Tumgik
#like this pan felt symbolic
saltyoaktree · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Something something the average viewer expects Ted and Rebecca to be a couple, something something "sometimes the right idea is just seating behind a couple of the wrong ones"
555 notes · View notes
Text
nothing like a call from your mother to make that escapism feel extra sweet
#oops vent post Look Away Look Away i am once again bleeding all over my blog#ohhhhh boy am i gonna get Creatively Active tonight#we love to see my living situation crash and burn oh boy oh boy#i get three more months and then!!! back into the fire i go!#and the frying pan was just starting to get cozy....#well! time to brush up on my masking and acting skills#absolutely unprompted#yknow it was actually funny#i went on a walk right after that call#and it felt like i was in a fucking movie. symbolism was ever#literally stood and stared at the 'no connection' street sign for a solid two minutes#feeling the Irony#then a black cat stopped and stared at me from down the road?#and a hummingbird flew over to look me in the eye??#walked under an apple tree but every single apple was rotting???#a fly decided to land on me for a split second and then flew away? felt Ominous#didnt see a raven though so thats a plus. or a minus. im not superstitious and i love ravens#plus side of being forced to move: i get to keep both of my cats and ill no longer be in this damn state.#negatives: living with my mom. her boyfriend. two dogs. in a state i strongly dislike. with no positive connections. in a basement.#its gonna be so fun! (sarcastic. lying. said through gritted teeth)#agh sorry sorry#once again treating tumblr like my personal diary#just. sigh.#well if i get a job right away and save up#maybe ill be able to find somewhere with roommates!#people my ageish! fellow queers perhaps! somewhere welcoming#where i can relax and feel Understood and perhaps even content with being alive#where i have room to not just force the love of existence but truly Feel it#i have hope! i have hope... i am miserable but one day! i may not be!#ive waited and survived this long! ill make it! i will fucking make it i swear to god
45 notes · View notes
wild-at-mind · 6 months
Text
Also now I'm feeling really shit about not getting to anything for trans day of remembrance this year.
#i literally missed it because i suck :(#but also i've been feeling kind of weird sometimes about it#the name reading where you just know all the latin american names are mispronounced#this is the uk where it's harder to find a latinx person (or even a spanish person) to be able to help with that or do the reading#but still i think it needs some preparation beforehand if at all possible#i know these things don't have the greatest support network behind them but still :/#i just think there's something really sad about messing up the names of trans people specifically!#even if it's not in a misnaming/transphobic context#also i've seen the criticisms i know this can tend to be about white middle class trans people making it about ourselves#or something but i don't know what the solution to that is#and like any vigil maybe it's main purpose is as a symbol and to bring people together#i just remember in like 2018 when i travelled to the next town over (because there's nothing like that here)#and went to the before event and it was packed out#and my people from my bi/pan meetup group were there (i wish that group still existed :( )#some as allies and many as trans people because surprise tonnes of bi and pan people are trans way more than you'd think from the discourse#i was kind of in the in between space between ally and trans back then#i had no idea what i to do about that but in that moment i felt such love and compassion coming to me from that room#the kind i had trouble giving to myself#i think that has value even though i fully take on board the criticism of the day#we can say trans people murdered around the world are our siblings but we really have no idea what their lives are like#but maybe that's the key thing-that solidarity can still happen if we look outwards as well as inwards?#figuring out you're trans means looking inwards by necessity but we can also look outwards and say 'i can't ever fully understand#but i want to'#i don't know i feel weird tonight sorry to ramble :(
1 note · View note
bylertruth3r · 4 months
Text
Mike and Will literally share shoes (and Will might be sleeping in Mike's room) and might not be dating yet when they start dating they're gonna share a whole closet and flirt with each other about how good they look in each other's clothes and just being obnoxious (I will rewatch those scenes so many times) what if they're sharing/swapping shoes because it's the 80's and they're in a really homophobic and conservative town and if they want to give little hints that they're dating and want to openly show it (to at least their friends) they have to be subtle about it? and maybe when they're at home they share clothes without feeling like they have to be careful with how they act around each other and can be openly affectionate (like them in s2)
Thank you for pointing it out @cler1csfink
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Confirmation that they're the same shoes and they're both size 10 so yeah they're sharing shoes
Tumblr media Tumblr media
and Mike brought these shoes from Hawkins which means the puma suede belong to Will
Tumblr media
and in a leaked footage El and Mike broke up/ were already broken up because Mike says "we'll still be friends" and "i wanted to tell you first" which makes me think he might have came out to her (and in that video he was literally wearing his boyfriend's shoes)
video from @nowmemoriees
in s1 during that scene on the train tracks they're friends and in the leaked video they were wearing similar clothes to what they were wearing in that s1 scene where they were friends and could trust each other. i think Mike's gonna come out to her (as gay) there which would explain why El was crying, and why Mike said "i wanted to talk to you first", in s1 Mike said "friends tell the truth" to El and in s5 it's Mike's turn to be honest about himself and maybe he'll tell her he's in love with Will or maybe he'll tell her that he's dating Will
it's the same song that played when Robin came out to Steve, obviously Steve had a crush on Robin but she's a lesbian and can only love him platonically while even though Mike tried to love El romantically he couldn't do it because he's gay and he didn't even bother to close his eyes and kiss her back
Tumblr media
plus in a deleted script it says he was mad at himself
Tumblr media Tumblr media
and the song playing when Mike and El were kissing in s3 "can't fight this feeling" is about someone being in love with their friend and not knowing what to do about it while already being in a relationship with someone else so it's about Mike being in love with Will and not knowing what to do so he represses it and pushes him away to get over him but then realizing it's not working (which is something he realized at the end of s3) and he's gay and he want on a double date with Will and Lumax after that
Tumblr media
and Mike in s4 was trying to be normal and might be into new things (men, because dnd is not new)
Tumblr media
and
Tumblr media
and in s4 "in the closet at rink o mania" started playing Mike took what Will said "and us?" as romantic and felt the need to clarify that they're friends and Will said they used to be best friends and the camera panned back to Mike plus synth music is his thing since he has "Smalltown Boy" (gay song) as his first song on his spotify playlist, it's a song about a gay man leaving his homophobic town to start a new life and Finn said he wants Mike to leave Hawkins
Tumblr media Tumblr media
and he has a "one way" sign pointing to his closet because he's gay and closeted and in his room he has a poster of a shirtless man while the others (Steve, B*lly, and Lucas' "friends") all have women posters because they like women
Tumblr media
Mike being obsessed with Superman? and him having a poster of a shirtless man while Steve, B*lly and the tigers all had posters of women in bikinis (because they like girls) Will has a skinny pink panther poster in his room which symbolizes his type in men (Mike) Mike has a shirtless man poster and a buff male dragon poster which symbolizes his type in men (Will) (he's not really buff but he's stronger than Mike) they're each other's type and love each other plus you can see Mike looking at Will's arms during some scenes
also in s3 he was happy about Dustin having a gf and asked him about her but then in s4 when he "finds out" Will has a crush on a "girl" he doesn't ask him about "her" and acts distant (he was pretending he didn't care but he was jealous) and he asked Will about the painting because he was hoping it was for him (it was)
Tumblr media
and he realized Will loves him back in the van scene, Mike wants to feel needed and Will needs him, Mike felt lost without Will, Will felt lost without Mike, Will loves him, Mike loves him back, they both think the other doesn't love them, they will prove each other wrong in s5 when Mike finds out Will lied about the painting and loves him back, they love each other the way they want to be loved
and he was so happy to see Will drew a heart on his shield
Tumblr media
which is literally an engagement ring, no hands because they'll be more than friends in s5
Tumblr media Tumblr media
they've been filming a lot at that farm.. and Ross and his wife said that they enjoyed eyewitness
Tumblr media
and Lukas and Mike both have internalized homophobia (Lukas was dating a girl to be normal and then he breaks up with his gf and starts dating Philip,his male best friend)
Tumblr media Tumblr media
and if this leak is actually correct there would be another parallel. the episode 2 of s5 is called "the vanishing of ***** Wheeler and if Holly goes missing then Mike and Will are gonna go looking for her in the upside down and maybe they'll kiss there (maybe that's where Mike's gonna get injured)
Tumblr media
because in eyewitness Lukas gets injured and his boyfriend stays with him and he kisses his forehead, Lukas' dad sees it (he's ok with it)
Tumblr media
and in s2 Mike stayed with Will at the hospital so now it's Will's turn
Tumblr media
they've been filming a lot at that farm.. and Ross and his wife said that they enjoyed eyewitness and they filmed at like 3 or 4 different farms (one of them has swings) and they're literally filming at one right now
more s5 leaks and Mike and El staying friends after the break up and Mike being worried for Will <33 and Mike and Robin bonding over their partners being in danger
Tumblr media
Will is wearing one of Mike's shirts in s5, Mike wore something similar in s3 it's a gap shirt and Eddie said Mike wears gap shirts and Will has never worn something like this in the previous seasons and he didn't bring that many clothes back to Hawkins so he's gonna have to wear Mike's if he's staying at Mike's (the Wheelers added 2 chairs to their breakfast table and Will's tiger plushie is in Mike's room, it makes me think that they're already dating in the scene because Will is wearing blue yellow and green which are Byler's colors
Tumblr media
Noah liking another byler edit? fork found in the kitchen. pic from @iamforbyler from here . there are hints that Mike and Will's first kiss will be in s5 episode 7 (during Jopper's first kiss there were boxes that said MW705, Mike and Will s5 episode 7) they definitely told him to promote Byler again to introduce Byler as boyfriends to the GA and Millie is not promoting mlvn anymore and when they asked her what her favorite pop culture couple was she said the couple from twlight instead of mlvn
Tumblr media
Will's wearing Mike's black jeans, the blue shirt looks like something s2 Mike would wear but the undershirt looks like Will's in s4. he's just stealing his boyfriend's clothes atp because Will has never worn black jeans before and he's wearing blue (Mike's color) and Mike's the only one in the party who has worn black jeans and Will might be staying at Mike's because his tiger plushie was in Mike's room and the Wheelers added 2 chairs to their breakfast table plus Will has to stay at Mike's since he doesn't have a house in Hawkins and the cabin is too small for all the Byers to live in.
maybe he's wearing Mike's black jeans from s5 instead of the s4 ones but either way they're still Mike's jeans since Will has never worn black jeans before s5 and Mike has, Will is stealing his boyfriend's clothes, plus Mike is wearing Will's shoes in s5 <33
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Byler is so obviously gonna happen even without all those proofs because they gave mlvn the stancy storyline of Nancy not being able to say "I love you" to Steve because she's in love with Jonathan and they didn't give that storyline to Jopper, Lumax and Jancy or even Duzie which are healthy couples who don't lie about who they are to each other and never felt unloved by their partners, and Mike wants to feel needed and Will needs him and El doesn't and Millie said El realized she's her own superhero and that she's gonna figure out who she is without Mike and Millie is not promoting mlvn anymore
Mike and Will spent s3 acting like they were the exes because in s2 Mike was overly affectionate with Will but he stopped doing that when he got a gf because he saw what he did as romantic so in his mind being affectionate with Will even just hugging him or just holding his hand like he did in s2 would be cheating because he's in love with Will and he's gay
Mike becomes less and less interested in El the more feminine she becomes, it becomes more difficult for him to pretend he's straight i mean he "fell in love" with her when she looked like a boy and people kept calling her a boy..
Mike probably thought she was a boy at first, everyone kept calling El the boy with the buzzcut at first in s1 and Mike said "that's not Will" instead of "that's a girl" and interesting thing is the more feminine El becomes the less interested in her Mike becomes, he probably thought El was a boy at first and she was wearing a yellow shirt (Will's color) maybe she reminded him of Will?
I mean Mike being gay aside who would you rather for him to be with?
A, with someone who doesn't understand him and he feels like he has to change himself to be with and who makes him feel insicure?
B, with someone who he feels like he can fully be himself with and who understands him and who puts him on the first place and makes him feel loved? B right? with Will
Jancy had their "we're just friends" moment and they kissed in 2 and Jopper had their "it's just 2 friends getting together for a nice dinner" moment and they kissed in s4 , Lumax had their "she's not my girlfriend" moment and they kissed in s2 and Byler had their "we're friends, we're friends" moment (started by Mike who doesn't know Will is gay) and they'll kiss in s5, there were no moments like these between Dustin and Lucas because they're not in love with each other
Byler's first cameo in a book and they're kissing and holding hands<33 it's about Alina wanting to ask a guy out and she catches the guy (Ben) kissing his boyfriend (Janos), there's carved "W+M" on the tree and a "byler" sign in the second pic, they probably asked permission to Netflix and people who worked on st to add them which makes Byler already canon? the author of the book reversed the arrow on Mike's pocket to point at Will.. and it's close to his heart.. that's adorable
Tumblr media
pic from here @sususu34
originally El was supposed to die in s1 (I'm glad they didn't kill her) and they were already planning to make Will in love with Mike since s1? plus if they wanted to make Will move on they would've given him a bf in the previous seasons like with Dustin and Suzie because Max didn't like Dustin back. So basically Mike and Will are gonna get together in s5
601 notes · View notes
doorhine · 6 months
Text
One of many things I like about Blue Eye Samurai is how it portrays its disabled characters. There's a lot to talk about with each of them but for this post, I want to talk about, not the step dad, but the dad who stepped up, Sword Father!
*Spoilers below
Tumblr media
Him and Mizu's relationship is one of my favorite dynamics in the show and seeing how that developed over the years was one of my favorite things about the pilot. It felt very symbiotic and good for the both of them emotionally to have that company and support, especially on Mizu's end.
I really liked seeing how the two worked together and how Mizu accommodated to his needs. I also liked the respect given to Sword Father's ability to take care of himself as an adult even without Mizu's assistance. He's been blacksmithing for years and he's respected in his line of work. Losing his sight did not and does not change that.
I personally think the show does a good job at balancing the reality of him being blind and the accommodations he needs while also respecting him as an autonomous individual and talking about his blindness in a way that feels natural and respectful when it's relevant.
But my favorite thing about this dynamic and Sword Father as an individual is probably the use of audio design in the show in relationship to them. As we see the two of them become a family, and develop this language with each other/way of interacting, sound becomes a key element and that carries over into the entire show.
Being blind, Sword Father relies a lot on his hearing. But we as the audience don't just see this aspect of his character. We're actually made to hear from his perspective and apply that sense to how we perceive the entire season even when he's not present.
The most obvious example is the sound of metal which is used to indicate things like:
Mizu revealing to Sword Father that she forged her sword from the meteorite they found before the camera pans up to the space it used to occupy
The symbolism around Mizu and mixed metal in general
Sword Father realizing that Mizu's at his front door when Ringo brings her and Taigen there which revealed to us, the audience, where Ringo brought them before we see Sword Father come on screen (I loved that moment so much)
and emphasizing the moment of shock the characters in the show had when they heard the sound of gunshots for the first time in the finale in contrast to the clang of swords that we as the audience have gotten so used to hearing.
But the reliance on hearing doesn't just apply to that. In the second episode Mizu encounters Chiaki, a man from her past who she defeats in the present. And you know the biggest tip off the show gives us to recognize him before he reveals himself? His laugh. A noise we would've recalled from the flashbacks he was featured in.
LIKE I JUST THINK THAT'S SO FRIGGIN COOL XD
There's a lot more that can be said about Sword Father and how the show portrays him and his blindness. I personally can't speak on this as a blind person so I'd love to hear what people who are think about it. These are just my 2 cents that I felt like sharing.
687 notes · View notes
teaboot · 1 year
Text
I have to remind myself that my characters don't have to be tortured or dramatic to be interesting.
My first DND character was a balding, paunchy, post-middle-aged human man whose wife had just left him and whose kids had grown up and moved away.
He quit his menial job and decided to take up music, something he'd never been very good at that didn't pay the bills, and become a bard.
He was bad at it. Really, really bad. His instrument was shit and he'd never had any formal lessons. On top of that, he was pretty tone-deaf.
BUT. He could play very, very bad noises very, very loud.
On our first campaign, he was cornered by a sea dragon and had no weapons, but by making a loud, horrible noise, he was able to startle it badly enough to lose grasp of the boat.
After that, he used it to herd a small crowd of goblins into a trap by sounding far bigger and more numerous a foe.
He never got much better, but he did grow his confidence, and won the affection and respect of his companions, who grew to support him in ways nobody else had before.
I had to stop playing him for a while after that, but last I had him, he was developing an interest in color and flare and fashion that he'd never paid much attention to before.
He didn't lose weight, or grow his hair back, or magically become younger, but he felt brighter, lighter, like he had a new lease on life, like he had something to offer and maybe he deserved to have a bit of fun, now and then, with good company.
He began to wonder if that was what he was missing, before. If perhaps that was why his marriage had wasted away. A lack of drive, of hope, of pride and passion.
I don't know where he would have gone on from there. I don't know if I wanted him to reconnect with his kids, or his ex wife, or his home town. Part of me likes the idea of finding his own way- settling and becoming good friends with his ex, something platonic but warm and fond, and reaching out to his kids and being there for his grandkids and someday passing away bright and loud and loved of old age, asleep in his bed, to be celebrated after by the loudest funeral with the worst music played by the most awful musicians his community had to offer, loud and proud and full of good humor.
Maybe they'd throw a festival, after that. An annual one, with firecrackers and trumpets and clanging pots and pans to scare away the monsters like he did, the roaring hero who came into his own a little later than usual, but wondrously all the same.
A symbol to show that you don't have to bend and squish and contort yourself to fit the space you're in- you can find another space, one that's just your size, and exist there exactly as you are
1K notes · View notes
leclsrc · 9 months
Note
could i get a carlos imagine where you have commitment issues and he calms you down? as a girlie with commitment/trust issues i just wanna b repped in one of ur fics/drabbles :/// it's tuff out here brotha
bring you home — cs55
Moving in together gets difficult. Carlos is there to ease you along. title from this
genre: fluff
auds here... i hope you enjoy this!!! i too am a commitment-afflicted girl ..... it truly is tough lol. but i hope u find the right person who helps u put ur anxieties to rest <3 insp by a scene from satc i saw on tiktok
It started with a duck. But the duck started with the box. And the box started with a toothbrush joke. And the toothbrush joke started with your old lady neighbor moving out. So really, it started with Mrs. McDonnell and her massive moving van rolling down the street and leaving the flat next door empty. Somehow that old hag had managed to irritate you long after she left, albeit through means not her own.
In terms of time, it started a month ago. In terms of people (sans the old bitch), it started with Carlos, as so many of your stories do. “Mrs. McDonald finally moved out today,” he’d said, hip against your stove, watching bits of garlic turn from pale to brown. From the living room you hummed affirmation and then laughed: “McDonnell.”
“Donald, Donnell, Dinero,” he rolled his eyes. “Everyone’s moving in and out. Charles bought a new place in Monaco.”
“Well,” you shrugged, fixing the ridden-up hem of your tank top, “you could have an extra toothbrush in here, if that gets y’there.”
He laughed, pointing at you with the oil-hot rubber tip of the spatula. You two had been dating for over a year at that point, yet any suggestions of moving in together remained vague, cloudish ideas in both of your heads. For him it was impractical; for you it was a little scary.
But a toothbrush, which he always had at your flat and you at his, wasn’t moving in together. Neither was a drawer of clothes and knick-knacks. It was a symbol of your busy lives and the intermittent intersections far and few between.
Except they’d been becoming less intermittent and a lot more constant. He was almost always at your flat, the wide two-bedroom you’d decided was a good place to live with your income and the area. You had two parking spaces, a good rep with the board, and a coffee shop across the street—a place all your own.
A little plus was you had Carlos on some free days, like that day—that fateful day he turned back to the pan and said, with a smile: “I should move in.”
You froze. “You’re asking—you’re telling me or the garlic?” In fits of nerves, you could only blurt out bad jokes.
He laughed but it was a small exhale of breath. “I’m serious.” He turned to you, brown eyes big.
Your heart swelled with something between apprehension and absolute excitement, that finally you were going to take a step you felt like you’d been waiting to take forever. “You are?” You asked, so giddily you could hear your own smile.
The truth was, you had moved in with a boyfriend before, offered him a key and suggested the entire affair, bought fresh flowers and cooked eggs and made coffee and lived the bliss you only read about in romance novels. Months later you caught him fucking somebody else in your bedroom, and years later the memory fails to purge itself from your mind or your habits, plaguing every inner thought you have.
But this, you assure yourself, is Carlos.
“Dead seriou—uuooof!” Carlos barely got to the end of his sentence, with the way you barrelled into him, smiling into the blocky build of his chest and muttering a repetitive yes yes yes into the cotton of his tee. He held you there, pressing a kiss to your hair and promising he’d be in with his boxes as soon as time made way.
“Make way,” you yell into the tiny gap between your door and its frame.
“Hey, hi, hello,” your boyfriend sing-songs. “How are you?”
In the month you’d spent watching your boyfriend move into your flat, you’d also been subjected to your complete lack of personal space. Every time you entered, he’d be there talking his head off. Every time you came home at night, he’d be there. You felt suffocated. Scared, even if you couldn’t sleep at night without some part of you touching him. You’re simply a human with needs, and you needed space. You needed silence. Needed it. Absolutely needed it. You knew this because every time you opened your own door, it collided with a—
“Box.” You shove yourself through the gap and wedge the door closed, pointing an accusatory finger at the cardboard. “Another box by the door. Don’t make me burn those,” you mutter, fussing with your hair and toeing off your Blahniks. Across the foyer, Carlos is nailing something into the wall, noisy and incessant and you want to shrink into the floor.
“Sorry, sorry. Lo siento. I have so many stuff.”
“Yeah! You do. My flat’s only nay fucking big,” you respond, raising your pointer finger and thumb to exaggerate the size of your (in actuality, wide) living space. “Carlos, couldn’t you unpack some of these? Just some. It’s—you know, it’s piling up. And you know I hate mess.”
“I know, baby. I will as soon as I finish this up. I promise.”
You nod once, sighing and moving into the study to gather your laptop for work. You’re halfway into the room, eyes scanning your desk’s surface and finding your Mac laying flat atop it, unassuming next to a figurine of a wooden duck. You pause and blink. The wooden duck does not, its eyes painted wide and smooth and you definitely did not purchase this duck.
Somehow, this is the straw that breaks your back.
“What is this duck doing here?!” You yell, voice loud even from the study into the foyer. Carlos pulls off the goggles he’d been wearing to drill shit into your wall and smiles. A gift from me.
“A gif—I, I, I don’t like ducks.” You flail your arms around. “I just… hearing you talk or drill as soon as I come into my own home feels weird. For so long I’ve been alone and… and I’m supposed to hear silence and I—I’m scared that you’re going to figure out how scared I am and you’re going to leave me.”
He just stares, eyebrows knitted. You smother a hand over your face. You pause and breathe for a minute, then two.
“It’s just—I’ve only lived with someone three months, and that was ages ago, and before that it was my parents, so. I’m going to be really frank with you and I’m sorry if this sounds… but I’m gonna close the bedroom door and I don’t want you to talk to me for thirty minutes. I need space. And keep the duck first. I’m sorry. Is that selfish? Is that okay?” When he shakes his head and then nods, you deposit it into his arms and back up into your room.
His face, torn between concerned and endeared, softens into an understanding, patient smile. Okay, he mouths. I love you, you mouth back, and then you’re shutting it softly, leaning your forehead against the white wood and letting a long exhale leave your lips. You half-expected him to fight you back, to raise his voice, but it’s your own worst expectations weighing down on you all over again, born out of memories of your ex.
You stay like that for a while, and slowly with the quiet you realize—you find the duck cute.
You like the boxes because they remind you this is becoming a home. You like hearing him talk because it means you know he’s there. (The drilling will always be irritating, but he makes it better.) You don’t dislike anything he does, but you’re not totally lying either: you are scared. Scared of the commitment it’d take to make this a sure thing. The commitment you’d given before and the commitment that’d been betrayed.
But this is Carlos. This is Carlos, who’s understood every part of you, who’s given you time and patience even when you didn’t know how much you needed it. The Carlos who knows how you like your toast, who eats the yolk off your sunny-side eggs and gives you the white of his hard-boiled ones. The Carlos who said I love you first, surprising you into shock, and then took it back in embarrassment before you cut him off with a kiss. The Carlos who stays.
The air clears and you breathe easier. You open the door after five minutes. “You okay?”
He’s unpacking a box. He turns and smiles wryly, mimicking a zip motion across his lips. He shakes his head. No talking, remember?
You pout, smiling. “Sorry if I’m neurotic.”
You pad softly toward him and it’s easy, too easy for him to pick you up into his arms, wrap your legs around his waist, stay standing and hugging you. He’s quiet still, patient, warm. “I like hearing you talk. I like your boxes. I like that you’re mine and we’re here.” You inhale. “‘M just scared. And I don’t… want to be, but I am, and… it’s just me. I’m crazy.”
“Hey, Crazy. So am I. Take your time.” He hugs you tighter. “I’m not gonna leave you, even if you hated the duck.” I didn’t, you say quietly. It was cute. “I know it’s hard, baby. I know. You have to let me take care of you. You have me, okay? You have me.”
“And when you’re not here?” Fear slithers up and tries to tug at you but his arms are around you, secure and holding you there, so you don’t let it.
The thing with needs, really, is when they’re met—met in the best, most understanding way, especially…
He kisses your neck. “I’ll always be.”
…You find you no longer need them at all.
448 notes · View notes
hayleythecannibal · 5 months
Text
Twisted Minds incorrect Quotes (this will be out of pocket)
Tumblr media
Hannibal: Are you a painting? Y/N: What-? Hannibal: Because I want to pin you to a wall. Will: OH GOD I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY YOU WANTED TO HANG THEM OR SOMETHING-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: Will, I’m afraid. Will: Just stay close to Hannibal. Y/N: That's why I’m afraid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: Hi, sorry I’m late. I was doing a couple of things and got distracted. Hannibal: I’m “a couple of things”. Will: I’m “got distracted”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: I like your top, Will! Hannibal: I have a name, you know. Will: sighs Why. Why are you like this.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hannibal: So, what is Y/N to you? Alana: The reason I wake up every morning. Hannibal: …That’s adorable. Y/N earlier that morning, barging into Alana′s room, smacking pans together: WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jack: Who do we know that has handcuffs? Y/N: Well Will, Hannibal and I- Will: elbows Y/N Y/N: …wouldn't know. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: Everytime I hear someone talking about updog, I’m torn between not wanting to fall for it and wanting to help them complete their joke.
Will: Okay, but what is updog? Hannibal: Updog is a long sausage in a bun, often served with ketchup, mustard, onions, and/or relish. Jack: Not, that’s a hot dog. An updog is when a new version or patch of an application is released. Alana: No, that's an update. You’re thinking of the fourth largest city in Sweden. Abigail: Surely, that’s Uppsala, where’s updog is the giant spider in Harry Potter. Y/N: That’s Aragog. Updog is a symbol conventionally used for an arbitrarily small number in analysis proofs. Jack: You’re thinking of epsilon. Updog is an upward-moving air current. Hannibal: No, that’s an updraft. An updog is the modern version of a henway. Will: What’s a henway?? Y/N: Oh, about five pounds.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: Dumbest scar stories, go! Will: I burned my tongue once drinking tea. Hannibal: I dropped a hair dryer on my leg once and burned it. Jack: I have a piece of graphite in my leg for accidentally stabbing myself with a pencil in the first grade. Alana: I was taking a cup of noodles out of the microwave and spilled it on my hand and I got a really bad burn. Abigail: Abigail: I have emotional scars. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: Who the fuck added me to a fucking group chat? Will: >:O language Hannibal: Yeah watch your fucking language Jack: OKAY WHO TAUGHT HANNIBAL THE FUCK WORD? Alana: 'The fuck word'. Abigail: Are you stupid? You guys use the f word all the time Hannibal: Oh my god they censored it Alana: Say fuck, Abigail. Hannibal: Do it, Abigail. Say fuck. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: We need to distract these guys Will: Leave it to me Will: Centaurs have six limbs and are therefore insects. Discuss. Hannibal, Jack, and Alana: Immediately begin arguing Abigail, watching in horror: Oh this. I don’t like this. I don't like this at all ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: WHY. why did you give Hannibal a KNIFE?! Will: I’m sorry. They said they felt unsafe. Y/N: Now I feel unsafe! Will: I’m sorry. Will: ... would you like a knife? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N, holding a python: Guys I impulsively bought a snake, what do I name him Will: You did WHAT– Hannibal: William Snakepeare ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y/N: I love you guys, you're the best thing that's happened to me. Will: We're the best thing that's ever happened to you? Y/N: Yes! Hannibal: I'm starting to feel a little sorry for you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AND THAT CONCLUDES ME DYING AS I MAKE THIS......NOW I HAVE TO GO WRITE CHAPTER 12.
230 notes · View notes
37-drc89 · 5 months
Text
secret santa; bangchan
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
[christmas special fic series; 1/8]
genre; fluff, established relationship.
warnings; none, gender not defined.
word count; 1,4k.
christmas masterlist
note: i'm not really sure about this fic honestly, but i was too excited for the christmas special not to post it anyway. please keep in mind that english is not my first language so if you see any typos or grammar hurts your eyes, let me know so i can improve it! x
Chan has always been known for being naturally a giver. He's been like this ever since he was a child, even though you've only known each other for four years now, it's not that hard to notice it on everyday basis - he's always the first one to hold the doors for people, help strangers with their luggage, always look out for everyone just in case they're struggling with something. You've also noticed it very clearly during your now two-year old relationship. Chan has never hidden acts of service being his love language, his main intention forever will be making your life as easy as he possibly can; he would fold your laundry for you when you're working so it doesn't need to occupy your exhausted mind later. He would make your favored coffee if he's going to work earlier than you so you can sleep a few minutes longer. He would carry your bag for you, always buy additional skincare products for you just in case you run out of them or carry your favorite snacks in his bag just for your cravings. Anything to see his lover's eyes light up with joy or relief. Though, physical gift-giving in your relationship has never been a huge thing. Of course, Chan was always more than happy to gift you something you've been bragging about for the past half a year for your birthday, and you would do the same, but other than that, it wasn't anything any of you would do on daily basis.
That's why the small package laying by Chan's side of the bed in the morning caught you off guard a little bit. It was wrapped up really messily and you couldn't help but cackle at the folded tape and paper slightly ripped here and there, but there was definitely a try. A small ribbon was glued on top of it and the signature on the side said from Santa.
Your brows furrowed and you checked callendar on the phone - it was only 1st of December. You only shook your head at your boyfriend's newest brilliant idea and started unwrapping the box. What you found inside was a necklace, so shiny and beautiful it made you gasp out loud. It was decorated with silver stars here and there, in many different sizes, few small diamonds hanging from it on short strings. The wide smile on your face felt permanent as you finally realised the symbolism of it - the first ever date of you and Chan as an official couple was stargazing. He claimed ungodly amount of times that this was the happiest day he could ever live and that the second will be the day he'll marry you.
With no hesitation you put the necklace on in the mirror, too amazed to care that you're still in your sleeping set that might not suit it. Seconds later you were already downstairs, catching your boyfriend already making breakfast for the two of you, apron tied around his waist as he can get really messy in the kitchen.
You glue your body to his back, arms wrapping around his torso.
"Good morning baby," you mumle into his shirt and press two kisses on each of his broad shoulders as he leans into the warm touch, caressing your hands on his stomach.
"Good morning pretty, did you sleep well?"
You only nod, peeking out his shoulder and humming at the sight and scent of warm food on the pan. You stand by Chan's side this time, observing carefully his actions as he only grins at your attention. Your fingers start fidgeting with the necklace resting around your neck.
"It's beautiful, you know?" you speak as he locks his eyes with yours, then setting them on the necklace.
"You're right, it's really pretty... Where did you get it from? I've never seen it before." Chan leans in to take a closer look of it and you send him a confused glance.
"From you, dumbass. Thank you baby, I love it a lot..."
"Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about," Chan chuckles and goes back to mixing ingredients on the pan. "You know we don't give each other presents often, I'm waiting for Christmas, like I always do."
Your brows go up but Chan refuses to look at you, acting like he's not even aware of you staring at him, goofy smile painting your lips and you decided to just play along your boyfriend's weird performance.
"Well, technically speaking, the box said from Santa. I guess that must be him, then," you hummed and went back to playing with the necklace, walking over to sit at the table. Chin resting on your hand as you watched Chan placing your breakfast on both of your plates, deliciously smelling steam reaching your nostrils.
"Make sure Santa knows you have a boyfriend then. We can't have an old man trying to steal you away from me." he placed a small, quick kiss on the top of your head and sat down in front of you, proceeding to your usual morning routine, talking about past week and plans for the weekend, like you always do by the breakfast. Chan really got into his role and acted clueless, innocently complimenting your new jewelry here and there throughout the day.
And normally you would brush it off, thinking your boyfriend was just too flustered to admit this random little gift is from him, but that was until the next day, when you found a tiny present bag in your closet with two pairs of matching Christmas socks. "Oh look, he thought of me this time, too!" was the only way Chris commented on it, still keeping his cool, smiling like it was the first time he's ever seen these.
It just kept going on. The other day you found your favorite face moisturiser in the pocket of your coat, the one you were just running out of. Then a set of flavoured Christmas tea hidden in cutlery drawer. Then, a bag of strawberries covered in chocolate, just the brand you loved the most. Safe to say by the Christmas your room was stuffed with gifts of all kind, barely making it fit into your closet anymore. Chan was unbreakable, still pretending like he was clueless, not knowing you've already noticed the signatures looking exactly like his writing, but you let him have fun. It was obvious Chan was enjoying this a lot, always seeking for your reactions and asking about what you've received that day if you haven't mentioned it earlier. And you were proudly showing it off for him, complimenting your gifts as often as you could, eager to see him trying to muffle down his happiness so you don't disclose his little "secret".
Christmas came and you spent it together, like you always did. You were chatting, enjoying each other's presence and even shared a slow dance to random songs playing from radio.
When the time of handing each other official presents came, you couldn't help but toss them away for a second and drag Chan into the tightest and the warmest embrace he has ever been held in.
Your face was buried into his sweater and his hot breath was tickling your neck as a sigh full of love left his lips. You were standing there, in the middle of the room in complete silence and you felt nothing more than at home.
"I love you, Chan." you spoke as you pulled away just slightly to catch a glimpse of his peaceful face. "I love you so much I almost can't stand it. Thank you, for all of this. And Thank you for being my Santa."
He took your burning face into his big hands and lifted it up so he could lock eyes with yours. Nothing but passion was radiating from them, stare so deep it seemed like Chan could read poems from your eyes.
"At the end of the day, I'm your best present, no?" he chuckled and you mirrored, nodding silently as it felt impossible to speak any words in the light of the overwhelming emotions boiling inside of you.
"I love you until the world ends and even further, y/n."
At this point your body almost pushed itself onto his, the desire to kiss him becoming too much. Just when your lips were about to connect, Chan backed off just slightly and you sent him a questioning look. He dragged you backwards by your waist, stopping just where mistletoe was hung on the ceiling.
"This year I didn't forget."
That's when your boyfriend finally let your hungry lips connect in the most passionate and loving kiss you've ever shared. It was hot, it was burning, setting your pounding heart on fire as you knew no matter how many gifts you will ever get, the only one you need is standing right in front of you tonight.
189 notes · View notes
justjasper · 5 months
Text
Creation of the Pan Flag
Tumblr media
Copied (with grammar/spelling mistakes) from my twitter thread about it for posterity.
I was going to do this for Pride weekend but you know, life, so: I wanted to talk about a thing. I created the #pansexual flag, a thread.
Back in 2010, I was 20 and tumblr was my main social playground. I was active in various spheres, and I was learning.
I'd been IDing as bi since I was 13, but moved away from bi as an identifier and took up pansexual soon after discovering the term, bc I felt it fit better.
This is mainly bc the simplicity of pan being defined as attraction to any/all genders was extremely appealing to someone really coming into this new way of expressing their orientation like tumblr allowed. It felt right for how I wanted to relate to and express my orientation.
The bi communities I had access too often saw heavy discussion related to attraction parametres of "bi" - convos at the time I didn't really recognise for what they were: bi people working hard to define bisexuality on their terms, tackling intra-community transphobia, (cont)
(cont) and developing within a social space where more expansive gender experiences and identities were becomes more well known and understood.
My switch of labels was about finding something that felt truly right for me, but it would be dishonest to pretend the decision wasn't impacted by the politics and "discourse" I was involved in at the time.
There was no popular pan flag, and the offerings were frankly... ugly. To me. Various shades of purple, P letters, P symbols incorporating gender symbols, infinity symbols. They didn't feel consistent with the other pride flags.
So on a whim, I decided to design one. I designed it to be pretty, honestly. That was a primary function of it, to have s/t I liked to represent my identity. No point pretending I was trying to be super innovative and deep: I wanted something pretty to plaster on my blog.
Pink, yellow, blue. A strong magenta, a strong gold yellow, and a light cerulean. The pink not too purple, the yellow not too bright, the blue not too cyan. Hex FF1B8D, FFD900, 1BB2FF.
Pink and blue, because of their gendered traditions, and yellow, a generally non-gendered colour, to represent nonbinary folks etc.
I created it anonymously, on a side blog away from my main handle. I was already running LGBTLaughs which was proving very popular in tumblr and didn't want to monopolise queer blog space, I suppose.
I didn't expect it to take off. It proved popular on tumblr, and for a few years the flag kept getting added to the Wikipedia 'pansexual' page and then removed. Eventually it snowballed and ended up in use well beyond tumblr.
As I've got older I've realised a lot of people would be interested in knowing this part of modern queer history, and more about modern flag creation in general, and that it's worth documenting. Not for credit so much as for posterity.
So, that's that. The first time I saw a pansexual flag in real life at my city's Pride parade I may have had a little cry.
Twitter Drama
Best viewed on the original twitter thread, for the full documentation (I may update this with fuller documentation down the line) but here's a rundown of drama surrounding the flag.
First, to set the stage:
posted about designing the pan flag
said i was cool with bi/pan lesbians
said i was cool with kink at pride
Thus followed, in varying intensity 2020-2022:
misgendering
suicide bait
general harassment/pile-on
"called out" on r/pansexuals
blasted on sapphics for satan (fb)
now sworn enemy of of lesbian kpop avi twitter
claims the original pan flag was transphobic in meaning
multiple "new" pan flags designed to displace the one i designed
claims i stole the flag from a medieval indian kingdom, and subsequent vandalisation of wikipedia for the actual state of kerala
vandalisation of the wiki page for the pan flag, resulting in it having to be locked
83 notes · View notes
Text
🌿 Herb Of The Day
Tumblr media
Title: Lilac
Gender: Feminine
Element: Water
Planet: Venus
📜 Folklore & History 📜
Lilacs are an old, old, species that originated in Persia and then traveled to Europe. They were brought to America in 1750 and then planted at New Jersey Governor Wentworth’s home. Other prominent men fell in love with lilacs. They were reportedly one of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite flowers, and he documented his lilac-planting-methods in 1767. George Washington followed suit and moved existing lilacs on his property to his garden in 1785.
In Greek mythology, Pan, the god of the wild, chased a nymph named Syringa. She turned herself into a lilac bush to escape Pan, and in anger, he broke off the reed-like branches which made pipes. With regret, he tried kissing the broken branches, and as his air pushed over them, sounds were made. Lilacs were responsible for the creation of “Panpipes.”
Russian folklore believed that hanging lilacs above a baby’s bed would bring the child wisdom.
American folklore thought that lilacs could drive away evil and that placing them in a haunted house would displace ghosts. Thought to be symbolic of “old love,” Victorian widows often wore lilacs as a sign of remembrance. One hundred and fifty-five years ago today, April 15th, Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth. Any American — and much of the world — knows the story of the self-educated, country lawyer who became one of our nation’s most beloved presidents. But what many Americans might not realize is how the death of Lincoln reverberated into so many areas of our collective psyche, including literature and horticulture, thanks to Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman was a reporter, printer, writer, traveler and Civil War nurse who is considered one of America’s greatest poets. He self-published Leaves of Grass and worked on it throughout his lifetime, eventually modifying it so that there are eight different editions. Whitman felt a great affinity with President Abraham Lincoln, and when Lincoln was assassinated in the spring of 1865, Whitman grieved.
He wrote years later in Specimen Days about learning of the President’s death:
"I remember where I was stopping at the time, the season being advanced, there were many lilacs in full bloom. By one of those caprices that enter and give tinge to events without being at all a part of them, I find myself always reminded of great tragedy of that day by the sight and odor of these blossoms. It never fails."
While lilacs are first to bloom, their flowers are short-lived. The heady fragrance lingers sweetly at first, but then the blooms start to die, leaving a heavy, cloying smell. One of the first flowers of spring, lilacs contain a natural compound called indole that’s found in flowers — and feces. It’s that undercurrent of the “bottom note” of fragrance that suggests decay and death.
Tumblr media
🔮 Metaphysical Properties 🔮
The beautiful May-blooming lilac is one of the loveliest tokens of spring. But they are much more than beautiful shrubs with showy, sweet-smelling flowers. Originally lilacs were planted to repel all evil. Planted near the entryway, lilacs were believed to send out protective vibrations. When the flowers are cut and brought into the home they cleanse any living space. And they'll also remove any unwanted spiritual presence. Blue and white varieties work well for this purpose. Since lilacs are ruled by Venus, they are also used in love spells. Try placing some pink lilacs on your altar while performing a love spell. The dried flowers make a powerful addition to any love sachet.
Tumblr media
🍴⚕️ Culinary & Medicinal Properties
The simplest way to enjoy lilacs is as an infusion of the flowers for a lilac sugar. The sugar can then be used in recipes to add lilac flavor to baked goods. This also works with a lilac simple syrup which is just a liquid form of the same thing that’s perfect for making cocktails. For my money though, I think lilac infused honey sounds the best. The sweet floral flavor of lilacs translates beautifully into an ice cream base.
To prevent the recurrence of disease, lilac flowers were used to help strengthen the system and prevent relapse after a patient had healed. They’re said to be specifically good after cases of malaria. Tasting the raw flowers you can actually pick up some of the astringent qualities, as they make your mouth dry and pucker a bit (along with their floral flavors). This astringent quality makes them good for use in skin care products. Lilacs are used as a folk remedy for intestinal worms, as well as a treatment for gastric discomfort and gas. Regardless of the purpose, the most likely medicinal lilac preparation is a tincture, which is just a lilac infused alcohol
471 notes · View notes
selarina · 8 months
Text
TW angst, infidelity
You walk in slowly, your pace faltering as you place your bag on the couch, followed by your blazer, which you ensure to neatly fold and place.
You hear some metal clinks as you make your way deeper into the house. "Hey," you call out, only to spot Gojo Satoru in the heart of the kitchen, swishing a pan full of pasta with a graceful ease. The same sense of graceful ease you've tried to become accustomed to over the past few months.
"You're cooking?" you ask hesitantly, despite the evidence being right in front of your eyes.
"I make one thing, and I make it good. And since it's our quarter anniversary, I figured I'd do something special," he says. "You know especially since a car isn't enough for you," he quips, his attention shifting from the pan to your face, accompanied by a sly wink.
You draw closer, trying to maintain a squint on your face but you're finding that every muscle on your skeleton is rejecting humour, you don't have time for it. You don't deserve it.
"Every guy thinks his pasta sauce is expceptio—"
Your words dissolve as he inserts a spoonful of the concoction into your mouth. You feel notes of garlic, infused with a rich, savoury tomato sauce and then with a swallow you taste another hint of basil and oregano on your taste buds.
You're left with an admission: "This is... good," you say, your surprise echoing in your tone and expression.
"Well, you know me. Can't help it." Gojo grins triumphantly, his confident smile seemingly well-placed.
"I do," you respond, gaze fixed on the kitchen window. "You're incredible."
"Well," he grins again, leaning down to place a soft peck on your cheek. "I have to be when I'm with someone as incredible as you."
You chuckle, admittedly half-heartedly. Everything he's saying and doing this evening is making you want to crawl out of your skin and scream. "So, our quarter anniversary, huh?" you say, trying to shift the focus away from the pasta, and away from you.
"Uh huh," he nods, attention still focused on the sizzling pan.
"I didn't know," you say, dejectedly. You're still staring at the kitchen window, you never truly realised how much of a space you've made in this house. You notice your plant sitting outside in the evening air, admittedly a little neglected but still living a green life. You wonder if God made you truly lay your eyes on it as part of some cruel cruel symbolism.
"Hey," his arm encircles your waist, drawing you nearer to his side. "It's okay. I only used it as an excuse to make you this meal anyway."
"Why?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why did you want to make me food?" you clarify.
"I don't know. Felt like it," he says, his hand coming up to cup your cheek. "Is something wrong?"
"Yeah," you say, tears reaching it's brim, tears you've been holding in since you walked into this building. "Yeah, I don't—"
"What?" His voice softens, barely audible amidst the sizzling melody of the dish.
"I don't deserve this," you murmur, tears tracing a path down your cheeks. "I don't deserve you."
Gojo's grip loosens momentarily before tightening once more, "What? What are you talking about? That's stupid talk."
"I don't deserve you. It's true, everyone already says it. They're right, you know. You should listen—"
"That is stupid talk. Don't say shit like that," he says. "Please," his voice softens — it comes out as a desperate plea this time, "Please don't say that."
You've come to realize that's Gojo Satoru's heart is a soft little thing, easy to squish but protected by layers and layers of hard skin, layers and layers of distance, but for you — for you he laid his heart bare, held it in his hand for you to take, and all you managed to do was drop it with a splash.
"I'm sorry. It's just— I can't continue like this," you say, another slew of tears following down your cheeks and falling to the ground.
"What?"
"I said I can't do this—" you repeat.
"I heard you," he says firmly. "Why now?"
"I'm sorry," you say.
"Why now?" he asks, his eyes clearing up, a sort of neutral storm settling in them. You wonder if you should commit this moment to memory, the very last picture of Gojo Satoru.
"I'm sorry," you say again, not knowing what to say really.
"Why now?" He says again, firmly as his hands loosen from around you.
A beat passes and you don't say anything.
"I kissed a co-worker," you admit, and his hands leave you almost immediately. It's off your body and there's an immediate distance between the two of you. "It didn't mean anything."
"Was it Mike?" he inquires.
You don't say anything.
"It was him, wasn't it? Mike," he says, with a chuckle that held nothing but malice.
"I'm sorry," you repeat, empty words for an empty shell of a person.
"I have to leave," and just like that he takes off, and you don't even feel him leave. One minute he's here and the next minute you're standing in an empty kitchen.
You turn to the pan as you hear a sizzle — the food's burning to black. You chuckle echoes across the room, a delirious sense of unease settling where you stand.
143 notes · View notes
oneshotnewbie · 3 months
Note
Now this one isn’t the character but for the shoe station-19 in general, what if Carina and Maya have a daughter that’s older in the show, and you’re at the emmys irl. And Y/N won the award for best supporting actress and she thanks stephina and Danielle in her speech cause it’s her first acting gig ever and they took her under her wing and really made her feel like a daughter??? Thoughts?
Tumblr media
Authors note: It's very short because at the time I wrote this I was sick and my head wasn't working as well as I would have liked. I hope you still like what I wrote. Have a nice day ♥
ᕚ---ᕘ
The glamorous ballroom was filled with a sea of sparkling gowns and elegant suits, which showed their full splendor in the festive, warm spotlights. At the center of the stage was a shiny podium with a glowing Emmy Award just waiting to be won.
A strong and unrestrained applause from the audience echoed through the majestic walls and the lights in the hall flickered wildly as the presenter stepped to the microphone with a solemn voice and an enthusiastic smile and announced the highlight of the evening. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's the time we've all been eagerly awaiting! We're here to present the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Are you ready?"
He drummed his hands enthusiastically on the stand in front of him, largely elevating the mood of the celebrities in the room. The camera panned from him to the excited faces of the nominees as they sat tensely in their seats. The tension was literally palpable. "And the Emmy goes to.." he opened the red envelope in his hands and continued with the famous words as he excitedly announced them. "Y/n y/l/n!"
A deafening round of applause erupted and the room shook with applause and cheers as you stood up from your seat, eyes wide and heart pounding. Your hands were shaking with excitement as you walked onto the stage with tears in your eyes and a bright smile, the audience watching you intently as the camera captured the emotionally charged reaction. In that moment, feelings of joy, pride and surprise flooded through you.
You reached the shining podium where the Emmy waited for you, shiny and golden like a symbol of all the hard work and dedication you had put into your art, feeling the warmth of the golden metal in your cold hands. There was a moment of silence before you cleared your throat and looked up at the crowd. "Wow, I can't believe it. This is really surreal," you began, your voice shaking slightly as you were overwhelmed by the thoughts and feelings flooding your mind.
The bright lights from the cameras almost blinded you as the host presented you with the Emmy. The crowd continued to cheer and you could feel the excitement crackling in the air. Standing in front of the microphone, you felt the weight of the moment on your shoulders and took a deep breath, your eyes immediately scanning the beaming audience until you spotted the familiar faces of the people who had made you who you were today - Danielle and Stefania. A smile spread across your face and your eyes filled with deep gratitude. "I can hardly express how grateful I am for this moment. For me this is not just a trophy, but a symbol of the journey I have taken with so many wonderful people."
Applause broke out again and you took a deep breath, visibly moved as you tried to continue your speech with a big smile and tears of joy in your eyes. "It's my first role and I'm standing here with this incredible award in my hands. I couldn't have done it without the support of some really special people."
You turned your gaze again to Danielle and Stefanie, who beamed with emotion and looked at you with proud eyes. "Dani, Stef, you are the cornerstones of my success. When I was unsure and the world of acting seemed so foreign to me, you took me under your wing. You not only taught me how to play a role, but you made me feel like a real daughter who was truly loved."
The eyes of the two women in question shone with pure emotion, and a hint of it was in the air as they sent several air kisses your way, encouraging you to continue. The room listened reverently as you continued to try to put your thoughts into words. "You saw my fears and helped me to grow beyond myself. Danielle, you were and still are like a anchor in the surf. You saw my fears and helped me overcome them. Stefania, you nurtured my dreams and gave me the wings to fly."
A gentle round of applause accompanied your words as you turned your attention back to the Emmy you were holding tightly in your hands. "This Emmy doesn't just belong to me. It belongs above all to you two because you are not only extraordinary actors, but also extraordinary people. Thank you for being my family. Thanks also to the entire team at Station 19 - Jaina, Gray, Jason, Jay, Barrett... here's to many more years with you as a series family by my side!"
“We love you, y/n/n!” the latina shouted and the crowd cheered once more while you couldn´t help but smile at the call in of Jaina. Danielle and Stefania clapped with proud and emotional faces as you left the stage. The cameras captured the moment, where you fell into the arms of your friends and they celebrated you with happiness. Tears of joy in Danielle and Stefania's eyes in this magical moment could be seen, while the music slowly began to play and the hall celebrated the triumph of this special and successful evening.
50 notes · View notes
local-ground-apple · 1 year
Text
Not-Vil's-Insolent-Castle | Part 2
here is part 1 if anyone is interested yes, slime scene is here
Tumblr media
,,You seem awfully familiar...what was your name once again ? Wait ! I know ! I walked once upon a dream with you "
Vil wanted to either smack you with a frying pan or smack himself. He spent only few minutes in your company and the initial charm you had over him had completely disappeared. You seemed like an insufferable potato with a gorgeous smile who adored bickering with their fire demon and had broken many unfortunate hearts.
Yet, once again you seemed to glow.
Your eyes were sparkling, as you looked at him in pure anticipation and enthusiasm.
,,We certainly didn't walk once upon a dream, whatever it means. In fact, we don't know each other at all
Vil's harsh and cold words didn't manage to deter you or destroy your cheerful attitude. You only giggled, waving your hand playfully.
,,Then it must have been one of King Malleus'knights. What a lovely dream it was"
Vil opted not to comment on this one, knowing he would say a few words too much. And he desperately needed to have your permission to stay in the Moving Castle, so he shut up., hoping that you would spare him the details from your dreamy adventures.
You leaned closer. Way to close for Vil's comfort and you stared at his face intensively. You titled your head slightly to the right, as you raised one of your eyebrows questioningly.
He indeed seemed familiar, despite all those wrinkles and grey hair adorning his face.
Then it suddenly hit you.
You walked with him once; just not opon a dream, but in the air.
A wide smile danced on your lips, as you finally pulled back allowing Vil to let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding during this whole time. You seemed content with yourself. Naturally, Vil assumed you had either guessed his identity or you just pretended to in order not to hurt his feelings. He opted for a second option.
,,Oh, could you hand me the letter ? The one in your pocket. I believe it's adressed to me ?
Vil couldn't help but protest at the mere sound of your words. He was confident that he didn't even have the letter you were talking about. After all, he was convinced his pockets were empty.
Yet your persistent gaze told him otherwise. You beckoned him with a simple nod of your head to do as you asked him to.
So Vil reached inside his pocket with hesitation and doubt written all over his face.
To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. Vil was utterly shocked when his hand reached into his pocket and he felt the paper underneath his fingertips. He furrowed his eyebrows, as his eyes slightly widened.
You were right.
There was indeed a letter adressed to Y/N Pendragon.
You clapped your hands before you eagerly snatched a letter from Vil's hands. You slightly moved your other hand, mentioning Epel to come forward and observe. The apprentice was as confused as Vil. He had never seen such an intricate spell before.
The moment your fingertips touched the letter, the bloody red paper flashed white and blue fire, before it dissolved on the table only leaving a bizarre symbol that Epel couldn't decipher.
It seemed that you knew exactly what was going on judging by the look on your face.
Your smile dropped in a second as you signed heavily.
,,Rook, move castle sixty miles to the West; we're departing now. It seems that once again he found me"
Vil had questions.
Quite a lot of them, yet he wasn't sure if you were willing to answer any of them. Vil could sense that your mood dropped abruptly and the situation was serious. You were pacing around the room, almost as if you were nervously looking for a solution.
,,I had no idea it was here
Vil admitted as you nodded your head in understanding matter. You stopped your frantic movement, as you finally looked at his confused face.
Right.
,,You had met Witch of the Waste, I suppose ? He had cursed you, right ?
Vil furrowed his eyebrows at the mere sound of your questions. Witch of the Waste ? He had never seen him in his entire life. Vil wasn't even aware who exactly had cursed him or why. One day he just woke up old without any explanation what was the reason for this punishment nor how could he reverse it.
,,What ?
You seemed surprised hearing his confused and clueless tone of voice. You tapped your finger on your chin, pondering for a brief while. if Vil had never interacted with Witch of the Waste, it would make absolutely no sense for him to be cursed specifically by him.
You knew Witch of the Waste a tad bit more personally than you would like. You could feel the remainings of his signature curse lingering on Vil's form, so there was no denying that it was him.
,,He had never made himself visible ?"
,,No, one day I just woke up like this
You sighed heavily, as you started mumbling under your breath, clearly exasperated. It made no sense. Why Vil Schoenheit ? You would faster expected your rival to curse the lovely knight you had walked once a dream. You spent way more time with him than with Vil.
Vil couldn't make out any word of your rant, as you waltzed around the living room, sometimes searching for some trinkets only to throw them away, not bothering to pick them up.
Vil was sure you would trip over them in the morning.
You couldn't just believe that Neige, Witch of the Waste, would be this petty to curse Vil Schoenheit after you left a like on his recent photo on Magicam and then saved him from the crowd of fans waltzing with him in the air. You knew he was petty, you just never expected him to be this petty.
,,Either way, it was freaking Neige, so we have to move the castle
You stated, deciding to abandon your previous trail of thoughts. Neige's motives didn't really matter to you.
,,I'm on it
Rook mumbled as you only nodded in his direction. Then you started walking around the room once again. Vil noted internally that you were a stress-walker.
He was awfully quiet after your last sentence. After three minutes, you finally glanced at Vil and your eyes slightly widened.
Vil seemed furious.
His eyes were glowing with malice and pure hatred. You were sure that you had briefly spotted a glint of murder intent in them. Vil clenched his fists, almost turning his elderly knuckles blue. His form was slightly shaking from pure anger that was consuming his whole body.
,,That utterly disgusting Neige... fucking potato
Oh, you weren't aware that they knew each other.
Given how angry he seemed, they had to be at least acquaintances. You pondered for a while. Everything was slowly starting to make sense. Maybe not everything revolved around you.
Given how agitated Vil was, you decided to politely end this conversation and let him cool down his emotions. You were feeling generous today; you would even let him smash few trinkets in frustration.
That seemed like a splendid idea, you thought, as you slowly made your way up the stairs to your room. When you reached the last step, you stopped abruptly, turning around on your heel.
,,Oh, I've been meaning to ask. Why do you want to stay here ? "
When those words left your mouth, you realised how foolish they sounded. Vil was here to break the curse. Right. You wanted to slap yourself across your face. Perhaps Rook was right and the hair dye killed all your functioning braincells. Before you had the chance to correct yourself, Vil spoke.
,, I'm your new housekeeper, as I had said. Seriously, potato, you can't live like this !
Vil exclaimed pointing around. You couldn't argue with this. Even you knew the state of your castle. It desperately needed some thoughout cleaning.
You ignored Vil's harsh and annoyed words, not wanting to destroy this disastrous evening even more. You waved at him dismissingly, nodding your head.
,,Fine, fine. Just leave the spiders alone. They're my friends. Other than that, you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like, Vil"
Vil was so caught up in his own feelings that he didn't notice that you called him by his name.
Tumblr media
You left quite early. You were probably off to break some another poor, unfortunate heart.
After all, you were mumbling something about some Azul who you were dead set on scamming and seducing. Vil wasn't sure; he had just heard bits of your monologue in the bathroom.
But before you left, you used up all the hot water, occupied the bathroom for at least three hours and woke up everyone on your departure. It was Vil's first official day in your castle and he was already annoyed. Rook absolutely refused to heat up more water, complaining that he didn't get paid enough for all this hard work he was doing.
,,Utterly annoying
Vil muttered under his nose, shaking his head in irrtation. He took few deep breaths to calm himself down. Internally, he was cursing you out.
It was harder than he had anticipated.
Perhaps, it was the hardest burden he had yet to carry.
,,Now, now, think happy thoughts, Monsieur Vieux ! Y/n won't be here for a whole day probably
Rook's poor attempt to lift up the atmosphere worked partially. It certainly pulled Vil out of his miserable thoughts. The mere fact that you would be away for most of the day seemed quite nice at first, Vil had to admit that. However, this implied that you had left to break some poor, unfortunate heart.
Utterly disgusting.
Perhaps he was wrong and you were also one of many potatoes around him.
Although it wasn't his problem nor concern, so Vil shook his shoulders deciding not to care.
Vil supposed that he could start cleaning, as he had promised. On top of it, he refused to live in such dirty place. Your trinkets were misplaced, hoards of clothes were scattered all over the castle, dirty dishes were taking up your whole kitchen and empty vials were adorning the dusty shelves.
Vil gripped his broom harder as he took one more breath before he started an uneven battle with your castle.
Tumblr media
Vil was cleaning away his frustrations.
Frustrations aimed at you, at himself, at Neige and at Rook who proved himsefl to be utterly useless.
Mostly himself.
Vil gripped the handle of the broom tighter, almost making his old knuckles turn blue. Perhaps he had enough after being trapped in this ridiculously old body that refused to cooperate with him. Constant back aches and the need to use a walking cane to be able to move weren't helping to ease his frustrations.
Quite the contrary, they made Vil feel even more useless.
He realised how powerless he had become.
he couldn't even manage to guess what was the item Rook was looking for.
And you were avoiding his eventual questions concerning the curse, only furrowing your eyebrows and disappearing in the bathroom for another two hours.
It's been only three days, Vil reminded himself. Three days of him successfully cleaning one room at the time, decluttering your residence step by step. He didn't have many chances to speak with you. You were constantly running.
Running away from Neige, moving slightly your castle or changing the cities behind your magical door.
Running to your, as Vil (wrongly) guessed lover, spending hours talking to Azul and negociating while bickering teasingly.
Running from Vil's questions, always brushing him off with a brief assurance that everything would be fine, before you disappeared behind the bathroom's doors.
As if he believed you.
You were just as useless as he was.
Recently, Vil thought that perhaps you were even as msierable as he was.
When Vil was seeing how much time you were spending in the bathroom each day, creating some magical potions to make yourself more beautiful and cover up your insecurities; he was quite annoyed. Mayhap, he was finally realising just how pointless and insignificant it was.
Doing your make-up, styling your hair, ensuring they looked flawless, spending hours in the mirror covering up the tiniest imperfections...
Vil had a feeling that he wasted enough of his lifetime doing all those meaningless tasks pursuing some ideal that was unobtainable.
Vil sighed heavily.
Sometimes he truly hated you for making him feel this way.
Making him realise how miserable and pointless his actions were. How all his efforts were in vain given his currect predicament.
Yet you were doing exactly the same thing as he once did.
I should go back to cleaning, Vil concluded, pushing all those annoying thoughts out off his head along with a mental image of your sparkling eyes and soft smile adorning your features.
No, he should with your beloved place. Bathroom.
Right, perfect idea.
Vil rolled up his sleeves eagerly, feeling a sudden wave of ebergy washing all over his form. He was quite excited to see from which ingredients you were crafting your potions. He never excluded a possibility to learn something new from you.
After all, you were Y/N Pendragon and despite malicious rumours portraying you as a womanizer and eater of poor, unfortunate hearts; you were adept in magic.
Seeing all those colorful vials standing in chaos on your shelves made Vil realise how little he knew about this craft. Even after carefully examining them and smelling its contents, he had no idea what was inside.
You were truly something, Vil stated, as he started wiping the surface with detergent and cold water. He was determined to clean this bathroom as long as it becomes spotless and shiny.
And he would start with your shelf filled with precious vials that enhanced your beauty.
Tumblr media
,, Y/N is using a lot of water
Rook stated, while Vil only rolled his eyes ignoring his remark. He wasn't really interested in the amount of hot water you were using. It wasn't his problem.
,,I think Y/N is tinting their hair. I hope you didn't mess up with spells and potions. They're terribly vain about their looks"
Rook added, looking at Vil who only waved his hand dismissively. He certainly didn't do anything to your precious little vials. Unless...
No, Vil was quite careful when he was cleaning the bathroom, making sure to put everything away where it was. He returned back to preparing a dinner, when he heard a loud skriek and then door crashed open and Y/N walked out of them with murder intent visible in their eyes.
,,LOOK AT THIS ! Look at this freaking misery ! A catastrophe, disaster, horror..
Your angry and filled with despair voice resonated through the whole castle, as you yelled another words clearly on the verge of breaking down. Vil turned around on his heel to look at you and you knocked his breath away.
Not because of your face twisted in the displeasure and tears welling up in your eyes thretening to fall down soon.
No. You looked absolutely beautiful in Vil's eyes.
Your hair were wet, yet he could make out the faint traces of red and orange mixing with your previous hair color. They seemed to slightly glow, as the sunlight danced in them.
You looked beautiful, yet you were on verge of crying, waltzing around the room in nothing but a towel and yelling at Vil who wasn't paying any attention to your words.
,,It's ginger ! GINGER. Out of all colours ! You had to mess up with the vials, hadn't you !? Now I have to hide it until it grows out ! Despair, anguish, I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die"
Vil was hearing your words, yet he couldn't quite make them out, as he was too occupied staring at you. Despite your harsh scolding and dramatic screams, you were still absolutely breathtaking in his eyes. Your new hair seemed to only make you glow even more.
,,I think it's very nice
Vil finally mumbled timidly; finding it a bit hard to compliment you after three days filled with cursing your out internally.
,,Nice ? You think it's nice, hah.
Your voice trailed off", as you finally stopped screaming your lungs out. You finally stood still in one place, before you dramatically fell down on a nearest chair, hiding your face in your hands.
Vil blinked, clearly not expecting you to go silent in the span of few seconds. He opened his mouth to offer you some comfort or even apologise, even tho he was sure it wasn't his fault.
Yet, then abruptly the room turned dim. The shadows started creeping on the walls, scattering all over them. The howls began, as they were screaming in horror, moaning in despair and pouring all their frustrations. Vil pressed his hands to his ears, yet the screams filled iwth pain and terror persisted.
,,What now ?"
Vil yelled, trying to get anyone's attention. Epel sighed heavily as if this was another, normal Tuesday before dragging Vil out of the castle.
,,Look, you made Y/N very, very unhappy. I propose sleeping outside to avoid their wrath, they get petty and pretty dramatic""
Epel stated calmly, sitting down on the grass, as Vil closed the door behind him leaving Rook with depressed Pendragon inside. Vil only furrowed his eyebrows.
So, this was considered normal ?
Not on his watch.
You were behaving like a child and he had enough of your antics already. You were too old to be throwing a tantrum, especially since you were effortessly beautiful. Even with "ruined hairstyle". While Vil would need few dying attempts to even get a decent color. He clenched his fists, clearly annoyed as he bursted through the door.
The howling noises stopped and the room wasn't filled with shadows creeping on the walls. It was back to normal once again.
Well, almost.
You were still sitting on the chair, yet something was wrong with you. There were violent and dramatic quantities of green slime. It covered your whole form. It was slowly running down your head and your hands on the floor creating ponds of slime. On top of it, it smelled terribly.
,,You ! You're behaving as a freaking baby, you utterly annoying potato !
Vil yelled, feeling the hidden rage and frustrations oozing from his form. He rolled up his sleeves, before he decided to ignore this bullshit and he stepped closer to your form. He pushed violently the chair you were on in the direction of the bathroom yelling at Rook to prepare some hot water to get rid of all this green slime.
,,I...I....I... I was never this effortessly beautiful"
Vil whispered softly, as a soft tear he wasn't aware he was holding fell on your form. At the mere sound of his words filled with grief and sadness, you raised your head and looked him in the eyes.
Tumblr media
It took me a while (one month exactly), but finall i wrote the second part to this au!
Thanks to everyone who read this part and the first one. Also to everyone who left feedback under the 1st part !
Tag list
@angryhope @kianamixken @fanlovedlt @kikyokyoyam @unicornwithachainsaw83 @bloomed-night-flower @kikikill @lovecinamonroll @waterpolobaker @kittymaniacz
I'm sorry if I forgot about someone or if some of the mentions doesn't work (I'm not sure why)
Thank you for reading it, apples !
228 notes · View notes
ronsenthal · 4 months
Text
Part five and final of Jess Reads Fierce Valor as we reached his post WWII military career, his retirement and last years of his life
Tumblr media
Notes: Please read the book and take your own conclusions if you can, this is my view and my own clonclusion from my experience reading it
okay now really not much happens, he got married for a second time, stayed in the army, got divorced again
he came to the veterans reunion in 1947 and then never showed up again until some 50 years later
he made his final combat jumps in Korea, he had like 4 which was like a LOT
btw do you guys remember Albert Blithe from the series right? Right! the guy lived after recovering from his wounds and actually served in the 187th Infantry Regiment, guess who was the company commander? thats right! our very own bald man
ok so he worked and had time studied Russian and became the governor os Spandau, at this time there was already some cold war shit going on
speaking of shit, his german was shitty (so is mine!!!) so he couldn't quite undestand the prisioners but played chess with one of them??
Ah yes got married and divorced again
trained and organized some stuff for the the Royal Lao Army and some more army duty??? but nothing interesting is said really
he was then Lieutenant Colonel and worked with the Pentagon, it says that his army duty came to an end in 1964 but his name came up in army records in 1965 at a special division, so he had some function? was he a spy? we will never know for sure
okay now he is retired, married again (the man was a machine), had some health related problems and had to do some heart surgeries, like 5 of them or even more
at this point he was really introspective over his life, then the Ambrose book came and old man was PISSED because guess what??? Ambrose didn't even bothered to actual fact check his book and Speirs felt that he did dirty to his first ex-wife and even to himself
Dick became his biggest advocate and tried so many times to reunited him to the last members of Easy but he couldn't, he even begged Speirs but remember he is a Taurus so he said no again and again
toward his late years and after the release of the book he was afraid some n30-naz1s would come after him for some kind of vengeance so he asked for his name adress and personal info to be removed so Dick was the only one who knew hot to contact him
then there was the reunion for the screening of Band of Brothers and he finally showed up after his last wife made him show up and it was really emotional, Matthew Settle just watched the real Speirs and Dick watching the first ep and then Matthew showed up on his door and asked him to sing his cast, cause he got hurt his feet somehow
oh right forgot to mention that he loved his poodles, he was really into square dance (I don't know what the hell this is don't ask me), had some weird hobbies like pan for gold on rivers??? also normal ones like playing golf and he was also a nice elderly to his grand-sons and great-grand-sons, nephews, nieces and stuff
he had really bad PTSD specially while sleeping ans even after being retired he couldn't relax while sleeping and always eat his food fast.
he wouldn't let people kill spiders, like black widow spiders because of the William Wallace story and because he served in a company that the symbol and nickname was one
also he didn't talked about his army life like AT ALL, he said it was harder for him to remember things since he spent great part of his life om the army while the other guys served like with one company and that was it, for me it's clear it was bullshit he was so hard on himself and self critical on the basic stuff he didn't so one can only imagine how he dealt with the heavy stuff
his final years he was losing his strength, already loss great part of his hearing and was so ashamed of it and was really frustrated and miserable
after his death this one person of his family took his ashes and spread somewhere in a beautiful lake near the Canadian border where he rests today, quite emotional really
Okay so overall this was such a great reading, it's really a testament to how complex, mysterious and sometimes twisted his character really was.
I loved how the authors didn't pushed any agenda or narratives, I feel like they did a good job because they didn't tried to justify any of his actions, they just wanted to bring as many facts to the table as they could so we, as readers, could come up with our own conclusions
Mine is: He was crazy indeed, he did some questionable stuff and it took it's toll on him during and after the war, but also really cared for the man on his side, he sure could be cruel, flawed, cold blooded, impetuous and a true killer, but at the same time protective, respectful, really smart and incredible skilled as a leader, so much that everyone respected him for it, some loved the man dearly, some despised and that it was what truly amazed me by
A big thank you to everyone who followed my dumb takes during this reading, it was really fun to do!!!
Tumblr media
taglist: @mads-weasley, @mutantmanifesto, @love--persevering, @gorgeousundertow, @grumpy-liebgott, @wexhappyxfew, @latibvles, @1waveshortofashipwreck and @executethyself35
34 notes · View notes
itsagrimm · 1 year
Text
He Who Comes from under the Water
Tumblr media
Chapter 6 - Safekeeping
Monster!König X she/her afab Reader
CN dead fish
Notes for better understanding at the bottom!
Beta-read by @queenquazar. She is a writer as well and does amazing work which you should definitely check out.
2,3 k words
Masterlist
The water ran playfully past your bare feet dangling in the little stream. You had taken off your shoes, sitting at the grass covered bank while watching König fish. It was shallow, but you could not bring yourself to go deeper than this. König of course did not mind the water, hip deep, and comfortably towering as he straightened victoriously like a tree surviving the flood to pass you one sorry little flapping creature after another, asking you with much elation if that sorry thing would do for lunch.
“A Pike? Yummy.”
“No, not the Rodd. Too much bone.”
“Please don’t make me eat a snail.”
“Another Pike! How did you manage to catch a second one so quickly?”
As the caught fish collected in a basket next to you, waiting to be gutted and prepared, you leaned back on your elbows. It had been a… strange morning.
König had come inside your home for breakfast, only to reveal you might die due to the dangers of being his underwater queen. His words had felt like getting pushed back into a dark pit you had barely managed to crawl out of moments ago. Every time you gathered back your strength, something happened, and you were back where you started. But unlike you, König was not as quick to give up and dragged you back up once again from the pit.
 In fact, you wondered why he had not given up on you, just leaving you to find himself a better, more suitable, queen? No, König was bent on keeping you alive, jumping up from the kitchen table declaring ‘I have an idea’ and running out, shouting for the Heron. Confused, you had stayed where you were, only for König to run back in again, lifting you up in a surprising hug accompanied with a ‘you will live, you will live’-chant. You had squeaked in surprise, and he nearly dropped you on the floor, mumbling an excuse before running out again and returning what felt like no time with a bit of fresh birch bark, asking you for a knife.
“Why?”
“It is to write a letter.”
Confused, you passed him a kitchen knife and he started scratching symbols into the soft bark with it. The little blade looked so ridiculous in his large hands, like a dainty daisy in a bear’s claw. Despite it all, you laughed. A desperate little laugh fighting its way out of your lungs.
He looked up.
“What is it, Bride?”
“Nothing. Your hands are so big and the knife so small. That is all.”
He leaned back.
“Would you prefer to write yourself with this tiny knife in your tiny human hands?”
“I can’t,” you replied shortly, still giggling. What a stupid question.
“Why? Can you only use a knife to chop fish?”
“Yes,” You dead panned and smiled softly, the easing laughter helping you with your heavy mood, “I can’t read. Women do not read or write. Don’t you know? Only men can and Ivar, the village teacher, never allowed girls, despite my brother being a student of his and practising at this table next to me. I still was never allowed to attend.”
König frowned under all the messy tangled hair.
“We should change that. Downstream in the cities, everyone knows how to read and write - man, woman or whatever you humans can be. It would be good for you to learn it - but not today. The Heron will not be able to guard you. They have to deliver this letter and hopefully give us the help we need for you to stay alive.”
He paused, his eyes shifting from the pragmatic to a soft questioning gaze.
“Would you like to spend the day with me instead, Bride? I promise, I’ll keep you as safe as the Heron.”
And that was how you ended up wandering the forest with König. Watching him search for trees to fall for the palace with his big axe, while you followed collecting berries and harvesting herbs with your little, tiny kitchen knife until you grew tired and rested at this little stream.
A little splash of water to your face made you squeal in surprise, and you opened your eyes.
König stood before you, a huge catfish under his arm struggling to get free and splashing water everywhere.
“Don’t fall asleep in the sun, Bride,” König chided softly. “You will get a headache from it. The old man complained about it all the time.”
You giggled. “Yes, grandfather liked to have naps but never chose a good spot for it.”
You got up to move into the shadows of a willow for a quick nap.
König nodded approvingly, the catfish under his arm joining in in an attempt to get free.
“Can you make a fire before you nap? It is not my strong suit and, unlike me, you don’t eat raw fish.”
Surprised you turned to König. The man who appeared to be able to do anything – scare away Ivar, summon speaking animals and swamp lights, catch fish and lift heavy wood – did not know how to make a fire.
“No fire under the water, remember?”
You paused before nodding.
That made sense.
The catfish nodded too before finally wiggling out of König’s grip and slipping back into the water.
With a curse König dived after it, leaving you to make a fire.
With practised ease you build a little pile before lighting it up and feeding it more air and dried bark until it was big enough to sustain itself.
Casually you grabbed a few sticks, sharpened them with your knife, gutted and cleared the caught fish and skewered the pike meat wrapped in some of the herbs. It would make for a great meal and you felt your body going from tired to awake enough for food and an eventual nap afterward.
König emerged from the stream and stepped on land, his unhuman appearance mostly covered by a dripping cloak except for the shimmery wet skin from the water and the sunlight.
“No catfish?”
He grumbled something in defeat before sitting down next to the fire.
“You need to teach me how to do this fire and cooking thing, Bride. Could be useful.”
“Oh yes, I will,” You promised, “Who else is supposed to make meals while I sleep?”
He chuckled.
“You humans are so delicate – always needing rest, food, shelter, air, water – but only the clear sweet waters and none of the green or salty ones. I wonder how you make it through the day laughing. Your lives are so harsh.”
“It is pretty okay being a human.” A grin spread on your face as you shrugged. “Better than coming from the water and having to munch raw catfish. Oh wait, the catfish got away. Guess you’ll go hungry, love.”
The word slipped out of you before you could think - a little treacherous word telling of little, treacherous dreams in your little, hopeful heart.
Love.
You looked down, pretending to concentrate on the fire and picked up one of the sticks to grill the fish.
“Be kind and do not let me starve, maiden.” König called out playfully and picked up one of the prepared sticks. “How do you do this?”
You showed him how to hold the fish without burning it, reminding him he had to turn it once in a while, so the fish will be cooked from all sides, and explaining how you used the herbs on the meat.
“And no bark?” König asked after your explanations.
“No bark.”
“Hmpf.
You looked up at him, his features hidden by his hair and hood. Except for his mouth with gleaming sharp teeth turned down in an unhappy frown.
Very sharp teeth.
You shivered, the reality of your fiancé’s inhumanness hitting you in the face like water from the struggling catfish desperate for life.
“Humans do not eat bark but if you like it so much, do what you want.” Your voice went thin as you spoke, a strange lump of fear and worry weighted down deep in your gut.
“Say, König,” you started. “What exactly is so dangerous about me becoming your wife?”
There, the words were out.
Hanging in the air like the skewed fish over the fire, slowly burning and sizzling away skin – painful and inevitable, unless doing something to prevent it.
König sighed.
“My brother,” he explained with a defeated tone, “Can be very pessimistic. He said I might accidentally kill you by drowning. But,” He looked at you, his eyes clear as ice piercing through any doubt. “I will not do that. I promise you are safe with me and there might be someone who can help with removing that danger. Also,” He continued as a careful, toothy smile grew on his face. “So far I have at least somewhat succeeded in keeping you safe, right? You are here and not hurt or hidden away in the house. Not saying I’ve done it perfectly but…” His voice rippled off in waves, making your eye brows narrow slightly
“It is good enough for now… right?”
You stared into the fire, thinking about König’s words. Yes, you were afraid. His otherness sometimes confusing you, or making you withdraw from him in fear. But never had he done anything to harm you.
At least not willingly.
Yes, there were accidents and mistakes. But, he tried to keep you safe and looked out for you. You could not remember anyone being so honestly interested in you and your well-being. Not the villagers who dropped you the moment you became uncomfortable for them. Not the boys you had kissed in secret, or girlfriends who had stopped visiting you when you started to cry more than you laughed from all the death and misery in your life. And certainly not your family who loved you, but kept you as their obedient child to help at home and carry any expectations they placed on you without opposition. That included your beloved grandfather who promised you to someone without asking your permission, counting on you to just follow his command. Love was complicated. You missed your family, your friends and old life. But there was bitterness thinking about them now. The old house had become as much a sanctuary as it was a prison.
Being with König was not that different: like an axe to build a new palace or yield as a weapon.
Yes, it was unfortunate how you had come to be the Bride of the King from Under the Water.
And maybe it would be your death.
But so far, your engagement has come with much more grace than you had ever known.
“Do not worry, my love,” You whispered those words with a grim dedication to all that it might include. “I know you are keeping me safe, and I trust you will continue to do so.”
The silence of your words weighed heavy as you stared into the fire without seeing the flames.
A hand touched yours and you jerked up. König had moved closer, carefully lifting your hand with the skewered fish up and away from the heat.
“I am not much of an expert on fire but this looks like you could light yourself up like that,” He declared with a soft ring as if trying not to smile. “You said it yourself - ‘turn it so it does not burn’. I would do a poor job keeping my bride safe if I let you burn your fingers now.”
You blinked in confusion, before adjusting the grip on the stick in your hand under his large right palm.
“Thank you,” you mumbled.
He kept his hand around yours - warm, strong, pleasant - and you hummed in approval as his other wandered around your shoulder and pressed you closer to his side.
My bride. My bride.
That’s what he had said.
The words rang pleasantly in your ears as you nuzzled into Königs chest.
XXX
Cultural context notes:
König writes in Old Church Slavonic. Old Church Slavonic is the basis of many the Slavic languages written form. It was ‘created’ by two monks named Methodius and Cyril (That’s why the modern alphabet is now called Cyrillic) who were tasked with helping to convert the Byzantian Slavs in Moravia to Christianity. To do that they translated several religious texts, most importantly the Bible, into Old Church Slavonic which could be understood by the Slavs. Old church Slavonic is really cool and can still be understood by many modern speakers of Slavic languages despite coming from the 9th century. Also, the Polish band Batushka / БАТЮШКА sings in Old Church Slavonic if you want to know what it sounds like.
XXX
shoot me a message if you want to be tagged as well. (-:
@thesinsoflust @kdkj122920 @die-prophetin @lillianastuff @1234ilikecowsthanyoumore @fatedeniedhope @queensidillasworld @agspgrwasb @silelda @unlikepoltergeist @matcha-flavored-cake @blvkwondaland @diamondnightdreamer @brooklyn-1918 @thorns-x @icepancakes
398 notes · View notes