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nebulablakemurphy · 1 year

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Moves & Countermoves (Part 9)

Summary: No one ever wins the games, even fourteen years later, Y/N is still playing. Warning: this chapter contains heavy subject matter and a steamy making out sess, proceed with caution.

“Effie and I wrote these speeches together.” Y/N assures Katniss and Peeta as Effie doles them out. “Don’t be nervous, nothing crazy.”

Katniss nods.

“Just a few words for the fallen tributes of the district. For eleven that is Thresh and Rue,” Effie says, hoping to put their minds at ease.

At present, they are crammed into one vehicle, transporting them to the justice building. Arista is sat between Katniss and Peeta, a doll in hand. Peeta allows the doll to walk along his leg, occasionally dropping it to one side or the other; causing the little girl to giggle. She shouldn’t be here.

People of the Capitol have sent them gifts from the moment they were born, things much too lavish for district twelve. Such items are sold to peacekeepers and the money funnels back through twelve. Keeping them afloat. Very few offerings they keep, like the doll. A tablet for Everest, just like his mother’s. He taps away at it, almost as if he’s playing a game.

“Can I see?” Katniss asks.

The boy nods, holding it across the isle. It’s an agenda…no, a journal. She realizes. ‘Day one, district eleven. Agriculture. The train is five hours from home.’

Katniss blinks rapidly at the screen before handing it back. He shouldn’t be here. “Thought you were playing a game.”

“I have games.” Everest tells her, “you can pick one to play.”

“Show me your favorite.” Don’t worry about all of this. You’re just a kid.

He smiles. “I like this one. You have to dodge the logs and get the dot from one side to the other.”

“I won’t be very good.” Katniss confesses as he hands it back to her.

“It’s for fun, Katniss.” The boy shrugs, “you don’t have to be good.”

Y/N passes an affectionate hand over her son’s hair.

“When I married Haymitch, there was an understanding. Whatever we had to do to stay alive, we would do. But between him and I was also an understanding; that he loved me and that love is unconditional. He wouldn’t leave me if I was scared, he would be patient. He would wait for me. When there were time restrictions, if we couldn’t wait, he would get me through. I think Peeta could be that person for you, Katniss.”

“You think I should marry Peeta?”

“I think you should be his friend.” Y/N corrects her. “All of this pretending to be in love stuff will come easier, I promise. Do it on your terms, take your time.” While you still have time.

Katniss takes this into consideration. She doesn’t dislike the idea of being with Peeta. But the idea of being with anyone seems impossible to her now. Even out of the arena she no longer feels safe…maybe if they make it back home. After they’ve convinced Snow and the districts. Even then, she doesn’t think she can love anyone the way Y/N loves Haymitch; or be loved the way Haymitch loves her.

What Y/N doesn’t tell her is that their toasting, the one Haymitch asked for when she was ready, did not come until two years after their Capitol wedding. After they’d celebrated two ‘anniversaries’ and Everest’s first birthday. She doesn’t tell her how verbalizing ‘I love you’ is painful for Haymitch… how he cried after telling her for the first time. Because he lost every other person he’s ever loved. How his tears broke her heart, how much they still do.

The vehicle comes to a harsh stop before the engine cuts out.

“Crash landing,” Haymitch remarks.

They are ushered out in a single file line. Y/N, Haymitch and the children are left in the viewing room with Effie and Cinna to watch Katniss and Peeta on stage from the projector.

Nothing can go wrong. Katniss repeats the mantra over and over. Nothing can go wrong.

Peeta does most of the talking, he offered and she couldn’t say no.

Arista pays little attention to what’s happening, too preoccupied with chatting up one of the peacekeepers who is trying to keep a hard exterior.

Everest is slightly more involved, watching the adults around him; gauging their reactions. His mother is anxious, twisting her fingers around the fabric at the back of his father’s jacket.

Cinna catches him staring and smiles. “Can you see?”

Everest nods as all eyes fall on him.

Y/N whispers something to her husband that the little boy can’t make out. Haymitch reaches a hand back then, bringing his son up beside Effie.

The peacekeeper sends Arista back to her parents with a gift. “I got candy.”

“What kind of candy?” Y/N leans down.

“From him,” the girl tells her mother, pointing toward the man in the white suit.

“Did you thank him?”

“Mhm.”

“Good,” Y/N boops her little nose. “This is actually one of my favorites, do you think we could trade?”

“Well, what do you have?” Arista arches a brow.

Y/N surrenders her shoulder bag. “Anything you want.”

Arista’s eyes light up, “really?”

“Mhm.”

“Thank you, Mommy. Here’s your candy.”

“Thank you.” Y/N accepts the tiny wrapped object. Sliding it into her pocket.

“Both Rue and Thresh were so young. But our lives are not measured in minutes, they’re measured by the lives of those we touch around us. For myself, and for Katniss; we know that without Thresh and without Rue we wouldn’t be standing here today.” Peeta speaks from his heart.

Though their speeches were approved by both mentors and their Capitol escort, they do not have the intended effect. A whistle is heard, three fingers in the air, the nearest peacekeepers drawing batons.

“Get the kids away from the door.” Haymitch bites out.

“What about Katniss and Peeta?” They’re still out there.

“I’ve got them,” he promises.

The audience grows to a distraught holler.

“What’s happening?” Everest turns to his mother.

“Come with me,” Y/N tries to keep calm as she takes his hand, moving quickly towards her daughter. Her bag all but forgotten.

“Mommy, why are they doing that?” Arista asks, seeing the older man being forced up onto the stage by peacekeepers.

“Shh,” Y/N turns her away. Hurrying both children up the stairs.

Hearing Katniss protest from the lower level, “no, please leave him alone.” The doors open and she is removed from the stage.

Y/N sits her babies down on the floor, “cover your ears.” They do as they’re told, looking to their mother for comfort. She kneels, keeping them distracted as best she can; from the screams, from the gun shot, from the cruel world whirling around them.

Haymitch carries Katniss, kicking and screaming, toward the stairs. “What did I do?”

“Shhh,” he hushes her as Peeta follows.

“No, Haymitch! What did I do wrong?”

“Shut up. Get in here.” He closes the door behind them.

“I did everything I was supposed to do.” Katniss says, tears flooding her face.

“Katniss,” Peeta runs his knuckles along her arm; hoping to soothe her.

She steals Peeta’s hand, latching on for comfort. “Just help us get through this trip.”

“This trip?” Haymitch snaps two fingers in front of her, “wake up, girl. This trip doesn’t end when you get home. You never get off this train.”

Katniss’ heart sinks at the realization. They’re still stuck on this train.

“You two are mentors now, which means every year they’re gonna drag you out and broadcast the details of your romance. Your personal life becomes theirs. From now on, your job is to be a distraction so that people forget what the real problems are.”

Peeta’s free hand balls into a fist at his side. “So what do we do?”

“You’re gonna smile, continue reading the cards that Effie gives you and you’re gonna live happily ever after. Think you can do that?” His eyes flicker between the pair.

Peeta nods. Katniss follows reluctantly, after Haymitch pats her cheek. Just like he did before she stepped onto the hovercraft for the games.

“Good,” Haymitch says, with a sad smile. “Come here.”

Still in a state of shock, Katniss steps into his arms, resting her head against his shoulder. She watches through the window as the man from eleven’s lifeless body is removed.

“You’re gonna be ok, I promise.”

Katniss knows that her mentors will protect her…and Peeta. Anything she does is a collective loss or gain. Anything she does.

————————————————————————

Y/N manages to get through dinner on the train, choking down her meal after consoling Katniss, who refuses to leave her room. Peeta stays with her, opting for in room dining tonight.

Effie isn’t thrilled, but she understands and the younger children keep her plenty entertained.

Y/N and Haymitch break off before it gets late, tucking Everest and Arista into bed. Then Haymitch wanders down to the bar car, returning with a bottle. Seeing mayhem on the monitors of the control room as he passes.

“How the hell are we gonna fix this, Haymitch?” Y/N demands, the second he returns.

He uncorks the liquor, chugging a bit to get through this round of questioning. “There are ten other districts before the Capitol, they still have a chance to calm things down.”

She nods, swiping at traitorous tears. “How bad is it?”

Riots in the streets. “If all else fails, we have the show with Caesar before Snow’s party.” Setting the bottle aside, he pulls her in, “we’ll fix it.”

Y/N melts into him.

Haymitch tips her chin up. She is beautiful…and broken. Glossy eyes soften at the sight of him, lips parted and flushed from tears. “I love you.” The words claw their way from his throat; more painful to keep in than let out.

She kisses him then. Hot and hard, a little sloppy.

Haymitch cups the base of her neck, surrendering to the unrelenting force that is Y/N. The push and pull of her, the need for her.

Falling onto the mattress, lost in the heat of it. Something drops from Y/N’s dress as it’s discarded. The candy.

“You saving this for later?” Haymitch chuckles, holding it between them.

“Traded Arista for it.” Y/N admits, tossing the candy aside. “She got it off a peacekeeper. I’m sure it’s fine but…”

“Can’t risk it,” Haymitch agrees.

“Didn’t want to make a scene either, Everest is watching like a hawk.” She rolls off of him, onto her back.

“These kids,” Haymitch sighs. A gentle hand finds her bump, tracing patterns over the skin there.

————————————————————————

“We want to share with you the sorrows of your losses.” Katniss reads directly from the cards. In districts nine and ten, the crowd was calm. Now in district eight, two members of the crowd raise three fingers into the air. “The tributes of this district-” she breaks off as peacekeepers remove them from the scene; looking to Haymitch and Y/N.

They are no longer left in the viewing room, able to jump in and corral their victors if need be. Showing face to the masses to help calm them. Katniss wonders what kind of deals they had to make to be standing here with them.

Haymitch nods, encouraging her to continue. Y/N follows suit when Peeta’s eyes fall to her, jaw clenched. This is what we have to do. This is what they make us do.

Katniss picks up where she left off. “Were brave and noble warriors, who brought honor to their families and pride to their people. We are all of us united, both victors and vanquished, in serving a common purpose. The power and glory of the Capitol. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.”

People from districts three through seven are outraged with this speech, this falsehood, this injustice to the girl they saw in the arena. The Capitol won’t eat your soul, that is a fate much too kind for a victor. They break your connections, they make you theirs.

Districts one and two are more easily swayed, buying into the notion that the games are something to celebrate. The little girl who presents Katniss with flowers tells her that she wants to volunteer; just like she did.

The nightmares come and Peeta stays with Katniss most nights, helping each other survive.

Everest and Arista find ways to occupy themselves. Madge steps in when their parents have to tend the crushing weight of their titles. Tomorrow ends in the Capitol; Caesar and Snow, all in one night.

Y/N sits, legs crossed, beside Haymitch on the gray satin bench of the train car. Katniss and Peeta directly across from them.

“Snow is watching us.” Haymitch says, as if anyone could forget. “If he wants you to pacify the districts, I promise you, he’s not happy. Instead of being in love, you two sound like you’re reciting from a drilling manual.”

“I’m open to suggestions.” Peeta turns his palms up, they’re all grasping at straws now.

Y/N leans forward, “I think-”

“We could get married.” Katniss meets her gaze when she says it.

“That’s not helping,” Haymitch taps a finger against his glass.

Peeta’s eyes never leave Katniss. Of all the times he’s thought about it, wanted it even; someday in the future, when it was real. Not like this, never like this.

“I’m serious.” Katniss decides, “if we’re on this train forever it’s gonna happen eventually, why not now?”

“It does make a statement,” Haymitch huffs a laugh, “I’ll give you that.”

“Yeah, sure.” Peeta rises to his feet, “let’s do it.”

“Wait.” Y/N reaches out a hand to catch him, “we still have the show. We can find another way, something else to feed these people and keep them at bay for a while.”

“Like what?” Peeta plops back down in his seat.

“Like a baby.” Y/N forces the poofy skirt of her dress to lie flat against her bump.

“No, if you’re giving them that, we’re giving them the proposal.” Peeta protests. Y/N and Haymitch have already given away too much.

Katniss nods in agreement.

“Alright then,” Haymitch drinks to that, “let’s give them a night they’ll never forget.”

Part 10

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#haymitch abernathy x you #haymitch fanfic #haymitch abernathy fanfic #haymitch x y/n #haymitch abernathy #haymitch x reader #thg haymitch #haymitch abernathy x y/n #haymitch abernathy x reader #the hunger games #hunger games fanfiction #peeta mellark #katniss everdeen #moves & countermoves

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abiiors · 10 months

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haunt // bed - pt. 1

a/n: a while ago, i wrote do me a favour after which i said, i would write a matty hate sex fic. well this is it (and perhaps a bit more than anyone asked for), read dmaf again if you want to refresh your memory, or don't. there are 3 parts to this + an epilogue. i also know very little about western weddings, so ignore the inconsistencies lol.

a note about the banner: the photo in it is only meant to describe the dress, not the race, body type, hair colour, etc of the reader <3

minors dni! part 2, part 3

wc: 2.7k

see u in an hour xx

charli’s text flashes on your screen, illuminating a small corner of the dimly lit room. it’s not that late in the day, in fact, it’s quite early—only about 10 am. you’re supposed to be hurrying around the room, checking for any last minutes things you might have forgotten. you won’t be back home until tomorrow after all. yet here you are, surrounded by the things that should have been packed in your bag last night.

the dress, laid out on your bed, feels like a weapon; red silk slippery enough to slide between your fingers effortlessly. “a wily vixen”, that’s what charli had called you when she'd seen you in it for the first. the thought of that day—bridesmaids dress shopping with four other excited girls—brings a small smile to your face.

everything laid out here is a weapon really; your four-inch, sharp heels, the delicate and dainty diamond jewellery, the makeup you plan on wearing—blood red lipstick, a perfect shade match for the dress. an expensive crystal bottle of the same perfume you have used for the past six years.

familiarity breeds contempt. familiarity is also an excellent knife to twist in someone’s gut. because everything here, today, is meant to maul and wound him.

see you in an hour babe, love you. you write back and chuck your phone onto the pillow where it bounces a little before nestling between its creases. you stare at it, maybe your body still yearns for a call that will never come? no more can’t wait to see you up there. no more cheeky selfies in a state of half-undress. just a smooth, black screen.

right then…time to get going.

charli has been flittering around the room for the last twenty minutes. her white dress fits her like a dream, her makeup is a work of art and her excitement about marrying george is so palpable in the room that at least one person squeals or sighs every five minutes.

most importantly, the smile on her face is a permanent fixture. and every time you look at it, a warmth spreads through your body. she deserves this—the happiness, the celebration. the happily ever after. no matter how your marriage ended, you won’t stop believing in it for her.

“so!” charli walks over to you and takes your hand, “how do i look?” she twirls and the dress swirls around her, the tiny crystals catching light and making her shimmer like starlight.

you laugh in response, “like george is about to go into cardiac arrest the minute he sees you!”

the pair of you giggles like teenagers. you can so clearly picture it before it has even happened. the joy and love that will shine on george’s face; his excitement, quiet yet infectious and for a brief moment you’re transported back to your own walk down the aisle.

small, unsure steps, worried about falling flat on your face in those tall heels, but all of that had evaporated the second you had seen his tear-stained face. and the bright smile that had bloomed a split second later.

but that’s how long the ache lasts; a brief moment. it’s bad enough that you’re going to have to be civil to him, there’s no need to make it worse with unnecessary nostalgia.

besides, there’s her to think about.

she in question is a beautiful, leggy blonde who is at least seven years younger than him. not that you’ve seen either of them today…yet. it’s only because you and charli got drunk one night, four weeks before the wedding, and she felt bad about keeping it from you that matty had a plus one. and that’s how you fell into the rabbit hole of scrolling through this girl’s Instagram profile at two in the morning.

if you thought you knew his type, you would be dead wrong. physically speaking, she is the exact opposite of you—someone who looks like they belong on a giant billboard in times square, perfect and stunning. then there’s the more questionable aspects of her feed. the flat tummy tea adverts and the paid partnerships with various brands that are always under fire for being unethical.

but that’s the ugly green monster rearing its head. it’s not like you aren’t known for indulging in vanity every once in a while.

she will be here today, no doubt, clinging onto his arm like a decorative little thing—woah, where did that snide thought come from?! you shake your head to yourself, at least a little embarrassed. he’s not even here yet and he’s already screwing with your head; pushing you back into old jealous and insecure habits. someone clears their throat.

nora, one of charli’s longtime friends, has her champagne glass raised. a toast. she takes a deep, shaky breath and smiles tearily at the room, about to give her sentimental speech when a resounding knock echoes and cuts her off before she has even begun.

five heads turn to the locked door and you happen to be standing closest to it.

‘i’ll get it,’ you tell no one in particular, hand already on the doorknob. the possibility of it hits you way too late.

it hits you right as his clean-shaven face comes into view.

it has been ten months. ten months since you gave up the last name healy and changed it back to your maiden name on all your official documents. it had felt like a form of catharsis, getting it done with such urgency back then. but you also remember the days when you would be asked to state your full name and stagger a little at how odd it sounded to no longer have healy in it. to not have a ring around your finger to fidget with. no one to hold you at night.

but back to now. back to here.

it’s not hard to see that he has changed a lot in the last ten months. he looks serious; not necessarily sombre—it’s his best friend’s wedding, after all—but mature, more grown up. the grey in his hair, in his beautiful curls, is now much more prominent. the crow's feet around his eyes are more or less the same (and it sends a small pang through you; has he not laughed recently?). his mouth holds—held—a faint smile that’s already slipping, already morphing into a thin line. the exact same face that you woke up to for years now turning into a mask of carefully arranged neutrality.

“charli,” he whispers roughly and then clears his throat, “here to check on charli.” and just like that, he steps past you and into the room where he’s engulfed into a hug by the bride (and slapped on the bum by another bridesmaid but you ignore that for now).

pointedly, you also ignore the sting that comes with being sidestepped so easily.

you stand by the door, back still to the room, for a second longer than necessary. it doesn’t even register that you’re letting the warm spring air in. is this really how little seeing you impacts him? it must have. because if he’s here then she is also here.

“tell him i’m fine!” charli’s voice brings you out of your thoughts, making you shut the door softly. “and tell him not to meddle, i’ve got my girls.” she looks at you over his shoulder and throws a wink. your gut tells you it’s nothing but a charity gesture, just trying to gauge the tension between you two. guilt gnaws at you—she shouldn’t have to play peacemaker, she shouldn’t have to worry about two adults behaving themselves.

“only doing my duty here,” matty raises his hands defensively, “keeping the groom happy.”

the rest of them tease and taunt him playfully while you take the time to admire—no, simply look at—his suit. it’s nowhere near as nice as the one he wore at your wedding, of course not. but it’s beautifully made, tailored to fit and accentuate his muscles. and there are a lot of those now, that much is evident from the way his sleeves stretch over his biceps. he fills it out nicely, not that he didn’t before, but something about the fabric straining across his arms does funny things to your stomach. funny, you thought that feeling was a thing of the past. then there’s the navy trousers that compliment his backside rather nicely.

there’s a part of you that is appalled at all these observations you have been making but there’s another part—bored and much more matter-of-fact—that reminds you that there’s nothing under those clothes that you haven’t seen, touched, licked or sucked before. there’s nothing new. he is still the same as he was before, just now with a few extra muscles.

“go away,” charli’s nudges him gently toward the door. “we’ll be out in fifteen.”

he hugs her just before he leaves, dropping a friendly kiss on her head. after everything you’re glad no one had to pick sides in the divorce. you’ve at least managed to hold the friend group together, even though the same can’t be said about your marriage.

matty leaves just like he came in, sidestepping you and making sure he’s looking straight ahead. there’s a brief second however—a fraction of one really—when he slows down and breathes in. his adam’s apple bobs roughly and his face struggles to hold the blank expression.

but it must have just been you projecting right? no one can go through that much in half a second.

“there you are, darling,” denise walks in on you mid-smoke. “i was looking for you.”

she’s in a beautiful pink dress that brushes her knees and makes her look ten years younger than she is. you blush slightly at having been caught smoking; it’s a recent habit, not one she would be aware of, and you don’t want her to judge you for it.

“denise,” you try to hide the half-smoked cigarette, “you look beautiful.”

she pointedly looks at your hand and laughs. “my son does enough of that.” then she straightens up, as if bringing matty so casually into this conversation was a mistake. you suppose it was—it does make your heart skip a beat.

“i just wanted to say hi, darling,” she adds hastily, “and look at you…” her eyes scan you from head to toe, linger on your face for just a second before she smiles again. “simply stunning.”

“thank you.” your voice comes out in a whisper, fighting to get past the lump in your throat. you didn’t think there would ever come a day when she would have to so formally stop by to ‘say hi’. yet here you are, almost a pair of estranged mother and daughter.

“i don’t…” she starts but shakes her head minutely, “i don’t want to condescend you. but are you okay? with matty bringing that girl, i mean.”

that piques your interest. “that girl?” you stifle a little giggle. “sounds like you don’t like her…”

denise shrugs, leaning against the wall and looking at the bushes in front of her. “she’s okay, i guess.” then she takes a bit to smooth out her dress. “but she’s not you.”

“dearly beloved…” the officiant, charli’s godfather, begins, which you tune out instantly. weddings are lovely and romantic, wedding speeches are dull and boring. besides, like it or not, something else has captured your attention.

you stand behind the bride, holding the ring she’s supposed to put on george later. and right in front of you stands matty, holding the matching platinum band in his hands. adam and ross stand behind him, smiling and occasionally laughing along with the rest of the guests. you tried it at first too, to only keep your attention on george—who looks very handsome and beams wide the whole time—but it’s impossible when you feel your ex’s piercing stare right on you.

you would have thought he would stick to the little ignoring act from before. instead, his eyes have lingered on you from the second you walked down the aisle as a part of the processional. tracking your every move, every small step. frankly, it’s insulting. does he think you would ruin the wedding as some sort of diabolical revenge against him? you scoff internally; of course, he would think such self-centred thoughts, it’s just all about him, after all.

you raise an eyebrow at him. what’s your fucking problem?

he smiles back; an arrogant curl of his mouth that turns his face from sweet to insufferable within a matter of seconds. you, his eyes seem to say, you’re my problem.

well too fucking bad then…

you huff and look away to the side at the guests. it’s only about fifty people from both sides. just family and friends—a lovely kind of intimacy the couple had asked for. you smile at george’s parents who sit in the first row. his mum dabs at her eyes, clearly overwhelmed with emotion. and behind them sit denise and tim. right next to her.

she’s exactly what she looks like on her instagram page. dainty and beautiful, picture-perfect elegant. her whole face looks like it could be hand-crafted by the gods (or very expensive surgeons according to the snide little voice in your brain) but her eyes are bone dry.

that’s because she doesn’t belong here, your brain chimes in. not among your friends and your family.

well, ex-family…

her name doesn’t immediately come to the forefront of your mind. all you know from that drunken night is how charli made you block all her socials at the end of it. as if you were going to go back to them again and again. as if you have no purpose in life other than obsessing over your ex’s new girl.

she sighs, then looks out the window with a bored expression on her face and you have to focus your attention back to the bride and groom before you do something drastic. not before you catch matty looking at you from the corner of your eye, however.

not just at you…he’s staring at the plunging neckline of your dress that shows off your cleavage wonderfully. with the big window to your side, it’s so clear to see every little detail of his face—his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip (he’s unaware that he’s doing it. you know that for a fact). his pupils that are blown out wide, making almost the entirety of his eyes look black; dark and hungry.

your mouth curls into a smirk, arrogant enough to mirror his own. well, this is interesting.

matty’s mouth presses into a thin line. even now, after you caught him so red-handed, he’s trying to deny it. but you don’t miss his ears turning the telltale shade of pink.

“...and i promise to love you for the rest of my life.” george’s voice breaks on the last word, the tears flowing freely but he smiles through all of it. in front of you, charli’s shoulders shake. they haven’t even put the rings on each other yet and they’re already emotional. it makes you laugh, and surprising, you feel the tears escaping your eyes.

i promise to love you for the rest of my life. that’s what matty had said too. i promise to dance in the kitchen with you and do all my silly little romantic gestures. i promise to never let you fall. i promise, i promise, i promise…

so many of them unkept, so many of them just pretty words spoken on a perfect day in front of a tearful audience.

“i do!” charli squeals before the question is even finished, making everyone laugh. a wet chuckle escapes you at her infectious joy.

“do you, george, take charli to be your lawfully wedded wife?” the officiant asks.

“i do,” he says patiently and charli sticks her tongue out at him.

you sincerely hope they stay like this for the rest of their lives—polar opposites who complete each other. not people who are so similar, they don’t know how to exist in the same space anymore.

matty smiles, first at the couple and then, shockingly, at you. husband and wife he mouths.

jarringly still, you smile back.

i would love to hear what you think 🤭

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accio-victuuri · 4 months

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cpn time: yibo’s new songs 🎧

here we are, two songs and a bunch of short video clips later, but this post will be more about the lyrics. if you haven’t listened to the tracks then please enjoy bystander and everything is lovely first before anything else. i’m so thankful that wyb has kept his promise to fans of bringing us a new song every year and also performing it during nye. he may not be the most obvious when it comes to appreciating his fans but this is the best example of his commitment to sharing himself to fans and treating us.

i will start with some minor clues before we get into the lyrics and all that clowning interpretation. 🙇‍♀️

1. The first 3 photos that yibo-official released as soon as it turned 12:00, one of them was color pink, or you can say, very light shade of red. His photos released before had a more solid red like that from a traffic light but this one leans more towards pink.

A very nice choice of color knowing how he relates pink to being the color of love and and all the other symbolism we attached to it.

& when yibo posted it, he placed the pink one in the middle vs yibo-official’s who placed it on the right.

2. Same choice of words between their studios, especially with reference to the gap of time. We are definitely looking closer than a normal fan would when it comes to their studio’s captions, edits, posting time etc and to a normal fan this would just fly over their head. but the amount of coincidence between the two is too much!

3. QQ released parts of the lyrics and this one, the chorus of everything is lovely ( up to the part talking about love of coming home ), the word love was mentioned 23 times. Love Zhan. I mean, we all know this boys loves 2 and 3 😂😂😂

4. The timing of release for their projects this day. Another example of how they don’t overlap with the day or time. XZ’s marie claire was between 10-12 and then WYB stuff of course started coming out at 12:00. this follows their pattern 👀

5. I really like what this bxg discovered, the way everything is lovely was written, if you turn in upside down it may read wyb loves xz. 🤯🤯🤯

for those of us who have been subjected to xz’s artwork and the little things he hides, this should be believable to you. he is known to do these things, even without the cpn intention.

==================

BYSTANDER

I gotta say, i’m leaning more towards this song, i didn’t expect it! I just love how it sounds and i’m with those who felt nostalgic while listening to it. it seems familiar and brand new at the same time. The melody of the first few lines got me thinking of words ( bee gees ) and the guitar/drums played are excellent too! I hope he sings this with a live band please! 🙏🏼

I often watch, listen and feel like reaching out to touch.

Holding a handful of seawater to see it’s dreamlike color.

this is more of a song ( atleast to me ) that speaks of who WYB is as a person. a bystander/spectator/onlooker. he is someone who observes people and keeps quiet first before engaging. but that doesn’t mean he is indifferent, in this song, he talks about admiring the things around him.

i’m also thinking of a wish to be a bystander. XZ/WYB repeatedly said that the super power they wish to have in invisibility so they just roam around without people noticing them. in a way, it’s wyb’s ( and by extension xz ) wish to be able to do this.

Embrace all the joys and sorrows of life. Listen to the plucked feathers speak, wings aiming for the vast sky.

Watch a fallen leaf repeating until the four seasons bring it back to the branch. I cannot see another galaxy but believe in me in a more distant place.

i see this as basically yibo and zz’s view in life, they are willing to go through the good and bad. their lives may seem ideal because they are celebrities but it’s far from that so they just have to focus on the good.

Don’t ask me what i’m looking for, let life pass through.

it’s him just wanting to be left alone, to allow him to go through his life without people watching his every move. or maybe there isn’t anything he is looking for or aiming for, he is just enjoying and going through his life. This line speaks to me so much! There’s really no need to be constantly trying to achieve things and be exhausted by the end of it. Sometimes, it’s okay to sit back and enjoy the simple things.

EVERYTHING IS LOVELY

I have discussed this song before, especially the chorus that covers a lot of the CPNs. I feel the same way about my interpretation of those lines even after learning the lyrics of the whole song.

My hands, accustomed to patting my head, opening up the memory of the river and pond. There are always a few good friends by the side.

Listening to the cicadas, watching the fishing boats.

WYB who likes to pat his head as an example 😂 so this is really from his POV and a more personal touch to start this song.

Listening to the cicadas and watching the fishing boat? This paints a picture of them during CQL shoot and hanging out.

I’m cackling tho at bxg interpretation of the lines that talk about river & ponds and then him having friends on the side. So who are the friends by that pod? Turtles? LOL. 😂😂😂😂

How to distinguish between people, whether post-00s are young or very mature.

This is so WYB. Reminding us of when he always made a point to say that GG looks so young or that they have no age gap 🥹🥹🥹

Under the mud, lotus roots finally grown. Please, lotus flowers do not look back.

Lotus roots/ Lotus flowers. What a peculiar choice to include in the song. Maybe there is some deeper explanation here that has something to do with culture or what but as a clown, our minds went to CQL.

It’s a part of the story and who can forget that behind the scenes of WYB pulling out those lotus seeds for XZ? 🙃

I tightly hold on to the people i once lost.

I like the way some people have interpreted this line. If what we think is true, that they lost each other at some point after the cql shoot then this line makes sense. They had some time apart after that shoot and XZ went to Japan to clear his head. The people around them also encouraged to take this time away from each other and get out of character. But they still found their way back as XZ/WYB. 🤍

The main thing in this song tho is— everything is lovely because you (xz) are in everything. 😭😭😭😭

-END.

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do

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thegridgoddess · 1 year

Text

Prove It | Charles Leclerc Pt. 3

One Shot | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

Pairings: Charles Leclerc x fem! wolff! driver oc

Summary: Charles has a new teammate, but just because she's pretty doesn't mean he's gonna make things easy for her.

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, angsty Charles, slow burn till it hits you in the face. George Russell best friend and ultimate mom energy, Lando Norris sibling energy, Pierre.... you'll find out about him, and Toto Wolff kinda sucks here (not a good dad!). Also did I mention the angst? Mentions of drinking and clubbing, light cursing, drunk Lando and oc, and the beginnings of a fun family dynamic.

A/N: Photos taken from Riley's ig stories,, jk but we can imagine

Taglist: @leclercwifey @omnesmorimur3 @sunsumonner

Word Count: 3.4k

______________________________________________________________

It had been a few days since the grand prix, but Charles still couldn’t get it out of his mind.

He wasn’t in the mood to celebrate. He won his bet with Riley, but he still felt some lingering feelings of dissatisfaction. It wasn’t enough. What was wrong with him? He drove from P17 to P5. He should be ecstatic about his successful drive. So why did he feel so empty?

A few hours after the race, between media duties and coming down from his race high, Charles had returned to a state of normalcy. He packed his bags and flew home to Monaco, where there was no Riley to mess with him, and just him and his best friend taking on night.

He didn’t want to go out, but Pierre had a way of forcing his arm and making him think that really bad ideas were actually good. So somehow, Pierre had gotten it into his head that clubbing tonight was a necessity.

It’s not that Charles didn’t party–he did–but it was always more of Pierre’s scene, and he respected that. But maybe Pierre was right. Maybe this was what he needed to set him back on track and get his head in the right space for the season.

The pair were dressed similarly. Long sleeve button-downs with jeans, a classic look. Charles wore a white button-down with the top buttons undone and sleeves rolled up to his forearm. Pierre, on the other hand, wore a navy blue one with the shirt completely open and flapping with each cool breeze that hit them.

“So why did we have to come to this club in particular,” Charles asked his friend. The two were approaching their destination, a club that Pierre begged up and down to come to tonight. They easily skipped the line, showing their IDs, and slipped inside.

Pierre drew in a breath. “Because she’s here,” he said, motioning to a figure dancing in the distance up in the VIP section. Charles strained his eyes to make out the frame of the girl. It took him a second to recognize her. She was clearly drunk, her dance moves uncoordinated, and laughing at everything her friend was saying. There were two men at her side, and that had to be George she was talking with. Charles recognized his tall, lanky frame with that brown head of hair on top. But Charles knew from personal experience George Russell was not that funny. And was that–Lando? Since when did they all hang out?

“Mate, I don’t want to be around her,” Charles said, but all Pierre heard was whining. “It’s already enough that I have to be on the same team as her.”

The music in the club was blaring. Charles could hardly hear himself think. So he had to do a double take at Pierre’s next words to make sure he heard him right.

“Alright then suit yourself,” Pierre shrugged. “See you later, mate.” He quickly sauntered off, leaving Charles standing in the middle of the dance floor with no hesitation. Some friend he was.

He stood motionless for a moment, unsure of what to do next. There was a sea of bodies on the dance floor and it took half a second for a girl to come up to Charles. He shifted away uncomfortably and uninterested. It seems there was no other choice. He sighed as he headed up for the VIP area, trailing after his best friend.

______________________________________________________________

“Oh my god, Pierre!” Riley exclaimed at the sight of him. “How did you know we were here? What a coincidence.” She clapped her hands together to her sides in amazement.

Pierre chuckled a bit at the state of Riley and the way her words were just ever so slurred. Lando and George were seated at the booth, but Riley was standing closer to the balcony, swaying to the sound of the music coming from below.

“Yes, I totally have not been keeping up with your Instagram story at all,” he said sarcastically. He took note of the drinks littered all over their table.

George jumped a bit in his seat, startled. “What?!” He exclaimed. “I took your phone like an hour ago at the last club. How have you been posting?”

Pierre had been keeping an eye on Riley’s socials for the past few days. At first, she didn’t post much, but it seemed like she was going out more and more with George and Lando. And then, tonight was just post after post after post of drinks, laughing, and dancing. He saw a way in.

Lando cracked up at this, unable to contain himself. He and Riley giggled like co-conspirators in on a secret. So they were both drunk, clearly. “Sorry, mate. I couldn’t help it. Look at her,” he gestured to Riley, “how could I say no?”

Riley batted her lashes at George, who was arguably the only responsible adult in the group, and Pierre thought it was endearing.

“When you regret this in the morning, don’t look at me,” George responded, reclining back with an arm draped around the booth.

“This was your idea, and look I’m having so much fun!” Riley said, waving her arms in the air.

“This was my idea three days ago,” George said definitively. “Now, this is your idea.”

“Boooo,” she and Lando chanted at the same time.

“I, for one, think it’s a great idea,” Pierre chimed in, prompting Lando and Riley to cheer at the affirmation.

“Yes, yes,” Riley said, nodding her head emphatically. “It’s not my fault I got stuck with a shitty teammate who has a major stick up his ass–no offense Pierre.”

“Oh none taken, but he might,” Pierre said, pointing to the severely annoyed Monegasque man behind Riley.

“Oh yay, you’re here,” she said deadpan, leaning against the railing of the balcony for support. The drinks she’d taken were really doing a number on her tonight.

“Trust me, I wish I wasn’t,” Charles replied.

“Yeah, well–” Riley started.

“Children, please!” George exclaimed. “Riley, don’t provoke him, and Charles, get that stick out of your ass.”

Lando chuckled and Pierre remained a silent observer. Charles stood awkwardly near Riley, uncertain. He didn’t want to be by her, but he also wasn’t sure if he was welcome to sit at their table.

“You look stupid,” Riley said, chuckling with laughter. Charles wasn’t an awkward guy, but she saw right through him at this moment. Charles was getting ready to say something back, but George cut him off before he could. “Mate, she’s drunk. It’d be like arguing with a two-year-old.”

“I am not drunk,” she said, pointing a finger in the air for emphasis. “But only Lando knows I’m not drunk. Right, Lando?”

“Mhm,” he nodded. “I am also not drunk. George is just a party pooper.”

They booed George again, but he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“I need to take a picture of this,” Riley said, pulling a phone out of her pocket–Lando’s apparently if Pierre was keeping track. He knew he was right once Lando started giggling again at their mischief. She held the phone high as proof of her conquest. George put his head in his hands.

Riley was uncertain on her feet and took a stabilizing step back as she laughed. Two hands reached out to ensure her from tipping back. She could feel their warmth through the silk of her dress.

Charles wasn’t sure why he reached out, but he couldn’t stop himself at the same time. Pierre was just a moment too late for it to be him that Riley looked to.

Riley turned to acknowledge her savior who was unfortunately for her, Charles. She still held the phone in her hand, and as she locked eyes with the man, she sucked in a breath and it slipped into the crowd below.

Looking at Charles, she was reminded of a memory from February, before the start of the season. When she and Charles were doing Ferrari promo and media interviews almost every day. When there was nothing on his face but pure, genuine kindness every time he looked at her and a smile that cut right to her heart. She thought they could have been friends then. That they were friends. She was disappointed when he ignored her after it was all over, but most of all she was disappointed by how much it hurt her.

Riley cleared her throat, remembering herself and the situation. It was too loud to be certain, but she thought she heard an “Ow!” coming from that general area under her.

“This is what I get for volunteering to be the designated driver,” George sighed. “Come on, mate,” he said to a frowning Lando, “I’ll help you look for it.” They stood from the booth and George clapped Lando on the back encouragingly.

Riley watched them as they descended the stairs, but she quickly lost track of them amongst the crowd of bustling people.

“So why are you here?” She said to Charles. Perhaps it came out more malicious than it would have had she been sober, but Riley found that she didn’t really care if it bothered Charles either way. She wasn’t sure if it was a result of the drinks she’s had or if she just really didn’t care anymore. She’d been trying with Charles hopelessly for the past three months and she was over it.

“You’re supposed to be ignoring me,” Charles said coldly, referring to the conditions of their bet, but his heart wasn’t in it. He was too busy thinking to himself in confusion. He didn’t care what happened to her. So why did he reach out to protect her?

Riley’s thoughts were just the same.

“Well you’re the one who came to me,” she said, crossing her arms. She went to sit down at the booth, making some distance between her and Charles.

Charles rolled his eyes, getting ready to attack again, but Pierre stepped in, sitting next to Riley in the U-shaped booth. “You should actually ignore him,” he said. “Don’t let him ruin the mood. He’s just generally grumpy.” Charles shot Pierre a menacing glare at that.

Riley considered his words, but Pierre was just as much of a mystery as Charles.“How come you’ve never talked to me before?” Riley asked. Her inhibitions were lowered and the question had been nagging her since Pierre had made such a point of conversing with her after the race Sunday.

“You never gave me the chance,” Pierre said casually as if it was that simple.

Charles finally sat down begrudgingly at a distance from Riley. There was nothing else for him to do if Pierre insisted on making conversation with the thorn in his side. Not that he was certain of how he would have responded to Riley’s last comments toward him. He didn’t know why he was still here.

“Whattt,” Riley said in disbelief, and then Pierre remembered just how drunk she was.

“You were like a deer in headlights any time I approached or tried to talk to you.” He paused. “I’m sure it was just the same for all the other guys.”

“No wayyy,” Riley snorted. She then got somber, thinking a little more deeply about what Pierre was saying. “I guess my dad always made me feel like I should stay away from everyone else. I thought it was what I had to do to be a ‘serious’ driver,” she said with quotes around “serious”. “At first, I was so worried you all wouldn’t like me, but then, I just figured it's how things needed to be if I wanted to prove myself.” “As if anyone could dislike you,” Pierre said charmingly.

Riley appreciated his words and she began to feel a different emotion. She couldn’t put a name to it as the air shifted.

“Oh, please,” Charles interjected. “As if Wolff’s princess needed to prove herself to get to where we are.”

Riley bit her lip in frustration. She was sick of it. Sick of him. Why should she have to explain herself to some guy? Tonight was about having fun and letting loose. “Pierre, would you please get up?” He complied and Riley promptly shot off. She kept her head low as she walked away, bumping into someone on her way to the dance floor.

“Woah, woah, woah,” George said, returning to the booth. “What just happened?”

“I just told the truth,” Charles said unconcerned, and Pierre let out an exasperated sigh.

“He told her that she didn’t work hard to get here,” Pierre said, translating for the group.

“Mateee,” George said, closing his eyes and massaging the pressure point at the bridge of his nose. He began to wonder how he got stuck in charge of taking care of three children. “You can’t say things like that. She’s touchy about her father.”

“What? Like I’m supposed to believe he didn’t help her get this far?” Charles said, pouring a drink for himself at the table.

“Oh boy,” Lando said.

The drinks on the table jumped as George slammed his hand down. “Let me ask you this then,” the bitterness in his voice was one he reserved only for moments like this, “Does Riley sound very Austrian to you?”

“No,” Charles answered, confused by what this had to do with anything and why George was getting so worked up. He always assumed that her lack of a noticeable accent was due to a good education and purposeful tutoring. He took the shot he poured for himself.

“Toto didn’t raise her,” he said. “She grew up with her mom in America.”

Pierre contemplated this. By the way George said it, it probably meant that Riley hadn’t known her father growing up. She must have gotten started in karting all on her own then–a pretty ballsy move to make for someone without any support from an experienced person.

“She only started this sport to get his attention anyway,” George continued. “Listen,” he told Charles, “I thought the same as you once too. That Riley was just a spoiled brat taking the opportunity from more deserving drivers. But let me tell you, no one deserves this more than her. That girl works harder than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s true,” Lando nodded. “We go to the same gym. Not that she’s ever noticed me there because she’s usually already deep into her workout by the time I get there.”

Charles remained silent.

“When we were at Williams together, she whooped my ass when it came to training. And do you want to know why? It’s because she trained twice as much as I did.” George said. “And I wouldn’t have gotten where I am today if it wasn’t for her pushing me to reach that level of dedication.”

“I didn’t know that,” was all Charles said, averting everyone’s gaze. He refused to think about what any of that must have been like for her. He thought back to his first meeting with Riley–the one she didn’t recall–and how he felt about her then.

“Of course you didn’t,” George said. “Because if you did, you’d know that Riley is the most incredible person you’re lucky to ever get the chance to meet.” He said the words with pride, emphasizing their full sentiment of them. “Now, we’re gonna find Riley, and you’re gonna apologize to her.”

Charles rolled his eyes, but he nodded in agreement, accepting that perhaps he had gone too far with Riley in his attempts to stay away from her. He stood up to go with George but then turned back around to take another shot for good measure.

“I’ll stay here and watch the table,” Pierre said.

“You don’t want to be a part of this,” George interpreted. “I don’t want to be a part of this,” he admitted.

Four children. George was dealing with four children.

______________________________________________________________

Riley refused to be upset. She had learned to stop crying early in her karting years when taunting and cruelties became a part of her daily routine from boys too scared of a girl who was just as good as them.

So what did she do instead? She partied.

She might as well have. There was no point in leaving the club. Not only was it the perfect distraction from her unpleasant feelings, but she was still drunk. At least she was still cognizant enough to still be aware of her inebriated state. However, that didn’t stop her from dancing with the first guy who looked the least sleaziest.

It was just her, this guy, and the music.

The second his hands started trailing to places they shouldn’t, she spotted Lando and shoved off the douchebag with more force than he was probably expecting from the girl.

“Lando!” She exclaimed, happy to see her newest friend. In their short time hanging out these past couple of days, Riley had discovered that Lando was like her long-lost twin. They used the same workout playlist and watched all the same shows.

Maybe Pierre was right. Maybe she hadn’t given these guys enough of a chance.

“Riley!” Lando exclaimed with the same eagerness to see her. “We found my phone!” He held up his phone for her to see.

Her eyes landed on the crack that ran down the screen in a diagonal. She was beginning to regret ordering that drink at the bar just now because her emotions were reaching a new high. Suddenly, she felt a wave of sadness overtake her, looking at the phone. “It’s cracked because of me,” she cried, placing a hand over her heart solemnly.

“No, don’t get sad, Riley,” Lando choked up. “It’ll make me sad.” They each pouted for a moment before colliding in a hug. Then, they started wailing in the crook of the other’s neck.

“Forgive her. She doesn’t get out much,” Riley heard George say, and then with disgust, “I don’t know what his excuse is.”

Wait. Then who was George talking to? Riley popped her head up from her embrace with Lando to the unwelcome sight of Charles Leclerc. Well, it wasn’t unwelcome to her eyes. Only to her thinking mind and feeling heart. God, she was drunk.

“Come on, buddy,” George said to a sniffling Lando, beckoning him away from Riley. Lando held onto Riley’s hand until the last possible moment as George dragged him away. What have I created? George asked himself. This was not what he was anticipating before the race when he went to recruit the other British boy for an escapade.

Charles took a step forward. “I’m sorry,” he said, clasping his hands.

“Okay,” Riley said.

“Okay?” Charles asked.

“Okay,” Riley said, shrugging.

“That’s it?” He asked further.

“Charles,” Riley said, his name foreign on her tongue, “you wouldn’t be the first guy to doubt me and change his mind. Not by a long shot, and you certainly won’t be the last.”

Charles was astounded by Riley’s indifference to the matter. He expected more arguing or the witty one-liners he had grown so used to hearing from her.

“I thought I cared more about what you thought of me, but it turns out I don’t,” she said nonchalantly. “You showed that to me when you won the bet. I realized I don’t need to prove myself to you because I already have.” Riley stepped closer. Close enough to feel the heat radiating from Charles and hear the breath he inhaled. “If it wasn’t for your friend up on that balcony,” she said with total confidence, “you’d be groveling at my feet right now.”

With that, she sauntered off to catch up with George and Lando toward the center of the dance floor. She didn’t even wait for his response or reaction. He was stunned by her. He kept finding himself in positions where he wasn’t sure how to proceed when it came to Riley. Charles was beginning to rethink…well, everything.

Most of all, Riley didn’t even wait for him to ask the question that would be plaguing him for the coming weeks.

Why did she care so much about Charles’s opinion in the first place?

______________________________________________________________

A/N: Let me know if you enjoyed it and would like to be added to the taglist for all future chapters!

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jerzwriter · 7 months

Text

A Moment in Time... (Trystan's POV)

Part one of this short series was written a couple months ago when we didn't know the ending of Crimes of Passion 2. Now that we do, I retrofit the initial part, just a little, to make this an alternate ending AU. What if Trystan had become king? Because in this world, he did. It's now two years later, and he's about to be wed. The whole world, including Carolina, can't escape the coverage, and he can't escape the regret he has over the choices he made.

Part One: Carolina's POV can be found here.

Now, let's explore Trystan's thoughts as he approaches the big day.

Book: Crimes of Passion 2 (Post Series) Pairing: M!Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Carolina Rose), Past Rating: Teen Category: AU/Angst Words: 3,280 Summary: Please see above. A/N: This was initially going to be an open-ended, two-part story. But I've changed it so we will have a conclusion. So, Part 3 will be forthcoming. Participating in @choicesseptemberchallenge2023, Day 4, They've been secretly in love with each other for a long time.

I hope you enjoy the story!

Please note: If you read the original story in the past, Part 1 has been changed very slightly to accommodate for things that took place in canon. I hope you enjoy this!

The silence weighed heavily in Trystan’s room. So much that the gentle tap on his door sounded like a thunderclap as it reverberated off the cavernous walls.

“Come in,” he called out, never turning to meet the servant’s gaze.

He was trying to concentrate on the crowd assembling beyond the palace gates; they seemed to double in size by the hour. Boisterous and draped in the colors of the Drakovian flag, the festival-like atmosphere was a vivid contrast to the mood inside Trystan’s chambers.

The clattering of the fine china teacups landing on his marble table echoed through the room. Marguerite smiled politely, acknowledging the servant with a gentle nod before they took their leave. She raised the cup to her lips, hoping the fragrant mix of spices would provide some comfort; then, maybe, she would be able to give her brother the comfort he desperately needed. But one look at his forlorn expression, and she was already hanging her head in defeat. Comfort was a tall order; at most, she hoped she could help him through.

Joining him at the window, she rested her head on his shoulder just as she had when they were kids when watching a celebrating crowd was an enjoyable event. Lowering her arm, she clasped his hand in hers. For there wasn't an ounce of joy present today.

“Well, the public is certainly in support,” she observed.

“Yes. The world is so eager for a fairytale that they’ll accept any farce. Yet, heaven forbid they should see the real thing.”

“How do you think it feels to be a normal person? You know, people who don’t approach their wedding as if it were a death sentence?”

“I don’t know, Mags,” he replied sadly. “I’ve only had a brief taste of normal, and it was only borrowed time.”

The rehearsal was over, and the cocktail receptions for dignitaries who had arrived from every corner of the globe were now behind him. All that was left to do was get dressed and show up at the cathedral tomorrow. The only silver lining right now was that his mother and betrothed were far too busy to have any time for or interest in him; if only every day could be this way. He intended to spend it alone, but he should have known Marguerite wouldn’t allow it, and as she led him to the tea table in the corner of his room, he almost broke a smile.

“I had them make badambura,” she smiled. “I remember you loved them when I was a child.”

“When we were children,” he corrected, biting into the flaky almond treat. “A simpler time, when the world’s ails could be soothed with a pastry.”

“That’s only because we didn’t know better,” she declared. “How are you holding up, brother?”

“I’m doing what is necessary. That's what I was born for, isn't it?”

Marguerite placed her cup on the table and crossed her arms defiantly. “Save that answer for the rest of the family. I’m worried about you, Trystan. Even as a child, I found the... arrangement... our parents had to be... peculiar, but looking at it from this angle, I can see our father probably needed it just to survive. But you don’t have that; you’re doing this alone, and it can’t be easy.”

Trystan placed his hand lovingly atop his sisters and offered a reassuring smile. “It’s all right, Mags. I’ll manage.”

Manage. That’s the most he had been able to do since that day. He managed. He lived up to his duties and gave performances worthy of an Oscar. Most seemed to believe it, or had little concern for it’s sincerity, for it was his role that mattered to them, never the man. But Mags was different, and as Trystan fell silent, she knew exactly where his mind had traveled.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. His heart had yet to accept the fate that his mind knew was inevitable. He spoke with his father... begged his father... to see if he could alter the rules to allow him to marry Carolina. While Trystan didn’t have much hope if he was going to survive this day, he had to push those thoughts aside, and what better distraction than the beautiful woman at his side.

“Could you hand me those cufflinks?” he asked.

Carolina lifted them and watched as the Drakovian royal seal embellished on them glimmered in the light before she helped fit them into his cuffs.

“Have I mentioned how handsome you look?” She smiled. “I wasn’t the kind of girl to daydream about fairytales often, but I still managed to have one or two. And I swear the handsome prince looked just like you.”

“Like me,” he feigned astonishment. “Perhaps you should have aimed a bit higher.”

Taking her hands, he pulled her in tight, savoring her touch, filling his senses with the jasmine scent of her perfume. This was all he needed, a life full of tender moments like this with his love at his side. Should that be too much to ask?

“Thank you,” he whispered, sorrow creeping into his voice.

“Happy to be of service to the King of Drakovia,” she grinned.

“I’m not a king yet.”

“Trystan... let me fantasize a little, would you? I don’t get to play handmaid to royalty often.”

“After everything you’ve seen in this palace, how can the thought of royalty still entice you?”

She ran her hands down the front of his dress uniform, leaning into his touch.

“Because I happen to like this royal.”

“And I thank my lucky stars for that every day.” Kissing the top of her head, he allowed the moment to linger, but the ticking clock reminded him that it was growing short. Clearing his throat, he looked at her earnestly. “I know you and the others booked your flights home. But... we haven’t heard from my father yet. Perhaps you could stay until an answer is reached.”

“Trystan,” she started, “you know luck probably isn’t on our side this time. If the rules could have been changed, your father would have changed them for him and Eveline...”

“They were different times,” he interrupted. “And my father isn’t me. And even... even if things can’t be changed... all I ask is that we remain together. Partners. Lovers. Whatever you want to call us... I just can’t lose you, Carolina.”

“That wouldn’t be much of a life,” Carolina responded, diverting her eyes. “You’ll be required to marry and have children, and I wouldn’t be able to be more than a consort to you, and I don’t know if that’s enough for me, Trystan.”

“I would never let that happen to you.” His voice was commanding, but they both knew the decision wasn’t his. Taking her face in his hands, he committed every curve to memory. Then, a muffled roar drew their attention toward the windows.

“Mother will be pleased,” he spoke bitterly. “After all the chaos of the past few weeks, she was afraid people would be sick of us. She underestimated how loyal... and how proud... her own people are.”

Carolina wrapped her arm around Trystan’s waist. “They’re so lucky to have you.”

“I’m not sure,” he faltered. “Vasili wasn’t wrong about me. It doesn’t excuse what he did, but I never wanted to be king. I never took the idea seriously.”

“You were practically a child then, Trystan. You’ve grown so much.”

“But is it enough? I don’t know that I love Drakovia the way a King should. Sometimes, I believe that...”

A rap on the door interrupted them, and Lydea entered, nodding politely. “It’s time, Trystan.”

“Of course. Duty calls.” He turned to Carolina. “Please tell me you’ll be at the coronation. I need you to get through this day.”

“And if you need me, that is exactly where I will be,” she smiled.

Lydea remained in the room as Trystan exited, and something that appeared to be sincere sympathy was present in her eyes.

“I don’t want to trouble my brother before the coronation, but I should let you know. My father has returned from his conference with the Council.”

“And you know their answer?” Carolina asked gravely.

“Even if I did, I wouldn’t be at liberty to say. But I thought you should know.”

The women exchanged a look that spoke louder than words, and Carolina smiled bravely as she swallowed back tears. “Very well. Now, you need to get Trystan to the cathedral.”

Trystan didn’t realize how long he was silent or how long Marguerite sat patiently, waiting for him to return to her. When their eyes met, a moment of truth passed between them. Marguerite’s face was riddled with fear and pain, but she had put the moment off many times, and she couldn’t allow it to pass again.

“Have you ever spoken to her, Trystan? Did you ever speak with Carolina after she left?”

Trystan’s eyes widened. Though her name was etched in his mind, no one had dared to mutter it to him in years gone by. Carolina’s memory was treated like a page in the book of his life. A page that was torn out, crumbled, and discarded as if she meant nothing at all. No one understood that as he handed them the pen to script the remainder of his story, she would still occupy every page. No matter how hard others tried to write upon them, they could never take her away. His life was no longer his own, but no one understood; he surrendered so much of himself, but he would never cede control of his heart. No one understood... except for his beloved little sister.

“Once,” he spoke so low she almost didn’t hear. “I’ve heard her voice exactly once since the day she left. I reached out to see if we could remain friends because the thought of her being completely absent from my life felt unbearable to me... it still does.”

“And...” she asked anxiously.

“She said she’d call if she ever fell out of love with me because, unless she did, being just friends would be too painful." With a mournful sigh, he lowered his face into his hands. “And I’ve spent every day since knowing my greatest wish and worst nightmare are one and the same. Every time my phone rings, I pray her name will appear, every time. But, now I know, if that day should come, it will mean she no longer loves me.”

“Oh, my dear brother. Then I’m afraid you will never get that call.”

“I know,” he smiled sadly, eyes flooded with tears. “I know... and Carolina will remain no more than my most precious memory.”

“Trystan, I have to ask... I know the Council refused to overturn the rules... but you’re the king... you could have issued a decree at any time and changed everything. You could be preparing to marry Carolina tomorrow and not...”

“NO!” he answered defiantly. “No. Why should I change the rules, Mags? So she could tell me no matter how much she loves me, but she can’t live this life? Or for her to accept and give up everything she loves except for me. Then she could come here and serve as queen, and I could slowly watch everything that I love about her, everything that makes her the extraordinary woman she is, slowly die before my eyes. Would that be better?”

Mags reached for his hand, but he walked to the window with an exasperated sigh. Pulling back the curtains, he took in the adoring crowds, all waiting for him and Jia to complete their elaborate farce. He accepted his fate, but it still felt surreal.

“Leaving things as they are, I can tell myself we had no choice. That fate was cruel, and we remain a story of true lovers ripped apart by fools who could never understand what we shared. But if I changed the rules... then I’d have to accept that we chose not to be together, and Mags, I can’t live with that.”

He waited patiently. Waited for her words of comfort or perhaps a loving touch, but Trystan underestimated his youngest sister.

“You already do!” She spat; her words felt like a dagger. “You had a choice, Trystan. Albeit, a difficult one, but a choice nevertheless... and you chose the crown. I’m not even faulting you; I would never want to be in the position you found yourself in, but the truth is... you had a choice.”

Trystan turned to her with fire in his eyes, and Marguerite prepared herself – for his rage or her need to offer consolation – but she didn’t expect what followed.

“Then I chose wrong,” he muttered. “I made the worst mistake of my life. A king should love his country above all. He should view any sacrifice he is forced to make on its behalf as an honor. I love Drakovia, Marguerite... but I love Carolina so much more. If I had to sacrifice one... it should never have been her.”

A slow smile spread on Marguerite’s face as she placed her hand on his shoulder. “From where I’m standing, big brother, you’re not dead yet... so there is time to fix this.”

“Mags,” he snorted. “Look out the window. I’m to be married tomorrow. If I tried to leave this palace today, Mother would have me dragged back by rabid dogs.”

“Then don’t tell her. Come on, Trystan, you’re smarter than that. I know walking away will be terribly hard, but what’s the alternative? You already said if you have to sacrifice something, it shouldn’t be Carolina. And, Trystan, you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself, either.”

He nervously glanced around the room, his breathing quickening. It's an electrifying moment when a person realizes that they crafted their own cage, for it's the same moment that they understand that they also hold the key. Freedom, sweet, precious freedom and all the promises it offers is now within reach, and the feeling is as intoxicating as it is horrifying.

“I can’t take the family’s plane...,” he stuttered, “and the airports... I would never be able to board a flight...”

Marguerite was already on it. “No, but fortunately, your lovely sister has many friends with private jets. Some of them even owe me favors.”

“And they’d be willing to take on the Queen’s wrath?”

“Pfft,” she scoffed. “You think some American multi-millionaire cares about Queen Viktoria? Are you kidding? They’d much rather play a pivotal role in one of the greatest love stories of all times.”

Trystan stood before her astonished, as realization washed over him; he wanted to run but found himself paralyzed.

“Come on!” Mags clapped her hands, snapping him out of his fugue. “I’ll make the arrangements, but you need to get dressed!”

She stopped what she was doing for a brief moment; she had to take her brother in. She knew she’d never want to forget the smile that crossed on his face. Trystan Thorne was almost free.

~~~~

It wasn’t until he was safely aboard the luxurious private jet that a horrifying thought crossed Trytan’s mind. What if Carolina didn’t want him? What if the two years apart taught her she was better off without him? What if she couldn’t forgive him for not putting her first?

“Bloody hell,” he muttered aloud in the empty cabin.

Being a runaway groom who turned his back on his country for the woman he loved seemed a romantic notion.... unless she decided she didn’t want him in return. Then, he’d just be a fool. But even if Carolina didn’t want him, his choices from this day on were his own. For the remainder of the flight, he chose to remember the beautiful memories he shared with that snarky detective in New York. And the more he thought of them, the more he felt at ease. She had to still love him, too. She never called him like she said, so she had to. Right? He closed his eyes and tried to rest. There was a long flight ahead, and he’d have his answer soon.

~~~~~

It was just after midnight on the day he was supposed to be wed when his plane touched ground at Teterboro Airport. By now, the palace must have known he was missing. Then again, he was of such trivial importance his absence might go unnoticed until he was expected to wake. At Marguerite’s suggestion, he turned off his phone. He’d have to deal with the mess his leaving created, but right now, all that mattered was seeing Carolina. The thirty minute cab ride to the Drunk Tank felt like an eternity, but when he saw the soft light emitting from it's windows, it felt as if he were arriving home. The fear and dread that had consumed him was replaced with a a warmth he had long forgotten.

“Is this the place?” his taxi driver asked. “Looks like it’s already closed.”

“Yes,” Trystan replied, offering several bills to the driver as a tip. “This is the place... thank you.”

“Hey, wait a second,” the driver nodded. “I know you! Aren’t you the king of that little country no one knows about? The one who solved the Hand of Mahra case, right?”

“Yeah,” Trystan grinned, pulling several larger bills from his pocket. “And if you wouldn’t mind not sharing that information with the rest of the world for at least a day or two, I’d truly appreciate it.”

“Hey," the driver laughed heartily. "Keep these coming my way. I’ll forget I saw you myself!”

Trystan leaped out of the car and stared into the pane-glass windows. A plethora of happy memories from another time flooded his mind. He stretched his neck in hopes of catching a glimpse of Carolina, but it was someone else who met his eyes.

“Trystan?” Tommy opened the door with a raised brow. “Is that you?”

“Yes,” the wayward monarch smiled, stepping inside, "It's me."

Tommy locked the door behind them, bewilderment visible in his eyes. “Aren’t you... supposed to be getting married today?”

“Yes, something like that... I can explain later, but I need to see Carolina immediately. Is she here.”

Uncle Tommy took a step toward the stairs leading to Carolina's apartment, confusion replaced with a protective glare as he crossed his arms.

“Now look, Trystan,” he started. “I always liked you. I really did. But my niece has been through hell and back since you split. And I’m not about to allow her to be hurt again.”

“I understand,” Trystan replied pleadingly, “and I hope you'll understand that's not why I'm here. Hurting Carolina is the very last thing I want to do. I'm here to make things right. But it’s around seven in the morning in Drakovia. If they haven’t already, someone will find my bed empty soon... just hours before my wedding was to begin. I’m not here on a whim. I’m not here to cause pain. I’m hoping I can end the pain for me... and Carolina. If she’ll have me, I will make her the center of my world for the rest of time. Giving up a kingdom is nothing compared to giving up our love. I swear to you, Tommy, on all that is sacred... I’ll never hurt her again.”

Tommy looked Trystan over, then reluctantly stepped aside. “You know where her room is. But Trystan, pull anything funny, and so help me, Jesus...”

“Tommy, you have my word.”

He didn’t remember rushing up the stairs or the way he took two steps at a time to get there. He didn’t look around when he reached the landing and had no recollection of walking down the hall. His feet delivered him to the space in front of Carolina’s door as if they had been programmed to, and in a way, they had. He had walked this hall before, then dreamed of it every day from the moment she said goodbye.

His palms were sweaty, and his blood felt as if it had gone cold. His heart raced so fast he was certain it would burst out of his chest. But with sheer determination, he raised his hand to knock on the door, and it swung open much sooner than expected...

“Wow, that was fast!” Carolina. That voice. He'd know that voice anywhere, and when his eyes met her, his shoulders went limp. He was home. At long last, he was home. He hoped the look of astonishment in her eyes would turn to one of joy, but before he could say a word, she gasped.

“It’s... it’s you.”

~~~

@choicesficwriterscreations @choicesbookclub

Tagging others in reblog.

#choices fanfic #playchoices fanfic #crimes of passion #crimes of passion 2 #crimes of passion fanfic #tyrstan thorne #trystan thorne x f!mc #trystan thorne x mc #playchoices #choices the stories you play #choices fic writers creations

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unfortunately-obsessed · 3 months

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Saying that I hate Nolan's Batman in a room full of man just to feel something

But here's a random list of my rating of different Batman that nobody asked because I love giving my opinion

The Dark Knight Trilogy: Solid Batman, hate the Bruce Wayne. Brucie, the public persona, is supposed to be a bimbo that cares for the city, not a rude arrogant prick that sinks the Wayne name. It completely butchered his relationship with Harvey too for... *checks notes* Rachel? Nahhh 2/10, a male fantasy movie but it gets one point for showing his training years and another for some cool one-liners

The Batman (2022) – I love the movie and that's top Batman to me, especially the last scene. Batman is a symbol of hope, compassion. I had the same problem as the Nolan's one for the larger portion of the movie: instead of using the Wayne Inc. to do good, he doesn't care about his parent's heirloom and drowns into being Batman. HOWEVER, it's pretty clear how raw and wounded he still is, and after the whole Riddler deal, I can see him turning this around and doing good as Bruce Wayne too. My fav live action movie but it gets a 8.5/10 on characterization

The Long Halloween, Comic – classic Batman, I like his personality and how he lets Batman and Bruce work together to do better to the city. A inspiration for the 2022 movie too. 9/10

The Long Halloween, Tomorrowverse – butchered the storyline and I shit you not Bruce says "I never thought I would need to do detective work to be Batman". Made him all muscle and no brain. Cool art but it doesn't even get a point for it, couldn't bring myself to watch more than 20 minutes of the part two. I kinda liked how he acts with Selina though. Yet, keeps it at -10/0

The Arkham Games – I watched the Arkham Knight gameplay like it was a movie and then watched scenes from other games on yt. That's the ideal way Batman operates to me. Thing dreams are made of. Also balanced on his public facade. 9/10

Batman The Animated Series, Timmverse – can't ask for better. Always offering rehabilitation to villains? Showing empathy for freeze and ivy and Harley!? and his friendship with Harvey? 10/10

Justice League: Unlimited – The timmverse gets him right and I love to notice how he progressed as a character. Love how they write Bruce's friendship with Clark and true partnership with other Leaguers. Also love his relationship with Diana, wonderbat forever. 10/10

Batman, Tv animation (2004) – The story is tailored to be palatable to kids so they changed some elements. It's fun to watch tho, 7/10

Batman Vs. Superman – guilt-ridden, PTSD older Batman? Pretty solid on the premise and I could see any Batman acting that way with enough groundwork. I just don't like the whole marking criminal and sending them to prison to die. Bruce wouldn't, doesn't matter how grief stricken he is. 8.8/10

Gotham (Tv Series) – Eh. Young chaotic Bruce. The focus of the series is on the villains and I didn't even pay too much attention to him tbh. I love a disaster teenager Bruce tho, 7.6/10

Young Justice – Gets points for bonding with Dick earlier in the series and for later showing him operating with a larger Batfam. Also accurate on the way Batman operates. He would leave the League because he's not about being part of a society or the status that come with it. The League had a purpose, which was facilitating saving people. Than he couldn't save people with it? He left. 9/10

Superhero Girls – exploring him being Kardashian-level celebrity?? Hilarious. But I don't like the other implications the show makes about him as Batman. 3/10

The Killing Joke, animated movie – something about how he acts throws me off. Older Batman but done badly. I think they don't work enough to drive him to murder. Should have left him kill Joker when Jason died. 2/10

Ninja Batman – The writers had LSD to write it. Insane. Hilarious. Didn't like that he was "oooh I don't have tech what will I do? :(" Batman is a survivalist so be for real. 4/10

Year Zero (comic) – hate that buzz cut. He wouldn't. Otherwise solid. Also another inspo to 2022 movie. 6/10

Year One (comic) – classic backstory, can't ask for anything else on personality matter. The fact he hallucinated a bat while he was concussed and thus made himself Batman because he thought it was rad? Peak characterization. 10/10

Harleen (comic) – He's not the focus of the story but I do love when they show how much sheer power the Wayne name carries. He has a steady hand over Gotham, a background influence constant and unwavering. Also that dialogue on the end where he's blaming himself for everything that happened even though it's not his fault? Yeah, it tracks. 9/10

Turning Points (comic) – the way he acts... He's such a theater kid. Also accurate on how Robin happened and I love he doesn't try to fight Gordon but humbly accepts Jim is going to hunt him if something happens to Robin. 9/10

There's a black and white one shot comic that Dan Mora made that I can't rember the name but?? Bruce adopting Jason, Dick and Tim in one go?? Can't go wrong for me. I am also not immune to how Mr. Mora draws Bruce. 100/10

The goal of this year is to watch more timmverse and read more comics with the batkids

#batman #batfam #dcau #dcu #dc universe #dceu #me!batman #me!batfam #i will updated when after consuming more media

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morningstargirl666 · 5 months

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THE LITTLE WOLF UPDATE

It's here. The new improved chapters 1-3 have posted. Read The Big Bad Wolf's prequel from the beginning here. Chapters 4 & 5 should be posted a week from now, either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, depending on when I finish it.

Think of it as my little gift to you all - I hope you all have a Merry Christmas (or a Happy Hanukkah!). And for those who don't celebrate either, then Happy New Year!

If you want more details on all the changes I made to The Little Wolf, read below. It's not too spoil-ery but it's not exactly spoiler-free either, so by all means come back later to see if you found all the changes I made! Extra kudos to those who notices them all.

Over 20k+ of brand new content. This includes two new chapters (chapter 2 & 4 respectively) and around 20 or more new scenes to devour across the entirety of the fic.

Original scenes have been tweaked and expanded upon, with longer conversations or scenes between characters.

All punctuation, grammar and spelling has been proof read repeatedly. I won't say it's all perfect, because I've probably still missed bits, but its in a much better state than it was before. Dialogue grammar in particular has had a complete overhaul, which should make everything much easier to read.

Each chapter has song lyrics at the beginning, fitting the vibes or themes of the chapter. This is a part of a playlist that I will share in Running With Wolves after completing the editing to The Big Bad Wolf (which has it's own share of songs, compiled with a mix of the music I listen to while writing and music I feel embodies each chapter).

In a similar thread, new timestamps have been added whenever there is a time or location jump. Again, this is a change that will be happening to The Big Bad Wolf as well to make flashbacks clearer. Upon completion of TBBW's edit, a timeline will be added to Running With Wolves so you can see all of the events that take place in the series in chronological order.

Historical accuracy has been given a bigger focus. Obviously, there's still a need for suspension of disbelief (vikings never travelled that far south in America, horses weren't introduced to America until the 1500s etc) as I'm no history buff and I personally believe you can allow a little leeway for sake of creative freedom. However, that said, I've tried to right the most egregious wrongs by Julie Plec: the white washing of the native Americans, the almost European-Christian culture of the Mikaelsons' village (views on bastards, women like Rebekah not carrying arms and being all innocently feminine even though they were warrriors too in viking culture, lack of historical accuracy in settings/costumes/props etc) and of course, the complete lack of explanation behind how the vikings arrived in Southern America. Hopefully it should feel more alive, and I'll probably add even more in the final FINAL edit that will happen once I've finished TBBW.

The Little Wolf's main focus is Klaus' characterisation arc. However, in this rewrite, all the Mikaelson siblings get more screen time and you get their characterisation arcs in the background, as a treat.

Henrik is much more fleshed out as a character. He's mischievous and playful, a lot like Kol, with other attributes from the other siblings thrown in. He's also got more Youngest Sibling energy, just as the other siblings have Middle Child/Eldest Child energy, because in a fic about family, really that's the most important detail of them all.

I've delved deeper into Mikael and Esther's treatment of Klaus and how it wasn't much different to how they treated the other siblings after all. Don't get me wrong - in my mind Klaus was dealt the worst of Mikael's physical fury, but I don't believe 'he was singled out' is as black and white as the show would lead you to believe. That's not how abusive households work.

Talking about Klaus' characterisation, think of this fic as the death of Niklaus Mikaelson, leading to the birth of Klaus, The Original Hybrid. The Little Wolf leading the way for The Big, Bad Wolf. You'll get innocent baby boi Niklaus of course, but that same innocent kid has a feral side. When you become a vampire, it heightens who you already are and Klaus - he had that fury and violence in him all along, and it wasn't just because of the wolf.

In a lot of human-era Originals fics and the actual shows, when they're turned into vampires its all very planned out. Idk, like Esther and Mikael are evil villains twirling their moustaches? Turning their children into vampires, its all very pre-meditated, oh the horror and everything. And although there is elements of that in this rewrite (they ARE shitty, evil parents after all) I tried to do something a little original myself. In this fic, more focus is given to the family's grief and how Henrik's death becomes the shatterpoint for EVERYTHING. His death causes every bad decision made by the family from that moment on. It's less of "I planned to make my children the most powerful beings to ever walk this earth" and more of "I tried to save my children and didn't expect ANY of this so wtf do I do now, another bad decision? Yeah let's do that". You feel me? Hopefully that comes across anyways.

Okay what haven't I mentioned yet... WEREWOLF LORE. Yeah that's been expanded on and fleshed out some more. You get a glimpse into my take on how the werewolf gene is triggered, along with a coming of age ritual, general culture, outsider prejudice against werewolves etc...Klaus' views on them is much more explored, especially in relation to his heritage. Kinda playing with the idea that him being a bastard was never the problem to Mikael or Klaus - it was him being a werewolf.

Since I started re-writing this I watched way too many of Mike Flanagan's series'. So I kinda went all 'Midnight Mass' on the Mikaelson's village. Oopsies.

In a similar thread, the raven from the Fall of The House of Usher left a bigger impact on me than I like to admit. That's something so sexy about an omen of death okay leave me alone I NEED THE FORESHADOWING

There's probably more, I'm disclaiming that now, but I've forgotten. Go forth and devour my lovelies ✨

#the little wolf #the big bad wolf #tbbw #fanfiction #morningstar writes #klaroline fanfiction #klaus mikaelson #the originals #the mikaelsons #kol mikaelson #elijah mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #finn mikaelson #esther mikaelson #my;fics #update #does anyone know why tumblr is being so god damn slow lately #took me forever to load this post #i am not amused

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sapphim · 5 months

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Welcome to Does Varric Know Their Name? Part 2: Isabela and Merrill (and Tallis) edition.

Or, all the dialogue in DA2 in which Varric refers to Hawke’s companions; by name, nickname, or otherwise. For reasons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Part 1: Aveline, Carver, and Bethany Part 3: Anders, Fenris, and Sebastian

Isabela

Combat barks

Varric: Don't die on me, Rivaini! You still owe me a pint!

Act 1 (Banter)

Varric: I shit you not, Rivaini, it was this big. Isabela: There's no way. Impossible! I've had hundreds of those in my hands, and they're never that size. Varric: Would I lie about something so critical? Varric: Rivaini, stop looking at my chest. My eyes are up here. Isabela: But the chest hair… Varric: Do you know how much I suffer under your gaze? I am a person, not an object! Varric: You know, Rivaini, you promised me you'd tell me how your ship wrecked. Isabela: I was drunk. I thought the reefs around the Wounded Coast were made of candy. Varric: Oh, come on.

Act 2 (A Rumour Making the Rounds)

Varric: I'm not spreading rumors. I'm just telling you which way the wind is blowing. Hawke: It fills my heart with joy to know you're not telling people I'm sleeping with an ogre. Varric: If the Rivaini were an ogre… damnation, that'd be one hot ogre.

Act 2 (Friendly Concern)

Varric: Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you. Varric: I hear you and the Rivaini have something going… Isabela: [CUT] Feeling left out, are we, Varric? If you wanted to join in, all you had to do was ask. Varric: [CUT] Isabela, you know my heart is already spoken for. Isabela: [CUT] Your heart might belong to Bianca, but I think your trousers might be up for grabs. Varric: Listen, as your friend, I feel like I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't say something. Varric: Isabela is a great girl, but I think you're likely to get hurt. By which I mean stabbed and left for dead.

Act 2 (Banter)

Varric: You have got to tell me what was in that box, Rivaini. Isabela: Which box? I've opened so many… Varric: Well, those too. But later. Right now: that Qunari relic. Isabela: Come to me, and I'll take you to places you've never been… Varric: Isabela… Are you talking to Bianca? Isabela: I think she deserves to feel a woman's touch on her trigger, don't you? Aveline: What is that? Isabela: Shh! (Giggles.) Varric: Isabela just thought she'd celebrate your love affair with a… written dedication. Isabela: It's "friend-fiction!" I do it out of love!

Act 2 (To Catch a Thief)

Isabela: I've always known what the relic is. I just didn't want to… worry you. Varric: You're the picture of kindness, Rivaini.

Act 2 (Demands of the Qun)

Arishok: She will submit to the Qun and the Ben-Hassrath. More than that I will not say. Hawke: You have your relic. She stays with us. Varric: I'm sure he'll take that well. Rivaini? You might want to move a bit this way.

Act 3 (The Storm and What Came Before It)

Hawke: What was Anders here for? Varric: Blondie didn't tell you? He comes down here now and then. He loses at cards to Isabela, and I buy him drinks.

Act 3 (No Rest for the Wicked)

Varric: I hope Isabela leaves an obvious trail. Varric: Wait, what am I talking about? Isabela's never subtle.

Act 3 (Faith)

Isabela: "Sister Nightingale," indeed. I remember it didn't take much to make you sing. Leliana: (Laughs.) Varric: Is there anyone in Ferelden you haven't slept with, Rivaini?

Act 3 (Banter)

Isabela: Varric, how does one get made a Paragon? Varric: The Assembly votes on it. Enough votes, and—BAM!—you're a living god. Isabela: You should ask to be made a Paragon. Of manliness. Varric: I like the way you think, Rivaini, but one doesn't just ask to be made a Paragon. Varric: So… Hawke and Daisy? Isabela: I think they're darling together. Varric: Really? You're not at all jealous? Because I thought that you and Hawke… Isabela: Hawke was just a dalliance. You know I've still got my eye on you. Varric: Keep dreaming, Rivaini. Varric: You know you still owe me five sovereigns, elf. Fenris: I'm good for it. Varric: So, you think you can win the coin from Isabela? Good luck with that. Merrill: Do you ever miss her? Varric: Isabela? Of course I do. Merrill: You called her by her name. I've never heard you do that before. Varric: No fun in calling her Rivaini if she's not here to be annoyed by it.

Act 3 Climax (Banter)

Merrill: How do you do it, living in this city without picking a side? Doesn't it matter to you? Varric: Of course it does. That's why I don't take sides. Merrill: That doesn't make any sense. Varric: I’ve got you and Aveline, Fenris and Anders. Hawke. Isabela.

Legacy DLC (Banter)

Isabela: You've a nickname for everyone. Varric: That's true. Rivaini. Isabela: But everyone just calls you Varric. That's hardly fair. Varric: So, elf, what's this I've been hearing about you and the Rivaini? Fenris: None of your business, dwarf. Varric: Just be careful. I get the impression that Isabela's breakups turn into bloodbaths. Isabela: That's part of the fun. Hawke: Varric. I've heard… stories of a personal nature being spread around town. Varric: If you want your private life to stay private, maybe don't sleep with half of Kirkwall. Varric: I'm not spreading any tales about you and the Rivaini. Although she asks me every other week to start some. Isabela: It would make a great new serial. Much better than that guard one you've been writing. Carver: With passion’d breath comes darkness, but with many against Her, She finds His Light untiring as it parts the Veil. Isabela: Not sure if I'm aroused or scared. I like it. Varric: Junior took down the Rivaini? Who’s telling this story?

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Banter)

Varric: Our little Hawke is growing up, Rivaini. Isabela: I know! Burglary and espionage! I'm so proud of him right now, I could burst! Varric: Soon, he'll be sharking card games and swindling merchants all on his own! Brings a tear to my eye! Isabela: What you said earlier… about purpose. Tallis: I was like you once, Isabela. I wanted everything to be easy. Varric: As easy as Isabela? Isabela: Hush, you.

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Rescue)

Isabela: I give up! We've been through every inch of this place twice, and there's no sign of them! Varric: Or we've been through the same twenty feet of this place about a dozen times. It's hard to tell, Rivaini.

Narration / Interrogation

Cassandra: You say the Arishok left Kirkwall with the relic, but I know for a fact that's not true. Varric: Oh, he did, but Isabela stole it again three days later. Varric: I heard she jumped into the sea to get away. Might even be true. Either way, we didn't see her again. Varric: As for the rest of us? Eventually we all left the Champion's side for one reason or another. Varric: Well… all of us except for Isabela.

Merrill

Combat barks

Varric: Blast it! Daisy got herself knocked out!

Act 1 (The First Sacrifice)

Jethann: What can I say? Why work if you're not working hard? Isabela: Ooh, I like him. He reminds me of someone. Merrill: He does? Who is it? Varric: I'll tell you when you're older, Daisy.

Act 1 (Banter)

Merrill: I've never met a dwarf before. Varric: That's because you've spent too much time frolicking in the woods, Daisy. Dwarves don't frolic. Merrill: Dalish don't really frolic, either. Not in the woods, anyway. Varric: Still got that ball of twine? Merrill: I left it at my house. Don't worry! I won't get lost while we're following Hawke. Varric: Bring it next time, Daisy. Just in case. Varric: Daisy, for my sake, please quit cutting through the alleys in Lowtown alone at night. Merrill: Nothing ever happens. I'm perfectly safe, Varric. Varric: Yes, I know. And that nothing is costing me a fortune.

Act 2 (Family Matter)

Varric: I don't know if surface dwarves go back to the Stone, or hang around singing hymns with Andraste, or what. Varric: I just hope wherever he is now, Bartrand stays out of trouble. Hawke: If you're worried about it, we could ask one of the priests to pray for him. Varric: I'm pretty sure that any decent priest who prays for Bartrand would burst into flames. Merrill: But that's awful! I had no idea priesthood was so dangerous! Varric: Don't worry, Daisy. The Chantry keeps a lot of water on hand.

Act 2 (A Rumour Making the Rounds)

Varric: I’m not spreading rumors. I’m just telling you which way the wind is blowing. Hawke: It fills my heart with joy to know you’re not telling people I’m sleeping with an ogre. Varric: Don't call Daisy an ogre! You'll make her cry. Hawke: You had better not be spreading wild rumors about me. Varric: Of course not! Not wild ones, at least. I only spread those about Daisy. Varric: Anyway, all I'm saying is, don't be surprised if people look a little nervous around you.

Act 2 (Friendly Concern)

Varric: Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Varric: There definitely seems to be something between you and Daisy these days. Varric: So, what's going on, Hawke? Varric: I know you don't listen to a damned thing I say, but you might want to be careful. Varric: Merrill is a sweet girl, but there's a whole lot of crazy in that little package.

Act 2 (Banter)

Varric: So, I hear you've been visiting the viscount's gardens, Daisy. Merrill: They're enormous! And they're always empty. Why don't more people go to see them? Varric: Probably because they're private and surrounded by guards. Merrill: Bianca is a very pretty name. Varric: I'll tell her you said so, Daisy. Merrill: She can't actually hear you, can she? Varric: Of course she can. What kind of a question is that? Merrill: I'm sorry about your brother, Varric. Have you any other family? Varric: I have family like a rat has fleas, Daisy. Merrill: Does that mean you have a lot of family, or that they make you itch a lot? Varric: Both.

Act 2 (To Catch a Thief)

Hawke: Sounds like the Qunari take their reading very seriously. Isabela: Is there anything the Qunari don't take seriously? Merrill: I'm sure there's something. Maybe knock-knock jokes? Varric: You just keep working on that, Daisy. Let us know if you figure it out.

Act 3 (A Talking To)

Varric: Come on, Daisy. You shouldn't be stuck in this rat-trap. Does Hawke even know you're here? Merrill: I don't have to ask permission to come to my own house, Varric. Varric: Come on, Daisy. You've been holed up in here for days. If you don't get some sunshine, you'll wilt. Merrill: I'm not a plant, Varric. I'm fine.

Act 3 (A New Path)

Varric: Does anybody else get the feeling that this is going to end badly? Just me, huh? Merrill: It's not all bad, Varric. Think of the stories you'll be able to tell later! Varric: No offense, Daisy, but I could live without telling anyone we murdered you on some mountainside.

Act 3 (Banter)

Merrill: Is there a story behind Bianca? Varric: There's a story behind everything, Daisy. Merrill: So tell me! Varric: I can't. Varric: There was a girl, and I made a promise. Bianca is the only story I can never tell. Merrill: You can't say that! Now I want to know even more! Varric: That was the idea, Daisy. Varric: Twine? When did I loan you a ball of twine? Merrill: You gave it to me when I first moved here when I kept getting lost in Lowtown. Merrill: It drove the merchants in the market completely batty, but it did help me find my way. Varric: Keep it, Daisy. Varric: So… Hawke and Daisy? Isabela: I think they're darling together.

Act 3 Climax (Banter)

Varric: I've got you and Aveline, Fenris and Anders. Hawke. Isabela. Varric: I've got friends in the Circle and drinking buddies in the templars. All of them matter. Merrill: But you're going to fight. If it comes to that, I mean. Varric: I fought my own brother, Daisy. Nobody said this was going to be a happy story. Merrill: Varric, how does the story end? Varric: Which story, Daisy? Merrill: The big one. With us and Hawke, the mages, the templars. Everything. Varric: You want to know before it happens? You're not worried about spoiling the surprise? Merrill: I might not see it end. Varric: You have to stick with us if you want to know how it turns out, Daisy.

Legacy DLC (Banter)

Merrill: Am I in your stories, Varric? Varric: Daisy, everyone is fair game for my stories. Merrill: I never hear any stories with me in them! What sorts of things do I do? Varric: Well, you get lost a lot. You wind up in the middle of a dog-racing track in Darktown. Or in the viscount's bathing room. Merrill: So they're true stories? Varric: Daisy, I could never make that stuff up. Nobody would believe it. Merrill: Do your stories ever have griffons in them? Varric: Kind of tricky because they're extinct. You can work a griffon attack into a tale, but it takes skill. Merrill: I was thinking more like… heroic griffons. The sort that swoop in and save the day. Varric: Daisy, haven't you heard? Swooping is bad. Merrill: Do you really hate the Deep Roads? Anders: Anybody with sense would hate them. They're a darkspawn-filled pit that goes on forever. Merrill: The dwarves still live in the Deep Roads, don't they? It can't be all bad. Anders: The dwarves are crazy. Varric: He's got a point there, Daisy. Hawke: Varric. I've heard… stories of a personal nature being spread around town. Varric: You're the Champion of Kirkwall. People pay attention to everything you do. And everyone. Varric: I haven't breathed a word to anyone about you and Daisy. Maybe you'd better have a talk with Uncle Greasy?

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Banter)

Merrill: Tell me a story, Varric. Varric: Right now? I don't think we have time, Daisy. Merrill: Maybe a very short story, then? Please? Varric: Fine. "When the cards turned, he lost." Merrill: Oh. Did it have to be so sad? Merrill: I know you're in the Merchants Guild, Varric, but I've never seen your shop. Varric: We're not that kind of merchant, Daisy. Merrill: What kind are you, then? Varric: House Tethras invests in… you're not going to understand a word of this financial stuff, are you?

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Rescue)

Varric: Daisy? You don't happen to have that ball of twine, do you? Merrill: I knew I forgot something when we left Kirkwall! Varric: Don't beat yourself up over it. We'll just… wait here until I think of something. Varric: Blondie, I hate to say this, but I'm pretty sure we've been here before. Anders: Blast it! But we went left this time! We shouldn't have come full-circle again! Varric: I wish I hadn't given that ball of twine to Daisy.

Narration

Varric: As for the rest of us? Eventually we all left the Champion’s side for one reason or another. Varric: Well… all of us except for Merrill.

Tallis

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Banter)

Tallis: Thank you for deciding to do this. Hawke: I'm a sucker for hard cases. Just look at my companions. Varric: You have no idea, Tallis. Varric: All right, Shivs, I'll admit it: I'm surprised the Qunari employ thieves. They never struck me as the subtle type. Tallis: That's because you've only met the antaam. Armies aren't usually celebrated for their sneakiness. Also, "Shivs?" Varric: Yes, "Shivs." So, how does stealing valuables from a pompous Orlesian noble fit in with your Qun?

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Interrogation)

Cassandra: We had someone there, but they lacked your access. Whatever Tallis was to the Champion, it seems like it angered a nation. Varric: Thousands of lives were at stake, Seeker. Cassandra: Perhaps one still is. Varric: Nicely nonspecific. All right, let me set the scene: an ambush, an invitation, a hunting party. Varric: All because of Tallis. Varric: I don't know why Hawke didn't kill Tallis. I suppose she was pretty for a Qunari. Varric: I don't know why Hawke didn't kill Tallis. I suppose the elf did have her nose. Varric: I don't know why Hawke helped Tallis. I suppose she was pretty for a Qunari. Varric: I don't know why Hawke helped Tallis. I suppose the elf did have her nose. Varric: Whatever the reason, I doubt it's the last we've seen of her.

#canonical texts #these first two parts were already mostly done before I decided to start posting but the third part is NOT do not expect it soon

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moon-struck-net · 10 months

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Josei Jishin Interview July 15th 2023

https://jisin.jp/entertainment/interview/2223283/

[Part 2 of this interview: https://www.tumblr.com/moon-struck-net/721909444724883456/yahoo-japanjosei-jishin-interview-july-4th-2023 ] “All my life, I’ve been attacked (wry smile). I’m not saying that it’s made me stronger, but it has stopped affecting me. I’ve just gained the ability to recognize that it doesn’t matter. Regarding the bashing toward me, around my late 30s, I became able to think “Well, reporters need to eat too” or “I guess there are people who can’t earn money any other way.” Previously, I’ve seen things that were written about me now and then. Like, a question and an answer. “Why isn’t GACKT married at his age despite being good looking, is he unpopular with women?” “Someone who turns 50 without being married despite being rich must be a loser” There are people who can only evaluate others based on things like that. I suppose they are married. But when I see those posts, I think “Well, a cool loser like me is going to draw resentment from others.” I can’t get mad at every single one, and there’s no need to react to the chirping of insects around me. I’m less easily angered than when I was young. Though of course the feelings of anger towards the world or towards people don’t disappear. But I no longer directly connect to that feeling and attack the other person. I do get frustrated with mistakes. I used to go “Arrgh!” until I turned 40. When I was 40, I decided deep down that I wasn’t going to do that anymore. “I’m not going to yell in anger.” -GACKT has reached the age of 50. What greatly changed his mental state was a woman he was in a relationship with for about 3 years.

“What changed me was a woman in the celebrity world who I was dating at the time. I fell in love with her at first sight. I was even more surprised by her character, that there was someone so fun, who smiled so wonderfully, that I could feel so happy when I was with her. I was always laughing at things she said.

It happened one day. She became emotional, and even though I said, “Let’s stop talking for now. Let’s talk when we’re calm,” she didn’t stop. After that, in the end, I got heated too and finally shouted, “You listen to me!”

I stopped then and went to a café, and drank tea until I calmed down. When I was wondering what to do next, I decided, “For the rest of my life, I’m not going to yell in anger.”

When I decided that and stopped yelling in anger, I became able to communicate my anger to the other person calmly and in words. Even if the person I’m working with makes an excuse, I say, “So in other words, you haven’t done X.”

Back then I also communicated this to her. “I’m going to stop yelling in anger. So even if you become emotional and we start fighting, I won’t yell at all. But let’s stop for now. Let’s talk when we’ve calmed down. And if you can’t keep your temper three times in a row, let’s break up.”

I hate verbal conflict. I’d rather we hit each other. Because a physical fight ends, in a way, you can see an end to it better than you can with a verbal fight. Both of you get hurt and worn out.

But verbal quarrels have no end. And because of that it feels like you’re cutting into each other's skin with a 0.1mm razor. It doesn’t bleed much but it leaves wounds. When you look at the wounds later, the memory comes back. And it takes a long time for those wounds to heal. Moreover, because it becomes an act of mutually wounding each other a lot, I don’t need it in my life.”

- GACKT continues to reflect on his own actions. As he was worn out psychologically, he reflects that she may have been his “last great love”

I really loved her. That’s why I thought that it was pointless to fight over and over with someone I loved like that, and like I said before, I suggested that if we fought three times, we should break up.

“If you say it calmly, I’ll do my best to fix what I can. But if you become emotional, you’ll say things that you shouldn’t have said. Love is the most important thing, so let’s not do anything to damage that. So if we can’t stop quarrelling, let’s break up. We’re not right for each other,” I said.

“Perhaps there are people who will put up with quarrels, or even like them. So you should decide to find someone like that. No matter how much we love each other.”

In the end, we decided to break up. Because if we were together any longer, we’d both become unhappy. I always loved her, so it took a while to sort out my feelings. I feel sorry, and I continue to reflect on myself. How many things was I lacking in, and such questions.

When we broke up, it was in the middle of the rehearsals for “MOON SAGA -Secrets of Yoshitsune- Chapter Two”. I was directing and acting and doing the script and the music so I had no time. And because I broke up with her on top of that, I was psychologically worn out.

Maybe if I’d had more room to breathe I’d have been able to face it differently. When people don’t have any slack, they change. In life there are times when you have to do your best, but when you’re moving forward with multiple things at the same time and a lot is demanded of you at once, it doesn’t go well. If you chase two things you catch neither.

So I really still think that if not for the quarrels, I would have been with her.

Was there the option of marrying her?

I never feel the urge to get married. I’m not refuting marriage, and if there was a need to marry her I probably would have. We still talk sometimes, and she was a big presence in my life. I’m extremely grateful to her. Until then I lost my temper easily, went on rampages easily, easily got caught up in trouble. She changed me, so from the bottom of my heart, I want her to be happy.

Having reached your 50s, what’s your next goal?

I want to perform around the world as soon as possible. I love live music venues.

My hiatus was long. I want to make my music reach the people around the world who have been waiting. Because no one knows how long I’ll be able to keep going.

#gackt #interview #translation #josei jishin

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manygalaxiesinone · 9 months

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What Digimon Partners would Persona Characters have?

((Hee ho dood, Prinnyfrost reporting for duty! Happy Digimon Day everyone! Gonna be honest with you, I just found out about an hour ago that it's Digimon Day thanks to a Google notification, but that doesn't mean I can't celebrate by pulling something out of my butt. And fortunately, I have 2 ideas of how to go about it. One of which is that I'm going to continue playing Digimon World 1 and see how much further I can get. I doubt I'll be able to beat it today, but who knows. But before I do, let's give out some more Digimon to characters from another franchise. This one being the Persona series.

Honestly, considering how similar the Cyber Sleuth games are to the modern Persona games and the fact that people who worked for Shin Megami Tensei are helping with the more recent Digimon games, part of me feels that I probably should have done this first instead of Disgaea. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if someone would argue that Persona should have a crossover with Digimon more than any other franchise aside from Jojo's Bizzare adventure, yeah even more than Pokemon and Kingdom Hearts. That being said, I am going over characters I feel like would be a good match up across the series instead of sticking to one title at a time. I am going to try to keep repeated digivolution lines to a minimum as usual. And of course if you agree/disagree with me or just have ideas for pairs of your own, feel free to let me know. Now with that out of the way, let's begin.

I think one of the pairs that a lot of fans would agree with is Joker from Persona 5 getting an Impmon with the ability to warp Digivolve into Beelzemon at some point then get Blast Mode later on. It just fits considering how rebellious they are and they're gunslingers. Also, I can't be the only one thinking about these two challenging Makoto to a motorcycle race. It's also interesting to note that Beelzemon represents one of the Seven Deadly Sins, though granted I think he and Leviamon should switch the sins they represent.

2. Sticking with Persona 5, we have Futaba Sakura and call me crazy, but I'm giving her a wormmon. Those who are only familiar with the Adventure 2 anime might be questioning my decision, but anyone who finished Cyber Sleuth: Hacker's Memory might have figured out what I'm going for here. Yeah, they're getting the Hudiemon line. I can already imagine Wormmon actually being the last gift Futaba got from her mother and Hudiemon being like some temporary fusion between the two when their bond becomes strong enough, almost like spirit evolution in a way.

3. Now we dive into the original Persona with it's main character, Naoya Toudou. Now the interesting part about Naoya is that you can give him pretty much any Digimon and it'll work because in my opinion, out of all the main characters in the series, Naoya is the most representative of the player considering he doesn't really have a set personality outside of the manga (Tatsuya is a bad boy that's nice when you get to know him, Minato is emo who's good natured, but rarely smiles, Hamuko is the opposite as she's rarely seen without a smile, Yu is a playboy who knows when to get serious, and Akira usually quiet, but confident and likes to play around) and the events of what he does post game is purely determined by whatever the player decides, which is further helped by the fact that in Persona 2, he ends up leaving his friends to do who knows what and doesn't come back to them until the end of the game for a reunion. What we DO know about him thanks to his shadow is that he's a gamer, so I'm giving him a toy agumon to start with, but the digivolution line can go in any direction.

4. Jumping from Persona 1 to 3 is one of my favorite characters, Yukari Takeba. And yeah, I'm giving her a Biyomon. She is kind of similar to Sora in a way given her sass and I can totally see Biyomon trying to help Yukari relax every time she's annoyed, especially if it's Junpei related, but what really helps is the fact that she's a wind user. I am going to give them the main line but with 2 changes. Instead of Birdramon and Phoenixmon as the champion and mega forms, I'm giving them Aquilamon and AncientKazemon to stick with the wind theme.

5. I feel like Elecmon would be a decent fit for Kanji Tatsumi. Not only are the both electric users, but given how Elecmon are known for looking after the Digi-eggs in the Digital World, you could argue that Elecmon would try to encourage Kanji to not be afraid of showing off his more compassionate and creative side. It's okay to break bones if you have to but remember that it doesn't solve every issue. Instead of the main line, I'll have Thundermon the champion stage, Sinduramon the ultimate stage, and Boltmon the mega.

6. I want to make sure I cover at least one character of each of the games before I end things off, so let's step back to Persona 2 for everyone's favorite "Big Sis" Maya Amano. Now it has been a while since I played, but I recall Maya being rather energetic considering her position as a reporter for a magazine and using such catchphrases as "think positive" and "grab your asses and run". This along with her main persona being an ice type makes me a bit confidant to give her Jellymon with its main Digivolution line as Jellymon prefer peace but won't hesitate to scrap the moment it senses danger and does what it can to protect the innocent. Not only that, but its mega form, Amphimon, has the ability to banish evil Digimon to the Net Ocean, kind of like how Maya's Omni Dimension is an instant kill move in the game. That being said, I can hear arguments for Lunamon as well as Tatsuya getting Coronamon because duh, sun and moon.

7. I don't think I need to explain why Yusuke would be getting a Renamon. Considering Yusuke's patience, passion for art, and him literally having the codename: fox, Renamon and its main Digivolution line is downright perfect for Yusuke. This includes Sakuyamon's Maiden Mode as it could remind Yusuke of his dearly departed mother. What I would give to see Yusuke and Taomon spend a day off simply drawing each other.

8. Might as well give a Digimon to at least one of the members of the Velvet Room. Honestly, I was not expecting Marie to be my first pick to mention here, but when I looked up Morphomon and its main evolution line, I felt these two would go well together. Morphomon is a carefree Digimon that enjoys nature and often touches anyone and anything new to determine whether or not they're safe to be around. Marie would definitely relate to that given how often she complains about being cooped up in the Velvet Room without much to do and how much she enjoys exploring Inaba with Yu. As for its main digivolution lines, which is just different stages of Eosmon, it's an artificially created Digimon that becomes more and more unstable overtime and has the power to create illusions via mirrors, which fits in pretty well with the theme of Persona 4 since you do end up fighting Marie in the game at some point (as long as requirements are met).

9. Considering that today is Digimon Day, it probably wouldn't sit right with me if I didn't give Agumon with his main digivolution line to at least one character before I end the post and I want it to be someone from the first Persona title as well. I already paired Naoya with Toy Agumon so I guess the best bet would be Masao Inaba. This is mainly due to Mark having the chariot arcana, which represents one's courage and the fact that he butt heads often with Kei Nanjo who I can see having a Gabumon.

10. On the other hand, I can totally see Junpei Iori chillin' with a Veemon. It's pretty much the same reasons as to why I gave a Veemon to Jaden from Yugioh in one of my previous posts, but unlike Jaden, I see Junpei just sticking with the Veedramon line because of how much he wants to become the "hero of the story". I can hear arguments for the Ex-Veemon line though, especially if we give the Stingmon line to Chidori.

And that should cover it at least for now. I might do a part 2 later on. Let me know if you wish to see that. Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts.))

#digimon #digimon day #shin megami tensei #persona #persona 2 #persona 3 #persona 4 #persona 5

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unitedbydevils · 1 month

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Match Review: Manchester United 4-3 Liverpool (AET)

My heart. I can't. United are off to Wembley, and I'm off to hospital because I think i'm dying.

BRACE FOR A LOAD OF TWEET REFERENCES TOO.

United struck early at Old Trafford and it FELT like it would be our day. We were playing free flowing football, not that Liverpool weren't at the races, but we looked like a rival not an underdog.

Mainoo class, Rashford sharp, Garnacho drawing defenders, Hojlund holding up the ball, Bruno dictating play, McTominay... being saucey... and then bang he scores. SCENES.

This pressure lasted til around the 40th minute and then United fell apart and conceded 2. Classic.

Freddy here queries the focus, but as the image below shows, United without a proper no6 like Casemiro (because McSauce ain't that) are just two disconnected attack/defence units and it's pants.

Mainoo should be an 8. Bruno IS a 10. McTominay is a 10. Mount is an 8. Maybe Amrabat wouldn't have been the right choice, but he would have filled this pocket.

It's tricky for Ten Hag though. McTominay is an ENGINE and evidently committed, and scores important goals, even if he isn't an ideal fit. It's tricky to not pick deserving players.

The hope had faded at the end of the first half, and things were a bit sour. United looked knackered, were showing the cracks of this season all over again, and that frustration was coming out in the form of Captain Bruno's petulence.

I don't personally thing Erik Ten Hag wants United to be so disconnected. I just also think his team NEEDS a ball-playing CB (we only have Martinez) and a proper 6 (ageing Case, unfancied Amra). Two crucial positions to be filled, and that's ignoring the zero depth at CF and the issues form or injury issues at RW/LB.

Second half saw a second chance for United, and none other than substitute Antony scored the equaliser. What.

ETH went full Ranieri tinkerman mode too.

Antony LB, Bruno quarterback, Eriksen deep, Amad on, Mount on later... a full madness occurred and it was amazing.

Praise came through from the fans too - even amidst the tension. Onana had a very good game, Garnacho was everywhere, Mainoo so classy on the ball... hard to call out anyone being poor.

Then of course United conceded yet another deflected goal...

But before that 2-3 position, United COULD have won it at the death in normal time if Rashford had finished - and it wasn't his only missed chance.

The storyline loves a twist and turn though. 3-3 Rashford.

United are on adrenaline now. Buzzing. The Old Trafford atmosphere is fever pitch. Everyone's knackered, cramping, puffing like old dogs, but still both sides battled on. A proper cup showdown.

Fans on both sides were beginning to feel sick.

At 3 all, everyone feared the worst: penalties. You can't deny though that today's game was the pinnacle of a mad weekend of FA Cup football. City Newcastle aside, we had the shock turnaround of Coventry beating Wolves, Chelsea Leicester going the distance, and now United Liverpool. Sensational viewing.

As the end of extra time loomed, Liverpool's attack was broken down and the counter was on. Garnacho - who it felt like had sprinted all game long - and Amad alongside. Two kids against the world, tearing it down the pitch. Shit pass from Alejandro, recovered well by Amad, slight feint, step, weasels it past Kelleher and gently in off the inside of the right post like a snooker finish.

That's all in slow motion, but the crowd and the explosion of noise was like we'd just won at life. Volume. Kids crying with joy. Amad sent off for taking his shirt off to celebrate. Amad-ness. Amazing.

And lo, United did win 4-3 at the death at home to book a semi final at Wembley against Coventry. Not that lower teams have been easier (hi Newport) but I also have more faith in Chelsea of the 3 of us to hurt City.

So yeah, Klopp's hopes of a fairytale season ending are over. I love shit like that. Ruining the party is part of the fun of it all.

We're all knackered, but we're all buzzing. This weekend has been mint, and how often can you say that about a United game eh? Up the fucking reds, and on to Wembley!

#manchester united #man u #man united #manchester reds #man utd #erik ten hag #marcus rashford #old trafford #liverpool #mo salah #antony #scott mctominay #amad diallo #kobbie mainoo #andre onana #bruno fernandes #diogo dalot #alejandro garnacho #luis diaz

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my-usernames-posts · 2 years

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How Kim & WIK were 2 different people until Porchay came along.

Part 4/4

For the first time Kim almost immediately loses his composure on hearing Porchay didn't turn up for his college interview.

Let's take a moment to appreciate how deep Porchay's love was. 😭 He must have dreamt of joining music school after idolising WIK. The more he got to know him, his idol became his muse & first love. (There's a quote which says "Love is creating a religion with a fallible God") He loved him with all his heart so when WIK left so did Porchay's ability to make art 🥺🥺🥺🥺

The vexed person here is not Kim but WIK. He was surprised after hearing even teachers found Porchay as promising as he did. He did spend time tutoring Chay & as a teacher, he was hoping his student to do well.

He also knows Chay is neither incapable nor weak. He was not like regular kids whose main struggles were graduating high school or getting into college. Porchay was coping with their uncle's betrayal. Porsche abruptly leaving him alone with a letter & no way of communication. He was fighting his battles alone the whole time & still managed to stay positive.

Kim probably went thinking Porchay lost confidence & needs reassurance. But then he realized he had been a monster all along. Because it hit him that WIK was the reason Porchay learnt to dream. And KIM was the one who crushed it.

When Porchay tells him off, Kim realises for the first time that he's not in position to lecture anyone. Now that he let someone know about his double life, who was he to teach about separating personal & professional lives? What right did he have to tell anything, when Porchay reminded that he never interfered in Kim's life?

When Kim left warning "From now on, what you do is your darn decision" I don't think he meant, "I'm no longer going to care about you or protect you."

Rather, he must have meant, "You're growing into an adult who needs to take responsibility of his life. So don't do anything that you would regret later." He's right. Porchay should have prioritised college. He's got a long life ahead to wallow, date & break up.

But it doesn't look right when it's coming from Kim, who grew up the way he did, has almost no issues listening to his head over his heart, and is now failing to either hold on or let go. He first leads him on, breaks his heart, and still continues to show up like a knight in shining armor. Only walk away without even an elaborate apology. He can't nurse his broken heart & move on until you withdraw from his life P'Kim😪

Now ik we're all rooting for a happy ending for our y/n x celebrity in a mafia au 😂

It's unrealistic to expect Kim to turn into this openly affection person with good communication skills. It's also weird if Porchay adjusts seamlessly into the world of organised crime. Yes even I want Kim to go out of his way & give Porchay a grand apology. I also hope Porchay says that he understands but he's still hurt. That he takes his time to heal & forgive.

A believeable happy ending would be the one where Porchay agrees to make an effort to understand Kim & his life. Meanwhile Kim stops separating parts of himself and promises to love Porchay as Kimhan Theerapanyakul instead WIK or KIM.

Love is not an end result but the efforts made every single day.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

#kimchay #KinnPorsche #kinnporsche ep 12 #kinnporsche the series #kim theerapanyakul #porchay kittisawasd

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bigforeheadbaddie · 3 months

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Since No Doubt has announced their return for the upcoming Coachella 2024 music festival, I present to you…

A Newbie’s Guide to:

✨No Doubt✨

I’ve split up this guide by mediums of ~education~. Essential viewing, listening, and reading. This will help you get caught up and be guaranteed to sing along to every word, come April. It’s in April, right?

But first off…

Part 0. Controversies

I know what you might be thinking:

Wait. Isn’t Gwen Stefani a cultural appropriator?

And the answer is yes. And no. And yes & no. Honestly, it’s up to your personal opinion because there is no definitive guide for identifying or diagnosing cultural appropriation.

It’s defined as “the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity” so, take that as you will. Gwen has definitely acknowledged her ‘adoptions’ of ‘cultural elements’ so it’s up to you to decide whether or not it is ‘inappropriate’.

This video is a great one about Gwen/No Doubts’ controversial moments that doesn’t spare any details, and is hilarious: https://youtu.be/NRUdZMngGTw?si=7tFJ4ZWEL4hBSkSy

Part 1. Essential Viewings:

E! Pop of Culture No Doubt Special (2012): https://youtu.be/TRIDg9B7sW0?si=jMlLkrGEOlucOwBU

This mini doc gives you the general run down on No Doubts history including some really great rare footage and interviews from the members (excluding Gabe & Stephen who I personally consider a part of the band)

Comprehensive List of Music Videos in Chronological Order: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrKMiVh6uoiJJ92beCveEbnpIGMonNyvS&si=YBZk0F5uRuVFewcF

I must warn you, this list includes Gwen’s solo stuff…some good, some not so much. I chose this playlist because it is uncertain if the ND (that’s what real No Doubters use as short hand for No Doubt 😎…get it? ND…No…yeah, you get it) setlist will include Gwen’s solo work, so it’s always good to be prepared.

Live in the Tragic Kingdom (1997): https://youtu.be/qf_tfei05oU?si=N_nsc5W7DzNpTb9C

Are you really a No Doubter if you haven’t seen this? It doesn’t cover Return of Saturn, Rock Steady, or Push & Shove as this was recorded after only their first 3 albums, but it is widely considered by No Doubters as their most iconic concert to date.

Part 2. Essential Listening Materials:

The music videos you watched probably have got you covered, but it never hurts to listen to a musical artist you’re looking to get into…musically…duh.

The Singles (2003): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL45FxAW8gNeH7NxBy2n1iIVwbWDxWXmNv&si=KGacYtdAezI0V0LD

The “essentials” playlists on Spotify or Apple Music should do, but if you have neither streaming services then this will do brilliantly. This doesn’t include anything from the Push & Shove era, but the best songs off that album were on your aforementioned music video playlist so, no worries! They probably won’t play anything from that era at Coachella anyways 😬 Just saying!

Unreleased & Demo Tracks: https://youtu.be/0msQzzIDf-M?si=O_p76KXX2YOBP_4k

If you really want to get on the PhD in No Doubt-ology track then give this a listen and once you’re done with that head on over to

Everything in Time (2004): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQvL6GLJiX93FVje8cjh1kZro5EFonJ-m&si=7gkM0rKo_tl0hKZE

which is another compilation of unreleased materials, but from the later years.

Part 3. Essential Readings

How Gwen Stefani Went From No Doubt to the Hollywood Walk of Fame: https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/gwen-stefani-career-no-doubt-to-hollywood-walk-of-fame

This is a great article that truly covers it all when it comes to lead singer Gwen Stefani’s career. Including, of course, her time with No Doubt.

However, it did left out some valuable information on Gwen’s greatest songwriting inspiration: love 🤓

So here’s some context for the songs on Tragic Kingdom: https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/491341/a-look-back-at-gwen-stefanis-bittersweet-romance-with-no-doubt-bandmate-tony-kanal/

And for all the other years…yeah, this one’s a doozy…https://www.nickiswift.com/632277/things-you-forgot-happened-during-gwen-stefanis-relationship-with-gavin-rossdale/

Oh and Blake Shelton? All you have to know is that they’re currently living happily ever after together and it’s all very ooey-goey so…good for her!

Part 4. Final Exam

You thought I wouldn’t quiz you? Well, you’re dead wrong, pal. Don’t worry, it’s gonna be fun.

In 2020, Gwen (independent of ND) released this single: https://youtu.be/vZvkyfwD8mI?si=aCOxu-a225mZFH4o recreating several looks from her past. If you can identify about 80% of the references then you are ready for Chelly! Yuck, sorry.

Okay that is the rundown on all things Gwen Stefani & No Doubt. If you watch/listen/read everything above then you’re a certified No Doubter. Congratulations & welcome to the club. See you at Coachella!

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missnight0wl · 2 years

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Let’s try to salvage Rakepick’s story… once again

I wanted to wait with this post a little, hoping that we’d get Y7Ch37 last Thursday. However, JC apparently really doesn’t like me, so here’s your warning that it’s gonna be about the datamined information. Perhaps I’ll edit it later to add nice screenshots once the chapter is actually released...

(Edit: Some screenshots added!)

Anyway, if you wonder why I didn’t drop this subject yet: that’s because I don’t like it when things don’t make sense, and Rakepick’s story is possibly the most illogical part of this game overall. On top of that, I suppose I’m too invested at this point to simply drop it as I normally would. If you want to read more about it, I really recommend checking this post out.

A while ago, I also discussed the theory sent by one of my Anons. You can check it out here. This post will technically be about the same issue, just with a bit different approach.

Still, if you want to proceed with this post, but you don’t feel like reading the ones I linked above, here’s a quick summary of what you should keep in mind.

1) Rakepick working for R in Y4 doesn’t really make sense, mostly because the Red Cloak told us during our first encounter to stay away from the Cursed Vaults and Patricia Rakepick, while Rakepick herself was encouraging us to continue our search.

2) The idea that Rakepick was basically a serial killer even before killing Rowan is pretty ridiculous. She was a world-wide-known celebrity before returning to Hogwarts. How she never got caught? And after coming to Hogwarts? She definitely didn’t have time for some extra killing. Besides, it simply doesn’t suit her character (pre-Portrait Vault).

By the way: interestingly, this is the information about Rakepick which is revealed only in the insane route of Y7Ch37. Of course, sane!Rakepick has more control over what she tells MC, and she technically had no reason to mention her other crimes then. Still, I think it’s a curious little difference.

3) In the sane route of Y7Ch37, Rakepick says:

This time, however, it’s the information revealed only in the sane route. Insane!Rakepick says that failures are severely punished by R, but… it’s not exactly what you’d call: “controlling someone without their knowledge”. She was probably simply threatened, and if you threaten someone, it’s the whole point so they’d know about it, right? This issue is discussed in the second post I linked above. Nevertheless, the game itself doesn’t explain it yet.

4) As much as I like the idea that “Player Father” is actually the real Jacob, and I really wish it was true (I discussed it in this post), I have to assume our father will turn out to be R’s current leader either way. I mean, Rakepick also tells us in one of the options:

It strongly implies that MC actually knows R, in some way. And since that person is behind the entire criminal organisation, it’s rather someone adult. Therefore, it’s very likely that it’s our relative.

Alternatively, it’s not the Father – but the Mother! And you know what? I actually quite like this idea. Not because it makes much more sense, but it could explain why “Player Father” would be a code name. Meaning that we could have the real Jacob and vault!Jacob is the imposter! Seriously, I can totally see JC feeling smart when they were like: “Oh, let’s call him Player Father! Everyone will think that MC’s father will finally be revealed, but SIKE! He still doesn’t matter! It was the Mother all along!”.

And if it’s neither the Father nor the Mother nor any other relative… the only other option I see is time-travelling MC. And to be frank, I don’t even think it’s impossible.

But either way, I’ll keep using “the Father” to make it simpler for myself.

Moving on...

Alright, now that we’re more or less on the same page, I’m gonna jump straight to my idea: what if the Father planted the false memories of multiple murders and other crimes in Rakepick’s mind – and that’s how he “controlled” her? Let me explain.

A while ago already, I realised that the Father will probably turn out to be a Legilimens. If the siblings are born Legilimens, then they had to inherit it from someone, didn’t they? Moreover, it could mean that the Father was the one sending us the visions through Legilimency, which would explain why they were always signed as “Mysterious Voice” instead of “Jacob”. Hell, in one of the optional scenes of Y4Ch7, Rakepick even implies that the voice we heard was not Jacob’s:

Now, one thing about Legilimency is that it can be used to place visions into one’s mind. Admittedly, it’s more of a movie thing. I mean, yes, even in the books, we have Voldemort sending Harry the false vision of Sirius being tortured – but I’m pretty sure it was related to their unique connection. I believe it was only the movie which added something about Voldemort enjoying torturing people through fake visions. If I’m mistaken, feel free to correct me. If I’m right, though, I suppose it doesn’t matter much because HPHM seems to treat both the books and the movies as equally canonical. On top of that, we have this line in Y5Ch18:

(Also, while it’s not clear how it was done, Slughorn showed us that memories can be at least modified.)

So… here’s what I’m thinking:

When Rakepick arrived at Hogwarts in Y4, the Father didn’t want either her or MC to get involved with the Cursed Vaults. I assume it has to be connected to the fact that he had access to Jacob at the time, so anyone else would be just a disturbance. Unfortunately for him, something happened to Jacob between Y4 and Y5, and so the Father had to replace him with MC. However, Rakepick was still a problem – and she was pretty stubborn.

Y5 was passing by, and at some point, the Father finally got lucky: he somehow managed to get past Rakepick’s Occlumency, and he placed in her mind false memories of killing people and/or other crimes. Now, he could use it to blackmail her! He told her that either she’ll work for him or he’ll reveal her crimes, so she’ll go straight to Azkaban. Working for a major douchebag is not much better than life imprisonment, but hey, it’s still somewhat better – so she agreed unwillingly. Even though something felt off about all of that, but… she has the memories of killing all those people, right? It had to happen.

Anyway, Rakepick goes along with the Father’s plan, starting from the Portrait Vault. And yeah, he told her to kill Rowan, so she did it – even though I still think it’d make much more sense if Rowan’s death was fake, but… Eh. I just don’t have faith in JC. So, let’s go with that. I assume that the Father promised her some kind of protection, and that’s why she decided one more murder wouldn’t change much. At the same time, I imagine she wasn’t entirely on the Father’s side. That’s why she made it very clear that Rowan died because R wanted that. I mean, remember how R was pretending that they had nothing to do with Duncan’s death?

I suspect that Rakepick might’ve been ordered to kill someone while making it look like an accident, similar to how it was done with Duncan. Yet, she decided to make things harder for the Father because honestly: why not?

And that’s how we get to the Sunken Vault where our two routes begin:

If you trap Rakepick in the Vault, she’s still haunted by the memories of killing other people than Rowan – even though those memories are fake. I assume that the memory curse wouldn’t “see” a difference, considering that they are in Rakepick’s mind and they cause real emotions. Later on, she only talks that failures are severely punished because that’s what the Father kept telling her.

If you choose the authorities option, Rakepick gets time and opportunity to realise certain things. It turns out that she’s in Azkaban only for murdering Rowan (and possibly for torturing Merula). But… it’s impossible that nobody from the Ministry discovered her other crimes. The way she remembers it, they had to find out by now! Eventually, she connects the dots and realises that those other crimes never happened. That’s why she didn’t mention any other murders to MC, and why she said that “R has a way of getting people to do their bidding, even without their knowledge”. She didn’t know that the Father never had any dirt on her and that it was all made up by him. She DIDN’T KNOW that she was letting him blackmail her with nothing.

I know it’s hard to tell what is possible with JC at this point and what not… But you know what? I feel pretty good about it. And yes, I realise I said it about a lot of my theories. But still, it’s an interesting coincidence that Legilimency suddenly became relevant in a couple of recent chapters again. First, we had Zenith, then practising on Jae, and then Shiratori… Perhaps there’s another reason why JC suddenly remembered about this skill?

Also, is the idea of placing false memories in someone’s mind to control them disturbing? Abso-fucking-lutely! But let’s be real, pretty much everything about the Father is quite messed up, so… I’m just trying to work with what I got, y’know.

#long post #hogwarts mystery #hphm #hphm datamine #hphm spoilers #patricia rakepick #pro rakepick #hphm mc #hphm jacob #hphm r #the father #legilimency #analysis post #theory #hphm theory

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