Untitled

[ninzied]

the stolen hearts of things

alex is a philanthropist. he’s also, technically, a thief. but he only ever steals to help others; he's never taken a thing for himself. that is, at least, until now. or, the royal wedding serves as the perfect cover for a heist, but what alex ends up stealing is a kiss from prince henry instead. or, a happy birthday fic for zoë. 6.5k. modern au. rated e.

The job itself is not the issue.

Scoring the invite to the royal wedding might have been a challenge, if Alex hadn’t called in a last-minute favor from their contacts at the Okonjo Foundation. But they have blueprints, and rotating guard schedules, and access to security cameras courtesy of Nora and June’s combined hacking skills. Everything else should be a cakewalk in comparison.

Everything, that is, except for one not-so-small problem. That problem happens to be standing by an actual eight-tier wedding cake at the moment, smiling stiffly at heads of state and various other members of royalty.

Alex can’t help it. Nothing derails him quite like that flash of blond hair through the crowd, those shoulders and those blue, blue eyes that are now gliding right past him, pretending not to have noticed him there.

Well. He has something he’d like to say about that. He—

Please focus, Alejandro, he can hear Nora sigh in his ear. Literally.

Alex resists the urge to side-eye her from across the room. She’s chatting up Princess Bea, snippets of conversation filtering in through Alex’s earpiece. It’s not that he’s bitter about Nora getting time to flirt while he’s here to do all the grunt work. Except that he totally is.

The thing is, though, that she’s not wrong. He doesn’t have time for distractions.

And yet—and yet.

There are two things he’s never been able to resist, even while knee-deep in a job. The first is making a list. The second—

“Your Royal Highness,” Alex drawls, sauntering over to join him.

ao3.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

everyone go read this fic

I'm so emotional about firstprince and I cried at the end

[jediorgana-deactivated20260403]

His soul purpose wasn’t to get buck and eddie together, that’s not happening, but it was to have Buck come out as bisexual. Also using a hashtag of a scene where Buck literally says he doesn’t have feelings for him is kind of hilarious

Sorry, I need to get out my red pen for a moment.

It's spelled SOLE, not 'soul'.

And it's rather interesting that Tommy had to stick around for two seasons to live out his purpose to prove Buck's bisexuality. You'd think that he'd have been gone by the end of season 7 and yet, he got Bobby's seal of approval.

That drives you nuts, doesn't it?

Bobby's gave his seal of approval to a plot device.

Buck wanted to move in with the plot device.

Buck was thinking about marriage with the plot device.

He pined over the plot device for half of a season.

He fucked and was fucked by the plot device on bare mattress on the freaking floor.

He knew the plot device would still come to help when the 118 got stuck in the lab.

The plot device risked his life and his career and showed off some really cool helicopter tricks.

The plot device watched "the love of his life" collapse in grief for his dead father figure on the monitors.

The plot device was emotional at the sight of Buck collapsing.

The plot device was more present in the Bobby flashback then Hen and Chim were.

The plot device saved Bobby's life when Bobby was suicidal.

The plot device was a pallbearer at Bobby's funeral.

The plot device walked with the present members of the 118 in the procession.

Wow. What a plot device.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

Could someone clarify these two points?

Buck was thinking about marriage with the plot device.

In which episode and scene did Buck think about marriage?

The plot device watched "the love of his life" collapse in grief for his dead father figure on the monitors.

In which episode and scene did Tommy call Buck the love of his life?

[aropride]

does anyone else think that its crazy (remembers i’m in discourse time-out this week) how the wind blowing thru the grass is so common yet so beautiful. one of many marvelous experiences in this wonderful life

[stuckyevanstanfan]

I love this in real life. The best version I've seen in a show or movie is in The Phantom Menace.

[outrunningthedark]

S9 of 9-1-1 already shaping up to be a "same shit, different day" situation, huh? Buck's canon relationship status not even being addressed in the finale (good or bad!) = Buck's grief sending him backwards once again

[stuckyevanstanfan]

In which interview did they say it wouldn't be addressed?

[sherlocking-out-loud]

and Eddie insinuating that Bobby died because Buck didn't do everything he could and somehow the Big Savior Eddie would have performed a miraculous rescue???? yeah, fuck you Eddie, again.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

I don't think he was insinuating anything about Buck. The whole point is that Eddie wasn't there to know - he felt guilty because he wasn't around. It was about Eddie, not about Buck.

[sherlocking-out-loud]

Buck: "You don't think I did everything I could to save him?"

Eddie: "I don't know. I wasn't there."

I'm sorry, but this isn't just about Eddie. he needed to be there to know if Buck had done everything he could?? really?? after all the years they've worked together?? and Eddie knowing how much Bobby meant to Buck??? yeah he *was* insinuating Buck might have not done enough and I really hate it.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

Based on what you said here: "after all the years they've worked together?? and Eddie knowing how much Bobby meant to Buck???" That's why it wasn't about Buck and it was about Eddie feeling guilty he wasn't there.

But I suppose we both have different interpretations and aren't going to convince each other. :)

[sherlocking-out-loud]

the way Eddie put his hands on Buck? yeah he's not beating the anger issues allegations.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

Eddie did the Buck shoulder grab move he always does.

[sherlocking-out-loud]

and Eddie insinuating that Bobby died because Buck didn't do everything he could and somehow the Big Savior Eddie would have performed a miraculous rescue???? yeah, fuck you Eddie, again.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

I don't think he was insinuating anything about Buck. The whole point is that Eddie wasn't there to know - he felt guilty because he wasn't around. It was about Eddie, not about Buck.

[sherlocking-out-loud]

Bobby died a hero.

Eddie lived long enough to become the villain.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

What specifically led you to think this?

[loveyourownsmiilee]

I'm trying so hard to keep my expectations low (especially after discovering Kristen is the writer for tomorrow's episode).

But I can't stop thinking as why they would send the only two peoplw who aren't a couple onscreen (yet 🤞🏻) to do promo if something big wasn't happening with them and their characters in the next two episodes...

Ok to both of these nonnies and many others who follow me and are thinking the same way, I just wanted to answer once and for all bc I won’t be speaking about this any more. I’ve been watching the show and following it since the beginning. They have never had to do “damage control” after a finale especially one in which required two cast members to go on a press tour. Even after season 6, which was supposed to be a series finale and was the finale to ever exist, they didn’t have anyone do a press tour after the finale. A few interviews post mortem came out but nothing to this extreme.

So I say this, why would they need to have Oliver and Ryan do “damage control” for a season that did relatively well until a few episodes ago where the showrunner decided to kill off a main character for shock value? If they really wanted to do damage control, they’d sent in JLH or Angela Bassett who are bigger names to go on a press tour and try to repair whatever damage that was done. This is not what it is. Not at all.

The reason they’re having Oliver and Ryan go on a joint press tour has got to be bc whatever is happening to both their characters’ storylines must be big to garner this kind of promotion. They’re not going to queer bait us and give us these two promoting the finale to get us to tune in for the next season. Oliver himself never wants to be accused of queer baiting so he wouldn’t be as open with sharing all that Ryan content from yesterday if it was for nothing more than damage control. That’s not what’s happening here.

Also the kind of press they’re doing is significantly different than a regular post mortem interview. They’re doing thirst tweets that directly involve their ship Buddie. They’re doing the Spill the tea which is a segment that’s done with platonic and sometimes romantic partners. I don’t mean partners irl but on the show. This is not your average interviews. And why would they need to promote the finale??? Unless something big happens and we’re left wondering wtf is awaiting us for next season.

I can’t imagine all this is happening all for nothing with no inkling for Buddie canon. I can’t at all. I really believe it’s happening and we’re getting a legit confirmation of that in the finale. Which is whyyyy we can then expect these two in many interviews afterward.

I know we’ve been burned many times before. I get it bc trust me I’ve been here holding on nonstop since s2. I haven’t given up even when they were dating two diff women. It’s everyone’s decision to keep holding onto hope or give up on it. I can’t tell you one way or another. But let’s please finish the season and see what actually happens after this season is over before we jump to accusations on what these joint interviews mean ok?

And last think, I hate KR with a passion. But that woman doesn’t run the show anymore. Tim unfortunately does. And she wrote my favourite Buddie episode to date and that says something. So like let’s just wait and see alright? I’m once again choosing to have faith and see this through till the end! God willing we’re getting these two idiots together sooner rather than much later!

[stuckyevanstanfan]

re: "And she wrote my favourite Buddie episode to date and that says something."

What is your favourite Buddie episode? :)

[stuckyevanstanfan]

Why do you even need positive posts about Ambrose and Kodiak to like them? Why do you want to like them if it sounds like you didn't? Why not just move on to a different book?

You've never had something stick in your head, but for the wrong reasons? I need a palette cleanser.

For those who've read the books, you know they stick with you... so I was impacted by the story, but I wanted it to stick for different reasons. Obviously the existential questions the books raise are still very intriguing to me, but I'm surprised I wasn't as sold on the romance. [I might even need to read them (again)...I was recommended to listen to the audiobooks, which I liked for certain reasons, but maybe I overlooked moments between Ambrose and Kodiak that built their relationship that would have stuck out if I were reading as opposed to listening.]

Also, since the sequel has a higher rating on goodreads than the original, I also thought I would enjoy it more. Instead, I'm a bit puzzled by that rating.

I got attached to the characters and that's why I was left wanting more.

More spoilers under the cut.

With the present story on Minerva, it was in the point of view of their children. While I loved the glimpses of their relationship, I didn't feel like I saw enough. I was left wondering what they thought about specific things that happened to them.

Their past left me very unsatisfied.

Did the author purposely not want the originals to get more time together than the final clones? He didn't want people to stay attached to them or something? They couldn't fall in love and be happy together? They had to die before their story even started?

It still annoys me so much how Ambrose spent more time having sex with Devon than with Kodiak. It seems they had a few minutes of a rushed hand job before dying. And Ambrose seemed to spend too much time thinking of Devon and how he was arrested and if he's okay. They also both thought too much about their previous lovers who were their classmates.

It took the parts of the first book I didn't like and dialed it to 100.

I saw an interview with the author where he said: "There’s a character in the first book who’s mentioned but never appears: Devon Mujaba, a popstar. I was very excited to put him in this book and give him all sorts of secret goals of his own. Mainly I liked the voice that James Fouhey (the audiobook narrator for both books) came up with for him, and wanted to write more Devon Mujaba dialogue."

https://thenerddaily.com/eliot-schrefer-the-brightness-between-us-author-interview/

I was left thinking: I was subjected to Devon Mujaba in the sequel just because you liked the voice??? 🤢😫

I'm curious if the third book will have more Ambrose/Kodiak in it.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

What tag do Ambrose/Kodiak shippers use? I thought their ship name was Ambrodiak, but tumblr only shows me five posts in total in their entire tag.

Complaints/issues (spoilers from the books) under the cut.

I feel I need to read fandom posts about them to get more into them/convince myself they love each other.

They spent too much time for my taste having sex with and lusting after other characters. I can be picky with OTPs in needing them to be obsessed with only each other.

I think seeing people highlighting their best moments and gushing about why they love them will make me happier.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

I have a question for those who listened to The Brightness Between Us audiobook.

Spoilers under the cut.

Owl said they were going to change OS's voice so it was no longer Devon Mujaba, but then in the last chapter it is still his voice. Do you think that was just a mistake from the voice actor?

For those who read the book, did you imagine a different voice in that last section once they find out the truth?

[stuckyevanstanfan]

I have two questions about The Darkness Outside Us.

Spoilers under the cut. (If you ever intend on reading the book, do not look.)

I tried looking online but the information I found on TV Tropes just confused me more.

1. Were there 20 or 21 clones in total? I thought there were only 20, but then clone 13 killed 7 pairs (14-20) and left one (21)?

2. Kodiak 13 and Ambrose 13 died at 38 years old yet Ambrose kept a journal for 23 years so wouldn't they be 40-41?

[myteavsricochet]

*screaming into the void*

[stuckyevanstanfan]

I was going through The Darkness Outside Us tag and saw this post. I've seen people headcanon him as both Ambrose and Kodiak. Does anyone know which character the author meant as his dream casting?

[stuckyevanstanfan]

It's weird how fans gatekeep certain information. Like there's a small group of fans who ship TZP/"redacted" who are so passionate about it but won't let anyone else know about it. If you weren't a fan of TZP 4-6 years ago, then you're not allowed to find out about it. They talk as if they're soulmates, but there's nothing publicly available to show this. So you have to wonder what kind of creepy snooping/stalking has to happen for them to know things.

[outrunningthedark]

something something BuckTommy is the first canon relationship in which Buddies have coined their own ship name to emphasize how “bad” it is.

BuckTaylor // EddieAna // EddieSol // EddieShannon …

… But the couple that is queer can’t just be BuckTommy. Because Tommy is the first REAL “obstacle” for the ship they want.

Right.

[stuckyevanstanfan]

Which name are you talking about? Bommy or Bummy or something else?

None of the other ships listed (besides maybe Eddiesol) have a real ship name and I'm not sure why BuckTommy fans would want BuckTommy to be like them. They didn't have a large enough contingent of shippers to care about wanting a name.

It would be like calling Buddie BuckEddie.

Both options, Bummy or Bommy, follow the pattern of Buddie or Beddie.

[outrunningthedark]

So three of the Eddie mentions are from Bobby? So far? Oh. 🤪

[stuckyevanstanfan]

Do you have a final count?