#I LOVE THIS GIANT ENSEMBLE

[meganechan05]

ずっと一緒だから。

I'm about to be emotionally ruined next week (；∀； )

Not only do we have Racles walking up to his brother and having a talk with Desnarak, the Sanegims running to Jeramie to check if he's okay after learning the importance of life, Hacker Gang picking up Yanma, Suzume running to Kagu's side with Kuroda, and Edda possibly telling Himeno the people coming to their help is the people being selfish like she told her to be in Episode 3, we also have Gokkan employees and prisoners walking up to support Rita!!! ヽ(；▽；)ノ

Gokkan! The country said to have everyone hate their King! Pulling up to the fight to support the King they hate! ヽ(；▽；)ノ

Morfonia coming back once again to support her King because they'll always be together after saying it 3 separate times!

10, hugging via Moffun: [Morfonia] wants to be together with you, Rittan...

25, Rita initiating hug: I'm asking you to fight for my sake. Because we'll always be together.

45, after Morf loses her memories: Do you remember? "Together forever"?

I WANNA CRY!!! ヽ(；▽；)ノ

#I LOVE THIS SHOW SO FCKING MUCH #I LOVE THIS CAST #I LOVE THIS GIANT ENSEMBLE #I'M GOING TO MISS THEM SO MUCH ヽ(；▽；)ノ #kingohger #king ohger #ohsama sentai kingohger #rita kaniska #rita kanisuka #morfonia #morphonia #ritamoru #ritamorf #kingoh doodles #kingohger spoilers #king ohger spoilers #kingoh spoilers #ko48 #ko49

[three--rings]

One thing I haven't seen a lot of talk about in the fandom so far is about the financials of this season.

It took us two whole months to get a confirmation of renewal from Max, and I talked at the time that I think there was probably a lot of heated negotiations going on at the time with contracts and that's why it took as long as it did.

I think we see a huge number of indications of the compromises that were made in order for S2 to be made. One obvious one that has been talked about is being making in in NZ instead of LA, to save $.

But there's also the eight episodes instead of ten. And then the cast aspect. One downside of moving overseas was having to fly out and house the cast, not just pay day wages.

We knew immediately about Guz Khan not coming back, losing Ivan as a character. At the time I was sad but I thought it had the air of a pretty harshly practical call. If you went through the main recurring cast and said okay which character will affect the fewest things, has the least character interactions of anyone? It would be Ivan. (With the only competition being The Swede IMO, but he's Stede's crew and therefore a little more central.)

And then this season started and we got first The Swede sidelined and taken out of major scenes. And then I noticed that different members of the crew were simply absent for long stretches, like Wee John isn't around for ep 5 at all. And then Buttons takes flight.

Lucius and Pete aren't at the party for most of it. Fang isn't in the torture scene. Roach and Fang aren't in the bar. Etc. SCHEDULING IS HAPPENING.

The new characters are almost entirely played by NZ local actors, which is great, but also...cheaper.

In other words there are big signs that they did everything possible to give us a giant cast of almost everyone we love from S1, and cool new characters, in the most economical way possible.

And I'm grateful for it. I'm grateful we got S2, and it looks great, and it's well written, I'm having a blast, and we get to spend more time with this awesome cast.

But I also kinda think it needs to be said that the cost-cutting shows. That it shouldn't have been only 8 episodes, the pacing is off. That we miss every time someone from the ensemble isn't on screen.

That despite what they've put on screen looking very good, there's far less costuming budget, there's less elaborate sets, and it's a little disappointing. And it's clear it's not a lack of will or talent or vision but blatantly lack of money.

Look, streaming networks want brilliant shows that people love (that will get them to subscribe) but they very don't want to pay anyone to make them. That's like, the whole moment we're having right now.

Max puts out promos about how great it is to not have unions messing shit up in NZ. Well I have friends who are union costumers in LA and guess what union costumers did amazing last season. This season, well, I guess Stede got three whole shirts, so that's cool.

So I dunno. It's just stuff I think about. I'm not trying to be negative about the show in any way. I'm extremely happy with this season; I love it more than well, possibly any show I've ever been in fandom for.

But I see you, Max. You're cheap. You weren't that cheap when you were called HBO.

#ofmd #ofmd s2 #ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd meta #I guess #my meta

[sunflower-emoji]

Wallflower (Hawks x Reader)

You're shy. Hawks isn't.

(more Hawks fluff <;3)

It didn't matter that people would kill for a job like yours, you were going to quit. It wasn't worth this nightmare called a charity ball you found yourself at. 

You were young and far down the hierarchy. You had assumed that the higher-ups would send someone with an established reputation to represent the company. 

"No, you'll be perfect. A charming young face is exactly what our brand needs," your boss insisted.

You bit back a scoff. One of the reasons you became a costume designer was so you didn't have to schmooze people. You always loved the world of heroics, knew you wanted to be part of it in some way. But large crowds and larger personalities launched your heart rate skyward. Costume design was perfect: challenging, creative, and just the right amount of human interaction. Sure, you weren’t the most sociable, but you loved working one-on-one with your clients, getting to know them slowly over time and never worrying about going blind from direct exposure to the spotlight.

None of this seemed to matter to your boss, or your colleagues, who refused to take your place even as they sighed with envy. You were beginning to think it was part of a bigger conspiracy to get you to "come out of your shell," and you resented them for it.

Still, you wished one of them were here so you could have someone to talk to. Your charming young face didn't know a single person here.

That wasn't entirely true. You recognized some of your clients, had even tried to talk to one of them, making it through a full thirty seconds of stilted conversation before someone more famous pulled them away. You immediately fled to the periphery of the room where other guests floated past, preoccupied with other things and people.

That was fine, You were really only interested in one person here anyway, and you knew the chances of actually talking to him were nonexistent.

You had caught glimpses of him throughout the night. It was hard not to, his giant red wings a beacon, standing out even more in his all-black ensemble. Never long enough for eye contact, but you held on to the hope of getting a wave or a quick smile at some point tonight.

Hawks was an established client at your company, his costume the creation of your boss's boss. The two of you met a few months ago after you had been assigned to find a new material for his visor. Something sturdier without sacrificing visibility. He visited you regularly to test out the prototypes.

At first you were terrified, unsure how to talk to the loud, gregarious hero. The energetic banter your veteran coworkers had with him wasn't something you could match. But Hawks had surprised you with a patient smile and questions about your work, listening so attentively your passion overtook your shyness. It didn't take long for you to feel at ease with the hero, even if your heart never settled into its normal rhythm when he was around.

But there was a big difference between his visits to your studio and you approaching him in the middle of a giant gala, surrounded by dozens of other heroes and bigwigs. So you leaned against the wall, checking your phone and wondering if it was late enough to leave without getting yelled at later.

"Should've known you'd be over here!" You jump at the sudden visitor, who chuckles at your reaction.

Your heart's still in your throat, but you feel calmer now that Hawks stands in front of you. Something familiar at last.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you seem like the wallflower type," he replies with a head tilt and teasing grin.

"Am not!" You said it as a reflex.  Both of you knew very well that you were a wallflower. And you had in fact spent the entire evening against a wall.

Hawks' eyes narrow, deviousness creeping into his smile. "Oh? Well in that case, I guess you won't mind sharing a dance with me."

When you fail to immediately take his outstretched hand, he pouts. "Come on, Endeavor already turned me down. Are you really gonna let me be rejected twice tonight?"

You huff out a “fine,” and he guides you to the dance floor with an eager pull of your hand, his feet not quite touching the ground. To your relief, he stops in a space off-center, his wings partially open as he brings his other hand up to your waist. 

The two of you twirl around in what you think is meant to be a waltz. Hawks can't keep a beat but insists on leading anyway, just barely missing your toes. Without warning, he spins you out before snapping you back against his chest and you feel the rumble of his laughter. You're grateful he can't see your reddened face, dizzy from spinning and the scent of his cologne.

By the end of the song, you've gathered enough wits for a little payback. As the music swells for the final time, you slip your hand around to Hawks' back and press your knee forward. His eyebrows raise in delight at your mischievous grin and he lets you dip him, throwing his arm out with a flourish.

There's a smattering of applause, some conversation to your side, but you're not paying attention to any of it, too focused on Hawks beaming up at you.

"Sooo, how about it? Up for another?"

You agree without hesitation this time. It's not like you had anything better to do this evening.

#I hear you ask “kaye how are you supposed to dip hawks with his giant wings in the way” #the answer is carefully dear reader #very carefully #anyway hello i love fancy galas and fancy dancing and being goofy and bad at fancy dancing #You can expect more on this theme #bnha #takami keigo x reader #keigo takami x reader #hawks x reader #x reader

[shinobicyrus]

So I have been getting back into BattleTech, recently. Having only ever played a few of the video games, I've been diving deeper into the lore and have just discovered something amazing that many in the modern fandom seem desperate to ignore.

BattleMechs essentially amount to heavily armed nuclear fusion reactors on legs. The more rigorous activity you put a these giant war machines through, the hotter it'll run. This means that, if you are the squishy and vulnerable human who is piloting said 'Mech, you are going to be subjected to very, very high temperatures.

The original, canonical solution to this problem? BattleTech being an IP that dates back to the 80s, your average 'Mech pilot uniform consisted of the helmet that makes the giant robot go vroom, a vest filled with coolant, your skivvies, and not much else.

Examples of this include:

Yes, it's like something out of that Sean Connery sci-fi movie where he wears a weird leather-strap sci-fi thong ensemble. Old school 'Mech pilots literally be rocking in as little clothing as possible for "heat management." I love 80s sci-fi.

Unsurprisingly, contemporary BattleTech lore has explained that in the past there were nice, non-kinky cooling suits 'Mech pilots could wear so they wouldn't cook to death in their cockpits. These suits were considered "lost technology" for a while until they were conveniently rediscovered and began to be implemented again.

Thus, the modern games and fandom have a nice lore explanation for why MechWarriors no longer wear speedos into battle, with some making a point to never mention that such things ever existed at all.

I call those people cowards.

#Look all I'm saying is that if you want to be faithful to the lore #any Mechwarrior game set pre-Clan invasion shouldn't have cooling suits #therefore you need half-naked people in dorky helmets #fighting to the death in their sauna-robots #it's the only way #BattleTech #Mechwarrior #Mech Pilot #Giant Robots #Mecha #80s Sci Fi

[aurumacadicus]

Just had an idea I will never use, free to a good home tag me if you use it:

Ensemble cast but the character this is about let's call her uuuuh Jennifer. Jennifer isn't the leader of the group, she's more of the hands-off mom friend (ie. she will not get involved until things are dire) and no one is really sure why she isn't more... helpful? There are ghosts. Monsters. One creepy vampire. All dispatched without her help. But maybe she's just not capable of killing something, they figure. It's not like they're going to put Jennifer in danger. She's their friend and they love her and she pulls her weight by baking tons of sweets.

The Big Bad appears, a giant, shadowy monster with fangs that drip puddles of saliva with every step. This is a big one. They're all going to have to pull their weight here to survive.

"Jennifer, we know you can't kill anything, so we need you on distraction," they tell her.

"What the fuck are you talking about," Jennifer exclaims, and then, furiously, adds, "Is that thing real. Is that thing FUCKING REAL?!"

And unfortunately this is how they learn that Jennifer has just been assuming everything she's seeing that aren't "normal" are visual hallucinations.

She sees a bloody sheet wandering around the house? One of her roommates must have started her period and she was getting rid of the evidence. She sees a slimy monster oozing up the front walk? She locks the front door. Everyone who needs to get in has a key. Some creep hits on her while she's picking up a to-go order and she notices he doesn't show up in the mirror at the counter? Well, that's the best evidence that it's a hallucination, isn't it?

All this time she's thought her medication has stopped working as well and was trying to get in with her psychiatrist to talk about it and worked through the wait time by baking off the stress and it turns out her friends are fucking ghostbusters or something and monsters want to kill all of them.

"WE HAVE GOT TO WORK ON OUR COMMUNICATION," Jennifer shouts with enough venom that The Big Bad fucking turns around and leaves because it's sentient enough that it knows it's Not Ready To Deal With That.

#ideas #original character

[yearningaces]

Pondering a scenario about giants

Imagine with me

You've talked to your friend online for years now. Sharing interest, fandoms, games, music, whichever it is you both enjoy discussing that leads to speaking about things in general and over time the friendship grows into a close friendship and soon enough you're each other's best friends (or romantic if you'd like as well, I enjoy both.)

And one day you're on a video chat with Barron. After so many years you knew what he looked like but when you first saw the massive looking man with long unkempt hair you were surprised in a good way because he is rather handsome but is an absolute goof.

Meanwhile, Barron feels the same about you, you look around his size on camera and are just so handsome! The first video call devolved into a back and fourth ensemble of praise and complements.

And today, Barron presents you with an idea. You've mentioned wanting a vacation, and he lives in a relatively wild part of the world that's full of natural wonders and nature. He offers you his spare bedroom and a week (or more) to visit, he'll even buy the plane ticket for you!

And only after some back and forth you finally agree to letting him pay and such. A month later, you're getting off a plane that was full of other humans and some giants, which was intimidating for little human you who'd never seen a giant before.

Once you're walking out of the airport, Barron messages saying where he's waiting and to just look for him and he'll look for you.

And when you approach an area clustered with Giants three times your size, you see him. Standing by a massive table in the giants section of the airport and looking over the crowd with concentration.

And you realize something... Neither of you ever mentioned species. You are a human, and Barron is a giant. But if neither of you ever said how would you know from seeing each other on camera in environments that were tailored to match your sizes?

So you cautiously approach the giant you've come to care so deeply for over the years, standing at only a third of his size at best, and you call up to him. "Barron?"

The hulking figure whips around to find you and the moment his eyes are on you, there's a brief glint of surprise in his expression soon smothered in a bright joy. "You're here!" His voice booms out and he swoops you up in his grasp, hugging you tightly and refusing to let go. He's laughing and spinning you around with such joy that you're laughing as well, wrapping your arms around him as best you can.

"You are much smaller than I thought!" He remarks with amusement in his tone, refusing to set you down at this point.

"And you're much larger than I thought!" You respond, mimicking his words to a degree.

His grin only grows as he looks down to you, and from this close you can notice the slight hint of fangs he has. "All the more of me to love." His response is far too quick and sincere that you don't know how to respond. Thankfully Barron has an idea and lifts you up to sit you on his shoulder. His large hand grips your lower legs gently to keep you in place as your hand grasps onto the wild locks of hair. "Now, my little human needs to rest after such a long trip. It might not be safe for you to walk here the way we thought it would be, but I will carry you happily. We can grab snacks on the way to my home and I can help you settle in."

You're about to add a thought before he adds a bit quieter while walking. "And if you meant it when you used to say you'd like to, 'Lay in a pile like cats'." There's a slight red tint to his cheeks as he asks about the statement you've both said millions of times online.

After a moment, you respond in a similar tone, "Yeah, I still want that." After another moment you add on with a more lighthearted tone, "Besides, I don't think me laying on you would crush you."

And Barron's grin brightened, his steps quicker as he carried you along with a joyful smile on his face.

Cute.

#letters of yearning #x reader #monster boyfriend #monster romance #gender neutral reader #monster x reader

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Fly Me to the Moon

A perfect first date with Roy Kent, despite not feeling well.

Roy Kent x Reader

1.5k words

Warnings: mentions of allergies, nothing but fluffy fluff

Of course your allergies were acting up. That made sense. It was only your first official date with Roy Kent, after you’d spent two weeks trying to sync up your schedules, so of course your allergies chose today to go into overdrive. There was no way you could put things off again; you were worried he’d think you weren’t interested, which couldn’t be further from the truth.

You’d been mad about him since you first met at Keeley’s party, where she gleefully introduced the two of you. At the end of the night, you’d exchanged phone numbers, with Roy cheekily asking if you’d be alright if he didn’t wait three days to call you. He called just as you were walking into your flat after the party, asking if you’d like to go out sometime. While the two of you tried to figure out when you were both available, you texted every day, and he even popped by your work a couple of times to say hello and bring you lunch, much to the excitement of your coworkers.

And now you laid on your bed, head aching and nose stuffed up, wondering how you were going to get through this afternoon. You didn’t want to take medication, that made you drowsy. So, you’d just have to suck it up.

You quickly got up and finished putting on your makeup, hoping to conceal some of the puffiness in your eyes. After that was hair and putting on the dress you’d had hanging up for several days now. As you chugged a giant glass of water, hoping it would somehow make your allergies disappear, your phone buzzed, letting you know that Roy was out front.

The lift was, as always, far too slow as it descended to the ground floor. As soon as the lift opened, you walked as quickly as you could out the front doors, eyes scanning the street for that giant black car you remembered from the party. It was a bit of a shock when you saw Roy standing on the sidewalk, his black ensemble contrasting with the bright bouquet of flowers he held.

“My niece told me to bring flowers. She said ladies love getting flowers on dates.” He handed them to you and planted a light kiss on your cheek, a tingly feeling lingering long after his lips left your skin. “If you don’t like them, you can blame her. She’s eight. What does she know about fucking dating?”

Keeley had warned you about this; Roy rambled when he was nervous. You instantly found it endearing.

“They’re lovely,” you assured him. “Your niece is very wise.”

Roy slipped his hand effortlessly into yours, giving it a squeeze as he led the way to his car. “She is.”

Your eyes flickered down to your hands, then up to his face. “Tell me about her.”

For most of the drive, Roy talked about his niece, Phoebe. Your heart melted at the way his face completely lit up when he spoke about all the time they spent together, clearly the best of friends. You had the feeling he didn’t always get to talk like this.

“You like space, right?” Roy’s question popped up out of nowhere.

“Space?” you repeated, not quite sure what he meant.

He nodded. “You, erm, mentioned in it one of your texts. That you wanted to be an astronomer or some shit when you were a kid?”

You were amazed that he remembered “Oh, yeah.” You let out a breathy chuckle. “Then I found out that you have to be good at maths for that, so I changed my mind. So now I’m more of a casual fan of space.”

Roy smirked. “Good, I got it right. I sort of picked the location for our date as soon as you told me about that.”

A pleased blush covered your face; you were pretty sure you’d talked about that maybe two days into texting one another. He’d been planning this for two weeks. He’d been thinking of you for two weeks.

The mystery location turned out to be the local observatory, a place you were a smidge embarrassed to admit you hadn’t been before.

“Well, I’m glad to introduce you to it,” Roy quipped as he took your hand again, leading you to the entrance. “Been here a few times with Pheebs, she loves it.” He passed the ticket booth and went straight to the entrance, where an employee scanned the tickets on his phone. “Bought these as soon as we set the date,” he informed you with a shrug. But you could see the excitement that shone in his eyes as you entered the building.

He kept your hand in his as he led you from exhibit to exhibit, pointing out his favorite things and listening intently to the comments you made and the facts that you shared, your old love of astronomy coming back to you as you prayed he ignored your sniffling. Some people gawked and waved at him; he gave curt nods of acknowledgement, but otherwise kept his attention on you, making you feel like the most important person in the world.

When he checked his phone, your heart stopped for the briefest moment, worried that maybe he wasn’t having as much fun as you were. Instead, he smiled at you, the way he’d been doing all afternoon.

“Did you want to see the planetarium show? They change it out every couple of months, I haven’t seen this one yet. It’s starting in a few minutes.”

You gave him a teasing nudge with your shoulder. “You sure Phoebe won’t mind if you saw it without her?”

Roy shrugged and pulled you towards the planetarium doors. “She’ll fucking get over it.”

If you were being very honest, you didn’t watch much of the show. You knew you saw stars and galaxies and planets, but the only thing you could really focus on was Roy and the way the lights danced across his bearded face. Your heart fluttered when he glanced at you in turn, quirking his eyebrow playfully each time your eyes met. About halfway through the show, he brought your still intertwined hands to his lips and pressed a featherlight kiss to your knuckles, making butterflies appear in your knotted stomach.

“Where to next?” you asked as the two of you left the planetarium, squeezing his hand.

Roy’s smile turned coy. “Phases of the moon,” he announced, gesturing towards the small room off to the side.

The two of you walked inside, and you were a bit relieved to find that it was empty, allowing you to be alone with Roy for the first time all day. Despite the fact that he mostly ignored the way people stared at him, you wanted a moment where he was just yours.

On the walls were images depicting each phase of the moon: new Moon, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full Moon, waning gibbous, third quarter and waning crescent. Projected on the ceiling above the two of you was a moon changing phases, showing how it progressed during its cycle.

Your heart skipped a beat when you realized how dark the room was, and how close Roy stood to you. His eyes were on the ceiling, watching the changing phases. He perked up as it neared the end of the cycle.

“Full moon,” he murmured.

Before you could respond, Roy leaned down and softly pressed his lips to yours, letting his free hand gently cup your face. As your lips moved slowly in response to his, you remembered a late-night text you had sent him about a week ago:

A kiss under a full moon is probably the most romantic thing I could imagine.

Sure enough, he shot you a wide smile once you’d parted. “There. First kiss under a full moon.”

You shook your head in disbelief. “Roy Kent, you hopeless romantic.”

“Promise you won’t fucking tell anyone,” he teased. As if to bribe you, he ducked his head and kissed you again, a slower, deeper kiss now.

You’d keep all of this man’s secrets if it meant feeling his lips against yours over and over again.

Fiercely blushing, the two of you stepped back out of the exhibit, with you wondering if everyone could sense that you had just kissed Roy Kent.

His hand gripped yours tightly as he led you back to the entrance. “You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Great. I know a place that makes the best kebabs.”

Seemingly as soon as you stepped outside, rain began falling over the two of you, wet and heavy. You tried to keep your footsteps brisk as you crossed the parking lot that seemed much bigger than it had earlier in the afternoon.

Great, you thought. I’m puffy and stuffed up and now I’m wet. Great. Real attractive.

But then you noticed that Roy was gazing down at you, his eyes filled with adoration and tenderness. His smile went all soft when your eyes locked.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” he breathed.

And right there, in the middle of a soaking wet parking lot, with your nose stuffed up and your aching head begging you to take an aspirin, you tugged him close to you, determined to get another kiss.

#he's here he's there he's every fucking where #roy kent #roy kent x reader #roy kent fanfiction #roy kent imagine #roy kent fic #roy kent fluff #roy kent fanfic #ted lasso #ted lasso imagine #ted lasso fanfic #ted lasso fic #ted lasso fluff

[mariagalleriax]

Midvalley the Hornfreak really was just some fucking guy. Think about it. Dominque the Cyclops had that cool thing going on, Legato was a menace that could telepathically annihilate you, Elendira was a bad bitch with giant nails, what was that samurai dudes name again? forgot. 

and then there’s Midvalley. What does he do? What is his weapon? A fucking SAXOPHONE. I wonder why Knives was like, mmmm yes. I need a little jazz in my ensemble. 

Also, dying by saxophone is such an L. Imagine dying by saxophone. Kneeling over because of a B-flat. That’s just insane. 

I love this man. Hope he’s sexy in stampede. 

#trigun #trigun maximum #badlands rumble #trigun stampede #gung ho guns #midvalley the hornfreak #millions knives #jazz #ya like jazz #yasuhiro nightow

[shyvioletcat]

Happy Holidays @sassyhobbits. I know this is very late but it's finally here! Thank you for understanding the hectic circumstances I found myself in pre-Christmas. I am officially the last postee of the @rowaelinscourt secret santa and as an apology I added a bonus epilogue to this fic. I hope you love it! It was very fun to write.

Word Count: 9500

CW: Swearing and smut

~~~~~

Aelin didn’t know how it happened. After almost a year of dancing around each other she and Rowan had finally gone on a date. And that date was perfect. Perfect food, perfect conversation and Aelin even found the perfect dress to wear for the night. It was a tasteful red number, in her favourite shade, tight enough to show off her form but not tight enough that everyone got the full show. Aelin couldn’t fault the night, and she had replayed every moment over and over enough to be confident in that conclusion. So she didn’t understand why even after the sweetest and most perfect kiss goodnight Rowan had vanished. 

Completely and utterly ghosted her. 

After kissing her goodnight at the door she had neither sight nor sound of him. There was a string of messages from her that had gone unanswered and in the end she had to find out through mutual friends that he had in fact vanished—physically. No one knew where he went or why, one day he was there and the next he was gone. Aelin hadn’t even managed one day of post date flirting in their office before he was gone. 

She had to go to Lorcan of all people to get confirmation that Rowan was alive. The information was passed over in a brief and curt conversation that between the lines said very clearly mind your own business. In other circumstances Aelin would have never approached the surly bastard, and the fact she had was testament to her desperation. Aelin was left to wonder and wallow, both of which she kept out of the workplace. She was the picture of professionalism, aloof and pretending to be unaffected by her damaged heart. Because she liked Rowan, more than liked even, and she thought that he cared for her too. Everything that Aelin had assumed was obviously wrong. 

It was pointless to worry about and Aelin was determined to put it out of her mind. Tonight was the perfect opportunity at the annual Yulemas party. A night of drinking and frivolity was exactly what she needed. This year the company had rented out a private room in a swanky pub by the river. Being so Aelin was dressing for the part. She knew the place and had been there a few times. There was a giant fireplace that would warm the whole room, so really she only needed her coat for the brief trip from the car to inside. She was wearing a satin green dress, the whole thing pleated. The neckline and back both dipped into a deep V, with a thick band around her waist. The sleeve barely went past the top of her shoulder and the hemline reached mid calf. It was a classy number with just a little bit of daring. 

The responsible driver that she was, Aelin checked on the arrival of the Uber as she put the finishing touches on her ensemble. They were elegant gold drop earrings and a delicate matching chain around her neck. The gold dust she added to her eyelids highlighted the gold tones in her eyes and matched her jewellery too, and with one final look in the mirror decided she was done. Aelin watched the approach of her ride on her phone and when it was close enough she slipped on her red three quarter length coat and darted out into the cold. 

Blessedly, the ride to the pub wasn’t far and her driver was on the quieter side. Aelin didn’t feel like talking to a stranger. She still said thank you though as she left the car, and she had just dipped her hands into the pocket of her coat when she felt her phone buzz with a notification. Not willing to freeze her fingers off in the bitter Orynth winter, Aelin waited until she was in the doorway before she pulled her phone out to read the message. It was from Lysandra, her best friend turned cousin’s girlfriend through a turn of happy circumstances. She didn’t work with Aelin but she would have come as Aedion’s plus one because he did. 

Lys: You’ll never BELIEVE who’s here.

There was no other information besides those five words but Aelin knew, she knew who Lysandra was talking about. Her stomach twisted as she pushed through the door and she couldn’t tell if it was the warmth of the fire or her anxiety that warmed her cheeks. The sound of chatter and laughter drew her attention and she could see all her colleagues standing around, drinks in hand and mingling. Like a moth to a flame her gaze zeroed in on the one man she was not expecting to see.

Dressed in a crisp white dress shirt and grey pants, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and looking effortlessly handsome as he always did, was Rowan. He didn’t notice her and Aelin bit down on the need to hide before he did. She just needed to disappear into the crowd and effortlessly ignore him. 

Aelin slipped off her coat and draped it over her arm, walking over to the gathered party. She was just on the edges of it when Rowan noticed her.

“Shit,” she muttered under her breath. She quickly turned before she could read the expression on his face, she needed to come up with some kind of plan—and fast. Aelin glanced over her colleagues and spotted her saviour. A man who was down for anything, and despite being friends with the both of them Aelin knew he would do whatever she asked.

Plastering a smile on her face Aelin hurried the last few steps towards her target which would be interpreted as excitement. When she was close enough her hands rested on his forearm, steadying her as she rose up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. 

“Pretend to be my date,” Aelin said, wiping away the slight lipstick residue from his cheek.

Fenrys peered down at her with a perplexed look that quickly turned into enthusiasm. “Sure thing, I got you.”

Aelin sighed in relief. “You’ve saved my life.’

Fenrys gave her a perfectly flirtatious wink. “Always happy to help. Would you like a drink?” 

Aelin nearly groaned. “Desperately.”

Fenrys stepped away, putting a hand on her lower back as he circled her on the way to the bar. As soon as he was gone Lysandra sidled up next to her, dressed in a form fitting, knee length, one shoulder, green velvet number. She looped their arms together, bringing them closer so she could whisper. “What was that?”

“Hey, we’re matching,” Aelin diverted, nodding down at her own green dress she’d chosen for the evening. 

But Lysandra was not going to be so easily distracted. “That was nowhere even close to the answer to that question.”

Aelin knew she wouldn’t get away with not answering and tossed her loose hair over her shoulder, standing a little taller. “Fenrys is now my date.”

“Oh, I see,” Lysandra said, nodding sagely. “And that wouldn’t have anything to do with the sudden reappearance of a certain someone, would it?”

Her best friend was privy to everything that had gone on. Lysandra was the only one to have heard about Aelin’s feelings about being abandoned by the man she might very well be falling in love with. Aelin had gone back and forth and around in circles so many times trying to figure what had happened, then more importantly how she felt about it. Lysandra had listened and given advice, so knew how much Rowan’s appearance had rattled Aelin even as she took the contrary path. 

“Of course not.”

“Well, you do what you have to do. A little bit of jealousy never hurt anybody,” Lysandra said. 

“Precisely,” Aelin said as she sent a glowing smile Fenrys’ way as he approached with their drinks. As he got closer Aelin disentangled herself from her best friend and swapped her physical closeness to her date. She wrapped a hand around his waist and took her drink. Fenrys played the part perfectly, casually relaxing into her touch brushing his thumb at a respectful position on her hip.

“Do I get to know what all this is about, or?” Fenrys asked, shooting a curious look over the rim of his glass. 

“Maybe later,” Aelin said in hushed tones, not wanting to risk being overheard. “But for now, you are my date.”

“Boyfriend?” Fenrys was sounding a little too keen. 

“Mmm, almost,” Aelin hesitated. She glanced at Rowan who was looking over at her and doing a very poor job at hiding it. Her reaction was to lean into Fenrys a little more, a hand lifting to his face to brush one of his stray curls out of his face. “We’ll see how we go.”

Throughout the night they both played their parts perfectly. Fenrys was doting and attentive, he always had a hand on her, making sure they looked like they were here together. If any other colleagues had questions they kept quiet. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves enough to not worry about anyone else’s business. Aelin was on her way back from the bathroom and searching for her fake date when she got distracted by some kind of clatter coming from the kitchen and ended up walking into a body. In her towering heels she swayed a little but that body also had an arm, and it reached out to stop her from falling on her ass. 

“Sorry, Aelin.”

Oh no.

Dread filled her body as she recognised the voice, and considered running. She had expertly avoided him all night and then now because of one moment of distraction it had been ruined. She would have circumnavigated her way around him instead of walking into his stupidly solid body. 

“It’s fine,” she muttered.

Rowan must have realised that he was still holding onto her, and almost gingerly let her go. Aelin pointedly ignored every emotion that abrupt gesture made rise up. She didn’t know where to look, but she certainly didn’t want to look at him, so she chose up. 

Oh. Gods. No, no way was she committing to this and she needed to move before someone else noticed. Everyone was tipsy enough that they would insist. Whoever decided hanging mistletoe was a good idea needed a brutal form of punishment. And looking at Rowan now… she knew that look in his eyes. He was contemplating the godsdamned tradition. She would bet her Yulemas bonus that the next words out of his mouth would be asking for permission. Aelin needed to flee, with dignity, and she couldn’t quite work out how to do it. 

“There you are, Princess,” Fenrys’ smooth voice came from behind her as his arm snaked around her waist. Aelin literally sighed in relief. “And would you look at that.”

As Aelin turned into Fenrys’ embrace she followed his gaze upward to the tastefully tied sprig hung from the ceiling. 

“May I?” Fenrys asked under his breath. 

“Yes,” Aelin answered just as quietly. 

Cupping her cheek Fenrys lowered his mouth to hers. Slow enough that Aelin could change her mind, but not so slow it made it look weird. His lips were warm and steady, and she had to hand it to the guy, he was a good kisser. More than that he made sure it was quite the show for anyone—just maybe the person closest to them—who might be watching. Fenrys even went as far as giving her just the smallest of dips, a broad hand on her back to keep them steady. She had to hand it to him, he was putting on a show in the very best way. She was sure from the movement of his lips that it probably looked like he was devouring her face too. 

The kiss ended and Fenrys righted them, giving Aelin a sly wink along the way. She couldn’t help it, she turned to see Rowan’s reaction. She sensibly expected to find that he had fled the scene. To her petty delight he hadn’t, he was just glaring at them with an expression of confused shock. Then he shook his head, walking away and straight to the bar. 

Aelin turned to her partner in crime who was looking very smug. “Thanks for withholding the tongue.”

“I am nothing if not a gentleman,” he replied.

That made Aelin laugh and she hugged her friend in gratitude for upholding his reputation for being down for absolutely anything. 

“Come on.” Fenrys said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “Let’s get you a drink.

It was two drinks later when the flow of the night was disrupted and brought to a very abrupt halt. Aelin was at the bar when there was an almost simultaneous reaction as everyone received the same message at the same time. Aelin read the alert and was mildly thankful she had a legitimate reason to cut the night short. 

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING: BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXPECTED. SEEK SHELTER SOON IN PREPARATION.

There was a lull while everyone processed and then everything restarted as they planned their next moves. Not having her car here, Aelin was in a slight bind. She quickly brought up the Uber app but the drivers were all shutting down their cars so that they could stay off the roads and bunker down. Aelin’s masterful plan of getting a ride had backfired, and she didn’t exactly live near anyone else in attendance. Aedion, who was her best bet, had left about an hour ago. Her only option now was to beg for a lift. Fenrys, as her fake date, seemed the best place to start. She looked for him in the crowd and spotted him at the table they had been occupying while they ate the steady stream of nibblies that had been served throughout the night. 

“Can you drive me home?”

“Sure thing, babe,” Fenrys said. 

“You live in the complete opposite direction,” Rowan said without an invitation to the conversation. Aelin hadn’t even noticed that he was standing there. 

“Yes, thank you for pointing that out,” Aelin said, dismissing him. 

“Let me take you so Fenrys can get home before the weather gets too bad,” Rowan added. 

“Don’t hate me, Aelin,” Fenrys said quietly and grimacing. “But he has a point.”

“Some date you are,” Aelin threw back at him. 

Fenrys tried to give her a smile but the glare she was shooting at him must have been making that difficult. “Misty doesn’t like snow storms.”

“Low blow, you know Misty is my weak spot,” Aelin said, voice resigned. Misty was a white husky and a complete baby. She hated being left alone, and Aelin knew that in this weather her anxiety would rise. Despite her substantial size, that dog was as soft as a marshmallow, which with her winter coat he closely resembled. 

Fenrys stooped down to give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry, Aelin. If he tries anything just kick him in the balls and kick him out of the car. He’s cold-hearted enough that he’ll survive.”

And didn’t Aelin know it.

She tried not to let her disappointment and anxiety show as she smiled at Fenrys. “Thank you for a lovely evening.” 

Fenrys gave her a wink as he picked up his jacket from the back of the chair. “Any time.”

Entirely unimpressed by the situation Aelin turned around to address Rowan. “Fine. Let’s go.”

She grabbed her coat and stormed over to the front door. All he did was fall in step behind, catching the door for himself as they stepped into the cold. In her rush Aelin hadn’t bothered with putting her coat on and was now freezing. What made the situation worse was that in her frustration she managed to lose her coordination. She got one arm in but the other refused to work with her and she couldn’t find the other sleeve.

The coat suddenly got lighter and there was a soft murmuring of, “Here.”

Just wanting to get warm Aelin allowed the assistance to happen. She didn’t bother to look at Rowan or say thank you, she just braced herself for the deteriorating weather. The wind sent the snowflakes around in thick flurries, and from the bitter and harsh chill in the air Aelin knew they were in for a bad one. Rowan was only a few steps behind her, and she waited for him to lead the way to his car.

“This way,” was all he said before he walked down the street. 

The snow was sticking enough that Rowan’s shoes were leaving imprints in the snow. Aelin followed them step for step, not wanting to risk slipping. Honestly, she wanted this walk to last forever so that she wouldn’t have to be alone in a car with this man who found her so abhorrent he couldn’t even offer an explanation for his behaviour. Probably. That was obviously the most logical reason. 

A ridiculous reason was that he had been abducted by aliens and had only just been returned to earth. 

Aelin was so caught up in her own thoughts that her high heeled boot sinking into untouched snow was her indication that they’d reached Rowan’s car. He was there, the door held ajar ready to let her in. She hated the chivalry of it, hated that she liked the consideration. Why couldn’t he just be a bastard and make it easy to hate him? All Aelin could do was ignore everything besides the need to get home. The door opening was a means to an end. Sitting inside the freezing car waiting for it to drive on the snow covered road was just the next thing on the list. Sitting in silence is what would get her home. She just hoped Rowan was in on the plan. 

Rowan started the car, all his attention on the precarious conditions outside. It seemed they were on the same brainwave because he didn’t say a word and Aelin chose to distract herself on her phone. She shot off a message to Lysandra to explain the awful situation she has been left in thanks to her early departure and then she checked the weather. They were in for a serious storm tonight, and it was looking like it might shut the city down tomorrow as well. That at least meant tomorrow she could wallow in self pity alone. 

At times Aelin knew Rowan was glancing her way, she could see him in her peripheries but not once did she fall for the bait. If he didn’t have the balls to start a conversation she wasn’t going to give him any help on the matter. Aelin just started counting down the minutes until she would be safe and home.

Twenty minutes later and they’d done it. All the way out to Aelin’s tidy little house neither of them had said a single word. Rowan pulled into her driveway, his headlights the only thing illuminating the front facade of her house. Aelin must have forgotten about her porch light on her way out the door. From the look of it the snow was already a few inches thick. The flashlight on her phone would have to be her trusty companion. Because she wasn’t entirely devoid of manners she wasn’t going to leave without thanking Rowan for going out of his way. 

“Thanks,” she muttered quickly. 

Before she could even get her hand to the handle Rowan replied, “let me walk you to the door.”

Aelin was gaping as he got out and turned the torch on his phone. She got out of the car before he could come around and get her himself. Then she couldn’t help it, she slammed the door harder than she should have. Rowan didn’t say a word to her the entire trip and now he was trying to be the nice guy and walk her to her door? She’d had enough. Aelin wanted him gone but she also wanted some kind of explanation because this cold to lukewarm was beyond frustrating. 

Marching past Rowan with her own phone out, Aelin blindly grabbed her keys out of her handbag. It was small so that was easy, and she had them in hand as she stomped up the wooden steps of her front porch. The porch was screened in so it offered some reprieve from the weather. Rowan was considerate enough to angle his phone so that she could see what she was doing and in moments her front door was unlocked. 

“Goodnight,” Rowan said, his obligations discharged. 

That was when Aelin broke. She nudged the door open just so she could reach on and flick on the porch light. Rowan had already started his descent into the night but she wasn’t about to let him get away that fast. 

“Hey,” Aelin nearly shouted. “What is your deal?”

Rowan stopped just on the edge of the porch, then took another step forward to stop the snow from falling on him. “I didn’t want you to fall in the dark.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Aelin willed her emotions in the direction of anger. “What did I do that made you disappear for weeks and then you come back and there’s still nothing?”

Emotion flashed across Rowan’s face, and his mouth tightened. “It wasn’t you.”

Aelin scoffed. “That’s lovely to hear and I totally believe you.”

“I’m not lying.” 

“Why, Rowan?” Aelin asked, her voice coming out with a finality that told him if he didn’t answer her now he wouldn’t have another chance.

Rowan stepped forward a little more, fully under the protection of the porch roof now. “It was my ex.”

“Your ex?” Aelin’s voice was incredulous. “Ah-uh. That’s reassuring.”

“Please, just listen.” Rowan’s fisting tightened, showing the tension in his body. 

But Aelin could not suppress the bitter resignation that was overwhelming her. “No, say no more. I’m a smart girl. I can put two and two together.”

She was more than obviously on her way into the house, because she’d heard enough. Hearing the confirmation from Rowan’s mouth just might obliterate what was left of her heart. Seething anger was her best defence, she couldn’t let him have the upper hand. Freedom was within reach—Aelin’s hand was on the door—when there was a gentle touch on her shoulder. A voice inside her head told her to ignore it, to just step inside her house and give the door a well deserving slam right in Rowan’s face. For some godsdamned reason she chose not to listen to that angry but highly sensible voice. Aelin turned, taking in Rowan’s hesitant features in the grey light. 

“Can you just hear what I have to say?” Rowan all but pleaded. Aelin nodded, watching as the man in front of her sighed heavily, readying himself. “Turns out right before my ex and I broke up she got pregnant, and she didn’t tell me. I have a daughter, her name is Ivy and she’s nearly two. I left because I went to Doranelle to meet her and sort everything out. You didn’t hear from me because I didn’t know how to process any of this. All I knew was that I needed to get on a plane and meet this child I didn’t know anything about, which is what I did. And I’m sorry for whatever pain that caused you.”

Aelin was speechless, she could only stare at Rowan while emotion flooded him. She hadn’t expected this. When he’d said ex she had expected that they had come back into Rowan’s life, and that old flame had rekindled, not that. 

“Oh,” was all she managed to say.

“I’m sorry for what happened, Aelin,” Rowan said. “It wasn’t what I wanted for us, but I didn’t know how to navigate through it all.”

For a moment Aelin just contemplated the news. Rowan had a kid, a daughter—nearly two according to him. It was a lot to take in, and there was one thing she kept coming back to. It was most likely due to her simmering anger, but she and Rowan had been friends until they took the plunge into something more, so Aelin couldn’t help but ask herself why hadn’t he told her? She’d been devastated, and she couldn’t let that go.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Aelin said quietly. 

“I…” Rowan hesitated and looked out into the dark. “I don’t have an answer for you.”

“You need one, Rowan.” Her anger had free rein now that the shock had worn off. “You left me hurt and wondering what I could have done to drive you away. You could have said anything, just one little thing and I would have been fine. I get what you’re going through is hard but you didn’t need to shut me out.”

“You’re right,” Rowan said simply.

“Great, glad we cleared that up.” Aelin felt her emotions rising as she spoke, and she didn’t want to cry in front him. “You should go.”

“I will,” he said, but he didn’t go just yep. “I’m sorry, again.”

“Thanks for that, means a lot,” Aelin said, the sarcasm dripping from each word.

Rowan straightened, anger flashing across his features, but besides a slight narrowing of his eyes he offered her no other reaction. Aelin didn’t say goodbye as she went into her house, leaning on the door to shut it. She thought she could hear Rowan’s footsteps trudging through the snow, or maybe that was just her imagination willing him away. He’d offered her an explanation but that didn’t wipe away the weeks of simmering hurt. Yes, they had taken the next step in their relationship but more than that they were friends. And friends didn’t leave like that. 

Aelin shook her head and made for her bedroom, fiddling with the thermostat on the way. If a blizzard was imminent she wanted to prepare accordingly. She focused the heating towards her bedroom, there were no plans to spend any time elsewhere in the house. Maybe just the kitchen for a midnight snack to drown her sorrows.

She tugged off her coat and hung that up, and then her boots were next. Aelin was unclasping the chain at her neck when there was a knock on her door. At first Aelin thought she was hearing things so just froze where she was, listening and waiting to see if it happened again. It did, this time more insistent. 

The first thing she felt was confusion and then apprehension, because who would be knocking on her door at this time of night in this kind of weather? Aelin’s chest caved a little at the most obvious answer as to who it might be. Barefooted, she left her bedroom and walked down the hall to the front of the house. The porch light went back on and Aelin used the peephole to confirm her suspicions. 

“For fucks sake,” she muttered to herself and didn’t wait to all but throw the door open. “What is it?”

Rowan stood there, looking miserable and freezing. “My car won’t start.”

Aelin blinked once. “What?”

“Cold drain and it won’t start,” Rowan said, a jerking gesture of his hand towards the driveway.

Aelin peered around Rowan’s broad shoulders, noting how bad the weather had gotten. His excuse was plausible and there was no way he’d be able to find an alternative arrangement to get him home now. Aelin could not believe her luck. What else was this night going to throw at her?

“Come in then,” she said, stepping back to let Rowan through the door. 

He did as she instructed, with barely a glance in Aelin’s direction. Rowan quickly ran into a problem—he didn’t know where to go. So he ended up lingering in the entryway, kind of glancing around to get some idea of where he should be heading. Aelin shut the door on the blistering cold of the outside world and felt like she was setting a trap for herself. There was only one course of action here, despite her feelings she couldn’t leave Rowan to freeze in his car. Her couch would have to do. 

“This way,” Aelin said, leading him through the entryway and past her study to the living room. It was far colder in here because of the floor to ceiling windows that looked out on a stylish courtyard. Even with the curtains closed there was a definite chill in the air. It would only get colder too. “I’ll grab you some things.”

“Thanks,” was Rowan’s response. 

Aelin went off to her linen cupboard, gathering some sheets and her thickest blanket. While she quickly slipped a pillow into a fresh pillowcase she worked very hard to keep her thoughts rational. 

“Fine. This is fine,” she told herself. “I’ll just close my door and pretend he doesn’t exist. I’ll just pretend he’s off living his new life without me.”

Hugging the bedding to her chest Aelin went back to the living room. Rowan was by the window, peeking behind the curtains, checking out the weather. Aelin dropped everything in the middle of the three seater. Rowan let go of the curtain but he didn’t move from his spot by the window. This felt like a standoff and Aelin couldn’t work out what for. Did he want to say something? Apologise again? Or was he waiting for her to magnanimously forgive him for leaving her? If the latter was what he was after he was out of luck.

“If you need anything else the linen cupboard is just outside the bathroom,” Aelin said and left it at that.

“It’s nice to see you’ve moved on so quickly.” There was a definite tinge of bitterness to his voice. 

For a brief moment Aelin was confused, then she remembered her little game of pretend with Fenrys that seemingly was coming back to bite her in the ass. But she wasn’t about to yield defeat now. “Jealousy is never a good look.”

“I’m not jealous,” he said far too quickly. 

Aelin was relishing in the fact that she had got under his skin. “Enjoy the show, did you?”

“That’s all it was, wasn’t it? A farce to get a rise out of me?”

Rowan was always a little too perceptive for his own good. Aelin shrugged in response. “Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Rowan asked. 

But Aelin wasn’t interested in continuing the conversation. “Goodnight, Rowan. Sweet dreams.”

The house was silent as Aelin made her way back to her bedroom leaving Rowan floundering with her sickly sweet goodnight and confusion around the whole Fenrys matter. The only sounds were the steadily worsening storm outside. Sleep was the ultimate goal and Aelin could only hope that Rowan wouldn’t haunt her dreams—his close proximity making that very likely. Back in the sanctuary of her bedroom she reached for her phone typing across the screen at breakneck pace and managing not even one typo. The message was intended for her best friend, but Aelin doubted she’d get a reply. Lysandra would probably be blissfully asleep by now. 

Aelin: Thanks to your early departure to do GODS know what ROWAN has ended up in my house. I blame you and your drunken horniness. 

Aelin threw the phone onto her plush blanket and yanked on the tie that held her sleeves up across her upper back. Apparently, she had pulled the wrong one, because all she accomplished was tangling it into a tight knot. Biting down on her frustration she counted to three before shifting her focus to her zipper. If she could get the dress loose around her waist it could just go over her head. Simple. 

But Aelin wasn’t as in charge of her appendages as she thought she was. That frustration was swirling with that anger and mixing into something that was feeling a lot like anxiety. That combination was fatal and the sharp pull she gave on her zipper only caused it to jam. The satin had slipped between Aelin’s fingers and no matter how hard she tried, the fabric wasn’t coming free.

“Come on,” she hissed, trying over and over again. It didn’t work. She was trapped and she vowed never to wear this dress again. 

Aelin moved over to her mirror so she could inspect the situation. Peering over her shoulder it was hard to tell the best way out. She was searching through the pleats when her disastrous night took yet another turn for the worse. The lights went out and Aelin cursed colourfully. What a time to get stuck in her dress.

There were three options for Aelin at this moment. One, she could rip herself out of the dress, but she liked it and had spent a decent amount of money on it. Option two she could sleep in it, even though that would mean being highly uncomfortable with it cinching at her waist and it would undoubtedly tangle around her legs. Number three was the worst but also the one with the highest chance of success. 

“Rowan,” Aelin called out into the dark, waiting for a response but not expecting one.

“Yes?” He answered surprisingly fast. 

“I need your help, can you come in here?”

There was no verbal answer but soon enough she heard his footfalls moving through the house. He was using the torch on his phone to lead the way and Aelin blinked as that white light came not the room. Rowan was still in his shirt and pants, but he had removed his shoes. For a moment she wondered what he’d planned to sleep in but promptly decided that it was none of her business. Instead She put her back to him so that he could see the problem, but still said, “I’m stuck.”

“Okay,” was Rowan’s very simple answer. 

Aelin heard him move closer and he set his phone down on the bed so that he could work. With a brief nudge of his fingers he shooed hers away from the jammed zipper so that he could work. She dropped her hands to her sides and waited. To help with whatever the problem was his fingers brushed the bare skin of her back. Aelin could have yelped from how freezing they were. It reminded her that her living room would be so cold without the heater to warm it up now that the power was out. Her bedroom would be the most comfortable room in the house. Lucky her. 

They both stood in silence, Aelin perfectly still while Rowan worked. His presence behind her was hard to ignore, she could feel the warmth of his body and it sent her rigid when he stepped that little bit closer to get a better angle. 

“It's stuck good,” Rowan muttered. “Just give me a second.”

“Alright,” Aelin said softly. 

There was a sharp tug around her waist and then the sound of the zipper giving way, and Aelin sighed in relief. 

“Hold on, I’ll get the top too,” Rowan added. 

The ties tickled her back so much that Aelin shivered and Rowan murmured his apologies. Soon enough that was undone too and she felt the sleeves threaten to fall off her shoulders. Aelin didn’t move, and neither did Rowan. There seemed to be an impasse developing, they were caught in a limbo. It was Rowan who sighed and stepped back, sighing as he did.

“I’m so sorry,” Rowan said, his voice sounding almost devasted. “I didn’t mean to hurt you like I did. It was selfish of me, but I didn’t say anything because I wasn’t sure how you would handle it. Suddenly I’ve got baggage and my life has completely changed, and there was the chance you would run. And I…” Rowan inhaled deeply. “I don’t want to risk this because I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Those words shocked the breath out of her. Aelin turned slowly, the white light of the phone torch lighting Rowan’s features. All the anger of earlier was gone, in front of her stood a man defeated. For all her claiming that they were friends, Aelin wasn’t being a great one herself.

“I just,” Rowan stalled again and ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want to be a shitty father. I couldn't ignore Ivy’s existence and keep going how things were. I’m sorry you were the casualty in all of this.”

“Oh, Rowan,” Aelin sighed. Yes, he had left her, but the alternative might have broken him further. The Rowan he knew would never shirk out of a responsibility that would have such lasting effects. That wouldn’t be the man she had fallen in love with. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise, this is me. I fucked things up,” he insisted. “You have nothing to be sorry for, I shouldn’t—“

Aelin did the only thing she could think of to shut him up and that was to put her mouth on his. Rowan immediately melted into the kiss, his broad hands going to her waist, then sweeping to the small of her back to press her closer. When their lips broke apart their foreheads met and for a few long moments they just stood there, taking each other and the sudden development in. 

“I want you, everything that you are, Rowan. If you had not gone you wouldn’t be the man I know,” Aelin told him. “The man that I’m falling in love with.”

His hands tightened on her waist. “Aelin,” Rowan whispered.

“This doesn’t change who you are,” Aelin said, stepping a little closer. “You’ve said you’ve messed up but I’m seeing now you were doing what you could. I’m sure you’ll make up for all the shit you put me through.”

“My life is completely changed now, though. I have a daughter.” There was a touch of anguish in his voice, as if he was still tearing himself up over everything. 

“And I have a thing for DILFs.”

The inappropriate words were out of her mouth before Aelin could even think and the mortification she felt quickly melted away as Rowan laughed. The sound burst out of him, likely due to the suddenness of the quip. She was even rewarded with a brief but infinitely sweet kiss. 

“Goodnight, Aelin. We can talk more in the morning.”

Aelin wasn’t having that and she caught Rowan by the shirt, hands fisting in the white crisp material that seemed to glow in the harsh light. “You’ll freeze out there. It’ll be warmer in here, if we stay together. You know what they say about the cold and body heat.”

The offer was there, and Aelin hoped to the gods Rowan would take it. She had just managed to get him back, she wasn’t about to let him go again so soon. 

“The couch is fine.” The words of a true gentleman. 

“Stay,” Aelin pleaded, foreheads together and she teased him with the slightest brush of her lips. 

“You’re sure?” Rowan asked, his grip on her waist getting tighter.

Aelin dropped her shoulders, let her dress drop to her elbows. It was something Rowan didn’t miss, his eyes darting down to the lace that was newly exposed. 

“Stay with me, Rowan.”

That was all the permission he needed and then he was kissing her again. Using the grip Aelin still had on his shirt she pulled him down with her as she fell back. Rowan was more than willing, catching himself as before he crushed her. 

“The whole time I was away I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he said in between kisses. “That one kiss is what kept me going.”

Aelin could sense yet another apology coming, but she had had enough of words, she needed action. “I said you could make it up to me, why don’t you start now?”

The sound of Rowan’s low laugh against Aelin’s neck had her skin breaking out in goosebumps, even more so when his fingers dragged over her shoulders, pulling her dress down. Aelin’s breath was heavy and she could feel herself straining against the confines of her exposed bra. The phone light was still on, highlighting every curve that Rowan’s dark eyes were currently roving over. When their gazes met Aelin’s arousal spiked, from that look she could tell Rowan was a man with ideas and she was ready to be part of every single one of them. 

“It would be my pleasure,” Rowan said.

And hers.

Braced over her, he lowered his lips to her breast, teasing the peak of it through the black lace of her bra. Aelin moaned, one hand finding its way into Rowan’s silver hair and the other running up his back. She could feel his muscles shifting as he switched to the other breast. Holy gods, was he determined to make it up to her. Just with his tongue and teeth she was already a needy, writhing mess. From the smile she caught tilting up the corners of his mouth it was clear Rowan was enjoying himself too. 

Then he was working his way down her body, taking the dress with him. When he and the dress got to her hips Aelin lifted them and within moments all that she was left in was her matching lingerie set. 

“Beautiful,” Rowan said.

Aelin preened under the compliment, raising a knee slightly and stretched her arms above her head. She knew she looked good, she could feel it in the way Rowan’s gaze tracked her movements—the way his hand slid down to a heavy presence at her hips. Rowan was kneeling at the foot of the bed now, he’d got there without her noticing. What she did notice was his finger moving her underwear to the side and his mouth pressing against her core. 

Aelin was dizzy with pleasure as Rowan worked her with his tongue. She utterly surrendered to him, letting him guide her towards that peak that was approaching embarrassingly fast. Rowan didn’t seem to mind though, and he could read her like a book. He sucked on her clit and then flicked it with his tongue, making Aelin moan.

“Come for me, love,” Rowan said lowly, his voice rumbling against her sensitive skin. “I know you’re right there.”

He went back to work with a rolling sweep of his tongue and Aelin broke. Her hips moved of their own accord, riding his face as wave after wave of her orgasm was drawn out by Rowan’s expertise. When Aelin’s body went limp Rowan withdrew, and somewhere in her hazy brain she registered him removing his clothes, then he paid her the same courtesy. Clever fingers undid her bra with one hand and then her underwear was gone as well. Aelin had recovered enough that she sat up on her elbows and was able to see all of him. Rowan was magnificent, and Aelin took the time to look her fill, eyes catching on the hand that slowly worked his erection. Sitting up a little further Aelin moved up the bed until she was leaning against the pillows. Like magnets being drawn to each other Rowan followed, nearly prowling until he was hovering over her.

Aelin reached down, stroking Rowan’s cock, sighing at the silken feel of him. He groaned, his head falling to her shoulder. Impatient Rowan kept one arm steady to stop himself from falling on her, his free hand wandered over the dips and curve of Aelin’s skin. She gasped when his fingers dipped between her legs, still sensitive from his previous ministrations. 

Rowan’s lips brushed over her cheek, then the corner of her mouth and then graced her with a proper kiss. “You’re so ready for me.”

All Aelin could do was nod, arching her hips, desperate for him to fill her. Sense kicked in and she reached over to her nightstand, yanking the drawer open and pulling out a string of condoms. 

“I don’t think we’ll need that many,” Rowan said.

Aelin’s snort was unattractive but she couldn’t help it. This was part of why she was falling in love with Rowan, they could be real and raw in every sense with no threat of repercussion. It now included bad jokes during sex, and Aelin didn’t mind in the very least. 

“Never say never,” she replied, ripping just a single packet off. She tore it open, glancing up at Rowan. “May I?”

This time Rowan nodded, his eyelids fluttering as Aelin’s fingers smoothed the condom down the length of him. There was a moment where they just looked at each other, waiting for the other to make the final move. In the end it was Aelin, wrapping her arms around her his neck and kissing him deeply. And then something snapped. 

When Rowan surged forward, his eagerness knocked his phone off the foot of the bed, plunging them into darkness. Their lips never broke apart, Aelin moaning as Rowan’s tongue swept into her mouth. She never wanted to leave this bed, not when he could make her feel this good. Rowan eventually broke the kiss, lips tickling over skin until he stopped where her neck and shoulder met. Aelin opened her eyes to near pitch blackness, all it did was heighten her other senses. Every touch felt more intense, heightened by not knowing where Rowan would be next. He kissed and sucked at her neck, distracting Aelin from his other goal. A broad hand covered her breast, fingers rolling and then pinching her nipple. The noises that escaped her lips were unrestrained and turned desperate when she felt his cock at her entrance.

Before he could push in, Aelin pressed on his shoulder, and Rowan took the hint—rolling of her so she could roll onto him. In the dregs of light coming from behind her curtains Aelin could just make out the outline of Rowan’s body, her hands smoothing over his stomach to his shoulders. His cock was hard and demanding beneath her, and she took the opportunity to tease him just a little by rolling her hips over him. Rowan’s sharp groan echoed in the quiet room and it was enough to break all of Aelin’s resolve. She reached between them, lining him up and then sinking down on him with a desperate slowness. 

“Fuck, Aelin. You feel so good.”

Aelin whimpered at the praise, hips moving of their own accord. For all Rowan said—he felt just as good. From then they moved together, Rowan thrusted up and Aelin ground down on him, each movement feeling delicious and decadent. Hands travelled where they would, teasing and soothing simultaneously. The coil within Aelin wound tighter and she chased that feeling. She felt Rowan’s hand on her stomach, pressing down and then sliding up her body, between the valley of her breasts. Naively Aelin thought he would stop there to taunt and tease, but he didn’t. His palm cupped her cheek, thumb brushing over the crest of it. 

“I love you,” Rowan breathed, hips flexing and driving her mad. 

“Gods, Rowan.” Aelin was close, and it might be this moment of softness that pushed her over the edge. “I love you too.”

That coil snapped and Aelin cried out as pleasure broke over every nerve. Rowan was right behind her, moaning her name as he spilled himself inside her. Limbless, Aelin fell onto Rowan’s chest, her rapid breathing falling into sync with his as her body rose and fell. They lay like that for a long while, basking in each other’s closeness. Aelin truly didn’t want to let him go, it seemed too soon. 

Still, she didn’t fight him as Rowan got up and retrieved his phone. He easily found the bathroom because it was the only other door besides the one he had initially walked through. Aelin made use of the time by untucking the blankets and scooting underneath them. Without Rowan’s body next to hers she was starting to feel the chill. The whole joke about body heat might actually have some truth in it. Rowan was back within moments, joining her in the plush bedding. He had barely settled when Aelin was shifting closer, pulling his arms around her. Rowan chuckled, bringing her in closer still as he settled into bed. 

“Thank you for giving me a chance, Aelin,” Rowan said.

Aelin tried to be serious but she couldn’t help it. “After that I don’t know how—”

Rowan silenced her with a kiss. “Godsdamned smartass.”

They both laughed and Aelin let it be. She rested her hand over Rowan’s heart and let that steady rhythm ground her. “You’re mine now, so.”

It was quiet for a long while, until Rowan spoke again. 

“This won’t be easy,” Rowan said, pressing a kiss to Aelin’s forehead. 

She snuggled in a little closer, melting into Rowan’s embrace, returning his kiss to his cheek. “We’ll work it out. Together.”

At those words Rowan held her tighter. “Together.”

ONE YEAR LATER…

Aelin was in a panic. She had a plan and then that plan had gloriously failed her. What was worse is that it wasn’t just one big thing, it was a collection of lots of little things that threatened to push her over the edge. Today was meant to be perfect, it had to be perfect. It was too important not to be. 

It had started with running out of flour, which Rowan was on his way out to get now. And then Aelin had stupidly not been wearing an apron and spilled sauce over the pants she had planned to wear the rest of the evening. But her biggest plunder had had to do with the semi raw turkey that she was currently staring at. Aelin’s kitchen was equipped with double ovens, which came in handy for Yulemas dinner. Or so she had thought. 

Aelin had the baked cheesecake in one oven and the turkey in the other. When the cheesecake was finished cooking it needed to be rested in the oven for a bit. So Aelin had switched off the dial and let it be. That was fine, good even. But then in her flustered state Aelin had seen that the other oven was still on, got the them mixed up and turned that one off too and was quickly distracted by the boiling potatoes overflowing. 

She had successfully turned both ovens off and now she was left without a main meal but a very delicious looking dessert. 

Rowan found her staring down the turkey as he dropped the shopping bag on the counter. “Everything all right there?”

“If there was a power outage it would just be the icing on the cake,” Aelin said, not taking her eyes off the turkey that she was sure was mocking her. 

She felt Rowan’s hand settle on her hips as he came up behind her, pressing a single kiss to her neck. “We do okay in a power outage.”

Aelin batted him away. “Not now. This is a disaster. I can’t serve raw turkey. Everyone will be here in like half an hour.”

The three people who were responsible for Aelin’s culinary demise. Rowan’s parents were bringing Ivy over from Doranelle for an early Yulemas celebration. Over the past year Rowan had worked his hardest to be part of his daughter’s life, and he had succeeded with flying colours. He was the best Dad he could be considering the circumstances. Co-parenting wasn’t easy, but Rowan had flown over as much as he could to build a connection with Ivy, and she had come to Orynth with her mother a few times to visit. So this wasn’t the first time Aelin was meeting Ivy, but it was the first time she would be formally meeting Iris and Evander Whitethorn. They had chatted over video calls, but that was it. And Yulemas was such a big event in a nearly three year old’s calendar. Aelin wanted to make a good impression but that goal was slowly slipping from her fingers. 

“Why not just put it back in the oven and see how we go?” Rowan suggested. “Maybe they’ll get caught in traffic.”

Aelin sighed. “It was supposed to be perfect.”

Rowan wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her temple. “And it will be. We might just have to eat dessert first.”

A miserable sounding laugh broke out of Aelin and she twisted in her boyfriend’s arms so that she could bury her face in his soft sweater. He was right. When had anything gone to plan with them? Regardless, things always turned out right in the end. 

“Maybe I should invite Fenrys over, he can pretend to be part of our throuple,” Aelin said cheekily, risking a one eyed glance up at Rowan. His features tightened, his mouth becoming a thin line. “You know just to spice things up to distract from my own failings.”

“Absolutely not,” Rowan said with a seriousness that made Aelin laugh. 

“Fine, I’ll just put the turkey back in and leave it at that.”

Twenty minutes later the turkey had barely progressed and the guests had arrived. Aelin had changed out of the dirtied pants into leggings and a knitted dress and that was step one in the right direction. Ivy had burst through the door and Rowan had swept her up as his parents followed behind. The little girl was over the moon to see her dad and Aelin had a hard time denying the funny things seeing Rowan with his daughter did to her ovaries.

“Aelin,” Iris all but exclaimed, arms extended for a hug. Aelin let it happen, caught up in the genuine joy that was filling the room. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.”

“You as well,” Aelin said. 

“Aelin!” Ivy said and launched herself from Rowan’s arms.

Aelin caught her, kissing her chubby cheek. “How are you? Did you have a good flight?”

“Yep! I got to watch two movies,” Ivy explained. “I get two Yulemases this year, you know?”

“I do,” Aelin replied, setting the little girl down. “How lucky are you?”

Rowan’s family were only staying for a week, they would leave a few days before actual Yulemas so Ivy could spend that with her mother. Rowan had come a long way with his ex, Lyria, but Ivy spending a major holiday away from her mother was still out of the question. 

“Evan, how are you?” Aelin said as she kissed his cheek.

Evan smiled, holding up the bags he carried. “Pack mule, as always.”

“Oh hush, you,” Iris admonished.

“Presents!” Ivy said, eyes catching on the wrapped gifts under the tree. 

“Not until after dinner,” Iris said quickly.

Aelin’s gut sank. “Well about that…”

She divulged the whole story, and by the end her cheeks were red from embarrassment.

“Just dessert and no dinner?” Ivy deduced, her green eyes hopeful. 

“Well, no,” Rowan cut in. “It just looks like we’ll have dessert first. Dinner is still on the menu.”

Regardless of that clarification Ivy cheered, making all the adults laugh. Despite the imperfections the evening ended up being a success. They started with dessert, then presents and then dinner afterwards. Too distracted by toys and full of ice cream, Ivy barely touched her plate, but everyone else only had good things to say about the haphazardous meal. Rowan’s parents were lovely, and meeting them in person wasn’t the feat that Aelin expected it to be at all. It was late when they said goodbye, heading back to their nearby hotel for the evening. There was only one spare bedroom at Aelin’s house and it was furnished with a single bed, so comfort wise it made more sense for them to stay elsewhere. 

Aelin was tucked into bed when Rowan came out of the bathroom, dressed in the Yulemas pyjamas Ivy had gifted him. They were ridiculous, garish gingerbread men all over them, but Rowan wore them with pride. He slipped into bed beside her, not waiting to pull Aelin into his arms. 

“Was that as much of a disaster as you thought it would be?” He asked.

Aelin shook her head. “No. Still pissed about the turkey though.”

Rowan chuckled, his breath tickling her hair. “I think tonight was perfect.”

“Even if Ivy ate zero vegetables?” Aelin peered up at Rowan to wait for her answer. 

“Hey, it’s Yulemas. We’ll let it slide.”

Aelin was grinning when she settled into Rowan’s arms. They were silent for a long while and she even thought Rowan had gone to sleep until he spoke.

“Thank you,” he said into the quiet dark of the room, “for giving me a chance to prove myself and fix my mistakes. I couldn’t have done all that I’ve done over the past year without you.”

Aelin held onto Rowan tighter, thinking about everything that had brought them to this moment. They weren’t perfect, mistakes were made and there would be countless more in their future. But that didn’t matter, not as long as they had each other. They could face anything in the world as long as they were together. 

So Aelin was smiling as she said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

~~~~~

Thanks for reading! I haven't had the time to fiddle with taglist yet. It's on my list of things to do

#rowaelin fanfiction #throne of glass fanfiction #it is very late but i think its worth the wait

[sproutmoie]

SproutMoIe About Me :3

HI!!!!!!!!!! My name is Bea, but call me whatever. I use they/them pronouns.

I take doodle requests! Or questions! Please talk to me!

I really love bugs and isopods (big & small!). I have two giant isopod plushes named Podrick and Scallop. Please ask to see them.

I really enjoy Omori as well, my favorites being Basil & Mari, as well as Kimberly and Bossman Hero.

Other noteworthy fandoms: Infinity Train, Ensemble Stars!!, MLP, Animal Crossing, Osemanverse, & Musical Theatre.

I'm also a big fan of music, most notably Adrianne Lenker and Boygenius :3

#omori basil #omori #intro post #introduction #blehhh

[meganechan05]

Glad to know episode 48 has emotionally ruined the entire fandom because HOLY SHIT that's a lot.

Kamihoriuchi and TakaMina have really decided to plan out everything they wanted from this show and making changes along the way according to how the actors play the characters while still making sure the payoff lands. And I do mean land because I wasn't really expecting the finale to be at this grand of a scale.

But it does make sense considering the storytelling for KingOhger is essentially the two of them starting from scratch. They're building an entire planet with it's own history and culture, a team consisting of Kings who are too busy taking care of their own people to consider making friends with each other, but also finding ways to make this team an actual team organically.

I always like seasons and shows where it kinda subverts expectations of what you'd expect from hero shows. Gokaiger being a big example as they never see each other as heroes and would never call themselves such even if they're the ones saving the universe. I want a season where they take it a step further where the team is full of delinquents or outsiders who begin to confide in each other while also learning how to do good but still refuse to call themselves heroes.

And then in comes fucking KingOhger which is extremely close to that and done in a way where everything slowly connects and still gives a satisfactory episode ending despite it throwing theories and predictions off cliffs.

I honestly can't wait for the last 2 episodes!! ヽ(；▽；)ノ

(Also: don't worry about the comparisons to Avengers Endgame. The MCU has nothing compared to KingOhger in terms of character chemistry and payoff. Similar in terms of the great battle in Episode 49 to the Battle of Avengers Compound with armies fighting, but that's about it. Avengers only had various groups banding together to save the universe and go their separate ways like KingOh Episodes 10 and 19. KingOhger will have a better payoff and aftermath after a whole year of building each other as a team and the support from their people.)

#this show is just so fcking good (；∀； ) #i dont know if i can start boonboom after the Bug Kings rollercoaster tbh #it'll be a nice relaxing show to lighten the mood hopefully #but i just love this giant ensemble cast being given a chance to shine (；∀； ) #kingohger #king ohger #ohsama sentai kingohger #kingohger spoilers #kingoh doodles

[mariacallous]

Max Hightower, a senior at Sherman High School in North Texas, always loved theater. He sang in his school’s chorus and was in school plays but had never landed a speaking part.

Then, two weeks ago, he was cast as Ali Hakim, a leading role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma,” after another student was cut from the roster.

“It was just overwhelming,” the 17-year-old told HuffPost. “I was so excited. I ran and told all my friends.”

But that joy was short-lived. Max was called into the principal’s office on Friday, where he says he was told about a “new policy” stating that students could only be cast in roles that aligned with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Max, a transgender boy, would no longer be able to play the male part of Hakim. Local outlet KXII first reported that Max had been removed from his role.

When Max left the principal’s office, he saw a line of other students who had been cast in the musical and were waiting to get the same disappointing news.

“We just had this giant cry sesh outside of the choir room,” Max said.

Sherman High students and parents who spoke to HuffPost said that about a dozen students ― transgender, nonbinary and cisgender alike ― were cut from the show because their sex assigned at birth did not match the sex or gender presentation of the roles in which they were cast. Three parents said their cisgender daughters who had been cast in male roles or wore masculine clothing for their roles were cut from the show due to the school’s new rules.

Meghan Cone, the communications director for the Sherman Independent School District, told HuffPost that there isn’t a blanket policy on how students will be cast for future performances and that she was “unable to address the number of students impacted.”

“As it relates to this particular production, the sex of the role as identified in the script will be used when casting. Because the nature and subject matter of productions vary, the District is not inclined to apply this criteria to all future productions,” Cone wrote in a statement.

Like most plays, “Oklahoma!” does not note that sex should factor in casting.

The school’s performance of “Oklahoma!” has been postponed until early 2024 because the district learned about “mature adult themes, profane language, and sexual content” in the show, Cone said, adding that the district is working to produce a version that is “appropriate for the high school stage.” The musical revolves around two fiery love triangles against the backdrop of Oklahoma’s journey to statehood, but Sherman families said the school has put on the musical in the past without any issues.

“It’s very clear to us and all the other parents and families that this isn’t an issue about ‘Oklahoma!’ itself or the content of the show,” Kayla Brooks, who said her daughter lost her part, told HuffPost. Her daughter had been cast as a male ensemble character in August.

“This is an issue about a trans kid who got cast as one of the lead roles,” Brooks said.

CJ Price, a senior at Sherman High who was also removed from her part, said that she and some of her cisgender female cast mates were told they could no longer participate because they preferred to dress as cowboys instead of wearing dresses.

Students said they were told that they would be recast in new roles that align with the school’s casting rules.

Cone said she did not know why some cisgender female students were cut for playing male roles or wearing typically masculine clothing but that the “sex of the role as identified in the script” would be used when recasting. “No recasting has occurred at this time,” she said.

Max’s dad, Phillip Hightower, said the school had been fairly supportive of his son’s transition — Max had, for example, worn slacks and a black tie when performing in concerts — and that he was “so taken aback” when he received a separate call from the principal informing him of the school’s decision to remove his son from the role.

Some parents told HuffPost that they suspect a community member complained to the school district after Max was cast as a lead, and they said they plan to raise the issue at the school board meeting next week.

“I am really disappointed that the school district didn’t take the opportunity to educate the concerned person about gender-blind casting and the history of theater,” said Betty Price, CJ’s mom. “But instead of doing that, they had a knee-jerk reaction and decided to make a policy change that has now forever ruined the history of theater at Sherman High School.”

Christina Shelton, the mother of an another transgender student, said she’s waiting to find out if a production her child is involved with will be similarly affected. Shelton’s child is in the school’s University Interscholastic League theater program, a statewide organization that brings schools together in competition.

“Is this politically motivated? Is this religiously motivated? What are you supposed to tell your kids?” Shelton told HuffPost. “It’s just not a friendly place for LGBTQ students.”

Phillip Hightower said he has been closely following how far-right forces have taken over a school district in Grapevine, just an hour south of Sherman, over the last year — including accusing a top-rated queer teacher of “grooming” students.

“That is the atmosphere we’re living in. I feel like the same thing could happen here,” he said, noting that he thinks his district has adopted more extreme and explicitly Christian policies recently.

Texas’ Republican-controlled legislature has introduced more than 140 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this year, according to Johnathan Gooch, the communications director at Equality Texas. Seven such bills have passed, he said, and have caused significant harm to trans and queer kids, including restricting access to gender-affirming care.

“I think it’s important to state blatantly it is illegal to discriminate against anyone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity under federal civil rights law, specifically Title IX,” Gooch told HuffPost.

Title IX is a civil rights law that bars sex-based discrimination, which includes protections for transgender students in any school or educational program that receives federal funding.

“It’s a difficult time to be queer in Texas, and schools need to be safe havens for these kids. It’s important that our schools affirm young trans kids, support them, encourage them in the arts and in their school work,” Gooch said. “These policies are just piling on, creating toxic climates that only further harm young people in the state.”

[tenshi-agerasia]

who would the minions serve in the ensemble stars universe

the ensemble stars x minions analysis that nobody asked for, under the cut

okay so minions want to serve the most powerful (and evil) guy in the area/time they're in

if they enrolled at yumenosaki prior to the ! era they'd have been looking for a master and might've even worked under shu/valkyrie, who was the top unit at that time

"Imagining shu leading the fucking minions is horrifying"

[shu voice] come, my brethren, and let us engage in performance arts

nazuna and mika are very confused

actually mika would like them i think

but when the first revolution/war began, the minions would've caught sight of exfine and eichi

as exfine rose through the ranks and defeated the eccentrics eichi became immensely famous, and i think at least a third of the minions would serve him just because of this

eichi is easily entertained by them

they piss off keito

hiyori is very biased and can tell each minion apart

he names them things like Flowery One and Revolting One

nagisa does not understand what a minion is

tsumugi can fucking communicate in minionese

that's part of the reason natsume hates him so much. he can understand them and talk to them and it's horrifying

if the minions were to see eichi's actual plans on the surface level, that would be enough for them to see as evil

there's also the possibility that some minions might see eichi as "good" and exfine as heroes so they'd turn to serve the eccentrics instead

the minions don't harass rei because he scares them

they think he'd eat them

natsume does not like these little freaks

kanata has fun with them because i'm pretty sure they can't drown

if they can. well rip

chiaki hypes them up :)

but as far as i've seen in the minions franchise they prefer more powerful figures, and the eccentrics at that time were ostracized

and during the ! era trickstar revolution, eichi is definitely more of a villain character so the minions would attempt to help him

and then accidentally screw him over

wataru would love the minions

they're like tomoyas and little watarus to him

tori would absolutely hate them

he punts one when eichi isn't looking

yuzuru is indifferent but he likes having some help

trickstar is Very Conflicted

subaru and the minions would love each other

hokuto despises everything that they stand for

mao is like. huh. ok.

makoto "eek!"s at the sight of one

in !! era, eichi is less of a hero/villain/morally grey guy and just A Girl . at this point the remaining minions under him would either stay or find a new master, possibly gatekeeper

the minions piss him off very effectively

after kohaku beats up gatekeeper or whatever they start to follow him instead

"i imagine [kohaku] showing rinne and rinne shakes one to death or something"

niki would absolutely wonder what they taste like

himeru talks to the minions

"himeru is confused" "bwahaha!! barosoeflksernuina" "himeru does not like you very much"

yknow how ibara has mouse drones and mayoi keeps destroying them. yeah. that with the minions

ibara's upset that his spies are disappearing and he barges into mayoi's house and there's just a giant nest of minions

after meeting a minion midori's attempted murder count rises from 2 to 25

leo says he "feels inspired" by the minions and then composes the most shit song known to man

#keito's about to say something incredibly meaningful and deep to eichi and then a minion barges in #i like to imagine keito constantly getting screwed over by the minions #it's a one sided rivalry #they love him he hates them #enstars minions AU #that's a tag now #enstars #ensemble stars #minions #long post #eichi tenshouin #enstars war #a bit late but do you think the minions would form their own unit #shu itsuki #hiyori tomoe #tsumugi aoba #only gonna maintag people who get enough mentions in this #kanata shinkai #sillypost #wataru hibiki #enstars trickstar #trickstar #enstars gatekeeper #kohaku oukawa #himeru #a minion tells him in perfect human language “you are not himeru. kaname tojou is himeru. you are ⬛⬛” and he's like what the SHIT #nobody believes him when he tells this story #the minions try to get himeru and tatsumi to bond together #tatsumi brings them to church. they get called unholy #rinne amagi

[gimme-gimme-georgie-weasley]

no longer mine. [g.w. x reader]

a/n: sorry i just felt really angsty and needed an outlet and sorry again for the slight angelina slander but it's not really slander is it?

dressed in a black suit and tie, he looked as beautiful as the night he claimed himself to be yours. his once-long hair was now trimmed neatly, slicked back with gel.

he was waiting down the aisle, eyes shimmering expectantly.

but not for you.

you, who was seated amidst the crowd of wedding guests, a mere name in the guest list. a whisper of his past, a bygone age. he was once yours to love, to hold, to kiss, to cuddle and just, be.

that beautiful boy who grew up to be an even more beautiful man written by the finest littérateurs, in the finest ink.

you once counted down for the day you'd see him in a suit and tie, where he'd wait for you who'd be dressed in all white.

the gods gave you what you wished for; he was delectable in that ensemble, really. even as the nervousness he tried to keep at bay slowly seeped through, he still has this air of composure to him; a coolness you once had the privilege of calling yours.

and so, as the quartet played the wedding piece, you wondered where you'd gone wrong; why you weren't the one wearing the white gown. you continued to observe as he straightened his suit for the umpteenth time that evening, leaning over to his father, arthur and whispering a few things in the man's ear.

then, the doors flew open. songbirds that had been conjured up by precise spell work flew into the room, then coalesced with the bouquets of flowers, disappearing into thin air. their twitters and chirps that sounded like glockenspiels being struck still remained, echoing and harmonising with the quartet.

she walked in.

she who must be the luckiest woman in the world.

in all white, she put the moon to shame. even as the candelabrums stood dignified, burning with importance and decorum, she outdid them.

with a gown dotted with rhinestones that glimmered without needing a light source, and silky hair that flowed in the evening breeze, she spelled out perfection without having to use any vowels and consonants; all she needed was to flash a smile and laugh.

angelina johnson cascaded down the aisle with her train of periwinkle behind her. eyes were all on her, and hers peered through the veil at the man whose last name would soon be hers.

that last name you'd sworn was going to be yours.

bitterness soon bubbled inside you, as she finally reach him. good for her.

"do you, angelina johnson, take george fabian weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

i object.

"and do you, george fabian wealey, take angelina johnson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"i do."

don't.

think of the nights we'd spent at the astronomy tower, poring over the endless revised editions of this and that. think of the candles we'd burnt through, the wax seeping into our robes, but we didn't care.

think of the nights we'd spent running away from the awful squib, just to dance in the corridors without a care in the world. think of the afternoons by the great lake trying to dry ourselves off the muggle way, but we ended up smelling like the giant squid instead.

think of all the beautiful hogsmeade weekends we'd wasted away in the common room because you just wanted to be in my arms.

think of the evenings we spent at the matron's dabbing away at quidditch wounds and naming all your scars and bruises. this one "billy", that one "fred" because it really did look like him.

where had it all gone? where had that boy gone; washed away by the war and found by the shore of the light side, earless and cold but still so painfully wonderful.

were you not mine? were you not mine to vow separation only by death to? was i not the one you'd promise to marry after the war?

and as you felt your breath hitch in your throat, the crowd cheered.

and that was it, as they wrapped their arms hungrily around each other, lips meeting, tying their bonds and changing her last name to his. that was the very second you knew he flipped over your chapter and burnt the pages. he rewrote over your stanzas written in fourth year that stretched all the way to the seventh and doused them in kerosene, setting it all ablaze.

and it was at that moment you swore you saw his eyes meet with yours from behind her; serving as a reminder of the distance between the two of you as he stood in the aisle, and you seated on the benches.

that man was no longer yours to call "mine".

#george weasley #george wealsey x reader #george wealsey imagine #harry potter #harry potter oneshot #george weasley oneshot #harry potter imagine #george weasley imagine #george weasley x reader #george weasley angst #angst #hurt/comfort #i hate onesided love so much #why do men

[queen--of--shadows]

Healing Shadows: Part 4

Azriel x Reader

Summary: Reader is a gifted surgical healer and water bender. Rhysand needs her help when he finds out about Feyre’s risky pregnancy. Azriel finds out reader is his mate.

Warnings: mentions of surgical wounds and scars

Word Count: 1,896

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

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Part 4: Truth

Nuala and Cerridwen cleaned up, removing any trace of the traumatic morning, while you and Rhys set up a cozy array of soft quilts, plush blankets, and thick pillows in Feyre’s old room so she could nest with baby Nyx. “Feyre, let me know if you need anything, I’ll be in my--” You stammered as you felt the heat rise to your cheeks.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” Rhys questioned, raising a brow.

“Nothing, I’m sorry. I was about to say my room, I didn’t mean to assume I could just take over the guest room. I…Is there somewhere else I should bring my bag?” You only had your supplies with you, not foreseeing that you would end up moving in so soon.

Rhys and Feyre shared a sympathetic look. “Y/N, please, consider the House like your own home. Take whichever room you prefer. If you want to stay in the guest room, by all means, do,” Rhys continued, “We have no problem using another room for guests.” He gave you a warm smile, and you knew he meant it.

Your chest swelled with joy and gratitude at their generosity. Turning to Feyre, you said “I’ll be in my room. Shout if you need me.”

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

It was late and although you were physically and emotionally exhausted from the day’s events, sleep escaped you. Soaking in a long steaming bath usually helped, but maybe it was the nerves of being in a new home. And not just any home, but the High Lord’s. You still were having a hard time believing the trajectory of your life changed so drastically in just a few days.

You paced in your room, read a few chapters of the book Nesta had lent you, trying to tire yourself out, but after a half hour gave up. Maybe I just need some tea, you thought, grabbing a robe from the dresser and making your way downstairs.

The House was dark and dim, save for the faelight torches along the length of the stairs. You were already familiar with its layout, or as much of it that you’d seen so far. Nesta had mentioned she would give you a tour of the Library tomorrow, and Cassian offered to show you around the rest of the House and the training ground on the roof.

With one hand against the wall, you made your way into the opulent kitchen. Beautiful white marble glistened underneath the iridescent faelight. You grabbed one of the torches to guide your path to the end of the room, pulling back the thick curtains draped around giant floor-to-ceiling windows, revealing the famed starry Velaris night sky and a full moon. Even though you had spent most of your life here, the sight still took your breath away.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Azriel whispered.

You jolted back and turned to face him, not realizing he was in the kitchen before you had come down.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he chuckled, bringing his hands up in innocence. His deep, breathy laugh caressed your soul. Azriel was donning a simple black ensemble, the V-line cut of his sweater showcasing dark sweeping tendrils of his tattoos across a broad, muscular chest. Your heart began to pace and you were sure he could hear its pounding. Moonlight shining bright on him from the window, you couldn’t help but marvel at his perfect features. The sharp angle of his jaw, his soft, full lips, and gorgeous, blazing hazel eyes. His shadows slithered around his arms and shoulders, and you looked down to see one of them wrapping up your leg, like a cat brushing and winding against you. A cheeky smile spread across your face as the shadow slid up and around one leg, then the other.

Meeting his eyes again, you realized you hadn’t said a single word.

“Yes, it’s beautiful,” you breathed. Turning back around, you continued, “I’ve loved the night sky since I was young.” Azriel hummed in agreement, taking a seat at the oak table in the center of the kitchen. You just noticed the odd-shaped chairs, and as he sat down, it made sense that they were fashioned to accommodate their massive wings.

“I was going to make myself tea, would you like some?” You looked to Azriel for his response, but he just stared at you, as if searching for an answer from you in turn. His cold, beautiful face yielded no emotion.

“Sure, thank you.”

You worked in comfortable silence, steeping the tea, unsure what to say or how to make conversation. He was the notorious Shadowsinger, and although that alone didn’t scare you, you had just been invited to move in and were still getting to know everyone.

Straining out the rich chamomile drink into two mugs, you handed him one before deciding to head back upstairs. You wanted to stay, some feeling in your gut telling you to take a seat, but figured it would be better to avoid any situation that would cause you to gain feelings for someone in the Inner Circle. The few moments you’ve had with Azriel thus far already had you in bed at night, imaging his tall lithe body, pushed up against yours.

Azriel wrapped his hand around the mug and your fingers, warm and strong. He looked up at you as if expecting more, but you instead pulled back with a soft smile and mumbled goodnight.

You didn’t notice the shadows that followed you back to your room, slithering along the cold stone floors in the darkness.

You were kicking yourself as soon as you shut your door.

How will I ever fit in around here?

The tea worked its magic to clear your mind, and with heavy lids, you drifted away into a deep sleep.

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

The following day, you were awoken by a loud knock at your door. “Come in,” you grumbled, eyes still half-closed.

“Morning, Y/N!” Mor squealed as she let herself in, her citrusy cinnamon scent filling your room. Jumping onto your bed and propping her head on one elbow, she asked “How did you sleep?”

Her eyes sparkled as she awaited your answer. “Fine,” was all you could manage. How did she look so good this early?

“Madja is here. She said she wanted to come check on Feyre and Nyx.”

Rubbing your eyes and pulling on your robe and slippers, you followed the tall blonde downstairs.

You entered Feyre’s room to find Cassian holding Nyx with Azriel seated next to him, both cooing over the baby. He was looking healthier and stronger by the day. Rhys was helping Feyre out of bed and onto the couch so you and Madja could look at her wounds. Madja slowly peeled back the bandages and gauze from yesterday morning. She whipped around, meeting your eyes with a menacing gaze that made you want to shrink.

“Why do her cuts still look so fresh?” Madja’s words shook you out of your sleepy stupor, and an icy fear mixed with rage washed over you.

No…please, please don’t say anything.

You didn’t respond.

“What does that mean? Are they not supposed to look like this?” Rhys asked, his night-kissed power slowly thrumming throughout the room. All eyes were on you, again.

“Madja? What are you talking about?” Feyre protested.

She didn’t shift her gaze away from you.

“I thought you were going to tell them. When I asked for your help, I meant all of it.”

You threw your head back in frustration. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Madja,” you replied coolly. “I performed the surgery, Nyx is healthy and Feyre is healing appropriately. Her wound is already closing.”

You prayed that everyone would believe you, despite Madja’s death stare.

“Y/N, what are you hiding from us?” Rhys knew how to sound like the High Lord when he needed to. Guilt and shame-- you suddenly felt horrible for not telling them the whole truth. Fine, they offered you their home and trust, the least you could do was give them this.

“Rhys, Feyre, I’m sorry. I haven’t been completely honest with you. I…” You were having a hard time putting your thoughts into words. “I have healing…powers? Magic? Something beyond just my surgical skills. I’m not entirely sure what to call it. I learned a lot from studying medical texts, but my healing power is similar to...” 

They all stared at you, awaiting your explanation.

“It’s hard to describe, and I haven’t fully mastered it yet. I need to practice more, but essentially I can heal using water.”

The blank stares you received in return had you stumbling over your words as you continued, “I think it would be better if I just showed you.”

Focusing on the glass of water next to Feyre’s bed, you took a deep breath and closed your eyes to center yourself. You searched deep down in your core for that power, that magic that hummed along your veins, allowing you to bend water to your will. Opening your eyes, you lifted one hand with a flicking motion of your wrist, the water following, easing out of the glass and into the air like a fluid rope. You turned your palm towards the water to stop it, and then continued to bend and twist your wrist and fingers, weaving and dancing the water through the air, not unlike Azriel’s shadows when they wreath around his neck and limbs. You were so focused, you didn’t notice the multiple sets of eyes darting back and forth between the water and you.

“Incredible…” Azriel all but whispered to himself.

Halting the water above Feyre, you motioned for her to lay down on the couch. The room was silent as if everyone was holding their breath, watching you command the element to your will.

With one hand holding the water still above her, you used your other to lift Feyre’s tunic above her abdomen to reveal the site you had cut into just a day ago. Using both hands, you twisted the water into a circle and brought it down above her wound. “This may tickle,” you warned. Feyre nodded, and you were grateful for the trust shining bright in her eyes.

You slid the water across her abdomen, willing the magic from deep inside you into the liquid. The water began to glow a soft blue, illuminating Feyre’s belly, and you moved it in long strokes across her wounds as if you were washing and wiping with a towel. You continued for a few seconds, the redness from the stitches slowly subsiding, and the wound fully closed. You were done with a few more strokes, then eased the liquid back into the glass on the nightstand and reeled your power back in. The water stopped glowing.

“That was…unbelievable,” Rhys muttered. “Y/N, it seems you have a sort of elemental magic. Have you tried using your power with other materials?”

Already following his pattern of logic, you responded with a sigh and shook your head in disappointment, “I have, but for some reason, I’m not able to connect with the other elements. I don’t know why, but it seems I’m only able to do this with water or other fluids that contain water, like--”

“Like blood,” Azriel finished for you, wearing the cold mask of the Night Court’s Spymaster.

“Yes, like blood.”

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

#azriel x reader #azriel acotar #shadowsinger #spymaster #ACOTAR #rhysand #feysand #ACOTAR fanfic #mating bond #cassian #nesta #nessian #rhysand x reader #a court of thorns and roses #azriel fluff #acotar fandom #sarah j maas #azriel fic #acotar series #acotar flufff #acotar smut #rhys x feyre #nyx #azriel fanfic #acotar headcannon

[chrollohearttags]

since it’s eren’s b-day today.. i’m curious how would muscian eren and reader spend his day together? love ur works btw 💓!

thank you so much! so I def feel like (y/n) would want to throw him this extravagant party and give him a celebration with all of his friends, just showing their love but we all know eren isn’t much for crowds or the party life.

So I feel like (y/n) would start with making him breakfast in bed, then you’d honestly just let him play his game for a little while because it’s really one of the only few hobbies he enjoys. Maybe even tinker around with one of his old cars. While he’s doing that, you’d be preparing for the rest of the evening. You know those cute little card games where someone has to pick one or the other? Well you know (y/n) would partake and film a cute lil tiktok for it. “So y’all know baby hates big parties so I decided to let him create his own present today.” The voiceover talking as he selects his cards: dining in or eating out, Audemars or Cuban, 1 or 2, and pink or red (which would be a surprise for later on) “..somehow, he picked all the first options, I don’t know how but y’all I can’t wait to give him his gifts!” And you’re so excited. Rather than have this giant gathering with familiar and unfamiliar faces, you instead pay to have his favorite restaurant reserved just for the two of you; the best Italian and seafood in all of the south..both of your favorites! As he’s getting ready, looking good as ever, you give him his first gift of the evening, the watch to complete his look and you can’t help but show his fine ass off to the world. “Look at the birthday boyyy, he’s so handsome.” Of course he’s flustered, all shy but regardless, the two of you have a wonderful time! White glove service, imported wine, a private piano show and amazing food. The chef even makes him a cheesecake that rivals only his granny’s recipe with the words ‘happy bday EJ’ in chocolate lettering. Of course, the night isn’t over yet. Once you make it back home, you’d hand him the third installment of his gift; an envelope with a key and tell him to not to pull up too far in the driveway when you guys arrive. He’s a bit confused but when his headlights hit the garage door, you allow it peel back and his face nearly hits the ground. Like this man hops out of his brand new two seater in the middle of the driveway because you just got him a 1968 Chevelle, one of his dream cars as a kid! He loves muscle cars more than anything so he’s so ecstatic, he almost starts to cry. Now he has a new toy to tinker with. Lastly, after that wonderful surprise and stuffing your faces, you two change from your designer duds into something more comfortable, preparing to spend the rest of the night, relaxing in each other’s company and smoking weed together; him into a bathrobe after his shower and you? That pink ensemble he picked out and you look absolutely divine. His eyes bugged out and mouth agape at the sight of you and he couldn’t think of a better way to end his night! “Happy birthday to me..” with you crawling onto his lap and giving him the night of his life.

#aot x black reader #cherry’s asks 🍒 #just a lil sum for my baby before his day ends 🫶🏾 #black fem reader #black reader #musician x influencer au #musician au #musician eren #eren x black fem!reader #black fanfiction #eren jaeger x black reader #eren jaeger x black fem reader #eren jaeger headcanons #attack on titan eren #eren jaeger fic #eren drabble #happy birthday eren #black fanfic writer #eren imagines #eren headcanons #this is literally my fav au #living vicariously through this ship #cause we spoil good men and ej is def one #aot au #aot fanfiction