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plasticnightmaredoll · 3 years

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(art commission by the lovely and talented @curious-menace)

It is a time where I would like to see what my followers think about various concepts I have in mind pertaining to alternate versions of one my fics. It may take some time to write out any alternate versions since I've been busy and stressed out so much lately, but I am very curious as to what others would find intriguing to read.

But first, some backstory so be patient. We'll get to the voting at the end of this post.

I've been having a lot of bad days lately, and my mood has plummeted to a major low. This includes my self-esteem, which has always been in the dumps but is now basically a dumpster fire.

However, I don't want to be entirely cruel to myself. I deserve some sort of happiness, some sort of reprieve, and writing can be a good coping mechanism. I put a lot of my own thoughts, emotions, struggles, opinions, etc. into my works, as they serve as a way for me to get things off my chest. Sometimes, it's just cute and funny stuff, other times angsty but eventually fluffy stuff, and other times it's quite depressing and dark.

One fic, in particular, stands out, and that is the Mortal Kombat/Batman Arkhamverse crossover, "Volunteer," (trigger warnings: mentions psychological torture and suicide...more about this fic in a bit for those who would rather not read it because of those triggers) which features Arkham Knight Edward Nigma and Jonathan Crane, as well as a lady friend for Edward named Sara. It also features Erron Black and Cassie Cage from Mortal Kombat (Cassie is only mentioned in the story a few times).

If you read the blog intro/self-introduction post pinned at the top of my Tumblr, you know very well how I feel about Cassie Cage (particularly in MK11) and the Erron Black x Cassie Cage (BlackCage) pairing. Those negative feelings are mostly due to a very bad experience with a pushy BlackCage fan who just wouldn't relent one bit on their stance and it was emotionally and mentally draining to try and talk to them, including providing counter-arguments.

I've come up with alternate versions for "Volunteer" recently due to the spike in stress, depression, anxiety, and insecurities I've been dealing with as of late. This is where my followers come in!

I would like people to vote on which alternate take on "Volunteer" they would be interested in reading. Now, I can't guarantee when I'd get to it because, as I mentioned already, I've got a lot going on. However, I really want to try and write at least one alternate version of that fic, just to get some insecurities and negative thoughts off my chest.

Now, for those who are wary of reading "Volunteer" because of the trigger warnings, here's my advice: Just read the first chapter, if you want to. Chapter 2 deals directly with the sensitive subject matter, although, you can probably guess what happens anyway just by reading Chapter 1 and if you know anything about Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow...well, he likes to mess with people...mentally. To put it very mildly.

Now it's time for the voting. I have three different scenarios I've come up with that are variations/alternate versions of the current "Volunteer" fic's concept/storyline. I'd like followers to select 1 (one) alternate telling of the fic. I will open anonymous asks again, so if you are shy or just want your vote to remain a secret for some other reason, then that's fine by me. Otherwise, you can reply to this post with your choice.

Edit: if you are turned off by the idea of a Mortal Kombat/Batman Arkhamverse crossover, I get it. I don't read crossover fics myself, and that's usually because the crossovers either make no sense or do make sense but the ideas are poorly executed.

This crossover I'm talking about, though, isn't a full-on crossover of MK and Batman. There's no world-building, no larger plot, and no other characters in MK even appear or are mentioned except Erron Black and Cassie Cage.

If anything, it's more of a Batman Arkhamverse standard AU with Riddler and a female oc, and Erron and Cassie are the only concrete elements of MK brought in. I mean, yes, the other MK characters exist, I guess, but they have no purpose in this crossover I've written, and won't make any appearances.

So, if you had any concerns about the crossover aspect, I hope this clears things up

Choices below the cut!

A) "Don't You Wish"

This version is inspired by a song from Pink, called, "There You Go." In this alternate telling, Erron manages to survive Scarecrow's fear toxin, and escape (most likely because Erron is out of his mind and panicking, thus not a threat, and he has no one to help him, so Scarecrow doesn't give a damn what happens to the dude). The first thing Erron does is go to Sara's place, having already broken up with Cassie after realizing dating her was a mistake, and Sara means more to him than he thought.

Well, it's been several months since Sara basically pushed Erron out of her life for his poor choice in women, and (Arkham Knight) Edward Nigma has proven to be a much better (and, wiser and more sensible -- yes, I know, but he's not a skirt chaser, Guys) friend to Sara. While Erron ran off with a blonde selfie princess, Edward offered genuine comfort and companionship, and now Sara has been in the process of moving on from Erron even further.

Sara humors Erron and lets him tell her -- while sounding terrified, confused, and conflicted beyond belief thanks to the fear toxin -- what happened to him. Now, Sara doesn't know Edward asked Scarecrow to take care of Erron as a means of getting revenge for her. Doesn't matter anyway. She's unsympathetic towards Erron's plight, feeling as if he didn't even give her a chance to confess her feelings towards him, nor did he even seem to notice how she felt; it was like he was too busy with thinking with his privates to realize he had someone in front of him who would have treated him better.

Sara tells Erron -- in a flat, disinterested tone -- that his situation is tragic and all but wtf is she supposed to do? Why not go to his dumb blonde gf? Oh, they broke up? Well, how predictable. And Crane is also a (sort of) friend to Sara, which shocks Erron and leaves him feeling worse than before.

Sara sends Erron on his way, and he wanders off in a daze, unsure of what to do with his life now.

Sara and Edward meet the next day, and they have a pleasant time, obviously moving towards becoming a couple. She chooses not to mention Erron as she is completely severing the cowboy from her life.

B) "I Don't Even Miss You"

This alternate telling is similar to the previous one, but this time it's inspired by a Miley Cyrus song, "WTF Do I Know" (Hey, her Plastic Hearts album is actually fantastic!), and Edward is with Sara when Erron arrives at her place in a distressed state. At first, Sara deals with Erron in the hall of her apartment building, unsympathetic to his plight and basically telling him, "I told you so," and "too bad." Erron is getting more and more upset, even angry at Sara's callous tone, and starts to raise his voice, demanding to know why she is being so cold at a time like this?

Edward overhears Erron raising his voice to Sara, giving her a difficult time, and he gets pissed. Edward steps out into the hall and not only mocks Erron in various ways, but demands that he leave immediately, or what Scarecrow did will seem like a trip to Disney Land. Erron has caused Sara -- who is currently moving on and growing closer to Edward -- enough problems and heartache.

Edward reveals he set up Erron, and while Sara is stunned to find this out, she handles it better than expected. Edward said it was his way of getting revenge for her, and he'd do it again if need be. Erron is sent away feeling so much worse, feeling lost, hopeless, and betrayed.

Sara and Edward talk and she admits she's upset that he did something like this without speaking about it to her first. However, he explains that he genuinely did it for her and he doesn't want her to feel pain at the hands of some "idiotic cowman," who doesn't consider the feelings of others and who behaves like a greedy, violent Neanderthal. (And yes, Edward does care for Sara, and he didn't send Scarecrow after Erron out of jealousy -- maybe a little jealousy but it was mostly rage over Erron causing Sara so much emotional pain)

Sara means more to Edward than he can express, and he may not be the best when it comes to emotions, but he does care about her and wants her to be safe.

Sara forgives Edward, understanding that, through his heartfelt but very nervous and shy confession that he is sincere about his feelings for her, and they make amends. She of course tells him to never do something so extreme without consulting her first, though, because what happened to Erron -- while she doesn't care what happens to him in the slightest -- was a bit too much.

C) "Listen When the Devil's Calling"

Another title inspired by a Miley Cyrus song, "Night Crawling," and this alternate telling involves Telltale Riddler and no Scarecrow. Almost a year has passed since Erron went with Cassie and Sara, out of bitterness and heartache, refused to speak or see him. This didn't sit well with him as she was his only friend, and his relationship with Cassie dies within a few months.

He goes looking for Sara, realizing she has moved out of her apartment. It doesn't take him long to find out where she is, and she's with The Riddler, a notorious criminal genius and one of Gotham's elite villains. Erron is worried for Sara and seeks her out.

Turns out, Sara's just fine. This isn't one of those scenarios where the girl is with a guy who just using her and taking advantage of her vulnerability. No, Edward does actually love her and takes good care of her. He finds people like reckless, selfish, and ignorant people like Erron to be a disgrace but also amusing because of how pathetically primitive they are.

Edward also doesn't appreciate how Erron pushed aside a good thing in Sara to pursue a girl who is a social media brat and has more selfies on her phone than brain cells in her, well, brain. It defies all logic to Edward, but he's also not surprised because of how much of a disappointment Erron is as a human being (hey, this is Riddler we're talking about, and he's not one to be sweet and gentle to those he can't stand). Edward doesn't say these things out loud, though, as it's a bit too vulnerable and personal for him to do such a thing with someone he doesn't know or trust.

Sara is upset that Erron has resurfaced and she remembers how heartbroken she was when he went after Cassie Cage. She wants Erron to leave her alone like she asked, so she can move on. She can't trust him anymore, because he's just a skirt chaser in her eyes.

Erron tries to plead his case, tries to apologize to Sara, and expresses how he really feels, but this just distresses her further. Edward steps in and tells Erron he's done enough to Sara, she clearly doesn't want to see him, and he needs to take his leave.

This isn't a request.

Edward pulls Erron aside, telling the cowboy that the only reason he's going to walk away from this alive is that Sara hasn't asked for him to be killed. Should she tell Edward to take care of Erron, well, you all know what Telltale Riddler is like.

And those are the three variations on "Volunteer."

If you could be so kind as to:

TAGS

@connorshero @ursulaismymiddlename @moderapoppins @lookwhatyoumademequeue @crazinessgraveyardsandcartoons @thinkwritexpress-official @fearless2tobeme @laneygthememequeen @past-perfect-future-tense @drhughgrection @promarvelfangirl @anditwasjustus @p3nny4urth0ught5 @usernamemingmei @the-canary @thorfanficwriter @blueskiesbleakeyes @silverwing2522 @satansmushroom @nerd-without-a-cause @firewolf-marvels @reginaphlanageadams @kiliakit @forsaken-letters @bouquet-o-undercaffeinated-roses @part-time-patronus @biavastarr @ellaenchanted91 @ihopeyousteponarosepetal @bloatedandlonly @barnestruck @itsbuckysworld @captainsbuck @writemarvelousthings @havanaangel @animeflower26 @igotkatiepowers @clockworkherondale @mcueveryday @buckybarneshairpullingkink @florrama @ladylizzieofdarbyshire @russian-romanova @yknott81 @bellamys @sarcasm-ing @hiddles-rose @thisismysecrethappyplace @palaiasaurus64 @fanfic-diaries @fangirlfictionmain @majesticavenger @creideamhgradochas

#Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes reader insert #Bucky Barnes x you #Bucky Barnes fanfiction #Bucky Barnes Fluff #Bucky Barnes series #All We've Got is Time #Chapter Twelve #beka writes

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iridescentides · 4 years

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another 🔥 + hsmtmts ships

AH thank you so sending this reese! in this essay i will

okay so. ive realized that oftentimes my approach to shipping comes down to who makes my favorite character the happiest, and hsmtmts is no exception. i am a rina hoe bc theres nothing more pure than ginas reactions to ricky! and her smiles when shes with him!

in addition to that i like how they actually did talk and understand each other and got on the same page very quickly. gonna open the whole rina/rini can of worms here to say this, but i think thats mainly where they beat rini. yes, rini has history. im sure at some point they were best friends and did understand each other, but the events of the show are mostly them arguing with each other, not being on the same page, trying to get each others attention, but not really using their words until the very end. rina has the honesty and vulnerability that rini shies away from like little kids. i just feel like the emotional maturity isnt there, and even by the end of the season, they havent spent enough time on themselves to be people who are ready for a deep committed relationship again.

in addition, one of my deepest held values is that you should never ever go back to an ex, bc i believe that if you intentionally severed ties with a person, no amount of time or distance will solve the original problem. personally, when im done with someone (friends or romantic partners), i am completely done with them, and i put my energy into forming new relationships instead. so my main problem with rini is a personal value of mine that i know not everyone shares. if you ship them, im not mad about it, and hey, they do have some cute moments. theres just a lot about them that really isnt for me.

as for the other ships:

gini: god tier. theyre so cute and i would have loved to see them be soft and sweet to each other a lot more! like gina teaching nini dance moves sincerely and not just to hurt her, swapping youtube baking recipes, literally just being friends instead of rivals. hopefully we get that in s2.

seblos: im so sad. i want to like them, but theyre so underdeveloped and obviously just a grab for wokeness points. the writers do not care about them at all, they got no buildup whatsoever, just one cute scene that disney hoped people would post about on social media to show how “inclusive” they are. they even released the promotional photos of scenes they CUT FROM THE SHOW! theyre using seblos for attention, not for the sake of actually having a good couple. i want to love the canon gays on the show, but the show just does not love them.

redlyn: okay dont hate me but i reeeally dont like redlyn. i love the characters individually, but putting them together was random amatonormative bullshit. there was no reason for it. we cant just have characters without having romance. they spent like 10 seconds together and then suddenly theyre flirting and having dramatic end credit kisses and i hate it. i hate the societal convention that any male and female characters who even look in each others direction HAVE to be romantically involved. its the worst.

rj: if enemies to lovers is your thing, theyre probably fine. im mostly indifferent about them. but im not mad if people ship them.

elos: okay LISTEN this is like,, my crack ship but also half real ship like. they barely have any scenes but i just love the concept of ej getting soft with carlos. the heartfelt apology at the theater was super cute, and between carlos’ admiration of ej from afar (”wakes up looking like that, doesnt know i exist”) and the way his brutal honesty could honestly help keep ej on track with his goal of becoming a more considerate person, i love the idea of this pairing for sure, even if itll never happen.

kourtney x the spotlight: i love this one!!! she deserves attention! give her a starring role in beauty and the beast or else!!!

Send Me a 🔥+ a Topic, and I’ll Tell You My Honest Opinion About It!

#this show is. such a mess wow #anyway s2 better say elos rights #i will not stand for them not being besties #give me more vulnerable ej #answered asks #bi-bowen

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blackcatanna · 4 years

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Tales of the Reluctant Kazama Bitch Part 2: Edo Blossoms!

We left our would-be heroine galloping across the country, desperately clinging to the man who's repeatedly threatened to kidnap and impregnate her. However, all of this ickyness is forgotten in the face of a greater threat: her creepy brother and stepdad, who want to turn everyone into shitty vampires.

Chapter 1:

*Sadly scrolls past superior men to get to Kazama's portrait* :'(

If this route contains plenty of free Sen and Kimigiku, I will be less mad at it.

Wait, when you say, "abandon our horse" you are gonna come back for it, right?! RIGHT?!!? O_O

A deserted house, huh? Seems like a great place to have a nap and totally not get murdered by the spirits of the restless undead.

And, of course, Kazama just HAS to take a minute to be a bougie bitch, "Hmph. I would sooner call this a hut than a house."

"Just shut up, and sit tight." Classic Kazama.

Kazama going on about "The destructive force of humans" again -_- Pot kettle black. Bitch.

Wow, the Yukimura clan helped Tokugawa Ieyasu "usurp control of the country with military force." In my head, this takes place in the same universe as the Samurai Warriors series X_X

"You take me for some boorish creep, don't you?" Yes.

"I shall not lay a finger upon you until our marriage is finalized." That's great, provided that I get a say in whether or not we get married!

Amagiri is being helpful and practical and Kazama is just being extremely rude, stubborn and idiotic. X_X

"You'd better not bitch at all, got it?" Um, Kazama, you're the one who bitches about everything. Not me.

"The thought of Kazama rescuing me stood at odds with the initial impression I'd had of him as a crude, sadistic warrior who hated the Shinsengumi." Um, why can't he be all of those things? Just because he's a dick doesn't mean that he's going to let his precious brood mare fall off a cliff!

HAND HOLDING ALERT! THE ORGASMETER IS GOING WILD!!! PHYSICAL CONTACT INITIATED!

Hold up, female demons all have the same stamina as normal humans but males get superhuman endurance?! This is so unfair! -_-

Chapter 2:

Guess I'll never see my beloved Shinsen-gummies again :'(

Here goes Kazama again, shitting on the Shinsengumi for risking their lives because he can't comprehend the idea of anything being worth risking his own precious life.

"Kazama dismissed the Shinsengumi to a degree that I could only describe as willful ignorance." YES GIRL. GET HIM. "I had never met anyone so incapable of empathy." Most sociopaths find it advantageous to at least pretend to empathise with people. I guess when you're an all-powerful demon price, such precautions are needless.

Ooh! Can I please stay at the Shinsengumi's headquarters!

OH SO NOW MY OPINIONS ARE ASININE?!??!!! I THOUGHT THAT THIS HO AGREED WITH ME THAT FURIES ARE BAD!?

Wait, so now I don't want Kazama to kill my family of creeps? Y tho? I love my family but I still wouldn't let them commit stupid genocide. I guess she really believes that she can reason with them. We'll see how that works out.

I am enjoying this slice of Kodo backstory to hammer home how far he has fallen.

FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!! SO, IN THIS ROUTE, KAZAMA HATES HIM SO HE CAN'T PIMP ME OUT TO KAZAMA SO HE WANTS ME TO "MATE WITH" THE FURIES INSTEAD!??!? WTF!?!!

"Bitter, senile idiot" For once, Kazama is right.

Did Kodo just throw me at Kazama?! Stepdad of the year.

"Perhaps I'm being forward, but I see in you the virtues befitting the leader of the Yukimura clan." Stop, stop. My penis can only get so erect.

"You will feel better watching me peel the flesh from their bones with the swing of my sword." O_O Is this Game of Thrones now? Uh, thanks, I guess, for those words of, uh? Comfort?! What girl doesn't want to watch a guy dismember her family!?

Awe, tiny Chizuru's village burning memory :'( My heart! :'(

Shiranui "plopping" himself on the floor is a big mood :')

Nooo! The Shogunate is feeding the Shinsengumi to the furies?! :'(

Spider Kaoru being weird and creepy (literally) as usual.

Ugh, I thought we'd agreed to murder the fam?

Ooh! This house has pretty wallpaper!

Why couldn't Kaoru just live with me and Kodo for all those years?! Did Kodo just hand him over to those abusive fucks because he couldn't be bothered to raise a child who didn't have a precious vagina?

I love the scuttling sound that the minions make when they assemble! :')

Turns out, even Amagiri can't punch a fury to death X_X

DING DONG THE BITCH IS DEAD. Kodo just went so, so evil o_e

I've stopped listening to Kazama whenever he goes off on one of his rants about how all humans suck and are to blame for all of our problems -_-

When the nice music started playing, I expect to see someone I actually liked but it was just Kazama in a new outfit.

CALM DOWN, YOU THIRSTY WENCH! IT'S JUST A NEW OUTFIT X_X

"Quit wallowing in your self-pity for once." Wisdom?! From Kazama?!

"Do you remember the Shinsengumi captain named 'Harada'?" O_O Yes. What happened to him?! IS HE OKAY?!?? DID YOU KILL HIM!!!?!!!!?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :'( :'( :'( </3

And so it begins. Hanging out with these fuckers while watching everyone I love die from afar </3

Awe, Shiranui and Harada became buddies <3 and now Shiranui blames his bad luck for Harada's death. :'( It's not your fault, Shiranui D'X

Kazama: "No time for tears." BEGONE, THOT. :'(

Chapter 3:

Bad news, huh? Bad news for me or for you, Kazama? >:(

*Winces in anticipation of more dead Shinsengumi members*

RIP Kondou. You were too wholesome for this cruel world :'(

Welp, looks like I'm chasing my beloved ho's across the country :D

Oh, Kazama thinks that I'm joking about trying to reunite with my long lost friends. You don't KNOOOW me!

"Harada, who was ripped to shreds at Ueno. No one's patting him on the back for dying like a wounded animal." LET ME AT THIS EVIL CUNT!!! HOW DARE HE!!! I JUST WANT TO SEE MY FRIENDS AGAIN!!!! DO YOU NOT POSSESS AN OUNCE OF RESPECT, OR TACT, AT THE VERY LEAST!?!!?

"All they'll ever be is a footnote in the annals of history. Their legacy is being spat on." "Kazama made a lot of sense." BITCH WHERE!!!????!

"I knew women were whimsied by delusion, but you are sitting at the top of the pile." -_- Are all demons this sexist?! I don't think I want to hang out with other demons anymore.

"You should go after him." Amagiri, why?! -_- I don't wanna! Let him stew in his own miserable juices.

He looks like a disgruntled cat.

OH, BITCH EXPECTED ME TO FOLLOW HIM. I should never have listened to Amagiri. He has no eyebrows.

We're in my burned out village, aren't we? :'(

OMG KAORU'S DEAD BODY IS RIGHT THERE O_O

"Why are you crying?" REALLY?!???!

This is v sad :'(

OH CAN YOU SHUT UP ABOUT HOW THE HUMANS ARE TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING FOR FIVE MINUTES WHILE WE BURY MY BROTHER, WHOM YOU LITERALLY MURDERED. IF YOUR SO POWERFUL, WHY CAN YOU ONLY KILL?! YOU ONLY SAVED ME FOR YOUR OWN DISGUSTING PURPOSES. IF YOU TRULY SAW KAORU'S POTENTIAL TO BE A FINE LEADER, WHY WERE YOU SO QUICK TO KILL HIM?!? HUH!??! D'X

"He died just as he lived--alone" :'(

Kodo absolutely needed a good killing but I believe that Kaoru was redeemable. :'(

WHY ARE YOU ASKING HIS PERMISSION TO REMEMBER YOUR FAMILY THE WAY YOU CHOOSE!?!

"It was never my intention to reveal the history of the Yukimura clan to you." BITCH, WHO ARE YOU TO DENY ME THE HISTORY OF MY OWN CLAN?! >:(

"Impatience is unbecoming" Oh no, heaven forbid you lose interest in me! Not that that would ever happen to this thirsty whore.

"Obedience is a good look on you. You are well on your way to becoming the ideal life." LISTEN HERE YOU SMUG PRICK!!!!!! I WILL DIE BEFORE I EVEN CONSIDER THAT REVOLTING POSSIBILITY!!!!

Here we go, time for an orgy of sadness, courtesy of Amagiri! :(

"Okita has passed away from illness." Not surprising but very, very sad :'( Poor Okita, slowly wasting away while his world falls apart around him </3

Saito's MIA, which doesn't look good but, historically, he was fine so I can handle that, I guess O_O If he is confirmed dead later, imma be real mad. AND SAD. D'X

Nagakura is also MIA?! Big sad </3 I bet that Kazama is secretly loving this >:(

HEISUKE AND SANAN ARE FULLY DEAD!!?? D'X NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO This is too much sad. FFS, KAZAMA, YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME SEE MY FRIENDS BEFORE THEY WERE ALL KILLED, YOU HEARTLESS WENCH! WAS YOUR PLAN ALL ALONG TO JUST WAIT UNTIL EVERYONE I CARED ABOUT WAD DEAD SO THAT I'D HAVE TO CLING TO YOU!?

"What about the others?" WHAT OTHERS?! Hijikata, Souma, Nomura? Is that it?! My family is DEAD, my friends are DEAD. Kazama doesn't see that as a problem because my fertile body is still intact but MY HEART IS BROKEN D"X

"That little dog's still got some bite, eh?" SHUT UP, JUST SHUT UP.

"Everyone's still putting up a fight, huh" Well, not everyone. Most people are dead but, uh, good on you for seeing this as a glass half full...

Ugh, why does Kazama have to come with me to Ezo?

STOCKHOLM SYNDROME STRIKES AGAIN.

Aaaawwweee Shiranui brought me Harada's spear D'X

Shiranui is so much better and kinder than Kazama :'(

HOW CAN KAZAMA GO THROUGH LIFE BEING SUCH A CUNT AND SCOFFING AT EVERYONE'S SINCERE BELIEFS. No wonder even his allies hate him.

Shiranui, stop with the kind, heartfelt words! You're making me cry D'X

"Shiranui was nowhere near as bad as Kazama" Truth.

"Isn't this just another worm you've let crawl into your insipid heart?" Wow, this route is actually making me like Kazama LESS.

Sendai is pretty.

WE MISSED THEM AGAIN?!!? NOW I'M STUCK ALONE WITH THIS ASSHOLE AGAIN!?!?

Wow, this CG is telling. Chizuru crying against Kazama's turned back.

Chapter 4:

Well, at least I get to stay in a mansion while I cry over my dead friends and family.

Omg, I'm basically Kazama's housewife X_X

Kazama's in a bad mood, huh? Did Hijikata die before Kazama could fulfill his promise to me? Useless man.

OMG, HE REALLY HAS MADE ME HIS WENCH!!! NO!!! DON'T FETCH HIM THE SAKE!!!!

"Fetch me a bottle at once." "I'm only going to grab you one, okay...? Drinking too much isn't good for your health." I'M DEFINITELY HIS WIFE!!! HELP!!!! HIW CAN I WAKE FROM THIS NIGHTMARE??!!

"Sake is more of a medicine than a poison, and as you've noticed, I'm ill. Make it three bottles." Aaaand my husband's an alcoholic X_X

"Hey, don't take your frustrations out on me. Also, it's only a 'medicine' when you drink in moderation--not when you're piss drunk." Yaass Chizuru! You tell that edgy thot!

"Humility is a more attractive colour on you. From now on, feel free to humble yourself by complimenting me however much you deem fit." That would be never. I cannot with This Bitch. Eat shit and die, Kazama.

Okay, now things are really sad. Still chasing my friends as they fight against all the odds D'X

Aaaaaah, the tension is killing me! This is going to be horrible D'X

SHIMADA AND SOUMA ARE ALIVE!!!

"I'm going to kill each and every one of you impotent bastards until there's none left. See you in Hell!" :') I've missed Hijikata!

WHY AM I CHASTISING SOUMA FOR STANDING UP FOR HIMSELF AGAINST KAZAMA!?

Oh great, now we're hunting for Hijikata's corpse. SADNESS INTENSIFIES.

"What about you, girl...?" First of all, SHUT THE FUCK UP. Secondly, the way he addressed me reminds me of my brother XD

ER MAH GERD!!! HE IZ KISSING MEH!!! O_O

"Although I'd wanted to scream, I couldn't." O_e Tha fuck?!?

WITH TONGUE!!!

Final Chapter:

Please let me not be married to Kazama X_X

"I was alone" Good start.

"This incessant urge to clean" Can't relate.

"Sadly, my father passed away." XD

Yaaaas become a doctor! You don't need no man!

However, tell me more about this cute medicine clerk ;)

Speak of the demon X_X

When you get sick of kindly old ladies telling you to find a man so you settle for some dickhead edgelord X_X

"He was his usual, callous self." Husband material X_X

Wait, I've been all alone all this time?! What about Sen?!? Why can I not have friends? :'(

"I've come to claim you." BITCH, I AM A STRONG INDEPENDENT (BUT VERY SAD AND LONELY) WOMAN!

"I will tolerate no resistance" O_O

"Kazama might have been a pain, but he was my pain" Uh, okay XD

So, I guess I do marry Kazama purely because he's the only person left alive who knows what I went through X_X . At least Chizuru developed... Not a backbone but... Almost a backbone. Maybe X_X I'm sure that Chizuru will make a lovely stepford wife but that make me kind of sad -_-

#hakuoki #hakuouki #kazama chikage #edo blossoms #i need to sleep #accidental wife #i still hate him #so many words #watch me cry over anime men

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viscountessbranksome · 5 years

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Just in Time - A Season 6/Downton Movie AU

Happy New Year! Also posted to ff.net here.

1925 had been quite a year, to say the least. It had seen the death of his father, the death of Mary’s father, the passing of a bill he had co-authored in Parliament, and the dissolution of what many in their circle had referred to as the world’s longest engagement. In May of 1921 Evelyn Napier proposed to Lady Catherine Elwood, daughter of the Marquess of Dorset. He and Catherine had known each other as children, but had drifted apart as time went by. She had been engaged during the war, only for her fiancé to be killed on the Somme. This would be the second go-round for both of them—Evelyn had been engaged to Sarah Semphill, daughter of Baron Semphill shortly before the war before breaking it off. He and Catherine got along well, and there had been an attraction, but he wasn’t sure either of them could have called it a passionate love. Nonetheless, he was a practical man, and knew that he would have to marry at some point.

Besides, he had grown to accept that love in their station was a luxury, not a guarantee. Mary Crawley had been one of the lucky ones, at least until her husband had passed in a car crash. He had been devastated for his friend and had written a heartfelt condolence letter as soon as he heard the news. They had not spoken in person since during the war, when he had been convalescing with a bad leg at Downton. Unexpectedly, her response shifted into a renewed correspondence, something they hadn’t done consistently since they were much younger. He realized how much he missed her letters, and he treasured them more now without the burden of his adolescent feelings for her. The subject of their letters varied from books to London gossip, to eventually the subject of running a country estate. Evelyn had some practice, since the Viscount Branksome rarely involved himself in Grimsby Park’s day-to-day anymore, and he was conducting a survey of the country’s landed estates for the Home Office. He offered to share his findings with her so that she could implement any changes she deemed necessary at Downton, and she responded with an invitation.

He had taken Mary’s enthusiasm to see him as simply an appreciation of the familiar, when so much of her life had been cruelly ripped away from her. Still, their friendship was rekindled through countless hours in the Downton library with Mary and Tom, the former chauffeur turned brother-in-law turned agent with an impressive knack for the agricultural business. The estate had been nearly crippled by the death duties after Matthew Crawley’s death, but Mary had been a quick study, and had a will like iron. Within three years, it was turning a profit.

His visits to Downton were a welcome respite from the London bureaucracy and running his own estate in the South. The subject of his marriage seemed to be the only thing on his father’s mind, as neither he nor Catherine had settled on a date in the three years since he first proposed. Evelyn’s excuse had always been that he wanted to ensure that England was back on its feet after the war that had nearly wiped out his generation, and then would he turn to his own affairs. He supposed he knew that the truth had something more to do with an Earl’s daughter in Yorkshire. He and Mary had been out riding when he received word that his father had died.

It was a total shock. Of course, he knew that he would one day have to deal with the responsibility of being Viscount, but he had hoped rather irrationally that it would have been years away. Grimsby’s advances into modernization and the industrial empire the Napiers had built helped defray the taxes in the wake of the elder Lord Branksome’s death, but keeping both streams of income going kept the younger busier than ever. The marriage was once again postponed.

“Have you seen him?”

“Who?”

“Lord Branksome.”

“The old codger from Dorset?”

“No, his son—he just inherited!”

“That makes him one of the most eligible bachelors in London.”

“Not very eligible—he’s engaged. And they say he was having an affair with an Earl’s daughter.”

Mary nearly choked on her champagne, and had half a mind to interject that Evelyn Napier would never do such a thing, when the man greeted her. “Mr. Napier—or Lord Branksome, sorry. It still takes some getting used to. I’m so sorry.”

“Please—just Evelyn.” he answered, shaking his head. He looked tired, but his smile was genuine as ever all the same. “Thank you—I received your letter as well, I’m sorry I haven’t responded to it. Everything has been rather chaotic of late.”

She nodded in understanding. “Are the wedding plans going well?”

“They’re in a sort of limbo.” Evelyn confessed. “At least until things settle down. I’m just sorry that Father won’t get to see it. It’s all he ever wanted.” It was no secret that there had been a rift between him and his father, but Evelyn had never told her why, and not wanting to pry, she had never asked. “How are things up north? How’s George?”

“They’re good. He and Sybbie are keeping Nanny busy. He’s gotten to the age where he has a mind to go exploring.” she explained, brightening at the mention of her son. “And I’ve met someone that I believe is a mutual friend of ours—are you familiar with a Henry Talbot?”

Evelyn racked his brain for a moment, before nodding. “I saw him at my club a few times. He’s a car driver, isn’t he?” That was all he ever talked about to anyone who listened to his often tipsy tirades.

“He is. He was wondering if we could all get together for dinner in London—you could bring Catherine?”

Evelyn hesitated, as the idea of spending an evening listening to some car aficionado talk shop wasn’t exactly appealing, but it was for Mary… “I don’t see why not.” Her smile made it worth it.

“And then I circled round the bend, Carter on my heels…”

Evelyn hid his amusement with another sip of his wine. He didn’t know what was more surprising—the fact that Henry hadn’t changed from before meeting Mary or that Mary had met a man with whom she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“How exactly did they meet?” Catherine asked him in a low tone, and Evelyn merely shook his head in bafflement.

“I spun completely out of control, and then Carter’s car set on fire…”

Evelyn glanced over at Mary, who looked rather uncomfortable. “I think the ladies could do without the theatrics, old chap.”

“They’re not theatrics—it really happened. Of course, some people can’t appreciate the thrill of it.” Henry responded with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“I can’t understand why you find it so amusing to continue to put your life in danger—and for what?” Mary interjected.

“The excitement. The prize money. The glory!” Henry exclaimed, incredulous. “It’s not all that dangerous if you know what you’re doing. It’s the rank amateurs that end up crashing, who have no business being out here in the first place.”

The table grew so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Mary stood up, visibly upset. “Excuse me. I think I need some fresh air.”

Evelyn immediately rose, looking after her in concern before turning on Henry. “Are you daft? I told you what happened to Mr. Crawley.”

“A rank amateur. Didn’t know a gear shift from his own cock. It’s sad but it’s true.”

“Have you no decency at all?” Evelyn shouted, which finally got Henry to stand.

“You know you’re a real piece of work, Napier. You lecture me on how to court her when you don’t have the balls to do it yourself. If I di—” Whatever Henry was about to say next was interrupted by a swift punch to the jaw from Evelyn.

Unaware of the ruckus inside, Mary exhaled as she watched the cars fly past the restaurant.

“Are you alright?” She turned, surprised to see Evelyn’s fiancée, Catherine standing beside her.

“I’ll manage. Thank you.” She smiled. The two had only met a couple of times before, and her opinion of her was that she was the sort of sweet and decent kind of woman that she would have expected Evelyn to marry. They were a fine match.

Catherine nodded. “I can’t imagine what that was like. Arthur died across the Channel. We were supposed to marry on his next leave but…” She shook her head, wiping her face.

“But at least you have a second chance.” Mary supplied with an encouraging smile.

“Yes. I adore Evelyn—I do—but the truth is…I know that will never be enough. Not when he’s in love with someone else.”

Mary looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you?” Catherine appeared as if she wanted to say more, but a disturbance at the entrance to the restaurant diverted both of their attention.

“Get your filthy hands off of me! I’m forty men from an earldom you disgusting little pricks!” Henry slurred as he was carried out by two police officers.

Evelyn watched them take him to their squad car before massaging his knuckles and approaching Catherine and Mary. His hair was askew, his tie was undone, and his tuxedo was torn. “I’m terribly sorry but Mr. Talbot has had too much to drink, it appears.”

“What happened? Did he hit you?” Mary asked, her eyes looking him over in concern.

“I’m perfectly fine. I’m sorry the party didn’t turn out how you wanted it.” Evelyn replied sincerely. “I’ll take you both home.”

After dropping Mary off at 35 Belgrave Square, Evelyn’s car took him and Catherine to Elwood Place, her family’s London home. Once at the doorstep, he murmured, “I’m sorry.”

“We promised that we could be honest with each other, didn’t we?” Catherine’s voice was even, but he sensed that there was more than she was letting on.

“Of course, darling.” Evelyn tilted his head.

“Then tell me the truth—are you still in love with Mary Crawley?”

He dropped his gaze, his eyebrows knitting together. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because I already know the answer.” When he looked up at her, Catherine was smiling, though her eyes were tearful. “Tell her.”

“It’s irrelevant.” Evelyn shook his head. “I’m marrying you.” Even as he uttered the words, he knew he was trying to convince himself more than her.

“But would you truly be happy with me? When she’s out there?”

“But she and Henry—”

“She’d be a fool to go back to him after tonight.” Catherine dismissed with a chuckle. “Besides, I saw the way she looked at you.”

“I don’t know what you’re saying.” Evelyn insisted helplessly.

“I’m saying that I’m calling it off. For both our sakes.” Catherine kissed his cheek before retreating to the door. “Goodbye, Evelyn.”

The next time he saw Mary was at Lord Grantham’s funeral. He expressed his sincere condolences, but kept the conversation short, returning to Dorset on the train after the service instead of accepting her invitation to stay. Another three months passed. They exchanged Christmas cards, as they usually did, and hers included an invitation to a New Year’s Eve gathering—they weren’t to have the annual shoot that year, but nonetheless hoped he could be there as she wanted to spend the holiday with her friends and family. He accepted, mentally steeling himself for what he knew he had to do.

“I’m so sorry about your engagement.” Mary told him over tea the afternoon before the party.

“I seem to be rather bad at them.” he joked with a wry smile, shaking his head.

“When we were in London, Catherine said something about you being in love with someone else.”

Evelyn wasn’t surprised at all by his ex’s boldness—it was certainly part of what had drawn him to her. “Did she?”

“I thought she was mistaken, but then Henry told me that you defended Matthew. Those weren’t his exact words of course…”

“He was completely out of line.” Evelyn shrugged.

“Yes, he was. I wanted to thank you…and to tell you that I feel the same…if it isn’t too late.” Mary lifted her gaze tentatively.

Evelyn’s eyes widened, before a smile broke out on his face. “Too late? You’re just in time.” He found himself leaning over the tea table and she met him in the middle with a kiss.

“Three…two…one—Happy New Year!”

Evelyn turned to Mary with a smile and the pair kissed for the first time publicly.

Cora gasped.

“Finally!” Edith rolled her eyes with a smile.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mary asked, glaring at her sister.

“Only that we were all waiting for you to admit what everyone except you saw all along.” Edith explained with a laugh.

Mary’s face softened, and she shook her head with a reluctant smile.

“This house could use some good news for a change.” Cora stated, beaming.

“Before we make things official, there’s someone’s permission I’d like to ask.” Evelyn glanced over at Mary and she nodded.

“Excuse us.” Mary took his hand and the two ascended the staircase.

“Unca Evelyn!” George hopped to his feet excitedly, and Evelyn swept him off his feet with a laugh.

“Hello, George. Happy New Year. I have a belated Christmas present for you.” He pulled out his handkerchief and set it on the palm of his hand. Lifting it, he revealed a miniature train engine. He was something of an amateur magician, which the children had found entertaining on his visits to Downton.

George clapped his hands and took the engine. Mary cleared her throat. “What do you say?”

“Thank you, Unca Evelyn.”

“You’re welcome.” He set him down with a smile. “George, there’s something I’d like to ask you. I—I love your mother very much, and since you’re now the man of the house, I was wondering if you’d be alright with my marrying her?”

George’s eyes widened, but he was soon beaming, but then sadness entered his gaze. “If you marry Mama, I can’t call you Unca Evelyn anymore. Will we still be friends?”

“Of course—and you can call me anything you like, George.” Evelyn insisted.

The boy smiled and hugged him. Evelyn turned around with a smile to face an equally ecstatic Mary as he carried him over to her. “Happy New Year, Mary.”

“Happy New Year, darling.” she whispered as she leaned up to kiss him.

#downton abbey #fanfic #evelyn napier #mary crawley #evelyn x mary #mary x evelyn #marvlyn

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scribbles-by-kate · 6 years

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Thoughts on 7.18 “The Guardian”

Rumplestiltskin has always been the most complex character on the show, because he’s always been the most contradictory. A good man at heart, that better nature that he’s capable of struggles with the curse he’s brought upon himself. He’s often found himself lost under the weight of the Darkness, unable to break free, until he finally takes the brave step forward and turns his back on magic and chooses love. But the struggle doesn’t end there, as this episode shows. He’s still cursed, still the Dark One, and still struggling with that. He has a selfish streak a mile wide, but his selfless streak is just as wide, if not, ultimately, wider. This episode celebrates all that Rumplestiltskin, both a good man who can put others’ needs selflessly above his own, and a man whose desperation leads him to do hurtful, selfish things. What this episode does also, extremely well, in my opinion, is that it shows that when he commits a selfish act now, he feels remorse for it. He cares about more than himself now, and that, more than anything, proves that he’s changed.

The Day of the Dead parallels - there was a lot of talk about Once Upon a Time appropriating or making use of Mexican cultural tradition when this episode aired. Some people liked it, and others took offence. I watched Disney’s Coco after this episode to see those parallels for myself, and I came to the conclusion that, for someone like me, who knew little about how the Day of the Dead is celebrated, all of Once’s references would have passed me by, which, indeed, they did. They use the marigolds, and the altar with the loved one’s picture on it, but other than that, the similarities seem overblown to me. What I did think was offensive was Facilier’s intrusion. When someone is speaking to a lost loved one, it’s inappropriate for someone to listen in on that, and to poke fun at their suffering.

I don’t believe that Facilier could hear Belle - I really don’t believe what he says here at all. He’s heard Rumple’s longing: he knows just what he yearns for and how to manipulate him. He’s playing up his fears of succumbing to the Darkness without Belle, and when his hand starts to go scaly, Rumple, of course, thinks he’s right, and he must test Alice and rejoin before it’s too late. But, of course, that’s giving in to the Darkness. Being manipulative, using someone to get what he wants: that’s his old way, and that’s not how he’s going to get back to Belle. Facilier’s definitely trying to manipulate him, but why? My sense is so that he can get rid of Rumple and use Alice, once she has the power of the dagger. And I don’t believe that Facilier sincerely thought his little pin would kill Rumple. I think he was acting, there. I don’t think he’s so much of an idiot that he’d believe that could kill the Dark One. He’s obviously steeped enough in dark magic himself, and he knows all about the dagger, so he was goading Rumple into using his magic on him, so he could then tell him what ‘Belle’ said. The fact that we, and Rumple, hear Belle’s true voice later on in the episode, at the crucial moment, confirms for me that Facilier lied about hearing her. If he wasn’t lying, why would we need to hear from Belle at all later on? Why would we need to hear her reassurance that Rumple would find the way to be rid of the dagger and find his way back to her? That goes against what Facilier said. The only reason we need to hear Belle repeat her dying words is to alert us to the fact that Facilier was lying in order to manipulate Rumple.

Rumple and Alice - so, of course, Rumple is frightened. He doesn’t want the Darkness to take hold, doesn’t want to lose his chance to be with Belle again, so he rushes into trying to get Alice to do what he needs. And this is the point where we see Rumple very like his old self. He lies to her about having a way to help her father, convinces her to take Facilier’s heart, and then tells her to crush it. That scene in particular is the most frightening Rumple scene ever, because it shows how close to the surface the Darkness can get, how Rumple can still channel it, even after all these years. It’s always there, ready to be used, and the ease with which he’s able to tap back into that makes you really fear for his soul, or it did me, anyway. The lifetime with Belle doesn’t mean the Darkness is gone forever: it’s still very much there, and we see that here. Of course, Rumple does reign it back in, and we see that he was testing her in order to find out if her heart was pure, and he didn’t have a bad intent for her, as he did with Regina, but it’s too similar, how he sets up her test, to how he manipulated Regina and others. Rumple’s path to redemption is only still on track because he doesn’t go through with the transfer. He makes a mistake here, but he course corrects, and he has the goodness within him to recognise that he can’t do to Alice what was done to him: he can’t burden her like that.

The notion that the Guardian has to take on the Dark One’s immortality - means that Rumple can never pass it on. He said he didn’t want it to be a burden, and it would be for Alice. It would be for anyone. That means that the Guardian really has to be Rumple, now. When he talked about the Guardian in “Beauty”, he didn’t say they had to take on the immortality too. I thought that whoever the Guardian was would be able to destroy the Darkness, but that’s obviously not the case. And I suppose that’s in keeping with one of the rules of magic - it can’t be destroyed: it can only change form. Passing it on to the Guardian is the Darkness changing form, in a way, but that doesn’t mean that the magic is suddenly good. Alice could be corrupted as easily as Rumple was, despite her pure heart. Someone would want to use her power for evil at some point, and you have Facilier waiting in the wings to do just that.

So I think the quest for the Guardian is Rumple’s final test - here, we see him within touching distance of what he wants, closer than he was with Anastasia, and he stops Alice. The transfer is just about complete, but he stops it. He realises it’s not the right way. He’s let his fear and his desire to be with Belle cloud his morals, and I suspect going ahead with the transfer wouldn’t take him back to Belle anyway: he’d probably end up in the Underworld. So, essentially, this is the moment where he passes the test and proves that he isn’t that selfish man any more. And, truthfully, I think this is the moment where he becomes the Guardian. The Guardian has to be pure of heart, incorruptible by evil, and willing to sacrifice. Belle’s dying words remind us and him that his heart is pure (Tilly will later say the same thing), he’s incorruptible by evil because he realised that this was a trap and he stopped himself from falling into it, and he sacrifices his own happiness for Alice’s. So I think Rumple is ultimately the Guardian he seeks. He has been managing the Darkness for decades anyway.

I love that whole scene at the shrine with Alice - it’s just so good. Their talk about death, the picture of Belle, Alice starting the transfer and Rumple slowly realising that this isn’t right. You can see how torn he is, because he wants to be with Belle so badly. Or maybe it’s not that he’s torn. Maybe it’s more that, when he looks at Belle, he already knows this is wrong, and he looks so upset because he thinks he’s failed her. He’s remembering her dying words and he knows he has to stop Alice, and he’s sorry he can’t get home yet. He does the most selfless thing he’s ever done then, and you know he’s not sorry he did it. He paints a picture of Alice’s life for her, and you can tell he wants her to have everything he had, without the burden he carried. He realises that, far from immortality meaning ‘no more towers for me’, it is, in fact, ‘just another tower’, and he can’t do that to her. It’s one of my favourite Rumple moments, because it’s truly unselfish. He’s not going to get anything out of this, but then, unknown to him, he does. He gets a friend, two, actually, and he gets companionship, someone to keep him sane, so he doesn’t lose the battle with the Darkness. Alice’s heartfelt declaration that she knows who he really is and she won’t let him forget is so lovely. Rumple’s had so few people who care about him in his life, and here’s a girl he’s just protected stepping up to protect him in return. And you can see his surprise that she would, but you can also see his gratitude and acceptance. And now we know what he did for her that made her insist she had to stay with him. It’s so lovely. This story has been so well done.

That transfer magic is really eerie - when you see it again, you really see how wrong it looks. Alice’s face just blanks, and her eyes go black. It’s like she’s losing herself, and I think the black eyes really hint that this transfer isn’t a good thing. Thank goodness Rumple stops it!

Rumple and Hook - so good. So, so good :) Having Hook mistrust Rumple initially is really important, because it reminds us of their animosity, and makes their final scene so much more powerful. Hook needs to see that Rumple’s changed to believe it. He’s not going to accept that everyone else, even his other self, believes Rumple’s a hero (and it’s kind of amazing to me that the original Hook might believe that!): he needs to see it. I don’t really have an issue with Rumple and original Hook sitting down to a family dinner at the end of season six: I just accept the idea that conversations obviously took place off screen, and everyone’s cool with having Rumple around. Even more than that, they’re all expecting the Golds, and Emma and Hook are even happy to see Rumple. Like I said, I accept on faith that that animosity was put to bed off screen, but the end of Rumple and Wish Hook’s animosity satisfies me so much more, because Hook directly responds to Rumple’s actions. He’s been given proof that this is a different man than the one he knew, and he’s accepted it, is even so moved by it that he wants to help Rumple. Initially, he accuses Rumple of wanting to manipulate Alice, which is Rumple’s old form, and, indeed, precisely what he does do, but then when Rumple does protect Alice from the Darkness, rather than pass it off to her, Hook realises that Rumple is a man who’s conquered his old instincts, and it’s that that allows him to offer friendship. And Rumple is so surprised by that, because he’s never had a friend before (Belle, of course, but outside of her). And they really do start a new story. Now I see why Hook could have believed he was giving him the elephant for him, and why he and Rumple are partners under the curse. I really never, ever expected that Once could present a friendship between Rumple and Hook that I could get behind, but there you go! Such a lovely surprise this season :)

Hook demanding Rumple heal his heart - I think is foreshadowing. I definitely think it is. Rumple and Henry haven’t had enough scenes together for me to believe that saving Henry is going to be what leads to Rumple’s death. I definitely think Rumple’s going to cure Hook, somehow. It won’t be dark magic, because he’s ruled that out here, and using dark magic won’t lead him back to Belle, but he’s going to save Hook.

‘I’ve never seen you like this’ - I think Rogers’ awareness that his partner is scared is really important for the audience, because it helps us have sympathy for Rumple. Stealing the potion from Regina is still wrong, but we’re aware that he’s not doing it to be a bastard: he’s doing it because he’s blinded by fear. He allows his desperation to cloud his judgement, but, importantly, he feels remorse for it. In previous seasons, he would have taken what he wanted and not given a damn. It’s a sign of how he has changed that he is sorry for what he’s done. I think Regina definitely speaks in anger here. I think she’ll forgive him in time.

Alice/Robin, Tilly/Margot - so cute! I love the exchange of gifts and the Hyperion Heights date. That first scene in the bookshop is so reminiscent of RumBelle’s first scene in the library. So cute. I love it. And, of course, we get a little insight into Tilly’s bad days, and I love how Margot deals with it. This relationship is so beautifully done.

Regina and Rumple - talked a little about Regina’s reaction already, but I love that she was trying to help him. She wanted to find out the truth from Samdi first, but she wanted to help Rumple. She knew how hard it was for him being without Belle, so she was sympathising with him. And I love that Rumple backed off there, but then Facilier got to him and he stole from Regina. Of course, she was rightly angry and upset. The fact that she got so upset means that she does care, and so does Rumple, because he wouldn’t have cried like that if he didn’t care. Now he has to make it up to her, and Henry, and he will, I’m sure.

The timeline - it’s kind of all over the place this season, but the beginning of this episode makes it seem like it’s only a short time after Belle’s death. It can’t be that short, though, because we know Lucy’s been born, and Alice was in Wonderland for at least a year after she initially met Rumple. At least a year is long enough for Tremaine to be defeated and Ella to have been pregnant, but I suspect it was a bit longer than a year. I suspect time’s passing differently for Gideon than it is for Rumple as well, which is why it seems like just a short time for him since his mother died. They haven’t really been good about keeping the timeline straight this season. I suspect that when Alice left for Wonderland, Rumple was looking around for another Guardian, but then she came back, and he wanted to see if it was really her, and the reappearance of the scales prompted him to accelerate his quest. That’s how I’m reasoning it out anyway :)

I do love this episode over all. It shows us every side to Rumple and it shows us how much he has changed, because, even when he does something bad, he regrets it now.

#7.18 the guardian #scribbles-by-kate's episode reviews #rumplestiltskin #rumbelle #ouat

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pope-francis-quotes · 6 years

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‏26th September >> (@romereports) #PopeFrancis #Pope Francis: Message of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Catholics of China and to the Universal Church.

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I now turn with respect to the leaders of the People’s Republic of China and renew my invitation to continue, with trust, courage and farsightedness, the dialogue begun some time ago. I wish to assure them that the Holy See will continue to work sincerely for the growth of genuine friendship with the Chinese people. ***

“Eternal is his merciful love; He is faithful from age to age” (Psalm 100:5) Dear brother bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and all the faithful of the Catholic Church in China, let us thank the Lord, for “eternal is his merciful love! He made us, we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his flock” (Ps 100:3). At this moment, my heart echoes the words of exhortation addressed to you by my venerable predecessor in his Letter of 27 May 2007: “Catholic Church in China, you are a small flock present and active within the vastness of an immense people journeying through history. How stirring and encouraging these words of Jesus are for you: ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Lk 12:32)! … Therefore, ‘let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven’ (Mt 5:16)” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 5).

1. Of late, many conflicting reports have circulated about the present and, in particular, the future of the Catholic communities in China. I am aware that this flurry of thoughts and opinions may have caused a certain confusion and prompted different reactions in the hearts of many. Some feel doubt and perplexity, while others sense themselves somehow abandoned by the Holy See and anxiously question the value of their sufferings endured out of fidelity to the Successor of Peter. In many others, there prevail positive expectations and reflections inspired by the hope of a more serene future for a fruitful witness to the faith in China. This situation has become more acute, particularly with regard to the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, which, as you know, was signed in recent days in Beijing. At so significant a moment for the life of the Church, I want to assure you through this brief Message that you are daily present in my prayers, and to share with you my heartfelt feelings. They are sentiments of thanksgiving to the Lord and of sincere admiration – which is the admiration of the entire Catholic Church – for the gift of your fidelity, your constancy amid trials, and your firm trust in God’s providence, even when certain situations proved particularly adverse and difficult. These painful experiences are part of the spiritual treasury of the Church in China and of all God’s pilgrim people on earth. I assure you that the Lord, through the crucible of our trials, never fails to pour out his consolations upon us and to prepare us for an even greater joy. In the words of the Psalmist, we are more than certain that “those who are sowing in tears, will sing when they reap” (Ps 126[125]:5). Let us continue to look, then, to the example of all those faithful laity and pastors who readily offered their “good witness” (cf. 1 Tim 6:13) to the Gospel, even to the sacrifice of their own lives. They showed themselves true friends of God!

2. For my part, I have always looked upon China as a land of great opportunities and the Chinese people as the creators and guardians of an inestimable patrimony of culture and wisdom, refined by resisting adversity and embracing diversity, and which, not by chance, entered into contact from early times with the Christian message. As Father Matteo Ricci, S.J., perceptively noted in challenging us to the virtue of trust, “before entering into friendship, one must observe; after becoming friends, one must trust” (De Amicitia, 7). I too am convinced that encounter can be authentic and fruitful only if it occurs through the practice of dialogue, which involves coming to know one another, to respect one another and to “walk together” for the sake of building a common future of sublime harmony. This is the context in which to view the Provisional Agreement, which is the result of a lengthy and complex institutional dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities initiated by Saint John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. Through this process, the Holy See has desired – and continues to desire – only to attain the Church’s specific spiritual and pastoral aims, namely, to support and advance the preaching of the Gospel, and to reestablish and preserve the full and visible unity of the Catholic community in China. With regard to the importance of this Agreement and its aims, I would like to share with you a few reflections and provide you with some input of a spiritual pastoral nature for the journey we are called to undertake in this new phase. It is a journey that, as in its earlier stages, “requires time and presupposes the good will of both parties” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 4). But for the Church, within and outside of China, this involves more than simply respecting human values. It is also a spiritual calling: to go out from herself to embrace “the joys and the hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1) and the challenges of the present that God entrusts to us. It is thus an ecclesial summons to become pilgrims along the paths of history, trusting before all else in God and in his promises, as did Abraham and our fathers in the faith. Called by God, Abraham obeyed by setting out for an unknown land that he was to receive as an inheritance, without knowing the path that lay ahead. Had Abraham demanded ideal social and political conditions before leaving his land, perhaps he would never have set out. Instead, he trusted in God and in response to God’s word he left his home and its safety. It was not historical changes that made him put his trust in God; rather, it was his pure faith that brought about a change in history. For faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received [God’s] approval” (Heb 11:1-2).

3. As the Successor of Peter, I want to confirm you in this faith (cf. Lk 22:32) – in the faith of Abraham, in the faith of the Virgin Mary, in the faith you have received –and to ask you to place your trust ever more firmly in the Lord of history and in the Church’s discernment of his will. May all of us implore the gift of the Spirit to illumine our minds, warm our hearts and help us to understand where he would lead us, in order to overcome inevitable moments of bewilderment, and to find the strength to set out resolutely on the road ahead. Precisely for the sake of supporting and promoting the preaching of the Gospel in China and reestablishing full and visible unity in the Church, it was essential, before all else, to deal with the issue of the appointment of bishops. Regrettably, as we know, the recent history of the Catholic Church in China has been marked by deep and painful tensions, hurts and divisions, centred especially on the figure of the bishop as the guardian of the authenticity of the faith and as guarantor of ecclesial communion. When, in the past, it was presumed to determine the internal life of the Catholic communities, imposing direct control above and beyond the legitimate competence of the state, the phenomenon of clandestinity arose in the Church in China. This experience – it must be emphasized – is not a normal part of the life of the Church and “history shows that pastors and faithful have recourse to it only amid suffering, in the desire to maintain the integrity of their faith” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 8). I would have you know that, from the time I was entrusted with the Petrine ministry, I have experienced great consolation in knowing the heartfelt desire of Chinese Catholics to live their faith in full communion with the universal Church and with the Successor of Peter, who is “the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 23). In these years, I have received numerous concrete signs and testimonies of that desire, including from bishops who have damaged communion in the Church as a result of weakness and errors, but also, and not infrequently, due to powerful and undue pressure from without. Consequently, after carefully examining every individual personal situation, and listening to different points of view, I have devoted much time to reflection and prayer, seeking the true good of the Church in China. In the end, before the Lord and with serenity of judgment, in continuity with the direction set by my immediate predecessors, I have determined to grant reconciliation to the remaining seven “official” bishops ordained without papal mandate and, having lifted every relevant canonical sanction, to readmit them to full ecclesial communion. At the same time, I ask them to express with concrete and visible gestures their restored unity with the Apostolic See and with the Churches spread throughout the world, and to remain faithful despite any difficulties.

4. In the sixth year of my Pontificate, which I have placed from the beginning under the banner of God’s merciful love, I now invite all Chinese Catholics to work towards reconciliation. May all be mindful, with renewed apostolic zeal, of the words of Saint Paul: “God… has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18). Indeed, as I wrote at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, “no law or precept can prevent God from once more embracing the son who returns to him admitting that he has done wrong but intending to start his life anew. Remaining only at the level of the law is equivalent to thwarting faith and divine mercy… Even in the most complex cases, where there is a temptation to apply a justice derived from rules alone, we must believe in the power flowing from divine grace” (Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera, 20 November 2016, 11). In this spirit, and in line with the decisions that have been made, we can initiate an unprecedented process that we hope will help to heal the wounds of the past, restore full communion among all Chinese Catholics, and lead to a phase of greater fraternal cooperation, in order to renew our commitment to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. For the Church exists for the sake of bearing witness to Jesus Christ and to the forgiving and saving love of the Father.

5. The Provisional Agreement signed with the Chinese authorities, while limited to certain aspects of the Church’s life and necessarily capable of improvement, can contribute – for its part – to writing this new chapter of the Catholic Church in China. For the first time, the Agreement sets out stable elements of cooperation between the state authorities and the Apostolic See, in the hope of providing the Catholic community with good shepherds. In this context, the Holy See intends fully to play its own part. Yet an important part also falls to you, the bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful: to join in seeking good candidates capable of taking up in the Church the demanding and important ministry of bishop. It is not a question of appointing functionaries to deal with religious issues, but of finding authentic shepherds according to the heart of Jesus, men committed to working generously in the service of God’s people, especially the poor and the most vulnerable. Men who take seriously the Lord’s words: “Whoever would become great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44). In this regard, it seems clear that an Agreement is merely an instrument, and not of itself capable of resolving all existing problems. Indeed, it will prove ineffective and unproductive, unless it is accompanied by a deep commitment to renewing personal attitudes and ecclesial forms of conduct.

6. On the pastoral level, the Catholic community in China is called to be united, so as to overcome the divisions of the past that have caused, and continue to cause great suffering in the hearts of many pastors and faithful. All Christians, none excluded, must now offer gestures of reconciliation and communion. In this regard, let us keep in mind the admonition of Saint John of the Cross: “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love” (Dichos, 64). On the civil and political level, Chinese Catholics must be good citizens, loving their homeland and serving their country with diligence and honesty, to the best of their ability. On the ethical level, they should be aware that many of their fellow citizens expect from them a greater commitment to the service of the common good and the harmonious growth of society as a whole. In particular, Catholics ought to make a prophetic and constructive contribution born of their faith in the kingdom of God. At times, this may also require of them the effort to offer a word of criticism, not out of sterile opposition, but for the sake of building a society that is more just, humane and respectful of the dignity of each person.

7. I now turn to you, my brother bishops, priests and consecrated persons who “serve the Lord with gladness” (Ps 100:2). Let us recognize one another as followers of Christ in the service of God’s people. Let us make pastoral charity the compass for our ministry. Let us leave behind past conflicts and attempts to pursue our own interests, and care for the faithful, making our own their joys and their sufferings. Let us work humbly for reconciliation and unity. With energy and enthusiasm, let us take up the path of evangelization indicated by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. To everyone, I say once more with great affection: “Let us be inspired to act by the example of all those priests, religious, and laity who devote themselves to proclamation and to serving others with great fidelity, often at the risk of their lives and certainly at the cost of their comfort. Their testimony reminds us that, more than bureaucrats and functionaries, the Church needs passionate missionaries, enthusiastic about sharing true life. The saints surprise us; they confound us, because by their lives they urge us to abandon a dull and dreary mediocrity” (Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, 19 March 2018, 138). I ask you wholeheartedly to beg for the grace not to hesitate when the Spirit calls us to take a step forward: “Let us ask for the apostolic courage to share the Gospel with others and to stop trying to make our Christian life a museum of memories. In every situation, may the Holy Spirit cause us to contemplate history in the light of the risen Jesus. In this way, the Church will not stand still, but constantly welcome the Lord’s surprises” (ibid., 139).

8. In this year, when the entire Church celebrates the Synod on Young People, I would like to say a special word to you, young Chinese Catholics, who enter the gates of the house of the Lord “giving thanks [and] with songs of praise” (Ps 100:4). I ask you to cooperate in building the future of your country with the talents and gifts that you have received, and with the youthfulness of your faith. I encourage you to bring, by your enthusiasm, the joy of the Gospel to everyone you meet. Be ready to accept the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit, who shows today’s world the path to reconciliation and peace. Let yourselves be surprised by the renewing power of grace, even when it may seem that the Lord is asking more of you than you think you can give. Do not be afraid to listen to his voice as he calls you to fraternity, encounter, capacity for dialogue and forgiveness, and a spirit of service, regardless of the painful experiences of the recent past and wounds not yet healed. Open your hearts and minds to discern the merciful plan of God, who asks us to rise above personal prejudices and conflicts between groups and communities, in order to undertake a courageous fraternal journey in the light of an authentic culture of encounter. Nowadays there is no lack of temptations: the pride born of worldly success, narrow-mindedness and absorption in material things, as if God did not exist. Go against the flow and stand firm in the Lord: “for he is good; eternal is his merciful love; he is faithful from age to age” (Ps 100:5).

9. Dear brothers and sisters of the universal Church, all of us are called to recognize as one of the signs of our times everything that is happening today in the life of the Church in China. We have an important duty: to accompany our brothers and sisters in China with fervent prayer and fraternal friendship. Indeed, they need to feel that in the journey that now lies ahead, they are not alone. They need to be accepted and supported as a vital part of the Church. “How good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133:1). Each local Catholic community in every part of the world should make an effort to appreciate and integrate the spiritual and cultural treasures proper to Chinese Catholics. The time has come to taste together the genuine fruits of the Gospel sown in the ancient “Middle Kingdom” and to raise to the Lord Jesus Christ a hymn of faith and thanksgiving, enriched by authentically Chinese notes.

10. I now turn with respect to the leaders of the People’s Republic of China and renew my invitation to continue, with trust, courage and farsightedness, the dialogue begun some time ago. I wish to assure them that the Holy See will continue to work sincerely for the growth of genuine friendship with the Chinese people. The present contacts between the Holy See and the Chinese government are proving useful for overcoming past differences, even those of the more recent past, and for opening a new chapter of more serene and practical cooperation, in the shared conviction that “incomprehension [serves] the interests of neither the Chinese people nor the Catholic Church in China” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 4). In this way, China and the Apostolic See, called by history to an arduous yet exciting task, will be able to act more positively for the orderly and harmonious growth of the Catholic community in China. They will make efforts to promote the integral development of society by ensuring greater respect for the human person, also in the religious sphere, and will work concretely to protect the environment in which we live and to build a future of peace and fraternity between peoples. In China, it is essential that, also on the local level, relations between the leaders of ecclesial communities and the civil authorities become more productive through frank dialogue and impartial listening, so as to overcome antagonism on both sides. A new style of straightforward daily cooperation needs to develop between local authorities and ecclesiastical authorities – bishops, priests and community elders – in order to ensure that pastoral activities take place in an orderly manner, in harmony with the legitimate expectations of the faithful and the decisions of competent authorities. This will help make it clear that the Church in China is not oblivious to Chinese history, nor does she seek any privilege. Her aim in the dialogue with civil authorities is that of “building a relationship based on mutual respect and deeper understanding” (ibid.).

11. In the name of the whole Church, I beg the Lord for the gift of peace, and I invite all to join me in invoking the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary: Mother of Heaven, hear the plea of your children as we humbly call upon your name! Virgin of Hope, we entrust to you the journey of the faithful in the noble land of China. We ask you to present to the Lord of history the trials and tribulations, the petitions and the hopes of all those who pray to you, O Queen of Heaven! Mother of the Church, we consecrate to you the present and the future of our families and our communities. Protect and sustain them in fraternal reconciliation and in service to the poor who bless your name, O Queen of Heaven! Consolation of the Afflicted, we turn to you, for you are the refuge of all who weep amid their trials. Watch over your sons and daughters who praise your name; make them one in bringing the proclamation of the Gospel. Accompany their efforts to build a more fraternal world. Grant that they may bring the joy of forgiveness to all whom they meet, O Queen of Heaven! Mary, Help of Christians, for China we implore days of blessing and of peace. Amen! From the Vatican, 26 September 2018

FRANCIS

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dailyaudiobible · 3 years

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9/18/2021 DAB Transcript

Isaiah 28:14-30:11, Galatians 3:23-4:31, Psalm 62:1-12, Proverbs 23:19-21

Today is the 18th day of September, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is a joy and a privilege and an honor to be here with you today as we bring another one of our weeks to a close. We have been on the journey through Isaiah, which we will continue to do for a while we’re…we’re kind of approaching the halfway point in the book of Isaiah and we are working our way through the letter to the Galatians in the New Testament which we will continue today. We’ve been reading from the English Standard Version this week, which we will continue to do today. Isaiah chapter 28 verse 14 through 30 verse 11.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. Thank You for another week and we've been able to enjoy fellowship with one another in spirit as we move through the Scriptures and pray for each other, fellowship with Your spirit as You plant the seeds of the Scriptures into our hearts, and constant mercy and kindness and patience with us as we continue this journey. This journey of faith that is going somewhere good. So, come Holy Spirit lead us into all truth. We pray in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

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If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible then a heartfelt sincere deep gratitude. Thank you, thank you for your partnership. If we weren't a community in this together, we wouldn't be able to be making this journey and so thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or the mailing address is P.O. Box 1996 Springhill, Tennessee 37174.

And as always if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app. The little red button at the top it looks like the hotline and so you can press that from wherever you are in the world and share from there or you can dial 877-942-4253.

And that's it for today. I'm Brian and I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Prayer and Encouragements:

Hi DAB family, this is Jessica from California. Today, I’m calling in from the community prayer for Bonnie from Northern California whose husband died six years ago and mom died two years ago. And she now lives in her mother’s house with her two brothers who, they get along wonderfully. And they’re gonna have a new dynamic in their household because her son is coming to live with them. She said her son battles with anxiety because he’s worried about what’s going on in the world and she, she doesn’t know what to say to him. She wishes her husband was still around because he always had a way to talk to his son. And, I just was feeling your heart Bonnie and the worry for your son. I also have a son who’s nineteen and so I understand the mother-son stuff. And I just wanted to say a prayer for you guys, okay. Dear Heavenly Father, I just come before you with Bonnie Lord, You know the concerns of her heart for her son and Lord, I just pray that You would come to her son and You put peace, a hedge around him with peace and protection of his mind Lord, that he can place all his trust in You about what’s going on in this world today. And that’s what You’re calling us to do Lord, and I hope that him being around his Godly mother that he will feel that peace like he’s never felt before and also, being around the uncles and seeing how well they all get along, he will just fit in like, like he’s been there all along. And maybe this is what he’s been missing, to give him the peace, is to be around his family. So, I just thank You Lord that you have this situation covered. And, Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. Okay, love you Bonnie, take care.

Hi, this is Brenda from Hershey, PA the sweetest place on earth, I’m a first-time caller. I've been listening since April 2017. I am calling for prayer for my dear sweet mom. She is in a nursing home and due to COVID it has just been horrible as far as us being able to see her and be with her. She's in a dementia ward and she knows who we are, but has a horrible time remembering when we’ve spoken to her or if we’ve been to see her and she feels totally abandoned. She is a godly, godly woman. She has…was a pastor's wife for 35 years and loves the Lord dearly, but her mind is not healthy and I'm just asking you to pray that God's angels will surround her and comfort her and I just know when people are praying for her. She will feel God's presence and be comforted and not be so sad all the time. Please pray with me for her name is Nancy and she loves Jesus and I know that she just needs this comfort and ask the Lord to keep the demons away. Thank you, family.

Hello brothers and sisters. I want to go by the name of Anointed and I want prayer please for my husband. First that he, he has received the Lord, but he’s not walking with the Lord and I really want him to have the relationship with the Lord to lean on, but also for his physical state. He served in Desert Storm and he was exposed to chemical weapons and there's other things that have happened but the latest is two years ago he started with a pain on the right side, right kidney side it feels like a kidney stone. The VA has refused to see him saying that the CT does not showing anything. We had a really, really good PCP primary care physician that just retired and she was the one pushing to see other doctors and get second opinions and now we don't have her. He also has the middle of a piece lung is sticking out through ribs, fourth and fifth and that also causes pain. So, for two years he has had this pain, they had him on crazy amounts of painkillers. So, it is not a normal life. He really can't do anything. Please I would love to have a miracle from God and…and for him to have more of a normal life and enjoy the grandkids and just little things every day, but also, it’s important that he has a relationship with the Lord. The Lord reveals himself to my husband's whose name is Ron and he's strength and he’s joyous and Him thank you so much. I’ll being praying for all of you.

He DAB fam, it’s Val in Vegas. Hey, today’s the 15th, I used to call in on the 15th of every month I think I’m gonna go back to that. I really looked forward to it and it was just a cool way to engage with you guys. So, anyhoo, I also have some additional news. I am, tomorrow at 5am which will be the 16th I’m having a bilateral mastectomy. And I need this community. And I know you guys will be there for me. I pray for all people that are dealing with circumstances that are involved around bad health. And I pray for good health and let’s do that. Lord, God, right now I pray for good health. I pray for great health. I pray for excellent health. Not just for me Lord but for everybody listening to this for everyone on this call, Heavenly Father. God I’m thinking right now that Your word says by His stripes I am healed. Lord not only me, everyone, Lord. Dear God, we pray right now that anyone that has any medical procedures Lord, God, that You would just bless the surgeons Lord. Bless any medical provider, Lord, all of them, Heavenly Father, they’ve had such a hard road this last year and a half. Dear God, please look out for our medical workers. In Jesus name, Amen.

Hey, my beautiful DAB fam, this is Kingdom Seeker Daniel. Family, I just want to pray for a couple of our brothers. So, let's all gather around this Global Campfire, let’s hold hands and let’s talk to the Father. Father, I come and lift up two of your sons right now. I want to pray for John O'Connor from South Sudan and Garrett. Lord, I pray that you would minister to John O'Connor son, Steve, John, as he has had a mental lapse Lord, which is caused him to act out in a way that was destructive to his brother’s problem and space. So, Lord, we just ask that You would extend Your hand of healing to this man. God, You know the details and the circumstances of his life. You are well aware about the bipolar diagnosis. We know You are Lord over bipolar and any and all mental health issues and so I pray that You would extend Your hands of healing to this young man. And I pray that You would comfort John O'Connor's heart, his dad and let him know that as he has released his son, he has released him into the greatest hands possible, which is Yours. So, what I thank You for what You’re doing. And then remember Garrett cause he is battling anxiety and worry. Just feeling defeat and not able to get ahead. Lord, would You just strengthen him, build him up and pull him close to your bosom. Lord, and calls are refreshing to take place in his life. Let the peace that surpasses all understanding guard Garrett's heart and mind as well as Steve John in the name of Jesus, we give you praise for what You’re doing in these man’s lives. Amen.

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marinacourage · 6 years

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17 songs of 2017

totally out of order, i just wanted to write this for myself and see what I was listening to. leggo.

1. KARD - Rumor

I love the concept of a mixed group, i love that mv, love the moves. all in all - a bop. and they were releasing hit after hit this year, like wow, that was a super consistent success. and also one of the boy's voice is deeper than my social anxiety issues. props for them, i love KARD.

2. WINNER - Fool

give me a moment to wipe my eyes, please. ok, here we go. this song was actually the one that brought me into K-pop this year. I was always aware of the genre and I've listened to some suju and 2NE1 before, but I was never a die hard fan, I was never into it as much as I am now. and my first step in this direction was this song. gosh, it is so, so good. I've understood exactly one word of all the lyrics in this song and nevertheless I've bawled my eyes out every time I've listened to it in the night, alone, dreaming. idk what was the story of WINNER when there were 5 members, and I do not care, honestly, because those men have obviously hit the jackpot this year, getting all the love and fame they could with such high quality hits, and that one member that got away is probably cursing himself all the way to hell right now.

fool is a ballade that stays with you for long. the simplicity of the accompaniment, the light sound, the heartfelt voices and the sincerity of it all makes it unforgettable. a true winner for me.

3. GOT7 - Never Ever

oh god, I thought this song is 100 years old and is a classics of k-pop, but it happened to be released in 2017, so strange. not the best song of got7 /gif of bambam niga hamyeoning in the background/, but it's decent. maybe 'you are' is overall better, but this one has the vibe of that iconic song that everyone knows, so I put it in here. also i've listened to it lots so.

4. SISTAR - Lonely

a surprisingly good one, soyou and bora's vocal are stunning. I've listened to it a lot this year, and only now I've realised that they've disbanded. that's what's really sad indeed. starship loosing girls bands like wigs. thank god for monsta x.

5. Seventeen - Clap

better than dramarama 100%, I'm being objective here. it's has a clever mv, smart choreo (hoshi is literally a god and proves it every freaking time, he's impossible) and a nice instrumentation. also that break in the live ver. with joshua in front gives me chills.

6. BtoB - Movie

because HOW CAN YOU NOT?!! ilhoon as the joker? minhyuk as james bond?! DO YOU DIE LIKE I DO?! this song is totally my style. funny, funky, great vocals - that's btob for you. in my opinion songs like this one suit them the most. it is like a /movie lol/ ray of sunshine, it gives me the most pleasant feels. it may be not very mainstream, no heavy edm/dubstep or over-the-top choreo, but it certainly found it's listeners. I adore this song. peniel's rap was a killer, wow, fresh and clean indeed, and let's not forget about that iconic music show performance where they all were cosplaying various characters, oh dear, only btob can pull that off.

7. BewhY - Wright Brothers ft. C Jamm

or any other track from the blind star album. see, this is not even k-pop, this is korean gospel rap, for god's sake, and still BewhY kills the game with his hits. yes, that man is powerful like that. bobby, zico, mino, they are all idols now, but BewhY would never be one of them. he is one of a kind, honestly. he has his own style, his flow is effortless and unique, and those silences, did you feel them? his significant silences say more than half of the idol rappers' parts would ever say. the world has been blessed by this album, strong power thank you hallelujah.

8. Monsta X - Beautiful

okay, now listen. maybe it is not an ultimate masterpiece or smth but this was the song that made monsta x more popular in the industry and I'm very grateful for that. but I am still struck by that fact that they only won their first show with dramarama. like honestly? where the fuck was everyone when 'hero' was in promotion? the l e g e n d a r y, absolutely terrific mv for the 'all in'? and literally no one giving a single fuck about 'stuck' when this song is actually a blessing sent from heavens? and my baby hyper man jooheon released his 'rhythm' in early 2017 and no one cared? DID YOU SLEEP WELL, KOREA?!

also the boys slayed this song, btw.

9. EXO - The Eve

damn son, this one is hella sensual. out of all EXO songs that were released this year this one got me the most. ko ko bop is a bop indeed, but the eve has that vibe that pleases me more. also the vocals. I'd probably kill for d.o.'s voice. and that choreo. kai and sehun have no mercy. a great song. special mention for the whole 'the war' album though. I lived.

10. Super Junior - Black Suit

this song is so stylish, classy, has such a chic vibe that you can't just forget it. every time I hear it I smile, dance and lyp-sinc, and I do it literally anywhere, I just can't help myself. this song gives me energy and I have a few memories that I've made bc of this song that I'm very fond of. it is kinda in the same league as BtoB's 'movie', but is more on the dramatique and chic side. the legends and the true kings of k-pop.

11. NCT127 - Cherry Bomb

THAT. MOVE. don't lie, you know what I'm talking about. what a legendary choreo, mother father, holy moly. I am in love with nct because imho thy have the most unique style from all the k-pop groups I know. they are fresh, young and totally wild. their charisma is a weapon of mass destruction. and pls don't get me started on mark. you know, the one that has a 'long ass ride' through all the NCT units and thinks of himself as of a long lost EXO member.

so this song is a hit, it's catchy as hell, it has a great beat, great rap parts, killer hook, bomb choreo, smart mv. it was made for success.

12. BtoB - Missing you

yes, I'm heavily multifandom, but how on the earth, tell me, can you not stan a group where you have, aside of other members, one of the most outstanding vocal line in k-pop nowadays (hyunsik is great at making songs and his voice is great, changsub's falcetto is giving me chills and sungjae is so talented it's unfair to us mere mortals, but eunkwang is... well. silver light. let it shine forever). I think that maybe this song will be forgotten by most people with time, but when btob sing it live it really touches you deeply, and the lyrics are great. I've cried, yes. and also btob actually winning things that they deserve with a ballade is giving me a strong sense of justice existing in this world.

13. VIXX - Shangri-la

did you fucking see this aesthetic masterpiece? if yes, than no words are needed, you've heard and seen it yourself. the song is nearing perfection, the synthesis of minimalistic electronic sound effects and unique asian flavours is majestic, not to mention that they've finally had a DECENT DROP GOD SAVE ME, I've been waiting for a decent drop in vixx's songs since forever. and the performance of this song on the last day of 2017 k.o.ed me completely. a total must-see.

14. G-DRAGON - Untitled, 2014

I need to have another moment here. well, this song is something fragile, delicate, and something so vulnerable, even thinking of it makes it hard to swallow. I've cried to it too. it feels like a confession, not romantic, but personal. the vocals are stunning, you don't always need to be a terrific singer to impress people with your voice. sometimes it's about the colours of the tembre and the way you use it, your imagination. G-DRAGON has it all and more. this song, people, is what is called 'art'.

15. Heize ft. Shin Yong Jae - You, Clouds, Rain

I love heize's style, and the combination of those voices was a win. such a great song honestly.

16. Red Velvet - Rookie

it is so cringy it hurts, but it is a good pain. ma shupa rookie rookie rookie.

17. WINNER - Really Really

did you really think this year's list of k-pop personal hits could go without this jam? really? pfft. everyone knows this song, I mean everyone. thank god they've actually won some music with this song at least. the fact that they didn't win the daesang for the song of the year still sounds ridiculous, sha-sha-frickin-sha. in conclusion, really really is an ultimate bop. neol johahae.

this was unnecessarily long and you absolutely don't need to write an essay like I did here, or write anything actually, but I'd really like to see what songs were you listening to the year, @floraleona and @theblobmaster 😊❤

#kpop #2017 #music #svt #monsta x #nct127 #red velvet #kard #exo #btob #got7

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cannibalisticskittles · 7 years

Text

a birthday surprise, but not, like, sexy, but not NOT sexy, you feel me?

pairing: saeran/mc (named) notes: It’s Sun-hwa’s birthday, and Saeran has no idea what to do. He turns to the RFA members for help. Visiting her at work would be nice, right? I decided (loosely) that sun-hwa’s birthday was the 21st, and only remembered this a few days in advance. whoops. still, birthday fic! technically set after the events of ‘an act of kindness,’ but this should be perfectly readable as a standalone fic.

It’s Sun-hwa’s birthday, the first special occasion since they started dating, and Saeran is panicking.

When it’s mentioned in the chatrooms –never instigated by her; it was Seven’s fiancée who mentioned it the first time, and the well-meaning members of the RFA seem to have taken it upon themselves to toss gift ideas around and inquire into the possibility of a party and generally try to ensure that her birthday is memorable, something that really shouldn’t be surprising, given the nature of the organization – Saeran is often lumped into these proposed plans.

Sun-hwa waved away and the first suggestion that she has anything fancy planned, saying that she’s probably just going to spend a quiet night in with Saeran, but their reactions to this seemed to suggest that Saeran shouldn’t let this be, that he should be preparing an elaborate and romantic surprise for her, and Saeran has no idea what to do.

He’s done some probing, asked a few leading questions, tried to subtly feel out her expectations, and still, he is frustratingly in the dark about what he should do. If he just asked her outright, he has a feeling she’d just laugh and say not to worry, but that’s not what people are supposed to do for things like this, right? Shouldn’t he just know what she wants, know what the perfect gift is, the perfect plan?

But he doesn’t.

He’s sure if he asked her she’d say not to worry about it, but what if she doesn’t think that? What if she expects something from him that he’s not able to give her and he lets her down? He doesn’t have any experience with situations like these, and the thought of disappointing her has been at the forefront of his worries for the past week.

He’s had a few ideas, but nothing that he feels fully confident in, and the lingerie he’d ordered is scheduled to get here a few days too late for that to work as a gift, so he… outsources this.

(Which is sort of a shame – he thinks he’d have looked pretty damn fantastic in that lingerie.)

His brother, irritatingly, seems to pick up on his worries.

Seven continues to visit when he’s able, often when his fiancée is at work. After the chatrooms, Saeran’s worries rise anew, and Seven always seems eager to say something about it. Thankfully, he’s remained quiet, though the longer this goes on, Seven begins to seem as if he’s fit to burst with advice.

Saeran pointedly avoids asking Seven about it, instead turning to Yoosung.

Yoosung advises sweet little gestures, romantic but comfortable, things Saeran thinks Sun-hwa might appreciate, but his suggestions are tempered with, “ah, but I’ve never had a girlfriend, so… maybe that’s not right?” and Saeran is left with more worries than when he started.

“Maybe you should ask Zen?” Yoosung suggests at last.

But Zen, while indisputably more experienced in these matters, falls on the more ostentatious side of things. Saeran has no doubt there is someone who would appreciate grand gestures of flowers and rose petals and tender words, but it’s not Sun-hwa, and… he’s not sure he has the confidence not to falter if he tried to give a heartfelt speech.

Zen runs a hand through his hair in consternation before finally suggesting that he speak with Jaehee, if he needs something a little more grounded, a little less… dramatic.

“Advice that makes sense,” Saeran says, and Zen huffs, but nods readily, his respect for Jaehee clear.

Saeran manages to catch Jaehee at a good time – busy, as she’s been since she began the work necessary to realize her dreams for a café, but not so busy that she cannot talk, though he helps sweep up some lingering dust accumulated in the time since the building was last owned as he explains the dilemma to her.

She gives her opinion when they break for coffee – which is delicious, even if the place still needs a little work before it opens to the public.

“You know, you are allowed to ask. There’s nothing against that. In fact, many people appreciate the directness.” Saeran frowns, and she sets her coffee cup down after a sip. “But if you’re set against it… you don’t have to take extravagant measures for her, particularly if this makes either of you uncomfortable. Just spend time doing something she enjoys. I’m sure she’ll appreciate your consideration, whatever you do.”

He nods. That’s reassuring, though still requires some thought.

Jaehee tilts her head. “…you know Seven is probably going to keep trying to talk to you about this until you hear him out.”

Saeran frowns again. “He's… persistent,” he mutters.

She laughs softly. “He cares about you. But I wouldn’t say I’d be eager for his advice either, in your situation,” she admits with sympathy, as well a measure of suppressed amusement.

Still, he has some worries.

Jumin’s advice – sought out hesitantly, and really, only to assuage his lingering doubts as he delays what seems like the inevitable advice from his brother – is simple. “Ask her,” he says.

“I don't… think I’m supposed to,” Saeran says. “I think I’m supposed to just… figure it out.”

Jumin raises a well-groomed eyebrow. “It would be simpler to just ask, but if you’re meant to do this alone, then I suppose… rely on your observations of her thus far. Trust that you know her.”

He doesn’t trust that, not enough to keep himself from worrying that he’s going to screw this up, but he nods anyway.

Saeran even asks Vanderwood before his brother – although that’s not hard, seeing as Vanderwood is settling into the role of assistant to the C&R heir, and is there when Saeran drops by.

“Give her a taser,” they deadpan. “I don’t want to give mine up all the time just because no one else plans well enough.”

“…I think she already has one,” Saeran tells them.

They give him a satisfied nod but no other suggestions, just ask, “then have you asked Jaehee?” Saeran nods, and they wave a hand. “Why are you asking him, then? Just listen to what she said.”

And she has given the best advice out of the bunch so far.

He’s reminded of the other part of her advice when Seven drops by with a new MMO to try out and, after checking his phone and wincing at another mention of the upcoming day, he sees Seven perk up in that particular way he’s had lately.

He can put it off no longer.

“…alright,” says Saeran, suppressing a sigh as he sets down his controller. “So about Sun-hwa…”

Seven doesn’t need to be told twice.

He makes Saeran reiterate the particulars of the situation, which he does, begrudgingly, as Seven listens with rapt attention, nodding often.

By the end of it, his advice is actually surprisingly simple. He slings an arm over Saeran’s shoulders and confidently remarks, “Just be yourself!” Saeran snorts, but Seven continues in earnest. “No, really! She loves you, she’ll appreciate whatever you do. Just spend time with her, if you don’t know what else to do!”

It’s – not too bad, all considered. Saeran’s words of thanks are actually… sincere, which he wouldn’t have guessed going into that.

Spend time with her. Do something she’d like to do.

And he can think of something that might fit that advice.

She’s been asking him about visiting her at work for some time now – not constantly, just extends an invitation every once in a while, and she never pushes, never seems hurt when he expresses disinterest.

And maybe he shouldn’t have been so certain that e wouldn’t be interested in visiting, but it’s just – if he goes, there’s no guarantee that she’d even be able to talk to him, so what’s the point?

She’d teasingly asked if he didn’t miss her when she was at work, and he does, but seeing her and not being able talk would just make it worse. He’d rather just wait until she’s home and he can have her all to himself.

So, with a promise to let her know if he ever changed his mind so that she could make sure he’d get a spot in her section, she’d let the matter be.

But now… it’s her birthday. If there was ever a time to reconsider his aversion to the idea, it’s now, and this is how Saeran finds himself, for the first time, walking up to the place Sun-hwa has worked at for the past two years, and that he has never seen.

He steels himself and draws in a slow breath, and opens the doors.

“Welcome home master~!”

He flinches as he’s greeted, trying not to physically recoil at the attention.

The woman who has spoken to him is decked out in a frilly maid uniform, and she smiles at him as he draws nearer to the podium, then gives him an expectant look.

“For… one?” He says hesitantly.

The hostess bows a little and gestures for him to follow. “Right this way, master. I’m glad you’re home.”

So he lets her lead him to an empty table, where she plucks a menu – heart-shaped – from the center and hands it to him.

“Now, Mi-na will be attending you today, please don’t hesitate to ask anything you need of her, and if you have any questions, I can–”

“Ha-neul!”

And there is Sun-hwa, quickly approaching them.

He’s never seen her wearing her maid uniform in person, just in pictures, and most of those were group shots with her co-workers, promotional shots for the café’s website. It’s frilly and pastel and matches her stockings as well as the little bow in her hair.

…she looks cute.

Sun-hwa comes to a stop beside Saeran, and the hostess pauses. “Jang-mi?” she questions.

Sun-hwa inclines her head a little and says, “I can take him in my section.” Her eyes flick from Saeran to Ha-neul. “This is… Saeran.”

The term ‘boyfriend’ is carefully avoided, but by the way Ha-neul raises a brow, she gets the gist of it anyway. “You’re sure you don’t have too much to handle?”

Sun-hwa shakes her head. “I’ll be fine.”

Ha-neul considers this, then nods. “This way, then.” She leads him to another table across the room as Sun-hwa follows close behind. “Jang-mi will attend to you,” she says, and then she’s off, returning to the hostess stand.

“Jang-mi?” Saeran questions when Ha-neul is no longer in earshot.

Sun-hwa tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh… yeah, we all go by fake names here. Privacy, y’know? Prevents… incidents. But you can call me by my name, if you’re quiet. Still, I can’t believe you came!” She pats the sides of her dress to indicate the lack of pockets. “I haven’t checked my phone in a while, I must’ve missed your message.”

He shakes his head. “Wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Aww, how sweet.” She smiles at him, and some of his nervousness fades away. “Well, I’ve got two other tables, but they’re both singles, and neither seem particularly demanding, so… I can’t promise constant attention, but we’ve got some time. So! Let’s get you started. You haven’t been to one of these before, right?”

He shakes his head, and she slides the menu over, flipping it open to the first page.

“Savory stuff is more towards the beginning, then less savory but still not desserts, and then our magnificent catalogue of cakes, parfaits, and ice creams. Drinks are at the back, here, and we can do personalized coffees. Anything catch your eye?”

Some of the names, he recognizes, but not like this, not all… cutesy. Are the recipes even going to be the same?

“I don't… know what to get.” He looks up at her beseechingly.

“Hmm. Is this a quick visit, or…?”

He flushes a little, but shakes his head. “…wanted to spend time with you.”

She beams. “I’d say start with something savory then, something filling. Eun-ji’s working the kitchen today, so everything’s good, but if you want something you know you’ll like, maybe begin with omurice? You can get it with a cute little face drawn on it with ketchup.” She flips back to the first page, then rests her hand on the table. Her smallest finger overlaps with his just slightly, and from the warm look she gives him as he glances at her, that’s entirely intentional.

He hesitates again. “…is it okay that I’m having you do this on your birthday?”

“Of course!” She beams. “I’m glad you came. And I do think you’ll like the menu – especially the ice cream. I just don’t want you gorging yourself on only that if you’re going to be here for a while.”

He quirks a brow. “But what if I want to gorge myself on ice cream? Isn’t that my choice to make, as your master?”

“Oh!” She gasps, a splays a hand over her chest. For a brief moment he thinks she’s actually shocked at him for playing along, displeased even, but then she adopts a sorrowful tone and says, “I have been remiss in my duties, overstepping my bounds!” She bows her head remorsefully. “It is, of course, your decision to make; how could you ever forgive me, a lowly maid, for questioning you, my master?”

And then she lifts her head and there’s a mischievous glint in her eye as she drops the dramatic voice. “…so you want the omurice or not?”

He pouts sullenly at this teasing, but nods.

“Anything else?”

“…no, that’s fine.”

“Great! I’ll pass that along and it should be ready soon. Gotta do some lip service.” She glances behind her, then back to him and rolls her eyes exaggeratedly. “Back into the fray.” She pats his hand and then she’s off.

And now he’s left to play the waiting game. He’d considered this before, of course, the ratio of how much time he’d get to spend with her versus just watching her from afar, but… well. Doesn’t make this any less awkward. He feels… more watched than he’d like, and he shifts self-consciously in his seat. Maybe he should have worn something else, but she’d said the sweater was cute this morning before she left…

He looks around the room again, taking in yet more ‘adorable’ imagery he’d missed before, and meets the eye of another maid – waitress in a maid outfit – and she smiles at him. He hunches his shoulders and locks his eyes onto the menu, staring as fixedly as it as he would if it contained all the secrets of the universe. At the very least, it solves the problem of where to look without feeling like as much of an idiot.

Oh, but there’s ice cream. Fancy stuff, he’d assume, given the whole general ambiance of the place. What kinds?

He flips through the menu and spends several minutes contentedly absorbed in weighing his options, delicious as they are – and then he hears Sun-hwa giggle from across the room.

It catches his attention immediately, and he raises his head to seek out the source. When he does, he freezes.

Sun-hwa is seated at a man’s table, delicately stirring his coffee.

After a moment, the man leans forward and murmurs something and she ducks her head and presses a hand to her cheek and giggles again.

He can hear her speak from here, though faintly, and the voice she’s using – higher-pitched, saccharine and overly-obliging – raises goosebumps along the back of his neck. She doesn’t stay long, just a minute or two more, but it’s enough that Saeran is left seething.

She’s at work. This is her job. But he doesn’t like how familiar the man was with her. What right does anyone have to do that? That’s got to be crossing some line.

He’s frowning when Sun-hwa returns, bearing gifts.

She sets the plate of omurice before him, as well as a cup and saucer, and as she does, says, “Now I know you didn’t ask for coffee, but Eun-ji made it exceedingly sweet and I drew a little cat face in it for you so it’s hand-made for you. Maid-made, eh? Eh?” She then straightens and places her hands on her hips, eyes closing in satisfaction of both a job well done and a pun well-made, looking exceedingly pleased with herself. Her cheery mood deflates a little when this does not garner the reaction she expected.

She cracks open an eye. “…not a winner?”

He tries to offer her a reassuring smile, but it soon droops. He drums his fingers on the saucer. “…why did you want me to come?”

“Mmm, thought it’d be nice to see you more often? Thought you’d like the menu?” She narrows her eyes and her voice grows conspiratorial. “Thought you’d think it was funny seeing me going so long without being able to cuss and generally just watching me make a fool out of myself?”

“…shit,” he mutters, lips quirking up though there’s still a funny hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach, “I should be taking advantage of that, huh?”

“Frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t. Is that because of birthday goodwill, or should I be expecting some acerbic wit once you’ve settled into the place?”

“Hmm.” He hums a note, locking his eyes onto hers and leaning closer. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

“Oh?” She leans in as well, placing her hands on the table. “What mischief do you have in store for me?” He has the feeling that she’s looking forward to it, whatever it is.

But before anything more can be said, another waitress passes close behind and slows to place a hand at her side for a moment before continuing on her way. Sun-hwa shoots him an apologetic look. “Sorry, I think that’s meant to tell me one of my tables needs something. Might be getting antsy.”

He nods to say he understands, and watches her make her way to another table that looks recently seated. A pair, this time. She chats with them briefly, but though she certainly seems exuberant, the atmosphere from here reads as more… friendly. He’s talked himself down into relaxing right up until she brings out their drinks and the flirting seems to switch into overdrive.

Or – well, he’d assume so, from the cutesy way she tilts her head, and the way the pair elbow each other as they watch her leave.

He stabs his fork into the omurice and takes a sullen bite. Stupid customers. Stupid café.

He breaks the head of one of the bears in half when he hears the man from the first table, the one she was giggling at earlier, speak.

“Jang-mi, wait here with me a little longer – I can’t bear to see you go.”

She inclines her head bashfully. “Ah, how can I refuse such a sweet request from my master?

Why is everyone so into her when she’s – not her? Why does she have to act so different here?

…she’s good at it. He can’t even tell she’s faking it.

And what the hell is a ‘cuteness spell,’ anyway? If they want to ask someone to make sure their food looks cute, shouldn’t they be asking the chefs, not the waitress?

The next time she swings by his table, his displeasure must be clear on his face, because she frowns as she approaches, and slides into the booth seat next to him.

She sets another cup of coffee next to the first, and when he gives it a curious look, she says, “…you’re not eating much, and it’s hitting that time where it starts to fill up in the hour before closing, so it’s hard to find an excuse to come by, let alone a chance once I have a reason. Just… pretend you’re really into sampling the drinks on our menu. Now… what’s wrong?”

He meets her gaze, then looks staunchly away. “…you’re very… attentive in-character.”

“Yes?” She blinks. “…ah, d’you want more of the experience? I didn’t think you’d be comfortable with that, but…” She tilts her head and he knows what voice she’s going to use before she speaks. “Master, are you pleased with what I’ve made for you? I’ve been thinking about you, even if I couldn’t be here.” And then her expression takes on a touch more wickedness. “…now that I’m here, would you like coffee? Cake? Or… me?”

His mouth twists down sharply at the sugar-sweet voice, and his eyes dart around the room to see who might be looking, drawn in by their voices. “Stop – they’re going to think–”

They’re going to think he’s just a customer. Some creep vying for a cute girl’s attention.

Maybe that’s what he is, after all.

She frowns, but does not continue the act. “Babe, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re at a maid café; they’re gonna assume you’re getting that kind of service anyway. But if the problem isn’t that I’m not using the role with you, what is it?”

“…nothing.”

“Nothing? Really? Saeran, you’ve wedged yourself into the corner of the booth, you don’t look like you’re doing so hot, what’s–”

And she is, of course, stopped in her tracks as another waitress comes by and informs Sun-hwa that, “Jang-mi has been requested” with a brief, curious glance at Saeran.

“…I’ll be right back,” Sun-hwa says, and follows the waitress.

He does not watch her as she goes this time, not wanting to make the pit in his stomach any deeper. He reaches for a packet of sugar for his coffee, but just as he’s plucking it from the sugar caddy, he hears her voice again, excited, singsong, fake.

He can’t help it. He fiddles with the packet as his gaze roams around the café, seeking her out.

She’s at the first table again.

“I’m honored!” she’s saying as she leans in close to the man. They’re posing for a picture, both smiling as she holds up double v’s and – he slips an arm around her waist.

Saeran rips the packet in half. Sugar spills everywhere.

He barely registers her pulling away quickly from the man, although when she pushes his arm back to his side, there’s a twinge of satisfaction.

“Can I get you anything for that, master?”

He jolts. While he was preoccupied, he’s been approached by another waitress. She fixes wide, attentive eyes on him as she waits for his response. He stares blankly at her for a moment, then at the mess of sugar over the table. He returns his gaze to her with effort. “…no.”

She pauses, but her nonplussed moment lasts only seconds, and then she tilts her head with so much enthusiastic attempt at charm that the softly-curling end of her bob bounce, and asks, “well, if there’s anything else I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to let me–”

“Bathroom.”

“Eh?”

“Where is the bathroom.”

“…around the booths and to the left?”

He stands abruptly, pushing her aside in his haste.

“W-wait, do you–”

But he’s already hurrying in the direction she indicated.

When he reaches the bathroom, he pulls open the door without knocking, then shuts and locks it behind him.

It’s even cute in here, but… less so, mercifully.

Saeran leans against the door, relieved to finally feel alone, no longer in danger of finding someone’s eyes on him.

He just – just – hates how they look at her. How they talk to her. How easily they eat up this stupid role like they really have any say over her, like she really even cares about them.

He winds his fingers through his hair, agitated.

And why does she put up with it, is it – not usually like this? But no, she comes home with complaints if she leaves with any stories at all, so then why–?

There’s a quiet knock.

“…Saeran?”

He stills. She knocks again.

“Are you in there…?”

Shit, what’s he going to say to her? ‘Sorry I ran out, I just want to be the only one allowed to look at you?’

Still, he unlocks the door and opens it a crack. There she stands, one hand raised as if to knock again, still looking remarkably sweet and tempting in her frilly dress.

Something twists in his stomach at the thought of her going out there again, and before he realizes what he’s doing, he is grabbing her arm and pulling her in.

“Saera–” But she hasn’t even finished her protest before he’s pushing her against the door, the hand that grabbed hold of her arm still tightly wrapped around her wrist and the other clutching her shoulder – and then he kisses her with bruising pressure.

She gasps into his mouth and he swallows the sound eagerly.

He clings to her with single-minded purpose. Each time he breaks apart for air, he dives back in with desperation, unwilling to be parted. It’s not enough, never enough, especially not now when there are already so many vying for her attention. How can he be sure they won’t take her from him? He pours himself into her with all the urgency of a drowning man.

After a moment, Sun-hwa pushes gently against his hands, and he relents, loosening his grip. She does not break the kiss, only winds her arms around him.

The pressure eases. The kiss turns languid. She noses at him as they overshoot the angle, and while she laughs softly, he whines at the delay that keeps him from her.

Finally, they draw back and pause, foreheads pressed against each other. Her arms are still wound around him. He is still holding tight to her.

Sun-hwa is the first to speak, ragged breaths interspersed throughout. She sounds wry – or she would, if her breathing had been even. “Okay,” she murmurs, “Okay. Saeran, babe… you know how much I love to be kissed senseless, but I’m on the clock and this isn’t exactly a romantic area. And – what happened with the sugar, anyway? It’s everywhere. I thought something might’ve happened.”

“…no. It’s nothing,” he mutters. “Got distracted watching you.”

Her brow furrows, and he feels a twinge of misery that he has to pick which way to discomfit her – tell the truth and make her realize how pathetic he is for being unable to withstand even an hour without her full attention, or lie when she knows he’s lying to her.

Finally, he speaks. “…I don’t like that guy out there.” He jerks his chin in the general direction of the man’s table to indicate who he means.

“…oh, hell if I remember his name, who – the one who got the picture?”

Saeran nods.

“He's… a little pushy, yeah.” And then she gives a soft laugh, seeming to realize the absurdity of staying polite where she is. “Okay, yeah, a lot pushy. Didn’t buy quite enough to justify calling me over nearly so much. Really supposed to ask before touching me.”

“Why didn’t he?”

“Didn’t want it to feel so much like a business transaction, I’d wager. Feels less personal if you’ve got to ask permission.” She rolls her eyes. “Still, as long as he listens to the reprimand, wasn’t bad; I’ve definitely had worse.”

Saeran winces at the thought of what worse might look like.

“Is that the problem? That guy? You don’t like how he acts?” Saeran stays silent. “Or… is it that he’s acting that way with me?

He looks away. She brushes a hand through his hair, gently.

“…we close in 40 minutes, you wanna dip or try to last it out?”

“…mnn. Don’t wanna just… go.”

“If it bothers you, I don’t want you to have to endure that discomfort just to be sweet to me.” The hand she was petting his hair with slides down to cup the nape of his neck. “But… if you’re sure, there’s still enough time to order some ice cream. Might be a nice distraction? Or a treat for having to watch that?”

And after a moment, he nods. “…okay.”

“Yeah? Okay. Just remember, you don't… have to stay. If it’s bugging you, I’ll wrap up some pastries and meet you at home with them, and–”

But he sets his jaw and winds his arms around her. “No,” he says, set in his resolve.

“Mmm. Alright. Did you happen to decide on a flavor of ice cream when you were looking at the menu earlier?”

He shakes his head. “Uh-uh.”

“…how much faith d’you have in my ability to make good decisions right now?”

He narrows his eyes at her. “Lots?”

“Oh, good. Now…” She places her hands on his forearms until he gets the cue and lets his arms drop, then she inclined her head to indicate the door. “If you go back to your table, I can pop into the kitchen at the end of the hall and see if Eun-ji’s up for making you something this close to closing, and no one in the main room will notice anything’s up.” And then she rolls her eyes. “Except poor Mi-na. She seemed distraught when I passed her.”

He just shrugs. He can’t bring himself to be particularly remorseful at the way he snubbed the waitress.

Sun-hwa huffs even as her lips quirk up. “Yeah, yeah, rude boy, I get it. Okay, go now, or someone’s going to come looking for me.”

So, with no small measure of reluctance, he traces his steps back to the dining area and seats himself at his booth again, busying himself with drumming his fingers on the table, and then, when he considers that she may have to clean this up before going home, swiping his hands over the surface of the table until he’s scooped up most of the spilled sugar into a little pile.

Mercifully, it isn’t long before Sun-hwa emerges from the kitchen carrying two glasses of ice cream –, and, balanced in the crook of her elbow which he sees as she bends to set these gifts at his table, is an actual bowl of whipped cream, to his delight.

“Strawberry, mint,” she says, placing a spoon beside each one as she points out the respective flavors.

The strawberry is carefully scooped and decorated to look like a pig, complete with candy ears, and the mint is similarly decorated, looking like a frog with big candy eyes.

“…you realize all this cuteness is wasted on food,” he says just before he scoops a big chunk of the frog’s head out.

“Hush and appreciate Jiji’s work,” she scolds.

“Mmh,” he says, and plucks out one of its chocolate drop eyes. “Delicious.” His voice is flat, more for her sake than because he’s genuinely unenthused about the ice cream.

“Good enough.” She reaches in a familiar motion to smooth down his hair, then hesitates, and moves to mine plucking some fluff from his hair. “…almost out,” she says. “Don’t seem to have anyone too keen on lingering past closing, so that should last you about until then, and then you can just hang out as we close.” She gestures to the ice cream. “Though we’ll need those back not too soon after that so we can clean up.” And then her gaze softens and her voice grows quieter. “Love you.”

With that, she’s off, and he turns his attention to the ice cream in front of him.

He hears her still, wrapping up conversations with customers and bidding them warm – and sometimes regretful – goodbyes, but he ignores this as best he can, focusing instead on eating.

He heaps on spoonfuls of whipped cream from the bowl between each bite and eats them down to the last dregs, scraping both glasses clean with audible clinks.

As he finishes, Sun-hwa swoops in and spirits away his empty glasses – she takes the unfinished omurice, too, once it’s clear he’s not going to make any more progress on that.

By the time the last customers finally file out, his table has been cleared off, and he has pulled out his phone to fiddle with under the table.

It takes a few more minutes after that for her to come by again, during which the front doors are locked and the sign lights as well as some of the lights in the front are switched off. Soon enough, though, Sun-hwa approaches and sets a spray bottle and washcloth down, then leans on his table, arms folded on the surface. “Okay,” she says, “we’ve gotta clean up and do some prep-work for tomorrow, but nothing big. The other girls are fine if you just wait in here. I gotta wipe off the booth and table, but after that, you can just stay here, if you want.”

He nods, and she pulls away and stands so he can slide out of the booth.

As he does, she pulls her hair into a ponytail and secures it with a rubber band on her wrist.

“…cute,” he says as she begins spraying down the table.

Sun-hwa poses, flouncing so her ponytail bounces. “Why, thank you, how kind of you to say!” She makes quick work of the booth, and soon she bows to him, making a flourishing motion with her hands. “Your table, sir.”

He sticks his tongue out at her. She laughs.

Before she turns away, he notices something, and asks, “you don’t change out of your uniform to clean?”

“Not the front room, so close to closing. We can be seen from the windows.” She makes a face. “Fortunately, we don’t have to pay to get these uniforms cleaned.” She plucks at the front of her dress. “But once we move on to the kitchen, we can ditch the dresses.”

He nods, and she leans in to press a quick kiss to his forehead. “You might need to duck under the table and hide if someone sees you and thinks we’re still open.”

“Fantastic,” he says dryly, and she laughs as she picks up the spray bottle and moves on to the next table.

He watches her as she cleans up the next one, somehow fascinated by the focus on her face even for this simple task, right up until another waitress emerges from the front with her own cleaning supplies in hand, apparently having just finished the tables closest to the entrance. He’s too self-conscious to continue, so he returns to fiddling with his phone.

They start to talk as they work, idle chatter about customers and mishaps of the day. Apparently, someone spilled tea all over one of the booths before he got there, and there’s still traces of it in the seat, and Mi-na – damn, he didn’t realize it was the same waitress as before, he needs to step up his game – got a very indecisive customer.

“He’d have gone to your section if not for…” Mi-na trails off, sounding rueful.

Sun-hwa is not the least bit apologetic. “Sorry!” Her voice is almost singsong.

After a few minutes of this, they’ve both made it across the room, and Sun-hwa straightens with a groan. “Well… shall we see how bad the kitchen’s gotten?”

She extends her hand to the other woman, but glances behind her to wink at Saeran before leaving. Mi-na looks back as well, and seems to flush faintly.

They’re gone before Saeran can wonder at this.

He glances back at his phone. The messenger is as active as always. …and he has a message from his brother.

‘How’s it going so far? Good luck!!’ And then a string of enthusiastic emojis.

Saeran almost rolls his eyes. He’s close to not answering, but… ‘Fine,’ he sends back.

Almost immediately, there is a response: a flood of cheering emojis.

Saeran really does roll his eyes this time, and he pushes his phone away. It vibrates with yet more emojis, and what looks like encouraging advice. He’ll… look later.

So he sits and twiddles his thumbs. Eventually, he picks up his phone again and starts scrolling through the most recent chatrooms, but doesn’t feel invested enough to actually contribute to the conversation – though when Yoosung notices him lurking and says hello, Saeran sends back the waving emoji Seven made for him and the chat continues, no pressure for him to join beyond that.

They're… used to this sort of behavior from him. He’s fortunate for that.

Is she almost out…?

He can hear voices from the kitchen, along with faint clattering noises. …is he expected to stay here, or is that just for his convenience. Would she be unhappy if he wandered over to see if she needs help…?

But even if she’s not unhappy, the other waitresses might be. He’s not supposed to be here after all.

But then, if he doesn’t go to offer a hand, maybe she’ll think he’s lazy, unwilling to help, and –

“Babe, you ready to go?”

And there she is, a vision of loveliness in denim jeans and a ribbed sweater, holding a paper bag in one hand. “You okay?”

“–yeah. I’m fine. Just… got lost in thought. Leaving?”

She nods, then hoists the bag up. “Jiji gave me some cake to take home. Very sweet. I think you’ll like them, too.”

As she speaks, the other waitress, the hostess, and two other women he hadn’t seen before – or else, that he hadn’t taken the time to notice – emerge from the hallway, all out of uniform and dressed in casual clothes.

The hostess is the last to come out, switching the lights off behind her. The one he thinks Mi-na is engaged in conversation with one of the unknown women, and the other, remarkably tall even when hunched in discomfort, waves at Sun-hwa and bids her goodnight and a happy birthday in a soft voice.

“Night, Jiji!” Mi-na and the other woman chorus enthusiastic ‘happy birthday’s, and the hostess nods as she echoes this.

Sun-hwa calls back a goodnight, then holds out her free hand to Saeran as he stands. “You ready?”

He takes hold of her hand as an answer.

Eun-ji, Mi-na, and the other woman have already left by the time they reach the doors, and the hostess switches off the last of the lights as they push past the doors.

The hostess locks up and nods to the pair of them before heading in the opposite direction.

Saeran watches her go, and remarks, “…I’m not sure she likes me.”

“Mmh?” Sun-hwa follows his gaze. “Ha-neul? Well, you’ve only just met; she tends to reserve judgment until she has a longer exposure to someone. I think it took… about a week’s worth of shifts together before she decided she’d warmed up to me? But it can be hard to tell, yeah.”

“So… she might hate me, but…”

“Buuuuut you’d have no way of knowing, yeah,” she finishes. “One of the perks of working in the business: you get real good at faking how you feel towards someone.”

He nods, but something bothers him about that. “You don't… do that with me, do you…?” He keeps his eyes away from hers, feigning interest in the street, the sky, the buildings, but avoiding glancing over to see her expression.

“Well, when we met? When we were living in a cult? Yeah, I did. But you know that.” He winces at the memory, but nods; that had not been a… pleasant discovery, nor did he enjoy the resulting conversation – he’d assumed her interest in him was genuine, before that. As genuine as his interest had been. But, after time, detox, therapy, and long, long conversations, they were able to start over, on equal ground, and the interest she has now is genuine.

He hopes.

“Now, though?” She turns around so that she’s walking backwards, facing him. She regards him for a moment, meeting his gaze. “No. I love you.” And his heart stutters pleasantly. She continues, “I trust you. I don’t have any reason to fake being happy with you. If I took issue with something you did, I would tell you honestly, because I believe that you would be willing to listen, and that you love me too, and that we can work out problems we come across. I don’t do that with customers. Frankly speaking, I don’t care about any customers enough to even begin to want to do that.”

He’s not sure how to put what he feels into words, so he just nods, face flushed. But there’s still something troubling him, and after a moment, he says, “…I didn’t like watching you flirt with other people.”

“I… yeah. Okay. I understand why you would feel that way,” she says. “I don’t think I would be thrilled to watch you flirt with other people, either, even if I knew it was for a job. This job is… well, I have fun more often than not, and I do get a lot of ruined desserts and I love that part, but at the end of the day, it’s a job, and I’m acting the way I need to to get paid. You don’t pay me, and I stick around anyway because I care about you and I genuinely enjoy your company. But… I understand.” She stops walking, and reaches for his hand. “You don’t have to come during work hours again if you don’t want to. I was happy to see you, but I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable, and I don’t want you to feel anything like that.”

After a long moment, he squeezes her hand. “…Thanks,” he says softly. “I know it’s just an act. I just… worry. That you stick around because you think you have to. That I’m keeping you here when you’re not happy. …it’s not the first time I’ve done it.” His voice has dwindled to a whisper by the end of it.

“Hey… Saeran, babe, I love you.” She offers him a sympathetic smile. “We went through a lot of shit to get here, but now that we have, you’d better believe that I’m gonna fight tooth-and-nail to stay here, with you.”

And it’s with a slow-blooming blossom of warmth that he realizes – he does. He does believe her.

He tugs on her hand, and they walk side-by-side once more.

“…sorry that I did this. Made you worry on your birthday.”

“Don’t be. Any day I get to spend time with you is a good day in my books, and I am always down to remind you how much I love you.”

His heart feels so full that for a moment, it’s hard to breathe. “I love you,” he murmurs. After a pause, he adds, “I… don’t think I’d like sitting in the café again, but… can I… walk you home tomorrow?”

“Of course! I’d love that.” She bumps his shoulder with hers.

“I could come in while you’re cleaning up. Help, if you need it. And… see you in that outfit. It was cute,” he says. “You were cute.”

“Yeah?” And then she grins. “Y’know, it may be an act, but…If you’re into that, I’m willing to put on an act like that just for you, but it’d be, ah… different. I’ll let you get away with a lot more than I’d allow at work.”

“No–” And his face flushes. “Well, maybe, but–” He pouts. “…what if I say yes?”

“Babe, you wound me.” She splays a hand over her chest. “As if I’d make an offer I’m not willing to follow up on. If you say you’re interested, I’ll make it happen. …you’d be the only person to, well – get that far with the act. Might… help with alleviating the jealousy.”

And that, at least, has its appeal – although the fact that she’s offering eases his mind somewhat already.

“Hmm,” he says anyway, contemplative. Maybe he’ll take her up on that.

“If it makes you think of the café too much, no pressure. Whatever’s good for you. It’s a standing offer, though!”

He narrows his eyes at her. “Hmm,” he says again, this time with emphasis, to really get across the idea he is trying to convey – the idea does have some appeal.

She laughs, and then something seems to occur to her. “Hey,” she says, “didn’t you order something online? Something lacy and elegant, right? You seemed pretty jazzed about it when you mentioned it.”

He frowns. “It got delayed. Might not be here till next week.”

She clicks her tongue. “Aw, that’s a shame. But it’ll get here eventually, and you’ll look amazing in it, and that’s what matters.”

He preens.

“We are,” she says, “a cute couple.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. And they don’t need any roles to play to prove it. “…hey.”

“Mmm?”

“I think I could start to like visiting you at work if, ah… I can borrow you on your breaks.”

“Borrow me for what – to make out like earlier?”

He shrugs languidly. “You said it, not me.”

She scoffs, but bumps her shoulder against his fondly. “Yeah,” she says. “Sure.”

“Seriously?”

“Why not?”

“Hell yes,” he whispers. He imagines walking into the dining area after spending one of her breaks with her – they must give her more time than what he was able to steal today in the bathroom, right? – still knowing that eyes will turn to her, want her, but he’s the only one she lets hold her. The thought is sweet.

“You wanna try to look less smug there, babe?” Her voice is amused.

“No.” Every single customer in there can suck it.

And she laughs.

“Oh…” He says, “I wasn’t sure if you’d have eaten or not, but I have kimchi at home for you.” Technically, Yoosung did him the kindness of making it with him mother and then brought it to him, but regardless of who made it, it’s sitting in the fridge at home right now, and it is meant for her. She hums happily at this news, and he continues. “I… thought maybe we could watch some horror movies? Or maybe more of ‘The Moon Embracing the Sun,’ if that’s what you’re feeling?”

“Awww, babe, you spoil me. Movie nights are the cure to all that ails. Think I’m in the mood for some romance, after today.” She runs her thumb affectionately over the back of his hand, then tugs it lightly to get his attention. When he looks at her, he flushes at the open warmth on her face. “Thank you for this. All of this. It’s been a good birthday.”

He has to look away bashfully. “I’ve barely done anything,” he mutters, though her words still make his heart thud at the sincerity.

“You’ve done more than enough. I’m happy to know you care about me.”

And now he’s sure he’s blushing bright red, a match to his hair. “Well… I love you.” He ducks his head. “I… hope I make it clear, always, how much I do.” Saying the words, being this open, is still difficult sometimes, but they’re words she deserves to hear.

“Saeran…” She stops, pulling on his hand again to urge him to follow. She brushes some hair from his eyes, movements tender as she slides her hands down to cup his face, then leans closer and kisses him. “I love you,” she murmurs.

And he lets himself bask in the truth of these words.

#saeran #saeran choi #mystic messenger #mine #sun-hwa tag #sunhwa tag

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kitten1618x · 7 years

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Jonsa Battlements Convo Analysis (for the worried shippers)

I actually wrote this when replying to a thread, but figured it would reach more of you if I tagged it appropriately and posted it as a meta (bear with me, I kinda suck at these). I see a lot of asks floating around about what many feel is Jon's ooc behavior while conversing with Sansa, so I'm here to (hopefully) put some of you at ease.

I went back and watched the beginning of this ep. again so everything would be fresh in my mind.

So let’s start from the top at the Stark town hall meeting lol - Jon’s laying down the game plan, and Karstarks and Umbers come up along with the word treason (I feel like this is a good time to mention that this is probably a touchy word for Jon considering what happened on the Wall). So we all know the convo, we all know that Sansa interjects her opinion. She’s not wrong, but I’ve mentioned before that I agree with Jon’s reasoning on this matter. But, let’s break this down a bit more - a war is upon them and the WW are coming and Jon KNOWS they don’t have the numbers (as clearly mentioned when he ordered that girls/women would have to take up arms as well) -he needs everyone united.

Taking this a bit further, we all know that Jon’s KitN status is tenuous at best, and so he needs it to be clear to his “subjects” that he is a STRONG leader and that his say is the final one. At the end of this scene, when Jon talks about living by Ned’s words: “the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword” he lets everyone know that he’s been betrayed and executed men for not following his orders, but he’s also a fair man, and doesn’t believe in bestowing the sins of the fathers onto the children. It’s a moving speech really, and when he beckons the children forward and they bend the knee and swear to house Stark, the camera pans to Sansa’s face TWICE - the first time she’s looking up at Jon and then afterwards, her eyes are lowered and she’s looking down and the scene cuts with LF smirking in his creepy Chester way. Now, I get the impression that Sansa’s expression is ambiguous for a reason- and we are left to interpret it in two ways: she resents Jon for going against her, OR she realizes that what he says rings true and therefore lowers her eyes a bit shamefully (and maybe that’s not exactly the best word to use, but I hope you all pick up what I’m throwing down here -like when someone brings up a better point than you, and you know deep down that they’re right). I’m going with the latter, and I’ll explain in a bit more detail below.

I know I’m not alone here in thinking that Jon, Sansa and their advisors should have probably discussed this prior to the meeting, however, they are new to this “ruling Winterfell together” thing, and are learning as they go. I think the writers wanted to make that painfully obvious.

So moving along, and now they’re walking through Winterfell and Jon seems tense and agitated, walking a bit ahead of Sansa, as they hash out their differences. I reiterate: they are talking about it, NOT burying their disagreement and allowing it to fester and drive a wedge between them. That’s an important distinction, even though I believe the writers are trying very hard to tease a “growing conflict” between the two of them -but not exactly the type of conflict that you would see at face value. Does that make sense?

Sansa is more bold here in her home, she doesn’t have to keep her mouth shut like she did in KL -she feels safe in Winterfell, and safe enough around Jon to express how she really feels about things. That’s really fucking important you guys!!! And so, she DOES.

J: you are my sister, but I am king now.

S: will you start wearing a crown?

This is blatant sarcasm. Don’t let the power go to your head, Jon. He may be the KitN but she is also the true born heir to Winterfell, and NOT ONCE has she made mention of that or tried to wield her power over him. She just wants to be heard. She brings up Joffrey as a warning -he was a cruel little selfish shit who did what he wanted, when he wanted, with no thought to consequences or how it would affect others. He let no one question his authority. He wasn’t a good king.

J: do you think I am Joffrey?

Jon says this with utter disgust -in both inflection and his facial expression. He’s insulted, visibly upset, and it stops him dead in his tracks. Sansa comes around to stand before him, she looks away and sighs, her features soften. Of course Jon is NOTHING like Joffrey. She tells him so in a very sincere and heartfelt way.

S: you are as far from Joffrey as anyone I’ve ever met.

Jon thanks her sincerely for the obvious compliment and quickly looks away and down at the landscape. Why is he having such a hard time looking at her lately? Especially when he couldn’t keep his eyes OFF OF HER last season?? What’s with all this Starkbowl tension of an unusual kind?

Now earlier I said I’d explain why I felt Sansa's expressions (and looking down) in the last scene meant I felt the latter -that she believed Jon was right in what he did even if she didn’t fully agree with it - what she says next pretty much seals the deal for me.

S: you’re good at this, you know?

J: at what?

S: at ruling.

J: no. (He sighs and looks away again).

S: you are. YOU ARE (I’m on mobile, so pretend my caps are italics for inflection instead).

Sansa is persistent. She really does believe he is a good King. A good man. Our sweet Emo Jon really has the lowest of low self esteem. He wants to be worthy of the name Stark. Worthy of Sansa. His expression here is so fucking important, guys! His eyes are downcast, and he drags them up to look her in the eyes. Sansa believes in him -the approval he always sought from Lady Catelyn (who Sansa is portrayed so much as very similar to her mother), who never let him forget that he was an (unworthy) bastard. And here’s where it gets sticky -

S: they believe in you, they really do (a sort of eye-roll) but you have to ….

Jon gives a sardonic shake of his head and a laugh to accompany it. He almost believed her and he feels like the joke is on him. Sansa asks why he’s laughing, because she TRULY is being sincere, but Jon feels like she’s just placating him. He brushes past her and starts walking again. Their gait is a bit slower now, but he still walks in front of her, explaining what Ned said/meant about “anything that comes before ‘but’ is horse shit”.

S: the world is dirty -father couldn’t protect me, and neither can you, so stop trying. (I can handle the truth, remember the chat we had about being honest with each other -heed your own advice Jon).

J: right. I’ll stop trying to protect you when you stop trying to undermine me.

S: I’m not trying to undermine you.  (Dammit Jon, listen to me. I’m on your side.)

She grabs his arm and forces him to stop and face her. He sighs again, looks down at where she’s holding onto him, and again drags his eyes up her body before meeting her gaze (FYI: this in itself is a romance trope and it’s funny that the cameras pan in on her grabbing his arm -like “hey! See what we’re doing here in plain sight?”). She tells him he has to be smarter than Robb and Father -they were good men, honorable men, she loves and misses them, but they made stupid mistakes which cost them their lives (and she doesn’t want the same fate to befall you Jon, duh!).

Jon: and how should I be smarter? By listening to you?

Sigh. This is an asinine statement, and I agree, quite OOC for Jon, but okay, bear with me here, Jon needed to say something to keep this “tension” bubbling -and I think this was tossed in here simply for her reply.

S: (voice so very soft and imploring, her pretty blue eyes boring into him) Would that really be so terrible?

Jon sighs again -like a full-on, heavy body sigh. His own expression softens (note how closely and intimately they are standing now?) and he looks like he’s about to say something, and then they’re interrupted. (Ned/Cat parallel from S01xE01).

#jonsa #jon x sansa #meta

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themclisseconnection · 7 years

Text

Happy Album Launch!

Press PLAY.

TRACK #1: Opposites Attract

“You take me just as I am. No more, no less, just as I am, oh yeah..”

She's Elisse. He's McCoy. There's Mc and there's Lisse. The grand album launch gave Mc & Lisse the opportunity to perform as indivuals.

Elisse became Selena Gomez for a few minutes and wowed the crowd with her cover of “Wolves” WHOA. Elisse surely conquered all the wolves, the Elisse we know leveled up and truly got to us through that surprising song and dance number.

McCoy had his time to shine as well. The Heartthrob dancer didn't disappoint us with his own surprise number. My Gaaaahd, McCoy. How can we even listen to Bruno Mars's Versace on the Floor properly now? Hehe. It was a special performance, not because he took off his jacket (Kayo ahhhh) It was extra special because McCoy danced with his equally talented brother on stage once again. What a bonus!

McCoy and Elisse may be similar in some ways, but everyone in this fanmily is also a fan of their differences-- the ones that make them stand out, as two separate individuals and as a pair. Didn't McLisse say before that they're always helping each other out? Their interests may sometimes clash, their forte may not be exactly the same but these differences have propelled us to go farther than what we initially planned. Sometimes, we just really have to let their values and beliefs do their part. Look at where we are now. The opposite sides continue to attract each other and produce wonderful things together. We love them for who they are, for every similarities and differences. No more, no less.

Squeeeeee! Tom & Jerry are so different from each other, they fight a lot but at the end of the day, we all know they still can't live without each other.

TRACK #2: Chinito

“Dahil nabihag mo ang aking pagtingin at damdamin, oh chinito!”

Wow. Chinito was just a song they used for their SwerTeen Ball performance last year but now the song has been included in their album tracklist. It even got a fresh spin and yessss, it sounds really nice!!

We know McCoy is full of surprises. Surprises that don't just come from nowhere. Well, to be fair we were already expecting a surprise but we still didn't know how to react when he pulled the necklace out. It is a piece of jewelry, an accessory, a gift that a boy usually gives to a girl but the necklace he gave her holds more meaning that any other fancy-pa-cute-lang-necklace out there. It's really touching that they allow God to guide them in their relationship. Prayers can really move mountains! There goes McLisse climbing and moving mountains together with God by their side.

“Hanggang ngayon nasa akin ka pa din.” Killer line of the night, bes. 150 pogi points for this Chinito! We've heard of how special they are to each other. We couldn't explain it, but when it comes to McLisse, sincerity just overflows. They are not that kind of pair who does things because they are forced to. Alam niyo na. Just because you could, doesn't mean you should. One word, respect. Everything goes well with a perfect timing. We must be mindful that certain situations also call for appropriate actions and reactions. No one wants things to look so pilit or pang-promo lang, right? We all can be a little lowkey here for the sake of protecting the highkey side of their relationship. As one of their celebrity guests, Kristel said, FIGHTING!!

TRACK #3: Para Lang Sayo

“Ako'y iibig pang muli.. para lang sa'yo.”

Another achievement was unlocked. McCoy and Elisse were just joking on the possibility of having an album before but now we're already holding their ALBUM in our hands. We didn't give up because they didn't. They grew stronger that's why we're now stronger more than ever.

People will have different opinions on this project but do they really have to matter now? No, right? If we'll translate “Para Lang Sayo” to English, it'll be “Just for you” or “Only for you.” Who are we all cheering for? Who do we have to put our focus on? Who are we supporting anyway? It's McLisse. Just McLisse. Only McLisse. BOTH of them. So, there's no need to divert our attention to nega people who don't appreciate music the way we do. Just continue to appreciate the music that jives with respect and positivity. Plug your earphones and ignore the noise.

Para sa McLisse, we can do anything. Nothing's impossible if we will all help one another. Speaking of which, everyone in this fanmily is so grateful beyond words for all the support coming from the Globies/Team Abroad, Team Bahay, Team Online and even the silent fans.

It was so heartwarming to hear stories of old and new fans on how they came to like McLisse. People who were on the line happily talked about them, mentioning their PBB stint up to their latest teleserye, The Good Son. (Yasss. I’ve heard them. Hihihi) It was nakakakilig to see people of all ages smiling because of McLisse. The people who lined up also came from different demographics. Girl, boy, lgbt, kids, teens, young adults, parents and grandparents. Imagine, sitting in a venue where there's a grandmother in front of your seat, a two-year old baby at your back, a teenage boy on your right and a father on your left. McCoy said it was just a “Get together” or a gathering of all the fans. He got it right for the album launch also became a family gathering and a barkada bonding of some sort.

TRACK #4: Yakap

“Dahil kung ikaw ang yakap ko, parang yakap ko ang langit. At yakap pati ang 'yong ngiti...”

Yakap. A word that is very significant to McLisse fanmily. Would you believe us when we say McLisse gives the best-est hugs ever? You may ask us, “But were they able to hug you one by one?” Well, some of us had already got the chance to hug them in rare occasions but McLisse gives that one-of-the-kind hug in a place where we're not physically present. McCoy and Elisse give the best virtual hugs that a loveteam could ever give. They comfort us. They're always warm toward us. They accept us with arms wide open.

McCoy may sing “Yakap” and you know we'll just have one person in mind (ehem, Elisse... ehem!) but everytime we hear the word “Yakap” we just automatically smile because of one thing. McLisse fanmily is wrapped up together in a very tight embrace. Some have left the circle, some just came in and joined without thinking twice, some have loosen their grip but some have doubled the effort to make the grip of everyone else tighter than before and they are the ones who don't easily give up and step away from the circle-- the hardworking admins of different McLisse fanclubs, you guys deserve tight hugs!!!

Their families were also there to support them. They have truly made their parents proud. Our parents are our very first cheerleaders, our source of strength and our greatest love. We, as son and daughters should work harder and let them sit in the front row as we show them how amazing we've become. They are the ones who deserve a standing ovation for all the love they've showered us before we even held our own microphones and opened our mouths to speak or to sing. McCoy & Elisse made them the proudest of all the people present in SM Skydome. They love their parents so much and it inspires us, their fans to be more loving to our family and to value the time we spend with them. Role models, indeed.

Awww. McCoy and Elisse have found new friends inside Kuya's house. These unbelievably supportive friends deserve a hug too! MayMay, Edward and Jinri (and of course, all their other celebrity friends who aren't in this photo) McLisse fanmily are so grateful to you for making yourself available to show your support to McCoy and Elisse. We, as fans love seeing them surrounded by genuine people who truly know them well since the beginning of their journey as partners.

TRACK #5: If We Fall In Love

“If we fall in love, we will have this melody in our heads...”

It's official. We're in love with the McLisse album!

The album is “very McLisse.” It has feel good tracks that can make you smile. The new arrangements sound lighter than the original but you can definitely tell they were arranged that way to give off that easy-listening vibe. The album is a perfect jam and cure for troubled hearts or anyone who just wants to take a break from a very tiring day. It's the kind of album that you can give to your friend (who's also a yengster or for someone who has a soft spot for sessionistas and their hits!) you can also give it to your significant other (yihee!! exchange gift na with crushie or honey!) and even to your parents (let them reminisce their younger and carefree days, ligawan stage and other kilig days of the past!)

Thank you Star Music. This album is really one of the best gifts McCoy & Elisse have ever received. It is also one of the most memorable gifts we got. Something unexpected, something heartfelt, something that is nicely wrapped, looks soft on the outside but proves to be softer and... sweeter on the inside! We feel really blessed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Here's to creating more wonderful hits in the future! More power to our OTP, McCoy & Elisse, who are now certified recording artists!! Congrats loves!

(PICS NOT MINE. ctto:)

#McLisse #McCoy De Leon #Elisse Joson #MCLISSE ALBUM #Star Music

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