#i didn't see sc gifs so i made these <3

[percheduphere]

It troubles me when fans find Loki in his own tv series "out of character". Since the first Thor movie, Loki has shown a certain sweetness, protectiveness, and level-headedness that was overcome and eventually self-suppressed by rage and tragedy. He didn't have an environment in which he could thrive and, in Frigga's words, succeed at being who he truly is.

Loki desperately needed a support system outside his immediate family. That support system simply couldn't have been built on Asgard because of:

1. Odin's political machinations, including the intentional creation of an environment rife with sibling rivalry and blatant favoritism.

2. The racist if not xenophobic views of Asgardians.

3. The inherent masculine-dominant, warrior society culture of Asgard.

To break Loki out of his self-destructive patterns, it took the empathy of 1 brainwashed and memory-wiped TVA analyst to rightly recognize that Loki as a person has incredible potential and that he could actively do something about it. That Mobius uses this reasoning for the advantage of the TVA (then under HWR's helm) is a plot point I'll discuss later, but the fact still stands: Loki was given a second chance to be who he really is because of the choice Mobius made to intervene. Loki would have been pruned before he would have had the opportunity to meet Sylvie, B-15, Casey, and OB. This is fact.

Mobius literally drops everything--the case he's actively investigating--to intervene. The fact a minuteman immediately reports the variant of Loki he is most interested in has been taken into custody suggests that Mobius has been planning this intervention for some time.

Some fans hate Mobius for his treatment of Loki in the first episode. It is, indeed, manipulative, condescending, and to a certain extent, emotionally abusive. I'm not denying any of this, but from a narrative perspective, Mobius, to be a fully well-rounded character, necessarily must have his own flaws and personal conflicts to battle. Loki's evolution as a character, and thus his positive impact on others, would be missing an emotional beat of mutual reciprocation otherwise. That emotional beat pays off in every episode of S2, culminating in the final scene of the final episode. This is to say nothing of the likelihood that Loki would not have been receptive to any form of gentleness at that point in time to begin with.

Crucially, Mobius gets Loki to admit that his villainous persona is exactly that: an illusion constructed in a bid for control. Some viewers might interpret this scene as a shortcut for getting Loki to behave "out of character" by S1E2, but Thor 2 proves otherwise:

This scene with Thor demonstrates that Loki has a high pain tolerance and is adept at hiding pain. His need to mask his vulnerability, and how that vulnerability is intrinsically tied with the misplaced shame of who he is, resonates deeply with queer, people of color, immigrant, colonized, and adopted fans, many of whom have intersectional lived experiences (including myself). I believe it is for this reason that so many of us are desperate for blatant representation in mainstream entertainment, and to shame us for the sin of hoping is disturbing.

But I digress. Frigga, Thor, and now Mobius are among the few who can see through Loki's deception. That deception has the unfortunate effect of hurting not only innocent civillians but his loved ones and himself (closeting, internalized racism).

Once Loki is able to drop that persona through admission, however, he is able to relax and be himself in the TVA. And in being himself, Loki is consequently able to love himself, which manifests through loving Sylvie. S1 shows Loki holding her up on a romantic pedestal: he chases after her, he sings a song for her, he wants her to be okay. He loves her, yes, and though it appears she does not reciprocate (in my opinion, your mileage might vary), Sylvie does love Loki enough back to buy him a drink and counsel him about what he really wants. This scene is critical in Loki's development in the same way Mobius sheds light on his potential to be whoever he wants.

Both Mobius and Sylvie are integral for Loki to arrive at his turning point, his ultimate sacrifice. Loki loves Sylvie. He therefore chooses to not kill her. Killing her, moreover, would not solve the issue of free will. Sylvie is right in believing free will, and thus the multiverse, is right and necessary. Sylvie's moral question and Loki sparing her life, answers Mobius's belief that Loki can be whoever he wants.

On the other side of this coin, watching Mobius in the final scene, hearing Mobius whisper, "Let time pass..." answers Sylvie's question of what Loki wants, and what he want more deeply than not being alone is for his friends, most especially Mobius (whom he also loves and cares for most, to LIVE.

The series ends with only 2 characters heartbroken with the outcome of Loki's heroism, which Mobius knew existed within him from the beginning. He saw those little but important moments: Loki comforting his brother, Loki protecting Jane, Loki giving up his life to buy Thor time, and so much more, he saw and he knew Frigga's words were right.

#loki #mobius #lokius #loki season 2 #loki series #loki meta #my meta #loki spoilers #queen frigga #frigga #sylvie #sylkie #sylki

[svltzmans]

Hello can I request anything with hope where she's reader's secret admirer (also friends with her and lizzie) but when they're around reader they act like they don't know who the admirer is, like acting all clueless and intrigued lol! Thank you <3

i can see you (h.m.)

a/n: hi anon!! i LOVE this request it's such a cute idea!! i'm sick rn so i'm happy i get to write this while i'm under the weather to make me feel better :) i'm also listening to a ton of taylor swift of course and this story kinda reminded me of i can see you!!! i hope you like it and thanks again for requesting <3

warnings: none just fluffy and gay <3

y/n had never been more confused.

staring intently at the note she had found in her bag, she tried to think of any reasonable explanation.

were the werewolves playing a cruel prank or something? maybe someone put it in the wrong bag?

what she did know, however, was that it was a love note. written in cursive, neat, unfamiliar handwriting.

"you look so beautiful today," it begins. whoever this individual was, they had already made y/n turn a deep shade of red.

folding up the note and stowing it in her jeans' back pocket, she ventured to her next class, where she continued to ponder who the note could be from.

y/n's walk to her room after class quickly led her to make a pit stop at lizzie's.

upon hearing the knock on her door, lizzie sprung up from her desk to open it.

"if it isn't y/n y/l/n, looking cute as ever. come in!"

plopping down on lizzie's bed, y/n pulls the note out of her pocket.

"a love note? for me? i didn't know you felt this way, y/n," lizzie laughs, opening the letter.

"liz! this is serious! i have no idea who this could have been from."

"where did you even find it?"

"in my bag."

"huh. what class?"

"introductory spells."

"how many people are in that class?"

"it's a lecture hall liz... a lot of people."

"shit. that doesn't help at all. do you have any ideas?"

"none at all. nobody has been showing any kind of obvious interest in me."

"it's girly handwriting."

"i hope so. if it was a man it would just be creepy."

they both chuckle at that before texting hope.

"she'll probably know how to help us," lizzie insists.

mere minutes later, there's another knock at the door.

"hope andrea mikaelson in my room, to what do i owe the pleasure?" lizzie quips.

"your text, saltzman." hope responds with a sarcastic edge in her voice.

"okay whatever, we have a y/n crisis happening and your attitude is not helping."

"crisis is kind of a strong word," y/n adds, earning a glare from lizzie.

"y/n! it's a big deal! your first secret admirer!"

"secret admirer?" hope interrupts, a quizzical expression on her face.

"miss y/n y/l/n got a love note in her bag from an anonymous person."

"what? let me see!" hope perks up excitedly. "woah, y/n, this person really likes you."

"i know! and it's killing me! i can't figure out who wrote it. it could be anyone in introductory spells with me."

"i'm in that class with you." hope pauses, before adding "i can help you figure it out!"

"you'd do that for me?"

"of course. i'd do anything for you, y/n... we're friends, aren't we?"

y/n's heart stings a bit hearing hope call her a friend, but she immediately lights up again remembering the first part of hope's sentence.

"in that case, mikaelson, let's do this."

"uh, hellooo. guys, did you forget i'm in that class too?" lizzie adds, clearly feeling left out of the conversation.

the next day, lizzie and hope run into each other in the hallway. quickly checking to make sure y/n isn't in earshot, lizzie pulls hope aside.

"are you gonna tell her it's you?"

"i kinda want to lead her in the right direction and let her figure it out herself."

"hope! you've already hinted at it so many times! you gotta just tell her."

"i'll think about it."

y/n walks up to the blonde and brunette, smiling.

"are we gonna figure out this secret admirer or what?"

the trio walk into the massive classroom, finding three seats in the back row that would allow them to easily scan the room.

"this is going to be impossible. where do we even start?" y/n asks, already exasperated.

"well, we can rule out everyone that's already in a relationship. at least i hope we can," lizzie responds.

"that's like, at least half the people in here," hope adds.

"any ideas, y/n?" lizzie questions.

"not yet. they gotta be right in front of me, i'm just not seeing it."

hope and lizzie both have to stifle their reactions to that comment, trying hard not to confirm that y/n is right.

when class begins, hope pulls out her notebook to document the lecture. she sneaks a glance at y/n, who seems to be deep in thought.

"i love when you get super focused on something. you look so cute," hope writes, quickly abandoning her class notes.

"i dream about you looking at me that way."

before y/n can notice, hope folds the piece of paper and slips it into her bag.

"i can't believe i didn't notice! they were right next to me at one point and i didn't see them put it in my bag!" y/n sighs, ranting to lizzie.

"i didn't notice it either, professor was extra immersive today," lizzie responds, trying to hide her amusement at y/n's exasperation.

"next class i'm gonna pay more attention to my bag. maybe i'll be able to catch them in the act."

"whatever you say, y/l/n. have you ever thought that maybe you're looking too far into it?"

"what do you mean?"

"nothing. just thinking out loud." lizzie realizes she might have said too much. y/n dismisses the conversation and moves onto a new topic, although still wondering what the blonde meant.

the next introductory spells class was quite intense for y/n, who was carefully trying to watch the lecture while simultaneously keeping an eye on her bag.

eventually, her attention lands on hope, delicately taking notes.

glancing down at hope's paper in hopes of seeing some notes to copy, y/n can't help but notice hope's handwriting.

it's beautiful. undeniably feminine, swoopy...

holy shit.

y/n immediately calls an "emergency meeting" between her, hope and lizzie after class. hope and lizzie shuffle to her room close behind her.

"i think i might have figured out who the admirer is."

"it's about time, y/l/n," lizzie says, anticipating y/n's elaboation.

"it has to be josie."

"what?" hope and lizzie say in unison, staring at each other in disbelief.

"y/n... it's not josie," hope nervously mutters.

"what? how do you know?"

"because it's me. y/n my feelings for you have gotten so strong that i couldn't help but write them down. i just like you so much i had to express it somehow. i was hoping you would realize eventually but i just want you to know."

"hope, i know. i noticed your handwriting matched in class today. i just wanted to hear it from you. i have always felt the same."

"finally!" lizzie sighs in relief, once again interrupting the tender moment between the two women in front of her.

"wait... you knew it was hope?" y/n cracks a smile.

"maybe..."

#hope mikaelson x reader #hope mikaelson #wlw #legacies #legacies x reader

[cryptomiracle]

DUDE OMG OK OK so with if Masky little sister got a boyfriend or girlfriend? What do you think his reaction would be?

OMG THIS IS SUCH A GOOD IDEAA

Masky with a little sister (s/o edition)

LOOK AT HIM!! HES SO SILLY!! ^^

he'd be so mad, I mean he'd be

infuriated.

But he wouldn't let it show, at least not to you.. (most of the time)

If you got a s/o, and you told him you were bringing them over to meet him, he'd act all excited on the phone, but the minute you hung up, he'd lose his shit.

If Brian or Jay was around, he'd definitely rant to them about it.

He'd write down some questions on a piece of paper, and ask your s/o the questions at the door step.

He wouldn't even let them in the house until they answered ALL the questions 😭

Like a security guard or something.

I can see him going on dates WITH y'all.

Like he'd invite himself.

A short scenario:

You and your s/o decided to go on a date to a local cafe, nothing too fancy, just a cute little coffee date.

But, you make the mistake of telling your brother about it.

Masky: "so, a date huh?"

Reader: "yeah! We're going to (cafe name)"

you said as you grabbed your purse.

Masky: "hm, have fun I guess."

Masky: "oh, and don't forget, never be afraid to use that pocket knife I gave you."

He placed his hands on your shoulders, with a serious look on his face.

Reader: "I won't, I promise."

You smiled and waved at your brother before walking out of the door, grabbing your bicycle, and making your way to the cafe.

-----

You finally made it to the cafe and hid your bicycle behind the building.

You walked past the window, and saw your s/o sitting in a booth, looking at the menu.

When you opened the door, the bells at the top of it made a little jingle, alerting your s/o that you were there.

You smiled as they motioned for you to come and sit down.

S/o: "y/n!"

You walked over, and sat down right across from them.

They gently grabbed your hand, holding it in their own.

S/o: "so, how was your day?"

Reader: "it's been pretty good, I went to the store and got-"

S/o: "wait.. is that your brother?"

right as you turned your head, the door jingled again.

And in came your brother.

Reader: "..."

The moment he spotted you two, you knew why he was there.

He eagerly walked towards you two.

Masky: "oh hey, I didn't know you guys would be here!"

He said as he slid into the booth next to you, forcing you to move over next to the window.

Reader: "it's the only cafe in tow-"

Masky: "anywho, so how are you doing (s/o name)?"

S/o: "I'm good.. how about you?"

Masky: "I'm doing great!"

Your brother seemed oddly enthusiastic, considering how overprotective he can be.

S/o: "that's good-"

Masky: "so, (s/o name) tell me, do you have a history of alcohol abuse?"

Your s/o, clearly uncomfortable, averted their eyes from him, to you.

Masky: "don't look at her, look at me."

He slammed his hands on the table, making it wobble a little, and your s/o flinch.

The other customers turned their heads to see what was going on.

Reader: "tim!"

Masky: "what? I can't ask questions?"

You sighed.

Reader: "we're going home."

You pushed him out of the booth, and dragged him towards the door.

Masky: "see ya later, (s/o name)!" He yelled as you pulled him through the door.

Your s/o lifted their hand up, and gave a little wave with a confused look on their face.

End of scenario:

BUT, if you didn't tell him about your s/o, and he had to find out on his own..

Whew.

Another scenario whoo!:

It was 3:35, your brother was running late to pick you up from school, so you decided to spend a little more time with your s/o (whom he didn't know about)

You were gonna tell him.. eventually.

But what you didn't know, is that he already knew about your s/o.

He has known for the past 20 mins.

He saw you kiss them on the cheek when he pulled up, so he decided to park in the parking lot, and do some "detective work" (he's being nosy)

He waited until your s/o had to go home, to actually pick you up from school.

He pulled up, but something was off.

He wasn't playing any music, and there were three empty packs of cigarettes in the floorboard.

(yes, he smoked three packs in 20 mins, YALL ARE STRESSING HIM OUTT!)

Reader: "what took you so long? Were you sick or something?"

You said with a grinn

He just ignored your question and lit his last cigarette, not even bothering to roll down the window.

Masky: "you're in an awfully good mood."

He put the car into drive and exited the school parking lot.

Reader: "huh? Oh yeah.. I passed my exam so.."

Masky: "mhm."

Shit.

He knows..

You knew he knew, but you didn't wanna bring it up.

Masky: "so, who were they?"

...

Reader: "who was who?? What are you talking about?"

Masky: "don't try to bullshit me y/n."

His face was blank, like he didn't care, but the tight grip he had on the steering wheel said otherwise.

Reader: "they're my partner.."

Masky: "break up with them."

Reader: "what!? no."

You knit your brows and huffed.

He stopped when the light turned red, and finally rolled down a window, to flick the ashes from his cigarette out.

Masky: "I'm telling you y/n, highschool relationships never last."

Reader: "like you know anything about relationships.."

He turned his head and gave you a "what the fuck??" kinda look.

You rolled your eyes and leaned back into your seat.

The light finally turned green, and he started driving again.

Let's just say, this was one awkward car ride home.

Thank you for the idea, I really had fun writing this lmao

Ty for reading- M

#creepypasta #headcanon #creepypasta headcanon #masky #fanfic #hoodie #marble hornets #tim wright #brian thomas #reader insert #creepypasta masky #the silliest

[stereopticons]

Top 5 Schitt’s Creek moments?

Oh, I see. Just going straight for the hardest one, huh? Well joke's on you because I am incapable of choosing between open mic and olive branch so you get 6. It's my blog, I make the rules.

6. The car conversation with David and Stevie in Start Spreading the News

This conversation is so important. David finally has someone to tell him, hey, it's fine that what you thought you wanted out of life has changed, you're allowed to want something different. I imagine he's said this to Patrick as he comes to terms with learning he's gay in his 30s, but I think for David here, it had to come from Stevie, someone he knew wouldn't bullshit him. If it came from Patrick (and it kind of did earlier, in the Premiere), David would always feel like Patrick was just sacrificing what he wanted to make David happy (which is fair, because this is a thing Patrick does. Look at his face at the end of the Pitch!). This conversation with Stevie made David actually examine what would make him happy.

5. The entirety of the David/Patrick/Alexis/Ted storyline in Housewarming.

I adore this episode. Patrick is getting to live out the experiences he missed out on in high school! He's going to a party with the hottest boy! He's feeling jealous! I imagine that other guys probably did hit on Rachel when they were together because I mean, look at her. But I expect that Patrick didn't really feel jealous about it, at least not in the way he would expect to. (He probably *did* feel a bit of "I wish that guy was hitting on me instead" sometimes, but didn't have a name for it). So he thought he was just a chill, secure dude. And then Ted comes in looking hot and kisses David and suddenly Patrick is feeling both "HEY only I can do that, that's MY hot boyfriend" and also "man I wish that hot man was kissing me", which he now has a name for, and these are experiences he didn't get to have!!! Plus David is just having a blast getting to be the popular one at the party *and* have a hot boyfriend that he can tease. Yeah.

4. The scene in Patrick's apartment in Meet the Parents

There is so much that's so good in this episode. So much. Though I do wish we'd gotten to explore a) David confronting that Patrick lied by omission again and b) that Patrick didn't really get to come out on his own, I know that's too much for the show (and that's what fanfic is for). Even so, this is still such a moment of growth for both of them, and I love it so much. David is getting to be the supportive partner he's always wanted someone to be for him. Patrick is getting the best of all worlds, everyone knows now and loves him the same as they always did. It just makes me very soft.

3. The Kiss in Grad Night

As if I could make a list about SC and not include Grad Night on it. This scene is perfect. No notes. (except for the fact that David does not have the gift bag in his hand when he leaves but does have it when he enters the motel room).

2. The Face in Open Mic. You know the one I mean.

David is letting himself be loved!!! Patrick is putting himself out there and David is standing there taking it, not trying to run away, as much as he badly wants to at the beginning. It makes me so EMOTIONAL.

1.The Olive Branch This time, David is putting himself out there!! "You know people can see you, right?" That's the whole point, Patrick!! It isn't about making up for not talking to Patrick early enough. This is about showing Patrick, hey, I trust you completely. This is how David shows that. And it's just. so. much.

Anyway I didn't mean to make this top 5 moments of growth for David and Patrick but that's what it turned into and I'm not sorry about it.

Ask me top 5 anything!

[neoninky]

TWST Fanfic "Her Lost Voice" Chapter 8

Here are some links cuz I'm in a short hand mood rn and I left y'all on a cliffhanger lol

Inky's AO3, Masterlist, and SC Poll (3 more days~)

Chapter 8: Storms at Sea

The slam of his father's doors rang in Seven's ears. The angry sound stabbed into his brain that was already working overtime to maintain every detail he had planned and now needed at the ready. Don Muraeni was furious. Seven knew this would be the case. Every second of what happened next would count so the injured eel sat half crumpled up on the floor in front of his father's desk, heavily breathing from exhaustion but still in the expected silence.

His father circled him slowly like a vulture. He was stewing over the next words that would exit his tensely clenched teeth. Just when Seven's breath started to even out, his father snarled and grabbed him by the back of his hair, yanking him up. 

"What the hell happened tonight, Seven? Speak now."

"Proteus sent some sharks after Cowrie...they chased her onto Leech territory until they cornered her on Don Leech's property. I tried to get her back before they could tear her apart but...I was too late."

Seven winched but made no sound as his father grip tightened and pulled his head back so hard he thought his neck would snap, "You followed after them onto Leech's turf? You're lucky you're still in one piece, boy..." Don Muraeni's word dripped with the same venom that flooded his gaze. 

"I wanted to save my sister."

Seven felt a stinging heat flood his face as his father's claws left a deep gash across his nose but once again didn't cry out from the pain. Doing so would only anger his father more. 

"Seven, you pushed me to do this with your foolishness. You know how I hate my goods to be damaged, especially you," the Don hissed as he grabbed a piece of fabric from his desk to wipe his son's blood off of his claws, "you're stronger and more cunning than your brothers. Even Ventuno. I need you in top form or else you'll just be another useless hunk of flesh taking up too much space. I won't suffer any fools in this house."

"Yes Father..."

The truth was something Seven and his brothers knew but never talked about, rather it was a silent dark shadow that just hovered in every corner of their home and would continue to do so as long as their father was in power. And what was the truth? 

"A pity that Cowrie was undone by the sharks. There was a time she had potential but...well, her mother could have given me a stronger child instead of one tiny, unruly brat. One less pathetic welp taking up space in my empire. Her bones are probably being used to decorate Leech's hovel instead of fertilizing our grounds outside...hmph. If it was one of my boys' bones, I'd be more insulted."

Seven hadn't always been the second eldest. Cowrie hadn't always been his only sister. Ventuno wasn't always the 'heir', it was really just that their father chose him because he survived and was easy to manipulate. Ventuno was just too proud and stupid to see it that way.

The Muraeni family tree was as large as it was twisted. His father had never taken a mate for love but instead out of necessity, business, a means to an end. He wanted and needed a strong brood that he could raise into either attack dogs to do his bidding without question or daughters to lure in strong and valuable blood for future offspring that would fall into the same two categories. Luna and Cowrie had been the exceptions simply because of their siren qualities. As long as the child obeyed and they were useful, they got to stick around. Once that changed...well...to say that the ground of the Muraeni home was secretly a vast graveyard wouldn't be an exaggeration. Seven had known this to be true for as long as he could remember. His father didn't exactly hide it from him, from his brothers, or Cowrie, or even Luna. This is why Seven knew he could only move forward with his plans for the girls' sake if nothing else.

"Father...please allow me a second chance," Seven specifically lowered himself closer to the floor to appeal to both the Don's temper and superiority. This behavior had been ground into him for so long it barely felt like an act at all. 

His father circled him once more in silence with a steel-cold look in his eyes before he finally settled once again behind his large desk, his temper seemingly tamed for the moment, "Alright, Seven...I think you've learned your lesson. So you understand what will happen if you decide to go rogue again?"

"Yes, Father."

"There's a good lad. Now then..." the Don paused to casually flip through some paperwork on his desk from various accounts with his clients that needed settling, "I do have some more complicated clients that need to be dealt with."

Seven delicately rose his head to meet his father's gaze, "Actually Father, I want to take over at the Cove."

Don Muraeni gave his son a look that was both curious and silently warning him to proceed with caution. Seven did just that, "The Cove and its sirens have been under Proteus' watch for some time and while the girls have performed as expected, I feel like they could bring in a greater profit if they had someone supervising them that wasn't so...threatening. Luna especially has voiced her concerns about his harassment towards her. I know it's not just Luna herself either."

The icy mob boss was fully aware of Proteus' indulgent habits with the mermaids he had carefully curated and collected for the Cove and in most cases, he didn't even bother with correcting him. In Luna's case, she was one of the youngest and most rare sirens in his possession. While the others were classic sirens portrayed in myth and legends, poor young women who either found themselves stuck in squalor before being plucked up by the greedy eel or those who were simply discovered and bought by the monstrous eel, Luna was an eel siren. She was exotic and had a more wild beauty to her than the others. Not to mention, she was the spitting image of her mother who was quite popular in her time at the Cove as well. In other words, Luna Cerith was her stepfather's golden lure. If there was one thing Don Muraeni couldn't abide by, it was non-paying customers or his enemies touching his things. Especially his most prized possessions. It didn't matter that Proteus worked directly for him: Luna had always been specified as off-limits. Seven knew this was his father's Achilles' Heel and banked on this information tipping the scale in his favor. He saw the exact moment when he got inside the Don's head in his father's narrowed eyes. 

"You have always been the sharpest out of my progeny, Seven. I was considering handing the keys over to Ventuno. However, I also cannot trust him with my sirens...his reckless entitlement fans his arrogance too hard," the father snorted dryly as if amused by his heir's poor attitude, "Very well, Seven. With you, at least, I won't have to worry about Luna being ruined." 

Seven felt his guts turn sour at his father's words. Luna wasn't technically his kin but even as his step-sister, Seven knew that Luna's beauty and allure were undeniable. He also knew that Proteus wasn't the only one within the Muraeni House that took notice. All the more reason for Seven to go through with his plan.

He rose up off the ground, "Thank you for the opportunity, Father-"

"Listen, boy," the Don snapped, "I was willing to give you a few more chances but since you're so eager to prove yourself by taking on the biggest task on the table, this is your last chance. Got it?" Seven nodded in silence, "Good. I've already sent Proteus over to the Cove. You can take over first thing in the morning."

"Why waste time when I can easily get things in alignment right away, Father?" Seven kept his voice steady even though he felt his pulse race.

Don Muraeni looked his son up and down with a faint look of pride in his eyes. If you blinked, you'd miss it, "Taking initiative, you're already off to a good start, Seven...fine. Send Proteus back here when you see him." 

-

Proteus entered the Siren's Cove without so much as a glance at the bouncers at the door or the waiting staff inside. It was late and the club was still full. Proteus took a seat in Don Muraeni's private box just in time for Luna's main number of the night. Tonight would be a test drive of sorts, a preview to whet the appetites of their patrons and hopefully bring them back in for the event in two days. 

Behind dewy veiled curtains, Luna sat on a giant cushioned shell, poised and dripping in multiple strands of black and white pearls that hung from her neck and shoulders. She took a deep breath and thought to herself the one thing that kept her going through all of this.

Just one more song...

It was always 'one more' night after night. One more. One more until something else. Luna didn't know what that something was but just the thought was the only bit of hope she had left. She hadn't seen her sister in days, though it felt like months at this point. She couldn't remember how long it had been since she saw Elise. Her phone had been left in Cowrie's care back home so really Luna had no idea if Elise was still underwater or not. And Floyd...just thinking of his name, his face made Luna's heart ache with bittersweet pain. She knew she'd never see him again. It was probably for the best. He'd survive without her. He could be perfectly happy with someone who could be with him freely. He'd move on eventually...

None of these thoughts took the feeling away but Luna still clung to them, trying desperately to convince herself. She took another breath as she heard the club's emcee begin to announce her. Just one more song.

The curtain rose and revealed the bejeweled siren to the eager audience of male patrons ready to indulge in her beauty. As the music began, Luna adorned her well-trained mask. She was coy, enticing, enchanting. That's what her audience wanted and that's what they would get. No one came to see the real Luna, who was clinging onto false hope that maybe she'd wake up tomorrow and be somewhere safe and happy with everyone she was currently missing. The song that left her lips soared over the crowd in smooth, full-bodied notes like a fine wine. Luna made sure to give the gentlemen closest to the stage their due moments of her attention. She knew she had them the moment her golden eyes locked onto theirs. She could see their senses cloud over as her voice sank into their ears and hearts. Luna was getting the desired result with ease. The more important or wealthy patrons that sat comfortably in the private boxes further away were her next targets. 

The siren gracefully swam away from the stage and made her way through the audience to the marked box. This particular gentleman was picked specifically for her to entertain during her song for one reason or another. There was always at least one that the Don wanted her to give extra attention to. It was probably because he was the highest bidder or her stepfather owed him a favor. Luna was never told the details, not that it really mattered, so she never questioned it and just did her job. This sort of thing used to be so much easier for her...that is before she met Floyd. Now that someone had a hold on her heartstrings, acting the part called for a bit more gumption. Luna, however, was a master in the making. This was just business after all.

Luna continued to sing as she reached the VIP patron's box. It was an older half-human merman from the other side of the kingdom. He was joined by a younger merman of the same type that could, frankly, be his son or nephew for all Luna knew. She cozied up to the merman, singing just to him in her dulcet voice, leaving little flirtatious touches here and there over his skin. She imagined that this man, in particular, requested her specifically due to a 'special interest' in her variety of mermaid. Luna was used to it. She had a lot of gentlemen buy her attention for the same reason. The man's eyes were half-lidded and intoxicated as his lips formed into a dreamy grin. The younger man seated across from him watched the scene with an almost nervous longing. Luna threw him a bone in the form of a playful wink and a blown kiss as she made her way back to the stage for the end of the song. The audience gave her enthusiastic applause and bursts of praise as the curtain fell. The preview was a success. 

Luna made her way back to her room without stopping to speak to anyone on the way. When she found her door was open, Luna felt her blood freeze. Inside Proteus was casually counting the portal keys he held between his fingers, "My, my...what a busy little minx you have been, Luna." 

She felt her head spin as venom boiled in her throat, "What the hell are you doing in my room, Proteus?"

The electric ray clinched the keys in his palm with a sly smirk on his face, "It is my duty to look after my boss' treasured beauties, is it not? It would no doubt distress him greatly to know that his prized pearl had been sneaking out to who knows where with who knows whom...or perhaps, I've found a clue."

Proteus held up a small photo in his other hand and Luna felt her stomach drop. He turned so she could see her and Floyd's smiling faces clear as day, "Luna...poor little siren...flirting with disaster are we? This is one of the Leech boys, isn't it?" 

Luna held fast to her cool demeanor, "What of it? I met him at school. He seemed like a fair bit of target practice away from home." 

"Interesting that you would commemorate something as bland as 'target practice' with such an adorable photograph..." the ray's eyes pierced into her, waiting for even an inch of incriminating evidence. 

Luna just gave him a teasing grin, "It's not very often I find prey with such a handsome face. Are you jealous, Proteus? I don't imagine many women harboring your picture in their intimate hideaways."

Her grin widened as she saw Proteus' eyebrow twitch. She had struck a nerve but he recovered with little effort. A dark chuckle left the ray merman's lips as he crumpled up the photo in one hand and broke the keys in his other. 

"Don't flatter yourself, you haughty little tramp..." his copper-red eyes seemed to burn into the shade of blood, "You girls think you're so clever. Running around behind the boss's back. Teasing me, mocking me to my face." 

Luna's eyes narrowed as she bolstered up her resolve, "Get out of my room, Proteus. You've ruined my personal things, invaded my space, and polluted the air with your sleazy stink-"

Luna couldn't move fast enough. She let out a weak shriek as Proteus' clawed fingers tightened around her throat, forcing her back against the wall. His sinister gaze burned into hers, "You're lucky you're so beautiful and so valuable, my dear...but that wicked tongue of yours could use some discipline." 

A sharp and brief shock of electricity shot from Proteus' palm and scorched through Luna's entire system. She clenched her teeth, refusing to let him hear her scream. This only made the sadistic bastard chuckle, "Goodness, you are a stubborn one. I'm glad...I like my prey nice and spirited."

Luna braced herself. She knew Proteus couldn't leave any marks on her or hurt her enough to keep her from performing or else the Don would have his head. She just had to tough it out until Proteus was satisfied and then he'd go. If she retaliated, it could lead to even graver punishments not just for her but for her sister too. At least, that's what she originally planned. Proteus saw the resolve in the siren's eyes and grinned, his eyes becoming half-lidded as he leaned in. He knew exactly what or rather who was holding Luna back.

"It's such a shame...you and your sister are such fun little toys. But now I'm only down to one." 

Luna's breath hitched in her throat as her shock went straight to her widening eyes. He couldn't mean...the ray chuckled, "Oh that's right! You haven't heard. Poor little Cowrie. The wild little thing just couldn't help but get herself into more trouble than she could handle this time. And her big sister wasn't there to protect her from the hungry sharks...or the hungry Leechs who are no doubt chewing on her teeny little bones as we speak." 

He was lying. 

He was lying. 

He was LYING! Jade and Floyd would never let their family hurt Cowrie!

Luna thrashed against Proteus's iron grip and shrieked, "You sick, lying bastard! Tell me where she really is!!"

The ray just tilted his head curiously, "Oh? Well doubt me if you must but this 'lie' came straight from Seven's own mouth as he lay beaten to a pulp from the Leech family's own hands with what was left of those poor dumb sharks torn to absolute shreds. His exact words: 'Cowrie is gone.' There you have it." 

Luna froze. Seven was probably the most honest member of the Muraeni clan. He always had been. She fell to the floor, limp as a broken doll, as Proteus released her and cooed in a sickeningly sweet tone as he lightly grasped a lock of her sleek hair, "I am absolutely devastated to be one to tell you this, Luna...perhaps, I can lend you my company to help you grieve." 

Had they been on land, Luna would have spat right in his smug face. She swatted his clawed hands away, trying to back away from his looming form, "Get away from me!!" 

The door slammed open seconds before Proteus felt a hard and fast blow knock him backward into Luna's vanity, scattering its contents all over the floor. Seven hovered between him and the huddled-up siren on the floor. The brother's eyes seared with anger.

"You're done here, Proteus. Don Muraeni has turned control of the Cove and its sirens over to me." 

Proteus frowned as he dusted himself off, "Ah. Young Master Seven...I wasn't notified of this."

"This is your notice. Turn room keys over to me and return back home immediately or I will have you personally escorted out," Seven was curt and serious to a fault. 

Proteus took his time removing the copies of the sirens' room keys he had made, making both Seven and Luna fume. As he did so, his whip-like tail stabbed its point into the crumpled-up picture of Luna and Floyd before showing it to Seven, "By the way...I found our proud diva's little secret stash. She's been collecting portal keys and among them was this. Were you aware of this little tryst, Master Seven?"

Seven took the picture and gave Luna a sharp look as he growled, "I was not...were the keys destroyed?"

"But of course. I was very thorough," Proteus sneered down at Luna who was shaking with a mix of anger and shock. Seven's expression froze back into its usual stoicism.

"Good. I'll handle the rest," he addressed the sadistic ray with his hand open, waiting for the requested room keys. Proteus set them all into the eel's open palm and left the room with a sour look on his face. A pity that now all of his little dolls were taken from him, he thought to himself as he left the club. 

Seven snarled as he glared down at Luna. Any anger she felt quickly turned into genuine fear. 

"Luna, what the hell were you thinking?!" Seven yelled making her shiver. Her stepbrother slammed the door shut and leaned down to look her right in the face. He paused a moment before his face softened and he whispered to her...

"I'm sorry that I have to do this. It's the only way." 

Luna let out a shocked scream as Seven suddenly grabbed the table behind her and smashed it with his fist. He continued to yell. She continued to cry out defenses to his angry accusations. Anyone and everyone in the connected hallway heard the commotion from their cracked doors or from behind corners. The guards that had been stationed at either end of the hall remained still as statues. The show staff looked at each other nervously, knowing that the audience was still waiting for Luna to return to the stage but also not wanting to get in the middle of whatever was happening inside her dressing room. When the fight suddenly fell silent, Luna's door flew open and Seven stuck his angry face out, scaring the jumpy staff.

"I'm pulling Luna from the stage. She's done for the night," he said gruffly before slamming the door shut once again. He sighed, giving up the act as he turned to a very shaken Luna still curled up in the corner. 

"Luna..." his voice was quiet and soft, "I'm sorry. It was a farce. I'm not angry." He slowly approached her and got down on the same level as her. She could only whimper out the one thing blazing in her brain in a weak whisper.

"Where is Cowrie?" 

Seven gently wrapped his scarred arms around his step-sister and pulled her close to him. He placed one of his large hands on her head he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "She's alright. She's with the Leech Family. She's safe. No one else knows but me."

Luna's whole body finally released all of the anxious energy that had built up into a shakey sob as she wrapped her arms around Seven's neck. He felt absolutely terrible for a multitude of reasons, the first being that he had to further traumatize his poor step-sister just to keep these secrets and her safe. 

"It's going to be alright, Luna. I just need you to hold on a little bit longer," Seven spoke in hushed comforting tones as he pressed his face into her dark hair, letting her sob into him, "Just until the VIP night. Then we're getting you out of here for good..."

Luna pulled back and looked into his honest ice blue eyes, "...w-what? But how? Even with you in charge now, there's no way I can just leave."

"Don't worry about the details, Luna. All I need from you is to make one more key."

Seven revealed a tiny pouch he had hidden in his other clenched fist, "All you need is right here." 

Luna opened the pouch and gasped, "Where did you get these?"

Her brother snorted dryly, "I had a little help from your...what do surface dwellers call them? 'boyfriend?' "

Inside the pouch was a chunk of coral from Madam Leech's garden and the gold necklace that Floyd had given her. Normally Luna's portal keys worked best if the fragment came from a place she was familiar with but this would have to do. It was a shot in the dark at best. Wait...did Seven just say boyfriend?

"You met Floyd?" She couldn't keep her eyes from lighting up as she said his name.

"Oh yeah. He's...definitely...something else. I don't see why you like him but that's not really my business," Seven grumbled. Luna sniffled and let out a tired laugh.

"That's a good way to describe him."

Seven saw the warmth return to Luna's eyes and tiny grin as she held the necklace in her hands as if it was the world's most precious treasure. He realized that he had never seen Luna look this way about any guy since...well ever. It was a true rarity. Now he felt like a jerk for knocking Floyd around, even though he technically asked for it, but Luna didn't need to hear about that. 

"Stay in here for the rest of the night. I bought you some time by pulling you from the stage. I'll make sure that Proteus is actually gone and no one else should bother you. If they do, call for me immediately," Seven was back to his business-first tone as he helped Luna off the floor. She quickly leaned forward to hug him and rested her head against his chest with a sigh.

"You deserve the world, Seven...thank you."

He suddenly felt oddly bashful hearing this. Affection or actual praise was definitely not something he was accustomed to, certainly not from his father or even his mother when she was still around. He had known Luna since she was about two years old and he knew the difference in her voice when she was just flirting to get something out of a target versus when she was being sincere. She meant every word she just said and all Seven could do was continue to hug her to him.

-

The next morning came and Elise had kept her word. She waited for Azul to arrive as she sat in the dining hall with the Leech family and Cowrie. It was a very interesting scene and probably the most entertaining meal she had in quite a while. At the head of the table sat Don Leech looking like he could use a couple more hours of sleep simply mumbling something to Jade in between bites of food. Jade seemed to be in high spirits as he multitasked between talking with his father and holding Cowrie's tiny hand in his to help her feel safe. Cowrie sat on the other side of Jade and was being doted on by Madam Leech who sat across from her, clearly thrilled to finally have another girl in the house. It took some coaxing to get Cowrie to leave the safety of the twins' room but once she did, she joined everyone for breakfast and seemed to relax. Madam Leech took to her future daughter-in-law like a duck to water and did what any overly caring mother would do: shove food into the small female eel's mouth as if she were a baby chick.

"Cowrie sweetie, you are so tiny and skinny! Goodness did that brute of a father ever feed you?!" 

"Well actually-" and she was cut off by another spoon full of breakfast. Eventually, Cowrie just gave up and chewed the food in content silence. It felt nice to have a mother of sorts again, even if Madam Leech was a tad aggressive with her affection.

Across from Jade sat Floyd who just hummed with a happy grin on his face as he played with his food before eating it. If his mother asked him about his plans for finding a mate, and boy did she ever, Floyd would just grin and give some cryptic answer like "Eh it'll happen soon enough." Elise was sworn to secrecy about the plans they had brewing. Which turns out, not having a voice? This was the easiest thing in the world for her.  The princess just ate her meal and enjoyed the morning chaos that being in the Leech household brought. 

Three days, Elise reminded herself. It was now a countdown within another countdown: including today, it was now three days until school started and two nights until the VIP event at the Siren's Cove. In other words, only two more nights until Jade and Floyd snuck into the club to rescue Luna with Seven's help. Neither one of the twins seemed to be worried so the princess knew she shouldn't feel so worried about the whole thing. There was a pleasant smile on her face but she could feel her far more honest octopus legs twisting into themselves like pairs of hands wringing together anxiously. That and today was also the day she was to meet Azul's grandmother a second time to find a way to break this supposed curse on her. With so many impending things, it was hard for Elise to feel completely calm. Just seconds after she finished off her plate, one of Madam Leech's maids entered the room.

"Mr. Azul Ashengrotto is here, ma'am. He's already specified that he cannot stay for breakfast, unfortunately." 

Madam Leech gave a disappointed hum as she fed Cowrie another piece of shrimp, "A pity. Elise dearest, be sure to invite Azul back for dinner!" 

Elise nodded with an amused smile as she waved goodbye to everyone else in the room before leaving. The maid escorted her to the entry hall where Elise nearly choked on her own ink. Azul was there waiting for her, looking quite anxious himself...

...in his octopus form. 

One of his purple and black tentacles tapped on the floor like a nervous foot waiting to catch a train while two others were doing the same nervous, wringing motion that Elise's had been doing earlier. He wasn't wearing his glasses leaving his eyes unguarded and even more of an intense stormy blue against his grey skin. When he suddenly noticed her staring at him, his entire body froze. He cleared his throat and tried to greet her with as much confidence as he could. Which wasn't much honestly.

"G..Good morning, Your Highness."

Elise blinked a couple of times as she looked him up and down in this new exotic form. He was just like her now...well not just like her but Elise's octopus form seem to recognize that a male was present. Frankly, it was a very weird, instinctual feeling. This had to be one of those 'changes' the eels had mentioned before. She ignored it for now and finally made her way over to him with a curious smile on her face. She giggled to herself as she playfully poked one of his front tentacles with one of her own much like she did back in the grotto when he had his human legs. Azul hiccuped in surprise when the poked tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around Elise's with no restraint whatsoever. Elise would have squeaked if she had a voice to do so. The feeling of the two tentacles intertwining felt weirdly intimate and affectionate. Somewhere between a handshake and a kiss. He quickly yanked his away from hers, his embarrassed face turning a bright purple. She held a hand up to her mouth to hide the amused smile but the shake in her shoulders as she laughed gave her away. 

"I-I am so sorry, Your Highness! This form is admittedly easier to move around in but these things," Azul glared at his own octopus legs as if they were misbehaving children, "they can have a mind of their own at times..." Elise didn't seem too bothered by it but Azul himself felt like he could drop dead from embarrassment any second now, "A-A-Anyway, we should get going. I don't want to keep Grandmother waiting." 

Elise linked her arm with his, her eyes practically twinkling at how awkward and bashful this version of Azul seemed to be. It was a refreshing and downright adorable change. She swore she heard Jade and Floyd snickered from around the corner but didn't bother looking back to check. 

-

Madam Lorelei Ashengrotto was seated at the exact same table within the Leviathan Club true to her word. She was pouring over some notes she had spread before her on various pieces of parchments. When she looked up to see her grandson and the princess, her eyes smiled along with her lips, "Come here, darlings. We have much to discuss." 

The sea witch decided not to comment on Azul's natural appearance for two reasons: the first being that she never liked wasting time and the second being that the poor boy already looked like he might collapse from overexposure. Instead, she gestured for the two to take a seat before diving right in.

"Well then, angelfish," she addressed Elise directly, "I have some good news and some bad news for you, my dear. The good news is that your current condition is not permanent. Not yet anyway. So we still have time to reverse it. The bad news, however, is that in order to reverse this curse, you need to make a choice. In order to become human again, your prince on the surface either needs to fall in love with you or become a merman once again. It isn't simply reversing the magic as it is taking it back for yourself." 

Elise felt like a boulder had rolled onto her chest. If she understood what the sea witch was saying then that would mean taking Rielle's very real desires and happiness away from him in one way or another. Rielle loved Emily and gave up his life under the sea to be with her and now he actually was. Elise just got caught in the crossfire of it all. Either option seemed impossible.

"Yes, well that first option isn't an option. Not organically anyway. So how would we do the second, Grandmother? I doubt it's as simple as convincing Rielle to return to the sea..." Azul had a pensive look on his face as he crossed his arms, mulling over every word. 

"You are correct, precious. You will need something much more powerful than that. Fortunately, you have me to guide you," Madam Lorelei gave the younger octopuses a confident smile before reaching into the bag at her feet for a long box, "It took a couple of favors to get what we needed but voila, here we are..." 

Elise looked at the box as the sea witch placed it on the table between them and opened it for her. Her eyes widened at its contents while Azul's narrowed into a serious icy stare, "You are sure about this, Grandmother?" 

Inside the box was a sharpened dagger that looked like it could cut even the toughest metal. Madam Lorelei nodded with a serious look, "This isn't a mere accident, Azul. Your magic is both brilliant and complicated. So much so that a counterspell or breaking of the contract won't do the trick. I couldn't have been blessed with a more talented grandson to carry on my magical prowess." 

Azul would have been extremely flattered in any other occasion hearing his grandmother's praise, but right now it just felt like he just made it near impossible for Elise to get back home with her hands clean. His grandmother once again spoke directly to the princess.

"Let me make this as clear as possible, angelfish. When Prince Rielle completed the contract, the magic that bound him to Azul's deal was pulled apart because of your sudden broken heart. He gained the love of Princess Coralette as stated in the terms but...he rejected you which in turn nulled his portion of agreement in a way," she paused to take another sip of her tea and to let that information sink in, "The magic lingering from the incomplete contract then had nowhere else to go so it latched onto you, dear Elise. It bound you into a secondary oath that left no physical artifact behind such as another contract." 

Elise felt like the entire room had turned upside down. She understood the complicated logic behind the witch's explanation but how was a dagger going to help...? Madam Lorelei read the confusion on the girl's face loud and clear as she took a final sip of her tea.

"As I said before, my dear. You have a choice to make. There are two ways to change you back into a human: either fulfill the contract in reverse by getting Rielle to fall in love with you and give you the coveted kiss of True Love or sever Rielle's half of the magic, the half that turned him human completely. To do that, you need to pierce this dagger into his human feet. It has magic nulling properties that make it an oath breaker of sorts. Once you do that, he will return to being a merman and you will return to being a human. All will be as it should."

'True Love's Kiss'...Azul wanted to roll his eyes at such an old-fashioned trope. The fact that it had any authority in the realms of magic was laughable. The look in the sea witch's eyes was still a sympathetic one. Azul had filled her in on the princess' personal feelings towards Rielle and vice versa. Even though her heart was broken by this boy, it was clear that the princess was less than eager to take back the life Rielle had gambled his own voice and left everything behind to get. She remembered reading the letter he had written so sincerely. It made her heart squeeze in sharp pain as she recalled the way he sounded so desperate and so ready to finally come out of hiding so he could be with Emily. More guilt washed over Azul as he watched the distress spread over Elise's face. He wanted to say something to make this all easier for her but did those words actually exist?

"I can tell you have a kind heart, angelfish. All the more reason to be honest with you. Both Azul and my daughter have told me what occurred on the Leech Family property just yesterday...you were there to witness it firsthand, were you not?"

Elise felt her throat tighten as she looked into the sea witch's deep blue eyes that shone with wisdom. Her gaze wasn't unkind but it was most definitely shrewd. 

"The Coral Sea is not a place for kind-hearted, unguarded souls, Princess. Especially on this side of the reef. You have seen how deadly and cruel life down here can be. So for your sake, I ask you to be objective in your reasoning and don't let your emotions blind you. You belong on the surface in your palaces and under the sun. Not down here in the dark and cold, constantly wondering if you're to be hunted or not. It's a simple fact." 

Elise knew she spoke the truth and she did so because it was for Elise's own good. But even so...was the sea witch right? She was definitely not prepared or given the same constitution the Cerith sisters, the twins or even cunning Azul had growing up in her cozy surface life. At the same time, when was the last time she had a solid home or a present family on the surface? If that was where she belonged then why weren't those she left behind trying to bring her back? Or perhaps they were and she just had no idea? ...there was only one way to truly find out. 

The princess nodded in thanks to the sea witch before taking the box in her hands. She still wasn't sure if she really wanted to use it but either way, Elise knew she had to go home at least once more before returning to Sacred Crown. Madam Lorelei took one last sip before giving the young ones a final warning, "One more thing, my dears. From what Azul has told me and judging from your appearance, I would say you only have until the next full moon to complete this task...after that, well, you will be stuck as a mermaid forever, dear princess. You may use magic to give yourself a human form but ultimately, you'll never be able to stay away from the water for so long. A mermaid of any sort can never truly be parted from the sea." 

Time was so hard to track down here that Elise had no idea how long that actually was. She was glad that Azul had accompanied her every step of the way through this. His cool head and foresight came in handy for exact occasions like this. 

"The next full moon is roughly a month from now. Around the same time as the next festival between Night Raven and Sacred Crown. How convenient," Azul sighed, "And you're saying that the only options we have are to hope that Rielle will suddenly decide that he loves her and not Princess Emily...or to literally stab the magic right out of him."

The sea witch chuckled, "Magic concerning the heart is rarely a straight path, my boy. No one said this was going to be easy."

Another countdown. Everything seemed to be converging in on her at once in a myriad of questions, thoughts, and feelings. Three days. Two nights. One month. Two 'homes'...two forms...

Two Elise Coralettes...?

"I have one more gift for you. It's a temporary fix but it should help at the very least." 

Elise came out of her daze as Azul handed his grandmother the empty nautilus shell he had previously stored Rielle's voice in. Somehow she didn't even notice that he had been wearing it around his neck this entire time. Madam Lorelei rose from her seat and gestured for the two teenagers to follow her, "More good news, dear princess. Though the magic itself bound you to the contract's terms, you never actually consented to give up your voice as the prince did. So instead of your voice taking Rielle's place in Azul's possession, it simply locked itself away. This we can work with but I'll need a proper workspace for this next part. Follow me, my dears." 

-

His grandmother's home wasn't too far away but the terrain changed drastically. Azul was quite used to it but Elise was a bit shellshocked. One thing she had noticed was that this entire area of the Coral Sea wasn't as bright as the more southern regions where Rielle's home was located. The water was colder as well but there were still bits of reef life here and there. Traveling just outside of the city, however, it grew even darker and the reef seemed to halt and give way to dark stones and fuming underwater geysers. Had Elise not met the sea witch before seeing where she lived, the princess would have feared more for her actual soul. Especially when she saw the large set of bones at the entrance. 

"I assure you the inside is far cozier than the outside, angelfish," Madam Lorelei chuckled, "Come in, come in~"

The interior of her home was as stylish as she was even if it was furnished with very avant guard, if not macabre, furniture that looked like it was made from bones just like her jewelry. Azul made himself at home as Lorelei guided Elise over to an open area surrounding a cauldron. The princess looked around to see the walls lined with very organized rows of bottles. Some were labeled, some were just holding strange contents inside that Elise had never seen on land. She swore some of the bottles held living, moving creatures inside them. 

"Alright, my sweet. This will be quick and painless I assure you. All I need for you to do is to sing." 

...Sing???

Elise looked beyond confused. How could she sing when she couldn't even speak?! Then again who was she to argue with an all-powerful sea witch? She took a breath and opened her mouth to sing and felt incredibly foolish trying to do so. She felt like her mouth was just uselessly flapping open and shut like a carp.

"Not like that, dear," Madam Lorelei said bluntly, "You're a mermaid now and a mermaid's song it very much like magic itself. It's not something you just breathe out of your mouth or words that you simply put sound to. Hear the song, feel it warm, and build up inside of you. One that resonates. This is the only way we can unlock your voice." 

There was only one song like that Elise knew. She took another deep breath and let it out as she listened to the soft notes in her mind like it was her own personal music box. It began as a silent hum in her chest. Soon she opened her mouth and let the words form on her lips even though she couldn't make a sound. 

"Much better, yes. Keep going." 

Azul watched as his grandmother threw ingredients into her cauldron while Elise focused on the unheard song. He had seen his grandmother do spell work all of his life and yet he never lost his wonder for it. Once everything came together, the sea witch raised the shell towards Elise's mouth. A tiny light started to grow from the princess' throat until a soft sound echoed from it. Both the light and Elise's song grew until both flew from her open mouth and into the shell. The princess grasped her throat not because it hurt but because for the first time since she became mute, it felt...empty. 

"This will not return your voice to normal but it has freed it so it can be used in this form at least," the sea witch placed the shell necklace around Elise's neck and she felt its warmth against her skin, "as long as you wear this, you can speak, but only if the shell is worn and intact. So be very careful with it. Go on, try it."

The princess cleared her throat, feeling hopeful when she heard a small squeak come from her, "...Th...ank...you...thank you!"

Elise's face burst into a bright smile. This was a far cry from the last time Azul heard her voice as she tore into him...and he made a mental note to keep that from happening a second time at all costs.

 The princess threw her arms around the sea witch with a joyful cheer, "Thank you so much, Mrs. Ashengrotto!" 

Madam Lorelei just chuckled and patted the excited princess on the head, "Madam Lorelei will do. And it was no trouble at all. Just remember what I said before, sweet child," she paused as she looked over at Azul but still spoke to the princess, "you have a difficult road ahead of you and not a whole lot of time. So weigh your options wisely." 

Elise's tentacles that had been holding the box placed it back into her hands and somehow it felt even heavier, "Yes, of course." 

-

Azul and Elise swam back to the Leech family home with the box and a few other items in a satchel Madam Lorelei had lent them to assist the twins. Elise felt like a mess: she was thrilled to be able to speak again but wasn't used to hearing her voice at all anymore. Azul had said something that made her laugh and she nearly jumped out of her suction cups hearing the loud noise come from her mouth. It was very different from her usual trained, demure giggle that she had curated for years. The mystique was shattered in a matter of seconds. Azul couldn't help but tease her with a sly grin.

"My goodness, I never realized how boisterous you were under all that regal poise, Your Highness..."

"Well, I never realized that you were such a terrible liar, Mr. Ashengrotto..." when his face pulled an abashed expression, a mischievous smile spread across Elise's face, "You told me you were an ugly, gross octopus. How dare you lie to me to cover up how cute and shy you actually are!" Cute wasn't actually her first word choice when she saw him earlier that day. But her nerves got the better of her and that's what came out of her mouth. 

Cute?! Shy?! He huffed as if the princess had spilled ink all over his contracts, "You make me sound like some skittish little guppy!" Azul folded his arms in with a frown as they continued to swim. Elise wasn't sure if he was scowling because she had hit a nerve or because he was trying to keep his face from flushing again. 

"I never said it was bad!" She laughed, "You've just surprised me. That's all." 

Azul watched the princess swim ahead of him with a much more spirited smile on her face, taking his time before catching up with her. She was definitely not what he expected either. That was one thing Azul was sure about in this whole confusing mess. Even with the brighter expression on her face, the boy still noticed a bit of apprehension hiding in her eyes. 

"You have the ingredients you need, right? Do you need any help? I'm quite good at potion-making myself," Elise let a bit of smugness shine through that last statement as she quickly changed the subject.

Azul took great pride in his potion-making skills and rarely did he ever need help. However, that didn't stop him from admiring the princess' confidence, "I don't believe so, Your Highness. But if that changes, I know who to call on...if anything I may need your help in keeping Floyd from drinking the wrong potion on purpose."

The princess snorted, "I will do my best. I do have one request though."

"Is it another 'favor'?" Azul teased sarcastically.

"Yes. Call me Elise instead of 'Your Highness' or 'princess'. Or even 'Ellie' like Cowrie does. I really don't mind at all."  

Azul came to a halt mid swim, "Is that really...ok? Doesn't it seem kind of rude? I mean...you are a princess." 

Elise turned and hovered in front of him with a sort of melancholy look in her eyes that didn't match the grin on her face, "I am a princess, yes. But in title only. I have no actual power nor am I going to take the throne like Reine will one day. It's just...it doesn't seem to matter that much. Especially down here. Plus you're the only one who refers to me as 'Your Highness'." 

Now that she mentioned it, none of their eel companions did address Elise that way. Azul did it because...because of formality he supposed? He had never really thought about it too much to be honest. Referring to her as anything less than her royal title felt inappropriate. Then again, she really didn't feel like a princess. Not that Azul knew that many princesses to begin with. Elise felt like....like...Azul didn't even know. He still found himself at the crossroads with this unique girl: he knew she was established as one thing but she seemed like something different entirely. Ok, he was definitely overthinking such a simple request...and now he was just floating there like an idiot while she stared at him-

Azul cleared his throat to reset his brain because it spiraled into a tizzy, "Alright. Elise....'Ellie' seems a bit too common. Elise is a perfectly good name all on its own." 

Elise smiled with her eyes, "So is Azul. May I call you Azul since we're going to be spending even more time together in the coming weeks? ....or would you prefer 'Azuzu'?"

"Azul is fine," the boy octopus mumbled as his tentacles cringed at the cutesy nickname. It just didn't sound right coming from her. Especially now that she had her voice back. He'd rather listen to her say a world of other, less embarrassing things. Besides, though he didn't mind this wall of formality coming down between them, his mind was itching with a myriad of other questions and curiosities. The anxious glimmer was still there in her eyes. Not that he had been trying to stare but Azul was very observant in most cases. Something was wrong and he had an idea but...prying into her personal feelings seemed uncouth. So instead, he tried something else.

"Elise, what song were you thinking of before?"

Her eyes became distant as they entered the city once again, "...my mother's lullaby. It's always the first song that comes to mind so I guess it did the trick. Did your mother sing to you when you were young?"

Azul had many fond memories surrounding his mother. Some were downright embarrassing but he did in fact have a wealth of good ones. He almost felt bad for sharing even a hint of them simply because it felt like he was rubbing in the fact that his mother was still with him. When he hesitated, the princess playfully nudged him with one of her legs, "No? Not a one?"

"O-Oh no, no my mother used to sing to me every night when I was very young...she never missed a night," Azul averted his eyes away from Elise, feeling guilt start to pick at him again. 

"I like your mother. She seems so lovely and warm. Jade and Floyd's mother is very sweet too...I don't think I'd want to make either one of your mothers angry though," Elise giggled.

"I definitely do not recommend it..." Azul grumbled, "not unless you want a barrage of wooden spoons unleashed on you." 

Her laugh rang out like musical notes. If she was bothered at all by the conversation, it didn't show in the least. Azul continued to share more stories - leaving out all of the painfully embarrassing ones - of his childhood as they finished their journey back. If nothing else, her laugh seemed to make the waters brighter. He had a feeling that Elise still felt unsure about what to do about Rielle and he didn't want to push her to decide especially when she was probably still hurting from the heartache and...well...he was definitely no stranger to heavy feelings. Another time, he silently told himself. They had more important matters to deal with first. He just hoped that the twins could pull this off. Azul had never been one to be afraid of a gamble every now and again but this just seemed horribly, terribly reckless even for Floyd. But he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't impressed with the motivation the moody eel had gained within the last day or so since gaining inside help to bail Luna out of her miserable situation. 

Azul had known Jade and Floyd since they were all children and he couldn't remember a time when Floyd had ever latched onto another, especially a female, like he has Luna. It was nothing less than bizarre. For a while, Azul had assumed that Luna used her siren charms on him but when he asked Floyd about it, the eel denied everything. Luna never sang to him, used magic on him. Luna was just Luna: beautiful, full of feminine charm naturally even without her being a siren. She was also very clever just from the skill set Azul had discovered she had even if it was just through word of mouth. She was just...

"...beautiful and nice. And she never gets mad at me for doing things my own way and..." 

Azul could still hear Floyd go on and on about the siren with that goofy smile on his face. It was nauseating how smitten he was and how little he tried to hide it. Of course, now that Azul thought about it, Jade too was smitten. Now that was weird to think about it. Jade Leech, the poker-faced and elusive Vice Dorm Leader of Octavinelle that was obsessed with his terrariums. The same Jade Leech that was always calculating something or causing mischief with his wild twin was now wrapped around the tiny little finger of a blunt, sassy little siren that led her life like a stray cat, going wherever and living however she pleased. Saying whatever was on her mind with no hint of deception. They were a very interesting and very different pair...wait a second. 

Azul's brain came to a sudden halt. His two companions, his childhood friends, his partners in business and in crime so to speak: they were in love. Jade had already chosen Cowrie as his proper mate. Surely Floyd couldn't be that far behind with Luna. Then again this was Floyd we were talking about. Still, just the thought somehow threw the octopus boy for a loop. He was happy for them, of course, but where did that leave Azul? It wasn't that he was afraid their plans of opening a Mostro Lounge permanently after graduation were now ruined that the twins were choosing their mates just that it made Azul really stop and think where he also was in his life. Leave it to his doting mother to remind him that he too was eighteen now and coming upon the point in every octopus merman's life where he started desiring to mate, to settle with a female of his choosing, etc. It was, for a lack of better words, absolutely terrifying and made Azul's guts tie themselves in knots. 

Sure, he was clever and had the compacity to find tactics to charm and lure girls into buying something he was selling but actual courtship? The genuine article?! Fortunately for Azul, his mother - unlike Madam Leech - never forced him to meet girls or go on dates. She told him from the very beginning that he needed to find his soulmate organically and in his own time. He was extremely grateful for this but still...the subject matter is something he'd rather avoid completely. Just thinking about it already had his mind reeling, spiraling through the anxiety-fueled fog and-

Elise quickly swam back to Azul moments after she heard a loud clang and saw him holding his frustrated and embarrassed face. Amidst being lost in thought, he swam straight into a light pole, and now here he was nursing a bruised ego.

"Azul, are you alright?!"

He tried to insist that he was but that didn't stop the princess from pulling his hands away from his face and gasped. A bruised ego and a bloody nose, apparently.

"Ooh that looks like it smarts...come on, your mother's restaurant is just around the corner from here. I'm sure she had some sort of first aid available. Let's get you fixed up," Elise grabbed his hand started to pull the poor boy down the street, ignoring all his fuss about how he was actually fine. 

Mama Ashengrotto didn't make as much of a scene as Azul thought she would. Instead, the mother just shook her head at her son's unusual clumsiness and left Elise to nurse yet another Octavinelle boy's injuries in her large comfy office. She returned not too long afterward with some snacks and a message for Elise. Mama Ashengrotto paused in the doorway and watched the girl gently tend to her son as he fussed. He sounded like he was being belligerent but really, Mama knew he was just embarrassed. It was still cute all these years later. 

"Honestly, Elise, it's just a small scrape. You're acting like I'm going to bleed out any second," he huffed as she softly dabbed around his nose. 

"Hush. I'm almost done," She just pouted at him as she focused on what she was doing. 

"Not to interrupt, my sweeties, but there was a message left for you, Elise," Mama Ashengrotto set the trey of refreshments down before handing a folded piece of parchment to the girl. 

She didn't recognize the scratchy handwriting at first but the name signed at the bottom flipped a switch as soon as she saw it.

It was directions about when and where Jade and Floyd needed to be on the night of the Cove's VIP event and all the details everyone involved needed to know. And at the bottom of the paper was a simple signature...

'Seven'

-

Azul ended up extending his stay in the Leech home until the VIP evening had come. He actually did tell his mother where he was this time...just not every single detail about the why's and what for's. When it was time for the group of teenagers to execute their plan, they acted as nonchalantly as possible during the evening meal and turned into their rooms as expected at the end of the night....until the whole house was quiet enough for them to sneak into the garden, one by one. 

Floyd was the most fidgety and irritated of the small band of rebels, surprising no one. Azul held two potions before the brothers, one in each hand, one blue and the other red. 

"Pay attention, Floyd. This is important," Azul said sharply, "Jade, the red one is for you. The blue one is for Floyd. They both will only last about three or four hours so do NOT drink them until you're about to cross the border, understand? The rest is up to you two and Seven." 

Cowrie held out what looked like earplugs to Jade with a pouty expression on her face, "You'll need these, Jay Jay, so you don't get all...ya know...love stupid because of the siren songs." 

"Ooh? Are you worried that I'll stray, my Cowrie?" Jade was incorrigible when it came to his smug teasing. Even with his mate, he couldn't help himself whenever she showed even a hint of territorial or jealous behavior, no matter how small. He silently reveled in it. Cowrie scoffed, trying to ignore the amused twitch in her mate's long tail.

"I just know how things work in that place and I'm trying to keep you from getting robbed down to your bones, Jay Jay!" Cowrie huffed with her cheek puffed up like a grumpy blowfish. This only made Jade internally gush over how cute she was. The younger Cerith sister turned to her impatient brother-in-law-to-be and gave him a serious look.

"Floyd," the tiny eelmaid grabbed onto Floyd's black strand of hair and gently pulled him down to look her in the eyes and used his proper name to show she meant business, "Trust Sevy and don't do anything besides what he told you to do, ok? My sister will be heartbroken if you get yourself killed and I'll kill you myself if you get her or Jay Jay killed, got it?"

Floyd's tail kicked up some sand in irritation but he didn't look away from Cowrie's sharp stare either as if doing so would be stepping down from a challenge, "Yeah. I get it." 

"Good. And no fighting unless you absolutely have to!"

Floyd just huffed and gave Cowrie a pout to rival her own. Azul crossed his arms and sighed, "For the record, I think you're both absolutely mad for even attempting this...however, it would be a crime to leave Luna trapped in that horrible place. So get in, get her out, and get out of there before the Muraeni's even realize what happened."

Azul flashed the portal key to the Octavinelle dorm that Jade had passed onto him, just in case things went south way quicker than they anticipated. Everyone knew their roles. Everything was prepared. Azul and Elise waited in the coral garden with Cowrie while the twins snuck off the property under a spot in the tall fence they had dug out months during their last visit home. Cowrie sat curled up in Elise's arms, trying not to show how anxious she was really feeling as she watched the twins disappear into the night.

-

The Siren's Cove was packed. Seven had his hands full keeping the guest list check-ins tight but flowing smoothly. There were, of course, the non-elite patrons that spent most of their nights at the Cove's usual open events but they were soon turned away at the door and informed that tonight was a private event for only those who were personally invited by the owner, Don Muraeni himself. Those who didn't comply were swiftly met with shark and ray mermen bouncers who didn't waste time with verbal explanations. His father and oldest brother were already seated in the Don's private box, comfortable and ready to enjoy the night's coming entertainment. Seven's younger brothers, however, were left outside to watch the perimeter for anyone who looked shady. 

Seven's calm eyes roamed over the line of patrons as they showed their printed invitations to the doormen and entered the club to greet him where he stood watch. They knew who he was and he knew them but he held fast to the rule of silence and merely bowed his head graciously to each of them as they entered. Some came armed with gifts for their favored sirens. Seven accepted each one without question and had the staff take each gift to the girls' rooms in rotation. Any gift that came for Luna was simply left outside her door, lining the hallway so as not to disturb her as she prepared herself. 

Seven's eye spotted another Don of a smaller clan that was indebted to his father enter the venue with a group of his own associates in tow. He was a Zebra moray with a small family and a slowly declining ring of muscle but under Don Muraeni's umbrella, he was able to keep his own household afloat.  The Don nodded to Seven out of respect and motioned for one of his lackeys to present a vase of flowers to Seven to give to Luna.

"To celebrate the young mistress' debut," he grinned with a rough dry voice. 

Seven was about to accept the vase when a suddenly clanging noise was heard from the ceiling. Everyone who heard it looked up to see a series of ventilation port-like openings in the stone ceiling. It seemed to be coming from one of the openings...like something was crawling or skittering around inside.

Seven snapped his fingers and signaled to two manta ray mermen on standby that floated into the main entryway from the shadowed corners. They nodded just before one of them went to investigate the vents while the other took the vase from the visiting Don. 

"Probably just a lost crab or some other small intruder, I'm sure...they seem to swarm this time of year," Seven reassured the Don and his crew motioning for them to enter the main hall.  The manta ray that took the vase was then given his instructions from Seven.

"Take this to Luna's door and knock. She always prefers flowers to be delivered personally." 

The mantra ray gave him a courteous grin before swimming towards the backstage corridor without any questions. 

-

Luna sat before her mirror, adorning the elaborately strung pearls she was given to wear specifically for her performance tonight. Her face was a cold mask of calm but inside, each nerve was on fire. Seven hadn't elaborated on what exactly to expect tonight, just that she should be 'ready' and to act as if everything was normal. Meaning that Luna kept up the facade of a scolded diva put in her place by her angry step-brother and now supervisor, keeping her mouth shut and her head down. Obedient and silent when she wasn't on stage. Other than that...Luna held the freshly made coral key in her hands, not sure exactly where it would take her when the moment came. She hid it inside her jewelry box along with the gold necklace Floyd had given her moments before hearing a knock at her door. She opened it to find one of the manta ray staff holding a vase of flowers addressed to her.

"Oh thank you. These are gorgeous," Luna took the vase in her arms and admired the blooms as the mantra ray smiled down at her. She swore that one of his eyes was darker than the other and his smile though...she had seen it somewhere before. The manta ray said nothing before bowing to her and swimming back towards the main entrance, leaving Luna to wonder if she was just imagining things. She set the vase on her table, that Seven had replaced for her, and finished getting ready, knowing that they would call for her any moment. Perhaps it was just Luna's nerves getting the better of her but as soon as she turned around to look at herself one more time in her mirror, she thought she saw the vase move in the reflection. Of course, when Luna turned around...it was perfectly still. She took a deep breath and let it and her paranoia out. Clearly, she was just getting a bit stir crazy. Luna left her room as soon as the stagehands called out for her. 

The main hall was filled to the brim. All the guests had been seated and were being served by the eager wait staff who knew tonight would be the best time to rake in some heavy tips for themselves. Seven saw that the security closed and locked all of the exits and entrances until the performances were over per his father's orders. Once everything was in place, he took his seat in his own box. He was one step above his younger siblings who were locked outside but still below his father and eldest brother. Therefore, he sat in a different box, separate from them. He was soon joined by the same manta ray that had delivered Luna's flowers for him. The eel gestured for the ray to sit in the seat next to him.

"You might as well get comfortable. It's going to be an interesting night." 

The manta joined him with a grin as he took a seat next to the eel. Jade Leech's voice left his lips in a sly chuckle, "I imagine so, big brother."

Seven grunted, "Shut up and plug up your ears already. The show's about to start."

-

Luna's first song ended with the sound of vigorous applause. She peeked out from behind the curtains and found where her stepfather and brother sat. They looked as satisfied as either could possibly bear to show. Her eyes wandered across the upper level until she found the box she knew was Seven's. It was empty. He was already on the move, it would seem. This only gave Luna more reason to follow the next direction that he had given her earlier.

'After your first song, return to your room and stay there until it's time for your second and final song.'

Luna did exactly that. What was waiting for her there nearly made her jump out of her speckles. Fortunately, Luna was smart enough to clamp her hand over her mouth as she quickly shut the door behind her. The vase from before had been tipped over and the flowers scattered all over the floor and laying on top of her pillows on her bed was a miniature version of a very familiar face that could very well fit in her palm, just napping away. Her gasp seemed to make the tiny thing stir awake and beam up at her as soon as he was fully awake. She wasn't sure if he was even real but there he was...smiling up at her as he always did whenever they have reunited again.

"...Floyd??"

oop another cliffhanger

Tagging: @nuitthegoddess @wysteriadelights @1ndigowitch @honey-milk-depresso @foxwitchaine @victoria1676 @aiimee9 @iscarlettappel @marcepanna @feldya @zstargalaxy @evieyouknow @espada188

#neoninky #twisted wonderland #ao3 fanfic #ao3 writer #sacred crown chronicles #twst oc x canon #octavinelle #twst oc schools #floyd leech #jade leech #azul ashengrotto #twst ocs #the cerith sisters #luna cerith #cowrie cerith #elise coralette #seven sevy muraeni #more eel mermaids #its jailbreak time bitches

[justaredheadf1fan]

Singapore, I... have no words

That didn't start the way we expected it to, did it now?

I mean, delayed for 1 hour, starting behind the Safety Car... For the first time since working on this island, today was the race I could watch from start to finish and this shit happens. I feel as lucky as Charles must feel this season 🥲

I'll have to finish watching and editing this post after work as usual then, so I will for now comment on the beginning of the race and I'll keep up while reading on Twitter what's going on after I leave to do nothing at the Reception.

(I've ended up watching it and obviously posting today, Monday, after work also but on a much more normal fashion than yesterday, last night I was beat).

Thank God for Kevin Magnussen, that was wild! And the only good thing about this start, fucking Pérez and Sainz.

Zhou stopping at an escape... I hope we don't get a VSC... Latifi didn't see him... Oh my God. WTF NOW A SAFETY CAR!? Aaaaaand Checo doing illegal things? That's suspicious. And what about Pierre moving aside for Flopstappen? Fuck's sake.

Fernando decided today that it was the day he was gonna mess with Crystappen and keep him behind and I'm actually here for it. After a little while, Alonso ended up losing the engine and giving us a VSC too. Way to celebrate your 350th, dude 😂

Albon hitting the wall straight on, let's hope no SC comes out.... But I bet I'm so wrong. Shit, VSC. Here we go. So, until now we got 3 retired drivers and almost a 4th, if I'm correct? Yes, indeed.

And now Estie Bestie is done... Jesus fucking Christ what the fuck happened yesterday!? His car failed. Another VSC? Less than 5 laps and we've had 3 incidents?

Lewis intimidating Carlos is sending me. He was hunter mode yesterday 🥲

Can Verstappen be decent for once? Not because I care about Lando, because I don't even give a crap, but man learn how to drive. AND LEWIS CRASHES NOOOOOOOOO!!! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

AND NOW YUKI NOOOOOO WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!!!!! NOT A SAFETY CAR FOR FUCK'S SAKE! Only Lando and Daniel benefited from this, at least we got some good news for Danny boy.

Now the countdown begins for the end of the race after all that time lost. Good God.

AND CRYSTAPPEN GOES OFF TRACK AND ALMOST CRASHES!!!! YES!!!! Pity that he didn't retire but CLOSE ENOUGH!!!!

And Checo being "investigated" (yeah, right) for messing with the SC. Like we didn't know from the beginning what was gonna happen.

Ah, crap George and Mick touched. Both needed to pit because they had some part messed up. And now the comment I saw George made while trying to pass Mick. I don't see anything wrong with it, I think is just a comment you make at a time like that and that's it. No disrespect towards Mick, no negative tone, he's just frustrated and that's it. Unlike other drivers (yes, Fernando, I'm actually looking at you).

So Checo didn't put anybody at risk playing around the SC, but how much any of you are willing to bet that if that had been Lewis he'd have received the biggest penalty available for that kind of infringement? Yep, thought so.

Lewis!? Jesus, what is going on today... He was so focused on taking advantage of Seb's mistake and he messed it up... Damn. Fortunately, this is ending. Good thing at least that Cheatstappen couldn't take on Seb, he's not that good.

Anyway, so what the fuck. I'm just looking forward to Suzuka. I'm not gonna even watch the podium or interviews, I'm done for the day.

Peace out!

#f1 #formula 1 #mercedes amg f1 #scuderia ferrari #aston martin racing #haas f1 team #mclaren f1 racing #alfa romeo racing #alpine f1 team #scuderia alpha tauri #williams racing #sir lewis hamilton #george russell #charles leclerc #Carlos saint jr #sebastian vettel #lance stroll #mick schumacher #kevin Magnussen #daniel ricciardo #lando norris #zhou guanyu #valtteri bottas #esteban ocon #fernando Alonso #pierre gasly #yuki tsunoda #alex albon #nicholas latifi #singapore gp 2022

[wonder-never-wander]

I posted 8,296 times in 2022

That's 5,985 more posts than 2021!

206 posts created (2%)

8,090 posts reblogged (98%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@transgender-rex

@pogasm

@youarentreadingthis

@bifrosted-flakes

@ciitrus--fruitz

I tagged 3,122 of my posts in 2022

#save - 303 posts

#supercorp - 165 posts

#max and will - 120 posts

#will dot hellsite - 79 posts

#sc - 75 posts

#kara danvers - 58 posts

#me - 51 posts

#z-money - 42 posts

#supergirl - 40 posts

#lena luthor - 38 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#cat staring down at a pap shot of kara pressing lena against a wall three fingers deep and all she has to do is sigh to let kara know she’s

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

She's fucking here again.

The blonde with glasses. She comes in here sometimes, mostly with friends and stuff. Her name starts with a K.

Kamron? Katelyn? Whatever. Not my business.

What is my business, however, is how she always breaks something.

Every time she's in here, she leaves finger-shaped dents in the bar, or shatters a glass, or snaps a pool stick in half. Always laughing with her friends, breaking shit.

Every. Single. Time.

So you'll imagine my confusion (and, if we're being honest, relief) when she walks in by herself. She started to plop herself down, eyes downcast and face very timid.

Now, I don't know very much about reading people, and even I could see the exact moment she decided not to plop down, instead lowering herself very carefully.

So carefully, in fact, it seemed as if she was floating.

It wouldn't surprise me, at this point. Byproduct of working an alien dive bar, i suppose.

At least she didn't break any furniture.

Finally.

"Your usual?" I asked her, already grabbing a glass from under the bar.

She hesitated, lifting her (suspiciously red) eyes to scan the shelves behind me, then nodded.

I don't ask questions. If I questioned every single high person that came into the bar, I would never leave.

So instead, I made her club soda and set it on the bar in front of her, picking up the 5 dollar bill she had set down.

"Thanks," she said shortly, quietly, pulling the cherry out of the top and popping it in her mouth.

I wiped down the bar where I had made her drink -- if you can count a club soda as a drink -- and moved on.

About 30 minutes later, I came back to do one last round before I clocked out and went home. Sitting next to Blondie was a woman with dark hair and strikingly green eyes.

Blondie's eyes had cleared up, no longer looking like she was stoned out of her mind. They were both smiling.

"Can I get y'all anything?" I asked, internally groaning. Blondie's Friend seemed like the kind of person to order the most complicated, time-consuming drink.

"Uh, just a scotch, please. Macgallan," she said cooly, handing me a 20.

Top-shelf. Not bad.

After it was poured and handed off, I turned to Blondie. She was staring at the side of Top-shelf's face, her eyes practically heart-eyes.

I want to say I waited patiently. It would be a lie. I waited very impatiently, in fact.

Top-shelf looked over and got Blondie's attention. Instead of her being embarrassed, you know, like a normal person, she just kept staring.

"What is it for you, Blondie?" I asked through clenched teeth, irritated, resisting the urge to look at my watch.

"Another of the same," she said, pushing her glass forward. I grabbed it and refilled her drink, all the while doing my best to conceal my eavesdropping.

"Why does everyone call me "Blondie"? My sister's ex-girlfriend, my bosses, plural, my sister when she's mad," Blondie listed, counting on her fingers exasperatedly.

"You know you're... blonde, right?" Top-shelf reminded her, trying (and failing) to keep a straight face. "And no offense, but you act like one sometimes, too."

See the full post

43 notes - Posted June 27, 2022

#4

Nia: Bow down for our lord and savior, Minecraft Christ!

Kara: I only understood half of the words you just said.

51 notes - Posted February 12, 2022

#3

i made a uquiz!!

answer some questions and i'll tell you what color i associate you with

77 notes - Posted October 23, 2022

#2

"Dr. John Seward, the lunatic-asylum man, with the strong jaw and the good forehead."

WHAT A WAY TO DESCRIBE A MAN

118 notes - Posted May 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

124 notes - Posted May 19, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[dankhausen]

GCW Til Infinity, JCW Battlebowl, GCW 56 Nights Reviews

So I finally had time to finish all of the shows GCW (and JCW) put out this past weekend, and let me just say I was blown away! I suppose the best way to handle this mega review would be to go show by show and match by match- so, here it is:

GCW Til Infinity Review:

East West Express vs. Wasted Youth was a very good and fast paced opener to the show, I wasn't familiar with either team going in but I definitely want to see more of them now. One very memorable moment from the match was the Spanish Fly into the Canadian Destroyer, very awesome indeed.

Kerry Morton vs. Jimmy Lloyd was a match that I didn't really click with, although it was still a good match. I loved how Kerry was booed the entire time for just putting on a technical wrestling match, and how this evolved into him hamming it up across all 3 shows the entire weekend.

Effy vs. Blake Christian was a great match, huge fan of Effy already and Blake's pretty hype too. I really liked Effy's version of the Tarantula, Blake hitting a bottom rope 619 was amazing and skinning the cat into a rollup is a great finish.

Leon Slater vs. Tony Deppen was a great match, very fast paced and pretty evenly matched. I was confused going in as to why Tony was getting cheered, but I think it might be because he is local to the area. Leon's Swanton 450 was perhaps the most athletically impressive thing all weekend.

Nick Gage made another hype as hell entrance, I absolutely loved it and getting Maki Itoh involved was a nice touch. This led into Allie Katch vs. Maki Itoh, which was a hell of a match and nearly match of the night for me. Maki basically did the greatest hits of Nick Gage, and I was all in on it.

American Violence Dealers vs. Los Macizos, seriously where do I begin with this one? It was an absolutely brutal match filled with jaw-dropping sequences, and really my notes say it better than I ever could:

Shitheads vs Sc*nt was a really fun and quick match, I've mentioned before that I'm a Dark Sheik fan so it was good to see her involved. I was also really impressed by the others, especially Rob Shit who hit an epic press slam dive.

"Speedball" Mike Bailey vs. 2 Cold Scorpio was an interesting match, fairly slow pace but it worked. I really liked how it was back and forth for most of it, almost like a physical game of chess between the two. I still love Bailey's finisher, and when he threatened to stomp a vape pen it made me laugh.

Starboy Charlie vs. Willie Mack was a really good match, I liked the dynamic of big man/little man. Willie did some pretty hard hitting and entertaining offense, and there was a sick shotgun dropkick by Starboy.

John Wayne Murdoch vs. Sawyer Wreck was a short but BRUTAL match, and I absolutely loved it- it's my pick for Match of the Night! Highlights for me included the baseball bat with the spikes(?) being used, and the GODDAMN SUPLEX THROUGH THE GLASS PANE.

Yokai vs. Billie Starkz and Brogan Finlay was a pretty good finish to an excellent show, the match was good and I was particularly impressed by Janai Kai.

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

JCW BattleBowl Review:

Midas Black & Charlie Tiger vs. Jay Lyon & Ellis Taylor was an interesting and fun opener on this show. It was interesting how two tag teams are split up and made to face each other, I don't know anyone here but I'm intrigued. Jay Lyon's handspring elbow was the highlight of the match, and the surprise rollup was a great finish.

Kerry Morton & Axton Ray vs. Marcus Mathers & Dyln McKay was a good match, I'm happy that Wasted Youth won. I cracked up at Marcus stealing the title at the end.

Gabriel Skye & Austin Luke vs. Griffin McCoy & Alec Price was an awesome match, I didn't know anybody here but they were all very impressive. Luke with the Ambrose rope clothesline was pretty sweet, and McCoy with the modified Boston crab was pretty cool.

Beastman & Sam Stackhouse vs. Yoya & Mago was a hell of a match, I really liked the big vs. little dynamic. Yoya hit one HELL of a Canadian Destroyer in this one, and that was easily moment of the night.

Sawyer Wreck & Azrieal vs. Billy Dixon & CPA was a good match, I especially loved Sawyer just wrecking everyone and CPA's comedy antics.

Jimmy Lloyd & Rob Shit vs. Manders & Bam Sullivan was a good match, there were a couple of really hype lariats here which I enjoyed.

Billie Starkz & Big Vin vs. Brogan Finlay & Janai Kai was an awesome match, MVP of the match was easily Big Vin. He hit a HUUUUUUGE chokeslam, a double side slam, a flipping slam over the ropes... dude's an absolute beast.

The 14 Person Battle Bowl Match was a kickass battle royal, highlights of it were CPA with even more gags and ALEC PRICE ELIMINATING BOTH STACKHOUSE AND BEASTMAN!

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

GCW 56 Nights Review:

Cole Radrick vs. Masha Slamovich was a somewhat quick but enjoyable match, I'm glad Masha won. Unfortunately a good chunk of this match didn't air due to technical errors with the stream, but what was shown was excellent.

Nick Wayne vs Leon Slater was a high flying, explosively awesome match. Highlights of the match were Leon diving over the ringpost, the double backflip off the top rope and the TOP ROPE CUTTER, HOLY SHIT.

Joey Janela vs. Blake Christian vs. Tony Deppen vs. Willie Mack vs. Alec Price vs. Jordan Oliver was a good match, lots of cool multi-man moves in it. Highlights included Blake's springboard moonsault and Willie Mack just wrecking everyone with slaps and chops.

Maki Itoh vs. Sawyer Wreck vs. Billie Starkz vs. Dark Sheik was my most anticipated match of the night, I wanted either Sawyer or Sheik to win. Maki Itoh with the full Nick Gage entrance was amazing, and Dark Sheik's spider walk move was pretty cool. Sawyer continued to destroy everyone, including Sheik with a CHOKESLAM THROUGH THE DOOR!!!!

Matt Tremont vs. Mad Man Pondo was a brutal and awesome match, I want to see more from both men now. The weapons were used in creative ways, and of course I should mention this epic moment:

The Do Or Die Rumble was an epic battle royal, and again here only my notes can do it justice:

The post match with Blake doing the punt kick with Masha in the chair was absolutely brutal, I hope she gets her revenge soon.

#gcw #game changer wrestling #sawyer wreck #dark sheik #jcw #mad man pondo #matt tremont #masha slamovich #effy #speedball mike bailey #maki itoh

[idonghyuck]

SUNGCHAN  ☆ NCT NEWS

#nctinc #sungschan #jung sungchan #sungchan #nct #kpopco #itsnctsworld #useroro #userresa #userjsuh #hyukaheart! #userzaizai #purple #nct news #i didn't see sc gifs so i made these <3 #gifs:nct #gifs:mine #mine:nct #all

[h1rayya]

Success Story

Aight this might not sound like much but as a person who hasn't even started fixing their self concept after falling into a deep-ass ✨rut✨ recently this shook me lmao.

So, throughout most of January my self concept went 📉 cuz school hit me like a truck. Ik that whether you see angel numbers or not doesn't really matter but seeing the amount of angel numbers I saw dropping still made me feel shitty lmao.

So last Saturday (Jan 30) I woke up late as shit (1 pm) so I didn't wanna do anything major that day. In comes my mom who said that if she wasn't tired after doing some work, later in the afternoon we would go out to get pictures for my Senior High application form. But as I said, ya girl doesn't wanna do anything major. So I immediately started affirming:

"Nah, we ain't gonna go out for a pic. Nuh uh."

"Mom's gonna be too tired to go out lmao tf she talkin about."

"I don't have to worry cuz we ain't gonna get that pic today. We're gonna go out tomorrow."

"Di kami magpapapicture ngayon, bukas na lang kasi pagod siya." Yes, I affirmed in my native language too, I usually did it in English so I wanted to try smth different this time.

Keep in mind, I didn't affirm constantly. I'm actually surprised at how little I affirmed overall. I only affirmed for approximately 3-6 times, which is the amount of times the thought of going out to take a picture that day entered my mind in the whole afternoon. I basically affirmed against the undesirable thought and carried on watching YouTube videos to distract myself.

Then it was already 5 pm, we got McDonald's delivered so I went outside to help sanitize it. I was absentmindedly looking around while sanitizing when I saw my uncle's radio outside. And when I tell y'all I was SHOOK to see 666 on the screen of the radio lmaooo I was so excited cuz I rarely see angel numbers on anywhere else except the clock (yeah yeah Ik 666 is also the mark of the beast or whatever but we assign our own meanings to things and I took this to mean the same as any other angel no. to me 🤷‍♀️). And when I went back inside - BOOM mom tells me that she's too tired and that we were gonna go out to get my picture tomorrow (Jan 31) 🥳. And IMMEDIATELY after she tells me this I open my phone and catch an angel number again. Literally this was what I saw the moment I unlocked my phone:

So yeah that's basically one my most significant manifestations as of late, which I'm quite proud of lmao cuz like I said, my self concept is still in a rut 😌. Just goes to show we can still manifest what we want even in low moments (tho I still highly recommend working on SC, which I will do when I get the time lolololol)

#law of assumption #manifestingmindset #mindset #how to manifest #success story #manifestation #manifesting #manifestation success story

[echo-three-one]

Chapter 28

The boys are back... (High School Musical, probably)

THE ROAD SO FAR

Docked and Loaded

Alexander "Alex" Collins

MacTavish Residence, Glasgow Scotland

Alex loved the idea of sleeping beside his significant other. It felt great to be loved, especially after all those months when he couldn't stop thinking of her. 

Yet today was different, he woke up alone. He turned to the bathroom door to check whether Samantha took a shower, but it was too quiet. So he decided to put on his grey tank top and sweatpants to go look for her.

He pulled the door open to see Samantha carrying a tray containing two meals, one was a fluffy pancake with maple syrup and the other one was a meaty sandwich.

"Hey, you. Good Morning." She greeted, her voice was always angelic in Alex's ears.

"There you are…" he sighed as he stepped back, letting her in.

"I was only gone for a few minutes. You don't have to worry that much." She grinned, guiding Alex back to the bed, teasingly pushing him as he plopped on the soft mattress bouncing as he slowly backwards crawled until his back hit the headboard.

"I'm just not used to waking up without you in my arms." he grinned as Samantha placed the tray on his lap, grabbing a slice of the sandwich and pointed it at his mouth.

"I thought the pancake was mine." Alex said, looking puzzled.

"No, that's mine. What you're supposed to be eating is this very healthy, dietician prescribed meal." She emphasized. Alex frowned. 

"I want the pancake." he complained playfully. 

"Too much sugar is bad for you." she teased as Alex finally surrendered and opened his mouth wide. He wasn't a huge fan of the wheat bread. 

"Say, aside from Alex. Did you use any other names while undercover?" Samantha slowly plopped herself beside him, locking her hands against his and leaned on his strong biceps.

"Oh hmmm.." he hummed, softly chewing and finishing his sandwich.

"I had a few… like James, Chad, Mike or Michael…" he said.

"Okay. Which was the most sophisticated?" Samantha asked. Alex looked at her in the eyes and saw that she was really interested in his answer.

"Nathaniel." he chuckled and Samantha looked confused.

"What's funny?" 

"I don't strike as a 'Nathaniel'. I just used it once." Alex defended despite not being attacked.

"Now that you say it… yeah." she laughed as soon as she realized the content of his words.

"What's the funniest? And why?" her eyes sparkled, or has it always been that way then he looked at her eyes. Alex never knew, but he liked it.

"Ummm.. I once went by 'Ray'. It's funny because… it just is. It's too short and I often mistake someone thinking that they're calling me. It has a lot of rhymes you know…" he answered, her eyes never left her stare.

"Ray's a nice name." Samantha mused, this actually made Alex a little curious.

"You're making me jealous over my previous name." He sneered playfully.

"Oh don't be. Alex is a very perfect name. It sounds... handsome." she said, making Alex smile in excitement. This was it. He was truly madly and deeply in love with this woman.

Alex leaned for a kiss to which Samantha eagerly accepted, but as soon as their hands started to roam around, a knock on the door was heard.

"Oi, Alex! Price wants us for a briefing." Soap's muffled voice roared from behind the door.

"I'm coming!" Alex shouted as she gave Samantha one quick kiss before leaving the bed.

Alex felt underdressed for the briefing as Roach and Soap were wearing collared shirts. So he hid behind them and listened eagerly to Captain Price.

"Alright boys, Laswell left us a gift. There's a port near the English Channel, where a lot of cargo ships are suspected to be operating under Shadow Company's name, and it might lead us to Shepherd. 

The plan is simple. Sneak in, gather everything we can using our cameras and sneak out. This place will be swarming with hostiles and all we have are pistols with few ammo. Soap, you take care of our ride and comms. Alex and Roach, you're with me." They all nodded in agreement.

"There are about approximately three ships and the Shadow Company shipment is mixed along with civilian cargo. We have to be there before 3 am tomorrow as it's scheduled to be unloaded that day." Price sprawled printout of the cargo's travel ticket along with other solid intel.

It was official. They're back in the grid, a wave of excitement and fear overwhelmed the former CIA. Excited because they're one step closer to ending this thing and scared because he knew Samantha's going to worry about him.

Port of Dover, London UK

1734HOURS

They were too early for the transfer but as they say, "The early bird gets the worm." The team positioned themselves on a rooftop of a nearby building, Price scanning the area with binoculars.

"Three huge cargo ships and one party packed cruise ship." he muttered. The rest of the team sat patiently waiting for the perfect opening.

"Hm. This is odd." Price added, noticing the convoy of expensive cars slowly parking themselves near the ship.

"It is. There's a party here tonight… and it says here SC Security Services was hired as the events' security team." Gary added, scrolling through his phone.

"SC. Shadow Company. Sneaky Bastards are using the party to cover their real agenda!" Soap pieced the puzzle together.

"And we're here to stop em on their bloody tracks." Price nodded and resumed scanning.

"How are we going to get in?" Alex asked as trucks of Shadow Company troops flooded the area. It looked like they had good reason to swarm the place. It was a sneaky yet effective tactic.

"I got one ticket." Gary raised a QR code from his phone. Price looked at the black and white blotches of squares in question.

"What's that supposed to do?" Price asked.

"It's a digital pass. The DJ performing tonight is a good ol' friend of mine." he said. 

"It's going to be a semi-formal party with a masquerade theme."  He continued, scrolling through the e-invite.

"Then you're going in there. See what's up. These cargo ships may just be decoys. We take one ship each. Always stay on comms. Once Roach successfully gets in, he'll find a shortcut from the inside." Price planned and everyone had no objections. 

"Wait. Maxine told me that she brought something useful." he scoured the contents of the duffle bag.

"Is it food?" Soap asked innocently as everyone looked at him.

"Bingo. Three Shadow Company Uniforms from Russia." Gary grinned and everyone looked delighted.

"Guess we're taking the easy way in." Price muttered as they put their plan to action.

Roach stopped at a local thrift shop for his attire. He wore an awkwardly tight tuxedo with rubber duck printed tie and a magenta masquerade mask. It wasn't too shabby and it did the job, as the rest of the group were already inside the premises.

"Stay on comms, Roach. Keep us posted." Price muttered as the team split to each of their ships. Walking casually like regular guards, except they didn't have guns.

"Aye aye, Captain." Roach muttered as slow booming could be heard from the distance. He was approaching the party.

Alex's ship was the farthest from the cruise ship but that didn't mean it was the least guarded. For a party, the place was overcrowded with security. Alex confidently nodded at every 'ally' he passed along the way, overhearing conversations of a supply drop around 3 am tomorrow, confirming Laswell's speculations.

"Hey!" Someone called from behind and Alex turned cautiously.

"You left your rifle at the office?" he asked and Alex nodded. The man pointed to the cargo ship and it gave Alex the free ticket to investigate it. He was lucky enough for an easy pass.

The cargo ship was indeed large, he didn't know where to start, but as soon as he claimed his issued rifle, he immediately looked for the ship's logs.

"I'm in. Got myself a gun." Alex reported.

"Good. I'm also in. Trying not to get tempted by the buffet." Gary replied.

"They're looking suspiciously at my haircut." Soap muttered, frustrated.

"My ship's empty, but I could feel footsteps. I'm being followed." Price warned. 

"Mine's full of stuff. It's impossible to look through these without a shipment log." Alex sighed, opening another door that contained useless stuff.

At the last door of the hallway, Alex heard a bizarre noise, he carefully crouched and checked on the room. A Shadow Company guard was snoring loudly, a computer monitor showing a live feed of the rooms in front of him.

"Ahem! Sir, you are needed on the cruise ship!" Alex roared, surprising the sleeping guard as he quickly got up to his bearings and exited the room. 

"Alright guys. I got eyes on the whole thing." He told comms while scanning the thick book of the ship's cargo.

"Good one." Gary said.

"Finally, these muppets stopped talking about my hair. I'm Oscar Mike." Soap muttered while Price's end remained quiet.

"Just what is Shepherd up to…" Alex mused, fingers scrolling through the ship log. He doesn't have all night but he's doing his best to look for it under pressure.

Next Chapter : Docked and Loaded - Part 2

Notification Squad my Beloved

@enderio @samatedeansbroccoli @smokeywhalee @whimsywispsblog @beemybee @ricinbach

#horrayfic #codmw #alex echo 3 1 #john soap mactavish #john price #simon ghost riley #gary roach sanderson #whateverittakes