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onceupona-chaos · 3 years

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What we know about the next plot

(And why it won't be in Illyria)

I decided to make this post with the breadcrumbs in ACOSF that could be used to indicate the plot of the next book. I would take ACOFAS, ACOSF and both bonus chapters into consideration.

This would be divided in Illyria, Main Plot, Subplot and characters' development.

Note: Firstly, English is not my first language, so forgive me for any mistakes. Secondly, we have strong textual evidence that points to the next book being about Elain. So if that's not your cup of tea, be warned (But destiny arrives all the same).

Be kind!

ILLYRIA'S PLOT

First things first, we learn at the beginning of ACOSF that Cassian spent four months dealing with the Illyrians's rebellion and we get to see the results:

"So the Illyrians were at peace—or as peaceful as a warrior society could be, with their constant training. Which was what Rhys wanted."

The Illyrians's conflict is not a problem that was pushed aside to be solved later, but it's already solved. Cassian had already dealt with it, which makes sense since he is the one who often shows faith regarding the Illyrian people, a very different vision from Azriel's. I'll get to that.

So Kalon is dead, and so is this plot line. For many reasons SJM solved the Illyrians' rebellion, but there is one that connects with the bigger picture:

And with the wall gone, who knows what other Fae territories might make a grab for human lands?” My jaw tightened at that last one“This peace is tenuous.”

“I know that,” Az said at last.

“So we might need the Illyrians again before it is over. Need them willing to shed blood.”

This dialogue between Rhysand and Azriel is back in ACOFAS, which is the book SJM already said that there's a lot of breadcrumbs for the next books. If a war it's coming, we need to have the biggest army ready to fight. And it's not the first time she mentioned a new coming war.

MAIN PLOT

The conflict

So, the next book won't be about Illyria. Not only SJM made that clear, but she also already told us to what direction the next book is going:

“We’ll deal with all that later.” Including the remaining queens, Koschei, and a still-looming war.

SJM basically told us what is coming: a war in which Koschei is the main villain. That makes sense considering he's a potencial treat since ACOWAR.

So he's our main villain… and every villain has a motivation.

Koschei's motivation

The Trove is the new element SJM presented in ACOSF and in some level it is responsible to move the plot forward. We know for a fact that Bryllian wasn't the only one interested in the Trove:

“And all Koschei wants is to be free from his lake?” Rhys asked Azriel.

But Amren answered. “No one really knows the full scope of the Trove’s powers. Beyond freeing him from his lake, Koschei may very well know something about the Trove that we don’t—some greater power that manifests when all three are united.”

Koschei wants to be freed from his lake, and to do that he needs the Trove. So far, Nesta has found the Three objects and used them at the same time (chills, literally chills). If we were certain the Trove was safe with The Night Court, all we had to expect would be an attack from Koschei, probably using Beron (I'll get to that). However, SJM already told us there's another possibility:

"...when I went into the Prison, only three remained. At the time, some claimed there were four, or that the fourth had been Unmade, but today’s legends only tell of three.”

A fourth object lay on the altar, veiled in shadow. But she couldn’t make out more than a gleam of age-worn bone—

“There was a fourth object in the vision, but it was in shadow—was there ever a fourth part of the Trove? All I could make out was a bit of ancient bone.”

At this point, it's clear. The fourth object wasn't Unmade. It's out there somewhere and we will see more of it. Most of us already pointed out that the object was hidden in shadows, which could mean a connection to Koschei or Azriel.

If we consider Azriel (since he has a POV, so it would make sense), he can't find the Trove alone, the same way Cassian couldn't enter the chamber with Nesta. To find the Trove, you need to be Made:

“Made objects tend to not wish to be found by just anyone"

This is another reason why Koschei needed Briallyn: she was Made.

He pointed Briallyn toward the Dread Trove—not for her sake, but for his own ends.

Stopping the villain

If the villain wants some object to spread evil, the heroes have to stop him by finding the object first. Obviously. So someone needs to go look for it. It won't be Azriel alone and it won't be Nesta, because we know she won't be the main character anymore.

So who is the only next person who can find the Trove?

“You,” Amren said quietly, “are the same. So is Elain.”

Elain. With SJM, it's always the female character who moves the plot forward. Not the male.

Like it or don't, the Forth Trove needs to be found and she's the one who will do the job. There's a reason why Elain is the common denominator in both bonus chapters. Both of them are preparing Elain for her arc by: 1) Explicitly saying we haven't seen all she has to offer yet and 2) Preparing the reader for the romantic plot of the next book (that will involve her. Regardless who you ship, Elain is right in the center of that mess. Right now she is Azriel's love interest and Lucien's mate. That is not my opinion, those are facts)

There's another reason why it will be Elain: because we need to see her POV. When Nesta found both, The Mask and The Harp, we didn't see through Cassian's POV. He wasn't even close to the scenes.

So the fourth object won't be found from Azriel's POV, because he is not Made, he can't get close enough. He can help with his shadows, but the Trove will be found and rescued by a Made character.

It can't be found from Nesta or Feyre's either, because we know the next book won't be from their POVs. Amren wasn't Made in the same way, so she can't find it.

Elain is the only character who can and will. This is just textual evidence.

But finding the fourth Trove would be enough to stop Koschei? Probably not. Because we have another object to worry about, one that was presented back in ACOWAR:

"There is an onyx box that he possesses, more vital than anything".

Elain is the one who can see that onyx box using her Seer abilities. Maybe these two objects are connected, maybe not. Either way, Elain is the character who is most connected to both and to the plot right now.

So far, according to ACOSF the main plot is: Koschei is the villain and wants to be free from his lake, therefore he needs the Trove. There is a fourth object of the Trove hidden in shadows and the only person who can find is Elain.

Side note: in the process of finding the forth object, it's very possible that we get "new" plot lines. For example, the Fae people trapped under the Prison. But I will stick with SJM directions at the end on acosf here.

SUBPLOT

(I called "subplot" just for organization, but they are not separate things, one depends on the other)

But things are not that simple. Koschei is still bound to his lake, so he can't just go find the Trove himself. That's why he made an alliance with Bryllian in the first place. It's known then that he needs someone else willing to do his work. Who that person might be?

So far, that person is Beron:

"But with the queens a renewed threat, and Beron in the mix, especially if Koschei is their puppet master, Rhys is perfectly happy to leave it on"

My father is furious that his ally is dead, but he’s not deterred. Koschei remains in play, and Beron might very well be stupid enough to establish an alliance with him, too.

However, Beron is not just a puppet by any means. As a good antagonist, he has something to take from this, his own motivation. He wants to expand his territory.

“So they are trying to find this Dread Trove in order to track down the Cauldron for Briallyn, and likely free Koschei in the process. And launch a war, with Beron as her ally, that would grant them whatever territories they wish. Or give some to Koschei."

It's said Beron doesn't have the military strength alone to conquer another territory, with exception of Spring Court perhaps. So he needs alliances. And he's not the only one who has expansion plans:

I don’t think Vallahan is interested in peace. Or allying with us.”

“So Vallahan wants another war in order to add to their territory?”

Most people are forgetting about Vallahan, which is ruled by a queen. If we still have to deal with the "remained queens", maybe this queen could be a problem, too. I wouldn't be surprised if Beron allied with her to start a war.

Beron is not done. He will try to start a war. It makes sense why the penultimate chapter in ACOSF is about Eris, the Autumn Court heir. In order to deal with Koschei, we have to deal with the Autumn Court situation as well.

That being said, we have a "subplot" here involving the Autumn Court:

Beron can't be trusted;

He wants a war to expand his territory;

We were hinted he can allied with Koschei;

Eris has a deal with the Night Court to dethrone his father;

And Azriel's bonus chapter added the Blood Duel into this equation. Which means, involving the truth about Lucien's real father (here, I really tried to think in a way Lucien could get involved besides the Blood Duel and I couldn't find one, because our fox boy had cut any bond with Autumn Court even before ACOTAR).

That means... Elain is involved here as well. Whatever the direction you want to go, SJM build the next plot as if it is a cobweb around Elain, and we need her to move the plot forward.

Another side note: I know people think that there are other characters that could have a POV because they still have to work on their inner issues (basically any character in these books then). However, there's a bigger plot that can't be paused for one character only deal with that. The plot needs to keep moving forward. Besides, Elain is the only Archeron sister who we haven't seen her inner battle, her struggles, so this argument applies to her as well. Moving on.

So we have Beron, the remained queens, Vallahan and Koschei to worry about. There's no room for an Illyrian plot. SJM changed her mind for a reason: a story located for the most part in the Illyrians' mountains, an isolated place, can't move the plot forward and also because of a war is coming, the Illyrians are essencial (and because she wants the Inner Circle to be there. Also because of the white savior trope, but I will stick to the literary structure in this post).

CHARACTERS' DEVELOPMENT

Following the same line of through, I want to talk about why Azriel won't be involved with the Illyrians, not to help in a conflict. We have seen throughout the books that nothing good could come from Azriel dealing with the Illyrians.

"But they both knew Azriel would sooner disband and destroy Illyria than help it. Convincing their brother that the Illyrians were a people worth saving was still a battle amongst the three of them"

And this is not Cassian and Rhys' opinions only. We have seen this before, many times.

Azriel—Azriel just stared them all down. He had not wanted to come to the camp months ago. Disliked being back here. Hated these people, his heritage. The other lords kept glancing to the shadowsinger in dread and rage and disgust. He only leveled that lethal gaze back at them.

“The Illyrians are pieces of shit,” he said too quietly. I opened my mouth and shut it. Shadows gathered around his wings, trailing off him and onto the thick red rug.

These are just a few examples to say: Azriel dealing with them would be catastrophic. And I don't blame him, because he associates those people with eleven years he spent locked away alone with no light and the time he trained there, when he was a boy who didn't know how to fly, how to fight and the others beat the hell out of him.

His trauma is deep and no, he doesn't need to confront them to heal, to be developed as a character. Feyre didn't have a nice conversation with Tamlin, Rhysand didn't need to face Amarantha.

So far, all SJM characters have healed when sorrounded by people who love them, care for them and help them move on, and if they are main characters, they will heal with help of their love interest. They didn't have to go back and face what hurted them in the past. Examples: Feyre, Rhysand, Nesta, Cassian, Gwyn, Emerie. And on and on.

(I'm not saying all of them are totally healed, but their healing arc has already began)

Besides, I don't think for a second that it's only coincidence the fourth trove is hidden by shadows. Not when we have Azriel's POV, which is an indicator that he'll be one of the main characters.

Therefore, I do believe we are going to see his healing arc next since we got his POV (and boy, he needs one), but Azriel would rather be the Bone Carver's mate than deal with the Illyrians.

Azriel needs to be developed as a character to overcome his self loathing, yes. But that's not the way for him to find happiness, it would only hurt him further. You don't necessarily have to heal in the same environment where you got sick.

#acotar 5 #acosf spoilers #pro elriel #pro elain #elriel #a court of silver flames

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organic-guacamole · 3 years

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episode 209 spoilers below

I'm so late today but here it is

I love EJ, he's finally learning to be happy. I'm so proud.

Ms Jenn = every boomer during zoom calls, like jeez yes we can hear you stop shouting at me.

LOVE THE SUBTLE JOKE ABOUT QUARANTINE "these dark times" "you mean spring break?"

ah yes, remember when we thought covid was just gonna give us a longer spring break? good times

SEBLOS

damn the passive aggressiveness from Carlos and the absolutely over it tone from seb✋

CASWELL COUSINS!!!!! THEY'RE THE BEST!!!!

we needed more if this kind of goofiness for the first part of season 2 that only such an iconic duo can provide.

old old movies-

is it even that old, or is Nini being a gen alpha rn-

i choose to imagine EJ being scared of the movie and hiding in Ashlyn's shoulder while she keeps a straight face and then EJ pretending to be tough afterwards

aww redlyn are soulmates.... yknow, if gingers had souls

(please ignore me)

y'all saw how EJ's face *lit up* when Gina logged on? how dare you tell me he doesn't like her

ofc she's no damsel in distress, she's Gina porter, she's amazing.

so do we think she'd be the type to just glare at suspicious people? or bark at them

do they not know that Rini broke up? or is Ms Jenn just wanting Nini to suffer through her heartbreak to make her a better actress....

speaking of, why is Nini in the call? she's not in the show anymore. Unless she is, even after the rose and the song got cut, which would be so unfair to all those that auditioned properly before she even came back but whatever, she's the main character I get it 🙄

big red is a hero honestly, Nini better thank him for changing the subject like that

I can't-

i won't work you over the break-

this woman would 100% work her kids 24/7 if it was legal and idk how to feel about it.

YES GINA USE THAT CHARM

QUEEN

FRENCH QUEEN

SHE LEARNT FROM THE BEST (antoine obvi)

smh the airport lady, eavesdropping on Gina's call.

The way she was so happy to answer EJ's call, "eej"

I love them your honour.

EJ WITH PAINTED NAILS YES PLEASE

great now we need to see Gina, Ashlyn and EJ having a complete spa day and EJ getting really into it and Gina and Ashlyn take pictures of him when he's laying down in a robe with a mask and cucumbers on his eyes.

finally we get to see Gina's side of portwell

the way she considered it as flirting, this is the sign she asked for in episode 6 come onnnnn

no is Asher/jack really doing tiktok dances in an airport-

Ricky is me. I am burrito.

oh Lynne, sweetie, I'm sorry but the blonde hair is not it

is that even the same lady or-

THE BEAN

THE CHICAGO BEAN

THE BIG OLD METAL BEAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY 😭

jetlag is my go to excuse for anything... I haven't travelled in 2 years.

"welcome to the Lynne and Mike gossip show. where we talk about our depressed son that we both neglect in certain ways! And now a word from our sponsor, Nord VPN..."

SO MANY CANDLES

WHAT DEMON IS LYNNE TRYING TO SUMMON IN HIS ROOM-

is Nina becoming social media obsessed EJ from season 1? AND SHE LIED ABOUT HAVING SONGS TOO PLEASE WHY ARW THEY RECYCLING THE SAME PLOT-

Gina smiling at the picture of her family on Instagram makes me so happy, idek why.

EJ's nails are so pretty, we needed to see it more (unless he had it on for the rest of the episode and I just.... didn't notice🧍🏽‍♀️)

oh not the tiktok kid✋

yes ma'am end this strange mans whole tiktok career

sir take a hint and leave

GINA NO DONT SAY YOUR LAST NAME HE COULD BE A HUMAN TRAFFICKER

Ricky, walking in style✨

weird kid, ok then Lynne, can't you see he's this close to the edge?

not all your fault baby Ricky, Nini sucks a bit more

RICKY YOU DIDN'T COME DOWN HARD ON THE SONG-

YOU ASKED WHAT IT WAS ABOUT AND SHE SHUT YOU DOWN-

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF

ok but the deleting comment thing was very bad

still don't know if I like Jack honestly

hmmm so Nini's calling herself Nini instead of Nina in her little egg seat, while trying to write a song without inspiration.... Nini, honey, Ricky was your muse, he inspired you to write all those songs, even if it wasn't good for the relationship.

that doesn't mean you gotta get back with him, or that you can't write a song that not about him butttt it'll take some time

the rainbow sticker in her box and her rainbow shirt-

anyways wbk she's not totally straight

Jack are you a criminal?

quick, Gina, check his ankle for a tracker

THE YES AND PRACTICE STRIKES AGAIN

the way Gina wasn't into it in episode 6 but she's used the technique twice now

stole her grandma's Pomeranian-

Jack where the hell did you pull that out from-

the fake crying killed me, that looks like so much fun though

anyone wanna raid a first class lounge with me?

wait so is jack not gonna go in with her?

wouldn't he go in too? help look for the credit card? SO CONFUSED

the first class lounge guy was so into the drama though, watch his face when they start arguing 😭

sorry to break this to you Kourtney, but you haven't even blocked the second act yet soooo...

take that as you will

I love how all of them are totally dissing the dance off

that's the most realistic part of this show tbh

shouldn't Nini have asked how she knew....since the start? why is the fact that her best friend has knowledge of a North high secret now dawning on her...

Howie is sweet honestly, at least he's trying to help. but I stand with Kourtney, don't take him back just because he sang an amazing song, and is giving you a heads up on what's gonna happen...

KOURTNEY IS ME TRYING TO LEAVE AN ONLINE CLASS

I hate school

ooo Nini's writing a song about bad internet connection 🤩🤩🤩

I never lie, except when I do-

son that is the creepiest thing you could say to a stranger that you've been "helping"

2 truths and a lie👀

he's an Ariana fan 100%

called it.

OLDER BROTHER-

WHAT-

free spirit? damn so brother porter was in that horse movie

so has she been kissed or not?????????

I feel like she's moved more than 15 times though so possibly

but then if she's moved so much, and before east high she never opened up to anyone, she's never been kissed then?? damn

same though Gina so let's be besties please

heartbreak president is a great song title idea, give Nini a call rn

but wait

is the no strings attached feeling thing about her telling Ricky she liked him? she thought she was moving away so she thought it'd be no strings attached???

guys I think I figured it out insert the "I've connected two dots" meme

THE DUKE SWEATSHIRT

IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND'S

OMG I LOVE I LOVE

NOT THAT I KNOW OF???

ma'am did you just kill me

yes you did

Lynne and Ricky have such a weird relationship

YES IT DID SUCK

TODD SUCKS

LYNNE SUCKS

yeah I get that you wanted Ricky to like Todd BUT THAT WASN'T THE TIME

right so we already know that Ricky was so desperate to keep Nini cuz he didn't want to be like his parents, and now Lynne's talking about this-

Richard needs a long hug

yes Lynne, it is your fault. thank you for finally admitting it.

YES DYE YOUR HAIR

BLOND HIGHLIGHTS RICKY WILL RISE AGAIN

"sometimes the best, last thing you can do for someone you love, is let them go."

gotta admit I teared up at that point

not me thinking big red was calling ms Jenn cupcake for a hot second-

Carlos please omg, you're at the "beach" and they're leaving for the pool?

also, why not just do the call from the hotel room please omg

"don't ask me"

"Carlos"

OMG WHAT HAPPENED

big red wants the tea

O M G

SEB IS JEALOUS

JEALOUS SEBBY IS MY FAVOURITE THING IDC

I'm surprised ms Jenn knew how to give Nini permission to screenshare tbh

So lily's been stalking the East high kids and spending time editing this video while she's supposedly in an immersion trip.... right

EJ and Ashlyn's picture is so chaotic, what even is happening there

"slacking off" bestie its spring break, obviously they're confident enough that they'll get it done in time so why not focus on your own musical.

jealous seb = sassy seb

please what if those guys Carlos is posing with are his cousins or something and that's why he's so confused about Seb

6 YEAR OLD EJ I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM

Nini saying she's obsessed with her ex, that's not weird at all 👍

I can just tell Matt had a blast harassing Julia with those puppets.

Jack please dont be like that, "yet"

chances are you'll never see eachother again 🥰

(honestly sometimes I really miss those friends I made on trips and stuff when we'd spend the day or week together, only to never see them again....those were the good days though)

Ashlyn and Nini should write more songs..... something better than this one at least

Nini: "im good"

cue the Tia Mowry (please I can't spell) crying gif

oh I forgot Ricky was in the show for a hot second

1. where did Gina get to film this without people being around

2. did she just... randomly change her clothes???

ok but the transition between Carlos and EJ

*chefs kiss*

now everyone shut up, EJ's singing

oh i think I'm pregnant

HIS MUSCLES

YES KOURTNEY

I love how big red and Kourtney went from being "the best friends™" to the couple in season 1, to kinda close themselves and having their own plots

sebby makes me so happy

props to biggies editing skills honestly

PORTWELL BEING SIDE TO SIDE I CANT

AND SEBLOS OMG

big red lives for the drama

"wow" so true Ricky

no he is not cute, stop it

"holding" ok that's kinda cute

yeah EJ's a lucky guy😌

jokes aside, it's not that hard to exchange numbers-

keep in touch if you want

ok I really like Jack now

if he comes back in season 3, maybe have him be LGBTQ+ ?

like the only out characters they have rn are Seb and Carlos and they're like the sterotypes, yk?

I'd love to see jack kinda break the mold

Ricky's breaking my heart

that song just hurts

the only thing

now I don't hate Lynne????????

HOW DARE THEY WRITE IN A PROPER REDEMPTION ARC FOR HER

UGH IM SUPPOSED TO HATE HER FOREVER

I mean I don't live her now but she's good

but honestly

"mom can I show you something"

IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL

THE PICTURE AND EVERYTHING OMG

I'm sobbing please help

Gina saying she's just waiting for the right guy and then EJ coming to the airport to pick her up late at night without her asking, offering to bring her back in the morning so she won't have to Uber, bringing her a granola bar (WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE FORGOT TO PACK) and without expecting anything in return???

ms ma'am you've got a keeper right there

her smile at the end was so heartwarming I really can't.

this episode was great.

it felt really short but I liked it, great character development for Ricky, Lynne and Gina.

Cant wait for next episode to see more of EJ being the ideal boyfriend /hj

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts season 2 #hsmtmts spoilers #ej caswell #ricky bowen #gina porter #seblos #nini salazar roberts #jack hsmtmts #carlos rodriguez #seb mathew smith #kourtney greene #big red #ashlyn caswell #caswell cousins #portwell will be the death of me #guac's episode text blocks :)

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hacawijo · 3 years

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The Most Story/Technical/Writing-related Reasons I Think Elriel Will Happen

AND Why Comparing Elain/Azriel to Nesryn/Chaol doesn’t make a ton of sense

Chaol and Nesryn, in the Throne of Glass series, did not have the stakes and chemistry set up by the story for the switch to Chaorene and Nestaq to not make sense. See reblogged post below from @mardereads19 for my inspiration - such a concise and helpful layout!!!! Thank you! And thank you to the poster who inspired them 🤪😌

Chaol and Nesryn-

— Stands to Gain —

— their individual happiness in romantic love/a successful relationship with someone in whom they’ve indicated romantic interest.

— for Chaol - the opportunity to move on from Aelin and be happy without her

— for Nesryn - aside from finding happiness re: above, nesryn doesn’t stand to gain anything more specific from their relationship (as far as we know up until the next book - we don’t know enough about her for her personal stakes to be significant to us)

— Obstacles —

— Chaol’s self-blame and self-loathing

— Chaol’s still healing heart after Aelin (but, NOT the possibility of Chaol and Aelin re-entering into a romantic relationship)

— the stress of their duties and responsibilities (I.e. needing to focus on getting support for the war with the valg)

— Overarching Consequences —

there is nothing about the two of them being together that will have overreaching negative side effects on many other people as of the end of the prior novel.

——

NOW, Chaol and Yrene - their stakes and consequences did need to be mapped out over one book, so we’ll talk about them as of the first 2/3rds of the book or so, bearing in mind that that is much less time to build effective stakes for a couple (not that it’s not doable, but the stakes are automatically less for the audiences if they can go through the initiation and resolution in one book).

Except they had the added help of four prior books with Chaol as a main POV character - thus his character’s personal stakes are higher.

— Stands to Gain —

— Chaol - his physical, emotional, and mental healing are directly rooted in his relationship with Yrene. He stands to lose any shred of hope, health, closure, and possibility of leg mobility that he has left. (We have absolute confirmation of this from Chaol’s direct POV)

— Yrene - the opportunity to come to terms with her anger and sorrow over the loss of her mother and country by opening up to a man who was not personally responsible for any of it but who was intrinsically linked to those who were (a personal stake we have absolute confirmation of from Yrene’s POV in the book)

— For Both - the chance to have a loving, successful relationship and life together with someone they love.

— Obstacles —

— Yrene’s (not unreasonable) prejudice against Adarlan

— Chaol’s self-blame, self-loathing, and general belief that he can’t and shouldn’t be happy. And his frustration with his legs and recovery process.

— Prince Kashin’s interest in and proposal to Yerene; as well as Yrene’s relationship with Hasar and the rest of the royal family.

— Chaol’s relationship with and obligation to Nesryn.

— The physical distance between their regular homes and duties and their commitment to those duties as taking priority over everything else.

— Overarching Consequences —

- the loss of Kashin’s support and thus the loss of the empire’s military and aid and support in the war with the Valg.

SO, as you can see, Yrene and Chaol’s relationship ultimately had more for them to gain, overcome, and risk, thanks to Sarah’s writing, but also thanks to Nesryn and Chaol as characters and in their very specific circumstances. If Chaol and Aelin had still been a viable relationship by the start of this book, it would have been VERY difficult to establish a successful HEA between Chaol and Yrene.

NOW, let’s compare Elriel, Elucien, and Gwynriel- I think you’ll find that Elriel has the highest stakes, followed by Elucien, and then Gwynriel. AGAIN, this is not to say that those stakes couldn’t be altered over the course of the next book (though POV confirmations will probably inform this a lot), but it would take much more work and page acreage.

Elriel:

— Stands to Gain —

- For both - personal happiness in a loving and successful relationship with someone they love or are at least deeply attracted to/interested in as confirmed by Azriel’s POV chapter and Elain’s arousal and supported by 3.5 books worth of (let’s call it) circumstantial evidence 🙃

- Azriel - the chance to move on from Mor and feelings of loneliness and lack of self-worth he’s had for 500 years. (Hopefully - we have partial confirmation of this gain given scattered evidence from Azriel’s POV chapter and that cassian and others have noticed that Azriel doesn’t pine after mor as much/at all anymore and in moments in the text where Elain has specifically not recoiled from him/judged him - I.e. seeing his scarred hands)

- Elain - the chance to find a partner she loves and would choose and who loves and accepts her for who she is now and will be in the future (hopefully - we have partial confirmation of this gain given the evidence that she chose to pursue romantic/sexual physical touch with Azriel in that moment in the bonus chapter and the moments where it has been explicitly stated that Azriel sees Elain/notices things about her that others don’t)

- For both (but moreso for Azriel than Elain) - the chance to be with someone who will not take them away from their home and will in fact connect them even more with their brothers/sisters, current loved ones, and friends.

— Obstacles —

- Elain’s mating bond with another male that is not (yet) broken

- Her bond with a male who is essential to the continued safety and peace of the night court/their home and who is close with Feyre, and who is a genuinely good person who doesn’t deserve to be hurt.

- Rhys, his high lord and superior, forbidding Azriel from spending time with Elain.

- the remnants of Azriel’s feelings for Mor and Elain’s feelings for Graysen.

- Azriel’s belief in his lack of worthiness for Elain (see: Bonus Chapter POV)

- Azriel’s work as spymaster as a priority and the dangers both he and Elain face as a powerful Illyrian with a dangerous job and a Made female high fae who can wield/access the cauldron and related objects, who sees the future, and whose existence is known by malevolent forces.

- Potential misunderstanding around Azriel regifting Elain’s necklace to Gwyn.

— Overarching Consequences —

- Blood duel - the potential death of Azriel and/or Lucien in a duel put forth either by Lucien or forced by his not actual father.

- the potential loss of support from the spring court, the day court and/or the band of exiles as well as the potential end of a shaky neutrality with the autumn court and secret alliance with Eris. All of which could lead to war and the deaths of everyone in the night court.

Elucien -

— Stands to Gain —

- For both - personal happiness in a loving and successful relationship with someone they love. (And this is generously assuming mutual interest of which we truly do not have confirmation)

- For Elain - relief from her loneliness/ feeling of being unseen (hopefully - see above parenthetical)

- For Lucien - relief from his loneliness/feeling of being unappreciated (hopefully - see above parenthetical)

- A successful mating bond for both of them

— Obstacles —

- Elain’s now-confirmed sexual/potentially romantic feelings for Azriel

- Elain’s residual feelings for Graysen

- Lucien’s potential feelings for Vassa

- Current physical distance of the places they call home.

- Displayed lack of chemistry/mutual interest/trust/effective communication/understanding

— Consequences —

- Maybe violence between Lucien and Azriel but that seems much less likely than in the case of Elriel.

Gwynriel

— Stands to Gain —

- For both - personal happiness in a loving and successful relationship with someone they love. (And this is generously assuming mutual interest of which we truly do not have confirmation)

- Azriel - the chance to move on from Mor and feelings of loneliness and lack of self-worth he’s had for 500 years (hopefully- not much evidence one way or another that he would gain this from a relationship with Gwyn (one way or another!! Not saying a relationship with Gwyn COULDN’T help him gain those things))

- Gwyn - the chance to move on from her past trauma and be happy with someone who appreciates her and whom she implicitly trusts (hopefully - not much evidence one way or another - see above)

— Obstacles —

- Azriel’s residual feelings for Mor

- Azriel’s current and enflamed feelings for Elain and their reciprocation

- Gwyn’s lack of interest in romantic companionship either because she’s not interested in it or because of her trauma (we have no confirmation from the text that Gwyn even wants a romantic relationship - let alone the reasons she may or may not have for the answer to that question)

- HALF OBSTACLE - Azriel’s potential belief in his lack of worthiness for a romantic relationship with anyone (I’m calling this a half-obstacle because we don’t actually have confirmation that Azriel believes he is unworthy of anyone and/or Gwyn - we only have confirmation that he believes himself unworthy of touching Elain and the perspective of others that he believes he doesn’t deserve Mor)

— Overarching Consequences —

- A potential fracture in Azriel’s relationship with someone who does not want to see Elain hurt (and even this loses teeth because Nesta is the most likely person to turn on Azriel for this and she loves Gwyn just about as much as she loves Elain, so it would be very difficult for her to assert a position either way) ALSO, this consequence isn’t relevant to Elriel because, as of now, we do not have confirmation that Gwyn even has feelings for Azriel so there’s no saying she would be heartbroken if he entered into a relationship with Elain, and certainly it would not be the same level of distress as it would be for Elain since Elain and Azriel have already declared interest in each other.

Alrighty, so, this is not a 100% reassurance of anything, but it’s important to think about plot and the work Sarah will have to do over 700 pages. If Gwynriel is endgame, she will need to address all of the gains and obstacles around Elriel (because it has been established throughout the books and confirmed as a relationship by the bonus chapter) and THEN build larger gains and more dramatic obstacles and consequences for Gwynriel that rival Elriel in emotional and world stakes, and THEN overcome those obstacles in a way that is satisfying and that leads to satisfying gains for the characters.

For an Elriel book, however, most of the gains have already been established by previous books and would thus not require as much development and the obstacles have already been established and could be addressed immediately (as in they would not need to be further outlined).

That’s a lot less stuff to get done in the same amount of book. One thing that could help Gwynriel in this case is if they had an added subplot in another book that actually comes before the Elain/Azriel/Lucien resolution (I.e. a book about Mor) and a lot of work was done there first as well as in the main plot book. That would still take a lot more emotional work for the characters and reader than to pursue and resolve Elriel.

The reason it was different for Chaol and Yrene is that there was not a particularly well-established relationship/ship story for Nesryn and Chaol as much as there is for Elain and Azriel (tbh, Chaol’s relationship with Aelin was probably a deeper emotional obstacle in his relationship with Yrene) AND we had already had 4 books of POV character development for Chaol. Whether you liked him or not, we had spent a lot of time with his character and he was one of the first three main characters in the series - we knew a lot about him.

On the other hand, Azriel has only had one bonus POV chapter (the rest of what we know about him being second- or third-hand through the perspective of other characters) and he will have had about 3.5 books of development before his starring book (unless his book is not next) and then it was only as a side character. The same can be said for Elain, though without the bonus POV chapter and with a bit more book-mileage for us to go on. We only have one book of side character development for Gwyn (though it is perhaps more significant than the average of Az and Elain’s 2nd- and 3rd- degree perceptions from other characters as Az and Elain spend a lot of time in the other books as tertiary characters (Mor or Rhys is to Feyre what Gwyn is to Nesta, Elain or Azriel is to Feyre what Elain or Azriel is to Nesta).

So, total, as readers we do ultimately have a little more stake in Elain and Azriel as individual characters and combined (based on length of establishment in the series and level of involvement in the series) than we do in Azriel and Gwyn combined. But more than either of those couples, we had stake in Chaol and Yrene because, again, we’d been with Chaol as a main POV character for 4 prior books, and Yrene is a POV character in the book in question. It is definitely possible that Gwyn will at least also become a POV character for the next book/books, but there is not as much evidence to support that as there is to support that Elain will become a POV character (given what Sarah has said in lives, Elain’s establishment as a character and the fulfillment of the three sisters’ POVs, the Feyre bonus chapter’s focus on Elain, Elain’s totally unresolved role in Azriel’s bonus chapter, and the general lack of resolution for all of her character’s secondary and tertiary growth in ACOSF as opposed to the amount of closure with which Gwyn finishes the book).

As for Elucien, even more work would need to be done to develop their stakes in each other than in Gwynriel, because from what we can possibly know based on text and secondary and tertiary perspectives of their relationship they are actually DISINCLINED toward each other. At least Azriel and Gwyn have an established, positive rapport.

So these are the real technical, plot-y reasons that I believe the Elriel situation is very different from the Chaol&Nesryn situation, and much more likely to happen than Elucien and/or Gwynriel. Wow this is long, but I hope it reassures some of you and creates opportunities for respectful thought and discussion between shippers!

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a-cluttered-gordon-freeman · 3 years

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Unclouded Days, because I'm not an idiot and I definitely remembered this story exists, part 3.

Part 1 | Part 2

"If I wanted to have a family... I'd have it with Alyx... Or Barney... But for right now...."

Gordon looked up from his journal. Taking a glance at his clock, he noted the date and time. 6:37 a.m. on a cold Thursday, April 13.

It had been a whole 2 months since he last visited Alyx and Barney. Gordon could remember the chill of the incoming blizzard as he trudged through the snow, and he remembered the chill coming back home afterwards.

His cabin was a safe haven away from the chaos of the society he helped create. Gordon wanted nothing to do there. He wanted to be by himself, for all too long he had been surrounded by people and he couldn't stand it. He thoroughly enjoyed the moments spent being away from everyone, where he was on his own, doing whatever. Nobody would boss him about. He wouldn't have to fight.

Barney had brought up a good point, but by accident. Gordon had mocked Barney by making such claims as having a family. And with Barney asking if he had one, Gordon spent long nights thinking about it.

No, he didn't have one, but Gordon couldn't deny that he had thought about having one, and having some kids of his own. He was still young enough to, but with whom? Barney would say yes, he and Gordon were always intimate with each other and would be asked constantly at Black Mesa when they'd marry. But it'd rule out children, as niether of them could reproduce with each other. Alyx would be uncertain about getting married, probably, mostly because she didn't know to the fullest what it meant. And niether of them felt a strong attraction towards each other, so would it even be considered a real loving relationship?

Gordon took another look at the clock. 7:15 a.m.. Temperature dropped a few degrees in the cabin. He sighed.

Another night wasted.

Closing the journal, Gordon stood up and stretched before opening the window to let it the sun and some fresh air. He stared outside, some animals crossing in and out of his vision, the leaves from last fall stuck down under the remaining snow. It was cold out, but the kind of cold one craved for in the spring. A nice and peaceful morning with a slight chill, the forestry just now waking up with snow melting around, providing nutrients to the life nearby.

He felt tired. Not unusual, as he lost quite a bit of sleep since that week in February. But Gordon couldn't fall asleep.

It was the entire point of that journal. To write his thoughts until he felt as though he could sleep. Some nights he considered heading back over to Eli and Kliener, maybe chat a bit. But being 40-something miles away would mean he'd arrive there sometime by noon. Other nights he considered working on some projects he laid out. But that would mean Gordon would have to turn on the other lights- all that artificial light would keep him up more than the red-light alarm he used to write in his journal. More often than not Gordon would just sit at his desk, writing away from 8 in the evening to 7 in the morning. The rare nights were when he didn't write in his journal, but instead bathed in the pitch black darkness.

Writing in the journal helped though. Gordon wouldn't have to worry about making sense to anyone, as long as it made enough sense to him. No need to appropriate a sentence, give it structure. It was a place where he could write what he was feeling, with no worry of harming anyone else.

Though sometimes Gordon wished he could actually tell someone, get advice or some help. It would have been useful as hell for him.

To ask for help gave Gordon the feeling of uselessness, a feeling he had been trying to avoid hard. To be told to do a thing gave him a purpose. So he did things that made him feel useful- took care of alien enemies for those that couldn't, provided backup to those who could, saved humanity, rebuilt society. Gordon did it all. There was no way he was going to ask anyone for help. He'd feel guilty as hell.

Gordon decided that he was done thinking such thoughts. And he had also decided that he would relax with a nice, warm shower, taking some time to ease off some stress.

Silence had been filling the lab. It was as if quiet things could become quieter, if it didn't make sound then it would start making other things stop making sound.

Alyx and Barney found it uncomfortable. The silence was deafening, and they could hear their thoughts much too clearly. It also provided a sort of laziness, a feeling of boredom, to the lab. A place once bustling with life and loud noises now only inhabited by two people with nothing better to do that they hadn't done forty times before.

"What if we went out of town for a bit?" Barney broke the silence, startling Alyx, who had been slowly falling asleep.

"What do you mean? To where?" She stretched.

"To Gordon's."

"I don't know, would he even like visitors right now? We have no way of asking him."

"Surprise visit?"

"We can't ask him, Barney! We've got no way to talk to him." Alyx rested her head on the table, letting out a drowsy sigh.

"I know where he lives." Barney said, causing Alyx to look over at him. "He had told me an approximation, he lives east near the giant trees."

"In the shack?"

"Yeah."

"Barney, thats forty miles away. We'd have to start early morning to arrive at his house with some daylight left. And besides, there is no way we'd be able to spend the night there, it has four rooms- a bathroom, a tiny bedroom, a kitchen and a main room."

Silence filled the lab once more. Alyx had a point, it was already too small for one person, much more with three. And there would be no way of confirming with Gordon if they could even get there- if anyone else saw them leave, and it would be a given that many people would see them leave, then Gordon's privacy would be violated by everyone else knowing where he lived.

It'd be rude to arrive uninvited, and unpleasant if he wasn't there or was too busy to let them in.

"Can't you talk to him?" Barney stared at Alyx, who sat up with exhaustion.

"How do you think I would be capable of that?"

"With that weird vort-connection-thingy you two have."

She took a moment to think. "I'm... Not entirely sure. I don't think I can."

"Should we ask a vortigaunt?"

Gordon finished dressing and took a seat on his bed. He was disappointed. His bath hadn't helped to relieve any stress whatsoever, instead he was convinced it added more and made it worse.

Which... Isn't good when you are a sleep-deprived physicist who has just been to a version of hell and back at one moment and wiping the enemy off the face of the planet.

His clock now read 9:00 a.m. exact. He could take a walk around the forest, or maybe cook up something.

Or, instead, he could lay in bed, the window open, the covers over him. Which is what Gordon did.

It made the annoying sleeplessness much worse but one could not deny the relaxing comfort it brought. And slowly, just so slowly, Gordon began to drift off to sleep.

"You can communicate feelings and pain without words, but you cannot talk to the Freeman directly." The vorts had answered, causing a sigh from Alyx and Barney.

"Well, then, fuck how are we supposed to get him now?" Barney huffed.

"We wait until he decides to come over." Alyx replied, getting up to go back to the lab.

"Have either of you decides to meet the Freeman yourselves?" A vort inquired, walking up to Alyx and Barney.

"No." The both of them responded.

"It'd be rude to walk up to his house uninvited, seeing as others could follow us." Alyx look over at the vortigaunts, who gave the appearance of understanding.

The two left the vortigaunts and returned to their eerily quiet lab, where boredom struck again.

Gordon shot up, panting hard. Beads of sweat trailed down his face, his heart and mind racing. He glanced at the clock.

5:21 p.m. on a now warm April 13.

Gordon took a second to calm down. He couldn't remember what had caused him to be so hyped up. Was it a nightmare? Bad memory?

What ever it was, it was gone now. Gordon could be thankful for that at least.

Chest still pounding, Gordon took a second to gain his bearings and calm down. He found it extremely difficult to do such on his own. As a result, he went out on a walk. He found it best to take in the nature, listen to the trees and wildlife.

As much as Gordon would have liked to hunt, a gun would raise back past feelings of fear, anger and pain that the Resonance Cascade and the Uprising caused. He couldn't stand to hold such a weapon nowadays, the only reason he'd have one anymore is for safety purposes. But even then, Gordon would much rather fight with a knife.

Bored with his little house and, unfortunately, the forestry around him, Gordon set out to the lab. It was best for an escape, as he wasn't feeling all that great by himself.

It was daybreak by the time Gordon arrived at White Forest. He had taken some time to visit Eli and Kleiner, and had also gone for a bit of shopping in the main town. Once done with that,he made his way to the lab.

"Hey Barney."

Barney turned around and was greeted by Gordon.

"Gordon?"

"Yeah, I'd hope so. How have things been?"

Barney smiled. "Its been good. And you?"

"...not good." Gordon sighed and looked down a bit. "Haven't been getting good rest."

"Would you like to spend a few more nights here? At the lab with Alyx and I?"

"Yeah... I'd appreciate that thanks..."

Barney took Gordon's hand and led him to the lab, where Alyx greeted them both with an excited smile.

Gordon got set up in his old room again. Sitting upon his bed, he stared at the ceiling in silent contemplation. Closing his eyes, he began to silently cry, for no reason he could find.

When Alyx stepped into the room, she caught a glance of the tired and teary-eyed man. She took that as a moment to sit next to him and offer weak support.

Gordon glanced over to her and wiped off his eyes. "S-sorry..." he muttered weakly, his voice shaky as hell.

Alyx smiled. "No need to be sorry. Just let it all out."

END OF PART 3

---------

Heyo! Its yours true. I need help to try to make it towards the end by offerring your support for the story and reblogging/asking more about it/ messaging me! Rb>likes, and the reblogs offer me more motivation to continue writing the stories, and same would go for my ravenholm comics, that you can read at @returntoravenholm-awgag ! I'd appreciate all the support I can get from anyone! Thank you!

-marc

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justanobsessedfangirl · 4 years

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Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Chapter 3 - The Maze Runner Newt Fic

Request from aw0kenangel: Oh shit oh shit The angst 😳 GIVE ME THE ANGST -also question/kind of a suggestion or idea, maybe Thomas could come up in the box next and he and the reader spark a close friendship; ADDING TO THE ANGST HELL YEAH *ahem* sorry

Are you in my head? How’d you know Thomas was coming up ;)))))))

Request from Anonymous: i’m not sure if you’re taking requests but part 3 of the cheating newt one? if not sorry to bother. <3

I love receiving requests, don’t ever worry about being a bother!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

Once Bitten, Twice Shy Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Word Count: 3.6k

“Find anything new?”

You slowed to a stop as you came out of the Maze. Swiping at the sweat on your forehead, you shook your head at Minho. Your feet ached, your calves burned, and all you wanted to do was sit down, but you had to play your part in the conversation. “The new Greenie came up today, right?”

Minho nodded. It was strange to see him at this time of day, near sunset, not dirty from hours of running. It had been his day off, so he was clean and refreshed and exactly the opposite of you.

“How is he?” you asked. “Or she?” You felt your chest tighten, so slight it was almost unnoticeable. Is the Greenie another Margaret? Your heart thumped painfully against your ribs. Another Newt?

A month wasn’t enough time to adjust to your new reality. A reality where you didn’t kiss Newt, didn’t touch Newt, didn’t even talk to Newt. A reality where you avoided the only other girl in the Glade because every time you saw her you could imagine her lips on his.

You needed to move. You started for the Runner’s Hut, Minho matching your easy jog.

“He tried to run into the Maze.”

You laughed. “Maybe he’ll replace you.”

Minho snorted. “He’s a Slopper for sure.”

You reached the Hut with a smile on your face. “Does he know his name?” As you opened the door, you glanced back to see Minho shake his head. “He’ll get it eventually. Where is he now?”

Minho hesitated. When he finally spoke, his words were quick, like he was hoping they wouldn’t stick. “With Newt.”

You busied yourself getting paper and a pencil, trying to ignore the way your insides froze at the sound of his name.

“But he’ll be at the bonfire tonight. The Greenie. Not Newt. Newt doesn’t usually go anymore...” Minho trailed off.

Unspoken words hung in the air like a bad smell. He doesn’t go anymore because he’s afraid you’ll be there. You didn’t need anyone to tell you that; it was exactly why you didn’t go either.

With a shrug, you sat down. Relief flooded your legs. “I think I’m gonna call it a night after this. Maybe I’ll meet the Greenie tomorrow.” You started mapping the section of the Maze you ran that day.

Minho sat down next to you. “You haven’t been to a bonfire in a while.”

You shrugged again.

“It’ll be fun.” He paused. “You can still have fun, you know.”

Your teeth clenched. The next couple of lines you drew were dark, and you pressed the pencil tip so hard it almost snapped. “I don’t have time for that.”

Minho leaned back in his chair. “Yes, you do, Y/N, you just don’t want to. I know you want to get out of the Maze, but you need to relax sometimes too.” He stood up, walking behind you. “Your shoulders aren’t supposed to be up by your ears!” He put his hands on your shoulders and gave them a light squeeze.

You managed a small smile. You hadn’t realized how tense you were until Minho brought it up, but now, with his warm touch, you could feel how tight you were. Everything about you was coiled, ready to spring up and bolt if you needed to.

“There you go,” Minho said, rubbing your shoulders. “Much better. You have a neck again.”

You spun around and jabbed his side. Minho danced out of the way, cackling. He strode to the door, leaving you and your map.

“I’ll see you at the bonfire, Y/N!” he called over his shoulder as he ducked out.

Before you could think of all of the reasons why you shouldn’t go, Newt and Margaret and sleep and escape, you heard yourself agree.

The Runner’s Hut was silent after Minho left. You found yourself mapping faster, a small, hidden part of you eager to be with people, mingling around the fire, maybe indulging in a few sips of Gally’s moonshine. A while later, you were done drawing the path you took that day. You locked your map in the trunk with the others. For a few seconds, you couldn’t walk away. You lingered in the Hut, thinking of the maps, thinking of the Maze, thinking, thinking, thinking. Flames of anger licked at the edge of your mind. There was still so much to do. You were about to crack open the trunk again to see if you could piece anything together when you heard the faint roar of the Gladers at the bonfire.

Swallowing your feelings, you spun on your heel and left the Runner’s Hut.

Night had come while you were inside. A sliver of moon hung in the sky, thousands and thousands of stars surrounding it. You followed the smoky scent to the bonfire. Some boys sat on logs around it, chatting, but a large group was off to the side, forming a ring so thick you couldn’t see what was going on in the center. Their voices fought, shouts against cheers against insults. You heard, “Get him!” and “Shank!” and “Klunk!” and other, more barbaric jeers.

You spotted the back of Minho’s head and weaved your way around bodies as you approached him. When you got there, you jabbed a finger into his side, making him jump.

“You shank-” he whirled. A smile broke on his face when he saw you.

You mustered up the courage to smile back, despite the anxiety chewing at your nerves. Your eyes darted from Minho to the surrounding boys, hoping not to see Newt or Margaret, while also praying that you would see them, hopefully separate from each other, hopefully sad. Was that a flash of her hair, glowing red in the light of the fire?

Before you could get a better look, Minho looped an arm around your shoulder and steered you to his side. A couple of boys were still in front of you, blocking your way. “The Greenie’s in there with Gally!” Minho yelled over the noise. He forced himself between the pair in front of you, dragging you along.

“Sorry,” you called, ducking around elbows and slipping past long legs. When you finally faced the center of the circle, you were met with a scene of violence.

Gally’s hands were curled into meaty fists, the muscles of his arms on full display. His right hand was bloody, but you weren’t sure if it was his, because, scrambling up from the ground in front of Gally, was a bleeding boy you didn’t recognize. He had short brown hair and a split lip. Where Gally was strong the way Builders are, all mass and height and power, the Greenie was lean muscle, built for speed.

Gally lunged. The Greenie ducked out of the way in the nick of time, giving Gally a swift push in the side that sent him sprawling to the ground. The Greenie had time for a smile, a few seconds to relish in the wild applause, and then Gally, on his back in the dirt, delivered a sharp kick to the Greenie’s legs. The Greenie went down, his head slamming to the ground.

“Cheap shot,” you muttered to Minho.

Minho’s eyes were alight with excitement. “No one’s knocked Gally down for at least the past three bonfires.”

“Maybe the Greenie won’t be a Slopper after all.” You kept your eyes on the new boy. He was lifting his head, his lips moving, but you were too far and the crowd was too loud for you to hear anything. “What’s he saying?”

Around you, the boys were quieting as the Greenie stood.

“Thomas!” the Greenie said. “My name is Thomas!”

There was a beat of silence. Then, from across the circle, Alby pointed at the Greenie and yelled, “Thomas!”

The people around you took it up as though it was a war cry. “Thomas!” they shouted. “Thomas!” Just like that, the circle broke, a mob converging on Thomas to pat his back and shake his hand and let him know that he was one of you.

The swarm of people lasted only a few minutes, but the connection you felt with the other Gladers seemed like it would exist forever. You were one, welcoming Thomas into the sea. Minho was on your right and a Slicer, maybe Winston, was on your left, and in front of you was Clint holding two glasses of moonshine, and little Chuck was somewhere amongst you all, his high voice sounding a cheer that could be heard above the deeper tones of the other boys. For those few seconds, you were unified.

Eventually, people trickled away. Some went to the fire, others to the food, others to the drinks. Gally had disappeared, maybe going into hiding to nurse his wounded ego. Still standing where his triumph had taken place was Thomas, and next to him, you, Minho, and Chuck lingered.

“I’m Y/N,” you said. Now that you were close to Thomas, you could see he had brown eyes and a few moles dotted across his cheeks. He gave you a shy smile and nodded.

“I’m Thomas. In case you missed it.”

Chuck giggled. His face was red and his smile huge. “How could anyone miss that? I bet we woke all the Grievers!”

In an instant, the atmosphere shifted from cheerful to tense. You and Minho glared at Chuck. Blood drained from the boy’s face. He clapped his hands over his mouth.

“What’s a Griever? People keep mentioning them but they won’t explain,” Thomas said. He waited, but neither you nor Minho said a word. “No one answers any questions here.”

It’s for your own good, you thought, it’s safer this way. Sometimes you wished you didn’t know about Grievers. They were walking nightmares, armed with hundreds of different, painful ways to kill someone. It wasn't enough that you had to risk running into them in the Maze. They infiltrated your dreams. How many nights had you awoken in Newt's arms after seeing him get torn apart over and over again? Even now, when your relationship with him was so messy, you wished you could scourge that image from your mind. You wished you could forget about the Grievers.

But that would make you less aware in the Maze. It might even make you think that staying in the Glade was the right thing to do. So, as a Runner, it was your duty to remember the Grievers. To remember the danger. And, as you looked at Chuck, the youngest boy in the Glade, and Thomas, who was still new enough not to be stripped of his innocence, you recognized that it was also your duty to protect them from that knowledge.

“It was nice meeting you, Thomas.” You began walking away. Minho nodded at Thomas and joined you.

From behind, you heard Chuck’s voice, eager for redemption. “You should hang out with us on your next day off, Y/N!”

As you were turning around to give Chuck and Thomas a smile and an apology (like hell you were taking a day off any time soon) someone else spoke up.

“That’s a good idea.” Newt was approaching the group. He walked slowly, hesitantly. His shoulders were slumped like he was tired, and there was something about his face that seemed different.

You froze.

“I was looking at the schedule yesterday,” Newt continued. He wouldn’t look at you. His gaze was fixed on the ground, his features hardly visible in the dim light. Half of you wanted to see his eyes, while the other half wanted him to shut up and leave you alone. “You were supposed to rest three days ago.”

Your heart ached at his accent. You gritted your teeth and steeled yourself. “I wasn’t tired.” This was the first time you’d spoken since the time you’d rejected his apology. Pretty weak apology, you thought, remembering his excuse of never seeing another girl and getting “caught up”. In an instant, unresolved rage rushed through your body. You squeezed your fists. You needed to keep this in check. Not in front of the Greenie. Not in front of Chuck and Minho. Not at the bonfire.

“Minho, you know the protocol. She’ll get injured if you let her keep doing this.” Forgotten notes of protectiveness seeped into Newt’s voice. He couldn’t act like this anymore; not after what he’d done.

You opened your mouth.

Minho beat you. “I know.” He looked down at you regretfully. “I’m the Keeper. You need to listen to me if you want to keep your job. And if I want to keep mine.”

You stared at him, lips pursed together. Curses and insults bubbled in your mouth.

“You’re taking tomorrow off,” he said.

“I can’t take tomorrow off! I’m supposed to cover Hank’s section!”

Minho frowned. You wouldn’t look at Newt. You refused to.

“Fine. After tomorrow you’re taking a day off.” Minho’s tone was firm.

You wanted to argue. You wanted to turn on Newt and tell him off. You wanted to shake some sense into these people. Didn’t they understand how important this was?

“It’ll be fun, Y/N. You’ll like hanging out with us,” Chuck piped up. He sounded genuinely excited, if a little afraid that you’d start yelling at him. Next to him, Thomas stood silently, watching with intelligent brown eyes.

You deflated in a long exhale. “Fine.” You spat the word like it was poison. You gave Minho one last betrayed look, then walked away without a goodbye. Not to Thomas or Chuck, and definitely not to Newt.

The bonfire was over.

You ran angry the next day. With sharp eyes, you scanned every stone on the walls and ground, every patch of dirt, every tangle of vines. Even though you were in a different section, it was all still the same. There was nothing out of the ordinary. You weren’t expecting a glowing exit sign, but you did want something. This couldn’t be a puzzle without a solution.

At one point during the day, when the sun was still high overhead, you thought you heard a scream. It was faint, but it made you stop in your tracks, hold your breath, and wait to hear it again. After nearly a minute had passed with no new noises, you continued running.

Was the scream a sign? Should you try to run towards it? What if it wasn’t a scream, but the screech of metal as a new door opened?

Your legs moved faster. You searched every passage. Every nook and cranny and every dead end. And you found nothing.

You arrived back at the Glade early, sweaty and sore and disappointed. You’d spent the last hour or so trying to tamp down your frustration at your forced rest day tomorrow. You were so angry that you almost ignored Minho when you saw him in the Runner’s Hut. The look on his face made you pause.

“What happened?” you asked.

He was sitting, maps spread in front of him. His eyebrows were scrunched in worry, his mouth twisted in a frown. All of the playfulness had left his expression. Behind you, the sound of the door opening made you turn. Alby walked in. You whipped around to face Minho again as you caught sight of Newt trailing behind your leader.

Just that slight glimpse of him was enough to confirm what you’d thought at the bonfire last night: he was thinner, more somber looking. There were dark circles under his eyes. For a brief second, you let yourself wonder where he was sleeping. Was Margaret not as comfortable to sleep next to as you were? Did he miss the bed you’d shared? Did he miss you?

Minho’s voice broke into your thoughts. “Ben got stung.”

You blinked. “During the day? How?”

Alby and Newt took seats at the table, the latter boy choosing the spot farthest away from where you stood. Alby was the one who answered you. “We don’t know.”

You pulled out a chair and sat. Your hands felt numb. Beneath the table, your legs shook. “Is he still...” you trailed off.

Alby nodded, his mouth set in a grim line. “He’s alive in the Slammer. Some Builders are keeping guard.”

Your wide eyes prompted Minho to add, somewhat reluctantly, “He tried to kill Thomas.”

Icy dread flooded your lungs. Your stomach was in your heart, your heart was gone, because instead of a steady pounding you just felt sick.

You knew Ben. You’d ran with him and laughed with him and lived in this stupid shucking Glade with him, and now, because of a Griever and an unlucky day, he was someone else.

“Y/N-” Newt started, his voice soft.

“Is Thomas okay?” you interrupted. After Minho nodded, you asked, “When is Ben getting banished?” You looked from Minho to Alby, ignoring Newt with every fiber of your being.

“Tonight. Soon,” was Alby’s reply.

You nodded. Clenching and unclenching your hands, you made the numbness go away, replaced with jittery energy. “We’ll have to look in the Maze for any clues tomorrow. Did Ben say where it happened?” You slid one of the maps in front of Minho toward you. “I’ll check out his section tomorrow, we can have someone else cover mine, and-”

“You’re not going, Y/N.” Minho’s voice was hard. When you looked up at him, his face was like stone.

“What?”

“You still need to rest. This doesn’t change that.”

You looked around incredulously. One of them had to see how ridiculous this was. Alby stared back at you, unrelenting. Newt’s eyes were softer. You felt your gaze stop on him. His brown eyes were deep pools of pleading. You could practically hear him in your ear, his accent thick, his words laced with care, as he told you you needed to take a day off.

You forced your eyes back on Minho. “How could this not change everything?” You struggled to keep from shouting. “I’m one of the best Runners! You need me out there.”

"You're wearing yourself out, Y/N. You and I both know that," Minho said.

Your muscles pulsed with soreness in response. You thought of how painful sleeping was, not just because you were alone but because your body never stopped throbbing, and even though every bone in your body ached with exhaustion, your mind could never quiet. "I'm fine," you insisted.

“Minho and I are going to run Ben’s section,” Alby said.

“No offense, Alby, but-”

“Y/N, I think you should leave.” Alby’s tone was more serious than you’d ever heard.

You shook your head. “I still have to draw my map,” you said stubbornly.

Alby rose. “Then we’ll go to the Homestead.”

At his words, Minho and Newt stood up and made for the door, giving you sympathetic looks that you wanted to throw back in their faces. Minho had the gall to pat you on the shoulder. You glared at them.

As he stood in the door, waiting for Minho and Newt to leave, Alby said, in a kinder manner than before, “We’ll tell you everything when we get back tomorrow. We know how good you are. We can’t afford you getting an overuse injury." He stared you directly in your eyes and you saw the smallest shred of fear. "Not right now.”

And then he was gone and you were alone in the Runner’s Hut. The table was clean; you hadn’t noticed Minho take the maps. Moving as if in slow motion, you gathered pencil and paper and began to draw.

So much had happened in one month. How was that possible? You squeezed the pencil tighter, willing your hands to stop shaking. You thought you might cry. You thought you might rip apart the map in front of you. You thought you might shatter into pieces because everything was going wrong and you were no closer to getting out and now your friends were getting hurt and soon you would be even lonelier.

Time passed without you realizing. You must have sketched your section of the Maze five times. Every time you finished, you got another piece of paper. You needed to keep your hands busy. You needed to feel like you were doing something.

Outside, the walls began to rumble. You drew faster. Ben was probably at the entrance right now. Who was pushing him in? Was Ben crying? Was he begging? Was he so damaged from the Griever sting that he was still trying to attack his friends?

Your pencil ripped through the paper and you were drawing on the table and your face was wet and your breath was shaky. The pencil tip snapped. You flung it across the room and dropped your head in your hands and cried.

There wasn’t enough air. Or maybe you just had too many tears. There were tears for Newt and the kiss that felt like it’d happened so long ago, there were tears for Thomas and being attacked in a strange place, there were tears for Chuck for being so young, there were tears for Alby for having to act so old, there were tears for Minho and Ben and all of the other Runners who risked their sanity and their lives and sometimes didn’t get lucky.

You never heard the door open and close. You saw someone set a plate with a sandwich in front of you. You felt their arm settle across your shoulders. You smelled Newt and he smelled like home, and so you pushed away your shame and leaned into him.

He didn’t say anything. He just held you, and when you wrapped your arms around his waist, he let you hold him. You could feel the warmth of his breath on your neck, right by your ear. The ghost of his lips hovered a hair’s length from your skin.

Neither of you said a word.

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7wanderingpaws · 4 years

Text

Simply, yours (13)

Pairing: Baekhyun x reader

Genre: family AU, hapkido teacher AU, PhD AU

Word count: 4.3K

Warnings: language, description of injury, birth-giving (stuff around it)

A/N: First of all, I apologise it took me over a month to update this story that is so close to my ❤. Hope this update was worth the wait. We have two chapters left! Second of all, this is a tiny roller-coaster haha. Enjoy! Also huge apologies if I left someone out from the tags!!

tags: @milky-baek @itsbaekhyunsbutt @luvhtears @shesdreaminginoverdose @cynthbee @jummyjammy @junmyeonnoona @littleflowercrown13 @sebootyforlife (if you want to be tagged/untagged please let me know!)

MASTERLIST

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . 9 . 10 . 11 . 12 . 13

Winter left Korea completely, and warm spring slowly welcomed itself, together with it your due date as well.

Cherry blossoms were about to be in full bloom and you asked Sukyeong to join you on a weekend stroll while Baekhyun was away on a hapkido competition with the university team. You hated staying alone and he probably hated it even more, given your blood-pressure that still didn’t stabilize itself as it should have, though it never became as severe as before. He even made Sukyeong promise to stay the night at yours so that you could have a “girls night”. When you asked why so suddenly given you barely ever did those before, he just shrugged and said: “Once you give birth you won’t be able to enjoy her company.” And he was right. Both of your lives were about to undergo huge changes, so you supported Baekhyun in doing whatever he wanted and needed to do and the same went for you. The idea that your carefree, independent lifestyle was about to be changed scared you.

“Are you sure you’re fine with walking so much?” asked Sukyeong carefully as you slowly made your way around Socho lake, the highest building of Seoul, Lotte tower, hanging above you, throwing a humongous shade over one side of the lake.

You ran your hand over the huge bump as you smiled. “Yes, don’t worry so much. It’s not like I will give birth right now.”

“You know I’m pretty sure everyone here thinks exactly that.” She looked around, noticing few people giving you a look-over. “Do you always get this many stares?”

You shrugged and took a deep breath of air. The pollution was not bad that day and the sun rays warmed up your skin in a pleasant manner. “Yeah, I do. But what can I do.”

“When is the due date again?”

“Mid-May,” you replied, the mention of the big day dampening your mood for a moment, “but that is if the pregnancy goes as planned. Apparently it’s more than likely I will go into labor earlier.”

Sukyeong tried not to pale at that, instead cleared her throat and pointed to a nearby bench. “Let’s sit. Your feet are terribly swollen,” she said, trying to sound lighthearted.

Not wanting to sound stubborn, you followed her even though you wanted to enjoy walking a bit more. It would be a mistake and you knew it, so you sighed big time once finally sitting down, the pressure in your legs easing up a bit.

“Why does Baekhyun still leave when he knows you can go to labor anytime soon?”

“I didn’t say any time soon,” you retorted, giggling at her overprotectiveness. “And I managed to persuade him to do the competitions while he can. If anything the birth might come early May. Which is Baekhyun’s birthday,” you said smiling. “If that wouldn’t be the coolest gift I could give him, whew. Three kids,” you chuckled and Sukyeong followed.

“Well, just make sure you’re healthy. You come first no matter what.”

Her words reminded you of your boss and his daughter-in-law; how she passed away while giving birth. Trying not to let it influence your mood too much, you looked up at the cherry trees through which sunlight was making its way.

“It’s not like I can affect the outcome,” you finally replied, “but I will try my best.”

“You better,” she almost whimpered and you looked at her, just to see her eyes bulged in fear.

“Worst case scenario they will have to open me. Even worse? They might first let my vagina tear up before deciding the rest of the kids need to come out through c-section.”

You giggled when Sukyeong gasped in pure terror at what you just said. It was obvious she didn’t know all the things that could go wrong while giving birth and you weren’t about to spill all the secrets despite you wanting to vent about it because you were scared. So scared. Terrified.

“Can you still have sex after it... happens?” she asked warily.

You smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I can. But let’s not talk about it, it’s giving me stress.”

She was fast to massage your shoulders. “Yeah, let’s not stress you out. Baekhyun will kill me if he finds out I have as much as made you frown.”

Finally, the days that you would have to wait in the waiting room of your doctor in the clinic were lessening. Bearing three babies, it meant appointment visits every second week. Surely, you would get tired of the place and dread coming every time. Especially when every second week you would be bigger and heavier than the previous one, making it more tiring to come and spend a couple of hours outside of the house.

You looked up with worried eyes at your boyfriend who was reading a leaflet about breastfeeding, which immediately put a gentle smile on your face. The idea of Baekhyun not being scared or deterred of these topics was incredible for you. He was a special man, indeed.

When sensing your stare, he looked up with big puppy eyes, his lower lip caged between his teeth. “Huh? You said something?”

You giggled quietly as to not to disturb other ladies in the waiting room and shuffled a bit closer on the seat to press against his side. “You seem to be way too immersed in that woman's breast, honey.” You flickered your gaze downwards on the leaflet; the smiling lady holding a baby to her breast with an alarmingly slim body, yet obviously very pregnant stomach, sitting uncomfortably with you. They photoshopped everything these days.

Baekhyun gave you a confused look, blinking twice before snapping out of his weird reverie. “Oh, this- no, no,” he shook his head, smiling abashedly which you found absolutely adorable. “I was just thinking that we should talk about your plan about breastfeeding with the doctor. Do you think you can breastfeed three kids?” he asked thoughtfully, waving the leaflet in front of your face while his other hand rested on your thigh, squeezing it so that you would pay attention.

You sighed quietly, already tired at the idea of having to go through that process. It made you feel guilty, but if you were honest with yourself, you were scared and tired and achy and the last thing you wanted to think through was how your breasts would become the main food source for three tiny lives. You quickly rested your head on Baekhyun's shoulder so that he wouldn't see your fading smile. “I haven't thought about that, honey. But you're right. Let's discuss that. Maybe she can give me some life hacks.”

He chuckled softly and you instantly felt better, the sound lifting your spirits. He knocked your knee with his playfully before he settled lower on the chair so that you would be more comfortable.

As your eyes wandered around the room, you noticed several stares of the ladies who were waiting in the room, their gazes lingering on the two of you, some more on Baekhyun and some more on your huge stomach. You swore one of the young ones sighed while eyeing Baekhyun up, and you held back a scoff, feeling sudden pride that he was yours and the kids you were bearing were his.

“Your husband is so caring,” smiled the nurse that was at the reception desk, looking at you. “You both sure will be good parents.”

You pressed your lips together in a shy smile, not telling her that Baekhyun wasn't your husband. Baekhyun didn't say anything, either. The nurse continued anyway, saving you from replying: “You may enter now, the doctor is ready for you.”

“Thank you,” smiled Baekhyun handsomely at her as he swiftly stood up, holding your hand in his gingerly, both of you making your way into the well-known office.

Once settled inside, you faced the ever-so positive doctor of yours. It seemed she was more excited about your pregnancy than you were.

“So, the typical question,” she smiled widely, connecting her long, elegant fingers in front of her face, “any difficulties? Problems? Dizziness caused by blood pressure?”

“No, thankfully none of that.”

“Great,” she winked at you, “the date is fast approaching,” she chirped as she went through your records, “but as I said last time, it is very likely you will go into early labour. There is no need to panic, though, dear,” she told you kindly. “I suppose you know all of this information by now, but just to tell you once again: the best is to go to the hospital once the water broke. Unfortunately, the likeliness of them sending you home only due to slight contractions in state-owned hospitals is very high,” she shrugged, obviously annoyed at the fact. “Therefore, the best is to stay calm, wait until it becomes too much and the water breaks. Until it did, it is only the small prelude to what is about to come.”

Baekhyun was listening carefully despite knowing most of the information already, while you dreaded the entire talk about the moment everything would start happening. You kept imagining the whole process in your head, one imagination worse than the other. It was difficult to point out what exactly was it that scared you so much, but the entire idea of having to go through terrible pain, your body failing, or babies' lives failing was enough to send you into a severe panic attack.

“I can see you are worried,” said the doctor to you. “But it will be alright. Keep it up just like until now. You know, for the fact that you are expecting three, you both seem way too calm and zen about it,” she tried to joke, laughing.

Baekhyun giggled while you gave her a weak smile. “I guess we are trying to preserve the calm atmosphere before the arrival of the three babies,” replied Baekhyun lightheartedly.

You nodded. “But doc, you will be there, right?” you asked in a small tone. “I mean, in the hospital, when it happens.”

She smiled, her features softening. “I am not letting the chance to bring three babies to this world slip away, sweetie. I'll be there, and we will get through it together.”

Gracing her with a gracious smile, you nodded in acknowledgement before Baekhyun brought up the topic about breast-feeding.

“Oh, yes, very good question,” she gave him a huge smile. “You have a couple of options here. Obviously, you may breastfeed and you can also pump. Pumping is the best when having multiples, of course, but it is up to the mother what would work the best for her. Three babies can be quite the handful to breastfeed, but let's not forget that it is the best way to be close to your little ones. Mother's arms are the safest they will ever be.”

Baekhyun smiled down at you affectionately before turning to the doctor. “Yeah, we should still consider pumping-”

“Once the babies are born, we will figure out what works the best,” you chimed in gently, looking at your boyfriend who turned to look at you. You smiled at him. “We still don't know what will happen after the birth, but knowing that pumping is an option is certainly good.”

You knew well what went through Baekhyun's mind at that moment. He didn't like it when you conspired around what would happen after birth, because whenever you did, it almost always led you to two conclusions: either one of the babies would be dead or you would be dead. As much you both fought around it, you couldn't help yourself, and he tried to understand your train of thoughts, just to ease you up, but he would still voice out the hatred around the idea of him losing you.

That was why once you left the clinic, he stopped you on the street, his gaze heavy and serious. “Listen, I just want you to know that-” he took a deep breath, ignoring your eyes looking at him warily, “-whatever the hell happens during birth, you come first. I love our children already, and I couldn't be a more excited father-to-be, but-” he exhaled sharply and held your cheeks in his warm palms, his eyes glistening, “you come first to me. Always. I can't go on without you and if it ever, godforbid, comes to the decision to choose,” he shook his head, already trying to rid his mind of the terrible images, “I am choosing you over...over… the babies,” he whispered eventually, obviously pained.

You could barely make out the gentle features of your obviously scared boyfriend, because of the emotional tears that welled up in your eyes. You crashed into his chest, pushing yourself as far into him as you could, your hand having a death grip on his long-sleeved shirt. His words moved something inside of you, something much deeper than just a simple word of love and adoration. He really could get under your skin and make you feel special even through uttered words. Baekhyun was something so rare and so precious, it made you weep in gratitude. Because he was yours.

“You won't be going to training this evening?” you asked, emerging from the bedroom after your small afternoon nap you grew to be needing so much.

Baekhyun was crafting up some food in the kitchen and it actually made your stomach grumble in hunger. He looked behind his shoulder. “You're up, babe? Yeah, no training tonight for me. Jiyoung can lead the training by herself. I trust her on that.”

You nodded, coming to stand close to him, reaching up with your hand, drawing circles over his back between his prominent shoulder blades. “I'm glad you will be staying.”

“How are you feeling?”

You shrugged, still a little sleepy. “Alright, no pains so far.”

He smiled at you, nudging his chin towards the empty counter next to him. “Give me company?”

You nodded eagerly and he was fast to bring a chair to help you sit up on the counter before moving the chair out of the way. You leaned back on the cabinets while resting your hands on your belly. “What is daddy making, hm?”

“Something very delicious and packed with all the vitamins mummy needs,” he replied nonchalantly as he was chopping up vegetables.

Humming in satisfaction, you watched Baekhyun do his magic around the kitchen.

“Nothing gives you a tummy ache?” he double-checked again when he took out spam from the fridge.

At the sight of spam, you grew even more excited. “Nope! I already can't wait to try the food,” you wiggled your legs in the air and he laughed.

You chatted away the time he was moving around the kitchen, cooking and preparing plates. He was talking about the competitions and how well they had been doing in the ranks which made you proud, because of course Baekhyun would do well. He always did.

Baekhyun cleaned up the kitchen before serving the food on the plates and he walked to stand in front of you with a gorgeous smile. You returned it, opening your legs so he could stand a little closer, which he did. Leaning in and kissing you gently, he hugged you to him, hiding his face in your neck while one of his hands reached for the hem of your shirt, bunching it up to reveal your stomach. He wordlessly caressed it with gentleness before pulling away to give you another kiss on your lips.

“Love you,” he whispered into your lips, pecking you again.

You giggled and he moved his head to your tummy.

“And I also love each and every one of you, my loves,” he mumbled to the bump and pressed three kisses. Just then, you gasped, feeling the discomfort of the well-known action by now. Couple of tiny feet could be seen on your skin covering your stomach, and both you and Baekhyun laughed affectionately when you saw Baekhyun incredibly happy that the babies were so responsive to his honey-like voice. It had been happening for a few weeks now where he would kiss them goodnight or goodmorning and he would receive a kick in greetings.

Your heart swelled with love and warmth, and for a moment you became eager to see him with the babies and how he would play with them and treat them. He would look so lovely, you thought while watching your boyfriend giggle and caress you a bit more before bringing you into a happy kiss.

“I love you, too,” you mumbled in between and he gave you a curious gaze. You smiled. “I didn't say it back just now.” And then you pressed his cheeks together with your hands. “Aaah, what to do with you, you're so cute! Your cheeks!” you screeched in a coo-voice that made him frown at you which only made him look funnier to you. “Wah, but really, Baekhyunnie, what the hell? It isn't fair for you to be so dangerously hot and then suddenly cute like a puppy!”

“Yah, yah, enough,” he muffled through his squeezed lips, “the food will get cold.”

“But you are soooo cuuuteeee!”

“Enou-”

“Who are you this cute for?” you rambled on, giggling happily and finally let go of the poor man.

Baekhyun leaned away, still in shock at your antiques, though you could see amusement glistening in his eyes. “I suggest not to do this to our babies. It's a traumatic experience.”

You burst out laughing and he followed too,when he suddenly became serious and leaned in closer, his breath fanning your ear which sent shivers down your spine, halting your laughing fit. “You're so lucky I can't do anything to you right now, sweetheart. But just know that I am keeping a punishment list for you once you give birth, mummy.” You felt his hands squeezing the outer side of your thighs, his fingers sliding down and under your knees.

You swallowed harshly and looked at him when he turned to look at you. “That was hot.”

He smirked. “So I'm not so cute anymore, huh?”

It has been a day now that you started to feel slight pains just like on the days when you had a strong, painful menstruation. When the first wave hit, you started to get a feeling of what was about to happen. You just didn’t expect it to start happening so... soon. There were still a few weeks left. Were you even ready for what was about to go down very soon? You had to be even if you weren’t.

The next day you went to bed in peace, Baekhyun bringing your body closer to his even when he knew you would grow very warm over the night and shift away. He caressed your bump before he lifted the blanket and your shirt, and moved to kiss the skin tenderly.

“Goodnight, my loves,” he pressed three kisses and kept looking a little longer in hopes to see a kick back in reply. Few days ago one of the babies kept kicking like crazy and Baekhyun concluded it was the hapkido baby. You giggled, already imagining Baekhyun teaching your kids hapkido, them in their little uniforms and having little, clumsy moves.

“No activity today,” he rasped with an amused smile as he lied down next to you properly but you stopped him with a guilty smile. “Huh, what is it?”

“I really need to pee. Can you come with me to the toilet? Pleaseee,” you wailed, trying not to wiggle too much because you were growing uncomfortable with the slow start of contractions and the pee pressing down on your uterus.

Baekhyun smiled and nodded. “Let’s go.” He took your hand and helped you up.

Quickly tiptoeing to the bathroom, once finally inside, he leaned against the sink while you sat down on the toilet, looking up at him with big eyes.

He chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest, the shirt tightening around his pecks.

You felt a stronger wave of pain in your lower tummy and you groaned gently as your pee seemed to become endless. Baekhyun noticed too.

“Wow, when was the last time you went to the toilet? That’s a lot of pee there, mummy,” he joked, mistaking your groaning for relief but you didn’t feel the relief peeing was supposed to give you anymore.

You raised your butt lightly and looked between your legs (or wherever you could look due to the big tummy) at the water-like liquid streaming strongly down your thighs.

“You okay?” asked Baekhyun, frowning when he saw you looking longer than it was normal.

Another small, but stronger wave of pain washed over your insides and you felt like crying as you looked up at your concerned boyfriend. It was about to start.

“Baekhyun. My water broke.”

“I'm so scared, Baekhyun,” you whimpered when you were in the hospital room, both of you left alone until the contractions would get intense enough to go into labour. “I'm so scared.”

Finally, you could let your guard down. You were heaving, your body already reacting to the pains, growing more and more frequent and painful. Sitting on a huge, pink pilates ball, you tried to sway your body on it while your arm was connected to an IV drip, but there were tears streaming down your face..

“Shh, shh, it's alright, you're alright, baby,” he cooed gently as he sat behind you on a chair to hold you up. “You're doing great.”

You pressed your lips together to prevent an ugly sob. “But what if-”

“No what ifs,” he replied calmly from behind, sweeping your hair back and tying it into a messy ponytail so it wouldn't be in the way. “Everything is going as planned, honey.”

You were quiet for a minute, fighting the bulge in your throat. Your legs were wobbly and it seemed like you were heading straight into a panic attack, which was anything but good.

Baekhyun, sensing your stiff composure, stood up and right in front of you, helping you up on your legs. “Sweetheart,” he mumbled lovingly, searching your gaze. You focused your eyes on him. “I've got you. I'm here and we will get through this together.” He held you close, eventually deciding to hug you. “If you need to cry, do it. Don't hold back.” Lazily, he drew circles over your lower back that he knew was the most painful part of your back. It brought instant relaxation, though you still hissed at another wave of contractions that made your knees weak.

Baekhyun supported you, holding you up as you groaned, hiding your face in his neck. “It hurts,” you whimpered weakly and let out another groan when a strong pull rushed through your lower abdomen. Your breathing grew frantic, sweat breaking around your hairline.

“I think-” you paused, squeezing your eyes shut as the contraction wouldn't go away.

“Let's call the nurse,” suggested Baekhyun before quickly helping you sit down.

You would have called after him to stop him from going away from you, but you lied back down, pushing your legs together, the pain growing almost unbearable.

Nurse arrived quickly followed by your boyfriend who tried his best not to look too shocked. After a quick check-up, the nurse smiled. “We are ready!”

Three babies being born (two girls, one boy) too early, you were separated from them right after squeezing them out. Not having time to even properly hold them, you only got to see the nurses placing them in the blanket before rushing them out of the room while their cries were piercing through your ears. You were swimming between complete exhaustion and overdrive as you cried from pain that came from your body as a woman who just gave birth and at the same time as a mother who couldn't even hold her babies in her arms after finally helping them out and into the world.

Baekhyun was completely helpless, standing next to you and trying to get a glimpse of the little ones, but he wouldn't let go of your hand. You were desperately holding onto him for dear life.

Feeling his own tears roll down his cheeks at what just happened, Baekhyun quickly brought your head to him, hugging it to his chest while you cried, your voice already hoarse from screaming before.

Nurses were roaming around you and it was just a matter of seconds as you heard them telling you they had to stitch you up and your doctor, the ever-so-kind doctor, appeared in front of you. “Give her anesthesia.” She looked at you and Baekhyun, who wouldn't let go of you. “The babies will be alright, but they need to be in the incubator for the time being because of the early birth, sweetie. Please calm down. Right now we have to stitch you up.”

“S-stitch me up?” you stuttered.

She had an apologetic smile and she shot a glance at Baekhyun, who straightened up. “You are severely torn up. So let's quickly tend to the open wound.”

You grew almost sick at the idea and you were sure Baekhyun was completely frozen, though he snapped out of it pretty quickly as you whimpered again in fear. Exhaustion was taking over you quickly.

“You're doing phenomenally, my superwoman,” Baekhyun whispered into your ear as he caressed your hair, pressing multiple kisses there. He was completely shaken up by what he had just witnessed in the past hours, but he had to stay strong for you just a little longer.

You sighed once more before you saw the doctor ducking between your legs again and starting another small intervention.

You closed your eyes and focused on Baekhyun's powerful presence.

You were left without your three babies.

You were left torn open.

But you were alive.

You all were alive.

#baekhyun fanfiction #exo fanfiction #baekhyun fluff #baekhyun romance #baekhyun domestic au #baekhyun pregnancy au #exo fluff #exo romance #baekhyun smut #exo smut #mywritings

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natexarnoult · 3 years

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hey all!! my name is mads and i’m 23, use she/her pronouns, and live in mst! i’m so excited for y’all to meet nathan - he’s a char i’ve had in mind for a while and i’m stoked to finally bring him to life! i’ve included some main points about him under the cut, along with his bio and a couple extras for him - please message me if you’d like to plot :D

Nathan comes from a single-mother household... at least, until he was in high school.

Nate knows who his father is and is trying to build a relationship w/ the man but is still hurt from his mother hiding his father’s identity & not hiding the truth.

He is very much a ‘trust-fund’ kid but is working hard to distant himself from his parents’ wealth and build a name that isn’t connected to his parents.

Nathan truly is a sweetheart but has a hard time expressing this to those he cares about - he grew up in a home that wasn’t welcoming to affection and is still trying to break this habit.

He’s been in Heartsdale for several years and I’m so open to creating some pre-existing connections with him! Friends, ex friends, exes, enemies - anything! Please just message me so we can chat :)

He graduated from UCLA with an art history degree but is more interested in actually making art than learning about it - he travels a lot as he likes to make his show room diverse and brings in pieces from all around the country.

Nathan lives above his gallery but spends most of his time outside of both his gallery and his apartment - it’s either a midlife crisis and he regrets his choices or he’s just trying to meet new friends, who knows?

His pinterest is here and is constantly being update; please follow me if you feel so inclined!

Annnnnd: bio here as well:

Nate’s parents met while his father was on a school trip. A senior studying art history at Harvard, he’d taken the trip as an excuse to ‘see the world’ - if that world meant England, sure. His mother was the manager at a museum they visited on the trip & his father found himself returning to her canvas filled institute daily. They spent hours talking, sharing their love of paintings and critiquing some of the pieces her museum had chosen to display. Neither of them wanted to admit that their time together would be coming to a close - his trip was only for 3 weeks over the winter holidays - but on his last day in the country, Nathan’s father left a note within her bedside drawer, his address and phone number scrawled sloppily across a spare receipt & he snuck out before the sun was up. Saying goodbye would be too hard.

He returned to the States. He graduated. He got a job. He went years without hearing from the woman he’d met. One day, when his father was leaving The Met - he’d become a director of programs - his eye landed on a woman who looked so familiar, her hand clutched by a child, no older than 10. That moment was Nate’s first memory of his dad.

He remembers sitting in his dad’s house, a wide and bright space that was 20 minutes from where they’d met on those huge steps. This man had given them a ride and was now setting tea in front of his mother, but Nate was playing with his dog. He remembers snippets of the conversation - his mom was apologizing a lot. Apparently she hadn’t wanted to see him. They were in the States to visit her sister, Nate’s aunt. He remembers that this man kept looking between his mom and him & he looked so confused. Finally, he remembers a silence falling over the room and the man asked a question. Nate couldn’t make it out but his mother’s response was clear, definite; “Yes. He’s yours.”

At the time, Nate had no idea what that meant. He hadn’t yet been given the talk and his mother didn’t explain her relationship to this man. She introduced him - Nathan couldn’t remember his name - and said that he was an old friend from college. But soon, he found himself with this man more often. His mother invited him to join them at his aunt’s birthday party. When they flew back home to England, his mother would often be stuck on the phone with her old friend from college. One day, a year or so after their New York trip, his mother was picking him up from school, nervously pressing her thumb nail into the steering wheel. She asked if he remembered her friend from college, the one they’d seen while in New York. Nate did. She asked if he’d like to take another trip to New York to see his aunt, to see her old friend from college & maybe stay longer this time - like maybe the whole summer holidays?

They stayed the whole summer and when fall came around and it was time for Nathan and his mother to return home, he was sad - he was going to miss his aunt, he was going to miss the excitement of living Stateside. The rest of his year was almost a blur - his school year went by relatively painlessly, though he had begun to feel the hurt of being one of the only brown kids in school - and eventually spring had returned. His mom, again, sat him down and began asking questions. Eventually, and now Nate was smart enough to see where this was going from the start, she asked Nate how he would feel about moving to the States, about living with his aunt for a while. The move itself was quick and before he knew it, Nate and his mother settled in the States. He spent his days at school and his afternoons in extracurriculars - his new school had an art program that Nate was excelling in. They spent nights hanging out with his aunt or his mom’s college friend and for the first time in his young life, Nate felt comfortable. His mom’s friend had begun taking him to the museums, explaining the complexities of the canvas hanging on the walls and asking for his opinion on the work.

When Nate was about halfway through his junior year of high school, his mother and her college friend were both in the car when he was picked up from school. It wasn’t entirely all that weird - he wasn’t dumb enough to think that they weren’t dating, but Nate did always wonder why his mother never broached the subject with him. It’s not like he was a little kid anymore, for fuck’s sake - if your kid is old enough to date, they’re old enough to know who you’re dating. Nate probably couldn’t tell you the rest of what happened that day. He remembered getting home and grabbing a snack, as he always does, and he remembered getting told to sit down by his mother, that she had something important to tell him.

Nate’s life split into the before and the now - before Stephen was his father & now. While typically a rather well-mannered teenager, Nate was furious. Sure, his mom didn’t have to disclose her love life if she didn’t want to, but to know that Stephen was his That they’d known since the start and never told him? He thought back to their first visit to New York, when they ran into Stephen on the steps of the Met - he remembered his mom was surprised, thrown off her guard, but never uncomfortable, never not wanting to be around this man.

He slammed the door on his way out of the house, hopping on his bike and riding off. That night was the first night he ever acted out - Nate made it to his friend’s place out in the suburbs and snuck in their basement window. The rest of his friends, along with a couple girls he knew from his English Lit class, were circled around a small table, upon which sat a small tray & a bong. Nate welcomed the small act of rebellion, in the face of such shocking news, & spent his night testing his limits.

His parents, as he now so affectionately referred to them as, soon regretted telling Nate at such a volatile age. He soon spent all his evenings with his friends, sneaking into the house after midnight (if he’s early) and going straight up to his room. They tried not to push it and Nate was torn between appreciating being left alone and pissed that no one cared how he felt. His mom had tried to address it a couple times but Nate always shut down, refusing to give her more than a two word response.

It went on like that for 2 years, silence, short answers, tension. At 18, Nathan found himself going off to college, moving across the country to attend UCLA. He lived off his parents money, figuring the least they could do after years of absconding from the truth. And he lived lavishly - drinks on him every time his friends went to the bars, new clothes, new shoes, everything he could want.

He graduated with minimal rule infractions, an MIP here, possession of controlled substance there. But his parents always paid for a lawyer, flew out for the week and handled everything for him. After college, Nathan bounced around for a year, spent a couple months in LA, three in New York, and another 6 or so in a van his parents had financed, driving around the US.

Six months on the road proved to be exhausting, however, and Nathan found himself back in one of his first stops at the start of his trip, Heartsdale. It wasn’t long before he signed a lease on an apartment downtown and spent his days as a barista at Legal Grounds. He didn’t necessarily need the job - his parents still financed his whole life - but it was nice to have something to meet people in town. After a while, however, being a barista became boring. Nate spent his time admiring the local work they had pinned for sale on their walls, admiring the fine line work and critiquing in the way he’d spent four year training to do. On a walk, he found himself fantasizing about owning his own gallery, having his space to curate an experience. Nate’s eyes caught on every single ‘For Lease’ sign downtown, pausing and forcing himself not to take a peek inside. It wasn’t reasonable, he told himself. Irrational, at best. He had no experience managing anything, no experience building something from nothing.

And yet… he couldn’t help. One brisk morning, the sun was bright against a For Lease sign, practically screaming the numbers at him. His fingers were typing the numbers into his phone before he even realized what he was doing. It was 4:23am, the downside of an opening shift at a coffee shop, and he wasn’t expecting anyone to pick up anyway. “Morning, uh,” he paused - was he really doing this? “My name is Nate Arnoult and I’m interested in the space you’ve got on 1st and..”

Moving in was quick, it only took 6 months before Nathan settled in the space above the retail spot. He spent his first night with his friends, drinking and dancing. His friends, just as ecstatic as he, commended him - Nate had been hemming & hawing about opening a gallery space for months and to finally have a space, a place to start… Nathan was on cloud nine. And it went better than he thought it did. The art scene extended out of his small town and he was able to show pieces from all over Georgia. He even flew out to other states, offered small artists a space in his show room. The rest, he supposed, is history. He’s been living a comfortable life and still maintains contact with his parents, despite their rocky past - not friendly, but not fatal either.

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shbubble · 4 years

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Harvest Town Easter Eggs

Deserted Factory

At Midnight on a Sunday, you’re able to see Foxy outside the Deserted Factory. Little did you know, you can actually enter the factory through the little door on the right. Head to the door under the ‘_art’ sign.

Entering in the Deserted Factory

You cannot go far in the deserted factory but you are able to access 2 fishing spots. In this fishing spots, you are able to catch piranhas and oysters in your fishing traps. I suggest you put 2 traps here and check back every few days.

North Mount

At the top of the ranch, you’ll see this wall connecting to the other side of this mountain. If you run towards it, you’ll be teleported to the south mount where the huge rats are.

South Mount

There’s not particular reason why they put this shortcut since the long road to this side is not exactly long. Maybe to let you have a sense of what it feels like to go through platform 9 3/4 ?

Teleporting Well- Front of Residence

This is a useful teleportation Easter egg. Right below the residence, you’ll see an abandoned well. Click on it to be teleported to the back of the Taoist Temple.

Teleporting Well - Back of Taoist Temple

When you are at the back of the taoist temple, you’ll be caught between 2 trees. Go right, down till you hit the temple and finally left till you come out from the side. You can also cut down those trees if you need more wood.

The Ring reference near the RV

Aside from the huge bumble bee from Transformer, you are able to see a reference to The Ring if you click on the abandoned televisions beside the transformer.

Unseen headstone at the cemetery

Next to the river at the cemetery, you’ll interact with an invisible icon.

If you interact with it, it seems that it is an invisible tombstone.

Shabby Hot Spring - Abu and Barl Apperances

Abu and Barl will only appear in the winter on fridays between 22:00 - 0:00. As they will overlap each other in the hot spring, it is recommended that you camp at the closed off area and interact with them as soon as the clock turns 22:00.

Since they only show up at such a limited time period it is advice that you give them courtesy letters to speed up the friendship level. The courtesy letters can only be used if your friendship with the NPC have not reached level 3.

Barl

Barl likes Ornament so get any and give it to him.. I give him the blue necklace in a box.

Abu

Abu likes insects. I give him the brown beetle.

Picnic in front of Cottage

Sometimes you see Jessie and Lulu having a picnic with the teddy bear in front of Jessie’s house. It is sweet for Lulu seems defensive and kind of embarrassed by it but she will do it week after week for Jessie’s happiness.

Every clear morning next to the wishing tree, you’ll see the female town folks dancing while the male and children stand around to watch. In a way, it’s a bit creepy that the male town folks are staring at the females dancing but it makes completing the quest so much easier since almost everyone is in the same area.

Hotpot Party near Smithy

Every clear Saturday night 18:00 - 22:00,you are able to enjoy a hotpot party at the pond near the smithy. This party is filled with young towns folk from children to young adults. The older folks will be at the bar. You can click on the huge pot and eat until you are full. Food helps with your health and vitality.

Beach Party - Hidden Story

Every year on the 7th during Summer, you will be invited to a Beach Party by the Mayor. You are required to bring a gift for the gift exchange. If you click on this sign next to the water, you will unlock a hidden story about Barton the town fool.

Gary Cruz and David Hanks in front of Bar

At the bottom of the main town area, in front of the bar you are able to overhear various conversations by various townsman. From Adam trying to convince John to sell the town to him to Gary and David’s high school reunion. Gary and David’s discussion seemed normal enough since they were childhood friends and were often seen together as a trio with Steve at the bar. However, what’s suspicious is Gary’s wife standing a fair distance away observing them.

Elaine Terry next to Resort Villa

Elaine seem like a loving wife in a happy marriage with Gary but is she really? Her staring at her husband suspiciously from a distance makes one thinks otherwise. Maybe she is jealous about her husband spending more time with his friends than with her? What is she staring at them for?

Elaine Terry beside Fishing Shop

Another area that Elaine stands in a suspicious manner is on the beach. If you talk to her, her dialogue make her seemed like she is stressed or spaced out. What is she thinking about and why is she staring straight to the left?

Lulu Lopez flirting

Lulu Lopez is a typical tsundere where she seemed like she hate everyone but Jessi. Her conversations with you seemed mean at first but the more you talk to her, the less sarcastic she becomes or at least sarcastic in a different manner.

Lulu and Jessie trying to find the butterfly in the forest

One of Jessi’s friend is a huge butterfly where only Jessi can see and talk to her. Lulu being Jessi’s loyal friend will accompany Jessi in the forest at a certain time of the day for her to find the butterfly. Even if the forest became a field.

Allen family at the Horse Farm

Have you ever wonder why is the mother of the Allen’s family close to her family? Aside from her blaming the father for not giving her the life she wants, she do not attempt to socialize with her children too, staying in the room watching television while the father and the kids stayed outside around the chess set.

John Gray at the Bulletin Board at 7am

At 7am, you can see John Gray checking or putting notices at the Bulletin Board.

Chris Trump at the Resort Villa

Sometimes Chris Trump think of unusual things that sets him apart from his father.

May bringing the kids to the Horse Farm

At certain time of the day, you can see May and the kids outside the fence of the horse farm. If you are lucky, she will warn you not to touch the horse butts.

Lee Yeung and Lee Yau talking at Vine Cottage

Although the two brothers do not live together, the mother and Lee Yau will visit the secluded Lee Yeung to check in on him or bring him food.

Foxy in the Forest

At the same area of where fisher was, you can find Foxy in the forest. Foxy appears at mysterious places without much explanation as to why she was there.

David Hanks and Gary Cruz at my farm

At one of the cut scene of David Hanks/Gary Cruz quest, you can see these characters at your customized farms. This was an interesting inculcation in the game for your farm always seemed secluded from the NPCs and town.

Adam Ford fainted in Occult Cave

Lastly, at one of the quest, you will find Adam Ford fainted in Occult Cave. Rumours are he was finding things he should not be finding (money, diamonds, mermadid) that lead him to that state. You’ll activate a quest after you see that cut scene. But do note that you will still see the regular Adam Ford with his usual normal dialogue as if nothing of such had ever happened at his scheduled places so that will bring some confusion.

If you like this list of Easter Eggs, check out my other Harvest Town posts:

Fisher’s location

Jim & Justin Oritz Easter Egg

Harvest Town Easter Egg

What will happen if you wake the residences up in Harvest Town?

Mythical Creatures in Harvest Town

If you prefer videos, watch my Harvest Town gameplays here:

Beach Party, Dance Festival + Hotpot Party

Hunting for Christmas Gifts at the Christmas Event

Harvest Town Full Gameplay (Whale Island)

Is Harvest Town merely a Chinese Stardew Valley?

#harvest town #harvest town easter egg #harvest moon #stardew valley #indie games #easter egg

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retrievablememories · 4 years

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dress it up | taeyong

title: dress it up pairing: taeyong x black!reader genre: fluff? request: “Hello I sent this request a couple weeks ago right when request followed I just wanted to resend since it’s open again ❤️: I was wondering if you could write with something with taeyong and a black oc. I really like taeyong’s sense of style and I feel like he’d be a great brand ambassador. I was thinking something about him and reader meeting at like a fashion show.” word count: 3.6k warnings: some cursing, a lil vulgar language, some alcohol use a/n: i don’t have a clue how the fashion industry works and got most of my research from a cosmopolitan article, but here’s my take on it 🤡 i struggled with how to approach the plot and feel like it might be a little dry? so i apologize if it’s lacking :/

“This year’s fashion show is going to be interesting, I think. I heard a few of those guys from NCT are coming.” Your friend Diana comes over to the couch where you’re sitting and tumbles over the back of it, landing halfway in your lap. You shout as she does, narrowly avoiding spilling your bowl of cereal.

“NCT? Which ones?” You try to crowd closer to her phone to see if it has the answers; she’s been unable to come away from it for the last half-hour. She twists away from you so you won’t be able to see the screen, but it’s a little too late for that. “Ugh, don’t tell me you’re texting that idiot again. I thought you said you were done with him.”

“Don’t worry about that.” She chuckles nervously. “Anyway, it’s not 100% confirmed yet, but some of the reports have mentioned there’s gonna be Taeyong...ain’t he the leader or something like that?”

“I’m sure. Didn’t you know? I think he might be the same one who’s been on Melanie’s radar for a bit...”

“Melanie?” Diana’s head springs up from the couch cushion.

You nudge her and laugh. “Don’t look so shocked, she makes good choices sometimes.”

The other girl shakes her head. “Huh. I highly doubt it. The last few models she scouted were major divas and you know this. Who is going to sit all day and pick all the M&Ms out of trail mix? I don’t get paid enough for this bullshit.”

“Either way, keep looking. Whether you hate her choices or not, we’re still gonna need some fresh faces for this new ad campaign.”

Diana sighs and waves her hand. “I got it.”

“You should probably make sure you find more prospects this time, too. Jasmine was tryna throw shade last time because she had, like, 2 more than you.”

“Oh girl, fuck that. No one cares if you have more prospects if they’re all a bunch of Insta influencers and bored rich kids who bought their way onto the runway.”

You both laugh out loud at that, though Diana’s quickly distracted again when she gets a message.

“Don’t think I’m gonna forget about you and your man troubles, either. You need to leave that clown alone,” you say, pushing her off as you get up to go to the kitchen.

“Whatever! Just let me have my fun, it ain’t nothing serious.”

The day of the show is hectic, though that’s expected. There’s always someone—or a group of someones—running around like a chicken with their head cut off with how much work there is to do, getting people in their right seats and making sure the models are dressed properly.

You, Melanie, and Diana try to stick together for the most part, though Melanie quickly makes Diana weary with her nonstop talking. Jasmine is nowhere to be found, but you know she’s there somewhere. She got the same invite the rest of you did.

“Liza is gonna be pissed if Jasmine doesn’t show up,” Melanie comments. “Can’t get a good story with no editors on the job.”

“Are you not an editor anymore, then?” Diana says, unamused. “We’re here, too. We don’t need that girl to do our own jobs.”

Melanie sighs. “Well, I’m just saying...”

“Calm down,” you tell Diana. “We’ll do fine either way. See, this is what happens when you don’t listen to me; you’ve let this bum dude get you all wound up.”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t start that here, let’s just find our seats.”

The three of you sit a little further back in the crowd with the rest of the editors, bloggers, and whoever else has come to get the scoop. The more famous people—aka, the celebrities and fashion designers—sit near the front for all to see. It’s like watching a bunch of pretty, puffed-up peacocks strut around and mingle together. Some of them clearly want to be noticed even more than the models, though all the attention they get isn’t the favorable kind.

Melanie makes an excited noise next to you, and Diana looks to see what’s reacting to, then perks up herself. “Look, there they are.” Diana nearly has to shout in your ear over the noise, nodding her head in a direction several feet away from your group. Just as she’s said, there is Taeyong, Jaehyun, Mark, and Yuta walking to their seats.

“Yep, that’s them,” you reply. “Are you gonna go talk to them after the show?”

“Me!? That might be better suited for you guys,” Diana says, looking at you and Melanie nervously. You laugh at her sudden change in demeanor.

“Come on. What’s wrong? They’re just men, and we’ve worked with plenty of attractive clients before.”

“I know, but…” Diana trails off, a skeptical expression written all over her face. “They’re just, uh, way prettier than I expected them to be. It’s a bit shocking.” You snort at that.

“You can’t be serious.”

Melanie rolls her eyes at the indecisiveness. “I will gladly do it if neither of you will.”

“I never said I wouldn’t,” you interject. “Just let me and Melanie handle the kpop idols and you can talk to the Instagram influencers who work your nerves so much.” You laugh, and Diana sighs, crossing her legs.

“Sure, sure.” As you all wait for the show to start, Diana sits up again. “Oh, there’s the bitch.”

You and Melanie both look. She must obviously be referring to Jasmine, who’s sitting with another group of fashion editors nearby and apparently having the time of her life. “As long as she don’t come back around here, I don’t care…” you say, sitting back in your seat.

“Nah, but let me find out she’s kissing a rival company’s ass. That sounds like information the boss could use, if you know what I mean.”

You laugh at that. “Girl. Not this snitching shit.”

“More mess.” Melanie shakes her head.

The show starts soon after, with the surrounding lights dimming a bit and the main spotlights illuminating the runway. There are a few speakers who introduce the show’s concept before the models come out, and then the music begins, loud enough to make your eardrums rattle.

The fashion show itself seems to go on forever, all the models and their outfits blending into one colorful mass of fabric and glitter. You still take notes the whole time, though, as you’ve been taught to do since you took the job. Even if you’re bored with the celebrities, the music, or the show itself, you still have to bring something good back home.

Possibly the most important of the show, there’s always time after it ends—and before the after party begins—for everyone to mingle and network. This is primetime for the editors and bloggers, who do their best to make as many connections and unforgettable first impressions as possible. Even if you don’t get an interview or deal that day, it’s always possible to make yourself memorable enough that they’ll reach out to you later.

You don’t plan on going home empty-handed today, though.

Making your way to the NCT members is not particularly easy, though you didn’t quite expect it to be. Many others are also determined on getting next to them, whether it’s to admire their looks, try their luck, or make an actual business proposition.

Finally, you and Melanie worm your way to the front of the crowd after some other editors have left. You quickly discover that, despite your earlier teasing, your friend was right; they really are much prettier up-close and in-person.

Taeyong, especially, is hard to look away from. Making eye contact with him makes you feel a bit flustered, which you aren’t quite expecting. You quickly get used to seeing celebrities in this line of work, which diminishes the starstruck factor after a while.

He’s the only member not currently talking to someone else, and you snatch that chance before someone else can jump in; you can already see another editor from one of your rival companies making a beeline for him.

“Um, hi! I’m Y/N and this is my coworker Melanie...we’re with InStyle Magazine. It’s great to see you here.”

Taeyong smiles at you warmly and shakes both of your hands. His hand is soft in yours, and his rings are cool against your skin. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Taeyong.”

“Did you enjoy the show today?” you ask. Another thing you’ve learned is that it’s better to make some kind of human connection with someone before asking them for any kind of favor. Unfortunately, not every editor follows that advice.

“Yes, it was amazing. Really exciting.” He raises his eyebrows. “Did you enjoy it, too?”

“Oh of course, it was great! So much fun, thank you for asking.” Melanie nods along to your words. “You’re pretty fashionable yourself,” you say to him, gesturing to his outfit. “But I’m sure you already know that; we’ve seen quite a few of your best looks.”

Taeyong shrugs as if he’s bashful about it, though his bright smile tells another story. “It’s a way to express myself...I mean, besides music, so it’s nice to go all-out.”

You smile. “It’s a great gift to be able to express yourself however you like. What would you think about exploring that with us at Instyle? I think it’d be a great opportunity to get to know you and your groupmates better, especially with how fashion-forward you all are. Is that something that would interest you?”

“I’m interested, and I’m sure the others would be into it, too. Maybe our managers can work something out?” Taeyong turns to the manager standing beside him and says something in Korean, and the manager appears to think something over for a moment before nodding.

Melanie jumps into the conversation next. “We also have connects with pretty popular brands right now, like Vetements. We can’t guarantee any deals outright, but it never hurts to get in touch. They’ve been looking for some new faces lately, and honestly, you’re a perfect fit in my eyes.” Melanie places her hands over her heart at the last sentence, and you giggle a little. She always knows how to pour the compliments on thick.

Taeyong’s smile is modest as he says, “Thank you.”

You end up swapping contact info—your boss’s number for their manager’s digits—so something can be arranged, and you text Liza immediately to let her know what’s up.

“Again, thank you so much for sparing your time today, you’re so kind,” Melanie gushes. You can practically see the stars sparkling in her eyes through her round glasses as she shakes Taeyong’s hand again, holding his with both of hers. You try not to laugh at this. Despite her history of less-than-stellar picks, she’s not usually one to let the inner fangirl slip, but now even her composure is being tested.

Still, your own insides get a bit mushy when he turns to you again and takes your hand. “Yes, thank you. We really appreciate it.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Taeyong’s eyes seem to linger on yours a little longer than necessary. Or maybe the pounding music has finally rattled your brain loose. Either way, you enjoy the moment for what it is before bidding your goodbyes and walking back through the crowd with Melanie.

You throw your arm around her shoulders, and she leans into you like she’s going to faint. “God. Was that real?!”

“If it wasn’t, please don’t pinch me yet.”

“We’ve already gotten the best of the best, so if you ask me, we deserve a damn drink right now.” Melanie pretends to throw a shot back and you laugh.

“Girl, not so fast. We still have to try to recruit a few more if that deal doesn’t work out. Liza won’t let us hear the end of it otherwise.” You sigh, not feeling very enthusiastic about it either, but decide to steel yourself for a long evening ahead.

The after party that night is packed with people; many are the same ones from the fashion show earlier, though there are also new faces. Diana rejoined you while you were both getting ready at the hotel and managed to wring all the details out of Melanie about your meetup with the group. Even now while sitting in the lounge, she still goes on about it.

“I still can’t believe this shit is really happening.”

“If the boss wants it to happen, then it’s likely gonna happen,” Melanie says.

Diana leans back against her lounge seat, nursing her drink and smiling to herself. “Jasmine is gonna drop dead when she hears about it...hopefully for real.”

You roll your eyes. “Stop worrying about what that girl is doing and just enjoy the party. We didn’t get all dressed up like this to let it go to waste.”

Diana throws her arm across the back of the lounge chair as she scans you up and down. “Yes, let’s talk about you and this little black dress, actually. Whose attention are you looking for tonight, miss girl?”

“Here you go. I just wanted to look nice, I’m not searching for any—”

“Hey, isn’t that Taeyong and Mark?” Melanie points to one of the room’s many entryways, and you and Diana sit up straighter to look. “Diana, don’t be so obvious, you’re practically breaking your neck!”

It definitely is them. You don’t know where the others are, but maybe they decided to split up and go to another one of the after parties in town. You suddenly feel nervous again, though you try to ignore it.

“Oh, they didn’t bring Jaehyun.” Melanie slumps in her seat, and you give her a skeptical look.

“I thought you liked Taeyong!? You were the one giving him goo-goo baby eyes back there.”

“Yeah, but Jaehyun is my favorite. It doesn’t hurt to make a good first impression. Maybe Taeyong will let my future husband know about me and we can finally get married.” You can only shake your head.

Diana looks back at you slyly. “Ah, I see. Is this who you’re looking to impress?”

You scoff. “You say that like I knew they’d be coming here.”

“Hmm, maybe? You never know.”

At one point, Taeyong catches sight of your little group and waves, and you all wave back. You don’t expect him to come over with Mark in tow, though, which makes you sweat a little.

“It’s you again,” Taeyong says, his smile wide, and his eyes flit across your body before coming back to your eyes. “You look nice.”

You’re a little embarrassed at the compliment, and you have to ignore the other two girls giggling like schoolgirls to avoid getting even more nervous. “Ah, thanks, you look nice too…”

Mark introduces himself next, and the other two fawn over how cute and handsome he is. It isn’t long before there’s someone else vying for their attention again, and they leave with an apology; but that is far from being the last time you see them that night.

Though both men weave in and out of the crowd, interacting with numerous people throughout the night, Taeyong seems to continually find his way back to you and your friends—or just you, if the other two are gone somewhere else. He even gets you to dance with him a bit. You enjoy his company, even if he does make you a little nervous. If there’s anything you could compare him to, you might think he’s like the sun itself, with everyone else in the room pulled into his orbit—but willingly.

“Don’t let this one slip,” Diana says in your ear after Taeyong’s pulled away yet again to talk to someone else. You jump from hearing her next to you, still expecting her to be across the room talking with some lifestyle blogger.

“Let...slip? We already told you we talked to him about the magazine—”

“Not that shit. It looks like he’s taken a liking to you. I wouldn’t let that pass me by, if I were you.”

“Put the wine down,” you say, reaching for her glass, but she only sidesteps you.

“Accept a damn compliment! You talk about me and my men issues, but you need to allow yourself to be complimented and cared for, for once.”

“Stop. Somebody can probably hear us, and I don’t even know the man like that.”

“You stop. He’s been buzzing around you all night. Honestly, I don’t know if he just wants pussy or an American romance but girl, I’d say yes.”

“Okay yeah, you’ve had enough.” You try to pluck the glass away again, but she twirls away from you and almost spills her drink in the process. You laugh as some people nearby give you both odd looks. “You were too afraid to even go and talk to them. Me and Melanie did all the work, and now you’re claiming you’d say yes...give me a break!”

“Alright, hold it against me forever if you please. Just don’t mess this up, okay?”

You shake your head. “Fine, if it’ll make you leave me alone.”

The party isn’t even close to winding down yet, but you figure it’s time to get Diana back to the hotel before she has one too many. And Melanie’s started complaining about her feet hurting, which always means she’s officially ready to leave.

There’s a veranda attached to the building where the party is being held, and you go out onto it to get some air after being crammed in with the others for so long. You only intend to stay a few minutes, waiting for Melanie to find Diana so you can leave.

You hear someone else walk onto the veranda, and you don’t initially think much of it. There are already a few people out here lounging on the steps and smoking, so you figure someone else must’ve come for a break too. You’re a little startled, though, when the person leans against the railing near you, and you turn to see its Taeyong.

“Tonight’s been fun,” he says, looking towards you casually. The night breeze rustles his hair a bit, and you know for certain your boss is going to be really pleased with this pick. He’s natural-born model material.

You hum in agreement. “It’s definitely been a long night,” you say, concealing a yawn. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such an exciting time at an after party, though. ”

He grins. “Really? Never?”

You shrug a little. “As much as they dress it up on the outside, not every party is very entertaining. Some of them can be...something else entirely.” You chuckle at some of the ridiculous memories you have.

“Well, I’m glad you had a good time tonight...and that we got to talk some more.” Taeyong’s eyes look remarkably genuine as he says this, and it turns your stomach all weird and fluttery. Maybe you should listen to Diana for once.

Then again, maybe you shouldn’t be fraternizing with someone who’ll likely be working with your company soon?

“I wouldn’t mind seeing you again, either. Outside of business.” He tugs at his lip very slightly with his teeth after he says this. Which might seem like a nonchalant move in any other setting, but here and now, with this mischievousness glittering in his eyes, it’s anything but.

Oh, fuck it.

“Hm. I’ll take you up on that, then.” You find a slip of paper in your purse and write your number down on it, giving it to him afterwards. When you momentarily glance back at the entrance to the building, you catch your friends watching sneakily from afar, flashing you thumbs-ups and grinning wildly. “Enjoy the rest of your night, Taeyong.” You smile.

“I will.” There’s a promise in his voice.

Your friends are all over you as soon as you get back to them, linking their arms with yours and crowding in to hear whatever tea you have.

“You guys, really? We were only out there for a few minutes.”

“It only takes 7 seconds to fall in love,” Melanie chimes in, and Diana laughs out loud.

“If you wanna hear it that bad, Diana’s gonna have to get sober first. I don’t need you posting my business all over Twitter tonight.” The other girl sighs and only tugs you and Melanie along faster so you can all meet up with your Uber driver.

“Fine, girl, but you’re gonna let me pick all your future baby names, okay?”

“Sure, sure.”

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februaryberries · 4 years

Text

Study (?) tips that you don’t see on every study post

Hi gamers, I just finished my first year at college/university!!

This year was really a struggle for me because I was trying to get the help I needed for my mental health, and I did not succeed until literally the week before finals spring term. I just got diagnosed w ADHD and put on meds (thank god) and I’m excited for the next year to come.

Though this year was absolutely grueling I did discover some little tips that can really help ! This is coming from my experience w ADHD but it could relate to other neurodiverse learners as well ! Even if you are neurotypical some of these might help !!

This post got really long so I’m gonna put it under the cut but, main Idea is bolded w a more in depth explanation underneath ( for those like me who see a block of text and go running)

In no particular order:

If you can/are up for it take a class before noon even if you are not a morning person. I am NOT saying take an 8am when u regularly go to bed at 4am! Bc that is dumb bb pls get some sleep. In my experience once I go to class my brain is like “oh things are happening now, it is actually a day and not just existing in a timeless hellscape.”

Once I am out of bed/out of my room I am at least mildly more productive for the rest of the day. Going to a class before noon means you are up and doing things for the day and early enough that you still have light. This ties into the next one

Start while it’s still light out!! At least for me I gain so much happiness from natural light/sunlight, and it is very hard for me to do things let alone START things once it’s dark out because my brain is like nope the day is over now. Plus in the fall/winter days days are getting shorter and shorter so it’s important to make use of as much daylight as you can. I feel like a plant w how much I rely on light to survive but it really does help!

Put on ‘Real People’ clothes. This is something that really helps me, even if it’s just like, jeans and a turtleneck, maybe tucked in w a belt. I’ve found that when I put on academic-y clothes or like Adult clothes it helps me switch my brain into school mode. It’s kinda like putting on a uniform for work? If I’m in too loose of clothes or like pyjamas for example, I’m much less likely to be able to switch my brain into productive mode. For me especially its when i’m wearing tighter clothing rather than baggy ones? Like i said a turtleneck which like the sleeves are fitted to my arms, and jeans or pants that are fitted to my legs. I think it helps because it makes me more aware of my body in the space? Idk. figure out what real people clothes feel like to you, and then have a couple of go to outfits you can slip on when you’ve been in a hoodie and sweatpants all day and really need to get some work done.

On that note, put on shoes. For me along w the tight clothing, I do better in shoes, specifically ones that lace up and can be tight. Like hightop converse, or boots, or even dress shoes w laces. I think in a way my body needs to be contained so I can focus on something? I’m not sure why I feel like that but i’ve learned to work w it. Putting on shoes for me helps because

1. I’m not distracted by what I’m putting my bare feet on (i cannot stand wearing socks unless im wearing shoes so yes bare feet)

2. I’m not getting distracted by my floor n the fact that hey maybe i should sweep bc there are some crumbs sticking to my feet now.

And 3. You put on shoes when you are going to go outside and go somewhere. It’s like putting pyjamas on to go to bed, you’re brain associates those items with doing something, so putting on shoes can signal to your brain hey we are doing something now, and that something is work.

Talk to your teachers !! I understand sometimes you have a teacher from hell and honestly idk what to tell you at that point but in a lot of cases teachers can be very understanding !! The amount of support I’ve gotten from my teachers this year is absolutely insane and 100% the only thing that made it so I didn’t get kicked out of college. Like reaching out to your teachers shows that you care! if you have to take a mental health day sometimes let them know !! i would always let my teacher know that I really wanted to be in class but I just couldn’t handle it that day. They also can help connect you to resources you didn’t know about !

Look into what resources your school has !! I was talking about how next year is gonna go now that I’ve been diagnosed and such with my friend, and how I was gonna contact the DRC (disability resource center) and she didn’t know you could get support for having ADHD!! Like I know you can get extensions on due dates, attendance forgiveness, and even potentially note taking assistance when you have ADHD and talk to them. even if you are medicated it doesn’t 100% solve everything and there are still ways to get support! Whether its study groups, writing centers/support, tutoring, or even contacting your drc or whatever your school has, it can really help!! I’m definitely going to take advantage of these resources if I can next year !

Find a place outside you can go to clear your head (or have a mental breakdown)

I can’t even begin to count the amount of times i’ve been freaking out over something or stressed out of my mind and my room started to feel to stuffy and claustrophobic and i just needed to get OUT. try to make sure it’s somewhere safe and close that you can go to even at night. (maybe try to shoot a text to your best friend that you’re out and if you don’t let them know you’re home by a certain time to start raising alarm, your safety is the most important) I tend to like to be up high because i’m further away from people, and the streets and I’m closer to the sky.

My go to thinking/breakdown spot is the roof of the parking garage a block away. It has stairs that are easy access and the top levels are usually empty even during the day. It really helps me to just go out and listen to music and collect my thoughts sometimes. My head can start going a million directions at lightspeed and I need to stop and be present, and being outside helps. It’s a good way to regroup.

Spend 10 minutes picking up your desk/work space. I tend to let my room get cluttered and messy and out of control a lot, to the point where I know it’s going to take at least a couple hours to get it clean again. It is also hard to focus when you’re in a messy environment. I would stress myself out and be like “well i HAVE to clean my whole room because I can’t focus if my space isnt clean I cant start until I clean” and then I would put all of my productive energy into cleaning, and get maybe halfway done before burning out and going to bed.

You’re never going to get any work done if you keep in this mindset. So instead just spend 10 minutes picking up the garbage off your desk, put the dishes in the kitchen, and put things back in their place. Then you will have enough space to work on your assignment and that space will be free of clutter so it won’t be as stressful.

DRINK WATER DRINK WATER DRINK WATER

Have a water bottle in front of you when you’re studying/in class. I get fidgety a lot when i’m in class/studying (thank u adhd) and so having a water bottle is a way for me to fidget I guess? Depending on the water bottle, you have little steps you have to do to drink that help u fidget,

for example: pick it up, take off the lid, drink, put the lid back on, set it down.

Or pick up, push button that opens drink hole (?), set back down.

When I have a water bottle on my desk it satisfies my need to do something with my body and comes with the bonus of staying hydrated, without me having to lose focus doing something else. Also you won’t get distracted by a sore throat or the realization that you are really thirsty.

Pay attention to why you’re not paying attention. Not everything that works for me is going to work for you, so you have to figure out what works for you. I started to notice that I would be uncomfortable or feel funny working when I was in baggy clothes and that helped me figure out I needed to wear real people clothes. If you find yourself getting distracted, take note of what is distracting you. maybe try literally making a list of things that distract you, so then you can identify patterns and how to combat them !

That’s all I have for now, I hope some of these could maybe help? All of these have helped me actually complete an assignment occasionally, and somehow keep my ass in college. I just want to say that my experience is my own and things that work for me aren’t going to work on every one. college can be really tough, especially your first year when you’re trying to figure everything out. I may not have all the answers but feel free to shoot me a message!! i’m here for you if you want to ramble about an assignment you’re fed up with or a teacher you hate or anything thats bothering you !! Everyone’s college (and life) experience is different so don’t feel bad if yours doesn’t look the same as the people around you ! Remember to take care of yourselves !!!

Have a good day :)

#mine #study tips #college tips #study advice #adhd tips #?#studyblr #study #bullet journal #bujo #dark academia #light academia #I'm fucking trying academia #notes #muji #college advice #idk how to tag #i hope these kinda sorta make sense lol

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hopevalley · 3 years

Text

Season 8, Episode 2: Honestly, Elizabeth

I think I’ll do all my write-ups this year scene-by-scene. It’s easier to keep track of everything that happens in the episode that way, and I can write up thoughts while I’m watching the episode.

I’ll just jump right in!

Scene 1: Narration/Jack Jack

The first scene starts out with Elizabeth writing in her journal about the arrival of Lucas’s mother to town, and I think the writing here was actually polished up as to be concise and fairly decent. I didn’t mind seeing Jack staring at his father’s picture, but I think what would have made a much more compelling scene would have been for him to turn away from the picture and pick up a toy off of the ground and just start playing with it. Something symbolic of moving on, or at least of Jack’s lack of connection to his father at this age. While he’d certainly be curious when he gets older, at his current age he has no real reason to care.

Elizabeth waxing poetic about how strong and brave Jack was, and how her son embodies those same traits is…I don’t know. It came off a little silly to me—like it was trying just a little too hard to be meaningful.

—

Scene 2: Lucas check on Helen

I like that Lucas seems to care for his mother a lot, and that he wants to help her. I think he realizes there’s perhaps more to her visit than merely wanting to see Elizabeth, but isn’t willing to push for that kind of information. My guess is that they’re just not that emotionally close to one another.

—

Scene 3: The Crate of DOOM

Joseph from the railroad brings a delivery for Lee and in helping Joseph carry it, Lee hurts his back. This was a genuinely good scene. CALLCARSONCALLCARSONCALLCARSON. It also has the advantage of making everyone feel friendly and neighborlike. Elizabeth popping out of her house, Jesse just stopping by… It was nice.

—

Scene 4: Nathan and Elizabeth Talk

Opal’s dress was really cute in this scene, and Robert really is growing up fast! I’m glad Allie and Opal seem attached to him; the show feels more cohesive with its little friend groups and it’s been hard to really show that off since Cody left. Allie fills that void easily and I think gets better lines/dialogue/scenes as well. She gets treated like a character of the appropriate age.

Also, Nathan treating Robert respectfully is nice. It comes off like he recognizes Robert’s good intentions and genuine enthusiasm and treats him appropriately, too.

The little quip about Allie being interested in boys was cute (and not over-the-top), and I like that Nathan is the first to bring up the missed…dinner date. Elizabeth’s response is interesting to me; she does seem a little more enthusiastic, at least about how fun it would have been had she followed through on it. When Nathan suggests they could try it again, though, she clams up. I think what’s interesting about it is that she doesn’t look disgusted or unhappy with the idea, just…a tad uncomfortable—like she wants to say something but can’t/won’t. A pretty good scene.

—

Scene 5: Introducing Joseph Canfield

At this point in the episode I knew I’d love Joseph. He’s so wholesome and pleasant both in his demeanor and his offer to pray for Lee.

—

Scene 6: Nichols and Dimes

I really am enjoying Fiona’s interactions with Mike Hickam. Actually, I’m enjoying that Mike gets any lines at all. He’s a pretty good actor and deserving of the screentime. Also that man has a butt and they’re showing of in like, every other scene he’s in LOL. Fiona trying to explain the reason for the name of the shop is quirky without being too over-the-top I think. It works well enough and I think lends some more personality to her character.

This scene gave us some more low-key genuinely funny stuff with Jesse repeating “Nichol isn’t spelled that way, right?”

Henry’s surprise at the barber being a woman isn’t too over the top either. At this time, barbers would just about always be men, because not only did they handle haircuts and shaves, but it served as a gossip (and business, as Fiona mentioned in the last episode) center for all the men in the area AND the barber usually also treated things like toothaches and first aid if a doctor wasn’t around.

I admit her reaction to all the men running off was...a bit surprising. I figured her feelings would be hurt, but she literally just laughs it off, maybe just too excited at having her own business to continue to think about, you know, what will happen if she doesn’t get customers.

—

Scene 7: Joseph runs out of gas.

There isn’t much to say here, but when he walks back to town he sings “It Is Well with My Soul” which was always one of my favorite hymns. My pastor had his own piano arrangement of it and everything. I knew from this moment forward that I would defend him to the death.

—

Scene 8: At the clinic

This is probably not the most...accurate medical scene ever, but it wasn’t bad. The best part about it was actually Molly, though. It looks like she’s really thrown herself into working with Carson and she’s used to it and even enjoys it!

—

Scene 9:Nathan and Bill talk

The scene is super simple but I think it was excellently done. Nathan wants to adopt Allie and Bill thinks that’s a fine idea in theory, but in starting proceedings (court filings, public notices, et cetera) he could stir things up. It sounds like Bill and Nathan spoke about Dylan since Bill knows how Dylan found him (the newspaper article).

Bill mentions a fee and at first I thought this was going to be the start of a really sour joke about Bill being greedy or something, but to my surprise (AND IMMENSE RELIEF), they were just discussing it like a business transaction...which it is. Nathan trusts Bill to be fair with that... AND I LOVE IT.

Allie’s mother’s full name is Colleen Mayes Grant. Allie’s full name is Allison Mayes Parks. Would Parks also be Colleen’s full name if she were married to Dylan? Am I missing something here?

Anyway, Nathan and Bill then talk about the money that Nathan used to trap Dylan, and Nathan admits he got it from Lucas, which...surprises Bill.

“You asked Lucas?! You do love your niece.” Nathan is a little amused by it, but I think this is interesting. I mean, 1) Nathan asked Lucas in the first place, which is telling, but also, 2) Lucas loaned him the money without even asking what it was for. Maybe they are not on such bad terms after all, lol. ;)

Nathan points to a map and asks about some land, and Bill says he owns that land, and that he was thinking of building a cabin on it but he’s just not really that sure he wants to. Nathan asks if he’d be willing to sell and Bill (jokingly) asks, “How much of that money did you give back to Lucas?”

Good scene, wholesome scene. I genuinely enjoy watching these two interact. It almost reminds me of the older seasons when Bill and Frank and Jack would all scheme together; stuff like this just helps build up the characters a lot, and it helps the town feel...real.

—

Scene 10: Lucas and Elizabeth Chat

This was a short but nice scene. I think it’s clear Lucas is a bit worried about his mother and asks Elizabeth to visit her in the hopes that it might encourage her to talk to someone or feel better.

At first I thought this was perhaps a bit much, like...she barely knows the woman why would Helen even want a visit from Elizabeth? But then I thought...well, Lucas is probably thinking of the fact that Elizabeth has spoken with Helen now and again about her writing, so a visit from her would be expected since she’s in town.

I like Elizabeth’s honesty in admitting she was intimidated by Helen. “So she does bite!” Kind of a cute/silly scene. I liked it.

—

Scene 11: Rosemary and Elizabeth talk.

This was probably the second weakest scene in the episode. Rosemary just says hi and tells Elizabeth she can’t help with anything regarding Lee, and then Elizabeth says she’s off to visit Helen, and Rosemary says “Oh, the old saying...the way to an editor’s heart.”

Elizabeth replies with, “I don’t think that’ show that saying goes.”

I think they were trying for Funny here but it misses its mark and doesn’t really add anything to the episode. I’d have rather had an earnest word of encouragement from Rosemary.

—

Scene 12: Elizabeth visits Helen

There are a lot of things to like about this. Helen takes her job very seriously, and corrects Elizabeth (“book” vs. “manuscript”—it ain’t a book yet!). Helen comments on Elizabeth being undisciplined but this is an objectively true statement (whether Elizabeth likes it or not).

I think Helen is actually really understanding when Elizabeth blurts out that she was late with her first draft because, “I decided not to let my writing interfere with my life.” She’s pretty calm about it, and says maybe her trip was for nothing.

Elizabeth springs back and hurries to explain that while her writing means a lot to her, and she takes it seriously, it’s also not her main source of income. I was really worried that Helen was going to come off as this huge bitch hurting Poor Widdle Ewizabiff’s Feewings but I think she’s actually pretty great in this scene. She doesn’t come off as the bad guy, but neither does Elizabeth. In fact, I feel like both characters communicate quite cleanly and it seems Helen appreciates Elizabeth’s spunk, haha.

—

Scene 13: Henry and Lucas have a meeting

The writers straight up wanted to negate some of what happened last season, and I think that was a smart choice. There are some lines in this scene that I really enjoy a lot. “I like you, Henry. I don’t know why, but I do.” I think Lucas likes Henry because he’s been mostly up front with Lucas about his methods...which he does here, too.

“I’m willing to get my hands dirty.”

Henry’s proposal is that he will double the crude output in the first year he’s back as Lucas’s partner, and if he doesn’t manage it, he will walk away. However, if he is successful, he becomes majority owner at 60% and is allowed to make all business decisions.

This is a very good opportunity for Lucas, provided he trusts Henry can at least maintain current output. He loses nothing if Henry walks away and he loses hardly anything (in fact, he loses a bit of profit and a LOT of responsibility) if Henry manages it and stays on.

When asked why he had a change of heart, Henry says he “has his reasons.”

—

Scene 14: Joseph comes back to town + Fiona’s

This actually isn’t its own separate scene, but rather, the camera pans from the previous scene to Joseph walking into town.

Joseph stops Hickam about getting some gas, but Hickam is sent away to hold up his end of a bet while Jesse helps Joseph.

The camera then is in Fiona’s barbershop, so I’m counting these two scenes together. Hickam asks for a trim and she agrees to do it. He apologizes for running off earlier and she accepts his apology with grace and says she’s glad he came back. He tells her it was the right thing to do and she calls him out instantly for having accepted a bet from Jesse.

This is a pretty funny little joke, but the best part about it is actually how it ties Hickam and Jesse together. They’re around the same age and they could be friends; I like the implication. Some of the male friendships have suffered a bit in recent years so it’s nice to see those getting a splash of attention.

Anyway, Fiona doesn’t take offense and Hickam seems relieved.

—

Scene 15: Sergeant gets some pats

Sergeant is a good boy and so deserves some pats! The only thing I hate about this scene is the dialogue. Robert is like, a farm boy...and you’re telling me he’s never ridden a real horse? Please. This is in a time period where most of these kids would know how to ride a horse. He’s no larger a horse than any other horse in town! The bigger concern should be that Sergeant is an ex-mounted police horse, which means he needs a more experienced rider (and that certain signals could mean different things to Sergeant than they would mean for a farmhorse).

It’s still pretty cute overall, but I think they could have had the kids currying him or something instead. “We can start by patting him” seems a little silly when this horse has been patted by everyone in town 3 billion times by this point.

The camera then adjusts to the window of the saloon’s upstairs room where Helen is watching Elizabeth spend time with the kids.

She’s more or less smiling and watching Elizabeth and the kids, studying them. As predicted, she has already decided she likes Elizabeth.

—

Scene 16: Hickam narrowly avoids death

Or more like, he moves while Fiona is trying to cut his hair and she gets his ear with the scissors. He literally runs out of the barbershop, past Helen and Lucas who are now out for a walk, and straight to the clinic.

—

Scene 17: Rosemary talks to Elizabeth and the kids

This is a continuation of the last scene where the camera catches Rosemary from outside the clinic (as Hickam goes in) and follows her over to Elizabeth where she says hello (they are still with Sergeant but over by the church now).

I’m a little tired of these Cute Widdle Opal moments. She’s like, nine years old. The fake smiling and “oh my goodness!”ing is too much for me at this point. I probably hated this scene the most.

—

Scene 18: Lucas talks with his mother

Helen calls out the situation exactly for what it is: Elizabeth is the reason Lucas has settled in Hope Valley, and Lucas and Nathan are vying for Elizabeth’s hand. Lucas admits these are both true.

Just a nice little scene. Helen seems pretty normal and good here.

—

Scene 19: Elizabeth talks to Nathan

On her way out of the mercantile (with a cloth to clean Opal’s face) Elizabeth runs into Nathan who is on his way up to Bill’s land to check it out. She says he must be serious if he’s going in the middle of the day out to look at it, and he says he is. “I think it’s time I settle down.”

She walks down a step or two and turns after him as he’s about to go into the mercantile: “Nathan? When you’re back from your trip, perhaps we could get together?”

And he agrees to this, almost in a tone that’s like, he doesn’t want to seem too excited.

As soon as Nathan is in the store, Robert goes flying by on Sergeant with the worst posture I’ve ever seen.

Elizabeth steals Newton from Nathan and goes after Robert, catching up to him and dragging him back to town right in front of Jesse and Joseph.

Joseph is of course iMMEDIATELY like: “I want to live in this crazy place.”

This isn’t how I would write a scene like this, mostly because I would assume that Robert could ride a horse (and his posture later kind of says this...lol) and it’s really hard to film something like this without it Actually Being Dangerous (mostly due to the gravel in town—a horse could kick that into someone’s face and they’d be messed up, or they could slip in it)(also, the filming location doesn’t have a lot of Large Spaces where they can really let a horse gallop safely). I’d probably have a stunt double dashing off at an actual run if possible, and show Elizabeth catching up to Robert who has been thrown from the horse. He’s fine (landed in some prairie grass or something) but then it’s actually really scary.

Her “catching up” and “helping” just doesn’t work very well when it’s very clear these horses are moving at a leisurely pace.

But if you can use your imagination it wasn’t a bad scene.

—

Scene 20: Lee and Rosemary

It’s the next morning, and Rosemary helps Lee sit on the couch. Rosemary gives him his coffee but there’s no sugar in it (this is hard to believe; they’ve been married how long? She’s been making this every day for how many years?) and she boogies over to Elizabeth’s.

—

Scene 21: Rosemary and Elizabeth have a chat

Rosemary talks to Elizabeth about the chase after Robert and then to little Jack and there’s a little moment where she looks at Jack and talks about how her and Lee like hearing him laugh when the weather is nice and the windows are open. It was a nice touch.

Rosemary offers to babysit until Laura arrives.

It’s a nice scene but I’m a little tired of the babytalk for a child that is way older than they’re acting. This is a 2-3 year old child, not a baby who can’t talk.

—

Scene 22: Bill meets Joseph Canfield

Joseph came back to town to have another look around and consider buying the gas station. He mentions the church, and Bill says they don’t have a pastor right now because “he left to become a missionary.” I’m not sure which pastor they’re talking about here: Zeke or the guy before him, or even Frank? My guess is Zeke since they took the time to give him a name, and there’s no reason why Frank would do that when he’s been written away as finding his calling in mentoring/pastoring/caring for terminally ill children.

Joseph says he’s looking to settle down and would like it to be Hope Valley, which is....sudden. I’m not sure what the script could have said instead, but maybe if there was some kind of hint that his wife isn’t happy in their current situation? Or maybe that he’s been looking around and that he found Hope Valley when he wasn’t even looking—just doing his job.

It’s a hard sell either way. There’s a whole lot of nothing in this area, so it’s hard to imagine Hope Valley wouldn’t be on the map with a railroad stop...lol...

Joseph says he doesn’t want to build, so Bill says he knows a guy.

Good scene. I’m always happy when Bill gets normal interactions, and it seems like in this scene we’re meant to imagine that he is actually on his rounds (since Nathan is away).

—

Scene 23: Elizabeth and Helen edit...

Helen says “dour” in a way Elizabeth has never heard it said, and it sounds kind of clear that everything Helen says, Elizabeth just blanks out and can’t discuss reasonably.

“I’m just not used to writing this way.” You’re...not writing. You’re editing. There’s a difference. And Helen seems to be trying to get at the Author’s Intentions (“Would you describe this character as dour?”) to ensure that Elizabeth’s writing matches what she’s going for.

They’ve made it past ONE page at this point. They do share a chuckle over how slow their progress is, though, and I mean, as a writer that’s a whole entire mood, so it’s fine.

—

Scene 24: Henry’s cabin

For some reason Henry owns a cabin and Joseph, Bill, and Henry are checking it out. Bill is mostly snooping to find things wrong with it lol, which is very in character for him, considering Henry is (or at least was) the enemy.

Joseph decides to buy the place because it’s not too far from town and there’s room for the kids to play.

Boom he’s in.

Welcome Hope Valley, Joseph!

—

Scene 25: Robert’s Sorry + Helen’s Truth

Robert has atoned for his sins by cleaning all the stalls out or something. Helen and Elizabeth meet Robert on a walk. He’s atoned for his sins by cleaning the stables.

Helen and Elizabeth chat a bit, and Helen drops a bunch of Truth Bombs:

-Authors often feign indifference to the characters they create, or insist they are mere fabrications outside themselves.

-Elizabeth is honest with herself and with others, and honest in her writing.

-Most people are uncomfortable and afraid, and hide behind characters they’ve created for themselves.

She then says that she’s like that (kind of an awkward delivery line) and then instantly launches into saying she came to see Lucas and to see her, too, but if she’s being completely honest, she’s come because her husband has left her.

(Scene break for commercials)

Elizabeth runs after Helen and calls her “Mrs. Bouchard” but quickly corrects herself to call her “Helen” (NOW IT MAKES SENSE WHY HELEN DOESN’T WANT TO BE CALLED MRS. BOUCHARD!) and asks if she wants to talk about it.

“There’s really nothing to say. It’s not going to change anything.”

Lucas’s father is in London, supposedly, and as Lucas walks over to the two of them, Helen asks for Elizabeth to keep this just between them, as he doesn’t know yet.

I’m not sure where they’re going to go with this, or how they’re going to resolve it, but it’s possible this was just a misunderstanding (seems farfetched but hey, it’s Hallmark).

As an aside, the flowers they have out on display are all summer flowers. Does it matter? No. Am I pointing it out? Yes.

Lucas offers to take both women to dinner and Elizabeth says she isn’t able to go. I think she should have stated she had a prior engagement (so she didn’t appear to be rude), but Helen takes him up on the offer.

Walking away, Elizabeth runs into Laura, Emily, Anna, and Timmy, which was nice because all the mentions of Laura without actually seeing Laura made me worry she wasn’t on the show anymore, haha.

Laura isn’t with Jack because Rosemary wanted to watch him for the day. Elizabeth turns around and asks Lucas for his help with something.

—

Scene 26: The Surprise for Rosemary and Lee

Elizabeth comes over to collect Jack with a surprise: a nice dinner all premade, a bottle of wine, and some mood music. ;)

This is a wholesome and sweet scene. Elizabeth leaves with Jack and Lee struggles to his feet to dance with Rosemary.

—

Scene 27: The letter

Henry goes to the mercantile to see if there’s any mail and there IS...the letter he sent out last episode has been returned...opened.

Henry’s upset by this (he seems genuinely hurt) and asks Ned if he opened it. Ned says he didn’t, and Florence defends him by saying he would never do that. Henry leaves and Ned says he forgot to take care of something in the back and wishes Florence good night.

Very suspicious. I don’t think Ned opened the letter but I do think he read it. He looked a little upset himself...? Not sure what’s going on here. Could it involve a relative? Nora? A business proposition?

—

Scene 28: Florence and Molly

At the saloon, Florence and Molly talk about the letter, and Florence says she thinks the person who opened it was the person Henry sent it to.

Molly notices Bill laughing and having a good time with a woman she doesn’t know and stares at them. Florence points it out and says Molly must be bad-tempered because she’s hungry and suggests they order and eat. Molly gets up and marches right on over there and embarrasses Florence with her BS.

She mentions the chili in the cafe and then fakely says, “Oh nooo, I’m being rude,” and introduces herself to Helen.

Helen doesn’t shake her offered hand but does give her name. She’s extremely awkward and leaves in a hurry, with Florence on her heels.

Helen tells Bill he must have a “fan.”

Bill says he wasn’t aware of that.

The classic Bill Squint™.

—

Scene 29: Mike returns

Mike comes back to have his haircut finished. She says she’ll be more careful this time; he admits it’s his fault...and they both agree that they’re both to blame a little bit.

Clara and Faith drag their men in and insist on them getting haircuts/trims. I liked the scene with Fiona and Mike, but didn’t really care for the last bit as much. Mostly because everyone hates the idea of her cutting their hair and this is supposed to be funny, even to her? Like...I don’t know. It just falls flat for me.

—

Scene 30: Rosemary is a bad influence

Rosemary asks Elizabeth how the meeting went. They talk about the fact that Lucas and his mother are nothing alike and Rosemary says, “Well maybe he’s like his father.”

Elizabeth is like “Let’s hope not.”

And of course that gets the ball rolling. Before long, the truth is out: Helen’s husband left her.

Elizabeth really should have...shut her mouth lol. But at least Rosemary believes that’s a bad position for Elizabeth to be in.

Lee comes in with Jack wearing a little outfit...

And then the truth comes out that what’s in the crate is a LOT of coffee. 250lbs of it.

—

Scene 31: Bill and Molly Talk...sort-of.

Bill chases Molly out of the cafe and insists they talk about what happened the night before, and Molly says she made a fool of herself. Bill tries to figure things out by saying he’s been a bachelor for a long time (probably trying to ease into it by admitting he just hadn’t realized she was Interested because he’s not used to the whole thing, to take some pressure off you know?) and Molly stops him like, “Are you under the impression that I’m interested in you as a suitor?”

Bill is more or less like, well...yes (but I wasn’t alone in that thought).

Molly tells him she was curious about the woman with whom he was dining. “True, I have mentioned to Florence that it might be nice getting to know each other seeing as how we’ve lived in the same town for years...”

Bill: “Well, see? You are interested in me.”

Molly: “You flatter yourself.”

She then leaves.

Anyone who knows me will know why I don’t like this scene lol, but at least neither character is being made a fool of, here. Pretty sure Molly is both curious and jealous.

—

Scene 32: Henry’s tirade

I think they should have rerecorded this scene because it 100% sounds like Henry is drunk off his ass and not just angry. More punctuated words would have fixed this easily.

Anyway, Carson comes by the mercantile just in time to see Henry yelling at Ned and Florence about the letter (but specifically Ned). Henry sees Carson come in and leaves, but falls outside. His blood pressure is ridiculously high. Outside, the acting is fine and he sounds angry (but deflating).

“Sometimes what you do in between [birth and death] just isn’t enough.”

This makes me really curious about that leTTER... It almost has to be a personal matter: family, perhaps?

—

Scene 33: The Confession

Elizabeth runs into Nathan while she’s out with Sergeant and they talk about Bill’s land. Nathan’s very enthusiastic about the land and the idea of living there.

LOOK AT HIM.

This is probably the most animated we’ve seen him!

(I think this talk of land and building on it might be forcing her to think of Jack, by the way. They already have the profession in common and now the land/planning for the future thing, too? A future she never got to have with Jack? OOF.)

I think at this point she’s worried that he wants to do this FOR HER and the guilt is what prompts her to speak. She goes on to tell him that he means a lot to her, and so does Allie, but she thinks he’s looking for more than friendship.

He says he wasn’t trying to hide that, and she thanks him for his honesty. She goes to express that he wants more from her than she can give. He was shot that one time when she thought it had been him who died, and she can’t go through that for real, not again. She doesn’t want to lose him the way she lost Jack.

He says he wouldn’t let that happen and she gets (RIGHTFULLY!) upset because that isn’t something he can meaningfully promise, and it’s pretty insulting considering the way Jack died; he isn’t better than Jack, after all. Anything could happen.

So Nathan says that his solution, what makes his promise different, is that he would quit the Mounties.

And she says, “No!”

Then we get the lines:

Nathan: I know you feel the same way that I do.

Elizabeth: I can’t.

Nathan: Elizabeth, I’m in love with you!

Elizabeth leaves hurriedly on Sergeant and that’s the end of the episode.

—

I don’t want to end this without talking about the last scene a bit. I think some people might be a bit confused about it. I think she has feelings for Nathan and has been repressing them because it’s too scary a thing to consider. She wants to let the idea go but knew she couldn’t just cut things off without saying anything.

But how do you say something like that kindly? How do you do that without hurting feelings or looking stupid?

I feel like the talk about the land, as well as Nathan’s comment earlier in the episode about settling down, has forced Elizabeth to be honest with Nathan the way that she is honest in her writing, and she does this specifically because she doesn’t want Nathan to go making decisions based on feelings for, or a potential future with, her. It isn’t fair to Nathan or Allie.

For those of us who haven’t lost a spouse traumatically, I don’t think it’s easy to understand this specific brand of anxiety/fear, but this episode made it really clear that this is something she’s really struggling with. The heart wants what it wants, but it also feels fear sometimes (and in this case, rightfully so).

Nathan offering to quit was wonderful but I think it would frighten Elizabeth just as much to feel she’s the cause for someone giving up something they’re passionate about. I personally think she’s thinking too much of Jack when it comes to that. Sure, Nathan’s a Mountie, and sure, he likes his job and is good at it like Jack was, but I think for Nathan family and safety would always come first.

It didn’t come first for Bill. It didn’t come first for Jack. But it would for Nathan. I don’t think Elizabeth realizes this—that for Nathan this isn’t him giving up his passion for love (or to settle down). It’s settling down because he wants to make a life here for himself and doesn’t want to ever have to leave, a choice he won’t get if he stays with the Mounties

For Jack, the Mounties were a Calling, a lifelong passion.

For Nathan, they were a career he enjoyed.

I’m interested to see when this will be revealed in the story and how that will make Elizabeth feel. No matter what, it’s scary to be the person ‘forcing’ someone else to give up something big, in this case Nathan’s livelihood (in exchange for her peace of mind). I have some personal experience with this. In fact, when I was dating my (now-)husband for the first time, he wanted to move to be with me. We were young. He had a college picked out. He had a career path. I had a job doing physical labor and I was living at home. If he needed help, my family would be too poor to assist and we had no extra space for him to stay. I refused. We actually broke up over it. There’s just so much pressure on the person who isn’t giving something up: fear of feeling indebted to someone, fear of the relationship HAVING to work out (or it was a waste of everyone’s time and money)...

Anyway, this storyline could mean a lot to me if it’s done right, so...I hope it is. :)

—

Overall this was another enjoyable episode. I was shocked at the intensity of the ending, and pleasantly surprised by most of the rest of it. Fiona’s actually growing on me as a character (she’s made of sterner stuff than some of them). I’m definitely looking forward to next week and I hope you are too!

My only real criticism so far, other than the ones outlined above, is the sheer number of scenes. I think it might be...a bit much. Almost...scattered? But we’ll see how they do in future episodes.

Feel free to message me with any thoughts/opinions/et cetera. ♥

#when calls the heart #analysis and meta discussion #character studies and information #long post

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missing-aria-blog · 3 years

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“Invisible” Chapter 2: Stand in the Light

A year has passed since that night when your life changed forever. You fled the city of your birth and never looked back. You now lead a quiet life as a healer’s apprentice in a town far from your home. The prince of this region is a bit… odd, but his people were more or less happy and Prince Average had never met you so there was no chance he’d recognize you if you were to see him in the streets.

You lived in the attic above the shop that your teacher, Mistress Grey, ran. She hadn’t asked too many questions when you’d answered her help wanted sign. Your knowledge of herbs and slaves had been more than enough for her to take you on as an apprentice and the work suited you. You’d been getting on well enough that she largely left the general business of making remedies to you these days. Her daughter ran the shop below and was kind to you, even if she had no healing gift herself. She knew the stock and that was all that she really needed.

You step out onto the rooftop terrace where your herb garden thrives. Your assortment of healing herbs and flowers was probably half the reason your teacher had taken you on so easily. You smile as you trail your fingertips over the leaves and petals around you, each plant seeming to twine briefly around your hand as you pass over it. Pulses of joy and contentment at the morning sun’s rays filtered through their touch and into your mind. Good, you could enjoy your day off to its fullest.

Today was the last day of the local festival and your teacher had given you leave to enjoy the celebration. She was to depart the next morning to buy some of the rarer materials needed in the practice’s medicines, so you needed to enjoy the time off while you had it. She’d offered to bring you with her, but this particular trip would go a bit too close to your hometown for comfort.

Even in the short time you’d been with Mistress Grey you’d been able to travel all over the continent. She’d even taken you to the ocean! That had been a fun trip and she’d taught you all sorts of medicinal uses for various seaweeds. You’d miss her while she was gone this time. Her daughter, Marina, was your age though and was excellent company.

You left the terrace, closing the doors behind you before going to examine yourself in the mirror. Your hair was done up in a braided crown, silk flowers woven into it in hues of pink and white. Your green dress was well suited to the spring festivities and beautiful weather.

Taking your light cloak off of the hook by the door you make your way downstairs. Marina is packing jars of salves and pouches of dried herbs into a large basket, probably to bring out to the stall set up in front of the shop for the festival. She looks up and smiles at you as you peer into the basket.

“Are you sure you have enough for today?” you ask as you notice certain cures are looking a bit low, namely the hangover teas. Not surprising given the parties that went on during festivals.

Marina playfully rolls her eyes at you, “Yes of course! Mother is already working on packaging up what you two made yesterday. Go enjoy yourself. I saw the baker putting out some of those croissants you love so much. If you hurry you’ll catch them while they’re still warm.”

“Fine fine. But you will let me know if you need me, yes?” you pull a necklace out from the front of your dress. It’s a simple leather cord with what looks to be a plain white adder stone hanging from it. There was magic in the rock. If Marina or her mother activated their own stones it would let you know to return to the shop post haste. They’d been a pricey bit of magic, but completely necessary when emergency patients came through the door.

“You know I will,” Marina made a shooing gesture with her free hand, “Now leave before I tell mother that you need a whole WEEK off.”

You gasp in mock horror before giving her a quick hug and heading out the front door.

It was still a bit early and most of the stalls were only just finishing their set-ups, but the baker was already quite busy. Even so, he spotted you and waved you past the crowd, “I set one aside special for you my dear. You really helped me out of a bind with those herbs. I really thought we’d ordered enough but that boy must have counted our stock wrong.”

“Don’t be too harsh on him, he is your grandson after all,” you smile as you gratefully accept the offered croissant swirled with pink strawberry jelly, “He’ll get the hang of it.”

The baker sniffs but it’s obvious he isn’t actually mad about the situation. Just putting on a face, “Well, either way, keep me in mind if you ever have a surplus in the future. I don’t know how you grow such flavorful stock but you truly have a gift.” “I will! Thank you for the breakfast!” You wave and duck out of the way of the hungry crowd.

You munch on the pastry as you wander through the stalls, stopping here and there to browse and occasionally purchase items to be delivered to the shop later on. There are dancers, musicians, and other artists displaying their talents for everyone to witness and you stop here and there to watch and listen, your body swaying gently to the music.

As the day goes on the town square begins getting set up for the evening musical performances and the dance that will likely last until the wee hours of the morning. Multicolor paper lanterns are strung from cords above the square and lit with care. Vendors sell the springbell flowers that are the icon of this particular festival. It’s tradition to buy one to give to those you hold great affection for. A symbol of the hope that your bond will grow in the year to come. The flower is one that can sprout roots from its stem when tended with care, and it’s considered good luck if the flower you’re gifted with thrives under your care.

You stop at one of the carts, “Two please,” you reach into your belt pouch and pull out the required coins, handing them to the seller as she hands you back three of the blooms, “Oh, you gave me an extra one…” The woman shakes her head, “It’s the same price for three as it is for two. We had a good harvest this year. Thanks for that fertilizer by the way. It worked like magic!” ��I’m glad! Let me know if you need more.” you carefully tuck the blooms away in a hardshell leather pouch, making sure the stems are properly wrapped before closing them up safely inside.

As you turn back towards the town square you hear shouting coming from one of the alleyways. Out of curiosity you make your way towards the sound. Whomever is making the noise is clearly moving away from the main street but you can still make out some words. ‘Hand it over’ stands out in particular. You hurry after the retreating sounds, reaching out with your inner magic to feel for the roots under the paving stones and the vines crawling up walls.

The alleyway makes a sharp turn behind a shop that’s closed for the festival, which would explain how no one else had noticed this happening in what was a mostly safe town. You press yourself against the wall before peeking around the corner. You see two men, clearly not locals, standing over something, or rather… someone. You can’t see whomever they’re harassing, but it clearly isn’t a friendly encounter.

“I can tell by your clothes that you’ve got money dwarf, so hand it over and we’ll let you go without TOO much damage.” the man’s companion chuckles darkly as he flips a knife in the air.

“Ah yes well, you see there’s the problem,” the responding voice is heavily accented, but speaks with a distinctly calm air. You aren’t sure if it’s confidence or stupidity, but either way you can’t stand idly by.

“Hey!” you shout as you step out from behind the corner. You can feel the magic in the earth below you responding to your anger. How dare these thugs try to ruin someone’s day like this! Your attention is locked on the two who whirl to face you, so you don’t really see who they were threatening before said person seems to blink out of existence. A fellow magic user? Well that would explain why he hadn’t seemed concerned. Of course that left you with two very tall, very buff thieves to deal with on your own.

They both narrow their eyes, then sly gins split their faces as they realize they’re dealing with a single, if a bit angry looking, girl.

“Well well, what do we have here?” the knife flipper takes a step towards you.

“You lost us our payday girlie…” the other growls, “You should have just kept going.” “Maybe so,” You can feel the roots under their feet pushing at the flagstones, “But maybe you two just picked the wrong town.”

You’re about to call the roots up to tangle their legs when a barrel lid comes flying out of nowhere, braining the knife guy upside the head. The other turns, confused, just in time for an invisible something to come crashing into his nose, causing blood to spray as it breaks. He sears as he looks around in a panic. His eyes land on you, “W-witch!”

You probably look just as confused as he does, “That wasn’t me...” You gather yourself and smile at the guy, “Looks like you’ve ticked off the town’s guardian spirit.” The lie rolls smoothly off of your tongue, you father was a master merchant after all. You knew your fair share of fast talking.

“G-guardian spirit? You’re lying!” he tries to help his dazed companion back to his feet with one arm while his other hand covers his bleeding nose.

“Well, I could be. But then, if I’m lying then you’re right and I’m a witch that you just pissed off,” you shrug, “Either way, I’d say you’re screwed.”

The man’s eyes widen, “You’ll regret this!” he drags his friend along with him as he flees into the surrounding woods.

“Doubtful,” you mutter as he disappears from sight. You send energy down the connected lifeforce of the woods, urging the very forest itself to trip up and otherwise hinder the thugs, lending credence to the claim of a ‘guardian spirit’. When you’re sure that they aren’t coming back you scan the alleyway, “Hello…?”

Silence greets you for a long while, then that accented voice answers you, “Merci mademoiselle, for the rescue.” ------------------------------------------------------ Fanfic “Invisible” is available to read on Wattpad https://www.wattpad.com/story/259956086-invisible-jack-x-reader

#red shoes #red shoes and the 7 dwarfs #red shoes and the seven dwarfs #jack #reader #jack x reader #romance #fanfic #fan fiction #story

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taehyung-rambles · 3 years

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Best BTS Songs of All Time - A.K.A. BTS Songs that Deserve a Grammy (Up To BTS, the Best)

So, I’ve been wanting to make this list ever since the Scammys incident, and I’m excited to share these opinions will all of you.

I’m saying upfront that I really do think, at the very least, BTS’s last three album series deserve a Grammy (for all a Grammy is worth now), but I’ve made this a short list to highlight the very best in BTS’s music. I’m going to post about my favorite BTS songs later because most of BTS’s music, to me, is the best music there is. However, I tried to stay objective with this list and only mention songs that have a special quality about them that sets them apart from even BTS’s own exceptional discography.

Here’s the quick list in order from bottom to the best BTS song of all time:

DNA

Magic Shop

Life Goes On

Mikrokosmos

Dionysus

MIC Drop

BLACK SWAN

Blue & Grey

Spring Day

Note that, by the numbers, Dynamite is technically BTS’s best song of all time. However, I’m not making this list based on commercial success, but rather, the qualities of the songs themselves.

If you want to read my thoughts on these songs, please keep reading:

10. DNA

There have been many BTS songs that hit perfectly the entire way through for different reasons. For instance, Boy In Luv has interesting melodies for every member at all times; the vocal throughout Lights is consistently gorgeous, the production in FAKE LOVE is stunning. DNA is the only song in BTS’s discography that hits all of those elements perfectly, and turns it up to eleven. The other songs on this list have a degree of this, too, but DNA can even be separated from those songs because it’s got a special vibe and energy to it that no other BTS song has. Ergo, I think DNA is probably one of the most well produced BTS songs of all time.

9. Magic Shop

I couldn’t resist dropping Magic Shop on this list. The intent of this song was very important to me in deciding to include it. How many artists today would write such an intimate song dedicated to their fan base? I kind of have a similar reasoning for including MIC Drop, but Magic Shop is always going to be a legendary BTS song. I don’t think sensationalism determines a good song, but in Magic Shop’s case, the sincerity and emotion that was put into everything from the vocal to the production (shoutout to Jungkook for that) makes it feel really special. Beyond that, the melody line is stunning; Magic Shop probably has some of the best melodies in all of BTS’s discography.

8. Life Goes On

Besides the peaceful melodies and relaxing vocals, I think Life Goes On deserves to be on this list because of the message it sent. It came at an extremely necessary time during a difficult period in human history. However, I don’t actually think that’s enough to put it on this list; the reason Life Goes On made it is because it conveyed it’s message throughout every facet of this song. Taehyung’s vocal tells the story, the melodies tell the story, the way Yoongi’s vocal tone was used tells the story, and so on. It’s really rare to be able to tell a story with only sound in modern music, but Life Goes On is able to do it, even if you’re only listening to the instrumental or the hum of the member’s voices.

7. Mikrokosmos

Mikrokosmos has such a punch of emotion to it and, honestly, may have the best melody line out of any song on this list, let alone the rest of BTS’s discography. It’s not easy at all to produce something that's so gripping, so BTS managing to produce that with Mikrokosmos counts for something. It’s an almost unexplainable perfection that comes out of the production, the melodies, and the vocals, but I think “perfection” is the correct word to use. I mean, how could that not be considered one of BTS’s best songs of all time?

6. Dionysus

When I was making this list, this was one of the songs I put on it before even considering what else could be on it. In fact, Dionysus is one of the two songs that made me think about making this list. I mean, what a power song this is. The themes used within the lyrics, the analogies used within the themes, are enough to place Dionysus on this list, but the production. The production value in Dionysus is absolutely through the roof. Everything from the way the instrumental was mixed to the way effects were used on the vocals makes Dionysus stand out. Whatever BTS did to produce this song, it was golden.

5. MIC Drop

We start off the top 5 with MIC Drop. MIC Drop is on this list because it’s iconic, but it isn’t iconic in the same way Dynamite or FAKE LOVE is; it isn’t iconic because of the repeatability or the melody line--it’s iconic because of the quality. That isn’t to say that Dynamite, FAKE LOVE, or any other highly successful BTS song doesn’t have a high degree of quality in them, but MIC Drop was sensationalized despite the lack of a distinct melody line. Again, I’m not doing this based on popularity, but I do think MIC Drop’s popularity came because it’s such a brilliant piece of songwriting. The lyrics of MIC Drop are, more or less, the sole reason it’s made this list--and I think that’s a damn good reason considering the lyrics MIC Drop has. You can find clever and cutting lyrics all over BTS discography, but nothing can touch MIC Drop.

4. BLACK SWAN

BLACK SWAN is so unlike any other BTS song--really, any song at all. There are a lot of things I could say about BLACK SWAN, but the main points are: production and concept. The concept for the lyrics in BLACK SWAN are absolutely heartbreaking, and connecting that to the process of turning into a black swan is genius. The production is--for lack of a better word--insane. Like I said, this sound cannot be found anywhere else in BTS’s discography--not even on MOTS: 7, which is probably BTS’s most experimental album to date (even though BE is a close second). The fact that BLACK SWAN is able to stick out that much in my eyes makes it clear that it’s one of the best BTS songs of all time.

3. Blue & Grey

This song. Oh, my goodness, where do I begin? I genuinely believe that Blue & Grey is one of the best songs ever, period. Taehyung did an amazing job writing and producing this masterpiece. The lyrics alone are enough to include it among BTS’s best songs of all time, but melodies and the vocals are absolute gorgeous. Blue & Grey has the best harmonies of any BTS song, in my opinion. Also, in the same way Life Goes On is able to tell its story throughout every facet of the song, Blue & Grey is able to do that also. You can feel every bit of emotion Taehyung was feeling when he wrote it, whether you’re listening to Yoongi rap, Jikook harmonize, the instrumental, or Taehyung closing out the song. Everything about Blue & Grey speaks, and I don’t think any other BTS song has done that.

2. Spring Day

Were you expecting Spring Day to be on this list? Were you expecting it to be number one? I don’t think there’s a lot to say about Spring Day that hasn’t already been said. It’s a masterpiece. It feels big, doesn’t it? It feels like it’s telling you something important, and you’re beholden to listen. That’s the magic of Spring Day is that it’s so captivating. From the production to the vocals to the melody and everything in between, Spring Day stuns me every time I listen to it. It’s a song that’s very much alive, if that makes sense, and I don’t think anyone would disagree that BTS found something special when they created Spring Day.

1. ON

ON was the main reason I wanted to make this list. I knew it was gonna be on here, and I knew it was gonna be number one. Something about ON is so, so special. The arrangement of the song is exceptional, and that working around the instrumental is absolutely brilliant. By the way, the instrumental is so good? The production slaps; I’d say this is definitely the absolute best production in BTS’s discography. Also, the tone and sound of ON is so unique, similar to BLACK SWAN. A big part of ON being on this list, though, are the lyrics. What a concept, honestly. Every point I’ve made on this list for why these songs are the best BTS songs of all time apply to ON, and more. It’s so hard to explain clearly, but when I listen to ON, it immediately grabs my attention. Ever since I heard it the first time, I’ve known this is BTS best song, and it absolutely deserves a Grammy.

Thank you for reading. Let me know if you agree, disagree, or would change anything about my list. Again, I think BTS’s music is the best there is, so maybe you think there are other songs that deserve a Grammy. Let me know in the replies!

#bts #bangtan sonyeondan #kim taehyung #park jimin #jeon jungkook #min yoongi #kim seokjin #kim namjoon #Jung HoSeok

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grim-faux · 3 years

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2 _ 14 _ Some Space and Time

First

The house was simplistic with simplistic places and spaces, with far simplistic items to afford. In his brief scout of the area, nothing stood out immediately that couldn’t already be accounted from the multitude of other residencies he’d gone through. A few large rooms, the smaller rooms, a kitchen, in among a scant few amenities. Of course, the clothing left strewn on a couch or chair, and the televisions – one of which was left in the bathroom. Those devices he made certain stayed inactive, while in the child’s company.

While he continued to browse around the rooms, he left the main entries locked tight and let the child to wander under his own whim. For the time. Only to satisfy any anxiety for the security of the space, given it was larger than the condominium dwellings packed within the skyscrapers, and the living space expansive. Tuning the transmission had not been… as effortless, as it had been in the past. But his careful hand had delivered them to a relatively calm district, this ‘suburban’ territory; activity a minimal, which meant less food stuffs abandoned, and far stranger creatures lurked. The misshapen shadows detached from the Signal Tower still loitered out of distance and didn’t pay much attention to the Broadcaster.

The child was more attuned to threats, than those threats taking notice of a little anomaly pursuing an adult. Even if the Thin Man didn’t account fully of the hazards skulking on the fringes, he always suspected when they were present by the uncharacteristic closeness of the boy.

The Thin Man spied the child once more, creeping out of a clutter filled corridor. A cup clasped between his hands, which he sipped at cautiously. The day clung damp but the sky clear of drop or sprinkle, though a low fog swirled beneath the dense canopy. The kitchen had nothing to offer that was viable, but Mono might try scratching through again just to be certain. He offered a glass of water to preoccupy the child.

“Have you found your place for sleep?” the Thin Man grumbled, as he shut a cabinet door affixed to a bookcase. The child gave him a placid look while tugging the cup to his face. “Child? This is rest. You need it.”

Wearing a new hat, the boy shook his head. He turned and wandered off, slipping through a doorway near the staircase.

This was the mean of reasons why his charge was constantly lethargic and unfocused between actual scores on edibles. Often he was unable to walk straight, unless those aforementioned antagonists lingered too near for comfort, and for a short period the boy perked up. However, the moment the Thin Man identified a location with the prospect of safety, the child was ď̷͙r̸̗̐ï̶͉v̵͍̚e̸̖̽n̴̼͗. It would be a while before Mono actually sat down, and there would be no guarantee he’d shut his eyes let alone lay his head down. Observing this whole event... grated on his strained awareness.

Distantly, the Thin Man could recall the terse instances of resting upright, back pressed to a wall or wedged between two lockers in a school. Mind alert, half sleep, ready to spring at the first sound or sight of something nasty. Only the stylish coat and his paper bag to bar out the chill, the cover made his appearance less child and more debris. Rubbish to overlook by careless seeking eyes. A splint second for him to gather the wasted time, spring away, the precious added seconds to keep ahead of something he didn’t quite know or see – never look back. Don’t stumble. Every speck of a second tallied towards survival.

He gave his head a shake. Those days were gone. Distant, dusty recollections he held no association with.

The lights pulsed in the ceiling as he passed, his shoes clicking gently as he traced his way toward a tattered recliner stationed by a collapsed center table. He set one leg on the edge of the broken furniture and adjusted his posture, only to observe from afar the room he last saw the child skitter into.

“You are to be resting,” he called. “Why ever stop if not rest?”

Not long after his voice was raised, the smaller one made an appearance and came over to the recliner. Very firmly he delivered, “Look. S’careful,” Then as before, tottered off.

The Thin Man slouched and dug his cheek into his knuckles as he sat, watching the child zip up the stairs. “If you become stranded somewhere, don’t whine about it. I am not in the mood.” He debated activating the television on the nightstand, but that would be a poor choice. Any television within range, the boy delivered a longing look when he thought he was not observing.

It was no mystery the child wanted to learn the method to tune the transmission, dictate his way through the static with ease and confidence. Without blowing out the device. When the Thin Man utilized the transmission, the child was always peering, curious and prying. Often the hovering was obnoxious as it was jarring and the Thin Man would be forced to scoot his charge aside, in order to focus through the whirring snow.

The technique for how it was done remained a mystery the Thin Man was reluctant to share, even if Mono would learn in his own time. Inherit might be more appropriate. Most important and difficult to acclimate to was knowing the situation of the receiver television, to which the singular frequency connected. Much harder to do, when traversing long distance and detached from the various units across the city. The Thin Man never chanced a random leap.

While it was quiet, he tipped his hat down and pretended nothing could go wrong. All the while, the child was on the loose rooting for problems.

Upstairs in one doorway among the gloomy scatter of an eroded corridor, soft radiance flashed. In the room a sideways pole lamp offered an interesting diversion, as Mono twisted the switch. It was hard to do, the grooves hurt his palms, but he could do it. It was fascinating. Usually, he had to hit a switch with a dense object or pull a lever.

Briefly, he paused and gave a listen on the air whipping across the roof eaves. A busted window presented an escape if necessary, outside a crooked tree swayed and clacked against the waterlogged walls. Though the location felt bare of threats and catered to a more natural stillness – of the lack of anything rather than something mastering stealth – he remained alert. Always. Becoming too comfortable always brought about a lingering unease, and his heart would pulse erratically. It was normal, Mono just didn't like it.

He plucked up the cup of water and carried it to the side of a bed, slanted across the room at a strange angle. After a tentative sip, he set the cup down and then climbed the ragged mattress and stood on the surface. Adjusting his hat, he gave the room a survey. He heaved a bedsheet over the side, and tugged it down across the floor. This activity made a little cover, and he could hide under the shade provided by the papery thin veil. Under the bed lay a few crumpled boxes and a busted suitcase, additional cover from prying eyes. He made a note of this location.

From the mattress top, he scaled up the grainy wood of the bedpost and perched high on the flattened top. Nothing else of this room caught his fancy, aside from a partially opened closet space. Some shoes and shirts, or other discarded and useless pieces from the previous occupies. Nothing he could make use of.

He let himself down to the mattress, then hoped to the floor. He took his cup and wandered through the hall, ears wary and muscles tense. Through the roof, the foundation, down the walls – the entire structure creaked in a familiar but eerie way. In another place and time where buildings were not dilapidated and on the verge of disintegrating entirely, the noises might be soothing. But he had been in far too many buildings that felt the whisper of a presence and died instantly on top of his head.

He pressed his back against the grainy wood of a door and forced the panel open a few spare inches. Always, he’s careful of the cup in his grasp.

Not much to see in this room, apart from some outside elements decorating the floor, such as leaves and twigs. That was kind of nice and different. Bones of some animal or a person, he’s not sure, there’s not much; those pieces lay in one corner of the room. A short bookcase slouched beside one wall.

Up above, shelves stuck out from the wall. On one, he could define the basket work of a crud nest peeking out.

Despite it not being anywhere within range, Mono set down the cup and climbed onto the bookshelf. If the Thin Man was in a good mood, maybe he would check for eggs. They wouldn’t be his first choice, but he couldn’t remember the last time he ate. There was the stale popcorn, he didn’t blame the Thin Man for not wanting that. He was picky about foods, and that would never cease to irritate Mono.

He made his decision and clambered off the bookshelf. His presence among the rubbish stirred up leaves and dust, but his attention locked onto a steadily drifting thing in the draft. He waved his hand, as he scanned the area and the doorway for movement or eyes. None. Once assured, he brought his focus back to the floating feather. That was neat. If he blew on it, the feather coasted a little higher. So effortless. So carefree.

Gently, he clasped his palms over the feather stem, then, rushed out of the room and scurried down the steps. The Thin Man was still in the big room, maybe rest? Or not. The hat shifted a margin as Mono approached along the side of the chair, not a great amount, but enough to make him dubious. He hoped he wasn’t sleep, but the tall thin man didn't make smoke when sleep. Not always, but sometimes he forgot?

Keeping close to the chair side, he reached out to the furthest his arm could go and tugged the pants leg.

“Please, child.” It was off putting how weary the man in the hat sounded. But Mono had to show him. This was a rare thing.

“Hey,” he hummed. And waved the feather. He tipped his head far back when the lights flickered. “Psst?”

“What?” The Thin Man adjusted his hat and gave Mono some attention. That focus was drawn to the fluffy item, though he didn’t seem enamored by it. He stole his shoe heel from the center table and reached low.

Mono handed off his treasure and waited, titling his head as the Thin Man gave the small, peculiar thing a brief examination. He didn’t know what to do with it, likewise, his expression didn’t break from its indifferent gleam.

“Well, isn’t that magical?” He addressed the child. “Do I keep?”

Mono shook his head and reached out. With palms up, he made grabby motions with his fingers. The Thin Man relented the small find, and Mono took a few steps back. Casting his eyes to the Thin Man to assure he was paying attention, he opened his palms and blew on the feather. He’s pleased to see that the soft item would float down here just as well as it did upstairs. The way it spiraled and twirled with every little puff was his favorite; if he let it alone it drifted, simple and content.

Another puff, and it was sailing above his open arms as leisurely as before. Mono could use his hands to fan it, and that worked almost as well. He could guide the feather this way or that, but he decided most studiously it must never touch the floor. The spectacle of all this would be broken.

“Mage-ik-Al.” Another confident huff sent the feather swirling and coasting sideways.

“Oh, impressive,” the Thin Man spoke, and flicked aside his smoke stick. “I’ll do you one better.”

A little confused and anxious, Mono discarded his instincts and stepped back. The Thin Man reached low and settled a hand beneath the feather, before it could return to him. A faint tingle flashed through the air, not enough to disturb the lights – but the feather! The feather sort of repelled itself upward, without so much as a breath. It gained such a lofty height; Mono couldn’t hope to reach. Couldn’t hope to send it to such summits. Not even the plane could dream so big.

“Tol.” Mono twirled beneath the feathers anticipated trajectory, awestruck. He cast a suspicious glance toward the man in the hat, studying how his hand moved and his fingers swayed. The feather obeyed all suggestion, drifting or dipping, swinging into wide loops as it descended. Mono made certain he was always below, ready to catch in case. That was the game, after all. “How?” He sprang, trying to steal back his treasure. He missed the wide smirk on the Thin Man’s face.

“Trade secret.” This was in the least endearing, and easy to deal with. If the feather were allowed much too low, the child would tense and leapt. He kept it suspended just out of range, even when Mono tried climbing the center table to gain some elevation. Mono didn’t seem upset by this scheme; he was too dazzled by the wonder. The child did little whirls, coat flashing around his knees. Try and try as he might, he couldn’t retrieve the feather.

At last, the boy let his arms flop at his sides and gawked skyward.

“Do you want it back?”

The child nodded, not breaking focus of the winding feather. Utilizing a slight of hand, the Thin Man snatched the feather from midair and swept his hand around the child’s side. The boy wrenched around, tumbling and staggering away from the abrupt intrusion. He retreated a distance from beside the broken table and looked around, and then up.

The Thin Man reeled back his arm and braced his elbow to a knee, he settled his chin on his knuckles and observed. “Aw… did you lose it? It was right there.” Mono spun in place, still searching the floor. “No. No. I see it. It’s right there.” He twirled his other finger around, and pointed. “Try your coat.”

Mono was becoming exasperated. This wasn’t fair. He glared at the Thin Man, aware he was being messed with. The question was, where did he put the feather? Did keep, or what? Something brushed his elbow and he twisted, losing his footing and dropped to one knee. He got up and felt around his shoulders, then his sides. What?!

“Ah. At last, you’ve got it. Bravo.”

Mono hissed. He grabbed the feather, but when he tried to move it out from him, it stuck to his sleeve. He tipped his head, trying to clasp the feather in both hands and relocate it. No such luck. It had a very miniscule but distinctive pull, the plume threads stretched toward him when he swung it away from his coat. As if drawn….

He cast a casual eye toward the Thin Man sitting there, smirking down on him.

“Fix.” He still tried to swing the feather away, run away from it. Throw, and then run away. The feather chased no matter what.

“I don’t think so," snorted the Thin Man. "This is quite amusing.”

Mono went to the Thin Man’s leg and tried to shove the feather against his shin. Naturally, that benefits him to no amount. While backing away and trying to slap the feather off, he gets into a brutal fight with the feather. Swishing his coat, and hoping beyond hope that with enough distance he can dislodge the suspicious force which draws it to him. Anything, but remove his coat. He didn’t like that.

At last, exhausted of all remedies, Mono sat down, and worked for a while on catching his breath. The stupid feather glued to his shoulder, mocking. He let his hat sink over his eyes. Not fair.

“How sullen,” the Thin Man cooed. “But you look so stylish with your new accessory.” He reached out and swept the feather from the child’s shoulder. This time the boy didn’t move, aside from flinch. The feather he took and relocated it to the top of his hat.

Mono pulled the hat down and inspected the damage. He frowned, but resisted the urge to touch or tamper. Instead, he stood and swung his hat down, then with all his might he hurled it straight up. A little delayed, he realized what he had done and dashed aside, arms outstretched to catch his precious treasure. No matter if the feather began haunting him once more.

The Thin Man’s arm lashed out and stole the hat from midfall. Mono let his arms drop and pivoted, regarding the tall thin man. Took his hat.

“If you want these items back,” the Thin Man extracted the feather from the fabric untroubled. “You need to first quiet down and rest. No more play.”

Mono squared his shoulders and clenched his fists. Then, shot off in a silent retreat. He veered toward the offshoot room near the stairs.

With a groan, the Thin Man shifted and flashed, now poised upright. He pocketed the hat and pursued the child. If he had to, he would tie that boy to a table leg or something. “Don’t be this way. This is all excessive, and it is a high risk to your health.”

Upon flashing into the small room, it was in time to witness a brief glimpse from Mono as he stalled at a crumbling gap in the walls base. Then he was gone, vanished into the crevice to who the hell knew where. Typical! “Mono! You little—” He sputtered, clasping his face. He shimmered to the opening already knelt, searching for indication of where this went. The building had definite dimensions, but a crack could lead outside. He feared the child was very likely in a flighty mood.

“If you become lost or hurt, I won’t come find you. Child? Mono! Come here!” The walls vibrated with his agitation. Difficult, stubborn, poor sport of a fool. “Do you hear me? Come out now, or I will leave.” No indication, and the transmission was faint. Somewhere in the vicinity, but no specifics from where the child sought shelter. And he was not going to dig the child out from rotten plaster or tinder.

The Thin man was tempted to kick the wall, or something else. Instead, he spun away and abandoned the entire situation. “So be it,” he announced. Taking leisurely strides through the corridor, and to the back entry they initially entered through. No sign or sound of the child, as anticipated. However, he did pick up traces of the transmission frequency. From somewhere….

He set his hand on the door's handle and cast a view back. From a closet in the corridor, the faint movement of something whisked out of view.

“Mono,” the Thin Man rumbled, with barely restrained irritation. “I won’t speek again. You. Come here.” No hint of movement, and of course not a sound. “Last warning. Either you come here, or I leave.” He inched the door latch down.

At last, the boy barreled into view. Upon spying how close the Thin Man was to departing, he hurried his steps. A different hat adorned his head, and it covered his eyes as he caught up. Once Mono was close enough to peer up, the Thin Man speculated his face was flushed, though he doubted it was from crying.

“Better.” Easing away from the door, he strayed closer to the child, steps passive on the hard floor. “Now. No more scout. No play. This is rest.” Mono didn’t respond, aside from track his movement with acute precision and take a step backwards. “No run. Mono! Look! Mono….” He leaned down and held his hands out. The child twisted away, spinning round-and-around as he retreated a meter. This was too much effort for an essential that should not be contested with so fiercely. The Thin Man was losing resolve, and it was reflected in the distortions of his outline. “For the last time, c̶̝̈o̸͎̒m̷̬͝é̸͈ ̷̪̊h̷̝͝e̶͉̓r̸̲̄ẹ̵͐.” Internally, he was counting.

Mono glanced to the corridor, perhaps gauging if it was possible to reach the stairs, or the notch in the wall as before. In short, he relented and padded over to the Thin Man in a jaded fashion, raising his arms. The Thin Man plucked him up and fitted the child onto his forearm, holding one hand curled around his waist.

“This is why you are always lagging,” he chided, while clicking back through the corridor. “How are you to find food, if you can’t stand on your own feet?”

“Fhh.”

The Thin Man returned to the ratty recliner and took a seat. He tried readjusting the child, but the spry boy kicked away and nearly vaulted off the chair. If only the Thin Man didn't have such sharpened reflexes, he managed to snag the boy. Not dissuaded, Mono latched onto the papery thin fabric of the arm rest and attempted to haul himself out of the grip. The Thin Man scowled, and tugged.

“Give me a break.”

“Not.”

The Thin Man was trying to be gentle, and pry the hands off the frayed threads. “Child. Please.” It had been some while since he was forced to contend with the boy’s intolerable clawing, though usually he sought the opposite goal. “Could you stop? And hold still. Child? My word, cease this nonsense!” It was as if the child wanted to dig his way through the decayed fabric of the chair itself. “Child!”

“Safe. NoNo! Look care’ffu. Ne’d!” The next string of speek was incoherent, and sounded more akin to Her speek.

The instant he had Mono’s arms free, he crimped them down and held the child on his lap. His own hat askew, and one visible eye glaring. What was he to do with this boy?

“Not. N’look. T’r danger.”

“There is no need for ‘look’. There is no danger here.”

“N… t’know.” Mono wriggled and tried to kick his legs, but the Thin Man didn’t give him any slack. “Hide. F’monster sss come, t’n run. Hide. B’know saf-err. Hav’n know—”

“Could you shut up and just pretend to rest? Quiet?” the Thin Man pleaded, the former intensity absent. Locking the boy in a closet would be easier, but knowing Mono, he was likely to gnaw a hole through the floor. Or something. “Shut your eyes. Five minutes, that’s all I ask. And I promise, I will let you go.” He knocked the child’s new hat off his head and tried rubbing his neck with a thumb. The child gawked at him, panic evident in his eyes. “Minutes. A few minutes. I will watch.”

For a moment it didn’t seem the boy was receptive to the compromise. He didn’t look affected in the slightest by the soft rubbing on his brow. After a grueling and unyielding stare off, the child allowed his eyes to flutter shut. Not likely under his own agency, they had traveled for some intolerable length, and the only feasibly conclusion would be eventual exhaustion. This always worked.

Mono flashed awake twice, but his tenacity wavered the third time. At last, his consciousness flatlined completely and his head tilted far back. The Thin Man adjusted his hold, so the child was at least inclined, and his head settled on the sofa arm.

In due time but not quickly, the Thin Man was able to relax his grip as Mono’s breathing lulled. He kept a wary hand looped over the chest; it was not normal for the child to uncoil in such a manner. At least he had ceased moving, and was not likely to drop dead in the street. This struggle was becoming a reoccurring nuisance. Another regret of their association, the child’s inability to stall for the barest moment. He was prone to stop and sit for a period in the open wastes, in the middle of a downpour. In the dry recesses of some dwelling, the smaller became a jittery wreck.

That’s all he asked. If the child could stop for a few moments, get off his feet so the adrenalin and survival drive could purge out of his veins. Eventually, he could only crash. That already happened twice, but the Thin Man was able to acquire his charge before some hazard stumbled along. Adrenalin only carried children so far.

Even if the world hated him and wanted him to fail, he was allowed a moment of reprieve. Even for the rarest span of quiet, in the blink of an eye, between his shuddering breaths – the child should be allowed a sliver of an instant to steal back some vigor. If only the child trusted him enough, would believe he couldn’t let anything come near to harming him. Not while he was present.

#little nightmares #mono #the thin man #thin dad #little nightmares fanfic #little nightmares fanfiction #the man in the hat #the tall thin man #fanfiction #fanfic #mono just being adorable #thin dad being disgruntled parent that can't get his child to sleep

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