you responded at all, and the change had come out of nowhere. However, it was when you turned down your weekly hangout all together that he'd become truly concerned. While he hadn't a clue what was wrong, even as he stood outside your door prepare to knock, he knew he needed to do something.

He hadn't been prepared for the door to be unlocked, but he had been less prepared to find you weeping on your bed, your tiny human form lying on the middle of the Cybertronian sized berth in a mess of your scattered belongings. His instincts took over and he hurried to your side as the doors closed behind him.

"Y/N? Are you okay?" he asked, gentle but insistent as he dropped to one knee beside the berth.

You startled at his sudden arrival, tear stained face breaking his spark when you lifted it to face him. Sniffling and wiping away the mess on your sleeve, you turned your head away, trying to keep your shoulders from shaking as you choked out a response through gulps for air. "First Aid, I... I'm not but I... It's not-"

"Hey, hey, deep breath." the medic instructed gently, having learned how important oxygen was for basic human functioning when he'd been trained in your care. Ignoring how uncomfortable the position was, he lowered himself further, scrunching down until his visor was level with your puffy eyes. It took everything to sound neutral when he was so deeply worried for your wellbeing. "You've been holed up for days, what's going on?"

You sniffled again, and he felt his spark ache with every crack in your voice and quiver of your lip. "My family called."

"I see." he said simply, fighting to keep the disapproval from his voice. There had been little talk of your parents, but what he had gleaned from multiple conversations told him the relationship you had with them was unpleasant and rife with turmoil, particularly regarding your transition. Still, he remained neutral as he encouraged you to speak, not wanting to trouble you with his concerns. "What happened?"

"They... I thought being away for a bit might have changed things, but they're still..." you trailed off as fresh tears started up, and it was all he could do to cup your tiny body and stroke a comforting thumb up and down your back. He felt every tremor that passed down from your shaking shoulders. "They won't even use my real name. I've tried so hard to make them understand, but when I told them I started T they get so mad, and I... I can't. It's been years, but they won't..."

"I'm so sorry." he said as you trailed off into sobs, fresh tears pouring down as you held your face in your hands. It was impossible to stay calm as his energon boiled on your behalf. Humans were a much younger species, sure, but how could so many of them be so utterly backwards? Cybertron, for all of its problems, had little trouble grasping the concept of transition. Were those that had created you truly so set in their ways that they'd rather lose you than accept you as you were? Did they have the slightest idea what they were throwing away? Unable to find the words to express as much, he merely said what he hoped would convey a fraction of what he felt. "You deserve so much better, Y/N."

Your tears slowed, but of course the pain didn't just go away. He hadn't a clue how you were so strong in the face of so much needless hatred. Transitioning was supposed to be freeing as it had been for himself, it was an act of self affirmation that deserved to be celebrated, and yet those closest to you seemed intent on souring every part of it.

"What am I doing wrong?" you asked weakly, grasping for an explanation when there were none that could help.

"Nothing." he replied firmly, pushing up against the berth so he could bring your tiny body near to him. He wanted to shield you from those so intent on doing harm to get their way, and he couldn't keep his own voice from wavering with emotion as he continued to bare his spark and assuage your pain. "You haven't done anything wrong, do you hear me? I wasn't wrong to change my frame, and neither are you. It isn't your fault they don't realize what they're throwing away, and it isn't your responsibility to make them see the truth."

Something in your eyes shifted, and he recalled when he and Ratchet had first sat down to ensure they were completely able to provide your care before your first appointment. It had been such a simple but worrying thing, to gather the knowledge that they needed and ensure they were providing the best quality of care a human could receive. He'd been so worried he would hurt you by accident. He still remembered how you'd hesitated to ask about hormones at your first checkup, how shocked he'd been to discover the difficulty it took to acquire them on Earth, and how you'd lit up when he'd assured you it wouldn't be a problem. It hadn't been long after he'd developed a way to synthesize what you needed that the two of you had become friends, and he'd told you of his own story, all while watching you grow happier with every passing day as you came into your true self...

"I'm sorry..." he said weakly, ignoring the tears in his visor as you came to the edge of the berth for a proper embrace. There wasn't just sadness in your sobs and shaky sighs, but he kept speaking, wanting you to know that you'd never have to do this alone. "I'll always be here, okay? Maybe we're not the same species, but..."

He held you close, meaning every syllable of the words as he spoke them like a promise.

"Your real family is on this ship."

[likemosaic]

“a  heart’s  a  heavy  burden.” Zenos at yotsuyu :3

howl's moving castle sentence starters. / @aetheryic

what would such a beast of a man know about a heart? what does any man know about heart, much less a garlean? there is none worse than a doman man, but garleans hardly have room to draw breath in comparison, much less speak--their emperor does not pretend to care for his subjects, and his son takes after him. while yotsuyu finds the honesty refreshing, she knows none of these men care for her opinion--nor does zenos want to hear anything out of her mouth that does not fit the narrative he desires. hatred is all he craves from his viceroy, and in a way, that is not truly so unfamiliar--men pay whores to step on their bodies and make them scream, or to bind them into helplessness and boast her superiority. in a way, lord zenos is not unlike those men, though yotsuyu hardly thinks she could get away with that. perhaps if he asked, she could grant it, but therein lies the problem: zenos does not ask for anything. he demands, or says nothing, leaving yotsuyu to guess at his desires. thus he is the most challenging customer of all her life--and worse, his payment is the simple act of sparing that life.

"indeed," yotsuyu says evenly, holding in all the remarks she could make in return, pouring tea into two cups as she continues her story. she turns, setting zenos' cup on the table in front of him. the lily flower inside his tea cup blooms, and yotsuyu she hopes that it entertains him, even mildly. she sips her own cup, not sitting, remaining standing. "and that is why i relieved their father of his own. his family was quite distraught, but that was the end of any upstart rebellion by the sato faction." another sip, nonchalant, but the thrill of her success is evident in her quietly smug expression. while zenos may despise easy prey, yotsuyu has no such qualms. "his daughter is now a maid in doma castle. she tried to poison me, the tramp...though i'm content to be tasked with such tedious matters in your stead, of course." yotsuyu touches her hand to her heart, smiling as if she's pleased to see him, when nothing could be further from the truth--when zenos is in doma, she is no longer the one in charge, much to her deep fury. "you honor a lowly woman such as myself with your presence. as always, my prince, i am your humble, sweet servant to command."

[philipjohnclapp]

Could you write a Spike Jonze fic? Not a x-reader. I would love a fic of him jerking off somewhere. Intense and aggressive. Maybe with someone in the room without them knowing. Or even onto someone of your choice. I love your writing btw. It's good to see less x-readers

Car Jacking

Featuring Spike Jonze, nsfw, smut, and a good time.

Word Count: 1775

A/N: Okay, so, I haven’t written in a longgg while, cut me some slack. I put some effort in and I kinda sorta rushed the end! My bad! But I hope y’all enjoy some Spike, I swear there’s no fanfiction of him. This won’t be the last!!

He liked sex, well everyone liked sex. Unlike his peers he wasn’t fucking every groupie he met, or really at all. Guess he was the only one with complete sense. Though, if anyone else had the opportunity to fuck hot shit babes who don’t care about size just your title, they’d take it in a heartbeat. He wasn’t the star or anything. Just a director, producer. Whatever the fuck you’d wanna call it. His job consists of watching everyone ruin his shit, have sex with everything that walks, being a personal driver, drug testing everyone, covering up their mistakes so Jeff isn’t ripping em a new one. The list goes on, it always does.

He can’t catch a break, and that’s that. Groupies though, they don’t really give what he is, all they know is he’s in the beginning credits for Jackass, yet he wasn’t as significant as Tremaine, but he really didn’t care for all that glory. He was less significant, and outside of filming he could just be a shadow, cause he really didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Pretty average otherwise, but average wasn’t trying to coax Steve-O to shove a car up his ass. Or getting Bam to hold a snake for .5 seconds, just hold one! A damn garden snake.

And he’d just get a fuck you, and maybe when he’s sleeping they’d dump a huge jug of horse semen on him as payback. For doing his job, so, yeah. Maybe he was a bit pissed off, and maybe he shouldn’t bother, but it was his job. His job to fucking find areas to film, and deny groupies who slither around his arm at the end of the night at the bar. And he’d be sober, cause he’s the designated driver.

He’s not Tremaine. Tremaine doesn’t have to spend four hours begging Bam to hold a snake, Bam just does it. He also doesn’t have to wake up at four am to get Steve-O cause the fucker is stranded somewhere. Tremaine also has sex with groupies, and if he doesn’t? He has a wife. Tremaine also makes more money than him, not that Spike really cared. He wasn’t ever in this for the money, and as more and more time goes on he wonders what he’s truly in all of this for.

Maybe he wanted groupie sex.

There was two issues right about now, one being he was working. In a damn car, and for once he wasn’t the one behind the wheel, but what was worse is he was stuck in the back. At least when he’s driving he’s left alone for the most part, but now he’s stuck in the third row, wedged between Knoxville and Pontius. And he wasn’t sure how he ever got in that situation. Guess it was his fault he didn’t wanna drive for once, or couldn’t. He didn’t know why he couldn’t, could be the throbbing cut going down from the web of his middle finger down to palm. Or maybe because it’s been 48 hours without sleeping. He hasn’t slept well all week, but right now he was so mentally exhausted that he just might explode. Maybe thats why he was let loose from driving.

Dunn, or maybe it was Weeman who said he’d rather have a dog drive than Spike right about now. And if he could recall he might’ve even laughed about it. Muttering how good of a joke it was with a very agitated look on his face. He might’ve been cooler any other time, but he was absolutely exhausted. Taking a break. Cause remember?Spike wasn’t gonna drive today. instead he was wedged between two dead asleep assholes, both seemingly had a bad snoring problem.

He wondered if they knew that.

Oh! But a charmer, a doll like Johnny Knoxville could never snore. He’d bat his lashes maybe, or look at Spike deadpanned thinking he’s joking, and Spike would say sure. Chris would laugh, and giggle. Cause it’s funny. The whole world could die and Chris could find something funny outta that, that’s admirable. Something Spike was really starting to consider he lacked.

Perhaps one day he’d be unironically funny, or have a charm that even works on guys. Even if it meant he had a two incher, people other than groupies would still like it. Who knows, but instead he’d be thinking about having sex with one, maybe that would fix whatever crunch he’s stuck in. Instead of another beer. Did he mention he wasn’t much a fan of beer?

He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to sit and think about having a groupie, because the more he thought, the more worked up he felt and shifted around between Knoxville and Chris. Fucking Chris kept sleep kicking him, and had one arm wrapped around him like he was some chick ‘cause Chris was a weirdo, and Chris was a cuddler. Knoxville was just about in that exact same situation too. He had no room to himself. Part of him wished he was driving instead, listening to some old country music or something, cause even when Knoxville's sleeping he has to be in control of the music. He’s the star, and once again; Spike Jones is not, and that’s okay. He didn’t wanna fuck groupies and be worth zillions anyways. He had a hand, and that should be enough. Who cares if Chris is trying to cuddle him; and Knoxville could very well be drooling on his shoulder. It didn’t matter. Not right now anyways with his head so cloudy.

Somehow with that stick lodged up his ass he found a way, or that way sorta found him. In this moment he decided fuck it all, fuck the groupies, the car, and everything else for that matter. He was stressed, agitated, and pent the fuck up.

So, he ignored the dudes pressed against his sides and he tried to sit up straight. Once he somehow managed through that he went fidgeting with his belt. Should’ve worn some sweats, but instead he was rocking dress pants. Not very comfortable.

Agitated with his belt after some trial and error he pulled it through the loops and yanked down his fly, which arguably was tough to do. It got stuck halfway down, but he prevailed. Letting out a sigh of relief as he was only a few steps closer. Somehow managing not to wake a soul, and everyone else? They weren’t paying attention. Probably all knocked out up front. Still, he knew he had to be quick, so he continued on.

Not like right now he cared all that much about getting caught, but the thrill of actually doing so made him slow down his movements. He didn’t have that much patience though, shoving his hand straight into his slacks as he groped himself fully through his boxers, before fishing his dick out through his boxers fly. He was about average, he didn’t really know his size. Good enough though, and certainly bigger than Steve-O. Though he wasn’t staring at his dick or nothing, and no he wasn’t comparing dick sizes either. Half the world was bigger than Steve-O.

Still, he didn’t wanna think about Steve-O jerking off. That was like a boner killer, and he didn’t even have one yet! Somehow he managed to wrap his hand around his length, and he was unbearably dry. Cringing with the friction of his hand meeting his dick. Fucking sucked, but once again he prevailed. His anger would carry him through this.

Going back to thinking about what turned him on he thought of brown haired chicks, totally his type, chicks with lipstick. After sucking him off and getting it all smeared all over their face, big teary eyes, and moaning his name, and boy was it working. As he thought he slowly started to pump his length. Still, he was all tense with anxiety of getting caught.

Thinking deeper about this so-called brown haired girl he imagined her nude, and started to quicken his pace, stopping briefly as he rubbed his thumb against his beading tip. Breathing hitching, and squeezing his eyes shut. And then he thought of Tremaine and what it be like to fuck him, or right about now. He imagined Tremaine sitting next to him and Tremaine’s hand wrapped around his hard on instead.

Tremaine whispering dirty things into his ears, edging him on, and Spike glancing into his pretty blue eyes. Ones he could get lost in, an ocean that could swallow him whole, and that was enough for his pace to get faster.

Spike then heard some shuffling in the row of seats in front of him, Dunn asking Bam for some warm beer, and that spooked Spike, yet he couldn’t seem to care much as his strokes got rougher, eager. His stomach was coiling, yet Tremaine just wasn’t enough, not for him anyways.

He imagined instead, Tremaine getting down on his knees and sucking him off, keeping eye contact with him, and maybe even using a little teeth. That made him let out a low groan as he bucked his hips into his hand. He thought of his fingers intertwining with Jeff’s hair and tugging on it, and Jeff wouldn’t mind. He’d prevail and bob his head even faster. Like clockwork he moved his hand up and down if he could get even faster, using his glistening pre-cum as lube. Letting out a rather staggered moan.

And as he did Chris shuffled, his grip on him tightening, and he opened his eyes. Tightening his fist around his dick as he squeezed ever so lightly, before biting onto his bottom lip. It was almost enough to draw blood, and he might’ve. Aiming his dick at Knoxville's thighs as best as he could, giving himself one last farewell thrust as he climaxed, and he swore he might’ve even caught a glimpse of a few stars as he came. With the help of that imaginary Tremaine. His sweet release splattering onto Knoxville's rather pricey slacks. He almost let out a low laugh, his teeth releasing the grasp he had on his lip as he soon let go of his dick as well.

Once he did he looked at Knoxville's chest that rose and fell with each breath he took, and then went a little higher as he looked at his face. Spike's face went ghostly white, Knoxville's eyes wide open, even though he was wearing those too darkly tinted shades. Something about him he could just tell, he was awake. Well, shit.

Johnny Knoxville was staring straight at him, and then he opened his mouth.

[streets-in-paradise]

Just the Two of Us - BarclayPierce (Andy x Nica) Drabble

Warnings: None, just mutual pining and fluff  

Playlist inspo: Fotografia - Juanes ft Nelly Furtado 

Notes: I saw a cute pic of them today and I’m about to make it everyone else’s problem posting this.

Tags: @losersclubisms @series-thoughts 

Maybe it was because he was from a different generation, but Andy wasn’t quite fond of the habit of taking pictures everywhere. The kids would do it all the time, Lexy would typically drive him insane by accident making feel like a tired old man for complaining. It was insane to think about how better adjusted to modern stuff Chucky was in comparison to him. 

He would also call him a tired old man. 

Glen had it practically as a habit part of their love language, they would want to take pictures with him anytime their were excited about something. Actually, Andy was almost sure he learned how to decently smile for a camera out of the constant repetition. His smiling pictures progressively became less of a forced awkward mess since they came into his life. 

He couldn’t thank them enough for that when Nica wielded the phone camera for the first time, cheerfully asking him to let her have one picture with him. 

“ C’mon, It’s not like I’m gonna be uploading it to Instagram or something.” She reminded him, almost ironically. “ I’m still a wanted criminal, remember? No one else will see it, just the two of us.” 

Unlike in the many times he would be chased by the kids, he seemed hesitant. Perhaps a bit insecure. 

“ Alright, but I warn you. It’s not going to be a cute one.” He joked, hiding what his inner thoughts meant. “ I’m tired and my hair is messy. Lexy wouldn’t dare point the camera at me right now, unless she wanted to make fun of me for the group chat.” 

It was exactly what Nica wanted, but he couldn’t tell. Always so sweet and oblivious, he thought she was just messing around. 

“ I don’t care, I want to form memories with you.” She explained, insisting on the matter. “ We barely get time for that, so we may have to find it on the little things… like your messy hair and my baggy eyes.” 

That was so sweet to hear that he had to throw the tough facade away.  He just had to, there was nothing else he could do about it. She had that effect on him, a product of the dangerous combination of how pretty and incredibly skillful with words he found her. 

She approached him really close and he smiled for the camera as he would have smiled for her. Still, he was hoping his shy smile wouldn’t reveal him as hopelessly infatuated as he truly felt deep inside. 

However, he had no idea Nica was about to make that image the background of her phone. Only for a few days, while she was away from him and the curious stares of the kids peeking to check on her screen. 

They never seemed to have much time to spend together, but she would always have him in that picture. 

[eldritchlittleblackdragon]

I have a question about Euphemia if i may! Who would her out of house supports be with?

@recurringwriter Hello! Wow, I've been thinking about this on and off and tend to keep going back and forth. While some I'm certain she'd have supports with, others I'm not so sure about.

Part of the problem is I keep flipping back and forth in my brain because I've had the idea of her being recruitable on a Blue Lions playthrough (but not Crimson Flower or Silver Snow), but I've been toying with the idea recently of her being locked to Golden Deer in the same Manner as Dedue and Hubert are to Blue Lions and Black Eagles (with the exception that unlike those two, she does have supports aside from her own house + some Church of Seiros affiliates).

Longish Post Below the cut

From Black Eagles:

Bernadetta - Basically their supports would be about Euphemia discovering her momfriend override and the two of them working together to look out for each other so they'll be less nervous around other people.

Linhardt - Euphemia would find Linhardt completely baffling and maybe uncomfortable to be around at times. But I can easily see them having a support chain about whether one has to follow the societal obligations one expects them to follow. Or possibly Linhardt taking an interest in Euphemia's crest.

Ferdinand* - Ferdinand is someone I keep flipping back and forth on. I could see her having a support chain with that really illustrates her problems with talking to other nobles, and I can possibly see Ferdie trying to show her that there are others willing to listen, but at the same time I think he'd have a real uphill battle trying to get her to talk to him in the first place.

-> While she wouldn't be recruitable to Black Eagles, I think it would be interesting if Euphemia and Edelgard had some special dialogue/interactions, especially since they're both victims of TWSITD and had artificial crests implanted in them/list their siblings under similar circumstances.

From Blue Lions:

Mercedes - Both of them come from Family lines that inherited the Crest of Lamine at one point or another. But, I don't think they would bond over that, so much as the ordeals they've had to go through under the crest system. I think they could also possibly bond over magic in some way.

Sylvain - I feel like Euphemia and Sylvain's supports would be very emotionally heavy/fraught, and would really center around how both of them feel about the crest system. I think she would probably be scared of Sylvain at first because in her mind, he seems like the kind of noble who uses his crest to to get what he wants. When she learns the reason for his behavior, I think she would still be upset, but she would be more willing to talk to him and they would eventually be friends. I think this might be another support chain of Euphemia's that addresses whether one truly has to follow the expectations/obligations of others, but I think it would also be about allowing oneself to be vulnerable to hurt in order to not only bond with others, but be a more authentic version of themselves.

Dimitri* - I really think Dimitri and Euphemia would have a lot to talk about, from having lost the people you care about mist, to survivor's guilt, to being haunted by the past. Part of me would want it to be they can support even on the Golden Deer route, Dimitri just wouldn't be recruitable for obvious reasons, but I know that's not how the game works. I also like the dynamic of the sickly one and the one whose strong af being friends and helping each other out.

From Church of Seiros:

Manuela - I feel like their supports would really hit on Euphemia's fear of infirmaries/being alone with medical personnel. I think Manuela would find Euphemia frustrating at first, but I think she'd be very compassionate once she knew that someone in a medical role had mistreated her, and would try to get Euphemia to trust her/try to accommodate Euphemia maybe.

Hanneman - As the Crest Scholar who identified Euphemia's crest of Riegan, I think Hanneman would have an interest in keeping an eye on her while she's at Garreg Mach. I think their personal histories could give them potentially something to bond over (losing siblings due to negligence/cruelty connected to crests in particular). While Euphemia's heath problems are different than those of Hanneman's late sister, I can see them having a support chain where maybe he's a bit fussy over her because she reminds him of his sister.

Flayn - I think it could be interesting to address Church censorship, and/or possibly have Flayn and Euphemia bonding over having parents with overbearing tendencies (Seteth in Flayn's case and Baroness Lehr in Euphemia's case). They could also bond on their desire to see more of the world.

From The Ashen Wolves:

Balthus - He has a minor role in Euphemia's backstory as someone who was nice to her/spent time with her at noble gatherings when she was a kid. I can see their supports being a lot about reminiscing about the past/remembering the past and looking at the present and being like 'well shit. not where we want to be huh?'

Yuri - Euphemia would probably have an easier time talking to Yuri than to some others, and I think she'd talk about how she has an easier time with commoners than nobles. I think these supports could also touch on Euphemia's reluctance to sleep, and Yuri coaxing her to finally rest.

Hapi - Both were experimented on by a member of TWSITD and have issues with trusting certain groups as a result (nobles and the Knights of Seiros, respectively). I think the two of them would have an understanding.

Honorable Mentions-

I think it would be neat for Dorothea, Petra, Ashe, and Annette to have supports with Euphemia, but I'm struggling a bit as to how their supports would go. And the ones I have listed are already a lot. But I think it would be cool if they interacted.

[incandescentia]

@yaroudomos asked:

"Ever hear 'bout this thing called 'Valentine's Day'?" Casually asked, he's nonetheless obvious with his curiosity, brow raised as he tilts his head at Tsuruhime. It's a concept he's no doubt intrigued about, and though his knowledge about the holiday itself is limited, he certainly has the spirit for it. While he gives her a moment to ponder the question, he's suddenly grinning at her — so much for trying to play innocent... "Well, anyways! I guess it ain't uncommon for people to give each other gifts 'n such to celebrate, so I decided to make ya somethin'... uh. Just hold on a sec, 'kay?" And just like that he disappears into the captain's quarters, leaving poor ol' crane girlie by her lonesome out on the ship's deck. Lucky for her, Motochika's not keen on wasting time here. He returns a minute or so later, offering a polite bow of his head as he holds out her gift; a hand - crafted quiver made of the finest materials he could find, built extra roomy for carrying all the bows her little heart desires. It even has a bonus pocket, too! "Here ~ I noticed yer other one was lookin' a little beat up, so... maybe this one'll do ya better. And the best part? This baby's got a life time warranty. I'll fix 'er up for ya no problem whenever ya need." ♥

GIVE VALENTINE GIFTS TO MY MUSE ! // always accepting.

"Um... no?" Barentain... Day? "I'm guessing this is one of those Southern barbarians' customs again? You sure play around with those foreigners a lot, huh." Unlike him, Tsuruhime has rather been a little apprehensive && cautious of those nanban foreigners ever since of their arrival, yet many people across the country also welcomed their presence with open arms. One of these more welcoming prominent figures happens to be the resident pirate captain && the daimyo of Tosa of course; his natural curiosity seems to know no bounds.

The actual deal of this whole Barentain business seems to be something akin to gift-giving, which took her a little by surprise && even moreso when he's walking away to his quarters to leave her on her own on his ship's deck. Dazed && confused with the predicament, she simply stands around to await his return listlessly. It doesn't take very long before he returns to where she is standing, but what comes afterwards take the little crane herself by surprise.

"T-this is...?" A bow's quiver, as good as a brand new. A hand glosses over its surface, giving the brand-new quiver a good amount of attention to its brandished details && polishing. Has he been paying extra attention to her appearance lately, that he decides it'd be a good idea for her to replace her quiver?

( Well, if that's truly the case... she might need to pay attention to her appearance more, then? She couldn't afford to look less than perfect in front of him! )

"Ah, um—" His gesture of a goodwill really manages to catch her dumbfounded for a bit. This was unforeseen, but Tsuruhime wouldn't deny that she is utterly elated at his gift. After all, receiving a brand-new weaponry is one of the biggest honors that a warrior like her can have, isn't it? Especially when his observation has hit the right mark; her bow's quiver is already quite weathered at this point && in need of a proper replacement before she would go on another campaign.

"I must say... thank you, Motochika-dono. I'll take good care of this gift." Gratefully, she accepts the gift with a smile; perhaps one of the gentlest smiles she ever gives away. "With this, I owe you one." It would only be fair if she could return the favor for Barentain Day. Whatever it would be, she'll give it a good amount of thought about it sooner or later.