#( ♕ ; EVENT. )

[zcrayas]

Anyone who has seen battles / good at weapons & wants to train her: Okay, give it a try, swing at me and I will block Rya: ... I can't... Them: huh? Rya: ...I don't want to hurt you. ;A;

[fanfaire]

WhoWhatWhere: Scene 2 You’re an army instructor trying to get your soldiers to fall in line, but this one clown doesn’t seem to get it…

The kameras whir to life, the stage lights flare, and Lumine has to bite back the smile she wants to don so badly at seeing Furina onstage. It seems very natural to find her here -- as much so as it had been to find her behind the director's seat when the Kamisatos had paid their visit -- but in a way that is actually fun this go around. You know, without the weight of a nation's livelihood on its back!

Furina has no lack of creativity, and though Lumine feels a bit weirdly about having to be in a position where she chides another for the second time, the show must go on.

"-- and when you are out there, in the heat of battle, you never know what you'll face. A second is all it takes for someone to turn the tides on you." Serious, diginified, severe. Lumine calls upon the memory of the Millileth for this particular performance. Her gaze sweeps over the line of 'cadets,' expression set with a serious furrow and frown combo, arms strictly at her sides. Her march is even, paced.. "So I expect you all to take this seriously --"

And halts, in front of Furina.

"-- including you. Do you know how to be part of cohesive unit, soldier? I hope you didn't come here thinking this is fun and games."

prompt : you're very excited for your first day of clown school... !

OF EVERYONE SHE MIGHT BE PAIRED WITH, it seems some machination of fate⠀(⠀should such things prove true⠀)⠀had ordained it be teyvat's wayfaring traveler once again. appeared at the helm of some comet star at the eve of disaster, destined——it seemed——to untangle all ; and only after their summary departure come the flood.

even five-hundred-year instinct does not save her muscles entirely from locking for a brief moment in reluctance and regret, but it is five-hundred-year instinct that relaxes them again and directs her again like muscle memory to the solace of the present moment.

all these things could come later. now, she was not furina, and that blonde familiar face not the star-bound lumine, but other figures worlds away entirely. the other was one that she might smile at——harmlessly, vapidly——in the character of ' estelle ' imagined for flashing bulbs of light, who thought nothing of weaknesses and rancors and shortcomings, and only instead of a grandly misplaced hope for the future.

it is this smile she levels now at her instructor——though she certainly didn't seem to be dressed as a clown, but perhaps they didn't get to wear the costumes until later in the schooling?——a little nervously, a little unsure. eyes flick back and forth to the imaginary others in line with her as though to seek affirmation, or at least a laugh.

"s—soldier? ehe. . . " she titters in a voice entirely unlike her own, girlish and breathy, just shy of nasal. "o-of course i don't think it's all just fun! i—i'm here to learn, honest!"

[nakamanokizuna]

Please be sure to wear your best attire my King/Queen/Monarch

Shoutmon stared back down at the invitation in their hand. Occasionally flipping it to look at it's back.

In all honesty, neither him or Taiki knew how this invitation got here nor do they remember if they ever got invited to an event of any kind.

The dragon flips over the invitation to it's back again, expecting for someone else's name to appear. When they're met with none, they groan before shouting;

"Oooii, Taiki! Are ya done yet? You better not try wearing that shitty blazer-over-shirt combo again!"

"No, im not!"

The boy shouts back in reply from behind the bathroom door before opening it to show that, he was infact, not wearing that fashion disaster of a combo.

"Especially not after you fussed over it the first time i tried."

"Taiki we had a month to prepare, im not gonna let you half ass it like that one time with Akari."

"Fair."

Taiki chuckled, raising both his hands in surrender. As he approached his partner, eventually the brunette's eyes landed on the invitation in the dragons hand.

"Anyhow, how are we even going to attend without an address...?"

"That's a good que-"

Before Shoutmon could even finish their sentence, something bursts out from the invitation and sparks into the space infront of both of them.

And in it's place, a rift crackles open.

".... Neeeeevermind then!"

"That's... Awfully convenient."

After much consideration and with not much reason to not to, both of them step into the rift.

{OOC: HERE COMES THE BOYYYYSS!! :D}

[kaerinio]

also, following dany's return to meereen, she's done being tamed. she is done being tamed by the forces around her, done being tamed by the expectations around her, done being tamed by herself. quaithe told her that the dragons know who she is, but questions if she knows. daario expresses the same sentiment. following the second rebirth, she finally understands. it is time for her to drive herself and trust her own intuition more, of course while taking counsel ( that will NEVER change ), but she will not allow herself to become a bleating lamb ready for the slaughter again ; she will be as the targaryens are destined to be . . . a dragon. not just the mother of dragons, but the dragon who stops at nothing to protect her people. the dragon who leads her children. and like her dragons, she will answer to neither gods nor men.

[crowntess]

LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS UNFORTUNATELY — & who tf knows

mikoto's heart stutters helplessly in her chest.  she is too kind to place the blame entirely on odin, but she can't help to entertain the thought. after all, the promise of him becoming her savior if the festival proved to be a disaster to her is sweet... and concerning. was her partner a force of chaos? too much? or were they simply not enough? but the reminder of odin's speech pastes itself in her head, behind her eyes. he is a man of too many words and little time to speak; there is a chance of his misguided opinion!

a flute of champagne taken graciously from a passing server's platter, mikoto busies herself with focusing on the festivities around her rather than wallowing in her own anxiety. the stage, right now, seems to be quite empty. earlier, she remembers seeing a performance occur to greet the participants of the festival. there is a faint idea that comes to her— it has been some time since she's danced before an audience. ( you do not think about the reason why. it always relates to a loss you were forced to bear. )

she sips her champagne and raises her left hand to check the stability of the accessories clipped or braided in her dark tresses. when her hand rises, the three bracelets on her wrist clink against each other. each connected to the next by a thin, beaded golden chain. shiny, as odin had instructed. this would be the reason behind the day's triumph.

or, in odin's words, it would help her 'attain the sweet nectar of heaven' and whatever else his imagination had created for her.

" calm yourself, mikoto, " the hoshidan queen murmurs to herself, the rim of the glass flute inches from her lips. she takes a moment to hype herself up, holding her hand to her chest until she has calmed down. ( you almost tried to slow your heartbeat until realization struck that your heart would always be still. ) " alright; smile, do your best, and live. onwards! "

it is what arete would tell her, anyway.

starter for @ you know who you are !

[tsareviich]

@kcrclrezni ❤️'d

he doesn't look up when he hears nikolai enter his room, knowing it was only a matter of time. vasily had expected zoya to tell nikolai his plan, he was pretty sure there was very little that they didn't share between them. " it's a good plan, koyla, " he says, finally looking up at him. " i'm not needed here. and it's not like i'm leaving ravka for good. i'll still be back. "

[lantsovheir]

me, who has a bunch of verse already

also me: what if hunger games verse

[queenoftheboard]

♕ headcanon . Eirene's main connections in Path to Nowhere

I have been going over the profiles for most Sinners for a while now, while revisiting the Dreamy Bubble segment with Eirene rather frequently and doing most interrogations available until now (I am missing very few of them). These bits of information have yielded interesting revelations when combined - particular the Dreamy Bubble stage where you see the 'shadows' of the main 'chess pieces' used by the Chief and Eirene.

This stage seems to imply that Eirene is associated to Mr. Fox, Cinnabar, Serpent and Mess. The entire setting of the special event and Eirene's interrogation, however, also seem to point to a connection with Langley. Therefore, based on the existing Sinners to date and everything presented by the game until now, I have elaborated a bit on the other relevant Sinners which I think could have realistic connections to Eirene:

Mr. Fox: this one seems almost too obvious - no worthy business conglomerate is built without the assistance of competent legal counsel, in-house or externally hired. It seems to me that Mr. Fox and Eirene would have professional connections given the way Eastside is set up - Fox is regarded as an 'unbeatable' attorney (thanks to his powers), Eirene is someone willing to stop at nothing to achieve success; this is a combination that would be incredible for both of them. Although I'm exclusive with @svnsworn's Mr. Fox on this blog, I don't think there is a world where these two don't meet and are acquainted with each other.

Cinnabar: another one that is offered by canon content, particularly the comic strip about dispatches and which also makes sense when you read Cinnabar's profile - she was the best among the best group of elite security personnel. Eirene is powerful enough to merit her own security detail - and where bodyguards are concerned, she wouldn't settle for anything less than the best. I also headcanon that Eirene hires bodyguards as part of her 'cover' to keep her Sinner identity hidden - it is in her benefit for people to think she's just smart and not incredibly dangerous.

Serpent: this one is a curious connection - Serpent clearly states that she was invited to perform at Midsummer Night's Club given her incredible entertainment skills and talents - and going by the reaction of people attending the club's opening in-game, she is quite unique. I can definitely see Eirene committing to finding something remarkable that would set her latest business apart from others; but the entire thing with Serpent seems to suggest that she also engineered this in a way to test the MBCC directly. The Chief points this out, too - Serpent is another 'chess piece' for Eirene, but one she speaks of fondly (as a 'friend', a hardworking and vulnerable soul who she likes very much). At any rate, Eirene suggests that she would be willing to trade her 'friendship' with Serpent for something else (and 'turn' Serpent over to the Chief) - something that is in line with one of her profile lines, too. It's a curious thing: Eirene was interested in Serpent's abilities, enough to offer her a very shiny, large stage for her ambrosia experiments while simultaneously: a) testing the MBCC's Chief; b) gaining leverage/favors with the 9th Agency; and c) being able to face herself in a chess game to escape real life boredom.

Mess: I genuinely think Eirene and Mess are not connected directly despite what is shown during that part in the relevant Dreamy Bubble stage; I think it's an indirect thing through Serpent, with Mess serving as the supplier and acting away from Eirene's sphere of influence (Mess is never inside the club or in contact with her). To be very blunt - I don't think Eirene deems Mess to be important enough; she's a tool to enable Serpent's reach to grow and for her experiment to be done and is treated as such from Eirene's perspective.

Langley: Between Dreamy Bubble events and Eirene's interrogation, I am convinced that her relationship with Langley is an old one and that they're both aware of each other's real identities. Chronologically, the MBCC was already under the command of the 9th Agency by the time Dreamy Bubble events took place, and then at the epilogue, you can clearly see Langley by the window after being briefed by her agent saying 'Tell that company president that I said thanks, and… That I really liked her little gift.' I interpret the 'company president' being Eirene, who was able to prove something/give significant intel over to the 9th Agency (the results of the ambrosia incident); she was also not within custody of the MBCC at the time despite knowing who the Chief was, and outing herself as a Sinner during the episode. We can reasonably establish that Eirene turned herself in after Dreamy Bubble events (as per own profile), and then during her interrogation, managed to force the Chief's hand (and the 9th Agency) in such a way that ended up beneficial for her. In other words: it appears to be some form of collaboration between Langley and Eirene, or at least a cat and mouse game. They know a lot about things most people don't (i.e. Black Rings, how they work, Parma) and seem to be involved in ways that go beyond superficial interactions. They're both very strong in terms of mental capacity and corruption levels.

Other people that do not have anything in-game officially pointing to ties to Eirene but who could nonetheless have something built off common grounds and/or origins in Eastside would be:

Chameleon: I always thought that Chameleon seemed to target the type of people that Eirene would like to see removed from Eastside's economic landscape, not to mention that there is also a 9th Agency/Langley connection here that could also be invoked. Further, I personally headcanon Eirene to be resistant to Sinners of the catalyst tendency as further elaborated here - I don't think she would be hypnotized by Chameleon (or not nearly as easily as others are) and this could make their interactions decidedly more interesting. I do like to think they could have a shared agenda and be friendly with each other.

Ariel: given their interrogations, I don't think Eirene would be aware of Ariel on an individual level (particularly how Ariel stresses that she's not 'successful' by her parent's standards) but I do think Eirene would know of the Spencers, particularly if they are from old money and people that would either be relevant customers/partners of Eirene's ventures with Quinn. While there is room for them to meet, I'm not sure Eirene would make the effort to befriend Ariel unless she wanted something out of the other woman.

Chelsea: similarly to Mr. Fox, it seems very likely that their paths would overlap at some point given their lifestyles (both are shown to be adept of a comfortable, luxurious routine). If not before at Eastside, then certainly afterwards post detention. It's curious that there is a very insane amount of fanart of these two together; I cannot tell if it's meant to be romantic or not, but people tend to think these two are close and I definitely see the potential, particularly if their foundations go way back in time or if they collaborate in some way to disrupt old Eastside power.

These are some of the references that I may use in character when writing Eirene; but they can also be ideas to be further pursued/discussed with any mutuals who are interested in starting new interactions. :)

[regisraven-a]

045. deep within unmarked cave located in the side of a mountain, lit only by a flare .

 it was a big risk they had decided to undertake,  not for the dingy cave in the middle of nowhere,   but for not notifying anyone else of their whereabouts.   gansey didn’t think it necessary and in some moments,   he thought it  detrimental  to the plan altogether.   blue would admonish him for  being careless,   noah would be nowhere to find.    ronan would tag along,   but gansey had worked too hard to convince him to sit that one class and could not,  in good conscience and  terrible selfishness,  ask him to revert his decision.     that left adam,   though his plan had  begun with adam.    malory’s search had yielded the location of a cave on the ley line,   sequestered in the thick expanse of virginia woodlands.     theoretically,  it had every reason to be glendower’s resting place.   practically,  the ley line only communicated in  stone patterns and phenomena.    any dot that connected to another had meaning and gansey had supposed a magician’s presence would help in the  revelation of magic.   moreover,  adam’s desire to find the king was just as deep and aching as was his own,  which ensured support   &   confidence in a shared goal.

there were a thousand reasons to ask adam,  but there was only one that mattered to gansey.

❛   I don’t suppose you’ll require a helmet,  would you?   ❜    gansey asked,  sifting through his bag of tools.  it was a silly assumption, ��but perhaps every magical place would fold itself around a wielder. the last time they had been in a cave,   he’d seen  glendower’s blessing within a hand’s reach.    gansey held up a flare to the entrance,   dark and inviting.      ❛   still got time to turn around,  parrish.   what’s the final verdict then?   ❜ 

♕ 〘 𝚂𝙲𝙴𝙽𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚂. ⤳ accepting.

[arcstral]

"Lord Marth."

A familiar voice reaches across the dream, and the greenhead is quick to make his way over to his liege's side. He smiles as he approaches, clad in his Sage's robes; Excalibur appears to be absent this time around, replaced with a tome of Light, most curiously; usually, that is the one element forever deaf to his voice, but perhaps a dream has its own laws, or maybe something has changed? And tucked underneath the book is an ancient scripture of sorts, as well; one of mysterious origin and a purpose he has yet to speak of.

One could almost mistake the scene for Merric heading off to face the Dark Pontifex; Aureola may be no Starlight, but the resemblance is there nonetheless.

"I'm glad we ended up in the same place this time," he says, a light smile on his lips. "I hope you will allow me to accompany and watch over you, as usual. I doubt I must remind you, but you may always rely on me. Let's stay safe, shall we?"

               Pauldron set over the shoulder, buckle halfway clasped, then the relinquishing of his intent to don these wartime articles had come next in the unlikely order. What need has a man for corporeal tools in the dreamscape? Attempting to step into his usual ensemble, it took a short lifetime before the mirror to realize this regularity bore strangeness. A reflective phase in thought setting before him the truth that the world of dreams requires nothing that the living world demands. Not the dragon-slaying Falchion, not his grand shield or his scratched armor, and certainly not his foolish musings that these things ought to prove useful. . .

     —or so he might have thought.

               The Hero-King's sword and armor still follows him into the dream, after all. No more a second skin than the rejuvenated kind of a snake always returned after a shedding. Always there. Always a part of him, like fighting is simply in his blood-- the blood belonged to a man who hates with all the willful ounces of his very being to fight. But he's glad for the security of these stable elements, and even gladder for the presence that proves just as faithful in uncertain times. Merric.

                His ears caught the familiar rustling of robes, a faint whiff of weathered tome pages on the wind, before Merric's first words can even betray him. That quiet smile is returned with the king's amicable fanfare, a warm light behind his eyes as he nods, and a shuffling of his own feet to draw them close enough to speak at shorter length. "I could hardly forget the force of nature that shall keep me sane in such an unknown world. Or insane. I pray that you’ll not commit to any scholarly bouts of research in this situation.” Wit and levity always the fruits of a generous trade between this king and sage, the other’s shoulder is nevertheless gently touched with his hand to convey gratitude. The bounty of it felt in this moment.

               “...Thank you, my old friend. I am eternally grateful for your help. Mind, it will not do to get hurt yourself so I intend to watch over you, too—in light of our own sakes as well as those who await us out there.” The flash of two lovely faces framed in blue come to mind, standing sentry over their dormant, mind-empty bodies without certainty toward the times to befall them. Greater the crime it would be to serve worry on a platter to the cherished princesses of Altea and Talys. Marth winks cheerfully.  “Let us keep our lovely ladies in mind, eh?”

[nakamanokizuna]

Shoutmon stared at the Cherubimon and their offer for a good few seconds, before deciding to push themselves off the ground.

"No, s'okay. Im fine-"

The dragon groaned in reply as he reached for his- otherwise unscathed- mask that came loose during his fall and grabbed onto the giant rabbit's hand to hoist himself off the ground.

"But, thanks for the offer, either way!"

{OOC: pspspsp hi hope ye dont mind,,,}

Upon coming out of the rift he came with, which is apparently an inch or two high off of the ground, Shoutmon proceeds to lose their balance....

And tripped face first onto the Garden's grounds... What an entrance huh?

- @nakamanokizuna

“I hope you’re not hurt, I know portals are rough on little digimon. Do you need a hug? A heal?”

[kaerinio]

smth smth, dany is 100% someone who, upon seeing an inviting body of water, will begin stripping so she can plunge right in!

[nakamanokizuna]

After briefly giving eachother a look, any semblance of the other Shoutmon's previous casualness dissipates into the air like steam.

"Salutations, esteemed Duchess and her loyal guardian. I am Shoutmon, the benevolent ruler and King of the Digital World."

They step forward before bowing down in the most regal, practiced manner you've ever seen.

"And this is my most trusted general, who also happen to be my brother in arm."

Shoutmon then gestures to the masked boy, who only nods as his expression morphs into something more akin to amusement, not following suit with any of the grand introduction his partner has set up.

"And we are here because..."

Instead of receiving an answer, you watch as the dragon open his mouth before closing it again, then immediately turning back to their partner and stage whispers;

"Taiki, what were we invited here for again?"

The boy, now known as Taiki, chuckles in reply before shrugging.

~~~

{OOC: You're not as slick as you think.}

"Oh hey! Didn't know there's another one of me attendin' here!"

The dragon digimon approached with a grin, trailing not too far behind them was a boy, who then added;

"Or any other humans, as far as i know."

- @nakamanokizuna

"𝗛𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗸𝗶, 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸! 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗺𝗼𝗻!" "And another human... seems we're not the only tamer/digi combo here. Nice to meet you both!" Akirah did a curtsy. "I'm-" "𝗗𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗗𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗸𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗺𝗼𝗻!" The digimon boldly interrupted.

"Shoutmon? Stop kidding around." Akirah nervously giggled mid-speech.

"𝗪𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻'? 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜. 𝙒𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚!" Shoutmon whispered the other part to Akirah, wanting to make sure they blended in. "…𝘈𝘭𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵… 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦."

The two looked back up at the other pair.

"𝗦𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀-𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳. 𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝘄𝗼'𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹. 𝗛𝗼𝘄'𝗱 𝘆𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴?" Shoutmon asked, leaning against a nearby wall. Meanwhile, poor Akirah was already looking pale and nervous.

[crowntess]

@anankelotus asked : Anankos stares at her, more in disbelief than anything else. She can't be real... right? This is just another figment of his imagination, another ghost to haunt him. But... she seems so real, so alive. Like if he reached out, his fingers would touch her skin, rather than just slipping through thin air.

"Mikoto..." His voice is weak, still tired from the ramifications of the dream that had just been escaped. If she is not real, the shattering of his heart after everything might finally crack irreparably.

"Mikoto, my love... is that really you...? I... I'm sorry... I never should have... left you and Corrin all alone... I missed you..."

the garden echoes his voice as would a catacomb.  mikoto does not hear him at first, her gaze narrow focused on the careful glide of her hands from bag to jar, and jar to basket.  seeds are cupped into her hand before being slid into the confinements of a small container.  hesitant, does her name reach her—   the jar cracks against the gravel stone beneath her.  asteria ties the thrumming of her heart into a knot, one she is forced to let sit in the back of her throat.  there is no denying her body’s tension; anankos is here.  he’s here but he can’t be.  he can’t be.  not now, at least.  the fates are not as cruel to grant him passage to her during the beginnings of her stay.  how awful must the gods of this land be to defy her wishes.

he calls her once more and, like a history that ignores and repeats itself, mikoto dares herself to flee.  mikoto’s hand reaches for asteria as she moves forward, determined to escape whatever trickery of the mind she’s found herself in,

but she stops.

the voice—   anankos’ voice, her lover’s voice—   speaks from behind her.   (   you call him a lover because he is.  because he was.  but there is an ache that you do not want to experience again.  the burden of loving someone already lost.   )   mikoto hesitates to turn, listening fully to the extent of his sorrow.  it is the same notes of melancholy that she followed from the land of askr.  and it is that reminder, the fact that she risked a life to see another, that forces her to turn around.  her lips open to speak, maybe his name or a title or a noise, but nothing leaves her.

the sight of him, hooded and weary, is enough to bring her to tears.  years have separated them and yet here he stands, almost the same as he once was when she had her retainers bring him to her bedchambers.  sick, weary, but alive.

“   anankos,   ”   mikoto whispers, hands shaking against each other.  she steps towards him once, then again, before she’s walking desperately to close the distance.   “   anankos, is this true?  do not make me mourn a ghost, be real.  be here before me.   ”   her hands rise and meet skin.  an eyelid is closed beneath her palm, the bristle of lashes settles a twitch of her fingers.  her opposite hand meets another closed eye and this time, she recoils.  not far, but her hands retract back to her chest and she shudders.

it is not from fear, and she isn’t sure how she feels about the realization.  instead, mikoto peers into anankos’ hood, stares him in the eyes as she speaks.   “   you called me here.  your voice... i heard your dream.  saw your dream.  we...   ”   and if she was there, then it was her death.  over and over and over again until his nightmares became her own.  but this is too much, too soon.  the confessions are stuck in her throat and her willpower refuses to pull them out.  mikoto steps back, narrowed eyes dark with apprehension.   “   corrin is here.  has she... has she seen you?   ”

has he spoken to her?  to leo?  there are too many questions to ask and expect answered.  so mikoto doesn’t.  her shoulders relax and asteria hums from across the garden, where it rests against a pillar of wood.  she gestures to the ground and says,   “   we will be here for a while.  sit with me, anankos.  rest your legs.   ”

[tortillamastersblog]

♕ No Matter What - Part 5 | Lena Luthor ♕

Pairing: Lena Luthor x reader

Warnings: none, just some tooth rotting fluff

Summary: Something has shifted in your relationship with Lena and as time goes on, you realize that you might think of her as more than just your boss.

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It’s Saturday night and instead of watching a movie on my couch like I used to, I’m trailing behind Lena while she mingles with the people of her charity event.

This morning when I woke up she was already in the kitchen, making breakfast. It was oddly domestic, but I can’t say I minded.

We ate in silence, stealing glances at each other before our peace was disrupted by a fuming Sam.

She stormed into the apartment and yelled at me for not calling her, saying she’d been worried sick all night. Then, before I could apologize she rushed over to hug me.

Lena watched with mild amusement and, as gentle as possible, filled Sam in on what happened. That didn’t help at all though and in the end it opened a whole new can of worms with Sam scolding me for losing control and being reckless.

It got so bad that Lena had to step in at some point because I couldn’t get a word in. Sam apologized, and I did too for not calling her before we all settled down and finished eating.

After that I thanked Lena for letting me stay and rushed home to shower and change before returning to her apartment so I could accompany her to work.

Other than this morning, she hasn’t brought up last night and I’m extremely grateful. I know she would never judge me for what happened, just like Sam, but I’m not ready to share that part of me. For now, at least.

“Y/N?” A gentle touch on my forearm brings me back to reality. I look down to find Lena looking up at me with curiosity. “Everything alright?”

Her touch makes my stomach flip and I gulp, trying to mask my nervousness by saying, “Just peachy.”

Lena smiles and squeezes my arm teasingly. “Come on, be honest. You can admit you’re bored.

Bored? I’m anything but that. All night I’ve been able to watch her in her black off-shoulder dress without having to worry about looking like a creep.

I almost scoff, but realizing that that might come off as rude I say, “I promise you, Ms. Luthor, I’m not bored. This event is amazing and your speech earlier was very inspiring.”

Lena’s smile turns bashful and she ducks her head shyly. “Well, if you say so… Thank you.”

I bow playfully. “You’re welcome.”

Just then, Sam and a man whom I recognize from one of the board meetings approach us.

The man whisks Lena onto the dance floor and I turn to keep an eye on her. Sam joins my side and watches the people waltzing around before nudging me.

“Soooo, what was that?” she asks, her voice taking on a sing-song quality.

I tear my eyes away from Lena for a moment to shoot Sam a questioning look.

She raises her eyebrow expectantly and cocks her head in the direction of the dance floor. “You and Lena,” she prompts.

My ears start tingling and I square my shoulders nervously. “What about us?”

“She was touching your arm,” Sam says with a smirk. “And you didn’t pull away.”

“I—“ I snap my mouth shut because Sam’s got me cornered. She knows I hate people touching me and the fact that I let Lena do it speaks volumes. “Well, she’s my boss and I can’t just shove her off me, now can I?” I defend but I know it’s a weak excuse.

“No, not really,” Sam muses and I know she’s not buying it. When she adds, “You’d make a cute couple,” my jaw drops and I dig my elbow into her side.

“Oh my God, shut up!” I hiss through gritted teeth, looking around nervously to check if someone is listening to our conversation. Luckily no one seems to be interested though, so I quickly turn back to her. “You can’t just say something like that.”

Laughing, she takes a swig of her champagne. “Oh, relax. We’re all adults here and I know for a fact that Lena’s been single for quite some time now and the way she was looking at you—“

My eyes widen in horror and I slap a hand over Sam’s mouth. She licks my palm in retaliation and I pull back with a grimace. “Ew!”

“Oh shut up.” She chuckles and punches my shoulder. Then, her expression turns a little more serious and she says, “I mean it, Y/N. Just think about it…”

I don’t know what to say to that, so I turn my attention back to the dance floor with a sigh.

Almost all the guests are gone and I stand back patiently as Lena bids the rest of them goodbye. Sam left a while ago to relieve Alex from her babysitting duties.

Kara who was here for CatCo earlier left as well after exchanging some pleasantries and getting a few pictures of the event.

Once the last guest exits the venue, Lena returns to my side. “We can go home in just a second, I just have to get my stuff.”

I nod and let her lead the way. The venue is a beautiful French Chateau with lavish gardens and I almost got lost looking for the bathroom earlier.

Lena left her stuff in one of the vintage studies, so when we get there she gathers everything, ready to leave.

However, before we get to the door she stops and looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “I just remembered you didn’t dance with anyone tonight. Why is that?”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise and smile. “It’s not exactly in my job description, Ms. Luthor.“

Lena counters playfully. “Or you just don’t know how to do it and wanted to avoid making a fool of yourself.”

I scoff and cross my arms, letting my eyes show my amusement. “I can dance just fine, thank you very much.”

Lena drops her things on the plush sofa and holds out her hand with a challenging raise of her eyebrow. “Prove it.”

I huff and can’t help the way my stomach flips at the prospect of dancing with her. I eye her for a moment, debating my next move.

Just think about it…

Sam’s voice rings in my ears and I decide now is the perfect opportunity to test my ever growing feelings for the young CEO.

I take Lena’s hand and lead her onto the balcony to escape the musty air of the study. She’s surprised by the change in location, but doesn’t comment on it as we both admire the view of the garden for a moment.

The big fountain in the middle of the lawn is lit up in the dark, making the water sparkle as it rains down in tiny droplets.

There are also some lit lanterns along the gravel paths, but otherwise everything is dark. It’s as though the person who designed this place didn’t want to distract from the starry night sky above us.

Out here, away from the city, there’s no light pollution that prevents you from seeing each constellation clearly, and the sight is so mesmerizing, that I momentarily forget why I stepped outside in the first place.

That is until Lena clears her throat softly, effectively snapping me out of my haze. “Sorry.“

She smiles and tilts her head adorably, her eyes not leaving my face. I instantly get nervous under her gaze and try to mask it by stepping closer and saying, “May I have this dance, M’lady?”

I preform an exaggerated bow which makes her giggle. She accepts the invitation with a grin and I raise her hand to place a theatrical kiss to her knuckles.

Before I can get into position though, her hands travel up my arms and slide beneath the fabric of my jacket. She pushes it off my shoulders and I understand what she wants, so I take it off, albeit a little confused.

I’m about to ask why that was necessary when her fingers make quick work of the buckle on my leather shoulder holster that holds my service weapon.

“Now you’re officially off duty,” she says, draping my jacket and holster over the balcony’s stone railing before returning into my space.

She pulls me infinitely closer and guides my one hand around her waist, taking my other into her own. Her perfume clouds my senses and the warmth of her body so close to mine is making me swoon on the inside.

“I’m never really off duty,” I manage to get out without stuttering. “If you ever need me, I’ll be there.”

It could just be the low light, but I’m almost certain Lena’s pupils dilate ever so slightly. It’s a sight that makes me want to rush forward and kiss her, but in the end I don’t do it.

She’s still your boss! I remind myself and that wipes the idea from my mind entirely. Kissing her out of nowhere would be a sure way to get myself fired. That being said, should there ever be something between us she has to be the one to initiate it.

Lena doesn’t say anything. Her green eyes just bore into mine, so I smile shyly and ask, “Ready?”

She nods almost imperceptibly and I start moving, guiding her around the spacious balcony in a slow waltz. It’s been a long time since I danced like this, but it’s all coming back to me like riding a bike.

There’s no music playing, but it doesn’t matter. We’re in our own world, only focusing on each other while our bodies move effortlessly together.

“Well, it’s seems like you weren’t lying after all,” Lena whispers, her breath hitting my face.

“Huh?” I slow us down so we’re only swaying in place.

Lena’s lip twitches and the hand she has on my shoulder moves toward the back of my neck. “You can dance.”

I briefly close my eyes at the touch and tighten my grip on her waist. “I told you.”

“Mhmm,” Lena hums and we continue to sway in silence. A chilly autumn breeze dances around us and because it borders on cold, she draws closer.

Unlike earlier though, it doesn’t make me nervous. It’s calming and I feel my shoulders relax as Lena’s head settles on my shoulder.

I’ve never danced like this with anyone and for the first time in my life I regret not having had a serious relationship before. I’ve had a couple flings here and there, yes, but, like I said, it was never serious. But even those stopped happening when Noah died.

Now that I’m actually this close to someone, I realize how touch starved I’ve been. And no, Sam’s hugs and cuddles don’t count. I’m talking about romantic affection.

Another breeze whips past us and this time not even our proximity is enough to keep Lena from shivering. “It’s getting cold,” I say reluctantly. “And late…”

Lena sighs against my shoulder. “You’re right. Let’s go home.”

We stop swaying and separate slowly. The cold that replaces Lena’s warmth instantly makes me yearn for her again. But it is getting late and we both have to get up early tomorrow morning.

“Thank you for the dance,” Lena says, her hands lingering on my forearms.

I bow again, this time less playfully though. “My pleasure,” I say and seeing the goosebumps on Lena’s arms and chest, I take my jacket and drape it around her shoulders.

She smiles bashfully and mumbles another thank you which makes me feel very accomplished.

I grab my holster without bothering to put it back on and lead us inside where I grab Lena’s things. She protest weakly, saying she can carry it herself, but then a yawn overcomes her and we both chuckle.

We head outside and I help her into the passenger seat of the car the valet has already parked right by the entrance.

I tip him generously and bid him a good night before getting in the driver’s seat. Usually I’m not the one driving, but because it’s Alfred’s night off, I offered to do it.

The drive back into the city is peaceful and quiet. Lena’s leaned against the door the whole way with her eyes closed and my jacket pulled tightly around her shoulders.

She doesn’t even stir when I pull into her building’s underground parking garage.

“Ms. Luthor?” I whisper, touching her shoulder. “Ms. Luthor, we’re here.”

Nothing.

“Ms. Luthor.”

Again. Nothing.

Damn, she’s out cold.

I sigh and get out of the car, making my way around the hood to slowly open the passenger door. I make sure Lena doesn’t fall by quickly replacing the door with my body and bending over her lap to unbuckle her seat belt.

“Alright… Upsy-daisy. One, two, three.” I scoop her into my arms as gracefully as I can and make sure her head is resting comfortably on my chest.

Then I kick the car door shut and make my way to the elevator that takes us straight up to the apartment.

I get the door open with some difficulty and take off my shoes all while Lena continues to sleep away in my arms.

It’s an endearing sight and it just makes me realize even more how deep my feelings for her actually run.

I pad through the dark apartment and into her bedroom where I carefully place her on the bed. She stirs for a moment, but doesn’t wake up, so I take off her heels before adjusting her so I can pull the comforter over her.

“Good night,” I whisper and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Then, without thinking I bend down and press a kiss to the crown of her head.

Oh, if only you knew what you do to me, Lena Luthor, I think as I back out of the room with a tired smile.

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Some much needed fluff after that last part :)

@nuianced-tck-enby Enjoy!

[nestaarcheronweek]

♕ Announcing Nesta Archeron Appreciation Week 2024 ♕

Join us in celebrating Nesta Archeron from April 21 through April 27, 2024!

Welcome to Nesta Week 2024! Feel free to participate in any way you can, from headcanons, fanart, moodboards, fics, drabbles…. no matter how big or small, anything celebrating Nesta is welcome!

Please tag @nestaarcheronweek and use the tag #NestaWeek2024 so we can see all your lovely posts!

This year’s prompts are as follows:

Day One: Queen of Queens ♕ Nesta has accumulated many titles, but one of our favorites is Queen of Queens! How do you see her living up to this title?

Day Two: Metamorphosis ♕ Nesta has undergone many changes during the series — physical, mental, and emotional, just to name a few! How do you see some of the changes she’s gone through?

Day Three: Self-Care ♕ Nesta has experienced a lot of hardships during the series, making it all the more important for those moments of self-care. How do you see her taking care of herself?

Day Four: Lover ♕ Nesta has had many opportunities for love across Prythain — who do you ship her with? Cassian? Emerie? Eris? Gwyn? Azriel? Cresseida? Any and all ships are welcome!

Day Five: Wolf ♕ “So Nesta had become a wolf. Armed herself with invisible teeth and claws, and learned to strike faster, deeper, more lethally.” How do you see Nesta using her teeth and claws?

Day Six: Birthday Girl ♕ While Nesta doesn’t have a specified birthday in canon, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate our favorite character turning a year older! How do you think Nesta and the people who love her would celebrate her special day?

Day Seven: Free Day ♕ Any topic of your choosing!

A huge shoutout to @dustjacketmusings, @c-e-d-dreamer, @talkfantasytome, @kale-theteaqueen, @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk, @melphss, and @podemechamardek for helping to organize this event!

Please contact @moodymelanist with any questions. We can’t wait to see what you all create!