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seriouslyhooked · 3 years

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The Best Bad Idea

Three-part CS AU where Emma and Killian are doctors working at the same hospital (world without pandemic). They’ve yet to meet, but Emma has definitely seen the sexy Dr. Jones in her travels at Mist Haven Medical. It’s generally a bad idea to get involved with a colleague, but a little fantasizing never hurt… right? Inspired by the song ‘Bad Idea’ by Ariana Grande and a TV couple who set the bar for true love stories.

Available on FF Here and AO3 Here.

A/N: Hey all! Here is a little something I made instead of being a responsible writer and finishing my other projects. I’ll be back to my other WIPs soon (God willing), but in the meantime here’s my 1000th attempt at writing a Captain Swan meet cute. I needed to get some words on the page, and this is the result. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, Thump. Steady, sure, and even. A solid pulsing sound with no inconsistencies and no delays or false starts.

In this particular patient, that fourth set of beats was the most important. Prior to his recent operation, Earl MacDonald’s heart had been weak and skipping needed pulses, then constricting far too harshly on every fourth measure. That type of arrhythmia had potentially disastrous consequences, but those worrying beats were seemingly behind them. The rhythm Emma heard through the stethoscope was a regularly circulating drumline, the tell-tale song of a heart that was working, and working well. Her surgical intervention had been successful.

She gently released the breath she was holding, a sign of the stress that she carried while waiting for patients to recuperate. Emma never let the patients see her sweat, but she had been worried on multiple levels in this case. Earl was going on 80, and not a logical contender for intensive cardiac mediation, but Emma’s gut had told her he could handle it, and she was rarely ever wrong. Earl forged through the surgery like a much younger man, and his outputs post-operation had all been extremely encouraging. It was shaping up to be another win, another life saved thanks to the power of medicine, and that filled Emma with real joy. She always did her absolute best to create good outcomes, and this time there was so much more on the line than one life. This was a man who was loved and cherished by the people closest to him, and who would be sorely missed if something were to happen.

“Anything you want me to note for the chart, Doctor Swan?”

Emma bit back a witty retort at the pointed use of the word ‘Doctor.’ She was one of the few surgeons in this hospital who didn’t care what people called her, as long as they called on her early enough to actually save the patient’s life. But with Belle, a person Emma considered a dear and true friend, there was an added lilt of sass when using her title. Her friend was one of the nurse practitioners that Emma had been working with for years, since the day she landed here as a medical intern, but despite their differences in degrees, Belle was easily the most well-read and brilliant resource when it came to medical literature in this hospital.

“Just that Mr. MacDonald is healing nicely.”

“Did you hear that Lorraine?” Earl asked, with a Cheshire cat smile on his face, and the glint of true pride in his eyes. “Doctor Emma says I’m healing nicely.”

“Hard not to hear, seeing as I’m right beside you,” Loraine quipped, but she squeezed his hand affectionately, and offered a warm smile to her husband all the same.

“You know, usually being dubbed ‘nice’ is the kiss of death for a man.”

“Earl!” Loraine chastised, clearly not liking his word choice. Earl smiled wider, looking almost boyish in his delight.

“Well, so to speak. But I was going to say that I think we can make an exception this time. I’ve never been so happy to be referred to as ‘nice’ in my life.”

“Technically Doctor Swan was referring to your vital signs, Earl,” Belle taunted from across the room, holding back a smile Emma knew she was bound to let loose soon enough.

“Aw come on, you both know I am your favorite patient. I mean I’m not exactly pressed for competition. Have you seen the people on this floor? Good grief.”

“Ignore him, ladies. He’s all talk. He hasn’t left this room since we got here,” Loraine said, rolling her eyes, as if these antics were a constant occurrence. Based on her small window of experience with Earl, Emma would believe it. “Every meal, every visit, every moment has been within these four walls. Even his PT has been in here.”

“His PT has been here?” Emma asked, surprised that Mary Margaret, their head Occupational Therapist, had allowed for that. She was normally a by-the-book professional, and Emma never knew her friend to provide rehab consults outside of her studio.

“Yup. I told Miss Mary Margaret that I had a wife to keep an eye on and she relented.”

“No, actually what you said was, ‘Excuse me, Ms. Blanchard? You probably heard I just had heart surgery. Well, the thing is, my heart is sitting in this room. I’d like to be with her. Doesn’t seem right to be separated so soon, given what we’ve been through.’ Then you pointed at me, and used your puppy dog eyes on her. Next thing I knew, she had lugged enough equipment to fill the room here. No questions, just action.”

“I bet she ate that right up,” Belle said with a wink. “Mary Margaret loves nothing more than love itself.”

Belle and Mrs. MacDonald discussed Mary Margaret’s love of love, and Earl’s improved mobility, for a few more minutes while Emma continued checking his stats, but ultimately Earl’s patience was wearing thin. He really only had one thing on his mind, and he was now determined to ask about it. Emma was honestly shocked that he managed to wait this long. She knew it was only a matter of time and she was ready for the showdown.

“So, what do you think, Doc? Am I making it home in time for the party?”

“The one for your grandson on Sunday?” she asked, noting the three-day window between now and then. She had heard about this party non-stop, since the moment Earl woke up from the procedure. It was a central fixation for the old man, a celebration that would host his entire family, and a goal he had been carrying for over a week. Earl nodded and Emma hesitated for a few seconds, before smiling and giving the good news away. “Yes, I am confident that Jayden’s ‘Pop Pops’ will be in attendance when he turns four. But you know the rules…”

“I know, I know: no good food, no strenuous exercise, no having fun.”

“Earl.” Just the utterance of the old man’s name from his wife was enough to have him looking like a kid with his hand caught in the candy jar. Emma and Belle both chuckled at that child-like expression. It was hard not to; the old married couple was just too sweet.

“I’m sorry. I know this is serious, but what is life if you can’t have a little fun?”

“Fun comes in all shapes and sizes, Mr. MacDonald, and despite what you may think about your prescribed lifestyle changes, you’re forgetting two things. First, most of these less-alluring prescriptions will be temporary, and second, you’re a man who clearly loves a challenge.”

“Oh yeah? And how do you know that, Doc?”

“Well for one thing, you somehow landed a lady as remarkable as Loraine. There’s no way she came easy with these corny jokes of yours. You must have worked harder than you ever worked in your life to persuade her to give you a chance.”

The laughter from the older couple was boisterous and heartwarming, and Emma knew she was right on the money. At this point, she had the ability to sniff out true affection, and these two had it in spades. Many couples she saw facing emergency room disasters together didn’t have the same good luck.

“You got that right, Doc. You know the first time we met was at the -,”

Earl’s story was unceremoniously interrupted by the crackling of the PA system specific to this room. It buzzed for a few moments before a message was delivered in a saccharine sweet voice that sounded nothing like the announcer’s normal tone.

“Paging Doctor Swan to the Nurse’s station. Doctor Swan to the Nurse’s station, code 741.”

Emma waited for the feed to cut off and began to tell Earl to please go on with the story, but the call came out again.

“Paging Doctor Swan to the Nurse’s station. Doctor Swan, code 741.”

“You know she’s just going to keep doing that until she gets her way,” Belle murmured. Emma nodded. It was no use. What Ruby Lucas wanted, Ruby Lucas got. That just seemed to be the way of the world.

“Belle, would you mind telling Ruby I’m with a patient at the moment? I will be there when I can. She can always proceed without me.”

Belle snorted out a laugh, knowing that last part would never happen, but gave a swift affirmation that she would relay the message before waving goodbye to the MacDonald’s and promising to see them soon. As her friend headed out, Emma sighed, knowing there was no way Ruby was going to give things up that easily. She had a matter of moments before some new tactic would be deployed.

“I’m sorry about that. You were saying?”

“Eh it’s kind of a long story, and you’ve got places to be, Doc. Just know, true love won out in the end with me and my Loraine. It always does.”

Emma couldn’t deny that their love appeared true even after their fifty plus years together. She personally had never experienced a love like that, but she was wondering more and more if maybe it was out there, somewhere in the later chapters of her story. For years she thought herself above that kind of need. She found validation in herself and in her work. She dedicated herself to helping others, and that had always been enough. But the loneliness that became a constant when she was growing up in foster care still lingered, and she wondered if someone might ever come along who could inspire her to take a chance and risk her heart.

“You know, I actually worked as a nurse before my kids were born,” Loraine commented easily. Emma nodded and smiled as she checked the last of Mr. MacDonald’s IV drips. Emma was aware of the older woman’s solid medical understanding. Loraine had continued to demonstrate it the entire time her husband was admitted in this ward. “I’m trying to remember if I ever ran into a code 741.”

“Oh, uh, I think – well, erm, I mean you probably didn’t,” Emma said, hoping she didn’t turn beet red at the passing comment from the older woman. She was already stuttering, which was completely out of character and eighty shades of embarrassing. Loraine’s words feigned ignorance, but her eyes told a different story. Still Emma tried to play it off. “It’s really not a big deal. Just a non-emergent protocol.”

Another alert sounded, but this time it came through the ceiling unit reserved for announcements to the wider reaches of the hospital. “Attention to all surgical ward personnel. We are paging Doctor Swan to the nurse’s station. Doctor Swan, you are needed at the nurse’s station immediately for a code 741.” The talking stopped, but the air crackled signaling that the line was still live. “Immediately.”

“Sounds pretty urgent to me,” Loraine replied. The curiosity in her gaze told Emma that the older woman was onto them, but it was Earl’s comment that cut too close for comfort.

“When I was in the war, all of our numeric codes corresponded to letters. So 7 was H, 4 was D, 1 was A. H – D – A. HDA, now what could that be….?” Uh oh. Now Emma really had to get out of here before she accidentally admitted Ruby’s code’s meaning – Hot Doctor Alert. That would be the cherry on top of a full-blown mortification sundae.

“All righty, well like I told Belle, all your scans look good. Doctor Whale is on shift this evening during the next series of rounds, so I’ll make sure your file is ready for him.”

“Of course, dear, and good luck with your doctor, er – I mean – code.”

Emma stammered out something like an ‘okay thanks,’ while leaving. She tried to get her bearings once she was out of sight of the room, but she had nowhere to go. Everyone on this floor had just heard her page, and there were bound to be at least a few who understood the meaning. She was so embarrassed, and more than a little ticked at Ruby. She was supposed to be her best friend, but she was always pulling these crazy stunts. They were mostly harmless, but for Emma, who hated being the subject of hospital gossip, it was anxiety inducing to say the least.

“Please tell me that you did not just broadcast that to the entire hospital,” Emma said, arriving at the nurse’s station with a sense of urgency, and watching some of the other nurses scurry off to avoid the confrontation. Ruby, however, was unfazed. Actually, the nurse manager just rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag and phone from her cubby, as if Emma was the one who was annoying and not the other way around.

“And here I was thinking we were the best of friends. Soul sisters, kindred spirits, friends for life. But no, ye of little faith, you actually believe I would broadcast the hot doc alert to all of Mist Haven? What kind of friend would do that?”

“But if you didn’t… then how did you…?” Emma’s questions trailed off, but her arms flailed towards the ceiling and the look on her face spoke for itself – how had Ruby used the hospital wide PA system without actually broadcasting to the entire hospital?

“You know Tink up in nuero?” Emma nodded, well acquainted with the nurse manager who had Ruby’s job on the fifth floor but with a specialization of the brain and nervous system. She was a tiny woman, but she ruled that ward with more than capable hands. “She and I bribed the IT guys to make the nurse managers an override. Now we can circumvent the PA software whenever we want. Bring some of you more stubborn Doctors to heal when it comes to answering our pages.”

“That’s… well, actually that’s genius,” Emma admitted.

“I like to think so,” Ruby teased, offering a genuine smile. The two friends laughed at all of this, and Emma felt so much better knowing that their secret was still relatively secure. The last thing she wanted was everyone knowing how she was spending her lunch breaks these days.

“Gus, you’re holding down the fort while I’m gone, right?” Ruby asked, her smile turning slightly wicked with the purposeful jest aimed at the new nursing aid sitting behind the desk.

“Me?” The new hire replied, suddenly white as a sheet. Emma had never seen the man so stricken, and as a new nurse he had plenty of high-stress moments to look alarmed during. “I – uh – well – I -,”

“It’s called comedic relief, Gus. Commonly referred to as joking. Do me a favor, learn about it by the end of shift, kay?” Ruby pivoted to the person she actually trusted to man the fort. “Thirty minutes work for you, Belle?”

“I’ve got it handled.”

“Excellent. We’ll return with a full report,” Ruby said, grabbing Emma’s arm and moving them down the hallway before Emma could even say goodbye. “Newbies – can’t live with them, can’t pawn off scut work without them.”

“You are terrible. And yet… the look on his face just now…? Priceless,” Emma acquiesced. “But seriously, Ruby, can we PLEASE find another way to page me for this? My patients are not stupid, and the code isn’t exactly original. It’s kind of…” Ruby’s grin was so big that it stopped Emma in her tracks. She was currently trying to hold her friend to account, but Ruby looked like she’d won the lottery. “What?”

“You are so totally into him! I mean listen to you right now.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Emma said, feeling her cheeks flush against her will.

“Exactly,” Ruby said. “You’re telling me to be more discreet when I send the bat signal, but you still want me to send it. Do you realize how unlike you that is?”

“Despite what you may think, Ruby. I’m a doctor, I’m not dead. I can appreciate a hot guy now and again.”

“Doubtful. Remember last month when all those pro hockey players were here after Ocheski collapsed on the ice? You had a room full of crazy sexy men. Like virile, hot, muscled men who get paid big money to beat each other up on the ice. Most women would die for that chance, and to make it even better, most of them were hitting on you. And what did you do? Nothing. You didn’t even blink.”

“They were not hitting on me,” Emma affirmed, but the words were hollow. They had been trying to flirt with her. A few had even attempted to get her number.

“They were hitting on you,” Ruby said adamantly.

“He was a patient, and the rest of them were essentially his family. You know I’d never cross that line. Doesn’t count.”

“Fine, then what about Dr. King? When he came for that conjoined twins case last year, you had no interest. Zero. Zilch.”

“King was an asshole, you know that,” Emma said, belatedly catching her use of profanity and checking that no patients were around. Luckily the coast was clear.

“So? You didn’t have to marry the guy. Hot is hot, honey. That’s just how things are.”

Emma barked out a laugh at even the thought of marrying someone like that. Arthur King was just about the worst person she could fathom to spend a life with. He was narcissistic and carrying around one of the biggest god-complexes she’d ever seen, and she was a surgeon, so she was an expert on god-complexes.

“Your face really says it all, Emma. I mean honestly, poker would be a terrible game for you to take up. Your contempt for King is obvious, but, meanwhile, as soon as I mention Doctor Jones… aha! See, totally shifted.”

Emma didn’t know what to say to that. She could try and protest, but her friend knew her too well for that. The best thing to do was say nothing, and she was saved by their arrival at their destination. The coffee cart in the center of the action, near the entrance of Mist Haven. Here was where the wards crossed paths. Her surgical wing met up with the specialties departments, the ER, the community clinic, and more. It was also swarmed with both hospital workers and visitors. Typically, this was the last place she wanted to be, but recently it had become a highlight of her day.

“Emma? Ruby? What’s brought you out here?” a voice asked. It was Mary Margaret, and given her street clothes and jacket, Emma would guess she was just starting her shift.

“Haven’t you heard? There’s fresh meat from the ER. Two showings a day, but we favor the afternoon delight.”

“Oh right,” Mary Margaret said, nodding, like Ruby’s words were totally normal, and for Ruby they were. “I heard about the new ER Chief. Doctor Nolan? I meant to get down there and bring him something to welcome him, but I’ve been so swamped this week. My caseload is crazy at the moment. I hope he won’t think too badly of me for being a bit late.”

“Mary Margaret, literally no one in a hospital brings people cupcakes as a welcome gift, especially not new guys in other departments.” Ruby was not wrong. Hospitals were hardly the most happy-go-lucky of places. At least not usually. “Believe me, the man will be grateful whenever they come. If he even eats them. He’s fit – like fit, fit. Keto diet and a personal trainer fit. The kind of fit that makes you -,”

“Careful, Ruby,” Emma teased. “What if Graham heard you saying that?”

“God, I wish. You know how worked up he gets, and how he works out his frustrations.” Ruby’s tone was dripping in suggestion. “It’s one of the many reasons I live to drive him crazy.”

Emma and Mary Margaret laughed at Ruby’s apt assessment of her relationship with her boyfriend. Ruby had been dating the fireman for almost a year now, since he came in on one of the ambulance bays with a victim he’d rescued from a fire, but Ruby was hardly the predictable type, and Graham seemed to love that about her. They were still going strong despite her willful, wild child nature, and Emma suspected they may be built to last.

“Doctor Nolan must really be something to get you out here, Emma,” Mary Margaret said, moving forward in the line, inching ever closer to the mediocre coffee the cart promised.

“Ha! Hardly. Emma’s not here for Nolan. She’s here for Jones.”

“Jones?” Mary Margaret asked.

“Girl, where have you been? Doctor Killian Jones, trauma surgeon extraordinaire. Chief Mills brought him here for a ‘collaboration’ with the ER, but she’s totally trying to recruit him for head of his own department. Turns out he and David Nolan are old friends. Same medical school maybe? I don’t know, no one’s gotten me those details yet. Anyway, Regina hardly leaves him alone. She only misses this little window because she’s hooking up with Doctor Locksley in the supply room on the 2nd floor.”

“She’s WHAT?!” Emma and Mary Margaret yelled at the same time and Ruby looked aghast for the first time today. Some other hospital staff in the area glanced over, but no one paid much mind beyond a head nod. Everyone was absorbed in their own need for caffeine, and no one was the wiser of the bombshell Ruby had just dropped.

“Oh shoot, I wasn’t supposed to say that. I promised Ella, damn it!”

“Ella, her assistant? I thought she quit,” Mary Margaret stage whispered.

“Oh she did. Made it a whole two months, which, you know, makes sense given the fact that Regina is a nightmare. But the last week she was here, she learned a crucial secret regarding her Majesty. She spilled last week at The White Rabbit, but I promised her I wouldn’t tell until she’s settled at her new job at GMH. So you did not hear this from me, and I did not hear this from her, capische?”

“I can’t believe the Evil Queen is dating someone,” Mary Margaret said, deeply disturbed by the idea. She shuddered at the thought, and this was someone who loved love. But love and Regina Mills didn’t really feel like concepts that belonged in the same sentence. Scratch that, they didn’t really even belong in the same book. “She’s just so…”

“Evil?” Emma responded. The nickname worked for a reason, after all. The hospital Chief was downright tyrannical.

“Exactly.”

“Well dating is a stretch. She’s screwing someone. But then again, who knows. Ella said she actually saw her smiling in those final days. And not that evil one she’s famous for. Like a real, genuine, I have a heart, smile.”

“No way,” Emma said at the same time Mary Margaret murmured, “Well would you look at that.”

“Don’t worry. I’m on the case. The temp is a totally easy mark – Sydney something. I’m buying him lunch tomorrow. I’ll have the whole story before you know it.”

“Won’t Graham be proud,” Emma chuckled, but her joke fell on deaf ears as something caught Ruby’s attention across the way. Her friend’s countenance changed immediately, putting Emma on alert.

“Ooh, they’re coming! Act normal.”

Normally, Emma would have laughed at that command, but she was too busy feeling the spike of adrenaline at the impending arrival of one Doctor Killian Jones. He really was a world-renowned trauma surgeon, who was working on a number of cutting-edge techniques that saved lives and gave critical care patients better chances to recover. She had actually heard of him a few years ago when reading about a new procedure to treat arrhythmia in patients with traumatic injury. He engineered it in the field, while serving in the British naval forces, and his paper had been circulating in cardiac wings around the country, but she never saw the man before last week when he arrived in Boston. Suffice it to say she could not have imagined that this marvel of modern medicine would also be so roguishly handsome.

Spotting him today across the great hall, Emma was struck again by just how attractive this man was. She couldn’t even comprehend it really. All she knew was that she had yet to find a fault in him. Every day she’d stolen secret glances, and every time he proved better than her memory. It was crazy, and very reminiscent of schoolgirl crushes and teenage day dreams, but she couldn’t help the way she felt. It was intoxicating, and despite her best efforts, she was powerless to turn Ruby’s invites to the show down when she could witness this each and every day.

The first thing that she’d noticed about him was his general presence. His posture was strong and straight and assured. He looked ready for anything, but somehow laid back, like he was totally in control. People naturally parted when he walked by, as if he silently willed the flow of the hospital traffic. Ruby called it swagger. Emma called it… well something not quite safe for work. Couple that general aura of authority with the classically gorgeous features of his face, and Emma was lost. On that first day (and okay, maybe on the others as well), she actually felt her knees get weak. She always thought that was a bogus cliché, but nope, it was real, and she was the proof of it. From there she was hooked, and over time she’d chronicled more and more things to like about him.

Yesterday it had been his hair. As she watched him across the atrium, she noticed that the shade shone bright in the sun, but that it was nearer to midnight than any color brown. It was slightly longer than most of the other male doctors wore theirs, but not so long that it looked unkempt or unprofessional, at least not yet. She knew for a fact that the military never would allow for such a style, and it felt like a bit of rebellion, or maybe a lack of care for what others thought. Both sent a delicious thrill through Emma, even though she had no real confirmation one way or another. Maybe he was just lazy, but that wasn’t how she imagined him…

And oh boy did she imagine him. At first she hadn’t meant to. She just had these flashbacks to seeing him that she carried through the day. These visceral visions always started the same: he would walk by, looking downright delicious and impossible to resist, then he would turn his eyes her way here in the middle of the hospital hustle and bustle. She’d feel caught in his stare, sense the hunger even from the distance, and her heart would quicken to a maddening crescendo as he walked her way. The rest of the world would fade from view, and it would feel like they were the only two people alive. Her gaze would stay transfixed on his almost cocky composure and the hard line of his bearded jaw. The attraction in his blue eyes would light a fire in her, and then, without so much as a word like ‘hello’ or ‘nice to meet you,’ he’d pull her into his embrace and kiss her senseless. She could practically taste him on her tongue, and yet she’d never even heard him speak. People who had, who were later interrogated by Ruby, mentioned that he had an accent. British or Irish, or something along those lines. That tidbit had played oh so sweetly in Emma’s mind this week. God, she’d love to hear him say her name -,

“Emma,” a voice beside her said, but it didn’t pull her out of the fog. “Oh my God, Emma, he’s looking right at you.”

“He’s what?” Emma said, blinking back to reality before finding that Doctor Jones was looking this way. She’d been so busy fantasizing, she stopped paying attention to what was right in front of her.

In the middle of the room, the man who had intrigued her for over a week was standing totally still, disregarding the swarm of people on all sides. His entire attention had shifted from the task ahead of him, and he was looking at her, staring with a blend of intrigue and something Emma couldn’t describe. Doctor Nolan had stopped as well, but he was clearly confused as to the delay. He seemed to ask his friend what was wrong, and Emma watched spell bound, as the lips she’d envisioned kissing her moved in some kind of unheard reply. She couldn’t make out his words, but she shivered at the passion and determination etched across his being. David then looked their way, and Emma knew that Doctor Jones – Killian - had asked about them. No, forget that, he had asked about her. He was looking right at her, and that spark of heat and desire she’d always imagined was nowhere near as tantalizing as the real thing. He was looking at her with the same hunger she’d reserved for her wildest imaginings. Holy crap, what was she going to do?

“Ruby?” she asked, her voice squeaked out in alarm. She tore her gaze from the approaching object of her desire and looked to her best friend with overt confusion and mild panic.

“Took him long enough to spot you. It’s been almost a week. I thought I was going to have to hire a marching band or one of those giant arrow guys they have at outlet malls.”

Emma didn’t understand, and then it dawned on her – her friend had planned this. Emma looked at Mary Margaret, but she was still staring in the distance. Only when Emma followed her gaze did she realize that Mary Margaret wasn’t looking at Killian. She was looking at David.

“Hey, ladies, you looking to order, or what? I ain’t got all day!”

The three of them jumped at the barista’s interruption and Mary Margaret surged ahead to the line. She rattled off an order, giving way too much money to the attendant while grabbing her cup with shaky hands. Then she looked at David and back to Emma with an expression that said Mary Margaret may just bolt. Ok, what the actual hell was going on?

Before she could begin to answer that internal question, Doctor Jones and Doctor Nolan were within ear shot. Emma wracked her brain for something to say when they finally got here, but was spared when David broke the ice.

“Doctor Swan,” he said with a head nod and a polite smile. They knew each other peripherally at this point. Emma had consulted on numerous ER cases since Doctor Nolan started his new position. But she wouldn’t call them friends. They were very much acquaintances. “I heard Earl MacDonald is recovering nicely. He most definitely has you to thank for that.”

“And you too,” she said, offering credit where it was due. “A quick diagnosis makes all the difference. I’ve noticed the ER is filled with them since you started.”

“That’s kind of you. I don’t believe you’ve met my friend, Doctor Jones.”

“Killian,” Doctor Jones said immediately, before offering a heart stopping smile of his own. Emma had yet to see the man smile, and her heart skipped a beat, the rhythm of her pulse skittering in an almost blissful way. “A pleasure to meet you, Swan.”

He offered his hand to her, and Emma took it, shaking in greeting even though it was uncommon for doctors or nursing staff to do so. Chief Mills stressed that germ management was a top priority at Mist Haven, and she’d come as close to banning the practice as was legal in the state of Massachusetts. Usually Emma didn’t mind, but germs were the farthest thing from her radar when their fingers touched. Instead, Emma was filled with the zapping sense of promise and a thrill of warmth that made her head swim.

“Emma,” she whispered. A beat passed between them, and Emma lost herself for too long. Only the clearing of a throat beside them brought her back to the moment. She let go of his hand, but tracked the slight disappointment on his face when she did. It filled her with a rush of something long forgotten. A sense of peace and elation she hadn’t tasted in years. “Um these are my friends, Ruby Lucas and Mary Margaret Blanchard. Ruby’s the head nurse in the cardiac unit. And Mary Margaret runs OT for the surgical division.”

Emma tore her gaze from Killian, watching her friends make their greetings. Ruby handled her own completely, and Mary Margaret seemed to have gathered her courage, but now it was David who looked shocked and spell bound. Everyone appeared to be thrown off kilter, and it was only Ruby in control of herself. To say her friend was positively delighted with these new developments would be an understatement. That glee rang out clear as day in her invite to both the attending doctors.

“So… Doctor Nolan, Doctor Jones, any way we could convince you to join us? The coffee’s just all right, but the company’s not half bad.”

Both men agreed immediately, and Emma fought her hardest not to blush. It was hard though, and her pulse was racing in the face of this development. Killian came to stand by her, the space between them so small but still too much to bear. She tried to get her bearings as the cranky barista handed her a latte. She struggled to think of something – anything – to say, but she was tongue tied. Instead, she looked at Killian, finding an openness in his expression that said he felt the same exact way. That gave her comfort and removed some of the tension from the moment.

“The hospital’s been buzzing since you got here,” Emma offered, waiting with him while he ordered a no nonsense coffee of his own. “A lot of people are hoping you’ll stay on past the month.”

“And you, love? Have you such hopes?” his words were earnest but laced with an almost cocky easiness that sent Emma’s mind humming in delight. Still, she played it cool. At least she hoped she did.

“Jury’s still out,” she replied, smiling when he looked a little crestfallen. “Well can you blame me? I hardly even know you. Still haven’t seen what you’re capable of.”

“Only a matter of time, Swan. You can trust in that.”

His words may seem benign, but they were loaded with hidden meaning, and Emma knew he meant each one. She swallowed harshly, thinking of the things he might be capable of. Damn, was it hot in here? Or was it just the devil on her shoulder spinning another one of those dirty dreams of hers?

When they’d all gotten a coffee, the five of them moved off to the patio just outside, reserved for hospital staff. The grounds were manicured beautifully, maintaining an oasis that seemed totally disconnected from the hectic nature of the hospital. This was one of Emma’s favorite places here, and she was surprised to hear that neither David nor Killian had been here yet. They all spent a few minutes making non-threatening small talk, with mostly Ruby moving the conversations along. But despite the fluttering feeling she was grappling with, Emma couldn’t say she hated this building anticipation. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so much. She was seated next to Killian, fully aware that all of his attention was devoted to her, and she reveled in it. At one point, while the others were talking about something with the OT department, Killian whispered to her and her alone.

“This might be presumptuous of me, love, but I find I’m helpless to resist. I was wondering – that is, I was hoping that perhaps, you and I, we could…” His eyes looked from hers down to her lips, and Emma wet them absentmindedly. She heard a low growl, and realized it was coming from him. She shifted in her seat, turned on in a way she had never been before. Instinctively she moved closer, sensing the sinfully sweet current between them, like lightning just before it cracked across the summer sky.

“We could…” she continued, hoping he would elaborate and put into words what she herself was wishing for.

“That we could -,”

“Paging all staff to the ER. All staff to the ER for an incoming trauma, category 4.”

This time the PA was most definitely broadcasting a hospital wide announcement, and the irony wasn’t lost on Emma. Ruby looked positively forlorn at the interruption, but it was somewhat poetic after how they’d gotten here.

“Category four,” David repeated, standing immediately, prompting all of them to do the same. “We haven’t had a four since I started. We’re gonna need all hands on deck. Killian?”

“Aye, mate. I’m with you.” He looked back to Emma, and only had time for the swiftest goodbye. “Until next time, love.”

Emma and her friends watched them go, running towards the ER. Belatedly, they realized that if a trauma of that magnitude was coming into the hospital, there were bound to be surgical cases flooding their ward soon enough. They hustled back to their wing, focused once more on their jobs and the lives on the line that they were sworn to help heal and make better. But Emma still carried that moment with her for the rest of the day, and when the shift was over and done, and she’d done all she could to help the people in her care, she was left wondering what exactly Doctor Jones was hoping to ask, and when, oh when, he may try to do so again.

Post-Note: So there we have it. This was originally going to be a oneshot for my CS mixtape series, but alas, the muse wants what she wants, and this time that’s a three part mini-story for all of us to share. Hope that you guys have enjoyed so far and I would love to hear what you think! As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope you are all staying well in this crazy time! xE

#captain swan #captain swan fic #captain swan au #cs fic #cs #cs ff #cs fluff #cs smut #cs meet cute #captain swan meet cute #emma swan #killian jones #ruby lucas #snowing fic #the best bad idea #the best bad idea 1 #cs doctors au #cs medical au #once upon a time

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glassworkspiderlilies · 3 years

Text

interlinear

Genshin Impact | @albelumiweek 2021 Day 2 | Touch | AO3 Summary: “Hello, Albedo,” Lumine says, her voice amused as she slips into his workshop, gently closing the door behind her, “It seems that your boredom is causing trouble of its own.” Notes: day 2!!! featuring a distinct lack of touch, or does it? Σ(-᷅_-᷄๑)

True to her status as a hero of Mondstadt, Lumine arrives at the Knights of Favonius headquarters as a balm to aid of their ailing members. It is a severe affliction, one not so easily contracted nor treated in a man such as Albedo, and the news he is affected is kept only among the Acting Grandmaster’s and Albedo’s close circle.

“Hello, Albedo,” Lumine says, her voice amused as she slips into his workshop, gently closing the door behind her, “It seems that your boredom is causing trouble of its own.”

He is sitting by the window, elbow resting on a stack of finished books that has risen tall enough for him to do so, propping his head up with his cheek against the backs of his fingers. In his free hand is an ancient-looking scroll, quite a bit of it already unraveled and pooling onto the floor. Despite the assumption that surely it must be occupying his time, a sense of displeasure radiates off of the Chief Alchemist anyway, though his expression remains impassive. His workshop is in a state of disarray—even more so than usual—with various experiments bubbling away in isolated spaces, scribbled notes and charts both strewn about and pinned up, and half-used ingredients still scattered along surfaces.

His demeanor brightens, however, when he sees her, the oppressive pall within the room dissipating like smoke as he lifts his head.

“Hello, Lumine,” he greets back, “Is that what you would call this?”

“If not boredom, then a slump,” she amends thoughtfully, leaning her back against the door. “You’ve said so before that specimens are finite, and the enlightenment of investigative process is fleeting in nature. I expect this is a rather severe dead end, isn’t it?”

His gaze turns more piercing as she repeats his words back to him, and she tilts her head a little, giving him a pointed look. She had been concerned back then, on Dragonspine, as it was evident his list of worthy specimens and points of interest was already being exhausted. That seed from another world was a rare thing—wholly new and exciting, a problem difficult enough for him to have to enlist the help of someone else. He’d been satisfied at the seed’s transient blooming, but also perhaps a bit disappointed that the experiment had come to an end.

“…Even so, there are plenty of more mundane studies to be done,” he says lightly, turning back to his scroll, “I will confess I did not think I could be subject to ennui.”

Lumine chuckles a little at that.

“To be honest, I didn’t think so either. But if you keep doing things that you already deem dull when you’re bored, it just makes it worse, doesn’t it?”

Albedo sighs, finally putting down the scroll entirely. She’s right. It is unusual indeed for him to get to this point; between his work as both Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation Team and taking care of Klee, normally his days are very full, even without new studies to pursue. But there’s a brief dry spell in the work for the Knights, which does happen every so often and thus signals a well-deserved break. He does spend more time with Klee, but there are also days where she goes out adventuring with her friends, and it would not do for him to be overbearing either. It is the same with Sucrose and Timaeus; they need time to continue their studies and garner results, and to hover too much would be more detrimental than beneficial.

At first he had turned his hand to busywork—stocking the Knights on potions and other supplies, reading lesser known manuscripts and theses, also walking around and sketching more. But too soon did the Knights’ stores become overstocked, that his focus for reading all these texts flagged, that his artistic inspiration and motivation dwindled.

Albedo with nothing to do was something of a menace. Not because of his attitude or any such thing—though he did become more intimidating to talk to, as the air of dissatisfaction hung about him—but because he was so capable that there was simply nothing he could be given at the moment that would be considered up to par.

Except, Kaeya had brought up, when he, Jean, and Lisa had met, the Traveler, whom Albedo had a continuing interest in. Jean had brightened at this, while Lisa had raised a slender brow at the mischievous twinkle in Kaeya’s eye but said nothing.

“I shall send the Traveler to Albedo when she arrives,” Jean had said with a relieved smile, “I’m sure she’ll be happy to assist; if I recall, they are good friends as well.”

Kaeya had chuckled, and all but purred his response.

“Indeed they are. I’m certain her company will be very…stimulating.”

And so Lumine was sent, though not without her own agenda.

“You’re correct,” Albedo admits, then gives her a wry smile. “I suppose I am in need of assistance.”

“Lucky for you, I’m here.”

“So you are. Tell me then, how shall I occupy myself?”

“With me,” Lumine says, continuing without a change in expression while Albedo blinks hard, “I’m offering myself as a study.”

There is a silence. Albedo regards her carefully, but she does not flinch under his gaze.

“I subjected you to my research back on Dragonspine, and you went out of your way in being cooperative with a total stranger. You needn’t go so far again just to humor me,” he says politely, and Lumine smiles.

“It’s only partially a favor to you, and besides, we are far from strangers now. You told me back then…I function much like a human from this world, but the fact still remains that I am not from this world. So, what about the percentage that I am not like a human from Teyvat? It is difficult to see a situation for what it is when you are in the center of it. So I’d like your help, to find answers to my own questions. Symbiotic, isn’t it?”

Albedo’s face is impassive, but he remembers the sediment that formed at the bottom of the vial which she drank from, the sediment that should not have been there. He had made a point to tell her how ordinary the results were at the time, but she was starting to probe at the loopholes in his explanation herself. He is not entirely sure what she should know, but…there are countless questions that could be posed in regards to the Traveler from another world, countless avenues of research.

“I’m in no position to refuse,” he says, inclining his head. “But I am glad that this will be a mutually beneficial endeavor.”

“How sweet,” she says, her eyes crinkling, and he blinks. “But so it is. And with that, I shall give myself over to you.”

But he doesn’t yet move from his seat, and the two stare at each other from across the room. Her lips are still curved in an amused expression, and the fact that they are wholly alone in his space strikes him more clearly now. Paimon isn’t even here, he realizes, and he belatedly thinks that she would make a wonderful study as well if she allowed it. But oddly, he does not particularly feel like asking where the fairy is.

This shouldn’t hit him the way it does. They’d been alone for stretches on Dragonspine too, and many times after that when gathering materials or having lunch or just making simple conversation. But at present there is the particular manner in which she speaks, the words that she chooses, and the fact that she is still leaning against the door.

There is another brief silence before he speaks again, very slowly, his eyes not leaving hers.

“I suppose I should warn you that I intend to be thorough, as is my nature.”

Her amusement deepens.

“I would expect no less,” she says easily. “I would be disappointed otherwise.”

“I would not want you to be uncomfortable at any point in the process.”

“I would tell you, if I took issue.”

“The experiment may take quite some time, as well.”

“Don’t worry, my schedule is cleared for you. Barring anything drastic, of course.”

“And I’m afraid that my workshop is lacking in amenities.”

She glances around the room, inclining her head towards a small, squashed couch that is shoved against the wall, its seats occupied by various books and paraphernalia.

“That will do just fine, once it is cleared off,” she says.

There is a pause. He does not say these things to deter her, merely to confirm her will.

It is his turn to be amused, that she answered all of them so readily, and he tilts his head, measuring. He has to marvel at her, as well as the situation they are in.

She senses his mirth, and tilts her head back.

“May I?” she asks, gesturing.

“It is probably for the best.”

She opens the door a little, reaching out and flipping over the sign hanging outside to say Experiment in Progress. She closes the door with her back, the same way she did when she first came in, watching him as she reaches one hand towards the doorknob.

The lock clicks.

Albedo stands, removing his gloves as he crosses over to her and cups her cheek.

“Well then,” he says, and she finally pushes away from the door. “Shall we begin?”

(Kaeya comes by sometime later and knocks, the sign indicating that Albedo is free. He steps in once permission is received, and smiles when he sees Lumine reading a book on the unearthed couch, Albedo on the opposite side of the room observing one of his bubbling concoctions.

“Hey, you two!” Kaeya says cheerfully, holding up a bag. “Brought you some snacks. How’d it go?”

It is a very nonspecific question.

“Lumine has been very helpful,” Albedo says without pause, attention still on his experiment, “I think I’ll be making a breakthrough on this soon.”

“How nice,” Kaeya says, turning to Lumine. “And you? I hope our frustrated Chief Alchemist didn’t work you too hard.”

“Albedo is always a gentleman,” Lumine says smoothly, her eyes revealing nothing, but her direct stare also lets Kaeya know she knows exactly what he’s doing and is having none of it. “I’ve learned a lot about advanced alchemy.”

“How nice,” Kaeya repeats, his lips quirking up. “Say, how about we all go out for a drink? You two have been cooped up all day, so why not a different kind of diversion?”

“No thank you,” Lumine and Albedo say together, their tones unfailingly polite.

“I am at a delicate stage in this experiment now,” Albedo explains, gesturing in front of him. “It will require careful monitoring.”

“And I’d like to master the process this book details before I have to leave Mondstadt again. But perhaps another day, before I head out?” Lumine demurs.

“Sure, sure,” Kaeya says with an airy wave of his hand. “I’ll grab Rosaria instead, then. We’ll be at Angel’s Share, if you change your mind.”

Lumine and Albedo make noises of acknowledgement.

Kaeya gives a lazy salute before walking out, leaving the door askew as though by carelessness.

He does not turn around, but he smirks when he hears the very quiet but telltale sound of the door closing behind him.)

#genshin impact #albelumi #albelumiweek2021 #genshin albedo #genshin lumine #fanfiction #every time i write implied content im like. why do i do this.#but alas i got no time to stop and think about what i've done THE WEEK ROLLS ON--

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thequibblah · 3 years

Note

directors cut for WTRF? 🥺👉👈 not biased at all obviously just objective third party asking for a directors cut hmmm hmmmmm

literally how could u do this every other word in that fic is an easter egg i can't shut up about..... bestie u are about to have regrets

one thing u should know is that 90% of things in this fic have real-world equivalents and its not even like....... hidden equivalents. serie primo = serie a, for instance. this trend is going to continue and i won't apologise <3

fun fact i named the bar the Bar and the drinks after shapes because i was too lazy to come up with something actually clever

this bit

I’m grinning to myself by the time she approaches my table.

was a very intentional fakeout and if you read this and thought "she" would be lily, feel free to sue me for emotional damages

the biggest conundrum of this AU was, how are jily not going to have met in school when magic exists? the solution was, of course, having multiple magic schools. but i couldn't let one of them have hogwarts, that didn't seem fair. i know i did sort of let lily have it..... but i felt more comfortable making hogwarts a university so there was a legit reason why james wasn't there and in gryffindor (if he'd gone he absolutely would have been)

once solved, i did the fun thing of naming them! ottaline gambol's was easy, i just scrolled through the list of ministers for magic and picked a progressive one. peverell hall was a whim, made all the funnier when lily's reaction is:

Much was made at Otty’s — one of the more progressive magical schools, named for one of the more progressive Ministers of Magic — of schools like Peverell Hall and St. George’s. The latter, I know, is chock-full of pureblooded elite. Peverell Hall is supposed to be slightly better, but still.

dang, it's gonna be funny if she ever finds out james is a descendant of the guy it's named after

fun fact, i included this because peter's question was a real thought i had when reading bond and free, your inspiring writing knows no limits:

The first thing you conjure in Walking Wombat is a yellow quill... “Why yellow?” Peter asked. Eddie gave him a strange look. “Why not?”

i realised i'd put jily in the same conundrum they had in tis the fucking season here:

It’s only then that I remember she’s just bought us drinks. I turn back to my triangle. “Oh, shit.” I suppose I can pawn it off on one of the others.

...but of course the resolution is rather different, and i do so enjoy a james with no filter (aka default james)

I briefly lose control of my brain and my tongue. “Is it too soon to say I’m in love with you?”

by the way, no-filter james will be a theme. wild things sure do run fast but not as fast as this boy runs his mouth!

also, another interesting challenge here was making sure james has a reason to be the way he is in AU. i love playing around with james's childhood/background and seeing how that affects his character while (hopefully!) staying true to who he is. i did that in ttfs by having him move around a lot and not meet the marauders until after the flashback timeline, which is why he's less of a git — he doesn't have the level of comfort in a social setting that canon james has with hogwarts, which is basically his playground from day 2 of first year lol

here, james was probably a fkn nightmare all through school, but of course he gets a big ego check when his quidditch career is derailed. i imagine his years in italy as a continuation of that humility lesson.

I will fully admit I used to be a cocky prick. This is what comes of being a kid who grew up with everything. But one useful thing that the whole fiasco four years ago taught me is humility. I’ve learned how to ask nicely for another chance.

and so much of writing him in wtrf is juggling that typical confidence with the insecurity/fear of losing something he's invested so much in (and has seen slip away before). it's really new to me, because typically i give lily uncertain life circumstances, but i suppose it's both of them in this AU.

the car thing was... i swear didn't start out as smutty, it was purely because i wanted a way to establish lily as muggleborn in a world where the connotations of not having magical parents is very different. more to come on that!

also, come to think of it, by this metric...

I’m now in dangerous territory, since that adds another impressive action to her running tally.

...i think james is already in love with her LOL

this bit:

The street is considered indecent and the downstairs hallway would have our landlady come running at once, so if it pleases Your Honour, we would recommend the sitting room sofa.

...was actually because in draft one lily was a lawyer, but then it was funny enough that i didn't want to take it out, but NOW i realise it makes it sound a little like she's addressing james as your honour, which.... hm. but anyway, we move on

Marc Bolan begs us to get it on through the stereo, vocalising my thoughts exactly.

the song here was initially "you shook me" (h/t @keepingupwithpotters) but i chickened out because zeppelin is SO horny dfjkhgkjs

also, it gave me so much joy to read everyone reacting to lily thinking about her ex (the general vibe was "who the fuck is this guy!!! ew!!!!") — rest assured (or, unassured??) that he has a part to play in all this. anyway, this is one of my fave lines:

He’s just a person, and there’s such a relief in sleeping with James and not the myth of a guy.

because as any come together reader knows....

Just James. Just James. It was never just James.

wtrf lily will learn!

literally the whole world knows i'm obsessed with needle drops that have no subtlety at all, but this one...

We just laugh, tangled together in a sweaty heap, as “Heaven Is in the Back Seat of My Cadillac” plays through the car’s speakers. “On the nose, isn’t it?” James says, sitting up.

...was pure luck, because i was looking up the top hits on the uk singles chart for the week(ish) this scene takes place in so that i could find a song that would realistically play on the radio, saw this, and was like omg the stars really do align

i feel like the thing i enjoy most about writing romance is the importance i get to place in noticing/looking/observing (and sometimes, not noticing!). it's just such a powerful but simple writerly tool, and god knows i am obsessed with pithy descriptions anyway, so this bit i am especially happy with:

James is already waiting, leaning against the car with his hands in his pockets. I feel as though I’m seeing him for the first time, the faint light of the flickering streetlamp catching him in profile: the strong slope of his nose, the hard line of his jaw, the curve of his smile. He studies the facade of our building with open curiosity, and I wonder what he’s looking for.

(one can only imagine james's train of thought in this moment. perhaps "ah. here lives the future love of my life"?)

“Thanks,” she tacks on at the end. I tip my head to one side in confusion. “For what?” “For, I don’t know. Being nice.” She laughs awkwardly. “I don’t do this very much.”

it wouldn't be a quibblah original tee em without some discourse to come about the nature of romantic/sexual relationships, would it? one thing i enjoy about this AU ("one thing" i say as if this isn't the billionth thing in a list) is that i get to write a romantic lily who's squaring that romanticism with what she perceives as the culture of the times. (this is a bit of a staple in all my characterisations of lily, but it is not often paired with casual sex, the complication of all complications!)

oh this bit literally wrote itself like i didn't even pause to think just vomited it out:

In the morning — and it must be early still — the sun streams through Lily’s sorry excuses for curtains with aggression that cannot be ignored. I crack open an eye to find myself sprawled out across her bed, quite literally spread-eagled. She’s attached to my side like a barnacle. Or a very pretty barnacle, anyway.

i'm especially proud of james's voice in this story. i don't often write first-person fic and i was worried how it'd turn out, but i think james as a character/narrator typically colours his own 3rd-person narration so strongly that it ended up a smoother transition than i'd feared!

also i just. i can't resist throwing in comic relief and i hope that this whole segment was a gentle enough preparation for the awkwardness that followed LOL

All of a sudden, the balcony door bursts open. I nearly drop the mug. “What the—” Mary pokes her head around the corner, sporting a righteous smile. “Morning, handsome.” Over her shoulder she shouts, “He’s on the balcony!” I blink. There’s a sound from inside the flat, as if something very large has just been dropped. Then a swear. “Oh, shit,” I say, realisation dawning, “you weren’t looking for me, were you? It’s so loud out here—” Mary cups a hand around her mouth and stage-whispers, “Lily was frantic.” She’s quite violently yanked back, and Lily herself appears in the doorway, slightly out of breath. “Should’ve checked the balcony first,” she says, and closes the door before Mary can insert herself into the space again. “Hi,” I say, which is agreed-upon best practice for greeting a woman you’ve just had fantastic sex with and ideally would like to have sex with again.

to this day i don't know what lily dropped. let's hope it wasn't expensive!

Captained the under-17 English squad at the World Cup some years back, Serie Primo’s lead goal-scorer of last year… Only an injury in what should’ve been his first season at Puddlemere mars his record. I wince reading about it and comparing it to a heap of press clippings. James Potter was hurt, and Puddlemere didn’t fancy paying for him not to play, so they shipped him off to Milan.

(you cannot imagine how much pointed interrogation of my brother it took to gather this intel.) i constantly worry that i've got dates or timelines wrong somehow — you might notice i tweaked under-17, which used to be under-19 until i realised that made no sense (even though in terms of its career importance i would much preferred it to have been u-19.... anyway). i also found out that u-17 football squads don't actually have captains but i said fuck it on that count.

but obviously i started writing this AU for the sports possibilities, only to discover i'm going to have to interfere a great deal with the Timeline (you shall see in future instalments).

god i really went through the whole fic. like i reread the whole thing to do this. here u go clare jfbghjfd

#this has no right to be this long #wtrf #clareee75 #ask me #director's cuts

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let-love-run-red · 3 years

Text

Never Shall We Die - 6

This story was inspired by Beskarbabs story Thieves and Beggars

AO3 link

***You were curled in the corner of the captains quarters. He wasn't Kylo, he was the captain. You were waiting for something, anything, to happen as you examined the room. You didn't know him nearly as well as you thought you did, you realized.

In the corner stood a desk, with maps strewn about it. Maps of the seas, you assumed. There was a compass sitting on one of the maps weighing down the bottom corner. At the top corner there was a quill and inkwell, holding the top of the map down. On the left side lay a large and imposing dagger.

On the walls there were more maps, charts of the stars with names of the constellations. There were shelves too, some had figurines, but most had jewelry. Many different forms, actually. There were collars of beads from Africa, bracelets made of gold mined in the Americas, silver necklaces, and more rings than you could count.

You examined a small box filled with rings. There were various designs in the box. Some were thin and elegant, others were wide, some were made of iron, gold, or silver. A select few of the rings had blood stained on the metal. You picked one out of the box, a small gold ring with silver at the edges. There was a small diamond inlaid into the gold. It was beautiful, much prettier than the chunky ring currently sitting on your finger.

You were about to try it on, only out of curiosity, when you heard the door swing open behind you. You dropped the ring, whirling around as Kylo's footsteps crossed the room. He stood in the middle of it, watching you closely.

You walked towards him boldly. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get the words out you slapped him across the cheek. He hardly moved as you glared up at him.

"A pirate?" You hissed. He stood stoic, giving no response to your anger.

"How could you? What happened to you Kylo! You used to be honorable!" You shouted. He said nothing.

"I did not agree to run away with a pirate! Return me to Port Royal this instant and maybe I'll talk my father into letting you live in a cell!" You continued shouting.

"I can't take you back." He said, finally speaking.

"Why not?" You demanded, turning to face him with your arms crossed in front of you. He remained silent. The only indication of his rage was his flared nostrils and clenched jaw.

"Kylo!"

"Because if you come back without harm, you'll be accused of aiding and abetting a pirate! You will be hanged, your father cannot save you. I, will be hanged. Not only for piracy, but for kidnapping the governors daughter. And lets not forget the murder of your beloved husband!" He snapped at you. You covered your mouth in shock as he continued.

"Who by the way, I recognize as dear Commodore Whiteford's son. Thank you for mentioning that information!" He yelled.

"You killed him?" You asked carefully. Until now you had hoped that, despite being a pirate captain, he wasn't a murderer. Kylo sighed, shifting his weight as he looked at you with sorrow.

"Of course I did. How else was I supposed to ensure we could be together? You're legally married, and even in Tortuga they wont wed a married woman to another man." He said. You felt tears streaming down your face as you turned away from him.

"Please understand love, I did this for you." He tried to reason.

"You did this for yourself!" You turned suddenly, pounding your fist against his chest. He let out a small puff of breath but gave no indication your blow affected him.

"You did this because you can't let me go! I should have let you swing from that noose all those years ago!" You shouted as you sobbed, fists resting on his chest. Kylo seemed taken aback by your outburst, before his expression shifted to one of anger.

"I never heard you complain every time I fucked you senseless." He hissed, taking your wrists in one hand. "Every time I made you come on my cock you begged for more. Are you just upset you were fucked by a pirate?" He hissed.

"Upset that you fell in love, with a pirate? This, (y/n), is why I never told you. I was afraid you would think less of me." He said carefully, still holding your wrists.

"I had hoped you loved me enough to look past it, especially once I risked everything to save you from your father. But I see now that I misjudged your character." He said before releasing your wrists and walking towards the door. He pulled it open, pausing to speak.

"If you wish, we'll drop you off the next time we make port. In three months." He snapped before slamming the door shut behind him. You sank to the ground beside the bed in tears, sickened by the rocking motion of the vessel.

You did love him. You'd always loved him, and always would. But your mind was conflicted. Your heard said it didn't matter, he was still Kylo, but your morals were torn. Pirates were vile, murderous filth. You had been raised to believe that. Yet now that you knew Kylo was a pirate, you still loved him.

Possibly more than you had before.

***

When the sun peeked through the thick curtains over the windows in Kylo's quarters you finally awoke. You had fallen asleep in the wide bed in the corner of the room. It was surprisingly soft, the blankets were warm and you had slept well. The bed smelled like Kylo, like sea salt and spruce wood with a tinge of iron.

He hadn't entered the room that night, you assumed he hadn't slept. Maybe he would later in the day, after he kicked you out of his bed. You climbed from under the covers, swinging your feet over the edge of the bed, tentatively touching the floor with your bare feet. It was smooth with no trace of splinters. You stood on bare feet, approaching the door and opening it just a crack.

The crew buzzed around the deck of the ship. The sunlight streamed over the wood, giving it a rich chestnut color. You assumed it had been stained darker than the wood actually was. You looked up to the sails, which hung loose in the breezeless sky. You realized now they were not black, as you had thought, but a deep red.

Despite the loose sails, the ship still sliced through the water. Most likely from the rowers in the lower deck. As you looked around a tall pirate with short straw colored hair walked past. A woman, you realized.

"Ren slept with the crew last night?" She asked the shorter redheaded man walking beside her.

"Aye he did. Wonder what that new lass did to him." He muttered. You felt bad for Kylo, sleeping with the crew. You couldn't imagine it had been comfortable.

"Phasma! Hux!" Kylo boomed, "You don't earn your keep on this ship by standing around chatting!" You watched as Kylo descended the stairs next to the door, rounding the handrail/

Your heart leapt in your chest when you saw him, looking more handsome than ever. He was wearing a white cotton shirt with a deep v cut into the chest. His black breeches fit him well, tucked into the tops of his black boots. He had abandoned his wide leather belt with the cutlass and flintlock, leaving just the red sash tied around his midsection. The tails waved at his side as he walked towards the door.

You closed it and locked it quickly. You heard a heavy sigh from Kylo before he knocked gently.

"(Y/n), please." He said softly.

"The daughter of the governor will not mingle with pirates." You shouted through the door. You heard a soft chuckle from Kylo.

"You've done more than mingle love." He said. Your jaw dropped open and you turned to throw the door open.

"Please talk to me." He asked. You walked away from the door, turning your back to him and crossing your arms with your nose turned up. He walked into the room, closing the door softly behind him.

You wandered towards the desk, examining the charts laid out. The symbols made no sense to you, you didn't know how to use the tools laid with the map. You'd never learned.

"Why did you become a pirate?" You asked softly as you ran your fingers over the dried ink on the maps. Kylo let out a sigh.

"My first year on the sea, we were returning to Port Royal. We were ambushed by a pirate crew. When the fight was over, most of the crew I was with had been slaughtered. I was given the choice of being keel-hauled, or joining them."

"Why did they want you?" You asked.

"I was young. I was strong, and skilled with a sword." He explained, approaching you slowly, as though you were a deer he may startle.

"I didn't have a choice." He whispered, placing his hands gently on your biceps. You remembered suddenly the four year gap in his letters. You had dressed in mourning, assuming him dead. You supposed that he was only able to send letters again when he became captain.

"How did you become captain?" You asked. You were afraid of the answer, but you needed to hear him say it to know if you could still love him.

"I killed the old one." He said simply. He crossed around the desk to sit in the chair behind it before examining the charts. You swallowed the lump in your throat.

"You don't get to where I am without spilling blood." He said, shuffling the papers on the desk. You remained silent, processing the information. Not only was he a murderer, he was a mutineer.

"Do you know how to read these?" He asked, looking up at you. His hair fell from behind his ears, the way it did when he looked down at you while making love to you.

"No." You stated sharply.

"Then let me teach you, come sit." He said, scooting the chair back and patting his thigh.

"To turn me into a pirate?"

"To share my world with you."

You made no move to join him and he let out a sigh before pulling himself closer to the desk again. You waited for a beat.

"You're not going to kill me for refusing?" You asked. He let out a chuckle.

"I'd never raise my hand to you. Ever." He said, not bothering to divert attention away from the charts.

You warily approached him once you realized he had no intention of leaving. You looked over his shoulder at the marks he made on the map, the way he used the compass to measure distances, then at the dagger weighing down the side of the map.

A thought crossed your mind, a dark thought. You could kill him with that dagger. You could cut his throat, escape the room. Nobody would know. You could take the pistol you saw on the shelf the night before and shoot anybody who tried to stop you from taking a lifeboat. You couldn't be that far from Port Royal, or any port, for that matter.

"I wouldn't." Kylo said without breaking his staring contest with the map.

"You don't even know what I was thinking." You snapped.

"You were considering slicing my throat open with that dagger." He said flatly.

"I was not."

"It would be more of a curse to you really." He said. He set down the compass, sifting through the stack of papers absentmindedly.

"What does that mean?" You snapped.

"This dagger was on the ship when we commandeered it. The legend says it was used by a woman who killed her lover while sailing the seas. She begged for the gods to bring him back, and Anansi, the trickster god, answered her." Kylo looked up to you, then to the dagger, resting the weight of his head in the palm of his hand.

"He gave the man back, but in the form of a rotting drowned ghost. He haunted her. So she begged Anansi to take him back, but the only way she could be freed was to kill herself with the dagger. She finally did, but she was trapped with him. Anybody who kills with that dagger will be haunted by their spirit until they kill themselves with it." He said unbothered.

"Why do you keep such a dreadful thing?" You asked, taken aback. The dagger suddenly looked more sinister. Kylo picked up the dagger, giving a few test swings before twirling it around in his hand.

"It's a decent paperweight." He said with a grin. You tried to hide your smile.

"I need to take these to the navigation room, at least let me show you the ship you'll be on for the next three months." Kylo asked as he set the dagger down and stood from the chair.

"You can't spend all that time cooped up in here."

You paused for a moment before agreeing with him. He smiled, gathering a few maps from the desk and crossing the room to open the door for you. You stepped through the door, pausing to wait for him.

"Can we at least stop somewhere and find me some decent clothes?"

***

@sweetth1ng, @starfishfaerie, @little-miss-mischief

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producingtrashycontent · 3 years

Note

who are your favorite top ten black clover characters & ships? talk about them! ~tat

Ooh this will be fun. I'm not sure I'll have as much to say as some other people who have been asked this question, but I hope it's ok!

Top 10 Black Clover Characters

1. Mereoleona Vermillion

I could rant for hours about how much I love this woman. She's very strong and doesn't give a damn about status, which I love about her. Like almost all the females in Black Clover, she isn't overly sexualized or dependent on a man in some way. I love her character design, her magic, and everything. I think I'm a little obsessed with this woman honestly.

2. Noelle Silva

A typical female shonen character that's part of the main guy's harem. What I love about Noelle is her development. She goes from a royal who hates commoners to a strong female lead that accepts anyone for who they are. I haven't watched all the anime in the world, but from what I've seen, she's gotten the best development of any shonen female. If there's another one out there, please let me know. I love that Noelle's character development isn't over. I can't wait to see where she ends up by the end of the series.

3. Asta

Our gray-clad hero. A typical shonen protagonist with a never give up mentality. I really love that about Asta. Asta's mental strength is off the charts. He was able to dealing with people bullying him his entire life over something he had no control over. And yet, he continues pushing onward to change the dynamics of the Clover Kingdom. What a brave boy. Of course, with mental strength like that, it makes sense his brain can't keep up in other areas. I love how much of a simpleton Asta can be. It makes him more endearing. Asta's character even inspires me to push past my own limits and never give up on my dreams.

4. William Vangeance

A sweet, quiet man with a deadly secret. I love his origin story and how it has affected his life to this day. The main thing I love is how complex his character becomes. From a top captain to a man struggling living with another soul in his body that defies the ideals and people he believes in, William is complex. I couldn't imagine living with another soul in my body for about 15ish years. Dealing with this all alone without going insane marks William as another mentally strong character. Choosing between the mentor that saved you and gave you a new life and the best friend who's shared your body for longer than you've know your mentor must be a very difficult decision to make. I'm not surprised William wasn't able to choose between them. I hope both William and Patry get a good redemption arc.

5. Finral Roulacase

A typical playboy character. He's cute, funny, and relatable. I tend not to like playboy characters, but Finral is different. He believes all women should be worshipped and treated like princesses, and he actually has a backstory. Having a sibling who is better than you in all ways reminds me of Zuko and Azula from Avatar. Despite dealing with his parents disappointment and his sibling's sneering his whole life, Finral never turned evil or tried to get revenge. At first, he ran from his problems, but with the help of the Black Bulls, he conquered his fears and grows stronger each day. I really love this boy.

6. Nozel Silva

LOOKS AT HIM HE'S SO FUCKING CUTE DJJSJDJAJJS! Ok rant over. As a royal, I never expected Nozel to have a reason for treating Noelle the way he did. Granted, I don't approve of it at all, but I love that he's working to change. He's also very stoic and strong. Nozel has a cold exterior that can be broken over time. That's what Asta did to this Silver Eagle. Now, Nozel is rivals with 2 commoners. I love that he's changing to be better with Noelle. I can't surroort how he treated Noelle before, but I love that he's working to change his relationship with her. Also, his braid is so majestic. I had a dream and the whole dream was me staring at Nozel's majestic braid flowing in the breeze. I love this handsome man.

7. Yami Sukehiro

This man. Thiiiiis man. He is glorious. He's funny, smart, grumpy, and strong. I love him for all the reasons everyone else does. The main thing I love about Yami is the vibe he gives off. When I see Yami, I see a shonen protagonist who has completed their journey and gives advice to the newest generation of protagonists. He's such a well-rounded character. I would live a spin-off series of Yami's adventures when he was young. That would really sell.

8. Fuegoleon/Leopold Vermillion

THEY'RE BOTH SO PRECIOUS

Fuegoleon: I love this man. Such an inspiration. Just like his other siblings, he doesn't care about status. My favourite line if his is: "There isn't any shame is being weak. The shame is in staying weak." This line can really apply to anything in life. He also inspires me to do better.

Leopold: BABY. Ahem. I love his spunky personality. He's makes me think of Asta had he been born into a royal family. I love that, even though he's a royal, he has his own issues to deal with: making his own way in life and not having to live in his siblings' shadow. He's just a precious bean that requires protection.

9. Klaus Lunettes/Julius Novachrono

I RAN OUT OF PIC SPACE

Anyway, I love these boys. So good.

Klaus: Mom friends are the best kind of friends. I love that he changed because he witnessed Asta and Yuno's abilities and decided these boys were strong. They weren't cheating in any way. He was the first noble to change his ways and believe is Asta and Yuno, and I really love him for that.

Julius: A man working to change his country. We love that. I love that Julius is working towards a country where everyone tears each other as equals. That's a hard task to take on, yet Julius didn't hesitate and took the challenge head-on. Also he's hot...

10. Dorothy Unsworth/Yuno

I love these babies so much.

Dorothy: Hot, short, and powerful. My spirit animal. She's hella strong and shows us that you don't need to be a big strong man to be a powerful leader. Also, she sleeps a lot, which is something I desire more of in life.

Yuno: UwU baby. Hot, strong, and stoic. What more do you need? I love his HEALTHY rivalry with Asta. It's such a joy to watch him grow side-by-side with Asta. I love him so much that I'm not even sure who I want to become the Wizard King in the end. Can we have them both be Wizard Kings?

I don't have a top 10 list of ships, but I do have ships. I'll just talk about them in no particular order.

Mereoleona x William

I love this ship because opposites attract. But if someone tells me they ship William and Patry, I'm not going to argue. Overall, this ship would make both these characters even better than they are now.

Dorothy x Nozel

I get Hinata/Kageyama vibes from this ship. A small, eager baby with a tall, stoic and distant partner. The main reason I ship this is because of the fact that Dorothy knows about what happened to Acier. Nozel wouldn't tell just anyone about that. He must trust Dorothy a huge amount for her to know that information. A royal wouldn't share his darkest family secret with a lavender-haired witch from another country. Also, after the time skip, they both changed a part of their outfits for feathers of the bird corresponding their squad. They got feathers together!

Finral x Vanessa

After the seabed temple arc, I shipped these two. They have such a wholesome relationship that makes them better people. They're so cute together! What else can I say?

Asta x Noelle

I love how much they help each other become better. Asta is doesn't realize it yet, but he cares about Noelle more than he realizes. Noelle fell for Asta because he was the first person to ever say anything good about her magic. I just love these two. They're so cute!

Yami x Charlotte

I get the same vibes from this as I get from Asta x Noelle. A tsundere and an oblivious protagonist. I love this ship for the same reasons as Asta x Noelle. I won't repeat what I said before, so read the reasoning for Asta x Noelle. I love these two as well!

Grey x Gauche

I love the reasoning for Grey loving Gauche. I totally see Gauche being as protective of Grey as he is with Marie. Grey might help Gauche loosen up a bit with Marie. These two are just really cute, ok.

I can't think of any more ships, but yeah. Those are my favourite black clover characters and my favourite ships.

#black clover #black clover nozel #nozel silva #william vangeance #dorothy unsworth #asta #mereoleona #mereoleona vermillion #fuegoleon vermillion #black clover fuegoleon #leopold vermillion #klaus lunettes #noelle silva #julius novachrono #yuno grinberryall #yuno black clover #finral roulacase #yami sukehiro

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starberry-cupcake · 3 years

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The Chinapuri finale and its montage aka censorship who?

I decided to do all of this in one post and read more, so that the 95% of my followers who are uninterested on this particular drama/source material can easily skip it. Here are 7 relationships showcased in the montage ranked and 2 bonus (a family relationship and an extra).

Note: I’ll speak about the relationships as they were portrayed, whichever the form of relationship chosen to display in this version. Also, I’m glad that everyone was aged up in this version, kinda wild but very much appreciated that some of these actors are my age or somewhere around there lol

#7 Lu Xia (Echizen Ryoma) and Qi Ying (Ryuuzaki Sakuno)

This drama was a bit more romantically-inclined in terms of these two than the anime/manga was, but some of that may be also influenced by them giving their version of Sakuno more room (which yay!) and having them be older.

For this to stand alone as a drama, it was a needed step, I believe. I found Lu Xia to be more vulnerable than Ryoma, he doesn’t feel quite as ~cool~ and it doesn’t take away from the character that he has moments showing internal struggle (in tennis as well as at home). These two were sweet and adorable, which gave the drama probably more of an expected appeal for a wider audience, to make it stand on its own as a drama and not only an anime adaptation.

#6 Yan ZhiMing (Inui Sadaharu) & Liu Lian (Yanagi Renji)

Kinda mad they didn’t do this for Fuji (Zhuo Zhi) and Saeki (Zuo Xiaohu) but they did good with these two. I didn’t know at first why they started to build up their relationship so early, but it ended up being a good emotional plot point during their match, which is, as we all know, a determining factor in Seigaku’s (Yu Qing) win against Rikkai (Hai Guang).

I don’t remember being as invested in their match in the anime as I was here, maybe I was just too focused on the Fuji match at that time, but what they did to build that game as a decisive point in the season finale was so well developed, I was impressed.

#5 He XingLong (Kawamura Takeshi) & Ya JiuXin (Akutsu Jin)

This is a relationship that can get complicated and even problematic if handled incorrectly. Akutsu’s journey through the anime is pretty long and takes a while for him to be on a healthier place, but the added element of aging the characters could have gone really wrong here if they had done him exactly as in the anime or manga. I think they did pretty well with the time they were given, showing his turmoil and learning curve.

XingLong was allowed to have a more in-depth journey being older and about to graduate, it made more sense for him here to think about his career at this stage and added the gravity of this being THE moment to decide whether to keep pursuing the sport or take over his dad’s restaurant (they even adapted the type of food they cook to match the cultural impact of the family-owned business, which was great).

I think the two complemented each other really well and worked interestingly together, in a way I didn’t think the drama was gonna give them time to do, so I’m really pleased.

#4 Qiao Chen (Momoshiro Takeshi) & Zhang BaiYang (Kaidoh Kaoru)

My younger self is thriving with this one being included tbh. These two were so much fun in the anime, two rivals and opposites that represented the future of the team upon their elders leaving.

I was surprised to see them so focused here, because it’s not a relationship most adaptations put emphasis on (their loss), but it paid off immensely by the time their game against Bunta and Jackal (Jin WenTai & Ke Jie) came around.

Kaidoh is a tough one to adapt most times, and they did him so well in this one, I think this is my favorite live action Kaidoh in any adaptation, and I’ve watched a whole bunch of tenimyu in my day. They really captured the ambiguity of his character, how he balances a tough exterior with a sensitive core. Qiao Chen maintained his feelings for Xu Xingzi (Tachibana Ann) but that didn’t stop them from showing these two every time they could.

#3 Mu Siyang (Tezuka Kunimitsu) & Ji Jingwu (Atobe Keigo)

Oh, these two. Hyotei (Xing Yao) wasn’t featured as much as one would probably expect (I’m a Fudomine fan and with Yu Feng I got more than I even was expecting, but I admit Hyotei is a riot and I always live my best life when they show up). Still, they did the Tezuka/Atobe match justice and then some.

Mu Siyang was incredibly compelling as Tezuka, and had a vulnerability to him that made me worry for his health more than I probably did for his anime counterpart. Maybe also the fact that he was older than his anime version yet looked younger than him made it sink more that his injury was something to worry about. I wish we had time to include anime!Tezuka’s issues with yips with Siyang, because I know the drama would have pulled it off, but that was further down the line in the story. Maybe for a season 2.

Anyway, the Atobe/Tezuka game is one of the best games in tenipuri history and the drama knew it. The game felt like it earned its gravity with the development of both Siyang’s injury and Ji Jingwu’s determination to play against him. Then they sprinkled the camp on top, as the anime does, with Ji Jingwu paying for his every expense and calling him to get updates, which is 100% canon compliant imo.

I feel like Ji Jingwu didn’t have enough room to be as much of Atobe as he could be, but then again, that’s not easy for anyone to pull off. Not even Kato Kazuki can do Junichi Suwabe as well as Junichi Suwabe.

#2 Bai ShiYan (Yukimura Seiichi) & Tian ZiLong (Sanada Genichirou)

So, it’s tough to feel for Rikkai (Hai Guang) at this point of the story. You learn about Yukimura’s health and it’s difficult, but you just met them and the first impressions haven’t been great.

However, the relationship between Sanada and Yukimura has always been something pivotal for the way the team is constructed (they were named that way for a reason, two parts of a same hero and all that) and they sustain the team in a way other teams don’t have to. They are the mom and dad of the team, the coaches, the leaders and the pillars. They have a balance of severity and permissiveness, of strictness and instinct. They are like a couple who has been married for 25 years.

How on Earth, I asked myself, will they achieve that with censorship on the way? I don’t know, but they did it, the mad bastards.

It really does come through 100% the importance of their relationship and the way in which the captain’s health affects the team and, more than anything, their vice captain. It reaches a crescendo during the final match, before ShiYan’s operation, and they manage to pull it off with the time they have.

Also, their scenes are like shot for a contemporary romance drama and I appreciate that vibe.

#1 Tang JiaLe (Kikumaru Eiji) & Chi DaYong (Oishi Shuichiro)

Oh boy. Look. I still own Golden Pair merchandise from my Days, ok? These two hold a special place in my heart. I saw actors who portrayed them grow up, succeed and pass away, sadly. I still sing Depend On Me sometimes. There is a cheerful vibe with these two, a sense of overcoming obstacles and finding balance, I don’t know. Fuji is my favorite character but these two are special in their way.

This freakin’ drama just went full on Golden Pair. The level of content was off the charts. The moment they came on the screen, the second they talked about their doubles, it was already setting the tone of how deep their relationship was going to go. I am a bit amazed that they avoided to get closed down for this ngl. And I appreciate the risk because it paid off.

They have a body language communication that is captured in every shot. Even when they’re not the focus of the scene, they’re close, touching or holding each other, arms around each other, hands on each other’s shoulders, grabbing each other’s clothes. When they fight, that language changes drastically, and the distance they take feels intense and cold. You go through it with them and the team shows it as well. There’s an entire episode I had screencaps of and never posted when the team falls apart because they do.

My favorite part, though, ironically, isn’t what they did with them together but what they did with them apart. They took time to develop them as individual characters with their own issues, their fears, their worries and weaknesses. They were allowed to be flawed and wrong and have to mend their ways.

What really got me and impacted me deeply was the fact that they chose DaYong to talk about mental health. They gave room to speaking about the physical implications of anxiety disorders and about how self esteem issues can give more magnitude to ongoing issues with your mental health. Again, the age of the characters being changed helped add a depth to some issues that get developed with more intensity in a drama of this kind, and the way in which it takes TIME to get resolved, it isn’t a one episode thing, it’s an underlying issue that spans the season...*chef’s kiss*

Even though there’s a specific tenimyu incarnation of these two that I hold dear and will always remember fondly, I think that Xu Ke and Zhu ZhiLing are the most successful and best portrayed live action Golden Pair I’ve ever seen.

Bonus that was in the montage but it’s specifically about a family relationship: The Zhuo Bros

I have said Fuji has always been my favorite and his relationship with Yuta as an older brother (albeit he’s not the eldest sibling like me) is one I always felt close to.

In the anime, the two have a rocky relationship that gets developed throughout, but the drama is very good at establishing not only Zhuo Yu’s (Fuji Yuta) self esteem issues, the subsequent use of that Guan Yue (Mizuki Hajime) does and Zhuo Zhi’s (Fuji Syusuke) attempts to breach the gap between the siblings, they also use it to develop Zhuo Zhi’s character and his reticence to show weakness.

It’s tough to get Fuji towards a place of vulnerability without breaking character, but they used family and the care he provides to his brother as a point to further his story, and I appreciate that a lot. They managed to build Zhuo Zhi up with this sibling bond as one of his core elements, and that gave a lot of dimension to his games and his character.

Bonus that wasn’t in the montage but I’m including in some capacity: Mu Siyang (Tezuka Kunimitsu) & Zhuo Zhi (Fuji Syusuke)

I thought these two deserved a place in the list, even if they weren’t grouped much in the montage, because the drama did make them share moments together that I feel gave more depth to their characters.

There was a very interesting moment in which they showed Mu Siyang and Zhuo Zhi establishing their differences when approaching tennis, and how serious Mu Siyang is about taking the team to victory. I think that strengthened the character as a captain to me, in a way that shows it rather than tells it, and allowed for his guidance to still be present when he wasn’t physically there. His determination ultimately influenced Zhuo Zhi to take things more seriously, and that was a pretty interesting development to see.

All in all, I should, at some point, go and do a serious review for MyDramaList but I wanted to leave in my blog how much I appreciated this adaptation. I wasn’t expecting much and I was delivered everything.

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wearethekat · 3 years

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A Logical Train of Thought

comprising the most open secret in the Girl Genius fandom

[this is Baron-as-Gil speaking]

“Most Captains preferred to keep their cabins simple. Bangladesh, however, preferred a decorating style that Gilgamesh had once described as ‘Debauched Barbarian Princess.’ He had meant it as an insult, but once Bangladesh had learned what ‘debauched’ meant, she had worked hard to live up to it. The first surprise was the color. Everyone always expected red, but in fact the room was painted a dark emerald green. This allowed any added red to really stand out, which was a big help during clean-up. Most of the available wall space was taken up with mounted weapons, guns, knives, and swords, all lovingly polished and oiled and ready to be grabbed. There was a great deal of ornamentation. Every edge was filigreed with gold paint, and almost all of the fixtures were gold. The chains that held the hurricane lamps, the hooks that held clothing, every visible strut and rivet gleamed in the light. Those decorations that weren’t gold were bones. They always turned out to be the bones of animals and monsters, but Klaus felt compelled to keep checking. Whatever they were, there were a lot of them. They had been cunningly fashioned into pieces of furniture, drinking vessels, chart holders, clothes hangers, and lampshades. The curtains gathered away from the windows and across the Captain’s bunk were a luscious shimmering silk, with an intricately batiked design of skulls. As always, the sight of the place gave rise to mixed emotions in Klaus. There was no denying it was tasteless, gaudy, and ostentatious, but it did stir fond memories of his long-lost wife.”

[from Clockwork Princess chapter 10]

“Klaus vanished before the wedding, off to nurse a broken heart it was said. He reappeared six years later, when Europa was deep in chaos and ruin with the Heterodyne, as well as most of the other Great Sparks, gone.”

[from Airship City chapter 3]

“Lucrezia had done such a good job at putting Klaus out of the way… it had taken him years to return home.”

[from Clockwork Princess chapter 2]

“Gil crossed his arms. ‘I think that’s just you, Father. How many women that you have been involved with without the Spark have tried to kill you?’ An odd look crossed Klaus’s face. ‘I… I don’t see what that has to do with anything,’ he muttered.”

[Voice of the Castle chapter 2]

“‘But there is one last thing,’ Klaus said, and seeing the look in his son’s eye, he raised his voice. ‘And it’s important. The Heterodyne girl. Your Agatha, not the other one. She has a companion. She is a girl with a pair of unusual swords and long green hair.’ ‘Green?’ Gil looked intrigued. Klaus nodded. ‘Bright green. Be careful. She is a formidable fighter.’ Klaus hesitated, which was uncharacteristic of him. His eyes shifted sideways. ‘There is a very good chance she has been sent to Europa to kill you.’ Gil blinked in surprise. ‘Kill me? What did I do?’ ‘Absolutely nothing,’ Klaus roared. The force of his anger shocked Gil and even seemed to surprise the Baron himself. Gil’s eyes narrowed. ‘Father, what did you do?’ For the first time, Klaus gazed directly at his son. Pride filled his face. ‘I kept you alive.’ Gil was nonplussed and the Baron closed his eyes and settled back into his bed. ‘And now, as you yourself have said, I need to rest.’ Gil stared at the supine man and then, as it would look bad if he strangled him, settled for waving his arms in the air. ‘Confound it, Father!’ he howled. Klaus cracked an eye open. ‘And you have work to do.’ He closed the eye again. “I will explain anything and everything when you return.’ Possible nothing else could have silenced Gil as effectively. ‘Everything? Even my…’ his breath caught. ‘Even my mother?” Klaus nodded wearily. ‘Anything you want.’ He sighed. ‘But especially your mother.’ This was a bombshell. Gil had often asked about his mother but Klaus had always refused to answer. As he became better at reading people, Gil realized that the subject affected his father deeply and the mere mention of it would disturb the great man for days at a time.”

[Voice of the Castle chapter 2]

“Gil’s eyes narrowed. ‘And you were? Who are you anyway?’ The girl stood tall. “I am Zeetha, Daughter of Chump. Heir to the throne of my mother, Queen Zantabraxis, ruler of Skifander and the Dark Countries.’ Gil raised an eyebrow. ‘Chump?’ Zeetha’s eyes flashed. ‘A great warrior. And yes, I know what it means in your language. An amusing coincidence, yes?’ ‘I really couldn’t say. How smart was he?’ A frown darkened Zeetha’s brow. She gave Gil a small nod. A point to him. ‘Honestly? That’s still a topic of debate among my family.’ ‘What’s your opinion?’ Zeetha looked down. ‘I… I never met him. He ran off a month after… ah… I was born.’ The admission apparently called up many emotions for her, though she made a clear effort to hide them. She took a deep breath. ‘It was one of the reasons I came here with Professor Consolmagno-- to try to find him. One of the few things he told my mother about himself was that he came from a place called Europa.’”

[Voice of the Castle chapter 4]

#girl genius #I was very proud of this theory #and its beautiful compilation here #(it was a little deflating when I first encountered the fandom)#(and discovered EVERYBODY KNOWS)#but here it is #the Skifander Theory #so ridiculous it ought to be crack #oh well I think for at least some people the book quotes are new #(I also have a Lucrezia Masterpost on a doc somewhere)#(but a. it wouldn't fit here)#(and b. it's less of a theory and more of a ????)#(um. also. my apologies if you're on mobile)#(tis a lot of images)

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ladynightmare913 · 3 years

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Secrets of the Darkened Seas

Welcome to chapter 8!

Just a small reminder that the next chapter will be posted on Olivia’s blog! I would like to say a special thank you to my best friend and co-author Olivia ( @asunshinepuff ) for inviting me to work on this story with her. As you may have noticed, we have decided to change on how we release the chapters of our story. We will be alternating from my blog to @asunshinepuff‘s blog.

As always, a reminder that there is some lore included within this, however, it will be explained over time so no worries. There are very subtle mentions of lore within the previous chapters so perhaps read back and see if you can catch it.

Under the guide of Fantastic Nautical Creatures by Newt Scamander, the included lore on different types of merfolk will as always, be taken from the book “The Secret World of Mermaids” by Francine Rose. We will not take credit for its writing. The different types of mermaids will be explained later so don’t worry. We have also taken the liberty of creating some of own original types of merfolk.

These chapters contain many original characters created by Olivia and myself. All credit for our creations goes to each other for our respective characters because we have both worked so hard to bring these character to life and I would never dare to take credit for any of Olivia’s characters.

Now without further adieu!

Chapter 8: Captain Hua

“At least not completely human,” Brielle thought over. Remus bolted from his seat, rushing out the door. The children startled awake.

“What happen?” A very sleepy Tadase asked softly. Rubbing his eyes awake, his hair flying in different directions. Brielle sighed as Regulus demanded another song. She shook her head slowly.

Remus marched up to the captain’s quarters, raising his hand to knock on the door but it opened before he could.

“Stomp any louder I’d think you were a troll with a stone for a head.” The voice of Captain Hua stopped Remus in his tracks.

All of the adrenaline seemed to have left Remus as he looked up to the captain who only had a raised brow. Remus cleared his throat, “I wish to speak to you.”

Min-Jun back away from the door, leading Remus into his quarters. Walking to a large wooden desk that was littered with maps and charts. Min-Jun sifted through the papers quickly. “I was charting our course to the Asian Sea.”

Remus nodded, “Yes, I know. Brielle spoke to me about it.”

Min-Jun nodded slowly, “Though I take it that it was a brief conversation given your current state.” He looked over Remus’ frame in amusement. “I know what you want to ask, so ask it. I cannot give you an answer if you don’t ask.”

Remus frowned lightly. Had Quinn gone behind his back and told Min-Jun what he had been doing? Was it Opal? Min-Jun didn’t look surprised for the most part. So perhaps Min-Jun was assuming Remus had another question all together. Remus took a breath before he decided to take a seat in front of Min-Jun’s desk. The captain himself had taken a seat, he looked completely relaxed.

“Brielle’s song didn’t affect you.” Remus started.

“That is not a question, rather a fact Remus.” Min-Jun gave a hint of a smile. It unnerved Remus a bit.

“Why, did her song not affect you?” Remus finally asked.

Min-Jun huffed a silent laugh. His gaze only showed the familiar warmth that Remus had grown under. “Remus, it was never my intention to have a secret. One kept from you especially. You just never seemed to notice.”

Remus relaxed, the Captain seemed sincere. And as blunt and cold Min-Jun was, he had never once doubted the sincerity in his words whenever he spoke. Min-Jun smiled once more, rising from his seat he walked over to the small library to his left. “Tell me Remus, what do you know about the Ballad of Mulan?”

Remus thought over the name. “I have never heard of it. Why?”

Min-Jun simply pulled out a gold scroll that Remus had seen before over the years. It had the engraving of the dragon emblem on the gold metal. “Mulan was a fierce warrior, she stole her father’s armor, impersonated as a soldier, fought in a war,” Min-Jun turned to Remus, holding out the scroll, “and her name was Hua.”

Accepting the scroll, Remus stared at the captain in slow comprehension. “Your name… is Hua.” The captain nodded.

“She lived nearly 3,000 years ago. I am her descendant.”

Remus gawked at him, leaning into his seat. Min-Jun continued.

“Once Mulan returned from the war with the blessing of the Emperor of China, to her father. Later she bore three children, the first born was a male. All bearing her name, and her descendants later form the Hua Clan. I am from her bloodline.”

Remus opened the scroll, inside were chinese characters, and the portrait of an asian on horseback weilding a sword. Remus traced the words gently. “But that doesn’t explain why the song had no affect on you.”

Min-Jun nodded his head. “Within the Hua Clan, there is a legend.”

“A legend?”

“Yes, that Hua Mulan was the daughter of a great war hero, and of a Phoenix.”

Remus’ jaw dropped. Min-Jun chuckled.

“Newt had the same expression.”

“She was the daughter of a phoenix?!”

“Yes, raised alongside her father’s human wife and half sister. The legend also states that she married a man, who was secretly a dragon.”

Remus fell off his chair.

“Are you sure you have no correlation with Newt?” The captain’s brow raised in amusement. He carried on. “It was just thought to have been a legend, but when Mulan’s descendants took to the seas, they found themselves to be immune to many things, including the song of a mermaid. The dragon emblem on our flag is the emblem of the Hua Clan.” Min-Jun helped Remus up. “It’s probably why the kraken stayed away from our ship for so long.” He mused. “I haven’t been tempted to test that theory.”

“That sounds wise.” Remus laughed awkwardly.

“Yes I thought so.”

Remus sat back down, looking down at the scroll, the symbol of what Remus now was the Hua Clan Emblem. “And your swords?”

Min-Jun smirked. “Perhaps that story should be explained for a later time. I’m sure you have much to think over.”

Remus nodded slowly, not really paying attention. Min-Jun helped Remus out of his quarters, who couldn’t seem to process Quinn grinning at him. Or Quinn slapping a hand to his back.

“You alright there Remus?” Quinn smirked knowingly at Min-Jun.

Remus slowly looked over to Quinn. “Why are you so calm about this?”

Quinn shrugged. “We grew up together. I just grew up knowing that Min-Jun was from-” He paused, looking to the Captain, “Did you tell him the other part?”

The captain shook his head. Quinn nodded in understanding. “Makes sense, the lad probably might burst with just how much he still has to learn about the world beyond the sea.”

Min-Jun smiled before his eyes narrowed, turning his head slightly. He stared at the back of the cabin for a moment before he looked at Remus. “Sirius is awake. Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.”

“ You’re not worried about him hurting anyone else?”

Min-Jun smirked. “With you keeping watch? He’d sooner turn to ash before he even thought of pulling another stunt like earlier today.”

Remus smirked in return, watching Min-Jun and Quinn depart. Min-Jun being the son of a dragon, actually made things make more sense. How he always seemed to know when a storm was coming and how he moved so silently. It was no wonder how the captain gained the name White Sea Serpent. Shaking his head, Remus walked into the infirmary, opening the door, he nearly groaned at the sight before him.

There was Sirius, laying on the ground. Glaring at him. Remus only raised a brow. How bold of him to glare at him with murderous intent when he was bound.

Tag List: Let me know if you wish to be added!

@spookypotato @whataboutmyfries @sunflowerfox87 @wonder-womans-ex @violetatapiamills

#remus lupin #sirius #remus x sirius #enemies to lovers #wolfstar #quinn scamander #opal teresi #min-jun hua #brielle #tadase #regulus black #asunshinepuff ocs #our ocs #pirate captain #pirate and mermaid au #mermaid song #mulan #descendants of mulan #ladynightmare ocs

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awakened-harmony · 3 years

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Realized i should probably make a other Universes chart for how vita is in the off chance people are interested in her non-main UT verse (Underfell) so i’m not just scrambling! SO here is the other variations of vita.

Undertale tag: In the world below (Undertale verse ~ Vita) - Used to be her UF tag but i changed it

I don’t actually have much to add about Undertale since all her elements remain about the same, Perhaps the only true difference is that she’s while still disliking of living underground, She’s content with how asgore has done to keep monsterkind happy despite their circumstances and happily. Openly shows affection to anyone who requests. it

Under the read more is Horrortale and Underswap because they BOTH got longer then i intended them to. I may explore other AU’s if asked but these three will be the main ones :D

----

Horrortale tag: Pray for your time and i’ll bring it so (Horrortale verse ~ Vita)

She like most of the monsters had grieved for the death of the king at the hands of a human who despite her own fear at the death of their ruler knew had only been scared, She like most of the monsters had Panicked when the news of the core’s failure came to light, But she had hoped that they’d get it fixed. That even as the food became scarcer, The air in the dark caverns grew musty and the lights soon turned off completely. She could only hope that it would be fixed, It was only when the first monsters started to die that her hope begun to crumble, Slowly and carefully being chipped away, It was a sensation that helped her ignore the rumble of pain in her belly because all of her rations went to her son. She had to keep him safe, Fed as best she could, She had to be there for him. Help him even if she could help no other soul then her child, He. Her last true piece of her mate, A symbol of their love.

....She failed.

In the end, Maybe it was because of how young he was still, Maybe something in the air had become poisonous that he couldn’t withstand while she could due to her age. To this day, What ifs and maybe’s run through her head about what she could have done differently, like a mantra of pain and grieve. The only thing clear in her head was the resolution in her soul as she put her son out of his misery, The looping memory as she took the light of her life, The joy of her world’s soul out of his chest and could only whisper a prayer of safe travels and a ‘i love you’ before she crushed that beautiful soul in her hands. Forcing it to shatter into hundreds of little pieces as his body turned to dust, She knows she had to do it, but she still can’t forgive herself for it and she’s certain hell awaits her when she dies. If she dies.

Because even as her son had faded, Vita maybe not have thrived, But she survived. Even as she starved and once strong limbs atrophied, She still took it upon herself each day to stand, To get up, To find food if she could...and give it to others. She’s not sure why she doesn’t die, But her best running theory is that her healing magic has turned inward on itself and heals her soul even as her body withers around it. It heals and heals and heals, She is sure that if not for her starved body, She would have been dead of a hundred different cancers by now.

Instead her house, What was her house has essentially become a church. Waterfall had always been the last monsters they thought about because what did they have to offer to the rest of the underground? Snowdin held the way all humans entered the underground, Hotland held the core, The capital held the largest of the undergrounds population and it held the queen. But waterfall? They’d been seen as obsolete and though not sealed off from the rest of the population, They weren’t welcome anymore. So just as snowdin eventually got sans, As corrupt as he was as a protector, Waterfall got Vita. Her continued survival despite starving, Her hope that things will improve one day, Her gracious giving of all but the clothes off her back. She protects the monsters of waterfall and many of the remaining population, the weak, the sick, even the dying come to her. Some if only to spend their last moments to feel as if someone still cared about them, To have their final fate given to them in kindness and not suffering, She who would deliver their souls to Asgore.

Things to take note of in her Horrortale verse: - Vita’s son is dead and she killed him, Killed him to end his suffering as he’d started to decline like some of the other monsters.

- She’s rail thin and looks as though even the lightest wind could blow her over and while she can no longer defend herself, Her followers who praise and follow her lead will kill for her lest they lose their chosen spot of hope in the hell that had become of their home. So while waterfall IS a safe passage, it’s only if you respect she who guards it.

- Vita has leaned heavily into her old beliefs, She’s become incredibly soft spoken and seems to murmur her prayers in a haunting whisper alongside her followers, Asking for help, For hope, For forgiveness for the sins she has committed, To allow her to bear the sins of her followers because they only do as she asks and while she does talk to monsters sometimes without this inflection, It is rare and often only resurfaces with monsters she knew personally whether it be before or after the war.

- Her LV is higher because she mercy kills monsters who are dying of starvation, Of lack of magic, In the words of her followers. She’s sending them to asgore. She brings them comfort in a painless death, She is viewed as a Messiah and in some messed up way, She has more family then she’s ever known in this verse.

----

Underswap tag: Oh maiden with your soul of stone (Underswap verse ~ Vita)

In underswap, Vita despite her soul of Pacifism and her once gentle demeanor turns a full 180 upon the learned death of her mate drusil while protecting the queen in an assasination attempt in the exploits of the war decides to take up the mantle that her mate had left vacant, Abandoning her duties as a healer, Her soul corrupts and becomes one of a Warmonger. She once known for her overwhelming amount of kindness becomes a symbol to fear, Nicknamed by the humans as ‘the siren’ and takes the place of her previous mate by the queen’s side as one of her guards, She personally ensures that the humans lost some ground in the war and for a time. Gave hope in her own way that monster kind would once more be able to thrive as they once did.

But even with her furiosity, That doesn’t happen, They still get sent underground. Not that it truly stops vita, Urging the queen that retreat isn’t an option, That while monsters might be trapped, There would one day be a time they return and they had to be ready. Despite that, the queen initially refuses and while vita still served as her guard, Anger does brew under the surface at her refusal. Another blow is struck when a human does fall underground and instead of rightfully being slaughtered. She and her Meek husband adopt the pitiful creature.

She’s not sure whether she felt vindicated or distraught when the news broke out that both the human AND the young prince were dead, That they’d tried to cross the barrier, that if only they’d come back with a few more souls. They’d have already been free, But instead the dust of both of them was scattered on a small plush toy of the prince’s. It was in this moment even as her coward of a husband flee’s with the humans true body, the queen finally saw the right path to take, At the cost of her entire family and she declared that any further humans to fall into the underground were to die, Harvested for their souls so she may become a goddess among monsters and break the barrier.

And she carries on this duty for her queen with what some see as a sense of pride, She is well known for collecting three of the human souls currently in the queen’s possession, She does eventually step down as the captain of the royal guard and allows Alphys to take the position. But she still co-leads and her advice is taken very seriously, She trains new recruits, following the old army ways of breaking their recruits, they either walk or become something worth her while.

Things to take note of in her Underswap verse: - She’s not downright cruel to monsters but compared to other monsters in US, She comes off as harsh and rough, hard to get close to though she has a fondness for monster children, Recruits she see’s potential in and her fellow comrades whether they be retired from the guard or not because they served well.

- She doesn’t have a son, She was pregnant at one point after they were sealed in the underground but...she doesn’t talk about what happened and nobody has dared to ask.

- Her soul is corrupted and has been since her mate’s death, Maybe with the right people and enough work, it could be restored but there’s no saying she’d be the same after all she did under her corrupted soul’s influence.

- She still lives in waterfall but her house is smaller and only has the bare minimum on the inside, It doesn’t feel very homely so to speak.

- US vita is fucking buff as hell and could snap your spine like a kit kat bar

#Oh maiden with your soul of stone (Underswap verse ~ Vita)#Pray for your time and i’ll bring it so (Horrortale verse ~ Vita)#In the world below (Undertale verse ~ Vita)#//SO yeah #//One of them's basically a religious cult #//and the other one comes off like a bitch #//vita's havin' a...time

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johnny-and-dora · 4 years

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safe from the world, though the world may try

71. “...you wanna build a blanket fort?” requested by @stars-my-darling in which amy experiences a cornerstone of the offical jake peralta boyfriend experience. (early relationship, around 3x04)

read on ao3 -

Amy Santiago is having a bad day.

It’s bad enough that the Vulture is so awful and grossly misogynistic that he’s making her & Rosa plan his birthday party – what’s worse is that she’s actually committed to the task, unable to disobey her captain’s orders in a way that sends self-loathing flooding through her system. She misses Holt, she misses working actual cases – she even almost misses Gina insulting her pantsuits and shredding important papers.

That’s not what’s really bothering her, though. It’s bad enough that she’s exhausted from the end of an insanely dull work week, but it’s worse that she’s barely seen her sweet, adorable, dorky boyfriend at all despite sharing a desk with him. She sighs, rubbing her temples, barely able to muster up the energy to tidy her coat, shoes and bag away as she flops onto her couch.

She can’t fix the Vulture being their captain, and she can’t fix Holt leaving. But at least there’s something she can do about the other major grievance currently darkening her otherwise rosy life.

To: Jake Peralta, 19:47 Can you come over?

From: Jake Peralta, 19:49 omw, be there in 15 everything okay?? xxx

She tries not to overthink the kisses – really, it’s just three characters, and knowing Jake it could just be a typo – but still, it stutters in her weary heart, affecting enough to invite a gentle sincerity into her answer.

To: Jake Peralta, 19:50 Just tired and stressed out And I really want to see you X

They’re still walking the wire in some ways; it’s still relatively early in their romantic relationship, and while they’re both all in (light and breezy now a distant memory), Amy’s always tended to overthink, intent on crafting the perfect text message as if each interaction is something she can win. This time, however, she presses send before she can even double check for grammatical errors - and already feels lighter when she instantly receives a long string of heart emojis in response.

***

She’s pleasantly surprised when she hears an elaborate rap on her door only twelve minutes later. Amy sinks into him almost as soon as he’s through the threshold, arms instinctively wrapping around her in a warm bear hug.

“Hi,” He says softly, pulling away only so they can go cuddle on the couch together, Amy laying her head on his shoulder “What’s up?”

“Nothing, really. Or nothing new, I’m just so sick of the Vulture. Can you believe he wants me and Rosa to plan his birthday party?” Jake pulls a face, groaning in sympathy.

“That’s so gross.”

“I know. I just miss Holt, and I feel like I haven’t seen you all week and everything just kinda sucks when I don’t see you.” She buries her frown into his hoodie for a moment and is confused when she feels him pulling away.

“Okay.” Jake stands up and clasps his hands together, eyes alight in that way when he’s set on something and won’t stop until he gets it. Amy’s spent years fearing that look. “We’re building a blanket fort.”

“We’re…what?”

“Building a blanket fort. C’mon.”

“So, just to be clear, we’re both starving, exhausted adults in our thirties who haven’t seen each other all week and your solution…is to build a blanket fort.”

“Just trust me. Please, Ames?” He pouts, and any irritation instantly falls to the wayside, her reluctance to create an unnecessary mess in her perfectly organised living room easing with a wave of affection for her boyfriend. She sighs but decides to relent.

“I’ll get the comforter.”

It’s almost immediately worth it for the way he cheers, fist-pumping like he just scored the winning try at the Superbowl.

Jake kicks on some cheesy 80’s pop playlist blasting tinny and crackling from his phone and they get to work, Amy emptying her catalogue of sheets, pillows, quilts and blankets into her arms and on to the floor. She quickly loses herself in the task before her, dragging chairs from her dining table to form a sturdy framework, arranging pillows like a goddamn champion inside.

There’s one moment where she gets really excited about lighting, rushing to the back of her closet to grab her Christmas lights – when she next catches Jake’s eye, he’s looking at her with an unabashed fondness that never fails to spread warmth through her whole body.

As with everything else they do together, they make a great team, and they’re done before Jake can make it through the second verse of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. He beams at her as they step back to admire their handiwork - even she has to admit that it’s a damn good blanket fort, the lights she strung up adding a perfect homely touch.

She’s still curious as to why this is how they’re spending their evening together as they crawl inside, Jake instantly cocooning himself in her favourite fleece blanket. She absentmindedly makes a note to sleep with that one next time they spend a night apart, then cringes at how clingy she’s already become.

“So, pretty cosy, huh. Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I do. I just…why a blanket fort?” She asks, watching him earnestly as he distractedly plays with the strings of his hoodie, trying to form his answer.

“This is what my Nana would do with me when I was scared or stressed out or sad, about my dad or whatever. Gina too, sometimes, if I let her paint my toenails and choose the movie.” Amy smiles at an image of a young Jake and Gina giggling at a sleepover, throwing candy at each other and sharing scandalous gossip.

“I know it’s kinda silly, but…I don’t know. It always helped me, hanging out someplace safe and warm where the rest of the world couldn’t get to you for a little while. So, I thought it might help you too.” He gently nudges his shoulder with hers, a boyish grin lighting up his face. His honesty and simple sweetness send a quiet thrill through her, stomach fluttering with butterflies instead of anxiety.

“It does.” She admits, smiling softly as she reaches up to cup his face, thumbing over the stubble on his jawline. “Thank you, you’re the best.”

She wants to say more, but she doesn’t know quite how to articulate how at home he already is in her heart. So instead, she kisses him, gentle and honey-sweet. For a moment, it’s as if they’re the only two people in the world and she revels in the intimacy she’s been craving all day, deepening the kiss and touching her forehead to his before her eyes dare flutter open again.

“You’re so welcome.” He grins. “I didn’t know you’d be such a pro, though. The structural integrity of this thing is off the charts. It could probably survive an earthquake.”

Amy glows at the sincerity of his compliment. The more she thinks about it, the more she realises that he’s right – she feels safe, in here, wrapped up in blankets with her favourite person in the entire world.

She always feels safe when she’s with Jake – not the dull, boring safe she was with Teddy, or really any of her long-term relationships before him. Instead, it’s a safety, a certainty, a trust that makes her even more willing to leap without looking back.

“Oh, for the record, everything sucks for me too when I don’t get to see you. You just make everything better.” He gestures loosely, sharpening her focus back to the present – she kisses him again, revelling in the perfect tiny blanket paradise they’ve made.

And just when she thought she couldn’t feel more content, Amy catches him tapping “polish takeaway brooklyn” into his phone and beams, pressing a feather-light kiss to his cheek.

This isn’t how she expected dating Jake Peralta to be, and yet now she wonders why. He’s probably the only person who’d think to calm her down by building her a fort, and yet he’s the only person who knows her well enough to be certain that it would work. It’s a solution so simple and effective and completely and utterly Jake, and she makes sure to show him just how much she loves that while they wait for their food to arrive.

The delivery guy knocks on the door not long into their make-out session – Amy is delighted to find she’s not the least bit embarrassed as she hastily thanks him, although she does make sure to tip him a little extra. They chat and laugh together in-between mouthfuls and lay back on the pillows when they’re done, Jake idly and soothingly playing with her hair as she rants.

“Hey, Ames?” He says in a sing-song, playful tone after they’ve slipped into a few moments of comfortable silence.

“Hmm?”

“What are your thoughts vis-à-vis blanket fort sexy times? For or against? Because I think I could make a pretty great case for- “

She smothers his argument with her lips, a neat new trick she’s still very much enjoying – and it’s a true mark of her adept construction skills that when they're done the fort still remains wholly intact.

#b99 #b99 fic #peraltiago #jake x amy #brooklyn 99 #my writing #yeah this is happening. new collection of prompts babey #shut up sian

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sunflowericescribbles · 3 years

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Appreciation post: Black Lagoon ♥

I´m so happy I picked up the Black Lagoon Manga again, I had almost forgotten how good that story is^^ It´s been some years since I started the manga and it stood forgotten in my bookshelf, never to be touched again if it weren´t for the fact that I was bored out of my mind and decided to give the anime a chance..

It´s honestly a shame I forgot about Black Lagoon, because it has so many elements that I love not only about the manga but also the anime.

The Prota, Rock: a normal businessman, leading the life of an ordinary japanese citizen, who gets dragged into the criminal life of the lagoon company and the city of Roanapur. He´s intelligent, but he´s not fit for combat and has to rely on others to protect him. He´s good as an interpreter, at negotiations and all the things a businessman is good at and he shows his value in what the usual criminals lack. And he tries to stay good at heart and helps those who are in need of assitance, but he can´t bring them out alive every time and it shows how he still has to learn and adapt to the world around that doesn´t play by the usual rules of society. But he´s getting the hang of it, slowly but steadily. Just hope, he´ll stay in the twilight^^

The Women: Starting with Revy. She´s a crazy, gun-loving and rude woman, who doesn´t need much reason to kill someone. Those atributes are usually ones that turn me off about characters - especially female ones - but so far I still like her. Not just because her backstory, but also because she shows other sides of her character. She cares in protecting the ones the cares for, she is intelligent and she can keep her cool when it´s necessary (most of the time). I just can´t bring myself to not like her.

Overall, the women in this series are mostly the toughest, strongest and scariest characters and I love them.

Balaleika being the captain of fearsome russian soldiers, who are all men, but who respect her so much they would go anywhere with her. She´s cold, calculating but treats them as her family and the trust between her and her men is admiring. She´s the leader and none of them ever questions her position.

Roberta - I know she´s totally off the charts, but you gotta admire how she makes everyone in the whole series afraid of a maid. Totally mad, stopping for nothing, clawing her way through every obstacle with sheer willpower and inhuman physical strength driven by pure loyality. This woman is so f*cking intense in everything she does. Let´s hope she´ll never come back xD

Jane. Yes, I know she´s terribly irritating and is getting on everyones nerves with her short temper if something doesn´t go the way she wants it, but at the same time she´s kinda hilarious. Well, she´s also a computer nerd, knows her shit, is kind of an perfectionist, but has a naiveté to her that is biting her in the ass in the criminal world.

Yea, I admit I like the women very much xD I dunno if I just haven´t read enough mangas (or stories in general), but usually I find it hard to find the female characters appealing^^

And I honestly can´t complain about the lack of romantic interaction.The romance is mostly so subtle you can easily ignore it. I like it staying in the background. Well, exception is the Jane & Benny relationship xD (I believe I have read too many romance stories with stupid crushes, jealousy & and all that)

Besides that, the manga may have a huge load of gunfights, but it also has a good story with characters that don´t need to achive greater firepower, but (slow) chara developement. That being said, I´m excited to finally get to know more about Dutch´s past that is beginning to show in the newest arc and how it will affect the crew. (Note: the opponents is a team of 5 women ;D)

I can also recommend the anime, it´s well done, I even like the english dub better than the japanes version^^ Really, you gotta hear them swear and the different accents they have xD Also the anime is really close to the manga, which I appreciate very much.

Well, I guess that´s all I wanted to say^^

#blacklagoon #black lagoon #rokuro okajima #revy two hands #manga appreciation #strong female characters #gunsgunsguns

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the-nubiest · 3 years

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If my Indra OCs were LIs in Sweet Elite

I have another blog, explaining who they are, but I'm only doing 6 of the 9 main characters due to ages (one identify as AroAce). I'll reblog their actual descriptions once I posted this. Since their actual names are out of place. I'll be using modernised names to fit. (All of them are in their 20s, so they're deaged to be the same age as the Main 10)

(Thea) (Actual name: Theodora)

(General Information)

Full name: Thea Entari

Birthday: July 14

Gender: Female

Department: Health Sciences and Biology

Concentration: Veterinary Medicine

Nationality: Indonesian

Citizen: No

Height: 5'8/172 cm

Prof. Affiliations: N/A

(Skills)

Theory: ⬜⬜⬜ /5

Academics: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Teamwork: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Extracurricular: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Laboratory: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

(General comments)

"Quite the talented student. From what I have seen, she is ambitious and determined to a fault. With a sense of compassion towards animals, but that exact ambition might be a slight weakness to her. Her high achieving past, makes her quite the strict person with people. Her teamwork might be through the roof as she is charismatic, it's her high expectations of others that affect the dynamic. If Thea learns how to listen to others and take criticism, she'll be one of the best vets in the field." - Dr. Meifeng Wu

(Academic Record)

Strengths: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics

Weaknesses: Economics, Fine Arts

Notes: "Diligent and has one of the best work ethics I have seen in my class. If she doesn't talk to her classmates that often, she would focus better." - Dr. Meifeng Wu

(Health Record)

Received a severe left arm injury when she was 14

Excused from participating in Phys. Ed

(Awards and Honors)

Won most popular in her department

See comprehensive list of sports tournaments

(Disciplinary Actions)

N/A

(Extras)

Volunteers at the local animal shelter

------

(Conr) (Actual name: Cyrus)

(General Information)

Full Name: Conroy Entari

Birthday: February 4

Gender: Male

Department: Business, Commerce, & Politics

Concentration: Political Science

Nationality: Indonesian

Citizen: No

Height: 6'1/185 cm

Prof. Affiliations: N/A

(Skills)

Leadership: ⬜⬜⬜ /5

Academics: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Teamwork: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Extracurricular: ⬜⬜ /5

Initiative: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

(General comments)

"Hardworking and creative. He is not the most social person, but Conr knows how to talk his way through things. Except, being too compassionate and emotional may affect his work to become a politician. Looking at the emotions more than the facts. While that is a good thing, it could affect his reputation as a future political figure. If Conr learns how to take both sides and think it through, he'll be one of the most respected politicians in his time." - Lady Ameilia Arlington

(Academic Record)

Strengths: History, Politics, Chemistry, Humanities

Weaknesses: Performing Arts, Languages

Notes: "Hardworking and great work ethic. Gets distracted quite easily by classmates." - Lady Ameilia Arlington

(Health Record)

N/A

(Awards and Honors)

See comprehensive list of won debate tournaments

(Disciplinary Actions)

N/A

(Extras)

Part of Arlington's debate team, and its captain

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(Amara) (Actual name: Astarte)

(General Information)

Full name: Amara Ijaya

Birthday: September 18

Gender: Female

Department: Athletics

Concentration: Track & Field

Nationality: Iranian

Citizen: No

Height: 5'4/162 cm

Prof. Affiliations: International Olympic Comittee

(Skills)

Physical: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Academics: ⬜⬜⬜ /5

Teamwork: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Extracurricular: ⬜⬜⬜ /5

Discipline: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

(General Comments)

"Amala is a disciplined athlete and probably one of the best pole vaulters and sprinters that I have seen. She knows how to control herself both mentally and physically, but not emotionally. I hope she speaks up for herself at times; most of the time, she's concerningly quiet. Relies on others to speak for her. I think why she chose track and those specific events, it's because Amala doesn't want to deal with people." - Murdoc Davis

(Academic Records)

Strengths: Athletics, Mathematics, Fine Arts, Economics

Weaknesses: Chemistry, Biology, Humanities

Notes: "Knows how to get her work done in time. Doesn't interact often, where some points get taken off due to lack of participation." - Murdoc Davis

(Health Record)

Requires above average focus on endurance training

(Awards and Honors)

Voted most likely by classmates to win gold at her first event

See comprehensive list of won national events

(Disciplinary Actions)

N/A

(Extras)

N/A

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(Thierry) (Actual name: Teucer/⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜)

(General Information)

Full name: Classified, supposedly uses Thierry Asinan to protect his real one

Birthday: April 8

Gender: Male

Department: Business, Commerce, & Politics

Concentration: Management

Nationality: Italian-French

Citizen: No (Dual)

Height: 5'11/180

Prof. Affiliations: Classified

(Skills)

Leadership: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Academics: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Teamwork: ⬜⬜ /5

Extracurricular: ⬜⬜⬜ /5

Initiative: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

(General Comments)

"He's a good kid. Loyal from what I have seen. He's determined and stubborn, willing to get to one goal, just to finish it. Thierry's convictions are quite impressive to say the least. Due to personal reasons, I cannot explain any more of his personal interest. I can say his teamwork needs improvement, he doesn't know how to communicate with people that well. If Thierry learns how to talk to others, he'll be one of the greatest businessmen." - Lady Ameilia Arlington

(Academic Record)

Strengths: Economics, Physical Education, History, Performing Arts

Weaknesses: Fine Arts, Biology

Notes: "His convictions is a reason why he is in the top 10. He needs to communicate with others more often to get better rankings." - Lady Ameilia Arlington

(Health Record)

N/A

(Awards and Honors)

Won in top 3 in stock market simulation

See comprehensive list of won speech tournaments

(Disciplinary Actions)

N/A

(Extras)

Captain and member of Arlington's Speech team

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(Anane) (Actual name: Arete)

(General Information)

Full name: Anane Dyjan

Birthday: June 3

Gender: Female

Department: Pure & Applied Sciences

Concentration: Thermal Engineering

Nationality: Ghanaian

Citizen: No

Height: 5'2/157 cm

Prof. Affiliations: Hecate Engineering

(Skills)

Technology: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Academics: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Teamwork: ⬜⬜ /5

Extracurricular: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Laboratory: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

(General Comments)

"One of the best engineers I have seen in the department. Her skills in science cannot be matched by her classmates. Known to be charismatic among them, but is odd that she cannot fully trust her teammates. Her need to do everything herself, can cause team tension. I hope Anane learns how to put faith in others." - Dr. Zoe Lee

(Academic Record)

Strengths: Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics

Weaknesses: Fine Arts, Languages

Notes: "Her talent in class is unprecedented! Perfect work ethic and determination is what makes Anane great, if only she learns how to trust others, she'll be better." - Dr. Zoe Lee

(Health Record)

Prone to mental burnouts

(Awards and Honors)

Voted most popular student in her department

See comprehensive list of won engineering tournaments

(Disciplinary Actions)

12.25.20XX - Detention for blowing up the robotics room

(Extras)

N/A

(Keegan) (Actual name: Kai)

(General Information)

Full name: Keegan Haeyun

Birthday: December 3

Gender: Non-binary (He/they)

Department: Fine Arts

Concentration: Animation

Nationality: Korean-American

Citizen: Yes (dual)

Height: 5'9/175 cm

Prof. Affiliations: N/A

(Skills)

Creativity: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Academics: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Teamwork: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Extracurricular: ⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

Technique: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ /5

(General Comments)

"Their creativity is quite unparalleled, and technique developed beyond their years. Along with that, his academic talents is off the charts and well crafted. Keegan is unfortunately a little demanding of others, often keeping people with them to work a little longer, refusing to be alone. If he listens to people, he'll be one of the best animators that the industry will ever seen." - Prof. Robert Boss

(Academic Records)

Strengths: Fine Arts, Humanities, Physical Education

Weaknesses: Physics, Languages

Notes: "Keegan's creative work is perfect, along with his academics. Unfortunately, if he doesn't get too distracted by classmates, his rank would've been higher." - Prof. Robert Boss

(Health Record)

N/A

(Awards and Honors)

See comprehensive list of won film festivals

(Disciplinary Actions)

9.30.20XX - Detention for blowing up the robotics room

(Extras)

N/A

------

After done reading, want to get more information on my OCs? See the reblogged post with the word Indra. It discusses the personality of these 6 of the 9 characters. You can also follow the OC account if you're interested, the content will be darker than it is. As it discusses mental health and various issues. It only has two posts (as I write this rn), more of my OCs and their stories will be posted.

#sweet elite #dulcet games #indra ocs #i would date them

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stargazersastronomy · 4 years

Text

Social Change & Protest Astrology

“I can't get it out of my mind how you were left to bleed Was it how you dressed? Or how you act? I can't believe how they could act so violently, without regret. Well, we will not forget”

-- ‘We are the Others‘ by Delain

I normally don’t make posts like this, posts that deal with violence or politics. These subjects are similar to religion and sexuality, etc. There are so many different perspectives that you can never know what backlash, if any, will happen because of your words. However, people George Floyd’s murder, the protests, everything has effected the world. I haven’t felt this affected by murders since Brian Deneke’s and Sophie Lancaster’s deaths. Like Deneke and Lancaster, I still hear Floyd’s pleas for his life, for his mother, for mercy echoing in my mind. My imagination could never do his suffering justice; I keep imagining the pain Floyd suffered as his neck was crushed by Derek Chauvin’s knee. I’m someone who believes that Hell is impermanent – and that humans’ depictions of Hell originate from our artists and poets than our holy books – but I hope Chauvin burns in whatever Hell he’s sent to. Even if that hell is life imprisonment.

Similar to Deneke and Lancaster, we’ve heard the same statements: that Floyd was killed for his differences. While that is partially correct, killed because he was different, shifts blame from the murderers to the victim. Statements like these imply that if Deneke hadn’t be Punk, Lancaster hadn’t been Goth, and Floyd hadn’t been Black, they would not have been killed. Yes, the fact that they were all minorities in some way is part of our discourse of it; their attackers – and society’s intolerance – of them was the cause of their deaths. Dustin, the jock, mowed Deneke down with his car. The five boys who pummels Lancaster and her boyfriend killed Lancaster. And it was Chauvin that suffocated Floyd to death. These seven would have gone after anyone different and weaker from them, they chose the easiest targets.

In each case the murders were unplanned, random, that the victims happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But with the violent acts that happened before then – Deneke and his friends beaten by the Jocks, there were beatings against others before Lancaster was killed, and racial deaths have only been increasing here in the States. Signs were there and without intervention of some kind, Floyd’s, Deneke’s, and Lancaster’s deaths were inevitable. No one knew when or to whom these tragedies would happen to, but something like this would.

Anyway, this has been a very long prelude to introduce my point to all this. When these things happen I like to do a horoscope on the event in order to understand it, aka electional/event astrology. Last time I looked up this chart I was reading an event horoscope about the Port Arthur Massacre, so I decided to try my hand at this type of astrology. Now, I’ll probably cast a horoscope for Sohpie Lancaster and Brian Deneke, but for know this chart will focus on George Floyd’s Death, its impact, and the Lafayette Square Protest earlier this week. Before I start this reading, just know I use the Whole Sign house system and not Placidus. Lastly, Floyd was a person and astrology can’t explain away everything, so I’m going to treat him with the dignity he deserves.

Whenever one sees horrific violence and mass uproars in astrology, Mars and Pluto are the prominent players in the horoscope. This isn’t surprising because Pluto is a higher octave of Mars (like Neptune is to Venus, and Uranus to Saturn) and they’re dignified in Aries and Scorpio. Mars is Ares, it is raw masculinity, sexuality, conquest, war, anger, passion. Pluto, aka Hades, Greek God of the Dead, is all that Mars is with one difference. Pluto bides its time waiting for the opportune moment unlike Mars that is impatient and impulsive. In these charts we expect Gemini to be one the dominant signs because it’s Gemini season, Sagittarius because that’s Floyd’s death ascendant (rising sign), and Scorpio because that the protest’s ascendant. However, I did not expect Hades Moon[*1] to be so important here. More on that later.

Gemini Sun (7/Descendant) squared Pisces Mars (4/IC)

Sun is the ego, who we are as an individual. Mars is our drive, its our fighting words. Harsh aspects like oppositions and squares are blessings in disguises because if one can work through the initial turbulence, this person is unstoppable. How this power is often abused. Floyd begs Chauvin for mercy but his words (Gemini/third house) are going unheard. Witnesses are telling Chauvin to stop but they’re ignored and Chauvin’s fellow coworkers are silent.

For now, I’ll give the other cops the benefit of the doubt. Bystanders tend to fall under three camps: one, the bystanders that side with the aggressor, two, the bystanders that sympathize with the victim but are too frightened to confront the bully. Three, perhaps the most insidious, the bystanders that are apathetic to both sides. No matter which camp they fall into they’re cowards and unfortunately the law doesn’t punish inaction.

Pisces is exalted in Venus (Aphrodite) and while it rather not be situated in Mars, Pisces realizes Mars (Ares) is the gender-flipped equivalent of Venus. Pisces Mars is the seafarer, it is Captain Ishamal, Captain Nemo, the old man from The Old Man and the Sea. And Mars in conflict with the sun is causing a storm. Instead of noble victory, Mars uses its strength to dominate. Look at the videos, Chauvin’s photo during the scene. His semi-slouched posture indicates nonchalance and with his hands stuffed in his pockets say that he has nothing to hide. How he eyes the spectators is that of confusing and superiority. They’re saying, “Yeah, I’m boring my knee into this innocent man. And? You guys can’t do anything.” He’s also forcing his will on Floyd. Aphrodite is definitely not happy being thrust into war.

Gemini Venus (7th House) squared Pisces Neptune (4th House)

I mentioned how the generational planets are the higher octaves of the primar planets. Venus is the Greek love Eros while Neptune is Agape, or universal love. Neptune is also illusion. American cops are often placed on pedestals and absolved of their actions, but Venus here is breaking the American people’s disillusions of that. Chauvin is abusing his authority murdering an innocent man in public, no one can ignore this power imbalance now. The crowd that witnessed this atrocity, the millions more worldwide that saw this televised and online can’t erase this from their minds. We’re seeing that the Other (7th House) has no differences from us, that Floyd is not different from us. Pisces Neptune is communicating to us to show love and compassion to our fellow man. Later, in Washington DC Rahul Dubey offered his home to approximately 60 protesters overnight, so they’d remain safe from the police. When interviewed Dubey said what he did wasn’t a choice, it was the right thing to do.

Chauvin showed no kindness, and people are calling him out on this. None of the people in the crowd can do anything, all they can do is beg and shout from the sidelines to help Floyd. This didn’t help Floyd, and this is of little consolation because he died, but people cared enough to record the cops’ crime. They cared enough to demand the cops help Floyd. It feels inadequate at the time, it won’t resurrect him. At least he heard some kindness and concern in the voices of others.

Cancer Moon (8th House) squared Taurus Uranus (6th House)

A Hades Moon is any moon connection to Pluto and/or the eighth house. Whenever the moon is connected to the generational planets – specifically Saturn and Pluto – there’s a war between feminine, nurturing energy and masculine, destroying energy. Saturn freezes emotions whether it’s trined or opposed the Moon. Pluto when aspected to the moon gives the moon psychic, explosive energy. Moon is dignified in Cancer which gives it added strength, however, it’s in the eighth house of death weakening it. “From tomb of the womb, to womb of the tomb.” (Hero of a Thousand Faces) Women give life and we live with the knowledge that life will be taken away. With Floyd’s last breaths he says that he “can’t breathe” and calls out “mama.” How many heartstrings were tugged at? How many mothers, girlfriends, daughters, embraced their children and significant others when they heard this?

Taurus is Eve from the Garden of Eden. Taurus craves stability and sensuality which is why it is fallen in Uranus. Uranus uproots Taurus’ stability to initiate change but note where Uranus; it’s in the house of work and health (6th house). Floyd’s life was taken by men who swore oaths to serve and protect. Chauvin’s coworkers should have done their duty (Virgo/6th house) and protected Floyd from one of their own. Instead they lazily stand aside and let a man die. They ignore his health when Floyd informed them earlier that he was claustrophobic.

Yet the civilians around them did their duty. They videotaped these cops so they’d be held accountable and couldn’t lie about their actions. Women and men called out to the cops demanding the Chauvin get off of Floyd and for the others to call an ambulance. Granted, Floyd still died. His daughters and wife weren’t there to hold his hand in his final moments. He was denied a good death, a death where he’s an old man surrounded by family who loves him. He’ll never see his daughters, graduate, marry, and bear children of their own. The only solace is that his memory has become immortal, no one will forget him now. I doubt he wanted to be a symbol in death, but now we can ensure that his death isn’t in vain. We can make sure we can bring change to the States. We can make sure that these cops are forced to take responsibility for their crimes. That’s our duty in remembrance to Floyd.

“One day we won't slay our brothers One day we won't hate each other One day we'll help one another But that day is not today”

-- ‘The Pallbearer Walks Alone’, The Dark Element

Lafayette Square Protests

For the most part the placements of the Lafayette Square Protests stay the same as Floyd’s death horoscope. The differences are:

Scorpio Ascendant, meaning Mars & Pluto rule the chart

Scorpio Moon (first house/ascendant)

Cancer Mercury (Eighth House)

Mercury trined Uranus

and Moon trined Saturn

Ultimately, the astrology placements I discussed earlier apply here. But for the protests I just want to focus on the 9th House and 10th House/Midheaven.

Cancer Ninth House & Leo Midheaven

Each country has its own natal chart, for the States, this nation was founded during Cancer season. Many people consider America to be their motherland (Cancer), even people who emigrate here. Personally, I think the States have 2 main lessons to learn: One not to be the savior and think itself the hero of other countries, and two, learn that how it’s governed affects the world (ninth house). In my opening paragraphs I mentioned that Sophie and Brian’s deaths impacted the world as does George’s. That’s exactly what happened. As a nation we have daily protests since Floyd’s death. We’re using emotionally charged language to to force Trump, our legislators, police officials for equal rights for black minorities. Saturn is in Aquarius – and we’re about to enter Pluto in Aquarius in the next few years – we’re finally heeding Saturn’s lesson. That everyone should be treated the same, that we must collaborate to enact change.

Whenever there are empty houses, that house is still important but the lessons and symbols that house represents aren’t important at the moment. Trump used his authority, military, police loyal to him to force them out of the square. Why? For a photo-op. Leo long to be center stage and calling attention to itself; the midheaven makes and ideal home for Leo. But this empty house shows Trump’s failure here. It shows no one will allow him to dominate them anymore. I’m not saying astrology can explain all of Trump’s behaviour, but his incessant need for admiration and attention backfired. Now, I never expected much from him, but if he had the ability to think through his actions and consider anothers’ perspective, I would have tolerated him. (The 2020 elections will not be kind to him.) More importantly Floyd’s death and the proceeding protests have effected the world. And if we as American citizens don’t change, the entire world will be affected. (Pluto and Uranus). The United States are considered a superpower with Russia and China close behind as world powers. I’m not psychic nor have a crystal ball, but how this nation handles these conflicts will make or break 7 billion + people in this world. I didn’t intend for this astrology post to sound political. I just wanted to explain this through astrology.

“There will come a day not so far away When the hunter becomes the prey (and you will pay).

Its a hellish inferno This is war eternal.”

-- ‘War Eternal‘, Arch Enemy

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the-yellowturtle · 3 years

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ZKDD Day 30: Forever Family

Title: If One of Your Soulmates Told You to Go Jump in the River, Would You?

Rating: T (cussing, mentioned past character death, brief mention of infanticide)

Summary: Zuko always believed his destiny was tied to the Avatar, he just never thought it would be in this way. (Fruits Basket!AU)

Note: A/N can be found on AO3 (including a chart to figure out your atla zodiac lol) Also! I would appreciate feedback because I’m thinking of expanding on this idea more for the Zutara Big Bang :)

@zkdrabbledecember

A long time ago, the Avatar lived together in harmony with their twelve friends: the shirshu, the flying bison, the tiger seal, the jackalope, the dragon, the koi fish, the ostrich horse, the koala sheep, the winged lemur, the turtleduck, the polar bear dog, and the badgermole.

Unfortunately, those idyllic days did not last forever. Strife was brewing between the Spirit and Human Worlds, and only the Avatar was capable of restoring balance. There was no choice, but to leave the Spirit World and to live among the humans. The Avatar was heartbroken to be separated from their closest friends, but they knew they must do so, or great calamity would befall the world.

The Twelve understood why the Avatar must go, however, they could not bear to be parted from the one that had brought them all together.

“We will follow you. We will join you in bringing balance to the Spirit and Human Worlds,” the Twelve told the Avatar.

“Let us be together forever,” the Avatar responded with joy. “May we always find each other in every life.

From that day onward, the Avatar has always been accompanied by members of the Twelve. For there is nothing on this planet that is more powerful than the bond between the Twelve and the Avatar. They are destined to be together. Forever.

___

Everyone had always thought he was a fool for choosing to pursue the Avatar.

Zuko had been given two avenues to regain his honor, and he had opted to search for the mythical figure that had been missing for over a century. His crew detested his decision, and Uncle… Uncle was apathetic towards his efforts at best; most likely disappointed he could not relive his glory days through his nephew.

He knew others thought that he had given up, that he had never planned on returning to his place in the Fire Nation, that he was too weak and too much of a coward to hunt members of the Twelve. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

He would gladly struggle and fight for as long as possible because he knew his destiny. His destiny was to capture the Avatar, and the airbender’s reemergence had proven him correct. It was only a matter of time now.

The first few attempts had gone astray, but Zuko had a good feeling about collaborating with the pirates to capture the waterbender to use as bait. It didn’t matter that Uncle did not agree with his methods, and that Zuko had to set off by himself with only a small squadron. He would prove Uncle and everyone else wrong; he had to.

___

When you were one of the Twelve, touch was the most intimate of things. Any form of embrace would trigger the transformation, so most Zodiac members learnt to dance around it; learnt how to get out of the societal norms that would so often lead to falling into other’s arms.

But Katara thrived on it. She patted heads, held hands, bumped shoulders, and kissed foreheads. She loved to touch others; to get as close as possible. She knew it was dangerous, but she loved it. She wanted others to know that she cared for them.

Before Aang, she had only ever been hugged by her family. Some of her favorite memories were of when her mom would let her transform and spend the whole day cuddling together in the furs. (Only under duress would she admit that Sokka carrying her around like a polar dog pup were also some of her favorites).

For her whole life, an embrace had only ever been a signifier of the utmost trust and affection. Hugs and cuddles were sacred, not a thing to be feared.

However, that was before Aang and before leaving the Southern Water Tribe and before seeing the wanted posters of rumored members of the Twelve.

That was before Zuko had snuck up on her, said that spirits awful line, and sent her careening back into the arms of one of the pirates. That was before time stopped for a moment and her stomach dropped and she thought to herself: fuck .

___

Katara expected to see a few things when she opened her eyes:

The puff of smoke from her transformation? Check.

Her pile of clothes on the ground? Check.

Pirates and Fire Nation soldiers charging at her? Check.

What Katara was never expecting to see —not even after a thousand years — was a poof of smoke similar to her own clearing up, and a turtleduck emerging from a pile of red and gold armor.

Before her mind could even form the question of what in the Four Nations just happened, one of the soldiers shouted, “Prince Zuko is a traitor! Seize him and the tiger seal!”

“Oh no you don’t,” the Pirate Captain sneered, “We’ll be the ones gettin’ the reward for the turtleduck and tiger seal.”

And then all hell broke loose.

With all of her might, Katara bounced her way between the fighting pirates and soldiers, biting and tail whipping as she went. She needed to get to the river; outswimming them was the only plausible method of escape.

She was almost there, the water practically touching her flippers, when she heard a familiar raspy voice command, “Get back! I’m your Prince!” followed by hisses of pain.

Zuko.

Her enemy. The boy who relentlessly chased them around the world, trying to kidnap Aang and destroy any chance at peace. And the boy, who apparently was one of her soulmates. One of the people she had shared countless lifetimes with maintaining balance. The boy who was near the water, but was too busy breathing fire at the advancing troops to notice his surroundings.

She didn’t know why he spent so long pursuing them when he could have joined them, but she did know that he needed some help. And Katara never turned her back on people who needed her.

So she screamed, “Zuko! Go jump in the river!”

___

Zuko did not know what was happening.

He did not know why one of his men stumbling into him caused a tiny explosion. He did not know why he’s suddenly the size of a cat. He did not know why he appeared to have a beak and a shell now. He did not know why his men were calling him a traitor.

Zuko only knew one thing: the spirits hated him.

So he ran because the men chased him. He screamed because they further besmirched his honor with lies. He breathed fire because they attacked him.

He was disconnected from reality; the only thing that felt real was the pounding in his ears and the churning of his stomach.

“Zuko! Go jump in the river!”

It was the waterbender. The tiger seal. She called to him from the river bank, slapping her fins against the water for emphasis. “Jump in the river!”

So he jumped.

___

There was a saying in the Fire Nation navy: A decent sailor knows the changes of the tides; a great sailor knows the cycles of the Twelve .

As important as the knowledge contained in the official seafaring manual was, it did not bring glory to their homeland. Any average Lee could spew off the fuel consumption rate of a Fire Nation cruiser; only the greatest of men could present the Fire Lord with a member of the Twelve in chains. And even then, only the best of them would be permitted to carry out the execution themselves.

Captain Zhao had been granted this honor thirteen times. In fact, he was the most successful hunter of the Twelve in the history of the Fire Nation. Not even the Dragon of the West, with a measly count of three kills, could compare to him. There was a reason the old man was wasting away on a dilapidated rust bucket, and Zhao was being heralded as the Zodiac Killer.

Yes, Zhao was quite proud of his accomplishments, but he wanted more. He had brought thirteen members of the Twelve to their knees before the people of Caldera City, but four of those had been repeats. And where was the glory in that?

No one had ever managed a complete set, but Zhao would most definitely be the first. The jackalope, koi fish, and turtleduck were the only ones left.

The jackalope was still at large in the Earth Kingdom, but was most likely under the protection of Omashu’s Mad King. After dealing with the Northern Water Tribe, Omashu would be the next stronghold to fall to the Fire Nation.

The koi fish had always been the trickiest of the Twelve to catch. This was not due to the koi fish being particularly intelligent or skillful, but simply because it was a creature cursed with terrible luck. Most parents were terrified when their newborn transformed into a fish, and by the time they realized what was happening; their fish child had already suffocated. As a result, it was impossible to know for sure how many incarnations of the koi fish had been reborn since the start of the Hundred Year War.

The koi fish of the Zodiac would be an excellent addition to his collection, but Zhao had it on good authority that there’s an even better prize in the Northern Water Tribe. Besides, it’s been at least two decades since the North had presented the Fire Nation with one of the Twelve, perhaps Zhao would come across a pleasant surprise during his expedition.

And then there was the turtleduck. After confirmation that the previous turtleduck had been an Earth Kingdom warrior, Zhao had been scouring the Poles for rumors. He had assumed the next would be of Water descent, but oh how shortsighted he had been.

How could he have forgotten how often Earth liked to mix themselves with others? The warrior had not been an Earth incarnation, but one of Air.

The current cycle was Fire. And after reading the memo on his desk about reports of pirates seeing a scarred boy transform into a turtleduck, he knew exactly who to look for.

Zhao had always enjoyed the hunt, but this was shaping up to be his favorite. It’s not everyday you get to kill a prince, after all.

#zutara #zutara fanfiction #mine #had to repost this cuz it was being weird

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snowbellewells · 4 years

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CS Fic Rec Monday: Fics I Loved in 2019/// October - December

So here we are, the last list of 2019 fics! I wasn’t sure I would get them done each week, but I did it! (And I think several of you seemed to enjoy :) Thanks!) I apologize for not having this posted sooner, but everything rebooted just as I was getting nearly done, and I lost my entire post in progress!

Anyway, here we go with the fics from October to the end of the year...

Seeing as how October brought all things a bit spooky and Halloween-y, it seemed only right to start this list out with a fic from the @csrolereversal event that I simply adore: “A House is Never Still” by: @capnjay21 This fic is completely unique and full of such a great blend of mystery, angst, backstory, and thrills that I was completely sucked in from the very first chapter. I’ve gotten woefully behind, as I know there is at least one chapter update I haven’t gotten to read yet, but it is so well-written and creative, you will absolutely be enthralled!

Another awesomely spooky story is “An American Haunting” by: @welllpthisishappening I loved this modern AU take on Emma, Killian, and many of the rest of our OuaT favorites as workers at an American historical village, and their encounter with a very real (and vengefull!) ghost. Plus, there’s plenty of secreative flirting and pining as well, since Emma and Killian like each other, but haven’t yet admitted it. ;)

October also brought us the @cspupstravaganza which allowed us to have several stories starring our pirate and princess alongside various adorable versions of man’s best friend. All of these fics deserve a read, but I especially loved: “Captain Morgan” by: @pirateherokillian, “Twelve Legged Matchmaker” by: @shireness-says, “...between a rock and a bark place” by: @thisonesatellite and “Arm’d with Hell Flames and Fury all at Once” by: @darkcolinodonorgasm.

@profdanglaisstuff also wrote an incredibly funny and irresistible CS with a dog fic (that I thought was part of @cspupstravaganza, but I guess not!) called “Release the Kraken”. This one had me both giggling and melting at the sweetness - don’t miss it!

“Drift” by: @thisonesatellite is a one shot which just blew me away with the emotion and the healing worked into the modern au verse of it. Emma and Killian’s finding each other and slowly connecting and allowing each other to be less alone in the world is just beautiful. I really can’t say enough about how gorgeous and affecting it is. If you missed this one, please do yourself a favor and read it now. <3

“Until the Stars are all Alight” by: @whimsicallyenchantedrose was another excellent AU MC I began to enjoy in these last months of 2019. It was an entry to @cssns19 and mixes together two of my very favorite things: Lord of the Rings and Once Upon a Time in a thrilling crossover. This has questing, romance, angst and adventure in equal measures, and is so well-done all around. It is a WIP, but I have never known Jennifer to leave an MC unfinished, so I know you won’t be disappointed!!

“Not Your (Soul)Mate” by: @let-it-raines probably doesn’t really need my introduction, but just in case you didn’t see the modern AU take on soulmates for the @cssns, definitely read it now! I love how awkwardly humorous the way Emma and Killian’s soulmate status makes itself known (even the two of them definitely do not!) Not only that, but the comic element mixes in real emotion as they try to fight destiny to really make the piece more meaningful. Plus, Killian as a doting uncle is not to be missed either! ;)

Fandom Birthday Playlist by: @searchingwardrobes I did tell you there would be entries from this collection on every list, didn’t I? Melanie really excelled with this mission she set herself - so many engaging and fitting fics for fandom friends, and the three on this list are some of the best yet! You’ll totally fall for Killian as a young minister looking for someone to love him for himself in “Raging Fire”, with Killian and Emma as a young Lieutenant Duckling helping each other through a painful trial in “Burn the Ships”, and with single father Killian and lost amnesiac Emma in “Start of Time”.

“the unexpected life” by: @thisonesatellite An author!Killian/librarian!Killian, adorable Captain Cobra, and a hesitant-but-drawn-to-him Emma -- what more could we really ask for as readers? This story is beautiful and heartwarming and all the good things the best fics are. I love how this Killian and Emma move from acquaintances to friends to loves to eventually a wonderful family with Henry.

“Drink the Wild Air” by: @profdanglaisstuff I just love EF AUs with dashing sailor Killian and young princess Emma, and this gives us that very thing in gorgeous fashion. Both the adventure and the romance are excellent in this one, and though it is still a WIP, you will love and simply devour every bit of it posted so far -- I can almost guarantee it!!

“Four Eyes” by: @welllpthisishappening Oh my goodness, this helping of sweet papa Killian, fighting a bit with admitting he’s aging when he finds out that he needs glasses right along with he and Emma’s little girl, is just beyond perfect! There are references to The Great Gatsby (a sure way into my affections!) an adorably exasperated Emma and lovably realistic fluff galore.

“The Swan of Misthaven” by: @slow-smiles Oh my! This is an EF Captain Duckling AU that will absolutely steal your heart - and in truth the final part of a larger collection of one shots called “My Princess, My Pirate” by this author. They’re all worth reading, and again, I am a little late to the party, so maybe most folks know about this fic already. Still what a thrilling adventure plot - and some great moments of pirate Killian slowly winning over Snow and Charming as they all fight for the princess they love!

“Across the Snowy Places” by: @profdanglaisstuff There truly aren’t enough Thanksgiving fics in this fandom, and that made me love this five part offering all the more. I love the pretend relationship trope and how efficiently Saira uses it here. The pining and the chemistry between Emma and Killian is off the charts and SO well done!! I got such a kick out of the cast of characters she surrounded them with too, and just how amazingly they come together for good in the end!

“Tell Me It’s Real (it’s real)” by: @let-it-raines This one plays with the same trope as the story before it. Best friends Emma and Killian pose as a couple to appease her family over the holidays, but their feelings keep threatening to upset the whole ploy and reveal how much more they both want. Plus, there’s Liam visiting his “little” brother as well as a wonderful rendition of David and MM. The angst and the pining and the steamy moments “for show” just make this one - even before things work into their eventual happy resolution!

“The Perfect Gift” by: @terreisa This is a modern au featuring CS as office co-workers that just charms you from beginning to end! Emma thinks she doesn’t want anything to do with the handsome Brit at the desk next to hers, but after a holiday gift exchange run by meddling matchmaker Mary Margaret, she begins to realize he isn’t who she believed him to be. This is seriously a gift for the reader, and you’ll love every word!! <3

“Hashtag Holiday Party” by: @shireness-says No exaggeration here when I say that I start cackling with laughter whenever I think of this story. Devon does such a great job painting the worst kind of first date at a holiday party and how Emma deals with it. Luckily Killian and Belle are at the same party as well (as friends) and Emma finds that while the date was a bust, the party itself might not have been a waste at all... ;)

“To Keep it All the Year” by: @profdanglaisstuff This story reminds me exactly why I love a good Christmas story - the heart and good will found within it will truly warm your heart. The Killian we meet at the start of this is angry and alone and has nothing left, but then he meets Emma (and Henry) and he begins to see a way forward. I don’t want to spoil all the heart-tugging and glorious moments as the story progresses, but if you missed this around the holidays, please go back and read it now!!

“We Kill the Flame” by: @thisonesatellite Seriously, if you haven’t been reading this WIP futuristic MC, then put down whatever you’re doing, and go start it ASAP! This one will take your breath away with the pulse-pounding action, the high stakes, and the risks Emma and Killian go through for each other and for the tiniest chance at grasping a better life. The whole roster of characters are perfectly cast, and the plot is amazing! So original, so well-done... you won’t even want to blink until you’ve swallowed each chapter whole -- it’s that intensely good!

#cs fic rec monday #csfrm #fics I loved in 2019 #october to december #cs ff #cs fic recs #sorry so late this week!

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