#watch the old show; it’s so much better

[woso-story]

Better Boyfriend Than Him

Alexia Putellas x Reader

Moving to Barcelona has been a whirlwind of emotions. The city is beautiful, the food incredible, and the people warm and vibrant. Yet, everything still feels new and a little overwhelming. Thankfully, your childhood best friend, Mapi, and your boyfriend, Luis, have both been there to make the transition easier. Luis opened up his apartment to you when you moved for work a few weeks ago, and Mapi has been a lifeline of familiarity, showing you the best spots in the city and introducing you to her circle of friends.

Mapi’s close-knit circle is nothing short of fascinating. There’s Esmee, who has a bubbly personality and a laugh that can light up a room, and Kika, sharp-witted and always up for a joke. Then there’s Ingrid, Mapi’s "wifey," as you love to call her. The nickname never fails to make Mapi blush, and Ingrid just grins knowingly. It’s clear how much Ingrid means to Mapi—she grounds her and brings out the best in her. Watching them together always warms your heart.

One name that keeps coming up, however, is Alexia. Mapi has been insistent that you meet Alexia, describing her as family and someone she deeply values. But between work and settling into your new life, your paths haven’t crossed yet.

That changes one Saturday when Mapi invites you and Luis to one of her games. Sitting in the friends and family section, you’re excited to see Mapi in action. Luis, however, isn’t as enthused. He spends most of the match on his phone, but he came because you asked, so you don’t press him about it.

---

After the game, Mapi spots you and jogs over with Ingrid in tow. She greets you warmly, her post-game energy still buzzing. ��You made it!” she says, hugging you tightly.

Luis nods politely, but his attention drifts back to his phone. You let it slide and focus on catching up with Mapi and Ingrid. As you chat, Mapi’s face lights up. “There’s someone you need to meet,” she says, turning to call someone over.

Moments later, Alexia joins you. She’s stunning, her presence commanding yet warm. “So, you’re the famous childhood friend,” she says with a smile. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

You return the smile. “The feeling’s mutual. Mapi talks about you all the time.”

Before you can exchange more than a few pleasantries, you feel an arm slide around your waist. Luis pulls you close, his sudden gesture catching you off guard. For a fleeting moment, Alexia’s expression shifts—surprise flickering across her face—but it vanishes almost instantly. She excuses herself gracefully and walks away.

“We’re all going to a bar later,” Mapi says, turning back to you. “You and Luis should come.”

Luis declines, citing other plans, but you agree to join.

---

Later that evening, you find yourself at a cozy bar with Mapi and Ingrid, reminiscing about your childhood. You laugh over old stories, and it feels like a slice of home in this new city.

As the night goes on, Alexia joins your table, sliding into the seat next to you. She’s easy to talk to, her charm effortless. You laugh over shared jokes, and there are moments where her compliments make you wonder if she’s flirting. But surely, you’re imagining it.

At one point, Mapi drags Alexia to the bar to help carry drinks. Left alone with Ingrid, you can’t help but share your thoughts. “She seems like a nice person,” you say, “and she’s clearly a good friend to Mapi.”

Ingrid’s knowing smile makes you pause. “She’s a good friend,” she agrees.

At the bar, Mapi hands over some cash to the bartender and glances sideways at Alexia, who has been unusually quiet. “What?” Alexia asks when she catches Mapi staring.

“No,” Mapi says firmly, shaking her head.

Alexia arches a brow. “No, what?”

“No to whatever you’re thinking,” Mapi clarifies. “She’s off-limits, Alexia. Don’t even think about it.”

Alexia’s lips curl into a mischievous smirk. “She’s a grown woman. She can make her own decisions.”

“She has a boyfriend,” Mapi counters, her tone exasperated. “And she’s happy.”

“Sure she is,” Alexia replies, grabbing two glasses the bartender sets down. Her expression is unreadable, though the glint in her eyes suggests defiance. “But happiness can be… fluid.”

Mapi groans and rubs her temples. “Alexia, I’m serious. Don’t do this.”

Alexia leans in slightly, her smirk softening into something more earnest. “I’m not planning anything,” she says. “But if she’s as happy as you say, then you have nothing to worry about, do you?”

Mapi exhales sharply but doesn’t argue further as Alexia picks up the drinks and heads back to the table. Mapi watches her go, muttering under her breath, “Trouble. This is going to be trouble.”

Alexia places a drink in front of you, her fingers brushing yours for just a moment.

---

The rest of the evening passes pleasantly, though you can’t ignore the occasional lingering glance from Alexia. Around 10 p.m., you decide to call it a night. You say your goodbyes and step out into the cool Barcelona air. As you turn to head home, a voice calls out.

“Wait.”

You turn to see Alexia jogging after you. “I’ll walk you home,” she says.

“That’s not necessary,” you said, shaking your head. “I’m fine.”

She insisted, and eventually, you relented. The walk was pleasant, filled with light banter, but something about her lingering gazes unsettled you. When she complimented you again, you stopped in your tracks and have to ask outright. “Are you flirting with me?”

Her smirk is infuriatingly confident. “Would it be bad if I was? It’s no secret I like flirting with beautiful women.”

You stop in your tracks. “I’m not interested. I have a boyfriend.”

Her expression falters for a split second before she recovers. “That boy at the game? Really?”

“Yes,” you replied, narrowing your eyes. “What’s that even supposed to mean? That boy?!”

“Nothing,” she said, shrugging. “It’s just… you don’t give off straight vibes.”

You rolled your eyes. “Well, I am. And I’m happy with my boyfriend. So whatever you’re trying to do, stop.”

Alexia’s smirk deepened, and she took a step closer. “You weren’t exactly discouraging me earlier.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” you asked, your voice sharpening.

“You flirted back,” she said simply, her gaze unwavering. “At the bar. The way you laughed at my jokes, the way you looked at me—it wasn’t nothing.”

Your stomach twisted. “I was just being polite.”

“Maybe,” she said, tilting her head. “But if you’re so sure, why does it bother you that I think otherwise?”

Her words struck a nerve, and for a moment, you didn’t know how to respond. Finally, you shook your head. “This conversation is over.”

She raises her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll leave it alone. For now.”

You reach your building and turn to face her. “This is me. Goodnight, Alexia.”

Her smirk returns, along with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Goodnight. Sweet dreams.”

---

As you watch her walk away, you feel a mix of irritation and something you can’t quite place. Shaking your head, you head upstairs and slip into bed beside Luis. Yet, Alexia’s words linger. You weren’t flirting… were you?

Meanwhile, Alexia walks home with a determined glint in her eye. Sure, you’re taken, but she can’t shake the feeling that she’d seen something in you—something she’s not ready to let go of just yet. After all, she’s Alexia Putellas. And if anyone can make you see what she does, it’s her.

[rollingeevee]

The time has come! I present you all the sequel to my Truthless Recluse oneshot. Teehee! Enjoy!

Territorial Beast

CW for below the cut: possessive Truthless Recluse, slightly suggestive(?)

Forgive any grammar mistakes- I’ll try to fix ‘em as I notice ‘em-

Truthless Recluse gently ran his fingers through your hair. You currently lay in his bed, snuggled under the covers. Feeling the effects of his bite for the first time seemed to take quite a bit out of you, and your mind fell to slumber not long after. He slowly dragged his hand down your cheek and neck with a ticklish feathery touch, pulling the covers down just enough to eye the mark he’d left on you. It was fresh, very visible, and festered with dark swirls of magic only noticeable to the trained eye.

The eyes of a Beast.

With lidded eyes, he placed a kiss to the bite mark, taking note of how you subconsciously shivered in reaction to his touch. The magic from his bite responded to the newborn Beast, and he felt his heart beat in tandem with the pulses that resulted from his presence near his chosen darling.

“Awww, lookit you~” spoke an eccentric, teasing voice. ��A Beast and his Prey, how endearing~”

Truthless Recluse felt a growl instinctively rise in his throat, rumbling from deep within his self. He adjusted his position on the bed to cage you in his arms in a futile effort to hide you from the view of the many eyed Beast of Deceit.

“My, how far you’ve fallen~” Shadow Milk Cookie chuckled. “The old Pure Vanilla Cookie didn’t have it in him to be so openly hostile to others~ But I suppose that comes with the territory of your new awakening to the lies of this world~ Hehe!”

The newly corrupted cookie dared not move an inch from his spot, teeth slowly baring in a snarl.

Shadow Milk Cookie couldn’t help but laugh at this. “Ah, such a fierce, territorial display~! Bravo~! What a performance~!” He applauded. His eyes then narrowed, slitted pupils further thinning. “You’ve marked them, haven’t you? I can tell.” He watched as the other cookie lowered himself closer to you, nudging your sleeping body towards his in a show of possessive protectiveness. “A fellow Beast can always tell…”

Though his eyes remained narrowed and trained on blue cookie, a spark of curiosity flashed in Truthless Recluse’s eyes. A result of possessing half the Soul Jam of Knowledge. “What do you mean?” He gave voice to his question in a cautious, guarded tone.

The former Fount of Knowledge cackled at the question. “You felt it, didn’t you? That desire to mark? To claim? To bite?” He giggled at the look of realization on the once Cookie of Truth’s face. “Cookies like us trade in our sweet kisses for a much more effective bite upon waking to the truth of the world~”

“Much more effective, hm?” Truthless Recluse repeated, his voice reflecting his lack of trust around the other corrupted cookie, especially in the presence of his newly reclaimed prize.

Shadow Milk Cookie snorted at the distrust permeating the room, simply shrugging his shoulders. He then floated a little closer, angling his head and hair in attempts to get a better look at his new favorite toy’s chosen darling, and possibly the bite mark he’d left. He quickly backed off though when he narrowly avoided an attack from the fallen cookie. He was standing now, shoulders squared and muscles tensed as he stood guard in front of your body. The new Pure Vanilla was much more… aggressive than he’d anticipated, though he supposed given the current situation, aggression was to be expected. He was a Beast defending his greatest prize, and Shadow Milk knew very well how Beasts got around their darlings when they felt their beloved cookie was in danger, especially around others who could threaten their claims. These feelings were all new to Pure Vanilla Cookie, so such a harsh reaction wasn’t at all unexpected in hindsight.

“Alright, alright!” He lifted his hands in the universal sign of backing off. “I was just curious of the cookie who could bring out your Beastly nature the most! Not like I don’t already have a darling of my own!” He was pouting, and tried one last time to get a clear look at the unconscious cookie, before disappearing with a snap of his fingers and a “Tch, no fun” when Truthless Recluse let out another warning growl.

The newly corrupted cookie glanced around for a few seconds, inspecting every inch of the room with sharp eyes to make sure the mischievous, deceitful cookie had actually left. Once positive the perceived threat had passed, he sat back down on the bed. He glanced down at you, once again unable to resist threading his fingers through your hair. You groaned in response, eyes fluttering open. Seems you had come to.

As your eyes opened and your blurry vision came into focus, the first thing you felt was the dull ache in your shoulder. Ah… that’s right… Pure Vanilla had bitten you… But why…? You could still feel his sweet kiss on your forehead from when you first became lovers, but its warmth felt as though it had began to fade ever since his fall. It was even more dull than before, but you desperately clung to it still, seeing it as a reminder that he still existed somewhere within the lies and falsehoods he had embraced.

You winced as the pain from the fresh wound sharpened for the briefest of seconds, compelling you to look to the side. Your eyes met with those of Truthless Recluse, and you quickly sat up and tried to back away, only to hiss in pain as your shoulders moved, irritating the bite. He seemed unfazed by your reaction, slowly reaching out to you. You remained still as his fingers made contact with the bite mark, gently gliding over it. The pain slowly began to vanish the longer he was in contact with it, causing you to lean into his touch. When the pain had fully disappeared, his hand moved to your cheek. Seeking that warmth you were used to and the relief his touch provided, you once again subconsciously embraced the feel of his dough against yours.

“I told you you weren’t going anywhere.”

[sunrisecaminus]

HIII, I LOVE YOUR WRITING SM, ITS SRSLY SO SCRUMPTIOUS? <333

I wanted to request bumblebee/ratchet/knockout/ megatron headcanons of them finding reader working on a lot of figurines and their vehicle models. I want to see how the bots would react? (Esp ratchet, I love that grumpy old man sm)

Message - DUDE JBVPAVHUBSVO! I wish I could write more, but this is all I could think of. Also awe thanks! Don't make me blush :3

Bumblebee/Knockout/Ratchet/Megatron x Reader Headcanons

Summary - Human makes their Cybertronians friend a figurine of their alt mode. All their reactions to you making them the cutest thing ever.

Warning - Cute

Bumblebee

When he finds your little workshop, watching you making a polished figurine of his car, he was fully supportive of it. He loved everything that you did and every time he saw you making your projects, Bee stays around and observes how you make the details. There is a cute joke you guys do by telling him to "freeze!!!" when he is in his alt mode. You take pictures of what he looks like to help yourself have references. Bumblebee would try so hard not to make any sound while you work, but if you ask him if he likes it…you would get loud excited beeping about how beautiful you made him. The fact he would keep every single one of them will show you how much he appreciates them. If someone told you that the figurines suck, Bumblebee would go wild and make sure that person never comes close to you again. It's funny how mad he gets to protect you, but honestly its very sweet.

Knockout

Now, Knockout would be the most obnoxious person about finding out about your skill. This man would kiss and snuggle you every day for the rest of your life after he knows. Need references? Just ask him and he would stay in his alt mode for long periods of time so you can have one you could actually look at in person. Do you understand how much this guy would adore you? Do you understand how much he adores HIMSELF?! Do you remember how in the show, Starscream would brag to everyone how he was the one to kill cliffjumper? YEAH THAT'S KNOCKOUT! "Did you know I am a hired model? My body is so beautiful, a master of sculpting is using it for their art projects~" He will say it every where. Starscream being annoying? Knockout brags about being a model. Arachnid being a threatening meanie? Knockout will say you were useful for showing off his sexy body in sculptures. Megatron mad at him for having an unsuccessful mission? "Well big M, at least today I am going to outshine everyone on this ship by getting a sculpture version of me." He is weirdly supportive of it…in his own way. Knockout would cherish everything you do and even help buy you better supplies to help you improve. Everyday he would see you working on one and you would just feel a little kiss on your head to feel his loving energy.

Ratchet

"What in the Allspark are you doing? I am not someone for you to just make a replica of!" Yeah Ratchet is very much flustered about the whole thing. You making a figurine of his alt mode was adorable though, seeing a miniature him was so embarrassing. What you secretly don't know is that he put the figures up on the desk he has so he can appreciate your crafts while working. Does he wish you would just stop? Yes. Is he going to tell you? No! He would never tell you to stop doing things you like, just please stop making sculptures of him. He would try to nit pick the figurine to make you think you didn't do good and that would make you not sculpt him anymore, but when he saw how upset you got, thinking you made him look ugly…yeah he broke. Now he just blushes and says it looks good whenever you show him your finished product. Not a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, but he would secretly buy you more materials online so you could continue your dreams and passions. He understands the feeling of being good at your job, and doesn't want to ruin that for you. If he heard someone talk crap about your projects, Ratchet might get suspended for medical malpractice later.

Megatron

OF COURSE THIS EGOTISTICAL WARLORD LIKES IT! He would put the damn thing next to his throne to look at it from time to time. "Make me another or I will use you for target practice!" Anyone who says you are bad at making figurines will DIE. Don't question the decapitated body in the corner, please don't even mention it. He would title you are an architect on his ship and give you a respectable salary if you keep making him stuff. It doesn't even have to be sculptures of him. Make him a model of the ship and he would use it as a 3d blueprint whenever he wants to upgrade something on the ship. "And you see here, this is where I want the new engines to be placed." Starscream thinks this shit is stupid. Will he ever tell Megatron? FRAG NO! You are now the lord's favorite and nothing will change that. He would sit you on the arm of his throne and pet you on the top of your head. You will never leave, you will never switch sides, and you will never be killed. Oh and his threats are fake, that man secretly loves you and would never lay a finger on you. He would send a figure to Optimus as a "look at what my soldiers do for me" type shit. Bro, you could tell him that someone ruined your project and he would literally walk around the ship with you on his shoulder, asking you to point out who. Even if it was Airachnid, nah, bye Airachnid! He would not care who it was, do not ruin his pet's MASTERPIECE!

[butterflydm]

Scattered WoT rewatch thoughts (1x01-1x04)

This includes spoilers for s3, because my rewatch is adding some context to my thoughts for season three and the spoilers we know so far and book spoilers through Lord of Chaos:

1x01

I do think it's likely that Egwene's Accepted Test is going to mirror the scene with Liandrin gentling the man from the cold open, but Rand being in a river ties it more to Egwene and the Two Rivers. Egwene has been very associated with water so far, from needing to trust the river in s1 to undergo the rite to officially become a woman, to a jug of water being the symbol of the battle of wills that she has with Renna in 2x06.

We have been watching Egwene's and Rand's paths diverge from each other from their very first scene together - the first time we see them kiss (and have implied fade-to-black sex) basically is a play from Rand to buy himself a little more time with Egwene before she breaks things off with him. Afterwards, she tells him that their futures aren't going to be aligned with each other. We even see her reject his symbolic romantic gesture of giving her a berry, which he used to give her when they were younger.

Rand will later say that Selene is the first woman to see him as a man and it does feel like his relationship with Egwene is very tied up to his boyhood.

So, s1 has an ep1 post-coital scene where Egwene's abilities separate her from the possibility of a future with Rand, so we may see this mirrored (if you'll pardon my choice of words) in 3x01.

First Finn foreshadowing for Mat: the tiny noose-like bits of thread on Fain's wagon.

The Rand & Egwene on a cliffside rock scene is another one that we know gets echoed in s3, with Lanfear taking Egwene's place and changing the narrative.

I really like that Nynaeve's feelings about the Two Rivers are grounded in her personal relationships (Rand has also been hearing a lot of things about the AS to make him wary, going by what Tam says about them).

Mat provides gambling, alcohol, and fostering emotional sharing in the relationship between the three boys. And we see them showing care and concern back to him.

I really do love how the show took the concept of Bel Tine and tied it into the world mythology of the Wheel and reincarnation. Very good philosophical setup for the future. Wheel keeps turning and we keep trying to do better than the last time.

We also see Nynaeve's loneliness in the Bel Tine scene, which is what Rand talked about when he was talking about what Egwene choosing to be a Wisdom would mean - no family of her own.

Overall, the show does such good job of showing how this mountain village has held onto the old ways without even realizing the depth of what those ways mean.

The battle is so well done. The fear and panic of the villagers at first, and how Moiraine helps them. I am also going to stand up and say that i think that having (and killing) Laila was a good choice! It shows us the cost of the Trolloc attack, it sets up Perrin's fear over his own battlerage, it sets up Perrin's overprotectiveness over his love interest without making wild overprotectiveness just a Two Rivers trait. And it really made all the show-only reactors that I watched sympathize with Perrin instantly. It was a solid change.

Rand undergoes the first of many "my parents weren't what I thought" when he sees how well Tam fights with a sword.

I love that we see our EF5's courage so strongly but in different ways.

Our first glimpse of weaves and of Aes Sedai working together with their Warders! And we see how effective they can be together. We're going to see the limitations of Warders in s3, I think, because they don't help much in a Power vs Power battle, but for most trouble that an Aes Sedai has been able to get into before now, they were very useful!

Also: Egwene is wearing a bracer on her left wrist here that is very much like the one she wears in s3 (and that does kinda echo the sul'dam bracer).

Rand mentions earlier that stories say a single Aes Sedai is said to be able to turn the tide of a battle and we get to see that here when Moiraine pulls down the Winespring Inn to hurl the stones at the Trollocs.

Poor in-denial Rand here, who does not want to believe what his dad confessed to him on their journey to the village.

Rand, Egwene, Moiraine, and Laila all in blue here, in the aftermath of the attack. Both Rand & Egwene cover up their blue shirts with brown sheepskin coats for their journey out of the Two Rivers. Mirrors!! Foils! Following parallel but separate paths, which is part of why they can't be together.

Rand knows that this about him but he can't admit it to himself. I love it when stories continue to add depth on a rewatch.

1x02

We saw the danger of the Shadow in the last episode, now we set up the danger of the Whitecloaks. Another scene that gains depth on rewatch, as show-onlys will later realize that the Whitecloaks are murdering a healer here, once they find out more about the Aes Sedai. They are zealots.

"Sometimes brutality is the only path to mercy." Yikes!

This episode also brings in the evil of Shadar Logoth, a more ancient example of purely human evil that is not driven by the Shadow or Darkfriends. The city that ate itself alive out of paranoia and self-isolation from the world. A cautionary tale for what the Two Rivers could have become.

We get first lessons in Aes Sedai Oaths here, both their limitations and the ways to find loopholes around them. We also see that Rand confronts Moiraine publicly while Egwene also confronts her, but privately (because Moiraine is also clearly more comfortable having private confabs with Egwene over any of the boys - she's no Red but still has a wariness about men could channel).

Is this Egwene and Mat's only conversation? (And they are quickly joined by all the others)

We see Mat trying to lighten the mood, while Rand begins to show hints of leadership, wanting them to form a plan in case Moiraine turns on one of them.

I like the change that the show made in the Three Oaths, giving them a solid origin based in history - and tying it to Hawkwing also ties it to the Seanchan. The White Tower chose to leash itself to specific rules, while the women in Seanchan were forcibly leashed by their government.

Moiraine must feel so hopeful when she realizes that Egwene can channel and so the world might get a Dragon who can't go mad from saidin.

Genuinely, it is so baffling to me how some people watching the show were calling Rand clingy and trying to hold onto a dead relationship when it's literally Egwene sending the mixed signals and trying to cuddle up to Rand here, the episode after she broke things off with him.

Rand and Moiraine's first fight! We're going to get more of this in s3 as well, I believe. Moiraine trying to direct and control them, while Rand wants to actually know the endgame and what her plans are.

Poor Mat & Perrin forced to witness the fight afterwards between Rand & Egwene.

Mat is so good at defusing emotional conflict. He is the one who gets Rand to level out after the disagreements with Moiraine & Egwene.

We are shown the division in the Whitecloaks here - the Questioners being the true zealots, with the regular Children being willing to bend on matters of Aes Sedai.

Rand is gonna glare a hole in Moiraine's back.

The ruined bridge! Love all the old ruins in the Two Rivers area.

Mat again shows his emotional intelligence by starting the sing-along to boost spirits among the group. And we get a little history lesson. Fingers crossed for Mat singing again in s3!

Also: this scene made me cry during this rewatch.

We're briefly told here that they've been traveling for days, before the night when they go into Shadar Logoth.

Rand and Egwene work through a bit and come to better terms over the course of this episode but their main conflict of being on fundamentally different paths is not resolved. I'm guessing this will get echoed in s3 but they will actually fully accept and come to terms with their separate paths.

Perrin's first wolf encounter! ❤️

Once again, we see Mat reaching out to one of his friends to help them process - Perrin in this case, offering him a dagger that Laila had made for Mat and returning it to Perrin. I hope we get to see some of that in s3 with his friends in ep1. Mat is so sweet to his friends.

S1 - Rand goes to a dead city with Moiraine & Egwene; s3 - Rand goes to a dead city with Moiraine & Aviendha (based on the trailers).

Mat getting drawn to the dagger. Man, that is gonna fuck him up. My poor sad wet cat.

Our first plot-mandated split up - I do understand why we don't get a second Cauthor road trip since they did get all this time and focus together in s1, but I am definitely hoping that the change means we'll get them together again later on the series, hopefully spending time with each other in s4 (if we get it, etc). And I hope for a couple of good scenes before they part ways in s3.

1x03

We learn more about Nynaeve's grit and cleverness in the opener, as well as revealing that Trollocs will cannibalize their injured companions.

Nynaeve is such a badass here. 💖

I love this credits sequence so much. I understand wanting to spend every moment of the episode runtime but it's just so lovely.

Lan being impressed by Nynaeve tracking them. 💖

The Great Cauthor Roadtrip has begun!

"They say all roads lead there." "That's not how roads work." I love them so much.

Perrin & Egwene's roadtrip also begins. I do quite enjoy their scenes together even if I'm not getting the shippy buzz from them. But Perrin & Egwene both trying to light the same fire and not being certain who did it in the end... I hope we get a continued connection between them in the future (iykyk).

This episode is where we can clearly see Nynaeve's healer yellow under her warrior green. Perfect, no notes. All the scenes between Lan & Nynaeve in this episode are pure gold.

We can also see more clearly how Lan has a fancy pattern on the shoulders of his outfit.

Ishamael trying to suss out which of the ta'veren is the Dragon via dreams. Perrin dreams of Ishy here but Egwene doesn't seem to. The wolves herding them to safety in the scariest way possible lol I love them. They are probably trying to talk to Perrin but he can't see their visions yet.

Our first glimpse of an Aiel (dead in a cage). It really sets the tone for the town as a whole.

Hello, Thom! And Dana has her eye on the boys from the beginning. I do love Thom's song here and, of course, what it implies about Thom's sympathies towards men who can channel. I'm hoping for at least one good convo about Rand between Mat & Thom in s3.

Mat's keen emotional intelligence in display in previous episodes gets turned like a knife against Rand in this one and it hurts a lot.

"Someplace new, you can be anything you want. And no one's gonna know the dirt you were born in." We'll see Mat indulging in this idea a bit at the start of s3, I think.

Our first hints of Perrin's overprotectiveness post-Laila's death, and Egwene pushing back and offering compassion that Perrin doesn't feel like he deserves, and refusing to let him risk himself for her sake - they go together.

I think we got Aram confirmed for s3, so looking forward to his reunion with Perrin and how they might interact.

Egwene getting covered with the shawl of many colors.

Dana is such a good compilation of "every darkfriend on the road" that Mat & Rand encounter on the road.

Lol at Rand being so snippy over Mat when we know he actually thinks extremely highly of Mat. He's just mad at him right now because Mat is being an asshole for what seems to be no reason.

Our first hint that Siuan and Moiraine got a relationship upgrade comes when Moiraine whispers a pained "Siuan" when she's really out of it. Also they did a great job of making Moiraine look on the edge of death.

We get to see more of Thom's compassion when Mat encounters him at the dead Aiel's cage. Love our little lesson about Aiel here - and our first open hint about Rand's heritage, as Thom tells us red hair is rare outside the Aiel Waste.

"If you're going to take from the dead, the least you can do is bury them."

First mention of the Stone of Tear and the Lion Throne of Caemlyn.

Dana going for the kiss - start of a pattern there, the Shadow trying (and succeeding in s2) to deceive their way into Rand's bed. And she genuinely likes Rand too, but is still willing to betray him.

Our first hint of Rand using the Power, when he breaks the reinforced door.

I really like that they used Dana to give us Ishamael's philosophy. Break the Wheel to stop the pain of the world. I like that Mat encounters this again with Ishy at the end of s2 and we see him reject it.

Okay, Thom never openly tells either of the boys that he thinks they're the Dragon but he overhears their conversation with Dana and also assumes right away that it's the madness troubling Mat in the next episode.

Hi, Logain! I like how both Nynaeve and Logain are used to create doubt in Moiraine's mind over the accuracy of the prophecies.

1x04

Logain does a good job showing us all the scary foreshadowing for what the Dragon will be capable of. What Logain does to one country, Rand is supposed to do to the world, essentially. We see both the power and the madness here.

"What does a crown mean to the Dragon Reborn?"

Logain knows and believes in the prophecies and believes that he is truly the Dragon, with the voices in his head urging him on.

We do see Logain fighting and winning against the corruption here, healing the king instead of killing him.

I love what they've done with Logain so far in the story. I don't think we've seen any spoilers about him in s3 yet but I would not be surprised to see him.

We get to learn a lot about Aes Sedai in this episode, with Nynaeve as our main vehicle for learning the lore, which is great because of her prickly relationship with Moiraine.

The war party to capture Logain is comprised of Green & Red sisters and this is an authorized operation that we can directly compare to the unauthorized operation that Liandrin and her fellow Reds carried out in ep1. Logain is captured and shielded, not gentled on the spot. Then he is meant to be taken back to the White Tower for trial - I'm guessing this is actually meant to determine if he's the real Dragon Reborn. False Dragons get gentled and the true Dragon stays shielded until the Last Battle, to keep him from using the Power and going mad from the corruption.

Liandrin is so snippy and petty with Moiraine. I kinda do feel like she tried a flirtation with Moiraine in the past and got shot down.

I really love how the show gave the Warders their own subculture and community. We did not get enough of that in the books at all. A+ improvement.

We find out here how secretive Moiraine & Lan are around other Aes Sedai & Warders. We also learn that Liandrin is pushing against the Amyrlin's decrees and that there are rumors spreading about the unsanctioned gentlings.

Aram is lovely and charming. The show also did a really good job making the Tuatha'an endearing.

Rand and Mat bonding over their mutual paranoia towards the rest of the world: oh dear.

"I always knew women couldn't see men's weaves..." setting out right here that there is a distinction between the two Powers.

I like Alanna & Moiraine's friendship. And Alanna does a good job setting out the Green Ajah mission statement - the Battle Ajah, to prepare for the Last Battle.

Alanna worrying that the current Tower policy about the Dragon is too aggressive and might lead to the Tower gentling the Dragon Reborn and dooming the world.

Liandrin starts her work on trying to get to Nynaeve. Not sure if she already knows anything about the Two Rivers ta'veren or if she's just looking to subverting someone traveling with Moiraine.

Rand taking charge of the situation to de-escalate, while Mat continues to slip.

Lol at Liandrin being the one to tell us the Blues are ~just spies~ and then to give us the official line on the Red Ajah philosophy - the magic cops, basically.

Liandrin also makes it clear here that men are not welcome under the Red Ajah's tent.

Tying the Way of the Leaf into the reincarnation cycle of the Wheel makes so much sense and rally solidifies it and grounds it into the world.

Rand starts to worry that something is really wrong with Mat here. The little girl offering Mat the Birgitte doll is so sweet.

Rand trying to rationalize what's happening with Mat, and Thom tries to gently led him to the idea that Mat can channel. Very good conversation, because Rand is torn between not wanting to believe it of himself but part of him knowing that it's him, and his worries over Mat. Rand hears about the consequences of being gentled here, and then sees both gentling and mental illness up close in s2.

"Nothing is more dangerous than a man who knows the past." Appropriate for both Rand & Mat!

Having Nynaeve hang out with the Warders so that we can learn more about them is so good.

And our first poly relationship hints!

I like that we get to see Moiriane doubting herself and her path, questioning the prophecies. And Lan reassuring her that they're on the correct path, reminding her of the dreams and the Trollocs, that Logain doesn't fit what they know about how old the Dragon should be.

This story that Ila tells is going to echo in s3 as well, as we see the Aiel come up against this choice and the split between them happens as some of them pick up a spear while the others do not, choose to stay true to their original culture instead.

"Have you lost him?" "No. No, I would know if I had." Egwene still thinking about Rand, as Rand was thinking about her last episode.

Rand waking up and making that promise to Mat. Awww. "No matter what happens, I'm here."

The show really has set out such a strong foundation for Mat & Rand's friendship, so while them not being together in s3 isn't my favorite adaptation choices (though I do think I will probably love Mat in Tanchico) they do have a very solid foundation of relationship work already put into them.

We got Perrin's Ishy dream, now we get Rand. Perrin is hammering away (at Laila's body?), Mat is wandering around with a bloody red hand, and Egwene is yoinked away by Ishy. And Rand wakes up from that into a waking nightmare of seeing Mat surrounded by a murdered family and then leaving Thom behind to save Mat & himself. Genuinely, not having a good day.

Thom was already ride-or-die (or believe them to have murdered a family under the influence of the corruption but still be willing to help) for the boys here.

I imagine the pitch Liandrin is giving Kerene here is the same slippery slope that the Reds went down originally - these men are too dangerous for us to risk carting them all the way back to the Tower.

Nynaeve and Lan bonding over lost family. Very sweet moment. Cried a bit here too.

I do think this fight is serving as big foreshadowing for Dumai's Wells. The Dragon captured by the Tower, his forces rallying to free him, him breaking out to join the fight. We'll just be on the other side of the battle that time, as Perrin (and hopefully Mat, in this version, fingers crossed, come on, let him actually be Rand's general for more than ten seconds!) fight to free him from the Tower embassy, while Rand fights to escape.

In addition to Kerene's death, we see a Red sister shot up with arrows too, though maybe she lives.

Nynaeve's AoE heal that probably made Moiraine less inclined to believe that Egwene could be the Dragon, because of how strong Nynaeve is.

[fanfics-i-find-here]

Do I Know You? Part 15

Synopsis: You’re angry at Red Hood, not Jason.

Notes: so, this got really angsty at the end. I don’t know what happened. I knew ya’ll where so excited to have our boy back, and everything with Jason is fine, but Red hood… it's rough. Anyway, I guess, enjoy?

Masterlist

When you woke from your nap, you did a mild pick-up of your apartment (not really, just moved things around so it looked more organized), then you sat on your couch to watch TV. You hated it. Your mind would lose focus and wander to other things, things you didn’t want to think about. It led to you staring at your hands far too many times, picturing blood that was no longer there.

You noticed that your knuckles were dried out, cracking a little. It was odd. In the three years you’d lived in Gotham, you never had an issue with dry skin, considering it was an island on water. You rub at the chapped skin and realize you’ve been overwashing your hands without thinking about it. Neither the girls nor Jason had mentioned it, although with how you keep your apartment, you imagine they didn’t think anything of it. You were having a serious Macbeth moment that worried you, but what else could you do?

At the usual designated time slot, you unlocked your window and waited. And waited. And waited. Nearly three o'clock in the morning, you startle awake on your couch. You practically jump over to the window, having heard a noise on the fire escape, but you find nothing more than one of the neighbor's cat on the fire escape. It blinks at you before scampering up the stairs on the escape. You sigh and accept that he isn’t coming tonight.

The upset that had simmered over the past few days returns. You collect his jacket from where it hangs by your door and march to your window. You shove it open, shivering from the cold air, and toss the jacket onto the escape. There was no reason for you to hold onto it. If he wanted it, he could come and get it because obviously, he didn’t want to talk to you, so you didn’t want to talk to him.

You went to bed upset and tossed and turned for the rest of the early morning. By seven o'clock, you gave up on the idea of sleeping. You paced around your apartment before you came to an understanding with yourself. Cass and Steph were right, you couldn’t stay at home forever. That, and you really needed a distraction, even if it was only for four hours.

****

Jason had been worried on patrol all night. Steph and Cass had reported to him that overall, you seemed okay, if not a little overwhelmed in crowded places. He was shocked when they said they had taken you shopping, surprised you willingly left your apartment. He was mostly happy to know that you were on the up-and-up of your traumatic experience much faster than he would’ve thought. Or at least a little bit. They had told him that while you hadn’t rushed them out the door, there was a certain relief on your features as they were leaving, no doubt about finally having an evening for yourself after constantly having people around.

It’s the reason he didn’t show up that evening, at least that you saw. He had stopped by in his old way, across the street on the roof, around one in the morning. He could see your TV running and spotted the lump that was you asleep on the couch. White noise, he assumed. The TV would be better than silence. He didn’t even check the window, just threw a longing glance at your apartment before moving on his patrol, you constantly in the back of his mind. You clearly needed the time alone, which is why he was surprised when he received a text from you about mid-morning.

You: I’m going to work today walk me home?

He didn’t even respond; just picked up the phone and called you. You answered immediately.

“I only tease you about technology, I know you know how to respond to a text.” Is the first thing you say. Jason can feel the tension leave his shoulders just at the sound of your voice. He shakes his head and refocuses.

“Sweetheart,” had he paused, he would have heard the audible pleased sigh that escaped your lips at the name, “are you sure you're ready to go back to work?”

“I don’t really have a choice. I already called Jackie and told her I would come to work half a shift.” You're clearly making up a reason not to back out, dependable.

“I’ll call back and tell them you changed your mind.” He states, not wanting you to force yourself into it.

“Worry not, I haven’t changed my mind.” You tease. The lilt of your voice when you get like this was something Jason hadn’t realized he missed. You were doing better if your attitude was anything to show for it. After a moment of silence, Jason caught up in the sound of you getting ready for work, you repeat the question you had texted.

“Will you come walk me home?” He answers quickly, easily, despite how tired he was from his night of patrol and bad sleep (worrying about you).

“Course. What time do you get off?” There’s a clatter on the other end of the line (a surprised drop from how quickly he answered), and he’s about to ask if everything is okay, but you respond, rushed, about when you get off.

“And what time do you go in? I can walk you to work, too.” He offers. He hears you suck in a stuttered breath all movement stopping.

“It’s okay, Jay. Daylight hours, I’ll be fine.” You reassure him. Jason wouldn’t admit it aloud, but his stomach fluttered at the way you said Jay. You had never called him that before and even though it was just a shortened version of his name, you said it so sickly sweet that it got to him.

“Alright,” He concedes only because he knows you might berate him if he asked if you were sure about it. He manages to keep you on the phone until you're nearly to work, idle silence mostly filling the space between you two. He enjoyed learning that you talk to yourself sometimes as you get ready, and you will share whatever you see with him as you walk, a dog, some trash on the street, or a motorcycle that made you think of him. You had rushed a goodbye to him just as you opened the door to Jackie’s. He eyed the time. Four hours to waste.

Jason only lasted three hours before he showed up at Jackie’s. He parked his bike in its usual spot in front of your building and tried to take his time walking. It didn’t work. You were walking by with a plated muffin as he opened the door. Your eyes lit up when you saw him, and you greeted him happily.

“Jason!” You held the plate away from your body as you leaned towards him, and without thinking, he pressed a kiss to your temple, hand on your shoulder to steady you. When he pulls back to really look at you, he finds your under-eyes puffy and your eyes red, like you’d been crying. He’s about to ask you about it, but you were off to drop the muffin. He hesitates at the door, wondering if he should sit or wait for you to come back. You stop at the table and start talking to the customers. He takes that as his cue to sit down.

He brought his book like always, considering he was early anyway. He reads, periodically glancing up like you'll materialize right in front of him. He becomes focused on his book when you appear. You set his designated drink on the table and sit down in the booth next to him, sliding until your touching, thighs and shoulders pressed. You sag against the seat, and he nearly does the same. He turns his head to look at you, an odd angle, but he doesn’t want to pull away. Your hand wiggles where your thighs meet, and without a second thought, his fingers curl around yours.

“Hi.” Your voice is drained, but you look happy as you settle your chin on his shoulder to meet his eye.

“Hi,” he replies, and before he can ask you his question, you answer.

“I’m okay,” you say with a grin.

“Then why do you look like you’ve been crying?” He brings his free hand to press at your cheek, thumb rubbing at the delicate skin under your eye. Your eyes flutter, and you pull your face off his shoulder and out of his hand.

“Darla brought her granddaughter in.” Your eyes start to water again. “She was so cute and just so small,” your hand leaves his to show him, “Her little head fit in my hands.”

Jason nearly laughs at you for crying about a baby, but the way you pout at him makes him stop. He pats your thigh as a means to comfort you.

“Okay, but you seemed high-spirited when I came in,” he says. You roll your eyes and bring your hand up to swipe at a tear.

“Because Darla brought her granddaughter in,” you say it like it’s obvious, like he’s just being silly for asking the question. He gives you a look, and you shake your head.

“Between Darla and baby Claire, the girls, and you, it was a good reminder that life is long and not just the now. Not everything is bad, there’s still good in the world.” You add, picking at your cuticles. Jason understands now, maybe a little too much. He had spent a year trying to take over Gotham and get back at Bruce. A year with nothing good shining through the darkness. Focusing just on the bad will do that. You seem more even-balanced than he ever was. A silence settles between you two, it's not awkward, though. You stop picking at your hands and settle your head on his shoulder.

“I think I'm tired, too,” you murmur. “It’s making me a little sensitive, I think.” The silence returns, your hands threaded with Jason’s again, and he almost thinks you’ve fallen asleep until the door dings, and you’re up and out of the booth and in record time.

The next hour is spent easily. You’d return and sit for a little while and then leave to attend customers before coming back again. At the end of the work hours, you slide next to him, now apronless. You settle against his shoulder again, reading the book with him. At the end of the chapter, he closes the book and looks at you.

“Ready?”

 “As I’ll ever be,” you answer, sliding out of the booth and working to zip up your jacket. It's a new one, Jason thinks, having never seen it on you before.

“New Jacket?” Your hands stutter your movement at the question.

“I lost my other one, had to drag this one out of storage.” You mumble. Jason thinks for a moment, trying to figure out where you would have lost your jacket. He had seen you wearing it about a week ago before he remembers. When Red Hood pulled you out of the warehouse, he had given you his leather jacket because you didn’t have one. If you had been walking home, you would have been wearing one, which means it's either still in that warehouse or in a police evidence locker. Jason felt guilty for a moment, like he should have gotten you a new one so you didn’t have to drag one out for storage. One that had clearly seen better days based on the melted hole on the sleeve near your wrist.

You don’t give him time to question or offer because you're already headed for the door. He’s quick to rush ahead of you to open the door. You give him a smile with a scrunched nose like you might tease, but you keep your mouth shut. Once out the door and walking down the street, your gloved hand slips into his pocket where his hand was. Fingers curl together in the warmth of the pocket, and Jason has never been happier.

If he was completely honest, the almost two days away from you were ridiculously hard. You were like a drug to him, and his withdrawal made him antsy, waiting to see you again. Enough so that Damian had pointed it out while they were taking down an arms deal. Damian, who is so much like his father when it comes down to the mission. Jason had denied anything, but Damian had just given him a deadpan look that reminded Jason of when Damian was a baby in the league. He pulled himself together for the rest of the patrol.

Walking with you is much like walking with you on the phone, idle silence, and pointing at things of interest. The walk was slow, even though you looked tired and no doubt ready to be home. Once you reached your apartment building, Jason realized why.

“Thank you for walking me home, Jason.” Your touch slips from his, and you sway on your feet, unsure. You were really tired, exhausted even. It irked you that you only worked four hours and felt like you did a double shift. It probably didn’t help that you had practically bawled your eyes out when Darla brought in her granddaughter, a reminder of where life had started, how far you’ve come, and how far you have yet to go. She had shaken her head at you and let you hold the little girl longer than necessary.

Being so tired, you just wanted to sleep, but you didn’t want Jason to leave. During the time the girls were with you, beyond curiosity, you hadn’t really thought about him, but the moment they were gone was a whole other story. Without distraction, you had become conscious of a Jason-shaped gap in your chest.

You knew you liked Jason, that wasn’t news to you, but this was different. It was a tender, nearly guilty feeling. You felt like, perhaps, he was just indulging you and your affections in the last week because you had been through something traumatic. It's why you were not inviting him up to your apartment (and subsequently into your bed). You wanted to, desperately, having already come to terms with the fact that you sleep better next to him. But you can’t do it, not if he’s just gentle and sweet on you because that’s what you need right now.

He stares at you, and you shift on your feet. You feel like your old way of things are filtering back in. He turns without a word to his bike, same spot as always, and you think he’s going to leave without saying anything until he turns back to you. He holds a rectangular box, only a little bigger than your hand. He holds it out to you expectantly, a slight pink on his cheeks. He speaks as you take it and open it.

“I’m always more than willing to walk you to and from work, but if you're insistent about guilt-tripping yourself out of asking me, at least you’ll be able to protect yourself.” You glance up to glare at him for the guilt trip comment, but it falters when you see his knowing look. Inside the box is an unassuming smaller black box with grip grooves on the side. It kind of reminds you of an old Nokia phone. You pick it up and turn it over in your hand, confused.

“It’s a taser,” Jason says, your whole hand hold changes to two fingers holding it away from you. Jason laughs.

“It’s not a gun, sweetheart,” he takes it from you and edges into your space to show you how to use it. A button on the side to start the electricity startling you and he explains where to aim if someone grabs you and then he’s handing it back to you.

“And it’ll fit in your bag.” He adds like he’s trying to sell it to you. You glance at the said bag, then at the taser, then at him. He seems a little flustered, and it makes you grin; the tender, less guilty version of your feelings works its way across your body.

“Thank you, Jay,” his flush deepens slightly in a way that makes you want to tease him just to see how dark the red would get (or perhaps to see how low it would go), but you reel yourself in. You do stand on your tiptoes and press a kiss to his cheek that he seems pleased about.  He nods and pulls back to get his helmet.

“See you later?”

“yea”

He climbs onto his bike, and you take an appreciative glance, having forgotten how good he looked on his bike. He waves at you, and you return the gesture before he’s gone. You sigh as you climb the stairs into your building. You were in deep with this boy, and you had no idea what to do with it.

****

You did manage to take a nap, longer than you expected. Long enough to keep you awake in the middle of the night, which you had not planned. You’re sat at your island, sipping a warm lemon water trying to lull yourself to sleep when you hear the creak of the fire escape. Your whole body freezes. You know it’s Red Hood this time, the noise more obvious. You don’t know why you thought the cat yesterday was him. You hear a knock on the window.

You don’t move from your spot, instead taking another sip of your water, back still facing the window. You wait for him to leave. You had left his jacket out there the night before. There was nothing else he needed here.

He knocks, and you feel your upset and anger flare again. Why can't he just leave you alone? Can't he tell you don’t want to talk to him? You hear the squeak of your locked window opening, a cold breeze drifting in, and then the window closing. You finally turn to glare at him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

The jacket you had left outside is already draped on the back of a chair at the dining table. His helmet is off but still in his hands. You wish he had kept the helmet. His normal, hard-set features are that of a kicked puppy. Thank god his eyes were covered because if they weren’t, you would probably have folded at the sight of them. He suddenly seems hesitant, frozen mid-motion, to set his helmet down.

“What?” his voice is quieter than you think you have ever heard. Your chest aches. You missed him in the past four days, but you wouldn’t let that deter you. You were angry and rightfully so; he got you kidnapped.

“I said, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ I left your jacket outside and locked the window so you wouldn’t come in.” You regret the way you're speaking to him. This isn’t like you, but your outrage oversteps your regret.

“I just wanted to check on you,” he says, slowly setting his helmet on the dining table. You glare at the harsh red metal.

“I’m fine. Get out.” You say flatly. This was hurting you more than you’d like to admit. Red Hood was a friend, a good friend, but his presence led to the disaster that was that night in the warehouse. You got kidnapped because of him, and he didn’t even save you; you saved yourself, and you weren’t proud of it.

“It’s okay if you’re not. You killed someone. That’s not something you just get over.” He says. It wasn’t lost on Jason the fact that you hadn’t told anyone what happened with Ted Jackson. He had talked to Cass and Steph about it and had a long conversation with Bruce in Cave about it that Barbara had inserted herself into regarding what she knew from her father, unofficially, of course.

He takes a step forward, and you take a stunned half-step back. You press yourself against the island, despite him being nowhere near you. Your hands curl around the counter edge, and Jason can see your nails digging underneath. This had been what he’d been worried about. Every time he had badged you about how you were doing as Jason was him, trying to goad you into talking about this. He had worried that you had locked it away in your mind as something to deal with later, but he had already seen spurts of it leak into the way you reacted to things. Despite being hopeful that you would talk to Red Hood about it because he already knew, Jason is sorely disappointed when you just repeat your words.

“Get. Out.” Your words are hard, but your voice shakes as you speak them: “I want you to leave and never come back.” Your eyes are watery, but the rest of your features are set harshly. He’s surprised by it. He didn’t think you could look so…cold.

“Sweetheart,” he offers the name softly, trying to coax you into talking, but you cut him off, voice louder than before.

“You don’t get to call me that.” You point an accusatory finger at him, “You don’t get it. I want you out of my apartment, and I want you out of my life.” There’s a light streak of tears slowly moving down your cheek. Jason doesn’t like the way this conversation feels; his heart hurts in the way you speak to him, especially after knowing the blissful touch of your affection. He has to remind himself that you're talking to Red Hood, not to Jason.

“Listen-” He tries again, but now you’re wound up.

“No, you listen! A man is dead, and it’s all your fault his blood is on my hands.” You present your palms like the blood was still there. “I don’t want you here.” Your words are harsh as you yell, despite the tears streaming down your cheeks. Jason feels suddenly inept that he can't comfort you, can’t press into your space, and wipe away your tears. All he can do is stand there and watch you.

You were right, He thought to himself. If he had been quicker, gotten to you faster, saved you like the alleged hero he was, you wouldn’t have to be dealing with this. Regardless of his years of training, he hadn’t saved you. Sure, you were alive, but you had taken a life. Something you never should have had to do. And while he was proud of you at the time (part of him was still proud of you for it, but that was his secret), he’s upset with himself for even letting it happen.

“Okay,” he resigns as he digs a hand into his pocket, “but before I leave, I have something for you.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” Your voice is weak and choked, and he hates it. He pulls out the locket necklace he had Barbara make for you, and he presents it, holding it by the chain.

“Jewelry won't fix any of this.” You sniffle. He sighs at your comment. He wants to step closer to you, to hand it directly to you, but he won't. He pops open the locket to show you the button inside.

“It's an emergency alert,” he meets your reddened eyes, “you were taken, and I couldn’t find you fast enough. If something happens, press this button and someone,” he doesn’t offer himself, “will come find you and help you, one of the bats. We’ll all get an alert that you're in trouble.”

He places it on the table and picks up his helmet, sliding it on, pulling on his jacket. You haven’t said anything else, only staring at the gold locket.

“Wear it, please. If not for my peace of mind, then for yours. I’m sorry… for everything.” You still don’t say anything. He takes that as his cue to leave. Out the window and down the street, he doesn’t even wait on the roof to watch you lock the window.

He was genuinely hurt, if not a little surprised by how the evening went. He had planned to talk to you about what happened, to help you deal with it all, to give you someone to talk to. He hadn’t expected you to blow up at him like that, hadn’t realized how good you were at hiding your inner turmoil from the people around you. He understands, he thinks, why you are upset.

However, it just made his plans that much harder. He wanted to tell you about being Red Hood. Not yet, but eventually. But if you hate Red Hood, carrying a disdain for him, what would happen if he did tell you the truth? He had told himself before that if you hated him for Red Hood or his feelings, then that would be fine, but now, seeing the blank glare you had given him the entire time. He doesn’t think he could do it. It might actually kill him if you looked at Red Hood and Jason like that. Maybe it just won’t ever come out. Maybe he could hide it forever, right? That will work out just fine, he decides

****

The moment you see his figure disappear from the fire escape, you break down sobbing. You collapse on the floor and curl in on yourself. You hate this, you hate this. This ugly, complicated feeling, you hate it so much. Why? Why did you have to feel like this? You thought everything was fine, that you were over it, that you were dealing. It’s okay if you’re not. Both Jason and Red Hood had said something along those lines. Your stupid Jar rattles, and you wish it was real so you could chuck it at a wall.

As much as you hated the way you were feeling, you hated yourself more for how you spoke to him, hated the way you just let the words slip out. Words spoken in anger were the ones most regretted. You didn’t want him to leave your life forever. You wanted him to come back, to be there for you. Even if it was just to judge your cooking skills and tease you about your pickiness.

He was your friend, and you didn’t have a lot of those. Of course, you chased him off, letting your fear of loss hide under a shield of anger. You can't let a good thing last. Better to make it bad before it’s gone.

You sat on the floor, having your own personal pity party for longer than you're proud of. By the time you stood up, your hips ached from sitting on the hardwood floor. You throw a longing glance at the locket but don’t pick it up or go near it. You drag yourself into your bed and curl into a ball. You feel cold, sad, and ashamed. Ashamed for yelling and letting your emotions get out of hand. You cry yourself to sleep, wishing you could take everything back.

Additional Notes: I am so sorry about that ending. That was so rough. Anyways, next week is a filler chapter with Jason. Yay for complicated feelings. Thank you for reading. Let me know what you guys thought! <3 <3

Tag List: @little-miss-naill, @nikilolo787, @joonunivrs, @uzxotic, @qardasngan, @stormz369,  @g4bbi3xx, @iwatobiswimbros, @the-lonely-flute, @elz-xo, @gone-batty-fics, @princessesgarden, @notfckincreative, @love-theangel, @feyres-fireheart, @penguimlover23, @herodedicatedblog, @dearghostling, @automaticplant

[moonlitenvyillust]

Hey TeleNeo fans, want some pain? No? Too bad here you go

Tags: men crying (why would that be a warning tbh), angst (or at least a try out of writing angst), love letters but the sender is dead, major character death, Telemachus is mentioned but is the sender, EURYCLEA MY QUEEN, Neo cries <3, don't you love making character's suffer, ancient Greek gays, TELENEO CLUB HAS FOUR/FIVE MEMBERS ISTG-, deprived of content. So I'll write it!, me being a tired bitch, based on: "to my dear Historia" With too many alterations.

•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙|-π-|⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•

And so the letter ends.

The second he heard of the great Odysseus's return, he felt a pang of relief for Telemachus. His beloved finally got the one thing he had dreamed of for his entire life. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous... He never got such reunion with his own father. The great Achilles had died and that was why he was drafted to war.

He immediately set sail to Ithaca as he heard the news. He finished his little quest and immediately jumped onto a ship. His little mind could not comprehend how much he missed the island, but more over, how much he missed his Telemachus

Walking down from the ship to the docs, he was just about to go to the palace when-

"Excuse me, Lord Neoptolemus?"

That voice... Neo remembered her, that's Telemachus's nurse maid, Euryclea.

"It's so hard to try and find you, here, a favor from the prince"

She handed him a letter, albeit an not so old not so new looking one. Atleast a few weeks old. A stain is seen on the edge... Coffee? No, that's the colour of Telemachus's meds when it dries on white.

And the letter wrote...

"To my dear, Phyrrus

As I write this, my health is severely declining. I wished to give this letter to you directly–hell, maybe even say the words I wish to say. But my voice has been lost through my last fight with a suitor. He hit me hard enough, I think I broke my vocal chords. However I of course had asked Euryclea for her word, to give this to you during your next visit. I know for a fact you are a busy man, multiple quests given to you at a time. Henceforth I didn't send this letter, I didn't want to worry you and give you an unsafe return.

That said, I want to be selfish. Just for once. I swear it. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But even before the suitors plagues my life, I had been dying. In a literal sense.

My body is weaker than an average man and it's not only because of the fact I am untrained, but it's because of severe health disorders... Yes I have been training under Athena, but that doesn't mean my chronic pain just Dissapears. It gets worse, actually. But I can deal with it. Usually

I have realized that my time is no longer than at least a few weeks when this letter is wrote. The headaches had been more frequent, I fall over with leg pains more often, and it just overall shows a sign that my name is in the "to reap" Soul list of Thanatos.

I love you, more than how I would love a friend. But not able to be as a lover, for you deserve someone better. Someone stronger. Someone... Your height of glory. But I shall let myself be selfish for my last few days. I love you.

I ask for my body to only be burnt when you made an appearance. I know it's so much to ask. But words spread fast and you run faster.

So, if I die before you return... Consider this as my goodbye."

It had been a while since the last time Phyrrus cried

But just this once

He let himself weep

•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙|-π-|⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

I had a vague idea for this after watching a "to my dear Historia" Edit, so have this. Share my pain.

@ list because I know who would like this stuff @cutob @no1teleneoshipper @lenamiyabi @lemonade-tree7 here you go. We are deprived of content tbh. Have angst, almost forgot @kindred-spirit-93

[shineon3]

hello! <3 could i ask for a 47. sickfic/caretaking for the fic game?

From here.

Hi Esi ❤️❤️Here's some lovely maxiel sickfic for you :3 I hope you enjoy it <3

Daniel wakes up in the middle of the night, feeling awfully cold.

He sits up slowly, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and reaching out to turn the bedside lamp on. The blanket is on the floor. That’s probably what woke him up, then. He leans down, reaching for it, when he realises two little things. 

The bathroom’s light is on.

Max isn’t next to him, either, and when Daniel pats the blonde’s side of the bed, he finds it cold, like Max has been gone for a while. The brunette gets out of the bed, socked feet hitting the floor, and makes his way to the bathroom. He finds both Jimmy and Sassy there, curled up right in front of the door, as if keeping watch. The thought makes Daniel chuckle, and he leans in to pet the cats, grinning when they purr. A moment later, he decides to knock on the closed door.

“Maxy? You here, babe?”

The only thing he hears is a muffled groan, making him frown in concern. He pulls the door handle down and opens the door.

Max is curled up on the floor, forehead resting against the toilet seat. He looks pale, awfully so, skin visibly sweaty and clammy. Daniel keels down next to him without a second thought. 

“Baby? What’s wrong?” 

It takes Max so long to reply, and worry claws at Daniel’s gut. He presses a hand to his husband’s forehead. 

“M sick, Danny…”

“Oh, sweetheart… Can I hold you?”

Max immediately curls up in his arms, and Daniel cards a hand through the blonde’s hair, pressing a kiss to it. 

“You’re not too warm, I don’t think it’s a fever,” Daniel hums softly. “Cmon, let me clean you up, okay?”

He hoists Max up, supporting his weight and helps him rinse his mouth and wash his face. Then, he carefully picks his husband up, making sure not to jostle him too much as he makes his way to the kitchen. 

“Here, sweets,” He sets Max down on the counter and hands him a cup of water. He waits until the blonde finishes drinking before asking. “Better?”

He watches as Max nods slowly, and leans in to press a kiss to the tip of his nose, relishing in the little giggle the blonde lets out.

“You up for trying some home remedy, sweetheart?”

Max eyes him suspiciously, face all scrunched up. He’s adorable, Daniel thinks.

“Home remedy?" His voice is small, a bit rough. Daniel pushes some hair out of his forehead. "You better not be offering sex, you horndog.”

“What? No!” The older laughs, taken aback. “That’s not what I meant, baby, oh my god.”

“You sure? Because that sounded like some weird sex offer right there.” 

God, Daniel loves the little minx.

“I promise. I meant something like ginger,” The brunette huffs, forehead pressed against Max shoulders, Max’s legs wrapped around his waist. “I know you don’t really like tea, but maybe ginger tea would help?”

“I’m willing to try.” 

Max smiles, soft and fond, and Daniel can’t believe that, just a few months ago, he thought he was only marrying Max for financial gain and leverage. Because, honestly? He doesn’t know what he’d do without this little ball of sunshine in his rather grim life. 

He ends up making tea for both of them, and they curl up together on the couch, Jimmy and Sassy keeping them company while they rest and watch reruns of some old, shitty tv show. Max is sleeping by the time the sun rises, and Daniel picks up his phone, cancelling all his meetings.

They can wait. 

Daniel’s doting on his baby today.

[sergeantbarnessdoll]

Imagine Hydra coming back after Bucky’s adopted daughter when she is walking home from school (Bucky definitely told her NOT to walk home, that he or another Avenger would pick her up because of the risk, but she walked home to the Avengers HQ anyway)

Not Worth The Risk » Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Pairings: Dad/Avenger!Bucky Barnes x Adopted Teen Daughter!Reader with the Avengers

Summary: Bucky tells you not to walk home from school cause it’s a risk, but you do it anyway and you quickly learn why it’s a risk to walk home.

Warnings: Fluff, Angst, language, HYDRA, crying, nicknames

Age of reader: 15 years old

A/N: Thank you for the request, nonnie🩵

A/N #2: This is different from what I normally write so I decided to give it a try. Enjoy!

Written on my phone. My apologies for any mistakes.

Header made by @buck-star

GIF IS NOT MINE! Gif credit goes to the creator.

“Y/N, hurry up or you’ll be late for school.” Bucky says, walking in your bedroom.

“I’m ready.” You say as you finished tying your shoes.

You grabbed your backpack and slung it over your shoulder, following your dad out to the car.

“Dad, can I walk home from school today?” You asked.

“No.” Bucky answers, opening the car door.

“Why not?” You asked. “Some of my friends are walking home.” You say.

“I’m not your friends’ dad. I’m your dad and I told you, no.” He says.

You huffed and got in the car. Bucky got in the car and started it.

“Can you at least tell me why?” You asked.

“It’s too much of a risk.” He says.

“How’s walking home from school a risk?” You asked.

“I just don’t want anything to happen to you, doll.” He says.

“Oh ok.” You say quietly.

Bucky pulled up to the school. You grabbed your backpack and got out of the car. He rolled down the window and called out for you.

“Have a good day at school, doll. I love you.” Bucky says.

“I love you too, dad.” You say.

You walked along the sidewalk of the school and went inside. You were greeted by your friends.

“Did you ask your dad if you can walk home from school with us?” Your friend asks.

“He said no. I think I should listen to him.” You say.

“What your dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Another one of your friends say.

You thought about it for a second. You know you shouldn’t be the kid who doesn’t listen to their parents. In a way, your friend is right. What your dad doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

“Ok. I’ll walk home with you guys.” You finally say.

The bell rang and everyone went to class. After school, you walked home with your friends. You were about halfway to the Avengers compound when all of your friends went their separate ways to go home. You were the only one left to get home.

You walked down a shady looking street when something didn’t feel right. It felt like someone was watching and following you. It was a gut feeling. Your gut feeling was right. Before you knew it, you were grabbed from behind and a hand with a cloth was put over your mouth. Your screams were muffled by the hand. You tried to fight the person of, but you grew weak and passed out.

“Who’s picking Y/N up from school today?” Bucky asks as he walks in the lounge room.

“Me.” Wanda said as she walked in the room. “She wasn’t there.” She says.

“What do you mean she wasn’t there? Where is she?” He asks.

“The school said she walked home with her friends.” She tells him.

Bucky scoffs and shook his head.

“She knows better not to do that.” Bucky says.

Bucky rubs his hands over his face and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to figure out where you might be.

“Where would she be?” Bucky says more to himself.

“Don’t you have some kind of parent app on your phone that shows you Y/N’s location?” Steve asks.

“Yes I do.” He says.

Bucky got his phone out of pocket and went on the app. Your location popped up within a few seconds. Bucky furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

“Why would she be downtown? She knows not to go down there unless if she’s with one of us.” Bucky says.

“I can get the precise location if you want.” Natasha suggests.

“Do it.” He says.

Natasha got on a computer and looked for your precise location, which took a few minutes.

“Got it.” She said. “It looks like she’s in some kind of lab that’s now abandoned.” She says.

“Why would she be exploring an abandoned lab?” Tony asks.

Bucky’s eyes went wide and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach.

“HYDRA.” Bucky said. “They have my daughter.” He says.

Bucky felt himself beginning to panic. You not listening to what he said this morning is the last thing on his mind.

“Suit up and get your weapons. Y/N needs our help.” Bucky says.

“Buck, we can’t go there without a plan.” Steve says.

“My plan is to save my daughter from the people who keep trying to ruin my life.” He says. “Are you guys going to help me or not?” He asks.

“We’ll help you.” Steve says.

The Avengers nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, you woke up in some kind of lab. The room was dimly lit. You looked around the room to gather your surroundings. You looked down, noticing that your arms and legs are tied to a chair.

“What the hell?” You mumbled to yourself, yanking at the ropes.

You got startled when the door opened. A man in a white lab coat walked in the room, along with a few men dressed in all black tactical gear and had guns in their holsters.

“You’re awake!” The man in the lab coat says.

“Where am I?” You asked.

“That’s not important. What’s important is, you know someone who used to work for us.” He says.

You stared at the man in confusion. You had no clue who or what this man is talking about. Then you realized that he was talking about your dad.

“I have no idea who or what you’re talking about.” You say, lying through your teeth.

“Don’t play dumb. You know who and what I’m exactly talking about.” He says.

“What I do know is, my dad is going to be pissed when he finds out you guys kidnapped me.” You say.

All the man did was laugh at what you said.

“Ah yes, your father… the infamous Winter Soldier.” The man approached you and crouched down in front of you. “We know he adopted you a few years ago. So just give him up to us and we’ll set you free.” He says.

“No!” You say.

“Ok, suit yourself.” He stood up. “You guys know what to do.” He says to the HYDRA agents.

The agents nodded. Two of them held you against the chair so you couldn’t move. You watched the man in the lab coat pick up a syringe. Your eyes went eye. As you were about to start panicking, the door was busted down, revealing your dad and Steve. You felt relieved to see them.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Captain America and the infamous Winter Soldier.” The man says.

“Give me my daughter.” Bucky demands.

The man chuckles and puts the syringe down.

“She was never your daughter. I don’t know why you would go through the trouble to save a child who isn’t biologically yours.” He says.

“Shut the fuck up!” Bucky shouts.

Bucky walks over to the man and knocks him out in one punch. That’s when the HYDRA agents held their guns at him. He fought them off with Steve’s help. Then he untied you from the chair.

“Are you ok, doll? Are you injured?” He asks, checking you for any injuries.

“N-No, I’m fine. I’m just a little shaken up.” You say in a shaky voice.

“Let’s get out of here.” Steve says.

You got on the quinjet with your dad and Steve, along with the rest of the Avengers. During the flight back to the compound, you had a feeling that your dad was mad at you for not listening to what he said. You avoided eye contact with him the whole flight.

When you guys got to the compound, everyone exited the quinjet. You made a beeline for your bedroom to avoid a lecture from your dad, but there’s no way you can escape that lecture now.

“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?” Bucky asks.

“My room.” You say.

“Not until we talk. Sit down.” He demands, pointing to the lounge room.

You walked in the lounge room and sat down on the couch. Bucky stood in front of you with his hands on his hips.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He asks.

“I don’t know.” You mumbled.

“I need a better answer than “I don’t know”.” He says.

“My friends talked me into it.” You tell him. “I don’t see what the big deal is. You and uncle Steve walked home from school when you guys were my age.” You say.

“The deal is HYDRA. They weren’t a threat when him and I were teenagers, but they are now.” He said. “I told you multiple times not to walk home from school and to wait for me or one of the Avengers to pick you up.” He says.

You looked down, avoiding eye contact with him. Now, you feel guilt for not listening to him. You didn’t realize it was such a big deal.

“I’m sorry, dad.” You apologized, your eyes tearing up.

You stood up and walked out of the room, going straight to your room. Bucky was about to follow you, but Clint stopped him.

“Let her cool down for a little bit.” Clint says.

Bucky nods and went to the gym to cool down himself. He punched the punching bag for a little bit. You were in your room, laying on your bed and staring at the in front of you. Tears stained your cheeks. You thought about how you didn’t listen to what your dad said. You felt bad and should’ve listened to him. You now realize it wasn’t worth the risk to walk home from school. You got out of bed and went to find your dad to apologize to him again. You walked in the gym to see your dad punching a punching bag.

“Dad?” You say.

Bucky stopped what he was doing and turned around to see you standing a couple feet away from him. He seen tears stained on your cheeks.

“Hey, doll. What’s up?” Bucky asks.

Instead of saying anything, you walked over to him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around you.

“I’m sorry for not listening to you. I was just curious about what it was like to walk home from school. I shouldn’t have let my friends talk me into it. I promise to listen better and it won’t happen again.” You say, tears rolling down your cheeks.

“Doll, look at me please.” Bucky says softly.

You sniffled and looked up at your dad.

“I want you to understand that I’m doing everything in my power to protect you. When I say no to something and when something isn’t worth the risk, that’s me protecting you.” He says.

“I understand, dad.” You replied.

“You’re a good kid and I love you.” He says, kissing your forehead.

“I love you too, dad.” You smiled, hugging him tightly.

🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵��🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

-Bucky’s Doll

[agirllovespancakes]

Ooo I saw your requests are temporarily opened!! I hope this is okay!!

Can I please request a Demetri x fem!reader where she was one of the newborns turned by Victoria, and when Dem, Felix, Jane, and Alec are there watching the newborn vamps and discussing what to do, Y/n (because she has special vamp abilities) is the only calm, in control newborn and she can sense that her mate is near (Demetri) and much to the four of their surprise, she goes right up to them, straight to Demetri, and says she is scared and needs help (poor girl doesn’t know what is going on). I’m sure the Felix, Jane, and Alec would’ve tried to attack her but she sends them flying away from her without even touching them (maybe she has telekinesis and can control fire, water, air, ice). Anyways The Kings are absolutely ECSTATIC to meet Y/n and Demetri makes her feel right at home🥰

One of the newborns

A/N: Ah Demetri my favorite guard. Ohh I struggled a little bit with how I could have her approach him realistically but I hope you like this ❤️ Thank you for the request lovely!

He was shouting. Riley’s nostrils flared as annoyance seeped through his demeanor when he grabbed a kid by its legs and threw him on top of another kid. They both scrambled for their lives, knowing that to anger Riley meant your head could be ripped off. You took an unnecessary deep breath, feeling the way the air went towards your lungs and back out without effect. You watched Riley shout at a few other newborns who were so stupid to attack civilians in the middle of the streets. 

Riley was kind if you followed the rules. Which you did, you tried to do everything exactly as he said so. There were more newborns so calm and in control like you. Bree was one of them but she was so young. You were sure she was just a teenager. She followed Riley like a puppy but you knew she was smart. She would probably figure it out soon what his plan was. And you? Well, you were having a feeling that something was out there for you. Something more important than this. Perhaps it had to do with your gift. You did not tell Riley about it and you killed the other vampire who was there when you found out. It was instinct, you had to kill her so no one would know. And since that night you tried with every part of your being to not use it. The longer you withheld it the more you felt a burn inside you, a need to use it. Even if it could kill you. You were terrified to use it in front of Riley.

This night was not particularly special. The moon was bright and most newborns had once again fucked up with the rules from Riley. He tore the head off a newborn who tried to attack him. Riley was actually not stronger than the newborns but he knew what to do, the redheaded woman probably taught him. You were curious about the redheaded woman but you made sure to never ask. This alleyway was disgusting and you sat down next to a container to watch one of the others drink from a dead man. It was messy; his limbs were everywhere. You had grabbed an arm to lick off the blood the other vampire had not drank yet. It was delicious. 

As you watched the others grab more bodies you caught sight of something in the distance. It was merely a second visible but you sneaked off to a different building so you could see that area better. Four vampires disappearing into the night with dark cloaks. Their clothing made it easy for them to seem invisible to humans. But you saw them and now you were watching them from behind. 

You gulped when one of them, a tall vampire, turned around and fell to his knees. He howled in pain as a tiny vampire behind him stared him down. Her smile was evil, the one next to her looked at them in boredom while the fourth seemed to enjoy the show. Your gaze shifted from the tall man to the fourth man. Beneath his cloak he was wearing an old-fashioned outfit. As if he was born centuries ago. Perhaps he was- they all seemed ancient. However, you couldn’t stop looking away. There was something about him. 

Riley had once said something about how he was her mate. The mate from the redheaded woman. It meant that you were born for each other. Soulmates but for eternity. He said that sometimes you could sense them when they were nearby and sometimes it takes the mate to actually seek them out. It is different for every vampire, he explained. He had not much experience either; barely grown out of his newborn phase. But perhaps this was what he meant. You couldn’t stop; you felt a sudden urge to just walk up to him. Which was terrifying because what if they would kill you? Why were they looking at the newborns from afar? 

You weighted down the options and as the tall vampire got up again and listened to what the tiny vampire had to say- you got up and slowly walked up to them. It all happened in seconds; the tall vampire was about to jump at you and because it scared you, you used your gift in all its untrained glory to throw him off you. Next a hand was curled around your throat and you were pressed into a brick wall by the fourth man. His hissing was heard loudly in your ear and you whimpered when you could feel your throat cracking underneath his hand. 

Looking up into his eyes you saw he had soft crimson red eyes. The color of red was faded by age but rage and curiosity was visible in his features. He frowned as he looked down at you. Biting his lips as he watched your features. You gasped for relief when his hold on your throat was not as tight anymore. And then his features softened, his eyes crinkled and you gasped for air; staring at how pretty he was. 

“Demetri,” an angelic voice spoke up from behind him. “Care to explain?”

Oh, his name was Demetri. You placed your hand on his as he turned his head to look at the tiny vampire. He answered with only one sentence: Et petram, ex saxum. You did not know what it meant but it was clearly sacred. All three of them took a step backwards while Demetri turned his head back towards you. He was smiling. 

Demetri moved his thumb towards your chin, making you lift your head. He was tilting his head sideways, examining you as if in wonder.

His voice was soothing when he spoke again; “say, how long ago were you turned, my love?”

It was embarrassing to not know what to say. You felt like he could watch right through you. You whispered: “Three months ago, I think.”

“So young, parva exspiravit.” His smile grew wider.

You had no idea what he was saying. You wanted to ask but you were nervous. 

Suddenly the tall man spoke up as well: “I believe it is time we return.”

“I agree with you this time, Felix,” the tiny vampire added. 

Demetri lifted his other hand and cupped both your cheeks now. He was cradling your head as if you were fragile. Perhaps you were fragile compared to him. He looked ancient and yet as if he was just reborn. You started smiling because of how childlike his wide smile was. He pressed his forehead against yours and you gasped because of the intense eye contact. You couldn’t look away, he wouldn’t let you. 

“I waited centuries for you,” he whispered. 

Oh, he had existed for a really long time already. 

“Come with me, we have a home in Volterra.”

Wait, you were turned by the redheaded woman. Riley wouldn’t let you go. You were an important asset, he had said a few days ago. “I can’t, Riley will kill me if I disobey him. I am important for his mate’s mission. You need to help me escape them.”

You shrieked when he growled suddenly.

“No, no one will kill what belongs to me. You are coming with me, all right? I will protect you.” 

“Oh.”

You whimpered when he leant upwards to place a kiss on your forehead. It was intimate, it felt intimate. He cupped your cheeks tighter now, as if he wouldn’t let you go anymore. The gesture made you feel safe somehow. As if he was going to be your new home.

“The kings will love you. You belong with us.”

Volturi taglist

@steh-lar-uh-nuhs @xxx-wounded-angel-xxx @alecvolturiswifeforever @sparklybuildingsdesign88 @volturiprincess @iloveslasher @phoenixgurl030 @ang3lz-lov3

[cybershock24601]

Thinking about my rookanis twins and how easily they could have ended up resenting each other like Lucanis and Illario.

Erasmus (Elmo to his family) is the more scholarly twin. The one fascinated by magic, the Fade, spirits, and all things necessary and wants to be a distinguished scholar in the Mourn Watch. Sitting in on Emmrich’s lectures in the Necropolis at 8 years old and taking notes and sure he doesn’t understand everything but his mom or Uncle Emmrich will always take the time to explain it to him and answer any questions and he’s just waiting for the day he becomes a mage too because he wants to understand things the same way they do.

Then there is Ezio who isn’t stupid but doesn’t much care for reading dusty old books and doing things like math. He wants to be out there hitting things with swords and thinks the fact that his dad is an assassin is like the coolest thing ever and is always begging Lucanis to show him tricks, especially cool knife tricks. He’s active and acrobatic and probably could have made a pretty good Crow if things had gone differently. Like sure magic is cool but can mages do this? and then does a triple backflip or something.

And guess which one of them turns out to be the mage?

Ezio is now shoved into magic classes and being forced to read books and study theory that he finds fundamentally boring when he could be out doing things and Elmo has his dreams of being a great mage shattered by the crushing reality that he can’t do magic. They’re both so excited once Ezio’s magic shows itself (though Ezio hates having to actually learn the theory behind the magic and can’t just practice shooting fireballs all day) but things get tense with each passing year as it becomes increasingly clear that Elmo didn’t inherit that same talent for magic.

Lucanis starts stressing bad because he’s so worried the budding resentment Elmo has towards not being a mage is going to drive the same wedge between his sons that the title of First Talon did to himself and Illario. The final straw for leaving the Crows was seeing the way Caterina had started to favor one of the boys over the other and combined with everything else (and there was a lot), Lucanis and Rook decided that leaving the Crows was the best option for their family, yet history seems ready to repeat itself for no good reason at all. Rook is also worried but decides that just because her son can’t study magic the way he wants to, that doesn’t mean he can’t study it all. She pushes him to continue to study but also encourages him to explore other topics of study because he might not be a mage but he can still be a great scholar.

Things start to get better when Elmo finds a passion in studying surgery and medicine and alchemy. He’s still always going to be a little bitter about the fact that he isn’t a mage and his brother is but doesn’t seem to really appreciate it; however, he knows it isn’t Ezio’s fault he’s a mage and it’s alright that Ezio has different interests and strengths and getting into complex magical theory just isn’t something he’s into and that’s okay. Elmo can still distinguish himself as a scholar and grows up to be one of the most renowned surgeons in the Mourn Watch and makes some great advances in the fields of medicine and surgery while Ezio found himself as a skilled spellblade that specializes in ‘taking care of’ problem necromancers for the Watch.

This doesn’t change the fact that Lucanis got a number of extra grey hairs while the twins were teenagers and he was so worried about them turning on each other but Rook just thinks they make him look distinguished. She’s got herself a silver fox for a husband and is happy to show him just how thankful she is to have such a handsome husband and an amazing for father for their brood of children.

[nausicaamusiclover20]

Haiii nausicaa, i was wondering if you could do an angst with jason where reader 💀 herself and he goes through vhs of them to kinda find the reason, or signs that he didnt see. So it's just him with memories and like some deep conversations that he maybe overlooked or something? You can put more to it if you want obviously!!!

Hello dear ones, how are you? I hope you're all doing well! Sorry for disappearing these past few days, but life decided to throw a hard mode challenge at me, and I’ve been busy surviving it. That said, I’m back now, and I hope you’ll enjoy this story even if it's sad

Warnings: TW, suicide, death, grief and loss, emotionally intense content. If these topics are sensitive for you, please read with caution💙

________________________________________

Rewind

Jason sat in the dimly lit room, the static hum of the VHS player blending with the faint echoes of an old cassette playing somewhere in the background. The late '80s aesthetic surrounded him—faded posters on the wall, the glow of a neon lamp casting flickering shadows. The tapes were scattered around him, each one labeled in your handwriting: “Road Trip '89,” “Lazy Sunday '90,” “Her Birthday '88.” His trembling hands hovered over one labeled simply “Us.”

He pushed the tape in.

The screen flickered with static before clearing up, and there you were, smiling in your oversized denim jacket and scrunchie-tied hair. That smile he’d fallen in love with.

“Jason, you’re blocking the view,” your voice teased from behind the vintage camcorder.

He chuckled softly, tears already welling up in his eyes. “Better?” he had asked.

“Perfect.”

The next tape showed a night Jason barely remembered. You sat on the floor, your head resting on his shoulder as a soft vinyl played in the background. The familiar chords of November Rain filled the room, and as the line Don't you think that you need somebody? Everybody needs somebody. You're not the only one played, you softly whispered, “Sometimes I feel like that line was meant for me.” Jason had just kissed your forehead, not realizing how deeply those words cut into you. Now, he whispered through his tears, “I should’ve seen it.”

“Do you ever feel...tired, Jay?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. But it’s nothing sleep can’t fix.”

You sighed. “Sometimes it feels like no amount of sleep can fix mine.”

Jason stared at the screen, whispering through his tears, “I should’ve seen it.”

Tape after tape, memory after memory, Jason searched for the signs he had missed. Your quiet pauses, the forced smiles, the way your eyes dimmed when you thought no one was watching. One clip made his breath catch—

You were smiling brightly at the camera, laughing at some joke he couldn’t remember. But as the laughter faded, a single tear slipped down your cheek. You quickly wiped it away, forcing the smile to stay. Jason clenched his fists. How did I miss that?

One tape caught his attention. It was labeled “For Jason.”

With a deep breath, he pressed play.

There you were, sitting on the bed in your favorite hoodie. “Hey, Jay,” you began softly, your eyes glassy. “If you’re watching this, it means I’m...I’m gone.”

“I need you to know it wasn’t your fault. It was never your fault. You loved me in a way I never thought I deserved. But sometimes love isn’t enough to quiet the noise in your head.”

You paused, wiping a tear. “I wish I could’ve told you how much I was hurting, but I didn’t want to burden you. You always tried to fix everything, and this...this wasn’t something you could fix.”

A soft laugh escaped you. “Remember our road trip when we got lost and ended up watching the sunset by accident? That was one of the few moments I felt truly at peace. With you, I felt safe, even from myself, but it was always temporary.”

You smiled through the tears. “Please don’t hate yourself for not seeing it. I hid it well, didn’t I? I laughed, I smiled... even when I was breaking. But promise me, Jason, promise me you’ll keep going. Live. For both of us.”

The screen went black.

Jason sat there, broken and whole all at once, whispering to the empty room, “I miss your voice... so much.” Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, “If only you had asked for help, if only I had seen deeper in your eyes... maybe I could’ve noticed that something was off.” He sat in silence, listening to nothing but the sound of his own tears falling, thinking about how much he missed you, and how the silence now felt deafening without you.

[wanderingmind867]

@reading-stains I don't know your situation, so I'll ask some context, and then I'll just skip to my thoughts. Did you watch this show before? How far in are you? Would it be too much to mention some of the stuff that happens? Because it's a 20 year old show now, and I really don't care about spoilers personally. If you do, I'll try to shut up. But I don't. So I can tell you some fun things i've learned.

But for now, let me say some basics: I think this show is better than Batman: The Animated Series. Seasons 2-5 were more iffy, but Season 1 was 13 consistently good episodes spread out over the course of a whole year (if wikipedia is to be believed). I always found Batman the Animated Series iffy. The only episode I remember loving was the first part of the two face story. I also liked Heart of Ice and a few others, but there were many episodes I couldn't find interesting. It was a dull show for my younger self.

But Batman (2004)? It was more consistently good. Not as consistent as Batman: The Brave and The Bold (which never even had one bad episode), but certainly more consistent than B:TAS. That's probably just my personal preference, but I felt like getting it off my chest. Also, I can't praise enough the performances of some of the leading villians on this show. Kevin Michael Richardson's Joker was amazing. Tom Kenny did a spectacular Penguin. And even the original characters were good. That show's clayface might be one of the best clayfaces ever. And I mean that sincerely.

I rewatched the first two episodes of The Batman (2004) earlier today. I plan to rewatch some more of it, as preparation for reading the tie-in comic book about the show. But in watching the first two episodes, I realized just how much I like Rino Romano's Batman. He's actually really charming. His Batman shows a wide range of emotions. Sad, happy, angry, etc. I think I saw him smile more in two episodes than I ever felt I saw Kevin Conroy's Batman smile. And that's a positive. A big positive, honestly. Also, I think he was Canadian (don't know from where, though). Just throwing that in there since it's nice finding obscure-ish actors or voice actors from up here.

Also, I love the domesticity of Alfred and Bruce's relationship. It's so parental, and it's so beautiful. Alastair Duncan was the guy who did Alfred (according to google and wikipedia), and I found he was really good at his deadpan comedy work. I also love most Alfred actors, though. I'm a sucker for old mentors. Look at my childhood fascination with Gandalf and Dumbledore. So actors like Alan Napier, Michael Gough, Alastair Duncan, etc. They're all good in my eyes.

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

Rhys Darby on Faux Trek

ok…my emotions are so opposed. I am so happy for Rhys to get such a prominent role on this show…for a season opener. Yay Rhys ! The overnight sensation that took 30 years! On the other hand, I’m an old skool ORIGINAL REAL Star Trek. The new stuff isn’t trek at all. The trailer has a cgi space battle and the big solution they arrive at is ramming the ship. I can’t count how many times they did that in Berman Trek. It’s a cliche of chiches. It’s NOT at all like a real Star Trek battle. It’s more like Star Wars, with the ship ramming thing shoved in. The images are dark, not bright like the TOS by necessity had to be lit.

they’ve only told us Rhys will be a “legacy character”. Because gawd forbid they invent a new concept or character. Gotta get those memberberries in at every opportunity.

Here are my guesses: he’s going to be a Q, some kind of all powerful god being. Maybe a Trelane type.

Faux trek writers don’t have very much imagination, so that my initial idea.

when Cumberbatch announced he was Kahn—ugh… ludicrous idea. So that tells me the writers don’t know much about Star Trek except for a couple movies and maybe they saw Space Seed, but I doubt it. They’re writing really bad fan fiction, because at least fans KNOW the material they’re writing about.

bottom line: happy for rhys; disgusted with calling this stuff “star trek” when the showrunners and writers have such disdain for the original source material.

[kacievvbbbb]

The fact that doffy at the very grown age of 41 is still making his people call him young master is soooo funny, especially given his immortality obsession.

41 isn't even particularly old or anything, but dude saw his hairline receding and couldn't take it anymore. And decided to make his mid-life crisis everyone else's problem.

His bathroom is probably filled with bottles on bottles of bombshell blonde hair dye. his blonde hair is all he’s got left.

he is refusing to die his twink death.

[isinuyasha-art]

[ficauthor]

The fascinating thing about having only just joined gravity falls fandom, but being previously aware of its presence on the internet; is I know a decade ago the only character with major presence out of the fandom was Dipper. Like if you stumbled on fanart or content while not in fandom most of it involved him. Dipper getting possessed, Dipper beat up, Dipper tormenting his family while possessed, him with Wirt of garden wall.

So when I watched I expected a slightly different show. Something slightly less rounded. Something really only focused on Dipper. Primarily I expected more Dipper getting possessed whump. I thought he was possessed for a string of episodes at one point bc of the sheer amount of Dipper possession art I saw roughly a decade ago.

But now the characters with the biggest presence are the old men. In particular theres alot more focus on Fiddleford than ever. Alot of art, analysis, and fic is recontextualizing the traumas these old men have been through. The way the memory gun is an analogy for addiction, the way Bill is just a shitty abusive ex (an entertaining one, but one nonetheless), the way that the show tackles generational trauma so on an so forth.

But thats still not the show in its entirety, the microscope just shifted.

What I'm saying is there is a non zero chance some poor soul will walk into Gravity Falls thinking its more about old man Mcgucket than anything, only to get wildly confused. I wish them luck I can only imagine the show that existed in their head before watching and I hope the tonal disonace was as funny as mine was when I realised Dipper was just some sweaty kid who loved his family.