#whether he had a childhood crush on her or not (and i favor not)

[lessnowon]

anyways, i'm just dropping by to say fuck jk rowling and that snape being romantically in love with lily is really stupid when it would be more narratively and thematically consistent (and, frankly, more compelling) if his love for her was familial

[closerstars]

small favors

mingyu x oc reader

fluff, friends to lovers

note: this is purely self-indulgent because i have a big fat ass crush on mingyu. havent got the time to proofread and fancify everything but pls enjoy!!!

—

"This is my third glass already. If that girl in the red dress doesn't stick around, I'm tapping out," you sigh, your face resting on your hand while the other holds onto your margarita. Mingyu had come up with the plan for you both to team up and help Wonwoo find a date at Seungcheol’s sister’s wedding party, and you had readily agreed.

You've known Wonwoo since childhood, introduced by his mom at the playground, and you've been the best of friends since then. Mingyu joined your circle in high school, and the three of you have been inseparable ever since.

"Hang in there. I think the girl in red might be the one. They’ve been chatting for a good ten minutes now," Mingyu remarks, checking his watch.

"Yeah? Let's see," you reply skeptically.

"Such a pessimist. Remember, she's your candidate," Mingyu teases.

"I don't know, I just don't see Wonwoo fully engaged in the conversation. She had that charm when I talked to her," you admit, though it's hard to tell from three tables away whether Wonwoo's truly interested or just politely listening.

As you both observe, Soonyoung joins in with his drink. "What are you both up to now?" he asks, following your gaze to Wonwoo and the girl in the red dress, looking at you and Mingyu with a confused expression.

Turning to Soonyoung, you ask, "Soonyoung, what do you think? Will the girl in the red dress be able to break through Wonwoo's defenses?"

He takes a sip and frowns at the aftertaste. "How come you never set me up? We're friends too, you know, both of you."

"Just answer the question," you roll your eyes.

Soonyoung takes another look at Wonwoo and the girl in the red dress. "I think she might," he finally answers, earning a nod of agreement from you.

"Hey, look! They're laughing!" Mingyu giggles at the sight of Wonwoo saying something that earns a laugh from the girl.

"Oh my god," you gush with Mingyu. "She just handed him her phone."

You playfully slap Mingyu’s arm. "Dude, they're exchanging numbers!"

Both matchmakers celebrate with high fives until the girl in the red dress exits their view and waves goodbye to Wonwoo.

"Wait, where's she going? Is she heading home already?" you wonder aloud, checking the time on your phone. When you look back up, the girl in the red dress passes by your table and greets you with a nod, saying, "Nice to meet you again, Y/N. Gotta go."

Wonwoo follows after her, approaching your table. As he sets his drink down, you immediately ask, “So?”

Wonwoo takes a sip of his drink. “She was alright,” he says nonchalantly, earning a disappointed expression from you, which he finds amusing.

"What do you mean she was alright?" Mingyu prompts.

"Well…" Wonwoo tilts his head, trying to recall the details. "She’s a photographer. So that’s a good start."

Impatient with his lack of detail, you sigh. Typical Wonwoo, a man of few words. "Okay. And?"

Wonwoo takes another sip. “She suggested I visit her photo exhibit sometime. So she gave me her Instagram page and I gave her mine too.”

Realizing your mission was a success, you grasp Mingyu's shoulder. Mingyu raises his glass, proposing a toast among the four of you.

"I'm so happy right now, I need another glass," you giggle, taking a sip of your margarita.

“Okay. Wonwoo’s got a date. How about me?” Soonyoung pouts, making you laugh. You then ask Mingyu to switch seats so you can play matchmaker with Soonyoung this time.

As you're in the middle of interviewing Soonyoung and scanning the crowd with him to find someone he’d want to talk to, Dami, Seungcheol’s sister in lawapproaches and grabs your arm, pulling you to her.

“Y/N! I have someone you should meet!”

With wide eyes, you look at your tablemates and mouth "Help," but they only laugh at you.

“Bye!” Wonwoo teases, waving to you.

Meanwhile, the three guys left at the table continue drinking and talking over the jazz music playing in the background. Mingyu notices you at a table with Seungcheol as Dami walks through the crowd with her arm looped around some guy in a tux.

He figures maybe this is the guy Dami wanted to introduce you to. Guess they aren’t the only ones playing matchmaker that night.

Wonwoo notices his best friend looking intently from afar. He turns his head back to see you shaking hands with a handsome stranger. Mingyu’s eyes start to wander, trying to distract himself from the hint of jealousy he was feeling

“When is the DJ set going to start? I am so bored,” Soonyoung pouts as he scrolls through his phone, then gets nudged by Wonwoo, directing his attention to you observing something from a distance.

Soonyoung couldn’t help but tease. “Oh wow, Dami’s got good taste. I’d like to see how Y/N would play the game tonight.”

“What?” Mingyu snaps out of it and pretends not to hear.

“Good luck stealing her back, man. Just letting you know I’m always Team Mingyu.” Soonyoung pats Mingyu's back, gripping his drink and takes off.

Wonwoo then slides closer to Mingyu. “You know you’ve always had the advantage, right?”

Mingyu looks at him, confused. “Advantage? What are you talking about?” Mingyu knows what his best friend was talking about. Wonwoo is direct, but this conversation feels different. They've never discussed about him and Y/N before.

“Oh, come on, Mingyu. I've noticed the way you look at her lately. If you like her, just tell her and let it happen the way its fated to happen,” Wonwoo says, taking a sip of his drink, as though confessing to Y/N were as simple as ordering another round.

If telling Y/N what he felt was that easy for him and her, he could’ve done it sooner. But no. He wanted to be sure. He wanted to be sure that this wasn’t just some sort of crush.

“Okay, let's calm down,” he chuckles nervously. “I’m just taking my time, hyung. And I also want to give her all the time and space she needs if…” he pauses. “… if she ever feels the same way.” He adds hastily, gulping down the rest of his drink. “This stuff is good. I need more.”

Conveniently, Seungcheol appears out of nowhere with two glasses in hand, setting them down their table. “I thought you might need another round,” he says, chuckling softly.

Mingyu thanks him, but before he can even grab his drink, you swoop in and snatch it from his hand, leaving the three of them surprised.

“Thanks,” you say, taking a sip and letting out a relieved sigh. You hadn't expected to meet one of your biggest radio DJ crushes, Joshua, at a wedding party. As the brief conversation with him ends, you hurriedly excuse yourself from Seungmi, feeling your face grow warmer by the second.

As you return to your table, Cheol gives Mingyu a teasing glance while sipping on his drink. “Y/N's pretty cute when she's flustered.”

“Oh shut up.” You playfully roll your eyes and then offered to get Mingyu a new glass which you did.

As you stepped away, Wonwoo chuckles at Cheol’s comment, earning an eye roll from Mingyu. “This is so annoying.”

“Why are you annoyed? Oh, I see. You know I heard that Joshua invited her to visit him at the radio booth sometime.” Cheol prods.

“She'll probably be too busy to go,” Mingyu counters.

“How would you know? Are you her manager?”

“What if I am?” Mingyu retorts, trying to play it cool.

They stop abruptly when you came back with a new drink in hand and gave it to Mingyu. “Gentlemen. I am back. Here’s your drink, sir.”

“So how’d it go meeting one of your celebrity crushes?” Wonwoo asks. He wanted to see how his bestfriend will react.

“Oh. Pfft. Yeah I think I played it real cool. Did I?” You turn to Seungcheol for affirmation but he laughs at you instead.

“You were good. Charming at least.” He winks at you and you mouthed a ‘thank you’ You then proceeded to rambling about Joshua’s radio show Sunday Mornings aired every Sunday morning.

“So annoying.” Mingyu mutters as he side eyes Seungcheol.

Wonwoo tries to hold in a laugh, covering his mouth with his drink. Mingyu takes another big sip from his drink thinking this was going to be a long night for him.

—

The tension Mingyu was feeling inside eases off as the night progressed. He has the alcohol to thank for that as well as when the dj finally starts his set for the after-after party.

You, however, was on a high and was extra loud for the night. Never in your life would you think you’d have the energy to goof around and match Soonyoung’s on the dancefloor considering that you weren’t that good of a dancer.

With your confidence at its peak you even pulled the bride to dance with you twirled her over to her now husband. The warmth and joy you felt was incomparable as you watched the newly weds dance and then seal everything with a kiss as the song ended.

Another song plays as you wanted to rest because your feet was starting to hurt already so you head to the bar for another drink as if you weren’t tipsy enough. You scan the room for somewhere to sit on but all you found was the flight of stairs from where the bride and groom had their grand entrance earlier that night.

Wonwoo was sitting down a step checking his phone. He then notices you approaching. He scoots a little and sweeps the space beside him with his hand for you to sit on.

“Tired?” He says with a welcoming smile.

“Yeah. A little.” You sigh as you carefully take a seat.

“Did you at least have fun tonight?” He asks like a dad asking his daughter if she had fun.

“Yes, dad. There were lots of boys hitting on me though.” You joke and scrunch your nose waiting for his reaction.

Wonwoo chuckles and plays along. “Ah my pretty daughter. The boys must’ve had a hard time getting your attention.”

“They’re just boys. I’m here for the party.”

“Really? No one caught your eye?” He points to the small crowd of people enjoying the music, dancing, having drinks.

You casually pretend to scan the crowd until you notice Mingyu was fast approaching still looking to be at full energy.

“I dunno. This guy seems pretty decent.” You shrugged. “Pretty. Decent. Kind.” You said that in a very smug way but heaven knows you meant it.

You’ve developed a skill of being friends with Kim Mingyu. And that was suppressing even the slightest infatuation that eventually grew over the years. Who wouldn’t have a crush on Kim Mingyu anyway?

You’ve had plenty of experience with girls befriending you just to get close to him, some would bribe you with coffee to have you give them his number. You get the coffee, ask Mingyu for permission if he’s comfortable with his number being given and then hand him the coffee you got for free.

With your sibling-like dynamic, he was so comfortable with sharing even his dating life sometimes it wasn’t as fun anymore because you realize how good of a person he was it’s almost unreal that some girls think of him as too naive when he’s really just that kind of person who always believes there is something good in everything.

You were glad to be his friend. You continue to learn a lot from him. There’s an internal struggle however, when that dreaded question “what if you wanted something more than being friends” comes to mind. It scares you. Scared that he might get to close to see through the cracks.

“What are you two doing?! Sitting down?! Really?!” Mingyu reaches for your hand while his other hand reaches for Wonwoo’s and then pulls the both of you up like his ragdolls.

This was always the dynamic between you three. Mingyu being the energetic golden retriever, Wonwoo being the calm black cat, you being the confused chihuahua to balance them out.

—

Later that night, you find yourself assisting a drunk Kwon Soonyoung to his hotel room.

As you search your purse for Soon’s key card he has entrusted you earlier that night, Wonwoo was trying to restrain Soon who was trying to kiss him while he laughs and giggles. Same with Mingyu. But he just talks to Soon in his state.

The door beeped and clicked open so you successfully assisted Soonyoung to his room. You help remove his blazer and then finally made him lay in bed.

Thankfully, your rooms were on the same floor so you all went your separate ways for the night.

Once you settled in and changed to a shirt and sweatpants. You were in the midst of removing stubborn makeup when you decided to open a bottle of beer to cap off the night

As you were quietly browsing photos you took in your hotel room you notices Mingyu’s coat that you lazily hung to a chair.

You text him.

“You still awake??? forgot to give your coat back sorry”

“i’ll go get it in a minute” he replied

You continue browsing the photos you took for tonight and you stop at photos Soonyoung took of Mingyu and you making funny faces. Your lips curl to a smile as you remember this was taken after you sent Wonwoo off with a girl to talk too.

You heard knocking so you toss your phone to your bed and set the beer bottle down. You get Mingyu’s coat and open the door.

“Hey.” You were greeted with Mingyu hair still a bit wet from the shower, obvious from the droplets of his hoodie.

“I was going to give it later in the morning but you were eager to get it.” You hand him your coat.

“You can just tell me you’re gonna hug it to your sleep if you want to you know.” He reaches for it and your hands slightly brush together.

Your face contorts. “Ew. Why the hell would I do that? Creepy.”

“So you can dream of me. Duh.” He is still at it.

“I’ll pass. Good night, Gyu.” You were not having enough of it you rolled your eyes and was about to close the door but his hand stops it.

There was silence between you two for a few seconds. He then takes a step closer, height towering over you. At this moment you felt as if you were put under his spell. Unable to move, you focus on his forehead since your legs might just give up if you look straight into his eyes.

His eyes traveling from your eyes nose and lips.

He softly touches your fingers, moving up your arms barely touching it with his fingertips then tracing your jaw.

You feel your breath slowing down. Your eyes trying to read his. Was this really happening? Should you let it happen?

“Can I kiss you?” He says quietly.

You nod slightly, closed your eyes then it happens. You felt the warmth spread to your face.

Mingyu smiles as he pulled away. Both your eyes meeting each other. You sigh a little. Your foreheads against each other.

“You taste like beer.” He giggles softly and you let out a shy laugh.

You weren’t sure what got to you as you reached for his neck to kiss him again.

After you break it off there was a pause and then you both go back to laughing faces against each other. You have no idea if it was just the high of finally doing what both your hearts wanted to do for a long while. And finally meeting halfway with what the score is between the two of you.

You were both interrupted with the sound of the door being opened. You both straighten up as if nothing happened.

“I-uh…” Mingyu clears his throat. “Goodnight, Y/N.

You touch your nape and avoided eye contact. “Yeah uh. Good night, Gyu.”

—

It was another long day for you and Mingyu at work. While you were busy writing and revising scripts and trying to help your editor with the video editing, Mingyu was busy shooting new content for the project you were working together for. He was the director this time and you were one of the writers.

No one has said a word ever since that kiss. You were at your best at pretending that it did not bother you at all and kept busy at work.

He asked you to eat lunch with him at your favorite sandwich place.

The whole time you sat there were complaining about how you were frustrated at one of your scripts keep getting scrapped by one of the hosts you were shooting.

“Can I talk to you about something” He asked softly.

You peel off the wrapper of your subway BLT “Yeah go on.“ And then you took a big bite.

“About that kiss.” His eyes not leaving yours. Observing how you’d react.

You somehow mastered controling your reactions being with Mingyu for years.

“What about it?” You said nonchalantly. “I was pretty drunk that night.” No you weren’t. You were having a beer and completely aware.

“You…were?” He tilts his head like a confused puppy. “Okay. But I remember you kissing me back.” He was taken aback by your reply. You were clearly not as kissing anyone she sees drunk level as Soonyoung.

“Yeah, cause I was drunk. We do and say stupid things when we’re drunk. I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable.” You meet his eyes this time to make your lie more convincing to him but moreso yourself.

Mingyu was left confused. You were not drunk that night.

He raised an eyebrow because you were obviously lying. You were more stern, retained more eye contact when you lie. It’s the same strategy you do when you’re pushed to do revisions to scripts that you did not want to do because it’ll only change the story.

“Look I just want to you to know that I don’t regret doing that.”

“Mmhmm.” You were busy chewing your sandwich and back to avoiding eye contact.

“And that I have liked you long enough for me to have the courage to do that.”

He can see your eyes widen and proactively try to avoid his. Your gut goes crazy until your eyes meet his. You stay there and your gut eases.

You were about to say something but couldn’t find the words so you just closed your mouth and looked into his eyes now and sighed.

“But please don’t say anything. You don’t have to answer.”

“And just tell me if you’re not comfortable with this. I mean we do work together almost all the time.” He then takes a big bite of the sandwich he barely touched after all that.

“It’s fine. I mean… It was a drunken mistake on me. I just-” You sighed again and wanted to say something but your emotions were all over the place. “Thank you. For telling me this.”

“Are we cool?”

You smiled. “Course we are.”

—

“So… Wonwoo told me something earlier before he left.” You peeked through your laptop and glanced at Mingyu who was cooking.

“What’d he say?”

“Nothing. He just told me that he… saw us kiss that night at the wedding.” You shrug trying to keep your tone as casual as you can.

“Okay. And?”

“He said that whatever that was, it’s safe with him. It’s none of his business.” You stood up from your seat and walked to their fridge.

“I just told him that it was nothing. I was drunk.” You said as you searched for a can of soda and then reached for it.

Mingyu’s eyebrows were raised at the sound of you saying you were drunk excuse again. He turns to face you with arms crossed across his chest. “It was nothing huh? And you were drunk.”

“Yeah. I was. Haven’t we talked about this?” You opened the soda but almost fizzed out but you drink it up with your mouth before it spills.

Mingyu scoffs. “You can’t keep convincing yourself that you were too drunk to kiss me back that night,” Mingyu finally snaps, his frustration boiling over. He’s tired of you dismissing your kiss as a drunken mistake. It wasn’t just about the kiss he was frustrated about.

You were a mess. You were going on this push and pull game of yours. You would be sweet one day and then the next one push him away. It wasn’t as if Mingyu didn’t see this coming knowing you.

Your eyes widen in disbelief. “What did you just say?”

“You were sober,” Mingyu states firmly, taking a step closer to her. “You kissed me back.” He removes his apron this time and carefully sets it aside.

Your arms cross defensively. “And what if I did?”

“Just admit it,” Mingyu insists, his voice tinged with exasperation. “I kissed you because I like you, you kissed me back, and now you keep saying you were drunk and it was nothing?”

“Stop saying the word ‘kiss’!” You retort, your irritation becoming more obvious.

“Stop acting like a child!” Mingyu shoots back, his frustration building up.

“I was just experimenting, okay? Can we drop it now?” Your tone softens slightly as you resigns herself to the conversation.

“Experimenting? For what? You’re unbelievable! Are we guinea pigs now to experiment your feelings on?” Mingyu’s disbelief is palpable.

“I was trying to see if it was real,” you admit reluctantly, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What is?” Mingyu’s gaze softens as he meets her eyes.

“You and I,” you replie quietly, your defenses crumbling. “Whatever this is.”

There’s a moment of silence as they both process your confession.

Finally, you sigh, tone resigned. “I was just checking. Making sure what I felt was real. So I can confront it and have the guts to tell you.”

“But you kissed me, so I kissed you back, and then I went crazy, so I wanted to think about it for days, hence me trying to convince myself and you all that I was drunk!”

Mingyu’s eyes soften, a hint of understanding dawning in them as they trail from her eyes to her lips. “Well, do you want to check again?” he asks softly.

You chuckle, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You’re so stupid,” you murmur. “I’m not kissing you again.”

“You want to,” Mingyu insists, leaning in closer.

You place your palm on his chest, stopping him from closing the gap. “Yeah, I kinda do,” you admit, before leaning in for a short kiss.

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

hello!! I hope you are doing well

this is more of an ask than a request but given their occupations in the modern au it seems unlikely that the M6 would meet each other, but how do you think the M6 would meet??

whether it was during childhood or as adults

this just seems like a fun little drabble/hc, ofc if you're not up to writing it that's perfectly ok/g 🥳🥳

Phew, this ran away with me, but here's a modern pre-prologue setup for you anon friend!

Julian and Portia are siblings, of course, who lost touch when he went off to college and med school for that student debt life (and stayed out of touch because Portia resented him getting the opportunity when she's still struggling to pursue her education). They've since gotten back in touch and Julian is being allowed to help with the application process.

Nadia and Lucio met in the back of one of his nightclubs because she was the highest paying VIP member and he recognized her family name and figured he'd do some networking. It quickly devolved into drunken complaints about parental pressures and expectations and led to the infamous Vegas drive-thru wedding we've all heard about. Nadia stuck it out because she wanted to stick it to her family and needed space to build her own legacy as the city's mayor (backed by Lucio's network), and while it wasn't ideal it worked because she lived at her office and he let off steam with one of his business partners (Valerius).

Their marriage ended on paper when Lucio faked his own death in an arson case because his tax evasion was catching up with him.

Asra and Muriel grew up in the foster system together, Asra's parents having gone missing when they were a child and Muriel being an orphan. They attended the same highschool as MC, whose aunt would often open the back room of her shop to them when they needed to study together (or just a safe space). When they aged out, Asra was able to access his inheritance and used it to buy a piece of land with a crumbling old house on it that Muriel found for the two of them to work with.

They started out working evening/night shifts at clubs together, Muriel as a bouncer and Asra at tables, while Muriel put himself through community college on a scholarship for biochemistry and environmental science. Asra eventually achieved underground success as a DJ, and after getting his degree, Muriel moved to working full-time on their property to transform it into sustainable living research.

Asra started doing magic shows at kid's parties as a favor for a friend, and found that the pay was better than expected and the event was plenty of fun. Now they DJ and magic on their own schedule and rent a studio apartment in the city to save themself the commute.

The property Muriel works from is still owned by both of them, and between the royalties from Asra's mixes, the rapidly accumulated value of the compound Muriel's built, and Muriel's ongoing research, the two of them live comfortably at their own paces. They both keep in touch with MC, though Muriel much less frequently so because he's so hard to reach. Asra's highschool crush on them never disappeared and he often uses his unusual schedule to avoid them for a month or two, because he's in denial about it being more than a crush and he's terrified of losing half of the closest thing he has to family.

Asra and Julian knew of each other from kid's parties they both attended (Asra as the magic show, and Julian as the pediatrician who the kid considers a dear friend), but officially met when Nadia hired both of them after Lucio's arson and fake death stunt. She needed to investigate the circumstances of Lucio's death, which needed Asra as an inside informant on general behaviors in the club and Julian's opinion as an expert in crime-related injuries from his previous stint in forensic medicine. Julian developed a habit of stopping by for drinks after a long shift and the two had a brief friends-with-benefits situationship while the investigation was ongoing. They ghosted each other to focus on their personal lives when it wrapped up, and Nadia (who had become a dear mutual friend) was too busy juggling being mayor and managing Lucio's business to keep in touch.

During the last week of the investigation, an abandoned warehouse right next to the arson scene blew up when a forgotten pile of explosives triggered several weeks late due to Lucio's sloppy planning. Asra, Nadia, and Julian were right next to it when it happened, and would later find out that MC, Muriel, and Lucio were all nearby for their own reasons as well. While several of them sustained severe concussive injuries which messed with their memories, MC took the worst of the blast and ended up in the hospital in a comatose state.

Asra blamed themself for it because they'd been going through a period of trying to (and failing) to forget about them (again) and found out that MC had texted them their location after they thought they spotted Lucio and decided to follow him. He had a bit of a wake-up call watching them in a near-death state in the hospital and realizing that he was the only listed next of kin. They took on the role of MC's caretaker for the long recovery process, moving them into their flat, and eventually helping them take over their aunt's old shop for a steady source of income and independence.

Portia and Nadia met when Portia quit her Home Depot job to work in the mayor's office. A visiting constituent was so impressed with her efficiency and people skills that they suggested she apply to a recently-opened secretarial position. Portia took it for the pay increase and did her job so competently she rapidly rose to her current position as Nadia's personal assistant. Nadia has slowly become aware of Portia's interest in veterinary work and, without Portia's knowledge, is planning to add a new benefit to her position that lets her work part-time and go to school fully funded.

All's well, until the city's mayor comes knocking on a neighborhood shop's door after hours because Lucio's been spotted meeting up with Valerius, an ongoing business partner, and MC was a forgotten key witness ...

[queer-ragnelle]

how would you write galahad's birth and/or lancelot/elaine without deceit? and has that been done before anywhere?

Hello there!

Thankfully there are plenty of ways to write the conception of Galahad without deceit if that's what one would like to do! The way I personally handle it shall remain a secret until my book series is published and you can read about it there. ;^)

But here's a list of media in order of release that includes Galahad and Lancelot without any deceit by Elaine. I'll also mention examples that dodge a mother figure entirely, just for those seeking Galahad content without having to read/watch uncomfy scenarios.

The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey

In this play, Guinevere is pregnant while Arthur & his men are away at war. Elaine "Ylen" is also present as Guinevere's childhood friend. The story opens with Brisen & Dagonet discussing their respective mistresses situations, as Ylen, newly widowed, has agreed to pass the baby off as the posthumous heir of her late husband, & not the secret love child of Guinevere/Lancelot. The story swaps perspective been the women [+ Dagonet] & the men at war across the sea, each fretting about the other group. Eventually, Galahad is born to Guinevere, named after his father.

The Story of Sir Launcelot and His Companions by Howard Pyle

The Story of the Grail and The Passing of Arthur by Howard Pyle

Elaine lives at Corbin with her father Pelles, brother Lavaine, & nurse/adoptive mom Brisen. Lancelot wears Elaine's favor in the tournament & nurses him back to health after he's wounded. Once healed, he returns to Guinevere & is rebuffed. He spends some time mad but is discovered & healed again by Elaine. During that time, he comes to love her & proposes marriage. They move out of Corbin to the Isle of Joy, named for their happiness. Eventually, Percival & Hector discover Lancelot & deliver the Queen's will that he should return to court. He brings wifey Elaine with him, they meet up with Ewaine & his wifey Lesolie, & go to court. Guinevere makes Elaine her handmaiden which separates her from Lancelot. Brisen facilitates visits at night in the women's quarters which isn't allowed, so when Guinevere finds out, Elaine is banished. Lancelot doesn't go right away as he tries to smooth things over. Elaine ends up having to stay at a priory as she falls ill, & remains there for months, all the while pregnant. Eventually she has Galahad, who first meets Bors & Gawain led there by Lavaine. As Elaine lay dying, she charges everyone to secrecy, & Bors to bring baby Galahad to the nunnery to be raised. She passes, then Lavaine places her in the barge & guides her down the river toward Camelot, where Lancelot discovers her & is chastised by Lavaine for killing her. Galahad is introduced in the next book when Lancelot & his kinsmen rediscover him & knight him. Lancelot had not known he existed.

The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)

This show opens with Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, & Morgan le Fay watching the joust from the gallery, while Mordred & Bors dominate the competition. A Fair Unknown arrives & defeats them, revealing himself to be called Galahad. Before he can be knighted, Kay assigns him guard duty over Excalibur, & it's stolen after Galahad is drugged into a deep sleep. While Mordred is quick to accuse Galahad of trickery, Lancelot stands up for Galahad & convinces Arthur to give him the chance to make amends. Everyone sets out in search of the sword. It's never explicitly stated whether Lancelot is the father of Galahad or who his mother is, but they work together, along with Bors & the Lady of the Lake, to restore Excalibur & fend off the Saxon invaders.

Knights of the Round Table (1953)

Elaine is introduced early when Lancelot happens upon her while riding. After they're ambushed & rescued by Arthur, her brother Percival comes to take her home to Astolat. Later they come to court & Elaine's crush on Lancelot grows. Eventually the love between Guinevere/Lancelot cannot be concealed any longer, so Guinevere advises Lancelot to marry Elaine, who loves him, & go north to guard the border. Lancelot, Elaine, Percival, Gawain, & Gareth all live there together for a few years until Elaine gives birth to Galahad & passes away. Lancelot sends Gawain & Gareth south with baby Galahad, & from there he goes on to be fostered by King Ban & Queen Elaine, his grandparents.

Monty Python and The Holy Grail (1975)

Kind of a silly option, but to be fair, both Lancelot & Galahad are present with no mention of a dubious conception.

The Book of Mordred by Peter Hanratty

"Gally" is a childhood friend of Mordred's, present at court throughout the book, & into manhood on Grail Quest. The only mention Lancelot makes of his mother is that she is "a gentle creature."

A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1995)

This version of Connecticut Yankee casts teenage Galahad as the betrothed of Sandy & thus "Gally" is the rival of protagonist Hank for her love. Lancelot is introduced alongside his son & attempts to discourage his more ornery, antagonistic, teenage hostility. No allusion to a deceitful conception is made.

Merlin (1998)

Elaine is the wife of Lancelot living with him & their young son, Galahad, at Joyous Guard. After Galahad discovers Merlin washed up on shore & brings him home, Merlin returns to court with Lancelot, where the affair with Guinevere begins. On seeing this in Mab's magical mirror, Elaine dies of heartbreak a la Astolat. Galahad, now orphaned, departs to find the Holy Grail.

Lancelot by Gwen Rowley

One of my favorite books! It's Elaine point of view time baby! This Elaine is yet another combo of Corbenic/Astolat. She first encounters Lancelot when he's wounded in the joust by his cousin Bors. Lancelot gives his fake name as Galahad. Forewarning, it's a romance/erotica novel. So they bang & she gets pregnant. Lots of plot stuff happens & Lancelot goes mad for a few years. While he's away, Elaine raises their son, named Galahad as she assumes her lover's name to have been, with the help of her father Pelles, her brothers Lavaine & Torre, & her handmaiden Brisen. The story continues until Galahad is ten years old & tutored by Pelles, Elaine/Lancelot have developed a mutual understanding of his needs as a knight & her needs as steward of Astolat, & it ends with a sort of open-ended happily ever after.

King Arthur (2004)

Yet another silly one in which Lancelot & Galahad are both present & it's unclear whether they're father & son. But it's Ioan Gruffudd & Hugh Dancy, so like, who cares if it makes sense? Eye candy.

The Dragons of Camelot (2014)

An indie movie that isn't very good, but has some fresh ideas. Galahad was raised as the son of Guinevere/Arthur, but on his deathbed, Arthur reveals to Galahad he's actually the son of Guinevere/Lancelot. Galahad sets out to find his father & enlist him to help protect Camelot from Morgan & Gawain. Along the way he picks up Percival, Dindrane, & Bors. At the end, Lancelot/Guinevere are back together & it's implied Dindrane will be Galahad's queen.

I have no doubts there are more examples. But this is the media coming to mind and in which I enjoy Galahad's character [or casting] even if it doesn't fit the assignment perfectly (such as with Monty Python (1975) or King Arthur (2004)). Honorable mention to The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell, which has a great Galahad, but as the half-brother of a shitty Lancelot. So that technically circumvents any deceit but changes the dynamic so drastically as to be unrecognizable and presumably not what you're looking for.

I hope this helps! Take care!

[ashtheketchum]

ROTTMNT X Cosplayer Reader

A/N: Because I didn't want the title to be too long, I'll explain it here. How would the turtles react if their s/o cosplayed their childhood crushes? I choose one character for each turtle. (Pic from Pinterest!)

Warnings: GN.Reader, fluff

____________________________________

Leonardo:

For Leo, I can imagine Kim Possible as a childhood crush

If you cosplayed her, Leo would probably fall in love with you all over again

Whether you cosplay the male version or the female version, he loves it

He would definitely whistle and grin mischievously

"Can you move like Mrs. Possible?"

He tries to get you to wear her clothes more often, even if it's just the pants

He would brag to his brothers about what a great partner he has and how good you look

Always has one hand around your waist to feel your exposed skin

He would also play with the wig (or with your hair if you have long, ginger hair<3)

If you perform acrobatic moves or fight, Leo will cheer you on as if he were a fangirl

Raphael:

Raph would have had a crush on Astrid

He likes her stubbornness and how she also takes on the role of leader well

So if you cosplay her, he would be very happy (again, It doesn´t matter, if male or female<3)

"How did you come to the conclusion that I like Astrid?"

Leo told you-

If you then behave exactly like Astrid, he will kneel at your feet

But he sometimes tries to act as a leader himself

Raph would also work with you on your cosplay. He would get you an axe, help you sew and also help you choose your wig

He doesn't really brag about how great you are, but he subconsciously mentions it sometimes about how good you look in that cosplay

When you were doing throwing exercises with your axe, he was watching you the whole time (in case you got hurt)

Donatello:

Even though he wasn't so proud of it as a child, he had an incredibly bad crush on Shego back then (Besides Atomic Girl ofc-)

He liked her design and also her personality, even if she was a villain

He was actually working when you went to see him in the Shego cosplay, but when he saw you he dropped everything (again, doesn´t matter if male or female version)

His mouth was wide open, which only made you giggle

"Y/N, why are you dressed up as Shedo?"

He didn't understand for a moment that you wanted to do him a favor, but when he did, he turned bright red and looked at you several times

When he was a kid, he defintely argued with Leo about who was better. Shego or Kim

If you kiss him with those black lips, he will turn bright red and hope that an imprint remains

He could no longer concentrate on his technique, his entire focus is on you<3

If you still knew the fighting style, he would stare at you with wide eyes and probably stop breathing for a moment

Michelangelo:

Mikey had a crush on Rapunzel then and would still have a crush on Rapunzel

No matter whether you have long or short hair, he finds her incredibly great and pretty

So if you cosplayed her, he would scream super loud and wave his arms wildly

Even though your wig was shorter than in the film, he thought you were incredibly wonderful

"Babe, you look amazing, oh my god!"

He would definitely take selfies with you

He would watch the entire movie with you and act out scenes with you (he would be Flynn of course)

He would smile at you all the time and hug you all the time

When the frying pan scene occurred, Mikey looked at you anxiously and pleadingly while you pretended to consider reenacting that scene as well

You didn't reenact it, but you did the wedding scene<3

[brucewaynehater101]

Talia al Ghul is the song Never Love an Anchor by Crane Wives as she thinks about her son, Damian.

"On some level, I think I always understood that these hands of mine were clumsy, not clever."

Her inability to protect Damian from the same childhood she had. She has only ever known conditional love, her abilities being the only reason Ra's favors and supports her over her siblings. Talia has always known that her false lies of aiding her son were merely clumsy excuses for love.

"And I tried to do the best that I could. But try as I might, I couldn't bring myself to hold you."

She loves her son, but she also doesn't know what that means. Her father certainly didn't show her a caring parent's love. Talia didn't know how to show Damian that she loves him and she never got to properly prove that to him. She couldn't bring herself to openly love him when she knew the consequences of it.

"It's a secret I keep tucked inside my chest with this heart of mine that's guilty, not remorseful."

She's not sorry for how she raised Damian. It's part of why he survived his childhood in the first place. That doesn't stop the crushing guilt of hurting her son.

"There is love that doesn't have a place to rest, but it would have buried you if it had settled on your shoulders."

To bind herself to her son, even in love, is to hinder and burden him. Her father taught her about making connections and manipulating those relationships. She loves him, but loving her son puts them both in danger.

"On some level, I think I always understood that a ship could never really love an anchor. So, I did the only thing that I could and severed the rope to set you sailing from my harbor."

She sent Damian away to his father, ensuring that she would not be able to see her son. Bruce would be furious at her for the deception and for keeping his son from him. It works in setting Damian free, getting him to a safe place, and keeping him away from her. She is the one to sever their bond because she perceives herself to be a weight on his very being. She is stationary with the League and her position. Damian has room to grow, and he can go see so much more than just the LoA. He can explore all the world has to offer. Talia can not leave the League.

"There are times when I still wonder about you. You are someone I have loved, but never known."

She watches from afar as Damian discovers his love for drawing and art. He learns about his care for animals. He's so passionate about life, about things she had never allowed him to enjoy.

"And you'll never see the reasons I had for keeping my claws away when they were close enough to hurt you."

She knows that the distance and the pushing him away harms her son. She knows that he sees it as an error on his part. Yet, she does it for him. She has and continues to hurt him. She can't be close enough to reach him. She knows what that outcome is, what it has always been. So, she makes that choice for him. He will never have to choose between the pain of losing his mother over the pain of being with her.

"I am selfish, I am broken, I am cruel. I am all the things they might have said to you."

There's no doubt in her mind that Bruce and the rest of Damian's family are saying horrific statements about her. She knows what she has done to her son. She's selfish in loving Damian while hurting him. She's selfish for making those choices for him and not letting him choose. She's broken in how she loves. She's cruel for the back and forth she does of showering her son in affection and then pushing him away.

"Do you ever think of me and my two hands? And wonder why they never soothed your fevers? And wonder why they never tied your shoes?"

She thinks about Damian all the time. Every waking hour, she ponders about what he's doing, whether 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 is helping him tie his shoes, whether her beloved is tending to him while sick. She couldn't do that with Damian in the LoA even if she wanted to. Does Damian understand that? Is he just a ten year old kid wondering why his mom doesn't love him?

"And wonder why they never held you gently?"

She wonders that too, some nights. Her parents never held her gently. Should she have tried to hold onto Damian? If she knew she would never get the chance to later, would she wrap her son in a hug declaring him safe? Would it have been worth the risks?

"And wonder why they never had the chance to lose you?"

She doesn't give Damian the chance to leave her. She doesn't give him the chance to stay. She doesn't allow herself the option of keeping him by her side. She hasn't lost him if she sent him away.

I think the song perfectly fits earlier characterizations of Talia and how that would affect her self-image, her relationship with Damian (and the child she gave up), and her beliefs on love.

[neverchecking]

Eye of the Storm

ITS HERE I DID IT

Y'all have been feeding me with your own OC's writing and I finally am returning the favor (If any of you are interested at all lmao). So here it is, Part 1 of Aaliyah's (And eventually Sage's) backstory.

CW: Mentions of childhood abuse including whipping, graphic depiction of death and resurrection, canon typical violence.

It’s never something subtle. 

If she ever had the choice between refusing the memories, as sharp and biting as they are when they appear, she would. If she ever had the choice between throwing away all that had bred her a title soaked in bile and blood, she’d do it. If she ever had any choice in this bittersweet life that was both simultaneously too long and yet short lived, she’d take it. 

But that was the funny thing about destiny, wasn’t it?  That you never really had any choice in the matter. Every choice you could’ve possibly made was made up for you already. It was all some sick cruel game that those in the heavens played in a form of twisted entertainment. Expectant that every mortal scurrying under their feet like ants would fall in line or be crushed for disobedience. 

She had disobeyed once. 

That was something, in a cruel twist of fate, with its dark humor and rotten jokes, that she remembered vividly. She couldn’t recall her mother’s face, or the way her father’s voice sounded, or if she ever had those in her life at all, but she could remember that start of the downward spiral. Of how out of control it had gotten. How the figurative hourglass they had given themselves shattered and sand slid through their broken and bloody fingers faster than they could cradle their broken hope to their chest. 

Her duty, first and foremost, was to the Crown. To King Rhoam and his daughter, Princess Zelda. The Sheikah were ever loyal followers, blind to a fault to their flaws, and she was trained to be the same. No, not the same. She was groomed and shaped to be their best. 

The prophecies in stories and carvings in loose stone portrayed a beast foul and relentless, power beyond anything this generation, not the one prior, had seen before. A power comparable to the ones the heroes of old had faced in their times; whether it be ones aiming to cast everlasting twilight over the world, shrouding it in dark magic, or ones trapped in demonic masks doing everything to bring their world, and moon, crashing down upon themselves. One that would soon be upon them.  

An older woman, Chief at the time if she remembers correctly, had successfully swayed the naive and arrogant king while he was still young and foolish. Persuading him that Champions, warriors blessed with gifts and abilities far more advanced than anything he would see in his life, were to be chosen. To fight for him like valiant sacrifices, piloting technology that not even the Sheikah themselves fully understood. He had agreed and on her third birthday, she was crowned the Sheikah Champion. 

In a small blessing, perhaps mercy, she did not quite recall all the ‘training’ they had put her through in order to hone her abilities for the role. In a mocking laugh, the scars on her skin spat back enough hints for her to guess. Lines upon lines painting her back and upper spine, thin lines that have long since dulled white. Swipes along her stomach and rib cage that have sealed, leaving only taught skin in their wake. Wide slits on her forearms, evident she did not go down without a fight before wilting into cries of sorrow for her pitiful soul. 

But the worst has to be on her chest. 

She remembered it. 

Starting at the base of the left side of her torso, it crawled up in a crackled line, leeching across sun-kissed skin, until meeting the edge of the right side of her collarbone. It was what kept her up at night, fingers tracing the raised edges as she clearly went through every play by play of that fateful night. 

How they had been caught so off guard, following the princess to another attempt of unlocking her powers. How her and the blond knight had accompanied the other, either in support or by duty she couldn’t recall. How nothing came of the wasteful trip.

She sometimes wondered what it would’ve been like, had she not been born Sheikah. She wouldn’t wish her position unto anyone else, but some days, when she had found a tree with tall enough branches and thick enough foliage no one could find her, she thought. Thought about being blessed a Rito, with feathers rich and thick-- mostly likely a white or brown color-- , free to travel anywhere her heart desired using only the wings on her arms. Thought about being graced with a Zora’s body, all lean muscles and smooth scales, flowing wherever the water decided. Thought about being consecrated as an unbreakable Goron with a body made of stone, steady and unyielding to everything thrown her way. 

Alas, she was none of these things. She was simply a Sheikah.

A Sheikah meant to be the picture of ethereal grace and terrifying prowess. A Sheikah with the ability to harness rune extraction and the consequent rune usage. But in a mocking turn of events, not even she could’ve prepared for the sudden laughter surrounding them. High chimed and insulting, echoing in one round after another. 

Training was a bittersweet memory to her. The muscle memory it had ingrained into her kept her alive, but it had taken something so precious in return. She had no memories of her childhood, because she simply didn’t have one. Any bits she scrumaged together were of early mornings, practicing swordplay in front of the rising sun. Of late mornings spent running along the village’s walkways while other Sheikah welcomed the start of their day. Of midday sparring sessions against teams of exponentially increasing numbers. Of early evenings spent worrying herself over languages that weren’t her own and history about wars she would never fight in. Of late nights spent in the dying light of an oil lamp, hands held in another set of calloused ones, that were scorchingly warm when compared to hers, too scared to speak above a gentle whisper in fear of being caught and torn away from the only worthwhile being in her life. Those memories, centered around flowers that shined the color of a cloudless sky and hair that put golden threads to shame, were her favorites. 

They made the harsh realities easier to swallow. He made it worth it. 

His eyes were wide with the fear of uncertainty, darting from where the Princess stood, paralyzed by her own terror, to the Sheikah, watching her every move. She could feel his eyes follow her hands as she grabbed at the stone tablet that rested on her hips. There were multiple options she was faced with here, especially with the skills acquired from years of practice, but only one option saved him. And, by correlation, the princess as well. 

He had made so much worth everything. Every scrape, nick, gash, burn, and bruise worth the hits that formed them. All the sleepless nights spent riding from place to place, offering deals or favors to placate the beings of Hyrule in return for their own share of rewards. The hours spent patching wounds, both her own and his, and handling the stress that arose with every battle they were faced with. 

Maybe it was the lull of his voice, harmonic and euphonias, that quelled her anxieties. Or perhaps it was the warmth of his soul, so hearty and full that it seeped out of him at any given moment. It could’ve been as simple as his touch was grounding and familiar, something she had become well acquainted with in both the dead of night, when their breaths were nothing more than sharp pants and sweat coated their bodies, and in the light of day, when they laughed in short bursts at the lengths he would allow her to go (Braiding flowers into his hair, a truly blasphemous deed). 

His hand had shot out for her wrist the second he clued into what she had decided on. She predicted he would’ve. It was who he was. She had planned for it, angling her body in a way she could push the slate into his chest, and him into the princess behind him, all while drawing her weapon with her dominant hand. Blue peaked in her peripheral vision before her focus was stolen by a flash of silver. It came down too fast for her to truly comprehend what had happened. 

The crack of her collarbone and corresponding ribs still haunted her dreams as she felt her entire torso crumble inwards. Blood immediately flooded where it shouldn’t, crawling up her throat and choking her in a gargle of misery. The burn of dirt crawling into her open wound lit her nerves on fire, adding gasoline to the spark when an outraged cry called out in pure pained disbelief at the image before him before it faded along with the rest of him.

She should’ve died there.

She sent him a silent apology. 

She promised him so much and it was all shattered in one fell swoop.

How Impa had known about her whereabouts that day remained a tight-lipped mystery to this day. Something she wasn’t even certain she wanted to know about. Not when every image of that memory was of those precious moments spent choking on her own blood, coughing it up and letting it cool on her chin only for it to clog once more in her airway. Of feeling the shards of her bones dig into her organs as that same laughter cried out victoriously around her. Of how empty she felt, laying there and waiting for her own, self-assigned, death. 

Come to think of it, she didn’t like thinking back to that aftermath either. How the agony of being moved was red-hot and molten, and how she would’ve preferred death. The feeling of no longer choking on blood but instead choking on something much thicker that invaded her nose and mouth faster than she could cough it out. Of hands pinning her in place as her vision blurred and her lungs screamed for relief before finally giving way. 

Fingers clawed at flesh in a desperate attempt at escape, warbled screams crashing against the walls of the underground hut. Whoever had a hold on her was stronger than she accounted for, squeezing against her windpipe hard enough to crush the vital organ while another hand pushed on her imploded ribcage. There were words being shouted above her, but they sounded far off and muffled. As if whatever was currently suffocating her was also making her deaf. Death would’ve been preferred. 

It would’ve been a mercy to her as years passed. Day in and day out of an agonizingly slow and searing pain as her bones rebuilt themselves. Minutes ticking by in hellish torture as skin stitched itself together. Seconds fleeting away, taking away her mind and soul with it and scattering it along the land she swore to protect, only for it to stretch her thin enough to snap and feast on her broken remains and-

“You okay, sunshine?” 

Blinking, she reeled her wandering mind back into its place, turning to face the concerned male. Those very same eyes watched her every breath, tracing her microexpressions and following her ques. 

A part of her wanted to deny him. Wanted to push it all off and lie, say she was fine. More than, in fact. 

But she had hurt him enough as was. 

Stepping closer, Aaliyah felt an easy smile twist her lips in the same way it did whenever he was there. Here. With her. Her arms wrapped around his waist as her chin settled on his own collarbone, topaz eyes looking up at him in pure adoration. One of his hands, calloused and scorchingly warm, cupped her cheek, thumb rubbing her under eye when she nuzzled into it. Every part of him fits with her. She was made for him no matter what they had tried pushing upon her. She hummed happily at his comfort, keening into the kiss he bestowed upon her forehead. 

“I’ll get there.” 

She’d make sure of it. No matter how many nights she spent stuffing her fingers into her mouth to muffle her sobs or how long she spent fighting long ingrained habits in an effort to fix herself into the most proficient version she could be for him. 

Because while her training deemed her loyalty to the crown, she gifted it to the knight who was once too shy to look her in the eye let alone make such common touches along her skin. 

He was worth it.

[skullgirrl]

Thoughts on Kat x Dante and Kat x Vergil

I'm suffering through major writers block recently so to try and push myself out of this I'm going to write down my thoughts and hope that they are semi-coherent.💀

I adore a good love triangle.

I see Kat/Vergil and Kat/Dante as two different ship dynamics

Kat/Vergil - right person, wrong time

Kat/Dante - soulmates (whether platonic or romantic)

I am more preferential to Kat/Dante only because we see him actually begin to care for her more than Vergil seems to over the course of the game (if you've seen my blog you know the amount of Kante propaganda I post💀)

The events of the game:

In the beginning of the game, straight off the bat, it's clear Vergil and Kat are very close or "tight" as Dante so eloquently observes😂 Kat and Vergil work as a team. Kat is indebted to Vergil because he helped her out of a tough childhood. Vergil is indebted to Kat because she acts as his right hand. Although, there aren't many scenes in the game where Kat and Vergil are in the same room (much less, hold a conversation together) but we can still assume they're a team and generally like each other. Kat's closer to Vergil than any other member of The Order. Nice, okay...

But then, through the events of the game Kat and Dante have more scenes together. They talk, they trauma bond, and even though at the beginning Dante was weary of trusting Vergil or Kat, he seems to slowly come out of his shell with Kat and trusts them both because of it.

But the siege of The Order's headquarters is really when we get to fully see the "flip":

up until this point, Vergil seemed closer to Kat than Dante was (and perhaps Kat liked Vergil more as well) but the scales have slowly been tipping, increments of weight being adding in Dante's favor.

And then Vergil leaves Kat in the server room😭

the thing most striking to me about this scene imo is that Kat just seems to accept her fate. She accepts that there's no way out for her and accepts her martyrdom for Vergil's cause because Vergil had so easily accepted it too... but Dante doesn't.

He stays with her. He tells her what to do and how to appear the least threatening to the feds. He assures her that he will be back for her even if no one else is.

He shows her a kindness, a thoughtfulness and it humanizes him in this scene.

Dante has to argue with Vergil to go back and save Kat. Dante changes their whole plan because he doesn't want to let this one human girl die. A far cry from the beginning of the game where he brushed them off and said he "preferred to work alone"...

After all this, even after Vergil reveals his plan to rule over the humans, Vergil still seems surprised (or regretful?) that Kat doesn't back him up, but now Kat knows that she can't support him anymore. Vergil is too far gone, too different from the man who saved her from her foster father.

I also just realized that we can see this somewhat mirrored in the framing of the cutscenes:

In most of her scenes with Vergil, Kat is pushed to the back. She's out of focus and otherwise not the main draw of the scene. In fact, it's very easy to overlook her in the shadows.

Whereas in most of her scenes with Dante, Kat takes up as much space on the screen as he does. She's harder to overlook now paired with that fact that she actually has lines in her scenes with Dante. (although this may just be confirmation bias given she has so many more scenes with Dante💀 I think it's a nice parallel)

Closing thoughts, I like both pairings although I feel that the game devs planed for Dante to be endgame. I still like the idea of a love triangle between the three; Dante and Kat close after Vergil's betrayal, Vergil and Kat as old friends turned sour (past crushes? the one who got away possibly?), and Dante and Vergil being brothers but also vying for Kat's attention (blood is thicker than water).

Anyways thanks for reading (or skimming) take this as a treat:

[xtruss]

Britain’s First Black Queen? The Real Story of Queen Charlotte

Historians still debate whether she was really Britain’s First Black Queen. But a new Netflix spin-off of the popular 'Bridgerton' makes clear that interest in her life is stronger than ever.

— By Erin Blakemore | May 10, 2023

Scottish Painter Allan Ramsay's Portrait of Queen Charlotte in her Coronation Robes has inspired debate over whether she was Britain's First Black Queen—a question that persists today, centuries after she ruled over Great Britain and Ireland. Image Via Art Collection /Alamy Stock Photo

When 17-year-old Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz caught her first glimpse of the London palace that was to be her home in 1761, she turned pale. She was set to become Queen of Great Britain and Ireland within hours, but she had never set foot in England or met her husband-to-be.

What happened next is the stuff of royal history—and the subject of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The new Netflix limited series fictionalizes the life of the timid German girl destined to rule England—and who is rumored to have been its first Black queen. But who was the real Queen Charlotte?

How Charlotte Became Queen of Great Britain

Just beneath this Oval Portrait of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, you'll see the Initials of the Royal Couple: G for George III and C for Charlotte. Despite the Queen's initial timidity, historians say that the Monarch by all accounts had a Happy Marriage. Image By Johann Esaias Nilson Via BTEU/RKMLGE/Almay Stock Photo

Born in 1744 in Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a duchy in what is now Northern Germany, the princess had an unremarkable childhood in what other members of the European aristocracy considered to be a mediocre and provincial dukedom. But this would work in the young woman’s favor when a far-off prince became king.

In 1760, George III’s grandfather died, making him King of England—and making his unmarried status a matter of national alarm. George needed a wife, and he needed one fast, his advisers decided—and they mounted a desperate search for a Protestant princess to share his life and sire an heir.

Charlotte was unknown and thought to have no political connections or aims. This was seen as a plus by George’s political advisers, who wanted British interests to prevail after the king’s marriage. And so, though George had never met Charlotte, in 1761 an emissary proposed marriage on his behalf. Charlotte accepted, and the arranged marriage took place just six hours after the young princess arrived in England.

Though she spoke no English and had never met her husband before her wedding day, Charlotte was now Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Everyone wanted to greet the new king and queen: At their coronation, so many well-wishers crowded them that it took two hours to for their procession to make it from the street into Westminster Abbey. Soon, Charlotte had her first child, a daughter. She would go on to bear 15 children during her long marriage.

Were Queen Charlotte and King George in Love?

By all reports, the king and queen had an unusually happy marriage, and George III was a devoted father and husband. But court life was difficult for Charlotte, who clashed with her mother-in-law over the formal rules of the British aristocracy and found the expectation to bear plenty of heirs exhausting. By the time she had borne 14 of her 15 children, she wrote that “I don’t think a prisoner could wish more ardently for his liberty than I wish to be rid of my burden.”

Though Charlotte struggled with the boredom and confinement of court life, she found her own ways to deal with the crushing expectations of her new role. The year after her marriage, George bought her a large country estate owned by the Dukes of Buckingham. Buckingham House, now known as Buckingham Palace, was called the “Queen’s House,” and there she lived in comfortable domesticity, reading, doing needlework, and playing the harpsichord.

She shared a love of botany and plants with her husband, who became known as “Farmer George” due to his agricultural interests.

The 'Madness' of King George

But the couple’s happiness did not last. In 1765, George experienced a bout of mental illness so serious that his ministers proposed having Charlotte temporarily take the throne while the king was incapacitated.

Though the king soon recovered, he experienced relapse after relapse, and eventually it became clear his mental illness would not pass. The king experienced mania, depression, hallucinations, and convulsions, and historians report that he attacked and even sexually assaulted members of his family.

These bouts of illness devastated the queen. “The queen is almost overpowered with some secret terror,” wrote Francis Burney, one of Charlotte’s attendants, in 1788. “I am affected beyond all expression in her presence, to see what struggles she makes to support serenity.” Over time, the bouts turned into lengthy episodes, and the king was isolated and even incarcerated.

Social stigma and lack of understanding of mental illness meant it was nearly impossible to help the “mad” king or gain the kind of support now regarded as key for the caretakers and loved ones of people with mental illness.

Eventually, Charlotte’s son George (later George IV) took over the throne as regent. But her husband would remain ill for the rest of his life, and by 1789 the queen’s hair had “turned white under the stress of the King’s illness.” When Charlotte died in 1818, her husband was so ill he did not understand his wife was dead.

George III and Queen Charlotte Pose with their Children. The Queen gave birth to 15 children—a responsibility of her position that she found particularly exhausting. Image By Richard Earlom, Via National Museums in Berlin, Art Library/Anna Russ

Was Charlotte Teally Britain’s First Black Queen?

Today, Charlotte is remembered as a faithful wife and a tragic figure connected with the king’s mental illness. But some see her as noteworthy for another reason—they claim she was Great Britain’s First Black or Biracial Queen. For decades, historians have debated whether Charlotte’s Ancestral Ties to Portuguese Aristocracy Mean She had Brown Skin.

Those who believe she had Black ancestry point to portraits that show what they describe as “African” features and say other depictions of the time that show the queen as light-skinned would have been hiding her ancestry to conform with the era’s Eurocentric beauty ideals. But others say the queen’s ancestry was so distant it likely did not affect her looks, and argue that modern conceptions of race are what’s driving the belief that Charlotte was black.

Since it’s impossible to determine how Charlotte really looked in real life, the argument will likely never be settled. Nor will public interest in Charlotte’s life, as evidenced by the new Netflix limited-run series—which has gained fans, charmed reviewers, and drawn newfound attention to the tragic queen’s life. But as narrator Julie Andrews says in the show itself, “It is fiction inspired by fact.”

[evermorehqs]

CATCHING MY BREATH, STARING OUT AN OPEN WINDOW

Mertle Edmonds is based on Mertle from Lilo & Stitch. She is a 23 year old human, mall employee, and uses she/her pronouns. She has no powers. Mertle is portrayed by Luca Hollestelle and she is taken.

CATCHING MY DEATH, AND I COULDN’T BE SURE

Mertle wasn’t a very nice child. In her defense, she didn’t have an easy childhood. Her parents split up when she was in second grade and suddenly, daddy’s little princess didn’t seem to be the center of his world anymore. She went from having everything she wanted to the one thing she wanted the most, a happy family, becoming a distant wish. Her father moved out and she stayed with her mother, except for the occasional weekends he would pick her up, buying her everything she wanted to make up for his absence in her life; manipulating her into favoring him, though he all but abandoned her when it was convenient for him. As time went on, school also became a struggle for her. She wasn’t as smart as a lot of the kids. It took her much longer to learn to read than everyone else, she failed several exams, and she was the only girl in their grade with glasses. Feeling like the worst, she had to make everyone believe she was the best to get by, even if that meant turning them on other helpless students... or one in particular. It wasn’t hard to make friends when she had a big house for sleepovers, a pool in the backyard and anything she asked for at the snap of her fingers. Maybe they weren’t real friends, maybe they didn’t even really like her, but it was easier to fool herself into believing that than facing the truth. Somewhere in middle school, Mertle ditched her glasses for contacts, and she started to pay other students to do her schoolwork for her. She kept up with the newest trends and flaunted her daddy’s money. She had to stay on top. She continued to be too hard on Lilo, but all of her pent up annoyance came out when she came around. The girl that dared to be completely and entirely herself, no matter how friend-less and annoying and downright weird she was. The truth was, Mertle didn’t hate her. She was just sad. Her father eventually stopped coming around at all, her mother became stricter, and she didn’t know what she wanted in life. Evermore, in that sense, was a relief. While she acted annoyed on the outside, there was nothing holding her back when she woke up in a random town where almost no one knew her name. She didn’t have to worry about cheating her way through college to get a degree for a career she didn’t even want, or upholding a reputation she was starting to think she didn’t particularly want either. Working for a living sucked, but she there was a little bit of hope that for now, she could see what it was like to step foot outside of the box she’d built for herself.

I HAD A FEELING SO PECULIAR

❀ Berlioz Bonfamille: He’s hot and he can play piano... and he’s not interested in her in the slightest. At this point, it isn’t even that Mertle likes him. She just wants him to like her. ❀ Pacifica Northwest: Mertle absolutely idolizes the other girl. If she had gone to the same school, she knows she would have never been the leader, but would have been perfectly fine following in Pacifica’s footsteps. Whether she wants her to or not.  ❀ Chester McBadbat: What is it her that attracts the unpopular wannabes? She isn’t sure if he has a crush on her or he just doesn’t know how to talk to people, but she is running out of ways to politely tell him he disgusts her.

THAT THIS PAIN WOULD BE FOR EVERMORE

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

about twenty minutes later, on the ship sailed by shanks’ crew prior to the red force:

strapping down the last of their crates of fresh supplies, beckman considers whether he should be worried. the marines who tried to arrest them and seize their ship earlier were a joke, barely even worth the effort yasopp put into scaring them off with trick shots… but there are rumors vice-admiral garp has taken an interest in this archipelago, and if they’re true, shanks’ continued absence takes on a sinister light.

it’s just as he’s about to voice this concern to roux that he hears a cheerful little whistle echoing across the water. a glance towards the docks reveals a cloaked redhead casually strolling their way, not a care in the world.

beckman sighs. it figures.

“ahoy, crew!” shanks calls from the dock. “how’ve you been?”

“just waiting on you, captain,” beckman says.

“we’ve been bored!” yasopp shouts. “you promised me excitement, shanks, but i’ve had nothing to do but terrorize children all day!”

lucky roux nods. “little babies in their white-and-blue onesies,” he agrees. “the closest thing to trouble was when one of them threatened to tell on us to their daddy.”

“ah,” shanks says, pulling the gangplank up behind him as they go through the motions of setting sail. “that might explain a bit of trouble i found myself in.” at the looks on their faces, he laughs. “nothing serious! just a little chase through town. it worked out in my favor, though!”

“did it?”

“another man—a pirate in disguise, i think—thought the marines were after him, and we made our escape together.” shanks half-feigns a swoon. “and i fell for him instantly.”

“oh?” this does actually get beckman to pay attention. “that’s unusual.” normally shanks falls for women instantly. his feelings for men have tended to happen slower, or at least based on a more substantive interaction. “what drew you to this one?”

“mm, i don’t know,” shanks muses. “a lot of things. he was really clever. and funny! and his eyes were—” shanks stops talking, his eyes wide.

“his eyes were?”

shanks covers his face with one hand. “you’re going to laugh at me,” he says, suddenly mournful.

“am i?” beckman says, starting to grin. “go on then. his eyes were…”

holding up a finger, shanks says, “keep in mind, i didn’t know this at the time. i only just realized.”

“mm-hm?”

shanks sighs. “his eyes reminded me of buggy’s.”

beckman and roux crack up. yasopp hasn’t been around long enough to be in on this particular joke, but they’re quick to fill him in.

“every time! every time you fall for someone and can’t place why, and then five minutes later it’s all ‘ah, their laugh sounded like buggy’s,’ or ‘in that light, her hair looked the same color as buggy’s,’ or…”

shanks, bright red, huffs like a toddler about to have a tantrum. “it’s not every time!” he insists.

“it really is, boss.”

shanks fumes, and the laughter starts back up anew.

“so, who is this buggy person?” yasopp asks.

“shanks’ childhood sweetheart,” roux says, hands clasped, voice at its most saccharine.

shanks laughs, waving away the very notion. “oh, no! no, no… god, he’d stab me for letting that idea get out.” with a conceding gesture, he says, “my childhood crush, maybe.”

“definitely.”

“oh hush, beck, you menace.” yasopp keeps watching shanks, waiting for more information. shanks shrugs. “we grew up together. haven’t seen each other in years. that’s all there is to it, really.”

there’s no way that’s all there is to it, but that’s the most any of them have gotten out of shanks. it’s just about all they’ve ever gotten out of shanks about his past at all, actually. for seeming so open and honest, he keeps things close to the chest.

“so what’s buggy like, then?”

before shanks can answer—or change the subject, more likely—roux grins and says, “ooh, how about we tell you what we think he’s like, based on the people shanks has fallen for?”

nervously, shanks says, “i don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“i think it sounds like a wonderful bonding activity with our new crewman,” beckman says, and when shanks’ face falls in resignation, he gets things kicked off. “first of all, we know he has blue hair. but not just any kind of blue.”

“oh no,” shanks moans, recognizing his own words.

“oh no,” roux says, “his hair is a very specific shade of blue.”

“please stop.”

yasopp smirks, getting in on the joke. “a very specific shade of blue, you say?”

burying his head in his hands, shanks says, “you’re all fired. i’m making monster my first mate.”

“if monster could talk, he’d make fun of you too, boss.”

i know the easiest way to resolve my two wolves dilemma about the near miss notfic is for buggy to be the one in disguise, okay? i know. i just haven’t been able to figure out why he’s in disg—okay, no, i’ve got it now.

(another self-indulgent “shanks/buggy post-roguetown, pre-luffy” encounter below the cut)

buggy, lately called “the clown,” is not usually a pirate given to subtlety or discretion. he wants word of his wicked deeds to spread far and wide! if people are afraid of him, they’ll give in faster, so he won’t have to work as hard to get what he wants!

but usually, there aren’t rumors of monkey d. garp in the area.

buggy’ll thumb his nose at most any marine, but garp is an exception. that guy has a monstrous strength on his old captain’s level, plus he’s equally famous for his incorruptibility and his bullheadedness. all in all somebody buggy absolutely does not want to deal with.

and sure, his bounty as it is probably doesn’t warrant a vice-admiral’s involvement, but garp’s been around a long time. he might recognize buggy as “one of roger’s brats.” and while they never had bounties of their own back then, surely the marine still want their heads. they went after tom, for fuck’s sake, there’s no way buggy is safe.

so until he hears from a reliable source that garp has left this particular corner of east blue behind, buggy is not leaving the sanctuary of his ship without a thorough disguise.

he’s gone without his distinctive makeup, of course. his hair he’s tied up and tucked away under an old knit cap, which he’s sewn an ink-black wig to the lining of to better conceal his identity. he even rubbed a bit of ink into his eyebrows to be doubly sure. and, last but hardly least, he’s chop-chopped his nose off, sticking an ordinary-looking prosthetic in its place with spirit gum that will be very annoying to remove later—but better a little adhesive rash than prison.

looking in his mirror at a stranger, buggy sighs, clapping his hands together. “right!” his ship needs a resupply, and buggy sailed his favorite little skiff here to take care of it so he doesn’t have to explain this disguise to his crew. “rope, sailcloth, gunpowder, food,” he mutters as he heads out. just a few essentials for any sailing vessel, nothing obviously piratical about it. a perfectly safe supply run.

a squad of marines go thumping past, and buggy can’t hold back a flinch at the sight.

he breaths in deep. this will be fine. all he has to do is not draw attention to himself, and…

“hey, you!”

buggy freezes, and fights the urge to turn around. freezing is bad enough, that would make him look super guilty. and anyway, with a call like that how could anyone possibly know who the marines are after?

“you in the hat!”

ah, fuck. buggy can’t lose the hat, that’s half his disguise gone right there. he glances back, curses under his breath when it sure looks like that squad of marines is coming for him, and makes a break for it.

“this is navy business!”

“stop!”

“like hell,” buggy mutters, rounding a corner into an alleyway. he blinks when he hears his own words doubled, and realizes there’s been someone else running from the marines the whole time. ah, shit, was he even their target after all? has he been running for his life for no reason? he turns to give the guy what for and just about chokes on his tongue, because—

well, because it’s shanks.

same stupid, distinctive hair, same stupid, distinctive hat. a cape, which is more style than buggy would have expected shanks to develop, but which is also stupid and distinctive. a pretty nasty scar over one eye. buggy takes his first reaction to that—i wouldn’t have let that happen!—and violently shoves it down into the bottom of his soul, where stupid thoughts go to die. what-ifs don’t matter, what matters is this entire guy is stupid and distinctive.

shanks gives him one of those soft-hearted, empathetic looks buggy always hated. “ah, sorry, i think i got you tangled up in my business.”

…he doesn’t recognize buggy.

good! this is good, this is—salvageable, anyway! buggy clears his throat, tries to throw his voice a little higher, speak a little more politely. anything to avoid that soft look becoming one of recognition, or that awful heartbroken look from all those years ago. “that’s okay! anything to inconvenience the marines.”

as the rhythmic sound of boots thumping gets closer, an idea occurs to buggy. “speaking of…” he grabs hold of shanks’ cape, pausing only when shanks puts a hand on his wrist and gives him a wary look. right, shanks doesn’t know him from adam like this. “sometimes it’s better to fight smarter, not harder.”

shanks considers him for a moment. he lets go of buggy’s wrist.

permission granted, buggy moves quickly. goodbye, stupid hat! flip the cape around, the lining’s a different color so that will do nicely. adjust the closure so the fabric that’s supposed to be the top hem instead functions as a hood, all the better to hide that hair and scar… sure, it probably won’t hold up to a close inspection, but who needs it to? low-level marines are idiots.

buggy leans back against the alley wall and spreads his legs wide to make himself shorter and easier to hide. when shanks doesn’t seem to get the memo, buggy rolls his eyes and tugs him closer, until shanks is standing almost too close for propriety, his cape hiding both of them from view.

hands pressed to the wall above buggy’s shoulders, shanks stares at him intently, an eyebrow going up as they hear the marines run past without giving their hiding spot so much as a first glance, let alone a second. “impressive,” he says.

buggy snorts. “naturally.”

something about this response amuses shanks, who smiles, drops one hand on buggy’s shoulder, and squeezes. “thanks for the save, gorgeous.”

buggy’s mind goes blank.

well, mostly. “gorgeous?!”

shanks frowns, though his eyes are still smiling. “don’t tell me nobody’s ever called you ‘gorgeous’ before.” buggy doesn’t react—has no idea what shanks is doing—as that hand slides up his shoulder, his neck, to cup his cheek. shanks leans just that little bit closer, taking the lack of space between them from the appearance of improper to actually improper. buggy still has no idea what shanks is doing until his thumb starts to rub small circles near the corner of buggy’s eye. “that’s just not possible. i mean, your eyes alone are stunning…”

he knows that move. shanks told him about that move, about the barmaid who’d used it on him the first time, using a compliment about shanks’ eyes as an excuse to touch his face, right before she—

it’s a very sweet kiss. probably the kind of kiss buggy would have expected of shanks, if he’d ever let himself think of things like “shanks” and “kissing” at the same time before. (face hot, it occurs to him that maybe the way he’d always violently shut down such thoughts might mean something. he violently shuts down this line of thinking.) shanks pulls back after a brief moment, a curious look in his eye that buggy takes to mean ‘more?’

whatever look happens to be on buggy’s face must say ‘no’ for him—though probably not in as insistent a tone as he’d like, his mind is still pretty fuzzy—because shanks steps back, casually giving buggy space. like of course after… that… all he wants is to fix his cape and retrieve his hat.

“wh…?” is all buggy can manage.

an eyebrow goes up, and shanks smiles a little smugly as he slides that stupid hat back into place. “like i said. thanks for the save.” and with that, he’s gone.

buggy’s knees give out.

he spends ten minutes sitting in that alleyway, definitely not remembering anything that just happened in particular detail, or wishing he’d answered an unspoken question in a different way. eventually he remembers that he has duties to attend to, and he’d better attend to them soon if he want to get off this island today.

which he does.

he certainly doesn’t have any reason to want to stick around here.

no sir.

“rope, sailcloth… limes?” suddenly buggy can’t remember the last thing on his list. well, it can’t be that important if it was the last one, right? right. surely they can go without… whatever… until after garp’s gotten tired of this part of east blue.

because buggy is never going out in disguise ever again.

[originalpinkranger]

A Family Affair - The Penny Gill Story

Okay, so. I have this head canon that Penny is the love child of Grissom and Sara. I did the math, and it could very well be true.

I honestly love Penny and I DO see so much of Grissom and Sara in her. Whether it’s true or not, this is my head canon.

(Also hi I’m sort of back)

Enjoy!

She had an inkling when the Grissom’s first showed up that something was…familiar. But she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She knew that she was adopted. And don’t get her wrong, she loved her parents dearly and they gave her everything she ever needed.

…except that hole that just never filled her heart.

Penny Gill grew up just outside of San Francisco. She had a normal childhood, with her older brother and sister, the youngest of 3.

She was a straight A student and had a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together, much to the dismay of her fathers laptop computer. (It just never rebooted the same after that)

She liked bugs and science and was the President of the Physics Honor Society at her high school.

It wasn’t until she was 18 that her parents told her.

She walked in the door from her part-time grocery store job (college is expensive) when she saw her parents sitting next to each other on the sofa looking uneasy.

Her eyes moved back and forth between them. The silence was deafening.

“…what’s going on?” Her voice echoed through the house, breaking the awkward silence.

Her mom spoke then.

“Honey, we have something to tell you.”

Her mom, Sandra, put her hand on her husbands knee. He moved over to make room for Penny.

He patted the spot between them.

“Come, sit.”

Penny dropped her bag and sat slowly between her parents.

Her mom took a deep breath and steadied her gaze on her daughter.

“You guys aren’t getting a divorce are you?” Her breathing and heart rate began to quicken.

Her mom let out a small laugh, “Ha. No honey, no.”

Her dad, Geoffrey, cleared his throat.

“Sweetheart…” He looked over at his wife for permission. She nodded.

He searched his daughters face before he spoke. He knew this would crush her, but she needed to know.

“You’re adopted.”

It felt like the walls were shrinking.

“Wha-what?” Penny sputtered and her eyes widened.

Her mom answered.

“We wanted to wait to tell you until you were ready and we felt that, since you’re going to college in the fall, now was the time to do it.”

Then.

She stood up abruptly and felt her whole world came crashing down. Hot, wet tears of anger started to stream down her face.

“I can’t believe this! You’re just NOW tell me this?! I can’t be here right now!”

Her parents tried to stop her but she grabbed her bag and ran out the door. She jumped in her car and flew out of the driveway. Leaving her parents standing in the middle of the living room, heartbroken.

She remembers that day fondly. Looking back on it now, it all made sense that she was adopted.

Both her siblings were blonde, tall and athletic. She was medium height, brown hair and stocky. Not to mention smart and loved science.

It should have dawned on her sooner, but maybe she was just trying to not believe the obvious.

Since the day she found out she was adopted, she’s looked for her parents from time to time. It was a closed adoption and she knew very little about her birth parents, if anything at all. All she knew was that they couldn’t keep her for whatever reason.

She even tried a 23 and Me, but reached no results. They really didn’t want to be found.

Until.

When Gil and Sara joined the Las Vegas Crime Lab to help out Jim Brass, a nagging feeling engulfed Penny.

Something inside her buzzed.

The more she started to get to know them, the louder the nagging feeling got.

So. She decided to quiet that feeling.

She kept a careful eye on the two of them until finally Sara left behind her coffee cup to check on a lead from Max.

Penny took the opportunity and swiped Sara’s mug off the counter and headed to the DNA lab.

“Hey Parke.”

“Yo Penny. What’s up?”

“I need you to do me a favor…” Parke looked at the coffee cup in her hand.

“That from a case? I’m pretty backed up at the moment and I’m not sure-“

“-it’s a hunch.”

She set the cup on the counter and grabbed a buccal swab and swished it around her cheeks, closing the cap.

Parke stared at her.

“Normally this would break departmental policy, but I’m desperate.”

He nodded for her to continue.

“I need you to run the DNA on this cup against mine.”

His curiosity got the best of him.

“Whose cup is that?”

She hesitated at first.

“Sara Sidle.”

He gaped at her.

“Listen Penny I-“ Her hand covered his, her eyes pleading.

“Please. I need you to do this for me. Don’t tell anyone?”

He searched her face. She was serious and pleading. He nodded slowly.

“Okay. Off the books, but you owe me. Saturday night?” His voice sounded hopeful.

“Fine. Just dinner, but that’s it.” Penny gave him a sly smile and walked out of the DNA lab to keep busy on the case she was working on.

An hour later, she received a text from Parke.

“DNA. WTF.”

Her eyes widened and she bolted to DNA.

She flung the door open and found him in the middle of the room, shock clearly evident on his face.

“Well?!” She was impatient and snatched the paper out of his hands.

A small gasp escaped her as she looked up at him.

“I have 13 alleles in common with Sara Sidle. That means…” She trailed off.

“Uh huh.” Was all Parke could muster.

“…that means she’s my mom.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“I don’t-“

“How even is this possible? Like, what? Who-who’s your dad then?”

A pit suddenly dropped to her stomach when they both did the math in their head and realized.

“Gil Grissom.”

They both looked at each other, eyes wide with surprise.

Penny’s head started to spin (much like the day she found out she was adopted) and wondered how she was going to tell them, much less realized her news herself. So many questions started to accumulate in her head. It made her even more dizzy.

She leaned on the DNA lab counter to hold her balance.

She started to put all the pieces together in her head and work up her nerve.

During her break she found them in the lab kitchen making another cup of coffee (pulling a double) and decided that now was as good a time as any.

She just didn’t know what the hell she was going to say.

She approached them.

“Um, hi. Sara?”

“Hi Penny.” Sara took a sip of her coffee and smiled behind the rim. “What can I help you with?”

“Can I, um, talk to you and Mr. Grissom privately?” Penny wrung her hands together and looked between her and Grissom.

Sara furrowed her brow. “Sure. Is everything okay?”

“Well, yes and no.”

“Is it Hodges?” Sara’s voice rose to a panic.

“Oh no. Nothing like that, it’s just something…personal.”

Sara sighed relief. “Oh, whew. Sure…Gil?”

Grissom looked up from his case file.

“Penny needs to talk to us a minute.”

“Of course.”

Penny led them to a conference room and closed the door.

“So, um, I really don’t know how to say this.”

She rocked back and forth on her heels and didn’t meet their eyes.

“What is it Penny?” Sara’s voice was thick with concern.

“I, um, well…here goes.” She took a deep breath and steered her gaze at the both of them.

“I’m your daughter.”

Sara’s gasped filled the room and Grissom caught her as her legs gave out.

“Gil..”

Grissom’s face was blank. His mouth open and shut with nothing coming out.

“How did…?” He questioned.

Penny took another deep breath.

“My parents told me the year I was going off to college that I was adopted. I grew up just outside of San Francisco. And when you both showed up I just had this feeling. Sara had left her coffee cup behind and I had Parke compare the DNA to mine, and we have 13 alleles in common. Which also means that you have to be my father. We did the math.”

Sara brought her hand up to her mouth and stifled a sob.

“I-“

“Why did you give me up?” Penny’s voice was shaky and small.

Sara looked at her husband and he nodded.

“Come, sit.”

Suddenly, all those feelings those years ago came rushing back and Penny was weak in her legs.

Grissom helped her sit in front of them.

“Do you want to or should I?” Sara asked her husband.

“It’s all yours, dear.”

Sara was always better with words than he was.

Sara took a deep breath and began.

“Gil and I met at the Forensic Academy Conference in San Francisco in 1997 and we instantly fell in love with each other. Although, it wasn’t that simple.”

She stopped so she could collect herself.

“We had gone out one night. He had finally got the nerve to ask me out, and we slept together.”

Sara’s voice started to wobble. Grissom put his hand on her shoulder and she continued.

“I found out I was pregnant long after he had gone back to Vegas and I continued in San Francisco. I just, at the time, I was so young and into my career and I didn’t, couldn’t, be a mother. Especially with my family history.”

Tears were streaming down Sara and Penny’s faces by now. Sara composed herself and looked at Grissom for comfort to continue. He nodded.

“I called Gil and he and I both agreed to give you up for adoption. I knew that I didn’t want to get an abortion, so I had you and immediately gave you up.”

She took a deep breath.

“I had to. I was not cut out to be a mother and Gil wasn’t completely in my life then (he wouldn’t be for a long time after that) and I just couldn’t raise you by myself.”

Penny sniffed and looked up.

“Did you ever think about me? Do you regret what you did?”

Sara took her words in carefully before she responded.

“I have thought about you. A lot actually. I wondered what you’d look like and what you’d be. I also don’t regret what I did in the slightest.”

Penny really sobbed then.

“You didn’t love me…”

Then.

“But we did love you, sweetheart. That’s why we gave you up. We knew that we were in no position to take care of you and wanted to give you to someone who could.”

Grissom answered the question better than Sara ever could. Sara smiled at her husband and he returned it.

Sara took the first move and brought Penny in for a hug. Squeezing her tight against her and stroking her hair. Both with streaming tears down their cheeks.

Grissom took them in and wrapped them both in an embrace and then they all cried together for a good little while.

So many years of what ifs, of wondering, and acceptance.

Once they were brought back to reality, they broke away and wiped at their eyes.

“So…now what?” Penny broke the silence.

“Now-“

Grissom cut off his wife.

“-Now we get to know you and be a part of your life.”

He smiled at her. One she’d seen so many times smiling back at herself in the mirror.

That’s where her smile comes from.

“It all makes so much sense now. Both my siblings were the complete opposite of me and I always felt like ‘the weird kid’ or ‘the nerd’ because I liked bugs and science.”

They all laughed then.

Sara looked at Grissom, “her fathers’ daughter.”

Penny smiled a real smile then, much like her fathers.

“Is this the time to tell you that I get sea sick?”

They all erupted into laughter and headed out of the conference room.

One big happy family.

[watevermelon]

Unrequited | Kuroo Tetsurō x Reader

✧ Summary: Years of unrequited feelings and longing looks toward your childhood best-friend Kuroo, it was only when he was in the arms of another that he realized his true feelings for you; when it is almost too late.

-> Tags: lots of fluff, angst, BokuAka, slight Akaashi x Reader, Yaku is an amazing friend  ✧  Navigation

----xXxXxXxXxXxXx----

Almost everyone on the Nekoma volleyball team had a crush on the older Haiba sibling. Whether it was only aesthetic deep, no doubt from her striking green eyes, or a deeper infatuation from her cute, bubbly personality - everyone had a hint of feelings for the young woman, only two years older than the third-years.

Captain Kuroo was no exception.

You had seen the few times his gaze was drawn to her, the way his perceptive eyes would latch onto the woman cheering in the stands. Yaku was more vocal, often openly complimenting Alisa while the rest agreed in kind. And while they had every right to appreciate her good looks, to which you often admitted as well, it made you wonder if a certain someone ever saw you in a similar fashion.

Kuroo was your long-time friend and had long since convinced you to be the manager of the volleyball team. You had always wondered if it was to keep you close, Kuroo trying to keep your relationship close after all these years. When you had asked, he said it was simply because you were neat, organized, and got very passionate about the things you were working on.

Something had changed over the years, your nerdy best friend was more than just the fish loving idiot he was. He was the cute, smart, volleyball team captain that you felt your heart palpitate towards. There were times that had you questioning if he ever felt the same way, open flirting or smirks shot to one another.

That was, until you actually saw Kuroo flirting.

It was different and yet the same. Gone was the playful smile that he used with most people, replaced with a more serious smirk.

And it was never used towards you.

It only served to break your heart more when you heard the news at volleyball practice the next day.

Kai had his arms crossed while sporting a neutral smile. Lev was scowling, but you could tell that he was withholding an amused smile over the group. Kenma was in the far corner, playing something on his phone and not caring about the group of teens forming. Inuoka and Shibayama both looked excited, the former even jumping a few times to physically voice his eagerness.

“Kurooooo,” Yaku prolonged the name as he groaned, “You lucky asshole.”

“You better treat my sister right!”

“What does a college woman have in common with you?” Yaku continued complaining.

“She graduated high school last year, there’s only a year between us.” Kuroo responded.

“Bah.” Yaku whined, “But it’s you.”

Kuroo rolled his eyes before noticing you walking in the gymnasium. He smiled and walked over to you, “Hey, can I ask you a favor tonight?”

“What’s up?”

He raised a hand to sheepishly rub at his neck, “I have a date tonight and…”

What the fresh hell on earth was this? 

“And you need pointers talking to a female?” You teased to hide your pain.

“Please?”

You should say no. 

The love of your life was asking for help with another woman and here you were trying to help him?? Are you insane?? There was only one clear answer to this question.

“Sure, anything for you.”

“Thanks, (L/N)-chan.” He smiled, before ruffling your hair.

And true to your word, you went over to Kuroo’s house that night. Kenma was an unwilling member of the audience as well, sitting on the bed with his gaming console in his hands. You heard the telltale sounds of power-ups and scores, but the both of you were so used to it by now.

You watched Kuroo model two different outfits, trying to look casual as if he had not put that much effort into his clothes (which was anything but the truth). He wondered if he should try to tame his hair, but you stated that it was one of the things a lot of girls loved about him.

He thanked you before leaving saying, “You’re the best (L/N)-chan. I’ll treat ya to ice cream one of these days.”

You smiled and said it was not necessary, still sitting on his bed when Kuro closed the door behind him. You heard Alisa’s bubbly voice downstairs before the both of them left the house, the sound of the front-door closing also hammering itself down on your own heart.

You hadn’t realized how quiet it was until the moment dragged out. Kenma was looking directly at you, game off and tucked to the side as he sat-up in your direction.

“You okay?” He asked, patting the spot next to him for you to take.

The blond knew about your feelings for a while, not like you ever had to say anything. Kenma was the type to just know things. Whether from your overall behavior, from the way you spoke, anything was enough for the blond to tell your true feelings before you were even sure. He had urged you on two separate occasions to get over the captain, but had never truly pushed the situation.

“Yeah.” You bit out, less to reassure him, but more for yourself. “It’s just one date, right?”

“One date for now.” Kenma reasoned.

And while you knew he was not saying this to be mean, you almost felt a small crack in your heart. Kenma was being honest - it was not like Kuroo had ever expressed any interest in you at all. And now here he was, pursuing someone he was actually happy with.

You would support his happiness.

“Maybe you should get some distance.”

“Trying to get rid of me?” You joked, eyes already glistening with unshed tears.

Kenma smiled, a gentle hand reaching around your shoulders to lean you against him. He was never good at comforting you in these moments, but he would still be a shoulder for you to lean on. And in the quiet room of your childhood crush, you resolved to not think about Kuroo like this anymore.

You withstood it all: listening to Kuroo recount his date to the other team members, smiling and encouraging him to muster the courage to ask her out on another date, and even later congratulating him during their one-month anniversary.

It wasn’t just one date.

Not that Kuroo was forgetting his friends, he still hung-out with you and Kenma and upheld his responsibilities as captain greatly. But there were small changes, like Kuroo almost constantly texting his girlfriend on his phone, having busy weekends dedicated to dates, and just overall the schedule of a man newly in love.

In kind, you found yourself reaching out to your other friends more. You went out fishing with Kai  and Fukunaga. You accepted Lev and Inuoka’s invitations to go to the arcade in Shibuya. Yaku was someone you were often hovering around, the kind-soul inviting you out to dinner sometimes after school just the two of you.

Apparently, he had known as well.

It didn’t take much to figure it all out, Yaku stated not unkindly. From your constant flirting to the fact that you and Kuroo used to basically spend every free second together, he had thought long ago that you were already together.

Hearing that only hurt you more, to which Yaku immediately jumped out of his seat to sit next to yours. He pulled you into a comforting hug, not at all caring that the two of you were out in public at some random barbecue place.

It was strange to now always be in Kuroo’s circle from then on, but you honestly did try your best. You were still his friend, offering advice and hanging out with him (but usually only in groups). But there was an undeniable distance that you were putting with him. He had never questioned it, but you already had an excuse on the tip of your tongue if Kuroo ever did: you were giving him time and space with his girlfriend, it was only natural.

Time was moving forward and thankfully, so were you.

Seeing Kuroo and his girlfriend still brought that familiar pang, but it no longer rang in the depths of your bones. You simply watched and smiled, content that he was happy as you sorted out your own life.

That was, until a particular weekend training camp with Fukurodani.

You were long familiar with both Bokuto and Akaashi. Kuroo had tons of antics with both boys (and many other members of their team) to which you joined in. From hang-outs on the weekends to these annual training camps, you were on friendly terms with the captain and his vice.

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto greeted you at the onset, the setter was a little ways away behind him. Akaashi smiled and waved at you in greeting, before getting pushed toward you. 

You shot Bokuto a confused smile and Akaashi looked as if he would neuter the ace where he stood.

Bokuto scurried away just as quickly, causing Akaashi to sigh before turning to you. 

“How have you been?” He asked politely.

You always appreciated how friendly the setter was, no matter how attractive or intimidating he looked.

“Alright, school exams. A dozen different guidance counselors asking you about your future, the usual. How about you?”

“Much of the same.” He replied before moving to clasp his hands behind his back. “Would you like to go out for dinner after this?”

You accepted without thinking too hard, “Sure! Who else is going?

A small smile grew from the corner of his lips, “Ah, I meant… Just the two of us.”

“Like a date?” You asked, again without thinking.

He laughed before looking at you fondly, “Yes, exactly that.”

You smiled back, no real reason to say not to the attractive young man. 

“I’d love to.”

Akaashi reflected a similar expression back before reaching for your hand,  “Great, I look forward to it.”

He kissed the top of your hand, every bit of chivalry that he was known for pouring out in your shared interaction. You felt your cheeks redden, already slightly overwhelmed from affection the setter was so willing to give. Akaashi bid you farewell and turned to head towards the corner of the gym his team commandeered, but the expressions on their faces showed this was a joint effort.

Bokuto rushed to slap him on the back while Yukie and Kaori shot him a thumbs-up. Haruki was seen smiling at their vice captain and whatever Konoha said caused the setter to erupt in a blush. You were curious and for once, the raging butterflies that had long since disappeared were gradually coming back.

Your team tried to bombard you with questions, but you maneuvered them back to their warm-ups and said they had games to win.

There was one look from Kuroo you could not decipher, when you had initially turned away from Akaashi. It was long, like he had not even been looking at you, the depth of his gaze following you every step until he turned back to his team.

After the practice matches you were free game, Inuoka being the first to rush you after he finished mopping his section of the gym.

“Is Akaashi your boyfriend?” He asked as he jumped from your peripheral to right in front of you, “How could you keep this a secret from us?!”

“You and Akaashi are so cute! We had no idea!” Shibayama added as he walked up to you. With those two breaking the ice, it seemed that was enough for the others of Nekoma to crowd you as well.

Kenma patted you on the shoulder, a knowing, yet happy look in his eye. Yaku shot you the same expression, but offered you an out in any form of call or text if you needed it. Kai nodded in agreement while the others expressed other forms of their excitement for you.

All but one, at least.

Something did not sit well in Kuroo’s stomach.

He watched you get buried by the group, curious questions linking you to the Fukurodani setter that many girls called the perfect boy next door. He was soft-spoken and yet confident. Had a good sense of humor and yet not immature. Akaashi was a great catch and, if there was anyone in the entire gymnasium right now that Kuroo had to pick for you to end up with, it would without a doubt be the setter.

At least… that’s what Kuroo thought.

And when Akaashi left the locker rooms, fully showered and changed back into regular clothes, he approached the group and it parted like the red sea for him. Akaashi held out a hand for you to take, to which you blushed but accepted as he guided you away. He held your gym bag like it was nothing, the two of you walking out with a chorus of teasing behind you.

Akaashi would treat you right, no doubt. And from your rosy expression and earlier eagerness, it seemed you were genuinely interested in the setter as well.

So why did it feel so wrong to see you in the arms of another guy?

That was when Kuroo learned the complications of desire firsthand.

He was still dating Alisa and it ate him up inside that his thoughts were often wandering off to you rather than his girlfriend of months. It was not even that long ago that thinking of the grey-headed woman in front of him would cause the raging swarm in his stomach. Something had unknowingly shifted, the only feeling left was the sinking pit that grew every time he saw you and Akaashi.

Kuroo kept constant tabs on you, not wanting to ask you outfront how your relationship was going. He heard updates from both Bokuto and Kenma, how the two of you were yet to be official, but had gone on a few dates already. 

You were distant in an understandable way, spending time with your budding relationship but still available to him and the team. It was not like you had dropped off the face of the planet, still active as the team manager and even hanging out with the group after-school.

After a while, it was noticeable that something was getting on Kuroo’s nerves. He wanted to say something, but withheld it from seeing how happy you were. And so instead he went to the others around you, many of them very willing and excitable parties to impart details of what they heard.

You were his close friend and often, that was his excuse when other people asked. He wanted to make sure you were not played by these other foolish boys. But with a boyfriend like Akaashi, there was no one better, in Kuroo’s opinion, to treat you like you deserved.

So why did it feel wrong?

It was only when Kuroo saw his worries bleed into his relationship with his girlfriend that he realized that shit, he might have feelings for you.

You were always such a steady figure in his life that he never had to worry before that you would just… not be there. From volleyball to classes, you were always together with him and Kenma. From the late night study groups to the even later video game parties, these were some of his favorite memories throughout high-school.

Kuroo remembered the first time you all went to the beach together as a team. You had worn a bathing suit that he, for whatever reason, did not approve of and had to change before you all headed out together. He remembered playfully dragging you into the freezing, early summer water and you throwing hands with him right after.

And it was not like you were going to cut him off completely once you had a boyfriend. Akaashi or anyone else, you were still one of his closest friends and a relationship would not be the end of it.

So why did it bother Kuroo so much?

Because he wanted to be your boyfriend.

It was one of the worst types of epiphanies someone could ever come to. 

To realize you had feelings for someone you knew you should not have.

Kuroo’s true feelings must have surfaced on his visage, since Alisa ended it at the three-month mark. She invited him to a dessert place somewhere in Shibuya, but never took off her coat and only ordered a drink. It was enough to signify that she had to leave, that she was in a rush to not be here.

Her green eyes portrayed a sad smile as she said that they were better off as friends, since their minds were growing in different places.

Kuroo didn’t want to ask her to specify, worried that she was going to say an answer that he was not ready for. It was one thing to believe he had feelings for you, but hearing it out-loud would be the final nail in his coffin.

It was all too much at once - him realizing his feelings and coming to the conclusion that he wanted to act on it.

Every day was a reminder of things that he could not and should not have. At the next practice match with Fukurodani, Kuroo had to endure watching you kiss Akaashi on the lips. Sitting together at lunch entailed listening to you go on about your perfect boyfriend Akaashi. The others would even agree, complimenting Akaashi’s chivalry and expressing their gladness that someone was treating you right.

Apparently Alisa hadn’t told Lev, since no one on the team had yet to bombarded him.

At least….

Kenma had long noticed his best friend’s, Kuroo’s, prolonged looks on you. 

But that would not do. 

When given the chance, Kenma would say something.

And it came in the form of the two of them sitting outside at lunch, waiting for the others when they saw you with your group of female friends. You waved at the both of them before heading towards the other table. It would take a couple minutes before the other volleyball players would leave their classrooms and come here.

“(F/N) looks really happy these days.” Kuroo commented as his eyes followed you.

“Yeah. And you shouldn’t try to mess it up.” Kenma replied, not even looking up from his console.

Kuroo stiffened, but turned to his childhood friend. “And how would I do that?”

“(F/N)’s finally falling in love with someone else. Just let her be for now.”

“With someone else…?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice she was in love with you?” Kenma bit back, a frown forming on both his lips and the crease of his eyebrows.

“What?” The Nekoma captain turned to his friend more fully, looking at the blond more fully to make sure that he was being serious. “I had no idea…”

That was apparently not the reaction Kenma was hoping for, since he paused his game and placed it down. Instead, his sharp golden eyes focused and searched Kuroo in front of him.

“It’s not like it makes a difference now, right?”

Kuroo hesitated, his response drawn out. “Right.”

Kenma frowned, looking at his friend straight-on with an agonized look. He was Kuroo’s friend the longest, but the gamer still cared about you. And seeing you so down these past few years took rounds on his own mental state. He urged you on multiple occasions to say anything, if just to clear the air. But instead, you wallowed in your own feelings until you were finally able to move on.

And seeing you with Akaashi almost made him happy, reveling in the genuine cheerfulness he hadn’t seen so candidly on you in a while. Your natural, bright smiles were on display once again; rather than the tight ones Kenma had been seeing as of late.

But it seemed to have the inverse effect on his other friend.

Kenma long noticed the prolonged looks in your direction, the wistful smiles that Kuroo had whenever you laughed about something from the group. But what Kenma was not expecting was the pure anguish on his friends face after seeing you with your boyfriend.

Never had Kenma thought that Kuroo would reciprocate your feelings.

And yet he saw.

But you were both dating other people, this would do no good and only bring unnecessary drama when you were both finding happiness in other people. And so Kenma thought it was time he guided Kuroo back on the right path, back to Alisa where he was obviously interested before.

“How is your girlfriend?” Kenma asked (and while usually he would never actually care, it seemed Kuroo needed the reminder.)

Or at least, so he thought.

“She’s not my girlfriend anymore.” Kuroo responded, eyes scanning behind Kenma. But the setter knew better, he was looking for you. Whether consciously or not, Kuroo’s attention was drawn back to you.

It seemed you had it now, when you no longer wanted it.

Kenma decided not to push it anymore, Yaku and Kai coming up from the path and waving. They would be joining their lunch table soon and Kenma was sure he was just given a major secret, given how neither Lev nor Yaku had yet reacted to the news.

Was Kuroo developing feelings for you? Now of all times??

It seemed so when the situation only continued to drag on, Kuroo’s feigned smiles even enough for you to realize were a little too tight to be considered genuine. Eventually news did break out that the two of them were over. Lev glared at the captain for all of two weeks before his sister explained that they grew apart. Yaku asked if you were okay, but otherwise the team did not dwell on it much.

After all, for the first time in a while, you were happy.

Or at least, that’s what it looked like on the surface.

“Can I ask you something, honestly?” Akaashi asked you, the both of you lounging in his living room.

Akaashi was perfect in so many ways, there were times that it felt like he could read your mind over your needs and wants. So much so, that it often had you nervous or feeling inadequate in the eyes of the setter. There was always something that you thought you could improve on, always something that neither of you could see eye to eye to.

The setter made you feel adored, cared for. And while in the beginning it was exciting, to have a potential new love on the horizon after years of suffering in silence. When he kissed you, it felt nice. You reveled in the feel even, but never had you felt especially passionate. Never were there truly butterflies in your stomach. He made you feel safe, but not special.

And now, a month into your newfound relationship, there was something obviously missing to the both of you.

“How do you feel… about us?” He asked, eyes boring into your own as he sat across from you on the coffee table, you on the couch.

“You’re perfect.”

“Me.” Akaashi looked down, a grimace on his face before returning back to you. “Perfection isn’t always what we want.”

“Is something wrong, Akaashi?”

“Ask me the same question.”

You paused, before asking. “How do you feel about us?”

“I really care about you and you’ve grown to be one of my best friends.” He answered candidly.

He cared, but there was something missing. You filled in the blank for him, “But you don’t love me.”

“No, I don’t.” Akaashi confirmed before continuing, “Do you love me?”

You hesitated, eyes searching his own and going back and forth for a good minute.

“No, I don’t.”

There was no sudden heartbreak, no reason to suddenly burst out into tears. You did not love Akaashi, not in the way that you wanted to. A part of you was screaming at you, telling you to look at the man in front of you and be happy for what he was willing to give you. But another, the one that had wallowed in sadness for years, told you that running away would only cause pain in the long-run.

Akaashi had a blank expression as he took in your words before continuing, “We have everything that should make a relationship work - the routine, the friends, the dedication on both sides. But we don’t feel that deeply about one another.”

“I’m so sorry, Akaashi.”

He had a slight smile, raising a hand to your cheek and cupping your face there. “Why are you sorry? I’m sorry I asked you in the first place, when my heart ended up not being here.”

“I wish I was in love with you.”

“Me too. I’m sorry.” Akaashi repeated, “ I owe it to you to be honest. I remember when I first thought I liked you, how you wished me a good match and treated me kindly during last year's training camp. But I think I was just looking for a distraction for my heart.”

You perked up at his last words, “Is there someone you’re running from?”

“No, at least I don’t want there to be.”

“Humor me, one of your best friends.” You tried to make light of the situation, a small smile on your face. Akaashi just looked at you with a wistful smile, before glancing away. “... Is it Bokuto?”

The setter sighed before leaning back, “Was I that obvious?”

“Wait; you guys are so close!”

“Yes and I will continue to be his friend throughout our lives.” Akaashi supplied, “But he does not have romantic feelings for me, or any male really.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” Akaashi replied before moving to sit next to you. “I’m sorry if it feels like I led you on.”

“No, don’t think about it that way.” You quickly responded, moving a comforting hand over his.  “You had every right to try to pursue someone you thought would be enough. And honestly, you’re not the only one who doesn’t feel that spark.”

Akaashi upturned his hand and squeezed yours, “You’re the first person I’ve ever told about Bokuto.”

You turned to him and smiled, “Thank you for telling me. You know, it’s weird. But I still want to be really good friends with you.”

Akaashi was caressing around your fingers, “Me too. I always felt drawn to you, but I guess I know why.”

You flashed him a genuine smile before pulling him into a hug, “Thank you, Akaashi.”

And while you reassured each other that there were no hurt feelings, that did not mean you were entirely scott-free. Akaashi was still one of your close friends, someone you could be honest too without fear and get the same communication in return. But another part of you was especially hurt, wondering if Kuroo had ruined you for any other boy in the future.

On paper, Akaashi should have been the perfect boyfriend that would help guide you out of your feelings. But there was no spark there, nothing that ignited between the two of you to be all over each other and fall in love with one another. Would your heart be stuck on the one person you could never have?

The next day at school, this very thought continued to plague you. You were quiet through class and even worse during lunch, keeping to yourself and gazing out the window wondering if your heart would ever accept someone else.

Both Kuroo and Kenma had sent you prodding looks throughout the day, your childhood friends almost instantly aware that something was off. But you did not want to face them now, not when you were still unsure about life in general.

How’s your day going?

Akaashi had texted you a little after lunch. And while it should have been weird for exes to stay in contact, Akaashi did not necessarily feel like that. He was your friend, a really close one at that. And it seemed you were the only two people in-tune to a secret.

Absolute shiet. You texted back, And you?

Very much the same.

You sighed before typing, Existential crisis if you’ll ever love again?

Yes and it doesn’t help that Bokuto parades like a peacock.

But you love it.

… I do.

There was something comforting about talking about this with someone else. At least you had a close friend who understood what it was like. The others could listen and follow along, but Akaashi knew what it was like to have the heartbreak of a long, unrequited love.

You felt a small vibration after a few minutes and turned back to your phone.

Have you told the others yet?

Not yet, you?

I probably will today after practice.

That was another problem you did not want to breach. It would be hard to explain why you two had broken up, but at the same time it was not anyone else’s business. Regardless, that was a bandage you had to pull off later. And so you just kept staring outside the classroom window, hoping for this day to pass quickly.

Hearing you sigh for the ninth time in twenty minutes, Kuroo could feel himself almost physically itching in his seat to ask you what was wrong.

Did Akaashi do something wrong? Are you guys okay? Are you guys still dating?

But the look Kenma was shooting at him was enough warning that Kuroo should not interfere. You would come to the rest of them if it was important, but a bit part of him wanted to know now.

And throughout volleyball practice after school, Kuroo felt his gaze almost latch onto you in every free second he had. From when you were filling up water bottles to adjusting the scoreboard, Kuroo’s anxiety kept his eyes on you at all times off the court.

Yaku had even kicked at his knees for being so obvious.

But you said nothing, withdrawn like you had been all day at school. You were still physically present, but your smiles were noticeably tight.

It was only when the five of you had departed from school — Yaku, Kai, and Kenma audience to your quiet words.

“Akaashi and I broke up.”

They were nothing for a few seconds, Kuroo even hesitating in his step as he took in your words. Kenma put down his phone while Yaku moved closer to you, putting a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“When did this happen? Yesterday?” The libero questioned.

“Yeah.”

“What did he do!? Did he hurt you?” Yaku continued, rising anger visible on his face. Kai looked equally worried to your left.

“What? No!” You stopped in your tracks and raised your palms in defense. “It’s not like that... It’s actually mutual.”

Yaku’s eyes widened and then narrowed in confusion, “What? But you guys were doing so well.”

“Maybe on the outside.” You replied, “But he didn’t feel like my boyfriend, only in name. We agreed that something was off, it didn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean?” Kuroo asked this time, his cat-like gaze clinging onto your words.

“I couldn’t love Akaashi, not like that at least.” You explained, head down as you recalled the day prior.

“I’m so sorry.” Yaku put his arms around your shoulders, pulling you into a deep hug.

“I’m so scared.” You admitted to your close friends, feeling yourself tear up against the Libero’s chest.  “If I couldn’t fall in love with Akaashi who was perfect, what’s wrong with me?”

You felt something shift as Yaku maneuvered you around, a new set of arms wrapped around you.

“Nothings wrong with you.” Kuroo reassured, his taller stature dominating the hug as his strong arms pressed you into his chest.

“He should’ve been the one.” Your voice was near whispering, “And now it’s over.”

Kenma held one of your free hands, squeezing it as he looked at you. “I have ice cream at home if you want to share.”

You sighed out a smile, the first real one today. “Okay.”

Kuroo continued to hold your hand the entire way home, even after Yaku and Kai had waved off in a different direction. Kenma said nothing, not even typing away on his phone as the three of you took the train back.

You told yourself that Kuroo was just comforting you. He was one of your best friends, that’s all there was. There was no point in looking for more, especially when that overthinking is what got you so latched on in the first place.

But it was hard to think nothing of it when you were hyper-aware of Kuroo’s touch. It was more than just holding hands. It was the arm around you on the train, pulling you into his side. The feather light feel of his cheek against yours. The way his eyes lingered on you the entire night. 

God, Kuroo had you under his spell this entire time, hadn’t he?

It did not let up when you were eating ice cream in Kenma’s house and a part of you wanted to signal the blonde for help when Kuroo offered to walk the rest of the way home with you.

But Kenma knew you better than your own mind, offering you a mischievous smirk before waving the two of you goodnight.

Kuroo reached for your hand again and you pretended to be on your phone, occupied before he could make the move. But when you put it away, there was no mistaking it, he grabbed your hand then and the fight was over.

How ironic. 

You accepted a break-up with your boyfriend because of how hung up you were with the middle-blocker in front of you.

And now that you had his attention, it only made you want to run away.

“Thanks for walking me home.” You tried to pull your hand away once your house was in sight.

But Kuroo’s grip was relentless. “A lot of bad stuff can happen between here and the end of the block.”

And so you followed along, holding hands like two friends being bro’s, you screamed at yourself that that was all there was.

When he kissed your forehead goodnight? Nope. Just some homie love, nothing else. Who’s looking into this? Not you.

But it only persisted as the week went by. 

You broke the news to the rest of the team the next day, Lev offering to stomp him into the ground during the next practice match. But you reassured them by no means was Akaashi in the wrong. Still, the other members would coddle you in smaller ways. 

Yaku kept an eye out for you while Lev and Inuoka would pull you into sweaty hugs. Kai would offer you fruit packs time to time and Kenma had even let you place his newest game. They were all trying in their own little ways, but Kuroo was the most prominent of the bunch.

He was especially hanging around you, making arrangements to sit next to you at lunch, even when you started off the period with someone else. Any and all of your free time between periods was somehow spent together, whether in the classroom, the art room, or anywhere on campus. 

He was just being a good friend after all. You went through a breakup of all things, he was just looking out for one of his best bro’s. Right?

“You’re an idiot.”

“I know, but what for now?” You asked Kenma, his dead-panned face across the lunch table giving away nothing.

Once you had retreated to the roof just for a quiet moment alone, but he found you regardless. Tucked under his arm was some milk bread from the school concession and some juice packs.

He greeted you before motioning to his makeshift care-package, “Thought you’d like a snack.”

“Thanks, Kuroo.” You motioned to sit-up, but he took the seat on the bench next to you. “You’ve really been there for me this week.”

Kuroo paused before putting a gentle hand over your own, “I care about you a lot.”

“This goes both ways, y’know.” You replied, an honest smile reflecting back at him before you turned to put straws in the juice pack.

“I don’t want to rush you or anything….” Kuroo continued, “But know that I love you.”

“Aw, I love you too!” You answered back, offering a juice pack back to him.

Kuroo went through the motion and grabbed the juice, eyes narrowed in confusion as you easily reflected his words back at him. 

Were you really not getting it?

“No, I mean like.” Frustrated, Kuroo grabbed at his hair. “Here.”

He put both juices down, his free hand moving to your cheek, pulling you closer as he brushed his lips above your brow. You stilled at the motion, but Kuroo lingered for a moment before withdrawing enough to look you in the eyes.

“I’m in love with you. Please give me a chance to show you.”

You backed up immediately, hands flying between you as you stood.

“Woah, I— since when?!”

“A month ago.” Kuroo stood as well, “Just enough to realize I didn’t want to lose you to anyone else.”

You groaned aloud, “Kuroo, that’s not what love is.”

“Yes, it is. Love means I want to hold you and make you mine, to kiss you now and every day if I can.” He retorted, not moving in his spot and his eyes connected with yours.

“Kuroo, this… I don’t know!” You stumbled along your words, unable to hold his intense gaze as he bared his feelings. 

“I don’t mean to rush you, but I think it’d only be fair if you were aware of my feelings.”

You bit your lip, it seemed your life was full of ironies.

“I used to be in love with you for so long, Kuroo.”

He stopped then, eyes widening in surprise as you dropped your longest secret on your best friend.

“And then you were dating and in love with Alissa and I wanted nothing more than to move from you. And for my feelings to be nothing but a sad  memory.”

“I wasn’t in love with her.” Kuroo cut in.

“That doesn’t really matter, does it? Because I wasn’t enough for you to see then so what difference does it make now?”

“Wait.” Kuroo stepped closer and you took a reflexive step back, making him stop. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you were going on and on about her! All of you — the whole team talked about her like she was the perfect person for you.” You answered, getting visibly agitated. “And who was I to stop you from being happy?”

Kuroo sighed, a small wistful smile on his face as he heard of your struggles. “God, I love you.”

“What?!”

“She doesn’t make me happy. Not like you do.”

“Kuroo — !”

“Stop overthinking.” Kuroo took two wide steps before you could run away, grabbing at your waist and encasing you in his arms. “I’m sorry that I hurt you in the past, but I am begging you to let me show you how much you mean to me.”

“But what if—“

“No. Stop thinking about the ifs.” Kuroo interrupted, leaning forward to press his lips against your forehead. “Let me prove to you how much I love you.”

You felt the crease of his lips against your skin, slowly making its way down before connecting your lips together in a chaste peck.

He could feel your hesitation, the way your hands stayed balled at your sides. “I won’t rush you. But please, give us a chance.”

You closed your eyes shut, taking a deep breathe before raising a palm to his chest.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

You laughed lightly, “Yes, you big ole nerd.”

Kuroo shot you one of his honest smiles back, not one of the goading smirks he sent opposing teams or the charismatic one when we wanted something. One of the arms around your waist crawled it’s way upward, settling behind your head as it pulled you closer.

He kissed at your forehead again, especially careful before he made his way downward. Taking some initiative, you leaned upward to kiss him firm on the lips.

Kuroo recoiled back in surprise before smiling again, pulling you into his chest as he leaned down for another smooch. The skin of his lips was surprisingly smooth, silky as it moved against yours.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Kuroo.”

—xXxXxXxXxXx—

Extra:

Your break with Akaashi was so minimal that you were actually excited to see the setter during Fukurodani’s practice match.

If only your team felt the same.

You reminded them time and time again that your break was nothing to worry about and it should definitely not be the reason behind unnecessary drama. Especially since you were Kuroo now, not even two weeks after. But with the way Lev and Yaku were training, you were sure they were going to attempt a beat down.

When the Fukurodani team entered the gym the next day, you waved at the managers excitedly and it was Kaori that came up to you looking sheepish.

“How’ve you been holding up?”

“Honestly, really well!” You answered.

“Oh, so you haven’t heard?”

“Heard about what?” You asked back, only to light up when Akaashi neared you. Giving him a hug in greeting, you smiled happily at the two.

“Woah.” Kaori commented.

“How’ve you been doing?” Akaashi asked as he pulled away from your prolonged hug, still shoulder-to-shoulder with you.

“Good — I would watch out for Lev though. I think he wants to pummel you.”

Akaashi sighed, “Beautiful.”

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto cut in, literally in between the two of you and putting some space. “Who’s beautiful?”

The setter sighed before looking toward you.

“Don’t worry, Bokuto. We both can appreciate Akaashi’s beauty.” You joked, but the wing-spiker threw a possessive arm over his shoulders.

“Good — as long as you know he’s all mine.” Bokuto continued, pulling a red-faced Akaashi toward him.

You smiled before feeling an arm around your own shoulders.

“Am I missing out on the party?” Kuroo asked, playful tone contrasting with his hard gaze. He was trying a little too hard to look casual, but it was clear from his eyes that he was sizing up your ex-boyfriend.

“Nothing to miss out on.” You responded. “Just wanted to say hi to my good friend, Akaashi.”

Bokuto turned to the man under his hold and the setter nodded in agreement, “We text often, it’s nice to actually see each other.”

“You’re never this excited to see me!”

Akaashi smiled playfully before replying, “Bokuto-san, we see each other every day. Seeing her is special.”

Kuroo narrowed his eyes, evaluating the direction before leaning back. “Fine. Why don’t we catch-up too, Bokuto?”

“What? Are you crazy —!?”

But Kuroo was not paying attention, leaning down to give you a sloppy kiss with the other three as the audience.

He held the back of your head, guiding you back into him as you unintentionally moaned into his embrace. Kuroo particularly enjoyed ravishing you now, licking at your inner walls and relishing the slick of saliva that connected you two even after he pulled away.

“You asshole!” Bokuto exclaimed when Kuroo grabbed him, pulling him along as you stood there attempting to fix yourself.

Akaashi laughed at the display before turning to you with a smile.

“What a kiss.” Kaori had her hands to her face, secondhand embarrassment apparent from the blush. “Looks like Kuroo is every bit the jealous type as Bokuto.”

“Not usually.” You replied, still feeling the heat from your cheeks.

“I’m glad you found someone who makes you happy.” Akaashi stated, grabbing your hand and squeezing it. 

“I’m glad Bokuto came to his senses too.” You responded, squeezing in kind before hearing both your names exclaimed from across the gym. 

“5 feet away, minimum!” Bokuto was stretching out a space between his hands, pointing at the two of you.

Akaashi sighed before letting go, shooting you a tired but endearing smile. Kaori laughed, saying you two were so odd, but glad that the friendship between schools was preserved.

But it was the look on Kuroo’s face, as his narrowed eyes travelled from the setter than back to you, that told you just what was in store for you later.

And you wouldn’t have it any other way. 

[a-libra-writes]

could you do hcs for like if ramsay had a crush on wylla and wynafryd’s sister(born between them)? maybe during like anywhere in the canon timeline or when they were kids or both if that’s cool :))

con: pt 2 to the ramsay req bc i totally forgot to say this in the og ask but like i said a manderly crush specifically bc of the donella manderly/hornwood situation and how that would add a shit ton of some drama and whether or not that would work out in ramsay’s favor is up to you

Oh this is very interesting. I adore the Manderlys so any excuse to think about them is a good one lol. I'm annoyed the Manderlys, Lady Hornwood AND Barbrey Ryswell weren't in the show... but I also feel like the women would've been screwed over or written badly somehow, so 😒

aaaaaanyway

Childhood friends is generally a pretty wild idea for Ramsay because it was specifically his "friendship" with First Reek that sent him on an even worse path, so like ... what if it was different???

I might be wrong on this, but I don't think the show ever addressed if Ramsay lived with his father all his years or if he spent most of his childhood with his mother and First Reek at the windmill, like in the books. Honestly I prefer show!Ramsay (sue me) and this ask got me thinking, so we're going with him being at the Dreadfort from around ~10 years old, and I'm not gonna touch much on Lady Hornwood. Yes, I'm doing the most sacrilege thing and mixing show and book canon. Yall should expect this by now, sue me.

THAT BEING SAID... let's think about stuff.

If he was brought to the Dreadfort around that age, not only would he see Domeric regularly, he'd observe the lords coming and going. I don't think Lady Bethany would ever allow him to be out in the open during feasts and such, so it's just when lords and their men are passing by. That's when he might stumble upon the Manderly girls.

It's possible Roose and Bethany didn't want Ramsay anywhere near the guests, especially if they knew how he was. Most likely, he was already displaying his awful colors at a young age. While her sisters were giggling over Domeric, I feel our young middle!Manderly might wander off into the forest, and come across another boy with eerie white eyes. How strange, she didn't know Domeric had a little brother... ...

He might actually be charming. He isn't dressed like a lord, but he can talk like one, somewhat. He has a bow that he's talented with, and a cute hound following him about. She learns his name, but doesn't catch how he doesn't add Bolton after it. They spend a whole afternoon together, only noticing the time and returning when it becomes dark.

That's when she sees her sisters running at her, and her worried parents, and she doesn't understand why they're so afraid. She sees Roose all but drag Ramsay off, then slap him for being disobedient. That evening, her mother makes her bathe and scrub her skin so hard, it burns red.

"You shouldn't be around the likes of bastards, little one, especially Bolton's bastard. How could you do this? What were you thinking?"

Now, listen. As children, we've all had that one person we didn't spend much time with, but we still think about them now. Maybe you only played with them for a day, or a week, or a summer before you were separated, but the memories are both vivid and distant, fresh and nostalgic. And unlike most people ... Ramsay is an obsessive, fixating sort.

So the next time he sees her - which might be years later - perhaps it's when they're more grown. Perhaps Domeric is looking for a wife amongst all the ladies visiting for a feast. Perhaps it's after his half-brother's sudden death, when the lords are gathering for King Robb's war, and the Manderly host has to march past the Dreadfort. Lord Manderly brought his granddaughter for a marriage to someone else, or perhaps she's a fighter in her own right. You can see the various ways this would play out.

It's hard for him to contain his manic grin when she recognizes him. Those eyes are a dead giveaway, even if he tried to disguise himself as some peasant boy. Now, she may have heard the strange rumors surrounding the Dreadfort and the Bolton bastard, but ... ... wasn't he so nice to her when they met ... ? Those stories couldn't be true ... ...

[dawn-wasabi]

Pride Month 2022 - Prideful OCs 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Happy Pride Month, everyone! 

Okay, so the original idea I had was to make little doodles of these characters, either with family members or with their partners if they had one, all showing of their LGBTQ+ swag. However, the touch of drawing only comes to me when I’m inspired, and I haven’t been lately. Since graduation, I’ve mainly played video games like Pony Town and have been writing fanfiction. Hence, this lovely piece for Pride Month. 

The identities and orientations here are considered canonical in terms of my fandom AUs, except for my mane OC. Also, some of these characters’ designs are outdated or are currently being worked on or reworked, so bear with me. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Line-up; from left to right; top to bottom: 

Patches - Magnus and Ellegaard’s youngest daughter in my Minecraft Story Mode Next Gen. She is a lesbian and is more so the masculine one in a relationship. She is married to her cheery and bubbly wife, Belladonna, eldest daughter of Radar and Stella in the same fandom. Together, the couple have three wonderful girls as their children. 

Bach - The only child of Quackity and Slimecicle in my Crimson AU, or my crossover of the Dream SMP and iDots SMP. Though he is not one for labels, if directly asked, he claims to be bigender, fluctuating between male and female. Despite this, he assures others that he does not take offense to only being called he/him since he still technically identifies as a man. He is easygoing with labels because for him, it is not always relevant to his day-to-day life. His boyfriend, Ralsei, (son of Antfrost and VelvetIsCake) respects this more private label, and he too shares the similar philosophy that labeling is not always a necessity. 

Dawn Wasabi - My ponysona and mane OC. I’m currently debating whether or not I am asexual and/or a straight ally. I think I mistakenly assume that I’m ace because I’m anti-social and never get out enough to explore my options. If I decide that I am not, then I know for sure I would be straight and an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, of course. 

Yeong - Originally the eldest son of Jamison and Rocco in my Minecraft Story Mode Next Gen. Quick recap: Jamison is the oldest son of Jack and Nurm, while Rocco is the youngest son and ninth child of Romeo and Xara. During their teenage years, Yeong chooses to identify as a demi-girl because they do not want to make an official decision about being a transgender. At this point in time, they go by she/her and they/them pronouns, but they are unphased and not offended by friends and family who still refer to them as he/him. Raised in a large, traditional, and somewhat more religious family, they are more than okay and understanding with having a few prejudiced family members, such as their grandfather Romeo and their aunt Zofija. Reaching early adulthood, they still feel more feminine than masculine, so they finally decide to make a full transition and become a trans-woman. She remains going by the same pronouns and is still lenient with being called he/him by others. 

Abraxas - The first child of Skeppy and BadBoyHalo in my Crimson AU, or my crossover of the Dream SMP and iDots SMP. He is also the first born of the Halo twins. Being more accustomed to and favoring the communities of gen Z and gen alpha, he thinks highly of placing a label upon himself. Though he does not experiment until his mid-teenage years, he claims to be bisexual years beforehand. He and others eventually do discover this to be more than likely, as he maintains a secret relationship with a male partner, while he also has a short-lived relationship with his childhood crush, Belladonna, daughter of a6d. 

Asriel - The second child of Skeppy and BadBoyHalo in my Crimson AU, or my crossover of the Dream SMP and iDots SMP. He is the second born of the Halo twins. The polar opposite of his brother and similar to the rest of his friends and gen Xers, he is not sticky about labeling himself. He does not like to claim that he was born into the world with a gay preference, but he, friends, and family have noticed his liking for those of the same sex since he was a little boy. Rather than having innocent crushes on girls, he always displayed affection and crushes toward boys and men. He never once experiments with any women, and even when he has not experimented with a male partner, he gets to understand himself through submissive escapades. As mentioned before, he is not one for labels, but by this point in his life (mid-teenage years), he begins to believe that he is indeed homosexual. 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Minecraft Story Mode @ TellTale Games Dream SMP and (former) iDots SMP @ YouTubers Pony Town @ ponytownteam My Little Pony @ hasbroplz and @ fyre-flye Dawn Wasabi belongs to me. These next gens/AUs belong to me. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

You are NOT permitted to use this artwork!

[arsenicpanda]

For the ask game: Jabitha + Childhood Besties AU?

ok, I'm back from socializing and having stuff to do, sorry for the delay! I'm answering using the prompted questions in the ask game, although they're more like guidelines than anything else. Let's gooooo!

Premise:

(Presumably) contrary to canon, Tabitha’s family visits Riverdale for two weeks every summer, and Tabitha chooses to spend most of that time with Pop in the diner. Ultimately, she ends up spending a lot of the time that Pop is busy actually working with the one or two other kids who always seem to be in the diner: Jughead Jones and often his little sister Jellybean. They talk about kid stuff, movies and books and whatnot, but also end up going searching for urban legends together in Fox Forest because Riverdale is like the 1980s in that it is full of free-range children. It’s a highlight of their summers.

As Tabitha gets older, probably fourteen or fifteen, she swings those two weeks of vacation into a full summer of working part-time at the diner and “gaining work experience that will look good on a college application both as experience in general and as a potential essay topic” (translation: she just wants to work in the diner she loves and spend time with her summer friend, and that’s an argument in favor of it that her parents will buy). Does she convince Jughead to join her when he’s not writing? Yes, of course, because he loves Pop, could use the money (especially after the drive-in closes), and just likes spending time with her.

The extent to which this au would otherwise follow Riverdale canon (esp. re: bh) is up for grabs, although I feel bh is much less likely in this au because by the time sophomore year (aka season 1) rolls around, Jughead would probably already be head-over-heels for Tabitha, and he’s not the kind of asshole to date someone while still having feelings for another person (although there are probably workarounds for this, tbh).

Which one was super obviously in love with the other the whole time?

If Jughead was not hopelessly in love with Tabitha by the end of her first full summer in Riverdale, I will find and eat my Jughead hat. The boy is predictable when it comes to his heart, but it might not have been glaringly obvious. A solid educated guess, yes, but teenage Jughead is so moody and withdrawn and Jughead, especially from fifteen to sixteen, that he could be hard to read if you aren’t looking at his face when he’s looking at Tabitha when she’s not looking, which might be hard to catch. It’s just kind of hard to act on a crush on someone you only see for three months out of the year, and it’s riskier too.

Who was oblivious until they were older?

Very much Tabitha, although she very much had a lil crush herself but didn’t pursue if for the same reason as Jughead above. Did they both have Hopes and Suspicions? Yes, but they both made cost/benefit analyses (Tabitha’s more thorough than Jughead’s, which mainly consisted of vibes and fears stemming from his abandonment issues) and decided to stay ~friends~ until later in life when they happened to live in the same place long-term, whether that be college, graduate/business school, or later. I will say that, if they were going to go to the same college and this was a non-bh au, they probably had a Moment in Pop’s the summer before college ala their 5x10 Hungry Like the Wolf dance that ended in them actually starting to date, and then they’re just together until the day they day.

An aside:

I like the idea of childhood friends jabitha au, and it very much has strong merits, but I think the best part of jabitha is that they meet as adults with past relationships and baggage and experiences. Fiction tends to focus heavily on first love, found early in life, that lasts forever, but jabitha is very much a story of second love found in the second half of a longer story (even if mid-20s is still pretty young), and I think that's its most interesting trait, especially in the context of the teen drama genre.