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aragorn steps forward, his posture strong yet unyielding, his gaze steady but with a touch of warmth. he looks at her with understanding, his voice calm and steady, as if offering both reassurance and a quiet strength. "i am here, and i am real. though i sense your confusion - this world, this place... it is unlike any we have known, and it is strange and overwhelming. but fear not. you are not alone and i am glad i am not either." it settled his own mind to have found a familiar face among the chaos of this world.

This place was unlike anything she had ever known. Ivy might have been more technically advanced then Middle Earth was, but this was something else entirely. She had no idea how to adjust to it. It didn't help that she hadn't found anyone she knew, either from her home or from Ivy. At least until she heard her name. "Aragon?" relief rushing through her, perhaps she wasn't quite as alone here as she thought. "Are you real?" at this point, she wouldn't be too surprised if it was her mind playing tricks on her.

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❛  what the hell just happened there ?  ❜ (Astra & Any) @tcrturedpcet

"yeah, i’m asking myself the same thing. one second everything’s fine, and then - boom! man is on the floor. i'm just as clueless as you." a lie, considering it had been yelena who had put the man on the floor just moments ago. but at least now he knows to leave her alone. "must have slipped or something and now is so embarrassed he's had to run away."

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cordelia glanced at him with a playful smile, clearly enjoying the attention but not giving in too easily. "have you now?" she asked, her tone warmer than before. she glanced over at him as they walked side by side, taking in the playful glint in his eyes. "and i'm sure you've got plenty of them haven't you? okay, i'll bite. my name's cordelia," cordy answered. "but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, alright? i don’t just hand out all my secrets on the first walk down the street."

Her movements have him hooked, his eyes following each sway and dip. He was mesmerized, truly. "Thank you for noticing." He bats his eyes playfully, a hearty chuckle falling past his lips. There's a small frown as she starts to walk away, but his grin quickly returns as she glances at him over her shoulder. "Oh darling, I think I've found some pretty interesting answers already." Dean trails after her like a lost puppy. "And if you don't tell me your name, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to keep sifting through terms of endearment for ya." His smirk only seems to grow, especially now that he caught up to walk side by side with her. "Not that I'm complaining."

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"annabeth chase? percy jackson? are you sure you didn’t just make those names up? because honestly, they sound like something straight out of a bad comic book. you know, like one of those ‘i’m a hero’ stories where everyone’s special." cordelia raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "and do i look like a yellow pages to you? go and look them up in the town registry or something."

"Have you seen Annabeth Chase or Percy Jackson?" Thalia asked the person next to her.

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@allthatglxtters “So many stars, so many mysteries yet to be discovered.” (Gale for anyone)

"ah, yes, stars! stars, stars, everywhere, and yet, you’re absolutely right - so many mysteries yet to be discovered! you know, i’ve seen a few of them up close. exploding stars, dying stars, stars that shouldn’t even exist! the universe is full of wonders, and it’s always changing, always surprising. one moment you’re staring at a beautiful constellation, and the next thing you know, you’re in the middle of an ancient galactic war or having tea with a sentient nebula!" there was a slight sight that the doctor let escape his lips, longing to be able to go explore the sky again. he was grateful to have rose here, but he wished they could leave in the tardis together. he shook the sadness off as quick as it came. "but that’s the fun of it, isn’t it? the unknown. the endless questions that never really have answers, or sometimes, they’re just the beginning of even bigger ones."

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luke looked at annabeth, his eyes haunted, as if he could still hear the echoes of everything that had happened. he swallowed hard before speaking, his voice low but steady. "i never wanted to make you feel like you didn’t matter," he said, each word heavy with regret. "you were always... the one person who saw through all the masks. you could see who i was underneath the anger, the pain, and for a long time, i just wanted to protect you from it.." he ran a hand through his hair, frustration creeping in. "but i was wrong. i thought the gods were the enemy, but i never stopped to think about what i was sacrificing to fight them. i never stopped to think about you." luke shook his head, eyes dark with remorse. "i didn’t come to you, didn’t try to explain, because i was too damn stubborn." his voice cracked slightly as he continued, "i thought i was doing the right thing. i thought i was protecting you by keeping you out of it at the beginning. but in the end, i just hurt you. and i’m sorry for that. i know it doesn’t change anything, but i need you to know. i never wanted to hurt you, or anyone else. but you have to understand-" luke paused, his gaze flickering down to the ground, his thoughts pulling at him like an old wound. "when you spend so much time fighting for something you believe in, you stop seeing the people who are right in front of you. i didn’t think about you. not really. i didn't think of anyone at the end." he couldn't. kronos wouldn't let him. not annabeth, not skye. not even aria. he felt completely alone.

"and it's probably far longer than i should give you." she insists shaking her head. annabeth had thought about all the things she would say to him if she had the chance. but it didn't seem like she could find that now that she was actually face to face with the man. "you know, after you started a war that killed all of our friends. MY friends." she didn't even know if he realized just how many had died in new york that day. "you thought i would just turn against the gods..." she shakes her head, maybe her now... maybe she would have understood. "that wasn't me, you didn't even talk to me about how you were feeling."

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when she steps back, taking his hands in hers, luke's gaze meets hers, a storm of emotions flickering in his eyes. there's a subtle sadness there, but also a quiet gratitude. “you really think that?” he asks softly, his voice almost distant, as if he’s still struggling to believe her words. “that we weren’t wrong? that it wasn’t all for nothing? i don’t know how you do it," he says softly, his voice rough. "how you can still believe in me after everything that happened. after everything I did.” he shakes his head, a tight laugh escaping him. "i have to live with that guilt, skye... i don’t know if i’ll ever be able to escape it. no matter what we did, no matter what the outcome, i can still see their faces... the ones we lost along the way." luke holds her gaze, his grip tightening just a little on her hands. "i thought i was doing the right thing. i thought i had to be the hero. i thought i had to do it all alone and in the end, it wasn’t just the gods who betrayed us... it was me, too." there’s a long pause as luke exhales, trying to ground himself. he looks down at their joined hands before continuing. “but you’re right,” he says, voice softer now, almost uncertain. “we’re here. and i guess that counts for something. maybe… maybe it’s enough to start over, to just be without all the gods and quests and blood on our hands.” he smiles faintly, the first real smile in a long time, though it’s still tempered by the weight of everything he’s carried.

Skye closed the space between them and hugged him tightly, hating that she knew she couldn't take this pain away. the guilt he lived with. "You didn't fail us. We all knew the likelihood of success wasn't high. And even knowing how it all ended I'd do it all again Luke. We put our faith in you and you did deliver Luke. You made it to Olympus, you could've ripped those thrones down, but we were also wrong, letting Kronos be the one who could've taken that throne. You saved the world in the end Luke. And our sacrifice wasn't for nothing. You read those books yea? You know how it ended." She held him for a moment longer before stepping back a little, reaching out and taking both of his hands in hers. "I still believe in you Luke. I always will. We're here, and we don't have to deal with quests or gods or any of it, we can just be. And that in itself is something to be happy about."

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aerea rolled her eyes. they sounded like the maesters at oldtown. exactly like them. "oh, so you are boring then," she commented. she wasn't sure why people talked so much about this place then. "or, you're making it seem boring at least. there has to be another reason why so many people talk about this place."

"It's humble, because we aren't a seat of power or political gain. We are simply knowledge seekers, learners, and in the most desperate of times. Peacekeepers." She knew the order had lost it's way. She couldn't change that, she could just remember it for what it was.

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@tclerateiit “Now this is my happy place.” Bianca & Aerea

aerea looked around her surrondings. she wouldn't exactly call this her own happy place, but wasn't going to dismiss it. not when bianca had gone out of her way to show her it. bianca was one of the only people aerea wasn't sharp with. sarcastic? yes. but never sharp. "how often do you come here?" she asked.

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aerea let out a dramatic sigh, throwing her hands up in mock exasperation. "oh, please. don’t start with the whole ‘you don’t know me’ speech. it’s so original," she said with a sarcastic tone, rolling her eyes. "you’re acting like i just slapped you or something. relax." she crossed her arms and leaned against a nearby table.

"Self-absorbed?" Niamh's jaw drops at the accusation as she puts her project down altogether to glare at the other. "You know nothing of me to accuse me of such a horrible thing." She risked everything for the people she loved and risked her own life to do her work, so to be called selfish in any form of the word was like a dagger to her heart.

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aerea gave him a sharp look, clearly not buying his sudden change of attitude. "you're seriously gonna stand there, act all weird, and then tell me to forget it?" she scoffed, folding her arms with a look that said she wasn’t going to let it slide. "it probably is stupid, but now i want to hear it."

luke paused when the woman started talking again, something becoming MUCH more familiar to him about her. maybe it had been the hair, but he was trying to tell himself that in this world, there were plenty of reasons why people would look much more targaryen than he did. "no... no... sorry. i just..." he shakes his head instantly. "forget it, it's stupid."

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aerea raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed as she shot him a sharp look. "oh, how noble of you," she muttered sarcastically. "found a wallet, now you’re playing detective? real impressive." she paused, her arms crossed as she glanced at him like he was wasting her time. she snatched the wallet from his hand, inspecting it with a single glance, before shoving it back at him without hesitation. "there. it’s not mine, looks like a man's. happy now?" she said flatly, her impatience clear.

Oh he knew she hadn't been listening. Seemed like a character flaw if he was honest. Listening to people meant you could get information about them. "You realise I was asking if this was your wallet or not? Found it lying on the ground and been told it's rude to look inside" and he'd actually do it, but not with an audience.

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steve slowed his pace as he jogged alongside the other, offering a small smile as he noticed the frown. he didn’t want to interrupt the guy’s rhythm, but he couldn’t help himself. "you look like you're in the zone. didn’t mean to startle you." steve motioned to the headphones. "i guess you didn't hear me, but i was saying you’ve got some serious endurance. that’s some pace you’re keeping. guess i’m not the only one who likes to get a run in before the day starts."

Cassian gave a sigh as he stretched, he was determined to get out for a run before he had to be off to work. There was so much that had to be done today but he would be damned if he skipped out on some sort of workout knowing full well he most likely wouldn't get home until late, but that was a small price to pay. Pulling on some weather appropriate clothing, he pulled on some running shoes and left his home. He took his normal route down the street and ran a few miles before he felt the burning in his muscles until he turned back home. Seeing movement from the corner of his eye, Cassian let himself slow down as he came to a stop and pulled the headphone from his ear with a small frown tugging at his brows, "I'm sorry what was that?" @ivycovestarters

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"yes, plenty of vegetables still grow in winter. cabbage, leeks, parsnips, onions, turnip, carrots... all great things for soups and casseroles. perfect winter food," sam explained. it was a surprise to him when people didn't know about vegetables, but he had to remember not everyone was a hobbit.

"Winter vegetables?" well that was a new one. "Sorry lad, either lived here or in Laketown which... not a creative name" and there was what had come afterwards, but he didn't really enjoy talking about that. Who'd believe him if he admitted to having been voted in as a King? "Aye, that I believe. If I had the time I would" none of it he meant as an insult, but if he wanted to find his children, he had to use his time differently.

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❝ i missed you, you know. ❞ (Tess & Joel) @seccndchances

joel stood there, still for a moment, his heart pounding. tess's voice, so familiar, so hauntingly real. the world seemed to stand still, as if the very ground beneath him was trying to make sense of her sudden presence. his eyes scanned her face, disbelieving, as if he were seeing a ghost. he was seeing a ghost. he swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in years. it was her. tess. alive. but then again, was she? was it real? or was this some cruel dream? but then again, joel himself was alive... "goddamn, tess..." his voice cracked, but he didn’t look away, couldn’t look away. his hands balled into fists at his sides, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms, into an embrace that would be oh so rare for him. but the words felt too heavy, the air too thick. instead, he just let out a strained laugh, a dry, bitter sound, the kind that people make when they can’t believe they’re getting what they wanted. "i thought... i thought i’d lost you for good. i - " joel stopped himself, running a hand through his hair. his mind was a mess, torn between anger and relief, grief and joy. it all felt like a lie. but here she was, right in front of him, just like before. "i missed you too, tess. more than you’ll ever know. more than i'll admit." his voice softened at the end, the rawness of it betraying the years of pain he’d buried deep down. for a moment, he just let the silence linger, savoring the sound of her voice again, the feeling of her presence.

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rhaenyra’s gaze falters for a moment, taking in the bitterness in alicent’s voice, the sharp edge to her words, and the sorrow that lingers between them like a shadow. she knew this would not be easy, if she ran into her, but part of her had hoped… hoped they could be different, that the distance between them could somehow close, that the love they once shared would outlast all the hurt and the misunderstandings. but the coldness in alicent’s tone, the way she holds herself - so distant, so defensive - tells her how far they have truly fallen. a fall rhaenyra caused. she takes a breath, steadying herself before responding, her voice low, measured, as though she’s carefully choosing each word. “i never meant for it to end like this, alicent,” rhaenyra says, the regret clear in her voice. “i never wanted to hurt you.” she hesitates, her gaze flicking to the familiar surroundings of the place they once shared so many moments, both beautiful and painful, and something in her chest aches. she mourns for the life they had. for a time without her memories. and of things that could have been. rhaenyra wished that alicent also remembered. for some reason, they believed that would be easier. so she didn't have to bare the weight of what had happened alone. rhaenyra hoped that if she did, they could work through things. actually be together. it could be possible. after all, alicent had asked her to run away together... “do you really think i don’t feel it too?” she asks, her gaze meeting alicent’s with a mix of sadness and understanding. “that i haven’t thought of you every day, of everything we’ve lost? i... i miss you, alicent."

alicent huffs slightly, she had spent weeks hoping that rhaenyra would come back, be in their home again, and make it feel so terribly less empty. because that was how it felt currently, this home that had been so full of happiness and life only a few months ago now felt empty. alicent could barely even stand to be here. but now, that they were here... the woman wishes they would just leave. "how am i..." she starts wit a small chuckle. "just great. completely at peace. how do you think i am, rhaenyra?"

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rhaenyra’s heart ached as she felt jace’s arms wrap around her, his warmth and his fragility in that moment almost too much to bear. she squeezed him tighter, as if afraid that the slightest breath would pull him from her again. as jace pulls away, rhaenyra blinks, surprised by the glint of tears in his eyes. her own throat tightens in response, her eyes searching his face with a mixture of relief and sorrow. the weight of those unspoken words, the quiet regret, hovers between them, but they choose not to press on it, for now. she places a hand gently on his cheek, brushing away the tear that has escaped his eye, a tender gesture, full of the care and love that has never faltered, even when they were apart. “i feared the same,” she admits quietly, her voice low but steady, with a heaviness that only a mother could carry. “for so long, i feared that time would change you, that it would change me. that i would not see you again, or worse, that you would forget me.” her lips tremble slightly, but she presses on, her hand still resting on his cheek, the connection between them grounding her. their son had grown in ways she hadn't seen, but they could still see the boy she’d once held in her arms, the one she had tried so fiercely to protect. the boy who had felt overlooked, overshadowed. her heart twisted at the thought of how she’d failed him. “but you have not changed, jace. i see you here before me, and i see the boy you were and the man you are becoming.” rhaenyra smiles softly, though there is a bittersweet edge to it. “and i regret the time we lost. but i will not regret what we can have now.”

jace can feel the knot in his chest unravel at his mother's recognition, silently grateful their memories can be one less obstacle for them to navigate. he steps forward, his books forgotten on the ground as he pulls her into an embrace. “thank the gods…” jace whispers, his throat tight with tears. he's well aware their relationship wasn't left in the best standing back home. jace had been so riddled with jealousy, silently bristling every time his mother would choose one of the dragonseeds to accompany her in his stead or when they would heed lady mysaria's counsel over his own. but it all seems so distant now, trifles really, now that he's felt the pain of their absence. it'd be foolish to let something so petty come between them again. and if the thought of his claim still looms over his mind, then he won't speak of it either.

“i had feared the worst for so long,” jace begins to say as he pulls away hesitantly, blinking away the tears in his eyes. “it relieves me to see you well, mother, truly. i only regret that it's taken this long.”