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angelicspaceprince · 2 years

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Genshin Impact HCs - S/O Infodumping

Prompt: How do the Genshin characters react to you infodumping about your special interest? - Requested by @zhonglis-wifey

Characters: Zhongli, Childe, Thoma, Scaramouche, Diluc, Kaeya, Venti, Albedo, Xiao, Kazuha.

Tags: Gender neutral reader, written about autism by an autistic with stuff about ADHD written by someone with ADHD so very much based off of personal experiences, I’m sorry if they do not match your own but I hope you get something out of it regardless! Spelling errors, as my tumblr does not pick up on them and I refuse to put it through google docs first - it’s too much of a pain to format afterwards 😭

CW: SI here stands for Special Interest, not Self Injury as an FYI. ADHD implied Childe (personal HC), Scaramouche being an ass (I tried to make it sweet but he’s a dick), nothing else majorly that I can think of

Thoma

Loves hearing you info dump whilst he’s working

His favourite time to ask you questions about your SI is when he’s cooking so he can listen as he slowly works on making sure everything he’s making is absolutely perfect for those he’s feeding

His favourite thing to do is to get you to talk about your SI too, because he loves the way you light up as you get more and more excited

He also makes a point of learning about your SI so he can talk to you about it and not just be a passive listener

He views it as another way to spend time with you, so he puts his all into it

And if he doesn’t understand something for whatever reason, he simply asks you to walk him through it.

If he sees something SI-related at the market, he will get it for you no matter the price

Same with if he hears anything about an SI-related event happening within Inazuma, he will pull as many strings as he has to in order to ensure the pair of you can go together

All in all, a very sweet boy

‘Hey I saw this when I went to the market today and thought you might like it! I’m not entirely sure what it is.... maybe you could explain it to me about it sometime? We could make it a date!’

Zhongli

This man is a walking encyclopedia

Literally, the best person to have a discussion with regarding your SI

He will set aside time to talk to you about your SI as often as you request - he will even make a point of making a long lunch reservation at a restraunt of your choice to ensure you have space and time to info dump to him

Always answers your questions without any hesitation

Is always invested in your conversations too

He will remain quiet with a small smile as he listens to you info dump, content not to say a word unless you ask him for his opinion or knowledge on the subject

When he goes for walks, if he sees anything SI-related, he will bring it home for you and present it during one of your info-dumping sessions

He also loves it when you info dump when the pair of you are settling into bed of a night

He just enjoys hearing you talk as he holds you close and takes in every word you have for him

Also remembers every single word you say

All in all, a very good person to info dump to

‘Are you ready, dearest? We can begin our discussion as we walk to the restraunt, I’d hate to be late for our reservation and for it to cut our time short.’

Childe

Not gonna lie, it’s probably going to go over his head

He tries. He really does try.

The same way he listens to Anton when he talks about his SI, he does it for you

But, there is so much going on in his head, so sometimes mind just wanders and it’s hard for him to pay attention, especially if he’s had a long day forcing himself to pay attention to the long, boring harbinger meetings he’s expected to particpate in

Always apologises afterwards if he asks you to repeat yourself

And he gets embarrassed by his inability to concentrate on what you’re saying

He never admits it’s because he’s distracted by just how stunning you look when you get excited talking about your SI

He tries to teach himself a little about your SI though

He’s pulled favours to get tickets to events surrounding your SI, and pulled even more to get time off to attend it with you

He will shower you in gifts that are related to your SI too

He tries. He wants to do better to actually listen when you talk, and is finding ways to do that, but for now, all he can do is try

Boy has ADHD if y’all can’t pick up what I’m laying down and if you skipped the CW

‘Ah, what was that? I’m sorry, baby, I’ll try harder to pay attention this time. Let me make it up to you next time we are out, yeah?’

Albedo

This motherfucker takes notes

Everyone quiet, class is in session

He will remember everything you say, often bringing up previous conversations during your info dumps

Makes small comments with his thoughts throughout and listens if you go to correct him - this is your area of expertise afterall, he wants to learn from the master

Actively encourages your info dumping sessions when he’s working on an alchemy project

There have been a few times your info dumping sessions have actually helped him with his project, but he just enjoys hearing your voice and your excitement as he works

He still takes in every word you say, even if he seems distracted at the time

If there is a way to use alchemy to create stuff in regards to your SI, he will

If there isn’t, he will find a way

All-in-all, he loves hearing your excitement and learning from you

'Fascinating as always, sweetflower.’

Diluc

This man will stop everything he’s doing to listen if he has the chance

Another one who loves to listen as he works

Be it inspecting the vineyard or helping clean up Angel’s Share, having you follow or simply be in the room with him as you chatter away

Sometimes, he will just flat our ask you to talk about your SI, listening with a rare smile as you talk away

For him, it’s a comfort

He’s not awfully good at conversation, but he still wants to converse with you

This is an easy way for him to do just that

He will create a room at the winery for you to keep all of your items relating to your SI for safe keeping too, making sure that the staff know to treat your items with the utmost care

‘If it wouldn’t trouble you, liebling, I would love to hear you to continue our conversation from last night as I work.’

Kaeya

He will tease you about it

Lightly, of course

Mostly by asking if there will be a test afterwards, or if he needs to take notes

If it upsets you, he’ll apologise and try to make it up to you, explaining that he loves to hear you talk about the things that interest you

He will encourage you to talk about your SI for as long as possible as he simply watches with that cocky grin of his

If you ask him if he’s been listening, he will relay every fact you’ve given him before asking for more just to see you get excited again

He loves it when you info dump as he writes reports, to the point where he will bring you into work when his paperwork has piled up

If you get self-concious and start to slow down or stop your info-dump, he is quick to rectify that, encouraging you to continue with a more genuine smile and reassurance that it’s not annoying, he’s enjoying this time with you and simply hearing you talk about things you’re passionate about

Love smitten, just bad at showing it

‘Oh? Why did you stop? I enjoy hearing you talk as I work, especially when it’s about something that gets you so excited.’

Venti

Hearing you talk about your SI? Venti has, and will, write many a ballad in regards to how endlessly beautiful you look when you get start talking to him about your SI

He will simply lay there with you under the tree at Windrise as you talk and talk and talk, rarely offering his own two cents unless prompted, just to hear your musical voice become louder and more excited

To him, there is no clearer vision of heaven than spending this time with you

He will compose next to you as he listens, plotting his lyrics and music as he watches you in awe

Another love-smitten boy, only this one is a little clearer in showing it

In order to get him to come along to one of your info-dump sessions, you merely have to go to the Temple near Windrise and call his name. Together, you two walk to your designated spot as your conversation begins to flow

It’s harder to stop the conversation with Venti than any of the others in this list, he is just that good at drawing more information from you in order to spend even more time with you

‘Ah, is it that time again? Well then, come on! I’m excited to hear what you have for me this time.’

Xiao

Xiao is a listener before all else

He finds it relaxing to have your voice anchor him away from all of his pains and struggles that his karmic debt has forced him through

During particularly bad times, be it pain or flashbacks, you are his first point of call

It gets to the point where he doesn’t even have to ask for you to start talking, he just arrives and is clearly in distress so you sit him down in the most comfortable position the pair of you can get into and start talking and talking until he finally murmurs a small ‘thank you’ before he asks you to continue

He doesn’t quite understand why you are so passionate about your SI. To him, its just another fact of life or a distraction to the bigger picture

But, it makes you happy. And your happiness is his greatest priority, equalling his contract to Liyue

Will make you something that represents your SI, and it’s something that ends up becoming one of your more treasured items

'Here, I made it for you. I hope it’s to your satisfaction.’

Kazuha

Kazuha is also probably one of the best listeners by nature on this list

To him, to hear you talk about your SI is one of life’s greatest gifts

Has he written haikus about how your excitement makes him feel? Yes. He’s embarrassed Beidou with readings surrounding it many a time, to the point that she’s made him swear never to share them with you

Whether it’s on the Crux, or within Inazuma, or in Liyue during one of the ships many stops, Kazuha will always make time to hear you info-dump about your SI

He may not remember every fact, but he will remember every feeling, and that’s what’s most important to him

He is also one to encourage you to talk about your SI, loving how your eyes light up as you get ready to tell him everything you’ve learnt or thought about since your last info-dumping session

Again, another gift giver

If he sees something in the wild that reminds him of your SI, he will gift it to you and explain why it made him think of your SI

It’s another way for the pair of you to spend time with one another and he cherishes every moment

‘I’ll always have time to talk to you, maple leaf. What thoughts do you have to share with me today?’

Scaramouche

Listen. I love Scaramouche. I truly do. And I spent so long trying to make this kind and loving

But he’s an asshole

The first time you info dump, he’s going to be a dick about it

110% would say ‘do you ever shut up’ the first time it happens

Of course, it comes back to bite him on the ass when he finds that he actually misses your info dumping

It’s only happened the once and he’s already hooked on the way your excitement made him feel

He doesn’t come crawling back to you at first, he figures it’s only a matter of time before it happens again

But then days go by

And then weeks

And suddenly he realises that if he wants to experience that level of intamcy with you again, he’s going to have to talk to you about it

He wouldn’t apologise, simply asking for you to continue your conversation where you left off

When you act confused, he gets a little funny - his love language is being an ass, didn’t you know that?

It’s not until you finally explain that you talking about your SI is a deeply personal thing that you trusted him with that he realises just how badly he fucked up

He apologises, works on getting you comfortable to info-dump with him again but it takes time

And then? He listens. And listens. Every now and again, he will randomly bring up something you had said weeks prior during one of your info-dump sessions simply because the statement intrigued him enough that he keeps thinking about it

Another one who encourage you to info dump as he works. Hearing you talk makes all of his boring work go by so much faster

Once he appreciates what he nearly lost, he makes a point of never toeing that line again

Thanks you sometimes?? When you info dump? He just needed to hear your voice and to focus on something that wasn’t Fatui Business so he thanks you for distracting him with your lovely voice

‘You want me to do what? Say I’m wrong? But I- Fine. I’m sorry. I was wrong.’

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pridebooks · 4 years

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It’s Trans Day of Visibility, so have some books!!

Full list of books (with synopses) under the cut.

First picture: Books by trans authors (most also have trans characters)

Memoirs of a Man’s Maiden Years by N. O. Body - "I was born a boy, raised as a girl. . . . One may raise a healthy boy in as womanish a manner as one wishes, and a female creature in as mannish; never will this cause their senses to remain forever reversed." So writes the pseudonymous N. O. Body, born in 1884 with ambiguous genitalia and assigned a female identity in early infancy. Brought up as a girl, "she" nevertheless asserted stereotypical male behavior from early on. In the end, it was a passionate love affair with a married woman that brought matters to a head. Desperately confused, suicidally depressed, and in consultation with Magnus Hirschfeld, one of the most eminent and controversial sexologists of the day, "she" decided to become "he." N. O. Body was identified as Karl M. Baer (he/him).

Spy Stuff by Matthew J. Metzger - Anton never thought anyone would ever want to date him. Everyone knows nobody wants a transgender boyfriend, right? So he's as shocked as anyone when seemingly-straight Jude Kalinowski asks him out, and doesn't appear to be joking.The only problem is ... well, Jude doesn't actually know.Anton can see how this will play out: Jude is a nice guy, and nice guys finish last. And Anton is transgender, and transgender people don't get happy endings. If he tells Jude, it might destroy everything.And if Jude tells anyone else ... it will. Matthew J. Metzger (he/him) is a queer trans man.

I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver - When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school.But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.At turns heartbreaking and joyous, I Wish You All the Best is both a celebration of life, friendship, and love, and a shining example of hope in the face of adversity Mason Deaver (they/them) is nonbinary.

George by Alex Gino -When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl.George thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part . . . because she's a boy.With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all. Alex Gino (they/them) is genderqueer.

Starglass by Phoebe North - Terra has never known anything but life aboard the Asherah, a city-within-a-spaceship that left Earth five hundred years ago in search of refuge. At sixteen, working a job that doesn't interest her, and living with a grieving father who only notices her when he's yelling, Terra is sure that there has to be more to life than what she's got. But when she inadvertently witnesses the captain's guard murdering an innocent man, Terra is suddenly thrust into the dark world beneath her ship's idyllic surface. As she's drawn into a secret rebellion determined to restore power to the people, Terra discovers that her choices may determine life or death for the people she cares most about. With mere months to go before landing on the long-promised planet, Terra has to make the decision of a lifetime--one that will determine the fate of her people. Phoebe North (they/them) is genderqueer.

Power Surge by Sara Codair - Erin has just realized that for the entirety of their life, their family has lied to them. Their Sight has been masked for years, so Erin thought the Pixies and Mermaids were hallucinations. Not only are the supernatural creatures they see daily real, but their grandmother is an Elf, meaning Erin isn’t fully human. On top of that, the dreams Erin thought were nightmares are actually prophecies.While dealing with the anger they have over all of the lies, they are getting used to their new boyfriend, their boyfriend's bullying ex, and the fact that they come from a family of Demon Hunters. As Erin struggles through everything weighing on them, they uncover a Demon plot to take over the world.Erin just wants some time to work through it all on their own terms, but that's going to have to wait until after they help save the world. Sara Codair (they/she) is nonbinary.

Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve - When genderqueer fourteen-year-old Z Chilworth wakes from death after a car crash that killed their parents and sisters, they have to adjust quickly to their new status as a zombie. Always a talented witch, Z can now barely perform magic and is rapidly decaying. Faced with rejection from their remaining family members and old friends, Z moves in with Mrs. Dunnigan, an elderly witch, and befriends Aysel, a loud would-be-goth classmate who is, like Z, a loner. As Z struggles to find a way to repair the broken magical seal holding their body together, Aysel fears that her classmates will discover her status as an unregistered werewolf. When a local psychiatrist is murdered in an apparent werewolf attack, the town of Salem, Oregon, becomes even more hostile to monsters, and Z and Aysel are driven together in an attempt to survive a place where most people wish that neither of them existed. Hal Schrieve (xie/hir) is a genderfluid trans man.

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender - Nathan Bird doesn’t believe in happy endings. Although he’s the ultimate film buff and an aspiring screenwriter, Nate’s seen the demise of too many relationships to believe that happy endings exist in real life.Playing it safe to avoid a broken heart has been his MO ever since his father died and left his mom to unravel—but this strategy is not without fault. His best-friend-turned-girlfriend-turned-best-friend-again, Florence, is set on making sure Nate finds someone else. And in a twist that is rom-com-worthy, someone does come along: Oliver James Hernández, his childhood best friend.After a painful mix-up when they were little, Nate finally has the chance to tell Ollie the truth about his feelings. But can Nate find the courage to pursue his own happily ever after? Kacen Callender (they/them) is a demiboy.

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee - Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress.The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own. As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao–because she might be his next victim. Yoon Ha Lee (he/him) is a trans man.

Second pic: Books with trans characters

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky - Alone at home, twelve-year-old Grayson Sender glows, immersed in beautiful thoughts and dreams. But at school, Grayson grasps at shadows, determined to fly under the radar. Because Grayson has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: “he” is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender’s body.The weight of this secret is crushing, but leaving it behind would mean facing ridicule, scorn, and rejection. Despite these dangers, Grayson’s true self itches to break free. Strengthened by an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher who gives her a chance to step into the spotlight, Grayson might finally have the tools to let her inner light shine.

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills - "This is Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, on community radio 90.3, KZUK. I'm Gabe. Welcome to my show."My birth name is Elizabeth, but I'm a guy. Gabe. My parents think I've gone crazy and the rest of the world is happy to agree with them, but I know I'm right. I've been a boy my whole life.When you think about it, I'm like a record. Elizabeth is my A side, the song everybody knows, and Gabe is my B side--not heard as often, but just as good.It's time to let my B side play.

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin - The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl?Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is…Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life.On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson - David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he's gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth: David wants to be a girl.On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal: to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in his class is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller - Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson - A good friend will bury your body, a best friend will dig you back up.Dino doesn’t mind spending time with the dead. His parents own a funeral home, and death is literally the family business. He’s just not used to them talking back. Until Dino’s ex-best friend July dies suddenly—and then comes back to life. Except not exactly. Somehow July is not quite alive, and not quite dead.As Dino and July attempt to figure out what’s happening, they must also confront why and how their friendship ended so badly, and what they have left to understand about themselves, each other, and all those grand mysteries of life.

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman - For Angel Rahimi, life is only about one thing: The Ark – a pop-rock trio of teenage boys who are currently taking the world by storm. Being part of The Ark’s fandom has given her everything – her friendships, her dreams, her place in the world. Jimmy Kaga-Ricci owes everything to The Ark too. He’s their frontman – and playing in a band is all he’s ever dreamed of doing. It’s just a shame that recently everything in his life seems to have turned into a bit of a nightmare. Because that’s the problem with dreaming – eventually, inevitably, real life arrives with a wake-up call. And when Angel and Jimmy are unexpectedly thrust together, they will discover just how strange and surprising facing up to reality can be.

The Pants Project by Cat Clarke - Whoever wrote the uniform policy decided (whyyy?) that girls had to wear skirts, while boys were allowed to wear pants. Sexist. Dumb. Unfair. “Girls must wear a black, pleated, knee-length skirt.” I bet I read those words a hundred times during summer vacation. The problem wasn’t the last word in that sentence. Skirt wasn’t really the issue, not for me. The issue was the first word. Girls. Here’s the thing: I may seem like a girl, but on the inside, I’m a boy.

#trans #tdov #trans day of visibility #transgender day of visibility #tdov 2020 #books #trans books

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msjr0119 · 4 years

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Forgive me

Part 9

A mini series, includes suicide and abuse.

Based on true events but using TRR characters who are owned by Pixelberry.

@annekebbphotography @burnsoslow @drakesensworld @ladyangel70 @kingliam2019 @bbrandy2002 @butindeed @bascmve01 @drakewalker04 @pedudley @captain-kingliamsqueen @duchessemersynwalker @insideamirage @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @kozabaji @texaskitten30 @ibldw-main @kimmiedoo5 @nikkis1983 @dangerouseggseagleartisan @gnatbrain @walker7519 @lodberg @cmestrella @hopefulmoonobject @addictedtodrakefanfic @angi15h @liamxs-world @rafasgirl23415 @notoriouscs @yukinagato2012 @dcbbw @qammh-blog @nz1091 @beardedoafdonutwagon @cordonianroyalty @custaroonie @lauradowning29

A shorter chapter compared to others...

******

Anton paced up and down, wondering what excuse he could use for being in Cordonia. He had to think tactfully- a way to brainwash Riley into thinking he was infact Justin. Frustrated that she rejected him back in New York two years ago, he had every intention of making her the rightful Queen in Cordonia alongside of him. Falling instantly in love with her after unexpectedly meeting her, he became obsessive- stalking her. That was until she became pregnant with Cordonia’s heir- a spanner in the works. Luckily Leo didn’t have a clue about his true identity when they met.

*****

Riley was grateful for her friends helping her out with Lucas, so she could see to Liam. Walking into the room, the nurses were removing the gauze from Liam’s eyes and inspecting them.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Placing a kiss on his lips, she noticed at how much he had improved.

“How are you feeling?”

“Much better now I can see you. I’ve missed your beautiful face. Where’s Lucas?”

“Max and Drake were arguing over who was the best uncle. In the end they both took him out. I’ll have to rescue him from them soon. Have they said when you’ll be discharged?”

“Well technically I’m the best uncle as I’m blood. Remind them that next time. No not yet.”

“That is true. Take this time to rest, not worrying about what is going off. Kiara is fine. She’s shaken up. But is grateful for you saving her life.”

“I’d do it for anyone in my court. As much as I was missing you two I’m just glad you weren’t there- I don’t know what id do without you both.” Holding his hand, she didn’t know what her future held- sure he said yesterday that he wanted to make her his princess but she believed it wasn’t true words.

“Neither myself or Lucas are leaving you. You’re our family. I better go and rescue tweedle Dee and tweedle dumb. I love you Liam.”

“I love you too Riley.”

*****

Riley arrived at the palace, she avoided walking by the ballroom. Even though she wasn’t present at the time of the attack- she had images in her mind of what happened. Walking to the courtyard, she saw Lucas between the two men. They were still arguing about who the best uncle was.

“Can’t believe you two. And technically Liam is the best uncle- argument over. Those were his words not mine.” Picking Lucas up, he held her tightly- feeling like a rubbish Mom abandoning him, she wanted to spend the rest of the day just the two of them.

“How’s Liam? King Constantine is wanting to see you by the way. He needs to introduce you to someone.”

“He’s looking better- they removed the gauze and patches. Oh. Do you know where he will be?”

“Most likely his study. We will go and visit Liam now then. By the way, how can he be uncle and father at the same time Riley?” Maxwell winked as he left with Drake, the fact that he stated was true. Most people would think it was an odd relationship to have- keeping it in the family.

******

Arriving at the study she hoped he wouldn’t keep her long. Knocking on the door, she was nervous- they hadn’t exactly had the perfect relationship.

“Riley, Lucas. I’m thrilled that you are both back.” Eying him suspiciously, she didn’t understand his new sincere attitude since Leo’s passing.

“Your majesty.” She curtsied, even with the struggle of holding a one year old.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet. Ever since the attack, I need you both to be safe. Bastien has organised a personal guard, Mara who you will meet within a few days. But there is also someone else, due to Leo’s passing and you have caught the presses attention and they have been asking constant questions. I’ve hired a personal public relation officer, if we need him for any reason. Riley, this is Justin.”

“Hello again, Riley.”

“J-Justin?” The colour drained from her face. The man who became obsessed with her, showing no interest in him at all- she rejected all his efforts to take her on a date. Using the marriage card.

“Do you two already know each other?” Constantine asked, not thinking anything bad of it.

“Yes, we met in New York a couple of years ago.”

Riley stay calm but get out now! You’re not safe.

“If that is all, I’ll leave you alone your Majesty, Justin.” Justin grabbed her wrist as she turned around to leave, attempting to keep calm even though she was beginning to panic about Justin’s motives.

“I’m so sorry to hear about Leo. It is such a great loss. When I met him on those few occasions, he was a gentleman.”

“Yes he was. We all love him. I really should get going.” Exiting the room, Justin followed her.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“Can you leave me alone please.”

“You lost one prince, have you moved on with Liam? Why did you reject me? I would have given you everything.”

“Because I wasn’t interested Justin. I was Leo’s wife whether or not it was fake.”

“Is it because I’m not a prince?”

“Justin please let me go. I’m not interested.”

“If anything happens to Liam, I’ll still be here Riley.” Riley nodded, trying to stay calm. Needing Leo to elaborate on what he meant by her not being safe. Justin walked away smirking.

******

Drake and Maxwell entered Liam’s room, smirking at him.

“You did all this to get a rest Li?”

“Of course I did Drake. Your jokes get better everyday.” The friends all laughed together.

“So, what’s going on with you and Riley?” Maxwell asked intrigued for some positive court gossip.

“I love her. She says she loves me. I know what I want but I’m not sure if she will want it?”

“What do you mean? Her moving here?”

“Yes. And....” Liam blushed, avoiding his friend’s gaze.

“And?” They both said in unison, looking at the love struck prince.

“And I think... no I know... I want to marry her. Make us a family, I know Lucas will never be mine but I’ll protect them both and love them both for the rest of my life.”

“Beaumont, pay up now.” Liam looked bewildered at the pair- Maxwell exchanging money whilst shaking his head.

“Drake had a bet that you’d make her our future Queen.”

“She hasn’t said yes. I haven’t even asked her. It’s probably too soon.”

“She will say, yes. If not, I’ll not have any whiskey for a year.”

“Now that id like to witness.” Liam laughed, knowing full well that he would never go cold turkey. The friends sat and talked for a while, mainly talking about Riley. Wondering what type of future Queen she would be. Both men were truly happy for Liam, neither had seen him so smitten before. Both hoping that they could live happily together with no more drama.

*****

Hiding in Liam’s quarters, Riley felt nervous- paranoid that her stalker had somehow crept back into her life.

“Leo, why are we in danger. Please. I need you know to show me a sign or speak to me again.” A cold breeze went past her. Closing her eyes, she didn’t want to open them.

Ri, Justin isn’t who he says he is. The day I died- it wasn’t suicide. They forced me to write the letter... they wouldn’t allow me to ring you to say goodbye. They drugged me. Careful to not mark my body- they planned everything. They left me- I struggled, hoping I’d be able to escape the noose. Justin planned the attack. He’s trying to kill all the royal family to take over the throne. Take a leaf out of Olivia Nevrakis’s book- carry a dagger at all times. You can outsmart him, together. Inform Liam, Maxwell and Drake. Together you can all kill him if you act careful. Don’t put yourself or Lucas in any danger. Please forgive me for not being able to stop any of this.

#theroyalromance #choices trr #riley brooks #drakewalker #maxwell beaumont #liam rhys #leo rhys #trr forgive me

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nazariolahela · 5 years

Text

Something Domestic: Chapter 6

A/N: Hey y'all! This is a new TRR AU I’ve been working on. This story is told in first-person narrative, from Riley’s (MC) POV. There will likely be smidges of canon in this, but not too much. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

Catch up here

Series Tags: @burnsoslow @aworldoffandoms @dcbbw @ladyangel70 @texaskitten30 @sunandlemons @jlynn12273 @indiacater @jared2612 @rainbowsinthestorm @drakesensworld @badchoicesposts @msjr0119 @katurrade @blackcoffee85 @cynicalworlds

Synopsis: When Riley Brooks takes a new job as a nanny for the affluent Rhys family in New York’s Upper East Side, she assumes she’s just going to care for the children of the couple who hired her. But instead of just school pick-ups and afternoon snacks, she also finds herself spending time with Liam, the handsome divorced dad. Can Riley control her feelings for Liam while still performing the job she was hired for?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: Riley gets to know the other important people in Liam’s life and learns about his past.

“Okay, tell me everything!”

Hana and I sit in our usual booth at the Double Tappe, discussing the events of our first day at our new jobs. She tells me about her schedule and the other teachers she’ll be working with this school year. I then tell her about the literal “run-in” with Liam in the kitchen, and the incident with the paparazzi in the park. She listens intently, pausing every few moments to take a sip of her Whiskey Sour. When I finish, she sits back and exhales.

“Whew. That’s intense. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to make sure we have someone with us every time we leave the house. I’m not worried about being attacked, but if they get too close, I’m worried they might frighten the kids.”

“That’s not what I was referring to.”

Of course, she wasn’t. I know what she’s hinting at and I’m not taking the bait. She was the one who told me to be cautious when it came to Liam. And as much as I want to throw caution to the wind, my job is more important than some mild flirtation with my boss.

“Hana,” I warn.

She throws up her hands defensively. “Look, I saw how you two were the other night. You can’t tell me there’s nothing there. I’m just trying to get you to realize the gravity of the situation. Getting involved with your boss is one thing. Him being a prominent figure is a whole different animal. Especially given his current marital status.”

I sigh and take a long pull of my drink. She’s absolutely right. As much as I want to argue with her, I can’t. Especially after what happened in the park this morning. The last thing I need is the tabloids catching wind of my little crush. I drag my hands down my face, wishing I could just disappear into the floor. “I hate that he’s a celebrity in this city. This would be so much easier if he was a nobody. Why does this have to be so messy?”

“You poor, stupid fool.”

“Excuse me?” I jerk my head around and come face to face with a woman with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes. She’s wearing a black blazer over a grey skirt and top. She stands next to me; one hand on her hip, and a look that would incinerate me.

“Scoot your ass,” she says, motioning for me to move over. She smirks and takes a seat in the booth next to me. “So, you’re the new nanny.”

“I am. And you are?”

“Olivia Vanderwall Nevrakis.”

She holds out her hand to me and I shake it nervously. She then reaches over and shakes Hana’s hand. Hana and I slink back in our seats, eyeing each other. Who is this woman? And what the hells does she want with us?

“I couldn’t help but overhear your little ‘predicament.’”

“Yeah? What’s it to you anyway?” I ask suspiciously.

“Let’s just say I’m an old friend. And I’m very interested in this new person in my friend’s life.”

“You’re a friend of Liam’s?”

She takes a sip of her wine, examining the glass. “You’d think this halfwit bartender would know how to properly clean a glass before serving drinks to his customers,” she states loud enough for the entire room to hear.

From behind the bar, I see Drake shoot her a death glare. “Because gods forbid her Highness has to drink out of a glass with water spots,” he grumbles, then retreats back to the kitchen. Hoo boy, that was awkward.

She rolls her eyes. “Now, where were we? Yes, I’m a friend of Liam’s. Our fathers were business partners a million years ago, so we grew up together. We even dated for a hot minute in college, but we realized we were better off as friends. Then, he married that she-witch.” She chuckles, taking another sip of her wine. “You know, the day he told me he was going to ask her to marry him, I told him he was the dumbest motherfucker alive. You’d think he would have listened to me.”

Hana cocks her eyebrow. “That seems harsh. Even if you didn’t agree with it, a good friend would guide him toward the right path, but support his decision no matter how stupid you thought it was.”

Olivia eyes Hana, smirking. “Oh, sure. If it were anyone else. But that man was so blinded by love and pussy, he completely missed all the signs about her. He wasn’t even her first choice. She had eyes for his brother, but Leo hit it and quit it faster than you can say, ‘Here’s cab money. Now get out.’”

Hana glares at Olivia, then turns to me. “Excuse me. I need to use the ladies' room.” She slides out of her seat and stalks off towards the back of the bar.

“I’m sorry, but why are you telling me this? I don’t even know you.” This all feels weird. This woman I just met is suddenly so interested in my non-existent relationship with my boss, who just happens to be her friend. This entire conversation is completely out of left field.

Olivia shakes her head. “You don’t think I don’t know about his little infatuation over you? We talk every day and he’s told me about you. And now seeing you in person, I get it. You’re young. You’re hot. You’re his kids’ nanny, so the whole idea of pursuing you is taboo. He’s pussywhipped and you haven’t even given up the pussy yet. To be honest, I don’t give a shit about you. I’m just looking out for my friend. He’s still legally married, and I don’t want this to blow up in his face.”

I already knew he talked about me to his friends, but to admit to them he has a thing for me? My head is spinning as I take in the information she’s slinging at me. Before, it was just a stupid crush. Now that I know he reciprocates my feelings for him, I’m not sure what to think.

“Wait a minute. Are you in love with him?”

She laughs. ”Good gods, you're as ignorant as my ex-husband.”

”You were married?”

”Ugh, yes don't remind me. My parents basically forced us into it because it was ’good for business’” she says, making air quotes with her fingers. “The day I married Anton Severus was the day a part of my soul died.”

”Wait...The Anton Severus? Majority Owner of the Lykos Kings?”

She sighs. ”One and the same. The only good thing I got out of that marriage was part-ownership of that damn baseball team. Except I hate baseball. I only keep it to piss him off.”

Hana returns a moment later. She scowls at Olivia as she slides back into her seat. “So, what did I miss?” she asks sarcastically.

“Well, your friend here has the hots for her boss, which I’m sure you already know. I also gather she’s told you about his situation. And to top it off, he’s like a horny teenager over here waiting for his divorce to be finalized so he can make a move on her.”

Hana sighs. “I’m not going to lecture you any more about it. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” She stands to leave and picks up her drink. “Olivia, pleasure to meet your acquaintance,” she says and moves to the bar to chat up a tall brunette in a blue mini dress who’s been eyeing her all night.

Olivia cocks an eyebrow at me. “You should listen to your friend. She’s obviously the smart one.” She polishes off her glass of wine and slides out of the booth. “Word of advice; keep your hormones in check until the ink is dry. If Madeleine finds out he’s got heart eyes for you, she’ll drag this bitch out until the kids are in retirement homes. Until next time, Riley Brooks.” Then, she saunters away.

“Don’t worry about her. She might seem vicious, but she’s harmless,” I look over to see Drake wiping down the table in the booth next to me. He eyes my empty glass. “Want another one?”

“Actually, do you have Skullcracker Ale on tap?”

“16 or 20 ounce?”

“After the day I’ve had, make it a 20.”

He nods and makes his way to the bar to pour my beer. He returns a few minutes later, beer in hand. He sets it in front of me and takes a seat across the booth from me. “So, you and Liam, huh?”

I groan, dropping my head into my hands. “First of all: there is no ‘Liam and I.’ Second: How many people know about this?”

Drake chuckles. “Not as many as you think. Just Max, Liv, and myself. We’re his three closest confidants, and he trusts us with his life. Even more than his family or that bitch of a wife.”

“Wow. I take it you’re not a member of the Madeleine Karlington Fan Club either.”

“That woman is the devil incarnate. Even before they got married, she was always chasing the ‘next big thing'. He told you why they’re splitting up, right?”

“Yeah, he said she cheated on him with one of her co-workers,” I reply.

He holds his finger up and walks over to the bar. Grabbing a tumbler, he pours himself two fingers of whiskey, then returns to the table. He sits down and sighs deeply. “Sorry, I need a drink for this. So anyway. Yes, she slept with one of her co-workers, but what Liam didn’t know is that it wasn’t the first time.”

“Olivia said she also slept with his brother.”

Drake nods. “Leo and Madeleine ‘dated’ for a few months the summer after we graduated college. Leo was only interested in a fling, but Madeleine was madly in love with him. After he dumped her, she started dating Liam to get back at him. The problem was, Liam fell in love with her. They dated for three months before he moved her into his penthouse, and they were engaged six months after that. They married less than a year later, and she got pregnant with Charlotte shortly after. Come to find out that she was messing around almost the entirety of their seven-year marriage.”

I gasp. “Oh, my gods. Are the kids his?”

“Yes, thankfully. One look at Philip, and there’s no question he’s Liam’s. He’s the spitting image of him as a child. Charlotte looks more like Madeleine, but he had a paternity test to be sure. Especially since she’s asking for full custody and child support in the divorce.”

I shake my head. Good gods, I can’t even begin to wrap my brain around how dysfunctional their relationship is. What’s worse is there are kids involved. Thank goodness they’re too young to comprehend what is going on with their parents. I take a pull of my beer. “So how long have you and Liam known each other.

“Liam, Max, Liv, and I have all been friends since high school. He and I played lacrosse together sophomore year. He and Liv dated for a few months in college. They fought all the time because she’s stubborn as hell.”

“Was it serious? Liam and Olivia?”

He grins. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”

“N-no. I’m just...curious. Do I need to worry about a crazy ex stalking me?”

“I’d be more worried about Madeleine firing your ass and ruining your chances of getting another nanny job than I would be about Olivia harboring feelings for Liam. Deep down they love each other, but it’s not romantic.”

I nod and take a sip of my beer. Why am I jealous? Liam isn’t mine, so I have no right to be envious of Olivia or their relationship. Besides, if she was really after him, I’m sure she’d crush me with her bare hands for trying to step in and take “her man.” OMG, listen to yourself, Riley. He’s your boss, not your boyfriend. That means he’s technically off-limits.

“So, what does Liam’s family think of all this?” I ask.

Drake chuckles, but there is no humor in his voice. “Constantine is the one who encouraged Liam to marry Madeline. He said marrying a girl like her would convince investors to do business with the company because it would paint Liam as a ‘family man.’ He knew about her and Leo but said that it wouldn’t matter because Leo wasn’t the settling down type. Leo was actually supposed to take over the family business after college, but he gave that up to travel the world. To be honest, the company is in better hands under Liam. Their revenue went up like 25% last year.”

“Is that a good thing?”

He shrugs. “I guess. At least that’s what everyone tells me. I don’t know jack about multinational investment companies. Hells, I barely know the ins and outs of running a business.”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “But you’re a business owner. Don’t you think you should at least know the basics of running your own business?”

“Yeah, probably.” He notices Hana and her new lady friend flagging him down and gets up from the booth to move back behind the bar. I leave my booth and take a seat a few stools away from Hana. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her lean in and whisper into the woman’s ear, the two of them touching each other’s arms and giggling. Get it, girl!

“So, what made you want to open your own bar?”

He finishes making their drinks, then moves down the bar. “It’s always been my dream to own my own bar. There was this place called The Laughing Seal where we used to drink when we were in college. It burned down about five years ago. Most of the place was destroyed, but the bartop managed to survive. Liam’s dad knew the owner and convinced him to let me buy the bar when I opened the Double Tappe.” Drake says, running his hands along a charred spot on the bar.

“I’m glad you found your passion. And I’m glad you give us a place to unwind. You’re like a modern-day Sam Malone.”

He snorts. “Except I suck at baseball and the ladies don’t fawn over me like that.”

I smirk and glance up at the clock on the wall. Holy shit, how is it already 9 p.m.? I reach in my purse and slap two $20s on the bar top for my tab. “Thanks for the chat, Drake. I’ll talk to you later this week.”

He nods. “No problem. And for what it’s worth, don’t let the whole Madeleine thing bother you. If you and Liam are meant to be, it will all work itself out.”

I shake my head and turn to Hana, who is currently exchanging phone numbers with the brunette. “You ready to head out, girl?” I ask her.

She leans in and whispers into her companion’s ear before standing up. “Yep, let’s go. I have to finish putting my lesson plan together for the year. See ya, Drake.”

He waves to us as we exit the bar. It’s late August, so the weather is still warm. We decide against hailing a cab and trek the 10 blocks back to our apartment. As we walk arm-in-arm, Hana tells me about her new lady friend. Her name is Meghan and they’re going out this weekend. She grins from ear to ear as she talks, and I can’t help but feel joy for her. All the pressure she gets from her parents to find a man, it’s about time she lives for herself. If my best friend can find happiness, maybe there’s hope for me as well.

Right?

#trr au #trr fanfic #liam rhys #riley brooks #the royal romance #something domestic #playchoices fanfic #nanny au #nazariolahela fanfic

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dcbbw · 5 years

Text

Timing--Part 11 (Speaking with the Enemy)

Welcome to Part 11 of my fanfic. It’s my version of events once the gang travels to LA to find Tariq. In my version, he refused to come forward and Riley made a painful decision, and we are just going forward from there. At this point, it is not the canon timeline (at least Justin’s/Anton’s appearance).In this part, Riley and Maxwell fight, and Liam and Justin discuss the statement release. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors.

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Song Inspiration: Please (Zola Jesus remix), Blanck Mass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0IVABXLhFM

Word Count: 2910

Tagging: @gennesaret @aworldoffandoms @sirbeepsalot @katedrakeohd @hopefulmoonobject @simsvetements @cora-nova @carabeth @custaroonie @liamxs-world @lauradowning29 @speedyoperarascalparty @thequeenofcronuts @wickedgypsymoon @timmagicktoad @brightpinkpeppercorn @ao719

Liam x Justin, Justin, some of the whole gang (minus Olivia) in the beginning

“Maxwell, stop asking me the exact same question in 5,000 different ways!” Riley’s tone was angry and she slammed her hand on the table to emphasize her anger.

It had been one week since the statement release, and Riley’s days had been filled with lessons: etiquette, Cordonian history, members of the Court, policy, protocol…..it was endless. Today’s lesson was something about how to deflect intrusive questions when presented by Heads of State. Or something to that effect. Riley had zoned out after answering the same question 5 times.

Today, everyone was present for the lesson. While all the lessons were training for Riley to ensure a smooth transition to her eventual position as Queen in Court, Hana and Drake sometimes joined as their presence at Court would become more prominent, and they needed to know protocols and proper etiquette. Liam was present at all the morning trainings and lessons; sometimes he led the lessons, especially when Cordonian laws and policy were involved, but for the most part he was there to give support and encouragement to Riley.

Maxwell looked at her, a stricken look on his face. “Little Blossom, I know it seems repetitive, but this is important. You have to prove that Liam didn’t make a mistake and that you are the best choice for Queen!”

“I have been proving myself since Day One, Max! This entire Court can suck my dick and lick my balls while they’re down there!” Riley was close to angry tears. She had been putting in long days, she was hungry, and her nerves were frazzled.

Hana gasped at the outburst; Drake and Liam made no attempt to hide their snickering. Riley and Maxwell had been bickering all morning, and the angrier Riley became, the funnier the two men found it to be.

“You’re so cranky. Liam needs to put another scarf around your neck.” Maxwell grumbled. Liam and Drake were laughing out loud now.

“Watch yourself, Beaumont.” There was a warning in Riley’s voice. Her head whipped around to Liam and Drake. “Something funny?” The two men shook their heads as they tried to stifle their laughter.

“That’s Drake’s line.” Maxwell was unbothered.

“I got your Drake line right here!” Quicker than anyone thought she could move, Riley was out of her chair and had Maxwell firmly in a headlock. “Say something now!”

Maxwell was struggling to remove Riley’s arms from his neck. “Get her off me, guys! Let go, Little Blossom!”

Drake and Liam rushed out of their seats, still laughing. “Whoa, whoa, whoa Brooks!” Drake reached behind Riley to pry her arms loose. When he did, Liam grabbed her. “Li, you take Wildcat here out in the hall; me and Hana will make sure Beaumont survives.”

Riley was struggling to get free of Liam. She looked at Maxwell with a scowl. “Now who needs a scarf?”

“Come along, love.” Liam was half dragging, half pulling Riley out of the room. God, she’s strong. Those curves aren’t so soft now. He pulled her into the hall, and leaned against a wall pulling Riley flush against him, his arms holding her firmly in his grasp.

“What was all that?” Liam was trying to sound stern but the laughter in his eyes gave him away.

“I’m going back to America, where I already know what I need to. Where there isn’t a Court, and 10 forks to choose from to eat a salad! Fuck this place!” Riley was yelling into Liam’s shoulder.

Liam planted a kiss in her hair. “No, you aren’t.” He sighed as he looked down at her. “Love, we all have to prove and justify our positions at court every day. You just expressed what we all feel at least once a day. But I am sure it is harder on you having to learn a lifetime of court in less than a month.” He hugged her tightly.

Riley nodded her head as she snuggled into Liam. “It is. This week has been intense. I think my brain is overloaded.”

“It’s been intense for all of us. Tell you what, tomorrow will be our day. No lessons, no kingly duties. We will have a true date day…shopping, dinner out, just going where the day takes us. We’ll start with breakfast.” Liam smiled at her.

“Really?” Riley’s tone was hopeful.

“Really.” Liam pulled her even closer. “It’s been too long since I have spent quality time with you.”

“But you know breakfast is my time.”

Liam pulled his head back so he could look in her eyes. “You would deny me time with you?”

“You’d have to be a breakfast princess.”

“How about a breakfast prince? I’ll bring my own crown.”

“Maybe, but I have tiaras.” Riley smiled at him.

Liam looked in her eyes and suddenly burst into laughter. “What?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Just remembering you saying the entire Court could suck your dick. On behalf of the Cordonian people, I volunteer as tribute.” He leaned in to kiss her.

“You suck dick?” She arched her eyebrow as she kissed him again.

“For you? I would suck and lick whatever you put in front of me.” He nuzzled her neck.

They broke apart as they heard the study door open. “All clear in here”, Drake’s voice yelled.

“Come on, time to return. And you owe someone an apology.” Liam’s tone was chiding.

“Do I have to?” Riley’s voice was petulant.

“You do.” Liam’s tone was firm. How could I ever think these two could have a romantic interest in the other? They’re more like siblings than actual siblings.

They entered the room and saw Maxwell sitting in his chair, his face a combination of remorse and anger. He looked at Riley. “I’m sorry I kept goading you when you were so upset.” It was obviously a rehearsed line, but there was some sincerity in his voice.

Riley looked at the carpet. “Sorry”, she mumbled. Liam grabbed her arm. “Riley….” he prompted.

She looked at Maxwell, remorse in her eyes. “I’m sorry I took it too far.”

Hana looked between Maxwell and Riley, a bright smile on her face. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Well, at least Brooks gave us a new way to end boring conversations at Court.” Drake plopped down in his chair.

A knock on the door announced the arrival of lunch, and Liam’s assistant. “Your Majesty, lunch with your Father and Queen Mother is in 10 minutes, and then you have your 2pm with the public relations person.”

Liam nodded. “Thank you, George. I’m headed up shortly.”

Maxwell perked up. “Justin’s coming?”

Hana looked at him in surprise. “Maxwell, are you fangirling over Justin?”

“What? Don’t you guys ever wonder what he’s doing when he isn’t with us?”

Liam looked puzzled. “Actually, no I don’t Maxwell. The man is in our employ, he isn’t our friend.”

“Well, I think he’s cool and probably does cool stuff like date and hang out with models, and races cars.”

Liam chuckled and clapped Maxwell on the shoulder. “Well, if he does my friend, he leads a better life than the King.” He looked around the room. “Lords and Ladies, I’m off. See you all at dinner.”

He walked over to Riley to kiss her cheek. “Behave yourself”, he whispered in her ear. She nodded, a small smile on her face. I love this man so much.

While everyone was inside having lunch, Justin sat in his nondescript gray sedan, parked some feet away from the Palace gates. He gazed upon the Palace, taking in as many details as his view afforded. Soon you will be mine, or you and all who occupy you will be ashes. He opened the brown bag on the seat next to him, and unwrapped a turkey sandwich. Lunch. He bit into it as he reached in the glove compartment to pull out his notebook, which he placed on the passenger seat, next to his lunch bag. His plan was coming together, but there was a loose end. Constantine.

The phone call came during the social season. Justin was at his desk at the Cordonian Office of Public Relations, reviewing his draft of a press release. He noticed the call was coming in on his personal phone, not his work phone. He picked up. “Yes?” His voice was terse and professional.

“Boss, we got a communication today. From the King.” Claudius’ raspy voice filled Justin’s ear.

“Don’t play with me. You know I am working now on a plan to infiltrate either Lythikos or the Palace.”

“Well, it just fell in our lap. He wants to meet with a member of our leadership in 2 days’ time.”

“Isn’t he on the tour? Sounds risky planning a meeting with known enemies of the Crown.”

“It’s at midnight at the Applewood Orchard.”

“How do we know this is a legitimate request?”

“It’s on royal letterhead and has the royal seal.”

“What does he want?”

“He doesn’t say. Just wants a meeting.”

“Fine. Make the arrangements. I’ll be there.”

On the night of the meeting, Justin stood in the center of the orchard waiting for Constantine to arrive. His eyes constantly scanned his surroundings. He knew his security was strategically placed around him, but he could not see them or hear them. They were well trained. He heard footsteps approaching, and placed his hand on the holstered pistol. He wasn’t planning on killing anyone tonight, but he knew to be prepared. Constantine appeared in the clearing, wearing a black jogging suit and black sneakers.

“Anton.” Constantine spoke.

“Your Majesty.” Justin removed his hand from the pistol.

“Thank you for meeting with me.”

“And what can the Sons of Earth do for you?”

“I need the American suitor removed from the social season.”

Justin looked at Constantine in disbelief. The old man had lost it. Then he burst out in laughter which threatened to become louder and louder the more he thought over Constantine’s response.

Constantine grabbed Justin’s arm roughly. “Shut up, you fool! You want folks to hear?”

Justin removed himself from the older man’s grasp and sneered at him. “You have truly lost it. What the hell are you thinking, wasting my time and resources? A suitor? We aren’t penny ante street thugs.”

“You foolish boy! Liam is in love with the American. She is his choice, not Olivia!”

Justin looked at Constantine attentively. “Really? Why are you telling me this? You know as well as I do, Olivia cannot marry your son. So I still do not see the reasoning behind your request.”

“Liam needs to choose Countess Madeleine.”

“And getting rid of The American does what exactly? She’s popular with the people and the press. She would certainly be more forward thinking than the Countess. She may be influential in getting the new regime to actually listen to the Sons of Earth and help with our cause.”

“Don’t kill her! Just ensure she is not a choice at the Coronation. If she is removed from the running, Liam will abdicate.”

Justin looked at Constantine with new interest. “He will?”

Constantine nodded. “He will.Then Olivia ascends to the throne, and you as well.”

“Why are you doing this? It isn’t like you to just bestow favors.”

“Didn’t I save you when Olivia’s parents were found out? I saved you both when Lucretia abandoned you, and allowed Olivia to believe her parents were heroes.”

“They were heroes. They died trying to overthrow your tyranny and antiquated ideas.” Justin’s voice was cold.

Constantine waved his hand dismissively. “Neither here nor there. Anton, I’m dying. My illness is progressing and my reign is being torn asunder between the Liberation Army and all the natural disasters. I hear the rumblings that I am not doing enough. If I am the last of my lineage on the throne, I will go down in history as great, instead of mediocre or a controlling tyrant.”

“So you want to remove the suitor so your son can abdicate, which you think will make you a great King?” Anton shook his head. “You think committing treason against the Crown Prince will make you great?”

“Do you want to be King or not?”

“What if he doesn’t abdicate? Liam has a strong sense of duty.”

“His love for her is stronger.”

“What are you proposing?”

“A scandal.”

Justin pulled himself from his thoughts and glanced at his watch. He still had a little time before the meeting with Liam. He glanced quickly at his notebook. He smiled slightly at Riley’s name. Oh Riley….if I weren’t a married man. He quickly reviewed what he planned to discuss with Liam. He needed to have patience and to play this carefully. He checked the time again. Go time. He stuffed the last of his sandwich in his mouth as he started the car, and pulled up to the Palace gates.

Soon after, Justin was knocking on the study door. Liam himself opened the door, greeting Justin with a smile and a handshake. “Welcome, Justin. I wasn’t sure if you would have had time to grab lunch, so I had some light snacks prepared.” Liam waved his hand at a nearby table, which held trays of fruit, cheeses, crackers, and bottles of water.

“If you don’t mind, some fruit and water would be great!” Justin flashed a charming smile as he prepared himself a plate, after which he settled himself into a chair across from Liam.

Liam sat behind his desk, watching Justin as he busied himself with the refreshments. Olivia’s words ran through his brain. “Liam, I do not trust that Justin guy. I don’t know why, I can’t explain it, but for the love of God, check him out.” It was rare that Olivia felt nervous, so Liam took her request seriously. But nothing had come up. Justin had cleared Bastien’s very thorough background check, and all of his references checked out.

Once Justin was settled, Liam spoke. “Justin, first I want to thank you for all of your help with the statement release. It went very well, and seems to have been a huge success.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. It’s my job, and glad to know I did it well.”

“Please, call me Liam. I’m not big on formalities inside of the Palace.”

Justin took a sip of water. Already he’s different from his Father. Too bad he’ll be paying the price for Daddy’s sins.

“Liam, don’t rest too long on the success of one statement release. Right now, you are a King without a Queen. You need to rectify that as soon as possible. Power newly acquired is also power easily usurped, especially when only one monarch sits on the throne. You need to be prepared for quick action and hard questions.”

“I plan to propose to Lady Riley this week. Which reminds me, you won’t need to return to the Palace until next week. We will have press releases drafted for your review by then.”

Justin beamed. “Excellent! And may I be the first to offer my congratulations.” Justin extended his hand for a handshake, which Liam accepted.

“Thank you! It’s been a long time coming.”

“That means the Costume Ball will be fast approaching.”

Liam nodded. “It will, possibly as soon as 2 weeks’ time. I want to announce our engagement to the Court as soon as possible.” Liam looked at Justin. “Do you have someone special in your life, Justin? If that’s not being too personal?”

Justin flashed another grin. “Not too personal at all. I’m married.”

Liam was surprised, but did not show it. Justin did not strike him as a married man.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, about 7 years now. We got married young. She’s from Lythikos.”

“Lythikos has beautiful women.”

“They do. But enough about me. How is Riley coming along with her training?”

“I prefer the term ‘tutelage’, and she is doing wonderfully. A little overwhelmed at the moment.”

“Crash courses are always rough, but she’s a natural. I enjoy working with her.” His phone beeped. With an apologetic look at Liam, he picked it up. “Let me just check this really quick.”

Liam stood. “I think we’re done here, so if you need to leave, feel free. We will see you next week with good news and press releases.”

Justin stood as well as he placed his phone in his pocket. “Liam, always a pleasure. Congratulations again, and see you next week.” Justin deposited his plate in the trash can, and carried his water bottle with him as he exited the study.

Once he was in his car, he called Claudius. “Gather the members for a meeting tonight. The loose end gets snipped in two weeks at the Costume Ball.” He hung up, and drove off.

#trr fanfic #choices the royal romance #choices trr #choices fanfiction #king liam fanfic #king liam #choices trr justin #justin trr #liam x riley #liam x mc

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noahtleetheatrearts · 4 years

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Other Updates:

Additionally, the play I acted in that same year (Winter 2018), Stupid F***ing Bird, was a success as well. There was a moment, a month before the show went up, where I felt as though I had lost the character and the characterization I had been working towards. I felt as though he was artificial and I wasn’t connecting well with him. But after a conversation with Jim Slowiak (generally as my instructor and mentor), he helped me find some new and interesting things to work with in terms of my characterization. Director Nick Shows, was supportive as well, by telling me to take my time and try new things, and that he trusted I would find it again.

My character was Dr. Eugene Sorn, and for those unfamiliar with Stupid Fucking Bird, SFB is a play that is a parody of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, my character was a combination of the characters of Dorn (a doctor and friend of the family) and Sorin (uncle of Konstantin and brother to Irina). Within the context of SFB, Dr. Sorn is the 50-60-year-old uncle of Conrad and brother to Emma. The part I struggled with the most was portraying a middle-aged/ elderly man at the end of his life, and not just “playing old”. Jim told me that when it comes to that, it's always difficult for a younger person to put themselves in that frame of mind, and that when it came to my character’s terminal illness, he also said that its one of the toughest hardships to put yourself through, is to ask your body in what way might it fail, and to imagine the possibilities of how my body with deteriorate with age. So with that in mind, I knew that I would have to do this to find a more accurate way to portray my character in this more vulnerable moment.

In the early scenes in the play, he is still young and youthful so I made no serious change in the characterization I previously created but rather shifted my attention to his major three scenes. The first is his “Well I thought it had something” monologue where he muses about the play Conrad and Nina had just put on, which asked if the audience was “really here”. I understood what he was saying and was able to connect with him as my college career for part of it was seemingly aimless, I too knew what it meant to wonder whether or not you were participating in your life. His second monologue, he reveals more of the woes of his life, how he’s twice divorced, his sister is overbearing towards her son, his nephew attempted suicide, and how much he wishes to express love, and that the “love” being expressed by the other characters is shallow and lacking true depth of feeling, while still bemoaning how he feels his life, up until this point has been meaningless. This pushes him to a pseudo-depressive state at the end of his life, not just from his illness, but lack of truly living. The scene of Sorn’s birthday party was always emotionally charged, but it hit me harder and harder each day of the final rehearsals and each performance. This is a man who wanted more out of his life, a man that too late discovered he wanted something different, something truly beautiful in his life, or to come from his life.

Per the exercise in discovering the way to portray this, I asked my body, how would we change, how would we die. I came to the conclusion that my body would slow down greatly, my bones wouldn’t be able to hold my weight as freely as they once did, fatigue would grip me, and sickness would rule me, and that I would most likely die of some kind of cancer. Having experienced the devastating effects of this terrible disease in the struggles and last days of many friends and family members. I know many strong wonderfully blessed survivors, but sadly I also have seen too many warriors laid to rest by it as well. And with the advent of the news that certain cancers can be biological, I fear that that is an inevitability in my life. So armed with the knowledge of this, I came out for the birthday scene, slow, purposeful, remorseful, yet resolute, because Sorn had to say one last thing, maybe it was also a bit of me as well, but as he finishes his rant about his life and their lives being shallow and fake, and how we all do this, he begs, and pleads not just the cast but the audience as well:

SORN But my question is this... my question is: Is this just me? Is this just me? Or is this what everybody does?

to which no one answers, but Masha enters with a cake, complete with candles, singing “Happy Birthday” as if to answer his question saying, “Yes, we all do this, its a way to push down the bullshit of our lives, so we can get on with it.”

This play is definitely one that hit me hard and will continue to stand out in my mind and in my career for years to come. It helped me really learn where the line between play-acting and theatre, how to bring yourself fully into a role and how to take something back with you.

Unfortunately, I do not have the footage of the birthday scene, I hope to be getting it soon. In the meantime, please enjoy Act 1 and the other two monologues here on my Youtube Channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE24vUxSdPU

#actor life #theatre #director #Stupid Fucking Bird #aaron posner #anton chekhov #the seagull #akron #University of akron #theatreguild

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alj4890 · 6 years

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Chapter 42 Confusion and Consolation

The Royal Romance Fan Fiction (Liam x MC*Riley) (Maxwell x OC*Amanda) (Drake x Olivia) (Hana x Rashad)

These characters are from the amazing writers of Pixelberry's Choices stories: The Royal Romance and Red Carpet Diaries. The only character of my own is Duchess Amanda Bridgerton of House St Orella.

Masterlist of The Other Friend TRR

Chapter 42 summary: Olivia and Amanda meet with Sir Francis to discuss Olivia's marriage contract. Maxwell and Drake run into Bertrand. Liam and Riley rush to the hospital to see Constantine.

Chapter 42

"So, what you are saying is that I do not have to marry this Justin?" Olivia asked.

Sir Francis removed his glasses as he focused on the duchess. "Your grace, according to the requirements in this contract, you do not have to neccessarily marry this particular young man. There are stipulations though that many of the young men possess."

"What are these stipulations?"

"The man must be worthy of the Nevarkis name. He must be either titled or wealthy. Justin Anton Severus comes from a wealthy family. His mother has a minor title. From what I gathered from your aunt, this was why he was chosen. He is an only child like you and will inherit his family's entire fortune."

Amanda glanced at Olivia's face, furrowed in confusion. "Sir Francis, are you saying that she cannot marry someone, like a commoner?"

Olivia snapped her head at Amanda, shocked at her for asking.

"That is correct, your grace. The man she chooses must meet at least one of these requirements."

"Is there a possibility to overturn it? Could the king do something about this?" Amanda persisted.

Sir Francis sadly shook his head. "I'm afraid, due to past history with the Nevarkis family and the crown, that King Liam can not dissolve this contract."

Amanda sat back thinking, defeated by his words. What about Drake? He had no title. He had no fortune. Surely there was something they could do to make this right. Somewhere, somehow, there had to be a way around this. She had seen the bond forming between the prickly pair. It needed to continue.

Olivia felt an anger unlike any other at her ancestors. She was having to pay for their stubborn, ridiculous ways. She was exhausted from having to fix past problems. Her parents had nearly run the duchy into the ground. Her aunt had abandoned her and the family's land, yet now felt the right to push her into marriage. She was sick of it all.

Sir Francis was sympathetic to Olivia's plight. "If you have any more questions, Lady Olivia, please do not hesitate to call upon me." With a bow to both ladies, he left the room.

Olivia began to pace as she tried to come to terms with the contract.

Amanda watched her, knowing the frustration of realizing you have no choice. "I know it looks like your trapped, but I believe we can find--"

Olivia snapped. "Spare me your positive thinking speech, Amanda! You at least were given the man you wanted in the end. You had him in the beginning too. There is nothing that can be done. It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like I'm in love with anyone or have any promises I need to worry about."

Amanda stood and hugged her. Olivia struggled a moment then clutched her as she cried. She let the tears take out all those ridiculous dreams she had held close to her heart. She let them take the loneliness and frustration. Why could she not catch a break? Had she not been through enough?

Maxwell and Drake were downstairs in the hotel's restaurant waiting on Olivia and Amanda to finish their meeting. As they were talking, Bertrand came up to their table.

"Maxwell!" he exclaimed. "How dare you go to Savannah and encourage her back to Cordonia! I had hoped that there was one last shred of loyalty to your family's name. I see now how greatly mistaken I was. Do you realize the situation you are creating for me and Madeleine? When people learn of that child's existence, it will ruin us."

Drake shot out of his chair and punched Bertrand in the jaw. Bertrand fell back a couple of steps, then threw an uppercut followed by another punch to Drake's eye. Maxwell jumped between them pushing them apart.

"That's enough! Bertrand, I will see my nephew. Just because you refuse to claim him, it doesn't mean that I will go along with it. You have no right to keep Savannah out of Cordonia. Now I suggest you leave. We have nothing to say to each other." Maxwell turned to go back to his table.

"I should have known this was a pointless endeavor. After you married that Hollywood harlot of a duchess, you've ---"

Maxwell whirled and launched himself at his brother. He knocked him into a table, crashing to the ground. He rammed his fists into Bertrand's face in quick succession. Drake ran over and pulled him off of him. "You stay away from me, my wife, my nephew, and Savannah! If I see you even look in their direction I will shove your head so far up your own ass that there isn't a protologist in the world that will be able to help you." Maxwell was breathing hard and struggling against Drake holding him back.

Bertrand pulled himself up, wiping the blood from his face, and stumbled from the restaurant without another word.

Drake started laughing. "No protologist in the world. Really?" He was snorting now with his laughter. Maxwell let out a burst of laughter. "I don't know where that came from." Amanda and Olivia found them laughing and sporting ice packs.

"What happened?!" Amanda rushed over and looked at the bruises on Maxwell's face and hands. She moved the ice pack to see the cut above his eyebrow. Olivia gently touched Drake's jaw and the darkening bruise.

"Hmm. Uppercut, followed by jab." she muttered. Drake's eyes widened. "Yeah. How did you know?" Olivia smirked. "I'm a Nevarkis. I know all types of fighting styles and the resulting marks they leave behind.

Drake grinned. He watched her as she examined his knuckles. She was being very kind. He could see the redness of her eyes. He felt his heart sink. It must have been bad news in the meeting. He wondered if she would tell him about it.

"Who were you fighting?" Amanda asked.

Maxwell glanced at Drake. "We had a difference of opinion with Bertrand."

Drake snorted. "A big difference of opinion."

"You mean, you two lost a fight to Bertrand?" Amanda asked in disbelief.

"What! No! He definitely walked off with more bruises and blood." Drake exclaimed

"Yeah, the cut over my eye was from knocking him into the table. It must have caught me too." Maxwell touched the area around the cut.

"Why were you not thrown out of the restaurant?"

Drake chuckled. "Apparently Bertrand got on the manager's bad side here. He actually gave us free drinks while we waited on you."

Amanda shook her head at the two of them. "Now tell me why were you fighting."

Maxwell stared at the table. "He said some things that he should not have and we expressed our not liking them."

"Couldn't have said it better." Drake clinked his glass against Maxwell's.

"Good. He has needed to be knocked off his high horse for a while now." Olivia waved the waiter over to their table. Everyone placed their orders. Amanda sat there silently, listening to them talk around the subjects that they were all interested in.

Finally, Drake asked Olivia about the meeting. "Are you stuck? Will you have to marry Justin?"

Olivia froze for a moment. "I don't have to marry Justin, but I am stuck with stipulations."

Maxwell looked at her and Amanda. "What are they?"

Olivia continued to pick at her food. She glanced at Amanda, silently asking her to explain.

"Olivia has to marry someone who either has a title or a fortune. Liam will not be able to dissolve it, due to some ancient agreement made by her ancestors." Amanda said softly.

Drake felt like he had been punched in the gut. He did not know why it would hurt like it did. It wasn't like he was in love with her. Right? They had made no promises or plans for the future. It was just nice. Which was weird. They seemed to fit well together. Camaraderie. That's what it was. No heart stuff involved at all.

Olivia glanced at his face. He looked shocked. Did he feel it as acutely as she did? Did he wonder why it hurt like this? There was no reason for it...was there? She stood up and told them all she needed to be alone for a while. She promised to see them later at dinner. As she walked to the elevator, she knew she needed to think about her future. Whatever that could be. The only thing Olivia knew for certain, was that she needed some space from Drake.

Liam and Riley were facing their own trial. Constantine had been unable to breathe and had been rushed to the hospital. A frantic Regina had called them, begging them to come. Riley knew how difficult it was for Liam to play the doting son after all his father's words and actions.

She laced her fingers through his as they sat in a private waiting room. Liam squeezed her hand. Thankfulness did not begin to touch on how he felt having Riley with him during this time. Liam could not imagine having to face this alone. When the doctor came in to tell him he could see his father, she wrapped her arm around him and walked beside him.

Liam took a deep breath and walked into the room. Constantine was laying very still. The beeping of the machines was the only sounds in the room. He turned his head to look at them. "You did not have to come, Liam."

"Regina asked me to. How are you?"

Constantine shrugged. "Dying. Slowly, but still dying."

Liam nodded. He honestly had no idea what to say to this man. Riley asked Constantine if there was anything she could do for him. He began a fit of coughing, while telling her no. "I only require rest."

"Then we will leave you to it." Liam placed his hand on Riley's back to leave. He opened the door for her and began to follow her out, when Constantine asked to speak to him alone. Riley kissed Liam's cheek and stepped out of the room.

He turned back to his father, waiting on him to break the silence. Constantine coughed. "How are your friends?"

Liam glared at him. "I know what you have been doing to them. It ends now. As your King, I am commanding you to cease your schemes."

Constantine returned his glare. "Just like you you followed your king's orders?"

Liam refused to back down. "My friends did nothing wrong. They do not deserve whatever torment you have planned."

Constantine let out a bitter laugh. "Disobeying one's monarch leads to repercussions. You will see that one day. Drake, Maxwell, and Amanda will learn their lesson. You will be forced to watch it all."

@fullbeaumonty @darley1101 @cocomaxley @hopefulmoonobject @krsnlove @umccall71 @mynameiskaylabella @museofbooks @annekebbphotography @katurrade

#choices trr #the royal romance #choices #trr #trr maxwell #trr drake #trr liam #liam x riley #drake x olivia

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astormlikethis-remaking · 5 years

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My opinion of the songs of Melodifestivalen 2019 🇸🇪

Starts with my least favorite songs and ends with my favorites

BTW I’m from the United States!!

28 Rebecka Karlsson – “Who I Am” Result: Andra Chansen

This song doesn’t leave an impression on me at all. It’s boring and sounds like I’ve heard it before.

27 Andreas Johnson – “Army of Us” Result: Andra Chansen

This is also a kinda boring and “been done before” entry, very Coldplay or Avicii as many have said. I don’t have anything else to say lol

26 Hanna Ferm & LIAMOO – “Hold You” Result: Finalist

This song is so cheesy and weak, like Running Scared 2.0... I am not getting the hype at all, Sweden has many much better songs to pick from.

25 Nano - “Chasing Rivers” Result: Andra Chansen

This could be a really strong entry but it’s really bad vocally. The mumble singing really doesn’t work with this song and I hope he fixes that if he wants a chance at getting into the final!

24 Dolly Style – “Habibi” Result: Eliminated

The song is fine but the last group I would have expected to try and rip off Arabic pop vibes in their song was definitely Dolly Style. I just don’t think any of this works. It’s reminiscent of Germany 2016 where Jamie Lee was singing that sad ballad while dressed as some kind of anime character. Like what the hell is going on? It’s just too much

23 Margaret – “Tempo” Result: Eliminated

I was surprised this didn’t even make AC, but it didn’t deserve to in my opinion. I’m not really a big fan of Margaret’s entries in Melfest and I’m still not sure why she competes in Melfest instead of representing Poland

22 Jan Malmsjö – “Leva livet” Result: Eliminated

I’m not really a huge fan of this song but like, he’s 86 years old and he absolutely still has star power, so I’m happy for him. I don’t speak enough Swedish to understand the song but it’s pretty interesting and charming nonetheless.

21 Zeana feat. Anis Don Demina – “Mina bränder” Result: Eliminated

This song is incoherent and all over the place so I get why it was eliminated. Zeana’s voice is too breathy for the fast paced lyrics.

20 Bishara – “On My Own” Result: Finalist

His vocal performance is good but I don’t really like the song. It’s just not for me. It’s very JESC-like but has mature lyrics about relationship problems which is strange to me.

19 The Lovers of Valdaro – “Somebody Wants” Result: Eliminated

It’s an ok song but I think this song would sound better if they didn’t use falsetto and if it weren’t so repetitive. Their musical style otherwise has a lot of potential so maybe they could come back with something stronger?

18 High15 – “No Drama” Result: Eliminated

The music is very boppy and memorable but it’s like “ummmm” that this is a song about "drinking your problems away” (alcoholism) and these girls are 15-16 years old... maybe if they were older or if the lyrics were different it would be likeable? I dunno

17 Vlad Reiser – “Nakna i regnet” Result: Andra Chansen

This is a decent song, I don’t think it will get out of AC though lol.

16 Ann-Louise Hanson – “Kärleken finns kvar” Result: Eliminated

This song is very soft and warm. It isn’t as strong as the others but it was very heartfelt.

15 Arja Saijonmaa – “Mina fyra årstider” Result: Eliminated

This song is very sweet and gentle with a lovely message. It’s very sad that so many older artists in Sweden take an interest in Melfest but never stand a chance against youthful pop songs.

14 Martin Stenmarck – “Låt skiten brinna” Result: Andra Chansen

This is pretty good. I don’t really have anything else to say.

13 Anton Hagman – “Känner dig” Result: Eliminated

I personally really like this song but the staging was weird and it wasn’t really a standout. I get why it didn’t go anywhere

12 Omar Rudberg – “Om om och om igen” Result: Eliminated

Another song that would’ve maybe fared better if it lost the falsetto. I love how modern it is and that it has lines in Spanish though. Very boppy.

11 Oscar Enestad – “I Love It” Result: Eliminated

Ok this was robbed!!! I think maybe having a staging with a light up prop was too similar to Dance You Off last year. I thought it was really good either way.

10 Arvingarna – “I Do” Result: Andra Chansen

I was pretty excited when I heard Arvingarna would be back, because Eloise was a great entry and I wondered how their music has evolved since like 25 years ago. So this song is pretty good, not the strongest in Melfest this year but a nice and catchy song that I really like.

9 Mohombi – “Hello” Result: Finalist

This song is cute and performed really well!! I’d be ok with it winning Melfest

8 Lina Hedlund – “Victorious” Result: Finalist

I’m so glad Sweden didn’t sleep on this, because it is fantastic! The staging is so smart and Lina sounds awesome.

7 Pagan Fury – “Stormbringer” Result: Eliminated

This was different and absolutely EPIC and Sweden completely robbed it... I don’t even know what to say!

6 Lisa Ajax – “Torn” Result: Andra Chansen

This is good!! I think it’s too similar to Wiktoria’s song though, and Wiktoria’s is better.

5 Anna Bergendahl - “Ashes to Ashes” Result: Andra Chansen

This song is pretty, and I love the staging. Her vocals are great and confident. This is a lot better than her 2010 entry. I hope she will qualify from AC too.

4 Malou Prytz – “I Do Me” Result: Finalist

This song is really cute and danceable. I hope it does well!!

3 John Lundvik – “Too Late For Love” Result: Finalist

Another great song from John Lundvik! I love how this combines the feel of a ballad with an upbeat bridge and chorus. It’s great, and is another song I’d like to see win!!

2 Wiktoria – “Not With Me” Result: Finalist

This. Is. Stunning!!!!! She absolutely deserves to win Melfest this year!! A simply beautiful and emotional song and performance!!

1 Jon Henrik Fjällgren – “Norrsken” Result: Finalist

Everything about this entry is perfection to me. His voice and the scenery are so beautiful. This really deserves to win Melfest too. <3 Jon Henrik deserved to win Melfest in every year he’s participated so far and that’s the tea

Thanks for reading!!

#melodifestivalen 2019 #ahlly'yoop #melfest 2019

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cookignis · 6 years

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🌿 & 🌈 & 👁

headcanon meme. @sixba // not accepting !

🍃: A headcanon that I created now on the spot

Though Ignis can hold his liquor pretty well, he doesn’t drink a lot nor does he do it often. It’s really only at formal functions that he drinks (usually wine or champagne) to maintain an image.

As a drunk (if he ever gets drunk), Ignis is a happy and chatty one as his inhibitions are released. He becomes more touchy feely and friendly. And then he fucks off from the realm of consciousness soon after.

🌈: A headcanon that I rarely get the chance to talk about

I always found it strange that the boys (sans Prompto) were not already engaged at their age. Well, I guess Noctis I could understand since there was never any intention for him to take the throne but for Gladio or Ignis who come from centuries old households, why were they still eligible bachelors at their age?

Granted, Gladio did get a fiancee during WoR. AU where I know who this mystery woman is pls.

Though she (and her family) started out as simple NPCs for a thread, they became fleshed out over time and became a staple in my main verse. I introduce to you:

The Valmont Household

In antiquity, they run about as old as both Amicitia and Scientia lines. The Valmonts were always involved in trade and money since the earlier days of the kingdom over 2000 years ago. They have since remained loyal to the crown and hold a prominent title in the His Majesty’s Treasury as the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The two houses, Valmont and Scientia, have been quite close with one another since the time of the founding king. The relationship between the two families have remained as such throughout the years, oftentimes intermarrying to reaffirm such ties or simply due to convenience and that they got along so well.

Currently, the title is held by Duke Florian Isidore Valmont, a portly man who’s famous for his traditional views and shrewd handling of policy making and execution. He married Aveline Furia Verene whose family’s is known to be the owners of the prominent Spira Securities, a brokerage firm.

Duke Florian’s heir and first born is Marquis Basile Verene Valmont who in time will inherit the title of Duke. Basile is generally an easy-going guy. A little bit of a flirt but it’s all in jest. He becomes serious and focused when it’s anything to do with work or family.

His hobbies are collecting motorcycles, playing guitar and trying new cuisines. He graduated valedictorian at his university with a degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Economics. He’s working on his PhD. Basile doesn’t like how his father handles the Lucian tax plans and wants to rewrite the tax bill. He hopes to be able to work with Noctis in the future despite not having seen much of the young prince in Lucian Court.

First daughter Cerise Verene Valmont’s engagement to Ignis becomes a topic among their families and the Court circle when Florian approached Anton proposing the match. Cerise is a year and a half older than Ignis and was his senior during his years in Sophia Academy. As their families were close, the two grew up knowing one another fairly well and were on relatively good terms despite not having an interest in one another beyond what was necessary.

Both being rational people, they have discussed the possibilities and laid down some ground rules and expectations from one another.

Cerise is intelligent, well-spoken, witty, charming and poised. She’s student body president and is in women’s fencing.She has a certain pridefulness to her. Cerise has the tendency to look down on others, a certain bullheadedness that seems to have passed onto her brother as well. To a darker degree, she is willing to throw anyone under the bus if she sees them as a threat to her family/goal.

Youngest son Reville is a quiet and bookish boy who generally keeps to himself. He’s quite close to Cerise and tends to hide behind his sister when situations becomes too tense.

During the attack on Insomnia, Duke Florian was shot during the crossfire between Imperial forces and what remained of the Crownsguard. Ignis’ parents escaped along with Duchess Aveline and the children where, like the other refugees, escaped to Lestallum. After getting out of Insomnia, they stayed over in Hammerhead for the night and went by day to Lestallum.

Eventually, they made way for the Valmont estates in Cleigne.

Basile had volunteered to help the people in his duchy during the evacuation as the darkness began to spread and the nights grew longer, he tried to be a hero and was slain trying to hold off some Daemons so that his citizens may escape. Unfortunately, only half of that group made it. So Reville became the head of the house at a young age, though it was mostly under Cerise’s tutelage and guidance.

In verses where Ignis isn’t shipped or decides to remain alone, he is likely to marry Cerise.

Note: Ignis’ mother, Merise Valmont Scientia is a distant relative of this house as she is from a branch of the family.

👁: A headcanon that changed the way I see a character

There really isn’t much about Ignis’ uncle or really his life in general before coming to the Citadel.

Initially when I first started thinking about it, I vaguely headcanoned his uncle as a stern, bitter old man who held somewhat of a grudge that he own children were not chosen and was therefore particularly hard on Ignis (whether or not it was conscious/unconscious who knows).

But over time, that changed. I went to re-watch Kingsglaive, read more of the Ultimania I could find and the apparent lack of his uncle (who presumably held the same position that Ignis was inheriting as their family had been in service to the crown for generations; usually older houses are lauded for their loyalty and in turn are rewarded with maintaining a powerful position in relation to the royal family much like the Amicitias) to me, told a more sorrowful tale of a childhood friendship slowly ripping at the seams before going completely cold.

It made his uncle (Anton) a more sympathetic character in my eyes. A man who was once held in high regards who had nothing but good intentions for not only his dear friend but their heirs as well stripped of his power and was cast aside for trying to do what was best for his king and country.

No good deed goes unpunished.

#sixba #;ooc #headcanons tag tbd #//one day I'll write an entire thing about uncle anton #//I have so many notes and feelings about him

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meddlesome-wayfarers · 4 years

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Drugs mention TW

Most sorcerers I imagine have done drugs in their time, though my characters have no reliance on it. Anton enjoys occasionally smoking weed, and has a bong in his closet with other misc. things he has no other place for.

Hopeless really is very neutral on the subject entirely, but experimented a bit with acid and mushrooms in the 60s- the hallucinations are. Interesting, but it's not really worth the time and effort one must go to to get a hold of them.

Solomon generally distrusts them and didn't enjoy his experimentation with them. 0/10 would not recommend.

Bofur has the occasional pipe weed which is sometimes the reason behind his lax and cheery disposition. Not as often as one might think so.

Ori isn't much a fan of drugs- pipe weed or otherwise. Though he tried it before when Dori wasn't looking.

Coraline will experiment when she's older (late teens/early 20s) and while she won't have a bad trip necessarily, the resulting feeling will remind her too much of the Other World and she won't find any interest or enjoyment in them anymore.

Hope has only the faintest interest and weed, but will most likely stay drug-free her entire life.

EDIT: Johnny has only tried weed, and will try it if offered, but does not seek it out. The Ghost Rider has no need nor want for mind altering substances.

#HC: Anton #HC: Hopeless #HC: Solomon #HC: Bofur #HC: Ori #HC: Coraline #HC: Hope #drug tw

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picturesinlove · 7 years

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London Film Festival 2017 or: the real world sucks just watch films for 2 weeks

I feel like I’ve spent my entire student loan seeing things at the London Film Festival, which ran over the last few weeks.

Was worth it.

#1: MANIFESTO, directed by Julian Rosefeldt, 90 mins

- Originally a critically acclaimed multi-screen video installation in which Cate Blanchett plays 13 different characters, ranging from a school teacher to a homeless man, performing artist’s manifestos in 13 different scenarios. Part of the financing deal was Rosefeldt had to cut a 90 minute, linear version of the piece for a cinematic setting. Provides some super interesting results.

- Clearly a translation, but an interesting one. Making the viewer watch it beginning to end highlights the flaws in that translation from installation to cinematic setting (can get too much to digest sometimes), but when it works, it *really* works.

- More than anything, made me think about the cinema as a space- question the realms of it and what we’re putting on a big screen.

- CATE FUCKING BLANCHETT!!!! i am convinced no one could have pulled this off like she did. She’s running on adrenaline and pure bravery. She makes interesting choices at every twist and turn. A masterclass.

- You HAVE to be fully, super awake and willing to give this your full attention from the start. It’s slow and beautiful and wonderful... but it is slow.

- Genre hops from scenario to scenario perfectly... from Clio Banard-esque social realism to Rachel Maclean-like cartoonish sci-fi.

- Some things Julian Rosefeldt and Cate Blanchett said in the talk afterwards that seemed interesting (lots of paraphrasing): - The white cube is a prison... talking to people who already agree with you... Cinema has a bigger audience with more coincidental audience members- Cate Blanchett fans from the new Thor film mayyyy see this... - Ask ‘would anyone be interested in seeing this?’, NOT ‘will anyone like it?’ - ‘If I could say what everything means, I should stop doing art.’ - ‘Your brain attends to things differently when watched linearly’ - ‘Art’s role isn’t educative- it’s provocative.’

4/5.

Opens November 24th.

#2: BATTLE OF THE SEXES, directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valarie Faris, 121 mins

- True story of 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.

- Rousing good fun. A real crowd pleaser. I saw the Gala screening at the Odeon in Leicester Square... the perfect way to watch- with lots of people, all feeling the Hollywood-ised, over-dramatised, over-sentimental beats together... and super enjoying it.

- It’s less subtle than MOTHER! (2017) about what it’s saying, but has a shining, naive optimism to it that you just kind of have to smile at.

- Emma Stone and Steve Carrell as King and Riggs hold all the moving pieces together. They add weight to potentially weightless, throw-away moments.

- All supporting performances great too- Sarah Silverman the MVP. Andrea Riseborough continues to be a chameleon, effortlessly embodying everything about who she’s playing, and it doesn’t even look like she’s trying. And hey! it’s super nice to Martha MacIsaac back on screen with Emma Stone! Their first time together on screen since Superbad (2007).

- The romance between Billie Jean King and Riseborough’s character Marilyn Barnett is easily the most engaging aspect of the film. The only time it leaves Hollywood feel-good territory. Something so magical watching them drive the sun-kissed California roads together listening to ‘Rocket Man’.

3.5/5.

Opens November 24th.

#3: OUR TIME WILL COME, directed by Ann Hui, 130 mins

- 1940s Japanese occupied Hong Kong. Fang Lan, a young primary school teacher, gets involved in the resistance movement and rises to become a legendary figure in the fight for freedom.

- STAKES. Really, really gets how to set up stakes for the characters. It’s a film about all the small things, the little fights in a war that will eventually add up to victory. Not assassinating all the leaders of the opposing army, just stealing a map that’s been put in a bin in an enemy outpost, hoping perhaps it helps. It’s a section of a larger painting. EVERYTHING feels dangerous. Every character is in danger at every moment, and is always punished for making the smallest mistake. Gives the sense that the oppressive State is ALWAYS watching. It demands you never become de-sensitised to the violence which leads to that immediate sense of danger.

- Had a restrained cheapness to it which I actually quite liked. Every now and then you get some goofy looking VFXs and some badly dubbed ADR, but the restraint keeps everything feeling grounded and human.

- Runs at it’s own pace/abides by it’s own structure, which may be too slow/anti-climactic for some, but I liked it for the most part. Playing by it’s own rules and truly being what it wanted to be... which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t.

- The moments it steps out of the main story and does a docu-drama thing... just why? Came across so half-baked. Similar to the 3 time scales in Nolan’s Dunkirk (2017), there was never really a moment of release, an ‘oh! that’s a really interesting decision to do that!’ moment. Just left me kind of baffled to why?

- Genuine moments of magic that I wouldn’t dream of spoiling. Seriously some of the most creative, inspired scenes I’ve ever seen.

- Some guy (wearing a BFI lanyard??) sitting a few seats away kept repeating phrases from the film outloud in a strange voice? Why would you do this??

3.5/5.

UK release date unknown, probably some time in 2018.

#4: LAST FLAG FLYING, directed by Richard Linklater, 124 mins

- 2003. A Vietnam veteran recruits his two oldest buddies, who he served with, to accompany him on a journey no one should ever have to take.

- Richard Linklater continues to prove he can effortless hop between genres like no one else, but the film is still packed full with ideas he’s played with before.

- Performances are uniformly and predictably excellent. Bryan Cranston’s Sal is like the crazy friend of your parents who’d show up every few years in a beaten up old car and give you a pack of smokes for your birthday. Laurence Fishburne says ‘praise Jesus’ every 2 minutes and it’s amazing. Steve Carrell has a quiet dignity to him that’s really special.

- Linklater knows exactly what he’s doing with his camera (water is wet), but it kills me to say it felt visually bland like his films never have.

- Features the best ‘characters uncontrollably laughing’ scene since The Intouchables (2011).

4/5.

Opens 3rd November.

#5: THOROUGHBREDS, directed by Cory Finley, 90 minutes

- Two rich-kids from small town Connecticut hatch a plan together.

- Ugh, just.... what’s the point? It’s not boring, but every frame just had me thinking ‘why is this happening?’ So disappointingly transparent. I could see the director sitting planning the movements and cuts. Painfully ‘first-feature’ like. Should have been a rich, twisted delight, but was just so vapid and empty.

- Olivia Cooke is one of my favourite rising actresses. Has one of my favourite performances ever as Rachel in Me and Earl and The Dying Girl (2015), and dammit I cry every time I watch her in it. In this... she does a good job with what she’s given. Anya Taylor-Joy is fun too.

- Badly costumed?? So rarely actively think that.

- Music was fun but as empty and ultimately weightless as the rest of the film. Felt like an afterthought to spice things up.

- Anton Yelchin’s character was the only person in the whole film I cared about. Brings a greyness to such a black and white film. What a fucking loss to the world man.

2/5.

Opens 9th March, 2018.

#6: CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, directed by Luca Guadagnino, 130 minutes

- Somewhere in Northern Italy, Summer 1983, Elio’s life changes.

- Sun-drenched Europe, the smell of warmth and twirling cigarette smoke, deep blue sky- pure, breakfast with a glass of apricot juice and an espresso, the sound of bike spokes spinning lazily.

I wish I could live with these people.

‘Later.’

4.5/5.

Opens 27th October.

#7: THE SHAPE OF WATER, directed by Guillermo del Toro, 119 minutes

- 1962, Cold War America. A mute cleaner at a government research facility, Elisa, strikes up an unlikely relationship.

- Del Toro just *knows* what he’s doing. It’s all so effortlessly confident. So rich and fulfilled. Such commitment to everything.

- The first half is fantastical and brilliant. The second.... loses something. Still has moments of genius, but too much plot. Fizzles out in a disappointing way.

- Reminded me in a lot of ways of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver (2017). Both are clearly projects the directors have wanted to make for a while, both have amazing first acts then don’t quite know what do with themselves. However, Shape has pure heart that carries it through any rough patches. It feels like it’s actually about something, not just an exercise in style for the director.

3.8/5.

Opens 16th February, 2018.

#8: LUCKY, directed by John Carroll Lynch, 88 minutes

- The swan song of Harry Dean Stanton. A 90-year old atheist’s life as he wanders his desert town, drinking, smoking and speaking to old friends.

- Pure magic all the way through. Plays at exactly the speed and tone it wants to play at.

- One of the most engaging ‘but nothing happens!!’ films I’ve ever seen.

- Everyone hits perfectly. David Lynch appears playing a character that has a pet tortoise called President Roosevelt for fuck sake.

- Bleak, but finds immense joy in that bleakness. Whenever I feel like I’m about to face the void- I will remember the smile of Harry Dean Stanton.

- 3.5/5.

Opens January 2018.

#9: BAD GENIUS, directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya, 130 minutes

- Thai Heist-Thriller about students cheating their exams.

- WHAT A FUCKING RIDE!! More stakes in this than most ‘end of the world’ superhero movies.

- The filmmaking is so good it makes you forget plausibility is sometimes being pushed. Amazing set-pieces. Expertly choreographed.

- Whimsical, but painful and genuinely emotional when it needs to be.

- Every character is so rich and textured in their own way. So fully realised.

- Why do the last 2 minutes of this film exist??

- 2 years time, there will almost certainly be an American remake of this... and it’ll suck so hard.

- SEE THIS FILM. SEE THIS FILM. SEE THIS FILM. SEE THIS FILM.

4/5.

Opens some time in 2018.

#10: THE FLORIDA PROJECT, directed by Sean Baker, 115 minutes

- In the shadow of Disney World, 6 year-old Moonee and her friends spend the summer playing around the Motels they live in.

- Pastel bright colours. Every person has survived a storm. Explore the wasteland of failed corporate America. Become a child again.

- Baker continues to masterfully blend fiction with reality, wrapping one in the other.

- Doesn’t ask you to like the characters. Doesn’t need to. One of the very best films of the year.

4.5/5.

Opens 10th November.

#11: INGRID GOES WEST, directed by Matt Spicer, 98 minutes

- Ingrid moves to California to become Instagram famous.

- An enjoyable, fun Saturday night film.

- Elisabeth Olsen as ‘photographer’ Taylor Sloane is note perfect. Could so easily have slept-walked through it, but didn’t. Her relationship with brother Nicky is so, so good. Idea of this Instagram famous rich girl with her crazy, pill-junkie, roid-monkey brother who she knows is terrible but loves him and is sort of as vapid as he is- just knows how to hide it better. And man, he is SO evil. Haven’t hated a character as much as I hated him in a while.

- Plaza holds it together. Her and the film trust you to realise how mentally ill she is without reminding us too much.

- 1st half is superbly played... loses it somewhere in the middle of the 2nd act but picks up again at the end.

- Music was terrible?! Suggested some weird criss-cross in tone of the film.

- I GET IT! THE INTERNET IS BAD!

3.5/5.

Opens 17th November.

#12: You Were Never Really Here, directed by Lynne Ramsey, 85 minutes

- Gulf War veteran Joe is known for the brutality he inflicts on captors of the children he’s rescuing.

- Deeply troubled. Beautiful. Precise. Scatter-brained. Focused. A violin strung too tightly, then played by a madman. How can something so stripped down and raw feel so symphonic and wholesome? I feel like I’ve been repeatedly smashed in the head with a hammer... but enjoyed it.

- Jaoquin Phoenix. Lynne Ramsey. Johnny Greenwood.

- There are things in this that will play on loop in my head for the rest of my life.

4.5/5.

Opens in early 2018.

#13: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, directed by Martin McDonagh, 115 minutes

- A mother takes desperate steps to pressure local law enforcement to find her daughter’s killer.

- Perfectly woven and layered characters. I fucking hate the phrase ‘the character arc’, but if I were teaching a class in it- I’d show this film.

- A film about relationships, and every relationship between every character or creature or inanimate object is perfect.

- McDonagh loves theatrical sensibilities. Nobody does grand, rich set-pieces quite like him... makes highly stylised situations feel real in the world he sets up.

- I could have watched hours more of these characters interacting.

4/5.

Opens 12th January 2018.

STRAY THOUGHTS:

- Felt spoilt in the audiences I had the pleasure of watching these films with. Always respectful.

- Every time Clare Stewart (head of festival) came on stage to present a film, I just couldn’t help but smile. Bumped into her after a screening and told her my student loan situation. I don’t think she knew what to say.

- DON’T WATCH THE TRAILERS OF ANY OF THESE FILMS. THEY SPOIL SO MANY OF THEM.

- I am consistently shocked by how enamoured I am with celebrities. Some weird conditioning in my brain. Am glad I didn’t queue up to get a picture with anyone. Saying that, this screenshot from a random interview I saw online where I’m juuuust to the left of Emma Stone will live on my wall forever.

ughhhhhh i’m a loser ughhhhh

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thelioncourts · 7 years

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Kirsten can we pls talk about soulless sam? about how ruthless he was. how calculating. how smart, how logical, how determined. how scared he was. (HOW HOT HE WAS). just ffuusmksk soulless sam is so interesting to me as a character?? and the scene you reblogged where he sits on the floor and the demons come in and he just smiles at them; his eyes are ice cold and shine with mirth at how he's now got two demons in a trap. how he impassively just bit his own wrist to draw an entire trap with blood

Oh god, soulless!Sam. Soulless!Sam was. He was something.

I didn’t like soulless!Sam, not as a character (as a story-telling tool and a plot point, however, is a different story), but I find him hopelessly fascinating in terms of Sam, and as his own entity. There are two literary/movie characters that remind me of soulless!Sam and those are Ava from Ex Machina and Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. He was a good hunter, and that’s about the end of his goodness as a character.

I won’t go into a list of events about him, because we all know what he did and didn’t do, but we can 100% talk about how h o t he was and WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT SPECIFIC SCENE BECAUSE FUCK ME UP it might be my favorite soulless!Sam scene.

First: Soulless!Sam was the hottest thing to ever grace the television screen in a purely aestheticly badass brick-house kind of way.

honestly he could rip me limb from limb and I’d probably make sure I could still find a way to thank him

he was blatantly arrogant and a sex machine (maybe a bit too literal on the machine, in terms of his personality) and so many things Sam could be/is, but that we don’t get to see out of him because of Sam’s light and goodness, no matter how shrouded in darkness it may get sometimes.

Now, moving onto the scene: We’re looking at “Caged Heat,” episode 10 of season 6, one of the most glorious episodes. Their grandfather has betrayed them, they’re in separate rooms, and guarded by demons, Castiel’s been forced out of the compound they’re in, Meg’s holding off Crowley’s hellhounds, and it’s a mess. And Soulless!Sam fucking bites into his own arm and draws a devil’s trap on the ceiling in his own damn blood. And when the demons come in he smiles this horrible, bone chilling, blood-stained smile. And it’s amazing. It’s genius and macabre and honest-to-god one of the best scenes in the series, especially post-s5. /sigh/

Soulless!Sam was a force. And an endlessly fascinating one too. I hope to never see him again, but his time on the show was interesting in all kinds of ways.

#nice human #<3 #kirsten answers #long post for ts #don't mind me #Anonymous

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frecklefaceb · 7 years

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Trouble 11

Genre: Fan Fiction (Suicide Squad) Pairing: George “Digger” Harkness/OFC-Donna Warnings: Angst, Language, Sexual Induendo, Sexual Tension, and Smut. NSFW! Rating: Mature Disclaimer: This a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line.

*Donna and Boomer’s meeting with Boris doesn’t go as expected. Tensions are already high between the pair, will Boris’s plans for them fuel the fire?

For those that are interested in the playlist you can find that here and here is the previous chapter of Trouble. I hope you enjoy! As always, your likes, reblogs, messages, and comments are always appreciated.*

Boomer trails behind Donna as the pair trek to the Foxy Roxy. If it weren’t for the occasional waft of cigarette smoke, she may have forgotten Boomerang was even there; his steps were silent, making the large man eerily ghost like. Secretly wishing their journey was a prank, Donna mentally ticked off a list of places she would rather lead Boomer to for laughs. So far, she had thought of randomly stopping into a church service, an interpretive dance class, couples therapy, the nail salon for manicures and pedicures, a kids arcade, which caused Donna to giggle because Boomer in a ball pit would be highly entertaining, and finally a porn shop, although that one could admittedly be fun even if she felt contempt for the man. Not that Donna would admit last night was fun, but she was reminded that it was with each step she took, which only caused more internal conflict.

It was easy for her to lose Boomer once they step into the club, as her eyes quickly adjust to the perpetual darkness and the occasional strobe light. Remembering that Boomer frequented the establishment at some point, Donna meandered through the tables and the pit until one of the working women recognized him. She couldn’t help but grin at the coo from a woman wearing the residuals of a sailor costume, “Hey, handsome! I’ve missed you!”

The woman shamelessly drapes herself on Boomerang, rubbing his chest and desperately trying to capture his attention. Donna calls out with a wink, “I’ll catch you later!"

The flashing lights only enhancing the panicked look in his eyes as he witnesses Donna sacrifice him and prance off. Boomer hastily pushes the woman aside, ignoring her cries as he stomps after Donna through velvet ropes into the VIP section only to find her already sitting in a booth with Boris. Still vexed at her attempt to ditch him, Boomer hesitantly sits at a nearby table.

"My favorite,” she hums, pressing the glass to her lips. Boris sniffs.

“I didn’t think you’d object,” he states while twisting the ring on his pinky finger. Nodding his head towards Boomer, he states, “I see you brought your guard dog."

Shrugging, she replies, "You know I’m a sucker for strays. He just followed me here."

Boris purses his lips as he inspects Boomerang, "He likes you.” causing Donna to scowl at Boris while his gaze remains fixated on the other man. “I can tell by the way he looks at you. It’s the same way Sergei did."

Donna licks her lips, trying to combat the flutter in her stomach over the name as an uneasy feeling settles over her regarding the current situation. Being called back by Boris was never a good sign, and discussing Sergei wasn’t on high on her list of things to do. After a pregnant pause she sighs before replying, "Well I’m not sure I’ll keep this one either.” Her fingers tap the side of her glass and Boris’s hand clamps over hers.

“Stop. The fidgeting is unladylike.” he commands while dropping her hand.

“When have I ever been a lady?” her question playful, but Boris remains serious.

“I know for a fact you were raised to be one.” he asserts while pointing at her. Donna resists the urge to roll her eyes, knowing Boris would see it as a sign of disrespect. Clearing his throat, he changes the subject, “There’s no reason to keep the stray dog outside. In fact, I know he can be quite useful as I’ve rendered his services before. He is the reason you previously sought out my help, no?” Donna nods and Boris motions Anton, his bodyguard, to escort Digger to the table.

“Please sit.” he dictates. Boomer’s jaw tenses at the politely veiled order but he obeys, sliding into the seat next to Donna as the waitress places a box of cigars on the table before whisking away the empty glasses.

He offers each of them a cigar, shrugging off their decline before settling back against the booth and thoughtfully chewing on the end of his cigar before speaking, “My informant inside the department says the investigation into the recent burglary at Capitol Bank is moving along swimmingly."

Boomer glances over to Donna who noticeably stiffens. Boris smiles as he continues, "It seems as if the lab was able to recover some data off the memory chip. My mole has been delaying the information to stall the investigation, but time is of the essence. With my command it can be destroyed or passed along, placing the two of you behind bars."

"I take it you want something else from us.” Donna states without looking up, her finger idly swirling the rim of her glass.

“Smart girl. I’m expecting a heavy shipment in a couple of days at the dock. I want the two of you to pick it up for delivery, unless you would rather this predicament you’re in sorts itself out the lawful way?” Boris pauses, waiting for an objection from either one, the silence causing a faint smile to flash along his sharp features. “I didn’t think so. Donna, I’ll notify you of the details. It’s not outside of your normal expertise, so I have the utmost faith in you."

Boris clasps his hands together as he leans across the table with a stoic expression, "Now with that settled, Digger, it is my understanding that you were one of the people that last saw Sergei. Did anything seem off to you?"

"Nah,” Boomer calmly replies as his gaze remains fixated on Boris. “It’s a shame tah hear he’s missin’."

Donna discreetly bumps her knee against Boomer’s and he shifts his gaze down to his untouched glass of scotch.

"To see a friend, no road is too long. I assure you, I won’t stop until he’s found and brought home to his family.” Boris’s tone is icy and Donna fights the urge to rub her arms to dissipate the goosebumps hidden under the sleeves of her jacket.

“You care for her, no?” Boris asks while pointing to Donna. Boomer tongue clicks, not wanting to answer and unable to look either of them in the eye. Boris slams his hand down on the table with laughter. “You be careful with this one. The obliging fool is worse than an enemy."

Donna’s brow furrows, unsure which of them Boris’s warning was meant for.

"Now if you excuse me, I have elsewhere to be,” he states while standing and buttoning his suit jacket, "Enjoy a dance on me."

________

Peeling the blanket away, Boomer agilely maneuvers up the bed, traveling up the length of her legs and stopping only once he was comfortably positioned between them. Donna may have kicked him out of her bed, but she never said anything about visiting. Each morning, The Captain found himself here, lifting up her over-sized t-shirt and removing her underwear before his tongue would dance up her inner thigh and into her folds.

The whimpers and sighs were like music to his ears, as he teased her clit by sucking and rubbing his tongue on the sensitive bundle of nerves. Her body writhing with pleasure as she stirs from slumber, spreading her thighs wider and scraping her nails along his scalp to encourage the ministrations of his mouth.

Boomer smiles against her thigh as Donna’s back arches off the bed when he slips two fingers into her core, his large fingers pumping in attune with his mouth. Both of her hands now settling on his scalp, holding his head in place as Donna pushes herself into closer contact with his probing fingers and tongue. Her leg begins shaking as she nears release, and Boomer inserts a third finger before sucking on her swollen clit, causing Donna to shoot off the bed, crying in pleasure as her orgasm hits hard. Hooking a leg over his shoulder, she angles her core closer as Boomerang continues to lick and pump his fingers through her climax.

Donna pats Boomerang’s head as she comes down from her post orgasm high. He leans back, wiping his face with the back of his hand while staring up at her, waiting for validation. Pushing him off of her, Donna rolls over to the edge of the bed, standing with a huge stretch and a yawn.

"A girl could get used to that.” she jokes, running her fingers through her hair before facing Boomer who’s now uncomfortably shifting and rearranging himself through his boxers.

“You could just save yourself some time and apologize.” Boomer flinches at her confession.

“Fah what?” he asks and Donna’s mouth drops as she swiftly moves off of the bed.

“Seriously?"

Boomerang’s voice is husky with incrimination, “Ya ain’t exactly complain’ about the daily atonement with ya cunt."

Donna crosses her arms and scoffs, "Well, I’m not stupid, Digger."

"Is that it now?” he challenges, but she laughs it off while stopping in the kitchen, waiting for him to catch up.

“Are you even capable of saying I’m sorry?” she pushes and his jaw clenches.

“Actions speak louder than words,” he says, turning away.

"Oh, indeed they do Booms! So says the cowardly man that bolted.” The Captain’s shoulders slump at her unforgiving and spiteful words.

“I get it. Ya tired of me and I’m a disappointment. So just give me apartment back and I’ll get out of ya fuckin’ hair."

"You know I’m bare down there.” she grins at the deadly glare Digger is sending her way.

“Ya avoidin’ me request. I have a lease and ya in violation because I haven’t done anythin’ wrong tah be evicted. So just give me back me place!” he yells as his hand slams down on the counter causing the items on the top to rattle.

Donna studies her nails, uninterested in George’s tantrum, “You violate me every morning, so I’d say we’re even."

"Oi, I wouldn’t have tah if I had me own place.” he reaffirms while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Wow. You can’t just let this go."

"Oh, that’s rich! Move upstairs and I’ll stay here. Hell! I’ll fuckin’ move into the penthouse if ya so adverse tah stayin’ there, just as long as I’m not trapped in this cage with you!"

"Please, you’re just going to use my room to do pervy things to that poor unicorn.” she accuses him from across the island.

“It ain’t much different now, mate.” he smugly responds as he rounds the counter and stops before her.

“She’s still desirable while missing a leg?” Donna asks and Boomer’s gaze narrows. “Good for you man,” she pats his arm while sidestepping his advance.

His large hand curls around her arm, stopping the woman in her tracks while he leans in. “Speakin’ of Pinky, where’d ya put her leg?” Boomer’s eyes are ablaze as he waits for a response.

Donna rolls her eyes upward in contemplation, “Oh, you know…around.” she smugly smiles as Boomer’s mouth tightens.

“I want it back. Now.” his demanding snarls bringing Donna to laughter.

“I’ll think about.” she dismisses him by prying herself loose from his grip before striding to the middle of the room.

“I should just break ya neck.” he utters in frustration while scanning the room for a sign of the appendage.

“Kill me and you’ll never see her leg again!” she calls over her shoulder before shutting the bathroom door.

_____________

There was something unsettling about finding Donna curled up asleep on the couch, clutching the blanket tight to her chest with dried tears staining her cheeks. Boomer brows lower and a frown pulls at his lips as he surveys the scene, a heavy weight anchoring in his chest as he wonders what she had been crying about.

Boomer rakes a hand down his face, looking towards the ceiling. She didn’t strike him as the crying type. Surely this wasn’t about him?

Donna bolts upright from the couch, her eyes searching the room and landing on Boomer as she processes where she is. “What?” she bitterly asks while pushing her bangs away from her face.

He shifts uncomfortably, unsure if he wants to press for details but settles on asking, “Yah, okay?"

The concern on Boomer’s face is genuine as he waits for a response. Donna sharply looks away, shaking her head while groaning in disgust, "Before you say anything else, the world doesn’t revolve around you."

"What am I supposed tah think, doll?” he retorts, his blood starting to boil underneath his skin. “Yah claim to hate me, yet I can’t leave. I have no home because ya gave it away. One of the few possessions I care about is bein’ held hostage, not to mention ya came after me when I left while tryin’ tah claim it was tah clean up. And now there’s suddenly just one more job fah me tah do before I can fuck off into the sunset.”

She rolls her eyes in response, “Since you won’t tell me the reason you killed Sergei just admit you ran to save your own ass.”

“I’m suppose tah tell ya everythin’ and play me cards on the table but yet ya get to hold yours close tah ya chest? I don’t think so doll.” his tone is deadly as his gaze penetrates.

“You are unbelievable,” she launches, “I did bring you back to finish that job. Nothing more. That phone you left behind was in my name, asshole. I wanted the police to forget about it just as much as you.”

“Yah’ve done nothin’ but ride me ass and I’ve went along fah what? I don’t even like ya most the time. Ya drive me fuckin’ mad!” his hands shaking from rage as he grabs fistfuls of hair before falling to his side with humorless laughter. Suddenly twisting, Boomer scoops up the large mirrored tray from the coffee table and tosses it, the contents clattering to the floor as it hurls through the air into a support column, glass shattering and wood splintering onto the marble floor. Donna’s mouth opens in shock as she glances back to the ill-tempered man.

“I’m done listen’ to ya! How about that, eh?” he rants, chest heaving as Donna’s eyes remain wide from his outburst. She stays still on the couch as he continues, “I’m goin’ out tah the pub. I’ll be back if, and whenever I fuckin’ please."

Donna blankly stares at the void on the table where tray used to rest. She slowly leans her head to the back of the couch with a sigh. Upon hearing the door latch closed, she sadly whispers, "You like me."

#mine #my fic #trouble #captain and donna #captain boomerang #captain boomerang fic #captain boomerang fanfiction #suicide squad #suicide squad fic #captain boomerang x ofc #jai courtney #jai courtney fanfiction #jaicourtneyfic

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ruleandruinrpg · 7 years

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CONGRATULATIONS, KAITLIN!

You have been accepted for the role of SERGEI VALKE. Admin Bree: It’s no secret to anyone who’s been paying the slightest bit of attention that we’ve been not only wanting, but desperately needing a Sergei for quite some time, and this time around, we were blessed with not just one, but two wonderful apps for him, both of which certainly did him considerable justice. But Kaitlin, yours stuck out—yours made me uncomfortable at times, yours made me nearly hate him, but there was still evidence of the boy he once was, too—his love for his little sister, and for his wolf. You brought him to life, you made him real, and you did it beautifully. I couldn’t be more confident in your ability to portray him. Well done! You have 24 HOURS to send in your account. Also, remember to look at the CHECKLIST. Welcome to Ravka!

OUT OF CHARACTER

ALIAS: Kaitlin

PREFERRED PRONOUNS: She/her

AGE: 20

TIMEZONE & ACTIVITY LEVEL: EST. I think you guys are fairly familiar with my activity at this point, but personally I’d put it around a 6, maybe 7. There are off days and there are good days! I can be relied on to post at least every other day, sometimes multiple times a day sometimes only once. Depends.

CURRENT/PAST ACCOUNTS: You know, but Anton Lantsov & Adeline Calore.

IN CHARACTER

DESIRED CHARACTER: Sergei Valke, for all intents and purposes.

WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS CHARACTER? I mean, what didn’t?

It took me awhile to kind of get in the same headspace as Sergei; he’s undiscovered territory for me, if you will. The more I went back and re-read through his bio though, the more I began to understand what it was about Sergei that kept drawing me in: Sergei is an antagonist, but he is not the villain of his own story – far be it from that, he is the protagonist of Fjerda’s. That is why I love him. He’s a messiah and a monster wrapped up in ice and charm through sheer force of will. He is not some passive villain.

He’s a boy come in from the wild and the curve of his smile got turned into a weapon, the kind-hearted boy he could have become lost to the wild hunt (because I firmly believe Sergei is a monster by nurture, because I cannot make sense of this evil just for evil’s sake – he was conditioned into his belief’s, and Ravak threatens those). Sergei drew me in because as much as he is an antagonist, he is not a traitor. The only comparisons to Judas that an be made are they plot the death of gods-turned-human. But there is no betrayal in Sergei’s deceptions, and as his deception darkened eyes ghost over the royal court, drinking in and learning everyone’s secrets, he tastes the burning pride his true God must feel for him, to be dedicating himself so thoroughly to the cause of his people.

He has left his home, and this time he volunteered, was excited to leave behind the familiar. There will be no valiant escape plan, no possibility of his own survival once he completes his task. This is what defines Sergei – his actions are not done in the name of greed or evil, but in the name of love, in the name of holiness. Sergei Valke sees himself as a hero, a savior; he knows himself to be a martyr in the making.

WHAT FUTURE PLOT IDEAS DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?

I. ROME IS BURNING. There is no surviving the assassination of a God, this much Sergei knows, but all must beware he who is willing to bathe in fire and ice to complete the deed. I think this is what breaks my heart the most, that his death is pretty much a done deal. It’s not really possible for this particular story, I don’t think, for Sergei to complete his goal – but what a fucking curveball would it be if the Fjerdan spy managed to charm his way so thoroughly into the court that he could succeed in his task? Sergei has walked into Ravka with canines bared and axes sharpened, content in his human flesh so long as his blades are sharp enough to cut through divinity. Sergei, who is unbearably unloved, a violent boy teetering on the precipice of giving hope to his nation, may just make a martyr of himself yet. Per ardua ad astra; through adversity to the stars.

II. HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF. On the other hand, having it all be for naught, while heartbreaking for the sake of love for Sergei, would certainly be an excellent plot device for the group as a whole. Finding Sergei out, after having hidden under their noses, would be a very, very motivational event for Anton and Gemma. They are two people who need things to go their way, who need to prove themselves the whirling hurricanes of power they are. Sergei knows he is in his final chapters, that the only words left on the pages of his life are kill, kill, kill. He is the living breathing example of transcendence, of recognizing himself not as the god he once wished himself, but the hand destined to slay divinity – this could very well be his undoing. I’m not exactly sure that I’m looking forward to this particular plot, but I think that there’s a kind of poetry to his death being at the hands of the Ravkan throne, to his death coming before he has a chance to succeed in his mission, a kind of irony. Through his attempts to steal a life, he loses his own, just as his attempts to steal bread to save his life are what made him lose the life he had known as a boy. Tragic, in the most traditional sense of the word.

III.WHAT’S A KING TO A MANY-FACED GOD? This is lame but I’m honestly just really excited about the prospect of writing out his interactions because he is not the mindlessly violent thing that some may see him to be. He is a fucking survivor, and he is charming and clever enough that Fjerda sent him literally into the heart of their enemy to try and take them down. There is no senselessness to his violence, nothing shallow or petty about his intended destruction. Every single move he makes is calculated with no intent to benefit himself, and even as prejudice burns like battery acid in his heart, he is careful to make sure no one at court can see it – and that’s fucking incredible. What kind of suave but simultaneously distant guy must he be? This is something I’d really like to explore more, this deceptive, manipulative, side to Sergei that I think is probably pretty new to him as well.

IV. ENEMIES TO FRIENDS. The least likely plot I can see happening, though certainly the most appealing to be honest just because it will mean my ice baby gets to live (maybe) would be that Sergei finds himself at odds with the teachings his nation had instilled inside of him. This boy, with nothing but murder on his mind, takes a liking to someone at Ravkan court, finds himself attracted to them in the kind of way where their thoughts matter, the things they hold dear to their heart matter to him, and it causes this backlash of stubborn, infectious humanity to take root inside his heart, wrapping itself around the prejudice he so dearly clings to. His prejudice against the witches is all he has ever known, all he has ever been taught, but now all he sees are Grisha, left and right and all around him, and some of them are kind, some of them are funny. I wonder if his isolation, if all the distance between Sergei and Fjerda, could be enough to turn his prejudice to mere dust and ash blowing in the breeze.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO HAVE YOUR CHARACTER DIE? I love Sergei to bits and bobs, but I do think that his death could be really interesting for the group if it’s in the kind of situation where it was during an attempt on someone important life or something. I couldn’t really see it happening just as an emotional stimulus or what have you, just because he doesn’t exactly have a lot of close friends that it would affect, but as a plot device, it would definitely be beneficial to the group… So yes, basically.

IN DEPTH

IN CHARACTER PARA SAMPLE(S):

I. In his own country, Death can be kind.

“This one’s yours, Valke,” his commanding officer says from the right, the words sending a shiver of excitement down Sergei’s spine where others would have felt fear, should have felt disgust. Sergei felt nothing but pride, and the sneaky smile that crossed his face was a dead giveaway to that fact. His hands should shake, perhaps. His hands should b so slick from sweat that the new gun he’d gotten from Novyi Zem should slip through from his grasp, perhaps. There should be a ringing in his ears, his heartbeat so deafening he couldn’t even hear his leaders voice beside him, perhaps.

Instead he is stone. Instead he smiles.

“Yes, sir.”

Swiftly and without any hesitation, he lifts his boot and kicks down the door before him, knocking it in with a single blow.

He was hit by the stench first.

From somewhere unidentified filters out the rotten smell of dead and decaying things, the putrid scent filth beneath his feet rolling off of the floor in waves and the smell of excrement and curing meats mixes together a nearly toxic concoction. One would think the sight of something such as this would turn his stomach, would make him feel badly about taking something so precious as child from a family who already had nothing, but he felt little remorse for the sins he was committing this day, and Sergei resists the urge to to bring his arm to his face in an attempt to hide from the disgusting smell – he would need both of his hands tonight.

In the dark of night, it’s difficult to see into the small house he’s just entered, lit only by the small flicker of a candle in opposite corners of the first room. Sitting there, or perhaps a better word would be cowering, in the frozen darkness, was a single woman and her daughter. He’d been prepared for this, the sight of suck fragile innocence; the witches always looked like the rest of the humans, some of them even looked like angels sent down to bring their souls to heaven. This girl just looked damp, her clothes and hair slick with sweat, where her mother looked terrified.

He didn’t see the father until it was too late, and a fist had come down hard on his face.

A lesser man would have fallen to the floor from the impact, but pride was a sick, addictive substance, and it burned inside of Sergei like stomach acid. A lesser man would have gotten angry. Sergei got even, reacting to the impact with the kind of cruel savagery that could only be likened to the animal he sought to emulate, flipping his gun around to smash the butt of it into the other man’s own face. There is no remorse in his heart, save for the stains this blood would leave on Sergei’s new boots.

The walls are hard stone and when the man knocks into one, the crack of his head against the roughness pleases Sergei. There’s a flash of silver, a simple flick of his wrist, and suddenly the girl once grasped so tightly in her mother’s arms stood at the whim of his blade.

He opens his mouth then, his voice patient, unhurried, as head dips down to speak in the small girls ear. The way she trembles almost amuses him – why did they bother to liken themselves to Gods when they shuddered at the simple sight of a blade? “You’d do well not to fight me, or my friend over there is going to slip his knife between your Pa’s ribs.” And as though they were one mind, one body, his partner pushed the blade more firmly against the father’s waist – a threat and a promise all wrapped in one.

Shows of power, after all, were nothing if not useful.

There are two more men standing in the doorway, another fresh-faced first-timer like himself, and the other more seasoned. It wasn’t difficult to tell which was which. Pathetic, he thought absentmindedly. Sergei liked being the best, but he’d have preferred not to go on a mission with a puppy. He shakes his head once and then turns his gaze away from his men, beginning to push the girl in his grasp towards the doorway. No one could have predicted what would happen next. After all, the Drüskelle were supposed to be good at catching Grisha.

His leader, once someone admired and revered by Sergei, dropped his blade and began clutching at his throat, his other hand clawing at his chest as though desperate to rip out the beating organ there. “Bloodletter,” hissed Sergei immediately, shoving the girl into the wall hard enough that he hoped she would lose consciousness.

Distantly, as though a thousand insignificant miles away, he heard the mother screaming.

What happened next wasn’t clear. They say your instincts kick in, that every detail can be remembered with painful clarity, but it was like some other person had taken over Sergei’s body, and when it was over they’d taken the memories with them. One minute the witch was killing his commanding officer and the next Sergei had buried his silver dagger in the man’s voice box. One minute he was Sergei, and the next he was Death riding in on a pale white horse, black cape billowing out behind him.

Word spread fast around the Ice Court, the story of how a young Drüskelle successfully took out a full-grown witch on his first try. It was sad, really, how impressed his fellow soldiers were with the story. They should all be capable of the same thing.

After all, Sergei had thought the whole thing fairly easy.

CHARACTER HEADCANONS:

I. You will always be dead, in a city of ice, snow falling into your ear. Sergei Valke was not always named as such. Once there was a boy named Dimitri Sergei Halvorsen, a half-moon boy whose idea of the honeyed warmth of love had been long ago warped by the harsh cruelties of ice and hunger. A peasant boy, with hands stained red by thievery, lips more often blue than pink – an unfortunate side effect of spending every night cold and wanting. Dimitri, wolf-boy, drawn taut and savage by a squalid home that could barely be called a home. Not only a middle son, but a young middle son, Dimitri was abandoned before he was born, more often left to use his own wits and wiles to secure food than he could rely on the woman called mother; he doesn’t blame her, not anymore, not when he remembers the way his father used to scold him and leave bruises on her arms, but at the time he had blamed her, and it had sent him running and running and running until one day he was caught. He was caught and using the very wits his mother had forced him to hone, he became someone else, someone forged anew. No longer Dimitri, the poor peasant boy who had frostbite more times than he could count on his fingers and toes. Instead he took the name Sergei Valke; his last name for its proximity to the animal with which he identified, the volk, and Sergei, so that he might take a small piece of his old world and build himself something new from it. Dimitri: earth-lover. Sergei: protector. Halvorsen: firm.

II. You are going to break your promise. I understand. He had promised to always protect her. Maya was his safe haven, a field of poppies not yet turned into poison. His younger sister, the seventh child of his family, born a mere nine months after him. It was Maya that kept his heart softened, not quite as black as the business of starvation should have made it. Dima, she’d cry out, fling herself into his arms when he’d return from his misadventures away from her. He had promised to always protect her, but even he couldn’t protect her from a bad heart and deadly frost. One day her heart just stopped beating, and his tether to those he was meant to call family came to a snap. He can still see the soft haven of her starlit curls as they bounce around her heart-shaped face. If he presses his hand to his chest just so and closes his eyes tightly, one palm laid flat in the middle, he can almost remember the way it felt when she tucked her head into him, can feel the wound where soft light still seeps in. Maya: illusion.

III. I savor bitterness - it is born of experience. It is the privilege of one who has truly lived. He walked for weeks, not what felt like weeks, but actual weeks, perhaps even months passed by before Dimitri would reach his final destination – not that he had really been walking with any semblance of a plan or destination in mind. He set off, leaving behind what “family” he had left with Kari nipping at his heels, and for the first time in his life he was almost never hungry; relying on himself and only himself did Dimitri good. He no longer had to accept the fact that he did not have the means for that extra meal, and instead did all of his own hunting. Deep in the darkness of forest is where he fashioned his first bow and arrow, a weapon he would later leave in his past but would always hold a special home in his heart. He walks and he hunts and he runs and he runs and he runs until one day he finds himself standing at the entrance to this new city, this new life, fourteen years old and already tougher than all of the other gutter rats he found.

IV. Sleep with fists closed and shoot straight. There’s a reason the Drüskelle leaders chose Sergei to go on the mission, and it was not because he was a man with no real family to speak of, it was not because he was expendable. It’s because he was invaluable. On the day that he was caught stealing and spared his hands, he vowed to make them the most useful weapon in the Drüskelle’s arsenal. From the moment Sergei began his training there wasn’t another soldier who could beat him in combat; he was the sharpest sharpshooter the Drüskelle had seen in what felt like centuries, capable of shooting a rabbit in the eye from distances none of his comrades could, and for every bruise that flowered like lilacs underneath of his skin, twenty more could be found on his opponents. And like all lambs led to the slaughter, Sergei took his fate in stride, accepted the fact that because he was the best, he would be the sacrifice, the offering Fjerda would make to Djel to attain greatness. He is the best Drüskelle they’ve seen in years, and he’s proud to die for that fact.

V. I am selfish. I am cruel. My mate cannot be less than I. He named her Kari, for the way her howls carried themselves along the frigid winds of Elling’s bitter frost. She was just a small pup when they first set out on Dimitri’s new life, the runt of the litter, the least favorite pick of the group – Dimitri had taken to her with a kind of urgency and love he’d only ever before been able to give Maya. She grew with the same tenacity Dimitri had himself, a sure-footed and savage creature, capable of the kind of stealth that would later nominate Sergei as the best Drüskelle in the company. He misses her every single day, and thinks about her much more than he would ever admit: only another Drüskelle could understand that kind of bond. Before he left his home for foreign country he’d taken her back up to lands around Elling, left her trotting along the western seaboard as he took in for the last time the familiar scent of salty air. Kari: pure, the embodiment of wind.

VI. Men die. It’s practically what they’re for. He kept his name, though at first he didn’t plan to. Perhaps it is because he was afraid, afraid that if a wolf went into a lions den wearing a lion-hearted name he too would come out on the other side a lion. Perhaps it’s because for all that he was raised Dimitri Halvorsen, Sergei Valke was always the man he was destined to become, and if he was going to sacrifice himself in the name of his nation, then he wanted to do it wearing the name he had built for himself. So he stayed who he was, but he molded himself into a Ravkan man. He’d done his research, found a man with the surname Valke, a weapons specialist who had spent most of his life living at the Chernast outpost; it was sheer luck of the draw that he’d had Sergei’s name, making it easy for him to track the man down and claim to be his long-lost son. Sergei had been ready to force a letter claiming him to be the old man’s own, but he was so daft and dumb he’d actually believed Sergei. It didn’t take much coaxing or coddling at all to convince him to send his new son to Os Alta to demonstrate the new weapons.

VII. Just tell yourself a story that’ll satisfy you and pretend he told it. Sergei is not kind, and he does not freely give himself away to those around him, but it takes a degree of finesse, of charm to convince not only an entire court that he is who he says he is, but a man had never known before he had a son actually believed him when he claimed to be so.

VIII. I say these things, and the world listens. This one isn’t necessarily fully-fleshed out and understood by me yet, but that’s only because I don’t have all of the cards needed to understand the Fjerdan religious system quite yet. I’m in the process of reading Six of Crows where its more fully fleshed out, but I definitely believe Sergei to be a believer. I imagine it was probably something that had to be instilled in childhood, his parents having had their own hard-set defined belief system that went right along with the rest of Fjerda: the witches need to burn. I don’t think Sergei could dedicate himself so whole-heartedly if he didn’t believe Djel would be looking after him.

EXTRAS:

I have a mockblog & a pinterest board, both of which helped me to find my muse, but probably won’t give you much material to help judge my application.

I listened to My Petersburg a number of times while thinking about teenage Sergei running through the streets of Djerholm, and definitely took a lot of inspiration for his personality during that time of his life from the lyrics!

ANYTHING ELSE? Inkheart is my favorite book :)

#raraccepted #accepted: sergei

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movietvtechgeeks · 7 years

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Latest story from https://movietvtechgeeks.com/agents-shield-worlds-end-finale-good-not-great/

'Agents of SHIELD' World's End finale good, not great

Agents of SHIELD Season 4 ended on a very high note with World’s End. The season began with Ghost Rider and ended with Ghost Rider; and as a Ghost Rider fan, the action in this season’s last episode is the best GR action I’ve seen since the first movie. I’d go so far as to say that the action and effects here are better. Well, compare the technology from 2007 to today and the fact that Agents of SHIELD is a TV show, AOS has really delivered. Hopefully, Robbie Reyes continues to show up in Season 5, or this particular episode paves the way for Marvel to greenlight a separate Ghost Rider series. Let’s recap for a bit while reviewing the episode at the same time. First the obligatory warning, SPOILER ALERT!. But if you can’t wait to know what’s happened, and since our livelihoods here depends on your flaming devil-may-care attitudes, please read on. The episode picks up where the last one left off. Robbie Reyes returns in the SHIELD base and takes his car. The scene quickly shifts over to the Zephyr to May and Coulson. This episode, by the way, feels rushed and would have been better off as a two-hour special like what Supernatural’s going to or has done (depending on when you read this). They talk about keeping out of both Aida’s and the US government’s radars. May is still pissed about that bottle of alcohol (Hague is it?). I’ve yet to try Anton’s vodka with onions. Have to find some pure vodka first. We the shift over to Fitz and Jemma discussing on how to kill Aida. Fitz is still guilt-ridden while Jemma is anxious if Fitz is okay with killing the love of his alternative life. Their discussion is cut short when Jemma is alerted to the gradual erasure of the Framework. Yes, the Framework won’t continue as an alternate dimension within the show. Either it’s due to Aida’s anger, or the point of its existence was simply as a vehicle for her become a real person. The end of the framework, however, means the end of any hopes for a good LMD Grant Ward or the return of Tripp. Sorry, Skyward and Tripp fans. Then again, Ward hasn’t been around for a couple of episodes. Maybe it’s been done off-screen? We’ll be doing a lot of speculating later. Now the degradation of the Framework can’t be good for Mack and Yoyo who just entered it in the previous episode. Last we saw Yoyo, she was strapped to a chair after entering the Framework. Radcliffe comes to her rescue thanks to Daisy guiding him from the other side. The road to redemption has been pretty long for this character and quite dramatic. Radcliffe tells Yoyo that it may be too late as he notices the gradual degradation of the Framework. Fitz and Daisy do what they can in the background to delay the process and provide a way for Yoyo to escape. Aida’s own journey with human emotions continues to be unpleasant as she let herself be consumed by anger, rage and regret. She and Anton discuss their plan to remake the world but their discussion is interrupted with the arrival of Robbie Reyes in his flaming 69 Charger. Haven’t seen those flaming wheels since the first episode. Yes, yes. Budget, we know. He really needs his own series. Anyway, he tries to take the Darkhold and fights an Anton LMD and an unidentified one. He kills both and injures Aida in the arm. Robbie notices that Aida has become a real person and she shoots him with lightning, triggering a full transformation. Aida is shocked that her lightning doesn’t hurt the rider and teleports away with the Darkhold. Ghost Rider is furious that she got away. This sequence is perhaps more action-packed than the Ghost Rider fights in the first film. The effects look more realistic too. General Talbot calls Coulson to attend an international intelligence inquiry that wants to investigate the recent events. Coulson says no because of the threat of Aida. Daisy then tells Coulson that Robbie is back. The next scene shifts to Daisy meeting with Robbie. Like we said, this episode is fast-paced. Robbie explains that he’s back because of a tear that Aida created when she created her new body. The same effect when Eli was conjuring carbon spikes out of thin air. The tear was big enough for him to escape. Meanwhile, Aida is puzzled that her healing factor (probably taken from Jia Ying) has no effect on the wound inflicted by Ghost Rider. Anton explains that her body and Ghost Rider come from the same place. Which means, if anyone can stop Aida, it’s Ghost Rider. The other guy with Anton was actually duplicated from a Russian analyst supposed to be in the SHIELD inquiry. He and Anton show up at the inquiry and state their intentions that SHIELD must be brought down and even urge everyone there to read from the Darkhold. Talbot objects but then Daisy Johnson suddenly shows up and shoots Talbot in the head. Luckily, Talbot is still alive and that the Daisy that shot him was one of Aida’s Daisybots. The team shows up shoots the two Russian LMDs. They escape but leave behind the Darkhold. Daisy catches up to her double and meets Aida as well. Robbie however quickly destroys the double, and he and Daisy dispose of the other LMDs. Aida escapes before Robbie can kill her. The team determines that Talbot’s assassination was to be Aida’s ‘Cambridge Incident.' If the security footage leaks to the world, it would become the root of the Framework. Coulson suggests using the Darkhold to bait Aida since she’s afraid they might use it against her. Daisy also suggests that Aida’s terrified of Robbie. Robbie tells Coulson that Ghost Rider is thirsting for Aida’s destruction. Something Coulson keeps in mind. He suggests going back to the base and face their problems head on. He also tells Fitz and Jemma to temporarily get over themselves and work as a team again. It’s strange to think that they used to just be the team pop tarts who would always be in the background last Season 1. If there’s one thing we learned from The Flash, background characters can be made more interesting, but SHIELD does so without having to give them powers. Back at the Framework, Radcliffe becomes Yoyo’s guide and tries to help her win over Mack. He really doesn’t have to but he tries to make up for the damage he has done. At the other SHIELD HQ, things and people also continue to disappear and Radcliffe tries to talk Mack into leaving the framework which he refuses. Mack tries to evacuate the refugees to a safer place on a bus. Elena tries to re-acquaint herself to Mack to make him remember and convince him to leave. Their talk is cut short as everything continues to disappear including the people in the bus leaving Mack, Yoyo, Radcliffe and Hope. Mack decides to take Hope home and wait it out. Back at HQ, Coulson and May scout the area and talk about the bottle Hague and how to proceed with their relationship while Jemma and Fitz are busy keeping the framework intact for Mack and Yoyo. Aida suddenly appears threatening to kill Jemma. At Mack’s house, Hope overhears Yoyo and Radcliffe talk about that everything’s not real including her. Both continue to try convincing Mack to leave the Framework through a doorway Daisy just created, but Mack can’t leave Hope alone. Elena too decides to stay as everything in the house slowly disappears until at last Hope does too. Elena staying and Hope’s disappearance become the most intense emotional moments in this episode. Equal to the previous where Jemma tries to comfort a crying Fitz. SHIELD’s writers are really giving it their all assuming they know the show might not get renewed while others slack into complete disinterest. Back to the story, at SHIELD HQ, Aida confronts Jemma intending to kill her while Fitz tries to talk Aida out of it. But Aida is clearly psychotic. Jemma tries to stab her with a screwdriver, but Aida uses Vijay’s power to turn the tables and stabs Jemma instead. Fitz tries to get Aida to spare Jemma and offers her the Darkhold, but Aida electrocutes Jemma to death, intending to kill everyone in front of Fitz. Aida teleports to Coulson’s location. This scene felt odd as if the writers could do better. Fitz didn’t seem be as emotional as he should, but it turns out that Simmons was an LMD. But still, Fitz could have done better and made this scene more emotional. Simmons’ ‘death’ didn’t shock me as much as it should have but because the writers know it to be false and seem to be telling the viewers the same thing. Don’t worry, Simmons is okay with all the LMDs walking around. True, a smart viewer would have seen through the death immediately. It’s worth a try to shock them just the same. At the portal, Aida shows up in front of Coulson intending to get the Darkhold. She suddenly gets shot from behind by Jemma. But before she can go to kill Jemma, Coulson stops her and surprisingly transforms into Ghost Rider. Yes, it’s a big surprise. Could Robbie actually change his appearance? No, it turns out, Coulson gambled the spirit was desperate enough to get a hold of Aida to move to another body, the same way it did to Mack when it wanted to get to Eli. Aida teleports to various places trying to get Ghost Rider to let go. They end up back in SHIELD HQ where Fitz and Jemma witness how Aida gets burned alive. Unfortunately, this is the part of the episode I was disappointed in. I’ve grown to love Aida but we know she has to go, unfortunately in a very anti-climactic way. The same anti-climactic way the show got rid of Lucy Bower. I wished there was more action but if the Rider lets go, Aida would have teleported away. But there could have been more drama as she could have begged Fitz to help her or told Fitz that she loved him. But her passing really felt like a loss though as you’ll feel sorry for an android who wanted nothing more than to be human. Like if Disney burned Pinocchio after becoming a real boy. But Ms. Mallory Jansen did a great job with what she was given. Fitz didn’t feel all that sorry though as he may have sifted through his emotions faster than expected, except for the guilt. Back at the Zephyr, Yoyo wakes up from the framework having managed to leave at the last minute. It seemed for a moment that Mack would become a casualty, but he wakes up as well. It was also an emotional moment for Daisy seeing them lose Hope and almost losing Mack. We then see Coulson and Robbie discussing Coulson’s deal with Ghost Rider. The spirit returned to Robbie after killing Aida. Aside from Jemma and Robbie, Coulson opts to keep it from the team, though they’ll surely ask how Aida was defeated given that Robbie was with Daisy at the time. Perhaps they know except for the real nature of the deal which we may later see in Season 5. Speculation here, Coulson’s going to start seeing visions soon. As a nature of a season-ender, this episode closes the tension between Yoyo and Mack’s relationship after they discuss Hope, Mack realizes he can still have a future with Elena, perhaps to have a daughter again with her. Robbie says goodbye, hopefully temporarily, taking the Darkhold with him to keep it out of the wrong hands. Robbie surprisingly uses his chain to create a sling portal to another location. They really made a couple of Doctor Strange connections here with the portal and earlier telling Coulson about the never-ending war between dimensions. Before leaving, Robbie tells Coulson that he doesn’t envy him, meaning Coulson’s deal with Ghost Rider could have implications in the future. Mack and Yoyo arrive to tell the others that the government is on its way and that Talbot is still alive. Fitz volunteers to stay behind and explain everything but Daisy convinced him otherwise, that separating one’s self from the team because of guilt wasn’t the answer. Back at the framework, Radcliffe drinks whiskey at the beach regretting that he passed on the chance at being immortal and lamenting the loss of Agnes. It’s quite a shame to lose this character introduced last Season 3. He’s as quirky as he was in The Mummy trilogy but a flare more dramatic in AOS. His performance was great especially in Farewell Cruel World as he took Fitz to the portal sincerely saying that the Framework as it was then, was never his intent as he only wanted everyone in it to be happy. Radcliffe raises his glass and just disappears. In the penultimate scene, the team eats together in a diner. Completely together for the first time. The lights suddenly turn off. The team surrenders to their unknown captors, but they turn on a device similar to the one used in Iron Man 1. The team is then taken away. In the last scene, we see Coulson waking up from a bunk bed, seemingly imprisoned. He gets up and opens a window to reveal that they’re now in space. Overall, the finale is good but not great. It was a little too fast-paced and could be more nicely done as a two-hour special. But it would be tough to cram expensive effects in a two-hour TV show. Robbie wielding his chain while untransformed is clear evidence of working with the budget while those moments with him transformed were awesome.

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