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geronimomo-spd · 5 months

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and there we go! the full Confidential Archive!

here are all the episodes, according to tardis wiki list, including all of the mini specials and chrismas specials and most if not all in good quality! the full list of everything is under the cut because yeah, its a longgg list!

all in order, including some youtube videos and dvd rips hehe, all according the the tardis wiki list

SERIES 1 -

1x00 - A New Dimension (a prolog to season one, narrated by David Tennant)

1x01 - (rose)

1x03 - (the unquiet dead)

1x04 - (aliens of london)

1x05 - (world war 3)

1x06 - (dalek)

1x07 - (the long game)

1x08 - (father's day)

1x09 - (the empty child)

1x10 - (the doctor dances)

1x11 - (boom town)

1x12 - (bad wolf)

1x13.1 - The Ultimate Guide (another little documentary right before

parting of the ways, about key aspects about filming the season)

1x13.2 - (parting of the ways)

1x14 - Backstage at Christmas (the nine minutes they gave us from some of behind the scenes of The Christmas Invasion)

SEIRES 2 -

2x00 - One Year On (a general preview for season 2, including the series 2 press launch, a lot more behind the scenes of The Christmas Invasion and some Torchwood stuff)

2x01 - (new earth)

2x02 - (tooth and claw)

2x03 - (school reunion)

2x04 - (the girl in the fireplace)

2x05 - (rise of the cyberman)

2x06 - (the age of steel)

2x07 - (the idiot's lantern)

2x08 - (the impossible planet)

2x09 - (the satan pit)

2x10 - (love & monsters) - (featuring the winning of the contest of designing a monster)

2x11 - (fear her)

2x12 - (army of ghosts)

2x13 - (doomsday)

2x14 - Music and Monsters (the behind the scenes of doctor who's first music show, including some behind the scenes stuff of The Runaway Bride)

SERIES 3 -

3x01 - (smith and jones)

3x02 - (the shakespear code)

3x03 - (gridlock)

3x04 - (daleks in manhattan)

3x05 - (evolution of the daleks)

3x06 - (the lazarus experiment)

3x05 - (42)

3x06 - (human nature)

3x07 - (the family of blood)

3x08 - (blink)

3x11 - (utopia)

3x12 - (the sound of drums)

3x13.1 - (last of the time lords)

3x13.2 - Children in Need Special (the behind the scenes of the special where 10 meets 5, really cute stuff)

3x14.1 - Kylie Special (series 3 christmas special. version 1 - the full version in less of a good quality i found on youtube, bless this youtube channel honestly)

3x14.2 - Kylie Special (series 3 christmas special. version 2 - the shorter version that was up on iplayer)

3x14.3 - Kylie Special (series 3 christmas special. version 3 - the version i edited to include the low quality parts that were missing with the good quality shorter version)

SERIES 4 (INCLUDING THE SPECIALS) -

4x01 - (partners in crime)

4x02 - (the fiers of pompaii)

4x03 - (planet of the ood)

4x04 - (the sontaran stratagem)

4x05 - (the doctor's daughter)

4x06 - (the posion sky)

4x07 - (the unicorn and the wasp)

4x08 - (silence in the library)

4x09 - (forest of the dead)

4x10 - (midnight)

4x11 - (turn left)

4x12 - (the stolen earth)

4x13 - (journey's end)

4x14.1 - The Journey (So Far) (a documentary about the entire show so far)

4x14.2 - Confidential Christmas 2008 (behind the scenes of The Next Doctor christmas special)

4x14.3 - Doctor Who: Top 5 Christmas Moments (a sort of confidential behind the scenes clip show of all of the episodes set at christmas)

4x15.1 - At the Proms 2008 (behind the scenes of doctor who at the proms 2008)

4x15.2 - The Eleventh Doctor (the special they used to announce Matt Smith as the new doctor who)

4x15.3 - Desert Storm (behind the scenes of Planet Of The Dead)

4x16 - Is There Life on Mars? (behind the scenes of The Waters Of Mars)

4x17 - Lords and Masters (behind the scenes of The End Of Time, Part One)

4x18 - Allons-y! (behind the scenes of The End Of Time, Part Two. version 1 - full dvd version)

4x18 - Allons-y! (behind the scenes of The End Of Time, Part Two. version 2 - shortend higher quality version from iplayer, this version has a song in the soundtrack that is diffrent from the dvd version, this is the most accurate version to what aired on tv at the time)

SERIES 5-

5x01 - (the eleventh hour)

5x02 - (the beast below)

5x03 - (victory of the daleks)

5x04 - (the time of angels)

5x05 - (flesh and stone)

5x06 - (the vampires of venice)

5x07 - (amy's choice)

5x08 - (the hungry earth)

5x09 - (cold blood)

5x10.1 - (vincent and the doctor)

5x10.2 Monster Files: The Daleks (a little documentary about victory of the daleks/daleks in general)

5x11 - (the lodger)

5x12 - (the pandorica opens)

5x13 - (the big bang)

5x14.1 - Monster Files: The Weeping Angels (a little documentary about the weeping angels episodes this season)

5x14.2 - Monster Files: The Silurians (a little documentary about the silurian episodes)

5x14.3.1 - Monster Files: The Alliance (a little documentary about the alliance of monsters from the pandoica opens)

5x14.3.2 - Backstage at the Doctor Who Prom 2010 (behind the scenes of doctor who at the proms 2010)

5x14.4.1 - Charlie McDonnell - Runner (the first Charlle behind the scenes videos, pretty quiet - Currently not up on the archives as Charlie has expressed the need to remove her old videos)

5.14.4.2 - Charlie McDonnell - TARDIS (another Charlie video, she explores the tardis set this time -Currently not up on the archives as Charlie has expressed the need to remove her old videos)

5x14.4.3 - Charlie McDonnell - Decorating Bus (another Charlie video, she decorates the food place with christmas decorations, i liked them Charlie - Currently not up on the archives as Charlie has expressed the need to remove her old videos)

5x14.4.4 - Charlie McDonnell - Christmas Presents (badger) (the famus Charlie video where she brings the cast and crew presents! this is where Matt gets his badger puppet - Currently not up on the archives as Charlie has expressed the need to remove her old videos)

5x14.5 - Christmas Special 2010 (behind the scenes of A Christmas Carol)

SERIES 6 -

6x01.1 - (the impossible astronaut)

6x01.2 - My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen (a special memorial for the late Elisabth Sladen 😭😭)

6x02 - (day of the moon)

6x03 - (the curse of the black spot)

6x04 - (the doctor's wife)

6x05 - (the rebel flesh)

6x06 - (the almost people)

6x07.1 - Charlie McDonnell interviews Neil Gaiman (Charlie interviews Neil Gaiman, appewrently causing some ruckes on Charlie's blog at the time hehe - Currently not up on the archives as Charlie has expressed the need to remove her old videos)

6x07.2 - (a good man goes to war)

6x07.3 - The Monster Files: The Silence (a little documentary on the silence, thank god because i needed that)

6x07.4 - The Monster Files: The Gangers (a little documentary on the gangers, my beloveds)

6x07.5 - Charlie McDonnell Becomes A Dalek (the last Charlie video, released late because it had the 1-4 tardis set, also she gets to ride a dalek in this one - Currently not up on the archives as Charlie has expressed the need to remove her old videos)

6x08 - (lets kill hitler)

6x09 - (night terrors)

6x10 - (the girl who waited)

6x11 - (the god complex)

6x12 - (closing time)

6x13.1 - (the wedding of river song)

6x13.2 - The Monster Files: The Antibodies (a little documentary on the antibodies from lets kill hitler)

6x13.3 - The Monster Files: The Cybermats (a little documentary on the little adorable cybermates because awww)

6x14 - The Nights' Tale (a little documentary on on the nights mini episodes! the last confidential stuff ever made rip)

#doctor who #doctor who confidential #dw #dwc #tenth doctor #eleventh doctor #ninth doctor #9th doctor #10th doctor #11th doctor #david tennant #matt smith #christopher eccleston #momo confidential watch #dw cast #rose tyler

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preseriesdean · 11 months

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in case this is interesting (?) to anyone else. while talking to @weaksspot we were like, does sam ever say “ain’t”? so i researched, because apparently i miss uni.

total tally: DEAN: 107 instances | SAM: 16 instances (detailed list under the cut)

notes:

* out of sam’s 16 total instances, two of them are from soulless!sam

** season 10: out of dean’s 11 instances, four of them are from demon!dean

*** season 15: out of dean’s 2 instances, one of them is from young!dean in a flashback

bobby is the king of “ain’t” but i was too lazy to count him.

basis for analysis: spnwiki transcripts (which does mean that the results of the tally may be skewed, obviously) with the help of spntranscriptsearch

hypotheses and theories:

DISPROVEN: as sam distances himself more and more from his college life (where he may have tried to drop the dialect to fit in with his peers), he assimilates to dean’s speech patterns over time

DISPROVEN (kind of): the episodes where sam says “ain’t” were written by the same people - 3/14 episodes each were written by Ben Edlund and Andrew Dabb respectively; but at the end of the day it all comes down to jarpad, really. i can’t imagine that the scripts decide whether actors use “aren’t” or “ain’t” (?)

UNRESOLVED: why was dean (quote) “cowboying it up” so much in s7. you could argue that if this development had happened in s8 that it were related to purgatory and his proximity to benny (who obviously uses the contraction liberally). but what was going on here

UNRESOLVED: what the hell happened after s10

results:

none. there is no rhyme or reason to any of this

DEAN

1x01, 1x05, 1x21 2x02, 2x06, 2x07, 2x08, 2x08, 2x10, 2x16 3x01, 3x15, 3x16 4x04, 4x05, 4x09, 4x12, 4x12, 4x15, 4x15 5x05, 5x07, 5x07, 5x12, 5x13, 5x18, 5x18, 5x20, 5x22, 5x22 6x06, 6x07, 6x07, 6x08, 6x18 7x01, 7x01, 7x02, 7x02, 7x02, 7x03, 7x06, 7x07, 7x10, 7x11, 7x12, 7x13, 7x15, 7x16, 7x17, 7x17, 7x19, 7x20, 7x21, 7x22, 7x22, 7x22 8x01, 8x01, 8x05, 8x10, 8x10, 8x13, 8x14, 8x18, 8x18, 8x19 9x01, 9x01, 9x01, 9x01, 9x01, 9x03, 9x08, 9x10, 9x10, 9x10, 9x12, 9x13, 9x15, 9x22, 9x23, 9x23, 9x23, 9x23 10x02, 10x02, 10x02, 10x02 (demon Dean), 10x04, 10x15, 10x15, 10x15, 10x21, 10x22, 10x23 11x07, 11x11, 11x20 12x05, 12x10, 12x13 13x07 14x19, 14x20 15x15, 15x16 (young Dean)

SAM

1x18 3x13, 3x13 4x13, 4x15 5x12, 5x14 6x08, 6x11 (soulless Sam), 6x18 7x09, 7x09 9x16, 9x19, 9x22 12x23

#my master's studies in linguistics really getting some use here lmfao #crying about this tbh like what is this #language

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raayllum · 5 months

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Your Aunt's Spirit In You :: Callum & Amaya, a Meta

Was thinking about these two due to writing a scene between them in a recent oneshot, and then about the similarities they have, so thought - why not? Especially for a shorter meta than more of the long form ones I have siting in my drafts, let's talk about Callum and Amaya

As always, SIMILARITIES first:

Both loyal siblings to a monarch (Sarai through marriage, Ezran through birth)

Taken captive and interrogated by elves

Willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of the group (special shout out to 3x01 which puts this back to back * )

* This is slightly negated by Rayla, not Callum, being the one to actually risk her life (as she talks Callum out of risking his own quite easily) whereas Amaya goes through with it. Still, Callum's sentiment and willingness is there (and on multiple occasions), so it's included. ("I need you to kill me" being another example)

Skeptical, distrustful, and good at reading people (even if Callum changes his mind about Rayla and Amaya does not about Viren)

Good planners / generals (see my General Callum tag here)

Often times more decisive than their partner (Rayla often hesitates, which Janai worries about as well) and encouraging them to prioritize their own needs as well above just their 'duty'

In 4x01, they are both worried about secrets (as a result of war based trauma) and potential attacks, even though both 'secrets' wind up being something positive and wonderful (successfully for Amaya - as she is proposed to and happily rejoices with her partner - and an attempt for Callum, as it leaves him forlorn because his partner is still missing)

Slightly darker sense of humour, maybe ("Now that you'll officially be my little brother, I'll try not to beat you up too much" + "Besides, she only eats three people a day. It's a small price to pay for peace")

And last but not least, there is Janai's assessment of their similarities (aka the meta title) that accompanies the soundtrack piece of "Like Aunt, Like Nephew".

Callum does often undertake dangerous quests / make dangerous choices (travelling across the world to return a dragon egg, throwing himself off a mountain, running into what he believes to be a trap, etc). This is, however, much like how Aaravos' assessment of Callum in 4x04 ("and my favourite, the human mage, already tainted by darkness, and destined to play right into my hands") is true for all of his mage pawns up to that point (Ziard, Claudia, and Viren in the past), true of just about every character in the show. Which makes sense - in an action/adventure fantasy show, most of the characters are going to have to be okay about throwing themselves into danger just by proxy of genre. In most of the trio scenes where someone is hurling themselves into danger, it is usually Rayla first - and then Callum, stepping up if/when she can't do something on her own.

As you might've noticed while there are similarities, outside of their skepticism and willingness to sacrifice (which is again, something most characters in the show have) there aren't that many that go beyond more surface level "these events both happen to these characters," as Amaya and Callum's mindsets aren't that similar, which are the bulk of the main differences we're going to talk about next.

DIFFERENCES:

Prejudice (or therefore lack of)

Amaya is very prejudiced against elves ("Moonshadow elves - the worst kind [...] Don't worry, Callum, I've slain monsters before") at the beginning of the show, whereas Callum never is. He still holds some poor misconceptions (mostly the blood drinking) but he still always sees them as 1) people and 2) therefore worth reasoning with: "Can't you just make peace with them? You don't want to die, I'm sure the elves and dragons don't want to die, so everyone agrees"and his first conversation(s) with Rayla.

2. The ways in which Amaya is similar to Viren are largely different than the ways Callum is similar to Viren.

Amaya devoted her life to safeguarding the Breach and their kingdom's borders, a form of security that Viren was worried about and continued to be worried about once he came into power. Amaya and Viren can both be a little two-faced, willing to present a trusting front and hide their ulterior motives (most notably from each other, and something Rayla has in common arguably with both of them), whereas Callum is incredibly honest most of the time and is very bad at covering up his emotions (something he also has in common with Rayla, since although she often tries to cover things up, she routinely fails at it).

Viren is willing to send his children after the princes in spite of the danger of their secret missions ("if you must choose, choose the egg") and Amaya is willing to hold the Breach rather than go after her nephews, leaving Corvus to do so in her stead. This is very different than Callum, who automatically and often times insists on going along with his loved ones (Ezran, Rayla) when they're embarking on dangerous journeys of their own.

On that note, Amaya and Viren are both also taken captive by the Sunfire elves and given the Trial of Light, with very different outcomes that S5 also reaffirms for Callum, so let's talk about it:

3. The Light Will Decide Your Fate

During Janai's interrogation of Amaya, and Finnegrin's interrogation of Callum, the two respond very differently. Both Janai and Finnegrin want information, but Janai doesn't resort to torture even when Amaya remains entirely silent on any and all matters, and Finnegrin keeps pushing at Callum (and Callum keeps giving up information) even if he doesn't give up what Finnegrin wants, at first.

Amaya's trial is specifically about whether or not she's "pure of heart" or, more accurately, whether or not she's done dark magic. Her interrogation and test, if you will, ends with her passing it - to Khessa's surprise. Amaya is not a mage, and certainly not a dark mage, and is therefore going to interact and approach the world differently than a mage - human or elven or otherwise - would. Callum's interrogation and test is also about dark magic, and he does not 'pass it', lmao.

Because where Amaya had to confront the Light, Callum had to confront his Dark.

This is where we get into more of the mindset differences.

Amaya is willing to cut her losses (if she cannot successfully defend the Breach, she will destroy it, circa 3x01) but Callum almost never does (staying too late in the Great Bookery, for example; holding onto hope that Harrow might be alive even when he knows deep down he knows better, etc). Amaya refuses to give up the Sun Seed for her partner's life, knowing it safeguards a bright future and is what Janai would want her to do; Callum does give Finnegrin the spell and does dark magic to save Rayla, even when she wouldn't ultimately want him to do either of those things on her behalf. 5x08 makes this comparison particularly clear by juxtaposing these two deals and scenes throughout the episode.

Part of this is because, as Amaya acknowledges, for a great deal of her life, she and Callum had very different ideas regarding strength - which is exactly what allows these perspectives to switch:

When she died, I felt lost and weak without her. I hated feeling that way, so I learned to be strong alone. Stoic, strong... and lonely.

But the last two years have changed everything. Meeting Janai, falling in love, I am stronger than I ever was... because we are stronger together. And I realized that was the real truth of me and Sarai, too.

Callum has, up until about halfway through 5x08, always believed that he (and others) are ultimately stronger together, and we see this reflected through the first four seasons and into season five. However, the back half of 5x08 begins to greatly challenge this. Meanwhile, this is something that both Amaya and to a more detailed degree, Rayla, have had to learn. Because, when it comes to how they've responded to trauma, Amaya and Rayla are more similar to one another (and arguably to Viren in this way) than Amaya is to Callum, who by and large has a very different trauma response.

CONCLUSION (??)

While Amaya and Callum do have some similarities, Amaya is not extraordinarily similar to either of her nephews - Callum included - due to their differences in occupation, mindset, and trauma response. The similarities they do share are mostly things that they each share with Viren (such as skepticism) or share with most of the general cast (intelligence - although Callum is a standout - and bravery, for example). Most of their parallels, therefore, are put there to provide contrasts within similar themes (mostly in S1, 4x01, and 5x08), and they do not parallel more than any particular pair of characters in the show (seriously, you could throw a dart and probably find parallels between almost anyone, the show is so steeped in them, so looking at consistency and structure is key). Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

—Dragons out

#tdp amaya #tdp callum #tdp meta #the dragon prince #tdp #analysis series #amaya #punching someone in the face is not a thematic parallel in this show i'm sorry to report #however these two do have their similarities & differences #analysis #arc 1 #arc 2 #multi

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carlos-in-glasses · 4 months

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2023 Writing Round Up

Thank you for the tag @heartstringsduet @reasonandfaithinharmony @jesuisici33 @chicgeekgirl89 @thisbuildinghasfeelings @theghostofashton @orchidscript @welcometololaland @ladytessa74 @strandnreyes @reyesstrand @alrightbuckaroo

Rules: Share what you wrote this year! It can be works you posted to Ao3, Wattpad, Tumblr, or anywhere else! You can share everything you wrote or just the ones you're most excited about.

15 fics this year! I have loved writing and sharing every one of them. Thank you to everyone who has read or will at some point. Work is a lot busier these days, so I don’t anticipate writing the same volume in 2024…but we shall see! I just want whatever I share to be good quality, and it’s my New Year’s resolution to keep improving. I love Tarlos. I love writing Tarlos fic. I love this fandom.

January

The Ruins of Wonderland – a reimagining of TK and Carlos getting back together after their breakup. I posted this on New Year’s Day, resolving to start 2023 off on the right fanfic foot.

Chasers – A coda for 3x13. TK talks to Cooper about his past, while Carlos goes for a swim and thinks about his own. When Carlos gets home, he and TK have an important chat. The rection to this fic spurred me on to continue writing in the flashback/vignette/timeline format.

February

Man to Man – A coda for 2x11 and 2x12, which also looks at Carlos coming out to his parents and where he is now with it all.

March

Afterglow of a Supernova – When fiancés TK and Carlos help Carlos’ high school crush and his wife during a call, they end up having a dinner with them that leads to jealousy in an unexpected way. The feedback I’ve had on this fic sent me to the moon on rainbows.

April

The Heart Behind the Shield – My first chaptered fic! I'd been wanting to write a 2x08 coda, but it was 4x04 that made it possible. This combines events from both episodes where there’s duality, and was an absolute blast to write and post.

The Light of Our Life – Listen, I wrote this during an extended lunch break and posted it the same day. For somehow it’s my fifth most kudos’d fic of the year…Thank you!!! We were all deep in our Lou II feelings at this time. Never forget.

Fire Island – TK and Carlos travel to Fire Island, where an older gay couple talks to them about their experience of the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York. This fic by far had the most emotional impact on me while writing it, and based on feedback it seems to be the same for readers(?) People have shared personal stories and memories with me since I posted this, and I just want to say I’m truly grateful for the response, given I wrote it in January but didn’t feel brave enough to post it for a few months.

May

With Infinity Folded Into It – Written for the @tarlosweeklyprompts Countdown to the Wedding event (prompt was: Love). After TK proposes, Carlos remembers the first time they said “I love you.” It’s fluff, it’s smut, it’s kinda angsty because Carlos is trying to bake and baking is stressful.

The Center of the Maze – Another written for Tarlos Weekly Prompts Countdown to the Wedding. (Prompt: "I Never Thought I Would Get This Day".) I thought this was going to be a 2k one-shot; it turned into 20k split into 4 chapters… Seven times they thought they would never get married, and one time when they actually did. I was super inspired and happy with the writing in this one.

June into July

When Soulmates Swim – The closest I’ll ever come to writing a sports AU (….or is it?👀…) Sparks and splashes fly when TK and Carlos each take up swimming while they recover from workplace injuries. I really pushed myself with smut and humour in this fic and the feedback I’ve had has been incredible. One of the most enjoyable writing experiences I’ve ever had, this fic holds a special place in heart.

Release The Hand to Relax the Animal – TK and Carlos explore the world of tantric massage in their own way. Written because Rafael Silva has madly attractive hands, and @heartstringsduet and I thought we should celebrate. You can read Michelle’s hands fic, Take My Hand, Take My Whole Life, Too, here. It is BEAUTIFUL.

(Nothing in August)

September

Sweet Dreams and Flying Machines – A 3x08 coda, which also gets into TK and Carlos’ childhood memories of 9/11, and the way that event went on to impact their lives (to the point where it set them on the path to meeting each other). It recieved the most amazing comments, with people sharing their memories of 9/11, so like Fire Island this fic feels deeper to me in a social way.

October

Suddenly in the Silence – I’d ‘joked’ about the show giving us Ghost Gabriel in season 5, but a conversation with thisbuildinghasfeelings led me to explore that concept myself. In this fic, it’s up to the reader to decide whether they think the spirit of Gabriel is around, which made writing it challenging but a lot of fun. It’s so interesting to see what side people fall on!

November

Where All This Love Comes From – This is my Tarlos novel at ~90k words, due to finish posting in February. I began writing it in March, when a hefty amount of plot relied on Gabriel being alive after season 4. Substantial rewrites happened after May, which was pretty gutting at the time, but ultimately I think this has ended up being the best thing I’ve written so far in my life.

December

There is a smutty one-shot coming with a scream very soon…And I hope you like it!

I'm not sure who has already done this - tagging with no pressure if you want to share/haven't already - and open tag!

@cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @goodways @lemonlyman-dotcom @paperstorm @wandering-night19 @heartstringsduet @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @rmd-writes @rosedavid @chaotictarlos @lightningboltreader @taralaurel @three-drink-amy @redshirt2 @noxsoulmate @sanjuwrites @bonheur-cafe @liminalmemories21

❤️🩷🧡💛❤️🩷🧡💛

#writing round up #cig tagged #cig fic #my fic #tarlos fic #tarlos fanfic

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mostdisconcerting · 8 days

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Bad Day=Binging ScarNash

I had an interesting day today. Not in a good way. So as one does in such a situation, I went back to rewatch ScarNash. Cuz they’re my comfort ship.

This is just me reviewing almost every scene of the episode so I can forget that life exists for a little while🙃

Today I picked 4x04. And goodness I do not regret it one bit.

Starting with Patrick and the fat goose line. I’m sorry but why did that have to be so damn funny. “My fellow punters…” and “copious amounts of whiskey”, with his very Frank expression shifted my mood from stressed to joyful immediately. And I only now noticed that as Patrick and Eliza leave to meet Carter, Eliza yeets a paper in Clarence’s direction (or at least she tried).

I applaud Clarence’s “shit the parents are gonna argue if I don’t step in” senses. We love him for them.

I’m gonna make a rare mention of William, but I felt so bad for him when Ivy started talking about her mom’s gout. If I was eating anything resembling her description, I would gag to no end. Ruined the poor dudes snack.

Watching Patrick panic is probably my favorite part of this episode. Bros just pacing up, down, round and round, trying to think of what to do. (He’s literally just me but toned down and with an adult brain 😂)

That scene at Fallons was perfect. That unanimous “who?”, and the cover up that “we do love a little gossip now and then.”. It’s adorable and funny to see these to be in such sync and in such odds as they are.

Also, idk if anyone else noticed but she’s holding his ARM in the stables scene?! How-wha-why did I not notice that?

Poor Fitzroy. He could’ve had a much nicer career with his father out of the way. He’s known for being his father’s son, this way he could learn to be his own man.

We gotta talk about that cab scene. Literally, Patrick was trying to make things better by saying “it’s not your fault they left”, and just made it worse by adding “it’s mine, I should’ve never left you in charge”. She looked so genuinely offended by what he said, only to be shut down cuz they were literally in the middle of investigating.

Then they just break into Fallon’s office like it’s nothing and start bickering about the resignations again. She said she didn’t fire any of them. And then she admitted to firing multiple. Which is great I guess. So… we have that. Then they just hop through the office when someone comes in. Like. They have no right to be this adorable. Why are they literally my grandparents on steroids.

Turns out the lines about Eliza sulking started in this episode, which clearly adds to why she’s pissed when he spends the entirety of 4x05 just telling her she’s sulking and she should not sulk.

Then we have scene where Patrick’s pacing again. And I don’t blame him for making Eliza nervous too. Like he said “good I don’t see why I should suffer alone” (which is a quote I’ve been using way to much in real life recently lol)

Clarence makes his grand entry with some food and the info that Gibson is here. 🙃

And I’m finally going to end on those last two scenes of them together (cuz I skipped William kissing Eliza)

Them blackmailing Carter was hilarious. I mean, we know both of them were hella nervous cuz he could’ve just gunned both of them down there but that’s whatever. I love the little voice moderations and the expressions Eliza and Patrick pass each other basically saying “he’s agreed, now let’s get the hell out of here before he changes his mind and kills us”

Then we got Patrick praising Eliza. That could’ve played out to be an even more heartfelt scene had Eliza not seen the time and ran off. He looked disappointed, but he seemed to let it go (unlike William would’ve as we know) , understanding she probably forgot to do something .

Makes me sad seeing potential like this being flushed down a toilet.

They’re an old married couple and I love that for them🙃

#scarnash #patrick nash is adorable and you can’t convince me otherwise #miss scarlet and the duke #miss scarlet pbs #msatd #eliza scarlet #eliza x patrick #patrick nash #i like this show #nah #i love this show #i love these idiots #And I spend waaaaayyyy too much time thinking about it #Clearly #old married couple energy #I think I’m stuck down a ScarNash rabbithole and now I can’t get out #Help #Please

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alrightbuckaroo · 9 months

Note

Hi, I don’t know whether you are still doing the soft fic prompt. If you are, then #37 for Tarlos please.

37. ‘I missed you.’

I didn't know if I wanted to go sad or sappy with this one but sappy won out eventually. Here's something that became a little bit of a 4x04 coda :)

"Hey babe," TK stops just short of his greeting when he sees the mess cluttered around the kitchen. Empty mixing bowls, flour scattered across the counter top, and chocolate morsels spilling out of their packaging.

He looks at Carlos, currently splayed out on the couch, his apron covered in what looks like many attempts at baking. Around him, it looks like the living room was tossed up, turned around and torn apart. "Were we robbed?"

"If you ask that a third time, it's going to come true." Carlos pipes up from his spot on the sofa, making no effort to move.

"I didn't know felonies worked like Beetlejuice, but hey," TK finally ventures into the kitchen. He places the groceries on a clean spot of the counter. "You learn something new every day."

He walks over to join Carlos on the couch, pulling him up to join him in a sitting position. "You want to tell me why our apartment is in disarray?"

"Lou II got out." Carlos explains, bluntly. "I was in the middle of making cookies and while I was waiting for the oven to heat up, I went to feed him. Imagine my shock when I saw his tank was empty."

"I don't think I need to imagine it, babe." TK jokes.

"Not funny." Carlos' mouth is a straight line and TK fights back a laugh.

"Anyways, I started panicking because the cookies have chocolate in them and Lou II can't have chocolate and the last thing I want to do is kill our pet lizard," Carlos rambles on, his words starting to tumble over each other. "Long story short, Lou II seems to be a Spurs fan. I found him nestled in my jersey in the closet."

"Aw babe," TK caresses Carlos' cheek. "He wanted to be closer to you."

Carlos pushes TK's hand down. "Don't try to make it cute."

"That's hard when everything you do is so cute." He stands up, going to put the groceries away. Carlos' dough is currently sitting in rounded mounds waiting to be placed into the oven that is currently off.

When Carlos said he was making cookies, TK thought nothing of it. He's been on sick leave and while Carlos is good at many things, enjoying his free time is not one of them. Now that TK's stepped into the madness, he sees they aren't just any cookies. "Carlos, is this my mom's cookie recipe?"

"Yeah," Carlos joins TK in the kitchen. "I make them whenever I miss you and well, I missed you."

"I've just been out on call."

"I always miss you when you're not around." Carlos defends, casually shrugging as if he didn't just say something that makes TK want to melt.

"As I said," TK leans over, pulling Carlos is for a kiss. "Cute." TK looks at the ingredients cluttered on the island. "You are missing the secret ingredient though."

"Love?" Carlos asks. "Though, as long as I've got you around, I have that in spades."

"Toffee." TK answers, smiling at Carlos. "But I love the way you think."

send me a soft fic prompt!

#if i'm going to do anything it's bring up gwyn's cookie recipe #they're like the crux of my workplace rom-com au lmao #my writing #carlos reyes #tk strand #tarlos

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thranduel · 2 years

Text

mike’s letter to will?

“something is coming…” is the first line in the entire show that mike says while they’re playing d&d…

then this was posted a few tweets down in response and the date says november 6th, 1983

what if the letter was actually written on that day from mike to will because he loves him and he’s so special to him but he never got to give it to him? what if that’s why mike was more distraught and heartbroken after seeing will’s body and the show purposefully focused on his reaction as he cried into his mother’s arms? and remember they actually filmed finn crying his eyes out while riding his bike away and they said it was one of the best scenes but they cut it? why would there be so much focus on mike and will’s relationship but not the others? there’s so much more going on here

and maybe mike and will wrote each other letters a lot as kids and sent them to each other? maybe mike wrote that after the boys left his house in episode 1 and wrote something like “anyway i think you’ll love the rest of what i planned for the campaign. sorry i couldn’t get it done tonight but you mean so much to me and it’s been so fun playing with you guys. hope this is something we can do together for the rest of our lives and it will last until we’re old. love, mike.” this would be such a beautiful and incredible parallel because in 3x03 during their fight, mike says “i mean what did you think, really? that we were never gonna get girlfriends? that we were just gonna sit in my basement all day and play games for the rest of our lives?” but will never actually implied that or said those words specifically, so imagine if mike used the words he wrote in his OWN letter to will years ago because he was projecting and struggling with internalised homophobia?? also will said “yeah, i guess i did. i really did” and then in 4x08, he talks about wanting to play nintendo and d&d for the rest of their lives. ALL OF THIS WOULD CONNECT SO BEAUTIFULLY AND IT WOULD MAKE SENSE

OR even if the letter wasn’t written on that exact day, that’s probably when they’ll find it when they’re in the upside down in season 5 because time is frozen on that date. it’ll probably be in mike’s basement or bedroom. maybe that’s another reason why mike struggled to write “love, mike” on eleven’s letters because he knows he did it for will and will is the one he truly loves, but he’s just so afraid and uncertain of everything. that’s also probably why he couldn’t send will letters because he was scared. because why else would you lose contact with your best friend? why couldn’t you send him letters when you sent your girlfriend letters? it could’ve easily been done but he purposefully avoided it and then later on admitted he was afraid to lose him. in eleven’s letter, she said will has been acting “weird” because there’s someone he likes. then when mike is talking to will, he says the past year has been “weird” without him. they both also admitted to pushing each other away out of fear of losing each other (mike says it in 4x04 and will says it in 4x08). why are they acting so weird all of a sudden if they’re “just friends”?

if this letter is from mike to will, it would be the perfect way to reveal that they’ve loved each other from the very beginning. the general audience will see it and realise time was frozen in the upside down and it’s an old letter that mike wrote years ago. then no one can say it “came out of nowhere”. they have the perfect opportunity to do this right!

#byler #byler analysis #mike wheeler #will byers #stranger things #this definitely has nothing to do with eleven because they already said it’s not about a couple #as in like a couple that’s already canon #this is 100% about will and mike #it has to be #the first tweet is literally referencing mike’s first line #and then the date is the day will went missing and the upside down is frozen on the same day

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hoes4hoseok · 1 year

Text

how you get the girl part ii: heeseung’s advice on keeping dry in a storm

previous ☆ next ☆ series masterlist

your neighbor, heeseung, gets on your nerves. he’s full of himself, makes more noise than all of your neighbors combined in the middle of the night, spreads anti-superhero propaganda in your political science class, and, unfortunately, is the most attractive man you have ever laid eyes on.

pairing :: lee heeseung x fem!reader featuring :: jake sim, jeon somi, kim sunoo, and more! genres/au’s :: superhero au, neighbors to lovers, enemies to lovers, college au, fluff, angst if you squint, nightwing!heeseung chapter warnings :: mentions of and references to sex, minor violence, suggestive chapter word count :: 6.1k tag list :: @thejjrl @grace1852 @tsunchani @hanniiesuckle17 @mjr4fnaf1997 @goldenhypen @3nh4luvr @hobistigma @ditzie-s @nomy0520 @foreshadxw @koroktsuya @beansworldsstuff author’s note :: prior knowledge of nightwing and DC comics is not necessary to read this work! also ty to @lethekoo for all your help :) playlist :: here’s to you but in this chapter you should listen to umbrella by rihanna and jay-z at the end hehe

two of the plot points in this chapter are heavily based on smallville. the episodes are called 'devoted' 4x04 and 'exposed' 5x06. check them out if you haven't! I love that show so much <3 also! i hope y'all enjoy the little batgirl and starfire references :) && please let me know what you think if you have the time! it really helps me improve and motivates me to continue <3

2. Reliability A woman wants someone who shows up.

THE NEXT DAY…

“He didn’t get away, did he?” Jake asked, spitting his toothpaste into the sink.

“Nope. I got him,” Heeseung replied, sitting on Jake’s bed as his friend got ready. “He took a vial from the chemistry professor’s lab, but I’m not sure what it is. I’ll take a look at the sample later,”

Heeseung had come over to Jake’s place as soon as he woke up—which was 11 AM.

“Then…what is this meeting for?” Jake wiped his face with a look of skepticism, “you said it was urgent, right?”

“I told Y/n that I have a girlfriend,” Heeseung started, “but, obviously, I don’t,”

“So?” Jake shrugged. “You lie to people all the time,”

“Well, I think I need to stop the fake sex thing,” Heeseung added, “she can’t sleep because of it and it’s messing up her life,”

Jake furrowed his eyebrows. “Okay…what do you wanna do instead?”

“I don’t know,” he shook his head, “maybe I’ll make a tape of me singing. Or dancing. That’s loud, right?”

“I thought the whole point was to make it quieter,” Jake reminded him, now sitting on a chair across from his bed, “do you have something to tell me? Did the informal debate really rattle you?”

“No, I feel guilty,” Heeseung groaned, leaning toward his friend. “Last night, I saw her walking around Halyard Street alone and the guy who broke into Lori Lab pushed her out of his way. If I hadn’t been there, she would’ve fallen face-first into the street! But the only reason she was out there in the first place is that I was ‘having sex’ with a girl who I haven’t seen in months!”

Jake was at a loss for words. He had gotten used to Heeseung’s wild stories, but this one was unlike any other he had been told.

“Okay…” he started, “so…stop faking the sex thing. Yeah, sounds good,”

“What if,” Heeseung’s eyes lit up, “what if you moved in with me? Then, if she ever knocks, you can come up with an excuse for me!”

“No. I will not,” Jake shut down the idea instantly, “you’re a terrible roommate. I know you’re still getting over your last girlfriend, but you’ll be sleeping around again soon enough. Dealing with the walks of shame and the Nightwing shenanigans? Count me out,”

“Fine,” Heeseung huffed, “I could also move out and find a new place. The frat bros won’t mind the noise or doubt its authenticity!”

“You’re not moving out, Heeseung,” Jake rolled his eyes, “just tell her ‘sorry’ and stop the sex. She’s not going to break into your apartment in the middle of the night, she’ll assume you’re asleep, like a normal human being!”

Heeseung paused for a moment to contemplate before nodding, “you’re right. I’m being irrational,”

“Thank goodness,” Jake breathed a sigh of relief, “Y/n has consumed way too much of your time. She’s all you ever talk about,”

“Yeah,” Heeseung agreed, snapping out of his momentarily caring nature, “she’s just always got the snarkiest comments about me—she’s kind of a slut shamer,”

“No, she’s a ‘slut that doesn’t let me get a wink of sleep’ shamer,” Jake corrected the older boy, “it’s basically the only thing you guys fight about,”

“It is the only thing we fight about,” Heeseung reiterated as he stood up from the bed, “looks like I need to break up with my ex-girlfriend,”

So…how does one apologize to their neighbor for being inconsiderate and also putting them in danger without completely compromising their secret identity? Easy! Don’t. Just hope that the wound will heal on its own.

The Scoop’s bullpen was always bustling from sun up to sun down, which was why Somi and Y/n typically liked to work on their side projects at night. It was more private and peaceful that way, especially since they didn’t have families awaiting their return. Yet…they were here at noon on a day with heavy rain—it was not pretty.

“Ugh, we’ve been at this for two hours,” Y/n groaned, her head resting on the desk before her, “every single lead has given us a dead end!”

“We’re close. I can feel it,” Somi insisted. “If our theory is correct and the guy who was chasing you is the same one who robbed your professor’s Lab, chances are we can figure out what he stole using these old articles,”

Somi, after learning about Y/n’s run-in with the boy in blue, had dragged her to the Scoop so that they could work on identifying the man who pushed her—with any luck, it could connect to their own puzzle. Regardless, it would help debunk the ridiculous ‘Crime Rates Soar Upon 2021 Arrival of Nightwing’ article.

“I know, it’s just that the university section is kind of…bland,” Y/n reasoned, “not to mention the fact that my hand is cramping from all the notes we’re taking,”

“Sorry,” Somi moved her head from behind her computer to give her friend a sympathetic look. “No one has brought in a new printer yet and resources are kind of scarce on our floor,”

“They haven’t taken out the old one, either. This piece of junk is still here!” Y/n added, striking the side of the printer with her palm.

Unexpectedly, the familiar mechanical whirring of the printer began once again. Damn, she should’ve tried that five notebook pages earlier.

“Yes!” Somi exclaimed in happiness, rushing over to Y/n’s side of the desk. “You beautiful genius, thank you!”

“No problem,” Y/n laughed, looking over at the machine beside her. “Although…I don’t think I fixed it,” It had begun to print something, they just didn’t know what.

“Oh,” Somi frowned, picking up the first page, which had a large, loopy, and uppercase ‘a’ in the middle of it. “Whoever printed this made the font size way too big,”

“Yeah, and they must have been the first to do it after it stopped working,” Y/n took the paper from Somi’s hand, “I’ve seen this font before,”

“Where?” Somi asked, picking the sheets up as the printer continued to produce more papers. “In real life, or online?”

“No idea. It just looks familiar,” she answered, peeking over to look at the freshly printed pages. “Are they all different letters?”

“Yeah,” Somi replied, “A, E, K, V, U, and N. A is the only uppercase one so far,”

“Wait!” Y/n grabbed the newest sheet, “Our first number!”

After the printer stopped running, Somi scrawled the complete set of letters and numbers onto Y/n’s notebook.

A e k v u n 2 2 5 k 7 u S e 6 n

“We have to unscramble it, right?” Somi asked. “What else could this be for?”

“You’re right, it’s gotta be a message,” Y/n nodded, scanning the large room of busy reporters. “Who do you think it was meant for, though?”

“Mr. Kim, maybe?” Somi began, uncertainty in her voice, “it does seem unlikely though. Why send a message to Mr. Kim through a printer on the first floor?”

“It could also just be a printing error,” Y/n reasoned, “it was broken until a few minutes ago, after all,”

“Nope. What kind of printing error would give us this result?” Somi shook her head, sitting on the floor next to her friend’s chair with a look of determination. “Let’s unscramble it first and ask questions later—a story is a story!”

“I have…save, snake, sunk, skunk, ask, and suave,” Y/n read from her list of unscrambled words, “What did you come up with?”

After seven and a half minutes of silence, Y/n and Somi had collectively come up with 13 words starting with A or S from the letters they were given. Well, minus the repeats. So, more accurately, 11.

“Anus, sank, sane, suave, avenues, seven, and save,” Somi read, tapping her pen against the table.

“Avenue!” Y/n exclaimed in realization, “it’s an address!”

“You’re right!” Somi gasped, “Skunk Avenue!”

Skunk Avenue was quite possibly the most rundown street in Bludhaven. It consisted of abandoned buildings left and right, with a couple of bars and motels in the mix.

“Well, luckily, there should only be a few options that our address could be,” Somi stood up in anticipation, pulling up a chair to join Y/n at her desk. “Could you pull it up online?”

“Sure,” Y/n replied, typing away at her keyboard. “It looks like most of the addresses start with ‘two-two’, so we only have to worry about five, seven, and six,”

“Okay,” Somi took to her notebook once again, writing the possible combinations on the page before her. “22567…22576…”

Y/n shook her head as she scanned the map.

“22756…22765…” Somi continued, “22657…and 22675”

“Bingo,” Y/n grinned, “22657 and 22675 both are real addresses on Skunk Street. Check it out,”

Y/n had pulled up images of both addresses—the first depicted a run-down building with broken windows and a neon sign which read ‘MOTEL 8: HOURLY PAYMENT’.

“Well…that’s questionable enough to be our place,” Somi began, her brows furrowed in focus, “let’s see the other,”

The second image showed a modest gray structure, but it was the name printed below the picture that caught the women’s attention.

‘The Four-Leaf Clover Club’

“Also sketchy…” Somi thought aloud. “We should strike both addresses, for sure,”

“Oh, oh!” Y/n gasped, gathering a few glares from around the room. “I just remembered where I’ve seen the printed font! It was one of my textbooks! Fuck, which one was it?!”

“Political science? Writing?” Somi listed her courses, “Environmental ethics?”

“Nope,” Y/n shook her head, dragging her bag over to pull out a large textbook, “It was biochemistry,”

“Biochemistry?” Somi repeated. “As in the professor who was robbed last night?”

“Yup,” Y/n skipped through the pages, “here. The same font as the puzzle,”

‘Phenylethylamine: The Love Drug’

“That’s great, but wouldn’t every section have the title in the same font?”

“Nope,” Y/n countered, now smiling from pride, “Every chapter has a theme—that’s why this one is all fancy,”

Somi held her hand up for a high-five, “So, we got the answer to today’s question after all. Phenylethylamine was stolen from the lab last night, and, for some reason, someone wants ‘us’ to think it’s linked to the club or the motel,”

“Exactly,” Y/n stood up from her seat in excitement, “get your umbrella, let’s go!”

Despite the fact that they had, in fact, brought an umbrella, Somi and Y/n wound up drenched within an hour.

The motel was a dead-end. It was empty (unless you count a few rats seeking shelter), cold, and Y/n could have sworn they were being watched. Somi wanted to stay a little longer in case something came up or they found a clue, but Y/n insisted it would be easier when it was dry. Luckily, Somi agreed. So, they headed home to recharge before checking out the club.

“Y/n? Hi,” Y/n jerked her head up at the familiar voice as she headed up the stairs to her apartment.

Oh. Heeseung. Typically, there was always something, or some noise, that reminded her of the boy next door—but for the longest time since he moved in, Y/n had forgotten about him (or so she thought).

Naturally, for Heeseung, the opposite was true.

“Hi, Heeseung,” Y/n gave a nod of acknowledgment as she continued.

“You look wet,” Heeseung frowned from his doorstep as Y/n arrived at the landing, “and cold…what were you doing out in the storm without a raincoat?”

“Reporter stuff,” she dismissed him. (I don’t blame her. I’d be eager to get back into dry clothes too.)

“Okay,” Heeseung muttered, sensing her cold attitude. As much as he disliked it, he couldn’t blame her. “Well…I just bought an extra coffee for Jake, but it seems like he’s not going to make it. It’s yours if you want it,”

“No thanks, I only drink decaf,” she replied, unlocking the door to her apartment. That’s right, Y/n. Don’t get closer.

“Perfect. It’s decaf,” Heeseung smiled, backing into his room to retrieve the cup.

“Oh…thanks,” Y/n tilted her head in surprise as she approached him, a smirk forming on her lips, “but how do I know you didn’t poison it?”

Heeseung hummed, leaning against the doorframe before taking a large sip of the coffee. “Mmm. The best,”

“Thank you, Heeseung,” Y/n smiled, grabbing the cup from the man’s grip, their fingers touching momentarily. “I’ll see you on Monday. Or before that, if you decide to be a dick out of nowhere,”

Oh, they’d see each other before Monday, alright.

Heeseung let out a partly suppressed laugh as he swung his door shut, “yeah, see you around,”

That man had infectious laughter. It made Y/n weak. ‘He’s a dick, Y/n. He’s a dick,’ she repeated to herself, heading back towards her door.

“Huh…that’s odd,” she whispered to herself, staring at the cup as she entered her room.

Brenda’s Cafe Start your day with a smile! decaf coffee two sugars two creamers

“Looks like Jake and I have the same coffee order,” she smiled to herself, reveling in the uncanny coincidence before taking a large sip of coffee.

“I’m outside, Y/n,”

“Alright, I’ll be out in just a minute,” Y/n replied to her friend, juggling her phone, lipstick, and bag, “stay dry!”

It had taken Y/n an absurd amount of time to get ready. Sure, she was only going to a club, but she had been otherwise occupied since getting an internship at the Scoop last summer. She was a little rusty, to say the least.

“Dress hot,” had been Somi’s only instruction, so she opted for a tight blue dress.

As she looked in the mirror one last time before heading out the door, Y/n took a deep breath and grabbed her raincoat from its hook. After all, Heeseung was right—they’re much more effective in storms than umbrellas.

When Y/n finally reached the ground floor, Somi was standing alone on her phone, a yellow writing pad sticking out of her purse. After noticing that her friend had joined her, she looked up with a grin.

“You look smoking hot,” Somi looked Y/n up and down, gesturing to the glitter and barrette on her head. “I love the hair!”

“Thank you,” Y/n smiled, nudging the blonde, “no hotter than you,”

Somi wore a silver sequined dress and platform boots, making her tower above the other people in the lobby. “Thanks—as much as I’d love to exchange compliments all night, we have somewhere to be,” Somi tilted her head in the direction of the door, “let’s go,”

For some reason, Y/n and Somi had not anticipated being turned away at the door. They probably should have.

“Come on, our friend’s already in there!” Y/n reasoned with the large man before her, “Please?”

“Yeah, it’s her only night in town,” Somi added, impressed with Y/n’s improvisation.

“Sorry, ladies. Private club,” he stood up even straighter than he already was, crossing his arms as if he was guarding the gates of hell. This guy wasn’t going to budge. He probably got paid too much to accept flirting as bribery, either. Somi recognized this fairly quickly.

And so, they walked away. “Alright we need to get in there one way or another,” Somi rubbed her hands together. It wasn’t clear whether she was excited or just cold, but I figure it was both.

“Well…” Y/n gestured to the area behind Somi, where two women stood. One wore a short, colorful peacock costume while the other wore a bedazzled cowboy getup with denim shorts. “...there’s always that option,”

Somi glanced behind her for a moment before turning back toward her friend once again. “Oh my god, you’re right. Our one pole dancing class from three months ago is finally gonna pay off! Lead the way,”

“Okay…first of all, of course, I am…but second of all, there is no way I’m ready to pretend to be a stripper right now,” Y/n shook her head violently, “I need at least three to five business days' notice to build that kind of confidence,”

“Look, if you really don’t want to, I’m not going to force you,” Somi explained, placing her hand on Y/n’s shoulder. “But I’d be right behind you the whole time, cheering you on and/or watching your back. Depends on what you’re scared of. And you’d get to be a really sexy firefighter for a night,”

Y/n paused for a moment of contemplation. Sure, she was scared. But…after all, they do say “if you’re scared to do it, do it scared”, right? And she truly believed that Somi would be there for her. So, what the hell?

“Fine. I’ll do it for the story,” Y/n took the beaming blonde by her arm, “Let’s get in there before I change my mind,”

The dressing room was filled with various leopards in corsets and pilots in garters walking past the imposters, who stood frozen by the door. Y/n felt her chest tighten at the thought of wearing one of their outfits onstage for a crowd of droolers. Do it scared, do it scared, do it scared.

“I probably should’ve asked you this before pulling you into the dressing room, but what is our cover story?” she muttered under her breath.

“Just follow my lead,” Somi whispered back, guiding Y/n to the costume racks in the back row, “now act natural,”

Somi started rifling through the outfits on the rack: a way too patriotic stars and stripes set, various animals, a sexy leprechaun costume (definitely hopefully a seasonal pick)—the options were plentiful.

“This one will do tonight,” Somi spoke loudly, clearing her throat, “I wore the leprechaun look last night, after all,”

Y/n resisted the urge to laugh as Somi picked a black latex outfit off the rack, “Alright…I’ll take…” Y/n’s eyes scanned the options.

“Look, I’m gonna take this to ‘change’ while I check out that office. I’ll bet it has the info we need—”

“Hey, you two,” A deep voice boomed from across the room, immediately ensuing panic in Y/n’s head, “I take it you’re the replacements Rocko sent over?”

Wow did they get lucky…

Somi turned to face the blonde man as he approached, “Yup,” she started, eyes wide. While Somi being nervous isn’t something Y/n witnessed often, it was fairly easy to detect.

“Great,” the man nodded, pulling a list from his suit jacket’s pocket. “I have you two booked an hour from now, though…” He looked up from his paper, awaiting an explanation.

Y/n shook her head, glancing at the clock. 8:51. “I don’t know about that. Rocko told me my slot was at 9 PM,”

“Yeah, mine is at 9:10 PM,” Somi added, “there must have been a mistake somewhere,”

“Well, I’ll give Rocko a call—”

“No!” the women exclaimed in panic.

The man furrowed his eyebrows, glancing between the two. “Sorry?”

“It’s just that we don’t want him to be mad,” Somi clarified, “…in case it’s our fault,”

“We’re willing to go in an hour, the slots you had us down for,” Y/n continued, “we don’t want to cause any problems,”

“No, it’s alright, I’ll take care of it,” He gave Y/n a tight-lipped smile, “better get ready—you’re on in eight minutes. Your outfits are marked on the rack,”

Somi breathed a sigh of relief as the suited man walked away. “Alright…new plan. After we get dressed, I’ll take a peek in the office while you’re on stage,”

“I hate that plan,” Y/n retorted, her breath quickening. “but I did volunteer myself for it, you have the more stressful job, and I think my adrenaline will compensate for the fear,”

“Great,” Somi nodded, the same determined look on her face from at the Scoop, “Let’s strip,”

The outfit was on. Y/n was getting used to walking in seven-inch heels from all the pacing she was doing. It was now 8:58 PM. Y/n had come to peace with what she was about to do—how? She realized what the best way to handle the stress was—pretending she was a stripper.

So, she pulled on her deep purple get-up, smeared some more lipstick on her lips, and took some deep breaths. She could do it. No problem. Easily. Hopefully. Maybe.

As she walked up to the black steps in her impossibly high heels, Y/n could finally see the stage. There were three poles on it, but only one was being used—clearly, this was going to be a focused show. Lucky her. The final minute felt faster than the ones before it. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?

Before she knew it, it was 9 PM and the familiar beat of Umbrella by Rihanna and JAY-Z had started playing. That’s her cue!

Y/n felt her body take control as she ascended the steps. One foot in front of the other (at least that’s what she assumed).

“Now, give a warm welcome to…Violet Cherry!”

Y/n felt the stares of the crowd following her every movement as she walked to the center of the stage, where the pole was mounted.

She started by slowly unbuttoning the shirt she had on over her corset as JAY-Z’s verse began, reminding herself that this was her job and that she did this every day—she took that whole ‘pretending she was a stripper’ thing very seriously.

Stripping was awkward. She knew it would be. Y/n wasn’t completely sure how to take off her shirt and skirt in a way that would appeal to the whole crowd, but she pulled it off (haha get it) pretty well. It didn’t feel that way, but that didn’t make it untrue.

And then it started getting easier. Y/n had only learned two things in her first pole dancing class with Somi, but she juiced the hell out of those two things. By the time the chorus began, she was feeling fairly comfortable onstage. She spun, she posed, she twirled, and she posed again—it was a pretty solid routine for a woman who had an hour and a half of experience.

As the bridge began, Y/n held onto the pole with both arms behind her before sliding down into a squat, when she looked straight into the crowd. While the move was a nice addition to the routine, it was a terrible decision.

There, staring right back into Y/n’s petrified eyes like a deer in headlights, was a much more petrified Lee Heeseung.

Heeseung was not a man who went to strip clubs often. He had a couple of times, for friends’ birthdays or missions, but he never went just for recreation. He did not think a strip club was the best chance he was going to get at finding the lab thief’s boss—his classic waiting and watching usually does the trick, after all.

Jake disagreed—and unfortunately, he was right. He had to be inside to hear the secrets. Thus, he went. Lucky for him, his platinum credit card was all he needed to show them to enter—they let him right in. Honestly, Somi chose the wrong resident of Safehaven Apartments to befriend.

After Heeseung gave his name to the bouncer, he was seated immediately in what they called “the best seat in the house”.

“Hi, welcome to the Four-Leaf Clover Club!” His waitress greeted him warmly, removing the pencil from behind her ear, “What can I get for you?”

“Just water,” he dismissed the woman with a smile. He doesn’t drink on the job, he isn’t an idiot. “I’ve gotta drive home,”

“Sure, one water coming right up,” she wrote on her pad, “have a great night,”

He redirected his attention to the people circulating through the dimly purple-lit room. There were plenty of strippers wearing various types of bras and shorts, some of them dancing near guests while others served drinks. Most of the guests were men of various ages, but a few women were dispersed among the tables and seats.

“Nightwing, come in,” Heeseung adjusted his earpiece, “anyone looking suspicious?”

Jake was going to be his ears for the night—in fact, he usually was, at least now that Heeseung and Batgirl split.

“It’s Heeseung tonight,” the older man reminded him in a mumble, “and yes—literally everyone looks guilty,”

“I’ll try to ID some people in the security camera footage then,” Jake replied, “For now, you can turn your mic off, maybe actually have some fun. The other ones you set up should suffice,”

“I’m on a mission, I’m not going to—”

“Here’s that water for you!” The recently returned waitress began, placing the condensation-coated glass on the table, “Just give me a holler if you need anything else,”

“Thanks,” Heeseung nodded politely as she walked away, his eyes following her briefly to ensure she didn’t return. “As I was saying, I’m not going to…oh my god,”

“What? What happened? Did you recognize someone?”

He did recognize someone, but not quite in the manner Jake was implying.

Heeseung did not need glasses. Anytime he wore them in public was purely for aesthetic purposes. But his eyes just had to be deceiving him in one way or another because Y/n was taking off her shirt in the middle of the stage.

“Heeseung!” Jake exclaimed, “What happened?!”

“N-nothing,” he replied, finally tearing his eyes away from Y/n’s body as she tossed away her shirt. “I need to talk to someone in here. I’ll turn my mic on when I’m done,”

“Well, shouldn’t I listen in if you’re gonna make a move?” Jake countered. “...Heeseung?”

It was too late. Heeseung’s mic was already off and he was losing his mind.

He tried not to look at his neighbor’s routine for about twenty seconds until he remembered that he was, in fact, undercover at the strip club.

What was she even doing there?

Of course, it was possible that she was newly a stripper, but it wasn’t likely—Heeseung was an observant neighbor, after all. Plus, he was watching her now. Yes, she looked good…really good…but her dancing was not ‘the most exclusive club in Bludhaven’ good. So…if she isn’t really a stripper…why was she here?

She was wearing purple. Heeseung liked purple, not that it’s relevant. A purple corset, purple platform heels, purple shorts, and, pinned in her hair, a silver barrette. Her makeup…was blue.

Heeseung didn’t know everything about makeup, but he did know that Y/n wouldn’t have worn blue eyeshadow knowing she was going to be wearing purple. She didn’t know she’d be doing this.

He knew better than to assume Y/n had been forced to do this, but he couldn’t rule it out. So he thought about the last time he saw her back at the apartment building. Was there anything that—Jeon Somi.

No, he didn’t remember Y/n mentioning her friend—he literally saw Somi in the window of the office by the stage. What the fuck were these two up to?

“You can run into my arms, it’s okay don’t be alarmed, come into me,”

And…he was watching Y/n again. To be fair, it was kind of what he was supposed to do while undercover at a strip club.

“So gon’ and let the rain pour,”

As Y/n wrapped her hands around the pole, a newfound type of confidence gracing her performance, cheers and whistles erupted from the audience. Heeseung’s eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“I’ll be all you need and more,” She sunk down the length of the pole, Heeseung’s breath hitching as she did so. She had a look of lust on her face as she looked into the crowd. Up to the moment where, of course…

She saw him. Fuck, she saw him while he was staring right at her and she was going to think he was a total weirdo because what excuse does he have for being here? And she still thinks he has a girlfriend!

She was clearly just as rattled as Heeseung because she stood up a few seconds later, completely abandoning her previous “who cares” confidence. A pang of familiar guilt rose in Heeseung as Y/n started walking offstage and applause rose in the audience once again. Until he realized that she was headed straight into the crowd. And his table. Oh, God. He needed a cover story. Jake…Heeseung could usually use Jake for his lies in one way or another, right?

“Heeseung! Come in, Heeseung!” What a neat coincidence.

Heeseung fumbled to turn on his microphone, “I’m here. Now is not the best time, though, so—”

“I finished the ID checks of most of the club,” Jake continued, ignoring Heeseung’s words, “the man wearing a rust bowtie in the southeast corner of the building is our guy. The whole table is involved in it!”

“Now is really not the time, Jake,”

“Fine, I’ll tell you the details after you give me the go,” he sighed.

Y/n was getting closer, her eyes shifting everywhere but at Heeseung. As she looked beyond the scaffolding of the balcony, she stopped in her tracks momentarily. She saw something. Heeseung’s eyebrows furrowed.

What could she have seen?

“Hey there…” Y/n finally looked at Heeseung again, approaching his desk with a smile plastered on her face, “...handsome,”

“Hi, Velvet…Cash?” Heeseung struggled to recall her stripper name. Clearly, Y/n didn’t want anyone to know she wasn’t a stripper. He wasn’t about to ruin that. Plus, if it was clear they were friends acquaintances, Heeseung could be putting her in danger. Again.

By this time, she had one hand on the table and another wrapped around the corner of Heeseung’s chair. This club clearly had terrible circulation, because looking up at her made him feel like someone hid a space heater in his suit jacket.

“It’s Cherry. Velvet Cherry,” Y/n bent over further, forcing her words through clenched teeth. “What are you doing here? Last time I checked, you had a girlfriend,”

“Nope, she dumped me,” Heeseung replied in a hushed tone, “I’m just here because Jake wanted me to come, he’s meeting me in ten minutes. He thought it’d be good for my…heart,”

“Try again,” Y/n groaned, trying her best not to roll her eyes, “I know that’s a lie,”

“...fine,” Y/n lifted Heeseung’s chin with her finger as he spoke, “My professor got robbed. I’m here to try to find out who did it. My girlfriend did dump me, though,”

Personally, I think he told her way too much. But honestly, who could think straight with someone as pretty as her in such close proximity?

Y/n’s eyes widened in surprise, her hand falling away from his chin. Oh. Wait. Maybe she thought he was just lying about his girlfriend dumping him. You’re smarter than that, Heeseung.

“Forgive me,” Y/n stood up straight, pretending to adjust her hair in a moment of hesitation before turning around and taking a seat in the man’s lap.

Heeseung’s eyes widened, scrambling to look away until Y/n guided his face back to her with her hand. “You’re gonna get us caught if you keep looking at me like I’m your worst nightmare, Heeseung,”

The man inhaled sharply as Y/n mumbled, looking straight at his lips. She must have been devoted to this act because Heeseung could’ve sworn he was getting butterflies. “Look, you have to get out of here. The guy behind you is dangerous. Somi found some stuff on him in the office…or something. I’m not sure, she just pointed at him. The point is, you’ve gotta leave as soon as possible. For your own safety,”

“Fine,” Heeseung agreed reluctantly, the gears turning in his head, “I’ll leave you alone. Just get up, I’ve got fragile bones,”

“Thank you,” Y/n stood up confidently, bending down a final time to whisper in the man’s ear, “and do not utter a word to any of your buddies about that so-called lap dance. I do know where you live, after all,”

Heeseung smiled as Y/n walked off, but grew worried when she paused and turned right back around. “What happened?” he asked.

“I’ll explain,” Y/n grabbed Heeseung’s hand, pulling him out of his seat, “but you’re coming with me,”

The last thing Y/n wanted was for Heeseung to get hurt. Okay, that’s overcompensating, but you get the point—he was annoying, but she didn’t want him interrogated and hurt just for talking to her tonight.

So when she noticed a waitress mention his name to the man Somi warned her about, she panicked.

“Woah, hold on,” Heeseung began, Y/n’s grip on his wrist tightening enough to cut off circulation, “don’t you think these guys are gonna get the wrong idea here?”

“As if I care,” Y/n heaved, pulling the man next to the side door. “I’m gonna find Somi, and then we’re gonna run,”

Heeseung furrowed his eyebrows, mouth agape. “Run where? And why?”

“I’ll order a taxi, I don’t know. We’ll figure it out,” Y/n started, trying her best to recall her and Somi’s backup plan. “They know you spoke with me. Considering the fact that Somi and I are about to become their primary enemies and I don’t want your fragile bones cracking under the pressure, I’m taking you with me,”

“Okay…” Heeseung began, puzzled, “it’s just not very fool…proof,”

By the time Heeseung had finished his sentence, Y/n was distracted already, looking across the busy room at the several pairs of eyes focused on them.

“Y/n?”

Heeseung turned in the same direction, his eyes widening as the man in the rust bowtie he was warned about pointed right at them.

“Can you run in those?” Heeseung glanced down at Y/n’s elevated feet in worry.

“Not like I have much of a choice!” Y/n finally pushed the door open, grabbing Heeseung’s hand once again and sprinting—or, rather, trying to. She did not make it far.

“Ow!” she exclaimed, doubling over as they rounded the corner after exiting the club. “Okay, these have to go,”

It was raining harder than it had all day. Y/n was cold, in pain, and in danger. Now was not the time to be decked out in a corset and booty shorts.

“No, no,” Heeseung shook his head, his hair getting wetter by the second as he took off his jacket and tossed it to Y/n. “Wear this. You’re getting on my back,”

“Are you sure you can carry me, fragile bones?” she asked, eyeing Heeseung up and down in an insinuating manner before pulling his coat over her shoulders. To be fair, she did not know he was Nightwing. But still—damn, Y/n, now is not the time for banter.

“Just get on…” Heeseung rolled his eyes, bending his knees for Y/n to get on, “once we get back to my car, we can try to track down Somi. I’m sure she already left,”

“What do you mean?!” Y/n asked, hopping on anyways—her feet did hurt quite a bit, after all. “They’re only chasing us because they know I was with her! We have to go back right now,”

Heeseung began jogging with Y/n on his back, “just…trust me. Please. She’s fine, I’m sure,”

Y/n didn’t have any reason to trust Heeseung on a regular day. But if she went back to the strip club right now, they’d get her like a rat in a trap. She didn’t want to trust him, but there wasn’t much of a choice tonight. So she chose to cling on tight as water and wind hit her face and legs relentlessly—it was safe to assume her hair was no longer as gorgeous as it was ten minutes ago.

Heeseung’s hair looked great though—and it smelled like cinnamon. Y/n usually hated that she noticed that. It typically felt like she couldn’t think about how attractive or not that bad of a person he was in close proximity of him because he’d be able to see right through her and use it to his advantage as if they were in an ongoing war. It didn’t feel that way right now.

“Yeah, we’re on our way. Just meet us at the street parallel to Skunk Avenue, Jasper Way,”

“Who are you talking to?” Y/n inquired, looking down at Heeseung before noticing a small earpiece resting in his left ear.

“A childhood friend. He’s picking us up,”

2. Reliability A woman wants someone who shows up, rain or shine. Support, shield, assist—I can’t tell you exactly which way she’ll appreciate it. Everyone is different.

previous ☆ next ☆ series masterlist ☆ masterlist

#how you get the girl 🌃#hoes4hoseok #lee heeseung imagines #lee heeseung #kpop imagines #enhypen fluff #enhypen imagines #heeseung imagines #heeseung fluff #heeseung x reader #heeseung #enhypen #enhypen reactions #lee heeseung x reader #lee heeseung x y/n #lee heeseung x you #heeseung x yn

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kirayukimuraappreciation · 5 months

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Kira Appreciation Week 2023 Roundup

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in Kira Week 2023! And a very special thank you to @momentofmemory for all of her lovely promo gifs for this event. We loved seeing all of your incredible works celebrating Kira this year! We look forward to future events, and in the meantime we're always on the lookout for new Kira content, so if you missed the week but still want to show her some love, feel free to submit content any time!

All works are compiled below, organized by prompt, and the KiraWeek2023 Ao3 collection can be found here. If you created something for Kira week that we’ve missed, please send us an ask and we’ll add it to the list.

Day 1: You Came Back / Fav Scene / Kira + Kitsune Attributes

Kira 4x04 scene - gif set by @silent-snake7

Favorite Scenes (all of them) - moodboard by @softranswolves

Fav Scene - edit & meta/thoughts by @sammi-phoenix

You Came Back - fic by @nightstar-appreciation

Kira Returns - gifset by @momentofmemory

Home is a person - fic by @invisible-storyteller

Kitsune Attributes - moodboard & fic by @jjsstars

The Calm Before the Storm - edit by @hemlocksandfoxgloves

Day 2: There's a Reason You Kept It / Poetry, Lyrics, Quotes / Significant Objects

Kira's Tail - gifset by @momentofmemory

Kira + Fox Tails 1 - edit by @hemlocksandfoxgloves

Kira + Fox Tails 2 - edit by @hemlocksandfoxgloves

Lyrics + album [1989 (Taylor's Version)] - moodboard by @jjsstars

Kira Yukimura, Killer Vibe (lyrics) - moodboard by @thiamsxbitch

Day 3: They Did Something / Color/B&W / Kira + Villains

Colors - edit by @softranswolves

Color [warm tones] - moodboard by @jjsstars

Kira Yukimura as Everything in its Right Place by Radiohead - edit by @sammi-phoenix

Void!Kira - edit by @hemlocksandfoxgloves

Day 4: Trickster-or-Treat / Trickster!Kira / Nerd!Kira

Nerd!Kira - moodboard & ficlet by @jjsstars

Day 4, Lightning bolt - edit by @hemlocksandfoxgloves

Day 5: What if Wednesday / Dealer's Choice / Lie-Ability

What If Wednesday (AU) - moodboard by @jjsstars

No One Can Steal Your Thunder (Dealer's Choice) - edit by @equallyloyalandlethal

Kira Yukimura: a character study (Dealer's Choice) - edit by @letthestorieslive

Day 6: History Echoes / Back in Style / Something New

Something Old With Something New - edit by @hemlocksandfoxgloves (feat. i want you on top of me like cherry - fic by @thiamsxbitch)

Day 7: It’s Alright to Cry / Hurt & Comfort / Parallels

It's Alright to Cry - moodboard by @jjsstars

Alt 1: Have you ever heard of something called a Kitsune?

I'm a Kitsune (You know...a Japanese foc spirit) - moodboard by @sugareey-makes-stuff

Alt 2: I Printed It Out

The Birth of a Lacrosse Legend - gif set by @letthestorieslive

Alt 3: My Family and I Moved Here Three Weeks Ago

Kitsune Bonding - fic by @softranswolves

Kira's Childhood - moodboard & ficlet by @jjsstars

#kiraweek2023 #teen wolf event #teen wolf #kira yukimura #arden cho #scira #lydira #yukimura family #allira #kira & derek #Kira & theo #malira

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blacklister214 · 2 months

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Honesty and Codology Ch. 3: Langered

This is the 3rd chapter in my on-going ScarNash story, Honesty and Codology. The chapter is set in Paris just prior to 4x04. Patrick is trying to figure how how best to handle the recent "teething problems" at Nash & Sons.

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Patrick had a French woman's foot in his mouth. Well, not physically, but the wine residue coating his tongue had at one point been grapes beneath a callused heel. This fact had bothered him much more when the nearly empty wine bottle on the table had been full.

The whole endeavor had started innocently enough. Patrick was trying to educate himself about wine tasting. The upper echelons did love their exclusive vintages as well as their little social tests. The ability to detect subtle notes in the beverage might one day make the difference between being hired for a prestigious case and being laughed out of a gentlemen’s club. It all came down to his ability to learn and adapt.

It was like the cane he’d chosen while he’d recovered from his gunshot. He wasn’t ashamed of his heritage, but it did not define him. Being a survivor defined him. His ability to adjust to his environment was how he’d achieved the success he had. Eliza may have questioned his choice, but given the mail he’d recently received, she could stand a healthy dose of his philosophy. His eyes drifted to the paper that had him gulping his alcoholic beverage, rather than sipping.

“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” It spoke to the amount of wine Patrick had consumed that the sight of his dead brother didn’t even make him blink. Intellectually it should have. He’d visited no less than three London physicians, under false names obviously, and not one could find a single thing physically wrong with him. Yet here Michael was, resting comfortably in the leather armchair across from him. This left Patrick with one concerning conclusion.

“Is there something wrong with my head, Michael?” ‘

Michael’s mustache twitched in repressed amusement, quite possibly at the irony of Patrick posing the question to his own hallucination.

“Apart from it being unusually hard, no. Why do you ask?”

Patrick shrugged and took another swallow of wine.

“My semi-regular conversations with a dead man.”

“Yer not mad, Patrick. At least, more so than you ever were.”

The denial eased Patrick's mind somewhat. Perhaps it was foolish, but even in this incarnation, he trusted his brother to be honest with him.

“So what is it this time? Is it because I’m langered?”

The Irish slang slipped out of his mouth without much thought. It had occurred to him after their last encounter that the sight of Micahel tended to bring about certain linguistic shifts. Words and phrases he hadn’t used in years were suddenly on the tip of tongue. His brogue returned with a vengeance. Inconvenient when you considered how hard Patrick worked to suppress it most of the time.

“Perhaps. Might I ask WHY you are drinking so heavily this evening?” Michael tilted his head at the empty bottle.

“I got another letter.” Clarence had been sending him dismal progress reports for months now. Each time Patrick put off doing anything about it. He could blame it on his focus setting up the new branch, but that wasn’t the truth. The truth was he didn’t know what to do yet. For once in his life he was indecisive.

“Surely not the men again. I would have thought your replies made your position abundantly clear.

Patrick groaned and reached for his glass again. The first wave of letters arrived a week after his departure, informing him, in no uncertain terms, they wouldn’t be taking orders from some “shrewish spinster.” He had expected this reaction from a few of the men, but not half.

Still, he’d taken it in stride. He'd been so offended at their dismissal of both of Eliza’s skills and of his wishes, he’d been less than diplomatic in his reply. He’d informed them that collectively their value to his business was minuscule compared to Eliza’s. Mediocre male investigators were thick on the ground. There was only one lady detective.

He’d thought that would be an end to the matter, but it hadn’t been. Eventually he’d received notices from every member of his investigative staff, including three that had been dismissed by Eliza, rather than quit of their own volition.

“Clarence. The agency is still solvent, but only just. The ship does not appear to be righting itself.” According to his bookkeeper, things were ‘picking up.’ However Patrick struggled to see much evidence to support that. The caseload was enough to cover rent and salary, but only just.

He did notice this letter contained far more compliments to Eliza’s intellect and hardwork and far fewer references to her stubbornness and recklessness. She had clearly managed to make peace with his accountant, and that was something. It just wasn’t enough.

“Did you really expect it to, with your former staff poisoning the waters with all of your regular clients?”

Patrick massaged his temples. After the letters from his ex-employees stopped arriving, his client letters had started. All referenced a “change in management” as their justification for dropping his agency. There was only one possible source of that information. Miserable vindictive sods.

“I expected Eliza to rectify the situation. I have never seen her face a challenge she could not meet.” He’d seen her lose battles before, but she’d always won the war. It was what had inspired him to extend his offer in the first place. She overcame obstacles that would have defeated anyone else. She was the only person he trusted enough to run his business, and thus far the only place she’d run it was into the ground.

If she were anyone else he might believe she’s done it on purpose. It wasn’t a terrible plan, to sabotage one of her chief competitors then re-open her own agency. However Eliza wasn’t someone else. She was one of the few people in the world whose integrity he never questioned.

“You have also never seen her try to manage a group of men who have every reason to resent her.”

Patrick blinked. Resent Eliza? Why? Several of them were responsible for putting together her dossier. How could anyone fail to be impressed with all she’d accomplished? They should feel lucky to have such a skilled investigator in charge of them. After all, HE’D managed to follow her lead on the Jewel of the North investigation, along with Moses and Inspector Wellington. It had all worked out splendidly.

“Because she is female and their boss? Several of those men are married, so I can’t imagine the experience is that new to them.”

Michael raised both eyebrows at Patrick, as though he hadn’t grown up in the same household as Patrick had. Thomas Nash had been a generous man with a large smile and wicked sense of humor. All their neighbors had loved and respected him. Still, within the four walls of the Nash household, it had been their mother who reigned supreme.

“That doesn’t mean they enjoy it. There is also that fact that you made her their superior before she’d earned their respect as a colleague.”

Patrick's arms crossed his chest before he could stop himself. He didn’t like the implication that this debacle was his fault.

“Why should it matter if she’d earned their respect? I’ve damned well have! They should have trusted my judgment. Do you know what some of them accused me of? Why they said I hired her?”

This was perhaps the most disturbing part of the affair. The insinuations they aimed in his direction simply because Eliza was young, female, and pretty.

“Yes.” Michael certainly wasn’t smiling now. It was good to know he found the remarks as offensive as Patrick did.

“To say that I’d been so blinded by “feminine charms” that I’d left my business in the hands of a dilettante…I can’t remember when I’ve ever been so insulted.” Some of those men had been with him for years. They knew the blood and sweat he’d put into Nash & Sons. What would possess them to claim something so preposterous?

“Miss Scarlet likely could.” Patrick gut twisted mildly as he remembered his own early speculations on the relationship between Eliza and Inspector Wellington. He was fairly certain he’d been at least partially correct, but that did mean he should have bandied his theories about the office? No, he’d been in the wrong there, and perhaps in doing so contributed to the present situation.

“You don’t think they said anything to her, do you?” His fist involuntary clenched at the thought. However impolitic she may have been, she shouldn’t have needed to put up with their baseless charges.

“It’s possible.”

Patrick reached for his glass one more. Could that be why she hasn’t written to him? It had been months. After pondering the thought for a moment, he rejected it. Eliza was no coward. If she thought his intentions were dishonorable, she would have confronted him. No, there was another reason behind her lack of communication.

“Why hasn’t she contacted me? Why do I have to hear it from Clarence, instead of her? Doesn’t she think I have a right to know my agency is on the verge of collapse?” When he’d offered the job, he’d used the word “WITH” for a reason. They were meant to be partners. Senior and junior partners, granted, but partners nonetheless. Eliza had not treated him like one.

“Would you be eager to share with your employer that things had taken such a dramatic downturn on your watch?”

Patrick scowled into his wine glass. Damn Michael and his empathic reasoning.

“She had a responsibility to alert me! It’s my name on the door!” He was in the right here, and no amount of justification was going to change that. Nash & Sons was in peril and Eliza hadn’t done him the courtesy of notifying him herself.

“Perhaps she didn’t realize you’d take the news so well.”

Patrick chose to ignore the sarcasm in Michael’s words. In truth he WOULD have taken the news much better, if she’d confided in him. They were meant to be a team. They could have come up with solutions together. The fact she hadn’t written told him one of two things, neither of them good. Either 1) She believed her pride was more important than his business or 2) She didn’t trust him enough not to dismiss her at the first spot of difficulty.

“Did I make a mistake hiring Eliza as a manager?”

Offering Eliza the position had been a gamble, but one he’d considered carefully. He now knew Eliza well enough to know being a small cog in a large machine would never be enough for her. Watching her delegate during the train robbery investigation had made him realize she could be more. Someone he could rely on. Someone he could trust.

The issue was that for the relationship to work, Eliza would have to reciprocate. Unlike him, she’d never been in a business partnership, nor had she been in charge of so many full time employees. While she was an excellent investigator, she had no notion how to run an office.

“Doesn’t matter what I think. I’m not the current proprietor of Nash & Sons.” Typical. Michael was usually full of unsolicited opinions, but when it came to the question that had sent Patrick to the bottom of a wine bottle, he refused to chime in.

Patrick inhaled and exhaled slowly, moving aside his anger and his hurt.

“Eliza is stubborn which is an excellent quality in a detective, but not necessarily an asset as a supervisor. She needs to know when to bend. When to cajole, rather than command. When to use charm, rather than brutal honesty.”

Michael nodded thoughtfully at Patrick’s summation.

“Sounds like she needs a good teacher. Unless, of course, you think she’s incapable of learning?”

Patrick scoffed at the mere suggestion of Eliza having limited aptitude.

“There is nothing Eliza isn’t capable of.” Not everything came naturally to her, cooking for example, but if Eliza truly wanted to master the art, she could. Why should she, though, when she had so many other more unique useful talents?

He’d been perplexed when she’d offered to make Moses and him lunch while they’d been investigating the Jewel of the North. None of them were under any illusions about her culinary skills. She didn’t enjoy cooking. Why then had she insisted on making the attempt? Was a part of “feminine education” that she hadn’t managed to ignore, as she had so many others. Or was it something more personal? Was it about the inspector’s lady friend?

When last Patrick had heard, Inspector Wellington was seeing an old schoolmate of Eliza’s, one Arabella Acaster. The woman was, by his men’s accounts quite the looker and in possession of the usual female accomplishments. Ran her own restaurant too. He could see why Eliza might feel more insecure as a result. He knew what it was to feel yourself compared to someone else and found lesser than.

Patrick’s feelings on the Inspector’s new relationship were mixed. On the one hand, he’d been happy that Wellington had finally realized Eliza didn’t fit with his dreams of domestic tranquility. On the other, he didn’t like seeing the distress William’s defection had caused her.

“Then there’s your answer.” Patrick shook his head, struggling to re-focus.Yes, his answer. He needed to return to London and show Eliza how to head an office without causing a mass revolt.

“I’m still angry with her.” He felt it was imperative to make this fact clear to Michael, who was looking too smug by half.

“Of course you are. But aren’t you also just the smallest bit pleased?”

Patrick shifted in his chair slightly. He liked Paris. Things were freer here. There was snobbery, certainly, but it wasn’t the same as in London. Here the locals seem to divide the world into two groups, “Parisian” and “Non-Parisian.” No matter how many years he’d lived here, or he’d changed his accent and his clothes, there were some who’d never let him forget he wasn’t born in England. Still, he couldn’t deny the nagging sense that there was something missing.

“Why should I be?” Patrick would swear his brother’s eyes twinkled with mischief.

“You get to see her again. Outside the picture you keep in your desk, I mean.” Patrick’s gaze involuntarily moved to the ornately carved walnut furniture. By the time he’d swung back to the armchair, Michael had vanished. The man did love getting the last word.

Just as well, Patrick as had no good answer to Michael’s parting jab. He'd found the drawing in suitcase while packing by pure coincidence. It was the same bag he’d brought to the hotel St. Marc. That he’d chosen to return it to the bag was a decision he tried not to examine too closely.

He’d wanted the picture with him. When he had a particularly challenging day, he liked to pull it out and speculate what Eliza would say if she were here. He didn’t always agree with her imagined responses, but the exercise made him smile. Why it did was a truth he locked away into a corner of his mind, one he’d vowed not to explore yet. He wasn’t ready, and he knew Eliza even less so.

Patrick needed to focus on the task right in front of him, not on the great endeavor that waited for him far down the road. Still, he couldn’t help but grin. Business problems notwithstanding, he was going home.

#scarnash #patrick nash #eliza x patrick #fanfiction #eliza scarlet #miss scarlet and the duke #michael nash

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