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misssakuramochi · 7 months

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Hi! If it's okay could I possibly request a matchup for Baldur's Gate 3, pretty please?

I'm demisexual & bi so anyone will be fine.

MBTI: INTP

Enneagram: 5w6 (tritype 529)

Alignment: True Neutral

Leo Sun, Cancer Moon, Capricorn Rising, Cancer Venus

I'm autistic and ADHD

I'm the friend who remembers everything. Like every detail of the night of Friend A's 21st birthday despite us all being very drunk.

I want loyalty, respect, and someone who makes me feel cherished in a relationship

I like to read, bake, and learn about all kinds of things. I like all types of music but my current music obsession is Lauren Paley.

I collect rocks, crystals, gems, and minerals.

I like to paint but because I'm not good at actually making my art look like real things I just do abstract.

I can be kind very socially awkward and oblivious to people flirting with me unless they're being very obvious.

I need to be comfortable with people before I let them touch me. Ironically I'm very touch starved.

But once I get comfortable around you I can be a hyper gremlin who dotes on the people I care about and will not shut up about my hyper fixations and random factoids.

I put a lot of thought and work into gifts for the people I care about.

I can be pretty reserved as a defense mechanism due to a lot of family trauma but once you get past my walls you will see how I love deeply and passionately. And that I'm secretly a hopeless romantic

I love to explore but I'm fairly introverted so I don't like being around large crowds.

I'm creative and love working with my hands.

I'm imaginative and can get lost in my own thoughts and daydreams

I'm introspective and avoidant but can be insightful.

I'm fantastical (which is my nice way of calling myself a weirdo)

I am intensely loyal and protective of the people I care about.

I do have a playful and sarcastic side that is reserved for the people I truly trust.

I walk the line between idealistic and realistic. sometimes it seems like I have a foot planted firmly on either side.

My fashion aesthetic is a cross between Dark Naturalism and Romantic Academia

My preferred interior design style is Hygge.

I don't know if I'd call myself frugal because sometimes I'll spend my money on stuff I don't need or have any use for but I got it because it looked cool. Other times I will actively talk myself out of buying things I do need to save money. (ex: "Yes this migraine's got me ready to puke and cry but I won't die if I don't buy more ibuprofen")

I don't necessarily have a favorite color but I do prefer either deeper shades of colors or pastels. I'm not a fan of bright shades.

I love working with animals and I especially adore cats. I will either give them over-the-top names every time.

I have 2 currently; Duchess Anne Marie Clawdia Meowington and her brother older brother Grand Duke James Whiskers Goofball Meowington the Third.

I love the smell, sound, and feel of leather. Bags, books, jackets, anything.

If you hurt someone that I care about I will avenge them. usually by scheming and destroying your whole life.

I have a quirky, dark, and self-deprecating sense of humor.

How I process things is in three steps; detach from everyone, repress/numb myself, and then move back toward everyone while wanting to be as helpful as possible.

I pick up on things other people might miss and make connections that aren't generally obvious.

Social cues are definitely my weak spot along with passive aggression. if you're upset with me about something you'll have to just outright address the issue because otherwise, I'll never get it. I may eventually realize that you're upset with me, but then I'll get stressed because I genuinely won't know why. and if you don't fill me in on what I did wrong, I'll spiral and eventually just assume that whatever our relationship is now over.

My stims include - tongue clicking, knocking on random surfaces, and rubbing my arms when I get excited.

I adore animals, especially the kinds that are less liked by society. possums, snakes, etc. though I also love cats and currently have a cat. I would have more if I could. I handraised him, and bottle-fed him after rescuing him. he's 10, spoiled rotten and I defy anyone to tell me he isn't my child. his name is Grand Duke James Clawdius Meowington the Third.

On bad days I can be a bit misanthropic.

I hope this isn't too much information and is formatted okay!

I match you with...

SHADOWHEART

○ it's the deep rooted understanding of the way one another think that finalizes this match for me. Both of you need to to process things solo, are deep thinkers, and just... get the way the other person processes and thinks. You can almost just tell when the other is daydreaming vs spiraling, and neither ever hesitates to help the other

○ The other thing was the deep passion you both carry. It takes time for both of you to open up and feel safe, to love someone, but once you do you give everything youve got. No matter how much you put in, Shadowheart will always match.

○ You help each other grow and learn to communicate. While you're definitely observant enough to know when Shadowheart wants something or is upset, anxiety clouds your judgement into skewing her emotions against you. As you grow comfortable with each other, you begin to learn that you're safe enough with her not to be so scared. She, in turn, learns to be more direct.

○ Both hopeless romantics, there are no shortage of kind gestures in your relationship. From rose petals and candles with a hit bath, to whispering the sweetest of nothings to one another as you fall asleep, romantic moments are commonplace. That keeps you both happy, satisfied, and feeling loved.

HEADCANONS

○ Shadowheart takes the I love you more competition surprisingly seriously. You get into the silliest of play arguments, bickering playfully about who loves who most. (I love you to the moon and back -- well I love you across the universe and back -- ect.) It goes as far as the two of you making grand gestures and waxing poetic at each other until the whole camp is groaning - reminding the two of you that they're still actually there

○ One of these little moments actually sparks your proposal. Shadowheart is the one to say the words, but only after goading you into saying you want to stay with her forever. She challenges you on it, asking you to marry her. The rest is history really

○ Almost all of your dates take place in the comfort of the dark, somewhere secluded. Both of you are more comfortable with no one else around, letting you really be yourselves and relax together. Night walks in the woods are commonplace.

○ You info dumping may be Shadowhearts favourite thing about you. She adores learning about you and what you love - she genuinely wants to know every detail.

#matchups #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #shadowheart

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dreamlessinparis · 3 years

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Stripped Inhibitions

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Stripper!Reader

Word Count: 1587

Summary: Steve gets dragged to a strip club for the first time and gets a lap dance from a very familiar stranger. 18+

Warning: shy Steve, nudity, sexual implications, strip club, terrible lap dance 🙈

A/N This thought came to me while I was listening to Gimme More by Britney Spears and I wondered how Steve would react at a strip club for the first time. It's not my best, but the idea was too fun to pass up. Hope you enjoy! Not Beta'd so all mistakes are my own. Thank you @sweeterthanthis for spitballing on this with me, and I hope you and Bucky live a happy life together 😂😘

if you’re a minor, please DNI!

Please do not repost, publish or translate my work. Reblogs and comments are appreciated! Thank you for reading :)

The dim-lit club held an air of debauchery and seduction that Steve was definitely not prepared for. Halting mid-step, he contemplated turning around and making a run for it as he took in the room of beautiful scantily clad women.

Already he could feel a blush creeping up his neck and he avoided making eye contact with anyone.

How he let Bucky and Sam convince him this was a good idea, he didn't know.

A hand smacked his back, jolting him forward and pulling him out of his stupor.

"Come on, Steve. Loosen up, man! You know Tony will never let you live it down if you left the minute we got here," Sam said, leading him to the table where their friends sat. Steve cringed at the thought of Tony cracking jokes at his modest behaviors. "Plus it's thor's first time too!"

Sam gestured to the blonde God who was flirting with one of the girls sitting in his wide lap.

Bucky sat beside him, surveying the club like a kid in a candy shop. Licking his lips, he set his eye on one of the girls at the bar, watching her like a hawk. She was dressed in black mesh top and garter set, her shapely body barely covered in the tiny thong and lack of bra. The small gems on her top glittered with the lights, drawing the eye to her ample chest.

Steve sat down beside of his best friend and kept his eyes glued to the table as Sam ordered them all drinks from the waitress who came by.

Bucky chuckled at his friend's obvious nerves and nudged him lightly. "Steve, you are in a literal paradise of women, enjoy it for one night, punk!"

"Buck, they're all so… naked," the last word coming out as a whisper, "I feel disrespectful," he admitted ducking his head in embarrassment.

"Okay, you know what. Maybe this was too much too quickly," Sam stated, feeling slightly bad about his friend's discomfort.

"What if we get him a - what's it called? A seat dance!" Thor exclaimed. Bucky cocked an eyebrow, and nodded, agreeing with the blonde.

"A lap dance would be perfect! We'll get you a private one, just one on one, no pressure." Bucky agreed. Steve looked up to see Sam nodding as well.

A private lap dance sounded just as bad as a regular but at least no one but the dancer would be in the room with him and maybe she'd be nice and ignore the fact that he was so nervous.

"Okay fine," he reluctantly agreed, causing bucky to clap him on the shoulder before heading to the bar where the girl he was eyeing was talking to another curvy female who Bucky thought looked familiar but couldn't quite place.

"Ladies," he approached them, a cocky smile on his face, "I was wondering if I could purchase a private lap dance from you two, one for my friend," nodding over his shoulder towards Steve, and the two ladies followed his glance appreciatively, "and the other for myself."

"I'll take your friend," you said, knowing your friend had been eyeing the handsome brunette from the moment he stepped into the club. Plus wasn't that her neighbor? The one you'd been trying to flirt with for months, to no avail.

"Perfect! Be gentle with him, it's his first time," Bucky advised, before turning the full force of his smile to the gorgeous stripper he'd also been eyeing all night. Biting his lip, he extended his hand to her, "I'm Bucky."

“Immy,” you heard your friend say flirtatiously. They were definitely going to have fun tonight, you thought, smiling wickedly to yourself, as you approached the table full of hot men.

“Evening gentlemen, I was told one of you requested a lap dance,” You asked coyly, tilting your head and smiling at the men. Sam returns your smile, taking in you and thinking how perfect you were for Steve. So sweet and gentle looking.

“Yes, gorgeous, this man right here needs some one on one time,” Sam said, gesturing to Steve, who still hadn’t glanced up from the table. Wow he really was shy.

You nodded, reaching your hand out to Steve, making sure to get in his line of vision so he saw you. Hand slightly shaking, he took your hand and you pulled him along to the back area where you saw Imogen pushing Bucky into a private room.

The private room was dimmer than the rest of the club but absent of the neon lights and muffled from the loud music. Steve could actually hear himself think as you lead him to the seat. He plopped down and still avoiding looking at you, looked around the room.

“Steve,” the sound of his name made his eyes snap to you and his jaw slackened. You looked like an angel in a semi sheer baby blue bodysuit with off the shoulder ruffled straps. The outfit was innocent looking but left very little to the imagination. Steve couldn’t helping his roaming eyes and his pants suddenly felt tighter.

His gaze drifted to your face and his jaw dropped in shock. It was his neighbor, the pretty one that he couldn’t bring himself to talk to. His fists opened and closed at his sides as he tried to figure out where he should put his hands.

A quick curse to the universe as Steve squirmed in his seat, trying to adjust himself nonchalantly. His hands felt sweaty and he quickly wiped them on his pants as he waited for you to make your move. You giggled quietly at his horrible attempt to that huge bulge in his pants. Your mouth watered at the idea of dropping down on your knees and sucking him dry. But you had to ease him into the shallow end before you could have any fun.

His eyes sweeped the room again and suddenly you were right in front of him. His mouth felt so dry as the sweet scent of you overloaded his senses. You smelt so good that Steve had the weird urge to lick his way down your body and watch you fall apart beneath him.

Standing between his legs, you bent your upper body forward, arching your back, and his eyes lingered on your elevated ass before shifting back to the ceiling. Turning around slowly, you hovered your ass just above his crotch, and he lets out a sharp intake of breath, hands gripping onto the edge of his seat. You gyrated your hips, like you were painting his laps with your cheeks, your hands slid up his thighs and felt them clench beneath your hands as you held on for support.

Facing him, you rolled your body up the length of his, ending with your breasts in his face. Steve subconciously leaned in wanting to feel the soft flesh against his face. Steve felt himself slowly losing control of his inhibitions and he jerked back.

He was so drawn to you and wanted to watch you intently like hunter watches his prey. Take in every inch of your curves and feel your softness beneath his hands. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind, when you do it for him instead, as you slid the straps down your arms, freeing your breasts.

They bounced slightly from the motion and he licked his bottom lips, eyes locked on your bosom. The light glinted off your nipple piercings and Steve was mesmerized as they moved with the sway of your body. His brain empty of all thoughts expect wanting to feel the heavy weight of your breast in one of his hands.

You wiggled down inbetween his thighs and slid the rest of the body suit off on your glide back up. Steve’s breath caught as you stood to your full height and his hands yearned to reach out and yank you onto his lap.

You cupped your boobs, pressing them together before letting them drop. Steve’s full attention was glued to your chest and you smirked playfully, tugging on your nipples. Wishing it was his hands, you moaned softly, throwing your head back. Steve followed the path of your hands as they glided down your curves.

Restraining himself, he sank further into the seat, and you placed your hands on his shoulders, leaning forward until you were at eye level with him. Steve’s eyes had darkened with lust and you knew he was on the end of his rope. You just had to push him a little further, until he lets go and has some fun.

“Handsome,” you whispered, your fingers ran down his jaw in a feather-light touch, “You can touch me. There are no cameras in here,”

It was a switch flipped in him at the words, and the next thing you know, you’re yanked onto his lap, his hands roaming every inch of you. His erection was pressed against your bare cunt, and your hips grind down instinctively. Gripping your ass, he pushed you harder against him, and the sweet noises falling from your lips were driving him nuts.

He groaned, attaching his lips to your collarbone, biting down. Your eyes rolled into the back of your head as you lose yourself in the feeling of him against you, that you missed him pulling his cock out.

“You really shouldn’t have told me that baby. Now I have no reason to behave,” He growled as he sank into you in one swift motion.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #stripper!reader #captain america fanfiction

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the-irken-pony · 2 years

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Hi question. Do you want to talk about the ending Jewel Baron from Henry Stickmin :)

YES I SHALL I simply was doing other things for a little while but now I am free to share

I'd say it's more in relation to what could happen after Jewel Baron just as much as it about JB itself.

As good as the Jewel Baron angst is, I don't exactly want Henry being sad about being alone. I want Henry to fully lean into his full unrepentant "I would sacrifice you to Satan for one corn chip (gemstone)" bastard side that he shows.

That said, there should absolutely be angst and drama stemming from it... but it shouldn't be Henry's angst. He betrayed Charles and the Government, he abused Ellie's help and abandoned her to rot, and he not only crashed the Toppats' airship, but he also destroyed their orbital station, left their two leaders to die in space, and left the Toppat Clan in shambles, possibly with no remaining base of operations. You could also argue he got on the CCC's bad side for taking one member's suit in ItA and leaving him defenseless. Lean fully into the angst of the aftermath of Henry's actions, but from everyone else's perspective.

Also, the Wall knows that he escaped somehow but have no reason to suspect him to be dead. No reason they wouldn't try hunt him down again.

And just for the hell of it, why not throw in Dr. Vinschpinsilstien as well? She's revived the dead before; if the Toppats managed to retrieve Reginald and RHM's bodies from space (plus possibly Wilhelm) there's no reason she wouldn't be able to revive them, it's not like they're going to decay up there.

Hell, you want an actual plot concept and not just angst fodder?

He's got three gemstones already counting the gemstones that he kept at home (not specifically emeralds but I digress), why not come up with four more? Lean into the very obvious Sonic reference and have the potential consequences of him gathering all 7 be devastating.

"Henry chose jewels over friends and now he's sad and alone" Okay but what if he was fully evil. Have him betray Charles Reginald-style. Have him blow up all the remaining Wall inmates because it gets him another gem. Have what little is left of the Toppat Clan ruined with his actions. And he's already caught the CCC's attention once--who's to say that he won't again, especially if he does so on the same scale as PBT and JB?

Make everyone coming together to deal with this menace. Have the final face off be Ellie vs. Henry.

#yes I fully confess that this all stems from elaborate day dreams but what if. what if #henry stickmin #ellie rose #charles calvin #dr vinschpinsilstien #the henry stickmin collection #thsc #ask #digital-roots #mine #long post #ask to tag

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bumblesimagines · 3 years

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Green Thumb

Part 4

Request: Yes or No

TW: Drug mention, needle mention, overdose mention

I'm still unsure on the twins ages in age of ultron since one source says 16 and the other says 26 lmao. Imma just say the twins are 17 or 18.

You stared down at the city below with a frown. You knew Clint wouldn't rest until Natasha was found. Everything had happened so quickly and even if you had tried to catch her with a root, you would've been pulled along. A sigh left you as you sat down at your desk. Your room in the tower felt like a cell. Gray walls, white bed, white desk. The only real color in the room came from the line of potted flowers on the desk. You felt your stomach grumble, standing up and leaving the room. You headed to the kitchen, getting a granola bar. You opened it, taking a bite from it. You almost choked, hearing crashing and arguing. You swallowed the bits of granola as you followed the noises to the laboratory. You headed up the stairs, dodging a flying Steve.

"What the fuck?" You turned your head, seeing the Maximoff twins. "What the fuck?" You repeated, watching them in bewilderment. Another one left you when Thor crashed through a window, raising his hammer and letting the electricity power the cradle. Nothing happened for a moment before the cradle burst open, causing Thor to fly back.

"I should've stayed with Laura." You whispered, staring at the red man that emerged from the cradle. He slowly stood, looking between everyone. His gaze settled on Thor, lunging for him but Thor grabbed him and threw him to the side, causing another crash.

"(Y/N), stay close." Clint called, eyeing the twins. You quickly walked over to him, hearing the crunching of glass beneth your shoes. While Thor and Steve took the dramatic way, you chose to use the door and head to the room Vision was in. Thor raised his hand, stopping Steve from attacked. The man stared out into the city, staying silent and motionless. Thor set down his hammer as the man landed on the door, apologizing to Thor and mimicking his cape.

"Thor, you helped create this?"

"I've had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all forms of life and at its center is that." Thor explained, pointing at the crystal in the mans forehead.

"What, the gem?" Bruce asked, watching Thor look at him.

"The mind stone." He corrected. "It's one of the six infinity stones. The greatest power in the universe with destructive abilities." Thor explained as he faced everyone.

"It looks like a citrine." You muttered, continuing to unwrap the rest of your granola bar, swiping away the crumbs that fell on the floor with your foot.

"A what?" Clint asked softly. You glanced at him.

"It's a type of gemstone. It's supposed to motivate you to take action." You shrugged lightly. Gemstones were pretty interesting to study, even more so when they had so called 'destructive abilities.'

"Stark's right."

"Oh, it's definitely the end." Bruce said quietly.

"Why does your vision sound like J.A.R.V.I.S?" Steve asked as he watched the man walk forward. Tony explained why, still in awe and surprise. The man looked at Steve.

"You think I'm a child of Ultron?" Though it sounded like a question, it was obvious it was a statement.

"You're not?"

"I'm not Ultron." The man replied softly, almost confused. "And.. I'm not J.A.R.V.I.S either."

"I looked in your head and saw annihilation." Wanda said, stepping forward as she glared at him. Clint scoffed softly, walking towards everyone. You followed, tossing the wrapper into the trashcan.

"Look again."

"Your approval seems jack to me." Clint said, gaze staying locked on the twins. Wanda's gaze went to Clint before going to you. You maintained brief eye contact. It wasn't everyday you met another meta.

"Her powers, the horrors in our heads, Ultrons powers.. They all came from the mind stone. Nothing compares to what it can unleash." Thor revealed. "And with it on our side-"

"Is it?" Steve interrupted, looking at the man again.

"Are you? On our side?"

"I don't think it's that simple." He replied softly.

"Sounds pretty simple. Death or life for humanity." You said, shrugging. He looked at you, giving a small nod before looking at the others.

"Then.. I'm on the side of life. Ultron isn't." He took small steps forward, not wanting to agitate anyone.

"What's he waiting for?"

"You." The man stared at Tony. You were already coming up with names for him. Tony Jr was the one sticking.

"Sokavia's our best bet." Tony said.

"Nat's there too." Clint told them, looking at Bruce when he approached the man.

"If we're wrong about you..." Bruce started softly. His threats were always amusing until he turned green. He stared at Tony Jr, letting it up to his imagination, if he had that.

"I don't want to kill Ultron." Tony Jr walked around Bruce, continuing past everyone.

"He's weak.. And in pain but that pain will roll over the Earth, so he must be destroyed. Every forms he's built, every sense of his presence on the net. We have to act now and not one of us can do it without the other." Tony Jr turned, facing them. He looked down at his hands.

"Maybe I am a monster. I don't know if I will become one.. I'm not what you are. I'm not what you intended. So there may be no way for you to trust me but we need to go." Tony Jr finished his speech, picking up Thors hammer and handing it to him. The room stayed silent as everyone took it in. Thor took his hammer, clearing his throat and nodding.

"Alright." He gave a small smile, walking away. You sighed, turning around and walking towards the bar.

"Don't even think about it." Clint called as he walked past you. You huffed, watching him go.

"Seriously?" You rolled your eyes, looking over your shoulder at the twins. They walked away in amusement, following Steve's directions to the lockers. You walked to your room, putting on the outfit Clint had designed for you. You looked at a picture of you and Clint, smiling softly. You left the room, walking down the hall. You noticed Thor and Tony Jr talking outside, arms crossing as you approached the glass. You stared at the two, gaze locking onto the reflection of the twins. You turned to face them, seeing Wanda pause and stay in her spot.

"Sorry about choking you." You spoke first, looking between them. Wanda gave a small nod, hand gently gripping her arm.

"Did you get experimented on like us?" Pietro asked, head tilting. Some white strands fell over his face. You shook your head, biting your bottom lip as you thought on how to explain it.

"From what Bruce told me, my mother had drugs in her system during labor. It was an unknown drug that they still haven't identified but Bruce says that it might've given me some freak cell mutation that gave me these powerd. It's weird. Clint said it took a long time to even find any information on my family. I don't know if it's true or something that they told me to make me feel better about being orphaned." The twins gaze softened, glancing at each other. Wanda licked her lips, glancing at the ground.

"When were you orphaned?" She asked softly.

"When I was a baby. My mom died in labor and my dad had been found dead with a needle in his arm a day later. I was put into an orphanage cause my parents were seen as a Jane Doe and John Doe. Again, it's weird." You told them, shrugging lightly. Pietro took in a soft breath, gaze becoming distant.

"We're orphans too. I'm sure you already know what happened by now but.. A bomb killed them." Pietro said softly. He took in a deeper breath, giving a small smile to lighten the mood.

"I suppose that's another thing we have in common." He pointed out with a small shrug. You nodded, smiling softly. It was nice to be around people your age who understood you. Even Wanda seemed relaxed and more comfortable.

"(Y/N), what'd I say?" You looked up upon hearing Clint's voice.

"You were the one who left me alone to change." You reminded him with a soft huff, going around the twins and approaching him. Clint shot you a pointed look, glancing at the twins. You understood why he was distrustful of them.

"Clint, they're like me." You said quietly as you walked with him to the aircraft.

"You're not like them."

"Yes, I am. They're metas and around my age. Weren't you the one who said I had to work on my people skills?" You cocked a brow as you stared at him. Clint stayed silent, giving you the answer.

"They were fighting for their country after it was attacked. They have all the right to be distrustful-"

"After one conversation, you can tell apart the difference between good guys and bad guys?"

"I don't know, Clint, you tell me. You were the one who chose to take in a kid who almost choked your best friend to death and attempted to impale Americas biggest playboy with a fucking branch." You hissed lowly, frowning and looking forward.

"You were, and still are, a kid." Clint said, voice becoming hard and stricter.

"Oh, well, fuck me, I didn't realize the twins were in their eighties."

"Quit giving me attitude, (Y/N). I want to protect you. You don't know if they're gonna stab us in the back when we least expect it. If we destroy Ultron and they stay on our side, you can play dolls with them." Clint said, approaching the aircraft.

"Whatever." You entered the aircraft, taking a seat. The others entered not long after. The twins sat down beside you as Clint headed to the front.

"We didn't get you in trouble, did we?" Wanda asked quietly, glancing over at Clint. You shook your head, toying with the roots in order to relax.

"No, just.. Strict dad drama." You muttered. Wanda tilted her head, making eye contact with Pietro before it clicked.

"Oh.. He adopted you? That's nice." Wanda gave a small smile. "Maybe the Avengers aren't so heartless."

"We aren't." You assured, looking between her and Pietro. "It'll take a while but.. We can all grow to trust each other."

"I hope so." Pietro breathed out, hands going to the belt as the aircraft lifted up. You chuckled at the nervous look on his face.

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we-dragons · 3 years

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I'm from a different dimension actually Chapter 9 Damian x reader

"What is this place, why is it shaped like a T?" We stand on an island with this enormous building smack in the center of it the sunset shade casting a large shadow over us, I can't get over how ridiculous it looks. Or contemplate my confusion, Nightmare makes an unimpressed huff and nuzzles back into my shoulder.

"Titan's tower."

"why would this be a good place to hide? It's the most obvious building here, I ran with you for several days I'm beginning to think I would be safer under my floorboards." He walks up to the doors and pulls out a card holding it in front of the circular panel. It beeps and a clicking noise comes from the door.

"Believe me this would be a better place for you." I sigh a form of any and all anxiety pools in my body, but I still meet him at the now unlocked door.

"Alright fine but you need to explain to me why here of all places."

"When we get inside." The doors swing open, the area behind it lights up leading to what I assume is an elevator. I'm pulled inside not giving me a chance to look around. "Hey!" He doesn't answer but pulls us into the elevator, I don't see him push a button but we almost immediately move up. It's fast but not as fast as the one I had to go down for training at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Though the feeling is familiar and I start missing my classmates all over again. I rub the wrist that Damian was holding to dragging me here. Nightmare growls at the space moving him and interrupting his nap. The space stops and the door opens to an open space that looks like a large living room. a white angled couch a large kitchenette and an impossibly large TV by open glass windows. The room has several people all staring at us, my anxiety hits me tenfold and I take a step back. A hand is at my shoulder the moment I do and pushes slowly while moving itself. The doors close signaling that I'm truly stuck here, a woman with Neon pink hair and bronze skin zooms up to us.

"It's so good to see you, and I see you brought a friend. Richard has been looking all over for you."

"I know that's why you can't tell him we're here." I'm pushed forward. "She's a mutant possessing the X-Gene, my father wants to interrogate her for the information, she needs to stay here till a better solution becomes present. Can she stay here?"

"Well of course she can stay-"

"What?!" Nightmare jumps from my arms and hisses. I walk backward, taking in this new information. "How did, you find out when-when." Fear creeps how long had he known how much trouble was or might be in. But he didn't mention this. but then again why would he. How does he know about the X-Gene though, from the research I did there were none here with it. The closest there was were Metahumans but even they didn't have anything close. My back hits the wall and I return to the world Nightmare growls standing guard in front of me. Everyone who was in the room now stood in front of me, a boy that was green from head to toe, another girl in a purple cloak and unitard, and another boy with something attached to his back. The pink-haired woman steps forward, but Nightmare swats at her yowling as a warning to keep away. She raises her hands in surrender but looks at me.

"There is no need to be afraid, I knew people like you, Jean Grey, Cyclops. they came here by accident once a few friends and I helped them get back. It would have been 7 years ago now." Damian steps forward Ignoring Nightmare, guilt is painted slightly on his face he tries to coax me from the wall. "I'm sorry I knew since the time you showed me, I checked my recorder after that visit and played it back home in front of everyone. I was to find out more from you and report back after we scanned those samples that healed me. When we were ready I was supposed to bring you back with me for interrogation with confirmation of your mother's research." Something snaps inside me and I glare at him.

"So all that was for those stupid journals. Wow, for how long were you faking nice. No, don't tell me it'll just feel worse. " I put a hand on my face willing the emotions of confusion to stop. A crackling noise makes its self known in front of me followed by screams.

"Holy Crap that thing has tentacles coming from its face!"

"Ahh!"

I gasp at the sight Nightmare had gone full flerken and is attempting to drag Damian in. I lunge at Nightmare dragging him across the floor. He lets go of Damian but he hasn't changed back to cat form. "Nightmare No! Calm down I'm fine I swear it! Stop!" The black fuzzball retracts his tentacles and hisses at the crowd.

"I'm sorry, he gets like that when he sees me upset sometimes. Not sure if you have them here but he's half flerken, they look like cats but they're quite deadly." I set Nightmare down and he crawls behind my legs once again hissing particularly at the green boy how has gotten closer, he turns into a green cat making Nightmare run in the process. Damian limps forward his leg is bleeding through his suit. I would let that heal naturally if only wounds inflicted by Nightmares in the flerken form never heal normally on their own.

"Y/N these are the Titans, the one mimicking your," he waves his hand in the air as if to find the world. "flerken is Garfield." He points to Nightmare being chased my the green cat attempting to lose him. The bronze woman glides forward stomping a foot from me the others followed behind.

"Hello my name is Starfire you can call me Kori, this here is Raven," She points to the purple girl then moves her other hands to the boy. "and this is Jaime. We are pleased to have you here Y/N." She grabs my hand pulling me away from the middle of the room where I had landed. "Now let's get you settled in I'll talk to Damian for a bit after." Nightmare notices my leaving and jumps onto my right sholder hissing at the green-skinned boy.

_____________________________________________________________

I honestly don't know how to feel, to be honest, I should have guessed it so it's my fault. I could have left him and then this wouldn't have happened, but then he would have died in my apartment. Could have been more hostile, but then he definitely would have gone with the kidnapping strategy and I would be already in the hand of batman. Now I'm in the known world of their superheroes, the superheroes know about the Crows and they know about the X-gene. That information can go from good to bad in minutes. Though Kori did know about Jean and Scott, though it was years ago they have traveled through many universes with a small team. I would have been about 10 when this happened and my mother didn't take me there for classes till I was 12. In their lectures, they didn't mention anything like this they did bring in Doctor Strange to teach those of us who could understand how to perform magic. I Now I'm sitting on an insanely comfortable bed knees curled up to my chest just reminiscing. I have been told to use my abilities only when necessary as not to attract any unwanted attention. But what did I do, I screw up my chances of living normally till Doc Strange can pull me back only to find I'm not in my home where I should be. Everything was going so smoothly till now.

The door opens behind me and by the almost silent footfalls, I can tell it's Damian. Nightmare has jumped into my arms forcing me to let go off my legs and watch as the boy drags a chair to face me.

"I suppose you want the whole story now," I said barely looking at him.

"I wasn't going to talk about that yet."

"What did you think you would find in the journals that my mother wrote?"

"An answer on how to stop the Crows."

"You most likely will."

"Than what's in them."

I sigh looking him dead in the eye, pulling myself together for this.

"My mother didn't only study history, in my dimension, she studied all sorts of fields one day she was asked to study something and was gone for almost six months. We hardly heard from her but just enough to know she was alive so naturally when she came back she swore me into secrecy. She explained that she had gone to another world entirely, she studies with them and when she came back more time had passed than when she was there. One journal explaining how she got the and how to get in and another explaining what she found, and the rules for everything she experienced there. She learned things no human should know and kept it from the people she worked for and everyone else. She-she found Avalon, lived among the fey in return for her curiosity and genuine interest they helped her make a guide and history of all fairy and Fae both the pure and the equally disturbed." I reach in my bag and pull out the books from missing from the very research my mother so loved. One being ordinary leather-bound and the other two bear a glowing purple gem on both sides of a very purple dark Tome thick and pooling with some sort of energy as the gem. I give him a serious look gripping both books. "She left it to me but I haven't read them yet, I...I couldn't bring myself to. It might be better used in your hands anyway. Though I shouldn't I still trust you for some reason, so under the conditions that you only use what you find for the better of those in need you may find your information. The journals, however, will stay within my sight understood." He nods, I start to give the leather books to him he stops me.

"I don't want to see them before you," He takes the books from my hands and places them back in the bag. "If you are convinced that I should still read them, then I will convince where ever you wish to study them." He sits on the bed next to me staring out the window. "What I want to talk about is how we get Father not to view you as a threat and as a friend. I went over it with Starfire and we both agree this is the best option." He pauses before he continues. "We're you a hero in your world?"

"You want me to do hero's work and gain a positive reputation so that he's more willing to work with me than slowly forcing out of me."

"Yes."

"How do you know about the X-gene?"

"It was in our database from when Jean Grey and Cyclops had visited. They helped take down an invasion of the skrul and took them back with them to their own dimension. Father took some DNA samples to work with and ask about their abilities. There are entire folders on the subject alone." He pauses again running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Not for that, for everything else."

"Yes that is very much on you but it's also on me. But if I had left you with Crow poison in your blood you would either turn into an undead flesh puppet in my room or die. That would not have gone down well for either of us. I was also mostly upset you broke my window and wanted compensation," I see him visibly tense and clench his teeth. "and didn't even bother to say thank you."

"I Fixed your awful goddammed window isn't that thanks enough." He glares at me.

"Was it? After all, you did spy on me and report it to the Dark Knight." I fall back onto the bed. "There's no getting out of this now might as well get used to it."

"You shouldn't be this comfortable with what's happening, I wouldn't"

"Then why are you smiling ya weirdo, It's almost creepy."

"Tsk, just hand me your computer so I can pull up Star Trek, I would like to finish and begin the movies." I hand him my laptop and he walks over to the wall in front of the bed.

"Um, you know we watch on that computer you making a get away with."

"Yes but the enormous 4k TV is here." He pushes a button I didn't even see before and as promised a TV appears. He smirks at what I assume is my expression. He opens my computer and within minutes Star Trek is cast on the TV. "Please hold your applause till after the show."

"Did you just make a joke? Are you joking now?"

"Aren't I allowed to have a sense of humor?" I Look at Nightmare who has the same thought in his head and I look back at Damian.

"Nope, Nada, No way."

"You know, you're the only one who has talked to me that way and lived."

"I should consider myself lucky then huh."My gaze falls to his leg, It's poorly bandaged so I pull my scales and Med-kit from my bag. " But before I forget I need to treat your leg before your tissue becomes necrotic. You can watch while I work, but you need to swallow one more of the "glittered plastic"."

_____________________________________________________________

"How do you make them?"

"The scales?" I pause stoping the wrap on the angry-looking tentacle mark on his skin.

"What do you think I was talking about?" I smile evilly.

"I thought you were talking about my jokes and wonderful sense of humor." I tie off the bandage and put away my first aid kit. "But If you must know it has to rain first, and I have to be in it. The acidity in the rain is was caused the scales to form but there has to be enough of it. In Gotham, the rain has plenty of it, It soaks into my skin and drains my health which is why I was sick for so long. In return for taking my health, the scales form with healing agents that even baffle me. Normally I would take one and feel fine after but someone decided to take them."

"Do you pull them off?"

"Takes too long and much too painful, I just pour scalding hot water on myself and they pull away from the skin. I clean them and there you have it. Health restoring scales." He stares at me, like I said I pour milk before cereal and then pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds in that order.

"Aren't there better ways to remove them?"

"Yes, but those are back at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters I couldn't pack it with me so I had to find other methods."

He silent again so I put my stuff in the closet, take my Suit out from the bag, and place it on the hanger, the vibranium fibers shimmer in the soft lights then I stuff the rest of my things in there. I have to tell Professor Xavier what's happened on the check update next week with any luck the multi-functional com-piece found the data by now and I can see what they already know. I inwardly sigh, closing the closet and making my way back to the bed. I see Damian drawn into the scene playing on the screen, Data has made his sacrifice saving the Enterprise. I wasn't expecting to last the cleaning to last that long, but then again the poisons from the suction cups dug deeper than I thought. I put some more things away in drawers even though I didn't have much to bring. "We probably should head to bed, I imagine I have to do a proper introduction and demonstrate some form of my power."

"Yes, probably." He gets up grabbing the two scales I gave him for when he starts feeling pain again. Moving swiftly to the door, he takes one more look back then leaves. My eyes fall on Nightmare who sleeps soundly on the end of the bed. I Climb into the warm comforter letting the warmth surround me. I don't even notice myself drifting till all I can hear is static signaling that tonight was going to be a dreamless one.

_____________________________________________________________

"What exactly can you do?" Starfire walks me down to the center of a metallic room filled with weapons and tools, no doubt the training room. I look around more absorbing the room but still answer the question.

"If I see something I can almost instantly learn it or adapt to it, powers, fighting styles, languages I just have to see or hear it. I've had to control it in order not to learn everything and overload happened one time was not pretty."

"What do you mean by almost instantly?"

"Things like shape-shifting are hard to master, but if I concentrate enough I can alter my physical appearance though it takes five minutes to get there and can't hold the form very well after an hour. The first time I saw someone change form my body tried to copy it but I broke my hand instead. But oddly enough I can learn most other powers and knowledge just fine."

"Really? Well just to check could you copy this?" Starfire lifts her hand and green energy forms around it. I lift my hand to match hers and form the same energy in my body, though not green It's a lilac purple. "Sorry still have trouble getting the colors right." The woman stares in awe at my hand, the knowledge of how to use the ability is stored in my memory. I turn my hand light off and look around. She had given me the tour of the building and probably saved this for last to test what I can do. They did the same at XSFGY and had us fight in the ever-changing challenge/training room. I hear the door open and two cheery voices call out.

"Hey Y/N, about to train?" Garfield, the boy in green calls out from the railing where the door is accompanied by Jamie how still looks half asleep.

"I was just about to test her now, could you all stay there, I'm going to pull the full immersion-based training." She floats to a podium on the far side of the room. the area around me pixelated before stilling into a jungle heat and all. Monsters appear from the undergrowth enough level but not easy looking. I raise two fingers to the sky and strike lightning on them Increasing the voltage when one didn't go down, I even open a few portals in the body to warp holes from the flesh. It took about a few minutes to finish and for the simulation to fall. The dark misty cloud vanishes when I flick my wrist. I hear cheering from the side, I turn to face them everyone was now there.

"No way! Did you just see that!!" Jamie is now wide awake sharing an amazing look with Garfield, Raven is a little shocked, while Damian holds a stoic face. I feel a hand on my shoulder and follow it up to the orange-haired woman. I don't catch that she isn't stopping and is dragging me out of the room. With the way her hand had angled, I dragged out facing the other people in the room. She moves so fast that they get so small to quickly "You did excellently today, I'm so happy to welcome you to the team! We shall celebrate with a feast fit for kings and I shall cook it."

"Wait!"

"Kori!"

"Aw hell no!"

"YOU COOKED THE OTHER DAY!"

They all start running after us, shouting and trying to stop the woman. I feel refreshed after getting the OK for using my powers finally releasing some of the tension I've felt. I feel exhausted though, probably anticipating all the social interactions yet to come.

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alatismeni-theitsa · 3 years

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Basically what happened was that someone put the sarcastic lore Olympus video another anon mentioned in a server im in and when I mentioned that I dont think that Lore Olympus is the best interpretation of H/P in part due to how non-greek the whole story was, the shit started. Excuses ranged from "Greek polytheism isn't exclusive to Greece" to " im not saying you're wrong but I know a lot of Greek polytheists" (I especially got mad at this one) to "it's an American story and the myths naturally reflect what Americans see in each other" to "many colonized places had Greek and Roman fetishized culture thrust upon them" and "American culture is deeply seeped in Greek myth and Greek polytheism is a thriving culture here" (send me the fuckin thesis) and then what really boiled me was their blatant shock at the fact that Zeus could *gasp* love Hera and be good to her. And then claimed they've read all sorts of myths for decades. Gems like "half of the heroes in Greek mythology aren't Hera's kids" like Ares and Hepheastos just don't exist ig. Then blaming me for getting angry and upset for all around being disrespectful to the gods. Thank fuck someone was on my side because I was just so fucking over it. God and all heavens above forbid you tell an American they got their history wrong and they're being disrespectful and hurtful in doing so. The worst part is that I tried to be polite through the whole thing. Tried. I dont know how I was coming off, but God fucking damn it i tried. Fucking hell, claiming that the need to study Greek mythos in your AP Us History class doesn't fucking mean it's baked into your culture. It made me so frustrated and now I can't even fathom talking to the people involved when they so staunchly defended something and claimed to be educated when it's obvious they weren't. I got an apology from a few people which I appreciated, but f u cking hell. Sorry for the long ask.

1) "Greek polytheism isn't exclusive to Greece" - Yeah SO? Does this make LO better? Does it negate the fact the planet knows only inaccurate/whatever Americanized movies about Greek mythology?

2) " im not saying you're wrong but I know a lot of Greek polytheists" SO??? You are allowed to have your own opinion! Plus, Greek polytheists can still be uneducated and follow practices they read in Percy Jackson and are used only to pop culture Americanized versions of how the gods are

3) "it's an American story and the myths naturally reflect what Americans see in each other" Nobody said those stories aren’t allowed to exist! The f-ing point is the Greco-Roman deities are treated like American property!“American story and the myths naturally reflect what Americans see in each other” it’s ALL THAT THE WORLD WATCHES. INCLUDING GREEKS.

Don’t they realize the US is an imperialist country or what? Those stories are everywhere and we are bored. If all you have to show is “Greek gods in US and Canada” x 1000 times and “The Greek gods used to show American social issues”x 1000 times just throw me into a bottomless pit already.

And then they have the nerve to say “but this is representation for you!” No, it isn't if you make Hera into a Karen and Zeus into Bill living in their mansion in Manhattan, showing no hint of my culture (OR Greek American culture) apart from some names and some basic powers! You might as well make them Egyptian gods and the script won’t change.

4) "many colonized places had Greek and Roman fetishized culture thrust upon them" How does that excuse the stupid stuff in LO?? What does a white woman in Australia have to do with how culture was forced to change in colonized cultures??

Why should Greeks see the disrespect of their figures because other countries promoting a *fetishized* image of their ancient culture to other countries they colonized? Why is the US continue to glorify that *fetishized* (as this person said) standard?

Plus, it’s not like Indigenous Americans or Africans from formerly colonized countries consider Zeus part of their culture. Yes, the philosophy of West European nations and certain standards were unfortunately forced upon them but they know the gods are not theirs! (As opposed to many formerly not colonized people in the US)

And if you speak with people from countries on this side of Atlantic which were colonized by France or England you will see they don't deem this mythology theirs! In most of these countries, the citizens merely know the basic stuff about Greek mythology. All they know comes from - you guessed it - American shows about Greek mythology!

5) "American culture is deeply seeped in Greek myth and Greek polytheism is a thriving culture here" Okay just... what? 😂😂😂😂😂 I swear this fetishized version they accuse colonizers of spreading, they have it themselves and don't recognize it. It’s apparent, as they often see Greek mythology as “a thing of the White man” and want to “subvert” it to send a message. Meanwhile have they thought about how Greeks feel about this? Naaaah fuck dem Greeks. Who cares, it’s not like their culture is Greek any more, right? Who knows what language they speak nowadays these exotic people...

And “Greek polytheism is a thriving culture here”?? North America has hundreds of millions of people. The 500 internet friends you have who are in Greek polytheism is not even a fraction of that.

“The need to study Greek mythos in your AP Us History class doesn't fucking mean it's baked into your culture.” I agree with your statement. Moreover, guess who fought to keep the heritage alive for thousands of years? Greeks. Copying manuscripts, analyzing ancient philosophy, protecting heritage monuments, songs, religious customs, etc. Do they think Greeks sat on their asses for a blank 2000 yrs??

Final thoughts:

Greek mythology aside, people who claim to know something when they are ignorant and they don’t offer to search for things they don't know, are immature and cause harm to whoever tries to argue with them. It’s good you got an apology from some, I am happy when people want to research something they don't know!

But that server in general... doesn't seem very inclusive (ironically). And if you weren't a Greek (aka not perceived as oppressed in N. America xD) they would take you more seriously and they wouldn’t say “but I have other Mixed Brazilian friends who don't complain about the cultural misrepresentation!” I find it natural if you don't want to engage with them any more :/ See what is best for you 💙

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erics-meep-morps · 3 years

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Hi! ^.^ 1) What are your favorite things about a) Lapis and b) Peridot? 2) What else other than SU are you watching / reading / playing / enjoying right now and what's good about it?

Hello friend!

I'm not sure where to begin with 1a and 1b. Haha. There's just so much I love about Lapis and Peridot, but I'll try to make it as short and simple as possible. I’ll start off stating the (possibly) obvious: I think they’re so cute, adorable, dorky and precious. Every time I see them I just want to gently hold them. 🥺

1a) I relate a lot to Lapis, and see parallels between our struggles, our recovery from past events, and living on Earth. I'll be honest that there are a lot of days I feel pessimistic about the world and humanity as Lapis originally felt, but I try to keep the optimism that she has in Season 3 and beyond. I also love her interest in meep morps, and that was one of my influences in using Photoshop, joining Tumblr, and posting my "meep morps" on social media. And when I have an art idea I can't draw then I commission someone. It's nice to see things I imagine become reality in art, as well as supporting artists.

1b) I love Peridot's enthusiasm, spunkiness, attention to details, and fixation on certain things like botany and Camp Pining Hearts. I'm usually very reserved about my interests, but remembering how open and excited she is to talk about her interests gives me encouragement to be more open with people about my interests.

For both of them I love how human they are. I know all of the gems have human characteristics, but I think I relate to Lapis and Peridot the most. Seeing their journey from hating Earth to loving Earth was an amazing experience. They're both well-written characters that mean a lot to me. When I struggle navigating through life on this crazy planet I try to remember the optimism Lapis and Peridot have for Earth, and not letting my struggles and past events control my life in the present and future. They're also a reminder that self-improvement is a never-ending process. We're not perfect, we make mistakes, but that doesn't mean we're terrible people. We're always growing and doing our best. 💙💚

2) Regarding shows I've been watching Amphibia, The Owl House, and Rick and Morty. I think all three of them have great stories, and in terms of the former two they give me a lot of comfort and I learn some life lessons from those shows. Rick and Morty is just good entertainment with zany stories. I've also been following Adventure Time: Distant Lands whenever a new episode comes out. So far I've loved every episode and it's nice to once again look forward to a show that rekindled my interest in animated shows where part of the target audience is children. Adventure Time made me realize that just because a show is partly aimed at children doesn't mean adults can't enjoy it too, and it led me to loving other shows including Steven Universe.

Outside of watching shows my main enjoyments are walks, bike rides, and watching trains. I don't have a job yet since I'm mostly focusing on finishing my master's thesis, so I have a lot of free time to explore new places on foot or bike, as well as playing the waiting game at the tracks and getting pictures and videos of the trains I see.

Thank you very much for this ask! 😊

#asks #lapis lazuli #peridot #steven universe

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talldren · 4 years

Text

Steven's Mental Descent

So, basically I'm going to go through all the episodes we have so far in Future and see how we started in the THERAPY-needing department and where we are now.

Little Homeschool, we get a quick look at how things are going, Steven is making jokes about his identity crises, so that's a thing. He seems very chill, but as we saw with his chat with Amethyst, he has a small insecurity issue with Jasper. He goes to see her, they fight, and two things happen.

His powers emerge

She calls him out

Now, when she calls him out it clearly distresses Steven to the point his gem brings out the heavy weaponry, and I think it's safe to say that's what sparked this whole issue, really. So now, by the end of the episode, Steven has two big issues: he's now in unfamiliar new power territory, and he's insecure.

Next up, Guidance. Steven is mostly fine, but now since he's a bit insecure he's feeling a bit off, so when Amethyst presents her new idea (which is awesome) to him, he decides to improve it to boost self esteem (tho that's probably not how he sees it). Well, he broke the perfectly fine thing and now has to fix it with Amethyst. So with the help of super speed they save the day. Now, Steven has much biggy issues.

He's really insecure

His powers apparently affect fusions too (unfamiliar territory, again)

He has no plans for his future.

Rose buds. Oh, boooooy. He has no idea where to put his mom's portrait (how to view her) and then The Zoomans show up to show off their intergalactic cruise ship. Steven has that whole Rose Quartz hellstorm I'd rather not type out and ends up putting the portrait in lion's mane (shoving his complicated emotions to the back of his mind). So he's still insecure, he's repressing his emotions, he has no plans for his future and his new powers are still a problem. Great.

Volleyball, my trademark sport. Steven can't fix Volleyball's scar (insert insecurity). He goes to pearl, they go to the reef and everything goes to heck. The two pearls form mega pearl and bust out of that overgrown oyster. So after it all, Steven's powers are causing him too much trouble, he's repressing his emotions which are getting far too complicated, he has no plan for his future, and he's super insecure. Damn.

Bluebird. Fuck her. Steven is getting "pranked" and finds the prime suspect and obvious fusion of Team Rocket- *cough* sorry, Eyeball and Aquamarine. They do seemingly innocent stuff that doesn't seem too innocent to start with until Steven finally calms down. Then they threaten Greg. Greg makes the ultimate sacrifice for his son, losing the thing he cherished more than anything else (even you, Rose) and Steven drops the father bomb. Steven kicks ass, then those two get their shit together and fight well. The trio of mothers return and Alexandrite that bish nice and good. They blast off again and Greg mourns his hair (like most middle aged men with retreating hairlines). So now he's repressing emotions, his outbursts are getting more frequent, he has no plans for his future, and his insecurity is mixing with that good teen angst. Joy.

We are skipping that tease of an episode because nothing happens, just chalk it up to our boi is tired.

Snow day consists of Steven talking to his family about wanting them to view him as an adult, him hetting the break he needs, and far too much relatability for us teens. So, not much changes, good and fluffy.

Why So Blue is an uneventful ep in the stress spectrum.

Little Graduation. This. This is where it gets real. Steven is realizing that his friends are leading private lives he knows nothing about, that they're spending time doing their own things. And that they're slowly leaving him. His insecurities are doubled, his powers are more than troubling, he's repressing his thoughts and feelings hardcore after the incident, and now everyone has a future planned but him.

Prickly Pair. Steven finds a venting outlet in a cactus he brought to life. It grows up a troubled soul and a tattle tail. He is now repressing everything because he doesn't want the gems to freak, his insecurities are overwhelming, he has no control over himself, and he's being left behind.

In Dreams. Steven is getting desperate, he pushes himself out of his comfort zone to get peridot to stay, and luckily it's something as light-hearted as a reboot betrayl he doesn't think he likes. They end up hanging out normally after hugs and find it's all calmed down. A calm before the storm if I ever saw one.

Bismuth Casual, they go out, Steven can't human, and they work it out via awesome fusion skating. It's cute, but Steven's feelings aren't truly addressed by anyone but Bismuth, who provides a short pep-talk. Also, Connie, your boyfriend jokes about a vital part of his body being rippef out, obviously uncomfortable, and you smile and ignore him. WHY.

Together Forever. It all hits the fan, okay? It's too recent to recount the details. Steven's insecurities are sky rocketing, he feels more left behind than ever, Garnet's being high and mighty, and he probs just lost the love of his life. The man has hit a low.

Growing Pains. So now he's being left behind, he's so very insecure, he's already lost Connie (so he thinks, anyway), his powers destroyed a hospital (maybe full of patients, he doesn't know), and he's ruined his dad's tour. Well, at least Greg is supportive and kind.

But the next episode might be when the "van crushing" that audio leak mentions happens so, maybe that'll be a short lived comfort.

#steven universe #steven universe future #su #this has been me over analyzing

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bytheangell · 5 years

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You already wrote me a family dinner but I would like to see one in which they're older and Magnus is so nervous of introducing his parents to Alec and Alec is nervous too lmao and Magnus is like all night "mooom" "daaad" cause they're embarrassing him and basically that sjsbsks k adiós

Finding My Place (With You) (Read on AO3)Magnus is nervous. He’s so nervous it shows, which is how his boyfriend knows that this is a big deal. It isn’t that Magnus never gets nervous, of course, because everyone gets nervous - Magnus, however, is a master of hiding it behind charming smiles and silky smooth words.

Every time except this one.

It doesn’t help that his parents also know this is a big deal no matter how much he tries to pretend it isn’t. He’s dated - a lot - but this is the first person he asked to bring to a family function in years. They all know the implications of that.

“...oh god it’s hitting me now,” Alec says, fixing the collar on his emerald green shirt. “I was fine keeping calm before because I could tell how stressed you were but now-”

“You have nothing to worry about. They’re going to love you - how could they not?” Magnus reassures, reaching around the back of Alec’s neck to smooth down the folded fabric. “Then why are you so worried?” Alec counters. “I’m not.” Magnus insists, and they both know he’s lying though neither dispute it. They both need to convince themselves it’s the truth.

Magnus knows why he’s anxious - his parents want the best for him, as all parents do, but unfortunately sometimes that translates to expecting too much from those around him. He’s been through this a thousand times before to varying degrees of success.

Alec, on the other hand, is worried for a very different reason. Only recently out to his own family, Magnus is his first proper boyfriend; the kind he could share things about on social media, and talk about in front of his parents instead of just in whispers to Isabelle after family dinners during his college breaks. In fact, Magnus is his first of a lot of things: including ‘meeting the parents’ dinners. What if he isn’t what they’re expecting? What if they don’t think he’s good enough for their son?

What if they’re right?

But Magnus promises this isn’t about getting their approval, Alec reminds himself as they get out of the car and walk up to the front door. The memory plays clear as day in his mind, words echoing--

“You’re in my life whether anyone else likes it or not, for as long as you’d like to stay. You don’t have to impress anyone for me.”

The door opens, breaking Alec from his thoughts. “It’s been months!” The woman exclaims, immediately moving forward to envelop Magnus in a hug and simultaneous kiss on his cheek, and Alec bites back a laugh at the tinge of color that spreads from Magnus’ cheeks to his ears. “Would it kill you to call more often?!” “Mom, please.” Magnus squirms a bit under her hug.

“And you must be Alexander!” She says, turning to Alec. “Come here!”

Before he has time to realize what’s happening there are arms wrapped around him, pulling him close. He tenses instinctively - his family was never one for excessive physical affection, but given Magnus’ affinity for hugs and casual touches he should’ve expected this. After a moment he sinks into the hug, bringing his own arms up to return the gesture in greeting. Over Mrs. Bane’s shoulder he can see Magnus giving him the most apologetic look.

“Alec is fine, Mrs. Bane,” he says once she pulls back. “Thank you for inviting me.”

“Of course, darling! We always invite Magnus’ significant others over for the holidays, but you’re the first one he’s brought home in years. You must be something special.”

It’s Alec’s turn to flush now. “Oh, no, I’m not really,” he mumbles, looking to Magnus for help, expecting him to play it off and diffuse the situation by reassuring his parents this isn’t a big deal.

Instead he’s looking over at Alec as if he’s the biggest deal, nothing but appreciative smiles and heart eyes that could melt Alec into a puddle despite the chill in the air. “I wouldn’t say that,” Magnus replies softly.

They go inside and Alec immediately asks if there’s anything he can help with, but Magnus’ parents are suspiciously quick to tell him no and keep him away from the kitchen.

“You told them I’m a lousy cook, didn’t you,” he accused Magnus immediately.

“What? No!” Magnus swears up and down, and thankfully his parents don’t confirm or deny anything he may have mentioned about letting Alec near the kitchen.

Instead, Mr. Bane leads Alec into the living room while Magnus vanishes to help his mother finish the last of the meal preparation.

They get to talking, share a drink or two, and in no time at all Mr. Bane has the baby photos out from an album at the bottom of the bookcase. Every single photograph is a hidden gem, and Alec snaps pictures of the photos on his phone to save for later. He’s already set one of Magnus in nothing but cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and underwear at the age of roughly 4 years old as his phone background.

“I can’t leave you alone for five seconds,” Magnus laments once he re-joins them. “Please tell me he didn't show you the talent show video.”

Alec nearly spits out his drink, turning to Mr. Bane with an arched eyebrow. “There’s a talent show video, and you kept it from me?”

“That can be the entertainment for dessert.” Mr. Bane promises, to more groaning from Magnus and delight from Alec.

Over dinner they talk about a little bit of everything - the state of current politics, favorite foods, what shows they were all watching or musical artists they listen to. Magnus’ family is very creative, his mother an artist and his father a writer, which makes Magnus’ fascination with the arts and museums and his degree in art history such an obvious choice, given how easily the three of them share such common likes and dislikes.

When Alec admits to being a business major who is just now entering into a small start-up venture with Steven Underhill, one of his best friends from college, he braces himself for the same backlash his own parents gave him: that it’s idealistic, destined for failure, and a poor use of his talents. Instead they applaud his risk taking and offer any assistance they can if he needs help in graphic design or composing articles for publication.

“I don’t think Alec needs you to run his business for him,” Magnus tries to cut in, but Alec only shakes his head, eyes wide in surprise.

“No, it’s -- thank you. Really. That means a lot.”

For as nervous as he was going into this, he’s shocked at how easily he feels welcome here; at how much Magnus’ family feels like it could feel like home to him one day, the same way Magnus himself does by now.

The night ends with dessert, and the promised talent show video, which Magnus actually gets up and leaves the room during out of shame, claiming he only wants to help clear away the empty pie plates. But as the terrible charango performance draws on even Alec has to look away out of second-hand embarrassment of 15-year-old Magnus.

“I hope they weren’t too overbearing,” Magnus checks in as they’re grabbing their coats, getting ready to leave. “I haven’t brought anyone home for a while, they’ve been waiting for the opportunity to properly mortify me for years now.”

Alec laughs. “No, they were wonderful. This whole day was wonderful. Thank you for having me over… I’m glad I didn’t realize how big of a deal this was beforehand, or I probably would’ve freaked out a lot more and ruined everything.”

Magnus smiles. “I don’t think you could ruin anything if you tried. They love you. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” By the end of the night Alec is leaving with two books to borrow, several Tupperware containers of leftover food, and a small flicker of hope that this might be his to keep for the rest of his - no, for the rest of their - lives.

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #shfanficnexus #SORRY THIS TOOK 500 YEARS #but I hope you like it! <3 #kindaresilient #ask rune

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lizzybeth1986 · 6 years

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Quick Thoughts on TRR Book 3, Epilogue.

• So. This is going to be our last TRR chapter...for a while, unless they decide to do a spin-off of sorts. All the issues have been (somewhat) resolved, the MC and her friends + LI are triumphant, we've broken our beds on our wedding night, now it's time to explore the aftermath. (So sorry it took me this long, guys, I've spent a full week struggling to save whole paragraphs).

• Many thanks to @kennaxval and @boneandfur for all the screenshots and help on the Hana x MC and Maxwell x MC scenes! I used my own screenshots for Liam's playthrough, the above two + the "All the Stories Girl" YouTube channel for Hana's and Maxwell's, and the HIMEME YouTube channel for Drake's.

• So we start with waking up in our LI's arms, and it's all sweet and adorable and we're all basking in the afterglow of our first wedding night. But the LI has a surprise.

• The beach!!

• Since we'll be going on our honeymoon sometime later, the LI basically wants us to have a little fun and alone time on a private beach.

• All the LIs give us three choices of drinks (mimosas, infused water, tropical drink), and three choices of food (fruit-and-cheese-platter, french pastry and bread rolls).

• FINAL CHANCE TO SHARE AN INTIMATE MOMENT WITH THE LI!! For 15 diamonds!! That's quite a steal.

• Now...who am I to say no to a Sparkly Liam?? 😀

• So the pre-fucking activities are obviously different for each LI. It's meant to suit each of their personalities and while I loved the sex part...I really enjoyed this.

Liam takes his wife swimming (you can either splash him or take him underwater for a kiss) and then proceeds to write a love note for her in the sand. When she points out that it might get washed away in the sand, he states that the message will live on in the waves that will carry it. Gaww.

Hana's activity is SO HANA istg. Both she and the MC build a sand castle and you get a rare glimpse of "Hana-getting-carried-away-talking-about-things-she-loves" if you choose the fairytale option xD They build a castle and a moat, and it's pretty obvious that Hana loves her fairytales ("there's no such thing as too many castles") and that the activity is so representative of her wildly romantic spirit.

Maxwell agrees to get buried in the sand, and the MC can choose what form it should take (Valtoria's sigil, a sea monster or a lot of muscles). @boneandfur tells that if you choose the sea monster option you get the first mention of "unleash the kraken" if you are married to him (the first one was in the fling scene, which you obviously won't get if he's your fiancé). It's all sorts of adorable 😂

Drake has a swimming race with you, in a rather nice callback to his first beach scene (diamond-option) in Book 1 Chapter 10. Back then the race was between Drake and the MC, Hana acting as referee and producing a shell for her and a sand dollar for him later on as prizes. Here, the MC has the option of gifting Drake a beautiful conch shell, and Drake is the one who gives the MC a sand dollar.

• Guh. That's all I'll say about what follows. Guuuuuuh.

• I made Esther wear her hugeass hat just to see if she'd keep it on during sex. She didn't and now I'm very sad 😟

• It's now a few weeks later, and we're being called for a special secret ceremony that Liam has gotten planned, and that apparently only Madeleine knows (very very few) details of. You get to tell your friends (in your fiancé/e's presence if you're not married to Liam) how married life is going for you, and there's either some good natured teasing or "ugh, spare me the details" from them. Madeleine then enters, having found the perfect excuse to wear the white dress I pettily didn't allow her to wear to my wedding.

I bet my note said "pay diamonds or it's the LBD for you, bitch".

• I also love how Madeleine knows that asking Olivia not to bring daggers is a lost cause, so she might as well put a limit of the number of weapons she brings instead 😂😂

• Out of the four, two already decide on their outfits (Drake on his grey suit and Olivia on her Costume Gala Nevrakis gown), and two ask you for your opinion.

• For Hana, you can choose between the handmade cheongsam that is so precious and personal to her, and the godess-of-spring gown she wore for the Costume Gala. If you were married to her, or chose another dress for Hana to wear, the cheongsam would be perfect!! Imagine, when she finally receives honours for her contributions to her country, she will be wearing this lovely dress that has so much personal history for it and possibly may also be representing her roots as well. But I chose the spring gown, because the cheongsam she'd worn for my wedding. If I ever wind up replaying maybe I'll switch it all around a little.

• For Maxwell, you either choose between his smart black suit, or the squid suit. OF FUCKING COURSE I'm going to choose the latter. When he goes up to get his honour as Guardian, I want everyone to know that this Beaumont Boy is the Pride of His Home and His Family 😍 Same with why I'm happy that Olivia is wearing her Nevrakis gown because this event is further proof that she is redefining what it means to be a Nevrakis. (also if you choose his squid suit, he exclaims in squiggly letters about how the "cephalopod rises again". 10/10).

• For Drake, I like the full-circle enforced by the fact that this suit was what he wore on the night of Liam's Coronation. That night was the first time Drake didn't try to reject his feelings for the MC, didn't allow his guilt re: Liam to come between them, instead accepted that he felt that way and approached her (in his diamond scene). Given that this epilogue features a throwback to the Coronation...I like this extra touch.

• My corgi Joy DuPont of Valtoria/Cordonia gets his own suit too.

• Aaaaand now it's time for the finale gown!

Pretty faithful rendition of the gown on the cover, and I think it has elements of both sigils just to keep us covered either way. The gown is a rich wine/burgundy colour, gold swirls at the skirt and jewelled gold belt (phoenix sigil) white/silver-ish coloured elements on the neckline and cuffs (dove sigil). Madeleine tells us that the gown was made keeping our house colours in mind. The LI - if they're in the boutique - gets to gush, and Olivia is the only friend who gets to comment by default - very possibly because she shares a common house colour with the MC, and either woman will get to be his Consort. Alongside the Coronation Ball parallels, you can see parallels to the Costume Ball as well!

• If you're married to Liam, and therefore Queen of Cordonia, you get an extra (and free!) selection to make: your tiara! The book gives us four options:

I honestly don't know what they're supposed to symbolize really, and I don't think they would actually symbolize anything. They're just pretty headpieces meant for the country's new queen. But Ima list down what these tiaras remind me of!

Royal Rose. The "Romantic Love" pink ballgown option for the Homecoming Ball, which was Hana's choice of outfit back then and comes in her favourite colour, pink. It also reminds me of Liam, because in the beginning especially he was often associated with roses.

Gilded Grace. A gold tiara with gems embedded. The design is exquisite and intricate. Kinda reminds me of that nice gold watch Drake gifted us, but also the top half of it reminds me of the flare of a peacock's tail, so I'm also reminded of Maxwell 😄

Petal Perfect. I think it's called so because of the flower motif in the centre, surrounded by serrated edges which seem to me like leaves. I would definitely be reminded of Hana, who is associated with flowers in general!

Pearlescent. There is only one person I can think of who this tiara would remind me of: Liam! The pearl plays such a poignant part in their story if you chose that scene, because Liam found it at the Blue Grotto before he had ever met the MC, and showed it to her when their relationship was going through rough times in Capri. Back then, there was the option of rejecting it, keeping it or asking him to keep it safe until they were free to pursue their relationship.

• I had a headcanon that Esther asked Liam to keep the pearl, and that he had it placed in a tiara of hers to show her how far they had come together, and how much hope she had instilled in him. So OF COURSE I would choose the pearl tiara xD The writers seem to have forgotten about that Blue Grotto pearl, but I haven't!

•

Liam's outfit at this ceremony mirrors the MC's: burgundy with gold designs and leaf motifs. I see this as parallel to two events: the Costume Gala, where his "King Fabian" outfit matches both Olivia's and the MC's (that one mirrors Olivia's better though, because it's a bright red and not saffron-with-red-notes like the MC's avian gown). I also see this as parallel to the Beaumont Bash: where you can persuade Liam to show his support for you by wearing the Ramsford Duchy house colours of blue and white. Here, the ceremony itself seems centered largely around the MC - what with her being given the country's highest honour - so it could either be a show of unity (as a couple) or solidarity (as Liam showing his support to the MC). I also wonder if this is why Olivia is automatically given the red gown to wear, since they seem to be at least close to dating now if you're not married to Liam.

•

Interestingly the group receives honours based on their defining characteristics, which seemed to have helped in various ways in the fight against Anton. It's also a nice way to finally wrap up all their individual arcs, and validate them in the face of all the doubts they'd had about themselves throughout the series. Maxwell needs to see himself as good for being who he is, not have to transform into someone else altogether, to be seen as a person with something valuable to contribute. Hana still needs to navigate who she would like to be, and how she would like to live her life, and this title is an incredible step forward. Drake has had the most to prove in this book, making it clear that as a commoner he is important and that the nobility need to change their outlook towards commoners in general. Olivia is still redefining what it means to be a Nevrakis and to prove that her family name can be one that stands for loyalty and honour, not treachery.

• The Champion of the Realm title is given to the MC regardless. Even in a fail playthrough she gets it, and I think that's mostly on the basis of the very last scene, since Anton is vanquished by default. Does it ring false? Hell yeah it does. On one level that's the way the story goes, on another - it makes everything EVERY member of our core group says about her sound absolutely weird.

• Why does she get a higher honour above the others? You actually get the chance to ask Liam that. And he does respond - both in his speech during the ceremony, and later on.

Speech: He mentions her position as an outsider in this country and how she has embraced Cordonia as her home, but also speaks of having fought for Cordonia and unified it as a country. The second definitely seems to be the overriding theme when it comes to her: the ability to unite people to a cause.

Do I Deserve This? This is a question the MC has the option of asking Liam after the ceremony, and he stresses again on her working as a unifier. Her quality is not as much intelligence, or bravery, or strength - it's the ability to inspire people to reach their highest potential. He speaks of it as "You don't just make Cordonia better, you inspire us to become better ourselves". Which, if your MC is just all-round horrible to everyone and doesn't even have people come for her wedding, is a load of horseshit. Stop being nice to her Liam.

• Ana de Luca referring to our social season moniker in Book 1 (Mystery Woman/The American) was a nice touch.

• Liam also (finally!) addresses in public the vast imbalance between the nobility and the common populace, and how he would like to change that. I've seen complaints that he has basically "placed his buddies" in the Council, so he is essentially making the same mistake - but I can only see that argument as valid if a. those "buddies" weren't involved in the eventual takedown of Anton, and b. you ignore what he says about getting a roster of candidates ready for the council itself. It's still an ongoing process, so us jumping to criticize something that's just been announced is a little premature.

• Ana says we haven't ever had a council...which makes me question how much of Book 1 the writers have forgotten, honestly. Because...like...

Both screenshots are from the initial chapters of Book 1, mind you. They're possibly not the same as the Council Liam is planning on, but they're definitely there - just that they're invisible! Like the Cordonian populace for most of this series.

• Time for a Ball!!

• Since this is the epilogue, the Honour Ball (which is what I choose to call it rn) harks back both to Liam's Coronation Ball, and to the Masquerade Ball that introduced the MC to the nobility in the first place. The first half is a conversation between the MC, Olivia and Hana (parallel to our very first scene in Book 1, which is Hana congratulating the MC and Olivia maintaining that no matter how attractive she may seem to the Prince, she doesn't have what it takes to be chosen). Hana was sad about the prospect then, but happier for their friendship now. Olivia jealously dismissed the MC as not worthy of Liam then, but accepts that she is worthy of the honours bestowed on her now. Even the MC's responses now parallel the Coronation Ball: a gracious response, a threatening response, and a response that implies closeness ("I would rather date you"/"Just shut up and give me a hug").

• The second half of the Honour Ball scene is the LI dancing with the MC. At the Coronation Ball, this moment was our introduction to Liam, but now our respective LIs come forward for our first dance. In those playthroughs, Liam immediately asks Olivia to his first dance instead. The conversation then turns to their first Ball (Masquerade) and explores the LIs' initial thoughts on the MC.

Liam speaks about how there was a mixture of concern and love in his feelings for the MC. Hana speaks of how the MC transformed the way she looked at herself. Maxwell speaks of wanting the MC from the very beginning but withdrawing because he believed she was meant for Liam, not him. Drake speaks of how wrong he was in believing the MC didn't have what it took to survive, and how proud he is that she doesn't need a protector. All in all, toothachingly sweet 😊

• "I'm ready to do a lot more than dance". Esther is thirsty, from her first scene to her last 😂

• Alright so we now go a whole bunch of extra scenes meant to wrap up everyone's story, and I'll begin with the animals and Olivia before moving forward to the LIs.

Pets: Joy (the corgi) is found raiding the kitchens and making a mess, and in a very fun scene, the MC gets to set a few (very funny) ground rules. The first set deal with house behaviour, the second deal with their interactions with the non-royal LIs, and the last deal with some funny rules about the dog in Cordonia, including not getting involved with cults or overthrowing Liam. It ends with the caption "12/10 The Goodest Boy" (I'm inclined to agree 😄). There's a tiny scene involving Celestia (the horse), Hansel and Gretel (the red pandas), where the MC steals a moment and makes them lovely promises of pampering. All of these scenes are included if you buy all these pets - a little bit like that bonus scene involving Bubbles and the Mechawolf in TCaTF.

What I Think: These are not meant to be very deep - they're just fun, playful little bonus scenes meant to bring a smile to your face, and these scenes definitely succeed in that.

Olivia: This scene involves Olivia regaling Kiara and Penelope's families with the tale of Anton's defeat, and I believe it's the first time we see both families together (they've shared the same spaces but not exactly been shown talking to each other). The futures of all the three ladies are outlined: with Zeke disinheriting himself to become a vet, Kiara now gets to be next in line for running Castelsarreillan after Hakim, as well as the diplomatic liaison on the Royal Council. Penelope will now be a dog fashion designer with plenty support from Joelle, and possibly marrying Ezekiel. Olivia will be meeting Liam to discuss the dissolution of her marriage to Anton, and if you married someone else she will be doing it over dinner, which suggests the beginnings of a romantic relationship. She also plans to tour Lythikos in the aftermath of what Anton and Lucretia have done, and make sure that there are no more rules and stipulations from Lythikos that will pose a problem for Cordonia itself.

What I Think: I like how this wraps up several things at once and brings back that initial conflict of what Zeke's decision to be a vet (even though, frankly speaking, I kinda wish he didn't exist). The highlight was the sincerity and passion with which Olivia plans her next steps for her duchy and country. This scene neatly ties up all the women's stories with satisfying resolutions: the most satisfying of all being that Kiara is justly rewarded for all her hard work. I do take issue, however, with how the writers use Kiara to sugarcoat how terrible the MC and her friends were to her, in front of her mother Joelle. Then again it's not like the MC was particularly honest about her motives for talking to Kiara in Lythikos but...the last thing I want to see is Kiara giving credit where it is not due.

Drake: You begin by talking to several people: Gladys if you took her diamond scene and set her free, Mara, and Drake. Bastien is present, but he speaks more to Drake than to you. Gladys gives you an update on her life and thanks you for giving her a second chance. You get to either thank Mara for "risking her life" or tell her she sucks at her job. Drake talks to a number of people: Bastien, Neville and Rashad. Bastien reveals to Drake that his father was also once Guardian of the Realm (why was his family almost cast out so cruelly then, if what Jackson did was so phenomenal that he got this honour for it?) and would have been proud of Drake today. Neville apologizes to both Drake and the MC, and depending on the MC's response either walks away on good terms or acts like the spoilt brat that he is. Drake then reveals to the MC that she was his inspiration for taking up the Council Seat and that he wants to do more for the common people of Cordonia. Just seconds later, he gets his chance to make a change when Rashad comes forward with a proposal to use unused lands in the duchies to make public spaces for the people, a proposal Drake is only too happy to be involved in.

If you are married to Drake, there is acknowledgement all round of his new position, one extra dialogue from Neville if you respond positively to him, and it changes his dialogue with the MC just a wee bit.

What I Think: What makes Drake's scene so special is the fact that it, by far, most effectively shows the change in nobles' attitudes towards commoners. It is also symbolically important that it happens at the place where the MC sees the palace for the first time with both Maxwell and Drake, AND where Neville and Drake once duelled (and Neville acknowledges this). This is where Gladys - the representative commoner - chooses to thank us and assure us of her support. This is also where we have the chance to take our security detail to task if we so choose (we all thought she was going to be proven as shady and as a traitor...turns out she was just inefficient). The cherry on top is Rashad - the rebel heir - approaching Drake with something that will benefit both nobles and commoners. It kind of shows us the true triumph lies here, in giving to the common populace before unscrupulous elements can sway them. Could this have been done earlier? Of course! But I feel like narratively this is more effective.

Maxwell: For one, thank God Maxwell isn't a surgeon!! This scene includes BertVannah, Bartie and Maxwell, and delves into the upcoming wedding, Bertrand recognizing that he doesn't need to be as hard on himself and his brother as he was in the past, and Maxwell revealing that he's going to write a book about the MC's rags-to-royalty tale. Bertrand is now happy to be honest about the state of his financial affairs and his determination to keep Savannah and Bartie happy. He also gives Maxwell the chance to handle his own finances independently.

If you're married to Maxwell, you get to refer to Savannah as your sister-in-law, Maxwell speaks about your love "changing along the way" if you married someone besides Liam. In his playthrough he speaks of the book as their love story.

What I Think: Overall the Beaumont Brothers storyline got some amount of buildup but very little resolution. We don't know what pushed the House into financial ruin, we don't know the history behind them as we should considering we're an honorary family member, we're never told the secret things that Maxwell hinted at in the Shanghai Night Market group scene in Book 2. The book and its proceeds is said to be the key to restoring their House to its former glory financially, but that's just a very odd way of ending that arc. On one hand I'm glad there is a resolution, on the other it seems a little weak to me.

Hana: Hana is seated at a piano in front of her parents, Madeleine, and Madeleine's parents. Lorelai repeats the mistakes she'd made in Hana's childhood, trying to push Hana into parading her skills in front of guests. Hana refuses without much success, but Lorelai doesn't seem to be really listening to her. At this point, the MC gets to intervene and Xinghai agrees, leading Hana to open up about wanting to share her skills by choice rather than being forced to do so, and Lorelai apologizes...yet again. There is some talk about parenting from Adeleide and Godfrey who are watching this exchange, and we find out that Madeleine is now Royal Communications Director. Once the parents have left, Madeleine stays behind to apologize to Hana for the bullying she meted out to the latter during the Engagement Tour, and Hana tells her that Madeleine will have to earn her forgiveness. Madeleine then promises to ensure that no one harms Hana in court (hah). Once she leaves, Hana joyfully plays piano for the MC herself.

If you're married to Hana, the end of the scene has a few changes. Instead of jokily throwing pillows at each other, they jokily argue over who the best wife is instead (for each, it's the other). The tune Hana plays for the MC as her wife is different from what she plays as her friend. The friend version has her play the upbeat TRR theme tune, and the LI version has Hana play what the narrative calls a "slow, sultry tune"...which turns out to be the mournful TRR theme tune. What, is being married to Hana supposed to be an occasion for sadness now?? Because you're definitely succeeding in making it look like that.

What I Think: I guess I should be happy that Madeleine's behaviour was addressed at all, though it was clearly a rushed, last-minute job that happened because of some amount of arm-twisting. It's also nice that they bring us full-cirlce by referencing Hana's piano scene in Book 1, and showing that rebuilding her relationship with her parents (she shouldn't have to, but this is clearly the way the writers WANT to go) is going to be an agonizing, painful process. They show the parallels between Hana's upbringing and Madeleine's upbringing as well - it's not a parallel I'm happy seeing, but I was aware they were going to take that route way back in Book 2.

That said, there are things that won't let me enjoy the scene. One is that at this point, I'm not seeing Lorelai learning or growing enough. I know this might be an attempt to show that these things take time, but the Lorelai scenes are honestly getting repetitive and exhausting. And as someone who has been where Hana has been? Right down to family members who accept they need to be better but don't actually? I can tell you it's fucking exhausting to have to deal with that again and again and again. For Hana's sake at least I wish I could actually see her LEARN from what she's done and ACTIVELY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Now we go to my biggest problem with this scene. Madeleine.

It's good that she confesses to her motives and accepts Hana's decision. It's good that Hana gets to be firm about not forgiving her until SHE is comfortable doing so. It's good that Hana sees her own forgiveness as something that should be earned - not by a paltry two-minute apology but through genuine effort. But the problem for me lies in two areas:

1. Madeleine's Excuses: That's exactly what they are - excuses. Madeleine claims that she wanted to "break" Hana in an effort to get her to shed her "nice act". Which is bullshit. Even if Hana's kindness was an act...was she hurting anyone? Was her "act" actually causing harm? Madeleine's actions exceeding even Hana's perceived crime. What business was it of Madeleine's to rip this woman apart based on her own assumptions? And if she recognized that Hana was genuinely good, why was she okay with minimizing what she did to her? We can bring a thousand excuses about her sexuality and her upbringing and how hard all of this was - it doesn't make the gravity of what was done to Hana and the ridiculousness of Madeleine's claims any less.

2. The MC's Fake Self-Righteousness: This bit was perhaps the most jarring part of the entire exchange. By default, when Madeleine speaks about wanting to break Hana, the MC seems furious. But it's more than that. The MC sounds like she's hearing these words for the first time.

The only good thing about it is that Madeleine calls her out on it. But besides that, it just...makes all the MC's claims about being there for Hana and having Hana's back ring so false. One of my biggest problems with this whole series of events was how much the MC herself minimized and diluted what Hana went through at Madeleine's hands. How little she seemed to care about arming her friend with the entire, unvarnished truth. To have her act all protective in front of Hana now, to pretend like she'd never heard those poisonous words...that's just a whole other level of shady. It reflects even worse on the MC if they're married, because dafaq kind of wife are you if you couldn't arm your wife emotionally against this snake of a human being? That would be a major disservice to Hana-romancers who hated the way Madeleine treated her, and Hana stans in general because they weren't given a fair chance to properly protect and support Hana. Instead for the most part they'd be forced to choose the least worst options, rather than ones they were truly happy with. It sucks.

Liam: A short but significant scene. You find Liam in conversation with his stepmother Regina, and greet them. She is happy and proud of Liam and the MC, and everything they have achieved. She thanks you, and you can choose to either respond positively or maintain that she should have trusted you in the first place. Either way, she responds with grace, and then leaves. You speak about not having seen the throne room much, and Liam opens up to you about not being able to come here without being haunted by his memories of his father. He confesses to struggling with moving on from Constantine's death, understandably, and for the first time, feels safe enough emotionally to cry in the MC's presence.

If you're married to Liam, Regina speaks about how you two as a couple remind her of herself and Constantine, and expresses happiness in the changes you have brought about in Liam. Furthermore, the conversation about Constantine is extended to involve Liam and the MC's own plans for a family, and how they will strive not to repeat Constantine's mistakes. This is a fitting throwback especially to the date scene with Liam, where he speaks about how he wants a family where everyone is open to each other.

What I Think: I'd been silent for a long time about things in Liam's storyline that have disappointed me, mostly because I felt that given my LI was the central LI I fared better than most (and it's true - I did). But it doesn't change the fact that I am disappointed they didn't explore his potential. Neither his fiancée nor his friends nor his family paid enough attention to his own emotional state, and where the narrative could have had us tackle his demons they failed in creating opportunities for us to do so. A single tear slipping down his cheek is something, but to me it presents similar issues to Hana's last scene - that it is a rushed job of a journey that could have been resolved step by step, that could have been given some attention. I'm happy we got to see the statesman behind the lover, but doesn't mean it should be one or the other. There was enough room to balance out both and actually address his trauma and his health, yet it was ignored for the most part.

That said, this scene was poignant on its own, and I always love it when there are little moments of bonding between Liam and Regina, because I think that relationship itself is quite underrated.

• Now that we have finished checking up on everyone, we take one last look at the ballroom that held so many memories - sweet and horrific - for us, before Mara tells us it's time to get into the carriage for our honeymoon.

• We say goodbye to all our allies first (and get to hug Olivia if we want), and then to our friends who are waiting at the carriage. There's a lovely little group hug, and if you bought the horse she will be the one drawing the carriage. If you've bought the corgi, he also gives you a fond goodbye before you leave. As do the Cordonian citizens by default.

• The carriage scene is a beautiful private moment, because each LI gets to explore the moment they first met the MC, and how incredibly fortunate they are to have been on this journey together. All of them speak of the incredible odds they faced together, and how they will be willing to face them all over again if it meant a lifetime with the MC. It's a touching emotional moment, and all the four scenes have been written lovingly. The final lines of this book are the kind that stay with you, long after the book is finished:

LI: Is this moment everything you wanted it to be? (or some such variation, depending on your LI)

MC: No...it's better.

General Thoughts:

• Even if you choose every single wrong option possible, the story ends well for you. You don't get people to support you and very few people besides the ladies of the court and your immediate friends and LI's family make it to the wedding, but somehow they magically appear at the reception. Regardless of how badly you performed, your final actions fighting Anton earn you the Champion of the Realm title anyway, and in this case it's an unfair advantage to give. But the thing is this: every single LI in this group showers praises over you no matter what you do. That's the way this particular story goes, and it's written such that it won't go any other way no matter how much you try. The MC in a lot of cases is a reflection of the player, and at the end of the day I think they want the player to leave this story happy with their journey, even if it's too ridiculous to be true.

• This is a fitting end to the series overall: it allows us to explore everyone else's endings, has great parallels with the past, and allows us enough wiggle room to imagine our MC's future with their spouse. With regards to QTs, I still have Book 1 to complete, but I'd like to get some distance from the series itself first before I tackle it again.

Final Thoughts:

When I started this book last year, I got in completely expecting to be bored. Bored and totally not invested. I gave my MC the name I felt the least connected to (Alice Bennet), and barely gave much thought to which LI I would pick. However, something always brought me back, something always got me looking forward to the next chapter. Thus began my love affair with this book.

There are a lot of reasons why this book grew on people. The intrigue hidden behind this fairytale-like frame story. The little connections between this series and TCaTF, one of their most popular flagship books. The camaraderie between the members of the core group themselves. The way even the not-so-nice characters grew on you. The way each LI had something unique to bring to the table. Somehow...even the people who couldn't be bothered about the series could find something they would have even a passing interest in.

Do I miss this book? A little. This book got me back into writing essays - something I always loved doing - and fanfic. I got to learn so much, explore so much, and contribute so much thanks to my fondness for it, and for the fandom that seemed to love it as much as I did.

Am I sad it's gone? Well, in some ways yes. But I'd rather it did when it had to instead of being dragged along, and I would rather not see the writers destroy the characters they had zero interest in, further (I love this book - but I also love it enough that I will never forget to point out where it fucked up). I think it had a good run, lasting more than a year, and it ended well.

For better or for worse, I'm glad I got to be a part of this journey.

#the royal romance #long post #Liam x MC #king liam #hana x mc #hana lee #Maxwell x mc #Maxwell beaumont #drake x mc #drake walker #Olivia nevrakis #bertvannah #Bertrand Beaumont #Savannah walker #lady kiara #lady penelope #countess madeleine #trr quick thoughts #quick thoughts

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