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#god i’m so excited to see how they do mal in the show
theemissuniverse · 7 months
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MORTAL KOMBAT 1 FLIRTY/SUGGESTIVE INTROS WITH OC
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A/N : This is my OC Mal who is the daughter of Quan Chi. I’m going to be making an MK fic soon with this OC but will start all the way at MK 9. Tell me what y’all think of her
MATURE : MINORS DON’T INTERACT
Mal is the daughter of Quan Chi. Mal is witty, sarcastic, and unpredictable. Even though she has left her father to join the Earthrealm warriors, she still has an evil sadistic nature. She is a Cambion which is a half human and half demon. She is also a very powerful sorcerer. (Mal is a female and goes by she/her pronouns. Mal is also bisexual)
This is for MK 1
CHARACTERS
Liu Kang, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Kung Lao, Mileena, Kitana
MAL VS CHARACTERS
LIU KANG VS MAL
MAL : Have I told you how undeniably hot you are?
LIU KANG : You only tell me 50 times a day
MAL : Keep it real. Have we fucked in other timelines?
LIU KANG : What makes you want to know?
MAL : I’ve always wondered what it would be like to “do it” with a God.
LIU KANG : You’ve always wondered what it would be like to “do it” with me
LIU KANG : I don’t wish to hurt you
MAL : Oh baby, you’ll be the one on the ground “hurt”
LIU KANG : Kung Lao seems to peak an interest in you
MAL : You’re so hot when you’re jealous
MAL : I never thought a God would be interested in me
LIU KANG : I would tell you, you should think of yourself more highly but your ego knows no bounds
MAL : If I can pull a God - I can pull anyone
LIU KANG : To be fair - in other timelines I was also in love with you
LIU KANG : I wish to treat you like a goddess
MAL : Oh my lord - I think I’m turned on right now
LIU KANG : Are you ready for your training?
MAL : If it ends up with you being on top of me then yes
MAL : You don’t have to be so gentle with me. I like it rough
LIU KANG : I’m well aware
RAIDEN VS MAL
MAL : Aww. Do I make you nervous Raiden?
RAIDEN : A woman with your beauty can make anybody nervous
MAL : God you are so fucking hot
RAIDEN : I sometimes don’t know how to handle your straightforwardness
RAIDEN : I did not picture our first date like this
MAL : Don’t wanna wrestle me to the ground?
MAL : I’m sensing you’re a bottom
RAIDEN : I’m sensing myself becoming embarrassed
MAL : Kung Lao said you have a crush on me
RAIDEN : I - um…don’t know what he’s talking about
MAL : I see someone’s excited to see me
RAIDEN : Why can’t my body ever shut up when it’s around you?
MAL : You know I can read your thoughts right? You’re much dirtier than I thought
RAIDEN : If you could erase the embarrassment out of me - that would be great
RAIDEN : When Johnny told me to “make my move” I did not think it would result in Kombat
MAL : Oh honey, fighting you is just going to turn me on
RAIDEN : You really like me?
MAL : I can show you how much I really like you
MAL : You know the walls are paper thin. I can hear you having…fun with yourself. Did you think about me while you did it?
RAIDEN : By the Elder Gods - I hate myself
JOHNNY CAGE VS MAL
MAL : I don’t know why people compare me to you
JOHNNY CAGE : Because we are two sexy people
JOHNNY CAGE : *flirty* Hello, Mal
MAL : Not happening, baby
JOHNNY CAGE : So, Mileena or Kitana?
MAL : How bout you?
MAL : Your ex-wife was a fool to leave you
JOHNNY CAGE : I’m looking at my new one right in front of me
JOHNNY CAGE : What’s Kung Lao got that I haven’t got?
MAL : Nothing. You’re just fun to mess with
JOHNNY CAGE : You, me, tonight. 9’oclock
MAL : I’m so used to be the one flirting that, that just caught me off guard
MAL : You’re no fun. You’re too easy
JOHNNY CAGE : Why would I deny the hottest girl of the Netherrealm at a chance of me?
MAL : If you lose - you have to go down on me
JOHNNY : Honey, that is a win for me
MAL : Kitana already cannot stand the two of us - let alone for us to ask for a threesome
JOHNNY CAGE : Worth a shot
JOHNNY CAGE : I feel like you put me under your spell
MAL : Your ego is big if you believe you are worthy for that kind of magic
KUNG LAO VS MAL
MAL : I can sense you’re a top
KUNG LAO : Instead of sensing, I can just show you
MAL : You think you can handle a woman like me?
KUNG LAO : I know I can
KUNG LAO : How long do we have to keep this a secret?
MAL : Until I know you’re worthy of being with me
KUNG LAO : Don’t go easy on me
MAL : Me? Easy? Are we talking about me?
KUNG LAO : Raiden is my friend but he cannot handle a woman like you
MAL : So show me how to handle me
KUNG LAO : Anybody but Johnny! Please!
MAL : You’re so cute when you’re jealous
MAL : I will suck the soul out of you
KUNG LAO : *laughs* Of course
MAL : I think you should’ve been the chosen one
KUNG LAO : Smart and beautiful. What more could I ask?
KUNG LAO : Didn’t know I’d meet someone as cocky as me
MAL : Think you met your match?
KUNG LAO : Last night was - amazing
MAL : Oh baby, I know it was
MILEENA VS MAL
MAL : You don’t need keys to drive me crazy
MILEENA : Ugh. I don’t know who flirts worse. You or Cage
MAL : You and Tanya make me want to vomit
MILEENA : Jealous, sorcerer?
MAL : Come on, you know you like me
MILEENA : You tell anyone and I will slaughter you
MILEENA : You could get infected with the Tarkat
MAL : That is a risk I’m willing to take
MILEENA : Kitana has been asking about you
MAL : I’m more into Empresses than Princesses
MILEENA : You want my body but forget I’m infected with the Tarkat
MAL : You forget I’m a powerful sorcerer. All I gotta say is “Abra Cadabra” and go back to going down on you
MILEENA : You know you’re actually cute if you didn’t open your mouth
MAL : Ha! Got you to admit I’m cute!
MILEENA : The blood lust is starting to take control of me
MAL : I should not be turned on right now
MILEENA : Raiden is too weak to handle a woman like you
MAL : I’m guessing you got the backbone for it?
MAL : Tanya is lucky we did not meet first
MILEENA : She is
KITANA VS MAL
KITANA : If you call me “eye candy” you will not walk away from this fight
MAL : God damn it! Johnny stole my line
KITANA : You couldn’t handle an Outworld woman
MAL ; Oh honey, I’m one of the most powerful sorcerers and half demon. Handling you would be like nothing
MAL : I don’t mind this hard to get act you got
KITANA : By the gods you are more relentless than Cage
MAL : Don’t tell me I’m losing my shot to Raiden
KITANA : *chuckles* Survive this and we’ll see
KITANA : You and Johnny Cage? Is that a joke?
MAL : Aww. Are you jealous, princess?
KITANA : You talk a lot of talk but I bet you’re submissive
MAL : *laughs* Did you actually just flirt with me?
KITANA : I don’t care how good you are - I am still not interested
MAL : So you admit that I’m good in bed?
MAL : The only reason I don’t back off is because I know you like me
KITANA : It doesn’t matter if I do - I cannot be with you
KITANA : My sister has been asking about you, sorcerer
MAL : Tell her I’m busy with you
KITANA : If I let you give me a massage - it will just lead to something else
MAL : Is that really a bad thing princess?
OTHER CHARACTERS TALK ABOUT MAL
JOHNNY CAGE : 50 bucks that Mal asks me out
KUNG LAO : Looks like your pockets are going to be empty
KUNG LAO : Oh come on! You’re already the chosen one! You have to have Mal too?
RAIDEN : She chose me, Kung Lao
LIU KANG : Mal is not a prize to be won, Johnny Cage
JOHNNY CAGE : So it sounds like you’re letting me have her
KUNG LAO : How can I compete with god like powers?
LIU KANG : There is no competition to win Mal’s heart…but you simply can’t
KITANA : I always thought you were interested in me
RAIDEN : You are quite the woman, princess but Mal has my heart
JOHNNY CAGE : I should’ve known Mal was into chicks. She’s a hot demon chick
KITANA : Do you ever stop talking?
JOHNNY CAGE : You know if you and Mal don’t work out then maybe we can -
KITANA : You are truly relentless, Cage
KITANA : Something tells me you and Mal have more history then you let on
LIU KANG : Which all shall remain a mystery
RAIDEN : Did you really slap Mal?
KITANA : Yes but she seemed to enjoy it
KUNG LAO : How come I don’t end up with Mal?
LIU KANG ; Is there something you wish to confess to me, Kung Lao?
JOHNNY CAGE : Admit it - you got a thing for Mal-Pal
MILEENA : Quiet, Earthrealmer!
JOHNNY CAGE : So if you and Mal go at it who’s on top and who’s on bottom?
MILEENA : Worry about your own problems, Cage
RAIDEN : I am not telling you if Mal is a “top or bottom” Johnny
JOHNNY CAGE : If you’re a bottom then just say that
LIU KANG : Treat Mal with the utmost respect
RAIDEN : I will, Lord Liu Kang
JOHNNY CAGE : Boooo! She picked you?
LIU KANG : You are surprised she picked a Fire God over an actor?
KUNG LAO : I think Mal has a crush on you
KITANA : I doubt her feelings are real
AND THATS IT!!
send in requests!
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mythris · 4 months
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finished blades 2! here’s some of my thots (that no one asked for)
Let’s start with the pros:
- the world building was absolutely stunning, I enjoyed the places we got to go and things we got to see and the new characters/races were so beautifully written and drawn
- the storyline started off rocky, but the payoff was really really worth it
- character development, it this is also in the “rocky” category because I frankly hated the reunions (other than MC and Imtura’s), but they somehow salvaged that by the end by actually letting MC acknowledge the fact that they are not doing well
- along with character development, i really enjoyed the valax and aerin redemption arcs, they were slow burns and felt very organic, something that was missed
- having the option to be poly! i missed this! this is the antithesis to the heinous single LI concept and i missed this so bad, i felt a whisper of the old choices which wasn’t smut all the time
now for the cons
- threep and loola: we paid diamonds for loola only for her to show up for all of 4 chapters. and threep made book 1 really fun and i got some genuine laughs from his character, this was sorely missing from book 2, and i hope it’ll be rectified for the next one!
- not being able to use the book 1 skills… like it would’ve been fun to combine those two together, but alas, we couldn’t flirt our way out of everything with the seduction skill
- pacing: the early chapters were not paced well and i kinda just had to not play for a few weeks bc i just wasn’t motivated to play for a minute, also Mal felt so out of character for a minute there
- with the rift sealing choice, i’m worried about how they’re going to handle that in b3
- AI art! PB PUT THE AI DOWN OR SO HELP ME GOD!!! the Aerin CG at the end was not cute like where are your real, human artists??
all in all, i had a lot of fun and it brought back that little excitement i had for this app. I’ll see y’all in 4 years when BOLAS 3 comes out (jk i’ll be here when COP3 releases for non-VIPs). PB, if you’re reading this, bring Threep and Loola back full time or else!!!
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zaraomarrogers · 2 years
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Always and Forever - 2
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Pairing: Steve Rogers x Fem Reader
Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Sexual content, minors do not interact
word count: 2301
~*~
PART 2
Y/n put Malcolm in the baby seat, fastening the belt she kissed on his cheek. She’d been crazy busy throughout the month managing and planning the Fall collection showcase. It was Wanda’s first time launching her collection in a mainstream fashion industry.
Wanda Maximoff- cheerful, quick witted, intelligent and extremely protective of Y/n and Malcolm, was the step- sister who was also a best friend to Y/n.  Wanda was just like her mother, warm and welcoming, full of love and compassion. She found a sibling and a friend in Y/n. Wanda was allowed with Y/n in labor room and she was the first one taking Malcolm in her arms before doctors took him away for mother and baby skin to skin contact.
“You good, baby?” Y/n asked, looking at Malcolm in the rear view.
“Yes Mama. When reach Wan Wan?” Malcolm asked mouth full of flavored yogurt.
“In few minutes, Mal. You will have to spend some time with Lily, while Mama’s gonna finish her work. Okay baby?”
“How wong work Mama?”
“It’s going to take time Mal, but mama will come see you okay? Be nice to Lily please.”
“Okay mama, wuv you.”
“I love you too Mal, so so much.”
 The house of blues Boston was illuminated with lights, sound of music blaring from the speakers. Y/n parked the car in the parking spot. She was little late already, taking out Malcolm she hold his right hand in her left while carrying his bag and her purse in right hand she walked into the place. She spotted Lily not so far from the changing rooms, she handed Malcolm to her along with his bag. A kiss and few reminders later, she was walking into the main room where all the models were getting ready. She glanced over checking everything and headed towards the bar section of this huge place. She knew bar was the only place she’d find Wanda and Pepper. Both of them had this nervous habit to have few beers before the show.
 “My god! Get a grip you two.” Y/n exclaimed taking a seat beside Wanda. “I’m the one walking down the ramp.” She signaled the bar tender for a drink.
“I am so excited. You know I’ve designed the dress especially for you. You’re gonna be the sexiest mama tonight.” Wanda squealed from happiness.
“Aha, I’ve seen that dress and it’s all kind of sexy, Y/n.” Pepper said gulping down the beer.
Y/n rolled her eyes as she took a sip from her whiskey. Only reason she agreed to walk the ramp was Wanda. She just couldn’t say no to her.
“I’m sure that guy from the HR will lose his balls.” Wanda laughed out loud. “You are going to be sensational Y/n/n.”
“C’mon guys! We need to stay focused. Pepper, is your husband coming?” Y/n asked changing the subject.
“You mean my ex- husband?”  
“No, I mean your husband because you’re still not divorced yet.”
“Ugghhh….. I don’t know.” Pepper groaned.
“We have booked the most expensive place in Boston. Tony’s presence will attract the media and we need media’s attention other than the sponsored coverage.” Y/n checked something in her phone. They stood up and headed towards the changing rooms where all the models were.
The show was to start in thirty minutes and everything was meticulously organized, all credit to Y/n, she was the driving force behind the whole showcase.
Wanda took out the dress wrapped in a plastic bag and handed to Y/n. “Open it.” Wanda said with a smile. As Y/n unzip the bag to have a look at the dress, her eyes went wide in astonishment.
“Oh.my.god!!! this is so beautiful….” She exclaimed in joy.
It was a floor length evening gown in maroon color. It had spaghetti strap with deep neck and backless back with a side slit. It was the sexiest most prestigious dress Y/n had seen in her entire life. Wanda had outdone herself with yet another masterpiece that it was and she made it especially for her. Y/n felt tears in her eyes, she was overwhelmed by the gesture and it wasn’t the first time. Wanda hugged her tight seeing her sister’s red eyes.
“Hey c’mon Y/n/n…” she whispered. “I want the world to know that my sister is the hottest mama out there.” Both of them laughed heartily in each others embrace.
Pepper awed from behind and ushered Y/n in the changing rooms to get ready. While Y/n was inside the changing room, Wanda called Bucky. Her fiancé, her one great love.
“Where are you?” Wanda asked through the call.
“Right behind you.” She felt an arm around her waist and a warm breath against her ear. She turned around in his arms and smiled sweetly at him. Bucky leaned in to kiss her softly.
“I missed you.” He said into the kiss. Wanda laughed, “You saw me this morning.”
“It’s been nine hours, love.” He tried to steal another kiss but Pepper came in from behind.
“C’mon guys! I’m gonna take your girl away, you can take the seat Bucky in the hall. The show will start in twenty minutes. Where is everyone…” Pepper’s nerves started to appear, Wanda laughed and shooed Bucky off towards the main hall. Everything had been in perfect order, Y/n’s hard work was evident in the every minor detail. She had a team of equally brilliant and capable people but it was her meticulous nature that outshined everything and everyone.
  ~*~
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 Steve parked his car in the parking lot. The House of Blues Boston was lighted up and people from the fashion industry were started pouring in. He made his entrance from the main door. He had been trying to call Pepper’s assistant but couldn’t reach the person. He walked along the corridor praising all the work that had been done. He entered the main hall, the security needed to see the pass that Steve didn’t have, instead he showed them his business card and Tony’s reference. In a second, he was escorted to the VIP section of the hall where only officials were allowed. He was there for barely ten minutes when Pepper came in, dispiriting that Tony wasn’t here. Steve’s austere demeanor and Tony’s absence put Pepper in a bad mood. She excused herself immediately not wanting to engage in any courtesy.
 As the fashion show ushered in, Steve was bored to death. Bucky told him he was busy with some work thing so they planned to meet next day. He wanted to get out of there and was almost at the exit when the announcement for the show stopper occurred and Steve stopped in his tracks.
 Y/n Carter….
 Was he hallucinating?
 No…
 He wasn’t even drunk.
 Was she his Y/n?
 He walked back few steps in and forgot to breathe. In the spotlight Y/n was walking elegantly in a beautiful evening gown, accentuating her curves perfectly. Her boobs were little fuller now, everything about her radiates class, charisma and majestic. She was looking exquisite, her smile was the same as he remembered, maybe even more beautiful. She was still the most stunning woman in Steve’s eyes. He wanted to run to her, took her in his arms and kiss her senseless. He wanted to sit in her feet and begged for forgiveness. He simply wanted to feel her and see if she was even real.
A sound of loud applause brought Steve out of his misery. He shifted on his feet, unable to take a step in Y/n’s direction. While Wanda was speaking to a number of designers and media people, a young woman came to Y/n and whispered something in her ear and it took her a minute to excuse herself from the sea of people to went on a separate way where only staff was allowed. Steve tried to follow her, with heels on Y/n was walking in quite a speed. Steve kept walking behind her at a distance where she wouldn’t know someone’s presence. She crossed the corridor and entered in the open area.
“Mama you back.” Malcolm squealed and ran towards her. Y/n easily crouched down and took him in her arms.
Steve froze when he saw Y/n holding a little kid in her arms. He felt like his heart would stop beating and he'd die in suffocation.
   Had she moved on?
   He clearly heard the kid calling her mama, did that mean she got married and had a baby? Steve wanted the earth to swallow him alive. He'd never been in such pain like he was right now. The idea of her with another man, having a family was a slow painfull death for him. In that moment, he needed his Ma, so that he could cry in her embrace. He wanted her to wake him up from this nightmare. He was struggling to breathe when from a distance he heard something he wasn't ready to hear.
 "Mama, i's daddy, see daddy." Malcolm had seen Steve and now he was pointing towards him. Wriggled out of Y/n's hold he ran towards Steve.
 “He… photo daddy, mama.” Malcolm wriggled out of Y/n’s arms and ran towards Steve. Steve didn’t realize that he came right into the view of the little kid. Steve saw him coming towards him.
 Why was this kid running towards him? Steve thought and looked behind to see if there was someone but there wasn’t anyone except for him, Y/n and Malcolm.
 “Daddy…” Malcolm came to stop right before the very eyes of him. Looking like an angel, his face was full of innocence and happiness. Steve felt a harrowing pain in his heart. This little kid has the same blue eyes just as his own. The dark blonde silky hair, same nose and same lips, the little boy was the exact replica of him and Steve left with no doubt but to believe that Malcolm was his. His baby, his blood, his son. And then there was this radiant smile on his baby’s face that he inherited from his mama. The same smile Steve fell in love with, Y/n’s cheerful smile was one of the many things he got enthralled with. He hunkered down and hold Malcolm in his arms, nuzzling his face in little boy’s neck. He knew he’d scare the little boy away if he cry too much but it was like he didn’t have control over his emotions.
 “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…. I’m sorry….” He kept chanting in Malcolm’s neck.
 “Why cwy, daddy?” Malcolm tried to break his grip. “Why sad?”
 Steve didn’t say anything. He couldn’t say anything, he just looked in Y/n’s direction and saw her looking straight into his eyes.
   Her eyes were dispassionate….
  Y/n was aghasted when Malcolm squirmed out of her arms and ran towards what he thought was his dad. She had shown him his dad’s pictures. She was so angry at Steve but she couldn’t take away Malcolm’s right to know his father. All her life, she had missed her dad’s presence while growing up so she knew both parents are equally important for a child. She only got to meet her dad on occasions or ceremonies, her mother Eleanor had a full custody of her and Peggy. When she turned sixteen, Steve took her to meet her dad for the first time in years and ever since that she made it a routine to visit him every other weekend. After graduating high school, she even attended her dad’s wedding.
 When Malcolm turned one, she started showing him Steve’s pictures so he would know his father. She couldn’t let her anger, heartbreak and pain be the reason to snatch her son’s right to know his father. So when she turned around and saw Steve, she felt betrayed all over again. She wanted to slap him on the face but then she saw Steve red and tear-stricken face. He was holding Malcolm like his life was dependent on the very hold of his arms around their son. She took robotic steps in Steve’s direction, her heart was breaking in every step. The events of the night she left New York City were flashing before her eyes.
  “You want jevvy beans, daddy?” Y/n saw Malcolm cupping his dad’s face in his small hands.
 “Daddy, no cwy. Daddy bwave boy.” Malcolm kissed Steve’s forehead.
 “Malcolm…” Y/n called.
“Mama, why Daddy Cwying? Why sad?”
 “I don’t know, sweetheart.” Her tone was colder than she intended when she said, “He must have done something wrong.”
 Steve stood up, his eyes were red and puffy. He had grown a beard, Y/n noticed. He was still very handsome like she knew all those years ago but the bags underneath his eyes were new.
 “Why did you hide my son from me?” rage was seething through Steve’s voice.
 “Excuse me?” Y/n scoffed.
 “My son knows who you are, isn’t that enough for you?”
 Steve was dumb founded for a moment, anger he felt for a bit was dissipated in air. It was hard for him to believe the person standing before him was Y/n, full of bitterness and bizarreness. She was the same Y/n he fell in love with. Hell, he was still very much in love with her now even more if that was even possible. She was the mother of his child, a child he had met moments ago. He was swamped with emotions. He enveloped her in his arms in a bone crushing hug.
 “I’ve missed you, Y/n/n…. I’ve missed you so much.”
 Moments later, Y/n got herself freed from Steve’s tight embrace, without letting Malcolm notice. She was shaken as much as Steve was but both of them were going through different emotions. While Y/n was feeling dismal and betrayed, Steve was hopeful to fix what he had destroyed.
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moominofthevalley · 6 months
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Marguerite’s Halloween Bacchanalia, Part I
On Halloween Night, Trystan and Emily are invited to a spooky party.
Characters: Trystan x Emily Rose
WC: 2.3k
R: Teen | Spoilers for Book 2, Chapter 15.
A/N: I found this spoooooky prompt from @youneedsomeprompts. Fair warning: A LOT of stuff is gonna go down in both parts 😉
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“Emily, you look absolutely breathtaking.”
Trystan marveled at his partner, admiring every inch of her body. The purple gown was perfect on her, the fine fabric curving about her form gorgeously. Starry dots of white were speckled all across the gown. The metallic corset wrapped around her chest, the tiny lace details complimenting the surly detective. Emily, however, found the dress to be a bit too...galactic.
“Ugh. Why is this lace so itchy?”
“Beauty is pain, Emily. And you wear it so well.”
“Stop enjoying this.” 
“Apologizes, but I plan to enjoy looking at you in that pretty little getup every bit as much as I’ll enjoy pulling it off you,” Emily rolled her eyes, “Besides, I know how much you love watching Blades with me! You smile every time Imtura comes on screen!”
“The things I do for you,” Emily said dryly, her lips curling into an exaggerated pout. Trystan smirked, his hands resting on her waist.
Emily didn’t have the heart to tell Trystan that she never truly enjoyed watching Blades of Light and Shadow — after all, she much preferred horror and mystery. The only reason she sat with him on the couch every Friday afternoon was so she could see the childlike excitement spread across his face.
“Well, that’s because she’s fucking amazing,” Emily grinned, “she’s fucking strong! She could crush both of us if she wanted to.”
Trystan chuckled, making a point to pose dramatically in his costume. He wore a black and gold suit, intricate details of gold lining all around his outfit. The neckline revealed a small tuft of hair on his chest. Emily’s heart danced at the sight.
“Hm, now turn around. I need to zip you up,” Trystan ordered, his eyes now facing Emily's back.
“Where’d you get these costumes, anyway?”
“They’re straight from the set! I’m friends with the director, you know.”
“Perks of dating a rich idiot,” She teased, still grinning.
Trystan shook his head, smiling. Emily’s cheeks bloomed a light pink as the warmth of Trystan’s breath tickled her neck. Pressing a quick kiss on her shoulder, Trystan grabbed the zipper from the bottom of the gown and pulled it up.
“Much better,” he said, turning her around. “The party’s going to be at Marguerite’s estate in Staten Island.”
“She’s back from Drakovia?”
“Oh, yes. She’ll be in New York for a few months. She’s planning her first fashion show since...” Trystan trailed off, the memories of the last few months creeping up on him. Emily glanced at him with sorrow. A flickering memory coursed through her. Vasili’s dagger, the deafening crunch as it entered his chest; and his last words all ran through her head.
“Is Marguerite going to be okay tonight?”
“I hope so,” Trystan uttered, “but Mags is strong. I believe in her.”
They both nodded. Trystan urged a weak smile, his hands curling around Emily’s.
“Now then...are you ready to go?”
* * * *
Autumn leaves trickled down the driveway of Marguerite’s manor. A flurry of crisp colors hurried down, rain droplets staining the windows. Vines crawled up and down the extravagant walls, alongside a bunch of window boxes that were filled to the brim with colorful flowers. Orange, pink, a crisp bright red.
Emily and Trystan stood beside each other, their eyes greeting the rest of the crew. They first spotted Luke and Ruby, smiling at their Chucky and Tiffany costumes. Faux bloody stitches speckled across Luke’s face, and Ruby dawned black lipstick.
“Oh my God,” Luke gawked, staring at Emily and Trystan, “you’re Raine and Mal! But like, in their masquerade outfits!”
“Yes, we are!” Trystan beamed excitedly, pulling Emily closer to him. “And you...actually like Chucky?”
Luke squirmed a little, his face slightly red. “She likes Chucky! I do not like horror movies at all.” Ruby smiled, pressing a kiss on his cheek. “Especially ones with evil, demonic little dolls!”
“Well, you two look amazing!” Trystan said, everyone turning to Tommy. Emily’s eyes widened, baffled at the sight of her uncle in cowboy attire.
“Howdy kiddo! You look like a million bucks.”
“You’re a...cowboy?” Emily asked, watching as Tommy politely tipped his cowboy hat.
“Damn straight! I’m Quincey Morris from Dracula! You know how much I love vampires.”
Malfada laughed, patting his shoulder. Her wife followed from behind, dressed in a sparkly white flapper gown. Malfada smiled at everyone, her black top hat glistening in the night.
“It’s so nice to see you two again,” Theresa smiled, pulling Trystan and Emily into a hug. “It’s been so long, you guys should come over for dinner again sometime soon!”
“Absolutely,” Emily said, “and who are you two supposed to be?”
“Marlene Dietrich and the woman she kissed in ‘Morocco!’” Theresa said, “One of the first few lesbian kisses in Hollywood. I just had to beg Malfada to dress up with me for the party.”
The grand door swung open, and a familiar face greeted them. Standing tall and bold, Marguerite Thorne waved at her friends and family. Her blue ball gown sparkled under the moonlight.
“Happy Halloween!” She cheered, a warm smile on her lips.
With everyone stepping inside, they all gawked at the well-decorated manor before them. From above, a giant crystal chandelier lit up the room, lighting up the faces of every guest. A large table with pastries — including Trystan’s beloved belladi — was set up across the entrance. Crowds of socialites were stocked across the ballroom, all sharing different tales about themselves.
“Oh my God!" Ruby said, her arms intertwining with Luke’s. “This looks absolutely beautiful. Thank you for inviting us!”
“Of course,” Marguerite said, “Now go on! You all should go mingle! There’s lots of food and desserts for the night, so go ahead!”
Taking hold of Emily’s hand, Trystan led her towards the bar. Grabbing two glasses of champagne, the couple sat down.
“You know, we Drakovians take Halloween very seriously,” Trystan said, taking a sip. Cocking an eyebrow, Emily smirked.
“Oh, yeah? Any superstitions I should know about?”
“There are so many. For one, you must always wear a costume at night to ward off evil spirits. Tsktsktsk, let’s see...” Trystan swirled his drink, contemplating, “Always carry at least four daggers on you. And of course, there are always lots of poisonings on nights like these, but seeing as the only Thornes in here are me and Mags...it’s unlikely.”
“Hey! Last time I checked, Marguerite wasn’t wearing a costume,” Emily sniped, crossing her arms.
“Did you not see her? She’s Cinderella!”
“Oh, come on! She’s just wearing a blue dress!”
“Not just a blue dress, it’s an exact replica of the one from the movie! You, my dear, need to catch up on your Disney knowledge.”
Hearing a gasp from behind, the two of them turned around. A little stunned, Emily’s heart fluttered as the doe eyes of a woman met hers. The woman’s dark hair was braided and tied with two pink ribbons. Emily examined her cerulean dress with a white collar, immediately knowing her costume.
“Trystan Thorne! It’s been so long.”
“Aislinn! It’s good to see you!”
Trystan wrapped his arms around her, forming a hug. Pulling away, he faced his partner.
“Emily, this is Aislinn Tanaka! One of New York’s finest lawyers,” Shaking her hand, Emily shivered as their fingers touched.
“It’s so nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too! I heard about both of you in the news, actually. You took down the Heartache Killer, right?”
“Yeah, we did!” Emily and Trystan looked at each other, every confession Eleanor told them still in their heads.
“How do you two know each other?”
“Do you remember when I told you I wanted to set up that victim defense fund? After we got arrested?”
“You two got arrested?” Aislinn asked, her eyes widening.
“Ah, yes, arrested. We tried to join a sex cult but-”
“Hey!” Emily raised her voice, “It was for an undercover mission! We called the police on the cult, but Morris and Holbeck have always had it out for me, and so they fucking arrested us.”
Aislinn blinked at them, clearly leaving her with more questions than answers.
“Anyway — I discovered Aislinn and we tried setting it up, but then Drakovia happened.” Trystan sighed, his eyes heavy as he thought of the past few months. “Well, now that I’m back in New York for good, maybe we can start things up again.”
“Definitely. I still work at Ricci & Associates, so call us whenever you’re ready.”
“How is Gabe, by the way?” Trystan asked, his hands resting on Emily’s.
“Very busy, as usual. He and Quinn couldn’t make it tonight.”
“Well, tell them both I’ll be in touch! I really do want to set it up.”
Emily sat quietly, drinking the rest of her champagne. It was no secret she never really cared for small talk with strangers — even if the small talk was with very pretty lawyers. Still, all she thought about was Aislinn’s costume. A smile crept up on her, reminded of all the times she and her father spent hours watching Ghibli movies together.
“You’re dressed up as Sophie, right? From Howl’s Moving Castle?” The freckles on Aislinn’s nose crinkled, a grin spreading across her lips.
“Yes! It’s one of my favorites.” Aislinn said, her cheeks flushing a dull pink.
“I love that movie,” Emily replied, “I grew up watching Ghibli. Princess Mononoke is my favorite.”
“You guys should meet some of my other friends! They’re all chatting by the chocolate fountain,” Aislinn offered. Emily shook her head, her hands gripping her empty wine glass.
“You two go ahead,” Emily said. “I wanna get a refill first, and then I'll join you guys.”
“Sounds good,” Trystan said, pecking her forehead. Emily smiled as he and Aislinn walked off, the backs of their heads disappearing into a crowd of people. Turning to the bartender, she raised a finger.
“Horse Creek on the rocks,” she ordered. The bartender nodded, handing her another glass. Emily took a brief sniff, wincing as she prepared to take a sip of literal paint thinner. She smiled bitterly, recalling all the times she and Tommy took a shot of this atrocious drink in memory of her father.
Emily sighed as she tapped on the now-empty glass. She debated on where she could go after this — she was simply not in the mood to mingle with some rich big-wigs. She settled on finding Malfada and Uncle Tommy. Leaving the bar, Emily walked across the grand room, pushing past the bunches of guests.
Out of the corner of her eye, a figure in scarlet jumped out at her. Turning around, a familiar red-haired face cast out a devilish grin.
“Emily Rose, my darling! I thought I saw you drinking alone at the bar!”
The detective’s eyes widened as Olivia Nevrakis stretched out her arms into a hug. Pulling away, her mouth gaped. Emily examined Olivia’s eyes, displaying a hint of something beneath. Her warm and saccharine voice shook her, and it brought her back to the past few times she met her.
“Wonderful to see you, love!” Emily chirped, her cheeks turning warm, “I should’ve known you’d scope me out.”
“Well, I do have eyes everywhere.” Olivia winked, her eyes not daring to leave Emily’s.
“What are you doing here?”
“Marguerite invited me, of course. I figured it’d be the perfect time to...catch up.” Olivia sighed. “Now then, would you like to get some ‘fresh air,’ Detective?”
Emily stared at the woman in front of her. A dare played in Olivia’s eyes. It was clear she wasn’t just here to socialize. There was something to be said. Something to be told. Emily nodded as she followed Olivia into a nearby private balcony.
The detective and the noble stared up at the New York sky. Smog and little hints of stars sparkled across the night, the crescent moon standing tall. Ignoring the muted sounds of chatter from inside, Olivia turned to Emily.
“I know what happened in Drakovia.”
Emily winced. Everything that she and Trystan faced in those few months felt like a fever dream. No, not a dream — everything she witnessed in Drakovia turned into a nightmare. Vasili was a ghost constantly lurking, waiting to attack and torment her. Her hands began to tremble. Every now and then, she’d realize that those very hands were the same that killed Vasili. Worse yet, Trystan’s hands as well — and that very thought ruined her. She was the one who decided Vasili’s fate, and although Trystan shared the burden with her; Emily owned a whole layer of guilt and shame that she’d have to carry on for the rest of her life. Could she ever admit to him the culpability she struggled with? Trystan Thorne was no killer, and yet she made him one.
“I killed him,” Emily mumbled, her voice weak. Olivia set a hand on her shoulder. “Trys and I haven’t really…talked about it. But I know it fucked him up, too.”
Olivia nodded, rubbing her back. “I’m…sorry, Emily.” Her brows furrowed, “But Vasili was dangerous. You know that. He would’ve killed you and Trystan.”
Emily wiped away her tears. A lump swelled up in her throat. She swore a ghost was sitting on her shoulders, the weight and tension from her body unbearable.
“No,” she murmured, “we could’ve fucking…thrown him in jail. Did he deserve to die? To be killed by his own fucking dagger?”
“Yes,” Olivia snarled, “all that and more. I’m sorry you two had to go through that, but it absolutely had to be done.”
Emily looked at her, her body weak. She nodded, a solemn glare in her eyes.
“What are you here for? Really.”
“Niko Borodin is dead.”
* * * * A/N: Happy Halloween Eve! Part 2 will be released TOMORROW at 10 AM PST! See you all then!
Click here for the masterlist of all my fics!
tags: @choicesholidays @choicesficwriterscreations @jerzwriter @logolepzy @mooserii @starsarewithinme @shadyinternetblizzard @urcowboyboyfriend @lexicook74-blog @leahtine (let me know if anyone else would like to be added to my crimes tag!)
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mangora · 8 months
Text
Oh also here’s my notes from reading TTI chapters prologue through four hehe I don’t remember what any of these mean:
Prologue:
•Oh the baby teeth detail I love that
•He would drink white chocolate mochas
•I genuinely like that the show isn’t scripted but is still treated like a show, like that’s a nice touch
•Peter! :)
•I feel you sha-mod
•They’re holding hands thats so wholesome
•McLovin and Micheal beef?
•QUIRKED UP WHITE BOY
•I already like Joner and Jules
•AUSTIN!!
•Courtney and Patrick narrative foils?
•Scary is so silly
•Frollo stepping away from the women is killing me
•Is Kitty okay. Girl are you okay get out of the water!!
•Mal and Courtney beef???
•Bonnie 👍
•Scruffy is just like me fr
•I like Ass but their name being Ass is giving me psychic damage
•Max is already going to be babygirl I can tell
•Alex jumpscare
•Trans Staci? Just spitballing here
•O and Kelly friends? Please?
•Austin got fucking blown away??
•Caesar has this fruity little swagger about him that I love
•McLovin’s all alone :(
•Peter my beloved
•Do possums lay eggs?
Overall: Really enjoyed this, I think it’s a really good introduction to the characters, I’m super excited to learn more about them and the writing is really good!!
Chapter 1:
•I do not trust Mal what is she doing
•Is McLovin okay
•Fren?? Buddy?? Are you good??
•Get his ass Patrick
•Austin don’t do that
•I love Joner so much dude
•Julia my beloved
•Bibble real??
•The Staci bit is genuinely so funny
•Max is so toxic this is great
•If anything bad happens between Michael and Joner I will lose it
•Thinking abt an Ass and Patrick alliance
•Courtney deserves better man
•Okay Max is actually kind of slaying rn
•Max and Julia are already giving me mlm and wlw hostility energy
•Did he just call him a Square
•Why wasn’t Patrick on the chopping block he’s such a bitch lol
•Nooo I liked Fren :(
Overall: Another great chapter, I think the dynamic developing between Courtney, Mal, and Ass is super interesting! I’m also excited to see where Max and Julia’s characters go
Chapter 2:
•Max is such a hater
•Mal and Ass moment
•Bonnie and Caesar solidarity
•The fucking high five that’s so good
•The red face on Sha-Mod’s cutout too god holy shit I love this
•I’m a Patrick lover first
•I want breadsticks too
•Never change Mal
•McLovin and Courtney talking is healing me
•Wait Austin and Kelly are kind of cute together
•Get his ass Joner
•Oh that’s so cute
•Them turning to Max 💀
•Patrick is a Madonna enjoyers holy shit
•I like this alliance. I really like this alliance dude /gen
•I’m punching the floor I love Joner so much
•Dude what the fuck happened between Mal and Courtney and should I be afraid
•NOT LEVITICUS 18:22
•How have they been up for 50 hours what the hell
•Nooo Joner
•HE JUST CALLED HIM GAY??
•This is so funny oh my god
•YO THATS FUCKING AWESOME
•I really like Caesar now dude thats a choice move
•He’s sleeping on Bonnie’s shoulder 🥺
•NO
•NO WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK
•JONER?? OVER FROLLO????
•I’m going insane I’m gonna spit I’m gonna throw up I’m gonna cry
•JONER??????
Overall: The relationships and dialogue in this episode were super fun, I felt like we got to know a lot of the characters better. Joner leaving made me incredibly sad but I think that just reflects how well built-up and likable his character was in a short amount of time
Chapter 3:
•Caesar :)
•Patrick is so real
•Tfw your teammate gives you candy because you lost a lawsuit??
•Kitty is such a Cryptid I love them
•Whoever hit Frollo ily
•GET IT PATRICK
•Mal is so cool??
•How is Staci so good at this what the fuckkk
•Bonnie lore!
•Fujoshis are serving cunt in this challenge
•Peter’s autistic eyes
•Is Mal trying to sabotage them?
•”Prove my worth” Oh Peter :(
•KELLY YOU’RE GOING TO KILL THEM
•Is throwing from the ceiling legal
•YOOO SCARY IS SLAYING THATS SO NEAT
•Poor Peter :(
•Yo that is a big ass alliance also Kelly and Austin are so cute
•Staci and Scary friendship!
Overall: Another banger episode, Mal especially was super interesting, I have no idea what her intention was but regardless sabotage is always interesting. Also the Kelaustin(?) is fire and all the characters are just really cool and fun
Chapter 4:
•Scruffy is like Millie and I mean that in a very good way
•Don’t be a hater Court
•”Intelligence is always impressive” yea ok Max just kiss them already
•”Under 30 minutes” dude
•Patrick and Kitty is making my brain Work
•GET IT MCLOVIN
•GET IT SCRUFFY dude that’s insane
•Nooo Patrick!! I liked him :(
Overall: Dude I love this chapter so much, Courtney and McLovin’s friendship and the mounting issues with Mal are both so good. Also Scruffy’s spelling skills, mwah, god tier detail and win. I’m sad Patrick’s gone, he was my babygirl, but him finding Kitty of all people to be impressive and then losing because of it was like surprisingly cute and tragic? Autistic alpha male tsundere x full-on cryptid is a god tier dynamic that I’ve never considered before. I want good things for them
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liliansun · 9 months
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Relationship investigator anon here! 😃 allow me to dive into (you) why JENO is terrible for sal. I know what you're thinking - i'm CRAZY. And i am 😭 i'm reading too much into this. I genuinely like their little interactions so far but DAMN boy. Okay so what i glean from these girls' personalities, first of all, is that sal is honestly quite sweet and takes care of the others. So do the others but idk i think you showed that side of sal more?? Like neowa and mal are the savage little devils and we love them for that (sad girl hours for neowa and mal??? GOD PLEASE DONT LET HEM BE SAD) but like sal is sweet and i feel like her having him as a lockscreen is proof that she is falling too fast??,, and she's gonna get hurt bc jeno is quiet and silent and maybe he just don't know what he's feeling until she's sad :((
MAL on the other hand. Like that girl is gonna get so soft for jaemin and then it'll be a push and pull until she gives in and lets him in. Love how he flirts with her tbh and her reactions are everything?? I can't waot fkr their storyy, and I know jaemin will treat her well.
Joy and mark,, do i have tk say anymore?? Like they're already a thing and it's gonna be super sad seeing joy be upset and lonely without her man around BUT THEN SHE and MARK find a way thrpugh it bc mark is a man who solves issues and he wouldn't want his girl to be suffering alone ykwim
And then neowa and renjun. Theirs is gonna be such a finale?? You got renjun who's in love with yn and then neowa who's been pining fkr him for a while and they're both going to hurt esp when he has to face yns rejection to get over it and realize that neowa was right there for him?? Short king stand UP
And haechan and yn , tbh atp i think yn just needs tk have a talk w him and she'll realize she likea him and he does too and that it was all bc he was afraid of letting her know about the personality his frienda knew about. Renjun might be the little bastard causing little uncertainties i think but the love is there.
Jeno though 🤨 he's a dark horse and i KNOW he's gonna hurt sal 😤
I am so psyched for your new stories?? Like actually excites bouncing off my seat and the walls and you're def gonna deliver as always FR i LOVE YOU (im so sorry for the long ass post wtf is wrong with me)
baby. lemme start off with this was so long and i was at work like 😧 well i still am at work but anyways😭
okay i get where you’re coming from w jeno BUT PLEASE TRUST HIM. they’re all gonna get hurt, both parties and it’s gonna suck and you (and i) might cry but it’s gonna be worth it in the end :( and i think i said it in another ask or something but jeno is gonna show how he feels more in jaemin’s story bc they’re like this 🤞(i spent too long looking for his emoji HELP)
omg jaemin’s story i’m too excited to write like y’all thought i was excited to write hyucks but DEAR LORD AM I READY FOR YALL TO SEE HOW THEY PLAY OUT.
joy and mark are already so cute but i just wanna be the first to say they gonna be going THROUGH IT. like y’all thought y/n and hyuck were going through it..just wait 😁😭
AND JUN AND NEOWA,, there is a reason theirs is last and you’ll know the more we progress through the others stories bc like rn we’re (me) hinting at it but they are gonna be so lowkey about it until BAM their story comes to light and it’ll all be like OOO AHH GASP
hyuck and y/n,, i can’t say anything bc it’s still wip rn 👀 but as these chapters i’m writing rn,, it’ll get better for them. y’all just don’t know what i know and it’s kipling me bc i’m like on ch 29? about to write 30? and i think y’all are on 25 😭
and jeno will or will not hurt sal (unintentionally) but it’s gonna be vice versa and i’m already saying too much y’all got me talking about things i’m NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TALKINF ABOJT
AND IM EXCITED FOR YOU TO READ THEM,, you and the other anons and everyone just make my heart so full y’all don’t even know and i love y’all’s feedback and seeing how y’all react it just brings me happiness AND I LOVEYOU 😁😚🫶🤭
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goddess-aelin · 1 year
Text
Shadow and bone s2 thoughts:
-the finale was like super boring? Everything happened in the first 10 mins
- for the most part, I liked the liberties they took with the Crows storylines but not the liberties they took with the SAB storyline. Idk where they’re going to go from here. I really don’t want Alina to get in the way of a good zoya/Nikolai story and I’m not sure how I feel about Mal as sturmhond…seemed a little forced and ridiculous
-genya’s scars were really downplayed. She had some on her face and that’s it?
-David and Genya were the best part of the whole season tbh and they killed him off way to early. RIP David.
-I loveeeedddd Tolya and Tamar. Tamar especially was just perfectly casted.
- if there’s one thing the creators do perfectly it’s casting. Everyone fits roles in such a great way.
- I was hesitant of Nikolai’s casting at first but at the end, he was perfect. I’m excited to see what they do with his story.
- I’m really bitter that Alina won’t have white hair????
-if that look flirty look tolya gave inej at the end means anything I swear I’ll puke. No thank you.
-this is more a problem with a line and this is going to be controversial but here we go. I don’t like the “I’ll have you without your armor kaz brekker” line. There I said it. I think both actors did an AMAZING job but I have problems with the line itself. She’s admonishing that they don’t touch. But literally it’s an aversion for him? To feel the skin of others gives him flashbacks and makes him want to puke. And instead of sort of making him feel bad about it, idk maybe try helping him? At the same time, I am glad Inej stands up for what she wants though. Because her agency was taken away (we didn’t get to see this of course in the show) and she is standing up for what she needs.
-that being said, I’m really not sure how I feel about a lot of crooked kingdom lines being used before they’re really effective. Crooked kingdom was absolutely my favorite and so much of it was just slammed into a little amount of time.
-getting Matthias back will be so good, I can feel it already
-wesper was amazing as usual.
-I have to say, kit really brought a lot to the Jesper. I felt sort of meh about Jesper in the books but in the show? I loveeeeee him.
- did I mention I’m bitter about Alina not having white hair? 😂
-OH MY GOD, the tide maker girl who was Kirigans second in command was sooooooooo irritating. Hated her.
-overall it was good. Definitely liked s1 better because it followed the books. I’m excited about a SOC show and about Nikolai and zoyas story but less about the actual SAB plot.
-but also, I love Jessie mei li
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deanpinterester · 2 years
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OH RIGHT i’m on a S&B reread and here are my thoughts on the first book:
> I WANT TO START OFF WITH: this is not a bad read at all. the writing itself is pretty good, considering this is bardugo’s first book. like yes, it’s a product of its time, so it can come off as pretty standard chosen one fantasy, etc etc, but it’s fun to read
> the d*rkling is somehow even creepier. the scene where he tells alina he will torture and kill mal if she doesn’t do as he says and then only offers mercy when alina agrees to kiss him is so 🤢
> sorry to book mal stans but i don’t agree with the take that show!mal is the same as book!mal and the only reason we like him better in the show is because we got to see his side of the story. there are many lines in the book that i straight up cannot picture show!mal saying. it’s not a bad thing or good thing, just that they definitely read very different to me, especially when you get into the rest of the books
> alina is a LOT sassier in the books and i wish we could have seen that more in the show, but maybe the show was trying to move away from the teen-y vibes
> another thing i wish the show gave us more was alina actually training with her powers. the book goes so much into how she learns to integrate summoning into combat, how she has trouble summoning at night, actual scenes of her practicing growing her power’s strength, etc. i don’t even think the show gives her much time training in physical combat with botkin, who only appears in like, one scene. does this girl even know how to fight in the show
> ALSO also another thing missing from the show is the gossip in court. i’ve definitely said this before, but we missed so much info about genya’s relationship with the king and queen, the talks of the younger prince and how he may or may not be a bastard and how he’s training in ship making 👀, the division between the grisha orders despite the fact they’re supposed to be on the same side (maybe they thought this was too high school cliquey). i know the show had to cut two episodes worth of content to fit everything into 8 episodes which is such a goshdarn shame, especially in regards to genya’s character. i wonder how many non-book-readers even understood what happened between her and the king because the show kept it so vague.
> zoya was barely in the book, which shocked me for some reason. i thought the show had too little of her, but it was like that in the books too
> in unsurprising news, alina and genya are still 👀 god how do authors so effortlessly create gay ships with actual chemistry and then not even know it
> in the books it was MAL who suggested looking for the stag, which was..............idk, after seeing the show where alina is the one who wants to seek the stag, it felt weird to read that it was originally mal who wanted to do it, and alina wanted nothing to do with it. +1 to the show for giving alina that agency
(mild spoilers for book 2 incoming)
i’m about halfway through the second book now and trying to imagine how the show will tackle the material. a lot of people had a problem with how they catch the second amplifier within the first act and the rest of the book is dealing with how alina and nikolai build up a following for the sun saint, and it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the show will make that engaging to watch. personally i didn’t mind that there isn’t much action since i do find the political stuff intriguing, but since this is a fantasy show after all, people Will be expecting some turning gears that isn’t just talking and more talking. also mal isn’t as annoying as i remember so far, but there are Definitely scenes where i’m like yikes, a little possessive of alina much? ANYWAY i’m super excited to see season 2 content and ready for more genyalina vibes
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ilovefredjones · 3 years
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at any given moment i am thinking about this
Tumblr media Tumblr media
(interview here)
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Text
Bering and Wells Reunion Panel Transcription (4/17/2021)
This is from the ClexaCon Virtual panel with Joanne Kelly and Jaime Murray, with Dana Piccoli as moderator and Mark as ASL interpreter. I spent around six hours on this and there were really only a couple of brief bits I couldn’t make out - I tried to make this as thorough as possible even though the audio quality was iffy at points and there was a lot of overlapping talking. I also included all of the ums and uhs in the interest of thoroughness so sorry if that gets annoying. Let me know if I’ve gotten any screen names wrong.
Content notes: brief discussion of on-set injury, allusions to homophobia from higher-ups, discussions of hostile workplace experiences due to gender, brief discussion of the ovarian cancer subplot, Jo misgenders Mark once and then corrects herself.
Dana: And I think we are live! Hey everyone, welcome, welcome, this is day 2 of ClexaCon Virtual. So glad to be here with you for our Warehouse 13 Bering and Wells panel. What a great video! I believe that was Mal that made that. Fantastic work! [They showed a fanvid prior to the panel on the stream.] Uh, I want to take a second to introduce Mark, our ASL interpreter. Thank you so much for being here, Mark. Well, I know that the Bering and Wells fandom is still going strong and, um, I’m so excited to be able to present this panel to you today, so without further ado, let’s get started. It’s been seven years since we last embarked on the wonderfully quirky world of Warehouse 13 and we’re thrilled to have not one, but two of the show’s stars here with us, Bering and Wells in the flesh, please welcome Joanne and Jaime!
Jo: [laughs] Hi!
Jaime: Hi guys!
Dana: Hi!
Jaime: Oh my goodness, I was tearing up watching that, that was just...
Dana: It’s so good, right?
Jaime: And Mal made it, of course, I mean just, the fandom is so amazing, that we have a fan who made that amazing movie, and I’m sitting here... were you tearing up, Jo?
Jo: Yeah... [laughs]
Dana: She’s like, I can’t talk right now!
Jaime: Aww.
Jo: Yeah, it’s, you know, it’s like, it’s like a, a wormhole, it’s like going in a wormhole, really, to see that put together in that way, and just, that somebody did that is, um, crazy, wonderful.
Jaime: Yeah.
Dana: When, when we are in person in, uh, in, in Las Vegas, I’m often backstage with the actors as they see these videos maybe f- for the first time, and your reaction is the reaction that everyone has. They all get teary, they all just like hold onto each other, it’s, it’s really sweet and wonderful.
Jaime: Oh my gosh, I, I wish I could go back in time and like, we film more of it and, and enjoy it more, because sometimes when you’re in it, you’re just going so fast and, you know, you don't even realize the meaning of, of, of what you’ve created until you see it through the eyes of the fans and what it meant to them, and then I, I wish I could lean into it more. [laughs]
Dana: Well, we’re certainly gonna get into that. [laughs]
Jaime: [laughs]
Dana: Alright, well, let’s kick things off! Uh, as of a we- a week ago, I was prepping to interview Jaime, and then suddenly the heavens opened up, and what was one became two. [they laugh] Joanne joined the party! How did this crazy kismet even happen?
Jo: I’m trying this new thing where I say yes. [laughs]
Jaime: [laughs] Well done!
Jo: Thanks. [laughs] Um, it’s a new thing I’m trying. Um, Jaime texted me and she’s like, I'm doing this thing, we had talked about it, I think the last panel we did at Dragon*Con maybe?
Jaime: Yeah.
Dana: 2018.
Jo: And she had told me about ClexaCon and I was like, that, because I really enjoyed that panel that we did, it felt, you know, I think one of the reasons, and I think that the work between us is, and I look at it now and I’m so touched because I, and I also just think the world of Jaime as an actor, I think she’s brilliant and her choices are so clean and-
Jaime: Ditto.
Jo: -full heart forward, like I, I’ve always been a fan of what she bought, and just personally on set I was in a, it was a very male environment, and Jaime came and I was like, oh my god, like, someone to talk to, someone who cared, and she took care of me, like she really - so I just, I don’t know, when she reached out I was like, of course, yes, yes.
Dana: Like it’s in two days, sure! Let’s, let’s go!
Jaime: We missed each other as well. It was also an opportunity to hang out, like, we missed each other!
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: We had this flurry of texts of like, checking in with each other, and what-
Jo: What have you been watching? what are you doing?
Jaime: Yeah.
Jo: Where are you?
Jaime: Yeah, so.
Dana: Oh, that’s amazing! So you’ve maintained this really wonderful friendship since, since the end of the show.
Jo: Yeah, I mean, actors are nomads and we’re very sort of, I feel, Jaime, I don’t know if you feel the same way, but it’s like those friends that you have that you don’t see forever, but when you see them you fall back into a rhythm automatically, there’s never, it doesn’t feel push or pulled, it’s just, it’s just nice.
Jaime: I, I think also for us, um, I think there’s a sisterhood as well, you know, I think that, you know, Jo just touched on it. You know, often in a cast there’s, um, it’s changing and it’s evolving all the time, and this was seven years ago, and it was seven years before that, it started, so like fourteen years ago-
Jo: Oh my god. [laughs]
Jaime: But there’s, ninety nine point five percent of the people behind the camera are men, the majority of the parts are often men, or it’s, it’s male and women, but the men have the more heroic bits and the funnier lines and you’re kind of struggling with that and you’re glad to be working so you’re kind of making good and making it okay, but you’re kind of like, you know, getting feels, and, you know, as, as Joanne said, it, you know, you’re laughing at dick jokes when you don’t find them particularly funny- [all laugh]
Jo: Like wow! Oh! [sarcastic thumbs up]
Jaime: And so when I came in, I saw Jo - I had been on shows, like I was on a show called Hustle, I was the only girl in the cast, and then everybody, uh, behind the camera was, um, all men. Um, on Warehouse we had one female writer on some episodes, um, we never had a fe- uh, um, a female director on anything or a producer-
Jo: No we had, we had Tawn- [presumably about to mention Tawnia McKiernan] we had two fem- we had a few, but we were-
Jaime: No- no- not on my, not on my episodes.
Jo: Oh, on yours.
Jaime: But it was just like, I came in and I saw Jo and I understood, and I knew what her experience was, and so there was this kind of kinhood, this sisterhood, and I think it, it’s not a male-female thing, but it’s, it’s a minority and majority thing. When you’re in a minority and the majority is doing something, you either have to get down with the program and go with that flow, or you get kind of fe- you feel like you’re difficult or annoying to everybody. And I kind of came in and I just was like, oh like, I get it, it’s hard, and I’m gonna give this woman, like, my, my energy and my love and, so it was-
Dana: So you were like I- you looked at Joanne and you were like, that is someone I can smash the patriarchy with!
Jaime: [laughs] Yes.
Dana: Let’s do it!
Jo: No, I read a lot of books [laughs] when we weren’t filming. I would like get on my chair and just be like this. [mimes holding book in front of face]
Jaime: Yes!
Jo: [laughs] Like I’m doing this now, I’ll see you guys when we’re rolling again, you know, it was really- and, but also, you know, it’s so, and it is changing, it’s changing and evolving in a really, um, at a wonderful rate, but also I would get so excited to be in a scene with another woman that wasn’t about a man, you know, or that we weren’t- uh, it was just so nice to have girl-girl scenes. That never happens, it hardly ever happens. Like, the majority of scenes that you do are about love or acrimony with men, um, and it’s so nice to have a relationship with a woman that’s, um, sort of reflective of how relationships with women actually are. Um, I’ve been, I shifted into writing because of frustration with just not reading stories that I felt were reflective of our, my experience as a woman, you know, that sort of, um, and I think that Bering and Wells sort of in, I mean, that’s when that ship turned for me, as well.
Dana: Well ho- hold that thought, we are, we are going there!
Jaime: And, and also because it wasn’t, it actually wasn’t written. Um, there was, in a way we were able to steer that ship, and then we’d already kind of given a road map for the way this energy was, so it wasn’t written in the conventional way. Like, even like, when a, when a, when a, when a woman will have a love interest it’s, it’s often written by men and it’s o- often in a conventional kind of way, whereas our relationship, at a time before people were even kind of, uh, exploring this that much, um, now, now much more, thank god, it’s more, more inclusive. But it was more kind of, um, uh, complicated than, than maybe would’ve been written about, so it was given more nuance, yeah.
Jo: You mean like, do you mean like actual relationships? [laughs]
Jaime: You what? Say that again?
Jo: Like actual relationships! [laughs]
Jaime: Yeah, yeah, yeah. [laughs]
Jo: You know, that don’t come in and you have a “where they start and where they finish,” like that we, oh, we know where they’re gonna end up so we’ll just gonna-
Dana: Right, right.
Jo: -move them around like chess pieces. It was actually an energy that Jaime and I created, and the story sort of evolved from that energy as - it was inside out as opposed to outside in, which I think made it a real relationship.
Dana: Well, so my friend Dorthy Snarker, she once said that HG and Myka’s storyline has been main text pretending to be subtext, which feels really apt to me.
Jaime: Yeah!
Dana: So at what point-
Jo: Very smart.
Dana: What point in the show did it really click with the two of you that this connection that HG and Myka shared was something much deeper?
Jo: Jaime just had, Jaime, you just explained this very coolly in, in, um-
Jaime: One of our chats.
Jo: Yeah, yeah. Why don’t you speak to this, why don’t you take this?
Jaime: Well, well, first of all like I said, there was like kind of this sisterhood when I came in and, um, Jo, uh, Jo wasn’t like, like it wasn’t like I came in and she was like hey let’s be friends. I came in and she was behind a book, and she wasn’t particularly accessible, and she wasn’t, like, she was a bit grumpy, you know. And so I was like, my personality type is like, how do I crack this nut? [laughs] How do I make this woman love me? [laughs] This is the most unaccessible woman-
Dana: That explai- Jaime that explains a lot! [laughs]
Jaime: This is the most unaccessible women on the set, the mo- the most unaccessible human to me. How do I make her fall in love with me? So it’s like partly my narcissism-
Jo: [laughs] Jaime Murray in a nutshell, everyone!
Jaime: -and my ego, um, so I was kind of winning her over off set, and then, you know, as she was opening up to me and, you know, she was kind of telling me about some of the challenges she was coming up against, I was like, yeah, that’s, that’s not fair, and yeah, I completely get that, you know. So we were kind of like having that kind of journey, I’m like, like, I’m like, oh no, you’re not crazy, everyone else is crazy! Like, let’s smash the patriarchy!
Jo: [laughs]
Jaime: And then, and then unfortunately, um, Jo hurt herself really badly doing a stunt, and, um, you know, there’s no time to hurt yourself on a film set, and there’s no time to take time and, and kind of heal your back or anything like that. So she was taking some pretty strong painkillers and she was working through it, and I had spinal surgery, I, I know what back pain is like, it’s, it’s the worst. I mean, it’s literally everything, you know, you feel like an old person. And so I was, um, taking care of her as best as I could, and we had the scene, and it was the scene in the street where, I, I think it's the first scene that, where I get the grappler out-
Dana: Oh, the grappler.
Jaime: And I shoot it into the air and I put my arm around her and we shoot up-
Dana: We’re very familiar with this scene. [laughs]
Jo: [doing grappler motion] [laughs]
Jaime: Yeah, so, so it’s like, it had like, physicality, and also it was a really, um, we always laugh that Toronto has about five seasons in one day, so you’ll like start shooting the scene and then suddenly there’s a, like a snowstorm! Bright sunshine!
Jo: Then it’s sunny! Then rain!
Jaime: Torrential rain, wind - and it was one of those, and we had to move to a new location, we were really behind in the day, and she had this one pice of hair that kept on like blowing in her face-
Dana: Oh, I know where this is going, Jaime. [laughs]
Jaime: And she was, the thing was, she was like, also these painkillers-
Jo: I was like, I can’t even see with the hair, I was like, I was hopped up on so many painkillers...
Jaime: Yeah, she was hopped up, she was like, I can’t even get my hair out of the way!
Jo: I think I actually called that day, it was the only time where I was like, guys I can’t work anymore, like, I literally, the doctor was like, you need to rest and I’m like I can’t. And the first AD came over to me and he was like, you’re gonna have to say stop, because nobody is gonna stop the filming, and I didn't wanna do that because you don't want to be the person that, that loses the day.
Jaime: That’s part of it, isn’t it? You’re, you can’t be, you can’t have any vulnerability or be a woman in any way, any shape or form on a film set. [laughs]
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: So I knew in the morning, and so I’d been like trying to take care of her and had, had like this experience of having spinal surgery, so I was like caretaking as much, as best as I could. I’m a Cancerian as well, so it’s in my nature.
Dana: Sure.
Jaime: And, um, and we‘re in this scene and we’d had to kind of cut so many times, and this hair just kind of-
Jo: [laughs]
Jaime: -came over her face like this, and I just lent forward and on my line I just moved the hair out of her, um, face and put it back, and there was this, this look of genuine-
Jo: [laughs]
Jaime: -surprise and shock in her face because we hadn’t rehearsed it and, and, and you know, we rehearse everything, and then, and then Joanne, what did you say that you-
Jo: I said I had this feeling, you know, when she did that I was like, oooh, um, what’s happening? [laughs]
Dana: [laughs]
Jaime: What are these feelings I’m having?
Jo: I did not expect all these feelings.
Jaime: Someone is being nice to me in this hostile world!
Jo: I was like this is so, it was like, pink light came up and there was glitter all of a sudden, and a unicorn in the back and, um-
Dana: Yep.
Jaime: They were really good drugs, you can’t, they’re illegal now, you can’t get them now cause they’re illegal now, but-
Jo: [laughs] No, no! But that point I’d say that the storyline really developed from inside out, you know outside, it was actually something, she did something that made me respond in a certain way, and as an actor you have those openings and you can choose to go, you either close them, like if, if I don’t like an actor [laughs] and someone does something, I might go like, no, I don’t wanna gonna go with that- [laughs]
Jaime: Yeah.
Jo: -and change the track, but because I love Jaime and, and that happened, I sort of just was like I’m gonna go with this energy and see where it leads. And so it was a very organic, and it took me completely, and I had not expected it, it took me completely- but I liked it, so I started, then that...
Dana: So you are the reason, you two are the captains of the Bering and Wells ship. You made that happen!
Jaime: Yeah.
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: But also I felt like HG, you know, she came from an era when the suffragette movement was, um, happening, and she was active in that, however, she had to write under her brother’s name, um-
Dana: Yeah.
Jaime: And as a woman, you know, she couldn’t be even open about her brilliance and she had to let her dimwitted brother take credit for it, and then she was frozen. So she was an activist before her time and suddenly she’s waking up in a world where there’s this dynamic woman, gun-toating woman kind of using her wits and brainpower and like, god bless Pete [laughs] but he was a little bit, like, she was the brains and the brilliance, and often he would be kind of like, you know, taking the credit for it or like having the girls flirt with him, and I just felt like if I grow up, if I woke up from, you know, a dream of, of being a suffragette and I woke up and I saw Myka, surely I would be more fascinated-
Jo: [laughs]
Jaime: -by this woman who is everything that I had ever wished to be, so I started playing off this fascina- I was fascinated by her. Pete was just as stupid as my brother. [laughs]
Jo: And I do have to say, I do have to give the showrunner Jack Kenny credit here too, because Jack really let us run with it and started to lean into it, and the writers were all very accepting, so it was, and, and Jack particularly, you know, we had a lot, we had our creative differences, but he was really generous in this storyline with us, like I think, he gave us a lot of rope to play with-
Jaime: Yeah.
Jo: And it was interesting rope, because they never-
Dana: It was attached to a grappling hook is what it was!
Jo: Yeah, and they never, like what i really loved about it is the never like put it on the nose it was always very elliptical, we always had room to breathe, um-
Jaime: Well partly I don’t, I think that it was, it was, it’s funny to talk about it now because it doesn't seem that long a- long ago, but it-
Jo: But it was so long ago...
Jaime: -it was unusual-
Jo: For that.
Jaime: -for the genre and for the audience that we were going for to, to actually go there, um,
Dana: Yeah. Seven years ago, you’re absolutely right. Things have changed tremendously, and especially in the last five years.
Jo: Yeah, yeah.
Jaime: And, but I think that Jack and Drew, they were kind of excited about what we were doing, but actually, you know, we weren't sure what the network would say or what the advertisers might think, and so, um, you know, I’m really proud of the work that we were able to, to say-
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: You know, being the first in some ways.
Jo: It’s interesting, you know, like Jaime texted me, she sent me this video and I was looking at it and I was just so proud-
Jaime: I sent you Mal’s video, I sent you one of Mal’s other videos.
Jo: She’s wonderful, so like shoutout to her!
Jaime: Yeah
Jo: That’s, yeah, it was gorgeous, and I was really proud of the work, you know, after, it’s, you create these things in a bubble and, I haven’t se- I haven’t seen Warehouse, I never watched it. [laughs] so I’m always very surprised to see these videos, it feels like I’m cracking open-
Jaime: And I want to say as well, you know, when we say we haven’t down and watched all the shows, or you know, in some peoples’ cases, many of the shows, you know, it’s, it’s not because we don’t love the show and we don't love the work that everyone else has done, done, it’s actually a lot of actors don't watch, um, their own work. It’s, if, if you’ve ever heard your own voice on an answer phone or something and you're like, who’s that? Oh my god, that’s me!
Dana: [laughs]
Jaime: Like, so when you see yourself on TV or screen it’s like that on crack, it’s absolutely terrifying, and, and you’re like oh my god, like behind a pillow, like-
Jo: Filled with self loathing and despair. [laughs]
Jaime: Yes.
Dana: That’s okay.
Jaime: Which is a work in progress, I’m trying to deal with that now.
Dana: Well, when, at what point did you realize that queer people were actually starting to flock to the show to support this direction with these characters?
Jaime: We, we didn't know, we didn’t know-
Dana: No?
Jaime: Well, we, um, I, um, Jo’s not on social media so I don’t know when she knew, other than maybe when I told her. I saw replies on twitter-
Jo: Comic Con.
Dana: Somebody didn’t like hire a plane and like, around the area with like, a Bering and Wells forever…?
Jo: I, I remember, I remember going to Comic Con, for me because that’s’ when I had the fan interaction, um, because I wasn’t on Twitter-
Jaime: Yeah, there were fans that told us.
Jo: And, and, uh, a lot of the women, I remember being asked some very specific questions during panels, and, you know, there's a lot of guys who like to talk at those panel so I didn’t get to talk a lot but I made it quite, I, I made it quite clear about how important that storyline was to me and it, it, I realized very quickly that it was important to a lot more women than me. I didn’t really realize, too, that storytelling wasn’t represented in that way, at that point, you know. I didn’t feel that. I didn’t feel like that was a groundbreaking choice, to choose to be attracted to a woman in a scene to me is life, it’s how I live my life, I, I’m you know, I don’t have those, I’m not in a box [laughs] and it so when I realized, it was a eye-opening moment. I’m like, I’m like, wait, wait, this is, this is something new that’s not being done?
Dana: You guys were kind of on, you were like right here [miming going up a hill or mountain] and then shortly after Warehouse, it started going like [woosh noise of going down the other side of the hill] and this wave of representation started happening.
Jaime: Well, ev- even in Warehouse, there was an openly gay character in, in Warehouse.
Dana: Right, yes!
Jo: Yeah, yeah, there was Aaron.
Jaime: But it’s been, it’s been incredibly, um, powerful for, for, for, for me, um, you know, I I, think that a lot of people, some people are like oh my god, you know, I wish I could go back to my childhood or my teenage years, I, you could not pay me anything for, I would not go back to my teenage years for love or money. It was, it was a incredibly painful time for me, um, and not a particularly happy time for me, and, um, you know, just awkwardness, you know, all the stuff that, you know, all the stuff people feel in their teens, all the bad stuff I felt in my teens, so when I’ve spoken to people at conventions, um, and they've’ spoken to me about, um, Warehouse having, and our relationship in Warehouse having a positive effect for them in their teen, in their painful teenage years, it’s, it, it, it can bring me to tears, because i- if I could have imagined having kind of that, some kind of impact when I’d been a teenager maybe I wouldn't have been so miserable, but, um, I’m really humbled by it. it’s really lovely.
Dana: Yeah, you, you most certainly have had a tremendous impact on a lot of peoples’ lives and I’m so glad that you are able to take that and keep it in your heart.
Jaime: Yeah.
Dana: Speaking of this kind of sea change of the last few years, do you think that if Warehouse had been airing now that things might have ended differently? Do you think that maybe that subtext really would have been pulled much more into main text?
Jaime: You’d know better, Jo.
Jo: I...don’t know the answer to that question, um, perhaps, actually, absolutely! It’s twenty twenty-
Jaime: If we were writing it, maybe.
Jo: I mean, that’s what I’m trying to do. [laughs] Um, yeah, I think so. Maybe we would have been able to lean more into that storyline, um-
Jaime: Maybe we would’ve had a, be a stronger voice in shaping the narrative there.
Jo: It, yeah, I mean, Jack was, Jack was great about it, but it, it was a different, it was a different era. I think now is, is really a beautiful time for storytelling in the sense that it is really becoming so much more inclusive and we have representation, which, I mean, seeing ourselves represented in stories is how we understand ourselves in the world, and that’s, it’s so important, you know, it’s so important where we’re going, um, and I wish there could have been more of that in Warehouse, but I’m glad there was what there was.
Dana: Yeah.
Jaime: I, I, I also think that, um, you know, it’s changed so much in just such a short space of time, but particularly in the last couple of years, like, women were always, um, portrayed like, like, women always had to be perfect and kind of cute, and, you know, there had to be kind of something attractive or charming about them at all times, you know, and so we always had to put a bow on a woman to make her acceptable. And one of the things that I’m really loving is, you know, that women can be flawed and they can still, you can still love them and, you know, one of the things that always stun- stunned me is that I’ve been so welcomed into a community of kind, inclusive, um, you know, powerful activist, um, women, uh, um, and I’m like, why do these amazing women even like my characters when I’ve played such, um, a bad character, and it’s like-
Dana: But, but we love that! Queer women love a villain!
Jaime: Well, it’s like, flawed characters, and it’s like, and then recently I watched this show called, um, I hate Suzie Pickles [actual title of show: I Hate Suzie], um, there’s a show called, um, uh, I May Destroy You. They’re British shows, actually, both are.
Dana: Oh, yeah, it’s so good.
Jaime: And they, these are complex, um, women who make bad choices, and they self sabotage and they do things that are kind of frowned upon in society, and yet I love them, these women, and it’s like, if I can love these women for all their flaws, then maybe I'm okay too. And I think that we, we have to allow women to be flawed and lovable instead of just being cute little heroines that kind of support men at all times. I mean, it’s changed so much, that’s kind of, like the old, the old order of what it used to be, like, but yeah, it’s exciting.
Dana: That happe- That was what was written in my yearbook! Just, Dana Piccoli, flawed but lovable.
Jaime: Ah! [laughs]
Dana: So I totally, I totally can appreciate that.
Jaime: Was it that? Was it- that would be the best!
Dana: [laughs] I love that.
Jaime: Flawed and lovable, not but.
Dana: Oh yeah, yes, flawed and lovable, sorry, sorry. That’s, that’s what, that’s where I went wrong in the yearbook.
Jaime: Exactly.
Dana: Uh, J- Jaime. A lot has been made of this, the apples scene.
Jaime: Yes.
Dana: Do you think I smell apples is basically saying “I love you”? Were you, what do you think that Helena was trying to express at that time?
Jaime: I, I, I think that it was, um, a sense of, uh, acceptance, and, um, and, and, and, and, and love, I mean, uh, because Helena had always been such a, kind of a troubled character in so many ways and she had kind of, um, these struggles and this darkness and these mental health issues and I think that “I smell apples” was a, a, a wa- wa- was, she, she’d kind of come to the light, you know, she, she had, had kind of accepted herself, and it was such an altruistic act of love, she was sacrificing herself in order to save the others, that it was true love, like she’d overcome the darkness. So it was, uh, I, I, I, I, love that, uh, moment, yeah, that kind of-
Jo: I know we wanted, uh, one of the most beautiful definitions of love onscreen is recognition of your soul in someone else.
Dana: Mhmm.
Jo: That’s really what happens, and I thought that when Jaime did that, there was a very beautiful, I mean it’s sort of like Romeo and Juliet. You see this moment of, and we talked about it earlier, that energy, that to me is that. what that is-
Jaime: Yes.
Jo: -the scene is, “I smell apples.” It’s these two people who see each other in each other and are profoundly connected, whether, in whatever way that it is, it’s just a profound connection, you know, and so often we find boxes to put these connections in, you know, as humans, we want to make sense, we want to make logic of them, you know, which is, I think, um, why storytelling suffers in the representation, because you want to define what a thing is and kind of, um, the most beautiful things about some of the most special relationships is they, they're beyond what you can say they are, they’re beyond categorization, they are, you know...
Jaime: I, I, I definitely think that, although it wasn’t written in that way, I mean, if you actually go back and look at the footage, I’m saying “I love you” to, uh, uh, HG is saying “I love you” to Myka and Myka is is let-
Jo: I only think that’s what she was saying.
Jaime: -letting, letting it land.
Dana: Confirmation, folks! Confirmation, um, everyone!
Jo: In here. [points to head]
Dana: Write it in your vows, write it now in your vows!
Jo: Dana, you’re funny! [laughs]
Dana: Thank you!
Jaime: But wh- when, when did I come back and I was like, married to, what-
Dana: You, you weren't married, you were with a gentleman, and he had a, a young child and-
Jaime: And he was a bit of a drip as well!
Jo: And the house was very suburban, that’s all I remember was, I like walked into this house and I was like-
Jaime: That was, was that, I don’t really know the chronological, um, ordering, but like, I had like a ponytail, and I had a, possibly-
Jo: You were probably like driving a minivan.
Dana: You were teaching, you were teaching, weren’t you?
Jaime: Cause wasn’t I [indecipherable]
Jo: It’s okay, Jaime, I [indecipherable]
Dana: You were like in Phoenix or something.
Jaime: Yeah so, so what was that, after a bit I, so like “I smell apples” was the ending of my character, right? So like that, was that after a bit-
Dana: Right, and then you got rev- you were brought back-
Jaime: Right.
Dana: And then you kind of disappeared for a bit.
Jaime: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dana: Yes. Yeah, um-
Jaime: Yeah.
Dana: The, um, the, the, uh, the fans [laughs] were, um, confused by that, were like what?
Jaime: I d- I’m confused, I’m confused! [laughs]
Jo: Not just the fans, not just the fans.
Jaime: Well, I actually, um, I, I, I really want to go back and see that scene, um, I, I feel like you came to, I don’t, I was living in like suburbia-
Dana: Mhm.
Jaime: And, and didn’t you come to-
Jo: I don't remember.
Jaime: -the house and I, I think you came to-
Jo: I remember that horrible house though, because it was like, it… [makes disgusted face]
Jaime: It was so weird and I was like hello, I’m kind of like a completely different woman!
Jo: It was like very Stepford, I like, I walked in and, I don’t know why Myka was so accepting, I would’ve taken a baseball bat to the house, gonna be like, we’re leaving!
Jaime: So, so, so, so, I, so I, Jack, so Jack, Jack-
Jo: Get out of here, you drank the Kool Aid!
Jaime: I remember Jack was there and I was like, um, uh, oh, like this, like, like this doesn't work because of this and this doesn’t work because of that, and I was having a little, kind of like a creative difference with him, and, and he left for the day, he left for the day, and I really want to go back and see that s- that, that scene, because I remember I was asking him if I could, yeah, I know it’s, it says this but could I play it like this? And I do- I remember he didn’t want me to for the storyline, but I remember he left. [laughs] So I’d love to go back and see, I, I remember think- feeling like I was quite naughty, that I actually got away with it, but, uh-
Dana: Oh, I am loving all the subversive shit that was happening behind the scenes. [laughs]
Jaime: Yeah. [laughs]
Jo: Do you remember the park bench as well? Remember that scene, it was-
Jaime: Oh, yeah, a bench.
Jo: Wasn’t that a bench?
Jaime: Oh, that was a love scene, that was a love scene.
Jo: That was a, yeah, we really went for that one. [all laugh]
Jo: Everyone was like, what? And I’m like, well, we’re doing it. Might as well!
Jaime: [laughs] And we’re in like, Toronto, and everyone behind the camera, like, they’re very blokey, and it’s not in the script, and then they're like, “oh I didn’t, they’re, they’re, oh I didn’t see that coming!” [laughs]
Jo: They were like, what are you guys doing? We’re like, we’ll figure it out! [laughing]
Jaime: Exactly! We’re just doing our own thing. [laughs]
Dana: Oh, a little, a little mutiny, a little bit! [laughs] Well we, we, we’ve ha- we’ve had such incredible conversation so far, and I have so many fan questions for you, and if we were onstage everyone would get to come up to the mic-
Jaime: Aw.
Dana: -and ask you questions, but I do have a bunch of questions that were sent in, um, so I do want to get to your fans, because your fans are so integral to keeping this like-
Jo: That’s why we’re here.
Dana: -story alive. Uh, let’s see here. Let’s kick it off. Alright, so wellsbering wants to know, what personality traits do you share with your characters?
Jaime: Well I think, I think that, um, I, uh, definitely always get cast as the baddie for whatever reason, but then I think that, um, really the quirky mess that I, I, I morphed into is basically me. [all laugh]
Jo: I like that answer, that’s great. Um, I, uh, am very A-type when it comes to certain things, and Myka very much, I’m very like, flowy, Myka wa- didn’t flow, but there are certain parts of my life where I’m not flowy around. My work is one of them, writing is another one. Um, and I’m very afraid of letting people down. I think that’s why I've been, I was te- telling a lot of the people that I was talking to today that, you know, the reason I didn’t do this a lot when the show was on, I couldn’t understa- i was like, why do people wanna meet me? They're gonna meet me and be disappointed.
Dana: Ohhhh.
Jo: Yeah.
Dana: I think everyone thinks that though, I think that’s very common.
Jo: I think tha- yeah, I think that’s the human condition, right?
Dana: Yes.
Jo: Um, but, but I think Myka and I share that sort of reserve, you know, that thing where you’re like I don’t, no, don’t get too close. I’m like a Monet, stay back. [laughs]
Jaime: And I, I think that was part of the chemistry as well, it’s like, you have that kind of like, you know, protectio- protective-
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: -kind of like, edge. And so it’s like, if, I think that i- in a way, the gift that we had by it not being written for us is, if had been written we would’ve, the characters would’ve made each other, um, accessible to each other far too quickly. It was like the slow burn of, Myka could be quite prickly, and my character was completely messed up so it was kind of like, this kind of like energy between them where they were kind of like, you know, like working each other out, feeling each other out-
Jo: Is there? Is there an energy there?
Jaime: And then the laughs were well earned, and the smiles, and the deciding to work together was well earned. There was a, a lot of suspicion around each other, and when they opened up or they kind of let their guard down, it was hard earned, and and it was like, you know, something you would wanna rejoice at.
Jo: Yeah, aw, I love that.
Dana: Um, okay, so this is from mayberrycosplay, uh, you may remember mayberrycosplay, I believe one of them dressed as HG at a con, uh-
Jaime: Oh!
Dana: -but they wondered-
Jaime: I’ve seen a few HGs.
Dana: You’ve seen a few HGs.
Jaime: [laughs]
Dana: This is for Jo about, uh, Myka’s experience with ovarian cancer and, uh, like, how the awareness of this silent killer of women, like how that storyline, what that storyline meant to you and how it felt to portray that?
Jo: I was really nervous about that storyline, you know, anything that has affected people and their families and, and it’s always, I, you know, difficult territory to walk as an actor, especially in a show like Warehouse where there's so much happening on such a grand level that I’m like, are they going to pay attention to this? Are they going to really honor a storyline like this? was my concern, you know, like very often things like that are added like, uh, it’s like putting a robot arm on a story, and you're like oh, and by the way, there’s ovarian cancer! And so I was really, you know, concerned about showing up for that and, and, and and serving it in a way that people understood and, and could identify with that, you know, it’s such a catharsis, that’s what I think it’s supposed to be. Um, so it was, uh, I, the fans told me I pulled it off, that’s the only way that I know.
Dana: Well it meant a tremendous amount to, to mayberrycosplay and so that’s why they, they sent that in because it, it really affected them because of their own personal-
Jo: Yeah.
Dana: -you know, family journeys and such.
Jo: Well I’m so, so, thank you, I mean, I’m still wondering, you know, I worked really hard to make sure that was in there. We’ve all lost somebody to cancer, we all know what that’s like, we all know- I mean, I mean, I certainly have, to feel a lump and be like [does the Home Alone face] you know. I have two friends right now who are going through it, so I try to honor it in the best way. I- it’s one of the things that makes me want to be an actor, uh, that I think is so special about it is that you get to tell stories that people, it’s a group catharsis, you know, so I’m glad that, glad they think I, the only thing that, if they think I sh- I showed up then... [laughs] yes, good, good, good.
Dana: Um, let’s see here, cloxy813 wants to know what was your favorite, favorite scene to film together?
Jo: Probably the heaving bosoms scene. I was excited for the heaving bosoms scene, which was all like [mimes placing gun to forehead] kill me!
Jaime: [laughs]
Dana: Hashtag heaving bosoms scene.
Jo: It was so hot that day, I remember my tank top-
Jaime: So hot, oh my god, it was like-
Jo: It was like, my tank top, I would like look down and find, I was like, my boobs are out, um. [laughs] I just saw him sign, them sign, um.
Jaime: We were by that lake, I just wanted to dive in there. It was-
Jo: Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I loved, I loved, I loved doing that scene, I have to say. And, and the chess scene, I remember that.
Jaime: Oh yeah.
Jo: I remember that very well. Um, I really enjoyed my work with Jaime because I, as I said, you know, there’s not a lot of scenes that are two women just being women. It was so, it was like a breath of fresh air and so I, I wasn't, I was, uh, you know, a lot of the times Myka was there to witness Pete-
Jaime: Or, or, or to laugh, or to kind of laugh and sigh at his super funny jokes.
Jo: The funny jokes... um, so, so it was so nice to not ha- be in a scene from that point of view. So often women are are written as accessories-
Jaime: Yeah.
Jo: You know, and, and this was a storyline where I felt like she was a whole person and I could be like a whole, real person, I didn't have to be like-
Jaime: I, I, I, I, I was on a show called Hustle and there was a character on it called Danny Blue, and he had all the funny lines, and one of the refrains that I had was “oh Danny. Oh Danny,” where every time he said something cheeky or naughty or a joke I’d go “oh Danny,” and I remember just being so excited to get the job, but then after awhile like me saying “oh Danny” really wore thin, especially as off camera I feel like I was more witty! [laughs] In that space I was much more funny, but all the funny was written for him, and I was going “oh Danny.” So when I came in I really, I kind of, um, you know, I knew the frustration of playing the, kind of, you, you know-
Jo: Straight man.
Dana: The “oh Danny.”
Jo: -if you were playing, right, right, the brainiac, uptight brainiac, and Pete had all the funny lines, so obviously we were in a lot of scenes with the rest of the cast and keeping the story going, but I felt as though all the character stuff that we had as, as women came from the scenes when we were on our own, and obviously that first scene with the grappler, um, you know, was, it was kind of the first scene where I’d been playing kind of like a little, kind of kind of like sneaky little looks and curiosity and fascination with this woman-
Dana: Yeah, we noticed.
Jaime: And, but, but, I, but, it wasn’t until the grappler scene that I thought that, that i was starting to get this, kind of, this chemistry going, and then there was a scene, do you remember the scene where I didn’t know how to work a computer or open it, it was like a, I was like a monkey-
Jo: Yeah [laughs] yeah.
Jaime: I was like a, it was like, I didn’t know what this is, we were-
Dana: Well, I mean in, in f- in fairness you had been in bronze for a long time.
Jaime: -we were in like a stu- a student room, a student's room, it was-
Jo: Yeah, we were at the college, we were at U of T.
Jaime: And, and. and we’d, it was the first time we’d deci- you’d, you’d kind of begrudgingly decided that we could work together, and HG was kind of a little thrilled, and you were a bit begrudging and-
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: There was all, we, we still had to, ‘cause like, in sci-fi there’s a lot of storyline and exposition and kind of fantastical stuff, which is super fun, but actually as actors you really get excited about the character stuff and there was always just this great character stuff whenever we were on our own with a scene-
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: -um, because we didn’t have to worry so much about servicing all the other characters, we just serviced each other.
Dana: Well, you know, there are only two kinds of queer women. It is thrilling or begrudging, it’s one or the other. [all laugh]
Dana: They fit perfectly in there.
Jaime: I mean maybe that’s why it resonated so well, and maybe it was the reason it was so great, that it wasn’t written, because you had these two kind of like, kind of sli- slightly spiky kind of like flawed women, kind of like o- one, you know, one not particularly into the other at all, you know, so-
Jo: It was interesting, I still remember, I still remember receiving that energy and receiving that stuff and realizing, sort of plotting, cause I’m like, how long would it take Myka to figure this out?
Jaime: [laughs]
Jo: Seriously, I was like, cause, Joanne is not her,, I’m, you know, I’m wasn’t in the box that she, I always thought, Jack’s like, you’re exactly like that character, I’m nothing, I’m not- [laughs] I mean there’s a part of me that’s uptight but there's a part of me that’s most definitely not, so I was like how, and I really wanted to do the discovery of it within her, the like, this, the, this feeling started, and then her sort of, and M-Myka to me as a character as a whole was always somebody who was afraid, this is somebody who was always very scared of everything and presented themselves in this very [mimes acting stuffy and uptight] way because there was so much going on here [gestures to heart] and it was slow in the five seasons, I really wanted her to like, you know, relax and start laughing and not be so, and I was like, there’s a certain amount of wonder that was like-
Jaime: Endless wonder.
Jo: -ohhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhh, like you kind of see her, one of the things about that journey is you start to see her discover sort of herself and her own feeling surrounding that, which I thought was really special.
Jaime: And also you, um, you, you kind of ended up, you, you know, HG was kind of like a tricky character and she was always one step ahead, um for, that first season, but then when she started to fall apart, you were the one that kind of put her together, and then I felt like there was also this humor introduced, this lightness introduced to your character through the humor el- elements-
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: -and the surprise, which was, um, really lovely for your character.
Jo: Yeah, I, I think for m- for me, you know, it was a decision I made like in season two that I k- she had to evolve and grow and sort of, um, I couldn’t, I was, I was, I was like, I can’t keep coming to work and putting a giant stick up my ass [laughs] like we’re doing, like I need just to like expand her and go towards her relaxing and really finding, I think for her the big thing was always finding connection, you know, this-
Dana: Sure.
Jo: -we, we see in the beginning of the show is, it’s very cut off, very isolated, very like, and I, she lost her partner, that was, when I read that script, immediately I was like, this is someone who’s so scared of losing people again that she’s never gonna let anyone else in, and that was sort of like my understanding of her. And when Jaime came on, it was such a great way to explore that, Myka opening, you know, as feelings developed, her opening, you know-
Dana: Well, that, the growth, the character journey that both of your, your characters went on, I think that is what makes the show still so enduring to fans, like why they feel so connected to it, because we do, we saw that journey, you know, both of you had your own journeys to go on and you somehow managed to cross, cross paths, and it may not have ended the way fans had wanted it to, but we still go so much out of it.
Jo: I’m so glad.
Dana: I wish it was endgame, but what can I do?
Jaime: We, we, we need a spinoff show for Jo and I, we, we need a spinoff show.
Dana: Okay, yes, the spinoff, okay! You need to talk about that because-
Jaime: Who do we need to talk to to make that happen?
Dana: I got in a lot of trouble on Twitter yesterday for not asking a spinoff question, uh, what, like, what would a spinoff look like between between HG and Myka?
Jo: I think it would be have, to be now, which we-
Dana: Yeah.
Jo: And we’d have to get her, there’s no ponytails in this story, there’s no suburbs, there’s no fucking ponytails, um, no-
Jaime: I won- I won- I wonder if, um, it could be now, but, or, I wonder if I, I had to come in for a mission and then I actually pulled you back into my time, that might be an interesting way to turn it on its head.
Dana: Ooh, Jaime Murray, there we go!
Jaime: If we both had to go back-
Dana: I love me some period.
Jaime: -into my time or you know what made me think that [she does the Jaime Murray hair flip™] what I-
Jo: [laughs]
Jaime: I saw that, I saw that ne- The Nevers-
Jo: I miss that hair flip!
Jaime: -the, the, the a- the adverts for The Nevers on HBO, and I’m like that is the HG Wells spinoff right there, and I was like super fucked that I wasn’t in that, and then I read that Joss Whedon was a consultant and I was like [inaudible] really bad, so, but, anyway I think that that’s what we should do. I, I’m also obsessed with that time period.
Jo: I mean, yeah, and also like it was real, yeah-
Jaime: It was the beginning of ps-
Jo: Yeah.
Jaime: -psychology, of like Tesla, of of like different thoughts, there was like, they were like spiritual, um, kind of scientists and atheism and there was all it this opportunity for change, which actually wasn’t taken, but it was actually, it’s super interesting right at the time, there was suffragettes-
Jo: Also a fish out of water for me would be so wacky, because I’m a fish out of water too, alright.
Dana: I’m curious if yo all saw the Saturday Night Live sketch the other, uh, last week with, uh, lesbian period drama-
Jaime: Oh!
Dana: -and how, how every lesbian, like anything that features lesbians now has to be- [laughs]
Jaime: Well have you e- have you ever-
Dana: -it’s like the Edwardian or, like the Edwardian times.
Jaime: Have you guys read Sarah Waters, do you know this?
Dana: Oh, of course!
Jaime: Like, so, and maybe that is actually what helped me get to HG Wells, but I loved those books when-
Dana: Oh, they’re so amazing.
Jaime: -I was growing up and I feel like we should make those o- we should remake one of those b- Jo, you’ve got to read those books, and then-
Jo: I’m writing it down! I’m taking notes!
Jaime: Oh, it’s amazing.
Dana: You two would be amazing in her most recent one.
Jaime: She writes these amazing Edwardian, Edwardian kind of wanton lust and then there’s like, like the vervain or whatever, that kind of drug that they used to take back then-
Jo: Opium?
Jaime: -so it’s like slightly, kind of like psychedelic, oh, it’s amazing, yeah, she’s amazing.
Dana: [laughs] Well, we unfortunately are out of time, and it’s been so much fun to talk to the two of you, and I, I love the love that you have for your characters, for your friendship, for the fans, uh, it’s, it’s so lovely to see, and thank you so much for making this work in your schedules, I know you’re both super busy doing your own projects, um, and I want to think Mark. Mark, you’re amazing, thank you so much for, for interpreting.
Jaime: Thank you, Mark!
Jo: Thank you, Mark!
Dana: Um, do you have anything you want to end with, to say to the, to the Bering lesbians out there?
Jaime: Well, first of all, I want to say that, um, if anyone sends me messages to, you know, pictures or anything that that Jo needs to see, I’ll make sure that Jo, Jo gets it, ‘cause she’s not on social media, and I’ll, I’ll share stuff with her so that she can kind of know the love from the community.
Dana: Yeah, great.
Jo: I think, um, I’m actually gonna try to put together a newsletter because I’m trying to get my shows made and I could use this community, you know, to help-
Dana: Oh, we will support you to the end! We will march off that cliff with you.
Jaime: I could help you make a Twitter account, just for our community.
Jo: I don’t wanna do Twitter, I wanna do a newsletter. [laughs] I don’t wanna, I don’t know how many characters are in it, but it’s not enough. [laughs]
Jaime: But Jo, Jo, you have to actually read some of the fanfiction. The fanfiction is epic.
Jo: I have a book that I got, somebody wrote a book-
Jaime: Unbelievable, oh my god.
Jo: -like a novel.
Jaime: They’re brilliant, these people are brilliant, like best fans ever.
Dana: There is some really incredible work out there.
Jaime: Well, do you want to-
Jo: I just wanted to say thank you to everyone, um, you know, I don’t do these very often, and just like, the outpouring of love, like just the connection, I really appreciate it, I’m so grateful, so thank you.
Jaime: Yeah, it’s such a beautiful community. I feel really proud to have been welcomed into it and, uh, very grateful.
Dana: Well, we’ll hope to see you another time, and thank you all who turned in to this panel. [Jaime blows kisses]
Jo: Thank you.
Jaime: Bye, guys.
Dana: Do you smell apples?
Jaime: Bye, Jo, I love you so much.
Jo: Do you smell apples? I love you too. [blows kiss] I’ll talk to you soon.
Jaime: Yes, I’ll see you later. Bye bye, darlings.
Jo: Bye.
619 notes · View notes
yesimwriting · 3 years
Text
Searing Starlight (chapter two)
A/n Chapter twooo!! I cannot believe the support I’ve been getting on here im so excited to share my six of crows/shadow and bone fics with y’all!
 Lmk if you’d like to be tagged when I update this story!! And just letting y’all know I take requests so if you have an idea you’d like to see me attempt feel free to comment it or send it in :)) 
--
At least Kaz’s claimed ‘wraith’ (which is such an odd thing to just have) is a girl, and a seemingly kind one at that. She was quick to find me, body pressed into wooden shelves and glass bottles, and subtly gesture for me to follow her. It had been difficult to keep track of her flighty form through the crowd, but I think there was a point in her strange raveling, to make sure no one was following me. 
She’s not particularly talkative, but she doesn’t seem bothered by me. She tossed me a random oversized shirt to pull over my dress when she saw how I kept adjusting the fabric and crossing my arms. That was kinder than she needed to be. I think I’ll like her. 
“So you’re a wraith,” I manage, breaking the nervous silence, “Like a full time, constantly on-call wraith.” 
The question seems to puzzle her, dark eyebrows drawing together. “Yes.” The corner of her mouth twitches up slightly, a smile. “A full time, constantly on-call wraith.” She hesitates, perfect stance adjusting. “What were you doing before?” 
Great. This question. “Nothing important.” It’s not a fair cop-out. Especially since she answered my question. “I um...I’m indentured to Rollan Kenya.” 
I watch her reaction to the name. Some know of him. Some revere him. Some loathe him and everything he’s associated with. “His religious interpretations are controversial.” 
“If you think what he says to the public is bad you should hear what he says in private.” I push myself further into the chair I’m in. 
Something strange flickers over her features. “I can imagine.” 
Shaking my head, I hope I’m ending this conversation. “What’s your name?” 
A hesitation. “Inej.” 
I nod once, “I’m y/n.” 
“Do you need water, y/n?” 
I scratch my still exposed knee. “That’d be nice. Thank you.” 
She’s quick to leave, feet making no noise. A minute later she returns with a cup. I have no reason to suspect her, but I still sniff the cup before taking a cautious sip. I wonder if Anya made it back home. I wonder if she’s worse off for it. 
Before I can fall into a pit of debating despair, the door to the room Inej took me to squeaks open. On instinct, I snap my gaze towards the door, tensing. The first person I notice is Kaz, entering the room with a determination too intense for this time of night. Jesper is quick to follow, and I drop my stare. I’ve never had to interact with anyone I’ve lied to after taking their money. 
“Are they gone?” Inej asks, clearly accustomed to such brooding tension. 
Kaz nods once, “It took too much convincing--the Inferni’s more than she’s letting on.” 
I’m literally in the room. “I’m not--we’ve spoken two words to each other, sorry my abilities didn’t come up.” 
He turns towards me with a deadly grace. My grip on the cup tightens. What the hell is wrong for me? How deeply instilled is that god complex Kenya wanted in me? It must be as part of me as my name if I felt comfortable enough to speak that way to Kaz Brekker. 
I keep my eyes on his cane, waiting for some kind of physical retaliation. “Maybe the grisha hunting you would appreciate your sense of humor more.” 
It’s a bluff. He needs me. He’s desperate for something that can mimic a Sun Summoner. Still though, I’m not in the mood to poke a bear with a stick. “Speaking from experience,” I clear my throat awkwardly, “They tend not to.”
“Then I suggest you begin explaining before I decide I’d rather take my chances and you lose your worth.” 
Maybe if I hadn’t spent the last eleven years of my life with Kenya, his words would haunt me. I keep my expression set, but the lanterns in the room flicker. “It’s not as impressive as they’re making it seem--Inferni can produce fire, regular, red, bright fire.” I pause, feeling energy in my palms. “I can do the same, but I can also,” I extend a flat palm, “Do this.” 
I focus my energy on restraint, forcing the fire on my skin to remain there, covering my palms in a cold, blue glow. “It’s still fire, just blue--and that matters to them because blue light is the only kind you can use in the Fold.” Do they know anything about the fold? “Kenya, the man I’m indentured to, believes that this ability makes me eligible for Sainthood. He specializes in collecting people he thinks are eligible for Sainthood.” The low flame coating my palm licks upwards as I remember what disappointing Kenya means. “And if you don’t meet his standards, he’ll find a way to make sure you do. That’s why the grisha want me. He made me more and they believe that if they give me to someone who can give me an amplifier I’ll be able to produce enough blue light to protect an entire fleet.” 
“What do you mean ‘he’ll find a way to make sure you do’?” Inej’s voice is cautious. An attempt to be respectful. 
I drop my palm, letting the fire disappear into nothingness. “I wasn’t born with the ability to control the blue light so well--It’s difficult enough to produce for longer than two seconds let alone keep it from burning everything in sight. By the time I ended up in Kenya’s control he had learned that certain stimulants. Some scientists are working on a more grisha-targeted kind, but Kenya has managed to work with the generic well enough.” Hands shaking, I wipe the condensation off the side of the cup and hold out my wrist. Using the condensation, I begin to wipe at my wrist and forearm, smearing my makeup and revealing the needle bruises. “The key is withdrawals.”
Thoughts of begging Kenya, crying and screaming for another fix as he promised to give me that as soon as I showed some control of my abilities, make the shaking in my hand worse. I clasp my hands together, squeezing them in hopes of hiding the signs of withdrawal. 
I stare at the ground, not wanting to take anyone’s reaction in. I handle pity as well as I handle kindness. 
“Do you think you could produce enough blue light for one ship?”
Looking up, I take in Kaz’s measured expression. I’m glad he’s sticking to business. I’d rather that than deal with unpacking all of that with a group of strangers that don’t care if I live or die. 
“I could try.” I’ve never tried to protect anything that large. “Even if I can, it doesn’t mean a voyage like that will be safe.” 
“There’s no real safety in the Fold,” he replies easily. Realistic expectations. That will make this easier. “No one finds out about her--especially not Pekka Rollins.” 
I pull my arm towards my body, glad for the opportunity to hide the bruises. Signs of my weakness. The worst part was always the way Kenya would speak to me after. Pathetic. Weak. Trapped within the restraints of my flesh. 
“Who’s Pekka Rollins?” 
Kaz briefly turns his head in my direction. “No one that will ever concern you.” He ignores my annoyed huff. “We’ll use the Inferni to get to Alina Starkov.” 
Alina. Alina Starkov. “What do you want with Alina?”
 At that, the room seems to drain. I feel weirder than when they were seeing my abilities. 
“You know her?” Jesper’s surprise reveals more than Kaz wants him to. I don’t miss the glare he receives.
I half-shrug. “We were in the same orphanage for awhile.”
“How did you get to Ketterdam?” I don’t trust Kaz’s urgency. 
“I don’t remember, I was a child and I--I hit my head that night I think. I just woke up and I was with Kenya.” 
“How well do you know Alina?” 
There was a point in time in which she was my best friend. We learned how to braid hair by practicing on each other, we would draw maps together, and I was the only one who knew about her crush on Mal. “Not that well.” 
He takes a step forward, eyes almost squinting. The touch of distrust is evident on his face. “If you’re lying I’ll find out.” 
I owe Alina at least this. “Well then it’s a good thing I’m not.” 
I’m not naive enough to believe that I’ve convinced him, but his intense gaze does not remain on me. I’m relieved when his attention is off of me, but he’s only moving on to start planning the riskiest thing I’ve ever done. 
-- 
Taglist: @ambrosia-v-black 
321 notes · View notes
sly-merlin · 3 years
Text
KILLING ME- 14
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pairing : law student!reader + yuta
genre : (fluff)  angst , mafia au/ arranged marriage au.
warnings of this chapter : cursing, mention of drugs, character death.
words : ~4k
summary :
“life’s never fair y/n. realise it as soon as you can . it is the only secret for living a regretless life.”                                  
or            
“ curiousity got the cat hitched”
K.M masterlist
K.M 13
TAGLIST : @kpop-choco @moon-yuta @kawaiiayasan @btm-taeyong @exfolitae @lanadreamie @cheersskznct ​​ @hyuckiesgf ​​ @theworld-accordingtocasey ​​@simplybree
@yiyi4657 @sorrywonwoo @sillywinnergladiator   @minejungwoo @leesalts @mal-nakamoto23 @ro2424 @itlittlefangirl @nctzens-world @bl–ankhaeji @jeaneteflo @nuoyii @bralessmermaid @minhoseyeliner @tyongpoetry @swimmingkpopblog @jkjkseo @orphicmoon @floralescapes
A/N : this chapter marks the celebration of this blog surpassing 600 followers! thank you so much for all the support! also for minor readers, the sfw versions of nsfw chapters are given at the end of the masterlist so check those properly before reading.
•••••••••••••
y/n! Are you sleeping?”
Registering his words, you replied in a groggy voice,“What the fuck do you want?”
“Your phone. I left mine in the medical room. I need to call Mark right now.” with some authority, he spoke.
Whining loudly, you fell back on the bed. It was only due but flailing your arms and legs like a kid in a toy store, you let out a screech full of annoyance, cursing your fate.
Were you really going to babysit him now?
"Have you suddenly lost your hearing? Stop with this sick attitude and open the door."
A puff of air left your nose, your chest moved rhythmically with your stomach and you relaxed your arms beneath your head, eyes fixed at the fan above and ears ringing with his voice. He kept calling you and after a number of shouts, you started humming to distract yourself, afraid that you'd end up helping him otherwise. That was something, naturally, you were not interested in. Last time he had ignored your voice and now nature had presented you with an opportunity to return the favour. Just with a bit less flavour.
"Are you dead?"
"Hmmm. To you, yes I am." Mumbling, you yawned and pushed yourself up to reach your side table and fishing out your earphones from the bottom drawer, you untangled them and fixed them comfortably in your ear, hiding yourself underneath the sheets.
Sonata no.14 instantly transported you away from the noise and the stress that was your unwanted husband, yuta. The smile playing on your lips widened as you realised that you were his only mode of communication at the moment.
But You were going for a nap. Until then, he could wait. And thrash. And cry. Or die.
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Rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, you rotated the handle of the door to walk outside but your little trip was interrupted when your body collided straight into a wall. No. The obstruction was too soft for a wall.
Opening your eyes properly, you saw yuta standing stiff. Surprised at the sudden appearance, you immediately stumbled back and in hurry, hit your spine on the wooden door. The glare of his eyes, that always spoke more than you could comprehend, coupled with a clenched jaw, was not a very pleasant sight for sure yet you found it harder to dart your own eyes away from him.
"Your phone" he seethed, breathing deeply.
"Huh?" You croaked out.
He raised his brow and in an instant, the previous scenario played like a short movie in your head. Snapping your head down, you regarded his leg with pity. He obviously noticed it immediately but seemed to ignore it and refrained from saying anything. Good for you, you thought.
"Are you deaf?"
Your furrowed brows met his eyes and with a roll of his own, he picked up his finger to force his demand but you managed to walk back inside your room before he could've done that.
Your back faced him as you contemplated your options while slowly stretching your arm to reach for your phone on the other side of the bed.
should you even be giving him your phone?
You had more trust in Taeyong than the man you shared a roof with so there was no way you were doing that.
Unbeknownst to you, yuta was watching your movements intently and the way you bobbed your head, he knew you were scheming something so he decided to be polite for a moment. Only until you were needed. Or your phone was needed.
Once the phone was in your hand, another thought crossed your mind.
"Wait. Where is the house phone?" Crossing your arms, you asked him slyly, already knowing the answer
"You fucking never got it installed. It's still in its stupid package" he seemed rather impatient.
"And you could've called reception through the door telecom. He would have phoned Mark for you. These rich apartments certainly have more hospitality tha-
"I CAN'T GO AROUND DISTRIBUTING AN UNDERGROUND CRIMINAL'S CONTACT NUMBER TO EVERYONE"
He inhaled and exhaled and you just watched until he opened his eyes again, hand reaching out to you.
"Chill. I've every right to be sceptic especially when you are the one asking for it."
Finding Mark's number on your phone, you called him.
Yuta's hand threaded through his rough hair as he noticed what you were trying to do.
"Hey mark!" Your chirpy voice resounded in the room and yuta was sure this was some different spirit speaking. You sounded too bubbly for the way you were investigating him just a second ago.
"Yes yes. His phone exactly.i don't trust him enough to hand over my phone so that's why I'm calling you myself. Just hurry up if you can or you might have to clean up a dead body in the next few hours."
With that you cut the phone. Without meeting yuta's gaze and resting your hand on the handle, you mumbled,
"He'll be here in an hour."
You were about to close the door when he stopped it with the palm of his hand, alerting you with the force.
"Tell him to get some food too."
And limping, he retired back, to the couches.
Sighing, you messaged mark. Had it been for something else, you'd have ignored but your own stomach had signalled you that it needed some good food so you chose not to fight against your own body.
Now, only the taste of the food could decide how many days you were going to tolerate that barbaric human.
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"Are you still going to that stupid internship?" Johnny hesitantly murmured from your desk chair while taking big bites from the plate.
"It's not stupid please! I’m just waiting for them to actually pay attention to my awesome capabilities so they can transfer me to the main branch. This is not bad either but”, you stopped to lick your forefinger and tasting the sauce, continued, “but I really wanna go into the criminal unit. That’s where the actual fun is. As long as i’m being paid decently, i’ll suffer with the stupid research work here.”
“With the tongue as sharp as yours, I think you should be getting ready for a demotion instead” he laughed, showing you his fake bunny teeth in the most annoying and childish way.
“Ha ha ha ha. Some well wisher you are! Thank you so much for looking out for me but I'll be fine. Who knows the gatekeeper’s pay package is more than me. So it’d be a win-win in that case too I guess?” when you did a drum roll with your chopsticks to stress upon your point, he laughed harder.
"So being broke is the new black?" Rolling his eyes, he dragged out, "I swear you kids don't know how this world works."
"And you, grandpa of the century, knows?"
"I'm aware of what I need for my survival and from what I've learnt, you can either take risks or look for job security. In your case, " he fake coughed, "where the proportions of risk taking have already exceeded the acceptable limit, a job security is the best and safest option to choose."
"And that would justify my greed and desire to work for the biggest company of this city."
"Kun. The security you need and the independence you seek would be given by kun. Chois are hmm how to say? Cheap? Yeh cheap. They have no work ethics. "
"Have you worked with them, johnny?"
"No. I'm ju-
"Then was your ex a choi?" You saw his eyes comically and cutely widening at your remark.
"No. My ex wasn't a choi and that's not what I'm saying and you know that."
"Oh. So your ex wasn't a choi. Then a lee? Kim? Im? Oh my god! Look at your cheeks seo!" You dragged out. He shook his head as you kept wiggling your brows at him.
"She was a kim but that doesn't mean I would hate all kims dude. That's baseless and stop ignoring the topic. I want you to apply in Kuns. It's the best option. Do it as soon as you-
"Yeah yeah we'll see about that. First take that bitch back. I can't even nap in his presence. "
"Umm. Yeah. You gotta tolerate him. And besides he's injured. Injured yuta is like a gun without a bullet. He's gonna shout for a day or two and then peace out. He'll be sleeping and reading in his room and you won't even know if he's alive or not."
"Now that's bullshit. What is he going to do here anyway? I hope he can hop himself on one leg because even if the sun rises from the north, I am not going to do a single task for him. He can die hungry , for all I care.”
“Do you think you can endure him for some tasty dinners?”
Clicking your tongue, you quipped, “Do you really think you can buy me with a few homemade meals?”
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Day 1
Yes. you were sold. The moment the tasty noodles had melted in your mouth, you knew you had no dignity. And you were indeed ashamed of yourself.
Earlier, Renjun had called you to inform you that he had delivered the food and medicines for yuta and had left your dinner box but he had failed to mention the special and endearing note that was pasted on the glass box. In the curvy letters, it read bitchy piglet and you swore the only person you’d be killing before yuta would be jaehyun. But you were going to use jaehyun to build up your tolerance instead.
When you went out to clean your dishes, he was playing some game on his phone, excitement evident from the way he was laughing every other second. Maybe if he remained occupied, he would not be so insufferable.
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Day 3
"Oyii! Oyii!"
No. You were wrong. He was very very much insufferable.
At midnight, his voice echoed, disturbing your sleep. You cursed at the cool atmosphere that had prevented you from using the air con which otherwise would have blocked his annoying screeches. But it seemed like bad luck wanted to change its name to y/n instead. With your name being called like a broken record, it was a fight between you and him that you were not going to lose. Shuffling to your side, you covered your ears with the other pillow and tried to drown out the annoyingly demanding and hoarse voice. There was no way you were giving him the satisfaction of having any power over you. He could cry for all he liked!
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“What the fuck do you want at this hour?”
Attempting a glare at him through sleepy lids, you spewed with irritation. Unlike you, he was very much awake, breathing with the sole purpose of making you question your whole existence.
“Pillow” scratching his non-existent beard, he mumbled.
Your nostrils flared and jaw clenched at such inconvenient command.
“You summoned me for a pillow? A pillow that can normally be found on a person’s bed? Can you please rectify your demand or did I just simply hear something wrong?”
The opened curtains and the moonlight that drenched the room was the only source that illuminated his face for you and even with drooping eyes, you could see how serious he was and yet you couldn't hold your tongue back because he simply deserved every shit you bestowed him with.
“Turn the lights on and count the pillows on my bed! And when you are done, get me some pillows from your room.” he simply stated.
“Why should i give you my pillow? I need them!”
“Because I don't use a pillow and I need it asap!”
“Then why do you suddenly need one? To disturb my sleep? Oh that makes sense.” and suddenly, your eyes had synced with your body to side with your fight mode.
“I need them for elevating my leg. The bandage is too tight and it’s not comfortable.”
“Then why don't you walk out of the room and get some cushions for yourself!” you raised your volume.
“Because my leg is in pain and i’m unable to get up? What makes you think I'm dying to see your ugly face at this time of the night. I dont wanna have nightmares of you as well but i can't help it ok!”
“you should have kept them near you. And who are you calling ugly hmm? You poop fac-
“Okay scream for all you want! But get me a pillow when your battery dies down!”
“What the fuck d- are you covering your ears? Wow ways to be generous!”
Stomping your foot, you left the room to get the hardest cushion on the couch.
“Here! Next time call Mark if you want anything. Don’t raise your voice ever again to call me because unlike you, i have work in the morning and hence I need some sleep..”
Just when you were about to leave after shoving the cushion in his hand, he spoke up again,
“This is damn hard! I asked for your pillow specifically and not th- AHH!”
A scream left him as you harshly removed the support , leaving his leg to painfully meet the mattress.
“How about you fix your attitude before fixing your leg?” suggesting, you dropped the cushion on the floor and left.
He didn't call you after that. Nor that you cared. However, the sleep in your eyes somehow vanished. Dancing on your sides didn’t help. Neither did drinking a glass of water. So, with a groan, you listened to your conscience and picked up your extra pillow that was sadly too perfect for your enemy.
Padding to his room, you tried your best to scrutinise and hearing his heavy snores, you placed the pillow right under his thigh and the cushion under his calf. Scoffing at his sleeping figure, you internally groaned to remind yourself that you hadn't done it for him. It was just a debt. For the blanket he had once covered you with. Nothing more and nothing less.
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Day 5
You just wanted him out of your hair. He was just being a load on your head. At first, only the work was kicking your ass, then jungwoo was kicking you like a punching bag for an hour straight and adding to your distress was yuta.
"I'm not your maid! Stop piling up the dishes for me. I've had enough mercy on you. From today onwards, get a cleaner for yourself or buy disposable cutlery. I'm not going to clean after you!"
With a roll of his eyes, he had ignored you.
And so did you. Pasting a warning note on the sink tap, you had left for the library with a dying hope that maybe the kitchen would be spotless on your arrival or you'd be dialing some numbers in the evening.
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For someone who despised the solemn atmosphere of libraries, you had successfully spent 11 hours in the said hellish room. It was 11 p.m and you wanted to sleep, more than anything but here you were, waiting for yugyeom so he'd just pick you up for a good drinking session that you were dying to have.
Fortunately, you weren't the only one who had missed living these past days. Everyone, for different reasons, was suffering so you felt a little less bad for yourself even though you knew your troubles were far more grave than their academic burdens.
"Wake up shorts" someone whispered in your ear. Squirming on your seat, you whipped your head in your sleepy state and found jungkook caressing your head, goofily smiling at you.
"I thought you wanted to hang out till the next morning" air quoting the last words, he picked up your bag.
"Yeah. Let's go. I'm all ready for a night full of vodkas." You yawned out.
"Definitely. No. You are going home. We can have a small get together me and yuggy are done with our final project." He dragged you out into the parking lot.
" I feel like it's been years since we got drunk together. You are never here anymore!" You whined at him, complaining your heart out.
"I will be. Soon. Then we can celebrate your little choi job as well."
"Oh please. Don't even mention it. If I had penny for every time they rolled their eyes at me, I'd be richer than your parents kook." You huffed out and as his gentle laugh surrounded you, you closed your eyes resting your back against the seat, expecting to be up by the time he'd park.
But the next day, you woke up tangled in the sheets of your bed, unaware of the events of the previous night.
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When you had warned yuta about the dirty dishes, you hadn't expected him to fill the corners of the kitchen with disposable containers. It looked like you had missed a whole drama while sleeping in the library. The kitchen was shining except for the new utensils. But as long as you were not babysitting him, you were fine with anything. You didn't want to jinx your relief, however, you were glad you would be able to get some work done. finally.
You had spoken too early for your own good. Just when you sat down to write your paper, passionate and enthusiastic howls of that man pierced through your earphones and once again, you opened the window and hopped outside, in the balcony, ready to drown him out. Sipping on your lemonade, you gaped at the scenery the not so distant traffic provided you with and somehow, your thoughts wandered to the only person these horns reminded you of. Johnny.
What are you doing? Your fingers hovered over the text but once again, you deleted the message, declaring it to be too childish for someone as mature as him. Maybe you were just being silly. Maybe you were not. But who was going to put a stamp on your maybe?
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Tears pricked your eyes as the harsh words of your senior thundered in the room. He kept shouting and you had no option than to consume each and every word he directed at you. Even if you were being insulted in front of your twenty other co-workers, staying quiet was the best option, you ascertained. so along with your saliva, you gulped your explanations down your throat.
Howsoever unconscious, you were still in the wrong. There was no excuse as to why you had mailed the wrong bills, apart from the headache that was caused by the person possibly lying on the sofa and watching t.v back home. No matter how much you tried to run away from his existence, he had somehow managed to let himself inside your head.
Glaring at the kid who asked for his turn on the park swing, you pushed yourself a little higher, letting the wind greet your stinging eyes as it hit your face in waves. Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you chose to ignore jungwoo for a day as it was the time, you decided, to let all the lessons that the past few months had taught you sink into your mind, to bleed into your soul so you won’t ever be able to deviate from them. Ever.
Only if that was so easy. You knew blaming others for your problems was no solution but trivialising them by not paying heed wasn't a smart move either.
When you reached home, your frustrations had died down. So when yuta simpered and pointed towards your empty container, telling you how he had already finished your supposed dinner, you simply rolled your eyes at him, robbing him of whatever he wanted to achieve by riling you up. Heating up the water, you were about to open the noodles packet when yeong called you.
You stared at the shattered phone screen in disbelief as the endless tears ran down your cheeks. As you verbalised the words to yourself again, your body met the floor with a thud.
Jungkook. Drugs. No more.
Three words had silenced the screeches in your head and your mind busied itself in rejecting what you had heard for it had to be a lie. But what how were you going to ignore the heart wrenching screams that yeong had let out. How were you going to dismiss the truth.
How were you all going to accept it?
••••••••••••••••
next update: Some day between 5-7 June.
174 notes · View notes
vanilla-vivillon · 3 years
Text
So since y’all seemed to like Kanej kid, let’s do Zoyalai kid. Also David isn’t dead in this because it is to sad
||ROW SPOILERS||
TW, this has brief mentions of infertility and describes labor, nothing to graphic just talks about how painful it is
After the wedding zoya and Nikolai were both excited to start a family
Nikolai; while he adores his sister Linnea and his father, never really was able to grow up in a loving household
He never wanted that for his children
He and Vasily had a horrible relationship growing up and he wanted to di everything in his power to make sure his kids had a healthy sibling relationship
Zoya on the other hand never really thought she’d have kids
Before everything went down she kinda assumed she’d work as a general and work to help Grisha
She never thought she’d have children
That obviously had to change
The country needed heirs
Zoya already decided that since she was probably gonna live a loooooong time, when her heir came of age she would step down; that way she wouldn’t love for a super long time.
Now that Zoya was gonna have children she wasn’t honestly sure about
What if they hold her back?
What if she gives up to many duties for them?
But higher the all these other worries she didn’t want to turn into her own mother
No matter how much Nikolai assured her that never will happen
Zoya still had worries
Zoya was a lot of things but motherly she was not
Nevertheless in February Zoya and Nikolai told there friends they were expecting
They were all incredibly happy for them
Tamar loved children although she herself didn’t want any and couldn’t wait to teach the kid things like how to ride a horse or shoot
Tolya objected saying the kid should be well educated on poatry and great works that way the Nazyalensky dynasty might be somewhat pious
Genya was hoping for a girl. Genya and David had there son Forrest earlier that year and Genya was already planning play dates
David was happy for his friends and had already started on projects for toys for the kid
When they wrote Mal and Alina they were ecstatic
While Mal gave tips on how to handle babies to Nikolai
Alina with her wiles and years of friendship with Zoya figured out all the way from Keramzin Zoya was worried
She wrote “Zoya babe imma cut to the chase, your nervous, your scared, your probably worried you’ll turn out to be a horrible mother. And imma tell you your not. Cause you’ve got an amazing freaking team. You’ve got Nikolai, Magnus, Linnea, and Genya and David, the twins, and of course myself. There’s no way in hell we’d let you turn out horrible to the kid. We’ve got you”
It helped Zoya a lot
She decided it was orphan wiles that Alina used to diagnose her exact problem from the letter she wrote to her
And Zoya did have wonderful people to help her
She wasn’t alone
Zoya had been trying to remember that more
Three months along Zoya was safely into Trmester two and it was time to tell the public
This was crucial to the monarchy
While zoya and Nikolai were popular
They needed an heir to convive people of the security of the nation
They made a public speech announcing the baby and Ravka went wild
If there’s one thing Ravkans know how to do it’s rally around babies
Letter came pouring in from name suggestions to old wives tales
They said Rosemary made the baby healthier
They said they should name there child Plumje
Well the Plumje comment was from some Kerch girl Zoya found strange but never mind that
The announcement was huge
The people had hope
Hope that wolves wouldn’t come knocking
Hope that there boys and girls wouldn’t be drafted
Hope for peace
While the people rejoiced Zoyas pregnancy was getting tougher
She had a easy enough first trimester but the second? That was rough
The morning sickness was bad
Her Healer; a no nonsense Fjerdan Women said that the vomiting wasn’t something that could be healed
And so Zoya suffered on
Zoya insisted on keeping her normal schedule
Her usual meetings with Grisha and the spy’s
Passive agressive letters to the Kerch
Aggressive aggressive letters to the shu
And trying to figure out whether or not there was a revolution group in the Wandering Isle
Zoyas schedule was already stressed and the baby wasn’t helping
Eventually her healer; Monika, put her foot down
“Your Magesty” She started “if you do not alleviate your stress I guarantee your pregnancy will be worse”
“Look Monika I can handle a little throw up”
Monika and Zoya attended the little palace together
While Monika was a healer and back then the animosity between corporalki and etherealki were high, they were friends
It was good to have a powerful healer in your corner when half the little palace hates you
And it was good to have a powerful squaller in your corner when your Fjerdan and in enemy territory
“Zoya you are endangering your child” Monika stated
By this statement Nikolai had enough
And zoya finally listened
Nikolai assumed some of her duties and Zoya started to feel a bit better
Her second trimester was stressful for there relationship
Nikolai had a hard time understanding zoya
And Zoyas fears started to grow
But they were a good couple
And they worked through tension before
Zoya opened up about her worries of being a competent queen with a child
She leaned on Nikolai more
And they worked together to fix the damage
By the end of her second trimester there relationship was healthier
And they thought the third couldn’t be as bad
In a way they were right
Her morning sickness while still present was significantly less then her second trimester
However I new thing arose
A question that everyone had been thinking
“What if the baby is Grisha?”
The Ravkans had accepted a Grisha queen
But a Grisha dynasty was another thing
Monika told them outright that the baby was probably Grisha
Being Grisha tended to run in families
And Zoya was fairly sure her paternal grandmother was also a squaller
The whole science of Grisha heritage wasn’t studied well
Most Grisha were in Ravka in the second army
And most of the soldiers don’t have children
Zoya also learned her new found ability to sense Grisha wasn’t fool proof
Sometimes she couldn’t tell at all
And in Genyas case of being somewhere between a corporalki and materialki, she couldn’t tell what she was
She also couldn’t sense anything in Forrest Kostyk
That meant they couldn’t rely on Zoyas power
Nikolai couldn’t help but think tracing heritage would be easier if he wasn’t a bastard
His mother’s line was easy
She was a Fjerdan princess so he could trace everything back from the very start
And from his mother not a drop of Grisha blood ran through his veins
His fathers got murky
Magnus didn’t come from nobility
He was self made
A self made orphan
So other then his father neither he nor Magnus knew anything about Grisha influence
Nevertheless they had other worries
Zoya was in her third trimester and was going to give birth any minute now
Zoya honestly didn’t think she would make it this far
And that has nothing to do with her fears of motherhood
Her own mother had four miscarriages
Pregnancy complications were common
Especially in Ravka where most couldn’t afford mediks
But now that the due date was fast approaching Zoya was in fact okay
Zoya can handle pain, she’s handled much worse
Labor was one of the least of her worries
The due date was October eighth
And on time and punctual Zoya went into labor during lunch
Nikolai joked it would be a good trait for a ruler to show up on time
However Zoya was in to much pain to think about a snarky retort
She had vastly underestimated how much this would hurt
The pain was blinding
But Zoya was strong enough to survive the fall
And so in 3:07 PM son October eighth
Prince Mycanae Juris Nazyalensky was born (prounounced My-kuh-nay-uh because I threw some random vowels together and made it a name)
Myca (My Kuh) for short
With a tuft of chocolate brown hair and beautiful hazel eyes he shone
Nikolai absolutely adored him
He would rock him and sing him lullabies
But mostly tell him stories
About the amazing Privateer Sturmhond
Of the allusive Juris
Of the little termite
Zoya in the other hand had a different approach to there newborn
When he first cried she was elated
Zoya didn’t hold back the tears of happiness and didn’t even swear the healers to secrecy after
Zoya was the epitome of
“Oh god it’s a baby, as I holding him wrong? Does he have the right clothes on? He’s so fragile and precious”
Monika had to tell her three times that Myca’s crib was fine for him and it wasn’t to hard
However the family’s elation was short lived
They were a family
But they were also the rulers of Ravka
And Ravka needed to see the face of there hope
Four hours after his birth Nikolai presented him before the nobility
Zoya still wasn’t feeling to great and Nikolai Insisted he could do it
This is what the Ravkans needed
The baby met stability
Met peace
For once in many years the people could lay down in there beds without fear
But to Zoya and Nikolai
There baby wasn’t a political tool
Or a savior
He was just a baby
A perfect
Small
Baby
This is what love does.
Im really proud of myself for accomplishing this. I worked really hard on it and to keep our characters in canon. My ask box is open and n do any Grishaverse asks
If this gets 25 likes I’ll do a part two 😉
I defo think Nikolai and Zoya would have more then one kid
Also I kid you not I couldn’t find any good names for the life of me so I eventually took a break and was doing my History homework when I was reading some old Greek thing and saw the word “Mycenae” and was like “Yeah I can massively mispronounce this and make it a name”
Here is part two https://dablackdahlia.tumblr.com/post/651104016423583744/the-black-dahlia
I also made a Kanej kid one here
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13uswntimagines · 4 years
Text
Prank Your Way Into My Heart (Alex Morgan x Reader)
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Request: @Androgynousmoneyflowervoid: Alex Morgan is mean because she is scared of her feelings for the reader and reader thinks Alex hates her. Reader confronts Alex and they get into a fight and Alex tells the reader that she had feelings for her.
Pranks were a massive part of the USWNT culture. You had known that going in. You had accepted that you were most likely going to be the target of many of the team’s shenanigans because everyone liked to pick on the newbie. The baby, the rookie of the team as they had taken to calling you. To your surprise, the team had pretty much welcomed you with open arms. Krashlyn immediately taking you under their wing, and the youngins accepting you into their group with little fuss. 
Everyone seemed to like you. Everyone except Alex. It was like she had made it her personal duty to make your life a living hell. You took the first few pranks on the chin, smiling along with the rest of the team when you walked into your shared room after practice to find it plastered with sticky notes. Or when you woke up for practice only to be trapped in your bed by thousands of cups half-filled with water. Or when she had saran wrapped all of the pieces of your soccer kit. 
The pranks had been harmless, and in the beginning, you thought that it was just a tradition for a singular veteran to mess with their rookie, but then the pranks didn’t stop. You didn’t mind at first. You might have even secretly enjoyed the way Alex’s dimples looked after one of her tricks on you. Or how her cackle filled the room. You hadn’t minded being the butt of the joke if you got to hear that giggle. She was fucking gorgeous, and you may have had a tiny (massive) crush on the forward since before you even joined the team. The problem though was that the pranks hadn’t stopped. No, they seemed to be getting worse, and today you were truly not in the mood to deal with this shit. 
Team practice hadn’t gone well for you. You just couldn’t seem to get into a rhythm. You were groggy from being woken up at 3 am by your roommate Alex’s brilliant idea to dump ice water on you, and your sleepiness made it laughably easy for Emily to defend all of your attacks on goal. Your passes were sloppy and not even Lindsey’s jokes could lift your grumpy mood. You were incredibly relieved when Vlatko called practice and released you to all go change in the locker room. All you wanted to was to get back to the hotel and go to sleep. 
You ripped your soaked tank top over your head, tossing it on the bench beside you, and began digging through your bag in search of your favorite sweatshirt in hopes that it would provide some of the comfort that you were desperately craving. You groaned when you realized that it was missing. You dropped the bag, whipping around and glaring at the blue-eyed woman who was already smirking at you from across the room. 
“Ok, where the fuck is my shirt?” You growled, marching over to Alex. Her Cheshire cat-like smile widened at your rage, her eyes shining in the most hypnotizing way. 
“Why are you asking me, rookie?” She shrugged, bringing both of her hands up behind her head and stretching out her legs. God, she was enjoying the way your abs flexed with each annoyed breath you took. 
“Because you’re the only one who can’t seem to stop messing with my stuff,” You spat back, pointing your finger in her face. Her eyes left yours and shifted to the way your bicep was put on display with each angry jab of your finger. 
“What can’t take a joke?” She laughed, wiggling her eyebrows, proud that she could get this far under your skin. Sure there were more… pleasurable ways, but your adorable angry face made her hesitant to stop. That and the fact that you were almost 10 years younger than her. If she couldn’t have you the way that she wanted, well, this was a good substitute. 
“Not when I’m the only one who’s getting messed with,” You scowled, taking a step closer to the woman with each word until your finger is planted firmly in her chest. You try not to think about how her heart feels hammering against your finger, or how good she smells. You’re supposed to be angry, outraged. 
“Slow down kid. Why don’t you go shower first? By the time you get out, I’m sure your clothes will have turned up,” Ashlyn intervenes, appearing out of nowhere to wrap an arm around your middle and pull you away from Alex, who looks more amused than afraid. You weren’t known for being a hothead, but none of the girls had ever seen you get so pissed off. 
“No. Last time I showered in the locker room, someone dumped ice on me, and the time before that she doused my favorite sweats in paint. All I want is my shirt so I can get on the freaking bus,” You snarled, shoving your self-appointed team mom’s arm away from you. Alex didn’t want you here, that much was obvious. But you were here none the less and didn’t understand why she couldn’t just leave you the fuck alone. 
“I told you that I don’t have it,” She smirked, showing off her dimples as she raised her hands in innocence. She really didn’t have it, not anymore. It wasn’t her fault that you were generous enough to… donate it to a few of the kids who had snuck into the stadium to watch the practice. You lunged at the woman, the angry words coming out of your mouth as garbled gibberish, only to be stopped again by Ashlyn’s arm. 
“Alright, I think that’s enough. Take mine, and go get on the bus, and you stay away from her,” Ali said, with authority, stepping in between your very angry form and Alex’s laughing body. You struggled for a few more seconds, the team watching as frustrated tears left your eyes before you finally went limp. You shrugged Ashlyn’s arm off, pulling on the shirt Tobin offered you and huffed out the door. 
The room was silent, most of your team shocked by your outburst. You were usually like a little ray of sunshine, always smiling and laughing. They had never seen you so angry. Alex’s eyes were glazed over, staring into space. Who the fuck gave you the right to look so hot and adorable at the same time when you were pissed?
“You know, I think you’d have better luck if you just told her how you felt instead of acting like a middle school boy,” Kelley said after a few minutes, settling down beside the star forward and pulling her out of her thoughts. She sighed. She didn’t like that she had hurt you, but finally admitting her feelings for you was too terrifying to even consider. Yes, she was acting like a child, but having you this way was better than having you avoid her because she freaked you out. Was it healthy to push you away to avoid rejection? No. But if she never told you how she felt, then you could never turn her down. 
“But she’s so cute when she’s mad, and have you seen those abs,” Alex murmured, biting her lip. Kelley shook her head. How oblivious could two people be? The two of you were always sharing longing glances, and you kept trying to be Alex’s friend, despite her horrible treatment of you. You both stared at each other like lovesick puppies, and she was tired of you getting hurt. 
“I’m sure she’d willingly show them to you if you asked, rather than destroy her property,” Kelley grumbled, and the rest of the room snorted. Just because the two of you were oblivious to each other didn’t mean the rest of the team followed suit. If they could just convince Alex to get over her hesitance due to the age issue, or the fear of rejection, then the entire team dynamic would be better off. They really needed to get rid of the sexual tension that followed the two of you as it was always a bit distracting.
“Hm…” Alex hummed back noncommittally. Why would you pick her over someone like Mal, or Emily or any one of the other youngins you were always hanging with? In her mind you wouldn’t, and why would she need to tell you about her feelings if the plan was already set into place for her to see your abs again. The team shared worried looks, knowing what Alex’s demeanor meant, they could only hope that it wasn’t as bad as the time she had turned all of your t-shirts into crop tops.  
*****
They would find out exactly what she had done not even two hours later. Most of the team was gathered in the conference room munching on whatever food the staff had put out for them. They hoped that excitement for the day was done, but Alex’s smirk and the bouncing of her leg told them that it wasn’t.
You had avoided everyone when you arrived at the hotel, longing for a hot shower and a good nap before you had to deal with the fallout of your outburst. Everything had been going fine until you caught a glance at yourself in the steamy mirror. Your normal Y/H/C was far from its normal shade. 
“What the actual fuck Alex,” You yelled, slamming open the dining-room door, and storming up the women in question. She took in your very angry, very wet form staring down at her clad in nothing but a sports bra and some basketball shorts. She could only assume that you had seen your hair before you had the chance to put on a shirt. 
“How do you know that it was me?” She smiled up innocently at you, biting her lip at the fact that your abs (which just happened to have little water droplets dripping down them) were mere inches from her face. 
“Because who the fuck else would think dying my hair pink was a good idea, and you’re the only one that had the other key to our room” You spat, clacking your teeth and lifting a strand of the hair in question.
“Well, you did say that you needed to liven it up a little bit,” She shrugged. Maybe it was more of the fact that she had thought you would look better in pink, the same shade of pink as her favorite pre-wrap. At least she hadn’t been wrong. 
“That’s not what I meant and you know it,” You glowered, running a frustrated hand through you now ruined hair. You had wanted to do something cool, like different shades of blue and teal, but now you looked like a fucking flamingo. 
“Mmm, did I?” She challenged and her interest peaking as you turned your glare to the floor. It seemed that all Alex wanted was to humiliate you in front of the world, and now she had gotten her wish. You shook your head, it was fine when the pranks were kept within the team, but this was so much farther beyond that. There would be no way for you to hide this from the media, and you weren’t looking forward to their mean comments. 
“You know what, I don’t know what your fucking problem is with me, but I’m sick of you fucking picking on me,” You growled, channeling your frustration and raising to your full height. She may never feel the way you felt about her, but that didn’t give her the right to be an asshole.  
“I don’t have a problem,” She denied, but the gloating smile on her face told you differently. 
“I’d beg to differ. What did I ever do to you to make you fucking hate me?” You finally broke, unable to hold back your frustrated tears any longer. You opened your mouth to speak, but no words would come out. Your fingers tugged roughly at your hair. 
“I don’t hate you Y/n,” Alex said softly, her joyful demeanor crumbling, her shoulders slumping. She hadn’t meant to push this far, it had just been so hard to stop. 
“Do you just think I’m not good enough? I swear that I won’t bring the team down. I can get-” You started to ramble, your tears making it very difficult to understand what you were saying. You were so caught up in your thoughts that you failed to notice the soft hands gripping your shoulders or the fact that Alex’s face was getting very close to your own. 
Her lips touched yours midway through your self deprecating rant, your eyes growing wide when her soft flesh touched your own, before slamming shut and remembering that it was probably a good idea to kiss her back. And you did. Your lips moved in harmony, a symphony of fireworks exploding behind your eyes.
You had dreamed of this moment for as long as you would remember, praying that one day you would finally be given the chance to fight for the woman’s heart. You had all but given up hope that she felt the way you did, but with her tongue gently probing your bottom lip, you couldn’t help the butterflies that filled your chest. Her hands migrated from your shoulders to the baby hairs at the back of your neck, pulling your closer, while yours found the curve of her hips. 
Air became an issue within seconds, and you reluctantly pulled away, taking in large gulping breaths, and instead of taking a step back, Alex followed you, connecting your foreheads. 
“What?” You asked breathlessly, trying to ignore both the loud wolf whistles of your teammates and the heat from your blushing cheeks. 
“I’m was being an ass, and I’m sorry,” “It’s just, I didn’t know how to tell you. You’re just so young, and to be honest, the way you make me feel scares the crap out of me,” She confessed, and you could see the honesty and insecurity in her bright blue eyes. You placed a sweet kiss on her lips, realizing that you were slowly becoming addicted to them. 
“So you thought it was better to push me away then to tell me that you liked me?” It was your turn to smirk at her. 
“It’s not an excuse. I’m so sorry that I hurt you, and if you hated me, I would understand,” She mumbled, leaning peck your lips this time, and you huffed. 
“I don’t hate you. I’ve actually had a crush on you for the longest time…” You giggled, pinching the skin that was exposed by her shirt riding up. You would never admit it, but you had plastered your walls with posters of the women’s national team growing up, and you may or may not have had a propensity doodle your favorite players number all over all of your notebooks. 
“Hmm,” Alex hummed against your lips, wondering exactly how long ‘the longest time’ was, and thanking her lucky stars that she hadn’t entirely fucked up her chances with you. 
“Does this mean you’ll stop messing with me,” You whined, pulling away from her face and burying your nose in her neck. 
“As long as I don’t have to steal your stuff anymore to see those abs,” She giggled at your adorableness, running her hands through your newly pink hair. You sighed in contentment into her neck. 
“Why don’t you buy me dinner first,” You muttered sarcastically raising your eyebrow and, leaning back to finally look her in the eyes. 
“I think that can be arranged,” She shot you a wide smile, her cheeks turning blood red when your teammates started cheering again, bantering about how you two finally got your shit together. 
“I can’t believe Alex basically pranked her way into your pants,’ Kelley snorted after a few minutes, and you couldn’t help the cackle that left your lips. You were smooth, but no one was smoother than Alex. Hopefully, she could woo you as well as she could prank you.
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malyen0retsev · 3 years
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People don’t talk enough about the friendships and bonds that Mal developed outside of Alina. His friendship with Tolya, the way people don’t talk enough of how supporting he was to Genya. How Zoya and Nikolai were not only friends with Alina, they were also Mal's, and ended up feeling very protective of him.
No I completely agree with you anon - and that's because of the Grisha trilogy just being through Alina's POV. But Mal's closest friend aside from Alina is quite clearly Tolya, and that's something I'm super excited to see in the show. Tolya tattoos him for gods sake (which just... even imagining that scenario and how that went down makes me laugh to myself), and when Alina is essentially trying to commit suicide at the end of S&S it is Tolya who releases Mal to let him save her, believing it is not his place to prevent Mal from reaching Alina.
Like, Mal's closest friend aside from Alina is a very religious gigantic half-Shu man who recites epic poetry and Mal suggests they disguise as a giant tree. I am very very excited for future Mal-Tolya scenes in the show.
And also yeah, Nikolai and Zoya end up being very protective of Mal too, with Nikolai feeling genuine guilt for trying to marry Alina, knowing the pain it was causing Mal. And Nikolai and Zoya stay deeply protective of Mal post R&R, with in RoW them being like NOPE DO WE REALLY WANT ALINA AND MAL INVOLVED IN THIS WE GOTTA PROTECT THEM. So yeah anon, I agree! Mal does have friendships beyond just Alina (it's a reason I loved that bond between him, Mikhael, and Dubrov being shown so much in the show) and we need to talk about them more because they're so wholesome! By the end of R&R they are a defined gang all of them, with all of them being fiercely protective of one another.
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