#⋇ DUEL OF THE FATES: PART 3

[lunarscaled]

tag drop part 3 thats how many fucking verses ive got

[kenobihater]

it's been less than a week since i learned of cerveza cristal and it has already made a monumental impact on my psyche. i've had the jingle stuck in my head for an hour now

[arthenaa]

carnal — sebastian sallow x fem!reader x ominis gaunt

plot summary: Challenging two renowned Aurors responsible for almost half of the imprisonment of numerous dark wizards leads to you experiencing being hunted for your life during a celebratory party at the ministry.

warnings: 18+, explicit sexual content, dark themes, slight plot with porn, aged up characters (silver trio are in their mid 20's), sebastian and ominis are aurors, random ocs mentioned (i just shit out names tbh), random hp shit as well not sure some of them exist in the canon lore, reader is a magizoologist in a partnership w the ministry, they hunt u down (its all roleplay), dominis, switch seb, bottom reader, she/her prns is used for reader, ominis, you and seb like pulling each others hair lmfao, oral sex, p in v sex, choking, all the nasty stuff.

notes: inspired by @/pseudonymmcwriter i love prns fics pls you should check them out if ur into detroit become human <3 minors are highly discouraged from reading. read at your own risk. pt 2 of carnal.

It was supposed to be a joke.

A jest at their occupation. You didn't mean to talk shit about their jobs as Aurors. You were merely joking around, influenced by the festivities around you. Although, you suppose you shouldn't have tried to joke around Slytherins at all. It was a celebratory party for the new head Auror, Ryona Bassett, who was praised for her leadership skills and achievements in finally capturing a dark wizard creating havoc in the wizarding world. It was due to this that she had gotten her promotion, a well-earned position on her part.

Of course, she couldn't have done it herself. As part of her plan to capture said wizard, she had formed a group of talented wizards and witches to aid her. Part of that group was you. The wise witch had apparated in front of your apartment in London, sitting on the bench like the menace that she is in hopes of recruiting you as part of her team (You had almost jumped out of your skin at the creepy sight).

It was because of your skills and experience in the field of magical creatures that led you to be recruited by Ryona Bassett. Dragons were said to be one of the weapons used in the dark wizard's plan, and well, who'd be perfect for the job other than you? As a magizoologist, your job enabled you to mostly work alone as it required intensive travel all over the world. Although you worked for the Care of the Magical Creatures department, you were more of a partner rather than an employee of the ministry. You saved Hogwarts during your 5th year, rescued the fate of the wizarding world after a dark wizard had tried yet again to sabotage the election of a new leader, and also nurtured and rescued beasts in your care.

Basically, you were a big shot, and y'know that big shots like you always get called for the important stuff, which is why you're where you are today.

Part of the said group was also none other than your two dearest friends; Sebastian Sallow and Ominis Gaunt, Aurors at the British Ministry of Magic. Sebastian and Ominis were the two people who Ryona had at her beck and call given that they did work in her division. However, these weren't the only reasons why she had chosen the two. They both had risen the ranks at a much faster rate than others ever since they joined the Auror office. This wasn't to your surprise considering the two often sneaked out in the safety of the Undercroft to practice spells out of Hogwarts' jurisdiction. Sebastian Sallow was known for his magical prowess in dueling and knowledge of the dark arts whilst Ominis Gaunt excelled more in tracking and hunting through magical traces. Despite his blindness, he had formed a unique connection to his wand, allowing him to sense and feel magic more sensitively than others. The two are quite formidable Aurors and built up a reputation as one.

They were also known to be the pair who almost filled half of Azkaban. They were that good.

It didn't help that they were also attractive. They were deemed to be the ministry's most desired bachelors of this era. You couldn't agree more.

It had been a while since the three of you were together in the same room. You kept your friendship low maintenance and would send an owl to each other here and there. To be honest, the low-maintenance friendship was more of you and them, but we don't need the specifics. After a long month of trying to catch Hugo Blaire (the dark wizard, yes), it wasn't a huge surprise that a party would be done in honor of the group's efforts and contribution to making another safe and sound day for the wizarding world.

You don't know how many glasses of champagne you had downed in the past hour, but you sure as hell won't be counting. You've been scanning the crowd, looking for a particular brunette and blonde amongst a sea of unfamiliar people.

It was tiring trying to keep up with the greetings and the conversations. You probably mispronounced multiple last names at this point, and you couldn't care any less at how many eye twitches and failed to keep horrified expressions you've seen in the past hour. Your assistant, Judy Beckham, decided to be your spokesperson at the start as she noticed that the glass on your hand seemed to have no plans leaving your grasp. It was funny seeing her play as your publicist as you had yet again purposefully mispronounced "Yaxley" to "Yackley? Yatley? Yale? Shitley?" (It was well deserved, to be honest. He was on your shitlist after he had tried to order your imprisonment when you were trying to rescue a Zouwu who had wreaked havoc in the streets of London. He claimed you were the one responsible for the mess... Which was partially true... But not all of it!)

"And that should be your final drink." A voice interrupted your thoughts before a hand grabbed the refillable glass in your hand, moving it away from your grasp. The scent of musk and wood immediately infiltrated your senses as your back feels the presence of another. You turn to face the culprit, smiling at him.

"Sebastian." You softly reply as you place a hand on his arm. "I was looking for you."

"As have I, darling." He chuckles before glancing at the glass in his hand, watching as it filled back up with champagne. "Though it seems you've already started to enjoy yourself."

"Refillable charms are a crime." You softly laugh in response. The Auror has a soft look on his face. You glance back at the center of the ball where Ryona stood alongside the rest of the crew, entertaining guests. "Aren't you supposed to be there?"

"You mean we?" He corrects as he places a hand on your waist. You feel butterflies in your stomach. You push it away.

"... Right."

"Where's the little redhead you're with?" Sebastian doesn't need to crane his head to survey the room. He was a tall motherfucker who was gifted with the lucky genes. You didn't know how much a person could grow knowing that he was the same height as you in your fifth year, then you were at his shoulder in your 7th. He was tall and attractive. A direct shit to your face.

"You mean Judy?" You raise an eyebrow at him despite mentioning her multiple times in your letters. He smiles a boyish grin at you.

"I saw her a moment ago trying to calm down August Yaxley from transfiguring you then and there. What'd you do this time?" You feel his thumb rubbing the material of your dress on your waist. His stare was unwavering as he encouraged a response out of you.

"Mispronounced his name. It was quite funny seeing the number of expressions running through his face. Quite a life-changing experience, if I do say so myself. As for Judy, she just gave up on me. She's probably drinking herself to death somewhere." You jest. He chuckles at your response before pulling his hand away from your waist. It almost made you whine at the loss, but you remember this is your best friend, and you shouldn't be whining like a submissive bitch in heat at the loss of his touch. "Where's Ominis?"

"Ah." He places the glass on the waiter's tray as one passes by before crossing his arms over his chest. He looks so attractive in his black three-piece suit with a silver chain hanging on his vest. It didn't help with the way the material of his coat stretched along his arms, fitting his physique perfectly. You wanted to drool. "He'll be here in a minute."

"That sounds oddly vague." You rest your weight on one leg as you copy his form. "What's he really doing?"

Sebastian rolls his eyes before raising his arms in defense. "You got me. He's finishing writing up and collecting final intel on another case."

"That quick? Damn." Your eyes widen in amusement.

"Remember that church we went to last week? A couple of days before Blaire's capture? The one in Glasgow." He recalls. You hum, remembering the place. "Turns out, there were other traces of dark magic there different from Blaire's lot. It was an infamous place for dark wizards to gather, and we were lucky enough to be able to hit two birds with one stone. Ominis was able to decipher the similarities of that dark magic to the ones he received from that hacienda back in the Philippines."

"That's amazing." You marvel at Ominis's tracking skills.

"I know. Bassett put us on the case right after this." Sebastian sighs. "Not sure if that's a blessing or a curse."

"Just shows how talented you guys are." You bite your lip as you pat his arm. Sebastian shakes his head.

"You had a hand in this, too." He gives you a pointed look. "If it weren't for our daring escapades, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Yeah, right. If I recall correctly, you were the mastermind of it all."

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't witness your magical prowess in ancient magic, Ms. Hero of Hogwarts." He leans in, pinching your cheek as he teases you. You flush in embarrassment at the title, trying to forget after years of hearing it multiple times to the point where all you wanted to do is obliviate the whole damn school. Wasn't it so hard to just say you saved the school? Why'd they have to press in the title 'Hero'? Thankfully, Sebastian's proximity made you forget an incoming war flashback of your time at Hogwarts. You would've died from cringe there and then.

"You two look cozy with each other. If I were from Daily Prophet, I'd already made millions from using this as gossip material." A new presence has arrived, startling you two out of your comfortable conversation. Sebastian sighs dramatically at his entrance.

"Ominis. You're late." Sebastian chastises jokingly as he watches his best friend glare in the direction of his voice. You might've laughed at Sebastian trying to act like a disappointed mother, but you were taking your time checking out the new addition to your little group. Similar to Sebastian, Ominis had also experienced a growth spurt. Nearly at the same height as the brunette beside you, the man embodies the essence of elegance and gallantry. His hair is in his usual slicked-back hairdo and wearing a dark blue three-piece set that matched his cloudy blue eyes. Ominis adjusts the tie on his neck with his free hand before moving close to you two with the guide of his wand.

"Thanks, Sebastian, for the obvious observation." He sarcastically replies before feeling for your hand and pressing a soft kiss on the back of it. "Hello, love."

"You two practicing on your courting game or something?" You joke as you watch Ominis put down your hand gently. Sebastian tucks his hands into the pockets of his slacks as he moves close to stand behind you. "I feel so flattered."

"It's just the bare minimum, dove." Sebastian leans in to whisper against your ear. He laughs softly as you move back, tickled by his breath. Ominis wasn't able to hear what the other Auror said and could only sigh in exasperation at Sebastian's antics.

"I heard you were finishing an intel report on a new case, Ominis." You change the subject as you rest your hand on his arm. Ominis places a hand on top of yours.

"Yes. Did Sebastian mess up again?" He turns to the direction of your voice with an accusing tone. "Don't answer. Of course he did."

"Hey! That's unfair of you to assume." Sebastian pouts.

"Am I wrong?" Ominis raises his eyebrow. Sebastian falls silent. "Thought so."

"Shut up."

"I am quite curious, though, did you ever have an instance that you weren't able to track someone?" You ask out of curiosity as your arm intertwines with Ominis's. You glance between the two as they pause to think. These two were deemed the best in the industry. Surely, the praises were exaggerated, right? You had a hard time tracking poacher locations, and you already had possession of ancient magic. Being the best doesn't entail 100% success.

"Nah." Sebastian answers nonchalantly. Ominis nods in agreement. "Sure, some took more time than others but everything's trackable."

You pause for a moment at their answers. "Really?"

"Yes. Everyone leaves tracks of magic every day. It's quite easy to decipher once you're used to it." Ominis adds, trying to convince you further. You hum, still unconvinced by their claims. Sebastian turns to you, looking at you with an unwavering stare. You tried to look back, but you could only glance away, not able to return it.

There's a moment of silence before the brunette breaks it off.

"You don't believe us, do you?" Sebastian says with his eyes wide and eyebrows raised in amusement. Ominis has an unreadable look on his face. You feel like you've offended them both with the way Sebastian's staring at you and Ominis's tense body.

"Well— I mean, surely not all right?" You sheepishly smile at him. Sebastian scoffs at you.

"I assure you, Y/N. When I track something, I get it done." Ominis turns his body towards you, causing your arm to fall from his. You look between the two as they continue to look at you with unreadable looks. You feel as though you've suddenly been cornered. Like you've done something worthy of their attention as Aurors and not as Sebastian and Ominis. This shouldn't excite you, but it did, and so you stupidly continued your plan on pissing them off.

Slytherins are known for one thing, and that's their drive for ambition and winning in competitive environments. What more to entertain yourself by pissing off not one but two snakes?

"Bullshit." You've resorted to using harsh methods. You could see the way Ominis's eye twitched and Sebastian's sudden change of posture. You were glad you met those boring guests back then, it certainly helped maintain a straight face. "Not even once?"

"Y/N." Sebastian takes a step close. "We're not kidding."

"Sure you are." You let out a giggle as you move a step back, trying to gauge their reactions. Ominis steps close to Sebastian's side as he clenches his jaw. This is fun.

Now, this is where the actual problem starts. You were having way too much fun trying to get a rise out of them that the words spewing out of your mouth were thought half-assed. You were joking but they we're taking it seriously.

"I'd bet my whole fucking body you won't be able to catch me. Even Bassett has a hard time getting me these days. What more of a challenge than a magizoologist to track, hm?" You laughed.

Bad move.

Bad fucking move, because all of a sudden, you could feel the tenacity of their stare. Even Ominis seemed like at that specific moment could see you and stare straight into your soul. You felt your body go rigid with nervousness.

The silence was long and uncomfortable. Both of them stood there, postures domineering and authoritative. You felt scared but at the same time, excited. You decided to make the first move.

"Guys?"

Sebastian licks his lips as he looks at Ominis before leaning close to his ear and whispering. The other Auror blinks slowly as he listens to him before nodding. Sebastian moves forward first.

"What's the bet again?" Sebastian smugly asks. You furrow your eyebrows in confusion.

"I'm afraid I'm not following—"

"You said you'd bet your whole body, right?" He reminds you. Your eyes widen in response.

"I wasn't serious about it." You try to reason with them.

"We weren't joking in the first place. You know we've always liked you. Why not take advantage of a little opportunity, hm?" Sebastian says with a low voice as he raises a hand to tuck a stray hair behind your ear. He looks down at you with eyes that seemed to mock you. You felt slightly ashamed but tried to keep your confidence afloat.

It was common knowledge that the two best friends pined after you. Ever since your 5th year, the two had fallen irrevocably in love with everything about you. You knew. They knew you knew and yet a silent pact was made between the two to never make a move on you as they didn't know how you felt and didn't deem it worthy as the fall of their friendship. You were glad somehow but also saddened because you never really chose between them. You liked them both. But they didn't need to know that. Right?

Well, it seems as if they're testing you right now, and with the amount of alcohol in your system combined with their dark looks trained on you, you wouldn't be surprised if you did admit your attraction to both of your best friends.

"Aw, are you scared?" Sebastian taunts. Ominis only stands behind him, posture calm and collected as he listens to his partner speak for him.

"Shut the fuck up." You reply in a weak voice, feeling intimidated by their aura. Ominis lets out a soft laugh. "I was joking about it in the first place—"

"Ah, ah." Sebastian grasps your chin in his hand, turning your face towards him. "You said it first. We're just finishing the job."

You let out a shaky breath as they continue to move closer and into your space. Sebastian's thumb caresses your bottom lip as he stares at you with want and desire.

"Let's be clear here, darling. The only reason why Bassett can't properly find you is that it's her that's finding you." Sebastian mumbles lowly. You could feel the grip on your chin tightening. Your knees tremble at his domineering hold on your face as your core begins to burn with arousal. "You've never had us."

Shit.

It's Ominis that sets the final nail in the coffin. He leans down to whisper in your ear. "Ryona's going to give a final speech in the next few minutes."

A hand slithers across the small of your back before grabbing your waist, pulling you close to him. You let out a small moan at the harsh movement before the lips against your ear continue to move. "We're going to give you 30 seconds to move. You got that, sweetheart?"

A soft kiss placed on both sides of your neck makes you whimper as both of them pull away from you. You watch as Sebastian casts a final look at you before both of them disappear into the crowd. You stand with knees weak and mind in shambles as you hear the crowd cheer at Ryona's entrance. She waves into the crowd and suddenly you're face with an existential crisis.

We're you suppose to move during? Or after? Did you have to hide? Fuck, did the 30 seconds already start? You couldn't grasp a single thing in your mind as your eyes tried to find the familiar backs of the two. It seemed all the eerier that you didn't know where they were. It was like a predator hiding and waiting for the perfect chance to pounce. So as the submissive prey that you are, you began to move.

You squeezed your way through heaps of people. Ryona's speech was already considered background noise for you. You had reached the east entrance, sighing in relief before a pair of hands stop you from reaching freedom. You could almost feel your heart drop before exhaling a big breath at the sight of your assistant, Judy Beckham.

"Where were you? I was looking everywhere for you!" Judy worries like the inner mother that she is. You could almost coo at her concern over your well-being but the thought of two Aurors after your ass was more pressing than the worried redhead in front of you.

"Listen, Judy. If ever you come across Sebastian and Ominis, tell them I went to the west side of the building." You smile widely as you hold her arms tight within your grasp. Judy raises her eyebrow in confusion.

"Y/N, you're not making sense—"

"Please!" You plead as you pull her closer to your face. The girl cranes her head back at the proximity. "I'm in grave danger if those two ever find me. Be a gal and lie, okay?"

Judy stares at you for a few seconds before sighing. "West. Got it."

"Thank you!" You grab her for a quick hug before bolting through the doors. Your heels clack noisily on the marble floor as you rushed through the partially empty corridors of the ministry. You pass by familiar faces who you kindly shoot a smile at.

"Fucking heels—" You groan as you reach for the devil traps on your feet, pulling them off and continuing your escape barefoot. You manage to reach the hallway to the elevator before a voice causes you to pause and crouch down to hide.

"Y/N." Ominis's tender voice echoes throughout the empty corridor. You hide in a corner as you watch his figure pass by the elevator. Great, the easiest way out was already guarded. You should've thought that ahead. "I know you're here."

You remain silent as you watch Ominis pace back and forth slowly, face looking calm and collected. You assess your surroundings, looking for a way to escape.

"Do you want to know why I know you're here?" Ominis asks which catches your attention. You check behind you to ensure that no Sebastian was sneaking up on you to catch you off guard. You wait for him to reply. "You've always had a particular magical aura. I sensed a glimpse of it when you entered the doors of the Great Hall in our 5th year, then it grew bigger and stronger when I saw you exit the Undercroft. Magical auras tend to vary according to a wizard or witch's personality and most of them feel loud and ... unnerving. You, however, shine like sunlight on a sunny day. A gentle breeze at the start of autumn."

Your breath hitched as you hear his footsteps halt. You feel your cheeks heat up at his declaration, you bite your lip as you wait to hear more. "I felt attached to you because of it. Like a moth to a flame. Do you think spending years by your side that I haven't got your aura ingrained in my head? I suppose that's what I get for falling for you."

Fuck. You don't know where he went. It seems as if one moment you knew he was there and then the next he was gone. You peek into the hallway, glancing back and forth.

You knew you shouldn't have let your guard down. You knew that you were faced with someone who was so used to tracking and feeling magic differently and more sensitively than others that it became an extra sense to them. You feel his breath before his touch.

"It's the very reason why I sense you right away. You're leaking your tracks everywhere, love." He speaks lowly against your ear. With a harsh shove and a twist of your arm to your back, he pushes you against the wall with your front against the hard surface.

"O-Ominis, wait!—" You try to plead but the Auror only presses you more against the wall. He had your arm twisted against your back with a hold of your wrist. His chest pressed against yours and his face on the side of your neck.

"That fast?" He mocks you as he laughs closely against your ear. You try to push back against his grip but you remain defenseless.

"Fuck you."

"You wish." He mumbles lowly in your ear. He buries his face in the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent before placing possessive kisses against it. You let out sighs of pleasure before groaning in pain as Ominis grabs your head by your hair and angles it for more room on your neck.

"Let me go." You breathlessly beg as you allow him to pepper kisses against your neck. You wish to stay there and then but you knew that the boys wanted a bit more fun. After all, you wanted to get the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime situation.

"Now, why would I do that?" Ominis bites your ear lobe as he grinds his hips against your ass. You try to turn your head towards him.

"Cause you love a good chase, right? This barely counts as one." You tempt him, grinding back against his moving hips. He lets out an amused laugh, letting go of your wrist as he encloses his arms around your waist, hugging you tightly against him. You bask in his presence, head falling back on his shoulder. He turns his head to the side, placing more kisses on your neck before biting on your shoulder. You let out a soft moan.

"I'm giving you another 15 seconds. Run as fast as you can." He whispers in your ear before sensually moving his arms off your waist. He takes 5 steps back before motioning the empty corridor with a nudge of his hand. You lick your lips before running away from him.

Ominis tilts his head back as he pants from the arousal, running his fingers through his neatly styled hair before a voice enters his mind.

"Are you on your way?" Sebastian asks. Ominis rolls his eyes before fixing his coat. Sebastian often flexed his magical abilities, especially this one he had learned recently. The ability to communicate through the mind. His best friend was a natural student of magic, curious to the wizarding world and desperate in learning all of it as he is a son to two former educators. This was also what made him a pain in the ass.

"I let her go. She's on her way to you." He replies as he takes his time following your trail. He's sure if he made a run for it now, he'd get you in no time. But he decides to play by your rules.

"Fucker. Did you get a taste?" He hears Sebastian chuckle through their shared mind connection.

"Get the fuck out of my head before I get her myself."

"You're hot when you're angry, y'know?" Sebastian purrs. Ominis grunts at his flirt. "Got it, sir."

You don't know how long you've run. Most of the ministry departments were empty due to the large celebration on one of the building's halls. Everyone was there and the only creatures patrolling the halls were Matagots. They were formidable creatures who easily sensed intruders so if there was a breach in security, a single spell cast on a Matagot would immediately alert all of you. You've decided to stop at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as you deduced that Sebastian would probably be on standby in front of the elevator when it reached the ground level. At least here, you were close to the ground floor and there's a passageway that leads you down to the ground floor discreetly (you'd have to thank Hank, the house elf in charge of the elevator for that one).

Also because you've chosen this floor, consequently you knew you were on the floor where the Auror office is located. Which means, Sebastian and Ominis's floor. This is probably the least floor to logically be on but you probably (emphasis on probably) knew that they wouldn't check here. The passageway was located at the Head Auror's office and so you just need to sneak your way in and easily escape.

Unfortunately, Merlin was being a bitch.

As soon as you opened the entrance to the Auror division, you gasp quietly at Sebastian leaning against the doors to the Head Auror's office, twirling his wand elegantly between his fingers.

"Fancy seeing you here." Sebastian smiles so innocently. You stand on alert as he moves away from the double doors and towards you with careful steps.

"How'd you know?" You ask as you take steps back with every step forward from the man in front of you. Sebastian shrugs.

"When you're well versed with the dark arts, it's quite easy to detect certain things." Sebastian hums. "Or maybe it's just basic logic. After all, you have to think ahead of your opponent."

You continue to take a step back before your back meets a surface that wasn't originally there. You turn around to see the very same man who had given you a moment of mercy.

"Again?" Ominis smiles with pity, pretending to have no clue as to why he found you yet again. You let out a loud gasp before rushing to the one side of the room to move away from them both. The two stalk toward you like predators. You could feel your breath shortening with nervousness as they cornered you to a wall. You had no way out. You discreetly glance around you before seeing an opening to the Head Auror's office. In a moment of panic and sheer bravery, you bolt down towards the double doors leading to your escape, trying to get one last chance to run away.

Sebastian snarls as he runs after you. Ominis stands behind, arms behind his back as he lets his partner handle the work. You could feel the fast thumps of his foot against carpeted floor as your hands try to open the overly complicated entrance. You clumsily open the door before a set of strong arms grab your waist and pull you away from your only chance of escaping. You scream in retaliation before a hand covers your mouth.

"Bad, bad girl." Sebastian huffs as he presses you against his chest, hand on your mouth as he watches you fight back in his grasp. His hands then move to reposition themselves. One hand wraps around your waist while the other grabs your neck and grips it back to lay your head back against his shoulder. "Should I cast Oscausi on you for being so fucking loud, hm?"

"Sebastian." Ominis calls his attention before nodding to one of the open and empty offices. He moves towards the two of you as Sebastian pulls you to the empty roomwith Ominis locking the door behind him. "Stop scaring her."

"Do you think she looks scared?" Sebastian raises his eyebrow as he settles on a desk, pulling you to his lap. You shake, riddled with sensitivity as Sebastian continues to grip your neck. Ominis raises his hands, gliding up your arms before feeling Sebastian's hold on your neck and then moving up to your face. He feels the heat from your cheeks, the dryness of your lips and hears the soft little gasps and moans escaping your mouth. You were aroused and completely at their mercy. Ominis smiles as he runs his thumb against your bottom lip before leaning in close.

"We won, little dove. Are you ready?" He gently asks. Sebastian gently eases on his grip but remains his hold on your neck. You look up at Ominis and softly brush your lips against his.

"Just fuck me already." You pant, blunt with your response as the two fall into silence.

"Fuck." Ominis curses before surging in to press his lips against yours. Sebastian almost falls back at the sudden pressure but recollects himself as he busies with kissing your neck.

Hands begin to grope at your body. Sebastian's hands gripped your waist as he moved his hips up against yours, his bulge rubbing against your heat. Ominis cups the nape of your neck to angle you for a deeper kiss. You open your mouth, allowing the blonde to intertwine his tongue with yours.

"You're so fucking pretty," Sebastian mumbles shakily as he continues to place more marks on your neck, taking advantage of a sweet spot as you moan in surprise. "She's so fucking beautiful, Ominis."

"Yeah?" Ominis responds breathlessly as he pulls away for a moment before diving in for more. "Of course, she is."

Your hands find their way into their respective hairs. Gripping the roots tightly as you pull them closer to you. The two groan in pleasure. The three of you continue to make out before Ominis pulls you back with a tug on your hair.

"On your knees, baby." He licks his lips, savoring your taste on his lips. "Suck Sebastian off."

You pant as you look back at the brunette behind you who looks at you two with lust in his eyes. Sebastian smiles smugly. "You heard the man."

You giggle before rising from his lap, placing a chaste kiss on Sebastian's lips before kneeling in between his legs. Ominis moves to your left as you unbuckle his slacks before pulling down to expose his member, watching as it slapped heavily in between his thighs. Taking his cock in your hands, you gather your drool in your tongue before dripping it down your mouth as a form of lubricant. You perform swift up-and-down motions to start it off.

"Fuck, that's it." Sebastian moans as he runs his hands through your disheveled hair. Ominis listens to his moans before feeling his way up Sebastian's shoulder and finding it's way into his curls. He grips his hair and crane his head towards him. Sebastian moans loudly at Ominis's hold on him.

"Tell me what she looks like," Ominis whispers into his ear as he places wet kisses on his jaw before biting his earlobe. He then harshly pushes his head down towards you which gives you a signal to start using your mouth on him. You lean down to take his cock in your mouth, bobbing your head up and down as you use your hands to take what you can't fit in.

Sebastian chokes his moan as he feels Ominis's grip on his head become tighter. "S-She's taking it all in. Like a good fucking girl."

Ominis hums at his response. You look up towards Sebastian innocently as you pull slightly back, sucking on his tip before you twirl your tongue around it like a lollipop.

"F-fuck— Ah. She— She looks so perfect with my cock in her— A-ah! I-In her mouth. Look's so fucking pretty— Merlin's beard." Sebastian stumbles over his words as you bob your head faster. Ominis smirks against Sebastian's cheek before he speaks parseltongue into the brunette's ear. You feel the shiver and twitch of Sebastian's hips as his face becomes flushed red at Ominis's hypnotic speaking of the language of snakes.

It seems as if Sebastian enjoyed it too much as a hand wraps itself around his neck, gripping it tight as Ominis continues to speak in tongues to his ear. Sebastian whimpers, eyes rolling back before the blonde moves his grip on his neck to his jaw to pull him into a deep kiss.

You moan at the sight of the two making out, encouraging you to give the best fucking head Sebastian Sallow has ever fucking had in his life. With a twist of your hand and fast bobs of your head, Sebastian archs his back in sensitivity, breaking away from his kiss with Ominis. His body curls as he grips your hair, pulling you away from his dick.

"F-fuck wait." Sebastian whines as he pants, not handling the intense pleasure from your mouth on his dick and Ominis's mouth on his, especially the fucking parseltongue. He almost came in your mouth if it weren't for his swift reaction. You twist your hand over his tip to tease him. He then transfers his hand from your hair to your neck, gripping it firmly. "I said wait. Can't follow simple fucking instructions. Get up."

You whimper as Sebastian pulls you up from the floor through the grip on your neck before moving his hands to grip the back of your thighs to carry up you and wrap them against his waist. He settles you down on the desk before pushing you back to lie down on it. Ominis moves to the other side of the desk where your head is placed. The two make haste on pulling your clothes off of you, leaving you bare and naked on the wooden surface.

"Fucking gorgeous," Sebastian mutters under his breath as he runs his hands on your thighs before pulling them apart to stare at your pussy. Ominis runs his hands on your chest, groping your breasts into his hands. The blonde groans at the feeling of your body within his grasp. He remembers dreaming of this very moment and it's now within the palms of his hands (literally).

Sebastian pushes your thighs up against your chest and you whine in embarrassment at the exposing position. Sebastian chuckles at your sudden shy behavior. "Don't worry, it'll pass. I'll make sure of it."

You could barely process Ominis's groping on your upper body before you feel Sebastian's tongue on your cunt. You gasp at the sudden feeling which makes Ominis smile.

"Sebastian, wait—"

"I told you to wait awhile ago, why would I do that?" Sebastian retorts before diving in and devouring your pussy like a man finally quenching his thirst. His tongue licks back and forth on your clit before sucking it. He then presses the flat of his tongue, moving it up and down before using the tip and move in circular motions. He slurps the juices dripping out of your pussy, moaning at the taste. The vibration of his moan causes you to moan loudly in pleasure.

"Sebastian— Oh fuck! fuck.. fuck!" You pant as you grip Ominis's arms, taking what Sebastian's giving. "Don't stop, please please please please!"

"Yeah?" Ominis leans down to caress your face, feeling the tears drip down the side of your face. "Little dove crying because you feel too good, hm? Poor girl."

You sob as Sebastian continues to assault your pussy with his tongue. Pleasure courses through your veins as the brunette between your legs manhandle you into the position he desires. Ominis basks in the sounds of your moans and the wet and messy slurps of Sebastian's work. His cock twitches against his pants. He eases the pain by using his free hand to rub against the front of his slacks. You look up at Ominis who continues to caress your face. "Ominis..."

"Hm?"

"Kiss me." You whine softly as you feel a knot slowly build up in your stomach. Sebastian continues to eat you up and a building pressure reveals itself in the process. Ominis smiles at you before leaning to place a kiss on your lips, upside down. He swallows your moans of pleasure as he pushes in his tongue, slowly and passionately kissing you deeply.

Sebastian glances up from his position, furrowing his eyebrows at the loss of your pathetic moaning. He smirks as he sees you focused on kissing Ominis before deciding to take matters into his own hands. He moves up to your clit, focusing the attention of his tongue there before adding the usage of his hand, gently rubbing the entrance of your cunt. You gasp at the sensation before yelping at the insertion of a finger inside.

"Ah!" You pull away from Ominis in the process as Sebastian eases his fingers into you. The brunette glances at the blonde with a smirk and a light chuckle. Ominis definitely heard that.

"Feel good, pretty girl?" Sebastian hums against the side of your thigh as he watches his finger go in and out of you before adding another one. You let out a measly moan in response. "I need to hear an answer."

"M-Mhm." You moaned out as he begins to curl his fingers up, pushing it deep within you. Sebastian pushes back against your clit, sucking it and licking it well for you. The sensation of his tongue and fingers begin to bring you closer to the edge. "Oh, fuck."

"Close?" Ominis whispers as he leans down against your ear. You let out short breaths as you feel the knot slowly unravel. Sebastian enters another finger as he speeds up the process. His fingers begin to reach depths even yours couldn't reach. It felt so fucking good as the tips of his fingers brush against a sensitive spot within you that jolts your back into an arch. It was there yet it wasn't. Sebastian's tongue flicks and sucks faster against your clit as you descend rapidly into the madness.

"Let me cum, please. please." You whined as your hand reaches up to intertwine with Ominis's locks. The blonde torments you from above as he sucks marks alongside Sebastian's work during his time on your neck from awhile ago.

"Go ahead, pretty girl," Ominis whispers in your ear alongside Sebastian's ministrations. The knot unravels fast as your body shakes violently in their care. Your orgasm is hard and slow as Sebastian does his best to lengthen it, your thighs crushing his head close against your heat. You let out long and loud moans as your body rises from the desk in the process. Ominis grabs you against his chest, kissing the side of your head softly as Sebastian continues his assault between your thighs, making sure to slurp every last bit of your release. "There you go."

"Stop, stop!" You reach a hand down, trying to push his face away from your heat. You let out a small laugh from the sensitivity as he continues to mouth your cunt.

"Tastes so fucking good," Sebastian growls as he pulls away, lips red and chin dripping with your arousal. He places a gentle kiss on your clit as you twitch in sensitivity at the action before kissing his way upwards and pulling you into a deep kiss. Your tongues intertwine as your back rests against Ominis's chest. The blonde's hand runs through Sebastian's locks, gently petting his head as the two of you kiss. His free hand moves to where your lips are connected, probing his index finger within your tongue as he tries to feel you two kiss. Ominis lets out a shaky sigh at the feel of your tongues moving against one another before you two pull away.

The brunette looks up at you with a smile. "How'd you want us?"

You take a breath as Sebastian places a chaste kiss on your cheek while Ominis places one on the side of your head. "Ominis inside. You get my mouth. He's been on the sidelines for way too long."

Sebastian nods with a cheeky grin. "Got no complaints there."

Ominis places a kiss on your forehead as he helps you up before exchanging places with Sebastian. The brunette sits on the desk as you stand between them with Ominis behind you. You hear the rustling of clothes behind you before turning around to look. Ominis had taken off his coat and bottoms, leaving him bare from the waist down. His cock slaps heavily up against his stomach, dripping pre-cum from the amount of waiting he had done. Throughout your sexual escapade, Ominis opted to listen in on your and Sebastian's pleasure than himself. He was more of a observer, preferred ordering the two of you and revel in the moans and pants pulled by pleasure. You take a note to spoil him further in the future.

He pulls you back against his chest as he moves close to you and Sebastian. The brunette cups your cheek, placing a peck on your lips before he travels his hand to the top of your head and pushing you down gently to his cock. You eagerly use your mouth to pleasure him, slipping it inside and try to take him all in.

"Damn, fuck. Can never get used to this. Your mouth is a fucking haven, baby." Sebastian curses as he feels the tip of his cock reaches the back of your throat. You choke slightly at the deepness of his dick before bobbing up and then down, forming a rhythm. The brunette tilts his head back in pleasure, letting out soft moans as his fingers tighten within your locks. Ominis listens in on his moans as he uses his wand to conjure a lubricating charm before pumping his dick for a bit of stimulation. He lets out a moan before pressing the his cock against your folds.

You moan at the feeling of a new sensation against your heat. Ominis places a hand on his shaft, rubbing the tip against your folds. He slides it against your clit, moving it in circular motions and hears your appreciative moan. His free hand then grabs your waist as leverage before finally positioning the tip against your entrance. "I'm pushing in, love."

You hum against Sebastian's dick in response before feeling the pressure of Ominis's cock split you open. He was a bit longer than Sebastian but the brunette was thicker. The two were already considered big and the moment that you felt the two of them inside you made you all the more conscious of their size. You whimper against Sebastian's cock, unable to move as Ominis continues to slide in his cock.

Sebastian glances down at your tear-stricken face, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed in pleasure. Ominis bottoms out with a groan, letting you adjust for a moment before beginning to move. The jostle of Ominis's hips propels your forward causing Sebastian's dick to go deeper inside your mouth.

"Yeah. Liked getting fucked by Ominis?" Sebastian taunts as he brushes your hair away from your face. A bruising grip on your hips that you're sure will mark you in the morning, pulls you back with every thrust. Ominis's cock reaches depths farther than Sebastian's fingers, the curve of his dick and the ridges alongside it brushes deliciously against the soft walls of your pussy.

You moan in response as Sebastian begins to move his hips, thrusting into your mouth. You choke as you feel his throat touch the back of your throat once again.

"Support her upper body." Ominis orders. Sebastian places a hand on your shoulders as Ominis grabs both of your hands, twisting them against your lower back, holding them both with one hand as he suspends your upper body in the air with Sebastian's help. The position allows you to be completely at their mercy as Sebastian fucks your mouth at this point and Ominis's thrusts go deeper, faster and harsher.

You can only shriek and moan against Sebastian's cock as you take what they give you. Sebastian feels his release fast approaching, hips stuttering. "Holy fuck, I'm close."

You allow him to use your mouth as he pleases, thrusting fast into your mouth as he moans loudly at the process. Ominis leans down, placing a kiss on your shoulder before growling in your ear. "Don't waste a single fucking drop."

His deep voice sends a shiver down your spine and it seems as if Sebastian also heard it. The brunette releases with a choked moan, spurting his release into your mouth. He moans as his hips jerk in sensitivity, emptying it all before slumping on the desk. You swallow it all before coughing, finally being able to breathe.

Ominis takes this as an opportunity to fuck you harder.

"O-Ominis!" Your voice raises in pitch as his hips hammer against yours. He releases your arms, opting to pull you up against his chest. His hands busy themselves with your breasts as he grunts into the crook of your neck. "O-Oh fuck. Right there."

Sebastian smiles lazily as he watches his best friend rail you to the point that your eyes roll back in pleasure. To give you a more pleasurable experience, he raises a hand to wrap his fingers around your throat, gripping it with enough pressure to hear you whine and moan.

"Yeah, that's fucking right baby. Sebastian's choking you again? You love that shit." Ominis growls against your ear as he pounds your tight pussy. He angles his hips to hit that spot that Sebastian grazed over with his fingers, pulling louder moans from you. Your eyes lock with Sebastian's as Ominis fucks you from behind.

"Pretty girl's crying because you're fucking her too good." Sebastian laughs as he leans forward to kiss your tears away. Ominis chuckles against your neck. You could feel your release fast approaching as a hand makes it's way down to where you're connected.

"Mm, stretched so fucking well for me." Ominis hums before moving to your clit and circling it fast deliciously. Your moans get louder.

"Ominis, Sebastian!" You whine as you feel your release fast approaching. Sebastian tightens his grip on your throat making your moans choked as Ominis fucks you faster and deeper.

Already feeling the edge of his release, Ominis rubs faster as his hips stutter. His pace becomes harder and harsher. "Cum baby. Cum."

You let out a high-pitched whine before finally reaching your climax. Your knees shake, almost giving you up before Ominis grips you up, supporting you against his chest. You let out loud moans as your orgasm wreaks havoc throughout your body in violent shakes. Tears stream down your face at the intensity of your release and Sebastian smiles at the beauty of it all. Ominis continues to pump his cock inside, reaching for his release. "Where?"

"Inside. I-I'm on the potion. Please, cum inside." You moan as you lock eyes once again with Sebastian, his grip loosening from your neck as he pulls you into a kiss. Ominis grunts before releasing inside. He moans loudly, bottoming out as he orgasms. "Good girl."

You rest your upper body in Sebastian's embrace, waiting for Ominis to finish before whimpering as the blonde pulls out. Ominis runs a hand down to your cunt before pushing the cum back in. Sebastian chuckles as he hears you let out another weak moan.

There's a moment of comfortable silence as you three catch you breath from the amount of strenuous activities you've done in the past few hours.

"Damn, that was probably the best sex of my life." Sebastian chuckles, breaking the silence as he pulls you fully into his embrace. You rest your head on the crook of his neck while Ominis runs a hand through his hair.

"I'm so tired." You groan in exhaustion. "I'm not moving a single fucking muscle. This is both of your fault."

"Me too? It's Ominis who you should be blaming. The man was railing you to fucking oblivion." Sebastian jests which receives a harsh smack on the back of his head. You chuckle at the crisp sound of Ominis's palm hitting Sebastian's head.

"You literally fucked my throat. Sore throats are a bitch to cure." You weakly pull away from Sebastian's embrace, feeling the ache on your ass. Ominis notices your discomfort from your grunts of pain.

"Did I go too far?" The blonde shyly asks. You turn to look at him with a soft smile. You had the hardest and best fucking orgasm of your life and now this man was acting all shy and cute after he had just practically destroyed any other chance of another person reaching that kind of level with you. You couldn't really blame him after he had just ascended you to a different realm with his dick. Sebastian helps you up before you place a kiss on Ominis's lips.

"Don't worry. I loved it." You reassure him. Sebastian and Ominis help you get dressed before the two focus on their garments. Sebastian casts a cleaning charm to any suspicious fluids that might have touched any surface while Ominis casts Reparo to the destroyed piles of paper scattered on the floor (a product of their haste to fuck you moments ago).

There's a moment of silence after cleaning up as the three of you stand, fully clothed in the empty office space. This time, Ominis makes the first move. "I assume from all that's happened that you know we're still pretty much in touch with our feelings for you."

Sebastian looks at you, assessing your facial expressions as you looked at them both. Sebastian continues. "This can be a one-time thing if you don't want to delve deeper into it. We also don't mind if you prefer one over the other. Our friendship will remain intact, that I assure you."

You look at them both as their body language speaks of nervousness and fear of rejection. You doubt your friendship will ever be fixed if you chose one of them. You roll your eyes playfully. "I literally just got fucked by both of you and you're telling me to choose one?"

"I— well." Ominis tries to reason. Sebastian is silent for a moment before shrugging in agreement.

"I mean she's got a point." The brunette chuckles. You limp towards them, Sebastian's hand reaching out for you while Ominis's arm wraps around your waist.

"I assume you're choosing us both, correct?" Ominis clarifies. You chuckle at his need for reassurance before reaching up to place a kiss on his lips before turning to Sebastian to give him one as well.

"Yes. I am." You firmly answer. Ominis lets out a smile while Sebastian laughs softly. "Now please apparate me home, I'm not walking another fucking corridor after what you guys put me through."

"Yes Ma'am."

A/N: ITS DONE OFMHDHDH this took way too long but I had fun writing it. It's my first time writing filth and I hope it was up to satisfaction 😭🧎‍♂️🫶 will probs cringe at this in the future. TYSM.

[whatswrongwithblue]

Artowrk by inuhalfdemon

Series Masterlist

Summary:

He took her face between his clawed hands and kissed her, hard and quick.

“So now that I have you back,” as he spoke, his voice crackled and lowered several octaves, and the room darkened as he allowed his power to slip out just enough to make reality around them go fuzzy. “I’m not letting you go.”

In the 1950's, Alastor met the woman he would eventually marry but unfortunately his Radio Demon persona went for her soul rather than her hand. He has to learn what it means to love, and cherish, without possessing and he does. Their relationship is beautiful, strong, unbreakable . . . but he carries a dark secret through their marriage for decades until eventually he has to face the consequences of that secret and leave her, without warning, for seven years. He returns, finding her at the Hazbin Hotel, and has to convince her to forgive him, while being literally bound to secrecy, unable to tell her any of things he now is desperate to explain to her.

(This is a duel timeline fic, timestamps will be a the top of every chapter.)

TW: canon typical violence, language, character behavior. recreational drug use. body image issues. references to self harm. OC has ptsd from sexual trauma and spousal abuse - not from Alastor! cannibalism. gun violence. slow burn. alastor is an ass and alastor is also soft. the smut will eventually include: p&v, fingering, oral - both receiving. biting, scratching, blood play. occasional shadow tentacle and sex toy usage. Anal play. Nun Alastor makes an appearance later on. Breeding kinks - both Alastor and OC deal with breeding cycles. Touch adverse Alastor. Ace-spectrum Alastor.

Also available on AO3 .

Chapter 1 - The Pilot: Alastor returns to Hell. Basically the events of the Pilot, but rewritten with Mina present.

Part 1

Chapter 2 - Reflections. The short story of Mina's life and death.

Chapter 3 - Overture. Events of Episode 1 as well as what happened during the Extermination the day before.

Part 2

Chapter 4 - Terminally Dispelled. Mina arrives in Hell.

Chapter 5 - Radio Killed the Video Star. Events of Episode 2. Alastor is a simping show-off but still not good at processing emotions.

Part 3

Chapter 6 - Little Sunshine. - Mina's POV from the end of last chapter.

Chapter 7 - Ashes in My Wake. - Alastor handle's being smitten really, really badly.

Chapter 8 - Scrambled Eggs. - Alastor finds out someone has hurt his wife.

Part 4

Chapter 9 - Wretched and Joyful. - "First time" smut

Chapter 10 - Masquerade. - Events of Episode 4. Angst ahead!

Chapter 11 - Stitches. - Angst & post-fight make-up smut

Part 5

Chapter 12 - Drunk on Life. - extra fluff & smut

Chapter 13 - Dad Beat Dad. - Events of Episode 5 w/ smut.

Part 6 - Alastor in rut smut but also lots of dark themes. Please mind the tags of these chapters.

Chapter 14 - Welcome to Heaven.

Chapter 15 - Tainted.

Chapter 16 - Possessed.

Chapter 17 - The Prophetess vs. The Nun.

Chapter 18 - Welcome (Back) to Heaven.

Part 7

Chapter 19 - A Fate that Befell Him. - proposal & wedding day

Chapter 20 - The Silence in Between. - honeymoon smut

Chapter 21 - Hello Abaddon. - recruitment for the hotel battle

Chapter 22 - House on Fire - smut rather than dealing with feelings.

Everything below is finished, only unpublished because I need to proof read!

Part 8

Chapter 23 - Don't Take That Sinner From Me. - the day alastor left

Chapter 24 - Just Pretend. - have some more angst. as a treat.

Chapter 25 - A Place to Put Your Pain. - surprise! more smut

Chapter 26 - The Show Must Go On. - the battle

Bonus Chapters?

Chapter 1 - will be posted september 28th

Chapter 2

[elixrr]

Stages of Love! : Part 2

STAGES : how they fell in love (1), them as they pin for you (2), how they plan the confession (3), their confession (4) FT : Yanqing x Teen!Reader CONTENT NOTES : Nothing but pure fluff! It's headcanons but in the format of your average fanfiction, excluding dialogue (except for the confession part)!

STAGE 1 - how he fell in love with you.

It wasn't planned. He'd never suspected that he would fall for you on this one strange yet fateful day. Yanqing recalls, though, when you and he had first met. You weren't a cloud knight, but you admired the swords that each soldier carried. You weren't nearly as interested or as engrossed in swords as he was, but you still thought they were something worth looking at; something to admire. And to be honest, he admired that about you, too. Someone who was interested in swords! Maybe Yanqing was just bored, maybe he was curious, but he was definitely feeling social that day, and so he approached you— not that you noticed, though. Aloud, you asked a question about some of the swords. He doesn’t remember what you asked on that day, but it was a question that he answered, and that’s what earned him a new friend, and that new friend was (and is) you.

But that wasn't really what made him fall. It was more so the effort you put into the friendship that made his heart swell and squeal. You realized very early on that his life revolved around swords and swordsmanship, and to make him happy, you started to research swords. You grew closer to him by learning about swords and discussing anything and everything pertaining to them, swordsmanship, and even the Cloud Knights. He didn't actually know that you were putting so much effort in for him until he witnessed it all himself. On a mediocre, boring, and especially eventless summer day, Yanqing found himself strolling into a library. It's hardly ever too crowded, but it's not abandoned. It's a public library, but more private, and while he doesn't really enjoy books, he loved to look at the covers of certain fantastical stories and skim through pages of various books that have some sort of relation to swords and the simple topic of swordsmanship. It was on this day that he ran into your slumped figure scrolling on your phone with various books laid in front of you, a lot of which having books on swords and stories that pertained to sword masters. One particular book was a well-known, cliché, and typical fictional story that had its protagonist draw their blade at the main antagonist for some heroic reason that leads to a duel at the very end of the book. Actually, he was the one who told you about that story, and you decided to read it. Or, rather, you were in the middle of reading it, but you were distracted by Gunaifen's most recent post about ghost-hunting. He remembers that day well. Next to you was a small pile of books that Yanqing had mentioned before, and they were all books that he wanted to try and pick up (as they were about swords, swordsmanship, and mainly were written by old Luofu sword masters). Before you'd met him, you weren't all that into swords. You thought they were cool, but that was it. Maybe Yanqing was able to convince you that swords were so much more than what meets the eye?

But then he asked you, and he learned that you just wanted to give him a friend to talk to. You noticed that people eventually grew tired of his constant talk of swords, and you wanted to give him a nice little change where he could finally just speak to someone about the things he likes.

His heart jumped. He might've jumped, too—slightly, only slightly, but he was caught off guard. A rose-tinted blush blossomed across his face, and he excused himself out of the library, and from the window, he saw you continue reading the books. Later that week when you visited him briefly, you gifted him that small pile of books, and for some reason, Yanqing couldn't shake off this weird and fuzzy feeling that he felt every time you appeared in his thoughts.

STAGE 2 - how he's pining for you.

Lately, it's been frustratingly hard to function properly when he thinks of you. It's even worse when he sees you! He panics a little, freaking out about what to say or do around you, and it's a feeling so incomprehensible to him because he's never been an overthinker. He never dwelled too much on worries, but now he double checks himself in the bathroom mirror, he fixes his hair a little more, and whenever he's off duty and he takes a stroll around the Central Starskiff Haven, Yanqing always seems to glance around for the potential sight of you because he'd be wearing either his newly washed uniform or his best, polished outfit. The thing is, Yanqing has never dealt with love before. He's never really cared about anything outside of swordsmanship, swords, and being a Cloud Knight, but now you seem to override everything he's been paying attention to, and that's causing him to focus primarily on you, even when his current tasks don't even pertain to you! He finds himself groaning so much everyday now, and it's no longer from the frustration of training.

Love is just a strange thing for this boy, and that's easy to spot. He doesn't understand this furious sting in his gut and heart when he sees you talking to another guy-- hell, just anyone with a sword! It's embarrassing when he thinks about it, but he's sure that he would make for a much better swordsman than anyone else you'd hang out with. He's destined to become the next greatest swordsman in the entirety of the Luofu, so if you wanted to talk to anyone else with a sword, he could be your best bet!

Still, he knows better than to barricade you from friends. He just can't help but feel a slight irk whenever he sees you with someone else. It could be his mind tricking him, but you might be smiling a little wider and a little more with some other guy from the Cloud Knights, and if he gets the chance to see who this guy is exactly, he might request a sparring session with him with you to watch. Would he do that? Maybe. But then Yanqing imagines your sad face to see this other guy hurt, crap, he can't do that! He doesn't even know if you guys are actually friends or not, so what's it to him? He groans so much now, it's so frustrating to even try and grasp what these feelings mean. Why is he so jealous of people who talk to you? Why does he yearn to just be in the same room as you so much? Why does he feel his heart pound at the slightest glance, at the smallest smile, and at the littlest touches that you provide him? He's blushing, crap, why does his face feel so hot right now? The General notices the changes in Yanqing personality, performance, and even his improvement in looks. He asked Yanqing about his frustrations and what's been going on with him as of late, and Yanqing, not knowing what else he could do about this, tells Jing Yuan about his dilemma. He understands the situation immediately, and now that he's caught wind of his potential (literally guaranteed 100%) crush, the General might try pushing you guys together. No more pining, no more screaming into a pillow at two in the morning for Yanqing! It's time to let the confession commence!

STAGE 3 - how he plans for the confession.

Technically, Yanqing hardly does any of the planning. It's mostly Jing Yuan. Jing Yuan plans most, if not all, of your sudden hangouts. Yanqing had once caught the General telling someone that he, Yanqing, wasn't available at the moment because he was about to go on a date… A date? Yanqing? On a date? With you? His face exploded into a beet red, and he refused to listen to the General's pushes for him to go out with you.

However, because of that, you'll notice that Yanqing has been avoiding you for a while. Even if you tried going to his usual sparring sessions, he'd break out into a sweat, he'd start to get nervous and a little red, and he'd ignore you as though you weren't there. Of course, to him, it helps him clear his mind, but as your appearance in his everyday life begins to thin out, and as you begin to talk to other guys, he starts to worry about you and your friendship. He's not dumb; he knows why you're not appearing on his life as much anymore, but now the hurt is starting to sink in. He can't avoid you any longer. The longer you're gone, the more he thinks about you. Yanqing finds himself tugging at his hair in frustration— why can't he just figure this out?!

.

“Talk to them.” Jing Yuan says.

“But, I— I just, I...? I don't know how? I mean, I know how, they're my best friend! It's just... I don't know, I haven't spoken to them at all lately, and—”

“You have a crush on (Name), Yanqing. It's normal for these feelings to arise, but it's useless to push them away. The more you push (Name) away, the bigger the chances of your relationship tearing will become. Talk to (Name), even if it's as friends. They will appreciate it, I know.”

“I...” Yanqing was at a loss for words. “I will. Thanks, General.”

In truth, he never thought that he could lose you through this. How naive, he Yanqing realizes, for him to expect everything to be the same as it was after avoiding you like the plague. Hearing Jing Yuan and his advice, Yanqing fights the urge to bite his nails off at the mere thought of losing you. He doesn't want to, and now he's willing to do as much as he can to stop this potential ending.

So, off Yanqing goes to find you and make amends... and maybe ask you out.

STAGE 4 - the confession.

As if a field of cotton grew in his throat, a lump formed and prevented speech from flowing. Yanqing stood near you, watching you from afar as you hung your feet low towards the ground, kicking them around occasionally in thought. He needed to do something. He needed to say something because he almost felt you slip away from him. You haven't spoken to your friend for a whole month, plus an extra week. You miss him, he misses you, but he's afraid. And you're hurt.

He sees it in your eyes, gloom overriding that spirit he had once seen in you. It lingers in your impassioned brows that nearly meet by the creases made above your nose. You're upset, clearly so, and Yanqing regrets his avoidance when you decide to stand and start towards the exit of the training ground.

"Wait! Don't leave!" You turn around, confused by the voice of your ex-friend. Surprise! It's him. Yanqing stares at you, hesitant and speechless. It's clear that shouting was hardly his plan.

"Yanqing?" You call in awe, "Is that really you?" He panics, realizing that you're running straight for him. Are you mad at him, or are you just happy to see him?! Wait, you must be so mad at him, no way you would just take this situation lightly after all of this time-

But you hug him. Thank Lan and whichever Aeon let this happen! Feeling your embrace, Yanqing thinks that he's forgotten what relief and joy felt like for the whole duration you were gone. He can't deny it, he missed you so much, and from the way his arms reciprocated the tight embrace, you knew that he didn't mean to hurt you.

Yet, you still want to know why he avoided you.

"Yanqing, why'd you leave like that?" You ask, muffled in the sleeves wrapping his shoulder.

"Well- I..." No use lying now. Yanqing fumbles, trying to figure out the words he wants to use. "The General..." No use lying now.

No, you deserve to know why.

"The General told me that I, uhm, apparently... Don't like you as my friend anymore?"

CRUD! What the heck was that response? Don't like you as my friend anymore? Holy hell, I like you so, so much! Yanqing cringed at his own voice. You pull away from the hug, shocked and visibly hurt from what he just said. You- You can't believe him, right? Yanqing prays amidst this awkward pause that the ground swallows him whole.

"...What? You don't- you don't want to be friends? Why? What's wrong with me?"

"No, no, no! Nothing's wrong with you, crap, I actually think you're amazing! I didn't mean what I just said, I meant to say something else- I just- I don't know, I kind of panicked and I-"

"Relax," you put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "tell me what you wanted to say. Just tell me the real reason why you had to avoid me, then."

Yanqing looked at you, the lack of distance nearly shutting him down as a whole. Aeons, after being deprived of your presence for more than a month, he's not used to having you even breathe the same air as him, let alone have your gaze on him while he's fully aware of it. It's overwhelming, his heart is racing, and he can only spew out a few vowels in response.

"It's fine, you're alright, and you'll be alright. Just tell me what you can."

"I- uhhh," tell you what he can? Sure thing, "you see, I..."

"I... I like... you...?"

That was not the response you were expecting.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ @gamergirl029

HEREEE IT IS I'm so sorry that your request took so long, I don't know why I took so long 😭🙏 THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. You are amazing!!!

[arscorpii]

episode 12 / episode 34

episode 12 / episode 37

there were several similarities i noted between the two episodes (12 and 34):

within the specific scenes: both touga and akio reached out and touched utena's left hand with their left hands, but touga covered her hand with his, while akio took her hand into his. in episode 12, utena and touga were accompanied by anthy and wakaba (during the day, out in the open cafeteria), while in episode 34, utena and akio were alone in akio's room (during the night); anthy was aware of it, but she was in her and utena's room and couldn't do much about the matter. anthy also couldn't do much for utena in episode 12 due to the rules of the rose seal (she was engaged to touga). also, the two scenes in episodes 12 and 34 took place after very tragic incidents happened to utena: losing the duel to touga, and consequently, losing anthy as her rose bride versus akio raping her (unarguably even more tragic).

correlation with utena's sense of self: in episode 12, utena tried (and succeeded) to take back who she was via a rematch (losing to touga made her doubt who she was as a person). who utena was as a person at this point may be referring to the role of a prince that she was able to truly embody due to her engagement to the rose bride (e.g., utena saving anthy in episode 3 from anthy's dress incident and then dancing together, utena saving anthy who was trapped in a coffin in episode 9). or, more like how the engagement with the rose bride allowed utena to be more/most like herself, one of which would be largely comprised of the princely ideals she adopted/learned and idealised (as told in her monologue of meeting the prince; utena also said she wanted to be a noble prince who saves princesses in episode 1) (i'm not sure for this part).

in episode 34, we learned the real reason utena had the rose crest ring, the real reason utena wanted to become a prince: to save a little girl suffering a fate worse than death. ultimately, in both situations (episodes 12 and 34), anthy influenced utena's sense of self, to an extent. regarding the prince, taking into account the context of episode 11, i'm quite sure utena still believed that touga was her prince in episode 12. meanwhile, episode 34 gave us (more) indisputable confirmation that akio was the prince that utena met in her past (this fact was heavily hinted at since episode 25). however, i don't think utena made the connection yet at that point. nevertheless, as a whole, in both situations, touga and akio were framed as utena's prince (to utena [episode 12] versus to the audience [episode 34]).

a common conflict/theme underlying both scenes was the pressure of conforming to ideal gender identities and presentations. this was evident in the scene with touga (complimenting utena's girl uniform and asking her out). however, it's infinitely more severe with akio because he was actively grooming utena to that end; some events of this episode were just parts of the long process (in the specific scene: asking if they're friends, mentioning that she didn't take off her ring "that night," trying to kiss her). in addition, the visuals of both touga and akio somewhat covering utena's rose crest ring with their hand gestures could be seen as analogous to them trying to suppress/diminish her princely ideals/role (touga said that losing the duel gave utena a chance at being a normal girl; he then actively tried persuading utena to this end, i.e., the compliment on the uniform and the ask for a date. moreover, touga critised utena for not knowing about the true power of the rose bride when she "fancied herself as anthy's prince." also, to reiterate: akio brought up the fact that utena didn't take off her ring when he raped her while stroking the ring; he expected that that event would be sufficient for utena to take it off [give up the role of the prince]).

i think episode 12 is an interesting foreshadowing/parallelism of some kind for later events in the final arc, with regard to utena/touga/anthy and utena/akio/anthy dynamics.

[thepagansun]

Hi! I know your favorite Iliad character is Agamemnon (I love him too) and I would like to ask, what’s your opinion about Menelaus and his personality? And their relationship with each other?

Thank you for your answer in advance! :D

Hi! Thanks so much for your question! I love Trojan War questions! Especially regarding Agamemnon or his family! 😁

I do like Menelaus, especially in the Iliad. He shares similarities with Patroclus in that they're both kinder than Agamemnon and Achilles respectively and are underestimated as a result.

Combat: Menelaus probably ranks as the 10th strongest warrior since he wasn't included among the top 9 who volunteered to fight Hector. But he was still quite courageous. He dueled and curbstoped Paris. He was the one who asked Big Aias (Ajax) to help a wounded Odysseus and with Athena's help, he was able to protect Patroclus' body and briefly stand against Hector before getting Big Aias again. So he's definitely impressive.

Relationship with Agamemnon: I love their relationship in the Iliad! Their scenes together are brief but sooo touching! Agamemnon really did seem to go to war for Menelaus' sake and not as most modern (far more inaccurate) portrayals that make it seem like he just wanted Troy's wealth (as if Mycenae didn't have more than enough gold). In Book 4, Agamemnon freaks out when he thinks Menelaus got wounded. In Book 6, Agamemnon is so angered by the injustice Menelaus suffered that he kills a Trojan prisoner Menelaus himself was willing to spare. And in Book 10, they share such an emotional, touching scene where Agamemnon defends Menelaus from Nestor's criticism and subtly warns Diomedes against choosing Menelaus for the night raid. He even lends Menelaus his mare so Menelaus could participate in the chariot racing for Patroclus funeral games! Their love for each other was so genuine. And for his part, despite the heartbreaking quarrel Menelaus and Agamemnon had in the Odyssey, Menelaus is inconsolable when he finds out Agamemnon's fate and he erects a barrow for him in his memory.

Relationship with Helen: I do think Menelaus genuinely loved Helen and she loved him. As early as Book 3, Helen makes it clear she regrets leaving with Paris and we find out it was heavily influenced by Aphrodite. And in the Epic Cycle, Menelaus spares Helen's life. And the Odyssey, they seem to live contently (although still grieving their loved ones) and are predicted to live together forever in the Elysian Fields.

Other Notes: But I think sadly, Menelaus' story gets lost in the bigger story of more powerful characters like Agamemnon, Achilles, Big Aias, Diomedes, Hector, Odysseus and even Helen. The quarrel he has with Agamemnon in the Odyssey seems almost necessary for Menelaus to finally have gotten his own story/epic that sadly is lost to us. We only have a glimpse of his wanderings in Egypt through the Odyssey and the play Helen by Euripedes. But the Athenian plays should be taken with a grain of salt for his portrayal because the Athenians were biased against Spartans due to the Peloponnesian War.😔

In short, I think Menelaus was a tragic epic hero whose story sadly gets overshadowed by others. But I love that the small bits that survive prove that he was almost as fascinating as Agamemnon. I hope this helps! 😊

[cosmerelists]

Interviewing My Wife About The Cosmere: Part 2

My wife has not read any Cosmere books. All of her knowledge comes from me and this blog. But last time, when I interviewed her about the Cosmere, you guys seemed to enjoy it!

So here is part two. This time, she must determine whether I am describing Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin...or Szeth. The guy she can never remember.

1. Part 1: The Introduction

Question: Okay, to make sure this is fair, please identify each of the characters. Who are Kaladin, Shallan, Adolin & Szeth?

"Kaladin: sad boy with spear." "Shallan: lady with multiple personalities." "Adolin: no powers. Poops in his armor." "Szeth..." [Pause. Momentary look of pure panic] "Wait! It's GO WHITE BOY GO"

2. Part 2: Identifying Their Murders

Question: Who stabbed someone through the eye in a dark alley?

"Adolin!!" [Under what circumstances?] "Dunno! I just remember that you said he didn't kill people in duels but he did once kill someone in an alley!"

Question: Who strangled someone to death slowly while singing a lullaby?

"Well that sounds scary, so....Shallan!"

Question: Who threw a spear tip through the eye hole in someone's armor?

"Kaladin! Spear boy!"

Question: Who just LOVES lashing people to the sky until the power runs out and they drop to their death?

"................Wait, is it one to one? Because I would say Kaladin! He's sky boy!" [It's one to one] "Huh! Go white boy go I guess!"

3. Part 3: Identifying their Talents

Question: Who is canonically trained in ice skating?

"Shallan?" [Why?] "Because she's artsy fartsy." [It's not Shallan] "Adolin? He's a rich boy." [Nope.] "White boy???" [Yes!] "Huh. Well good for him I guess."

Question: Who is canonically good at drawing?

"That's Shallan!!"

Question: Who loves horses?

"Adolin right? Because Kaladin is, like, scared of them."

Question: Then who is good at rock climbing?

"My baby!! I'm so proud of him!!!"

4. Part 4: Miscellaneous

Question: Who said, "I don't want to study. I want to be dead."

"Adolin because he's a himbo? Wait! He can't read! Then it must be Shallan?" [Nope.] "White boy???" [Yes!]

Question: Who set a ship on fire to escape from pirates?

"Shallan. She seems to escape a lot from things. Mostly trauma. That seems traumatic."

Question: Who reads fashion magazines?

"Adolin of course!"

Question: So who said, "Honor is dead but I'll see what I can do."

"Kaladin! That's your favorite thing!" [Until the next part] "Why what's the next part?"

Part 5: Predictions

Question: This one won't have answers, but I want you to predict the ultimate fate of each character in Stormlight 5. We'll see if you get any correct!

"Kaladin will be dead. So. Because he's a sad boy and that's what they do with sad boys." "Shallan will...merge personalities maybe?" "Adolin will have a power with his buddy. Hopefully she won't scream too much." "White boy is there. Hmmm...maybe he'll be a world hopper! Yeah! He's weird enough to be a world hopper!"

So there you have it, folks!

[heiayen]

so, when i die, which i must do neuvillette x gn!reader

summary: "how unfortunate it was, that the later you longed for… never came. not how you wished for it to do." of fate's cruel joke and tragedy

tags: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, braiding neuvie's hair!! fluff/angst. reader gets shot but it isn't described in details. not proofread

notes: i don't know how to write neuvillette. alsooo at first it was meant to just be a fluffy fic of braiding neuvie's hair but thanks to écrin network yall are getting angst <3 and yes. the title is mitski lyrics

Every morning, you would wake up early to braid Neuvillette's hair.

It started as something small at first, as hushed morning conversations in bed, with your fingers lazily braiding a strand of his hair. It was always sloppy, a little out of shape and you would always unbraid it before he would leave the bed— and you back to sleep, but… it was here. Always was here, a quiet declaration of your love for him.

Only with time did it evolve into actual braids. You remembered clearly this one time when you woke up in surprisingly good spirits and with the sudden urge to properly braid his hair.

He didn't refuse, because how could he? Seeing the shine in your eyes as you asked him, his only choice was to say yes.

He looked beautiful, you remembered.

The braid wasn't perfect, no, far from it even. One of the three strands was a little thicker than the other, the shape was a little off at the end but, really, you just woke up minutes ago and were running on nothing but pure will and adoration for this man. You'd make a perfect braid for him later, you said to yourself.

And as your hands moved to brush your fingers through the strands to free his hair from the plait, he stopped you.

He wanted to wear it for the rest of the day, you remembered him saying. That he didn't care about it not being perfect.

It was yours and it made you happy.

He looked so beautiful, smiling softly at you.

That day marked the beginning of your little tradition of braiding his hair every morning, and today was no different, accompanied by your rambling about the upcoming day.

"…wish I could sleep longer today, though. Right after I am done with the fighting, I will go to your office and take a nap there."

Today was an important day for you. You were one of the Champion Duelists, known for your elegant, but efficient swordplay, and today you had a duel to win. You were confident in your skills and, if anything, more worried for the man who challenged you. He didn't seem like someone adept at swords enough to win, but if he wished to fight for his honor, then it was his choice.

"You are welcome to do as you wish, love. But be careful during the duel." Came his reply in a low voice, with traces of morning sleepiness evident in his tone, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

You appreciated his concern despite your confidence. It made warmth bloom somewhere inside you, as you continued gently brushing his long hair.

"Only Clorinde surpasses my skills as a fighter, there's no reason for you to worry about me." You said softly, finally putting the brush away and starting to part his hair, "But no matter, I will be careful either way."

You leaned to peck his cheek before you went back to braiding. You and Neuvillette talked about mundane things for the rest of it. You shared your plans for the rest of the day, how you planned to meet up with Clorinde in the afternoon, feed her some good desserts or just food because, archons, you two finally managed to find a moment of free time to meet up and talk and you wouldn't pass on the occasion to share your favorite sweets and other dishes, no.

When you were finally finished, you tied it with his usual ribbon and moved from your place behind him to get up from bed. You stood in front of him, smiling.

"It's all done!" You clapped your hands and gestured at Neuvillette with your hands, "You can now go and do your important court duties, dove."

A small chuckle slipped past his lips and he reached out to hold your hands, tug you a little closer to him.

"Thank you, love." He got up and placed a gentle kiss on each of your hands, for your hard work, "I'll be waiting for you to come later."

You wished the later could come faster and that today wasn't so busy for you both. How you wished to spend the entire day with just him, his loving embrace, and the blooming warmth in your chest.

"Me too."

How unfortunate it was, that the later you longed for… never came. Not how you wished for it to do.

In all of your confidence you failed to notice the conspiracy, the tragedy brewing behind the shadows. You took your safety for granted, believing you wouldn't get hurt because why? You were so good at it, and the man who challenged you barely seemed to know how to hold his blade and–

Maybe that was your undoing. The damned self-confidence that prevented you from understanding what was really happening before it was too late.

Only when someone yelled in the crowd, the defeated man smiled wickedly at you from the ground, only when your eyes met the gun's barrel did you realize that your safety never was granted, and that being the Iudex's lover had its price one you didn't wish to pay any soon.

He was your beloved, your Neuvillette in the warm embrace of your arms and at home. Your lover, for whom you would do anything, even if it meant waking up early just to braid his hair and sleepily mumble into his shoulder, your fingers doing the job on their own but in people's eyes you were one of the Champion Duelists, someone important to the Iudex of Fontaine, a playing card in a greater scheme of revenge.

Right.

Before you could react, the bullet hit its goal and you fell to the ground, gasping in shock and scowling in pain. You stared at the man who shot you before someone came and dragged him away, another person trying to move you away, but you could already feel your consciousness slowly slipping away from you.

You weren't ready to pay with your life for simply loving, and yet the decision was made for you.

Your lips parted as you tried to say your lover's name before losing consciousness but you barely managed to utter it, light as a whisper and as lovely as a prayer.

Oh, no.

You didn't want to leave him. Not yet, not anytime soon, not at all, not before spending an eternity with him. Was it foolish to wish for it? To wish for something impossible, yet something your heart longed for?

You wanted to braid his hair again, get all the rainbow roses and other flowers, and ribbons, and weave it into the strands. You wanted to kiss him once more, share your favorite desserts, and talk about your day to him, sleep peacefully knowing he was next to you, knowing that you were–

To think about it, you never were safe, not with how fate loved cruel jokes and tragedy.

Someone's warm, gloved hand cupped your cheek and soon, you could feel the first drops of rain on your skin. You wanted to speak an apology into his palm, but you didn't have enough strength for it anymore.

It seemed the rain wouldn't stop for a long time.

[highladyjane]

Love vs. Fate

ACOTAR foreshadowed the whole love triangle with this

Which I believe is the background for this part of this interview - where sure, Sarah may try to play things off:

But I find that interesting, because TOG's ending clearly said this (Kingdom of Ash, Ch.98)

And CC's ending said this (House of Flame and Shadow, Ch. 98)

So isn't it funny that all of SJM's books are all about defying Gods, Odds, and Fate through acts of True Love, aaaand people still think that Elain, Azriel, AND Lucien are just going to do what everyone and that corrupted Cauldron expects and tells them to do in the end because "Sarah's a fated mates author", and because that's what they've been doing their whole lives prior to encountering each other?

Can't people connect the dots and see the real pattern of her books? Because it's pretty frickin' obvious to me.

"What if the Cauldron was wrong?" is just the beginning of fighting for that HEA.

And I am sorry, not sorry, because as of ACOFAS, ACOSF, and the bonus chapters, there's not a single hint of Elain wanting to bridge the gap with her Cauldron-given mate... But rather a lot of her initiating the bridging of a gap between her and a certain Shadowsinger/Spymaster who confirms in his very own POV that he has feelings for her, but has been trying to stay away because he struggles with feelings of unworthiness - especially because a damned Cauldron gave her to another on top of that.

So if Elain's choosing anyone, it won't be because of any mating bond. No, Elain...

I may be primarily pro Elriel but I'm also pro-Lucien, so I want him to be happy too. I just think he deserves someone who readily wants and chooses him back, mating bond or not... So I am pretty sure he's asking the very same questions Az is asking. Sure, Elucien can still happen -there's just going to have to be a great deal of retconning, including ignoring all the build-up and crumbs Sarah has scattered throughout her books to make it feel unforced. But just like with Rhys' or Tamlin's etc. parents, not everyone accepting their mating bond is going to guarantee a HEA. And once Lucien finds out about his true parentage and the truth about the Cauldron, now that he's an exile with no High Lord to submit to... I'm pretty sure he's going to start finally fighting about what he truly thinks is right and his own freedom to choose and to love - something he didn't get to do for Jesminda. And no, it wouldn't be through a Blood Duel for a mate that was "thrown at him".

So there's no need for "I just want ______ to be happy" or "_____ doesn't deserve ______." Because none of these 3 are going to end up without a HEA in an SJM book where a character can barely stay dead for longer than 3 minutes.

[lilibethwrites]

Growing Pains

Part 2 (of 4): “To Crave What is Given to Another”

Part 1 - Part 3 - Part 4 (finale)

Silence continues to prove to be Y/N and Aemond’s greatest foe. Like two dragons locked in a dance, the Prince and the Princess dance back and forth around each other with their teeth buried deep in each other’s necks. Although love is patient, fate is not and as the window of opportunity slowly closes, they must overcome their pride and fear to make a move, or risk drifting apart for ever.

 Warnings: vague and brief allusions to NSFW topics.

  A.N: I initially planned weekly updates, and yet the devil works hard but my undying love and thirst for Aemond works harder.

 Word count: 5245

 Several days have gone by without a single word being exchanged between Y/N and Aemond except when the courtly decorum required it. He sat across from her as they broke their fast and dined at evenings as usual, and yet where he would attempt to catch her gaze to speak, as he had once put it, through their eyes, he had turned his chair away from her direction. Where Aegon’s inappropriate remarks or Helaena’s sweet interjections were occasions to pull the corners of his lips upwards and train his gaze on Y/N’s to catch her smiling back, he bowed his head and concentrated on a slice of breakfast pie with a deep frown that aged his handsome features beyond their years.

 The training sessions in the courtyard were even worse. Used to be, Y/N watched from the stone balcony as Aemond trained with Ser Criston Cole, her brothers either watching from the sidelines or joining forces with Ser Criston in hopes of putting a dent in Aemond’s streak of wins. They never managed, and Aemond always reminded Y/N that he attributed it almost as much to her favor as he did it to his impeccable swordsmanship skills. Although he hated tournaments and the false knights parading around pretending to be real warriors, Aemond didn’t turn Y/N down whenever she insisted that he pretend his training was a tournament for a moment, and ask for her favor in the form of a newly made crochet under the guidance of a patient Septa, or a few flowers freshly plucked from the garden and knotted together with a silk ribbon. If he was lucky enough, Y/N would even rise on her toes to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. Once, Aemond would fondly remember, her lips closed around his scarred cheek as part of her favor. He could swear nothing had gone wrong that whole day. He wondered, however, if she wiped her mouth in disgust when he turned his back to duel Ser Criston. How could he know that Y/N ran her fingertips across her lips the entire practice, praying to Gods to never allow her mind to forget what it felt like to feel the scar she so loved to feel on her fingertips on her lips as well.

 Now, Aemond trained with more rigor and fury and with fewer breaks in between. He stomped to the castle yard for his tutelage right after breakfast, and never once looked up. Even when Y/N attempted to cheer his victories, he kept his head bowed and away from her balcony.

 Y/N always cherished the servants as her friends, much to her mother’s dismay. So it infuriated Rhaenyra when the word reached her ears that Y/N helped the girls serve honeyed wine and sweetcakes to the boys as they took a moment from their sword practice. “You wish to be a cupbearer so much, we must send you off to the Hightowers as a squire in a boy’s disguise,” she would reprimand Y/N later. It was a desperate attempt to exchange a few words with Aemond, but instead, he’d carefully retreated to a far corner of the yard with Ser Criston, engaged in a heated discussion with his tutor.

 It was unlike Y/N to give up the chase, so she settled with a heavy tome on her lap, left unattended, of course, as she watched Aemond spar—and noticed just how difficult it was to restrain herself from jumping up from the seat and clap each time Aemond disarmed Ser Criston and held his blade mere inches away from his neck or heart.

 Meanwhile, her handmaiden echoed the gossip Y/N had already heard in pieces but paid very little attention to. Prince Aemond took after a certain Rogue Prince and suddenly started to frequent the Flea Bottom and just as suddenly became a valued patron of a few brothels along the Street of Silk.

 “It is unlike him to do so, Camylle,” Y/N protested.

 “My lady, everyone says it so—”

 “Besides, why would you bring it to my attention? I won’t indulge baseless gossip. It doesn’t concern me.” Though it did concern Y/N plenty that Aemond suddenly grew leagues apart from her and chose to spend his evening with whores instead of stealing her away to idle under the weirwood tree until their eyes could remain barely open. It also forced her mind to conjure up images that both embarrassed and intrigued her. A princess had very little to be jealous of a common whore, but still, some things remained as objects of her envy and desire, it seemed.

 “Forgive me for my insolence, my lady, but some say that, well, as I said, forgive my insolence—”

 “Spit it out, would you?” Y/N pressed the book close with all the fury she’d redirected from the girl stalling.

 “They say that the girls the Prince lay with—he calls them, well, by your name. He is quite brutish and scary, too, if they… well,” the poor servant was trembling now, and Y/N’s eyes threatened to roll out of their sockets.

 “Well, they say that he is rather displeased when the girls are not behaved… like you. I swear this is no slander, my lady. The squires have overheard it from the Hand and Spymaster.”

 Camylle didn’t need to swear on the Gods—Y/N believed her. The two girls grew up together, and she became Y/N’s most trusted confidante over the years. Yet, she found what the girl had just relayed outlandish—impossible. Aemond, at brothels, with girls who resembled herself and called them by her name? But why? The way she perceived, for all those years, Aemond never showed interest in Y/N in a way that suggested anything beyond a friendly bond. Perhaps a drunken worm misheard the name as her own and Otto Hightower jumped to a conclusion—now that wasn’t unlike him to do so. And even worse, if everyone knew, then Aemond knew how far and wide the word had travelled already as well.

 “Have you got any sweetcakes left?” Y/N spoke up without averting her eyes from Ser Criston and Aemond clashing their blades.

 The servant girl held the silver tray out in confusion, and didn’t speak again until Y/N dismissed her after the morning practice was over. With the sweetcake with the sugared lemon slice on top, the kind Aemond liked the best, secured on her open palm, Y/N followed the Prince to the armory where he was taking off his chest armor.

 Y/N took a moment to take his figure in, and to calm her heart beating rapidly against her chest. Aemond’s hair was turning curly where it was drenched in sweat, and a handful of strands stuck to his sweaty neck as he unbuckled the heavy armor, seemingly unaware of his quiet spectator.

 A cough to clear Y/N’s throat made him turn in an instant, a slight look of surprise in his eye.

 “You—ahem, you haven’t had a drop of sweetwine nor a piece of sweetcake all morning. Here, I brought you one.”

 Aemond’s sword hand almost reached to embrace Y/N’s smaller one to take the pastry, but hesitation seemingly got the better of him, as his hand instead moved up to loosen the laces of his coat.

 “Thank you, but I have lost my appetite.”

 “Oh? Not coming down with the fever, are you?”

 It was silly, really. Y/N set the cake down on a nearby table and reached for Aemond’s sweaty forehead without a thought. It felt natural to check on him as she has always done, and she didn’t think much of it until the taller Prince went stiff under her touch. So, she pulled her hand back as if it was burnt on a fireplace, though their bodies remained close.

 “Well, you seem to be—”

 “I have something to tell you,” Aemond spoke matter-of-factly. If Y/N knew him any less, she could’ve mistaken his tone for being curt. But he sounded dispirited. Was it about the ugly slander that seemingly kept the mouth of every young maiden busy around the Red Keep? Was he going to own up to it? Denounce it?

 Aemond took a deep breath that swelled his already broad chest up. “I am to fly to Storm’s End tomorrow. I hope to make it back for Aegon’s wedding.”

 “Oh.” Oh, indeed. Was Y/N disappointed that Aemond didn’t abruptly confess to having improper thoughts about her? That he reciprocated feelings that even Y/N herself couldn’t quite understand, let alone confess to.

 “That is unexpected. May I come with?”

 “No,” Aemond responded coldly. He turned his back to undo the rest of his armor.

 “May I ask why?”

  “You may not.” Now, he spoke curtly.

 “Then tell me why you must leave so suddenly, and for so long, too.”

 Aemond turned around once again and spoke with nothing but chilling cold in his voice and without the tender, comforting look in his eye that Y/N came to crave, and perhaps had taken for granted.

 “Instead you tell me why you must stand here all day interrogating me when you must have more pressing, better matters to attend to—like courting a legion of lords and knights petitioning for your hand.” Aemond all but spat the words out with very little hesitation or thought, as if he had pondered on them for days and prepared a speech in his mind. It took Y/N by surprise, naturally, and by the time his words registered enough for her to formulate a response—Aemond dealt his deadly blow.

 “If you must know so, I am to marry one of the Baratheon girls. The Hand has been asking me time and again to choose one as my betrothed, and last week I said I would.”

 And with that, a sword buried itself deep inside her heart and twisted to draw out even more blood; Aemond walked past Y/N and out of the armory. His eye, like Y/N’s own, was glassy with welled-up tears of anger, frustration and heartbreak.

 Aemond Targaryen was nothing if not prideful to a fault, and Y/N Velaryon was nothing if not a stubborn, silly fool. So, neither did Aemond turn heel and rush back to the armory to speak what he sincerely felt, and fantasized in his chambers about saying, nor did Y/N chase after Aemond to confess what little she could make sense of her feelings she’s harbored ever since she knew him. Perhaps, Gods didn’t will it so, and it was for the best that they would drift apart the way they did. Perhaps a Lannister husband wasn’t the end of the world and the bane of her happiness, after all.

 But perhaps a Lannister husband was exactly that. The days of Aemond’s absence took a toll on Y/N rather quickly. She found herself unwilling to get out of bed and she ate very little. Who would have known that the real charm of the breakfast tables wasn’t the delicious cakes and pies and hot drinks? The days went by dreadfully slow, starting and ending with an empty chair where Aemond used to sit, and with the memories of all the sweet moments they have shared keeping her awake at night when the candles were put out.

 The noble maidens Y/N shared lessons from the Septa with speculated that perhaps Aemond was exiled for his indiscretion, and one or two were, supposedly, even brave enough to gossip behind Y/N’s back that the Prince and Y/N were caught in an indecent manner, that she was given moon tea, and that was why he took off hurriedly, chased off by her step-father, Prince Daemon himself.

 “I wish it were so,” Y/N wanted to say. It would’ve been easier that way. It would’ve meant she’d finally garnered the courage to confess to her true feelings, and that Aemond somehow, miraculously reciprocated. And if they were caught locked in a passionate embrace, so be it. They would mount their dragons, leave all the nonsense of the court and the throne behind and fly away to somewhere warmer and with less rain and mud.

 Y/N was the most nervous of all as the date of Aegon’s wedding approached. Would Aemond make it back in time as he said he would try? Would he have his betrothed on Vhagar, behind his back? Would they marry so soon after Aegon? Why were the Gods so cruel as to push them so far apart when the next wedding instead could very well have been theirs?

 The day of the wedding eventually arrived, but Aemond didn’t. Y/N felt lonelier than ever as the lords and ladies flooded the Red Keep, walking arms in arms, dancing and laughing. The celebrations started early, way before the sun had set. Y/N, despite her companion, the young and arrogant Lannister lord’s pleas to dance with him and to walk with him and to have a slice of pie with him, seated herself across from the weirwood tree that she once sat under frequently with Aemond.

 “I don’t see what is so fascinating about that tree that you must watch it for hours!” He finally protested, but received no answer from Y/N except for a dismissive grunt.

 “How dare they,” she was busy thinking to himself. “How dare they sit under our tree where we once talked and laughed and dreamed.”

 The servants’ announcement took Y/N out of her trance. The weather was turning bad and the guests were encouraged to take the celebration inside the Red Keep earlier. The blue sky was indeed a darker shade now, the sun nowhere to be seen. So Y/N stood up languidly. The velvet gown sewn just for this occasion was quite heavy as it was, she didn’t mind if it soaked up all the downpour and cemented her to the garden. She would make a rather sad, rotting, fleshy statue for Aemond’s wedding ceremony. People would come to watch her, and she would serve as a cautionary tale against being so folly as to fall in love with a cruel Prince.

 Soon after, however, it was understood that the weather was fine all along. It was Vhagar that eclipsed the clouds and the rays of sunshine behind her enormous wings, and her landing—which shook the Red Keep from its foundation to the heavy roof and gave the inexperienced guest a proper scare—revealed the golden hue of the setting sun.

 A strange, warm ache took over Y/N’s body completely at the announcement. The Hand rose from his seat next to King Viserys as he was to welcome the Prince, and the Prince would join the celebrations in no time. He would no doubt walk in with a Baratheon girl in his arm, his wife-to-be! The thought disgusted the Princess so much so that (and almost as much as the Lannister lord), her own date asked if she had a case of bad stomach and needed to be excused for a moment.

 “No,” Y/N said simply, her eyes now trained on the heavy doors that were shut behind Otto Hightower.

 “It must be the wine. Surely. As I said, we Lannisters at Casterly Rock harvest the best grapes and plums in all of Westeros and naturally, they age into the tastiest wines. They are very expensive, granted, but they are not for the poor and of the low-born, anyway.”

 “Uh uh. Charming,” Y/N muttered, not a single word of the finest fruits which made the finest wines heard on her part.

 The doors creaked open, and the arrival of the Hand and the Prince were announced. For days, Y/N dreamed of the moment Aemond would descend from Vhagar, and she dreamed of how she would be the first to welcome him, to embrace him, damn the consequences! Instead, her heart ceased to pump blood, and her stomach twisted and dropped like a goat served to the dragons in the Pit. In a moment of panic, she turned to her date and suitor and all but demanded that he danced with her. She couldn’t bear watching Aemond walk in with a girl in his arm—she would look smug and proud, too. Of course she would. Who earned the right to boast more than the maiden chosen by none other than Prince Aemond?

 The dance and the feast didn’t stop for Aemond’s arrival, as Y/N assumed he had wanted. He was never one for the theatrics of the throne, and Aegon was too busy sulking and wallowing in self-pity to celebrate the return of his younger brother, either.

 So Y/N danced, out of rhythm, without much grace or coordination, and with eyes stinging with tears held back. She wasn’t even sure if the musicians still played, and she paid very little mind to who she was dancing with each time the partners switched back and forth. Was she beautiful, the Baratheon girl? Was she shorter or taller than Y/N? Surely, she couldn’t be a dragon rider? But what good would that do when her husband-to-be had claimed the fiercest dragon in all of Westeros? Did she make up for what she lacked in a dragon by being sweeter and more ladylike? Maybe her hips were larger, too. She’s heard from the Septas that it was important that a lady had large hips, which meant safer childbirths… or something like that. No matter, what was done was done. She could learn to warm up to the Lannister lord. Her mother was right, it could’ve been worse.

 “O—of course. Yes, my—” Y/N’s suitor spoke, no, stuttered. Did she say any of her thoughts out loud? She would have to apologize as they turned to face each other and link arms again as the dance went on. Instead of the sour face of her Lannister husband-to-be, however, stood in front of the Princess none other than Prince Aemond with his arm held out for her to take, and a lopsided smile on his face.

 “A-aemond?!”

 “Y/N,” He nodded, taking her hand to wrap her velvet-clad arm around his, dancing to the lively music as the rest of the guests also did.

 “You—” The excitement and surprise paralyzed Y/N’s thoughts, a snarky remark about how his new lady-wife-to-be might be jealous didn’t come to her. Besides, maybe if Y/N refused to acknowledge her, she might disappear like a dreadful nightmare at the first lights of the dawn. “You’re back,” Y/N said instead in sincere happiness.

 “Yes. I wouldn’t miss… this.”

 Oh, how she missed the cynical, stoic side of him that mocked the ridiculous pretences of the court; she often told him that only his disdain made such events bearable for Y/N. Well, his disdain and himself.

 “Of course. Who wouldn’t love… this?” Y/N echoed his mocking tone, to which Aemond gave a smile as they took two steps forward and one backward, switching arms and leaning closer to one another.

 “You must. By the looks of things, yours is next.”

 The nerve of him! As they both stepped away from each other to exchange partners for a few steps, Y/N simmered in anger. Last she remembered, it was he who got on his dragon and brought a wife back in such a hurry.

 “Mine?!” she whisper-shouted as they reunited in the dance. “You must forget your own lady wife-to-be. Besides—where is she? Shouldn’t you be dancing with her ins—”

 “There isn’t one,” unbeknownst to Y/N, he Aemond only grabbed a cup of wine as the servant passed to stop himself from speaking more, to stop the words from escaping his mouth that there wouldn’t be one unless Y/N herself had changed her mind on marriage, and perhaps about him, too. Though Aemond was convinced all seven Gods had to come together to create a miracle big enough to have Y/N regard him as anything other than an ugly, short-tempered brute.

 There wasn’t one? There wasn’t one! Y/N put all her restored happiness into her next spin. Though it was rather short-lived. Surely, it must be because he didn’t find the girls suitable, or another, more profitable arrangement came up. One way or the other, he would marry soon. Why would he suddenly agree to a marriage in the first place otherwise?

 “But, why?”

 Aemond only shrugged. They were beautiful, but not as beautiful as Y/N. They were smart, but not as smart as Y/N. They just were not her. The Hand almost had a heart attack when Aemond unmounted Vhagar without a wife; and Aemond assured—or rather, silenced him that if he so wanted the Storm’s End for the crown, he’d fly back and conquer it with his dragon and steel, but he wouldn’t marry those ‘bitches’, as he rather lovingly referred to them. His mind was made up on the matter.

 Before Y/N could inquire further, the music concluded and a thunderous collective of applause came from the dancing lords and ladies, who now either slowly retreated to their seats at the feast tables or stood around chatting. Aemond bowed his head to Y/N’s curtsy and turned around to make for the tables without another word—as if he had not just landed after days of being gone and broke the news that brought back to life Y/N’s dead and withering heart.

 “Wait,” she reached for his arm, and he stopped in his tracks. Well, it would have been silly to let him disappear into the crowd of guests, but Y/N’s mind was too overwhelmed to come up with something to say, so she stood, fidgeting and playing with the silk ribbons hanging from her sleeves.

 “I’m… very happy that you returned safely.” And without a girl in your arm.

 “Thank you,” he smiled, as though he did not want to disappear into the crowd either, but struggled to come up with an excuse to keep the conversation alive. It was funny how once they could sit and chat from sunrise to sundown, lamenting that the days weren’t long enough to put a dent in all the things they wanted to say to one another. And yet, here they were now, desperate for something to say so they could remain in each other’s company for just a turn of the hourglass longer. Well, Y/N had several words to speak, but they were better left unspoken. Tragically, Aemond lamented the very same at that very same moment.

 “I should return you to your escort,” he spoke dejectedly. He knew a defeat when he suffered one.

 “No, please don’t. Aemond, I can’t stand him. He’s insufferable. I would very much like to strangle him in his sleep, actually.”

 Aemond’s face lit up, and he drained his fresh cup in delight. “I could do it for you right now.”

 “You would? I would pay you a golden dragon—no, two golden dragons.”

 “Which one was he again?” He pretended to look around the crowd to find the Lannister lord with a mischievous smile. “I can’t tell, they all look the same.”  

 He must have cut a particularly intimidating figure, even across from the throne room without a word spoken, as the poor Lannister boy hurried away from where Aemond and Y/N stood like a horse from a dragon. A brief moment of silence was followed by hearty laughter from both the Prince and the Princess. They both held each other and laughed, laughed until Y/N had to wipe the tears from her eyes and Aemond had to hide his lips, twitched and curled up, behind his hand. They both realized in silent coordination that they had missed this.

 Aemond cleared his throat to stifle his laughter, which still somehow found a way to slip through his parted lips like melted snow under the castle windows. He was handsome like this, nothing like his usual, threatening self. Instead, he was like the sweeter, gentler boy he once was. Life certainly would’ve been better if they could have remained like that, under the weirwood tree with his head on Y/N’s lap, likening clouds to sheep and the old Septa’s breasts.

 “I’ve had my fill of this ceremony,” Aemond bent to whisper in Y/N’s ear, his spicy perfume mixed in with the reek of dragons and the smell of honeyed wine.

 “Already? But you’ve just arrived.” Y/N hoped the disappointment Aemond’s words brought to her didn’t bleed into hers. She had hoped he would spend the rest of the evening with her.

 Aemond shrugged once again, reaching for a bottle that was just served to a noble family. Though, of course, when the patriarch looked up to reprimand the wine thief, he found it to be Prince Aemond, and his life for a bottle of wine didn’t seem like a fair barter.

 “Are you not coming?” He turned back to Y/N standing where Aemond had left her, sulking. “I don’t have a partner, and yours seems to have run off all the way back to Casterly Rock on foot. That makes you, dear Y/N, mine.”

 Aemond seemed to be in good spirits then. Y/N chalked it up to wine, she wouldn’t indulge in false hopes that would leave her upset and heartbroken. The idea that she would be his, not until the haze of the wine has faded, or the evening’s celebrations have come to an end, but for all their lives, was a dangerous poison. If Y/N allowed it to course through her veins, she couldn’t recover from the heartbreak that the Prince was sure to bring down upon her.

 “I will gladly play the part of your prisoner, my Prince,” she beamed up nevertheless, and with the fire that Aemond’s smile ignited in her, she grabbed a bottle of wine from one of the tables as well, and gave her arm to Aemond.

 Several guests were staring at them, some hiding their disapproving murmurs and gossip behind their jewelled hands, and some looking at their partners as if to say they had told them so: Look, they ARE in love. He must be bedding her, no doubt.

 “They are staring,” Y/N whispered.

 “Don’t they always do?”

 It was endearing how little he cared about others’ opinions, yet sometimes, especially when their reputations and virtues were at stake, it could be frustrating. Y/N nudged him, trying to separate her body from his in an attempt to stifle the gossip as they tore through the crowd. Aemond, however, tightened his grip on her arm and pulled her petite frame even closer, flush to his taller one.

 “Who’s staring?” He raised his voice booming with the untamed fury he came to be known for. He turned his attention from Y/N to stare down at the guests who quickly averted their eyes and busied themselves with the tapestries hanging from the walls or the freshly served food. “Point them out and I will have their eyes.”

 The sudden change back to his savagely frightening disposition could’ve taken anyone else by surprise, but not Y/N. Ever since they were kids, even before he had claimed Vhagar, Aemond always reserved a side of fierce wrath for anyone brave or stupid enough to bother Y/N. Knowing Aemond never made empty threats, and he was more than capable of unleashing great cruelty against his enemies, it would’ve terrified any other girl, and it should’ve terrified Y/N as well. Instead, it filled her with a warm wave of pleasure and pride from head to toe. She stood a little straighter, a little taller, held her head high and looked the lords and ladies in the eyes as they walked past them.

 “Well, that was a proper spectacle from a Prince who claims strong dislike for them,” Y/N teased Aemond once the commotion of the ceremony was left behind them. As they walked aimlessly, now hand in hand, their feet brought them to the weirwood tree.

 “You would draw blood at your brother’s wedding?” For me?

 “It would’ve cheered up the poor man. Have you seen his face? He might as well be walking to his execution after this.”

 It was a rare occasion for Y/N to sympathise with Aegon. Yet she imaged herself in his stead, forced into a marriage when her heart and mind laid elsewhere.

 Aemond plopped himself down at the weirwood’s roots unceremoniously, pulling Y/N down with him as he held her hand in his still.

 The night had fallen like a heavy, starry blanket that swallowed up the sun. He looked up at the sky, his face impossible to read as he took a sip from the bottle and held it out for Y/N. Though she had snatched a bottle of her own, it was sweeter to drink from where Aemond’s lips had just been. Perhaps that was the closest she could ever get to them in her lifetime.

 “You are awfully quiet. What is on your mind?” Y/N nudged him playfully. Aemond inhaled deeply once more before his head lulled to the side, to stare into Y/N’s eyes. How could the Princess know that he could never be honest? “You, us,” he fancied admitting, but he guessed she would rise to her feet swiftly, and denounce him as a pervert for having such improper thoughts. Besides, what would a beautiful lady, whether she liked the designation or not, ever want with a man like him?

 So, Aemond only bit his lip for a moment and reached for the bottle nursed in Y/N’s velvet lap. He wrapped his big, calloused hand over her soft one and allowed himself to enjoy the sensation for a moment. He’d think back on this night as his sole source of comfort once she inevitably married that Lannister and slipped away from his fingers.

 “I would have done it for free,” he murmured, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

 Y/N only looked at him, smiling, but puzzled.

 “The ratcatcher. The Lannister cat. I’d have strangled him for you, for free.”

 “Aemond,” Y/N chuckled, slapping his shoulder playfully. “He’s not a cat. He’s a lion. At least, supposed to be.”

 “Is he? Could have fooled me. Either way, a lion is only good for feeding a dragon.”

 Surely, Prince Aemond wasn’t jealous of a pompous Lannister lord, and not on Y/N’s account. She could swear he saw her nothing more than as a friend, and she insisted on it so each time her handmaiden and confidante raised the question of Aemond’s true feelings for her. His special treatment of her, the Princess argued, was only because he was a kind gentleman of the proper ilk, nothing more. Aemond had nothing to be jealous of, well, anyone. He could have it all—the same could almost be said for the Princess, except for the one thing she has wanted the most. Yes, the Maester of history should mark her down on the family tree as “The Princess Who Almost Had It All”.

 “Don’t be so cruel,” Y/N said despite her amusement at Aemond’s remark.

 She laid her head on his shoulder, like the good times of the past. Aemond was quick to rest his chin atop her tight braids, inhaling the soap mixed with scented oils, the scent that visited his senses when he found himself alone and his hand idly travelling down the waistband of his breeches. He knew he should have pulled away, it only served to test his resolve, which, he feared, was already at an end. It was like gazing at a pie you were forbidden from tasting, the more you indulged your eyes, the more your stomach grumbled for it. Yet, that night, under the bleeding eyes of the godstree, he gave in.

Tag list (let me know if you'd like to be added to it): 

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[incandescentsims]

Magical Mythical Creatures Legacy Challenge

Play through all the sims 4 occult life states and develop your legacy across seven generations.

Feel free to change anything to fit your own gameplay/storytelling style and above all have fun!

Parts of this challenge were inspired by the Simblr Halloween Challenge created by @spacenez and @daddy-winter 

You can also find the full seven generation legacy challenge HERE (Google Doc).

Generation 1 - VAMPIRE

Aspiration: Master Vampire

Traits: Music Lover, Erratic, Gloomy

Career: Freelance Artist

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Vampiric Lore

Pipe Organ and/or Violin

Cross-Stitch

Painting

Objectives:

Start as a vampire or be turned into a vampire.

Live in Forgotten Hollow.

level up to Rank 5 – Grand Master Vampire.

Grow at least one plasma fruit tree and Sixam mosquito trap.

Earn the Night Owl trait from the reward store.

Marry a vampire. (vampire spouse must be in the Criminal career)

Have an affair with a werewolf from Moonwood Mill.

Have three children, your decision who sired them (vampire or werewolf), but the heir must be sired by the werewolf.

Generations 2-7 are under the cut

Generation 2 - WEREWOLF

Aspiration: Pick one of the following - Emissary of the Collective, or Wildfang Renegade

Traits: Bookworm, Active, Loyal

Career: Vet Clinic

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Wellness

Veterinarian

Fishing

Objectives:

Live in Moonwood Mill (move in with your werewolf parent as a teen).

Have at least one pet dog.

Level up to Rank 5 – Apex.

Join one of the wolf packs - Moonwood Collective or Wildfangs.

Explore the underground tunnels in Moonwood Mill.

Read werewolf literature and unlock the Lunar Epiphany ability.

Catch at least one luna fish and display in an aquarium or mounted on the wall.

Marry your fated mate.

Have as many children as you wish, but the heir must be a dormant werewolf.

Collections: optional - complete them all or pick n’ choose.

Collect all 12 Moonwood relics.

Collect all 12 feathers.

Complete the fish collection.

Generation 3 - GHOST

Aspiration: Soulmate

Traits: Foodie, Cat lover, Clumsy

Career: Freelance Paranormal Investigator

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Medium

Cooking

Gourmet cooking and/or Baking

Objectives:

Move into a haunted house. (your choice of world)

Have at least one pet cat.

Grow at least one death flower plant.

Earn the Brave trait from the reward store. (purchase after they've lived seven days inside the haunted house)

Have a friendship with a ghost that turns to romance.

Make ambrosia and resurrect your ghost partner from the dead.

Have 5 children.

Collections: optional - complete them all or pick n’ choose.

Collect all 10 sugar skulls. The Sims 4: How to Complete the Sugar Skull Collection

Collect Paranormal Rewards.

3 specter buddy jars

6 bizzare totems

7 hello dahlia dolls

3 clay hands

3 specter sips

1 ectocake

4 strange overgrowth

12 soul pieces

10 candy jars

Generation 4 - SPELLCASTER

Aspiration: Pick one of the following - Purveyor of Potions or Spellcraft & Sorcery

Traits: Goofball, Adventurous, Romantic

Career: Social Media

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Mischief

Charisma

Rock Climbing

Skiing and/or Snowboarding

Objectives:

Live in Glimmerbrook.

Become a spellcaster and level up to Rank 6 – Virtuoso.

Regularly duel with other Spellcasters.

Holiday in Mt. Komorebi every winter and reach the mountain peak.

Earn the Iceproof trait from the reward store. (purchase after their first holiday in Mt. Komorebi)

Have a new romantic partner each life stage from teen - elder.

Never marry.

Have 2 Children.

Collections: optional - complete them all or pick n’ choose.

Collect all 25 frogs.

Collect all 26 magical artefacts.

Collect all 12 simmies.

Collect all 5 spirit dolls

Generation 5 - PLANTSIM

Aspiration: Super Parent

Traits: Unflirty, Loner, Loves Outdoors

Career: Gardener

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Gardening

Flower Arranging

Nectar Making and/or Juice Fizzing

Objectives:

Move into a Micro Home with a very large garden. Lot sizes must be 30x30 or bigger (your choice of world)

Collect all 7 Magic beans.

Enter the Mystical Magic Bean Portal Tree and obtain the Forbidden Fruit.

Regularly eat forbidden fruit to turn into a plantsim.

Grow at least one Forbidden Fruit Tree, Cowplant and Money Tree.

Earn the Super Green Thumb trait from the reward store.

Have no romantic or sexual relationships with any sims.

Have no legitimate children. Once they reach adulthood, either adopt or use the Whispering Wishing Well to wish for a child (this child will be the heir).

Collections: optional - complete them all or pick n’ choose.

Complete the gardening collection

Create all 13 nectar varieties

Create all 15 scented flower arrangements

**How do I turn my Sim into a PlantSim?

Have your Sim reach level 10 of the gardening skill. With level 10 unlocked, you can buy rare seed packets using the computer, or in Build Mode.

Each rare seed packet contains one magic bean. To plant this, buy the Magic PlantSim Stump in Build Mode.

When you have six magic beans, your Sim can plant them in the Magic PlantSim Stump.

After watering, the Mystical Magic Bean Portal Tree will grow from the Stump and your Sim can travel through the portal.

When your Sim returns with the Forbidden Fruit of the PlantSim (they don’t always return with this, it may take multiple tries) they can eat it and turn into a PlantSim.

Generation 6 - ALIEN

Aspiration: Nerd Brain (*Optional - StrangerVille Mystery)

Traits: Socially Awkward, Genius, Recycle disciple

Career: Engineer

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Handiness

Robotics

Logic

Knitting

Objectives:

Live in Oasis Springs (*Optional - Live in StrangerVille and complete the StrangerVille Mystery).

Build all Utili-Bots and a Servo.

Build a rocket ship and travel to Sixam.

Be abducted by aliens at least once.

Marry an alien.

Have as many children as you wish.

Collections: optional - complete them all or pick n’ choose.

Collect all 20 metals.

Collect all 20 crystals.

Collect all 4 space rocks.

Generation 7 - MERMAID

Aspiration: Beach Life

Traits: Child of the Ocean, Green Fiend, Outgoing

Career: Conservationist

Skills: reach maximum skill level for each.

Singing

Photography

Fitness

Objectives:

Live in Brindleton Bay as a young adult with a mermaid roommate.

Get into a romantic relationship with your roommate only after you become best friends.

Move to Sulani after visiting for a holiday (*Optional - live off the grid).

Become a Mermaid by obtaining and eating Mermaidic Kelp (either from exploring the cave in Mua Pel'am or befriending a dolphin).

Earn the Heatproof trait from the reward store.

Marry a mermaid (can be their roommate or someone else)

Have as many children as you wish.

Collections: optional - complete them all or pick n’ choose.

Collect all 13 seashells..

Collect all 18 buried treasure.

Collect all 10 underwater photos.

[yugioh-kitty123]

don’t mind me I’m going to rant about Prideshipping cause ahh this ships makes me sad and happy at the same time

When I watched dark side of dimension the very first time I didn’t ship Kaiba and yami at all but I loved their rivalry but the movie took it to a whole different level it made realize me Kaiba was in love with atem the he talks about him and everything he did for him it just so ahh 🥲 and the ending the way atem stood up and smiled at him

what makes the ship more canon it’s the director who was making the movie confirmed it’s Kaiba love story of atem and one of the producers said no man would ever go that far for one person.

it’s the realization Kaiba and atem are in the afterlife together and Kaiba willing to sacrifice everything to see him again if that ain’t true love I don’t know what is

Enough about Kaiba let’s talk about atem / yami

What I love about Prideshipping it isn’t one sided relationship , atem does feel something towards Kaiba , the whole scene when he mind crush the “ ghost of Kaiba “ and sending a threat to Pegasus and the manga as well to the puppet master or whatever and scolding at Noah for Turing Kaiba into stone and cheating. their whole tag duel with the rare hunters and yami encouraging Kaiba during the duel against Isuzu

the whole season of 4 and Their tag duel against darts and season 5 kc arc

Atem and Kaiba sharing that smile 😏 and atem memory world when he saw Kaiba in danger fighting zorc atem jumps off the barcoly

let’s forget when atem said “ kaiba i felt the pulse of your soul , “ Kaiba our souls crossed it was passed onto me. Atem have said he could feel the beating of Kaiba heart and anyone who crossed Kaiba such as Pegasus and Noah, atem tells them he’ll never forgive them and he’s ready to take down anyone for him even noah have told yami that Kaiba hates him but yami said we may be enemies forever but he still fights for him . Even some characters in the show have ship them together for example pegasus said things that sound like the red string of fate towards Yami and Kaiba are relationship and ishizu telling Kaiba about the writing of the stone and Mokuba ships them :3

overall their relationship does feel very ambiguous to the point where one wonders if this was intentional but anyways Prideshipping is my otp and that Kaiba and yami are eternal rivals / lovers that not even death can part 🥹

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Thirty-Two

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Masterlist

A/N: Last filler chapter before the Boiling Rock! So excited for those episodes! :3 Sorry for the long wait you guys! I've been dealing with a lot of stuff. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Didn't Aang say there would be no more bending battles in the Temple?"

"This is a sword fight, no bending involved."

"But Sokka called it swordbending."

"Don't encourage him!"

Orora glanced up from where she had been helping Toph make a sign board for the fighter they would be rooting for, Zuko, of course. She grinned at the obvious frown of irritation he wore. "Why? It makes sense, and it fits doesn't it?"

Zuko rolled his eyes at her before continuing his stretches. Across the courtyard, Sokka was doing the same. Though his were a poor imitation of the motions Zuko was going through. Orora had been having a pleasant conversation with Toph and The Duke before Sokka had come barrelling by announcing a swordbending duel between him and the Fire Nation Prince. At first Orora had been surprised, since Zuko hardly took part in proving who was the best, a point Sokka made sure to get across while explaining the nature of the duel.

But then he said something about Zuko and his honor, and she rolled her eyes.

Of course.

A fact that she had been using to tease her Soulmate while waiting for everyone to arrive. Add in the new word Sokka had used that seemed to irritate Zuko to no end, and Orora had the ammunition she needed to annoy him for the rest of the day.

"Why? Is it not honorable enough?" She said, barely able to hold back her laughter as she stressed on the word. Zuko shot her another annoyed look.

"Is he making that face again?" Toph asked, grinning. Orora giggled since the face Toph spoke about was the exact expression Zuko wore at the moment. "What face?" He demanded to know, which only made the Waterbender laugh harder. Though what Toph said next had her sobering up pretty quickly.

"Where you frown, pout and get that really annoyed look on your face. Orora says it makes you look like a kid who was told he couldn't have candy, but she finds it cute."

Before Toph could go any further, she found a hand covering her mouth, preventing her from saying anything else. Zuko blinked, his eyes darting to Orora who was glaring at her younger sister, and yet the blush that blazed across her cheeks was undeniable.

His eyes met hers.

And he grinned.

A little too smugly for her liking.

"Is that right?" He all but drawled, bringing one sword up to rest on his shoulder, flat side down, while he let the other hang at his side. Pursing her lips, Orora tried hard not to show just how embarrassed she was at having an intimate thought revealed so blatantly. That coupled with attempting to not let the current tone of his voice and posture get to her too much, which she was failing at if her blush and rapid heartbeat was anything to go by, resulted in a glare that was more hilarious then intimidating.

Somehow, Toph managed to extract Orora's hand from her mouth. Or rather pulled at it enough to allow her to get a few more words in. "Man, her heart's going crazy. You smiling at her Zu-" The rest of her words were muffled as Orora quickly replaced her hand, this time a little more forcefully.

Zuko's smirk persisted as Orora stood, pulling Toph and the sign board as she did, so they could sit a little ways apart from the battle ring. "Come on you little pest." She grumbled. Her reaction as well as Toph's accidental, coughintentionalcough, reveal gave more then a little boost to his ego. The two of them shared one last look, with Orora being the first one to look away, blush still inflaming her cheeks. Zuko turned around to face the ring and his opponent. As he stepped up to face off against Sokka he twirled his swords with a little more flair then was actually necessary.

Was he showing off for the sake of showing off to his Soulmate?

Yes he was.

Did he think it was over the top?

Not when it came to her.

Now that they were all gathered, Aang moved to stand between the two opponents, acting as referee.

"Finally! Some action around here!" Toph stated happily, Orora having removed her hand awhile ago. Her words had both her sisters blinking at her in confusion. "You just saw some action this morning." Orora reminded, as Katara scowled. "What did you think we were doing? Splashing around in the stream?"

Toph grinned. "That was more of a catowl fight." Both older girls sat up wearing identical expressions of irritation. The corner of Katara's eye even twitched as they both screeched. "Excuse me?!"

"We need a little silence from the spectators!" Aang called, taking his role as referee a little too seriously and shooting the two Waterbenders a look. Both of whom slumped into their seats, arms crossed and pouting.

They both glanced at one another out of the corner of their eyes, before looking away again.

Within the ring, Zuko gripped the handles of his sword tightly "Don't get your hopes up Sokka." He warned the Water Tribe Warrior. "I started training with Master Piandao since when I was just a kid, so I think I can take a beginner like you."

"All right, you guys." Aang stated, a hint of warning in his tone. "I want this to be a good, clean swordbending match!"

"There's no such thing!" Zuko stated, before his smile returned in full confidence. Sokka mirrored the smile as they both waited for Aang to blow the whistle.

"So you think you're hot stuff, huh?" He said, his tone loud, hoping to goad Zuko into loosing his composure. His words, however, had the opposite effect as the scarred teen only smirked. "Orora seems to think so."

The girl in question, who'd been watching the proceedings just as eagle-eyed as the rest of the group, blanched at the comment. Since when had Zuko gotten confident enough to make comments like that? And in the presence of other people.

If Zuko continued to tease her, her cheeks would be a permanent shade of pink. "For Spirits sake leave me out of this!" She called, ignoring how everyone, minus Katara, were snickering. The younger waterbender girl instead held up her own sign board, which had a drawing of a sword and the symbol of the Water Tribe. "Go, Water Tribe!" She encouraged her brother.

Beside her, Toph held up the sign she and Orora had made.

Which Orora quickly turned upright since Toph had been holding it upside down.

Within the ring, swords clashed, as both Zuko and Sokka began to face off. "Lemme show you how we do things down south!" Sokka exclaimed, pulling back before swinging at him.

Only to have Zuko step to the side and avoid the hit. "Like I said." He stated, cool and calm as could be, before he swung at Sokka who narrowly deflected the attack. The boy fell backwards, hitting the hard ground with a dull thud.

"Don't get your hopes up."

At the sidelines Orora, Toph and The Duke both cheered at Zuko's victory. Apparently Haru and Teo had decided to root for Sokka. Which wasn't going well for them, of course. Aang held his arm out, indicating Zuko's victory. Sokka however, was not done.

Not by a long shot.

"Rematch." He grumbled, already getting up. "Now!"

Zuko grinned.

"Kick his ass Zuko!"

Sokka turned to stare at his older sister. "Wh-Orora! You're supposed to side with me! Water Tribe for life!" He exclaimed, sounding dejected, something the girl didn't even care about as she grinned.

"Sorry Sokka! Soulmates over Bro-mates!" She called to which Sokka let out an undignified squeak, clutching his heart as if the words physically pained him. "My own family doesn't believe in me!" He bemoaned, playing the act of a wounded brother as he slumped to the ground. Zuko glanced over his shoulder, meeting Orora's excited blue gaze.

He winked.

She bit her lower lip, trying to stop the smile from taking over her face as she settled next to Toph once again.

"You got it bad Ice Princess." The blind girl teased, sensing her elevated heartbeat once again. Orora shoved her shoulder playfully. "I believe in you Sokka!" Katara called, throwing Orora a dirty look, though it lacked the heat and anger from just a few hours ago. "Do it for the Water Tribe!"

Her brother stood up straight with newfound determination, waiting for Aang to give the signal.

Only to be knocked down with a kick by Zuko, not even five minutes later. "Another loss for Sokka!"

Katara buried her face in her hands. "Ouch." She muttered, more then a little annoyed at her brother, but also annoyed at Toph, The Duke and Orora who continued cheering for Zuko.

Was he feeling a little too proud of his swordsmanship?

Maybe?

Did he care?

Not really.

Not when Orora was cheering for him like she was.

He'd never had anyone on his side aside from his Uncle. And while Orora's support meant the world, knowing he'd made friends who would root for him added to that feeling tenfold.

"This is ridiculous." He stated pointing his sword at Sokka and smiling. Though not in a condescending manner as he would have done in the past. "I'm obviously better than you. Why don't you just give up?" Sokka simply stood up, brushing the dust from his clothes. To say his ego was more then a little bruised would be an understatement. But while Zuko may have the advantage of being a better swordsman, yes even he admitted that, Sokka had something better on his side.

Words.

"This from the guy who unsuccessfully hunted Aang for years?" The effect was immediate. Zuko pursed his lip, his eyes flickered with irritation as he scowled at Sokka. "That was totally different!"

"Sure." The word came out in a more sarcastic tone then he had intended, but it worked. "Cause it'll only take me three minutes to beat you!"

Raising his sword, Sokka charged.

Only for his opponent to knock his weapon out of his hand.

"Give up Sokka! This is getting a little embarrassing for the Southern Water Tribe!" Toph called, unable to keep the malicious grin off her face. She lived and thrived in situations like these, where she could tease and make fun of her friends, especially Sokka. It was always hilarious to see how he would react to them. And having Zuko beat him up was the icing on the egg custard.

Raising an eyebrow, Zuko stood over Sokka. "You were saying?"

Deciding that perhaps it was time to play dirty, Sokka reached behind him to grab his trusty boomerang. He threw the weapon, which Zuko narrowly ducked out of the way of. It went flying through the air as the Prince turned to scowl at Sokka.

"Hey! No boomerangs in swordbending."

He paused, blinking. Did he just-?

"Wait! I mea-"

"Zuko! Watch out!"

Too late.

The boomerang retraced it's path and hit the young Prince at the back of his head. Zuko dropped to his knees, clutching the sore spot and groaning in pain. Though his glare never left Sokka's.

"Foul!" The spectators called out, with the ones supporting Zuko rising to their feet and demanding a fair rematch. "Call it Ref!" The Duke shouted.

Aang sighed before looking at Sokka. "Zuko's right, you know. You did cheat, so he still wins the match." Sokka, appearing way to smug for someone who had just lost simply grinned. "I may have lost the battle of swords, young Avatar." He held his arms up in victory. "But I won the war of words."

A beat of silence.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Toph all but screamed, annoyed that the Humiliation of Sokka was cut too short. In her opinion it was shaping up to be quite the story. After all there had been action, drama and romance, if Orora's heartbeat was anything to go by.

Speaking of, Orora walked over to Zuko, who was still rubbing the back of his head, and looking dejected. "Want me to beat him up for you?" She asked. Zuko glanced up to see Orora looking almost murderous as she glared at Sokka.

Sokka grinned sheepishly back at his older sister. There were no hard feelings between them, they each knew it was all in good fun, but Sokka knew Orora would beat him up with no hesitation. She wouldn't hurt him too much. Probably pull his ears, or something? Before punishing him with some horrible chore.

No one had any idea what sort of hold she had on everyone in the group. Maybe it was her presence, or her ability to shut anyone up with a look. But for whatever reasons, they were all intimidated by her. Though not in a bad way.

Rather in the: I did something wrong and now my sister is gonna hang me by my belt way.

All except Zuko, who knew she would put him in his place should he need it. Something that had happened in the past. The Prince chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah." He said, standing up and sheathing his sword.

"I'll get him next time."

                                           ————————–

"Hey Zuko!"

Glancing up from where he had been packing away his swords, Zuko was a little surprised to see a rather unlikely trio standing in front of him.

Sokka, Aang and Toph.

"Yeah?" He asked, his tone unsure as he glanced from one serious face to the other. "Relax, Firebug, we just wanna talk to you." Toph said, sensing his heartbeat pick up a little. Sokka nodded. "Yeah, but don't think its not important, because it is." He added, to which Zuko blinked at him in confusion.

"Okay?" Placing his pack on the ground, he stood straight to give all three of them his undivided attention. Out of all three of them, Aang seemed to look the most serious, prompting him to turn to the young Avatar with a questioning gaze.

"Its about Orora, and what your intentions are with her."

The statement came out of nowhere, prompting Zuko to blink at them in confusion. "My intentions?" He repeated, confusion etched on his face. Sokka nodded stepping forward.

"Yeah! Your intentions. If you haven't noticed, she's our sister, and as her siblings we have a right to know what your intentions are with her." He'd barely stopped before Toph picked up. "Yeah, we don't want to see her mopping about just because you feel like going off one day and leaving her alone."

Zuko bristled, a little angry at them for even thinking that. "I would-" But he was cut off by Sokka. "Yeah, cuz when it comes to anything related to you, Orora always looses it."

Once again he opened his mouth, only to be cut off by Toph. "In a bad way. I've seen Ice Princess grow cold, and it is not good. And when Orora isn't happy, none of us are happy."

"What we're trying to say Zuko." This time Aang spoke, stepping forward to silence his friends so that he could get his word across. "We love Orora, and we don't want to see her get hurt the way she did after Ba Sing Se." He paused, allowing Zuko the moment he needed to understand why the three of them were there.

To make sure he wasn't leading Orora on before he left like he did last time.

"We almost lost her Zuko, and we don't want to see her go through that pain ever again." The Airbender paused, fixing his grey eyes on Zuko's face. "So we ask again, what are your intentions with Orora?"

As the three of them waited in silence, Zuko found his eyes briefly flitting over their shoulders, where he could see Orora playing with Momo. She was teasing him with a water bubble, and Momo's reaction to nearly getting wet had the girl giggling. She didn't tease him for long, and as an apology, began to cut up an apple into slices, which she then shared with him.

Watching her sit there, eating the fruit happily with the little animal, Zuko's resolve only solidified.

"My intention," He started, looking back at the three younger teenagers. "Is to stay by her side as long as she will have me. And to make sure no harm comes to her, physically and emotionally. Even from me."

Not exactly the best way to phrase the intensity of his feelings for Orora, but he wasn't about to pour his heart out to the three of them. Sure they were his friends, but if anyone deserved his heart, it was Orora. After all that she had done for him, the least he could do was confess to her what he truly felt. He just hoped whatever he couldn't say, he was able to convey through his actions as time went on.

"He's telling the truth." Toph stated, a smile pulling at her lips. "And that's good enough for me." With that, the girl turned on her heel and walked off. Leaving Sokka and Aang to give the final verdict. Both boys fixed Zuko with twin hard stares, ones that he did not back down from as he looked right back, determination and honesty clear across his face.

Finally, Sokka sighed. "Just, don't hurt her again." He stated, before walking off as well. Leaving just Aang, the only one to smile and reach out to pat the Prince's shoulder. "I guess Fate never chooses wrong." He said. "You're both good for one another."

There was a point in his life where he would've questioned that.

But in that moment, as they all settled down for dinner, with Zuko sitting beside Orora, he couldn't help but agree with Aang.

They were good for one another.

                                           ————————–

The outcome of the battle earlier resulted in Katara not glaring at her every time she and Zuko interacted. As Sokka had advised, Orora had opted to leave Katara alone and work through her feelings and conflicts on her own. Pushing her wouldn't get either of them anywhere.

Still, that didn't stop Orora from missing her sister, and hoping she would come to terms with her decision soon.

Presently she sat within the circle as everyone unwound after the day. Dinner had been served, and the dishes cleared away. Though Zuko was doing something she never thought she would see him do voluntarily.

He was making tea.

Zuko, who thought of tea as nothing but hot water and leaf juice, was presiding over the teapot as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

His Uncle would've been proud.

For a moment there, she had thought of helping him out, but then stopped. Maybe give him a chance to make amends as he saw fit on his own. Hopefully his tea making skills had improved since the last time he had brewed a pot.

While everyone else spoke around her, Orora found herself simply watching Zuko and observing him.

It was ridiculous. It wasn't like she hadn't seen him the entire day.

"No one can make tea like Uncle." Zuko said as he began to pour the hot beverage into cups that were placed atop a tray. "But hopefully I learned a thing or two." He added, as he began walk around and serve tea.

"Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

Katara, glancing in Orora's direction, and catching the older girl's eyes, pursed her lips before shrugging. "Sure." Orora hid her smile behind her cup. The scent of it was certainly appealing as she closed her eyes and savored the warmth of it before taking a small sip.

It was good.

Really good.

"I like jokes." Aang stated, encouraging Zuko even further with Toph adding. "Bring it."

Zuko nodded as he served the tea to The Duke and Haru. "Okay." He paused, with everyone waiting eagerly for him to begin. "Well, I can't remember how it starts." Orora pursed her lips. It would be extremely rude if she were to laugh out loud at the helpless expression on Zuko's face, she told herself.

"But the punch line is 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'"

She had to quickly take a scalding sip of tea to distract herself. The pain of the hot beverage on her tongue did distract her enough to keep from laughing out loud at the awkward silence that had descended on the group as they all stared at Zuko.

Even he gave an awkward smile. "Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Right........maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing." She said, prompting everyone to laugh at her teasing. Zuko smiled as well, handing over the last two cups to Teo and Toph.

Orora, having recovered from her scalding tongue ordeal, sat up a little straighter as she recited. “Why did the green tea refuse to be brewed?" Everyone glanced at her, with Zuko blinking at her in slight confusion. She smiled at him in return. "It said, "I need some time off, leaf me alone, I'm bushed!"

Collective groans followed her statement, with Zuko rolling his eyes at his Uncle's choice of humor.

Toph sighed as she sipped at her tea. "It's nice to get a chance to relax a little. It hardly ever happens." She said, to which Aang glanced at her in confusion. "Weren't you just saying this morning how you wanted some action? He asked, to which the blind girl gave a shrug. "Yeah, but we got to see two fights today, so my quota has been met."

Orora rolled her eyes at her younger sister. "Maybe not say it out loud Toph. You know how fate loves to prove us wrong." She said, her gaze flicking around, as if expecting someone to jump out of the shadows and start attacking them. Then again, with all the trouble they had gotten into in the past, it wouldn't be surprising if they weer ambushed.

"Hey!" Sokka, who had been brooding silently for a good hour now, an act that had made both his sisters suspicious, now approached Zuko. "Can I talk to you for a second?" He stood and walked away. Setting down the tray, Zuko followed after him.

The Duke glanced at their retreating backs. "Wander what they're talking about." He voiced his curiosity, to which Toph shrugged. "Probably trading notes on being a sword-bender."

Well that word had certainly caught on.

It wasn't long before Sokka returned and promptly lay down to go to sleep. Taking his example, the rest of the group began to get ready for the night as well. As she shook out her bed roll, Orora glanced to where Zuko, who had returned not long after Sokka, was setting up his own bedding. Seeing the look of contemplation on his face, and with a strange suspicious feeling gnawing within her stomach, she walked over to Zuko.

"What was that all about?" She asked, frowning slightly in Sokka's sleeping figure. Zuko, a little lost in his head, was a little startled at her abrupt appearance. Though he shook his head at her in response.

"Nothing." The word came out rushed and urgent. Almost as if he was putting extra effort into making her believe that there really was nothing going on.

Orora, however, grew even more suspicious. And even though she figured that she should leave the matter alone, since Zuko would've told her if he wanted to, it was because he didn't tell her that she knew that whatever Sokka had spoken to Zuko about was either illegal or dangerous, or both.

And she wasn't about to let either of her boys do anything stupid. Not unless she had anything to say about it.

Was it nosy and over-bearing of her?

Maybe.

But she'd come so close to loosing her family that she was beginning to grow a little protective.

For now, she simply gave her Soulmate a look, prompting him to reassure her once more. A rather weak effort on his part, which they both knew.

Still, she didn't pester him any further. With a nod, and a wary look in his direction, Orora returned to her bed roll.

                                           ————————–

As a group of young soldiers, sleeping with one ear open was natural. Anyone or anything could attack them at any moment, and since her days of traveling alone, Orora had trained herself to be on alert, even as she slept.

It was the slight bump against her feet that had ice blue eyes opening abruptly.

Her mind was trying to fight off the fog of sleep that hung about her head, but she recognized the figure as they walked away. There was just enough light to inform her that it was early morning and the sun had only just begun to rise. She lay perfectly still, not wanting to alert Zuko that she was awake.

She stayed in her sleeping bag, even when Sokka tip-toed past her with a bag slung over his shoulder. Once he too had disappeared from view, Orora stood, picking up her water skins as she did.

She never slept without them.

Slinging them over her shoulders, the young Waterbender stood behind a pillar, hiding from view as she listened to the conversation the two boys were having.

"Fine, you caught me." She heard Sokka say. "I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"

"I'm never happy." Came Zuko's response, prompting her to step out from behind the pillar, arms crossed over her chest. "I am rather offended by that statement Zuko." She stated, keeping her voice low so as not to wake up anyone else. While Sokka rolled his eyes, and grumbled something about nosy sisters, Zuko winced at her words. He opened his mouth, to apologize, to make an excuse? She didn't know. Orora simply fixed her brother with an inquiring gaze.

"What're you doing Sokka?" She asked. The Water Tribe Warrior looked like he wasn't going to answer, but then his shoulders drooped and he sighed. "Zuko told me they might be keeping Dad at this place called the Boiling Rock."

The girl blinked. "So you're going to get him out by yourself?" She asked, walking towards him as Zuko jumped down from where he had been sitting on Appa's back. Probably to catch Sokka in the act.

Picking up the supplies that had fallen out of his bag, Sokka continued. "Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong." He stood up straight, glancing between the Firebender and Waterbender. "It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me." With that he moved to climb atop Appa.

Zuko let out a laugh of derision. "You need to regain your honor?" He asked, prompting Orora to glance at him. "Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you."

Seeing this as her chance, Orora stepped forward. "And judging from the name, I'm willing to guess the place has something to do with water." At Zuko's nod of confirmation, Orora hummed and nodded. "Then I'm coming too."

Shaking his head, Sokka turned to glance over his shoulder. "No. I have to do this alone."

Scoffing, Zuko gestured towards Appa. "How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares." The observation prompted Sokka to pause and glance at Zuko who simply stated.

"We'll take my war balloon."

Sokka looked torn, but only for a moment, before he nodded in confirmation and climbed down from Appa. "You're not coming Orora." He stated, trying his best to be authoritative. His sister blinked at him.

"Would you rather I wake up Katara and tell her what you're up to?" She questioned, or rather threatened. Sokka opened his mouth, but then closed it again, knowing her couldn't argue. Not when she had that determined look in her eyes. Though Zuko was torn between having Orora stay behind and be safe, but also knowing that having a Waterbender would prove to be an advantage, stayed silent. Smirking in satisfaction, the girl tightened the straps of her water skins.

"We'd better leave a note."

                                           ————————–

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[heartgold]

as much as it's frustrating how only two of the umi episodes were penned by Sayo in the irl layer, I think it's fascinating to compare them with each other because so much becomes clear when you look at the writing choices in each one side by side

the specific ways in which Legend and Turn differ from each other makes me certain that one was among the first message bottles she wrote whereas the other was one of the last, but it's not clear which is which -- it depends on how you interpret her internal journey and process of creating all these tales and fragments. Sayo's writing as a whole is very marked by her personal observations of the sins and struggles of the family and using them as mirrors to actually write about herself, using characters as stand-ins that give voice to her own inner thoughts, but both stories are very different in tone and approach

Legend feels almost methodical with the ways the murders and illusions are carried out, and the way her resentment manifests is more controlled, understated. you need to wring it around a bit more to 'see', but in my understanding: it's interesting how the 3 cousins are all made to suffer incredible grief losing their parents and love interests in quick succession (Battler being the only adult cousin who only lost his parents and not a love interest feels important to get him to remember!), but they live until the end then get invited to the Golden Land and choose to resurrect their lost love. By contrast, Natsuhi is put through the wringer through and through while being given the opportunity to be the star of the episode with her struggles as a woman taking the center of the stage, only to lose a duel (!) to Beatrice and be denied entry in the very last moment. there's a lot of conflicting emotions all over the place in both cases which is of course very characteristic of Sayo but I'm fascinated by how the cousins' entire role in this episode is to lose everything they had, experience earth-shattering grief and be led towards a romanticized afterlife where they can heal that grief, making the choice to resurrect the love that was lost, whereas Natsuhi's role is to mirror and portray Sayo's actual interiority and struggles (many that were caused by Natsuhi herself!) that went unspoken her whole life and then be challenged to a duel and get shot. to shoot Natsuhi is to shoot herself. shooting her actual personhood and interiority and struggles to death. as a metaphor for the entire ceremony of Beatrice's revival being a suicide in order to pass on into the afterlife where compartmentalized parts of herself can simultaneously exist as whole and find happiness with their respective love interests. the final step of rejecting reality, seeking love by truly becoming fictional while the human heart of the actress behind the characters dies buried between the lines of the text unless you 'see' it. god she makes me insane. anyway

Turn by comparison is very brutal. Beatrice steps onto the gameboard and is at her cruelest here, and the deliberate narrative choices are dripping with anger, helplessness and sorrow. everything about the focus given to Rosa in her role as the main accomplice who only had eyes for gold vs the framing of the tragedy as the gift of a halloween party for Maria, the wolves and sheep allegory, the way Shannon and Kanon get repeatedly kicked around for trying to resist their fate and wanting to believe in love despite everything. Kanon's "corpse" being desecrated by being forcefully resurrected twice, not being allowed death. the barely contained sexual conflict and trauma in the themes and imagery all over the episode. the way Sayo personally kills Jessica and George and her personas are killed along with them, an utter rejection of the possibility of being loved in reality as something that can only happen in death and fiction, so they all get to die together and be connected by their souls, all portrayed as the innocent victims of a vicious witch. the unspoken horror of one of the few true closed rooms in the game, with Sayo physically killing herself while facing herself in the mirror after doing all that. no one could dispute that a coffin is a closed room. and with closed rooms in this game often symbolizing being trapped in your own logic even though the door was unlocked all along, it absolutely stands for Sayo giving up all hope. Beatrice won, the gold won, the family's curse won, Sayo's worst feelings regarding herself won. Kinzo won too, even as a dead puppet haunting the narrative, he 'lives' to the end and gets his miracle of meeting Beatrice granted again. just that says a lot. Turn is horror after horror and you can only fully grasp that with the context for her writing choices

Legend feels relatively composed and deliberate in its choices of allegory. it also carries a lot of pain and conflicted feelings (particularly with the way she hatewrote Battler in it) but the text in Turn is basically bleeding all of her self hatred and suicidality and conflict over the idea of being loved. Legend is for the most part a straightforward mystery embellished in illusions with her heart still very baked into the text, and it has a big focus on solvability (Eva as the main accomplice basically points Battler toward the solution... which he rejects) and gambling/risk-taking, with multiple moments where Sayo left things out of her hands and up to chance, making it so that she could've been stopped even by accident. and then Turn is basically an eruption of all the horrible feelings churning in her heart. it says a lot that in Legend, she left the people she loved the most alive until the end, as if hoping until the very end for the miracle that at least one of them would see through her and stop her from murdering them, while Turn kills off the cousins (barring Battler due to being the detective) and then herself before the ceremony even ends, destroying all outcomes beyond utter annihilation. Turn is absolutely about her surrendering and leaning right into the illusion she casts on herself of being an irredeemable monster, so Beatrice absolutely plays into that role here. fitting that it ends with Battler surrendering, too

the sheer tonal contrast between these two message bottles tells a story of the journey of how Sayo's mental state changed as she kept writing and running over her murder-suicide plans over and over again -- it can either show her hope and composure deteriorating as she resigned herself to accepting her dead-end of fate (Legend -> Turn) OR the raw emotion she felt in the beginning of the writing frenzy dissipating as she kept going, any result being a satisfactory outcome but still focusing on planning out a difficult but fair mystery, staking her hopes onto the miracle of having it solved by the person who shared her personal philosophy on mysteries (Turn -> Legend). I don't like relying on Confessions too much as "confirmation" of Sayo-related things because it doesn't sit well with me, but if you go by the way it portrayed the process, then it strongly suggests the latter explanation

wish we could have seen more of the countless tales she personally wrote because you can see so much of her personhood hidden within the text, her thought processes, personal views and authoral voice all providing characterization, but the two we got already tell entire untold stories. it's funny that the two first episodes are usually thought of as the least interesting ones on a first read when they're the ones with the most firsthand insight into the culprit's heart and how she felt about everything. the sorrows and pain but the strength of will and hope too

[thenerdykneazle]

The Nerdy Kneazle's Masterlist

Hogwarts Legacy fics featuring:

Ominis Gaunt Sebastian Sallow Garreth Weasley

Mostly x F!MC but a few others mixed in (M, GN, and silver trio).

Legend:

📈 = most popular fic for the character

Ominis Gaunt

The Scriptorium Omi x GN!MC | read on AO3

After a harrowing journey through Slytherin's Scriptorium, Ominis helps MC recover from being subjected to the torture curse. After all, he has personal experience dealing with its effects.

Amorous Tension Omi x F!MC | read on AO3

collab with @darch7995 Audios: Part 1 & Part 2 Two idiots in love brew amortentia together.

📈 Her Touch Omi x F!MC | read on AO3

Ominis had never been fond of being touched. Or, at least, he had few positive experiences with it. That changed with the arrival of the new fifth-year.

Left Behind Omi x F!MC x Seb | read on AO3

collab with @darch7995 | listen to the audio here Ominis is feeling forgotten when he discovers his partners have run off on yet another adventure without him. Can Sebastian and MC make amends with him when they return to the castle?

Sebastian Sallow

A Win Seb x F!MC | read on AO3

Sebastian has a creative interpretation of who won your last duel.

Slytherin Green Seb x F!MC NSFW | read on AO3

Sebastian is none too pleased to discover you've borrowed Garreth's jumper after his experimental potion ruined your usual uniform. Your duelling practice threatens to turn into a falling out.

Fast Asleep Seb x F!MC NSFW | read on AO3

(TW: non-consensual somnophilia) Sebastian finds himself unable to resist his curiosity when late nights fighting baddies cause the two of you to repeatedly spend the night in the Room of Requirement together.

Kindred Spirits Seb x F!MC NSFW | read on AO3

32.8k words | Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 On the cusp of a promotion to Senior Auror, MC is sent by the DMLE to train with the most efficient law enforcement team in Europe. She’s quite excited until she discovers that the auror hosting her is none other than her ex, Sebastian Sallow. Modern wizarding world AU.

Sallow Soul Seb x F!MC NSFW | read on AO3

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6 (additional epilogues likely) Seb's POV for Kindred Spirits. Starts earlier with Anne's funeral and goes past where KS left off. Makes more sense if you've read Kindred Spirits, but the first chapter (The Funeral, 3k) works as a stand-alone. AKA fate gives a heartbroken Sebastian a third chance (hopefully) with the witch he's loved since he was 15.

📈 Wild Ride Seb x M!MC | read on AO3

collab with @darch7995 Audios: Part 1 & Part 2 Seb is desperate to get you to let him back into your life. When he invites himself on your ingredient run, the simple errand turns out to be much more dangerous than either of you anticipated.

Garreth Weasley

Dear Diary Gar x F!MC NSFW | read on AO3

You stumble across Garreth's rather scandalizing diary while waiting for him to meet up with you.

Sweet Dreams Gar x F!MC NSFW | read on AO3

Garreth wakes up painfully hard after spicy dreams about MC. Unfortunately, he's neither alone nor in his own bed when he instinctively tries to 'take care of it' himself.

📈 Marry You Gar x F!MC | read on AO3

Garreth proclaims to anyone and everyone, including you, that he is going to marry you one day – despite the fact that you haven’t even agreed to court him (not that he's asked). Pure fluff.

Yule Ball Gar x F!MC NSFW | Read on AO3

You realise last-minute that your boyfriend isn't planning on taking you to the Yule Ball. A simple misunderstanding leads to hurt feelings, but talking it out (and the makeup sex) is worth it.