#<- this shall be your tag for me now because you perceive us

[trenchcrows]

lemme perceive you for a sec

...

GOOBERSSSSSSSS (said like Tommyinnit calling out to Phil for help)

[moonlitkit]

Between Lovers, CH5: Persuasion - FIN?

And this is the last (intended) chapter of this fic. It most definitely could continue and I may come back to it or do a direct sequel where there's a bit of them lounging around dealing with -waves at the below- feel free to reblog with tags or comment on a reblog if you'd really rather see that. Just gauging interest.

[[TO CH1]] - [[TO CH4]]

Umbral’s Force Illusion was still intact, which made him somewhat hard to assess — by design, of course, covering all weaknesses was very SIth — but there were other tells Wolf had learned to look for. The slow pace, the deliberate movements, was normal; Umbral had apparently made good use of his reflexes bedding other Sith who could keep up, but he was aware that no matter what slight advantages Wolf might have in the area, no matter how well he perceived such things, he couldn’t react at that pace.

And so Umbral slowed for him, not just in courtesy but enough for him to savor what he was watching. It certainly didn’t take much to convince Umbral to let himself be admired. The man had a great deal of vanity he’d earned.

So no, since this wasn’t Wolf’s kink, Umbral was not letting him see the inevitable redness to his nose or any flush to his cheeks. But he didn’t need to. When Umbral paused, turning away with a tripping series of hitched breaths, he could see the wrinkling of his bridge, the flare of his nostrils and the faint sheen of watery irritation over squinted gold eyes. Some things were impossible to hide in that manner.

It led to nothing, of course. Umbral swore softly, recovering his composure with a sharp sniff and brushing his finger under one eye since it was only the two of them. “Excuse me.”

“Of course,” Wolf said softly, reaching for him.

Umbral smiled in that calm fondness that warmed Wolf through, and moved to straddle his waist. “How’s that?”

“Good,” Wolf breathed.

“For someone about to be at my mercy, you’re taking a lot of control,” Umbral observed.

Wolf grinned, wide and shameless, all the emotion he refrained from at work, saved for his passionate Sith lover. “Anything I can get; I’ve always been an opportunist.”

“I like that about you,” Umbral admitted, picking up the brush once more and giving it a spin. “Now, shall I?”

“At your leisure,” Wolf said.

“Mmm.” He took Wolf’s chin in hand, considering. “I think you ought to deny yourself. Struggle, as I have.”

“Is that so?” Wolf twitched his nose and watched Umbral track the motion. Already like that, then? He could work with that. “As you desire.”

“Good boy,” Umbral teased, tipping his head up. “Flare, and hold still. No matter what.”

Wolf made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat, bracing himself even as he focused on holding his nostrils flared for him to ease the tip of the brush in. It was a ragged brush that would be causing immense irritation as sensitive as he was, slim enough to get into place to ensure it.

Because the truth was Wolf was almost certain now that he’d caught Umbral’s cold, but even if he hadn’t he was still sensitive after all the sneezing he’d done on their way back to Umbral’s apartment. When Umbral told him he’d struggle to hold back, he was right.

The first touch of the brush sent a shiver rolling through him, Wolf’s lips parting on a voiceless breath. He saw Umbral’s little smile, the anticipation, and vowed to do this right. He held still, but he should have guessed he didn’t need to worry in particular reminders; Umbral’s hand settled on the shoulder opposite of where he was busy with the brush, warm skin on skin as he applied warning pressure.

They locked eyes and Wolf wet his lips. He didn’t speak, didn’t dare; the bass reverberations of his own voice could be an inconvenience at times, and unfortunately might prematurely end the game.

“Don’t sniff,” Umbral warned quietly, and continued the cautious insertion.

Wolf fought his natural impulse to do exactly that as the brush dragged against sensitive nasal passages. He wrinkled his nose, unable to resist, and narrowing the space did him no favors. His lips parted on a panting exhale.

Umbral smirked. “Now, now. We both know you have such strong will, Wolf… you can do better than that.”

He didn’t reply — didn’t dare, blinking slowly instead.

“You’re doing well,” Umbral assured him. “Very well, Now, let me just….”

The bastard gave the brush a tortuously slow spin, tucked against the achingly sensitive inner wall. Despite his attempts to resist, Wolf gasped, chest inflating, once, twice, in expectant hitches.

Under the intensity of Umbral’s gaze, Wolf swallowed hard, shivering as he forced his body to still. It was less natural willpower and more Intelligence’s training, because a sniper could not very well miss a shot for a sneeze. He had, on two occasions early on, but that didn’t mean he didn’t finish the mission, didn’t get his target at all.

But he had his ‘target’ in his sights now. And my, did Umbral look pleased.

“Hold,” Umbral murmured, stopping the motion and just leaving the brush in place.

Wolf held very still, nostrils flaring in quick, furiously irritated motions despite his efforts to resist. He scarcely breathed for fear he’d tip right over the edge, lost in an uncontrolled fit. His willpower was being tested fiercely and Umbral looked so very smug about it.

It was just fuel to fight; if he was going to end up sneezing, Umbral would have to work for it.

“I do so love the light of defiance in your eyes,” Umbral murmured “So much the better here with me, mm? Or do you dare not talk yet?”

He knew better than to shake his head with the brush in place, and he wasn’t terribly sure about talking either. The best he could do was a watery squint, the corner of his mouth pulled to an approximation of a smile.

Umbral clearly approved. “It’s so intense, isn’t it? I envy that, a little. Snf. Watching’s not enough for me… but it is satisfying.”

So it was. They couldn’t have that, so it came down to if Wolf trusted his restraint… he braced himself, daring to talk. “Think you have the upper hand?”

“I know I do,” Umbral said. “But please, try to prove me wrong, if you can.”

Wolf sniffed sharply against the brush’s consistently irritating presence and took a deep, shaking breath. The irritation was immense.

A sniper does not miss a shot for a sneeze.

Brushing away the tears of irritation, he wrinkled his nose. “I think you’ve forgotten how much self control I have.”

Umbral could break it, they both knew it. But using the Force was cheating so far as Wolf was concerned and Umbral so much preferred to watch someone fall of their own doing.

“Show me then, Wolf,” Umbral purred, looming over him. “None of those pretty words. Show me.”

“You like my pretty words,” Wolf said, voice a little thick from the building irritation. He didn’t have long, especially if he was going to play with this a bit, but he’d do what he could.

He stretched hard, making a deep sound of relief when some of the tension left his back and letting Umbral watch before laying the back of his hand over his forehead, ostensibly so he wouldn’t touch. “It itches.”

“Oh does it?” Umbral grinned knowingly. “Tell me about it.”

“You’ve got a b-brush,” a breath, regain control, “in my nose, actively attempting to induce me. I think it’d be stranger if it wasn’t itching.”

“And yet you’re still not sneezing,” he observed, giving the brush a slow twist.

It was hard to say how much ‘letting’ Wolf could do with the urgent, immediate need to sniffle against the irritant, to wrinkle his nose and hitch his breath towards what should have been inevitable. A second hitch, audibly so and with a clear edge of need. He needed to sneeze.

He took another high, desperate breath and held it, eyes at half mast.

A shaky exhale and Umbral’s smug expression turned grudgingly impressed. “Really?”

Wolf sniffled sharply, smirking. “Really. Even though it’s absolutely  snf. It j-just fills my sinuses, Umbral, gods this itchy snf cold you’ve given me.”

Umbral shifted his weight slightly, unnecessarily, and Wolf filed it away; he’d liked something about that… but what was it and how could he replicate it?

“So you do admit you’re ill,” Umbral observed, grinning.

“I admit you got me sick,” Wolf said.

“You weren’t precisely careful,” Umbral said.

“It was a calculated risk. I— h’hEEH!” Wolf dropped his hand to hover over his mouth in a loose fist without obscuring Umbral’s view too badly. The feeling teased at him, nostrils flaring, and he wrinkled his nose up with blatant irritation. Once it felt somewhat more under control, he shifted a little, hips rolling with the motion until Umbral locked in his legs and placed a broad hand across one of his hips, effectively pinning him in place. Not so much as a touch of the Force, just his bigger size and weight working all too well with gravity.

Umbral grinned, gold eyes bright and hungry. “You were saying?”

Wolf’s lips parted on a quiet pant, so much louder in the stillness of the room. He inhaled and immediately jerked up with a gasping breath. His eyes slammed shut, only dimly aware of the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he fought between the want to drag this out further and the desperate need to just sneeze already. He’d been pushing himself up against his limits for too long. Control was a slippery thing now, starting to slip through his fingers. In a last ditch effort, he curled his fingers around his nose, applying pressure that bordered on painful.

He sniffled raggedly, nose squirming uneasily in his grip with the relentless itching.

“Give in, love; it’s obvious you’re at the end of your tether,” Umbral said.

Wolf made a negative sound, thick with the applied pressure. He wasn’t quite sure he’d live up to it, though.

“Well. Let me help,” Umbral said, dragging the brush out with a little flick at the rim of one nostril.

The first false start was immediate and he was left panting. “Umbral,” he groaned, giving his head a little shake. “I… you’re going to-to make me… HEH!”

“Oh I know,” he purred. “That’s what I snf want.”

It was more of a struggle to keep his eyes open than it was after two days without rest. At least then he had caffa to fall back on if he had to, or a stim if it was on a mission and he really had to be alert. Now? Nothing. He was a single misstep from the fit he could feel welling in his sinuses. The immense, nearly unbearable itching…

“H’hh… h’hht-HEH!” Wolf shifted, hypersensitive to the slide of the bedding beneath him… the pillows behind him… Umbral over him.

“Tsk. No need to suffer so.” Umbral’s voice was soft and far more soothing than a Sith had any right to be as he slipped his hand into place, pushing Wolf’s own aside.

His thumb made a broad sweep along Wolf’s cheekbone just below the cybernetic implant, and kept going, slowing over the side of his nose and making it nearly to the top before Wolf broke under the stimulation.

“IkkTSHIIIH-chTSSHIiih!” Wolf let Umbral gather him up, past the point of fighting it. “hiitschiih! essssshhii! HnnGSHHIiihTCH-eeh!”

It was only after he got past what felt like only the first part of a much longer fit, that he realized Umbral had been bracing him. Wolf smiled wryly, sniffing sharply, and tipped his head into Umbral’s hand as he carded his fingers back through loose black hair. “That was snf cheating, you know.”

“That suggests we had rules,” Umbral said, shifting his weight to rub his wrist against his nose.

Wolf arched a brow. “Almost?”

“Perhaps.” He sniffed. “You’re not done, though. I know better.”

“It’s waiting to sneak up and steal my composure,” Wolf said. “That sort of cold.”

“I’m not sure what to think of the implication that a virus is conspiring against you,” Umbral admitted, sniffing twice. He wet his lips, stare growing distant for a moment before the feeling apparently left him. “Damn.”

“That whole show for nothing,” Wolf said, tsking. “And I was so good.”

“You were very good,” Umbral agreed. “I just… just don’t thiiiink….”

“You’re overthinking— nkSHHT!” Ah, there it was. “ktCHIiih! ihhhshiiishu! Ooone m—” 

“No, I’m quite sure that was three,” Umbral said, canting his head to the side as Wolf sneezed twice more, sharp and forceful, trying to just purge the irritation and failing. “And that’s five… six… seeeevehhh… NGSHHYeeehh—ESSSHHCHU!”

Wolf startled, blinking watery eyes at him. “Bless you, finally.”

Umbral groaned in a fashion wholly inappropriate for mixed company. Fortunately it was only Wolf. 

“Little gods, that was good,” Umbral sighed, relieved. “Well. That worked. A shame to have lost track of your fit, though.”

“You have no need to count my sneezes,” Wolf said flatly. “And frankly I think you stole the rest of mine.”

“…well. I think I can make that up to you,” Umbral said.

Wolf grinned, catching his lover’s hand as it crept up his side. “You don’t say.”

“I think you should enjoy my enjoyment,” Umbral said with the sort of wicked grin that still sent a thrill up Wolf’s spine. “Reap the rewards of your hard work.”

Wolf stretched out on the bed. “Then you get to do all the work.”

Umbral just laughed.

[nights-at-crystarium]

Fragments - episodes 27-30 author notes

You can find similar breakdown posts on older episodes in my pinned!

I make these notes as I work on an episode, however, people have been so attentive and observant with their comments that I started a tag fragments feedback where we dive even deeper into themes and interactions in the comic. These comments are a blessing, often pointing out things that my own brain doesn't register.

Obligatory ShB spoiler warning.

Episode 27 begins with a chat about the original weapons that are merely a stylish-looking convenience for them ic and for me ooc, so that I don't have to draw them lugging their weapons around.

Essentia's just a name for Vivi's spear, not like the whole concept. I introduced it around the beginning of the ShB arc. Alisaie's weapons have no name yet, there's a possibility to do something cute referring to twins.. I shall think of it :3c

Look at this child being all smug for having been able to help recreating something previously thought unique, and, um, flirting.. In her own way.....

Vivi be like, sigh, "ah, back on her bs already... Better indulge her while she's still in a nice mood".

Alisaie's left arm's stronger than both Vivi's. As a dragoon he doesn't only use magic to amplify his jumps, if it works on legs, why not extend it to arms as well? Not unlike what monks do, minus the actual physical training. Basically he cheats with magic in real fights. A casual friendly duel isn't worth expending aether, so he only relies on his actual strength :'>

He also can't do friendly duels because his Echo only telegraphs hostile attacks. A friend would stop before his blade cuts him, so Vivi's kinda blind, only relying on his own average skill. A legendary hero that's no fun to spar with if you're remotely competent.

..Which has no negative effect on Exarch's fanboyism.

Several people said they look forward to said sparring session, and I felt like I failed them because I had no plans to follow through with this. Then I thought some more.. Do we mean every little thing we say or think? Sometimes it's just distracted nonsense. If every action and word were hooks/setups for the story, it'd feel artificial. This's just my opinion, but some scenes have to have idle chatter and musings for realism.

Vivi and Alphi look like door-to-door salesmen, yet the Chais are buying multiples of whatever they sell.

This's a looooooongg post, under the cut we go~

A random thing that thematically belongs here, but didn't make it in the comic: Vivi ended up being more freaked out by Eulmore than Amh Araeng.

Feo "privacy breach" Ul :> They greet each other so casually that it's clear, this's far from being the first time.

One of my personal fav panels so far. People loved the "crystal mystel" so much but I can't take credit for that! My brain's full of soup that's a mix of everything canon and my own generous additions, but I THINK one of the pixies calls him that ingame, sometime post 5.0.

You probably didn't know that you needed more Exarch and Feo Ul interactions till now, I've got you covered. Their scenes will take time to trickle in, but they EXIST and go back as far as their first meeting.

Exactly what happened.

One more episode where Vivi doesn't utter a word, but it doesn't feel like that.

Tank!Exarch fanclub, +1 member. Vivi's pleasantly surprised by the sudden shift in Exarch's demeanor. He genuinely admires him here. "Lead me anywhere daddy".

Ready for a guild wars 1 (one!) joke? No? I'm making it anyway. Lyna casts gaze of contempt (effect: removes enchantments on target foe)

She's such a good daughter with great intuition. She feels uneasy about this way before Vivi feels anything at all. He just looks. Perceives. He has eyes, dammit! And Exarch has those stupid sexy sandals and shiny crystal arm and stylish flowy robes and he's generally kinda cool? It's official, it has begun: Vivi's attracted to Exarch here.

Zooming in super close to bring your attention to his thigh gap <w<

A closeup for the hell of it C: His eyes have a natural faint glow that's just there, it doesn't mean anything, like, genuinely.

Vivi tries to appease Lyna. He has no idea why she keeps glaring at him, probably still not trusting a stranger. He uses his charm as a casual manipulation. Unfortunately, Lyna falls for it. For now.

As per msq, Exarch's kneeling, not collapsing (although that would've been just as fitting tbh). While still not trusting him too much, Vivi slowly begins to respect a reputable ruler and a skilled fighter, and WHY IS HE KNEELING MY LORD GET UP?! Vivi hates being treated like some sort of a messiah. That pushes him further inside the box of being a mythical figure, and denies his humanity.

Normal colors and lighting!! For one episode....

The scene on the left isn't meant to feel cozy and inviting, while the right one is. Sickly, cold, washed out colors vs darker and warmer ones. I'm putting a lot of thought into this, just wanted to celebrate it a lil C:

Episodes 28-29 show Vivi and Exarch's ways of handling unexpected personal hostility. Vivi casually whips out a V and a silly grin, while Exarch.....

He tried, okay?!

A thing on their positioning in this scene that I didn't plan consciously, it just happened: Exarch's framed by the Crystarium, appearing more aligned with it, while the elf pile's surrounded by an idyllic natural frame. Something something about the greenery meaning life, and Exarch looking a bit out of place here.

This's our first, but not last encounter of an imagination theater :>

The dragons are goofy on purpose. Well, sort of. I can count on one hand the amount of times I drew non-humanoid creatures, and the tone here doesn't demand anything super serious from me. Also it makes sense in-character, Exarch probably never saw a dragon up close.

Take a good look at this lil shit. I indulged in illustrating his badass moment before pointing the "camera" away for a while. We're heading into the Il Mheg arc that lasts for months and has no cats ;w;

Vivi's iconic Protagonist Grin >:D

Also, Ryne. Just to keep your expectations grounded: while I personally like her, she has no relevance in this story, and very little screentime. I'm currently having Eden raid brainworms, might write a scene or two related to that, but we're talking many years into the future. Until then, she doesn't do much.

ShB cast's diverse and extremely fun to explore, but if I went on tangents the comic would literally never progress. Gotta be honest, I'm already terrified that some readers might drift away before reaching the wolgraha part of this wolgraha comic. I don't wanna rush OR dilute the main plot too much, if that makes sense. Also, just like in real life, you probably don't form perfect connections with every member of your social circle, some people grow closer than others. Vivi has next to no connection to Minfilia/Ryne, he also stays away from little girls after one of those ended up becoming his lifelong problem *snorts and points at Alisaie*

Desires, and feasting on them? A dungeon meshi nod? More likely than you think.

Feo Ul, sprawled out on his chest like that, visually resembles a burning heart.

Emet antithesis :3c

Imagine loving your pet so much that you let him do this. Feo Ul isn't moved by the physical act AND the joking accusation.

While seemingly slacking for a dozen episodes, Vivi formed bonds with Feo Ul and Ardbert, and thus secured the future of the two stars. Now he has friends that aren't his coworkers first and foremost, that he genuinely wants to fight for. This's what makes him tick as a hero: a quiet plea of a friend, not even asking him directly, a stark contrast to being dragged around and cried at for help. If Vivi's introduction to an entity (person/group of people) is "they suffer, they need help", he shrugs it off. Everyone suffers and needs help, he can't split into thousands of vivis to please them all.

He's only truly motivated to help, or empathizes with those who he gets to know through other means. Take Ardbert, his strange behavior on the Source, then reintroduction that's confusion and companionable snark, but not wailing for help. And Feo Ul, they hang out with him just because, they're safe.

He may not run off to fight the local Lightwarden this instant, but when he gets around to it, he's earnest for a change.

This's all I have for now, thanks for reading!!

[bard-powers-activate]

Welcome, friend! Feel free to browse my shiny things. Tag system if u want it 👇

I got the idea from following the illustrious @zoanzon. *Edited as of 05/2025 but also not where I’d like it to be, personally (better than nothing! Just a disclaimer)

hello to the spouse creature reading this; the spouse creature and I have been married eight years and counting. They do not delight in being perceived by the void in pretty much any form or fashion, but they drink in the void’s delights as much as any of us—consider this our way of flirting through the tag system.

Now that’s what I call gender; like those music compilation CDs that came up on commercials every year. But, you know, about things that feel Gender™️ to my soul. (Note as of 2025, haven’t used this in a while, but still an active tag in case I come across something particularly gender)

humans love boxes (humans hate boxes); it is in the nature of humanity to desire a sense of structure and form—in part to understand the world around us, and in part to better communicate with each other. This very tag system is an act of creating boxes for the purpose of organizing my thoughts/feelings around some of the more intangible aspects of life. Ergo, boxes are a helpful tool our brains use to process data. We also HATE being told what to do, and have a nasty authoritarian streak in us to confine everyone to the boxes we ourselves have created. Go figure. Thus enters the next tag…

the tools are meant to serve you (you do not serve the tools) [skip to the end for a TLDR]; What do you define as a tool? What first comes to mind might be a hammer or other physical implement. In that case, what about the DSM? The DMV? Universities? Systems of Government? Currency? Institutions are tools. Concepts are tools. Objects are tools. Language is a tool. That which is in a state of service is a tool. We aren’t the only animals on earth to use tools, but we still mark their ideation as a sort of Dawn of Consciousness because there truly is no living as we know it without them. Once upon a time, humans took care of each other in community groups as they hunted, foraged, and survived. Now, we have hospitals. Hospitals that HELP but also are owned by corporations looking to profit from human suffering. It’s so easy to slip into the mindset of “this is how it’s always been” but EVERYTHING, from the clothes on our backs to the words we speak, were once absent from the world and subsequently created to serve a specific purpose. That is the divinity within us, these acts of creation. When the tools serve us we prosper. When we serve the tools…well: “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your G-d, am a jealous G-d, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬) As a child, I despaired at this commandment. Why should children experience the punishments of their ancestors? But when I look at this, the first commandment, through the lens of “the tools are meant to serve you, you do not serve the tools” it paints a portrait of generational trauma. Cycles of violence. Harmful concepts persist until a new generation rises to refute them. Think about language for a second—someone defines themselves as <blank> while another cries out that they are incorrect, they can’t use that word because THAT’S not what that word MEANS. Never mind that language is a constantly evolving construct (the words nice, silly, and awful have certainly flip-flopped definitions over time), a TOOL developed BY humans FOR humans to facilitate community through communication. When you serve the tool you limit yourself to its limits. Your actions, behaviors, even your thoughts are restricted and controlled. Its boundaries become law. Humans love boxes (humans hate boxes). But when you extricate yourself from its bindings, when you look upon your idols as the tools they are, the only question becomes…how does it serve you? Capitalism is a tool. Democracy is a tool. We can identify flaws, expand boundaries, improve and evolve our tools the way humans have done since that fateful Dawn of Consciousness as long as we view them as such. TLDR; When we serve the tools, we ultimately fail. When the tools serve us, we ultimately flourish.

all flourishing is mutual (in a culture of reciprocity); this tag and all its variants are in reference to the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer—a book that has branded itself onto my soul for all of eternity. While the book as a whole covers many different aspects of life, history, creation, religion, and being, it is this central thesis that broke my brain the most. It’s so simple to understand and so easy to do, once one actually commits to it. A culture of reciprocity is one where we all give from our own gifts. Someone with five blankets and four family members to keep warm gives the extra blanket to the one who has none and is cold. It’s not about self-sacrifice or denying yourself what you need, it’s about sharing your blessings with your community because WE ALL WIN TOGETHER WHEN WE TRY TO WIN TOGETHER! This is how ecosystems function. A tree generates more energy than it needs from photosynthesis and shares that energy with fungal systems through mycelium, that in turn supply the tree with nutrients from the soil it could not access on its own. Read the chapter of The Three Sisters in Kimmerer’s book and let it all sink in. Community. Solidarity. Intersectionality. Sustainability. They aren’t ideals for idealism’s sake—they are effective tools in service of the whole. I, for one, endeavor to contribute to mutual flourishing in all aspects of my life.

meatsuits and starstuff; our bodies are made of meat. That doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable thing—we are mammals, after all. But there’s no denying a certain human obsession with the mind and the soul. As Carl Sagan so eloquently put it: “We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can, because the cosmos is also within us. We are made of star stuff.” And yet, these three integral aspects of existence often come into conflict. Not to simplify all of philosophy and theology down to brass tacks, but…do they have to be? Can we not learn to hold the sacred tension?

meatsuit maintenance; our bodies are made of meat. That doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable thing—we are mammals, after all. Do not despair of your vessel, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made! I like to treat my meatsuit the way I would treat a toddler: proactively tend to its needs, provide support for the things it can’t do on its own, affectionately dote on it with treats (within reason only for its health and longevity), hold space for its pain with arms wide to hold and heal, arms wide to comfort and protect…never asking for more than what it can give.

arms wide to hold and heal; this is the energy of a mental hug, the warmth of someone giving you permission to not be okay…because it’s okay to not be okay and you are allowed to BE. This is what it means to hold space.

arms wide to comfort and protect; this is the energy of a mental hug, the warmth of someone giving you permission to not be okay…while glaring daggers over your shoulder at the perpetrator responsible and positioning yourself to bear the brunt of another attack. This is what it means to have community.

steward servant shepherd (king); a tag used when I see an example of a person demonstrating what it means to be a good steward, what it means to lead, and and/or exhibits a healthy example of divine masculine/divine feminine energy while in a position of power.

and I think to myself (what a wonderful world); humming along with the beauty of it all.

the vibes and times; that hard-to-put-a-finger-on occurrence when a vibe makes you feel like you’re in a pocket dimension. When something just IS so hard you can’t help but appreciate it. Immaculate vibes. When you take a step back, and it’s just a vibe and that’s all there is to it.

and all God’s people said amen; this tag is usually split into two parts and roughly translates to mean a hearty agreement or an acknowledgement of fundamental truth. It’s a personal reclamation of sorts—I may have left the Southern Baptist Church and its toxic theology, but that doesn’t mean they get to keep all the good toys. Growing up the pastor would say the first part while the audience would respond in unison, and in doing so was an awesome, powerful energy transference. And as much as it could be used to affirm alignment with weighty truths, it was equally used to comedic effect (especially by my Dad at the supper table). Whether as a punchline or words of power, the phrase stuck with me. Here, I have retooled it for my own particular purpose.

the sacred tension; the tension between contradicting truths; a healthy acknowledgment of the world’s messiest and most painful contradictions; a spiritual awareness of the inherent paradox that is life/death/living. The tension may spark discomfort, but it is holy ground. For without the tension there is no IS. There is no YOU, or ME, or US, or TOGETHER. Remember that even the binary is itself a tool, and it is meant to serve you. Honor the sacred tension between concomitant truths. This is what it means to hold space.

Look to see (seek to find) TBD

Listen to hear (try to know) TBD

What it means… what DOES it all mean? How do we define meaning? As the nuns said of Maria in the Sound of Music, “How do you keep a wave upon the sand?” Existence is a constant state of being. The moment you think you have it nailed down, something WILL change. So instead of making boxes FOR meaning, this endeavor is to make boxes OUT OF meaning. Whenever I encounter something along the way that has a whiff of answering “what does it mean to…” it gets sorted into that box. Special attention is paid to verbs and tenses, specifically what it means to HAVE <noun> vs. what it means TO <active verb>.

What does it mean to BE? - to be HERE - where is HERE? - HERE is ME - I AM ME - i am that i am; this tag and its many variants make up my mantra for experiencing existence. I get in my own head a LOT. This mantra helps me reorient myself in the present. It also helps me address my needs without invalidating my soft little animal body, my valiant meatsuit. I am that I am. Sometimes I am hungry, and so I feed myself. Sometimes I am tired, so I go to bed early. Sometimes I am overstimulated and so I take steps to move to a quieter room, to decline the party invitation, to go on a walk outside, whatever is needed to shift my present state of being as desired. I am that I am. It do be like that sometimes. Wielding these words, I challenge you to banish invalidation to the fucking shadow realm—in the pursuit of living and breathing, it is rarely an efficient tool.

What it means to BE; see above, but a little more to the point. This tag serves to help catalog the paradoxical essences of being in its myriad of shapes and forms.

What it means to have community; one of our most fundamental aspects of living and, most especially, a key to the flourishing of all. This one comes up a LOT. It’s important to look at it all without assigning a “good” or “bad” binary because if it’s true, then it deserves to be seen.

What it means to live and breathe; Before explaining further, let’s look at an example: gender-affirming surgery strikes some people as inherently wrong and they balk at the idea of allowing it at all…but that is a judgment cast from afar, safely detached from need. The people actually asking for it—desiring it despite the stress of surgery or the post-surgery maintenance or the stigma—say they need it to live. I, for one, never want to discount what helps someone who wants to live and breathe to continue staying alive. The point of this tag is that you don’t get to decide someone “isn’t living the right way.” And not just life for the sake of not dying, that’s survival-mode, but for the sake of breathing, of flourishing. None of us have a right to deny people the oxygen for their lifeblood. May heaven on earth be a place where all divine creatures of G-d live and breathe with ease.

What it means to carve out joy (alt: carving out joy); joy is a noun, not a verb. It’s a thing we seek to find, a thing we carve out of existence itself to possess for ourselves, and that we can carve out space for each other’s joy to live and breathe

What it means to birth creation/god I love humans; seriously, I love humans, the things we create are so fucking cool.

What it means to be a good steward; examples of leadership, sustainability, and all the other responsibilities stewardship represents

What it means to lead; see previous tag, but hyper-focused on aspects of leadership

What it means to be present; for those moments when you detach from all the stimuli and settle into the awareness around you.

What it means to learn and grow; stretch your mind-muscles, perform meatsuit maintenance, polish up your starstuff, and keep level-grinding life

What it means to listen; shoutout to my late Grandpa’s favorite book, The Awesome Power of the Listening Ear by John Drakeford. Listening is about so much more than using the human ear. It’s a state of awareness, of willingness, and of humility. Listening is how we could heal the world.

Blessings of… “When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” –Count Your Blessings, 1897 “When I'm worried and I can't sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep, And I fall asleep counting my blessings.” –Irving Berlin in White Christmas

What do you define as a blessing?

Blessings of the absurd; the universe is quite often absurd. Absurdity is mostly a neutral occurrence that we assign meaning to. I love when people lean into the absurd, roll around in it, twirl it around their fingers, or even spit it at each other! Aka 99.5% of tumblr.

Blessings of the blessed; attuned to precious souls sharing their gifts by just being themselves—for example, cute videos of animals and children lol.

Blessings of the beloved; similar to the previous tag, but tailored more towards marginalized communities and expanding who we name as beloved (based on an art exhibit called Naming the Beloved Community at the Donald Gallery in New York)

Blessings of creation (let all creation sing); attuning to the natural world in all its vibrancy and worthiness, in reference to how all of creation sings of cosmic divinity

[silvcrignis]

10 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 .

(Me, a multimuse with two MAIN bitches: Time to CHEAT. Though Claude doesn't wish to be perceived rn SO his minion is batting clean up because that's wtf Vic gets paid for.)

Muse: Victor Granite

1.) One Hell of A Ride -Bo Burnham

"We've had a hell of a ride But you thought we were riding to Heaven Well, I motherfucking lied So crank that funky shit to 11!"

2.) Faith -The Weeknd

"But if I OD, I want you to OD right beside me I want you to follow right behind me I want you to hold me while I'm smiling While I'm dying And if you know me When I go missing, you know where to find me"

3,) 5150 -Berleezy, Neezy & DJ Swish

"And I be in the parties, only if it's popping Top model coppin', pop bottles often That's no question. I'm turnt up Babysitting ass nigga, drink yo cup We party till the AM Hit the AMPM"

"I'm turnt up It's going crazy Niggas hating It don't phase me Took it to the head now I'm feeling tipsy We don't go dumb, we go 51/50"

4.) Colorado Sunrise -3oh!3 (Having a soulmate must be soooo gr8 for him & Duval *makes face*)

"And if I had something to say to you I'd whisper it softly, Kiss you on your rosy lips and never let you off me. Shiver on your roof and see your face lit by starlight"

"Train wreck that I am And I am what I am what I am A train wreck, that I am And I am what I am what I am A train wreck"

Muse: Keira Black

6.) White Tee -Corpse Husband "Oh, you love me and you miss me? Yeah, I get it, that's okay Reluctantly I get you, but you know it ain't the same Once you fuck me over, no do overs, we don't play"

"Don't follow me baby, swear I'm going to hell Think I'm looking for a piece of you in somebody else 'Cause ever since I've been leaving, I'm fucked up on something else We just hook up on the weekend, I keep her up on the shelf"

7.) Going To Hell (Acoustic) -The Pretty Reckless

"You know I know, yes, I've been told I redefine a sin.I don't know what's driving me to put this in my head. Maybe I wish I could die, maybe I am dead!"

"For the ways that I hurt, when I'm hiking up my skirt. I am sitting on a throne while they're buried in the dirt."

"For the man that I hate, I'm going to hell!"

8.) Judy's Turn To Cry -Lesley Gore

"Well it hurt me so to see them dance together I felt like making a scene Then my tears just felt like rain drops 'Cause Judy's smile was so mean"

"But now it's Judy's turn to cry Judy's turn to cry Judy's turn to cry 'Cause Johnny's come back To me"

"Oh one night I saw them kissing at a party So I kissed some other guy Johnny jumped up and he hit him 'Cause he still loved me that's why"

9.) Cape Town -The Young Veins "Woke me in the morning Asked me if I meant it, I didn't"

"I hardly knew a thing about you I got lost in Cape Town, in Cape Town I saw you, I met you I loved you, I left you in Cape Town, in Cape Town"

"Went out to a graveyard to bum a couple flowers To give to you"

When I need a great deal of the evil fucksticks to be sad I use one song to get it done these two are not an exception lmfao.

5 & 10.) Every Heart (English) BoA

"Tell me babe, how many do I shed my tears?"Shall I do, I can never say my loneliness Every heart doesn't know, so what to say or what to do" "Was afraid of darkness 'cause I felt that I was left alone So I prayed for help to distant million stars"

Tagged By: @manufactoredxbyxdesign

Tagging: @muutos, @khalaesi, @wingsxnlead, @rhaigal, @lettherebemonsters, @trapton (get double tapped lmfao), @dcmur3, @rubiesintherough, @ofthestcrs, @fantasywritten

[chemicalpink]

Hello, sorry for the long question but I wanted to know your opinion about this topic, begin that you are an expert in these things ahah. (and i’m not lol)

I happen to meet here on Tumblr profiles that always talk about Tarot and readings on BTS, and lately I see that some of these profiles speak of betrayals by JK towards his fs, or how he will always be alone (in a romantic way), or how BTS will disband after renewing this contract because “it’s what they really want right now”. Do you think these things should be taken literally? because it made me a little bit disappointed to read these things about BTS, especially when it comes to cheating and etc. Maybe my expectations on them are too high idk ahaha but I don’t see them doing these things. What do you think? maybe there are people that don’t are that good on readings and this can lead to misunderstandings, I don’t really know.

It really is no trouble and I shall answer with an equally as long text so apologies for that, I just feel like I should cover most things you asked, and after that, I'll link you to some other similar topics I've talked about in case you'd like to read them.

First and foremost (and I've talked about this before pretty openly) kudos to you for questioning the content you see out there. The thing with spiritual content on the internet is that it tends to have a 'trendy' tag attached to it, which is why we sometimes see a lot of people creating content on it. It equates to the way that the market functions, especially since the pandemic started, as we all had to undergo certain mental health processes (say, detriment for example) along with isolation, it served as a catalyst to ponder life as we know it, giving way to other narratives out there, like esoterism/Wicca/spiritualism, which is so easy to attach to given the pseudoscientific nature of it along with the psychological principles that help them truly understand people's minds.

The thing with such a boom in the matter is that it blends right with a lot of other social phenomena like consumerism, how exactly? exactly the way that we see a lot of people creating content in a way that the spiritual practices start being more about quantity over quality.

And you'll say hey, but if you limit the number of people that can create that type of content you're gatekeeping! It's not quite exactly the case, there's absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging access to spiritual tools like tarot, astrology and other divination methods, but it has a more philosophical end to it, where it starts being more about personal values, morals and ethics of the person that intends to create such content. All spiritual content should be treated with respect and responsibility. It derives from a belief system that some of us have grown up in, and as fun, as it may seem (or we make it seem) it entangles a lot more than what it is perceived online.

As with most skills, divination is all about practice, practising connecting with energies that are not our own, energies that are complete strangers to us, energies that are surrounded by a thousand other energies, getting rid of our bias, interpreting cards, blocking out presences, and it is not quite something you can master in the span of a few days if you intend to do so responsibly.

But you know, as much as we preach responsible content creating, it's just human nature to defy it, which is why at least *I* am always preaching everywhere about responsible consumption, sure, we can't really tell if people that are putting out there spiritual content are being responsible about it, so what we ought to do as consumers of said content is to shape our own standards, be informed and not be afraid of questioning content creators (evidently without invalidating their work)

But let's bring all of this back to BTS, where you poise two main concerns. 1. The disbandment and 2. Jungkook

We are under the understanding that tarot and any other divination method is not 100% accurate, alright? And that a lot of other stuff comes into play with readings such as experiences, traditions, values, etc.

The thing with the whole 'not renewing their contract' thing and tarot is that as I mentioned above, tarot meddles with energies or 'vibes' (i feel like vibes can make it easier to understand where I'm coming from) and thus it has to have a mediator of sorts (the reader) that is able to interpret said vibes. So the thing goes like this:

You can have a 'separation' vibe in a reading and to most this would mean that they're disbanding because it is the most literal expression of it, but it's such a vague vibe, I would personally do a confirming reading on it, see where it is coming from. Separation goes a lot of ways, could be 'hard times keeping them apart' or perhaps even 'wishing to pause bc it is mentally overwhelming' but do any of this means that they're disbanding? How real is it? Given the economical context BTS finds themselves in, the impact they have, the place in their career, the place that their company occupies in such decisions, I would say not so likely.

But let's give the benefit of the doubt and say that 'disbandment' is the right concept of the reading after being confirmed as such with a rectification reading, then again, us readers would have to look at the real context of it, which is why it is so important to practice and build a strong connection with energies that we read, if the reader isn't too well connected with the person they're reading, and they give out a vague energy for them to read (as BTS always does tbh) it makes it hard to bring its interpretation into words. If I were to get disbandment as a general reading vibe, I would 100% think it in terms of the political environment they live in, as touchy of a topic it is (and it doesn't correspond to me to give any sort of opinion on it from a fan POV) would be to see it from the fact that military service is a thing that will pose some sort of disruptive nature to their activities as a band and that this event could be translating into the cards as disbandment.

Now onto the Jungkook topic, I've also talked about it before, tarot as a form of divination is set in a 6 month in the future timeframe, so unless JK is marrying in the next 6 months, the connection is faulty and inaccurate. Then again, this is because divination methods focus on the self.

I'll try to illustrate this with a made-up scenario: Say I have a s/o now. We've been dating for a while, a love reading tells me that we're getting engaged in the near future, months go by and I start realising that this far fetched opportunity I had regarding my professional life that came up after the reading but before the 6 month period, is now a reality, things change between me and my s/o, we're past the 6-month timeframe, we broke up. It doesn't mean inherently that the reading was wrong. But we aren't defined by what divination may come up with, as things were before in this example, if there hadn't been a major change in myself, the most probable outcome would have been me getting engaged to my s/o, but we are dynamic, we make decisions, we exercise our own free will and all of it is hard to blueprint on divination methods that use archetypes to describe humans, divination methods over-simplify human behaviour in a an effort to work as tools in spiritual journeys of our own. And we can't really say the same thing when we read for other people, especially celebrities.

The thing with JK's image that you present in your question, and it is also applicable to all and any public figure/celebrity is more on the psychosocial analysis side than the spiritual one, there's no denying that the fan-artist relationship is one that is heavily determined by power dynamics, the sole fact that we are fans instantly places us on a disadvantaging place that we have to learn to be okay with so as not to pursue any type of parasocial relationship, we are just fans. The thing with this is that this social status disadvantage is counterattacked by the fans via rhetoric fallacies, we tend to label artists in ways that it is easier for us to feel closer to them somehow, in an effort to balance out the power dynamic. So then Namjoon turns into the academic and responsible of the bunch, Jin into the one that takes care of his babies, etc. And that's not to say that doing so is bad, it's normal fan behaviour, but we can't overlook the fact that it is easy to paint their behaviour black and white instead of greyscale colours that could be closer to the dynamism of a human being because sure, Joon can enjoy academic settings, go out to museums, be responsible, but that doesn't mean that's all of his personality captured, he can also go out and collect his pokemon stickers, let loose and live his non-public life the way we all do. With no presets and solely ours to enjoy.

This takes a rather interesting turn with JK in the way that he's the youngest, the rhetoric has always been 'the cute of the bunch' 'the kinda shy one' 'the dongsaeng' and then most are head over heels surprised that he's flirty af, kind of spontaneous and rebellious in a way.

BTS as a whole are pretty open people, their personal values are proportional to the way that they're grateful for the fans and try to satisfy this psychosocial need for fans to feel closer to them in a rather emotional intelligent take of their own that compiles classic Kmedia ways, neuromarketing but also humanism, it's the bts way. They are close to us fans as we are close to them but the artist-fan structural platform is there and unable to get rid of. We as fans are part of their public life, and they get to keep their private life as a token of sorts that we may never see and shouldn't want to know too much about out of respect for them as people (yet it sometimes comes out on tarot readings and this is where readers are asked to be responsible about the information they handle)

So yeah, the Jungkook we get to see is a great man, and sure he has his attitudes for him to keep from the public, but he's human, he makes mistakes like we all do, questionable and invasive as it is a reading that paints him as a cheater to his fs (with all the due question marks in terms of timeframe that we've talked about) he's just another human being that will continue to live his life and perhaps make questionable choices, there's much more to Jungkook than what we see and what we label him as. It is hard to imagine, given everything that comes into play, but it is really hard to shed a light on the true splendour of people, and life isn't about that. Life and/or fan life isn't about wanting to decipher every single bit of the people you like/follow/know, it's about respecting them, accepting the parts of themselves they share with you and enjoying your co-existence.

All in all, ANY form of divination, when not used as a tool for our personal spiritual journey should be for fun. Entertainment purposes only.

Now that’s not to say don’t consume tarot/astrology content. It would be hypocritical of me to say that, just do so responsibly, inform yourself, question stuff and be respectful about it.

In case all of this raises some more questions, you can also read:

About tarot consumption: VERY important things to keep in mind

About spiritual content consumption

About tarot interpretation

Tarot/Spiritual content for clout

So… I can just get a tarot deck and do readings myself

Confirming what we read Pt2

Why is BTS spiritual content so toxic?

Is tarot even reliable?

My personal unpopular opinions on kpop tarot

JK’s soulmate/spouse being a hot topic (this applies to any member)

An academic take into BTS future spouses topic

So what about: love readings 💌✨💫

Some of them may repeat, I'll check and edit in due time.

[tiriansjewel]

Another day in the jatp fandom, another controversy. As a preface, this post is really just going to be me saying: everyone needs to fucking relax. I’m tired of people calling other people out using weighty terms for no reason, I’m tired of people harassing others over something as trivial as an actor’s view on social issues, and I’m just tired of people not staying in their own circles. That’s basically a TL;DR for you all.

So, about this blocklist. Let’s get into it, shall we?

First, my main issue with this list (and I think a lot of other people’s) is use of the words “pedophilic tendencies”. I cannot understate how harmful it is to draw a false equivalence between real, actual pedophiles and smut writers on the internet. We must remember: these are fictional characters who happen to be teenagers, not real children who can be victimized. Calling adult smut writers pedophilic trivializes actual pedophilia, child porn, and CSA. When terms are watered down like this, the term begins to lose meaning. It is okay if smut written by adults about teenagers makes you uncomfortable, but it does not make the authors themselves pedophiles. Not even close.

Second, minors write smut just like adults do. The weirdest thing about this post is the fact that other minors were knowingly included on the blocklist (ie, “most writers are adults” according to the post) which suggests that the issue is with smut itself and not with who’s writing it. As I’ve said before, it is perfectly okay if you want to avoid nsfw content (which is why we have tags, by the way), but making a blocklist based solely on explicit content where you use the word pedophilia is really “not the move”, so to speak. Here’s the thing. I’m seventeen years old, which makes me a minor. I’ve written smut for this fandom, I am writing smut currently, and I will continue to write it. To suggest that smut in and of itself is bad is strange to me. Guess what? People have sex. Teenagers have sex. It’s a part of life, and it will be included in stories about people’s lives. And in comparison to other forms of explicit content like pornography, smut is a great way for young teens who are growing into their bodies to explore and learn about sex and sexuality outside of reality in a safe, contained space.

Third, there is a very big difference between adults writing about teenagers who happen to be having sex and adults sexualizing kids through writing. I’ve been around the block a few times in explicit tags, and at least I find I can always tell the difference between these two types of content. I’d also like to say that these adults (many of whom are still in their 20s, btw) were teenagers once and grew into their sexuality just like everyone else; it’s not like they’ve been separated from the experience! As a smut writer myself, rarely do I find myself personally thinking “this is hot”. I’m writing from the perspective of a character who thinks it’s hot! There is nuance and character development and thought to writing smut, yes, even pwp fics. In this section I would also like to address the fact that several of the people on this list are my friends and mutuals in this fandom. They are all lovely people who have their own reasons for writing what they write and their reason is never “ah yes I feel like sexualizing children today”. It is very shitty to make assumptions about people you don’t know and say they have pedophilic tendencies. That’s a weighty and unfounded accusation. And no, as a minor, I have never felt uncomfortable around any of them.

Fourth, many of these writers have written wonderful non-explicit fics as well! It’s a shame to write these authors off entirely because they’ve written smut. You don’t like sex scenes? Great! Exclude E and M ratings when you browse ao3. Also, some of these adult authors write fic where they age the characters up, probably because it’s closer to their own experience and it makes them more comfortable. They are literally doing exactly what you want them to do by not creating content about minors having sex. Also, I’d like to point out that Charlie is 22, Owen is 20, and Jeremy is 24, and the majority of smut is about the boys. I don’t think I should have to explain why it’s okay for other 20 somethings to view them in a sexual context, even if their characters are 17. Regardless, many of the perceived issues with these writers as people and also with their work simply do not exist.

Fifth, the number one rule of fanfiction is don’t like, don’t read. I myself have seen several nsfw fics in the jatp tag that I have cringed at and chosen not to read because of their tags, summaries, pairings, etc. And that’s okay! But never have I sent hate to these authors, called them pedos, or made large callout posts about them. I simply ignore or block the content and go on about my day. I’m not about to “yuck someone’s yum”, as it were, and I’m not going to be the moral police and tell people some type of content is wrong in all circumstances, even if I find it personally disgusting or ethically questionable. People are always going to write whatever they feel compelled to write, and the great thing about the internet is that we all have the space to express ourselves differently. As others have said, fandom is big enough for everyone. Here’s a nice little example. I’ve been in the Narnia fandom for years now. The four main characters are siblings, so there’s a lot of incest fic. I personally dislike incest fic and think it’s morally questionable, and so do many of my mutuals. We have conversations in private spaces where we tell one another who to block to avoid seeing that content, and every time I go in the ao3 tag I filter out those pairings. But never have we made public lists calling out people we didn’t know, and never have we sent derisive comments their way. Everyone must learn to keep to their own circles and curate their own feeds for fandom to be a positive experience. Everyone must learn to listen to other people and accept that everything has nuance. Everyone must be learn to be kind. As my choir teacher says, “there is never an excuse for being rude”. And when controversy must happen, let’s all be respectful, mature, and level headed in our discourse with one another.

In conclusion, this fandom has an issue with telling people what they can and cannot do or create, and that’s wrong. Fandom is supposed to be a free, positive environment. It is our duty to keep it that way. Thank you for your time.

[naralanis]

little bumps in the road (pt. 24)

OK everyone, we’re going to finish in 26, maaaybe 27 parts if I decide to go ahead with an epilogue! Enjoy, the ride is almost over!

Previously on LBitR...

For one interminable moment, it goes exactly how Lena remembers it would. The pain—white hot and blinding, cresting in waves that crash against her very psyche in what feels like a sonic boom right between her temples. She feels it bubble up under her skin, searing the insides of her skull, like her brain is boiling.

It makes her feel… suspended, somehow. Untethered from herself—she’s not exactly an observer watching over her own body and mind succumb to the whims of another; she’s still very much there, feeling the flashes and the searing pain that come with whatever reshuffling of memories and actions that took place in her mind as viscerally as if it were all real.

Wait.

No, no, they are real. The pain is real. Lex wouldn’t have it any other way; he would always want to inflict maximum, tailor-made suffering…

Would imaginary pain so visceral it feels real be his version of tailor-made suffering for Lena?

His trigger words are still swimming in her mind, bouncing around, bumping and rattling in there like her psyche is a pinball machine, but there’s something else, too. It’s not poignant, not so invasive in her mind, but it’s there, like a mantra Lena didn’t come up with, a little obstacle everything else that has been forcefully injected into her mind has been plonking against.

You know, Lena. That means you are prepared.

Lena feels blood in her mouth as she tries to make sense of the mayhem in her head, as she ponders what the hell she’s supposed to do, detached and bound to the searing flashes all at once. It’s exhausting.

Her tongue swells a little where at the spot on the side she had apparently bit raw; she worries it against her teeth, feeling and tasting the tender muscle in something she can recognize as a conscious, deliberate action.

Oh.

That means something, Lena’s sure of it. She just needs to unscramble what’s left of her mind enough to analyse it, somehow.

“Lena, Lena, Lena,” Lex’s voice comes through the intervals between flashes, haunting and childlike, crystal clear though almost robotic as it is filtered through speakers. “Open your eyes, Lena! I don’t want you to miss the show!”

Lena wants to retort that her eyes are open, otherwise, where the hell is all the light coming from? But as she clenches her jaw, the fresh cut on her tongue throbs, and she remembers she’s in a Lexosuit.

Her lids snap open and she is immediately greeted by the orange hue of the suit’s visor as it filters the skyline of National City in a crystal clear image and rows of data. It’s a bit much for her brain—she goes from dizzying white flashes to the overwhelming displays in the Lexosuit, and it takes her several long moments to adjust.

And so, Lena blinks into a state of half-awareness. She’s flying, zipping through the air above National City, but she has no recollection of how she got there; another gift from the little implant in her temple. The way her body moves is… unnatural—she’s not controlling the way her limbs adjust so that her current flight pattern is uninterrupted by the wind, and in the part of her mind that is only partly aware of that fact wonders how exactly Lex is controlling everything, whether he’s doing it via the implant or via the suit itself.

“Hey, Lena, I’ve got an idea,” Lex says in her ear, and the Lexosuit stops in midair. It does so roughly and abruptly, enough to give Lena some hope that maybe, just maybe, Lex is not controlling her actual physical movements.

But knowing her luck as of late, he’s probably doing both.

“Let’s play a game, sis,” Lex says jovially. “Let’s play ‘Find the Blue Dot… Then Kill It’.” His laugh echoes in the confined space of the helmet. “What do you think?”

Lena tries to answer this time, but all she manages for several moments is a pitiful series of angry grunts—it amuses Lex to no end, she can tell even in her altered state as his barely contained chuckles reach her ears—until she finally muddles through a gritted jumble of words.

“Ff-u—fuck-k you…”

He tuts loudly. “Now, now, Lena, that’s no way to start a game. You have to pay attention—look, there’s a little dot coming your way right now!”

Lena feels the agonizing slowness of her reaction time; it’s like her limbs are made of lead, and she hasn’t even really tried to move them yet. Her eyes seem to move slowly too—she wonders if her pupils are contracting and dilating again with no control, because it takes her an excruciatingly long time to focus on the little blue dot that beeps on the suit’s radar, indeed careening Lena’s way at breakneck speed.

“Nngh” she grunts again, like she’s chewing out the words. “K-kar—Kara—”

“Let’s give the Girl of Steel a warm welcome, shall we?”

Everything happens in slow-motion then—or at least, the part of Lena’s brain that she’s compartmentalized away for herself perceives it that way.

She sees that little blue dot zoom through her visor once, twice, before entering her actual field of vision. Kara’s blue suit is a weird shade of green through the orange of her visor, her cape an odd brown hue as it flutters in the wind, though the movement seems so slow to Lena’s perception she might as well be in water.

With her hair cropped short and the different colours of her suit, it’s like Lena’s brain has to play catch-up for a moment; it’s like she cannot recognize Kara for a second that stretches into infinity as the Kryptonian comes closer and closer.

Lena feels something at her back—a mechanical whirr, hydraulic hisses—and then, against her will, her arms are outstretched towards a rapidly approaching Supergirl, and Lena’s brain has finally caught up, just as the blasters at the suit’s forearms click into place and begin to glow green.

An image of Supergirl, of Kara—long hair, red and blue suit, face riddled with green—flashes before her eyes, and she’s falling, falling lifeless from the skies. For a moment, Lena thinks she’s seeing the future, but at with another painstakingly slow blink she’s back in the present, where Kara’s currently barreling towards fully loaded Kryptonite blasters.

“Kara, no!”

There’s an explosion of green, and the impact is enough to send the Lexosuit reeling backwards—Lex’s laughing in her ears, and Lena has to fight to get her bearings. Kara’s blue dot still darts in Lena’s visor—the radar puts her somewhere behind the Kryptonite-powered suit.

She’s alright.

“What a miraculous save from Supergirl,” Lex’s voice cackles. “Very last minute, though; a little less graceful than we’d like, but we’re used to her brawn, aren’t we, Lena?”

“S-stop it,” Lena hisses, and she’s not sure she’s talking to Lex or to herself, but the thrusters on the suit don’t heed her choked plea.

She’s zipping after Kara in what probably looks like a frenzied, disorienting game of tag over National City’s tallest skyscrapers. Kara dodges, dives, curls around buildings only to shoot upwards again, and Lena tries her hardest to follow the Kryptonian’s movement with her eyes as her body blindly follows.

She needs to stop this—she can already feel the blasters powering up again, and the suit has locked onto Kara once more, preparing to fire; Lena can even tell when Lex will take the opportunity—as soon as Kara weaves back from the CatCo building and into open skies—

“Lena!”

It’s Kara’s voice, coming from quite a distance, but Lena can still hear it, clear as day. For someone who needs to fly away from a Kryptonite-powered war-suit, Kara sounds relieved. She’s stopped zipping through the air, now merely hovering above the CatCo helipad, a sitting duck for the blasters Lena wields unwillingly.

“K-kara, stay away!” Lena shouts, the panic easing the passage of her words through her throat, even if her entire body rebels against the action.

“She never learns, does she?” Lex drawls from within, sounding absolutely giddy. The green light emanating from the blasters seems to illuminate Lena’s full field of vision; it gives everything a sickly glow.

“Kara, go!”

“You can stop it, Lena—I know you can!”

Lena feels like she’s shaking her head, but it’s hard to tell—the Lexosuit is suffocating, her mind is a jumble of thoughts, past and present, some of them not even hers. She can practically feel the implant pulsating in her temple.

“Lena! Look at me! You can stop this; Lena, just—look at me!”

Lena is, she’s looking straight at Kara, who has her arms raised above her head as if she’s surrendering despite the crackle of green in the air, as if she can’t see the blasters powering up or hear the beeping of the suit’s targeting system, and no, no, no, no—

The whole world explodes in green.

<< Previous || Next >>

[lunmelia]

more of your tfw raising jack headcanons ... I beg you. The image of cas just fetching him out of thin air made me scream.

Ask and you shall receive. 

----

After Jack started flying, Dean thought he’d be smart and get him a onesie that has angel wings attached to the back. Castiel was not amused. Dean thought it was hilarious.  -- Sometimes the others caught Jack staring and cooing to the space above Cas’ head and behind his shoulders. Cas never commented on it so the others just shrugged and let it be. Until one night when Jack was 18 months, he had basically climbed Cas so he could reach and grab at above his head. Sam was the one who broke and asked what the hell Jack was doing. Cas replied, “nephilims can perceive an angel’s true form. he’s simply attempting to grab my halo and wings.” Sam and Mary go “ooohhh” while Dean pouted and complained that he’s never seen Cas’ true form, how come Jack gets to?  -- They get Gabriel back and one day just leave him alone in the room with Jack and he panics.  Gabriel: what- guys!? you’re just gonna leave me alone with the baby!? Dean, disappearing around the corner: no, it’s fine just watch him for a minute we’ll be back Gabriel: guys! guys I can’t- *glances at Jack* Jack: *is starting at him* Gabriel: ... Jack: ... Gabriel: ... what. Jack: ... *begins to crawl towards him* Gabriel: *screams* it’s moving! guys it’s moving what do I do when it’s moving!? help! -- Jack wanted to be a jedi after he watches the Star Wars movies when he was 5, so Dean dressed him up as one and was super excited about it. He dragged everyone into the living room where Jack stood in his little outfit, and held out a small lightsaber to Jack before saying “go ahead, buddy.” Jack took the lightsaber from him using his powers. Everyone cheered and Dean threw Jack up in the air before laughing and saying, “man, my kid is awesome!”  -- Jack, 5-years-old: grandma look I made a friend! Mary, in the middle of making lunch: oh that’s wonderful sweetie, who- *screams* Jack that’s a snake! Jack, beaming with a snake wrapped around his hands: his name’s Cedric! he told me! -- Cas, leading Dean down the hall: you need to tone down your swearing around Jack Dean: oh come on, it can’t be that bad Cas: *gives Dean a flat look before quietly opening the door to Jack’s room* Jack, age 6 and struggling with his lego: come on, you- motherFUCK! Dean: *immediately bursts out laughing. would not stop for at least 5 minutes* -- One time when he was 7, Jack had fallen asleep in the backseat on the way back from dinner. When they got back to the house, Dean carried him to his bed and tucked him in. Well, Cas didn’t have the heart to tell him that Jack was pretending to be asleep just so Dean would carry him because he saw it in a movie once.  -- Jack, age 7, running up to Cas: dad? Cas: yes, Jack? Jack: *grabs Cas’ hand and places a bunch of coins in his palm* can you hide these? and can you keep the other coins away from me? I don’t wanna poop them out Cas: you- what? Jack: I heard a story today about people who ate coins and pooped them out. I’m scared I won’t be able to stop myself from eating coins. I don’t wanna poop out coins- and keys! hide the keys too. I don’t wanna poop out keys neither Cas: I... of course, Jack. I will hide the coins, and the keys, and I will make sure you don’t eat and... poop, out either of them Jack: thank you! *runs away*  -- Jack, age 8, on the ride home from school: I made someone cry, today. Cas, looking over his shoulder: and how did you do that? Jack: well, one of my fellow classmates, Harper, asked me if I wanted to be her boyfriend. I said “no thanks, I’m 8.” and she cried.  Dean, tearing up from trying not to laugh: at least you let her down politely, bud Jack: I seem to be making the other kids cry a lot, though. is that normal? I don’t think that’s normal Cas, while looking concerned at Dean’s rapidly reddening face and coughing that sounds suspiciously like laughing: people around your age and this stage of life are quite sensitive, Jack. a lot of things can make you cry, I’m sure Harper and the others will be fine. I’m not sure about your father, though... Dean, wheezing: he said no thanks! -- Dean, holding a baseball: alright, so I’ll pitch this and you hit it as hard as you can, okay? Jack, age 10 and holding a bat: got it.  Dean: *pitches the ball* Jack: *hits it so hard it creates a dent in the metal bat, the crack of the ball hitting the bat is almost deafening, a cloud of dust erupts from the ground and the ball disappears into the atmosphere* Dean and Jack, staring at the sky: ... Jack: I’m... I’m guessing that wasn’t supposed to happen Dean: yeah... maybe I shouldn’t’ve said “as hard as you can”  Jack: ... should we be concerned about where that’s going to land? Dean: ... nah -- Although Dean and Cas are much happier now, they cannot erase the many years of scowling and intimidating stances. The image of these two men, who look like they’ll kill you if you even look at them wrong, standing with their son who is an absolute ray of sunshine, is very amusing.  -- Jack accidentally trips and gets a cut at school so he heals it when he thinks no one’s looking, and, well One of Jack’s classmates: did- did your eyes just glow? Jack: no. I have no clue what you’re talking about Jack’s classmate: no, they did, I saw it. they glowed yellow! Jack: yes, yellow, I have a... urinary tract infection. my eyes are yellow because I have a urinary tract infection. it’s very severe. I should probably go to the hospital. Jack’s classmate: ... Jack: ... bye. *runs away* 

----

I hope that’s enough for now. Maybe I’ll do more! This is fun! 

Now to tag some people who asked to be tagged, and also people who wanted a second post. I hope it’s okay to tag you if you didn’t ask to be tagged? please tell me if it’s not! 

@marvelmisha @cursed-byesexual @havesaltwilltravel @jeeya03

[wrenhyperfixates]

Kissing Your Worries Away

Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: A bad dream interrupts your sleep, but Loki steps in to save you from your demons. Warnings: a tiny bit angsty, I suppose, and some depressive/anxious thoughts A/N: Hello my lovely nonny! This was such fun to write, thank you for requesting it. Hope you enjoy :)

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiant​​ @lunarmoon8​ @twhiddlestonsstuff​ @lokistan​

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

It was odd, Loki thought, the differences between dating on Asgard and Midgard. Most of the things done on Earth would have been considered improper, and sometimes even scandalous where he came from. Now, he didn’t really do much dating back on his home planet, and it would have been referred to as courting, anyway. In any case, he knew quite a bit about it, having desired companionship through his long, lonely years. And then along came you, nothing but a mere mortal who somehow meant so much more than that to him. You’d enchanted him with your kind smile, loving attitude, and perfect personality. That’s how he perceived you, anyway; it was like you two were soulmates.

Of course, Loki had not made the first move. Then again, maybe you didn’t really either. He had been too scornful in the beginning to realize what was right in front of him was exactly what he was looking for. Even with his rather callous attitude, you’d persisted and broken down his walls. A friendship, strong as the branches of Yggdrasil, was forged between you two. That, however, made Loki too fearful to ask you out, for if you had rejected him, he’d have lost you entirely. Little did he know, you’d been going through the same thoughts in your head. It wasn’t until one night of reading on the couch when you had kissed each other—it was still unclear to both of you who had actually initiated it, so you decided to call it a mutual action—that you were able to move past your uncertainties. As for who had officially asked who out, it was once again unclear, though Loki insisted it was you.

“My apologies,” he’d said after you’d kissed. “I should not have done that.”

“Loki,” you’d replied, shaking your head. “That’s what I wanted to do, too. And, I wouldn’t mind doing it in public, either, you know.”

“Well then, we shall do just that.”

For the next week after, the Avengers had to endure longing yet excited glances and gentle touches between you two. Loki wasn’t much for PDA, unless of course he was feeling particularly jealous, but he didn’t mind the small gestures. The rest of the team simultaneously found it adorable and sickeningly sweet. Not to mention how odd it seemed once they remembered how the trickster god used to be. Regardless, Loki was excited to take you out for a date. You’d gone to a nice restaurant in the city, and you’d both thoroughly enjoyed yourselves. For the second date, though, you insisted on just having a casual, quiet night in. And that is how Loki found himself knocking on the door to your quarters in a tee shirt and sweatpants, though nothing too baggy as he never was a fan of that style for himself.

“Loki!” you greeted with a bright smile. “I’ve got the movie all ready to go, and the snacks all laid out, so I’m ready to start whenever you are.”

“I do believe there is one other thing we must do first,” he said, walking into the room.

You crinkled your nose and tried to figure out what he meant, asking, “What’s that?”

“This,” he answered, pulling you in for a kiss.

By the time you broke away, you were both a little out of breath, and Loki couldn’t help but chuckle at how adorable you looked. Not only that, but you were incredibly beautiful, too. He cupped your cheek and kissed you again, unable to fight the urge.

“Alright, I think I am ready to begin now,” he informed you as he pulled away again, knowing that if he did not stop now, he’d keep going all night.

You nodded along, still a little flustered from the intimate moment. Hand in hand, you and your raven haired prince walked over to the couch and settled in under the blankets. Even though you’d begun already tucked under one of his arms, you got increasingly close to him during the film, snuggling closer and closer as the minutes ticked by. Eventually, you fell asleep against him, the slackening of your arms around him immediately alerting him. The movie was not yet over, and he wondered if he should go or stay until the end. He decided that if you were to wake up, you might be disappointed that he left, so he remained where he was. Besides that dilemma, he wasn’t really sure how to react to the fact you trusted him enough to sleep in his presence. It was, in his opinion, the ultimate show of trust to allow yourself to be so vulnerable around someone. Even in all your time as friends, you’d never done anything like this before.

Before long, your arms were tightening around him again, and he expected to see your eyes flutter open at any second. They didn’t though. In fact, you were whimpering a little, softly at first, but then louder. Before he could react to that, your body began to shake and the whines grew louder still.

“Darling,” he whispered. “What is it? Are you feeling well?”

You did not respond, and after a minute of befuddlement, he realized you were still asleep. Not only that, you were having a nightmare. He flashed back to the countless nights when he’d woken up in a state much like yours, and how each time he’d wished for someone to comfort him. Well, he was here for you now.

“Do not fret, my love, I am here. I will protect you,” he said, though softly enough to not wake you up, but rather just penetrate your dreams. “Nothing can happen to you so long as you are in my arms.”

Carefully maneuvering your bodies, he brought you to a laying position. Facing you, he smoothed out the crinkles of your forehead with a kiss. Arms wrapped around you, he rubbed your back and alternated between humming and speaking reassurances. Even when your body finally relaxed, he didn’t stop. Rather, he peppered even more little kisses on your face until a smile overtook your features. He pulled the blanket tightly around you, and placing one last kiss to your head, got ready to go to sleep, too.

“Loki,” you whispered, still half asleep, just as his eyes began to slip shut. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, darling,” he said back, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loki’s eyes snapped open. It was still dark out, but he knew something had awoken him. He quickly wracked his brain, trying to figure out if not the light, then what? That’s when your small whimpers registered in his brain again. How he had wished he wouldn’t need to disturb your rest, but it was obvious that you needed to talk about whatever it was that was bothering you. Before the dream could get too bad, he said your name and rubbed your back until you awoke.

“Is the movie over?” you asked in a groggy voice, feeling very disoriented.

“Yes, it has been for a while. The issue here, though, is that you were having a nightmare. The second one of the night, I might add. Will you tell me what is wrong? Please? I only wish to help.”

“I know.”

You didn’t say anything else, and Loki didn’t press, lest he drive you away or further upset you. He just kept tracing circles on your back until you were ready to continue.

“I just, I don’t know, feel so insecure sometimes. Like I’m just not enough, no matter what I do. And that whenever I get close to someone like this, it doesn’t matter because they’re just going to leave me anyway. God, it sounds so stupid when I say it out loud.”

“It does not. Do not discredit your emotions like that,” Loki scolded. “It is perfectly valid to feel insecure, but you must tell me so I can reassure you that I will never, ever leave you for anything in the nine realms or beyond. You mean too much to me for me to leave, darling. I love you.”

You hugged him closer, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. Naturally, those words didn’t chase all your doubts away. After all, that is all they were: words. And from the God of Lies, no less. Still, though, you trusted Loki in your heart, and it helped a great deal.

“Thank you, Loki. I hope you know I feel the same way about you,” you said into his skin.

“I believe it with all my heart, darling.”

Then he placed one final lingering kiss to your lips for the night before you both went back to sleep in each other’s arms, feeling much lighter than you had in a long time.

[botwstoriesandsuch]

hey Kip! I’m sending asks into different writer’s askboxes, inquiring about cool themes/development facts/stuff the author wants to share about their personal favorite work of their own. What’s yours? :)

Ok so this ask is old and when I first got it I was like “dang I don’t really have a lot to talk about, what should I talk about I could those revalink headcanons the Kip Cut that turned into a working fic uhh hmm maybe I’ll just make something new to talk about real quick” and then I did and now there is a 12+ chapter Revalink fic in my drafts and I’m gonna talk about that now, whoopsie doopsie [click "j" to skip]

aHEM, OK so allow me to break out the primary school white board because yeah, I have a lot of thoughts and the oxford comma has not yet made it’s home into my brain. oh and spoilers for paraphrase. for both all of Chapter one and future events in later chapters, but it’s really nothing you couldn’t surmise from the AO3 tags

so I really wanted to tell the story of Revali and Link learning and struggling to love again after the less-than-fortunate events of Botw, but I wanted a...how you say...fresher, approach on the subject? Like I know we always say that fanfic writers writing the same tropes and stories time and time again is good because we eat that shit up--but at the same time I had asian parenting as was told never to half ass anything ever, no matter what. So now I'm gay and extra and have depression maybe and oh would you look at that @motherhyrule has dropped a beautiful revalink prompt right into my lap

Great so now that we have, that, I shall take you on the step by step process on how to make a :sparkles: story. So step one is to spend at least five to eleven business days for your white board to dismantle your genre and themes and work them around your character arcs. Luckily I have prepared one ahead of time

s*breaks out those laser pointers that uni professors use* So let's start with defining genre. As define because I HATE you, fuck you. I want you to suffer and writhe on the ground, motherfucker. How dare you think that I would give you nothing but pure predictable fluff, fuck you and yours

is the set of expectations that your audience has when consuming a piece of media

And the great thing about fanfiction is that unlike movies or book where the genres are more vague like, "oh it's a noir mystery genre. so there's a crime, maybe a murder, and a detective and a criminal." or "oh it's a teen romance. so there's some white people and a morally questionable six-pack 18 year old love interest that will be painted as desirable for some reason" BUT with fanfiction HALF of the work out the window, because as soon as you see those #revalink #aro sidon #zelpha #revali is an idiot and #found family tags you already know what's up.

Now what's so great about genre and expectation? Well the fun thing about it is that

I will use it to fucking break you.

... ... ...

<3 For example! <3

In Chapter 1: Holes, you already expect there to be revalink, you already expect them to be soulmates with the soulmarks and there's angst and yadayada ya. Revali and Link have to match because thatttss what this is all about, this is about them! This is about cute, little soulmarks and romantic words!

But whoooopsie doopsie [disney channel laugh track plays] they DON'T match anymore! Link's got a different mark! The number one rule of this entire genre has been broken whoooooooooooooooops. *ba dum tiss*

You might notice with a lot of my writing that I do this a lot, this whole..."oop but there's one little thing that's different." TebaSaki sick fic? Ok cool, but what if Teba burns an irreplaceable relic of the Rito champion to fight a wizzrobe first to characterize why his dumbass clicks with Saki. Mipha deciding to persue Link? Ok what if she chases after a dragon to externalize this conflict as she pierces it's flesh for a scale. Link fighting a Lynel? Ok but what if it's actually a sidlink angst fic in disguise and it's also world building on how Link deals with the bloodmoon that erases all of his efforts which is sort of similar to how his existence was erased from Hyrule 100 years ago mwaahahaha! Ok now that I say this outloud I think I just have a pattern of using fight scenes to externalize character growth. I like fight scenes...anyways.

I think another great thing about the realm of fanfiction is that with the tagging system, I can basically use a chekhov's gun sort of deal, without doing any writing. You know I'm gonna use that gun marked "soulmates" but you don't know when I'm gonna shoot it, and you SURE as hell don't know how.

And huzzah! One of the main points of conflict both drives the tension between Revali and Link, solidifies the unique genre and setting of this world, while also creating a new mystery that will carry over for the next few chapters.

Is Revali right in that Link's rebirth makes him destined for someone new now? What will Link do with the information that his soulmark has changed? Why did it change? Did Revali's change as well? How does anything fucking work right now?

And sure, you might be able to tell where things will end with them, but you sure as fuck will not know how because I HATE you. Fuck you. I want you to suffer and writhe on the ground, motherfucker. How dare you think that I would give you nothing but pure predictable fluff. I am not your goddamn fairy godmother, I will do as I fucking please. You will suffer as you fucking deserve, fuck you and your little tiny--

/j

Oh! But you might have noticed on my little planning whiteboard thing that there was a little T-Chart! For Revali and Link! That's because the next important thing besides plot (and in a lot of cases, including this one, it's argued to be even MORE important than plot) is

~CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT~

[to the tune of that history of the world video on youtube]

So yes, it's a little T-Chart outlining their character views in relation to the themes. And the great thing about themes is that they're not something you can necessarily predict in the same way you can with the genre and plot.

But now see, I'm very lazy so I'm just gonna plagiarize @hyrule-kingdom-updates thingy [that you should read btw] because they said my point quite clear enough

Now I don't really need to care about those points about bond and relationships and being understood, because I'm dealing with already established canon characters. I'm not some NERD who dabbles with entire casts of ocs who even cares about ocs not me that's for sure ahaahahaahahahahahaahahahahahAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH *cries in my orphaned WTTU fic* AHAHAHA*sobs*DONT FUCKING LOOK AT ME THAT WAY I SWEAR--

/j I love ocs

But the points I do wanna focus on is the idea that characters provide new perspectives on the theme, and that characters growth can be tracked based on their wants, lies, and needs.

So see, themes can be predicted the same as genre/plot because while you can have the same fanfic plots and tropes, theme will always vary!

Sometimes it's a journey of selfworth with Revali! Sometimes it's an exploration of trauma with Link. Sometimes it's about how you deal with the vulnerabilities of love with Mipha. Sometimes there's straight up NOOOO theme, and people just be fucking, and kissing, and baking, and having a good time. And that is totally fine too!

But I'm not a fucking coward.

I'm gonna weave in themes with my plot, because I fucking can.

I'm not a weakling like you.

Do you hear me, 2019 Kip? Do you hear me Demmers? Do you hear me Quill? I'm coming for your ass. You think you're so great, but I'm coming for you. Rest assured that your graves will be as deep as your sculptured pride--

Heeeere is that T-Chart again, plus more!

yyyyyYou might notice that Revali and Link are quite parallel, to paraphrase. Ayoooo, see what I did there? *dabs* I'm a genius. Anywho

They both start off the same way: 100 years ago they were in love and happy. Basically the equivalent of childish naivety. For the first time in their lives, life is whimsical and charming, and they make each other happy. In fact, it's almost a flaw with how they perceive this happiness. But don't worry! It doesn't last long!

You know what happens.

I think the chart is pretty self explanatory. Revali builds walls fast enough to give a republican a wet dream. Meanwhile Link makes every aromantic in the chat groan with his doubled down sentiments in the idea that his chances of being truly happy again are gone.

Now, I can't exactly describe the full on process of the inbetweens, and where Revali and Link are gonna go from here, because...you have to read it for yourself! Heehee...but something I did think was fun was how these character views on the themes are revealed. Because you'll notice that, I never give exposition. Ever.

Ok well, let me rephrase that. I never give exposition scenes. I will never give you a big LOTR fancy wizard scene explaining the ins and outs of a character's question or the world's magic or whatever. I'm a very impatient Kip, and I value efficiency. Nonono, it's all about multi tasking, baby!

Chapter 1: Holes is divided into three parts.

Post 100 Years - Medoh (Establishes Ghost Rev/Bonk Head Link's view)

100 Years Ago - Flight Range (Establishes old Revalink views)

Post 100 years - Mark (Develops Ghost Rev/Bonk Head Link's view in contrast to who they once were)

I think the way that you structure flashbacks is incredible vital, as it's a very quick way to characterize people without having them say stuff like "I used to be like you, until I took an arrow to the knee" or whatever.

And with the main structure of the chapters and the fic as a whole is focus on their characters, that means I can hide whatever other stuff I want in those scenes, becuase you're too busy absorbing the fun character stuff to realizing I'm giving you boring exposition. Like for example:

Post 100 Years - Medoh and Mark

Foreshadowing for the end of the fic

Set up connection to Medoh with Revali

Link has defeated Windblight

Link has been visiting Revali every night for the past few days

Link has already met Kass and presumably Teba

Link doesn't have the Mastersword

Revali's Gale is still an ability that needs master and practice on Link's end

And that's just some of the stuff.

And see, the only reason I can efficiently give all of this information regarding character, and even exposition, is because of the theme. The themes make everything relevant, and everything circles and encompasses one another, so there's absolutely no wasted space. I mean don't even get me started on how it's gonna be to characterize the other characters around this

I don't wanna talk about the other characters too much either because that's spoilers, but you can probably take a gandar based on my notes.

And oh my god this is just on the theme of the faults that come with "soulmates" and "true love" and all that, and how even magical destined relationships still require work and effort, and that no one thing or person solves all your problems. And that's not even TOUCHING the shit on trauma and scars. I didn't think it was even possible for me to talk about botw without touching on that, ha. Ah well, I've been talking for too long.

Revalink has a lot o' writing potential so das pretty cool yeah, I am excite

[jean-does-not-have-a-horseface]

Can thy requesth a fic where the reader is sad and Sir Levi comforts them?😁

Hello my love and thank you for requesting this 👉🏻👈🏻 the format I chose was definitely inspired by @sasageyowrites and her amazingly heartbreaking story Crazier Things. This was quite the ride for me and I hope you like it, I intently made it open for interpretation so you can always ask for part two.

Summary: You, a former knight are helplessly in love with the Captain of the royal guard, Levi, who is about to go on a crusade and you write this cathartic letter to him to confess your love in case you never get to speak of your feelings in his presence.

Pairing: Levi/ Reader

Tags: angst, fluff (depends on the way you interpret this)

Roses and Dragon embroidery

"My dearest Levi,

It's bold of me to ever call you that, my Captain, but this isn't any ordinary occasion, you can tell by reading everything I'm going to write below, by the way my writing isn't too formal.

I suppose I should start by mentioning fundamental things regarding this letter. I know it's going to be long and you don't have to read it's entirety if you don't feel up to it, but it'd be my honor if you did. There are things in here that come from my soul and they're meant to only be told to you. I couldn't force you into anything, but it'd be soul relieving if you spare a little time to know what I held in my chest for years.

It's a given. When you've received this letter, I'm most likely dead, or, rather exiled to the the underworld, slayed by the proud blade of a Marleyan knight, but you should know that in this war I've fought well. Or so I like to think. My injuries have caused my weakness and I loathe I couldn't follow you into this new crusade, but staying back has felt relieving and mending to my soul. Spare the Marleyan knight for killing me if you ever come across them; there's no wrong or right in this world, they only seeked justice for their nation by slaying innocent peasants, isn't that what we do on our crusades to their kingdom as well?

But my dearest captain, between everything that's right or wrong in this world I hate to say I don't know where I belong. You're an entirely different case, though. Bear with me as I'm saying those words, I know they're going to make you clutch the paper in your hands but please don't shatter it before I get to speak my mind. You are a bastard son to to a prostitute, an orphan, the former protegee of a man who worked against the knights of the round table and then single heartedly joined them. You were a thief. I know you were thief, I know as much as the next person but I don't think anyone ever understood what it's like to switch positions like that. In the span of a short period of time you were head of your own knights. Me, included.

You are probably wondering why I mentioned your past, it was only for me to highlight your current position as my Captain. And I'm sorry that with this letter I'm somewhat putting you into another position, one that may have you suffering.

Time to jump into the important thesis of this letter. I don't know where you are right now. I'm imagining though, you're sitting by your window, with your armor off of your angelic form, sighing at my words as the sun is setting for our kingdom. In this short life, sun has definitely set for me, for us. There are a thousand things I wanted to say, but never found the courage to. And I'm sad, Levi, I'm sad you have to know this way.

But today, today as in the day I write this letter, is a nice day. For me. (Y/n). We've just gotten back from washing our clothes by the riverside, I've just told you I'm mad that we don't spend much time together anymore now that I'm relieved of my duties as your knight and you hummed in response, greeting with my words with a soft expression on your face, and Levi, right now I think you're going to be the death of me. I can't help it. I keep imagining the way your lips shall taste upon mine and I'm hungry. I'm hungry like a wolf, captain, excuse my words, but it's the truth, I know I'm such a coward for not speaking them, but hiding behind death and my poor ability to write I've found some comfort as to sharing them with you.

Sir Levi, the most honorable knight, today I, while lathering your green undershirt in soap, almost told you I'm in love with you and that I want us to get married. Now that you know your surname, now that you officially belong in the Ackerman clan, now that you can legally marry someone, I'd like to consider getting married to me. Forgive me if I have mistaken what I have perceived as your affections. But you seem to look at me in a way that I haven't seen you look at anyone else. You spend your days with me when you're back from crusades, you write me letters to let me know about your well being.

Am I wrong for loving you? I'll never figure out. It's only that my heart pulls at its strings whenever I see you, my stomach turns and i feel as if I've been thrown from a catapult. I've never understood how you can do that to me. Can you? Have you felt this way about anyone? My mind will haunt me in my very last moments for not knowing an infinite answer. I don't think I'll ever feel released by this heartbreak, even after death. My only release is a fixation on the way you shiver your silvery orbs into mine.

And oh those eyes of yours. I wish you would look at me while holding my hands into yours under the moonlight, I wish you'd tell everything I've imagined you saying. I've never heard the word 'love' fall from your lips in such way so that I could know what it would sound like when you'd say it to me inside my head. But Levi, yes, once again it's a but, I wanted to spend a lifetime listening to it. I wanted for you to tell me how you love waking up next to me as we would hear the river flow beautifully in the distance. My heart is burning, Levi. I know, I'm sad and that I'm crying as I'm writing those words, but I've really dreamt of a future with you, have you felt that way about me?

Sir Levi, the knight who owns my hearth, I only set my pen down for an hour, to simply talk to you over a hot cup of tea, because you had just finished hanging out our clothes to dry and for the first time in my life I've felt as if my prayers have been heard.

You kissed me.

You put your lips against mine, suddenly, as I turned to you while the sun was setting and it was more than I could ever dream of Levi. And you comforted me in such ways I'll never do any justice to simply write into words. How can you be such a godsent angel? My lips are numb and fuzzy and my insides are fluttering, I still can't believe this happened. I can't believe you actually feel that way about me. Suddenly this letter isn't just the goodbye of an unrequited lover, it's so much more. Now I have a reason to fight my way back into the castle. Maybe, Historia would let me be a maiden, it'd be safer to live in the castle, rather on my own even if it means I'll serve as a slave to the queen. I couldn't care less about serving the crown in any way, but for you I'd do anything.

You promised me, with a rose you said you found by the riverside that you'll come back from the crusade, safe and sound and in return I promised I would stay safe as well. Maybe that's the way things should happen, right? I'll start embroidering you your green undershirt, excuse me for the time I'm going to keep it from you and pretend I don't know where it is.

I'll embroider your most favorite thing on it. A white dragon. Because you remind me of one. I'm biting my silly lips as I'm writing this, my Captain, but I can't wait for you to hold me in your arms. And I can't wait for you to slightly smile when you see what I'm going to make for you. I'm going to stop my mumbling now. I someday will give this to you, once you're back from the crusade in Marley.

Love, (y/n), the brat who doesn't know how to waste minimum soap while washing clothes effectively."

Taglist go off: @sasageyowrites @levisbrat25 @nobody-knows-anymore @berrijam @ackermans-freedom-inc @ladyofpandemonium @callmepromise @hawkssnugget @alrightberries am I forgetting anyone? Please inform if if you want to be tagged to my stories or if I have forgotten to tag you.

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who most likely won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

When Dana Terrace did her AMA on Reddit, a fan asked what we could expect for the new season. To which she replied by listing five things:

Parental conflict

A lot of emotions

Island exploration

New characters

...There's a fifth thing in there. You just got to look closely.

Now, when Dana mentioned parental conflict, dozens of fans assumed she was talking about Alador and Odalia, which, I mean...valid. They were the only two parental figures who presented any real conflict, and the idea of Camila being involved seemed implausible due to Luz being cut off from the human world. But no matter how you perceived that line, one thing’s for sure: No one expected Eda and Lilith's mother to be a source of conflict!

Yup. Today we met the woman who created two of the (former) greatest witches in all of the Isles. Was her introduction welcomed? Or did she give the Blights a run for their money for the "Worst Parent(s) of the Year" award? Only spoilers can answer those questions, so keep that in mind as we go in-depth with "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances."

Let's review, shall we!

WHAT I LIKED

The Flashback: Already, this episode comes out swinging by giving us so much information! We get an explanation of what Eda goes through when cursed (which is horrifying), the reasoning behind her gem, the revelation that Eda ran away from home, and the reveal of how she got the portal door. The best part is, none of it feels rushed or forced. Eda's curse and the portal are integral threads to this story, both in this episode and in future ones. Tying them together sets up Gwendolyn's determination to cure her daughter while showing Eda's determination to escape her mother by skipping town into another dimension. There's also a sense of mystery in how and why the portal was in their backyard. And judging by how we got all of this incredible information in episode FOUR of the new season, something tells me we'll get answers to those questions sooner than we might think. This was such a strong opening to the episode. Despite giving so much information, it makes fans like me want even more. Which is an A+ in my book.

Gwendolyn: Yeah, might as well step out the gate in saying that I like Gwen...but I can already see how others won't. Immediately, she sets herself up as a mother who would do anything and everything to cure her daughter. That aspect of her character is perfect, and it quickly won points from me in terms of liking her. It's just that Gwendolyn's disregard of what Eda wants and the complete dismissal of Lilith are aspects of Gwen that are certainly going to rub some people the wrong way. Especially if those kids come from households where their parents are a lot like Gwendolyn. I was in the same boat of hating her too for a while, but thankfully, the last act saved her.

First, there's that scene where Gwendolyn threatened the lives of the demons for not only screwing her over but making things worse for Eda. It's one of those "Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned" moments that I always love to see.

Then there's the fact that Gwendolyn learns her lesson and, more importantly, apologizes. Not many actual abusive mothers would do that (Looking at you, Odalia), so it's nice to see that she makes an effort to make amends. Oh, and by the way, since I mentioned it, don't go around calling Gwendolyn abusive. She isn't. Or, at least, not to my eyes. If anything, she's a lot like Sara Fitzgerald from My Sister's Keeper (The book. Not the movie. The movie sucked).

In that story, Sara makes controversial choices that result in her youngest daughter Anna getting the short end of the stick due to putting all attention towards her eldest Kate. But here's the thing: KATE HAS CANCER! So while Sara's choices are beyond questionable, you can understand her point. And if you don't, well, I'd see how you would react when in her shoes. Trust me when I say that situations like this aren't always cut and dry. It's the same with Gwendolyn. She's far from "Mom of the year," but you understand where she's coming from. She wants to do what she can to help Eda, even if her methods could have been better. But that's just how I feel, and I can't speak for everyone who dealt with mothers far worse than her. If you refuse to forgive her, I'll understand. But to me, I consider Gwendolyn a worthy addition to the series.

(Plus, she just radiates Grandma energy when interacting with Luz. It's cute, and therefore I must love it!)

Luz: This season is on FIRE when presenting Luz!

I adore that the first thing we see her doing in this episode is sleeping after, most likely, another all-nighter to find a new portal. It proves that she has a determination made of iron and an intense dedication to getting back to Camila. In fact, it's that dedication that works as a perfect way to build a connection between Luz and Gwendolyn. They both want to reconnect with their families and are willing to do whatever it takes to do so.

Regardless, despite so desperately wanting to see Camila again, I'm glad that Luz still has common sense when it comes to helping Eda. She quickly sees that Gwen's cures are doing more harm than good, and it's great that Luz is the one to call malarky on the whole thing. No one had to spell things out for her because she's smart enough to notice that everything Professor Warlop is marketing feels a lot more like the fake medicine real people sell in the human world. It's a testament that despite having a big heart and the best intentions, Luz still has the intelligence to know when something is up and put a stop to it. And, again, let's hope that more people pick up on that.

Lilith: ...who would have expected Lilith of all characters to have most of the emotional moments in this episode?! I sure didn't!

But...Yeah. Lilith is the best thing in "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances." On top of her seeking Gwendolyn's approval being relatable for some viewers, it's also really heartbreaking. I mean, listen to the shocked and hurt tone in her voice after finding out Gwen visited Eda regularly. That alone should give away how much Gwendolyn is important to Lilith and says so much about how strained their relationship became after the curse. Then there's that scene where she just breaks down, feeling both scared and torn apart by the fact that she experienced the curse in its full form and could do nothing to stop herself. It...stung. That's the best way to describe it. It stung seeing a character who is (mostly) cool and collective to become so vulnerable and broken. And, you know what? It's because of this that Lilith has won me over. I still don't think she should have been as forgiven as quickly as she was, but after learning what Lilith went through and what she's currently going through, I'm more than willing to be ok with her. And--I can't believe I'm saying this--I'm going to miss her being a part of the Owl House. She earned her place, in my opinion, creating entertaining dynamics with everyone. Sure, she'll make appearances every now and again, but I wouldn't mind a few more episodes with her being with the main group. But I'm positive the writers will have plans for her in the future and seeing how well she was written in this, I can't wait to see what they do next.

King Hoping to see his Dad Again: This was just a cute tidbit that ties nicely into last week's episode. Bonus points for that scene where King and Lilith get drunk off of Night Market ice cream. It got a good chuckle out of me, especially when Hooty was the one who ended up being the voice of reason.

Cursed Lilith: ...How does she look worse and more terrifying than Eda?

How Beast Keeping Magic Works: Not much I can say about this. It's neat to be given a visual explanation of how Beast Keeping magic works and how it's more than just controlling animals. Judging by the roof shingles, it can also be making objects more animal-like. It's pretty cool, and I hope to see more of how the rest of the magic from the prominent covens work.

Luz wasn’t the only human: To tell you the truth, this doesn't surprise me. Eda did say that every myth humans have is a bit of the Boiling Isles leaking into the human world, so why can't the opposite be true? However, the reveal of there being a famous human around many years ago presents many more questions, and possible theories, that deserve to be discussed in a future post. For now, I'll just say that it's awesome how this reveal perfectly transitions us to next week's episode, "Through the Looking Glass Ruins." We already know Luz is going to the library. But, seeing how Gus is going to be a prominent character in that episode as well, he probably wanted to tag along with Luz to study about the first human in the Boiling Isles. Only to then get sidetracked by some cool kids from Glandis. It's in the realm of possibility, thus proving how more serialized this season compared to Season One while still being somewhat episodic. Because even if "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances" presents a lot for the overall story, it's still its own tale about family relationships and knowing how to truly be there for the people you love. Resulting in a necessary and cute episode that ends on a wholesome note without any major surprises like--

Creepy Clone Luz: ...

...Dana Terrace, you lying--YOU SAID CREEPY LUZ WAS A FARCE! IN THE SAME AMA, TOO! CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU AND YOUR SNAKE TONGUE, GOSH DANGIT!

...Alright, now that I got my overreaction out of the way, this was an amazingly well-written surprise!

Tricking fans into thinking that Camila is crying over the realization that Luz is gone, only to then reveal this...thing, is the best shock to the system that this series has done so far. Even better, it results in all the right questions:

Who is it?

What is it?

Where did it come from?

When did it get there?

How did it get there?

How does it know about Camila?

And why? Just, why?

To me, a series that presents all of these questions, and makes me excited for whatever answers are given, is a series that's doing something right. Because if I'm still reeling over something that lasts for a second, despite seeing the episode hours ago, that is a testament to how good a surprise really is.

WHAT I DISLIKED

Trust me, I want to give this episode the A+ just for that ending alone. But, there are some issues I have that are worth discussing.

Eda’s Outfit Change: I know. It's the nitpickiest of all nitpicks I could present. Particularly because Eda doesn't even look bad (although that's no surprise). The issue is that it feels weird that Eda's having this permanent outfit change in the fourth episode of Season Two. Or, to me it is, at least. Because I think that if you're going to give a small yet constant change to the look of a character, it should be done right away. Like, in the first episode of a new season. I highly doubt fans would question why Eda is wearing different clothes by then, so it wouldn't be too bad if the first time we see her, she’s sporting a new outfit. Again, this is just me, and I have no problems with the outfit itself. It just seems odd they would do this later rather than sooner.

Screwing with Eda: I...did not like this. At all. It was funny at first to see Luz and Gwendolyn lure Eda with Apple Blood like how Wile E. Coyote would bait the Road Runner with birdseed, but it quickly took a turn. Because I don't want to see Eda meet inconvenience after inconvenience from her mother and surrogate daughter. I like Eda, and seeing her happy makes me happy. If I wanted to laugh at a character's suffering, I would have picked Boscha, Mattholomule, Alador, and/or Odalia. This? This was just unnecessary cruelness to a character who doesn't deserve it. And it takes up a good chunk of this episode, making me question whether or not this would be the stinker I was fearing. Fortunately, the ending increased my enjoyment by several notches, but that doesn't change how this was the low point of "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances."

IN CONCLUSION

Despite the road being rocky in the middle, I still consider "Keeping Up A-Fear-Ances" to be another solid A episode. The first and last few minutes have some quality writing that adds more to the characters, ongoing plot, and mystery that the series is building up. It's one of those important episodes you can't skip when watching a series, but given how it's keeping the new season's impeccable track record, I fail to see how that's a problem.

(Although, I am scared. We haven't gotten a stinker yet, and I really don't want it to be next week's episode. It's a Gus episode with sweet Lumity content on the side! That cannot fail!)

[nihilwrites]

Under the Stars

Pairing: Legolas / Gimli

Summary:  Legolas and Gimli stargaze together high in the trees of Lothlorien.

Tags: Legolas POV, Fluff, during Canon, G rated, ficlet, completed

AO3 link

Full story under the cut

---

When did Legolas Greenleaf first come to love Gimli son of Gloin?

Perhaps it was when Gimli first came to love the Lady of the Wood.

For in that moment, Legolas saw something in Gimli’s eye that he had never perceived in the eyes of men or dwarves before. And indeed, it made him wonder that he had never really looked into the eyes of a dwarf.

“The sight of elves has grown weak indeed,” thought Legolas, “if they cannot see the depth and beauty of the eyes of Gimli Gloin’s son.”

Dwarves were a proud people. Proud of their creations above all else. Stone and gems and precious silver brought light to their eyes, but they little cared for living things, thought Legolas upon a time.

Not so, now. For Gimli valued the fairness and majesty of the Lady Galadriel above any jewel or stony hall crafted by his forefathers.

When Legolas later spoke to Gimli of the Lady, Gimli’s eyes shone again with wonder, awe, and love. But now his eyes were cast towards Legolas himself, and the elf was struck with a feeling he had not known in all his long years in the great Elvish Kingdom of his father.

From then on, Legolas and Gimli went often together in the land of Lothlorien. Legolas delighted in showing Gimli the wonders of the wood. Each time the dwarf lent compliment to the woodland realm, Legolas felt a thrill go through him. Long had Legolas yearned to see the golden wood, but now he found he preferred to watch the dwarfs enjoyment most of all. Did Legolas truly see the trees and flets of Lothlorien? Or did he only see the purest essence of them, reflected in the face of Gimli?

In the highest flets of the Mallorn trees, the platforms would sway gently in the breeze. Though dwarves are well accustomed to high places and precarious stairs, the stairs are always made of stone and do not sway and rock like a ship on the sea.

“Come just a little higher!” Legolas called merrily, from the ladder above Gimli’s head. “They say this is the best place to view the stars, and the sky is clear tonight!”

“I can see the stars well enough from here,” replied Gimli, holding tightly to the bole of the tree and eying the slender ladder warily, “there, between the branches. A beautiful sight.”

“Would you truly settle for such a narrow view after you have already climbed this high?” Asked Legolas, descending down to Gimli’s level.

“Come, I will carry you to the very top. You may close your eyes tightly lest your fear get the better of you.”

Legolas knelt down and indicated that the dwarf might climb onto his back, little believing that he would.

“Fear! I am not afraid,” blustered the dwarf, “we dwarves are simply not so enamored of stars as you elves.”

Legolas was not fooled by this claim, and merely smiled in response.

Gimli hesitated for a moment and then declared, “I will climb. But you will climb below me, so if this blasted wind shakes me loose it shall bring the both of us crashing down to the good solid earth.”

“You shall climb first,” agreed Legolas, “but if you fall, I shall catch you.”

Gimli harrumphed but began the ascent all the same. Once he was resolved to do it, he climbed quickly and assuredly, somewhat to Legolas’s disappointment. The Elf would have loved nothing more than to catch Gimli in his arms and carry him to safety.

The ladder brought them to the edge of a round platform perched upon the very crown of the tree, without a single branch above it. It was not the tallest tree in the city, but here at the very edge near the great green hedge, it stood a fair bit higher than its neighbors, affording a view that was not to be found in the center of the city where many ancient trees grew thick and tall.

Legolas, with all the balance and grace of the elder race, stood upon the platform as it tilted and turned, riding it like the deck of a ship upon a rolling sea. The movement to him felt comfortable and natural to him, accustomed as he was to climbing the great trees of his homeland and standing upon their boughs.

Gimli, however, was laying face down, with his arms and legs splayed wide to keep his balance.

Legolas laughed and said, “Come, Gimli, if you will not stand or sit then you must at least lay on your back so that you may see the stars!”

Slowly and carefully, so as to not fall off the narrow platform, Gimli rolled onto his back, his eyes shut tight with fear or concentration. After a breath to calm himself, and feeling about with his hands to make sure he was not at the platform’s edge, he finally opened his eyes and beheld the stars.

As Gimli took in the sight, his eyes widened and his breath caught. Here above the treetops, with neither mountain nor cloud in the periphery of his sight, he felt himself to be floating up there among the stars, swimming in them. Distant, they seemed, but no farther than the cares of the world down below.

“Well!” said Gimli, searching for words to describe this new feeling, “well that is a sight to see indeed!”

“It is,” said Legolas.

“Beautiful!” Murmured Gimli, entranced by the heavens.

“Beyond compare,” agreed Legolas, but he was not looking at the stars.

“Come lay beside me, Legolas. Sure-footed you may be, but I believe I’ve found the best position to watch the sky.”

Gladly did Legolas lay down beside Gimli, though his face was still turned towards the dwarf and not the sky at all. Fixated as Gimli was, he made no notice of the elf’s staring.

“What do you know of the stars?” asked Legolas.

“We have named but a few in my language,” said Gimli, “and those only for the purposes of navigation. Those, and the seven stars of Durin’s crown. But we look not to the sky for that constellation, wishing only to see it in the Mirrormere as Durin once did.”

“We have named many constellations in our language, and every young elf learns them by heart.”

“Show me,” said Gimli, and Legolas’s heart sang with joy.

Legolas pointed at a string of twinkling stars and said, “here are the seven stars the elves sing of. Valacirca, sickle of the Valar. Perhaps they are the same that Durin saw reflected in those waters, but elves do not claim knowledge of that lore.”

“Where?” Asked Gimli, “I see only a vast field of lights, forming no distinct shapes in my eyes.”

“There,” said Legolas, pointing a slender finger towards the sky, “see there the four stars of the handle, and three more to form the curved blade.”

“There?” asked Gimli, pointing at an unrelated clump of stars.

Legolas slid closer to Gimli on the platform, shoulder to shoulder, so he could better see the dwarf’s perspective. Legolas took Gimli’s hand and gently adjusted it’s direction.

“There,” said Legolas. “Valacirca. The handle, and…”

“The sickle!” exclaimed Gimli, “yes, I see it! So brightly it shines, I wonder how I’ve never noticed it before!”

Legolas entwined his fingers with Gimli and, hands clasped, continued to point out the constellations. There were many stars to name, and eventually Gimli ceased to make exclamations and grew quiet. 

Thinking his companion had fallen asleep, Legolas lowered their hands and lay there in silence for a while, simply drinking in the night sky.

After some time, Legolas turned his head to look at Gimli, and found he was not asleep at all. His breath was so slow and regular that Legolas had not imagined he could still be awake, but his eyes were wide open, staring contentedly up at the stars. Knowing the dwarf was awake, Legolas became aware that he had not yet let go of Gimli’s hand, and that he did not particularly want to.

Sensing the stare, Gimli turned his head towards Legolas as well, a smile cracking through his previous serenity.

“I think I understand the elves a little better now,” said Gimli, “though I suspect I’ll have forgotten all the names you told me come morning.”

“Then I will tell you again. Each one has a story, and it would take many lifetimes of men to tell them all.”

“And I will listen to them gladly, if we ever land again in such a peaceful place.”

Those words shook the magic of the moment a little, for at once they both remembered that they were in the midst of an urgent quest, and this swaying treetop under the stars was but an island in a sea of dangers.

“The company will be looking for me soon,” said Gimli. “I thought I might fall asleep here, but I am determined to die in battle or as an old graybeard, not as a youngling falling out of a tree because he was too foolish to seek a proper bed.”

“I would not let you fall,” said Legolas, “and I had a mind to rest here myself. The sunrise will be worth the wait.”

“Let it not be said that Gimli Gloinsson is afraid of heights,” said Gimli, “but I daren’t rest my eyes till I am back on solid ground. I am neither bird nor elf, and not designed for sleeping in trees.

“Very well,” said Legolas with a laugh in his voice, “we shall return to the company and leave this bird’s nest to the birds.”

“Good. That’s good,” said Gimli, turning his face back to the sky, “but my eyes are not yet tired, and I shan’t roll off while I’m awake. Will you stay here with me a bit longer?”

“Yes,” said Legolas, “gladly I will stay with you.”

With Gimli’s eyes on the stars, and Legolas’s eyes on Gimli, and both with hands entwined, they lay there yet a while longer, high in the treetops of fair Lothlorien.

[elenamiria]

Training

Darth Maul x Reader

Requested Fic - Anon Said:  Hi! can i request a fic where maul teaches his s/o to use the force? (Requests are open - If you’ve requested a fic check the status here )

Word Count: 1.1k Warnings: fluff, gn reader, kisses Hi anon!! I hope you enjoy this fic, I had a lot of fun writing it 🥰 Masterlist  -- Tags: @blxwjobsforclones​, @a-dorin​, @fishswimbetterunderwater​, @lynnie51​

You wanted to scream. You had been desperately trying to use the force in any capacity - floating an object, pushing said object away, pulling it closer - and all of your attempts were failing miserably. You let your hand dropped from its raised position as you grumbled to yourself. A silky smooth voice interrupted your ramblings, "I've been looking for you all over, starshine. What are you doing out here?"

You turned to face your boyfriend, the red and black Zabrak strolled towards you a questioning look on his face. You sighed, embarrassed that you'd been caught.

He was the one who had figured out you were force sensitive, having told you how special you were and that he could help you learn the ways of the force if you so chose. You denied your abilities at first but you were so entranced by the beautiful stranger that you agreed to come live with him in the Sundari Royal Palace, leaving your life on the streets of Mandalore behind. Several months passed as you and Maul grew closer until one day he confessed to you that he craved more than just your friendship and you were thrilled finding your feelings were reciprocated. Now, close to a year after you had come to the palace, you had finally agreed to let Maul teach you the ways of the force. However, you were finding it much harder than anticipated. That’s why you had snuck away to try and master something, anything, to show Maul that you were capable.

As your face flushed you quietly muttered, "I was practicing." Maul smiled knowingly at your admission, he always could read you like a book - "How was that going?"

You glared up at him fairly certain he knew the answer, before you could retort at him he responded once again. "Let me help you. I can sense your frustration, your anger, and while I do encourage that to strengthen the force once you have a hold of it, the opposite approach is true for basics. Sit down with me, will you?"

He sank to the ground, his mechanical legs folding under him, spread wide enough that you could sit in between them. You did just that, shivering and sliding further against Maul's chest as the coldness of the ground sunk through your clothes. Once he was sure you were settled his hands lightly grasped your wrists and he instructed you to close your eyes, voice soft in your ear. 

You obeyed, letting the world go dark around you as your eyelids fluttered shut. Maul then whispered to you to follow his breathing, an easy task as your back was pressed against his chest. You easily mimicked the steady, deep in and out breaths that the Dathomirian behind you took. As you relaxed and your mind emptied thoughts only focused on your breaths, Maul's whisper pierced your consciousness. "There do you feel it, right on the edge of your mind. The thrumming that's surrounding you, me, and everything. That's the force."

You felt your head nod though it felt like you weren't in control, you felt as if you were floating, as you murmured, "Yes, I feel it." "Good, now let it in, feel it surround you."

You did your best to relax as much as possible and let the feeling swirling on the periphery of your conscious in. Maul was right, your frustrations were breaking your connection to the force. As you felt it surround you Maul raised your hand and instructed, "Now reach out, feel others in the force. Feel me, feel that crate over there that you were trying to push away earlier, feel the creatures surrounding us. Tell me what you feel."

You reached out first sensing Maul at your back, "I can feel you, you're...warm, glowing, but there's a darkness there too, deep within. I sense it in me as well. I feel...the tree there to the left of us, I can sense it's roots spreading all around."

You swept around the courtyard to your front, where the pesky box lay, "I can sense the box though I don't feel anything from it."

"That's because the box isn't a living thing, starshine. However, you can use the force to manipulate your surroundings, try to pull it towards us." His hand never left your wrist, guiding your hand to reach out more directly at the box. You focused on the object using the force to scoot it ever so slightly towards you, grunting quietly in concentration. You could feel yourself growing frustrated again as the box merely twitched. You focused on your breathing and tried again, your breathing grew labored as you tugged on the box and at this point you couldn't even tell if you were succeeding in your task. Letting your frustrations overwhelm you, you shoved your hand forward slightly - breaking out of Maul's grasp - as you gave up and flopped back into your boyfriend.

"I can't do it, it's impossible!" you exclaimed as you allowed your eyes to slide open, staring up at him. One of Maul's deep chuckles vibrated against your back as he gave you a small smile. "Did you even look at the box, or did you simply grow too impatient with yourself in perceived failure."

Your brow furrowed and you turned to look at the box or rather you looked at where the box should be, it was missing from its previous location and you looked around bewildered. You spotted it several feet back from where it had initially started and you groaned. "Maul, I did the opposite of what I was supposed to do. So, I'd definitely call that a failure."

Pulling away from you Maul stood up, leaving you to shiver at the loss of his heat. He offered his hand to you as he spoke, "Even though you didn't pull the item towards us, it had to end up that far away somehow. Now didn't it?"

As you took his hand, allowing him to pull you upright, you paused. And then your eyes lit up in excitement. "You mean I pushed it all the way back!!"

Maul smiled down at you as your happiness grew, "I did it! I moved something with the force!!" Despite your joy warming you a strong wind whipped past you and your whole body shivered. Maul wrapped his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close.

"You did well starshine, just like I knew you would. However, I must insist that we go inside. I wouldn't want you to fall sick, if you like we shall practice more after we warm you up."

You couldn't help but notice the proud gaze he bestowed upon you and as you grinned up at him and nodded, "I would like that very much, Maul."

Just before you walked through the doors the Zabrak paused. Leaning down to capture your lips in a soft kiss and as he broke apart he tenderly murmured, "My star, together we're going to be unstoppable."

[aizawaslovebot]

soleil et lune.

secretary! shouto todoroki x director/ceo! reader

pronouns: he/him

word count: 1.4k

series masterlist | future chapters available only on quotev

i. new moon

There was something about the contrast of the sun and the moon that deeply intrigued Todoroki.

Perhaps it was the way they rarely seemed to meet, always just a shy minute apart from coexisting together. Maybe it was how one of the other gave way for a moment of spotlight, either to bless the Earth with sunlight or to illuminate the dark sky with moonlight. Maybe it was because people perceive them as lovers who are separated by destiny, forever bound by whatever rules the universe had set.

He never got to the bottom of the reason why he was so enamored with the Romeo and Juliet of the cosmos but whatever it is, Todoroki had to thank it.

It was in these that he found solace, especially during the dark times of his past and childhood.

Shouto Todoroki was not an astronomer in the slightest. Despite his fondness over the stars in the sky or the planets lightyears away, he never took the chance to pursue this career.

Correction: He was never allowed to pursue this career.

In fact, he was not allowed to be anything other than what his father had set for him. Like the sun and moon, he was bound by destiny. But destiny, in Todoroki’s case, was a six-foot, heartless dictator who strived for perfection in everything at the expense of even an ounce of happiness and freedom.

“You are to follow in my footsteps, Shouto. You will continue what I have started and you shall rise over Japan and defeat All Might Corp.”

It was annoying. It was beyond him how his abomination of a father had this kind of mindset. But he had no power over this man. He controlled Shouto’s life.

So Todoroki fell to the same fate of his older siblings; all bound by their destiny as businessmen, inheritors of Japan’s second most successful conglomerate, and joyless lives. He became what society calls as a success— rich and thriving at the early age of 20.

You see, that’s just it.

Society has deemed success as being filthy rich at an early age. The way they measured success is by how young you’re able to afford luxuries, how much green papers you owned, and how famous you could be. They never thought to wonder if these so-called successful people were actually happy with their lives.

Success for Shouto was not about how much bank he could make, or how influential he could become, or how many cars he could afford. Success was finding joy in what you do, regardless of how much money he had. Shouto was far from successful. But he’s hopeful that one day he could achieve the life he wanted, whether his dictator of a father liked it or not.

For now, he is the moon without light to illuminate his dark life.

He is a new moon.

But things will change and the sun will rise again.

“Father, I would like to try secretarial studies,” Shouto brought up one day as the Todoroki family ate quietly in Enji’s mansion.

The clanking of Enji’s utensils rang through the big house, reflecting their father’s emotions. Twitching fingers, cold eyes, and a permanent scowl that seemed to deepen— he was livid.

“That’s absurd, Shouto. I will not allow it.”

“I never asked for your permission. I am taking secretarial whether you like it or not.”

The youngest Todoroki scoffed, retaliating once again from their father’s idiotic ideologies. Fuyumi was silently pleading for Shouto to be careful while the two older brothers were grinning for him to continue.

“You are a Todoroki. We do not serve people. They serve us. Drop this, now.”

“I don’t care what you say. I’ve already decided who to work for.”

Enji chuckled wryly, “and who are you wasting your talents on?”

“The L/N Enterprise”

There are only a few companies and groups that could be hailed as Japan’s best. These include All Might Corporations, Endeavor Inc., and the L/N Empire. Safe to say, these three are the big leagues, the future of Japan’s economy, and the most successful. These three GDP monsters also play in the same field: the music industry. World-known idol groups come from one of the three, and more flock to these companies for a taste of success. Behind these are the business powerhouses: Toshinori Yagi, known as Mr. All Might; and Todoroki Enji, dubbed as Endeavor. Little is known about the L/N CEO, however, what everyone does know is they are geniuses, even in different ways, because they were able to make their names known not only to Japan but the entire world.

Perhaps there are still differences. Unlike the two, the L/N Empire doesn’t only battle in the music industry. Countless branches, including the ever-famous Sumsang tech, come from their conglomerate.

Another factor from All Might and Endeavor Inc. lets the L/N Enterprise stand in the spotlight; the future successor of the entire group, and grandson of the richest man in Japan, is one of the youngest to ever sit on such a high position.

General Manager L/N (Name).

Many people wonder why this young man, who, at the young age of 20, began to dedicate his life to the countless numbers and percentages that come with this life. People his age at the time would’ve rather flaunt to the world of the riches they own, and indulge in such a lavish life that only few could attain.

But not L/N (Name).

He pursued this career that was bestowed upon him by his family and thus, just a short three years later, L/N is on his way to become the youngest Director and hold so much power over the L/N group, over this branch that he manages, and over Japan.

A bigshot at a young age, blessed with not only riches but also looks and intelligence.

If only he also had a good attitude to boot.

There were a lot of hearsays that circulated about the so-called business ace. Maybe it was because they only knew so little of his father that (Name) became the center of attention. People say he’s a womanizer, an arrogant, self-less prick who has an ego bigger than All Might’s height. Some say he was a sleaze and a temperamental individual who explodes at even the smallest of mistakes. People have also heard that the Director was ruthless, and seeing the countless rumors about this made them believe everything.

Enji could even vouch for those rumors. The brat, while he was a family friend, always found a way to talk back to him whenever he’s over for Natsuo. As far as the Todoroki could remember, L/N was in the same age group as Natsuo. He wasn’t really sure, but Enji’s certain that brat is an egotistical prick.

So why the hell did Shouto choose their God forsaken company?

It was beyond Enji, but he’ll let Shouto waste his time for a bit. After all, he could benefit from having an insider for that competition of his.

The object of Enji’s hatred and the famous L/N sneezed so suddenly.

“Endeavor-san must be cursing me again,” He hummed then continued on with his work.

(Name) was in his office, scanning through the proposals submitted by his department, when his temporary secretary knocked on the door.

“Here’s the batch of applications, sir,” She nervously placed the profiles on his desk. Before (Name) could thank her, however, the young secretary zoomed off.

(Name) was looking for a new secretary after his former subordinate was revealed to be a mole for some company. Aside from that, he knew that the assistant was after him, personally, too. She would often flirt and schedule him for dinners with “other people”, only later to reveal that she wanted to eat with him.

Basically, that assistant was a pest.

The flipping of papers came to a halt at one very specific file. Staring right back at (Name) were the familiar heterochromatic pools of blue and silver, as if saying that his attention should be on the young Todoroki.

Well, damn right.

Without so much as a glance at the CV neatly written at the bottom (which (Name) knows is more than qualified), he knew who he wanted by his side.

The new moon slowly transitions into a new beginning.

“Welcome to the L/N Enterprise, Todoroki-san”

—note: hey! hey! hey! this is my first-ever bnha series 👉🏼👈🏼 please send criticism thru ask or dm 🥺❤️ if you guys like it enough to want to be tagged, just ask!! also pls be nice

—aizawaslovebot 2020