#// will circle back to the topic of dragons in a bit

[heli-writes]

A dragon's heart, part 6.

Pairing: Barbarian!Bakugou Katsuki x female!reader

Summary: The dragonblood tribe is known for being cruel, barbarian warriors that slaughter, loot and rape all places they pass through. They are feared among the villagers and even bigger cities. Having lost most of their women to a plague, they're trying to ensure their tribe's survival by kidnapping women from other places. However, they're not the only monsters in human form out there. When y/n experiences this first hand, she has no choice but to ask for help from no other but the barbarian leader Katsuki Bakugou himself.

Disclaimer: mentions of injuries, mentions of dead animals, gutting and skinning of animals, mentions of chopping (animal) meat

[Please don't read if you are sensible to or triggered by the topics mentioned above.]

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

Series Masterlist

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Y/n managed to stay up the entire night. She almost dozed off at dawn but a particularly loud crack next to their campsite startled her. Turns out it was just a small animal but it was enough to get her heart pumping that she stayed up for the rest of the night.

Katsuki wakes up later than usual. Y/n waited for him to stir until she got up and started to heat some water.

Katsuki sits up and rubs his face. His back aches and his leg still feels like it got, well stabbed. He watches y/n prepare some tea. When she walks over to him with two cups, he notices the dark circle under her eyes.

“You look like shit.“, he tells her. Y/n looks up with tired eyes and just hands him his cup. “Did you sleep last night?“, he asks with furrowed eyes. Y/n takes a sip from her tea.

Katsuki sighs. It's starting to annoy him that she doesn't understand him. Maybe he should teach her his language soon. At least a little bit.

“We need to get food for today.“, he tells her. Y/n states into her cup. She really feels the sleepless night. Katsuki watches her and starts to feel concerned. Y/n definitely needs to lie down.

They sit in silence for a while. Eventually, y/n gets up and gets the medicine bag. Katsuki finishes his tea as y/n gets ready to take a look at his wound.

Carefully, she unwraps the bandages on his leg and inspects the wound. The skin around the stitches is red and irritated but not infected. That's good, y/n thinks. She cleans her hand with some alcohol and smears some more rash cream into the wound. Then, she uses fresh bandages to wrap his leg up again.

When she looks up, she is met with Katsuki's ruby-red eyes. He's been watching her treat his wound intently. Her fingertips felt soft against his skin. She works a lot more carefully than the healers from his tribe. Of course, he can handle a more rough handling but it feels nice the way y/n does it.

“You need to take a nap.“, he tells her sternly. He starts to get up to make space for her on the bedroll. Alerted, y/n looks up and raises her hands. “No! You need to stay down or you will rip your stitches!“, she exclaims.

Katsuki swats her hands away and stands up on wobbly legs. Y/n quickly gets up and stabilizes him. Again, Katsuki swats at her and points at her and then at the bedroll. “Lay down!“, he commands.

Y/n watches Katsuki limp towards his dragon. He pats the lizard's neck and grumbles something into its ear. The heavy lizard rises up and starts flopping its wings. The rush of air almost makes Katsuki fall onto his butt if it weren't for y/n rushing over to him. Together, they watch the dragon disappear in the sky.

Nervously, y/n starts bombarding him with questions. “Where is he going? Will he come back? Why did you send him away?“, she rambles. Katsuki silences her with a swing of his hand. “You.“, he points at her. “Bedroll.“, he continues pointing at the bedroll. Then, he grabs her arms and pulls her towards it.

Reluctantly, y/n follows. Katsuki flops down next to the bedroll and points at the bedroll. Uncertainly, y/n sits down on the cushion. Katsuki gives her an angry look. “Down!“, he orders and puts a hand on her head pushing it down. At first, y/n resists but eventually, she caves. There's no point in arguing with Katsuki. He pulls his cape over her.

She looks up at him with wide eyes. “Don't look at me like that.“, Katsuki mumbles and ruffles her hair. “Sleep!“, he tells her. “Sleep?“, y/n repeats carefully. Her pronunciation is a bit off, but it's a good try, Katsuki thinks. He nods. “Yes, sleep!“, he repeats and mimics sleeping with his hands and eyes. He makes a snoring sound. With closed eyes, he hears y/n giggle. He opens his eyes again and gives her a lopsided grin. Y/n looks up at him with warm but tired eyes.

“Sleep.“, y/n mumbles in his language as she turns away from him pulling his cape over her shoulders.

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Y/n wakes up a few hours later not feeling a lot better than before. She misses her foldable matress and her warm tent. Sleeping on the ground in the open air is not giving her the most restfull kind of sleep. She stretches and her joints make an unhealthy crackling sound.

Katsuki is sitting next to her. Y/n isn't sure if he moved or if he sat beside her the entire time. Part of her hopes he didn't. She really doesn't want to redo all the stitches just because Katsuki can't sit still.

"Mornin' princess.", Katsuki says and gives her a small grin. Y/n sits up. The air is cool around her and she instinctively rubs her arms. Katsuki reaches out to her and touches the side of her arm as if he were checking her temperature. Instinctively, y/n leans into his touch. Katsuki's so warm.

The loud flopping of wings rips both of them out of their thoughts. The dragon lands next to them and drops a dead deer in front of them.

„Appetizing.“, y/n comments dryly. Katsuki snickers. He may not understand exactly what she said, but he gets the sentiment in her voice and face. Chuckling, he ruffles through her hair and limps over to the deer. Upon inspection, he's sure that his dragon tracked down the flock Katsuki was hunting.

Katsuki takes his hunting knife and starts gutting and skinning the animal. He watches y/n's mimic while doing so. Y/n is surprisingly unfazed by the sight and eventually starts to build a fire. Katsuki cuts the animal into almost even parts. Smaller ones for him and y/n, the largest portion for his dragon.

„Y/n!“, he calls out to her and waves her towards him. Y/n follows suit and walks over to Katsuki who is standing with about ¾ of a deer next to the dragon. He chops off a huge part of the leg and holds it out to her.

„What am I supposed to do with this?“, y/n asks and crooks her head. Katsuki takes an equally large piece of meat and holds it out to the dragon which immediately grabs it out of Katsuki's hand with its snout. Katsuki then points at y/n and at the dragon.

„Me? I don't know...“, y/n says reluctantly. She had seen enough of the dragon's teeth when she gave him the tea a while back. „Don't be a pussy.“, Katsuki says challenging but with a crooked grin on his face. He snaps his finger and points at the dragon that watches y/n already expectantly.

Y/n hesitates for a moment, then steps a bit forward holding the meat towards the dragon with a wide-stretched arm. The dragon snaps at the meat and y/n can hear the bones in it crunching. Somehow it makes her really proud she was courageous enough to do it. She squeaks and almost jumps into Katsuki's arms who lets out a booming laugh.

„You little shit!“, he laughs and ruffles her hair again. Y/n looks up at him and gives him a big grin. Katsuki's aware of the impression of his dragon. Most people are instinctively scared by the beast and that rightfully so. He's never seen one of the other women his men brought home to get even close to their tribe's dragons. They usually stay in their mate's tents. It's rare they ever leave their accommodation and if they do, they're an eery sight. At least in Katsuki's opinion.

He's ripped out of his thoughts when he sees y/n reaching out to the dragon with an outstretched hand. „Hey!“, Katsuki warns and grabs her hands. At that moment, the dragon snaps at her. If it weren't for Katsuki, y/n's hand would be dragon food right now. „It's not a pet. They're proud beings. You can't just touch them without their permission.“, Katsuki tries to explain. Y/n looks a bit embarrassed. The dragon watches y/n with a wary expression in its eyes.

Y/n bows her head low in front of the dragon and mumbles an apology. Katsuki isn't sure whether he finds that impressive or hilarious. It's clear that it's an action of respect. It's also a stupid idea to lower your head in front of a dragon. It can get you beheaded. The dragon lets out a puff and turns his head away in disinterest. Seems like it has forgiven y/n for her foolish action.

„C'mon, time to fry this meat.“, Katsuki says and pulls her with him.

They roast the meat over the open fire and eat their meal in silence. Afterward, Katsuki and y/n sit by the fire for a while. Y/n takes the sewing kit from the medicine bag and starts mending Katsuki's ripped pants. Katsuki pokes the ember in the fire and watches y/n with a side-eye. He notices how y/n works quick and precise, just as she did when she stitched up his wound. He wonders if she is a seamstress. However, her clothes do not look like those of a seamstress. It's not the latest fashion in the kingdom. Actually, Katsuki isn't too sure what kind of fashion she's wearing. Not that he keeps up with the kingdom's latest trends anyway. Nevertheless, he's never seen a woman in the villages he passed through in clothes like these. He starts to wonder if y/n is even a citizen of the kingdom.

His conclusions actually aren't far off. As a wandering folk, y/n's people were not subjects of the Todoroki royals. They wander from kingdom to kingdom. Y/n spent most of her life in the Todoroki kingdom because simply it's the most safe. The harsh leadership of King Enji keeps crime levels on the low.

When y/n is done stitching up the pants, she wanders to the lake and washes the splutters of blood out of the fabric as much as she can. After hanging the pants up and a tree branch, she settles back down next to Katsuki. She feels tired again.

Suddenly, Katsuki puts an arm around her and pulls her closer without looking at her. Y/n shivers. Suddenly she notices how cold it has gotten. She leans her head against his shoulder and Katsuki leans his head against hers. Y/n has to admit she likes the proximity. She's been alone for so long, it's just nice to have someone so close. She also has to admit that she trusts Katsuki. From all the stories she had heard, she expected Katsuki to take her after her wounds started to heal.

Right now, she can't imagine Katsuki doing something violating like that. He's no gentleman by all means but he accepts boundaries. That's something she can live with. Plus, it's not like she's a lady. She can feel herself grow more tired with each passing second. She scooches closer to Katsuki. Almost, she didn't notice how Katsuki started running his hand up and down her arm or how he nuzzled his face into her hair.

Even if Katsuki would never admit it, he likes the proximity too. Y/n's warm and soft and her hair smells good. Living in a world of men, the smell of a woman is something Katsuki learned to miss. When he notices how y/n's head starts falling off his shoulder, he pulls her into his lap. Y/n stirs for a moment, then settles into his chest. Katsuki ignores the pain in his leg as y/n's weight presses onto the wound.

Katsuki will have to return soon. Tomorrow, he will try to shoot that stag one last time. Feeling y/n's soft breathing on his skin, Katsuki already decided what to do with her. He's taking her home with him. He's not sure what to do with her then. He kind of doesn't want one of his men to take her on as their mate but he's also not sure whether he wants to make this kind of commitment after just a couple of days or not. And then there's also his mother.

He wonders what y/n will think about this. So far, she hasn't shown any real attempts to part with him. Does she really have nobody to return to? It seems like it. But is she alright with joining his tribe? Maybe even staying with him? At least for a little while?

Y/n nuzzles her face into Katsuki's collarbone and lets out a deep sigh. Katsuki pulls the bedroll over to them. He lifts himself and y/n onto it and pulls his cape over both of them. He leans back and lets y/n snooze on top of him. He holds her by the waist and keeps stroking over her back.

Katsuki watches up at the nightsky contemplating the same questions over again until his eyes feel too heavy to keep them open.

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[countlessofvoids]

what's interesting about hiccup's character that you never see people talk about? as someone who likes him, i also get annoyed by how the fandom sees him and i prefer him in the first movie over everything else.

A lot of things honestly. I have a hard time naming them individualy lmao.

I feel like people tend to take parts of Hiccup's character they like, then mold him into something imitating Hiccup. I see a lot of interpretations where his sarcasm takes up 90% of his personality and/or his entire motivation is saving dragons and killing people as some kind of vigilante. Another thing popular in this fandom that annoys me is taking other characters' traits and giving those to Hiccup.

But what I believe mainly gets ignored, or rather purposefully removed, is him being a 'peacekeeper'. Now, I can't exactly blame anyone for doing this, because continuations after the second movie either ;

1) Completly forget it was a thing.

Or 2) The Narrative actively shames him for it, or turns it into something else. This goes for THW — where it's treated as a flaw of Hiccup's character, then reduced to him "being afraid of change" (And circles back to the whole "Humans bad, Dragons good" message of THW, I could go on about this topic for hours).

The source material itself is not interested in exploring it.

This also happens partialy because fans think peacekeeper means someone who has no understanding of how conflicts work and expects everyone to drop their weapons to go frolic in the fields together. Hiccup gets criticized for trying to find another way, when he has a reason to believe he can change people. I mean, he changed the entirety of Berk. Yes, pursuing Drago Bludvist so you can convince him to join your side when everyone who has more experience with the warlord tells you not to, is not the best decision. But Hiccup is young, he's bound to make mistakes. Besides, events wouldn't alter too much if he did otherwise.

Which is a bit disappointing. I think it could fit with the theme of him being different from everyone else; Looking for a peaceful solution when others want to destroy each other. Another reason why I find this concept intriguing is because I see Hiccup as someone who struggles a bit when it comes to sympathizing with humans, especially hunters. Not as in he intentionaly hates them — he just spent his life befriending animals & dragons instead of people, so now he's spiteful especially towards humans who hurt them. I like to think he still holds even a tiny bit of spite towards Berkians and his enemies-turned-allies (not with Stoick & Valka though, it's complicated with them).

As for why I personaly don't like him in most iterations after the first movie: He's just kinda boring. He goes from a sarcastic loner who ultimately wants to be accepted by others, to 'young movie male protagonist n.1235'. Huge part of that comes from what was done with his design. Second movie!Hiccup has started to grow on me lately. I couldn't care less about RTTE!Hiccup. THW!Hiccup was on the right path, but they chose the worst and most contradictory way of doing it. It could also be the fact he loses relatability for me.

[haleswallows]

Happy Friday!

Fandom: DC x DP Pairing: Dead Tired (Danny/Tim) Rating: Teen High Fantasy AU, Arranged Marriage, and Dragons (oh my!) Chapter 13

TEASER:

“I dare say Phantom could not have found a better match,” Frostbite mused. A pretty flush rose on the prince’s cheeks. Danny focused on it, instead of his own fluttering heart. “If you wish for me to approve,” he directed at Danny, tone indulgently affectionate, “then you need not worry, Snowflake.”

He didn’t need to voice his thanks. It was a relief, not that Danny thought Frostbite wouldn’t approve. But the reassurance was welcome.

“You will stay a few days?” Frostbite asked as he shuffled his wings. They rasped against each other. “It is so rare a human comes to see me, and I do not remember ever meeting a prince from Gotham.”

“Mūti invited us to stay with her for a few days,” Danny said. “And I’ve been told by no less than three people to enjoy a little time from the Keep. Apparently, I’m stressed.”

“So I will get to see you both some more yet. A delightful surprise.” Frostbite rolled his eye back to the prince, who blinked at the sudden change in the ancient’s attention. “Little prince, I must implore you to look after this willful child. He has a great talent for getting himself into all manner of messes and trouble. I fear he has no survival instincts, despite all my worrying.”

“Stop it,” Danny groused. He was glad for the cold, perhaps it would hide his blush. “I was going to ask if you’d like to have the honor of doing our soulbond, but I don’t think I will now.”

“Ah.” Nudging Danny with his snout, Frostbite nearly bowled Danny onto his butt. “Child, I implore you to allow me. You have no talent in holding a spell.”

Gods, Frostbite just kept outing all his flaws. Soon, the prince would know all of Danny’s failings. How embarrassing.

“I just thought,” Danny said as he threw his arms around Frostbite’s nose. “You would like to help. It seemed appropriate, to have the great Ancient Frostbite cast the first soulbond between High Chief and Gotham Prince. That, and I have no talent for holding a spell.”

Frostbite snorted, blowing a clump of flurries all over Danny's front and up his nose. Danny stumbled away, rubbing his face. Like father, like son, he supposed. Sometimes he hoped Aquila would drop the habit, but Danny lost all illusions he would. Afterall, if Frostbite was still doing it in his timeless state, then it was a lost cause.

Danny rejoined the prince, sniffling a little.

“Would you like to evoke the soulbond now?” Frostbite tucked away his sly smile, circling back to the serious topic. “Or shall we wait for tomorrow?”

Now didn’t bother Danny. He shrugged, and gave deference to Prince Timothy to allow the prince to answer for them. “Oh.” The prince turned to him, chewing his lip as he searched Danny’s face. Danny absolutely didn’t let his eyes drop to the prince’s mouth. “I have no qualms with now.”

Looking between them, Frostbite smiled so softly, Danny felt the warmth of his affection. Some day, it would stop surprising him. And some day, he might even feel like he deserved it. For all his flaws and mistakes, Danny didn’t know what he did to deserve the dragon’s unconditional love.

Exist, he supposed. For Frostbite, it was that simple.

“Snowflake?” Frostbite rumbled. Danny pulled on a smile, letting the dour thoughts fall away.

This was easy. Well, maybe not easy, but familiar at least. Danny had gone through the motions five times now, and every bonding felt a bit different. Of course it did, each bond was different.

The prince’s nervousness was obvious. He stood stiffly, and his grip tightened on Danny’s hand.

Danny smiled encouragingly – Frostbite would take care of them, the ancient would never be able to bear it if he did harm to a human. Carefully, he guided the prince a few steps away and took both his hands so they stood face to face. It reminded him forcibly of the marriage rites in the Keep.

Maybe this time, Danny would be able to control himself and not kiss the prince.

The prince’s eyes fluttered a moment as he took a deep breath. “Ready?” Danny murmured, just for him. “Take all the time you need, Your Highness.”

He couldn’t help it – Danny watched the prince, even though he knew Frostbite would have words for him later. Both for getting married without telling him and for being so carelessly besotted. But who could blame him? Eyelashes a thick fan over cheeks tinted pink by the cold, lips plush from all the biting he had done, the prince was a vision. To keep himself in check, Danny rubbed his thumbs over the backs of Prince Timothy’s hands, hoping it served to soothe his nerves.

The prince looked up at Danny through his eyelashes, and nodded. “Ready.”

Frostbite breathed out a great plume of swirling snowflakes. And a new bond opened, pulling on Danny’s soul.

○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○

The bond took. It slammed into Tim’s mind with a foreign weight, a headache forming right behind it as his brain struggled with the new input. Unknown, unlike anything he had ever experienced.

He was instantly aware of Phantom’s proximity - not just physically, the heat of his body, the sound of his breaths. But now internally. His mind was like a compass needle, and Phantom true North. A tugging in his mind, a pull that Tim tensed himself against to keep from leaning towards. Tim knew in his heart of hearts that blindfolded and turned around, he would be able to find his way to Phantom.

It was terrifying.

And nestled between the stinging pain of the headache, the pull of the bond in his frontal lobe, there was something else. A blur of emotions, a bouquet of flavors and colors in his mind, his hands quivering, his heart pounding. It took Tim a long breathless moment to disentangle it from his own feelings.

Joy-affection-warm that bled into guilt-sad-dread as he worked to pick them apart.

Was... was that Phantom?

Tim kept his eyes closed, chasing the emotions. Scared-affection-guilt felt sour and warm, like curdled milk. He couldn’t discern if the swoop in his stomach was the same as seeing Dick come back from patrol with only small scrapes, or the same as a missed step, expecting solid ground and finding nothing.

Like a hound, Tim pursued it. Relentless in trying to grasp it. His own emotions felt pale in comparison, his heart pounding with Phantom’s fear.

Fear?

And just as soon as he captured it, the bond was gone. Echoing in his mind, like the gates of Wayne Castle slamming closed. Tim blinked his eyes open.

Phantom stood a few paces apart, his face turned away. The armor he wore disguised any tension in body but Tim could see the way his hands clenched. It looked like he didn’t even breathe. The leather of his gloves creaked with the force he fisted them at his sides – the only outward expression Tim could see. Tim… didn’t understand.

[shadowjax]

The Dragon’s Blade

The Spider's Bite Pt.1 |pt.2| A03 Natasha Romanoff x reader/oc Summary: Your feelings are being toyed with and you are tired of it. Since your last mission, there has been an undeniable shift in the way she behaved around you. Every conversation you had with her was fleeting, filled with awkward pauses and half-hearted exchanges, as though she was eager to escape as soon as possible. She had altered her routes around the tower entirely and shifted her meal times to avoid the usual items you two crossed paths. Warnings: guns, gunshot wounds A/N: So I wrote this 6 months ago.... Music/Song inspo: GATS & Oh Genius - Take A Breath Shares and reblogs are appreciated *Divider created by:@cafekitsune *

You stood with your back against the wall in a loud room filled with people dressed to the nines, so they say. Tony was hosting a “holiday” party for his patrons and the Avengers were invited for appearances. You arrived a bit late after deciding to wear the outfit Pepper chose for you. You wore a black turtleneck, the fabric irritating your skin slightly. It was tucked into a pair of black dress pants, held up by a belt threaded through a gold ring. On your feet were black laced dress shoes, and over it all, you were wrapped in a long gray coat that draped down to the back of your knees. On your wrist, you wore an elegant watch that had been gifted from Tony. You recently discovered that if you weren’t punctual, a wave of stress would build up, knowing you were going to be late. In the past you followed a very strict schedule and if you were late for anything… On your neck lay a silver necklace with an outline of a dragon curled into a circle, a gift from Natalia left outside your door a few nights ago after a mission. Your hair was partially slicked back, a few loose strands above your eyes opening your facial structure a bit followed by a black cloth mask over your mouth. 

Wearing a face covering helped you blend in more than if you hadn’t worn one, but even so, a few curious individuals who lacked personal space would still approach you. This resulted in a barrage of questions on topics ranging from your appearance and background to how you ended up working with the Avengers, and so on. The occasional sneaky photographer snapping a photo added to your annoyance, making you feel like an animal on display, which did nothing for your self-esteem. 

You preferred smaller gatherings of people you knew, but you could not say no to free food.  And there was someone you were looking to run into at this gathering. Your gaze follows Natalia across the room at the bar, chatting with Bruce. It was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves, especially in the line of work everyone is in. Since your last mission, there has been an undeniable shift in the way she behaved around you. Every conversation you had with her was fleeting, filled with awkward pauses and half-hearted exchanges, as though she was eager to escape as soon as possible. She had altered her routes around the tower entirely and shifted her meal times to avoid the usual items you two crossed paths. The most telling sign, however, was when she gifted you the necklace. Rather than presenting it to you face-to-face, she left it outside your room. This party marked the first time the two of you had been in the same room together. 

After some thought you decided it was time to approach her and try to talk things through, only pause in your tracks. There was a sudden pain in your chest like someone took a knife and was twisting it very slowly. Your hands began to twitch and your breathing slowed. There she was, the two of them moved to a nearby doorway and she is kissing Bruce under the mistletoe. The room began to shrink and suddenly the sea of people became unbearable. You slowly started to back away, only to bump into a waiter carrying drinks. Glasses shattered to the ground and liquid spilled onto the nearest wall, dripping into the outlet causing a POP sound to erupt. The music came to a halt and everyone was looking your way, your eyes darting towards Natasha who had separated herself from Bruce. 

Next thing you knew you found yourself on one of the rooftops in the city, far enough away from the tower. You weren’t sure how long or how far you ran, only stopping once the cold became unbearable to breathe in. You made your way to the edge and sat down. A few birds landed near you and buried themselves under your jacket. The sounds of cars echoed in the air, the city lights illuminating the sky making it hard to see the stars in the night sky. For a moment you thought of your sister and how she would have loved- no, she isn’t here anymore. The only person who ever. Your thoughts were cut off by the sound of heels clicking, it didn't take long before your peace was ruined by the sound of boots approaching. 

Your eyes remained focused on the cars below, “Just leave me alone.” That unsettling pinching in your chest resurfaced and it wasn’t the cold wind finally getting to you.

“Everyone’s looking for you.” Natalia’s footsteps stopped behind you, waiting for a response. Your heightened senses picked up a new scent in the air, your stomach twisting in disgust.

“My whereabouts are none of your concern, agent.” You stood, the birds under your jacket flying away and you finally turned to face her. 

“Your whereabouts are my concern when you make a scene and then run off.” Irritation laced her lips, she had her arms wrapped around herself due to the cold. 

You were surprised to see her still wearing heels, intrigued by how she found you so quickly. She was wearing a jacket, one she had not had on earlier. You pinpointed the strange scent, it was radiating off the jacket, it was Banner’s. You shifted a foot closer towards the edge of the roof, taking a quick glance at the ground below you.

“Let’s get out of this cold and back to the tower. Then you can explain to me why you are behaving so evasive.” Her phone rang and she picked it up immediately, “Romanoff… oh hey Bruce. Yeah, I’ve found them I’ll be back soon. Ok bye.” Your entire body began to fidget as if something was crawling under your skin. 

“I…just go.” You weren't sure what to say, you just wanted to be alone. And the longer she stayed the more stressed you felt, her actions were confusing. You weren’t sure why she was concerned for you after actively ignoring you the past few days. 

“I’m not leaving you out here, it's too cold.” 

“Just leave me alone like you’ve been doing. Why are you so concerned-” You were cut off by the sound of a BANG, out of nowhere this sharp pain surrounded your lower back. 

Time had slowed and you took a step back, forgetting you were on the edge of the building. Fear spread across Natalia’s face while you plummeted to the ground, she sprinted towards you with a hand out to grab you. Forgetting she was in heels she ended up falling off the building with you. It did not take long before your mind snapped back into reality, with one hand you pulled her close and with the other, you aimed towards a nearby railing. Your body jerked for a quick moment but your impact was lessened because of the cable you shot, both of you stumbling and falling to the ground. The both of you quickly stood but failed as you were kicked in the back and pushed to the ground, overhearing Natalia fighting someone out of vision. Using all your strength you rolled to the side and grabbed the person’s leg, pulling them down with you. 

You weren't sure what the guy was mumbling to himself and you kicked him in the gut as hard as possible. Your heightened strength sends the man flying across the street into a nearby trashcan. Quickly turning around to help Natalaia fight off the man, the two of you gain the upper hand. Natalia backed off, seeing that the man was beaten and had enough but like some fire inside you, it did not simmer. For a moment you couldn’t feel the pain of a gunshot while you kept kicking the man to the ground. You ended up breaking the arm he used to shield his upper body. You felt a hand on your shoulder which caused you to turn around and instinctively throw a punch but it was caught because Natalia had quick reflexes. 

“It’s done, let’s head out before authorities come.” Her hair and makeup were disheveled. She had a familiar look on her face, one she used before the last mission. 

For a moment you felt a warm feeling in your stomach, maybe from the blood and you smothered that feeling with an icy bitterness. There is a sense of deja vu surfacing, you weren’t sure why. You walked past her in the direction of the compound, the two of you walking back in temporary silence. 

“You’re angry. You're letting your control slip.” She blankly stated.

“I am not angry.” You griped your side righter, the pain becoming more unbearable the more you walked.

“I know you are. Your muscles are all tense and you feel this tight pressure in your head. You feel like there is this fire you can’t put out.” You refused to acknowledge she was right to some degree. 

When the two of you reached the compound she followed you to the medical room. Thankfully it was empty, you gathered your own supplies and started to patch yourself up. The serum in your body had healed a good portion of the wound already and all you needed to do was clean it. It’s a shame your clothes have been torn and have a bullet hole, you really liked the outfit. You sat in a nearby chair, lifted your shirt, and dabbed some rubbing alcohol on the wound with a cotton ball. It took a few tries to find the bullet wound since it entered through your back, a scab had formed over the skin around the area, which was very sensitive to the touch.

“Hmph!.” Your body quickly jerked from the sting the alcohol brought, pain shooting up throughout your entire body. A bit of white flashed before your eyes, and an old memory began to resurface from your past. When you were in a 1v1 battle with another competitor, you had been shot at a very young age. It left you with a botched stitching job and a nasty scar since your health was horrible as well as not having the full super serum in your body. 

“Here let me-” Nat took a step closer but you held a hand up, making her stop in her tracks.

“I got it, you should do a once over to make sure there’s no surprises.” You were now leaning towards the left of the chair while using your right arm to clean the wound. The doors to bust opened, multiple concerned teammates now filling the room, causing you to drop the cleaning supplies. Your head resting on your hand, slightly pulling at your hair. Everyone was talking at once and you quickly became annoyed.

“Hey hey, what happened?” Pepper quickly approached where you were seated, worry on her face. She started to get handsy in an attempt to look at your injuries and you failed to swat her hands away. There was a gasp when she saw the bullet wound. 

Looking past her you saw Bruce approach Natalia, the sight feeling like someone was twisting a knife in your chest. You spaced out while she cleaned the wound and patched up a few other scrapes as well, you forgot about the pain in your left shoulder from the vamrace when you used it to cushion the fall. You felt guilty for behaving so evasively towards Pepper because she was just trying to help, when your more severe injury was cleaned you stood and started to walk back to your room. 

“Let me help you walk back.” Steve rushed to your side, noticing you were using furniture to help keep yourself upward.

“I appreciate the assistance but I just… I just…” want to forget this evening, you almost said aloud. Someone, probably Steve, put his hand on your shoulder causing you to jerk forward and almost fall forward due to the unbalance. The room fell silent, everyone’s eyes staring right through you. You took a deep breath and walked out of the room. 

~~~~~~~

You entered your room there were lights hung all around, winter-themed paper taped to the walls, and a box lying on your bed. Someone had decorated your room while you were away, it felt cozy. Inside the box was a framed picture, it was of the team after a party you all attended a few months ago. It was something about heroic service and everyone was dressed up all fancy. On the bottom of a box was an old photo of, what everyone else would assume would be you but instead, your sister. You knew the few pictures taken of you were all destroyed before you were saved by the team.  On the back, there was something written, “You should smile more - N.R.” You frowned, placing the photos on a bedside table and then changing out of your dirty clothes. After changing into a simple shirt and pair of shorts you crawled into bed, requesting Friday to play some music while you fell asleep.

Thought I'd do just fine on my own

What a fool I've been so alone

Life is better when I'm with you by my side, that I know

And with so much out there to see

All I want is you next to me

A familiar emptiness entered the room, your sister’s face plaguing your thoughts. Maybe the people from HYDRA were right, someone like you is meant to be alone. One way or another any sense of comfort is torn away. A lesson you learned long ago. You weren’t a person, you were a person created to do a job and complete it without fail. 

Soaking in this moment, have I always felt this free

Lost in the moonlight tonight

Reflecting in your eyes, the time

Your sister loved watching the stars. Even though she wasn’t outside much, like a caged bird she was always looking at the sky. She’d probably study the stars and talk your head off about all the different constellations.

Feels like we're frozen for life

For life, for life

All of our problems are lies

To bring us down from our high

All of the world is mine

Tears slowly fell down your face as you stared at the dimly lit ceiling. You imagined of the two of you traveling to see the northern lights, your only reference was what the internet could provide. They were beautiful on a screen and no doubt more beautiful in person. Your sister dragging you through the snow and up a few mountains to get the best view. She’d have this excitement plastered on her face and a determination that no one could stop. Neither of you spoke the entire journey. Your mind couldn’t bring itself to make something up though you weren’t sure what she would say.

[dukemeropide]

Wriothesley catches the ghost of a smile on Neuvillette’s lips and amplifies into into his own hearty laughter, perhaps among the scant few in Fontaine - even in Teyvat as a whole - who would do so. But a convict, former or otherwise, does not fear being sunk to the bottom of the sea a second time, and over the years Wriothesley has found that his playful jabs have been met with a kind of wonder that a man without any sense of humor at all would never entertain.

”You would have been right a few minutes ago,” he admits and uncrosses his arms to pick up the mottled grey stone. He runs his thumb across it thoughtfully. He’d indeed thought of his brooch first, then the Fortress’ three-headed dog second, but he chuckles and shakes his head.

”The insignia of a prison doesn’t sound like an auspicious symbol though. These jade charms are supposed to be for good luck, after all.” Setting it down, he rocks to one side and reaches into his back pocket to withdraw a thin, leatherbound notebook, which he places on the table between them. On its cover is a hand-drawn sticker in the shape of a shark with, mysteriously, a mop of tousled black hair not unlike Wriothesley’s. He smiles fondly at it, and turns it to show Neuvillette.

”I think a shark might be better, don’t you? And the Head Nurse has already given me a design to work with.”

Lantern Rite: Wriothesley & Neuvillette

Lantern Rite 2024 | Dragon Charms

[bluerose5]

Pre-Veilguard Claudia/Emmrich Interactions

Note: This is a rough outline of some headcanons I have in mind for these two, regardless of what happens in my Veilguard playthroughs with Claudia (she/they). I just love exploring a Mourn Watch Rook x Emmrich dynamic so much and wanted to expand on it for a Rook that is older than what the game seems to imply. Claudia is also of Rivaini, Antivan, and Nevarran descent but was raised in Rivain, to clarify on that beforehand. For the part about their meetings, these are the major ones noted that happens over the span of years but I'm pretty sure there were plenty more sprinkled in, in between. :)

Timeline

8:99 Blessed: Emmrich Volkarin is born.

9:10 Dragon: Claudia Ardeen Rivero Vordalenski is born.

9:15 Dragon: Claudia's magic manifests. They begin their training in the Rivaini Circle of Dairsmuid.

9:26 Dragon: Showing exceptional skill, Claudia is allowed to undergo their Harrowing at a young age. (Headcanon/Note: Rivaini Harrowings are different compared to elsewhere. For those who are deemed candidates to become seers, they must survive being possessed by a spirit rather than avoid it entirely.) However, Claudia's rite of passage goes awry when the spirit that possesses them starts to turn into a demon. Since they are able to escape from its clutches (mostly) intact, they pass their Harrowing.

9:27 Dragon: Claudia requests an official transfer to study in the Necropolis. With the help of their father, a former guard of the Grand Necropolis, authorization is granted.

9:30 Dragon: Claudia first meets Emmrich when they are running late for their class, featuring him as a guest speaker.

9:37 Dragon: The Chantry explosion in Kirkwall occurs.

9:40 Dragon: The Circle of Dairsmuid in Rivain is annulled. Claudia's mother survives. Claudia returns home to speak with their father, but they ultimately avoid their mother and spends the majority of the mage-templar war tending to their duties in the Necropolis. (Their family situation is complicated, to say the least.)

9:41 Dragon: The events of Dragon Age: Inquisition begin. Rebel mages are freed, allies to the Inquisition.

9:52 Dragon: The events of Dragon Age: The Veilguard begin.

Meetings

First meeting: After a late night of experiments and study, Claudia (20 at the time) oversleeps again, arriving late to their class when Emmrich (31) is a guest speaker. He gives a lecture on reanimating corpses, and of course the topic of whether or not the departed's soul is involved comes up. A peer goads Claudia into answering, and Emmrich is both intrigued and impressed when they use their knowledge of spirits and their Rivaini perspective to address the matter. He manages to tell them as much after the lecture before another student pulls his attention away from them.

Second meeting: Not too long after their first meeting, they pass each other in one of the Necropolis' libraries, and Claudia is surprised that Emmrich even remembers them. While they talk, Claudia keeps hiding a book behind their back, and they eventually reveal it to be a copy of some of Emmrich's research on corpse whispering. He's flattered, of course, and offers to give Claudia a demonstration in person. After all, wouldn't that help develop a deeper understanding in addition to his research? Claudia has a prior engagement to deal with, a haunting that they volunteered to help with perhaps, but agrees to take him up on the offer some other time.

Third meeting: Emmrich is passing through the halls of the Necropolis when he happens across Claudia teaching a class full of apprentices. Claudia lectures about Rivaini —and, surprisingly, even some Antivan— customs and beliefs in relation to death, mourning, etc. The Necropolis teaches diversity in such subjects, but they definitely prefer to have people from other nations to pass on firsthand knowledge if they can. Emmrich stops and listens, and Claudia falters a bit when they notice him before they continue on. They meet up for a chat after class where Emmrich compliments them on keeping their students engaged, and they mention that his lecture they first attended actually motivated them to agree to teach the class. He's delighted to hear that, but they're soon alerted to an urgent matter between undead that requires their assistance.

Fourth meeting: While Claudia is running experiments in their lab, they start to get distracted when several wisps start to circle playfully around them. The wisps demand their attention. They demand that they take a break, and Claudia finds themself humming along to the tune they create —or is it the wisps who hum along to Claudia's tune? Regardless, they can't help it as they start to do a little dance as they make their way around the lab, the wisps delighted by this development! They dance around Claudia, encouraging their movements to grow a little bolder until they catch sight of Emmrich in the doorway. Claudia nearly jumps out of their skin, unable to meet his eye while he beams at them. He brought Claudia some coffee and asked if they would accompany him for lunch, because when was the last time they ate? Claudia eventually accepts the offer, but not even a second later, an apprentice comes barging in to tell Emmrich that Johanna requests his presence immediately. Claudia promises to go eat something at his insistence before he departs.

Fifth meeting: While Claudia is performing an autopsy, they pause for a split second as they're making an incision to keep from jolting when Emmrich's voice surprises them out of nowhere, complimenting them on their technique. Realizing his error, he quickly apologizes, but Claudia assures him that it's fine. They spare him a glance, smile, and then tell him that his presence is a welcome one. They claim that their hand feels a bit steadier with him around, but that's nonsense, he insists! They already deal with such delicate, precise methods of wielding magic without him there —referencing their latest research published about the magical applications of lightning/electricity in the process of animating the dead— that surely any effect his presence has is negligible. Both flattered and shocked that he read their research, they ask what he thought about it, and they launch into a long discussion together, Emmrich making it a point to mention how… skilled Claudia is. To which, Claudia returns the compliment, their attention focused on the corpse all the while.

[blackjackkent]

After our conversation with Solas, we get a follow-up chat with our buddies in front of the fire in the dining room.

"Solas thinks we need a dragon hunter and a Fade expert," Neve says, her tone somewhat doubtful.

Davrin juts out his jaw thoughtfully. "I wouldn't trust the Dread Wolf," he says slowly. "But he's not wrong about us needing a dragon hunter." He stares at the flames with a deep frown. "I've been a Warden for a while," he goes on. "Seen some pretty awful things. But what the dragon did to Treviso? I'll never get that out of my head. Lucanis stayed, said he'd be back soon, but..." He trails off, shakes his head. "At least you took care of yours."

Helena nods grimly. The Lighthouse has been even quieter than usual since they returned from Treviso, all of them trying to process the horrific damage that they witnessed - that they were unable to stop. Helena, thankfully, has recovered her usual sang-froid - but the whole thing was terrifying, much as she hates to admit it.

And it hangs at the back of all their minds, inescapable, that it could happen again. That it will happen again, if they can't figure out how to stop it this time.

"We hurt it, but didn't kill it," she says. "The dragon flew off before we could put it down."

"A dragon hunter would've helped in Minrathous, that's for sure," Neve adds.

Helena grimaces. Yes - yes it would. Treviso clearly got the worst of the whole business, but Minrathous took nearly as hard a hit. She knows Neve must be feeling it just as hard as she is - and each of them blaming themselves. That is their city... and they couldn't help it.

But they could kill themselves going in circles with what-ifs.

"That's hindsight talking," she says, a little too sharply. "We didn't know a blighted dragon was coming, or that we'd need someone who could take it down."

Neve nods slowly, though her eyes are still troubled. "We can't forget the second dragon in Treviso," she goes on after a short pause. "We should see how we can help, but..." She sighs. "We're without Lucanis until he's done helping the Crows. Who knows how long."

Helena nods, frowning. All of them, she knows, are feeling terrible for Lucanis, who has had his home devastated in a manner out of their worst nightmares. No one seems to know what to say, and the silence stretches a moment.

Varric - up on his feet at last, and lurking at the edge of the group - takes a step forward into the firelight. "Hey," he says gently. "Let's not get stuck in our regrets, all right?"

Helena nods, letting out a long, heavy breath. He's right, of course. Just like with the Dragons - this shit doesn't feel good, but they have to keep moving forward, or it will get a whole lot worse.

"Just so we're clear," Davrin puts in. "You're taking advice from this elven god, Solas. The Solas who tried to tear down the Veil. You really trust him?"

(A/N: OK, I have got to be right about Varric. Right? I've got to be. Davrin practically talked over him.)

Helena's lips twitch ruefully. I think we need him, much as every conversation with him makes me want to punch his lights out. "Trust is such a strong word, you know..."

"So you don't trust him." Davrin quirks an eyebrow at her.

"Ehhh," Helena says, waggling one hand.

Davrin chuckles. "All right then."

"So - a Fade expert and a dragon hunter," Harding says, clearly trying to wrest the conversation back on topic. "I'll ask around about dragon hunters and see what turns up. Come talk to me in a bit."

Bellara perks up eagerly. "And I've been corresponding with someone about the Lighthouse's reverberative oscillations and the resulting dimensional peculiarities--" She cuts herself off and looks down sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry. Not relevant. I'll get a message through to a Fade expert immediately."

Varric chuckles softly. "See, Rook?" he says teasingly. "Nothing to worry about."

Who says I was worried? Helena thinks automatically. "All right. We all know what to do. Let's get going."

[basedonconjecture]

Author Ask Tag

thank you for tagging me @ofcrowsanddragons & @thedissonantverses <3

What is the main lesson of your story?

If I had to distill it down to a single point it’s that identity is self-determined. We are a patchwork of influences from culture, family, experiences and a plethora of other things but no one can tell you who you are but you.

What did you use as inspiration for your story?

Since it’s a canon re-telling of Veilguard, that’s probably the largest source, haha. I’m fascinated by the Crows and the politics of Antiva, at large. Others are doing some truly fascinating work fleshing out Antiva as a setting for their fics that I’m truly in awe of, honestly. For me, personally, I really want to preserve that level of soapy drama that's baked into the Crows as we see them in the game so I'm looking at Italian historical figures largely through other fictionalized versions of them (Showtime's "The Borgias" and Netflix's "Medici" but also lighter fare like Casanova since romance is featured heavily in it as examples). My brain is often circling around Machiavelli, as well, and there's some ancient Roman philosophers floating around the proverbial vision board. By and large, however, I'm pulling a lot -- a lot -- from Shakespeare (the title of my last posted chapter is a reference to Julius Caesar and I had a real Neve-With-the-Conspiracy-Board moment there and there's a half written sleep-deprived breakdown of why somewhere in my phone's notes if anyone's ever curious lol) for, what I think, are obvious reasons. There’s a heavy theatrical element to the Crows and the storylines attached to them in canon but also the way Shakespeare moves people around each other, obscures information from them that is obvious to the audience, masked players, and identity etc. It’s grand monologues and tight interpersonal scenes where there’s as much being communicated in what’s not said as what is. There’s a play-within-a-play aspect to Lucanis’ companion quest line that I loved from the jump so I’m just…expanding on that with my Rook de Riva. Leaning into the aforementioned melodrama. 

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help them grow as a person?

At outset, Selora is half trying to prove her worth, essentially. She’s spent most of her life with the Crows purposefully flying under the radar, actively making herself look like an underachiever, to work with Viago all with the belief she was an essential Crow because of it. Getting kicked out sent her into a tailspin in trying to get back and really undervaluing herself (struggling with her identity outside of Being A Crow) but, along the way, through the people she meets and the much harder lessons of leadership, she learns to trust her own inner voice, it becomes less a matter of clinging to a life she knows and more claiming her right to be there. She loves the Crows, she loves Antiva, and the people there and probably falls closer to Teia in being a bit idealistic about it. There’s probably a few topics I will touch on tangentially (particularly in regards to family and what repairing those kinds of dysfunctional relationships can look like) but if there’s anything I can impart it’s to take up space. Whatever else they come away with, I do hope that’s among them.

How many chapters is your story going to have?

Oh, gosh. It’s currently at 15 -squints- and we’ve not even recruited Davrin, yet. I’n hoping to cap it at 50 which will require some finagling on my part, likely, but it’ll take however many chapters it takes.

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Dragon Age: The Veilguard rookanis fic posted on Ao3, that you can read here :)

When did you start writing?

I wrote my first book at 6 years old! It was for school, alas, but pretty much as soon as I started reading I started writing. I’ve been a storyteller in one medium or other my whole life. It was a regular hobby starting in middle school, when I started also doing forum roleplaying (I have no idea what the current terminology is these days) and has followed me all the way into my 30s now. I used to write little skits for different drama groups from middle school into college as well as original fiction, poetry, etc. I have completed one full length fantasy novel and the ever growing incomplete novels gather dust in various WIP folders.

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of writeblr?

Write. I know it’s oft repeated but it’s the most consistently universal advice I’ve ever run into. Writing is a muscle, it has to be built and can only be done by doing. Even just aiming for a few words a day (like 50 or 100) can really help! I will personally also set a timer as opposed to having a word count goal, like a 15-30 minute sprint, and whatever comes out is what I get done for that day. You’d really be surprised how often that gets the pistons firing to write more without feeling like I’m burning myself out. 

But! Some other advice: if you’re feeling really unmotivated and nothing else (consuming other media, listening to playlists, etc.) seems to be helping, try changing up your environment. I don’t necessarily mean going to a coffee shop or something (writing in public is impossible for me, personally) but I am sometimes way more productive writing on my phone, for example, or writing by hand than sitting at my laptop or PC. Seriously, try changing your environment or your mode of writing.

---

tagging: @mythals-whore, @introvertedfangrl, @dymme, @operative-arrow and anyone else! (sorry if you've already been tagged, haVE ANOTHER)

[encyclopediacr]

Last month at the wiki — February 2024

Every month, we highlight significant work done in the previous month by our editing community at Encyclopedia Exandria. We're a little bit out of schedule, a week late, but we still take the time to look back at February 2024.

To start, here's a selection of ten articles created in February. You can find more of our newest articles at the 50 newest pages report.

Glove of Storing, magical glove that stores an item by shrinking it

Crafting a Mystery with Aabria Iyengar, special on game mastering Candela Obscura: Tide & Bone featuring @quiddie

Midst Season 2 Roundtable Discussion w/ Sam & Marisha, as it says on the tin with the creators of @midstpodcast

Kreviris Imperium, a government based in Kreviris on Ruidus

Wuukor, bison-like creature on Ruidus

Sia Kresh, expositor of the Cobalt Soul in Rexxentrum

Arborea, an Outer Plane of Existence

Lake Umamu, lake in Issylra

Dragon tooth necklace, necklace that notifies wearers of other paired necklaces that a wearer was knocked unconscious or killed

Phyllis the Pain Elemental, player character of Anjali Bhimani in the DOOM Eternal one-shot

We're continuing to explore ways to cover campaign player character stats over time. In February, levels subpages for Campaign 3 were created to help set that up and start covering this topic as part of our routine coverage. Each main player character of Bells Hells has one, and you can check out the pages for Fearne Calloway and Orym as examples.

A number of early Campaign 2 Talks Machina articles have been updated with answer summaries, including 54: The Howling Mines (2x06), 55: Hush (2x07), and 56: The Gates of Zadash (2x08).

The fourth chapter of Candela Obscura premiered in February, featuring the Circle of the Crimson Mirror. As always, we have articles for our newest circle of investigators.

[bigjuice34]

Private Affair (Year One)

Chapter Six

A/N: We are so back. Please let me know your thoughts!

Masterlist

Word Count: 8.1k

“All dragon breeds have different temperaments,” Professor Kaori stated while glancing around the room full of cadets. “It’s important to keep such differences in mind when approaching specific breeds during Threshing.”

“What happens if we approach a certain breed incorrectly?” A female cadet sitting at a table to Freya’s left asked, earning some scoffs from others in their class. Freya exhaled.

“No one has lived to tell the tale,” Kaori replied simply, then nodded toward the centre of the circled table closest to him. Soon enough, an illusion of an Orange Daggertail, much smaller than the actual dragon would be, appeared in the middle of each table. “Orange Dragons are the most unpredictable of the breeds. They are extremely risky. This one here is an Orange willing to bond during Threshing.”

Some cadets shared what they knew about Orange dragons before the image changed to a Brown dragon. Freya wrote down what Kaori said about each breed of dragon despite being well-versed on the topic, having come from a family of riders herself. There was always an opportunity to learn more, Freya thought.

Kaori went on to show a Red dragon and started a discussion on them. Then, eventually, the image changed to a Green Morningstartail, making Freya do a double-take before feeling herself go stiff.

“That’s the Green that was at the citadel on Conscription Day,” someone in the room spoke up, but Freya didn’t bother looking at them. Her focus remained on the illusion of Caden’s dragon displayed before her.

“Correct,” Kaori said. “This particular Green is one of the largest and most cunning of that colour I’ve seen in years. He is of Uaineloidsig lineage, making him remarkably intelligent, and he’s the only known Green Morningstartail that has been in service during the last few decades. That tail of his alone is an incredibly deadly weapon. Factor in the other traits I’ve listed, and it’s easy to assume this is one dragon you don’t want to be on the wrong side of.”

“Is he one of the dragons bonding this year?” A male cadet asked from the other side of the room.

“When was the last time he was in service?” Another cadet questioned from the table next to Freya’s. Still, she didn’t take her eyes off the dragon.

“Dìo hasn’t been in service for three years,” Kaori answered. “It’s unclear if he will be bonding this year. He wasn’t before Conscription Day, but from what I’ve heard, that may change. His last rider was a rebellion leader.”

Several gasps sounded around the room, followed by murmuring as people discussed what they’d just learned.

Freya took a deep breath, trying her best not to let her feelings get to her as she tugged on a loose thread of the material she used to wrap her left wrist. It’d been two weeks since Nolon mended it for her, she had begun sparring again, but her wrist still ached and the wrap helped. Freya made sure no one saw her with the wrap though, and always took it off before Gym. Only people she trusted knew her wrist was still bothering her a bit.

Eventually, Freya moved her gaze from the illusion and glanced at the table to her right. Xaden and Garrick were already looking at her, concern prominent on their faces.

“Do you want to leave?” Xaden mouthed to her.

“We’ll go with you,” Garrick did the same. Freya appreciated their offer but shook her head no.

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered, unintentionally gaining the attention of those sitting at her table. Nova and Bennett looked at her questionably and waited for her to elaborate. Freya sighed. However, another cadet spoke up before she could say anything to them.

“Was he the Green bonded to Caden Tarlor?”

Freya immediately snapped her gaze to the female cadet who asked the question and couldn’t help but glare when she saw it was Amber Mavis. People began muttering and whispering again.

Even before the rebellion, the Tarlor’s were known and respected around Navarre for having so many powerful riders. It didn’t surprise Freya that people knew of her family. However, the rebellion ripped the Tarlor family name to shreds, and Freya carried that burden. Nonetheless, she knew her family best and would always protect them.

“That would make sense with how the only person it seemingly didn’t want to burn at the citadel was Tarlor’s little sister,” Alic, a cadet from Second Wing said. It wasn’t long before all eyes were on Freya.

She glanced around the room at those looking at her, a hard and unreadable expression on her face as her gaze trailed from one end to the other, but Freya stayed silent.

“Everyone, that’s not what this class is about,” Kaori cleared his throat, bringing some attention back to him. “We’re not here to point fingers, we’re here to be educated. Freya, you do not have to comment on the topic.”

“No, I will,” Freya stated, then took a deep breath.

Kaori nodded.

“The Tarlor family has a long lineage of impressive riders. I’m sure many in this class could learn a lot about dragons from you, Freya. The floor is yours.”

Freya remained silent momentarily, considering her words, but straightened her posture once she felt many eyes on her again.

“Thank you, Professor Kaori. I grew up surrounded by dragons. At least one grandparent from each side, three uncles, an aunt, my parents and my older brother were all riders. That being said, I learned how these creatures worked from a distance, as none were mine to associate with. Dìo was my brother’s dragon. If there’s anything I learned from Caden about the greens is that you must never back down from them. A Green will challenge you. If one approaches you, be patient. Show submission as you wait for their approval or else you’ll never be deemed worthy to them.”

“Precisely,” Kaori spoke before anyone else could. “A few greens are willing to bond this year, this is crucial information to know for those approached by one, including Dìo if he does decide to bond.”

“It’s forbidden for a dragon to bond a relative of a past rider, right?” Amber asked, not even looking at Freya or showing that she listened to anything said.

“Typically, yes,” Kaori answered. “However, the dragons have their own system of law. We do not interfere with it.”

“That’s why none of the rebellion dragons were destroyed,” Bennett stated from their spot next to Freya. “Not that they should’ve been. But, it was up to the dragons how the ones who lost rebellion riders and lived through it were punished. The people of Navarre had no part in that.”

“That’s correct,” Kaori replied before the image in the middle of the tables changed to a massive Blue Daggertail. “This is the only Blue that has agreed to bond this year. Her Daggertail makes her one of the rarest types of blues. Would you like to share what you know about the blues, Freya?”

Freya exhaled, then nodded.

“They’re ruthless and intimidating,” she declared. “There is no proper way to approach a Blue. It’s probably best that you don’t. If one chooses you, let them have control over the situation.”

“What makes you such an expert, Tarlor?” Alic sneered. “Why are we listening to a separatist’s kid, anyway?”

Freya took a breath to remain calm. She didn’t know Alic well or much about him other than that he was King Tauri’s middle son. That fact, however, Freya kept to herself. Xaden told her who he was, but she didn’t lead on like he was of any notoriety. To her, he was just a pompous asshole and a bully.

“The Vale lost two blue dragons following the rebellion. They were a mated pair. The male was a Daggertail, the female a Scorpiontail. Their bonded riders were my parents. However, the dragons didn’t die during the rebellion. It was after. My father’s dragon, the Scorpiontail, died within 24 hours of my family’s execution. The Daggertail fell soon after.”

After her spiel, Freya glanced at Xaden. Had he not shared everything he knew about what happened to her parents’ dragons with her, she probably wouldn’t have a better understanding of just how strong the bond between dragon and human could be.

“This is a significant example of the strength of a rider’s and mated pair bonds,” Kaori took over. “We all know if a dragon dies, so will its rider. However, occasionally, a rider’s death causes a dragon’s demise. This doesn’t always happen, though. A mated pair of dragons bonded to a married couple is a perfect situation on paper. However, as unfortunate as it is, if one falls it’s likely they all will.”

Murmurs erupted from around the room, but otherwise, class carried on. Freya noticed the way some cadets continued looking at her as if they were studying her. Others would speak quietly to someone beside them, and then both would glance in Freya’s direction.

Despite her calm and reserved exterior for the remainder of the lecture, Freya felt the opposite internally. She didn’t mind sharing what she knew about dragons and was aware that confidently doing so showed the other cadets she was educated on the topic. However, everyone knowing about Caden’s dragon had her on edge. Freya knew she’d have to be on high alert going forward.

Once the bell tolled and the class was dismissed, Freya already had her things gathered and was one of the first up from her desk. However, she didn’t even reach the door before she was stopped.

“Freya, do you mind staying back for a moment?” Kaori asked just as she was about to put her hand on the doorknob.

“Uhm, yeah I can do that,” Freya replied awkwardly as she adjusted the strap of her satchel on her shoulder. She received some looks from other cadets as they passed by her to leave, and then her eyes landed on her two guys as they approached. “You two go. I’ll see you at Lunch. I know you both want to wait, but you should go.”

“Freya,” Xaden immediately started protesting. “Don’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Push us away.”

Freya blinked at him surprised. Was that what she was doing?

“That class wasn’t easy, Fern,” Xaden justified. “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” Freya responded, then exhaled. “I appreciate you checking in and worrying, Xaden. But, Kaori just wants to talk to me. I’ll be fine.”

“She’s right,” Garrick spoke up. “Nothing bad will happen, Xaden. We’ll see you soon, Fray.”

With that, Garrick started pulling Xaden toward the door. Freya mouthed a quick thank you to him, he understood that there were some things she wanted to do on her own without them. Then she looked at Xaden and nodded, sending him a reassuring smile before Garrick got him out the door.

Once the door closed, Freya moved her gaze to the right and saw Nova and Bennett waiting nearby.

“We’ll wait for you,” Nova said. “If that’s ok.”

“Sounds good,” Freya replied, smiling. She felt she could spend some time with them before spending lunch with Xaden and Garrick.

Once the room was clear, Freya took a deep breath and approached Kaori’s desk.

“You wanted to speak with me, Professor?”

“Yes,” he said and leaned against his desk. “I wanted to thank you for your contribution to today's lecture.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” Freya replied. “I’ve learned a lot about dragons over the years, I was just sharing what I knew.”

“There are cadets here that could learn a lot from you. Given who your family is, it’s no surprise you’re as knowledgable as you are.”

“Yeah, unfortunately, who my family is makes my time here a lot more difficult than it originally could’ve been, though.”

“Not necessarily,” Kaori stated. “The members of your family were some of the greatest riders Navarre has ever seen. Your parents were well-respected and powerful. Your brother, Caden, was of the same calibre.”

“And we all know how that ended up for them,” Freya said, then dropped her gaze as she fiddled with the wrap on her wrist again.

“Your parents and Caden were good people, Freya. I know the rebellion makes that hard for a lot of people to believe, but it doesn’t change all the good they did before. Your parents were incredible leaders, they helped a lot of people. Your brother was just like them and saved so many people being the mender he was. I see a lot of all three of them in you. I’m not the only one who does either”

Freya was speechless and shook her head as she processed what was said to her.

“It’s not too often I hear compliments about my family nowadays.”

“I can see why that may be,” Kaori explained. “The rebellion is a touchy subject to many, but it doesn’t change everything that came before it.”

“I guess you’re right,” Freya nodded in agreement. “Thank you, Professor.”

“The pleasure has been all mine, Freya. Now go enjoy your lunch.”

With that, Freya nodded and went on her way. She joined Nova and Bennett again, and then the three of them exited into the hallway.

“So, that was interesting,” Bennett was the first to break the silence between the three of them.

“I didn’t realize that Green from Conscription Day was your brother’s dragon,” Nova said as she glanced to where Freya walked between her and Bennett.

“Yeah, it was,” Freya responded softly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t think it was a detail everyone needed to know. Kind of like how you decided not to tell us about your brother.”

There was an unintentionally hostile tone to Freya’s voice and her eyes widened as soon as the words left her mouth. She didn’t mean to snap at Nova. Following what happened after Freya had her wrist mended and she learned that Nova and Nathan were siblings, the two girls were fine. The next day they talked it through and Freya understood where Nova was coming from with not wanting people to know her brother was a wingleader as it brought unwanted attention. Nova took a few days after that to feel she trusted Bennett enough to share, which was also a feeling Freya knew all too well.

Freya had no harsh feelings toward her friend, but the weight of what happened during class had finally caught up to her.

“Nova, I’m sorry,” Freya apologized. “That was uncalled for.”

“I appreciate the apology,” Nova responded. “It’s alright, though. That class put a lot of strain on you.”

“It’s not alright. Yes, that lecture sucked, but it’s not your fault and I shouldn’t take it out on you just because I’m frustrated.”

Nova nodded, showing appreciation for Freya’s words as they rounded a corner.

“Speaking of Nathan, have you talked to him?”

“Not a chance,” Freya stated. “I have nothing to say to him.”

“Right, you just stare at him longingly whenever he’s near,” Bennett remarked, making Freya scoff.

“I do not!”

“If it’s not my brother, she’s busy looking at Xaden,” Nova teased then nudged Freya with her shoulder. “You should talk to him, though.”

“Are you saying that as Nathan’s sister or as my friend?” Freya asked skeptically.

Nova shrugged.

“Maybe it’s both.”

Freya shook her head in response and remained silent as they entered the gathering hall. It didn’t take long for her gaze to fall on Xaden and Garrick sitting at their usual table.

“We’ll see you in Gym?’ Bennett asked, regaining Freya’s attention.

“Oh, yeah,” Freya replied. “See you two later.”

The other two went to grab a table together while Freya went up to get her lunch. She always sat with her guys during meals, which Nova and Bennett never tried to interfere with.

There wasn’t much of a line to get food seeing as most cadets had already been served their lunch, which Freya didn’t mind since she was getting rather hungry. After she had her food, Freya went to turn around and make her way to sit with Xaden and Garrick but accidentally ran into someone in the process.

“Sorry,” Freya gasped as she quickly tried to prevent anything from falling off her tray without looking up at the person standing in front of her. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright, Freya,” the man spoke, making Freya’s breath hitch as her gaze shot upward and met a familiar pair of golden brown eyes. Nathan looked back at her with an unreadable expression until his eyes flickered down to where her left hand was holding the apple that almost fell off her tray. “Your wrist is still wrapped.”

“Yeah, it is,” she grumbled and swiftly tugged down the sleeve of her shirt so the wrap wouldn’t be seen by anyone else.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Why do you care? I thought I asked you to leave me alone.”

“It was just a question,” Nathan replied simply.

“Whatever,” Freya told him then went to walk around him and continue towards the table, but Nathan stopped her by gently grabbing her arm. Freya immediately tightened her jaw and turned to face him again. “You’re not going to make a scene here in front of everyone, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what do you want?”

Nathan inhaled deeply.

“Meet me tonight after curfew,” he started. “Just after curfew. By the bottom of the steps under the citadel.”

“What makes you-,” Freya went to reply but stopped herself when Nathan turned away from her and walked away. She stood there watching him go, glaring at his back for a moment before continuing on her way. As she walked, Freya glanced over at where Nova and Bennett sat and didn’t miss how Nova bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from grinning too wide, obviously entertained by the interaction she just watched. Freya just shook her head then set her tray on the table and stepped over the bench to sit across from Xaden, next to Garrick. “Hey.”

“Hey, how was talking to Kaori?” Garrick asked.

“It was fine,” Freya replied then took a bite out of her sandwich. “He thanked me for my part in the lecture. What are you two talking about?”

Neither of them noticed her run-in with Nathan, and Freya wanted to keep their topic of conversation off of that if she could.

“A few things,” Xaden said and lowered his voice. “Today is our first real day of challenges. While I was out last night, I was wandering the halls where the professors meet; I saw a list posted. It was all of today’s matchups for sparring.”

“Wait, it’s not random?” Freya asked, confused. “I mean, I guess I shouldn’t say I’m surprised.”

“It’s probably a way for them to weed people out and show the weak ones,” Garrick explained.

“Did you see who we were against?” She questioned.

“Yeah,” Xaden answered. “Garrick is against a guy from First Wing.”

“What about us?”

“Each other.”

Freya’s eyes widened.

“Oh,” she said, then let her gaze fall to her tray.

“Fern, I’m not going to hurt you,” Xaden stated. “I would never.”

“I know that, Xaden. It’s just- it feels like a setup. Everyone knows who we are and who our parents were. It’s like they’re trying to send a message by putting us against each other on the first day. If a list was posted, it’s been decided that we’d be opponents for some time now.”

“I feel like it’s impossible to get any type of leverage in this place,” Garrick groaned. “We feel like we’re one step ahead only to be pushed two steps back all because of these relics. Two other marked ones are against each other too.”

Freya glanced at her friend and nodded, completely understanding how he felt. Then she started thinking about something the three of them discussed a few days prior.

“I think we need to do what I suggested the other night,” she started. “A meeting or something similar with all of us. Marked ones. We lost Warner the other day because of pure negligence. It could’ve been avoided. Some of those here with us don’t know what we know about dragons or combat and could use our help. You’re responsible for all of us, Xaden. I know it’s risky, but we have to do something. We need to look out for our own.”

Xaden observed Freya as she spoke and when her green eyes met his dark ones after she finished talking, he nodded.

“You’re right,” he responded. “I like your idea of a meeting. It’d have to be after curfew because if we get caught, it won’t be good. I don’t know where, though.”

“What about under the citadel?” Garrick suggested. “Down in the valley by the river. It’s not too far and if we give proper directions, I don’t think anyone would get lost. When we were down there yesterday I noticed a massive boulder and some oak trees around a bend. Those trees would be good for coverage if we thought someone was coming. What about there?”

Freya and Xaden immediately looked at each other again. They both knew what trees and boulder Garrick was referring to, it was where the two of them had met during their first night at Basgiath. Freya couldn’t help but think of what happened the last time she and Xaden were there but shook her head so she could stay focused on the topic.

“I think that could work,” Freya agreed. “But when? It should probably be sooner than later with today being our first day of challenges. Gauntlet Training is going to come up quickly too.”

“I think tonight,” Xaden replied.

~*~

“You ready?” Garrick asked as Freya handed him the last of the four daggers she had crossed the parapet with. Xaden had done the same. They weren’t going to use any weapons against each other during their sparring match.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Freya responded, then glanced at the crowd gathering around the mat. She and Xaden gained a bit of an audience of other cadets and riders wanting to watch the showdown between two marked ones.

“You’ll be fine, Fray.”

“Tarlor and Riorson, go ahead,” Professor Emetterio spoke up, then nodded at the two to get into position.

“Here we go,” Xaden muttered then turned so he could lead the way onto the mat.

With a deep breath, Freya followed Xaden then stopped and got into a fighting stance when he turned to face her again. This wasn’t the first time the two of them sparred against one other. Growing up, they play-fought and trained together all the time. Where Xaden was larger and stronger, Freya made up for it with her speed and agility. She was an extremely skilled fighter, but so was Xaden and they knew each other's moves.

Murmurs and whispers sounded from those closely watching them, but Freya kept her gaze on her best friend, easily blocking them out. She was about to attack first but then noticed Xaden glancing down at her left wrist, which was unwrapped so it wouldn’t seem like it was still bothering her to those watching. It was a quick and subtle glance, but Freya didn’t miss it and she knew he was already planning on being mindful of her injury.

“Don’t go easy on me now, Riorson,” she said, then smirked when Xaden shook his head.

“Have I ever gone easy on you?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

Freya chuckled.

“No, but I won our last matchup. I’m expecting you to want this one back.”

“That’s true. Let’s see if there’s anything new you’ve learned over the last three years.”

With that, Xaden took the first swing. Freya dodged it by crouching out of the way but didn’t miss how close he’d gotten to almost making contact when a whoosh sounded above her head. She felt her French braid hit her back, falling with her sudden movement and immediately regretted not braiding her hair into a crown. Although she knew her long hair didn’t matter while in combat against her best friend, Freya got very annoyed when it got in her way.

Although it felt longer, only a few seconds had gone by since Xaden struck first and Freya used her crouching position to her advantage by kicking her left leg out and trying to sweep his feet out from under him. Xaden lept over the attack with ease.

“Going to have to be quicker than that,” Xaden taunted, a smug smile tugging at his mouth.

“Oh, I’m just getting started,” Freya replied as she stood straight, then took a quick breath before charging at him. She started with a series of punches, which Xaden mostly dodged or blocked, but she still managed to get a few good hits in.

Xaden began retaliating and Freya was finding it gradually more difficult to keep up with his fast and calculated moves. She knew she had to do something to knock him down a peg and quickly. After she dodged another one of his kicks, Xaden swung at her with his right fist. Freya reacted by reaching across in front of her body and grabbing his wrist with her right hand to prevent him from making any contact. She then spun to her left and brought her knee up as she completed an almost 360-degree spin, quickly because she was taking no chances having her back to Xaden for long, before extending her leg and kicking him firmly in the chest.

Freya let go of Xaden’s wrist and watched as he stumbled backward, the wind knocked out of him, before he stopped and looked at her with wide eyes then shook his head.

“Nice move,” he said then charged at her again.

“Thanks,” Freya replied then blocked another one of his hits.

The two of them continued battling for a few moments making it evident to everyone watching that they weren’t only great fighters, but also evenly matched against one another. Freya could feel herself growing tired, but she knew she had to keep going. She got another good kick on Xaden’s exposed side as he blocked her incoming fist, then responded by faking a right hook toward her. Freya ducked out of the way again without realizing he had no intention of hitting her, which was what Xaden wanted. Instead of completing a punch, he ducked too and swiftly landed the same move she had tried on him earlier, sweeping her feet out from beneath her with his leg and watching as she fell back onto the mat.

Freya groaned at the impact but had to quickly recollect herself because Xaden was already coming at her again. She rolled out of the way of his attack, but he didn’t let her get very far. He grabbed her leg and pulled her back toward him then climbed over her into a straddling position so he could reach for her left arm and twist it behind her back. Freya inhaled sharply at the searing pain that came from where Xaden gripped her previously broken wrist, making him freeze slightly. He immediately let go of her wrist and debated his next move while Freya took the opportunity to roll onto her back and bring her knee to his groin area.

Xaden’s face scrunched in pain as he fell forward but prevented himself from landing on Freya by placing his hands next to her shoulders on the mat, holding himself mere inches above her.

“Finish this, Freya,” he whispered to her, only loud enough that she could hear. Freya looked at him like he was crazy for saying such a thing, but the hard gaze coming from those onyx eyes told her that he meant business. “Now.”

Without another thought, she wrapped her hands around the elbow of Xaden’s right arm and pulled to bring his shoulder crashing down to the mat. Freya then raised her left knee again, lifting his right thigh and continued pulling at his elbow. The move allowed her to roll the two of them over so that she could be the one straddling him instead.

Once on top of her best friend, Freya elbowed his gut, not too hard, mainly for show and Xaden played along. He groaned in fake pain rather convincingly, but Freya knew better. Still, she wasted no time pinning his arms down to the mat, his arms bent so that his hands were next to his shoulders, then stopped and Xaden didn’t fight back.

The two of them stared at each other, both panting as they tried to catch their breath. Their fight was over.

“What a show,” Emetterio stated and loudly clapped his hands together. “Now that, right there, are two of the best fighters I’ve seen so far in this group of cadets. The rest of you could learn a lot from what you just watched. Next up we have-.”

Emetterio continued talking, but Freya and Xaden’s eyes were still on each other. Freya let go of Xaden’s wrists and let her arms fall to her sides as she took another deep breath. Xaden did the same, and Freya felt tingles when his hands brushed her thighs in the process. Her heart started to race when his right hand didn’t move from where he placed it just above her left knee, then squeezed it, making Freya blush slightly.

“Why did you let me win?” Freya whispered before climbing off of Xaden, then held out her hand to help him up too. She needed to no longer be in the position of straddling his waist.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Xaden replied with a smirk as he took her hand and they both stood.

“I can’t stand you sometimes.”

“We both know that’s a lie.”

Freya rolled her eyes as Xaden nudged her with his shoulder then let him lead the way as they headed off the mat back to where Garrick was waiting for them. After taking a few steps, Freya looked up at everyone who was still watching them for the first time since her match with Xaden began. The way people were looking at her ranged from awe to glares of envy, but she was unphased until her gaze met a familiar pair of eyes observing her intently from within the crowd. It was Nathan.

The two of them held each other’s gaze as Freya continued making her way off the mat until she brushed shoulders with Nova, who was next up sparring against a male cadet.

“The tension between you two,” Nova muttered so that only Freya could hear, making her freeze.

“Me and Xaden?” Freya asked and stood with Nova as the male cadet stretched, then glanced toward Nathan again, who was talking to Finn. “Or…”

“Both of them.”

“Oh.”

Nova chuckled.

“I think if I had to pick a team out of the two, you know who I’d have to be loyal to,” she teased, making Freya roll her eyes again. “But Xaden seems alright too and is your best friend so I can respect it.”

“Good thing it doesn’t matter because there’s nothing like that with either of them,” Freya grumbled.

“Sure, Freya. Real convincing.”

Freya’s mouth fell open in shock at that response, which made Nova laugh again. However, before Freya could say anything, Nova’s opponent spoke up.

“Are you two done talking?” He asked. “This matchup is already going to be a waste of my time with how easy it’ll be. Let's get it over with.”

Freya raised her eyebrows, surprised at his words, then looked at Nova again.

“Embarrass him.”

“Oh, I will,” Nova replied simply, then stepped further onto the mat while Freya walked off.

Once off the mat, she was met with Garrick looking at her with an amused expression as he handed her daggers back.

“Say nothing,” she hissed, knowing his amusement was because of what happened between her and Xaden on the mat.

“I’m not saying anything,” he chuckled, then winked at her. “But that was something.”

“I hope you lose your matchup.”

“I won’t.”

Freya huffed in annoyance, which made Garrick laugh even more. A moment later, Xaden joined them, coming back from wherever he’d gone off, and then they all turned to watch Nova make a complete fool out of her opponent.

~*~

Later that night, Freya was lying awake in bed, trying to get her timing right. It was maybe half an hour after curfew, and she’d told Amira, whom she’d gotten to know better since meeting on Assessment Day and the other female marked ones about meeting in the valley below the citadel an hour after curfew. Xaden and Garrick were taking care of telling the boys. Freya didn’t get the chance to tell the girls what the meeting was for, but when she explained it was just marked ones, they seemed less hesitant to take part, seemingly comforted by the thought that it was all people like them. It made Freya happy because that’s what the meeting was for, so they could all help one another.

However, Nathan was waiting for her to talk, and she somehow needed to ensure that didn’t crossover with the illegal meeting of all the marked ones she helped plan.

With a deep breath, Freya sat up and quietly put her boots on. She slipped Caden’s dagger into her left boot once it was tied, always having it on hand in case she needed it, then grabbed her cloak to throw on. Her movements were quick and stealthy, and she thought she was in the clear to start sneaking out until a whisper sounded from nearby.

“Tell Nathan I said hi,” Nova said from where she lay in her bunk. Freya immediately whipped around to look in her direction, and even though she couldn’t see through the dark, she was sure Nova was smiling.

“He told you we were meeting?” Freya asked, keeping her voice low.

“No, but I saw the two of you talk at lunch and figured that might be why you’re sneaking out after curfew again. Seems like your thing when it comes to him and Xaden.”

“I’m not going to entertain what you’re implying because we’re just going to talk.”

“I’m not implying anything. You’re assuming I am,” Nova countered. “Either way, please go easy on him, Freya. I may sound biased in saying this, but he means well. He doesn’t let people in easily, but with you, he’s different. I don’t know what that means yet or why that’s the case, but regardless, he’s a good guy, and you bring something out of him I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Freya couldn’t help but smile at Nova’s words but quickly shook her head so she didn’t read too much into anything.

“If I thought he had any ill intent, I wouldn’t be sneaking out to meet up with him,” she stated. “But I should get going. I’ve already made him wait longer than I intended to.”

“I expect to hear all about it tomorrow.”

Freya shook her head again, smiling as she finished putting her cloak on, then quickly and quietly snuck out of the dorms.

She snuck through the courtyard and down the steps with ease. She’d gotten quite good at making her way around after curfew without getting caught but remained on high alert because she never knew who also might be out.

The moon was bright, which helped illuminate Freya’s path, but it was incredibly hot. She regretted wearing something as heavy as her cloak, but the cloak was needed when it came to blending in with her dark surroundings and concealing her identity.

Once she reached the bottom of the steps into the valley, Freya looked around for a sign of Nathan being nearby but didn’t see anyone. She took a few more steps, still not seeing anything that indicated he might be there and thought that maybe he got tired of waiting for her and left. However, Freya was soon met by a strong breeze that blew the hood of her cloak down and whipped her hair around which she knew had to be caused by Nathan and his signet.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to show,” he said, then stepped out from the shadows, also wearing a cloak.

“I debated not coming,” Freya replied. “But you didn’t leave me much of a choice.”

Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed at that.

“You always have a choice with me, Freya. After the last time we talked, I wouldn’t have blamed you for still not wanting anything to do with me.”

Freya inhaled deeply, then exhaled.

“Everyone has their reasons to keep secrets and just because that happens doesn’t mean it’s despite anyone else. Sometimes it’s out of care and respect for someone or something and there’s no intended maliciousness. In your case, you were protecting your little sister and not wanting to put a target on her back. I can respect that. You and I don’t really know each other, Nathan, and I wasn’t entitled to know such a thing. However, now that I do know, I have no intention to betray Nova’s trust or friendship. I haven’t told anyone.”

“Not even Riorson or Tavis?” Nathan asked.

“No, not even them,” Freya explained. “It’s not for me to tell and although I trust those two with my life, it’s not something they need to hear from me.”

“You’ve got a pretty interesting perspective on secrets, I must say.”

Freya shrugged.

“Secrets are nothing new to me. As much as they can hurt sometimes, there’s often a bigger picture to look at when they come to the surface. The truth can be more painful. There’s a difference between flat-out lying and withholding information that could shake someone's world. The only downfall is that secrets rarely stay hidden forever. They usually come out and a lot of the time, it would’ve been easier if there was no secret-keeping in the first place.”

Nathan nodded in understanding, then stepped toward her. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience. Not that I’m prying, just an observation.”

“Yeah,” Freya started. “When you have a family that took part in a rebellion, that tends to happen.”

“Right.”

“Now, why is it you wanted me to meet you out here?”

Nathan’s gaze fell to the ground briefly, but he quickly recomposed himself and looked back at Freya, his eyes seemingly sparkling in the moonlight.

“I was hoping we could talk,” he told her.

“About anything in particular?” Freya questioned.

“Not really. I just missed talking with you. You’re good company, Freya.”

Freya couldn’t help but smile at his words because although they’d only just met the day before their fight, she enjoyed his company too and had also missed talking to him. There was just something gravitating about Nathan that continued pulling her no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

“Lead the way and let’s talk.”

With that, Nathan nodded again, then turned and started walking toward the nearby river. Freya followed and soon fell in step with him as the bell tower tolled in the distance, indicating the start of a new hour.

“You were incredible on the mat today,” Nathan said after a few moments of walking in silence. “I wasn’t expecting to see such a good matchup between two first years.”

“Thanks,” Freya responded. “Xaden and I have been sparring with each other our entire lives so that also wasn’t anything new.”

“The two of you grew up together?”

“Yeah, we’re both from Aretia. My parents and his father were very close friends before we were born, which led to us becoming inseparable. He’s my best friend. I don’t know life without him.”

In the moonlight, Freya was able to see how Nathan’s jaw stiffened as she talked about how fond she was of Xaden.

“I see,” he uttered bitterly without making eye contact with her, which made her smirk. He was jealous, that much was evident and Freya wanted to teasingly call him out on it. However, she noticed they were approaching the bend that led to the trees the marled ones would be meeting under soon. Her eyes widened in realization and she knew she quickly had to wrap their conversation up and prevent him from seeing the others. “Riorson’s lucky to have you in his corner.”

Freya racked her brain for things she could say that would potentially make him want to stop talking to her but hated the idea of pushing him away. She enjoyed being with him, but she couldn’t risk him finding out about her and all of the marked ones meeting when it was her idea to do it in the first place. She had to protect her own.

“Is that jealousy I hear?” Freya asked, not knowing what else she could end their conversation without changing the topic entirely. Maybe if she called him out, he’d get angry and leave. “Because it sounds like you might be jealous, Nathan.”

At that, Nathan stopped and turned to face her.

“Maybe I am. Like I’ve said before, there’s something about you. I can’t say I’m too thrilled about another guy having so much of your attention when I want it. I want to get to know you, Freya. I wasn’t lying when I said you fascinate me.”

Freya blinked in surprise. That was not what she was expecting him to say, but his words made her feel endeared. She liked him too.

“Nathan, I-,” Freya started but cut herself off when the wind picked up again and Nathan’s posture went stiff. “What is it?”

“Someone’s coming,” he stated, then grabbed Freya’s hand and started leading her toward a nearby tree to hide behind. “Come on.”

Freya didn’t ask questions and followed his lead, not speaking again until they were behind the tree.

“Do you know who it is?”

“No, but they're coming from various directions. There’s more than one.”

It wasn’t until then Freya noticed she was still holding Nathan’s hand and she gulped as she let go of it, then turned to face him. Nervousness took over her because either he’d soon see the marked one's meeting, or they’d be met by others who may not be so forgiving seeing the two of them out after curfew together.

“Nathan, we should go,” she said in a shaky whisper. She didn’t want to lie to him, but she had to do something.

“Hey, I’m not going to let them see you,” he assured, then reached up to delicately tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, just like Xaden always did. The gesture made Freya feel like her stomach did a flip and suddenly she felt even more guilty for not being honest with him. “I promise.”

“I believe you but-.”

Before she could finish her sentence, two voices became clearer in the distance and her heart dropped at whose voices they were. A moment later, Xaden and Garrick came into view. Nathan watched them looking puzzled.

“Is that your friends?”

“Y-yes,” Freya stammered, then watched her two best friends walk by. After they were a bit further away, she looked up at Nathan and saw that his expression hardened.

“Did you tell them we were meeting?” He asked, his voice much colder than it had been moments prior. “Is this some sort of setup?”

“No, I didn’t! I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Then why are they talking about where you are?”

Freya took a shaky breath. Although she couldn’t make out Xaden and Garrick’s conversation, she knew Nathan could because of the wind. She worried about what would happen if he saw the others.

“They’re waiting for me,” she admitted.

“Did you agree to meet with me hoping you’d get information just to take back to them?” Nathan questioned.

“It isn’t like that! You have to believe me.”

“Then what is it like, Freya?”

“Watch and you’ll see,” she whispered, hoping she’d be able to do damage control when he saw what was about to happen.

Gradually, pairs of more cloaked figures made their way past where Nathan and Freya were hiding. They all made their way toward where Xaden and Garrick had gone and in the distance, Freya could see them gathering under that one tree. There were eight of them, she was the ninth. After a few moments, she spoke up again.

“Nathan-.”

“They’re all marked ones,” Nathan replied, his tone still cold and firm. Gone was the guy she wanted to get to know better, suddenly replaced with a harsh wingleader again. “This needs to be reported, what they’re doing is illegal.”

He went to step around Freya, but she quickly stepped in front of him and shook her head.

“I can’t let you do that.”

“What do you mean you can’t, are you defending those people?”

“You’re seeming to forget that I am one of ‘those people,’” Freya replied firmly. Something about the way she referred to the marked ones as ‘those people’ rubbed her the wrong way and it showed.

“Freya, I didn’t mean it like that,” Nathan explained, picking up on how her demeanour changed.

“Then what did you mean? Because to me, it seems you’re just like everyone else here thinking we should be treated differently because of the relics we have. That our families getting executed in front of our eyes wasn’t enough. We still pose a major threat for what they did.”

“No, I don’t think that at all. You and the other marked ones have been painted so poorly to the rest of Navarre since the rebellion ended. I’m not saying that makes it ok or that I agree with how you get treated because of your family’s part in it all, but it’s been ingrained in our minds. I’m sorry. I was just caught off guard.”

“I believe you,” Freya replied because she did believe him. She didn’t think he meant her any harm because of her relic. “I promise we’re not doing anything bad. I know we’re not supposed to meet because Melgren can’t see the outcome when we do, but the reason we’re meeting is so we can help one another. Whether that be with studying or in combat, these people are my own and I want them to make it through this college. I owe it to them to watch out for and help them where I can. The odds are already so stacked against us, it’s the least I can do.”

Nathan watched her intently, then shook his head, making her heart drop once again.

“Nathan, please keep this secret to yourself. I know that’s asking for a lot from a wingleader and at the end of the day, it’d make sense for you to report this, but I really hope you don’t. You’re not like the others here. I feel like I can trust you. But if it comes down to it, I will take the fall to protect everyone standing over there when it comes to this. It was my idea that we meet up in secret, no one else’s. Xaden, Garrick and I worked together to make it happen, but I was the one who suggested it. Please, Nathan.”

“I won’t say anything,” Nathan responded after a moment of silence, making Freya let out a sigh of relief. “What you’re doing is admirable, Freya. I believe what you’re saying.”

“Thank you, thank you. I just- I need to look out for them.”

“I understand, and there’s no need to thank me. I can hear them talking right now and it’s lining up with everything you’ve said. You should go, though. They’re waiting for you.”

Freya smiled and nodded, not being able to help the tears welling in her eyes at how sweet and understanding Nathan was being. He didn’t have to be, but she greatly appreciated it and had a gut feeling she wouldn’t regret trusting him. Without giving her next actions a second thought, she stepped closer to him, linked their hands together again then stood on her tip-toes to place a peck on his cheek.

“Thank you,” she said again, then moved back and put her hood up again. “Goodnight, Nathan.”

“Goodnight, Freya,” he replied, then watched her run off toward the others.

Nathan observed the group for a few minutes, listening in the wind to Freya apologizing for being late then immediately helping explain the purpose of all of them meeting in secret. She hadn’t lied and Nathan didn’t feel a need to eavesdrop. Freya trusted him with this secret and he wasn’t going to betray that trust. So, he turned on his heel and headed back toward the steps leading up to the citadel, letting his mind wander to the tingly feeling on his cheek from where she kissed him.

[jean-dieu]

from ship qs, Aloysius and Bull! 7, 8, and 18 please!! :D

Yeaaaah!! let's go!!!

7. What would they consider the worst act of betrayal?

There's one topic of discord between them and it's Fade and Magic.

Bull doesn't like it, demons scare the shit out of him, and he'd rather not deal with weird fade stuff. Too bad, he married Weird Fade Stuff Enthusiast Aloy. I think both of them has their limits in term of... Acceptance on that question?

Aloysius would not forgive if Bull would support to bring back circles as they were before, or that kind of things. Aloysius has always been vocal about mage freedom that having his husband not respect his fellow mages, and going on some kind of "but you're not like them, you're different" route, he would feel betrayed. Even more so when Meriem, the qunari little girl they adopted, turns out to be a mage.

Bull on the other hand would have a breaking point with Aloysius' curiosity about the Fade and Ancient Elvhen Stuff. Drinking Mythal's bath water he could understand, but would it be more extreme... Yeah I don't think he could stomach it, especially when it becomes dangerous, either for Aloysius or more generally speaking.

Now would Aloysius become an abomination a la Anders, would he accept it? I think he'd be mad af, but it would not necessarily be a breaking point depending on what kind of abomination we're speaking of.

But Aloysius choosing the Fade over him and the material world would feel like a betrayal should it happens. Even more so once they have adopted their kids.

8. What would be the greatest day ever to them?

The day they realize that it's over and that they're going to be alright.

No more Corypheus, no more Solas, no more Elvhen Gods, no more Darkspawns. Yes, the South is in a bad shape, but rebuilding is something to look forward. Now their life is theirs, and nothing can stop them.

18. What is their love language?

(answering it as how they show their love to the other)

Bull: touch, sex, food

Aloy: acts of service, gifts, words of affirmation

Both of them: Quality time

Bull has ALWAYS his hands on him, on his shoulders, hips, in his hair, cupping his jaw, whatever, which is something Aloysius absolutely adores. That continues in bed too ofc, and Bull's really good at knowing his partner's body, desires, kinks, and all, even more than Aloysius. He enjoyed helping the elf navigating his sexuality and finding out what he liked/didn't like, and there's no better rewards in his eyes than having Aloysius moans under him hehe.

I hc Bull as a good cook too, and he's been the one mainly cooking for them both, mostly as an attempt to put some meat on the elf's bones. Post-tresspasser, Aloysius is in a rough state, and his condition is very worrying as he was already a weak guy with health issues before. He has lost quite a lot of weight, going from skinny to downright emaciated, the wound on his arm struggles to heal, he's feeling very weak overall and he's faring terribly mentally speaking. Bull spent much time cooking, trying to get the elf to eat as he was getting very worried for him. His efforts proved useful though, and while Aloysius' recovery was slow and difficult, he may not have recovered at all if it wasn't for him.

On his side, Aloysius is... Well, fucking sappy. He's a bit of a hopeless romantic, constantly saying I love you in all the ways he can find, picking up flowers on his way to give him later, and taking time to find the perfect gift (he once commissioned a crafter in his clan for a dragon's figurine, of Bull's favorite dragon). He often rememebers the little things about Bull and know what makes the qunari happy.

As Quality time together, it can be a bit tricky, because they're quite different in term of hobbies and ways of living, but both of them love to take part in the other's activities. Sometimes even forcing themselves too when the other doesn't even expect it ("yes kadan very cool fade stuff. no i'm not getting closer. no i'm not looking inside the rift, no.").

[5mcsinatrenchcoat]

You know what has been bothering me for years? The way every time there's a "Who's your Inquisitor's best friend?" question, I genuinely like. Don't know.

I know which people she gets along with better than the others, but like, there's not a singular one that's 'better' than everyone. Not in the Inner Circle anyway.

Like, Cassandra used to hold that title, 'cause they bonded over being rich family girls who would rather shoot themselves in the foot than go back and much prefer blending in with the soldiers than taking on some noble responsibility - but that gets ruined the second Cass pushes said responsibility on her. And then they fight over the chantry stuff constantly so that sours it.

Dorian is a popular pic in general, and yeah they're good friends, but also she's not going too much out of her way to just friendly hangout with him too often 'cause his theatrical nature does get a little bit overwhelming at times. That's not to his detriment, they're just not too compatible in that intensity.

Bull is a good contender, but again, I don't see him as her best friend either. The best friend to kill a dragon with and get drunk later, sure, but they're just kind of. Friendly there for each other otherwise. (She does like hanging out with all the Chargers together too, but that's different.)

Etc etc. Varric isn't even my Hawke's best friend, and Kinara is thoroughly annoyed with his insistence on her large fucking status when all she wants is the opposite.

They definitely have their points of connection with Vivienne, but those are buried deep under horrible arguments they have over the topic of mage rights. Viewpoint and experience/trauma mismatch, unfortunately.

Josephine is a very good friend, but like, a work-friend. Venting after work hours and maybe sometimes meeting on weekends to see a movie or go to a bar - that type of a friend, except they live where they work. But you get it.

The rest I'm afraid aren't even in the running.

Except for Sera, who IS technically her best friend, but that's also a best friend that she married, so that's also different from what those posts are typically asking.

Whom I could ACTUALLY name tho is Harding, but she's not usually in such polls 'cause she isn't a part of the Inner Circle.

Like, sure that requires some headcanoning (doesn't it always?), but. She's already canonically friends with Sera, thanks DAtV, I ADORE her little moments of "Well, someone should [worry about you]" and "For what it's worth, nice work, Trevelyan" and "She always come back, pay up", the fact that Inq is stitched onto her uniform with everyone else, the fact that Inq immediately thought of her mother when things in the South went to shit, etc etc.

THAT is a dynamic Kinara would consider best friendish, especially of course by the end, when Lace is down to trolling her about elfroot and such. Sure, the power imbalance is still there, but is it ever gone with ANYONE else except for Sera who makes it a point? Besides, that's where headcanons come in.

TL;DR people who make the 'best friend' kinda polls, PLEASE let me say Lace Harding.

[triscribeaucollection]

Hi! For the writing asks: ✨ and 🌷?

Hi Crystal! Your timing is perfect, and I'm gonna combine these to ramble about my topic of the evening: Justice League Unlimited plays Wolfen and Warlocks

✨ - newest wip / 🌷 - writing achievement you want to brag about

Some of the stone elementals charged forward to throw punches. Others cracked and split the ground, making it harder to approach them by foot. The biggest one, guarding the portal, created a ring of spikes to better protect it.

And Clark’s friends proved exactly why an RPG was the best choice for them to play, rather than a card or board game.

Wally annoyed different targets into following him into range of Diana’s fists. John pinned others in place for Shayera to strike and destroy. Clark and J’onn cast magical shields and restored health points, keeping everyone else moving, and when Bruce’s fairy reached the others to share what he’d learned about the portal’s crystal power source, the seven of them formed up seamlessly to go after it.

Even better, they all clearly had fun doing so.

And *I* had *immense* fun writing this nonsense, okay?

Picking out races, abilities, and stats for each of the seven, figuring out how to balance them against one another through the game encounter, picking the exact worst possible moment for Bruce roll a 1 and almost hit Wally's character instead of the final boss, which he is absolutely never going to live down, that's gonna become the running joke for however many chapters this thing goes:

Flash: "You missed! He was three feet in front of you, how could you miss-!"

Batman: "Shut. Up."

Flash: =D

But of course I've already determined how I'm going to have more fun with it, by bringing in Zatanna to play Storymaster so Clark isn't pulling double duty. And she gets invested, my dudes, full on spooky voice reading the intro blurbs, using magic to make a veil of mist around her spot at the table, bringing the map and character tokens to life for a bit of flair, so on and so forth

There will be other superheroes who get interested. Further interactions in twos and threes as the game spreads through the League. Robin hears about all this and pesters Batman to teach him to play, and between the two of them at home it basically turns into an extra training exercise, Bruce making use of the 'solve a mystery' aspect woven into most pre-made campaigns to teach Tim some more detective skills (this being the DCAU and not comics continuity)

I might even have Alfred insist on hosting one night, just so he gets to lay eyes on Bruce opening up his walls bit with friends- sorry, *cough*, colleagues. Tim will of course get to join in, and does NOT hesitate to grab the "You Missed!" joke and run with it like the little gremlin he deserves to be. Dick and Babs will be beyond delighted when he lets it slip to them as well >:D

And this is like. Full circle, for me. Rather emotional, when I think about it.

Few years back I was writing a scene for a story in a whole other fandom, and decided the kid main character and his best friend needed to be distracted from ongoing misfortune in the form of a new adult friend teaching them to play a D&D knockoff game. I didn't want to use *actual* Dungeons and Dragons, because where's the fun in that, but I felt I needed some actual Thing to use as reference rather than purely winging it. And thus, Wolfen and Warlocks was born.

Now, rather than making things up as I went along for that fic, I've got the Actual Game to reference, or at least all the materials meant for the first edition of it. Not put together or published, yet, but that's only because I'm still beta testing with the help of various friends - including @yogurtbear242, Player The First who gave the best reactions to unexpected developments and was an all around good sport despite not ever having played a tabletop rpg before, in-person or online:

(Everybody salute Bear for being a wonderful crash test dummy)

And now! I get to put the Justice League's founding members through the same shenanigans!!

Self-indulgence *and* self-promotion at it's finest x)

[dragonmasterhiccup]

———

“‘Persona?’ What, what are you even talking about, Hiccup? This is no ‘persona,’ this is just me and all my awesomeness shining through—“ She held up a hand. “—Shh, don’t even try to argue with me, I know I’m the coolest person you’ve ever laid your eyes upon, it’s okay to admit it.”

Danny, of course, picked up on his small crack of a smile, and she couldn’t let that slide, now could she? “Oh, oh my Gods, Hiccup, did you just…smile? I think you did! Wow, I didn’t know you had that in you, I thought you were some emotionless pound of flesh walking around!”

“Woah, really? You would’ve been dead? What happened? And why did Gobber save you?— Kidding! I’m just kidding! I’m glad he saved you, if that means anything to you.”

Danny nodded, a large smile making its way onto her face at the mention of her dragon. She missed Twilight, too; hopefully Hiccup would be able to find someone to take her own her flights… “Uh-huh, sure can! I’m telling you man, you’re really going to like Berk, just give it a bit.”

“Hm.” She was able to pick up on the fact that Hiccup didn’t seem too keen on having this conversation, and so she dropped it. “Somewhere warmer does sound amazing— y’know there’s some islands, maybe a few hours south; freshwater hot springs, best things known to mankind!”

———

Danny’s smile only seemed to get wider, and she took off her satchel and pulled out the harpoon-like device.

Rolling up her sleeves, she took off her boots and stepped into the stream, shivering a bit at the cold before focusing her gaze on the water, trying to spot some fish.

“Tch, have fun using your net, because this bad boy is going to catch so many fish so fast, you won’t even be able to blink!”

———

And, that’s basically how it went; Danny caught loads of fish in no time, though definitely not as fast as Hiccup could blink.

Lightly splashing Hiccup, she stepped out of the stream. “Well, hey, look at that! It really was no time!”

Hiccup, of course, didn't agree. To him, the coolest person he'd seen was Astrid.

He just rolled his eyes, not looking to continue that topic.

"Hey! I'm--I'm not emotionless! I just, I'm a Viking! Vikings aren't prone to showing emotions, regardless of what they feel!" He sounded a bit like he was trying to convince himself more than her, but determined all the same.

Letting out a frustrated groan at her teasing, he explained. "We were up against the Gronckle, and my shield was shot out of my hand, and...and he had me with my back right up against the wall. I could see the blast charging up in his throat-- and Gobber, well, he used his hook to jerk the dragon's head up...the blast hit the wall above my head."

Not his finest moment, as he had been cowering and ducked, using his arms to cover his head.

Sarcastically, he asked, "What, did my older self fail to regale you with tales of my, my many failures at being...at being what a Viking should be?"

His eyes lit up at that. "Really? Hot springs?" That sounded nice...to not have the lingering chill in your bones... "So...so you've traveled the archipelago a lot, then?"

-----------------

Hiccup thankfully made sure to remove the tail from the basket before they loaded it with fish.

He managed to catch maybe a dozen or so, but Danny really outshone him with that tool she brought.

Putting his hand up to prevent the water from hitting his face, he nodded, giving a little grin at their teamwork.

"You're right! Quick, let's gather everything and go see Toothless! If this works, he can fly again!"

----------------

The dragon was lying by the water when they arrived, watching a bird take flight.

Hiccup motioned for Danny to follow him. "Hey, Toothless! We brought you breakfast!"

The Night Fury tilted his head, eyeing the basket as Hiccup tipped it over, causing the fish to spill out.

As he listed the types of fish they brought, he slowly circled towards the back of the dragon, signaling for Danny to stay by the fish.

Straddling the long black tail, he struggled to get it to stay still, since it was bopping to and fro. Lining the tail up, he began strapping it on, leaning back to examine how it looked, muttering to himself his thoughts.

But Toothless...he could feel that there was something different back there. He froze, raising his head up. Testing his tail, he spread his wings out to their full span...

In his excitement, he bolted forward, taking Hiccup with him.

"WHOA!"

The Night Fury took off as Hiccup held on for dear life, getting higher into the air before starting to lose height...

They started plummeting down.

Thinking fast, Hiccup reached forward, pulling the prosthetic tail fin out to match the real one, and they were soaring once again.

"Yeah!!! I did it!"

The Night Fury glanced back, shocked to see the human boy on his tail, and quickly shook him off, causing him to fall and skip along the waters surface for a moment before coming to a stop.

Without Hiccup working the prosthetic, Toothless crash landed, too, also landing in the water with a very large splash.

Hiccup gathered his bearings, leaping to his feet in victory and pumping his fists into the air. "YEAH!!"

Toothless was not amused.

Trudging out of the water, Hiccup raced to Danny. "Did--did you see that?? He flew!! I just have to make a few adjustments, maybe use a string to manipulate the tail positions for flight..." He continued rambling on, listing idea after idea in his excitement.

Toothless pulled himself out of the water, shaking himself off before wrapping his tail around him, getting a closer look at the contraption Hiccup attached to him.

[lucimalfoys]

Character Basics

Character name: Lucius Abraxas Malfoy Age & Birthday: 27, December 27, 1954 Gender & Pronouns: Cis-male, he/him Occupation: Independently Wealthy (still making money from the Malfoy Apothecary) Blood Status: Pureblood Previous House: Slytherin Previous Affiliation: Death Eater Face Claim: Austin Butler Patronus: He’s never been able to successfully form a patronus, and it’s a topic of contention. Due to his intrigue with the Dark Arts, he doesn’t have the mental ability to create one. Wand: Elm wood with dragon heartstring core–a family heirloom concealed inside of a snake cane.

BIOGRAPHY:

Born as the sole heir to the Malfoy name, Lucius has been doted on since birth. Though his relationship with his parents has left something to be desired, he’s always loved being a Malfoy. While at Hogwarts, he excelled at the subjects he deemed worthy and was a Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch Team for five years. From a young age, he’d been betrothed to the youngest Black sister, who he spent quite a bit of time with during their school years. It might not be a choice they each made, but there were far worse options in his mind. As long as she didn’t follow Andromeda’s lead, he suspected Narcissa would be the perfect wife for him.

Upon graduation, he found himself plunged into his father’s circle of Death Eater friends. As was expected of him, he needed to take the Mark and join the cause–something that he was more than willing to do at the time. The growing inclusion of Muggle blood in their world troubled him, and, because he was Abraxas’s son, he very quickly became one of Voldemort's most trusted Death Eaters. 

Unlike some of the others, Lucius didn’t entirely enjoy getting his hands dirty. At least not with violence. His main method of action involves using his wealth, influence, and connections to support Voldemort's cause. In his mind, lining the pockets of a Ministry official here and there is no cause for concern. During the War, he and his father were entrusted with keeping Voldemort’s Diary–now known as a Horcrux–safe. The thing is, and Lucius is perhaps too embarrassed to admit it, but he didn’t know exactly what the Diary was when they had it in their possession. He suspects his father knew the full story, but once Lucius knew the truth, he wasn’t exactly devastated when Severus swiped it from under him. Narcissa had been around it on more than one occasion, and he didn’t like the idea of his future wife falling prey to such a thing. Even if he believed in the cause.

As the tide began to turn against Voldemort, Lucius found himself in a precarious position. While he’s grown up with Pureblood supremacy at the forefront of his mind, he also knows the Malfoy name needs to remain unsullied. Above all, their family is meant to be one of the oldest and well-known families in their entire world. A member of the Sacred 28. They could never be seen on a losing side, especially if it involved prison time for him and his father. The Malfoys weren’t felons–they were practically Wizard Royalty. After all, their money and wealth could even be traced back to the Muggle Royal Family. They were simply held to a higher standard than some of the unsavory… beings who graced Voldemort’s ranks.

After Voldemort's defeat in January 1981, Lucius is left to navigate a world where his former allegiances are now dangerous. He must find a way to protect his family while maintaining his status in the wizarding community. Publicly, he distances himself from Voldemort's ideology, using his cunning and resources to reshape his image. Narrowly avoiding imprisonment, he’s stuck with the story that he was coerced into serving the Dark Lord. “Didn’t you hear? Abraxas and Lucius Malfoy claim they were under the Imperius the entire time. What a load of bollocks.” Privately, however, Lucius remains a complex character, grappling with his beliefs and the reality of a world without the Dark Lord’s influence. All that’s left is to quiet the discontented, marry Narcissa, and create the next Malfoy heir. Surely, it couldn’t be that difficult.

[kordifm]

Dragons Rising S1 No Spoiler Review

Dragons Rising was truly amazing. For context, my brother and I stayed up until 2 am to binge-watch the season after I got home from classes for the day. We initially wanted to split the season in half for our watch through, but every episode, we found ourselves drawn in by the lore and the world building and all the silly little funny moments in between that could just exist because of the 20 20-minute episodes.

The opportunity to watch a season that isn’t capped at a short runtime due to corporate meddling is honestly a dream come true for Ninjago fans. The season felt so full and well-rounded, and I felt like the writers really were able to get everything they wanted in to the season. Obviously not every idea makes the final draft for any piece of creative work, but this one felt so much less bare bones than the previous seasons as far as time goes.

But my favorite part is the character development, hands down. I was so on the fence about Arin and Sora when the trailer first came out, not because I didn’t want to like them; but because I was afraid that they would seem too much like next-gen replacements in comparison to the OG ninja. Boy, was I wrong. They felt so real as characters and were absolutely written beyond my expectations.

Arin is such a pure cinnamon roll who looks up to the ninja and then gets to be one in his own right. He has this air of humility, always wanting to do what’s right as he learns what it takes to be a hero. And he just loves his new family all the while maintaining his hopes for seeing his parents again one day.

And Sora…well, I could write paragraphs about her character development. She honestly reminded me of myself in quite a few ways, so seeing her grow from being very non-involved and on the run from Imperium to conquering her initial doubts about the ninja and her own insecurities was such a treat to watch. She’s a character that is cynical about the world in many senses, but her heart is open to her new family and later in the season, herself and who she wants to be.

Needless to say, I loved them both, and I can’t wait to see where their stories go from here.

Alright, I have to talk about the OG ninja. Gone are the days when they are sidelined to be comic relief. Each episode had a very accurate picture of who they are as mentors and young adults (I will never get over Lloyd calling Arin and Sora “teens,” thereby distancing the OG ninja from that label). I love how Lloyd, Nya, and Kai get to be guides for Arin, Sora, and Wyldfire; albeit in their own ways. I could also spend an exorbitantly long amount of time on this topic, but the highlight for me is that they all had a different answer when their apprentice, if you will, asked them “Is that a Master Wu saying?”

I won’t write about the other three ninja at length here because I want to keep this non-spoilery, but I will say it’s great to see everyone once again, even for a little bit.

My brother likened the original Ninjago being a circle, and this season being the outer circle. We get to take a step back and see a bigger picture of the world and the characters, and we’re not even done yet. I want to make a list of all the open-ended questions that the season left us with because I am totally hyped up here. And of course, credits to everyone who worked on this project. I cannot wait to see what comes next.