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queenie-ofthe-void · 3 months ago

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The Babysitter Chronicles - Henderson

Steve POV 5+1 (immediately follows s2) || wc: 1.8k || full fic ao3

Henderson || Mayfield pt 1 / Mayfield pt 2 || Sinclair || Wheeler || Byers || +1 Hopper

~~~

This has been the worst week of Steve’s life.

Not only does Nancy think he’s bullshit, he found out she never actually loved him, she cheated on him, and she partially blames him for Barb’s death.

He was almost eaten alive by alternate dimension monster demodogs, almost died at the hands of Billy fucking Hargrove, almost died in the backseat of Billy’s car, and then almost died again in the tunnels.

He’s pretty sure he has a serious concussion and a broken nose. The stitches on his forehead are starting to itch. He’s had a migraine every day since, and there’s ringing in his ears.

Steve honestly thought he could put all of this Upside-Down shit behind him. Pack it away in a tiny box and move on. Yet he was dragged into it once again, forced to protect kids he barely knows from both monsters and humans.

He deserves to get paid for this shit, to be honest.

He’s got no friends to sit with at lunch, no girlfriend to love him, and no parents at home to take care of him.

After spending the week at home alone, wallowing and recovering, he found himself thinking of the kids. It was the first time he felt anything other than misery and physical pain. But they were big, complicated emotions that he’s still untangling. He’s been able to pick out fear and anxiety, annoyance, exasperation, and– surprisingly– fondness. When he thinks of the kids, he’s hit with a surge of fierce protectiveness and devotion.

He’s got nothing to show for his life and no one to spend it with. Those kids, though, needed him in a way he’s never felt before. It was life or death, and they trusted him to keep them safe. Now that it’s over, even If he isn’t necessarily wanted, maybe he could at least continue being useful.

Which is how he finds himself pulling up to the same curb as he did a week ago. At least this time he’s not here about the Upside-Down; although, knowing Dustin, he wouldn’t be surprised.

“Steve!” Dustin’s running out the front door and down the driveway in just a t-shirt and sweatpants despite the chilly November morning. He plows into his chest at full speed and almost sends them both toppling over. “Steve, holy shit you’re here! Oh shit your face.”

“Hey man, language ok?” Jesus, the mouth on this kid. “Relax twerp, ease up on the hug, you're killing my ribs.”

Dustin immediately drops his arms and backs away, looking cowed. Steve’s going to have to work on his approach, apparently the kid’s sensitive. Or maybe Steve’s still a bit of a bully, another part of himself that needs to be fixed.

“It’s ok, Dustin, don’t worry about it. Just a little sore still.”

He perks back up again, bouncing up and down on his heels. The little gremlin’s toothless smile is so damn cute Steve wants to give him a noogie.

“Ok then,” Dustin replies, “so why are you here?”

“Uhhh, actually I’m here to talk to your mom.” Feeling suddenly awkward, Steve runs a nervous hand through his hair. He hisses as it pulls on his stitches.

“My mom?” he asks, incredulously. “Why? What’s going on?”

Steve supposes he should’ve thought of this. It makes more sense to talk with Dustin before actually asking his mom for permission, but he hadn’t practiced this part. Now here he is, facing down an over-dramatic middle schooler and he’s actually nervous about it.

“Yeah, I kind of noticed you’re an only child, and you don’t really have a dad around.”

Dustin’s face falls, morphing into a scowl. Shit, Steve’s barely said one word and he’s already messing this up.

“Not all of us have rich parents who buy us whatever they want,” the kid huffs, crossing his arms and kicking non-existent rocks.

“No wait, ok look I’m sorry Dustin, that’s not what I meant. I’m not really great at talking about stuff like this. The important stuff anyways. Let me try again. Please?”

The kid’s still scowling, but his body relaxes a bit and he nods.

“Ok I’ll start over,” Steve continues. “Even though we were dealing with all of the Upside-Down shit and it was literally the worst week of my entire life, I enjoyed having you around. I’d sleep better at night if I knew you twerps are safe and I know you don’t really have anyone around other than your mom and the other gremlins–”

“The Party.”

Steve stares at him, mouth hanging open as he’s cut off mid-sentence. He’s in the middle of pouring his heart out to this mouthy ten year old and he’s got the audacity to interrupt him.

“The what now?”

“The Party, Steve.” The little shit’s tone is overflowing with condescension. “The group. We’re called the Party. You know, like in DnD?”

“What the hell is a dandy?”

“You, kind of,” Dustin mutters under his breath. Steve doesn’t really know what that means and coming from this kid he probably doesn’t want to. “D and D stands for Dungeons and Dragons, Steve. It’s a role playing game.”

“Whoa, alright I think you’re a little too young to be playing role playing games.”

“I’ve literally been playing for three years.”

“You’ve been roleplaying since you were seven?”

“I’m thirteen Steve!” He’s pretty sure Dustin’s screeching can be heard from the other side of town. “What are we even talking about right now? Why are you here, at my home, looking for my mom?”

“I want to be your goddamned babysitter!” Steve screams back. He takes a deep breath– in and out. This kid’s going to be the death of him, he just knows it.

He looks down to find Dustin’s eyes wide and mouth formed in a perfect oval. The kid’s shocked, either from what Steve said or that he literally shouted it in his face. Now it’s Steve’s turn to kick rocks. He shuffles back and forth, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them from tugging his hair again.

“You guys almost died, man,” Steve says softly, avoiding eye contact. It makes this part easier. “You almost died, and if I hadn’t been there, I have no idea what would’ve happened. Maybe you all would’ve been fine, I don’t know. But it was my job to keep you safe, and you don’t have anyone else around except your mom and the grem– I mean the Party– to look out for you. I had to quit basketball thanks to Billy, and Nancy broke up with me. My parents are literally never home, so I’ve got a lot of free time on my hands. Figure I could use some of that time keeping you out of trouble.”

Dustin’s face hasn’t changed, still devoid of any emotion other than shock. God damnit, Steve really messed this up. He looks around and rubs the back of his neck. His skin’s prickling with nerves as he starts to sweat and he takes a step backwards towards the safety of his car.

This was a stupid idea. Why would any of these kids want anything to do with him? He’s nothing like them: smart, nerdy, can save the world without taking a beating. Steve thought he could be useful, worthwhile to someone– to Dustin. He should know better by now.

“Look, I’m sorry. I’m just going to go,” Steve says. But as he turns to leave, Dustin slams into him once more. Steve’s breath whooshes from his lungs and a lightning strike of pain travels up his back. He thinks he’s shaking from the pain, except his crewneck is starting to feel damp against the kid’s face and he can see Dustin’s shoulders practically vibrating. “Hey, Dustin. Hey it’s ok, are you alright? What’s wrong man, talk to me.”

Dustin doesn’t look up, just keeps his face buried in Steve’s sweatshirt and grips him tighter. It hurts and it aches and it pulls at all of his injuries. He still lets Dustin hold on for as long as he needs to.

There’s a slight movement out of the corner of his good eye, and he glances up towards the house to see a small, curvy woman smiling at them through the window. Not wanting to dislodge Dustin, he slightly lifts his hand to wave. He’s surprised when she honest to God clutches her heart and wipes what he assumes is a tear from her eye.

Steve’s already worried he screwed this whole thing up. He definitely didn’t think it would happen in front of a goddamned audience.

The kid’s still holding on, but the shaking has subsided and he’s breathing easier. Steve smashes his hat to ruffle his hair, and Dustin backs off with a shriek. His face is covered in red blotches matching his bloodshot eyes. Steve looks down at his sweatshirt to find a tears-snot-spit wet patch stained into his chest.

“Dude, gross,” Steve huffs. At least he’s wearing an undershirt. Dustin just chuckles.

“Like friends?” Dustin asks, still wiping at his face. “I wouldn’t mind, you know, hanging out. Whenever you’re not busy, I mean.”

It’s Steve’s turn to feel a burn behind his eyes. Relief fills him with warmth as his growing anxiety is washed away. Dustin wants him around. He wants to spend time with him and Steve never really thought he’d get this far. All he had was a half-baked idea to serve himself up for the one thing he knows he’s good for. And he was wanted.

He reaches out and pulls the kid back in for a hug, holding him tight despite the pain. Dustin starts trying to push off, so Steve flips him around under his armpit in a headlock, rubbing his knuckles roughly into the top of Dustin’s hat as he starts to screech again. He huffs, straightening out his hat, still sporting that iconic toothless smile.

“Now,” Steve says, “all I have to do is ask your mom.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Dustin replies, turning around to lead Steve towards the house. He sees the curtains pulled roughly shut and the silhouette of the woman heading toward the front door. “She already knows all about you. I told her what happened. Well, the government version.”

“You told your mom about me?” Steve asks in awe.

“Duh, why wouldn’t I? Sure, you got your ass handed to you, but it was totally awesome!”

“Right,” Steve scoffs. He’ll let that one slide for now. “You’re sure she won’t mind?”

“Mom’s going to love you. She’s been asking about you all week.”

If she’s anything like her son, then hopefully Steve’s got nothing to worry about. And maybe if he can watch one kid, he can talk to the rest of their parents– look after the whole Party of gremlins. He can host after school hangouts and movie nights, sleepovers in the living room and pool parties in the summer. There’s the beginnings a plan forming in his head, which parents and kids he needs to talk to next.

When he’s met with Mrs. Henderson’s warm smile, he thinks maybe the rest of this year will be alright.

#steve harrington and the party #steve harrington fic #steve and dustin #steve harrington #dustin henderson #steve and the party #good babysitter steve harrington #babysitter steve harrington #the babysitter chronicles #stranger things fic #post season 2 #queeniewritesstories

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ariseur · 3 months ago

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Hi dottie! May i have sephiroth with fake dating ends up for them falling for you? If it’s taken then the lazy makeout sesh would be ok too. Congrats on 500 you deserve it 💕

✧˖° ended up doing second prompt just because i had an idea for it lol

sephiroth is cool — not just in the way that he’s admired by his peers and fans across midgar ( even though he totally is ), but even his hands, coursing through your hair as he keeps his lips locked on yours is cool. compared to the warmth of your body heat, his is a deep contrast that only washes over you in small sheens waves of fluster as his hands will gently find you once more.

sephiroth doesn’t necessarily, ‘make out’. he’ll kiss you, and he’ll let his feelings envelop him ( something he’s awfully foreign to ) while he allows himself to melt into you.

you can pull an occasional hum from him once you brush your fingers against his sharp jaw, feeling along the chiseled bone behind the soft flesh of skin that decorated him. tilting his head, his eyelashes flutter as you connect again — lips locking as his teeth softly latch onto your bottom lip.

it almost feels too careful, the way he’s so gentle with his touch. despite his inexperience, it almost feels like you’re the one who doesn’t know what they’re doing. his eyes, so piercing as you watch the swirls of azure mako flow within them at the small breaks ( really, only a second or so before you lock lips again ) you two take in between kisses. they tease in a certain way words can’t.

and after a moment, your lips falter — the pace slowing down into a smooth andante as you lean back onto the bed, the only place sephiroth claims he feels comfortable enough to have you. you can’t blame him, though. with how much his personal life is on display, you don’t mind having some alone time exclusive to yourselves.

“growing tired already, are we?” he murmurs against your lips, evoking a small hum of affirmation from you. your hands find their way into his hair, carding through the silkiness that you always beg him to teach you about, knowing he’ll merely shake his head and scoff; claiming he’ll show you another day.

you roll your eyes as you hear him whisper, “your beauty is so blinding,” while he thumbs at a small mark on your cheek.

“such a sap.”

“possibly,” he interlocks his fingers with yours, pulling away after what felt like hours, finally taking the moment to gaze at you. your facial features; every pore and every lash, he admired it all. you were human, more human than he had ever felt. a true charitable being that he is reminded of with every beat of your pulse, throbbing against his own as he presses his hands up to yours.

his fingers, still cold, find their warmth when they’re with yours. something he always finds endearing.

“tired?” he chuckles at your drooped eyes, lashes barely fluttering as you try to manage to stay awake. your arms wrap around his shoulders, broad under his light shirt ( something you’re still not used to seeing him in, his SOLDIER attire becoming a second skin at this point ), as you pull him into you. “little bit,” you hoarse out, voice raspy from the lack of usage over the past few kisses.

and as he laughs, you pull him into one last kiss even though you both know it’ll end up lasting a little longer than you say it will. his low laughter fills the air as his hands cradle your face, ever so delicate. this is home, he thinks — and this is more human than ever before.

𐙚 dottie’s 500 event - 🍡 ( action ) prompt !!

𐙚 taglist ; @snoopicle @ch3rryfiles

𐙚 non-500 requests are closed — august nineteenth, 2024 ( 8:58pm )

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raayllum · 8 months ago

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Key to His Heart Theory: Shot Through the Heart, and You're (S5) to Blame

Intro

So a little over a year ago (since usually I think about things meta wise for at least a good month before writing them down), I wrote a meta about why I thought the Key of Aaravos might hold a quasar diamond, specifically Aaravos' missing chest piece. His heart, if you will.

At the time, I thought it was a very strong contender for what the cube might be, even if it didn't necessarily give us a clear depiction on what it might be used for, and was again operating under the assumption the cube itself is something Aaravos even wants back or needs (which is assumption still, at this point).

It made sense loosely with some of the new information we'd gleaned about the cube from S4 (mostly the Callum pawn intro with its bright flashing light, the emphasis on hearts in the narrative with Ezran's speech, the 4x04 flashbacks) and was likewise built upon a previous meta regarding the series' use of Egyptian mythology (Thoth and Ibis being present somewhat in Callum's arc, the main trio's parallels to another Egyptian myth trio, Aaravos' mirror and mirrors as objects of divination, and potential matching symbolism with the ankh).

The Key to His Heart theory was also built on previous seasons — largely the Magma Titan plot line, and Avizandum being stabbed in the heart — in addition to Aaravos' chest piece, seemingly, being notably absent, which seemed indicative of certain lines from the short stories, particularly Rayla (S4's Dear Callum), but we'll talk more about these later:

Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.

If you're interested in this theory and want to know about it, I recommend reading the two metas I've linked above, as the rest of this won't really be delving too much into what I've already written about, and talking about how season five has given more potential evidence.

With that out of the way, let's get into it in rough order of "most to least" likely:

Season Five

TDP Reflections

Whereas hearts weren't mentioned too much in the short stories leading up to S4, they became a reoccurring motif every TDP reflection story going into S5.

Fools. They might as well have held their own hearts, beating and bloody, in the palms of their hands. Kim’dael knew that if she showed them her heart—or something convincingly like it—the Sunfire elves would do exactly what she wanted them to do.

“Rayla,” she said, meeting Redfeather’s gaze. “My name is Rayla. And I’m going home.” Redfeather sighed. “Oh, you bleeding heart.”

“They balk at shadows, then.” Aditi pulled a slip of white-hot metal from the forge and turned to place it upon a gilded anvil. “I see your heart—and I am not afraid.”

It stared up at him. Ezran felt a coldness twist its way around his heart. It took his lungs, too, and for a long moment he could not breathe, could not feel anything but an unfamiliar anger so potent it seized the whole of him, inside and out.

Viren staggers backwards, his last breath shuddering through the blade. His white robes turn red at his heart. Something in Soren’s own chest shatters along old cracks, but he cannot look away.

“You are stronger than this. All storms end!” Rex rumbled a snort through flared nostrils. “What lies at its heart?”

He wept for his city, his people, and the darkness struck deep into their hearts.

While one may say it ends with a sunrise, another will insist it ends at nightfall. Yet at the heart of the story is a single, simple truth…A star fell from the sky.

From where Kim’dael stood, she could only see the brilliant aura of its magic. For a moment, it was as though the queen’s heart overflowed with light.

Now, some of this is undeniably because a heart is a short hand for emotion and one of our most useful metaphors for communicating a variety of emotion. However, I did think it was particularly interesting / eye catching that these lines tended to overlap with the series' growing light and darkness motif and emphasis on wounds/scars (to the point we have a 5x02 episode titled "Old Wounds" that refers to both Viren's past and Callum and Rayla's healing relationship).

But by far the one that struck me the most, and seemed the most reminiscent of how Aaravos's (literal?) wound manifests is this paragraph from Claudia's short story:

Lissa had left her years ago, but the space she had owned in Claudia’s heart remained. It was a dark place now, hard and hateful, its edges raw as a wound that had forgotten to heal.

Mountains had crumbled and left in their wake a vast new sea. It was as though the land had been dealt a great wound and bled a hundred years. Terror washed across the remnants of humanity like a wave: What power could fell mountains? Turn all the world dark, and bleed a sea from stones?

—Ripples (pre-S5)

As well as Aaravos' clear desire to have revenge over the Startouch elves for something that seems to go beyond the resentment over just being banished:

I have not seen the stars in centuries. But when I see them again—when the stars are forced to look upon me, their dark brother—they will know how I have waited. And when everything they have built lies shattered, I will savor their fall from the sky. For I have been patient.

—Patience (pre-S4)

We don't know yet if we are going to get more TDP reflections going into S6 or S7, but given the way the previous stories emphasize the heart as both a symbolic idea (a darkened, hollowed out heart) and a literal entity you can hold in your hands... It's clear there's something going on symbolism else, otherwise why be so consistent? But enough of the reflections, for now.

Time to talk about S5 itself.

Laurelion

Previously, I thought the cube in the intro (a literal glow toy, as Rayla identified back in 1x05) already had similar properties to the star-glow effect in the title intro back at S4.

At the time, this was more of a guess. Most of the Star magic we'd seen at that point we weren't able to fully identify as such, it seemed a bit more magenta in colour, and while there was a parallel in the bright flash of light upon releasing Sir Sparklepuff, there's also a bright flash when the prison is actually made. It's just a good short hand for a crescendo of magical power, you know? We didn't know if quasar diamonds were even going to be white, besides the one presumably in Aaravos' chest concept art wise.

And yet — it still felt like something to me. Then S5 with Laurelion came along.

The Death of the Immortal

K: "And though undying, took last breath, immortal Laurelion was no more." C: That's good, right? I mean when someone "was no more," that's — that's dead, yeah? K: It's a bit confusing, but that is the clearest implication. Though it is somewhat odd they call them undying and immortal. C: Well, that doesn't sound so immortal? Laurelion "was no more". K: Right. C: But how? How did they...? K: Right here. "White as the star's heart it pierced, ivory draconic brought death's bite known ever forth as Novablade." C: It's a sword.

There's a few noteworthy things about this whole exchange:

The poem has to be relevant eventually, otherwise why include it at all when you easily could've just had Kazi and Callum stumble across the sword period?

It confirms that the heart of a star is something that can be pierced, presumably removed, and white, which I think is the biggest "hell yeah" to the 4x04 intro

There is no reason to point out the contradictions in the poem itself unless A) the sword doesn't work the way we think it does and/or B) we are going to find out why the "undying and immortal" thing matters — and they make sure to emphasize the contradictions quite a bit as well, so they definitely want us to notice

If Laurelion died, and Aaravos took his place, that would explain how Laurelion — identity wise — could die while the same person under a new name could also remain alive / immortal

We learn in Rayla's pre-S5 short story that Ghosts don't often keep their real names, and take a new one as the final severance of their bond with their old community. For all extents and purposes, Aaravos was Ghosted (banished) from his community as well. Taking a new name would make sense

"That must've been when [Harrow] fell." "Fell? Fell! He didn't fall, Rayla, he didn't trip and fall on the ground — he got killed!" (2x08)

There's more speculation here regarding the actual sword and draconic ivory, but that is another post for another day that other smart people have made if you are interested. For now let's just focus on the heart.

We know Laurelion had a heart; we know it got stabbed with the Novablade, leaving Laurelion both no more (i.e. dead) and yet immortal / undying. We know that Arc 2 in particular has had an emphasis on losing your sense of self and identity ("I was his puppet" / "We can't save everyone, Soren" / "But I'm not evil. It's me" / all of Viren's dream visions). We know that a Star's heart is white. We know that Aaravos seemingly used to have one, and now it's either missing or impermanent, only visible sometimes.

(Putting a pin in the second image cause we'll roll back around to it in the counter evidence section.)

We know his chest centrepiece glowed when he was imprisoned, and we know it was seemingly gone when he got banished. We know something about the Key of Aaravos was able to reveal his treachery.

I'm not saying any of this is for sure connected, but it does make you think, at least a little?

That, and it'd play into another bit of potential interesting foreshadowing / symbolism we got in s5 with

Viren Heart Theory

This is another theory I've discussed in more detail elsewhere, so I'm going to link to it here, but it wouldn't feel right to not talk about it at least a little here. Basically the theory is that Viren used his own blood / a piece of his heart, or possibly the whole thing, and the relic staff in order to save Soren when he was a young child.

This is largely due to Viren's spotlight turning red after he begs to be able to save Soren, and cinched by Kpp'Ar pointing specifically at Viren's heart only for Viren to deflect and start talking about Soren's case specifically. Whatever he did seemed to make him more 'powerful,' but at a great personal cost ("In the name of love you may perform acts that are so unforgivable, you will never forgive yourself") and something he finds the need to justify ("I had to do something! I had to save him! I had no choice!").

If Viren did this, it also adds another layer to Viren's sentiment of "Harrow's death breaks my heart" being well, half-hearted, in addition to Soren literally stabbing illusion Viren in the heart in 3x09. Viren mutilated his heart for his son's life, stopped being able to properly express love to said son, and then Soren stabbed his father right in the place that presumably saved him as a child. Ouch.

It seems likely that one of the reasons Aaravos was able to prey so aptly on Viren's desire for importance and attention — to Matter — was because Aaravos might've tried and failed earlier on to get the Startouch elves to listen to him pre-banishment. Being ignored, exiled, and disempowered is something he can relate to, and something he doesn't mind taking advantage of when it suits him.

However, if this combination could save someone Viren loved, it makes me wonder if Aaravos did something similar to likewise try (and fail?) to save someone he loved, too. It's either that or the Startouch elves just completely ripped it out, so... I guess we'll have to see?

But yeah — if Viren did it, then I'm expecting it's more likely that Aaravos did it, too. That is all.

The Pawn Intros

But Dragons, you say, didn't we already talk about the Callum pawn intro?

And to that I say yes, but — thanks to a promo S6 picture of Aaravos crying, we know something else very important about said intros that we didn't know before: they take place at the Sea of the Cast Out.

The sky, the mountains... the fact we know, thanks to the statues in 5x09, that this is likely where Aaravos' grief — his wound, if you will — began to bleed and take root, leading to his thousands of years of seeking vengeance and using just about anything or anyone he could. This is, presumably, where his chess game started... and where it is, symbolically at least, going to end.

Okay, so it's the Sea of the Cast Out — why does that matter?

Well, we know the Sea of the Cast Out is a site of literal trauma for Aaravos. We know, thanks to the statues of Aaravos and the Merciful One, that it plays into the same reaching motif we see Viren participate in quite a few times, both in his intro and in other places/relationships (most notably Sarai, Harrow, and Terry).

The Sea of the Cast Out is also, perhaps more importantly for this theory's purposes, near Elarion. What little we do know about the city beyond it being an important place for humans and dark magic ties it repeatedly to nature through The Midnight Star poem:

Elarion, trembling seed, lay down to earth in icy night, and in the cold her roots took hold defying winter’s deathly bite. Elarion, fading bloom, afraid to wilt and dim and die, [...] Elarion, dying husk, did wilt and whimper in the dark [...] Elarion, black-eyed child, her twisted roots spread deep and far,

as well as a tale about the Flowers of Elarion, precious blooms that could soothe the senses and turned to dust come morning—flowers that were left as "a fair exchange of beloved for beloved" (Tales of Xadia). Put a pin that Exchange idea because I swear we're gonna come back to it but not in the usual way you might be expecting, or at least not entirely.

And we have good reason to believe this nature motif is tied to Aaravos' current imprisonment as well, given how present flower imagery is for his mirror.

So the Sea of the Cast Out and Elarion seem to be the two places we know of thus far that are not only the most important to Aaravos, but the most instrumental to his banishment. It would not surprise me if either Aaravos got involved in what would become Elarion either because he was banished, or it was what he was banished over, or if discovering the truth of what happened there is likewise why the Archdragons were partially like "Yeah, we gotta lock this guy up" (now that they knew he posed a serious threat). The fact that Elarion is referred to as a child (everything with "blood of a child,"), black-eyed (which denotes dark magic), and winter's "deathly bite" ("White as the star's heart it pierced, / ivory draconic brought death's bite") just all ties together nicely in being related even if we're not totally sure how.

But Aaravos having his chest piece removed by force / as punishment in addition to being cast out by the Startouch elves, or him taking it out himself and giving it to someone who was lost... There's a lot of roads to get here as to why this stuff all seems connected if the Key is indeed his chest piece, which offers up both a power up, a sad tragic backstory, some baller symbolism, and some nice double meanings as to what it is key wise.

As the Key works in the moment, it doesn't seem like it's something that would be very useful to a primal mage, as other than pretty easily identifiable gemstones they wouldn't be using much the key identifies. However, the function of the Key being able to categorize and sort magical creatures and plants from each other is something that is very useful if you're a dark mage and need to shore up your ingredients list.

If the Key has Aaravos' chest piece in it, there are two main prongs this offers:

It may have been instrumental in helping humans discover dark magic, hence the "Elarion, searing white" and could also be the Gift the poem speaks of. Aaravos removed it himself (love makes you weak?), gave it to his chosen human, chosen human died, and he was locked out of Startouch realm as a combined result. This offers the clearest connection between why Aaravos' mirror has the nature motif and why Aaravos is crying in the beginning of 6x01.

It was removed by the Startouch elves and lost/hidden, forcing Aaravos to be away from his old home until he could find it again. This is the clearest explanation as to why the Key might be relevant on a plot level. It could give him the power up he needs to get out of his prison and barring that, it's what he needs to wreck havoc and gain access to the Startouch elves to get revenge on them

It also allows what we learn of the cube in 2x06 to have multiple meanings:

The Key is revealed in an episode called The Heart of a Titan. We're led to assume that this is just the Magma Titan, and you could perhaps make an argument the dual meaning (just like how Breaking the Seal refers to the letter and the titan's chest) refers to Harrow or Callum's capacity to love. But, given that one of Aaravos' most prominent mythic comparisons is to Prometheus, a literal Titan, well...

"It unlocks something of great power in Xadia" would work equally well if it's a Key literally made from Aaravos, not just to Aaravos. And the past 2 seasons in particular have emphasized over and over again just how powerful and dangerous he is

The salvation and destruction motif that is inherent in the key, ("I just have a feeling this key thing can help me" / "It's the key of Aaravos, no good will come of it") as keys are linked to chains and freedom with the ability to lock and unlock, is rampant in 2x06, as Viren states that Xadia and the Magma Titan "held both the promise of our salvation and threat of our destruction." This goes double for Sarai sacrificing her life to save Viren

And to round back to Viren and his intro, I don't think it's a coincidence that

is one of the first things Aaravos ever says to Viren, particularly when trying to earn Viren's trust. (Nor that Aaravos considers that Zubeia and co. "betrayed" him when "he would lower his guard," just before the imprisonment.) And while Aaravos gains Viren's trust as a political ally here first, it's also clear that he's actually primarily preying upon Viren's deepest emotional desires here as well: to be listened to. To matter.

Viren wasn't listened to by the monarchs around him (Harrow). He wanted to be important (to them). He wanted to matter.

"It is everything to me, to know that I matter. It's all I ever wanted."

Aaravos: Search your heart. There is something you want very badly. (2x09) Zubeia: He was able to give them something they wanted very badly. (4x04)

And that's what Aaravos offered him, with power and knowledge just being the bait. (If you're interested in more detailed thoughts on this aspect of Viren / their dynamic, check out this meta here.)

More to the point, I do lean towards the Key's plot purposes being 1) a power-up that may be needed for him to get out of his mirror and 2) something that likewise allows him to see the other Startouch elves again. After all, the Silvergrove gave each elf a similar kind of key:

But y'know what, let's talk about Rayla now, because

The Missing Piece of Your Heart

As stated earlier, Rayla's letter has a consistent metaphor when it comes to family and loss:

I remember how I felt when my parents left me to join the Dragonguard, like PART OF MY HEART WAS MISSING and I would never feel right again. I thought I hated them when they did that to me. In the beginning, it felt so big and terrible—like raging despair—but, overtime, it became a soft, sweet ache—a reminder of that missing part of my heart. [...] Please don’t let this hurt too much. But, if it does—if you feel that soft aching—know that that piece of your heart isn’t missing. It’s not missing at all, Callum: I’m carrying it with me! Always.

This struck me as interesting when the letter first came out, as it was a departure from most of Rayla's previous heart motif ("My heart for Xadia") and even the one attributed to her one half of her parents ("My heart goes out with this one"). Why have the motif suddenly switch up when it would've worked just as well, or been doubly romantic + a Ruthari parallel, to just have it be the whole heart?

Then season four came out, and I understood, because, well...

Upon her return, Rayla brings back that "missing piece" of "Callum's heart". It's a painful restoration and doesn't run entirely smooth, but in season five in particular we see him be much more like his older, happier self once he's let himself love her again, and how steadfast he is in said love ("To love is simply know this...").

But, in a moment that could've been exclusively about Rayla, nor did it need for Stella's connection to the Star arcanum to be this prominent in the same moment, they choose to likewise highlight Rayla 'bringing home' the missing piece of Aaravos' heart, too.

This symbolism is also consistent with how the key is introduced in the first place, i.e. first thought of because Rayla's drawing in Callum's sketchbook (another gift from Harrow) reminds Callum of it, and her ultimately being the one to retrieve it even once things at the Banther Lodge take a turn towards the south.

Furthermore, we do have reason to believe that Rayla is indeed the 'Key to Callum' in a sense, particularly after 5x08. Just like how a key can both lock and unlock — give freedom or entrapment — Rayla symbolizes a great deal of duality in Callum's life, including but not limited to:

Leading him to primal magic (1x03, 5x08) and dark magic (2x07, 5x08)

Light ("No one can control you or make your choices for you" / Ray of light) and dark ("But the second you see that elf girl in pain, you completely lost yourself" / "Stay safe, and stay in the light. Don't look for me")

Being routinely emphasized in Callum's arc with Aaravos, especially in S4

"Now you're back. That's kind of good, and it's kind of bad" / "You have to hold pain and love in your heart at the same time" / "And when she came back, I was so happy, and so mad at the same time"

Salvation ("Rayla saves people [...] that's what makes her a hero") and destruction (being willing to die / do dark magic for her)

The Ocean arcanum realization being both positive and negative, just as the poem itself takes on a different shape across the season in regards to how Callum views her and how he views himself while being motivated by his love for her / Ezran

“Wow. So [the berries] look identical, but they might kill you or they might save you,” Callum said. “Exactly. Just like me…” Rayla smiled.

—Book One: Sky novelization

If you're interested in a more specific meta on this dichotomy, I recommend this meta written pre-s4 and this more recent one about 5x08 specifically.

I've written before about Rayla have a weird consistency with the cube as well, particularly in her being the primary carrier of its foreshadowing for most of arc 1, with Callum only really doing so in 1x04 and having Rayla pick up the slack the rest of the time:

"It's a toy, a piece from a children's game" (1x04) as well as "It's a glow toy" (1x05) are now literally true as the cube is 1) involved in Aaravos' game and 2) literally glows a bright flashing light circa the 4x04 intro.

"Are you practicing magic or are you losing to Bait at a game of rolly-cubes?" (2x07 right after Callum calls it a key) came to pass, somewhat if not outright, it seems, in 5x08. Callum practices two different magics, Rayla is literal bait in exchange for the glow-toad, and the episode ends with Callum being worried he's potentially losing Aaravos' 'game' so to speak — that he's made himself more vulnerable to the Startouch elf's control.

Two lines of hers regarding the cube that have not yet come to pass are "This doesn't end well for you" (1x05) and "I hope it was worth it to you, putting everyone's lives in danger" (1x04) but I expect that we'll get them soon enough.

Rayla's 'tether' to a the cube does, of course, loop back into the Flowers of Elarion tale, in which there was a fair exchange of beloved for beloved. If the Key does indeed hold Aaravos' heart (and that is still a very big If), whether it would include an actual exchange is still debatable, but it seems inevitable that she would at least play a part. (If you're interested in more thoughts on Rayla + the cube, check out this meta pre-s4.)

Where the game motif gets the most interesting, I think, is where it intersects with the idea Aaravos mentions in 2x09 regarding, "Those who fail tests of love are simple animals," and one of the TDP short stories in particular having one very interesting tidbit:

“My behavior is—?” “—unusual,” Corvus repeated, nodding. “Very unusual. Ever since you started challenging me to all these little games.” Soren squirmed. His pauldrons clanked as his shoulders slumped. “They aren’t games. They’re tests. Ugh…I’m really messing this up.”

Since Rayla is going to have her "My heart for Xadia" undeniably tested, it would make sense if Callum and Aaravos' hearts came into play too, don't you think?

Other Misc Symbolism / Oddities

Last but not least, we have our odds and ends that didn't fit in the other sections, but I thought may be worthwhile to mention anyway.

For starters, we have screencaps (most notably in 3x06) where you can see a visible dip in Aaravos' tiddies chest that indicates something was removed, and it's not just an artificial darkness.

We have Aaravos touching a fist to his heart twice before he bows and indicates that Callum is going to "play" into his hands (remember that game motif?).

We have this shot, which is the exact kind of thing that "crew makes sure the Ocean and Moon runes are most prominently on display in Callum's dark magic dreams to foreshadow him doing dark magic in S5 Ocean for his Moonshadow gf 3 seasons later" would absolutely do and think they're So Funny about. "No gem for star magic" except the one you're unknowingly holding in your hand, am I right?

Finally, we have precedent that dark magic can 'darken' your heart both in show when Amaya passes the light trial ("A human that is pure of heart") and in the graphic novels with Claudia ("Your heart is not yet darkened") which allows her to see the map to a unicorn (The Puzzle House).

@self-spaghettification also noted that the bright white flash of the star in the 'o' of Aaravos' name in the Arc 2 intro momentarily looks like and makes the shape of the Nova Blade, which is also very cool.

Honourable mention to Rayla going "it's a piece from a children's game" and Ezran going "you said each of the archdragons had a piece of the puzzle" and the Orphan Queen and Jailer presumably working together to trap Aaravos. I think about that shit every day.

Evidence to the Contrary / Alternatives

But like I said at the start, there are plenty of alternatives or feasible pitfalls to consider. This theory resides on a few assumptions after all, that may not be true, such as Aaravos not actually needing the key for anything other than as a lure for Callum, it could purely have something to do with the Nova Blade and nothing to do with the prison, or even have something to do with the nature of magic itself, capable of great good as well as great evil.

His chest piece could've always been more immaterial and dark magic has just darkened it rather than it being removed. Aaravos may have stabbed Laurelion in order to use that heart diamond to partially make the Relic Staff he passed onto Ziard, or Aaravos' chest piece could be in the staff itself, and the cube is something else entirely.

Conclusion

In the end, as we go forward into S6 all the above is more less my personal bet as to where I think we really could go in terms of answering a lot of these questions we've had for a few seasons now. I hope you enjoyed reading the theory and considering (and possibly subscribing to) it, as well as getting your own thoughts stimulated. If any of the above happens I will cry for days and no matter what, I am deeply intrigued to see where S6 takes Aaravos' backstory and, of course, his cube. Luckily:

#tdp #the dragon prince #tdp aaravos #key to his heart theory #tdp meta #analysis series #aaravos

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puppyluvfics · 3 months ago

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October | Lee Jooyeon

Lee Jooyeon | part of Not In The Same Way: MTL Series WC: 1.3k Genre: Angst Summary: You loved Jooyeon. You did. But, God, you hated how little freedom you had with him... you just wanted to exist without having to deal with his spirals into jealousy. Maybe you should have, though. Warnings: none but also tread lightly because this might be... my saddest piece yet A/N: i saw this post on twt the other day and i think it sums this up pretty well...

“I… Listen. I loved you. And maybe, deep down, there’s a part of me that still does. But that part of me is so lost… it isn’t fair to me and it isn’t fair to you. I’ll see you around, okay? Take care of yourself.”

Jooyeon’s eyes widened at your words. You had argued the whole night, sure, but hearing you say this felt almost too finite, too final. Too real.

“You don’t mean that.” He said, finally finding his words, his voice coming out hoarse and broken.

“I do.” You replied, softly. Truthfully, you didn’t really know what you meant, you just knew that you needed a change. If you were being honest with yourself, you didn’t really feel like you fell out of love with Jooyeon. He was just so clingy and while it could be cute at times, those times were so few and far between that it wasn’t worth it anymore.

His eyes brimmed with tears as he looked you up and down, trying to read you.

“(Y/N), wh- how do I fix this? What did I do wrong?” He all but whispered. You took a deep, shaky breath, shaking your head at the same time.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Joo.” You said, but you both knew that was a lie. Well, maybe not a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either. It wasn’t necessarily wrong of him to be clingy, but the way he had been acting lately had been so restricting. You felt like you couldn’t do anything or go anywhere without him without it being an issue. Just yesterday, you had gone out for lunch with a friend, and despite coming home on a high, your mood had instantly dropped, with Jooyeon arguing with you, begging for every single detail. You couldn’t blame him for being insecure, you had your moments as well, but this was something that was now stopping you from being yourself. And the way you saw it, it didn’t make sense for him to be in a relationship with someone who was being insincere.

“Obviously I did, or you wouldn’t be breaking up with me.” His words stung. He had a point.

“Jooyeon, I just…” You started, walking over to the stairs and sitting down on the steps. “I don’t want to hurt you. You deserve so much better.” You fought back your own tears.

“Please hurt me. Because as it stands right now, I’m hurting you without even knowing, which is hurting me a lot more than you ever could. I don’t care if you hate me, but I can’t lose you. Not without trying to fix it, at least. Please, (Y/N).” He sat cross legged in front of you. God, he looked so beautiful despite his sad, broken expression. The way he looked up at you made your heart ache, even if you were only a few inches taller than him the way you were sitting. There was a part of you that wanted to just take it all back, to just endure the clinginess and jealousy and to learn to be okay with it all if it meant that you didn’t have to hurt him like this. But as much as you could sit here and say that now, you knew that in two weeks time, when it would happen again, you wound find yourself back in this position, and that cycle of hurting the both of you was almost worst than ripping the bandaid off and hurting him now.

“I don’t hate you. I never could. I just need to be alone for a while, Jooyeon.” You said after a few moments of silence.

“So be alone with me.” He pleaded, his hands reaching out but falling short, unsure of if he could or should touch you right now.

“No, Joo. That’s…” You sigh, “That’s the point. I need to be alone by myself. I need to do things by myself for a bit. I need to feel like I can go places and see people and just be myself without worrying about you waiting here to interrogate me or breathing down my neck if you come with me. I’m sorry.” You couldn’t even bring yourself to look in his eyes. You could see the tears fall from his cheeks, dripping onto the carpet beneath you two, and you could only imagine what his face looked like. The way his brown eyes were darker, rimmed with the redness of his sadness, the way his lip quivered. You heard him sniffle as he processed your words, and that alone caused your own dam of tears to break.

“Jooyeon, I’m sorry-” You started again. But you were quickly cut off by him putting his hand up to stop you.

“I get it. Believe it or not, I hate myself for how I act. I saw what I was doing, I just couldn’t stop.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” You whisper softly.

“Why didn’t you?!” He asked back, his tone almost biting.

“Because I didn’t want to hurt you!” You said through a small sob.

“So breaking up with me after not talking about it is supposed to hurt less?” His tone was more angry and hurt than sad, and fuck, did it hurt you too, to know you did this. He was right, you should have just talked to him about it, instead of letting it get this far. But if he had realized how he was acting, why didn’t he stop?

“You continuing to do it despite realizing it was hurting me is supposed to be okay?” You bit back.

“I didn’t realize it was hurting you so bad that you wanted to break up with me, (Y/N)"!”

“Bullshit!” You said, your own tears turning from sadness to anger. You had never raised your voice at him before now, let alone swearing at him like this. An air of awkward silence fell over the both of you. He bit the inside of his cheek, not wanting to lash out and keep the cycle going, hurting the both of you more than you already had.

You both looked at each other, tears falling from your eyes, the silence only being broken by the occasional hiccup or shaky deep breath. Finally, you spoke.

“Jooyeon, God, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.” You whispered. If you could take every single thing back, you would in a heartbeat. Faster than a heartbeat. He said nothing in return, just looking over your features, trying to find any sort of emotion and sincerity behind them. And sure, he found sincerity in your apology, but he also found sincerity in the fact he had hurt you enough to get to this point.

“No, (Y/N), I’m sorry.” He said, his voice quiet, low and gravelly. It was such a stark contrast to his usual voice. Frankly, you’d give anything in the world to hear him laugh right now. But you knew that you couldn’t. And what was scarier is that you probably just lost the chance to ever get the privilege to make him laugh again, let alone see him laugh at all.

“I should go…” You said, after a long, uncomfortable while. He simply nodded, standing up and moving out of your way, walking up the stairs into what was once your shared bedroom. The same bedroom where you had made such incredible memories with him. You sighed, blinking away tears, going the opposite way, shutting the door behind you for the last time. As you stepped into the cold air of the night, your chest burned. You regretted everything. The fight, the fact you didn’t bring it up when it first started bothering you, the fact you hurt him more than anything or anyone had ever hurt you before. Now you could go wherever you wanted, do whatever you wanted, and see whoever you wanted. But at what cost?

CHOOSE ANOTHER MEMBER HERE

LISTEN TO THE SONG THAT INSPIRED THIS, BELOW

#xdh #xdh imagines #xdinary heroes fanfic #xdinary heroes imagines #puppyluvfics #xdinary heroes #xh fanfiction #xdinary heroes x reader #xdinary heroes angst #xh angst #lee jooyeon x reader #jooyeon #lee jooyeon #jooyeon angst #lee jooyeon angst #jooyeon x reader

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hockeyboysimagines · 1 year ago

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Hello dear! I see you've had a few requests about Tkachuk but he's one of my favorites so would it be too much of a bother if I asked too? hahah (you can switch to another player if you want)

I wonder what it would be like for him to commit even more to his girlfriend (not necessarily a marriage proposal, but a hint that this was in his future plans?) I think something like, he and his girlfriend met and started dating in Calgary, she's always gotten along with his family, friends and the whole complicated hockey universe. For silly reasons, she and Matt have been fighting a little more than usual, and it all gets worse when Matthew is traded to Florida. She is afraid of moving away from her home, family and friends, especially with the uncertain way things are going in their relationship. Oh and I don't know, maybe they take a break, Matthew moves to Florida and realizes that without her with him nothing feels right? Does she feel like Calgary has lost its color without Matt there? Does she go to one of his games by suprise? Or does he go all the way to Calgary to see her? Many possible endings hahaha

I hope this is what you had in mind!

Things had never been this bad.

All couples fight, sometimes over big stuff and sometimes over little stuff. But you and Matthew were fighting over both of those things and everything in between.

It seemed there was nothing you two weren’t fighting about these days. It felt silly thinking about it, and it felt even sillier to know that it really didn’t make any sense at all. Nothing had changed really, or at least not to your knowledge, although it had been a somewhat tough year in Calgary. Always the center of hockey drama, Matthew was becoming more well known than ever at this point, and your “strong” relationship had begun to crack under the pressure. In the beginning you decided you would hang tough, because the good parts always outweighed the bad. But now you were hanging on for dear life because the bad was drowning you. Once calm waters were now raging and choppy and more than once your head had dipped below the water line.

It was exhausting.

There wasn’t really one thing or one person that was to blame. It was both of you. You’d just forgotten how to to be with eachother.

In the beginning it was sunshine and rainbows. You loved the city, his family, the other Wags, all of it. You threw yourself into his life, being every bit the supportive girlfriend you should be. And it was great. But as time wore on, you’d lost your identity and become nothing more than Matthew Tkachuk’s girlfriend. And then the rumors.

You didn’t really believe them, but they still hurt. And he saw that. He saw how much you struggled with them, so he moved you into his apartment hoping that would make things better.

It didn’t.

If anything it was worse. Every minute he wasn’t home when he said he would be you sat wallowing in your own paranoia. He started posting more photos of you on his social media in order to quell your overthinking, which only opened the door for ugly remarks on your appearance and invasion into your privacy. To him it seemed like no matter what he did, it never made anything better, just worse.

But it had come to a head when the news of his trade to Florida broke.

You’d been blindsided, having no clue it was about to happen.

He however didn’t seem as surprised.

“I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you.” He said nonchalantly as he unpacked a jersey the panthers had sent him “Your gonna love Florida. It’ll be a fresh start for us and I-“ he stopped when he caught your eye and frowned “What?”

“I’m not-I’m not moving to Florida.” You said quietly. The silence in the room was the loudest thing you’d ever heard. He was standing so still he could have been a statue, but the blood creeping up his neck and across his face gave him away.

“I don’t want to uproot my life that way, especially not with how things here have been going.”

“Babe things are going to get better.” He came around the counter and grabbed your hand “I know things have been hard but-“

“No you don’t.” A tear spilled over your lower eyelid and ran down your cheek “You have no idea how hard things have been for me.”

He stepped away from you “Oh don’t I? Do you think I would do everything I’ve been for the last year if I didn’t know?”

“I didn’t ask you to do any of that-“

“I did it because I love you and I wanted to help. Clearly that wasn’t enough. You know-“ he scoffed and turned away shaking his head “No matter what I do it’s ever good enough for you. You don’t want to come to Florida, fine don’t come.”

That had been 5 months ago. It had turned into a knock down, drag out screaming match that had ended in tears and a packed suitcase. You’d stayed with your sister for a week until he’d left for Florida and you hadn’t seen him since.

You’d been keeping tabs on him though, even finding yourself smiling a little as you watched the coverage on him in Florida. You missed him, realizing now that he was what made life in Calgary colorful and great. And that maybe there was more you could have done to fix things. Maybe he was right. You’d never really appreciate me the things he’d done to make things better for you and that maybe Florida would be kinder to you than Calgary was. And now you’d never get the chance to find out. You were walking through life without really living, completely numb to the outside until a knock at your door turned things around.

Matthew was standing on the other side of your door, bundled in cold weather gear. You were both surprised and not surprised. You knew he was in town for his “return to Calgary game”, but you didn’t think you’d see him. After all it had been 5 months of complete silence between the two of you. And while you’d hoped that maybe you would run into him or fate would bring you together, you also kind of didn’t. It would be hard to see him knowing what had gone down between you.

“I forgot how fucking cold it is up here.” He walked wordlessly past you and turned to find you still holding open the door.

Before you throw me out, just listen.” He reached past you and pushed the door shut before he sighed “I acted like an asshole before, and I should have talked to you sooner but it’s taken me 5 months to realize how dumb I was being. I have no idea how hard that was for you, and I won’t pretend to. The truth it, I never even tried. I just kept putting bandaids on our problems hoping it would make it better, but looking back I think if maybe I had tried to just see things differently and understand why we started to struggle it would be different. Every time something happened I saw you pulling away and I panicked because I didn’t want to lose you, so I took another step forward with you in hopes that would are it better. And I don’t regret any of that, but I wish I had tried to get a better understanding of your feelings and for that I’m sorry.”

You pursed your lips “It’s not your fault. I appreciate your apology and as much as I’d love to let you take the blame, some of it was my fault too. I wanted so badly to just be a part of your life that I gave up my own life for it. I loved being your girlfriend and everything that came with it, and when things got tough I never appreciated your support the way I should have. I never realized that you were only trying to help because I had my head so far up my own ass I couldn’t see straight. You did a lot to help me assimilate into your life and I never thanked you. I’m sorry too.”

He smiled a little, and then a lot “I know it’s crazy. But that offer about Florida is still there if you want it. I miss you and I want you there with me.”

You felt like you were melting as you walked forward wrapping your arms around his midsection “I missed you too. And if you want me to move to Florida with you, consider it done. I’d follow you to the North Pole Matthew Tkachuk.”

“The North Pole? Are you crazy. I barely made it here without freezing. How about we start with Miami? Sound good to you?” He smiled down at you.

“Anywhere with you does.”

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planet-crait · 2 months ago

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A New Dev-elopement is next and I’m super excited! It sucks getting attached to Dev with kind of knowing what happens but also I hope for a season two to keep developing him.

Do these kids not normally get homework over the weekend? Lucky. Also a treasure hunt sounds fun! Not sure how that’s homework and what it’s teaching? Maybe the history of the city? Maybe? Or the clues are word problems they have to solve? Well we’ll see what they come up with for it. Kind of hilarious how blatantly everyone hurls paper at Mr. Guzman for that though.

How does the school afford tickets to the water park as prizes? Aww poor kids they’re so devastated that they’re going to be randomly paired. Ohh the heartbreak. I mean. I can’t necessarily relate I uh never had friends in my classes.

Anyways I get Mr. Guzman wants to get the kids to make new friends but I also get the pain especially for a big weekend thing. Oh no. Oh no Hazel when will you learn not to use the word Wish unless you mean it? Wanda’s horrified look was pretty funny though. But oh Hazel may or may not regret that wish I know she’s going to be paired with Dev now.

Lolz Dev and Hazels mini fight is funny but Mr. Guzman should break them up. Hazel you really don’t see why this happened? I think I’ve given up on the questioning Hazel blatantly talking to them it just. Is going to keep being yadda yaddad past. To be fair Hazel you said I wish. You can only blame yourself.

Ohh poor Dev. He can’t even play his game which has music that isn’t very loud at all. Like oof his dad blatantly says his work is a priority over Dev which. Is not an easy pill to swallow. I realize we’re not supposed to like him but he is literally a ten year old being emotionally abused at a minimum by his only parental figure in his life I will always struggle to hold any grudges against literal children especially abused ones okay sue me. (I mean good luck you’ll get like a sandwich and two pencils).

Why am I not surprised Dev wants to ditch a school activity? He seems to believe money will get him anything he wants and well…I can’t argue with the logic as fucked up as that is. I mean it’s wrong morally but it’s not incorrect because capitalism ruins everything.

Ohh so Hazel and Dev have a common book and Game in common? They seem like they could get along really well if Dev wasn’t so spoiled. But ohhh Dev does get the clues right lolz.

I just realized though making ten year plans old walk all over the city by themselves feels kind of cruel. They’re ten and it’s a big city. Also does each pair have their own clues? Like Hazel and Dev keep the post it notes how will the next pair find the next clue unless they’re all different?

Aww Dev and Hazel are having a moment that’s so cute honestly. They get it at the same time and have a little air guitar duet and are laughing. But ohhh the moment has to end. Not surprising I can imagine opening up is not easy for Dev given the glimpses of his home life we got.

He’s starting to smile though that’s progress! Oh OH! He takes off his glasses when he’s finally ready to make a connection (High giving someone) I thought maybe the glasses where like a mask for him and he takes them off when he’s ready to lower the mask and maybe let someone in. Poor kids though fail the high five and face plant hard.

Oh he didn’t put them back on and they laughed despite that oh that’s so cute. I wonder if the pizza stuff did a lot of heavy lifting for getting Dev to be willing to open up to Hazel? That would make sense honestly especially if he’s as starved for affection as I imagine he is.

Seeing him so genuinely smiling is so sweet and cute it makes my heart melt honestly. OHHH HE CALLED HER HAZEL AND NOT ANOTHER NAME!!!! They’re laughing and joking it’s so cute. Aww Hazel is praising Dev to his dad it’s so dang sweet. Oh. Oh no. Dale is brushing it off I hope Dev doesn’t shut down after this.

Oh no he did shut down. Oh poor kid. I feel so bad for him he was so happy and smiling and eager to introduce Hazel to his dad and he just shut him down and his accomplishments so hard. I cannot imagine how crushing it is to have your parent so blatantly brush off the hard work you did especially when it’s something you’re really proud of.

Hazel is trying so hard to reconnect and bring up the fun they had but oof years of emotional abuse do some damage and I’m not sure how easily that can be undone. Ohhh he has really shut down he put the glasses back on and called her the wrong name oof. I think I was right about the glasses being a mask. They hide what his eyes could show as sadness or other emotions he doesn’t want people (his dad) to see. It’s painful seeing such a young kid putting up a mask like this.

Oh I expected Hazel to cry not get mad and leave. Interesting. Also interesting to see Dev seem to immediately regret it and feel bad about it. Unfortunately abuse just. Messes with you. We don’t have any blatant abuse on screen (this is a kids show) but given the neglect Dev faces I struggle to think there isn’t also some major emotional abuse he deals with.

Hazels emotions seem all over the place her being so salty about the sushi. I have a feeling she’s trying to push down the feelings of friendship she was forming with Dev. Oh huh. Didn’t expect Dev to show up again. I guess he really connected with Hazel and just can’t admit it yet. Ohhh Devs insult gave Hazel the clue she needed I love that. Not the insult Hazels mind going back immediately to the project. I didn’t expect the paperweight to be relevant again but hey it works. Oh wow Dev looks super guilty. I kind of expected something to push him but he seems to be doing this all on his own.

Oh Dev lowering his glasses as he re opens up to Hazel. I get that though it makes sense his dad puts him down so much that he would immediately shut down. He is desperate to get something for his dad he’s willing to do a lot to try and get something I don’t think his dad will ever give him. Good on Hazel though for calling out that he hurt her. He owned up which is good but Hazel should call out she got hurt from it. HE SAID SORRY HE SAID SORRY!!!! Aww Hazel forgives him so easily and he removed the glasses again oh my heart.

Wait wait emotional growth wish????? I don’t think that’s ever come up before. Like ever.

Heist yes I love this. Lolz Dev finding doors open over and over again is hilarious. Dev joining on Hazels imagination for the heist is so cute though. And them posing for the security cameras is so funny. Oh more Dev smiles I love it!!!

Ohh I was wondering why he would demand students break into the principles office. That makes more sense and aww. Those photos are so cute. They’re adorable. Protect them at all costs. I do love the principle doesn’t care suddenly because homework over the weekend. Honestly nailed her personality there to solve the conflict.

Oh no the water park closed. Oh the kids will RIOT. THEY NAILED THEIR HIGH FIVE FINALLY!!!!!

Okay so uh. New favorite episode to be quite frank. The wish and its result made sense. The development for Dev worked and Hazel kind of understands Dev more and he’s being more open and not wearing his sunglasses anymore. Also Dev and Hazel are so dang cute. I hope we see him making more friends I need to see this child get love and support damn it. Really really solid episode absolutely loved it I hope we see more of Dev and Hazel hanging out. She clearly has a very good influence on him and he needs that in his life.

#fairly oddparents #fop #fop a new wish #review #fairly odd parents a new wish #live reaction

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gojuo · 2 years ago

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Do you think Aemond loves his brother Aegon in the show? I feel a little bitter about how the showrunners have portrayed their relationship in the show. In the book I've always seen it as kind of tyrion / Jaime relationship, in fact all of alicent's children love each other there. But in the show its seems that they are trying to turn it into Aegon iv/ naerys/ aemon . Like how can they interpret Aegon II as Aegon IV? And Aemond of all people as Aemon the dragonknight? lmao

They desperately want to make aegon hated by all of his family for some reason. Even joffery wasn't hated by all of the lannisters, his mother loved him even if it's in her own way. Aegon in the other hand is hated by everyone except maybe for sunfyre lol

I don’t think Aegon is necessarily hated by his family members, just that they are disappointed with his debauchery and heedlessness towards duty. Aegon and Aemond present a united front from the “You may cuff him about as you wish at home, but in the world, we must defend our own,” line onwards:

In the Driftmark episode, Aemond lies about who told him about the Strong bastards rumor and Aegon takes the blame without blinking, protecting both Aemond and Alicent by going along with the lie.

This background dialogue insinuates that the brothers’ relationship is pretty normal and amicable, and not at all antagonistic. Aemond confides in Aegon concerning his grievances with Viserys' actions.

When Aegon provoked Jace and Baela and Jace stood up as if to talk back, Aemond stood up as well, essentially shutting the boy up and forcing him to sit back down. Aemond was protecting Aegon here.

When Aemond starts his Strong boys speech, Aegon is the only one to raise his cup when asked, smirking all the while, showing his support of his brother’s antics to the entire room.

When the scuffle between Jace and Aemond broke out, Luke tried to head over to his brother but Aegon stopped him in his tracks and slammed his head into the table, making Luke unable to aid Jace. Aegon shielded Aemond here by physically taking part in a fight that wasn’t really his.

Aemond’s line in the last episode: “Did you really think that you could just fly about the realm trying to steal my brother’s throne at no cost?”

To the outside world, Aegon II and Aemond make clear that they are loyal to one another, that they are brothers through and through, that they are one family. Such a thing was never present in Aegon IV and Aemon’s dynamic and relationship. For starters, Aegon II orders a statue to be made of Aemond and Daeron after their deaths and also orders that in all chronicles and court records the title of queen is only preserved for his mother and for Helaena, calling them the “true queens.” Let’s compare these small tidbits with the dynamic Aegon IV, Naerys and Aemon had:

TWOIAF, Aegon IV, p. 95:

It was said of Aegon that he never slept alone and did not count a night complete until he had spent himself in a woman. His carnal lusts were satiated by all manner of women, from the highest born of princesses to the meanest whore, and he seemed to make no difference between them. In his last years, Aegon claimed he had slept with at least nine hundred women (the exact number eluded him), but that he only truly loved nine. Queen Naerys, his sister, was not counted among them.

Aegon IV gives his bastard son one of the greatest symbols of Targaryen legitimacy, shocking the entire court by publicly favoring his bastard over his own trueborn son with Naerys. TWOIAF, Aegon IV, p. 95-96:

King Aegon knighted Daemon in his twelfth year when he won a squires’ tourney (thereby making him the youngest knight ever made in the time of the Targaryens, surpassing Maegor I) and shocked his court, kin, and council by bestowing upon him the sword of Aegon the Conqueror, Blackfyre, as well as lands and other honors.

Aegon IV greatly disliked Naerys and all of what she stood for, and made it publicly known he did so as well. He refused her plea to separate after giving him a son and the book insinuates he did it because he wanted her to suffer. TWOIAF, Aegon IV, p. 96:

Queen Naerys—the one woman Aegon IV bedded in whom he took no pleasure—was pious and gentle and frail, and all these things the king misliked. […] Naerys was said to address her brother thus: “I have done my duty by you, and given you an heir. I beg you, let us live henceforth as brother and sister.” We are told that Aegon replied: “That is what we are doing.” Aegon continued to insist his sister perform her wifely duties for the rest of her life.

Aegon IV quite literally tried to murder Aemon when he was 1.5 years old, like, really. Fire and Blood, p. 701:

On the eve of Smith’s Day, Larra of Lys gave Prince Viserys a second son, a large and lusty boy that the prince named Aemon. A feast was held to celebrate, and all rejoiced at the birth of this new prince… save mayhaps for his year-and-a-half-old brother, Aegon, who was discovered hitting the babe with the dragon’s egg that had been placed inside the cradle. No harm was done, for Aemon’s howls soon brought Lady Larra running to disarm and discipline her elder son.

Aegon IV made up false rumors that his son by Naerys was actually Aemon’s, which is a crime punishable by exile/death, and tried to disinherit his own trueborn heir Daeron in favor of his bastard Daemon. TWOIAF, Aegon IV, p. 96:

The king’s quarrels with his close kin became all the worse after his son Daeron grew old enough to voice his opinions. Kaeth’s Lives of Four Kings makes it plain that the false accusations of the queen’s adultery made by Ser Morgil Hastwyck were instigated by the king himself, though at the time Aegon denied it. […] It was also the first (but not the last) time that Aegon threatened to name one of his bastards as his heir instead of Daeron.

After the deaths of his siblings [Aemon and Naerys], the king began to make barely veiled references to his son’s alleged illegitimacy—something he dared only because the Dragonknight was dead.

Then, this is THEEE passage which shows how different the Aegon/Naerys/Aemon-dynamic is to the Aegon/Helaena/Aemond (and Daeron) one. TWOIAF, Aegon IV, p. 96:

Matters between them [Aegon and Naerys] were inflamed further by Prince Aemon, their brother, who had been inseperable from Naerys when they were young. Aegon’s resentment of his noble, celebrated brother was plain to all, for the king delighted in slighting Aemon and Naerys both at every turn. Even after the Dragonknight died in his defense, and Queen Naerys perished in childbed the year after, Aegon IV did little to honor their memory.

Contrast that to this passage. Dangerous Women, The Princess and the Queen, p. 783:

When his grief had passed, King Aegon II summoned his loyalists and made plans for his return to King’s Landing, to reclaim the Iron Throne and be reunited once again with his lady mother, the Queen Dowager, who had at last emerged triumphant over her great rival, if only by outliving her. “Rhaenyra was never a queen,” the king declared, insisting that henceforth, in all chronicles and court records, his half-sister be referred to only as “princess,” the title of queen being reserved only for his mother Alicent and his late wife and sister Helaena, the “true queens.” And so it was decreed.

And this one. Fire and Blood, p. 561:

During this time, Aegon II also commanded that the Dragonpit be restored and rebuilt, commissioned two huge statues of his brothers Aemond and Daeron (he decreed they should be larger than the Titan of Braavos, and covered in gold leaf), […]

Do you think Aegon IV would ever honor Naerys and Aemon in the way Aegon II did with Helaena and Aemond (and Daeron too, my poor forgotten boy...)? The relationship between Aegon II and Aemond is the exact opposite of Aegon IV and Aemon if I say so myself. Both in show and book.

TWOIAF, Aegon II, p. 77:

Aemond took up the mantle of Protector of the Realm and Prince Regent after both Aegon and Sunfyre were gravely injured at Rook’s Rest in the battle with Rhaenys and Meleys. He even donned his brother’s crown—Aegon the Conqueror’s crown of rubies and Valyrian steel—though he did not call himself king.

Fire and Blood, p. 437:

And so one-eyed Aemond the Kinslayer took up the iron-and-ruby crown of Aegon the Conqueror. “It looks better on me than it ever did on him,” the prince proclaimed. Yet Aemond did not assume the style of king, but named himself only Protector of the Realm and Prince Regent.

Can you imagine Aemon doing this with Aegon IV? Aegon IV would literally rather die than having Aemon rule in his stead and he would for sure have his brother’s head if Aemon had said what Aemond said here, lmao. Aegon IV despises Aemon and Aemon doesn’t care about mending the relationship. Aegon II and Aemond, however, are one team. They are BROTHERS. Both in the book and in the show.

About Aegon II and Helaena’s relationship… The one thing that is comparable to Aegon IV and Naerys is the fact that Aegon II also cheated on his wife (and PROBABLY fathered bastards; it isn't exactly confirmed). However even in that they are dissimilar because Aegon IV had public mistresses of high-rank who stayed in court for all to see together with him and Naerys. Aegon IV’s bastards also stayed in court together with Daeron II, his son and heir by Naerys. Aegon IV publicly humiliated his wife by allowing this and openly showed contempt towards his trueborn son Daeron II by favoring his mistresses’ children over him. And I mean… By spreading rumors of Naerys and Aemon having had an affair and that Daeron II was the result of said affair, Aegon IV essentially tried to have his own child exiled/executed since such a thing is high treason (Naerys and Aemon were dead by this point; Aegon IV never had the guts to spread the rumors while they were alive). Aegon II in contrast has never done such a thing.

Aegon II’s affairs were only with servants and prostitutes of King’s Landing, not high-ranking noble ladies who stayed in court together with the entire family. He may or may not have fathered bastards. It is not exactly confirmed to be undoubtedly true. Only Mushroom reported that he had 2 bastards but no other source talks about this and Mushroom never mentions those two bastards ever again outside of 1 line saying they exist somewhere. We can never be sure if they were actually real or not. Anyways, if we pretend they exist, then what is undoubtedly true is that Aegon II has never favored those two bastards over his children with Helaena in the way Aegon IV did. Aegon II never accused Helaena of high treason, Helaena never tried to beg Aegon II to relieve her of her “wifely duties” like Naerys did, Aegon II's affairs weren’t in front of Helaena’s face all the time like with Aegon IV who had all of his lovers live in the same castle with his wife, Aegon II might have bastards (and only 2) vs Aegon IV's canonically confirmed 15 bastards, etc. etc.

An example of Aegon trying to protect Helaena’s honor (to be fair her honor is not being insulted, but oh well). Fire and Blood, p. 387:

Still later, the fool reports, Aegon the Elder took offense when Jacaerys asked his wife, Helaena, for a dance. Angry words were exchanged, and the two princes might have come to blows if not for the intervention of the Kingsguard.

Helaena freely sasses him, hinting at an easy and light relationship between the two. Fire and Blood, p. 398:

Princess Helaena was breaking her fast with her children when the Kingsguard came to her... but when asked the whereabouts of Prince Aegon, her brother and husband, she said only, “He is not in my bed, you may be sure. Feel free to search beneath the blankets.”

He listens to her counsel and advice, meaning that he holds her in high regard concerning politics at the very least. Fire and Blood, p. 409.

Aegon would not hear of it. Septon Eustace tells us that His Grace accused the Grand Maester of disloyalty and spoke of having him thrown into a black cell “with your black friends.” But when the two queens—his mother, Queen Alicent, and his wife, Queen Helaena—spoke in favor of Orwyle’s proposal, the truculent king gave way reluctantly.

Aegon was devastated by Blood and Cheese and cared a great deal for his children. Fire and Blood, p. 425.

In his grief and fury, King Aegon II commanded that all the city’s ratcatchers be taken out and hanged, and this was done. […] Though Blood and Cheese had spared her life, Queen Helaena cannot be said to have survived that fateful dusk. Afterward she would not eat, nor bathe, nor leave her chambers, and she could no longer stand to look upon her son Maelor, knowing that she had named him to die. The king had no recourse but to take the boy from her and give him over to their mother, the Dowager Queen Alicent, to raise as if he were her own. Aegon and his wife slept separately thereafter, and Queen Helaena sank deeper and deeper into madness, whilst the king raged, and drank, and raged.

Aegon and Helaena slept in one bed together up until Blood and Cheese tore them apart, in stark contrast to Aegon IV who “never took pleasure” in Naerys.

Aegon II’s reason for accepting the crown was to protect himself, his brothers, his sister and his children. Fire and Blood, p. 398:

Only when Ser Criston convinced him that the princess must surely execute him and his brothers should she don the crown did Aegon waver. “Whilst any trueborn Targaryen yet lives, no Strong can ever hope to sit the Iron Throne,” Cole said. “Rhaenyra has no choice but to take your heads if she wishes her bastards to rule after her.” It was this, and only this, that persuaded Aegon to accept the crown that the small council was offering him.

Aegon II and Helaena had an okay relationship in the book. It was affable enough. Cheating aside, Helaena never went through the torment Naerys did by her husband’s hands. Aegon II & Helaena’s and Aegon IV & Naerys’ relationships are just not comparable to each other. Even in the show, even if there is dissent in the relationship, it’s not implied anywhere that Helaena is afraid of Aegon II or miserable in her marriage in the way that Naerys was. Aegon II mostly ignores her, apparently, except when he is drunk (hinting that he feels the need to be intoxicated in order to “do his duty” AKA have sex with her). In history, Aemon and Naerys are remembered as having loved each other (AGOT, Sansa III & Sansa IV and ACOK, Sansa VI). This is not the case for Helaena and Aemond. Those two have never been suggested as having been lovers within the canon. Those two have also literally never interacted with each other in the show… Like, I’m being serious. They’ve only ever stood next to each other and that’s literally it. This Helaemond crap is being shoved down our throats by the fandom, not the showrunners. And this is happening because Team Black wants some sick type of justification for Blood and Cheese by making Helaena’s children bastards, pretending like the Greens are hypocrites, as if Helaena and Alicent are anything like Rhaenyra. They want Jaehaerys to be Aemond's bastard because they want Daemon to be vindicated for the "a son for a son" line, instead of it being what it actually is: Daemon's senseless brutality and inhumanity. And I know this because I’ve seen it happening in real time.

To conclude, Aemond is disappointed with Aegon II’s immodesty but he is still loyal to T to his brother and his throne, and Aegon II supports and aids and trusts Aemond, and has mended their relationship after the eye incident. Aegon II and Aemond are the exact opposite of Aegon IV and Aemon, that’s just how it is. Their dynamics with each other just have nothing in common. Absolutely not in the book, but also not in the show.

#IM SORRRRRYYYYYYY FOR TAKING MONTHS TO ANSWER THIS I AM SORRY !!!!! I REALLY AM!!!!!#i dont know why it happened but it just did i just logged out and didn tlog back in for a while and IM SORRY!#hotd spoilers #aegon ii #aemond #helaena #aemon the dragonknight #naerys #aegon iv #hotd #asoiaf #hotd critical #anti helaemond #helaegon #anonymous #answered

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shivvroys · 11 months ago

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‘I don’t want to be alone right now,’ from “please don’t leave my side” prompts for shivlina ? 🤕

read below or on ao3

cw: brief mention of childhood physical abuse

“I don’t want to be alone right now.”

Despite the sprawling expanse of the property, she isn’t difficult to track down.

When Karolina finds her, she’s two quarters of a whiskey bottle down, shoulders caved in on themselves and eyes heavy with unshed tears.

“Hey.”

She approaches Shiv cautiously, not fully stepping into the dark study, as if extending a hand out for her to sniff. For her to decide whether to trust.

“Oh, hey. Thought you might have left.”

Her voice is heavy, thickened by alcohol and the knot she’d been trying to swallow the entire night.

Karolina takes a step forward.

“We came here together.”

“So polite.” Shiv scoffs. “By all means, don’t let me keep you here.”

She waves a shaky hand in Karolina’s direction, before reaching for the bottle.

“I do want to go home.” Karolina sighs. She takes the last couple of steps forward, pulling up a chair and sitting down. Instead of sitting across from her, she drags the chair to Shiv’s side. “I thought you might join me.”

The only light in the room is coming from a massive, intricately decorated lamp on a nearby coffee table. In its warmth, Shiv’s hair is set alight, gold-spun as it frames her face—mascara slightly smudged, nose and cheeks reddened by the whiskey, her bottom lip raw where she’d bit at it.

She looks beautiful, Karolina thinks, but heartbreakingly so—in the way some art could only be appraised by the artist’s measure of suffering. As if not allowed to exist without it—beauty defined not by what nurtures it, but by everything that has tried to tear it down.

“‘Fraid I won’t make for very good company tonight.”

She watches Shiv sip pensively at her glass, before reaching for it herself. Shiv allows her to take it, and watches with glassy eyes as Karolina drinks. The whiskey burns a smooth trail down her throat, and settles in her stomach like a tight hug. A terribly inviting companion.

“I don’t want good company.”

Karolina sets the glass down, but keeps her hand wrapped around it. Not a warning, necessarily, but a silent suggestion. Hands now empty, Shiv straightens up in her chair and sweeps her eyes over the dark room.

“You know, I don’t think he ever even used this one.” she turns to look at Karolina. “I don’t remember ever seeing him in here, actually.”

“Well, there were so many to choose from, you can’t really blame him.”

The comment lands poorly, and instead of the usual scoff and raised brow, dread pools in her belly as she watches Shiv’s face fall.

“I know he was a fucking monster, okay? I get that.” her voice strains as she struggles to keep her jaw from shaking. “But he was my fucking dad.”

“I know, Shiv. I’m sorry.”

She reaches a hand to cradle Shiv’s face, which she doesn’t shrug away, though she turns her gaze downwards.

“It’s fine. Whatever—ding-dong, the mad king’s dead, right? Funny.”

She can’t lie to herself and say she’d felt guilty for laughing along with them. One year hadn’t been nearly long enough for the collective PTSD to wear off, so she’d stood there and nodded with raised brows and upturned lips at Karl’s jokes, knocking her elbow lightly against Gerri’s side as they made fun of Connor’s lachrymose speech.

She’s spent the better part of her adult life as another vessel for Logan Roy to pour his anger into—she won’t be made to feel guilty for not shedding a single tear for his demise.

But still.

She has an after and a before Logan Roy. A chance, dim but steady, at some sort of redressal. A compass—cracked and full of dust, that still points somewhere.

Shiv, on the other hand, has only ever known the direction of Logan’s pointed finger. And no matter how crooked the finger, Karolina can’t blame her for following it.

In the end, it’s not guilt that aches like an open wound in Karolina’s chest—not sympathy for the imagined humanity of a man like Logan Roy.

In the end, it’s the tears that Shiv refuses to let fall. The bitten thumbs and scratched wrists. The way she knows how heavy of a burden it is to carry so much grief for her father, but carries it nonetheless. Won’t let herself put it down, won’t share it even when her shoulders shake from the weight of it.

Karolina’s heart aches for Shiv because she’s watched her laugh at the jokes, too—watched her smile and nod despite the blood coating the back of her throat. Despite the phantom knife dangling above her head, the heavy hand still gripping the back of her head.

And it isn’t honorable—none of them are honorable people, but it’s love nonetheless.

“He’s your father, Shiv. You don’t have to hide your grief for him.”

Shiv grabs the hand cradling her face, squeezing it lightly before moving it to her lap. With her other hand, she pries the whiskey glass out of Karolina’s hand, finishing it off in one swift gulp and letting it dangle between her fingers. The tiny details carved into the glass sparkle in the light as she turns is slowly, inspecting it as if looking through a kaleidoscope.

“I kind of do.” she finally sighs, eyes not leaving the glass. “He was a pretty horrible guy. Not a lot of heartwarming memories to cry about.”

“I’m afraid grief doesn’t work like that.”

“Hmm.” Shiv nods. “Your dad’s dead too, right? What’s the worst thing he ever did?”

The questions slices through her like a dagger, burrowing itself in like a parasite. Seems they both have things they refuse to put down.

“I never ranked them.” She looks down at the hand intertwined with Shiv’s, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. “He dragged me through the house by my hair once.”

Shiv puts the glass down with a heavy thud.

“What?”

“I was fifteen. A teacher caught me making out with this little boyfriend I had in the bathroom—told my parents I liked to skip classes and let all the boys put their hands up my skirt.”

She remembers a time when recounting memories like these left a hot trail of shame burning through her, where now all she feels is a small tug of regret—maybe even a sad kind of fondness.

“You had a boyfriend?” she watches a faint trace of a smile dance across Shiv’s face—a tiny flicker of familiar mischievousness light up her eyes.

“Joey. My one and only.” she nods, sighing in mock longing. “He dumped me after my dad threatened to break his arms.”

“Damn, poor Joey. What’d he threaten your girlfriends with?”

There’s that lick of shame. She takes a deep breath, propping her hand on the desk and resting her head on it.

“He never knew.” she swallows. “My mother never let me tell him. Said it would make him sick to his heart.”

“You think it would’ve?”

She can’t help but chuckle at Shiv’s question. Her bluntness—the way she indulged her curiosity like a child, had once felt uncomfortable and intrusive. She’s loathe to admit it’s become one of Shiv’s most endearing traits.

“I think so, yeah.” she whispers. “He would’ve been horrified.”

Shiv bites her lip, furrowing her brow as she struggles to say something. Comfort doesn’t come naturally to her, but Karolina can feel her trying to reach out, so she smiles gratefully nonetheless.

“But we love them regardless, right? Doesn’t hurt any less.”

Shiv doesn’t say anything, just leans forward and kisses her softly, rubbing her thumb over Karolina’s cheek. Caressing with the same hand she’s been biting down on her entire life.

They don’t normally do this, which reminds Karolina of why she doesn’t normally drink whiskey. But she’s spent years beating her chest red from grief and guilt, from the pain of choices she’s made and choices she’s avoided until they’d been made for her. It’s a pointless trail to follow—the past and all the things lost within it, but she’s trodded it endlessly, only to end up facing herself.

Grief is no hero’s plight, so she’ll grab onto Shiv’s hand and pull her as further out as she can.

“I can wait for you at my place, if you want.” She reaches over to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind Shiv’s ear, her fingertips trailing along her hairline. “Let you be alone for a bit.”

“Kind of just wanna say fuck it, honestly.” Shiv smiles through heavy-lidded eyes.

“Shiv…” she lets her voice drawl in the way she knows will send shivers down Shiv’s spine. “Grief doesn’t really fuck off.”

The use of Logan’s preferred expletive earns her a pointed smile.

“I know.” Shiv sighs, stretching over the desk and dropping her head unceremoniously over her arms. “I just—don’t really want to be alone with it right now.”

She says the last part quietly, words muffled by the sleeve of her shirt.

“Together, then.”

She brings her hand to Shiv’s back, raking her nails softly along her spine. All she gets in response is a soft whine and a nod—music to her ears nonetheless.

#shivlina #siobhan roy #karolina novotney #succession fic #my fics #prompt fill #she’s (kinda) baaaack #i feel like im writing the same scene over and over in all of these but its angsty and gay so SUE ME for having fun

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pandoratheprocrasticreator · 2 years ago

Text

just remembered this post by @smokestarrules again and it’s making me think about the implications for luz in the rest of s3.

like yeah! she puts up a front that she’s okay in front of everyone. that if she isn’t happy, necessarily, then at least she’s just upset over the same stuff her friends are upset about. ie being trapped in the human world and missing their families. if she tells amity, willow, and gus that she feels at fault for the whole belos thing or getting them trapped in the human world, then she knows they’ll tell her that isn’t the case and that isn’t what she wants to hear. same with camila she wants her mom to be angrier at her about leaving home.

hunter has never blamed luz for the belos thing. in fact, if he heard luz and phillip’s conversation in hollow mind, he probably knew luz was tricked the whole time. but the way he grew up, his understanding of “fault” is that even if something isn’t directly your fault, that doesn’t matter if you end up having to make up for it. he’s been blamed for so much stuff that wasn’t his fault in the past, that he doesn’t bat an eye when luz blames herself helping belos. at the beginning of thanks to them, he tries to make her feel better by acknowledging her guilt, but he didn’t find it necessary to tell luz that it wasn’t actually her fault.

and luz takes this as hunter agreeing with her that she SHOULD feel guilty about belos. this in addition to hunter’s trust in her, both of them knowing each other’s secrets and all, makes luz gravitate towards talking to hunter more. because hunter, while he means well, will ABSOLUTELY feed into luz’s guilt, since he doesn’t understand why you shouldn’t do that. (also if luz does feel guilty about getting her friends trapped in the human world she would feel the least bad about hunter. bc he technically doesn’t have anything left in the boiling isles to return to anyway)

but by the end of the episode, hunter’s realized that he deserves better than what belos tells him. they all deserve better. just because belos tried to drive a wedge between luz and her friends by blaming her for helping him, doesn’t mean luz was actually to blame. and now hunter knows to refute that. but even though luz gets a pep talk from him, amity, and her mother, i doubt she’s internalized the sentiment that being tricked by belos doesn’t make her complicit in his crimes. and if she did, based on her track record, i don’t think she’s internalized the fact that no, her mistakes aren’t magically worse than everyone else’s and arent something she needs to put herself in danger to fix.

in fact, now luz is probably feeling guilty about hunter’s whole possession thing. so she might start avoiding talking to him about feelings out of guilt like she has been with her other friends and her mom. on top of that, hunter’s probably going to stop agreeing with luz when she self deprecates. he’ll do what the others do and tell her she’s a Good Person Actually and not everything is her fault, which is the LAST thing luz wants to hear. and luz already doesn’t feel comfortable talking about this stuff to her other friends and family. without hunter, i think luz will probably just bottle up all her feelings for the next two episodes.

and like. when luz thinks she’s responsible for bad things happening to someone she loves, she is SO DOWN to put herself in danger or distress to “help.” she breaks into the conformatorium and fights belos because she thinks it was “her fault” eda was being petrified. she tries to fight a selkiedomous to make up for eda losing her magic. she almost gets blasted to bits by the blights to get willow and gus enrolled in hexside again. she upset her mom by leaving so she decides to stay in the human world forever. she purposely gets herself captured and brought to belos with no plan because she thinks she’s the reason he’s like this today. and given how luz already decided to stay in the human realm, and how we never hear what she planned to do with her palisman if that happens, i have some ideas on how she could “help” hunter with losing flapjack and all of them are sad.

and don’t forget king. he’s with the collector, who luz helped belos find, and was also at the head in the first place because they were coming to rescue her. luz is going to think king being captured by the collector is ENTIRELY her fault. luz is going to tackle the collector and get marcy wu’d. and she isn’t going to tell any of her friends and family ANYTHING because they’ll try to say stuff like “don’t put yourself in danger luz” and “we care about your as our friend/daughter/sister/girlfriend and would be sad if you got hurt luz” and “your mistakes are human and dont make you irredeemable luz” and she Will Not Want To Hear It.

#toh #the owl house #shut up pandora #luz noceda #hunter toh #hunter noceda #should i tag the others this is mostly about how luz lost her self deprecation echo chamber aka her brother #bc hunter has decided to feel good about himself and tell luz to feel good about herself unfortunately #i will #phillip wittebane #emperor belos #camila noceda #amity blight #willow park #gus porter #eda clawthorne #king clawthorne #but yeah what if in the finale theres a dramatic fight scene where you see hunter would obviously be doing better if he had a staff #and luz hands him her palisman and tells him to take care of it for her #and promptly gets herself marcy wu'd #she probably feels guilty about flapjack i can see her thinking it wouldnt be fair to hunter if she had her palisman #after she 'caused' him to lose his so she decides to let him use hers as a replacement #and obviously luz's palisman cant replace flapjack and everyone knows it but luz still sees it as her way of helping #besides even though camila obviously didnt want her to stay in the human world forever if it would make her unhappy luz doesnt know that #she doesnt know her mom watched her video diary shell take camilas 'its our duty to help your friends' as #'well pop by to help the boiling isles and come back after and THEN ill tell my friends im staying in gravesfield forever'#so while she loves her egg to death hunter could have so much more use for it in the boiling isles #in conclusion i do think that luz noceda bottom text #oh yeah #luz and hunter are siblings

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alaanz · 11 months ago

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Theories over why Babe crashed his car before we actually find out.

1. Tony - via messing with the mechanics of the car.

Tony would obviously seem at the top of the list. But I’m not sure if Killing babe is what Tony wants. It seems more like he wants him to come back home rather than out right murdering him. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t stage the accident. It could of been that he’d just decide he was gonna take a big risk and hope that babe didn’t die in the accident, just that he was injured. Maybe hoping that it would scare Babe back into coming home by showing him that he could end his life if he wanted to.

2. Tony - via using another alphas powers.

The same logic behind the reasoning from before would apply here. But there would in theory be a lot more control over how the accident plays out. We’ve now seen at least 3 examples of what looks like ‘alpha powers from Babe (heightened senses), Jeff (possibly seeing the future) and Way (what looks like mind manipulation or something). We’ve already seen from flashbacks that someone has telekinesis powers, so the possibility that Tony still has then under his control is not out of the question. And if this is the case, then the likelihood of them causing Babes accident is even more likely. Jeff said it himself in the episode that practically everyone had checked the car and that it was working before the race. So for me, it seems like a high chance. And I’m gonna bet my money that Kenta is the one with the telekinesis power.

3. Winner aka Loser

This is a possibility, as is practically everything with this show. But I’m not sure how I feel abt this theory. I feel like he’s too much of an idiot (sort of affectionate but not really) to pull it off. Everything he’s done so far hasn’t managed to go the way he wanted it too. But we saw that he’s willing to throw money around to make sure he gets his way. It just seems too big of a plan, and tbh to big a plot point point for it to have been Loser that was the one that sabotaged the car. If does end up being him however, I hope we get to see Kim knock him the fuck out for being an absolute dipshit.

4. Jeff

This is the way the show is trying to frame it for next week but I really don’t believe it tbh. With the way everything’s been going, nothing that Charlie and Jeff has planned so far has been malicious towards Babe at any point. Charlie is way too gone for Babe for him to hurt him. And Jeff and Charlie are too good of friends for Jeff to have gone behind Charlie’s back to hurt babe. There’s always the possibility that Jeff did mess with the car, but as a way to save Babe. We saw that he had a vision of sorts seeing that Babe has an accident during the race. What if Jeff saw a worse version of the accident and so messed with the car to create a smaller accident instead. One that’s less life threatening. This could be why Jeff gets blamed in the next ep. If someone does has any evidence that shows that Jeff did fuck with the car, how is Jeff meant to explain the truth to them without outing himself. I don’t think it was Jeff that did it tho. Maybe I’m biased (a big possibility I’m not gonna lie) but it doesn’t really make any sense for it to have been Jeff.

Out of everyone, I think who I suspect the most is Tony and that he crashed the car using another alphas power. Partly because it makes a lot of sense, and partly because I want it to be right because of how wild it would be.

#pit babe #pit babe the series #babe x charlie #alan x jeff #pit babe episode 4 #I’m gonna put £10 on it being Kenta #just for the laughs #and because I want the drama

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bafflement · 1 year ago

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Deaged Oz AU - Crossing The Bridge... Or Not - Part 1

“And you’re certain you can trust the relic to get us to Vacuo?” Yang asked, staring at Tip, who shuffled slightly, biting his lip.

“I mean, mostly? They like creating things, and this would give them a challenge. But… if he gives you a warning, you have to listen to him. If you don’t, there could be very bad consequences. He might not necessarily tell you everything, either… you’ll need to listen very carefully and follow instructions precisely. I should really go with you, but…” he broke off, glancing down at his left leg in vague despair. It had healed, mostly… but the travel down to the vault was long and he wasn’t certain it would hold up for it, much less the trip back. He really hated feeling this useless, but… besides. There was too great a risk that Ambrosius would be distracted by sheer hilarity. After all, it wasn’t often that Oz was in a state this vulnerable and as far as he was aware, this one was unique. He both was and wasn’t Ozma, not fully, not yet. And yet, he’d also never really stopped being. The risk was far too great that Ambrosius, being who and what he was, would find Tip the more intriguing puzzle.

“Hey, Pocketsized. We’ll be okay. I promise we’ll listen, you don’t have to worry about us. Will you be okay, here? I know we’re not all going, but Salem already snatched you once, what if she tries to again?” Blake sounded concerned, reaching out to ruffle Tip’s hair without really thinking about it. Tip let her without commenting, which drove home just how worried he really was about this. But then, after what happened with Jinn, could any of them really blame him?

“She’s unlikely to try it in the same way. I just worry, especially since she already has the lamp. She could easily use it to try to thwart us and if that happens, I can’t even help you. Not really, not like this.” He sighed, looking very young in that moment, the inch or so showing at his wrists just lending itself more to the overwhelming image of confused youth. They all knew it was misleading but… Tip was really rather adorable when he did that, not that he’d be very happy to be reminded of it.

Those going exchanged glances, then Ruby shot a reassuring smile over at him. Penny just nodded, head cocked slightly. She still found it rather fascinating that this small boy was, or rather had been Professor Ozpin. She was aware of magic, of course. Not only had the General informed her of such, she was the current winter maiden. She hadn’t been built to believe in magic and fairy tales, but her father had intended her to grow. This was certainly growth of a sort, right?

Tip sighed as they left, still looking deeply conflicted. He should be there! He should be the one to talk to Ambrosius, he knew him far better than the others did. While creating a way to Vacuo would no doubt intrigue him, the relic could so easily trick anyone they talked to. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the others, of course he did… but they were still going to converse with someone who might not have their best wishes in mind. After Jinn… were the relics as tired of this as he was? What if, in the end, he allowed something to happen in the sheer hopes of being allowed to be free? After all, they were just as chained to the whims of the brothers as he himself was, and with even less freedom. At least he could move around on his own, wasn’t trapped in a vessel waiting. Why had that never even occurred to any of the previous versions, though? Surely, if it was as obvious as he thought it was, then they would have known by now? Would have set something up, at least enough that the four could have some semblance of lives of their own?

After all, even Ozma had never known just where the relics came from, what they originally were. What if they really were just as trapped as he was, was it possible to free them? Could he free them, did he dare, considering Salem?

Was it fair, to keep them trapped like that though? No, of course it wasn’t. They deserved their freedom… he really hated the Brothers, at times like this.

“Tip?” Oscar ventured, voice soft. “They’ll be alright, you know they will! Ruby knows what she’s doing, so do the others. It’ll be fine!”

“I can only hope that it will, Oscar. I just… they need to be incredibly careful in how they word this request, he’s likely to take things very, very literally. I should be there!”

“No way, Pocketsized.” Jaune interjected, looking stern. “Salem almost killed you, you’re not up to the journey. You know that, you know they’ll be okay!”

“And if they’re not? If something happens because they don’t say the right thing, or make slightly the wrong request?”

“Then we’ll deal with that when it happens. We need to get everybody to Vacuo, you know that.” Jaune sighed. “We’re hunters, Tip. We knew what we were signing up for. I know we’re young, but so are you, you’re eleven years old! I know the wizard doesn’t count, but you do. Putting yourself in danger when the others can and have volunteered for this, you realise we’d just worry more, right?”

“You are my students, Jaune. I should be the one protecting you, not the other way around. I know that I’m young physically, but still… I should be protecting the rest of you. If something goes wrong here, it falls on my shoulders. If I hadn’t been quite so, well, helpless, Salem would never have been able to snatch me in the first place. The injuries I carry are a direct result of my own stupidity.”

“NO, Tip.” Oscar sounded deeply frustrated now, glaring at the younger boy hotly. Tip flinched slightly, but met his eyes, his own self hatred burning bright. “Salem snatched you from Atlas. You were meant to be safe there, we all were. It isn’t your fault that she snatched you, you aren’t weak for being injured. Look, I know, you’re used to being stronger than you are right now. But if you plan to protect us, then you have to let us protect you, too. It goes both ways, we care about you! You matter, Tip. Why else would you be my brother?”

“… I know!” Nora interjected, brightly. “Why don’t we all just calm down and eat something. Pancakes, maybe?” She shot a hopeful look to Ren, who rolled his eyes but got up to make them anyway. Some of the tension in the room faded at that, though Tip’s shoulders were still stiff, his face still anguished. It didn’t matter what any of them were going to say, really, though. If anything happened to his students, everybody would just blame him anyway. He was the one responsible, ultimately. Oh, why had he let them go and talk to Ambrosius alone?

“So, you need a path to Vacuo, a way to get everybody from one kingdom to another quickly? I could probably do that…” Ambrosius murmured, amusement in his voice. “However… just don’t fall.”

Yang huffed as they all made their way back to the others who were waiting for them. That could probably have gone better, though at least Penny was human now? Somehow, though she was unsure what Pocketsized would make of that… after all, they had had a specific mission and that wasn’t really it. But then, with her human she couldn’t be controlled anymore. Nobody could tell her to do anything but herself. For a second, an image of Tip being controlled by the creepy wizard dude flashed across her mind, but she shook her head. It wasn’t the same thing, right? Ambrosius was a smug bastard, though. She really, massively didn’t like him.

From the looks the others were exchanging, that feeling appeared to be very, very mutual. He’d set up the path, though. They’d get there, they’d get to Vacuo. Everything would be okay, though she could see why the Professor was so worried. Maybe he really should have come along? Nah… they’d done just fine on their own.

Ruby’s nose twitched as they neared the rooms the others were currently occupying. Could she smell pancakes? Huh, maybe she was just hungry after dealing with the relic. Pancakes would be really nice right about now, though.

There were definitely pancakes, lots of them, though it was slightly harder to enjoy them while being peppered by Tip’s anxious questioning. At least he’d seemed relatively relieved by what Ambrosius had set up regarding the pathway to Vacuo? He kept giving Penny confused looks, too, and Yang snorted to herself. She’d totally called it, he really wasn’t that impressed.

Tip shifted in his seat, biting his lip nervously. He knew better than anyone the sort of loopholes Ambrosius left in the requests he actually agreed to answer.

Don’t fall.

But then, how hard could that really be?

#deaged oz au #ozpin #team rwby #oscar pine #ambrosius #the relics #rwby ozpin #professor ozpin #headmaster ozpin #li ren #nora valkyrie #jaune arc

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kalevalakryze · 1 year ago

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Jedi June 2023

going to bite the bullet on this one too! My baby deserves to be let out into the world after all the work I put into her, and the way she made me love Mace Windu again.

Characters: Mace Windu, Original Jedi Female Character, Mentioned Depa Billaba, Mentioned Quinlan Vos, Mentioned Master Yoda

Warnings: None!

Relationships: Mace Windu & Original Jedi Female Charcter

Chessaf’re’krudo was often nervous around her Master. It was reasonable, considering the Legacy of Jedi Master Mace Windu, creator of the Seventh lightsaber form and renowned member of the Jedi Council. It wasn’t even anything necessarily about his actions that had put all the younglings in her crèche on edge, but more of the legacy and the stoicism.

Mace Windu was a Korun man who’d trained Jedi Master Depa Bilaba, and how could she ever live up to the legacy that she must have left behind as his apprentice? Really, Chess could believe the only reason she was assigned to him was because she was purple like his jaded saber, and man, wouldn’t that suck?

Her fidgeting must have pulled the man from his meditations, because the young Keshiri could feel his eyes leveling on her, only daring to crack her eyelids open once she managed to put her breathing to an even tone. Red eyes met brown in a tentative glance, before she found a particular divot in his robes she liked enough to stare at over eye contact. “Are you nervous, young one?” HE finally broke the silence of hyperspace, and as his legs uncrossed, Chess’s did too, only to be tucked into her chest.

There was no point in lying to a man like Mace, not when he practically oozed the force from his very cosmic being. “Yes, master, We’re told many stories in the crèche about finding our crystal,” IT was easier, to blame her nerves on their trip to Ilum than on the weight she felt against her bony shoulders. Her chin rested on the top of her knee, and she picked at a piece of dirt that hitched a ride on the sole of her boot.

“Trust in the force, Chess, and it will show you the way.” Was his only answer, and the padawan’s cheeks puffed out, because that definitely wasn’t the assurance she wanted, even if it was all the answer a Jedi needed. “Tell me about the force,” He questioned not unkindly as he mimicked her position, one leg stretched out and the other bent, tucked against his own chest with one arm.

“it’s what makes up the-“ The padawan was cut off by a raised hand and a look she couldn’t place. “Is that wrong, Master?”

“What does the force feel like to you? If you don’t mind sharing, I find that understanding how we each interpret our sensitivity may give an insight to how we can follow its’ path.”

It took a moment, as Chess allowed her eyes to close, her legs extending against the durasteel floor of their small ship, resting against the tops of her thighs as a small tremor seemed to take over her hands. “The force feels… like my body is vibrating, like my bones want out but the force tethers them together, because it is the will of the force that I am whole. Like a constant tingling of my skin that doesn’t warn of danger, but like, like being reminded that it will be there to guide me home every night.” A small smile graced dark violet lips as her head turned upwards and the tremors in her hands paused. “like looking onto the path the force has put me on, and knowing that as long as I follow it’s light, there is nothing to fear, because the force guides me away from darkness.”

When she opened her eyes, her Master seemed to be watching her carefully, and her cheeks darkened in embarrassment. “I’m glad to hear that the force feels like that for you, my Padawan. It is always wise to maintain a strong connection to the force and the light it provides, but be mindful, the Dark Side can disguise itself as many ways, and try to twist your beliefs into thinking it is the best option. Trust in the force, and in those of us around you as well. Master Yoda has been there for me on several occasions when I needed help sorting out how I could best conduit the Force,” Chess’s jaw had dropped at that, because, Master Windu needed to seek advice on the force? It didn’t seem real.

“For me, the force is tricky,” His leg lowered from the bent position to extend outwards, until he was nearly mimicking Chess’s position again, though his palms stayed still where they rested on his knees. “I see the Force through Shatterpoints, moments that are vital to the world around us, where the Force shines a light on a person, place, or thing, where it shouts ‘hey, I’m over here, motherfucker!’ and I am to find a way to decipher what the best course of action is.”

Maker, if Chess wasn’t already intimidated by the sheer power and legend of the man, learning about his ability to detect vital events only increased the feelings of awe. “Some Jedi can detect the echoes of an objects path. Master Quinlan has this ability as well. Do not forget, my young Padawan, that it is not a power or gift we have that makes us strong, but the will of the Force,” He assured when he noticed his Padawan’s face falling. She certainly didn’t get any cool powers from the force, and how was she supposed to amount to his legend as a member of his lineage when she wasn’t born powerful, and she certainly didn’t know the Seventh form yet.

“And, Master Yoda’s only gift is his age,” Her Master pointed out, obviously allowing some humor into the conversation, causing the young Padawan to bubble with laughter. It was certainly true, Grandmaster Yoda had nine hundred years on them all, plenty of time to attune himself so strongly in the force.

“Thank you, Master. I think I needed that,” Chess finally pushed herself to her feet, offering her hand to the Korun, who’d accepted it gratefully, before tugging her down to send her off balance and pull himself to her feet gracefully. Again, the Padawan burst out laughing, even as he helped steady her, Ilum’s surface coming into view as they exited hyperspace and drifted in the atmosphere.

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