#-loyalty compels her to protect. do you ever think that she wishes she could go back in time? to change things? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ridasverkisto · 3 years

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So as promised, a follow up to this monstrosity of a post, now talking about my top ten favorite characters.

So as I’ve said before, I tend to not have one favorite character but rather a herd of them that I love for a variety of reasons. So the following list and gushing is in no particular order, as I can’t really rank them bc I like them all for different reasons.

1. Noelle

To this day, Noelle remains the ONLY character I have ever yelled at a TV screen for because I was so hyped for her. During the Sea Temple Arc I was literally yelling at the TV for her to kick ass and take names, I love her so much. 🥺

Does she have issues? Yes! But that’s okay—she’s had an amazing character arc so far, and watching her go from insecure and hiding behind arrogance to actually having confidence in herself and her abilities has been so amazing. More than anything she feels real to me, and is one of the few characters where I have had the visceral urge to squish her cheeks and tell her she’s doing great honey, keep kicking ass. We stan Noelle in my house 😤

2. Luck

I love this kid, for both his antics and the fact that I can relate to how he’s basically repressed his negative emotions for so long that he struggles to express anything but cheerfulness, even when murderously angry. He goes from equating his worth to being able to fight and win (see his fight with Lotus) to valuing his found family with the Bulls so damn much. His breakdown during the Reincarnation Arc wrenches at my heart every time!! I love this chaotic destruction child.

3. Langris

He’s a gremlin trashbaby. He’s an awful entitled asshole who always got whatever he wanted when he wanted it, and was that one Gifted Kid who always had everything come easy. And...he gets knocked off that pedestal and starts to grow as a person, however reluctantly. He’s one of those characters where if I were to ever meet him in person I’d either hate him immediately or want to troll him relentlessly, but I still love him as a character because he’s interesting.

In a lot of ways, I relate to Langris. Younger sibling with so much pressure to be the best, from both yourself and your parents, and your older sibling—who’s supposed to be better than you, someone for you to look up to—just...isn’t to your parents’s standards. And that makes the pressure worse, until you’ve been swallowed whole by the pressure and expectations and you don’t know who you are without that.

It’s three parts the asshole grew on me like a fungus and one part projection, but I love him anyway.

4. William

I have a soft spot for William that’s born from a) the fact I’m a huge sucker for the mysterious masked guy who’s Soft for his people, and b) he’s a coy troll and I deeply appreciate it.

I acknowledge—he has his flaws. He’s a coward and indecisive, but he’s learning to grow past that. That’s a huge part of what makes his character interesting and compelling to me, because he’s always been fiercely loyal—his problem was being torn between two conflicting loyalties and being unable and/or unwilling to decide between them.

5. Leopold

Fuzzy determined lion son, who is determined to surpass his brother? And wholesomely competitive? We stan!! I want to hug this kid 🥺

6. Dorothy

She’s fun, bright, and determined. There’s also a lot of implied depth when you look at her comments to Reve in the Reincarnation Arc—aside from Reve, she literally says “we finally have someone to share our dreams with!” And that breaks my heart a little because that’s such a lonely thing to say.

Overall she’s just great and I love her, and I really want to see more of her and her magic.

7. Asta

He’s a cinnamon roll, what more can I say? I love him, even if I didn’t rly like him at first. He’s a loud cinnamon roll and I will protect this boy with my life 💕

8. Finral

Anxious self-sabotaging boy!!! He reminds me a lot of a lot of people I know, and of facets of my own personality. And he works so hard to grow, his role and growth is amazing and I love him. I just wish his womanizing weren’t portrayed the way it is—and that the fandom could also note that he’s also not a damn sexual harasser. He tries really hard to get a date while being respectful—and it really doesn’t feel in character for him to sexually harass people, so I don’t know where people got this image of him being one. He’s a flirt, but for the most part it’s harmless and he respects boundaries. 👀

9. Patry

Okay so this is a bit of a fine distinction to make: I love and appreciate him as a character, I think he’s an excellent villain, and I appreciate that so far he hasn’t been exonerated from his crimes and mistakes, because he shouldn’t be. He needs to atone, and that takes time—and he may never earn forgiveness. That’s fine and in fact that’s the point!!!

He’s an excellent villain: he’s charismatic, intense, and he feels real. He’s understandable, even when he’s going to such zealous extremes. And as a character, I love him.

And here’s where the line is, because he’s the only one on this list that I have this sort of opposing opinion about. I adore him as a villain, as a character, and how he’s dealt with. It’s on point, amazing. As a person? He’s fucking despicable and if I ever met him in person I’d want to break his damn jaw. And it’s not the same as how I feel about Langris—Patry is a despicable person, and even if he grows and works to atone, he still did those things. He still decided to go through with those actions, and he shouldn’t be forgiven for it. He’s intense and complicated and real, and that’s what makes him interesting.

He’s on this list because I feel so strongly about him—he’s one of my favorite and my most hated characters in the show.

10. Marx

I’m not going to lie, I love this man purely based on that fact that I first saw him yelling at Julius and went “ah, the overworked secretary trope” and then he met Asta and I went “OH. Kind soft man who is also overworked secretary and cares deeply? Sign me the hell up!!!” What more do I need to say? He’s great 😊

#black clover #anon ask #noelle silva #luck voltia #langris vaude #asta black clover #william vangeance #black clover patri #dorothy unsworth #marx francois #leopold vermillion #finral roulacase #just me and a bunch of cinnamon rolls and trash children #I will fight for all of these characters #....except Patry #Patry deserves to be punched in the face a few times #it’s complicated okay???

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bamon4bamily · 3 years

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TVD 10x02 - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (part 1) Enjoy! =)

Cut to - Munich, Germany. Elena is in one of the lab morgues. She is leaning against the freezers, writing in her diary.

Dear Diary,

Today will be different. I will start fresh. Be someone new. New year, new life, new diary. I’ve come all this way, thanks to my father, but I need to step out of his shadow, and make it on my own. I have to stop doubting myself… As that cute guy Sam told me, I was chosen for a reason. It’s time I start believing in myself and become the Elena Gilbert I always wanted to be. Away from Mystic Falls, the drama, the supernatural, the pain…

But, just between us, I feel like something is off… I mean, I’m glad to feel different, it’s just that in a weird way, I don’t feel quite like myself… Maybe it’s because the nightmares have come back… They are so vivid, as if I were living through it once more. The freezing water, the air escaping my lungs, the despair of knowing they were with me. That horrible feeling, over and over again… I thought I had healed, as much as one can heal from something like that, but I can still feel her hand slipping away… At times I think my dad blames me for letting her go. If he only knew the real reason both of us survived, maybe he wouldn’t resent it so much. Regardless, I will forever be thankful to Stefan for saving us that night. Although he still blames himself for not being able to save my mother, there was nothing anyone could have done.

Okay, enough about the past, I need to move on, build a new life for myself, and maybe, even find a new love… No vampires this time! Whatever comes, I’m living my life to the fullest! Letting myself be free… No fear, no guilt, no insecurities… Project Munich, here I come!

Suddenly, she hears a noise. If it weren’t coming from one of the freezer drawers, she wouldn’t be startled, but since it clearly is, her heart starts pounding. She approaches cautiously…

Before she can even grab the handle, the drawer slams open…

SAM: Boo!

ELENA: Oh my god, Sam?! You scared me half to death!

SAM: (Smirking) Good thing it was just half way. Wouldn’t want you dying on me.

ELENA: Well, what if I had a heart condition?! I could have!

SAM: A heart condition, or died?

ELENA: Well, both… But you know what I mean! You are so weird!

SAM: This coming from the girl leaning against body freezers in the middle of the night…

ELENA: At least I wasn’t lying in one of them like some kind of zombie!

SAM: It’s surprisingly relaxing…

ELENA: (Mocking) Being a zombie or lying in the freezers?

SAM: I suppose, both… (they crack up).

ELENA: Anyway, what are you doing here?

SAM: I like to come here to think… It’s quiet. You?

ELENA: Same… Guess we’re a couple of weirdos…

SAM: A little eccentric is all. (They smile in complicity). I will confess though; I do have an alternative motive…

ELENA: Oh, god. Please don’t tell me you are a psycho killer. I’ve dealt with enough of those…

SAM: I’m not going to ask why, but I do want to ask you something…

ELENA: (With a suspicious face) Uhm, okay… what?

SAM: Do you like picnics?

ELENA: That question isn’t helping your psycho case… But, yeah, I do. Why?

SAM: How about you and me, tomorrow… Wine and cheese in the main garden?

ELENA: (Kittenish) Are you asking me on a date?

SAM: Depends… is it a yes, or a no?

ELENA: Depends… is it red wine, or white?

SAM: Red, of course! What kind of a psycho drinks white wine?

ELENA: Plenty… And, you literally just met me, so there is a risk I might actually be one of them.

SAM: (Flirtatious smirk) I’m willing to take the risk, if you are…

ELENA: What the hell! Life is too short to play it safe.

SAM: I like the way you think. It’s a date then!

ELENA: It’s a date.

SAM: Huh, I totally thought that was going to fail…

ELENA: You never know until you try, right?

SAM: (Smiles) I guess you don’t… Listen, it’s really late, do you want me to walk you to your dorm? I know this place is infested with military, but what if you run into a ghost? Pretty sure they would be clueless about how to handle that.

ELENA: (Laughs) Neither would you. But, you are not nearly as scary as they are, so I’d rather take my chances with you.

SAM: (Teasing) I happen to be a paranormal aficionado; I know how to handle a ghost.

ELENA: Oh, really?

SAM: I’ve seen all Ghost Busters movies a million times! I know what I’m doing!

ELENA: (Sarcastic) A Ghost Busters fanboy, that’s very comforting… (As they are walking out) Oh! And don’t think that just because I agreed to go on a date with you, I won’t get you back for the near heart attack you gave me … I happen to be a real horror movie aficionada; better watch your back…

Cut to – Mystic Falls Town Hall. Matt has been officially sworn in to take office as the new Mayor of Mystic Falls. Although he is worried about Edward’s abrupt decision, especially knowing the context behind his un-rational behavior, he can’t help but feel proud. This is what he had wanted all his life. And, given Edward’s current psychological condition, this decision was probably for the best.

COUNCIL SPEAKER: Mayor Donovan, I speak on behalf of all my colleagues, we welcome you to this body of representatives with open arms, and ensure you that you have our full support, respect, and commitment.

MATT: It is my honor to have been entrusted with this duty. I will work day and night to rightfully serve our town, my home town. I will forever be grateful to Mayor Powell for believing in me, and giving me the opportunity to give back to the people that have built this town from scratch. In my first order of duty, I hereby announce the newly appointed Chief of Police, Sheriff Jackson. A woman of honor, courage and morals. I am certain she will serve this town with honor, loyalty, truth, knowledge and commitment. Please, give her a round of applause.

SHERIFF JACKSON: Thank you, Mayor Donovan. I wear the badge with pride. I am humbled and honored to be given this responsibility. Trust that my team and I will follow the example you gave to us, and will serve and protect this community with the same passion and commitment you did. We might be in different offices now, but we will always be family.

MATT: Always! Thank you, Sherriff Jackson. I have no doubt that you will surpass both mine and my predecessor’s accomplishments. In closing, I’d like to say that although we face many challenges ahead, I’m confident that we can overcome any obstacle by working together, always prioritizing people. Mystic Falls is a town built by its citizens, for its citizens. It is our duty to ensure the wellness and prosperity of all. Once again, thank you. Time to get to work! (They applaud).

Cut to – The Mikaelson mansion. Abby and Klaus are talking about Hope settling-in at the Salvatore School, among other things.

ABBY: Hope looked so happy... And her dorm room is amazing! At the main house and a single! How lucky was she!

KLAUS: I had to “persuade” Alaric to make sure she was given the best accommodations.

ABBY: (Smiles) I’m sure you did…

KLAUS: And how is Bonnie settling in her new home? I honestly cannot comprehend how she could voluntarily agree to spend day and night with Damon Salvatore. Are we certain he is not compelling her?

ABBY: (Smirks) You know he can’t, although I kind of wish that was the reason (they laugh). From what she told me this morning; the house is beautiful. Guess we’ll have to wait and see, if she ever invites us over.

KLAUS: She will, love, give her some time. They just moved in together, they need their privacy. (Suddenly, the door opens, in come Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, Freya, Marcel, and Danae, suitcases and all). Uhm, excuse me, what is this unexpected visit about? Our family reunion isn’t until spring…

ELIJAH: Lovely to see you too, brother. Do pardon if our sudden arrival interrupts your tea time, but we are in a bit of a pickle. We have been cursed out of New Orleans; and, the last time I checked, this was also our home.

KLAUS: I am gone, for not even a month, and you somehow manage to get yourselves thrown out of what is rightfully ours? How exactly did that come to be?

MARCEL: Why don’t you ask Kol…

KOL: Oh, come on, Marcellus, it’s as much your fault as it is mine. And, don’t act so innocent, Elijah. You had your hand in this too.

ELIJAH: (Fixing his cufflinks) Maybe a little…

REBEKAH: While you boys decide who is to blame, I’ll go settle down in my bedroom.

KLAUS: You can’t. We turned it into a games room.

REBEKAH: (Indignant) Excuse me?!! How dare you!? Why my room?! Why not Elijah’s or Kol’s!?

KLAUS: Yours was better fitted for the purpose. Nothing personal, love.

REBEKAH: Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t… (Turns to Abby) And definitely nothing to do with you, right?

ABBY: (Sarcastic) Of course not, I wouldn’t dare! This was all him!

KLAUS: (Smirks) Traitor… Anyhow, dear sister, there are plenty of other rooms you can choose from.

REBEKAH: Whatever. I’ll go find myself a room you two haven’t ruined, yet.

FREYA: I’m coming with. You people forget I’ve never been in this house!

DANAE: Really? I thought you had. I mean, even I have stayed here.

FREYA: And, thanks for rubbing that in, my love.

DANAE: No ill intentions, hon. I’m just surprised.

FREYA: (Sarcastic) Guess being a Mikaelson didn’t grant me the privilege, but being Klaus’s best friend’s girlfriend sure did.

KLAUS: Oh, don’t be so dramatic, sister. You are here now, are you not?

REBEKAH: Forget him, sis, this is our house too. We’ll give you the grand tour. Once we get dibs on the best rooms (they leave).

KLAUS: So, dear brothers, care to explain to me exactly how you got yourselves into this “pickle”?

ELIJAH: We will. But we are going to need something stronger than tea…

ABBY: Oh, it’s not tea. We just pretend it is, so we don’t feel like we are day drinking.

KOL: Who cares about that! We are vampires, love; we can do whatever we want!

KLAUS: KLAUS: (Sarcastic) My loving brother Kol, can we please go back to the topic at hand? I’d like to know exactly how long I can expect to have you all around.

ELIJAH: It is going to be a while…

MARCEL: If not forever.

KOL: (Mocking) Look on the bright side, Marcellus, you’ll have time to get to know Mystic Falls. Despite what some believe, it is quite the charming little town… And, our home sweet home, for now… Better get used to it.

Cut to – Pietro’s mansion. Him and Darius are having a “secret” con-call after their board meeting.

PIETRO: I’ve had just about enough. We need to retaliate for this. You didn’t see the aftermath, this place looked like a slaughterhouse.

DARIUS: Courtesy of your ripper brother, I presume?

PIETRO: Not sure which one of them did it, or if it was the three of them, but I had to get a professional cleaner.

DARIUS: You should really consider getting video surveillance, clears these types of doubts right up.

PIETRO: Never, those things give me all sorts of peeping Tom vibes. Anyway, I’m sorry about your witch friends, I’ll make it up to you.

DARIUS: I warned you not to play games. Now we’ve lost a coven of very talented witches, three potential recruits; we are clueless as to where the others are, and made the rest of the board members believe everything was going according to plan… (Sarcastic) Kudos!

PIETRO: Don’t you dare give me attitude about this, you have messed up worse than I have.

DARIUS: True; fair enough. Let’s not enter into panic mode, it’s a minor misstep. We’ll find them soon enough. In the meantime, as per Augustus’s orders, it seems like I have to find a replacement for Kai…

PIETRO: That was certainly an unexpected surprise. I thought he would be pleased with his progress.

DARIUS: I’m beginning to think Augustus feels threaten, more so after I shared Kai’s recent achievements.

PIETRO: Did you sense something was off with him during the call?

DARIUS: Well, the Augustus I know would have had Kai killed if he wanted him out of the game, not fired.

PIETRO: And it’s strange that he was willing for this Tamara thing to take more time, as long as Kai was off the task.

DARIUS: (Teasing) Maybe he’s starting to like his hostage situation; Stockholm syndrome type of thing?

PIETRO: (Smirks) Perhaps… Regardless, both Kai and Katerina would have been excellent for the field battle; they have stamina, and are surely gifted in terms of the supernatural.

DARIUS: I know. But there are plenty of fish in the sea. From what Veritas showed us with the Munich project, and the “gadgets I’ve been working on with Kai, soon we might have even stronger pawns to play around with.

PIETRO: Hey, I had a lot to do with the Munich project. I’m not letting him take all the credit! I led that project for years, set all the ground work, and the money.

DARIUS: Don’t be so defensive, my friend. We all know you did an excellent job. But, you have to give him some credit, Veritas is hardcore when it comes to discipline. As soon as he brought in the military, voilà!

PIETRO: (Snarky) His leading style borders on dictatorship, I prefer a motivational approach.

DARIUS: I’m with you on that. He sure as hell can scare the shit out of anyone into doing anything. Just ask Aletheia…

PIETRO: He is the oldest vampire in existence, and a psychic one, nonetheless; of course he can. I’m not ashamed to admit it; he has almost made me “piss my pants” once or twice.

DARIUS: I can say the same. You know, it’s truly fascinating that the so called “Originals” are oblivious to the fact about their true origins… I’m sure Veritas would have a blast with them, if they ever manage to figure it out.

PIETRO: Oh, I’m sure they will, if not for their wits, definitely once our plans unfold.

DARIUS: I call dibs on first row seats!

PIETRO: I want the full behind the scenes experience! (They laugh).

DARIUS: Well, I have to run now. I need to go fire my star employee and the Russian spy…

PIETRO: Good luck. We’ll talk soon.

Cut to – The Bamon home. The gang is in the “Batcave” planning their next move.

SAGE: (Starting to worry about Pietro’s retaliation for their escape). We are 100% sure this place can’t be found, right? I’m not very familiar with the witch stuff; or the vampire stuff for that matter; I’m a newbie.

BONNIE: Don’t worry, there is no way anyone can find it.

SAGE: Not even that Darius guy?

BONNIE: Especially not him.

SAGE: Can’t they track your cellphones?

BONNIE: Not while the house is cloaked. Beauty of magic.

SAGE: This magic stuff is really cool!

BONNIE: You ain’t seen nothing yet… But, fair warning, it can get a little weird…

CAROLINE: (Teasing) Just a little? (They laugh) Don’t worry, you are in good hands.

SAGE: Sorry; freaked out for a moment… Pietro can be quite vicious when he’s angry, and I’m sure he’s fuming right about now.

DAMON: Don’t be scared, Stefan and I got years on him. Now, back to the mission at hand. How are we going to break into this place without Kai?

STEFAN: What if we give our brother a taste of his own medicine? He can be our way in.

DAMON: I love when your mind goes devious, brother. What exactly are you thinking of?

STEFAN: There is an upside to having an Original vampire in town, and one who just happens to be in love with Bonnie’s mom… I’m betting he’ll do just about anything to get on your good side, Bon.

BONNIE: Stefan, you are a genius!

And, he does owe me big time! But, let’s avoid the whole “being in love with Bonnie’s mom” thing; still freaks me out.

STEFAN: Not another word on that, Bon.

DAMON: Ah, blackmail, deceit, and compulsion, my kind of tactics!

BONNIE: I’ll call my mom to invite them over for dinner, then we’ll guilt trip them into their part of the plan.

SAGE: Bit lost again, what’s an Original vampire?

CAROLINE: Oh, Sage. There is so much for you to learn about the vamp world. Stick with us, and you’ll learn everything you need to know.

SAGE: That would be amazing! Been pretty much self-taught since I was turned, which was literally just weeks ago.

CAROLINE: I know firsthand how important it is to have a mentor when you are new at this. We got your back.

SAGE: Thank you, I’ll take all the help I can get.

CAROLINE: We’ll help you with the supernatural, you’ll help us with the Science; win, win. The sooner we get these guys, the sooner we can go back to our normal lives.

SAGE: Deal! To be honest, I was thinking about fleeing back to Germany the moment I got away from Pietro’s claws. Forget all this craziness and just return to being a student, with a new blood craving. But I think academia is pumped up to be more than it really is. What good are all the fancy titles without being on the battle ground? I’ve done my fair share of studying, it’s time I apply my knowledge for the common good, and this seems like the perfect cause to do so. Now that we know they are okay; I have no reason to go back. (Turns to Bonnie and Damon) Don’t panic, I’m not planning to stay here. As soon as we take care of this, I’m going back home to NYC; I really miss it.

BONNIE: (Smiles) We’re not panicking. And you can stay here for as long as you need.

CAROLINE: Okay, just so we are all aligned. We’ll get Klaus to compel Pietro, but how exactly are we going to get to Pietro? We can’t have Klaus show up at his house and be like: hello, I’m going to compel you now…

STEFAN: We’ll make sure he’s alone and lure him outside. Then Klaus, Damon and I, will take it from there. Three against one, should be a piece of cake.

DAMON: Sounds like a plan. Now, on to a crucial matter. (Turns to Bonnie) First time having my mother-in-law over for dinner, what should be the menu?

BONNIE: (Smirks) Whatever you want will be perfect.

DAMON: How about Italian? Play it safe...

BONNIE: Ooh, gnocchi arrabbiata?

DAMON: Perfetto!

CAROLINE: (Giddy) Aw, I love domestic Bamon!

DAMON: Don’t think you are just going to stand and watch, you are all helping!

The only one that gets a free pass is Bonnie, she has somewhere to go.

BONNIE: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that…

CAROLINE: Bon, are you sure you don’t want one of us to come with you?

BONNIE: I’m sure. Thank you, Care. I’m gonna head out now before it gets late. I won’t be long (kisses Damon).

I love you...

DAMON: I love you too. Head message me if you need anything.

BONNIE: I will (she leaves).

STEFAN: (To Damon) Are you okay?

DAMON: I’ll be fine when I know she’s fine…

CAROLINE: I still can’t believe he’s back! He better have a damn good explanation, otherwise I’m going to send him right back where he came from!

DAMON: You and me both, Blondie...

Alright, I need to keep my mind busy, so let’s get to work. Making gnocchi is a mission on its own!

TVD 10x02 (part 2) coming soon. Hope you stop by, read, and enjoy! =)

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wylanvnneck · 3 years

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“On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?” for Jurdan, please???? 🖤🖤🖤

Humorous Prompt #6: “On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?”

Fandom: TFOTA

Ship: Jurdan

Masterlist | Send me a prompt

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“He’s not really picturing a Pork Cutlet Bowl for inspiration is he?” Cardan’s wry question is more of a rhetorical one, considering the fact that they both knew the answer to it, but Jude still felt the need to reply.

“Nope.”

The two of them were lying across the couch, Jude’s head tucked under Cardan’s chin and his arm loosely slung over her denim-clad hip, both their gazes riveted to the laptop screen on the low table in front of them. Vivienne had browbeat them into promising that they would watch the anime that she’d recommended whilst she and Heather were gone for one of Oak’s school meetings and she’d even gone so far as to threaten them with locking away the mini marshmallows so they’d have to suffer through marshmallow-less hot chocolate if they didn’t comply.

Jude wouldn’t really have minded that, but Cardan had a weakness for them and she had a weakness for the adorable look that would appear on his face whenever she brought him a mug with the confections floating within it, so that’s how they’d found themselves spooning on the couch together, watching an anime about an awkward Japanese Ice Skater Yuri and his delectable Russian coach Viktor.

As much as she hated to admit it, Vivi had good taste. The animation was beautiful, almost as beautiful as Elfhame, and the storyline was adorable and interesting, with a fantastic soundtrack to go along with it. The day was warm and tranquil and it felt good to be snuggled cozily in her husband’s arms, his heartbeat pressed against her spine and their thousands of responsibilities as High King and Queen nowhere near their little bubble.

They watch Yuri skate in comfortable silence, the whole performance captivating, and in between episodes she can feel Cardan making the tiniest of shifts in his position behind her, little movements, lightly stroking her hip over the fabric of her t-shirt, leaning down to smell her hair or to place a gentle kiss on the curve of her ear that marked her mortality and each time there’s a little burst of something inside her.

They’d made it about halfway through the 12 episode long series before Cardan reaches over to pause it, reluctantly detaching his body from hers and sitting up, making her do the same, turning to face him as she sits cross-legged. He stretches his arms up in the air and her eyes follow the movement, admiring him. His dark gaze catches her doing it, his eyes glittering and a grin spreading over his face and she merely raises her eyebrows at him in response, unapologetic.

“On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about nachos right now?” He asks, his voice light in a way that only happened when he was truly content.

She feels an answering smile curve her lips. “Eleven.”

He laughs, his raven locks flopping over his face messily and he leans forward to peck her lips before pushing himself off the couch and heading off to the kitchen. “Got it, two packets of Nachos coming right up.”

“Make sure they’re the spicy kind!” She calls out after him.

“Of course, only the best for My Queen,” comes his reply and it’s stupid, how sweet his words are.

Flopping back down on the sofa she distracts herself by studying the laptop screen, watching the seconds tick by on the clock at the bottom of the screen when silence is broken by an odd jingle, and a little square popping up at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Written on that square is a name that makes Jude sit up straight. Taryn Duarte.

The jingle is still playing in the background but it sounds blurry, as though it was playing from somewhere far far away instead of right in front of her. Taryn. She hadn't spoken to her heavily pregnant twin sister in quite a while, and the last that she’d heard of her was that she had gone to visit Madoc and Oriana in the place where they lived in the mortal world, somewhere quite far away, thankfully. The thought of Taryn makes the subsequent feelings of anger and hurt and betrayal rise up within her, ruthlessly chasing away the contentment that had filled her just minutes ago.

Frantically, she searches for the red decline button with the cursor and attempts to click on it but she can’t quite bring herself to do it. She hates that she can’t, but thoughts of Taryn in distress whilst carrying a child, Taryn in danger and needing help flood her mind and that old protective instinct that had been instilled in her for so long compels her to click on the green accept button instead.

“Jude?” Taryn’s voice sounds the same, mixed in with surprise at seeing her twin answer the call instead of Vivi.

“Taryn.” Her throat is dry.

“I- I called because Madoc and Oriana wanted to speak to Oak, and Vivi has said they could call on this thing” she gestures at the screen, “called Skype when they wished to and they needed help to set it up.” Taryn looks the same as ever, almost a mirror image of Jude herself, except for the huge swell in her belly where Jude’s unborn niece or nephew resided. Locke’s child. That reminds her of the first time Taryn had ever betrayed her, allowing Locke to mess with her, knowing full well that he had been seeing the both of them at the same time, playing them against each other and she had let it happen. The memory makes her shutter, closing her expression and making it cold.

“Oak is at school with Vivi. Tell them to call later.” She moves the cursor and it hovers over the red button to end the call.

“Jude, I-” Her twin starts to speak.

“Don’t, Taryn. Not now. Not yet.”

She catches a glimpse of Taryn pursing her lips together and nodding imperceptibly before the call ends. Jude wasn’t ready to try and mend the bridge between them yet and she wasn’t sure if she would ever be. Her emotions are all over the place, roiling inside of her like the waves of the Undersea during a storm.

She punches the couch beneath her, hard, and the force barely makes an impact and she longs for the adrenaline rush of battle, the feeling of focused control that she gets when holding Nightfell in her hand. But Nightfell wasn’t here to help her distract herself and she was powerless against the pain.

Cardan is inordinately pleased with himself for managing to salvage two packs of spicy Nachos. It had taken quite a while for him to root them out from the back of the cupboard behind jars of condiments and Oak’s Skittles stash but he’d eventually proved victorious. Eager to return to Jude and their Yuri on Ice binge he strides into the room, nachos clutched in hand, expecting his wife to be impatiently awaiting him. Instead, the expression she turns on him when she sees him standing in the doorway is one full of anguish and the sight tears at Cardan’s excuse of a heart.

“Jude? Jude what’s wrong?” He’s by her side and wrapping his arms around her in the next moment and concern tugs at him when she simply rests her head against his neck, her breathing heavy.

“Taryn called.” Her voice is muffled against the fabric of his hoodie.

Cardan’s gaze flicks to the laptop. He’s not entirely sure how mortal devices worked, but he thinks he’s safe in making the assumption that Taryn had somehow attempted to call Vivi on her laptop and Jude had ended up answering instead. He now understands Jude’s behaviour. She and her twin had never been able to mend the differences that had erupted between them in the past few months and he doubts that his wife had been ready to speak to her twin so soon after everything that had happened.

And he definitely couldn’t blame her. Just thinking about the twin that Jude had once fought so hard to protect, from him as well, only to have her loyalty thrown back in her face by her sister’s treachery made him clutch Jude a little tighter to him. If it hadn’t been for Jude’s insistence that her pregnant twin be left alone, she would have faced punishment for her actions long before now.

“She called on behalf of Madoc and Oriana. They wanted to speak to Oak. I should have known she’d go running back to him. After all, she is his most loyal daughter.” Her words are painted with both bitterness and resignation.

He thinks carefully before starting to speak. “I know you and your sister are far from the relationship you once had and I know that it hurts you, Jude. But I also know that you are strong, unbelievably strong, and when the time is right I know you’ll make the right decision. Whether you want to try and mend your bond or move onwards, know that I will support you in whatever you choose.” He moves to press a kiss to her temple.

“How do you always know what to say?” she lets out a slow breath, pulling back to meet his gaze. “Do you think I should try talking to her?”

“I do think that you two will need to talk at some point. However, that day is not today. Come, my love, let’s not let her ruin one of our few days away from the palace. Put her out of your mind for now and have some nachos.”

“Kiss me?” Her request reminds him of a time that seemed to have been eons ago, a moment on her bed, the sheets silky beneath his drunken form looking up at her and wanting distraction, a cure. Kiss me until I am sick of it.

He gives her the distraction she needs.

She meets him halfway when he leans down to connect their lips and he moves his mouth against hers slowly but thoroughly, his heart thumping the way it always did around her. Only ever her.

Everything around them melts and they are oblivious to their surroundings as Jude’s hands card through his hair and he strokes a light path along her waist, which is why they are caught by surprise when they hear Vivi’s grinning voice sounding from the doorway.

“Alright, playtime’s over children, Oak and Heather will be here any second now and we don’t need the poor boy to see that.” She wiggles her tawny eyebrows suggestively and Jude pulls away from him, her face flushing despite her best efforts at hiding it. Ignoring the slight pang of loss at his wife moving out of his arms, he turns to give his favorite sister-in-law a mischievous grin to which she responds by rolling her cat’s eyes.

Sure enough Oak comes charging into the room seconds later and jumps right up onto the couch, wiggling between Jude and Cardan and tucking himself in next to his sister and chatting in her ears about his day at school and how he’d scored a goal at soccer practice and Jude is laughing and ruffling his chocolate hair, her agitation from earlier forgotten for now.

He watches his wife and her brother talking as he reaches for the forgotten packets of nachos from the table knowing that soon the entire family would be squished together on the couch watching movies and making hilarious commentary over snacks, and the whole thing is so domestic and comforting and it feels better than alcohol, better than drugs, better than losing himself in debauchery the way he used to. It feels like family.

--------------------------------------------------------------

@aelinfeyreeleven945tbln I hope you like this one, Clueless Penguin™, thanks for sending in a prompt ❤

The fact that Taryn’s crimes seemed to largely go unanswered for and that she and Jude never really got closure has always niggled at me, but I have yet to read HTKOELTHS so maybe there’s something about it in there? Either ways here is some Jurdan fluff with some Jude angst mixed in. Also, the fact that Jude and Cardan watching YOI is canon still makes me squeal and if you wanna fangirl over that anime with me feel free to✨

Okay, on to tagging the lovely people on my taglist: @cupcakesandkittens, @thewickedkings, @kittkatandbooboo, @annabethjackson0001 and @fangirlprincess09

As always, please let me know if you’d like to be added to or taken off of my TFOTA taglist.

#tfota #also pork cutlet bowl is the name they give for katsudon in the English dub #tfota taglist #the folk of the air #cardan greenbriar #jude duarte #jurdan #tfota fanfic #tfota fanfiction #dd writes #oak greenbriar #vivienne duarte #heather #taryn duarte #madoc #oriana

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loopy777 · 4 years

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I love your two Ursas analysis! If we ignore The Search and take the hints from canon, like her laughing at the siege of Ba Sing Se, do you have a HC for the night Azulon died/where she was all those years? I almost think it’s most plausible that she died or was otherwise incapacitated. And do you think she ever had a “the FN is evil” epiphany or it was limited to “you can’t kill Zuko”? Do you think Ozai abused her, or was just unloving? Maybe he saw no purpose to abusing her, unlike the kids

Ah, Ursa headcanons. Everyone’s got a set. For me, though, it was less about headcanon than it was about trying to solve the mystery I thought the AtLA cartoon had been setting up. Since ‘The Search’ revealed that there were no real answers to be had, I’ve speculated a bit on what I’d like to see, but I haven’t done much with those ideas since they by their nature contradict canon.

So, my Ursa...

A noble by birth, with her relation to Roku known but not discussed. Sozin and Azulon could have very easily made a pariah out of the family by simply ignoring them and allowing the rest of Fire Nation society antagonize them in a display of performative loyalty. However, Sozin instead reached out to Roku’s family, explaining that Roku was a traitor but surely his family is loyal to the crown and looking to prove it to avoid any unpleasantness. They agreed, and so Roku’s family became almost entirely dependent on the Fire Lord’s goodwill and protection. The one alliance they maintained for themselves was with the Fire Sages, as the family had been honored by them for producing the Avatar, even after Roku and Sozin had their falling out. Sozin had been politically pressuring the Sages throughout his life, trying to make them a tool of the crown, and the Sages in turn maintained good relations with Roku’s family to try to keep some independence. Quite a few of Roku’s family had even become Sages, over the decades.

(This didn’t really work, but it left enough ‘good’ Sages in the organization that when Zuko becomes Fire Lord, he doesn’t have to disband the whole organization, just purge the leadership who had been tools of his father. It very much helps that he’s a distant relation to a lot of these better sages, and that is one of the few smooth elements of his first few years in power.)

When Azulon suggested that the youngest daughter, however, would make a good match for Ozai instead of wasting her life in some dusty temple, they readily agreed and handed her over. Ursa herself was fine with this, as she appreciated the Royal Family’s protection as much as the rest of her clan, and preferred noble society anyway. Plus, back then Ozai made an effort to be charming. Ursa herself was happy as a Fire Nation heiress, and was known to argue passionately about the need to liberate the poor oppressed women of the Water Tribes, who were owned as property by their husbands! My Ursa was a Firebender, and had trained at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, but the strength of her flames was never matched by her skill or technique. She just never had the stomach for duels or fighting, hence leaning more towards a scholarly education and perhaps a future as a Sage. But getting to be a princess is even better, especially since the war would probably be over soon. She could help raise the Prince(ss) Governors who would rule over the colonies, influencing the world for the better. And she also found Ozai very attractive. Rawr!

Ozai himself I consider to have always been narcissistic jerk. When he was a kid and young teen, this was readily apparent. As he moved into adulthood, he learned how to hide it behind a facade, but more discerning folks could tell that he was just using friendliness and flattery to win allies. Ursa, sadly, was not that perceptive, so she rather liked Ozai, even into the first few years of the marriage.

Then Zuko came along.

Ozai was consistently disappointed in Zuko, and he blamed Ursa for that. He wasn’t a full-on monster to her, and never laid a hand on her, but he no longer went to the effort of charming her. Ursa managed to fool herself about this, making excuses for Ozai’s behavior even as their marriage cooled. She managed to stick it out long enough to produce Azula, which initially placated Ozai. Azula was everything Zuko was not. However, this did not save the marriage, because Ozai now had what he wanted, and saw no further need for Ursa. Again, he didn’t bully her, but he made no effort to hide his lack of real interest in her. The marriage was soon in name only, with little interaction between them. Ursa began to see Ozai for what he was, especially with his treatment of Zuko, and began to fear the influence he was having on Azula. This distance did help shield her as Ozai grew crueler and more of a bully as his efforts gain power were thwarted by his clumsiness. The palace and Caldera City are big enough that Ursa was able to avoid him most of the time, and they never shared a suite unless actively trying to have children, even early in the marriage.

However, there was little else Ursa could do. Ozai was not favored by Azulon, but challenging the authority of anyone in the Royal Family would have brought swift and terrible reprisal. Ursa tried to shield Zuko as best she could, and continued to play the part of Wife and Princess in official appearances like social gatherings or audiences with the Fire Lord. She sometimes went over the line in trying to protect her children, which Ozai would punish with cruelties, to the point of mental and emotional abuse, and sometimes physical intimidation, but he was too careful (so far) to risk his reputation by attacking his wife. For that, Iroh was indirectly the one to thank, as he had been a loving family man before the death of his wife, which Azulon approved of, and Ozai was trying to look better than his brother in the eyes of their father.

It all eventually came to a head in events portrayed in the flashbacks of ‘Zuko Alone.’ I headcanon that Ursa outright stabbed Azulon to death, to the point where she ruined a good set of her clothes with bloodstains. And then she confessed her crime to the Crimson Guard and Fire Sages. She should have been put to death for treason and murder, and she was prepared for that, but she and Ozai had concocted a better scheme. Ursa called in every favor her family had earned from the Sages to talk to the leadership in the middle of the night. She and Ozai pointed out that Iroh had taken a dim view of the corruption of the Sages and had battled them politically, and told them bluntly that Ozai was their best bet for surviving as an organization. They suggested the Sages should lie about Azulon’s last wishes and pronounce Ozai as the next Fire Lord. In exchange, Ozai would merely banish Ursa as failure of a wife and cover up her crime, so that her family would not have to suffer shame or even outright execution for producing a regicidal traitor. No one would speak of what had happened, no one would get in trouble, and Ozai would be Fire Lord and keep the current system running smoothly. Everyone agreed.

I always figured that Ursa had to have been banished, because in the scene where she says goodbye to Zuko, she’s wearing a dark hooded cloak. That’s universal visual language for “This character is fleeing into the night.”

I also assumed that everyone (important) knew Azulon had been murdered because of the fishy way Ozai was made Fire Lord by the Sages. Even if they believed Azulon had died of natural causes, where did it come from that he had named Ozai as the new crown prince shortly before his death? I doubt a forged note that no one had ever seen before the night of the guy’s death would be considered very reliable. So I thought there had to be a conspiracy that included the Sages; they were at least in on faking Ozai’s claim, and so why wouldn’t they also be in on the murder? And once all the people in power are perpetrating a conspiracy, the evidence doesn’t matter; the truth becomes whatever they want it to be.

Where Ursa goes after that, though, is a lot more nebulous. The way the cartoon finale had Zuko confront Ozai with, “Where- is- my- mother?” implies that Ozai might actually know, or at least have an idea where to start looking. I also think it would cheapen the power of that scene to have Ozai wiggle out of giving any information. So Ozai has to give Zuko something to go on there, but he also said, “Perhaps,” when Zuko asked during the Day of Black Sun if Ursa lives. So I figure Ursa had to have been banished from the Fire Nation, and Ozai knows either where she left from or her initial destination, but nothing else.

I never formed a solid headcanon about whether Ursa is still alive, though. This is the point where my interest ends, since the comics gave us a completely different Ursa character and mystery, and I expect many Avatar fans are interested in fic that outright contradicts canon. If she lives, I think it would be more interesting if she is indeed a typical Fire Nation imperialist, but I don’t think she would actively oppose Zuko’s agenda. It would simply inform their dynamic and create conflict between them. It would be a new challenge for Zuko to overcome in terms of his family. And it might even be a vector for Azula and Ursa to hash out their problems, with Ursa considering that she might almost prefer Azula to have become Fire Lord. But ultimately, Ursa could realize that Azula’s ways are only destructive, and see that the kindness she always liked in Zuko has to extend to all people of the world, not just the Fire Nation.

But there’s also a compelling story in Ursa being dead by the time Zuko tracks her down. Perhaps she died in the war, somehow. Whether Ursa is a racist or not doesn’t matter as much in this scenario. But It could fuel Zuko’s desire to somehow reconcile with Azula, since there’s nothing else from his past that he can save.

So that’s the stuff I came up with.

#haylestorming

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xthefxrgxttenx · 4 years

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@4x0hxnxroll said : 🤝 + Beth & Emily

texts the other memes at 3 am:

Neither girl really does this all too seriously, because Emily puts on a much more serious persona she wishes she had to. And Beth just isn’t funny. And if it does happen, it’s done semi-ironically, or at least so they claim, because, God, who sends each other MEMES at 3 in the morning? Which, to that end, despite not being traditionally funny, Beth is the more likely candidate between the two, especially earlier on until Emily feels able to show her dorkier/nerdier aspects to Beth. And the more Beth grows attached, the less and less ironic (and more and more frequent) the memes become. Such is the way of being a walking fucking paradox. But again, with all that sad, it’s not a hugely integral component of their friendship/relationship. And is more just a “Man, I’m fuckin’ bored, can you believe I’m looking up memes about a fuckin’ llama who kidnapped a child? Help me.’ kind of escape.

tries to convince the other to do an idea that definitely sounds questionable:

Both, but for entirely different reasons. Beth is the more unstable wildchild of the two, digging through her brother’s medicine drawer, using Chris for weed and coke, barhopping, fooling around with strangers etc. And Beth can start to have that Jess-effect on Emily as their relationship progresses, drawing her out of her more cautious bubble and giving her a chance to live a much louder and more adventurous life than she’d have if Beth wasn’t around. Emily, however, has that weird impulsive need to flirt with temptation, and will, entirely on a whim, in a random fit of courage, dare Beth to do something more intimately personal between the two. The kind of adventure that Beth would herself wouldn’t ever be able to initiate. (Like kiss her panties in the living room half naked after texting Sam to come help them.)

is the designated driver and who always gets wasted:

This depends on the night, to be honest, and often just doesn’t happen at all. Beth can be responsible when she wants. And at times can feel almost COMPELLED to be. So if she knew Emily was gonna be off her face smashed and vulnerable, she’d definitely be a designated driver and stay sober enough to keep her safe. But then, I also kind of feel like once Emily starts to notice how weirdly repressed yet impulsive Beth truly is, she’d actually want to be a designated driver for Beth once in a while so she can not ONLY get wasted, but also get wasted with SOMEONE WHO CARES. However, absent those exceptions, both girls are likely to just get an uber home because rich and fuck life.

always has to host the impromptu sleepover:

BETH. BETH BETH BETH BETH. BETHBETHBETH. BETHHHH. Emily’s dad is an absolute fucking cunt and while he’s more fond of Beth and Hannah on the surface than their brother, Josh, he’s still a bit of an ABSOLUTE FUCKING CUNT. Emily’s parties are therefore ALWAYS meticulously planned, to make sure her dad isn’t out and that she has MORE than enough time to safely clean up before he gets back. Beth, meanwhile... Sure, Beth’s dad might also be a bit of an absolute fucking cunt, but at least he’s an absolute fucking cunt who DOESN’T FUCKING CARE. Her parents spend more time across the national border than in their home country of Canada. Their house is often vacant, save for Josh and Hannah, who are usually always down for getting shit faced, too. Post-Game, Beth has her own little apartment she lives in that Emily could honestly move into if you needed.

who’s netflix account gets mooched off of:

Actually, in a rare turn of events, its BETH who has her account mooched off of. This is due to Emily’s dad paying for her Netflix and being a lot more strict with what he qualifies as APPROPRIATE for his should-be prodigy of a daughter. Beth’s account, however, is paid for by a dad who could literally give zero shits what Beth watches so long as she stays outta trouble. So Emily can safely watch anything she wants on Beth’s Netflix without being judged or berated by her father. (Though she sometimes has to lie to Hannah and Josh about just exactly WHO is mooching. I mean, come on, when is Beth Freakin’ Washington going to watch CELEBRITY MASTERMIND?) Post-Game, however, might be a different story... (As in, Beth kinda estranges herself from her parents and that sweet free money, and Emily might give Beth her pass and then just blame Beth when Henry wonders who the fuck watched an entire season of Sex and The City overnight.) Once Emily also gets cut off, they find the money for an account between themselves.

brings all the snacks and who supplies the movie:

Emily supplies the movie. With two very specific exceptions. Those exceptions being: 1. When its an early premier or pre-release of one of Beth’s dad’s productions. He’s a bit of a narc and LIKES to have any and all eyes he can to appreciate his psychotic masterpieces. And sometimes Beth genuinely likes some of his films and just wants to watch one once in a while. 2. If Beth is super pushy or passionate about a specific movie, Emily will cave but she won’t hide her feelings. If it’s shit she WILL bitch about it. And if it’s REALLY SHIT, she’ll pull the “I wish Jess was here” card. As for snacks... It’s typically Beth because Emily is full anorexic and unlikely to bring anything “snacky” to begin with, and Beth kind of has this weird obsession with eating with people/people watching her eat. So bringing snacks that Emily might wanna eat with her brings Beth a bizarre sense of joy.

is usually the first one to say sorry after a fight:

Beth. Though only if she genuinely sees that she was in the wrong. Both girls are pretty stubborn and guarded like that, but I do feel like Beth would break first, especially later in the relationship when she’s more obsessed. That being said, Emily also has a pretty quiet GUILTY STREAK that sparks up in game. During the pre-order bonus scene she ends up being pretty apologetic/grateful to Matt for handling her “high-maintenance” self, and she is downright terrified and blaming herself in her better Matt endings. And even if this is sometimes rooted in insecurity, I do think she’d be capable of having those moments with Beth as well, provided Beth had shown extensive enough loyalty through a lot of conflict/drama.

is the ‘ mom friend ‘:

Errrrrrr... Kind of see the bit about the designated driver. It’s kind of the same deal, honestly. Beth is repressed mom having a quiet quarter life crisis. Therefore she sometimes takes care of Emily. Emily is a repressed everything who actually does have a soft side beneath that icy fortress, and would feel bad for Beth and wanna let her be a wild child in safety. But then both are also royally fucked up and might just say fuck it all and get wasted and wake up inside each other panties on a park bench one night. That being said, Emily kind of has the encouraging mother role when it comes to Beth’s insecurities, namely her leg and her eating habits. While Beth is sort of Emily’s tough loving mother when Emily is making stupid mistakes like wanting to call Mike at two in the morning when she can’t even stand without using Beth as a crutch. So it really does just sort of depend on the situation and whether one or both of them are going through psychological bullshit at the times.

calls the other at 12 am to wish the other a happy birthday without fail:

I actually don’t know, to be honest. I feel like it would happen, and both would do it almost ritualistically after the first time, but the first time would either be: 1. Emily because she’s actually secretly super organized in life and might genuinely know certain birthdays of certain friends and just do it on impulse one day. Possibly while drunk. Probably while drunk. 2. Beth would do it out of a need to make Emily feel noticed and special once she learns about the true depths of Emily’s insecurities and need for validation and fear that no one would actually give a shit about her birthday if SHE didn’t make a big deal out of it to begin with. Which really it just depends who does it first. I don’t think either is so romantic or sappy to always do it outright. But once it IS done, if at all, then I feel they’d both do in return for the other doing it. LOYALTY & RECIPROCATION.

is the better wingman to the other:

Ummmm... Emily. Definitely Emily. It has to be Emily. Which, that isn’t to say that Emily is a GOOD wingman. It’s to say that Beth honestly COULDN’T wingman for Emily because Beth could never, ever, EVER be able to overcome her own insecurities to willingly guide attention to someone other than herself. Especially when maybe she herself has a small crush on Emily and wants to fuck her and have Emily’s attention all on HER. (It’s definitely not a SMALL crush.) Emily, meanwhile, would probably deflectively (during) or indifferently (early on) wingwoman for Beth because she’s not allowed to be gay and she spends a lot of time hung up on Mike. THAT BEING SAID: Post-Game, I genuinely don’t think Emily would be able to wingman for Beth either.

‘ the strong must protect the sweet ‘ , who’s the ‘ strong ‘ and who’s the ‘ sweet ‘:

HAVE YOU SEEN THEM?! The bitches protect each other. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. (Maybe literally.) That’s why they’re both designated drivers or moms at different times. That’s why Beth lets Emily use her netflix or stay over. That’s why Emily would at all want to take care of Beth during wild nights out. That being said, I do think, by literal definition, that Emily is physically stronger than Beth (especially post-game due to muscular dystrophy and her fucked up leg post-mine) while Beth might be sweeter than Emily. at least on the surface. But yeah, it’s again SITUATIONAL, based on whether one needs PROTECTING or one needs to be CARED FOR.

pulls the other up for karaoke to sing a duet together:

Oh. It’s Beth. Let’s be real. No fucking way does Emily do karaoke voluntarily. Meanwhile, Beth is a wildchild, as stated, and more importantly she LOVES noise -- ESPECIALLY MUSIC. Hell, it’s her FAVORITE NOISE, even. (Apart from Emily moaning. AHEM.) So Beth would absolutely drag Emily up for karaoke, even if Emily was bitching about it every frictional heel-scrape of the way. The ONLY example possible where Emily takes Beth on stage is out of SPITE. If Jess or Mike or Matt or Hannah has pissed her off sufficiently, maybe peer-pressured her into it, and Emily wants to HURT them. And depending on the specific atmosphere, Beth might just be up for being Emily’s metaphorical blade.

#MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMKAY KNFDN LKNDS KFDSKL NFDSKL NDSOI IOFSN IOFDS CFML; FM L;DMFL; FMDS #HERE WEGOOOOO #BOMBS AWAYYYYYY #(HAVE FUN READING THIS MADNESS XD)#THE FACADE OF BETH WASHINGTON ///THE GOOD THING ABOUT BEING ALONE? NO ONE'S EVER THERE TO SEE HOW LONELY YOU TRULY ARE... FUCK.\\\#THE BREAKAGE OF BETH WASHINGTON ///WHEN YOU'VE LOST YOUR FAMILY FRIENDS FAITH TRUST AND SANITY -- WHAT'S LEFT? ...DARKNESS...\\\#THE BREAKAGE WITHIN EMILY ///LIVING WITH YOUR BACK TO THE WALL BECAUSE YOURE SICK OF FINDING KNIVES IN YOUR SPINE.///#THE FACADE OF EMILY ///A GIRL WITH MORE FEAR THAN SHE'LL EVER TELL. BUT SHE'S A BITCH -- RIGHT?///#BETH'S SECRET HEART ///WE;D NEVER KNOWN IT CAUSE WE NEVER LET EACH OTHER IN BUT WE WERE EACH OTHER'S SOMEONE WHEN NO ONE ELSE WAS.\\\#BETH X EMILY #4X0HXNXROLL #I'VE BEEN ITCHING TO DO ONE OF THESE FOR YA <3 <3 <3

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the-glitter-acetylcholine · 4 years

Text

Harry Potter characters that were criminally underused (in no particular order)

(MAJOR SPOILERS)

Luna Lovegood - literally only introduced like halfway through the fifth book, yet probably the most influential ravenclaw character. Her odd mannerisms and odder outlook would have made her a fabulous addition to the golden trio’s shenanigans, yet she only serves this purpose in one case

Mad-eye Moody - he’s “well-developed” in the fourth book, and we get a lot of content of him... only to discover it wasn’t him at all. Then, he briefly appears with the order and then dies. Great. What a wonderful use of a skilled fighter and mentor.

Remus Lupin - okay, so he does get the whole third book but then... he just fucks off? Ofc then he, too, returns to fight with the order, fall in love with a woman half his age, have a baby with her, and then die immediately thereafter. He’s just such a cool guy with so much to offer to Harry and to readers (when it comes to insight on discrimination in the wizarding community) and he just doesn’t get a chance to do nearly enough. What a wasted opportunity.

Pravati and Padma Patil - yeah, these are two different characters, but we know so little about them that I can’t even discuss them individually. They’re twins in different houses! How cool! There’s so much to be explored there, especially considering the competitive atmosphere among houses that Harry perceives. Not to mention the fact that they inexplicably agreed to go to the Yule Ball with Harry and Ron respectively despite a) apparently not knowing them very well and b) not even being all that desperate to hang out with them at the ball (I think Padma asks Ron to dance a few times and then gives up) (side note: this made me extremely mad when I was little, because I had I major crush on Padma). What compelled them to do that? What are they like? What are the differences between them that caused them to be sorted into different houses? Gah, they could have been so interesting!

Cho Chang - this is one that makes me genuinely a little mad (same goes for #6). She’s just so two dimensional, and that’s really not fair. She’s a decoration on Harry’s arm for what? A year or two? And she then cries, dates Diggory, and then she cries again (I think she dates Diggory first but you get the point). HER PURPOSE IS NOT JUST TO CRY OVER GUYS. She’s a ravenclaw. Let’s hear about that. Where do her interests lie? Is she an academic? Is she an artist? What kind of intelligence does she have, what kind of knowledge does she seek? What made her like Harry to begin with? Did Harry ever like her for more than her “sleek black hair” (not a direct quote, but I’m sure it’s described as something to that effect)? I want to knowwwww

Lavender Brown - aka... Ron’s brief, annoying girlfriend? The precursor to Romione? I mean, was this girl even in the D.A.? Maybe she was, but I don’t remember, and that’s the problem. She’s a Gryffindor. She’s brave, she’s headstrong, she’s proud! But she’s only ever portrayed as overbearing and clingy which SURE, may be some of her traits, because she’s allowed to have flaws, but that’s not all she is. I want to see her relationship with Pravati and Hermione, who she roomed with for six years (beyond her annoying Hermione when she dated Ron). But nope! I guess she’s just another accessory!

Nymphadora Tonks - i.e. Tonks. She’s funny and brave and powerful, but we barely get to see her in action (yes, before you ask, i had a crush on her, too). She’s interesting, so interesting, because her emotions are often expressed through her appearance, and she undergoes like two full personality shifts throughout the books (it’s worth noting that she’s also introduced pretty late in the series, book five, i think). She’s depressed for a while, then she falls in love, gets married, and has a son (and then dies), and, while it seems like this is a lot of usage (which it is), I can’t help but wish we had seen a little more of it all, specifically of her falling in love and of her married life, of her motherhood, before she died.

Xenophilius Lovegood - literallly (i would argue) one of the most interesting characters in the series, despite the fact that (I think) he is only featured heavily in one scene. I would definitely call him a more complex character than Snape. In his one scene, Xenophilius offers the golden trio one of their most important lessons through the Tale of the Three Brothers, the story which ultimately wins them the war against Voldemort. And yet, it’s a trap. He’s stalling, keeping them around so that Voldy’s goons can come pick them up and presumably kill them, or at least imprison them until Voldy comes ‘round again. But, and here’s the important part, he does it to save his beloved daughter. His daughter, who is the only family he has left, after his incredible scientist-witch of a wife died doing what she loved. The Lovegood’s are a family of inherently good people, yet Xenophilius sides with the very people who took his daughter in a weak effort to get her safely back. His plan won’t work, they won’t return Luna. They DON’T return her, but Xenophilius is fundamentally weak, made weak out of his love, and his fear of losing the last person in the world he has to care about, to protect, to love. He’s just SO DAMN INTERESTING ughhhhh give me more Xenophilius pleaseeeee

Kingsley Shacklebolt - he’s??? so cool??? Literally he’s just awesome, but we barely see him. He acts as a spy, essentially, when the ministry gets taken over by the death eaters, and helps the order actually get shit done, but he’s just so underused. Idk, I don’t have much to say except that he’s awesome and I want more Shacklebolt content

Cedric Diggory - he’s actually talked about a fair amount, so I don’t think I need to say much, except that he is literally the nicest guy ever, and, despite Harry actively hating him for like a whole year, he helps him in the Triwizard Tournament and represents Hufflepuff beautifully as being more than just the “miscellaneous house”. But then of course he’s killed before he and Harry can become friends, and before readers get a chance to understand anything about his social status (is he the asshole popular guy or sweet quite guy???) or motivations. Of course.

Percy Weasley - aka MY FAVORITE WEASLEY KID. R*wling did my boy so dirty. He’s cool because he’s kind of a stuck up academic asshole stereotype, or at least Harry perceives him as such, and then he changes slightly over the years as he and Harry both grow and mature and then it all culminates in his great moment of emotion and humanity! Fred’s death is, without much contest I think, the most devastating death in the whole series (Dobby could admittedly give him a run for his money, though), in part because he’s just so damn sweet and funny and innocent, and in part because right before it we FINALLY get to see Percy smile. He smiles at a dumb joke Fred makes, and then Fred DIES (a well placed death, I’ll admit begrudgingly), and just the juxtaposition of the moment... *chef’s kiss*. And then we never really check back in on Percy, and we don’t really get enough closure on that moment. :/

Colin and Dennis Creevy - again, two characters stuffed together, this time because we actually know a fair amount about them and... they’re kind of the same character. Colin is obsessed with Harry, and so is Dennis. That’s about it. I just WISH we got a little more on these kids, on why they felt so drawn to him as this apparently untouchable hero among them. Were they abused? Orphaned? Abandoned? Did they have some sort of trauma in their lives that made them so attached to the idea of a savoir? Or did they simply regard Harry as most little boys might, as a cool sort of action figure character? The world may never know :(((

Susan Bones - God, I wish I had more to say about her. She’s sweet, she a hufflepuff, I think she helps Ron at one point in Herbology. Her aunt dies I think. Is she the one who had the rabbit at one point? Idk, she’s just one of those characters who’s so far in the background that she almost stands out, and I kinda just wanna know more.

Fawkes - yeah, I know he’s a bird or whatever, but he’s fucking cool, and we get a Fawkes-ex-machina in the second book and then he’s essentially inconsequential for like... forever. I want to know how he and dumbledore bonded, why his feathers in those two specific wands were so attracted to Harry and Tommy boi specifically, other than symbolism uwu. Does Fawkes have a moral compass, or does he simply follow Dumbledore’s orders? Could his loyalty potentially be changed?

Narcissa Malfoy - please, for the love of god, give the Malfoy’s a chance. At least Draco and Narcissa. Narcissa is essentially the flip side of Xenophilius’s coin. Her side of the family is shrouded in dark magic, but her priority is keeping her dear son safe. I just want to know her and her inner struggle more intimately, because she’s such a contradiction, she’s a death eater who loves and protects, a dark magic user who wants to create something warm and beautiful for her family. She’s scared for a husband, a top death eater, one of Voldemort’s personal faves, and scared for her son, who she knows is good at heart but who struggles through the first steps of death eater initiation out of a sense of duty, a duty to her and his father. She’s the intimate mother figure, yet she’s an antagonist, fundamentally speaking. Fascinating.

These are just some I thought of off the top of my head, I’m sure there are literally hundreds more, from the two guys from the Knightbus to Bathilda Bagshot to Nagini the legend (also wtf happened to her in the Cursed Child?? Nvm, I can’t even get into that shithole right now), and I have to admit that I still love Harry Potter, for its characters and it’s incredible world building, though R*wling is a massive piece of terf-y shit.

It’s important to note that I understand the purpose of flat characters, I understand the purpose of background characters, of undeveloped characters. What I’m pointing out here is that there was a lot of potential in these characters that was largely squandered because R*wling focused her energy on attempting to redeem Snape without a redemption arch, attempting to redeem Dumbledore with an inadequate one, and refusing to properly redeem Draco despite his well-developed arch, for some fucking reason. If you can’t tell, I’m salty, but I’m only salty because I care. Ily, have a good day!!

#harry potter #harry potter discourse #sorry i went off a little #but this is all i can think about rn #it’s 1 am #improving harry potter #percussion strings winds words #glitter goes off

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nellie-elizabeth · 4 years

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Outlander: The Ballad of Roger Mac (5x07)

Boy howdy. Let's dive straight in to this one... I'm going to put everything under the cut so as to avoid spoiling stuff.

Cons:

If you've been reading my reviews all along, you'll know I've gone back and forth on how I feel Murtagh has been integrated into the story, since during these events in the books he is already dead. Now that we are saying goodbye to Murtagh's character, and I have a sense of his full arc on the show, I can make a firm ruling on how I felt he was utilized. Honestly, he didn't have a lot to do for a couple of seasons there, just sort of vaguely there in Ardsmuir, and then appearing only to constantly vanish and never really establish a role in the main story. I also think his romance with Jocasta was a total failure. I was not compelled by it at all. In fact, Murtagh being the kind of man willing to die for his principles makes it all the more frustrating that he'd have this relationship with a member of the landed gentry. Yes, Jocasta is Scots, but she's also a plantation owner, a slave owner, and a firm upholder of the status quo. They didn't really go into the implications of that, beyond the fact that it made their love story "forbidden" and "tragic." And as I've mentioned in the past, I don't have a lot of sympathy for Jocasta as a character.

All of that said, I did thing there were things about Murtagh's story-line, this season in particular, that really, really worked, and I'll talk about those in a moment.

We should talk about Roger, though, right? Why was this episode called "The Ballad of Roger Mac"? It ends on a cliffhanger (oof I feel insensitive even using the word "hanger" like that), and book readers will know what comes next. It just felt odd to name the episode for him when his plot is basically relegated to the background. This was Murtagh and Jamie's episode much more than it was Roger's. I also thought that the foreshadowing of Roger's doom was really heavy-handed. Showing him singing to Jemmy, and promising his son to come back and sing to him again... book readers, once again, have a unique reason to know why this whole thing is so ironic, but it didn't have the deft touch that one might have hoped. Also, the grief and pathos of Murtagh's death overshadows how we should be feeling about Roger. I'm not the biggest fan of Roger and Bree, especially in the show, unfortunately. But he was kind of given short shrift here, and it felt odd to name the episode for him when clearly it's next week that we'll be focusing on his character more. (I tried to write this whole paragraph without spoilers for the crowd who hasn't read the books... not sure how I succeeded!)

Pros:

I want to linger on the Roger situation a bit more, though, before moving on to other things. I did like his little side-quest, the way he went to find Murtagh and warn him that the Regulators were sure to lose - Brianna remembers the battle of Alamance from her school books. He gets to have utility here, gets to try and do right by his fellow country-men, and even though his mission is pretty much doomed to failure, it says a lot that Jamie is willing to trust him with it.

We also see him reunite with his ancestor Morag MacKenzie, and try to warn her about the coming fight. And... we meet William Buccleigh MacKenzie, the bastard child of Dougal MacKenzie and Geillis Duncan! Played again by the same actor who played Dougal, Graham McTavish, which I think is quite fun. I hate to keep saying "readers of the books will know," but readers of the books will know of this character's coming importance, so I think it's so awesome that Graham McTavish is back to play him. The connection between Roger and Morag is a strange and oddly intense one, for good reason. Roger knows he's speaking to his many times' great-grandmother. He is a man who lost his parents young, and longs for the connection of family. And Morag is reunited with the man who saved her life on Bonnet's ship, when she and her baby might have been thrown overboard. Of course they would feel a bond, and stupid Buck has to come along and misinterpret things, setting off all manner of trouble and heartbreak.

In the main plot, we've got the War of the Regulation coming to a head at Alamance. Tryon on one side, Murtagh on the other, with Jamie stuck in the middle. This is where I think Murtagh's continued presence on the show really worked well. The image of Jamie Fraser wearing the iconic Redcoat of the British army is really striking, and it works all the better when he comes face-to-face with his godfather in the woods. Jamie knows, and Murtagh knows, that in a couple of years they would have been fighting on the same side. Roger even reminds Murtagh of it. But Jamie has decided to set aside his principles for the sake of protecting his family, and Murtagh has decided he's alright with dying for his own beliefs. In this moment, right at the end, neither can truly blame the other for any of it. I really believe this is a well-written tragedy, at the end of the day. These two men, bonded by their love for each other and long life of friendship and loyalty, forced by circumstances to fight on opposite sides.

And Murtagh's last act on this earth is to protect Jamie Fraser, like he promised Ellen he always would. That's some heartbreaking stuff, yo. The way Jamie took Murtagh's body to Claire and begged her to heal him, wishing for a miracle, the way he yelled for her to do something, the way he told Murtagh he took it back, he won't release him from his oath, "you can't leave me"... all of this stuff just tugged at my heartstrings in the best way. And then Claire saying her quiet final goodbye, to the first true friend she met in the past. Murtagh is the one who saved her from Jack Randall in her first minutes in the 18th century. Their friendship spanned literal centuries, and I was almost more touched by Claire's grief than I was by Jamie's. Well, maybe it's a tie. Murtagh will be missed. This last episode was one of his strongest.

Lest we forget that this story is a romance between Jamie and Claire, we do get some cute moments lifted straight from the books, including the conversation about "taking stock" on Jamie's fiftieth birthday. (Holy shit does he not look fifty. Sam Heughan is ten years his characters' junior, and they might have done a bit more to reconcile that, in my opinion!) They have their cute banter about Jamie's parts all being present and accounted for, Jamie reflects quietly that he has now lived longer than his father ever got the chance to, and then Claire treats Jamie to a Marilyn Monroe-style happy birthday serenade, which was a lot of fun. We also got Jamie's promise to Claire that while they one day will be forced to separate, today is not that day. This proves to be true, although the day does bring other grief, of course.

Jamie's outburst to Tryon at the end of the fight was something I believe really was altered quite significantly from the books. It makes sense that in a TV show setting, you'd need to forego some of the subtle, nuanced stuff that can be portrayed in a novel. I think it quite worked for Jamie and Tryon to discuss how this battle is going to be remembered throughout history. Tryon insists he was restoring order and doing right by the law, while Jamie says "there is the law, and there is the way things are done." He knows that the slaughter of innocents, men just fighting for a cause, can never be right. He has known the bitter taste of being on the side of the oppressor, and you can really sense that his disgust is for himself as much as it is for Tryon, when he takes the redcoat off and throws it to the ground. This was a great performance from Heughan!

There are other things I could talk about, like Isaiah Morton's brief subplot, or Brianna's heroic ride to the camp to warn them that the Regulators are going to lose (which honestly - duh, but whatever, I'll let it go). But by and large, this was an episode about Jamie, and about Murtagh. I'm really excited to find out how they handle certain aspects of the plot moving forward, especially as regards our secondary leads Brianna and... well... let's all just tune in next Sunday to see what's next!

8/10

#review #outlander #outlander review

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lethendralis-paints · 4 years

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10 Characters I Would Kiss

Tagged by the affable @pikapeppa (Thank you, my dear friend! This is going to be fun!)

My list would be in some ways predictable, but with a twist. It seems that I am a strict monogamist even with my fictional loves, so only #1 will get all the kisses and 2-10 are listed in no particular order and are getting warm hugs and a peck on the cheek as beloved friends!

1) FENRIS from Dragon Age 2 (duh)

Do I even need to explain it? He ‘s the most beautiful collection of pixels I have ever seen. And the way he is written brought me to tears countless times. His background and character arc just hit all my buttons. Broken but not giving up, scarred but sensitive. Caring and loyal, proud and prickly. I just love him, ok? My precious, fluffy white dandelion!

2) SAND from neverwinter Nights 2

The snarky elven lawyer mage every Knight Captain should have at their side. And to think that Obsidian thought at the time that misogynistic evil ranger was a better choice for a LI for this game! Such a shame!

Sand, in a velvety voice: “I derive pleasure from clarification.”

3) VALEN SHADOWBREATH from Neverwinter Nights Hords of the Underdark

Bioware knows how to make these romances... Valen is basically a 0.5 version of Fenris. A moody warrior, battling his inner rage and resentment, loyal to a fault and protective of those he cares for. Just ask the Seeker. And he’s got a tail, being a tiefling and all!

4) V from DMC5

Precious baby cane boy as @kallielef called him once. I won’t spoil his story for those who haven’t played the game yet. But trust me, it’s to die for.

Tall, dark and brooding - check! Reading William Blake poetry and dancing instead of taunting enemies - yes, please!

5) SERANA from TES5 Skyrim

My favourite traveling companion! Her questline is incredible, and the comments she makes on your journeys are delightfully snarky! My bff in Skyrim!

6) ZEVRAN ARAINAI from Dragon Age Origins

Oh look, yet another Bioware romance! Who knew?!

Have to confess, at first I was put out by his lewd jokes, but being a people pleaser even in games, befriended the elf. And boy, oh boy, did his character arc break my heart to pieces...I won’t be spoiling anything, since a couple of my friends are yet to play Origins (please do, I beg of you!), but Zevran is the sweetest boy and if anything happens to him, I will kill everyone and then myself!

And somewhere he is still mourning my Warden Tabris.... *sniff*

7) ZELGADIS GRAYWORDS from anime series Slayers

Oh look, not an RPG game finally! Another broody, cursed warrior with the heart of gold! Lethy sure has a type... If you haven’t watched Slayers yet, please do! It’s delightfully funny and dramatic!

8) MARTIN SEPTIM from TES4 Oblivion

I just...I... *cries like a baby*

I was not prepared for how the main quest in the game ended! I grew so attached to humble and intelligent former priest of Akatosh, only to... (spoilers)

9) DEEKIN SCALESINGER from Neverwinter Nights SotU and HotU

Simply the best traveling companion and the most faithful friend you could wish for! *hugs the little kobold bard and kisses his scaly little cheeks*

Not only he’s a bard, but also a collector of rarities, a writer, and a Red Dragon disciple!

Deekin is the best Bioware companion, hands down!

10) KIAN ALVANE from Dreamfall the Longest Journey

Always admired these quiet warrior types, who are also smart and brave enough to question their beliefs and admit mistakes. His interactions with April Ryan are one the best parts of that game. And the deep philosophical questions they raise about faith, knowledge, loyalty...oof! He’s an incredibly compelling figure, for sure!

I still need to get Dreamfall: Chapters to find out what happens to him next though!

Were you surprised? Intrigued? Heard about some of these for the first time? Let me know!

Tagging forward tothe usual bunch of @tryvyalsynnes @kourvo @beckiboos @schoute @kallielef @shayafury @mago-emplumado and anyone else who wishes to play! As alway, no pressure if you don’t want to!

#tag meme #tumblr game #all my kisses belong to that damn elf #other beloved characters #not art

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mittensmorgul · 4 years

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Today on the TNT loop, we went through 9.10, 9.11, and 9.12, and it was a lot, considering the themes of what’s happening in current canon while waiting for 15.05 to air tonight.

Full disclosure, I started typing up this post this morning while watching 9.10, and then my computer helpfully did a windows update and restarted itself, so I lost everything I’d been typing. It wasn’t too much, but heck if I can actually remember what I’d written exactly, but I think looking at all three of these episodes together is possibly more useful anyway, so here we go.

We’ve just been talking about 9.10 and the “imaginary” cheerleader case Gadreel had Sam working on inside his own mind, in relation to the vampire case Sam and Dean worked in 15.04, so we’re already primed to look deeper at what was going on in this episode. For anyone who doesn’t recall, this was ALSO the episode during which Dean completely confessed to a freshly re-angeled Cas exactly why he’d kicked him out of the bunker back in 9.03.

At that time, Dean was being horrifically manipulated by the angel he’d trusted on false pretenses and Cas’s word, in a perfect storm with his own desperation to do anything to save Sam. It took this long for Dean to realize the full extent of Gadreel’s betrayal, and it led directly to Kevin’s death.

So we have manipulation, a larger cosmic power essentially holding Sam hostage, Dean and Cas finally mending this situation between them and confessing the truth and the reasons behind the lies and anger. Obviously the situation is not exactly the same in s15, but the themes are all there. Here, have a few quotes from the episode to show you what I mean.

[DEAN stops his packing and his face melts in emotion as he looks to his friend. Camera pans behind CASTIEL's back and when it comes out on his other side the men are sitting at the table and DEAN has just told CASTIEL the long, hurtful story.]

DEAN:Sammy was dying. What was I supposed to do? CASTIEL: You let an angel possess him? DEAN: He said it was the only way, and I believed him. Now Sam's gone. Kevin's... CASTIEL: Dean, I'm sorry. DEAN: Yeah, well... Sorry don't pay the bills, does it? It sure as hell ain't gonna bring Kevin back. We got to find that son of a bitch. CASTIEL: Dean. If the angel possessing Sam isn't Ezekiel, then who is it? DEAN: A dead man walking. CASTIEL: What, you're gonna destroy him? DEAN: Damn right. CASTIEL: You kill an angel, its vessel dies, too. DEAN: Think I don't know that? If I don't end Sam and that halo burns him out and I... God, I was so damn stupid. CASTIEL: You were stupid for the right reasons. DEAN: Yeah, like that matters. CASTIEL: It does. Sometimes that's all that matters.

They’re still not completely getting to the heart of this issue, though, because there was still Plot™ to deal with that would require them to have this unresolved-- Dean would need to continue to blame himself for everything, Cas would need to feel compelled to stay by Sam’s side to ensure his healing, feeling that he could be “useful” to Dean by taking over Sam Protection Detail, and Sam will need to fully feel the betrayal and not even begin to understand the core issue that led to all of this in the first place to drive that wedge deep enough for Dean to take the Mark, sacrificing himself to protect the ones he loves.

Which is thematically what Cas felt he did trading his own life for Jack’s in 14.08, which of course Dean still doesn’t know about. But the most important thing underlying all this s9 drama is the element of manipulation. Because Dean (and Sam, and Cas) right now believe they are making their own choices in a world without Chuck’s influence, and yet the narrative as a whole is probably being more actively manipulated by Chuck than at any time in their history. It’s this unawareness that’s giving Chuck’s influence the power to manipulate them in the first place.

GADREEL spits out angrily: How many more lives do I have to take? METATRON: It's not your place to ask questions. It is your place to obey. You want to be my second in command? Prove you're ready. Prove you're loyal. Or don't. Walk away. Go back to being Gadreel the traitor, the sap, heaven's longest-running joke.

Aah, and all along Gadreel had been manipulated by Metatron, s9′s answer to s15′s Chuck.

GADREEL: You have changed, Abner. ABNER: Yeah, well, I was a crappy angel. I was petulant. I deserted my post. I spent 700 years in heaven's lockup. I... No. Doesn't matter. We're a long way from Thaddeus now. GADREEL: I killed him, Abner. I got our revenge. ABNER: I w – I wish you hadn't done that. GADREEL: But why? He tortured us – you most of all. ABNER: I remember. And I remember you were always there to put me back together. GADREEL: We were friends. ABNER: We are friends. And the fall, it's our second chance. We can forget our old hates, who we were. GADREEL: It's not that easy. ABNER: Yes, it is. Look at me. I'm happy. GADREEL: And your vessel – is he happy? ABNER: He was an abusive ass. But I love my family, and they love me. I'm not a wise man, Gadreel. But I know this. The key to happiness? It's getting the one thing you want most and never letting it go. GADREEL: And what if there's a price? ABNER: There's always a price. But it's worth paying.

Abner paid with his life, because Gadreel had been manipulated and lied to by Metatron. Gadreel thought this was part of a grand plan, but it had been Metatron’s demand for loyalty and obedience, forcing Gadreel to literally kill possibly his only friend in the world, the one angel who knew his true story and loved him anyway. TO MANIPULATE GADREEL SPECIFICALLY into doing Metatron’s bidding, cutting off all other avenues to freedom and vindication.

Which... is kinda what Dean’s going through right now, you know? He thinks he’s free, and has cut ties with Cas in a horrific way. I mean, he didn’t literally kill Cas in 15.03, but tell me that wasn’t a metaphorical stab to the heart?

DEAN: Why are you doing this, huh? We fought together. And I trusted you. I thought you were one of the good guys! GADREEL: I am doing what I have to do. DEAN: Well, so am I.

Poor Gadreel, like Dean now, was doing what he thought he had to do. Like Rowena dying to heal the rift into Hell, because she thought it’s what she had to do-- right down to her belief in the prophecy that Sam would kill her being the entire reason the spell worked at all. Like all of them believing that Chuck is gone, because it’s what they feel they have to do to “move on.” And AAARGH.

*hears Dean’s voice yelling in the distance from 4.22 IT’S ALL A BUNCH OF LIES, YOU POOR, STUPID SONOFABITCH*

CASTIEL: Uh... I'm okay. DEAN: Good. Good. That's, uh... So, what, you just change the batteries out, power back up? It's that easy? CASTIEL: It wasn't easy, but I didn't have a choice. DEAN: Yeah. Well, that's usually how it goes. Cas... I'm sorry. CASTIEL: About what? DEAN: Kickin' you out of the bunker. That's, uh... You know, not telling you about Sam. CASTIEL: You thought his life was at stake. DEAN: Yeah, I got played. CASTIEL: I thought I was saving Heaven. I got played, too. DEAN [with a weak smile]: So you're sayin' we're both a couple of dumbasses? CASTIEL [gently smiling back]: I prefer the word "trusting." Less dumb. Less ass.

And then Cas learns the truth of who Gadreel is:

CASTIEL: It's his fault – all of it. The corruption of man, demons, hell. God left because of him. The archangels – the apocalypse. If he hadn't been so weak, none of it would have happened. [CASTIEL gets white hot with anger and starts to shake the unconscious GADREEL] You ruined the universe, you damn son of a bitch! DEAN [grabs CASTIEL and swings him around to face him.]: Cas! Cas! Hey! CASTIEL: Dean, he – DEAN: I get it. But you got to chill.

And obviously NONE OF THIS was actually Gadreel’s fault. He was manipulated by Lucifer, and really, who among them HASN’T been directly manipulated into doing terrible things by Lucifer? And really, can we now say that all of this-- every last bit of it-- was Chuck’s original manipulation, and just another go-around of his favorite horrific story?

Because Gadreel may have been the one to stand aside for Lucifer to enter the garden, but in addition to all the pain and guilt, this was the beginning of Humanity making their own choices and bearing the consequences of those choices. You can’t have true joy without true suffering, and only humans can experience either. The “paradise” of the garden that Metatron had used to lure Gadreel into his service, the promise of the return to that idealistic utopia, was about OBEDIENCE and never about FREEDOM. This is what Abner had tried to show Gadreel, and he was killed for it. And isn’t that just the way Chuck’s stories always go?

Crowley tells Dean that he’s not willing to die for any of them, but then... he literally stands between Sam and Gadreel:

GADREEL: Hello, Sam. SAM: Who are you? CROWLEY: His name is Gadreel, the original chump. GADREEL: Was a chump. And now? I'm going to be the one that leads my kind back to heaven. I'm going to be a hero. But you, demon, for all your chatter, you will always be a coward. You should be running. [CROWLEY punches GADREEL in the face and GADREEL swings back hurling him over the table. GADREEL starts to kick him and SAM comes to his rescue only to be thrown backwards over the table himself. GADREEL straddles him and starts to strangle him.]

Gadreel tries to manipulate Sam, warning him that he still might die if Sam casts him out, but Sam does it anyway.

SAM: So what? I was willing to die. And now... Kevin... [His eyes fill with guilty tears] DEAN [strongly]: No. That is not on you. Kevin's blood is on my hands, and that ain't ever getting clean. I'll burn for that. I will. But I'll find Gadreel. And I will end that son of a bitch. But I'll do it alone. SAM: What's that supposed to mean? DEAN: Come on, man. Can't you see? I'm... I'm poison, Sam. People get close to me, they get killed...or worse. You know, I tell myself that I-I – I help more people than I hurt. And I tell myself that I'm – I'm doing it all for the right reasons, and I – I believe that. But I can't – I won't... Drag anybody through the muck with me. Not anymore. [DEAN looks pleadingly at his brother] SAM: Go. I'm not gonna stop you.

And there we go, in a season that began with Charlie’s voiceover saying something to the effect of, “There’s nothing the Winchesters can’t do if they stick together” over the opening chords of “Who Do You Love.” Which, at this Midseason Finale point had to be so completely broken. Dean is convinced they can’t work together.

Wait, who wrote this episode? OH RIGHT, ANDREW DABB DID.

Can we see his pet themes at work in s15 yet? I think we can.

With the MoC apparently set to make a reappearance in 15.05 tonight, I’m thinking 9.11 will offer us some valuable insight into what Chuck is up to here. But also we know that Sam will be working with Cas even if Dean is still too messed up for a while, and this was the episode that really began to establish a friendship between Sam and Cas outside of Cas feeling responsible for Sam because of Dean.

And 9.12? Garth had abandoned them, abandoned Kevin, because he’d been bitten by a werewolf on a hunt and had been prepared to give in to that fate. And yet he’d been saved, found love, and found a family and purpose despite having believed he’d lost everything. He was still one of the good guys, even if he was a monster. And we saw the beginnings of the family theme that wouldn’t really have a chance to flourish until Dabb era:

Garth: Um...I know this may sound a little crazy, but... Maybe I could come back and hunt with you. I mean, with my werewolf mojo, we'd have an advantage. Dean: Yeah, look, Garth -- Garth: No, Dean. I want to make this right. I never should've left you guys, especially Kevin. Kevin was my friend. Friends don't do that. Dean: Well, hey, you said it -- you know, who cares where happiness comes from? Look, we're all a little weird, we're all a little wacky -- some more than others -- but...if it works, it works. You got something here. Okay? Even though they are werewolves. Or lycanthropes -- whatever. Don't let that go. Okay? You'll never forgive yourself. Besides, somebody's got to live to tell this damn story someday, and who better than you? Now shut up and come here.

There was more I wanted to say as I was watching, but I think this covers most of the important stuff for now.

#spn 15.04 #spn 15.05 #s15 meta rewatch #spiders georg of the tnt loop #spn 9.10 #spn 9.11 #spn 9.12 #destiel #using your words #it's spirals all the way down

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rosaxlunar · 4 years

Text

❝ I NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO BE SOFT. I WAS ALWAYS BLOODY KNUCKLES AND SHARDS OF GLASS. I WANTED PEOPLE TO BE AFRAID OF HURTING ME❞

&&. ( catarina volkov ) was just spotted in amsterdam. rumor has it ( she ) is a ( 32 ) year old ( alpha werewolf ) who resembles ( juliana harkavy ). ( she ) has been said to be ( determined & loyal ) but also quite ( vengeful & merciless ).with all the chaos surrounding the magical underworld, ( she ) has chosen to align with ( no one / the russian bratva ). ( she ) is currently serving as ( the sovietnik to the russian bratva ). hopefully the city doesn’t devour them whole.

001 ☾ THE BASICS

NAME: Catarina Volkov AGE: Thirty Two Years Old DOB: May 8 - Taurus GENDER: Cis Female SEXUALITY: Bisexual NATIONALITY: Dominican Russian SPECIES: Alpha Werewolf ALLEGIANCE: Russian Bratva THEME SONG: Desperado - Rihanna PERSONALITY TRAITS: ( + ) Charming, Determined, Protective & Loyal ( - ) Stubborn, Vengeful, Merciless & Bloodthirsty.

002 ☾ IN DEPTH

When one has lost everything, fear ceases to exist. When the heart is crushed, defensive walls rise to protect whatever shattered pieces are left behind. and when a little girl comes back home to find the bloody wreckage that left her a complete orphan, when she sees the dead bodies of her mama, papa y hermanita… something inside her dies too. For the rest of her childhood she was but a shell of her former self. Forever haunted by the tragic loss, the sounds of her screams still echoed in her dreams, those cursed nightmares that immortalized the horrid sight. Sometimes she would close her eyes and the metallic smell of the blood pooling on the ground would invade her senses, making it hard to breathe.

She used to have everything, born and raised in the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Catarina lived a relatively normal life, loud and colorful with the right amount of messy, but it was a blessing in an otherwise monotonous environment. Her papa would always say his prayers and thank god for bringing the dominican beauty that then became his wife, into his life. He would often tell Catarina stories of how he saved her from the bloodthirsty monsters and the following journey that led to them falling in love. Stories of how he learned spanish for her, and she learned russian for him, how even before the verbal communication was set, they still managed to understand each other without ever saying anything at all. These are the stories she would fall asleep to late at night before bedtime and then they became the stories she would repeat to her baby sister when she was introduced into her life. With stars in her eyes she would share the fantastical story of how love conquers all and how she and her sister were born from that love. She was happy and everything was wonderful…but that was when they were still alive.

If she had been any other child, the tragedy that left her with no parents, and no other family to take her in, would've seen to her being placed in the system. A more likely alternative would have seen her running and fending for herself in the wild. However she was the child of Anatoly Volkov, her papa had been a brodyaga for the brotherhood. Proudly serving under the previous Pakhan, he did his job and he did it well. He could have been more, could have made it to Kapitan, but her papa always put his family first, refusing to climb the ranks if it meant more time away from them. Her father’s devotion to the Bratva meant that instead of being left to fend for herself, someone in the brotherhood felt compelled to take her in, and so she became the ward of the Brava’s bookkeeper. This moved her life in a direction that was unforeseen. Being the bookkeeper’s ward meant she was taken deeper into the harshest reaches of Russia, where the prominent Valentina family lived. And it was there where Catarina met her best friend, the one person that was able to spark a flicker of her old light. Viktor Valentina. It was in his company where she learned about the truth of who was behind her family’s murder, and it was there where Catarina pledged her eternal loyalty to the brotherhood if they would help her get revenge for what was taken from her.

So she grew up, training and working beside Viktor, ignoring all the normal things kids and young adults would do, and instead perfecting her hand to hand combat, mastering various weapons training, perfecting her russian, spanish and english and focusing on becoming the strongest version of herself in order to fulfill the promise of revenge she had sworn. She blossomed from a scrawny girl with wild curls, into a woman who could skin anyone who tried to hurt her alive with her very claws. She embraced the power she had from her Alpha status, and on nights of the full moon, indulged in the rut with those brave enough to take her on. This never distracted her from her mission and on the twelfth anniversary of her family’s murder, as a twenty four year old soldier of the bratva, she was finally able to enact the revenge she had thirsted for so long, the goal that had given her purpose all those years. She hunted and slaughtered the very same though much older hunters who had taken her whole family from her. She also ensured to kill their families (if they had them) for she knew better than anyone, how dangerous revenge could be, and would not tolerate anyone targeting the bratva for her revenge. She never once, felt an ounce of regret for it in her soul. They might have been her first set of kills, but the certainly weren’t her last and she didn’t discriminate based on species. If they were a target, they were eliminated. Were it not for the Valentina’s opening their hearts to include her in their little family, it’s quite possible Catarina could have been driven to a fully corrupt soul and mindless killings in her wake. For she enjoyed the rush of power that came from taking a life, a little too much. Instead she channeled that energy, that thrill, to climbing the ranks of the brotherhood and doing whatever was necessary to help the Bratva rise in power.She may be an orphan at heart, but she had found her pack and she was never letting go.

003 ☾ FUN FACTS

Timeline Recap: ages 0-12 happy with family, age 12 : family murdered by hunters, age 12 meets the Valentina’s, ages 12-24 trains and is indoctrinated into bratva, age 24 : retaliation after the hunters who killed her family, ages 24-32, climbs the ranks of the bratva till she is second in command and Viktor’s right hand.

Not many know this, but Catarina is a classically trained pianist. A musician at heart, in the quiet moments between missions she also taught herself how to play the guitar, the flute and other random instruments at her disposal. Sometimes she’ll just serve herself a bit of vodka and play and sing at the piano whenever she wants to not think about anything, or more accurately when she wishes to escape the nightmares that still plague her.

Catarina is very protective over the Bratva, the brotherhood were her saviors, they kept her safe and when it comes to the Valentina’s they saved whatever piece of her heart she had left after her relentless pursuit for revenge. She’s willing to do anything in the name of Bratva, even if it comes at the cost of her soul. Bratva is the only family she has left.

While she is undoubtedly the closest to Viktor, not just as his right hand man, but also as his best friend, she also loves and cherishes Tatiana and Dimitri Valentina, so much so would be willing to risk her life for their safety, no questions asked. Which is why ever since Tatiana’s kidnapping, Catarina has been worried sick, her nightmares and flashbacks of the loss of her very own sister intermingling with the new horror for the Valentina’s.

Catarina originally stayed behind when Viktor rushed to Amsterdam in search of his omega sister Tati. She stayed to help Dimitri with his new responsibilities and enforce his rule now that Viktor was out of Russia. Now weeks later, she is finally joining in on the search, and will do her utter best to find the youngest Valentina so they can all go back home.

004 ☾ WANTED CONNECTIONS

hookups/flings: my girl hasn’t had time or the frame of mind for love, not really, but she has needs and never goes too long without a little loving, so lets plot for this if you want!

bratva relationships: even tho she loves the bratva, that doesn’t mean she loves everyone in the organization, we can have them be friends, or be frenemies or be little shits to each other! I’m open to everything!

Literally any other kind of plot! I am open to all sorts of connections!

#nhqintro #muse: catarina #tw murder #tw death #tw weapons #//lets plot babes!#I hope y'all love my bb catarina!

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justadram · 5 years

Text

A terrible song

Pairing: Jaime x Sansa

Summary: an AU where Jaime arrives in Winterfell, previously having been married to Sansa instead of her being married to Tyrion.

Since the moment Sansa spotted him across the yard, her heart has been in her throat. She doesn’t want to have to watch Jaime die, by her order or anyone else’s.

But it’s the first time she’s been in a position to make the Lannisters pay for what they’ve done to her family. People will expect it of her. The same could be said of Daenerys, but she’s taken Tyrion Lannister as her Hand, saving her wrath for the Kingslayer, Sansa’s former husband.

He was kind to her. In his own way. It would make things easier, but she can’t forget that.

Which is why—it must be why—relief floods her chest, when Brienne steps forward to defend him. Sansa would look weak should she do the same, her loyalties would be thrown into question among the Northern lords, but Brienne opens a door for her. Sansa’s voice is level, when she offers him Winterfell’s hospitality and her protection, her face unmoved, as though she is reluctant but resigned to accept his proffers of help to fight for the living.

And then she calls for him, demanding a private audience without a crowd of observant eyes. She is in a position where she can do that now: make demands of him. She is not his little wife, helpless and alone.

Regardless of the privacy, he will be on guard—he always is, a mess of sarcastic jabs and exaggerated chivalry cloaking what he feels—as will she, but she can probe him here in her solar with more freedom. She can attempt to pry the truth from him without lifting one graceful finger.

He glances left and right upon his entrance with his shoulders angled in cocky assurance, not wishing for her to know how on edge he must feel. Though he wouldn’t like to hear it, he is not his father, a master at strategy or deception. She can see through him.

But he’s not a stupid man either. He will have heard whispers that she orchestrated the death of Petyr Baelish and dispatched Ramsay with his own hounds. Who she’s become and what she’s capable of should make him wary, even if he doesn’t believe the rumors she took part in Joffrey’s death. For all he knows, she publicly saved her former husband only to lure him here to be dispatched by her fierce little sister. Taking a little care to inspect the room for hidden spectators is the least he can do.

Her head cocks. “You were expecting someone else perhaps, ser?”

“Dreading it,” he admits with a flat grin.

“Who among my family troubles you? Surely not a girl? Or a boy in a chair?”

“You have no idea.”

Her brows lift at the edge in his voice. She could pick at that scab if she wanted to see if he would bleed for her.

She stands and steps around the table between them, hands clasped before her. Since last she saw him, she’s grown to nearly his full height. She can look him in the eye without so much as a lift of her chin.

“What have you to fear from your sworn protector?”

His chest swells with his slow inhalation. “Is that what you are?”

“What else? We are no longer married.”

“You’ve been married since.”

She gives a small nod. “Married and widowed.”

“I’m sorry, though not about the widowing.”

She swallows, as her heart beats faster. Ramsay is a specter difficult to banish. In her hurry to scatter dark thoughts, her words come out clipped. “Is it the loss of this house you regret?”

“I never had any interest in your house, Lady Sansa, and it’s less desirable than ever. No, the North is... not to my taste.”

“Too cold? The dragon queen could have made you toasty enough if it weren’t for me.”

His mouth ticks up at one corner. “You know you placed me under a rather uncomfortable level of suspicion over Joffrey’s death, thanks to your method of severing our vows.”

“Don’t hold your breath for an apology on that count.”

“I won’t.”

He shifts on his feet, his good hand brushing over the hilt of his sword, worn on the wrong side since the loss of his right. “You might have told me what you planned.”

“I think we both know that would have been foolish,” she says with the sort of softness she feels towards him at his vain romantic notions.

He must know it’s nonsense too, and that he would have never aided in her escape, for he does not argue the point.

“Then I’m sorry I didn’t protect you, as I swore I would.”

Her mood sours quickly enough, as he indulges in self-pity that sags his shoulders. Apologies such as these do her no good. If he would have been a better man...

Men have disappointed her time and again. It’s what they do.

“Did it never occur to you that stealing me away to the North might have been the best way to accomplish that? I begged you, and Jon would have protected me if you had.” In a petty game, she steps forward enough that she stands outside his peripheral vision, forcing him to turn his head towards her. “Then there would have been no Littlefinger. No Ramsay.”

Keeping her gaze forward as he gives his inevitable, poorly conceived response, she refuses him the courtesy of meeting his eye.

“My situation was complicated.”

“Yes, your sister’s claim on you was greater. And yet, here you are now. To fight... for the living. A noble claim.”

“I’m not a spy, Sansa.”

He sounds tired, and the weariness in his voice tugs at the tattered remains of her empathy. She bestows her attention on him, letting her heavy skirts swing, as she turns and raises her hand to her necklace.

His eyes follow the movement, she notes, and she lets her fingers trail.

“No need to convince me: Brienne’s word is enough. I trust Brienne.” She clasps her hands demurely in front of her once more. “Anyway, you’d make a very bad spy, I suspect.”

His face crinkles in cool disdain. “Your faith in me is much appreciated, as always.”

Such a thin shell protects his sense of worth.

“Give me a reason to have faith in you, ser, and you will have the Lady of Winterfell as more than your sworn protector,” she vows, going too far by half.

His grimace betrays his confusion at her vow. He doesn’t know what to make of it, which makes two of them.

She is not immune to willful, rosy nostalgia either. She remembers how he looked the first time he rode into Winterfell, a knight from the songs cloaked in white as bright as sunlight.

This is a different man. Battered, yes. Wiser, perhaps. Sadder, certainly.

They are both different creatures.

How strange that she thought him old then. If she smartened him up now, she might restore a little of the shine. He’s handsome in spite of everything, including his house.

She smiles thinly, tucking her chin down in an approximation of girlish shyness—an act, as much as his flippant cynicism. What she feels twisting her gut, the need, however, is real.

It sometimes feels as if her wants are simple. To have her family together, to be in her ancestral home, and security for the North’s future. But there are other emotions underlying those desires. She wants to inspire loyalty. She wants her people to have faith in her and follow her willingly. For people to judge her wise and good. She wants to be loved by them.

She shouldn’t need any of those things from Jaime Lannister, shouldn’t think to want them. It shouldn’t be personal.

But it is.

“I came for you.”

Certain she’s conjured the words from her vivid imagination, her head snaps up, but what follows is dishearteningly plain.

“You’re my last chance at honor.”

Duty, honor, nobleness of character—they’re useful, when you need to compel a man to bend to your will, but they are empty concepts and impersonal.

Without reason, she foolishly wants more.

“I see.” She narrows her eyes. “You want to protect the weak at last. I’m afraid you’re too late: I’m not weak anymore.”

“I can see that. You’re a mite more impressive than your suddenly mute bastard brother.”

“Careful,” she bristles, though his estimation of Jon’s involvement today is not off the mark.

"Never,” he says with an almost rakish tilt of his head.

“Well,” she says, rolling her eyes, “it’s a waste of a journey, and you’ll die at the hands of the dead because of it.”

“We’ll probably all be dead. I’m not as good with a sword as I once was.”

She hums and turns her back on him, so that she might let her eyes close for the briefest of moments, shuttering out the bleak reality of this world, of him, of them. “It will make for a terrible song.”

part two

#to be continued?#jaime x sansa #got spoilers #fanfic #got fic

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argylemnwrites · 5 years

Text

It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment - Chapter 11

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (Canon Divergent from Book 2, Chapter 15)

Word Count: ~4800

Rating: PG-13 (brief language)

Summary: Drake makes some decisions about his future and Liam turns to some unlikely sources to help him move forward.

Author’s Note: Sorry for the delays. Better late than never, though? I was going to post this much earlier in the week when I realized that my word count was over 10k. Whoops! Instead of posting a bloated beast of a chapter, I completely reworked this chapter and the next two in order to give you all something that you can sit down and read in one sitting without having to take a snack break, and at the end of the day, I’m much happier with this chapter than I was before.

This series diverges from TRR canon, where instead of waiting to discuss his relationship with Riley until their last night in NYC, leaving her a note while Liam is proposing to her, Drake tackles this topic as soon as possible after Tariq makes his statement and Riley’s name is cleared. To catch up on this series, you can find the previous chapters in my masterlist (link is located in my bio).

Liam sighed, sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace in Olivia’s private office. It had been a long day. No, a very long week. Between the funeral preparations, concerns over possible attacks at the funeral, and public appearances, he hadn’t really had any time to catch his breath. Madeleine had been trying to pick up some slack, for which he was grateful, but there were certain requirements she just couldn’t or shouldn’t be tasked with. For instance, she and Leo could barely be trusted in the same room together without her lashing out and snapping at him.

Leo being around was both a blessing and a curse. Having someone who was also mourning the loss of their father on a personal level who he could talk to was a godsend. But Leo’s methods of coping were not always the most helpful in the big picture. Drinking to the point that they both had nearly blacked out, remembering both the good and the bad, had seemed like a good idea in the moment, but Leo didn’t have to attend the Security Council meeting hungover the next morning. Plus, as complicated as Liam’s own relationship with Father had been, it was nothing on the dynamic between Leo and Father.

While he hadn’t been sleeping much since the first attack at the Homecoming Ball, things had gotten even worse since Father’s death. There was just so much that needed to get done, and ultimately he was the only one who could handle most of it. Plus, there was the fact that when he finally laid down at night, his mind was filled with so many thoughts, it was difficult to process them all. From the safety of those closest to him to the protection of the citizens at large, from the calls for his abdication to the unwavering support of a select few, from his upcoming marriage and the need to produce an heir to his very recent heartbreak, it was hard to quiet things enough to gain any restful sleep.

He had thought he’d been putting on a good front, but after his opening remarks, during his first dance of the night with Olivia, she’d encouraged him to duck out and head to her office when he got a chance. This had left Madeleine alone for the rest of the night and responsible for the closing remarks. Liam could tell she was annoyed by this turn of events, but at the same time, she’d not expressed too much frustration towards him, so he must have been showing some signs of his utter physical and emotional exhaustion. Otherwise, he was sure she would have made her displeasure known.

As needed as some time to himself was, sitting in Olivia’s office with just his glass of wine and no distractions had led to some introspection that he’d been avoiding for nearly a month at this point. Riley and Drake. Together. Since his engagement, Drake had said. Since his father had driven a wedge between him and Riley, making sure what they had would never come to be.

For some reason, it seemed to be getting harder to process than easier. It was like the more he saw and learned about the two of them together, the less sense it all made. The Riley he’d caught glimpses of since he’d learned of their affair was somehow the same woman he fell in love with and a completely different person at the same time. She’d always had a playful sense of humor that he’d adored, but he now was beginning to understand what Drake meant when he’d called her a “snarky piece of work” that would scandalize most of the court and press back when the social season was just starting. How had he been ready to marry her, to start a life with her, to have children with her when there were parts of her personality he’d never fully seen? It would have been one thing if she had been a political match, but she wasn’t. He’d never felt anything before like what he’d felt with her. But had he even known her?

The fact that it was Drake she chose over him complicated his emotions even more. Liam had always hoped that Drake would find someone someday, someone who saw past the bitterness and anger to the deep affection and loyalty he had for those he truly loved. But why did it have to be her? And why hadn’t he approached Liam when things had started to develop between them? What had compelled his best friend to sneak around behind his back for months? And had they really been that great at hiding their relationship, or had he just been oblivious, maybe only seeing things as he wished they were?

Everything just didn’t quite add up, as if Liam was missing some crucial pieces of information. He just wasn’t sure how to best go about getting them at this point. Drake and Riley were leaving the day after tomorrow, and with having to put in an appearance at the festival in Lythikos, there was not going to be much time to really talk. And even if they did talk, Liam wasn’t sure he could afford to delve too deeply into the whole situation. Doing so would undoubtedly dredge up a wide variety of emotions that could cloud his judgement, and with the terror threat still ever-looming, he needed to remain clear headed.

He raised his glass to take another sip of wine and was surprised to find it empty. Walking over to the sideboard, he was pouring himself a refill of the strong vintage when the door slowly opened.

“Glad to see you decided to help yourself to one of my most expensive bottles,” said Olivia as she shut the door behind her.

Liam smiled a little at her joke. The Nevrakis wine collection was legendary, and Olivia had added to it extensively herself over the past few years. Even a several thousand dollar bottle was unlikely to be noticed as missing. It was nice to be able to crack a smile. There was almost no one who would joke around with him these days. “Would you like a glass?”

Olivia nodded and moved over to one of the armchairs in the corner, “I need a drink after having to deal with your fiancée.”

“What did she do now?” Liam asked with a sigh as he passed her a glass and sat down in the other armchair.

“Oh, just some comments in her closing remarks about the loyalty of the citizens of Lythikos that I’m guessing she ad libbed from your prepared statement that seemed highly specific to the leader of said region.”

“I’m sorry. I should have known she’d do something like this. She’s not pleased I asked you to be in her court.”

Olivia shrugged. “She’s just lucky this dress doesn’t allow for me to carry more than two weapons.”

“Olivia…”

“I kid, I kid, at least somewhat. So what have you been up to since you made your escape?”

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

“Olivia, can I ask you… Did Riley and Drake being together surprise you?”

Her eyebrows quirked up slightly, but she showed no other sign of surprise at the turn the conversation had taken. “Honestly?”

“Yes, of course.”

“I mean, I suspected they were hooking up on your engagement tour. They were always next to each other, teasing each other, and there was definitely an increase in the amount of physical contact between the two of them as time went on.”

“Huh,” was all Liam could muster. He could feel Olivia’s eyes on him, but he stared into his wine glass, not quite ready for any eye contact. After a few seconds, Olivia must have decided to clarify her statement.

“Their decision to move in together did catch me off guard, but I thought it was pretty clear they were into each other. But really, talking to Hana or Maxwell is going to get you more information. They spent way more time together, and quite frankly, probably cared a lot more than I did.”

Liam sighed heavily, “It seems like I was the only one who had no clue there was an attraction there.”

“Yeah, well I’m guessing you had more important things on your mind than watching the body language of two commoners.”

“Olivia…” Liam warned, not having the energy to deal with any ingrained snobbery.

“Sorry, sorry. Not trying to offend here. Where is this coming from?”

“Never mind, I just was caught off guard by their interactions at breakfast this morning.”

“You had breakfast with them?”

“Yes, I had them come stay at the palace last night. They were staying at a hotel if you can imagine.”

Olivia let out a little snort that quickly morphed into a chuckle.

“What’s so amusing?”

“You really are a glutton for punishment aren’t you? Why would you invite the two of them into your home?”

“He’s my best friend, Olivia.”

“He’s fucking the woman you love.”

“I can’t lose him over this, though. I need to find a way to move past this.”

“So you decided to move them into the palace as a what? Royal blessing?”

“I had to do something. I have to figure out how to handle seeing the two of them together.”

A long sigh escaped Olivia before she continued, “Do you want some advice?”

Liam turned to face her fully at that statement. Clearly, Olivia had her heart broken at some point, but he wasn’t sure when or by whom. Still, if she had some insight, he would be a fool not to listen, so he nodded.

“You like spending time with her, right? Well, that has to be enough from here on out. You aren’t going to get anymore from her.”

Liam nodded, but Olivia was far from done. “Anytime you find yourself wondering ‘what if,’ you have to remind yourself that she rejected you. She knew she could have had you, and she didn’t want you. All she wants from you is friendship, nothing more.

“You can try to channel everything into being a good friend, focus on that, but be careful. Just because she’s nice to you doesn’t mean she regrets her choice.”

“I know she doesn’t love me, it’s just…”

“It hurts to see her clearly in love with someone else?”

“Yeah, it does,” Liam looked up to see Olivia staring into her own wine glass. “So I’m guessing your knowledge on this topic comes from first-hand experience?”

Olivia’s head jerked up and she stared at him, but her eyes lacked their usual fire. Instead she just looked tired. She shrugged slightly, “You could say that.”

“Is this how you got over it?”

There was a pause before Olivia answered, “Let’s just call it a work in progress.”

Liam tilted his head to the side, trying to determine who Olivia could have been in love with recently. She hadn’t been pursuing anyone during the engagement tour as far as he knew and before that was the social season… The realization washed over him as he recounted moments between the two of them over the past several years. Conversations held at formal dinners, dancing with her at various balls, the kiss he had assumed was meant to unsettle the other suitors. Here he was, bemoaning that Riley didn’t love him to the one person who had to have been hurt the most by that sentiment. He should have seen her intentions. He needed to apologize for not recognizing her feelings.

She must have noticed the change in his expression, because her eyes hardened and she rolled her shoulders back before she spoke again.

“Don’t you dare say anything. I can handle rejection, but I will not tolerate your pity.”

“But Olivia, I-”

“Not another word. I’m deadly serious, Liam. I don’t care if it’s treason, I have two knives on me right now, and I will not hesitate to use them if we go any further down this road. Understood?”

He swallowed and gave her a small nod, “Understood.”

“Good,” Olivia said, raising her glass to clink against his. They sat in a comfortable silence for several minutes, both lost in their own thoughts as they finished their wine.

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

Drake looked around, trying to process the destruction in front of him. The pictures hadn’t conveyed just how bad it was. But now, standing here at Applewood, it fully hit him. There was nothing left. Absolutely nothing.

It was on impulse that he’d asked Bastien to head to the orchard on the way to his parent’s old home. The plan had initially been for him and Riley to go and box up some family mementos to be shipped over, but after Maxwell whined incessantly yesterday about not getting enough Riley time, she’d agreed to meet him and Hana for lunch in the capital. However, this threw a pretty big wrench in their plans when Riley informed Drake that the last time she drove was when she was 17 years old and had been dating a guy who lived in New Jersey.

“I grew up in Manhattan, Drake. I didn’t exactly ever need to learn to drive,” she’d said to him that morning, like that was supposed to be some perfect explanation. Regardless, they’d had to adjust. Bastien had agreed to essentially chauffeur them out to the Walker home, then take Riley to the restaurant, before returning to help Drake with some packing. But as they were riding along, Drake had asked Bastien to swing by Applewood. It was basically on the way, and Drake wanted to get a sense of what Liam had been facing first hand.

It was worse than he ever could have imagined. There wasn’t a single tree left. Centuries of agriculture, of history, of national pride. All gone. And he’d been off fucking a girl in a different country.

“That’s not exactly a fair assessment,” he thought when Riley came up behind him, wrapping her arms around him in a comforting embrace. It wasn’t just some girl; it was the girl. Being with her hadn’t been a way to avoid his responsibilities. She was his responsibility. But that didn’t erase the fact that his best friend had been left to handle everything alone while he was off getting laid. With the girl his best friend loved.

The weight of the guilt only increased when they pulled into the driveway of his parent’s home. Being at Constantine’s funeral had brought up a lot of memories of his own father, and now being here again, where they had spent so much time together, it irritated the wound that most days felt like it was basically healed.

Riley grabbed his hand as soon as they were out of the car, almost as if she knew how tough it would be for him to be back here.

“Little different from the palace, huh?” he said, gesturing towards the small home tucked behind a few trees.

“A lot nicer than the apartments I grew up in,” she replied with a shrug.

He gave her a brief tour of the place, showing her his old childhood bedroom with walls covered with posters of football players, the kitchen with its olive green appliances, the living room with family photos that did not show any progression of time since he was 14 years old. He stopped outside his dad’s office, though. He hadn’t been in there in 15 years. Riley ran her thumb over the back of his hand soothingly, but he couldn’t bring himself to open the door.

“Ahem.”

Both he and Riley jumped slightly as they turned around, startled by Bastien’s reappearance. “Ms. Liu, we should probably head out in order to make your lunch reservation. Drake, I can take care of your father’s office when I return, if you’d like.”

Drake nodded mutely. Riley tugged him around to fully face her, staring into his eyes, “Are you gonna be okay here? I don’t have to go to lunch.”

“Nah, Liu. I’ll be fine.”

She nodded, but the look in her eyes was clearly skeptical. Still, she took him at his word, giving his hand one last squeeze before she let go and walked toward the front door with Bastien.

It turned out going through the house, even just to decide which items he wanted to ship to New York, was a huge project. He hadn’t been out here in basically a year, and hadn’t spent any significant time here in over five years. Quite frankly, he’d severely underestimated the amount of crap that had been left behind. He’d barely made a dent in his bedroom by the time Bastien returned from dropping off Riley.

“I brought us back some food,” he said from the doorway.

So he and Bastien ate lunch, laughing about all the times that he’d let Savannah and him stay up late watching horror movies and other misadventures in babysitting. After finishing their meals, the two of them had dipped into his father’s bar, sharing more stories from years and years ago. They didn’t exactly get drunk, but Drake knew he wasn’t exactly sober. And not-sober Drake was even less motivated to pack up the house.

Drake knew that there were a lot of reasons that he was avoiding boxing up this house that hadn’t really felt like home since his father’s death. Quite frankly, with all the upheaval in his life over the past month, digging through his childhood memories felt like an unneeded burden. He had enough to process without revisiting pains that were over a decade old. Also, it seemed like a rather pointless endeavor. There were very few items he would want to keep, and most of them would be useless in New York City. What would he do with his dad’s fishing rod or tackle box in New York? Where would he store their tent in Riley’s tiny studio? He could maybe grab a couple of family photos, but he would feel weird adding them to Riley’s shelves. Plus, it’s not like he was putting the house on the market or anything. He and Savannah were both named on the deed, and he really hadn’t talked with her about selling it. So instead of doing the task he’d set out to complete, he reminisced about his dad.

He had to wonder what his dad would think if he could see him now. Would he be happy that he was attempting to forge his own path? Proud that he was trying to do right by the woman he loved? Or would he be disappointed that he’d abandoned king and country when they needed him most? Ashamed that he’d ignored the olive branch extended by his sister? Horrified that he neglected his duties in a time of crisis? His father had always stressed doing the right and honorable thing, even when it was the difficult choice. Would his father have even accepted him being with Riley, knowing that the foundation of their relationship was built on the deception of his best friend?

He didn’t bring anything back to the palace with him, brushing off Bastien with an excuse about the size of Riley’s place. He knew what he needed to do, he just didn’t know if he was going to have the courage to do it.

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

It was well after dinner time when Maxwell and Hana dropped Riley off at the palace. Their lunch had led to drinks followed by a dinner consisting of only desserts and pastries. It had been great spending time with them, but Riley knew she needed to get back and help Drake pack up some of his belongings in his quarters. Their flight wasn’t until the afternoon, but Riley was hoping Drake would take some time in the morning to spend with Liam. He would be back from Lythikos sometime tonight, but tomorrow he didn’t have any formal meetings scheduled, so it would be the perfect time for the two of them to actually talk.

When she got back to Drake’s quarters, she was surprised to find them empty. Things must be taking longer than expected at his parent’s house. She pulled out her phone to text him when a knock on the door startled her. She had no idea if it was technically okay that she was here without Drake. Obviously, everyone was just kind of looking the other way and ignoring the fact that she was sleeping there, but would it be okay for her to be there alone early in the evening?

“Drake, are you here? It’s me,” trickled through the door. The voice was muffled, but it was clearly Liam’s.

Riley hesitated for just a moment before heading to the door. Liam eyes widened briefly at the sight of her, but he quickly composed himself, giving her a friendly smile.

“Good evening, Riley. I was hoping I might speak to Drake.”

“He’s not here.”

“Oh.”

The silence that followed was awkward, stilted, heavy. Liam turned to leave, as he said “Alright, well I’ll see you both tomorrow before you leave,” but Riley felt wrong leaving it at that.

“Why don’t you come in and wait for him?”

The invite had slipped out before she really thought it through. Liam stopped in his tracks though, and gave her a smile that actually reached his eyes as he stepped into Drake’s quarters.

As the door closed behind him, the awkwardness began to seep back in, but both of them seemed determined to squash it away.

“A drink,” said Riley, walking over to the hutch that Drake had apparently kept stocked with whiskey, “Let’s have a drink.”

“That sounds perfect.”

After pouring two whiskey neats, Riley settled onto the opposite end of the couch, handing Liam one of the glasses.

“So where is Drake?”

“He’s packing some things up at his parent’s house.”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“I kinda thought he’d be back by now. He’s supposed to decide what he wants to ship over from here,” Riley added, gesturing around the suite.

“Why wouldn’t he take everything?”

“Square footage is kind of limited in New York City.”

“Ahh, yes. My apologies.”

Riley waved him off. He had no way of comprehending how tiny the average NYC studio was. She took another sip of her whiskey, trying to think of another topic of conversation.

“How was Lythikos?”

Liam gave a little shrug, “The Winter Festival is always a highlight. With how much snow they get there, they always look to celebrate the start of the season as early as possible.”

“I can’t believe you went right after your father’s funeral. I was useless for like a month after my mother’s funeral.”

“Yes, well… The country doesn’t stop for familial loss. My father would have wanted me to be there.” Liam took at larger drink of whiskey at that, and it was impossible to miss the way he stared into his glass.

“You can talk to me about it, you know,” Riley said after a moment, “I know what it’s like to lose a parent where you had a… complicated relationship.”

“Oh, I won’t burden you with that. I got through my mother’s death when I was much younger. This one should be easier as I’ve had some time to prepare myself.”

“But Liam, he didn’t die from the cancer. It’s okay if this still is shocking to you. It’s normal to be affected by the loss of a parent. No one would blame you if you took some time to grieve.”

He gave her a hollow smile at that statement, “As king, I don’t exactly have the luxury of taking a few days off when there is an active terror threat that still hasn’t been neutralized. Once things have calmed down on that front, I think I’ll probably cancel meetings for a few days, take a little time for myself.”

Riley squinted at him and cocked her head slightly, “And what happens when there is some other crisis that only you can handle?”

Liam let out a little chuckle at that, “Then it’ll have to wait a little longer.”

“Right, because I’m sure there will be a day where everything is one hundred percent calm, and you’ll be able to take as much time as you want to just relax and do nothing.”

That elicited an outright laugh from Liam. “You sound just like Drake.”

Riley didn’t know how to respond to that. It was clear Liam didn’t know exactly how to move past the implications of that sentence either, as an awkward silence settled between the two of them. They both moved to reach for their drinks, clearly looking for something, anything to do now that the conversation had come to a screeching halt.

After a moment, Liam sighed before soldiering on. It didn’t surprise Riley that he spoke first, given all his years of diplomatic experience. What did surprise her was that he didn’t redirect the conversation.

“I suppose it’s not surprising that you sound like him after spending so much time together over the past few weeks.”

“Months, if we’re being honest here. But Liam, do you really think I’ve changed by being with him? Because I can tell you right now, I haven’t. I think you are just seeing a different side of me than you saw when I was on my best behavior during the social season.”

Liam nodded slightly as he said, “ I’m getting that sense.” He took another sip of his drink and paused, seeming to be contemplating his next words. “Drake told me that things between you two started after my engagement, but it seemed like that was a difficult question for you both to answer. I assumed that your hesitation was born out of a desire to shield me from the duration of your relationship, but the more I see of you two together, I have to wonder if there was another reason you were reticent to share things with me.”

Riley swallowed. This seemed like a conversation for Liam and Drake, but at the same time, she wondered if there wasn’t a reason Liam was asking her instead of Drake. It was a fair question, really. He had a right to know. “It’s hard to define exactly when things started, but honestly?” Liam nodded at her, probably trying to be encouraging, but he was radiating tension, as if he was bracing himself for some horrible revelation. Still, Riley knew she had to continue, “I would have answered that question a little differently than Drake did.”

Liam did not seem surprised by her answer, continuing to stare at her as he waited for more details.

“I would say that things started between us at Applewood.”

“The time we were there after my engagement?”

Riley shook her head, “No, the first time I was there.”

Liam nodded slowly, eyes staring up at the ceiling. Riley wasn’t sure whether she should keep talking, or if more details would just be cruel at this point, but in a flash, Liam composed his face, a gentle smile taking the place of his pained grimace. “Thank you for your honesty, Riley. I think I will leave you for the evening. It’s been a long day.”

“But Drake-”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Goodnight, Riley.”

“Goodnight, Liam.”

He set down his glass on the coffee table and walked out of Drake’s quarters, giving Riley a slight nod of farewell as he shut the door. He couldn’t have been gone for even a minute when Drake entered, shoulders sagging and eyes downcast.

“Hey you, I was wondering when you’d be back. You just missed Liam.”

His eyes shot up to hers at that. “What was he doing here?”

“Looking for you. He wanted to chat before we leave tomorrow. Speaking of which, we’ve got some packing to do here.”

Drake sighed and shook his head, taking another deep breath before he spoke again. “Liu, I can’t head back with you tomorrow.”

Tags: @wickedgypsymoon @thesumofmychoices @cosigottahavefaith @thequeenofcronuts @thequeenchoices @katedrakeohd @carabeth @feartheendlesssummer @jovialyouthmusic @gibbles82 @iplaydrake @sirbeepsalot @ladyangel70 @ao719

#drake walker #drake x mc #trr #the royal romance #choices trr #king liam #trr liam #olivia nevrakis #choices #choices stories you play #playchoices

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lilulo-12fanfiction · 5 years

Text

Do The Unexpected

@fafulous requested this forever and a day ago. I wrote it and apparently never posted it? Well here it is.

"You look amazing tonight" Elijah fluff/smut please!

So I don’t do full blown smut. But I hope you like this!!

You stood in your room at the Salvatore Boarding House staring at yourself in the full length mirror. It was the night of the Mikaelson Ball and Elijah had invited you to be his date. The thought of him made the heat rise to your cheeks. The dress you wore was a dark teal. The bodice was a satin with a sweetheart neckline covered in black beading. The full skirt was made of tulle. The dark teal color accented your hair and skin beautifully.

You didn’t start out having feelings for him. Quite the opposite actually. Elena was like your baby sister. Your Mother, Miranda, Abby and Liz Forbes were all close friends. Like Abby and Bonnie, you and your mother were also Witches from a strong bloodline. You were the sole survivor. Miranda and Grayson had taken you in when your mother died. You had most recently learned that Mikael had killed your mother before Abby and entombed him.

Your mother was strong enough to break the Hybrid Curse without the Sacrifices. Mikael wanted to make sure that Klaus could never find her. Sheila had been protecting you while Abby took care of The Mikaelson Patriarch. Sheila knew that had Mikael known that you were the last of your bloodline he would have slaughtered you as well. She knew that you too one day would be strong enough to perform the spell. So she burned the pages of your mother’s Grimoire to keep you safe. The spell died with your mother. When you met Elijah, he had kidnapped Elena, attacked Damon and Rose and then made some asinine deal with Elena that you knew would end her life. So you went after him. You didn’t care that he was an Original. He had admired your courage and loyalty to your family. That had enraged you. The way he acted as if you were simply and itch that needed to be scratched. You unleashed your substantial power on him, after his shock wore off, he figured out who you were. No one had ever told you the truth about your Mother’s death. Elijah held you as you sobbed at the thought of the pain your mother went through. She endured torture at the hands of Mikael. You spent a substantial amount of time with Elijah as he told you stories about your mother before you had been born. He had found information on your bloodline when he had been searching for a way to break Klaus’ curse. At that time they didn’t know that Katherine’s bloodline had continued. They didn’t know there was hope for another Doppleganger. Originally he wanted her to break the curse. However he had discovered your mother after he and Klaus had their falling out. Elijah instead found her to warn her. They became friends and he promised to protect her. Unfortunately he was too late to save her from his father. The two of you researched to try and piece together the spell to break The Hybrid Curse. You were getting close and then Katherine convinced Damon to dagger Elijah. You felt his absence. That’s when you knew you cared for him. You had tried to convince Damon and Stefan to undagger him. That you had almost figured out how to stop the sacrifice, but almost wasn’t enough. So you continued searching. Fearing for Elena’s life and missing Elijah. You and Elijah had continued to work on the spell once Elena removed the dagger. He had a contingency plan. But that was useless once Damon fed her his blood. At that point Elijah asked you to stop working in the spell. Elena would survived the sacrifice. He was afraid Klaus would kill you even if you did break the curse for him. Elijah couldn’t have that. He felt for you what you felt for him. That night he had betrayed you all when he didn’t kill Klaus. You hated yourself for not finishing the spell. Had you, Jenna and John would still be alive. It was then that you moved in with Stefan and Damon. Your mother was dead. Miranda and Grayson, your surrogate parents were dead. And then Jenna. You needed a change of scenery. The betrayal and grief were a lot to deal with. Elijah had left you a long voicemail explaining himself and asked for you to meet him at the apartment when he and Klaus returned. That was when you watched Klaus dagger him again. Stefan made you run as he worked on Klaus to save Damon. You, Elena and Damon had spent that summer hunting for Stefan and grieving. You just had to add Elijah to the list of those you had lost. You smiled at yourself in the mirror thinking about the day Damon had undaggered Elijah. After everything that had happen, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. The monster that took your mother was dead. Granted that meant Klaus lived but you couldn’t help but be happy karma had been served. Stefan was back and filled with humanity even if he pretended he wasn’t. And you were going to see Elijah again. You had went with Damon to meet up with him after he had surprised Klaus. You couldn’t stop yourself from running to him and jumping into his arms. No one had ever kissed you like that before. “You look gorgeous.” Damon’s voice came from the doorway. You turned and smiled at him. “Thank you.” “Elijah is a lucky guy.” He had the signature Damon smirk on his face. “He better keep you safe from Mommy Dearest and the rest of his psycho family.” “I can take care of myself you know. I might not be able to kill them, but I can sure as hell make them wish they were dead.” Damon smirked. “Stefan still pretending his humanity is off?” “Yes. I just don’t know why.” “Yes you do Damon. Stefan’s guilt knows no bounds. He slaughtered dozens of people because Klaus told him to. He attacked Elena when he was compelled and was pretty much an obnoxious dick to her. And while his sarcasm amused me, it hurt her. And then him threatening to drive her off the bridge? He doesn’t think he can come back from any of that. So he pretends.” “You’re right. I just hope he behaves tonight.” “He will. He’s been on his best behavior. Elena will be there. If he ever wants a chance of getting back with her he won’t make a move she won’t approve of.” You studied Damon’s expression. “I know that’s not what you want. And I know that you love her and want to be with her. But if she chooses Stefan...” “You mean when.” He huffed. “No if- then promise me you’ll move on. You’re not the monster YOU pretend to be. And you deserve to be happy too.” You patted his cheek. “Wait- what do you mean Elena will be there? She promised she’d stay home.” “Uhh no. She didn’t. You demanded, she ignored. Stop trying to control everything.” “If I was you certainly wouldn’t be with Elijah. You smacked him in the arm and headed out of the room. “See you later.” You winked at him and headed downstairs to the car Elijah had sent for you. “Well hello darling...” Kol oogled you as you walked into the Mikaelson Mansion.“Kol I wouldn’t unless you want Elijah to feed you your entrails.” Klaus quipped. He kissed you on the cheek. “Elijah will be down shortly. Primping and what not. Come, we’ll get you a drink while you wait Y/N” Klaus gestured for you to take his arm and you complied. Klaus on his best behavior was something you weren’t used to. You figure you should enjoy it while it lasted. He led you to the bar area and handed you a glass of champagne. “I hope you know that Elijah will lose his mind when he sees you in that dress” Klaus had his signature teasing smirk gracing his face. You wished he was like this all of the time. When the paranoia didn’t rule. You expressed your gratitude and he left you to your drink. A little while later you had your back to the party, it had just started filling up. You hadn’t even noticed him approaching. You were in your own little world. You almost jumped out of your skin when his hand graced your waist. When you spun around your face grew crimson in embarrassment. Elijah looked handsome as ever in his tuxedo. “You look amazing tonight.” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. You didn’t know if it was the champagne or the grandeur of the evening that made everything seem fuzzy. It was like a movie. When Elijah leaned down and kissed you, you felt like everything around you was spinning. You spent the evening on Elijah’s arm, shipping champagne and dancing. You couldn’t have been happier. A while later you and Rebekah were upstairs giggling like school girls but you just couldn’t stop. “Y/N you are absolutely drunk!” Rebekah exclaimed while laughing. “I blame Klaus really. He got me my first drink.” “But not the remaining 5.” You shrugged and took a sip out of the bottle you had in your hands and passed it to her. “When in doubt- blame Nik.” “That is an excellent motto Y/N” Kol was smirking from the doorway. “Why are you two hiding up here?” “She’s annoyed with Elena. I’m annoyed with Caroline and the Salvatore drama is too much of a buzz kill. Elijah was chatting Elena up so I slipped up here. Apparently she had a sagey closed door meeting with your mommy and he’s curious.” You shrugged. “She is smashed.” Kol laughed he picked you up and spun you around. You’re giggled again and then stumbled. You were about to take another drink from the champagne bottle when Elijah snatched it from you. “You know Rebekah I would think you would explore some sense knowing she’s human and doesn’t have the tolerance that you do.” You rolled your eyes. “Wiiiiiitch! Not human.” You poked Elijah in the chest. He didn’t seem as amused as Kol. He took a deep breath and steadied his patience. “Kol, Rebekah- leave us.” He demanded. Neither argued and quickly fled the room. You removed your silver strappy sandles knowing you were in for a lecture. “You know I never expected this kind of behavior from you. Drunkenly slurring your words and acting like a child. I expect more from you. This is absolutely juvenile. If this is how you are at parties then I can’t say I’ll be inviting you again. It’s a shame you can’t behave more like Elena.” Elijah didn’t expect you to whip around and slap him. He was more surprised than angry. He didn’t expect to see your eyes so filled with rage. “Screw you Elijah. I apologize for forgetting to ram a stick up my ass so I could keep up with you this evening.” He went to say something but stopped when he saw the look on your face. “For someone so intelligent you really are an idiot sometimes. I was having fun tonight Elijah. Fun. Getting along with your siblings. Laughing. Do you even know the last time I genuinely laughed and had a good time? Because I don’t!” You felt sobriety hitting you fast and hard. “When I met you, it was after stopping Katherine from killing more people I loved. Then it was trying to save Elena from Klaus and figure out how to reconcile loving you and saving her. Then Jenna died and Klaus didn’t. Then I had to watch him dagger you in front of my eyes and take Stefan on a murder binge. Fighting to save him and get you back. Not to mention all I lost prior to that. So how dare you judge me. Talk to me like I’m your damn child. I did NOTHING wrong. I wasn’t embarrassing. I even charmed Finn for Christ Sakes. Don’t you ever- EVER speak to me like that again. Loving you won’t stop me from making your brain drip out from your ears.” You tried to stalk away but he grabbed your arm and pulled you back. You felt your anger build. But his words disarmed you. “I love you too.” You looked at him like he was crazy, not realizing what you had admitted. “What?!” He realized that you probably hadn’t meant to admit that you loved him in your tirade. “You said that you loved me. Well you yelled it at me. But none the less you put it out there. And I want you to know that I love you too.” He watched as your fury started to burn out so he continued. “I’m sorry for what I said. Maybe it’s because I’m not very good at letting loose like that.” “Maybe you should try it sometime. Do the unexpected. Be a little reckless.” You saw a slight twinkle in his eye. “Okay.” Before you knew it he had you pinned to the wall, hands all over your body, kissing you. You felt his nose travel down the side of your neck and felt electricity travel to your core. He spun you around and eagerly undid your dress and let it fall to the ground. You stood there in nothing but a pair of black lace panties. When he turned you back around you slid off his jacket and undid his tie, then slowly unbuttoned his shirt. You had no idea when he had taken off his shoes and socks. He was kissing you again. As his lips trailed your neck you knew he was holding back. You didn’t want him to. There was something erotic about him feeding from you. “Do it Elijah. Don’t hold back.” “No- I won’t hurt you.” You stared at his face, he was fighting back his fangs and the veins around his eyes. “Elijah I want you to. Please” you begged. That was all he needed to hear to not be able to control himself anymore. When you felt his teeth sink into your skin you moaned. In a flash you were on the bed. You whined slightly when he removed his teeth. He quickly finished undressing and slipped off your panties. He licked the blood off your neck. He was slightly amazed when you used your own magic to heal yourself. You were mesmerized by him as you enjoyed watching him care free and let loose with you. He brought you to peaks of extascy you didn’t know were possible. Deep down you knew as well as he did that there was another fight coming but he followed your lead and let it go just for that one night.

#TVD #TVD Imagine #Elijah Mikaelson #Elijah Mikaleson x Reader #Elijah x Reader #Klaus Mikaelson #Kol Mikaelson #Rebecca Mikaelson #Damon Salvatore #Elena Gilbert

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medschoolash · 5 years

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1/Do you think the final 3 episodes will top this one? What do you think of what Sansa said to Tyrion and why did she say it and what do you think Messindeis reaction? I hate it cause it's like you're the best for not raping me and tutoring me like Ramsay did when I was your familys captive and your child bride. Sansa's getting so much hate for that scene and I'm not sure why they added it in the first place, what are we getting from this conversation?But the entire crypts scenes were a mess imo

2/ I've seen someone on twitter say she needs redemption arc💀💀💀💀 cause she hasn't done anything good in their eyes and the whole knights of the vale thing and "undermining Jon" and hating Dany. Someone even mocked her for being raped and the wording of his mockery is so disgusting, I swear I'm not making this up. Like, this makes me wonder what does the writer want for her? Nothing is being perceived well about her

first, thank you so much for wanting my opinion on this! :)

I think the final three episodes might not top episode 3 in spectacle department but I think the final 3 episodes will have more compelling drama than the first 3 combined. Things are about to get really messy and it’s gonna happen fast. i’m really excited about it.

As far as Sansa’s words to Tyrion. I think that there are two parts to her behavior. I think a part of her wanted to connect with the only person she had any sort of decent history with at that moment. she was terrified and without her family. She clearly wanted to be out there with her people and at her sister’s side but she knew it wasn’t safe so she was stuck in the dark with a bunch of people she’s not that close to with the fear that she could die at any minute of the WWs breech the entry to the crypts. Tyrion was the only person down there she had any real connection to so it was natural for her to want to connect with him. Despite their marriage being arranged and what his family did to her family Sansa see’s Tyrion as someone who was decent to her at a time when no one else was. I know book Tyrion was different but in show canon from Sansa’s POV Tyrion never tried to force himself on her, he tried to comfort her when her family was murdered, and he tried to protect her from joffrey as best as he could so I think she will always have a certain fondness from him for the simple fact that he was decent at a time when she was starved of common decency from everyone else. I think sharing that moment with Tyrion helped Sansa feel less alone down there and was a good distraction.

I also think that Sansa has recognized that Tyrion as a clear soft spot for her. He sought her out soon after he got to Winterfell. He looks at her with a certain mix of longing and admiration. He keeps mentioning how they were married and alluding to wishing they still were. So I think that even though the first part of her communication with him was about making a genuine connection with someone familiar in a terrifying situation, the second part of her conversation to him was about her planting seeds for the future if there is one. Sansa knows that Tyrion and Dany’s relationship is hot and cold and Tyrion is insecure about his position with her. She also knows that Dany has doubts about him despite her recent outward show of confidence in him. I think she also knows exactly what is driving Tyrion and she’s already mentioned that men do stupid things for “love”. Tyrion’s rocky relationship with the woman that Sansa clearly opposes and his clear soft spot for her means that Sansa is a clear avenue to manipulate a valuable player of the game for her own cause. I don’t for a second think she would ever give Tyrion a chance but she wanted a light moment with him and she wanted Tyrion to think that he has a chance if he shifts his loyalties to her later down the line. Getting Dany’s had to betray her and join her cause , as well as securing the loyalty of one of the better thinkers in the realm would be HUGE in Sansa’s quest to get the north from under Dany and Sansa knows this so she’s slowly setting that play in motion and honestly I think that it just might work because Tyrion won’t be forgetting what they shared in those crypts on the brink of death anytime soon. Sansa knows that she can’t beat dany on manpower alone, Dany has 2 dragons, if she’s gonna dethrone her she’s gonna have to be smart, meticulous, and subtle in her approach and this is more of her doing that.

as far as the idea that Sansa needs redemption goes, I’m sure that’s from someone who never liked Sansa to begin with. In order for someone to need redemption they have to commit egregious sins, and contrary to what the fanboys and Dany ass kickers think being born a traditionally feminine woman in a male dominated world is not a sin that requires redemption. The writers have slowly made Sansa one of the major players in the game and have slowly built up her leadership and loyalty from the people around her while showing the exact opposite of her rivals. They have also showed more than once that Sansa is usually always right. She was right about Jon’s trip to Dragonstone, she was right about Ramsey in the BOTB, she was right about Cersei, she was right about Jon letting the Karstarks and the Umbers off easy only showed other houses that they can also be disloyal and escape punishment which is why Lord Glover abandoned Jon and the war AGAIN. She also predicted exactly how the northern lords would react to Jon’s extended absence. Certain people choose to ignore this because they refuse to acknowledge that Sansa is a real threat to their favorite even tho it’s been established over and over at this point. Sansa is Dany’s rival right now even thought Dany only sees her as a minor nuisance on her quest to the bigger problem in Cersei but I suspect she will learn soon enough that she should have paid more attention to the threat Sansa posed to her because Sansa will snatch everything she holds dear right from under her without every having to lift a finger or swords.

Basically the writer’s plan for Sansa is LEADERSHIP. She’s clearly being positioned as a contender for a crown and as a rival for Dany. At this point the only question left is which crown that is, the northern crown or the crown of the 7 kindgoms. The sansa haters know this and that’s why they made, it’s not that they aren’t picking up on it, they are, they just refuse to acknowledge it and think that nitpicking her every move and bringing up old stuff will someone make that reality go away.

#answered #sansa stark #sansa stark commentary #got commentary #Anonymous

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barnestruck · 5 years

Text

The Divinity of Notre Dame (II)

(gif creds to owner)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Medieval!AU)

Summary: All of the officials of Paris are in pursuit of the g*ps* Y/N. She finds a safe haven in an unlikely place where she encounters both the ominous archdeacon and the charming Captain of the Guard.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: Use of the term “g*ps*”, more Womanizer!Bucky, Pierce being creepy, not a warning but the reader is a badass!, fluff ensues when the soldier and the g*ps* meet!, mention of religious things

*UPDATE* it has recently been brought to my attention that the word “g*ps*” is used as a slur, and that the people of the descent prefer to be referred to as Roma/Romani. i’m really sorry for not doing my research and just going off of the content of the movie/musical to help me with my writing.

A/N: wow! so soon! idk man, I just really wanted to write about these two meeting :) and happy birthday to the loml, a one mr. james buchanan barnes! i swear, that man owns my ass heart <33

Part I

Y/N tiredly rested her head against the doors of Notre Dame, doors she had never been through before. The first thing she noticed as she walked in the cathedral was the light. She stopped and beheld all the beauty, like a beggar receiving an alms. Each window, pillar, and arch seemed to fill her with the light of Notre Dame. The light that shone through the immaculate rose window. Y/N felt at peace, safe for once in her life. A calming feeling settled in her subconscious, compelling her to close her eyes as she basked in the light. Though, her serenity was short lived as the archdeacon’s voice pierced through her ears.

“So a g*ps* dares to enter this holy place,” he said. Y/N’s eyes snapped open with a sense of alarm, pushing her to get as far away from that voice as she could. Y/N felt panic creep its way through her mind and morphing her expression. She wouldn’t let it. She wouldn’t let him see her fear.

“Why shouldn’t I? The cathedral is open to the public,” Y/N replied, masking her vulnerability with confidence.

“Because your kind isn’t allowed here,” the Judge snapped back.

Y/N furrowed her brows in confusion. “Why do you hate us so much? What did we ever do to you?”

The g*ps*’s words struck a chord in Pierce’s mind. Her words brought him back to the moment where his brother lied, as a cold lifeless body, in the archdeacon’s arms. And all because he decided to run away with...Sarah. “Your kind has done more than you know. What are you doing here?”

The girl put her shoulders back as she spoke to him, just as she had earlier in the town square where she publicly defied him. “I came here looking for the bellringer. Someone had to help him.”

“That boy doesn’t need your help,” Pierce retorted. “He is my responsibility. God loves even a monster.”

A look of distaste washed over the g*ps*’s face. “That boy is no less human than the rest of us!”

“Well some of us are less human in the moral sense.”

Y/N scoffed, the Judge was so close-minded not even a guillotine could cut through it. “Do you mean me?”

Pierce grew more agitated and defensive. “You dance in public without shame.”

“I dance because I enjoy it! Others...enjoy it too.” Y/N interrupted.

“You use your beauty to mesmerize.”

“My beauty is none of your concern. It is mine to utilize it as I please,” she shot back.

“It is a beauty given to you by God. A God who certainly did not intend you to use it in such a...licentious way,” spat Pierce as he turned, back facing the girl.

The way he said that word...licentious. It disturbed her. She didn’t want to keep arguing with Pierce, acting like this was the reason why their world was still plagued with so much conflict. Y/N took it upon herself to be the bigger person, to propose a compromise. If only she could get him to see…

“Your Grace,” she began. “There must be...some charity within you. If you were willing to help the bellringer, then surely you can extend that kindness to others...almost as unfortunate.”

The archdeacon still did not face her. Y/N had to push harder.

She sighed. “How you would wish others to treat you, could you not treat them?”

That seemed to do it. The Judge waveringly looked over his shoulder to look at her. He spoke his words with hesitation, “Our Lord Jesus said...something very similar.” Just then, the bells rang through the cathedral, signaling the beginning of the midday mass.

“Midday mass is starting. I must go,” the archdeacon said with his head down, trying to escape the g*ps*’s presence. He hesitated for a moment before turning to her saying, “My child, though you people are lost, there could be something in you that can be saved. Stay. Perhaps you will see the meaning of true beauty.” With that, he left. Y/N was now alone to her own devices. She was met again with the grand divinity before in the form of the cathedral.

As a young girl, Y/N had not been in touch with the Savior everyone around her seemed so close to. Judge Pierce was already named archdeacon during her childhood and under him, gypsies were shunned from the church. She never got the chance to seek comfort through prayer, despite having a curiosity towards it. She watched those lining the pews before her, nobles decked in neat clothing, and decided to join them, indulging her interest. She knelt, brought her hands together and whispered:

“I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there. I don't know if you would listen to a g*ps*’s prayer. Yes, I know I'm just an outcast, I shouldn't speak to you. Still, I see your face and wonder, were you once an outcast too? God help the outcasts, or nobody will.”

Y/N didn’t know what it was, but something had changed in the atmosphere, allowing her to hear what those surrounding her were praying for as well.

“I ask for wealth.” “I ask for fame.” “I ask for glory to shine on my name.”

Y/N didn’t hold anything against those in her company. Everyone had the right to their own desires and hopes. If they asked to be indulged with more materialism than they were already exposed to, she wouldn’t fault them for that. However, that’s not what Y/N wanted. She didn’t care about being blessed with all the riches available to humankind; she could care less about drowning in the world’s finest jewelry. In fact, she didn’t really think about asking for anything. She could get by with what she had, despite it really not being that much. But Y/N knew that there were people living around her with nothing. All she really desired was having those less fortunate than her cared for; blessed. Were they not all children of God?

As Y/N finished her prayer, she heard shuffling and whispering from behind her. She recognized the voice belonging to that of the Captain, the one who attempted to carry out her arrest earlier that day.

Bucky and Sam had been searching for the g*ps* girl for what seemed like hours. They were surprised to find her praying in a church. Bucky gestured Sam towards the exit. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this.”

Bucky proceeded to greet the girl with caution. “I...thought you disappeared into a puff of smoke.”

Y/N was suspicious of the Captain, unclear of where his loyalties lie. She noticed his hesitation in carrying out the orders given to him by the archdeacon. Still, that was no reason to trust him. She pulled out the knife from under her skirt and concealed it by keeping it low. “Don’t believe everything you see.”

Y/N rose from her kneeling position on the pew. Bucky approached her to halt her escape. “And where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

The g*ps* girl could hear the Captain’s breaths behind her. She backed up and turned around to face him, just in time to hold her dagger to his throat. He held up his hands in surrender.

“Oh, easy! I just shaved this morning,” he said in an attempt to charm her and buy himself enough time to free himself from her knife’s hold.

“Oh really?” She asked, humoring him, his remark clearly not working. “You missed a spot,” she said adding a little more pressure to her knife against his skin.

“Hey, hey, calm down. Just give me a chance to apologize,” said Bucky.

Y/N furrowed her brows in confusion. “For what?”

“This.” Bucky knocked the dagger out of her hand by striking her wrist and he shoved her, forcing her to the ground.

A fire burned behind her eyes as she spat, “You sneaky son of a–”

“Hey, watch it. We’re in a church,” he quipped with a smirk.

She rested a hand on her hip, replying sassily, “Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?” She ended her phrase with a slight laugh.

Well, damn him, if that wasn’t the most melodious thing Bucky had ever heard. But he couldn’t allow himself to be distracted, he was assigned to take her into custody (despite not wanting to). He wasn’t about to let the sound of her voice be the reason he was kicked off the Cathedral Guard. That excuse wouldn’t hold up well in his defense. Unless...he could use the fact that he was in the church with her as his defense. She was protected by the law of sanctuary.

His moment of hesitation bought the girl just enough time to grab the tall candelabra by her side and swing it at him. Bucky regained attention to the situation just in time for him to block her blow with his sword. That wasn’t all she had up her sleeve though. She took another chance to strike him with the other end of the candlelight, but he was still fast enough to defend himself.

“I’m impressed. You fight almost as well as a man,” he noted.

That evoked another laugh from her. Dammit, she’s making this way harder than it needs to be, thought Bucky.

“Funny,” the girl began. “I was gonna say the same thing about you.” With her last word, she forced the candlelight to hit Bucky’s side, the power pushing him back.

“That’s hitting it a little below the belt, don’t you think?” he asked.

“No,” she said with a smile. “This is.” With that, she struck him between the legs, sending him to the floor with a groan.

“Touché,” he let out, pain evident in his voice. After composing himself, Bucky decided to go about the situation in a more civil matter.

“Permit me,” he offered his hand to the girl. “I’m James, but you can call me Bucky. The rest of the ladies do.”

The girl remained defensive in her stance but her expression was passive. She rolled her eyes.

“And you are?” Bucky asked, trying to hear more of her voice. He wanted to put a name to the most gorgeous face he had seen. God knows her name could only be as beautiful as she looked.

“Is this an interrogation?” She quipped. Not exactly what he was hoping for...but it would do.

“I believe it’s called an introduction,” he said as he withdrew his sword back to its holder.

“You’re not arresting me?” She questioned with confusion on her face.

“Not as long as you’re in here, I can’t.”

The girl seemed to relax at that. “You’re not at all like the other soldiers.”

Bucky bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Why thank you.”

The g*ps* set the candelabra down and hesitantly walked toward him. “If you’re not here to arrest me, what do you want?”

She wasn’t close enough. Bucky stepped nearer. “I’d settle for your name.”

The end of her lips tugged up a bit at that. “Y/N,” she said.

Beautiful, Bucky thought. “I thought you were called La Esmeralda.”

“Oh, that’s just a stage name. The girl who dances for money isn’t really me, so I didn’t want to give her my name.”

Bucky’s curiosity peaked. “So who are you, really? If not the girl who loves to dance?”

“Oh I love to dance alright,” Y/N began. “But not for the reasons one would think. It makes me happy and I know it does the same for others. I do it to bring smiles to people’s faces; to bring small moments of joy in an ocean of memories of suffering.”

If Bucky wasn’t convinced of his infatuation for her then, he was now. He stepped even nearer, the desire to be closer to her overwhelming him. Not only did she appear as a work of art, sculpted by Donatello himself, but it seemed her heart and soul had been crafted by God as well. Just then, the sound of a thump, perhaps something being knocked over echoed from above them. That snapped the soldier and the g*ps* out of their reverie. Y/N turned away from and Bucky and toward the sound.

He tried to grab a hold of her wrist to keep her with him just a moment longer. “Where are you going?”

She looked back at the Captain with a determined look on her face. “To see that boy.”

Bucky shook his head. “B-But you can’t.” He didn’t really have a reason for her, he just didn’t want her to leave. He felt...something whenever they were in the same company. Something...different. A good different.

“Of course I can,” she said with a smirk lingering on her red lips. “You just can’t say anything.”

At that, she bolted in the direction at which the thump came from. She called out to the bellringer but was met with no response. Bucky followed the sound of her footsteps with his ears as she moved through the upper levels of the cathedral.

Just like that, she was out of his grasp again; leaving him to anticipate their next meeting.

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