#not that I dont want to see more of him- on the contrary I fuckin love his design to bits

[pacifymebby]

what about peaky blinders and a reader who isn’t afraid to answer them and behave boldly?🔥

thx

Tommy

🌿The first time you snap hes stunned, and tbh he's never not stunned by your sudden temper. The way you defy him... Hes not used to not getting his own way.

🌿Tells you all the time he has rules for a reason but he just cannot tame you... Youre a disobedient little lady and he cant get his head around you

🌿Its not that youre just plain old badly behaved either, its that youre contrary. If youre feeling like arguing you'll pick a fight over anything and youre stubborn, sometimes he thinks he more stubborn than you.

🌿Hes absolutely never hurt you, never hit you, but if you need bringing back down to earth he wont hesitate to pin you against the wall or force you down against his desk, hold you by your neck or your hair and threaten you till the cows come home.

🌿But he despairs because nothing seems to work.

🌿"Fuck your rules, fuck your threats, fuck you Tommy fuckin Shelby!" "Now you listen to me alright sweetheart, don't you fuckin swear at me eh, you dont fuckin swear at me..." "Fuck..." you narrowing your eyes, challenging him.

🌿Youre basically always asking for trouble, you get a kick out of pissing off the most dangerous man in birmingham, knowing he'll never actually do anything to hurt you.

🌿He does absolutely love watching you stand up to his brothers, or to anyone else for that matter. It might piss him off when you do it to him but he's ever so proud of you when you tell one of his brothers to "shove it" or "get fucked"

🌿He'll pretend he isnt going to let you get away with it but it will be so blatantly half hearted that his brothers will know hes enjoying their suffering and that will rub salt in the wound. "Now now love, dont be rude to my brothers, they aren't used to young ladies answering back to them..."

🌿But he does have rules and he is determined you'll learn em.

🌿"mutual respect yeah, you and me? We respect eachother don't we..." he'll make you say it, thats how he puts you in your place, "Go on say it back to me love, so i know you mean it," hes got his hand on your throat or holding your chin so youre forced to look at him. Sometimes you do as he says, sometimes you make to spit at him and he has you flipped over his shoulder in seconds.

🌿There are some things he wont put up with.

Alfie

🐻Is shocked, its usually him doing the talking, usually him being clever and snarky...

🐻 But when he tells you youre not to talk to Tommy Shelby hes stunned to hear you say, "I talk to whoever i want,"

🐻 His way of dealing with you is different to Tommy's. He calls you over, gets you to come and sit in his lap and then he holds you there, trailing his hands over your body, playing with your hair, all the while giving you a little speech about why he's telling you not to speak to him.

🐻 "What you have to, no need to understand ziskeit, is that me yeah, i dont just give orders willy nilly for no reason yeah, if i ask you to do something, or tell you not to do somethin - as is the case right now - it's probably, no definitely, its definitely because its for your own good treacle, yeah thats right, for your own good..."

🐻."and you see yeah, if i tell you y/n youre not to talk to Tommy Shelby, its cause i know somethin, or maybe lots of somethins yeah, that you don't about Tommy Shelby... And maybe i, being absolutely devoted to you my little ziskeit, just want whats best for you..."

🐻"Only i get to decide whats best for me A..."

🐻 "Tsk tsk," puts his finger to your lips, looks you right in the eyes, "let me stop you right there treacle," you only get called treacle when youre in trouble and right now you're on thin fucking ice, "let me stop you right there sweetheart because i wasnt finished, no i wasnt, see the other thing you need to know right, the other thing, is that when i ask you to fucking do something, you fucking do it... Cause if you dont do it and then somethin happens to you like ohhhh i dont know, say a very bad and dangerous man with evil running through his heart like rot runs through a decomposing fuckin apple... Let's call him Tommy Shelby right? If a very bad man like Tommy Shelby ends up fuckin catchin you in his satanic, godless little web... Then well, i ain't helpin you am I? Cause well, i will have fuckin warned you... "

🐻The man can talk the fear of god into you and honestly, its the only way he can get you to behave.

🐻Because he doesnt hit women, he would never touch you or physically hurt you. And he also doesnt mean it when he says hed abandon you, hes only trying to scare you into submission because he knows he'd kill himself to save you and that would only work once.

🐻 He likes hearing you answer back and put the boys in their place, whenever any of the lads in the bakery say something innapropriate of try to tease you you put them in their place pretty quick.

🐻Alfie likes to join in then "Whats the matter lad, scared of a girl now are you? Fuckin hell kids these days, worlds gone bloody soft..."

Arthur

🍂You snap at him because he snaps at you. You fuckin hate men who shout at women

🍂 So when arthur shouts at you you shout right fuckin back and shit does it scare him. He isnt expecting it for one, but more than that, hes never had a woman shout at him like that before.

🍂 You only slapped him once, and it was because he fucking deserved it. He got all up in your face barking bloody orders at you, it was after some serious peaky business had gone sour and to be honest, he was scared. Wanted to communicate just how serious the situation was...

🍂But he scared you, and again, he shouted, he was so close to your face he spat at you when he spoke, and you saw red.

🍂 So you slapped him, and it shut him up but then all hell broke loose.

🍂 He grabbed you pretty forcefully, snatched the breath from you, holding your collar in a fist. You saw the whites of his eyes, he was so angry

🍂 "That was fuckin out of order sweetheart, you dont fuckin hit people do ye? Do i do that to you do i? Have i ever fuckin laid a finger on you? Eh? Have i?"

🍂 You regretted it imediately but you were also kind of proud you did it. You werent just going to let him bully you.

🍂"What kind of a world would it be if we all went around fuckin hittin eachother all the time eh?"

🍂 "sounds a lot like the world youre already living in Arthur..." the fact youd answer him back with such a cheeky remark even now has him drop you hes so shocked.

🍂 Hes used to everyone being terrified of him, even his brothers know not to piss him off or get clever with him, but here you are at the height of his temper making comments like that, and with a smirk on your lips and all.

🍂 "Right sweetheart, im going to give you one last chance to apologise to me alright... Youve got till i say 3...one, two..."

🍂 "I aint apologising for nothin Arthur, you dont scare me..."

🍂 Its not true, he does, he terrifies you sometimes and right now when his breathings ragged and hes red in the face, yeah he terrfies you..

🍂 But you wont admit that, not ever and theres something about your brave tone and the determined defiant look in your eyes that really turns Arthur on...

🍂 So you fuck, thats how he deals with your defiance, he takes his anger out by fucking you fast and rough.

🍂 Its also the only way he'll ever get an apology out of you.

John

🌼 Doesnt like it, doesnt sit right with him being spoken to like that by a woman, its not right.

🌼 But does he get off on seeing you speak like that to other men? So much... Especially when its classic authority figures like the police. He also loves to hear you knock Isaiahs and Finns cocky smirks right off their faces.

🌼 He likes defending you but he doesnt half admire the fact that you dont need him too.

🌼But it does annoy him when you then tell him not to defend you. Hes your man, its his job to defend you. Especially from other men.

🌼His favourite thing about your quick temper is the way you talk to Linda... Linda likes to make plenty of snide comments about you, your class, the fact that you swear and take the lords name in vane. The fact that you're fucking a gangster out of wedlock. Shes always telling you that you live in sin and youre always telling her where to shove her bible.

🌼The number of times he hasnt been able to stop himself laughing out loud when youve snapped back at Linda. He fucking loves it, and he encourages you too, telling you how fantastic it was later when youre away from everyone.

🌼He doesnt like it when you snap at Tommy though, John is scared of his older brother, he knows Tommy wont stand for your defiance and so hes always begging you not to start anything with tommy. For the most part you oblige but every now and then when you think somethings unreasonable...

🌼John finds himself having to make excuses for you, apologising on your behalf cause you sure as hell won't do it.

🌼 Especially because usually when you snap at Tommy its because youre trying to protect John from risking his life in another Tommy scheme.

Bonnie

🍀 Bonnie doesnt have many rules for you and he isnt one to go ordering you about. He only asks that you look after yourself, that you dont go getting yourself into any trouble.

🍀And that you stay away from the peaky blinders, you dont interfere with him and his dads business with them

🍀And thats where you just can't oblige... Your curiosity gets the better of you for a start, you want to know who your mans getting involved with but more than that youre worried.

🍀You care about bonnie deeply and so you want to know everything about his work so that you can best learn how to protect him.

🍀If you get cheeky with him its probably over something lighthearted. Bonnie doesn't really have a temper for taking out on you, if youre arguing he tends to let you say your piece but he wont rise to it.

🍀"Am only telling you not to get involved because i love you little dove, cant have you getting hurt... Dont know what id do if anything ever happened to you... Thats why i tell you to stay away... Cause i love you," he tells you this whilst cupping your face in his palm, kissing your forehead.

🍀 And because of this you dont really argue at all. Unless youve put yourself in harms way, then he maybe has some sharp words for you, they're just a fuelled only by concern for you though. Hes a gentle soul.

🍀He does adore your witt and sharp tongue though, loves it when you give as good as you get from the other boys at the settlement, loves to hear you answer back the adult men and women too.

🍀Youre so wild and it balances his calm/gentle nature.

🍀 Its even more entertaining when hes training at the boxing gym, when his teachers being a miserable bastard, laying into Bonnie purely because hes a gypsy boy, sometimes youll snap at him in english so he can understand, but sometimes youll say it in romani so that only you and Bonnie can know what youve said.

🍀Bonnie laughing, gleeful and proud because you can be so brutal, and because youve really pissed his teacher off. When the old man demands he tell him what you said Bonnie will only occasionally translate, sometimes he'll just repeat what you said in romani again. Therell be steam practically coming out the old mans ears.

🍀One day Tommy catches what you've said and then you and Bonnie both get into trouble, you both feel like school children being reprimanded. But even tommy has a soft spot for you, he found your romani insult entertaining too.

🍀 Sometimes bonnie likes to remind you of your bad behaviour when youre havibg sex, he likes to tell you how cheeky you are, how youre gonna get yourself into trouble if youre not careful.

🍀"With who? You?" "Are you testing me little dove?"

🍀 Your temper has causes real trouble before, you talked back to a man in the garrison and he raised his hand to hit you. Bonnie cut in the second he saw what was happening.... Hes not a boy who has a temper until someone threatens you...

🍀Even if you were asking for trouble.

Isaiah

🐀Doesnt like that you talk back to him but does like that you talk back to other people. Its a tricky situation and he doesn't know how to deal with you

🐀It would be a shame to tame you when you bring him so much entertainment, but he also cant stand it when youre rude to him

🐀Feels like it threatens his manhood when he lets you get away with answering back or defying him

🐀So he doesnt let you get away with it, he has plenty of ways to punish you when youre bad... Most of them sexual.

🐀The problem is, hes such a cocky bastard and sometimes that just gets under your skin and rubs you up the wrong way.

🐀"dont see why i should have to take orders from you, youre no Tommy Shelby..."

🐀Saying stuff like that reallyyyyy riles him up, it wounds his ego, it pisses him off.

🐀You get yourself in trouble with him so much but you like the being in trouble, you get your kicks from watching his temper flare.

🐀Kind of likes that youre rude to him sometimes because it gives him an excuse to put you over his lap and spank you.

🐀It causes problems for him when you're rude to Michael, not so much because Michael would hurt you but because Polly wouldn't hesitate to smack you. And it has happened before.

🐀Isaiah actually found himself on your side, stepped in to stop her doing it again. When he checked you over after taking you away somewhere you could be alone, he grinned at you, congratulationed you on putting michael in his place, "he can be a right smug git sometimes, deserved what you said to him,"

🐀Mostly he likes that youre a little wild and unpredictable, the problem is so is he... So you lead eachother to take risks when you shouldnt.

🐀Loves to fuck the defiance out of you, "think you're clever do you, answer me back, breaking the rules... Think you're a clever girl huh y/n?" "Still feel fucking clever now?"

🐀Will bend you over the bed and fuck you witb your face pushed into the mattress, spanking you too until you finally say youre sorry and promise not tk disobey him again.

🐀But both of you know that you will, its like you just cant help yourself.

Michael

☘️ "No, fucking no... You don't talk to me like that y/n you just fucking dont..."

☘️He wont stand for it, he hates that you dare to challenge him. It pierces his delicate ego and it reminds him that he'll never be as authorititave as Tommy.

☘️ "Im your fuckin husband and youll show me some fucking respect..."

☘️ "What about your respect Michael? Do i get to have your respect?"

☘️ He is constantly telling you to behave yourself but he cant tame you. He knows deep down he'll never be able to and he also wonders whether hed still be attracted to you if you were meak and completely submissive. Wouldnt that bore him?

☘️Spanks you, it goes against his morals to hit a woman but once, once you really crossed a line and he raised his hand to you... He never actually hit you but the intent was there and the moment he caught himself, stopped himself, he felt terrible.

☘️ "What? You gonna hit me Michael? You gonna hit a girl? Some man you are eh..." youd spat at him, completely defiant, even with his hand raised to strike you youd been confident enough to look him dead in the eyes and continue to chastise him.

☘️ Polly kind of admires you for not taking any shit from Michael, she'd have raised her son to respect women if she had had the chance to, so shes glad you stand up for yourself. Its the only way to survive in the Shelby family.

☘️ Michael doesnt like it when you defy Tommy, when you question him and argue back in family meetings. It embarrasses him, thinks it makes it look like he cant control his wife... But he cant control his wife.

☘️ He takes his anger with you out on you during sex but honestly you love that and it just makes you want to push his buttons even more.

☘️Youve even brought it up in an argument... "Why whatre you gonna do to me Michael, if i swear at you one more time what will you do? You gonna fuck me are you? You gonna fuck your wife until she fuckin cries? Go on i double dare you..."

☘️ You end up with bruises.

#tommy shelby x reader #bonnie gold x reader #peaky blinders imagines #arthur shelby x reader #john shelby x reader #peaky blinders headcanon #peaky blinders imagine #alfie solomons fanfic #alfie solomons imagine #alfie solomons x reader

[savnofilter]

Reaction to FEM!Reader W/ Tongue Piercings

-> Bakugo Katsuki & Kirishima Eijiro

   Bakugo Katsuki | Kirishima Eijiro x [FEM]Reader

CONTENT WARNING(S): suggestive content, mentions of kissing, implied mentions of seggs.

WORD COUNT: .4k words.

READ MORE: masterlist + [student masterlist].

A/N: i wish i could work more with these but we'll see later on!! ofc the other choice would be kiri <33 n i wasnt sure if the implications of the ask so they stayed (mostly) sfw lol. as for student reqs, i will take them with a grain of salt. no guarantee they will be done or finished. thank you, anon!

oh he thinks you're fucking cool.

at first i was thinking he'd question you, but does he gaf like that??

[+] the answer yes and no.

Bakugo honestly has never thought about piercings in his own free time, so when you pop out with him he just starts thinking.

asks to see it and analyzes it like when dads stare at a TV screen with their hands on their hips.

Bakugo was sure of two things:

1) it was cool as fuck.

2) it was hot as fuck.

he loves your tongue piercing.

once your piercing is all healed he wants to experience everything (physical) he had with you.

when he kisses you with added tongue for the first time in awhile, the kiss is slow and sensual. he likes feeling your piercing but is in no rush to avoid hurting you.

so much more hums of approval and low moans as he finds himself getting lost in your kiss.

dont even get him started feeling your tongue on his skin and how the little change in texture can easily make him shiver.

he thinks your tongue is honestly so rad that he hopes you get more.

[+] he doesnt even care what you get next, he just wants to see you in more!!! 🤭

unlike contrary belief, i don't think Bakugo is the type to get piercings and tats so he leaves that category up to you lol.

Kirishima asks all the questions lmao.

"Did it hurt?" "How long did it take?" "How many piercings are you gonna get?"

gives you so many kisses as soon as you are healed LOL.

likes to toy and play with you, even gifts you rings (or whatever tf the jewelry is called for tongue piercings) cuz he knows you'll look good in them.

almost has a weird obsession with it if we're being honest.

your choice might also influence him?!$($(

HE JUST LOVES IT.

thinks it's fuckin' rad and honestly it might just influence him to get one of his own.

but that's a decision for later since he knows he will be lazy about the recovery process.

youre his punk gf in training and he will NOT miss this opportunity to cash in on it

[+] and of course if you don't want more that's totally fine. he just can't help himself but start to fantasize lol. he's a dreamer!!

he loves playing with your tongue and feeling it on him.

it's like an extra stimulant and the little texture it adds just makes him shiver in all the good ways.

11/10 he loves it. would not complain if you got more.

and if he does get a tongue piercing himself, he'll make sure to be an expert in tongue technique okay—

    all rights reserved © do NOT steal, alter or copy this work.

#bnha x reader #mha x reader #bakugo katsuki x reader #bakugo x reader #katsuki x reader #kirishima eijiro x reader #kirishima x reader #eijiro x reader #bnha headcannons #mha headcannons #sav's suggestin... sumthin

[yourbpdgf]

The pillars reactions to their traine thats super physicaly strong (like raw strength)

Their in a spar match and they just pick them up and bitch slam them on the floor straight on their back 😭

hii, i only write for 4 of the pillars, (mitsuri, obanai, sanemi and muichirou) so if they arent the specific onws you wanted im sorry abt that. here you go though 🤲🏼.

obanai, mitsuri, muichiro and sanemi with a vv physically strong trainee!

obanai:

• uhm excuse me... what the hell???? 🤠

• hes so confused

• if you could body slam the shit out of him why are you trying to train under him???

• like for all that you can rip the demons head off with with your hands! you dont need to learn how to wield a sword from him 😭.

• when oyakata first brought you to obanai to be his trainee he genuinely thought you were weak too ☠️.

• mans was like, "ha look at this dumbass they dont even know how to wield a sword 🥱"

• and you probably heard him bc that body slam seemed so personal-

• hes sorry just dont do that again, hell teach you serpent breath and everything :,).

mitsuri:

• omgomg OMGGGG

• shes always wanted a trainee! shes so exciteddd

• she almost forgot she had to spar with you to test your current skill. she just wanted to get straight into teaching you breath of love or helping you make your own breathing technique!

• but obanai reminded her and here we are now.

• shes still excited though! she even emphasized not to go easy on her, so you sadly had to body slam the nicest woman alive.

• but shes not mad, shes actually so impressed.

• shes extremely physically strong too you know! shed probably challenge you to a sparring match without weapons, who knows who will win! probably not you.

• anyway she thinks youre extremely cool and shes excited to see how strong youll be with a sword!

muichiro:

• see he was supposed to start your training like... last week? he doesnt know, he forgot.

• another thing he forgot, like mitsuri, was that he had to spar with you. unlike her though he didnt forget because he was excited he just deadass forgot.

• once yall were starting and he saw you didnt have a sword he immediately got defensive.

• hes forgetful not dumb, oyakata would not make him train you if you werent strong. so that means if you cant use a sword your probably as strong as the fuckin hulk.

• so since hes prepared, you probably wont be able to get to body slam him, but for the sake of this hc lets say you do.

• hes more annoyed than anything ☠️.

• hes like, "wtf that was mad uncalled for. now my back hurts. i cant even watch the clouds now because it hurts for me to lay down bc of you, dickhead."

• i hc sassy muichirou

• hell forgive you eventually probably.

sanemi:

• i love sanemi i promise not more than muichiro 🙄 but he would be the biggest dh ever.

• hed def be like "now why the actual fuck would i train a dumbass that doesnt even know how to use a sword??? you have to be really fucking talentless to-"

• he got bodyslammed before he could finish.

• contrary to probably what everyone would think, he smiles.

• he probablys like, "okay maybe i was being a douche, you might have a little potential."

• thats the best your gonna get from him so take it.

• in the end you got some respect from sanemi shinazugawa himself, be proud.

masterpost

#obanai x reader #mitsuri x reader #muichiro x reader #sanemi x reader #demon slayer x reader #anime x reader #x reader #iguro obanai x reader #mitsuri kanroji x reader #muichiro tokito x reader #sanemi shinazugawa x reader

[considermygenderminecrafted]

Okay here's some c!Phil analysis off the top of my head

I think c!Phil says what he means and what he wants people to know, and also assumes other people say what they mean and what they want him to know. And, contrary to some belief, this is not because he is 'dense', it's not because he doesn't care to try and dig in and find out more. (In fact calling someone stupid or uncaring for not doing this would be ableist this is something autistic people struggle with sometimes) I don't think it's merely a skills deficit he's nae tried to fill or negate, I think it's related to respect and boundaries.

Phil is not someone who doesn't want to know things, (he in fact, has asked multiple people multiple times about the server, it's history and what happened in exile he just got no straight answer) he just assumes that what people don't want him to know, are things he has no business knowing. And as every motherfucker knows mind you damn business till someone makes it yours. That's basic respect and basic 'dont get fuckin murked'

If someone lies to his face about themselves, and he knows they're lying, he will accept the lie because it's rude and invasive to assume you have a right to know more about someone than they're telling you. And it's infantilasing to assume they can't make the call to tell you things or not tell you things. (See Ranboo water bottles)

So Philza will act on the information people have givin him, because clearly that is the information they want him to act upon. If people don't want him to know about [X] or [y] when he's giving advice or making a decision or something then to like act on [X] or [y] is disrespectin their wishes and parameters they've drawn (See his choices about dream and exile and his advice to Wilbur and Tommy) for the conversation. He trusts that I'd people need him or want him, they'll tell him straight up, because that's what he does to others. (See trusting Ranboos promise to stay safe and answering Tommy's questions about doomsday) It's again, about mutual respect.

Almost everything with Phil goes back to respecting choice and respecting personhood and understanding no one is better than anyone else. He doesn't know better than someone else to make the call on what he needs to know about hes not gonna disrespect someone's choice to keep him in the dark on summit and he's not gonna disrespect someone's choices (see him having a feelin techno was working on summit but deciding not to investigate or harass him about it.) If people don't want to communicate with him, that their choice and he's not gonna fill in gaps they've left blank

#philza #okay i moved my frustration into philza love #im normal again #thank yoh for the the patiences fellas #like maybe youve not considered reapect looks different to different people #yknow?

[orowyrm]

let's talk about the way we talk about sigma

and i’m not just saying this because i’m a hater or because i find the woobification of characters annoying (although i am, and i do, but that’s neither here nor there) but i AM saying it cuz it’s no longer mildly annoying so much as it is just hurtful and exhausting due to the casual ableism it perpetuates. whether it’s consciously or not, it’s there and i’m pointing it out cuz a lot of people probably don’t even realize what they’re saying (i hope) so i wanna spell it out crystal clear.

*granted, these are sentiments i’ve seen far more often on twitter or tiktok than on here (and i know complaining about stupid takes on either site is like going to the beach and getting mad about all the sand, but bear with me) but it’s ABSOLUTELY something that i see a lot on here too and i'm starting to get incredibly fed up with it all. someone's gotta fuckin say it.

im going to put the majority of this under a readmore because i've got a lot to say on the topic but here's the long and short of it:

you guys have GOT to stop acting like sigma is a poor little helpless confused manipulated innocent little uwu baby. like, for real. stop saying that shit. stop lamenting about “waahhh poor science granpa doesn’t know where he is or what’s happening around himmm 🥺🥺🥺”. stop acting like he’s being held captive or abused by talon despite evidence to the contrary so you can make your little “uwu i can’t wait for overwatch to save him and Fix Him uwuwuw” posts. and for the love of all that’s holy, if i see one more person say or imply that he was better off when he was being forcibly institutionalized than he is now working for talon, i’m going to start fucking attacking people with my teeth like a chimpanzee.

it's incredibly fucking weird and alienating for literally anyone who experiences even a fraction of the things yall are pointing out as proof of his incompetence. and before any of you hit me with the "oh it's not that deep 🙄" im gonna tell you right now that i dont care and im going to be mad about it anyway cuz its my party and i can post whatever i want.

ANYWAY!!

to continue my point, not only is it weird and infantilizing and demeaning and belittling to those of us who deal with literally any of the myriad of things going on with him that i’ve seen people point to as proof that he ‘needs to be fixed’ — memory lapses, time loss, dissociation, auditory hallucinations, disordered thought, just straight up being autistic, hyperfocus and/or complete lack of focus, panic attacks or meltdowns, i cannot overstate how many of the ‘weird’ things he does are just autistic traits so i’m gonna say it a second time for good measure — and those are all just things that i personally have in common with him (which is part of the reason i’m as mad about this as i am to make this post, but i digress).

to single out these things, all of which are completely reasonable for someone who is autistic, who is traumatized, who suffered through a prolonged period of forced confinement, and/or who has literal brain damage, and NONE of which are nearly as tragic and doomed as people are making them out to be, that’s all bad enough on its own!

but to point out these traits and then turn around and use them to color every single interaction he has with another character, every single thing he says, and tie it back to his traaaagic broken mind and how he’s clearly losing his grip on reality just feels… insanely othering in a way that’s really exhausting.

like, for fucks sake, a solid 80% of his character interactions could be lifted near verbatim from conversations i’ve had in real life with my friends, family, coworkers, you name it, all of which were friendly and usually in jest — hell, 9/10 times when i let out a random non sequitur or lose my train of thought or forget what i’m doing, nobody even bats a fucking eye! they sure as hell don't accuse whoever i’m talking to of abusing me because they expressed mild annoyance at my bad joke.

i’ve genuinely seen someone get all worked up and construe his one interaction with sombra where he comments on her tendency to disappear and reappear in odd places as evidence that he’s got dementia and is slipping away from reality altogether… and not, yknow, a nod to her fucking cloaking ability and translocator and the fact that she uses both very frequently just for the hell of it. that one still fucking baffles me i'm sorry. if i hadn't seen it with my own eyes i'd honestly think it was a joke. like. cmon now

another thing that makes it even worse is that most of this is also just…. not even grounded in canon. if this was the way blizz was writing him, it’d be one thing. it would still be shitty and ableist, but blizzard handling their oooh spooky scary mentally ill character badly is about as surprising as the sun rising every morning. i can't say i wouldn't still be upset to see people continuing to perpetuate it, but i wouldn't be AS mad, i guess.

but SO. MANY. of the popular takes on his character are either never concretely stated or outright contradicted by his ingame dialogue and interactions and it drives me insane!!! idk WHERE y’all are getting this shit but so many people are reaching so hard to make him a tragic sad uwuwuw glass bones and paper skin pathetic little meow meow that they’re going out of their way to misinterpret source material so they can shout from the rooftops about how sad and pathetic and unaware they think people like me must be.

i keep seeing people talk about how he probably has no idea that talon is a terrorist group, that he doesn’t know what talon IS, or that he doesn’t even know that he WORKS for talon, and it’s starting to go from mildly annoying to infuriating. this shit has literally no basis in canon aside from conjecture based on the fact that he’s Known to be mentally ill!! i don't see even half as many people getting this all up in arms about widow, who we KNOW FOR A FACT was literally kidnapped and experimented on and brainwashed by talon. like. that's her WHOLE THING. meanwhile sig literally just works there and people are clamoring for ovw to come """""rescue"""""" him as if hes like, a lab animal or something instead of a grown man who happens to not be particularly bothered by the fact that he works for talon.

this is something that's addressed in game MULTIPLE TIMES - he’d far prefer to watch an ant crawl on the ceiling than listen to s76 trying to ‘talk sense into him’, not because he can’t hear him or anything either, it’s pretty clear from his tone and cadence that he’s actively choosing to ignore him. when baptiste points out the fact that he’s fully capable of leaving talon if he wanted to, he doesn’t deny it or act confused or like that’s a strange thing to say, he just seems a little bemused that someone would think he WANTS to leave. yeah, he sure could— but why would he bother?

he's not "totally unaware of what he's doing" in the fucking slightest - hell, i'd argue that his new map-exclusive lines and interactions prove that he's MORE grounded now than he was in ovw1. yes, he gets a little confused on occasion when he can't quite remember the last time he's been somewhere. (memory lapses are just kind of like that. i had several while writing this post, in fact! it just fucking happens sometimes. it's really not the end of the world. frustrating, yeah, but i promise you we can manage just fine).

i guess the question i'm asking is: is it really all that difficult for to fathom that he might just... WANT to be there? that he might just straight up not care what talon is up to, so long as he's able to keep doing his research as he sees fit??

and for the record, before anyone takes this and runs with it and we lose the plot of this post, i am NOT SAYING that the very idea of wanting him to leave talon is #problematic or anything. i dont care, really. do whatever you want. what i do care about is just like.... being mindful about what we're saying and WHY we're saying it. it's reaching a point where people are somehow managing to look at the ass backwards already ableist as hell decisions blizz has already made with him and decided "hey, i bet i can find a way to make that even worse!"

#overwatch #sigma #siebren de kuiper #overwatch 2 #ovw2 #sorry for the essay but also im not sorry. in fact i am kinda mad.

[firstenchanterorsino]

Wrex and Jack from Mass Effect had two of the best character arcs ever

#I thought abt including Garrus but I just dont vibe him as having much as an arc as more his character did more things and developed #Garrus is a good character and yeah he went all like fuckin' renegade crusader in me2 but i feel like that was foreshadowed in me1 #due to his frustrations with C-Sec and ppl not getting what's coming to them. his biggest development is p much YOUR choice in whether #or not he realized that revenge isn't going to make him feel better about the people he's lost and that he's getting colder 'n meaner #But ultimately Garrus has always felt like garrus??? he's a Goober #Meanwhile Wrex and Jack had their entire philosophy on people and their place on the world change and took on very contrary leader roles #Ultimately becoming the good and change they've wanted to see but didnt want to depend on other people like that because #they were too cynical and hopeless and learned that they think for themselves first

[strawberryama]

Haikyuu Guys that Wouldnt Mind if Their Girlfriend Isnt Very Verbal in Bed

|| its literally one of my biggest insecurities so here we fuckin are

characters: atsumu, akaashi, terushima, kenma, ennoshita, shimada

minors dni 18+ barKBARKBARK

Pretty boy doesn’t mind at all. He in fact sees it as an advantage and, dually, a challenge. Atsumu can admittedly be a little shit. So he’ll drag you into not exactly the most appropriate places to have sex every now and then. And since you aren’t very verbal, you too typical can get by without getting caught. That is if Mr. Loud Mouth can also keep quiet. But sometimes, Atsumu will take your lack of verbal engagement as a challenge. He understands that maybe you just don’t work that way, or maybe its a trauma response, or maybe you dont like how you sound. If you talk about it with him, he will always be sweet and understanding. Buuuuttt that won’t stop him from pulling entirely out only to slam back in to hear that surprise gasp from you. He cherishes every breath caught in your throat, each whimper, and plea that he rips from you cause he knows that they’re rare. And god. The fact that they’re rare makes them even hotter to him. But if he cant get any noises from you that night, or day knowing him, that’s okay! He’ll make plenty of groans and grunts for both of you. And he’ll always smile and tell you how you did so good at the end.

This sarcastic sasshole is pretty quiet himself, so when its brought up, he simply says that he doesnt have much room to complain either. Besides Keiji doesnt need verbal clues to know you’re enjoying yourself. He’s got plenty other context clues. He never pushes you outta your comfort zone with the noises as he knows it may be a sensitive topic. When you make noise in bed, he just grins, eyes darkening. He won’t comment on it though. Akaashi wants to let you be the one to tell him how you’d like him to respond to it. If you din’t want it to even be acknowledged, then he is happy to act as if nothing happened. But…if you want praise or are okay with him commenting at the time, he’ll tease the hell out of you. Akaashi’ll call you a good girl and say things like “mmm…whats that? Speak up, princess.” or “hm? Oh, I see. It must feel really good if you’re moaning like that tonight.”

Terushima, my gremlin king. The cum bucket commander, himself. Contrary to popular belief, Yuuji is highly intrigued by a quiet partner. He’s so used to loud, sensitive partners that this change in pace has him reeling. He never even thinks to ask why you’re so quiet. He just is able to indulge each of his senses when fucking you. Yuuji is able to pick up the soft panting under you breath and relishes in it. Its so cute. Fuck loud moans and whining, Yuuji goes feral when his head is buried in your neck and you are softly panting, whimpering so softly, its barely even audible. Though when you do cry out finally for the first time, he genuinely is scared he’s hurt you and stops. And then you guys have to talk about it finally. He isnt going to judge. He even shyly admits to being horribly horny for those soft pants you make. “I’m not against you getting a lil louder by any means, but just know you drive me nuts already with what you do,” he’d tell you. And next time you squeak out, he’ll grin, chuckling “yeah? Tell me more about it, baby girl!”

Kenma! Finally. Some. Peace. And. Quiet. I’m kidding. But Kenma kinda prefers that you’re quiet. He can get a lil whiny himself and even he finds himself a bit embarrassed by the noises he makes. He understands 100% and never pries. In fact he’d soon ask if noises he makes turn you off or irritate you in bed! I think if you were to make some noise, Kenma’d go a little feral and moan over your own, getting turned on. Its so rare to hear you so loud and that was kinda hot. It was like a lil treat. Like when you’re grinding away in a game and you finally after hours of searching get a rare item. If you were to moan in his ear, he’d cum right there and then; of course, Kenma would be horribly embarrassed by this though. Even though it does turn him on a great deal, Kenma would respect you and never ask you to make noise cause he doesn’t want you to feel you have to fake it. He’s more than okay with lazily fucking into you for hours only to hear you squeal upon orgasming the fourth time that night.

Chikara, my beloved. He has no issue with you being on the quiet side. He may ask, but understands if you don’t want to or aren’t ready to share why. But, remember that Chikara is a pretty sadistic motherfucker. Similarly to Atsumu, he’ll see it kind of as a challenge. He doesn’t want to upset you but those squeaks and desperate whines when he’s denied your orgasm for the umpteenth time, are music to his ears. He can get pretty damn rough when he wants to. Chikara’ll pound into you without warning while he has you blindfolded just to hear you gasp loudly then whimper his name. He doesn’t do it all the time by any means though. The soft pants under your breath are more than enough for him most days. Chikara gets off in private when you two are unable to see each other, to the thought of your soft panting and your breath on his neck. Your legs shaking as his fingers curl into your sopping cunt, breath hitching quietly when he hits that spot. Chikara never thought of how hot the quieter things could be until he found himself in his room, cum dripping down his hand, the memories of your encounters on replay in his brain. Needless to say, you drive him nuts constantly, noise or not.

Shimada is such an angel. He’ll be concerned he’s doing a piss poor job at first but he picks up on little hints and clues a few times in. The way you clench around him, your nails biting at his skin. Shimada was doubting himself for a while but when you came around his cock, breath caught in your throat, back arched and thighs shaking, he knew he had to be doing something right. Shimada learned to trust more in your body language than any other indicator. And truthfully he’s not too loud or talkative in bed himself, so when he takes a step back, he can’t fault you really. Of course, he has flopped besides you before and asked if you liked it cause he couldn’t tell at first. When you apologized for being not too verbally enthusiastic, he was propping himself up and shushing you. Shimada’d tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and say that there’s nothing wrong with that at all. But do know that if you ever get a lil loud verbally, his ego skyrockets and his vigor is renewed instantly. Shimada will start pounding into you so deep and fast, leaving you breathless.

Rest of the Club Roster :

(mightve not been enough to write about them respectively like i could above) : Ushijima, Hinata, Oikawa, Aone, Koganegawa, Omimi, Akagi, Kai Nobuyuki, Udai, Alisa, Shirabu, Kuguri, Sakusa, Komori, Kita

#haikyuu!! #haikyū!! #atsumu x reader #atsumu miya #miya atsumu #akaashi keiji #terushima yuuji #terushima x reader #akaashi x reader #kozume kenma #kenma x reader #chikara x reader #chikara ennoshita #makoto shimada #shimada x reader #makoto shimada x reader #shimada makoto x reader

[not-me-simping-for-blasty]

some soft!bakugou brainrot for the soul:

-he likes when you greet him in the morning. will absolutely roll his eyes and say sum “jesus, idiot, it’s too fuckin’ early for pathetic enthusiam like that” but will also simultaneously get pouty if u dont say hi to him first

-very much a quiet boy when it’s late at night. will just sit back with his eyes half-lidded and head in his hands, giving a little “mhm” to everything you say. you think he’s not listening but when you don’t finish a thought he will, without missing a beat go “the hell? really? gonna talk that much and then not even finish the story?”

-will cook meals that you like but will insist that he likes them too. bakugou is 100% trying to convince you that he made it for himself but the entire extra portion with your favorite toppings implies the opposite

-pays attention to what you’re doing in training, and will not outright tell you if you’re doing well,, but when ur alone he’ll just sorta “you looked less pathetic than last time, dumbass” with a slight smirk as he brushes past you

-likes to bicker,, i mean come on, obviously, but what i mean is that he just looks so weirdly happy when u yell at him (def goes heart eyes but literally do not say a word about it pls)

-goes very soft for hand massages,,, just like, ground ur thumb into the heel of his hand and rub at his knuckles. man’s will melt into wherever he’s sitting and close his eyes

-will absolutely bite your head off if you’re reckless, but then spend the rest of his time trying to think of ways to avoid u ever being in that much danger again

-remembers places you’ve been together very clearly. so like, if y’all wanna revisit some restaurant, bakugou is leading the way and ur just like “??? that was 6 months ago how do u know where you’re going” ,, n he just scoffs and “because i’m the best. now shut up and pay attention we’re about to cross the street”

-is very soft about u wearing his clothes but only when no one else is around to see it. idk contrary to popular belief i actually see him being very flustered by the sight of u in his clothes. so he won’t let u wear anything around others rlly, but when it’s just him??? poor bby is so soft for it. like, v much hiding his red face in your neck and just breathing u in type of soft

-has a specific blanket that he keeps for when u hang out. eventually it starts to smell like you, bc obviously, n he’ll cuddle up with it when you can’t be with him

-adores when you sing to him. 100% doesn’t matter if you’re good or not,, bakugou just likes that you don’t do it in front of anyone else

-likes when you get needlessly angry with him. idk how to explain it,, but just like, if he’s bitching at one of his friends and you back him up, purely bc u like the chaos, bakugou will be totally 🥰 over it. only after he’s done yelling tho

-mans has a thing for praise. he does. we been knew. but he rlly has an even bigger thing for mundane praise, like rlly small things like, “wow your handwriting is so neat” or “omg your room is so clean! you’re so organized!”,,, jus tiny stuff in passing that let’s him kno he’s doing good

-will absolutely not admit it but he 100% prays for lint on his uniform so you’ll brush it off for him. it’s like, a tiny little touch, just enough to sate him, but not so much that it feels like embarrassing pda

-is a sucker for someone he can just sit in silence with. like idk, if y’all noticed it, but he literally has like, nothing to say when he’s not bitching, so if he’s not angry he’ll just be quiet. if u can be quiet with him, in the same space but not talking, bakugou is a very happy boy about it

-he likes to know things about you no one else does,, so if u tell him anything in confidence, literally anything, he’ll keep it secret. 100% every time, no exceptions, will never spill a single detail even if someone is begging him to

-probably demands that u say u love him multiple times before y’all go to sleep. its the only affection he outright asks for so u give in every time

-shares whatever he has with u. just wordlessly will hand u a piece of whatever he’s eating. doesn’t warn u if it’s spicy tho,, bc he’s still a little shit

-sort of just follows you wherever you’re going. like, if u tell him u want to be alone he’ll leave, but otherwise he just kinda assumes he’s meant to follow. most times he’s right

-he is 100% the type to know something is wrong without u having to say it. he prob knows exactly what it is too. lmao like, sure, he’s still totally clueless on how to approach/support you but bakugou is the furthest thing from dumb. he knows,, he just does.

-gets super protective about your things. like, god forbid somebody try to write anything in ur notebook while you’re not paying attention,, bakugou’ll threaten them before their pen even touches the paper

-he likes to tend to your injuries. like, even the rlly minor ones. like, let’s say u get a papercut??? pls mans is grabbing your finger, running it under water, and wrapping a bandaid around it before u even register it. he’ll grumble the whole time like “jesus, dumbass, can’t believe i have to do this.” but rlly he enjoys doing it bc it makes him feel important. like maybe he’s someone heroic to u

-if no one else is around, and there’s a lot of trust established, he’ll prob do whatever u tell him to. now ofc there’s gonna be a lot of complaining, bc it’s bakugou, but he’ll do it

-is a big fan of when you tell him he’s your favorite. pls the man is so see-through ahaha,, u could be like “omg! bakugou! you took out the trash without me asking?? that’s why you’re my favorite!” n all he walks away hearing is “they think im the best. i fucking am the best.”

-he likes to watch you do mundane things. like rlly little, every-day things like brushing your hair or tying your shoes. idk he just thinks your methodical movements are weirdly calming

-is a sucker for forehead kisses. like obvi, only when y’all are alone, but like, press a kiss to his hairline?? suddenly it’s rip angry bakugou, soft bakugou hrs only

-doesn’t rlly initiate touch that much,, but when he does mans is extremely petulant about it. like, if u decide u have something more pressing than him, bakugou is almost immeadiately going “that’s fucking stupid. what you’re doing. you should stop.” n then he’s just poking and prodding and needling at u until u fall into his arms

-shadows you at social gatherings. very guard-dog like from an outsider perspective, but rlly it’s just bc when katsuki says he doesn’t like anyone else, he means it. he’s sticking by you bc you truly are the only one he tolerates

-he secretly rlly likes when u fuss over him. like, when u ask him if he’s sore from training or if he has any injuries. bakugou will brush u off like the absolute bitch that he is, but secretly he’ll be so warm about it. he just likes that u care enough to ask

-he tries very hard to be gentle for u. ofc it pretty much never works bc it’s him, but he’ll still forever be reading romance manga n going “yeah, i bet they’d like that. gonna it do it way better though. im the fucking best, i can do it.”

ahahaaha me?? a bunch of bakugou thoughts?? never, idk what ur on about

#bnha bakugou #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #bnha bakugo katsuki #bnha fic #mha bakugou #bakugou x reader #bakugou headcanons

[zenosanalytic]

People What Aint From Round Here Is The Problem...

So I just watched Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood and I have THOUGHTS:

Ive read a few reviews&ruminations on this film at this point and I can’t believe that none of them got(or at least, mentioned explicitly) the primary thesis of this movie, spcl given that Tarentino flatly states it out the mouth of his primary protagonist within, like, the first 15-20mins of the film: “...most important thing in this town is when you’re making money you buy a house in town. You don’t rent... Hollywood real estate means you live here. You’re not just visiting, not just passing through. You fuckin live here.” i.e., the most important thing in Hollywood, to Hollywood, is the people FROM Hollywood; Everyone else is just a filthy, trouble-making tourist or profiteer who is “Passing Through” and “Doesnt Get It” and  “Is Fucking It Up”(It being the film industry), and probably “Secretly Hates Movies”. There are places and aspects of this movie that are basically a Nativist Angeleno rant, written by a life-long Angeleno film-nerd-turned-film-maker, against Hollywood’s critics(and his critics which he just totally conflates with the former), and probably non-Angelenos(and non-Californians?) in general.

There are two ways to read this thesis: Straight and Subverted/Satirized.

The evidence for reading it straight is pretty plentiful. Lots of reviews have puzzled at where the line connecting the constant hippie-bashing, the weird focus on knocking Polanski’s Polishness & preference for shooting in London, and the inexplicable pot-shot at Bruce Lee is, and I think this is it. “The Hippies” are repeatedly presented as a corrupting force: digging through trash, living in squalourous filth at the Spahn Ranch dragging members of “Old Hollywood” like its owner into it with them, selling drugs, and using sex to “control” men. And attached to this is presenting “The Hippies” as foreign; not only from another place, but refusing to assimilate with the LA way of life and hostile to it. The Manson family are the only explicitly identified “Hippies” in the film(other than, possibly, the one who sells Cliff an acid cig). The only “positive” portrayals of Bruce Lee in the film are silent ones of him teaching anglos kung fu, which has some fairly obvs and well-understood Implications.

But there’s also good evidence for reading it as subverted and satirized. Both Tate and Dalton are NOT from California, let alone LA, and Booth’s origins are left unclear. Dalton’s the only one of them explicitly id’d as being from elsewhere(Missouri), but Tate’s easy to google and she was a military kid who grew up all over the place. When Dalton returns from Italy, that sequence and his look in it are VERY reminiscent of the scenes introducing Polanski at the beginning of the film. The side-characters around Tate, perennially shown in a positive light, are also non-Angelenos. Doing Spaghetti Westerns revitalizes Dalton’s career, despite his disdain for Italian cinema. Tate and her crew, while not explicitly ID’d as “Hippies” and often shown in Mod and other fashion styles, are also presented in “Hippie” fashion, shown listening to “Hippie” music, smoking the “Hippie” Reefer(Im sorry, but Comedy Demanded this phrasing and I am Devout u_u), and implied to be living a polyamorous “Hippie” life.

It really is difficult for me to say which predominates. On the one entirely metaphorical hand, the ways in which Dalton’s Angeleno chauvinism are subverted and mocked are fairly obvs, but on the other emh, the film is FILLED with LITERALLY GLOWING nostalgia for this pre-Hippy, pre-Lefty, pre-70s, Conservative and Republican California&Los Angeles. Dalton’s focus on property-ownership&the film industry in the opening thesis could easily be seen as resolving these subversive contradictions to allow for a straight read(ie: Tate, Booth, and Dalton are “Hollywood People” who’ve both bought real-estate in LA, and who’ve grown up in film or film-adjacent fields and choose to center their adult lives in the film industry). So much, in fact, that I kinda started to wonder abt QT’s politics while watching it. And, if it WAS satirical, then what’s the point of the knock to Bruce Lee and focusing criticisms of Polanski on his Polishness and shooting in London? Is that just meant to characterize Dalton and Booth as nativists and racists?

It really cannot be said enough that there are REALLY MORE APPROPRIATE CRITICISMS to make of Polanski than 1)begin Polish, 2)possessing boyish effeminacy, and 3)preferring to shoot movies in London instead of LA. Which are this movie’s only problems with him(though it also takes the time to show him bitchily smoking a cigarette in an evening gown while being rude to a dog). Obvsl I dont object to villainizing an ACTUAL REAL LIFE VILLAIN like this shitstain, but I DO object to being asked(albeit gently) to participate in this film’s understated nationalist bigotry.

It’s possible that Cliff’s turning Pussycat down during the drive to the ranch was intended to be this but I highly doubt it. And if it was it’d be misrepresenting Polanski’s misdeeds enormously, considering that Pussycat, the too-young girl, is the sexual instigator in this film. Polanski liked to manipulate, drug, and rape underaged girls(he pulled the same shit with models in Europe before getting busted for it in LA, btw, then continued doing it after fleeing back to Europe); really not the same situation.

There’s another irony in that, while the film goes out of its way to call Polanski “boyish” and imply that makes him feminine and that this is Bad, there’s also a subtle under-current that... Tarentino sees himself in his youth the same way? He’s certainly never been short like Polanski and Jay Sebring are/were, QT’s 6 1, but the actors he cast to play them and the description made of the pair in-film are more than a bit reminiscent of how Tarentino looked&was discussed in the press back in the 90s when he was starting out. AAAaaand the film explicitly calls that Tate’s “Type”; leaving me with the question: would Tarentino be able to stop himself from implying a dead starlet would have been attracted to him? I leave the answer to your imaginations, Dear Readers u_u

Having said all that it IS a really good film, which I liked, I dont think it’d be very hard to set aside this political stuff while watching, the driving sequences are especially emotive&exhilarating, and there’s some seriously great acting in it. IDK if I’d say I liked it more than the recent Emma movie, tho.

I feel like each of the trio, Tate, Dalton, and Booth, were meant to symbolically Embody LA/Hollywood/California? Like Pitt especially seemed to be channeling movie characters and CJ from GTA: San Andreas throughout his performance, while I couldnt help but think of Ronald Reagan watching DiCaprio(spcl given the character’s likely politics). So there’s this sense in which the film is a fantasy of “Old Hollywood”, embodied by these three, Vanquishing its “Enemies”, represented by The Hippies(moralizing, pretentious, gross leftist) and potentially Polanski&Lee(foreign film ppl who refuse to integrate into the LA scene). Again, given the political history of Cali after this era, this embodiment raises some questions for me abt the film and QT’s politics(particularly in re: misogyny and feminism).

Also DiCaprio is totally going to get pitched a Reagan biopic off of this role and I sincerely hope he has the good sense to turn that shit the fuck down.

Circling back to the ranting at his critics, this movie was definitely and consciously a response to them. Like: up until the last 5-15 minutes of the film, and aside from a handful of too-lingering too fetishistic too on-the-nose creep shots of the female cast that Tarentino simply could not stop himself from making, OUATiH is precisely the sort of “Serious” film Tarentino’s critics have been saying he should make for decades now(of course he did Jackie Brown, which was that and which he blew Completely out of the park). And then there’s that bloody, gross-out, exploitation-movie ending. I dont actually think it was as bad as many critics were saying it was? For some reason I was thinking there was gonna be a massacre of the ENTIRE Manson family, which would have been totally out of left-field. But it WAS clearly a stinger of a major tone-shift thrown in as a Fuck You to the ppl who’ve called out his violent and exploitative preferences throughout the years. As for me I generally like his movies and think he’s a great filmmaker but he absolutely does go too far sometimes.

Rick Dalton, in an evening-gown, with a mixer full of iced-margarita in one hand, getting all up in the face of the driver of a loud exhaust-spewing jalope in his PRIVATE STREET was TOTALLY Tarentino himself :| By which I mean NOT ONLY that That’s ABSOLUTELY the sort of cameo he would have given himself 30 years ago and if it made any sort of sense at all in the film(which here it wouldnt have, obvsl), BUT ALSO that I feel 94% confident that Tarentino has actually done that at least once in his lifetime :| :|

I think the monologue&interactions T gives Bruce Lee leading up to the fight were probably more insulting to him than the fight itself. Contrary to popular discussion, it isn’t Pitt’s character totally trashing Lee, he gets in one good throw after Lee repeats a successful attack at his request(which I doubt Lee would have ever done from what little I know about him; not being predictable in a fight was his whole Deal), but rather an even duel between them(most of the fight is just the two blocking each others’ attacks). I dont think the film was trying to say “Lee was full of hot-air”, if it wanted to say that it’d have shown him getting trounced instead of showing him knock Booth down then trade him blow for blow, but more “Lee was pretty arrogant and a bit pretentious”.

OK, that’s abt all that I can think of right now: thanks for reading ^v^

#Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood #Quentin Tarentino #Long Post #Cinema #zA Reviews #Movie Reviews #zA Commentary #zA Opinions #analytic posts

[midoriyaizukustan-inactive]

I think/heard theres discourse of what mido's hero name should be. People saying dekiru because it's more positive etc. I honestly dont get it. He chose deku, from what I make out/interpret it as, to prove to Bakugou that Izuku's past and quirklessness is something he can be proud of and look back on how much hes grown from being bullied by katsudon headass, to being able to somewhat talk to him normally (manga spoiler ig) IZUKU chose deku and people are ignoring his OWN voice like in MIDDLE SC-

hhh it's just I'm so mad people ignoring what izuku actually chose like they legit KNOW what he wants. If he wanted dekiru he wouldve chosen fuckin dekiru but he chose deku and it sounds a lot like 'deck you' so in all honest AHNSJAAA A A ANA SNDJ why must they ignore my boy!! ((Again I dont know if this is actual discourse but I istg I saw this))

-----------

oh yeah no sadly the discourse is real its a whole thing im so exhausted

its really not that deep i dont understand why people r throwing such fits abt it in all honesty. like i get it on some level? i get being concerned that someone would stick a nickname their bully gave them onto themselves but like u said this is what midoriya chose do to and it wasnt to disrespect himself (quite the contrary actually)

his first friends changed the meaning of it for him. uraraka tells him “it sounds like the japanese word for ‘you can do it!’” and that sentiment is exactly what embodies midoriya’s spirit. the meaning changed for him. he wants to remember that first genuine, supportive connection he got by rebranding what “deku” means to him

plus it’s like,,,idk how to phrase this properly but it’s letting bakugou win almost?? if you dont let him keep the name. when midoriya chose deku, a dynamic formed over whose meaning will stick w the name: bakugou’s or midoriya’s? and not trusting midoriya to make this decision for himself lets bakugou win

and i saw someone compare it to like,,oppressed ppl taking back slurs that were used against them to empower themselves? like how black ppl have taken back the n word and how lgbt ppl have taken back the q slur. and i agree; letting midoriya keep deku now that he wants it is empowering. he gets to chose for the first time in his life how others see him and he wants this

but idk again i can see why ppl are concerned but its really,,it’s not the deep i dont think discourse should exist on the topic at all djkdjkf. if ppl wanna hc mido as having dekiru or w/e as his hero name that’s fine and no one should knock them but canon in this regard shouldnt be knocked either it’s just,,it’s just not that DEEP

idk man im tired and i hate this discourse this is all im gonna say on it. i dont wanna get into any beef pls dont send me any more messages or rb this trying to start an argument im so tired

#c makes a word #answer #deku discourse

[grizztomysam]

You know what I’m most excited to see for Grizzam in season 2? Everyone will think...the reunion of course. I mean what else is there but that sweet sweet moment.

No my good friends, contrary to popular belief the scene that I’m dying to see play out or scenes, cuz the possibilities are endless, is when Grizz goes all out Bear protective mode for his blue-eyed babe. I’m not pinning Sam down as some damsal in distress because the boy is a strong ass mother fucker for surviving all those years with a fuckin psychotic brother and still turned out to be this sweet ray of happy for everyone, but I think Grizz just won’t be able to go against instinct in wanting to keep his love safe? I mean Grizz is a protector, it’s in his DNA, besides the fact he was in the guard (default affect from being in the football team) but like he genuinely wants to keep people safe. Exhibit A, Allie, who he’s grown to really care for, the first thing he questions when he arrives from expedition is why she bleeding? Protective mode on full blast. So what more for the damn LOVE OF HIS LIFE (you don’t feel and cry that much and feel betrayed and angry for someone you would consider as last resort cuz there is now no one else and why the hell not see how this gay life plays out)?? I’m literally shaking with anticipation with how the dynamics will be shown on screen. Whether it’s trying to keep Sam from the guard or Campbell soup or even a whole new character. 

Cuz like Sam is selfless, to a fault, and also a fucking protector (how many times has he kept Becca from harm when the damn teens decide to play “let’s see who gets shot first”?? So he’d want to probably protect Grizz before Grizz could protect him. 

Imagine Campbell doing his Campbell thing (Imma take out the whole breaking up Grizzam or eden dies etc etc cuz that’s too heavy rn and lets be light, people) and just being a fucking dick to Sam and before Grizz can go in between them Sam’s pushing him away and behind him...I mean smol boy protecting Tall boy...le dead. And Grizz gets so frustrated and angry and also scared because what if Campbell brings his gun next time?

Like he’s shaking with anger cuz he’s terrified...Campbell doesn’t scare him. He’s big, he knows this, towers over most people, and can legit squash Campbell if given the chance. He’s a softy, yes, but boy is also hardcore. HE WILL THROW HANDS best believe. What terrifies him is the HIGH ASS possibility that Campbell can hurt Sam and not just hurt but kill him. So he’s fucking pissed when Sam goes all heroic and won’t let him be the protector.

Is fuming when they walk away, cuz he knows Campbell stood down not because of Sam but because Grizz was looking at the damn boy with murder in his eyes. Fuming because Sam was out in the damn open where Campbell could really hurt him. 

We know Grizz can be dramatic so he gets dramatic, stops Sam by grabbing him by the waist as they turn the corner and pushing him against the brick wall of the church, and Sam looks back startled, confused. And damn why are his eyes always so GODDAMN BLUE?? Grizz for a min forgets and stutters, one hand gripping Sam’s hip to the wall the other has now grasped his jaw, running his thumb by the space between Sam’s lips and his chin, a comfort thing he does sometimes. 

And he remembers...is desperate as he asks, gasps really because he’s drowning “What the fuck, Sam!? Why’d you push me back??”

Sam’s face steels as his mouth turns into a stubborn line.

“You don’t have to fight my battles for me!” he speaks and signs, placing his hands on Grizz’s chest as he tries to push him back.

“The hell I DO!!” Grizz stands firm grabbing onto Sam’s wrist and holding him in place. 

“He could have had a gun!!”

“Well he didn’t and I’ve done just fine before we even became a thing!” And Sam’s is twisting away but can’t seem to pull from Grizz strong grip so he settles on looking down, refusing to look at Grizz because now the subject will be dropped. 

And fuck why does he have to love such a stubborn independent brave gorgeous boy. 

So he places his cheek against Sam’s own and whispers his fears. 

‘I’ll die Sam. If I lose you I’ll die.”

And Sam can’t not not know what he’s saying because he’s sure Sam can feel the wet on his cheek now and he pushes his head back looking up, question on his lips so Grizz repeats as he cups Sams face.

“If I lose you, I’ll die Sam. I’ll kill him first, but I know I won’t be able to live without you. Do you understand me? If you die Sam I die.”

And Sam can only blink, the gravity of such a heavy ass declaration, almost pummels into him, his lungs get heavy and how does one breath again? They haven’t even said I love you and now this. But then he’s crying into the kiss that says everything he wants to say back but words or signs or whatever can’t begin to convey.

“If you die, I’ll die too you know. That’s why I pushed you back. He’s taken too much of what I’ve loved from me, he won’t take you too. “

He says this later, his cheek against Grizz’s naked chest, imagining the beat of his heart steady and strong. Falters a little when he thinks of Grizz’s pulse weakening and then stopping, so he pushes those dark thoughts down and clings closer and tighter. 

Bullet proof vests? We should invest. Grizz signs.

Oh so he has jokes now...

Sam lifts his head, mouth quirked not amused.

But Grizz eyes say something different. So he smiles soft and small, kisses him slow, this boy he loves so, because they know they really can’t promise things they can’t control. 

But they know they’ll both die trying.

Much much later when things aren’t so heavy and things settle back to whatever normal is now, they come to use the words exchanged as a means of greeting or goodbye. Almost in jest because Sam jokes and Grizz can’t help but follow suite.

Odd looks are thrown at them at first, even Gordie side-eyed with a “The fuck”? and Gordie usually flows with it all. But then its a thing they do and people almost expect it, going as far as being able to tell if they’d had a fight because no such phrase is heard.

“ Sam, I’ll die if you die”

“I know, I’ll die if you die”

It’s their hi and goodbye and their I love you. 

So again I DONT EVEN KNOW...this is just word vomit and cheese and yeah..But give me Protective Grizz trying to protect Protective Sam and I’ll die happy.

BUT like also Grizz lowkey would get this dramatic I mean “I’m preparing for when I get back” like that’s how the boy flirts??? Mother of all things holy..I CAN NOT EVEN with him and sam and them both.

#Grizzam #grizz and sam #grizz visser #season 2 wish

[boogiewrites]

Choking On Sapphires 54

Title & Song: Whole Wide World

Characters: Alfie Solomons x Genevieve (OFC)

Word Count:  7400+

Summary: Alfie hunts down Genevieve to tell her how he feels. Instead of finding her on his first attempt, he’s met with a furious Claire who sets him straight. They both look for each other out on the town. Alfie finds her in a way so dramatic it makes Genevieve, our resident drama queen, proud.

Warnings/Tags: Language. Fluff. Romance. Close calls. Will they, won’t they. Go get your girl. 

**Chapter song is Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric.*

Positive feedback is MUCH appreciated! Reblogs, likes, asks and comments feed me to write more! Let me know if you’d like tagged in my work.

My Masterlist. (Includes Parts 1-53)

His fingers kept gripping and regripping the top of his cane, he stared out the window, a menacing glare on his face as the stone of the city started to fade and the hills of the countryside started to replace it. His mind was going over a million different things that he could say to you. Where to begin? Where to end? Should he just wing it? Should he be light or heavy handed with you? So many questions, none were focused on long enough to get any real answers from himself as each thought led to another question, leaving his eyes wild and unsure as he reaches the driveway of your home. The men at the front had let him in, that was a good sign he thought.

He takes a deep breath, getting out of the car with a grunt, the cold seeming icier in the country to his achy bones. He steadies his breathing with the visible air his nervous heaves leaves in puffs as he walks up to your large wooden and wrought iron door.

He hears the door unlock before he gets to it, he sees Claire's pale and severe face meet his with clear hesitation.

"Alfie?" she says with clear confusion as her eyes narrow.

"'Ello Claire." he says with a heavy breath.

"What are you doing here?" she says, her tone giving him a warning. He felt more nervous than he had about how welcome he would be here.

"May I come in? It's fucking freezing out here." he says with a scrunch of his nose.

She looks him over, and nods, holding the door open for him and shutting it after. She stares him down, mouth in a straight line as she says nothing.

"Is Genevieve home?" he asks with a hopeful quirk of his brow.

"No." she says indifferently.

"Ah. Would you be so kind as to tell me where she's gone?"

"Out." she says flatly, arms still crossed over her chest and tone steady.

"And where might out be?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I need to talk to her."

"Why?"

He pauses for a moment, trying to figure out how to approach this.

"Why now? Why at all? And you can't call like a normal person?" her head moves with attitude.

"I felt suddenly compelled to speak with her so I left and came straight here." he says defensively, brow furrowed with more sadness than anger.

"From where?"

"What with the fuckin' questions Claire?" he says in a higher pitch voice.

"I think after how you've acted the past months I get to ask however many fucking questions I want Solomons." her tone is harsh, her eyes narrowing at him.

He knows she's right. He was getting too excitable. "I left from work."

"So it's work you need to speak to her about?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I'd...I'd rather say it to her."

"I think you can say it to me because I want to know what mess you'll be leaving me with to have to fucking clean up again."

"I didn't mean-"

"I don't know what you meant to do Alfie. But you've not been here. I have. I've had to deal with how much you hurt her. You do know you devastated her when you left right?"

"I..." he wants to defend himself but there's no point. "Yes." he admits, his shoulders slumping.

"Then why the fuck would I tell you where she is? So you can go and hurt her some more?" her voice is fierce and protective over you. "She builds up the courage to put herself back to together, and face you at that meeting and what do you do? You accuse of her being used by someone, you don't apologize and you don't mention the evil you've done?" her arms are out at her sides in anger. "She's very mad at you over that, I'll have you know. And rightfully so! What man acts like that to someone he cares about?"she leans towards him, and he flinches as the rage beams out of her eyes at him and he knew he deserved every bit of it.

"I don't want to hurt her anymore, that's why I'm here. I need to talk to her."

"So you're just going to swoop in out of nowhere and confess your undying love and devotion? Just like that?"

He stutters and his face shows his uncertainty to her forwardness and grand accusations.

"You have no idea the damage you'd done to her do you? You're so fucking thick you have no comprehension of the amount of work she's had to do to get over you leaving.  I can't even say it helped her get over you though, because she's not." she doesn’t sound happy to admit the fact.

"She's not?" his eyes light up with hope and her hard exterior falters only slightly.

"No." she shakes her head and sighs. "She's not." she puts her hands on her hips. "She's well miffed but the poor thing still cares about you despite my opinion on the matter. To say you burst the little love bubble you two had been floating about in would be an understatement."

"Then I must speak with her."

"She's very delicate Alfie...and I swear to God if you hurt her again I'll kill you myself." she almost growls.

"And I'd let you. Because I fuckin' deserve it, yeah? I know that. I've spent the last months hatin’ myself because I knew what I was doin' and I thought I was savin' her by separating myself because I didn't think I was worthy of her."

He sees the thought move around behind her eyes, considering if she believes him or not. "That's why you stopped sleeping with her?"

"Yes! I had this, in hindsight, ridiculous rule of not being with Jewish women. But she turned out to be exactly fuckin' that, yeah? So I ran scared because of my own principles. I see now I was wrong. I can't..." he pauses and takes a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm telling you this..." he rubs the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes for a moment. "I can't be without her Claire. I fuckin' tried, right?"

He can tell his words were what she needed to hear.

"So please... tell me where she is?" his eyes are wide and honest and she's touched by his transparency.

"What are you going to do, huh? You going to propose? Tell her you love her and always have and always will?" she rolled her eyes and lets out a frustrated sigh.

"Well I..." he lets out a stutter of frustration.

"Well dont." she says with a less angry voice. "You'd built her up to believe in such romance in real life but after you left she felt so stupid and lost that if you came at her with that, I love you, marry me, heavy shite you'd overwhelm her." she sighs and frowns.

"I wasn't goinna start with that...no..." he gives a grin and small huff of a laugh.

She cracks a smile. "Just...be gentle. You need to build her back up. Be sweet, be kind, be easy with her. You can't handle a woman like Genevieve roughly. You can't whip her back and forth between heavy emotions and expect her to react in your favor. You can't ignore her for months, then tell her she's acting daft and then tell her you want to be with her." she says with raised brows, taking a step towards him, a finger pointing aggressively at him. "And don't you dare fucking hurt her again!" she barks at him and he knows she means it. "You come back into her life and you fucking stay. You got that? I'll be damned if I'm dealing with a heartbroken Gen again."

"That's the plan. I really do mean that. I shouldn't have left. I plan on starting with an apology."

"That's a good place to start."

"You said she was....heartbroken. She really was?" his voice is softer and full of concern.

Claire purses her lips and glares without true anger behind her eyes. "I had been told you were a smart man Solomons."

He huffs out a laugh at the statement. He felt such the contrary.

"You really think she took care of you and slept in your bed without the thought of sex because she thought you were just friends?" she tilts her head at him, her tone obvious. "Genevieve isn't the best with expressing romantic feelings. Perhaps because she hasn't had them to the extent she does for you before."

He feels elated and guilty but hopeful and he holds it close. "So... will you tell me where she's at?" his mouth hangs open, eyes resembling a puppy's.

She lets out a heavy sigh, looking him up and down as if she's still considering it.  "Okay. Fine" she says with a small smile. ----------

With a newfound sense of self and hope, something it seemed like he'd not felt in years now, he heads back towards town. You could be at two possible places he'd been told. You had an appearance to speak at a gala for an art school and you planned to stop by a fundraising event for one of the charities you'd been working with. You'd been so busy since he left but Claire said doing the new work had seemed to be the only that that made you happy anymore but he was looking forward to changing that.

He tries the art school first, as your appearance had a time frame. He tries to not looked rushed and wild-eyed like he feels, using his broad shoulders and intimidating silhouette to make his way through the crowds. Suddenly every dark-haired woman would be you, his heart thumped away at every glance of them, the possibility of his eyes meeting yours with every turn of their heads. ----- You felt an odd rumbling of nerves within you before you were scheduled to speak. You didn't mind talking to groups of people, getting paid to show up and talk about something you loved was an absolute dream. Your fingers twisted the pendant around your neck, rubbing the Star of David had become a worry stone to you of sorts. It helped you center, remember who you were and how you were doing these things to become the person you wanted to be. But tonight, looking in the mirror of the small room set aside for speakers it was reminding you of Alfie. He would've been such a good mind to have gone over your speech with, he had been so good with words.

That was up until he stopped speaking them to you. You could'nt shake how he'd looked at you, spoken so positively about you to a room full of people, putting himself out there as a full supporter of you. You would've loved it if he could've been with you tonight. You could have invited him but... you didn't know where you stood honestly. His eyes seemed to admit he'd wanted to talk to you all those long, lonely nights. But why he hadn't still confused you. Your face flushes hot with his insinuation that you were letting a man get the better of you and use you. That still made you angry whenever you'd think about it. You longed for the days when all his words had been sweet, when he'd told you you could do anything and you start to feel foolish that you'd ever truly believed him. Perhaps the man you'd been duped by had been him.

"Miss Durand. You're up next." the sharp voice of the curator of the museum the event was being held in breaks you out of your distracting thoughts. You gather yourself and fluff your hair and dress, adjust your chest, center your necklace and move chin high out of the door. ---

"She finished speaking about half an hour ago." a woman with a name tag tells him when he inquires about you. "Lovely speech. Lovely woman as well, a transcription of her speech will be available in the next week to come with the newsletter. Shame you missed her, she's a very passionate speaker." she says with a polite smile.

"It is. Is she still here? Or have you seen her?"

"I have not seen her but she did head back into the museum after her speech."

"Ah. Thank you, luv." he says with a nod and a determined face as he heads into the wandering halls of the museum. ---- The crowd was mostly in the front of the museum where the food and the speakers were so you were left alone thankfully, moving around the impressionist's halls. You let out heavy sighs, your arms crossed as you let the sadness that resides in you show on your face and you're alone in a room of Monet's. You stand in front of the massive paintings of water and flowers and sky. You hope you could paint things to make people feel things in such a way one day, draw this melancholy and a strange calm from people like the beautiful blurred but poignant paintings did for you. You wonder if one day maybe you could have a room full of your paintings on display. Your own little self-indulgent gallery of the things you'd created. They were a lot darker than the Monet subjects but that didn't mean no one could relate to them. But you were very protective over your paintings, maybe one day when you didn't feel so fragile you'd look into it.

You look to your watch, seeing as you'd been standing and daydreaming about a soft and pastel colored world where things didn't hurt so much for too long. ------ "Where would you go?" he mutters to himself, looking at the directional signs. "French? French. Yeah." he nods and heads toward to direction of the French Impressionists exhibit. ---- You stand in the lobby, being thanked and praised for a few moments as you try to get out of the building. You have your cheeks and hands kissed, murmuring thank you's and absolutely to requests to do it again or speak at other locations.

A tall black wide-brimmed hat catches your attention in the crowd, your breath catching and ignoring the doting around you as your eyes grow large, an ice cold tingle down your spine at the thought of him. You stand still, ignoring the words being spoken to you but as the owner of the hat turns you see it's not Alfie. The tingle remains despite seeing it wasn't his usual style of hat. ------- He stands in the empty room of impressionists paintings, he mutters to himself, disgruntled and his face contorting in thought. "Genny...if you aren't in France... where the fuck are you, luv?" he whispers out loud to the large painting of a lily pond. He takes out his pocket watch, seeing he'd been wandering for too long, the night growing too old. Perhaps you'd moved on already. This is where you'd be if you were here. He felt it like the intuition you had, he knew he was close. He returns the watch to his pocket and carries on. ----- You stand outside, your fur coat shielding you from the cold as you wait for your car. You pull the collar up to hide your face, hoping to be able to make a clean getaway. As you see your car pulling up you get a strange little feeling in your stomach. Like butterflies.  You turn back to look behind you, you felt like someone was watching you, your eyes scanning the far away heads of people as they move in the yellow light of the lobby.

"Miss." Joseph says, pulling open your car door.

"Thank you." you say softly, a half smile and a nod as you get into your car. You keep your eyes on the doorways until the people are too small to recognize. It wouldn't surprise you that you're feeling strange. Speaking in public, all the attention and the strange ending with the meeting with Alfie, you had a lot swimming around your head. With most odd feelings you get from time to time, it could be nothing, or it could be absolutely everything. ------- You arrive at the fundraiser and your mood lightens. You feel more comfortable at the Jewish events, people there aren't as clingy and full of an obnoxious and disingenuous amount of praise and you prefer it that way.

You make your way around the room full of things for the silent auction. You decide to place a few bets, a painted vase, a large decorative mezuzah, and a large fur blanket. You sign your name with a sigh to the list for the blanket, your sad little heartbroken self bubbles up from the back of your mind. You wouldn't have to have more blankets if Alfie was still around. You remember the last night you'd spent in bed with him, your face resting on his chest and falling asleep to his heartbeat. You groan out loud, looking around at the other items in the room, you wish there was a listing for a large, handsome Jewish bloke to put a bet on.

In a funny way, you get your wish, but you should've been more specific because this man gave off an annoying air of arrogance as soon as his strong cologne hit your nostrils.

"Perhaps you should have put up a date with you for auction. They would've certainly hit their goal." he says with a trying too hard to be charming smile.

You look up at him, rapidly blinking and making split-second judgments. This was a hard no, pass. You say nothing and hope he either realizes you're not interested or see how inappropriate the statement had been.

"You're Genevie Durand, yes?" he asks with a bow of his head. You look him up and down, giving him nothing but an indifferent stare. "I'm Abe." he holds out his hand, you show your polite tolerance and let him kiss your hand.

"I am Genevieve yes."

"You were scheduled to speak at the museum downtown tonight were you not?"

"I was."

"I saw you in the paper for your award. Beautiful work." he says with a shake of his head.

Thanks. It was the guy I was fucking at the time is what you'd like to say in response.

"I sent you a letter of congratulations for your achievement." he says as if it meant something to you.

"I received so many letters after that article was published, I wouldn't be able to recall." you say with pursed lips. The downside to having to communicate with men outside of your life of crime was you couldn't really call them a cunt and tell them to fuck off.

"Ah. No surprise at all. A woman of your achievements being on the market in a rare gem indeed." he thought he was flattering. On the market? Like a fucking ham or a goose? How this man was single was such a mystery. "I did not see your education listed in the article and by word of mouth I could not find any information about you, where was it you went to school?" he inquires.

"The University of London and then Oxford." you say matter of factly, looking behind him in the crowd.

"Impressive for a woman in this age."

"And you?" you ask with false interest.

"Cambridge, madam." The one school to still let women in, wonderful. "Oxford didn't let many women in, it must be a testament to your great mind that they let you."

That they let you, like education shouldn't be something available to any who wanted it. "Yes, that's why I helped the scholarship programs in London. So those who want to go, can."

"It's a lovely idea. A well-trained mind is such a highly sought after trait in a spouse."

Woah, okay there lad, slow it down, you don't know me. "I find emotional intelligence to be of higher importance." you say back with an unimpressed tone.

"Emotional intelligence?"

"Yes. Being able to understand and empathize. Manners, read social cues, expressing your emotions clearly." you say with your back still straight, and eyes only ghosting over his in a clear show of

"Ah. It's been my experience that most women have found greater comfort in knowing their spouse's achievements are documented and can give them secure lives with their pursuits of knowledge."

"Well..." you sigh. "I'm not every woman you've met am I?" you say with a shrug, a pat to his shoulder and you walk away. You'd played nice long enough, you missed pulling knives out on people.

You find a group of single girls, you infiltrate and they ask much more interesting questions, you sip wine and chat and enjoy yourself separately from the rouge stalking man that tries to catch your attention and pull you from the group.

You turn another away, stating you found the conversation plenty stimulating enough where you were currently when one of them starts to speak again. "I heard Alfie Solomons is here tonight." a dark-haired girl whispers with a wrinkled nose as she giggles into her wine glass. "He never comes to these things." she shakes her head.

Oh fuck. You try to hide the flush in your face as you take another drink.

"Isn't he on the board with you for the blindness charity?" a blue-eyed girl inquires.

"He is." you nod too fast to be keeping your cool.

"What's he like? I've heard so many stories about him." she says with a chuckle.

"Oh he's... you know." you shrug. "Rather polite for the line of work he's in." you spit out quickly with a smile.

"I wonder what it'd be like to be with a gangster. I bet he has so much money." she rolls her eyes in pleasure at the thought.

"Yes, but what he does isn't exactly... Kosher?" one giggles.

"But have you seen the jewelry on the man? Can you imagine what he'd buy his wife?" she adds with raised brows.

You instinctively reach up to hold the pendant he'd bought you between your fingers. "Have any of you seen him here tonight? Or is it just rumor?" you ask.

"I saw him talking to the head of the board earlier." she says dismissively.

"Never kissed a man with a beard before. He looks so unkempt but it sort've adds to the dangerous bit doesn't it?" one laughs and rubs her face.

"Excuse me, ladies." you say politely with a nod and they continue, an outbreak of giggles as you walk back into the crowd. Was him being near what that funny little flock of butterflies in your belly had been trying to tell you? Would you even have that sort of connection with him anymore? ----------------- He enters the building and the murmurs start immediately. As soon as he's spotted he's greeted with loud and enthusiastic welcomes from old rich men who love his money. He never attends these sorts of things, just donates money to various causes. They've never seemed to mind his lack of social appearances, as long as his money kept coming in no one really bothered him or asked much about the rest of his life or how he came into his money. He's polite but short with the varying degrees of welcome as they keep pulling him and his attention away from his purpose for being here tonight.

He sees a group of younger girls around a painting, he figures women, artists, perhaps they'd know if you were here.

"Good evening, pardon me for intruding," he says and clears his throat as they all turn casually and disinterested until they lay eyes on him and realize who he is. "Might I bother any of you to ask if you've seen Miss Genevieve Durand here tonight?" he says gruffly, ignoring the up and down they were giving him.

"I've heard she's here." one nods. "I'd love to talk to her, I haven't seen her myself."

"She did this painting, you know." the tallest says, motioning with her glass of wine to the painting they were surrounding. "She's so refreshing, don't you think?" she asks with a tilt of her head. He recognized the scene, it was the view from your studio window. A landscape in unnatural colors, blurry as if it was looked at through a veil of tears.

"Are you a fan of hers?" one asks, a smirk on her face.

"I am a fan of hers, yes." he states without hesitation and they all grin.

"Oh." they say with knowing smiles.

"Have you seen her?"

"No but another painting of hers is up for auction if you're interested." she shrugs.

"Thank you very much, girls." he says with a polite nod and tight smile as he heads off into the room with all the items.

He stalks around, eyes to the papers as he sees your name listed and he lets out a sigh of relief. Alright, at least he was on the right track. ------- You make the mistake of asking a grouping of older women if they've seen him. They had not, but they certainly seemed interested in you meeting their sons after they found out who you were. You expertly decline and say you're preoccupied at the moment and apologize and leave.

Your eyes continuously scan the crowds as you chew away at some hors-d'oeuvres by the buffet table. You stand with your hip jutted out, chewing your thumbnail in thought as a young girl approaches you.

"You're Geneveive Durand, yes?" she asks sheepishly and politely.

"Yes, love, I am." you say sweetly.

"I'm a big fan of your work, Miss." she says with a big smile.

"Oh thank you so very much." you say with a nod.

"I would love to ask you a hundred annoying questions but I'm afraid someone has been looking for you." she says with a coy smile.

"Excuse you?" you ask with confusion.

"Alfie Solomons," she says with a  nod. "My friends and I were standing around one of your paintings and he asked us if we'd seen you. He seemed distracted so I thought I might do you both a favor and let you know."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I've been looking for him as well." you say with a sigh of relief. "Do you know where he's done."

"I'm afraid I don't but it wasn't that long ago that he asked."

"What's your name?" you ask, putting your hand on her arm.

"It's uh..." she's caught off guard by the attention. "Sarah Weizman, Miss." she says with wide eyes.

"You get in contact with my girl Claire, and I would love to answer all those questions of yours. Just call me up and tell her your name." you say with a charming smile that she returns in full. "You've helped me out Sarah, I owe you." you say with a smirk as you walk away. ----- You both stand tall, eyes searching, hearing that the other was looking for the other from people as you move through crowds in hallways, ballrooms, upstairs and down. You're covered in a thin veil of sweat as you keep circling, missing each other by paces and you both grow weary the longer it goes on.

"He must've gone." you whisper as you stand at the top of the stairs with a worried look on your face. You've been looking for over an hour, easily and you'd worn yourself out.

"Where are you Genny for fuck's sake. I know you're here." he grumbles to himself, opening up doors upstairs to offices.

You jog outside, pushing open the door and the icy air hitting the sweat on your skin and making you shiver. You trot down the stairs to the street, eyes searching every second. You stand between street lights and have a smoke. Something you didn't do often, but your stress level for the occasion seems to warrant it.

"Are you ready to go Miss?" Josephs' voice surprises you and you jump at the sound. He lets out a chuckle. "Didn't mean to frigthen you." he smiles.

"I'm just a bit on edge, sorry Joseph. Alfie is here and I've heard whispers he's looking for me and I can't find him bloody anywhere." you say with a whine.

"Ah. Are we still friendly with Mr. Solomons?" he asks.

"I suppose we are." you say with a shrug.

He takes his pocket watch out and looks at it. "It is awfully late, Miss. He was never one to stay out at these sorts of things long. Perhaps he's retired for the evening?" he says supportively with a shrug. "Maybe he's left a message at home?" he suggests

You let out a cloud of smoke with a groan. Maybe he was right. You'd spent over an hour just looking for him and you'd been here almost three. Alfie hated these sorts of things, he wouldn't stay unless he had to and you weren't sure what he wanted you for or how important it was. Joseph had a point, there would probably be a message if he needed you. You feel a sinking in your gut. Why were you so damned excited to see him anyway?  You couldn't help it though. You had it bad for the man and as much as you hated to admit it you knew it to be true. It had grown to be a simple fact and less a source of pain and anguish that it had been. It was just something you lived with, like a poorly placed mole one might not want. Couldn't do anything about it, so just live with it and carry on. A mild annoyance that would come to the front of your mind when you'd let it.

"You've got a very early morning tomorrow as well. Best not forget that." he says in a fatherly tone.

"You're right. I'll be up before the sun tomorrow." you roll your eyes, stomping out your cigarette and heading towards the car. "Won't be worth a damn to anyone if I haven't slept." you frown. You worry the whole ride home, trying not to bite your nails and you pick at the hem on your coat instead.

When you get home Claire is already asleep along with the rest of the house and you quickly follow suit. You had a full day of traveling tomorrow and lots to look forward to besides him. ---- He's panting and red in the face as he pushes through the large doors to the outside. His feet carry him heavy and defeated down the large stone steps into the dark and cold night.

"No luck?" Ishmael asks, propped against the side of the car.

"Never any fuckin' luck." he grumbles as he slams the car door behind him.

"Might I suggest we go to her home again in the early morning? Not give her a chance to disappear on you?"

"Ya read my fuckin' mind, mate." he says with an annoyed look on his face but a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

He does precisely that. He's up before the sun, giving himself a good scrubbing and putting on the oil you'd given him for his face and beard that he'd secretly taken with him when he'd gone. It'd reminded him far too much of you to use the past weeks but now with reconciliation in sight he could use it and be reminded of you without the pain.

The maid even commented on how he seemed to be much perkier this morning and he agreed. Taking only tea and a biscuit and heading out on his way.

He's primed to knock on the door and Claire answers. "Oh hello Alfie." she yawns, robe pulled to.

"I wanted to come early to speak with her before she had a chance to run. I couldn't catch her last night." he says, starting to take off his coat.

"Well I have a bit of bad news." she says with a frown.

"Oh fuck's sake, what now." his shoulders slump and his face looks exhausted.

"She's not here." she says flatly.

"She... not come home or?" he shrugs.

"She left before dawn. Told me she was off to France." she says with a flopping of her arms.

"France?" he responds with high brows.

"Wouldn't tell me why. Had her trunks and she was off as soon as she told me." she shakes her head.

"You're fucking kidding."

"I wish I was." she says rubbing her face.

"When'd she leave? You know which boat she's taking?" he asks, already moving towards to door. She's actually touched by his persistence.

"I don't. I wish I could be more helpful."

"Eh." he grunts and shrugs. "You tried." he huffs out as he's out the door already.

"Alfie! ALFIE!" he hears before he gets back in his car. Aggie is running as fast as she can towards him.

"What is it luv?" he asks, eyes wide.

"She's gone to Paris." she pants out.

"Calm down there Agatha, now." he says with a smile, hands on her shoulders.

"She's going for a wedding. Claire absolutely hates the girl so she didn't tell her where she was going." she huffs and catches her breath. "I don't know which boat she's taking or when it departs but I'll be damned if I'm going to not tell you something to help you find her. It's been hellish at times without you here." she says with wide eyes. "She misses you so much." she says with sad eyes.

"And I've missed her more." he says with a charming smile that makes her heart race.

"Are you finally going to make this old woman's dreams come true?" she says with a chuckle.

"If she'll let me yes." he grins.  She surprisingly hugs him and he lets out a loud laugh. "Oh Agatha, ya nutter." he booms as he hugs her back.

"I've been waiting for thirty years for this, call me what you want!" she laughs, pulling away and wiping a tear from her eye. "GO! Go on and make the two of us the happiest women in Britain today!" she exclaims and pushes him in the car.

"Yes ma'am." he says with a grin, shutting the door and watching her clutch her chest with relief as he drives off to the docks. ----- He uses his name and throws money around haphazardly to get through the lines and get information on the boats departing. There is one to France and he buys a ticket and prays for the first time since before the war that he can get there in time. ------ You're leaning on the railing, looking at the happy people waving goodbye next to you. You smile at the beaming faces, the lovely words being shouted back and forth between families and lovers as the boat breaks away from land. You sigh and smile lazily, happy to be on your way to Paris.

You see a large dark figure parting the crowd almost violently. Your eyes focus and then they go wide. You'd recognize that shoulder to hat ratio anywhere. He pushes through the crowd, all elbows and shoulders as he gives no mind to those he moves to get the man at the gate. Your mouth hangs open, seeing him pointing and shouting at the man at the boat and shaking tickets in his face. You can tell the man is helpless in the situation but you know you can save him the trouble.

"ALFIE!" you scream as loudly as you can. You get strange looks from the people around you but there's no one else in your mind or your eyes at this moment. His eyes go wild and his head darts around, looking for the source of your voice. You wave your hands and shout again.

He finds you on the upper deck, smile bright and absolutely beaming at him and he melts. "GENNY I-" he shakes his head holding the tickets. "I WAS TOO LATE! I'M SORRY!" he screams back, his voice carrying easier than yours.

"IT'S OKAY!" you nod animatedly. "I'LL PHONE YOU FROM PARIS!" you scream back, blowing him a kiss in your excitement, being entirely charmed by the apologetic look on his face and waving with the same beautiful smile that captivated him. You had asked him to show you action, and this was certainly that.

He hadn't expected the kiss but he'll be damned if he's not going to leave you with a fond memory in place to start killing off all the bad he'd left you with. He catches it and puts it to his lips and he sees you lean over the railing and laughing loudly at him. He blows you one back and you catch it with both hands and hold it to your chest with a broad smile. Still so sweet and kind even after what he'd done to you. He might not think he deserves it, but he'll be damned if he's not going to take advantage of what must be the biggest celestial mistake that he happened to be the benefactor of. You stand and sigh and smile at each other long after you're out of each other's sight. It was as if the connection between the two of you was back and it was stretching across the water, soon to be connected again through telephone wires. ----- You take the phone out onto the balcony of your apartment in Paris. You're so nervous your hands shake as you pick up and ask for Alfie Solomons, London. Your heart races as you wait for a response.

He hadn't moved from beside the phone in the lounge since he'd got back. He had no intentions of missing your call. If he had to do much as get up to go to the loo he had someone there waiting. Luckily for him, the calls comes while he's sat by the fire.

He almost drops the phone in his anticipation, Cyril giving him a judgemental look from his spot in front of the fire. "'Ello?" his deep voice travels through the receiver and hits your ears and you close your eyes and smile.

"Hello Alfie." you practically coo, voice breathy and sweet.

You hear a heavy exhale, "Genevieve, luv." he says, pausing at the sound of your voice again. "Did you make it to Paris alright?" he asks, rising from his seat.

"I did. Thanks for asking." he can hear the smile in your voice. "Sorry you had to waste money on that ticket." you let out a chuckle.

"Nothing's ever a waste if I get to see you." he says smoothly and you blush, your heart flutters and your brain wants to side it's excitement but it was hard not to get carried away.

"I stayed at the fundraiser and tried to find you, you know."

"Ah. Yes." he nods, pulling back the curtain and looking out his window. "Seems it wasn't in the cards for us to meet that night, was it."

"Seems that way. But as you know I'm a fan of the dramatic and it doesn't get much more dramatic than you taking out a crowd of pedestrians to find me as my ship departed." you let out a giggle, your thumb in your mouth as you look up at the sky. You'd asked him for actions and he had certainly given them to you.

"You must've rubbed off on me, luv." he laughs. "Aggie told me you were there for a wedding. What hotel you stayin' at?"

"I am and I'm actually at my apartment." you say looking out over the street.

"You've got an apartment in Paris, do ya?" he smirks, of course you did.

"I do. It's lovely. You should come with me and see it sometime." you sigh out before you even realize what you're saying.

"I'd love nothing more." he returns the soft tone. "You have one of those fancy ones I bet. Balcony and big tall windows?"

"Good to see you still know me." you hugg out a laugh. "I'm out on the balcony now. It's cold but it's lovely out tonight." you say quietly.

"I'd love to be there with you Gen." his voice also dropping to a hushed whisper. "You lookin' at the moon, pet?" he asks.

"I am." your eyes stare up at her in her stark and bright majesty.

"So am I. Would you be so kind as to do me a favor?"

"Of course. What is it?"

"Look up at her for me, would you? We'll pretend we're both there while we're lookin' at the same moon."

You hold the railing and your knees knock together. And you thought romance was dead. "I am. You're here, making fun of the drivers down below."

"You'd be right, the French can't bloody drive." he laughs and you do as well.

You both let out heavy sighs. "It'd be warmer if you were here. But I can pretend." you say softly.

"Genevieve...." you hear his breath catch. "I've missed you so much."

Your eyes well up with tears and you swallow hard. Happy tears that felt like a baptism for you, an end to your sadness. "I've missed you too." you sniffle and feel the tears sting with cold as they fall down your round smiling face. "Alfie love." you lilt out.

You saying his name made his heart swell to the point of bursting. "Yes, darling?" he asks, eyes watery and staring up at the same moon you were.

"Why..." he hears you exhale. "Why did it take you so long to come to me?" he can hear the hurt in your voice, and he shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"I'm afraid there is no good reason," he says with a huff of a laugh, you can tell he's being honest but you still find it mildly confusing. "And no reason at all now," he adds, scratching his chin. "I'll be having some people over for Shabbat. I'd love if you could come. I would like to explain myself to you if you'll give me the chance." his voice is so soft it's like you can feel it like velvet across your cheeks as it hits your ears and sends warm tingles down your body.

"I'd love to. Is it formal or casual?"

"You can wear anything you want. It's not formal, but I know that never stops you from looking a vision, does it?" he hears a giggle from you. "I just want you here with me, sweetheart."

"Then that's exactly where I'll be." he can feel the warm smile through the phone, his chest aching with happiness, having a reason to keep beating again. "I've got to go for now... but I'll see you soon Alfie." you whisper.

"Good night, my sweet." he coos.

"I'll keep looking at the moon until I see you again." he hears a chuckle. "Goodnight."

The line disconnects. He places it back in the stand and lets out a loud sigh that goes onto turn into a groan as his head falls back against the couch. Cyril becomes curious about the noise and lays his head on Alfie's thigh.

"Look's like you're going to get to met my Genny after all." he says with a smile, the dogs tail thumping against the floor as he scratches his ears with both hands. "You're gonna love her. I know I do." he gives a big smooch to the pup's head before he calls him to follow him to the kitchen to receive a treat for no reason except Alfie wanted him as happy as he was. -- "Lilly my love, what's wrong?" Altar says, his voice full of concern as his big hands set the small cups on the table. He stomps towards you, his long arms outstretched to hold you close.

"For once... absolutely nothing." you say with a happy choked out sob.

"Sweetheart, my princess, what is it?" he rubs your back, you feel like a child, wrapping your arms around him, his big beard rough against your face.

"It was Alfie on the phone." you say with a coy smile.

"Ahhh." he says, pulling you away and putting his hands on your shoulders.

"And?" he says with a smile.

"He was terribly romantic." you look at him with a dopey smile. "We set a time to meet when I return."

"Ah! The best news!" he cheers, clasping his hands together. "Well then fuck having tea! Let's go celebrate!" he laughs and you return the expression as he drags you by the wrist from the window.

Pt. 55 Wild Horses (NSFW)

@fangirlfreakingout @jaegeeeeer @cosettewinchester @lookuptheskyisfalling-blog @brianaisasongbird @cry5t4l-w4rri0r @iliveonchocolateandnetflix @jess2464 @hardygal69 @thegarrisonpublichouse @a-flock-of-angry-pigeons @pootle @negansdirtygirl22 @musingsby-night @wtf-is-wrong-with-this @shine-dont-shadow @inkinterrupted @vale0413 @lafayettes-baguettes-1 @sxlomons @aphnxrising @emerald-bijou @elaenom @give-jack-a-lightsaber  @anrm1 @ultrablackwidower

#Alfie Solomons #Peaky Blinders #Tom Hardy #Alfie SOlomons x reader #alfie solomons x ofc #alfie solomons imagine #alfie solomons imagines #alfie solomons fan fiction #alfie solomons fic #alfie solomons fanfic #alfie solomons fan fic #peaky blinders au #peaky blinders fan fiction #peaky blindesr fic #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fan fic #alfie solomons au #alfie solomons fluff #chokingonsapphires #fan fiction #writing

[zigsexual]

Theoreticals; part 3 (maxwell x mc)

part one. part two.

asdkfjals guys i finally DID IT it only took me a damn year but this is it, the final piece of the hypotheticals verse! love u all for continuing to bother me about this until it was finally finished,, idk what else to say i dont wanna ramble but im proud for my babies that they made it this far, fuckin hooray

note: this is the final companion piece to hypotheticals and empiricals, and honestly if you haven’t read those then u probably should because this one has a lot of plot throwback and also tbh its like very divergent from the main storyline seeing as i started writing it in 2017

summary: the coronation is actually happening feat. private planes, maxwell as a baby????? an unfortunate run in with some potpourri, dancing, drake, and an uber driver

word count: 5800+

Well.

Riley takes a deep breath, attempting to calm the absolute whirlwind of thoughts in her head that are, at any moment, threatening to become a hurricane. She can’t take the waterworks again, not when she’s finally stopped crying. She turns slightly to catch herself in the mirror, rubbing at the last smears of mascara with her thumb. The girl who looks back reminds her far too much of the girl who used to stare out from the curve of a freshly washed spoon in a New York bar. A reflection of another time; a defeated time.

She rolls her shoulders back. Today is not the day for defeat. At least, not yet.

When she emerges back out into the hallway, she’s relieved to find it near deserted but for a few of the king’s guard. One of them spots her and turns to the others, whispering something. She raises her hand in a brief wave, quickening her pace back towards the ballroom. Now is not the time to be intercepted and interrogated about her whereabouts.

She rounds the corner too quickly, head turned back to be sure none of the guards are still watching her, and nearly collides with Liam, who is also taking his corners too fast.

“Lady Riley!” he says, catching her by the shoulders before she can fully crash into him. His eyes, surprised and earnest, wash over her in such a way that she can feel herself beginning to blush.

“Hey,” she replies, mouth quirked up in a sheepish half-smile. “Fancy meeting you here.”

He laughs, dropping his hands back to his sides. Riley can’t quite meet his gaze; the full measure of him is just so… well, there was a reason she had decided to come to Cordonia in the first place. Liam is still Liam, still resplendent with that aura of dignity he carries so easily, still with that face like her teenage daydreams.

And now, this. This utter mess she’s made with his heart. No, there are too many reasons to keep her eyes downcast, fingers toying with the satin of her gown.

Liam’s voice drops lower. “I’ve actually been meaning to speak to you, if you have a moment?”

“For you?” Riley shrugs. “Of course.”

“There’s a family garden out back,” he holds out his arm, and she takes it, hesitantly. “The guests aren’t allowed out there, so we won’t be interrupted.”

She smiles, but it comes off more pained than pleased. “Oh, I mean there’s no need to, ah… we can just talk here, if you want?”

“I think it’d be better to have some privacy,” Liam says, and the air of finality to his statement pulls Riley reluctantly along with him.

The ‘family garden,’ another one of Liam’s modest descriptors, turns out to be a sprawling thing almost double the size of the palace itself, adorned at every turn with manicured greenery and delicately arranged flowers. Even the cobblestone paths seem somewhat luxurious, which is a relief to Riley as it means Liam won’t fault her for looking everywhere but at him.

“I’m glad you came here,” he says. “It’s been a joy getting to know you, and seeing you defy the odds against you. You have a very particular kind of strength about you that I admire.”

“Thank you,” Riley says, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m sure you must have some idea of what I wish to speak with you about.” His brow furrows, and he looks off towards the lights of the palace. “I hope… I hope this doesn’t come as a surprise.”

Riley turns, finally, to look at him, her heart pounding in her chest, “Liam, I —”

“I can’t marry you.”

Riley’s mouth falls open. “Hold on, what?”

“Oh —” Liam looks taken aback. “Did I misjudge?”

“Misjudge?” Riley stops walking, dropping his arm so she can stand in front of him, staring. “Misjudge what?”

“You,” Liam says gently, his eyes sweeping across her face, “Your heart.”

“My…” Riley reaches up and presses her hand to her mouth. “Oh.”

Oh.

“I thought as much,” Liam sighs. “I know I’ve been quite open about my affection for you, and I worried you might feel… obligated? Perhaps that’s too strong a word, but it troubles me to think that you might not be living the life you want. With the person you want to live it with.”

Riley feels her heart in her throat. She presses her hand harder against her lips.

“I suppose I wanted the chance to tell you all this before the official announcement to the court. I wanted you to know that your presence here has never been anything but a gift, and I’ve never expected anything in return.”

She nods.

“All that to say… I’m not going to ask you to marry me tonight. Or any night, for that matter. I didn’t want you to spend the whole ball fretting over the possibility of it, when you could just be enjoying yourself.”

She nods again, swallowing against the lump in her throat. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

The breezes rustles against them, the gentle scrape of leaves echoing in the wind.

Liam laughs softly, “It’s funny, Drake had always mentioned that you —”

“Oh my god,” Riley squeaks, voice sharp with panic, “No, Liam, oh my god. It’s not Drake. I’m not — we’re not — I would never—”

Liam laughs even more at her response, stunning her into silence. “Riley, I know. It’s my job to be aware of what happens in my court.”

“Oh.” Riley hates herself. “Uh, just wanted to… y’know, clarify that.”

“He does have a fondness for you, though,” Liam muses.

“He told you?”

“Well, not in so many words. I asked him once what he thought of you, and he said you were ‘almost passable,’ so I drew my own conclusions.”

“Wow,” Riley crosses her arms across her chest. “High praise from Drake.”

“The highest.”

“Can we… uh,” Riley nods towards a nearby stone bench, nestled amongst the rosebushes. “Can we sit down? Sorry, this is just…”

“A lot?”

“A lot.”

They both sit, Riley sweeping her skirts underneath her to allow Liam more space. There’s a fountain not far off, reflecting the lights from the party beyond, although the splashes of water are the only sounds of civilization she can hear.

“I’ve wanted to tell you,” Riley says nervously, “I kept trying to find the right time, but you know how that is. It doesn’t exist, not really.”

“You don’t have to apologize, if that’s what you’re getting at,” he reassures her, “I understand.”

“I know, but that almost makes it worse. You’re too good. I’m such a shitshow.”

He laughs. “On the contrary, you’re the only thing about this ball that isn’t.”

Riley hesitates. “Not to be weird or anything, but can I… can I ask who told you?”

“About you and Maxwell?”

Hearing Liam actually say his name sends a rush of something through her. It’s as if he’s made it real, now; as if something about him knowing has elevated the quiet nothingness of their relationship into a profound and essential Thing.

“Yeah,” she whispers.

Liam looks pensive. “No one told me. I mean, not exactly. It’s just that I’ve known everyone here all my life, and when you’re around someone for that long you notice when things… change.” He glances at her with a smile. “You’ve been a catalyst for a lot of that, here.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“I wasn’t entirely sure at first, it was just a hunch. But you know how Maxwell is: never stops talking, terrible at lying, loyal to a fault. He’s always been at the center of things. And then you came along, and…”

Liam turns to her, his expression thoughtful. “He was so guarded about you. So careful. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen Maxwell be careful about anything in his life.”

“He’s careful about the important things,” Riley says softly.

“He used to spend hours talking you up to me, working on distractions so you and I could be alone together. He wanted you to succeed in all of this, that much was evident. And it was gradual, the way he stopped bringing you up, the shorter and shorter conversations, but of course I noticed. He wanted you to succeed… and then he wanted you.”

Liam sighs, the quietest moment of weakness slipping out. “I guess I didn’t realize as quickly that you wanted him too.”

“Yeah, you and me both.” Riley swings her legs under the bench, shivering slightly as a breeze brushes her bare shoulders. “Trust me, when I decided to come to a tiny foreign country to compete for a chance to be royalty, this is the last outcome I expected.”

Liam laughs. “It is rather ridiculous, I suppose.”

“Will you be alright, though?” Riley glances up at him, worried. “Madeleine told me there’s this law or something, that you have to get married to be on the throne?”

“Oh, that.” He waves a hand dismissively. “It doesn’t actually matter, I can change it after the coronation. It’s not as if we have any alternate governing body. This is an absolute monarchy; I can basically do whatever I want. Honestly, it’s a little strange we haven’t had some sort of democratic revolution yet.”

“Not on your first year agenda?”

“Not yet, no.” He smiles at her, and the sadness in his eyes has almost faded out. “Riley… I hope that you won’t find it awkward to be at court after this. I don’t have many friends, and although I know it may not have been my initial intention, I should hope to remain friends with you.”

“Oh, Liam,” Riley bumps her shoulder against his, “Of course. And I’m not just saying that because you’re about to be king of an absolute monarchy and can basically do whatever you want.”

He laughs again, standing up from the bench and brushing off his jacket before reaching out a hand to help her up. She’s only slightly unsteady on her heels until her feet catch purchase in the cobblestones, and she rests a hand on Liam’s arm to regain her balance.

His eyes meet hers, only inches away, and she feels that gentle tug in her chest again. In another life, maybe; in another timeline, she could be his queen.

But not this one.

They walk back to the palace in silence, Liam with his hands in his pockets, surveying the grounds. Now he is the one desperate not to meet her eyes, though she doesn’t blame him. Even though Liam tries to be the picture of strength, of nobility, he’s only human.

His lips brush across her cheek for the briefest moment when they part at the door. “You don’t have to stay,” he tells her, and she reaches out and squeezes his hand.

He’s swallowed up into the palace before she can think of anything real to say back. And she knows it’s not goodbye, not really – but it certainly is an ending.

She closes her eyes, breathing in deeply. The emotional turmoil of this night (of the last few days, really) has been weighing far too heavily on her soul. Liam’s blessing seems to have unlocked something in her, released the dam on her heart and flooded her body with feeling.

When she opens her eyes, she knows exactly what needs to be done.

The ballroom is still teeming with people, although many have begun edging towards the bar. A quick glance around the room doesn’t return any hits, and Riley frowns, wondering where to look next. As Liam mentioned, Maxwell is usually at the center of everything, and she can’t imagine what’s more central than this.

She catches Drake still pouting near the hors d’oeuvres, her skirts bunched in one hand as she tries her best to run towards him in those damn stiletto heels. He looks over at her when the frantic click of her shoes gets close, then crosses his arms and watches her approach, amused.

“You’re such a dick,” Riley says, bracing herself on the wall so she doesn’t trip. “It’s not easy to get around in these things, you know. You could’ve moved.”

“Why move when you’re already en route?”

“Dick.” She pauses to take in a deep breath, embarrassed at how winded her wobbly half-jog has made her. Maybe she needs to take Maxwell up on that offer to accompany his morning runs, although the thought of him seeing her like this is mortifying.

“Do you know where Maxwell went?” she asks, straightening up and rolling her shoulders back, hoping good posture will eliminate the residual humiliation. “He was in here last I saw him, but then I got, uh — otherwise detained.”

Drake sighs. “You’re a piece of work, Aldridge.”

“Oh, fuck you. I should’ve just asked Hana.” Riley looks out at the room, running a quick sweep before turning back to Drake. “Um, where’s Hana?”

“Seriously?”

“Look Drake, you’re not my ideal conversation partner right now either.”

He laughs sardonically, but there’s a hint of affection in his eyes. Drake can talk all the shit he wants, but she knows she’s his weak spot. Well, her and Liam. And whiskey.

“I haven’t been keeping tabs on Hana,” he says, “But Maxwell went looking for you a while ago, so he’s probably lost. Good luck with that.”

Riley makes a frustrated sound. “Do you have your phone? I should just call him.”

Drake reaches into his pocket and hands her something that may have possibly been a phone, once, but now resembles a sort of conceptual idea of a phone as designed by a seven-year-old fresh into the twenty-first century.

Riley stares at it. “Drake, what the fuck is this? What am I supposed to do with this? Oh my god, is that an antenna?”

“Yeah,” he frowns, seemingly unaware of her horror at this technological trashcan. “I don’t get great reception at the palace. It helps if you pull it out.”

Riley groans. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Okay, nevermind — how do you text someone on this thing? You’ve got Max’s number, right?”

“I don’t have texting.”

Riley blinks. “Sorry, repeat?”

He shrugs. “It’s a waste of money. I mean, why text someone when you can just talk to them?”

“What in god’s name­ —” Riley barely stifles an angry shriek. “Drake, you’re useless. Why the fuck didn’t I pick a dress with pockets? I’m going to go find him myself; take your stupid prehistoric waste of plastic.” She shoves the offending object back into his hands before turning her back and starting off towards the very door she had just entered.

Figures.

“Sometimes you can get service on the third-floor balcony?” Drake offers. Riley lets out a final disgusted sigh before quickening her pace. The sooner she is away from this dude, the better.

It’s a much overdue blessing that when she pushes open the ballroom door, she nearly runs into Maxwell. Just the sight of him is enough to make her stumble forward, her shoe catching the marble with an ill-placed step.

He grabs her shoulders to catch her, visibly flustered. “Riley?! Oh, thank god. Where’ve you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere, I even asked Bastien, but no one knew where you were, no one had even seen you in ages, and I thought —”

Riley takes his face in her hands and kisses him quiet, her lips curling in a smile against his, giddy and breathless and warm. She doesn’t pull back until she absolutely has to — until laughter spills out of her lungs and she can’t keep the grin away any longer.

She beams up at his bewilderment. “Oh Max, you have no idea how good it is to see you.”

“I — uh,” he blinks, mouth turning up in a confused smile. “Thanks? Or, um, you too?”

“Let’s go,” she says, brushing her thumb along his cheekbone, “Let’s just leave.”

“What?”

“Right now, let’s just —” she tilts her head towards the end of the hallway, “We can just run away, before anyone says anything.”

“Riley,” his brings a hand off her shoulder to curl his fingers gently around her wrist, just as her fingers thread into his hair. “What are you talking about?”

But the question is already answered as she brings her lips back to his, stepping closer and wrapping her free arm around his neck. His hands find her waist and she falls into him, clutching at his shirt as she opens her mouth against his, and suddenly everything is a blur of soft and hard and need and want and more than anything, hope.

She leans into his touch, eyes closed, head swirling with every wasted moment that has led to this. It’s like a dream: the sense of detachment she feels as they pull each other closer, the heady drunkenness of her hands as she struggles to find a hold on his shoulder. They’re breathing too loud, touching too soft, loving too hard.

She lets out a shuddery sigh and feels him rest his forehead against hers.

“Riley...” he says, voice soft. She can feel his eyelashes brush against her cheek, and her fingers dig in against his back, trying in vain to grasp at the strings of their ephemeral moment and keep it from drifting away.

They look at each other, inches apart.

“I want to run away with you,” she tells him, “Right now. I want to run away with you and I want you to say yes.”

“Where would we go?”

“I don’t know — anywhere. McDonalds, for all I care. I just want to say fuck it to all this courtly shit and nobility and be with you. Like, properly with you.”

“Properly?”

“Yeah.” She bites her lip. “You’re my best friend, you know?”

Maxwell takes her hands in his, and he’s looking at her so intensely she feels the blush pool hot in her cheeks. “You’re mine too.”

She dips her head, hoping to hide the burning spreading through her face. “I’m always yours.”

He smiles.

“What,” bellows a new voice, echoing down the hallway with footsteps far too angry for a ball, “in the crown’s name —”

They both turn, hands still clasped between them, and Riley whispers, “Fuck.”

Bertrand looks equal parts flabbergasted and livid, his expression twitching between the two as if he can’t quite make up his mind which is more applicable. He is walking much too quickly, the furrow in his brow getting more defined by the second, and Riley grips Maxwell’s hand tighter while also fearing slightly for his life.

“Did I just — did you just —” he comes to a halt in front of them, out of breath for more reasons than one and seemingly unable to string together a coherent sentence. “Have either of you ever — did you even once consider —”

“Down to run away whenever you are,” Maxwell says under his breath.

“Have the both of you lost your damn minds?!” Bertrand throws his hands up, eyes wild. “All of the work, all of the time and moneythat we have spent, ensuring that this occasion would be one of restorative glory for our household — and the entire time the two of you have been sneaking around… fraternizing?”

“How long have you been standing there?” Riley asks tentatively. “Because technically we were friendzoning each other at the end.”

He gives her a look so withering that she takes a hasty step behind Maxwell.

“You should both be grateful that I am the one who ran in on this abhorrent exchange instead of someone who might have let it slip to the Prince, or else this—” he gestures sharply at the door of the ballroom, “would be over.”

“Oh, um,” Riley says, “Well, about that.”

“Bertrand,” Maxwell starts, “Look, you have to give us a second to —”

Riley raises her voice. “Liam knows.”

“What?” Bertrand hisses, at the same time Maxwell looks down at her in shock, “You told him?”

“I didn’t tell him,” she answers Maxwell, meeting his eyes and trying to pretend it’s just the two of them. “Or, well, I did tell him, eventually. But he already knew. He said he guessed.”

“He guessed?” Bertrand is losing his mind. “How long has this been going on for? Has the entire palace been in on this ridiculous affair?!”

“It doesn’t matter.” Riley takes a deep breath, turning back to face him. “Liam knows, and he’s not going to marry me, and I’m not going to be queen.”

“There’s still time,” Bertrand says desperately, “Maybe if you talk to him, if you just explain the situation, perhaps he would be willing to overlook the indiscretion?”

“Oh my god, this is not an ‘indiscretion,’” Maxwell says, a sharpness in his tone that Riley hasn’t heard before. “You have to stop treating Riley like some tool to get back in the court’s good graces. It’s nobody’s fault but yours that things ended up this way, and you can’t expect anyone but yourself to clean up the mess you made.”

Bertrand scoffs. “What are you insinuating, that our current state of affairs is my fault?”

“Yes.” Maxwell’s resolve doesn’t waver, but Riley can feel his fingers tighten in hers. “And you know exactly what I’m talking about, unless you conveniently forgot the last girl you tried to send packing?”

Riley glances between the two of them, confused. Clearly there are a lot more secrets in this family than anticipated. Who needs to keep up with the Kardashians when you have the Cordonian nobility?

“This… this is absurd,” Bertrand sputters, clearly taken aback by Maxwell’s unexpected turn on the offensive. “Both of you are coming with me, and we’re going to fix this. We’ll set things straight; we have to. Perhaps Prince Liam misunderstood, he’ll be gracious, he —”

“I said, it doesn’t matter!” Riley shouts, startling the both of them. “Maxwell and I are in love, and we’re running away together, okay?!”

Bertrand blinks.

“But not like, far,” Maxwell interjects quietly, “I mean, we’ll be back.”

Bertrand rubs his temples, visibly distressed. “I absolutely cannot condone this. Will you not stop?”

Riley loops her arm in Maxwell’s, pulling him closer. “No?”

“You could at least be definitive.” Bertrand sighs. “Perhaps I should have expected this from both of you, since you seem entirely incapable of doing what I ask. Why not go full speed in the completely opposite direction?”

“Good idea,” Maxwell says, squeezing Riley’s hand. She looks up at him, raising an eyebrow, and he raises one back, and then before she even has a chance to squeeze his hand back in confirmation, they take off towards the other end of the hall.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Bertrand yells from behind them.

Riley can’t help the rush of giggles that break free from her at his voice, the sound punctuated by the echoes of her and Maxwell’s footfalls in the vast hallway. “Running away together!” she calls out in response, not looking back.

She almost trips as she steadies her hurried steps on her toes (these ridiculous shoes much louder and higher than they need to be) before the two of them barrel into a side door and stumble out onto the garden.

Riley is breathless, hopping on one foot as she undoes the clasp on her heels, kicking the shoes off with a deft shake of each ankle, then running out towards the lawn to grab them. Maxwell follows her, laughing too, and she holds up the shoes in one hand like a prize.

“We did it,” she grins, “We even beat Bertrand. That’s final boss type stuff right there.”

“Sorry about that,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck, “I didn’t mean to go off at him.”

Riley tilts her head, tracing a finger down his arm. “I don’t know, it was kinda hot.”

Maxwell laughs so hard at this that she smacks him with a shoe. “Shut up! It kinda was!”

“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind next time I fight with my brother. Real romantic stuff right there.”

“You’re the worst,” Riley wrinkles her nose at him, but can’t quite suppress her smile. “What’s his deal anyway? I can’t possibly piss him off that much, right?”

“He’s not good at emotions. Or like, relationships. He’s got — um, girl trouble.”

Riley barks out a laugh. “With who?”

“You’d be surprised.”

He slings an arm around her shoulders, and she wraps hers around his back, shoes still dangling from her other hand, and the two of them set off across the damp grass of the palace lawn. They don’t really have a destination, now that the running is over, but that’s okay.

“Oh! I’ve been meaning to tell you all night,” Riley says, feet sinking into the earth with each step. “I think Olivia is into Drake.”

“Olivia? Olivia Nevrakis?”

“Yes, oh my god, right? She said the weirdest thing to me in the bathroom.”

“How weird?”

“Like, ‘I want to fuck Drake’ weird.”

“No.”

“I’m serious!”

“That’s simultaneously the worst and best thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You’re welcome.”

Riley feels her feet hit the cool cobblestones of the main walkway, the lights of the city edging up over the hedges beyond. She pauses, her heartbeat loud in her chest, a sounding drum for the bridge in their lopsided melody. Maxwell halts along with her, his eyes falling on hers in a question.

“Let’s steal a car,” she says.

He doesn’t miss a beat. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Well — I mean, first of all you’d have to find a car to steal, and then you’d have to know how to steal it, and then there’s the matter of the King’s Guard.” Maxwell is rubbing gentle circles against her shoulder blade with his thumb. Riley’s not even sure if he’s aware he’s doing it, but her heart swells. “So like, once you get past all of that stuff. Sure.”

“Doesn’t Liam have like a hundred cars or something? What’s the point of being royal if you don’t have a hundred cars?”

“What’s the point indeed.”

“And the second part — we can just google that.” She frowns. “Wait, shit. I don’t have my phone. Do you have yours?”

“Yeah, but service is notoriously terrible at the palace.”

“Again, what is the fucking point of being royal.”

“Pretty much nothing when you put it that way.”

She sighs, letting her head fall against his shoulder, shoes swinging from tired fingers. “What if we just call an Uber and go home?”

“What’s… Uber?”

Riley jerks her head back up, suddenly too exhausted for this. “No, do nottell me that Cordonia doesn’t have Uber. I will personally march back into that goddamn ballroom and scream in Liam’s face until he calls the fucking CEO himself and gets that shit set up, I’m not even kidding, I am dead serious—”

Maxwell is laughing, eyes alight with that all too familiar mischief, and she feels herself slump back against him. “You’re joking, aren’t you?”

“Of course we have Uber,” He’s got his phone out in his free hand, the glow of the screen illuminating his smile. “You’re too easy, you know that?”

“I’m not easy,” Riley grumbles against his shoulder. He kisses the top of her head.

“Whatever you say.”

Their driver looks thoroughly unimpressed upon arrival, despite the resplendent glamour of the palace behind them. As Maxwell opens the door for Riley, the driver gives her a look through the open window.

“No shoes, no shirt, no service.”

Riley holds up her heels, now dangling from a single finger. “Shoes.” She nods towards Maxwell, who’s trying not to laugh at her. “Shirt.”

“Well, I’m charging extra if you make a mess,” the man grumbles, turning back towards the road. Riley drops down into the backseat in a huff.

“You know he’s like, basically a Duke?” she says loudly, leaning forward and making eye contact in the rear-view mirror. Maxwell slides in on his side and pulls her back, and she scrunches up her face, but leans in against his shoulder anyway. “What? You are.”

“Bertrand’s the Duke, not me. It’s much less impressive with the qualifier.” The driver has fully tuned them out at this point, and Riley closes her eyes, reaching down to fold Maxwell’s hand in hers as he shuts his door.

“Okay, but what if some terrible accident befalls Bertrand?”

“Title goes to his heir.”

Riley laughs. “What heir?”

“Um — I mean like, hypothetically, if he had a child with a secret fling who consequently went into hiding somewhere like, I don’t know, France or whatever. Then, y’know — heir.”

“Sounds juicy,” Riley murmurs. “We can only dream of Bertrand leading such a dramatic lifestyle.”

“Mhmm.” Maxwell sighs. “More like a nightmare.”

The further they get from the palace, the more Riley feels the tension of the coronation night slipping away from her. It’s a welcome relief, a lightness in her shoulders and in her heart that she hasn’t felt in weeks. Maxwell is warm against her side, and she can feel her eyelids getting heavier as the streetlights become fewer and far-between.

“Max?” she says quietly.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For everything.”

He turns to look at her, and she blinks up at him from her spot nestled into his side, hoping he understands exactly what she means.

She’s half asleep when they finally pull in at the Beaumont estate, her shoes still loosely clutched in one hand as she emerges, bleary-eyed, from the car. Maxwell is a few steps away, fiddling with the payment on his phone, and she watches him illuminated in the glow of the screen.

He looks up finally, catching her staring. “What?”

“Nothing, I just…” she sucks in a deep breath, chewing on her bottom lip. “I’m glad this is happening. You and me.”

“Yeah,” He offers her his arm and she takes it, the two of them heading up the walkway to the entrance. “’We’re in love and we’re running away together,’ right?”

“That was — look, it was thematically appropriate phrasing at the time, okay?”

He slips his hand into hers, fingers falling into place like they were always meant to. “You would be a terrible poker player Riley.”

“Oh, shut up.”

The door opens before they’ve even made it up the stairs, one of the staff members emerging from behind with a demure bow. Maxwell pauses in a brief moment of panic, watching as her eyes flick between their clasped hands and Riley’s disheveled appearance.

“Lord Beaumont, Lady Aldridge,” she says carefully, “We didn’t expect you back this early. Everyone’s been following the coronation proceedings on television.” Her tone is pointed as she raises one deliberate eyebrow. “Very interesting waiting to see which of his suitors the prince will choose.”

Riley feels the heat in her face, but Maxwell is moving again, pulling her after him, taking the stairs two at a time.

“That’s great, that’s wonderful,” He’s talking even faster than he’s walking, striding past the judgmental gaze with each word. “Then you’ll know the whole thing was terribly stuffy. Huge bore. Not our kind of scene at all, old nobles and all that. Figured we would just get the highlights later, leave the ceremony to Bertrand.”

The woman shuts the entrance doors behind them, the air of propriety still heavy around her even as Maxwell practically drags Riley down the hallway and out of her presence. “My apologies sir, the Duke informed us that you wouldn’t be back for several days, otherwise I would have prepared —”

“Don’t worry about it!” Maxwell chimes back, already halfway through another doorway as Riley hurries after him. “I’ll let you know if I need anything!”

Riley kicks the door shut behind them, sinking down into a nearby couch and dropping her shoes on the side table. “Jesus,” she says dryly, “Suddenly I’m thankful for my common upbringing.”

“It’s not the worst thing she’s caught me doing, that’s for sure,” Maxwell runs a hand through his hair. “But given the circumstances… I guess it ranks.”

“Ooo, storytime?”

Maxwell drops down next to her on the couch, wrapping an arm around the back so his fingertips brush her shoulder. “Only if you’re lucky.”

She kisses his cheek. “I’m always lucky. What room is this?”

“It’s a parlor room,” He answers. “No one should come in here — at least, none of the staff.” He glances over, sheepish. “Or Drake.”

Riley laughs, but it turns into a yawn midway through. “You and your staff… sir.”

“Lady.”

She grins, reaching up to brush the hair off his forehead, fingers lingering along the side of his face. “Is she going to tell on us?”

“Oh, absolutely.” He catches her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist. “This is some prime gossip; I imagine she’s already sent out a news bulletin.”

“I can see the headline,” Riley yawns again, leaning into his side. “’Desperate Love Affair Exposed: King’s Former Suitor Caught Barefoot with Almost-Duke.’”

He makes a face. “Don’t focus on the barefoot, that makes it sound foot fetish-y.”

“Hmm, okay… ‘Waitress Gets Biggest Tip of Her Life’?”

“God, Riley, seriously?”

Riley closes her eyes, her laughter just barely audible. “S’like a bad porno.”

“There’s your headline,” Maxwell says.

She blinks one eye open, blearily looking up at him. “I can’t believe the one time we’re actually alone… and all I wanna do is sleep with you.”

A pause, then she adds, “Like, the sleeping kind.”

He laughs, eyes bright. “I gathered.”

“But the other kind too,” She sighs, tucking her feet up. “Gonna jump you in the morning, okay?”

“Mmhm,” he replies, resting his head on hers as she nestles in against him, “And we can get brunch.”

“Waffles.”

“Belgian waffles.”

“And mimosas.”

“And pineapple.”

In a moment of clarity, she sits up, touching his shoulder until he looks back at her, their faces a breath apart.

“Hey,” she says, voice suddenly low, “I don’t wanna make this weird, or weirder than it already is, but I just need you to know —“

He shakes his head almost imperceptibly. “You don’t have to say it. We have time. We’ll have so much time to say it.”

She lets out a breath of nervous air. “Do you think… do you think we’re gonna be good? I mean, with everything going on and all this stuff… do you think there’s a happy ending for us?”

He kisses her forehead, pulls her closer in to his side. “Why would you want an ending?”

Her heart swells with something deep and gentle, a touch not unlike the drowsy tug of sleep already pulling her from reality. And maybe that’s what this is — a break, a piece of time pulled separate from the rest. A little moment all their own.

She closes her eyes, already halfway to a dream.

#trr fanfic #playchoices fanfic #mc x maxwell #maxwell x mc #the royal romance #trr #my fic #ok now that those are out of the way #big shoutout to all who have said nice things about the parts before this #i love u guys ur real ones #like truly it does mean so much to me #i dont wanna clog peoples dashes with reblogs but i try to respond to all my asks and/or replies bc they genuinely fill me with such love #idk if ill write more for these two in this world #maybe with a very large timeskip #but for now its time for my driam fic so god knows when that will get finished at this rate #long post

[cyanogastra]

who cares about newtonian physics when i can just think about doing xxx and xxxx with you, babe ;)

he tian's got it bad. like really, really bad. 

(in which he tian fantasizes about Guan Shan while in class)

[read/ leave kudos on ao3]

hey beautiful ;)

And sent. He Tian can't help but anticipate the reply with bated breath. Physics class is less than halfway through, the voice of his teacher droning on and on about some concept, and already does he feel like opening the nearest window and jumping out, broken bones be damned. His grades are more than fine though, normally he pays enough attention to seem like the outstanding student that he is, but right now he doesn't give a rat's ass about any of that. It's just that he's thinking a lot lately...about angry snarls, porcelain skin, red hair...

Yeah, fuck Guan Shan for being a distraction. A very pleasant one, if He Tian might add. Damn if he gives a shit about being distracted in class. On the contrary, anything that keeps him off from the redhead is a nuisance. The scrape of the chalk, the humming of the A/C, the soft pitter patter of the rain outside...everything is exceedingly dull next to the redhead's vitality.

He watches Guan Shan, who was seated near the front, as he discreetly moves to check the message he received. He Tian can almost see the scowl that twists on the other boy's face. Guan Shan replies almost automatically.

fuck off, asshole

Inwardly, He Tian snickers. Yeah, yeah, he expected nothing else. The redhead never really established himself as a creative trash-talker. He promptly types out a reply, his seat from the back row enabling him to use his phone freely.

your annoying carrot head is blocking the board. mind crashing your face on the desk for me?

He watches as Guan Shan reads the message. He pockets his phone back without typing a reply.

Ah damn, he ignored me. Feeling the slightest twinge of disappointment, He Tian decides to devote his undivided attention to pissing the redhead off.

awww come on red. im bored

let's skip the next class

oh yeah i want beef stew later

if you try bailing out again, just know that it won't be any less easier for you

He intentionally sends the messages one by one, for good effect. Guan Shan hurriedly picks his phone out again, obviously annoyed by the consecutive vibrations. Even from his position, He Tian can see the angry way Guan Shan's hands types on his phone.

what the chicken dick is wrong with you? stop texting me, unlike you im trying to pay attention and i dont want to get caught by the witch

Cute. He Tian was about to type his reply when suddenly the teacher cleared her throat and made a snide remark about "a certain rude student who's using his phone, how dare he waste time in attending school classes, he should just leave the room for being an ungrateful child".

He Tian barely stopped himself from chuckling audibly. One, he was absolutely floored by her dramatics. And two, despite being the instigator, he was definitely not the one being scolded, judging by the very nasty glare that the teacher is giving the redhead. He guesses that the other boy must be seething at him right now.

Ah damn. The dumbass called it. He Tian sighed, his amusement being incredibly short-lived. He knows Guan Shan will try a fight with him later, for getting him in trouble when it wasn't even his fault or shit, whatever. Literally anything that Guan Shan throws at his way is very amusing for him, threats that the redhead is too scared to follow through, his redundant insults, gritted teeth, clenched fists.

He enjoys riling the other up, can't help but eagerly watch every reaction he makes at all of his provocations. Can't help but catch his pale wrists almost too naturally, arms straining to hit and escape from him at the same time. Can't help but tease, and anger, and aggravate the other boy at any opportunity. He finds some sort of absurd enjoyment in that.

But damn, He Tian knows himself. Really, he can't deny the emotions that threaten to bubble out from inside, there's no use in pretending it doesn't exist. He knows what it is, he knows what it means to dream about bony hips underneath his fingertips, slim legs spread out on his black sheets, red strands the shade of sunsets and persimmons, all drenched from perspiration. He doesn't feel sick at the realization of it, not at all, but only sick satisfaction at every release he reaches. Guilt and embarrassment do not come to him, and He Tian laughs mirthlessly, at how fuckin unashamed he was being.

Yeah, he wants Guan Shan. He wants Guan Shan under his fists, under his caresses. Fuck if he knows which. Maybe both at the same time. Not that he isn't giving enough nonverbal cues for the other boy to pick up, fuck if that idiot still doesn't get it.

For now he waits and bids his time. There's a strange feeling from his gut at the prospect of revealing himself to the redhead. Is that fear?  He's not sure if he feels apprehensive from finding out what the other boy might think, or if he feels hesitant to speak his desires into existence.

It's all fun and games until you tell him you wanna push him down on your bed and do this and that.

Minutes tick by and the bell rings, relief washing over the class almost tangibly. He Tian stands and quickly strides to reach the redhead, ignoring the incessant calls of the girls behind him.

He slings an arm around Guan Shan's shoulder, pressing down heavily so he can't budge.

"Get the fuck off me, He Tian!"

And the cycle begins.

#19 days #19 days fic #he tian #mo guan shan #tianshan #old xian #ive published this fic in ao3 since like...a month ago #idk why im only posting it now in tumblr #but hey here's a fic i guess #genosidal #fic

[loveourdawn]

SO. mono...

[IM SORRY IT GOT SO LONG]

there's so much to say and i know nobody cares but i just HAVE to get all my thoughts out of my chest or at least TRY to articulate everything i feel cause im just that kind of person. this may seem highly over-analyzed but that's just how i enjoy things. if i enjoy something so much i will overthink it, devour it to the last piece, swim to the deepest end. so to those who hate that type of stuff, im sorry? im very emotional ajsf  first of all, let me just say how absolutely genius this whole album is!! from the individual tracks to the collaborations to the album art and music video!!!! even the decision of calling it a 'playlist' instead of 'mixtape' is so AH! each factors contributed so well to the artistry and overall vibe of the album and you can see how raw and genuine this playlist is and how brilliantly thought out it is!!! there's an invisible thread of that youre-not-alone comforting melancholic feeling (kinda similar to the cathartic feeling you get listening to the rain falling) that connects each tracks together which makes it such a.. PLAYLIST?!! tokyo. i dont know how to express how much of a perfect track this is as an intro!!! "life is a word but sometimes you cannot say"  KJSBKJCABC ""why do love and hate sound just the same to me"" sjvkjsdnvbsjd such a good song to help introduce the longing vibe of the album. the ending whistle!!! the waves!!! THE FEELINGS!!!!!!!! seoul. must say i looked forward to this track the most. i was extremely curious to see how rm and honne would combine their styles skbjs ive been an avid honne fan since uhhh idk forever?? it was impossible not to have such high expectations but FUCK they just went way beyong my expectations!! love that it still has the groovy honne flavor that i love so much :,) and joon's play on "seoul" and "soul" and the way he used descriptions of the city to express how he feels? "the river harboring too much han" AHH NICEE SO SMART overall a great groovy tune but in a sad mellow way? moonchild. another much anticipated track because of the correlation i thought it would have with track 4o'clock which i love so so dearly. i just ;____; love this song so much ;___; ahhh the lyrics fuCK "we're part of the moonlight" "we're born to be sad" "all the pain, all the sorrow, thats your destiny" "we gotta dance in the rain dance in the PAIN" "MOONCHILD YOU SHINE WHEN YOU RISE IT'S YOUR TIME" "moonchild, dont cry" i just love this so much im just gonna burst. i love the personification of  the night sky/ nightscape. i loveeee the last verse of this song when joon says someone will see your thorns and be comforted LIKE?? FUC KKK "WE ARE EACH OTHER'S NIGHTSCAPE, EACH OTHER'S MOON" [REST.] badbye. I LOVE INTERLUDES! and i love how short most interludes are.. so contrary to popular belief, this song is just the right length imo. (but that doesnt mean i wouldnt listen to a 24hr loop of this song) FUCKIN GET IT eAeon!! the static in the intro contradicts the dreamy floaty feel of this song and i LIVE FOR IT!! "kill me kill me softly have me be scattered fragments" "you know why i cry" I LIVE FOR THE PLAY ON "GOODBYE" OKAY SHAVJBA a very dreamy tune!! (could almost pass as a beach house song honestly) outofplace. i really dont know the correct translation of the title but i guess out of place is the best? this is that song you listen to lying on your floor staring at the night sky.. when you feel so tiny and like NOTHING. the lyrics punctured my heart! the third verse when joon starts belittling himself... I FELT THAT "is this all your worth" "need to do so much better" ah really this is the song i resonate very much with.. when joon says he's so far from who he wants to be although he sometimes crosses paths with that person im so bvjsdbvjbsd [SCREAM]"all i need is me but why do i feel lonely" "i feel so lonely when im with me" "one may receive rain but only that way can you also receive rain" THIS SONG IS NAMJOON'S HUG WHEN YOU FEEL LONELY AND INSIGNIFICANT AND IM SO THANKFUL everythingoes. kinda sounds like a soundtrack and a sunset-going-into-night song.. i didnt expect the track with NELL to be like this i love surprises! when joon goes hard YES! the rain in the end :,) the lyrics are very comforting!!! and the song has such a youcandoit build up that just makes me want to GET UP AND RUN??? "everything has to hurt" "YOU CAN NOT ALWAYS STAY INSIDE A DREAM" [@ me next time sis] this song is telling me (you) that we wiill feel hurt the wind will blow but but BUT IT WILL PASS AND IF THIS ISNT THE BEST MOST COMFORTING BEAUTIFUL THING YOU CAN SAY TO SOMEONE THEN SKVBSDJVBS forever rain. MMMMMmmmMMM that rain sound transition from previous track!! unusual to see the last track to be the title track? BUT NICE. THE MUSIC VIDEO!! i have a deep admiration for animation! JOON'S MELLOW RAPPING IM FADING!! the LYRICS! "let me breathe a bit slower cause my life, my rap is all too fast" sometimes i miss the slow buzz of life :( this reminded me of how much i hate moving so fast how much i actually hate time sometimes.. "if i could knock somewhere if i could kiss the world so hard would someone welcome me, maybe embrace my weary body" THE DESPARATION IN THIS LINE! this whole song depicts what a lonely soul would do for some comfort/acceptance/love(?) but in the end, it is these lengths we take that keep us alive and help us survive overall, i really really love this playlist. in such a short amount of time, it has become very dear to me. with this release, i was able to discover another side of namjoon, his poetic side, his vulnerable side, the not strong leader-rapper RM side.. and i got to bask in his thoughts, in the works of his mind and heart and i find myself falling even more in love with him.

#IM JUST VERY EMOTIONAL OKAY #IM SORRY FOR RUINING YOUR TIMELINE #i LOVE NAMJOON SO MUCH #mono #rm mono #unpopular opinion #juju talks #kim namjoon #LOVE OF MY LIFE

[coldtothebonee]

you know what i cant stop thinking about 

king harrows Big Miss Steak more below the cut

like we all know part of the shit, if not the cause, is the discovery of dark magic by humans- the fastest magic to conjure, which also upsets the balance? like we get the death of dragon king thunder and his son as a result

so we get the connotation that dark magic is bad- even in the trailer when claudia (i fuckin called it- i knew that was claudia) was casting dark magic, her eyes glowed and when she cast magic it appeared menacing, contrary to how callum cast magic only moments later, protect ezran and a giant sparkly egg (my guess, the dragon prince), in which it looks more for self defense and good than anything else

so we get the idea maybe dark magic is bad/used by bad people. 

except, i had kept up with someone liveblogging the panel. there they had stated that callum had no particular interest in any kind of training and instead was into drawing, but then he saw claudia, and developed a crush. and then soren says he’ll help callum look good in front of her, hence a mock duel

later we learn they are siblings, soren and claudia, and this was just right before the trailer dropped, but the point is, claudia is in the castle, claudia is considered a good person by at least two people, one of which was the prince and another someone trusted by the king, two people of considerable credibility, though it still begged the question whether she was clever enough to dupe them, at such a young age, since we know she does dark magic but not yet if the others do know.

at this point in time, we’ve learned claudia and soren are siblings, and it does not appear that claudia is hiding her studies in any way- and thus the study of dark magic is normalized, even within the castle walls where there are vulnerable people like the princes and guards at rest and the kings home as well.

but isnt dark magic bad? it certainly gave off that vibe, yet the more we learn the more we see that here, it really isnt. its just another ability, only bad if the user abuses it.

oh wait. dragon king thunder and his son. right how could i forget. 

in the netflix trailer we get a few extra seconds, but a few seconds is more than enough when we see a huge army heading towards a volcano during an oncoming thunderstorm (or is that Thunder’s power), we are aware the dragon king and prince die from dark magic, but why specifically them?

turns out elves and dragons really dont like dark magic, and they decide to ally together against and and xadia is split in two, with dragon king Thunder apparently ruling over the good half (so im guessing thats where the “my heart for xadia” comes from), so basically what we have is:

elves and dragons vs humans with dark magic. 

and then we can sort of safely assume that humans arent happy with that and want that half too, 

dark magic sure is a Ride huh

and then we’ve back to the present, with that conflict sort of still going on, as assumed by king harrows fighting assassins off quote to his bird pip in reassurance, but this still doesnt answer the question What was King Harrow’s big mistake?

or does it?

so ive got some speculations- if the timeline allows 

1.) king harrow was in charge when dark magic was discovered, led the battle against Dragon King Thunder and killed both him and the prince

2.) king harrow was not quite in charge yet, but had considerable influence during the whole thing

3.) king harrow was not there when it all happened, yet when it became his turn to take the mantle, he did not resolve it

4.) he purposely puts someone else in danger/take the fault      a.) bonus: he gets caught

5.) he puts ezran and callum in danger knowingly or unknowingly (probably, hopefully, the latter)

and now we diverge, because the circumstances of callum’s and ezrans mother (or in ezrans case, both his birth mother and stepmother) are unknown and considered a spoiler (i cant wait to find out) but

6.) he made a grave mistake with ezrans mother/callums mother and/or both      a.) she was involved with the war effort and died      b.) she was a victim of dark magic      c.) she got kidnapped amidst the conflict      d.) she ran away      e.) she’s just put in danger

7.) king harrow was reckless about some other thing and all my other speculations are completely wrong

what do you guys think? think im onto something, or am i completely off? let me know by adding onto here, in the tags, in my ask box, or my dms!

#Thunder the Dragon King #The Dragon Prince #tdp #theory #theory central #theories #king harrow #tdp king harrow #tdp harrow #harrow